Azriel had waited centuries for this moment , the moment when he would finally be with his promised bride. He had been in deep slumber in the shadow realm, dreaming of her, her every moment of every waking day, what made her laugh or cry even her dirtiest secrets, if Raven was a course he would be a straight-A student.
This time around he hoped to be able to win not just her trust but her love as well, he felt himself being pulled from sleep as soon as the bond was activated, he had a similar mark around his cuff area completely hidden by the shirt he wore.
He was dressed all in black but his face remain hidden in the shadows, that was his life and his curse to bear , he could never fully be completely human until he was mated and wed to his bride.
He planned to do it the dubious way this time around, he would seduce her until she crawled to him, until all she could think of about was him, Until the mere mention of his name made her tingle with need, a devilish smirk overtook his features.
The bond irristably pulled him with the speed of light. One minute he was drifting, the next moment he stood at the edge of the Whitmore estate, cloaked in shadows that bent and twisted around him, hiding him from mortal eyes. From this vantage point, he watched the party unfold. The golden lights spilling from the mansion's windows illuminated the grounds, laughter and music carrying on the cool evening breeze. Inside, the Whitmore girl basked in her moment of glory, unaware of the storm brewing just beyond her perfect little world.
Raven.
Her name was a melody in his mind, a tether that had bound him to her from the moment she was born. He could feel her presence like a beacon, bright and unrelenting, even amidst the sea of mortals crowding the estate. Tonight, she would come of age. Tonight, the mark would awaken, and her destiny would be sealed. His destiny.
Azriel's lips curved into a slow smile as he imagined her reaction. Fear. Confusion. Perhaps even a flicker of desire though she wouldn't understand it yet. Not fully. The bond between them was ancient, forged long before her birth, and it pulsed with a power she couldn't begin to comprehend. But she would. Soon.
He stepped closer, silent as the night itself, his shadowy form melting into the darkness of the estate's gardens. From here, he could see the ballroom through the grand windows. Chandeliers sparkled like a thousand stars, casting a golden glow over the elegantly dressed guests. The humans mingled and laughed, oblivious to the predator in their midst.
And then, he saw her.
Raven descended the grand staircase, every inch the queen she was destined to become. Her gown, a deep red that shimmered like liquid fire, clung to her figure with an elegance that spoke of wealth and power. The gold embroidery caught the light with every step, and the ruby at her throat glowed as if it carried its own flame. She was radiant. A living flame wrapped in mortal flesh.
Azriel's chest tightened at the sight of her, a surge of possessive pride mingling with something darker, something primal. She was no longer the child he had quietly watched from the shadows all these years. She had grown into something exquisite, something powerful. And tonight, she would finally be his.
His gaze lingered on her as she moved through the crowd, smiling at her guests, accepting their praise with practiced grace. She looked confident, but he could feel the faint undercurrent of doubt in her. The yearning for something more. Something real.
You'll find it soon enough, little flame, he thought, his smile sharpening.
The clock was ticking. Midnight approached, and with it, the awakening of her birthmark the mark that bound her to him. Azriel could already feel its power stirring, a faint hum in the air that only he could sense. She would feel it soon. The burn. The ache. The undeniable pull toward him.
But for now, he waited. Watched.
As the party continued, he let his attention wander, studying the mortals who surrounded her. Her father, the mayor, stood tall and commanding, the perfect image of power and authority. Her mother, graceful and poised, never strayed far from her husband's side. And then there were her friends Marcy and Lila, their laughter ringing out as they danced and drank, blissfully unaware of the danger that loomed just beyond their glittering world.
Azriel's gaze returned to Raven. She was sipping champagne now, her lips curved into a soft smile as she watched her parents waltz across the ballroom floor. For a moment, she looked utterly content, so wonderfully innocent.But he knew better. Beneath that polished exterior, a fire burned wild and untamed, just waiting to be unleashed.
And he would be the one to ignite it.
As the clock struck midnight, the shift was almost imperceptible at first. A subtle tension in the air. A flicker of unease in Raven's posture as her hand moved to the back of her neck. Azriel felt it too the mark awakening, its power rippling through the bond that tied them together making him more real and less like a shadow.
She stumbled slightly, her glass slipping from her hand and shattering against the floor. The noise did not draw the attention of those around her, they were completely enraptured in the thrall he had unknowingly weaved. Azriel paid them no mind. His focus was solely on Raven as she turned and fled as if in pain, her movements frantic and unsteady.
He followed her, unseen, his steps silent as he glided through the shadows, his instinct was to catch her and soothe her, to protect her to take away anything that hurt her.
By the time she reached her bedroom, she was trembling, her breaths coming in shallow gasps. Azriel watched as she leaned against the door, her hand clutching her neck. The pain was written all over her face, and yet, even in her distress, she was breathtaking.
