Daughter of oblivion: Claimed by four alpha(s)

Chapter 227 - 225: Athena the death of Azrael.

Laila was still hanging off Rhydric, laughing like she owned the place. "You’re too stiff! Loosen up, Rhyfric." she teased, swinging her legs slightly.

"I am loosened up!" he snapped, though the faint smirk on his face betrayed him. "I’m perfectly fine!"

"Oh, come on," Laila said, giggling, "you’re hiding it under that grumpy face. Admit it... you like it."

Rhydric groaned, but his hands stayed firmly at her sides, trying not to crush her in the process. "I don’t like it. Stop laughing."

"You do like it," she countered, eyes sparkling. "I can see it in your eyes."

Just then, the front door opened. Athena and Theo stepped in, and the room froze.

Athena’s eyes immediately landed on the sight in front of her. A girl she doesn’t even know, practically draped over Rhydric, both of them laughing.

She froze for a moment, her chest tightening, before she quickly looked away, jealousy pricking sharply at her.

The moment Rhydric saw her, he stiffened. He tapped lightly on Laila’s back, and she felt how his expression changed instantly. "What’s wrong?" she asked, noticing his sudden change in tone.

Without a word, she slid down from him, landing lightly on her feet.

She turned then and spotted a girl and then Theo, and her face lit up with laughter. "Oh! Theo!" she called, waving.

Theo froze, eyes widening as he practically raised his hands defensively. "No—no, no, no! I don’t—do not hug Laila," he said, stepping back slightly, as if keeping her at arm’s length would prevent disaster.

Laila just laughed, tilting her head. "Aww, come on! Don’t be like that. I’m friendly!"

Before Theo could react, she bolted after him, weaving through the sitting room, dodging chairs and tables as if the furniture didn’t exist.

"Laila! Stop—wait—" Theo shouted, trying to run away from.

From the chair to the dining area, she chased him relentlessly with a triumphant giggle. Finally she caught him and wrapped her arms around him, dragging them both to the floor.

They tumbled, rolling across the carpet in a chaotic mess, Laila clinging tightly on him while Theo screamed utterly helpless.

"I’M BEING MURDERED!" Theo screamed. Laila just laughed uncontrollably, completely unbothered by his protests.

Rhydric and Azrael, standing nearby, just stared, one eyebrow raised each, trying not to laugh at the ridiculousness unfolding before them.

Laila finally pulled back just enough to grin at Theo. "See? Nothing to worry about. I’m gentle... mostly."

Theo, lying on the floor, hair messy and face red, groaned. "I need a vacation... from you."

Athena, watching from the doorway, bit her lip to keep her jealousy hidden as she looked at them.

Who is she? she thought, eyes darting between Laila and Theo. First she’s on Rhydric, now Theo too...

She shook her head, trying to steady herself, and her gaze landed on Azrael. He was already looking away, walking back toward the stairs like he didn’t want to look at her at all.

She ran after him, calling out, "Wait! Please!"

But he didn’t stop. He just kept walking, his posture stiff and his shoulders tense, .

Rhydric leaned against the wall, arms crossed, observing them with silence, staying out of their mess.

Determined, Athena reached out and grabbed Azrael’s hand. He immediately jerked it away, his red eyes flashing. "Stop it, you’ve done enough" he snapped, voice low but edged with anger.

Athena froze, hurt flashing across her face, but she held his gaze. "Azrael... please, just listen."

He shook his head, taking a step back. "I don’t want to hear it right now."

Her chest tightened, but she didn’t let go. "You can’t just walk away, I need you to hear me!"

Azrael’s jaw clenched. "And I need you to understand... I can’t do this anymore."

Athena’s hands trembled slightly, her frustration mixing with the fear of losing him. "Then don’t... don’t shut me out!"

Azrael ran a hand down his face, his voice tight with barely-contained emotion. "What... what do you want, then?"

From the side, Laila leaned toward Theo, elbowing him. "Who is she?"

Theo glanced at her, arching a brow. "Ahem... she’s his girlfriend. Athena."

"Ohhh," Laila said, eyes widening as she connected the dots. "So she’s the Athena... the one who got mated to Azrael and left my brother broken?" Her tone was curious, not angry.

