Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)-Chapter 196 - Photos Being Shared All Around

I scroll up rapidly and see that my first text to her wasn’t actually at the top. She must have created this before responding to me! Fingers swiping to get back to the bottom, I see she isn’t done with what she’s doing to me.

A: [This one too - from when we were walking. Only had a couple seconds to know I was taking it.]

This photo shows me mid-conversation away from the restaurant, gesturing with a smug smile because of something I’d just replied to. There’s something slightly alive and further confident in my expression that I rarely see in mirrors on my own.

A: [You’re going to kill it at the interview. Speaking of which, let me text my colleague now while I remember...]

K: [Interview?]

C: [Anise, it’s late. Can’t this wait until morning?]

> And in private. I don’t understand why she thought doing this was alright! <

A: [Nope! Strike while the iron is hot. Can’t risk him finding someone subpar. One sec...]

My phone goes quiet for several minutes, long enough that I start to relax and think about actually trying to sleep. Then it buzzes again with a more private message, in a different conversation.

K: [I can ignore that chat if her behavior is out of line for you. And have a talk with her if necessary.]

Processing that offer, I quickly imagine if this whole scenario were voiced instead of text. Three people meeting up, with one of them turning off to talk to someone else in the room after meddling and leading the conversation between us.

And I imagine brown eyes turning to me with a whisper in my ear. A protective and supportive hand on my lower back... as she makes sure I’m comfortable. In my mindscape I scream loud and flip Vrika onto the spirit’s back.

...Something like ’flipping the table’ that Helene was aware of. However, the black wolf only barks once in annoyance before rolling around on the ground as I tackle and wrestle with it to distract myself.

But it’s not helping, because it just reminds me it’s not the wolf I want to wrestle with.

A: [Okay! All set. Interview details will be sent in the morning.]

A: [I also used that last photo to really pull them in, if that’s alright? Bastard called my phone immediately howling demands like... well, nevermind.]

Somehow, the fact that I’m not exactly expected to respond immediately, like in a face to face chat, only makes me hesitate and overthink what to say even more. I roll over on the bed and reach for the glass of water I prepared, draining it in two seconds.

Glancing over at the phone sitting there on the blanket, I sigh and type a response. Because I can’t just leave it alone.

C: [It’s fine.]

I see the tempting photo of myself in the bed from this chat. Because she called me instead of texting back, it’s still right there, not buried above in a bunch of messages. Part of me wants to say more things.

But I just swap over to the group chat and send a similar answer. frёeωebɳovel.com

C: [I have no problem with my photo being used for that. They are going to be taken and used anyway, right?]

I should probably look up more details about how it all works. Even if I’m the look her colleague wants, that doesn’t mean I can just go in there without understanding the process.

Tired, but with a mind that won’t quit thinking, I start to open the browser when a flood of message notifications start chiming. Almost all from Claire.

Video tutorials, articles about the industry, and collections of magazine examples. Link after link is sent to me by the Alpha’s assistant like she is my personal information broker.

C: [If you want me to thank you, you should wait for me to ask you to do it.]

BK: [No thanks necessary - I just want to see your professional photos. I’ll get my favors and bonus packages someday when I can tell ’Your Waiting Mate’ how much I’ve been secretly helping you.]

I’m not a fan of the expectation being placed on me. Not over being successful in the work... but around things working out with Kyrie. And of course I don’t like that blasted, hells cursed nickname.

"I should change it. Something that fits but can’t be made fun of.

My wolf wonders what is wrong with just shortening it to Mate. But I appear in my soul long enough to shove its face childishly before escaping again. Then my fingers type out ’Flickering Candlelight’ in the entry space.

> Something that burns, something that is likely to be snuffed out, and also- <

BK: [I’m surprised you didn’t just go with ’Brown Eyes’, but this might be better. Even more personal.]

Turns out I have no privacy. What freedom? There’s a BoundaryKeeper as warden to this white cage.

BK: [Her eyes do get that stuttering orange when she’s... well, mad usually. Though I think you are giving her some *other* emotions if it’s you that is the one seeing it!]

C: [Go to bed. I’m not going to respond again to you tonight.]

BK: [Yes, Mrs. Voss. Sorry, Mrs. Voss. Hey, actually, did you know that both your last names mean-]

My eyes close and I set the device a little too quickly onto the nightstand. Do people really use these devices to do nothing other than get some sort of rise out of each other? With a growl, I pick it back up to make sure I didn’t break the screen.

Swiping down the notification panel as a test, I see that I have messages from two other chats. Anise rambled on for a bit by herself about her colleague before saying [Oh, look at the time.]

But direct from Kyrie is... a picture. A selfie, whose terrible lighting and angle is sent to the back of my mind by the content. Laying back on a red silken pillow, a set of matching sheets while holding the camera up high above her.

Pointed down at herself, eyes glowing orange right toward the lens. But her face is not so centered and her arms are long. Which leaves the bottom half of the photo that dries my throat again.

Showing off that charcoal gray bra I didn’t get to see, supporting the parts of her I haven’t yet touched. My screen reflects a blue glow that has nothing to do with the system.

K: [I may dream of you again, and it will be a very pleasant one this time. Goodnight, Princess.]

Follow current novℯls on f(r)eewebnov𝒆l