Hagen’s POV

“We don’t have to do this.”

“I know,” I reply, eyes still fixed on the door ahead. “I want to.”

“Do you?” He questions while he steps into my space so that my entire left side is overwhelmed by this presence. “Because you’ve been staring at the door for almost three minutes now.”

“I’m hyping myself up,” I snap.

The door itself was not intimidating. I mean, it was in the way all the doors in this ridiculously ornate castle were, but it wasn’t actually scary. It was what was behind the door that was testing my bladder.

“There’s no reason to be afraid,” Nikola promises while his fingers caress my arm with a shadowed touch. “I am with you.”

I pull my gaze away from the door, meeting Nikola’s grey ones with a small smile, “I know that, but I’m still freaking out.”

Confusion forces Nikola’s brows to dip into a frown, and I can’t help but laugh a little at the offended look in his eyes. Nik didn’t get it. To him, he was here with me, and he would always be with me, so how could I ever be nervous? Well, Nikola hadn’t been there all the times Lincoln had tried to kill me or, on his nicer days, only threatened to.

Lincoln hadn’t been the only person who’d wanted me dead when I’d shown up at the castle for my mate, but he’d been the only one who really felt like they just might do it. Uncle Apollos could’ve done it and said he would, but he knew me since I was a kid, and Aunty Kat had never outright tried to kill me, but Lincoln? He didn’t know me from Adam, and he’d been plenty honest about how pleased he was to be the first runner-up to end my life the moment Nik rejected me. Whether or not Nik was with me, I didn’t think that outlook would’ve changed in the span of two days.

“If you are not ready, we can try another day,” Nikola reasons as his fingers lift higher, tracing up my neck and over my chin, “and instead, we can return to my rooms.”

A shiver races down my spine as I try to swallow my groan, but it slips out when Nikola’s magic surges within my veins. I stare at him while his gaze sweeps over my lips, darkening when I wet them. I resist the urge to bite them, not because Nik told me not to, but because if I did, he’d really try to drag me back to bed and we’d barely gotten ourselves out to get here.

We’d sort of… lost it a little this morning.

Lost it??? You’re a whore, Hagen! — Zyair declares, but not with any bite, just pride — We really are meant to be together. You surprised me, Hagen. ME!!!

Yes, Zyair. You’ve said as much several times now.

And I’ll never stop!

By the time Nik and I had managed to stop our mini-fuck fest, Zyair had become a quiet spectator, without a crude word for the first time ever, because apparently, I had ‘made him a saint with how nasty I’d been’.

In truth, I’d surprised myself too, like a lot. I hadn’t in the moment. That was only the second time I’d ever really let myself be free with Nik, and I hadn’t really noticed what I was doing or asking for— begging for. It wasn’t until after it was all done that I realised that when I was with him, as his, everything else became irrelevant, including any embarrassment or shame and useless worries over saying or doing the wrong thing. I used to let it consume me, and that’s how I always ended up freaking out about the way he— a wolf younger than me— could handle me like that, but losing Nik was enough for me to put a stop to that.

So what if Nik was younger than me, and so what if the way he spoke to me and held me made me submit in bed? It felt fucking amazing and safe, and I loved what he did to me— everything he did to me. But best of all, I trusted Nik. He would never take advantage of me or make fun of me for what I wanted; he’d just give it to me in spades.

“I can take us back right now, and they would never even know we were here,” Nik promises whilst pressing teasing kisses upon the corner of my lips.

“Nik,” I warn while his lips trace up my neck and his magic weaves between my legs. “Nik. We can’t.”

“We very much can, Hagen,” Nik argues as he turns me towards him so that he can gnaw at the bruises already littered all over my neck.

Grinning from ear to ear, I let myself enjoy the attention for only a little bit before I strain my neck away and push at his chest until he finally stops. Nikola draws back with a disappointed glare and a slight pout that makes me laugh.

“We missed dinner last night and breakfast and lunch today,” I remind him, trying to sound stern so that he knew I was serious. “So, no, we can’t.”

We could, physically, because werewolves had high libidos, but I wasn’t going to let us go crazy again. Besides, I still didn’t know exactly where those high libidos met their limits when it came to Nik and me. The few times I’d had sex, they’d been with humans, and it’d been alright. I mean, I had a good time, but not like today.

Today… Nik and I….. Goddess, I couldn’t even put it into words.

All I knew was that I wanted Nikola’s cum, or really needed it because it was proof that he wanted me, proof that I made him feel good, and fuck, every time Nik told me as much, I felt like my soul was going to drift away. Then I’d used his cum to scent myself and we’d really just snowballed from there.

“In that case, we should be thorough in our absence,” Nik encourages as he gathers me in his arms and pulls me in for a kiss. “Let’s miss tonight’s dinner too.”

Giggling, I loop my arms around his neck and return his kiss just a little before I pull away, “I’m serious, Nik. If you keep going, you’ll actually convince me and then I’ll be mad at you.”

Nikola draws back with a low groan, “I just don’t understand why you want to socialise with my family when I could spend the time between your legs instead.”

