Nikolai sat on the elegant cream-white sofa across the back wall, facing the large floor-to-ceiling window wall in Nikita’s room.

’What a comfortable view.’

On each of his legs sat one of the two lovely identical twins, Dhalia and Elizabeth. Meanwhile, Viktoria played with Leonid on the massive five-metre square playmat on the other side of the room.

His glance trailed across their lovely little faces, which still bore a slight chubby shape.

He wanted to talk with them more, but the sudden, intense situation seemed to have exhausted the two little pups, with both of them clinging to his stomach with their eyes closed and snoring softly.

’Did the noise scare them?’ He wondered, gently stroking the pale white hairs from their cheeks and then flicking their squishy noses.

"Nikolai, you didn’t just come to cuddle the girls, right?"

"Hm?"

Nikita’s serious tone caught him off guard as he withdrew his hands, gently wrapping both girls’ waists and lifting them in the air as he stood.

"Well, can’t I?"

Even he didn’t have the answer to her question.

Maybe he came to tell Nikita he planned to leave in a few hours, or he could’ve just been in the mood to cuddle his daughters before doing so?

"Tch, why’re you being so strange?" Her white tail slapped the arm of her chair as she glanced at Selene, who remained quiet since coming into the room.

The shocking sight might’ve been Madoka, who lay on the ground, playing with Leonid and Viktoria after she nominated her as the new dragon. To see the violent Tigress who tried to kill him multiple times, now letting a little girl a fraction of her size speak down to her was an eye opener to say the least.

’Or maybe that’s just what motherhood does to some women...’

Nikolai recalled her speaking about being infertile, which she falsely blamed on her dad and the Volkov clan.

’Did she ever find out the truth?’

He wondered before turning back to Nikita, who seemed to be growing more and more irritated with the situation.

"So, when are you leaving this time... and who is going with you?"

"Nikolai, are you planning to go alone again?" Selene added to Nikita’s sharp complaint with a question. It was obvious that Nikita wanted both to stop him and to join him in their planned action.

But since becoming a mother, everything changed. Nikita couldn’t just go around beating up monsters who made a fuss on their turf.

She became a little more reserved.

At least she tried to do so.

"I plan to leave with Ryan, Vernan, Alexei and a group of elite hounds," He paused while tapping his chin, before glancing at the sharp gaze of Nikita. "Then my father and the main force will follow close by."

All the women’s ears pricked up when he spoke, each of them smiling a little when he only mentioned leaving with men. Deep down, some of them feared he might meet another woman along the way.

"Will Sarah allow that?"

"Ah!"

’I completely forgot...’

Nikita was probably right, even if Nikolai told her not to come, she’d probably find a way to sneak into the hounds.

After they confirmed their relationship, she became much steadier and more focused, no longer needing confirmation or constant contact. Instead, she returned to her work with the thralls.

Though most remained in the hospital, recovering from the upgraded silver rounds.

"She’s busy with the Thralls right now, so it should be fine."

"Nikolai, are you sure this is a good idea... to leave without anyone else?"

Selene’s calm tone cut through his conversation with Nikita because she wouldn’t accept his foolish excuses with a bit of flirting or a compliment.

"I’m going with the boys, isn’t that enough?"

"Are they strong enough? Can they keep up with you?" She followed up, her expression more expressive and worried.

He could feel the warmth from deep within her crimson eyes as she clutched the sofa arm with her fingers so tightly the leather deformed and wood creaked.

"They are strong enough, I won’t be doing anything stupid..."

Nikolai’s voice became much softer as he finished speaking.

However, it didn’t seem to soothe the tension between them.

Selene narrowed her eyes.

"When have you ever kept your word after saying that?"

"I always do!?"

"Pah! What a liar, you never keep your word!"

Nikita snorted beside her.

"You say that, but you always seem to find yourself in the most desperate or dangerous predicament as if jumping into danger headfirst."

"That is slander."

"Is it?"

Nikolai glanced away for a moment, unable to refute her words.

The times he’d found himself lost in hell or the other side of the doorways, not to mention fighting the SSS elite in Londis, or almost dying in Al’Qutar.

His wives weren’t worried without reason.

Somehow, trouble always seemed to find him whenever he was left unattended.

The two little pups in his arms stirred faintly, Dhalia rubbing her cheek against his chest while Elizabeth’s tiny fingers clutched the fabric of his shirt. Their warmth made his chest ache strangely, and the urge to remain there became much stronger than he expected.

It was strange.

When the battle started, his body moved without hesitation.

When Alaric’s mutated corpse charged through the courtyard, he responded with violence.

When the mansion shook, when blood filled the air, when servants screamed, and guns roared through the estate, his mind remained clear.

Yet the moment his daughters slept against him, the weight of leaving became heavier than any enemy he’d faced.

