Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)-Chapter 376 - Refuse Your Heart & Lose It

Someone yelled out about me escaping. A familiar male voice then pledged some sort of undying obsession with my ’running again’ before a howl and bark informed me he intended to do something about that.

His body slipped and slid behind me. What seems to be after being hamstrung by her claws. The unfeeling gaze of mine toward Jace Duskpaw on on the ground assessed that I was safe... and I took more steps.

While everyone in the chamber was fixed on the white wolf, I would move. Step by step. Away from all of this. I just need somewhere... to rest. But I couldn’t help but look back.

As I did, I see the Alpha of the Pineheart surging past Kyrie with quite shocking speed for his age. Claws extended, but fangs not bared. Aimed not at me, but at the tiny creature in my arms.

I froze, my fight or flight response stalling in a body exhausted, unable to react fast enough against this ignorant wolf who labeled all of this as some kind of miracle. And even though she had been busy with one of the Sandhowls - they both kind of look alike? - Kyrie made space and stepped.

Coiled down like a spring and launched like a bullet. Like white lightning. Grabbing onto his shoulders, her feet landed on his lower back and drove him onto the stone floor with her weight.

The impact alone shook dust from the cave ceiling above us. A ’thunder’ to her nearly instantaneous movement.

"Watch-"

She caught him mid-leap before I could finish. Jace. Fangs closed around his throat and began slamming into the walls that were narrowing in my direction. He tried to twist free. To claw at her torso or face.

But like she cared not for wounds, she just slammed. Over and over. The seventh time he went limp.

I almost did as well. Watching my bloody, stupid, sweet, ignorant, beautiful, white wolf release his unconscious body.

Watching her stand to her full height. Howl, try to shift, and then scream in a gravely tone. But her wolf held tight, barely letting her voice make any sense.

"MINE! Did you think I was speaking metaphorically?"

"I don’t need anyone’s claim. Not his. Not yours. Not anyone’s tonight... except toward who is in my arms right now."

My voice is clearer than hers. In the silence that remained after her displays of dominance. I repositioned the clawing, sleeping mass of my son. To get a better grip on what is important as I spoke.

Anything to not acknowledge the set of orange eyes burning with... something I can’t acknowledge right now.

"This child was created thanks to that male there. I do not refute that. But that same weak hearted male rejected Helene Duskpaw and killed her that day. I am Citra Lomdi and never have I or will I be bonded with him."

Pointing at the sorry excuse for a man, one I’m still not sure what Helene *ever* thought positively of despite having all the memories, I refrain from looking at him. At the one who insulted his own child...

No matter what my fox soul or the system may have done to cause this change to the birth.

"So do you refute the claims of being a witch-wolf? I admit I did not believe it at first, but things are becoming difficult to follow rather quickly."

The Cloudtail Alpha asks with a level head. Of anyone here, he seems the most neutral. Though the Stonewater members have done nothing much either.

Except help the Pineheart Beta retrieve and hold back their foolish old leader. Overall, they seem more apt to work with the Rimecoat in an all out brawl. I hope it doesn’t come to that.

> But it’s none of my business. Just like this is none of theirs. <

"I don’t care what any of you think I am, or who you think I am. This world’s Lunar Goddess is a bit too hands off, but is as fair... as any deity I’ve interacted with. All of her children have the right to exist as we choose."

"By that logic, I have a right to question the sanity of anyone who speaks as if they know Her personally. And they have the right to try and entrap you after you went rogue."

"Perhaps."

So talkative. I just want to rest. But I can’t. Even after I make my way out of here, I won’t be able to stop. Because this place isn’t safe anymore, with others knowing where I am.

"She may even like people that live true to their desires, no matter how bright or dark. Otherwise she would have punished the most narcissistic of you long ago. Then again... maybe that is just what she is doing now."

Punishing me for being such a hypocrite. Such a cynical, delusional...

Or just punishing all of them.

I don’t understand why she would bring an Apocalypse, if she is involved.

But I don’t understand how she could know it was coming and do nothing.

> I really don’t understand that. Why is she doing nothing? <

Why is *she* just standing there, letting me talk. Letting me back away. Taking my steps toward a freedom possibly forever out of her protective cage. Is it trust?

"I’m leaving now. And I do not require an escort, Ms. Voss."

She says nothing back to my assertion. Does not growl, howl, or bark. Her tail does not wag. Her eyes do not look my way.

Kyrie Just paces in reverse to cover more of the corridor entrance. Getting between myself and any pursuit, by those four still willing to engage in these hostilities.

Guarding my retreat. Letting me run. Letting me...

Because that’s what I want to do, isn’t it? I wanted to run so that the child would be safe.

Safe somewhere... away from her. Why are my feet dragging?

> It doesn’t matter if she is alright with it now, she won’t be alright with it later. <

I turned and quickened my pace, not wanting to see, not wanting to hear, not wanting to know. But the tunnel carried sound...

All the sustained growls. All the fleshy thuds and sparking scrapes of claws on rock. Cracks of bone, cries of bestial pain. I almost stumbled into one of my traps when my body shook all on its own, recognizing some of those pains as hers.

"...How badly is she hurt?"

My son whimpered as if sensing my distress. Or just responding to my whispers. Leaning into the tunnel wall, I looked down at his tiny form in my arm. At his sealed eyes and perfect little paws that hurt like hell on human skin.

And forced myself. To keep walking away. To make the choice... between which of these two containers of mine in here are more important to take in this emergency. I Stash the powered one without slowing.

Even though I don’t trust any of my choices anymore. All of them keep taking me further from everything that I swore I couldn’t afford to want anymore.

I finally acknowledge she has already paid down with so much hurt - small financial scratches, larger emotional throws, and now physically bleeding for me.

But I just... still refuse to be bought.

After what feels like hours of travel, chill early morning air strikes against my Tolerance. And I can’t remember why I should care about our limited time. I never can, when I’m not right next to her.

Not when every moment I stop to catch my breath, every second that I’m not looking at this kid I hold, an existence that shouldn’t have been *mine* in the first place... it feels like I’ve left an important thing behind in that cave system.

> It feels like I’ve lost my own beating heart, Vrika. <