Daughter of oblivion: Claimed by four alpha(s)-Chapter 182 - 180: What stopped you

"You’re awfully calm for someone who just nearly got caught making out in an elevator," she teased.

Azrael smirked, reaching for the champagne and pouring slowly into the glasses. "I wasn’t the one clinging to me like a startled kitten."

Her cheeks instantly warmed. "I was not clinging."

"You were," he said smoothly, sliding a glass toward her. "You practically tried to merge with my chest."

Athena scoffed, taking the glass. "That woman was judging us with her soul. What was I supposed to do?"

His expression softened as he leaned forward slightly. "Hide your face," he said gently, "not your heart."

That caught her off guard. She blinked, then smiled, lifting the glass just a little. "You say things like that so casually," she murmured. "Do you even realize what you do to me?"

Azrael raised his own glass, eyes steady on hers. "Every second."

They clinked glasses softly and took a sip.

For a while, they just sat there, talking about small things. The view. The food. How ridiculous the balloons looked floating so seriously. Athena laughed more than she had in days, her shoulders finally relaxed, the tension she’d been carrying melting away little by little.

At some point, Azrael reached across the table and took her hand again, thumb brushing slow circles over her knuckles.

Athena looked down at their joined hands, then back up at him. "Thank you," she said quietly. "For this. For... making me feel like I matter."

His grip tightened just a fraction. "You don’t just matter, Athena," he said, voice low and sincere. "You’re everything."

Her heart skipped, hard.

She smiled, eyes shining, and squeezed his hand back. And in that moment, surrounded by roses and soft light, nothing else in the world felt real except the two of them.

Azrael set his glass down and rose to his feet smoothly. Athena watched him, curious, until he stepped around the table and stopped right in front of her.

He extended his hand toward her, palm up, eyes warm and intense. "Dance with me," he said.

Athena blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Dance?" Her eyes flicked around the room. "Here?"

He nodded once, a slow smile tugging at his lips. "You can’t say no," he added lightly. "Especially when I know you’re a good stepper."

She let out a soft laugh, rolling her eyes even as her smile betrayed her. "You say that like you’ve been secretly spying on me."

Azrael raised a brow, his tone dropping into something mock-serious, almost regal. "My lady," he said, dipping his head just slightly, "would you grant me the honor of this dance and bless this humble floor with your presence?"

Athena gasped dramatically, placing a hand on her chest. "Such audacity," she replied, playing along, her voice exaggerated and grand. "But alas, I suppose I shall accept... for I am feeling generous tonight."

That did it. Azrael doubled over as a genuine laugh escaped his lips, shaking his head as he gently took her hand. "You’re...you’re...I don’t know...impossible," he murmured.

"Yeah I know, and I make your heart race." she said sweetly, standing up.

He led her away from the table toward the open space nearby. When they reached the center, he placed one hand at her waist, while the other held her hand just right, like he’d done this with her a thousand times already.

Athena rested her free hand on his shoulder, looking up at him. "You do know," she said quietly, "there’s no music."

Azrael leaned in slightly, his forehead almost touching hers. "There is," he replied. "You just have to feel it."

And as they began to sway, slowly. Athena realized he was right. Because with his hand steady at her waist, his gaze never leaving hers, and the world reduced to nothing but the space between them... she didn’t need music at all.

They continued to sway gently, bodies moving in an unspoken rhythm only the two of them seemed to hear.

Azrael guided her easily, like he wasn’t thinking about the steps at all, just about her.

Athena smiled up at him. "You’re surprisingly good at this."

He scoffed softly. "Surprisingly?"

"Yes," she said innocently. "You look like the type who’d scare people off the dance floor."

He laughed under his breath. "I do not scare people off."

"You do," she insisted, nodding. "With that serious, very intimidating face that says ’don’t step on my toes or I’ll banish you.’"

Azrael tilted his head, pretending to consider it. "Interesting. I wondered why you haven’t run away then."

She grinned. "That’s only because I’m brave."

His thumb brushed lightly against her waist as they turned. "Or reckless."

"Hey," she said, feigning offense. "I prefer ’charmingly fearless.’"

That earned him another chuckle. He leaned a little closer, lowering his voice. "You know... if anyone else saw you right now, they’d never believe how much you talk."

Athena gasped. "Excuse me? You’re the one who started it."

"I did not."

"You literally invited me to dance and then stared at me like you were about to say something poetic."

He smiled sheepishly. "Maybe I was."

"Well?" she prompted, eyes bright. "What stopped you?"

"You started teasing me," he said simply.

She laughed, the sound soft and warm between them. "So it’s my fault you lost your poetry?"

"Completely," he said without hesitation. "But I don’t mind."

He spun her slowly, her dress brushing against his legs, the dim light catching in her hair.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Azrael broke the silence. " You never fail to amuse me huh?"

Athena’s brows pulled together. "Me?"

He looked down at her. "Yes you. I could kill to see you laugh like this everytime."

Athena’s lips twitched as butterflies danced in her belly.

She looked away shyly, cheeks warming. "You’re saying dangerous things again."

"Only the truth," he replied.

She laughed, resting her head briefly against his chest. "You’re going to spoil me."

"And like I said," he said easily. "that’s the plan."