CHAPTER 261: CHAPTER 261 - WHEN I SAID I NEEDED SPACE... THIS IS NOT WHAT I MEANT

"Don’t."

The word came out sharp and commanding - a bit more than I intended just to warn her. But I didn’t pull my foot away either... because it doesn’t do a lot of good to hold power over someone if you don’t trust it.

Then it’s just being on guard constantly. Which I’d be doing anyway, but there’s some sort of subtle difference.

"...Don’t touch my leg."

"I wasn’t going to. I promise. But I did want to."

Her admission and self-restraint made something flutter in my stomach that I immediately squashed and called ’getting hungry again’. Rolling slightly to see her face easier, I found brown eyes playfully watching me back from the distance.

With an expression that was fairly at peace. A lot less... high strung. Which tells me I did the right thing by having her rest before we talked.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Long enough to hear you muttering before I responded. So... what’s wrong?"

She changed her positioning, moving her hand away and propping her head up on her elbow. The same palm that could have surged out and kept me from fleeing was now on her cheek.

This woman... when relaxed just seems to understand the beauty of casual movements. It’s a little frustrating, so my hand vaguely gestured at the whole container around us.

"I can’t exactly have whole pallets of emergency supplies delivered for this Stash to my apartment. It would also be very tedious to travel back and forth with the items to wherever I can deploy it without people watching."

"Simple solution. I’ll sign the property here over to you. Just deliver everything here."

Her matter-of-fact response came without hesitation. Like there was no problem she could not solve if I just let her. I stared at her with wide eyes like she’d lost her damned mind!

"You silly wolf. I do not believe that you have no idea what the fallout of that would be? Just... giving away prime city real estate to some rogue you barely know?"

Her mouth opened to argue back with me, but I continued before she could speak any of it. Which judging by the look on her face, was going to amount to ’so what’.

"Your pack members would demand explanations. Other Alphas would question your judgment. Even the corporate board would probably start thinking you’ve had some sort of mental breakdown."

She closed her mouth, looking slightly deflated and chastised. Just like in our first meeting, when I let my refusal to be handled and possessed like an average wolf facing the fated mate tug break her pace of... strength and self-assurance.

But then that calculating expression I’d seen a few times returned. The one that proves she did not make it where she is entirely on just punching down problems - but probably on thinking through where or who to punch, at least.

"Depending on how things go, I don’t think property rights are going to work the same during a survival of the fittest situation. This project would barely be done in the timeframe we have left. So, what if I just... stalled the renovation project indefinitely with an appropriate excuse?"

Her confident smirk seemed so smug that I hated it - hated how much I liked it. How much I wanted to both put her in situations where she can smile like that more and also how much I want to wipe it off her face by being even smugger than her.

Yes, that is too a word. Why are you commenting on language now?! If you know how to speak so well, why aren’t you doing it - hm?

"Besides, it sounds like I can use all the construction people I can get working on our tower. That would give you free access to a spot like this for as long as you need it, correct?"

When she pressed me... this time I was the one who opened my mouth to argue, then closed it again - though not because she interrupted me, like I did her. But because she was *right*.

What did property ownership matter when the world might be ending? If the building couldn’t realistically go through being sold for liquid profit before the solstice, its value to me would tip the scale and outweigh its value to her.

Damnit. She’s got us there. Of course you count, we’re on the same side, partner. You don’t only get to enjoy the good things!

"That’s... actually not terrible. Such a... plan."

I admitted so grudgingly that the corners of her mouth did that thing. I winced and looked away from her smile before she spoke.

"Generous praise from you. I’ll take it, Princess."

Laying there in the dim light, both of us pretended the less than two feet of space between us wasn’t charged with tension. Vrika stirring as restlessly in my mindscape as her own wolf probably was. Though mine sent impressions of warmth and closeness, while hers probably-

"Your feet must be killing you. All that walking around the city in heels today."

She said this so suddenly that I glanced down at my sock-covered feet. It wasn’t something I’d really noticed or thought about... and wiggling my toes didn’t tell me much one way or another.

"Citra, you’re in good shape, but that doesn’t mean you don’t accumulate tension."

Her voice was very matter-of-fact. My eyes squinted as I rolled just a little away from this wolf who seemed to be more obsessed with my feet than I expected her to be when I laid this way.

"...What exactly are you getting at?"

"I could... I know how to massage? Just a bit. If you wanted me... to rub your feet..."

She trailed off, as if realizing that her offer was perhaps a bit forward. Her eyes circled down and away, but returned back to me without flickering orange at all.

I should have said no immediately. Should have deflected with some cutting remark or changed the subject entirely. Instead, I found myself actually considering it - to Vrika’s howling amusement.

It’s just a foot massage. I’d let a stranger at a spa do the same thing. In fact, they very much did cover that in the treatments.

"Fine. But if you try anything else, I’m kicking you in the face first."

Except I wouldn’t, probably. Not intentionally. Maybe the stomach, but I can’t aim for that pretty face.

"...Understood. I’ll be good."

Kyrie sat up slowly, settling cross-legged near the headboard. She breathed in almost exaggeratedly and exhaled. Like she needed to prepare for this even more than I did.

"Turn around properly. Feet toward me."

I felt extremely aware of every movement I made as my feet were raised and they were carefully helped placed in her lap. Despite my agreement, my heart was racing. Something I’m sure she’ll be able to feel if she holds on for a while...

"Is this okay? You don’t feel any pressure to agree, do you?"

I nodded to her murmur, not trusting my voice with her hands hovering just above my ankles. Her fingers found the edge of my socks and began rolling them down with care. The action felt *far* more intimate than it had any right to!

We need to calm down. Our eyes are glowing. I can see it in the slight reflection of the roof.

My clothes had been removed by servants before, even ones that probably appreciated the aesthetics of my form. I’ve even had my footwear removed by the more servile of sexual partners when sneaking into their rooms. But-

"You have small feet."

"They’re proportional. I’m not as tall as you are."

I shot back automatically to the observation, then immediately felt ridiculous for being defensive about Helene’s foot size. Especially when my original body may have been a touch slimmer...

"...Besides, I’m pretty sure Anise told me I was classified as... wide..."

Kyrie chuckled softly to my grumbles. Before looking up at me with soft smile as her hands gripped over the side of a foot to stabilize it.

"They’re perfect. Don’t worry."

Her thumbs pressed into the arch of my left foot... and I had to bite back a sound of surprise at the slight pain. I hadn’t realized how much tension I’d been carrying there. Or maybe she is just using more strength than she should to start with?

Though as he worked her way along the curve with careful pressure that was actually quite good... actually comparatively professional... I realized that it was just me who was too tense all over.

"Is this a good pressure?"

"It’s... adequate."

Where did she learn to do this? And for who...?

My wolf, sensing what I meant by that, was only amused at my jealousy for a few moments. Before it joined me in contemplating this. I may have even started glaring at her a bit.

Because she chuckled again and looked to the side while pausing for a moment to switch feet. As if reading my thoughts, she gave me my answer.

"Claire made me take a massage therapy course a couple years ago after... well, she said I needed better stress management techniques. And that her shoulders were in pain from all the typing."

Shaking her head, her warm but wry smile grew.

"...And that if I wasn’t going to order Luca to learn and do it for her, I was the next best thing to kill two birds with one stone."