Contract Marriage With Alpha Snow novel Chapter 163

Chapter 163: Thorned Crescent

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Chapter 163

~Zara’s POV~

The air in the room turned cold. Snow’s expression darkened, and Glacier stirred within him, a low growl reverberating in the silence.

Witches?

My eyes went wide. My brain struggled to make sense of everything I had heard. Why? Did Marcus return from the dead and become more deadlier?

Everyone knew that working with witches wasn’t safe, unless you wanted to be cursed. My breathing ragged, my chest rising and falling with every second that passed.

Snow must have noticed how erratic my breathing was and flashed me a small smile before his expression turned serious again.

"That symbol," Snow muttered, his voice laced with a dangerous edge.

He didn’t respond further immediately. Instead, he flipped through the folder, his eyes scanning the printed stills of the footage. Finally, he looked at me, his expression grave.

"It’s an emblem tied to an old rogue faction," he explained, his voice low and steady. "They call themselves the Thorned Crescent. They’ve been dormant for years, but if they’re involved, this isn’t random."

My heart sank. The name alone sent a chill down my spine, though I’d never heard of them before.

"And the witches?"

"They were knpown for dabbling in ancient dark magic, using it to make their pack and werewolves stronger. Their practice had affected those around them, as anyone who went to them for help got their desires carried out but often wound up dead."

"What the..."

"As such," he continued, cutting me off, "as such they were cast out of the werewolf territories."

"Why now?" I asked. "Why target us?"

Snow set the folder aside, his gaze unwavering. "Two reasons. Firstly, the goal is to cause instability among the packs. They’ve always thrived on chaos, and attacking me—or us—would serve their purpose."

My mind ran a mile thinking of all the dangerous possibilities.

"Second, someone hired them, and right now I cannot think of anyone other than our dead frenemy Marcus. This explosion wasn’t just personal; it was a message. Else they’d have ensured death followed."

Scott cleared his throat. "There’s more, sir."

"Go on," Snow said curtly.

"Jupiter sent word about Ivan," Scott said. "It seems Ivan has been in contact with... someone. We traced a transaction—unusually large—to an unmarked account associated with the Thorned Crescent."

Ivan. That name brought bile to my throat.

For a moment, Snow’s eyes flashed crimson, with Glacier’s anger poised to explode at any moment.

"Ivan’s involvement seals it. Ivan is a reckless individual, and he has now led us into this complex situation. Had he not arranged for Zara’s kidnapping, we wouldn’t have been involved with Marcus this way."

I swallowed hard. "What do we do now?" I asked, looking between them.

Snow reached out, taking my hand and squeezing it gently. "We stay vigilant. You’re not leaving this mansion without me or Zade, understood?"

I wanted to argue, to assert that I wasn’t helpless, but his protective tone left no room for debate. "Zara, I promised your brother I’d take care of you and protect you with my life. I cannot break that promise to my best friend and to you or Glacier."

Snow’s eyes softened. "I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose you, my love."

My gaze flickered to Scott. The way he looked at Snow told me this was the first time they had seen their Master and Alpha this way with someone who wasn’t his blood.

"Understood," I said softly.

Scott nodded at Snow. "I’ll have the team on high alert, sir. And inform the warriors at Ivory Crescent. Alpha Storm will receive the information.