The Ice Alpha’s Mate (Aria and Ryder) novel Chapter 32

Chapter 32

RYDER

Disappointment washes over me to the point where it feels like I’m drowning in it.

I can’t believe we lost the game.

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I’m riding in the car with my father. We were supposed to head home after the game to discuss our victory and what we’d do with that part of the territory, but it seems everything went astray. I know he’s disappointed, and I can already imagine what he’s going to say to me.

I messed up. That’s all I can say. That’s all there is to it. I’ll never try to deny it.

I stare out the window of the vehicle with my fist pressed against my mouth. If I had lost fairly-as in, because the Moonveils were the better players-I wouldn’t have felt this upse

But the only reason we lost is because I got distracted by Aria Murdock and that Omega who’s pursuing her.

First, it was Tyler. By the goddess….when I saw how he’d tried to kiss her against his will from a distance, I went flying in their direction, murder on my mind. And I would’ve killed Tyler if I hadn’t been pulled off him.

The look on her face. The way I felt when he did it. It was almost like I could feel her discomfort and that’s what drove me

even more insane.

I already skated into the game pissed off beyond words. I wanted to kill Tyler in the rink, and when I saw the date in his eyes, that’s when I truly lost it.

So, it’s safe to say that my head wasn’t fully in the game.

Dad parks the car and we both get out. I glance at him and notice that he isn’t looking at me at all.

We head inside the house. It feels….empty. It has been since my mother passed away and left the two of us alone. Nothing was the same ever again. Dad tried to compensate for her absence, but he never quite hit the mark.

If she were here now, what would she say to me? Would she emphasize how disappointed she was at me? Would she blame me as much as I blamed myself? Would I be free to tell her about Aria and how it feels like whatever it is that pulls me toward her drives me insane?

Would she judge me for it?

Dad and I head inside his office, and I close the door without waiting to be told.

When he reaches his seat, he loosens his tie and pours himself a drink without saying a word to me. I watch him, hands clasped in front of me. Feeling like a child all over again.

“I hope you realize how much this loss has cost us, Ryder,” he claims. He says these words forcefully. His voice is shaking because he’s trying hard not to yell at me. “I don’t understand what the hell went wrong with you today. I watched you the whole time. You were…distracted. What the hell was more important than winning the game, Ryder?”

I could never tell him the truth. Not ever.

He takes a gulp of his drink and shakes his head “The Moonveil Pack will now have access to that piece of land. We could’ve done so much more with it. It’s been a disputed piece of land for years. Son…it was the most fertile land on our pack!”

“I know,” I say. “I’m sorry”

“Sorry?” he bellows. “Do you think that sorry cuts it?”

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17.21 Sat, Feb 21

Chapter 32

Before I can answer, the phone rings. He looks annoyed and at first, I think he’ll ignore it, but he doesn’t.

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With each passing second, his face grows more and more cheerful and I can’t help but wonder what’s going on. His eyes meet mine and he nods. I’m still not sure of what he means.

“Alright. Thank you for informing me.”

He hangs up and his mood shifts completely. He’s even smiling I’ve just gotten great news, son. You don’t know how much this means to us all.” When I don’t say a word in response, he continues. “I just received a call from the head of the jury. They’ve apparently been deliberating, and it’s been discovered that there was a mistake with Moonveil’s last goal.”

I blink. “It didn’t count?”

“No. That means the game ended with a tic.” He smiles. “Do you know what this means for us? It’s another chance for us to make things right! We can beat them. I know we can.”

“When’s the rematch?”

“In a week. Do you think you’ll be ready by then?”

I don’t answer him, not because I don’t want to, but I don’t know what I could say to him right now. I’m pretty shocked about this whole thing.

Dad rises and makes his way around the table before stopping in front of me. “I’m sorry I was harsh on you earlier.”

“It’s alright.”

His expression softens. “You’re going to be the future Alpha of this pack and I need to prepare you in the only way I know how. Your grandfather did the same thing for me before he died

I can only think of nodding.

“This is our chance, Ryder,” he claims. “We’ve got a miracle in our hands here and we have to make it work to our advantage. Alright?”

“I won’t let you down.”

His face lights up. “I’ll speak to Murdock. There will be no lessons for any of you during the next week. I want you to practice hard. We have to get this right. We can’t lose that piece of land to the fucking Moonveils. I know you’ll make us proud, son. I know you will.”

I head to the dorm on my own, deep in my thoughts. I have to do something about Aria. I can’t let her get to me like this. My mistake tonight nearly cost our pack a lot.

I’m sure everyone will be looking forward to this match, and I can’t disappoint. Not again.

But by the goddess. Why does the thought of ignoring that girl make me sick? When did she become more important than my duty to serve our pack?

By the goddess. She doesn’t even want me. It’s clear that she hates me.

So, why can’t I quit her?

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17:21 Sat, Feb 21

Chapter 32

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