Page 97 of The Demon King's Destiny

Marrok vaulted out of bed and ran into the adjoining chamber, emptying the contents of his stomach into the privy. A cool, damp cloth pressed to the back of his neck.

He hadn’t even noticed Evelyn when she entered. He turned, sinking down to the cool floor. The stone felt good on his heated skin. “I’m sorry. I promised I wouldn’t react the same.”

Wrapped in a sheet, she knelt beside him. “You didn’t. This reaction is … different.”

He huffed. “I’m not sure if it’s from Melena’s nausea or if it’s my own.”

Melena’s duplicity was a slap in the face. Marrokcould concede she’d been coerced and didn’t have much of a choice—it didn’t make her deceit any easier to swallow. He would never betray someone he loved in such a manner.

Marrok was starting to accept his wife might not have ever returned his feelings. If she could have manipulated his mind, he’d never know if she lied when she told him she loved him or even if his feelings were his own.

It should have been a crippling blow. He should have been raging over having loved someone who was only playing a game.

The reality was, his reaction to the memory, the panicked revulsion, had little to do with Melena and everything to do with how lucky he was Brennen had never gotten his hands on Evelyn.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Marrok shook his head. “We can get into the details later. I need to mull some of it over. When Favin and Danil arrive, we’ll sit down with them. ThenI’llneed totalk toHale so he can carrya messageback to Theron.”

“He won’t be back today.”

“I know.”

“Okay. What shall we do until then?”

“I think I’d like to bathe.”

Marrok got up and added heating stones to the bath, thankful he’d had the foresight to warm them while his mate slept. He opened the spigot and the water whooshed down the chute and into the bathing pool.

Evelyn moved to exit and he tugged on the sheet.

“I think I’d like you to bathe with me.”

When he’d said the same words this morning, they were playful and full of naughty promises. This came out more like a boy who didn’t want to be alone.

Dropping the sheet, Evelyn enfolded him in her welcoming arms. She could feel his emotions more clearly through their bond. She wasn’t surprised he was swinging between sadness and rage.

“For what it’s worth, I do think she cared for you. She went to great lengths to remove herself from it all. In a way, she tried to protect me.”

“Don’t.”

Marrok wasn’t ready to discuss it. He wasn’t even sure he could figure out what he was feeling aside from his fury over Melena putting Evelyn’s life in danger.

Any attempt on Melena’s part to protect Evelyn was weak at best. The fact remained Brennen had invaded Evelyn’s dreams. There was only one way hecould have knownwho she was.

Evelyn nodded. Instead of speaking, she held him until the bath was ready. Marrok led her into the water and they washed in silence.

---