“Nik,” I beg as I shift my hips away from his before he can make me hard again. “Please.”

Nik sighs, slumping with defeat, “Fine.”

I breathe a sigh of relief as I smile up at him, “Thank you,” Nik just purses his lips, “There’s no doubt they know we’re together again, and it just feels rude to spend all our time in your room.” Nik gives me a look that clearly said he didn’t care either way. “Life will be easier when we all get along, and we need to start that somewhere.”

“I suppose,” he agrees begrudgingly.

With a grin, I circle my fingers over his nape and lean in just enough to bring us in extra close, “I’m not doing this because I want to, Nik. What I want… is a repeat of what you did to me in the library.”

The grey in Nikola’s eyes swirls like a cresting storm as my words take root. He clenches his jaw tight and swallows, trying to calm himself, but that wouldn’t do.

“You could be rough, you could be gentle,” I whisper while I trace my fingers down his neck. “You could do whatever you wanted to me… because I’m yours. Every part of me. I’m all yours.”

Nikola closes his eyes, trying to shuffle in deep breaths, but I could feel his magic coursing through me and it’s staggeringly erratic; he’s barely keeping it together.

I’m grinning at him before he even opens his eyes.

“Why would you say that, Hagen?” He asks, his voice gruffing with effort.

I shrug while I happily watch him struggle to pull himself together.

I wasn’t even lying. I had no idea why I’d said all that. I just liked watching Nik lose that unyielding hand he always had over himself, and I knew it’d be fun to see him get all worked up now when there wasn’t a thing he could do about it.

“I’ll make you pay for that later,” he warns while he thumbs my hipbones.

“But you can’t now,” I point out. “And that’s what you really want to do.”

Nik’s left eye twitches, and I can’t help but laugh as I steal a kiss from him, but it doesn’t stop there. I kiss my mate until I’m drugged on him, and melting in his arms. I could stay here forever, but that’s precisely why we needed to do this now.

The more time I spent with Nikola, the more desperate I grew to not only have his mark but also have him inside of me, and I didn’t doubt that once we got to that stage, it’d be a long time before we would stop.

We needed to do certain things before that, like see his family, and I needed to find a phone so I could speak to mine. I’d been tapping into the family bond where I could, pushing what emotions I could so they knew I was alright, but knowing my family, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that they would try storming the castle if they didn’t actually hear from me soon.

I think of them as I glance at the door again. Sure, the people behind this door were scary as fuck, but they were Nik’s family, and I knew deep down, it’d mean a lot to Nik if I eventually got along with them.

Nikola didn’t really care about much, but one thing that had always been important to him was his family. He loved them to heights unknown, and that made them important to me, so whether or not they still wanted me dead, I’d at least make an effort to bridge the gap between us.

Besides, as Nikola had said, he was with me.

“Alright,” I say with a huff. “I’m ready.”

I step towards the door, but Nikola pulls me right back against his side before I can take another. “That’s great, Hagen, but I’m not. I need this to pass.”

I glance down, seeing the slight bulge between his legs, and I can’t help but laugh as I step into the space in front of him. Nikola glares at me and I bite my lip, not to stop, just to send him over the edge.

“Goddess, you are…” Nikola doesn’t finish; he just shakes his head and groans.

I bury my chuckles into his neck, wrapping my arms around and hugging him. The world becomes a warm Nikola bubble I never want to leave, and as he wraps his arms around me in turn, holding me close, Zyair and I lose ourselves in the pleasure of just being with our mate.

Nikola was strong and sweet and yeah, a dick sometimes with that smart mouth of his, but that all made him into the man I loved, and Goddess, did I love him.

I used to think I wanted a life outside of his desires, and I did, but in the same breath… I didn’t think I needed one. I had Nik, and Nik, who loved me above all else, promised a life full of unimaginable happiness, so what was the point of stressing about other stuff when I had him? All I had to do was love Nikola and that would be enough… more than enough.

“Love you,” I whisper while I nuzzle him, leaving my scent behind.

Nikola hums as he cards his fingers through my hair, “I love you too, Hagen.”

We stand like that for a long time, even while the arousal between us ebbs away. Holding one another the way we both craved, and only when we’re both ready and have our fills do we draw back.

Nikola smiles at me, and I shiver under his gaze. Goddess, I loved being the centre of it.

“Are you ready?” He asks, and when I nod quickly, pride makes his smile grow even wider.

With a nod, Nik leads me forward by the hand he settles on the small of my back. I leave it there, waiting until the posted guards open the doors to slap it away.

Nikola’s arousal spikes, along with his annoyance as he glares at me, “You—”

“Well, would you look at that. They’re alive.”

Lincoln’s lacklustre greeting cuts Nikola off, and even though the aged demi-god doesn’t shout, his words are enough to bring everyone’s attention straight onto us.

Nikola’s family sits in a room I’d only seen peeked inside of once or twice since I’d been in the castle, but those fleeting glimpses of ivied walls had done nothing to portray the enchanting beauty waiting inside.

