SWNOVELS Chapter 35 - Nikolaos
Bastien is wearing a smug as fuck look when I walk into his penthouse with Mia on my arm. He was the one who alluded to me possibly having feelings for her, but I rejected the notion completely. Of course, I was just fooling myself.
I'm here to ask him if he'll keep an eye on Mia while I'm away. This could have been a phone call, I am well aware of that but I needed to do this in person...he needs to know about me and Mia, anyway, anyway.
“I'm going to say I called it, but you'll probably scowl! at me the entire time,” he says with his arms crossed as he looks from Mia to me. “Dare I say congratulations?”
“Shut the fuck up,” I say when he embraces me and chuckles, then he pulls away and frowns. "Did...you didn't flinch when I embraced you,” he murmurs more to himself than to me. “Anyway, you said you wanted to talk?”
I nod as we follow Bastien into his lounge, then I gesture for Mia to sit down on the sofa before I follow Bastien to the bar in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. I'll never understand why he chose to rule over Sin City instead of his birthright.
I suppose if something awful happened to Mia, I wouldn't want to stay in a place that held all our wonderful memories, either.
Bastien pours us each a glass of whiskey, but while he prepares it, my eyes go to Mia. She looks small and uncomfortable on Bastien’s plush sofa, her eyes flickering over his ridiculous amount of wealth on display.
I've never known Bastien to love money or status, but over the last few years, he's amassed so much that I'm not sure what he does with it half the time. His pack is the wealthiest, even more so than Giovanni's.
I down my glass and cock my head towards Mia, who still looks out of place. “The safest place for her right now is next to you. Can she stay here until I return?”
Bastien nods. “Of course, she can, but the auction is in three days, so I will be too busy to see to her. But she’s more than welcome to stay here; you know how safe my penthouse is,” he says. “Are you leaving soon?”
“Tomorrow, and I'll be about five days at most,” I say and Bastien raises an eyebrow.
“And you just assumed I'd say yes to housing your woman while you're out trying to get yourself killed?” he asks with a scoff, and I can’t help but grin at him.
“I'm your little brother; when have you ever been able to deny me?”
"Cocky asshole,” he growls, then throws an arm around my neck while we walk over to Mia. “Now, will you please introduce me this time?”
I walk over to my woman and pull her closer to me, slipping an arm around her waist and kissing the side of her head. “Mia, this is my brother, Alpha Bastien. Brother, this is the love of my life, Mia.” Mia's heart rate spikes when I say this, and I notice the slight blush covering her cheeks. Even as intimidating as Bastien is, she maintains eye contact, and a burst of pride blooms in my chest.
“It's nice to finally meet you, Mia. Last time I saw you, you were still Mirabella,” he says with a grin and his eyebrow raised.
“Mirabella died when Nikolaos saved me,” she says, her voice not wavering at all. “It's a pleasure to formally meet you, Alpha Bastien.”
He waves his hand in front of his face. “Please, if you're going to be part of this family, then drop the formalities, little one. Call me Bastien. I hear we'll be getting to know each other a little better over the next few days, yes?”
She nods her head lightly, then peers up at me. “You're leaving soon?”
There's a hint of anger behind her soft brown eyes and by the way she has her jaw clenched, I know I am in for the argument of my life.
“That's my cue to leave and tell you two to take the guest rooms off to your left. I still have a few things to arrange before the auction,” Bastien says, clapping his hands together. “Make yourselves at home; I'll have your luggage brought up.”
“Thank you, brother,” I say with nothing but gratitude. If I didn’t have Bastien, Mia would have had to stay alone at the pack house. Bastien dips his head, then he walks towards his elevator and leaves us alone.
Now I have to soothe Mia, who looks like she's about to murder me.