Chapter 510: The Day of the Ceremony
Nikolai lifted the half-conscious Selene into his arms, carrying her like a princess. After the first time, she became too excited and wanted more. Then ended up trying to wring him dry over and over until she completely lost power and fainted twice.
"You’re such a lovely woman, Selene."
"Nn..."
Her soft breathing continued as he approached the mansion. He took care with each step, avoiding sharp drops or rises, all so she could continue resting. The maids all blushed upon seeing him, as werewolves, their noses could easily smell the scent of intercourse.
’Although some of them contacted Leona... these maids have strong loyalty.’
One of the senior maids stepped aside and opened the door for him, head bowed so low her silver hair brushed the ground. "Welcome back, Patriarch. Should we prepare a bath?"
"No," Nikolai replied quietly. "Just open her room. She needs rest... on second thoughts can you bring me a hot, hand bath? I’ll wash her myself."
"Yes, My Lord."
He carried Selene through the long corridor, the faint scent of jasmine oil lingering in the air. The warmth of her body against his chest calmed the lingering hunger still eating away at his mind. It was moments like these, not battles or conquests, that reminded him why he fought so hard.
When they reached her bedroom, he gently placed her down upon the silken sheets, fresh and cool. Her four-poster bed was identical to Nikita’s, bringing a smile to his lips.
Selene instinctively clutched at his wrist, her fingers trembling even in sleep. "Don’t... go..." she whispered, her lips barely parting with a hoarse voice.
"I’m not going anywhere," he brushed the damp strands of hair from her cheeks and forehead. He leaned down, kissing the corner of her lips. "I’ll stay until you wake." That’s when the maid settled beside him with a hot, soapy basin of water and several cloths.
"Nn... my body is all hot, and sticky."
"Don’t move, here let me help you."
Selene was cute, like a child acting out.
He slowly peeled and removed her clothes, revealing her pale and beautiful body with various marks from earlier.
Her voice was hoarse, soft like the last flicker of a candle before it went out. Nikolai dipped the cloth into the basin, steam rising from the water as he wrung it gently between his fingers.
The soap smelled faintly of lavender and sandalwood, which was Selene’s favourite scent.
"Then let me take care of you," he whispered.
The first touch of the warm cloth against her skin made Selene shiver with a cute moan. "Mmm~ Its warm." He traced the curvaceous shape of her thighs, wiping away the remnants of their lust and passion with slow, circular motions. Every swipe of the cloth was like a kiss in its own way, an apology for how thoroughly he’d devoured her.
She shifted faintly under his touch, lips parted with a sensual sigh.
"Mm... feels nice..."
Nikolai smiled to himself. "I never get tired of seeing you like this. Strong, sharp, terrifying to everyone else... but when we’re alone, you’re just my woman. My Selene." However, his face became a little stern as he squeezed the cloth with a wet squeak. "But you’ve worked too hard, my dear Selene, look at how stressed you’ve become."
Her lashes fluttered, and she gazed at him through half-closed crimson eyes. "Idiot... I’m always your woman."
"Oh~ you’re awake?"
He chuckled under his breath, moving to clean the smooth skin of her stomach when his hand pressed over the soft swell of her pregnancy. he paused — fingers lingering with a rare tenderness. Beneath the skin, he could feel the faintest flutter of life... then.
Bump!
A soft feeling... something pushed against his palm as Selene winced slightly.
"Ngh... it seems they’re greeting their papa."
"Do you know the gender yet?" He asked, his voice a little dry."
Bump!
Once again, the soft feeling of something stirred his heart. Nikolai gasped. The powerful pups in Nikita’s stomach were one thing. Yet, this was the first time he felt his child kicking.
"Ufufu, it really seems that she knows you’re there."
"She? I’m having a daughter... will she be as pretty as her mother?" He looked strange, turning to face her stomach, with stretch marks and a shiny surface, which he gently washed several times. "I can’t wait to meet you. Princess."
"Are you blushing, Dear Nikolai?"
"N-No!" He grunted, but his hand never left her stomach, while the other started to clean her breasts, stroking the heavy mounds with the warm cloth. "Our children," he murmured, barely above a breath. "I swear... I’ll build a world where you’ll never have to worry again."
Her hand, weak but insistent, reached for his wrist. "I don’t want a perfect world," she mumbled, voice slurred by exhaustion. "I.... no. We just want you."
The words sank deeper than he expected, his eyes open wide, staring at his wife. Moments before they devoured each other like beasts, and now faced each other on a completely different level. "Hahaha..." His laughter was nervous but genuine as he lay against her chest. "Selene, I love you."
He bent lower, pressing a kiss to her forehead, then to her lips.
In return, she kissed him back. Their lips stuck together as each of them sucked on the other’s with a soft smack. Soft, unhurried kisses, filled with everything they struggled to say aloud.
"Mm, this feels great."
When he finished cleaning her, he pulled a fresh sheet from the wardrobe and draped it over her body. "You need to stay warm, darling." Selene immediately curled into the warm blanket and his arms, nestling into his chest in a way she usually couldn’t because of her pride.
"Stay with me," she whispered in a pleasing, barely conscious voice.
"I’m not leaving," Nikolai promised, sliding into bed beside her. His arms wrapped around her, one hand stroking her hair while the other rested protectively over her stomach.
What made his world was the soft bumps each time he touched a certain spot, the same spot, where the powerful aura of a vampire carrying his blood lingered.
’My little girl is going to be a powerhouse!’
The mansion outside was silent. The snow continued to fall softly beyond the window. And in that fragile moment, which was far from blood, duty, and power, Nikolai allowed himself to be a man holding the woman he loved.
"Good night, Selene," he whispered into her hair.
Her breathing deepened, steady and peaceful. For the first time in weeks, Nikolai closed his eyes without the weight of war pressing on his shoulders.
Though his other wives might be upset, he swore to give them all the love he could each night after he revived his mother and helped Nikita give birth. He wanted to be there for every woman’s birth.
***
The morning ruthlessly came without caring for his exhaustion.
However, the light painted Selene in a beautiful golden glow.
Nikolai sat at the edge of the bed, fastening the buttons of his shirt one by one, his eyes never leaving the woman curled beneath the sheets. She looked peaceful and almost fragile, and that was a reminder of why he needed to succeed.
He brushed a stray lock of hair from her cheek and bent low to press a kiss to her forehead. "Sleep well, my love. I’ll be back before sunset."
The air in the corridor was cool, sharp with the scent of snow and distant pine. As he walked, his thoughts churned like a mill.
’Will everything be okay, what if something goes wrong... Mother, finally.’ The image of her smile, faint and distant, yet etched into every corner of his heart, burned behind his eyes.
He had fought monsters, toppled enemies, and even broken laws to help her. And now, the final step lay before him: two drops of blood, a ritual of rebirth, and a reunion over two decades overdue.
"Dad, I bet he’s feeling worse than I am."
’That’s right we have to succeed!’
"Not just for me," he murmured under his breath, slipping his gloves on. "For her... and for the children she’ll meet."
By the time he stepped outside, the black convoy was already waiting.
The snow crunched beneath his boots as he slid into the back seat, the engine purring to life. Minutes blurred into an hour until the towering silhouette of the Volkov Research Annexe loomed ahead, another fortress of steel now coated in a beautiful white coat.
The door hissed open, and two figures stood waiting at the entrance.
A familiar mermaid scientist whom he saved from that horrible place, where the House of Everen existed. The other... it was a beautiful young woman, and Alexei’s little sister. Marianne.
"Marianne, you look well." He greeted her.
She looked at him with a slight red tinge on her cheeks, coming closer as she bowed to him. Marianne’s gaze never left his body. "T-Thank you, Lord Nikolai... My brother wanted to be here but Sir Ivan sent him on a training camp."
"I see, but with you here I feel much better."
That’s when the pretty scientist cut in with a low cough.
"Ahem... what about me?"