And more than that... Addison couldn’t, for a second, believe that nothing happened between Zion and Claire. Weren’t they already entangled while she was still there?
That’s what made it so hard to let herself draw closer to him again, let alone let her children know the man who helped create them.
Because just imagining soone else exploring Zion’s body, touching him where only she once did... it felt like a storm tearing through her chest, like crashing waves churning violently in her stomach.
In short, she hated it.
She hated that while she was breaking apart, struggling, suffering, doing everything in her power to be both mother and father to their twins, her ex-mate, now, her fated mate, had been out there screwing soone else.
And what made it worse... were his words. Words that never stopped echoing in her mind, poisoning her every mory of him:
"I’ll let you live a life of loneliness. I’ll make sure you’re tornted, feel the pain of having a mate who’s disgusted by you, who would rather fuck soone else than touch your sorry ass. Until the day you die, you’ll suffer. I’ll make you wish you had died that day."
Those words carved scars too deep to forget. They were why it was so hard for Addison to accept Zion now. Why, even with his remorse and tenderness, she couldn’t help but question his motives. Was he truly sorry for what he’d done? Or was he only acting this way now because he’d discovered she was the princess?
Addison never liked assuming the worst in people. But when it ca to Zion, she didn’t want to see the good in him.
Because she was afraid, afraid that the mont she let her guard down, the mont she believed he’d changed... she’d forgive him too easily. Accept him too quickly.
And then what?
At this point, she’d fallen too deep into her thoughts, spiraling with overthinking. With a sudden push, stronger this ti, Addison shoved Zion off of her, and this ti he relented, stepping back. She imdiately found her footing, though she staggered slightly as she stood upright.
Her uniform had co undone just enough to reveal a glimpse of her toned, supple skin and tight abdominal muscles. She looked breathtaking, stunningly alluring, like a battle-worn goddess.
Those teary golden eyes of hers, glowing like the sun, could lt even the coldest heart with a single glance. And Zion... his heart clenched painfully at the sight.
There was fear in her eyes.
Fear and heartbreak.
It gripped him with guilt so deep he could barely breathe. He cursed himself inwardly. He didn’t even know what had triggered her, because there were just too many possibilities. Too many wrongs. Too many scars he might’ve left on her heart without even realizing it.
He stepped forward.
But her voice, sharp and trembling, cut through the room like a blade.
"Don’t co closer."
She was shaking, but only for a second. Then, like soone waking from a trance, she straightened. Her fingers moved quickly, fixing her uniform with precision, restoring the image of the composed and unshakable woman she was known to be.
With one final glance at him, eyes now cool and unreadable, Addison turned and walked out.
By now, the conference room was empty. Everyone had already gone. And so, she strode away with her head held high, her steps steady, her presence commanding, like nothing had ever happened.
But as she walked, one bitter thought echoed in her mind like a mantra:
’A leopard doesn’t change its spots. And neither does a cheater.’
Just in ti, her father’s mindlink reached her.
"Sweetheart, where have you been? I’ve been looking for you. Join for lunch, I have sothing I need to discuss with you." The Alpha King’s voice was warm but carried a subtle seriousness that made Addison straighten instinctively.
"Alright, Father. Just give a little ti, I’ll be there."
She ended the link with a sigh. There was no way she could go et her father like this. One look at her disheveled state and he’d instantly know where she’d been, and who she’d been with.
Addison quickened her steps toward her palace. She needed a shower and a fresh change of clothes. Her uniform was creased, her skin flushed, and worst of all, she reeked of him. Zion’s scent clung to her like an invisible brand, masculine, warm, and maddening. Even her own skin carried the mory of his touch, and it made her insides tremble in ways she hated to admit.
She frowned, her expression darkening. She didn’t want him to affect her like this, not her body, and especially not her decisions.
Yes, Zion had made it clear to her and to her family that he saved Claire, protected her, pretended she was his fated mate... all to shield the girl he thought was the missing Royal Princess.
But did protecting her require sleeping with her?
Did it require letting her tornt the real Luna, his then-mate?
Addison clenched her jaw. No, she couldn’t forget. And more than that, she didn’t want to keep thinking about it. It would only sour her mood further.
Lost in her thoughts, ranting silently in her head and boiling in restrained anger, she didn’t notice soone darting out from behind one of the palace’s columns, right in her blind spot.
They collided hard.
"Ugh!" Addison winced as she took two steps back, instinctively closing her eyes from the impact.
"Are you alright—?" the man began, but paused mid-sentence. His voice suddenly shifted, tinged with disbelief and barely contained excitent. "Addie?!"
The familiar voice made Addison blink and look up. There stood Lance, smiling at her with a wide, goofy grin that tugged at her mory. But his smile didn’t last long, his nose twitched, and a frown quickly furrowed his brow. The look he gave her was a complicated swirl of emotions: hurt, confusion, and sothing else she couldn’t quite place.
Addison rembered that she had been close to Lance before her abduction. Since her return, she’d grown used to seeing that sa pained expression in others, people from her past who still hadn’t fully adjusted to the distance she now carried.
She gave him a small, polite smile. "Vice Captain Lance. Hello."
Her tone was formal, her eyes guarded.
The use of his title and the cold formality in her voice hit Lance like a hamr to the chest. The corner of his mouth twitched, his expression faltering for a mont before he composed himself. He swallowed hard, blinking back the emotion that threatened to surface.
"I... I was just on my way to et with the Alpha King," he said, forcing a lightness into his tone. "Were you out sowhere?"
"eting with my father?" Addison tilted her head slightly, curiosity flickering in her golden eyes. "Is sothing happening at the borders? Are there increased rogue attacks, or issues with the other races?"
There was a trace of concern in her voice. After all, the Alpha King wouldn’t summon the Vice Captain of the border patrol without good reason. The thought instantly set her on edge.
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