Page 24 of The Howl
“Eugene, I—”
“I’ll take that,” Fenris said, reaching around me. “Eliana hates chocolate.”
My mouth dropped open, and I turned to stare at a grinning Fenris.
“Oh. Sorry about that, Eliana. I’ll bring a caramel one tomorrow if you want.”
Ignoring Fenris for a moment, I shook my head at Eugene.
“No, I don’t want any drink. I want you to see what’s happening. You have an urge to bring me something because of the pool. That’s all. You need to fight it, Eugene, or you’ll be my lapdog before you can say ‘arf.’”
Fenris started choking on his stolen drink, and I absently reached around him to whack him on the back.
“And if Adira tries sticking you in any of my classes today, refuse.”
He looked ready to object.
“You said you trusted me. Trust me now. I’m trying to keep you safe.”
Eugene nodded and started for the door.
“Arf,” Fenris said under his breath with a low chuckle that had me inhaling his scent hungrily.
As soon as Eugene reached the door, I whirled on Fenris and yanked the drink from his hand.
“You know I like chocolate.”
He grinned at me.
“No, you love chocolate. You’d probably bathe in it if you could. But, did you really want him to know that?”
I hated that Fenris was right.
“I don’t like lying.”
“You didn’t. I did. And I’m completely comfortable with embellishing the truth.”
I rolled my eyes at him and tipped the cup back. The explosion of chocolate and cream had me guzzling the contents in seconds.
“Impressive,” Fenris said. “Remind me never to get between you and chocolate again.”
“Again? You were nothing but a bystander who willingly surrendered the goods.”
A carful of his groupies pulled into the parking lot behind him, and the sudden surge of his lust hit me hard.
“I gotta go.”
I hustled for the door and kept my head down, hoping that no one would notice my eyes.
A hand closed around my arm, and I found myself spun around. Shocked, I stared up at Fenris. His normally playful gaze grew serious, and the texture of his irises claimed my attention, along with the way his pupils contracted and expanded in a quick, pulsing rhythm.
“I’m starting to feel a little paranoid,” he said.
“Huh?” My confusion robbed my hunger of its edge, and my heightened focus on his eyes vanished.
“You’re barely near me for more than a few minutes, and you run. Why?”
“I just wanted to get to class before the hallways crowd.”
