Page 29 of Cruelly Fated
A knock sounded at the door.
Great. Maybe the guy came back to post signs in the backyard, too.
“What,” I barked as I flung the door open.
Valor stood on the porch, his stunned face backlit by the late morning sun.
“Oh,” I said, awkwardly brushing my hair behind my ear. Too late to pretend I wasn’t a mess.
His gaze flicked to the foreclosure sign still taped to the door, then back to me.
“Not a good day?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.
“What are you doing here?” I crossed my arms, attempting to hide Grandpa’s odious flannel robe with sleeves reaching to the tips of my fingers and fabric riddled with tiny holes from years of use. I mean, right before me stood a vampire in glossy charcoal button-up, slim-cut gray trousers, and a matching jacket tossed effortlessly over his shoulder. Gold-rimmed sunglasses perched on his face like he belonged in a designer ad, not on the porch of a crumbling house in the oldest, poorest neighborhood in Avari.
“The party’s tomorrow, and you need more practice,” he said.
I scrunched my eyes shut. With the bank giving me until Monday to pack and leave my childhood home behind, spying for Kyon had completely slipped my mind. But I’d already agreed to it, so…
“Give me a minute. I’ll meet you outside,” I said. If we left now, I wouldn’t even be late for work.
“We’re not training with Kyon today. He seems to be…too much of a distraction for you.”
Distraction? What was that supposed to mean?
Valor grinned like he could read my mind. And okay, maybe Kyonwasa little distracting…
“What do you suggest?” I asked cautiously.
“Well, our target will likely be…lit. Which helps us—he won’t remember you. But it may make it harder for you to pull the memory we’re after. So, I brought someone with me. A close enough match for practice.” He paused, clearly enjoying the buildup. “Shall I invite him in?”
That piqued my curiosity. I glanced down at my outfit, robe still tied tight.
“Uh…give me a sec.” I darted toward my room, pulled on leggings and a long shirt, then returned to the living room tying my hair into a ponytail. “Alright, your friend can come in.”
Valor whistled between two fingers like he was calling a dog. I scrunched my nose. That didn’t suit the sophisticated vampire.
A creature as broad as my doorframe stumbled inside. Shaggy dark blond hair, a football jersey, and ripped jeans. He clapped Valor on the chest like a teammate, then clocked my worn-out couch, muttered “sweet” or something close to it, and flopped onto the cushions. Bare, ginormous feet dangled off the edge.
“What’s wrong with him?” I asked, slowly crossing the room toward the guy now snoring with his mouth open.
“Frat party last night. He consumed copious amounts of Grim’s Brew, a wolf shifter drink with the alcohol content of jet fuel,” Valor said dryly.
I leaned over the new guy, inspecting his face. Under the mop of hair and stubble, he was actually handsome—strong jaw, sun-bronzed skin, and eyelashes long enough to make a girl jealous. He had that lazy charm that screamed trouble.
He popped his eyes open. “Hey, chica…” he drawled, reaching in a floppy arc to grab me.
Valor smacked his hand away. “She’s not yours.”
“What? Your girl?” The frat boy blinked, still groggy. “Damn…she’s cute.” He squinted in my direction. “Are you sure she’s not mine?”
“Ignore him. Rhylan, meet Allie. Allie, Rhylan, wolf shifter fae and our test subject today.”
Rhylan groaned, throwing an arm over his eyes. “You said this would be fun. I cut my sleep short for this.”
“Allie’s going to rummage around in that blotto brain of yours for a bit of info. It’s a practice run for tomorrow’s party.”
Rhylan snapped his fingers, eyes wide. “The brain-spying chick?”
