Page 15 of A Daemon’s Alliance (Daemons & Lumens)

Michaela

M ate. He called me his mate.

And I was pretty sure he didn’t mean it like we were best buds.

No. He was claiming me, or had claimed me, in some primal way that I wasn’t even aware existed.

My brain was short-circuiting with this information, but I had no time to dwell on it.

The blacked-out helicopter soared over the woods and toward my home.

The Obscuritas were here to take me. What would happen next, I had no idea.

But I had to trust my mother knew what she was doing when she set us all down this road.

I slipped out of Morax’s arms, unable to look him in the eye, and turned in the direction of the cabin. He grabbed my hand and yanked me back, forcing me to look at him, his daemon eyes glowing with emotion.

“I will be with you again soon. Don’t do anything reckless until I arrive. Understood?” His voice was rough and demanding.

Part of me wanted to clap back with something sassy, but the tinge of desperation in his eyes held me back. My daemon—my mate—would literally burn everything to hell if I was hurt. And we weren’t ready for that.

So instead, I nodded. “I’ll behave. For now.” I squeezed his hand. “Come soon, though, okay?”

I could pretend to be brave all I wanted, but these were still the people who murdered my mother and sister. They were dangerous, and I would never forget that.

Morax pulled me in close and kissed me. It was a hard, probing kiss.

I opened up to him, and his forked tongue devoured mine.

He tugged my hair hard and wrapped his other hand around my throat, owning me fully with this kiss.

Something inside me lit up, and my blood began to sing.

I could feel a power deep within me stirring. I gasped, and he pulled away.

His eyes captured mine, staring at me with lust and adoration. It felt like my body was catching fire from within, and I could almost feel the emotions rolling off my daemon as the power pulsed inside me.

“You are so fucking beautiful, little lumen. Brave. Clever. Fierce.” Morax kissed me between each word. “And you have the most decadent pussy I’ve ever tasted.”

I moaned as he kissed me again, and my skin felt like it was glowing. He pulled away, letting go of me, and it was as if a cloud passed in front of the sun. I missed his touch already.

“Now go. I’ll see you soon.” Morax passed my bike to me.

I climbed on and pedaled away without looking back. If I looked back, I wouldn’t be able to leave him.

The woods thinned, and the cabin came into view, surrounded by three SUVs and a fucking helicopter. You’d think we were superstars. Or supervillains. Either way, this seemed like overkill. The men standing on the front porch drew their guns as I pedaled closer.

“Stop right there!” one of them yelled at me. “Get off the bike and walk toward us with your hands in front, where we can see them.”

I rolled my eyes but did as they asked. I promised Morax I would behave. And I needed to see that my father was unharmed.

When I reached the porch, the one who yelled stepped forward and immediately cuffed my hands behind my back.

“What’s your name, dumbass?” I asked, smiling.

He tightened the cuffs, and I winced. He seemed to like that. “Tony.”

I stared him dead in the eyes. “Looking forward to your dismemberment, Tony.”

The dumbass laughed, but his eyes showed fear. My daemon would have fun with this one.

The three men marched me into the house.

My father was seated at the kitchen table, his hands cuffed in his lap.

Four more men stood around him. A fifth man in a navy suit walked out of my room, brushing invisible lint from his sleeve.

Other than his very expensive clothing, he was incredibly dull.

His dark-brown hair was laced with silver, and his shit-brown eyes narrowed at me as he walked down the hall and into the room.

“Michaela, I presume?” His monotone voice suited the overall lame persona. “I am Professor Lehmann. You may call me sir.”

I snorted a laugh and rolled my eyes. “Not likely.”

Soldier boy Tony pushed me from behind, and I fell hard to my knees. My father started to protest, but another soldier shoved him back down into his chair.

I looked back at Tony, grinding my teeth. “Just keep digging your grave then.”

The professor cleared his throat and stepped closer.

He grabbed my face, and I used all of my self-control not to struggle as his slimy hands touched me.

“It’s a shame I can’t punish you now. But the Kings want you.

I do hope I get the chance to play with you once they’re finished, though.

