Chapter 61. Azael

**61. Azael **

***Third Person's POV:***

"Hello, little Mate." When Rafael, or Azael, opened his eyes, only pitch-black orbs were visible.
"Azael?" Astrid gasped and drew away. The corners of his mouth formed a smirk. For a split second, Astrid was scared since this was not the Rafael she was used to seeing.
His veins protruded from his neck—not the usual blue or green, but an unsettling black that snaked across his face and arms. Although Rafael had always had veiny arms, this transformation was horrifying, with his light skin now contrasted by the ominous black veins. Astrid, however, took a steady breath, assuring herself that he was also a version of Rafael and would not harm her.
"Azael," she smiled and cupped his face. He grumbled, and his eyes swiftly shifted back to their familiar chocolate brown, indicating Rafael's return to control."What just happened?" Rafael asked, his voice gentle.
"Azael is trying to break free. We need to leave, Rafael. It's too crowded here for your transformation," Astrid explained.
Rafael nodded and promptly teleported to the outskirts of the jungle. However, the strain was evident; he was sweating heavily and teetering on the edge of collapse.
"Wait, lean on this tree; maybe you will feel better," Astrid said, supporting him on the tree.
Rafael sat down, and as he regained composure, it became apparent that a wave of agony would periodically surge through him, altering his physical characteristics before returning to normal. In one of these moments, he let out an anguished cry.
"It's okay, my love; all of this will stop shortly," Astrid attempted to encourage him.
Rafael yelled, "I-I feel like my body is on fire!"
Cindy had neglected to mention the extreme pain Rafael would endure if Azael emerged first. While Rafael's blood ran cooler than that of other species, Azael, a creature of hell composed of fire, created a stark contrast, and it may take some time to adjust to the alterations.
"Should I take you for a dip?" Astrid asked.
Astrid was scared; she had no idea what to do. Regret gnawed at her for not bringing Cindy and Eva along; their presence might have provided some assistance.
"Now I'm okay here," Rafael said confidently.
The chilly air coming from the water was helping him slightly. "And don't even think you could have gotten anybody, little mate," Azael said, Astrid's eyes widening as their personas rapidly transformed.
What surprised Astrid the most was that he could read her mind. She shrugged it off, believing he was merely a guess.
Rafael's pained moans intermittently pierced the air throughout the ordeal.
"Should I all Cindy and ask?" Astrid asked.
She didn't wait for Rafael's response before calling her.
"Hey," Cindy said.
Astrid described Rafael's deteriorating health and how he was growing wearier by the minute.
"I wish I could assist you, Astrid; I wish I could be there, but anybody else's presence will trigger Azael's rage. Don't worry, I can see that all of this will stop very soon," Cindy comforted her.
Astrid groaned and took a seat next to Rafael.
"Ahhh..." Rafael let out another agonizing shriek, making Astrid even more concerned.
Astrid embraced him. "This will end my love. Just bear it a bit longer," she murmured calmly.
"Make this stop, please. I can't take it any longer," Rafael yelled.
As soon as he uttered those words, Astrid sensed something strange. Unlike previous times when she touched him, she now felt his icy skin, but his body was heating up. Holding him close, she realized his temperature was rising with each passing minute.
"Ahh," Astrid repulsed from Rafael when she noticed the flesh on her body was scorching up.
"What happened?" Rafael opened his eyes, terrified, but he couldn't move. His attention was drawn to the blister that had grown on Astrid's arm.
"I am sor..." Rafael was going to apologize when he was assaulted by another wave of pain.
His eyes changed fully, his fangs grew longer, and Astrid realized it was time for Azael to appear.
Astrid did as Cindy instructed and removed Rafael's clothing, and as predicted, bruises began to appear on his side, as if something was trying to press its way out of his back.
Astrid could feel black blood running everywhere in his body, giving Rafael's body a violet tint. When Rafael and Azael were in power, they had a fusion of red and black veins on his wrists and neck.
"Ahh......" Rafael screamed as his body shifted.
Rafael closed his eyes one more time, and Astrid wanted Azael to regain complete control because watching Rafael in such pain was upsetting to her.
"We are almost there, my love. Try focusing on anything else, and then tell me what you see." Astrid asked, refraining from any physical contact.
"Flames. There are blue and black flames everywhere," Rafael described the events that he was watching.
Soon after, Astrid saw a horrifying version of Rafael. Despite his looks matching Rafael's, they had been changed in every way, making him seem ugly and scary.
Astrid had seen Rafael in his vampire form with his fangs out and red veins popping out of his forehead and neck, but Astrid stopped herself, telling herself that maybe she would have looked the same while she shifted in her Lycan form for the first time. But Rafael was never afraid of loving her, and now was the time for her to prove how much she loved his soul.
Astrid observed thin yet solid sheet-like structures scratching their way out of Rafael's back as little black wings began to appear on his back, giving Rafael an itchy feeling and prompting him to scratch his back.
"Don't, Rafael," Astrid said. "I think those are your wings."
Rafael willed himself to calm down, and as predicted, wings sprouted from his back. Not long after the black wings with veins appeared, Azael stood in front of Astrid, his huge stature towering over her little body. He was at least 9 feet tall, if not taller.
