Chapter 353: Chapter 353 Mary Crowell
"If it’s spoiled, bury the carcasses deep, at least nine feet, so scavengers can’t dig them up. We don’t want dead animals spreading disease or upsetting the local ecosystem."
Because of the attack, several rice and wheat bundles that hadn’t been stored inside the magic chests had toppled from the caravans and were trampled by the panicked animals and fighting coachmen.
When Addison and the backup warriors arrived, they immediately helped gather what was left. Although some of it was beyond saving, Addison refused to let it all go to waste, instead, she decided to repurpose it as animal feed.
"The rice and wheat that got trampled and can’t be salvaged, feed them to the animals," Addison instructed. Once she saw the warriors nod in understanding, she went back to work, helping restore order and getting everything back on track.
After another two hours of hard work, everything was finally back on track. Zion had already secured the area surrounding their camp, and rather than staying idle, which would only make him wallow in self-pity and dwell on his worries about Addison, he chose to keep himself busy.
Overthinking never helped him before, and he refused to let it eat him alive now.
Having already completed a full sweep of the perimeter with the warriors to ensure the clearing was safe, Zion used his remaining time to lead a small team farther ahead. Together, they scouted and assessed potential routes, planning a safer path toward their next destination.
"The four of you, stay here and guard the caravan! The rest of you, with me, we’ll scout the road ahead!" Zion’s voice carried a sharp authority as he issued his orders, his tone leaving no room for them to hesitate.
Before the echo of his words even faded, his form blurred and shifted as his bones started cracking, fur bursting forth, until his massive wolf form landed heavily on the ground. With a powerful leap, he sprinted forward into the forest, his speed a blur of powerful shadow.
The others followed suit, transforming mid-run and fanning out behind him, while the warriors left behind began their patrol around the perimeter, ensuring the caravan’s safety.
After resting for two hours, Mary finally regained her strength and immediately joined Addison in repairing the damage to the caravan. Her help made the work easier, especially with the elders assisting and even the younger ones pitching in to gather the scattered fodder.
Meanwhile, a few of the young warriors had already collected the dead animals in one area for inspection.
Upon examining them, they discovered that some had died from poisoning. The warriors deduced that the toxin came from the same blowdarts used during the attack, likely coated with poison taken from dart frogs.
Traces of batrachotoxin were found in the animals’ bodies, a deadly substance known to cause uncontrollable muscle contractions, including in the heart’s walls, often leading to cardiac arrest.
It targets the nervous system, and even in small doses can cause severe salivation, convulsions, or, in the worst cases, death. The amount detected made it clear that the goblins had used a dangerously high concentration of the toxin in the darts.
Fortunately, they were all werewolves, and their inner wolves helped purge the poison from their systems. Thanks to their strong constitutions, most of them only suffered mild symptoms. Even the younger warriors, though briefly affected by muscle spasms and weakness, quickly recovered once the contractions passed.
The animals, however, were not as fortunate. Since they had succumbed to the toxin, Addison decided it was safest to have them buried rather than risk contamination.
Meanwhile, the elderly members with healing experience tended to the young warriors who had been struck by the poisoned darts. They carefully checked each one’s condition, ensuring there would be no delayed reactions or lingering complications left from the toxin.
"Princess, everything is fine here," said one of the elderly men. He used to work in the pack hospital and had extensive healing experience. He was the same elder who had been tending to the young warriors’ wounds since the very beginning.
"Thank you so much. I truly appreciate your help and expertise," Addison said with a warm smile. Though he wasn’t out there fighting like the others, his contribution was far from small. After all, age brought wisdom, knowledge, and experience, and those were invaluable to the pack.
Addison had always believed that no one in the world was useless. The elders, though physically weaker now, had once been the backbone of the pack and still carried a wealth of lessons earned through years of hardship.
That was why she could never bring herself to leave them behind. Seeing that Mary shared the same belief made Addison feel deeply satisfied and proud of the woman beside her.
Since Mary had been the one who contributed the most during the attack, Addison felt she truly deserved recognition for her courage, for not giving up on the weak, the old, or the young, and for using her own body as a shield to protect them.
"Mary, you did an excellent job. What you did was truly commendable, and I’m sure your father would be proud of you. Please, keep up the good work," Addison said, patting Mary gently on the back with a warm smile. Then, she turned her attention back to rearranging the setup of their escort convoy.
But before Addison could leave, Mary reached out and gently held her arm. If Mary had been a man, Addison might have easily misunderstood the gesture as something else, like a way to get her attention in a more personal sense.
It wasn’t that Addison was being conceited, but the look in Mary’s eyes, filled with admiration, respect, and trust, made it clear that this woman’s loyalty ran deep.
Fortunately, they were both women, and Addison saw Mary more like a younger sister who was capable, strong, and sharing the same values as her. It made it easy for Addison to grow close to her and patient with her little habits.
"What is it?" Addison asked, stopping in her tracks.
"Thank you, Princess. Thank you for arriving when you did. I really thought I was going to die here and leave my parents before they grew old. Thank you..." Mary said, her voice trembling as emotion caught in her throat. She bowed deeply to Addison, gratitude and relief written all over her face.
By then, since Addison had already instructed everyone to prepare for departure, most of the group had returned to their respective positions, including the elderly man who had been helping earlier.
At that moment, no one noticed how emotional Mary had become, and Addison couldn’t help but feel a little shy under such heartfelt gratitude. After living in the Midnight River Pack for three years as their Luna, she had almost forgotten what it felt like to be appreciated.
Back then, no one acknowledged her efforts, her hard work and dedication had always been taken for granted. So now, with Mary expressing such sincere thanks, Addison didn’t quite know how to handle it without feeling flustered or embarrassed.
When she saw Mary’s eyes welling up with tears and her knees beginning to bend in an attempt to kneel, Addison quickly reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her.
"Don’t... this is what I’m supposed to do. You don’t have to thank me like that," Addison said softly, her tone awkward but gentle.
"No, Princess—you saved me and my people. If it weren’t for you and your mate, we would’ve all been slaughtered by those damned goblins..." Mary said, her voice trembling with emotion.
"I know I’m not as strong as your mate yet, but given time, I’ll do everything I can to become stronger. But if I had died here today, I wouldn’t even have had the chance to grow stronger and repay what I owe you. So please, allow me this..."
Before Addison could react, Mary gently pushed aside Addison’s hands that were keeping her from kneeling. Then, with resolve burning in her eyes, she dropped to one knee, her back straight and her gaze lifted firmly toward Addison.
"Princess Addison Rosenthal, princess of the Werewolf Kingdom," Mary declared, her voice ringing with unwavering conviction, "I, Mary Crowell, offer my life and soul to you. I pledge myself to be your servant, to follow you to heaven or hell, wherever you may go. Whatever you command, I will obey without question. So please, grant me the honor of serving you, my lord."
With that, Mary bowed her head deeply, baring her neck in a gesture of complete submission, revealing her most vulnerable spot as a silent proof of her sincerity and devotion.
Addison, on the other hand, was completely shocked. She had only done what she could, and in her mind, she hadn’t even been the one doing most of the fighting or rescuing. She believed her contribution was small, almost insignificant, and she felt awkward receiving Mary’s unwavering devotion, it seemed far too much for what she thought she deserved.