Daughter of oblivion: Claimed by four alpha(s)-Chapter 188 - 186: I trust you

She was human. Fragile in ways his kind would never be. She couldn’t heal the way he could. Couldn’t endure a fraction of what he had been forced to endure growing up under this man’s shadow. And Azrael knew his father better than anyone, knew how far he would go to prove dominance, to remind the world that his power was absolute.

And worst of all... his father would use whatever weakness he sensed.

So Azrael buried his fear. Buried the truth that the thought of her screaming, breaking, bleeding because of him made something inside his chest fracture.

The Moon Goddess herself could descend from the heavens, Azrael would never admit that fear.

Never let this man know his weakness.

"Scared?" he repeated softly, tilting his head. "No."

He took another step forward, placing himself fully between his father and Athena. "I just finally learned the difference between fear and restraint."

His father’s eyes narrowed slightly. Azrael’s smile sharpened. "And trust me," he continued, voice smooth as polished steel, "if I were scared... you wouldn’t still be sitting so comfortably in my room."

Without blinking, Azrael’s said. "Now get out."

The command dropped into the room like a bomb.

His father’s smile widened as his gaze slid past Azrael, until it landed on Athena.

"So," he murmured, voice smooth and poisonous, "this is the little human who has you shaking in your bones."

Azrael lost it as a terrifying growled escaped him.

Without thinking twice, he raised his hand at his father and water swirled violently around it. In the next heartbeat, a water blade formed.

Before his father could finish another word,

Azrael moved.

The water blade sliced through the air and cut through the skin of his father’s cheek. Blood poured freely from his cheek.

She screamed. "Azrael!"

Azrael’s entire body shook as rage tore through him like wildfire. His chest heaved, claws threatening to rip free, eyes flickering from red to blue, red to blue.

He looked like he was about to tear the world apart. But his father only laughed.

He lifted his fingers and wiped the blood from his cheek. He stared at it for a moment, then smiled... satisfied.

"There it is," he said softly. "That power." His eyes gleamed with something dark and pleased. "You didn’t disappoint me, son."

Azrael took a step forward, ready to finish it.

But his father’s body began to dissolve into liquid.

"We’ll talk again," his voice echoed faintly as he vanished. "About her."

Silence crashed down the room.

The moment the presence was gone, the rage drained out of Azrael like water from shattered glass.

Athena moved instantly. She stepped into his line of sight, and the second he saw her, something inside him broke.

Azrael pulled her into him violently, slamming her against his chest, his arms locking around her so tightly she could barely breathe. His hands trembled as they pressed into her back, as if letting go might cause her to disappear.

Athena gasped but didn’t fight it. She wrapped her arms around him just as tightly, burying her face into his chest.

"I’ve got you," she whispered shakily. "I’m here."

Azrael didn’t loosen his grip. If anything, his arms tightened even more, locking Athena against him like she was the only solid thing left in the world. His chin pressed into her hair, his breath uneven against her scalp.

"A–Azrael..." Athena’s voice came out muffled against his chest. She squirmed a little, then huffed. "You’re... kind of... killing me."

He froze.

Then a shaky breath escaped him. "Sorry," he murmured hoarsely, easing his hold just a fraction to make her breathe.

She sucked in air dramatically. "Wow," she said, deadpan. "So this is how I die? Crushed to death by an overprotective werewolf boyfriend?"

That made Azrael let out a short, breathless chuckle, his forehead dropping to rest against hers. "Don’t joke about that," he said softly, though the corner of his mouth twitched.

Still, he didn’t fully release her. One arm stayed firm around her waist, anchoring her to him like a promise he refused to break.

"I’ll protect you," he murmured, the words spilling out like a vow he couldn’t stop repeating. "No matter what. No matter who comes after you. I don’t care if it’s him, or the council, or the entire damned world, I’ll protect you. I’ll hide you if I have to. Fight if I have to. Kill if I have to..."

"Azrael..." Athena lifted her head, her eyes catching his.

He kept going, almost ranting. "I won’t let anyone touch you. I won’t let him even breathe near you again. I swear it. I swear I’ll..."

She reached up and grabbed his face firmly, forcing him to look at her.

"Azrael," she said quietly. His words died on his lips.

"I know," she said, her voice steady, unwavering. "I trust you."

He shook his head immediately, anguish flashing across his face. "You don’t understand," he said, voice rough. "You don’t know how far that man can go. You don’t know what he’s capable of." His jaw clenched. "And you’re human, Athena. Human. You’re the first human to ever mate with a werewolf in entire history. Do you have any idea how much attention that draws? How many eyes are on you now?"

Athena didn’t flinch at all. She just looked at him. "I trust you," she repeated simply. "I know you’ll protect me."

Without hesitation, he pulled her back into his arms, this time gentler, careful not to crush her whole.

She laughed softly against his chest. "See?" she teased. "Much better. Still tight... but at least I can breathe."

A breath of amusement escaped him, warm against her hair. "I love you." he murmured.

"Mm," she replied, hugging him back just as tightly. "I love you too."

Azrael closed his eyes, holding her like the world could end outside those walls and he wouldn’t care, as long as she was still right there in his arms.