Chapter 175 My Angel | 068
AZREN
The warehouse reeks of rust and something rotten. Levi is practically vibrating beside me as we approach the rusted side door. His hands are clenched into fists so tight his knuckles are white. I can smell the fear rolling off him in waves.
I, on the other hand, feel... oddly calm. As though every nerve ending is lit up and humming with beautiful, dangerous, sweet electricity.
I place a hand on Levi's shoulder, squeezing.
"Stay outside," I tell him gently. "If I don't come out in ten minutes, run. Don't be a hero."
Levi never met his wolf, never shifted and never manifested his vampire form. His demon aura is weak. He's basically almost human. He has resented this for the longest time. But he has no idea what I would do to trade places with him.
"Azren—"
I don't wait for the rest. I push the door open and step inside.
The ward slams into me the second I cross the threshold. A shimmering wall of magic that locks around my limbs like invisible chains. My muscles seize, my body frozen.
Cute.
Before Levi can barrel in after me, I twist just enough to blast the door shut with a wave of raw demonic energy. The metal screams as it slams closed, sealing him out.
"Sorry, little brother," I mutter under my breath. "This one's mine."
The warehouse is dimly lit, shadows pooling in the corners. In the centre, under a single hanging bulb, sits Haden.
He looks like shit.
He's pale as death, his skin stretched tight over sharp bones. His black eyes are sunken and fever-bright. He's cradling my niece—a tiny bundle wrapped in a blanket—against his chest.
My lips curl into a slow grin.
"Well, well," I drawl, my voice echoing off the concrete. "If it isn't the dark alpha playing babysitter. How the mighty have fallen. Rough week?"
Haden's eyes narrow, but there's a tremor in the arm holding the baby.
"Lakewood," he spits. "Always so dramatic. Hand yourself over and maybe I'll let the poor girl live long enough to see her father."
I let out a laugh, the sound bouncing around the empty space.
"Let me get this straight," I say, tilting my head. "You kidnap an infant, threaten my family, and think you can bargain with me? With me? Really, Haden?"
I take a step forward. The ward bites harder, but I lean into it, letting the pain fuel the fire already roaring in my veins.
"You're not a king, Haden. You're a cockroach wearing a crown. And cockroaches get stepped on."
Haden's lip curls. "Big words from a man trapped in my ward."
"Trapped?" I grin wider, my fangs flashing. "This little light show? It tickles."
The New Order members—eighteen of them, all in their stupid black-and-red robes—raise their sonic devices in unison.
The sound hits me like a hammer to the skull.
I double over with a grunt, pain exploding behind my eyes, my ears ringing. My bones vibrate like they're about to shatter, my vision going black.
It fucking burns.
I sway, gritting my teeth, fighting the pull at my consciousness.
I breathe through it, letting the pain wash over me, adapting to it, and welcoming it like an old friend.
Honestly, I've suffered worse.
So, I straighten slowly, grinning.
"Was that supposed to hurt?" I ask, my voice silky. "Because it felt like a love tap."
I flex my fingers, and the ward shatters with a sound like breaking glass. I can feel the runes on my body heating up. It's enough pain to make an ordinary man go mad. Unfortunately, there's nothing ordinary about me. The New Order members seem to realize this as they stagger back in horror.
Haden's eyes widen.
In a blur, I'm across the room. My hand closes around his throat before he can even blink. The baby is safe. I made sure of that, cradling her against my chest with my other arm as I lift Haden off the ground.
He chokes, clawing at my wrist.
"You thought you could use an innocent child to open the veil?" I whisper, my voice dripping with venom. "You thought you could threaten my bloodline and walk away breathing?"
Haden's face turns purple.
I lean in closer. “Pathetic."
With a casual flick of my wrist, I'm just about to hurl him across the warehouse when I notice something odd. He doesn't smell like himself.
I narrow my eyes, and he stabs at my throat, plunging a silver dagger in, laughing.
"You're not Haden, are you?" I say, and he laughs louder.
We laugh together, the joy overflowing.
It doesn't end well for him, though. Because in seconds, I'm setting him ablaze. He screeches like a dying bird, trying and failing to loosen my grip. I don't stop until his ashes drift from my fingers.
The baby coos softly against my chest, and I smile, yanking the knife out of my neck.
Ahhh, she's so cute.
I look down at her and feel something warm and fierce bloom in my chest.
"Hello, little one," I whisper, my voice softening despite the chaos. "Uncle Azren's got you now."
