**some steamy scenes in this chapter

Chapter 6

Celeste had a restless sleep where she dreamed of shadows and demons and her missing mate. Her room was still dark, the sun not yet up and she laid in the bed, watching the shadow in the room. She rubbed at her chest, an ache pulling and pulling at it.

Something moved in the darkest corner of her room. She sat up in the bed, squinting her eyes trying to see better. Her chest ached more and she tried to take in deep breaths.

'Celeste…' Her name came from the same corner and she lurched forward. She was not frightened, even though she should have felt fear at hearing her name in the darkness; something about the voice was familiar.

"I'm here," she replied. The ache in her chest eased slightly and she rolled off the bed. She walked to the corner and was pulled in by dancing shadows. They twisted in her hair, ran down her arms and whispered her name.

"Where are you?" she said quietly. "Let me find you."

As quickly as the shadows had come, they disappeared. Celeste felt their absence acutely and she instantly felt cold. There was no pressure in her chest anymore, but she knew he was still alive. She went to the door and as she flung it open, Rhysand stood in the frame.

"He's alive." He didn't ask.

"Yes," she let out in a whoosh of breath.

"Where is he?"

"I don't know. I just kept hearing my name."

Rhysand pinched his lips together and Celeste resisted fidgeting under his gaze. He was shirtless and in loose pants, he must have jumped out of bed, hearing the whispers as well.

"You're the key to finding him, your bond."

She nodded dumbly, not sure what else to say.

"Meet me downstairs in my study in five." In a swirl of rage, not directed at her, he left.

Celeste fought the tears that wanted to fall. How was she going to find Azriel?

After quickly getting dressed, Celeste hurried down the stairs and found Rhysand waiting for her. Feyre and Cassian were there too, Feyre wrapped in a quilted robe and Cassian covered head to toe in his leather armor, weapons already strapped across his body.

"Sit down," Rhysand commanded and her knees obeyed as she sunk into the couch nearest to her.

"Rhys…" Feyre chastised him gently. He ignored her and strode to Celeste, crouching in front of her.

"I'm going to enter your mind," he said and she nodded. "I will use the bond connected to your soul, body and mind and we will find Azriel that way. You shouldn't feel anything more than a slight headache or pressure, but I need you to relax."

Celeste settled into the couch and closed her eyes. She didn't know how long she sat there for and she didn't notice anything more than a slight pressure at her temples and the top of her spine. She sometimes got images of shadows and blue light and more than once she heard her name whispered. She kept her eyes closed the entire time, waiting.

When Rhysand finally said, "I think I've got him." Celeste opened her eyes and could see mid morning light streaming through the windows. She hadn't realized they had been there that long.

"Where?" Cassian said and he and Rhysand left the room, her part already done and forgotten.

Feyre, kind as always came to her, seeing the look of dismay on her face. "I'm sorry, my mate can be a bit...brusque when it comes to his brothers. They're going to get him now. It seems he's in a part of our territory that isn't overtly ruled by us. It's concerning to say the least, but he's alive, that's what matters."

Celeste nodded her agreement, holding onto the word 'alive.' In that moment she promised herself she would give herself to him. She didn't know what that looked like yet or what he wanted, but his absence hurt and she never wanted to feel this way again.

"Let's get something to eat."

The last thing Celeste wanted was to eat, but she couldn't just sit here in a catatonic state waiting, so she followed Feyre to the kitchen.

It was past midday when Feyre stood up. "They're here." They had spent their time in Feyre's studio, Celeste reading and Feyre painting what appeared to be a landscape of nightmares. Celeste tried not to look at it much.

Now, she quickly followed Feyre through the large house and out the door. Between Cassian and Rhysand draped Azriel. Celeste let out a whimper at the sight of him and the sound made his head whip up. His eyes locked on her and this time she held in the gasp that threatened to escape. His face was bloodied and bruised and when she looked at his wings she could see holes throughout the membranes, rays of sunshine leaking through them.

"Call the healer," Rhysand said and Feyre disappeared.

The two warriors went to walk past her but Azriel weakly said, "Stop."

Coming to a grudging halt in front of her, Cassian and Rhysand propped Azriel between them.

"You found me," he said hoarsely. Wincing he reached out and wiped at tears that were now streaming down her face. "I'm okay."

She nodded and bit at her lip, leaning her cheek into his touch. He did not look okay, but she wouldn't let him see the fear in her face.

"We need to get you to a bed, Az," Cassian said gently, looking at Celeste.

She stepped out of the way, letting them past and followed them into the house.

They took him to the room that she had slept in last night, she hadn't realized it had been his when she woke. After they had laid him on the bed and made sure his wings were unpinned and spread out, Celeste pulled a chair to the edge and reached out to grip his hand. He had become unconscious at some point and she clutched his limp fingers in hers.

