Lorne (The Dark League 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

Although I had already come through the transformation several days earlier and had gone hunting with Lorne every night, my mind had not yet forgotten the old habits and so I often caught myself thinking of food, again and again, as pizzas, burgers and steaks rather that blood.  
    The day before yesterday, on one of our nighttime raids, I had even secretly slipped a bar of chocolate into my pocket, planning to eat it later when I was alone. That had not been a good idea – the very first bite literally stuck in my throat and I felt so unwell, for hours, that Lorne had known straight away what I had done. But instead of reacting with the expected anger he had amazingly reacted with understanding and concern. He had taken care of me and given me his blood, which had helped my stomach to settle.
    “Well?“ Charleene’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.
    “Oh! I ... I don’t know if I ... I’ve only been with Lorne so far ...“
    “Lorne’s gone hunting with his flame!“ Charleene winked and a painful stab in my heart made me crumble inside.
    “Oh right! Well ... then there’s no reason why not then,“ I stammered, trying not to let my pain show, but vampires were extremely good observers and so Charleene took me by the arm and looked at me sympathetically.
    “Oh dear!“ she said and I knew that she had seen through me. “You’re in love with Lorne!“
    I shook my head decisively although I knew that it was pointless lying to a vampire.  
    “I thought that because he had put you up in here there was nothing between you. But now things are becoming clear to me! Yes, now it makes much more sense!“
    “What? What makes sense?“ I asked, annoyed.
    “Lorne’s strange behaviour!“ explained Charleene.
    “I don’t understand.“
    “Well, for a start, he never goes hunting with Davina. He fucks her, and that’s that. I did wonder why he was going hunting specifically with his playmate.“
    “Probably because he wants something from her,“ I responded in a toneless voice. My heart was aching as if it was being torn to pieces by a pack of hungry wolves.  
    Charleene was shaking her head.  
    “No! That’s not it. And then this reaction when Lothaire offered to go hunting with you. He almost went for Lothaire’s throat. Then he turned to me and said that I should go hunting with you. That’s why I’m here.“
    It hurt that Lorne did not want to have anything more to do with me and was ordering other vampires to take me on.
    “I don’t need a babysitter!“ I said bitterly. “I can go hunting alone! You don’t need to ...“
    “Nonsense!“ the vampire interrupted. “Firstly, Lorne could never force me to go hunting with you – I only agreed because I liked the idea. Secondly, we always go at least in pairs. We mutually make sure that we don’t lose control when eating. The power of blood is strong. Once you lose control you become a Renegade quicker than you would imagine.“
    I tried to numb the pain that I was feeling but I could simply not get Lorne out of my head and his rejection was like a poisonous thorn in my heart.
    “Vampires feel emotions much more deeply the humans,“ said Charleene sympathetically. “I’ve been through this myself. More than once. Believe me, I know what it feels like. But I know what helps. Come on! What you need is a little thrill of the chase!“

    Charleene was right. The hunt did help me, a little, to forget the pain in my heart. At least for a while. When I crept into my bed at dawn, though, the pain returned with full force. I had always slept in Lorne’s arms during recent nights and I missed his warmth, his hard, muscular body and his familiar scent. And although I really had satiated myself on the hunt, I longed for Lorne’s blood. In frustration, I got out of bed and went to the window. I pushed aside the heavy curtain that was supposed to keep out the daylight. Outside it was still twilight but on the horizon the sky was already beginning to turn