Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)-Chapter 390 - Exposed, For What We Are

A/N: For readers that use Discord, I’m putting my Author Server’s Link/String in the AT below. Feel free to join for questions, longer comments, or just to bug me to work faster!

- - - - -

Illuminated by several small, battery-powered lanterns spaced on the floor, sixteen other humans had circled the opposite side of the limestone chamber - to be further away from our entrance.

A few were cooking or perhaps just boiling water to drink, others organizing supplies, and a few simply sitting and talking. All that activity ceased the moment Kyrie lead me in front of their line of sight.

I’m even certain some of them stopped breathing, the sharp intakes as good a sign of fear as any.

> I suppose for most, a massive black wolf with lilac eyes would do that. Maybe I really should have changed back. <

"Everyone, this is Kyrie Voss and her... companion. I didn’t get her name, sorry?"

A murmur ran through the group at seeing him just point at me... as Tom seemed to realize he’d neglected me as only a mere beast. Her hand reached back and stroked the boney top of my snout as I held my son.

I’m not exactly offended or going to bite the gesturing hand, so this must be to calm herself down. But why is the cost of leveling off her own mood treating me like an emotional support animal?

"I didn’t provide it yet. I’ll leave it to her if she desires to give it."

"R-right."

> Ah. So not upsetting that he didn’t ask before - upset that he is asking now. I’m tempted to shift back just so I could proudly declare my name. I won’t. But I’m very tempted. <

From what I can tell, they’ve adapted it into a campsite well enough. Some sort of structure of humanity and routine in the middle of what had been out there. And I’d wager they’ve been here a long time.

Almost definitely since before the solstice, as I doubt any human made the journey in that terrible weather. I watched as a spry, elderly looking woman moved our way from the group... and her whole figure was familiar at a glance.

"Ms. Voss, were your kind drawn here as well?"

The thrift shop owner who had once sold me the round plastic hair ties, which I left behind as a memento. Sarah’s eyes were bright with confidence and vindication while Tom just sighed, exasperated.

"This is my aunt. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t think any of us would be here. Claimed she was called and dreamed about this place for weeks before the storm."

"Not just me. Ask Mike and the twins. We all felt it."

Her eyes hadn’t particularly found mine, though I doubt she would recognize them with their changes. Let alone assume the woman she met so long ago had been a werewolf all along.

But her reaction to who I am is much less important than what she was suggesting. As far as I know, or have experienced personally... there are only so many influences in this world that could have urged them to come.

The System, perhaps - although it has never given me dreams. As soon as I think this, I feel fingernails scratch and I meet orange ringed eyes staring at me.

"Are you okay?"

It hasn’t given them to me, but it certainly has never been quiet about insinuating I have them. With the Tasks that it has kept giving me related to her. The kind of ’dreams’ I thought I was over with.

Starting to nudge my son towards her stomach, she catches on quickly and takes him for me. Then I focus on the change, feeling all of that mass my new body is made of contract. And I feel hot.

Blazing, searing hot like when I first transformed into this large form.

The humidity in the air steams out, as though the link between my Tolerance and myself was forcefully disabled by the minuscule spark of divine energy somehow turning three hundred pounds back into one hundred and...

> Well, I haven’t gotten on a scale since I gave birth. But he wasn’t that big, so probably still... average weight. We’ll say average. <

This shift left me on my hands and knees, feeling the emptiness in my mindscape even clearer now. Without Vrika’s aid, things are back to my old normal. No partner in my soul to bounce thoughts against.

Just that old, hollow *normal* of a royal life, without anyone who actually-

Kyrie pulled me up quickly with both of her partially transformed hands, claws and white fur suddenly under my armpits. She turns and faces the crowd with a hand hovering in front of the pouch and my son, while holding one hand back onto my bare waist.

"A blanket or jacket, please."

A firm order from her mouth while covering me from sight. To anyone in the cave who would listen to a request that was *not* one.

Sarah, as energetic as she ever was in her shop, gave an ’okay’ hand signal and flit over back to the group. Soon enough, she came back with a jacket.

One that made me wrinkle my nose from the scent, color, and style. That old, supposedly ugly but very serviceable winter coat that I’d foisted on the homeless man. It stands to reason he sold it to her.

Which is what is causing Kyrie to take it from her while looking at it - and me - suspiciously. It had been cleaned at least once, it seems, but it wasn’t enough to get rid of my prior usage of it.

"How absurd. Is it a boomerang?"

"Hm. That voice. It sounds just a bit familiar... oh, and that dark hair, it is you!"

As I unhurriedly hide my nudity from the group, Sarah - one of the number of humans I liked enough to bother to Annex this last month - gets a bit too excited and closes in too much. My protector growls and pushes me back a bit with her hip while waving her claws in front.

"I appreciate the show of force for our sake, but if you’re going to feel so stressed while holding the child, then I will hold him instead."

My hand had reached over and grabbed at that same slightly aggressive arm by the elbow to stop her from being so rude. But my words and actions only make the two closest to us chatter.

"Child? Tommy did say-"

"Can we please stop calling me that? I’m forty seven and asked you when I was fourteen."

"Never. Oh, look! That’s a beautiful little puppy, how old-" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Wolf-pup, not puppy. It isn’t a dog."

"If you want to complain and be Mr. Always Right, you can go do it in front of the others. They seem to have more of a stomach for you than I do."

Shaking his head, the former ranger took the opportunity for a tactical retreat. Which is probably the smart move. I have a feeling this woman would have wrestled that bear I shot barehanded if it got on her nerves.

Maybe Kyrie did too, which is why she was so wary...

"Nephews. You show them just a little favor and they get a big ego."

"You brought all of these people here? How exactly did you find this place?"

"Oh, some of them were just camping nearby before the storm. Was already growing a bit chilly and I had a bad feeling. Managed to convince all of them to try a night of sleep in these ever-warm caves. Well, all that are here right now."

With a clear amount of regret in her voice, it seems likely that wild animals were not the only thing made a part of the frozen larder out there. Which of course makes sense... and is the whole reason why my pack roster has remained as closed as possible.

Or why I haven’t tried to ask her what the death toll in the metropolitan area is suspected to be. I’m sure Claire and her computer have ’run the numbers’.

"And I’m plenty old enough to have gone spelunking a time or five when I was younger and more active. I don’t know all the entrances, but I knew this one - and the trail to get here. Piece of cake."

"...Citra?"

I sigh and turn my face. Because a noise happened the moment that the elderly woman mentioned a kind of food.

"Shut up. I’ve been running for hours. Smelled the fresh kill I made but didn’t eat any of it. And have nursed twice since last I ate. Plus there is something that smells like game in here."

"I wasn’t judging. I could also eat. I was asking you what you want me to do to solve that problem, Princess."

The way she turned and held my face, looking so serious as she reassures me, I can tell she meant it. Meant it far too much.

"Oh, we were about to get food going. You’re welcome to share the stew. Tommy found an elk outside yesterday and butchered it up before hiding it deep in the snow."

"Does that sound good to you?"

In that tone, I can hear that she would take the charity if offered for my sake. That she would negotiate, if possible, if it weren’t offered for free.

And in her assured eyes, I can even see that she would rob them if those talks broke down and we had no other options. As long as her mate got something to eat while they were hungry.

Hugging my son a little, just a *little* tighter, I nod my head affirmatively into her hand while feeling like the blessing is still messing with my Tolerance. Composure. Just, everything.

> It’s hard to look at her eye to eye now. Human forms blush so easily where wolven ones didn’t. <