WHEN YOU CAME TO, THERE WERE LIPS ON YOUR FOREHEAD and a familiar voice mumbling against your skin. There was also a hand in yours. You gave it a light squeeze and received a tighter one in response.
"Baby?" Nico. He was close. So close. You blinked your eyes open and squinted at his hovering face.
"N-Nico?" your mouth felt dry—vision taking a second to adjust.
Nico pinched his eyes shut at the sound of your voice. Relief. He looked so fucking relieved it made your heart clench. "You have no idea how good it is to hear you say my name like that."
Your body felt strange. Not bad, but a little off. It reminded you of trying to fit into tight clothes. "What—what's going on?"
He helped you sit up. You realised then where you were—laying on the seater in the living room with him kneeling on the floor next to you. "You don't remember?" He said, almost hopeful. A wooden cup appeared and he pressed it to your lips
You gulped it down greedily, wrapping your hands around his and tilting it up.
"Easy," he soothed, adjusting the angle and slowing the flow. "You'll make yourself sick."
You slowed down. Cup empty, you took a second to catch your breath whilst Nico returned it to the floor. "I don't—I think—" you tried to gather your thoughts and make sense of them. What was the last thing you remembered? "Aerilyn. . .she was hurt. You went to visit her."
"Yes," he said, cautious. "What else?"
There was a nagging in the back of your mind. Something you were missing. You know there was something there, but you couldn't fill in the blanks. It felt like you were in a pitch-black room and he was asking you to name what's in it.
"Nothing." No matter how hard you tried, it didn't come to you. You shook your head. "I—I don't remember anything. What happened?"
There was a strange impression on his face, one you couldn't read. "You collapsed," he said, eyes darting to the floor. "You've been out of it for days. We were so worried, Bambi."
Oh no. "Is Mith okay?"
A faint smile curled his lips. "Yeah, he's—he's okay. He's taking a bath. I'll go get him." He stood before pausing. Leaning down, he gripped the back of your neck and placed his lips against your forehead. "You really do have no idea," he breathed, "just how much you mean. The world would be a cold, ugly place without you in it."
You frowned at that, feeling a tad guilty. You really must have put them through the wringer. "I never left," you comforted him.
"Bambi," he started, voice breaking. "I. . . I love you," he said with so much force it took your breath away. "I should have said it a long time ago. I love you. I love you."
Before you could recover and say it back, he planted another kiss on your head and then he was gone, leaving you staring after him.
How strange—the way he was acting. The confession of love. Anyone would have thought you'd died.
--
Nico convinced Mithun not to tell you the truth, either. It's better this way, he said. It would only hurt you, knowing what happened.
Mith agreed but was hesitant. How are we going to stop her from finding out when the whole pack knows? He'd been rightfully concerned.
Leave it with me, Nico told him. He'd threaten every one of them—hell, he'd dish out punishments if he had to, to keep you safe. He'd failed you before. Hadn't protected you when he should have. This time, he would do it right.
The Enforcer watched as Mith sobbed in your arms. His heart broke but rapidly began to heal. Everything was back to how it should be. Well, almost. The last thing he needed to do was heal the rift between Aerliyn and Mithun but he imagined that was something only time could do.
Aerliyn had, reluctantly, left with Kane after discovering your innocence as well as your death at the hand of her lover. She'd felt guilty, Rian had told him. She's destroyed with it, were the exact words he'd used. Her reunion with Mithun couldn't have gone worse, and to top it off she'd lost her lover Conan.
At the time Nico had been too destroyed himself to extend any sympathy towards her. Whilst he didn't blame her—she wasn't lying in her accusations, you and the Goddess were like twins—he did hold some resentment which he needed to work through. Just like Mithun did.
Rian had told her some time apart would help and apparently, she'd cried but accepted the suggestion. Each one of them had some things to get over before trying to connect again. She'd return in a few months, she promised. She also told him she didn't blame him for Conan's fate and that she'd speak with Kane in an attempt to stop a war.
