Addicted To Her The Alpha'S Irresistible Contract Mate novel Chapter 35

35 Chapter 35 Sparks of jealousy

Elias’s pov: 1

I watched Naomi’s eyes flash with defiance as she shoved against my chest, her small hands surprisingly strong against my frame. The kiss broke abruptly leaving her lips swollen from the intensity of it.

For a split second, the mate bond flared brighter, pulling me toward her like gravity, but she wrenched away, stumbling back a step.

“Don’t,” she hissed, her voice trembling not with fear, but with that fire I both craved and despised.

Before I could grab her again, she turned and bolted toward the mansion, her sundress fluttering in the night breeze like a ghost fleeing the scene. The French doors slammed behind her, echoing through the garden, leaving me alone under the stars.

I stood there, chest heaving, the taste of her still on my lips sweet and salty, laced with the anger that always simmered between us. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, the alpha in me roaring to chase her, pin her down, make her submit. But I didn’t

move.

Why? Why the hell couldn’t I just hurt her like she deserved? She was the daughter of the wolf who’d slaughtered my parents, betrayed our pack for scraps of power. I should have ended her the moment I found her in that sleazy bar, reeking of other alphas. Instead, here I was, drawn to her like a moth to flame, the bond twisting my hate into something perilously close to need.

Sighing heavily, I sank onto the bench she’d vacated, the wrought iron cold against my back. The garden was silent now, save for the distant croak of frogs by the pond and the rustle of leaves in the wind. Why was I always like this with her? Pulled in when I should push away, protect when I should destroy. Was it just the mate bond, that cursed lunar magic forcing us together? Or was it deeper, something from childhood I’d buried under layers of rage?

I remembered her as a kid, back when our packs weren’t at war. Naomi, the quiet girl with those piercing green eyes, always hiding behind her father’s shadow at alliance gatherings. I’d watched her then, fascinated by her wild spirit, even as she ignored me, too young to notice the pup–crush brewing in my chest. She never liked me or saw me as the spoiled alpha heir, probably.

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35 Chapter 35 Sparks of jealousy

And now? Fate’s cruel joke had bound us, amplifying old feelings into this toxic mess. I rubbed my face, groaning. I was a fool.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, shattering the solitude. I fished it out, seeing Grandpa’s name on the screen. Perfect timing. I answered, keeping my voice steady.

“Grandpa. What’s up?”

“Elias, boy,” his gravelly voice barked through the line, no preamble. “How’s everything going with the company? Those leaks plugged yet?”

I leaned back, staring at the moon. “I’m managing. Security’s tightened; we’ve got it under control.”

He scoffed. “Managing? The business ain’t yours alone, you know. It’s the family’s legacy, your father’s before he was taken. Don’t shoulder all the workload like some lone wolf. Ask your brothers and sisters for help. Lucy’s there, ain’t she? Use her.”

I rolled my eyes, thankful he couldn’t see. As if I could trust anyone. My “brothers and sisters“-cousins, really–were a pack of opportunists, always sniffing for weakness. Darius had proven that, scheming in the shadows.

“I got it, Grandpa. No need to drag everyone in.”

He grumbled, then shifted gears, as he always did. “Fine, but what about marriage? When you gonna settle down? If you still ain’t found your mate, stop dragging your feet. I’ve got a girl in mind with a strong bloodline, from the Evergreen pack. Good hips for bearing heirs.”

I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I don’t want to get married yet. Focus on the company first.”

“Yet? Boy, you wanna end the bloodline? Your father died too young, left you as the heir. If you don’t marry, who’ll give us the next alpha? The pack needs continuity!”

I gritted my teeth. “There are other cousins. Ask them to pop out heirs.”

Before he could launch into another lecture, I hung up, shoving the phone back in my pocket. The old man meant well, but his pressure was a noose. I couldn’t let the family know about Naomi and about her identity.

If they discovered she was Harlan’s daughter, the traitor who’d orchestrated my parents‘ murder, Grandpa would have her dragged before the council. Tortured for info, then executed. And the mate bond? They’d see it as weakness, force me to reject

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35 Chapter 35 Sparks of jealousy

her or worse.

No. She was mine to handle–my enemy, my secret. Better they think I’m still searching for a mate than uncover the truth tangled in my chest.

The night air grew colder, but I lingered, thoughts churning like storm clouds. By morning, the mansion buzzed with activity. I headed to the breakfast nook, the scent of coffee and bacon drawing me in. Lucy was already there, perched on a stool, scrolling her phone. Naomi hovered nearby, setting plates, still playing the maid role, but with that subtle defiance in her posture that made my blood heat.

“Morning, cuz!” Lucy chirped, looking up. “Grandpa called me last night. He’s angry you hung up on him. He’s asking us to visit him or he’ll come here. Says he’s not feeling well and something about his joints acting up again.”

I poured myself coffee, masking my reluctance. Grandpa’s “not well” was code for summoning the family for one of his lectures. I didn’t want to go, too much risk, too many prying eyes but denying him would spark a family feud.

“Fine. We’ll leave tomorrow.”

Lucy’s eyes lit up. “Great! It’ll be good to see him.”

I glanced at Naomi as she placed a plate of eggs before me, her movements graceful but tense. Our eyes met briefly, and I saw a spark in those green depths, her lips twitching like she was fighting a smile. Her eyes practically glowed with… relief?

My blood boiled instantly, a surge of jealousy ripping through me like claws. She was this happy about me leaving? Planning to sneak out, maybe meet some alpha from her past, the ones who’d leered at her in that bar? Or worse, contact whatever remnants of her father’s traitors lingered? The bond twisted sharply, fueling the rage, No. She wasn’t escaping that easily.

I turned to her fully, my voice a low command that brooked no argument. “You’ll come with us too. Pack your things.”

Her eyes widened in shock, the plate in her hand nearly slipping. “What? But-”

“No buts,” I cut in sharply. “You’re part of the household now. Where I go, you go.”

Lucy raised a brow in confusion. “The maid? Grandpa’s estate is huge, he has his own staff.”

I ignored her, holding Naomi’s stare. She looked stunned, then furious, her cheeks

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