Page 22 of Cruelly Fated (Princes of Avari #1)

Nineteen

ALLIE

“ H ello,” I said groggily into my phone. I cracked my eyes open to a deep violet sky, a night lit from below with the glow of hundreds of the Plaza’s vibrant lights. The TV had frozen on a “Are you still watching?” screen. I’d fallen asleep on Kyon’s couch.

“It’s Valor. I’m outside.” Tension undercut his voice.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, instantly alert, bolting to my feet and letting the blanket slip from my legs.

“Kyon’s been severely injured. I thought…maybe your presence could soothe him.”

My stomach plummeted. I brought my hand to my forehead. Breathe…

“Allie?”

“I’m coming.” I ended the call, shoved my feet into sneakers, and grabbed my crossbody bag.

What the hell had happened? He was supposed to be getting out this week.

The elevator ride felt endless. When the doors finally opened, I frowned. Instead of the garage, the talking box had deposited me onto a floor that looked like a luxury hotel’s reception area.

“Allie,” Valor called from the end of the hall where a staircase led down toward the main entrance. I jogged toward him, keenly aware of the security guards stationed at every corner.

He placed a hand on the small of my back, gently guiding me through the doors and into his sleek Ferrari. The moment I settled into the passenger seat, I turned to him.

“What’s going on? Is my grandfather—?” I swallowed, unable to finish the sentence.

“Old Pete is fine. I saw him myself—not a single scratch on him,” Valor said, and the conviction in his voice helped steady my pulse.

“Kyon’s lawyer got the case dismissed. It wasn’t easy, but he’s the best in Avari for a reason.

We were en route to the penitentiary when we got word of a gang fight breaking out inside.

Total chaos. I broke every traffic law to get us there faster.

By the time we arrived, the guards had managed to suppress the riot, and Kyon was on a bloody stretcher.

They wanted to take him to the hospital, but Torian and I agreed it was safer to bring him somewhere more secure.

He’s at one of the Voltaire mountain estates now. Their private medic is treating him.”

I clenched the hem of my skirt. “And you think I can help somehow?”

He peered at me like he knew a secret. “I do.”

O-kay…

“What happened to the fae who attacked him?”

“Gargoyles.” He sneered. “Few survived.”

Kyon’s handsome face flashed in my mind, all sharp lines and brutal beauty, that thick bottom lip I’d secretly obsessed over and the scar I’d come to love. All of him. I sucked in a breath.

“How bad is he?” I asked in a small voice.

Valor let out a low whistle. “Worst I’ve ever seen him. If it wasn’t for his ally…”

A wave of dizziness crashed over me.

“He’ll heal,” Valor added quickly, his voice softer. “But it’s going to take time…and willpower. That’s where you come in.”

I shot him a dubious look.

“Come on, you can’t deny the pull between you two—only the fae gods know why—but trust me, it goes both ways. Beneath all that gruff, there’s a dragon who feels. And I think the way he feels about you…it’s not something he’s ever felt for anyone else. ”

I bit my lip, the edges of a smile betraying me. “He told you this?”

“No,” Valor said, shrugging. “Not in so many words—we are men, after all. But I’ve known him long enough to know the difference between casual interest and all but marking his territory.”

He pulled the car up to an arched iron gate and pressed his thumb to a sleek scanner embedded in the stone pillar.

A sharp beep followed, and the gates groaned open with a mechanical sigh.

The road curved upward, completely secluded and flanked by towering, wind-gnarled trees that pressed in like silent sentries.

Minutes later, the dense greenery gave way to manicured gardens and sprawling grounds.

Then the house came into view—a sweeping modern estate built of gray stone and glass, crowned with balconies, sleek turrets, and a breathtaking view that stretched from the mist-draped country hills to the glittering lights of inner Avari below.

A steel-blue dragon crested over the rooftop, wings slicing the air with a deep whoosh before he exhaled a ribbon of smoke. He dove toward us and shifted in midair, landing gracefully by my door as Torian.

“Welcome,” he said, reaching in to steady my hand as I stepped out.

His gaze flicked down, a thoughtful expression forming as he took in my outfit.

In my rush, I hadn’t thought to change out of the skimpy miniskirt and tied-up white-collar shirt that showed my midriff, a practice getup I’d thrown on earlier in preparation for the new gig Larry had offered to me yet again.

“Um…it’s from work,” I muttered, heat creeping up my neck.

Valor appeared beside me in a blur.

“He’s in the grand bedroom. I’ll grab a bathrobe—just in case. We don’t want to agitate him.” Torian loped up the steps ahead of us and shifted into his dragon form once more, wings flaring before he perched on a balcony above. A breath later, he transformed back into his human self.

