CHAPTER 252: CHAPTER 252 ESCAPE 2

"Ugh!" Addison groaned, clutching her head against the piercing sound. She shook it off and forced her voice to rise above the noise. "Everyone, focus!"

The ones suffering the most were the werewolves; the shriek tore through their sensitive ears like knives. Zion, Maxwell, Levi, and even her were drenched in sweat, grimacing as they shook their heads, desperately trying to clear the dizziness while stumbling in place. Even Elric wasn’t faring any better, his movements sluggish and unfocused.

After Addison’s fingers brushed against the shackle on the dark fairy’s feet, she tried to yank it off by force, but it wouldn’t budge. Then her fingertips found something small, like a tiny bolt that might be acting as a screw for the lock. She twisted it experimentally, and it shifted.

Her pulse quickened. She kept turning it and called out to the others, "There’s a small bolt on the right side of the shackle, feels like a screw. It must be the lock mechanism..." She tried to work faster, but the ill-fitting leather gloves kept slipping, making it hard to keep hold of the tiny piece.

She bit her lip, frustration gnawing at her as sweat trickled down her forehead. The pounding in her skull worsened under the relentless shrieks of the Night Walker just beyond the massive door, its furious cries pressing in on her like a physical blow to the head.

Noticing her trembling hand, Zion, who was crouching right beside her, reached out and clasped it gently. "Hey, Addie... relax. We’ll be alright. I won’t let anything happen to you ever again," he murmured, his dark eyes locking onto hers with fierce intent.

Oh, how he longed to be selfish—possessive even—to claim every bit of her attention and keep her entirely to himself. But beneath that desire lurked a bitter truth: with the kingdom in turmoil and danger closing in from every side, could he truly protect her on his own?

And why... why had the Moon Goddess bound Addison to three fated mates, two of them Alphas? It defied the order of their world, invited bloodshed between Alphas, and made less and less sense the more he thought about it.

God knew how many times Zion had nearly lost control—of both his emotions and his wolf—driven by the jealousy burning through his veins and the possessiveness embedded in his very soul. But what held him back?

Guilt.

Guilt for failing to protect her when she needed him most.

Guilt for every ounce of pain she had endured because of him.

Guilt for the trauma he had caused... and for the scars etched into her back.

Although most of the scars had faded, thanks to Saintess Silas’s healing, some were too deep to be erased completely. Silas had done everything she could to mend Addison’s back, but even then, faint traces remained.

And if Silas hadn’t been there to heal her? The sight of Addison’s back would have been horrifying.

From afar, the marks might not be noticeable.

But through touch... every ridge, every uneven line told a story of pain that could never be forgotten.

He had felt them that night when he held her close, countless marks left by the silver whip. With each one his fingers traced, his heart sank further.

So why hadn’t he fought Maxwell and Levi? Why had he allowed them to mate with her, even when jealousy and possessiveness tore him apart at the thought of them touching her?

Because he knew he deserved this pain.

Because he couldn’t stop torturing himself with the what-ifs.

What if he had treated her the way she deserved?

Would they have built a proper family by now—maybe even have children?

Would the Moon Goddess still have given her two more fated mates?

What if he hadn’t saved Claire that day?

What if he had mated with her properly before leaving?

What if he had given her a chance to atone, or even explain herself, instead of assuming the worst?

Now, thinking about it all, the guilt gnawed at him until it was almost unbearable. He wanted, no, needed to protect her, in every way he could, even if it meant breaking himself in the process.

"I promise... they’ll have to go over my dead body before they so much as touch a strand of your hair," he said.

Addison stared into his eyes, and all she saw there was sincerity, guilt, and unwavering devotion. She wanted to be sarcastic, to mock him for the irony of those words, especially when, as her mate and Alpha before, he had failed to give her even the most basic respect, had failed to protect her from his own pack... and from himself.

But her throat went dry. The words wouldn’t come.

And though she knew men’s promises were often nothing more than fragile strings meant to be broken, for some reason, deep in her heart, she believed this one.

For some reason, a wave of emotion welled up inside her, and all the grievances and pain she had buried for so long surged to the surface. She wanted to spill everything, every hurt, every injustice, but as she stared straight into his eyes, her lips only trembled.

No words came. She didn’t know where to start... or how. She had swallowed so much for so long that she had forgotten how to give her pain a voice. She had endured until she thought herself numb, until now.

’No,’ she told herself firmly. ’I need to pull myself together. We’re in the middle of a crisis. I don’t have time to fall apart.’

Pursing her lips, she simply nodded at Zion. He saw her unwillingness to speak and understood, but deep inside, he steeled himself; he would see his promise through to the very end.

With renewed determination, he worked at the small shackle around the dark fairy’s foot, fingers fumbling until, at last, it clicked free.

"I got one!" he called, and the sound of his voice lit a spark of hope in the air. Addison felt it too. Levi, encouraged, freed another shackle and moved to the next dark fairy, the momentum slowly building.

But time was running out. The rumble overhead grew louder, dust raining down from the ceiling as cracks spread like veins through the pillars, snaking upward toward the crumbling roof.

Small stones began to tumble, the pillars shuddering under the strain. Worse still, the Core Source’s light began to flicker, and with each dim pulse, the Night Walker outside the door crept closer and closer.

Luckily, instead of panicking, everyone doubled down on their task. Even Addison, soothed by Zion’s comforting words, felt her nerves steady and her focus sharpen. Bit by bit, she turned the bolt until the shackle finally came free, releasing the dark fairy’s foot. One by one, Maxwell, Zion, Levi, and Elric freed the others as well.

It was only then that Zion’s brow furrowed in recognition. He stared at the small shackles, a faint chill running through him. "These... they’re almost identical to the ear stud artifacts we took from the rogue who attacked my territory," he murmured.

Without another word, he pulled a cloth from his magic bag, carefully wrapping the shackles and bolts together. He added another layer of cloth, then tucked the bundle deep into the bag, sealing it away.