The Ice Alpha’s Mate (Aria and Ryder) novel Chapter 18

Chapter 18

ARIA

I turn my body away from him and stare out the window instead

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We haven’t exchanged a single word since we left the beach, and must admit that things are…awkward between us.

I make a mental note to never again get close to him, regardless of what happens. My number one mistake was agreeing to let him drive me there. Honestly? This whole situation has been a waste of time.

I could’ve been home, enjoying my day. Instead, I’m here with a guy whose intentions are unclear to me, and who I have a reaction to that doesn’t make any sense.

I’ve tried and failed to figure out what’s

wrong

with me.

It seems I can’t think whenever he’s around me.

I’m pulled out of my thoughts when the car makes a strange sound. My head snaps in his direction and I watch his face. He looks just as confused and alarmed as I am.

“Something’s wrong with the car,” he claims before parking on the side of the road. In the same second, smoke starts billowing from the hood of the car.

Ryder steps out of the car and goes to check. I keep my eyes on his face the entire time, hoping to see something positive in his eyes or something. Wrong. I don’t see a thing. In fact, when his eyes meet mine through the windshield, I see panic in them.

What’s going on this time? The car broke down?

It doesn’t take a genius to guess that answer.

I step out of the car and join him, arms folded. He says, “I won’t be able to drive this back.”

I’m horrified. “So, what are we supposed to do?”

The sky’s dark, and it’s almost impossible to see without headlights. My eyes would adjust to the dark a little, but it’s not compared to when we’re in wolf form.

And I don’t have a wolf, so that’s out of the question.

“I’m thinking we can hike back. Cut through the forest because that way, we’ll get there faster.”

“What?” I gasp, shocked.

His eyes meet mine. “Got any better ideas? I’ll take any viable suggestion you give me. But right now, it’s either we start walking, or we stay here until I’m reported missing. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather walk than wait.”

“But surely when your friends drive back down this road, they’ll see us, right?” I say, trying to reason with him. Hiking in the forest with him at night is the last thing I want to do.

Ryder scoffs. “Nobody’s going home tonight, Aria. It’s Saturday, remember? They’re going to stay out at the beach until Sunday. That was the plan for the whole bonfire thing.”

I chew my bottom lip. Hiking back to the beach would take just as much time as it would take for us to head back.

But do I want to do that? I’d be alone with him in the middle of nowhere.

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“Look, it’s either we wait here all night and all of tomorrow, or we hike back. I know a shorter way to get

back.”

I shake my head. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

“Suit yourself, Murdock,” he shrugs before turning away from me and heading toward the tree line. I fold my arms and look around, wondering what the hell I’ll do in the middle of nowhere all by myself. I look back at him and annoyance washes

over me.

If the worst happens, I won’t even be able to shift and run.

Ryder stops right before he disappears into the space between two massive trees. The look he gives me is one of pure exhaustion. I stare back at him, trying to make a decision.

All my instincts are telling me to follow him.

But what if they’re wrong?

I can’t stay here all night, in the middle of nowhere with no one to keep me company. I’m better off with him.

Even if I don’t trust him fully.

I start toward him and he waits for me to catch up before venturing into the dark forest. It’s so dark already, so much that when I look up, I don’t see a thing. The canopy’s thick, so not much light is coming through.

It seems Ryder has done this before because he’s walking ahead of me like it’s nothing. I’m trying to be careful with every step I take. What if I trip? I can’t see much that’s underfoot.

Ryder has an advantage over me, of course.

He has his wolf.

And I’m a runt.

“Do you plan on catching up anytime soon, Murdock?”

Strange, I think. He went from calling me by my first name to only using my surname. I don’t understand this guy at all. “Maybe you could try slowing down. I’ve never done this before

“There’s not much to it,” he claims. “Just put one foot in front of the other faster than you’re doing it now. What are you afraid of?”

I keep my lips sealed and keep doing what I’m doing. Eventually he stops to look at me. He’s several feet away, so I have to control my anger while I slowly make my way to him.

And the closer I get, the better I can see the incredulous look on his face.

“At this rate, we’ll only make it back on Monday.”

“You can go ahead,” I say through gritted teeth. “Leave me behind. I’ll follow your trail and find my way back eventually.”

“Or I could throw you over my shoulder and spare us both the trouble,” he suggests. I glance at his face and can’t tell whether he’s being serious or not.

I’ll go with not.

Ignoring him, I continue walking, and it’s so unnerving because his eyes are literally on me, watching my every step.

“Watch out!” I hear him yell, but before I can make sense of it, I’m falling. I land on something hard-a fallen branch, judging by the feel of it-and pain explodes in my knee.

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“Aria,” he says urgently, reaching for my arm to help me stand up. “Are you alright?”

I tear my arm from his grip. “This is your fault!”

His eyes are wide in the dark. “How is it my fault?”

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“You’re distracting me!” I argue as I try to walk. I’m forced to limp because every time my left foot touches the ground, my knee hurts all over again.

Another downside of being a runt?

I heal a lot slower than normal werewolves.

“I don’t understand it,” he says behind me. He’s so close that it’s like I can feel his breath fanning the back of my head. “Can’t you see what’s right in front of you?”

I don’t answer him because we’re venturing into dangerous territory now. I keep going, trying to disguise my limp.

“Murdock,” he says after a while. “You’re blatantly limping and you’re trying to hide it.”

I lose my patience again. “Just leave me alone!”

The words come out harsher than I intended, and I sense him slowing down. I hope he’ll finally understand that I don’t want anything to do with him, and I wouldn’t be in this situation if he hadn’t dragged me here.

It’s dark. I’m in pain. I’m scared.

I could be in danger.

And he just. Doesn’t. Stop.

At first, I think my yelling worked, but before I know it, Ryder has his arms around me. “What are you doing? Hey, what are you-”

He hooks his arm behind my knee and lifts me effortlessly. I stare at his side profile in shock. The feel of his arms around me is foreign and, honestly, I don’t like how it feels at all. “Put me down right now.”

He doesn’t answer.

“I said right now!”

“I don’t take orders from you, Murdock.”

He sounds so unbothered that I realize he really won’t let me go “You expect me to let you carry me up this mountain?”

“You don’t have a say in anything that happens anymore,” he retorts, voice tight. “You hurt yourself because of me, right? Now, I’m fixing my mistake.”

“I’m not going to-”

“Don’t make me use my Alpha voice on you!” he snaps, voice echoing. His eyes are on mine now, and even in the dark, I can tell how angry he is.

I keep my mouth shut, because if he does use it on me, it won’t work and he’ll know right away what I am.

I don’t have a wolf. Why would the voice work on me?

But he doesn’t know that, so he smirks faintly and mutters under his breath, “Thought so.”

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Chapter 18

And I let him have this victory, because if I don’t, it might cost me my life.

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