The castle walls were draped with ivy and little yellow flowers that weaved together to make a second wall as if the forest had climbed inside somehow without breaching the foundations themselves. Sunlight, or rather, moonlight, slipped in from the overhead windows, bathing the room in a soft light that made everything inside appear ethereal, including the four lounging across from one another, each with a large chalice in hand.

I stare at the picture they make, beyond stunned to witness what they looked like when they weren’t living entirely on their hatred for me.

Other than a little surprised at our presence, there was nothing else behind Uncle Apollos and Aunty K’s gaze. The loathing I’d gotten accustomed to seeing was no longer present, or maybe it was just overshadowed by the undeniable joy coursing between them at the sight of their son. On the other hand, Lincoln looked as hateful as always, his lips twisting down at the sight of me, while Kalem—

“Hi!” Kalem’s shriek pierces the air as he suddenly jumps up so fast that he almost spills whatever he’s drinking. With a broad smile that threatens to tear his lips apart, Kalem vibrates in his spot, like he’s barely holding himself back from running straight at us. He manages long enough to wait until he receives a small nod from the terrifying nightmare he was paired to before he phases out of his space beside Lincoln, and appears before Nikola and I.

I stumble back, still not used to just how fast he is, but Nikola steadies me with the hand he settles on my shoulder. I straighten with a small smile that Nik waits to receive before he glares at Kalem, who hops back with a guilty look on his face that was almost heartbreaking.

“Sorry! I’m just so excited!” He rushes out, barely paying Nik any mind as he focuses his brown eyes on me. With another squeal, Kalem jumps on his toes, smiling from ear to ear, “This is the best day! I don’t have to be angry with you anymore since Nikola forgave you! Now, I can finally get to know you, Hagen!”

Kalem had never been downright mean to me, but he hadn’t been this either. I didn’t know what to call this because ‘happy’ didn’t seem like enough. Jacob was a happy person. Jacob seemed endlessly fucking chipper. This… was like Alvin and all the Chipmunks on crack.

With what looks like effort, Kalem forces himself to settle on his feet before he stretches his hand out, “It’s nice to meet you properly, Hagen.”

I stare dumbly at Kalem and then at the rest of them who watch on.

I hadn’t been expecting this kind of welcome. Nobody was trying to stop Kalem, who apparently was very fucking happy to see me. I mean, other than the first time I met him and a few times when I’d managed to push Nikola’s buttons very hard, he’d been the nicest person here. Not only had he fed me, but he’d given me secret thumbs up and winks, encouraging me to keep going when I’d been trying to win Nik back.

“Uh, yeah,” I agree while I carefully meet his hand. Kalem’s grin brightens as he starts shaking my hand. The guy shakes my hand like I’m a golden goose, and if he worked hard enough, all the golden eggs would fall out of me. “It’s nice to meet you properly too.”

When Kalem finally lets my hand go, I leave my hand open at my side. It was silly and slightly manic, but I itched to rub my palm over Nik’s jeans to get rid of the faint traces of Kalem’s scent that lingered. That was putting it nicely. In reality, I wanted to scrub the thing clean, but that would be rude, and besides, I was literally drenched in Nikola’s scent. Not even the shower we’d shared was enough to wash away the claim he’d made on my body, but even knowing that isn’t enough to quiet the antsy feeling reverberating through me.

I’m a second away from my ‘fuck-it’ stage, before Nikola steps behind me and takes my right hand in his. To Kalem, he’s just holding my hand, to everyone else, he’s supporting me, but to Nik and I, it’s everything. I send my gratitude through our link, and he squeezes my hand tightly.

“Thanks for the meals and everything, by the way,” I say to Kalem when the discomfort fades entirely. “I wouldn’t have gotten in here the first time without you.”

“You fed him?” Nikola asks, butting in for the first time as he stares at Kalem with a curious expression.

Kalem’s smile wavers a little as he eyes Nik nervously, “Yes, but you can’t be mad at me because it worked out in the end. Plus, you know I can’t let anyone go hungry, especially not in my home! That’s mean, Nikola!”

Kalem argues the case like he’s on trial, but to my eyes, Nikola only seems pleased, even if reluctantly so. Nikola didn’t seem to like Kalem as much as he liked his beloved Appa, but maybe it wasn’t a like thing, so much as a trust one.

“And you would’ve gotten in even without hanging onto me,” Kalem says as he looks at me again. “You were determined to get Nikola back.”

Warmth engulfs my chest as I stare at my mate, a real smile stretching across my lips as he stares back at me, “Yeah, I was.”

“Aww,” Kalem coos as he looks between us with adoration in his eyes. “You are so lovely together! I don’t think I’ve ever seen Nikola so happy.” I study Nik, spotting only his usual bland expression, but Kalem must know him pretty well because there was nothing but joy in his eyes. “Lincoln, come say hi!”

Kalem’s beckoning annihilates the brief comfort I’d felt with the stark reminder that there were other people in this room, including one in particular who really didn’t fucking like me.

I thank Goddess above that Lincoln doesn’t use his speed as he stands with a sigh?

