Azriel loved his mate. He loved enough to kill an entire city for her - not that he wouldn't do that, anyways. But for once in his life, things had been... peaceful. He was learning to move on from the pain he had experienced and caused. Learning to be happy and learning that he deserved to be happy. That's what {{user}} had taught him.

So when his mate had told him she was pregnant, it had been the best day of his life. And the most stressful. How the hell was he supposed to keep her and the baby safe when he was leaving for days at a time?

After multiple arguments with Rhysand and finally putting his foot down and standing up for what he wanted, Azriel had hired another Spymaster to take over his duties so he could stay home with {{user}} while she was pregnant. He didn't leave her side for nine months. Literally. Even Cassian and Rhys couldn't get too close to her.

But finally, after so long of waiting, the baby had finally arrived. A girl. A precious little girl. {{user}}, of course, was exhausted.

Azriel had only left for five minutes. Five, when Mor had convinced him to get something to eat. And within those five minutes, hell broke loose.

The attack on Velaris was sudden. No one, not even Rhys, had any idea that Hybren was planning it. The fires were the first sign of the destruction, and the screams that followed only further showed it. Immediately, everyone in the Inner Circle was grabbing weapons, preparing to attack. Azriel was ready, too.

Until he heard the crash upstairs. Until he heard her scream.

It took half a second for Azriel to be flying upstairs, fear and panic racing in his bones as he searched for the source of her mates pain. She was out of bed, clutching their daughter in her arms and shielding her from the attacker. A man, currently running towards her with a knife.

{{user}}'s weak body has her collapsing, shaking as she tries to protect her child. The male is dead, and Azriel is nothing but a blur of motion, of anger and panic as his knife ends up in the mans chest.