"I've liked you for a very long time Jared, but I always held back because of Sam. But I realize now that I don't want any regrets. So perhaps...I mean...well, would you want to go out with me?"
For a moment, Jared didn't respond, and I grew anxious about his possible rejection of me. So I started rambling.
"I understand if you don't want to. I mean, I wouldn't guilt trip you into it or anything. I guess it would be too weird since I'm your sisters' best friend and-"
"Hollie, slow down," Jared said. "Look, if you want to try and make this work, then I say we give it a shot."
"You mean it!?" I exclaimed. A thought struck me then. "You aren't obligated to accept you know. If you really don't want to-"
"Hollie, if I didn't want to, I wouldn't have agreed," he pointed out. "Let's try it out. There's no harm in that. Besides...I've liked you for some time as well."
My heart soared, and I embraced him then, taking him by surprise. But it wasn't long before his tension eased, and he returned my hug. It felt so good. I felt safe in his arms, and his scent was warm and comforting. I would never forget a detail of this moment for as long as I lived.
_______________________________________________________________________
The Hunter sniffed me suspiciously, before his features were arranged in recognition. "Hollie...is it really you?" he asked, staring down at me intensely. Even though his beautiful eyes were now gone, I could still feel the power that they had over me.
"Yes Jared...it's really me," I whispered back. I was so glad to see him, even though the circumstances weren't exactly pleasant. We were silent for a moment, as he got off of me and helped me to my feet. Then I hugged him, taking care not to hurt him with my claws. Behind that horrifying scent of death I could smell the scent that made me feel safe and secure.
He gripped me tightly before releasing me. "I have to go," he said suddenly.
"Why?" I asked, horrified I had done something wrong.
"The survivors are heading towards the docks. I want to be there before they get there," he stated, in a tone much colder that I was accustomed to hearing from him. I had heard it only once before, and it still made me shiver.
"Why Jared?" I asked, but he was already turning away from me. "Is it because you intend to kill them?! Why?!"
"Hollie...if you don't want to kill the immune ones that's fine. But don't try and tell me what to do."
"I don't understand it Jared...is it your instincts? You can fight them, I know you can!"
He turned back to me with a pained expression. "It's not that. You should know better. We're not like those commonly infected. We have more control. But I want to."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "You want to become a murderer? To submit to being a monster?"
"We can't fight it forever Hollie. But...that's not it either," he said, exasperated.
"Then what is it?!"
"I'm after a certain survivor. I'll kill him, and any others that stand in my way," he said simply.
"Dammit Jared, why?!" I all but yelled.
His face twisted into something horrendous. "Because he killed Sam!" he shouted.
I was stunned. Sam was dead? My best friend...my spiritual sister. It couldn't be. And yet, with all the destruction raining around us, how could I be so arrogant as to believe all those I loved would be spared?
"Sam's...dead...?" I whispered, my eyes filling with tears.
His expression became sorrowful. He didn't say anything. He didn't have to. My heart felt like it had been torn into pieces. I let out a howl of agony, and fell to the ground sobbing. Crying came to me naturally these days, but this grief wasn't the type I was used to. It was searing hot and unbearably heavy, and I wished at the moment for the ground to open up and swallow me whole.
Jared sighed and walked over to me. He held me as I sat there weeping for the friend whom I never got to say good-bye to. It wasn't too long before my sorrow turned to rage. I didn't get the chance to say good-bye, or to protect her, but I sure as hell wasn't going to pass up the chance to get even. For Sam's sake, I was going to make her murderer pay.
I stopped crying, and looked up at Jared. My eyes glowed naturally, but I imagined that those seeing them now would compare them to the fires of Hell itself. "Take me to the docks," I managed to hiss.