When I first met the world’s oldest vampire, I think that was the first time I’d ever experienced genuine fear. The guy— thing— God was terrifying just to look at, let alone be the subject of his rage, and that hadn’t gotten any easier, but it wasn’t as harsh anymore. Maybe he was dialling it back because Nik was here, but Lincoln almost looked bored as he strode over now. If he is bored, it’s not enough to lessen the disdain in his eyes when he stops beside Kalem and stares unblinkingly at me.

“Hello,” he deadpans with a tiresome expression that softens the moment his gaze shifts to Nikola. “I see you underestimated him.”

Nikola grimaces a little but nods, “Your warning came too late,” he glances at me then, lips twitching, “and I’m glad for that.”

In any other situation, I’d be back to hugging Nik and burying myself in the crook of my neck, but I have to settle for squeezing his hand instead when Lincoln’s bottomless black eyes shift back to me.

“Hm,” he hums as his gaze rushes over me like a sharp blade seeking to peel back all my layers. “Well, I can not say that I am.”

“Lincoln,” Kalem hisses but his warning is ignored as his partner just about glares at me.

“It seems as though we all underestimated you,” he states icily. It’s a fact that clearly pisses him off, but I can’t help but get the impression that it really annoys him, too, as if he thought I one-upped him.

“I guess you don’t get to kill me just yet.”

I don’t mean to say it aloud. The awkward comment is meant to stay in my head, between me and Zyair, where we can laugh off how fucking terrifying this is, and I can wonder why I hadn’t taken up Nikola’s offer to fuck around instead. Unfortunately, I say the words, and as I pale beneath Lincoln’s glare and Nik tenses up at my side, I realise I’ve fucked this before we’ve even begun.

“You tried to kill him?” Nikola asks, but the question sounds more like a threat as his anger rises around us like a palpable thing only rivalled by his shock.

Had he not known they’d been doing that?! I glance across at Uncle Apollos for the first time, but he pointedly drinks from his chalice, his only sign of nerves being the bead of sweat that runs down the side of his face.

Lincoln, on the other hand, hardly reacts beyond a dismissive hand wave, “Threatened,” he corrects before adding, “and only in theory.”

Threatened?!? I’m pretty sure this motherfucker tried to kill us on sight! — Zyair protests, to which I nod, internally.

“What does that mean?” Nikola asks, before I have the stupid idea to ask myself, but I very much want to know exactly how all his threats and that one attempt had all been ‘in theory’.

“If you were to separate yourself from him through rejection, I was going to ensure there was no chance at a relapse,” Lincoln explains casually, never mind the fact that he’d just likened ending my life to getting Nikola off drugs.

Nikola stares at Lincoln with his lips parted with shock. Nik hardly ever was surprised, let alone to this magnitude, so I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve ever seen him gape at someone, mouth open and everything. It would be funny, if we weren’t in this particular situation, and I couldn’t feel his rage about to spill out.

“So, you threatened him?” Nikola asks, this time slowly, as if he couldn’t stand to even speak the words aloud. “You threatened, Hagen?”

Lincoln pauses, recognising for the first time that Nik wasn’t just shocked, but angry, specifically at him.

All at once, the devil incarnate that had given me nightmares morphs into a slightly softer demon as he gazes at Nikola with an eerily familiar expression. It doesn’t take me long to place it since it’s the same face Nik makes when someone’s angry with him, and he doesn’t understand why, and it’s jarring seeing it on Lincoln’s face.

“Yes,” he admits.

Nikola’s jaw clenches as his magic rouses, bringing a cool wind into the room that makes the ivy on the wall shudder. Aunty Kat stands suddenly, only just seeming to pick up on what I can feel teeming beneath the surface and the end result isn’t going to be anything pretty.

I tug on Nik’s hand a little, pulling his attention away from Lincoln before he could do something he regrets. Nikola’s gaze settles on me with so much worry and guilt I can tell he’s drowning in it.

“I didn’t know,” he says, sounding horrified. “I didn’t know, Hagen.”

“It’s fine,” I promise. “I knew what I was walking into coming here. I hurt you a lot, and everyone was being protective of you because they love you.” I tact that last bit on for Nik because as much as Lincoln despised me, I didn’t want to see a relationship that clearly meant a lot to him ruined because of me. “And it all worked out in the end, right?”

Nikola doesn’t let it go. He glares sharply at Lincoln as he wraps his arms over my chest and pulls me into him as if Lincoln was going to try and kill me any second now, and he needed to be prepared.

Lincoln’s brow twitches, “You can’t be angry with me. I made my will to kill him very clear.”

“I did not think you’d actually try to kill him,” Nikola snaps back venomously.

The situation was turning volatile, but Nik being so protective of me in the face of a being so scary was…

Kinda hot? — Zyair hazards enthusiastically.

Very hot — I correct, and Zyair squeals with delight.

“So there was a little misunderstanding. That happens sometimes. I misunderstand a whole lot,” Kalem says as he glances nervously between Nikola and Lincoln. “But like Hagen said, it all worked out.”

Lincoln, who’d been passive before Nik’s rage, stands stiffly beside Kalem with what I guess is his version of distress. Clearly, he didn’t like being at odds with Nik, and that’s exactly what they were now. His gaze shifts down to me, and he glares at me as if I was responsible, as if I’d forced him to threaten my life.

