The Ice Alpha’s Mate (Aria and Ryder) novel Chapter 67

Chapter 67

ARIA

The first person I see as I walk into my History class, as expected is Ryder.

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My heart threatens to beat right out of my chest. Memories of the last time I saw him flood my mind uncontrollably and make my cheeks flush.

The way he’s looking at me doesn’t help, either.

Blushing, I make my way to my seat. I have this sudden urge to turn to him and touch him somehow. Maybe even kiss him. But I know behaving this way would be very reckless of me.

It wouldn’t make any sense.

His eyes remain on me for the entire lesson. I can feel it. I’m not paying attention to a word Professor Denver is saying-and when Ryder touches my hair, twirling the locks around his fingers, that’s when I lose all concentration completely.

I lean into him as far as I can without being suspicious. Honestly right now, I don’t care about what anyone else is doing. Whether they’re watching us or not. Whether we’ll be caught. I’m lost in the moment, and all these vivid images are filling my mind now.

It feels dangerous to be this happy with a situation that isn’t resolved yet. But right now? I don’t care at all.

When class ends, I pause and take my time packing up. I notice that Ryder is still in his seat, too, as everyone else walks away. Professor Denver is packing his things, too, and he suddenly looks up at me with a look that I can’t read.

If I had to take a wild guess, I’d say that he looks pretty mad.

“Murdock,” he begins, “you were distracted all through class and didn’t answer one of the questions I directed at you. If this happens again, I’ll have to report you.”

My face grows hotter. Did he really ask me a question and I didn’t hear it?

He starts walking away, and I’m thankful because I can feel how tense Ryder is. Once he’s gone and we’re alone, I practically jump from my seat and Ryder does the same.

He wraps his arms around me, pulling me closer. His lips find mine and we share one heated kiss. But it’s brief because I break it to say, “We can’t. Anyone could see us, Ryder.”

“I missed you,” he proclaims. “I think about you all the time, Aria

My insides melt and I chew my bottom lip. “I think about you, too.”

“Do you?” he asks, his pupil dilating as he rubs his thumb along my lips. I nod. We spent almost the entire weekend talking on the phone, and honestly? This is all so new to me. I don’t know what to do with this feeling. It’s too big for just one

person.

I can’t handle it.

I’ve been fighting this for so long and now that I have it, I don’t know what to do with it. I will say, though, that it was easier to keep fighting it. Definitely.

I didn’t know what I was in for back then.

“I’ll see you at practice, then,” he claims before pressing his lips to mine.

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Chapter 67

“My uncle will be there.” So will Tyler, and for some reason, I don’t want him to see us together at all.

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Ryder must’ve sensed what I was going to say because his expression hardens as he tells me, “Forget about them. They won’t

must’ve sen

see us.”

“In any case, you have to practice you have a game this coming Friday, or did you forget?”

“How can I forget such a thing? Everyone’s reminding me of it all the time.” He’s smiling as he says this. “Don’t worry. It’s under control. It won’t be like last time. Last time…I was lost, Aria. I don’t think anyone will ever understand just how bad it was, lying to myself that I didn’t want you.”

We part ways because I’m late for class and so is he. The whole time, during my medical courses, I think about our kisses. My lips are tingling, and so is the space between my legs. My desire for him grows every time I see him, and it’s a scary thing because I don’t know how far it can go, or where it will take us.

The rest of the day is uneventful. Then again, I don’t pay attention to anything else because he’s the only thing on my mind.

When practice begins, I’m a little late. These days, I’m on my own because Dan only shows up for important games. I don’t mind the work, but it’s quite a bit. I find Uncle Barty standing near the entrance of the medical room. He shoots me a look. “You’re never late. What’s wrong?”

I was distracted during my Healing Arts class and my lecturer wanted to find out if everything was alright with me. I couldn’t exactly blow her off, so I had to listen to everything she said. To my uncle, I say, “It won’t happen again.”

He only watches me as I enter the medical room and start getting things ready. Sometimes, I have this feeling like he senses something but chooses not to comment. Either way, I soon forget about him because Ryder is the only thing that occupies my mind. I’ve been thinking about him and the things we’ve been doing nonstop. It’s honestly so…I never thought I could feel this way.

It’s taking up so much space in my mind, this desire to be close to him all the time.

Our bond is pushing us to be even closer. I suspect it’ll only get worse now that we’ve decided to acknowledge the fact that we’re attracted to each other.

During the first break, I usually have a few of the players come in with minor injuries that I have to check or disinfect, but this time, the person who enters the medical room is Ryder, and I’m so shocked at the sight of him that I gasp.

“Ryder! What’re you doing here!?”

He closes the door and races toward me. I have to bite back a squeal as he picks me up and twirls me around.

“Ryder!” I whisper. “Someone could walk in and see us.”

He sets me down and crashes his lips against mine. All my worries just flee my mind, and I kiss him back like my life depends on it. “I announced that I was coming in here. We have some time.”

“The door is never closed.”

“It is this time.”

He gives me one last bruising kiss before drawing back and watching me. I remind him again that anybody could walk in at any minute.

“I don’t care,” he replies carelessly. “Do you?”

“Yes!”

“No.”

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Chapter 67

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I have to bite my lower lip to suppress a smile. This is no laughing matter. I don’t even want to imagine what it’ll be like if we’re caught. The complications are way too many.

“I’m doing great,” he informs me. “Coach thinks I’ve never played this way. He doesn’t know that you’re the reason behind it all.”

“You’ve always been a greta player.”

“Not like this.”

“Well, then, keep this up and you’ll win the game on Friday. I know you will.”

“I will. I know I will. I don’t know, Aria. It’s this strange certainty have that everything will be alright, you know? I feel invincible and this is all your doing.”

I can’t help but blush at his words. “I’m glad.”

He cups my cheek and stare into my eyes tenderly. “You don’t know what you do to me. You don’t have the slightest idea.”

I blush hard at his words, and Ryder presses his lips to mine again, but we both know we’ve ran out of time and he can’t stay for long anymore. I’m happy. I really am. I don’t even give myself any time to doubt anything.

The time for that is over.

Now, I’ll have to live with the choice I made. We both will.

Only the goddess knows where all of this will take us.

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