Chapter 493: Alpha Zeno_Contract Marriage With Alpha Snow

<h4>Chapter 493: Alpha Zeno</h4>

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 Chapter 493

 ~Snow’s POV~

 Alpha Zeno, the Western Alpha, stepped into the chamber without fanfare. No entourage. No polished disy of rank.

 He wore simple ck trousers, a fitted charcoal jacket over a dark tee, and well-worn boots that spoke more of utility than fashion. There were no crests, sigils, or needs.

 Zeno didn’t need to wear his authority—it followed him naturally. The kind of presence that turned heads without a word.

 Clean-shaven, hazel green eyes, red hair that screamed, danger and built like he handled things himself instead of delegating them away.

 The quiet type of Alpha who didn’t have to raise his voice or need gold and symbols to be respected.

 His dark eyes swept over the gathering, thennded on me. He nodded once—cool, respectful, and as always,pletely unreadable.

 "Alpha Snow," he greeted, nodding once. "Draven."

 "Zeno," I returned the nod, sping his forearm when he reached me. His grip was firm, steady—like the man himself. "I wasn’t told you’d be here."

 "Wasn’t nning to," he replied calmly. "But I heard you were calling the Western banners. And if you’re here in person, it means things are worse than the whispers."

 "They are," Draven said tly before I could.

 Zeno turned to him, one brow raised. "And you brought the Northern prince. Now I’m very concerned."

 "I came willingly," Draven said in an even voice. "And because I have as much to lose in this war as any Alpha here."

 Alexander nodded from his seat at the head. "Then let’s begin."

 Zeno didn’t sit. Not yet. He moved to the far left side of the circle, standing with arms crossed as I stepped forward into the center.

 "I won’t waste your time," I said. "What I’m about to say stays in this room. And it doesn’t leave until I say so."

 The room remained still. Watchful.

 "There is a movement growing within the outer territories. A breach in the bordersst moon wasn’t just a raid but an organized strike. Coordinated. Clean. No survivors."

 Murmurs broke out immediately.

 Zeno’s expression didn’t change, but his jaw set slightly. "We were told that was rogue activity."

 "You were told what we hoped it was," I said. "But it wasn’t just rogue activity. The attackers knew the terrain. They knew the patrol routes. And they left behind no scent trail. Not even for a Lycan."

 Alexander leaned forward. "You’re saying they weren’t wolves."

 "I’m saying," I replied, "they weren’t just wolves."

 Draven stepped up beside me now, his presence felt more than heard. "They used something forbidden. Something that doesn’t belong in this world anymore."

 Zeno narrowed his eyes. "Dark blood magic?"

 Draven nodded once.

 That silence hit harder than anything.

 Even Alexander looked stunned. "That’s not possible. Thest bloodmages were killed in the First Purge."

 "They survived," I said grimly. "Or their knowledge did. And now someone’s putting it to use. The dark witches are in league with the rogues. Thorned Crescent, Shadow ve... some Alphas are corruptly adding them."

 Zeno’s gaze sharpened. "What do you need from us?"

 I looked him dead in the eye. "I need your warriors. Your seers. And your full allegiance when we move."

 "And when will that be?"

 "When the time’s right, hopefully in a month’s time. I wish for us to have the element of surprise. And when I’ve confirmed the other Alpha territories are still loyal."

 Zeno studied me for a long moment, then finally sat, resting his forearms on his knees.

 "You’ll have my pack’s strength," he said. "No question."

 Draven let out a low breath. "At least one Alpha still understands urgency."

 Zeno gave him a faint smirk. "I don’t trust many, Alpha Draven. But I trust him."

 He looked at me again. "Just tell me where to send my des and warriors."

 "Understood."

 "What about Alpha Xavier?" Alexander chipped in, and I turned to face him.

 "He is currently busy," Alpha Draven answered, "and can’t make it."

 "Then what are we waiting for? Let us take this council meeting to him," Alpha Zeno chimed, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Time is of the essence."

 ***************

 ~Author’s POV~

 The orb cracked.

 Hairline fractures spread like veins across the smooth, glowing surface, dimming the light from within. A low hum echoed in the quiet room before it died altogether.

 Vera stood above it, chest rising and falling in shallow, irritated breaths.

 She hadn’t meant to throw it—well, maybe she had. Just not so hard.

 The orb hit the tiled floor of the sitting room, spun once, and theny still at her feet like a useless relic.

 A week. Seven full days.

 And still... nothing.

 No visions. No whispers. No pull.

 No Zara.

