Contract Marriage With Alpha Snow - Chapter 369

Chapter 369: Unprepared
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CHAPTER 369

~Ella’s POV~

The silence that followed Zara’s question was almost suffocating. Her sharp eyes flickered between Ares, Richard, and me, clearly assessing the situation.

She wasn’t just my best friend; she was a Luna and a powerful alpha who could smell the tension.

“Someone better start talking,” Zara said, crossing her arms.

Ares scoffed, shaking his head. “Oh, you’re gonna love this one, Zara.” He turned toward her, his signature smirk laced with sarcasm. “Apparently, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Brooding over here thinks Ella is his mate.”

I flinched slightly at how bluntly he said it. Not because it wasn’t true but because saying it out loud made it real.

Zara’s eyes widened slightly, her gaze snapping to Richard. He was standing stiff, his jaw clenched, eyes locked onto me like I might disappear.

“Wait… what?” Zara blinked, looking between us again as if trying to piece it together.

I let out a slow breath, rubbing my temples. “Yeah. It—it’s true. I felt it. My wolf synced with his. Richard is my mate,” I muttered.

Richard’s green eyes darkened. “Because it’s the truth.” His voice was rough, barely restrained, and thick with frustration. His whole body vibrated with tension, his fists clenching at his sides.

Ares let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. “Oh yeah, sure. That makes perfect sense. Because fate just decided to throw her into the arms of a Lycan Beta, right? What a fucking coincidence.”

Richard snapped.

He took a dangerous step forward, the power in the room shifting instantly. His aura was suffocating—dominant, wild, furious.

“You think I give a shit what you believe?” Richard growled, his voice dripping with lethal intent. “She’s mine. The bond is there. I felt it. And she felt it, too.” His gaze burned into mine, filled with challenge and something else—something possessive.

My throat tightened, my wolf stirring beneath my skin. As much as I wanted to deny it, he was right. I had felt it. I had felt him. And it terrified me.

Ares didn’t back down, though. Instead, he tilted his head with a mocking smirk. “Yours? You sure about that? Because last I checked, Ella was with me before your Lycan ass showed up.”

Richard snarled, taking another step forward. “Watch your fucking mouth.”

“Or what?” Ares taunted, standing his ground. “You gonna fight me for her?”

I shot up from the bed despite my body’s protests. “Enough!”

The room vibrated from the sheer dominance clashing between the two of them. The air was thick and charged, like a storm ready to explode.

And then—a groan.

We all turned toward Kaid, who pinched the bridge of his nose, his face contorted in exhaustion. “Fuck,” he muttered.

Zara instantly narrowed her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Kaid exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple as if fighting off a headache. “You two idiots are giving me a migraine,” he muttered. Then, he looked at Zara. “Can you please handle this? Because if I have to listen to them measuring their dicks for another second, I might rip my ears off.”

Zara sighed, rubbing her forehead. “Gods, you men are exhausting.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Zara turned to Ares and Richard, her expression shifting into something authoritative. “Both of you. Leave. Now.”

Richard stiffened instantly. “No.”

Ares folded his arms. “Why? You wanna gossip about me?”

Zara shot him a sharp glare. “Because I need to talk to my best friend, you fucking morons.”

Ares smirked, looking impressed. “Damn, Zara. Tell me how you really feel.”

“Ares.” Her voice was calm, but it held the weight of command.

Ares rolled his eyes but finally let out a sigh, holding his hands up in surrender. “Fine. I’ll step out.”

Zara turned to Richard, who hadn’t moved an inch. His green eyes remained locked onto mine, challenging me, daring me to deny him.

“Richard,” Zara said slowly. “I need to talk to Ella. Alone.”

His jaw tightened. He didn’t like this. I could feel his wolf resisting, clawing to stay near me. But after a long moment, he finally nodded, albeit reluctantly.

“Fine,” he said hoarsely. “But I won’t be far.”

His words sent a shiver down my spine.

The two men—one my past, one my fated future—walked toward the door. But before Richard stepped out, he turned his head slightly.

“This conversation isn’t over,” he warned.

I swallowed hard, watching as they both disappeared into the hallway.

The moment the door clicked shut, Zara exhaled, plopping onto the chair beside the bed.

“Okay,” she said, rubbing her temples. “What the actual fuck just happened?”

I let out a heavy sigh, my fingers gripping the sheets as I tried to gather my thoughts. My head still felt like it was spinning from everything that had just happened.

Zara leaned forward, arms crossed, waiting patiently—but not too patiently. “Well?” she pressed. “Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on, or do I have to drag it out of you?”

I groaned, rubbing my face with both hands. “It’s exactly what it looks like, Zara,” I muttered. “Richard is my mate.”

Zara’s brows shot up, and she let out a low whistle. “Damn.”

“Yeah,” I mumbled. “Tell me about it.”

“And to think I was going to link you two up before. Who knew the moon goddess had other plans of her own?”

“Exactly. I wasn’t ready for this, Zar. A Lycan?”

“They are not bad.”

“And what about what Kaid did to you?”

“The allure?” I nodded and Zara shrugged. “They are not all bad, okay, and Kaid isn’t either.”

“Tell that to Snow.”

Zara sighed before studying me for a moment and then tilted her head. “And Ares?”

I hesitated. The problem wasn’t just Ares—it was everything—past, present, complications, name it.

I had moved on—or at least, I thought I had. But with him standing there, furious and possessive, the way he always was…

“That’s the problem,” I admitted. “He still thinks of me as his. Ares still wants me.”

Zara let out a dry laugh. “No shit, Ella. The guy looked like he was ready to rip Richard’s head off the second he saw him claim you.”