The Alchemists

Nicolae could only gulp down the wine and didn't answer. He didn't want to pretend to have forgotten about Aleksis in front of his brother.

"I still need time." In the end, that was all he said.

Nicolae didn't like being alone. That's why he had recently enjoyed living with his father and now with the twins. If he was alone, he would often think of the four years he was together with Aleksis, and that's not good.

He remembered that he waited for Aleksis to accept his proposal for more than three years. Nicolae sometimes imagined how it would have been if he had been a little more aggressive and asked Aleksis to accept his love back then. They could have been married now, and the child who would be born soon would be his child.

If Alaric returned when Nicolae had already married Aleksis, then inevitably, Alaric and Aleksis's marriage would be annulled because of his 'death'.

He remembered all the things they went through together. Their adventures with the twins to the Caribbean, to Africa, to Asia, to Iceland to see the aurora, and when he proposed to Aleksis...

To be able to forget all that, Nicolae needed time.

He used to tell Aleksis that she could continue to live with Nicolae without having to forget her memories with Alaric. Alaric was Aleksis's first love, and Nicolae hoped to be her last one.

But now, he couldn't apply the same advice for himself. How could he move forward in his life without forgetting his memories with Aleksis? Aleksis was still alive and had married his own brother. They would always meet on the family events. He must forget everything they had in the past, and it would take time, effort, and great patience.

Alaric himself felt sad when he heard Nicolae's words. He knew Nicolae still needed time, but how long? Their father had been in mourning for the death of their mother for over a hundred years, and his heart was still not recovering. Will Nicolae also take this long to move on?

Alaric could only hope that Nicolae would find a good woman someday, the one who could take Aleksis' place in his heart.

"I understand," he said finally. "I just want you to know that I'm grateful, and I will never forget your kindness to my family."

Nicolae nodded. He looked at Alaric with a complicated look. "...Aleksis and I haven't done anything. I loved her, but I wasn't in a hurry, so I haven't done anything to her..."

Alaric smiled and patted his shoulder. "I know."

There was no secret between him and Aleksis. Since they reunited, Alaric and Aleksis had agreed to be open to each other in all matters. They had experienced the consequences of covering up their identities almost eleven years ago, and as a result, various problems had arisen, which led to their ten years of separation. At that moment, he didn't know Aleksis was an alchemist, and neither did Aleksis know of his identity.

Alaric had known that Aleksis and Nicolae were in a relationship for four years before he returned. He knew how Nicolae really looked after and protected Aleksis and his two children just like he would for his own family. Alaric also learned about his brother's proposal under the aurora and various plans that Nicolae and Aleksis wanted to do before his return.

He was very sympathetic toward his brother and didn't want to add to Nicolae's suffering.

They continued to drink and chat for a while before Alaric finally excused himself and went back home. At the mansion, he was greeted by his wife, who was apparently still awake and had been waiting for his arrival.

"Hey, why haven't you slept yet?" Alaric asked when he saw Aleksis greet him at the door. "It's already midnight."

"I can't sleep," Aleksis confessed. "What about the children?"

"All good. They seem happy to be living with Daddy Nic again," Alaric answered with a smile.

If there was no awkwardness between Nicolae and Aleksis, it would have been very easy to ask Nicolae to live near them so that the children could divide their time between their two families. Unfortunately, that was currently impossible.

"Hmm… I'm glad they're happy." Aleksis pointed to her stomach. "Soon, we'll be busy with this child, so you won't be too sad if Altair and Vega are with Nico."

Alaric nodded. He kissed Aleksis's stomach lovingly then hugged his wife. "I can't wait!"

He then took Aleksis to their room to sleep. After chatting for a while, the two laid down and prepared themselves to sleep.

"Uhm... I can't sleep," Aleksis complained after a few minutes trying to close her eyes. She then turned to face her husband, who was almost asleep. Alaric opened an eye and frowned.

"Should I give you a massage? Are you feeling unwell?"

"Uhmm..." Aleksis suddenly smiled mischievously. "The doctor said having s.e.x at the end of pregnancy will help speed up the birth of the child. Didn't you say that you can't wait for me to give birth?"

Alaric coughed at Aleksis's blunt words. He did feel his wife's libido during the last few months of her pregnancy had increased quite a lot.

Of course, as a man, he was very happy to satisfy his wife. But as a father, facing Aleksis's pregnancy and the birth of his child for the first time, he was worried that something unexpected would happen to the developing fetus in her w.o.m.b if they had i.n.t.e.r.c.o.u.r.s.e when Aleksis almost gave birth.

"Uhm... we've done it almost every day," Alaric was still coughing, trying to suppress his laughter at Aleksis's suggestion. "The doctor said you'll give birth in the next few days... Is this okay?"

"Do you want me to give birth faster or not?" Aleksis questioned, insisting. Her lips were pouting because her request was not fulfilled. Alaric, fl.u.s.tered seeing his wife's behavior, immediately kissed her lips and pressed with enthusiasm.

"I do... of course I want that..." he whispered into Aleksis's ear before gently biting her ear softly. His kiss slowly fell to Aleksis's neck and down her back. Slowly, he lowered Aleksis's nightgown to reveal a smooth, s.e.xy upper body. Because of her pregnancy, his wife's b.r.e.a.s.ts had become bigger, making her look even more beautiful.

Carefully, he alternately kissed and s.u.c.k.e.d her pair of b.r.e.a.s.ts while his hand c.a.r.e.s.sed Aleksis's whole body. He then took off his wife's nightgown and his own clothes. His lips went down to his wife's stomach and under her stomach, before finally playing in Aleksis's womanhood, making her m.o.a.n with joy.

After Alaric was satisfied playing, he entered Aleksis from the side to avoid hurting her already enlarged stomach.

"Ahh... ahh... I love you..." Aleksis m.o.a.n.e.d endlessly. Alaric only smiled faintly and kissed her while continuing to pump slowly so the two of them reach their peaks with a slow rhythm. They weren't in a hurry and enjoyed the process wholeheartedly.

"I love you too, and our child," Alaric whispered after they both had an o.r.g.a.s.m and stopped this routine activity that never bored them. He helped Aleksis clean up and they went back to sleep. This time, Aleksis could close her eyes, and her face was adorned with a smile. Alaric only shook his head seeing his wife's behavior.

A few more days after their child was born, and they would no longer be able to make love for almost two months until the postpartum period was over. So, he could understand why Aleksis seemed to want to compensate before that time arrived.

He also knew that having a baby in their home meant that their dynamics would change. He heard that the baby would sleep as he or she pleased and wake up as he or she pleased. They might lose a lot of valuable hours of sleep. But he didn't mind at all.

In fact, he couldn't wait for the arrival of those times. He still felt very sad because he lost ten years with Altair and Vega. He didn't want to miss the next one at all.

His soon-to-be-born child will enjoy a hundred percent of affection and attention from their father, Alaric Rhionen.