Love & Loss

Chapter 88

Nico's POV:

Both of my parents' eyes searched around me as I walked into the gathering room they decided they wanted to chat in.

"No Khloe?" Asked my mother as I sat myself down onto the lounge chair across from where they were seated.

She sounded mildly disappointed.

I shook my head sparing a short glance at my father.

That firm, powerful energy I'd seen him carry ever since I returned here was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, it also looked like he was almost avoiding eye contact with me, that pinch in his brows signifying something I had admittedly never seen on him.

Guilt.

Good.

"No," I finally gave an actual response, "She had an eventful morning and struggled to get back to our room after the fact. I figured it would've been better for her to rest for the time being. I can relay this information after once she wakes up."

She actually might have overdone it this morning.

Her and her friends get very energetic when they're together, and Khloe was still trying to learn her limit as she recovered.

A limit I could only assume she tried to ignore until she couldn't anymore.

Until her body was visibly shaking from exhaustion and she nearly collapsed in my arms as I lead her back to our room.

While watching her I could tell immediately that she missed the energy she used to have.

And while watching her friends eat she missed her ability to do that as well.

The appetite she managed to fit in that little body of hers was impressive, and the loss of being able to sate it like she used to bothered her.

All of which will return in time, but until then this was going to be how it had to be.

I offered her my blood again, but she refused.

Despite what we both feel when it happens, I can tell she feels a slight bit of guilt whenever she does it.

I just hope she'll see the whole process how I do within time.

"Ah. Alrighty then," my mother leaned forward in her sitting position, "we'll make this as quick as we can."

I nodded, figuring that I'd start with the question that had been lingering on my mind add morning.

"How soon do you want us to be wed?" I asked flat out.

Despite how all of it went down, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel the smallest bit indebted to them.

Or at least just my mother.

Either way, I had been delaying this duty of mine as an heir for a long time, and I know this was what they ultimately wanted.

Her eyes went round at my bluntness whereas my father's finally looked at me.

Interestingly enough, he was the one to respond.

"Two years. Starting at the beginning of the next month," He answered.

My brows rose.

That was certainly more time than I was expecting.

"Or at least that's the maximum time we think that we can handle," He further explained, "We know the shift from a human to a vampire can be difficult on top of everything she's going to have to learn."