My eyes strayed to the doors yet again. I leaned against the counter and glowered at the darkening sky, trying to will a moving vehicle to appear. I was seriously beginning to wonder if someone had put up a sign that read: "Cranky Nightstalker ahead. Take a different route."

The day was beginning to feel impossibly long after being cooped up in here for over twenty-four hours. Someone send me some travelers or some patience. Other than a few passing zombies, the highway remained just as deserted as it had been all day, so apparently travelers on remote highways were in short supply.

My reserve of patience was almost as empty as the road. I had spent most of the day in the storage room avoiding my companions. Even the smallest question had me snapping at the speaker.

It was getting extremely hard to avoid growling at Liz, who occasionally entered my personal space, innocently naïve about the mood around us. Chloe wasn't fooled and kept away from me, as well as ensuring that someone was always between me and her.

The bloodlust raged behind my control, pushing it almost to the breaking point.

This couldn't last much longer.

It wasn't even possible to take a deep breath to try and relax since my throat was already burning from the heavy human scent hanging in the air. How the occasional passing zombie on the highway didn't smell us was beyond me. Perhaps the wind was blowing the other way.

Ben stood up and stretched. "Well, I'm going to get ready for bed." He walked toward the back of the store.

"Liz, let's go brush our teeth," Marissa told the child, who followed her to the bathrooms.

Once the doors clicked, I turned to Hank. "The longer we sit here, the more our scent is ingrained into the building. Let me go check for a car that runs."

He shook his head without even considering the matter, probably aware that the chance of finding a working vehicle was slim to none. It probably didn't help that the sun was setting, and he knew it would be dark out shortly.

My already-foul mood tumbled downhill into realms better left untouched. "Okay. Screw this. You can put that twist on once I leave."

Hank narrowed his eyes and got to his feet as I grabbed my backpack. For a moment, I almost thought he was about to let me out, but he simply stood in front of the doors, clearly blocking any attempt I might make.

I gritted my teeth to keep from snarling at him. His attempt to block me only further stirred up my instincts, which were already high from the bloodlust. By the time I wrangled my temper down enough to reply without growling, Ben returned.

He stopped and frowned when he saw the standoff. "What's going on?"

From the way he was eyeing me up, he probably already knew the answer. The way he quickly moved to stand beside Hank was another clue.

Hank's eyes never left me. "She was about to leave, and she seemed pretty certain she could undo the metal around the door handles."

Ben looked at me in irritation. "What is with you? Just stay inside until someone comes. We aren't that bad. I'll even quit bugging you about your sunglasses."

I leveled a glare at him. "I would rather entertain a zombie than be stuck in here with you."

Ben gritted his teeth and took a step forward, also pushed past his limits by a crazy woman who was obsessed with visiting zombies at sundown and endangering everyone else in the process.

Hank laid his hand on Ben's shoulder, restraining him. "Let her be. I know she's feeling cooped up, and I suspect she has problems with claustrophobia." Moving his gaze to me, he kindly said, "Going outside is a death wish. Just sit down for a while longer."

I had never thought Hank might attempt to defend me, especially when I was in such a rotten mood. It surprised me enough that I didn't even have a snarky comeback. Ben visibly struggled to not lash out verbally before he stormed off.

I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms. Hank sat in front of the doors, ever patient. After a while I sat down; it would be easier and less aggravating to leave when Hank and Ben were asleep, which wouldn't be much longer.

Ben returned before the sun had halfway dipped below the horizon, although he didn't speak to me. If he thought giving me the cold shoulder was going to bother me, he was mistaken. I enjoyed his sullen silence. At least, as much as I could with the bloodlust raging in my veins.

I felt the moment the sun completely dipped beneath the horizon, and my Nightstalker instincts stirred. They were somewhat present during the day, but the daylight kept them subdued. Now that the sun was gone, they started to strengthen again. The bloodlust was rapidly getting worse, and my control was at its limits.

This wasn't good.

It wasn't going to be possible to wait another hour for them to fall asleep. At this point, I only had two choices left, and I wasn't fond of either of them. I got to my feet and put my backpack on.

Ben narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "And just where do you think you are going?"

I didn't answer, and Hank got to his feet as he stood in front of the door again. With his knife in his hand, Ben ran over to stand beside Hank. Neither of them noticed Chloe darting down an aisle to safety.

I stopped in front of them. "Move. I'm going out."

My no-nonsense tone clearly said that I wasn't going to compromise. I was done playing politely by their human rules.

"Go to sleep," Ben told me irritably. "Morning will come soon enough."

I gazed steadily at him, refusing to back down. "Not soon enough. I have to go out." Their lives depended on it.

Ben shook his head. "It's almost completely dark out. You wouldn't even see a zombie until it was right in front of you. It's too dangerous."

The irony of his comment simply reminded me that going out at night was a suicide mission for humans. They just didn't know I didn't fit into that category.

