Page 31 of The Demon King's Destiny

She dove sideways, narrowly escaping the wisps of smoke-like power. The perverse magic screamed when it pounded against Evelyn’s shield.

“You’ll never get to her,” Marrok promised. Evelyn could feel his wrath building. There would be no mercy for Uncle Brennen.

“Then neither shall you.”

Brennen jumped into view, his black magic swirling and sullying the air with its stench. She turned, commanding the girl to run. Then faced the foul demon coming closer.

This is where it ends, Marrok’sthought vowed, circlingthe King of Sundari. He was going to have to kill Brennen.

Yes, then we’ll take our mate, a second voice invaded her skull.

No. We’ll never take the witch.

Evelyn flinched internally. Calling an elemental a witch was a grave insult. Was that the true reason he hadn’t come for her, because she was born an elemental?

The demon within screamed as Marrok flew towards his enemy, landing a punch powerful enough to puncture his chest. The last thing she saw before she awoke was Brennen’s heart, still beating in her hand.

* * *

Marrok stepped out of the bath, toweling himself quickly and efficiently. He needed to dress and go find Favin.

After his bellowing in the middle of the night, awaking to his shaft in hand, his guards burst through the door. They’d thought he’d been under attack.

Lazlo and Danil were right to enter if they suspected he was in peril, but he wasn’t fond of them catching him in a private moment. He snapped something about allowing a male his privacy and sent them back into the hall.

Danil was the only one who hesitated. He looked right at Marrok, assessing. “Carry on, then,” he’d finally said with a chuckle, knowing exactly what his king had been doing. Marrok’s snarl didn’t appear to affect the guard in the least.

Marrok didn’t go back to sleep. He couldn’t. His mind wouldn’t shut off long enough to relax. It was too preoccupied with the implications of what he could do when he dreamwalked. More specifically, what he could do with Evelyn.

It had felt so real. Despite the dampening of the mating effects as a result of being in the dreamworld, it had been one of the most invigorating encounters of his long life.

Such was the way with true mates. He’d heard of it. He hadn’t experienced it, hadn’t truly believed it could be so overpowering.

Marrok had known love. Had known what it was to both give and receive romantic love. He had that with Melena, before she’d selfishly taken it away. He’d always believed nothing could have come close to the desire he felt for his wife. He’d presumed it was their love that powered that desire.

Last night proved him wrong. He didn’t know Evelyn well enough to love her in the way he’d loved Melena, but he could not deny the craving he felt for his mate. Physically, nothing would ever compare. He hadn’t been inside her and yet he still knew the truth of it.

After Melena’s death, he’d vowed to never love again. He’d chosen to guard his heart against the risk of another heartbreak. Severe distress made the Sundari more susceptible to turning rogue. It wasn’t worth it.

With his strong demon sex drive, he eventually found his way back to coupling. He enjoyed many females and enjoyed them often. He couldn’t recount a single encounter that came close to the pleasure he’d borne with Evelyn quivering in his embrace.

Phantom traces of her heat still warmed his fingers. Her scent still tickled his nostrils. There was magic in his memory, enough where his body swore she could have been only inches away. Though wary at first, he liked the connection to another.

On top of everything, he wanted to feel the calming influence only a saatus could provide. He wanted to feel it often, just as he wanted to take and give pleasure. Marrok might not be ready to completely share his heart, but he was more than willingtoshare his body.

He reluctantly admitted he was also drawn to her humor and brash personality, not just her physical form. He’d never met anyone like her. Marrok couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed as he did during their encounters.

He’d taken a gamble exchanging blood with her. There was no way to know if it would help either of them get back to the same place at the same time.

Often times, bonded mates could gandeste to one another. It was how they dealt with any amount of time apart. Though, these mates would have bonded while awake, not in the dreamworld. He had no real way of knowing the effect of their exchange until he tried. He’d figure it out whenever he next slept.

His eyes darted to the tiny ball of fabric still lying on his bed. He’d taken the lace from her last night and awoken with it in his hand.

Yes, dreamwalking was tricky business, indeed. He didn’t understand the magic behind it, but he assuredly understood the implications.

Pulling on his boots, he wrestled with how much to reveal to Favin. The male was his Second and Marrok trusted him with not only his own life, but with the life of his mate. He would listen to his comrade’s counsel.

* * *

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