Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)
Chapter 125 - [H] The Princess Who-Was-Wolf And The Al-Mi’raj, Part 2

Chapter 125: Chapter 125 - [H] The Princess Who-Was-Wolf And The Al-Mi’raj, Part 2

A/N: Once again, it is not *necessary* to read this Chapter, even if I think you might enjoy it! We will be back to Citra next Chapter~

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She spoke softly, with all the essential feeling in the tone. Except Citra has heard her use the same tones one moment and harsher ones the next in private. And there was something probing in her eyes.

A question hidden beneath the expressed ’maternal relief’. Whatever had happened to me, whatever had brought me into taking over this person’s life... this fox woman already sensed that something was wrong.

< I’m never going to be able to hide it. I’m terrible at lying! >

"The Princess has returned to us in an... unusual form. But she has returned."

She addressed the snake priest without looking away from me. Her eyes were hard amethysts to this body’s soft lilac. And I couldn’t look away from them.

"...This is not written in the sacred texts. If she was murdered as suspected because of the lingering spirit that was there, why does she awaken? Why not appear as she formerly did? If she died naturally, why did most of her spirit depart before?"

While the snake rumbled esoteric questions, the sharp eyes of this ’vixen’ fixed on mine responded diplomatically.

"Perhaps the trauma of her ordeal has affected her abilities. Shock can manifest in many ways. We may need to give her time to remember how to do everything properly."

< She knows. I don’t know how, but she knows! >

"Father... should be informed."

Ravi finally spoke up, still kneeling protectively beside me with a hand on my back. The borrowed memories told me he hadn’t been this openly emotional in years. I felt like an even bigger imposter witnessing his breakdown.

And part of me felt annoyed that it took his sister dying for it to happen. I couldn’t help but think of Jace. Rejecting me like that. Was he now feeling the same sort of thing? Feeling sorry for himself over my corpse?

< I gave him my love and he just stomped on it. How could he do that? After trying to get me pregnant... >

As I bowed my snout in thoughts of my life in my original world, heavy booted footsteps eventually announced a new arrival. A massive man whose presence seemed to command the very air around him like an Alpha werewolf.

The memories named him as the Fox King Vishal. This body’s father. But I felt no familial recognition right now, just the instinctive awareness of a dangerous predator. One whose eyes surveyed the scene with calculation.

Head turned past the confused snake priest, his gathered children and wife, and the tiny cream fox I am sitting on ceremonial burial silk and shivering - held tight by the Crown Prince of this Kingdom.

"She lives. The matter is concluded. The ritual was clearly unnecessary."

"Father-"

"Cancel it."

The King’s voice allowed no argument from Ravi - just as usual, the memories tell me. I feel sorry for him for that, but at the same time that is just how an Alpha operates. They don’t take your feelings into consideration.

< Wouldn’t it have been nice if one did... >

"We have territorial disputes to address and trade negotiations that require our attention. See that the Princess is... attended to, Himani."

He turned and strode away without waiting for a response. The confidence of a man who knew he would not be refused. Metal booted guards and a few key ’advisors’ flowed after him like shadows.

One of them, the Minister of Finance, even deigned to glance my way and nod.

The snake priest was clearly relieved to avoid dealing immediately with the theological complications my seeming resurrection presented. He began gathering his ceremonial implements with obvious haste and putting out the fires one by one.

"Well. That was almost characteristically warm of him. Come, my loves. Let’s give our sister some space to readjust. You’re probably frightening her with your great beauty anyway."

He gestured to his wives once while turning, fingers from two hands seeking to pinch the waist of two women at once. And I wanted to gag as they departed in a whisper of silk, soft giggles, and jingling ornaments.

Leaving me alone with the Queen Mother and a still overwhelmed brother under the star-scattered sky. Stars that are not from my home. Constellations that I do not know.

"The servants will prepare your chambers and bath. Rest and recover your strength, daughter. We’ll speak more when you... feel more like yourself again."

The deliberate pause carried the whole burden of unvoiced understanding. She didn’t even seem like she had questions - or like she even cared about the loss of Citra. Just that ’a Princess’... was still here.

< I’m not sure if I’m just reading too much into it, because of what this person thought of their own mother... >

Ravi hesitated to rise and leave me alone. But eventually he removed his hand from my fur and spoke with more emotion than he’d used since this body... was fourteen.

"I’m... I’m glad you’re safe, sister. We’ll talk."

Then he too was gone, leaving me in the vast clearing with vaster trees - left in what is basically a graveyard by myself! I sat there in my unfamiliar fox form, trying to process all that had just happened.

These people clearly expected me to be someone I could never become. Memories gave me their names and histories, but felt like reading a stranger’s diary rather than remembering my own life. I’m Helene, I still feel like that same person.

< And I really can’t act like she did. How was she that strong? Standing against those people. Making those decisions. Where am I really? And why does everything feel... like I’m acting in someone else’s play? >

A soft snoring sound made my fox ears twitch. I looked up rapidly to see a small... yellow rabbit floating lazily beside me. Floating. Beside me. Apparently fast asleep. It even had a single spiral horn protruding from its forehead like a unicorn?

< I hadn’t thought I was dreaming before, but I’m starting to wonder now. >

Though its eyes were closed tight in sleep, they seemed to shimmer with magical light even past its furred lids... which are tinted almost orange and an almost grayish blue. Slit with a six point star pattern that glowed pure white... like those certain gemstones I’ve seen pictures of before.

"Well, this is a mess, isn’t it? Your life. Her life. My life."

After everything else that had happened, a talking rabbit truthfully seemed almost... reasonable. Even one talking in its sleep. I tried to focus on Citra’s memories, looking for how to ’talk’ like they do.

"Excuse me? What do you mean?"

Warbling and strange pitched, I still succeed... and I even feel a little accomplished at picking up this whole ’spirit magic’ thing!

Until eyes that were backlit with ruby red - the other a sapphire blue - crack slightly open. The thin star-pattern blue eye opened even further with a blaze of light... and fixed me with a look of the Most. Profound. Irritation.

"Do you have ANY idea how comfortable that cloud I’ve been on for the last six centuries was? I was having the most wonderful dream about moonbeams slicing through lotus petals for the last three years. And then suddenly I’m being yanked down here because some wolf soul from another world ’can’t figure out’ how to be a fox here."

The ruby eye opened as well - just the same fraction - and for an instant, I felt the weight of something divinely vast and primally terrible behind that sleepy gaze. All instincts screamed at me to submit, to flee, to hide all at once and in all directions.

Like the Alpha of all Alphas had looked at me as an obstacle. Then the moment passed, and the rabbit just looked tired as it sighed audibly. As I shook on little paws in its presence.

"Right then, I suppose we’ll sort this out. A decade or two, half awake and half assing your education won’t kill me."

It shrunk down a bit while floating to perch on my head, between my ears. The tiniest paws tangled in what I know is this form’s cream-colored fur. I want to call it cute, but feel complicated about it... because I’m still terrified.

"Whatever cosmic joke of a deal has landed you here, little wolf-who-was... you lucked out. Call me Nila."

"...Helene."

It snorted on top of me.

"A little ’torch’ sitting in the dark, being snuffed out and mishandled no matter where you go. Deities of all worlds do love their irony, huh?"

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