The Alpha's Regret: Return Of The Betrayed Luna
Chapter 116 Help

Chapter 116: Chapter 116 Help

It collapsed to the ground, flailing in agony, utterly silent as it slowly bled out.

The other rogue snarled at Addison, rage and fear mixing in its eyes. It hesitated to make the first move, clearly wary of the silver daggers gleaming in her hands. Slowly, it stepped back.

Seeing Addison fight so seamlessly, Anna’s worry eased. She refocused on her own battle — having already taken down two rogues, she was still locked in combat with two more. She had to survive first before she could help Addison.

Addison shifted her stance, raising the silver daggers in front of her like a boxer ready for the next round.

Addison smirked at the rogue in front of her, eyes sharp as she taunted, "Come on—make a move. Backup’s on its way." The rogue was clearly being cautious, and that hesitation was exactly what she needed to exploit. Addison knew she couldn’t match its brute strength, and if it turned out to be faster than her too, she’d be in real trouble. Attacking now would only mean walking straight into its trap.

So she held back, calculating. She had to push it into making the first mistake—rattle it just enough to get reckless, to forget the careful distance it was maintaining. If she could break its focus, she’d find her opening. And once it overcommitted... the victory would be hers.

The battle behind Addison raged on, with the border patrol team locked in a fierce stalemate against a dozen rogues. Neither side was gaining ground. No one could establish a mindlink right now—doing so required a sliver of mental focus, just enough to sift through the thousands of tethers each wolf had and find the specific link they needed.

Under normal circumstances, it was easy—they only had to feel the bond and think of the person. But right now, both the humans and their wolf counterparts were fully consumed by the fight. One moment of distraction could mean death.

That’s why they sent Addison instead—to break away and find Lance. It was the only way.

Hearing Addison’s taunt—and seeing how frail she looked—the rogue scoffed, assuming her earlier kill had been nothing but a fluke. If she were truly strong, why would the others insist on protecting her and sending her away? No, to the rogue, it was obvious: she must be the weakest link, a burden they didn’t want to babysit in the middle of battle.

Thinking this, the rogue snarled, steam billowing from its mouth. This time, its snarl was laced with pure malice—it wasn’t just posturing anymore. It was ready to kill.

Addison immediately tightened her stance, bracing herself for impact. As the rogue lunged for her head, jaws open wide with the intent to crush her skull and fling her like a rag doll, Addison sprinted forward and dropped low into a slide. Her silver dagger was clutched tightly in both hands, blade facing upward. She passed beneath the beast in a flash, carving a deep, clean gash along its underbelly.

The rogue landed where she had just been, but it barely stayed upright. It let out a weak whine as blood poured freely from the wound. A moment later, its intestines spilled onto the dirt, its legs buckled, and it collapsed. The whine faded into labored, wet breaths—until finally, it went still.

Addison paused at the end of the road and glanced back at the fallen rogue. Then she turned and took off again. But she hadn’t made it far before three more rogues emerged from the shadows.

No matter how many years she’d trained or how many spars she’d survived in the Sacred Land, Addison knew one thing—she couldn’t take on multiple shifters without shifting herself.

Although Addison knew the odds weren’t in her favor, she didn’t let her panic or fear show. The beasts in front of her would notice the slightest crack in her composure, and that could be fatal. As she weighed her options, trying to figure out her next move, a hand suddenly rested gently on the top of her head.

Her entire body went stiff. Cold dread rushed through her—she hadn’t sensed anyone approaching. Instinctively, she turned her head, only to find Lance standing calmly beside her.

He looked utterly unfazed, his posture lazy and expression drowsy as he stifled a yawn, eyes half-lidded as he stared down the rogues. It was clear he wasn’t taking them seriously at all.

The moment she realized it was Lance, a wave of relief washed over her. The chill in her veins receded, and though her legs still trembled slightly from the adrenaline, her stance loosened. She could breathe again.

"You’ve done a great job holding on..." Lance said softly, his voice low with praise as his fingers gently left Addison’s hair. Then, without urgency, he stepped in front of her and casually stretched his arms.

