Mysterious mate to the lycan prince (Addison and Max) novel Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

**Addison**

With my eyes tightly shut, I held my breath, waiting for the sound of Max’s voice to break the silence on the other end of the line. But as the seconds dragged on, my heart sank further into disappointment; he never answered.

Letting out a defeated sigh, I let my arm drop to my side, my phone still clutched in my hand like it was a lifeline.

“Well?” Gina’s voice broke through my thoughts, her tone curious yet expectant.

“No answer,” I replied, forcing a chuckle to mask the unease bubbling inside me.

“You know what?” She leaned in closer, a comforting arm draped over my shoulder. “Maybe he’s just not feeling well.”

“Are you serious right now?” I shot her a skeptical look, my disbelief evident in my narrowed eyes.

“Uh… Forget I said that,” she laughed nervously, retracting her arm and scratching the back of her neck awkwardly. “Let’s just head out.”

As we walked side by side, I couldn’t help but glance down at my phone repeatedly, the ‘no answer’ text glaring back at me like a cruel reminder. With each glance, my heart felt heavier, as if it were sinking deeper into a pit of uncertainty.

“Hey,” Saga chimed in, breaking my spiral of thoughts. “Why don’t you try calling Tyler?”

“I’m not that desperate to see Max,” I retorted, though I could feel the truth of my desperation lurking beneath the surface.

“Actually, you are. Remember what Lyra said? No moving forward until she figures this out.”

“I’ll just give it more time. He’ll probably call me back. At least, that’s what I’m hoping for,” I said, trying to convince myself more than her.

Yet, no matter how I spun it, the only reason I could fathom for Max’s absence from school was his desire to distance himself from me. But did he really have to take it this far?

When I finally arrived home, Aunt Nora was there, and without a word, I wrapped my arms around her, seeking comfort. She chuckled softly, clearly taken aback by my sudden display of affection.

“Is everything alright?” she asked, her brow slightly furrowed with concern.

“Yup, all good,” I huffed, trying to sound more convincing than I felt.

“I can see that,” she replied with a hint of sarcasm, breaking our embrace and leading me to the couch. “So, did Lyra manage to figure it out?”

“Max didn’t come to school today,” I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper.

She leaned in, surprise etched across her face. “Oh, that’s new.”

“Yeah, and I haven’t heard from him in ages. I tried calling, but he didn’t pick up.”

“He was probably busy with something. I’m sure he’ll get back to you,” she reassured me, though I could hear the uncertainty in her tone.

“I hope so, because Lyra isn’t making this any easier for me.”

“Honestly, I’m still not over how that girl barged into my house just as I was about to reach for the doorknob! I guess I’ll have to brace myself for more of that.”

I chuckled lightly. “Yeah, and I’ve never encountered anyone so blunt with me before.”

“That’s a good thing,” she said, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

“How is that a good thing?” I frowned, puzzled.

“You need someone like Lyra to keep you grounded because sometimes, you just want everything to go your way.”

“That’s not true!” I gasped, rising to my feet and crossing my arms defiantly.

“You know deep down that I’m right about this. You might not see it because it involves you, but I do. That’s why you need someone like her. How old is she, anyway?”

“She’s twenty-seven, but honestly, she looks like she’s eighteen, even with all that heavy makeup on.”

“She probably takes good care of herself,” Aunt Nora noted thoughtfully.

I shook my head slightly, whispering, “Or maybe she uses a spell to look that young.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, a vase on the small table toppled over, shattering into a million pieces on the floor. My eyes widened in shock, and I covered my mouth in disbelief, glancing around as if expecting to see someone else responsible for the chaos.

Aunt Nora’s jaw dropped, momentarily speechless before regaining her composure.

“Addie, Lyra obviously heard that and took it out on my new vase just to show you she’s listening. You’re going to pay for it.”

“But… why?” I stammered, still reeling from the sudden turn of events.

“Do you even have to ask? This happened because of you.” She stood up, pointing down at me with a mix of exasperation and amusement.

I sighed, feeling the weight of my words. “You’re right. And sorry, Lyra. It was a bad joke.”

“I’m sure she heard you, but you’re still replacing the vase.”

“Of course.”

“Now that it’s settled, I just thought of something. If Max doesn’t call you back, why not just go to him?”

“How?” I raised my eyebrows, confusion clouding my thoughts.

“Do you really need to ask me that? I thought you said Lyra could take you anywhere you want to go.”

“That’s true, but it has to be a specific place. What would I even think of to get to Max? Forget it. I wouldn’t do it anyway, even if I knew where to find him.”

“Why not? You need this to happen.”

“What’s the point when I have no idea where he lives?”

“And you two are supposed to be friends?” she scoffed, making her way towards the stairs.

I slumped back in my seat, pouting, desperately wishing for a call or text from Max. If not that, then I hoped he would show up at school the following day.

Gina waved her hand excitedly, urging me to come over, and I didn’t once glance in Ruby’s direction.

I could sense my brothers waiting for me on the other side of the arena, but with Gina so close, they decided to hold back just a little longer.

“Congratulations! You were amazing out there!” she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around me in a tight embrace.

“Oh, come on. It’s no big deal,” I chuckled, returning the hug.

“Are you kidding? You stood out so much from everyone else! At one point, I thought it was too easy for you!”

Suddenly, I felt her heart racing, and I wondered what was wrong. It all made sense when I sensed my brothers drawing closer.

“Your friend is right,” Cole said from behind me, and as I turned, Gina cleared her throat, her excitement palpable.

Overjoyed that my brothers had come to support me, I momentarily overlooked Gina’s infatuation with Cole. I rushed over to him and Dylan, enveloping them both in a tight hug.

“I uh… guess I’ll be way over there,” she chuckled awkwardly, excusing herself as she stepped back.

Once she was out of earshot, my brothers and I began to walk in the opposite direction, me sandwiched between them.

“As soon as the games began, I knew you’d crush them all,” Dylan boasted. “Not even the other nine from Blackbolt High, especially that snake, could keep up with you, little sis.”

“Hey!” I pouted, looking up at him. “I’m not little! I’m turning eighteen tomorrow!”

Cole ruffled my hair affectionately. “It doesn’t change the fact that you’ll always be our little sister.”

I managed a half-smile, both of them understanding the unspoken sentiment hanging in the air.

“We wish Mom and Dad could have seen this too,” Dylan remarked, his tone laced with a hint of sadness.

“Yeah,” Cole chimed in, his voice tinged with irritation.

My curiosity piqued, I glanced between them, sensing an unspoken tension. “Am I missing something here?”

“No,” Cole replied firmly, shaking his head.

“But that was—”

“It’s nothing, okay?” he cut me off.

Whatever it was, he clearly didn’t want to discuss it, and I caught Dylan’s eye, who gestured for me to drop it. So I did.

Just then, a familiar scent wafted through the air, growing stronger as I looked back. Ruby’s parents were right there with her, but it was Alpha Jeffery who commanded the most attention with his imposing figure and authoritative presence.

Since our last encounter at Blackbolt High, this was my second run-in with him, and he seemed to be watching my brothers and me closely while celebrating Ruby’s advancement, which made me feel uneasy.

“Isn’t it ridiculous that Ruby was allowed to participate despite what she did to Addison?” Cole said to Dylan and me through our mind link.

“That’s the least of my concerns right now,” I replied cautiously, scanning the area. “Maybe it’s just me, but… don’t you guys feel like something is off?”