Chapter 6

Zach and I were walking to class when all of a sudden he stopped and sucked in a deep breath. I just looked at him. “Zach what’s wrong?”

 

He just looked at me. “Katie, you should leave. Now.”

 

“What why?” I was confused. I didn’t know what was happening and I didn’t know why he would want me to leave right now.

 

“Oh I’m sorry Zach is this bothering you?” A voice said. I looked behind me and Jenna was standing there with a student whose arm was sliced and blood was gushing out of the slice. The student wasn’t just an ordinary student. It was Mark. Mark was a popular jock who I found out last year had a crush on me. Last time I saw him was when I thought that he was trying to kidnap me in the lunch room when it was really Luke. I haven’t heard from him in over six months. I looked over to Zach who was visibly shaking.

 

I got in between Zach and Mark. As much as I hated Mark, I didn’t want Zach to snap and kill him. I don’t think that Zach could ever come back from that if he did. “Zach just focus on me. Don’t pay attention to anything else.” Zach and I have been trying to work together to help him control his bloodlust.

 

Jenna was laughing. “Do you really think that’s going to work Katie?” I ignored her. This is what she meant when she said that she had tricks up her sleeve. “He’s a vampire! It’s in his nature to want human blood and live warm blood.”

 

Zach didn’t even look at me. I could try so hard that he was trying not to run for Mark and kill him. “Katie, get out of here. I don’t want to do anything to you.”

 

“Zach remember your promise to me that you wouldn’t go anywhere. If you give into her, you’re going to have to leave town without me. You’d be breaking your promise and that’s what she wants. She wants to make you leave town. So she can kill me.”

 

Just then Trent came. I love that Trent just knows when he’s needed. He looked at the situation and headed right for Zach. “Dude, don’t let her get to you. She knows your history with blood and she’s trying to use it against you.”

 

Zach just shook his head. I could tell that he hated how he was feeling right now. I hated knowing that there was nothing that I could really do to help him. He had to make this decision on his own. Then, out of nowhere, he pushed both Trent and I out of his way and ran toward the student. “Zach no!” Trent yelled.

 

It was too late. Zach was already feeding on Mark. Within just a few minutes he was dead. Within those few minutes Zach didn’t even change his demeanor. I’ve never seen him like this before. He was so monster like.

 

Zach looked toward Trent and I and there was no light in his eyes. There wasn’t the smile that made me smile back. There was just a person with no emotion. I tried to walk up to him but Trent pulled me back. “The Zach that we know is gone. This Zach won’t hesitate to feed on you until you die.”

 

Jenna was just smiling like she just won the war. “This is what I had up my sleeve and it worked.”

 

“You still don’t get me alone. Do you really think that Trent is going to leave me vulnerable? We will get Zach back and you won’t get whatever power this is.”

 

She just smiled. “We will see about that.” And with that, Jenna vanished and so did Zach.

 

I looked at Trent. “There has to be a way we can save him.”

 

“Katie, saving Zach, especially since he’s with Jenna. Is virtually impossible. She can now compel him to do anything that she wants him to do. He won’t fight it.”

 

I shook my head. “I just can’t believe that he’s gone.”

 

“He’s not. He’s just really, really lost. I’ve never seen him like this before. Something more is happening to him than just his bloodlust. It’s like not being able to protect you, us, and his bloodlust all completely screwed him up. Damnit he turned it off.”

 

“Turned what off?”

 

“His emotions. The pressure of everything became too much for him and he completely shut it all out.” 

 

“So is it impossible to get him back?”

 

Trent shook his head. “No it’s just going to be really hard and it’s not going to be pretty. It may have to involve you somehow.”

 

“I’ll do whatever I have to do to help him.”

 

“Good because you’re the one thing that ties him to his humanity. He may even tell you that he’s never cared about you at all. That’s just the bloodlust talking. If we do get him and try to get him to turn on his humanity he’s going to say things that he wouldn’t normally say just to get us to stop.”

 

I nodded. I didn’t care what I had to do. I knew that being in love with a vampire wouldn’t be easy and I’m not about to give up now just because Zach lost his humanity.