Page 75 of The Demon King's Destiny

“No. Had my wife lived, I would never have come for you.”

Evelyn shook her head, hiding the stabbing cold needles perforating her soul. “No, before she was your wife, before you made promises. If you’d known you would meet your saatus in the future?”

“No, Evelyn. I loved Melena. I doubt I could have willingly abandoned her, even knowing my mate would be waiting for me in Gwydion.”

She nodded, accepting his reply with her eyes glued to his throat. She understood. She didn’t blame him. How could he choose a stranger over his lover? Evelyn felt stupid for even bringing it up. He would have honored his affections for Melena, as he should have.

She closed her eyes, bracing for the answer to her next question. “Could you ever love me the same way you loved her?”

Her breath froze, suspended in her lungs.

Marrok wiped the corners of his mouth, trying to think the best way to answer, to explain to Evelyn without hurting her. How could loving two different women ever be the same?

“I don’t know.”

Evelyn shot up out of the chair and moved to the other side of the table. Marrok rose, calmly approaching her like he would a wild animal.

“Don’t,” she pleaded.

“Let me finish, then, before you run from me. It’s not the same. What you and I have? It cannot be compared to what I had with Melena.”

Evelyn lifted her hands to keep him away, her eyes glassy. She didn’t want to hear anymore.

“I’m not saying this right. With Melena, I chose to court her. I chose to love her. I’m sorry you had to witness it, but she was a choice I made, one that made me very happy at the time.” Then later destroyed him.

“And I was never your choice,” she whispered.

“No, a saatus is not a choice. With you it has been far different. It was an instant connection, my soul wanted you immediately. Protecting you was instinct. Bonding to you was instinct. Once I accepted that I could keep you, everything just sort of fell into place. With you, it’s been effortless.”

“So, you want me because it’s easy for you to be with me? Because of the bond?”

Marrok ran his fingers through his hair, shaking his head. “I’m still not explaining myself very well.”

“No, you’re not.”

His lips twitched. Even in her sadness, his mate never lost her edge.

He should tell her what he felt for Melena couldn’t come close to what he felt for Evelyn. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to do it, not without feeling like he had somehow soiled the love he’d felt for his wife.

“I don’t know how to articulate this—”

“I love you,” she blurted.

Marrok didn’t move a muscle. His tongue felt thick and his heart pounded furiously in his chest. His instant erection jerked to full attention, as though it was trying to punch its way out of his pants.

“Can you say the same to me?”

Marrok balked, caught off guard by her courageous proclamation. Though, it shouldn’t have been a surprise. He already knew she loved him. He felt it every time they touched, felt it in the way she looked at him when he moved inside her body.

It was a precious, precious gift he did not deserve, not when he wasn’t able to easily say it in return. He could feel Evelyn’s severe disappointment with his hesitation.

The words were a reminder of what he could lose, what he had once lost. Marrok had told Melena he loved her. He’d handed his heart over on a silver platter and his wife had ripped it to shreds the second she uncorked that vial.

He’d told his parents he loved them and Brennen murdered them.Marroknever wanted to give another being such power over him, almost fearing if he said it aloud something terrible would happen. Loving Evelyn, then losing her, would surely end his existence.

Evelyn cleared her throat. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“It was a fair question.”

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