It was a shitty situation all around, but Nico saw the light shining through as he watched you cradling Mithun and murmuring to him comfortingly.
Nico cleared his throat from his spot by the doorway. "The ceremony," he started, feeling like his palms were sweating. "I'd like to get preparations started. . .for tomorrow. If you'd still have me."
You glanced from over Mithun's shoulder, surprise written on your features. "Are you sure? But Rian. . ."
Rian wouldn't be putting a stop to anything now that you were found innocent. And in hindsight, Nico should never have let anything get in the way in the first place. Another thing he needed to make right.
"I don't care," he said, determined. "I want to be yours. I want you to be mine. Nothing else matters." He could hear your heart racing at his words. "I meant it when I said those three words."
"Ok," you licked your lips. "Yeah. Those three words, right back at you." A smile formed, your blush heavy on your cheeks. "What do I need to do?"
Nico felt like a god all of a sudden as if Artemis had possessed him like she'd done with you. "Nothing. Just show up. I'll handle the rest."
--
The Ceremony took place a day later just outside of the gates where everyone had room to witness it. You exchanged vows underneath a wooden arch covered in etchings of strange symbols you didn't recognise with Rian standing in front of you and Nico.
It was a shifters version of a wedding. You even wore a white, flowing dress and floral headpiece. Rian told you what to say and you took turns repeating the words with Nico—promises of a life-long love and commitment to one another.
Tears of joy slid down your cheeks and you didn't stop smiling; Nico shed a few of his own and kissed you before Rian could finish ordering it. Now, kiss your mate—ah never mind. You're already at it. Laughs followed.
Mate. Not husband. But it was close enough. Nothing else in your life had ever been normal, so why would it start now?
There was a small celebration afterwards at the cave. You walked arm in arm between Nico and Mithun, a crowd of cheering shifters behind you. Some of them howled, low pitched and high pitched as if singing a tune. You smiled so wide your cheeks hurt.
You passed the temple and something caught your eyes.
The statue was no longer missing. You blinked, wondering if you were seeing things right but as you stepped forward a few more feet you saw her face much more clearly.
It was your statue. The one from your village. The Goddess of protection as you'd once known her, in the same pose as you'd always known her to be in.
"Nico." You pulled at his arm, slowing, in disbelief. "Look."
His eyes followed yours. "Huh," he said, voice tight. Uneasy. "She's back."
"It's the one from our village," you mused. Mith stayed silent, shuffling alongside you. "How strange. How did it get here?"
Nico pulled his arm from yours and wrapped it around your shoulders instead. He nudged you back to your previous pace, drawing your attention forward.
"Some things, bambi," he started, pressing his lips to your hair. "Are better left a secret."
"Yeah, Mom," Mithun backed him up. "Ever heard curiosity killed the cat?"
"Okay, okay." You rolled your eyes. "Stop ganging up on me. I was just wondering, is all." You were also wondering why they weren't half as bothered by it as you were.
Maybe, as shifters, they were used to strange things happening. You imagine being able to completely change into a different form made it feel like anything was possible.
"Don't worry, my beautiful mate," Nico whispered in your ear, followed by a light nip which had your toes curling. "By the time I'm finished with you, you'll not have the energy for curiosity or wonder."
"Nico," you scolded despite the flutters in your belly. "Little ears," you reminded him.
"Don't worry," Mithun gagged out loud. "I'll be living with Uncle Rian for the foreseeable future."
"You will not," you exclaimed, alarmed at the idea. Nico's hand fell to your ass and he palmed it, squeezing lightly. Your voice raised an octave. "Okay, maybe just for tonight."
Nico's voice was back in your ear, low and growly in a way which had your thighs feeling tight. "Good girl," he praised, and then you were counting down the minutes until the party was over and he could take you home.
The End.
(for now)