Chapter 156 My Angel | 049
NOELLE
We're halfway down the street when Azren suddenly slows down. His hand tightens around mine so hard it almost hurts. For a second I think he's just distracted. Then his fingers slip from mine. He staggers and drops to one knee, my heart sinking.
"Azren!"
He grips his head with both hands like he's trying to crush his skull between them. I drop beside him instantly, my hands flying to his shoulders.
"Azren, what's wrong?"
His skin is too hot. Sweat beads along his hairline, and his breathing is ragged. He's been like this the whole time. The realization hits me like a slap to the face.
He's been sick. And he still spent the afternoon making sure I had the perfect date.
"You idiot," I whisper tearfully, pulling him into my arms.
He leans into me immediately, his forehead pressing against my shoulder like he's too exhausted to hold himself up anymore.
"Why didn't you tell me?" I whisper, my voice unsteady.
He lets out a shaky breath. "We... have to go."
My stomach drops.
"What?"
"They're here," he replies, the words barely audible.
Cold dread spreads through me.
"Who?"
Azren slowly lifts his head, his eyes glazed. The cool breeze pushes his hair over his brow and into his eyes, making him look heartbreakingly vulnerable.
"The New Order."
Fear crawls down my spine. He's in no shape to defend himself right now. How do they know that? How long have they been monitoring us? There's no time to dwell on this thought because my husband is already pushing himself to his feet. I wrap an arm around his waist to help him stand, his weight pressing into me more than usual.
"Come on," he utters hoarsely.
We start towards the parking lot. The campus suddenly feels... wrong. It's too loud and crowded. There are students everywhere, music blasting from speakers.
I frown.
"What's going on?"
"Festival," Azren mutters.
At first glance it looks like a celebration. But then, Azren's grip tightens on my wrist.
"Don't be fooled," he whispers.
My stomach knots.
"The New Order loves hiding in plain sight."
My eyes scan the crowd nervously. There are people in black and red everywhere. There's no way to differentiate between foes and ordinary people. It's overwhelming. Nonetheless, we manage to weasel our way through the crowd until we finally reach the parking lot.
The moment we step between the parked cars, black and red figures start emerging from every direction. Ten of them. They form a circle around us, and my breath catches in my throat.
Each of them has a weapon. A device that is shaped like a flashlight. But they look stranger and bulkier.
"What is that?" I whisper.
Azren's breathing becomes ragged.
"Sonics," he rasps.
I have no idea what it is but it sounds bad.
"Alpha Azren," one of them says mockingly.
Azren sways.
"Not today," he mutters under his breath.
Someone else raises their device. They click it on, and nothing happens at first. But then, Azren collapses back to his knees. He lets out a cry, blood pouring from his ears. I reach for him, so terrified it feels like I'm going to puke.
He's clutching his head again, gasping, his hands groping uselessly in the air. He can't see.
"Oh god—"
Rage and terror crash together inside my chest.
The figures move closer, and a fierce protectiveness snap inside me.
"DON'T MOVE," I growl.
Everyone freezes.
I'm kneeling in front of Azren now, one arm wrapped around him protectively as I glare at them.
"Stay back."
My voice sounds... distorted.
One of them laughs.
"Oh look," a young man sneers. "She thinks she's scary."
A device is pointed at me, but before it’s activated, Azren moves in a blur.
He lunges forward with a snarl, grabs the woman's head and twists. Her body drops like a puppet with cut strings. Two more bodies drop. Then one more. The others recoil in horror.
"Holy shit—"
"DO IT!" someone shouts.
Every device points towards him at once. Clicking sounds fill the air, and Azren drops, his whole body seizing violently as though he's being electrocuted. He collapses to the asphalt, shaking uncontrollably.
"Azren!" I cry out, tears filling my eyes.
He's already in so much pain, he can barely breathe. So why? Why are they hurting my husband like this? What did he do to deserve this?
He's shaking so hard, unable to control his movements. And they're laughing. They're all mocking him.
"This is much easier than we thought. Why don't you come with us to avoid embarrassing yourselves further?" one of them speaks.
My blood roars in my ears, my body heating up. They are only saying this because he's sick. If he wasn't, he would have torn them to pieces. Every last one of them.
