Chapter 127 My Angel | 020
NOELLE
I'm curled up on Azren's lap in the sitting room, my bare legs tucked under one of his thighs, my head resting against his chest.
His heartbeat is steady under my ear. He slowly strokes my hair, his fingertips grazing my scalp in a rhythm that makes my eyelids feel heavy.
My own fingers toy absently with his, tracing the ridges of his knuckles and slipping between his longer ones. Every time I squeeze, he squeezes back without thinking.
Across from us, Sabrina sits on the edge of the opposite couch. Her back is straight, her hands folded in her lap. The red mark on her cheek from my slap has already faded completely. Her green eyes are softer now, but I still watch her like she might grow fangs again any second.
Finally, she clears her throat.
"It seems..." she begins carefully, "I carry the other half of the mark."
Azren's fingers pause in my hair briefly before resuming once more.
I narrow my eyes at her. "The other half."
She lifts her wrist where the mark is.
"The Light of Return," she says. "It was never meant to live in one person. The original bearer split it centuries ago to keep it from being destroyed. One half anchors the light. The other... tempers it. It makes sure the release is controlled so the veil covering the entrance to the underworld doesn't tear all at once."
Azren's chest rises on a slow inhale beneath me.
I twist so I can look up at him.
"Daddy?" I say softly, and his gaze drops to me instantly. I can actually see him melt.
"What's the Light of Return?" I ask.
He exhales through his nose, his thumb brushing the shell of my ear.
"It's... a key," he says after a moment. "A way to open a door to the Underworld and send the dark spirits back where they belong. No more possession. No more voices. No more waking up and finding out you hurt someone you love."
He swallows hard.
"The first time I felt it was the night I saw you. You walked past me in the hallway at work, and the screaming... stopped. Just for a second. I thought I'd imagined it. Then it happened again. And again. Until I realized that the quiet only came when you were close."
His voice cracks the tiniest bit.
"I thought I'd lost my chance to ever be normal again. That I'd carry them until they finally tore me apart from the inside. And then you showed up again... and the mark appeared."
I stare at him. My throat is so tight I can barely speak.
"So I can... fix it?" I whisper. "For you?"
He cups the side of my face.
"You already are," he says roughly. "Every time you're near me, they quiet down. When we accepted the bond, the mark woke up. It's complete now."
A shaky, relieved laugh bubbles out of me. I press my forehead to his collarbone.
"I can help you," I breathe. "I can actually help."
He wraps both arms around me, crushing me to his chest.
"You already do, Angel."
I smile against his shirt, my eyes stinging with happy tears.
"We'll practice together," I say quickly. "Often. Every day if we have to. Until the flame is strong enough to send them all back."
Azren nods against my hair. "Of course."
Sabrina clears her throat again, this time more delicately.
"There's... an option," she says. "A safer one, at least while she's still learning control."
Azren lifts his head but doesn't loosen his hold on me.
"I can enroll in her school and protect her undercover."
Azren's arms tighten around me a little.
I open my mouth to argue—something about not trusting her, about not wanting to be separated from him—but the words die when I see his face.
He's already nodding.
"I'll appreciate that."
My lips part. "Azren—"
He looks down at me, his eyes steady and sad.
"I won't lose you to a hunter's bullet, Angel. Not when we're this close."
I swallow the protest in my throat. He's right. I hate that he's right.
Sabrina rises to her feet, gracefully. She looks innocent and caring in this moment. If I didn't know better, I would've believed that I'd hallucinated earlier.
"I'll make the arrangements tonight." She hesitates, then she looks straight at me.
"Noelle... about earlier. I'm sorry. Truly. I wasn't trying to seduce him. We dated briefly years ago. It ended badly. The mark acted up when it manifested, and the heat was unbearable. I panicked and ducked into the first bathroom I remembered. I used to shower there when we were together. That's all it was."
My stomach knots so tight, I almost taste bile.
