Daughter of oblivion: Claimed by four alpha(s)-Chapter 123 - 121: And..I like it

Azrael’s eyes sparkled with mischief. "You danced way too well for someone who claims ’She doesn’t give a fuck about anyone.’" He shot her a sideways glance. "You nearly made half the guys lose their minds..."

Athena’s face flushed instantly. She swallowed, her fingers twisting lightly in her skirt.

"Well..." she muttered, looking away, "I just... danced. It wasn’t that deep."

Azrael let out a soft, low laugh, the kind that vibrated through the car.

"Not that deep?" he repeated, leaning his elbow on the window as he shot her a teasing glance.

"Athena, you moved like you’d been born on that dance floor."

Her face heated instantly. "I...I wasn’t even trying," she stammered.

"Oh, I know." His smile widened impossibly charming, unfairly pretty. "That’s what made it dangerous."

"Dangerous?" she echoed, flustered.

Azrael nodded slowly, eyes drifting back to the road but still wearing that maddening smile.

"Mm-hmm. You’re the type who doesn’t even realize what you’re doing to people. You just breathe, and suddenly the room stops."

Athena’s breath hitched, her cheeks burning. "That’s... not true."

Azrael chuckled again soft, warm, devastating.

"You’re blushing," he teased gently. "So maybe it is a little true."

Athena’s cheek turned crimson, and she had never felt the urge to unbun her hair and use it to hide her burning face.

He probably saw it. Yes he did and even made a comment about it. "Cute," he murmured under his breath, smiling.

Her heart flipped violently. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Athena quickly glued her eyes to the window, hoping the cool glass would calm the heat in her cheeks.

Azrael’s smile didn’t fade. If anything, it grew softer... warmer. "You know," he said casually, fingers tapping lightly against the steering wheel, "I didn’t expect you to be this shy."

Athena scoffed quietly. "I’m not shy."

"Really?" He was amused, almost boyishly playful. "Then why can’t you look at me?"

She swallowed and forced herself to face him.

He was already looking at her.

Their eyes met for barely a second before she broke the contact, heat rising to her ears.

Azrael chuckled. "Thought so."

She huffed. "You’re annoying."

He lifted a brow. "And yet you’re still in my car."

Athena blinked at him, speechless for a moment.

"Because you insisted," she muttered finally.

"Yeah," he admitted with a grin, "but you didn’t fight that hard either."

Her lips parted, ready to argue, but no words came out.

Azrael noticed, and he smirked knowingly. "I like that about you," he said softly.

Athena froze. Her pulse throbbed painfully. "...Like what?" she whispered.

Azrael glanced at her again, really looked...his eyes warm and strangely gentle.

"That you’re fierce when you need to be..." His voice dropped a little. "But you have this... softness. The kind that sneaks up on people."

Athena’s breath tangled in her throat. "I don’t think I’m soft," she whispered.

"Trust me," he murmured, "you’re the perfect amount."

She looked away again, chest tightening.

Her palms were sweaty, her heartbeat embarrassingly loud.

Azrael watched her with a small, satisfied smile.

"Relax, Athena," he said quietly. "I’m not teasing you anymore."

"You are," she muttered weakly.

His smile deepened. "Okay... maybe a little."

A comfortable silence followed.

Then Azrael spoke again, softer this time. "You know... if something’s bothering you, you can talk to me."

Athena blinked, surprised. "Why would you say that?"

He shrugged lightly. "You don’t have to tell me. I can just... feel it."

Athena hesitated. "I’m fine," she said gently. "Really."

Azrael didn’t push. Instead, he nodded.

Azrael slowed to a stop in front of Athena’s house, the engine humming softly.

"Um... thanks for the ride," Athena said, reaching for the door handle.

"Wait," Azrael murmured.

Her hand froze.

She turned slowly, and he was already staring at her.

"I need to tell you something before you go."

Athena’s breath wavered. "What?"

Azrael leaned in, just a little. Not enough to touch, but enough for her pulse to stumble.

"You shouldn’t let random guys get close to you like that...I mean cafeteria." he said quietly.

"I know," she whispered.

"No," he shook his head, eyes fixed on hers, "you don’t."

Athena frowned. "Why do you care?"

Azrael’s lips parted on a soft exhale. "Because I don’t like sharing your attention."

Her heartbeat slammed painfully against her ribs. "And I really don’t like seeing hands on you that aren’t mine."

Athena’s breath caught.

"What...what does that mean?"

Azrael didn’t blink or hesitate. "It means..." he said, voice dropping to a warm, sinful whisper, "...that if someone tries that again, I won’t be as calm as I was today."

Her cheeks flushed. The air in the car felt too warm and heavy.

"Azrael..." she breathed, unsure.

He leaned back slightly, giving her space, but his eyes didn’t soften.

"Go inside," he murmured, voice still velvet and bold. "Before I say something you definitely aren’t ready for."

Athena fumbled the door open, heart racing out of control.

"And Athena..."

She paused, half out of the car.

Azrael gave her that slow, devastating smile. "Please..." he said, " Don’t turn a blind eye on me...I can’t handle that distance."

Her knees nearly buckled.

Athena closed the door quickly and walked toward her house... trying desperately to breathe normally.

Behind her, Azrael waited until she reached the door before driving off.

The door clicked shut behind her.

Athena didn’t even make it two steps.

Her back hit the wood and her legs gave out.

She slid down slowly, helplessly until she was sitting on the floor, knees bent, chest rising and falling like she’d run a marathon.

Her hand flew to her heart. "God... what is happening to me..." she whispered, breath trembling.

Her pulse was racing so violently she thought it might burst out of her ribs.

Her whole body felt flushed, hot, alive in a way she couldn’t explain.

This day... these boys... this chaos...

She pressed her palm harder against her chest.

"I’m going insane..."

First, Eryx.

Eryx with his quiet devotion and those stupidly soft eyes. Eryx who didn’t care if she had a man, who begged her...begged her to give him a chance anyway. Eryx whose feelings were so raw and real it made her stomach twist.

Then Rhydric.

Rhydric who pressed her against a wall like he owned it, like he owned her.

Rhydric who said insane things like You kissed me... you were in my bathroom last night.

Rhydric whose touch burned through her skin, whose stare stripped her more than his hands ever could.

"How the hell did I kiss him?" she muttered, dragging her fingers through her hair.

"I don’t even know where he lives!"

Her heart slammed harder.

She squeezed her eyes shut.

And then... Azrael with that sinful voice.

Azrael with that pretty smile that made her knees feel like paper. Azrael who told her he didn’t like sharing her attention.

Azrael who made her heart sprint laps inside her chest just by looking at her.

"Azrael..." she whispered, cheeks heating. "What the fuck..."

And Theodore the unexpected balance in the madness. Smooth, cocky, annoyingly charming Theodore who knew exactly when to joke, when to comfort, when to throw gasoline on the fire just to watch her react.

He wasn’t supposed to get to her. But somehow... he did.

They all did.

Eryx with his gentle determination. Rhydric with his dangerous intensityAzrael with his seductive chaos. Theodore with his perfect, unpredictable confidence.

They were all circling her.

All pulling at different parts of her. All dangerously possessive in their own ways.

And the worst, the craziest, the most confusing part?

A slow, shameful smile curved on her lips as her head fell back against the door.

"...and I like it," she whispered to herself.

Her heart thundered again, and she pressed harder on her chest as if she could calm it.

But she couldn’t.

Not when every part of her felt alive.

Not when four boys were unraveling her sanity.

Not when she, didn’t want them to stop.