Blood Awakening: The Strongest Hybrid and His Vampire Bride

Chapter 682: Neither Hero Nor God

Nikolai stood before a mirror.

He glanced at himself, trying to picture the best possible outfit.

Although it was just a meeting, he’d also be seeing his daughters. Nikolai tried his best when meeting those three little wolves. So he rushed home and left the hospital not long after his call with Nikita, before arriving at his private mansion to prepare.

"What do you think, Leona?" He asked while wearing nothing but a tightly fitting pair of premium-grade boxers.

"Well, since you’re meeting the girls... do you want a mature look, or something cool?"

The former head maid sat quietly, arms folded above her swelling stomach, watching him from behind with squinted eyes.

"Y-You’re right, but I just like seeing their eyes sparkle."

"Hahaha, such a foolish man, okay. Let me see what I can do, but honestly, they’ll probably prefer your smart black suit like usual, with the wine-red velvet inlay and undercoat."

Leona clapped her hands before two rows of maids entered the room, all carrying different pieces.

There were three different shirt styles.

A trendy navy blue, with slightly frilled trim.

A pristine white.

Finally, the pristine white with a wine-red velvet inner layer.

Then, of course, a coat, waistcoat, and jacket to suit them all, while pants are kept to a single pair, tailored to fit with a slim, almost tight fit.

"Leona, when did you prepare all this?!" He asked, while a maid held one of the shirts to his chest, another with the jacket and pants.

"Mm, well, Nikita messages me on WhatsUpp. So, I knew what she planned from the start."

’Damn wives and their little communication network!’

Leona whispered amongst the maids for a moment before pointing to a pair of black shoes with a narrow tip. She then chuckled, "Well, you should invite Alexei or Ryan, it’s been a while since you met them, right?"

"But I have a date after..."

"Haaa.... so what?"

"If I meet them now, I’ll probably drink a little."

Her eyes narrowed into thin slits as she shook her head with a faint grin.

"Do you think Nikita really cares if you drink a little? You should rethink why and what the date is actually for. Because I’ll give you one word of advice, it’s not because she wants to flirt with you... Well, not completely."

Leona pulled herself out of the chair with help from another maid, her steps uneven as she came up behind Nikolai and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Don’t think we can’t see it when you’re tired and suffering. If you need help, come to us. If you want time alone, then we can deal with everything so you can."

Her words were like honey, comforting, sweet and just what he needed. His muscles relaxed, the slight kink in his back loosening as he felt her face press against his back. It was a sense of safety and warmth he always sought, but ignored.

"I’ve been stupid again, haven’t I...?’

"No, you just rush ahead, and you’re a werewolf, that’s how you’re built to be. It’s we who need to be a little faster, keeping up with you so you don’t wind up lost in some strange dark place all alone."

He didn’t speak at first, just listening to the sound of maids shuffling the clothes in the back room and to Leona’s faint breaths, which warmed his back.

Then it spread as she asked several rapid questions, each one digging deeper into his heart.

"Was it hard in Al’Qutar?"

"Did you suffer?"

"Are you feeling okay...?"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Nikolai shook; suddenly, his legs felt weak as two firm arms, much smaller and daintier than his, held him up. "It’s okay, honey, it’s fine."

’Has my stress built up this much...?’

He couldn’t believe how a few simple questions and a bit of support could feel so good. His mind soared in the sky as if floating, while Leona gently caressed his stomach, like a mother stroking a sick child’s belly.

"It was hard... really hard, many people died, and I failed."

"You failed. What did you fail?" Leona chased his line of thinking.

"I couldn’t save them, or stop the destruction of Al’Qutar, even the palace was damaged."

After he spoke, there was a moment of silence.

"Ah?!"

That’s when Leona pinched his chest.

Her fingers really twisted the tiny amount of skin she could grab.

"Are you a fool? What the hell is that kind of thought?!"

"W-What?!" He asked, turning to look at her sullen little face.

"Idiot, what was the real reason you went there?! It was to support Zara, to help her meet her brother and offer assistance..."

That’s when she hit his chest lightly, before growling.

"Stop being so stupid! How could you blame yourself?! Who asked you to save the kingdom or stop the war? You are NOT a god. How can a single man change the fate of an entire nation?!"

