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Chapter 79
~Zara’s POV~
The library in the pack house was massive. I wasn’t expecting much when I’d asked where it was—just a small room with a few shelves, maybe—but this?
This was an actual library, with high ceilings, endless rows of books, and massive windows that let the afternoon sunlight pour in. I stood at the entrance for a moment, taking it all in.
If only every pack house came with this kind of sanctuary.
I moved deeper into the room, feeling the peaceful silence envelop me as the scent of old pages and wood filled the air. It was calming, and grounding—something I hadn’t realized I desperately needed until now.
I picked a spot near the window, pulling out my laptop. The events from the last few days had been a whirlwind, and my mind was a mess, spinning with everything that had happened since my rebirth.
’Where did I go wrong?’ I asked myself.
I settled into the armchair and opened my laptop. So much had changed, and I was no longer sure of my decisions.
The first mistake, the biggest mistake, had been the contract.
I hadn’t read it—not thoroughly, anyway. I had been so eager to escape my previous life with Ivan and ensure my freedom stayed that way that I’d signed it blindly, thinking it was just a formality.
’Stupid, stupid, stupid,’ I scolded myself as I opened the file attached to an old email from Snow’s lawyer. The contract blinked up at me, and for the first time since I’d signed it, I read it carefully.
And then I saw it.
My stomach turned as my eyes fell on one of the clauses, neatly typed and highlighted.
"The wife will perform all duties, legal and intimate, as per the expectations of a husband and wife, including in the bedroom and elsewhere as deemed appropriate by the husband."
I blinked, trying to process the words. ’Intimate duties? In the bedroom and elsewhere? What in the—’
I scrolled down further, finding more clauses that favoured Snow—clauses that I hadn’t even realised were in there when I’d signed.
"The wife is expected to accompany the husband at all times when required and maintain the image of a dutiful spouse, both in public and private settings."
’Public and private,’ I thought.
That covered everything. I clenched my jaw as I read on, the words becoming more invasive with every line. This wasn’t just a marriage contract—it was a legal straitjacket, designed to keep me under Snow’s control.
’Of course,’ I thought bitterly, ’how did I not see this coming?’
I shut my eyes and reached up, massaging my temples to ease off the headache. When my head calmed a little, I reopened my eyes.
Rather than storm upstairs and confront him, I took a deep breath, my fingers flying over the keyboard as I opened an email to my lawyer.
I attached the contract and typed a quick message, asking him to go over it and find any loopholes—anything I could use to turn this ridiculous situation around.
"There had to be something I could use against Snow."
I clicked "send," feeling a small wave of satisfaction wash over me. One step at a time. I was not going to let myself be caged by this ridiculous contract without a fight.
After finishing up in the library, I returned for dinner. Snow was his usual charming self—cool and controlled, his eyes lingering on me a little too long as if he could sense that something had shifted in me. But I said nothing. Not yet. I’d wait until I had all my cards lined up.
Still, at night, as I drifted off to sleep, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things were gonna get tough.
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The next morning, I woke up with an unfamiliar warmth pressing against me. My mind groggily registered the sensation, and for a second, I stayed still, confused.
My back was against something solid—someone solid.
Snow.
I shifted slightly, and that’s when I felt it.
Something hard, unmistakable, was pressing against my lower back. My breath hitched as the realization hit me like a freight train.
Morning fucking wood.
My cheeks flushed immediately, but before I could pull away, Snow stirred, his body shifting behind me. A low, soft moan escaped his lips, followed by my name.
"Zara..." he mumbled, half-asleep, his voice thick with sleep. "Mmm... kisses..."
I froze, my heart pounding in my chest as I felt his breath against my neck.
What the hell?
His hand, still draped over my waist, tightened its hold as he murmured more, his words slurred but unmistakable. "Breasts... so soft..."
Oh my God.
I tried to move, to slip out from under his arm, but as I did, he shifted again. This time, his hips pressed forward, and I felt the slow, unmistakable thrust of his hardness against me.
He’s humping me.
I yanked myself away from his grasp, my heart racing, but before I could fully escape, Snow’s arm snaked around my waist and yanked me back into him. I gasped as my body collided with his, waking him up instantly.
"Zara?" His voice was deep, still thick with sleep, but his body didn’t move away. If anything, it shifted closer, pressing me against the solid length of him.
I could feel every inch of him, his hardness pushing against me in a way that was impossible to ignore, his bare chest and thighs...
Wait! Snow was just in his boxers?
"Good morning," I managed, my voice a little breathless from the shock.
Snow chuckled as his lips brushed against my ear. "Good morning, indeed."
His arm tightened around me, pulling me flush against his body. At this point, the heat between us was undeniable.
"What’s this?" he asked, his tone teasing. "You miss me so much that you just had to fall on me? Couldn’t help yourself, hmm? Turned me on, didn’t you?"
I blinked, stunned by his absurd conclusion.
What the hell was he talking about?
I tried to pull away again, but his grip was unrelentingly firm. Urgh the bastard.
"You’re crazy," I muttered, my cheeks burning with embarrassment and disbelief.
Snow’s grin widened, his breath hot against my neck. "Well, I’m hard now, aren’t I? You’re responsible for that, so... how do you plan to make it go away?"