His plan was simple: act as bait.
He counted on Addison’s sharp mind to recognize the distraction and run when the coast was clear. But Addison... she couldn’t bring herself to leave.
Because what Levi had done—abandoning his post, defying the Alpha’s order—could only be seen as betrayal. And once caught, the punishnt would be severe. Possibly fatal.
She didn’t want to let him face that alone.
But her body betrayed her. She was too weak—barely able to lift a hand, let alone run. Her voice ca out broken, barely above a whisper.
"No... no... you can’t leave... We have to get out of here... together..."
But Levi had already created distance between himself and Addison, darting off in a different direction. He skillfully erased his tracks and further masked Addison’s scent, carefully placing her small fra in a secluded part of the forest—hidden beneath a layer of branches and foliage that blended naturally into the surroundings.
No one would easily find her there. At the sa ti, he deliberately left a false trail that led away from her location, one obvious enough to draw attention.
Sure enough, when Beta Greg caught sight of a familiar silhouette in the distance, he imdiately ordered the warriors to intercept Gamma Levi’s path, aiming to box him in and prevent any escape.
With Levi now acting as the bait, the rest of the patrolling warriors were also lured in his direction—unintentionally weakening the periter in other areas.
"Are you sure we’re heading in the right direction? I’m telling you, you have no sense of direction—we’ve already gotten lost more than once! Just give the necklace and let do the tracking, will you?!"
Deep within the forest, two cloaked figures moved swiftly under the cover of night. A flashing red light pulsed from a pendant, guiding their path through the dense trees.
Both wore midnight-black cloaks that not only blended into the shadows but also masked their scent, making it difficult for ordinary wolves to detect their presence.
"Shut up, will you?! Your incessant rambling will get us caught! What’s the point of a stealth mission if you’re going to announce our location?" the man hissed, glaring at his companion.
His voice was sharp and low, edged with fury. The rebuke worked—his companion instantly fell silent.
Just then, the pendant resting on his hand flared with a sudden, blinding red light. Both n froze in their tracks.
In front of them stood a large tree, half-concealed by thick, overgrown bushes. The man quickly shoved the pendant into his pocket to dim the glow, then narrowed his eyes, peering through the foliage.
The bushes were shifting—barely, subtly. It was the kind of movent one would miss unless they were staring intently at it.
The man crouched low, fingers brushing over the thick undergrowth. As he pulled away the bushes—expecting stubborn roots—he froze.
The foliage had only been placed there as cover. Beneath it lay a woman, barely conscious, her body battered and bloodied. Her face was streaked with dried blood, and her chest rose and fell so faintly it was barely noticeable.
Both n narrowed their eyes, taking in the sight. Then, the woman’s eyes fluttered open—blurry, unfocused. Her lips parted, and a faint whisper escaped.
"Save... save Levi..."
Her voice was so weak it was barely audible. The man didn’t hesitate. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a small, intricate vial—a healing potion crafted by a renowned alchemist. Without asking a single question, he gently gathered her into his arms and brought the vial to her lips.
Addison’s survival instinct kicked in instantly. Despite the severity of her wounds, she hadn’t given in. As soon as the potion touched her lips, she clamped down on the bottle, drinking greedily, desperately, as if her very soul depended on it.
After finishing the potion, Addison felt a warm current swirl in her stomach, spreading through her limbs like a flicker of life reigniting. She coughed and took in a sharp breath, her lungs filling fully with air for the first ti in what felt like forever.
A faint trace of strength returned to her, and so of her external wounds began to nd before their eyes. But the searing pain radiating from her back remained—deep, unyielding, and beyond the reach of even the potent alchemist’s brewed potion.
The fever still clung to her skin, and her body trembled with every breath. Though the potion had bought her ti, it wasn’t enough. She needed proper treatnt—soon—or she wouldn’t survive much longer.
The man holding her frowned, his expression darkening as he adjusted his grip. She was so light in his arms—far too light. It was as if he were holding nothing more than a fragile feather, and the realization only deepened the urgency in his heart.
She looked so fragile in his arms—so thin and small that she seed to disappear against his towering fra. His companion hesitated before speaking, his voice laced with concern.
"Hey... is she still alive?" he asked, his gaze fixed on Addison’s chest, which barely rose and fell with each shallow breath. Even a potion that potent had done little to nd the severity of her wounds.
The man holding her didn’t answer right away. Instead, his eyes hardened with resolve as he gave a firm command. "Find that guy—Levi. We’re taking her back with us."
The other man looked utterly confused, as though he had just swallowed a fly. He had no idea who this "Levi" guy was, nor where to begin looking for him. The scent around the woman was completely masked, leaving no trace behind.
From the absence of any other scent, he could only guess that Levi had covered his tracks as well.
’Great. Just great. Another impossible mission.’ He thought to himself, frustration building as he scanned the area but made no move to follow up.
It was then that Addison’s eyes fluttered open again, her gaze sharp with a determined glint, a silent resolve flickering through her despite the pain.
Suddenly, Addison’s voice broke through the tension. "I, Addison Rosenthal, reject you, Zion Greyhound, as my chosen mate and alpha. I sever my bond with the Midnight River Pack and relinquish my position as Luna. From this day forward, I have no ties to this pack or to you, Alpha Zion..."
Her words suddenly cut short as an intense wave of pain coursed through her, the agony of severing the mate bond with an alpha overwhelming her battered body.
The sharp, excruciating pain was more than her already injured body could endure, and in an instant, she collapsed into the man’s arms, unconscious.
Why did she suddenly decide to sever her ties with Zion? Soone told her to... who? Addison didn’t know; that familiar whispering voice in her head, so comforting, told her that everything would be fine now and she should stop holding on when she was better off alone.
"Addison, you did great. Everything will be fine now. A mate who can’t protect you isn’t worth keeping... I’m here with you. Sleep for a while... sleep."
The voice was soft, almost a whisper carried by the wind from a distant horizon, familiar yet distant. It soothed Addison’s fractured soul, urging her to follow its command, and so she did; she felt like she could trust this voice.
She had long made up her mind to leave Zion, but fate had other plans and shit happens. She was thrown into the dungeons, only to almost been killed, and now, in the aftermath, she felt as if the debt she’d paid had been enough. It felt like a release—maybe, just maybe, she should be considered dead, and she could start anew, if she survived.
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