Her words trembled, but she didn’t stop until her words and throat became raw.

At some point, their positions changed, now holding the back of her head as she clung to his chest, Nikolai glanced down at her tearful face. He didn’t realise how foolish his actions might seem to others, or maybe he wanted to be this way.

He liked feeling important, like the centre of everything.

However, in Al’Qutar, he wasn’t anything but another side-character.

’Is that why I was so deeply affected?’

"You’re right, okay? Don’t cry, I won’t be stupid anymore, all we can do is work together, I will listen to you girls more..."

"Do you promise?" Leona raised her head from his chest, peeking into his eyes.

"Ah, I promise."

That’s when her lips curled into a smirk.

Bleep~

"Quickly, share this with the other wives and save it."

She pressed the button on a small silver pen attached to her shirt, then pulled away and quickly handed it to a maid.

"Now we have your word, Nikolai!" She pointed at him, her face beaming as her smile almost illuminated the room. "You can’t rush off and do things without us anymore, understood?!"

He glanced at the maids who moved faster than expected, leaving him little chance to intercept the embarrassing things she recorded.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it."

"Good, you’ll understand we did this for you in the future... so for now. Let’s hurry and get your read for your date! Kekeke~"

Evidently happy with her plan, Leona started humming as she chose the clothes for him to wear to the meeting.

"I never knew you were so sneaky, Leona." He complained while wearing the jet-black suit jacket, with a glossy wine-red velvet lining. He peeked at himself in the mirror and couldn’t help but nod. "I do look good, though."

Leona gently brushed his shoulders, removing any lint with a roller.

"You know I only did it for you, right? Don’t be angry..."

"Of course, I won’t."

"Mm, now give me a kiss before you leave..." She stepped on her tiptoes, sniffing the air around him, his scent a little sweeter because the maid had sprayed his body with a fruity aftershave.

"Mmmwah~"

"I really have to go now..."

"Mhm, but I don’t want to let you go... what shame."

However, Leona didn’t cling to him; she gently smiled and slipped her hands free, letting him leave her embrace. Nikolai couldn’t leave her with that expression, so he kissed her again, this time with more tongue.

They shared a long kiss before he left his room to meet his father and daughters.

...

Nikolai stepped inside, greeted by the scent of old books, whiskey, and smoke. It wasn’t an unpleasant odour; instead, it gave the room a kind of character. Although he’d never smoked, it was apparently a well-loved pastime of his ancestors.

He brushed his fingers along the smooth mahogany desk before dropping into his leather seat, the metal squeaking as he leaned back.

"Phew, Dad mentioned some documents... where are they?" He tapped the panel, noticing messages from his knights. Ever since they took over S-City, he had them train with Alexei and Ryan, while keeping the streets safe at night.

’I should check in with Seraphina.’

Though he was the head of the Moonlight Alliance, he planned to hand that mantle to his father, because it just wasn’t for him.

He preferred focusing on his family rather than on other people.

Pitter-Patter-Patter!"

Nikolai’s ears perked up upon hearing the familiar tapping of little feet in the hallway outside. He could barely hear Nikita’s voice.

"Hey, don’t run in the hallway!"

"Waaaaa!"

"Wuwuwuwuwu!"

"Dad~ Dad, where are you!"

Dhalia and Elizabeth screamed as they ran away, with Nikita chasing them, and Viktoria followed from behind at a slower pace while searching for him.

It was quite cute to hear, but he could hear the irritation in his wife’s voice.

He pressed a small blue button under the desk.

Click~

Hsssss!

With a single press, the front doors slowly opened with a hiss of hydraulics, revealing Nikita holding both girls by their waists in mid-air as both waved frantically to escape her grasp.

’What a sight!’

"Girls, are you being good?"

He couldn’t help but smile when the two girls, who were messing around in their mother’s arms, instantly froze and glanced up when they heard his voice.

"Ah...!?"

"Waaaa!"

The twins played off each other, quickly kicking Nikita’s ribs and floating to the ground, before rushing inside the office with outstretched arms.

"Dad!"

"Daddy!"

"Papa!"

Watching the three little angels bounce towards him, he could only push the dark emotions deep inside himself.

’Maybe, Leona was right... This is the life I should think about first.’