Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)-Chapter 342 - Two Aglow, Three In The Know

The last three hours after... being let to run away, were spent collecting my cache-hunting tools from the warehouse. Dave and Davie were already hard at work when I’d stopped by, the second day of installing the power system in my first shipping container.

So it took a bit of doing to deal with them for a few minutes, sneak across to my things, and quietly climb over the jumble I’d made of it all in that office to get what I wanted without knocking over a shelf. Other than that?

Normal. Everything felt so wonderfully normal today. Really, that was all!

> Except for the fact that I can’t stop smiling and feeling light on my feet. <

An elderly gentlemen out for a morning stroll, in a park I passed through after getting a breakfast bagel, had even stopped to tell me I looked... radiant. Which would be a great compliment on any other day.

But made me feel like some love-struck fool from a romance novel. Yelling at a copy of myself in the mindscape to ’stop it!’ had not helped. Nor did thinking of sad or bad thoughts. Every person who’d passed me on the street seemed friendlier - or maybe I was just inherently noticing smiles instead of frowns more.

Am I broken? Under some sort of spell? Where did my practical cynicism go... am I going to find it again when I leave the city? Somehow I just don’t feel entirely like myself today.

"You’re late."

"I’m exactly on time. You’re just early."

Claire stood beside a shipping container identical to my first one, except for the modified door - this one was ’normal’. Her arms were crossed, one eyebrow raised with a smirk on her face that made my steps falter and stop before I got any closer.

I know that look because I’ve made one like it. But part of me doesn’t want to believe it. That we are about to talk about this in the middle of a loading bay that probably normally should have more Lunarizon personnel.

"Uh-huh. I suppose I was in a bit of haste to get here. Having a good morning?"

"Very pleasant, actually."

The smirk widened and I knew - that she *knew*. Damn it. I busied myself examining the container before she could say whatever she was going to about what happened. Or what she thinks happened.

"I’m sure it was. Elevator access logs are very informative when it leaves down from a penthouse but the boss lady is still in there."

"I don’t know what you’re implying."

"Of course not. Just like you don’t know why our Ms. Voss had that same sort of smile and blushing glow as you when she came into the office. Must just be some sickness that makes you feel better going around, hm?"

Facing her properly and abandoning all pretense of having better things to examine, I give her a glare that probably does nothing. Since I can’t lower the corners of my lips fully. All she does is shrug and clean her glasses to accentuate her point.

"People have eyes, Citra. And some of us have a good memory for what’s in Kyrie’s wardrobe. Especially when she wore it just yesterday."

She gestured at the white pants I was wearing and the ankles specifically before stabbing the temple tips toward red blouse... that was honestly kind of tight in the chest, so I couldn’t button it up all the way. Curse tailored shirts!

"...Other people wear them too, you know. It could be mine."

"Maybe, but there is a little K stitched in white under the collar there."

Internally screaming, I shake my head side to side. Doing everything I can not to become a Kyle. Tell myself to inhale and respond, though it takes a few beats more to do than normal, I feel.

"You think I’m going to fall for some ’look over there’ style trick? Give me some credit."

"It would have been funny, you’d have to admit. To watch you try and curve your neck and pull it out to see. Doesn’t make what I said less true, though. You can check for it later when you are alone."

I opened my mouth to defend myself with some other excuse, then closed it. What was the point in lying? Claire knew most everything already, and denying it would only make me look more foolish.

Instead, I started thinking about that - how she knows *almost* all she needs to. But that there is still quite a lot that this person, with her nose in too many people’s business... can’t possibly know yet.

"Hey, Claire. I need to tell you some things."

"Oh. Smile gone. Serious face, serious time. Is this about the Apocalypse and everything?"

Blinking at her, my mouth flaps again before I look away. So I guess I ended up looking more ridiculous by talking at all anyway, huh?

Why am I even trying anything today? Everything is failing so hard. I guess it’s good I’m headed to a cave.

> Yes, I could just go hole up in her room as a safe spot and- What? No. I’m not doing that. Are you insane? <

"She told you."

"About the countdown you say you can see? The system abilities that sound like magic or some book nerd’s escapism?"

The brunette’s expression moved from teasing to something more blank after the first two questions. Like she flipped from her personal persona back to her work one.

"Yeah. She told me everything. Well, everything she knows, which - knowing you - I suspect isn’t *actually* everything."

Relief hit me that I wouldn’t have to have this conversation from nothing. Letting her ask questions, if she wants to bother, is so much easier than trying to figure out the most important things to say to keep someone from panicking or accusing. Though that she suspects I’m hiding parts still isn’t... great, when I am.

"You believed her. About everything I said. Good. That’s... good."

Something warm fizzed and expanded in my chest at the thought of Kyrie sharing this with someone she trusted. At the two of them being able to work now without a wall of secrets I’d inadvertently built between them, by only telling the Alpha about what was coming.

> It’s their choice how to work together from here, of course. All theirs. <

"You’re smiling again. Serious stuff over now?"

"No. I’m simply *that* pleased you’re taking this seriously."

I coughed into my hand and took a deep breath, trying and probably failing to force my expression back to completely indifferent like hers still is. It’s not like it makes me so happy that Ms. Voss gets along with someone who is kind of both of our friend and ally.

"Right... anyway, Kyrie wanted me to make sure you knew about the additional supplies in here. Non-perishables, water purification tablets, medical supplies, that sort of thing. She said you’d probably argue about it being unnecessary, but it really would be more work to empty the container."

"It *is* unnecessary. I can handle my own preparations without stealing from what she is doing."

"Oh come on, I just want to see it poof with a bunch of stuff in it, okay? I already looked inside it to make sure it was all there. Please? Take it for me?"

Wow. Her face changed quickly. If this is how she begs, somehow I understand why the Rimecoat Beta does not just fall for her... personal requests.

> It’s like I want to stay far away from her. Like I can feel the threat of not doing what she wants so clearly that it ironically makes me want to avoid interacting at all. <

You don’t usually listen to the tiger, you just run until you are out of its territory. It’s kind of impressive that she can make me think of powerful beasts with such subtle pressure.

Wait, if I’m feeling that, then it means she has something on me and is willing to use it finally. Outwardly, I rolled my eyes as inwardly... I shivered. Is she going to tell me she knows about the pregnancy and will inform Kyrie for sure?

"Very well. Watch closely or you’ll miss it."

Placing both hands on the container’s surface, as if what I’m doing is some grand magic trick, I hum a note that slowly grows deeper. Purely to mess with her before the metal and whatever was inside just stops existing in an instant.

An instant which drops a twisted loop of olive-tan creature into the air...