Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)
Chapter 41 - Seven Out Of Ten Adaptable Regrets

Chapter 41: Chapter 41 - Seven Out Of Ten Adaptable Regrets

A/N: Some disgusting smell description near the end. Queasy folks prepare, if you can...

- - - - -

When I left Crystalline’s clothing shop, the consultant waved through the glass door as it was locked behind me. My tied up hair whips the air as I nod forward and turn on my heel.

Payment had gone through without a hitch, again. Even knowing there is a lot of technology involved, it’s amazing how money can trade hands without a living intermediary.

The idea of banking did exist in my world. But penning promissory notes is still quite different from a piece of plastic working seamlessly with computers to authorize the transfer of funds without any immediate human overwatch.

"Trust in society is high, when things like this are possible. Civilization indeed."

Autumn was deepening its grip on the world; on Vossden. My warm breath formed small clouds of vapor that dissipated almost instantly in the night.

Darkness had greeted me with an immediate chill that hadn’t been present when I entered the spa. Hours ago after lunch, when the sun still shone on the streets.

Now it is filled with so much artificial lighting. The streetlights with their ’fluorescence’ cast harsh white-blue light onto the concrete and asphalt.

Pools of dimmer yellow-white illumination broke this up at regular intervals down this particular avenue. From lights mounted within the tops of waist high posts I must imagine serves as barricades against errant vehicle traffic harming the pedestrians.

The streets were somehow more lonely but no quieter now. The bustle of the day was replaced by nearly as many groups hurrying toward evening entertainment, food, or other destinations.

Essentially no different than my kingdom, other than a variance of scale because of the concentration of people in the higher buildings. Well, and trading palanquins for cars.

Traffic lights are very bright at night.

Greens and reds pull my gaze from afar. So much information that I need to grow accustomed to ignoring.

I needed to find shelter. Sooner than later.

But the city that sprawled around me was a bewildering maze of possibilities even in the light of day. None of the more shadowy streets feel particularly welcoming to walk down with all of the brightness of the sidewalk.

"Where do I go..."

My fingers found Kyrie’s card in my pocket. It could pay for lodging at a... ’hotel’.

However, while I admit to myself that I lack control over spending - that is mostly when the thing to buy is right in front of me. I am not currently in a nice, safe, clean room.

> Therefore, I can resist! <

Concern radiated from my wolf when I popped in only to shout this. I ignored its feeling, instead pulling up the system map to survey my options.

That’s when I noticed... something had changed.

The interface had always shown a complex listing of numerical values and terms that I tried to make no sense of over on the side. Now, there was a wide circle where my position was marked on the map.

Every building and open space in that certain circumference around me had been assigned a glowing number. Luckily solid, whole numbers and not that horrible mess of shifting decimal points on the side.

The edges of certain areas were even highlighted with color gradients ranging from deep red to a paler blue than the rest of the topographical display.

"What is this?"

I whispered, walking forward some more to watch the numbers change as my ’overhead’ perspective did. As if responding to my confusion, lines of text swirled into my sight.

| LOCATION VIABILITY ANALYSIS |

| SCALE: 0-10 |

| MODE: Immediate Safety |

| OPTIONS: Immediate, Post-Apocalypse |

I blinked at the amount of information before holding my chin. This was clearly the reward from identifying Victoria’s spy at the spa.

That Lucinda werewolf and the | Survivor’s Wisdom |.

It seems to be a way to quantify which locations would keep me safe?

"Well then, let’s put you to work."

⧖ ☾ ❄ ☽ ⧖

A seven caught my eye, glowing a bit whiter blue than the surrounding values. It was at the edge of what appeared to be a warehouse district that I’d been traveling toward.

Far enough from the city center to be quiet and allow me to leave at any moment, but not so remote as to be completely isolated. As I walked that way, I kept checking the interface, watching for any changes in the ratings that might indicate a better option than I’d found so far.

I’d decided that if I wanted to spend the night without money, that an abandoned alley or similar area would be best. The one it gave the ’seven’ to had the highest score of the options I’d passed close by.

Though highest was a relative term when all the numbers hovered in the dismally low range. Still, the system’s assessment aligned well enough with what I eventually saw when I got there.

This spot wasn’t a complete disaster like the others. I’d checked a few to verify that ’one’ and ’two’ scores were very much uninhabitable.

In my current circumstances this place qualified as excellent. Tucked behind a row of warehouses near the industrial district’s edge, it offered several strategic advantages that my instinct and experience as a beast immediately catalogued.

