Addicted To Her The Alpha'S Irresistible Contract Mate novel Chapter 61

61 Chapter 61 His playful texts

61 Chapter 61 His playful texts

Lucy’s pov:

I paced my room restlessly after the call, the hairbrush forgotten on the dresser as my mind raced. Days had a strange way of slipping past when nothing dramatic happened, no explosive arguments with Grandpa, no tense pack meetings where Elias had to play the decisive alpha, no more of those heart–pounding moments where Naomi’s quiet

defiance clashed with his control.

Just a quiet routine settling into place: morning light filtering through the frost–kissed windows, Naomi humming softly while she tackled chores with that graceful efficiency of hers, Elias disappearing for hours into his study or out on patrols, only to return with that same unreadable calm etched on his face.

I told myself I liked the peace, it was a welcome change after the chaos of the failed engagement, the family interrogations, and Naomi’s bold intervention that had flipped everything upside down.

But deep down, I was restless, like a wolf cooped up too long, itching for something more than the mansion’s echoing halls and the predictable rhythm of meals and small

talk.

The phone had vibrated insistently on my bed, pulling me from my absent–minded brushing. I answered without checking the caller ID, expecting maybe Ronan with another teasing text turned call.

Instead, it was my old friend from the pack’s youth group, her voice shrieking through the speaker like a banshee. “Lucy! Did you fill out the university form or not?”

My hand froze mid–stroke, the brush hovering uselessly as my reflection in the mirror stared back, wide–eyed and suddenly foolish. “…The what?”

There was a heavy pause on the other end, followed by a groan of disbelief that made me wince. “Lucy. The admission form. Deadline is tomorrow. You’ve been talking about. this for months!”

My stomach dropped like a stone into a frozen lake, cold dread pooling. “Tomorrow?”

“Yes! You said you were applying this year, literature, remember? The program at Silverwood University. Please tell me you didn’t forget.”

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61 Chapter 61 His playful texts

I sank onto the edge of the bed, the plush comforter muffling my sigh as I rubbed my temple. “I forgot.”

How had I? Between helping Naomi settle in, dodging Grandpa’s lingering grumbles about traditions, and those stolen moments thinking about Ronan, his easy grin, the way his eyes crinkled when he teased me, I’d let the dream slip through the cracks.

University had been my quiet rebellion, a chance to escape the Kingsley shadow and carve out something just for me: diving into stories, analyzing the twists of fate in old tales, maybe even writing my own. But life had a way of burying ambitions under survival.

She groaned dramatically again, her voice tinny through the speaker. “You’re

impossible. Fill it today. And don’t forget the guardian signature, your cousin has to sign off, right?”

Guardian. The word hit like a reminder of my place, still under the alpha’s wing, even if I was grown. “Yeah, got it. Thanks for the reminder, I owe you.”

“You owe me coffee when you get accepted. Now go!” She hung up with a laugh, leaving me in the quiet hum of the room.

I stared at my reflection a moment longer, the girl in the mirror looking both excited and terrified. Heart thudding with a mix of nerves and anticipation, I grabbed the crumpled application papers from the bottom drawer of my desk,where they’d been shoved amid old journals and forgotten trinkets,and headed straight to Elias’s study.

The mansion’s halls felt longer than usual, the polished wood floors creaking under my socks, the faint scent of pine from the cleaners mingling with the earthy aroma of the pack lands drifting through an open window. Winter was edging closer, the air crisp even inside.

Elias looked up when I knocked and entered, his golden eyes shifting from the holographic map on his desk to me, expression neutral but attentive, like he was already calculating what this interruption meant. “Lucy? What’s up?”

I held up the documents, my fingers slightly trembling, not from fear, but from the rush of finally committing to this. “I, um. I need your signature.”

He leaned back in his leather chair, the creak echoing softly, and raised an eyebrow, that subtle alpha curiosity kicking in. “For?”

“University,” I blurted, unable to keep the bubbling excitement out of my voice despite

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61 Chapter 61 His playful texts

the nerves. “I’m applying. I forgot until today, my friend just called, but the deadline is tomorrow, and they need a guardian’s approval since I’m still under pack oversight.”

Something shifted in his gaze,not surprise, exactly, but a thoughtful glint, like he was piecing together this side of me he rarely saw. He gestured for me to sit in the chair across from him, the study’s walls lined with ancient pack lore books and maps giving the room a weighty feel.

“You want to study further,” he said, not a question, but an acknowledgment, his voice steady as he took the papers from my hand.

“Yes.” I nodded quickly, perching on the edge of the seat, words tumbling out now that the dam had broken. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Literature, analyzing stories, understanding why characters make the choices they do, the twists of fate and all that. Maybe even writing my own someday. It’s not pack politics or alpha training, but… it feels right for me.”

A corner of his mouth lifted in a rare, almost approving smile,subtle, but genuine, the kind that made him seem less like the unyielding heir and more like family. “That suits you. You’ve always had a way with words, twisting them to get what

you want.”

There was a teasing edge, lightening the moment, reminding me of our cousin bond amid the heavier pack dynamics.

He scanned the documents carefully, his pen hovering as he read the fine print, even the cautious alpha, ensuring no hidden clauses that could affect the pack. The room was quiet save for the soft tick of the antique clock on the mantel, the faint rustle of pages. Finally, he signed with a smooth glide of the pen, his signature bold and authoritative. Then he handed them back, folding them neatly.

“Good luck, Lucy. If you need anything, recommendations, whatever, let me know.”

That was it. No lectures about responsibilities, no conditions tying it to pack duties, no reminders of the Kingsley legacy I was “abandoning.” Just support, simple and unwavering. Relief washed over me like a warm tide, and I smiled, genuinely this time, feeling a weight lift.

“Thank you, Elias. Really.”

He nodded, already turning back to his map, but there was a softness in his eyes that lingered. As I stepped out, closing the door behind me, my phone buzzed in my pocket,a message lighting up the screen.

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61 Chapter 61 His playful texts

Ronan: Just so you know, I’m still waiting for that dinner you promised. Starting to think you’re planning to escape me again.

I stared at the words longer than necessary, my thumb hovering over the keyboard as a flutter stirred in my chest,annoying, unwelcome, but undeniable. Ronan, with his teasing grin and those piercing eyes that saw right through my deflections. He wasn’t the arranged match I’d fled from anymore; he was just… Ronan.

Confident without being arrogant, perceptive in a way that flustered me, and surprisingly gentle beneath the alpha exterior. He’d listened when I confessed my fears about the engagement, hadn’t pushed when I needed space. And now,

And now, these messages,playful jabs that made me smile despite myself.

I shouldn’t have smiled. It was ridiculous. He was from Silverfang, our packs‘ alliance still fragile after the fiasco. But when did I start thinking about him like this? Replaying his laugh from our last encounter, wondering if that dinner would be awkward or… something more?

Shaking my head, I typed back before I could overthink it further.

Lucy: I didn’t forget. I’ve just been busy. Be patient.

Three dots appeared almost immediately, his response popping up with that signature

wit.

Ronan: Busy, huh? With what,plotting your next great escape? I’ll take that as confirmation that you’re nervous.

My cheeks warmed, a quiet laugh escaping as I leaned against the hallway wall. I am not nervous, I wanted to protest,but the truth was, a little thrill zinged through me at the thought. Nervous? Maybe. But in a good way, like the anticipation before a full

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