14• Crimson SHADOW 4

Azrael turned to leave, giving her the space she needed. 

But before he walked out the door, he glanced back at her and said, "Crimson, I meant what I said- you’re not a prisoner here. You never were. You are my queen. Queen of my Crimson world"

And with that, he left, closing the door gently behind him. 

Zafira stood there blankly and tears fell down on her cheeks. 

"I wanted to believe you but on the other hand, I am scared to believe you. I am scared to leave behind again. I was in love once. I got married to the love of my life but in the end, he betrayed me. He left me heartbroken. He chose another woman and had a baby with her. He never thought about me and my feelings. I am infertile and my infertility made him cheat on me. I have him, my youth, my time and my everything but still.... He left me", Zafira said as she sobbed softly.  

"Your shadow is pulling me- in your world. I'm trying not to drown in it and fighting hard but you... And your small actions, patience and desperation make it hard for me to fight back to you", Zafira said as her eyes turned red and voice cracked. 

Her thoughts were drifting back to a time she wished she could forget. The memories of her past, of a life that seemed like a distant dream that resurfaced with painful clarity. 

She had once been married, married to her high school sweetheart and the man she had thought she would grow old with. They had spent three years together before marrying, and she had believed it would last forever. Ten years of marriage, ten years of loving the same man who had broken her heart.

But it hadn’t been enough.

Zafira’s hand rested on her stomach as the familiar ache of emptiness pulsed through her. She was infertile. It was a truth that had haunted her marriage and a reality that slowly eroded the love they once shared. 

Her husband had tried to be supportive at first, but the weight of it- the failed attempts, the countless doctor visits, the endless waiting for something that would never happen, had begun to crush them both.

The man she had loved, the one she had built her life with, had eventually turned his back on her. He had wanted children, a family, something Zafira could never give him. In the end, he had found it with someone else. He had betrayed her, not just with another woman, but with a child, a child that should have been theirs. 

The pain of that betrayal, of being replaced, was still torn at her heart.

She remembered the day she found out. The whispers, the rumors, the evidence that she couldn’t ignore. Her husband, the man she had loved for over a decade, had fathered a child with another woman while she had been left barren, broken, and alone. 

The man she had loved, the one she had built her life with, had eventually turned his back on her. He had wanted children, a family, something Zafira could never give him. In the end, he had found it with someone else. He had betrayed her, not just with another woman, but with a child, a child that should have been theirs. 

The pain of that betrayal, of being replaced, was still torn at her heart.

She remembered the day she found out. The whispers, the rumors, the evidence that she couldn’t ignore. Her husband, the man she had loved for over a decade, had fathered a child with another woman while she had been left barren, broken, and alone. 

He had moved on, started a new life, while she had been left to pick up the pieces of her shattered heart.

Zafira’s eyes filled with tears but she blinked them away and refused to let them fall. She had loved her husband, and he had thrown her away like she meant nothing. Ten years of marriage had been reduced to nothing but a lie. She had endured the pain, the loneliness, the humiliation of knowing that she was not enough. That she could never be enough.

And now, here she was trapped in Azrael’s world. A world so different from the one she had known. 

Azrael’s possessiveness terrified her, but it also stirred something deep inside her, something she hadn’t felt in years. 

He made her feel wanted in a way her husband never had. 

Azrael didn’t care about her past or her inability to bear children. He wanted her, all of her, and that need consumed him. 

But still there was a missing piece that was making her uncomfortable.

Because the weight of her past still lingered. She had spent years feeling unloved, unwanted by the man she had devoted her life to. And now, in this suffocating new reality, she didn’t know what to believe. 

'Was Azrael’s intense possessiveness truly love, or was it just another form of control? Could she ever trust anyone again after what her husband had done?'

Zafira sighed while running a hand through her hair as she stared at the ceiling. She had been with her husband since they were teenagers, had spent so much of her life loving him, only for it to end in heartbreak and betrayal. And now, in the shadow of Azrael’s all-consuming desire, she couldn’t help but wonder if she would ever feel truly loved.

