Chapter 23 – Noelle #2
His mouth finds mine again, demanding, claiming, and the kiss is almost urgent, desperate, but still there’s that strange sweetness in it—like he’s worshipping me while taking what he wants.
I cry out softly, shivering, trembling under him, every nerve alive to the combination of his sweetness and the raw, unrelenting need that drives him.
“Mine,” he hisses, and it’s not a question. It’s a statement. A claim. And I shiver, giving in completely, letting him own me, needing him to, craving it all—the sweetness, the hunger, the darkness.
“Fuck…yes,” I gasp, clinging to him as the coil inside me snaps, shattering in waves of ecstasy. His name spills from my lips, raw, desperate.
He groans against me, his body shuddering as he follows me over the edge, filling me, claiming me completely. I can feel the tremor of his release ripple through him, and he cries out my name, deep and guttural, a sound that reverberates through my bones.
For a long moment, we cling to each other, gasping, trembling, every inch of skin slick with heat, every heartbeat pounding in shared rhythm. Then, his lips brush my ear, voice low, rough, but full of something that makes me shiver all over:
“I love you,” he whispers.
I press my forehead to his, breath still ragged, chest heaving, and let the words flow from my own lips, trembling but certain:
“I love you, too.”
He gathers me into his arms, holding me against him, all-consuming strength and warmth. My head rests against his chest, listening to the steady rise and fall of his breathing, the pulse of his heart beneath my ear.
We stay silent for a long while, the only sound our ragged breathing mingling in the quiet of the room. I feel the warmth of him around me, the solid weight of his arms, but my mind is spinning, turning over the words I’ve been holding in.
Finally, I find my voice, small and hesitant, barely above a whisper. “Niko…about the pregnancy….”
He stiffens slightly, though I don’t pull away. I keep my head pressed against his chest, listening to the steady drum of his heartbeat. “You didn’t…say anything when I told you before,” I murmur, guilt and uncertainty threading through my words.
His hands still me, holding me closer, and I can feel the tension in him—the slow, deliberate weight of his thoughts settling over us. “I….” His voice drops low, rough, unreadable. He pauses, and my stomach twists.
I lift my head slightly, searching his eyes. “What are you thinking?” I whisper, my voice trembling, barely audible over the thrum of my heartbeat.
Before he can answer, a sharp knock sounds on the door, followed by a guard’s voice. “Doctor’s here, sir. She’s ready.”
Niko doesn’t speak. He simply rises from the bed, every movement deliberate, as if he’s still holding onto me, even in the pause.
He helps me into my clothes, his hands brushing my skin, lingering just long enough to remind me that nothing has changed.
He still owns me, still claims me, still keeps me.
Niko guides me down the quiet hall, his hand firm around mine, every step deliberate. The foyer is empty except for the doctor waiting near the elevators, eyes trained on us as we approach.
The doctor gives a small nod of acknowledgment. “Let’s take a look,” she says professionally, gesturing toward the couch.
I sit, keeping my eyes forward. Niko steps close, his hand resting lightly at my waist, an anchor and a silent promise. I feel the heat of him even in this sterile, calm space.
The examination is thorough but quick. The doctor checks for injuries, monitors my pulse, and asks a few questions about how I’m feeling. I answer as best I can.
Finally, she steps back, pen in hand, clipboard angled so she can mark her notes. “Everything looks fine,” she says, her tone calm, clinical. “No lasting injuries. Just take it easy for the rest of the day.”
Niko’s hand tightens at my waist as I start to rise from the couch. “I want a pregnancy test,” he says, his voice low but firm, leaving no room for argument.
I freeze. “Niko…I already did one with Sasha. It’s fine,” I murmur, trying to keep my tone even, hoping he’ll let it drop.
He shakes his head, leaning closer so I can feel the heat radiating from him. “No. I need to hear it from her. Official. From a doctor.”
“I just…I did it already,” I whisper again. “I’m not doing another.”
Niko’s hand stays at my waist, steady and warm, but his eyes soften, darkening with a quiet, almost vulnerable intensity. “Noelle…please,” he murmurs, voice low, gentle, almost a whisper. “I know you already did one with Sasha, but I…I need to hear it from her. I need to know for sure.”
I blink at him, heart tightening at the pleading in his tone. It’s not demanding. It’s…almost desperate.
“I trust you, I do…but I need the confirmation from a professional. Just for my peace of mind.”
I glance at the doctor, who’s watching silently, waiting. Niko leans slightly closer, his forehead brushing mine, voice still calm and reverent. “Please, Noelle…let me have this. I just want to be sure. For us.”
I nod, finally, voice soft. “Okay…if it will make you feel better.”
He smiles—small, tender, almost relieved. I feel a flicker of warmth in my chest at the softness in his eyes.
The doctor moves efficiently, setting up the urine test with calm precision. I do as instructed, my hands trembling slightly despite his steadying presence at my waist. Niko doesn’t rush me—he just stays close, a silent anchor, his thumb brushing along my side in reassurance.
Ten minutes pass, each second stretching, taut with anticipation. Finally, the doctor examines the test, nodding professionally. “She’s pregnant,” she says.
Niko exhales softly, the tension leaving him in a long, slow release. He thanks the doctor, voice quiet, measured, and she nods before stepping away. I watch her go, the foyer suddenly feeling enormous and empty, the echo of her footsteps leaving a strange, hollow quiet in its wake.
Now it’s just us. Alone.
For a moment, it’s silent in the foyer.
“Niko, it’s okay if you don’t—”
He silences me by wrapping his arms around my body. His chest presses against mine, strong and warm, and I can feel the rhythm of his heartbeat under my ear.
“I’ll always protect you,” he murmurs, voice low, calm. “And our child…however many children we end up having. I’ll protect every one of you, Noelle. Always.”
