Blood Awakening: The Strongest Hybrid and His Vampire Bride

Nikita left Nikolai's room with a bright smile on her face.

Yet the moment the door closed, it faded.

She knew that although he would happily entertain her all day, this could also cause him to grow bored with her one day.

Nagisa taught her many things while growing up, yet even knowing these things couldn't stop them from making her feel strange.

"..."

She looked back at the closed door, his lingering scent wrapped around her like a gentle pair of arms.

However, destructive thoughts always remained.

'More and more new women appearing out of nowhere.'

Nikita's lips trembled while standing still. Her eyes fixated on the door, twitching her ears as she heard him moving slightly inside. Maybe getting dressed or working out.

"Nikolai wouldn't do that to me..." Nikita whispered to herself while touching her stomach; she wanted something solid, absolute, that would tie them together.

Despite being engaged, Nikita was still worried that such a thing could be broken before they officially tied the knot.

She shook her head while closing her eyes tightly and walked towards her private room, trying to push her jealous and insecure thoughts out.

'There's no need for this...'

When she reached the main hallway, her eyes looked at the various artworks depicting former Fenrir heirs and various famous warriors. Her lips curled into a smile, narrowing her eyes as she whispered to herself.

"Not as good as Nikolai."

Subconsciously, she started comparing them to the man she loved.

Well, most young women her age might become the same, though she carried a crush for many years. It wasn't until they started dating and he became more aggressive that she truly fell for him and realised it was too late for her to turn back.

'I know it's stupid...'Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Her small game of comparing Nikolai to the other pictures ended because she met someone in the hallway who made her chest beat faster... anxiety and a sense of insecurity grew inside her like a ball of cloth soaking in dirty wastewater.

"Morning Selene..." A bitter taste is hidden behind a polite greeting.

Nikita learned to accept Selene's existence—they even became closer, at least... she thought they did. But only until being alone with Nikolai became so difficult.

"Oh? Nikita... did you have a nice evening? Your face is truly radiant today." Selene's voice lacked any negative energy.

She didn't show a frown or jealousy, causing Nikita to bite her bottom lips.

'How can she be so fine with everything?'

Normally, Nikita would brag, but the feeling of something clogging her throat whenever she went to do so made the werewolf frustrated.

The fear that Selene might do the same... and that Nikita knew she might not be able to endure the jealousy and feelings that would follow.

Nikita struggled to acknowledge her resemblance to her mother, slowly and genuinely sinking further into the abyss of obsession.

'...'

"It was good..." A stiff response.

Nikita squeezed her hands together as she pricked her palms with her sharp nails to keep herself from acting out.

Selene's eyes flickered with a red glow before she curled her lips into a faint smile. "I see... don't struggle to hard alone, if you need help. I am always here for you."

The words shocked Nikita. Her chest thumped, and she gazed at Selene like a stranger. In the past, Selene would never be so kind as to reach out first.

Yet here she was, offering support to her biggest rival.

'The difference between us is so big...'

"I will." Nikita remained blunt.

Her teeth clenched together as she tried to breathe, but the strange sensation as if someone was choking her remained—the words she truly wanted to say, the question she needed to ask, seemed stuck in her throat.

Selene's eyes narrowed, her mouth opening for a moment before shaking her head. "I know how you feel." She showed a brief melancholy smile before walking past the short werewolf, her hand tapping Nikita's shoulder before she vanished.

"We don't have to be enemies anymore, Nikita." A parting sentence, the words and meaning simple.

—Clack!

The werewolf remained quiet, walking in silence to her room with a dark face.

Once inside, her shoulders dropped.

Nikita's face scrunched up, twisting into a mess of frustration as she placed her head on the wall and punched it.

—Bang!

"I hate it!"

The fiery ball inside her grew the more she thought about this topic, but no matter how much Selene or even her mind tried to quell her feelings, it failed.

"Why can't I be like you... just speaking makes me so angry. I want to kidnap him and hide him in a place no one can find him!"

Though she balanced her feelings, at first telling herself it was only Selene, there was only one person to compete with. Then Risa came, and she forced her to become a squire, to be beneath Nikita, all in order to keep these dark feelings of anger and obsession in check.

"Now there is Kumiko... that stupid tiger... what if another comes, another werewolf?!"

