Page 18 of Cruelly Fated (Princes of Avari #1)

Sixteen

ALLIE

“ H e’ll fry your ass the moment he’s out,” a deep voice muttered from somewhere nearby. Or was he right beside me? My body trembled and I felt groggy and cold, like I’d been dragged through something violent and left to recover in its wake.

Something rough and wet slid across the side of my neck. I winced, but then the searing pain dulled. I exhaled in relief, even as confusion thickened around me like fog .

Pacing footsteps echoed in the space.

“Her blood tastes like the finest delicacy I’ve ever had,” the voice murmured again. “Sounds like the most beautiful song when it rushes into my body… It’s so, so—”

“Addictive?” a familiar voice suggested.

A pause followed. “I don’t know how that’s possible… But she’s an even bigger complication Kyon doesn’t need right now.”

Kyon. His name jolted my memory. I was at a party with Valor, spying for the dragon prince, and then the vampire… He bit me!

The wet compress kept slipping and gliding over my neck again. The sound of a dog lapping at the water filled my ears. What the hell was happening?

I pried my eyes open and met Rhylan’s cautious gaze. Why was he so close? And was that saliva glistening on the corner of his mouth? I gasped, slapped my hand over my damp neck, and scrambled backward.

“You were licking me?” I squeaked. I scoured my surroundings—frayed beige couch, thinning curtains, and small living space—at least, they brought me to my house.

The wolf rose to his full towering frame, peering down at me like I was the insane one.

“Wolf’s spit has healing properties,” he said as if that explained everything.

I swung my glare to Valor and bolted into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. I braced against the counter, my chest heaving. Slowly, I twisted my head in the old, rusty mirror. Two red puncture wounds glared back, and I gagged.

“Son of a bitch!” How was I supposed to show up at work like this? Only junkies or desperate girls wore love bites this obvious. I turned the faucet on full blast and splashed cold water over my face, then scrubbed it off with a towel and reentered the living room.

Two stoic faces observed me in silence.

I stalked past them into the kitchen, ripped open the freezer, and yanked out the ice tray.

“If you let me, my saliva could heal the marks,” Rhylan said, still not reading the room.

I slammed the tray against the sink, cracking the cubes loose, and raised my hands like I was strangling something invisible.

I forced myself to breathe, shoved the cubes into a sandwich bag, and dropped onto a stool. The cold stung as I pressed the makeshift compress to my neck, but at least it numbed the pain.

“I’m very sorry, Allie,” Valor said, his voice quiet as he approached the counter, but wisely stopped a few feet short. “I only meant to break skin, to make it convincing. But your blood…”

I cut him a sharp look, putting an end to his vampsplaining. I wasn’t sure what I’d do if he said more. Right now, I needed space, and I needed to not be the girl who’d been bitten and licked by fae like some damn chew toy.

“Man, she’s hyperventilating. Back off,” Rhylan called from the living room, which, in Grandpa Pete’s house, was only a few steps away from the kitchen.

The whole place felt too cramped, too full.

Two powerful fae and me, stuffed into these sagging walls.

I was suffocating. Breathe in and out, in and out…

I clutched the ice bag tighter to my neck and stared at the counter like it might offer some escape.

“ I think I know where the camera card is,” I said, desperate to steer my thoughts away from the fact that I’d nearly gotten drained earlier today. I popped open a single drawer in the small island and retrieved a notepad and a pen.

I sketched quickly, jotting down every detail I could recall from the gargoyle’s memory, the layout of the cavern, the twisting tunnels, the position of the vault, and even the code sequence if I remembered it right. The picture was rough, but it was the best I could do.

I slid the page across the counter. Valor appeared in a blink, snatching it up before I even registered his movement. A moment later, he stood shoulder to shoulder with Rhylan, the two of them hunched over the page, murmuring to each other.

Fragments of their conversation reached me.

“Won’t be easy.”

“I can sniff it out.”

“Too many forks; we’ll need backup.”

At some point their voices became a white noise.

I blinked slowly, my gaze lingering on the two tall, powerful men speaking in hushed tones, and my eyelids began to droop. My head dropped into my palm. The ice pack slid off my neck and clattered to the counter, jolting me upright .

I brushed the hair out of my face. Silence stretched inside the house. How much time had passed since I checked out? I unfolded a note resting by my elbow: I’ll be picking you up at three p.m. We need to speak with Kyon. —V

I frowned, staring at his words. I didn’t know what to feel.

