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CHAPTER 17
~Zara's POV~
My heart dropped at the sound of his voice, that deep, familiar tone dripping with amusement. Slowly, I turned, and there he was—Snow.
Standing tall in the doorway, dressed in his usual impeccable black suit, his eyes glinting with something between amusement and... something else.
"Hello, wifey," he repeated, his lips curling into a teasing smirk.
Ella, who had been grinning like a fool a few seconds ago, now stood frozen, her hand still gripping the doorknob as if it was the only thing keeping her grounded.
She looked between me and Snow, her mouth agape, trying to process what was happening.
"Wifey?" she muttered under her breath, her wide eyes shifting back to me. "Alpha Snow."
Snow stepped inside casually, his powerful presence filling the room as if he owned the place. His gaze shifted to Ella briefly before settling back on me. "Didn't expect me, did you?"
I swallowed hard, trying to regain control of the situation. "That depends, what are you doing here?" I asked, hoping my voice didn't betray the mixture of surprise and nervousness bubbling inside me.
He cocked his head, raising an eyebrow. "Is that how you greet your husband now?" He flashed a smile, but there was something unreadable in his eyes. "I told you to be home by 7 p.m., Zara. It's nearly 7:30."
I felt a wave of annoyance creep in, replacing the initial shock.
Where and when did he and I have such a conversation? I had only dropped a message for him with his secretary, telling her she was visiting a friend and as such she was leaving on time.
She didn't recall when he gave her a curfew.
"And I dropped a message for you. No other exchange occurred between us. I was just visiting a friend." I gestured toward Ella, who was still staring at Snow like she was witnessing some sort of royal apparition. "So unless you came here to join us for wine and cookies, what's the rush?"
Snow frowned and for a moment I enjoyed my victory before his eyes lit up and he took out his phone from his pocket.
"I sent you a text. Look I have proof."
"Where?" I challenged.
"If you'd just check your phone for a moment maybe then you'd have seen my text m…"
Ella and I raised our brows at him. Why the halt, I pondered.
A minute later, Snow lifted his eyes, settling them on Ella first, then me as he cleared his throat.
"Well?" I spoke impatiently, earning a scowl from Ella.
"I guess there was a connection error, the message did not deliver."
"Pf…" I held the urge to laugh, forcing myself to keep my neutral look but my little attempt caught Snow's attention and he was angry.
But me being me, I shrugged off his anger. "Ella, I presume you'll have to get another wine glass for our guest here and…"
My speech caught short. Ella's glare was something I wasn't prepared for. I knew she adored Snow, which sane lady didn't but to me, he was just another rich CEO and my husband.
Following her glare, Ella shook her head. "I huh… Alpha Snow I…"
Snow, still standing casually near the door, watched the exchange with mild amusement. "Quite the reaction," he noted, cutting her short, his eyes glinting as they flicked between me and Ella. "But if I recall correctly, I told my wife she had to be home on time, so we might have to cut this little visit short."
I glared at him, crossing my arms. "I'm not a child, Snow. I can decide when I leave."
He stepped further into the living area, closing the distance between us. "No," he murmured, his gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that made my pulse race and Astrid stirred awake.
No. No. No. No…
"But you're my wife, and I think I've been more than patient with your little outings today."
I clenched my fists, refusing to let him see how much his proximity affected me. "I'm not going anywhere until I'm ready," I said firmly, holding his gaze.
Snow's smile widened, clearly enjoying this little standoff. "I see," he replied, his voice dropping to a low murmur that sent a shiver down my spine. "Then I guess I'll just have to wait."
Ella, still perched by the door, watched us like she was tuning into the most intense drama of her life. "Wow," she whispered, her eyes wide with fascination. "You two are something else."
I shot her a look, feeling my cheeks heat. "Ella, you're not helping."
She held up her hands in surrender, still grinning like an idiot. "Hey, I'm just saying... this tension? Off the charts. Seriously, you guys need to resolve whatever this is—fast and get down and frisky with the sex."
Snow chuckled, his gaze still locked on mine. "I think your friend's right, Zara," he teased, hooking his index finger underneath my chin as he drew closer. "We should resolve this... sooner rather than later."
I narrowed my eyes at him, knowing exactly what he was implying. "Fine," I huffed. "Give me five minutes and I'll be ready to leave."
"Five minutes already exhausted," he said checking his wristwatch. "Your friend here wouldn't miss you even if you stayed an additional five minutes."
Heavens knew I felt like smacking him across the head but the tingling feelings already coursing through me prevented me from doing so.
Snow gave a slight nod, clearly pleased with himself, and stepped back toward the door. "Fine. Two minutes," he repeated, glancing at his watch. "I'll be waiting."
As soon as the door closed behind him, Ella erupted into laughter, her eyes shining with disbelief. "Oh my God, Zara. What the hell was that?!" she exclaimed, practically bouncing on the couch. "You two... the chemistry... the drama! I can't believe you kept this from me!"
I groaned, covering my face with my hands. "I didn't exactly keep it from you. It's complicated, okay?"
"Complicated?" Ella laughed harder. "That's the understatement of the century! You're married to Alpha freaking Snow Zephyr, and there's clearly something between you two. Girl, this is a wild ride."
I sighed, shaking my head as I got up to grab my things. "It's... not what you think, El. We got married under... unusual circumstances and you know it."
"Yeah, I bet," she said, still grinning. "But that doesn't change the fact that you two are like a freaking firestorm together. Are you seriously going to tell me there's nothing there? I bet if I wasn't here, he'd definitely have kissed you."
I hesitated, biting my lip. I wasn't ready to admit... whatever this was. I barely understood it myself. "Look, I just need to figure things out, okay?"
Ella raised her glass in a mock salute. "Take your time, but don't wait too long. That man looks at you like you're the only thing in the world worth his time. Besides, a little tease could be all you need."
I rolled my eyes, but deep down, her words struck a chord I wasn't ready to confront. I grabbed my bag and headed for the door. "I'll see you later, Ella. And try not to traumatize your... neighbour too much, okay?"
She snorted, waving me off. "Yeah, yeah. Go on, Mrs. Zephyr. Your Alpha is waiting."
As I stepped out of the apartment, Snow was already leaning against his car, arms crossed, that infuriating smirk still plastered on his face.
"Ready?" he asked confidently as always.
I sighed, knowing there was no winning with him tonight. "Let's just go."
But as I climbed into the car and he closed the door, I knew I wouldn't be seeing Mr. Mysterious tonight.
I glanced at the text once more, but Glacier's presence pushed the problem out of my thought as Astrid purred in response.
'Fuck.'