All Chapters of The Alpha's Ice Queen: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

NINA’S POV.I hated this. I hated the way it burned inside my chest like I’d been set on fire, and he was the one holding the match. Jace. Always Jace. Always doing this—stepping in, pushing, kissing me like he owned me, then leaving me stranded to drown in the wreck of my own thoughts while he ran off to whatever party or fight he thought was more important than me. He didn’t stay. He never stayed. And worse—today? He had the nerve to snap at me, to look at me with that glare like I was nothing, like I was just in his way.My fists tightened on the edge of the desk, nails digging into the wood. Why did he keep treating me like this? Why was I always left behind, like I was some leftover, like I didn’t matter beyond being the thing his wolf couldn’t ignore? I could feel it—the pull, the mate bond crawling beneath my skin, chaining me to him like I didn’t have a say. And I hated it. Hated how he could walk away and still my body would burn for him, still my heart would ache when he was

NINA’S POV I stood there pinned against the wall, panting heavily, lips swollen from the heat of the kiss. Derek’s forehead rested lightly against mine, his breath uneven, his hands still holding my face like I was something fragile.“Gentle,” he repeated, softer now, like he was reminding himself as much as me. “I don’t want to hurt you. Not you.”The words scraped something raw inside me. My throat felt tight. I wasn’t used to being looked at like that, like I fucking mattered for more than just a bond I never asked for. I swallowed, forcing myself to breathe.“I’m not breakable,” I whispered, though the way my voice shook made me wonder if it was true.Derek pulled back just enough to search my face. His eyes were steady, his thumb brushing across my cheek. “I know. But that doesn’t mean I want to treat you like you’re some game. I want you to know I mean this.”He kissed me again, slower this time, softer. Less fire, more ache. His lips trailed along my face, down my neck, linger

JACE’S POVI missed the fucking hockey meeting. I’d never done that before, not once, not even when I’d had a split lip and a broken rib from practice the night before, not even when I’d been hungover as shit, not even when my father had been chewing me out for hours about being worthy of the damn pack. But tonight I sat in Killian’s room instead, hunched over on his bed like a complete waste, staring at the carpet until the patterns blurred, my claws pushing through just enough to sting my palms. My wolf paced under my skin, restless, pissed, snarling at me, but I couldn’t drag myself up, couldn’t even look at my stick leaning in the corner because guilt clawed me so deep it felt like I’d never breathe again.Killian didn’t yell. That was the worst part. He sat at the desk edge, arms crossed tight, jaw like stone, eyes locked on me in that way he had when he was figuring out if I was worth the time of day or not. He’d always been the one to kick my ass, shout in my face, slam his st

AIDEN’S POVI stood at the far corner of the bleachers, arms folded tight across my chest, the cold metal biting through my jacket, but I barely fucking felt it. My eyes were glued on Jace—out there on the rink, tearing himself apart like a lunatic. His stick swung wild, hard enough to echo against the boards, hard enough that I thought he’d crack the damn ice itself. His breath came out harsh, sharp, breaking. His shoulders hunched, his whole body shaking like he’d come apart in front of me. Blood dripped down, staining the ice in ugly red splatters that spread wider with each swing until it looked like a crime scene.And for a second—a single stupid second—I couldn’t breathe. Because it wasn’t supposed to look like that. I hated him, yeah, I fucking hated him with everything in me, because Father never looked at me the same way he looked at him, because Jace always had the upper hand, always got the praise, the pat on the back, the nod that said *you’re enough.* I wanted to see him

NINA.The Blood Moon Festival had the whole damn pack on fire, every inch of the field buzzing with shouting, laughter, and the pounding rhythm of the drums. The smell of roasted meat and alcohol was thick in the air, tangling with the smoke, with the scent of sweat and wolf musk. Everyone was high on it—the music, the blood-red moon hanging overhead.Derek kept his arm locked around my waist like he had no intention of letting me slip away for even a second. His friends cheered when we passed, clapped him on the back, and shoved drinks into his hands. He played it up, smug as hell, and he kept dragging me along with him, making sure everyone saw me tucked tight at his side. I hated to admit it, but I liked it. For once, I wasn’t invisible. For once, I was part of something instead of watching from the edge.“Drink this.” Derek shoved a silver cup at me, grinning, his eyes dark and mischievous. “Don’t tell me you’re gonna be a coward,” he grimaced wider as he spoke. Kate wasn't around