The moment the three rogues laid eyes on him, their instincts kicked in. They took a cautious step back, never daring to turn their backs on him. Something about Lance radiated danger—primal, lethal. But before they could even think of retreating, Lance vanished from their sight.

He reappeared in an instant behind one of the rogues and, without pause, slammed the massive wolf’s head against a nearby boulder. The stone shattered from the force, along with the rogue’s skull, its lifeless body crumpling with its head buried under debris.

The other two barely had time to react before Lance moved again. His arms were already partially shifted—thick fur ran down his forearms, and razor-sharp claws gleamed under the light. Muscles flexed with supernatural strength as he grabbed one rogue in each hand and brought their heads together with brutal force.

A sickening crack echoed through the clearing.

The rogues didn’t even have time to whimper. It all happened too fast. Lance held them for a breath longer, then let their limp bodies slide to the ground like discarded weights.

"Where are the others?" Lance asked as he slowly strode toward Addison, casually flicking his arms to shake off the blood splattered across them. But no matter how he tried, the crimson stains clung stubbornly to his skin.

Addison silently pointed back the way she had come. The team was actually very close—just beyond the line of trees and thick brush behind her. The growls and snarls echoing through the woods made it clear that the battle was still raging. She didn’t understand why Lance even needed to ask.

Still, he gave a simple nod before vanishing again.

A beat later, gasps and sharp whines rang out from beyond the trees. Addison could only assume Lance had joined the fray—and was already making quick work of the rogues. A wave of relief washed over her.

But as she looked down at her trembling hands still clutching the silver daggers, a hollow feeling settled in her chest. No matter how much she had trained, the gap between her strength and his was still painfully wide.

Yes, she might have bested the Royal Guards or even Mila during sparring sessions, but as she once told her father, sparring was done in a controlled environment. The people she faced there weren’t desperate; they didn’t fight with the raw, brutal edge of someone clinging to survival. They weren’t reckless.

The rogues, on the other hand, were completely unpredictable. Their movements lacked any pattern, their attacks fueled by instinct rather than strategy. Against them, none of her practiced techniques from training could truly hold up. All Addison could rely on was her muscle memory—to dodge, to react, to survive.

After all, the most dangerous kind of opponent was the reckless one. Reckless enemies didn’t think. They didn’t hesitate. They just acted—wild and savage—because they weren’t afraid of the consequences. And that made them terrifying.

More than anything, watching everyone fight with their wolves made Addison realize just how weak she truly was without one. Her victory over Mila had only happened because Mila had underestimated her, because she let her guard down long enough for Addison to jump on her back and overwhelm her. But if Mila had been cautious from the start, using her superior agility and strength, would Addison have stood a chance?

Probably not.

Addison shook her head, forcing herself to push those thoughts aside. Dwelling on them would only drag her down and chip away at her morale. Now wasn’t the time for self-pity. What she needed wasn’t regret—it was a plan. A way forward. A way to become stronger.

Addison nodded to herself and made her way back toward the group. As she stepped out from behind a tree, she caught sight of Lance delivering a final, precise strike to the throat of the last rogue standing.

’He really is strong,’ she thought, wiping her silver daggers clean with a cloth before slipping them back into their sheaths. ’No wonder they once considered him for my personal bodyguard.’

Anna, still in her wolf form, spotted Addison approaching and trotted over. Lowering her head slightly to get closer, she gently nozzled Addison’s cheeks—a silent but heartfelt gesture to show relief that Addison was safe and gratitude for calling in backup.

Shortly after, more members of the border patrol arrived to help clean up the aftermath and begin their investigation. Meanwhile, Anna and the others headed to the mudroom to change into fresh clothes—no longer wanting to roam around in their wolf forms as they gathered to discuss the next steps.

_____

Thank you, my dearest Angie_Rodriguez_6157, Selena_Clark_6272, Siw_Johnsen, Kelli_Montgomery, No_Name_7184, Jenni_Toney_9894, Jennifer_LaSelva, SarahR258, and Colette_8447 for the Golden Tickets and the support! Please expect more Chapters next week!