Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)
Chapter 83 - Food Date Flutters

Chapter 83: Chapter 83 - Food Date Flutters

We were called for by the name ’Voss’ - when our order was ready. A large brown paper bag stuffed with both of our food was handed across the ’pick up’ counter by a skinnier, cleaner faced man.

She balanced that in one arm quickly, the same one she held the plastic bag of mine in, before reaching for the cardboard ’caddy’ that contained our drinks. Leaving me with nothing to do but follow behind her.

> Or so she thinks... <

I spotted an empty table at the edge of the park, away from the noisiest looking groups. With an increased pace, my hand shoots to one of the jacket sleeves at her waist.

She doesn’t say a word as I pull and tug her toward it. Which is just as well - because I feel like I might squeak whatever response I tried to give.

> It’s easy to be bold in your thoughts. Actions are a different matter! <

I took the bag from her arm and plopped it on the wooden surface, unwrapping one of my burgers with haste. The large bite I took before I’d even fully settled onto the bench was partially so she wouldn’t expect me to talk.

And because I really was so hungry that I didn’t care anymore. So much that I may have even moaned slightly as I chewed.

Flavors burst across my tongue... juicy cooked beef, melted cheddar cheese, all the vegetable fixtures, and also some kind of tangy sauce that made me lick the corners of my mouth before I went for another bite.

Kyrie politely - after a moment of staring impolitely and intently - focused on pulling out the rest of the food to get to her own. Giving me the dignity of enjoying my meal without any comments.

After a few minutes of this silent eating, when she’d finished her chicken sandwich that I started to regret not ordering due to its smell, she finally spoke. Beginning more small talk in an effort to learn more about me, no doubt.

"How are you finding Vossden so far?"

I swallowed a mouthful of fries, thinking that I might like the kind in the wedges a bit more than the sweet potato version.

"Busy. Loud. Crowded. Nature isn’t placed as naturally as it should be."

"All true."

She conceded my points before taking a long sip of her water. I found myself mirroring her and tugging at the straw of the ’styrofoam’ cup containing my vanilla shake.

The taste was as strong as the smell, but the substance itself was thick and cold. A texture that clung on to my tongue as I swallowed it down, yet was also somehow rather smooth.

A third of it was gone before she even put her bottle back down on the table... and I nurse the painful feeling in my head. The phrase ’brainfreeze’ rings in my skull.

"There are some quieter corners if you know where to look. Are you alright?"

"F-fine. Continue speaking please..."

I hear a soft exhale that sounded like it probably preceded an amused smile, but I don’t look up. Why would I choose to verify someone laughing at me for incompetence when the mere thought is already annoying?

"Well, there is the lake district early in the morning. Foggy days there are peaceful. And the botanical gardens on one end of it are worth visiting. Several sections there block out city noise remarkably well and let you feel like you could be anywhere."

Pulling my thoughts away from testing the second milkshake or forgoing cold treats entirely, I rub my temples a final time and look straight at her.

"You spend a lot of time... seeking quiet places?"

Some sort of half-smile appears and I squint at the woman giving it. Her shoulders shrug and her fingers reach out to the container of water and spin it in place.

"When you spend your days surrounded by people who want something from you, silent spaces do become precious."

The raw, unfiltered honesty in her voice caught me off guard. For a moment, she wasn’t at all like the powerful Alpha or wealthy CEO that she was.

> Simply someone who feels the weight of expectations like any person. <

"I used to climb trees. Or hide in caves. To get away from... people."

Immediately, I started to wonder why I’d shared any of that. Back in my world, there wasn’t a soul that knew where exactly I hid when I’d go missing - as far as I know.

At least not one that I’d ever told. But then Kyrie smiled - a real smile this time that reached her eyes - and I cursed myself as I knew why.

"I think I can picture that."

My face returned to the last of the second burger with a voracious bite. Unsure what exactly to do with the strange flutter in my chest, I filled my torso with more food.

With the last bite, a dollop of sauce escaped the bread and landed on my chin. Without comment - or mocking eyes - Kyrie hurried to hand me a napkin.

"Here."

"...Thank you."

Our fingers brushed during the exchange - and the contact sent that jolt of electric awareness through me. Or at least, a similar one... that had nothing to do with wolf spirits or fated mates.

And everything to do with this traitorous body thinking I would have rather had her... remove the sauce... through other means. Vrika agreed - with a low growl that was practically a purr.

> Shut up. It was just a passing fantasy. <

While looking away from her, my finger swipes the bulk of the sauce away and goes in my mouth before I scrub my chin. This constant friskiness around her is starting to strain my nerves.

I’m not sure... whether I should hope that she is dealing with something similar... or not? Either way, I sure as hells am not asking if she is holding that back as much as she is the desire to mark me.

"So speaking of pictures... that photo you took. For a sudden selfie, it was quite good. You seem to have an eye for composition?"

The change in topic she came up with was sort of welcome, as was that apparent compliment. For a skill I’d only recently started to practice myself...

"I like photography. It’s... well, new, but satisfying."

"Would you..."

Kyrie Voss actually hesitated after beginning to speak? Admittedly, I don’t actually know her so well... but as someone that has either held off until her thought was complete or responded quickly with confidence to me?

> Really sort of worried what she is going to ask me now... <

"Would you take one of me sometime? Just to send to me, I mean."

The request was so unexpected that I didn’t immediately know how to respond. Seemed like it was such a simple thing to ask for, yet somehow the way she was nervous made it seem slightly intimate.

My mind racked itself over potential meanings or reasons, but couldn’t think well after seeing her brush her hair behind an ear. Ultimately, I decided to just respond noncommittally.

"Maybe. If I think you earn it."

Ugh. Her teeth showed in a smile that made my stomach flutter next. Of all possibilities, why did it have to be an Alpha - the epitome of danger in werewolf society?

> Similar last name meaning, similar attraction to women - an observant fox can of course tell that much - and she... seems to actually *like* working to win me over. Maybe the lunar goddess put a little more thought into it all than I gave her credit for. <

Vrika barks happily at my admission. So of course, being my mindscape to control - I generate a muzzle around its snout.

- - - - -

[?]: I have the next Chapter *sort of* half written already, in Citra POV... but would my lovely priv readers perhaps like to see something in Kyrie perspective, before they go their separate ways tonight, instead? Considering what will be happening, I think it might enhance the scene!

If so, drop a comment!