Bloodbound to the Witch Heir: Claimed By Four

Chapter 40: _What Darkness Hides

Celeste’s POV

*****

I gawked speechlessly at Azrael after his little speech.

What was I supposed to say after all of that?

The man literally told me he was avoiding me for my own safety. Whatever the heck that meant. Now he was here, breaking his own rules because... Because he couldn’t leave me alone.

Without giving him space to come into the room, I whispered. "W–Why?"

His brows furrowed slightly so I continued.

"Why are you doing this to me?" My voice cracked and I hated that. "You’ve been there before the bond. Almost like it’s fate... Because it is. Since that night you saved me in the forest I’ve seen you as nothing but a saviour."

He tried to speak up. "Celes—"

"And then when I finally get the chance to get close to you," I raised a finger, trying to keep calm. "You basically rejected me. Made me feel like my kiss was venom you had no business tasting. Now you’re here talking about... What the heck is this, Azrael?"

People lingered around the hallway to my right—mostly girls giggling about some stupid stuff. But I didn’t care if they saw Azrael standing here— fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

—Okay, that’s a lie. My fingers were shaking at the thought of the scandal blowing up more than it already has.

I hated attention. Especially one like this.

"You’ve got it all wrong, little miss." Azrael took a step closer, setting his foot against my door’s edge. So I couldn’t shut it on his beautiful face. "Let me inside."

He didn’t ask. He just let it out there. Like he knew I’d do exactly as he said.

Well, jokes on him. I—Gods, who am I kidding?

Without a word, I reached out, grabbing his wrist and pulling him inside. After shutting the door behind me, I whipped my neck to him. "Alright, why are you here? Is it because of the pic? Willow’s not going to be back till nine so we’ve got time to talk and—"

He didn’t let me finish.

In a second, he was before me, head lowered until our noses nearly touched. I gasped, freezing as I stared at his face. Unable to look away.

"You said I... Rejected you?" He murmured absentmindedly, right hand threading strands of my hair.

His voice was low and deep, reverberating through my core like a lullaby. Except this lullaby wasn’t putting me to sleep. It awakened every feeling I’ve hidden since the kiss.

"I..." I swallowed hard. "That’s how it felt. You—"

"I never did, little miss," his fingers found my chin, keeping my head in place. "Quite the opposite actually."

The air between us thrummed with nothing but silence.

Suddenly, the room’s darkness no longer felt lonely. It felt seductive.

And the worst part was that Azrael wasn’t trying to seduce.

"I’m accepting you, Celeste." His voice came after several seconds. "That’s what unsettles me. I’d be foolish to reject you."

Slowly, he withdrew his fingers from my chin.

I blinked, watching as he took a couple of steps back, hands at his side.

No one said anything for an excruciatingly long time. We just stood there, staring at each other. Yet I could feel his restraint. I could see it with the way he kept his hands to himself.

But what I couldn’t understand was... What could make a man like Azrael Vaelmont hold back?

Clicking my tongue, I looked straight into those black sunglasses. "Giving me space... It is a choice. One that I never made. One that you made for us."

His expression shifted at the word "choice". It was subtle and quick but I noticed.

Ignoring it, I went on. "I’m tired of people in my life making choices for me. I didn’t ask for your ’protection’. Certainly didn’t ask to be shielded from whatever chaos you think you have—"

"Think?" He repeated. "Little miss, it’s not a thought. It’s an inevitable fact."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." I couldn’t hold back the snark in my voice. "A fact you’ve kept vague to me. You’re hiding something, Azrael. I don’t know what or why but that’s not going to work if we’re... If we’re ever going to work out."

Gods, was I being delusional right now? Did I sound desperate? Was the bond spiking my emotions?

Why did it seem to affect me more than my other mates?

"You see, Celeste," Azrael stayed calm. "People fear the dark for a variety of reasons. One that sticks is the fear of the unknown. Fear of what that darkness hides."

Pausing for a breath, an eyebrow arched over his glasses. "You don’t need to know everything. Ignorance right now is protection."

"And what if I don’t want the darkness?" I took a daring step forward. "What if I want to turn on the lights and uncover everything it’s hiding?"

For the first time since he showed up at my door, his lips curved into a smile. "Bold. But you need to know... If I chose to follow the flow of the bond. To actively claim you." Tilting his head, his voice lowered beyond a whisper. "Do you think you won’t flee back to the darkness’ protection?"

All this back and forth was beginning to get on my fucking nerves.

No one told me mate bonds were going to be so... Complicated. Or is it because I’m mated to four—sorry, three and a half?

Answering Azrael with a "yes" seemed like the easiest thing to do.

Yet I didn’t.

Instead, my gaze narrowed on his glasses.

Hesitantly, I raised my right hand. He didn’t flinch, letting my fingers caress the cool edges. Then—

—I took it off.

I thought he’d grab my hand. Maybe warn me the same way Silas did when I tried touching his tattoo.

He did none of that.

When those fiery coal-red eyes graced my vision, time sizzled away like smoke. His pupils dilated, as if they hadn’t felt anything outside those glasses for aeons.

"Now tell me..." I placed my right hand on his cheek, caressing tenderly. "Why would I need protection from someone so beautiful?"

Those words left my mouth before I could stop them. But I didn’t care. I was tired of hiding my feelings.

My breathing became heavy, fingers itching for something more. Azrael didn’t speak. He just pulled toward me, the warmth of his breath hitting my face.

We were going to kiss. Or... Maybe something more. Hopefully something more.

Sadly—

Heat suddenly pulsed from the bracelet around my right wrist, making me gasp. I brought my gaze to it, brows furrowing.

Atlas’s summoning bracelet...

"Celeste?" A knock sounded from the other end of the door.

Atlas.

I ran to the door when I felt the urgency behind his voice. Upon opening it, Atlas waltzed in with a grim expression, chest rising and falling like he’d been chased.

"I..." A shuddered huff left him. "I discovered something while investigating Miss Benedicta’s supposed funeral. Something unsettling."

Fuck.

Just what I needed right now.

More trouble.