Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)

Chapter 482 - Generous Portions Consumed... And Promised

"I brought you food. Well, us food."

Her voice ushered in that easy walk of hers, right into the changed living area. White hair with strands clearly out of place from whatever she was doing before she came up.

Her dress suit’s jacket was gone, leaving only red blouse sleeves pushed to her elbows. Arms that were carrying stacked trays that smelled delicious even at a distance.

And my first thought was that I wondered if people would even think it strange that she is doing this directly herself. An Alpha bringing dinner to her mate privately sounds surprisingly reasonable, if I frame it as territorialism.

"He made too much, I think. I’ll talk to him about it tomorrow when I go down."

"Not too much. I’m hungry."

"Then we’re both served by his overreach. Since I get to see you eat your fill."

She set everything on the low coffee table instead of the kitchen counter where it makes more sense to eat. Simply because I was already sitting here on the floor, hiding half of myself with my legs underneath the furniture and Asha curled on my lap.

> And two silver knives at my side if she were an intruder, but that’s hardly important to her, hm? <

Nothing seems important other than walking over to me... she didn’t even react to anything she saw! Did she even see it? How could she not, the place-

The tray revealed its contents as she lifted the cover. Dark, spiced green with the sort of slow-cooked depth to the rich scent it produced that made my hand still over my son’s back.

"Saag gosht."

I know what it is only because I tried it just once. At a place in Vossden that purported to serve a variety of cuisine from cultures near the one so similar to my home.

Except while I’d hate to call it unsatisfying back then, considering I ate three helpings, this chef of hers... used what smells like very tender lamb shoulder and made us a stack of fresh ’roti’ brushed with ghee.

She’d already begun plating for me by the time I realized my mouth had watered... which was also the time I realized I didn’t really care that *she* didn’t care about my things everywhere. Not until the food was done with.

The spinach and what seems like some additional leafy greens had been worked down to a velvety texture. The lamb came apart only at the pressure of my tongue against the roof of my mouth.

Spices perfect. I swept the bread over any of the sauce that had been left on the plate before I finally made a noise other than culinary enjoyment.

"...Ugh."

"Problem?"

"Just... that I could have been eating like this for weeks."

And in my heart, somewhere, I know I don’t just mean the quality. I also mean the company.

"I’ll tell him you approved."

The woman who had done her quick best to fix her hair before settling across the table from me. Giving me the appearance of space when I first started eating.

Before the side of her leg found mine underneath our sight... and made it very obvious that she was lacking touch. Perhaps that she was still jealous I spent so much time this afternoon with a teenager that happens to be another werewolf.

> ...Or that she was more affected by the emptied out container, that she had to have noticed. Much more than she has been willing to voice. Probably because she knows I’m freaking out a fair bit. That I would be far more irrational if she makes a big deal out of it. <

She ate her own portion far more slowly than I did, but then again, she always ate that way. Less of an appetite than me. Her body was not in the mode for supporting more than one individual.

Her hand shifted against my foot under the table. Deliberately, I’m sure. You can’t accidentally curl your fingers around an ankle that way.

Just like you cannot accidentally *not* move - or *not* tell someone to quit it.

"How was the exploration?"

"...As if you didn’t watch it all."

Though you can be softly bitchy in revenge for feeling slightly vulnerable. She isn’t holding tight, but it does feel like her hand is shackling me down anyway.

"I didn’t. I would have. But I couldn’t watch it all and get things done."

Her new fire opal eyes meet mine steadily. Confident as always, even with the color shift. Actually she might be worse now. No need to hold back her wolf... means everything she does is purely her.

"...I did see a highlight of the incident where you transformed. Witness you exit the freight elevator in that girl’s hoodie. And bring her up here. While you changed clothes."

"Can you stop massaging my foot while you talk, please?"

That behavior did something uncomfortable to me. A heat that I wasn’t prepared to process while I was eating something this good, in front of someone beautiful looking at me like that.

> Teasing. Trusting. Tempting. Terrible... <

I scooped more saag and more lamb from the container. Focused on the food because the alternative was... dangerous. And I don’t even have a wolf inside me to blame my behavior on.

Just a Fated Mate pull making my teeth itch. Or maybe that’s just the spices?

⧖ ☾ ❄ ☽ ⧖

After dinner, after feeding Asha, after the cleaned dishes were stacked neatly back together and sat next to the elevator so she wouldn’t forget to leave with them in the morning... we ended up on the couch together.

Alone. My son bundled away in his basket. She’d just pulled me into her side without asking. The hand slung across my shoulder toyed with the hem of my shirt’s sleeve.

Then the other began with the edge of the shorts on my thigh. While rubbing her face into my hair...

"You’re being very touchy."

"I missed you today."

Her lips found the curve of my ear in barely a kiss. A soft touch more like her attempt to smell me fell in too close and caused it.

"I love you."

"Yes. I know."

Her chuckle against my ear was low and warm. It did nothing helpful to my thinking. I turned my face toward hers before she could escalate this further.

Pressed my hand against her chest and pushed just a bit to create space. Not a pushing-away and fleeing space. Just... managing the speed. Enough to slink into my mindscape and have a heart to heart with a representation of her.

> I know exactly how this goes if I let her keep leading. She’ll be so careful. So reverent. So... everything I feel like I can’t quite handle tonight. <

The white plushie Vrika made... should be unable to cast judgement. But I feel it anyway!

Probably because out in reality, my hand had already slid from her chest to the side of her neck. My thumb running on the faded spot that had healed throughout the day, even if she tried to keep it from doing so.

"Tonight... I’m the one being generous. If you can manage to be obedient again."

Her pupils dilated at that phrasing. She knew what it meant. The hand once on my thigh was now just suspended in mid-air.

Like she was waiting to be told where to put it. Or for me to grab her wrist and lead her to the bedroom.

"I can manage..."

"We’ll see about that."

I closed the last of the distance then, kissing her softly as a test. More for me than for her. After all, Kyrie Voss is hardly the one that has to prove herself about anything to me.

It’s her Chosen vixen that has to step up to the plate.

"My toothbrush is in your bathroom. Lets go. I’ll brush yours too, pyārī."

To prove she can handle the expectations and promises.

...That the ignorant, silly fox has made to herself.