Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)-Chapter 171 - Hugs & Home, Scan & Go

Claire’s face was flushed with what looked like mounting desperation. Her plan was backfiring - you could see that none of his concern was jealousy. That he knew this was some attempt to get a rise out of him.

> Time to make an exit before this gets any messier. But first... lets make sure it gets messy. <

I step closer and feel his attention sharpen on me. Even more when I put a hand to hug the woman’s waist. | Mother’s Intuition | isn’t telling me he’s dangerous, but my own instinct is telling me I’m making him not like me as much.

"Well, I’ll let you two sort this out without me."

While hugging her from the side and staring the blonde down, I rest my head against hers. He might not believe that she is looking for someone else to romance, but I can still make him think twice about her deciding to share more time with me than him.

"Claire, thank you for tonight. It was... helpful. Good luck with everything."

I pulled away and her eyes widened as she realized I was leaving. Abandoning her to deal with whatever the consequences of whoever was supposed to be ’freaking out’. Not that I know who that could be.

But she managed a weak smile and wave as I backed away. Meanwhile that Beta just looked relieved... that one complication was removing itself from the situation. I try not to be annoyed at that as I turned and walked away before either could change their mind.

The cool night air felt refreshing after the tension, and I quickened my pace back toward my apartment without looking back at the tower. Though I did stop for some food to put in my new larger fridge.

⧖ ☾ ❄ ☽ ⧖

By the time I reached Perigee Residences, my phone had buzzed more than a few times with new messages. I can only imagine how often this thing would go off for a person with more people in their circle than I have.

However, I waited until I was safely inside apartment 15-02 with the bags I carried on the kitchen island before checking them. I’m rather proud of myself for that. Especially because I know how many times I told myself to ignore messages since I got this device

And then looked a few steps later...

BK: [Sorry things got weird! But thanks for the hug.]

BK: [Anyway, remembered something. Empty warehouse property we own from earlier company days - currently renovating and looking to sell so no security cameras, nothing valuable stored.]

BK: [Could work for your private item sorting? Will send details tomorrow if interested. And whether I inform anyone above me or not is up to you. ]

BK: [Thanks for the photos btw. Even if they didn’t get him in my room tonight. Sleep well, new millionaire!]

I found myself smiling at the messages despite everything. Claire’s impulsiveness aside, she seemed genuinely kind... she probably could have stolen all that money easily. Probably still could actually...

"Damn. If I hadn’t liked her, I would have been forced to play nice anyway. That’s kind of depressing."

Opening and chewing on a cheese stick, I start to put things away. I didn’t go overboard I think? Only a few hundred dollars in groceries that I could carry without showing off any werewolf strength.

But maybe I didn’t do a good job of that, because the woman at the register looked surprised when I grabbed all the canvas bags up and walked out. Those itself were about a hundred of the cost... but reusable and wouldn’t have that awful crinkle sound of plastic.

> A warehouse could solve my immediate problem, if it’s truly so empty. And surprisingly, I trust that she means it. Something about her seems like the type to gather all sorts of secrets and tell no one about them. <

My wolf didn’t get the finer points of that, but it had nothing against the woman who worked for its potential mate. Simple creature!

The bedroom was exactly as I’d left it - clothes scattered across the bedspread. My outfit selection had finished and I needed time to make that visit to the construction site, so I’d left it all out.

I gathered them all up in silence, hanging the dresses in the spacious closet and folding the other pieces before placing them in the drawers it had on one wall. The emerald dress I’d worn came off and went on a hanger as well.

Slipping out of the rest of the clothes, I strolled around the space. I hadn’t had time to relax in here earlier... whether it was the first time I came in or when getting dressed. Flopping on the bed naked, I rolled on the sheets and tested its comfort.

> Much better. Now it actually feels like my space. <

The city lights through the floor-to-ceiling windows were beautiful but far too bright for sleeping. Activating the automated drapes, I watched them glide smoothly across the glass until the room was left in a much more comfortable darkness.

Lying there for a while, I realized I was still too... awake. So I got back up and padded towards the kitchen for a glass of water and one of the green apples I bought. Eating simple food, in my own space at my own pace.

"How luxurious."

No one watching, no one judging, no one making assumptions about my appetite or situation. No one there to see me grimace and spit out the soured fruit. Hear me curse, swish, and spit out whatever was wrong with it.

A few searches on the internet and skimming what pops up explains to me what a sour apple is and why people might buy one. So I guess I won’t avoid or complain to the store in the future.

Vrika stirred contentedly in my mindscape as I ate one of the juicy, sweet, yellow fleshed peaches instead. My wolf was also quite pleased with the quiet, domestic quality of the moment. So much since we became tied together has been struggle.

> Yes, some of it mental. Some of it my fault. A lot of it probably still will continue to be my fault. But you know, at least I had the presence of mind to leave that awful place Helene stayed. <

While not all of palace life was awful, I never would have been able to run away. The mystics there were too strong and would have scried my location. The other shifters all knew who I was - and I refused to live in hiding forever after.

"But it was easy to just leave in our position."

After all, it’s not like she was some princess that people would start wars over or anything. Even if... there was someone with a name like hers that was involved in that very sort of historical thing, according to her memories.

When I finished eating, a moment of curiosity drew me back to the system interface. Thinking about it brought all the symbols normally at the edge of my vision into clarity. The | Matron’s Monitor | icon was activated while settling onto the sectional sofa again.

> Let’s see if anything has changed. <

I placed my hand over my abdomen again, feeling that same gentle warmth as the scan initiated. The six-second countdown felt shorter this time now that I wasn’t as tense and expectant.

Everything was exactly the same as before. On impulse, I lifted my hand and placed it over my own bare chest instead. Once more the scan activated - but this time the interface displayed something entirely different.

| TARGET: Helene Duskpaw Δ |

| SPECIES: Werewolf ⚝ |

| VITALS: Normal, Pregnant |

| PREGNANCY NOTES: Consume More Nutrients |

Staring at the blue misty text - particularly at that note - I laughed darkly. Honestly, I thought I was eating a lot more than I ever had in my other body... and more than Helene ever would have in the first place. ƒreewebɳovel.com

But I guess the werewolf form was not meant to deal with an accelerated birth like this and requires more than I’m giving it. Well, now I have money for that so I’ll stop holding back. However...

"What the nineteen hells is that triangle symbol and that tangled shape thing about?"

Searching online for a while to see if I can find the first, I come across Delta. In math and other fields, it seems to be used to express change. Considering the child is some sort of mutation, that makes some sense to have been on their ’species’.

And it is on her name likely because I am not her and it does in fact know something is up with that? Then why is it stubborn and not just changing it for me? I even have human legal identification now, but this silly system...

"Ah, or maybe it’s only because I’ve been going by Citra lately and it’s thinking of... changing it?"

Then that tangled part near my own species. I wonder if that is the same sort of thing as the with the reward... will it unravel and show something else someday? Werefox doesn’t sound too bad...

> Well, you aren’t even changed and you feel that way. How do you think I felt when I showed up here in this body and learned it was a wolf?! <

Vrika barked at me, a little angry that I was thinking of the system somehow forcing the spirit into a sleek black vulpine form.

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