h4Chapter 499: Snow’s Return/h4

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    strongChapter 499/strong

    strong~Zara’s POV~/strong

    The ache in my chest deepened, and I waved over one of the housemaids as she passed.

    "Can you please get me my phone?" I asked, brushing crumbs off my fingers.

    "Yes, Lady Zara," she said with a small bow, then turned to leave.

    But I didn’t need it.

    A secondter, something flickered in my chest—like a whisper beneath my ribcage, a maic tug along the thread of the bond, a second heartbeat I was used to.

    I froze.

    My heart skipped.

    i’He’s here.’/i

    I didn’t need anyone to say it. I didn’t need to check. I felt it—felt him, Snow.

    His presence had swept into the estate like a steady storm front. My bond to him hummed with life, heat, and the certainty that he had returned.

    Just then, another maid came jogging in, her voice breathless. "Lady Zara—Alpha Snow has just arrived—"

    "I know," I breathed, pushing away from the counter.

    The cookie was immediately forgotten, the juice half-drunk, and I was already halfway down the hallway before she finished her sentence.

    My feet moved on their own, instincts sharper than logic. I turned the corner, ran past the main corridor, and flung open the double doors that led toward the front of the estate.

    Because I didn’t need confirmation, I could already feel the storm easing in my soul.

    He was home.

    And I needed to see him.

    I burst through the double doors, the crisp afternoon breeze brushing against my face as the estate’s open courtyard greeted me.

    And there he was.

    Snow Zephyr.

    Tall, steady, wrapped in the familiar warmth of his hoodie, stepping out of the ck car like he hadn’t been gone for days that had felt like weeks.

    But this wasn’t the same man Ist kissed goodbye outside the house.

    I stopped in my tracks.

    The wind caught the hood as he pulled it down, and the moment his hair caught the sunlight, I froze.

    Bright blue streaked through the dark strands at the tips—electric, vivid, impossible to miss. It was beautiful. And unnatural.

    My breath caught in my throat.

    But then Snow looked up and he smiled.

    Not the tired, guarded smile he gave to others, but the one that crinkled the corners of his eyes, that softened the sharp edges of his face.

    "I’m home, love."

    Snow dropped his travel bag at his feet and opened his arms.

    Without hesitation, I ran to him, boots pounding against the stone tiles, tossing caution and logic behind me like scattered petals.

    I mmed into his chest, and his arms wrapped tightly around me. His embrace swallowed me whole.

    His arms, warm and strong, finally felt like home.

    Snow lifted me effortlessly, spinning me once before burying his face in the crook of my neck. Iughed—half sob, half joy—and tangled my fingers into his hoodie as if anchoring him to me.

    "You’re really here," I breathed.

    "I told you I’de back."

    I pulled back just enough to see his face and then, without waiting another second, pressed my lips to his in a kiss that tasted of missing time, silent longing, and everything we hadn’t been able to say through our bond.

    Snow kissed me back, hungry and gentle at the same time, grounding us both in that one moment.

    But when we finally parted, I noticed it.

    The eyes.

    One still held that piercing ice-blue I knew so well... but the other? A deep, glowing violet that looked almost ethereal.

    I blinked. "Snow."

    He didn’t flinch. He simply nodded, the soft smile returning but not reaching his eyes this time.

    "Yes," he said quietly, acknowledging the way my eyes raked over him. "Zara... something is happening to me."

    There was a shadow of fear in his voice, in how his hands lingered on my waist like he was afraid of what I’d say.

    But I only smiled.

    I ced both hands on his cheeks, guiding him to look straight at me.

    "I know," I whispered, brushing my thumbs beneath his eyes. "And as annoying as what I’m about to say is... It’s the truth."

    Snow tilted his head, eyes searching mine.

    "You’re changing," I said softly. "Because you’re bonding to a dragon."

    His body wentpletely still.

    And the look in his eyes was one of pure disbelief, raw, wild shock. It was exquisite yet painful for him or should I say too dumbstruck for him.

    "Come on," I said softly, my hand finding his.

    Snow didn’t speak as we entered the house, his fingers tightening around mine as if afraid I’d slip away. He was still reeling, still caught somewhere between denial and awe.

