The Alpha's Regret: Return Of The Betrayed Luna-Chapter 430 Their Departure
"We’re ready to depart," Alpha Hue reported the moment he saw them approach. "The only ones remaining are the guards you brought and the warriors stationed at the borders for support. Once they receive the signal to retreat, they’ll fall back together with the mages’ group."
He noticed the gloom shadowing their expressions and the heaviness in their aura, but he chose not to comment on it.
"Understood. We’ll head out now. The other Alphas have already left their territories. We need to reach the rendezvous point as soon as possible," Zion said, casting one last look back.
"Prepare to depart!" he commanded, his voice booming. Without even bothering to remove his clothes, he shifted into his wolf form in an instant. Maxwell followed right after, equally silent and tense.
Alpha Hue could tell their minds were elsewhere, their thoughts far heavier than the task at hand, so he didn’t attempt to stop or question them. Instead, he signaled the convoy to move and walked alongside the warriors escorting the carriages.
「Back to Addison’s side...」
After hugging Addison as tightly as if his life depended on it, Levi slowly loosened his hold. He pursed his lips before speaking. "Addie... I really don’t know what I should do right now. But... can you give me more time?"
He had already made a silent decision in his heart to grow stronger and change, to do something different from what he used to be. But he still wasn’t sure if it would work out. And despite everything, he hadn’t fully given up on the rejection yet.
After all, they hadn’t marked each other, and that meant there was still room for both him and Addison to maneuver if something happened in the future. If it ever came to it, he could let her go to free her from the burden.
But earlier, hearing what she said about needing him, Levi felt his heart warm, his resolve wavering. At the same time, it made him want to become someone better for her.
But right now, he couldn’t tell Addison any of this. He knew it would only dampen her mood, especially when she believed they were finally okay and had already talked things through. Maybe she even thought he was asking for more time just to sort out his feelings, not because of the rejection.
And he didn’t want to clarify that now.
"Alright, take as much time as you need..." Addison said as she gently patted his head. Then she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his lips. It wasn’t like the kisses they used to share, those heated, breath-stealing kisses filled with hunger and desire.
This one was light, innocent, almost tender... and somehow, it warmed Levi’s heart even more. That feather-soft touch sent a tingling sensation through him, like his heart was being brushed by the gentlest whisper of a feather.
But before he could even react, Addison had already slipped out of the room.
The moment she stepped into the hallway, the faint scents of Zion and Maxwell brushed against her senses, proof that the two of them had been standing outside for a while, likely hearing little bits and pieces of her conversation with Levi.
It didn’t matter to her, though.
She glanced around, searching for them, but there were no lingering presences nearby. With a small frown, she headed to her room, but it was empty. She then went to their own rooms, but that too was vacant, and even their magic bags, where they kept all their belongings, were gone.
That could only mean one thing: they had already left and gone outside.
After stepping out of the room, Levi took a moment to steady himself before quietly following Addison. He waited until she finished checking all three rooms, then finally spoke up, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Are you... looking for Zion and Maxwell?"
"Um... we didn’t finalize the evacuation plan last night, so I thought we’d still get to talk to them. But I guess they already left with the rest of the pack..." Addison said as she started walking down the corridor.
There were no murmurs in the distance, no omegas cleaning the hallway or tidying the used rooms. Everything was silent, too silent, so she could only assume that Zion and Maxwell had already joined the others and departed.
They had probably been waiting outside her door to inform her before leaving, but since she had been in the middle of an emotional conversation with Levi, they must have decided not to interrupt and simply went on ahead.
Still, a small ripple of annoyance stirred inside her. They hadn’t even left a message. Maybe it was childish of her to feel this way, but a part of her wanted to feel prioritized, wanted to be pampered just a little more by her mates. Not seeing them there left a faint sting of disappointment.
She exhaled softly, forcing her logical side to take over. ’They couldn’t wait for her forever. They were running out of time.’
She realized that the nagging, clawing sensation inside her chest was probably just her instinct as their mate. This was normal behaviour for a she-wolf with a mate, an instinctive reaction tied to her bond with them, so the moment she recognized it for what it was, she pushed the feeling aside.
When she glanced back, she noticed Levi trailing three steps behind her, his expression distant and heavy, as if a storm of thoughts were weighing him down. Addison slowed to a stop and waited. It took Levi a second to notice she was no longer moving, and when he finally looked up, he was startled to find her standing there, waiting for him.
"What is it, Addie?" Levi asked quietly.
Addison didn’t respond. Instead, she simply extended her hand and opened her palm toward him. Levi blinked, confused, clearly not understanding what she wanted. She gave him a small, insistent gesture, an invitation for him to offer his hand.
When Levi finally extended it, Addison immediately took it, intertwining their fingers with quiet certainty. Then she gently tugged him forward, leading him down the corridor and toward the stairs.
Levi followed, still looking stunned, as if he hadn’t expected her to reach for him at all.
Maybe he really had lost so much of his confidence that he no longer dared to make any move toward her. Addison understood that, which was why she wasn’t pushing him to suddenly act like his old self.
Instead, she quietly took the initiative for the both of them.
With their fingers still intertwined, she led him toward the dining hall to check if there was anything left to eat. Fortunately, before leaving, the omegas had prepared food for everyone to take on the road, and they had also set aside some for Addison and the few warriors who stayed behind to guard the territory.
When they reached the dining hall, Addison noticed several plates covered with lids. She lifted each one, and a wave of warmth filled her chest at the sight: a large bowl piled high with hundreds of peeled soft-boiled eggs, a roasted duck stuffed with pineapple and carrots, freshly baked wheat bread with strawberry jam and butter on the side. There was also a big pot of hearty beef stew and a tray of assorted fruits.
