Chapter 194 My Angel | 087

Chapter 194 My Angel | 087
NOELLE

Azren is curled up on the floor beside the bed, his knees drawn to his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around himself. He's still in the same clothes from earlier, breathing in pained gasps. The faint red glow of the runes pulses weakly under his shirt.

"Azren..." I whisper, rushing to him with the bowl of water in my hands.

I drop to my knees and gently touch his shoulder. He flinches at first, then relaxes slightly when he realizes it's me.

"I'm sorry," he rasps, his voice hoarse. His eyes are glassy, barely focused. "You told me to come home safe... and I didn't. I'm so sorry, Angel."

"Shhh, it's okay," I whisper. "You're home now. That's all that matters."

I start dabbing his face and neck with the cold towel, moving slowly down to his chest. He lets out a low, pained sound when the cool fabric touches his burning skin, but he doesn't pull away. He just lies there, looking so lifeless it terrifies me. His beautiful face is pale and drawn, his lips parted as he breathes through the pain.

"How did this happen?" I whisper, gently dabbing at his forehead and pushing damp strands of hair back. "You didn't even use your power tonight, right?"

He doesn't answer right away. Another weak sound slips out of him as I press the cloth to his temple. His eyes flutter half-closed.

"The runes... they just started," he manages, his voice barely audible. "Didn't do anything. Just... happened."

I bite my lip hard to keep myself from crying, moving the cloth down to his neck and shoulders.

"What about the meeting with the Werewolf Corps?" I ask softly. "Did they say anything?"

He lets out a tired, bitter breath.

"Postponed... until tomorrow night."

My stomach drops.

Tomorrow night.

They want him weakened. They want him broken and exhausted before they try whatever ritual they have planned. The realization hits me right away. Finn's warning echoes in my head, but I push it down. Right now, I just need to take care of Azren.

I grab a larger towel, soaking it in the ice water and carefully wrapping it around his torso. He shivers at the sudden cold but presses into it, seeking relief.

"Come here, baby," I whisper.

I lie down on the floor in front of him, curling my body around his as best as I can. One arm wraps around his waist, my forehead pressed to his. He buries his face in my neck.

For a while, we just lie there on the floor. His breathing is ragged, but he slowly starts to relax against me.

Then, in a delirious, feverish murmur, he starts talking.

"I want kids with you..." he whispers against my skin, his voice soft and dreamy. A small, joyful smile tugs at his lips even through the pain. "A little girl with your eyes... and maybe a boy who looks like me but smiles like you. We could build a nursery. I'd read them stories every night. Keep them safe. Teach them how to be strong but kind... just like their mom."

My heart clenches. Tears slip down my cheeks as I stroke his hair.

"I want that too," I whisper back, my voice thick. "So much."

He hums happily for a moment, nuzzling closer.

Then his voice cracks.

"If only... I'll live long enough for that."

The joy drains from his tone instantly. He sounds so drained.

I squeeze my eyes shut, holding him tighter, my own tears falling freely now.

"You will," I whisper fiercely against his hair. "You're going to live, Azren. You're going to be here with me. I'm not letting you go. Not now. Not ever."

He doesn't reply. He just clings to me, trembling, as the fever continues to burn through him.

I stay on the floor with him, wrapped around my husband, shielding him with everything I have.

...

The next morning, the bedroom is quiet except for Azren's slow, labored breathing.

He's still deeply asleep on his side, curled slightly inward. But we're in bed now.

My hand moves on its own, gently brushing through his messy dark hair. The moment my fingers touch his scalp, he lets out a soft moan. His features relax almost instantly.

When I pull my hand back to check his temperature, the frown returns immediately. His brow creases again.

My heart aches.

My touch helps. It actually helps.

My phone vibrates on the nightstand. I glance at the screen to see that Finn is calling.

I answer quietly, easing out of bed so I don't wake Azren.

"Finn?"

"Noelle," he says, his voice low and urgent. "Did you find Haden's essence? We need it now."

I swallow hard, glancing back at my sleeping husband.

"Not yet," I whisper. "Azren has been... really unwell. The runes are burning him again. He can barely move."

Finn exhales.

"You can't wait until he's better. The runes won't stop. They're designed to weaken him slowly, to make sure he's vulnerable for the ritual. Bring me the essence today. I can use it to convince my superiors to change their plan. Please. We're running out of time."

I bite my lip, skeptical.

"I'll bring it today," I say finally, my voice steady despite the fear in my heart. "I promise."

I end the call and lower the phone.

