Soulless (Book #2 of Hunted)

Freedom Lost

I closed my eyes and waited to feel his teeth in my skin. His lips touched my throat and their coolness was almost soothing. His hand came up to cup the back of my neck and he gently twisted his fingers through my thick burgundy hair. Instead of biting into me he trailed his lips to just below my ear and he whispered something to me, "I thought you were different, Lor, but I guess I was wrong. Looks like you're just another Hunter with a stupid martyr complex." The words hurt me more than almost all of his actions put together. The last thing I wanted was for Zane or Anton to think of me as just another Hunter. I think it would literally kill me if Zane ever looked at me like I was the enemy. I felt him laugh breathily against my skin as if he knew how his words had splintered me and he found it amusing.

Now I felt his teeth on my skin. Four points of death poised to sink into my flesh and suck away every part of who I was. My hands were free and limp at my sides, I could've stopped him if I wanted to, but I really didn't. I wanted him to drain me dry. I was ready to give him everything I was if it guaranteed the end of his suffering. Or maybe I just wanted him to end my suffering. I knew that the moment my last breath left me Zane would be completely gone. There would be nothing left but the cold-blooded murdering monster that had me in his grip.

Abruptly his teeth came away from my neck and I felt his body twisting and writhing against mine. I opened my eyes and I saw him; his jaw was clenched, his white-less eyes intent on my face and there was a vein jumping wildly on his temple. It looked as if there was a force trying to push him back and he was attempting to resist.

I felt a small, warm hand on my shoulder and a wave of weakness crashed over me. I watched with heavy eyelids as Anton was flung back into the wall, the heavy titanium chains trailing after him. Then the second manacle tightened itself around his left wrist as if moved by an invisible hand. The middle of the chain fused to the wall by magic in an unbreakable bond. The hand left my shoulder and my strength flooded back. I looked over my shoulder and saw Phoebe swaying slightly on her feet. I stood up and put an arm around her shoulders to keep her steady.

"You okay?" I asked her. Her eyes focused on me slowly and she nodded.

"I'm a little dizzy but that's to be expected when you get half your blood supply sucked down by your best friend's boyfriend," she replied sarcastically. I felt my face burn with remorse.

"That was an impressive display of power," I said in a desperate attempt to change the subject. She grinned brightly.

"I know right! I'm like so awesome-sauce!" she cried. There was a rattle of chains and a terrible, furious scream came from Anton not quite as terrible as the previous ones though. I looked at him and pity pierced my heart. His mouth might've screamed rage but his eyes screamed terror. This was the first time I had seen anything resembling fear on Anton's face. He yanked at the cuffs around his wrists and cried out. He glared straight at Phoebe all but ignoring me and he spat, "Fuck you! You stupid fucking witch!" He lunged at us and the chains yanked him back. A screech issued from his mouth so loud it made my ears feel like they should be bleeding.

"I will kill you for this you stupid witch! I'll rip your throat out and bleed you dry!" he roared at her. I glanced at her and saw no change in her expression. She wasn't even a tiny bit afraid of his threat. Phoebe had always been wary around Zane and she was terrified of the monster that had almost killed that little girl Abby, but in front of the real dangerous one, the one with brains and no conscience, she didn't even flinch. His demonic black eyes came to me now and again I glimpsed terror. Then it hit me. Anton wasn't afraid of the Hunters, he wasn't afraid of Phoebe, but he was petrified of this. Anton was terrified of having his freedom taken away again. It was a perfectly understandable fear seeing as he had been pushed down inside Zane for so long. If I had been held captive in my own body for eighteen years as the more human part of me tried to starve me out of existence I'd be a little afraid of losing my freedom again too.