Page 125 of The Howl
“Do you want something to drink?” I asked. “I can run upstairs to get it.”
“Upstairs?”
“Yeah, you didn’t see it when we came in? There’s a staircase over there that leads up to the loft and the bar. There’s not a lot of sitting room, but it’s a great place to watch the dancers.”
Her gaze drifted to the dance floor again.
“This is a crowd?”
I frowned, doing my best impersonation of confusion.
“Don’t you like it?” I asked.
She made a sound of disgust. “It’s no wonder you’re starving. There’s nothing here. This is no feeding ground for a creature of your distinction.”
She got out of the booth and motioned for me to join her.
“That woman is a menace,” she said. “This place is a complete waste of your time.”
She started for the door, and I got up to follow her, more than a little satisfied I’d won this round.
A tingle of awareness raced over my neck before I reached the door, and I turned to see Fenris watching me.
With a smile, I waved and pushed the door open only to walk into the last person I wanted to face.
Eras.
Chapter Nineteen
I jerked awayfrom him even as his hands closed around my arms.
“No need to be testy,” he said, maintaining his grip. “Is that your mom?”
I followed his gaze and saw Mom pacing toward the car. She had her phone to her ear and looked like she was arguing with someone. Probably Adira.
Eras gave me a little shake.
“When did she get into town? It wouldn’t have been last week, would it? Say Thursday?” His grip hardened, bruising my skin, as he pulled me closer. “Did your bitch mom steal my food, Eliana?”
I laughed, a low sound that didn’t seem to belong to me.
“Forget your lost meal, Eras. It’s only the first of many in your pathetic lifetime.”
His gaze went vacant, and his grip loosened. Jerking my arms free, I turned my back on him and headed for my mom.
“We’ve seen the results of your way. Now we try mine.”
Mom’s words made my stomach drop because I had no doubt she was talking about me. She dropped the phone in her purse and watched my approach with a wide smile. My dread climbed higher.
“Good news,” she said. “I’m already working on finding you a proper place to learn to feed.”
“A what?”
“Don’t worry. Not here. I know how you feel about feeding where you live, so I spoke to Adira about an outing.”
“No.”
“No?”
