“Fine!” I growled, unable to control the whirlwind of hatred I was dealing with.
One second I charged forward and opened the door, and the next I was on the garden lawn breathing in the fresh air.
“I may notneedto breathe but I’m still going to do it!” I snarled at Luka.
He smirked. “Whatever makes you happy.”
Bastard was too nice for me right now.
He took off then, like a streak of lightning. He tore from the garden and through the castle grounds, and all of my rage reached fever pitch. I ran after him, pumping my legs and arms so fast I thought I might fall over.
I hated change. I didn’t want to be a vampire. I didn’t want to be this fast. I was annoyed, and pissed at everything. But as I ran, this discordant energy burned through me and gave way to a sliver of my normal self. I didn’t care where we were going, I just followed Luka. Farmlands, cars, a city, we passed so much, and I relished the feeling of the wind in my hair and the lightness of my feet. I could tell Luka was really exerting himself to lead the run. He looked a bit worn out by the time we stopped in front of a thick stretch of woods.
“It’s gone,” I said, feeling for that blind rage and finding it minimal. I was relieved.
Luka nodded. “I tore a car in half after Morgana changed me against my will.”
My upper lip curled. “Morgana,” I growled.
“But let’s not talk about that!” Luka interjected, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me toward the sound of running water.
I trudged along the wooded path with Luka until we reached a small creek. I felt my frayed nerves soothe a bit. Luka sat on a large smooth stone at the water’s edge and I plopped down next to him.
We sat there in silence, Luka stealing glances my way every few minutes.
“What?” I pressed him.
He let out a shaky breath. “I thought I’d lost you. I didn’t know if it would work.”
My heart squeezed. This whole time I’d been wrestling with becoming a vampire and Luka had thought I was going to die. I nodded, remembering the light, the amazing feeling of being weightless and being encompassed by so much love. “You didn’t tell me how beautiful it was to die.”
A half smile pulled at his lips. “It’s like that for all of us. For a few seconds there’s the light and the feeling of complete peace.”
I nodded. “I didn’t want to leave.”
“I didn’t either,” he agreed. “Can you ever forgive me?”
His face pulled taut with grief, and I realized I’d been so torn up over my situation I hadn’t assured him enough about us.
“Well, I have to now! We’re about to be married for quite literallyforever.” I grinned.
The smile that graced Luka’s face then was a full-on beam. “So you’re still marrying me?”
My heart fell into my stomach over the fact that he thought any of my feelings on that might have changed.
“Luka, I love you.” I leaned forward and placed a hand on his chest. He turned and my lips brushed his. Chills raced down my spine at the intensity of the feeling and I shivered.
“Everything will be heightened. Smell, taste, touch, emotions, strength, speed, you have to go easy with everything.”
I nodded, looking out at the creek. The trickling water caused a loud and uncomfortable rushing sound in my eardrums if I focused on it too long. I was about to ask Luka something, when a thought struck me.
“Oh my gosh, you haven’t fed from me! Is our bond broken? Can you sense my feelings?”
‘I can,’Luka said in my mind and I jumped.
“Oh crap, it didn’t work. Luka!” I let out a sob. How long since he’d eaten? My blood was dead now and wouldn’t feed him, I—
He grinned. “Calm down. I drank from Liv. It worked.”