I frown at him, and he frowns right back.

“Hagen, Nik,” Aunty Kat calls before the situation here can turn cataclysmic. “Come join us over here before Nik tries to kill Lincoln.”

After the last two weeks, I never thought I’d be so eager to get closer to Nikola’s parents, but I don’t pretend to be anything other than grateful for the save as I drag Nikola towards them. They make room for us, shifting over into one couch together so that Nik and I can share one together. I sit down and Nik follows, keeping close to me and mirroring my every move, even while his sharp gaze remains fixed on Lincoln.

I sigh, knowing that beyond all odds the vampire probably hated me even more now.

“We thought you two would be long gone by now,” Aunty Kat says as she pulls two fresh chalices out of thin air and leaves them to hover there while she picks up the decanter waiting on the table before them.

Strangely enough, I hadn’t actually thought about leaving at any point, or even about where Nikola and I would go once we were bonded.

Living in my apartment would be fun, but that place had good and bad memories for me now, and I didn’t really know how Nik felt about returning there after everything, or to the pack, for that matter. I didn’t know where we’d end up, but I knew one thing for sure; I sure as shit didn’t want to spend the rest of my life in the castle with Lincoln.

“Hagen wanted to see you all,” Nikola explains before I can think up a response. “He thought it would be good if we all got along.” He aims that last part directly to Lincoln as he sits back in his former seat with Kalem at his side.

Beyond all odds, the vampire rolls his eyes as he sighs dramatically, “I did not actually try to kill your mate, Nikola. If I did, he would be dead.”

“I don’t think that’s helping, Master,” Kalem whispers, as if we couldn’t all hear him.

“We all threatened Hagen in some form, Nikola,” she says, drawing Nikola’s relentless glare onto her while she fills the two glasses “It wouldn’t be fair to blame Lincoln alone.”

“I didn’t,” Kalem pipes up with the uttermost seriousness. “I only told him that he had to go away.”

“And in any case, it was never enough to make him leave,” Lincoln adds with dry bitterness. “If it has slipped your notice, your mate is excruciatingly strong-willed, Nikola.”

Was that a compliment? I think it was, weirdly enough. In case it’s not, I stay quiet as I grab the wine offered by Aunty Kat and take a much-needed gulp.

Nikola looks at me then, his anger teetering for just a moment as something else seems to take his notice.

“What?” I ask, lowering the glass a little.

“They threatened you,” he breathes tightly, “all of them—”

“Not me,” Kalem corrects.

Nikola ignores him completely, “And you still stayed?”

“Oh,” I breathe, with a small shrug, “yeah, I did.”

Nikola doesn’t blink; he barely breathes as he stares at me like he had the first time I’d told him that I loved him.

“And even with my resistance, you still stayed,” he whispers almost disbelievingly, “you still fought for me for all that time.”

I feel my cheeks warm and then burn beneath Nikola’s attention, plus everyone else’s, as they all stare at me. They don’t look at me with the wonder Nikola does, but they seem to realise the same truth that Nikola was now discovering.

When I came here for Nikola, it wasn’t just to absolve myself of the hurt I felt being away from him. I wasn’t using him just to eventually toss him away or taking advantage of his endless love for me.

When I’d come here for Nikola, I did it because I loved him, and there was no world in which I could continue on without him, so everything they threw at me didn’t matter, because I wasn’t ever going to give up on him.

Maybe I didn’t deserve this chance, after all, it was probably my fifth, but I didn’t care what I deserved. Nikola was mine, and I was his, and the second I accepted that there was no stopping me.

“I told you,” I mumble as I try to ignore the onlookers and focus only on my mate. “I love you.”

I realise then it’s the first time that I’ve said it out loud in front of anyone else. I’d said it in my head countless times, mouthed it to Nikola’s back for weeks while he’d walked away from me, but never for others to hear. They all seem to realise it as well because they all stare at me with widened eyes that are just a little less harsh.

Nikola, on the other hand, his eyes glow as the room begins to shake.

“Nikola!” They all groan, making me snort as Nikola quickly blinks himself back to reality and ends his unconscious attempt to bury the castle in on itself.

“Sorry,” he mumbles, but he doesn’t manage to look at any of them as he says it, his gaze remains fixed entirely on me.

“Every visit with the wolf will threaten all life here now,” Lincoln comments while he sinks back into his seat with a pleading look to the skies.

“Hagen,” Nikola corrects sharply.

“Yes, yes,” Lincoln agrees, but not without a slight roll of his eyes.

“I’ll get the cake!” Kalem announces as he jumps to his feet with a bright smile. “Chocolate or vanilla, Hagen? Oh, never mind, I’ll bring them both.”

Goddess. Bless. Kalem.

“Have some wine, Nikola,” Uncle Apollos encourages as he pushes the untouched glass forward. “It’ll relax you.”

“I can’t relax,” Nik comments while he slides his arm around my shoulder, bringing me in to him. “Apparently everyone I love wants to kill Hagen.”

