Chapter 97 Mila
And when Addison laid out her plans—well-thought-out, efficient, and brilliantly strategic—those alphas were left speechless. One by one, they opened their doors to trade with her. The agreements weren’t as generous as those under the previous alpha, but they were enough to keep her pack from withering away.
In truth, she had led her people through a storm. And that fire-forged experience had turned her into the leader they always hoped she would become.
"It’s alright, Father. How about a sparring match?" Addison suggested, trying to steer the conversation away from memories that weighed heavily on her. If there was anyone she truly missed from the Midnight River Pack, it would be Levi—and a handful of others who had treated her kindly.
"Ah, right! It’s been a while since we last sparred," the Alpha King said, his mood shifting immediately. "I want to see if you’ve gotten rusty." The somber thoughts were pushed aside without complaint.
"Uncle, Addison—how about sparring with me instead?" Mila interjected, stepping forward with a gentle smile. "You’ve been gone for quite a while, Addison. I heard from Uncle that things were tough, and you probably didn’t have much time to train. It might be better to warm up with me first. Besides, with Uncle’s strength, he might accidentally go too hard—and you’re still recovering, right?"
Only then did they seem to remember Mila was still with them. The Alpha King blinked, a flicker of guilt crossing his face for unintentionally overlooking his niece. "You’re right," he said, nodding quickly in agreement.
"That’s not a bad idea either," the Alpha King agreed thoughtfully. "You two were childhood playmates, after all. You used to spar from time to time, so I think starting with Mila might help jog your memory. Don’t you think?"
He glanced at Addison, a hint of nervousness in his eyes. As much as he longed for his daughter to regain her memories, he couldn’t ignore the harsh truth—Addison had been held captive by the vampires for three long years, and they had broken her spirit. The thought that she might have forgotten how to fight, forgotten the fierce warrior she once was, weighed heavily on him.
With her amnesia clouding the past, sparring with Mila—someone familiar and less overwhelming than himself—seemed like the safest and wisest choice. At the very least, it would give him a clearer idea of where Addison stood now, and how much of the warrior within her still remained.