Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)-Chapter 426 - The Red Under The Snow Gains A Touch More Life & Death

Chapter 426: Chapter 426 - The Red Under The Snow Gains A Touch More Life & Death

"Pomegranate."

Tart, like wine. Rich and dry, slightly intoxicating in a way that makes me lick my lower lip after speaking. Even more deeply... *drawing* to me than her original wonderful scents.

And it disappears as I pull away. Something only a person right on top of her can notice, even with our enhanced senses.

> Something only I am allowed to notice. <

"Is that good or bad to you?"

"...I haven’t decided yet."

But I have - and the growly tone of my voice is probably telling. I just don’t want to admit it in words while I’m still this raw. Still feeling the echo of that pull to finish the bond every time I look at her too straight, for too long.

"Your turn to shower. Luca will be here soon. You also still smell like... me."

"I’m not sure that’s a problem anymore. Everyone knows."

"It is if you want anyone to focus on the words coming out of your mouth instead of imagining what we were doing before they got here."

Laughter erupts while still laying on her back. A velvety, content sound that catches me off guard and somehow makes me think of the deep red color of the fruit’s beautiful ’teeth’.

Maybe I should go eat something. Rather than thinking about her biting me again.

Yes, her biting me. That’s what I’m thinking of.

She carefully gets to her feet and began to leave me there with Asha to go to her own room. And the periphery of my vision ignores the system in favor of tracking the sway of her walk.

"Found you butchering tools to use. They’ll be up with him."

I hear her footsteps pause at the doorway. Can feel her looking back at us as my attention was drawn to the wiggling lump of fur. Maybe even imagining she should take a picture of us?

Then door to her bedroom so many dozens of feet away clicks open a little later. Causing me to let out the breath I held in.

⧖ ☾ ❄ ☽ ⧖

Nursing gives me something to focus on that isn’t the thrumming awareness of where she is in the penthouse. I was a good little vixen and didn’t picture *too much* her joining me earlier, but now I can only think about letting myself go in to help wash her.

> The scar on her side might ruin my mood, though. Better to stay here. <

The elevator chimes with Asha still latched. She must have activated that lever she explained while I was in my own shower. Great. I’m not exactly in a position to stand and greet guests properly.

But this is the new reality, isn’t it? Princess turned nursing mother. Turned whatever role I’m needed to take in this apocalyptic court. But the mother part still comes first.

"Gonna hide that? I’m keeping the door closed and telling them to wait."

A voice announces over an intercom unit on the wall. Claire - apparently looking in from somewhere that makes my gaze pan around the room only to notice one of those flying drones just floating outside the living room window.

"Look, I’m secure enough that I don’t mind. In fact, him being creeped out as a male to see your biological confidence would actually be great to tease about later. I just don’t want him to be caught looking by Kyrie and her to freak out."

"She won’t. And if she does, I’ll make her stop. But... sure, one moment."

Strolling into the container, I find the nice lehenga set I’d bought for the date with Kyrie, what feels like so long ago. It has been a while since I’ve bothered wearing much of anything at all.

I can’t exactly put the choli on yet, so I just wear the skirting and wrap the paired dupatta around me to hide my chest. The much nicer one that Edgar gave me can come out at formal times, when I’m not going to get milk on it.

> Damn. I should have grabbed it when we were making that entrance at the lobby. But it was buried way down here, I couldn’t have strolled in and out as easily like I didn’t give a shit. <

"...Oh wait, maybe being in there a while longer and then still coming out naked would have been even more effective..."

"Letting them in now, alright?"

"You keep saying them - do you mean it’s not just Luca?"

"Martha Callaway. She’s been helping coordinate the covens’ efforts with the farming teams. She’s bringing you those butchering implements."

Ah. Remembering her practicality and lack of judgment when I showed up, desperate with a silver-poisoned Alpha in tow... and her assertions that I shouldn’t be making everything so complicated.

Well, I guess I get to show her all the other reasons why it was complicated, now.

"Fine. Let them in."

Luca stepped through first, his security sweep posture as alert as always. Even in his own Alpha’s home, the instinct apparently doesn’t turn off. I even see his nostrils flare checking for scents before his Rimecoat orange eye glow finds me.

The recognition hitting, with the way his shoulders arc back just slightly as if surprised and put more on edge. He knows what looking at a werewolf with a bond mark feels like. We all do.

But he’s disciplined enough to move past that, snagging hard instead on the shipping container sitting in the middle of the living space. Boldly, like I’d brought in and parked a palanquin in the middle of a sitting room.

One with purple glowing, smoky quartz roof. Though I don’t think any of those details bother him as much as when I adjust my hold and he gets a peek of what my son is doing under this scarf.

"...Ms. Lomdi."

"I think we’re going with Mrs. Voss now, don’t you?"

"Seems appropriate for the occasion."

Behind him, the elderly witch speaks and emerges, carrying a wrapped bundle that clinks with the weight of metal tools. A package that make me squint at the male wolf for not carrying for her.

Meanwhile her sight is on the bundle of dark fur peeking out against my chest. A softness in her face that belongs to women who are, were, or want to become mothers.

"That’s him, then. The miracle pup everyone’s been whispering about since the conclave."

"A generous appellation. He’s just a hungry child in need of protection."

"Aren’t they all."

Martha set her burden down and moved closer, which is when I notice she’s not looking at Asha anymore. Her attention is quite fully on me, with a tilt to her head like someone trying to hear a distant sound.

"Your spirit seems halved, child. Did that happen with the birth?"

She can tell that Vrika is no longer inside me, of course.

"No. It happened just before we started to head back to the city."

"But you’ve bonded. Recently. Strongly. The Fated Mate connection truly is something incredible to be near. It *feels* more like magic than anything I’ve felt in years."

I would say months, in my case, but she’s not wrong. Outside of what the system does, which I do not count.

"And that... I did see the pictures of your new size. But it really was from a direct blessing by the Goddess, wasn’t it? I would love to talk more about it with you, when we get the chance."

"She’s almost out."

Luca speaks and I realize the sound of water did indeed stop running in the other room. Briefly, a little surge of annoyance hits. That he was listening to any details of her showering flairs in my heart.

But I know it’s silly.

She would never, with a male - and he is... too loyal to test that. Probably. But more importantly, I can recognize in that stirring jealousy a fear of losing something...

All the more sharply than usual, thanks to the bond.

> Or how by enacting half of the marking, I’m admitting I’ve gained a lot to lose. Too much to complete it. <