A healer came and once again magic was used in front of her, Celeste watched as the holes in his wingers were closed, and other injuries faded. Blood and grime was wiped from his face and someone brought her tea, though she did not drink it. The whole time, she watched his chest rise and fall and eventually the room quieted until it was just the two of them.

Celeste gently pulled herself onto the bed, careful not to jostle him. She tucked herself into his side and rested her head on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart.

It was the feel of fingers in her hair and the gentle whisper of her name that woke her. The day had grown to night once again while she had waited for him to wake. Celeste lifted her head to see smoky eyes watching her. The bruises on his face had faded to yellow now and his wings twitched in agitation.

"You're awake," she said, running her hand along his jaw. "How do you feel?"

"Sore." His voice still sounded hoarse, as if he had been yelling to the point of overuse.

She tensed up, running her trembling hand through his hair. He stilled her hand with his scarred fingers. "I've seen worse, Celeste. The healers have taken care of the worst of it. I'm okay."

She needed to hear that, but words wouldn't come, instead tears wet her face again and she clapped her hands over her reddening face, kneeling at his side.

She heard him grunt and the bed shifted slightly. Azriel gently pulled her hands from her face, he was sitting up now, though his wings still hung limp behind him.

He made gentle sounds and wiped at the tears once again. His shadows wrapped around her and cooed sweet promises.

"I thought I lost you," she finally said. "Before I even had the chance to get to know you, to be with you."

"Nothing could take me away from you, not even death will pull our bond apart."

Her heart warmed at his promise and she wiped at her face. "Are you hungry?" she said. His eyes grew wide and the shadows danced quicker around her. "I would like to make you something to eat." She knew what she was doing with this gesture, she wanted to create this connection with him, to have a stronger bond, to be able to sense him. He was the only thing in this world that made sense to her.

He pressed a kiss to her hand, his gaze never leaving hers. "I would like nothing more," he said.

"Any requests?" She gave him a timid smile and he ran his thumb along her jaw, shaking his head. Words were beyond him now. She leaned forward to give him a gentle kiss and he grasped the back of her head, deepening the kiss so that their lips pressed together. She moaned into his mouth, the pressure building heat in her core. He explored her mouth with his and she kissed him back. She could have stayed there forever, but she felt him tense up and repress a noise of discomfort. She had leaned too far forward and was pressing her hand against one of his wings.

"Azriel! You should have said something, I'm sorry."

"Worth it," he groaned as she gently pushed him to lay on his back.

She fought a smile at his display of masculinity, kissed him on the forehead and stepped back so he couldn't pull her in again. "I'll be right back."

He nodded and tracked her movement as she left the room. She loved the way his eyes always followed her and she could have sworn a shadow followed her through the house to the kitchen.

No one was there to help her, and she preferred it that way as she moved about the space finding ingredients to put something together.

She settled on making him a sandwich, there was fresh bread, leftover meat and a variety of vegetables and sauces to use.

Pouring a tall glass of water and carrying the plated sandwich, she made her way back up the stairs to Azriel's room.

As she got to the threshold her palms became clammy and her heart beat rapidly in her chest. Azriel sat up swiftly as Celeste walked to the edge of the bed. She didn't say anything as she handed him the plate. He took it gently, his eyes never leaving her face.

She bit at her lip, unable to help herself. The tension building between them was acute, she could feel it like electricity in the air. His shadows danced in the air erratically around them both, making her skin tingle.

She watched as he ate his small meal and drank the water. When he finished he reached out his hand to her. Celeste realized then she had been caught up in the moment and hadn't moved since he took the plate.

She settled on the bed facing him. The grip of his fingers around her hand was gentle, but firm.

"Does this mean you...you accept…?"

He wouldn't finish the sentence and she could still see the doubt in his face.

"I do, Azriel," she said as she reached out to him. "I accept the mating bond."

His breath hitched, and he pulled her closer so that she straddled his lap. He grimaced in pain and she could tell he was still sore. Nothing could happen tonight, she wouldn't hurt him and she didn't like the idea of being in someone else's house.

He didn't seem to be in a rush though as he trailed his hands up her arms, cupping her cheeks. His scarred fingers gently brushing across her throat and her lips. His hands shook slightly and his eyes had grown dark.

"I promised you days…" he trailed off and she squirmed as heat gathered in her lower body at his words.

"We have time," she whispered. "You're still sore."

She pressed a hand to his chest, sliding it up slowly and stroked the peak of his wing. His hips thrust up under her and she gasped softly.

"Sensitive?" she teased.

