The Alpha's Regret: Return Of The Betrayed Luna-Chapter 460 WereBear

Instead of looking down on Levi, Chase recognized something unusual about him, something remarkable. Perhaps Levi had grown used to being around Alphas, after all, Addison’s other two mates were Alphas. But no... if Chase was correct, it wasn’t experience or familiarity. It had something to do with Levi’s bloodline, his background.

Being an outsider and not one of those people who usually interacted with Levi allowed Chase to see what others hadn’t noticed. Those close to Levi might have thought it normal, but from Chase’s perspective, Levi’s confidence, his unshakable composure in the face of an Alpha, was extraordinary.

But he didn’t voice his suspicions. That was for Levi to discover on his own, knowledge that would surely help him in the future, especially now that Levi was Addison’s mate. As for himself, he had his own problems to deal with.

Still, he didn’t forget to acknowledge the help Levi had given, however small.

"Thanks."

The word came out cool and distant, but a faint sincerity flickered in his eyes. He simply didn’t know how to express what he felt. Years spent sleeping among vipers, surrounded by enemies he could never lower his guard around had taught him to bury his emotions too well. Over time, he had nearly forgotten how to feel at all.

That was also why, unlike Zion, Maxwell, and Levi’s reaction upon meeting their fated mate had been different from his. He had experienced it once before; he already knew what it felt like. So when he met Addison this time, his response was restrained, subdued.

Yet beneath that calm exterior, his chest was surely in turmoil.

Happiness, worry, and countless tangled emotions churned within him. It was quiet, deep, and impossible to ignore.

But before Chase could say anything more, Levi moved. He nearly hauled Chase up onto his shoulder.

Fortunately, Chase was a little larger than him. So instead, Levi ended up hooking Chase’s arm over his own shoulder, bracing him and pulling him to his feet. Yet Levi’s lingering jealousy and his little unresolved suspicions toward Chase made him rougher than necessary. He failed to rein in his strength, yanking Chase up from the ground with little care.

"Ugh..."

Even though Chase’s body had been hardened through countless battles, the abrupt movement sent a jolt through his already damaged insides. Pain flared sharply, forcing a muffled grunt from his throat. He didn’t know whether Levi had done it on purpose, but if he had, Chase understood.

After all, if their positions were reversed, he wouldn’t be pleased either, not when there were already two love rivals and then another came, which was now standing between him and the woman they all loved.

"I’m sorry..." Levi murmured.

The apology sounded half-hearted even to his own ears. He couldn’t help wondering if Chase was exaggerating, being a little too delicate on purpose, to make him look bad in front of Addison.

Still, Levi paused and reflected on his actions. Whether he liked it or not, Chase was injured, and more importantly, he had given them critical information. Levi adjusted his grip, this time moving with deliberate care, supporting Chase more gently as they guided him out of the dungeon cell.

As Chase emerged between Levi and Addison, the warriors stationed nearby exchanged knowing glances. Their lips pressed together in unspoken understanding as they deliberately looked away, pretending not to notice anything at all while allowing the three of them to pass.

Only after they had moved on did the warriors fall in behind them, leaving the original guards behind to resume their watch over the dungeon.

"We’ll leave everything here to you..." The warrior, following closely behind Addison and the others, said to the guards.

The guards immediately straightened, their expressions turning solemn as they nodded in firm agreement. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

But the moment Chase was escorted out of the dungeon, a ripple of unrest spread among the remaining prisoners. Hope flared in their eyes, if Chase could leave, then perhaps they still had a chance.

Their gazes quickly locked onto Addison. To them, the reason was obvious. She was a woman, so they believed that she had a soft heart, and Chase’s release must have been because she pitied him.

Which also meant that she held a respected position within the pack. Most of the prisoners confined in the dungeon were trespassers or offenders awaiting judgment from the Alpha of the Golden Hue Pack. They had been scheduled to be escorted out the following morning, before Addison and the others set their plan in motion against the Locust Swarm.

However, escorting them out did not mean granting them freedom.

Many were suspected spies from other species, while others were believed to have deliberately entered the territory to stir trouble. Under normal circumstances, their fate would have already been decided.

But with the recent upheavals within the pack’s territory, Alpha Hue had long since been forced to push these prisoners to the back of his mind, leaving them forgotten in the depths of the dungeon.

Seizing what they believed to be their only opportunity to leave this dark, musty dungeon, the prisoners began to cry out, voices overlapping as they pleaded for mercy, each one desperately trying to appeal to Addison’s sympathy before it was too late.

"Miss, please have mercy, let me out of here! I swear I’ll never cause trouble again..." one of the prisoners cried, dropping to his knees as his voice broke.

Another rushed to the bars, gripping the cold iron as he stretched an arm toward Addison. "Please, let me out! I beg you!"

Their pleas overlapped, desperate voices echoing through the dungeon, but Addison did not slow her steps.

She ignored them, not out of cruelty, but because their fate was not hers to decide. These prisoners belonged to Alpha Hue. She neither had the authority nor the right to release them. To do so would be to overstep her bounds and interfere in another Alpha’s judgment. All she could do was follow Alpha Hue’s arrangements; after all, these people might still hold information or significance that only he could assess.

Besides, in other territories, the outcome could have been far worse. Some Alphas would simply abandon their prisoners in the dungeon, evacuate their own people, and allow the spreading biochemical agent to do the rest, returning only after the danger had passed to dispose of what remained.

But Alpha Hue was not like other Alphas, those who could turn heartless and brutal without hesitation. After all, these prisoners must have done something to deserve their confinement, and because of that, she could not so easily judge who was right or wrong.

’Wait...’ Addison suddenly halted, the biochemical agent flashing through her mind as Chase’s earlier warning resurfaced. A frown creased her brow as she came to an abrupt stop.

The warrior behind her reacted instantly, signaling everyone to also stop. At once, the corridor fell into silence. Even the prisoners fell quiet, mistaking her pause for mercy, finally reaching her heart. None dared speak again, afraid a single word might shatter their chance, so they could only look at her with desperate, pleading eyes.

Sensing the sudden stillness, Levi stopped as well and turned back. Even Chase, who had been swaying on his feet, his consciousness hazy, forced himself to lift his head and look at her.

Addison stood there, head lowered, lost in thought. Her index finger rubbed slowly against her chin, her expression grave, as something troubling began to take shape in her mind.

After a moment, Addison lifted her head. "Let’s go back to Alpha Hue’s office," she said simply.

She had the vague sense that she’d grasped something important, though she wasn’t yet certain. She needed to talk it through with Levi, and Chase also needed a place to sit and recover. Alpha Hue’s office had a large sofa where he could rest properly if necessary.

More than that, Addison could feel clearly that Levi still hadn’t fully lowered his guard around Chase. Leaving Chase in a guest room, out of sight, would only make Levi more tense. Keeping Chase close, within their line of sight, was the only way Levi would feel at ease.

After stating what she wanted to say, Addison moved forward again. The prisoners’ fleeting hope shot up, only to crash instantly. One of them couldn’t contain his frustration and shouted, venom dripping from his words.

"You fucking bitch! Are you playing with me? Was it fun to raise our hopes just to crush them?! Let me go, or I swear I’ll kill you!"

Fur bristled along his exposed neck and hands. From the scent, Addison could tell he was a shifter of another species, a Werebear, likely from the Werebear Clan, capable of transforming into a massive Golden Bear.

They are as formidable as the Tigren Clan; they typically lived in remote mountains, far from Werewolf territories, with their own kingdom. What was someone like him doing in her territory? And for the kind-hearted Alpha Hue to have him captured and imprisoned here, it was nothing short of remarkable.