Unfettered Vampire (Found & Freed: The Unfettered #5)

25. Chapter 25

Chapter twenty-five

Morgan

I can’t stop thinking about Ned. All day, every day, whatever I am doing, he is the only thing on my mind.

Right now I’m putting groceries away. Nothing about putting orange juice in the fridge should be making me think of Ned. Yet here I am. Incapable of any other thoughts.

I wouldn’t mind so much if all this thinking was getting me towards some sort of conclusion. A decision on what to do. But nope, that’s staying out of reach. I’m still as conflicted as ever. My mind is simply spinning in circles like a dog chasing its tail.

I sigh heavily and cast my gaze over the mountain of full bags on the counter, all groaning with food that needs to be put away.

The kids are watching cartoons, but that’s not going to hold their attention for much longer. Perhaps I should see if Tina is free? The house is a mess and there is a ton of stuff I need to do.

It shames me to realize it, but I had no idea how much Ned was doing around the house. I had a housekeeper for the first year after Jennifer’s death. She retired just before Ned started, and I mistakenly thought I was managing just fine. Clearly not.

I need to hire more staff. It makes me feel uncomfortable, but this house is far bigger than the one I grew up in. It was never meant to be managed by one person.

The doorbell chimes, scattering all of my thoughts.

The sound makes my heart race. My hands are trembling as I pull my phone out of my pocket. I tap on the app, and my heart sinks. It’s not Ned.

But it is two of his friends. Lello and Pink, I think. I didn’t get a good grasp of everyone’s names. But even if I didn’t have a good memory for faces, I’d know these were Ned’s friends. People he was imprisoned with, because they are both incredibly stunning. The type of people you’d definitely notice if you passed them in the street. Exactly who a crazy billionaire would kidnap.

I abandon the shopping and go answer the door. I open my mouth to invite them in. But Lello starts talking before I can say a thing.

“Ned has not been feeding and now he is not getting out of bed. He is really weak. Brodie thought he would be okay, so he left with Red to hide Jade from the Council, but Ned is not alright and he is not listening to us, but he will listen to you.”

I stare at Lello as my mind tries to make sense of what he just said. But all that I’m understanding is that Ned is in some sort of danger. And I suddenly realize that it is the only thing I need to understand.

My stomach rolls and my chest tightens. I take a step towards Ned’s friends and then I freeze.

“The kids. ”

“I can watch them,” offers Pink.

Shit. I don’t know this man. But Ned needs me. I take a deep breath and try to gather my thoughts. Ned needs me. I don’t know Pink, but Ned does. He called him his brother. And while my trust in Ned has been wounded, my faith in his love for the kids is unshaken. Ned would not be friends with someone who could be a risk to his grandchildren. It just would never happen.

“Okay,” I nod. “Come in and meet them.”

It doesn’t take long to introduce Pink to the kids and the moment he agrees to play dress up with them, they are enthralled. I leave them to it and jog back to Lello, who is waiting on the doorstep and hopping foot to foot.

He has my every sympathy. Rationally, I know I’ve been gone less than ten minutes, but my heart is adamant I’ve been absent for an ice age.

“Your car?” I ask.

“Oh no!” says Lello as his eyes grow wide with alarm. “I can’t drive.”

I duck back inside, grab my keys, and hurry over to my car. Lello slides into the passenger seat and I reverse out of the driveway far quicker than I should. Lello doesn’t seem worried, though.

As I tear down the street, he starts talking again. Something about fairies and portals and Ned saving the world. And Baltazar being killed.

Wait, what? Ned saved the world?

Somehow, I’m not surprised. It’s exactly the kind of reckless, wonderful thing he would do.

“Ned saved the world and it made him weak?” I attempt to summerize .

“Kind of. He was weak before because he hasn’t been feeding. Using glamor on Jade used the last of his strength. Brodie checked him and said he’d be fine as long as he fed as soon as he woke up. And then Brodie had to run with Red to take Jade somewhere safe because he is going to be in big trouble with the Council now, because he tried to let the fey in and he killed Baltazar.”

