Chapter 45: A Declaration of War

'If I were asked in the future why I kissed Selene Tepes at this moment, there would only ever be a single answer.'

'Provocation.'

Nikolai's arm wrapped around the back of Selene's waist while his lips sucked on her tongue, enjoying the sweet taste of her saliva. He didn't know if a second minute or longer had passed because of how wonderful it felt to entangle his tongue with another person. Not to mention a beauty such as Selene.

'This is enough.'

However, he wasn't doing this out of love or affection but to provoke the vampire who insulted him and tried to kill him.

There was no chance that Nikolai could beat him right now. However, there was no need to win because he just won a duel.

This meant Alister Faust couldn't personally challenge him for at least a month. If you add the loss of judgment because of Nikolai kissing Selene in his face, there was no need to worry.

"Mmnn....Eh?!" Selene gasped, shocked at what she had done and the fact she became lost in the sudden kiss from Nikolai.

Her eyes opened wide as she looked around and realised what just happened. There were members of the Tepes family and other vampire nobles who looked at her with outraged eyes, and then Alister Faust, who looked completely broken and insane.

"Wha..."

"Shut up," Nikita growled at Selene as she looked ready to cry.

Nikita's cold hand grasped the neck of his suit, pulling him away from Selene, their tongues forming a bridge of saliva that drooped to the floor as he was flung to the ground and kicked in the abdomen.

"Guha..."

Barely able to protect himself with one arm, Nikolai's body slammed into the stone arena wall, creating a loud bang as the rocks shattered from the impact and formed an enormous crack flowing along the wall like a spider's web.

[You knew she was there...]

'Ah, I knew.'

[Then why?!]

'Because I hate that fucking noble, picks a fight with me just because of her. Of course, I'm going to get some repayment. They believe in the purity of blood; then I'll corrupt and sully her blood. If they expect me to lie down and take their insults and bullshit, then I'll give it back tenfold!'

Nikolai felt extreme pain in his chest. However, he didn't let it stop him as he climbed to his feet. The dull ache in his chest caused his breathing to become shallow. When checking with his blood art, he realised Nikita had broken three of his ribs.

'A light kick breaks my bones... Ah, this little wolf girl is dangerous.'

[Then why are you walking towards her... Her tail is bushy and extended; Nikita is angry for real, Nikolai! She isn't playing with you!]

He had nothing smart to say, nor did he have a suitable solution. The entire arena was in an uproar, with people leaving in droves, likely to report about him kissing their princess and how a lowly squire dared to stand against a true vampire.

However, Nikolai didn't really care about that or the repercussions.

Nikita looked at him with a face full of tears, yet her eyes were ablaze with anger and hatred towards him and Selene, who now faced the heir of Faust's chastising.

'You said I am like my father, Eliza. However, I know that I am not. He would have been able to choose my mother and would stick to that forever.'

[...]

Nikolai stepped closer to Nikita.

He narrowed his eyes while focusing his energy towards his eyes to avoid any attacks she might throw. Nikita's power could destroy him if he took her for granted and instead used everything he could to approach her.

'Nikita might be crazy about me, but she isn't some damsel or pushover. This is her serious feelings after I betrayed her love.'

[Why are you different from your father?]

A sudden gust of wind passed Nikolai's face, his face barely avoiding the first blow of Nikita's fist before he twirled to the right, avoiding a follow-up elbow and jab. Though he realised she might be holding back to avoid killing him, with the 10 per cent power of his blood art, he found it easier to dodge her attacks.

"Stop moving! Coward!" Nikita shouted.

"I can't, sorry."

Nikolai's body continued to approach Nikita, his face with a cut from the wind pressure of her fist, slowly dripping down his cheek with a determined look on his face.

[Why are you different from your father?!]

'It's simple because I am greedy.'

In the next moment, Nikolai tensed himself and stepped inside Nikita's range. He could sense her knee lift and shoot towards his chest but couldn't risk pulling back. So he grabbed her shoulders to avoid his body being knocked away and gripped her with all his strength while staring into her golden eyes.

Tears, trembling lips that bled because she bit them so hard, eyes dull and void of light and emotion, a complete change from her usual playful, innocent and kind appearance.

"Hey, I told you not to cry..."

'I am greedy and selfish so that I will take and abuse whatever is needed to reach my goals.'

"Don't you dare kiss me, or I'll bite your tongue off and rip your throat out..." Nikita's voice was hoarse as she struggled, yet she still felt defeated, as a single tear dripped down her cheek.

"Then bite it off."

'I will never give up. I will always have a solution, a path forward, a way to make my situation better. Even if I lose the one thing I am most afraid to lose... I will take that risk to have it all!'

Nikolai kissed her trembling lips. He felt a sharp pain in his tongue. However, he didn't recoil or pull back. Instead, his hands wrapped around the soft cheeks of Nikita. Yes, he knew how she felt from the moment her strange actions started.

What kind of male wouldn't know someone was into them?

Nikolai knew she loved him and saw him as a man from the moment it started. However, so did her father and because of that Nikolai received a warning. One that a young male would never forget, to be beaten and treated like a criminal by an elder that you once respected is an experience that might terrify most.

However, for Nikolai, it lit the fire inside him to seek improvement in himself.

But now? Why should he follow the rules of others, vampires and werewolves?

He was a hybrid; why should he follow their antiquated rules when Nikolai already realised that these two women were HIS squires and that he was the master? That didn't mean he would use these facts to make them do anything; rather the opposite, it spurred him to face them as single women and not take them for granted.

If he ordered Nikita to become his woman, sure she would agree. However, that shallow relationship would not be a loving and caring relationship, no matter how she acted. It would be a forced relationship.

That's why he remained under his act of being their squire so that only he knew the truth. Luckily, it seemed to be a Hybrid that allowed him to have two squires, and the rules or rather mindless loyalty that other squires held for their masters weren't forced on the two girls; instead, he needed to earn it, and he could break it.

'Or maybe it's because I am neither a pure vampire nor pure werewolf, so the contract of becoming a squire is flawed in itself, only leading to us being able to empower each other through feeding and sharing blood and fluids.'

[Honestly, it is a strange situation; I noticed from the start that neither you nor the girls seemed to be compelled by the usual laws of a squire... Yet at the same time you have the benefits that come with it and your bloodline awakened.]

'Mn, however, maybe Alister is right. I am just a half-breed.'

There was a lot about this world he had yet to learn or understand.

'What the heck is my existence anyway?'

While he kissed Nikita, Nikolai felt his mind ignore the surroundings. Most people left after the duel ended, and Selene and Alister began to clash due to the kiss. However, some stayed and watched the same male who caused a rift between the Faust and Tepes families now kissing the heiress to the Fenrir clan.

Not to mention, his kiss with the werewolf princess felt worlds different than the one with the vampire princess. It was a passionate, wet and intense kiss that caused many to become engrossed in the scenes before them.

"You taste like sweet candy," Nikita whispered as their lips parted, her lips and fangs covered in blood. Some of it dribbled down her chin as she looked at him with her dim golden eyes.

"Not going to cry anymore?"

"Are you an idiot?" Nikita asked as her hands wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer. "If you don't want me to kill you, kiss me again."

'I feel like I've lost control of my life, Eliza.'

[An impressive achievement, Nikolai. I'm proud of you.]

'Yeah, thank you.'

However, instead of following her lead, he grabbed her chin with his hand, placing his thumb and index finger on either side and lifted her to face him while staring into her eyes.

"Stop trying to take charge."

"Uh?"

"I'm the guy. I take charge, okay?!"

Nikita's body shuddered as her eyes widened and her pupils shrunk. She was about to protest and say the strongest takes charge, yet his lips placed over hers silenced her.

"I hurt you, but that's a fact, isn't it?"

"....yes."

"So, I need to fix it."

"Nnnmph.... it's enough...!"

"No... we need more. I'll kiss you until you become cute and docile, Nikita."

"Mmmphh!"

Nikita's tail wagged, the long, fluffy fur dragging across the ground as Nikita became hot with excitement. She seemed to forget about how she cried earlier. The blood on her lips was a sign of his repentance, and even his kiss with Selene no longer mattered.

Because she began to drown in his affection kiss, her dream now overlapped with real life.

'This is my declaration of war, Nikita. I won't lose to your selfish and insane tendencies.'

[Nikolai...] seaʀᴄh thё Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Eliza looked on from the depths of his necklace, her figure and body identical to his mother's, as she smiled, though she didn't stop Nikolai. She worried about the future as he began to take steps with less need of her help each day.

She felt worried for the day they would part seemed to be closer than she thought. Though the time she had now was a magical and impossible thing in truth.

Elizabeth wanted to be with her son longer...