Chapter 15: Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Carol’s POV

The crowd erupts into chaos around us. I don’t even realize I’ve closed my eyes until I see the bright flashes of cameras going off just beyond my eyelids. My arms wrap around Aiden, allowing him to lean over me and hide me from the cameras.

My heart is pounding out of his throat. I can hear the other man yelling in distress and the sound of footsteps rushing toward us. Aiden leans back just far enough to grab my hand and pull me away.

We rush out of the stadium as quickly as we can. I throw the scarf back around my face and the two of us dodge the paparazzi flocking around us. As caught off guard and embarrassed as I feel, I can’t help but laugh with exhilaration as Aiden drags me along. I can see him grinning, too.

We manage to sneak out to Aiden’s car without getting caught. I clamber into the passenger seat and he gets in the front. We pull out of the parking lot quickly as the crowd of paparazzi begins to flow out of the stadium. My heart beat only begins to slow as we are well on our way.

“So, I say eventually, “I guess we won free tickets, huh?”

Aiden laughs breathlessly. As we pull up to a stoplight, he leans over and gives me another sweet kiss.

I glance down at my phone as we settle back in at home and Aiden gets changed out of his hockey gear. It’s no surprise to see that my phone has been flooded with messages from Fiona. 1 click on them, half–dreading what I’m going to see.

Fiona has sent at least a dozen messages in all–caps. Most of the messages are raving about how creepy that other man was and how romantic Aiden had been. Along with the messages she sent several photos she took of her TV screen while watching the game. She also took a few messages to compliment my outfit, calling it “incognito–chic“. I laugh despite the drama unfolding “That man was talking shit about Aiden the entire game. I wish Aiden had shoved him into the hockey rink so I could see how well he can play.”

My phone pings when Fiona responds. ‘He looks like a loser. I bet I could play better than him!”

I smile and type out a few more messages back and forth with Fiona. At some point, my curiosity gets the best of me. I take a seat at the breakfast counter and look online to see what the news had to say about tonight.

Sure enough, there is a flood of news articles speculating about Aiden’s ‘mystery woman: There are a few different running theories as to who exactly I am. To my shock, multiple news outlets have identified me as Carol Miller.

Even more startling, many of these articles have begun gathering personal information on me. Multiple mention my profession as a realtor and several have even dug into the names of some of my immediate family members. I let out a deep sigh. Do they have to bring family into this, too?

I stumble across post after post questioning the possibility of a human being a werewolf’s fated mate. I bite my lower lip. I can’t blame them for wondering–even I’m confused by this turn of events. Still, it feels like a bit of a slap to the face.

A few scientists have begun to weigh in on the drama. One scientist cited in a newer article makes an interesting point I hadn’t heard before.

“The possibility of werewolves and humans being fated mates has been a topic of curiosity for years. The werewolf fated mate bond, believed in their culture to be created by the Moon Goddess, is not technically required to be between two werewolves. Although a fated mate bond between a werewolf and a human is not impossible, no recorded cases have ever occurred”

I read over the statement a few times. Interesting. I resolve to look into mate bonds more in the future.

As I continue to click through articles, a notice a few of them are focused moreso on the performance of the Statford Freeze. I decide to read a few articles out of curiosity.

The articles themselves are not flattering. Most note that Aiden’s performance on his previous team, the Capital Gladiators, was much stronger. A few news outlets point out that the Statford Freeze was able to win only by a small margin against a small team like the Cougars.

12:31 PM

Chapter 15

Reading through the comments and social media posts are even more brutal. A few suggest Aiden has lost his touch. Most expected Aiden to be the saving grace of the team and are highly disappointed. Some people are even suggesting he might be eliminated early this year.

Reading so much negativity about Aiden makes me feel upset. It doesn’t seem fair, I think. Why is it his responsibility to magically fix everything right away?

I look up to the sound of Aiden entering the kitchen. He’s gotten into a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. He looks tired, but smiles when he sees me. His smile fades as he notices me looking at my phone with a concerned expression.

“Are you checking the news about what happened?” He asks. I nod with a downcast expression.

