Soulless (Book #2 of Hunted)

Liar

"Lorelei!" he finally choked out. His eyes searched the room frantically then came back to me. "I-I-I can explain," he stuttered like a child caught stealing candy from The Mart. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Okay," I said. He looked around at all the dead girls and I noticed that his hands were beginning to tremble violently.

"I just..." he started then trailed off with his mouth hanging open slightly in shock. I could see the tips of all four elongated fangs. He stared at the bodies some more before tightly shutting his eyes for a moment then opening them. "They didn't...I couldn't...There was nothing-" his voice abruptly cut off to be replaced with a growl mixed with a scream that ended with a wrenching sob. Zane's hand flew up to his head and his whole body seemed to contort with pain.

"Zane!" I cried as I fell to my knees in front of him. I reached out to touch him, but stopped. "What's wrong?" I asked. He rolled over with another cry and pressed his face into the hard wood floor.

"My head..." he gasped. "It hurts!" My heart was beating harder than it had for the longest time. What should I have done? I didn't want to get too close to him but I didn't want him to be in pain! Why did his head hurt? What part of this had anything to do with major migraines? I was so confused! I stared at Zane lying on the floor with his forehead pressed to the wood.

"It-It's okay, Zane. It'll be okay," I said, hoping that it was true.

"NO!" he yelled and suddenly he was crouched in front of me his face less than an inch from mine. There was no white left in his eyes. They were black and red and crazed. Drops of blood leaked from the corners of his eyes, something I had never seen before.

"Lori, I killed them. I ripped through them like paper and drank until every last drop was gone. It will not be okay," he growled at me. His breath carried the stench of blood thicker than in the room around us. I suddenly couldn't move. It had been so long since Zane had been this close to me and I had forgotten how breathtaking it was. Even now with his gaunt features, white-less eyes that had suddenly started crying blood, and the lethal teeth, he was the most beautiful thing I had seen in the entire world.

"It wasn't you..." I whispered. "It was Anton." He scoffed and slammed his back into the wall, causing a large crack to appear.

"Zane-Anton! Anton-Zane! What's the damn difference?!" he yelled.

"The difference is that you called me and asked for my help. If there was nothing different between you and Anton you would just keep killing and never even care," I said stubbornly. He groaned and pressed the heels of his hands against his closed eyelids. He removed his hands and smiled at me in a way that almost seemed human.

"What makes you so sure?" he asked. I thought for a moment, opened my mouth to say something then closed it realizing I had no idea what to say. Zane's smirk grew.

"How do you know it wasn't Anton who called you? I know my stomach should be full, but I'm still starving. Maybe it's the cheerleader blood. Nothing but empty calories," he said, patting his bare stomach.

"Stop it," I muttered. He licked his lips.

"Nothing seems to satisfy me; not since I tasted your blood. What if I called you in order to lure you here..." he trailed off as if to let the words sink in. I felt like I was being watched by the dead bodies all around.

"To finally drink my fill of what runs through your veins," he whispered so quietly I could barely hear him. This was Zane talking, I knew that. So why was he saying these things to me? What was he hoping to accomplish?

"Stop," I begged. He didn't seem to hear me. He looked up at the ceiling in apparent thought.

"I'm a pretty good liar, you know. Especially over the phone. What makes you think I didn't just put on that whole tortured soul act to get you here? Maybe Malick was right. Maybe I am just playing you," he said.

"Stop it!" I yelled at the top of my voice. "You weren't lying on the phone, but you are lying now! You didn't call me to lure me here so you could kill me, you called because you were scared and you needed my help! And stay the hell out of my head!" I screamed.

"I'm sorry. I just want you to understand that you don't know when you could be walking straight into danger," he said.

"But I do know. I always know. You can't lie to me," I said.

"I keep forgetting you have that gift," he murmured.

"But what I don't know is why these girls are here? I know they didn't just think 'hey let's go into this random house in the middle of nowhere and get killed,'" I said. He shook his head.

"Even cheerleaders aren't that stupid," he said. I looked into his face.

"Zane, how did these girls get here? Why did they come?" I asked seriously. He shook his head and his blood stained lips set themselves in an obstinate line. I groaned in exasperation.

"How do you expect me to help you if I don't know the whole story?" I asked. His bottom lip trembled and tears began welling up in his large black eyes.

"If I tell you...I'll lose you for good. You'll hate me once you find out what blasphemy...what I'm capable of doing?" he murmured. I looked to the ceiling and then back at Zane.

"I couldn't hate you if I tried, and believe me I have tried. I love you and there is really nothing you can say or do that will change that. So just tell me," I said. He pulled his knees into his chest again and looked at me thoughtfully.

"Fine, I just hope you keep thinking that way," he agreed finally.