“Gods, help us all,” Lincoln grumbles, and despite myself, I find myself laughing a little.

We had a long way to go— that was clear as hell, but at the end of the day, this was Nikola’s family, and as long as they loved him, that was all that mattered to me.

Nikola deserved to be loved and protected fiercely, and I could deal with some harsher feelings aimed my way if it meant he got that here.

Reappearing with two frosted buckets, Kalem says, “I got—”

He disappears, leaving us in silence before he appears with bowls and spoons next, “—ice cream—”

Gone again, it’s only a second before he returns with two boxes and plates, “—too.”

Panting a little, Kalem tosses back his hair before he smiles down at me, “I brought strawberry and chocolate!”

Kalem was officially my favourite.

——————————————

“It is here,” Nikola states while he rummages through his bedside table in search of his phone. He’d been calm at first, carefully lifting the meticulously placed items, but after a few minutes of fruitless looking, he’d turned into an animal, or Nikola’s version of an animal— which was slightly more frantic than usual.

“There’s no rush,” I promise while I curl a finger beneath Knots’ smooth scales, making him hiss with pleasure. “I’m sure they’ll answer no matter what time I call them.”

Nikola nods but doesn’t slow his searching by any measure when he moves to the second drawer. It was cute, to see how desperate he was to find his phone just because I said that I wanted to call home. I’d barely uttered the words before he was up on his feet and searching.

“Can’t you use magic?” I ask while my eyes track his every move. “I bet that would be easier.”

“It would, but you put it out of commission, Hagen.”

The reminder has a smile tugging at the corner of my lips as giddy glee surges through me, threatening to make me fucking explode. It’d been hours since we’d awkwardly joined his parents for what turned out to be their afternoon chill session with Kalem and Lincoln, but Nikola’s magic was still an unresponsive mess. It’d gone out of whack when he discovered just how much I’d fought to win him back and it hadn’t quite recovered yet.

I’d mostly stayed out of the conversations, just watching and observing as they all spoke. Lincoln had tried to engage Nik in conversation, but Nik’s grudge wasn’t lessening, and that made the old vampire glare stiff with annoyance. Aunty Kat and Uncle Apollos had been their usual chill selves, well maybe not Aunty Kat who bickered with Lincoln the way Josey did with our old man. Kalem, on the other hand, was on cloud nine, grinning from ear to ear as he tried to speak to everyone, sometimes all at once.

“Here,” Nikola announces as he lifts the lost phone with a relieved sigh. “That took far too long.”

“Yes, life without magic is full of horrors,” I tease.

Nikola aims a harmless glare at my way before he sinks onto the edge of his bed beside me. He hands it over to me to power up, and the moment his hands are free, he pulls me into his lap, forcing Knots to shift so that he’s looped around the both of us. My soul and heart vibrate with my pleasure as he wraps his arms around my waist and tucks his chin over my shoulder. Eyes falling shut, I sigh as Nikola’s presence washes over me the way it should.

We’d spent the afternoon close together, never parting with some part of Nikola always touching some part of me, but it hadn’t been enough. It hadn’t been this— where I felt glued to him physically as much as I did mentally.

“How are you feeling?” Nik asks while we wait for the phone to boot up.

“Pretty good,” I reply with a shrug. “I mean. It wasn’t a horrible as it could’ve been so it’s fine.”

Nikola’s grip tightens, fingers curling around my waist, “I don’t like that they threatened you.”

“They love you, Nik,” I remind them with a pat on his hand. “And I’m sure my family hasn’t been any better over the years.”

Nik hums a little at that, but I can tell he’s not over the situation here. Thankfully, the phone pings to life, and a swipe up is all it takes to open it.

“You don’t have a password?” I ask incredulously.

“Why on earth would I need one?” He retorts, because apparently Nikola’s interest search history was fine, and his group chat with his friends was in no way shape or form incriminating.

Shaking my head, I search for the call button, but freeze at the sight of Nik’s screen saver. It was a white background with only two messages on display and one name at the very top.

Hagen

Hi Nikola. It’s Hagen

“Nik,” I whisper, my heart thundering in my chest.

“What?” he asks.

“Your screensaver,” I mumble as I stare unblinkingly at the screen.

“Yes?” He replies, sounding lost. “It’s a message from you.”

“Yeah, I know,” I reply with a wet chuckle. “It…”

“It makes me happy,” Nikola states simply as if this wasn’t everything. “I can change it.”

“No,” I say, shaking my head quickly as I twist enough to kiss him. “I love it. I love you.”

“I don’t think I will live for very long if you keep saying those words as frequently as you do,” Nikola replies with a small frown that displays true worry.

I smile a little, “Should I stop?”

“Don’t you dare.”

Laughing, I force myself to focus on the phone and dial up the first number that comes to mind. I put it on speaker, and it only takes two rings before he answers.

“Who the fuck is this?”

I laugh, warmth pooling inside my gut, “Damn. Is that how you answer the phone nowadays old man?”

A beat of silence and then, “HAGEN?!”

Nikola winces behind me as he shifts to rub his head against the back of my neck instead.