The words hit me harder than I expected, and I can’t hold back the tremble in my body. Tears spill down my cheeks, hot and uncontrolled, and I sob quietly against him, letting the fear, the relief, the exhaustion all pour out.
He tightens his hold, rocking me gently, his lips brushing the top of my head. “Shh…it’s okay,” he soothes, voice thick with emotion. “You’re safe. You’re mine. I’ve got you.”
“I…I never had closure before,” I admit, tears still dampening my cheeks. “Not knowing what happened to my parents…it haunted me. Every day, I wondered. Every night, I carried that weight with me.”
He hums softly, brushing a thumb over my temple, grounding me with his touch. “And now?” he asks, voice gentle, patient.
“Now…now I know,” I whisper, letting the words sink in, the weight on my chest easing slightly. “And it doesn’t hurt as much anymore. I feel…lighter. Better. And…thank you, Niko. For helping me get here. For being here.”
He presses his lips to the top of my head, holding me tighter, possessive but tender. “I’ll always be here, Noelle,” he murmurs, low and certain. “Through everything—fear, pain, joy. You’ll never face it alone again. Not ever.”
I let out a long, shuddering breath, letting his strength and presence fill the spaces in me I didn’t even know were empty. Then an idea pops into my head, turning my tears into childish laughter. Niko frowns.
“What is it?”
“I’ve been thinking…I’d like to go to medical school now.”
“I thought we already agreed on that. It’s your dream, Noelle.”
“You’re going to pay for it,” I answer cheekily.
His arms tighten slightly around me, and then I hear the low, amused chuckle rumble through his chest. “I thought you insisted that you must pay with your own money? What’s changed?”
“Everything.” I grin, bold now. “Your money is mine now, too. I am your wife, remember?”
Niko freezes for just a moment, eyes darkening with a possessive glint, before laughter escapes him again—low, rich, and almost reverent.
“You’re impossible,” he murmurs, shaking his head.
Then, softer, almost a promise, he adds, “Fine…medical school it is. I’ll pay. Whatever you want, I’ll do it for you.”
He kisses my forehead. “And thank you.”
“For what?” I ask.
“Thank you for beginning to…own me. For actually accepting me as your husband.”
I feel a shiver run down my spine at his words. I press my forehead to his, breath mingling, heart hammering. “No…thank you, Niko,” I whisper back, my voice shaking a little. “Thank you for…making me your wife.”
He smiles, small, tender, and completely his, and draws me closer into his arms. “Forever,” he murmurs, almost a vow.
“Forever,” I echo, feeling the heat of him, the quiet intimacy of this moment, and the certainty that, for the first time in my life, I belong somewhere—fully, completely, and irrevocably.
We stay like that for a long while, wrapped up together, letting the closeness speak for everything words can’t, the silence humming with promise, possession, and love.
I pull back slightly, my fingers still resting against his chest, and my eyes search his. “Niko…what do you plan to do with Kirill and Anton?” I ask, voice steady despite the anxiety curling in my stomach.
His gaze sharpens, dark and unyielding, like a predator sensing its prey. He leans closer, letting his voice drop low, slow, deliberate. “I’ll give them a slow, painful death,” he says, each word measured, dripping with a cold promise.
A shiver runs down my spine—not entirely from fear, but from the raw intensity, the darkness in him that I’ve come to crave and dread all at once. His hands tighten on my waist, protective and utterly inescapable.
“They deserve it,” he continues, eyes locked on mine, voice a dangerous whisper. “For everything they’ve done…and for ever daring to threaten you.”
“When…when will you do it?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
Niko stiffens slightly, taken aback. His brow furrows, and he tilts his head. “Why are you asking that?” His tone is calm, but there’s an edge to it—a dangerous curiosity.
I swallow hard, trying to steady my racing heart. “I…I want to move on,” I confess, voice trembling. “I can’t…I can’t fully move forward, not feel safe, not feel like I can breathe, until I know they’re gone.”
For a moment, he just stares at me, silence stretching between us, thick and taut.
Then, slowly, he bends his head, pressing a soft kiss to my temple.
His voice drops low, quiet, but every word drips with cold certainty.
“Say no more.” I shiver at the promise in his tone. “They’ll be gone before you wake up.”
“Thank you.”
His face lights up. “Now…on the brighter side…remember the vacation we talked about?” His voice is warm, teasing, but steady, like an anchor.
My heart lifts at the reminder. “Are we…going to Monaco?” I ask, eyes bright.
“Yes,” he says, a slow, satisfied smile tugging at his lips. “Or…do you have anywhere else in mind?”
I shake my head, a grin tugging at my own lips. “No. I’m eager to see Monaco.”
He chuckles softly, that low, rich sound that always makes my pulse jump. “Good,” he murmurs. “Then Monaco it is. Just you and me. No danger, no shadows…just us.”
I melt into him, letting his warmth and certainty wash over me, the weight of fear and darkness lifted, at least for now. My hands find his face, fingers tracing the lines I know by heart, and I whisper, almost breathless, “Just us? Are you forgetting something?”
His brow furrows for a moment, a flicker of confusion crossing his features, and then realization softens his expression. “Oh…” he breathes, voice low and amazed. “…we’re a family now. There’s three of us.”
Laughter bubbles up from my chest, bright and unguarded, and he chuckles with me, deep and warm, the sound wrapping around me like a protective shield.
“Forgive me,” he murmurs, pressing a gentle kiss to my temple. “It takes some getting used to.”
I press closer, letting my forehead rest against his, smiling into the quiet intimacy of the moment. In his embrace, with the promise of our little family nestled between us, I finally feel whole, protected, and utterly, irrevocably his.