Contract Marriage With Alpha Snow - Chapter 409

Chapter 409: Snow’s Internal War
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CHAPTER 409

~Zara’s POV~

My fists tightened at my sides. “What if there are more out there? It does matter, Zara. Stop being stubborn and listen to me.”

Her eyes flashed with defiance. “No.”

I didn’t think. I moved. My hand wrapped around her wrist, pulling her to me. Too close.

“You are mine,” I growled, knowing my words would infuriate her, but I didn’t care about pretending. I wanted Zara. “And you will do as I say for your safety, Zara.”

She stiffened, her pulse quickening beneath my fingers. She felt it. She still felt me.

But then, her defiance struck. “Not anymore.”

The words felt like a knife to the gut, and my grip faltered, but I didn’t let go. I couldn’t.

I softened my voice, desperate now. “Zara, please stop this. My mark is still engraved on your neck. I love you. So please, let me protect you.”

She hesitated, just for a second. I saw it.

But then her walls slammed back up, harder than ever. “I am doing just fine,” she said coldly. “I defeated the beast in your territory, Snow. I can handle myself. I don’t need to stay under the same roof as your mate.”

Mate.

The word felt like acid in my veins.

But before I could say anything—before I could fix this, she yanked her wrist free.

Glacier snarled in agony.

I reached for her hand, but she stepped back. And that hurt more than any wound I had ever taken.

She exhaled sharply and my hands clenched into fists. Damn it.

“Zara, please—”

“No,” she cut me off.

And then she did it. She lifted her chin, her blue eyes cold as steel. And she said the words that broke me.

“I, Zara Gold-Zephyr, reject you, Alpha Snow Zephyr, as my chosen mate.”

Pain tore through me.

A vicious, gut-wrenching agony that made Glacier howl in anguish.

“NO!” my wolf roared. I felt the bond snap, fraying like a thread about to break. I gritted my teeth, gripping my chest as I felt everything unravel.

It was worse than I expected. I had thought I could handle it. But nothing could have prepared me for the way it felt.

The burning—the hollowness—that feeling of losing her. I winced, masking my pain while Zara flinched, clutching her own chest as the pain struck her too.

I wanted to stop her. I wanted to take it back. I wanted to say, Don’t do this. You’re my world, my mate, my wife.

But instead, I forced the words out when I saw the coldness in her eyes. Because if this was what she wanted, then I would give it to her.

Even if it killed me. Even if the proess in getting Zara for good and ensuring I never lose her was a process that would tear me up, so be it. Nothing good comes easily and Zara was more than good.

“I, Snow Zephyr, accept your rejection.”

The moment the words left my mouth, something inside me shattered. The final, irreversible break of the mate bond sent one last wave of agony through me.

And then nothing. The burning faded, and the connection was gone. I looked at her, waiting for her to say something, to change her mind.

But she didn’t.

She just turned around and walked away.

And for the first time in my life, I let her. I stood there, frozen, staring at the door long after she left.

My legs felt heavy, my chest empty, my hands shaking at my sides.

I staggered back, dropping into one of the chairs in my study. A breath shuddered out of me.

My vision blurred. Before I could stop it, a single tear rolled down my cheek.

“I love you, Zara,” I whispered. “Before, now, and forever.”

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~Aira’s POV~

The towering gates of the Ivory Crescent Pack stood before me, a stark reminder of home. A place I hadn’t visited for a little while since everybody started going through one thing or the other with their mates. A place filled with memories of warmth, safety, and a mother who always seemed to have the answers.

I took a deep breath as I stepped out of the car, smoothing down my coat before reaching into the backseat. Storm giggled, already unbuckling himself as he jumped down from the car when I opened the door.

“Come here, little man,” I murmured, ruffling his hair.

He clung to my side, behaving himself as he wasn’t sure if his grandparents were inside.

Storm held my hand a little too tightly. “What’s it, pumpkin?”

“Nothing. I just missed Daddy Snow.”

My heart broke a bit. I could feel the subtle tremble in his hands. He missed Snow. He missed home. And deep down, I knew he could sense the tension that had been eating away at all of us.

Before I could dwell on it further, the large wooden doors of the Pack House swung open.

My mother, Luna Star, stepped out onto the porch, regal as ever, her warm eyes sweeping over me before softening.

“Aira.”

The moment she spoke, I felt something in me loosen.

“Mom.”

Storm yanked his hand from mine and immediately dashed forward, leaving me behind when he hugged my mum.

“Oh, my little champion!” Mum giggled as she lifted him in the air.

I didn’t hesitate either. I walked straight into her embrace, inhaling the familiar scent of home. She held us tight for a moment before pulling back, her gaze dropping to Storm, who peeked at her from my arms.

“And how’s my precious boy?” she cooed, gently stroking his blond curls.

Storm blinked up at her before flashing a small, shy smile. “Better now that I’ve seen you. I missed you, grandma!”

“I missed you too. All of you.” My mother beamed. “Come inside, both of you. It’s far too cold to be standing out here.”

I nodded and followed her in, the warmth of the house wrapping around me instantly. It was cozy, welcoming—everything I hadn’t realized I needed.

Mom led us to the sitting room, where a fire crackled softly in the grand fireplace. She gestured for me to sit while she settled on the couch across from me, her keen gaze never leaving my face.

“All right,” she said, folding her hands in her lap. “Tell me everything.”