Chapter 3: Stark

Zoey is my High Priestess? Yes. I am her Warrior? Yes. I am in love with her? No. Okay...maybe. I don't really know. I do feel the urge to protect her, but to seduce her? Okay. Yep. I'm in love with her. Definitely. I mean, come on. She's hot. I also sense the anger she feels when the Karissa girl stares at me. I am fully aware of her attraction to me, because my enhanced hearing can pick up her comments about me to Marla. But I don't care about Karissa. I care about Zoey. And I think it is ridiculous that she would get jealous over Karissa's attraction to me. I said it was ridiculous, but I didn't say I didn't like it. Girl fights are just hilarious.

What sucks is that Zoey is attracted to two guys. I can feel it. And it did nothing but pain me. I guess I was lucky enough to be one of them, but not lucky enough to be the only guy. She was over Erik. He wasn't over her, though. So I'd have to watch out for whatever he could possibly do to win her back. But she currently liked Heath and me. Fortunately, I considered Heath an alright guy. But he could be quite possessive of her, which is the main reason she dumped Erik, but certainly didn't seem to care that Heath did it. That just plain pissed me off! But I had to accept it. I was her Warrior, and I couldn't let my feelings for her get in the way of what I had to do for her. So, Stark, just ignore it. Ignore him. Focus on your job. Your Warrior's Oath.

But that didn't help. I had to sleep with Zoey tonight. Kalona had turned good, but I had to sleep with her, just in case he decided to mess with her dreams again. Or...maybe it was an excuse to try and make out with her...after all, she never was upset that I kissed her. But I'd rather just not mention that part to Zoey.

***

"Hey, Zoey. What's up?" I caught her by herself outside. Some alone time with her was a miracle at most times. But it was business I needed to attend to.

"Stark! I've been looking for you!" I sensed it. I knew. Zoey needed to see me.

"I know. You needed to see me. I'll be here for you anytime." I kissed her gently, and again, she didn't complain.

"Yep. So, you know how I have been trying to balance my attraction for you and Heath?" she asked.

"Yes." I could hear the disappointment in my voice. I never liked talking about her attraction for other guys with her.

"I-" and then it came. A large Raven Mocker came and slashed Zoey's arm really badly. I had, fortunately, my bow and arrow strapped to my back. I lifted it and aimed.

"Prepare to die, you bastard!" And I shot it straight in the heart. It fell to the ground, and disinigrated. I ran to Zoey, and immediately noticed how badly she was bleeding. I kept whispering how it was going to be okay as I picked her up and carried her to Goddess-knows-where my instincts were taking me. And then I saw that they were taking me to Darius. "Darius! Zoey's hurt! Somehow, a damn Raven Mocker came."

"Raven Mocker? They're all supposed to be gone. What was a Raven Mocker doing here?" Darius asked as he and I carried Zoey to the infirmary. As soon as we got in and he got the emergency equipment out, I knelt beside her and felt tears fall down my cheeks. Yeah. Very manly, Stark.

"She's going to be okay. She's survived worse..." Darius explained as he was wrapping something around her arm. I already knew that. "She is losing a lot of blood. Do you think she could drink from you?"

"But the Imprint with Heath...it will be broken." Wait. The Imprint with Heath will be broken. Hell yeah! "I'll do anything to make Zoey safe." I took the pocketknife that Darius offered to be and slashed my left wrist with it. Zoey was moaning in pain, and I couldn't bear it. "Zoey, it'll be all right. You've survived much worse than this." I offered my wrist to her, and she stared at me, bewildered. "Go on, Zoey. You need it. And Heath isn't here to help you now. So you'll have to settle for me." I forced a smile, and she reluctantly began sucking the blood for my wrist.

And then I felt the immediate wanting of her. But I resisted acting like I wanted to have sex with her (which would be awesome) because I had to save her life, and plus, not in front of Darius. I acted normally as Zoey's moans of pleasure filled the room. And I knew that her Imprint with Heath had been broken. Zoey felt the pain that Heath felt just now, and I'd just felt it too.

Heath

And then the pain hit me. The pain that had been caused a few months ago when my first Imprint with Zoey had been broken. And I felt it just now, too, meaning that Zoey had Imprinted with someone else. Damn it! Not again!

I felt the quick shudder of the final break of our Imprint, but I was still hurt from the possibility of what she could've just done. Last time she'd had sex with that Loren guy. The one who used her. I wonder what she'd just done. But, somehow, I knew sex wasn't the cause this time. I somehow knew that this was something else. And so I got straight in my truck to drive to the House of Night to see my Zo. Even though our Imprint was broken, I was still in love with her, just as I'd always been since third grade.