The Ice Alpha’s Mate (Aria and Ryder) novel Chapter 56

Chapter 56

ARIA

A360.

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In a matter of moments, Ryder is standing in front of me and I forget how to breathe and be myself all over again. His eyes meet mine, drawing me to him in ways that simply can’t be explained. His scent. His presence. It all has an effect on me, and I forget the hurt and the pain he has caused me and continues to do so with these contradictory actions.

Like how he told me he wanted me and yet, I saw him with my own eyes, hugging that other girl who is allegedly his chosen.

Goddess. The thought breaks my heart all over again, but I have to focus because he’s standing right in front of me, and I can’t lose control.

Not when he’s this close.

“Are you alright?” he asks, stepping closer to me. My back hits the wall when he raises his hand, almost like he was going to touch my clammy cheek with it to test my temperature. “Something’s wrong. What is it?”

“Nothing,” I mumble, determined to escape from him.

I can’t. He grabs my arm to stop me, and his touch seems to light me on fire. Our eyes meet-I can tell he feels the same way I do because I can feel that he does-and for a second, I have the feeling that he’s going to kiss me.

If he does, I’ll let him. That’s what that foreign voice in my mind says. I’ll even kiss him back and hold him close to me. It’s easy for me to imagine what his body will feel like against mine. His heat. His scent is making me dizzy. I remember the morning when we woke up in the mountains, and he was pressed against me.

I’m pretty sure what I felt was his erection.

“Aria,” he whispers, pulling me out of my thoughts, and I realize hat his lips are merely inches away from mine. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

By some miracle, I manage to snap out of it, and I pull away. “Le me go! After all, this is hardly an appropriate behavior for an engaged man. Wouldn’t you agree?”

The words come out more bitterly than I intended, but they’re out and there’s nothing I can do about that. A stunned look crosses his features. I search his eyes, hoping fervently that he’ll leny my claim and tell me it’s a mistake, but he doesn’t do that, and I’m forced to walk away.

But again, I can hardly take a step away from him before he stop me. It’s his turn to search my eyes. “How did you hear

about it?”

“Does it matter?”

“It isn’t like that. I promise.”

I shake my head at him. “You’re such a liar. I saw you with my own eyes!”

His eyes widen. “You were there. I knew you were. I just…where were you? I didn’t see you.”

Anger washes over me. For some reason, it occurs to me to men on Luca, almost like my foolish mind is attempting to bother him with that piece of information. Oh, you were with someone? So was I. “I was at a grocery store that belongs to Luca’s family when I saw you coming out of your car next to your father. I saw you, too. There’s no reason for you to lie. Besides, it’s none of my business.”

As soon as the words leave my mouth, Ryder’s eyes darken and he cages me against the wall by pressing his body to mine. I can’t go anywhere, and what’s worse is that this is distracting me. And what were you doing there with him?”

“It’s none of your business!”

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17 22 Sat, Feb 21 FIRA

Chapter 56

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55 vouchers

“Oh, but it is,” he claims, grabbing my face. Again, I have the feeling that he’ll kiss me. I want him to, and I don’t. It’s confusing even to me. “It is. You’re my mate, Aria, and everything that happens to you concerns me, too. So, I’ll ask you again what you were doing there with him. I thought he learned the lesson that day to stay the hell away from you, but it seems he didn’t.”

“Don’t you dare,” I whisper as fear washes over me. “Don’t you dare lay a finger on him! How dare you be upset when you were with someone else, too, someone you’re going to marry!”

My question stuns him, and he doesn’t answer me. I finally muster the courage to push him away, and I ignore how cold I feel. “I’m only your mate until the day you reject me, and we both know that’s bound to happen sooner or later.”

Ryder narrows his eyes at me. His voice stops me before I can take a step in the opposite direction. “Is that what want? A rejection?”

you really

I look him in the eyes, struggling to find an answer. For a moment, it feels like this force has taken over my mind and body, making it impossible for me to say no to him, because the truths that the answer isn’t truly a no.

But it has to be.

I don’t know if he figures this out or not, but Ryder steps toward me again. “Answer me and tell me the truth-do you want it?”

My lower lip trembles when I try to give him the answer. I can hear the answer in my mind loud and clear, but the word that I blur out is, “Yes.”

Ryder doesn’t take his eyes off me for a moment, then he nods and steps back silently. I take the opportunity to walk away from him, heading to the rink so I can get ready for my shift.

Uncle Barty tries talking to me, but I ignore him the whole time I’m in mental agony. I can’t stop thinking about our interaction, and I keep asking myself what will happen when practice begins, and how he’ll act.

But Ryder doesn’t look at me once during practice, like he usually does. I’m sitting next to Uncle Barty, who keeps stealing glances at me that infuriate me. I’m struggling to come to terms with my raging disappointment at the fact that he’s ignoring me, especially after the interaction we had.

This has never happened before.

Uncle Barty clears his throat, then asks me, “Are you okay, sport

“Fine,” I say through clenched teeth, my response coming out more aggressive than I would’ve liked. He doesn’t deserve this, like at all. So, I turn to look at him and say in a much softer voice “I’m fine, Unc. Don’t worry about me.”

He smiles, believing me, and it makes me wonder when I became such a great liar.

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17 22 Sat, Feb 21