Soulless (Book #2 of Hunted)

Fun

Ten awkward minutes of driving passed before I finally mustered up the courage to ask the question that had been nagging at me ever since I saw Zane kill the Hounds. I turned to him as we stopped at one of three stoplights in Jasper Lake. He was gripping the edges of the seat so tightly his knuckles were white; I hoped he wouldn't ruin my upholstery.

"Can I ask you a kind of strange question?" I asked warily.

"Fire away," he replied without looking at me. I released the brake as the light turned green.

"Was it fun?" I inquired.

"What?" His black eyes suddenly came to my face. I swallowed past the lump rapidly forming in my throat.

"Did you have fun killing Nadia and those other girls?" I asked as if it were the most normal question in the world. He looked away from me and down at his hands.

"I mean I know that killing people is wrong, it kind of goes without saying; but sometimes doing the wrong thing can be fun," I said quietly. He continued staring down at his hands.

"Yeah. It was fun...at the time. I wanted to kill those girls. I wanted their blood on my hands. I wanted the pain to go away for just a little bit. If I could relive last night over and over again without any of the guilt, I would. The only thing I'd change..." he drifted off as we pulled into my driveway. I cut the engine and looked at him sullenly.

"What? What is the one thing you'd change?' I asked. He finally met my gaze.

"I'd want the blood of every girl to taste exactly like yours," he said in a dead serious voice. His eyes held mine in a vice. I knew he wasn't meaning to captivate me like this, and I tried to look away but I couldn't.

"I think I've figured it out," he said softly, his lips barely moving. I tried to ask him what he had figured out but the words wouldn't come. As if he had read my mind (which he probably had) he said, "Why your blood tastes so good to me, and why every vampire who crosses your path has to have you." His eyes seemed to become even more intense. It was my fault that my parents had died. I always knew that but I never really accepted it. That vampire in the street had been there because of me. He was just walking by and BAM my scent smacked him in the face and he decided to stay in the middle of the road and cause the accident that killed my parents. If Zane hadn't been there that vampire would have fished me out and drained me dry. Maybe that is what should've happened. Things would've been so much better if I didn't exist. I would be with my parents; Zane wouldn't be having these problems, why did Zane choose to save me? I wanted to know why that vampire had to have me.

"I never thought they actually existed. I mean there were stories but..." Suddenly the sound of a door slamming released me from Zane's mesmerizing gaze. I looked to the door and saw Phoebe staring open mouthed at Zane and I. she ran to my door and yanked it open though I was sure I had locked it.

"What the hell is he doing in your car?" she asked accusatorily.

"Phoebe I—"

"Shut up Fang Boy!" Phoebe cut him off. I saw his fists clench. She turned to me with an incredulous expression on her face. "I woke up this morning and you were gone! You could've left a note or something!" she shrieked.

"Phoebe you wouldn't ha-"

"I was worried sick! I thought you might've gone out and done something stupid!"

"Pheebs, just lis-"

"Or worse! Maybe you had gone out and gotten hurt! You could've gone after the Hunters and gotten killed!" she squeaked.

"Pheebs."

"I should've known though! I should've known you were going to find this murderer! I know you have like this unhealthy obsession with the boy, but good God, Lori he's a killer! A monster that just maims and tortures! He's all about blood! It's always the blood, Lor! And yet here I find you've brought him to your house! Your neighborhood full of tasty humans for him to eat, not to mention me! I can't believe you would be so carel-"

"PHOEBE!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs causing Zane to flinch in the passenger seat. I leaped out of my seat and covered her mouth with both of my hands before she could say another word. "Calm down and listen," I said softly into her ear.

"Let's go inside and I will explain everything, alright?" She nodded jerkily and I removed my hand from her face. She gave Zane the stink eye and flounced back to the house.