Contract Marriage With Alpha Snow - Chapter 399

Chapter 399: Astrid’s Aura
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CHAPTER 399

~Zara’s POV~

Snow’s lips were urgent, desperate, as they moved against mine, his hands cradling my face like I was something fragile—something he couldn’t bear to lose.

And for a moment, I let myself get lost in it.

The warmth of his body pressed against mine, the way his fingers trembled slightly as they held me, as if he was afraid I’d disappear.

The taste of him—familiar, intoxicating—filled my senses, pulling me into a place where there was no betrayal, no pain.

Only us.

My heart pounded, and I felt myself leaning in, letting go, wanting this. Wanting him.

But then—reality struck me like a slap to the face.

Snow had betrayed me.

Everything we were doing now, he did, and even so, with her—that witch!

And then I blinked. Witch? I had said that word as a curse but what if she was really Vera like Ella had seen and she cloaked or used disguise magic?

As if that wasn’t enough, I wondered again. Had Vera enjoyed his kisses just as much as I was now? Had she gasped into his mouth the way I just had?

The thought alone was enough to make my stomach turn.

I ripped myself away from him, breathing hard, my fingers trembling at my sides. Snow reached for me, but before he could speak, I slapped him.

The sharp sound echoed in the night, and for a second, everything stilled.

Snow’s head snapped slightly to the side, his jaw tightening as his lips parted in shock. He didn’t move. Didn’t speak.

I swallowed against the lump in my throat. “Did you kiss her like that, too?” My voice was quiet, but it carried all the weight of my pain.

His head turned back toward me, eyes burning with something raw. “Zara… I never—”

“Don’t.” I shook my head, stepping back. “I’m done listening to your lies.”

Snow reached for me again, this time gripping my arms, forcing me to look at him. His blue eyes bore into mine, filled with desperation. “Zara, please. Don’t do this. Not him.” His voice cracked slightly. “I know you love me. I know you do. So please… stay.”

My heart clenched painfully.

He was right. I did love him.

But love wasn’t enough.

I took a shaky breath. “Are you getting rid of her?”

Snow froze.

He hesitated.

That tiny pause, that single moment of doubt, was all I needed.

A hollow laugh slipped from my lips. “You’re still not ready.”

His grip tightened on me, but I yanked my arms away before he could say another word.

Just then, I felt another presence approaching.

“Zara, is everything alright?”

I turned just in time to see Kaid walking toward us, his expression unreadable, but his aura radiating authority. The moment Snow laid eyes on him, his entire demeanour shifted.

Tension crackled in the air like a brewing storm.

Kaid stepped closer, his sharp golden eyes flickering between Snow and me, assessing the situation. “She doesn’t look like she wants to be here, Zephyr.”

Snow’s eyes darkened. His wolf, Glacier, was close to the surface.

“Stay out of this, Kaid,” Snow warned in a low and dangerous voice.

Kaid smirked slightly, tilting his head. “Or what? You’ll challenge me? Over a woman you couldn’t even keep properly?”

Snow snapped.

Before I could even react, both men unleashed their auras, the sheer force of their power colliding like two waves crashing into each other.

Dominance. Fury. Possession.

The air around us grew thick and suffocating, and the weight of their presence sent shivers down my spine. Neither of them was backing down.

The longer they stood there, radiating power, the angrier I became.

Enough.

I shut my eyes, letting Astrid reign.

The moment my wolf rose to the surface, my own aura erupted around us, swallowing theirs whole.

The ground beneath us trembled. The wind picked up, swirling wildly around me. Power surged through my veins, raw and unrestrained, and thanks to my barely sealed witch’s powers, Astrid became empowered.

And then—silence.

When I opened my eyes, both men were staring at me.

Kaid’s smirk had vanished. His lips parted slightly in awe.

Snow’s entire body had gone rigid. Glacier had gone completely still.

I exhaled slowly, levelling them both with a glare.

“Behave.”

Neither of them moved.

Neither of them spoke.

And just like that, Astrid calmed.

The air around us returned to normal, and I turned on my heel, walking away without looking back.

Because this time, I was the one leaving first.

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~Snow’s POV~

The house was quiet that evening. Too quiet. I sat in my study, staring at the divorce papers in front of me while the scene from the event replayed in my mind.

Zara’s signature was missing.

And somehow, that small detail made the entire thing feel surreal.

The moment I had seen her standing beside Kaid earlier, something inside me had snapped. That should have been me. I should have been the one she turned to. The one she trusted. The one she chose.

But instead, she had walked away.

From me.

My fingers tightened around the pen in my hand, frustration curling in my chest. Was this really what she wanted?

To be free of me?

A soft knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. Before I could respond, she walked in.

Vera.

I clenched my jaw but didn’t have the energy to throw her out.

Not tonight.

She moved with grace, her silky dress flowing as she approached my desk. I didn’t know they were allowed not to wear their maid’s uniform. Her presence was suffocating, yet I didn’t react. I simply watched as she came to a stop beside me.

“I heard about what happened today,” she said smoothly, her voice soft, almost sympathetic. “You must be hurting.”

I didn’t respond.

I should have told her to leave; I should have pushed her away the moment she entered.

But I was too tired.

Too fucking exhausted.

She reached out, placing a delicate hand on my shoulder.

I immediately shoved it off.

Her smile faltered for only a second before she composed herself, tilting her head. “You don’t have to fight this anymore, Alpha Snow,” she murmured. “She’s made her choice.”

My jaw ticked. “I don’t need you to remind me of that. And that she… is still my wife, Zara, your mistress.”

Vera sighed, moving to perch on the edge of my desk, dangerously close. “Then why are you hesitating?” She gestured to the documents. “Sign it, Snow. Let her go. It’s the only way to move forward.”

I exhaled sharply, gripping the pen tighter.

Let her go.

That was the last thing I wanted to do.

But I wasn’t a fool.

Zara wouldn’t come back to me if I kept clinging to Vera like this. She needed a reason to choose me again. To come back to me willingly.

And maybe… this was how I gave her that choice.

Slowly, I lowered the pen to the paper.

“Yes. Do it and you can finally truly be happy, just like how the Moon Goddess planned.”

Vera’s eyes gleamed as I signed my name.

The final piece of the contract.

It was done.

But instead of the satisfaction she was expecting, all I felt was a deep, unsettling emptiness.

Vera placed a hand over mine, squeezing lightly. “See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

I pulled away from her touch.

She masked her irritation well, but I caught the flicker of it in her eyes. I stood, not sparing her another glance as I walked toward the door.

“I need air.”

And I needed to get away from her.