When she finally turned to the mirror, desperation in her eyes, he decided it was time.
"Finally, little flame," he murmured, his voice curling through the room like smoke. "You have come of age."
Her reaction was everything he had hoped for fear and confusion mixed with a spark of defiance. She spun around, her wide blue eyes locking onto the shadows as he stepped into the dim light.
"Who are you?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
He smiled, a slow, predatory curve of his lips. "I am Azriel," he said, his tone soft but laced with undeniable power. "And you, my darling, are mine."
The both stared at each other, the pain Raven was undergoing was momentarily forgotten as she stared at him in wonder, disbelief, she was pretty sure he was not among the guests she has invited to her party, the fact she could not see his face confirmed what she had long suspected, it was another one of those dreams she had always had as a kid.
She suddenly bursted into uncontrollably laughter, no you are not real, you are just a figment of my imagination, I am drunk , I wanted a date so badly that I invented one in my head, that doesn't even look human, what would my parents say if the found out a few glasses of champagne was turning their daughter not a raging mad woman.
Her eyes flickered from violet to blue it did that whenever she was undergoing strong emotion, Azriels form flickered, he had not yet been able to become completely physical, his form flickered, the woman be for him was the only being able to make him have a human body.
Suddenly she was falling and he rushed to her side and picked her up, amusement sparkling in his eyes, he had forgotten how utterly vulnerable human women could be, a sigh left his lips at how soft and pliant she was in her sleep.
A soft moan left her lips as she snuggled deeper into his warmth , snoring heavily he chuckled at that, she would definitely die from embarrassment if she found that that she had gotten drunk and fainted in the arms of a strange shadow man and not only that she had snored loudly at her own party.
He snapped his fingers and a clone of Raven stood before him and he gave her instructions to do everything Raven would do and return to the hallway by midnight and dissolve. The clone bowed deeply and began the assignment, his attention once again shifted to the girl in his arms.
He breathed in her wonderful scent and began stroll to her room, it looked just like he thought it would, it was the palest shade of pink , with roses scattered everywhere, there were glitters and glow in the dark stars.
The queen sized bed was made in the most beautiful satin sheet that was of course a deeper shade of pink than the walls of her room, there were all sorts of kinky books scattered everywhere, his little flame was rather disorganized.
Her underwear was scattered haphazardly in the room, her sex toy was literally displayed on the table for everyone to see and a naughty magazine lay on the table , the faint scent of her earlier activities still lingered in the room, Azriel breathed in deeply taking in her scent.
He felt his thought begin to shift from innocent to pure unadulterated arousal, the evidence of it was the huge tent in his trousers, how he wanted her, gently he lay her on the bed , he really wanted to leave but she muttered his name in her sleep and he knew he would not be going anywhere, he would stay by her side he was too powerless to resist her allure.
His eyes trailed the opening of her gown to where her pale , breast's lay in display for him, he began taking off her dress,she seemed quite uncomfortable in them anyway, with a snap of his finger she was laying completely naked before him and she was absolute perfection, everything he had ever dreamed of or wanted.
He leaned over and took her once again in his arms and he was in her mind, standing completely naked before him, her eyes were completely violet glowing so much that lightening bolt filtered across them. The girl that stood there was Raven but not quite.
One would have thought that after rejecting you for a hundred centuries , you would have given up and moved on but here you are after all this time still hunting me like some hunt dog.
"But I have moved on ma chérie , from what I can see here you are the one obsessing over me,interrupting my time with my woman". His tone held no fondness or anger it came out completely neutral.
"Your woman? that is me or at least a reincarnation of me and I would not let you have me not in this world or the next".
"You said it yourself sweetness a reincarnation of you, that means she isn't you and she is completely free to make her own decisions, you don't have to be involved in this"
"Am getting involved because you are a demon, you use people and manipulate them into doing your bidding and this poor thing is so innocent that you would totally shatter her and I am here to stop you, I would not let you ".
Why do you deem it fit to fight me so , ma chérie I have done nothing but to love you , to want you , to obsess over you, all I have ever wanted was for you to be my bride in every life time it has always been you".
"Never!, would I be your bride you fucker ?, you are evil you do not deserve to be in this realm , you deserve to be locked in the deepest darkest part of the dungeon , in the shadow realm, you tricked my people used them to free yourself and bounded yourself to me for eternity and now you claim to love me, do you even know the meaning of that word? ".
You didn't even consider the fact that I was engaged to that man, he was my childhood friend , my best friend, I loved him and I had no part in any of the pact you made, when I refused you , you murdered him right before my eyes , you are toxic, selfish son of a butch.
