Blocked by My Snake Mate

The man I was supposed to marry was a snake beast. Just the thought of scales made my stomach twist. Luckily, he already had an online girlfriend.

He made it perfectly clear he had zero interest in me. So we made a deal. An arranged business marriage on paper to get our families off our backs, and nothing more.

But the day we met to sign the contract, everything went off script. He took one look at me and froze. A dark flush crawled up his neck.

Without warning, he shifted straight into his beast form right in front of me. My breath caught in my throat. I spun on my heel, ready to bolt for the door.

Then my eyes landed on his phone resting on the table. The screen lit up. I stopped dead in my tracks. That picture on his lock screen… why did it look exactly like me?!

Chapter 1 When my parents suddenly announced our arranged business marriage with the Sinclairs, I froze. "The Sinclair Group?" I stared at them. "Aren't all three of their sons… not exactly human?

I must have misheard." "Yes, Charlie," my mother confirmed. "You're marrying the heir to the empire, Theodore Sinclair.

He's six years older than you, but he holds a high position at a young age." "He's incredibly handsome with a perfect build.

Most importantly, the two of you are perfectly astrologically compatible." My mother paused. "Even though his beast form is a snake, he acts just like a human. It's the modern era.

Don't be so oldfashioned with your speciesism." A loud ringing filled my ears. Her long speech filtered down to just a few words. Theodore… blah blah blah… snake.

My world crashed down around me. I had no speciesism. I was just terrified of snakes. And lately, snakes were showing up way too often in my life. Just half a month ago.

Right before meeting IRL with my online boyfriend of six months, he sent me a strange message. Him: [Babe, if I… kept a snake at home, would you be scared?] Me: [Yes!

Terrified!] Me: [I hate snakes.] After that, he ghosted me for a whole week. He left my texts on read and sent my calls straight to voicemail.

My chest tightened with every unanswered message until anger took over. I dumped him and blocked his number.

I barely had time to recover from a breakup caused by a hypothetical pet snake. Now I was being forced to marry an actual snake?

My older sister Cassandra knew I was resisting this marriage. The next night, after putting her daughter to bed, she came to my room.

I scrunched up my face. "Cassie, you know I'm terrified of snakes. I'm not refusing an arranged marriage.

I just refuse to marry Theodore Sinclair." Cassie pinched my cheek with a soft laugh. "Strictly speaking, snake beastmen and actual snakes are fundamentally different.

Keep those comments inside this house.

Outside, people will accuse you of speciesism." She paused, her tone shifting. "Though, I remember you used to love reading that kind of smutty fiction.

I always saw your comments talking about two—" Heat rushed to my cheeks. I clamped my hand over her mouth. "Cassie!" "That is completely different.

Fiction and reality are not the same thing." I puffed out my cheeks. "I don't care if it's some Bob Sinclair or John Sinclair.

As long as he's human." "And, well, handsome with a good build. That's all I need." Cassie's smile faded, replaced by a serious expression.

Chapter 2 "Charlie, don't blame Mom and Dad for this arranged business marriage," Cassie said, her eyes dropping. "They're just terrified you'll repeat my mistakes. I'm so sorry.

If I hadn't been so stubborn, if I hadn't married the wrong man… you wouldn't have to do this." I sniffled. My chest felt tight. "We're sisters." "Stop apologizing.

You didn't do anything wrong." "I don't blame Mom and Dad either," I muttered.

Cassie's expression softened. "Theodore Sinclair really is the most outstanding and suitable candidate for you.

Take it from someone who knows: whether you like him isn't that important.

Compatibility is everything." She tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "If you do marry him, as your partner, he'll have to take shortterm suppressants regularly to control his beast form.

But I heard his company recently developed a longterm microneedle patch.

It's in testing right now, getting ready for the market." Her voice dropped to a gentle whisper. "Charlie… I know you bought a ticket to Iceland for tomorrow." "If you've made up your mind, go.

Relax for a bit. I'll handle things here." Heat flooded my eyes. I buried my face in the crook of her neck. "Cassie… am I being selfish?" She patted my head. "Selfish?

My Charlie deserves the best." She paused, her tone shifting to something more casual. "By the way, this trip to Iceland… are you meeting that online boyfriend who treats you so well?" I bit my lip.

Disappointment settled heavily in my stomach. "We broke up," I mumbled. "I'm not going to meet a guy who left me on read." I tossed and turned all night. By 7:30 AM, I gave up.

I grabbed my phone and tapped the contact card my mom had sent me. [Theodore Sinclair] Whether I was going to run away or not, I needed to test the waters first.

Around 8:00 AM, he accepted my request. Me: [Hi, I'm Charlotte Forsythe.] While I waited for a reply, I immediately clicked into his Instagram feed. Nothing juicy.

