Contract Marriage With Alpha Snow - Chapter 401

Chapter 401: Difficult Choice
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CHAPTER 401

~Ryland’s POV~

I ran a hand down my face, staring at my phone for what felt like the thousandth time. Still nothing.

No reply. No missed calls.

Just silence.

It had been days—no, more than a week—since Tempest had called things off with me. And ever since then, she had been avoiding me like the plague.

I tried calling her. She ignored me.

I tried showing up at her place, but she made sure I never got the chance to see her. She was hurting—I knew she was—and yet she refused to let me in.

Her last message had been short and cutting.

“Spend this time chasing after your mate, Ry, and not me. Don’t call, see or message me until you have.”

I clenched my jaw as those words echoed in my mind.

But I didn’t want to chase my mate.

I wanted her, Tempest.

Fate be damned, she was the one I had chosen.

And if she thought she could just disappear from my life without a fight, then she clearly didn’t know me as well as she thought she did.

I exhaled sharply and grabbed my keys. If she wouldn’t answer my calls, then I would go see the one person who might be able to change her mind.

Crystal.

With a deep breath, I pulled up the number I had managed to get through Zara and hit dial. Earlier on, I called Alpha Ares, asking him for Crystal’s number.

His response was pretty simple—it’s about time you reached out, mate boy, or else she would have returned to my pack today.

I didn’t know what more to say but thank him.

The phone rang a few times before a soft, uncertain voice answered. “Hello?”

I cleared my throat. “Crystal. It’s Ryland.”

A pause was followed by an unimpressed, “Oh.”

She didn’t sound surprised to hear from me, but she also didn’t sound thrilled.

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to find the right words. “I need to see you. Can we meet?”

Another pause. Then, finally, “Okay.”

I exhaled, relieved. “Thank you.”

We set a time and place—a quiet, secluded park on the outskirts of town. Away from distractions. Away from anyone else.

Just the two of us.

And maybe, just maybe, I could figure out what the hell I was supposed to do next.

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~Raven’s Park~

When I arrived, the park was eerily silent. The soft rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of crickets were the only sounds breaking the evening’s silence.

Crystal was already there, sitting on a wooden bench near the lake, her long hair cascading down her back in soft waves.

Her scent invaded my nostrils like a punch to the gut.

Mate.

My wolf roared within me, restlessly.

“Mate. Mate. Mate.”

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to breathe. To stay in control.

I had spent days preparing myself for this moment, telling myself that the bond wouldn’t control me.

That I had a choice.

But standing here, looking at her… feeling the pull of our connection tightening around me like an unbreakable chain… I wasn’t so sure anymore.

She must have sensed my presence because she turned to face me, her violet eyes filled with an unreadable emotion.

“Ryland.”

I swallowed hard and nodded, stepping closer. “Crystal.” For a moment, neither of us spoke. The tension between us was thick, pressing down on my chest like a weight.

I didn’t know what to say. And for the first time in a long time, I hated that.

Finally, she sighed and patted the empty space beside her. “You can either join me for a sit or stand there. Your choice but I can promise, I won’t bite… yet.”

I didn’t know if I should have been thrilled by that invitation but I figured, what more could I lose? I hesitated, then obeyed.

We sat in silence for a while, both staring out at the still water in front of us.

“You expected this to happen, didn’t you?” she finally asked, her voice quiet.

I turned to her, frowning. “What?”

Crystal’s lips pressed into a thin line. “The mate bond. You expected it to feel this way.”

I let out a slow breath. “No,” I admitted honestly. “I didn’t.”

She nodded as if she had already known my answer. “Did you love her?”

I flinched slightly at the question, my eyes studying her. How did she know? Was I so obvious that day? I sighed, but I didn’t lie. “Yes.”

Crystal’s gaze didn’t waver. “And now?”

I exhaled, rubbing the back of my neck. “She… she stepped aside for you. Because she believes in the mate bond more than anything else, she didn’t want to be the reason you got hurt.”

Crystal stared at me for a long moment before nodding. “That sounds like something she’d do.”

“Yeah.” My chest ached. “She didn’t even give me a choice.”

Crystal tilted her head slightly. “So what are you going to do now?”

I clenched my fists. “I don’t know.”

And that was the truth. Because as much as I loved Tempest, Crystal was my mate.

And now that I was here, sitting beside her, feeling the bond thrumming between us like a living thing… I wasn’t sure if I could pull away. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to.

The air between us shifted.

Crystal turned slightly, her eyes searching mine as if she was trying to figure me out.

My breathing slowed and I lifted my eyes to look into hers. I wanted to see the truth. How will my decision affect her? But that was my big mistake.

The moment I did, the pull became stronger. I don’t know who moved first. But suddenly, we were close.

Too close.

Her face was only inches away from mine, her breath warm against my lips.

I saw the hesitation in her eyes—the silent war raging within her, the same one waging inside of me.

And yet… she didn’t pull away.

She shut her eyes. She was brave. And then—she kissed me.

The moment her lips touched mine, my entire world tilted. It wasn’t just a kiss. It was the mate bond snapping into place, solidifying like an unbreakable force.

My wolf howled in satisfaction.

For the first time, I let myself fall.

And I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to climb back out because right now, right here, all reason was tossed to the wind and the only logic was her—Crystal.