Azren rises to his feet.
"It's been a long day," he says. "I'll escort you out."
Sabrina nods, her shoulders sagging.
"I really am happy for you, Azren," she says softly. "There's a chance you can be free."
She moves towards him, opening her arms for a hug.
Azren lifts one hand and presses a palm flat against her forehead, stopping her cold.
"There are lines you shouldn't cross anymore," he says. "My wife is very possessive. She'll punish me if I let another woman touch me."
Sabrina freezes.
I feel the corner of my mouth twitch upwards despite everything.
Azren glances down at me, his eyes crinkling.
"Won't you, Angel?"
I lift my chin.
"Severely," I say.
He chuckles, moving over to lift me in his arms and press a kiss to my temple.
Sabrina lowers her arms, flashes us a small, wistful smile, and turns towards the door.
Azren follows her out, still carrying me.
The second the front door clicks shut behind her, he turns and buries his face in my hair.
"Fuck," he breathes. "I thought I'd lost you today."
I wrap my arms around his neck.
"You didn't," I whisper. "I'm right here."
He carries me back upstairs, cradling me to his body. A big smile curls my lips as giddiness bubbles right inside of me. Did he just turn her down for my sake?! Baby steps, right?!
Azren shoulders the bedroom door open and lowers me gently onto the mattress. He climbs in after me.
For a long moment we just lie there, facing each other on our sides. His blue eyes search mine in the low light.
Then he leans in.
The first kiss is feather-soft. Just his lips brushing mine. I feel the tremble in them. He kisses the corner of my mouth next, then the bow of my upper lip, then the dip beneath it.
I sigh against him, my hand sliding up to cup the back of his neck. My fingers thread into his hair, and I tug him closer. It's thick and soft.
He groans softly, the sound vibrating into my mouth, and the kiss deepens just enough to make my toes curl. Our tongues explore each other in a gentle caress, tangling and tasting.
When we finally part, we're both breathing unevenly.
He drops his forehead to mine for a second, his eyes closed, then he shifts lower. His head settles carefully on my chest, right over my heart.
I wrap my free arm around his shoulders and start stroking his hair gently.
"Thank you," he whispers, his voice cracking. "For existing."
My throat tightens with the intense emotions flooding me. "Thank you for finding me."
I press my lips to the top of his head.
"I'm tempted to discard office duties and become a student too," he sighs, and I chuckle.
"You're ridiculous."
He smiles. "Anything to keep my woman safe. Promise me you'll be careful at school, please."
I grin. "I promise."
His breathing slows, the rigid lines of his broad shoulders loosening one by one. He looks so pretty when he sleeps.
I keep petting his hair, long after his body grows heavy and lax against mine. Eventually his grip on my hand slackens but doesn't let go.
His breathing evens out into a slow, deep rhythm. And I lie there, feeling relieved.
I brush one last kiss against his temple and whisper "Sleep well, baby," into his hair before letting my own eyes drift closed.
…
The next morning, I’m awoken by the clattering of dishes. And loud curses. It doesn’t sound like Azren, though. Because he’s still right here, in bed with me. Then who the fuck is downstairs raiding the kitchen? Frowning, I gently ease out of Azren’s arms, kissing his forehead and hoping he’ll stay asleep a little while longer. He needs it.
Downstairs, I’m greeted by the sight of Jake, who’s in the kitchen with an unfamiliar young man. He looks like Azren but is sporting a gorgeous blonde buzz cut and a lip ring. Right there on the floor is…a fried egg dripping oil all over the place.
“What is going on?” I ask, and the blonde-haired guy grins, his blue eyes shimmering.
“Busted,” he says, and Jake glares at him.
“Perfect timing. I need to talk to you, sweet cheeks,” he tells me, and I blink.
“About what?”
A muscle ticks on his jaw. “About what happened on the stairs yesterday.”
My eyes go wide. He…knows?