Chapter 171 My Angel | 064
NOELLE
Letting out a groan, I crack my eyes open. My cheek is pressed to warm skin, the steady thud of a heartbeat right under my ear. Azren's arms are wrapped around me. He's still inside me.
It reminds me exactly how many times he took me last night. I can still feel the ghost of his fangs on my throat, my breasts, and the inside of my thigh. Every mark he left is tingling like it's alive.
I shift the tiniest bit, and a low, sleepy groan rumbles through his chest. His hips flex instinctively, pushing a little deeper, and I bite my lip to keep from moaning out loud.
Gosh. Even unconscious, he's greedy.
I tilt my head back carefully so I can look at his face.
He's... softer like this. He looks younger too. Almost boyish. As though the weight of his pain and guilt has slipped off him for a few precious hours.
My heart flutters in my chest.
I reach up slowly, tracing the line of his jaw with my fingertips.
His lashes flutter.
"Angel..." His voice is thick with sleep. Those electric blue eyes open halfway, hazy and soft. "You're staring."
"Can't help it," I whisper, smiling. "You look... peaceful."
He huffs a soft laugh that vibrates through both of us. The movement jostles him inside me and I gasp softly. His pupils dilate instantly.
"Careful," he rasps, his hips rocking once. "If you keep making sounds like that, we won't be leaving this bed today."
I clench around him on purpose. He groans, his forehead dropping to mine.
"Brat."
"Your brat," I whisper, slipping my fingers through his hair.
He exhales shakily, like he's trying to remember how breathing works. One big hand slides up my spine, possessive and gentle at the same time, until it cups the back of my neck.
"How are you feeling?" he asks.
I take stock. My body is a map of delicious soreness. My skin feels... electric. As if every nerve ending is still humming from the night before.
"Wrecked," I admit, smiling against his jaw. "In the best way."
His thumb strokes the pulse point under my ear.
He exhales again.
I shift carefully, just enough to look at him properly.
"And you?" I ask, my voice soft. "After... after drinking from me?"
He's quiet for a long moment.
"Clear," he finally says. "My head... it's never been this quiet." He swallows hard. "And the pain—the constant ache in my bones, the migraines, the shaking—it's gone too. Like it never existed."
I feel my eyes sting.
"But?" I prompt gently, because I can hear the unspoken word hanging between us.
He looks at me, and the vulnerability in his eyes steals my breath.
"I'm terrified I'll get addicted to it," he admits, his voice barely above a whisper. "To you. The taste of you. The way everything goes silent and warm the second your blood hits my tongue. I've spent my whole life fighting hunger, Noelle. Fighting not to take more than I should. And now..." He exhales roughly. "Now I've tasted the one thing I don't think I can ever give up."
My heart squeezes.
I cup his face with both hands.
"Then don't give it up," I whisper. "I'm not going anywhere. My blood—my body—my everything—it's yours. Whenever you need it. Whenever you want it. I trust you, Azren. I trust you not to take more than I can give."
His eyes close as if the words physically hurt.
"You don't know what you're offering."
"I do," I say fiercely. "I'm offering my husband what he needs to stay whole. To stay here. With me."
He opens his eyes again, and they're shining.
“I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to deserve you,” he rasps.
My heart feels too big for my chest.
"I'm yours either way, baby," I whisper, running my thumb over his cheekbone.
He exhales like he's been holding his breath for centuries. Then he pulls me in closer, holding me tight. And in the smallest voice, he whispers.
"Never let go of me, Noelle. My heart is more fragile than you think."
I close my eyes then, grounding myself in his scent and silently promising to stay with him.
...
"Are you sure you're okay to go to school? You're still in heat," my husband says to me as I latch onto him, giving him one last hug before we head to our various destinations.
"I'm good, I promise. Besides, I already took the pills you gave me," I tell him, resting my chin on his chest as I look up at him.
He smells so good, it should be illegal. For some strange reason, my senses are tuned all the way up. Maybe it has to do with my wolf awakening.
He strokes my hair gently, cupping the back of my head. "Don't forget to text me, okay?"
