<h4>Chapter 99: Chapter 99 The Curse</h4>


    <i><strong>Whine...</strong></i>


    M’s pained whimpers echoed across the arena as Addison tightened her fist, delivering blow after blow to M’s head.


    <i><strong>Crack.</strong></i>


    With one final, vicious punch, a sickening sound reverberated through the air. M’s wolf form copsed to the ground, twitching violently. Her body went limp as unconsciousness overtook her instantly.


    Addison finally stopped, her fists trembling slightly, but her expression remained cold. She wasn’t worried about M dying—this was a lesson. One M needed to learn: never rely too much on your wolf, and never underestimate your opponent. Even an ant could bring down an elephant if it found the right moment.


    The Alpha King and Queen rushed to Addison’s side just as the medical team, already on standby due to the King’s earlier mindlink, moved in. Without wasting a second, they carefully hoisted M’srge wolf body onto a stretcher and hurried her off to the medical ward.


    The Royal Family’s wolves were known for their imposing size—a mark of their lineage and strength. It was a signature trait that set them apart from others. The Alpha King’s wolf, however, was thergest of them all, towering over the rest and radiating undeniable authority.


    M’s wolf, though impressive andparable to some alphas in size, still fell short when measured against the other royals. Especially beside Addison’s striking white wolf, she appeared slightly smaller. Yet, what Mcked in size, she made up for in speed. Her wolf was fast—blindingly so. Unfortunately, in the arena today, she never got the chance to use that advantage.


    "Sweetheart... this..." The Queen’s voice trembled with conflicted emotion as she looked at M’s unconscious form being carried away. Earlier, she had feared that M might overpower Addison. Now, seeing M sent to the medical ward instead, she didn’t know what to feel.


    A part of her felt sympathy for M. But another part—perhaps a bigger one—felt relieved. Addison hadn’t gone soft. Even without fully shifting into her wolf form, Addison held her own, fighting with lethal precision. It reassured the Queen that Addison still retained a fraction of her wolf’s power, enough to defend herself if ever needed.


    Addison sheepishly rubbed the tip of her nose. It might have seemed like she went overboard with the lesson, but this was just how she was used to training. Back in the Sacred Lands, she often sparred with the Royal Guards her father assigned to protect her. More often than not, they ended up needing medical attention too—but it was never taken personally. In fact, those sessions helped them grow stronger by exposing their weaknesses. It was all part of their development.


    So Addison assumed it would be the same with M. After all, M was her cousin. Holding back would’ve meant she didn’t see M as a worthy opponent—and that would’ve been more insulting. Giving her all was the only way to show respect.


    The Alpha King, as if sensing his daughter’s intentions, gave a small shake of his head and gently patted his mate’s shoulder, reassuring her.


    Just then, the twins came bursting in like cannonballs, theirughter echoing through the arena. They wrapped themselves around Addison’s legs with bright, admiring eyes.


    "Mommy is amazing!" Kyle beamed, rubbing his chubby cheeks against her legs as he giggled with joy.


    "I told you Mommy would always win! Mommy’s the best of the best!" Aiden chimed in eagerly, not wanting to be outdone by his brother. He grinned wolfishly as he craned his neck to look up at Addison, eyes full of admiration.


    Although they liked M, when it came to their mother, the twins were fiercely loyal. Even after watching M get knocked out and sent to the medical ward, neither of them flinched—they’d seen simr scenes plenty of times before. The Alpha King and Queen exchanged nces. It was unusual.


    Typically, young werewolf pups—even though born with supernatural blood—acted no different from human children. They were often scared of loud noises, cried easily, and were sensitive to the sight of blood or violence. That’s why the royal couple had been hesitant to let the twins watch sparring matches.


    But to their surprise, the boys weren’t frightened at all. In fact, they seemed more excited than anyone else. And even after witnessing someone being carried away on a stretcher, they didn’t seem the least bit shaken, as long as the person wasn’t Addison.


    Just a few months ago, things had been very different. Back then, Kyle had begged to see his mother, not fully understanding what "sparring" meant. When he was denied, he cried so hard he could barely breathe, forcing the royal guard to bring him to the training ground. Unfortunately, the timing couldn’t have been worse—he arrived just in time to see a Royal Guard m Addison to the ground as Ss shouted for her to get up.


