Chapter 16 A Bet
The Midnight River Pack had only just begun to rebuild after three long years of chaos and loss. They were still standing on unsteady ground, struggling to regain the respect they’d once commanded.
What they needed now were strong, capable leaders who could project that strength to the world—who could remind the other packs and races that they weren’t to be trifled with.
And Addison? She couldn’t offer them that. No matter how Beta Greg looked at it, she wasn’t a symbol of power. She was a variable—an unpredictable risk at a time when they could least afford one.
As much as the pack needed a strong Alpha to lead them, they equally needed a powerful Luna—someone who could stand beside their Alpha, guide the pack with wisdom and strength, and one day bear a stronger Alpha bloodline that would become the hope and future of their people.
Thinking about this, Beta Greg couldn’t help but furrow his brows in frustration. A wave of repulsion washed over him at the thought of Addison.
He didn’t even need to speak for Zion to notice—thanks to the deep connection he shared with his pack as their Alpha, Zion could sense the emotional undercurrents running through them. And right now, he could clearly feel his Beta’s dissatisfaction pulsing through that bond.
If not for the former Alpha’s influence, Zion was certain that no one in the pack would have accepted Addison in the first place.
From the very beginning—when his father returned home on the brink of death, carrying an unconscious girl in his arms—Zion had been filled with resentment. That same girl, Addison, was later revealed to be his chosen mate, chosen by his father.
The idea alone stirred intense dissatisfaction within him. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Addison was cunning and manipulative, seizing the opportunity to secure a position of power as Luna of the Midnight River Pack, the second strongest in the werewolf world at the time.