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

29. Chapter 29

Chapter twenty-nine

Morgan

T oday is going to change my life forever. That’s strange for a Thursday afternoon in November. The weather is utterly unremarkable too. Just dull and gray. If life was like the movies, there would be something dramatic going on, or at least stirring and rousing background music.

But no, it’s just me, driving my car while wearing my nicest suit. Glancing frequently at the bunch of red roses on the passenger seat as if they are going to be destroyed if I don’t keep my eye on them.

I hope Ned accepts my apology. I hope I can grovel enough. I never should have freaked out and doubted him. Love is everything and I’ve been an idiot trying to resist it. I’ve thrown up barriers. Made mountains out of molehills. Generally behaved like a broken man frightened of being hurt again.

My hands tighten on the steering wheel. My therapist says I need to give myself some grace. I am a wounded man. It is not terrible and awful of me to behave like one.

Just like it is not terrible of Ned to behave like a damaged person as well. He has been through hell. Expecting him to act and communicate like a healthy, well-balanced person is unfair.

We are both messed up people. We have our flaws. Nevertheless, we are both worthy of love.

I really, truly hope Ned sees it that way.

Next time I’m in this car, I’ll either be the happiest man in the world, or a thoroughly rejected one. Either way, I’m relieved the kids are with Tina, so I am free to deal with the aftermath of the conversation I’m about to have. This moment is a crossroads in my life. And I really hope it turns down the happy path.

Ned’s house comes into view and my heart rate doubles. I turn into the driveway and find somewhere to park amongst the scattering of cars.

Then it’s a quick check of my hair in the mirror. Now it is time to grab my roses and go before my courage deserts me completely.

I hurry up to the door and knock before I can chicken out. It’s only a few moments before I can hear footsteps. My heart rate picks up pace again. Any faster and I’m going to be in serious trouble.

The door opens, and it is Pink who is looking up at me. Okay, deep breath. Honestly, it is probably a good thing that I have a few more moments to brace myself before seeing Ned.

Pink’s gaze flicks to the bunch of roses in my hand and his face falls. Oh, that’s not good. Has Ned told him that he never wants to see me again?

“Come in,” says Pink as he steps aside.

My stomach is in knots. Is being invited in a good sign? Or does it simply mean that Ned is going to break my heart face to face ?

Pink leads me to a large kitchen, complete with a large pine table. Ned is not here. But Sammy is. And Lello. And Sammy’s boyfriend, Blue. The one who is scared of me, and ran away last time. This time, he gives me an uneasy look, but quickly turns his focus back to Lello.

Lello, who is Ned’s best friend. Lello, who is sitting at the table with his face in his hands and crying his heart out. With a handwritten note in front of him.

A wave of dizziness washes over me, and I lose my balance. Pink catches my arm and steadies me.

“What the fuck is that?” I gasp.

Lello jumps at the sound of my voice. He looks up at me in alarm, and then snatches the note and hides it under the table.

“Sorry! Ned said you weren’t to see it!” he exclaims. “I was supposed to come and tell you.”

Despite the absolute horror of this moment, I’m profoundly touched that Ned realized that any note would be traumatic and triggering for me.

“What does it say?” I croak hoarsely.

“He has left. He has gone to find a castle to hide in and have a Long Sleep for ten years.”

Relief bubbles through me so intensely that I nearly laugh. He has not done the worst. Anything else can be dealt with. Okay, deep breath. Think. He has left, I understand that bit, but what the hell is a Long Sleep? I open my mouth to ask, but then it hits me. I get the gist. I think it was in the Underworld films where the vampires took turns sleeping for long periods of time. Leapfrogging through the centuries, they called it.

So I guess that is what Ned is doing. Ten years is not as long as one hundred, but it is still an awfully long time. I will wait for him, of course, but he is going to miss the kids growing up.

Pink clears his throat. “He…he still hasn’t been feeding properly. He is weak. I…I’m worried he won’t wake up.”

And just like that, all my tentative relief evaporates, and my veins turn to ice. No, no, that can’t be right. Pink has to be mistaken.

“Surely he knows what he is doing?” I say.

Pink slowly shakes his head. “Ned is very young for a vampire. He is a baby and barely knows anything and he is…”

“An idiot?” I finish for Pink.

Pink nods and licks his lips. Shit, this is a disaster. We have to find him. But presumably, if his friends knew how to, they wouldn’t be sitting here crying.

“I can take you to him,” says Gray, making me jump a mile. I swear he wasn’t here a second ago.

“Can you?” I ask as I whip around to face the demon.

Gray nods solemnly. “He is in France. I can take you through the shadows.”

I force a swallow down my too dry throat. “How long would it take?”

Gray lifts up his hand and snaps his fingers. It makes me flinch, but it is clear enough. Instantaneous. Which is a whole lot quicker than getting to an airport. And every second counts. I need to get to Ned before he slips into the Long Sleep thing.

“Take me!” I cry.

The demon nods, grabs my suit jacket, and then the world spins and darkens. Gravity twists and sound becomes solid. My mouth opens, but before I can scream, everything returns to normal .

Except I appear to be in a very large wine cellar. One that’s draped with red velvet and scattered with candelabras. As I turn around, trying to take it all in, I’m greeted by the sight of a large bed covered in blood red silk sheets.

Ned is sitting on the edge of it, cigarette hanging from his bottom lip as he stares at me in shock.

“Those things will …” I start automatically.

“Kill me?” finishes Ned, with a raised eyebrow and a sarcastic expression.

Yeah, okay. Fair point.

“What is this place?” I ask, as I look around in bewilderment. There are cobwebs and dust in the corners. Did Ned just finishing cleaning this place up, and that’s what’s left? Or are they part of the spooky and dramatic theme?

Ned stubs out his cigarette. “An abandoned chateau. It was a vampire themed hotel for a while.” Ned shrugs awkwardly. “It tickled my funny bone.”

Suddenly, my mind comes back online and I rush up to him as all my frantic feelings blaze back to life.

“Thank goodness you are not asleep!”

Ned blinks. Then his gaze flicks down to the roses that I am somehow still holding. A beautiful pink blush tinges his cheeks.

My Ned. He is here. Right here and standing in front of me. Alive and not sleeping. I found him and I got here in time. It is the most wonderful thing ever.

“Umm…Gray, could you please give us a minute?” Ned stammers to the demon standing next to me. The one I had completely forgotten about .

Gray’s dark eyes slowly flick back and forth between us. “You are shy?”

“Yes,” says Ned inexplicably. I have no idea what we are talking about.

The demon huffs. “Make up sex is delicious.”

Oh, my god. Suddenly, I’m looking at my feet while my cheeks burst into fire. That’s why Gray is lingering? I really hope Ned doesn’t think I’m presuming anything is going to happen.

“He’s gone,” says Ned gently.

I’m still dying of embarrassment here, so I blindly thrust the roses at him. It gives me something to do while I pull myself together, and I do want him to have them.

Ned takes them graciously. I risk a peek and I’m just in time to see a beautiful smile teasing at his lips as he admires the flowers.

“I don’t have a vase,” he says.

“That’s okay,” I shrug.

Then I’m smiling too. Words are stupid. I think it is marvelous that we didn’t need the right ones to say, ‘I’m sorry,’ and ‘I forgive you.’ But I want to be crystal clear for this next bit, so I’m going to attempt to use the right words, in the right order.

“Please come home and be my boyfriend!” I blurt loudly.

A thousand emotions flow across Ned’s face. His eyes are practically aflame with them. He wants to, he really wants to. I can read that much at least, and it is making my heart want to burst with joy.

“There are a thousand reasons why I should say no,” he whispers .

There probably are. But life, and more especially, happiness, is far too fleeting to be worried about things like logic. We can overcome the downsides, I’m sure of it. I have to hope that the main reason he left and ran away to an abandoned chateau, was because he believed I didn’t want him. Now he knows that I do, everything else can be worked out.

All I have to do is to not allow Ned to convince himself our problems are insurmountable. He is a stubborn ass once he makes his mind up.

“A thousand reasons,” he repeats sadly, as if trying to convince himself.

“If I kiss you, and keep kissing you, you won’t be able to say any of them,” I say quickly. It really can be as easy and simple as that.

Ned’s beautiful eyes widen. He stares at me. His pink tongue pokes out and runs along his bottom lip. Then he nods, and that is all I need to see.

I close the short distance between us and lift him up into my arms. He squeaks, but then my lips are over his and his yelp of surprise turns into a moan of pleasure. His legs wrap around my waist, and his arms around my neck. The bunch of roses are squishing into the side of my head.

It is perfect. Just like he is.

I have my Ned, and my children, and it is everything I need.