Her husband had never looked at her the way Azrael did, with that raw, unyielding intensity. He had never made her feel like she was the center of his world. But maybe that was because, in her marriage, she had never really been. She had been a convenience, someone to share a life with, but never the one who held his heart.

But now, with Azrael, it was different. He wanted her in a way that was overwhelming, almost suffocating, but it was real. And for the first time in a long time, Zafira wasn’t sure if that scared her- or comforted her.

***

At the dinner table, Azrael waited with his brothers and fathers. The family dining room, which was usually filled with business talk and brotherly banter, was unusually quiet tonight as they all waited to see if Zafira would actually come.

Vesper and Valerian exchanged glances and noticed the tension in their son. 

Draven leaned back in his chair and tried to lighten the mood, "Relax, Brother! She will come."

Azrael did not respond as his eyes were fixed on the grand staircase. 

Suddenly, a faint sound echoed from the hallway.

Azrael’s heart skipped a beat as Zafira appeared at the top of the stairs. She looked composed but there was an uneasiness in her posture. Her eyes scanned the room briefly and took in the sight of his family, who were all watching her with a mixture of curiosity and warmth.

Azrael stood immediately and was unable to hide the relief in his expression. His brothers followed suit and showed respect to her while Vesper and Valerian smiled kindly looking at her.

"Zafira! Thank you for coming", Vesper greeted her.  

She nodded slightly and avoided direct eye contact with Azrael.

Draven chuckled as he was trying to break the tension. He whispered to Azrael, "Brother! See, You’ve already won the first challenge."

Throne grinned and said to Zafira, "And we’re glad you joined us."

Cassius, Magnus, and Seraphim nodded in agreement and their expressions were friendly and welcoming.

Zafira hesitated for a moment before stepping down the stairs. 

Azrael watched her closely and was ready to guide her if needed but he held himself back. He had promised to give her space and he intended to keep that promise.

When she reached the table, Valerian pulled out a chair for her and said warmly, "Please, sit". 

She took the seat as she was still feeling the weight of everyone’s gaze on her but they didn’t feel as intimidating as before. The family’s energy wasn’t hostile; it was… inviting.

Azrael sat beside her, but he made sure to maintain a respectful distance. The last thing he wanted was to make her feel uncomfortable.

As the dinner began, Vesper spoke up first. "Zafira, we want you to feel welcome here. Our family may be… unconventional, but we care deeply for those who become part of it."

Valerian added, "And while I know things may have been tense at first, I hope you will come to see that you have a place with us."

Zafira glanced at them as her defenses were still up but their words were sincere. 

She shifted slightly in her seat and felt mixed emotions- confusion, doubt, but also a small sliver of hope that maybe, just maybe, things could change. 

Because in this one month of time, she started falling for Azrael and his small unpredictable gesture of taking care of her and the way he tried to embrace. 

"This is the first time I am witnessing something like this where the abductor and captor is taking care of the abductee", Zafira said as she laughed herself. 

The table fell quiet for a moment as everyone processed her words. 

"You are like Sabrina", Vesper said and everyone looked at him. 

"Who is Sabrina?", Zafira asked Vesper who glanced at Valerian and said while having a small smile, "Sabrina is... My wife.... Our wife"... 

Zafira looked at the elder twins confusedly, "What do you mean? I didn't get it". 

"Sabrina is our wife and the mother of our children", Valerian said and Zafira was still processing his words. 

Azrael looked at her perplexed expression and responded, "Papi! Papa! Both married to our mother. I'm the first born of Papa Vesper Sartori and Mama Sabrina Winter". 

Zafira's heart pounded and feet turned icy as she was unable to understand the words. 

Azrael began to say again, "Draven and Thorne are twins born by Papi Valerian and Mama. The next in the line are the triplets- Cassius, Magnus and Seraphim born by Papa Vesper and Mama". 

Zafira's eyes popped out when the realization made her head spin - 'Both Vesper Sartori and Valerian Sartori - the twin brothers shared the same woman named Sabrina and had six children and are all living together?'. 

....

Thank you 

ShineeSunshine ❤️