Page 17 of The Demon King's Destiny

Chapter 4

Evelyn slid the elements apart, allowing enough space for Marrok to pass through. His lips separated, seemingly surprised she acquiesced.

Marrok stepped across and the wall of magic closed behind him. Immediately, her aroma assaulted his senses. Images of a desert garden in a summer storm came to mind. Her scent embodied what she was—a precious rose in the path of a fast-approaching tempest.

He was thankful he could detect the traces of youth, reminding him she was still too young for the likes of him.

He moved close and Evelyn’s spine straightened, wondering what he intended. He lifted his hand towards her, hesitating briefly. Gently, oh so gently, his fingers clasped her chin, tilting it up and to the side.

Tiny zaps of power shocked his skin, far too faint to rouse the urge to mate. Something deep within Marrok clicked, like a lock being turned. His spirit settled and his demon hummed in satisfaction. His mind cleared and he felt … peace.

He inhaled sharply. Touch was the catalyst for the mating frenzy, forcing a pair to physically join and complete the bond. Either the dreamworld or the fact she hadn’t reached full adulthood prevented the frenzy. He suspected it was both.

The feel of her soft skin didn’t provoke his libido. Instead, it soothed his spirit, lulling his demon into a calm contentedness.

Goddess above, how he’d missed the serenity he once held in his soul. This is what a saatus did for a demon—settled hisspiritand, thus, cleared his mind.

Marrok had been losing bits of himself for years, right along with his brethren. Sometimes his thought process muddied and he couldn’t see past the haze for a moment. It wasn’tas severe as what the rogues experienced, but it was there.

The haze always cleared, but the older he got, the greater his risk became. The longer a demon lived, the more likely madness would ensue.

Power-hungry demons succumbed to the illness much earlier in life. There were twisted ways to increase one’s magics. The price a demon paid for committing such atrocities was to riskhis or hersanity.

Only mated pairs seemed to be immune to turning rogue. Bonding to Evelyn would keep him sane.But at what cost to her?

The image of lustrous midnight hair and a seductive smile flashed across his mind. His jaw clenched.

He’d been through one mating before, to a female who wasn’t his saatus. He’d barely survived it, emotionally at least. Judging by his reaction to the marks upon Evelyn’s face, he knew it would be far worse if his true mate suffered a similar fate.

His fear reaffirmed his vow to never love another. Marrok shook his head, dissolving the contemplation. There was a lot of space between love and companionship. Maybe the Goddess gifted him with Evelyn to anchor his demon soul. He didn’t have to fall in love with her.

The bond linked two souls—making the subsequent relationship work was up to the couple. Of course, a mated pair was always drawn to one another, would always protect one another. There was comfort in knowing he did not have to walk through eternity alone.

Marrok fixated on the beauty in his hand, pondering the possibility of an intimate relationship, of once again having someone to share his life. Fate picked Evelyn for a reason. Only time would reveal why she was deemed to be his match.

It was too late for him to pick any other course. Too late for them both. For better or for worse, he had to come to terms with his destiny. He would never come out the victor against it.

His eyes roamed the right side of her head, from nose to temple to brow. He marked every broken blood vessel, every point of swelling, every scrape. With his opposite hand, as lightly as he could, he placed his palm upon her injured cheek.

Evelyn’s mouth pressed tight. Her skin was tender. The place he was touching quickly heated. She waited for the pain that didn’t come. Energies flowed out of her and she closed her eyes, sighing contentedly.

After a few seconds, he lifted his palm away. The thumb of the hand still holding her chin lightly brushed across her bottom lip and her eyes popped open.

Marrok let go and took a small step back. Evelyn blinked, assessing. It was gone. The discomfort, the hurt, all gone.

“You healed me?”

“Not quite.”

“What did you do?”

“I took away your pain and siphoned some of the magic you absorbed.”

Evelyn lifted her hand and patted the side of her face. “It’s still swollen.”

“I’m not a healer. As I said, I took away your pain.”

“How?”

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