Chapter 45
PURE FUCKING MAGIC
NELSON
The vampire’s blood brought Morgan back to me.
I suspected the Eternal Magic had a hand in it too, which meant I should probably start praying to her.
Worshipping her. I’d give her offerings and tithes, and hell, I’d even sacrifice a fucking goat if that’d keep her happy.
I’d do anything if it kept her from changing her mind and taking Morgan away from me.
I supposed I should thank the vampire too. He’d told Teague his blood was freely given, but I wasn’t sure Keenan could be trusted. I didn’t want to be indebted to a man like that, but for Morgan, I would happily become the vampire’s minion if that’s what he demanded as compensation.
After we got in the ambulance, everything happened quickly.
We hadn’t even reached the hospital when Teague and Xander whispered about Morgan’s wounds closing.
It sounded like a good sign, but what if his skin had healed but his insides were still messed up?
No one could know until they ran tests and took diagnostic images and whatever else people did in modern hospitals.
I wanted to believe my mate would be okay, but he kept slipping in and out of consciousness. Every single time his eyes fluttered closed, I held my breath until they opened again. I couldn’t help it. If he stopped breathing, I’d give up my next breath too.
I didn’t want to think about Morgan dying, but how could I not?
Without him, I’d fade into the shadows and never come into the light again. I wouldn’t be able to because any little bit of color would remind me of Morgan. If I hadn’t been such a stubborn fucking ass in the beginning, we could have had more days together. More memories.
Violet rubbed my back as I choked out another sob. I was jittery and trembling. My eyes felt raw and swollen from the tears I’d shed.
“He’s magic,” she whispered. “That’s why those people were after him. But that’s also how he escaped that cage, and I know that’s how he’ll survive this. You’ll see. Pure magic doesn’t work the same way we do.”
“He is,” I agreed. My voice was rough. I could barely force the words out, but I had to tell her. I had to let her know that I understood exactly how fucking precious my mate was. “Pure fucking magic. And so good. Too good for me.”
When we arrived at the hospital, they wheeled him away. I wanted to follow, but the hospital staff stopped me. I tried to shift but my magic wouldn’t come. Usually when I was upset, my body slipped into its shadow form, but not this time.
Was this a sign that without Morgan even my magic would abandon me?
Violet disappeared from my side for a while to be assessed. As soon as the doctor said she was fine, she found her way back to my side and clung to me. I knew I should try soothing her, but all I could do was stare at the door Morgan had been taken through.
I felt numb. Almost like I did when I’d stayed in the shadows too long. I didn’t feel heat or cold or anything at all, really.
Two hours came and went before a nurse walked into the waiting room and said, “Violet Russell? Nelson Young?”
We stood up abruptly.
“What? What happened?”
The nurse smiled at us. “Morgan would like to see you both.”
“Is he…?” I didn’t even know how to ask what needed to be asked.
“He’s made a full recovery.”
My legs went out from under me. I collapsed to the cold hard floor. I dropped my head into my hands and sobbed. Relief overwhelmed my previous numbness.
And in its wake, I felt pain—the sharp bitter pain of what could have happened.
The fears I hadn’t allowed myself to acknowledge since we’d walked through the hospital doors were all there, clinging to me, even though this was one of the happiest moments of my life.
Violet fell to her knees by my side and wrapped her arms around me.
“Nelson?” Morgan’s sweet voice called to me.
I looked up and found him staggering toward me. His hospital gown flapped around him, and I wondered if it reminded him of his cape.
“What happened?” He looked so worried.
I scrambled to my feet and pulled him into my arms. I wanted to squeeze, but I didn’t want to hurt him. I pushed my face into his neck and sobbed. His arms came up around me. Then I felt Violet’s arms around us too.
“You can’t leave me, Morgan,” I whispered. “You can’t.”
“I’m okay,” he said.
I closed my eyes and breathed him in. I never wanted to let him go. Never again.