Daughter of oblivion: Claimed by four alpha(s)-Chapter 79 - 78: Oliver would be worried sick...

Chapter 79: Chapter 78: Oliver would be worried sick...
Eryx’s gaze lingered on Athena for a long moment, the corner of his jaw twitching before he exhaled sharply and spoke, deliberately ignoring her last biting remark.
"Foolish woman," he muttered under his breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "I think we should solve this without hurting anybody."
Theo, who had been pacing near the wall, snapped his head toward him. "How?" His voice was tight, frustration seeping into every syllable. "Because the last time I checked, there’s no good way to fix something like this."
Before Eryx could reply, another voice cut through the tension calm, low but steady.
"Enough."
Rhydric.
Every eye turned to him. He hadn’t spoken since the chaos started, but the quiet authority in his tone silenced the room. His gaze was steady, unreadable as he stepped forward.
"Nobody is dying," he said firmly. "And no one’s wiping out memories."
Athena looked at him.
And for the first time since she’d opened her eyes in this strange room, she didn’t feel fear. Not even an ounce. The man who had ripped out another’s heart now stood before her, calm as the wind before a storm and somehow, her chest loosened. Maybe it was the conviction in his voice, or maybe... something else entirely.
Eryx nodded once, arms crossed. "Exactly."
Azrael gave a small nod in agreement beside him.
Theo rolled his eyes. "Great," he muttered. "Thank you all for making me the bad person here." He turned sharply and strode toward the door, slamming it behind him so hard the sound echoed through the room.
Athena flinched slightly but said nothing, watching his retreating figure until he was gone.
Rhydric’s voice brought her back. "Athena," he began, his tone softer now but carrying that same firm weight. "I know you saw what you weren’t supposed to see. And yes... that’s put you in danger. But everything Theo said, as harsh as it sounded was meant to protect you."
She blinked, her voice low and trembling. "By wiping out my memories?"
Rhydric’s gold-flecked eyes met hers. "If other werewolves find out about you, or worse if the Apex learns what you know, you’d wish we wiped them out. They don’t forgive loose ends."
Athena shook her head, tears gathering in her lashes. "I don’t care about any of that. Werewolves, Apex, or whatever monster parade you all are in. I just want to live my life the normal way." Her voice broke as her hand trembled at her side. "I already have enough on my plate. I don’t want to add more to it. My memories are mine. They’re all I have left of my dad, and no one..." her voice cracked harder, "no one can take that away from me. No one."
Her words fell heavy into the silence that followed.
And then the tears came. Quiet at first, then heavier, until her chest began to shake.
Azrael’s heart clenched at the sight. He stepped forward, his expression softening as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her gently into his chest. "Hey," he murmured, patting her back lightly. "Shh. It’s okay. You’re safe here. No one’s wiping out your brain, alright?"
She kept mumbling, her words broken through sobs. "He’s all I have left. I can’t lose that too... I can’t..."
Azrael kept holding her until her breathing slowed. His touch stayed careful and grounding.
Behind them, Eryx’s jaw tightened. He looked away, muttering something under his breath that no one caught. If he kept watching her crumble in Azrael’s arms, he might lose his damn mind.
When Athena finally calmed, Azrael eased her back, his hands still steady on her shoulders. He crouched a little, bringing himself to her level. His thumb brushed away the tears trailing down her cheeks as he tucked a strand of her white hair gently behind her ear.
"You’re not supposed to cry," he said quietly, his tone barely above a whisper. "Those blue eyes are too fragile for that."
Athena just stared at him. For a moment, all the air in the room felt heavier. Her heart raced, her pulse loud in her ears, and she didn’t even know why. Maybe it was the way his eyes softened when they met hers or how close he was. Maybe it was because, in that small moment of stillness, she almost forgot about the monsters in the room.
She almost forgot he was one of them.
Athena wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, forcing her breathing to even out. The silence that lingered between them felt fragile, stretched tight like a string ready to snap. Her voice came out quiet but steady this time.
"So..." she said, glancing between them. "Now that I know... what do you think we should do? What can I do?"
Azrael straightened, his calm composure returning. "Good," he said after a pause. "You’re asking the right question." He crossed his arms loosely, his tone softer now. "What you can do is simple...keep this to yourself. No one can know, Athena. Not a single person. Not even Felicia."
Athena blinked. "Felicia?"
"Especially her," Azrael confirmed, his voice deepening just slightly with emphasis. "She talks too much, and one wrong word could spread like wildfire. We can’t risk it."
Before she could reply, another voice chimed in, sharo and laced with something that almost sounded like jealousy.
"Not even your boyfriend," Eryx said from the corner, his tone carrying a mocking edge that made both Azrael and Rhydric glance his way.
The words hung in the air like smoke.
Athena turned to him, her brows furrowing. "You know him?" she asked, curiosity threading through her voice.
Eryx let out a dry, humorless chuckle as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "It wasn’t hard to tell," he said flatly. "When he was busy crushing you against him days ago."
The jab made her flinch slightly. Her gaze hardened. "You’re just a jealous wolf," she muttered, folding her arms over her chest.
Eryx’s grin faltered for half a second. Then, with a faint scoff, he turned toward the door. "If we have nothing left to say, I’ll take my leave."
The air seemed to shift as he walked out the heavy sound of his boots echoing down the hallway before the door closed behind him.
Rhydric followed a moment later. He gave Azrael a brief nod, then looked once at Athena, his expression unreadable.
The room fell silent again. Only she and Azrael remained.
Athena stared at the door for a long moment before murmuring, "Thank you."
Azrael leaned against the wall beside her, arms folded. "No need for that," he said simply. "You didn’t ask for any of this."
Her lips parted slightly as she looked up at him. "Still... you didn’t have to help me."
He tilted his head, studying her with those unreadable eyes. "You didn’t have to fight back either," he said quietly. "But you did."
That made her smile faintly, despite herself. "I guess we both did things we weren’t supposed to."
Azrael’s lips curved just barely. "Seems like it."
Athena let out a slow breath, brushing a hand through her hair. The room felt smaller now, quieter, too quiet. She could still feel the faint sting in her chest from earlier, but she refused to let it show.
"I need to leave," she said finally, her voice soft but certain. "Someone’s probably worried sick about me."
Azrael glanced at her from where he leaned against the wall, his expression unreadable but beneath it was a little bit of jealousy. "Your boyfriend?"
The question hit harder than she expected. She turned her head toward him, searching his face for emotion, for teasing or jealousy just like Eryx, for anything that would give him away. But there was nothing. His features stayed calm, smooth, unbothered, as if the word itself meant nothing to him.
Her lips parted, but she couldn’t find an answer right away. She stared down at her fingers instead, fidgeting with them like she could avoid the weight of his gaze.
"Yes," she said finally.
He gave a small nod, slowly. "You can’t go now."
She frowned. "What?"
"It’s the middle of the night," he said, his tone calm but firm. "You can leave tomorrow morning. I’ll drop you off myself."
Her brows knitted in protest. "No...Azrael, you don’t understand. Oliver will be worried sick. He doesn’t even know where I am. I don’t even know where my phone is."
He tilted his head slightly, unfazed by her panic. "It’s not safe outside," he said, that quiet authority threading through his words. "Not tonight. Especially not with what’s roaming around under the full moon."
She stared at him, searching his face again. He wasn’t bluffing. She didn’t doubt his words ones, not after that thing almost tore her apart. She couldn’t stop imagining her death assuming rhydric didn’t show up. Just the thought of it alone, twisted her stomach.
Oh lord Jesus help her.
Then, softer, he added, "You can borrow my phone if you want. Call him."