Chapter Six: The Edge of Betrayal
878 Words
The blade was cool in Selene’s grip.
Her heartbeat pounded against her ribs, her breaths coming slow and measured.
Azrael lay before her—bare-chested, relaxed, completely unaware of the weapon poised over his heart.
This was her chance.
Her fingers trembled.
It would be so easy. One swift motion. One clean stab.
His warmth still clung to her skin, the scent of him still lingering in the air. Memories of last night wrapped around her like a cruel noose.
Her lips tingled from his kisses. Her body still ached from his touch.
She should have killed him before she ever let him touch her.
Selene swallowed hard.
Her hand hovered just inches from his chest. One move, and it would be over.
Her mission.
Her vengeance.
Her freedom.
But then—Azrael stirred.
Selene stiffened.
His breathing hitched—as if sensing something was wrong.
His arm twitched, fingers searching—
And then, he pulled her against him.
Selene froze.
The knife nearly slipped from her grasp.
Azrael buried his face in her hair, a deep, weary sigh escaping his lips. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist, as if anchoring himself to her.
“…You’re here,” he murmured.
Selene’s breath caught.
His voice was different—low, raw, vulnerable.
Azrael exhaled against her skin, holding her closer. His grip was firm, desperate.
Why?
“…You left me this morning,” he murmured, his lips brushing against her shoulder. “The bed was cold.”
Selene felt her heartbeat stutter.
“I hated it,” he confessed, his arms tightening. “I haven’t felt this alone in centuries.”
The knife slipped from her fingers.
It clattered against the sheets, forgotten.
Selene clenched her eyes shut.
What was she doing?
She had waited for this moment for so long. She had trained, fought, sacrificed everything to get close enough to strike him down.
But now—
She felt his warmth.
Felt his grip on her—not as a demon lord, not as her enemy, but as a man who had just wanted to wake up beside her.
Azrael held her like she was his only solace in a world of shadows.
And gods help her—she couldn’t do it.
Her hands, once so certain, curled into his chest instead of stabbing through it.
Her mission, her vengeance, her rage—they all shattered in an instant.
Azrael hummed in satisfaction, oblivious to the war raging inside her.
Selene had never felt so weak in her life.
—
Guilt & Chaos
The day passed in a haze.
Selene couldn’t shake the feeling of failure.
She had one chance. One moment. And she threw it away.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Azrael’s face—not the demon lord she had vowed to kill, but the man who had whispered his loneliness into her skin.
She hated this.
Hated that his warmth lingered.
Hated that when he kissed her temple before leaving for his duties, she didn’t push him away.
Hated that when he promised to return to bed early tonight, some stupid part of her actually wanted him to.
She was losing herself.
She needed to end this.
Tonight.
—
The Night That Changed Everything
Azrael returned late.
Selene lay in bed, forcing herself to breathe evenly, to remain still.
She felt the mattress dip as he joined her.
Then—a sigh.
A long, deep, exhausted sigh.
Azrael lay beside her, his warmth pressing against her back, but he didn’t reach for her this time.
For a long time, there was only silence.
Then, softly—
“…You’re awake, aren’t you?”
Selene’s breath hitched.
Azrael chuckled tiredly. “You always breathe faster when you pretend to sleep.”
Selene tensed.
Azrael shifted closer, his lips ghosting over her shoulder.
“You’re troubled.” His voice was quiet, unreadable.
Selene said nothing.
Azrael’s fingers brushed through her hair, gentle, slow, maddening.
“Do you regret last night?”
Selene swallowed hard. Regret?
She should. She really, really should.
But—
“…No,” she whispered before she could stop herself.
Azrael stilled.
Then—he moved.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
His arms slid around her waist. Pulled her back against him.
Selene gasped as his lips skimmed the curve of her neck.
Azrael wasn’t teasing this time.
He was testing.
His grip tightened—as if challenging her to push him away.
But she didn’t.
She couldn’t.
Azrael’s breath fanned against her ear. His voice dropped to a whisper.
“…Then what’s wrong, wife?”
Selene bit her lip.
She should tell him. She should tell him everything.
That she was here to kill him. That their marriage was a lie. That every kiss, every touch, was supposed to be a means to an end.
But the words wouldn’t come.
Because right now, Azrael wasn’t the Demon Lord she was meant to slay.
Right now, he was just a man holding onto her like she was his last remaining light.
And gods help her, she wanted to stay in his darkness a little longer.
Azrael pressed one last kiss to her neck, then sighed against her skin.
“Sleep, Selene.”
Selene clenched her eyes shut.
If only she could.
—
End of Chapter.
- Writer
