Page 17 of A Daemon’s Alliance (Daemons & Lumens)

Morax

I felt her fear and was seconds from losing my shit when it subsided.

Not fully, but enough. I used every ounce of willpower I had to stay in my human form.

We were driving to the mansion and about ten minutes away.

I was seated in the front passenger seat.

The other guards chatted amicably on the drive from the police station.

There were an annoying amount of humans working for this fucking cult.

They were handpicked by Darren Radnor for extra security now that their “guests” had arrived.

It was easy to blur their memories and force my existence into their minds.

Now I was just another guard, and the captain chose me specifically to guard the young female prisoner.

I would need to adjust Darren Radnor’s mind some as well, which would be more difficult.

The Kings were drawing on daemonic power, but they weren’t strong enough to shut me out completely. I was mostly certain of that.

Just as we arrived at the mansion, Michaela’s fear spiked again, and my nostrils flared.

I growled, and the guard driving glanced my way curiously.

I couldn’t speak as I felt her mind screaming for my help.

We parked in a small lot behind the mansion and walked toward a rear entrance.

If I didn’t find her soon, I was going to blow my cover and burn this entire building to the ground.

The guards walked swiftly through the mansion, and the captain stopped at a set of stairs.

He turned to me. “The female should be in her bedroom, up these stairs and the second door on the left. Go to the door and stand guard until I radio with further instructions. She does not leave that room unless requested by the Kings.”

I nodded and immediately took to the stairs. I didn’t need to hear what other orders were given; I needed to find my fucking mate. The moment I reached the top of the stairs, I could smell her. She was terrified. When I finally reached the door and ripped it open, I saw why she was so scared.

Darren Radnor was holding her by the throat, his other hand between her legs. It took every bit of my power not to transform and rip off his head. I straightened slowly as Darren turned my way.

“Sir. The Kings are looking for you.” My voice was steady as I spoke.

Michaela’s eyes were wide with relief and boring into mine.

Darren turned back to her, giving her throat a squeeze. “Wear something nice for me, sweet girl.”

He let go of her, looking satisfied. I wanted to fight him. Even in human form, he was smaller than I was. But I wanted to unleash my daemon and torture him slowly for touching my fucking mate.

“Make sure she gets cleaned up for dinner and brought downstairs shortly,” he growled at me, thinking I would cower like any other guard. And I did, I fucking did so our plan would stay intact.

He left the room, and I closed the door, turning back to Michaela.

I was by her side in two massive strides.

My horns and claws slipped out and my skin glowed red as I lost control.

I pulled her into my arms and buried my face in her hair, scenting her, comforting her.

She whimpered, her body molding to mine.

I pulled back and cupped her face with my hands, careful of my claws. “Did he hurt you?”

She shook her head. “He was trying to scare me. It worked.”

My heart broke at her words. I should’ve come sooner. I was failing her. “I will kill him. Slowly. He will beg for mercy as I cut each limb from his body and lay them at your feet.”

Michaela huffed a laugh. “I’m going to hold you to that someday. For now, maybe just figure out a way to keep him from raping me.”

I snarled, and power radiated out of me. I could feel my eyes glowing. “He will never get the chance. Never.”

Michaela’s hands slid up to my face. She did not shy away from my daemon form. Her mismatched eyes searched mine, and her lips pressed into a thin line. “I know. We will stop him. I trust you, Morax.”

I brought my lips down to hers and kissed her roughly, urging her to let me in.

She opened for me like a flower, and I drove my tongue between her plump lips, teasing the roof of her mouth with my forked tongue.

She moaned, leaning into me, her soft hands threading my hair.

A deep purr built in my chest as she attempted to reach higher, her fingers brushing against the base of my horns.

Her touch set me on fire. Horns and wings were off limits to anyone but your mate.

I slipped a hand into her blonde hair and gripped at the base of her head, pulling her back enough to break our kiss. A possessive growl escaped me, and her eyes dilated. “As much as I want to continue this, we need to get you dressed for dinner. They need to believe in your submission. For now.”