His head was larger, his eyes pitch black, white fangs protruding from the corners of his lips, and, as mentioned earlier, red and blue veins adorned his body, along with claws that were at least 6 inches long.
After a few minutes of erratic breathing, Azael regained control of his form. He let out a snarl, relieved that he had been locked inside Rafael's body for so long and was now finally free.
Looking at Azael's massive form strained Astrid's neck. Imagine someone 5 feet tall standing before a beast 9 feet tall.
Azael was on the edge of passing out because he craved blood, particularly Astrid's. When the thought of Astrid crossed his mind, he looked down at her, and his eyes softened.
"Blood," Azael's heavy voice boomed in the midst, yet he managed to utter those words quietly for him.
Astrid knew what she had to do next since Cindy had outlined everything that would happen there, including the fact that Azael would want blood as soon as he gained control, and only then would he be able to return to himself.
Cindy emphasized how it would be strange for Rafael to begin living with the sense of having Azael inside him, similar to how Astrid felt when she first had Scarlet, but she had become accustomed to it.
The world believes demons to be dangerous creatures, just as it expects wolves to be, yet on the inside, they yearn for love and devotion, but only from their partners. They are prone to being quickly provoked, and during their first shift, they will not accept the presence of anybody other than their mates.
That was the reason in the olden days, when Rafael's grandfather was alive during his first shift as a demon and had damaged many lives. This is likely to be a myth, but everyone thought it was better to be safe than sorry.
Everything would fall into place, and Rafael would eventually adjust to Azael. Though it would be tough at first, much like Astrid did with Scarlet, everyone with a reasonable mind hoped that the fusion of vampire and demon, especially someone powerful in both terms, would never happen. The potential for destruction loomed if their wild sides were to merge, and everyone prayed that such a day would never come.
That being said, Astrid and Rafael had brought several blood bags in the hopes that they would be useful to both Rafael and Azael. Astrid dashed inside, grabbed a glass, and dumped a blood bag into it.
"Here," she said, handing Azael the drink.
Azael's eyes shone as the smell of new blood drifted over his nostrils, and he quickly snatched the glass from Astrid's grasp, taking a taste of the liquid but then spitting it out.
"Wait, what happened?" With a troubled expression, Astrid asked.
"I need fresh blood," Azael murmured, his voice heavy.
Suddenly, his eyes were drawn to a bush in the rear, where he noticed a bull. The shifter king owned a small farm nearby, and the bull might have escaped from there. Azael, with lightning speed, chased it down, and the bull began to panic. 
Azael chased him down with his lightning speed, and the bull began shouting, Looking at a demon coming towards it, it was going to flee, but Azael wasn't having it, and he quickly seized the bull and sucked him dry.
Astrid was horrified as she witnessed the scene in front of her; she had never witnessed anything so horrible and frightening; yeah, they were predators, but watching a lifeless animal laying in front of her with blood drained was horrible.
Azael rose up, wiping the corners of his lips from where the blood was trickling, but his stomach twisted, and he felt the urge to empty the contents, which he accomplished by puking in the corner of the tree.
"What happened, Ra... Azael?" Astrid raced to his side, concerned about his inability to process the blood.
Astrid knew it was necessary for him to drink blood until his heart was contained in order to arrange himself and achieve stability, but Azael's vomiting wasn't a good indication.
"What's going on with you?" Astrid asked, taking his hands in hers.
She hoped she could grab his cheeks and calm him down, but his height was a barrier, so she took his hands in hers and begged. Azael denied having said anything.
"Please, Azael," Astrid begged.
"I, as a demon, need my mate's blood for a significant energy boost. But I don't want to hurt you like before," Azael explained. "I vowed never to let that happen again. I've tried other types of blood, but nothing seems to work. I'm not excusing my actions by claiming I did it since it was my first time tasting your blood, and it would be foolish to say I lost the hold and can't resist seeing that face again, so I considered satisfying myself with different types of blood, but nothing seems to work," Azael said.
Astrid was taken aback by Azael's consideration for her, even though he was in his most vulnerable position. That also helped Astrid's earlier fears evaporate, which were that Azael would injure her and that she misjudged him, believing he was a bad person after seeing him for the first time.
She felt horrible for failing to recognize the truth that Rafael and Azael were the same people, just as she and Scarlet were. Azael possessed Rafael's essence, and she felt bad for not handling the situation better than Rafael did when Scarlet appeared.
Azael noticed Astrid's change in demeanor and responded with a smile. "I didn't say that to make you feel guilty, little mate."
Astrid stepped back from him, pulling the sleeve of her top down to her elbow. "Then I think you should try my blood," Astrid said.
"No, little mate, I can't. What if I lose control?" Azael raised his head.
"Don't worry, I trust you, and I promise you that if I feel anything wrong with my body, I will stop," Astrid reassured him.
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**That was some theory. I hope everything is clear? Happy reading :)**