Chapter194 You are the most important person in my life.

Chapter194 You are the most important person in my life.
Aliya POV

After Nikolai finished speaking, he immediately ordered his gamma to arrest all those people. I waited for Nikolai to come over to me, feeling worried about the whole situation.

"This isn't good," I told him with concern in my voice. "Just randomly throwing people in jail like that is going to cause riots."

Nikolai leaned down and kissed my lips softly. "But I really can't stand them insulting you like that, spreading rumors about you."

I shook my head. "As an alpha king, you shouldn't be so impulsive."

"I'm usually pretty level-headed," Nikolai replied, his eyes focused on mine. "Except when it comes to anything involving you."

"What are you going to do with those people?" I asked.

Nikolai's expression became more serious. "The followers will just be locked up for a few days to scare them. As for Marcus's parents, they need to be imprisoned longer since they're the ringleaders. They had the nerve to publicly accuse you of being Marcus's killer."

My heart stopped beating for a moment. Marcus's death really was connected to me somehow, but I didn't know how to tell Nikolai the truth. I could only stay silent for now.

"Don't look at me like that," Nikolai said suddenly.

"Like what?" I asked, confused.

"That expression you have right now, with a bit of admiration and a bit of grievance, it's just too beautiful. So beautiful that I want to pull you into my arms and make love to you right here."

I felt my cheeks flush at his words, but before I could respond, Nikolai stepped closer and pulled me against his chest. His lips found mine in a deep, passionate kiss that made my knees weak.

I could feel the warmth of his body through our clothes, his hands holding me firmly yet gently. When we finally broke apart, I was breathless.

"Nikolai," I whispered, my hands resting against his chest where I could feel his heart beating rapidly.

He pressed his forehead against mine, his eyes dark with desire. "I love you, Aliya. More than I ever thought possible."

I reached up and cupped his face in my hands, studying the strong lines of his jaw, the intensity in his eyes. "I know."

He kissed me again, softer this time, full of tenderness and promise. When we separated, Nikolai wrapped his arms around me in a warm embrace. "I promised Nova I'd show her her father's cooking skills, so I need you to wait with Nova for a little while. I'm going to cook for you both."

I took a walk around the resort with Nova and stumbled upon a lookout point with an amazing view.

From this elevated position, we could look out over rolling hills covered in lush green forests that stretched as far as the eye could see.

"Do you like Nikolai?" I asked her gently.

Nova's face lit up immediately. "I love him so much! He's so handsome and brave, and he can cook, and he's really strong, and he smells really good, and he makes you smile, Mommy!"

Her enthusiasm made my chest tighten with guilt. "I'm sorry I didn't let you meet your father sooner."

Nova shook her head, her little arms wrapping around my neck. "It's okay, Mommy. We have Daddy now, and that's what matters."

"But don't you wonder why it took so long?" I asked softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

Nova thought for a moment, her expression serious in that way children get when they're trying to understand grown-up things. "Maybe you were scared?"

Her innocent insight made my heart ache. "Maybe I was," I admitted.

"But you're not scared anymore, right?" Nova asked, looking up at me with those big, trusting eyes.

"Not as much," I said, kissing the top of her head.

Nova snuggled closer to me. "Good, because Daddy makes you happy. I can see it in your eyes when you look at him."

"You're very observant, little one."

"And he looks at you like you're the most beautiful person in the whole world," Nova continued, her voice getting excited. "Like in the fairy tales you read to me!"

I laughed softly. "Is that what you think?"

"I know it!" Nova said confidently. "And he looks at me like that too, like I'm the most special little girl ever."

"You are special, sweetheart. To both of us."

Nova pulled back to look at me seriously. "Mommy, are we going to be a real family now? Like other kids have?"

The hope in her voice made my throat tight with emotion. "Would you like that?"

"More than anything!" Nova exclaimed, then lowered her voice to a whisper. "I used to wish for a daddy every night before bed. And now he's here, and he's even better than I imagined."

Before I could respond, Nikolai's voice called out to us from inside. "Ladies, dinner is ready! Come and eat!"

I picked up Nova and we made our way to the panoramic viewing skylight area. When we arrived, I was amazed by what I saw. Nikolai had prepared an absolutely incredible feast. There were multiple dishes spread across the table, each one looking like it belonged in a fancy restaurant.

"Daddy, your cooking is amazing!" Nova exclaimed, clapping her hands together with excitement.

I couldn't help but laugh at the sight. "How does an alpha king find time to cook like this? Shouldn't you have people doing this for you?"

Nikolai looked at both of us, his expression tender and serious at the same time. There was something in his eyes that made my heart race, a warmth that seemed to wrap around both Nova and me.

"I only cook for my mate and my child," he said simply. "The two most important people in my life."