Contract Marriage With Alpha Snow

****************

~Snow's POV~

"Urgh… fuck me… I want to sleep more,' I groaned.

Tsk, thanks to my daily travel for the last week, I was now used to waking up at a particular time of the day whether my body wanted to or not.

The room was dim, wrapped in the relaxing hush of early dawn, but something felt… wrong.

I blinked awake slowly, stretching a hand toward her side of the bed, expecting the familiar warmth of her body tucked beside mine.

But the sheets were cold on her side of the bed.

My brows creased as I kept on touching, trying to find Zara.

'Was she playing with me or something?" I wondered.

I sat up instantly, running a hand over the empty space. The scent of her lingered, faintly and fading.

"Zara?" I called softly, eyes adjusting to the shadows. But there was no answer.

I glanced at the nightstand and picked up my phone. 5:03 a.m.

She wasn't a light sleeper, and she sure as hell wasn't the type to sneak out of bed without a reason—not after the night we'd just had.

The intense sex was hot and we made love once more before sleeping. SO yeah, Zara should be as tired as a truck.

Groaning, I pushed the covers back and swung my legs over the side of the bed, rubbing my eyes before walking into the bathroom.

Nothing. Her robe was still hanging, the towel we used last night still tossed over the rack. She hadn't come in here.

"Maybe she's in the kitchen," I muttered to myself, already unzipping to relieve myself.

After I finished, I washed my hands, splashing cold water on my face. The shock of it woke me up fully. I lathered some soap onto my hands and washed my face.

As soon as I felt fresh and clean, I reached for the towel on the rack, patting my face dry before tossing it aside.

Still no sign of her.

Something wasn't sitting right.

I threw on a loose hoodie and joggers, pulling the drawstrings tight as I padded barefoot down the hallway. The house was silent—too silent.

I reached the kitchen. Empty. The lights were off, no sound, no scent of coffee brewing or anyone sneaking a cookie.

My brows furrowed.

I checked the patio doors. Locked. Her slippers still neatly placed beside the mat.

I exhaled through my nose, the tension coiling slowly in my chest.

"Maybe she's in her office… or mine," I murmured, trying to keep myself grounded.

I moved quickly. Her study—empty. Mine—untouched. The bed in her old room? Perfectly made.

Now the knot in my chest was tightening.

"Zara?" I called, louder this time.

Nothing.

Throwing caution to the wind, I began checking every room on the second floor. Tempest's guest room, empty. Aira's quarters—dark. Zade's suite—quiet. The training room. The balcony.

Nothing.

My breathing grew heavier. Every empty room only made it worse. I wasn't just worried now—I was frantic.

This wasn't normal. Something was wrong.

I descended the stairs again, slower this time, my bare feet silent on the marble.

When I reached the living room, I paused, closed my eyes, and summoned Glacier.

"Glacier," I whispered in my head. "Can you sense her? Zara? Or Astrid?"

Silence. Then a long pause.

Nothing.

No pull from the bond. No faint thread of her heartbeat or energy signature. Just silence.

My heart pounded in my chest.

"Did she go for a run?" I whispered aloud, but even that didn't make sense. I would've felt her through the bond. If she was near… I'd know.

But I felt nothing.

Just then, footsteps padded across the upper floor, and Zade walked down the staircase rubbing sleep from his eyes, dressed in nothing but grey sweatpants and a loose tank top.

He stopped short when he saw me.

"Snow?" His eyes narrowed at my expression. "What's going on?"

I stared at him, breath catching in my throat before I forced the words out.

"Zara," I said. "She's… she's missing."

Zade's eyes widened slightly. "Missing… or has she been kidnapped?"

I couldn't answer right away. Because deep down... I didn't know which was worse.

Realization dawned like a slap to the chest, and my heartbeat spiked. I stumbled back a step, one hand bracing against the wall.

"She was sleeping beside me the whole time…" I whispered, mostly to myself. "How—how could anyone take her without me noticing?"

Zade frowned, folding his arms across his chest. "But you were searching for her. You already checked everywhere. What if she left to do something and… was taken?"

"No." I shook my head violently. "No, that cannot be possible."

"Why not?"

"Because there's no sign of a break-in. No forced entry. No broken locks. Nothing. And more importantly—I can't sense any other presence in the mansion. Not unfamiliar, not foreign. The wards haven't been triggered. Everything feels... untouched." My voice dropped as I stared past him. "And yet… she's gone."

Zade's brows drew together, tension now etched in his jaw. "So she vanished into thin air?"

Before I could respond, the sound of footsteps shuffled in from opposite directions.

Tempest appeared from one hall, hair disheveled, blanket half-draped over her shoulder. At the same moment, Aira came from the kitchen, tying her robe around her waist and yawning.

"What's all the noise?" Tempest asked, rubbing her eyes. "It's five a.m., for goddess' sake."

"I heard hurried steps going up and down," Aira mumbled. "What's going on?"

I turned sharply to face them, pulse thudding in my ears.

"Did—" I swallowed the dryness in my throat. "Did either of you see Zara?"

Tempest blinked slowly. "Not since the party."

Aira frowned. "She didn't come by the kitchen this morning. Why?"

My mouth opened, but the words got stuck for a second.

Zade answered for me. "She's missing."

That made both of them go still before exchanging glances and then returned their gaze to me.

"What?" Tempest asked, voice suddenly cold.

"You're kidding, right?" Aira asked, but even she did not believe her words. "How?"