The Ice Alpha’s Mate (Aria and Ryder) novel Chapter 111

Chapter 111

ARIA

It’s getting late and Ryder still isn’t back.

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I’m so nervous that I can hardly breathe. The Nocturn–a woman. I’ve now decided-is watching me patiently with her hands on her lap She’s seated directly across from me, watchingne in a way that I find totally unnerving. Never saying a word

Impatiently, I stand up. This waiting is going to kill me. The harder I think about it, the worse I feel. I realized a long time ago the something was wrong, yet, I didn’t act on it.

“I can’t take this,” I say out loud. “I need to find him.”

The woman stands up. Since we came in and I decided to trust her, she told me only a little bit about Nocturns and emphasized that I would need to strengthen my wolf in order to face the storm that was headed our way. She then told me that I would have to go with her to the hiding place she mentioned earlier, and I told her I couldn’t.

That I had to wait for Ryder.

Ever since, we’ve been waiting, not saying a word. My idea was that I would wait for his arrival and then, together, we’d plan what to do next. I didn’t even have time to truly think about her offer.

Now that Ryder still isn’t back, I have to do something to find out where he is or what might have happened to him.

I can’t just sit here and wait for the worst.

“That isn’t a wise decision, Aria.”

I narrow my eyes at her. “I have to look for him. This doesn’t feel right.”

She looks at me for a long time. I wait for her to say something, but she doesn’t. I then lose my patience and tell her, “Look, I know you’re trying to help me and offer me guidance, but Ryder is my mate. I have to look for him.”

“He’s fine.”

This angers me. “You don’t know that!”

“A Nocturn’s connection with their mate is powerful,” she explains, stepping toward me. “If something bad had happened to him, you would’ve felt it. There are a million reasons why he could be running late.”

“No. He told me he’d be right back!”

“Where would you even begin looking Don’t you think you’d only put yourself and him in danger?”

“I can always go back. I have my uncle. I have a place to go and people who can help me. It’s not like I’m a fugitive or being hunted.”

“Is that so? Then why are you hiding out here?” She shakes her head when I don’t answer her. “You’re of no use to your mate or even your uncle in this state.”

I frown. “What state?”

“Your weakened state.”

I fold my arms. I’m nervous and agitated, and her words aren’t helping me one bit. “You don’t know anything about me. You can’t ask me to abandon the people I love and go with you to learn to be strong! For all I know, you could be doing this for

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Chapter 111

your benefit! I don’t even know your name.”

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“You let me in,” she reminds me. Now, she’s standing merely inches away from me. “If you believed I was such a danger, then why am I still here? You didn’t ask me to leave once. If you had, would’ve gone. Also, how can you be so sure that I don’t know anything about you? I know you were trying to run. I saw you shift. You don’t remember it, do you?”

I’m stunned by her confession. This is…concerning, to say the least. Who am I dealing with here?

Have I made a me by lowering my guard around her when don’t know the first thing about her?

The woman raises a hand and tells me, “There’s no need for you to be afraid. I didn’t tell you that to scare you; I just want you to know that I meant it when I said I’ve been watching you for a long time.”

“What do you really want from me?”

“From you? Nothing. As a fellow Nocturn, my only wish is to help you.”

“But why?” I ask a little desperately.

“Because that’s what we do. Only we understand each other. You were trying to run from him, correct? To keep him safe?” Again, all I can do is stare at her and try not to freak out. “Why not come with me, then? Be strong. It’s the only way you’ll be able to help him.”

“How?”

“With the right training, you could beat them all. Every wolf that walks the earth could be submissive to us. Alone, you don’t stand a chance against them. But with the knowledge of how to use what you have to your advantage, you could save them all.”

“If Nocturns are truly so powerful…then why are you all in hiding? Why not try to take over and end this unjust regime?”

“We’re peaceful creatures. This, you know, too. We don’t want to fight. Controlling the lives of others is burdensome. It is frowned upon by the goddess, too. We can only use these powers for the general well-being of others. Out of necessity, not out of greed.”

I think about all this. She turns away from me and heads toward the unlit hearth. Staring at the pile of ashes there, she adds, “I once abandoned everything so I wouldn’t have to fight. That’s the price you have to pay for peace, but of course, my decision not to fight doesn’t have to influence yours.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, painfully aware of how quickly the sun is dipping in the sky. I’m so worried about Ryder that I could puke right here. Could it be that something came up, which is why he’s not back yet? Am I looking into this too much?

“Are you ready to fight, Aria? Do you want to, or are you prepare to leave everything behind the way you wanted to?”

I think about her question and realize that I made my decision a long time ago. “I’m willing to fight.”

“Then you’ll have to be ready.” She turns her body so she’s facing me completely. A gust of wind blowing in from the window makes her robe billow around her slim form. “And for that, you have to know what you’re doing. Time is of the essence, and you don’t need me to remind you of what’s happening out there

I lower my gaze. Her words are influencing me, I can’t deny that but are they correct? Would leaving this cabin and not waiting for Ryder be the right approach?

Before I know it, she’s standing in front of me and her hand is on my shoulder. I meet her gaze. She’s watching me tenderly. “If he truly loves you, then he’ll be here when you come back.”

“I don’t want him to worry.”

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Chapter 111

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“Your visit doesn’t have to be long,” she claims. “You can come with me, have a feel of what you’re dealing with, and if you choose to, you can change your mind. It’ll be a quick stop. And it isn’t that far away from here.

1 chew my bottom lip. I think about Ryder one more time, but I suppose she’s right, too. Even if he’s in trouble, how can I save him?

“How long would it take to…figure out how to be a Nocturn?”

She smiles. “That ends solely on you.”

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