Soulless (Book #2 of Hunted)

Kill

"Zane," I said. The hand around my arm began to shake violently. I put my other hand on top of his and tried to stop the trembling. "Don't you dare leave me again. Don't you let that thing win," I urged. I couldn't handle this. I couldn't handle the loss once more. His head jerked up and his eyes glinted like polished obsidian.

"Thing? You wouldn't be referring to me now would you?" his voice sliced into my skin. Not again! He pulled my arm to his mouth so quickly I didn't have any time to react. "Did you really think you could just walk up to me now and expect me not to take advantage?" He pressed his lips against my skin and moaned softly. I tried futilely to get my arm back but he didn't seem to notice. I was a pitiful gale against his steel muscle. He sighed against my flesh and his icy breath caused goose bumps to travel up my arm. He opened his mouth and prepared to bite into my arm and I could do absolutely nothing about it.

An instant before his teeth pierced my skin, the hand around my wrist wrenched open and he grabbed me violently by my upper arms.

"You can't do this anymore! You have to stay away from me!" he snarled in my face before shoving me away so forcefully that I stumbled back several feet and landed roughly onto the floor bruising my lower back. I pushed myself up off the floor and massaged my back. I stood up and watched as he collapsed to the ground with his head in his hands.

"Zane?" my voice cracked against my will and I felt my legs shake. I was scared. Of all the terrifying shit that had happened since I met Zane I was scared now. I heard him stifle a sob and watched as his trembling hand came up to brush his bangs off his forehead.

"I'm sorry for pushing you and you know for—" he cut off and pressed his fist more forcibly into his temple, "everything else," he finished. I tried to say it was okay but the words wouldn't come out.

"Lori, I'm going to take a shower. Don't get yourself killed!" Phoebe hollered from upstairs.

"You should go," Zane said quietly. He was right, I should go. I looked at him sitting Indian style with his elbows propped up against his thighs and the heels of his hands pressing into his eyes.

"If you don't mind my asking..." I trailed off and carefully considered what I was about to say. Perhaps I should just go. NO! I had to know. "Zane, what does it feel like?" I asked forcing the words almost painfully through my teeth.

"What?" he said a bit shocked. He still didn't look up at me. I took a deep breath to calm myself. I didn't know why I had to know I just knew that I did.

"What are you feeling right now at this very moment? I mean I can guess obvious ones like hunger and pain but what are you thinking at this second?" I inquired sincerely hoping I wouldn't regret it.

"You don't want to know" he replied ominously. I gnashed my teeth. I was expecting a vague answer like that. I clenched my fists in aggravation.

"Yeah, Zane, I really, really do. I can't read minds remember? You have to tell me what you're thinking so I can try to help you." My voice became steadily louder as I said this to him. His head snapped up and his whole frame seemed to be quivering with rage.

"You want to know what I'm thinking Lori, you really do? Because there is just one thought in my head screaming at me over and over, 'kill! Kill! KILL!' and it won't go away! It never goes away! Why do you want to know these things?" he cried hammering his hands into his head and squeezing his eyes shut. His voice nearly overpowered me as it bounced off the walls. I looked at him severely, my face betraying none of the fear I felt at my very core.