The imaginary werewolf in her mind was tall, pretty, and seductive like her mother, something Nikita could never have been. Her feelings started to crumble the moment she saw Kumiko's mature form.

'Can I win... as I am?'

A foul-mouthed gangster...

Someone who lacked a womanly charm and could only have sex to keep Nikolai interested in her.

This self-image was reflected in her mind.

"Haa..."

With a long sigh, she stroked the dented wall before falling back towards her bed. Just as Selene said, the evening was wonderful.

All her worries and troubles vanished the moment she stood beside Nikolai, and even more so when he touched her, kissed her, and tenderly held her in his arms.

Nikita's arms covered her face.

The bright sun poured into the large room, irritating her, and she ground her teeth.

Nikita couldn't help but feel strange the past few weeks—her moods would switch, and she couldn't eat, sometimes feeling extreme nausea.

When she wasn't beside Nikolai, she became insecure and unstable but remained able to keep herself from acting on her impulses.

"I'm too sleepy... let's just rest, and try to forget these feelings."

Meanwhile, in Selene's room, she sat at her mahogany desk, writing on a white notepad, humming to herself. She was wearing loose clothes and bunny slippers.

"Nikita..."

A whisper left her mind as she wrote important notes from the minutes that Wilhemina sent her via email. Experience exclusive tales on empire

'That girl seems to be struggling, but I don't know how to help her...'

Selene used to be extremely obsessive, aggressive and competitive toward Nikita and any omen that showed interest in Nikolai. But that was because her sister's soul and her soul's jealousy combined to create an unhealthy level of stress and concern.

Now that the pair had separated, Selene started to change, or maybe it was more accurate to say she had returned to her past self.

Although she could feel the same jealousy as in the past, now she understood the look on Nikita's face when he chose Risa for a date or when it was Selene's turn to be with him.

As such...

Selene felt she was looking at herself in Nikita and became more concerned, especially today when her scent and aura seemed to fluctuate.

'There's another scent... another aura coming from Nikita recently, but I don't know what it is...'

She put the end of her pen against her lips, squishing them before biting the lid, chewing as she mulled over her thoughts. "I should ask Mother..."

'...'

"Let's try again later."

Selene pushed her chair out, stood up and stretched.

The import of several goods used by monsters to help stabilise their periods of blood thirst and natural cycles dropped significantly.

Someone on the other side suddenly cutting their supply made no sense.

'Should I speak to Father about purchasing our own distribution and supply company?'

These supplements and medications were vital to maintaining a harmonious relationship with the humans in S-city.

Without them, the younger vampires, thralls and squires would soon lose control, much like Nikolai when he first transformed. If this happened during school or in public, they wouldn't be able to contain the situation easily.

While in deep thought, Selene walked over to a mirror to check herself. This subconscious act grew over time after she met Nikolai, and both Selene and Nikita had this small habit.

A sudden knock disrupted the vampire.

"Yes?" Selene turned around as a voice responded through the door.

The moment Selene heard the voice, she immediately relaxed her shoulders. "Enter."

With permission given, the heavy-looking door swung open, allowing the guest inside. A thin, mature woman appeared; her hair was dark red and flowed freely over her shoulder.

The woman wore a black-and-white maid outfit with a bloody spear emblem on her chest. She was the maid who served Selene in the mansion.

"My Lady, the evening meal will be delayed as Lord Nikolai has left for the main building."

She was a member of a lesser vampire clan but loyal to the Tepes clan for thousands of years. With no chance of succeeding her family as the heiress, she served Selene like Wilhemina, and her sister served Anya.

"I see... is that the only message Lauren?"

The maid took out an envelope while fixing her black leather gloves. "Not all. There is also this."

"Hmm... from my father." Selene walked over and retrieved the envelope.

Her slender fingers flicked the seal, removing the wax stamp. She read the content before curling her lips upwards, though physical mail was not usually used in the modern era.

It would convey important information and be directly delivered by a trusted servant or subordinate to avoid anyone spying on the document.

The Tepes clan's head placed a small blood magic spell that would destroy the letter if anyone but Selene tried to open it.

"Father is one step ahead of me..."

Vladimir had already left for the West to buy and crush the company that betrayed them. The letter confirmed Selene's worries from the last family council meeting.

"It seems I just gained a LOT of free time..." Her lips curled into a wide smile before she leaned back with a creak.

"Should I go play with the wolf?"