Chapter 2

Kiara:

“Good morning” I said opening my eyes to Nikolay’s lips kissing my forehead. He smiled and ran his fingers over mine, his bare chest against my bare back. Having had an exciting morning after getting back from the hospital, neither one of us bothered to get dressed, my body not allowing me to get out of Nikolay’s arms after he had drained me.

“Good morning baby girl” Nikolay smiled leaning to my lips, kissing me softly moving his lips against mine. He knew that there was no way that I would be able to go for another round after the active morning we had, but a few innocent kisses were never a harm between the two of us “how’d you sleep?”

“Like a baby” I said laughing making Nikolay chuckle and lay down beside me, wrapping his arms around my body and pulling me closer to him. I turned around and laid on my stomach, raising myself to look him in the eye as I laid on his chest “hi”

“Hi” Nikolay chuckled, I smiled. My green eyes staying on his blue ones as I admired them, he knew that I had a weakness to his eyes, and though we both looked exhausted as hell, having slept for five hours since yesterday, we both knew that we needed to try and sleep at night if we were to go to the hospital to help mum with the hospitality to the guests. She surely wasn’t going to get out of bed, and dad would be bringing the maids to serve everyone, but we had to be by her side in this.

“So, what do you want to do today?” I asked Nikolay, him and I were taking these few weeks off, only working if something really needed to be done, which was something that he, Vladimir, Alexei, and Anastas would take care of. The estate back home was being taken care of by Caruso, and I was taking Nikolay for tours around England, not that he’s never been here before. But being the ‘busy man’ he was, he never got around England, simply going to finish whatever he needed to do before he was on his jet and going back to the States.

“Hmm, I would suggest getting out of bed, but I’m guessing you’d have a limp that would let even your baby brother question why you weren’t walking straight” Nikolay teased and I laughed shaking my head at him, it was funny how it was almost a year to our wedding. Just one more month, and our first year would have passed, and I had to say that it was beautiful, every night, every day, the memories we had. The beautiful moments we lived, the bad ones too.

“Ha, ha, I can walk” I said stubbornly, there were many long days when I did have a limp that prevented me from doing anything crazy, and there were times when I thought that Nikolay was doing it on purpose as not to let me get out of bed, not that I minded though. I was always cradled when he knew that I wouldn’t be able to walk. Breakfast in bed, flowers, cuddles, kisses, another round maybe, though it would be gentler.

“Sure, you can” Nikolay teased sitting up and pulling me up with him, he wrapped his arms around me and I laughed, my bare body over his. Holding me close as he walked us toward the bath room “I was thinking that we could save water, what do you think?”

**********************

“Mummy” I said smiling, both Nikolay and I walking inside her hospital wing, dad smiled when he saw us and stood up wrapping his arm around me and hugging me, he shook Nikolay’s hand and nodded at him, a mutual respect shared between the two, it scared me once, when I saw Nikolay calling him to his office once. I don’t know what happened inside that room, Nikolay wouldn’t tell me, but dad hugged me for the first time in years.

“How are you princess? Did you two sleep?” Mum asked gently, my little brother laying on her chest as she cradled him in her arms, I smiled and walked toward her. Kissing her forehead before kissing his little forehead.

“We’re fine my beauty, how are you? Have you settled on a name yet?” I asked, mum and dad have been trying to pick between Stefan or Harry, mum wanted Harry and dad wanted Stefan, and getting to agree on a name while mum was in her last month was harder than convincing a teenage girl on her period that she was a human, not the Hulk.

“We’re all fine darling, we managed to settle on Harry in the end…” mum looked at dad before whispering to me “he’s in too much of a good mood to argue with me right now”

I laughed and kissed her forehead, Nikolay sitting beside dad on the couch while I sat on the edge of the bed, giving my finger to Harry, he instantly grabbed it with his little hand, holding onto my finger making me smile as I leaned in and kissed his tiny fingers “do you want to hold him?”

