I grinned, pulling away. “I don’t blame either of you,” I told them, and they both looked relieved.
“I blame that bitch Morgana, and now that I’m her equal I’m going to rip her head off and shove it up her ass!” I growled.
Luka’s eyebrows shot up. “Easy there, killer. Morgana fled, but I’ve got the entire realm looking for her. She killed the fiancée of the vampire king. It’s a crime punishable by death.”
“Except I’m not dead! They will probably let her go with a slap on the wrist,” I growled.
Luka’s lips pursed. “Don’t worry about Morgana. We have bigger things to deal with.”
“Like what?” I scoffed. “I’m a vampire now. The council will allow us to get married and you can remain king.”
He nodded, sharing a look with Liv. “Yes. That’s all fine.”
I pinned my man with a glare. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Both he and Liv took a step backward into the hallway. “Just stay calm, okay. The first few days—”
“Stop telling me about the first this and that. What’s wrong?” I bellowed, clenching my fists.
Luka frowned, looking to Liv.
“Olivia Rose, start talking or so help me God…” I looked at my best friend and she nodded.
“House of Thorns showed up while you were … healing,” she said.
Oh. Ruby was already here! It would be a shock for her to see me like this, but I wanted to get a head start on our plan to save the other breeders. “Okay, I’ll shower and explain everything to her. She’ll understand.”
It’s not like I asked to become a bloodsucker. I was dying—she’d see reason in what had to be done.
Hopefully.
Liv shook her head. “No, Aspen. They showed upwithoutRuby. She was taken.” Her gaze flicked again to Luka. “We think by Maz.”
Pure unbridled rage worked its way up my body. My hands started to shake. I needed to go after her. Ruby was in trouble because I’d told her to come and bring her whole team here. Maz must have found out. The anger was too much. It bubbled inside of me like hot lava and I was going to explode. I was a blur of motion as I streaked across the room and grabbed the dresser leaning against the wall.
“Aspen!” Liv cried out.
“Just stay back,” Luka warned, pulling Liv behind him.
I picked up the dresser high into the air and threw it on the ground, splintering it into a hundred pieces.
“That evil hag,” I roared, punching my fist into the wall. There was a sharp pain for a moment as it collided with brick, but then it was gone. The stone burst outward, and I retracted my hand, which had now blown a hole the size of a pumpkin into the wall. I looked out at the garden and felt remorse for destroying the wall, but my anger at Maz was too hard to control. I needed a physical outlet or I was going to kill someone.
“Stop her, she’ll hurt herself,” Liv pleaded with Luka behind me.
“She could hurtmeright now,” he replied to her. “Besides, I’ve always wanted a garden view in this room.”
I wanted to laugh, I wanted to tell Liv I was totally fine, but I was so damn mad I couldn’t think straight.
Maz kidnapped Ruby and it was all my fault. I wanted tokillsomeone.
“My love.” Luka approached me with his hands out, like you would come at a lion. “Running helps. Would you like to go for a run with me?”
My chest heaved. “I want to break shit and kill someone!” I growled.
Liv backed up to the wall, and shame rushed through me for scaring her. These emotions weren’t me, I knew that. It was the change or whatever, but it felt so real.
Luka motioned to the front door. “Okay, run instead?”