The woman before him was hysterical, he moved over to hold her and she screamed "don't you touch me you bloody murderer, you know what he meant to me and you killed him in every lifetime".
"Your family made a pact with me , I needed a bride to have my heirs and it had to be a human woman and they volunteered you, what was I supposed to do, "you could have demanded for anything else".
"ma chérie you know that's not how it works, the debt has to be paid and in full or the curse would never be broken, those are the rules, I cannot change that even if I wanted to".
The birthmark came alive again and it was the new Raven standing before him looking so innocent and confused "what am I doing here with you?". she blushed like crazy when she realized she was naked and used her hands to try and protect her modesty.
"You don't have to be shy around me little flame". He appeared behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist inhaling her scent as he whispered in her ear, his lips flitting to the birthmark and licking it, Raven moaned out loud again, her embarsssment flying out the window with the sensation he invoked in her she had experienced this before, when she had touched herself in her room right before her birthday party but never in this intensity.
Raven turned to look into his eyes but it was hidden by shadows but deep down she knew he would be am absolutely stunning man, his tongue flickered across her neck causing goose bumps to form on her skin, "Am I ever going to see your face?". The question was a soft whisper , but he heard it.
"You can only see my face the moment you agree to be my bride".
"You cannot be serious, I just turned eighteen and I have college and everything else, I haven't even dated or kissed anyone properly".
Azriel growled in response at her answer , "you could still go to school when we are married and the only person you would be going on a date with is me and I am damn well extremely serious about my proposal little flame , I would give you time to think about it, consider it".
He continued nibbling on her neck and she turned completely to face him her bosom bouncing from the exertion and his eyes was immediately drawn to her erect aereoles.
"May I kiss you little flame?"
Raven looked at him and nodded , it's not like men asked her out in real life so it must be another one of those wet dreams she usually had , so why not indulge herself, a moan left her lips as hers was claimed in a possessive kiss, suddenly she felt the floor melting away and she was once again on her bed.
Warm lips trailed her body to the nest of curls between her legs , a sigh left her lips when she felt warm breath fan across her core, but he did not move. She raised her hips slightly to meet his lips but his firm hand on her tummy stopped her.
"I think this is where you have to ask me politely to pleasure you little flame, you want that don't you?"
Raven nodded her face flaming from embarrassment and tremors rocking her body from the pleasure he gave her, his grip tightened on her thigh almost to the point where it was painful, she knew she might likely bruise but didn't stop him.
"you have to use your words little one or I would call off this session".
Why are you being so mean this is not even real Raven informed him and Azriel chucked at that , she was milliseconds close to throwing a tantrum or having a complete melt down.
Azriel ignored her cute pouty face, "let's begin again, ask me politely to pleasure you". She looked up at him, eyes completely violet, Azriel knew that it was the old Raven looking right at him, from the look in her eyes to the smirk on her lips, his eyes grew hard and suddenly she was tied to the bed so tight that she couldn't move .
If she wanted to play a game he was more than ready to play it with her. "I believe I asked you to do something princess". She let out a yelp as the rope cut into her arm.
"please daddy would you give me an orgasm?"Her eyes glimmered dangerously and Azriel smirked.
There was something that was completely undeniable to them both , their chemistry, he lowered his mouth to her core and gave her a long lick then another until she was buckling widely against his lips her finger tightening against his hair as she rode his lips, he felt the moment she was so close to an orgasm and the subtle shift when she left because she was too ashamed to face him, what they could have had.
The the grip on his hair loosened shifting from demanding to shy and self conscious but he kept going, until her instinct took over and she was shivering and came so hard that the orgasm nearly swept her off , he held her as he rocked her slowly as she sobbed , "Don't worry daddy is here to protect you he would never let anything happen to you".
She clung hard to him and he helped her until her sobs subsided and she attempted to look up at him, "from now on it's daddy to you little flame do you understand?". she nodded her accent.
"Use your words".
"Yes daddy" her cheeks flamed at the fact that she was calling someone that after all they had just shared but she consoled herself, this was only a dream, it wasn't at all real so she would play along.
"Don't think I wouldn't give you a birthday present".
He handed her a diamond waist chain that dazzled like firelight, it was the most beautiful things she had ever seen in her life and probably cost a fortune, she squealed and wrapped her arms around him, she was sure none of her friend had a piece of jewelry like that, they would be so jealous.
He placed it on her waist it was so delicate and dainty and dazzled like firelights, she fell in love each time she looked at it.
"what do you say princess? "
"Thank you daddy".
"You are welcome baby girl now sleep ", at that command she was drifting off into endless darkness a part of her felt a pang of regret that when she woke up it would all be a dream. Azriel watched her for a bit before he faded off into the darkness, making a feverent wish that his little princess would choose him in this lifetime.
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