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Chapter 194
~Zara’s POV~
The drive ho was steeped in silence. Snow’s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles pale from the pressure.
I opened my mouth to speak several tis, desperate to break the silence but the words never ca.
His jaw was set, his icy blue eyes fixed on the road, and I could sense the storm brewing beneath his composed exterior.
If he could have fought and gotten away with it, Snow would have been pitted against other Aphas with Zade supporting him.
By the ti we entered the driveway, our tension had escalated significantly. Snow turned off the car but didn’t move. I hesitated, waiting for him to say sothing—anything—but he remained still.
"Snow," I began cautiously, placing a hand on his arm.
He withdrew from swiftly. Without a word, he exited the car, slamming the door behind him as he stord inside.
I stayed rooted in my seat for a mont, my heart sinking. What could I say to reach him when he was like this?
When I finally entered the house, the sound of Snow’s footsteps echoed upstairs. I stayed in the living room, collapsing onto the couch as a deep sigh escaped .
Monts later, one of the maids approached, carrying a steaming cup of tea. She set it down gently in front of . "Jasmine tea, ma’am," she said softly. "It’s calming."
I managed a small smile of gratitude, picking up the cup. The warm aroma wafted upward, soothing as I took a sip.
But the calm didn’t last long. My mind spun with the events of the evening—the stares, the whispers, and most of all, Kaid. His imposing aura, his smirk, and the way he claid I was promised to him all annoyed and suffocated .
I still couldn’t bring myself to face my mother after what happened. The betrayal I felt ran too deep. How could she have known about this and said nothing? How could she allow to be blindsided like that?
But the more pressing question lingered at the forefront of my thoughts: What if Kaid refused to back down? What if he ca for again? How could I fight soone as strong and powerful as him?
The sound of a punch against a wall tore through the silence, jolting from my thoughts. A spike of energy rippled through the house, Snow’s fury radiating like a tidal wave.
I jumped to my feet, placing the cup down as I hurried upstairs. The door to our bedroom was ajar, and when I stepped inside, my breath caught at the sight before .
The bathroom door was wide open, water running from the shower in an unrelenting stream. Snow stood beneath it, his back to as water cascaded over his hunched figure.
His head was bowed, droplets trailing down his naked chest and back. While one hand clenched against the wall, the other rested against it for support.
"Snow," I whispered, rushing toward him.
He didn’t respond, his breathing laboured and his body stiff. I hesitated for only a second before hugging him from behind and wrapping my arms around his broad shoulders.
At first, he didn’t react. He stayed frozen, the water soaking as it stread over both of us. My arms tightened around him, and slowly, his muscles relaxed beneath my touch.
We stood like that for what felt like an eternity, the only sound the rush of water around us. Finally, he broke the silence, his voice hoarse and filled with self-loathing.
"I failed you," he murmured, barely audible above the shower.
I stiffened. "What are you talking about?"
Snow turned his head back slightly, the pain in his eyes stark as he t my gaze. "I wasn’t strong enough to protect you tonight, Zara. Kaid—he touched you, claid you, and I..." His voice cracked, his jaw tightening. "I couldn’t stop him."
My heart ached at the raw vulnerability in his words. Here I was, thinking his anger stemd from Kaid’s audacity, but instead, he was punishing himself for what he perceived as a failure.
"Snow," I said softly, cupping his face but due to his posture, I couldn’t. Dropping my hands to the side, I ordered calmly but my tone left no room for an argunt from him. "Turn and face your woman."
He resisted at first, but eventually, he turned toward , his angry red eyes locked with mine. The anguish swirling within them nearly broke .
"I’m sorry, Zara," he rasped, his voice trembling. "Sorry that I wasn’t enough. That I couldn’t—"
I didn’t let him finish. Acting on impulse, I leaned forward, capturing his lips with mine in a desperate, silencing kiss.
He froze for a mont, clearly caught off guard, but then his hands found my waist, pulling closer as he kissed back with a hunger that stole my breath.
The kiss deepened, our lips moving in perfect sync as all the tension and unspoken emotions between us poured into that mont.
My hands slid down his chest, feeling the ridges of his muscles beneath my trembling fingers. The water made his skin slick, each touch igniting a fire in my veins.
Snow groaned against my lips, his hands trailing up my back before tangling in my hair. His grip was firm but gentle, as though he feared I might disappear if he let go. Or that soone else, would claim .
I broke the kiss, gasping for air as my forehead rested against his. "You’re enough," I whispered fiercely. "You’re more than enough, Snow. Don’t ever doubt that."
His eyes searched mine, vulnerability giving way to sothing deeper, sothing primal and when he pulled closer, his lips found mine again as the water continued to pour over us soothing the heat building between us.
My hands explored his body, trailing down his shoulders and over his chest, morizing every inch of him. His hands mirrored mine, roaming my back before settling on my hips, gripping as if I were his lifeline.
"Zara," he murmured against my lips, his voice rough with need.
I didn’t respond with words. Instead, I pressed closer, my hands sliding lower until they rested on his abdon, feeling the hard lines of his body beneath my palms.
His breath hitched, and a low growl rumbled in his chest, sending goosebumps all over my skin.
The world outside the bathroom ceased to exist. It was just us, tangled together beneath the stream of water, our emotions laid bare.
This wasn’t just about desire—it was about reassurance, about proving to each other that we were enough.
Snow pulled back slightly, his forehead resting against mine. "You’re my everything," he whispered.
"And you’re mine," I replied.
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