Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)-Chapter 186 - [K] Pouting Before Politics

***[POV: Sulking She-wolf]***

The cooled leather seats of the SUV felt cold against my back. Warmth was still radiating through my body from... earlier. I stared out the tinted window at the city lights and traffic blurring past.

And my fingers unconsciously traced the spot on my wrist where Citra had grabbed at. To pull me along for what she wanted to do. The way she’d looked at me, the weight of her body above mine, the soft presses of lips against my throat-

"Kyrie."

When my head lolled into the window glass, Luca’s voice cut through my reverie. A little sharp with his barely contained frustration. But I didn’t turn from the window, because I didn’t want to look at him.

"...What is it?"

I just wanted to keep seeing her in my mind.

"You know exactly what it is. You can’t walk into this meeting like this."

His tone had the edge he used when he was about to challenge me on something important. A quality I value in him greatly, at normal times.

"Like what?"

But right now I felt like pouting for just these few minutes, even if I knew what he meant. Forcing him to either say it directly, or more likely... look for the most diplomatic phrasing he could use.

"Like you’ve been... like you’ve mixed scent with someone who you aren’t supposed to. It won’t be a good look right now."

My jaw tightened and my teeth creaked. I knew what he meant, but the way it sounded angered me and my wolf. What I was *supposed* to do? That shouldn’t be anyone’s business on this matter but my own and hers.

"Alpha."

The word came out flat, almost a growl. I could see in the window reflection that my eyes were glowing. But I could also see from the front windshield that so were his.

"Everyone that will be there knows what you smell like. Every wolf in that basement is going to know exactly what you’ve been doing instead of preparing for this crisis. They might not know who the other wolf is, but-"

"And?"

"Half the attendees think you should hand her over to avoid a direct conflict."

"No one is handing her over to anyone."

The protective sound that rumbled in my chest was involuntary, though I would have given it freely right now if prompted. My Beta leaned back in his seat and relaxed his shoulders, partially to look less threatening and also because he felt vindicated.

"There it is. That’s exactly the reaction that’s going to get us in trouble. You’re impaired right now, Kyrie."

Counting to ten, I forced my breathing to even out. Calling on years of boardroom negotiating discipline to center myself. There was a time for hard stance and a time to take advice.

"I can handle this meeting."

"The words, maybe. But not like this, you can’t."

He reached into the center console and withdrew a small silver spray bottle and I could feel my nose scrunch up and my face turn into something like a child who was being handed a plate of food they hate.

"Use it."

The scent dispersal spray was a chemical compound designed to neutralize personal werewolf undertones. Different from the medical scent blocker tablets, which worked on the internal production side this was more like a clearing mist.

Returning to a baseline that prevented... complications during interpack negotiations.

I’d used it countless times before, when first meeting with a group that the next in line would not like. But the thought of erasing Citra’s lingering presence from my skin made my wolf writhe in protest.

"I don’t want to..."

"Kyrie. I know this is hard. Whatever’s happening between you two, I can see how much it means to you. But right now, walking in there like this is-"

"Like painting a target on her back. I know, Luca. And that makes me not want to even more. Makes me want to tear apart each one that tries until no one tries anymore."

My anger slips enough for my hands to grow fur and claws, curling them into inhuman fists. Like Citra had used up all of my ability to remain still earlier. I wanted to hold her waist, at least...

"The Pineheart pack’s delegation will smell it, their Alpha especially. They’ll know I’m personally invested. They could side with the Duskpaw just to destabilize things."

The logic was sound when it came to interpack expectations - and I hated it. Just like I’m upset about the rest that I know is likely coming.

"Right now they only have a young one hiring rogues, potentially without permission. But I know that the leader of that pack will look to extreme measures soon. They all might."

My werewolf hand grabbed for the spray bottle, then stopped after bringing it over to my lap. I still had a concern, even though I know it is silly.

"She told me not to submit to others... as easily as I listened to her back there."

I watched as Luca’s eyebrows rose - and he coughed into his hand. He probably didn’t exactly want to hear about what we had been up to, nor did he expect I would talk about it. But he was the only one here, other than the driver up there behind a privacy panel.

My wolf felt like it paced restlessly in my chest. Everything in me rebelled against erasing the evidence of our moment together. This proof that she had chosen to touch me and that she’d trusted me enough to be vulnerable in my presence.

However, the memory will be there that should be enough. It should be. But after counting to ten, my voice speaks quiet and pouting once again.

"It feels like washing her away, and I don’t like it."

"Because that’s exactly what you’ll be doing. Spraying yourself and erasing her entirely, not going into a room full of people and showing why the Rimecoat has not stopped being so dominant since you took over."

"Claire... can you not listen in to our conversations without asking?"

Leaning forward with his head in his hands, while responding to the voice that came over the interior speakers. I looked the other way from Luca, not wanting to admit I gave her permission months ago to keep an open channel while I was en route to locations.

Or tell him that she had requested the same for my Beta... with a shifty look that I was sure represented only one thing. Not asking forgiveness at all, but asking for permission after the fact.

And then, just like now, I say nothing - and just ignore that mostly harmless situation.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by f(r)eew𝒆bn(o)vel.com