Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)-Chapter 385 - Piercing The Things That Are Vital

Open snowfields gave way to denser tree cover as I continued forward. Then to the thick undergrowth of what had probably been impassable in the summer. Maybe even during the autumn.

Now the vegetation was a maze of brittle branches and thorny frozen vines. The scent trail disappeared into the heart of it. I even licked my nose twice to wet it and make sure.

Too tight in there for me to push through in this form without making noise. Too dark to see clearly into the depths.

> Waiting, then. <

I found a position concealed by a fallen log that seemed downwind, changed back to my human form... and settled in. I kept the pulleys of the blow close to my body so that the string did not get frosty.

Not having stopped for very long all this while, I experience a downside to my ability. A perfect hundred and one degrees kind of melts snow. I might not feel temperature, but my skin can still detect myself sitting in liquid.

Quite physically unpleasant minutes passed. A whole hour as my mind wandered and imagined every possible disaster that could befall my son in my absence today.

That was one of the reasons I wanted to go out... to stretch this sense of separation anxiety I feel. Better to do it now than when the child grows up.

For if it roams off to get into little beast troubles like I did once it can walk, panicking doesn’t seem like the solution. Neither is keeping it caged so that it cannot learn to live.

I forced all the thoughts down when I hear a crack of ice. Compartmentalized them the way I’d learned in the Fox Kingdom’s court. For the massive male grizzly emerged from the thicket slowly, seeming to favor its right side.

> Still not a sow. No yearlings waiting in that thicket. Just this one. You can do this. <

Having never thought much about the gender when hunting before now, the idea of orphaning beasts... of leaving them to starve or freeze if they’d been lucky enough these two weeks to manage with their mother?

It had been a weight I tried lifting when I first caught its scent. Yet even seeing it with my eyes instead of only trusting my nose, my hand still moved to my abdomen unconsciously where my son had grown. Before starting to shift the bow and nock an arrow.

The bear moved like every step hurt. Yet, it was with purpose in a single direction - toward the stream I’d took notice of on the way here. Water still sat beneath a thick skim of ice only a dozen yards away from where it healed up. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Not so thick that it couldn’t raise up on its haunches laboriously and slam down to crush it. I drew the bow back during this moment to mask the sound. This bear had wounded Kyrie and had been wounded in return.

> We need the meat. It has low chances if it’s only going to sit here and hide. It makes sense. <

Receiving only agreement as the compound’s cams engaged and helped hold the weight, I steadied my breath to wait for the perfect moment. The heavy grain arrow and around forty yards of distance was pushing the ’ethical’ limit for a clean shot.

However, I had full confidence that I would not miss. Almost as much as in my looks and my new attachment to the child.

I waited as it lowered its head to the water. Until it got its fill and began to turn back to go to its chosen place of safety. Waited for it to expose the Vital-V behind and below its shoulder.

Heart and lungs, the most merciful kill zone according to humans. One shot, clean and quick for the hunter. Though I have doubts you can call it that for the prey, despite it supposedly being *merciful*.

The world narrowed to bear and arrow. Losing even myself in the mix as the target and projectile became one in my head, at the release point when I let the string slip from my fingers.

Whisper of dense carbon and steel broadhead slicing the air made the bear react. Yet, it struck exactly where I’d aimed with a solid meaty thunk that made it *jerk*.

For one heartbeat it stood perfectly still, as if surprised that some new, deep pain had just begun. Then it moved in a terrifying death rush as adrenaline overrode any small facts it couldn’t understand.

Like that its lungs were certainly filling with blood the more it pushed its large body. It charged forward into its thicket in an uncertain panic as I sat aside the second arrow I’d already nocked. There was... no need.

By sound, if not sight, I could hear the giant grizzly as it perhaps made it thirty crashing through frozen vegetation yards before it staggered. Ten more, slower crunches, as its movements lost coordination.

It fell at the other edge of the thicket with a small, unhelpful thrashing. Massive body releasing a low groan as what little air remained was forced out by pressures. A final stillness as the first sign that it would not move again.

All of it lasted only a minute, but it was surely one of the more terrifying minutes of any beast’s life. It wasn’t fighting. It was dying, without much choice in the matter.

Stashing the bow, I stand to my feet and roam over to the water it had freed. Cupping at least a small drink before I had to go deal with our food. Which... is all I really thought of it.

I’d fully expected to feel something more like triumph. But with it done, I find I am not as satisfied as expected. Neither do I regret it - providing lots of sustenance for myself, my son, and even for Kyrie.

> But it doesn’t change that she got hurt coming out here to find me. That she wants to *remember* that - or that she seems a bit proud of it. Stupid wolf. <