Page 25 of Resurrection (Daemons & Lumens #2)

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Michaela

A fter the humiliating night naked in Laszlo’s bed, guards escorted me to another bedroom where my dress for the evening waited for me.

I took the world’s hottest shower and hummed a song, forcing everything about that horrible night out of my mind.

I desperately wanted to find Morax. And I doubted he’d be allowed to come to the masquerade.

My stomach was filled with tension, and when I came out of the bathroom to find a tray of food on the bed, I nearly vomited.

Eating was the last thing I wanted to do right now.

I nibbled a single piece of toast and continued to prepare for the evening, curling my hair and putting on my war paint, aka makeup.

I wasn’t super into the stuff, but I opted for a sunrise color pallet and added a bit of gold shimmer to match the threading on the dress.

The dress was honestly beautiful, and I wondered who picked it for me.

My hair was not working well with the curls, so I pinned it halfway up and left it at that. Damn you, straight hair. As I walked back into the bedroom, the door opened and I froze in place, waiting for Laszlo to come for me.

Instead, a young woman quickly walked in and shut the door behind her.

She had olive-green eyes that flitted around the room, looking for what, I wasn’t sure.

Her jet-black hair was curled and piled on top of her head.

She wore a sexy-as-hell dress, with cutouts to reveal tattoos running down the entire left side of her body.

“Um, hi. Who are you?” I ventured, hoping she was here to help and not to hurt me. I had no weapons. Sure, I took some self-defense classes, but this girl looked tough as hell.

“My name is Lo. I’m here to help you get ready.” She spoke quietly, but with confidence. Lo walked toward the bed where I had my dress laid out.

“Okay, sure.” I shrugged, hoping my gut feeling was accurate and she was trustworthy. “I’m still working on my hair, though. Curls aren’t really working.

She nodded. “I can help.”

I followed her back into the bathroom, and she pulled out the stool under the vanity for me to sit. Lo took the pins out and started teasing my straw-colored hair, braiding in two small braids across my head like a headband.

“Wow. You’re good at this.”

Her hands made quick work of my hair. I glanced up and sucked in a breath. Earlier, I didn’t notice what was beneath the tattoos. But up close, I could see them.

Lo’s eyes locked with mine. “I survived a fire when I was younger.”

I dropped my gaze. “Sorry.”

“Why? You didn’t start it.” She scoffed, and I looked up again to see her green eyes harden. “Your sister did.”

My mouth dropped open in shock. “What did you just say?”

Lo dropped her hands, having finished my hair, and stalked out of the bathroom. I followed her. She picked up my dress and held it out.

I propped my hands against my hips. “Uh, no. Explain what you just said.”

Lo tossed the dress back to the bed and crossed her arms. “Your sister stayed at the gymnastics club my father owned for a few years. Found out he was doing fucked up things to other girls about the same time I found out he was going to give my little sister to some old creep. Your sister burned the gym down with him inside it. Problem was, he had my baby sister in there too, and I went after her. But I was too late to save her.”

I dropped onto the bed, my legs unable to hold me up. Seraphina killed her baby sister. Almost killed her. Tears burned the back of my eyes.

“No use ruining your makeup now.” Lo’s harsh words cut through my spiraling emotions. “It was a long time ago. And I’ve…mostly dealt with it.”

I knew that was a bit of a lie, considering how closed off she was now. “Do you hate my sister?”

Lo looked away, her mouth set in a grim line. “I did. For a really long time. But I had someone to help me channel the rage into something else.”

“What?” I asked, although by her I’m a badass vibe I could guess her answer.

She shrugged. “Revenge.”

Before I could respond, my door opened again and we both jumped.

Relief crashed through me like a hurricane, and I ran at the daemon stepping into my room.

Morax scooped me into his arms and growled.

I crushed my lips to his, my hands threading in his hair.

His mouth opened, and his wicked tongue flicked against my own.

I moaned into the kiss, and he chuckled.

“ Mae domina ,” Morax purred, pulling back enough to speak. “I fucking missed you.”

I kissed him again, every bit of shame from the night before washing away with the tide that was this beautiful, loving mate of mine.

Lo cleared her throat behind us, and I blushed at our display. Morax nipped at my neck and chuckled.

“You need to get ready.” Lo sighed. “Can you get her dressed?”

Morax gently set me on my feet and looked over my head at Lo. He nodded. “Of course. Thank you for helping her.”

Lo nodded and slipped out of the room.

I looked up at him curiously, and he smiled. “I met her earlier. There is hope for us yet, mae domina .”

I grinned up at him, feeling something other than dread for the first time in the last twelve hours.

“Finally. Last night was…bad.”

Morax dropped to his knees in front of me. I was only in my robe, and the ties slipped to reveal delicate ivory lace lingerie beneath. Morax pressed his forehead to my stomach and wrapped his arms around my waist. I hugged him close, gently brushing my hands through his soft, dark hair.

“You’re going to wrinkle your tux on your knees like that,” I murmured.

Morax lifted his head, and the anguish in his eyes pierced my soul. “Did he hurt you? I couldn’t feel you, your hurt or pain. The poison blocked you from me.”

I shook my head. “It was more about humiliation than actually hurting me.”

He snarled, his eyes turning to gold. “Tell me.”

I knew he wouldn’t let it go, so I braced for the hurt I knew I would see in his eyes. “He made me undress. And he chained me naked to his bed. He didn’t do anything…just little touches while he talked about all the people he planned to, uh, give me to.”

Morax growled so deeply I jumped. His skin glowed red, and his horns shot out from the crown of his head. “I’m going to burn him to ash. And every name he gave you, you will tell me. And they will burn with him.”

