The Alpha's Regret: Return Of The Betrayed Luna-Chapter 459 Badge Of Honor

He kept it vague on purpose, skirting the edges of what he could say without triggering the curse again. Rather than revealing plans or details, he offered only what his instincts allowed, a warning, nothing more. Chase leaned back slightly, still fighting for air, while his wolf worked desperately within him, trying to mend the damage he suffered; neither of them could fully see.

Levi furrowed his brow. He knew Chase couldn’t say more, but that didn’t stop his mind from racing. The only thing Chase had given them, intentionally or not, was a hint. The locust swarm.

Which meant whatever was coming was tied to it.

A cold thought crept in. What if their enemy had already anticipated every move? What if their preparations, their plans, even their sense of urgency had all been accounted for? What if, without realizing it, they had been playing along with the enemy’s design from the very beginning?

The realization sat heavily in Levi’s chest.

Across from him, Addison had gone quiet as well, her expression tightening as the same possibilities unfolded in her mind. She didn’t say it aloud, but Levi could tell she was thinking exactly what he was.

Even so, they didn’t know what to do or what to prepare for, to avoid being caught off guard. Asking Chase for more wasn’t an option. With no answers to grasp, both Levi and Addison fell into silence.

Addison’s gaze shifted to Chase. He looked weaker now, his breathing shallow, his posture unsteady. She raised her hand and signaled to the warrior standing a short distance away.

The warrior, still dazed by everything he had witnessed and heard, was staring at them with his mouth slightly open.

"Ahem," Addison cleared her throat.

That snapped him back to his senses. He hurried to the guard holding the key, then rushed back and presented it to Addison with both hands, his posture respectful.

Earlier, his slight distance didn’t really help much.

With a wolf’s heightened senses, he couldn’t simply shut off his hearing. And he couldn’t stray too far either; he was still responsible for backing Levi up in case Chase attempted something reckless.

But instead of a sudden attack, what reached his ears was something far more shocking. What he heard hit him like a blow. He froze where he stood, as if he turned to stone, having completely forgotten to move at all.

Realizing he had overheard more than he should have, the warrior tactfully retreated, moving back to where the other warriors stood guard. He gave Addison, Levi, and Chase the privacy they needed, though his mind continued to churn with restless thoughts.

Meanwhile, Addison took the key and stepped toward the cell. She unlocked the door and reached for the silver cuff...

But before she could touch it, Levi gently took the key from her.

"I’ve got it," he said quietly.

He worked to release Chase from the silver cuffs restraining him. Levi didn’t want Addison anywhere near the silver; he knew how badly it would burn her. Only then did Addison remember Levi’s hand, once seared and ruined by silver long ago, when he had helped her escape. Every time she saw or felt his hand, that memory resurfaced, sharp and unyielding.

Now, as Levi started to free Chase without hesitation, she understood. He was protecting her the only way he knew how. His hand had already been damaged, so he wouldn’t let hers be.

And in doing so, he was also making something else clear.

Levi might not trust Chase, not truly, but he trusted Addison completely. He trusted her judgment enough to honor her decision and let Chase go, even if every instinct in him resisted it.

"You should get out of the dungeon first and rest... maybe we can continue this conversation later," Levi said, crouching as he held Chase’s arm and carefully worked the key in the silver cuffs.

As the metal clicked open, a sharp, acrid smell of burning flesh filled the air, accompanied by a faint, ominous sizzle. Addison’s chest tightened, her heart lurching painfully at the thought of what Levi must be enduring. And yet, Levi didn’t even flinch. He held the silver as if it weren’t searing his skin at all, his expression unreadable, detached even.

"Levi..." Addison whispered, her voice trembling.

When Levi finally removed the cuff from Chase, it clattered to the ground with a heavy, echoing thud, and Addison felt like a stone had been thrown in the calm lake of her heart, too.

"Don’t worry about me. I’m alright..." Levi said, offering Addison a reassuring smile.

But Addison moved closer anyway. She reached into her magic bag, retrieved the Holy Water, and crouched beside him. Carefully, she poured it over Levi’s hand, now blistered, the new wounds overlaying the old scars that had never fully healed.

His skin was rough, layered with the old scar that came from that year, and Addison couldn’t stop her eyes from turning red as she watched the liquid work. Slowly, the blisters began to heal, though the Holy Water alone wasn’t enough to erase them completely.

"It’s fine," Levi said softly, sensing her emotions. "I’m a man. I don’t mind a small scar."

He gently ruffled her hair, catching the hint of tears threatening to fall. In that simple gesture, he offered her comfort, letting her know she didn’t have to worry too much as he truly didn’t care about the scar.

In fact, he saw that scar as his badge of honor, as it represents him being able to protect her successfully that time she needed him most. It just made him feel more masculine and a little more confident.

"Little? You call this little?! This is no little scar," Addison said, her voice choking as tears welled up. "Your whole palm... It’s covered. You can’t even fully curl it, and this is because of what happened in the past..." Guilt weighed heavily on her, making her heart ache.

"Shhh... don’t cry. It’s alright," Levi murmured softly as he smiled gently at her. He watched her tenderly cup his hand, palm up, feeling her tears tremble on the edge of falling. His gaze was gentle, patient, as if to tell her that her worry wasn’t needed, and that he was holding up, for her sake.

Watching their closeness and obvious affection, Chase pursed his lips, a flicker of jealousy rising within him, but he held it back. He was the newcomer; he needed to know his place and understand his position in the hierarchy so he wouldn’t put Addison in an awkward position.

Levi was a Beta, yes, but Chase didn’t look down on him. From the moment Levi had first stepped into the dungeon, he had shown nothing of the natural deference most Betas display toward an Alpha. Most Betas would instinctively recoil, hesitate, or show reverence, but Levi had never flinched in front of Chase’s presence or aura.

If it had been Addison, Chase could understand. She had Royal Blood running through her veins; she could stand his intimidating aura. But even the warriors accompanying them trembled in his presence, and those farther away kept their heads bowed, while maintaining their distance. But Levi was different.