Chapter 291 Agitation
Maxwell only shrugged when he caught Zion's accusing gaze, heavy with killing intent and hostility. He could already feel Zion's wolf bristling, fury coiling thick in the air around them.
Yet Maxwell remained unfazed. They were both Alphas—possessive, domineering, and fiercely territorial. Sharing a mate went against everything their instincts dictated. Their minds might understand what was important and what they needed to do, but their primal nature would never easily adapt to such an arrangement, one that defied the very beliefs, practices, and instincts of their kind.
Even so, Maxwell knew he had done nothing wrong. Being physically intimate with their mate wasn't a betrayal; it was a natural urge, a need, a craving deeply ingrained in every werewolf with a fated mate. That truth applied not only to him, but to Addison as well.
Seeing both Zion and Levi lingering outside Addison's door could only mean one thing: they, too, were restless, their rut was beginning to stir, and leaving them on edge. Fortunately, Maxwell and Addison had mated in the bathroom, where the sound of running water helped mask Addison's loud moans.
If Zion had heard her, he might have lost control, barged into the room, and dragged Maxwell into a fight on the spot.
After all, Shura could easily lose its temper when provoked, and its reasoning could easily be clouded by fury. It wasn't far-fetched to think Zion might have gone barreling in, determined to claim Addison for himself.
"You…" Zion growled through clenched teeth, hostility lacing his voice. His eyes burned a glowing gold as Shura peered through, agitation rolling off him in waves. The rut had begun gnawing at them, and simple release was no longer enough to ease the ache.
While Zion and Shura struggled against their own unfulfilled need, Maxwell was indulging freely—savoring time with their mate.
To Shura, it was intolerable, unfair. It felt as though Maxwell was trespassing into its territory—territory that belonged to Zion and Shura alone. And that territory was Addison.
Addison let out a heavy sigh. She couldn't truly fault Zion and Shura, not really. It was natural for males, especially those of Alpha bloodlines, to grow agitated and fiercely territorial during rut. When a male entered rut, his female often followed, or vice versa. In that state, the female's body would emit an intoxicating scent capable of luring and enticing every unmated wolf nearby, which would trigger a male's territorial instinct that would lead to them being agitated when another male was near their mates.
That was why things were far messier for her. Her mates weren't just restless from the rut; they were having internal struggles as they clashed head-on. All Addison could do was try to be patient and understanding.
But the timing couldn't have been worse. It was already past ten in the morning, the sun blazing high in the sky. Farmers were working hard in the fields, and mages were straining to maintain the barrier. They didn't have the luxury of retreating back to her room to continue.
But if she spoke now, it might only come across as her acting indifferent, as if she were dismissing their feelings, worse, it might look as though she had already sated her own desires, so she didn't care to leave them to suffer through the rut and their unmet needs. Yet if she stayed silent, the two might snap and start a bloodbath right in front of her.
Caught between their instincts and her own guilt, Addison felt like a cheater caught red-handed, helpless and torn in a bind she had no easy way out of.
As if sensing Addison's difficult position, Levi cleared his throat. He felt like hell himself, but at least his mind remained clear enough to think straight. In moments like this, he could almost be grateful for being one rank below the other two because his wolf's ego wasn't as overbearing as Zion's or Maxwell's.
Realizing how hard it was for Addison to intervene without seeming partial, an act that would only worsen the tension, Levi stepped forward. If nothing else, he could be the voice of reason, the balance in the storm, and help keep the two from tearing into each other.
"Alpha Zion, Alpha Maxwell, please, calm yourselves." Levi's voice was steady, though his own body wasn't free from the strain of the rut. "We're all in an uncomfortable position right now. The rut we've been suppressing is finally breaking through, and the longer it was held back, the harsher it comes at us now."
"I think I finally understand why the Alpha King ordered us to suppress it back then. We had only just met our mate; our emotional foundation with her was still weak, so I can understand that he was worried about certain things. And more than that, if all three of us had gone into rut at the same time, Addison would never have been able to withstand it. With her condition, she would have suffered."
Levi's gaze flicked between them. "That's why, for now, it's better to take turns. One at a time. Since Alpha Maxwell has already had his moment, perhaps we can hold off a little longer, Alpha Zion, and focus on the mission ahead. That way, we won't put Addison at risk, or draw unnecessary concern from the pack and the caravan."
Hearing him, Addison couldn't help but give Levi a silent thumbs-up in her mind. What he said was exactly what she'd been thinking.
Since they had already discussed her wolf needing to feed on her mates' vitality, it naturally meant she would have to mate with them. Zion had even suggested setting a schedule, so they wouldn't clash like this, especially since none of them were used to sharing the same mate yet.
And as Levi pointed out, while Addison could faintly sense her wolf now, the connection was still weak, offering no real support to her body.
If she mated with all three of them under normal circumstances, she might be able to endure it. But if she did so while they were in rut, survival would be far less certain. During rut, they would be relentless, unable to stop until every ounce of their desire was spent and their instincts fully sated.
Maxwell, who managed to hold on to some semblance of reasoning than Zion after Levi's attempt to mediate, gave a nod. He could see Zion's judgment slipping, clouded by agitation, and knew it was wiser not to clash with him now. For Addison's sake, one of them needed to step back, and so Maxwell chose to be the bigger person, letting Zion stew on his own for the time being.
As soon as Maxwell stepped aside, Addison took over, her voice soft as she tried to coax both Levi and Zion.
"Alright… now isn't the time to be arguing among ourselves. I think what Levi suggested is a good idea…" she said gently.
But she couldn't bring herself to meet their eyes. Embarrassment tugged at her, the words catching in her throat. She wasn't used to speaking so openly about such intimate matters. All she wanted was to resolve the issue quickly and escape before the heat in her cheeks gave her away.