    We passed the maids in the hall—most paused, their eyes widening when they caught a glimpse of him, but I lifted a hand, firmly.

    "Please," I said, "don’t let anyone disturb us. Not until I say so."

    "Yes, Lady Zara," one of them replied with a quick bow before retreating, already ushering the others away like they understood the weight in my voice.

    Snow and I climbed the stairs in silence. Not because we didn’t want to speak, but because words would have ruined the fragile moment holding us both together.

    The door to our room clicked shut behind us, and I turned to him.

    He stood in the middle of the room, hoodie still half up, streaks of electric blue catching in the low light. His mismatched eyes—one ice, one violet—reflected the war going on inside him.

    "This... this doesn’t make sense," he said in a low and uncertain voice. "How is this even possible?"

    I stepped closer, brushing a hand across his cheek. "Siona told me once... that side effects like this could happen. That using dragon scales for magic, especially ones that still carry dormant energy, could create... a resonance."

    Snow blinked. "Resonance?"

    "A bond," I said. "Between you and the creature it came from."

    He stared at me, stunned. "I went to find her. After I noticed the changes, they told me she was here, in this house. But now... I can’t sense her at all."

    "She was here," I confirmed gently. "We trained this morning. She left just before you arrived."

    He dragged a hand through his hair, tugging at the ends like he wanted to pull the blue right out. "Why didn’t you tell me any of this sooner?"

    I hesitated, then told him the truth. "Because I wasn’t sure. I didn’t want to rm you until I could confirm it. I needed to know if it was something dangerous—if it could hurt you."

    His eyes narrowed, searching. "And?"

    "Davion came," I said quietly.

    His posture stiffened immediately. "The Dragon Prince?"

    I nodded.

    "He felt it," I continued. "The moment it began. The bond is real, Snow. And it’s still forming."

    His breathing faltered. "Was that... was that the feeling I kept having? Like... like I could see you even when you weren’t there? Hear you breathing across the distance? I thought I was losing it."

    "No," I whispered, stepping close again. "That’s the bond. You’re not just connected to Davion through the dragon scale... you’re connected to me too but he feels you and what you feel through the bond. Through it. It’s strange, I know, but I think that’s how the bond works. That’s why you could feel me, even from far away. His powers also higghetened your senses."

    Snow swallowed hard. "So... what does this mean for me?"

    His voice cracked, ever so slightly.

    "Will I... turn into something? A monster? Am I going to shift into a dragon? Or am I... part dragon now? Or will I—"

    I pressed a finger to his lips, silencing the whirlwind of doubts before they consumed him.

    And then, I kissed him for long and deeply.

    Unlike Snow, I was certain of hwat I wanted.

    I kissed him like his soul was mine and would always be.

    When we finally broke apart, I kept my forehead against his. My voice came out steady, every word rooted in the truth I carried in my heart.

    "You’ll always be Snow to me," I whispered. "The man I love. My mate. My heart. I don’t care what changes. I don’t care if wings sprout from your back or your voice bes a growl. You are mine. In this life or the next, I will never leave you."

    I wached as Snow’s breath hitched. Then his hands rose to cup my face as his lips crashed into mine, kissing me like he’d found gravity again.

    We stood there, lost in each other, the air thick with magic and emotion, our bond humming quietly between every heartbeat.

    No matter what came next—dragon blood, strange eyes, changes he didn’t yet understand—he was still him.

    He was still mine and that... was enough.

    Snow pulled back and smiled softly. "And you will always be mine, Zara. Forever and ever."

    "Forever, Snow."

    I kissed Snow, letting my hands cradle his cheek as I deepened the kiss.

    I kissed him until he couldn’t think of anything else, and all that remained was the two of us.

    Our hearts, beating in time. Our bodies pressed against each other.

    Snow was everything I wanted, and everything I would fight for.

    "I missed you," he whispered against my lips.

    "And I you."

    His hand slipped around my waist, and he lifted me with ease, his mouth never leaving mine as he walked us toward the bed.

    "Show me," he murmured.

    "What?"

    He grinned. "Show me just how much you missed me."

    I smirked, and then bit his lip.

    Snow chuckled, then let out a soft moan when I wrapped my legs around his waist, pressing myself against him.