Soulless (Book #2 of Hunted)

Famine

"The dream I had really happened. Zane's house is a mess. We got rid of the bodies but-"

"When you say you got rid of the bodies what exactly do you mean?" Phoebe asked a little warily.

"We burned them," I said without any hesitation. "But-"

"You burned them?" she interrupted, incredulity coloring her voice.

"Yes, now will you let me finish?" I inquired patiently. She clapped her hand over her mouth and nodded. I took a breath and racked my brain for a way to really describe what was going on. I knew what the problem was, I couldn't quite grasp why it was happening or how, and I definitely did not know how to fix it. I guess I'll just wait and see if the answers come like they normally do. I groaned and decided that I might as well lay everything on the table. I would tell her everything I knew.

"Pheebs, you may have figured this out, but Zane has a problem," I paused briefly, "with blood. Like in the way that no matter how much he drinks, he is still starving. He's like an alcoholic—no!" I cut off and looked upwards in thought hoping to find a better comparison on the ceiling.

"Not an alcoholic...more like a compulsive eater. Like a really bad compulsive eater that doesn't gain weight and doesn't die from eating too much." Zane gave me the strangest look as I said that. I shrugged, "It's just an analogy," I mumbled. Phoebe was also staring at me like I had lost my marbles, comparing Zane's situation to that of a compulsive eater's. I threw my hands up in exasperation.

"For God's sake! Maybe this one is better: fifth season of Supernatural, the episode with the horseman Famine. Think about how he affected Sam. They had to chain him up to keep him from drinking demon blood!" I shouted. Phoebe grinned happily. Of course that would make more sense to her.

"That one was much better," Zane acknowledged. I rolled my eyes. "I wonder what will happen when I don't have a show to reference when I have to explain something," I muttered.

"Are we gonna chain Zane up?" Phoebe abruptly asked. My eyes met Phoebe's face and identical grins broke out on our faces.

"Oh my God," Zane muttered and his hand came up to hold his forehead. "Lorelei, please don't tell me you girls are into bondage." Phoebe and I once more exchanged smirks.

"Define 'into bondage' for me." I whispered. Phoebe finally broke down laughing and she flopped over her chair.

"Oh my God," Zane repeated shaking his head without looking up at us. I giggled at Zane's evident awkwardness and leaned nearer to him.

"I thought I was going to need a defibrillator when I saw you chained up in the basement at the Hunter's lair or whatever, all tortured and shirtless and bleeding." I shut my mouth before I started drooling. He slid off the arm of the couch and into the seat next to me. His large black eyes stared at me unblinkingly and I felt my face grow warm.

"I-I know you were like in immeasurable pain then but I was dying on the inside from the sexiness when I saw you," I said trying to put an apology in my words. His inky black eyes held me in an unintentional death grip and either my apology went unnoticed or he just ignored it. I tried to look away, but I was having a bit of trouble in that department.

"Lori!" Phoebe snapped as she recovered from her fit of laughter. I wanted to look at Phoebe but he continued staring at me for some reason I couldn't decipher, and my muscles seemed to have seized up. I didn't like this. Let me go. Please just let me go. He blinked and looked at the ground. I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding and turned to Phoebe. She was looking confused and concerned for me.

"Okay, so I know what the problem is, but how do we fix him?" she asked. I smiled nervously.

"See that's the big issue here, actually," I explained.

"I thought you said you had a plan," Zane said. I could see the disappointment on his face and it made my chest ache. He was counting on me knowing how to make his pain go away. I felt my face fall to mirror his disappointment.

"I do! I swear I do. I just-I don't know if it'll work," I said.

"Well, we'll never know unless we try," he said. I smiled slightly. I took his hand in mine and noticed that is was really cold. I knew he was technically dead and thus had no body heat but shouldn't he be like room temperature? As I was considering this I suddenly felt his hand tense up. My eyes flicked to his face and I immediately knew that something was very wrong. His eyes seemed to have completely glazed over as if there was something going on in his brain that was preventing him from seeing what was in front of him. I let go of his hand and moved to touch his arm, but before my fingertips even brushed his skin he was gone; gone from the couch, gone from my sight, gone.