Daughter of oblivion: Claimed by four alpha(s)-Chapter 156 - 154: It doesn’t hurt anymore

Eryx clutched his hair, his lips busted, tears burning behind his eyes as he forced them back.

"He touched what’s mine."

Azrael, breathing heavily, wiped blood from his mouth and scoffed. "What’s yours?" he snapped. "She’s mine. My mate."

The words hit like a bomb.

Eryx froze. His head snapped toward Athena.

Then he saw it, the rune glowing faintly against her skin.

His world collapsed.

Was the Moon Goddess fucking with him?

A tear slipped free before he could stop it. He stared at Athena, his chest aching so badly it felt like it might split open.

Athena couldn’t even look at him.

He turned and stormed out of the den.

"Eryx, wait..." Athena cried, reaching for him.

Theodore spoke quietly but firmly. "Let him be."

She looked up at Theodore through her tears, then watched him turn and walk away too.

Her legs finally gave out. Azrael caught her instantly, pulling her into his arms.

"Shh," he murmured, holding her close. "It’s okay, Viper."

She cried harder, her body shaking violently.

"I hurt them," she sobbed. "I... I fucking hurt them, Azrael."

He shook his head slowly. "You didn’t hurt anybody." Then softer, he added. "The only person you’re hurting is me."

She lifted her head quickly, grabbing his face.

"I would never hurt you."

He held her gaze steadily. "Then don’t cry for them."

Her eyes dropped. The tears dropping freely, but she nodded anyways. "Anything for you."

Azrael smiled faintly and kissed her softly, brushing his thumb under her eye.

"Should we continue from where we left off?" he teased gently.

Her stomach flipped as he cheek heated up. "Maybe some other day."

He chuckled and tapped her nose. "Cute. Let’s go home then."

He lifted her effortlessly into his arms, carrying her bridal-style.

"Home?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

"Our home," he said easily. "You’re my mate. Mates don’t leave separately."

She laughed, throwing her head back. "Who the fuck made that rule?"

He smirked. "Wolf tradition. Mate bond’s basically marriage."

Her lips curved into a wide smile. "So I call you husband now?"

"Call me anything," he said softly. "Everything sounds good coming from you."

She pouted. "Still... I should call you husband."

He chuckled. "Fine. Husband."

"Husband."

His heart flipped violently. "Say that again."

"Husband." she bit her bottom lip.

He smiled and spun her slightly in his arms. "God," he breathed, pressing his forehead to hers, "You’re going to be the death of me."

She laughed at the sudden spin. "Drop me down."

After a while, Azrael dropped her gently to her feet, his hands lingering at her waist for a brief second before he stepped back.

"I should put some clothes on," he muttered, voice rough, like he was only now remembering where they were and what had just happened.

Athena noticed the faint wounds then, the split at the corner of his lip, the bruising darkening his jaw, the shallow marks along his collarbone that his healing hadn’t erased yet.

She knew he would heal. She knew that. But the sight still twisted something painfully tight in her chest.

Athena stepped closer. Her hand pressed flat against his chest first, right over his heart, feeling how fast it was still pounding. Then, slowly, almost reverently, she moved her hand upward, her fingers tracing his skin until they reached his jaw.

Her thumb brushed the tender spot gently.

"Does it hurt?" she asked softly.

Azrael smiled, the kind of smile that was only meant for her, and shook his head.

"No. It doesn’t."

He covered her hand with his, holding it there.

"Especially now that you’re touching it."

Athena rolled her eyes at him, a weak little scoff escaping her lips, but her lashes fluttered as tears gathered again. She hated that she was so close to crying... again. Was this the mate bond effect? If this was truly it, then she was doomed.

"You shouldn’t fight like that because of me," she said quietly. "Especially not when the people you’re fighting are your friends."

Azrael’s expression shifted instantly. His hand slid from her wrist to her waist, pulling her flush against him until there was no space left between their bodies. He dipped his head slightly, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"Look at me, Athena." She did. "You’re my mate," he said in a low, dangerous tone. "And I’ll kill before I let anyone come that close to hurting you. Even if they’re my friends."

Her breath hitched. Athena looked away for a second, her brows knitting together, conflict flickering across her face. Then she looked back at him, her frown deepened just a little.

"I don’t want you to lose yourself because of me," she said softly. "I don’t want blood on your hands because someone look my way. I don’t want to be the reason you break everything you’ve built."

Azrael’s grip loosened just a little, not letting her go, but giving her space to breathe. His thumb brushed her waist, slowly.

"You don’t understand," he said, his voice lower, stripped of its earlier edge. "I didn’t choose this. I didn’t wake up one day and decide to feel this much. The mate bond chose you. And once it did..." He swallowed. "...there’s no off switch."

Athena’s chest tightened. She stepped closer on her own this time and rested her forehead lightly against his chest. She could feel his heart.

"I’m not asking you to stop protecting me," she murmured. "I’m asking you not to destroy yourself doing it."

Azrael closed his eyes. For a moment, he just stood there, breathing her in, grounding himself in the fact that she was finally his. After months of fantasising about them.

"...You know, you do scare me at times." he admitted quietly.

Athena pulled back just enough to look up at him. "Me?"

"Yes." A faint smile tugged at his bruised lips.

"Because you didn’t have to try, and I was already head over heels... And that’s terrifying when you’ve lived your whole life knowing how dangerous you can be."

Her hand slid back to his chest, "I don’t know anything." she said. "But I need you with me, not fighting everyone around me."

Azrael searched her face, reading every emotion she wasn’t saying out loud. Their relationship just began, and he was going to make each and every second of it worth it.

He nodded. "I’ll try," he said. "For you."

Athena exhaled shakily, relief mixing with the ache still sitting in her chest.

"Good," she whispered. "Because I don’t want a monster. I want my mate."

Something in Azrael’s expression softened completely. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Let me dress up," he said quietly, brushing a knuckle under her chin. "And then we go home."

Athena nodded. "...Okay."