Addicted To Her The Alpha'S Irresistible Contract Mate novel Chapter 38

38 Chapter 38 True love is better than fated love

38 Chapter 38 True love is better than fated love

I tossed and turned on the narrow bed, the thin blanket twisting around my legs like the mate bond coiled around my heart. Sleep cluded me, my mind a storm of conflicting emotions that refused to quiet.

Lucy’s outburst at dinner replayed endlessly. I understood that pain too well, the suffocating weight of choices made for you, alliances forged without a thought to your soul.

And then there was Elias: his golden eyes locking on mine during our argument

upstairs, his voice so challenging as he asked if she’s fine if he’d marry some arranged bride in her place. His possessive intimacy forced my body to yield even as my mind screamed rebellion every time.

Why did the bond make me ache for him, this growing pull in my chest I couldn’t name? Was it love creeping in, or just the cruel magic twisting hate into need? I pressed a hand to my sternum, feeling the dull throb. Happiness felt like a distant myth; with Elias, it was impossible. He was my cage, my enemy, my everything I didn’t

want.

Frustrated, I threw off the covers and slipped into a simple robe over my nightdress. The lodge was silent, the wooden floors creaking softly under my bare feet as I padded downstairs and out the back door.

The moonlit gardens welcomed me with cool night air, carrying scents of pine, damp earth, and distant wolf howls from the pack’s territory. Stars glittered overhead like scattered diamonds, and the wildflowers swayed gently in the breeze.

It was peaceful here.

A soft sound caught my ear, muffled like someone trying to hide their pain. I followed it to a secluded bench near the pond, where moonlight silvered the water’s surface. There, buddled with her knees drawn up, was Lucy.

Her blonde curls fell over her face, shoulders shaking as quiet sobs escaped her. My heart ached with empathy; she looked so broken, far from the bubbly girl she was in the day,

“Lucy?” I whispered, approaching gently, not wanting to startle her. She jerked her head up, wiping her eyes hastily, but fresh tears spilled over.

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38 Chapter 38 True love is better than fated love

“Naomi? What are you doing out here?” She tried to force a smile, but it crumbled. “Sorry, I… I just needed some air.”

I sat beside her without asking, the bench cool against my skin. “Me too. Couldn’t sleep.” I hesitated, then placed a tentative hand on her arm. “You don’t have to hide it from me.”

She sniffled, nodding slowly, her blue eyes glistening in the moonlight. “Grandpa just… decides like my life is some chess piece in his pack games. Ronan? I don’t even know him! What if he’s cruel, or boring, or…what if he’s not something I’m looking for in a

partner?”

She buried her face in her hands, another sob escaping. “I always dreamed of finding true love, you know? Someone who makes my heart race, who chooses me because they can’t imagine life without me. Not this… arrangement.”

Her words hit me like a mirror to my own soul. The ache in my chest deepened, the bond stirring as if Elias were near, pulling at me even in his absence. I squeezed her arm gently, my voice soft.

“I get it, Lucy. More than you know. Feeling trapped, like your choices are stolen, it’s suffocating. But you’re strong. And who knows Ronan might surprise you, or… maybe there’s a way to fight this.”

She lifted her head, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand. “Fight Grandpa? Ha. He’s the elder alpha and his word is law here. Tradition, alliances, all that crap. My parents won’t back me; they’re too scared of rocking the pack boat.”

She looked at me, searching my face. “But you… you’re different. Not like the other omegas around here, all meek and obedient. How do you deal with it? Being a maid for Elias–he’s such a grump. Doesn’t it feel like you’re stuck too?”

I swallowed hard, the irony twisting in my gut. Stuck? If only she knew the half of it, the mate bond chaining me to him, his possessive touches that ignited fire even as they burned.

“Yeah, it does,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “Every day feels like survival. But I’ve learned that even in cages, you can find cracks. Talk to your brother and he might listen. Or… I could try speaking to him for you.”

Lucy’s eyes widened, hope flickering amid the tears. “You would? But why? You barely

know me.”

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38 Chapter 38 True love is better than fated love

“Because no one deserves to have their heart decided for them,” I said, meaning every word. My own turmoil bubbled up from Elias’s warnings not to reveal our bond, his smirks and kisses that left me breathless and hating myself. “I’ve felt that dread and that loss of control. If I can help, even a little… it’s worth it.”

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