"You have no idea." Shadows darted across his face and he gave a half smile.

"Kiss me," she demanded of him, emboldened by the feel of him beneath her, of the effect she had on him.

Her words unleashed something in him and he grabbed her hips, pulling her flush against his body, his lips claiming hers. He pushed his tongue into her mouth, claiming her and she let him. A soft moan escaped her and his hands moved up her back, pulling gently on her long hair.

Celeste became lost in the feel of him, physically and emotionally. She could feel his desire rushing down the bond she had now accepted. She didn't know how long she kneeled over him, kissing him and feeling him, never able to get enough. Eventually they parted, breathless, sleep calling to both of them. Being mindful of his wings and injuries, Azriel tucked her into him, a wing carefully draping across her and shadows tucked in place. She fell asleep easily, the only sound was his breath in her ear and the whisper of her name.

When Celeste woke, there was a rightness in her. Something that had settled in her chest, like a piece falling into place. She smiled in her sleep and reached out for the cause of her joy. The bed beside her felt cold as she felt for Azriel and she began to panic, her eyes flying open. She sat up quickly, looking around and went to shout for Azriel when he appeared beside the bed, shadows dancing around him.

"I'm here. I didn't want to wake you." He held out a plate of breakfast foods. "I brought you something to eat."

Her heart beat in her chest and she willed herself to relax, he was here, he was safe.

"Thank you," she said, accepting the plate.

Azriel sat down on the bed beside her, stretching his legs out and squeezing her knee. Her stomach somersaulted at the touch of him, at the urge to demand more.

"How do you feel?" she asked instead.

"Better." His wings twitched slightly as if to confirm.

"I'm glad…" She peeked up at him and he traced the movement of the food's journey from her fingers and into her mouth. She bit her lip, she couldn't help it and his lip twitched in a half smile.

Celeste still didn't know what she wanted or how to take this next step with him, she had only ever been with one man since she was seventeen. She sobered the moment quickly by saying, "what happened?"

He stiffened beside her and the hand on her leg began to make slow circles up her thigh. "I was ambushed."
"What created the holes in your wings?"

His brows pulled together and his hand stilled briefly before continuing its journey further up her thigh. "I'm not sure what they were, but it was humans who wielded them. They wore the same type of clothes you wore when you first came through the portal."

Oh. She hadn't been expecting that. She wondered if the weapons he talked about were guns. She hadn't seen anything like them in this world, most of the weapons were archaic and natural.

"Celeste?"

He looked at her tentatively, his hand going still.

"I-I just guess I didn't expect other people from my world to come through the portal. And I'm wondering why they would have guns."

"Guns?"

"Yes, they're weapons from my world. Very deadly."

"Hmm…" His hand resumed its stroking movements and she resisted the urge to wiggle under his touch when she noticed his hand now rested on the inside of her thigh.

She turned her head to him. "I'm glad you're okay if that's the case."

There was barely an inch of space between them and Azriel slowly closed the space between them, brushing his lips against hers as his hand swept up higher. She clasped her thighs together, trapping his hand between her legs. She deepened the kiss and pushed his hand to her center. "More," she whispered against his lips.

He let out a satisfied rumble of masculine noise and deftly undid the strings of her pants. She knocked the plate out of the way and shimmied down the bed, allowing his hand more access.

His fingers teased at her entrance, stroking the top of her clit and she arched into his hand pressing him into her. He nuzzled at her neck, kissing under her ear as his hands resumed their tentative dance.

He slipped a finger in and she let out a satisfied gasp, his mouth catching hers, their breath meeting in a ragged song.

As he started to pump his finger inside her, a knock sounded at the door. Shadows burst out from Azriel, shrouding her in darkness and a growl rolled from his chest. His hand removed from her and she felt the bed shift. The daylight no longer penetrated through the shadows, she could see nothing.

"Relax, Az," she heard Cassian say through the door, a hint of mirth in his voice. "Meeting in the living room."

Azriel grunted an affirmation and the shadows receded, he stood beside the bed and she kneeled on the edge of the bed, wrapping her arms around his neck. He looked down at her, his expression hard to read.

"I'm not sure how I feel about this over protective side of the mating bond. I think I like it, but I also think the feminist in me should be offended."

That drew a smile on his face and she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Just let me run a brush through my hair and I'll come with you."

He waited patiently as she moved about the room, putting on fresh clothes and pulling her long hair into a braid. He could watch her do mundane tasks and never get bored of the process. She was everything to him before she accepted the mating bond and now all of that was just heightened. He wanted to take her to bed, to make love to her, to make her his. But he feared that she wasn't ready for that step in their relationship and he would do nothing to jeopardize the tentative trust they were building. Touching her sent him into a frenzy and it took everything in him not to grab her now, to lay her on the bed and once again claim her with his mouth. Except this time, he would claim every part of her, not just her lips. She caught him watching her and his face heated slightly, but he gave her a smile. She seemed to like when he smiled at her.