About the note. Valor. About Kyon. My mind had retreated, shutting down emotions one by one.

I hauled myself to the bedroom and stripped the dress, letting it fall into a crumpled heap on the floor.

Then I collapsed onto the bed, face first.

KYON

I felt a vein swell behind my eye, oozing with pressure I didn’t bother hiding. I refused to look away from the twin marks on her neck. Valor was a royal vampire. He prided himself on control and superiority. So, how the hell had he let that happen?

A puff of smoke lifted from my nostrils, hitting the glass divider between us in the small visitation room.

Valor raked a hand through his hair. “I lost it. I wasn’t prepared… I’ve never tasted blood like hers…” Valor continued to dig his grave deeper. “If the circumstance repeats itself, I will be ready next time. ”

I forced a dark laugh on an exhale. “There won’t be a next time.” The dragon simmered beneath my skin, changing my tone brusque.

Allie visibly shivered, her reaction blunting my rage. She wasn’t afraid of him, the fae who’d bit her. But she feared me now. And that was the last thing I wanted.

I shifted my focus. “Did you get it?”

Rhylan pushed off the wall, cocky as ever. “Of course. Your girl draws a goddamn good map,” he said with a crooked grin, glancing down at her like she was his favorite trophy. He ruffled her hair playfully.

I stiffened. Envy twisted my gut. He got to touch her, in real time, not filtered through illusion or prison glass. And I hated that.

Allie swatted his hand away, her cheeks puffy red. Was she irritated with him or embarrassed about the label he’d just dropped?

Your girl.

She avoided my gaze, so I chalked it up to his comment, which sent a surge of pleasure and desire through me. I curled my fingers into a fist under the table, willing restraint into my bones or I feared I’d say something stupid. In front of the other princes no less.

“Lawyers have already reviewed it. They’re meeting with the judge tomorrow,” Valor said in that clipped, professional tone. “They believe this evidence clears your name. ”

Allie’s face contorted into confusion, then something else flickered across her expression. Hurt.

I winced. Not exactly how I wanted her to find out.

“I’d like to speak with Allie,” I said. When no one moved, I added, “Alone.”

“Oh, fine,” Rhylan groaned, pushing the door open like it was a chore. He shuffled out with a dramatic sigh.

“You were hiding this from me,” she said as soon as the door clicked shut.

“Would you have helped if you knew?”

“Yes, I would.” The way she said those words, without hesitation, stirred something in me. Even if she’d said no, I would’ve still wanted her. But this? Her honesty, her stubborn goodness, was doing things to me. Dangerous things. And I wanted her more than ever.

“So,” I said, lifting a brow, trying to disguise the fact that I suddenly couldn’t breathe around her. “There’s no problem, then.” The words came out sharper than I intended. Arrogant, even.

She’d gone to that gods-damned party, let Valor bite her, and walked away with intel that might save my life.

I should be thanking her on my knees. I just…

didn’t know how. In the past, I had always relied on me, myself, and I.

And occasionally, Valor and Rhylan. Can I really make room for someone else in my life?

She blinked rapidly. Her eyes shimmered, full of emotion she didn’t want me to see. And just like that, my cocky attitude deflated like a dragon crashing from the sky mid-flight .

“Is this about Old Pete?” I asked.

She nodded, lips pressed together.

“Come here,” I whispered.

She shook her head.

“I’m not leaving him without protection. I want to explain.”

Her gaze filled with hope. She snared me in an illusion, and her image appeared beside me, vivid and close enough to touch. I reached for her—the illusion, the copy, whatever the hell it was—and took her small hand in mine, guiding her onto my lap.

She didn’t hesitate. Had she grown that comfortable with me? With… us ?

“I’ve made an arrangement with another inmate,” I said. “He’ll watch over your grandpa if I get out.”

Our hands stayed clasped. I eased my grip slightly, silently giving her the option to pull away. She didn’t.

“Who is he?” she asked, scanning my face for any sign of deception.

“He’s one of the gang leaders.”

Her pupils widened, twin lavender irises swirling with alarm.

“What did you expect?” I said with a half-laugh. “I wouldn’t leave Pete in the care of a minion. I have to aim for the top. The worst of the worst.”

She swallowed. “Are you sure he’ll be safe with this…guy?”

“Yes,” I said, voice flat and confident, leaving no room for doubt. She needed to feel that. Know that. I wasn’t playing games with her grandfather’s life .