The pretty thing I have locked in the basement won’t last much longer. ”

Fiery rage built inside me at his words. I wished Morax was here to rip apart this disgusting pig. He was now number one on my list of names. As soon as my daemon returned, we’d do something about this piece of shit.

Professor Lehmann smacked my face, not enough to bruise, but enough to sting.

He was testing my reactions. This fucker liked to see his victims cower before him.

Well, that would not be me. I stared up at him with hate and defiance.

His dull face twitched with unease. The scrawny professor looked away first. I was right, he did not like strong women.

“It’s time to go.” He walked to the front door, turning back to the soldiers. “Get them to the Kings. I have a sub I need to punish.”

“You piece of shit!” I screamed, struggling against the handcuffs. He was going back to

hurt that girl because of me. I pissed him off, and now some poor girl was going to pay for it.

Professor Lehmann smirked at me before leaving the house. I heard the helicopter, the sound fading away with the man I needed my daemon to kill. He wouldn’t get there in time to save her from her next round of torture, and that ate me up inside.

The soldiers guided us to the blacked-out SUVs. They also loaded several cases and our safe into a third SUV. I assumed our house was raided and they found my mother’s things. Her books were secure for now. I changed the code on the safe only yesterday, not even my father knew it.

I climbed awkwardly into the back of the SUV. Tony climbed into the front passenger seat, and another man got into the driver’s seat. The others loaded into the SUV with my father.

“Where are we going?” I asked, not expecting an answer.

Tony turned his head slightly and smirked. “Your home for the foreseeable future, just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina.”

Cold dread seeped through my skin at his words.

I knew where we were going. The last time I was there, my mother and sister were murdered.

This day was coming, I knew that. But I couldn’t help the feelings of nausea and terror as I remembered my last night at The Obscuritas Mansion.

Even with the drugs my father had given me to knock me out, I could still hear their screams. I would always hear their screams.

Now was not the time for fear, though. I had about four hours to collect myself before we arrived. Closing my eyes, I centered my mind and relaxed my breathing until I felt a semblance of calm. I sent my thoughts away to my daemon, begging him to find me soon.

The drive was excruciating. I used the time to think of all the ways my daemon would kill these men.

Sometimes when my thoughts lingered on him, it almost felt like he was there.

My palm would tingle where he cut it and licked my blood, and emotions that didn’t feel entirely my own filled my mind.

I needed to ask him about that little ritual.

I think sharing blood with a daemon was more than just some pact.

And that other thing. Mate. Could I feel him because he was my mate?

How did that work? I had so many fucking questions and no damn time to ask them.

When we finally pulled through a set of iron gates, my anxiety spiked. I remembered this drive. The lane was dominated by tall trees. Massive statues of daemons and creatures I didn’t recognize lined the drive as we got nearer to the house.

“Welcome home,” Tony snickered.

“Enjoy it while it lasts, asshole.”

He frowned at me, and I ignored him. Dead men weren’t worth my time.

The SUVs pulled up directly in front of the house.

Grand stone steps lead to double doors made of wood and iron.

My father turned to me as soon as he was out of the first SUV.

I gave him a grim, and hopefully reassuring, smile.

He didn’t smile back. He rarely smiled. But he nodded, his salt and pepper hair falling across his eyes.

They walked us into the mansion. Everything here was over the top.

The ceilings were no less than thirty feet high, and huge portraits of lame old men lined the walls, painted in shades of black and gray.

Heavy velvet curtains lined every window, letting in very little light.

The hallway opened to a large sitting room, decorated in similar dark and moody colors.

Candles and dim sconces provided the only light.

Sitting on two of the couches were two men I never wanted to see again.

I knew their faces, studied them and tracked them however I could.

The first one was slightly shorter, maybe 5’10”, with light-brown hair perfectly styled.

He had an easy smile that would charm most women, but immediately made me want to puke.

He wore navy slacks and a white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

His left ankle was propped on his right knee, and he stroked the glass of bourbon in his hand as he smiled at me.

Samuel Delano. Blue eyes winked at me, and I turned away before I said something that would get me in trouble. I promised my daemon I would behave.