Daughter of oblivion: Claimed by four alpha(s)-Chapter 183 - 181: Azrael speaking French
After the dance, Azrael gently guided her back to the table. He placed his hand gently on her waist, then pulled her chair out for her again, just as carefully as before, and Athena smiled up at before sitting down.
Only after she was settled did he return to his own seat across from her.
Just the sight of her glowing, smiling made his chest tighten for no reason he cared to explain.
A moment later, a waiter approached.
He was tall and composed, his blond hair neatly styled as he stood straight and professional. He offered them a polite smile and spoke smoothly in French.
"Bonsoir, monsieur, mademoiselle. Que désirez-vous commander ce soir ?"
(Good evening, sir, miss. What would you like to order tonight?)
Azrael smiled lightly and replied fluently in French.
"Pour moi, le poulet grillé, fromage, pommes de terre rôties, salade légère et un verre de vin."
(For me, grilled chicken, cheese, roasted potatoes, a light salad, and a glass of wine.)
Athena blinked, completely stunned. Her jaw dropped slightly as she stared at him. He wasn’t even looking back at her.
The waiter nodded politely, then glanced at Athena expectantly.
Azrael turned back to her and switched seamlessly to English.
"What would you like to eat?" he asked, smiling. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞
She stared at him for a second longer, then scoffed softly. "Wow."
He raised a brow. "What?"
She shook her head, amusement dancing in her eyes. "Nothing. I’m just... processing the fact that I came on a romantic dinner and discovered my mate is secretly multilingual."
His lips twitched.
Then she smiled sweetly and said, very deliberately, "Well... I thought I was going to be eating you tonight, but since you clearly have other plans..."
Azrael choked on absolutely nothing.
Athena continued innocently, counting on her fingers. "I’l be having the same thing as Man."
Azrael stared at his hands like they had personally betrayed him.
His ears turned red.
The waiter’s professional composure cracked just slightly, his cheeks heating up, a smile threatening at the corners of his mouth as he politely pretended he heard nothing unusual.
Azrael cleared his throat, glanced at Athena, who was now smiling far too proudly, then looked back at the waiter and said something quickly in French.
"Merci beaucoup, monsieur. Très bien."
(Thank you very much, sir. Very well.)
The waiter nodded, still smiling, and excused himself. "À tout de suite, monsieur, mademoiselle."
(See you soon, sir, miss.)
The moment he left, Athena leaned forward, resting her chin in her palm.
"So," she said lightly, eyes sparkling, "how many other surprises are you hiding?"
Azrael finally looked up at her, shaking his head with a helpless smile. "You enjoy tormenting me."
She grinned. "Only a little."
He reached across the table and brushed his thumb over her knuckles. "Be careful," he murmured. "You’re enjoying this far too much."
Athena squeezed his hand gently, warmth spreading through her chest.
"I’m just having dinner with my favorite person," she said simply.
Athena blinked at him, curiosity lighting up her face. "Wait... where did you even learn French from?" she asked, tilting her head.
Azrael’s smile grew fond, a soft warmth in his eyes. "From Rhydric," he said simply.
Athena’s eyes widened. "Rhydric?" she repeated, disbelief and amusement mixing in her tone.
He nodded, leaning back slightly in his chair, his gaze distant for a moment as he remembered. "Yeah... he’s really good at French. I mean, he literally sounds... so fucking sexy when he speaks it. And I... well, I fell in love with the language just listening to him. So I asked him to teach me, and he did."
Athena’s jaw dropped slightly, her eyes growing even wider. "He did... without hesitation?" she asked, barely believing it.
Azrael chuckled softly. "Well... Rhydric might be the coldest person you’ve ever met, but he’s soft underneath. Always acts like our big brother. Even when most of the time he wouldn’t interfere...when he fight among ourselves. It’s because he doesn’t want to take sides. But even then, he likes me more, even if he tries to hide it. The others know, but they just decided not to comment."
Athena’s lips parted slightly, the corners tugging into a small smile as she listened. She could see the sincerity in his eyes, in the way his fingers tapped lightly on the table as he spoke. There was something so vulnerable and genuine about him in that moment.
Then, almost shyly, she asked, "And... you? Out of all of them... who do you like the most?"
Azrael’s lips curved into a cheeky grin, his eyes sparkling mischievously. "You," he said instantly, and Athena’s face turned a brilliant shade of crimson.
"I—I wasn’t talking about me!" she stammered, her heart pounding in her chest as her hands fidgeted nervously in her lap. "I mean... among them... who do you like more?"
Azrael leaned back, eyes glinting with amusement, a small chuckle escaping him. "I like all of them," he said casually, as if it were nothing. "Even when Eryx and I clash all the time, I still like him the most. Fire and water, you know? We fight, we argue, but I like him the most." He leaned closer suddenly, lowering his voice playfully. "Theo... must never hear that."
Athena laughed, a little breathless, swallowing hard against the lump in her throat. Her chest tightened with warmth and admiration for him.
She really didn’t deserve this much... she had betrayed him too, the same way she did with Oliver. She really doesn’t deserve to be loved.
A tear blurred her vision, and she blinked it away, embarrassed.
Azrael froze mid-motion, his hand hovering near hers. "Hey... what’s wrong?" he asked softly, his brows furrowing with concern.
"I’m... I’m fine," Athena said quickly, wiping at her eyes, though her smile remained. "It’s just... you’re... I don’t know. I love that you... you feel that way about them. And you even shared it with me."
Azrael’s eyes softened, and he reached across the table again to take her hand in his, his thumb brushing over the back of her fingers gently.
