Azreal projected confidence as he strode through the corridors toward his room, his wings tucked tightly behind him. However, beneath that calmness, a knot of anxiety coiled tightly in his stomach. He was spending the night with Gabbi. The thought thrilled him, sending a strange mix of excitement and dread through his veins.
The anticipation of lying beside her quickened his pulse even though he knew there would be no actual mating tonight. No matter how much his instincts screamed at him to claim her, mark her as his, it was not happening. The only good thing he would end up with was a blue ball.
Mating with Gabbi would complicate everything. His people still didn't accept her, and they were looking for any excuse to end her. If they by chance felt threatened, or felt she might betray them, they wouldn't hesitate to act. Mating with her now would bind him to her irrevocably, leaving him vulnerable if anything went wrong.
