Chapter 46 Ice Cream
Phoebe
The next few days felt like an endless cycle of training and cramming for finals. Coach Cooper had signed Divergent Howls, our esports team, up for a regional tournament, which meant we had to train even harder. My only break came after 10 PM, and if I was lucky, I got five hours of sleep on the weekends.
My love life?
Hayden had gotten even more possessive. His ultimate control-freak tendencies had him limiting my time with my other three mates. But, to be fair, he still made sure I was happy.
Finley had started openly acting affectionate toward me in front of everyone at Livingstone, hiding behind our whole "fake gay couple" cover. It made things easier—we could be around each other at school without raising too many eyebrows. Even Tyra complained about being a third wheel.
Adonis? Still impulsive as hell. His rivalry with Hayden never seemed to end. Both of them had strong Alpha energy, but their views on me were totally different. I didn’t mind that Adonis saw our mate bonding as a biological need—because whenever he was with me, he tried his best to hold himself back.
Zion, as always, was just chilling. He had this bad habit of sneaking into my room at night, pulling me into empty classrooms just to make out in secret. Something about him always had my adrenaline running.
That afternoon, right before finals, I was chilling in my dorm when Tyra suddenly shoved a couple of 20 Lunar Inti bills in my face.
"Phoebe, wanna get ice cream?" she asked, way too excited.
I blinked at her. "What’s this about?"
"My mom just sent me money. Let’s have fun before finals drive us insane."
I chuckled. "My mom sent me money too. Let me treat you this time. You always do it."
She shrugged. "Alright, no complaints here."
We walked to Drizzle & Scoop, the ice cream shop on the corner of Horizon Square. After waiting in line for five minutes, we finally got our hands on some promo ice cream.
"You’re amazing, juggling training and studying like that," Tyra said, taking a bite of her strawberry ice cream.
"It’s tough, but I manage. Finley helps me study, and Hayden helps me train."
She raised a brow. "Seems like they’re the ones who spend the most time with you."
I nodded. "Yeah, you’re right. Zion’s too laid-back, and Adonis is… well, a hardcore introvert."
Tyra smirked. "So what does Adonis even do when he’s with you?"
I giggled. "He just focuses on me. He’s weird like that."
Tyra looked way too entertained, completely forgetting her ice cream. I didn’t tell her everything about Adonis—just enough to paint him as this awkward guy.
But thinking about him, I remembered how hard he tried to control his impulses around me. He always asked if I was okay, if I was in pain, if I was mad at him. It was like he was giving me his version of "gentle."
For some reason, though, he never once brought up mating. Maybe he was trying to play it cool, like Zion. Or maybe Zion had actually convinced him to slow things down.
"I'm done," I said, licking the last bit off my spoon.
Tyra grinned. "So, are you getting ice cream for Finley too?"
I smiled. "Of course. I know he loves chocolate mint."
Back at the training room, I handed Finley his chocolate mint ice cream. He beamed at me, but before he could even take a bite, Hayden spoke up, his voice laced with fake disappointment.
"Playing favorites, Phoebe?"
I turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"You bought ice cream for Finley but not for me."
Adonis smirked. "Maybe she knows you’re too cold to enjoy ice cream."
Hayden’s expression darkened. "What’s that supposed to mean?"
Adonis just chuckled, clearly trying to piss him off. I stepped in before things escalated.
"Alright, alright. I’ll go get you some ice cream too, Hayden."
Zion, who had been watching the whole thing with his usual amused look, patted my shoulder. "I’ll come with you. We can borrow Finley’s bike to make it quick."
I nodded.
Back at Drizzle & Scoop, Zion picked chocolate hazelnut for himself. When I asked why, he just smirked.
"I like the taste and the smell. Just like I like you."
Yeah, that got me blushing.
When we returned, the sight waiting for us was almost comical. Hayden and Adonis were still bickering, and Finley looked exhausted trying to keep them apart.
Zion chuckled. "They’re like kids fighting over a toy."
I sighed and handed Hayden his chocolate mint ice cream. He took it with a satisfied look, finally shutting up.
But before anyone could say anything else, Coach Cooper walked in. The room instantly fell silent.
"I have an announcement," he said firmly. "Divergent Howls is in Group A for the regular season and will be up against last year’s champions in the regional tournament."
Tension filled the air. That was not good news.
"With finals coming up, practice hours will be reduced," he continued. "But once exams are over, you’ll be training for ten hours a day on weekdays."
Everyone stiffened.
"Hayden remains captain," Coach said. "I need all of you to focus. Phoenix, you need to improve your gameplay. And I expect everyone to master our strategies."
I nodded. "Got it, Coach."
After practice, I headed to the kitchen to make some warm milk, but before I could, Adonis walked in, holding two cups.
"One’s for you," he said, handing me a cup.
I took it, surprised. "You made this for me?"
He nodded. "I want my mate to be strong, Phoebe. So she can stand beside me."
Without hesitation, I drank the milk from my glass and finished it in an instant. I stared at him, my heart pounding. Adonis might’ve been a little weird, but when it came to me, he had his own way of showing he cared.
One thing that totally caught me off guard was when Adonis leaned in close. Then, out of nowhere, he licked my lips, making me freeze.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"I don’t like ice cream," he murmured, his voice low and teasing. "But I’d gladly lick the milk off your lips. They taste like cherries—sweet and addicting."