“Yeah. It’s me,” I reply as I feel the old man’s joy flare within the family bond even from all these miles away. “I’m sorry it took so long for me to call you guys.”

“No, it’s fine! I’m just so happy to hear your voice,” he replies quickly. “Goddess, we were all so worried.”

“Sorry,” I mumble again.

“Is that him?” Dad’s muffled voice is faint at first, but then it’s much louder as he seems to take the phone from his mate. “Hagen? Is that you? Are you alright? What happened? Where are you? Where are you right now?”

“Ugh,” Which one of those was I supposed to answer first?

“It is you!” Dad choruses, making me laugh as I wrap my free arm over Nik’s.

“Yeah, in the flesh,” I confirm.

“It’s been weeks, Hagen, and you—” Dad gasps, and I can feel his glare without even being there, “YOU SNUCK OFF!”

Wincing, I pull the phone away but there’s no chance of hiding, “I know. I’m sorry, but it was always going to be easier to get one wolf in rather than the whole family.”

“You didn’t tell anyone,” he scolds, and I know he’s more worried than pissed. “We tried to follow you but couldn’t even get close to the castle.”

“The runt has been taking shifts with Josey to scout the area a few hours a day,” the old man pipes up, making my heart leap at the mention of my best friends in this world. “They said they smelt you sometimes.”

“I hunted a bit,” I explain, and that seems to give them pause for the first time. “Please tell them to stop now though. I’m all good now. They don’t have to keep looking and everyone can relax. I’m fine.”

“Hagen,” Dad says carefully, his voice dropping to a cynical thing. “What actually happened since you left?”

Nikola tenses behind me, his kisses coming to an awful stop as he waits for my response.

“Well, it took a while, and it wasn’t easy but…I got him back,” I whisper as I lean into my mate with a grin. “I got Nik back. We’re linked now.”

“Oh,” Dad’s breathless response doesn’t give anything away, but he quickly adds, “That’s great, pup!”

I shudder, almost gagging to hear the word spoken from his mouth, even though Dad had used it all his life for me and the others. Nikola chuckles behind me, and I twist in his hold to swat his arms, but that just makes him laugh even more.

“Wait, is Nikola with you right now?” Pops asks, nosey as ever.

“Yeah,” I mumble while I pinch Nikola until he finally stops laughing, if just barely. “Say, hi.”

“…Hi,” Nik says after a moment.

We both stare at the phone, waiting.

“Hi, Nik,” Pops greets first.

“Hello, Nikola,” Dad pipes on before he whispers. “Wow, they really are together.”

“Did you see the state of the kid when he left here, Jewels?” Pops whispers back. “I hoped they would figure it out because I’m sorry, but he stank.”

“I can hear you!” I snap while my face burns hot, and Nikola falls back onto the bed in a silent fit of laughter. “I just wanted to let you guys know I’m okay, alright! I’m going now!”

“Wait, no,” Dad whines. “We’ve barely caught up. Are you coming home soon? When will we see you?”

“I don’t know,” I reply with a groan. “I’ll let you know when I do, and I’ll call more. Can you just tell everyone that I’m fine, and I say hi.”

“Okay, we will,” Dad replies eagerly. “Stay safe, Hagen, and call us.”

“I said I will,” I groan before I still. “Wait,” I take a breath, mustering up the courage to ask, “How’s Wreck?”

Saying his name hurts like a bitch. I hadn’t really let myself think of my little guy because, well, life was shit enough without Nikola, and having to leave my kitten behind so soon after I’d found him had felt like an extra bullet, but I couldn’t take him with me every time I made the trek to the castle. So I’d left him behind and tried not to think about him, but it’d been hard living without him when he’d been there with me while I couldn’t even get out of bed. Trying to get Nik back had been enough to distract me, but now… now I wanted my little guy.

“The cat’s fine,” The old man replies.

“Kitten,” Dad corrects.

“Ugh, whatever. The pussy is fine,” Pops snaps back and I know Dad’s frowning because Pops snickers. “It hasn’t grown much. It just eats and sleeps, so it’s definitely yours, kid.”

Frowning, I glance back at Nik, “He hasn’t grown? Are you sure he’s fine?”

Nikola immediately sits up to smooth a hand over my shoulder, settling it over my heart, “He’s bonded to you, as I am with Knots. He’s resting while he waits for you. When you’re together again, he’ll continue to grow.”

I blow out a breath of relief, nodding against him while I cling to his hand.

“Okay, well, just keep an eye on him,” I say to my parents, “and I’ll get him soon enough.”

“Okay, we will. You stay safe, Hagen, and…” Dad pauses for a long moment, “… we’re… we’re very happy for you both.”

Nikola’s wide eyes meet mine as we stare at one another— stunned didn’t even begin to cover it.

“Thanks, Dad,” I mumble, and with that, we say our goodbyes, and then, it’s just Nik and I again.

“I did not expect them to be so… supportive,” Nik whispers while he blinks owlishly at me.

“Me neither, but Dad was encouraging me to come find you when I was all depressed at home, and I think they all knew by the time I left that whether or not they liked this,” I gesture to us, “it was going to happen.”

