Chapter 352: Chapter 352 A Woman’s Heart Is Hard To Read
But he knew he had no one to blame but himself; he brought this upon his own head. He should have known that hurting one’s mate would never end well. So, he remained silent, simply watching as Addison helped Mary remove the arrows one by one, gently coaxing her with reassuring words.
When Addison was done tending to her wounds, she made Mary drink another high-grade healing potion before helping her get dressed. Then, she asked one of the warriors to escort Mary to where the elders and the young were sheltered, so she could rest safely under their protection.
Once the warrior and Mary were gone, leaving only Addison and Zion behind, Zion cleared his throat loudly and subtly scooted closer.
"How are you feeling? Are you tired? Do you want me to massage your muscles a bit?" Zion blurted out, firing questions one after another. He was eager, almost desperate, to deepen his connection with Addison, hoping she would stop treating him with her hot-and-cold attitude.
His heart felt like it couldn’t take much more of it. Realizing just how painful it was to be on the receiving end of such treatment, guilt washed over him, and the desire to make it up to her grew even stronger.
Addison looked into Zion’s eager eyes, seeing the mix of remorse and pain within them. She realized that perhaps her heart wasn’t as hard as she thought, at least, not toward someone who genuinely acknowledged their mistakes.
Or maybe... it was simply because it was Zion. Her feelings for him had never truly been extinguished; the pain she endured had only buried them deep. And now, as Zion tried so hard to make amends, those emotions were beginning to resurface.
She wasn’t sure what to make of it, only that she was struggling to process everything. Maybe that was why her reactions to him wavered, sometimes warm and forgiving, other times distant and uncertain.
"I’m fine. Let’s just help everyone so we can move to the temporary settlement," Addison said. Her tone was neither warm nor cold, she was simply caught in the confusion of her own emotions.
She didn’t want to send mixed signals, yet her heart and mind were at odds, making it hard to decide how she truly felt. For now, she chose to keep things calm and steady. After all, since Zion had resolved to make amends, a little distance from her shouldn’t discourage him.
He was the one who had put them in this situation, so it was only right that he be the one to fix it.
With that thought, Addison felt a bit lighter. She nodded to herself, convinced she’d made the right decision, and the guilt that had been tugging at her chest slowly faded away.
It was only fair that Zion be the one to chase her this time. She wasn’t going to repeat her past self, the one who did everything, even the chasing. Let him experience how exhausting it was to pursue someone, only to be met with a lukewarm response and no proper closure.
"Alright, I’ll coordinate with the warriors and assess the damage. You just stay here and rest until your body recovers," Zion said, his tone shifting slightly, which was firmer now, a touch more authoritative. In his mind, since Addison appeared weaker than him at the moment, it was only right that he handle the work.
To Addison, however, Zion’s words felt condescending, as if he were looking down on her just because she couldn’t summon her wolf. It struck a nerve, precisely because it was true. Still, she knew deep down that not being able to call on her wolf didn’t make her weak.
She refused to believe that. Yet Zion, like most werewolves, couldn’t help but equate one’s strength with the ability to fight alongside their wolf. Even if he understood Addison’s situation, the instinct to make that comparison ran deep.
And in truth, he wasn’t entirely wrong; having a wolf did greatly affect a werewolf’s combat power. Despite Addison’s sharp instincts and quick thinking, she couldn’t always overpower stronger enemies in a direct fight, as proven by her encounter with the ogre. Knowing that only made Zion’s attitude sting more, because it reminded her of her own limits.
She wanted to be angry, but all she felt was a mix of weakness and shame. Yet Zion wasn’t thinking about any of that. In his mind, being the stronger one meant it was his duty to protect his woman, to keep her safe, to make things easier for her.
To him, it was only right to keep Addison at the back where the fighting was lighter, rather than let her fight beside him or take on too much that might exhaust her. But in doing so, he forgot one crucial thing: Addison used to be a warrior too. Now, he was treating her like she was made of porcelain, fragile and breakable, and that was something Addison refused to accept.
"I said no! Stop treating me like a weak omega like you used to!" Addison snarled. She tried to rein in her emotions, but her pride as a warrior wouldn’t let her stay silent. She didn’t want anyone thinking she couldn’t handle herself, it would undermine her ability to fight alongside the others and shatter the composure she worked so hard to maintain.
For so long, she’d kept her head down, letting everyone in the Midnight River Pack walk over her and treat her like a doormat. But now that she had reclaimed her strength and proven she wasn’t as worthless as they once believed, she was rebuilding her confidence piece by piece.
And being treated like a fragile weakling again, especially by Zion, cut deep into that fragile pride she was trying so hard to protect.
Or maybe it was simply because it was Zion, he had a way of making her feel like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on. She felt cornered, defensive, and she didn’t even understand why she was being so sensitive right now.
It wasn’t as if this was the first time Zion had treated her that way. Her sudden outburst even caught Zion off guard, and when Addison saw the shock in his eyes, she froze too, realizing she might have overreacted.
Lately, her emotions had been a whirlwind, rising and falling without warning. Was it the stress pushing her this far? Or were all the feelings she had buried for so long finally resurfacing?
Maybe it was because Zion had been the root of most of those wounds, and now that he had unknowingly pulled the trigger, everything she had suppressed came spilling out. Even Addison herself wasn’t sure anymore.
Addison bit her lip, then turned away and focused on helping the injured warriors. She moved from one to another, bandaging wounds and offering aid where it was needed. For those whose injuries weren’t as severe as Mary’s, she handed out lower-grade healing potions.
After all, high-grade ones were expensive for a reason, and while she had been using them rather freely, her supply wasn’t limitless. Fortunately, the lesser-grade potions were still effective and more than enough to help the wounded recover.
Zion, on the other hand, was left standing in stunned silence. Addison’s sudden outburst had caught him completely off guard, and for a moment, he didn’t know how to react. The cold indifference she showed as she walked away seemed to freeze him to the bone.
He bit his lip, trying to chase away the ache in his chest. ’It’s alright,’ he told himself. ’This is nothing. I can warm her heart again, just like she once warmed mine.’
With that quiet resolve, Zion pushed down his emotions and threw himself back into work. He moved to assist the warriors, helping them form a defensive perimeter while the others rested and recovered their strength. After two hours of healing and regrouping, even the wounded were ready to move once more.
"Alright, everyone, check the caravan and repair what’s been damaged. We’ll be leaving soon," Addison instructed, her tone steady and composed. As she spoke, her gaze drifted toward Mary, who was now being fussed over by the elderly like a sick child.
Mary looked a little embarrassed by the attention, but even the children surrounded her, happily tending to her and refusing to let her go.
The sight warmed Addison’s heart, it was proof that Mary was deeply loved by their pack, and that her sacrifices hadn’t been in vain. Seeing that affection made Addison admire her even more, and her respect for Mary grew silently in her heart.
"Also — there are carcasses among the animals. Untie any that are still on leashes and check them," Addison ordered as she set the fallen chests and rice bundles back in place. "If the meat is still safe to eat and not poisoned, we’ll use it as food when we reach the temporary shelter."