Cursed (Book # 3 of Hunted)

Not Quite

            I coughed and sat up taking a deep breath. I waited a few seconds for my head to stop spinning, then stood up. I rubbed my eyes and shouted, "Hello? Anyone here?"

"Kitchen!" I heard Phoebe reply and I rushed through the house and into the kitchen to find her rummaging through the freezer. She pulled out a box of frozen fish sticks with a triumphant, "Aha!" and spun around to look at me.

"You're alright! Thank goddess!" she exclaimed rushing forward to hug me. I hugged her back and glanced around the kitchen. She let go of me and turned to her fish sticks squinting at the cooking instructions on the side of the box.

"Phoebe," I said hesitantly, and she looked up at me. "Where's Keegan?" Her blue eyes went a bit hazy and she drifted over to the cupboard pulling out a pan.

"Pheebs!" I snapped smacking the countertop. She jumped, turning to me with the circular pan clutched to her chest.

"I think he's upstairs," she replied dreamily carefully placing six fish sticks on the pan and preheating the oven.

"Why?" I asked and she tilted her head to the side saying, "Because there's no shower in the downstairs bathroom. Do you want some fish sticks?" Something was wrong. I could hear footsteps on the second floor.

"Keegan is showering? Here?" I asked and she snorted mumbling, "No. If he were, I'd join him." She shook her head. "No...he's up there so he can keep an eye on—"

"Lori!" I felt something ram me from behind with the force of a Mack Truck and arms curled around my neck squeezing tight and smelling suspiciously of my cherry blossom body wash.

"Zane?!" I exclaimed trying to turn around, but he was holding me too tightly. I looked frantically at Phoebe. Why the hell was he loose? She ignored me and continued preparing her fish.

"Not right now, Sweetheart. Maybe later," he replied spinning me around faster than life to face him. Not right now? What did that mean?

"Oh, I am so very pleased that you're back. Things were dreadfully boring without you," he said letting me go. His hair was damp, black eyes bright, a wild smile on his face.

"Uh..." I replied staring at him in awe. He...he was wearing my clothes. My old, oversized Slipknot shirt from seventh grade and the only pair of baggy cargo shorts that I owned. He looked positively ridiculous. They were boy clothes, sure, but I suddenly realized that I had never seen him in shorts.

"Ugh! Anton! You couldn't have waited five seconds? You got me all wet!" Keegan snapped angrily coming into the kitchen. The whole front of his shirt was soaked. I nearly laughed.

"No! Five seconds is an eternity! I want to go outside!" Zane exclaimed pulling away from me and making for the exit. Keegan lunged forward and caught him around the waist saying, "You can't. The sun is still up."

"But I want to!" Zane whined struggling against him. Keegan shook him roughly saying, "And soon you shall."

"Soon!" Zane scoffed. "That's all you keep saying! 'Soon.' I want to go out now!" He wriggled around to face Keegan and his hand whipped out to clutch at something near Keegan's throat. Just as quickly, Keegan's hand closed around Zane's wrist.

"Oh, come on. Let me borrow it. Just for a few hours. I promise I'll bring it right back," he sang, and I saw that his fist was locked around the pendant that allowed Keegan to walk in the sun.

"The sun will be down in less than an hour. Just wait," Keegan said tugging his necklace out of Zane's grip and tucking it under his collar.

"Ugh!" Zane groaned pushing Keegan away. "I've been trapped in that basement for a week. I just want to go outside. Please, Keegan, let me go outside. I-I feel like I'm suffocating in here."

"I know but be patient. I'll take you out come sundown. We'll stop by your house and pick up some clothing then return to mine. It will be a much more suitable place for your recovery," Keegan said, and Zane glanced at the kitchen scuffing the tile with his bare foot.

"Is that...all we'll be doing?" he inquired glancing up at him with wide, innocent eyes. Keegan grinned and said, "It has been a while, hasn't it?"

"Five days since my last kill...it feels like years. Even longer since I had a proper hunt," he whispered, and my brow furrowed. I knew he was pretending for Keegan's sake, but he was going a little far. Keegan didn't bring up killing so why had he?

"One," Keegan insisted moving closer to Zane and holding up a single finger. "You can have one."

"One?!" Zane exclaimed dramatically. "I could drain them all."

"I understand that, but we can't just go around killing willy nilly. The authorities—"

"Fuck the authorities!" Zane shouted and I heard a clatter. I spun around to see Phoebe. She had dropped the pan of cooked fish sticks on the counter at the sound of Zane yelling.

He shook his head frantically and clutched at Keegan's shirt gasping, "I'm free, Keegan. I'm finally free. And I'm so hungry. You know I won't be able to stop once I start—"

"That's what I'll be there for."

"Yeah? And who's gonna stop you?" Zane asked reaching up onto his toes to look Keegan in the eyes. Keegan smirked and leaned forward closing the small space between them.

"Hey! That's enough!" I shouted dashing forward and sticking my hand between their faces. Zane growled softly and mumbled, "Or maybe I can just snack on whatever's lying around. Have a home-cooked meal instead of going out." He pulled away from Keegan and lunged at me. I stumbled backward, tripped on a barstool and tumbled to the floor.

"You know, I thought I could forgive you for chaining me up down there. I tried. Really, I did. I guess I'm just not that big of a person!" he snarled stepping towards me. My heart pounded in my chest and I scrambled to my feet. What was going on? This wasn't right!

I tried to back away, but his hand curled around my throat and he lifted me off the ground. I clawed at his hand and gasped, "Zane!"

His pale lips stretched into a derisive smirk and he leaned forward whispering, "Not quite, sweetheart." His hand moved from my throat to my hair clearing it off my neck and yanking my head back in one swift movement.

"I'm gonna enjoy this," he whispered in my ear and I felt his mouth on my neck. No. No! This was wrong! What happened?! Zane! Points of death pressed gently into my skin and I felt a scream of frustration build in my chest. This could not be happening. Not after everything I went through!