I stepped forward seductively, knowing that in order to get him to drink, I’d have to force his hand. I pulled my long red hair over one shoulder and exposed my neck, stepping onto my tippy toes and shoving it in his face.
“Aspen,” he growled.
“I want it,” I begged, and it wasn’t a lie.
With a snarl, his face shot forward and there was a pinch at my neck as his teeth slid into my vein. Raw pleasure burst to life throughout my body and I clung to him, moaning as he drank from me.
‘You taste like heaven,’he murmured.‘Like honey, white chocolate, and sunshine.’
I grinned, chuckling at that description just as he pulled away and licked my neck. The pad of his tongue stroked my skin and I moaned again. A flicker of sadness crossed his face and I frowned.
“What?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Morgana. I was hoping I could kill her today and the elders would overlook the Sire-Fledgling Pact.”
I grimaced. “So you can’t ever kill her.Ever?”
“Vampire law will forbid me from it.”
“How will they know?”
“Witches. They can see everything you do, play back your memories like they were a movie.”
Holy crap.
“Did she kill your mother?” I asked boldly. “You want to avenge her?”
He stilled. “It’s a long story, but she had a hand in it. Among other unspeakable things.”
“Then I’ll do it,” I declared and he went stock still.
“Asp—”
“One day, when circumstances allow,Iwill avenge your mother. I swear it on God’s holy name,” I professed, and his eyes glistened with unshed tears.
“I couldn’t ask you to—”
“She’s evil. I’m a hunter. Let me right the wrongs of all the innocents I’ve probably killed by actually taking out a bad one.”
He reached up and cupped my face, leaning his forehead on mine. “I wished it were you. All last night when I was standing there taking my vows to Cassara, I just kept picturingyou.”
My heart skipped a beat. I wanted to cry at such a declaration and the cruel fate we’d been given, but I forced myself to focus on the good.
“You’re king now. Let’s not make it all be for nothing.”
His eyes blazed yellow. “Oh, it will be for everything. I’ll pardon the boys and have your mother back by the end of the week. Ipromise.” He kissed my nose again, tenderly, and my heart ached to be with him. It was torture seeing him married to Cassara. Pulling back, he looked me in the eyes and what felt like right down into the depths of my soul.
“Aspen Rose…” He paused. “I—”
There was a hard triple knock on the door, my code with Liv, and I jerked away from Luka just as the door wrenched open.
“Are you done?” Cassara’s voice held a subtle threat. Luka wiped his mouth and gave her a glare that would stop me in my tracks.
“Yes,darling,” he all but growled.
“Oh good. I’m ready to consummate this marriage,” she purred over my shoulder, and my whole body tensed. I didn’t dare turn around, I didn’t want her to see the tears rolling down my cheeks.
Luka took one look at me and a gutted expression graced his face before it was gone under a mask of calm.