Slowly, I turn to see the New Order members. They are all frozen, their devices trembling in their hands.
I turn to them, still holding the baby. Then I smile.
"Kneel."
They drop instantly, their knees hitting the concrete with dull thuds.
I sit down on the nearest crate, the baby nestled comfortably in the crook of my arm. She seems fascinated by my glowing eyes, her eyes tracking my every move.
"Good choice," I tell the cultists. "Now, here's what's going to happen. You're all going to sign a little document, in your own blood, swearing you'll never engage in cult activity again. No more veil-ripping schemes. No more kidnapping babies. No more annoying me. Ever."
One of them dares to speak. "You can't—"
I set him on fire too. The others instantly get the memo.
With a snap of my fingers, a scroll of enchanted parchment appears in my free hand, glowing faintly. It’s meant to bind them from acting even when they try to.
"Sign. All of you. Or I start removing limbs until you do. Your choice."
They scramble for the scroll, pricking their fingers and signing with shaking hands.
The baby gurgles, clearly enjoying the show.
Outside, Levi is screaming my name, pounding on the door like a madman.
"AZREN! AZREN, OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!"
I sigh, amused. With a lazy wave, I unlock the door.
Levi stumbles in, wild-eyed and panting, ready to fight.
He freezes when he sees me sitting on the crate, holding his daughter while I'm surrounded by kneeling cultists.
His mouth drops open.
"...What the fuck?"
I grin at him, bouncing the baby gently.
"Language, little brother. There's a child present."
The baby coos happily and grabs a fistful of my shirt.
Levi looks like he's about to pass out.
I rise slowly, still cradling my niece, and walk over to him.
"Here," I say, gently transferring the baby into his arms. "She's safe. She's perfect. And she likes me best already."
Levi stares down at his daughter, tears streaming down his face. Then he looks at me, his voice cracking.
"Thank you."
I clap him on the shoulder, energy still buzzing under my skin.
"Don't thank me yet. We still have to explain to Dad how he became a grandpa overnight."
Levi pales.
I smirk, delighted. This family is never boring.
...
The penthouse is quiet when I slip back inside. Noelle is awake.
She's sitting upright on the couch, the blanket pooled around her waist, her hair tousled from sleep. Her eyes find mine the second I step through the door.
And they are not soft.
They are blazing.
I freeze mid-step, the manic high from the warehouse still buzzing under my skin like live wires. But the moment I see her face, the electricity goes out.
I drop to my knees right there in the entryway.
"Angel—"
"Don't."
Her voice is icy. She stands slowly, the blanket falling away. She heads upstairs without another word.
I stay on my knees, watching her go.
"Fuck," I whisper under my breath the second she disappears up the staircase.
My forehead hits the floor with a dull thud.
I really pissed her off.
I can still smell the warehouse on my clothes. It had felt right in the moment. Necessary even.
Now it feels like the stupidest thing I've ever done.
I drag a hand down my face, cursing again.
She trusted me to let her in. To fight beside her. And I knocked her out and left her on the couch like a fucking damsel while I went off to play hero.
"Idiot," I mutter to the empty room. "Complete fucking disaster of a husband."
I push to my feet and start pacing. My head is clearer than it's been in weeks thanks to her blood, but right now I'd rather have the voices screaming at me than this heavy, suffocating silence.
Upstairs, I hear the soft click of our bedroom door shutting. She didn't even slam it. That's worse.
Slamming would mean she's furious and loud. This quiet withdrawal means she's hurt. Deeply.
I rake both hands through my hair, tugging hard enough to sting.
How do I fix this?
Do I go up there and beg? Drop to my knees again and tell her I was terrified of losing her?
Or do I give her space and risk her thinking I don't care?
"Fuck," I groan, leaning my forehead against the cool wall.
I can still taste her on my tongue from earlier. And I knocked her out and left her behind.
I'm an idiot.
I start towards the stairs, then stop.
No. She needs a minute. Maybe more than a minute.
I sink back down onto the floor, my back against the wall, my knees drawn up.
My phone is ringing in my pocket. Levi's probably still losing his mind, thinking about how he’s supposed to drop the bomb at home, but I can't bring myself to check on him right now.
All I can think about is the look in Noelle's eyes when she realized what I'd done.
I press the heels of my palms into my eyes until I see stars.
"Come on, Azren," I mutter to myself. "You've survived possessions that should've killed you. You can survive your wife being mad at you."
But even as I say it, I know it’s a bloody lie.
Shit.