My head is spinning. “And Ned?” I prompt. It is the only thing I care about.

“We got him home, and he did wake up, but he won’t feed. Even though Gray brought him a human. He is just lying in bed, all sad and fading away. He mutters your name sometimes, but that’s it. Carter went to try and find Brodie because they used to be Enforcers together and he knows some of the hiding spots Brodie might use. They didn’t take their phones because the Council could track them. And Gray says they are somewhere warded, so he can’t sense them.”

I suck in a breath while I try to process all of that.

“Me and Pink had the idea of coming to get you. Because he will listen to you if you tell him to feed. And he’ll be happy again if you tell him you don’t hate him.”

I wince. I don’t hate Ned. I couldn’t. It’s impossible. I was hurt. Confused. Overwhelmed and conflicted. But I never bothered to explain that to him. He might very well believe that I hate him, and I cannot bear the thought of that.

We reach Ned’s home and I throw the car haphazardly onto the driveway. I jump out of the car and follow Lello into the house and up the stairs. He flings open a door, revealing a bedroom, and my heart stops .

All the air leaves. Gravity takes its place. It pushes me to my knees and tears a scream out of my lungs.

I’m too late. I didn’t get here in time.

Ned is lying on his back on the bed. Motionless. Head tilted up slightly. Mouth hanging open. Eyelids open a tiny slit, revealing pale, lifeless, milky eyes. He is dead. Very dead.

Not again. Not again. I can’t do this again. Finding a loved one dead very nearly destroyed me the first time. There is no chance at all that I can survive it a second time. I’m not strong enough. I’ve never been strong enough.

“Morgan. Morgan.” Distantly, I hear someone saying my name.

Lello’s tear-streaked face swims into focus. He is pushing a knife into my numb hand.

“...happened before. Might not be permanently dead forever. Human blood might bring him back.”

I’m only hearing fragments of what is being said. The words are echoing dully around my head.

Might not be dead.

Human blood might bring him back.

Suddenly, I’m surging to my feet. I grab Lello by the shoulders, very nearly cutting him with the knife I appear to be holding. He yelps, but doesn’t resist me.

“What do I need to do?” I scream.

“Cut your wrist. Hold it over his mouth.”

That’s simple enough. I can do that. I’m willing to do anything, anything at all if I can stop this from happening. I don’t want Ned to die. He can’t die. Please don’t let him die.

I drag the knife over my wrist. It doesn’t even hurt. Warm wetness flows over my skin .

“Oh! That’s deep!” squeals Lello, but I don’t care.

My feet stagger the three steps to Ned’s side. I hold my bleeding wrist over his mouth and watch the blood pour in. Now all I can do is pray. Even though I don’t believe in any gods. But if any of them are real and listening, they can have my soul along with my utter devotion.

Ned’s mouth twitches. I gasp. Did I really just see that? Was it a trick of the light? Am I hallucinating?

No! Look! There it is again! He twitched. Ned definitely moved!

An awful feeling of hope coils through me. Cruel, teasing and mocking.

Suddenly, Ned really moves. His head lifts up. His lips seal around my wrist. His hands shoot up and take a hold of my arm, holding me close to him.

I yell and flinch from the suddenness of the movement. Then I suck in a huge, ragged breath and hold still. Ned has to take what he needs. He has to heal and get better.

I’m sobbing now. My shoulders are heaving, and tears are running down my face. Behind me, Lello is crying too, but he is keeping his distance and not interrupting. He understands as much as I do, that Ned can’t stop yet.

I stare down at Ned’s too pale face. His throat is moving, and I can hear him gulping. I’m starting to feel a little dizzy, but I don’t care.

Abruptly, Ned’s eyes snap open and fix unerringly on me. I swallow. He looks feral. Dangerous. A predator caught in a cage. Oh my. What if I’ve brought back something that isn’t Ned?

Cold, clammy horror claws at my guts. Then he blinks and all I see is Ned .

Recognition flows over his face. He stops sucking on my wrist and starts licking at it instead, healing the wound. It’s Ned. He is back. He came back to me.

It worked. Ned is alive.