I smiled at mum who slowly handed me my little brother, holding him to my chest. The baby was so small in my arms, and I couldn’t help but smile as he opened his eyes, his big bluish green eyes meeting my own as he looked at me curiously “hi baby, I’m your big sister”

I smiled at the little kid before bringing him to my lips and kissing his forehead, careful to keep my hand behind his head supporting it, I looked up at Nikolay when I laid Harry on my chest and saw him smiling, his eyes gentle on mine, I smiled when he nodded at me, love could be seen in his eyes as I got up, looking at mum for permission, she smiled and nodded before I walked toward Nikolay making his eyes widen as I slowly extended Harry to him. Making sure to keep my arms steadying him as Nikolay looked at mum who smiled and nodded, encouraging him. I could see him gulp before he took Harry from me, slowly supporting his little body on his arms as I was, the kid may have been small in my arms, but he was tiny in Nikolay’s.

Harry kept his eyes on Nikolay who was smiling, looking at the little child, I couldn’t help but smile as I sat on the armrest of the couch he and dad were sitting on, the middle seat was empty between them, but I wanted to be beside my husband and brother. Father looking at the three of us with admiration in his eyes.

“Welcome to the world little one, I truly do hope that you’re not as stubborn and rock headed as your big sister” Nikolay teased me, slowly leaning in to Harry and kissing his forehead making me smile, seeing the big, tough man holding my brother with such gentleness made me wonder how he would be when we had a child of our own.

“He’s going to be more stubborn, I will be sure to teach him everything that I know” I mused looking at Nikolay who chuckled, though he made sure to keep a low tone as not to disturb or scare the child who was in his arms.

“I truly hope not, I struggled enough with you as you grew up, I don’t have the energy or the health to do it again with a child” dad said making me raise an eyebrow. It was true, I was stubborn as hell could be when I was a kid, though it was because I wanted to prove myself to dad, to prove to him that I would be able to handle myself if the family had no male heir. He saw it as me being rebellious, and then there was the case of me turning against anyone who I saw as a danger, including him, after being a subject to the bloodlust project. Yeah, they weren’t the best times for him when it came to me, but they were mostly due to HIS wrong choices toward me.

“I wasn’t that bad. Plus, I’m still going to have to drive you a little crazy until little Harry grows up. Then, I’ll be giving him tips and lessons” I winked and dad laughed.

“No, thank you, you have your husband to drive mad, leave me be” dad said making me laugh, Nikolay slowly got up with Harry in his arms before walking toward mum and giving her the little baby, she smiled at him as he leaned closer to her and kissed the crown of her head. I had to admit, the love and respect Nikolay showed mum over the past year was something that I couldn’t pay him back for.

I got up from the armrest and walked to the kitchenette to get myself a glass of water, knowing that the kitchen would probably be loaded before the guests arrived and I was right, water, juices, tea packets, coffee, and chocolates filled the kitchen and fridge.

“Miss Kiara, how may I help you?” One of the maids asked.

“Can I have two bottles of water please?” I asked smiling, the maid smiled and handed me two bottles, one was for me and the other was for Nikolay, I knew that he wouldn’t ask for it, but he would want to drink something if we were staying here for a while. We both had coffee a while ago, I’d make him some later, but for now, I’m guessing that water would do.

I walked toward Nikolay who was now sitting beside my father and handed him the bottle. He smiled and took it from me before taking my hand in his and kissing my palm, he slowly pulled me to him, making me sit on his lap before wrapping his arm around me, I laid my head on his shoulder and he kissed my temple. Putting his hand on my waist, under my green shirt and resting it on my skin, not going higher, just holding me to him.

“Whoever sees the two of you now, would never think for a second that you two were against getting married a few months back” dad commented making both Nikolay and I frown, Nikolay turned his gaze at father who flinched seeing my husband’s anger, I couldn’t blame him. I have seen Nikolay being angry before. I didn’t want to be in the man’s place when he was being beaten by a furious Nikolay.

“I do suggest that you mind your limits when speaking about us Louis, your job is to care for your wife and children. Show them love and cradle them, such comments are not yours to make” Nikolay said glaring at father before resting his chin on my shoulder, rubbing small circles on my waist as to comfort me, assuring me that he wouldn’t be causing trouble, at least I hoped that he wouldn’t, not with an infant in the room. Luckily, the door was knocked before dad could answer and he was forced to get up to greet whoever had come to greet him for having his little newborn baby.

“Are you alright love?” I asked Nikolay softly, he smiled and kissed my cheek.

“Don’t worry baby girl, he just needs to be put in place sometimes”