005

AZREN

Three months of hell. The hell that began the moment I woke up from the first sleep I've had in years because of her. But she was gone. I told myself not to search for her. She was better off without a creature like me. But with each passing day, the voices of the spirits screaming in my head drove me towards insanity.

Then I learned that my mate was to get married to Haden, the jackass alpha who has fought me over everything.

I only promised myself that I would take a peek and make sure she is well. I just didn't expect...this.

Gods, she is a sight for sore eyes, fuller than the last time I saw her. But the pain in her amber eyes...it takes my fucking breath away. Even the blissful silence is back.

Noelle grabs fistfuls of my shirt.

"Take me with you," she begs, her voice cracking. "Please. They're coming—I can hear them—"

I tilt my head and listen for the thunderous footsteps approaching. Haden's men. They are closing in from all directions. Running is useless.

If we fight, blood will paint the lawn, and she'll see exactly what kind of creature I really am.

I don't want her to see that yet.

So I cup her face with both hands and press my palms over her ears.

"Close your eyes, Angel," I whisper. "Trust me. Just for a few seconds."

A tear slips down her cheek. Then she nods once and shuts her eyes.

I gather the demon energy coiled at the base of my spine.

The air thickens, the temperature dropping.

I pull her flush against my chest, one arm wrapping around her waist.

Her heartbeat thunders against mine, frantic.

"Hold on to me," I whisper into her hair. And then I transport us through rifts.

A skill my dad made me master.

I feel her fingers dig into my back as she gasps against my chest.

Then the penthouse floor slams up to meet us. We land hard on the living room rug. She stumbles, her knees buckling.

I catch her before she falls, lowering us both to the carpet so she is cradled in my lap, still trembling.

Slowly, she looks up at me. She stares, reaching for my face with trembling hands. Her fingers brush along my jaw and my cheekbones, sliding into my hair. She doesn't look like she's breathing. And that terrifies me.

Suddenly, she bursts into tears, startling me. Fuck, I don't know what to do.

I'm frozen to the spot, panicking. Did I scare her? Is that why she's crying?

I swallow hard, a painful lump lodging itself in my throat.

She pounds her fists harder against my chest, her shoulders shaking.

"Asshole! You're an asshole!" She cries, hiccuping. "Do you know how many times I prayed for you to show up?! How could you leave me there?! How could you let me rot?!"

My chest hurts now. I don't understand the depth of her pain yet. But it strangles me. I deserve every ounce of her frustration, don't I?

Clenching my jaw, I pull her close and stroke her hair. I keep her there, pressing a kiss to her head as she sobs endlessly, soaking my shirt.

"I'm sorry," I say hoarsely, my heart thumping hard.

When she finally stops crying, her eyes go wide and she glances around.

"W-what? How is this—"

She scrambles away from me, rising to her feet. "This is your penthouse! We were just...Oh my God."

I grip strands of my hair, my chest caving in at the sight of the distrust written all over her face.

"Noelle, breathe," I say hoarsely.

She vigorously shakes her head and stumbles backwards, nearly tripping over her veil.

"What are you?" She demands, her face as pale as sheets.

Dammit.

How do I explain that I am the creature that all monsters fear? How do I explain the identity my father gave to me without making her pass out from shock?

"I'll tell you the truth. I promise. But can you please sit down?" I whisper.

I know she's going to faint either way. I might as well lessen the impact.

She blinks at me, her brows furrowing slightly. Then, ever so slowly, she lowers herself to the floor.

I'm surprised she actually listened.

"Talk," she says, her voice rough.

I turn away from her, trying to think. How do I make her more comfortable? Am I too dumb for this?

I've never even had a girlfriend. Therefore, this is uncharted territory even for me.

"Can I get you something to drink? You seem dehydrated," I say and immediately regret it.

'Really, Azren? Dehydrated?' Aether, my wolf, muses, and I groan, rubbing the back of my neck.

My eyelids feel heavy. It's because I've been running on fumes for the past few months. And now that she's here, my body is slipping into shutdown mode. Probably explains the brain fog too.

"Just water," she croaks, and my heart leaps.

Minutes later, we're both sitting on the floor. But it feels like we're miles away. She sits by the door as if she's waiting for the perfect moment to bolt.

The glass of water in her hand is now half way empty and now that I can really see her, I can't help but notice the shadows under her eyes.

"You look worse than I do," she suddenly says and I smile, lowering my gaze.

Well, listening to loud screeches every hour of the day does that to you, I want to tell her.

So, I take a deep breath.

"I'm a...werewolf..." I start with the safest one and her eyes bulge. "I'm also a vampire and a demon."

Her eyes go even wider. She stares at me for a moment, her jaw dropping. I exhale slowly, thinking she's taking things better than I thought.

Then just like that, her eyes roll into the back of her head and her body goes limp. I'm by her side before her body can hit the ground, breathlessly letting out a chuckle as I lower the glass of water on the floor.

'She's beautiful,' Aether points out, and I bite my lower lip, gently brushing Noelle's black hair away from her face. It's longer than the last time I saw it.

The longer I stare at her, the more grievous I become because I know she won't survive me. I'm far too dangerous and unstable.

She could die in my hands.

But I want her. I fucking need her like the oxygen in my lungs.

'Really? Do you wish to doom her to the same fate as me?' A familiar voice says and I lower my head, my hair falling over my face.

I don't have to see him to know he's there. Trent. My best friend, who has been dead for ten years. The one I killed when I was eighteen.

Noelle gasps awake, her face close to mine. Her chest heaves as her gaze roams over my face. I prepare myself to tell her the truth. We can't be together no matter what—

"Is Haden like you?" She asks, and I frown.

"He's a werewolf—"

"That means you're more powerful, right?" She asks, and my frown deepens.

Wait, she accepted it already? She shoves her face even closer to mine.

"I'm your woman, right? You said it that day at the bar," she says and I gape at her.

She moves even closer, so much so that I can count the freckles on her nose and cheeks. I lose my balance, falling backwards, and she ends up right on my body, her plump breasts pressed against my chest.

Alarms go off in my head.

"Noelle—"

"Marry me!" She blurts out, and my body goes rigid.

"W-what?"

"I can cook. I can clean. Anything you want. Just...marry me." Her cheeks turn pink, but her eyes sparkle with determination. "Today!"