CHAPTER 279: CHAPTER 279 PRAISE ME

"You have impressive stealth," he said evenly. "But you let your killing intent seep out earlier... that’s how I found you."

Chase wasn’t trying to confirm anything; he was stating it outright. His aura burned strong, refusing to yield against Zion’s, proving he was every bit the warrior Zion was. If they clashed, the outcome would be uncertain.

Yet Chase showed no intent to attack. Instead, there was something else in his eyes, an intrigue, almost fascination, as if he’d finally found someone who mirrored his own strength, someone worth knowing.

Zion stepped from the shadows, his massive midnight-black wolf emerging from the brush. In the moonlight, he looked like a hound risen from hell, his golden eyes gleaming with predatory fire.

"Indeed... you are just as Greg described," Chase murmured under his breath. But Zion still heard it.

Seeing that Chase showed no intent to confront him, Zion grew even more confused and intrigued. Slowly, he shifted back into his human form.

"Why didn’t you tell anyone I was here?" Zion asked. It was the first thing that left his lips, though he wasn’t expecting an answer. Only a fool would expect an enemy to explain themselves.

Yet something about this situation felt off. Chase’s silence, his restraint, all hinted that there was more to him than what met the eye. That was reason enough for Zion to ask, even as his piercing gaze stayed locked on the man before him.

Chase let out a low chuckle, sensing that Zion was just as intrigued by him as he was by Zion. Perhaps it was because they were cut from the same cloth, two warriors who seemed to recognize something of themselves in the other, even while standing on opposite sides.

It was a strange contradiction: the urge to ask questions, even to befriend one another, while still knowing they were enemies. The thought amused Chase, though he couldn’t explain why. Maybe it was simply one warrior acknowledging another of equal caliber.

"I just feel our paths shouldn’t end here," Chase said lightly. "Consider this a favor. One day, perhaps you’ll repay it." His chuckle faded as quickly as it came. In an instant, the warmth drained from his expression, replaced by the cold, mechanical indifference he wore before.

Without warning, he shifted his stance and lashed out with a sudden kick. Zion reacted on instinct, snapping into defensive mode as he raised his arms, bracing himself against the crushing impact.

"Ugh!" Zion groaned as pain shot through his arm, the impact heavy as if struck by a boulder. A faint crack echoed in his bones, forcing his brows to knit together. He had been caught off guard.

’My fault,’ he thought grimly. ’I let my guard down in front of an enemy, all because of my curiosity.’

His sharp gaze snapped to the side, intent on finding Chase, but the man was gone.

Vanished.

It was as if he had never been there at all. Even his scent had been wiped clean from the forest, leaving behind nothing but silence. Zion couldn’t tell whether Chase was just another rogue or if he belonged to a pack far more dangerous than he had imagined.

But Zion found no answer. If anything, the encounter left him more bewildered. Why had Chase acted that way, knowing full well they stood on opposite sides? Chase’s faction clearly meant harm to his mate, perhaps even to him, yet his actions carried no real hostility.

Zion’s thoughts flickered to the stud earring he had taken from the dead rogues who once attacked his territory. His gaze lingered on the place where Chase had vanished. ’Could it be... he’s the same as them? Controlled against his will?’

He shook the thought away. Now wasn’t the time to puzzle over another man’s fate. What mattered was protecting his mate and ensuring Greg never had the chance to harm her again.

Especially now, Zion had narrowed down the one targeting them all along. After six years of silence, Greg was finally making his move. Was this his revenge for being cast out of the pack—for the arm that had been torn from him?

Zion couldn’t be sure. But one thing he did know: Greg was prepared. He intended to use every detail he knew about the Midnight River Pack, and every nuance of Zion’s own nature, against them. That much became clear from the fragments of Greg and Chase’s conversation that Zion had overheard.

After rearranging his thoughts, Zion cast one last glance at the spot where Chase had vanished before shifting back into his wolf form. With a powerful leap, he darted off in a different direction, resuming his scouting, the very reason he had come out in the first place. But this time, he moved with heightened vigilance.

Chase had shown no hostility earlier and had even covered for him, yet Zion couldn’t afford to trust that. He had already let his guard down once.

For all he knew, Chase’s strange behavior was calculated. Perhaps Chase suspected Zion had found out about the ear stud with the bloodstone embedded in it and wanted him to believe that, like the rogues, Chase was also being controlled.

If Zion fell for it, he would eventually lower his defenses, and that would be the moment Chase struck.

The realization made Zion squint his eyes. He shoved away any lingering thoughts of sympathy or curiosity about Chase. An enemy was still an enemy—showing his back could only invite a blade to it.

For the rest of the night, Zion scouted every marked location, sprinting like the wind yet moving cautiously through the forest, his senses sharp to the slightest shift in his surroundings.

The strain of his heightened vigilance kept his entire body taut, draining his stamina and mind far faster than usual. By the time he finally returned to the pack house at dawn, exhaustion weighed heavily on him. Sweat clung to his skin, his muscles slick and glistening faintly in the early light.

Even in his drained state, Zion went straight to Addison’s room. Levi and Maxwell had long since retreated to their own quarters, leaving her alone to rest.

But before Zion could even raise his hand to knock, Addison had already stirred awake, the moment his rich scent of chocolate and coffee drifted into her room. It was overwhelming, intoxicating, curling in her chest and making her stomach twist with want.

Her body reacted before her groggy mind could catch up. Holding her breath in anticipation, she hurried to the door and pulled it open, only to find Zion standing there, strikingly handsome despite his fatigue. His body was drenched in sweat, each sculpted muscle on display, the raw physicality of him made even more alluring by his bare form.

Before Addison could react, Zion flashed a toothy grin. Despite the sheen of sweat on his face, the expression made him look strangely vulnerable, yet still captivating.

"Baby, I’ve completed the mission you gave me," he announced, his tone carrying a boyish eagerness. The way he said it almost screamed for her approval, as though an invisible banner hung across his face reading: ’Praise me, please.’

Addison’s lips twitched as she struggled to suppress an involuntary smile. This was the first time she’d ever seen this side of Zion, and it made him look unexpectedly adorable. But she wasn’t about to give in so easily. Besides, it was hard to focus on anything other than his face, especially with him standing there completely naked.