Contract Marriage With Alpha Snow novel Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Illegitimate Status

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Chapter 9

~Ivan's POV~

I couldn't focus on dinner. Anger burned through me, making my hands shake. I could barely hold it in, struggling to believe what was happening or to make sense of it all.

How could this have happened? Zara—my Zara—married to Snow? It made no sense. It was impossible. I stabbed at the roasted turkey, shoving a big cut into my mouth, barely tasting it.

As dinner dragged on, I watched Snow and Zara from across the table. I didn't bother hiding my stare. She looked composed, almost defiant, sitting beside him like she belonged by his side.

Snow leaned in occasionally, whispering something that made her lips twitch with amusement. My blood boiled in my veins. She was mine. Only I had the right to do that to her.

Thankfully, dinner ended after the dreadful minutes that followed.

When Snow's father called him inside, I saw my chance. Snow excused himself and followed his father, leaving Zara alone at the table where she barely exchanged light remarks with the other members of the family.

No one sided with me when Alpha Storm was present. The only one who would have was my father and grandmother.

Being the firstborn son, Snow had no choice but to accord my father that respect and his illegitimate status wouldn't have changed that either.

Alpha Storm, my grandfather had sired my father before his marriage to his Luna who had in turn birthed two girls before the Moon Goddess finally bestowed her with an heir, Snow.

Unable to keep his mistress and Luna in the same place out of respect for his Luna, my grandmother was given a mansion far from the pack house in the city.

Unfortunately, neither of them graced the dinner. I waited, counting the seconds and thinking of the way I could approach Zara. When I mustered the courage and stood, the door opened and Snow returned.

I gritted. I'd lost another golden opportunity. Snow and Zara said a few quick goodbyes before they took their leave.

I didn't waste another moment. The second they were out of sight, I pushed back my chair and rushed down the hallway, straight to my grandfather's room. I knocked once and then burst inside, not waiting for an answer.

"Grandfather!" I shouted, breathless with anger. "How could you let this happen?"

Alpha Storm didn't even look up at first. He continued to read through some papers on his desk as if I weren't even there. Finally, he glanced up, his gaze was sharp, freezing me in place.

"What are you talking about, Ivan?" His voice was calm despite my outburst but there was an edge to it, a warning I chose to ignore.

"Zara!" I blurted out, my frustration spilling over. "She was supposed to be mine. Snow stole her from me, right under your nose, and you did nothing. You know she was my fiancée!"