I half-smiled. “I’m really not opposed to that idea. Foras is on the list.”

He snarled, standing tall before me and looking every bit the daemon. “Foras is mine. He will die. Soon.”

I shrugged. “No complaints here.”

I started to step back to the bed, but Morax dragged me against his chest, making me laugh.

“I need to get dressed.”

His eyes glowed, and I gazed up at the creature I was in love with. Shit. I was in love with him. Oh my gods, do not freak out. Morax cocked his head, staring down at me curiously.

“What were you thinking just now?” he whispered, his voice nearly a purr.

I shook my head and attempted to escape his arms, but he held me tightly.

Morax gripped my chin and forced me to look up at him. “Tell me, little doe. Or I might have to punish you.”

The blood drained from my face and went directly to my clit. I clenched my thighs together, and his nostrils flared.

My cheeks heated, but something inside me was buzzing with desire and so much more. “I was thinking…I’m in love with you.”

His eyes went wide and shone like the sun. A brilliant smile lit up his face, and I gasped at the beauty of it. Morax caressed my cheek, and I leaned into his touch. “I love you, Michaela Valdis.”

My skin tingled and my heart soared at his words. “I love you too.”

Morax lifted me completely off my feet and crushed his lips to mine in a bruising, all-encompassing kiss.

He walked us away from the bed until my back pressed against the wall.

Our tongues clashed, his mouth overpowering mine and his tongue dominating in its exploration.

This kiss was a claiming, and my heart burst with love for this daemon of mine.

He pulled away just enough that I could heave several short breaths.

“I need to taste you,” Morax growled, and I whimpered a yes in response.

He dropped to his knees before me once more, and I leaned against the wall, waiting to see what he would do next.

Morax reached up and gently pulled the lace thong down my legs.

His hot breath tickled against my naked flesh, and I shivered.

He slowly dragged his claws up my thighs, and I continued to shiver and whimper at his gentle touches.

Morax gripped my left thigh and hiked it up, propping my knee on his shoulder and exposing my drenched core to him.

He growled again, and his forked tongue flicked out but didn’t touch me. His eyes turned up to mine, and my breath hitched at the wickedness I saw in his gaze. “This pretty little cunt is all mine. And I will never get enough of you.”

With those words, he dove forward, his nose crushing against the soft hairs above my entrance as his lips sucked my clit into his mouth.

I moaned his name, and he growled into my soaked pussy.

I leaned against the wall and angled my hips to give him more access.

My hands went into his hair, and I tugged hard when his tongue sank inside me.

His mouth was everything. It was everywhere.

He could never get enough of me, but I would never get enough of him.

My body shook with desire as the orgasm built inside me.

It felt like decades since I came for him.

His hand reached around to my backside, and he squeezed my ass, his claws digging into my flesh enough to hurt.

But the pain was dulled by the constant ministrations of his wicked tongue and teeth eating me alive.

“Morax. Shit. I’m close.” I moaned again, practically ripping his dark hair from his head. I caressed his horns, and he started to purr.

“Not yet, little doe. You come when I tell you to come.” His voice was deep and filled with desire.

I wanted to listen to him. To accept any command he would give me, but shit, I was so turned on I didn’t know if I could follow his rules.

Morax must have sensed this, because he pulled his mouth away, and I nearly growled in frustration.

He chuckled, eyeing me like a beast. With one hand still gripping my ass, the other slowly traced up my thigh.

His claws on this hand were hidden away, and he brushed his knuckles over my soaked pussy.

I whimpered, needing more. Morax nibbled at my inner thigh and slipped his middle finger inside me.

The sounds I made as he slowly fucked me with his finger were obscene.

I gripped his horns roughly, and he snarled, but the sound wasn’t angry, it was feral.

He added a second finger and began moving them in a come hither gesture, hitting that spot inside me in such a way I started to moan even louder.

The hand on my ass pressed between my cheeks, and he began teasing my hole with his finger, pressing in and making me gasp.

“I can’t wait to fill you with my cock, little doe.” Morax sounded wild, his voice rasping. His finger pressed further into my ass. “And then I’ll claim you here. Stretching you. Marking you with my seed. Mine. My mate.”

I moaned, bucking my hips against his hands as he fucked me. “Morax. Yes. More. Please.”

I could barely get the words out, begging for him to let me come.

He bit down on my inner thigh, and I cried out. “Come for me, little doe. Come for your mate.”

His tongue fell upon me again as his fingers fucked me harder, my hips gyrating against his face.

I could feel it now. I was soaring, higher and higher.

His teeth grazed my clit just before he sucked it into his mouth, and I screamed as all the sensations crashed together for an epic orgasm.

I shouted his name as my body sizzled with power and pleasure.

His movements slowed, but didn’t stop. His tongue licked lazily between my legs, lapping up the arousal leaking out of me.

“I’ll never tire of hearing you scream my name, mae domina ,” Morax murmured. He gently lifted my leg from his shoulder and gripped my waist to keep me from falling to the floor.

“I seriously feel like a baby deer right now.” I rested my head against his broad chest, still fully dressed in his fancy suit.

Morax chuckled. “I will always be here to keep you steady.” He lifted my chin and planted a soft kiss against my lips.

I tasted my arousal on his lips, and it sent another zip of pleasure through my body.

“And to chase you down, should you run.”

“Oh, I’ll run. But only because I know you’ll catch me.”

Morax traced his thumb across my lips, and the mixture of love and desire in his gaze lit me up from my heart to my toes.

He smirked at me, letting his eyes glow once more. “Until the stars take us, I will always catch you, mae domina .”