Soulless (Book #2 of Hunted)

Happening

"You want me to leave?" Keegan asked as I casually tried to shove him out of the kitchen and into the living room, but he wasn't budging. Phoebe was looking at me suspiciously trying to decide why I wanted the only person who had a real grip on the situation to leave. I still hadn't told her that when Keegan forced me to see Clay and tell him the plan was off I had told him the exact opposite.

"Yeah, just for a little bit. Until his next feeding. We'll be fine," I said trying a little less casually to push him out of the room. He looked down at me and asked, "Why?" As if he couldn't possibly understand why I wouldn't want someone with his sparkling personality around for another twelve hours for the fourth day in a row.

I cringed internally and looked up at him replying, "I don't feel good. I'm on my period." The epitome of girl excuses. No guy could refuse. It was science.

He raised an eyebrow and said, "No, you're not. Why are you lying?" Unless of course that guy was a vampire and could smell I was lying. I grimaced and muttered, "Because I don't want to hurt your feelings."

"Hurt my feelings?" he inquired as if such a thing were impossible. I sighed and stopped trying to push him crossing my arms over my chest.

"Alright, truth time. You're kind of...annoying," I said and his brow creased. He held his hand against his chest and asked, "I'm annoying?" I rubbed my face and continued, "You're just really exhausting to be around. No offense. I could really use some alone time."

He looked at me for a long moment and his gaze softened as he said, "Alright. I'll be back around four. I could take care of some stuff anyway." My brow creased. That was easier than I thought it would be.

"Thanks. I really appreciate it," I said and he nodded picking his jacket up off the counter and turning to leave. I followed him to the door and watched him open it. He turned back to look at me and mumbled, "I know what it's like to want to be alone and I know I can get a little...overbearing. I'm working on it."

I stared at him and suddenly felt...bad. Guilty for lying to him. He wasn't actually that hard to hang out with when he was in the right mood and when he wasn't getting too cuddly with my boyfriend.

He left my house and I watched through the open door while he opened the driver's side door of his car. He looked up at me, his eyes squinting against the patchy noon sunlight and he met my gaze holding it for a few seconds an odd expression on his face. Then he got in his car and drove away.

I backed into the house and closed the door looking down at my phone that I had gripped in my right hand. It was 11:48am. By the time Keegan came back it would be done.

I wondered if I would know. If it would be sudden. If Clay would need to come here to do the spell. He didn't say. I heard footsteps and turned to see Phoebe.

"What was that about?" she asked and I wanted to tell her, but I couldn't. Not yet. Not until it was done. I couldn't risk Zane hearing and alerting Keegan somehow.

While Keegan was here and I was trying to figure out a way to get him out of the house by noon it seemed time passed in large speedy dollops. Now that he was gone time began to drag along at a snail's pace. I wish it would just happen and be done.

I looked at Phoebe and said, "I just want to sit and watch Netflix for a few hours without Keegan prowling around my house. He makes me feel like I've got ants under my skin."

She nodded and asked, "You think that's a Hunter thing?" I shrugged and replied, "Maybe." She grinned and said, "There's a new season of Frontier on Netflix." She shimmied her hips and sang, "Jason Momoa." I smiled back and followed her into the living room.

She flicked on the television and was just about to flop down on her recliner when he screamed. It wasn't like anything I had heard before. The feeling of it was different. It was pain. Fear. Rage. Hatred. Fear. Fear. Fear. RAAAAGE.

It was happening.