Theo just glanced at her, a small smile tugging at his lips. "So?"

Laila’s eyes sparkled, clearly entertained. "So... I get it now. So she’s the beauty who has been messing with all of you head?"

"Just... let’s just talk like the couple that we are," Athena said softly.

Azrael’s jaw clenched, his teeth grinding together. "And risk losing my mind?" His voice dropped, raw. "Every time I look at you, Athena, I lose it."

Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision. Her chest tightened as the words sank in.

"Do you... do you want to break up with me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Azrael froze. "I don’t know..." he admitted hoarsely.

That was worse than a yes.

Athena sucked in a shaky breath, a tear slipping down her cheek. "You don’t know," she repeated, a broken laugh escaping her. "So I’m just... what? Something you can’t handle but can’t let go of either?"

He looked at her and the pain in her eyes nearly undid him.

"It’s not that simple," he said, frustration bleeding into his tone. "You’re my mate, Athena. You’re everything to me. But every time I think about sharing you, about not being enough, feel like I’m tearing apart from the inside."

"So you’d rather push me away?" she asked, wiping her tears angrily. "Because that hurts too, Azrael. It hurts like hell."

Silence fell between them.

From the side, Laila’s playful expression had completely faded. Even Theo wasn’t smiling now.

Azrael swallowed hard. "I don’t want to lose you," he said quietly. "I just don’t know how to survive this."

Athena stepped back, her heart aching. "Then figure it out," she whispered. "Because I can’t keep begging you to love me."

Her words broke something in him. He groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Fine. Let’s talk," Azrael said tightly.

Before Athena could react, he bent and scooped her up in a bridal carry.

"Azrael—!" she gasped, instinctively clutching his shoulder as he turned and headed for the stairs.

Laila burst into loud laughter. "Yeahhh, that’s definitely the best way to talk it out," she said, wiping imaginary tears from her eyes. "I bet you if they fuck like crazy, it’ll all be solved."

Theo laughed despite himself, a flicker of jealousy passing through his eyes. "She’s not wrong," he muttered.

Rhydric shook his head, lips twitching. "Language, girl."

Laila grinned unapologetically. "What? I’m just being realistic."

Upstairs, Azrael kicked the door shut behind them and gently set Athena on the bed. He leaned down and kissed her, hard, desperate, like he was trying to silence every thought in his head.

Athena gasped softly, the intensity stealing her breath. Her toes curled as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, kissing him back just as fiercely.

He broke the kiss abruptly, his forehead resting against hers as he whispered.

"This is the reason I don’t want to talk it out privately."

His thumb brushed her jaw as his heart ached. "Because there’s nothing to talk about."

"Aza..." Athena whispered.

He pressed his fingers softly to her lips, cutting the word off before it could fully form. "Shh... baby."

The word hit her harder than anything else he’d said. Her breath stuttered, and her hands fisted in his shirt as if it was the only thing keeping her steady.

He leaned in, resting his forehead against hers again as he shut his eyes like he was fighting something inside himself. "If you start talking," he murmured, "I’ll start doubting. And if I doubt... I pull away."

Her lashes fluttered as a tear slipped free. "I don’t want you to pull away."

"I know," he said immediately, opening his eyes to look at her. "And I don’t plan to."

He brushed the tear away with his thumb, slowly. "Every time I think I’m losing you, it feels like my chest is being torn open. So no..." he shook his head faintly, "—we’re not talking this out. Atleast not today."

Athena swallowed, nodding. "Okay."

Without hesitation, he leaned in and captured her lips in his.

She gasped softly into his mouth, surprised by the sudden intensity, and her hands came up on instinct, one gripping his shirt, the other pressing against his chest like she needed to steady herself.

His lips moved against hers with a urgency as his thoughts became wild, thinking about how he wanted to devour her until she’s screaming beneath him.

A small sound slipped from her throat before she could stop it. And that did dangerous things to his body.

His breathing turned rough, warm against her cheek, and his hand slid to her waist, fingers tightening just enough to make her stomach flip. It felt like her chest was too full, like she couldn’t pull in enough air, and when she tried, it came out shaky.

Her knees felt weak even lying down. Her hands traced up his arms as her tongue fluttered into his mouth and he groaned.