The Ice Alpha’s Mate (Aria and Ryder) novel Chapter 31

Chapter 31

ARIA

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“What the fuck do you think you’re going!?” Ryder asks Tyler aggressively, who’s still trying to get up from the ground. Across from us. Dan and the entire Moonveil medic team are watching us with wide eyes.

Thank the goddess my uncle is nowhere to be seen.

Tyler gives Ryder a venomous look that I’ve never seen on him before. He’s usually so calm and collected, but this time, h reacts equally aggressively. As he rises, he retorts, “What the hell is your problem, Drexel?”

“My problem?” Ryder shoots back before closing the distance. They’re right in each other’s faces and I have this sudden urge to just die of shame right on the spot.

I can’t say a word. They’re all stuck in my throat.

“Yeah.” Tyler says boldly. “Your problem.”

A smile stretches across Ryder’s face. He’s never looked more dangerous than he does now. It’s gone in a flash when he speaks. “You ever put your fucking hands on her again, and I’ll r them off.”

Oh no.

I make eye contact with Dan over their heads. That’s it. I’m dead

I’ll never recover from this. Ever.

“Didn’t know you claimed her,” Tyler says.

Goddess.

I wish he’d just shut his mouth so this can end. And no, I won’t step in between them and beg them to stop. That’ll only make things worse, especially for me.

“And what if I did?” Ryder challenges. The longer they talk, the redder my face gets.

Tyler shrugs. “You don’t really care about girls that way. So, why re you pretending that you do? Why act like the good guy now?”

“What the fuck do you know about me?”

“Enough to know that you’re not looking out for her because you care,” Tyler spits. “You don’t care about anyone who isn’t you. You’re an arrogant fuck with an ego bigger than the entire territory.”

“That so?”

“I wasn’t trying to hurt her,” Tyler claims. “I’m not like you. I actually care about her. Do you even know what that means? No, I don’t think so. You don’t have the capacity to love anything that isn’t the rink. So, fuck you!”

Ryder loses his cool and shoves Tyler against the wall before slamming his fist into his face. Dan intervenes and so do the other medics. They seemed so uptight when I first saw them, and now, they seem so concerned.

And like an accident, I can’t look away.

They break up the fight, pulling them away from each other. Tyler has a bloodied nose. Ryder is unscathed. I’m shaken. I can’t believe this happened right in front of me.

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Chapter 31

I’ve been avoiding trouble all my life only for it to start knocking right on my door later on

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Ryder starts to walk away, and he doesn’t even look at me. I watch as he returns to the rink while Tyler fights off the people holding him down. “I’m alright! Let fucking go of me!”

He struggles to rise, and then he looks up and we make eye contact. I don’t know what I could say to him. I didn’t like that he touched me. I didn’t like that he almost tried to kiss me even though we’ve only ever been friends.

But do I agree with what Ryder did?

I wish the answer could be a straight no. But it isn’t.

I guess I have the fact that everyone around us heard what they said to each other, and that it concerned me.

I’m so furious at Ryder it’s crazy.

Why does he keep doing this?

Dan approaches me, and I have the feeling that he wants to ask me something, but I turn away before he can. Uncle Barty will hear about this. There’s no way around it.

And what then? I already lied to him and assured him that nothing was going on.

I remain in the medical room for the longest time. Dan goes out to watch the match. It starts. My head is a damn mess. I can’t even think straight.

But saying in the room makes me feel too hot. There’s not much ventilation in here, which I think is something that really needs to change. My clothes are sticking to my body. I want to rip my skin off so I can be free-it’s a wild, senseless thought, but it crosses my mind nonetheless.

I decide to step out and watch the game, burying my shame because if I don’t, I’ll melt in that room. The crowd is a mess. I can hear ‘boos’ and ‘aahs, and the occasional cheer from one side of the arena when one of the teams scores.

Uncle Barty is standing on the sidelines, chewing gum aggressively. Something he always does whenever he’s nervous.

I join Dan’s side. He gives me a look I don’t return. I’d rather push that whole encounter to the back of my mind for now, but I know there’ll be trouble because of it. I can sense it.

This game is….fierce, to say the least, and there’s already blood on the ice. It’s just the first period, for crying out loud! I’ve never seen a more violent game, and the aggression’s coming from both teams. No one’s innocent.

It’s a messy game, and then there’s Ryder. He’s the center of attention, and the Moonveil team keeps trying to injure him. He’s the one who’s attacked from all sides. All the attention’s on him.

And he looks furious, to say the least.

The first period ends, and then the second one begins. Nobody comes in to get their injuries checked. At this point in the game, it isn’t so bad, but Moonveil has scored once and it’s not looking good for us. Uncle Barty is going around barking orders. He’s stressed, and though I occasionally meet his eyes, he doesn’t pay much attention to me.

Someone taps me on the shoulder and I whirl around. I’m more than shocked to see Luca standing behind me. “Hey,” he says.

“Hi. How…did you get here?”

“Oh, your uncle told me I could come here to see you,” he claims “He called earlier inviting me. I’m sorry I’m late. Do you have a lot of work?”

“Not right now,” I admit. Ironclaw scores, and I turn my attention to the rink. My heart skips a beat when I make eye contact

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Chapter 31

with Ryder.

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Goddess, it looks could kill….

“So yeah,” Luca says, which makes me look at him again. I don’t want him here, and I don’t think he should even be here. “We didn’t discuss what we’d do tomorrow.”

“Right. I have no idea.”

“You don’t?”

“I usually don’t go out, so…”

“Oh, I see,” he says sheepishly, running his fingers through his dark hair. “Yeah, I don’t know either. I was hoping you’d

know

“Yeah.”

We’re interrupted. I get a few players coming in to put a bandage on a cut, but Dan handles most of the serious injuries. Luca stands aside, watching but not saying a word. I’m worried. The third period starts, and things get uglier. Ryder has blood running down his face, but he doesn’t ask for a break. He doesn’t leave the rink at all.

It’s a tie, and I’ve never watched a more difficult game. The game’s almost over.

What the hell is happening? Everyone’s tense, and at this point, am I.

But Luca doesn’t stop talking.

He comes to stand beside me and comments, “I’m glad my mother never got me into hockey. She really wanted me to.”

“Oh,” is all I say. “There are rarely Omegas on the team anyway

“Yeah,” he chuckles. “I mean, look at them. I don’t know how they can do it.”

I say nothing else. Moonveil almost scores. Misses. Uncle Barty curses.

“Anyway, I’ll ask my mother what she thinks,” he claims. I don’t even know what he’s talking about anymore. “Hey, you’ve got something on your shirt. Mind if I take it out? It’s like a bandaid or something.”

He’s referring to the back of my shirt. I can’t reach it. “Sure.”

He removes it, and it distracts me for a handful of seconds. Then the sound of a loud crack draws my attention.

I see Ryder standing near the middle of the rink with a broken suck, and he looks around desperately. One of the

teammates on the bench throws him one. His eyes meet mine briefly as he catches it, his expression blacker and meaner than before. He looks away first.

Unfortunately, this incident gives Moonveil an advantage, and they score.

Moonveil wins.

We just lost the match.

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