Chapter 109: Final Preparations!

The water had long since stopped steaming, settling into a gentle warmth that clung to the skin like a second touch. The candles burned lower, their flames steady and unhurried, casting gold and shadow across the marble walls of the bath chamber.

Nulissa remained nestled against Jax’s chest, her fingers idly tracing slow, absent-minded patterns along his forearm. The earlier playfulness had settled into something quieter, contentment edged with resolve.

Jax’s arms were secure around her waist, his presence a solid grounding force for her, and for the first time in a long while, Nulissa was fully relaxed.

She shifted slightly, turning her head enough to look at him over her shoulder. His golden eyes were half-lidded, relaxed but alert in the way of a predator at rest. Damp curls framed his face, darker now from the bathwater, a few strands clinging to his forehead. There was something almost dangerously domestic about him like this—too powerful to be real, too gentle to be ignored.

“♥You’re thinking too loudly,♥” he murmured.

She smiled faintly. “♥You always notice.♥”

“That’s because every time you go quiet like this,” he said, tightening his hold just a little, “it’s never because you’re calm. It’s because you’re carrying something alone.”

Her breath hitched as she thought about how to frame her statement. For a long moment, she said nothing. Then she exhaled slowly and leaned back more fully into him, surrendering her weight, her guard, her composure.

“Jax,” she said softly, turning just enough to look at him. Her crimson eyes were clear now, no longer hazy with sleep or indulgence. There was steel there again, but it was gentler, refined by trust rather than sharpened by fear.

“Hm?” he replied, brushing a thumb along her hip in a lazy, grounding gesture.

“Today is the day,” she said.

He knew immediately what she meant before she even continued with her sentence.

“My official introduction,” he said, “To Nightengale and all the Vampires,”

She nodded to him, “The bells will ring at dusk. Every House, every elder, every citizen who can stand will be there.”

She exhaled slowly, then added, quieter, “And I intend to introduce you… as my partner.”

The word hung in the steam-filled air. Jax didn’t interrupt her. He waited, letting her say it fully, letting it belong to her choice rather than his reaction.

She shifted in his arms, turning more fully now so they faced each other. “I’ve thought about this all night,” she continued, “About what you said. About controlling the pace. About refusing to be cornered.”

Her lips curved into a faint, wry smile. “If I present you as unattached, the pressure continues. If I delay, they circle harder. But if I choose, openly and decisively, then I’m free of all of these burdens.

Jax searched her face for any inconsistencies in her expression just to make sure, “This isn’t you yielding to them?”

“No,” she said firmly, staring at him dead in the eyes to prove herself, “This is me denying them.”

She reached up, resting her palm against his chest, directly over his heart, “By making it clear that any connection between us exists because we chose it. Not because the elders demanded it. Not because my bloodline needs leverage.”

A pause.

“And,” she added more softly, staring shyly at him as her fingers traced his muscles, looking at the hickies she’d left all over his skin the prior night, “because I want it.”

Something warm and steady spread through Jax’s chest. A possessive, triumphant feeling.

“You’re sure?” he asked. Not because he doubted her, but because he respected her enough to ask.

“Yes,” she said without hesitation. “I won’t pretend I’m not nervous. But I’m done letting fear dictate my decisions.”

He smiled then, slow and genuine. “Then I’m with you.”

Her breath caught, just slightly, looking at him with a bit of genuine surprise, “You agree?” she asked.

“Completely,” he said, “If standing beside you shuts them up and gives you breathing room, I’ll do it gladly. And if anyone thinks that gives them authority over me,” His smile sharpened a fraction. “They’re welcome to test that assumption.”

A quiet, relieved laugh escaped her. She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his. “You have no idea how much easier you make this.”

“I do,” he said. “I’ve lived it.”

They stayed like that for a moment longer, steam curling around them, the future rearranging itself quietly in the background.

They talked about miscellaneous stuff for a short while, and then Nulissa reluctantly shifted away, rising from the bath. Water streamed down her pale skin, catching candlelight like liquid pearl. She stepped out, wrapping herself in a dark silk robe embroidered with crimson sigils, royal and unmistakable.

Jax followed more slowly, retrieving his own clothes. Even unhurried, every movement carried confidence, as if the palace itself had adjusted to accommodate him.

Nulissa paused at the door, turning back to him.

“♥I need to go,♥” she said softly. “♥There are… final preparations I need to make for your introduction after all, especially with what we’re about to do. Just preparing the council and all the citizens will take a while,”

He walked to her, cupping her face and looking directly into her beautiful eyes, “Take your time. I’ll be ready baby,”

She kissed him once more.

“♥When I return,♥” she whispered, “♥you won’t just be the man I chose last night. You’ll be the man I chose in front of my entire kingdom.♥”

His smile was slow, dangerous. “Then I suppose I should make a good first impression.”

She laughed, stepped back, and opened the door.

Just before leaving, she glanced over her shoulder, eyes glowing faintly crimson.

“♥Try not to terrify anyone before I get back.♥”

“No promises.”

The door closed behind her and Jax immediately headed into the changing room, putting on an outfit and getting ready for the Official Introduction of the Demon King as their Clan Leader’s partner.

And Jax could definitely say he was eager for this moment.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep