**************
Chapter 167
~Author’s POV~
Snow’s lips curved into a smile, though it held no warmth. "What I want is simple: you rein in your son before he drags our entire family’s name into irredeemable ruin."
"And if I don’t?" Wright asked, his voice hard, though a flicker of doubt crossed his expression.
"Then I’ll ensure your mother’s name, the Jeremy name, becomes synonymous with failure and disgrace," Snow said, his tone lethal. "And believe me, I’ll enjoy every moment of it."
The room fell into a tense silence, Wright’s expression darkening as he considered his options. Finally, his shoulders slumped slightly in reluctant submission. "Very well. What do you propose?"
"First," Snow said, stepping closer, his towering presence leaving no room for defiance, "Ivan cuts all ties with the Thorned Crescent and Marcus. If we find even the faintest whiff of your involvement in the attacks on Zara, there will be no warnings. No second chances."
Ivan opened his mouth to protest, but his father shot him a glare that froze him in place.
"And second," Zade added, his voice firm and unwavering, "Ivan stays away from Zara. Permanently."
Wright’s lips thinned, his nostrils flaring as he exhaled sharply. "Agreed."
Snow’s eyes locked onto Ivan’s, his gaze smouldering with disdain and warning. "Stay in your lane, Ivan. This is your only chance to keep what little dignity you have left."
As if on cue, the door opened again, revealing Angela Jeremy, Ivan’s grandmother. Her elegant presence did little to soften the weight of the moment.
"What’s this commotion?" Angela asked, her voice calm but laced with authority. Her sharp eyes scanned the room, narrowing on Ivan. "I hope, Wright, you’re addressing the mess your son has caused."
"I am, Mother," Wright said, his tone clipped. "Ivan has been warned. If he so much as steps out of line again—"
"Good," Angela interrupted, her gaze shifting to Snow. "And you, Alpha Zephyr, do what needs to be done. This family will not stand in your way."
Ivan’s head snapped up in shock. "Grandmother—"
"Hush," Angela said curtly, her voice brooking no argument. "You’ve embarrassed this family enough. If Alpha Zephyr wants you to stay in line, then you’ll do exactly that."
Snow inclined his head slightly toward Angela in acknowledgement before turning back to Ivan. "Don’t test me, Ivan."
With that, Snow and Zade turned and strode out of the study.
The silence that followed was deafening but before Ivan could protest to his family, Angela bridged the gap between them and landed a hot slap on his face.
"Grandma!"
Angela’s gaze darkened as she glared daggers at him. "You had one fucking simple job—get Zara back and secure our family’s fortune. One job."
"It’s not as easy," Ivan refuted, "especially with Snow in the way."
"Nothing worthwhile ever is. Your father and I had to bend our heads to his younger brother to throw them off of four backs. Do you think I wanted to do that? Hell no!"
Wright nodded. "Everything was an act. This was done to demonstrate that you do not have our backing. That way they cannot ruin the Jeremy name."
Ivan cradled his cheek. "Meaning I was just the scapegoat?"
Angela scoffed, placing her hand on her hips. "Being a scapegoat for the good of the family—then yeah, you should consider it an honour, considering I didn’t offer you as a peace offering to Snow when he came."
Ivan dropped his hand at his side. He was mentally tired of his family and their thirst for power but right now going against his father and grandmother wasn’t up for question.
***************
~Zara’s POV~
Back at the packhouse, I paced the sitting room, anxiety gnawing at me. When Snow and Zade returned, their expressions were grim but determined.
"It’s handled," Snow said simply, pulling me into his arms.
"Handled how?" I asked, looking between them after pulling from the hug..
"Ivan won’t be a problem anymore," Zade said, his tone reassuring. "We made sure of it."
Relief flooded me, but it was short-lived. Deep down, I knew this wasn’t the end. We could have dealt with Ivan but was that who our real enemy was?
Marcus was still out there, and the Thorned Crescent loomed in the shadows.
As if sensing my worries, Snow moved closer, pulling me into his arms again. "Hey love, I’m here. You do not have to worry."
But for now, I allowed myself a moment of peace in Snow’s embrace, knowing that whatever came next, we’d face it together.
And I’d be ready.
"Snow’s right. You have us." I smiled at Zade.
"Even if I do, it doesn’t change the fact that Marcus is out there and none of you can stop whatever they did to me, like the last time."
Both men froze, particularly Snow. That was when I realized I had voiced that out and froze in fear.
I never meant it in a negative way. For a minute, no one spoke; everyone fell silent, their eyes all centered on me.
A second later, Snow broke into a burst of laughter, easing the tension a little as his hug turned tighter.
"I love you and we will figure it out, even if I have to make alliances with witches."
His arms loosened around me, though the warmth of his presence lingered. As I stepped back, their questioning looks made me pause.
"What?" I asked, tilting my head.
"What did you do while we were away?" "What were you doing while we were gone?" Zade asked, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.
Snow’s expression softened, his blue eyes watching me carefully. "You seem... distracted. Talk to us, love."
I hesitated, unsure how to explain the strange feeling I’d had. Taking a deep breath, I decided to tell them.
"I went to my old room," I said quietly, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt. "Mother thought it might help me make sense of things. And for a moment, it did—sort of. I felt... flashes of something. Memories maybe, but nothing concrete."
Snow’s face turned serious, while Zade’s brows knit in concern.
"What kind of flashes?" Zade inquired in a cautious yet curious tone.
"Small things," I said, waving a hand vaguely. "The room felt like it was mine, but also not mine. I noticed a desk covered in scratches, which saddened me, though I couldn’t pinpoint why."