Deadly Nightshade MXMXM

XXXII

Azrael's pulse pounded in his ears as he marched through the pack house, pulling the trembling rogue omega along with him. The stares, the whispers—none of it fazed him anymore. Not after everything he had endured. But as they neared the main entrance, a heavy, oppressive presence filled the air, stopping him dead in his tracks.

The alpha stood there, his imposing figure blocking their path. His gaze flickered over the omega and then landed squarely on Azrael, his eyes narrowing with barely concealed fury. The tension in the air grew thick, suffocating.

"What do you think you're doing with this rogue?" the alpha's voice boomed, loud enough that the pack members who had gathered fell silent.

Azrael's anger, which had been simmering just beneath the surface, suddenly ignited. He had tried to remain calm, tried to hold it all together, but this... this was too much.

"Is this how an alpha acts?" Azrael shouted back, his voice full of venom and defiance. "Is this how you treat someone who's an outsider? Just because someone is a rogue doesn't mean they're evil or a threat. Circumstances make people rogues, not choice. Some are born into it, some are forced into it by alphas like you!"

The crowd held their breath. No one ever spoke to the alpha that way. The pack's leader stood frozen for a moment, his face a mask of rage as Azrael's words sank in. But instead of responding immediately, the alpha's lips curled into a dangerous smile. His eyes gleamed with something dark, and then Azrael felt it—a wave of pheromones crashing over him like a tidal wave.

Azrael's body reacted instantly. His muscles tensed, his breath hitched in his throat, and for a split second, he felt the overwhelming urge to submit. His legs wobbled, and a shiver raced down his spine. But Azrael refused to give in. He grit his teeth, digging his nails into the palm of his hands so hard he felt the skin break, but the pain kept him grounded. I won't bow to this. I'm not some pawn.

Beside him, the omega wasn't so lucky. The boy whimpered softly, his body shaking uncontrollably as he instinctively bared his neck to the alpha in a desperate plea for mercy. The sight of it—this omega, so fragile, so helpless—fueled Azrael's rage even further.

"You think you can intimidate me?" Azrael growled, his voice low but full of fury. His body trembled under the alpha's oppressive pheromones, but he refused to break. "Do your worst, but I will not submit to you."

The alpha's eyes burned with fury, but there was also something else—amusement. He took a slow, deliberate step forward, towering over Azrael. "I don't know what my sons see in you," the alpha said, his voice dripping with disdain. "But mark my words, you're nothing but a passing amusement. Temporary. Remember that."

Azrael met the alpha's gaze head-on, his heart thundering in his chest. "We shall see," he said through clenched teeth. "Now, if you're done, I'll be on my way."

The alpha's nostrils flared, but he said nothing as Azrael pulled the omega along, making his way toward the twins' quarters. His heart was still racing, the adrenaline still pumping through his veins, but the moment he stepped through the door and shut it behind him, a wave of exhaustion washed over him. The omega was still trembling, his eyes wide with fear.

Azrael approached him slowly, his voice soft, careful not to startle him. "Hey... it's okay now. You're safe. What's your name?"

The omega's lips trembled as he tried to speak. "I-I'm... Ren," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

"Ren," Azrael repeated gently. He drew a bath, the steam rising in the dimly lit room as he helped Ren settle into the warm water. The omega sighed in relief, his body finally relaxing for the first time since they'd met.

But Azrael's respite was short-lived.

The door to the room burst open with a force that made it slam against the wall, and there stood Lucien and Kieran, fury blazing in their eyes. Their presence filled the room with raw, intense energy. They stalked toward Azrael like predators, their bodies tense with rage.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Lucien demanded, his voice a dangerous growl. "Bringing another male here, into our quarters?"

Azrael's eyes flicked between the twins, heart pounding. He knew the tension had reached its breaking point. They were angry—no, livid—but it was deeper than just this. Everything had been building, and this was the spark that would ignite it all.

He stepped back slowly, his hand brushing against the bed until his fingers found what he had been looking for—a gun, carefully hidden there when they first arrived. His hand wrapped around the cold metal, and in one swift motion, he raised the weapon, pointing it directly at the twins.

"Don't come any closer," Azrael growled, his voice low and steady. "I will not hesitate to shoot you both if you take another step."

Lucien and Kieran froze in place, their eyes wide with a mixture of shock and disbelief. The tension in the room became unbearable, like a wire pulled too tight, ready to snap.

"Is this how you treat rogues? Is this what you think of people who are different from you?" Azrael's voice was full of anger, his hands shaking ever so slightly as he kept the gun trained on them. "I won't stand by and watch you hurt someone just because of their status. Rogue or not, Ren is under my protection. Mate or not, I'll kill you before I let you harm him."

Lucien's expression darkened, and Kieran took a slow step forward, but Azrael's grip on the gun tightened, his finger hovering dangerously close to the trigger. The tension was suffocating, the silence heavy, until finally, Kieran raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"You wouldn't," Kieran said, his voice low and full of warning.

Azrael's eyes burned with defiance. "Try me."

For a long, tense moment, no one moved. It was a standoff, the air thick with challenge and unspoken words. Then, finally, Lucien broke the silence with a slow, bitter chuckle.

"Fine," he said, his voice dripping with cold amusement.

Azrael didn't lower the gun, not even as the twins backed away toward the door, their eyes never leaving his. As they left, the room fell into an uneasy silence, broken only by the sound of Ren's quiet breathing from the bath.

Azrael stood there for a long moment, his body trembling from the adrenaline. He hadn't been bluffing. He would have shot them if it came to that.