Daughter of oblivion: Claimed by four alpha(s)

Chapter 243 - 242: Silent mate bond

Armand leaned back, eyes narrowing as he considered. "I don’t know. If she truly likes you, maybe not... but if she’s just a trap, someone testing us, then we’re in deep shit. And I mean deep shit."

Alaric’s fists clenched, his knuckles white. "I—I can’t let anything happen. I don’t care how smart she is... I can’t let this spiral out of control."

Armand’s gaze sharpened, his tone edged with authority. "Then you stay vigilant. You control yourself, you control your instincts, and you don’t give her or anyone a reason to use this against us. Do you understand?"

Alaric’s chest tightened as he nodded, though his mind was still spinning. The worst part... the part that kept gnawing at him... was that she didn’t even look like she felt any pain. How did that happen? How could someone make this feel like pleasure instead of agony?

He ran a shaky hand down his face, trying to push the memory away, but it clawed its way back relentlessly, the way her smirk had danced across her lips, the confidence in her eyes, the intoxicating scent of her blood that had almost made him lose himself completely.

It unsettled him more than anything in the world.

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Azrael drove into Theodore’s compound like a madman.

The tires screamed as he braked too hard, the car skidding slightly before coming to a violent stop.

He didn’t bother turning off the engine properly, just shoved the door open and stormed inside,

"Theo!" he shouted.

Theodore, who was just coming down the stairs, froze, when Azrael appeared in the hall, pacing already, hands in his hair, fingers gripping and tugging like he might tear his own scalp open.

"Three days," he snarled, voice cracking as he spun on Theodore. "Three fucking days, Theo."

"Do you have any idea what that feels like?" Azrael demanded, laughter bubbling out hysterically. "Three days without my mate. Three days and not a single fucking trace."

He dragged both hands down his face, his pupils blown wide with panic and rage. "I can’t do this," he said, pacing again. "I can’t..." His fingers dug into his scalp. "I can’t touch her. I can’t kiss her. I can’t hear her heartbeat when she sleeps. I can’t feel her skin, her warmth—"

His voice broke completely then.

" And the worst of it all, I can’t even sense her."

The words came out strangled, like admitting it hurt more than anything else.

"I can’t smell her," he whispered hoarsely. "Can’t feel the bond pull. It’s like someone ripped half my soul out and left the wound open."

He turned suddenly, eyes blazing. "Do you know how wrong that is, Theo? A mate doesn’t just disappear. Not without a scream in the bond. Not without pain."

He laughed again as tears poured down freely from his eyes. "And that’s what’s driving me insane. I don’t know if she’s hurting. I don’t know if she’s scared. I don’t know if she’s calling for me and I’m not hearing it."

His chest heaved as he slammed a fist into the wall, the crack echoing through the compound.

"I’m losing my mind," he admitted, voice low and dangerous. "I wake up reaching for her even when she’s not there. I turn expecting her scent but receive none. Every second she’s gone feels like my skin is being peeled off."

He looked at Theo, and for the first time there was naked desperation in his eyes. "I’m about to go fucking nuts."

Theo didn’t know what to say, he could only stare at the calm and composed Azrael loose himself totally.

His jaw clenched, teeth grinding. "If I don’t find her soon... I don’t know what I’ll become."

Silence swallowed the room.

Theo exhaled slowly, forcing calm into his voice. "Azrael... you need to calm down."

The words barely landed, when Azrael’s jaw tightened, then his shoulders jerked. A shudder tore through him and in an instant, his body began to shake vigorously.

"I can’t," he said, but it came out broken.

The tremors worsened, spreading through his arms, his chest, his legs. His breathing turned erratic, like his lungs were forgetting how to work.

Theo stepped closer in pure panic. "Azrael, look at me. Breathe. You’re spiraling."

Azrael dragged a hand through his hair, fingers trembling uncontrollably. "She’s gone," he rasped. "Three days, Theo. Three days and I can’t feel her. I can’t feel my bond with her"

His knees buckled slightly, and Theo caught him by the arm, steadying him before he could fall.

"Hey bro calm down. Okay?"

"My body knows something’s wrong, Theo please" Azrael continued, voice shaking as hard as his hands. "It’s screaming at me to find her, to tear everything apart until I do and I can’t shut it off."

Theo tightened his grip. "Panicking won’t help you find her."

"Neither will sitting still while she’s out there."

Theo held him there, grounding him. "You’re not losing her," he said firmly. "You’re losing yourself. And if you fall apart now, you won’t be able to help her when we do find her."

Azrael squeezed his eyes shut as he burst into tears. And Theo hugged him tightly as he fought back his own tears.

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Two weeks later, and everything had turned upside down.

Azrael had wandered off into the woods, disappearing like a beast that had lost its mate and with her, his control. No one had seen him in days.

Eryx had become a walking volcano. Rage clung to him like a second skin, simmering just beneath the surface, ready to erupt at the slightest provocation. Even Laila, the bold, fearless Laila—didn’t dare approach him. One look at his eyes was enough to warn anyone away.

Rhydric, on the other hand, had shut himself off completely. He stayed locked inside his house, curtains drawn, doors unopened. He didn’t answer calls. Didn’t return messages. It was as if the world outside no longer existed to him.

Theodore, who had been the one holding everyone together—was starting to crack. The grounding presence they relied on was fading. He buried himself in work, drowned the silence in alcohol, anything to keep his mind occupied. But nothing worked. Hope slipped through his fingers no matter how tightly he tried to hold on.

Even the exam everybody was waiting for had ended without them participating.

And life moved on for everyone except them.

Athena’s friends too were worried. frantic. They had gone to the police, pushed for answers, begged for action. But there were no leads. No traces. Just an empty space where Athena used to be.

So all they could do was wait. And wait.

Unaware that somewhere far from where anyone was looking, Athena’s absence was tearing worlds apart, one broken soul at a time.