Contract Marriage With Alpha Snow Chapter 86: Cornered

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Chapter 86

~Koda’s POV~

I swallowed hard, clearing my throat as I adjusted my stance. "Well, not quite, Alpha Slade. I had... sothing I needed to take care of here. Urgently."

Slade let out a low chuckle, the sound carrying a hint of disbelief. "Uh-huh. So, where exactly is here, if I may ask?"

I hesitated, fighting the urge to grip the back of my neck, but there was no point in lying. "Ivory Crescent Pack."

Silence.

Then, "Ivory Crescent? Koda, of all the territories... what the hell are you doing over there?" His voice had shifted, no longer amused.

I scrambled for an answer that would sound remotely acceptable. "It’s... personal business. I swear, I’ll be back soon."

Slade humd. I knew he was considering what I said and I hoped he wasn’t going to get finicky about it either and let stay.

"Well, whatever this ’personal business’ is, make sure it’s settled fast. We’ve got a pack to run, and I expect my beta to, you know, be there."

"Yes, Alpha." I kept my voice steady, though my chest ached. It wasn’t lost on that Slade rarely called anything but my na. The use of "beta" wasn’t accidental.

"Good. Especially since Daisy would be returning to the pack by the weekend. We need to host her birthday party," he replied and this ti his tone softened only slightly. "Don’t be a stranger, Koda." And with that, he hung up, leaving standing in silence.

I shoved the phone back in my pocket and leaned against the tree, pressing my head against the rough bark, letting the familiar scent of wood and pine ground for a mont.

The last few days had left spinning. One mont, I thought I knew what I wanted, who I was ant to be with, but then fate threw Tempest in my face, like so twisted cosmic joke.

I tried to picture myself walking back into the Silver Claw Packhouse, forgetting this whole thing, leaving both Aira and Tempest behind. But the thought felt empty.

Could I even do it?

I looked back toward the pool, catching a flicker of movent, Aira’s figure wading in the water, laughing with a blonde as the sun glinted off her skin. My chest tightened, and for a split second, I felt the urge to go to her, to just say sothing real.

And then Tempest’s voice reached too, light but unmistakably hers, mingling with Aira’s, and the feeling twisted, turning bitter.

I shook my head, shoving off the tree with a muttered curse. Damn it, Koda. Get a grip.

With a deep sigh, I turned away, heading back into the woods, reminding myself why I had to leave this place as soon as I could but probably after talking to Aira.

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~Zara’s POV~

I stepped out onto the back lawn, inhaling the fresh evening air as I made my way to the little park tucked behind the pack house.

We swam for a few hours and after that, we each left the pool to dry off inside and shower. Once I was done, I headed out to enjoy the scenery before my departure tomorrow.

My eyes found Storm almost imdiately, his small figure perched on a swing, his laughter carried through the air each ti he kicked off from the ground.

"Storm!" I called out, smiling as he looked over and waved.

"Zara!" he bead, gesturing for to co closer. "Can you push ? Please?"

Without hesitation, I made my way over, planting my hands on the swing and giving him a gentle push, watching his small feet pump forward as he sailed through the air. His laughter was infectious, filling with a rare lightness I hadn’t felt in a while.

"Are you excited about school?" I asked, giving him another push.

He grinned, tilting his head back to look at , his dark eyes sparkling. "Yeah! Mum says I’m going to learn so many cool things soon!"

"Like what?"

"Math, science, and stuff. I get to make things too." He paused, wrinkling his nose. "But Mum said I have to make sure I don’t play too rough with the other kids."

I chuckled, trying my best to stifle the laughter. "Well, it sounds like a good plan to ."

He shrugged, swinging higher. "And you know what? I’m just glad Mum’s here now. Before, it was just and Daddy. But now..." His face lit up with a smile so pure, so innocent. "It’s like having my whole family together. Daddy Snow says family is important. Is that true?"

"Very true," I said softly, my heart aching a little at his words. I couldn’t help but think of my own family and how things were anything but whole. "Family’s one of the most important things we have."

He gave a serious nod, a thoughtful look on his face. "I think so too. That’s why I try to be nice to everyone in the pack... even when they’re grumpy."

I laughed. "You’re doing a great job, Storm."

We continued chatting about his plans for the new school year, his favourite snacks, and how he once thought he could make a snowman out of dirt in the middle of sumr.

I could feel myself relaxing, my worries montarily pushed aside. But as we laughed, my phone buzzed in my pocket, breaking through the mont.

"Hold on one second, Storm," I muttered, fishing out my phone.

A single notification lit up the screen—a ssage from Ivan. I thought it was from Andrew but to my horror, it was that bastard.

My stomach dropped, a dark feeling creeping in as I opened the ssage, already bracing myself for whatever he’d sent.

’Check your email, Zara,’ his ssage read. ’It’s only a matter of ti before your father’s company falls. All I need is a single signature, and it’s over. You know where to find .

I clenched my jaw, my hands trembling slightly as I opened the attachnt. The docunt loaded slowly, and when it did, my heart stopped. My father’s na was signed on a contract transferring an enormous sum of money—almost everything the company had—to an offshore account.

Panic welled up in my chest as I realized what this ant. My father was being forced into a corner, left vulnerable to whatever trap Ivan was setting. And if he succeeded, everything my father had worked for—everything our family had left—would crumble.

"Zara?" Storm’s voice broke through my thoughts, his face scrunched up with concern as he stared at from the swing. "Are you okay?"

I forced a smile, pocketing my phone. "Yeah, Storm. Everything’s fine."

But as I looked into his innocent eyes, all I could think about was the promise I’d made to myself—to protect my family, no matter the cost.

I just hadn’t realized the cost would include facing Ivan all over again.

Another ssage entered my phone, its buzz pulling my attention from Storm to my phone.

Ivan:You see, either you do all I want or he signs it. He already lost to and agreed to do anything I wanted. See you soon, my fiance.