Valor and I jogged up the steps.

“Bathrobe? Why would Kyon need one?” I asked, a little winded from the climb.

“That’d be for you, love. For when he wakes up. We wouldn’t want him getting too…enthusiastic at the sight of you.”

Fae gods. My outfit was sexy, sure, but would it really stir that kind of reaction in him?

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to shake the image, though the idea of Kyon desiring me sent warmth coiling through my belly.

We were no longer in an illusion or separated by fences. Things were about to get real.

“Say no more, vampire,” I warned, and he chuckled.

“That reminds me,” I added, “don’t ever leave notes for me again. Especially creepy ones. Ever.”

He chuckled again. “Was it my handwriting?”

I rolled my eyes.

We climbed to the third floor, which opened into a sprawling, open-concept space. A bed, easily twice the size of a king and placed dead center between us and the wall of glass doors that folded open on either side, dominated the massive room.

Valor flashed to the bedside. I trailed behind, my steps soft, unwilling to make a sound. I drew a long, shaky breath at the sight of him.

Kyon lay motionless, his chest wrapped in bloodstained gauze, arms bruised and swollen. Angry red lines bulged across his skin where cuts had already begun to heal. A navy sheet covered him from the waist down.

His face had lost all its warmth; even his tan had faded. Deep bruises mottled his skin, dark purples and sickly blues. A swollen bump jutted from the side of his forehead. My hand moved toward it instinctively, but I caught myself and pulled it back before I could touch him.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs, and Torian emerged, holding a gold velvet robe.

“How long?” Valor asked.

“The medic isn’t sure,” Torian replied. “But he is healing.”

Kyon’s brother looked as impeccable as ever—tailored suit pants and an expensive designer shirt unbuttoned at the collar. I had yet to see him wear anything less than runway-ready. I wondered if Kyon dressed the same outside prison walls. My gaze shifted back to him—my dragon.

My prisoner.

Mine.

The thought was ridiculous. And yet…it was the only way I could think of him .

Valor’s cell phone chimed for what was like the hundredth time since we’d left Kyon’s penthouse.

“Damn it. I have to go. Family business,” he muttered, glancing at me with guilt flickering behind his eyes.

“That’s fine. I’ll stay with him. If I can?” I turned the question to Torian. After all, this was his family’s mountain home. If he didn’t want me near Kyon, I’d have no right to argue.

Torian handed me the robe, nodding once. “I don’t see any harm in it. Go on, the girl is in good hands.”

The vampire stepped closer and placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “I’ll return in a couple of hours.” He held my gaze as if silently checking for hesitation. When I gave none, he vanished down the stairs in a blur.

Torian lingered for a breath. “Can I get you a drink? Perhaps something stiff to take the edge off?” His voice was unexpectedly kind.

I gave a small shake of my head. “No, thank you.”

My gaze fell back to Kyon, who was finally in front of me in the flesh, within reach…but it was nothing like I’d imagined our first real meeting would be.

Torian gave a brief nod and turned to leave, giving me privacy. Before he could reach the stairs, Kyon convulsed. His entire body rocked the bed, and fresh blood bloomed through the gauze wrapping his chest.

I gasped, lurching forward with both hands outstretched, desperate to help but not knowing how .

“Don’t—” Torian grabbed my arm, gently pulling me back. I clapped my hands over my mouth as the minutes dragged on and Kyon’s condition worsened. His face twisted in pain, a grimace locking his features while his eyes flickered open and shut, shifting from human irises to blazing green.

“He’s healing,” Torian whispered near my ear. When the episode finally passed, he stepped away, dialing someone as he moved toward the stairs.

I inched toward the bed. Kyon’s skin shimmered with cold sweat, his chest rising and falling in erratic bursts.

He kicked the sheet off, baring his narrow hips, manhood, and long, powerful legs.

My gaze snagged on the shifter-control bracelet still clamped around his ankle. Why the hell hadn’t anyone removed it?

I frowned and gently tugged the sheet back over him. Shifters were comfortable in their skin, naked or not, but something about seeing him so exposed, so vulnerable, didn’t sit right with me. He might not have wanted me to see him like this, not while unconscious and bleeding.

“Our medic is en route. He’ll help manage Kyon’s discomfort. That damned bracelet is slowing his healing,” Torian muttered as he returned, checking his watch again. Clearly, he had somewhere to be—but after witnessing Kyon’s episode, I didn’t want to be left alone.

“Allie, right?”

I nodded .