Chapter 120 My Angel | 013
NOELLE
A scream rips out of me as the gunshots go off. Azren shields me with his body, taking every shot. I know he's not moving to attack them because of me. Instead...he's just...taking it. Tears sting my eyes, rolling down my cheeks as I hide from the multiple shots. I stopped counting at bullet six.
How is he doing this? Isn't he in pain? He must be bleeding so much. I bite my lower lip to stifle my sobs, fear paralyzing me. Why isn't he teleporting us out of here?
Suddenly the gunshots stop. Maybe the shooter ran out of bullets. That's when Azren moves at a dizzying speed, rushing me to the car. He makes me sit there, shutting the car door.
"Someone will be here to drive you home. You can trust him," he says, and my eyes go wide. He vanishes out of sight while I sit there, shaking.
Less than three minutes later, the door on the driver's side opens and a handsome man with long black hair and grey eyes shuffles in. He's heavily tattooed. He flashes me a smile, and I blink at him.
Is this the man I'm supposed to trust? He looks like a freaking gangster!
"The name's Jake. I'm Azren's beta," he tells me as he starts the car.
"W-wait, are you leaving without him?" I stutter, and he shrugs.
"He's got business to handle, sweet cheeks," he says, and my face goes hot.
"Don't call me that," I mumble.
"Unfortunately, I only take orders from my alpha, sweet cheeks."
Ugh! He's infuriating!
I cross my arms over my chest, trying to ignore the way my thighs still feel sticky and sensitive from earlier, the evidence of Azren's fingers dried against my skin under the dress. And now Azren is somewhere back there, bleeding, maybe dying, while this tattooed gangster calls me "sweet cheeks" like we're on a casual drive.
Jake glances sideways at me, one dark brow arched, an infuriating half-smirk still glued to his face.
"You're cute when you're mad," he says, drumming his tattooed fingers on the steering wheel. "Like a pissed-off kitten trying to look scary."
I glare at him. "Do you ever shut up?"
"Only when Az tells me to. And even then, I usually don't." He winks. "Relax, princess. Your mate's fine. That kind of thing is my alpha's specialty."
My stomach churns. "He took six bullets. At least six. For me."
Jake snorts, eyes still on the road. "Six? That's adorable. He once drank a cocktail of wolfsbane, silver nitrate, and hexthorn extract just to see if he could still walk straight afterward. Spoiler: he could. And he did it for fun."
I gape at him. "He drinks poisons... for fun?"
Jake winces, like he just realized he said too much. "Yeah... maybe don't repeat that one. He's trying to look less unhinged in front of his new wife." He shoots me a sideways glance. "Bullets are mediocre to him. Trust me."
I swallow hard, staring out the window at the city lights blurring past. "He still felt it. I saw it in his face."
Jake's smirk softens. "Yeah. He feels everything twice as hard when it's about you. That's the mate thing. Makes the pain sharper, but it also makes him stronger. He'll be fine. I promise."
I glance down at my wrist and at the incomplete flame mark that appeared right after we accepted each other. It's warmer now.
"How long have you known him?" I ask softly.
Jake's fingers tighten on the wheel for a second before relaxing. "Since we were teens. Me, Az, and Trent. Thick as thieves. We ran wild together and got into all kinds of shit. Trent was the smart one. Always trying to keep us from doing anything too stupid. Didn't work."
His voice lowers at Trent's name, the playful edge fading. Sadness flashes across his face briefly.
I hesitate, then I lift my wrist towards him. "Do you know what this is?"
Jake's eyes rest on the mark. Then they widen. He slams on the brakes so hard the car jerks to a stop in the middle of the empty side street. Horns blare somewhere behind us, but he doesn't seem to notice.
"Holy shit," he breathes.
Before I can react, he leans over the center console and pulls me into a crushing hug.
"Jake—?"
He squeezes tighter, then suddenly lets go, jerking back as if he's just been scalded.
"Shit. Sorry. Sorry." He scrubs a hand over his face, and I realize his grey eyes are glassy, tears threatening to spill. "I just—fuck. I thought we'd lost the chance forever."
I stare at him, my heart pounding. "Lost the chance for what?"
He exhales shakily, looking at the mark again like it's something holy. "That's the Flame of Return... or part of it. Azren will explain more."
He blinks rapidly.
"He's carried those spirits since before he was born. They've been eating him alive. And then you show up, quiet them just by existing, and now this?" He laughs, but he's clearly holding back his tears. "You're the miracle we stopped praying for."
Tears sting my own eyes. I didn't know. I didn't understand.
Jake wipes his face roughly with the back of his hand. "Sorry. I'm not usually this much of a mess. Just... don't tell Az I cried. He'll never let me live it down."
I reach over and squeeze his forearm. "Your secret's safe."
He gives me a watery grin. "Thanks, Luna."
Butterflies swarm my belly at that title. I really can't believe that this is real!
...
When we arrive back at the penthouse, Jake inputs the door code and hollers.
“Hey, Az! Guess who’s home?!”
I wince.
He says he’s Azren’s beta. Betas are supposed to assist and guide their alphas, right? This dude looks like he’s going to drive Azren to hell with him and casually laugh about it. He’s also too loud.
I guess I shouldn’t judge, right? From what I saw earlier, he seems to really care about Azren. And that is super heartwarming.
“Az, baby?” Jake calls, and I nearly roll my eyes at him.
“We left there before him. Don’t you think he might still be caught up with whatever business he’s handling?” I say, and he shakes his head, glancing in the direction of the stairs.
“No. That’s not it. He’s here. And something’s wrong,” he replies, and my heart sinks.
“What do you sense?” I ask as we head towards the stairs.
He moves upstairs slowly, shielding me as if we’re about to face a potential threat. A lump is thick in my throat, nausea swirling in my belly.
“I smell blood,” he rasps, and I freeze. My heart thumps harder, fear sinking its tentacles deeper into my bloodstream.
Azren has to be okay. He has to be.
“Shit! Az!”
Jake’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts. We’re both greeted with the sight of Azren. He’s sitting on the stairs, his jacket on the stairs beside him. He’s leaning heavily against the wall, his eyes closed. He looks…peaceful. Too peaceful, actually.
But Jake’s right. Something is off. I can smell blood. It’s thick in the air. When I lower my gaze to the stairs he’s sitting on, that’s when I see the pool of crimson.
Jake curses under his breath, holding a hand in front of me.
“Sweet cheeks, please take two steps backward,” he says, and I gulp, obeying him right away.
Jake cautiously comes closer. But then, Azren suddenly speaks in an eerie voice that sounds like three of him speaking at the same time.
“Take another two steps, Noelle, please,” he rasps. My stomach twists into heavy knots. I don’t understand what’s going on, but I know it’s bad.
“You’re not healing,” Jake points out.
“I already called Sabrina. She’s on the way,” Azren says calmly. He doesn’t look like he’s in pain at all.
“Do you feel sick?” Jake asks carefully.
Azren sighs. “It’s a code red, Jake.”
“Shit,” the other man curses. I’m losing my mind trying to figure out what’s happening. I’m so terrified, it feels like I’m about to have a heart attack.
“I think the bullet was laced with something different. It’s pushing my system into a neutral state. I’m cold right now, Jake.”
Neutral state? That doesn’t sound harmful. Or does it?
“How bad is it?” Jake breathes. “The cold, I mean.”
“Bad,” Azren replies, cracking one eye open. It’s pitch black. Suddenly, he bursts into laughter. And it doesn’t sound like him at all.