Azren is still on his side, breathing unevenly. I crawl back onto the bed and gently push against his bare back, encouraging him to stay relaxed. Then I rest both of my hands directly over the glowing runes on his skin.

I close my eyes and reach for the Light inside me.

A soft golden glow rises from my palms, spreading across his back. Azren's body reacts immediately. His back arches with a low groan, the runes flashing like they're fighting the light. For a moment, they look like they're fading, the angry red dimming.

Hope rears in my chest.

Then everything goes wrong.

Azren suddenly shudders. A violent cough rips out of him, followed by a spray of blood that splatters across the sheets. His eyes snap open, wide and confused, as another harsh cough wracks his body.

"Noelle...?" he rasps, his voice weak and disoriented, blood staining his lips. "What... what happened?"

I pull my hands back in horror, staring at the blood on the sheets and on his mouth.

"Azren—" My voice cracks. I'm frozen, my heart hammering in terror.

He looks at me with those glassy, confused eyes, trying to understand why I'm panicking.

And all I can think is that I might have just made everything worse.

Azren tries to push himself up on one elbow, but his arms give out immediately. He collapses back onto the mattress with a weak groan, his chest heaving as another trickle of blood slips from the corner of his mouth.

"Noelle...?" His voice is barely more than a rasp, confusion and pain twisting his features. "Why are you... looking at me like that?"

I can't breathe. My hands are still hovering in the air, glowing faintly. The golden warmth that felt so right a moment ago now feels like poison.

"I—I was trying to help," I whisper, my voice unsteady. "The runes... they were glowing so angrily. I thought if I used the Light... maybe it would soothe them. Calm them down."

Azren's eyes flutter, struggling to stay open. He reaches for me with a trembling hand, his fingers brushing clumsily against my wrist.

"It's okay..." he murmurs, even as fresh blood bubbles on his lips with each shallow breath. "You were... trying to help. Don't... blame yourself, Angel."

But how can I not?

I grab the clean cloth from the nightstand and gently wipe the blood from his mouth and chin. My hands are shaking so badly I almost drop it. He watches me with those glassy eyes.

"Lie still," I tell him, forcing my voice to stay steady.

He obeys, or maybe he has no choice. His body is too weak to do anything else. I carefully roll him onto his back, wincing at the way he hisses when the movement pulls at the runes.

The angry red marks on his chest and back pulse erratically now, some of them looking almost... cracked, like fractured glass under his skin.

The Light I poured into him didn't soothe them. It provoked them.

Guilt crashes over me in waves. I was so desperate to fix this, to take away his pain, that I made it worse.

"I'm sorry," I choke out, pressing the cloth to his forehead. "I'm so sorry, baby. I thought—"

"Shhh." He turns his head towards my voice, seeking me even though his eyes are barely focusing. "Come here."

I don't deserve the comfort he's offering, but I can't refuse him. I slide down beside him on the bed, curling carefully against his side so I don't disturb him too much.

His arm lifts weakly, trying to wrap around me, and I help him, guiding his hand to rest on my waist.

For a long moment, the only sound is his labored breathing and the occasional wet cough that makes my stomach twist.

Then, in a voice so soft I almost miss it, he whispers,

"Don't stop touching me."

I freeze.

"What?"

"Your hands..." He swallows, grimacing at the taste of blood. "When you were stroking my hair earlier... it helped. The pain... it was less. Please, Noelle. I need... your touch."

I shift so I can face him properly. One hand returns to his hair, my fingers massaging his scalp in slow, soothing circles. The other rests lightly over his heart, feeling the frantic, uneven beat beneath my palm.

Immediately, his body responds. The tight lines of pain on his face ease.

"You're helping," he breathes, his eyes slipping closed in something close to relief. "Even if the Light... doesn't. You do. Just you."

Tears burn my eyes again, but I blink them back. I keep stroking his hair, letting my fingers trail down to the back of his neck, then up again. Every time I pause, even for a second, he makes a small, distressed sound until I resume.

"I love you," I whisper against his temple. "So much it hurts."

A faint smile touches his blood-stained lips.

"Love you... more, Angel. Always."

He drifts in and out of consciousness after that, never fully asleep but never fully awake either.

Finn's words echo louder in my head now.

Azren is getting worse by the hour. The blood coughing is new and terrifying. And tonight... tonight the Werewolf Corps wants him at that meeting.

I can't let that happen.

Carefully, I ease myself away from him, making sure he's still breathing steadily before I slip out of bed. He stirs, reaching for me with a whimper, but I press a soft kiss to his forehead and whisper that I'll be right back.

I need Haden's essence.

Now.