Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)-Chapter 169 - Tricksy Photos & Fake Names

At the mention of photos, I felt myself perk up. My chin raised just as much as an eyebrow did as I looked at the brunette and wondered exactly where she was going with this...

"What did you have in mind?"

"Evidence. Something that suggests I’ve branched out socially and aren’t just waiting up in the tower for him to notice."

She pulled out her phone - a rather unassuming looking black device without any accoutrements. I’m starting to realize that ’adults’ in this world tend not to place stickers on their items.

> At least not the ones others can see. <

"What do you say? Nothing too serious. In fact a couple casual shots would be nice. Just enough to make him wonder what I’m up to out here in my free time."

Vrika heard all of it and didn’t react much - other than a little huff that it always seems to do when I started to take pictures myself. The request probably should have felt strange, but it seemed perfectly reasonable to have a set of images taken with this person.

Besides, after the substantial sum that puts to rest almost all of my monetary struggles... as well as genuinely enjoying Brook’s company, I was in a generous mood.

"I have time for a few. But make it look natural or I might have a load of complaints."

The human woman’s face lit up in a wild smile as she activated the front facing camera and gestured for me to get closer to her gray sweatered form.

"Great! Just lean in a bit, maybe pretend to whisper like you’re sharing a secret and I took it during-"

We took several shots, critiquing the lighting and angles together with an attention to detail that reminded me of my own photography sessions. After a few attempts, she seemed satisfied with the results.

"Some of these are good. Definitely give friendship vibes, but a couple have just enough ambiguity to make him wonder when I got so close to someone else. I think I’ll use one of those."

I looked over her shoulder at the images as she scrolled through them. Taking poses together with someone was quite fun - and the outcome made it seem like two women quite comfortable with each other.

> Maybe I’ll see if some of the others I’ve met will be okay with getting their picture taken... though who would have thought that I would end up getting along so well with someone who has been stalking me. <

My wolf immediately thinks of Kyrie - both to point out that she has also been doing some of that and just to annoyingly express that I shouldn’t be getting so friendly with others. Or perhaps just that I should be taking more photos of her...

It doesn’t matter, because I ignore the spirit creature and pull out my own phone.

"You know, if you really want to make someone jealous, I think it should be something more like this."

Leaning in to position my face close to hers, I angle my arm so that the camera would capture what looked like a kiss without our lips actually touching. Brook’s eyes widened with surprise and delight before she closed them quickly as I began snapping photos.

"Oh my god. This is perfect. Someone is going to lose their absolute mind."

Looking through the results, we selected a pair of the best and I sent them through a message. She sent me back a few of the ’friendlier’ looking ones that I had remarked on before. I quickly set one as her contact photo framed around her face.

"Hey, Citra... Thanks."

She sat down her phone flat on the table and turned to me with a look of warmth that made me tilt my head and brush at my hair. With all the help she’s given me, I feel like I should be the one more thankful.

"It was just a picture. Not like I just helped you gain access to a bunch of money."

"No, not for that. Not exactly for not actually mauling me earlier either. But for... well, for being exactly the kind of friendly new person I didn’t know I needed this much. I’m having fun."

"...Same here. This has been more enjoyable than I expected.

"Hasn’t it? And I haven’t even thought about anyone bursting in and kidnapping us in like, ten whole minutes."

"Really? It’s only been five for me."

I responded so quickly and without missing a beat that brown eyes just blinked at me as if confused behind her glasses before she squinted and cackled. Of course, it was meant as a joke but was also sort of the truth, as my wolf knows.

> We’ve gotten really relaxed and I began to worry what might happen after we leave. So we’ll begin to partially shift since it looks like she’s about ready to go. <

"You know what? I should probably mention while I have the courage - Brook isn’t actually my real name."

"So I suspected. I hadn’t come here thinking I would be offered much personal truth, with how much anonymity is stressed on the hunter’s app."

It’s easy to understand the caution when meeting strangers, though of course she knew about me a lot more than anyone should. The woman began packing up her laptop and accessories in her bag.

"I’ll tell you what my name really is soon, but... I wanted to keep things simple tonight. Since this was supposed to be a quick tech consultation."

"Fair enough. I appreciate the honesty."

When she stood quickly, I matched her movement up until she reached for the door and tensed. Well, actually I tensed too because I thought this might be where the script flipped on me again.

"I think I used all my bravery points up. I don’t live that far but I’d rather not be wandering around alone. Walk with me?"

Considering for only a moment, I found myself agreeing with a short nod. As we left the internet cafe and stepped into the cool night air, my thoughts drifted to other concerns.

The construction site had worked once, but probably wouldn’t again. Vrika howled in a way that reminded me of the police car sirens I heard minutes later... after I already fled that area.

> I really hope no one was hurt by that gunshot. At least it went out of the open door and didn’t bounce around in the container... <

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