AZRIEL'S POV
One week had passed since he had "came back to life." One week spent with his mate, getting to know her better, falling for her even more.
They had spent most of their time working or getting to know their bodies better.
Morning soft kisses would turn into Gwyn heavily panting astride Azriel, both of them utterly spent. Stolen kisses up against walls, chairs, and counters during the day. Late night kisses starting off heavily, eager, and urgent ending in soft passionate kisses. All of this with their clothes fully on, despite him being occasionally shirtless. His want for Gwyn only grew with each kiss, expanding and expanding.
He was surprised at first how comfortable Gwyn was being so close to a male. When she had told him she had no problem touching him, he felt a weight lifted off his shoulders, one he didn't know he had on. His scars had always defined him but Gwyn saw past the scars, saw past him being a bastard.
When she had told him that she was still afraid fo be touched, he was not shocked. He wanted to go back and kill those Hybern soldiers again, but with a slow, agonizing death they deserved.
He was glad she trusted him, chose him to help her break down those barriers. No matter how long it took, Azriel would be with her.
In that one week when he had not spent time with Gwyn, he had used the small libraries of the Spring Court to research carranam. He has only found one book that had mentioned it, but the information was too vague for him to confirm if carranam was truly what Gwyn and Azriel shared.
Their time together was calm and unrushed....
That was until Nesta had knocked on the manors hall.
They were sitting at a couch in the library when she arrived. Gwyn's legs draped across Azriel's lap. Both reading their own books and by the looks—and smell— of it, Gwyn's book was much more interesting than his.
Setting the book down at the stand next
to the couch, Azriel spoke, "What are you reading?"
Her flustered face only burned even more. "Nothing," she said far to quickly.
He chuckled silently as he shook his head. His shadows flowed to Gwyn and ripped the book from her hands.
"Shadowsinger," she protested as her own shadows fought against his. His shadows were stronger; five centuries of being trained, they took the novel and plucked it into Azriel's awaiting hands.
He opened up the page his shadows told him Gwyn was on.....
Nesta really did read some vulgar stuff.
Gwyn's shadows fighting to rip the book from his hands, but no avail. His mate then tried another way: by touching his wings.
Wicked, cool fingers scraped the inner ridges of his wing and he found himself biting back a groan.
Her shadows made another attempt to take the book, but Azriel held tight to it. He wanted to see how far the priestess would go to get back.
Another stroke of her fingers had him shifting his loose pants with one hand, but her shadows still weren't able to get the book.
Surprising Azriel, Gwyn moved quicker than he could process. She had ripped the book from his hands and was now straddling his lap, triumphant smile on her beautiful face.
Azriel soon forgot about the book as they both leaned in to kiss each other. But as their lips were an inch away, Nesta barreled into the library.
The eldest Archeron sister took in the scene in-front of her. A slow smirk spread through her sharp elegant face, her grey eyes softening as she looked at her chosen sister.
"I'm glad to know my books are helping you," Azriel felt Gwyn's embarrassment through the bond and he chocked back a laugh at the irony in Nesta's statement. "I'll be waiting outside for when you both are ready to talk." With that she closed the library door behind her.
Gwyn all but jumped from his lap, fixing the brown tight pants she had put on today. She was so flustered and Azriel loved seeing her this way.
She finished straightening herself out and gave one look to him.
"What are you doing?" She questioned as he stayed seated in couch.
"I'm waiting for you to finish," he leaned into hands that were now behind his head.
"I'm done," she gestured.
"Are you?" He asked as he stood from the couch. Without saying anything else, he clasped his hands on both sides of her face
and pulled her into a deep kiss.
She was shocked at first but then pulled away
quickly as she realized what he was trying to do.
"Just wait Shadowsinger," was all she mumbled as she walked hastily to her sister on the other side of the door.
Azriel didn't care to decipher what she said or what she meant.
Gwyn opened the hallway door to Nesta. Both sisters squealed as they wrapped their arms around each other.
Azriel saw Neata whisper something in his mate's ear, but when he went to sent a shadow to see what was said, it was blocked by her shadows.
The Valkyries pulled away not long after and the eldest Archeron walked to him.
But when she went to open her arms to him, a low growl filled the silence in the room. Through the bond, Azriel felt a flare of something fiery red and anger.
Nesta slowly turned to where the sound came from, to his mate. The look on his brother's mate was nothing short of amusement.
"And here I would have thought Azriel to be the most possessive mate," the Valkyrie mused.
Gwyn's emotions quickly shifted once more. To shame.
Stop it. You have no control over it, he spoke through bond.
I'm sorry, she apologized anyways. I don't know where it came from.
It's alright.... If anything, I like seeing you possessive.
"Hello," Nesta rolled her eyes. "Talk out loud, I'm not Rhys."
"Feeling left out Nes?" Azriel teased.
"Not at all Az, I think you forget I have a mate as well. We just know when to speak through the bond and when not to." Azriel had missed his short conversations with Nesta in the other world. She was the first person he considered to be a sister to him and he felt it was the same way vice versa.
He felt guilt trickle in through the bond and not wanting to prove Nesta right, he would have to ask Gwyn what that was about later.
"How is your mate? And how is our favorite Illyrian?" Gwyn asked, making Azriel raise a brow at her comment about who her favorite Illyrian was. She only shrugged in return.
"Cassian, well he is Cassian," he watched Nesta's face light up even more as she spoke about her mate. He was truly happy that his brother had finally found true happiness, his other half.
He could still recall when they first met Nesta and how Cassian had told him that he was going to marry her one day.
Of course, no one of them knew what Hybern plotted with the Archeron sisters, but Cassian got his happy ending. Azriel just yearned for that day where Gwyn would hopefully accept him, scars and all. But if it where to take an eternity, he would for her.
"Emerie is going to opening up another store in Velaris, but will be seeking different things. Rhysand was kind to buy the place where her store would be. She is beyond excited."
He could feel her happiness for her other sister.
"Well, I'll have to visit the new store when it opens," Gwyn said. "Would you like lunch?"
"No. I'm stuffed. I ate before Cassian flew me here, he wished to stay but his allergies."
Azriel failed to stifle his laugh, so did Gwyn. Nesta just rolled her eyes but let up a smile at her mate's seemingly only weakness.
"Did something happen that you needs to come here without any notice?" Gwyn's voice was laced with worry, her shadows were swirling quicker around her.
Nesta met Azriel's stares before looking back at his mate's teal eyes. "Yes. Tamlin is awake."