"Papa..."

Dhalia mumbled softly.

Nikolai lowered his gaze.

Her eyes remained closed, her small lips parted as she nuzzled closer.

"...don’t go."

In the silent room, his heart ached; a simple request from his normally quiet and unselfish daughter was like a hammer smashing against his ribs and her little hands gripping his heart, gently tugging at it with her words.

Selene and Nikita both watched him without speaking.

His face twisted in reaction to her sudden request, stopping them in their tracks.

Even Viktoria, who had been straddling Madoka’s back while declaring herself the dragon queen, stopped moving.

Madoka glanced up from the carpet.

Her expression became difficult to read.

Leonid, sitting beside them with a wooden block in his hand, tilted his head as he stared at Nikolai. That sharp purple gaze made Nikolai feel as if a smaller, quieter version of himself were judging him.

It was as if everyone shared the same desire.

’Please don’t go.’

Nikolai exhaled through his nose.

"Dhalia is just sleep talking."

Nikita’s ears twitched.

"So?"

"So she doesn’t know what she’s saying."

"Children often say the most honest things when half asleep."

Selene looked at him without blinking.

Nikolai’s shoulders slumped.

"Are the two of you teaming up against me?"

"Yes."

"Obviously." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Their answers came at the same time.

Madoka lifted her hand from the floor.

"I am also on their side."

Nikolai turned toward her.

"You too?"

She shrugged while lying flat on her stomach beneath Viktoria’s small body.

"I am wounded and cannot fight. Therefore, my current contribution is complaining and entertaining these cute little angels."

Viktoria nodded seriously.

"Dragon is right, Dad should stay and play with us!"

Madoka’s brow twitched.

"Little pup, I am not a dragon."

"Even though your fur is so strange and you smell scary?"

"That is not the same thing."

"You have claws."

"So do you."

Viktoria raised her hands and wiggled her tiny fingers.

"Mine are cute."

Madoka opened her mouth, then closed it again before her cheeks turned slightly red as she stifled a giggle. The next moment, she captured the little knight in her arms and stopped holding it back.

Nikolai watched her laughing without a care; the sharp and aggressive tigress vanished and almost seemed like a soft, harmless housecat for a moment.

"Well..."

"We’re not listening to you. Go put the girls to bed."

"Hmph, men are so stupid."

Selene and Nikita turned away, both pouting because of his actions.

’Whatever.’

He carried Elizabeth and Dhalia onto the sofa and carefully sat back down, both girls resting against him. Viktoria looked tempted to climb up as well, but after a moment of internal struggle, she remained in Madoka’s embrace.

Nikita crossed one leg over the other, her white tail swaying in slow, irritated arcs behind her.

"Nikolai."

"I know what you wanna say, so just save it."

"No, you don’t."

Her tone sharpened.

"You think we are worried because you might meet another woman outside or because you might do something reckless."

"That is usually the reason."

"That is part of the reason."

She glanced at Selene and nodded as the vampire leaned forward, red eyes fixed on him.

"The biggest issue is that this is different from Al’Qutar, Londis and all the other little adventures you’ve taken. We all know that their aim and target is you, your family’s bloodline, and to harvest it for some nefarious reason."

Nikolai stopped denying them outright, knowing the two were correct.

This would be dangerous.

That’s why he didn’t want to bring any of his wives, no matter what.

Though closer than travelling through the Nexus gate, with the blood moon and everything that suddenly happened. Nikolai couldn’t help but feel everything was pointing to an unseen ending, a conflict that might devastate the entire city at best.

Nikolai lowered his eyes toward Elizabeth’s sleeping face.

"I can’t ignore what happened."

"No one asked you to."

"Then what are you asking?"

Nikita’s ears flattened slightly.

"To stop treating yourself like a piece on the board."

"What do you mean?!"

She shook her head, "You always act like this is some predetermined path, always stepping forward when there were other methods or options that didn’t include you putting yourself in danger. It’s damn irritating to see you and your fucking hero complex!"

"...!" Selene’s eyes widened as if shocked by Nikita’s blunt tone.

Her words struck harder than he ever expected.

The room became almost silent, if not for the panting of Nikita, who became agitated through the argumentative conversation.

"Nikolai. We are not things you have to keep safe like little pawns or precious queens. Please drop the fucking human way of thinking, female monsters don’t need that bullshit, if we want to fight, we’ll fight. No matter how much we stand to lose."

"So you’re saying..."

She jumped from the sofa and closed several metres with a single leap, landing on his lap, her legs wrapping behind his back as they sank into the cream-white sofa.

"That we’re coming with you, idiot!"

Her hot breath blew down his neck as she snapped her teeth gently against his flesh, nibbling him aggressively enough to leave a slight mark.

"Ahh!"

Yet it was clear she’d made a decision, denying his plans.