Michaela nodded, and her shoulders slumped. She turned away from me, attempting to escape, but I wasn’t ready to let her go.

I tightened my hold on her hair and tilted her head back, forcing her to look at me. My pretty mate. “I will be by your side every moment until we end this.”

“Unfortunately, it’s only the beginning,” she murmured, and I nodded, because it was true. And I had no idea if we could pull this off.

Michaela’s slender arm was threaded through mine as we walked the halls of the massive home.

She chose a navy satin dress with thin straps tied behind her neck.

The fabric was thin enough I could see her peaked nipples through the material.

My mouth watered, and I growled possessively.

I reached toward the left one and pinched it. She yelped and grinned.

She smacked my chest. “What was that for?”

“For allowing these filthy fuckers to see so much of you,” I snarled, hating this plan of hers. “I’m going to tear their eyes from their skulls for staring at my mate’s perfect, peaked nipples.”

Michaela giggled. I wanted to kiss her and swallow the sound. Her happiness was everything to me and I craved it constantly.

“You know it’s a good plan.” She looked up at me as we walked, the soft fabric of her long dress swaying at her feet. Even in heels, she was so much smaller than me.

My brave little lumen. I gritted my teeth, because she was right. Having her dressed so exquisitely would drive Darren Radnor wild. And with his attention so focused on her, I could slip into his mind.

When we finally made our way into the dining room, I reluctantly released her arm and walked behind her instead.

I would be in deep shit if the Kings saw a guard touching her.

The Kings were not in the room, but we were not the first to arrive.

A petite girl with short, pink hair sat at the table.

Her eyes were glazed over as she sat with her back straight, unmoving.

Michaela continued to walk closer to the girl, and I hissed behind her. Just because the female looked small and unarmed didn’t mean she wasn’t dangerous. I tried to slip into her mind, but it was muddied with darkness. Someone was already toying with this human.

“Hello,” Michaela spoke cautiously to the female.

The pink-haired human blinked twice and turned her face to my mate’s. She didn’t smile. “Hello.”

I pulled out the chair next to the female, and Michaela sat down beside her. “I’m Michaela. Who are you?”

“Tabitha. Tibby is fine too,” the female spoke softly and looked around, her eyes darting around the room. “We shouldn’t be talking.”

I scanned the female further and noticed bruises peaking around her clothes.

She wore a short black dress, if you could call it that.

It barely covered her too-thin body. A cruel collar with spikes facing inward was wrapped tightly around her neck, not enough to make her bleed, but enough to make her hurt any time she spoke.

“She is right, princess,” I murmured, tuning my ears for the sound of footsteps. We were alone for now. I scanned the room and noted cameras hidden throughout, similar to the hallways. As far as I could tell, only bedrooms and bathrooms were free of the hidden cameras.

Michaela reached out and gently took Tabitha’s hand into her own. “Who did this to you?”

Tibby’s bottom lip quivered, and tears threatened to spill over. “I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t stop. I can’t stop. They’re inside my mind.”

Michaela glanced up at me, and I nodded, probing the female’s mind again. A face appeared with features similar to my mate’s. “She knows your sister.”

“Tibby, where is my sister?” Michaela whispered harshly.

Tibby shook her head. “She is not here. Not yet. They have plans. I can’t say.” Tibby grabbed her head suddenly and winced. “I can’t say.”

I pressed my hand to Michaela’s back. “Her mind is not her own anymore.”

My beautiful mate turned to me, her eyes desperate. “Can you help her? Maybe you can find Seraphina first. She must be the friend Ezekiel mentioned.”

When the tortured female spoke, I instantly thought of the video message. Michaela was correct. This human’s mind was lost, but I could try to mend it. She might have knowledge locked away that could help us.

Before I could speak, footsteps caught my attention. “The Kings are coming.”