Blood Awakening: The Strongest Hybrid and His Vampire Bride

Chapter 565: Father-In-Law, come visit!

Nikolai stood at the end of his bed, slowly adjusting his clothes… a sharp black suit, more suited to comfort than business, his silk shirt buttoned to the chest, leaving his throat and muscles exposed. ‘No tie today…’ Usually, he’d dress more formally or wear completely comfortable clothes, but today was special…

He slowly buttoned the silver buttons on his sleeveless petticoat and folded a satin red handkerchief into his top pocket when done. After that, he added an old-fashioned pocket watch, something his father gave him.

‘Lunaria…’

In his mind, three faces flashed, but one woman, who suddenly requested him after things changed, he couldn’t deny her. With a calm, faint smile, he picked up his smartphone and tapped his black pointed shoes on the ground with a loud tap.

“Hello there, this is the lost mermaid inn. How may I help you?”

The place where he conceived his first child with Serena, and also accepted her fully.

He quietly swallowed the crisp mansion air and spoke. “Hello, my name is Nikolai. I made a booking earlier this morning.” Although he didn’t need to be nervous, something about calling the place he had visited before was a little embarrassing.

“Oh, good morning, it’s a pleasure to hear from you. I’ve confirmed your payment and requests. Is there anything you wish to add to the current service?” The voice wasn’t the cute girl or the polite males from the last time he called.

This time, a more mature, almost elderly voice answered.

He sounded stable but a little shaky.

“I was just confirming the booking went through, thank you very much. I would also like to add an order for something. If I send the money to your account, is it possible?”

“Please give me a moment, dear customer.”

Clack!

The old man likely put down the phone, as his voice echoed from the distance.

‘I see… I’m glad.’

From the old man’s words, it seems his son and the previous worker who helped him and Selene got married and have since moved out; instead, their father and mother deal with the property now.

There was a moment of silence while the waves crashed in the background, but Nikolai’s enhanced senses could hear the cute cries of his daughters in the next room. Nikita hushed them with an R-dialect lullaby. Ever since she became a mother, he couldn’t help but admire her more and more.

“Ahem, forgive me, sir. I was just checking with my wife.”

“Haha, no problem I can understand that. If you aren’t able, then please don’t push yourself. I owe a lot to your hotel already.”

After he confirmed Selene’s pregnancy, Nikolai asked Sasha to invest in the small town using their business profits. Not long after, he told her that it was probably time for her to expand her business and take the girls with her.

“Hohohoho~ what a splendid young man. It is us who should be thankful, after my son left the town suddenly started to prosper. Isn’t that thanks to yourself? He mentioned your name and the investment company’s owner just had the same last name.”

The tone of the old man became warmer and chattier after learning who Nikolai was, and the extra services and requests were granted at a 30% discount. Despite trying to tell the old man he didn’t need them… Even Nikolai lost to the gentleman’s technique.

‘To think that I lost to a human in his sixties…’

“Hahaha.”

He turned to face the door and glanced towards the window. The weak golden beams of light from the winter sunlight illuminated the gifts he’d bought for today’s date. It was going to be a rather fun evening, but many things could go wrong.

‘Well let’s focus.’

He wondered how long until it became dark again. A rather depressing time of the year for Nikolai, when he woke up, it was dark… the ash colours leaves falling into the snow, although beautiful. As a wolf, he somehow felt the desire to keep sleeping all winter.

Ring! Ring!

Suddenly, Nikolai’s phone started to vibrate.

He glanced down only to notice a strange number… it carried a special code, something only given to officials or the government. ‘Who the…?’

Clack!

When he picked up the phone, a deep, hoarse voice came through.

“This is Nikolai, right?”

He spoke like a corpse, the tone old and elegant. Though it wasn’t a stranger, Nikolai closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The man, someone who once betrayed his father, but honestly, even Nikolai didn’t hold him responsible.

“Father-in-law, have you been well?”

The man on the other end gasped, as if the question was unexpected.

“Do you not resent me, son of Volkov?”

A bitter, pallid tone but… Nikolai wasn’t the immature and brash child he was a long time ago.

“How could I hate the father of my wives?” Nikolai took a breath, then continued, not letting Vlad Tepes speak further. “I plan to make Lunaria my true wife tonight. May I have your blessing, as her father?”

“Y-You still seek my permission, even now?”

“Of course, there is no reason to drag hatred. In that moment. If I were in your shoes, father-in-law. I would have done the same… now I am a father myself I understand your anger, fear and actions well.”

