Chapter 137: Chapter 137 The True Princess

But confusion rippled beneath the surface of the awe.

’Wasn’t the princess supposed to have golden hair?’

A thought struck the crowd all at once. Like leaves turning in the wind, heads began to shift, scanning the hall for someone else… someone familiar.

And then they found her.

Claire.

Pale as moonlight, trembling where she stood. Her lips quivered, teeth faintly chattering. She clung to the sheer veil draped over her face, as if it could somehow protect her from the truth, shield her from the unraveling of a lie she had lived for far too long.

She had hoped that silence would be enough. That mystery would mask falsehood. That pretending would let her keep the stolen title without ever needing to speak a word.

But now, face-to-face with the true princess, Claire’s world collapsed around her.

The Alpha King’s voice deepened, his words drawn out with measured weight as he subtly shifted his gaze toward Claire.

He had been observing her since the moment he noticed Alpha Zion’s reaction. From the start, she had drawn suspicion, but even he had to admit, the illusion was almost convincing. The golden hair, the honey-brown eyes that shimmered like murky gold under the lights, and the veil half-obscuring her face it was all carefully designed to suggest mystery and nobility.

Had he not met Addison beforehand… perhaps he, too, might’ve been deceived. Perhaps he would’ve welcomed Claire with open arms.

But not anymore.

He could see her now for what she was, a frightened impostor desperately clinging to a crumbling lie.

What she didn’t know was that the moment she stepped foot into his territory, her presence had already raised red flags. And in truth, if she really passed and managed to muddy her way in, Claire had been prepared to go as far as to disfigure herself with a silver dagger, just to maintain the deception if she were ever questioned.

Yet for all her planning, she had one fatal flaw: she knew almost nothing about the real princess… or her return.

Now, as she stood frozen under the weight of hundreds of stares, trembling like a cornered animal, regret flooded her. Every choice that led her here, the lies, the games, the false identity, all of it collapsed in this single moment.

The Alpha King let her squirm, watched as she fidgeted like she was standing barefoot on searing coals. Then, with unshakable calm, he continued his speech, letting the silence that followed hang like a blade over her head.

“Or so we thought…” the Alpha King continued, his voice echoing through the stunned hall, “until one day, the Moon Goddess guided our daughter back to us, Addison Rosenthal.”

Gasps rippled again through the crowd.

“She was in terrible condition when we found her and needed time to heal and recover. But now that she’s well enough to stand before us, I ask that everyone honor her return and treat her with the respect due to her station. As her parents welcome her back into our embrace, we have also prepared a fiancé worthy of her.”

He turned slightly and gestured. “Please, come forward…”

The revelation struck the entire room like a bolt of lightning. Whispers broke out, too stunned to stay silent. Even Addison herself was caught off guard; she hadn’t heard a word of this before.

But her smile didn’t falter.

Though shock flickered behind her eyes, she held her expression steady. This was not the time or place to question her father, not in front of the assembled Alphas and dignitaries. Doing so would only cause him to lose face, and she couldn’t bring herself to do that.

Then, as if on cue, the grand entrance doors opened once more. A tall, imposing man stepped into the hall. He had jet-black hair and eyes the color of burning embers, sharp, noble, and cold. The moment he entered, the atmosphere shifted. A chill swept through the banquet hall, as though the air itself bowed to his presence.

Zion, who had been pushing his way forward, was abruptly stopped by Levi’s hand on his chest. And then came the Alpha King’s next words, words that struck Zion like a blade to the gut.

He’d spent years searching for Addison, chasing every lead that ended in frustration, despair, and dead ends. He had gone nearly mad trying to find her… only to discover she had been within the Royal Palace all along.

And when he heard the Alpha King mention that Addison had been recuperating, something inside him froze. He knew exactly why she would need time to heal.

The silver whipping.

His mind recoiled as he remembered it. Addison had been subjected to a brutal punishment at the hands of his own Beta, Greg. And then, like the final piece of a puzzle falling into place, realization dawned on him.

Now he understood why every trace of Addison had vanished. Why the Royal Convoy had left the morning after arriving, without taking Claire back. Why the Alpha King had been cold and vengeful toward him, and even isolated him from the rest of the other packs. Why his communications had gone unanswered, why the reports about rogue attacks had been ignored, and why even his birthday invitation had been delayed until the last minute, forcing a rushed and uncomfortable journey.

At the time, it had all felt petty.

But now… it all made sense.

The Alpha King had never stopped grieving, never stopped being angry. Not just for the loss of his daughter, but for her suffering. And Zion, blinded by his own assumptions, had unknowingly protected the impostor while the real princess endured pain in silence.

And worse, he had failed the one person he should have protected.

Zion’s mind was in turmoil. A storm of self-reproach and loathing tore through him, igniting a fury that burned beneath his skin. How could he have been so blind? So foolish?

His voice dropped low, guttural and feral as he turned to Levi. “Go back. Make sure that the woman doesn’t escape. We need her; she has to answer for this.”

The raw authority in his voice sent those around him stumbling back; even some of the other Alphas couldn’t handle Zion’s aura. The air thickened with tension, but Zion didn’t care. All that mattered was the truth.

Just then, the Alpha King’s voice rang out once more, announcing something that hit Zion like a second blow to the chest:

A fiancé.

He said Addison had a fiancé waiting for her.

And then the grand doors opened again to reveal a man Zion had never seen before, tall, silent, exuding a frigid aura that matched the deadly stillness of a mountain. The weight of his presence alone was suffocating.

Zion’s gut twisted. A deep, primal sense of crisis clawed at him. He didn’t even register Levi anymore, assuming he’d gone to follow orders and secure Claire. But instead, Levi had quietly contacted the elite warriors they’d brought with them, instructing them to track Claire down and ensure she didn’t slip away. Levi, too, was making his way through the crowd, his eyes locked ahead, just as desperate for answers, and just as stunned to see Addison again.

As the two men pushed their way forward, the Alpha King gently took Addison’s hand and led her a step closer to the newcomer. He leaned down and whispered with a playful glint in his voice, “Remember when I said I wanted you to meet someone? Well… here he is.”

Then, with a subtle nod, he gestured toward the man approaching them.

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