CHAPTER 527: TAKING HIS OWN PATH - THE MOONLIGHT MAIDEN

Nikolai sat alone, the mist of smoke flowing from his mouth with a puff of the expensive cigars he found in the cabinet. His mind ached from how much he read and planned without sleeping, but this was something he must complete.

"I don’t want a huge council."

This thought became the main reason he wanted to research more. ’With Twelve clans managed by just me, it won’t work forever.’ He noticed that even his grandfather and the previous patriarch before that suffered two betrayals. ’No matter how good they were to the vassals, there was no way to keep everyone happy.’

"But it’s not like I can just change everything." With a sigh, he flicked the spent cigar into the ashtray and leaned back on his chair, holding up the people he wanted to recruit. Not just for the council but for his elite force, which he would help reach the Great Elder in the fastest possible time.

He didn’t know if it would work, but there was someone he needed to meet.

’Let’s go, he should still be awake.’

After taking a peek at the two sleeping maids, he gently turned the heating on and set it to remain warm for them and left the hidden room. His loud footsteps echoed through the desolate stairwell as he rushed to the surface.

***

"Haa~ thanks for the coffee Leona."

"It’s my pleasure, darling."

The moment he reached his office, he found Leona half-sleeping on the three-seat sofa against the wall. Yet the moment he stepped inside, she forced herself awake and immediately made him a coffee.

Nikolai leaned against the backrest, letting her soft body rest against his. "You’ve worked to recently Leo."

"I love working..." She leaned against him, turning her head with a faint smile on her lips while letting her weight press against him. "Fufu, darling I enjoy it because it feels like I’m helping you."

"I know, but please take care." He stroked her stomach while hugging her. "It’s not just you alone anymore right?"

"Nn..."

There was a moment of silence as he calmed himself and realised that rushing around might be the most efficient, but instead of heading to his Father. To just sit with Leona like this was fine; he wouldn’t die if he didn’t rush.

’I should meet mother...’

Somehow, he’d been avoiding her since the battle; it was a strange feeling. The moment he thought of seeing her, the back of his neck tingled, and his spine felt cold.

"W-What’s the matter, honey?" Leona asked.

He couldn’t stop himself from trembling slightly as he leaned against her soft orange hair, burying his face. "What if everything was a dream and..."

"And?"

Leona never rushed him; she just remained still, her hands caressing his thighs to soothe his mind. It worked, and eventually he could take deeper breaths and calm down. "I brought mother back right?"

"Eh?" She opened her eyes in confusion. "Master?"

It wasn’t his normal worries, but the tremble of his hand in hers was real.

"Of course you did, Mother-in-law taught us all how to be a good wife while you were busy... fufu, did you worry that everything was a dream?"

Nikolai held onto her hands. He knew it was stupid. Yet the stronger he became, the more memories that he lost returned. The night he lost his mother as she lay bleeding from the strange silver bullets that were a prototype of the new ones. Lunaria’s death and... how Nosferatu destroyed his family.

Nikolai tightened his grip on Leona’s hand, as if anchoring himself to something real. The room felt smaller, the faint hum of the heater and the smell of her perfume mixing with the bitter scent of coffee.

"...Nosferatu," he muttered, his eyes dull. "Even now that name feels like a nightmare I cannot escape."

Leona shifted slightly, her soft tone at odds with the heaviness in his voice. "We’ll defeat them, don’t worry. I promise."

Her words brought warmth; the cold fear and doubts in his mind loosened their hold. "Leona, what would I do without you all?" He fell silent.

"Don’t worry, there has to be a way."

The sound of his heartbeat filled the room for a moment before he forced a smirk. "That’s why I can’t rest. I have to build something better than what Grandfather had. Something that won’t collapse when one man dies."

Leona’s fingers trailed over his wrist. "You mean the alliance."

"The alliance is part of the problem. I don’t know if I will anger my ancestors but the alliance isn’t working anymore." His eyes flicked to the ceiling, where faint cracks ran through the plaster like veins. "I plan to trust only a handful of people, those people will be my eyes and ears."