“Yeah. It’s all that anyone’s talking about,” I say. Aiden pulls a chair up to the counter beside me and levels me with a solemn look.

“Look… I apologize for my actions,” he said quietly. “I know you didn’t want your identity to be revealed. I shouldn’t have made a scene. I just-”

“No, no, it’s not that!” I say quickly, waving a hand. “You worry too much about me. I think it was sweet you saved me from that w that weirdo.”

Aiden makes a face at the memory. “He was all over you the entire game,” he says contemptuously. I can’t help but laugh.

“What, were you watching me?” I tease.

“Of course I was,” he says, taking my hand. “Why would I look at anyone else?”

I feel my face burn at his sudden sincerity. I laugh nervously. “You should probably keep your eyes on the puck. But really, I do appreciate it. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. It’s going to be impossible for me to avoid public attention. Constantly hiding from everyone sounds far too troublesome.”

Aiden looks relieved. He is about to speak, but then pauses. … You look upset, though. Is everything alright?”

I work my lower lip between my teeth nervously. “It was the other news that made me upset,” I confess. “A lot of people have been saying unfair things about you online.”

Aiden’s expression softens “Ah. I see.” He wraps an arm around me. “There’s no point in listening to anything people say online. News articles will complain about anything to get attention, and all the readers are the harshest critics. If a supermodel has a split end, they’ll say she’s washed up and that her career is over.”

I let out a small laugh and lean into Aiden’s arms. “I guess I’m just not used to being a public figure. Or having a public figure in my life, I guess.”

Aiden rubs my back. “I’m used to it. I promise, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Aiden’s words help to make me feel more relaxed. The two of us start getting ready for bed. As I’m brushing my teeth, my phone rings again. I expect it to be Fiona, so when I see the caller ID I’m caught by surprise. I pick up the phone.

“Mom? Why are you calling so late at night?

“We saw the news,” my mother says. “What exactly is going on? Did that man force himself onto you!!”

I stifle a laugh when I realize she’s talking about Aiden. “No, not Nothing like that,” I:

I say

quickly.

“Whatever happened to Zack?” I can hear my father’s voice on the other end of the line.

–

“It’s a long story. The basic summary is that Zack was lying about us being fated mates. He cheated on me, and I.. Well.. I met a guy”

“I knew he was no good for you, my mother mutters. “Who’s the new guy?” I laugh quietly.

“Well… I met my actual fated mate.”

“That’s fantastic!” My mother says excitedly. “Was it that boy who kissed you? Oo, he looked cute. Isn’t he one of the hockey.

12:31 PM

Chapter 15

players?”

“Yes. His name is Aiden Cruz,” I say with a smile. “He’s… really wonderful.”

“And you’re sure he’s not lying to you?” My father says suspiciously.

“Well, it’s impossible to be completely sure,” I admit, “but he really doesn’t have any reason to lie to me. He doesn’t need a story like that to win some random woman like me over.”

“You aren’t some random woman!” My mother chides. “You are incredible.”

I smile brightly. “Thanks, mom. You two should meet him sometime!” I glance at the clock on the bathroom wall. “For now, isn’t it past your bedtime?”

My mother and father chuckle on the other side of the phone. “Fine, fine,” my mother acquiesces. “Take care of yourself, sweetie. Call us anytime!”

I’m beaming by the time I hang up the phone. When I turn to leave the bathroom, I see Aiden leaning against the doorway.

“Your parents?” He asks. I nod.

“Yeah. They saw the news and wanted to check on me.” I shrug my shoulders with a sheepish smile. “I probably should have kept them in the loop.”

“You’ve had a hectic couple of days,” he reminds me, smoothing his hands up my arms and to my shoulders. “It’s hard to keep family in the loop sometimes.”

That reminds me of something. I frown slightly. “Do your parents know?”

At that moment, I hear the sound of a phone ringing. I think it’s mine for a moment. To my surprise, Aiden pulls his phone out of his pocket. His expression becomes grim.

“What’s wrong?” I ask. I lean over his shoulder to see what’s bothering him. When my eyes see the caller ID, I suddenly understand.

“Father“.