Chapter 201 Token
Addison’s eyes quickly flicked to the side, where she noticed several crates stacked near Leon. But before she could make sense of them, the five men suddenly turned their attention to her, all of them catching her scent the moment she stepped inside.
Their gazes locked onto her, sharp and searching, and Addison instantly felt exposed—scrutinized. A twinge of guilt rose within her. She had made a major decision without consulting any of them. In their eyes, she knew it probably looked like she was going easy on Leon... or worse, accepting the false mate bond.
What Leon had done was more than enough to warrant execution, and yet, instead of punishment, she had brought him closer, physically and politically. That alone was enough to rattle her fated mates and put Lance on edge. After all, this didn’t just mean a new rival; it meant a dangerous one. Leon was surrounded by countless adoring females. Letting someone like that near her could only lead to trouble, heartache, jealousy, and worse.
But honestly, Addison wasn’t sure whether this false mate bond would follow the rules of a werewolf’s mating bond or the Tigrens’. After all, they were different species, each with their own unique traditions and instincts. If Leon did end up sleeping with another woman, would she feel the agonizing sting of betrayal, possibly triggering an early decay of their bond? Or would she feel nothing at all, no matter how far he strayed?
And what about him, would he feel it if she mated with her other partners?
She didn’t have the answers. But what she did know was that she couldn’t keep running from her mates forever. If she did, things might repeat just like they had with Zion. Her bond could begin to decay again, dragging her into that familiar, soul-wrenching pain. And this time, with three mates tied to her instead of one, the pain would likely be far worse than what she’d endured as Zion’s chosen mate.
Addison could already feel the pull of their growing connection. The mate bond was forming on its own, even without the mark. That alone meant they were already tied together in some invisible, irreversible way. Marked or not, they might still suffer the painful consequences of a decaying bond if they kept their distance.
’Ugh. I should stop thinking about this for now and focus on what really matters,’ Addison told herself, shaking off the stray thoughts that threatened to consume her thoughts.
"Addie, you’re back..." Levi said, his voice slightly hoarse as he stared at her. Then he added, "That outfit suits you..."
But as the words left his mouth, his gaze wandered, slowly and intently, making Addison feel the heat of his eyes trailing down her body, as though he were undressing her with just a look.