Daughter of oblivion: Claimed by four alpha(s)-Chapter 181 - 179: Awfully calm
She could feel the woman’s judgment radiating through the tiny space.
Azrael leaned down slightly, his lips brushing Athena’s ear as he murmured, far too amused, "Breathe, kitten. You’re going to combust."
She pinched his side, mortified. "This is not funny," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "She thinks we’re...oh my God..."
"She knows," he corrected softly, unapologetic.
Her grip tightened. "Azrael."
He smiled slowly, utterly unrepentant and kissed her temple. "Relax. We didn’t do anything illegal."
The woman sniffed. Loudly. "In my day," she muttered, "people had decency."
Azrael finally glanced at her, polite but cold. "In your day," he said calmly, "people minded their business."
Athena’s eyes widened in horror. "Azrael..."
The woman gasped like she’d been personally attacked, clutching her purse tighter as if Athena might corrupt it by proximity. "Unbelievable," she muttered.
The elevator dinged. And the doors slid open, and the woman stepped out stiffly, casting them one last look of pure scandal before huffing away.
The moment the doors closed again, Athena let out a strangled groan and buried her face fully into Azrael’s chest.
"I am never going outside again," she muffled. "Ever. I’m retiring. I live in this elevator now."
Azrael laughed softly, wrapping both arms around her, chin resting atop her head. "That bad, huh?"
"She looked at me like I was a crime," Athena whined.
He tilted her chin up gently, amusement softening into something tender as he took in her flushed cheeks and flustered eyes.
"Hey," he murmured, brushing his thumb over her cheek. "You’re adorable when you’re embarrassed."
She groaned again. "You are the worst."
He said, kissing her nose, "you were kissing me back just fine five seconds ago, remember?"
Athena huffed, then peeked up at him, lips twitching despite herself. "Next time," she warned, "we wait until we’re inside the room."
Azrael’s smile turned slow and dangerous. "Next time," he said softly, "I’ll make sure there’s no elevator."
Her heart skipped at that. "...Azrael."
He chuckled, holding her closer, while Athena tried, and failed to calm her racing heart.
The moment they stepped out of the elevator and into the private space, Athena gasped.
She stopped walking altogether.
Her fingers tightened around Azrael’s hand as her eyes slowly took everything in, the floor blanketed with deep red rose petals, glossy red balloons floating softly above, their ribbons swaying gently as if the room itself was breathing.
The air smelled faintly of roses and champagne, rich and intoxicating. At the center of it all sat a small, elegant table dressed in white, two chairs facing each other, a chilled bottle of champagne nestled beside two crystal glasses, and fresh flowers placed carefully like the final brushstroke on a masterpiece.
For a moment, Athena forgot how to speak.
Her lips parted in awe, chest rising as emotion flooded her all at once. Something dangerously close to tears. No one had ever done something like this for her, and it made her feel so special and loved.
"Azrael..." she breathed, barely above a whisper.
Instead of saying anything, she pulled him with her, dragging him toward the table like a child discovering magic for the first time. Her smile was radiant, glowing brighter than the soft lights above them.
She reached the table, and carefully, she picked it up and turned back to him, offering it like it was something sacred.
"For me?" she asked, even though the answer was obvious.
Azrael chuckled softly and nodded. "Always."
Athena’s smile softening as she brought the flowers to her face and inhaled deeply. She let out a small, pleased sniffle, her eyes fluttering shut for half a second.
Azrael moved behind her, and quietly pulling out her chair before she could even think about it. His hand brushed her lower back lightly as he guided her down, and she sat, still looking around like she was afraid the entire scene might disappear if she blinked too hard.
He walked around the table and took his own seat, but his attention never left her.
The dim lighting wrapped around Athena like a lover of its own. The soft light in the room softened her features. The glow catching in her eyes, kissing her skin. Azrael found himself staring, completely undone. His gaze drifted to her lips, slightly swollen, a little messy from what they’d been doing just minutes ago, then to her neck exactly where the the was.
A slow, satisfied smile curved his lips. And, Athena caught it. She tilted her head slightly, brows knitting together as she looked at him over the flowers in her hands. "Why are you smiling like that?" she asked, suspicion laced with amusement.
Azrael leaned back just a little, completely at ease, eyes warm and unreadable. "Nothing," he said simply, the smile never leaving his face.
Athena narrowed her eyes, unconvinced, but her lips twitched upward anyway, her heart fluttering as she looked back at the roses, then at the room.
Athena lowered the bouquet slowly, still smiling, like she’d stepped into a dream she didn’t want to wake up from.
"You did all this," she said softly, finally meeting his eyes again. It wasn’t a question, more like she was trying to wrap her head around it.
Azrael shrugged lightly, as if it were nothing, though his gaze never left her. "I wanted tonight to be just special."
Her throat tightened a little at that.
She looked around once more, then back at him, shaking her head in disbelief. "You’re going to spoil me," she said, half-joking, half-serious. "I won’t survive going back to normal life after this."
A low chuckle left him. "Good," he replied. "That’s the plan."
Athena laughed, the sound soft and warm. She rested her elbows lightly on the table, her chin propped on her hands, studying him now the way he had been studying her.
"You’re awfully calm for someone who just nearly got caught making out in an elevator," she teased.
Azrael smirked, reaching for the champagne and pouring slowly into the glasses. "I wasn’t the one clinging to me like a startled kitten."
