Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)-Chapter 28 - Relaxing Makes Me Anxious

Chapter 28: Chapter 28 - Relaxing Makes Me Anxious
As Tess led me into the treatment room, the scent of jasmine hit my nose with almost
overwhelming
intensity.
"Your herbal infusion bath has been prepared."
When she hit a switch on the wall and the cover over the
oversized tub
retracted, my heightened werewolf senses made the mixture of herbs in the water nearly
intoxicating
.
Luckily these
slippers
have good soles, otherwise I may have
slipped
and stumbled while bracing my footing.
"Each ingredient has been specially chosen to promote relaxation and rejuvenation. If you have any questions or concerns, please just let me know."
Steam rose from the water's surface almost like the
hot springs
near the mountain border of my kingdom. Though I recall a very different,
pungent
, sulfur scent there.
I'm sure this one will not be any less effective for missing
that
as its strongest smell.
"Thank you."
I nodded at her and waited until she closed the door behind her. When I untied the robe,
another mirror
caught my reflection as the cloth fell from my shoulders and to the floor.
> Humans really do like to see themselves, don't they? I understand, as I am notably vain, but still... <
I stare again at
this body
. With its somewhat familiar but unfamiliar
curves
... and most importantly, what grew inside it.
My hand drifted to a
flat stomach
. The swell really shouldn't be visible for months yet, but knowing the system's pack roster told me it was there...
Helene's child.
A piece of her I couldn't simply
wash away
or have a stylist pull apart. The last piece of her, which I'd already
vowed
to see through to the end in-
Well- anger and rage?
Which are probably not the best reasons to keep a child. But they can't be any worse than my
Queen Mother
.
A woman who informed me on my twelfth birthday that she mated with
her King
, my father, that year
only
to get out of traveling to a raven shifter centennial cultural event.
Carrying me almost kicked off a
trade war
.
For a moment, it sinks in that I might be risking the
same sort
of high stakes. Jace is well enough liked in the Duskpaw.
If he decides to come for the child, while a
very tall
and
beautiful
white haired businesswoman... wait, what am I thinking?
There would be no...
Lunar War
, I believe they call them, over me. When she learns I'm pregnant with a
former mate's child
, she'll rescind all this talk of fated mates.
Surely
.
> Shut up, stop growling. I get it. <
My wolf's sudden opinion startled me, but I didn't
disagree
. I can't
predict
what that Alpha will do.
When I started talking back to her, she hadn't acted as I'd
expected
. Which is all the
scarier
.
Court intrigue is a game that
thrives
on knowing your opponents, allies, and
useful pawns
moves even before they make them. I am so out of my depth in this world, in so many ways.
"Wasting time standing here and stressing myself out. So much for relaxing scents!"
I carefully stepped into the tub and sank into its water, which was hot enough to make my
skin flush
pink quickly. But not quite enough to
scald
this human skin.
Perfect
temperature, really. Like my
favorite
bathing spring in the mountain villa.
When I leaned back against the
smooth porcelain
, even more tension began to drain from muscles than had in the shower. Places I hadn't even
realized
were quite so knotted loosened.
I even let out a few
questionable moans
in Helene's voice...
"I suppose I should start thinking of names."
After a minute of comfort, my thoughts
circled
to this.
> Something fitting for a child of two worlds, perhaps. Though maybe I should think about naming you first, hm? <
"Barking like that at me is only going to make me want to give you a name you won't like more."
It quiets down in my mindscape. My sight unfocuses and
drifts
. However, I cannot fully
relax
.
The
snowflake
glyph pulsing faintly at the edge of my vision is a reminder that according to this Apocalypse System, there might not be much point to anything I do.
What sort of world
will even be left for the woman's progeny to inherit in
less than two months
?
I closed my eyes, trying to push the cynical thought away. Trusting all the
information
it has given to me
implicitly
was a bad choice without understanding its motives.
Besides, what did that word even mean in this
context
? Certainly not the 'Biblical' end of all things, right?
"This girl and her memory. A pagan fox, placed in a pagan wolf, yet somehow I can know the general source of such a term in this world."
It makes it all the more clear that this system was always meant for her. If this was all in my
original language
, I might better understand the
nuance
.
Still... it must not be a
total end
. Otherwise, why 'choose' Helene? My gaze brings up the
timer
again and I sigh.
"Unless you really are just a cruel fey trickster, showing part of the truth while providing false hope. If so, you have a truly horrendous personality and I hope the dissolution of the universe claims you as well."
The herbs worked their magic as I deeply
breathed in
the steam. Chamomile and lavender soothed my frayed nerves while mint and rosemary cleared my head.
So long as I didn't let myself
spiral
deeper into my worries.
⧖
☾ ❄ ☽
⧖
I must have
dozed off
. Because the next thing I knew, Tess was
gently tapping
on the door to let me know it was time for my next treatment.
The water had cooled off to the room's temperature. A glance at the system's map and its
clock
tells me that it's been nearly half an hour.
"Not good, I already don't want to leave this place."
I muttered with no real
conviction
as I wrapped myself in the robe for another trip through the building. Though part of me thinks that might have been
her plan
.
Foist a luxurious experience on me that makes me
crave
to stay by
her side
.
"The full body scrub is next. Unless you'd like to take some time to yourself in your room?"
Part of me thinks I should. Just to go check and make sure
my backpack
is still where I left it.
That
my things
have not been rifled through. But I just shake my head.
"No, I'll be fine."
The next room I was taken to is
cooler
, the air rich with scents of coffee and more vanilla. Inside was a woman with silver-streaked, dark hair that delivered a
practiced smile
with her hands locked low together.
"Welcome. I'm Sonya. I'll be performing your coffee exfoliation treatment today."
I glanced at the
padded table
in the center of the room. It was covered with a clean white sheet and had a
hole
where I imagined a face might go if laying on one's stomach.
"Coffee... exfoliation?"
Only one of those words was
familiar
. The
brown liquid
that so many humans in the city walked around with in their cups.
The other one, Helene
did not know
for once! I should not be so
happy
about that, but I am.
"Yes."
The woman gestured to an array of bowls and jars arranged on a nearby trolley. She lifted a small one to show me its
contents
- a
dark, gritty paste
that smelled quite intensely.
"The grounds help remove dead skin cells while the caffeine stimulates circulation. The vanilla oil afterward helps moisturize."
The concept wasn't entirely foreign. In my kingdom, many noble ladies used
crushed walnut shells
mixed with
honey
for a similar purpose.
Some of the merchants' daughters I'd spent the
most
time with had skin that felt
impossibly soft
from such treatments.
"What do I need to do?"
My voice came out a little too...
excited
. I'd still been trying to convince my mother to let our beauticians start to provide those treatments for us, but the woman
hated
walnuts.
Which meant I
had
to hate them as well.
She was clearly a 'psychopath'.