I nod, giving him a big smile. He kisses me on the forehead so tenderly, it fills my heart with so much warmth.
"Blue will keep you company as always, okay?" He says and I perk up.
"Really?!"
He hums in response. "Of course."
I hug him tighter, so relieved. I'd been worried that he would be frustrated with her because she failed to protect me.
"Come on, let's go. You're going to be late. I have a meeting in thirty."
I nod, hopeful.
We head out of the house together. And to my surprise, Blue is already waiting there, looking very nervous.
"Alpha, Luna," she utters, her head hanging low.
"Don't do that, Blue. Don't shrink yourself. I didn't ask you to protect my wife. I sent you to her school to keep her company. You shouldn't feel guilty for not doing a job you weren't asked to do," Azren says and she tears up.
"Thank you, Alpha."
He nods, and we follow him to the elevator. He reaches out his pinkie for me, and I do the same, discreetly entwining our pinkies together.
It's the simplest gesture, but it literally sets my face on fire. It feels like our secret sign.
The elevator doors slide open on the ground floor, and Azren gives my pinkie one last gentle squeeze before letting go. He leans down, brushes the softest kiss against my temple, and murmurs, "Be good, angel. Call me if anything feels even slightly off."
"I will," I promise, already missing the solid warmth of him.
He nods at Blue, then strides towards the private garage where his sleek cars are waiting. I watch his broad back disappear around the corner, my heart doing a stupid flip just because he's walking away from me. I'm starting to grow too attached.
Blue and I head towards the car waiting for us. She's quiet, her shoulders still a little hunched even after Azren's words. I bump her arm lightly with mine.
"Hey," I say softly. "You heard him. You're not in trouble. I'm not mad. Not even a little."
She glances at me, her eyes glassy. "I just... I keep replaying it. If I'd been faster, if I'd—"
"Blue." I stop walking and turn to face her fully, forcing her to meet my gaze. "You're my friend first. Not my bodyguard, not my shadow. My friend. And friends don't carry guilt for things that were never their fault. Okay?"
Her lip trembles, but she nods. "Okay."
I grin and loop my arm through hers. "Now come on. We're already cutting it close, and I refuse to be late today."
She snorts despite herself, tension easing out of her frame.
...
The hallways are mostly empty by the time we slip inside. I head straight for my first lecture of the day, taking my usual seat.
Blue slides into the chair beside me. No one ever questions it. I have a feeling my husband pulled strings.
I've just settled down in my chair when I notice Blair.
She's sitting two rows ahead of us, but her head is bowed so low her dark hair curtains her face. Her hands are clenched around the edge of her desk, her knuckles bone-white. She hasn't even opened her notebook.
My stomach knots.
I lean forward slightly. "Blair?"
She startles, her shoulders jumping. Slowly, she turns just enough that I can see half her face. Her eyes are red-rimmed and swollen. She looks like she hasn't slept in days.
"Hey," I say softly. "What's wrong?"
She opens her mouth, closes it and looks down again. Her voice comes out cracked. "It's... Cooper."
My heart drops.
Blue stiffens beside me.
"He's been getting worse," Blair whispers. "The fevers won't break anymore. The healers...they came again yesterday. They said..." Her throat works. "They said there isn't much time left. Maybe days. Maybe less."
The room feels suddenly too small.
I reach forward instinctively and rest my hand on her shoulder. She flinches at first, then she leans into my touch slightly.
"Blair..."
She whips around fully then, tears rolling down her pale face.
"Please, Noelle." She grabs my wrist, her grip desperate. "I know what you are. The golden wolf. You can heal people. You can—you can save him. Please. I'm begging you. Save my brother."
I freeze, my heart thumping hard. She knows?
How the hell—
Blue's hand finds mine under the desk and squeezes hard.
I stare at Blair's face, at the raw, terrified hope in her eyes, and feel my chest tighten. I don't even know how to use this strange power of mine yet. But...Cooper...he deserves my help, doesn't he? I can't be with him. But I can at least...heal him right?
"Okay," I whisper. "Okay. I'll try."