On Thin Ice: Azriel x OC

Chapter 16

Back at the townhouse, Azriel sat alone in the living room, waiting for Cassian to arrive home with Nova. When they had left, he endured all of the questions Mor had, he could see that she didn't want to be asking them, but too eager not to. She had left shortly after, mentioning something about meeting Feyre in town before leaving.

Azriel had then migrated to the living room, letting his shadows roam free, filling the corner of the room. He thought about everything Nova knew about him, back to the roof the night prior, how she made him feel after he told her his story.

Comfort, he felt when she had grabbed his scarred hand and interlaced their fingers. No one had ever made him feel that way about his hands, they all were sorry, gave him their gratitude, but no one ever understood. Nova's story wasn't nearly the same as his own, but she still treated him with sympathy and understanding, for everything they both have been through.  

Azriel wasn't lying when he told Cassian that he needed Nova for work purposes, he needed to see how ready she was to start working.

Rhys had given her a job, but with everything happening, he had Nova wait to start working. Azriel hated that with their jobs he wouldn't always be there to protect Nova, he just didn't want her to get hurt again.

"She's more than capable of protecting herself," Rhys said, bringing Azriel out of his thoughts, surprised that he didn't hear or sense Rhys entering the townhouse. He was distracted enough to miss the warning his shadows had given him.

Azriel quickly reigned in his shadows, Rhys walking over to sit on the couch across from where Azriel sat.

"Mates?", Rhys asked, having scented the mating bond before Azriel took control of himself.

Azriel gave a low laugh under his breath, "Did you figure it out or did I just give it away?"

"I assumed something was up yesterday, but apparently you don't hide it well when you're thinking about her." Rhys said before asking, "How long has it been?"

"Since the day she got here," Azriel replied, Rhys thought about everything that had happened since then, realizing some things that she did were not just for her protection, but to prevent the others from sensing their mating bond.

"I noticed she's been shielding herself more when she's around us, but I didn't think anything of it," Rhys paused, thinking before asking, "Can you go tomorrow?"

Azriel tensed, his shadows swirling around his body again, "To Winter?"

Rhys rubbed his temples, Azriel's tension matching with his own, "Yes, Alex would have been fired by now, and I don't want you sending Nova on missions without knowing what his situation is."

"I'll leave in the morning and I can be back before dinner," Azriel knew it would take a few hours to find everything he needed, but didn't want to stay for too long, or he'd end up hunting each one of those guards down to make them suffer for what they did to Nova.

He didn't even want to think about Alex, how much he wanted to tie him up and make him feel more pain than he could ever imagine. Or maybe he'd capture him and give all the knives to Nova, let her get revenge for what he did.

Rhys noticed the spike in anger, "I want you to look into her family."

"Well yeah, this is her brother we're talking about," Azriel said as confusion covered his face.

"No, I want you to look into the others, her parents and relatives," he continued when Azriel didn't respond, still confused, "Something's off. I don't know what it could be. And I have a feeling Nova doesn't know either."