Contract Marriage With Alpha Snow - Chapter 381

Chapter 381: Emotional Talk
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CHAPTER 381

~Zara’s POV~

As soon as she said that, I clenched my jaw. “I never wanted this,” I said coldly. “I never wanted you. This is my home, and Zara is my wife.”

“Yeah,” she choked out, wiping at her eyes.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” my voice was sharp and my tone laced with anger.

Vani stumbled back slightly but quickly masked her expression with one of faux innocence. “Snow, I—I was just—”

“You were just crossing a damn line,” he growled, his icy glare cutting through her. “I don’t know what the fuck you were thinking, but whatever idea you had in your head? Get rid of it. Now.”

Vera shuddered a little, but as soon as she did, all that facade dropped completely. “Get rid of it, huh? And you couldn’t even tell her about me.”

I froze.

Vani tilted her head, studying me like she had finally found a weak spot. “You couldn’t tell her,” she repeated, her voice softer now, almost taunting. “Because deep down, you knew it would change everything.”

I exhaled slowly, trying to push back my frustration. “Vani—”

“You feel it, don’t you?” she pressed on, standing up now. “You feel the pull, the pain of rejecting me. No matter how much you fight it, I’m still your mate.”

My wolf growled violently in my mind, but I pushed him back, my entire body tensing.

“You need to go to Scott,” I said firmly, changing the subject. “Get your arm treated before it gets worse.”

Vani let out a bitter laugh. “Avoiding the truth won’t make it go away, Snow.”

“I don’t care about your version of the truth,” I bit out, my patience snapping. “Avoid Zara for now. Until I figure out how to handle this.”

She stilled. “Handle this?”

There was something dangerous in her voice now.

“By handle this, do you mean what?” Her lips parted slightly, a challenge in her gaze. “Kick me out? Send me away? Or…” Her eyes flickered with something unreadable. “Or finally accept what we are?”

I tensed at her words.

My wolf fought me, clawing at my control. But I refused to let him have the upper hand.

“Don’t test my patience, Vani,” I warned, my voice dropping to a near growl. “I am this close—”

“To?” she challenged, stepping toward me.

I took a step back, my fingers curling into fists. “Enough.”

She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “You’ll have to face it eventually, Snow.”

I didn’t respond.

I turned and walked out without another word.

But even as I slammed the door shut behind me, her voice lingered in my mind, like a curse I couldn’t break.

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~Ares’ POV~

The penthouse of the hotel was dimly lit, the golden glow of the city skyline spilling through the massive glass windows. I sat on the couch, a whiskey glass in one hand, my other arm draped lazily over the backrest.

Crystal was pacing. Again.

Damon, my Beta, watched her with an amused expression, arms crossed over his chest. “You know, for someone who just found their fated mate, you look more like you’re about to go to war,” he commented.

Crystal shot him a glare before continuing her restless movements.

I sighed, swirling the whiskey in my glass. “Sit down, Crystal. You’re making me dizzy.”

She ignored me.

“Crystal,” I said again, more firmly.

With a frustrated huff, she finally dropped onto the couch opposite me, running a hand through her silver-highlighted hair. She looked exhausted, torn between emotions she clearly didn’t want to deal with.

Damon smirked. “So, are we going to talk about it, or are we just going to pretend your little mate-bond moment didn’t happen?”

Crystal groaned, throwing her head back. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Too bad,” I said, taking a sip of my drink. “Because we are.”

She exhaled sharply, then sat up, her expression shifting from frustration to something more vulnerable. “Fine,” she muttered. “Yes, I felt it. The mate bond, it was strong. Overwhelming. Like it wanted to swallow me whole.”

Damon whistled low. “Damn.”

I ignored her brother and leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “And?”

Crystal hesitated before finally whispering, “I don’t want it.”

Silence filled the room for a moment, and I moved my head back, still processing everything that she said.

Damon arched a brow. “Excuse me?”

Crystal clenched her fists. “I would rather not feel this way. I don’t want to be tied to someone I barely know.”

“Is that it?” My eyes narrowed as I studied her. “Really, Crystal? I know you. Scratch that. I’ve known you since you were born. I know when you are lying. You totally want this. You want the matebond. And I get it. It’s beautiful.”

Crystal shook her head. “I was fine, Ares. My life was good. I was in control. And now… now, everything is a mess.”

“Nah it is not.”

“It isn’t? You mean like you did with Ella and Richard? Everything ain’t a mess for you?”

“Crystal!” Damon hollered at her, his warning growl keeping her in place.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. “And you and I understood, Ella. This is different. Crystal, that’s the mate bond talking. You’re fighting against something that’s literally wired into your soul. You’re not supposed to be able to ignore it.”

She let out a bitter chuckle. “Oh, I feel it. Trust me. But I refuse to be one of those girls—the ones who throw themselves at their mates, desperate for love, only to end up rejected and broken.”

Damon shifted slightly. “You think Richard would reject you?”

Crystal swallowed hard. “I don’t know. Maybe. He didn’t exactly look thrilled when he realised I was his mate. And I… I can’t handle that. I’d rather reject him first before he gets the chance to do it to me. Besides, that girl that rode with him…”

“Tempest?” I asked.

“Wait, like Lady Tempest Zephyr?”

“Yeah. Oh now, not so great. I don’t stand a chance. I’ll just go over there and reject him. Easy peasy.”

I frowned. “That’s a shitty plan.”

She scoffed. “Yeah? Well, tell that to my survival instincts.”

Damon shook his head. “You’re overthinking this. Ryland isn’t some heartless arsehole. He’s a warrior of the Ivory Crescent Pack. And he’s probably also one of the most honourable guys if Tempest is close to him. If anything, I think he’s just as overwhelmed as you.”

Crystal bit her lip, clearly torn. “Then why hasn’t he come looking for me?”

That was a damn good question.

I leaned back, taking another slow sip of my drink before replying, “Maybe because he knows you need space. Or maybe because he is the one who’s afraid of rejection.”

Her brows furrowed slightly, and for the first time since she walked in, I saw something in her expression that wasn’t frustration or fear—hope.

“I don’t know what to do,” she admitted quietly.

I sighed, setting my glass down. “You don’t have to do anything right now. But don’t make the mistake of pushing him away just because you’re scared.”

Crystal didn’t respond, her gaze fixed on the city lights outside.

Damon stretched his arms over his head and stood. “Well, this has been emotional. I need a drink.”