All Chapters of The Ice Alpha’s Mate: Chapter 171 - Chapter 180

RYDERIt’s been two full days since Zach left with the others and they still aren’t back. Although I’m trying to convince myself that everything’s alright and that only means that they found something, I can’t help but wonder if things went astray somehow. If that’s the case, then it will all be my fault. Because I’m anxious, Aria’s also anxious. I can’t hide this kind of thing from her. If I tried to, it would likely offend her. She’s more sensitive to my mood changes than I am to hers. So, when she approaches me late in the afternoon and wraps her arms around my middle, the first thing she asks me is, “What’s on your mind? Why’re you so restless?”I turn away from the window to face her. “If something happened to them, I’ll have to go looking for them.”Aria frowns and steps back. “What do you mean? Like in the forest?”“It’s my responsibility.”“No, not a chance!” she exclaims. “They were a large group, Ryder. You’re on your own.”“I sent them there, alright? It’s my job to mak

RYDER"Aria?"I fucking panic at the sight of her on the ground. I try to turn the lights on but the living room remains dark. She's coughing and there's a pool of vomit right by her mouth. I’m so scared that it fucking paralyzed me. I kneel beside her and scoop her into my arms. My chest is so tight that I can’t breathe. “Baby, talk to me. What happened? For the love of the goddess, tell me what happened!”Aria wheezes. I stand up while holding her, then carry her outside. I need to get her to the medical tent immediately. She tries catching her breath and each sound she makes is like a stab to my aching heart. I look down at her, vision blurry. “Just hold on for me, baby. Just hold on.”I don’t think I’ve ever run this fast. I reach the tent and there isn’t a single Nocturn around. I curse and lay her down on an empty bed. There’s light in here, so I can take a better look at her. “Tell me where it hurts,” I say desperately as I run my hands over her, checking for injuries. “What

RYDERI’m fuming to the point where the edges of my vision are turning red, and Alpha Dorson drones on, oblivious to the fact that I’m one bad decision away from ripping his head right off his shoulders. “…that’s why we can’t afford to give you more guards. We believe that everyone is entitled to equal protection. That’s what we’re here for, right? To ensure that everyone receives fair treatment. This matter you just described appears to be personal. It has nothing to do with the matter at hand—the war.”I stare at his face in disbelief. Though he’s trying to show me that he’s serious about this and that he wishes things would be different, there’s a slight curve to his lips that lets me know that he’s enjoying this moment more than he should. “Have you heard a word I said?” I retort, not caring that I sound rude. I step closer to the table and plant my hands firmly on top of it. “That man has an army behind him. Everyone will be in danger if we don’t act quickly! The majority of my

RYDERI turn away from Wilson as soon as the sound of the first gunshot reaches my ears. What the hell was that?"What could that be?" he asks. Turning around slowly, I tell him, "Go back to the packhouse and bring as many fighting wolves as you can with you. We're being attacked.""How do you—"Screams follow a series of gunshots and Wilson shifts and races toward the packhouse while I head straight toward the noise. It's concerningly close to the medical tent, so I have to make sure that Aria is alright. That she's safe. We're being attacked, alright. People in both forms are rushing from the woods and spilling into the streets. I see dead guards all over. They'd been guarding the woods but were clearly not a match for the number of people who decided to attack us. Aria. I have to find her right now. Standing between the medical tent and me is a long stretch of road, and I have no way of heading straight toward it without being seen or maybe shot. Several wolves, some from our

RYDERIt's a long fucking night, and by the time all the attackers have dropped to the ground, I'm exhausted to the bone. There's been no sighting of Ray, and apart from Lizzie's father, I didn't see a single face I recognized. I don't even know if this invasion had anything to do with Ray. If it did, then he was hiding this whole time and biding his time. Either way, he can't be anywhere near Ironclaw anymore because the woods are being searched thoroughly by a group of Nocturns from Moon Rose. We won't rest until we find every single one of them. I don't stop looking for Aria, not for a second. Anne eventually finds me and tells me that Aria is safe and in her house.Panic washes over me. “Is Lizzie there?”“No. I don’t know where she’s gone.”This helps me relax a bit more, but I’ll only feel truly calm when my eyes land on Aria and I make sure she’s alright with my own eyes. I hurry there, leaving Anne behind. My heart’s as tight as a fist in my chest. I worried about her the