The Alpha's Regret: Return Of The Betrayed Luna

Chapter 187: Chapter 187 Leon

She moved with slow, deliberate intent, her hand trailing up his inner thigh before settling suggestively over his groin. Then, as if to provoke, she looked straight at Addison and gave her a smug, knowing smirk.

The Chieftain kept his gaze fixed on Addison, clearly watching her for a reaction.

Addison’s brows furrowed slightly. She didn’t look away, but her expression remained unreadable. Internally, she was unsettled, not by jealousy, but by the complete lack of restraint. She reminded herself that Tigren customs were vastly different from her own.

Yes, both werewolves and Tigrens were shifters, and both were known for their strong appetites and insatiable carnal desires, but there was a key difference: control.

In werewolf society, especially among royals, self-restraint and dignity were deeply instilled. Etiquette wasn’t just tradition; it was a mark of strength. And flaunting carnal desires in the middle of a diplomatic negotiation? That was unthinkable in her world.

Addison put a great deal of effort into ignoring the scene unfolding around her, but with how close she sat to the Tigren Chieftain, it was impossible to completely block it out. Still, she kept her expression composed as she looked up at the towering man before her.

"Now that we’re all here," she began calmly, "shall we proceed with the negotiation? We wouldn’t want to intrude on your... private time."

Her tone was polite, but her eyes flicked meaningfully toward the women draped around him. The message was clear.

To her surprise, the Chieftain remained unfazed. In Tigren culture, even the slightest hint of disrespect or interruption, especially in a setting with others present, was considered a serious offense. Being told what to do, no matter how subtly, was seen as a challenge to authority and would typically be met with swift and often harsh retaliation.

Yet with Addison, he found himself unusually tolerant... even amused. He had deliberately surrounded himself with women, hoping to provoke a reaction, to test her composure, maybe even her jealousy.

But perhaps he had miscalculated.

What he didn’t seem to understand was that werewolves, especially among royals, didn’t practice polygamy. And he wasn’t her mate. So why would she feel anything? His display had no effect on her. There was no sting of envy, no flicker of interest. Just calm detachment.

And that, more than anything, seemed to dampen the Chieftain’s mood.

"What’s the rush?" the Chieftain said leisurely, reclining in his seat. "I’ve already sent my warriors to search for the item in our storage. We’ve collected countless relics over the years from our journeys, and it’ll take some time to sort through them all."

It was clear he was stalling.

Addison’s brows furrowed slightly in frustration, but just as she was about to respond, something strange happened. She felt a stirring deep within her, a flicker of something... familiar. She instantly stilled, trying to focus and feel it again, but it vanished just as quickly as it came, like a dream slipping through her fingers.

’Aurora... is that you?’ she called inwardly to her wolf, confusion and hope mixing in her chest.

But there was no response.

No matter how much she reached out, the connection remained silent. She forced herself to stay composed and slowly took a sip of the wine in front of her, hoping to center herself.

To her surprise, the wine lacked the familiar tang of fermented fruit. Instead, it was smooth, deceptively smooth.

"Careful," the Chieftain warned, his voice low and amused. "That’s a strong drink."

His eyes never left her, and the way they lingered at the slight dip of her neckline made Addison’s skin prickle. He was practically undressing her with his gaze, and though she didn’t flinch, her spine straightened ever so slightly in quiet defiance.

’Growl.’

A low, warning rumble came from behind Addison, not just one, but three distinct growls, resonating in unison. The sound alone made her feel instantly grounded, surrounded, protected. noveldrama

But the Tigren Chieftain merely smirked, clearly amused.

In his eyes, even with two Alphas among her mates, they were nothing more than minor threats. He was the incarnation of the God of War, an embodiment of power and dominance. To him, being challenged by them was no more threatening than being barked at by a child. Even if all three of her mates worked together, he was convinced they wouldn’t be able to lay a finger on him.

So he didn’t just ignore their challenge; he dismissed it outright. And that blatant disregard only fueled the fury simmering in Zion and Maxwell. Their pride as an Alpha and instincts burned beneath the surface, and the Chieftain’s intentional provocation, done right in front of Addison, was a direct insult.

It wasn’t just about power anymore. It was about being humiliated before their mate.

"I am Leon, son of Cosmos, King of all Tigren, and the Incarnation of the God of War," he declared, his deep voice echoing with pride and conviction.

In Tigren culture, such a formal introduction was rare, typically reserved for male warriors considered worthy opponents in battle. However, when directed at a woman, it carried an entirely different meaning: it was a declaration of interest, signifying that he intended to make her his official mate.

If a Tigren held no respect for another, they wouldn’t even bother with names, often resorting to crude nicknames or outright dismissal.

Leon’s declaration was more than just custom; it was his attempt to impress Addison. But what he failed to realize was that everything he had done until now, the indecency, the flaunting of women, the subtle provocations, only made him appear crude and unlikable in her eyes.

To Leon, however, his actions made perfect sense. He believed that by showcasing the women clinging to him, he was proving his strength and desirability. He wanted Addison to see him as the ultimate male, powerful, desired, and dominant. And by choosing her, he was offering her what he considered the highest honor: to become his queen and bear his heirs.

But Addison didn’t understand Tigren customs. She didn’t see the meaning behind the formal introduction or the display of dominance, only arrogance and disrespect.

The Royal Advisor, on the other hand, understood everything. The moment Leon introduced himself in that manner, the Advisor’s expression shifted. A tremor passed through him as he realized the gravity of what had just occurred.

Addison remained unaware, but the Royal Advisor now faced a dilemma: should he inform her of what Leon’s introduction truly meant, or stay silent and hope the moment passed?

Tigren culture had always been a bit bizarre from the werewolves’ perspective. Their values, customs, and beliefs often clashed with what Addison was raised to understand, especially coming from the Royal Family, where discipline, restraint, and tradition were deeply ingrained.

There had also been limited documentation on the Tigren society in the Royal Palace, so it was only natural that Addison was unfamiliar with many of their ways.

But now, with Leon boldly declaring himself the ’Incarnation of the God of War,’ the Royal Advisor felt a chill run down his spine. His earlier suspicion had just been confirmed: this Albino Tigren wasn’t ordinary.

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