She exhaled, the tension bleeding from her body. Just like that, she relaxed against me. No more questions. Just quiet, steady trust that wrecked something in me.

“But I think you should look into moving him to a less violent prison. My lawyer can help with that if you’d like?”

Her other hand squeezed my bicep. “That’s possible? I mean—yes. Of course, I want to move him. I’ll cover your lawyer’s expenses.”

I opened my mouth to argue but stopped when I caught the steel in her eyes. She wasn’t offering, she was standing her ground. So I nodded instead. “Deal. As soon as I’m out, my lawyer will start working on Pete’s case.”

“Grandpa told me what you did…in the mess hall,” she said, a little hesitantly.

“Are you afraid of me?”

“No,” she was quick to say. “But I worry that gang will come after you now. Isn’t that how it works—eye for an eye, or whatever?”

I laughed. “They’re welcome to try. I’m not afraid of any of them. Or all of them.” I let my gaze linger on her flushed face. “There’s only one thing I’ve been afraid of lately.”

Her expression softened. “What is it?”

I reached up and tucked a loose strand behind her ear. She’d braided her hair again, but the tendrils kept escaping—taunting me like they knew exactly what they were doing.

“Not seeing you once I get out,” I said .

She gulped and dropped her gaze like she was wrestling with herself. I couldn’t blame her. I was a walking complication—dragon shifter, son of a ruthless high fae, and currently number one on every gang’s shit list.

But then she peered at me through her lashes, and I stilled, unsure of her response.

“Then don’t let that happen,” she whispered.

I grinned before I could contain my response. Damn, I hadn’t felt this kind of giddy rush since second grade when my crush agreed to slow dance with me at the school dance.

I threaded our fingers together.

“I’ll take you on a date,” I said. “Where should we go?” I meant it.

Whatever she liked, I’d do it. I’d learn everything about her—what made her laugh, what made her light up.

For the first time, the idea of doing something that had nothing to do with muscle work, territory, or my father felt… right. Exhilarating even.

“You date?” she asked, a little teasing in her tone.

“Not in the traditional sense. I’ve never asked anyone out the way you’d expect. Or the way you deserve.”

Color bloomed across her cheeks, and I frowned, wondering if I said too much.

“I…haven’t dated…much,” she said. “Before Mom died, my life revolved around high school, parties, hookups, drama. Nothing real.”

“No boyfriend?” Pete had told there were none but I wanted to hear her say it.

She bit her lip and gave another shake of her head. My chest rumbled with a low growl I barely held back. Was she…a virgin?

“Do you have any experience?” I asked, voice rougher than I meant it to be.

She blanched. “Oh, that? Yes. Hookups, remember? But I’ve never dated. And I finished high school online after…” Her voice faded, the rest of the sentence swallowed by painful past.

I stayed quiet, trying to calm the dragon inside me who was already wailing about not being the first. But we hadn’t known her then. And she’d been underage. I would’ve never looked at her like that. Not until now. And even now, barely eighteen, maybe I was rushing her. Perhaps I was being selfish.

“It was nothing,” she said, almost like she read my mind. “He lasted like a minute. It doesn’t even compare to being with a real man. Like you…”

Our eyes locked. This time, she didn’t flinch or glance away. She met me full-on, reminding me that she wasn’t a girl anymore. She was a woman. A beautiful, selfless woman with a sizzling fire I couldn’t look away from and a complicated life I’d love to star in.

I arched a brow, leaning in. “He didn’t make you come?”

Her lips twitched. “Sadly, no.”

“Name?”

Allie burst into laughter, a bright, unrestrained sound that filled my chest with a satisfaction I hadn’t known I needed. I dropped the subject, though I fully intended to pay that boy a visit. Maybe not today. But one day. Valor was an excellent sleuth, after all.

The illusion of her in my lap faded like a scent on the wind. Now she sat across the table, smiling at me with those gleaming violet eyes.

I winked at her, already missing her touch. Even though it wasn’t real.

Valor took this moment to open the door, filling it with my lawyer by his side. Allie slipped out, trying to be slick about it but there was no way I’d ever miss a beat when it came to her. The moment she was gone, the warmth drained from the room. I leaned back in my chair, my mood souring.

“Mr. Voltaire,” the lawyer greeted, that polished French accent making everything sound more dramatic than it needed to. “Let’s get you out of here, shall we?”