Page 103 of Fated to the Demon Lord

The water was lukewarm as I swirled the garment through it, then pressed the damp cloth to his wound. Vaelor sucked in a sharp breath.

“I don’t understand,” I said. “How can you feel pain?”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I know you can feel pleasure,” I said. That much had been obvious when we’d had sex. “But you’re dead, inhabiting a body. Do things feel the same as they did when you were alive?”

He took my hand and pressed it to his chest. “Everything is the same,” he said. “If anything, I feel more now. It takes constant concentration to control this form.”

After washing the wound, I used another of Vaelor’s shirts to wrap it. When I finished and began to clean up, his other hand reached out, wrapping around my arm. “Leave it,” he said. “Rest with me.”

I climbed into bed with him. He grabbed me with his good arm and flipped me over to the opposite side of the bed where there wasn’t blood.

I landed on his spread wing and flinched. “I’m sorry, did that hurt?”

He let out a tired chuckle as his wing curled around me. “My wings aren’t that delicate.”

“I assumed that they were since you never wanted me to touch them.”

“They’re not delicate. They’re just very sensitive.”

I reached out and gently ran a hand over the soft skin of his wing. Vaelor shut his eyes, drawing in a shaky breath, his grip on me tightening.

I stroked it again and he shuddered.

Keep that up, human, and I’m liable to forget I’m wounded and I’ll fuck you right here and now.

Drawing back my hand, I looked at him. As delightful as that sounds, you need to rest.

He released a low growl but didn’t fight.

His arms encompassed me and urged me closer. It was odd. So long, I’d associated Vaelor with coldness and the mist that he brought. And while a low vapor still hung in the room, his body was raging hot against my skin.

Abandoning his wing for now, I reached up and ran my finger along the black lines on his neck. “You have two more fights tomorrow to gain the commander position. Can you make it through?”

“Do I have any other choice?” Vaelor asked.

“You could back out.”

“I doubt Throk allows those who have entered to withdraw,” he said dryly before casting me a concerned look. “Besides, I was under the impression this was required to safeguard Misophae.”

It is. I… I just don’t want to lose you. My fingers traveled up to his face, where I met that beautiful, glowing gaze that watched me with such tenderness. Gods, what this demon had come to mean to me—he was mine—he was my life.

Vaelor leaned forward and brushed his lips over mine. Don’t give up hope on me, Denara. We decided to see this through. I have some fight left in me.

If there is anyone I have faith in, it’s you. I bit my lip, hesitating a long moment before changing the topic. “Creedan is here.”

Vaelor’s expression darkened and not due to the pain. “Yes.”

“That means Raxus must have told Throk about Aeria’s plan to take over Misophae,” I said.

“Creedan knows he needs Throk’s army to succeed. They’re most likely negotiating how to divide the spoils of war between them.”

I frowned. Everything we’d feared was coming true. My brother—and everyone else I loved—was in danger.

Movement at the edge of my vision caught my attention. I glanced toward the doorway and found two large, glowing eyes fixed on us. A hulking demon with massive horns glared from the shadows, malice burning in his gaze. Nausea twisted in my stomach.

Raxus.