He didn't want to.
If it were entirely up to him, the thought would not even have crossed his mind, considering how adamant he had been that it would never happen.
But as Kael looked down at the fragile body in his arms, being carried through the long, echoing halls of the estate's archives, he felt doubt seep into his once unshakeable resolve.
Could someone like this twig truly survive if he stayed close?
Even now, with Riley breathing so shallowly that each exhale felt weaker than the last, there was the overwhelming feeling that he might never wake again.
A low snarl escaped Kael's throat. His strides quickened.
He had taken the long route home. Teleportation was faster, but Riley had always hated it, and Kael could not imagine what damage it would cause to an unconscious human body. What if his fragile frame shattered under the strain? What if he truly broke?
Unacceptable.
So he walked, then flew. And with every step and every wing flap, his fury swelled.