Concrete walls on three sides created a natural windbreak. A large industrial dumpster was positioned perfectly at the entrance to provide additional cover from sight.

More importantly, the ground here was relatively dry, with minimal debris. No standing water like in some of the others.

Which meant less chance of attracting insects or creating damp conditions that would compromise my body heat. I’d learned quickly that being a stupidly large wolf wasn’t like being a majestic fox.

The trees I’d huddled under for the past nights when I grew exhausted had been survivable, but not comfortable. I am not small enough in that form to curl in the same kind of spots as I used to - or steal a den in the roots.

> That rabbit was lucky. <

A growl from Vrika agrees. We’d both heard it on our trip to the city, but couldn’t make food of it or use its warm spot.

Not without... spending a lot of energy ripping away roots. Anyway. This spot?

This was almost luxurious by the standards I’d seen some other homeless humans using tonight. It almost makes me suspicious why it has not been taken.

A rusted fire escape ladder hung partially down one wall, offering aid for a quick vertical escape route if needed. Though probably not for an average human.

They can’t jump that high.

The concrete had absorbed the day’s heat, which would radiate slowly through the night without as much wind around to carry it away. A small but meaningful advantage.

Scattered cardboard boxes that look new near the dumpster could be arranged for additional insulation. More and more it seemed too good to be true.

"Not a palace, but I’m anything if not an adaptable princess. I must have proven that through these days. To myself, at least."

The wolf inside seemed to snort in agreement. Or possibly contempt. How utterly... charming.

> Are you still upset that I ignored that feeling of yours? <

The proud beast ignores me as if that is an answer all its own, so I shrug my mental shoulders. What else could I have done?

Just because I thought I smelled a scent that reminded me of her doesn’t mean I should follow it. I pulled my jacket tighter against the cold.

On an impulse, I did stop by that park again while exploring - when I saw the kind human woman still handing them out to the less fortunate... after so many hours. What a hard worker.

Though I did receive suspicious looks due to my fresh from the spa looks. Including from the male werewolf on guard, who seemed obsessed with my hair.

New dress, glowing skin, smelling of good things, with salon style does not exactly make me look as much like the rabble I was earlier in the day.

Or like some of the others still in the area. But she didn’t ask questions about why I had changed so much.

Just something about if I was using protection as I walked the streets, whatever that meant.

No, that is... Helene knew the phrase as being related to ’condoms’ that the humans often used. To avoid unwanted births and disease while still taking care of their persistent heat phases.

But what that had to do with me being out while walking around tonight... eluded what was available to learn from the ignorant werewolf. When I asked, she just kept saying ’nevermind’ and ’sorry’.

"Maybe it was the way I phrased it. She seemed rather embarrassed."

> I’ve never used one, why would I need to start now? I don’t get it. Is there something wrong with that Vrika? <

No helpful response. Ultimately, it didn’t matter.

I remove my backpack and start to arrange a sleeping spot. Being clean was something I was already loath to surrender again, so I made a bed out of the available cardboard.

It created a marginally acceptable barrier between my body and the concrete. Marginally.

Typically, my sleep involved silken rolls and armed guards outside my door.

Not... this. A pack full of all my belongings under my head.

Just as my displeasure mounted, a particularly pungent waft from the dumpster I’d climbed over made me grimace and cover my nose with my hand.

> Great. I did... accidentally kick the lid pretty hard while hopping over to retrieve the cardboard. <

"Did that dislodge something inside?"

The foul-smelling bouquet making itself known for the evening seemed to be rotting takeout from the warehouse workers. Including something vaguely spoiled fishy, citrus spicy, and - and is that...

Was that... human seed? Why does this container of garbage smell so *strongly* of it?

I’m starting to see why this area is avoided. I check the map again and behold... it has dropped to a ’six’ already.

My hand drifted to the bank card secured in my jacket pocket. Kyrie Voss had said to use it on whatever I need.

How easy it would be, to just... find a cheap motel? Even that would smell less like sex than this.

I’d get a shower in the morning. A bed that didn’t smell like industrial decay and forgotten morals.

A concerned whine from Vrika makes my lip quiver.

"Absolutely not."

I whispered to myself more than my wolf. To stay strong after already falling into so many traps.

The ’stringless gift’ from that woman felt warm against my palm as I clutched it hard.

Even though it’s nothing more than cold plastic. Tempting. So tempting.

I closed my eyes and tried to imagine I was back in my palace gardens. That I’d never been put into this horrible set of impositions in the first place.

That I’d never met...

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.