The Alpha's Regret: Return Of The Betrayed Luna-Chapter 428 The Sun And The Shadow

When Alphas from nearby territories mocked her, belittling her for being weak and daring to aim so high, trying to trade with them, and trying to form alliances, they never took her seriously.

They never see her eye to eye.

But in the end, because of her management, her foresight, and her diplomatic skill, she convinced them one by one.

And he, who had followed her every step, was amazed. He absorbed everything she did, everything she taught, without meaning to, as if he were a sponge soaking in her brilliance. Staying by her side, learning from her, felt far better than toiling away in a dying pack with no future.

But who would have thought that this seemingly weak woman, someone no one believed in, would be the one to breathe life back into a dying pack? She didn’t just restore the Midnight River Pack to what it once was; she elevated it beyond anything anyone expected.

Before her, the pack survived solely by hunting and trading whatever they could catch just to secure enough food. But because of her, the Midnight River Pack became self-sufficient. Her changes laid the foundation that made it easier for Zion to expand their territory and secure a brighter future for all of them.

So how could he ever despise this woman? How could the thought even cross his mind? If anything, he was the one who felt unworthy. As they say, the brighter the sun, the darker the shadow, and Levi couldn’t shake the feeling that he was that shadow.

But just as his thoughts began spiraling into that same darkness, Addison suddenly pinched his cheeks, hard, until they flushed red. The sting snapped him back to reality. His gaze jerked to her, and he found her brows knitted tightly in irritation as she scolded him as if to answer his thoughts, he never said in words.

"Why would I ever despise you?" she demanded. "Back then, when everyone called me a wolfless omega, did I ever give up on myself? No. And do you know why? Because you kept pulling me out of the dark. You were the one telling me I was amazing, and I believed you. I believed in you."

"Now look at yourself. You’re already better than I was back then. You keep saying you’re weak or that you can’t compare to others, but you’re not ’others.’ You have your own strength. Why are you even comparing yourself to that trash Greg? He only beat you because he played dirty and attacked you in the most dishonorable way. Why are you letting that get to you?"

"Instead of brooding over it, why don’t you return the favor when you meet him again? Give him a taste of his own medicine. You may not be the strongest warrior, but when you want to be scheming, you can be vicious. Or do you think even in that regard you’d lose to Greg?"

Addison lifted a brow at him, deliberately provoking him, and for a moment, Levi’s mind simply went blank.

’That’s right... why am I fixated on fighting them head-on?’ Levi thought, a spark lighting in his eyes. ’I may not be as strong as Alpha Zion or Alpha Maxwell, but since when was brute force the only path to victory? If my enemies don’t care about honor, then why should I chain myself to it?’

Addison noticed the distant look in his eyes and knew immediately that the gears in his mind had begun turning. This was exactly why she brought it up. Levi was never like the other werewolves who blindly clung to tradition even when it yielded nothing. After spending so much time with her, he had quietly learned how to bend when necessary, how to adapt instead of stubbornly breaking.

Although her flexibility served her well in business and strategy, when it came to human connections and matters of the heart, she was as stubborn as a mule. She would endure mistreatment from others, pushing her limits, until she finally had enough. Otherwise, with her sharp mind and adaptable nature, how could anyone have bullied her so mercilessly in the past?

She had lived at rock bottom before rising, and because of that, she understood desperation, cornered minds, and the lengths people would go when pushed. Her perspective was wider, sharper, and more grounded than those who had only ever sat comfortably at the top. And Levi, after so long by her side, had learned to see the world through that same lens without even realizing it.

So now that Addison dropped the hints before him, why wouldn’t he take them?

Because of this, the knot in Levi’s chest loosened slightly, the weight on his shoulders feeling lighter than before. A realization he had never allowed himself to consider washed over him. The fear was still there, lingering at the edges, but it no longer held him hostage.

He looked into Addison’s beautiful face and asked, his voice trembling slightly, "I may not be able to protect you as well as I want... will you still want me?"

He waited nervously, heart pounding, for her answer.

"Why wouldn’t I?" Addison teased, bumping his nose lightly with her index finger. "If it’s protection you’re worried about, I already have Zion as my sword and Maxwell as my shield. But you... you have another role waiting. Are you ready for it?"

She paused, considering.

If Zion would be her sword and Maxwell her shield, maintaining balance in the Royal Court when she ascended the Throne, then what would Levi’s position be? The thought lingered until it clicked; she didn’t need him fighting on the battlefield. His strength didn’t suit that role.

Instead, why not make him her most devoted Minister and Advisor, the one who would stand by her side and protect her from within the court, while her two other mates guarded her from external threats? That way, she’d be protected from both inside and out.

After all, werewolves were creatures moving as a pack, and swore their undying loyalty and allegiance to their respective Alphas and their Alphas to the Alpha King, but there would always be bad seeds who were greedy, ambitious individuals like the mastermind behind Greg, manipulating others to achieve his goals.

Even under the Alpha King’s rule, some external forces, like the exiled rogues and dark witches, acted unchecked. With traitors lurking inside the Royal Palace, having Levi as her protector within wouldn’t just be useful; it would be brilliant. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

But she couldn’t openly tell Levi what she wanted him to do. She wanted him to find that path on his own. If she simply instructed him, it would defeat the purpose; he wouldn’t develop the drive to become the man she knew he could be.

By letting him realize it himself and strive toward it with his own strength, he would gain not only the sense of purpose but also the satisfaction of accomplishment once he succeeded. And when that moment came, his lost confidence would swell on its own, and he wouldn’t need anyone to remind him of his true strength.

Addison understood where his insecurities were coming from. After all, she had felt the same way when she first met Claire, the gnawing sense that she wasn’t enough, that her flaws and shortcomings made her unworthy.