It might be a lie. If Nikolai didn’t carry some hatred towards Vlad, no matter how kind he was, as the leader of the Volkov clan, he couldn’t just forgive everything. But as a large family, he would just punish the old crone with economic sanctions. Not hatred.

“Have you heard the news, old man?” He smirked at the silent Vlad, the old man who used to chirp on about strength. Now, if he met Vlad, Nikolai was confident he could at least give him a few good punches.

“About your mother…? Of course. Though I shouldn’t have left it so long… I heard about the mission in S-City and how the Djinn have begun strange movements and felt I needed to contact you. Nikolai.”

“Not gonna call me son?”

“Tsk. Who is your father… if you make those girls cry… No, forget it. I know you will cherish them. Although why is it all three? How… Why are you nothing like Ivan!” There was a bitter tone, but Nikolai found more delight in this as the anger in Vlad’s voice was a thousand times better than his nearly dead voice earlier.

“Stop being dramatic, father… please visit Selene and your daughters. Soon, you’ll be a grandfather… think about names. If it’s a boy… I want to give him you and my dads names…”

This time, the phone became completely silent.

“You…”

***

Vladimir Tepes, the king of his clan and an ancient-level powerhouse, was speechless. He looked at the handset while sitting in his dark, gloomy office, the walls old-fashioned like some sort of fantasy novel with a gothic theme… his windows dull to block sunlight, but allow some ambient light through.

‘To think that little, arrogant boy has grown this far.’

He didn’t need to see or watch, from the tone, the words and how Nikolai carried himself. The tone was a mixture of himself, Ivan and Dimitri, with the cheekiness of Elizabeth seeping in from time to time.

‘Why couldn’t I have placed my faith in you sooner… Ivan.’

From the start Ivan understood the truth, he knew Vlad betrayed them to save his daughters, the trap of Nosferatu was something that even Ivan wouldn’t have been able to endure.

That’s why, after seeing how much Vlad secretly helped his son from setting up the meeting between Selene and Nikolai, to sending his shadow blood troops whenever Nikolai went somewhere after awakening.

“You have grown well, Son.”

A warmth spread through Vlad’s chest as dozens of monitors came into sight, all of them were small body cameras from the dozens of vampire troops hidden from the world that protected Anya, Selene, Lunaria and of course Nikolai.

‘He seems to like the suit I sent him…’ Vladimir always wanted a son; that’s why he felt jealousy towards Ivan. Though pretending to be human, when watching Nikolai grow up, Vlad always kept him safe as a sort of atonement for what happened.

“Do you mean that?”

‘He sounds excited… how amusing.’

A wide grin grew on Vladimir’s lips. He’d never known how to approach Nikolai. After the events that happened 16 years ago, he pretended to forget everything. But the moment his daughter mentioned meeting a “Volkov.” just over a year ago.

Vladimir couldn’t forget the sudden shock when Selene admitted loving him. To think his daughter had suddenly changed… Then he saved Anya, and finally, even after learning everything, he saved Luna.

How could a father hate the boy who saved his precious daughters in the face of adversity?

“Of course, the sins I have committed I will surely repent for them, by being there for you, your children, my daughters and our family.”

“Then make sure you come visit me soon. I know my dad wants to see you too, stop being so gloomy and bring my mother-in-laws with you.”

“Hmph. Just like that fool… kukuku. Nikolai Volkov.”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you for saving my daughters… no. For saving my family.”

“Old man, just get ready to change diapers. I’m going to make your daughters the happiest women on the planet! Wish me luck.”

Beep Beep Beep…

The tone died, but Vlad just sat in his office, unable to wipe the smile off his face.

“Tsk…”

Vladimir then reached out to several square boxes in front of him… inside them, beneath the tissue paper, were delicate, tiny suits… and dresses… At least twelve of them. A few of the boxes had a small name attached; the first three were clear. Viktoria, Dhalia and Elizabeth.

What was more interesting was that these clothes weren’t store-bought, and beside them were countless sewing and textile tools… with both wives of Vladimir sitting with bright grins on their faces.

“Our baby is so happy right now.”

“Fufu, he’s wanted a boy for decades… now look at him.”

“To think all our girls are married to the same man~ how romantic.”

“Huhu, sister… just like we managed to marry our darling, right?”

The two women chose to remain with Vlad until he was prepared to fully face Nikolai. Although they met Elizabeth and Dimitri recently… They knew he wanted this moment more than anything else.

“Are you happy now, Vlad?”

“Fufufu, look at him with those tiny shoes.”

“…Ugh…”

Vladimir held a small pair of girls’ shoes… with a faint grin.

“Stop teasing me!” He huffed before placing them in Viktoria’s box and slowly sealing it.