Nikolai
Brunch went okay.
While the food was mouth-wateringly delicious- Ava had made it after all, the conversation was tense. And no matter how hard everyone tried to cheer up, the tension was undeniable.
I was fucking pissed at everyone on this table.
Avalyn was trying really hard to make conversation and have fun but the conversation didn’t hold up for more than a minute. Dimitri was sitting far away from Althea and both of them were silent. I don’t know why they still haven’t mated. Dimitri might not be the ladies’ man all of us had pegged him to be after all. Mikhail was busy stuffing his mouth with any and everything he found on the table, having spent the last month on food that tasted like shit. Natalia and Althea kept giving snide looks to each other. And the only ones trying to really talk were Andrei, Max and Avalyn.
After we were done, the slaves brought out three different cakes and everyone brightened a little at that. Avalyn cut one of them as we sang the happy birthday song.
She brought the first piece to my mouth and that’s when I saw the tears in her eyes.
I felt like kicking myself in the stomach for being such a fucking dick. She was miserable. It was the first birthday she was celebrating in over ten years and she was fucking miserable.
I took a bite of the piece and then held her hand and fed it too her. As she chewed, a tear slid down her cheek and my heart constricted. I gently wiped the tear away with my thumb, “you know what, fuck this,” I whispered, taking the remaining of the piece of cake from her hand and placing it on her plate.
She looked up at me, confused.
“Go change, we’re going out on a date,” I announced. I was going to turn today around.
“Date?”
“Yes, it’s a thing that couples do where they go out and have fun together,” I told her.
She bit down on her lip to control her smile and nodded. “Now?” She asked, quickly glancing at the table and our family.
“Yes.” I nodded.
“Okay, Nikolai.” She pecked my cheek before she walked into the elevator.
I turned to glare at my family. “I know all of you had your reasons but the next time you hide something from me will be the last day I consider you my family. Understood?” I snapped.
“Yes,” everyone murmured unanimously.
“Natalia and Althea, whatever the fuck it is, sort it out.” I warned. “This is a family and we are one unit. If we are not on the same side and stand united as the Royal Family, then we might just hand over the kingdom to our enemies. And that’s not happening on my watch. Got it?”
“Yes, Alpha.” Natalia answered and I waited for Althea as she kept staring up at me in defiance and challenge.
I needed to put her in place and establish my position as the Alpha King. It seemed like she has always gotten her way around here and no one has given her a place in the hierarchy of the pack.
I placed my hands on the edge of the table and stared down at her, “your old family is dead, they’re not coming back.”
“Niko-” I raised my hand, silencing Dimitri’s protests.
“We are all you have got. You have no choice but to accept it. Dimitri is your mate and the best damned person the Moon Goddess could have blessed you with. Instead of holding on to your past beliefs, open your mind a little and see the real world for yourself.”
“I cannot let go of the past because what my father had been doing was for the future. All of us are going to die now. Because of you! Because you killed them!” Tears rose in her eyes. “Yo-” I cut her off with a growl.
“Open your mind just this much,” I rose my hand and created the smallest gap between my thumb and forefinger, “what if the prophesy was misplaced? Or what if it is a made up story a mother created to help her child sleep at night? There is possibility that it is not true. And there is a possibility that it is true too. But unlike your father, I’m not stupid enough to play with the lives of thousands of people, kill thousands of people based on a fucking possibility. I’m not going to kill people today to save others tomorrow.”
Her eyes quickly filled up with tears and her mouth dropped open. Seems like I finally got through to her after all.
“You can believe what you want but nothing is going to change my decision and around here, what I say, happens. You can accept it, accept Dimitri and live happily for the rest of your life here with us or hold on to a possibility for the rest of your life and die alone.” I said, my voice hard.
“I’m ready, Nik,” Ava came in and looked at all of us in confusion for being in the same position she left us, even the cakes were untouched which was unlike our family. “What’s going on?”
I straightened up with a grin, “nothing, Love. Just checking up on everyone.” I said and took a quick scan on her outfit. She was wearing a pair of dark blue denim shorts and a cute, loose pink top. “You look beautiful,” I extended my hand.
“Thank you,” she said shyly before taking it.
I led her towards the door as I glanced behind. The expression on Althea’s face told me that she was rethinking her entire life. Dimitri gave me a grateful nod and I nodded back.
“Where are we going?” She asked with a smile.
“It’s a surprise.” I led her on the roof and her smile widened when she realised we were walking towards the helicopter.
“I’m so excited, it’s been a while since we went on a date, Nikolai.” She grinned as I buckled her in and started the helicopter.
“Well then get ready for the best date of our lives,” I grinned back and flew the helicopter towards Silverwitch Bay.
“Are we going to the beach estate?” Ava asked. We had officially renamed our house in Silverwitch Bay to the beach estate.
“Nope.” I shook my head as I steered the helicopter towards the ocean, confusing Avalyn further.
She looked out of the window at the vast expanse of the ocean with bright eyes, happiness evident on her face. “Is there some secret island you own and we’re going to be staying there for the night?”
Hmm. Buying a private island as a gift for Ava’s next birthday seems like a good idea.