The Alpha's Regret: Return Of The Betrayed Luna

Chapter 147: Chapter 147 Piecing The Leads Together

Now that he looked back, Addison had never matched the image of the missing princess, at least not in the way he had remembered her. The Addison of today was quiet, hesitant, and weak... So it had never occurred to him that she could be the princess. But if she was, what had happened to her wolf?

The thought made Zion’s wolf, Shura, whimper in sorrow. Shura had long tried to connect with Addison’s wolf, Aurora. He wanted to explain himself, to make her understand his side, not for forgiveness, but because the thought of being hated by his mate was unbearable.

Unlike Zion, Shura had always been loyal to Addison. Protective. Resentful of how his human half had mishandled everything. And now, as that Aurora remained silent, unreachable... Shura felt the ache of rejection, the loneliness of being unheard, and the heartbreak of being unable to mend what his Alpha had broken.

Then, in front of everyone, Zion reached into his magical pouch tied to his hips like an accessory and slowly pulled out a tightly wrapped bundle of cloth. Layer by layer, he carefully peeled each wrap away, revealing what was hidden inside: the artifact embedded with a bloodstone.

They had attempted to contact the white witches about it, after all, white witches were the natural enemies of the dark witches, who were believed to be responsible for creating such sinister artifacts. Zion had hoped the witches would be curious enough to investigate its origins or at least offer insight into its sudden appearance. But despite sending the letter and waiting patiently, no reply ever came.

Their silence could only be interpreted one way: they didn’t want to get involved. Why? Zion couldn’t say. As for the mermaids, their response, or lack thereof, was expected. They, too, offered no aid or explanation. noveldrama

Left with no other option, Zion had come directly to the Alpha King to show him the artifact and explain everything that had happened to the Midnight River Pack, particularly how it was linked to the rogue attacks. Now that they had confirmed Addison was the real Royal Princess, everything had changed. Claire was no longer the likely target. The real threat would now shift toward Addison.

As for the unresolved issues of the past... they could be dealt with later. Right now, the priority was protecting Addison from the forces operating in the shadows. Claire’s sudden disappearance was no coincidence, and Zion strongly suspected that the traitor responsible was someone within the palace itself.

He hadn’t come just to explain the past; he came to warn them of what was coming.

"These ear studs, embedded with blood stones, were found on the last group of rogues that attacked my pack," Zion began, holding up the ominous jewelry for all to see. "This ties directly to the last rogue attack report we sent to the palace. The reason we withheld the details about the blood stones at the time was because we feared the information might leak to individuals with hidden agendas."

He paused, casting a fleeting, sorrowful glance at Addison before continuing.

"At that time, I believed my traitorous Beta... I believe he went to someone and tattled about me rescuing the Royal Princess. Only he and I knew she had been found in the Vampire Lord’s castle, so if anyone leaked the information, it had to be him. And from that point on, the attacks on my pack started to change. They weren’t random, nor were they just about food shortages or territory. No... they were masked as ordinary rogue incidents to hide the real goal: retrieving the princess."

Zion’s voice turned grim. "But I could never confirm it. Every infiltrator we captured turned out to be a death warrior. They either bit down on a poison pouch embedded in their molars, or they died from a curse as soon as they tried to speak. The only conclusion I could draw was that they were linked to the dark witch’s cult."

As soon as Zion finished, Maxwell suddenly shot up from his seat, the heavy armchair screeching and toppling behind him. His face was pale with fury and alarm.

He had been tracking the dark witches for years, but hearing they were after Addison was another matter entirely. And the matter that she had been cursed, that her wolf was sealed, only strengthened the horrifying possibility: her abduction six years ago was tied directly to the dark witches.

Now it all made sense.

Thanks to Zion’s former Beta, Greg, the cult had found the fake Princess’s whereabouts. After lying dormant for three years, they must’ve begun planning to strike again, and Greg had likely handed over her whereabouts for a hefty reward.

Right now, Addison wasn’t just a victim; she might be the key. She was the strongest lead Maxwell had to finally uncover the dark witch cult’s movements and whereabouts.

The Alpha King and Queen, after hearing Zion’s revelation, momentarily forgot their earlier dissatisfaction with him. Their expressions shifted to one of deep concern. The gravity of the situation overshadowed any resentment they had; they were now focused on the danger Addison was in.

They both recalled the secret that only a handful of trusted individuals knew: Addison was still under a powerful curse. Maxwell had been the first to detect it, and the others had since confirmed it in secret.

Now, to hear that the person responsible for Addison’s abduction six years ago might still be hiding within the palace walls sent a chill through them. The realization struck hard when the enemy believed Addison was hidden away in the Midnight River Pack; they made relentless efforts to infiltrate the area. That desperation could only mean one thing: they were terrified of her returning to the palace.

Why?

Because if Addison regained her memories and recognized them... their entire cover would be blown.

Seeing how agitated Maxwell had become, his breathing uneven, emotions spiraling, and the chilling aura radiating off him growing colder by the second, Zion furrowed his brow but pressed on.

"I had my pack doctor perform autopsies on the corpses of those who posed as rogues," Zion said steadily. "But they weren’t true rogues. They were clearly from a pack, masked by a concoction that altered their scent to resemble that of a rogue. It wasn’t perfect, their scent was still subtly distinct, and that helped us identify the deception."

He paused, his jaw tightening.

"Six of the deceased, who died in their human forms, had identical tattoos on their chests, positioned right above their hearts. A spider lily entwined with a crescent moon. I don’t know which pack they belonged to, or if they were all part of the dark witch’s faction, but one thing was certain: they were all werewolves."

Zion’s voice turned grim. "Back then, I suspected that a pack, possibly one aligned with the cult, wanted to claim the princess for themselves, to earn the glory and privileges of sheltering the lost Royal Princess. Even on our way here to the Royal Capital, we were ambushed more than once. That’s why I never let the supposed ’princess’ out of my sight. I was determined to deliver her safely into Your Majesty’s hands."