The Alpha's Regret: Return Of The Betrayed Luna

Chapter 188: Chapter 188 Claiming Her As A Mate?

If the legends were true, then a descendant of such a being would be extremely rare. Conceiving a child with someone of his bloodline would be incredibly difficult. And the women he did take to bed... most of them would suffer greatly, both in body and spirit.

The sheer force of his insatiable sex drive could injure a woman, even damage her womb or cervix through prolonged and aggressive mating. The thought of Addison becoming one of his women made the Royal Advisor’s heart race, not from excitement, but dread.

And worse, he feared Leon’s interest wasn’t fleeting. If his obsession with Addison deepened, he might not hesitate to go to war with the werewolves just to claim her.

Elric, who was sitting beside the Royal Advisor, noticed the moment the Royal Advisor’s breath hitched, but he had no idea what thoughts were running through the older man’s mind. His gaze followed Leon instead, only to find the Tigren Chieftain staring at Addison with smoldering intensity. There was no attempt to hide his desire. His bold, heated stare made it seem like he could pounce on her at any moment and claim her without shame or hesitation.

Addison, the one seated closest to Leon, could feel the heat of his intense gaze and even hear the subtle quickening of his breath. For reasons she couldn’t fully explain, it made her pulse quicken, too. Meanwhile, the longer Leon stared at her, the more agitated Maxwell, Zion, and Levi became.

Their wolves were snarling inside their minds, bristling with barely restrained anger, ready to tear through flesh and bone. They could sense Leon’s desire; the way he looked at their mate was far from respectful.

Yet Addison remained poised, ignoring the tension crackling around her. With a composed smile and effortless grace, she lifted her cup and said, "My mates and I are honored to meet the renowned king whose conquests and name echo across distant lands." She raised her glass in a toast and downed the fruity wine in one fluid motion.

But her words struck a nerve, Leon’s smile faltered, his jaw clenched, and his hand unconsciously tightened around the shoulder of the woman sitting beside him.

Leon didn’t like how unaffected Addison seemed by his presence, and what infuriated him more was hearing her openly acknowledge her mates. His pride stung, and his aggression only deepened. A dark smile curved his lips as he spoke, his tone deceptively casual. "In our culture, we fight for the woman we desire. The winner claims her, and the loser... dies."

His gaze shifted pointedly to Addison’s mates, clearly issuing a challenge. But none of the three flinched. Their eyes burned with defiance, and their posture screamed readiness; they would fight for Addison, even if it meant death.

With the air thick with hostility, Addison could no longer feign ignorance. The Tigren Chieftain’s intent was clear, and it was far more dangerous to let it continue than she initially believed by pretending to be ignorant.

"We definitely don’t have such practice as we have what we call Fated Mates," Addison replied, her tone calm but edged with quiet weight. "Werewolves who have fated partners have their souls tied together by an invisible thread. If one dies, the other is left shattered, and some don’t even survive that kind of pain." She gave a faint, almost ironic smile. "And I don’t just have one. I have three fated mates. I don’t know if that’s a blessing or just the universe being cruel, because if all three of them die... I die too."

Her words may have sounded like a casual confession, but she just wanted Leon to give up on his idea of her, but the moment she said them, the Royal Advisor stiffened behind her. It wasn’t something they ever shared lightly, especially not in front of someone like the Tigren Chieftain.

That kind of truth could be used against her. If the wrong person learned it, it would put a target on her back. All anyone would need to do to destroy her... is kill her mates.

But Addison didn’t feel like she had a choice. The way the Chieftain’s gaze lingered on her, the way he radiated that kind of possessive desire for her, it wasn’t just curiosity anymore. If she didn’t make it absolutely clear what was at stake, he might try something reckless.

And here, surrounded by Tigrens on their home turf, with their Chieftain, the incarnation of the War God, looming in front of them, there wouldn’t be time to stop it if he ever so thought of taking action against her fated mates.

And worse, since his pride was wounded, he might not be content with just killing them; he could start a war. One aimed directly at the werewolves... all because of her.

Although Addison didn’t think things would escalate that far, she couldn’t be entirely sure. Right now, she felt like she was gambling, though she wasn’t even sure what the bet was anymore.

All she knew was that she didn’t have a way out. If Leon really did challenge her mates to a duel to claim her, she knew, without a doubt, that her mates wouldn’t back down. That’s just how stubborn and reckless a man’s pride can be sometimes... especially when ego and pride are on the line.

And sure enough, after hearing her words, Leon looked genuinely taken aback. He didn’t know much about the inner workings of werewolf bonds. Despite having a merchant friend who dabbled in interspecies dealings, Leon never cared to learn beyond what directly interested him. He couldn’t be bothered with the nuances of other races, especially something like fated mates, which sounded overly sentimental to a Tigren like him.

Tigrens were raised to fight for what they wanted and take it by force, a barbaric way, perhaps, but it was their way. So when he first heard of the princess and how she was a formidable warrior, he took an interest. And when he learned she already had not one but three fated mates, he assumed that if he could defeat them, he could claim her. noveldrama

But now, realizing that killing even one of her mates could also kill her, that threw him off. Still, Leon wasn’t one to give up easily. And what he said next left Addison even more stunned.

"But I want to change my demand, I want you to be my mate," Leon declared bluntly, his eyes locked onto Addison. "I have this gut feeling that only you can carry my offspring."

He didn’t care how bold or outrageous his words sounded, nor did he care about the reactions of those around him.

The moment the words left his mouth, Maxwell, Zion, and Levi launched themselves at him with a roar. In a blur of motion, three massive wolves lunged at Leon, one clamped down on his arm, another sank its teeth into his side, and Levi locked onto his leg to keep him from moving.

Startled, the Tigren women surrounding Leon jumped back, hissing and baring their teeth as they began shifting, their bodies elongating and morphing into massive, dangerous feline forms.

Leon, however, remained rooted in place. His once-pale skin was now covered in a soft, white feline coat, and a thick mane like that of a great white lion framed his head. His claws elongated, and his eyes glowed with primal power. He was only partially shifted, but fully capable of defending himself.