Contract Marriage With Alpha Snow-Chapter 461: Joining The Alliance

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Chapter 461

~Vera’s POV~

Kent didn’t kiss me. He didn’t need to. The moment his hand slid from my waist and dropped to his side again, I knew what came next wasn’t about seduction. Not yet.

This wasn’t the time for lust. It was time for war.

He turned and walked toward the massive wall-length shelf where documents and folders were arranged like weapons. Strategic. Precise. Every detail of Thorned Crescent’s black-market deals, Shadow Clave’s movements, rogue wolf enclaves—they were all here.

"So," he said, picking up a file and tossing it onto the glass table, "are you going to tell me what your brilliant next move is, or should I guess?"

I moved toward the table, eyes scanning the map pinned under the open file.

"I want Zara Gold isolated," I said flatly. "Not just physically. Mentally. Emotionally. I want to break the golden thread she’s holding onto—cut it from the root."

Kent folded his arms. "You mean Snow."

"Yes." My tone sharpened. "I killed him. I know that Zara..."

"Wrong," Kent said, cutting me.

"What?" I blinked, trying to understand what he meant by that.

"I have intel. Snow Zephyr is alive."

"What?!"

My world looked like it was about to shut down, not because of what he said, meaning my attack had somewhat failed, but because I was relieved my mate was alive.

And that now meant he was locked in with Zara again.

That bitch had my mate. Think, Vera, think!

"Okay, seems either her powers or a protection spell or something else was used to bring him back. Not good. She’s stronger with him. Focused. But if I can fracture their bond, even for a moment—" I began, but he interjected.

"She becomes reckless." Kent nodded. "Unstable."

"Exactly." I dragged my nail down the edge of the map.

"I hear they are trying to gather an alliance," I informed her.

Vera nodded. "Okay. Zara thinks her alliance makes her untouchable. But the moment one piece of her network falters... she’ll feel it."

Kent leaned in. "Then you don’t need to kill her."

"Not yet," I agreed. "First, I make her suffer. Then I strip her bare while my mother does her work with her.

He picked up a secondary document. "These are the confirmed packs responding to the Gold family’s call. Your mother’s spies confirmed most are still waiting to decide."

I snatched the document from him and grinned. "Perfect. That gives me time."

Kent cocked a brow. "Time to do what?"

"To stage a betrayal." I walked back to the window, eyes scanning the skyline. "Send a message to one of the neutral packs in the East. Offer them an alliance—secretly. Promise protection, weapons... and when they accept, leak the deal to Zara’s side."

Kent let out a low whistle. "You want to make it look like one of their own betrayed them."

"She’ll doubt the alliance. Trust will erode. And once it begins to unravel..." I turned back to face him, eyes gleaming. "They’ll eat themselves from the inside before we ever strike."

Kent was silent for a long moment. Then he walked back toward me, his lips curving into a slow, lethal smile.

"You really are terrifying."

"And you love it."

He didn’t deny it.

Instead, he grabbed a pen, tapped it against the file, and said, "Alright, my beautiful villain. Let’s tear their little kingdom apart—piece by fragile piece."

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~Alpha Slade’s POV~

The early morning air was crisp, but inside my office, the scent of cedarwood and old paper lingered, familiar and grounding.

I leaned back in my chair, the leather creaking beneath me as I scanned through the pile of reports left on my desk. Rogue sightings near the southern border. A minor skirmish in the east. A suspicious scent trail with traces of old dark magic. Typical for these times.

But it was the new email flagged with priority that caught my eye.

My fingers clicked the mouse, opening it slowly. At the top of the screen, the sender was one I hadn’t seen in years: Zaria Gold.

The subject line read: United Alpha Alliance Proposal – For Immediate Consideration.

I narrowed my eyes, leaned forward, and began reading.

The content was formal, cleanly worded, but full of gravity. Zara Gold—her daughter—was spearheading a movement to unify the strongest remaining packs across the kingdom.

They were preparing for war. A large-scale, no-holds-barred war against the Thorned Crescent, Shadow Clave, and the rogue-witch alliance.

And she was asking for our support.

I wasn’t surprised, not really. I’d been waiting for this move. Still, something about seeing her name again—Zaria—made my throat tighten. We hadn’t spoken in years. Not since the old days. Not since the kingdom fractured.

A soft knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.

"Koda," I said without looking up. "Come in."

The door creaked open, and he stepped inside, dressed in his usual patrol gear—black tactical vest, dagger at his hip. His dark hair was slightly damp, like he’d just returned from a run.

"You called for me, Alpha?"

"I did." I closed the email and folded my arms on the desk. "Status update on the pack and the patrol team?"

Koda’s jaw clenched slightly as he walked to stand in front of my desk. "Rough. The southern ridge still has traces of dark beast markings. We’ve rotated teams twice in the last forty-eight hours, but the terrain is slowing us down."

"Casualties?"

"None. Injuries? Two, minor. Nothing fatal. However, we have successfully prevented any breach. No beasts entered. And no rogue wolves got through."

I gave a slow nod, digesting his report. Koda wasn’t just a warrior. He was a commander—sharp-eyed, efficient, and painfully loyal. But what stood out most right now was the quiet fire in his voice. He wasn’t saying everything.

"You’re holding something back," I said calmly.

Koda’s gaze flickered, and he exhaled. "Tempest. I’ve felt... a shift. She’s getting stronger, more restless. I think the bond is trying to fix itself—but we’re not there yet."

I studied him for a moment. "You still want her?"

"Every damn day," he admitted without hesitation. "But I’m letting her lead. She needs to decide."

I nodded once. "Then keep doing what you’re doing. But stay alert. With what’s coming... you’ll want to be at your strongest."

Koda furrowed his brows. "What’s coming?"

I turned the monitor slightly toward him and tapped the screen.

"The alliance. It’s beginning."

His eyes scanned the email, then widened slightly. "Zara Gold?"

"She’s calling on the old bloodlines. Rebuilding what we lost. If we join, we’re pledging ourselves to a real war. No posturing. No politics. Just battle."

Koda straightened. "Then let me be the first to volunteer. Tempest will stand with them. So will I."

I stared at him, pride warming something cold in my chest. "Good. Because I think this time, we won’t have the luxury of choosing whether or not we fight. It’s already begun."

"I know. And I fully support. The rogues have been left unchecked for a while. The earlier we pick up, the quicker we can deal with this insurgency and finally prove to the other races that we can keep things under control."

"I understand. I shall send my reply immediately. Prepare our warriors."