Chapter Sixty-Five

Chapter Sixty-Five
The bathroom door opened a few seconds later.

Anika stepped out first, expression perfectly composed despite the fact that her entire life had just tilted sideways.

Behind her, Lizzy leaned against the sink trying to look normal and failing spectacularly.

Nikolai stood just outside the grooming room doorway, arms folded loosely across his chest.

Watching.

Always watching.

Anika lifted a brow. “If we were actually hiding from you, you wouldn’t have found us.”

His gaze narrowed slightly. “That sounds like confidence.”

“It’s experience,” she replied smoothly.

Behind her, Lizzy snorted once before quickly disguising it as a cough.

Nikolai’s eyes flicked briefly toward her.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

“We wanted privacy,” Anika continued before he could start connecting dots that absolutely did not need connecting. “Try living in a house full of armed men with surveillance habits sometime.”

“I do,” he said dryly.

“That’s different. You like it.”

A faint shift touched the corner of his mouth.

Victory.

Tiny.

But enough.

He stepped closer then, one hand settling briefly against the back of her neck. Warm. Familiar. Grounding in a way that suddenly hit harder than it used to.

“You disappeared,” he said quietly.

“Mm. We were having a conversation.”

“About?”

Anika smiled faintly. “That defeats the purpose of privacy.”

Nikolai studied her for one long second.

Not suspicious.

Just attentive.

Then finally he exhaled through his nose and stepped back.

“Dinner outside tonight,” he said. “Weather will hold.”

Anika blinked once at the abrupt shift. “You’re organizing social events now?”

“One must maintain morale.”

Behind her, Lizzy muttered, “That somehow sounded threatening.”

Nikolai ignored her expertly.

Anika watched him walk away down the kennel corridor, black shirt stretched across broad shoulders, posture relaxed in the way only dangerous men ever truly managed.

And suddenly the reality crashed into her again.

Pregnant.

Her stomach flipped.

Beside her, Lizzy caught the expression instantly.

“Oh no,” she whispered.

“I know.”

“You looked at him like you were going to cry.”

“That’s because my hormones apparently hate me already.”

Lizzy burst out laughing.

Which honestly helped.

A little.

The rest of the afternoon settled back into routine with almost alarming normalcy.

Dogs rotated through training.

Handlers cycled posts.

Paperwork accumulated in stacks across the operations office.

Life continued.

And somehow that made the secret feel even larger.

Anika found herself touching her stomach unconsciously twice before catching herself both times.

Tiny motions.

Instinctive already.

Dangerous.

By evening, the estate softened under warm amber light and drifting smoke from the massive stone firepit behind the main house.

Music played quietly through outdoor speakers somewhere near the pool deck. Low conversation overlapped with the occasional bark from dogs sprawled around the yard under loose supervision.

For once, nobody was bleeding.

Progress.

Anika sat curled sideways in one of the oversized patio chairs with a blanket across her lap despite the mild temperature. Nikolai occupied the space beside her naturally, one arm stretched along the back of her chair while he spoke quietly with Ilya about shipment schedules.

The firelight softened him.

That was the dangerous thing.

Not the violence.

Not the weapons.

This.

Warm light. Quiet voices. Familiar touch.

Home.

Ares lay stretched across the stone near Anika’s feet, massive head resting directly against her boot.

Closer than usual.

Every few minutes his eyes lifted toward her like he was checking she was still there.

Nyx lingered nearby too, silent and alert.

Lizzy noticed first.

“Ares is being weirdly clingy,” she said quietly from across the firepit.

Anika glanced down automatically. “He’s always clingy.”

“No,” Lizzy replied. “This is different.”

As if hearing himself discussed, Ares stood and moved closer until his shoulder pressed lightly against Anika’s leg.

Protective.

Possessive almost.

Nikolai looked down briefly. “Storm tension,” he said.

“Maybe,” Lizzy murmured.

But she looked at Anika a second too long afterward.

Anika immediately looked away.

Across the firepit, Maksim tossed a training bumper for Romeo with irritatingly precise form.

The dog launched after it enthusiastically.

“You know,” Lizzy called, sipping from a bottle of water, “most people play fetch less tactically.”

“He is a working dog,” Maksim replied.

“He’s still a dog.”

Romeo returned instantly and sat at attention in front of Maksim.

Traitor.

Maksim threw the bumper again.

Lizzy watched the movement this time.

Not the dog.

Anika noticed immediately.

Her mouth twitched around the rim of her drink.

Nikolai followed her gaze automatically.

Then went still for half a second.

Ah.

Recognition.

Not full understanding.

But enough.

Interesting.

“You are amused,” he murmured quietly beside her.

“Mm.”

“You know something.”

Anika smiled faintly into her drink. “Maybe.”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

Good.

Let him work for it.

Ares suddenly lifted his head with a low rumble deep in his chest.

Not aggressive.

Warning.

Everyone’s attention shifted instantly.

Maksim had approached the firepit without anyone noticing.

The rumble deepened slightly as he stepped closer to Anika’s chair.

Silence stretched.

Maksim stopped.

Brows drawing together.

“That is unusual,” Ilya muttered.

Very.

Ares never reacted to estate personnel.

Especially not Maksim.

Anika leaned down immediately, fingers brushing along Ares’ neck. “Easy.”

The dog relaxed at once but stayed pressed tightly against her leg.

Maksim studied the Cane Corso carefully now. “He has done this twice today.”

Anika looked up sharply. “What?”

“Near the east kennel earlier,” Maksim said. “I approached you. He blocked.”

That sent a tiny pulse of alarm through her chest.

Not because she thought the dog was dangerous.

Because she knew these dogs.

Ares was protective by nature.

But this?

This was instinctive.

Different.

Nikolai’s gaze shifted thoughtfully between the dog and Anika.

Not suspicious.

Assessing.

Nyx suddenly abandoned her spot near the stairs and moved closer too, settling beside Anika’s chair with eerie quietness.

Lizzy looked deeply intrigued now.

“Oh, that’s fascinating.”

Anika shot her a warning look.

Lizzy wisely shut up.

“Perhaps they are reacting to environmental changes,” Maksim said.

“Or emotional shifts,” Ilya added.

Nikolai’s hand settled briefly against the back of Anika’s neck again.

Ares’ eyes tracked the movement immediately.

Another low rumble vibrated through his chest.

Everyone froze.

Even Anika.

Because that dog adored Nikolai.

Nikolai went very still beside her before slowly withdrawing his hand.

The rumble stopped.

Silence.

Then Ilya burst out laughing.

“Well,” he said, grinning openly now, “apparently the dogs think you need protection from your own boyfriend.”

Anika laughed too quickly. “Traitors.”

But her pulse wouldn’t settle.

Because somewhere deep down, instinct recognized instinct.

And these dogs had always noticed things humans missed.

The moment dissolved after that into easier conversation again.

Dinner.

Drinks.

Music low beneath overlapping voices.

But later, standing alone for one quiet second on the back terrace overlooking the dark tree line, Anika rested her hand low against her stomach again.

Tiny.

Unknown.

Already changing everything around her.

Inside the house, laughter echoed warmly through open doors.

Home.

Family.

Future.

Behind her, Ares appeared silently and pressed against her side once more.

Guarding.

Without command.

Anika swallowed hard and looked out into the dark.

“One minute,” she whispered softly.

Just one more minute before the world changed forever.