"But, what if..."

"I’ll ensure those people can never betray me."

Leona didn’t ask how; instead, she just closed her eyes, pressing her forehead against his. "I will follow you no matter what. Through hell and high water." However, she didn’t stop there; her fingertips brushed his cheeks with a soft sigh. "So will the others, Kumiko, Risa, Selene, Lunaria, Amphitrite, Clara, Anya and even Nikita will help you."

He brushed his fingers through her soft hair with a faint grin while opening his eyes. "I see."

Before Leona could react, his lips touched her, their tongues quickly folding and curling around each other with the wet squish of saliva echoing through the room.

Leona held her breath the moment his hand slid along her spine, his fingers tracing the bumps of her spine while sucking her tongue. Their heat increased as the scent of coffee, sweat and cherry filled his mouth.

She moaned softly, but Nikolai pulled back with a calm expression.

"You’re the one trembling now, Leo." He teased.

"I-I’m not."

But her body betrayed her, the moment his hand slipped along her chest, the soft pillows squishing between his fingertips. "Darling~ that feels nice." He flicked her nipples before stroking her areolas in slow circles. "Nnnngh...!"

"They’ve become quite swollen. Are you producing milk yet?"

Nikolai’s lips curved into a deep grin as she turned away, blushing. "N-No, of course not... it’s too soo—"

Squish!

A slight bubble of milk leaked from her tips, the sweet scent spreading through the air instantly. "Really?" He chuckled before flicking each button of her clothes off. One by one, they opened, revealing her pale, soft breasts, which gently bounced the moment her bra dropped to the floor.

"Honey, wait... I feel strange..."

"I’ll just give them a slight taste, okay?"

He didn’t wait for her answer and dipped his head, brushing over her nipple as his breath mixed with the cool air. Leona shivered the moment his tongue circled her swollen tips, drawing a moan from her lips. With the flick of his tongue, the first bead of milk dripped into his mouth while he caressed both nipples between his fingertips.

"You really do taste good, I heard breast milk liked sweetness and flavour... but this."

"S-shush!"

Her hands slipped through his hair, gripping tightly as his mouth sealed around her areola, sucking softly, while his tongue flicked and poked at her nipple. "Darling, please..." Leona’s voice was half-protest, half-plea, one hand twisting in his hair, the other locked on his wrist as if afraid to let him slip away.

"Don’t tease," she whispered in a shivering voice, pressing her nails into his back.

"Who’s teasing?" His mouth devoured her. "I said just a taste."

Leona closed her eyes tightly.

She could only whimper as his tongue brought tingles that spread through every nerve from her breasts, kneading her with a passionate admiration. Nikolai’s breath warmed her body as he focused only on the desire to taste her milk and make the cute werewolf quiver in his mouth.

He pulled back to look her in the eyes and smiled.

There was no need to speak, because the pair understood each other’s desires and emotions, and he could feel the raw hunger of Leona. "I’ve wanted to be alone with you for so long..." Leona leaned forward, pressing her lips to his forehead. "Let me help," she whispered. "Let me take care of you, too."

Her fingers trailed down to his belt, unfastening the buckle slowly, while pushing her heavy mounds against Nikolai’s face, the warmth of her milk now leaking gradually into his mouth as she sank teeth into her lips. "Nnnngh.... it’s really comfortable."

He didn’t stop her from pulling down his pants or shifting his boxers across, as his member flopped out. Leona grasped the base and tip with both hands, gently squeezing and caressing it.

Then she leaned forward, and Leona’s mouth brushed his ear. "Darling, let me use my little mouth to make you feel good."

"You sure?"

She eased him back into the cushions and slipped down, opening her mouth with a sigh... thick threads of saliva formed strands between her tongue and the roof of her mouth as she dribbled onto his crown, curling the corners of her mouth into a predator’s smile as she peered up at him with sharp, half-closed eyes.

"It’s so big and hard~ Did you want me that much?"