I gritted my teeth and my voice practically growled, "Move."

Hank seemed to realize that something wasn't adding up. "You would have to give us an extremely good reason since zombies could follow you back."

Ben gave him a disbelieving look, as if unable to believe that Hank was even considering the possibility of letting me out.

My voice was cool and clipped. "I'd rather kill a deer as opposed to one of you." A bit dramatic, but it was true.

Ben snorted. "There is canned meat in the far aisle. Get away from the door."

The others were watching in confusion, possibly wondering if I was losing my mind or if they had to restrain me for my own safety.

They may hate or fear me after this, but at least they would be alive. I reached up and pulled my sunglasses down, revealing my eyes, which were glowing red with the bloodlust raging in my veins.

The two in front of me froze in complete shock. I blinked slowly; my red-hazed vision no longer hampered by the tint of the sunglasses.

My voice was rough. "Move. I'm not joking when I say I need to go out."

I waited where I was. Oddly enough, my Nightstalker instincts had the ability to wait patiently in certain circumstances. Faced with two humans who had just realized that I wasn't human, my patience was endless as I watched their reaction with the viewpoint of a top predator about to go on a hunt.

They slowly stepped aside with the caution of someone who had just come face-to-face with something extremely dangerous. With them now being so much more cooperative, I walked forward and undid the metal bucket handle with three twists.

I heard one of the other adults scramble to their feet, although I didn't look in their direction since they hadn't seen my eyes yet.

"Why are you letting her out?" Nicky asked in a worried voice. "She could get killed out there!"

Neither of the men answered her, possibly still in shock or worried about triggering an attack. I dropped the piece of metal on the floor and opened the door.

I paused. "You can decide whether or not you want to let me back in later. I'll knock, and if you open the door, fine. If not, I'll remain outside."

I exited the store for the first time in two days and inhaled a breath of much-needed fresh air. After putting my sunglasses back on, I glanced over my shoulder to see both men still staring at me in shock. Two zombies on the highway immediately headed toward me, and I jogged like a human as I lured them down the road and away from my companions.

Once we were away from the town, I picked up speed and entered the forest while testing the air. I wanted blood, and I was in no mood for a mere rabbit either. A sharp tang in the air guided me to a more substantial meal.

It had been a long time since I had come across a moose, and this one was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I attacked it so fast it had no clue that it was actually in danger. I drained its blood and relished the warm taste. My mood improved noticeably even though my Nightstalker instincts were truly awake now.

I raised my head to the moon and let out a Nightstalker shriek that echoed throughout the night. Much like a victory cry, it was an announcement to the world that a Nightstalker ruled this part of the forest.

I had rarely engaged in such sound effects in the past, but the feral Nightstalkers released such cries once or twice a night. After going so long without hunting, the large kill and the full moon were triggering such instincts.

It was somewhat like a cougar's nighttime scream. Any animals would be uneasy for a day or two, and it would probably scare any human who heard it. I was far enough away from the grocery store that those inside wouldn't have heard me.

I ran through the forest until I found the highway and followed it for several hours at a jogging pace before turning back. The tracks and broken sticks showed that this road was used fairly often, but I didn't see any hints indicating a Stronghold might be nearby or a sign giving directions to one.

It wasn't unusual for Strongholds to be away from the main roads to avoid zombies, but I wasn't picking up any scent on the wind. Considering my hunt and run had covered more ground than the humans could walk in a day, the chances of me convincing them to walk along the highway were slim.

The night was barely half over when I returned to the small town. The scent of the humans was much easier to bear now that my bloodlust was back in check. I investigated each vehicle on the street and knocked on the gas tanks, but the resounding, hollow echo showed that all the fuel had been drained.

With a resigned sigh, I kicked a garage door open. There wasn't a vehicle inside, but I did find a half-full jerrycan. I took it with me as I went to the next garage.

This door wasn't locked, and it allowed me to check out the large, jacked-up truck. Even better, a quick tap on the gas tank showed that this pickup truck actually had fuel in it. Now we were in business.

I didn't see the keys inside, although there was a good chance they were in the house. I tried the doorknob, but it was locked. A quick sniff told me no humans or zombies hid inside. I took a step back before giving the door a powerful kick. The door frame splintered as the lock plowed through the wood, allowing the badly damaged door to swing open.

With a huff, I walked inside while glancing around. A key hanger conveniently hung by the door with several sets of keys. Only one set belonged to a Chevrolet, which made my search easy.

I remembered my ride in the back of Hank's truck and headed down the hallway. The second bedroom had a bed that matched the size of the truck box. I grabbed the mattress and blankets and hauled them into the back of the truck.

With the truck now ready for a road trip, I jumped into the driver's seat and twisted the key in the ignition. I bared my teeth in a grin as the truck gave a deafening roar and came to life after its long hibernation.

I reversed out of the driveway and headed back to the store.