Addicted To Her The Alpha'S Irresistible Contract Mate novel Chapter 24

Elias’s pov :

My fingers tightened around Naomi’s throat not enough to bruise, but enough to feel the frantic flutter of her pulse against my palm, like a bird trapped in a fist.

The mate bond roared in my veins, a chaotic storm of possession and pain, twisting my jealousy into something sharper, deadlier.

How dare she? How dare she stand there, eyes defiant through her tears, choosing that filthy bar over me? The visions of my parents‘ slaughter replayed in my mind’s eye: their bodies sprawled in pools of crimson, the metallic stench of blood mingling with the traitor’s scent–her father’s scent.

It had been him, that spineless beta who’d sold out our pack for a scrap of territory, leaving me to inherit nothing but ashes and rage. And now, his daughter, my fated mate, danced on the edge of the same abyss, exposing herself to alphas who’d rip her apart without a second thought.

The thought fueled the fire in my chest, betrayal and jealousy coiling like smoke, choking out any remnant of the tenderness I’d felt moments ago.

I leaned in closer, my body caging hers against the sofa, our breaths mingling in the charged air. Her scent–sweet omega nectar undercut by the sour tang of fear and bar grime–drove me mad. It was mine, all mine, and yet she’d paraded it for strangers.

“You enjoy it, don’t you?” I sneered, my voice a low, venomous rumble that vibrated through my grip on her neck. The words tasted like bile, but I couldn’t stop them; they spilled out as if purging the poison in my soul. “Playing the slut in that dive bar, serving up smiles and shakes for alphas who tip you like you’re their evening entertainment. Wiggling your ass in that pathetic skirt, letting them eye–fuck you while you pour their drinks. If that’s the game you love so much, maybe I should play along. Treat you like any other customer”

Her eyes widened, green pools fracturing with shock and disgust, and something inside me twisted painfully at the sight. But the hurt pushed me onward, masking the vulnerability I couldn’t afford to show. I’d lost everything once because of her bloodline; I wouldn’t lose her too, not to her stubborn pride or the wolves circling outside my protection.

11.37

172

<

24 Chapter 24 The monster that he is

Sarcasm dripped from my tongue like acid, meant to wound her as deeply as she’d wounded me by refusing my offer, by choosing degradation over safety.

“Come on, little wolf. What’s your price? A hundred for a lap dance? Two for a quick feel in the back room? Or do you charge extra for mates you’ve been stringing along?” I mocked, my free hand trailing down her side, skimming the edge of that cursed uniform–not touching, not really, but implying enough to make her flinch.

God, I hated myself even as I said it, the alpha in me reveling in the dominance while the man buried beneath screamed in agony. This wasn’t me; this was the monster her father’s betrayal had forged, the one that clawed to the surface whenever she pushed

me away.

Naomi’s face contorted, her lips parting in a gasp that sent a jolt through the bond— equal parts horror and betrayal. I could feel it echoing back at me, her omega instincts recoiling from the man who’d once ignited fire in her veins with a single touch. Now, I was reducing her to this: a transaction, a whore in my eyes, when all I wanted was to shield her from the world that had already taken so much from us both.

But jealousy blinded me, the image of those alphas at the bar–leering, groping, their scents clinging to her skin–burning like hot coals in my gut. Why them? Why risk everything for a freedom that could kill her, when I offered a fortress? The bond pulled taut, her pain seeping into me like ink in water, but I shoved it down, letting the anger spiral higher.

Testing her limits felt like testing mine; if I pushed hard enough, maybe she’d break, submit, choose me without reservation. Or maybe I’d shatter us both.

Overwhelmed, her expression crumpled into raw humiliation and rage, tears streaming unchecked down her flushed cheeks. Her body trembled under my hold, not just from fear but from the war inside her–the omega pull toward submission clashing with the fierce pride that made her mine in the first place.

Before I could register the shift, her hand flew up, cracking across my face with a resounding slap that echoed through the cramped apartment like a gunshot. The sting bloomed hot on my cheek, sharp and immediate, snapping me out of the haze,

“I’m not a slut!” she cried, her voice breaking on the word, raw and guttural, laced with sobs that tore at my heart.

Tears cascaded freely now, her chest heaving as she glared up at me, eyes blazing with a mix of defiance and devastation. The omega in her quivered through the bond,

11:37

2/4

<

24 Chapter 24 The monster that he is

instincts urging her to bare her neck, to yield to her alpha, but her pride–goddamn that unyielding pride–held her steady, refusing to crumble even as her world tilted.

I reeled back, releasing her throat as if burned, my hand hovering in the air for a split second before dropping to my side. Anger flashed hot in my eyes, instinctive and alpha–deep–how dare my mate strike me? The supposed submissive, the one fated to kneel at my feet, defying me so openly?

The beast inside snarled, demanding I pin her down, remind her of her place with teeth and touch until she begged for mercy. But the slap… it jolted me, a lightning strike piercing the fury’s fog. My cheek throbbed, a physical echo of the emotional wound I’d just inflicted. What the hell was I doing?

This wasn’t protection; this was cruelty, the same vile behavior I’d ripped throats out for tonight when those alphas at the bar had dared lay hands on her. I’d become them -worse, because I was her mate, the one sworn to cherish her, not degrade her.

Regret crashed over me like a cold wave, dousing the flames of jealousy and leaving only ashes. I saw her then, truly saw her: the fear etching lines around her eyes, the pain twisting her mouth, the way her shoulders hunched as if expecting another blow. Not physical but the verbal barbs I’d hurled, each one a claw raking across her soul. The bond throbbed with her hurt, mirroring it back at me tenfold, and for the first time, I felt the full weight of my actions.

I’d masked my own terror, losing her to the dangers of her job, to the shadow of her father’s betrayal with sarcasm and dominance, but all I’d done was push her further away. Echoing the alphas I despised, reducing my mate to a price tag when she was priceless. My breathing came heavy, ragged, as I stepped back, putting space between us that felt like a chasm.

“Naomi…” I started, my voice rough, cracked with the turmoil churning inside,

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify