Blood Awakening: The Strongest Hybrid and His Vampire Bride

Chapter 614: The Usual Suspects

Zana’s eyes widened as she observed Nikolai for several seconds. He watched her back while enjoying the shameful blush on Zara’s face.

"I see."

Nikolai couldn’t understand this quiet girl and shook his head. He’d already enjoyed the food, so mentally prepared himself for the next conversation. ’Her mother.’ He turned to find Zara glancing up at him with inquisitive eyes.

"You finished?" He asked with a smile.

There was a grain of rice stuck to her lip.

Before she spoke, he reached towards her face, then grabbed and ate it without pausing.

"Eh?"

Zara’s entire body turned a deep pink.

A unique but cute thing about the Djinn was that their colour became deeper or more saturated depending on their emotion. Nikolai noticed this resembled the scales of Amphitrite, but on a larger scale.

"W-Why did you do that?!"

"Because there was rice on your face?"

Nikolai often did this after a year of dating and marrying several women.

’Ah, I forgot.’

Nikolai forgot that his relationship with Zara hadn’t reached that level yet, because she seemed more conservative in nature. He normally held back. But because he spoke about marriage and their future a moment ago.

’I got a little carried away.’

"O-Oh..."

Zara watched her cousin with relish, her little lips curled upwards, before she switched her gaze to Nikolai again. "Since you left the room, I assume you were looking for someone to speak to about the current situation, right?"

He leaned on his palm while rubbing his shin against Zara’s leg.

"Yeah, I want to know the situation and what you want me—no, us, to do."

He could see the flicker of her pupils, constantly taking in information, likely analysing his words, movements and atmosphere.

However, Nikolai just wanted to know who to fight or what to protect.

The bright red Djinn tried to pull her leg aside, but he chased. He curled his lips each time she reached out to pinch his waist in protest.

"Then, I’ll take you to meet our commander and captain."

Zana didn’t know about the little war game happening beneath the table, so she quickly stood up, glancing at her cousin with a strange look before she stepped closer to Nikolai and smiled at him.

"Come, follow me, lest you and that airhead get lost."

"Hmph!"

Nikolai smiled bitterly at Zana as four sneaky hands pinched the small amount of flesh on his waist, twisting it in protest like a little alley cat.

"Stop fighting, let’s go." He snorted at Zara.

Then, before she could react, he grabbed both of her right hands and pulled her along.

Zara’s eyes opened wide as she glanced around, blushing because the Shadow Guard all watched her with curious and inquisitive eyes.

"N-Nikolai!" She hissed at him.

Nevertheless, why would he stop? Her hand felt smooth, silky and cool to touch, and in this hot, humid place, who would throw away such a god-tier item?

"Stop making noise, be good."

Unable to stop him, the poor Djinn could only close her eyes tightly and keep close to Nikolai so his uselessly huge body would block her from their sight.

.

.

.

The corridors hadn’t changed even after ten minutes. Red rock and mud with little to no sense of direction or navigation. But thanks to the escort from Zana, Nikolai soon picked up the scents and became familiar with them.

’So this is the scent of the Shadow Guard?’

Their bodies carried a slightly sweet, yet savoury scent like almonds and coconut mixed with jasmine and lavender.

Once his nose adjusted, the scents became like guideposts, with Zana’s scent lingering in all the tunnels, while the shadow guard avoided certain turns and crossroads.

’I couldn’t imagine living down here.’

’Although I can feel a draft from the tunnels, without the sun it’s kind of depressing.’

Suddenly, two hands tugged at him.

"Are you okay?" Zara looked up at his face with her big pink eyes.

Nikolai held his breath for a moment; the allure when Zara blinked was quite immense, and he could only do this to recover.

"I’m just thinking about what your aunt is going to say."

"Don’t worry, it’s not that bad, I am sure everything will be fine."

"Zara..."

’We almost got blown apart a few hours ago...’

"Oh?" Nikolai made a sound as he glanced around the tunnel. Once they reached a certain zone, the walls and surroundings transformed. The red mud walls changed into steel and concrete with a smooth flood beneath their feet.

The tap of their boots echoed through the hallway.

’It’s wider, and much deeper.’

Five minutes later, they came to a huge, almost unbelievable metal doorway, with a digital iris scanner and the hum of electricity.

’The scent of Shadow Guard’s is so dense here.’

Zana paused before she twirled on the spot to face them. "This is the last chance, do you really want to enter?" Her lips twisted as she bit them, clearly conflicted. "If you enter, then you cannot turn back." She rubbed her foot against the ground while looking specifically at Zara with droopy eyes.

Zara’s mouth opened, but she only took a deep breath before glancing up at Nikolai.

"I..."

Nikolai shrugged his shoulders, then nodded. "Don’t worry, I am here for you."

After he spoke, a voice came from inside. "It’s okay, open the door." Nikolai recognised the voice, but he couldn’t accept it. Her Aunt’s previously soft voice vanished, replaced by a cold croak.

’The stark contrast between the inn and here is amazing.’

Vwoosh!

The metal doors parted in the middle with a sudden gust of wind and clatter of hydraulics. Inside the room, like the cafeteria, sat dozens of Shadow Guards, but they looked more mature and moved with more elegant and trained precision.

Zara’s Aunt wore a pair of black, leather half-gloves with a military-style uniform and hat. The Shadow Guard around her table also wore similar light brown uniforms with various patches and emblems.

Sat in the centre of a large table covered in countless documents, books and a light blue hologram of a sphere.

"Welcome to the control room, Princess Zara."

"Aunt..."

The next moment, she switched focus to Nikolai. Her eyes narrowed, becoming sharp like a cat hunting its prey as she looked him up and down, tapping the steel table with her index finger.

"Well, well, well. To think that the alliance we put almost no faith in would produce such a wonderful and suitable male."

Zara’s shoulders shook upon hearing those words. But Nikolai held her shoulder when she tried to move forward. He didn’t want her to rely on her emotions when acting all the time, and her Aunt’s words carried no malice.

She glanced back at him like a fierce kitten.

He shook his head.

To help her calm down, he stroked her cheek with his fingertips.

"...!"

Nikolai saw her Aunt’s reaction over Zara’s shoulder, but ignored the slight hint of anger in her aura. It wasn’t the time to deal with her. He coaxed the kitten and stepped beside her with one arm wrapped around her waist to give her security.

"Hmph."

Zana, who stood behind her mother, gave a soft smile to Nikolai, her lips tracing the words. "Don’t take it personally, sorry."

However, her concern wasn’t necessary.

Nikolai had daughters, so once he saw the reaction of her Aunt, he’d already started putting together the reason and meaning for her actions and words. This woman adored both her niece as if she were a daughter.

He was just a stinky male who needed support.

"I don’t want to spend time feeling each other out or wasting time. Tell me what I need to know, what you want me to do, and I’ll do it." He couldn’t waste time; if Nosferatu struck while he was in Al’Qutar, he might as well bash his own head in with tofu.

"Good."

"I am Verda, mother of Zana and Godmother and Aunt of Zara. Captain of the Shadow Guard, and the imperial princesses’ protector."

’Protector.’

It was something Zara taught him in the past, a person who is appointed on the birth of the future matriarch or patriarch of a Djinn clan. This person is usually the same sex as the target and becomes their guardian, defender and emotional support.

"I see, forgive my rudeness."

"Eh, Nikolai?!" Zara called out to him when he stepped forward.

Nikolai didn’t respond to Zara. Instead, he bowed with an elegant flair, something taught to all members of the Volkov clan when meeting their prospective wife’s mother or family. "It is my pleasure to meet the protector and support of my wife."

He then rose slowly, meeting the sharp and weathered gaze of Verda.

"I am here to relieve and take over those duties."

"Oh?" Once again, Verda’s eyes opened further, and she showed a stunned expression for an instant before she recovered her tough facade. "Can you protect her, support her and love her even a fraction of what I do?"

’Another test?’

He could remember the talk with Dimitri.

A night filled with vodka, and having to fight his future father-in-law to prove his worth as a man worthy of the Fenrir princess.

’Well, Dad didn’t hit me full force.’

’We just wrestled until he passed out from the booze.’

There was also Nagisa’s, Vladimir’s and the older maids who raised Leona. And despite being their master, each of them examined and tested him to ensure their companion would be happy.

So he wasn’t affected by her harsh front.

"I am sure I can exceed you in every single way." With a slight grin, he couldn’t help but provoke this woman.

He could sense it.

Her strength was high, maybe close to or at the Ancestor level!

Nikolai was a Volkov!

A Volkov man settled things through strength, battle and then acceptance.

.

.

.

Instantly, the air became cold, and six arms appeared from behind Verda, who revealed her sharp fangs and teeth with a twisted, battle-hungry smile.

Her aura exploded.

The Shadow Guard and both cousins trembled.

Yet Nikolai unfastened his shirt buttons and spread his arms, flexing and cracking the stiff joints and bones ready for her.

"Little boy, you really wish to suffer a loss, so this kind Aunt will guide you well!"

"Bring it, old woman."