    Both twins had burst into tears, wailing so loudly they ended up with high fevers from the emotional shock. The experience nearly traumatized them. Since then, Addison had made it her personal mission never to lose in front of them again.


    Now, instead of crying, the twins saw their mother as a warrior goddess.


    Although the twins had never seen their mother’s wolf form, they would often whisper about it in hushed voices, imagining how majestic and powerful it must be. Addison had overheard their quiet conversations a few times—soft, curious spections that always made her pause and reflect.


    When she first arrived at the Midnight River Pack, she believed she was wolfless. It was a painful assumption that she carried with silent resignation. But everything changed after she met Ss. Through her, she learned the truth: she wasn’t wolfless—she was cursed. The curse had severed the connection between her and her wolf, leaving her unable to shift or even sense its presence.


    The revtion shattered her. It broke her heart to think of her wolf—alone, trapped, possibly suffering in silence—cut off from her. She still didn’t fully understand the nature of the curse or who had cast it, but what she did know was enough to stir both guilt and sorrow.


    Thankfully, Ss, a powerful Saintess, was able to uncover the truth. Though her divine powers were vast, even she couldn’tpletely break the curse’s chains. Still, she’d weakened them enough to allow Addison to feel faint traces of her wolf once more—just enough to give her hope.


    "Sweetheart, are you alright?" the Queen asked gently, noticing Addison had zoned out. She reached up and stroked her daughter’s cheek with her thumb, assuming Addison was starting to feel guilty about sending M to the medical ward.


    But in truth, Addison’s thoughts had simply been elsewhere. Her mother’s touch brought her back, and she smiled reassuringly.


    "I’m alright, Mother," Addison said softly. "How about we go check on M? She might be waking up soon."


    She bent down to scoop her sons into her arms—one on each side—but before she could lift them, her parents beat her to it. The Alpha King and Queen each took a child into their arms with practiced ease, clearly enchanted by the twins. Their affection for the boys was so obvious that Addison could only shake her head and chuckle, falling into step behind them as they made their way to the ward.


    When Addison and her parents arrived at the medical ward, M was just beginning to wake up. The doctor reassured them that while M had sustained a minor skull fracture, her wolf had already begun the healing process, and the injury was no longer serious.


    Now back in her human form and dressed in a patient gown, My pale and fragile on the hospital bed. The moment her eyes met Addison’s, they welled up with tears. Her lips trembled as if she were about to burst into tears.


    The Alpha King and Queen exchanged nces, a pang of guilt flickering in their eyes. Then they turned to Addison, but neither of them spoke. Deep down, they knew this wasn’t Addison’s fault. M had been the one to shift into her wolf form first, fully aware that Addison couldn’t do the same. It had been an uneven match from the beginning, yet Addison hadn’t backed down—and she had still won.


    There was no trickery, no unfair advantage—just raw strength and pure skill.


    M didn’t say a word. She simply lowered her gaze, her longshes casting a shadow over her tear-reddened eyes. She looked utterly pitiful—like someone quietly enduring sorrow with no one tofort her. The sight made the Queen sigh softly in helplessness. Taking a seat beside M, she gently reached out to pat her head, her voice tender as she coaxed her.


    "M, please don’t be upset with your cousin, alright?"


    M shook her head obediently, then slowly lifted her gaze to look at Addison once more.


    "Cousin, I’m not angry," M said softly. "If anything, I should be the one apologizing—for shifting during the match even though you couldn’t. It wasn’t fair of me. But my wolf... she took over when I kept getting pushed back. I didn’t mean for things to escte like that. I hope you’re not upset with me?"


    Her words sounded sincere, yet something in her tone gave Addison pause. There was a faint discord in the way M phrased it—something that didn’t sit quite right. Still, Addison didn’t dwell on it. After all, it wasn’t unusual for a wolf to surface when their pride was wounded or their human counterpart was threatened. She couldn’t fault M for something that came from instinct.


    Besides, she hadn’t been hurt during the sparring. So, with a calm smile, Addison simply nodded.