chapter 150 Forty-Eight

Evelyn's POV

I woke early to my phone ringing next to my bed. It was on silent and I could just make out the

sound of it vibrating. I ignore it, not feeling like talking and figured it must be one of Thaddeus's

family members. Stretching I sit upright, the events of the past twenty-four hours hitting me almost

instantly. Thaddeus was sitting in the armchair at the end of the bed staring off into space. Ryland

was asleep beside me and Orion I had no idea where he was, but he wasn't in the room

Lana was dead. My only family was now gone, and I just couldn't wrap my head around it, it

was like a bad dream. Thaddeus was still as a statue, he didn’t even move as I stood up, completely

lost in his thoughts. Grabbing my phone, I look at the screen. Five missed calls from Lana. My heart

clenching at the sight. She would never call me again. I would never hear her voice again. I still

couldn't believe April killed her, killed her own daughter. I quickly go to the bathroom needing to

pee, walking past Thaddeus all he did was stare at the same spot on the roof, the look on his face

was vacant.

Using the bathroom, I quickly wash my hands before walking out. I wave my hand in front of

Thaddeus face, he doesn't react. What is wrong with him? I touch his arm no reaction, he was awake

because his eyes were open, yet the look on his face was like he wasn't aware of me touching him.

“Vampires do that sometimes; he is stuck in his head” Orion says, making me notice he was

now leaning against the door. He comes over wrapping his arms around me and I wrap mine

around his waist. Sparks moving over my cheek where it rested on his bare chest.

“When will he come back?” I ask looking up at him.

“When he figures out how to come back, or one of us pulls him from it” Orion tells me.

“You okay?" he asks, I nod. I would be fine unlike Lana. I'm still alive and breathing, guilt hitting

me at what happened.

“Hungry?” he asks, I shake my head.

“Well, you should eat anyway, I will go make something” he says letting me go before staring at

Thaddeus. I could see the worry etched on his face for his mate. Orion walks out and I was about to

follow when decided I would sit with Thaddeus for a bit, Ryland was still fast asleep snoring softly.

Climbing on the armchair, I sit on his lap, draping my legs over the armrest before grabbing his arm

and wrapping it around me.

Thaddeus being gone for so long was horrible, now he was back and stuck like this. His skin

was warm as I leant against him. Using my fingers, I trace the lines of his face, his face felt rough

with stubble, but he felt warm, felt like home. My phone starts vibrating again, this time I can't

ignore it. Hopping up, I grab it before sitting back down on Thaddeus's lap. Looking at the screen,

my heart skips a beat. Lana? I shake my head I know she is dead already, I must be losing it, there

was no way she could be ringing. The news anchor confirmed three people were dead, they even

put up her photo, so I had no doubt she was truly gone. My mind must be trying to find ways cope,

I try to rationalise. Dropping the phone on my lap, I nestle back into Thaddeus, my head resting on

his shoulder, my hand stroking his rough cheek. I loved the way they smelt, loved the smell of their

skin and how warm they are.

Suddenly I felt movement, Thaddeus moves making me look up at him. Before his big arms

envelope me, crushing me against him before letting go slightly. Sitting up, I straddle him, wrapping

my arms around his neck, his face going to the crook of my neck.

“You're back” I mumble against his shoulder before kissing the side of his neck. He growls softly

almost a purr.

“You don't hate me?” he whispers, making me furrow my eyebrows.

“Why would I hate you?” I ask confused, wrapping my arms around his neck tighter and

pressing myself against him.

“Because of Lana” he says before rubbing a hand down his face.

“You didn't kill Lana, April did” I tell him, and he shakes his head.

“Nothing you did killed Lana, that is on April. She pulled the trigger not you. Fairly sure I am

losing my mind though,” I tell him, and he pulls back, grabbing my face and looking at me. I hear

my phone vibrate again.

“Why do you say that?” he asks, curious.

“Because I keep thinking I can hear my phone ringing and see her name popup,” I tell him. He

kisses me softly before pulling away. “Please don't keep punishing Ryland it wasn't his fault” I tell

him, and I see his eyes dart to Ryland behind me before settling back on me. He pulls me against

him, resting his chin on my head.

My phone vibrates again, and I retrieve it where it fell between us. Looking at the screen Lana's

name popping up again. Sighing, before I drop the phone on my lap when Thaddeus picks it up.

“Ah Evelyn, you're not imagining it unless I have gone crazy with you,” he says looking at the

screen. Sitting up, 1 look at the screen.

“You see it too?” He nods and I take it from him before answering it. My heart skipping a beat

and a lump formed in my throat as I answer it popping it on loudspeaker.

“Evie? Evie you there?” Shock hitting me. Thaddeus nudges me with his arm and I shake my

shock off.

“Lana?” I ask.

“Evie, I have been trying to ring for hours. I need help please you have to help me,” she says,

and I can't help the tears of relief that she is okay.

“Evie?” Her frightened voice comes again.

“Yes, I am here. I thought you were dead,” I tell her. Silence on the other end. “Lana?” I ask

when she says nothing.

“I think I am. I don’t know, but I need help. I remember the bullet hitting me in the chest, then I

felt cold, so cold. I'm scared, Evie,” she says. Thaddeus stands up, I wrap my legs around his waist as

he starts walking toward the door.

“Wait, where are you?" I ask her.

“I don't know, I am in some metal box. I can’t move the door is next to my feet and I can't open

it" she tells me. Metal box? I look to Thaddeus and he says one word.

“Morgue” Morgue? Thaddeus takes the phone from me while I try and wrap my head around

what he said

“Hi Lana, this is Thaddeus,” he tells her.

“Argh Hi, where is Evie gone?”

“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 and 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 get you. You know Orion?”

“Yes, but why not Evie?”

“You will see Evie, but Orion is faster. He will come get you and bring you here” Thaddeus tells

her. He hands my phone back to me and I answer it.

“Lana you there?” I could hear Thaddeus and Orion whispering to each other but couldn't quite

hear what they were saying. Next second Orion disappears, the front door left wide open.

“Evie, is it true?”

“Is what true?” 1 ask her, she sounded so frightened.

“What April said that Derrick...”

“Yes Lana, but don't worry about that. Orion coming to get you, okay?”

“My phone is dying” she tells me before the phone cuts out completely. I try to ring 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

traumatised she is, she will get through it, but wait why is she in a morgue?

“Why would she be in a morgue?” I ask, the realisation of what Thaddeus said hitting me.

“Is she dead?” Thaddeus nods

“But how I just spoke to her? She is human like me.”

“There are a lot of people walking around with vampire DNA completely unaware, so when they

die, we found out they come back, that the small amount of vampire DNA brings them back. We

learnt all this when my mother died having me.”

“So, your saying Lana is a vampire?”

“I would be willing to bet my life on it,” he says. Either way, I didn't care as long as she was

alive. She would get through this. Ryland suddenly starts walking down the steps rubbing his eyes

and yawning.

“Morning,” he grumbles, and Thaddeus lets me down and I rush over to him before jumping on

him. Ryland catches me and I wrap my legs around him.

“Why are you so happy?” he asks confused looking to Thaddeus.

“Lana is alive” I tell him. He looks to 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 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 become crushed between them.

“I'm sorry” I hear Ryland say before I realise, he said it to Thaddeus. Thaddeus pulls his face

back as I look up at them both, Thaddeus eyes dropping to mine between them. He kisses my head

before turning 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 tightening as I watch them together. Thaddeus

chuckles pulling away after a few seconds.

“Come, I need coffee” Thaddeus says turning toward the kitchen. Coffee sounded 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 wasn't your fault,” I tell him, and he looks at me before kissing my cheek.

“He almost seems happy,” Ryland says walking into the kitchen and sitting me on the bench

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 before

pulling out his phone. Their words confused me. I have known Lana for years; I was no threat to

her.0000O