NOVEL NEXT Chapter 297 The Plan
Perhaps, if Addison hadn't been unable to outright reject him, she might have already turned her back on him during her father's birthday banquet.
"…Alright. I'll do it," Zion muttered, his voice trembling faintly as old memories and regrets pressed heavily on his mind.
"That's more like it." Levi smirked broadly, then turned to Addison. "Addie, do you want me inside with you, or should I stay with Lance and help keep the locust swarm busy on the front lines?"
Addison quickly composed herself and nodded at Levi. "You can come with us and help carry some of the supplies inside. We'll leave the distraction to Lance and the warriors." She decided without hesitation, knowing that bringing Levi along wouldn't make their group too large to be noticed, and his strength would be useful once they were inside.
Hearing this, Levi's lips curved into a satisfied smile before he, Zion, and Maxwell set off together, circling the barrier in search of a spot where the locust swarm was thinner. As they ran along the perimeter, Addison reached out to Lance through the mindlink.
"Lance, can you hear me? I have a task for you…"
"Addie, please, just consider me at your service anytime. No matter what you ask, treat it as mission completed," Lance said firmly, his eyes fixed on the flickering barrier.
Addison gave a faint smile at his determination. "I'm glad to see you so energetic and committed. Actually, I need you and the warriors to do more than just watch the swarm's movements inside the barrier. I need you to keep them as distracted as possible."
"Distracted?" Lance tilted his head, curiosity flashing in his eyes. "May I ask why?"
Addison hesitated, torn on whether she should reveal the gist of the plan to Lance. If she did, there was a real chance he might react like Zion, refusing to let her go inside without him. That would complicate everything.
They could technically leave Levi outside to lead the warriors instead, keeping their group small enough not to draw unwanted attention. But unlike Lance, Levi had no pack bond with some of the warriors stationed around the barrier.
Lance could connect with them through the mindlink, coordinate them seamlessly, and his presence outside was undoubtedly the most practical choice.
Yet, keeping Lance completely in the dark carried its own risks. If he sensed something off or acted rashly, it could jeopardize everything. Addison knew it would come down to her ability to convince him, to make him stay behind and maintain control over the situation, ensuring no one, especially the locust swarm, noticed what she was truly planning. Failure here wasn't an option.
"Well, actually, I do have a plan," Addison began carefully. "It isn't guaranteed to succeed, but we're planning to head inside. I'll be going with Elric, Zion, Maxwell, and Levi. I also need to retrieve a sample of the locust from within the barrier, which means I'll need someone trustworthy to cover my back and keep the swarm distracted from the frontlines."
She hadn't lied, but she had chosen her words carefully, softening the edges so they sounded more reassuring and more flattering. She made sure to strike directly at Lance's weak spot, appealing to his sense of loyalty and his pride by emphasizing how much she trusted him above anyone else to guard her from behind.
To Lance, that trust meant everything. And because Lance had grown up alongside her, watching firsthand how formidable she had become, he wouldn't easily refuse her like Zion had.
Though Addison hadn't openly shown confidence in her plan, the fact that she had one at all spoke volumes. It was proof that she wasn't interested in wasting time with endless discussions; she intended to act and bring this ordeal to an end as soon as possible.
Although a trace of bitterness stirred in Lance's chest when he realized Addison was bringing all her mates inside without him, he also understood how deeply she trusted him, and that meant the world. Instead of pushing his limits and demanding to go with her, he conceded with quiet dignity.
"Alright," Lance said softly. "You can leave the frontline to me. I'll make sure to keep the locust distracted. Just… promise me you'll protect yourself, okay?" His voice carried a faint, pitiful edge that made Addison's chest tighten with guilt.
"I will. I'll be careful," Addison reassured him gently. "Thank you, Lance, for having my back." She made sure to show her appreciation because she could sense how much restraint it took for him to hold back his stubbornness and selfish desire to insist on going with her.
For a moment, she even felt a little embarrassed for having overthought it, thinking he'd give her a hard time, when instead he only chose to support her.
"No need to thank me so much. You know I'd do anything you asked, Addie." Lance's tone softened, tinged with a subtle sultriness and quiet longing, as though he wished she would let him stand closer to her heart, the way Zion, Maxwell, and Levi already did.
But Addison couldn't give him that. She bit her lip, cleared her throat, and, thankfully, the warriors she had sent returned just in time with what she requested. It gave her the perfect excuse to end the mindlink conversation, sparing her from having to confront the feelings hanging between them.
Lance, however, felt the ache immediately. His chest tightened, his heart churned, and he bit down on his lip to stop himself from saying more. He knew Addison was avoiding any talk of emotions between them.
Still, he clung to the thought that her distance was only because of the amnesia, that she simply couldn't remember what they had meant to each other, or the feelings they once shared. All he needed, he told himself, was patience.
While Lance was quietly nursing his bruised heart, Addison turned her attention to the warriors. They began unloading cart after cart filled with rotten vegetables and bundles of straw cut from rice and wheat stalks, byproducts that would be mixed into livestock feed.
Since more straw would be produced once the harvested rice and wheat were processed, there was no worry about depleting their supply.
Before long, ten carts were lined up in front of her, just as Levi, Zion, and Maxwell returned. The three shifted back to their human forms, their bodies slick with sweat from sprinting along the barrier's perimeter.
"Addie, what's all this?" Levi asked first, striding toward her with heavy breaths, clearly winded from the run. Zion and Maxwell arrived beside him as well, though the two Alphas looked far less fatigued than Levi since their stamina and agility were naturally superior.
By now, Zion had already reined in the storm of emotions he'd carried earlier. The run had cooled his head, leaving nothing but a calm mask in place. Still, none of them spoke of their findings yet. Their attention, for the moment, was fixed on the strange collection of goods the warriors had gathered.
Once the warriors had departed to join the defensive line, Addison turned to face Zion, Maxwell, and Levi. Her expression was calm but resolute.
"We're bringing these supplies inside with us," she said firmly. "I believe the locusts are growing restless because they're hungry. If we bring them food, it might calm them—at least for a while."