"Yes, Princess..." The warrior curtsied into a respectful bow before straightening, his expression solemn.
"Princess, while patrolling along the border, we captured one of the earlier attackers," he reported gravely. His tone made it clear the matter was far from simple.
Addison gestured for him to continue.
"He appears to be a powerful werewolf, one with Alpha blood. None of our forces were able to overpower him outright. What puzzled us, however, was his behavior. Though he defended himself and deflected our attacks, he never tried to retaliate or harm anyone."
The warrior paused briefly, his brows knitting together.
"Instead, he surrendered willingly. He came with us without resistance and even allowed us to restrain him with silver cuffs. He’s currently being held in the dungeons. Upon detention, he made only one request..."
The warrior lifted his gaze to meet Addison’s.
"He asked to see you, Princess. He claims he has something important to tell you."
After hearing the warrior’s report, Addison’s brows knitted together. The man’s actions were baffling; it was too deliberate to be dismissed. Possibilities raced through her mind, and none of them sat well.
He could have surrendered on purpose. By appearing harmless and cooperative, he might be trying to earn their trust, lower their guard, and strike from within when they least expected it. Perhaps he did all of it to release the locust swarm again.
Yet the more Addison considered it, the less convincing that plan became.
He had already led an open attack and failed. His face and presence were now known to everyone. Since his capture, all the warriors had been on high alert; no one would let their guard down so easily. If deception was his goal, the odds of it succeeding were slim at best.
And that, somehow, made the situation even more unsettling.
More than that, from what she could tell, the man the warrior described sounded very much like Chase, the same man Maxwell had fought earlier. Yet the memory of Chase’s strange behavior during the attack lingered in her mind, stirring a quiet unease and, at the same time, curiosity.
Something about him didn’t add up.
Rather than truly aiding the side he was supposedly serving, Chase’s actions had felt... restrained. Almost as if he were deliberately holding back, subtly sabotaging them instead of fully committing. Even when he engaged, there was a sense that he wasn’t fighting with everything he had.
If Chase truly possessed Alpha blood like Maxwell, then during their clash, he should have been able to force Maxwell into a brutal, life-and-death fight. And with Greg lurking nearby, someone who always fought dirty, Maxwell would have been at a clear disadvantage.
And yet, none of that happened.
The more Addison thought about it, the clearer it became that Chase wasn’t weak. He had chosen not to go all out, and that choice was what made him dangerous.
And yet... compared to an Alpha, they were indeed weak. Chase could slaughter them in an instant and tear them apart as if they were nothing. Even if they managed to stop Addison from going down the dungeon, if Chase broke free from the dungeon in desperation, the outcome would be no different. Once unleashed, he could still kill them just as easily.
"It’s alright," Addison said calmly. "Call my mate, Levi. He’s by the lakeside, tell him to come with me to meet the intruder you caught."
She drew a silver dagger from her magic bag, although she still couldn’t shift, but she’s not an easy opponent herself, and she’s far from being helpless. The warrior’s thoughts mirrored her own.
If Chase had truly come for her, chains and dungeon walls would only delay the inevitable. Once he lost his patience or his temper, he would break free and come for her regardless.
And when that happened, no one here could stop him. As all the Alphas were away with the escort convoy, there was no one left who could truly contend with Chase’s strength. Whether he escaped now or later, the outcome would be the same: it would be bloodshed.
So it was better this way. Better for her to face him directly than to let her people die before that confrontation ever came.
And if Chase had truly come to kill her, then she would make sure she did not go down alone. If death were inevitable, it would be the two of them dying together, no one else. That was the resolve hardening in Addison’s chest.
Her confidence did not come from recklessness, but preparation. She still couldn’t shift, and she had already been abducted once. After that, it had only been natural to prepare a final safeguard, to ensure she would never again be the easiest target.
That was her trump card.
It was powerful, but it could only be used once. She had never intended to rely on it unless absolutely necessary. Yet if she was about to face an Alpha head-on, then perhaps this was exactly the moment she had prepared it for.

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