The Ice Alpha’s Mate (Aria and Ryder) novel Chapter 35

Chapter 35

ARIA

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Without even looking at his face. I try to race away from him bu Ryder.grabs my arm and forces me to whirl around and

face him.

His eyes study my face as he pushes me against the wall, and there’s a crease between his brows. “You’ve been crying.”

“Could you let go of my arm?”

“Why? What happened?”

I turn my face away from him and my eyes are drawn to the spot where his hand is closed around my forearm. I don’t know how I manage to keep my voice so calm despite the fact that he’s here, asking me these things.

Goddess. Give me the strength to deal with this. I don’t know how to anymore.

I ignore him long enough for him to take my chin between his fingers and make me look up. His eyes are filled with concern and he looks so painfully genuine.

I’m in agony. My insides are raging. The fever is at an all-time high but my skin is cool to the touch. What kind of fever is

this?

In a low voice, Ryder asks with forced calmness, “Did he do something to you?”

I can’t believe he’s asking me this about Luca. “No, he’s a good guy. He would never hurt me.” After a second thought, I angrily add, “Unlike you!”

Ryder seems to draw back, or it might be just my imagination. Anger flashes across his eyes. “That so?”

“Yes!” I grit out. I’m so angry now. So, so furious that I want to hurt him in order to feel better. I want to bite his head off. “I’m so sick of you! This game you play. This…this psychological torture. I’m as sick of it all as I am of you!”

He seems bewildered. “What’re you even talking about, Murdock? I’m not playing games here and I don’t-”

“You get with other girls and then you come to me acting all concerned, and then it’s supposed to make sense!”

I blurt these words out and regret them in the same instant.

I shouldn’t have said that.

Ryder’s eyes are a little avide like he’s in disbelief. I am, too. I should never have mentioned it. By the goddess…. I just humiliate myself more and more.

“You’re here with him,” he retorts almost like he’s disgusted. “Are you seriously going to blame me for the games, Aria?”

I shiver when he says my first name.

I don’t like it when he does that

“Whatever,” I say right away, trying and failing to push past himle’s warm beneath my hand and his scent. it’s distracting Mouthwatering His chest is hard Chiseled The light dusting of hair on his strong, veiny arms draws my attention for a few seconds and I forget what I was saying for a moment.

Oh, how I hate myself. Maybe more than I hate him.

“I don’t care,” I finish. “I just want you to leave me alone”

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Chapter 35

“You cared enough to bring it up,” he claims, his grip on my arm lightening. “So, don’t give me this now.

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“No, I don’t care.” I say through my teeth, aware of how it blatantly sounds like I’m lying. I have to get away from him. Now “I just think you’re disgusting-that’s why I brought it up.”

He seems almost amused. “And that Ortega guy isn’t?” He leans even closer to me. His breath is fanning my face. His eyes are searching and it scares me because it almost feels like he can see right through me. Like he can read all my thoughts.

We’re so close. Our bodies are just a few inches away from each other. The heat from his body is seeping into my bones.

“What’s he got to offer you?” Ryder asks gently. “Your uncle wants you to be with him. Hang around him. What do you

want?”

“How do you know I don’t want this?” I ask weakly. “How can you be so damn sure?” When he doesn’t answer me. I scoff. “You want to know what he has to offer me? Well, he’s respectful, for once. He doesn’t invade my personal space. He doesn’t hover. He treats me well and that’s enough for me. Not everything is about money and being the future Alpha. Some people don’t care about that. I certainly don’t. All I care about is whether he has a good heart or not!”

Ryder nods slowly. I can feel his anger even though he doesn’t show it. “Oh, I see.”

“No, you don’t.”

He steps back and I grow cold. “If that’s how it is, then it’s safe to assume he’s your chosen mate. You’ll marry him like your uncle wants you to.”

I raise my chin. “I will. Maybe I’m in love with him. How can you be so sure I don’t want this?”

Ryder takes a deep breath, nostrils flaring, and his expression becomes almost murderous. He slams his hands on either side of me and this deep, guttural sound escapes his lips.

Something in me shakes. It makes me dizzy.

I get even more feverish on the inside. It’s like I’m burning up.

“His blood will be on your hands,” he warns.

I frown. I can’t believe he just said this to me. “How dare you? You’re not… what’s the matter with you? Don’t you dare touch him!”

His eyes search mine. For a moment, it almost feels like he wants to say something to me. I’m breathing hard. He’s breathing

hard

Anyone could walk out of the theater and see us like this, and it would be so easy to get the wrong impression.

“You treat me like I’m a nuisance,” he finally says, “but you look at me, too. You’re lying about the way you feel. I’m not alone in this, yet you make me feel like I am.”

My throat is too tight. I don’t trust myself to speak.

“It makes me wonder if you’re not the one playing the games you’re accusing me of,” he adds in a lower voice before stepping away from me. “You don’t know-you can’t possibly imagine-how much this has cost me.”

Ryder says nothing else and walks away. I watch him, open-mouthed, and I’m ashamed to admit that it takes me a long time to react and get going What if he’s in there now, attacking Luca

I race toward the door and push it open, looking for Ryder. My seat is empty and Luca’s eyes are straight ahead. Nothing has happened.

Just another empty threat As usual

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Chapter 35

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1 sag and trudge toward my seat. Luca looks up at me and he seems. As I pick up my popcorn and my still-cold drink from the ground, he asks me, “Is everything alright? You don’t look so good. Wanna leave?”

I shake my head and force a smile. I glance at Ryder and, though he isn’t looking at me, it seems like his head is tilted like he’s trying to hear what we’re saying.

“I’m fine,” I whisper. “Just a little hot.”

I don’t pay attention to anything that’s happening onstage. All I can think about is Ryder and all the things he said to me.

And I can’t even think of him as a liar, because he didn’t lie.

I do look at him. I do have feelings I can’t acknowledge.

I’m as guilty as he is.

And this has to stop.

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12:21 Sat Feb 21