Soulless (Book #2 of Hunted)

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I rushed out of the living room, through the kitchen and down the basement stairs. Keegan had left the light on so I immediately saw Zane in the corner on his knees mashing his head into the wall shouting, "NO! NO! NO!"

"Zane?" I whispered tentatively hesitating on the bottom step. He yelled a furious string of curse words and began clawing at his chest his fingernails tearing through his shirt.

"I can feel him! I can feel him squirming around inside me! He's trying to get out!" he shouted tearing at the skin over his heart and slamming himself into the wall scraping against the concrete.

"Zane," I murmured and he clutched at his head. I could see dark red blood dribbling down his chest. He bent double and groaned, "Not again. Please, not again." I took a step closer to him and he straightened up whipping around to glare at me.

"What did you do?!" he snapped and I felt tears pricking at my eyes. He moved towards me pulling at his chains and growled, "You did do something, didn't you? DIDN'T YOU!" I stumbled back at the anger in his voice. Anger at me.

"I knew it! I knew when you started hiding your thoughts from me that something was going on! You planned this! You've been planning this the whole time!" he shrieked pulling at his hair and glaring at me. I felt a sob building in my chest.

"I trusted you!" he yelled and I broke down tears streaming down my face. I shook my head and said, "I'm sorry." He laughed. It was loud and mirthless and made my heart ache.

"You're sorry? You're sorry?!" he shouted and he laughed again before whining and holding his chest and his head.

"You're sorry..." he whispered and he squeezed his eyes shut. I hesitantly stepped closer.

"I-I can feel it. I can feel them. I can hear them crying and screaming. I c-can see their faces. Oh God!" he gasped slumping against the wall.

"Oh God," he whispered turning his face into the wall. I took another step closer and I heard him inhale so sharply it almost sounded like a sob.

"Zane," I murmured not yet daring to hope. He shook his head grinding it into the concrete and said, "I killed them...those girls. Those poor girls." He sniffled and I moved closer. It was him. It was Zane. It really was.

I heard a low growl split the air and I halted watching his left hand come up, chains rattling fiercely as his palm slammed into the side of his head over and over as he shouted, "No! Don't! Don't! DON'T! DON'T!" He pressed himself into the corner and I could hear him weeping.

I remained silent and watched him. Watched this transformation take place. It wasn't like those small fleeting moments when he almost seemed like himself. Where he seemed to express a confused sort of remorse. This was real.

"Why...why would you do this to me, Lori?" he mumbled and I felt guilt squeeze at my lungs making it hard to breathe. He finally pulled away from the wall turning to look at me and he said, "I was nearly free." There were tears cutting tracks down his face.

"Zane," I repeated shaking my head. It was the only thing I could say. I wanted him back and yet...he didn't seem to want to come back. He covered his head with his hands and sank to his knees quietly sobbing.

"I-I did it for you," I finally managed watching him weep bending forward to press his face into the floor.

"I couldn't leave you like that. You-you were crazy. I thought...if I fixed it...it would be easier for you. If you could think straight you could cooperate. You could get better and I could unchain you and we could..." I trailed off and looked down at my feet.

"You didn't do this for me...you did it for you!" he snarled looking up at me and I took a step back. I felt tears spilling down my cheeks and I knelt down in front of him right inside the yellow line.

"You're right. I just wanted you back. I wanted the boy who saved me. The boy who fell in love with me. Don't you want things to be like they were?" I asked and he stared at me his black eyes narrowed his brow creasing and relaxing as he fought to stay angry. As Anton fought to keep control.

"Lorelei," he whispered and it felt so good hearing him say my name. He squeezed his eyes shut and faced the floor. He shook his head and said, "That is the only thing I want."

I let out a breath I felt as if I had been holding for the last month and he straightened up looking straight into my eyes. First the first time in what felt like forever they saw me, really saw me. He looked upon me with love and sorrow in his eyes and he reached up curling his arms around me with a slight rattle of chains and he hugged me.

His grip was gentle and I felt his icy fingertips press tenderly into my back as he held me to him. His body trembling with remorse as he said, "I'm so sorry."