Just work posts, mixed with a few shots of him skiing, skydiving, and racing cars. He looked intimidatingly cool.

But scrolling further down, my thumb hovered over a screenshot. [Top 500 Ahri main in League of Legends] He played LoL? And he was an Ahri main too?!

Before I could tap the photo to zoom in, a notification popped up at the top of my screen.

Him: [Hello, Theodore Sinclair.] I switched back to our chat, chewing on my thumbnail, wondering how to start a real conversation.

Before I could type a word, a flurry of texts came through. Cold. Direct. No holding back. Him: [Ms.

Forsythe, I assume you already know about the arranged business marriage.] Him: [I apologize, but I am currently seeing someone.

It is an online relationship, but I love her very much.

I will not agree to this marriage, and I will never have feelings for you.] Him: [Rest assured, I will communicate this to our parents.

I will take full responsibility for all the consequences.] I stared at the screen, my jaw dropping slightly. He was rejecting me before I even got the chance to reject him?

At the bottom of the screen, the little grey typing bubble appeared. It bounced for a few seconds. Vanished. Then started bouncing again. I watched it, my pulse ticking.

What else could he possibly have to say? Chapter 3 The typing bubble vanished. A new message popped up on my screen. Him: [Also, I'm gay.] I stared at the screen.

A million question marks flashed through my head. My thumbs flew across the keyboard. Me: [Uhhuh. Good for you.] Me: [And you're overthinking things.

I don't agree to this arranged business marriage either. Who you like has nothing to do with me. I hate snakes. I could never like a snake beastman.

And I don't need 'other people' to like me anyway.] He was provoking me. Two could play at that game.

I thought my brief, disastrous interaction with Theodore Sinclair was officially over. But a few minutes later, my phone buzzed again. His tone completely shifted. All business.

Him: [In that case, Ms. Forsythe, perhaps you would consider a partnership.] Him: [Since we are both being pressured by our elders, our interests align.

To prevent them from setting us up with other people and causing more trouble, we can work together.] Him: [We maintain the engagement in name only for our families.

We keep it a secret from the public and we don't sign the marriage license. If they push for a wedding, I'll use work as an excuse to delay it.

We'll just host a small private dinner to satisfy them.] Him: [We sign a contract, and the business projects between the Forsythes and the Sinclairs proceed as planned.] I stared at the texts, chewing on the inside of my cheek.

Me: [How long is the term? What if our families find out about the marriage license?] He replied instantly. Him: [A maximum of six months. I will handle the license issue.

They won't find out. As I said, I take full responsibility for any fallout.] Him: [Every detail will be in the contract.

Notarized by professional lawyers to guarantee your rights.] Him: [During the contract, we do not meet unless absolutely necessary. We are free to date whoever we want.

We treat each other as strangers. When the time is right, we divorce.] Him: [If you agree to this partnership, I will pay you fifty million at the end of the contract.

Furthermore, the Sinclair family's prenuptial settlement will belong entirely to you. I will not ask for it back.] A guaranteed escape from a snake husband. Total freedom.

And a massive payout. It was a tempting offer. But I still had some sense left. Me: [Since it's a fake marriage, I don't need the prenuptial settlement.] Me: [But Mr.

Sinclair, didn't you say you're seeing someone? Won't he mind?] Me: [I refuse to be a homewrecker in any capacity.

Also…] Before I could even finish typing, his response came through. Direct and unapologetic. Him: [My apologies, Ms. Forsythe.

I was afraid you would refuse to break the engagement, so I lied about being gay.] Him: [My online partner is a woman.

We recently separated over a misunderstanding.] Him: [The sixmonth timeframe is for me to resolve some personal issues.

After that, I intend to win her back.] Him: [You have my word. I have absolutely no inappropriate intentions toward you.

The situation you described will not happen.] I read his messages from top to bottom. Twice. Just to make sure there were no loopholes. Me: [Fine.

Let's set a time to sign the contract.] Him: [Does this Friday at 6 PM work for you? I'll send you a draft of the agreement beforehand. Have your lawyer review it.

You can propose any changes you see fit.] Friday at 6 PM. I locked my screen, my pulse already ticking.

I just had to survive one meeting with a snake beastman to get my total freedom. Chapter 4 Me: [OK. See you Friday.] On the third day, Theodore sent over the full agreement.

Our lawyers went back and forth in a group chat, hammering out the final details word by word. I watched the texts roll in, incredibly bored.

I suddenly remembered that screenshot I glimpsed on his Instagram feed. Me: [You play League of Legends? Saw your feed. Our lawyers need another half hour.

Want to log on for a ranked match?] His typing bubble bounced for a long time before he finally replied. Him: [No. I'm busy.] Him: [Besides, our ranks probably don't match.

