The Ice Alpha’s Mate (Aria and Ryder) novel Chapter 99

Chapter 99

ARIA

I stare at the screen of my phone before taking a deep breath and putting it away.

We’re home at last, and I know what happens next.

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I’m grateful that Cassandra decided to come with us. I have a feeling things would’ve gotten ugly if she weren’t around. Her presence calms my uncle, and she always knows the right thing to say.

I’m not saying things still can’t get ugly. I’ll have to see once we sit down and actually talk about everything that has been happening in my life and I’ve been keeping from him.

He’s the first to get out of the car. He slams his door and heads toward the front door to unlock it.

Cassandra turns in her seat to look back at me. “It’s alright. Don’t be scared.”

“I’m not. I just really hate the thought of disappointing him.”.

Uncle Barty disappears inside the house and she tells me, “I think it’s best if I wait out here, just to give the two of you some privacy. What do you say?”

I nod and take a deep breath before getting out of the car and heading inside. My uncle is near the kitchen island, pouring himself a glass of water.

He glances at me as I approach, but says nothing else. I try not to fidget. Being restless and looking too guilty would be a sign of regret, and I don’t want to show him that.

I don’t regret a thing that’s happened-only the fact that I wasn’t honest with him every step

“Sit down, Aria.”

of the way.

I sit at our round dining table and he does the same, holding his glass of water. He gives me a pointed look. “I’m trying to be as calm as I can be considering you’ve been lying to me the whole time!”

I open my mouth to protest, then shut it because it’s true.

“Now,” he continues, “what’s this about you and Drexel? I know he was your fated mate, but you told me you rejected him. That was a lie, wasn’t it?”

I nod.

He inhales sharply and when I look up, I see that his face is all red. “By the goddess, Aria. You’ve been running around with him this whole time? Right under my nose?”

“No, Uncle Barty. It wasn’t like that at all. We weren’t together all his time. We tried to stay away from each other. It just…it didn’t work.”

I explain to him how the neglected bond made me feel sick, and why I’ve been acting out this whole time. Again, I leave out the bar situation because it’s inconsequential to this whole situation.

Well, not really, but I can’t begin to imagine how awkward it would be to me to tell my uncle such a thing.

Uncle Barty listens closely with his hands clasped. It’s been such a long time since he’s said something that I can’t help but feel nervous.

How’s he going to react?

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Chapter 99

Does he hate me?

“Where is he now?”

“He went to tell his father the truth about us,” I admit.

“The Alpha.”

I just nod.

“Do you know why he attacked Ray Laws the way he did?”

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The time, I hesitate, but the thought of lying to my uncle doesn’t occur to me again, so I end up nodding. “Yes.”

My uncle inhales sharply and taps the table with his pointer finger. “Tell him to come straight here when he’s done.”

“Who? Ryder?”

“Yes. Who else? Tell him he needs to come here. I’ll continue the rest of this conversation with him right in this room. Go

on.”

I pull my phone out of my pocket and shoot him a text asking him to come here because my uncle has requested it. He replies right away, claiming he’ll be here.

Now, all we have to do is wait.

I hear his car in the driveway at the same time my uncle does. For the last twenty minutes, we haven’t said a word to each other. I’m relieved that we’re getting this done and over with, but I’m scared about how his conversation with Ryder will go.

Uncle Barty stands up when Ryder knocks on the door. At this point, my heart is beating right out of my chest. He goes up to the door and opens it, and there he is.

Ryder.

His warm, familiar scent hits me and our eyes meet over my uncle’s shoulder.

Before Ryder can say anything, Uncle Barty raises his fist and slams it against Ryder’s cheek, I cry out, then cover my mouth with my

hand.

Ryder barely reacts to the punch. Instead, he meets my uncle’s gaze steadily. I start toward them but stop when I hear my uncle say, “Now that that’s out of the way, what are your intentions with my niece?”

“Uncle Barty-”

“I’m ready to face anything,” Ryder answers, keeping his eyes strictly on my uncle’s face. “My father already knows. Soon, the whole pack will find out. This isn’t a game to me. I love your niece.”

“What does the Alpha say?”

“He says we’ll talk about it, but I’m not hopeful. I think we both know the answer to that question. The real one.”

Uncle Barty nods slowly. I’m so tense right now. “Why did you hurt that player knowing what would happen?”

Ryder is silent for a few beats, then says, “Because he touched Aria.”

I’m as rigid as a rock. I didn’t think this situation would come out the way it has. Uncle Barty says in disbelief, Touched her? What the hell are you talking about?”

I lower my head right before he looks at me. Ryder does the explaining so I don’t have to. “They were here, in this very

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Chapter 99

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room. He gave her a ride home, then caught her off guard. If I hadn’t shown up on time, the worst would have happened. He did it to provoke me, so I taught him a lesson he’ll never forget.”

“But you’re alright? He didn’t get a chance to hurt you? Aria?”

my

I raise head and nod. I feel embarrassed about this, too. I’m the one who became quick friends with him when I should’ve become suspicious, especially after he told me about the scar.

But how would I have guessed that he knew about Ryder and me

Uncle Barty throws his head back, screws his eyes shut, then pines the bridge of his nose. After taking a deep breath, he asks, “You two kids have the slightest idea of what you’re doing?”

Ryder is the one who answers. “Not really.”

Cassandra appears behind Ryder and squeezes his shoulder. “But we do, Barty, so we’ll help them every step of the way. We’ll give them our full support.” Her eyes meet mine from across the room. “After all, there’s nothing more inspiring than true love.”

Uncle Barty finally steps aside for Ryder to come inside, and he doesn’t waste time. He makes his way to my side and takes my hand in his.

I know he wanted to kiss me, but he held back because of my uncle.

The mark on his cheek caused by my uncle’s fist is starting to swell.

Despite how sad and tragic the atmosphere feels, though, I can’t help but feel hopeful.

We’re here now, together, and nothing can separate us.

I’m still afraid, but I’ve never felt more invincible than I do right now.

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