The fear and grief burning in my chest hardens into something darker.
My vision turns red.
Azren is choking and gasping. But they’re laughing. All of them.
Heat explodes through my veins like wildfire. My thoughts shatter, a bright golden light bursting out of me. And everything goes black.
....
The blackness recedes slowly, my eyelids heavy. I force them open with a gasp. The ceiling is familiar. It's the room Azren gave me the very first night I arrived here.
The fact that I'm not in our bed sends a wave of panic through me. How did we get home? What happened after I blacked out?
Did they take my husband?
I bolt upright, only to find that I'm wearing one of his T-shirts. Someone changed my clothes. Who?
"Azren?" I call out, my voice cracking.
I throw the covers off and stumble out of bed. My legs feel like they've been replaced with rubber. I catch myself on the dresser, breathing hard.
Voices drift from down the hall, low and urgent. A woman's soft murmur. A man's deeper rumble. Then a sound that slices straight through me. A choked, pained moan.
I know that sound.
I'm running before I realize it, my bare feet slapping against the marble, down the corridor, and past the closed doors. The voices grow clearer. I head downstairs into the wide living room.
And freeze.
Azren lies on the long leather couch, curled on his side. A thin blanket is tucked around his shoulders, but it's slipping. His face is damp with sweat, his dark hair plastered to his forehead. Every few seconds his body jerks, small seizures rolling through him even in his sleep.
Danika sits on the floor beside him. Her back is to me. One of her hands rests on his head, stroking his hair as she hums with a shaky voice. Tears roll silently down her cheeks as she cries silently.
An unfamiliar blond with short hair and blue eyes kneels at the other end of the couch, checking Azren's pulse and murmuring numbers to himself.
Jake stands with his arms crossed, staring at the wall like he's guarding against whatever might come next.
The moment he sees me, relief crosses his features.
"Are you alright?" He asks, and I nod.
He goes down on his knees with one hand on his shirt.
"On behalf of the entire pack. Thank you for protecting our Alpha. I apologize for failing in my duty. If you wish to express your grievance and punish us—"
My eyes go wide. "What? No! Don't say that. Please get up," I say, reaching for him.
He hesitantly rises to his feet, his head lowered.
"What happened exactly?" I ask, uneasy.
"We were caught off guard by the students taking part in the festival. By the time we got to the both of you, you were curled protectively around our alpha. And there were severely burnt bodies there too. Courtesy of you and your wolf," he explains, and my eyes go wild.
"M-my wolf?"
Danika's head turns slightly. Her eyes are red-rimmed and exhausted, but they soften when they meet mine.
"I'd like to thank you as well. For protecting my baby. Thank you so much, Noelle," she says, and fresh tears fill my eyes.
I stare at her. None of it feels real.
And Azren...
He jerks again. A pained gasp rips out of him. Fresh blood trickles from one ear, dark against his skin.
Danika reaches out and gently wipes it away with the edge of her sleeve.
"He's been seizing on and off since we got him back," she says. "The sonics... they did something to his inner ear. Val thinks it's temporary, but the pain—" Her voice cracks. "He won't wake up properly. He keeps drifting in and out. Every time he comes close to consciousness, the pain pulls him under again."
I hurry over, gently pressing my palm to his cheek. He's burning up.
"Az," I whisper. "I'm here."
His lashes flutter. For a second his eyes crack open. He tries to speak, but it comes out as a broken sound. His hand finds mine, his fingers curling weakly around my wrist. Then another seizure rolls through him. His grip tightens convulsively, turning painful, before going slack again.
Tears blur my vision. I lean down, press my forehead to his shoulder.
"I'm so sorry," I choke out. "I should have seen it sooner. I should have—"
Danika's hand settles on my back.
"You saved him," she says. "If you hadn't... they would have taken him. Or worse."
I shake my head against his shirt. "He was protecting me. The whole day. Even when he was dying inside."
She doesn't answer right away. When she does, her voice is soft. "That's what mates do."
Letting out a sob, I turn to look at the blond by Azren's side. "Isn't there medicine or herbs or anything at all that can help?"
He exhales. "There is one. But he has been unable to stay awake long enough to keep it down."