 Vera paced the length of the room, fingers clenching and unclenching at her sides. Her new house—if she could even call it that—was tucked on the edge of the city, far from any of the major pack territories.

 Kent had paid for it discreetly, furnished it well enough, and then disappeared like smoke, exactly how she liked her allies: present when needed, absent when she fumed.

 But then again, she wanted more than that from him. Her body throbbed with need—specific needs that should have been met by her mate, but he never did.

 Never once imed her or acknowledged their bond properly.

 Still, she knew her mother had no idea of Snow’s true bond, and she had to fulfill her duty and marry Kent if his ns failed again.

 Her eyes flicked to the wall clock.

 Zara should be getting back from her office by now. On Tuesdays, she never stayed past six. Usually, Vera would be watching, connected through the scrying link she’d forged using Zara’s lingering energy trail.

 But it was gone.

 Blocked.

 Because of that goddamned ne.

 She couldn’t even attack Zara like before. In the past, when she summoned Zara’s spirit to their coven, now it was like she hit a brick wall.

 Vera’s wolf snarled low within her, restless and hungry. "We should be with him."

 "Not yet," Vera snapped back. "Not like this."

 The bond still pulled at her like a tether beneath her skin, buried and burning—but Snow hadn’t sensed her. Not yet. And that was the advantage she needed to keep.

 She paused, hands nted on the edge of the kitchen counter, nails tapping against the marble in a furious rhythm.

 Her wolf growled again, louder now. "He is our mate. Ours. You keep us hidden—"

 "Because no one must know I’m alive," Vera whispered aloud. "Not the wolves. Not the witches outside the ve. Not even him. Not yet."

 Silence followed her word, but it was a charged silence. Coiled. Waiting.

 Then her phone buzzed once, low and sharp, slicing through the air. Vera grabbed it from the counter and nced at the screen.

 Mother.

 She answered without hesitation. "Hello, Mother."

 "Return to the ve," came the calm, authoritative voice of the Shadow ve’s leader—her mother, the High Enchantress of their bloodline.

 Sometimes, Vera almost wondered if her mother spoke as a mother or just as a leader with her.

 "We’ve begun preparations."

 Vera’s spine straightened. "Preparations for what?"

 "We found a way to draw her in," her mother said, the wordsced with something more than pride. It was certain. Power. "No kidnapping. No forced magic. She’lle to us willingly—unaware, and unprotected."

 "How?" Vera asked, intrigued now.

 "You’ll see when you get here. Just know—when we’re done, the barrier she wears will mean nothing."

 Vera’s lips curled slowly into a sharp, satisfied smirk.

 "I’ll be there by nightfall."

 She hung up, letting the phone fall beside the fractured orb at her feet.

 The game was changing. She couldn’t reach Zara through magic. But it didn’t matter now.

 Because the ve had found another way, Vera would soon have what she wanted.

 Not just Zara or just revenge but Snow.

 ***************

 ~Zara’s POV~

 The room was dark, save for the soft glow of the bedsidemp casting amber light across the sheets.

 My hair was still damp from the shower, pulled into a loose braid as I sat against the headboard, my legs tucked under me.

 I stared at the screen briefly before hitting "call."

 It didn’t even ring twice before he answered.

 "Zara."

 The sound of his voice unravelled something tight inside my chest. I closed my eyes for a beat, letting the warmth of it sink in. Distant. Deep. But still him.

 "Hey," I said softly, curling the nket closer around my shoulders. "Did I catch you at a bad time?"

 "Never." I could hear the weariness in his voice, even if he tried to mask it. "I was hoping you’d call."

 I smiled to myself. "How’s the West?"

 "Old stone. Sharp wind. A lot of men who think they’re better at strategy than they are."

 "So basically, same as usual?"

 Snowughed under his breath, the sound like a low rumble through the line. "Something like that."

 I hesitated for a second, then added, "E’s leaving tomorrow. With Richard."

 There was a pause. Then his tone softened. "Really?"

 "Mmhm. She told me this evening. They’re giving it a real shot. Like... couple-couple."

 "That’s good," Snow said genuinely. "She deserves that after everything and so does he."

 "Yeah. I told them I expect pup updates soon," I said with a grin.

 Snow chuckled again. "Of course you did."

 "I miss you," I blurted before I could stop myself. Quiet. Honest.

 Another pause followed—this one heavier.

 "I miss you too," he said, voice lower now. "More than I know how to say."

 My throat tightened. I hated how distance had be normal. How hearing him through a phone felt like both a blessing and a curse.

 "I wish I coulde back," he added, quieter now. "Just for one night. Just to lie beside you."

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Chapter 493: Alpha Zeno