“Never mind that for now; do you feel strange?” he asks.
“My throat is burning,” she admits. Thaddeus kisses my forehead, and Orion comes over. I try to put my feet down and stand, but Thaddeus jostles me, making me remain where I am, his arm tightening around my waist, so I wrap my legs back around him.
“I am sending Orion to come to get you. You know Orion?”
“Yes, but why not Evie?”
“You will see Evie, but Orion is faster. He will come to get you and bring you here,” Thaddeus tells her. He hands my phone back to me, and I answer it.
“Lana, you there?” I can hear Thaddeus and Orion whisper to each other but can’t hear what they are saying. The next second, Orion disappears, the front door left wide open.
“Evie, is it true?”
“Is what true?” I ask her; she sounds so frightened.
“What April said, that Derrick….”
“Yes, Lana, but don’t worry about that. Orion is coming to get you, okay?”
“My phone is dying,” she tells me and the phone cuts out completely. I try to call her back, but it goes to voicemail.
“She is alive; April didn’t kill her,” I tell Thaddeus.
He shakes his head. “I think she did; you should prepare yourself. Lana may be different when she comes here,” he tells me. I don’t care if she is different as long as she is alive. Lana is alive. No matter how traumatized she is, she will get through it. But why is she in a morgue?
“Why would she be in a morgue?” I ask, as the realization of what Thaddeus said hits me. “Is she dead?”
Thaddeus nods.
“But how? I just spoke to her? She is human like me.”
“Many people are walking around with vampire DNA, completely unaware, so when they die, we find out when they come back as the small amount of vampire DNA brings them back. We learned all this when my mother died having me.”
“So, you’re saying Lana is a vampire?”
“I would be willing to bet my life on it,” he says. Either way, I don’t care as long as she is alive. She will get through this.
Ryland suddenly starts walking down the steps, rubbing his eyes and yawning. “Morning,” he grumbles, and Thaddeus lets me down. I rush over to him and jump on him. Ryland catches me, and I wrap my legs around him. “Why are you so happy?” he asks, confused, looking at Thaddeus.
“Lana is alive!” I tell him.
He looks at Thaddeus, who steps closer, pressing his chest into my back. Ryland looks at him warily, probably because he isn’t supposed to touch me, but he slept in the bed, and Thaddeus didn’t do anything. “Is she?” asks Ryland, looking at Thaddeus, wondering if I have lost the plot.
“Vampire, I think. Orion has gone to get her,” Thaddeus tells him. Thaddeus wraps his arms around both of us. Ryland leans into him as I get crushed between them.
I hear Ryland say, “I’m sorry,” before I realize he says it to Thaddeus. Thaddeus pulls his face back as I look up at them both. Thaddeus’ eyes drop to mine between them. He kisses my head and turns back to Ryland.
“I overreacted; she is fine,” he says, pecking Ryland on the lips, only for Ryland to grab the back of his neck and deepen the kiss. My stomach tightens as I watch them together. Thaddeus chuckles, pulling away after a few seconds. “Come, I need coffee,” Thaddeus says, turning toward the kitchen. Coffee sounds great.
“Is he okay?” Ryland asks, making me look at him.
“Yeah, why?” I answer. Ryland shakes his head.
“Because he? -”
“I told him it isn’t your fault,” I tell him, and he looks at me. Ryland quickly kisses my cheek.
“He almost seems happy,” Ryland says, walking into the kitchen and sitting me on the counter next to Thaddeus.
“Do you think we should call Bianca?” Thaddeus asks Ryland.
“Might be a good idea; we don’t know how she will react to Evelyn.” Thaddeus nods and pulls out his phone. Their words confuse me. I have known Lana for years; I am no threat to her.
E
velyn
Thaddeus calls Bianca, and we spend around an hour waiting until I hear movement outside. I am sitting on the lounge with Thaddeus and Ryland when the front door opens, and Orion steps inside.
Standing up, I go to see Lana when Thaddeus pulls me behind him. Lana walks in, cautiously looking around the room until her eyes land on me. Her hair is messy, and she is wearing a hospital gown. Her eyes go wide when she sees me and rushes over to me, a little too fast, nearly knocking me over. If it weren’t for Thaddeus holding my arm, she would have knocked me to the ground.
“Thank God you’re okay,” I whisper, hugging her back.
She sighs deeply, squeezing me tightly. Thaddeus, I can see, is watching her with a strange expression on his face, and I can feel his caution through the bond. I notice Orion standing behind her, his hand on her shoulder awkwardly, like he is worried something will happen.
Their worry through the bond makes me uneasy; why are they acting like that? Is it Lana? Orion and Ryland have met her plenty of times; she isn’t like April.
Lana steps back and looks around. “This place is nice. Do you live here with them?” she asks.
I nod as her eyes dart around the room quickly; all her movements seem jerky and too quick. “Come, I will get you some clothes,” I tell her, grabbing her hand.
Thaddeus places his hand on my arm, stopping me when I am about to take her up the stairs. “Orion will get her some clothes,” Thaddeus tells me.
“Why are you acting like this? It is Lana,” I ask him. His eyes don’t leave her.
“It’s not safe,” Ryland says, stepping closer.
“I am not going to try and leave again; I am right here,” I tell him, but he shakes his head.
“We aren’t worried about you doing anything, Evie,” Ryland says, using Lana’s nickname for me.
“I’m not going to hurt her,” Lana exclaims, shocked by his words; she looks appalled that he would even suggest such a thing.
“You may not mean to, but it’s a chance I won’t take. Not with my mate,” Thaddeus says, pulling me against him.
“You’re being ridiculous; Lana won’t hurt me,” I tell him, but he doesn’t let go.
“I will go with them, Thaddeus. Evie will be safe,” Orion says.
Thaddeus reluctantly lets me go, and I grab Lana’s hand, pulling her up the stairs. Orion is right on our heels. I rummage through the wardrobe, give her some clothes, and follow her into the bathroom and shut the door, but Orion’s hand stops it. “Door stays open,” he says.