Chapter 50
The flight stretches on forever.
Days, it feels like, though I have long since stopped checking the clock.
No one—not Nik, not Madison, or even Alek—has given me so much as a hint of where we are going.
I try asking, casually at first, but each time I do, Nik just tilts that infuriating, unreadable smile in my direction and shakes his head.
“Soon enough, little pet,” he sighs, and that’s it.
I can’t tell if he’s enjoying torturing me or if he truly wants it to be a surprise. Either way, I’m completely at his mercy. And it’s maddening. My stomach twists with nerves, anticipation, and a weird kind of excitement that gnaws at me with every minute that passes.
The hum of the plane’s engines is constant, white noise against the mumble of my family’s conversations around me.
Madison leans against the seat, scrolling on her phone, but her eyes flick up every so often to glance at me, probably trying to gauge if I’m going to explode from impatience.
Which I am. Alek and Enzo have claimed the back, leaving me somewhere in the middle with Nik, whose hand rests over mine so casually it’s almost infuriating.
Finally, the engines change pitch, slowing.
My stomach lurches with the realization that we are about to land.
Finally. We begin our descent, and suddenly the tension in my chest spikes.
The plane touches down with a gentle thump, the cabin shaking slightly.
I lean forward, peering out the window, and immediately my breath catches. I know exactly where we are.
Armenia…
But why?
The plane door opens, and we step out. Cool air hits my face as Nik leads me off the plane, everyone following behind us. Reaching the bottom step, I abruptly turn around. “Wait…” I stare up at him. “You really can’t give me back.”
Nik rolls his eyes and lets out a heavy sigh. “I know…” He pulls a blindfold from his pocket, covering my eyes with the soft material before I have the chance to protest. My heart hammers, half excitement and half panic.
Nik’s hand is firm and unyielding as he guides me carefully across the tarmac.
Each step is uncertain, and I rely heavily on his touch to guide me.
I can feel the plane and its equipment fading behind us, replaced by the soft crunch of dirt beneath my sneakers.
The sound of the engine behind us diminishes as we move, replaced by the softer hum of waiting cars.
The car ride is torture. I’m trapped in darkness.
Every bump in the road is exaggerated, and every unexpected turn makes me sway slightly.
My stomach drops with anticipation, nerves, and an insistent flutter of excitement.
Unwilling to give me even the faintest hint of where we are going, Nik doesn’t speak.
I feel myself fidgeting, twisting in my seat, wishing I could see something.
Time drags. I have no sense of how long we’ve been moving, and each second stretches endlessly.
“How far…?” I whine, trying to keep my voice steady.
“Almost there,” Nik replies, his voice low and controlled, as his thumb brushes along the back of my hand. “Be patient, little pet.”
“Almost…” I echo, though my voice is shaky. My pulse thuds in my ears. What is almost?
The car stops, and the engine shuts off.
The quiet around us is striking. I hear the click of the door opening, the shuffle of footsteps on the pavement.
Nik’s hands wrap around mine again, guiding me carefully.
I step forward, one, two, three tentative paces.
My legs are wobbly and uncertain as we cover uneven terrain, moving through the subtle rustling of leaves and the lapping of water.
“Almost there,” he whispers again, and I feel the gentle tug of the knot at the rear of my head. The fabric falls from my face and the daylight is blinding. I blink rapidly, trying to adjust to the brightness. When I do, the sight before me steals my breath.
We’re standing at the edge of Lake Sevan, the water stretching wide and glittering under the pale early light.
A soft breeze ripples across the surface, carrying the scent of fresh water and pine.
And there, on the shoreline, is a tiny altar—simple, elegant, adorned with soft white flowers and a few candles.
It’s intimately breathtaking, and I can’t help the gasp that escapes me.
“Nik…” My voice cracks when I turn to face him. He is on one knee, his eyes locked on mine. They are intense, filled with vulnerability and devotion.
“The way we were married…” he stares up at me adoringly, his voice low, “doesn’t do justice to the woman I love… Or the mother of my child. Ani Romanov King, will you marry me? Again?”
My heart threatens to leap straight out of my chest. I blink rapidly, trying to form words while simultaneously fighting back tears of happiness. I nod, feeling a familiar stubbornness flare inside me.
“Yeah. Fine. Whatever,” I mutter, almost reflexively, repeating the makeshift “I do’s” from our first wedding, the words feeling both ridiculous and perfect all at once.
Nik groans audibly, rising to his feet. “Such a fucking brat,” he grouses, shaking his head with a huge smile plastered across his face.
I laugh softly, the sound of the lake and the wind wrapping around me like a cocoon as his arms do the same.
He pulls my back to his chest, and my hands rest instinctively over my stomach, tracing the faint curve of the life growing inside me.
Tears well in my eyes. This moment. This view.
This man… This life he is giving me. None of it is what I imagined when I walked into that courthouse a little over three months ago.
The girls—Madison and Eavan—appear beside me almost immediately, giggling softly, each carrying a small bag with fresh clothes and toiletries.
They usher me toward a small cabin a few steps away from the water to help me freshen up.
I let them, feeling a mix of giddy anticipation and nerves.
I laugh softly to myself, realizing how excited I am to marry my husband.
Freshened up, dressed in something light and flowing, I step back outside. Nik’s hand wraps around mine immediately. The altar looks even more beautiful in the soft light of the setting sun. We approach it slowly. Candles flicker among the gentle arrangement of flowers, and my heart swells.
Enzo, Cillian, Madison, Eavan, and Alek are all standing around it, their eyes glinting with happiness and pride.
The sight of them, the people I love most in this world, fills me with warmth and reassurance.
I glance at Nik, and his hand tightens around mine.
His jaw is set, his dark eyes softening only for me as he smiles at me like I am the most precious thing in his world.
We reach the altar. Nik turns to me, letting go of my hand for a moment, and my heart stutters.
The ceremony is small, intimate. The officiating is unnecessary, but unlike last time, I hang on Nik’s every word.
My husband’s gaze never leaves mine, his thumb stroking over the back of my hand gently as we vow ourselves to each other. Again.
“I… I mean it, Ani,” he says quietly, voice strong but tender. “This is you, me, and our life. Our child. Us. Forever.”
I can’t help the tremor in my voice, the catch in my throat, as I reach out to him. “I… I love you, Nik,” The words spill out before I can stop them. “Always.”
We seal it with a kiss, soft and intimate, lingering and full of promise.
The five people we love most in the world watch—smiles bright and eyes shining with joy—and I realize this is all I need.
His lips resting a breath from mine, his thumb caressing over my cheek. “You’re mine,” he tells me softly.
I smile, pressing my forehead against his. “I always have been,” I whisper back. “And I always will be.”
His lips brush against mine as his words vibrate over them. “Always, little pet. Always.”