Celeste came to stand in front of him. "I'm ready," she said. She now wore a pair of lightweight black pants and a flowy, white blouse. He was chagrined to notice it covered her backside, a part of her body he found fascinating and enjoyed looking at in the tight pants of the fae.

He ran his hands up her arms and felt her shiver under his touch. Perhaps he had the same effect on her that she had on him. He cupped her face, tilting her mouth up to his and kissed her slowly, taking his time. A shadow whispered in his ear that Rhysand was growing impatient. With a sigh, he broke away from Celeste, taking her hand and leading her downstairs.

The rest of the family was already gathered; Rhys and Feyre on a couch, Cassian leaned against the mantle, a cocky grin on his face. Mor and Amren sat in armchairs by the fireplace, leaving the love seat for him and his mate. Mor glanced at Celeste's hand in his and smiled. Azriel almost had to fight the urge to not let go of her hand. The version of him before Celeste would have dropped her hand at Mor's gaze, but not now. Her hand in his was right. A part of him would always love Mor, but not like that, not like this. Nothing could compare to the love he felt for his mate.

He pulled Celeste into his side, his wing shielding her from Cassian. He knew his brother would do nothing and he knew it wasn't like that, but the instinct to protect her from an unmated males gaze was there. She looked up at him, eyebrows cocked and kissed his jaw. He relaxed slightly and nodded at Rhysand.

He had already debriefed Azriel this morning while Celeste slept, but now this meeting was to decide what to do about the humans and the portals. The original plan to wait it out was no longer an option.

Celeste wrung her hands beside him and he took her fingers, brushing a kiss to the top of her hand. He felt warmth come down their bond, but he could still sense the unease pulsing through her. He hadn't asked her what she felt about this yet, but she hadn't seemed to want to talk about it when she had told him about the weapons from her time. He needed to get better about checking in with her, he wanted to be someone she could rely on.

Your mind is wandering. He heard Rhys say into his mind. I need you focused.

Azriel didn't reply, just sent a curt nod in Rhys' direction as Cassian discussed which legions he would use for aerial support.

Then he heard a soft voice say, "What can I do to help?" and he realized it was his mate, he tensed.

"Celeste…" he started to say, but Rhys cut him off.

"We'll need your help identifying the weapons more. You don't need to be anywhere nearby, I'll project images to Feyre's mind and she can then relay them to you."

Thank you. Azriel said to Rhysand through his mind.

I would never allow harm to come to your mate, Az.

Celeste looked up at him, her dark eyes bright with apprehension and maybe a bit of excitement. He realized that she was already comfortable in this world, with his family; his heart almost burst at the feel of her emotions down the bond.

Rhysand took Feyre from the room to say his goodbyes, so Azriel led Celeste out the doors to the courtyard. They would be flying up to the portals and attempting to see through them and then find where the humans were now. It was a wonder that they had survived this long in their world and they seemed to be posing a threat now. Whether from fear and preservation or something else, the Night Court needed to find out.

Azriel could still sense her unease, but she also seemed to trust him and he realized he needed that from her.

"Promise me, you'll be safe," Celeste said, placing her hands to his chest. "It's killing me to always be left behind like this, not knowing if you're okay or if I'll see you again."

He took her hands in his and pulled her closer, she put her hands around his neck, running her hands through his hair. He almost purred at the feel of her fingers against his scalp.

"Nothing will keep me from you."

She sighed wistfully and kissed his jaw. "I know. I just want to do more."

"Feyre will appreciate your help and distraction as well. I promise you have a place in this court. Knowing you're here waiting is everything I need."

"If you say so," she said with a chuckle.

He kissed her quickly and thoroughly. "When I'm back, I'll show you more of the city."

"I would love that very much. You still owe me days…" She bit at her lip and looked up at him through lashes. His cock twitched at her words and he had to fight the urge to winnow them away. His fears of her not being ready were banished. His shadows danced and sang around her and she giggled at the feel of them in her hair.

"A promise I intend to keep." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and reluctantly pulled away, going to meet Rhys and Cassian in the front foyer.

With a final goodbye to their mates and a nod to Mor and Amren, Rhysand placed a hand on Azriel and Cassian's shoulders and winnowed them to the closet portal.

Azriel was ready to get this over with, the absence of his mate already weighed on him.

They appeared in the air above the portal over the harbor, and he snapped out his wings to glide closer to the pulsating rip in the sky. First he needed to evaluate the threat to his home.

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