The Alpha's Regret: Return Of The Betrayed Luna-Chapter 59 Claire’s Plan 2

Now that the bastard child in her womb was gone, nothing stood in the way of her being with Zion—and this time, she’d carry his pup. The thought alone thrilled her. So when Zion stepped closer, Claire lurched forward and threw herself into his arms.

Zion’s muscles immediately tensed, his instincts screaming to shove her away. Had she not been the royal princess, she would’ve been thrown across the room without hesitation.

But Claire, oblivious or simply uncaring, pressed herself against him. She made sure her chest brushed deliberately against his torso, letting him feel every curve of her soft body. Just hours after losing a child, she was already thinking about making a new one—clearly, she didn’t want to waste time.

Zion placed his hands firmly on Claire’s shoulders and gently pushed her away. "You just lost your baby. Your body’s still weak—you need to rest," he said, his tone calm but distant. Then he stepped back, creating space between them like a man retreating from fire.

There was no desire in him—only revulsion. Her touch didn’t stir arousal; it made his skin crawl, as if ants were swarming across his body. Every hair stood on end with discomfort. But he masked it well. He couldn’t afford to show his true feelings—not now, not in front of a royal princess. So, he played nicely.

And feeling guilty?

No.

Zion didn’t feel guilty at all—why would he?

He’d thought he hated Addison, but now that he had time to think rationally, things didn’t add up. She had supported his pack without ever asking for anything in return, even when she knew most of them didn’t respect her—some even hated her. And yet, she still did her best.

Could someone like that really harm an innocent pup out of revenge?

No, he didn’t think so.

If Addison truly wanted revenge, she would’ve chosen a smarter way. The woman who managed to pull the pack back from the brink of collapse—who stabilized them, made them self-sufficient again—wasn’t someone reckless.

Pushing Claire down the stairs in front of so many witnesses, and even taking herself with her? That wasn’t just cruel—it was stupid. And Addison was many things, but not stupid.

Besides, he couldn’t quite explain it, but he found himself believing Addison—trusting her—even though she hadn’t said a word in her defense. If he felt guilty toward anyone, it was her. She’d been hurt, yet still thrown into the dungeon.

And worse, he hadn’t been able to protect her when his Beta struck her with a silver whip. He could only imagine the agony she endured—Addison, with her fragile, wolfless body, unable to heal.

The more he thought about it, the more his anger simmered. His fists clenched, jaw tightening, and the air around him grew heavy, charged with unspoken fury. But Claire misunderstood. She thought his anger was for her and that he was ready to punish Addison on her behalf. Inside, she rejoiced, already imagining Addison’s suffering once Zion made his move.

Claire was still unaware that Addison had already endured a silver whipping, escaped, and that so much had happened on the pack grounds while she was unconscious. When Beta Greg carried out the punishment, Claire was still undergoing emergency treatment to save the pup.

But when she regained consciousness during the procedure, she became uncooperative. She refused to follow the doctor’s instructions—deliberately stalling the treatment. She had planned it all, trying to ensure the pup wouldn’t survive.

Partway through, the doctor began to realize what she was doing. That’s why he kept glancing at Zion with guilt in his eyes—he believed the child was Zion’s, the future alpha of the pack. Despite all his efforts to save the baby, it didn’t make it in the end.

And besides, the omega who had gone down to the dungeon with Beta Greg to stir up the others hadn’t had a chance to report back to Claire yet. She had planned to update her once everything was settled. Since Claire wasn’t officially part of the pack, the omega couldn’t use a mind link to contact her directly.

Just as she was preparing to go to Claire, Beta Greg called her back to clean the dungeon, delaying her further. Meanwhile, after Beta Greg made a pack-wide mind link announcement about Addison’s escape, some of the omegas serving Claire began to piece things together.

They wanted to inform her when she woke up, but the doctor and healer were still with her, making it difficult to speak openly. They had to wait until the medical team left before they could report anything.

"Zion, could you stay by my side? I was so sad losing my pup."Claire’s soft, velvety voice pulled Zion out of his thoughts and back into the moment. But the instant her words registered, a wave of dissatisfaction hit him. His expression twisted—barely restrained anger mixed with impatience.

Claire, still caught up in her own emotions and excitement, didn’t notice the shift in his demeanor. She thought his anger was on her behalf and tried to move closer. But Zion stepped back—again and again—until he finally turned his back on her, intent on walking away.

He wanted the Royal Convoy to take Claire back to the Royal Capital as soon as possible. That would’ve been the simplest solution. But he couldn’t do it—at least, not yet. Not without proof that Addison was innocent. And now, with Claire having actually lost her child, the situation had only grown more complicated.

If the Royal Convoy took Claire back to the capital in her current state, Zion was certain it wouldn’t just be Addison who paid the price—he and the entire pack would likely be executed for negligence and causing the death of a royal prince.The mere thought made his head throb, a sharp migraine pounding behind his eyes.

Still, he had to tell her.

"The Royal Convoy has arrived to take you back," he said, his voice flat as he kept his back to her.

He didn’t see Claire’s eyes widen in shock, nor the way her body trembled. Her hands shook as she clutched the hem of her dress, trying to steady herself.

She responded immediately, her voice still trembling. To anyone listening, it would seem as though her emotions were solely tied to the loss of her baby and the overwhelming thought of returning home. But then, her next words left everyone stunned.

"I am not coming back with them. I won’t go back to the Royal Capital!" Claire cried out, her emotions spilling over.

The sudden outburst caught Zion off guard. He turned to look at her, his own shock momentarily freezing him. For a split second, he was nervous she might want to leave immediately and seek justice from the Alpha King.

But what she said instead left him uncertain. He didn’t know whether to feel relieved that she didn’t want to go back or angry that she wanted to stay in his territory a little longer.

"Why?" Zion’s voice was stern, his tone sharper than he intended. The harshness of it made Claire’s heart skip a beat, a wave of fear crashing over her. How could she explain that she didn’t want to go back because she wasn’t the real princess? Or that returning would risk exposing her true identity?