Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)-Chapter 201 - No, You Hang Up First~ *Click*

"You mean when I brought you in that back room and climbed over top of you."

I start to describe for her - in a low whisper into the microphone, absolutely trying to embarrass her - but it just makes her mouth open like the starting gate at a racetrack. And her words fly right out of it like the horse that wants to win.

"Yes. And then I saw those photos of you in Anise’s sudden group chat. Saw the lonely picture again when I messaged you privately. I couldn’t help myself with the way I was thinking about you, and-"

"Stop. I get it."

If that’s shy, then... I don’t need to know what her direct is! It was like how I was with Mira, except she wasn’t trying to deflect - just tell the truth.

That level of honesty feels dangerous this early in the morning. We both still have a whole day of tasks to accomplish. I don’t want to spend it feeling like I should chase her down and find... anywhere slightly private.

"I get it..."

"Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

Kyrie falls silent on the other end of the line. Her tone had shifted back towards professional, pulling back from whatever deliciously dangerous territory we were wandering into again.

This is good. End it here before we both say things that will make today... absolutely impossible to get through with anything approaching peace of mind.

> Or peace of body, in this case? <

I clear my throat and force my voice into something resembling normal. But it’s still lower and ’huskier’ than it usually should be. Because | Guardian’s Composure | is the most useless ability of this entire system!

"I should let you get ready for your meeting. I have... other errands to run."

"Of course. Call... or text me when you’re safely back from the interview tomorrow?"

"I can do that."

Or I could keep myself from doing it and break this... whatever this is she wants there to be between us. My immediate thought makes my wolf growl in disapproval. But it’s just a thought.

> Calm down, you can be mad when I do things. Not before I do things when I’m just thinking of escape routes. <

"...Citra?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. For having this talk. And trusting me enough at all to let me... or my assistant, know where you’ll be."

The gratitude in her voice does something complicated to my stomach again. I grip the phone while fighting the urge to say something stupidly honest in return. Like that I want her to keep her evening free so I can find her and-

"Your city offers better protection than wandering around unaware in the woods. I won’t let them chase me into somewhere empty this time. I’ll just stand my ground in the open and let your people handle it instead of playing with hunter’s weapons."

"You don’t know how good that is to hear. When you handed me that wolfsbane vial..."

It brings me back immediately to how harsh I was. Discovering she’d basically freeze to a block of ice if I told her to and using her feelings to threaten her.

"Really, I wasn’t sure what to say to you about that. I think it’s within your right to defend yourself however you can, but I really don’t want you luring attackers. It could always go wrong."

"Perhaps, but I’ll never know, now. If I could have defended myself without your help."

Trying to say that without any bitterness at all would have been no problem if it was toward anyone else. But guarding my emotions against her keeps failing.

> It is what it is, I’ve accepted that I don’t have the instincts for combat in the first place and neither do you. I’m just a Princess - not a pitfighter. <

"If you... no, nevermind."

There’s a pause where neither of us speaks after she doesn’t continue her thought, but somehow it doesn’t feel especially awkward. More like... reluctant?

> Like we’re both waiting for the other to find a reason to keep talking. <

Before I can ask what she was going to say just before, I decide to end the hesitation of us both and just move on. There is always next time. Hanging up isn’t the end of any potential chat ever. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

"I should go."

"Yes. Have a good day, Princess."

The nickname sends pinpricks crawling down my spine when delivered in that way she has about it. Not like the way people of my kingdom ever used it as a title. So I try some revenge.

"You have a wonderful day as well, Alpha."

My thumb ends the call with that sultry spoken sentence before either of us can say anything else. Forcefully setting the phone down on the table. Of course, the normal sounds of the breakfast bakery continue, unaffected by the single person holding their face in their hands again.

> Grow up. <

Vrika had sent me an impression that felt distinctly like severe mockery. In the form of that field of clucking chickens at Martha’s farm. Why does the spirit seem to get human idioms sometimes and not others?

I only know as much about this world as Helene did, so the same should be true of it. Well, other than maybe what it gathered if ever attached to a different werewolf. There’s no telling how old that phrase actually is...

Finishing the last of my milk, I glance at the cinnamon roll sitting untouched. Forgotten during the minutes of the conversation, just like my third breakfast sandwich. I take a bite and immediately regret it.

The sugar feels cloying and the spice is too strong for my enhanced taste. But it’s also just strong in general, I think... even when comparing to the difference between werewolf and my old tastebuds as a fox shifter.

"Cinnamon here is different. Noted."

Stuffing it back in the paper bag along with the other remaining food, I gather the bag - and the trash - and leave. Outside, I check the time with the system map. Breathing in the crisp autumn air, past the urban mix of fumes and humans...

> Well, no, that doesn’t really help calm me down either. <

A perfect opportunity to hole up in my apartment, organize my thoughts, and prepare for tomorrow’s interview in peaceful solitude. Except as I start walking back toward Perigee Residences, I take a detour... because my mind immediately began thinking of all the things I actually need to accomplish.

Those bed boxes waiting to be hauled and unpacked in the warehouse setup that Claire is somehow keeping available for me. The place I need to make use of in that timeframe she gave.

So I walked over there and dropped off the container. By the time I reach my building, my ’hermit day’ has transformed into a mental list of errands that will require me to traipse all over the city.

I mutter curses in my heart after letting myself into apartment 15-02 while staring at the four unopened boxes. Holding a bed set I bought impulsively with the clear intention of having a second person use it.

Apparently, even my attempts at hiding from the world have added a second person to it.

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by (f)reew𝒆b(n)ov𝒆l.com