After satisfying his wives’ every need, the two stood beside him, wrapped in full bodysuits and leather jackets. Nikita wore her cherry-red over the black bodysuit, while Selene opted for a royal blue.

What amused Nikolai was that blue normally represented werewolves, and red vampires.

Yet his two wives carried the exact opposite tastes.

"Nikolai, who else is coming?"

"Well, we’re heading to the meeting point, so everyone will likely be there."

"So it’s just us?" Nikita added.

She quickly bent forward and tugged at Nikolai’s hand.

His eyes instantly drew to how the tight material of her pants emphasised the curve and size of her buttocks perfectly. "How does my butt look big?"

"Ah, very big, very plump."

"Fufufu~ normally a girl would punch you for that, honey."

"Ahem!"

Selene cleared her throat, but while she did, she crossed her arms beneath her chest; the huge breasts which grew slightly after pregnancy remained alluringly perky, thanks to her dense muscles and vampiric genes.

Their contrasting colours made the pair look like they had stolen banners from enemy castles and decided to wear them out of spite.

Nikolai’s gaze moved between them, his mouth twitching.

"What?" Selene asked, red eyes narrowing.

"Nothing."

"That wasn’t the kind of face, which means nothing."

Nikita straightened, tossed her silver-white hair over one shoulder, then hooked both arms around his right arm. The cherry-red leather jacket creaked softly as she pressed close, her black bodysuit hugging every line beneath it. "He’s thinking we look cute."

"He’s thinking too much," Selene corrected, stepping to Nikolai’s left side before Nikita could monopolise him completely.

Her royal-blue jacket was shorter than Nikita’s, stopping just above her waist, giving her elegant figure a sharper, more refined look. With her golden hair tied high and her crimson eyes gleaming beneath the corridor lights, she looked less like a vampire princess and more like a commander about to lead a private army.

Nikita clicked her tongue.

"No way, you’re wrong... our hubby loves to overthink things after sex!"

"Nikita."

"What? Am I wrong?"

Selene’s lips parted, then closed again.

Nikolai glanced between them, then calmly looked forward.

"I’m choosing not to answer that."

"Coward," Nikita whispered.

The three of them walked through the inner corridor, leaving Nikita’s private wing behind. Compared to the warmth of her room, the rest of the mansion felt colder and more rigid. Guards stood at every junction, their hands resting on their weapons.

The hounds stationed along the walls lifted their heads as Nikolai passed, watching him with sharp, expectant eyes.

This time, he didn’t feel the same pressure as before.

Because he’d accepted the role and now had two trustee aides, and another ten who offered him their full support.

The estate still smelled faintly of blood and smoke. Emergency crews still moved through the halls, repairing damaged sections and carrying supplies toward the eastern side. Somewhere outside, engines rumbled as armoured vehicles gathered near the outer courtyard.

Though nothing had changed physically...

Nikolai could swear things felt completely different to before.

’It feels different.’

Nikolai didn’t know whether that difference was a good thing or terrifying.

He didn’t want to waste time, so he kept these feelings to himself, but with Selene and Nikita beside him, everything felt a little more secure.

Nikita leaned closer, her white tail swaying behind her as she looked around the corridor.

"Hmm, everyone looks so tense."

"They were attacked a few hours ago," Selene said.

"I know that."

"Then why say it?"

"Tsk~ you don’t understand? When people are this high-strung, accidents and mistakes happen... I was just lightening the mood!"

"You’re still an irredeemable idiot." Selene snapped back with an adamant tone.

And yet she began to observe her surroundings more closely, as if her words and thoughts were completely different.

Nikolai glanced at her.

"That sounded surprisingly tactical."

Nikita smiled proudly.

"I am a genius."

Selene gave her a flat look.

"You are not."

"I am."

"You ate bath soap once because you thought it was white chocolate."

"That was one time."

Nikolai stopped walking.

He looked at Nikita.

She avoided his gaze.

"...How old were you?"

Nikita’s ears folded slightly.

"That is not important."

"How old?"

"Seventeen."

Selene’s mouth twitched.

Nikolai stared at her for several seconds, then slowly continued walking.

His throat sounded with a low, bassy hum as he began to sing a short, catchy tune, putting his heart into it.

"My genius wife~ ate bath soap at seventeen~"

"Don’t say it like that."

"You said it first."

"I changed my mind."

The quiet banter drew several glances from nearby guards. Some looked startled and a little shocked at how the trio communicated. While others quickly lowered their gazes, trying not to smile in front of their Patriarch.

But the little melody and song about Nikita seemed to be intoxicating.

As the trio came to the courtyard, Nikolai chuckled to himself and glanced at his cute werewolf wife.

"Thanks, Nikita, that was a great help."

"Eh? What do you mean, honey?" She played dumb.

"You did that on purpose."

"Did what?"

"Made them relax."

The snowy werewolf glanced away with a smug smile.

"Hmph, maybe."

Nikolai looked at her from the side.

