Alpha on the Ice

Chapter 5

Sloane

My phone won't stop buzzing.I've thrown it across the room twice now. Each buzz is another knife in my chest.Slut.Whore.You ruined him.Kill yourself.I can't block them fast enough. Can't stop them. They keep coming, wave after wave, and I'm sinking.I'm sitting on my bathroom floor, my back against the chipped porcelain of the tub. The door is locked. I locked it three hours ago, after I saw my address posted on some anonymous forum. After the first death threat came through.We know where you live.I haven't moved since. The eviction notice is crumpled on the floor beside me, and my phone screen is lit up with the email from Marcus.Effective immediately, your employment with the Boston Puck Report is terminated.Fired via voicemail. Like I'm not even worth the courtesy of a phone call.I laugh, and it comes out broken. I press my palms against my eyes until I see stars, trying to block out the world.This isn't happening. This can't be happening.But it is. Dmitri's photo is everywhere. Hellions Captain Caught in Tryst with Reporter. The caption is designed to get clicks. The comments are worse. The internet has decided I'm a seductress, a gold-digger, a woman who tried to trap a famous athlete for her own gain.No one believes the truth. No one even wants to hear it.I stare at the ceiling, my vision blurry. My father would be ashamed of me. He spent his whole life trying to protect people, and I've spent mine ruining everything I touch. The alderman story. My career. Now this.A knock at the door makes me flinch. I freeze, my heart lurching into my throat. They found me. The trolls, the haters, Callum's people... The knock comes again. Harder this time. Urgent."Sloane!" A voice, muffled through the wood. "Open the door. Now."It's Rhys.I scramble to my feet, my legs nearly giving out. I unlock the door and yank it open, and there he is. Soaking wet, rain dripping from his hoodie, his face pale and drawn. He looks like he's been running for hours."Rhys...""Shut up." He pushes past me into the apartment, his eyes scanning the room. "Is anyone here? Are you hurt?""I...no, I'm fine, I...""Good." He turns to face me, and I see the desperation in his eyes. "We don't have much time.""What are you talking about? How did you find me?""I can track you." He says it like it's obvious. "The bond. It's not just a word, Sloane. It's a connection. I can feel you."I stare at him, my brain struggling to keep up. "The bond?"He grabs my shoulders, his grip firm but not painful. His eyes bore into mine, and I see the fear in them. Real fear. "Callum has convened the Elders," he says, his voice low and urgent. "They've decided you're a threat to pack secrecy. They're coming for you, Sloane. Tonight."The words don't make sense. "What are you talking about? Coming for me? Like...like to arrest me?""To kill you." He says it flatly, without emotion. "They're going to kill you."I laugh. "That's insane. That's...people don't just kill people. There are laws, there are...""There are pack laws." Rhys's voice is hard. "And they supersede human laws. Callum convinced the Elders that you know too much. That you're a danger to our entire existence. They voted to eliminate the threat."My legs give out. I sink to the floor, my back against the door, my head spinning."This can't be happening," I whisper. "This isn't real."Rhys crouches in front of me, his hands gripping my knees. "It's real. And I broke pack law to warn you. I'm supposed to let them take you. I'm supposed to...""Then why didn't you?" I snap, my voice cracking. "Why do you care? I was trying to destroy you! I was digging into your life, trying to expose you, and you...""Because you're my mate!" The words explode out of him. His eyes flash gold. "I didn't choose this. I didn't want this. From the moment I saw you, I knew."I shake my head, tears streaming down my face. "That doesn't make sense. That's not...""I know it doesn't make sense." He grips my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. "But it's the truth. You're my mate, Sloane. The only one. And if Callum kills you, he kills the only good thing left in me."The weight of his words crashes down on me. I stare at him...this impossible, terrifying, infuriating creature who has turned my entire world upside down. He's the reason I lost my job. He's the reason my life is in danger.And he's the only person who came to save me."Why now?" I whisper. "Why did you wait until now to tell me?"Rhys looks away, his jaw tight. "Because I was afraid. Afraid of what it would mean. Afraid of what you'd do with the information. But I can't let them take you. I won't."Sirens wail in the distance, growing louder. Rhys's head snaps up, his nostrils flaring."They're close," he says, his voice sharp. He grabs my hand, hauling me to my feet. I stumble after him as he yanks open the fire escape door, the cold rain lashing against my face."We have to go. Now." He turns to me. "Do you trust me?"I should say no. I should push him away, run in the other direction, call the police. I should do anything except follow this monster into the night.But I look at him...this impossible man who terrifies me and makes me feel safer than any human ever has...and I realize I have no one else."Yes," I whisper.He grabs my hand and pulls me onto the fire escape. "We have to jump," he says, his voice barely audible over the storm."Jump? Rhys, we're three stories up...""Trust me." He grips my hand tighter. "I won't let you fall."