The Ice Alpha’s Mate (Aria and Ryder) novel Chapter 114

Chapter 114

ARIA

Five in the morning is the time she wakes me.

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I slept early, so I don’t feel as tired. What I do feel in abundances nervousness, and it’s traveling up and down my spine, making my bladder tight.

I don’t know what to expect. How will people receive me? I’d be much more excited about this if the circumstances were different, but they’re not.

I’m worried about Ryder. Has he returned to the cabin yet? I left him a note which he’ll most likely find, but I didn’t give him directions or any clue of where to find me.

Trust me. Please. That’s what I told him.

I carefully descend the ladder stuck to the tree. My fingertips touch the rough bark. One slip of my hand and I’ll fall, which makes me so nervous that the soles of my feet tingle.

But I make it to the ground. The sky is still dark and I can smell pod being prepared in the air. It makes my mouth water.

The woman nods at me, then comments, “You’re getting the hang of things, Aria.”

I brush my hands on my pants, unsure of what to say.

“Everyone is gathered in the mess hall. I went ahead and told them about you. They’re expecting you.”

I gulp and follow her to the wooden building. My heart is slamming against my ribs mercilessly. There’s a queasiness in my stomach that intensifies the closer we get to the entrance.

Oh, goddess. Give me strength.

She turns to look at me one last time before entering. I hear her clap her hands, and the soft murmur of conversation dies down. “Everyone, I’d like you to make Aria feel right at home. She’s outside this door now, and she’s anxious to meet you all.”

I take this as my cue to head inside.

The

space has been lit with candles. They all look away from the woman and turn to me instead.

My nervousness ebbs away and I have no idea why…it could very well be the kindness I see on everyone’s faces.

It hits me all of a sudden.

I’m home.

Everyone stands up to welcome me personally. The woman step aside as people introduce themselves and their families before offering me guidance and claiming they’ll help me every step of the way.

My head is spinning as I try to remember every face and every me. Even the children are so unbelievably sweet and smart. I’m fighting back tears with everything I have at this poin

For so long, I’ve inadvertently hated the fact that I was a Nocturn I felt different and not in a good way. I’ve always wanted to be like everyone else, for as long as I can remember.

Here, I don’t feel that way at all.

Here, I’m just like everyone else.

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Chapter 114

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The woman steps behind me, putting a hand on my shoulder gently. “Thank you for your kindness, everyone. I think it’s best if we eat now. We’ll need our strength today-it’s a special day.”

I look back at her and we make eye contact. She smiles at me, a road, real, genuine smile, then adds, “We’ll all be teaching Aria here what it’s like to be one of us. There’s a lot she has to learn.”

Breakfast goes by quickly. It’s fairly simple, comprising just one boiled egg, a slice of buttered toast, and a cup of herbal tea I’ve never had before that calms the rest of my nerves.

When we walk out of the mess hall, as the woman described it, I notice how the children run around the room and blow out all the candles, competing to see who’ll be the fastest.

The sky is much lighter than it was when I woke up. I breathe in the fresh scent of pine, moss, and burning wood.

Out here, in the middle of nowhere, I’ve never felt freer.

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So many things happen all at once and I barely have time to wrap my head around it all. The first thing that the other Nocturns come together to teach me about is shifting. We’re seated around a circle on the forest floor. I met these people not even an hour ago but I already feel so comfortable with them.

“Have you experienced your first shift?”

“How was it?”

I shake my head. “I don’t remember it at all. My mate saw me, though.”

“Understandable,” a woman named Shirley says to me before smiling. “Memories of my first shift only came to me much later. It’s a traumatic moment. Our bodies are forced to change in ways that are unnatural. But you’ll adapt. With every shift, you’ll get closer and closer to your wolf. Remember, it is a part of you. Your wolf is who you are. Take one away, and the other ceases to exist.”

I stare at my lap for a handful of beats, then admit, “Every time even think about shifting, I’m filled with horror. I can’t bear the thought of it at all.”

Shirley reaches for my hand. “Don’t you worry. This is all normal. Part of being a Nocturn involves being completely honest with yourself, and your wolf. Here, close your eyes.”

I do as she says, breathing deeply in the process.

“Try to feel your wolf,” she claims. “You’re going to have to find it Right now, you’re pushing it away, but once you get to know her, she will be your friend. She will whisper the truth to you.”

“The truth?”

“We’re blessed with strong intuition,” she claims. “The truth is there for the taking if you just allow it to come to you. Try to find it.”

I search deep inside of me for my wolf. At first, I have no idea what she’s referring to and the self-doubt creeps in. But then, I feel it. I sense my wolf’s presence deep inside of me. My eyes fly open and I gasp.

Shirley and the others all smile and nod at me. She then says, “The more you love it, the more it’ll love you, Aria.”

Many stories are shared before lunchtime-everyone talks about their first time shifting and how terrifying it was to be in the outside world where our existence is a threat to others and ourselves.

I’m not alone in my feelings. Almost everyone here has left someone behind. Some Nocturns have been living in this settlement for over twenty years. A few are newer additions, like me, and they were all recruited by the same woman.

“Why doesn’t she have a name?” I ask Samuel, who’s sitting on my left.

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Chapter 114

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He exchanges a look with the others, then offers me a small smil. “It’s just how she’s always been. She’s a secretive woman. That doesn’t mean her intentions are bad. She’s good. Always has been. She’s kept us strong over the years.”

I nod, understanding.

Shirley claps once, then looks around at the group. “Well, everyone, I’d like to ask for your help to make Aria shift.”

“What?” I say, looking around at the group wildly. I can’t help the panic that takes over my body. Shaking my head, I say, “I

don’t want to.”

“You’re ready,” Samuel whispers beside me. “You just have to believe in yourself. Come on.”

They escort me to a more distant part of the forest. My heart? I can feel it in my throat. My legs are so shaky that every step I take feels like the last. Shirley turns to the men and asks them to turn around while I change out of the white robe they got for me.

“I don’t think I can.”

“You can. You must.”

I swallow nervously, focusing on the feel of the cool wind on my clammy skin. My palms are sweaty. I rub them together while trying to find my wolf again like they taught me.

“Focus,” a woman named Anette says in my ear. “Feel it.”

“I’m trying.”

I close my eyes and concentrate until my head hurts. This is harder than I thought. Then again, I’m still hesitating. I’m scared, too.

But in no time, I feel it, and as soon as we make contact, I let it control my body. With a cry, I sink to my knees on the dirt. The pain…it’s so familiar. Black creeps along the edges of my vision.

I hear Shirley say, “You have to guide it. It’s like a lost and untamed child now. You have to teach it to be calmer and treat your other body better. Speak to it.”

I try to listen to her advice, telling myself over and over again to calm down while my body transforms.

It works.

I run around the forest, howling. They follow me

me and we run in pack. It’s not long before I feel the connection between us.

There’s nothing like it.

Nothing at all.

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10:02 Mon, Mar 2 M