Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)-Chapter 387 - [K] Bigger Badder Wolf Knocking

Chapter 387: Chapter 387 - [K] Bigger Badder Wolf Knocking

A/N: 500K views, woo!

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***[POV: Signal Sending Alpha]***

"Structural integrity on the east and south side of the tower due to the changes you okay’d is being monitored. But it seems solid. We’re down to one operational generator for the tests, since the others are being... borrowed."

My assistant’s voice came through the subdermal transceiver, clear despite the distance. The downlink is much stronger than the uplink, making this system often more useful for handing out information and orders than getting information back.

The cold had killed most long-range communications weeks ago as the cell towers froze, became too heavy with ice, and the steel buckled against the wind. Even if they didn’t fall, chunks could drop on cables or other important parts and render the network of them useless.

Key power stations were also affected, leaving data centers and other hubs offline. Stranding most everyone. Which makes this low-band technology that much more valuable.

Because we didn’t use those ladder-like towers, encasing our cables instead in concrete pylons for the radomes on top. Protecting our equipment was worth the extra cost.

And even before I knew of the apocalypse, I’d made sure they would install heated de-icing panels so it would never be out of commission in the winter. They needed to be low ground level for the best reception. So that meant disguising them as lights.

The only *problem* was all the agreements and contracts required to install them throughout the city. It actually takes more effort to give something to a municipality ’for free’ than one might expect...

"What about the water filtration with the fish farm tanks?

Careful not to disturb the basket where Citra’s son slept nearby, I spoke as I adjusted my position against the cafeteria wall. Closer to the heating vent. It feels colder in here when I can’t see her nearby.

"Still online. The tower’s agriculture systems are holding better than I projected. It helps that you have people on hand that make it much more than a quick DIY."

Her answer took a beat. She was probably fiddling with the phased array antennas again, trying to improve the clarity after I changed positions and probably caused interference. A heavy downside to the low power running the implant.

"Honestly, boss, the more I run the numbers... the more Lunarizon’s infrastructure is proving its worth. We could sustain the current count of population for a few months if the supply points don’t get-"

An impact hit the steel loading door at the back of the kitchen like a battering ram. My body moved before thought caught up. Wolf surging with the danger, conversation forgotten.

One furred hand pushed off the wall as I found myself positioned between that direction and the still sleeping pup. Then it happened again. Not a soft knock. A desperate, urgent slam that cracked the door seal.

I growled until the scent hit me heavily. Wilder, but her - my mate... who was in a panic. I crossed the space in no time and jumped for the red cord hanging from the door’s motor. Then, even before the delayed clunk from above, I slammed open the slide bolt on the door track.

Heaving up on the manual lift handle, I resist the urge to slam it up with force. It would break it - I know from experience. And we may need to slam it back closed soon.

I had half a second to register massive black paws before I hopped backward, even with her scent being out there. A compound bow clenched in the jaws of an enormous snout pushed under the partially opened loading door.

A huge wolf that was somehow definitely my mate, despite the bright lilac eyes... broke in and pushed past me. Further into the station while dropping the weapon. Easily twice, maybe more, the size that I’d known her to be.

Deciding not to worry about that and hurrying instead to trail after the black fur and tail swishing off snowmelt, I find her with nose in the basket. Checking on her son. Making sure he was safe and unsoiled before anything.

I could feel myself smiling. Somehow, I think if the roles were reversed... she would be a bit offended or jealous. But to me, seeing this only makes me happy. It only proves more that I’m not wrong to be obsessed with Citra Lomdi.

My wolf, however, stirred with something more complicated. It recognized its mate, but felt a sense of challenge, a question of submission, and the same intense possession I do. All tangled together.

"Citra? What happened out there?"

She turned those unsettling lilac eyes on me and huffed sharply. Her large head swung toward the door, growled toward the wilderness beyond, and I understood. Mostly.

Threat. Something was coming.

"How long do we have?"

Instead of answering... or even transforming back into a more manageable form, she just began to drag some of her things still out into a pile. Closer to the container. Feeling a little worried for her, I still help out.

Shoving it all inside, including the broken bow she’d dropped before, and ripping out the power cables attached to the alien looking wall at the back... I shut the doors and the orange glow around my hand extended as the entire container disappeared.

I came back to her pacing near the basket with anxiety. She then picked it up carefully and moved back to the kitchen impatiently, but returned and sat it down in front of me with a whine.

Of course. It’s too cold out there for the pup and she has no arms to hold it tightly. Why can’t she just shift back? Hearing her vocalizing some more, watching her lower herself to the ground... 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"Give me twenty seconds."

There was a hunting supply harness with a large front pouch in a closet I’d opened while exploring. I grabbed it and stuffed the material from the basket along with her son inside.

I felt no hesitation. No question about whether I could or should ride her back like this. Just immediate understanding of what needed to happen.

"This is going to be crude. But I’m trying my best."

I warned, already working some kind of strap system across her chest. It didn’t seem like it would be comfortable, but I needed something to hold onto. Her fur is lovely and long, but my hands would slip because it’s almost *too* silky.

She huffed impatiently multiple times. Urging me to hurry up. Until finally I carefully climbed on with the priceless package hanging against my stomach.

Kept between us, her son would hopefully stay warm. But all of me now worries about the coming loping movement. For me, this will be a constant fight to huddle over him without pressing down too hard.

"...Ready."

I try to sound sure. She rose to her full height the moment I said it. The feeling was similar to being on a very large horse. Especially the part where carrying me seemed like no problem.

Though the loading door was a bit of a problem - and we had to do all of this again quickly, outside of the LTER station. It was the first I’d been outside since I arrived.

Everything was a lot... calmer without the blizzard raging. And of course, without the desperation to find her that drove me on until I’d almost died.

I watch her ears and head swivel as she lopes across the snow. Looking for dangers and eating up the distance as she raced not *quite* toward the city. For a little bit, I even pretended she had no intention of going back.

And let my mind daydream about what that would be like for us. Let myself daydream about ’us’ in general. Until Claire broke into it again.

"So, uh, it’s been kind of quiet for a while. Things okay?"

"Yeah. Things are alright."

"Ugh, you’re moving again, aren’t you?"

"We are. Tell Luca to prepare and make sure nobody else does anything stupid when we get there."

Speaking out, despite knowing she may not have a good signal out of me yet... I think about the Rimecoat pack. My pack. Getting their first look at my Fated Mate in this way.

Carrying their Alpha and a newborn wolfpup through abandoned, frozen streets.

There would be questions. Challenges. And I would take them all.

If it means these two have a safe place to grow and call home.