Luka stepped into the space and his eyes searched for me. When they stopped on me sitting cross-legged on the floor, they burned yellow.
“No. She could be hurt,” he said with finality.
My head reeled back at his abrupt dismissal, but Demi took it all in stride. “You’re cute when you think you can tell us what to do.”
Luka glared at her. “I’m in a fight for my life and you want to take my only feeder to our recent enemy’s lands?”
Demi put a hand on her hip. “I’m the alpha of those lands, you dipshit. I’m not going to let anything happen to her! Besides, your next fight isn’t for a few days, right?”
My lips pulled up into a smirk at her calling him a dipshit.
He shook his head, resigned. “You want to risk this just to sightsee? I find that hard to believe.” His gaze fell on the manilla folder on the living room floor and the papers sprawled everywhere.
My cheeks reddened as I gathered them up quickly, hiding them from view.
‘Wasn’t that the folder you had back in Spokane and wanted to show me?’he asked in my mind. ‘I totally forgot with all the … drama.’
Yeah, before he said he was engaged.
‘Don’t worry about it. Focus on your tournament or whatever. We will be back tonight. Promise.’
His brow furrowed.‘Are you in trouble, Aspen? You can tell me anything.’
I shook my head.‘No. I’m fine.’Technically, that wasn’t a lie because I wasn’t in trouble, but I felt far from fine.
Everyone in the room got really quiet, and I think it was obvious to them we were speaking mentally.
‘What do the papers say?’His voice was gravelly in my mind.
I swallowed hard. Now was not a good time for this conversation, and to be honest, I just didn’t want to admit that I was wrong this whole time, that while I was judging him for being a demon I wasn’t even human myself.
‘Nothing I want to share with you right now, Luka.’My tone was firm and the hurt that crossed his face was like a punch to the gut.
His teeth clenched, jaw muscles flexing as he stepped forward, extending his hand to my wrist without a word.
I gave it to him and his eyes flared yellow as he pulled my wrist to his mouth and sank his teeth into my skin. The pinch was painful for a second until the drug of his bite entered my veins and I felt a mellow calm overtake me. It would have been enjoyable if not for the death glare Luka was giving me. His nostrils flared, his eyes burned, and I was sure that he might actually hate me in that moment.
Whatever. He had a fiancée to lick his wounds, I couldn’t be bothered to worry about hurting his feelings. He clearly wasn’t worried about mine. With a jerk, he tore his teeth away and dropped my wrist like it was a hot stone. Turning his back, he stormed out of the apartment, leaving me feeling lost.
“That was awkward,” Liv said behind me.
“That was like angry sex … without the sex,” Sage offered.
“Alright, just a lovers’ quarrel, let’s move on. I’m driving.” Demi shook some keys in her hand.
Lovers’ quarrel without the love. What did that make it? Then it was just a fight. I realized then that I was more hurt by his engagement to Cassara than I realized. Even if it was out of his control, after that kiss … things had changed between us and I was still so gutted by the loss of Sterling and my entire old life that I’d actually been excited at the prospect of running back to Luka. Of having him to comfort me. Now that was gone and I was just bitter.
This was going to be a long month.
Chapter Three
Demi droveus in a brand new white Range Rover across the border from Vampire City into Werewolf City. It was fascinating to see the old Gothic cathedral buildings that the vampires preferred give way to glass and steel and modernity that the werewolves seemed to love. However, the land was marred with the signs of war. Scorched earth, tumbled buildings, half blown off trees. But there was still beauty here, and the rebuilding seemed to be in full effect. Tractors, cement trucks, and construction workers were seen at almost every intersection as we made our way through the downtown.
It looked sonormal. Like Downtown Spokane but smaller. There was a hotel that looked like it had seen better days, a bookstore, coffee shop, clothing store. I knew Liv was thinking the same thing because of the surprise on her face.
“This is where the city wolves live.” Demi gestured to lands around us. “But I’m half Paladin, those are the old-school magic wolves, and we live in the Wild Lands at the edge of the border.”
Whoa.
