The Ice Alpha’s Mate (Aria and Ryder) novel Chapter 108

Chapter 108

RYDER

The sun’s barely visible above the horizon when I wake up.

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We’ve been here for some time now, which means we’re running out of supplies again. I told Aria I’d head into town to grab more things, and then I’d be right back.

She’s much better now. In my eyes, it’s nothing short of a miracle because I felt like I was dying the first time I ever shifted. Aria is almost fully recovered.

I guess it makes sense that her wolf is different from everyone else’s. Ever since she told me what little she knows about Nocturns, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about them for a second.

They’re far superior to us, in every way possible. The fast healing. Being able to extend this healing to others…it’s out of this world and incredible. I myself felt the effect of her touch. Whenever she touched an injury of mine, it healed unnaturally fast. A lot of players noticed the same thing.

Then, there was the strength of our connection. I could feel her emotions. When she was sad, I was sad, too. Her mood affected mine completely. Her wolf was different. Bigger.

Of course, the most important aspect of all was the authority her wolf had over mine.

I can still remember how I felt like bowing my head in her presence. I do not doubt in my mind that Nocturns could easily take control and be the new ‘alphas. I guess this is what threatened Alphas enough to make them disappear and erase them from our history, hiding behind the fact that Nocturns are dangerous and were a threat to the pack system.

There’s a lot more that Aria doesn’t know. The book Cassandra gave her only had the observations of one person, her brother, before he died.

Aria doesn’t really want to talk about it. I can tell every time I try to bring up the subject. She doesn’t remember how traumatic her shift was, so I guess this can only mean that there’s another reason why.

Either way, I don’t have much time to think about all this. I sit up and run a hand down my face. Aria shifts beside me and I hear her say my name softly. “Ryder?”

I turn my head to look at her. “I’ll be heading into town. Get some supplies.”

“This early?”

“I was hoping to be back before ten. We could have breakfast together.”

“Oh…right.”

I feel a twinge of some emotion deep inside of me. “Is something wrong?”

“No. I don’t know,” she answers before sitting up. “I guess I wasn’t expecting you to leave so soon.”

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay.”

I face her, then press my lips against hers. Her hand moves to my shoulder and settles on the back of my neck, pulling me closer. Aria lies back on the pillows and I hover above her, straining against my boxers.

Her hands slide down the expanse of my back and I feel her run her fingers along the rubber band of my boxers.

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10:01 Mon, Mar 2 M

Chapter 108

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I grind against her, pleasure traveling down my spine and making me harder. Aria moans. I lick a path down the side of her neck while my hand moves between our bodies.

I run my hand up and down her slit, focusing on her clit to bring her pleasure. Her moans intensify and she rolls her hips to grind herself harder into my hand. The wetness in her underwear makes my head spin with desire and the urge to have her.

“Ryder,” she pants. “Please.”

“Please, what?” I tease, inhaling her scent deep into my lungs. It’s a delicious scent. It makes my mouth water.

“I need this,” she moans, her movements more frantic. “I need you.”

For the past week, I’ve been fighting my desire to claim her. I knew her body needed to recover from her first shift.

I can’t resist her now, though.

I pull her panties down her legs slowly, taking my time. The sigh of her pussy, all slick and ready for me, fills me with the certainty that I could never want another woman. Aria is it for me. I run my fingers over her flesh, savoring the warmth of it. The wetness. The uniqueness of her scent.

My wolf howls deep inside of me, wanting to claim what’s his.

“Ryder,” she pleads again in a low voice.

I grab the base of my cock and run my tip along her seam, moistening it. We both moan at the contact. I tease her clit more, drawing circles around it, pleasuring us both. At last, I press against her entrance and slowly push into her.

The feel of her clenching around me makes me shudder. I pause to give her time to adjust, but Aria raises her hips, taking me inside of her. She wraps her legs around me and holds my biceps. My arms are on either side of her face. I rock into her slowly, eyes locked on hers. She feels so good that I might just come even though I barely started. I concentrate on giving her pleasure first, stroking her carefully. Studying her face to figure out what feels good.

My lips meet hers as our bodies come together. Our movements become more frantic and the bed creaks beneath our weight. I thrust into her deeply, grunting. Close. Aria moans deeply, lips parted. Cheeks flushed. I press my forehead against hers, pounding into her.

“Ryder…Ryder…oh!”

Her walls spasm all around my length, milking me, and that’s when I spill deep inside of her. I hold her close to me, our bodies still connected. Aria rests her head against my chest as she tries to catch her breath. I run my fingers through her hair.

The sun comes up.

Its light fills the cabin. I look down at her face just as she turns her head to look at me. A smile tugs at the corners of her lips. I caress her cheek.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah. You?”

“More than alright.”

She hesitates, then asks me, “Do you promise to come back soon”

“Of course, baby. Do you think I have the capacity to stay away from you for too long?”

Aria looks like she wants to say something, but decides against it I get ready and leave as quickly as I can. I’ll get the supplies and come straight back here.

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10:01 Mon, Mar 2 M

Chapter 108

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I arrive at the small shop near her house, where the shopkeepers that guy who was trying to seduce her, and offer a small greeting from beneath the hood of my hoodie. He greets me back absentmindedly.

I can’t be recognized. I meant it when I said the whole world could wait.

I pick up everything we could need for several more days, then pay. He barely looks at me. I then walk out, heading straight toward the edge of the woods across the road, and that’s when I hear someone say my name.

“Drexel!”

Alarmed, I look over my shoulder. I see Coach heading toward me, jogging. His eyes are filled with concern.

“Coach.”

“My niece,” he begins, “is she alright?”

“Yes. She’s fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I left her only a few hours ago. Is everything alright?”

“Does anyone know where she is?”

“No. I didn’t tell anyone.”

“People are looking for you,” he mentions. “I think something bad is going to happen to her. I’m worried. I have a bad feeling

about this.”

“Aria’s fine for now, but I could always move her.”

“And take her where?”

I hesitate. I don’t know.

“She has to be moved. Cassandra knows a place. It’ll be out of the pack.” He looks left then right suspiciously. “We’ll meet here tonight. All of us. This is important, Ryder. Are you aware of what’s happening around here since war has been declared?”

I don’t. For the past week, I’ve spent every waking moment with Aria.

“Will you come?”

Keeping her in my family’s cabin might not be the best idea long term. I already knew that. I just didn’t know we’d have to move this soon. “Yes. I’ll talk to her.”

He nods, relieved. “Good. Hurry back, then. Ten PM. That’s when the streets are empty.”

I travel further into the woods on foot, thinking about what he said. I’m distracted and not watching my surroundings. Then again, people rarely show up here.

But I hear a sound that alarms me and start running while carrying all the groceries. I then drop them on the ground, shift, pick the plastic bags up with my teeth as gently as I can, and start running.

It’s not long before I find myself surrounded by ten other wolves

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