Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)-Chapter 199 - Permission For More Impatient Patience

The silence on the other end stretched as I argue with my wolf. Long enough that I wonder if the call dropped and make sure the timer is still counting.

She eventually answers in a much more confident tone, though it had an apologeticness to it that I’m not fully sure it needed.

"I’m sorry. I should have thought about that. Especially because Luca reminded me about how much I smelled like you, before I was to meet with others."

"...Oh."

Squeezing the phone, I feel a primal moment of satisfaction at that. One I’ve never really felt... over something I never really thought about before. There was never a particular moment as a fox shifter where I considered myself especially glad over how others smelled.

Well, that’s not true, I did quite love mint. Rolling in wild patches. But I was never really happy if the merchant’s daughter’s I spent time with smelled like mint. It always felt like they were attempting to curry favor.

And while pheromones were still a thing... there is something a bit more pleasant or unpleasant about them in this world compared to mine. I’ve just assumed it has to do with werewolf biology so far?

Especially with how this body is reacting to the thought of her smelling like me. It was almost as good as the sandwich.

"Were you alright? Was it someone who might cause problems for you?"

> And what about you? Damnit, why does she just worry about me immediately... you shut up. I wasn’t asking you, I’m just thinking in my soul! <

"No, she was... discrete. Horrified to get close, but discrete."

"Citra... if you’re concerned about controlling problems like that, I can send you something."

Her voice drops lower, feeling even more intimate despite the public setting I’m still sitting in. Whatever it is, I *immediately* don’t want it... and also want it very much. Because I’m sure this CEO wouldn’t try to send any silly gift, but something useful.

"What is it?"

"A product one of our companies makes especially for our kind. A scent neutralizer, but a different formula than the one sold publicly.. It’s useful for..."

For the next time we get together. She doesn’t actually say it, but I feel like we both hear those sort of words in the silence there, somewhere.

"...For days where you have to mix which packs you are speaking with. Or for messengers who come back from other territories, so they don’t rile up the other members by smelling like the meeting they had with a different Alpha."

"That would be a much more practical use of it."

"I’ll have some delivered to your apartment today. Tonight. My assistant will handle it. Is that okay?"

The way she says her ’assistant’... is like she really doesn’t know I’ve met her. But wasn’t Claire going to show her those pictures of us meeting? Or did Luca manage to convince her not to...

> Can she be convinced not to do something? How did he do that? <

"I’ll accept the delivery. Even if it seems like you are preparing for a visit on your own accord."

"No, I... well. If you... offer. I wouldn’t say no. But I won’t ask or show up unannounced again."

Feeling a smirk growing, my head tilts to the side and I squint out the window. My back stretches as I loosen up what had been tense at the thought of having to deal with her over the phone.

"What if I asked for you to ask?"

"...Excuse me?"

I chuckle at the low growl of it. Because it wasn’t offended at all, it was...

> Well, it was definitely not offended. Right? <

My wolf barks at me, reminding me it was told to stay out of things. Vrika just can’t read my moods yet, apparently. I was done with that a whole minute and a half ago!

"I’m just thinking out loud. That perhaps I should allow you to ask things that you want from me freely. To tell you that I can easily refuse your request-"

She makes an interesting sound, almost a whine. One that makes me gulp hard during the small pause.

"-while still letting you make them as you will. Because it seems like you’ve decided that I’m... made of glass. I won’t crack just from you asking me something."

Using the way that Claire described her problem with the Beta, I open the milk again and start taking sips. Carefully, so that she does not say anything that makes me choke.

Helene had seen too many ’spit takes’ in her short stint of watching television for me to take such a thing lightly. Even if that had never been a worry back in my old body.

"Alright. Then I’ll... ask something. Do you intend to pursue modeling?"

Well, and there it is. The protective note creeping into her tone, despite her effort to keep it casual sounding. I can almost feel her wincing.

"There is an interview tomorrow. Someone needs a last-minute replacement for their winter collection shoot. Anise thought I would be a good fit."

"I see. Would you like me to arrange some private security for that? Just to be there in case-"

"No."

The word comes out sharper and louder than I intended, making an elderly couple at the booth table in the corner glance over. Raising my hand in apology for interrupting their meal, I lower my voice.

"I appreciate the offer, but no. I’m already confident in how you work. You don’t trust anyone else to protect someone important to you properly, otherwise you would have done something like that already. You’d rather do it yourself or you’ll be restless."

The continued silence tells me I’ve hit the mark exactly. She even admits it quietly, quicker than I thought she would..

"You’re right. I don’t trust anyone else with your safety. Not completely. It’s part of why I wasn’t sleeping well. But-"

"Then you need to learn to. You lead a large pack and have responsibilities. Business obligations. A ruler might wield personal strength, but they can’t personally bodyguard everyone they care about, so-"

"You’re not everyone."

> What an interruption... <

Closing my eyes, I struggle to remember how to breathe normally. I think it was in and out, but the out isn’t working at times and the in wants to be shallow. She sighs on the other end of the line. freewebnøvel.coɱ

"I know. I know you’re right. And I’m sorry that I say things like that. It’s just... you’ve already been attacked twice and things are getting more complicated."

"Complicated how? Is it why you had to leave yesterday?"

"...I had to leave yesterday for a meeting related to certain territory disputes."

"What kind of territory disputes? Are they about me?"

Asking sharply after connecting the two points of worry, I get another too long silence. My shots are rather on target today, aren’t they? That reminds me... I should buy more arrows.

> And maybe also buy and trade some other things from the hunter’s app if things are going to continue to be so dangerous for me, even in her territory. <

"The Duskpaw pack has been... making inquiries. About your situation and about what happened with your former mate Jace."

"What kind of inquiries?"

My stomach drops right along with the volume of my voice. It also might have quivered a bit, fearing that she is going to bring what I’ve avoided telling her up. Her tone even hardens when she starts speaking.

"The kind that involved making a demand of me that I’d rather stand my ground on, no matter what."

And she says something like that. Which makes me realize I hadn’t thrown up this morning, actually. Because I kind of what to, just a little bit, right now.

This content is taken from fr𝒆ewebnove(l).com