Contract Marriage With Alpha Snow novel Chapter 401

Chapter 401: Difficult Choice

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Chapter 401

~Ryland’s POV~

I ran a hand down my face, staring at my phone for what felt like the thousandth time. Still nothing.

No reply. No missed calls.

Just silence.

It had been days—no, more than a week—since Tempest had called things off with me. And ever since then, she had been avoiding me like the plague.

I tried calling her. She ignored me.

I tried showing up at her place, but she made sure I never got the chance to see her. She was hurting—I knew she was—and yet she refused to let me in.

Her last message had been short and cutting.

"Spend this time chasing after your mate, Ry, and not me. Don’t call, see or message me until you have."

I clenched my jaw as those words echoed in my mind.

But I didn’t want to chase my mate.

I wanted her, Tempest.

Fate be damned, she was the one I had chosen.

And if she thought she could just disappear from my life without a fight, then she clearly didn’t know me as well as she thought she did.

I exhaled sharply and grabbed my keys. If she wouldn’t answer my calls, then I would go see the one person who might be able to change her mind.

Crystal.

With a deep breath, I pulled up the number I had managed to get through Zara and hit dial. Earlier on, I called Alpha Ares, asking him for Crystal’s number.

His response was pretty simple—it’s about time you reached out, mate boy, or else she would have returned to my pack today.

I didn’t know what more to say but thank him.

The phone rang a few times before a soft, uncertain voice answered. "Hello?"

I cleared my throat. "Crystal. It’s Ryland."

A pause was followed by an unimpressed, "Oh."

She didn’t sound surprised to hear from me, but she also didn’t sound thrilled.

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to find the right words. "I need to see you. Can we meet?"

Another pause. Then, finally, "Okay."

I exhaled, relieved. "Thank you."

We set a time and place—a quiet, secluded park on the outskirts of town. Away from distractions. Away from anyone else.

Just the two of us.

And maybe, just maybe, I could figure out what the hell I was supposed to do next.

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~Raven’s Park~

When I arrived, the park was eerily silent. The soft rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of crickets were the only sounds breaking the evening’s silence.

Crystal was already there, sitting on a wooden bench near the lake, her long hair cascading down her back in soft waves.

Her scent invaded my nostrils like a punch to the gut.

Mate.

My wolf roared within me, restlessly.

"Mate. Mate. Mate."