Mysterious mate to the lycan prince (Addison and Max) novel Chapter 12

**The Crimson Oath — Bryan Foster**
**Chapter 12**

**Addison**

Stepping into the arena for the kickoff event, a sense of unease washed over me, a nagging feeling that I couldn’t shake. The reason for my discomfort was Max; I could feel his presence looming like a storm cloud.

Despite my best efforts to evade him, he managed to land right in front of me, his sudden appearance igniting a simmering anger in Saga. She was restless, her instincts flaring as she sensed Koa nearby.

“Stay back!” I snapped at him, my voice low and threatening, a growl escaping my throat.

“Calm down,” he replied, raising his hands in a placating gesture, his tone surprisingly gentle.

Around us, the other contestants were busy searching for their name tags, oblivious to the tension crackling between us. But there we stood, locked in a silent battle, my frustration palpable as I continued to glare at him.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” he finally admitted, his brow furrowing in confusion.

“I don’t understand this either, but I really need to go,” I replied, my heart racing.

“It’s because of Saga, right?” he probed, his eyes searching mine for answers.

I could only nod in response, feeling Saga’s agitation simmer just beneath the surface.

“I get it; you want to distance yourself from me. But the truth is, Koa is feeling uneasy whenever you growl like that. Yet, he still wants me to reach out to you again,” he confessed, his voice tinged with frustration.

“What?” I exclaimed, taken aback by his words.

“I know that sounds inappropriate, but I meant it literally. Let’s discuss this later,” he urged, his expression earnest.

“Addison, no!” Saga interjected, her fury pushing me to leave.

“No,” I reiterated firmly, then turned on my heel and dashed off to find my name tag, my heart pounding in my chest.

With every step I took away from him, I sensed Saga’s agitation beginning to ebb. It pained me to feel her discomfort, knowing she didn’t want to be near him, but I also felt a strange relief as the tension between us began to lessen.

**Max**

A surprising number of contestants were struggling to locate their name tags, their sense of smell not as keen as they had believed. At that moment, I found myself caring less about who remained in the competition and more about the fact that Addison was still here, within reach.

Standing beside Tyler, my gaze was fixed on her. She lingered at the back of the crowd, maintaining a considerable distance from me. If given the choice, I could tell she would have preferred to be even farther away.

Just then, Ruby stepped into my line of sight, flipping her hair dramatically. She could have easily moved to the front to bask in the attention, but I suspected that wasn’t her intention.

“I can sense how troubled you are watching Addison,” Tyler remarked through our mind link, his tone teasing yet serious.

After I filled him in on the bizarre situation, he responded, “That’s totally strange. What exactly is happening here?”

“I don’t know. Koa has never reacted this way just from touching someone. Addison isn’t even my mate, so this makes no sense,” I confessed, frustration creeping into my voice.

“Maybe you two can have a talk after the announcements,” he suggested, trying to be helpful.

“She doesn’t want me anywhere near her,” I replied, the weight of that truth settling heavily in my chest.

“Then just call her,” he urged, as if it were the simplest solution.

Though I would have preferred a face-to-face conversation, I settled for a phone call, hoping she wouldn’t bolt again.

Murphy stepped forward, commanding the attention of everyone who had qualified. His voice rang out, clear and authoritative as he made the announcement.

“Congratulations to all those who have qualified! The real competition is about to begin and will be held in Pike Hill!”

The crowd erupted in a mix of shock and excitement; they understood the significance of Pike Hill. For me, it was one step closer to the palace and the liberation of my true self.

Cheers filled the air as contestants celebrated their achievements, and I watched as Addison embraced Gina, their joy infectious.

I struggled to tear my eyes away from her, only glancing away when the crowd began to disperse, eager to change out of their uniforms.

Quickly breaking away from Tyler, I climbed into a nearby tree, waiting patiently for a glimpse of Addison so I could finally speak with her.

I had sent her another message, but once again, there was no reply.

When she finally emerged, accompanied by Gina, I waited until they were close enough to hear their conversation.

“Omg! There he is!” Gina whispered excitedly.

“Shut up! He can hear you!” Addison hissed back, her urgency clear.

Clutching her bag tightly, she quickened her pace, eager to put distance between us. I knew she could hear me, so I seized the moment to call out to her.

“I see you’re still avoiding my messages.”

She halted abruptly, and I could sense her hesitation. Yet, even with that, she didn’t turn around, prompting a raised eyebrow from Gina at my boldness.

“I hope not. I definitely won’t allow it,” I asserted, determined.

She scoffed, a hint of amusement in her voice. “There you go again – talking like your word is final.”

“That’s because it is,” I said confidently.

As I pondered the conversation, I realized if I continued down this path, she might end the call, and I wanted to savor every moment we had.

“That was a pretty easy first round, huh?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Yeah, and I can’t believe we get to go to Pike Hill.” She seamlessly flowed with my change of subject, her excitement palpable.

“I hope you’re ready. It only gets more challenging,” I teased, envisioning the intense obstacles I would create for everyone.

“I’ll be just fine. I love challenges,” she boasted, her confidence shining through.

“And that’s what I love about you,” I said, only to be met with silence on her end. I cleared my throat, realizing I might have crossed a line.

“So… had no trouble with Ruby this time?” I inquired, eager to steer the conversation back to safer territory.

“No, and I’m glad I didn’t. I would’ve ended up hurting her in the state I was in because of you,” she replied, her voice tinged with sincerity.

“Addison?” I prompted gently.

“Yeah?” she responded, her tone softening.

“Don’t run away from me tomorrow,” I urged, unable to keep the worry from my voice.

I knew I was treading on thin ice, but I couldn’t help it.

She sighed, a hint of resignation in her voice. “That’ll depend on Saga.”

Just then, while still on the phone with her, Tyler’s voice cut through my thoughts via our mind link, urgent and demanding my attention. I quickly ended the call, promising myself I would reach out to her again in a moment.

Tyler entered my bedroom, rubbing his hands together with a chuckle, his excitement palpable.

Constantly nodding to himself, he exclaimed, “I just came up with an idea to figure out what’s going on between you and Addison.”

“Really? What’s that?” I asked, intrigued.