I'm already Grandmaster rank. I usually only do a duo queue with my girlfriend. She doesn't force me to, of course.

I just don't want her to get the wrong idea if she sees me playing with someone else.] I rolled my eyes hard. Me: [Oh, totally. My online boyfriend is super jealous too.

He always overthinks things.] Did he think he was the only one with an online partner? And was Grandmaster rank supposed to be a flex? I was a Grandmaster too.

I was a Top 500 Ahri main! Even if my exboyfriend did help carry me there. Theodore really had a way of making people want to punch him. Me: [Mr.

Sinclair, just a friendly reminder. I'm terrified of snakes.

Please remember to take your suppressants before we meet on Friday.] Me: [Absolutely do not forget.] Friday arrived fast.

We agreed to sign the contract at a private club under his name. It was secluded, offering toptier privacy. I dressed up slightly out of basic respect.

A cashmere sweater paired with a beige Aline skirt, topped with a sharp dark brown wool trench coat. I arrived at the VIP room right at six. I pushed the door open.

Theodore sat on the sofa by the window. His long fingers flipped through a document. His jawline was tight. His expression was focused, radiating an icy, unapproachable aura.

He really was incredibly handsome, exactly as my mother said. But that meant nothing to me. I shut the door behind me and walked in. Theodore heard the click and looked up.

His gaze locked onto my neck. He stared for a few seconds. His expression shifted into something strange. I didn't understand the intense stare, but I kept my polite facade intact.

I curled my lips into a faint smile. "Good evening, Mr. Sinclair." The moment the words left my mouth, his reaction grew even more bizarre. His Adam's apple bobbed wildly.

His voice came out low, hoarse, and thick with uncertainty. "…Charlotte? That heart shape on your neck. Is that a birthmark?" I blinked.

My hand flew up to touch the tiny mark on my collarbone on pure instinct. "Yes, I've had it since I was a kid. Why?" I asked. Theodore didn't answer.

A dark, violent flush crawled up his neck and flooded his face. He pressed his lips into a hard line. His breathing turned ragged and heavy. My chest tightened.

Was he having some kind of medical emergency? His entire body suddenly blurred. The sharp sound of fabric tearing ripped through the quiet room.

Right in front of my eyes, he shifted straight into a snake?! What the hell? What was happening? Didn't he promise to take his suppressants before we met?! Help!

Don't come any closer! Theodore stood on the sofa as a massive white snake. He froze for two seconds. His form blurred once more.

He shifted into a man from the waist up, with the long tail of a snake. The blood drained from my face. I scrambled behind a decorative folding screen.

I hid my body, only daring to peek out with half my head. I stared at him, completely paralyzed. Chapter 5 Wow. Theodore's upper body was unexpectedly sculpted.

Broad shoulders, narrow waist, evenly corded muscles. And below that… A long, powerful white snake tail with a hint of pink. It shimmered with a delicate gloss under the lights.

It possessed a strange, mesmerizing beauty. Color slowly returned to my face. I stared a little too long and accidentally locked eyes with him.

While I was silently appreciating the view, he had already thrown a long coat over his shoulders. "Should I… give you a minute? Or, maybe we should reschedule?" I stammered.

My voice was tight with fear. Theodore's expression stiffened. "I apologize, Ms. Forsythe. I didn't mean to frighten you.

There seems to be an issue with the suppressants." "I can't retract my beast form just yet. Could you wait for a moment?

I'll handle this and be right back." He paused. "There's also a minor issue with the contract. I just realized we need to amend something regarding… signing the marriage license.

Can we discuss it shortly?" The marriage license? "Ssure. It's… fine," I muttered. It was a lie. I wanted to bolt and cancel the entire agreement.

I really was terrified of snakes! "Ms. Forsythe, please wait for my return." Theodore gave me one last, intense look before leaving.

He actually used his snake tail to turn the doorknob. I exhaled a massive breath. I practically collapsed onto the leather sofa nearby.

It took about ten minutes for my racing pulse to finally settle. One more scare like that and my heart would give out. Should I just ditch the contract and run?

I hesitated, slowly standing up. My gaze drifted over the laptop sitting on the nearby sandalwood desk. The screen woke up.

The lock screen was a girl's mirror selfie, her face hidden. My eyes locked onto the limitededition Swan's Dream necklace around her neck. I froze.

Why did this picture look so familiar? It looked exactly like… me? But I never sent that photo to anyone… Let me look closer.

I leaned in for a better view, but the door clicked open. Theodore stepped back into the room. I jumped. My gaze slammed into his, and my pulse unexpectedly spiked. "Ms.

Forsythe, were you planning to leave?" Theodore stared at me. His eyes darkened