Page 34 of Cruelly Fated
With a huff, I turned on my heel and stalked into the bedroom instead, throwing myself into packing. That I could control. That didn’t require pretending to belong in someone else’suniverse. But I couldn’t stop my thoughts from drifting—to the after-party, Kyon, and worst of all…Grandpa.
At least at work, I stayed distracted. The club’s noise, the music, and the chaos numbed me for a few hours. But the idea of visiting Grandpa on Wednesday made my stomach twist. How was I supposed to tell him we were losing the house?
I crouched down and reached under the bed, pulling out spare blankets until my fingers found the wooden box. I dragged it into the light, brushed off the dust, and ran my fingers over the lid. The last time I’d peeked inside, I was nine. Mom had caught me, scolded me for snooping, and shoved the box back under without another word. I never saw her open it, but she’d kept it close. It had meant something to her.
Okay Mom, it’s time I learned all your secrets.
I lifted one side, slowly easing off the cover. Dust settled in crevices but royal blue interior lining protected the inside. A gold ring, shaped like a blooming rose with tiny ruby petals, rested on the top in a clear plastic box. I turned it over in my palm, admiring the delicate craftsmanship, then set it aside with care. Beneath the ring lay photographs of Grandpa and Grandma cradling a newborn baby, my mother, and a tiny pair of hand-knitted baby booties, frayed with age. I removed them next, revealing the last item, a stack of yellowed envelopes bound with a faded ribbon.
Holding my breath, I gripped the mail and placed it in my lap. My heart thumped in anticipation. Elegant handwriting decorated the paper, my mother’s hand. I frowned. She leftthe addressee information blank. Had she not intended to mail these?
I clutched the stack to my chest, warring within myself. She’d held onto letters she’d never mailed and guarded them for years. This felt deeply personal. Would she have wanted me to know what was inside? A single tear slid down my cheek, landing on the ribbon. I gently laid the letters back into the box and slid the lid shut.
There was a knock at my door exactly at seven p.m.
I wiped my clammy hands on the kitchen towel and rolled my shoulders. I’d been pacing the linoleum for the past half hour, giving myself pep talks and rehearsing how to channel confidence and casual indifference. I had to play the part—act like a rich, snobby date. At least, that’s how I imagined Valor’s type: someone with a champagne laugh and a permanently upturned nose. Then again, maybe I was stereotyping Avari’s elites. I’d never actually met one before Kyon. And prison wasn’t exactly where I expected to meet my first.
I opened the door, squinting in anticipation of Valor’s verdict. His gaze raked over me, his eyes widening before a low, appreciative sound rumbled in his throat.
“So…does that mean you approve?” I asked quickly. “I should’ve run the makeup by you—too much? Too little?” I sounded like a wind-up doll wound one crank too tight.
Valor extended his elbow with a dramatic flourish. “You look stunning. You’ll blend with the elites perfectly.”
“Really?”
His grin spread, canines slipping into view. “Good enough to bite into.”
A few days ago, that line would’ve triggered alarm bells. But after seeing the way he was with Kyon and Rhylan, I snorted in amusement instead. There was more to these men than elite status and dangerously good looks.
“Keep the fangs to yourself.”
“Ouch.” He feigned a dramatic stagger backward, then straightened and led me to the waiting limo. I climbed first. A tinted window divided us and the driver.
Once settled, Valor’s tone slipped back into business. “When we arrive, it’s best you don’t start conversations. Keep to short answers unless you’re approached directly.”
“Done.” I liked this date already.
“This might come across as chauvinistic,” Valor said, “but certain behavior is expected. You can talk to me, of course—laugh, engage when others are around. Look like you’re into me. Once the alcohol and drugs kick in, most of them will be too far gone to notice much else. But stay close.”
I nodded along as the limo glided through the city streets. “How long before your target’s under the influence?”
“It’s hard to say,” he said with a sigh. “I don’t usually stick around long at these things, but I’ve seen him completely blitzed not long after arriving.”
I crossed my fingers in my lap without thinking.
“What are you doing?” Valor asked, glancing down.
I blinked. I’d forgotten vampires could see in near-total darkness just as clearly as they did in daylight. I quickly flexed my fingers and dropped my hands. “Nothing.”
He turned back toward the window, but not before I caught the corner of his mouth forming a knowing smirk.
I tripped on the very first flipping step and ended up tucked into Valor’s side, his muscles like bricks under that suit. Six-inch stilettos were not my thing, especially when paired with nerves and adrenaline. Couples looked down from a vast balcony above, while others ascended the steps beside us, arriving with far more grace.
“That’s alright,” Valor murmured into my ear. “Everyone will just assume you had too much champagne in the limo. Now laugh a little.”
Mortified, I buried my face into his arm, eyes squeezed shut.
“That works too,” he said, amusement threading through his voice.
