Addison’s eyes quickly flicked to the side, where she noticed several crates stacked near Leon. But before she could make sense of them, the five n suddenly turned their attention to her, all of them catching her scent the mont she stepped inside.
Their gazes locked onto her, sharp and searching, and Addison instantly felt exposed—scrutinized. A twinge of guilt rose within her. She had made a major decision without consulting any of them. In their eyes, she knew it probably looked like she was going easy on Leon... or worse, accepting the false mate bond.
What Leon had done was more than enough to warrant execution, and yet, instead of punishnt, she had brought him closer, physically and politically. That alone was enough to rattle her fated mates and put Lance on edge. After all, this didn’t just an a new rival; it ant a dangerous one. Leon was surrounded by countless adoring females. Letting soone like that near her could only lead to trouble, heartache, jealousy, and worse.
But honestly, Addison wasn’t sure whether this false mate bond would follow the rules of a werewolf’s mating bond or the Tigrens’. After all, they were different species, each with their own unique traditions and instincts. If Leon did end up sleeping with another woman, would she feel the agonizing sting of betrayal, possibly triggering an early decay of their bond? Or would she feel nothing at all, no matter how far he strayed?
And what about him, would he feel it if she mated with her other partners?
She didn’t have the answers. But what she did know was that she couldn’t keep running from her mates forever. If she did, things might repeat just like they had with Zion. Her bond could begin to decay again, dragging her into that familiar, soul-wrenching pain. And this ti, with three mates tied to her instead of one, the pain would likely be far worse than what she’d endured as Zion’s chosen mate.
Addison could already feel the pull of their growing connection. The mate bond was forming on its own, even without the mark. That alone ant they were already tied together in so invisible, irreversible way. Marked or not, they might still suffer the painful consequences of a decaying bond if they kept their distance.
’Ugh. I should stop thinking about this for now and focus on what really matters,’ Addison told herself, shaking off the stray thoughts that threatened to consu her thoughts.
"Addie, you’re back..." Levi said, his voice slightly hoarse as he stared at her. Then he added, "That outfit suits you..."
But as the words left his mouth, his gaze wandered, slowly and intently, making Addison feel the heat of his eyes trailing down her body, as though he were undressing her with just a look.
Ahem. "I had my warriors bring the biochemical agents you requested. They’re in the crate," Leon said, breaking the mont as he shot a glare at Levi. Surprisingly, he didn’t say anything else, an unusual restraint that made Addison wonder if sothing had happened while she was gone. Perhaps the five of them had already talked things through.
Even Lance simply stood there watching her, silent. But Addison didn’t have ti to dwell on it, as Elric and the Royal Advisor stepped forward to inspect the crate. The Royal Advisor opened it carefully, making sure not to damage the contents, while Elric readied himself to examine each item. He even cast a protective spell, just in case any of the biochemical agents had been compromised, to ensure no one got hurt during the inspection.
After inspecting all five crates, they found that each contained five large glass bottles, each capable of holding a gallon of liquid. The contents inside looked like murky brown water, thick and unsettling in appearance.
Every bottle was individually wrapped with a protective spell, and only after confirming this did Elric finally let out a small sigh of relief. Once they ensured that all crates were intact and undamaged, everyone else exhaled too, tension montarily easing in their shoulders.
"We can proceed now and deliver these to the Royal Alchemist," Elric said. "I need to be there to assist him with maintaining the protective spells while he extracts a sample." He looked up at Addison, waiting for her approval.
Addison gave a nod in agreent, but before she could say anything else, a large hand suddenly wrapped around her wrist and pulled her back.
"Are you just going to leave like that? What about ?" Leon asked, his gaze burning as he searched Addison’s face, as if hoping to find sothing, anything, that would anchor her to him.
Addison frowned, her expression cool. "I’m returning to my territory. I’m needed there, and we don’t have the luxury of wasting ti. You and your tribe can take your ti traveling the remaining distance. I’ll inform the packs on the border to let you in and help you settle in a territory near the capital."
"That’s it?" Leon asked, his voice low, eyes clouded with hurt.
That look only deepened Addison’s frown. "Leon, don’t give that expression. Maybe it works on your won, but not on . You know exactly what kind of bond we have. If you’re going to demand more than I can give, then let’s stop pretending. We can end this false mate bond here and now."
Her words were cold, perhaps even harsh, but Addison had no intention of being guilted or manipulated into sothing she didn’t want. If he dared to push her further, if he demanded she mate with him, then she might just start a war with his entire tribe.
Leon didn’t say much. His gaze dropped, long white lashes casting a shadow over the emotion hidden in his eyes. Addison didn’t have the ti or energy to figure out what he was feeling. The mate bond between them offered no insight, and right now, all she could focus on was the gnawing fatigue threatening to drag her to the ground.
"I’m sorry..." Leon murmured, releasing her wrist with a slow, reluctant motion.
But almost instantly, his deanor shifted. The softness vanished, replaced by his usual domineering front. He flashed a grin and turned to urge Lance, Zion, and Maxwell to each carry a crate. The Royal Advisor and Levi picked up the remaining ones, and together, they made their way out of the tent where warriors stood at attention, ready to escort them.
Just as Addison was about to step outside, Leon called after her, "We’ll wrap things up here and co to you soon."
There was a flicker of indulgence in his tone, and sothing unreadable in his eyes, but Addison didn’t linger on it. She simply nodded and handed him a token, one he could use to identify himself once he reached the werewolf pack’s border.
In truth, the token didn’t carry any royal insignia or grant special privileges. It functioned more like an enchanted identification token and tracker, bound specifically to the person it was given to. If anyone tried to take it by force or use it without permission, the spell embedded within it would instantly alert Addison of the theft.
The mont Leon took the token in his hand, the token shimred, then transford into a tiny tallic insect. Without warning, it pricked his skin, drawing a small sample of his blood. Only after verifying his identity did it revert back to its original token form, now linked solely to him.
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