Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)-Chapter 185 - Some Truths Fall Out Of The Hoard

I dig into what was laid out before us without any preamble. Though the woman across from me spoke some sort of phrase with her hands clapped together.

"...When did you last have a proper meal?"

"Five or six hours ago or so, I think? Raided a street chicken vendor. I haven’t been starving myself if that’s what you’re getting at, just very... high metabolism."

I resumed eating after that short break. Partly to give myself time and partly because the food was excellent. The fish melted on my tongue, rich and clean-tasting... and I found myself reaching for piece after piece just like last time.

> Fish is good. I should stock up on some before the rivers and lakes all freeze. <

"You’re not lying. Really putting that away again, aren’t we?"

Anise observed aloud after I’d cleared half the platter and she’d had crumbs in comparison. My hand hesitated over another piece of the tuna. The strange accelerated pregnancy was probably making me hungrier than usual, but I couldn’t exactly explain that to her.

"Not that I’m judging - eat. We’re literally in the store this time, so ordering more isn’t a problem at all."

I nod and continue to eat my feelings for a bit, but there comes a point that I set the utensils down and look at her across the table. Talking about myself isn’t something I hate, but telling the truth about deeper things is not something I do frequently to relative strangers.

"I tend to eat when I’m processing things. As well as hide in comfortable places."

"Well, I think all of us are a little guilty of going too far with something just to get away from something else. But I’m still surprised it’s food for you."

"...Why?"

"Well, other than your impressive chest, you seem to have little body fat."

I’m pretty sure that was meant to be a compliment - even though her eyes squinted... and it was slightly grumbled. As my vanity kicked in, my back straightened out from where I hunched a bit too much.

> Whatever small envy she was feeling is like a different sort of nourishment for me. <

"I’m happy you approve. You’re welcome to take a picture to remind yourself. Actually, I’d love to get one of you as well, to use on my phone’s contact."

Pulling out the device, she laughs and nods before posing just a bit. While I’m fiddling with the settings to get her picture in, a flash and ’shutter sound’ alerts me that she’s just taken her own candid.

"Damn, you’re photogenic even when I was trying to snap something funny looking."

"...You can be very mean spirited at weird times."

"Oh, but I thought you approve of snapping little teasing photos of people? You think it’s a hobby of mine?"

I realize what she means immediately as well as one of the things that Kyrie has, for some reason, told Anise about. Are they really better friends than I expected? The way she spoke of her before seemed much more client and customer...

"Can I at least see this photo you call surprisingly good?"

"I did not use those words..."

Her rose-gold colored phone is turned around and I see myself hunched over my own silver colored device, smiling. With the elastics holding my twintails visible on top of my head - and a blue fox sticker partially seen underneath my hand.

"The lighting is no good at all, but the composition does look nice."

"You sound like you know what you’re talking about. Have you ever worked in a field like this, or perhaps was it just a hobby in school?"

Just assuming that I’ve been to a school at my age is probably... reasonable. Most humans attend, if not complete, highschool courses. And I am also of the age that it is possible I have already graduated from a university.

> Maybe Helene would have gone, if she’d never gotten a wolf. Not all of the wolfless Duskpaw Omegas stay with the pack. Oh, don’t whine like that, it wasn’t your fault that others around her were like they are. <

However, the fact that she’s asking at all though means she doesn’t know very much about where I came from. Which leads me back into thinking that the way in which Kyrie and her are ’friends’ is not entirely... superior. frёewebnoѵēl.com

And back to wondering if she knows anything about werewolves in the first place.

"No, I’ve never had what you might call a job, let alone a career."

> Princess doesn’t count! Perhaps it should, it was stressful enough, but if I say it out loud I’ll get looked at funny. <

"And that bothers you? Is it part of what’s holding you back?"

I open my mouth to disagree, but words don’t come out. All in all, that’s not entirely... wrong. The feeling of inequality, debt, and imbalance of more tangible power that I’ve worried about could certainly be described in that way. Of currently achieved life roles being too disparate.

"It should bother me. I don’t like the potential of being easily able to be placed aside. As great as I look, I’m a very insecure person."

> Why am I telling her this? No, I am most certainly not trying to get her to convince the Alpha to mark me! <

"So like I said, you’re holding back to protect yourself and it’s just punishing her. Meanwhile, she’s holding back to protect the possibility of you in her life and it’s... well, also punishing her in that case."

"That’s not what I’m trying to-"

Her hands both come up rapidly and cut me off. I really hate being interrupted, but I was getting heated by the insinuation so I’ll allow it.

"I didn’t say that. This is just me talking out loud about how it looks as an outsider who doesn’t know all the workings."

"No, you don’t know everything at all. But I can’t tell you any of it either. Because I don’t trust that it wouldn’t get back to her through you. Sorry, Anise."

Choking out the final part only after delivering the rest with such a whisper weak voice, I felt like I’d just stabbed a good samaritan after they gave me their clothes. A small, awkward grimace sprouts on her face, but she just shakes her blonde head and sighs.

"Why are you apologizing, am I your mom? Well, it does feel like I’m trying to be one here, I guess. Look, you aren’t going to hurt my feelings by telling me to shut the hell up. I’ve seen you *almost* get angry at me a few times - and just stop."

"Because it wouldn’t solve anything. I’m not angry at you anyway, just at... things."

It feels disgusting to wish that Helene and Jace never conceived the child now within this body. But I do... at times like this. Even though I’ve promised Vrika, her memory, and myself that I would follow through on helping it into the world.

However it’s much, much easier to be genuinely angry at this world’s deities. At whatever the source of the apocalypse is. At whatever ’installed’ this computer-like system that clearly has strange and vast power but only used it sparingly.

> Your easy-going Lunar Goddess has a lot of explaining to do if she ever shows her face. <

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