Page 43 of The Howl
Fenris flashed his easy grin at me and patted the empty seat beside him.
“My schedule was changed,” he said. “Apparently, we’re both late bloomers and need to work that out. Wanna be my study buddy?”
Standing in the doorway, I seethed, knowing exactly what was happening.
The Academy was Adira’s very own science experiment, and I was currently a test subject.
Chapter Eight
“Come in and sit down, Eliana,”LuAnn said. “We have a lot of work to do today.”
Woodenly, I walked to the empty seat beside Fenris. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. Some were curious—those immune to my special brand of messed up. Some were jealous—mostly Fenris’s girls. And the rest were interested. Very interested.
Breathing through my mouth, I tried to listen to what LuAnn was saying. But, it was hard. The iron hold I usually had on my hunger was failing me. As much as I wanted to blame it on what I was wearing, I knew it was more than that. I was lonely without Megan around and on edge because I knew my mom was waiting for me at home. And if that wasn’t bad enough, I still had a horny brownie to deal with.
“You okay?” Fenris asked, leaning close to me and tapping my fisted hand.
I suppressed a shiver at the skin to skin contact and glared at him. He knew better.
He cocked his head at me.
“You seem a little on edge.”
LuAnn saved me from answering.
“Fenris. Eliana. Since you two are already talking, why don’t you pair up for this next exercise?”
“Sure thing, LuAnn,” Fenris said with a grin. “What’s the exercise again? I wasn’t listening.”
The shameless way he admitted his disregard almost made me smile.
“Help each other discover what’s missing in your lives. What element or elements are holding you back from realizing your full potential?”
“Got it.”
“Since this can be a sensitive area, I’ve appropriated study rooms three through seven in addition to this room. That should enable each pair of you a private space to work. I expect a report tomorrow regarding what you’ve learned.”
I didn’t move from my chair. I couldn’t. Alone in a room with Fenris? My hunger leeched away more of my control at the mere thought of what could happen.
Before I could blink, the room emptied until only LuAnn remained with us.
“I’ll be back to check on you in a few minutes.” The door shut behind her.
Fenris inhaled deeply. I wondered what he smelled because all I could smell was his delicious lust. I wanted to lick it off his skin. Rub against his—
“You’re angry. And afraid,” he said softly. “Why?”
“I’m angry that Adira is toying with my life and afraid I’ll give in to my hunger.”
He shifted in his seat.
“You know you can’t hurt me, right?”
I turned to look at him.
“Can’t I? I can make you love me so deeply, so thoroughly, that when I leave you, you’ll be nothing more than an empty shell dwelling on what you once had. You’ll forget to eat. Forget to wash. You will be broken in ways that will never be fixed. You’ll slowly waste away in your desperate and all-consuming desire to find me and win me back.”
While I spoke, his normally easy-going personality vanished, replaced by sympathy.
