Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)-Chapter 179 - Citra Is Now In ’Build Mode’

Once his truck pulled away, I stood looking at the small mountain of cardboard boxes and steel pieces. Each box was labeled with diagrams that made it all look straightforward enough, but there was still a rather daunting amount of them.

> You know. It’s time to put this ability to another good use. <

After walking over to where I could release the shipping container in an inconspicuous enough place nearby the boxes, I open the doors. Walking inside to Stash the large red stone that was still inside, I placed it out of the way of my workspace.

Started with the largest unit first - the six-foot span for the back wall. Opening the boxes revealed an impressive amount of steel components, bolts, and hardware. The instruction sheet was actually clearer than I’d expected, with numbered steps and detailed diagrams.

I studied them for a while to come up with a plan that would combine with my approach to moving things. Instead of carrying each heavy shelf piece across the warehouse space one at a time, I’d store one in the Stash before manually lifting and carrying the next piece.

When I reached the container, I’d place the piece in my arms down and retrieve the stored one before arranging them as needed. Essentially doubling my carrying capacity for every trip. Highly efficient, even for unusual werewolf strength.

"Next time I might just drag the whole box in the space though. I can see well enough in there to sort and build."

That first shelf went together easily. The steel pieces were precisely manufactured, and everything aligned perfectly when I followed the directions. And what was best was that nothing bent!

> Was definitely the right decision to not turn hybrid and force these components together that way. <

Vrika remembered and sent imagery of my moment of chucking the tool into the forest. So I appeared next to his face and scrubbed the sides of his neck while looking annoyed, even if it was mostly at myself.

Within an hour and a half, I had a solid six-foot wide tiered storage area assembled against the back wall of the container. There was very little room left at the top, maybe half a foot of empty space... as I’d gone with seven-and-a-quarter units.

"Not bad for someone who’s never done this before. Though Helene did help her father a few times with some basic repairs around their property, so some of the basic properties of human tools aren’t totally foreign."

My world had its own versions utilizing the same properties of physics, not that I’d ever used them for a whole day of work in my life. Two of the smaller units followed the same pattern, but I moved with more security in my ability to do it all now. Making use of my partial shift to move around just a little faster on top of having the whole box of things right at the edge of the container.

I placed them on each side of the opening to create the walkway I’d planned to keep through the center. About three and a half feet was plenty to move past without bumping anything. Or to pull anything off of either shelf, I feel.

"Hope it works as well in practice."

Looking at the remaining two and the falling light level, I made the decision to wait. But I didn’t just want to leave everything out, so I brought the boxes and stacked them on one side of the container for now.

> Carrying two things at once is great. Two is a good number! < fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

Moving everything - and I mean everything - back inside took another hour. The wrapped silver weapons went onto the lowest shelves. The precious metals in their locked case I stuffed on the back shelf on the bottom. Everything heavy on the bottom!

Including the bulk of ammunition that I’m less sure I want out ’in the wild’ than when I was still thinking of them as money I could use. Not when a month and a half might start turning sides against each other more openly.

Medical supplies in easily accessible bins at the middle height section of the first shelf. Food supplies, tools, and general gear sorted together in remaining space. Every type of thing now had a place. Nothing was sitting loose where it could fall when I bump a cheap old shelf.

Standing back to admire my work, I pulled out my phone and took a few photos of the organized space. Then I turned my attention to the lighting situation, since I had to use the flash setting...

The linkable LED strip lights I’d bought came with several mounting options, but drilling holes in the steel container walls seemed like a bad idea. Even if there is a drill in the set of tools the hunter had. Luckily, the high-strength ’mounting tape’ which the worker at the store turned me onto was supposed to hold up to thirty pounds per strip.

> Should be more than enough for these lightweight things. <

But as I held one up and marked the spots that I feel they should go with little x’s, courtesy of one of a set of blue ink markers that was added at the impulse section... I decided to hold off. Getting the bed and other two shelves in place before I make any decision is one thing.

"Have to make sure to figure out how to power these first. Because the direction I configure them may depend on wherever the ’power source’ goes."

With dark approaching and sitting on the floor in the center of the space thinking of filling the next two shelves with food, I pulled out my phone. I needed to start searching for bulk food suppliers... but as the minutes go by comparison shopping, I realize I’m just hungry again.

I have no problem with going to eat alone, but the meeting with Claire last night - and the standing offer to share dinner with Kyrie - are making me want to seek a social life. Anise came to mind almost immediately, for some reason.

Probably because the woman’s teasing about what was going on felt more playful than malicious... and I feel like I could afford to deal with someone who was, in her own way, not taking it as a given. Like the CEO herself or how her assistant almost seemed to be.

> Plus, she’d mentioned wanting my number when I shared it - maybe she’d be interested in grabbing dinner. I could use it as like, a practice run? <

My wolf for sure thought that my practices should just be with the real thing until I got it right, but I ignored it - like I ignored any notifications that may or may not have accumulated as I worked. Just found her contact and sent a probing message with voice-to-text.

C: [Hello, it’s Citra. Are you still at the boutique today? I wanted to see if you’d like to grab a meal when you’re done with work.]

I sent it even though the greeting I used bothered me. This isn’t like an unsigned letter or a call from an unknown number, she was given my contact last time and probably saved it under my name.

But her response came back... and I’m not sure I liked the phrasing.

Visit freewe𝑏nov(e)l.𝗰𝐨𝐦 for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience