Unfettered Vessel (Found & Freed: The Unfettered #6)

8. Chapter 8

Chapter eight

Pink

ONE YEAR LATER

I like the laundry room. The swish of the washing machine. The hum of the dryer. The smell of detergent. It is all soothing and comforting.

I think it also gives me a sense of pride. I grew up with servants, and in the harem our closets were stocked with the stupid Disney-style harem outfits we had to wear. So this is the first time in my life I’ve done my own laundry, and I love the normalcy of it. The novelty hasn’t worn off after a year, so I guess this is something I’m always going to enjoy. And why not? Life is all about the small pleasures.

Here I am, taking clothes that I chose for myself, out of the dryer and folding them. If anyone could see me now, they’d think I was a normal young man. It definitely is something to be happy about.

My calm thoughts are disrupted as a warm tingle dances through me. I grit my teeth. That was nothing to do with pride at washing my own clothes. That tingle was my swelling magic. I’m not ripe yet, but it’s letting me know it will not be long before I am.

With a small sigh, I start carefully moving my pile of neatly folded clothes from the counter to my laundry basket so I can carry them all up to my room.

The simple task is not enough of a distraction. My thoughts are turning to Monty and I can’t fight it anymore. Maybe I should go to him early? Empty this magic before it gets too annoying?

Monty won’t mind. He never does. He is always kind, gentle, respectful. And distant. Just as I asked him to be twelve long months ago.

My stomach squirms uncomfortably. Do I regret pushing Monty away? It is something I ponder every day, but I’m still not sure what the answer is. On one hand, sex with Monty still leaves me feeling vulnerable. On the other hand, Monty’s endless kindness has slowly won my battered trust. Being vulnerable with Monty no longer feels terrifying.

But is that precisely because we have been keeping an emotional distance? If I had never pushed him away, would things have become too intense, too quickly? Would trust have been obliterated before it ever had a chance to grow?

I blink and realize all my clothes are in my basket and I’m just standing here, staring off into space. Get it together, Pink.

I pick up my basket, balance it on my hip, and head for my room.

I’ll never know if giving Monty a clear boundary was the right thing to do. What I should be pondering is, if I want to continue to keep this distance between us. Do I want more? Am I ready for more? Is Monty even interested in taking the next step?

So many questions. So many things to think about. And they’ve all been brewing for a while now. My friends have had so much drama over the last year, I keep pushing all this stuff with Monty aside to deal with later.

First there was Lello and his need for a mate to replace the twisted bond Ritchie gave him. Then all the craziness of his herd abducting him because they wanted a sacrifice to try to open a fey portal.

Then there was Gray settling in with Mal and finding his way back to lucidity. And before the dust had barely settled on that excitement, Sammy fell into Blue’s swimming pool and Blue saved him from drowning and it created a mate bond between them.

It was wonderful how everyone scrambled to help undo it. Monty was lovely and stole some books from the Old Blood library for us.

All that effort, and when we finally unbound them, the daft sods realized they did want to be mated after all.

I huff out a breath. It has been quite a year. A year of ups and downs. While through it all, Monty has been there. Calmly emptying me whenever I have needed it. No kissing, no cuddling, no foreplay. Only very traditional behavior between a mage and a vessel. But somehow still so tender. And mind-blowing. Can’t forget the mind-blowing part.

As my mind goes down a very dirty path, I reach my room and start putting my clothes away.

Sex with Monty is good. Very good. I’ve been enjoying it while my friends have been having crazy times and falling in love. So much falling in love. Even grumpy vampire Ned is clearly enamored with his great-grandson-in-law.

Everyone is settling down. While I just have a situationship.

A sad sounding sigh pours out of me and echoes around my empty bedroom. I put my last pair of jeans away and put the empty basket in the bottom of my closet.

Tea. I need tea. It makes everything better.

With that thought in mind, I hurry down the stairs. I open the door to the kitchen and nearly yelp in fright.

Jade is standing in the corner. His back is to me and his nose has to be an inch away from the blank wall at most. It is like something out of a horror movie.

“Jade?” I try tentatively.

He is so motionless I’m not even sure if he is breathing. Is he sleep walking? In the middle of the day? Has he had a stroke?

My concern overrules my fear, and I step forward.

“Jade?” I try again, this time while placing a hand on his shoulder.

He startles and turns to face me. His emerald green eyes slowly focus on me.

“Are you alright?” I ask.

He blinks a few times. Then he licks his lips. “Yeah. I just haven’t been sleeping well.”

I bite my bottom lip. “Have you talked to Brodie about it?” I think seeing a healer would be a very good idea.

“That’s a good idea,” says Jade, creepily echoing my thoughts. “I’ll go do that now.”

He steps away from me, and my hand drops back down to my side.

“Do you want me to come with you?” I offer.

“No thanks,” he says as he walks out of the room.

I stare at the door. Well, that was strange. Very unsettling. With a shake of my head, I rouse myself and set about making tea.

A few minutes later, I’m sitting at the kitchen table with a gently steaming cup in front of me. But I can’t shake off my concern for Jade. Is he sick? Will Brodie be able to help? He is a great healer, gods know he put me back together. But Jade is part fey and nobody knows anything about them. Their anatomy and physiology is a mystery.

I sip my hot tea, but I still feel cold. My worry for Jade is heavy in my gut, and my nearly brimming magic is swirling through me. The combination is making me feel nauseous.

Fuck this. Abruptly, I get to my feet. I can’t do anything about Jade, but I can get rid of this blasted magic. I can go to Monty’s van right now. His tea is better than mine. I can enjoy it while admiring his kind eyes.

Then we can get into bed.

My cheeks heat. Thank goodness no one is here to see me. Hastily, I pour my barely touched tea down the sink and put everything away.

Then I hurry towards the garden. Birdsong and sunlight greet me as I open the back door. I pass Blue’s swimming pool and cross the lawn.

Suddenly, my feet stop. My jaw hangs open. My eyes blink several times. I still can’t believe what I am seeing. Or rather, what I am not seeing. Monty’s van is not here. It is gone. There is a tuft of yellow grass where it used to be. But that’s it. No other sign it was ever there at all.

Monty has gone.

Numbly, my fingers scramble for my phone. Blindly, I tap at it. I hold it to my ear as it rings.

“Hello?” says Monty’s voice.

“You left.” I blurt. “I understand. I mean, I’m surprised you were able to stay for so long, I really am.” I’m rambling but there is not a thing I can do about it. “I’m sorry to call and bother you, but I wanted to thank you…”

“Pink,” interrupts Monty. “The van needed an oil change. I’ll be back this evening.”

His words don’t register. I don’t want to hear them. Platitudes are the last thing I need. What I need is Monty. But it is too late for that. I missed my chance and now I’m never going to see him again.

“You’ve been so kind Monty, you really have, and I appreciate everything you have done for me. You respected my boundaries and I’m so grateful. I’m just sorry if they seemed a bit harsh.”

Monty is saying something else, but I can’t process it at all. My mind is consumed by the devastation of Monty leaving. My heart is beating frantically. My body is trembling violently.

Is this shock? Have I gone into shock?

I’m still rabbiting on, but I have no idea what I am even saying. Oh, I think I’m begging him to come back so I can say goodbye in person and see him one last time. It is probably a terrible idea.

Suddenly, a blast of cold air hits me from behind. I whirl around. A black portal is opening.

I stare in astonishment as Monty steps through it, his mobile phone still pressed to his ear. The portal winks out of existence. Leaving Monty in the garden, in front of me.

“Pink,” he says firmly. “I haven’t left. The van just needed to go to the garage.”

I try to swallow, but my throat is too tight. Oh my. His words are finally sinking in. He hasn’t left. Monty hasn’t left me. I’m panicking over nothing.

And incredibly, Monty opened a portal. That takes a ton of magic. He is going to be drained for months. Yet he did it because I was being all hysterical on the phone.

An anguished sob escapes me as I run forward and fling myself at him. My arms wrap around him and I burst into tears. His strong arms pull me even closer and hold me tight.

He doesn’t say a word. He just holds me and lets me sob my heart out.

He really is the best man in the world.