Azriel silently walks next to his mate. His shadows skittered back against the sound of their shoes tapping against the stone floors. Even his shadows calmed at her presence, content to lounge around on his shoulders and wrap around his wings after being on edge for the days she’d be gone.

Playfully, his shadows peek around his wings to get a look at her hair that fell below her waist line, dangling at her sides. She was objectively beautiful but to him she was the most beautiful female in all of the night court.

She clutched her hand in pain after being captured by the King of Hybern. As he looks at her his eyes immediately soften and a protective shadow of his wraps around her waist, resting against her lower back in a comforting manner.

“It’s okay, your home now. Nothing can touch you here.” Azriel says softly.

When she was captured Azriel went to find her, throwing his logical sense out the door and acting on pure impulse. Yet, he still didn’t have the courage to tell her she was his mate.