The Ice Alpha’s Mate (Aria and Ryder) novel Chapter 89

Chapter 89

RYDER

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Coach Murdock gives each of us a hard look. “No effort. No teamwork. Shit coordination. What the hell is going on here? You know as well as I do that we won that game by the skin of our teeth!”

All eyes fall on me, but I ignore them. I don’t wanna fucking be a this meeting. I don’t want anything to do with any of this. Lately, I’ve been feeling really lost. Helpless. Shameful.

I can’t seem to move past the shame.

“What’s going on?” he repeats. It doesn’t help because nobody answers him.

“Sort it out!” he barks. “The next game is in five hours and we can’t mess it up! You know who your opponents are.”

Moonveil. A few months ago, this would have been a big deal for me. I’m still determined to show Ray Laws and his entire pack that we can beat them, but I can’t shake off this horrible feeling in my chest.

The last words Coach says to us before turning away are, “Make them count.”

Nobody says a word. He disappears, leaving us alone in the rink. I give all of them a look, hating how tense everything is before the big game.

We head to the locker room to wash up, since we spent the entire morning and better part of the afternoon training. I haven’t said a word to Zach or anyone in the team since our fight in his dorm. Do I feel bad about it? No. Zach still lied to me, and he had no right to speak about Aria in such a light.

I pull a sweater on, then sit with my elbows on my thighs. I rub my face, groaning. I wish I could shake this helpless feeling off. Fuck, why do I feel so terrible? This feeling is tied to her, of course, but I wish I could stop.

I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t miss the old version of myself.

I hear snickers behind me and snap my head in their direction. Unsurprisingly, Zach’s staring at me while the others stand around them. Finn and a few other guys.

“Can I fucking help you?”

“Oh, don’t worry. I don’t think you can.”

His tone doesn’t sit well with me. I rise from the wooden bench slowly. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

He shrugs. “It only means that we’re fucked. We’re out of the tournament tonight.”

“That’s not your call to make, is it? Considering you don’t do shit for the team.”

I’m seconds away from beating the shit out of him. The only reason why my fists are still on either side of me is because of Coach. We can’t mess things up. The pack needs this win because Moonveil has humiliated us twice already on our soil, and it can’t happen again.

Zach knows this, too. So, why is he provoking me? What the hell is he trying to do?

“Well, tonight, you’ll do even less than 1. Especially when you find out who Ray Laws has on his corner.”

I stare at Zach, unsure of what he’s talking about. I look at the others and they all ignore my gaze. I step toward them and the look on Zach’s face hardens when he realizes that I’m not going let this go.

“What’s that supposed to mean, Zach? Why don’t you spit it out instead of beating around the bush like a little bitch?”

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09:59 Mon, Mar 2

Chapter 89

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He shrugs but anger is emanating from him. “It’s nothing much, really. We were just wondering how you’d react when you found out that Laws was tapping your little Omega girlfriend.”

Anger surges through me and before I know it, I push him against the nearest wall. My wolf rises to the surface and I can feel myself on the verge of shifting.

This has never happened to me before.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” I spit.

“Everyone knows. He spent the night at her place. Right under Coach’s nose. What, she didn’t tell you?”

My grip around his neck tightens. I want to kill him for saying this to me. Yes, I’ll shoot the fucking messenger. What do I give a fuck about? “You’re lying. This is all bullshit!”

“Ask around and everyone’ll tell you.”

“It’s a lie!”

His face reddens from the lack of oxygen but he manages to grit out, “Ask her yourself, then. Only sort this shit out before the game so we might have a chance of winning, will ya? Hopefully that’ll make you kick his pack, since love for the pack

won’t.”

I release him and step back. The rest of the team watches me with wary expressions. I don’t care that I’ve made my feelings for Aria obvious.

It was stupid to assume that we could ever keep what we had a secret.

I race out of the locker room and find myself outside. Ray and Alia? No, that’s got to be horseshit. I need to find her and she’ll tell me what’s going on. I’m sick of this. This distance between us. All this resentment. Hell, it’s got to stop. It has to.

And if this is true…by the goddess, I will burn Ray Laws and his entire pack to the ground.

But no. My Aria wouldn’t do this. I know she wouldn’t.

I’m about to get in my car when I see her. My heart nearly beats right out of my chest, and before I know it, I’m getting out of the car and racing toward her. She startles when I reach her side.

“Aria!” I grab her by the arms and she drops her bag. “Aria, what’s this shit about

you

and Ray Laws?”

She scowls. “What? Let go-”

“ANSWER ME!” I practically growl, holding her tighter. My faces inches apart from hers. I sense her confusion, but it’s slowly replaced by rage, one that matches my own.

“It’s none of your business.”

“Aria,” I begin slowly. It takes everything for me to control myself “Is there something between the two of you?”

“Why? Are you going to act like you care? What about you and Nadia Palmer? What about your fiancée? Get the hell away from me! I don’t owe you any explanation!”

“Damn you!” I yell before releasing her and slamming my fist into the window of the nearest car, imagining that it’s Ray’s face. “What the hell do I have to do to make you understand that it was a misunderstanding? They spiked my fucking drink! I would’ve never betrayed you! Don’t you see it was a setup?”

I see hesitance all over her face, but then she shakes her head. “No. I won’t believe you again.”

“Are you seeing him!?”

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09:59 Mon, Mar 2

Chapter 89

“Is that all you’re worried about?”

“He’s my biggest rival,” I explain quickly. “He’s using you. Can’t you see that?”

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Aria shakes her head and picks up her bag. “I’ve had enough of you. So, I can’t have friends now? I can’t form genuine connections with people without it being all about you?”

“Genuine?” I echo. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Leave me alone, Ryder! I won’t ask you again.”

“Aria-”

She starts racing past me, and I think of going after her, but something stops me. Ray. I’ve got to deal with him. Aria won’t listen. She never does.

J

I start turning toward my car, determined to kick his ass, but them something captures my attention. A face. One I know too well.

Nadia.

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