For all her careless behaviour, Nikita understood werewolves better than most people and clearly realised that the attack earlier was much worse than Nikolai thought.

Fear spread quickly through their ranks, but of course, so did confidence. If they saw their leaders walking calmly, teasing each other, breathing without panic, then their own feelings would have a chance to settle.

"It was quite the show of intelligence for you, Dog woman."

"Keh! Don’t be jealous, you just wish you thought of it." Nikita then stuck out her large butt and slapped it twice. "But that’s why honey chose to finish inside this fine ass and not yours!"

"Nikita."

Selene’s crimson eyes trembled, though not from shame but sheer anger, pure, refined, aristocratic anger.

Nikolai, however, moved faster than the two. His hand clamped over Nikita’s mouth before she could say anything worse. The white wolf blinked up at him with innocent yellow eyes, though her tail wagged far too happily to sell the act.

"Enough."

"Mmph~"

"No."

"Mmmph!"

"I know exactly what you’re trying to say, and the answer is still no."

Nikita licked his palm.

Nikolai immediately pulled his hand back.

"...You little beast."

"Fufufu~"

Selene inhaled slowly, then exhaled, smoothing the front of her royal-blue jacket with both hands.

"I will pretend I did not hear that."

"You definitely heard it," Nikita muttered.

"Darling. I might have to kill someone before we even leave the compound." Selene’s low warning sent chills down Nikolai’s spine as she glared at Nikita, who playfully stuck out her tongue while holding Nikolai’s right arm.

"Ahhh! Honey, help, the cruel vampire queen is trying to assassinate my cute self!"

"Fake bitch, shut the hell up!" Selene shouted while holding several daggers between her fingers.

"...."

At this moment, Nikolai felt the pressure from his wives might have surpassed Nosferatu several times over.

Nevertheless, the absurd exchange worked better than any speech.

By the time they reached the outer courtyard, the hounds, maids and guards stationed there no longer looked as stiff as before. Though they remained alert, their ears stood at attention, and their weapons were at the ready.

The suffocating atmosphere had vanished.

Armoured vehicles lined the courtyard in two rows.

They were not the sleek luxury cars normally favoured by noble clans. These were heavy-duty machines built for war, each one nearly the size of a small bus, with reinforced matte-black plating, thick bulletproof windows, roof-mounted turrets, and silver-inlaid defensive runes etched along the doors. The engines growled like caged beasts, low and hungry beneath the red sky.

Several elite hounds stood beside them, already armed and suited.

Ryan leaned against the lead vehicle with his arms crossed, dressed in black tactical gear, a silver shotgun strapped across his back, and two magnums tucked into shoulder holsters, as he lowered his glasses to see Nikolai.

"Brother! You’ve kept us waiting for so long!"

"My bad, there were some issues..." Nikolai subconsciously glanced at the two women fighting behind him, before noticing the pretty lamia curled in the back of the massive jeep, glancing at Ryan with a familiar glare. "It seems you’ve not had it easy either, bro."

"Heh... my wife is a bit excitable at the moment." Ryan smiled bitterly as dark bruises around his neck, the shame identical to a snake’s tail.

"Let’s get going. Are the others waiting at the outpost?"

"Mhm, they sent me here because of my wife, haha."

He looked toward the vehicles, then to the estate behind him.

Several upper windows remained lit. Somewhere beyond those walls, his children slept, played, argued and waited. The thought tightened his chest, but it no longer froze him in place.

He’d sworn to work together with his wives, to trust them completely. The ones who remained at home would protect the children.

"Come on then, this vehicle is your chariot, boss." Ryan stepped to the middle jeep; the walls and finish were of a much higher quality.

The rear hatch opened with a hydraulic hiss, revealing a wide interior lined with reinforced seats, weapon racks, emergency kits, and glowing monitors connected to the estate’s tactical network. The air smelled of leather, metal, oil and cold gunpowder.

Nikita climbed in first, hopping up with careless ease before turning around and offering Nikolai her hand.

As he reached for her hand, someone from inside the jeep stepped forward and pulled him inside. That’s when Sarah’s voice came from the fully covered helmet, which she slowly removed.

"Husband, you’re finally here!"

"Sarah?!"

Ignoring the sharp glares of Selene and Nikita, Sarah brushed back her short blonde hair and smiled back at Nikolai before patting the central seat. "Come sit down, we’ll be leaving soon, so let me help familiarise you with everything."

He didn’t want to have them start fighting, so he dragged both Selene and Nikita to the seats beside him and sat down, clicking the safety harness into place.

The hatch sealed behind them with a heavy metallic thud.

Outside, Ryan’s voice came through the comms.

"Convoy ready. Moving on your order."

Nikolai looked at the monitor as the route appeared, a red line stretching from the Volkov estate toward the target location in central S-City.

For a brief moment, his reflection stared back from the dark screen.

He pressed the comm button.

"Move out."

The engines roared.

One by one, the heavy-duty vehicles rolled forward, their headlights cutting through smoke and crimson haze as the Volkov convoy left the courtyard and drove toward the target location.