Nik hums, his lips tugging up a little as he draws closer, “You were depressed without me?”

I glare at him, “You like that, don’t you, you sicko.”

“I like you needing me so much,” he admits with a groan. Blood rushes south quickly, and I swallow as Nik’s hands climb up to tease at my throat, “You named him Wreck?” I nod, and he hums again, understanding without me needing to explain it.

“Do you want to go home?” Nik asks, gaze earnest. “Because we can if you want to.”

I shake my head, “Eventually, but not right now. I don’t want to have to deal with my family. I just want to be with you for a while— just you.”

Nikola’s magic curtails around us, growing so much that Knots’ scales illuminate a little as he slides down to the floor. Nik groans as he brushes his lips over mine, “I want that too, Hagen. I want that very much.”

“Then let’s do it,” I reply as I turn in his arms so that I’m straddling him. I press my head to his, breathing him in deep, “Just us,Nik.”

“Should we return to your apartment?” He asks while his stormy eyes search mine.

“Would you want to?” I ask as sadness slips into my chest. “The last time you were there, I…” I can’t even say it. “I was the worst, and even before that, the whole time you were there, I always forced you away.”

My gaze drops, weighed down by shame that squeezes my heart but when Nik tilts my head up by my chin and forces me to look at him, there’s no sadness in his eyes.

“It was a lot for you,” he reminds me gently. “You were trying to love me, and I wasn’t even being true to myself.”

I nod a little, not that I completely agree, but I didn’t want to delve into the past now, that’s all we’d ever done. I just wanted our future because it was bright and wonderful, and for once, we both wanted every part of it.

“Let’s go somewhere else then,” I say as I scratch at his nape until he melts beneath me. “Somewhere we both love.”

Nikola thinks, I can see the cogs turning in his head, and because that brain of his is so well organised, it doesn’t take him more than a few seconds before his eyes light up.

“I think I know the perfect place,” he replies with a grin that’s uncharacteristically playful but mostly excited. “Should we go now, or—”

“Now,” I reply before he can even finish. “Let’s go right now.”

Nikola’s smile widens, turning into the most beautiful thing in the world, like a pocket of sunshine through dark clouds that shines on me alone, and fuck… “I really love you.”

Purple engulfs the grey in Nikola’s eyes, making them glow as his lips find mine, “What did I say about saying those words?”

“To say them more,” I mumble against his lips, and Nikola groans before he kisses me. I kiss him back, letting myself delve into the sweetness of his embrace and the surety of his love, and I stay there for so long that I don’t even realise that we’re somewhere else until a cold breeze rushes through my hair.

Pulling back, I look up and around, and then I cling to Nikola as my eyes find two moons overhead. My lips part to scream, shock making me want to panic, but then I see the trees, and I know those blue trees, with their strange ballooned tops. I know the sky too, even though the stars littered above are brighter than any I’d ever seen. I glance down, eyes zoning in on where Nikola now stands, and the dirt beneath his feet is a darker shade than the copper soil all around us.

When I look back at Nikola, he’s already smiling at me, and I can feel his joy curtailing through my veins, a perfect match for my excitement.

“Now,” he starts calmly, “it’s not Pluto or Mars, but I think you know that.”

My head falls back as laughter bellows out of me, loud enough to fill the space all around us and maybe this whole planet, or pocket universe or whatever.

“You’re such a fucking asshole,” I groan between chuckles. Nikola laughs as well as he tucks his head in beneath mine and I don’t think I’ve ever been fucking happier.

It’s crazy that the last time I’d been here, it was more than half a year ago when I’d been so worried about how Nikola and I would end up and if we’d even keep trying after the promised date. I couldn’t even imagine where we’d be now, and it’d been hard, so fucking hard, but we’d done it.

Maybe other people wouldn’t see it or believe it after all our ups and downs, but this was it. This was really fucking it.

“So, what do you think, pup?” Nikola asks, his eyes glowing for me.

I press my head to his, eyes on him— eyes always on him, “It’s perfect, Nik. Everything… everything is perfect.”

—————–

why am I tearing up? 🥹

Thoughts???????

Thoughts on the Lincoln interraction??? Thoughts on them being so touchy and in love ughhhhh?? Thoughts on the end!!!! Of them going back to where they had their first date?!!?!?!?? SCREAMMMMMM

I’m not okay. I mean… I’m really not okay. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so fucking high on fluff.

Honestly, I was losing it from them being cute outside the door but the screensaver really sent me into fucking orbit. And the scene with Julian calling Hagen pup, lmfaooooo. I know people probably cringed but that just made me laugh so hard.

I love seeing Hagen comfortable and happy with Nikola, but I think I love this couple so much because I fall in love with the way they each view each other. Like I love Nikola in this chapter from Hagen’s perspective, and I fucking adore Hagen from Nik’s POV. It’s like, I can see why you love each other so much.

UGHHHHH, and all hail Kalem, the loveable ball of sunshine that you are.

As always, please leave any and all thoughts and comment if you can!

Until next time,

Byeeeeeeeee Humansssssssssssssssss