Page 76 of The Hunt
“Should we get in line for something? Which game do you want to play first?” I asked Jenna.
“This one?” She grinned and pulled a folded piece of plastic from her back pocket.
My stomach sank the moment Willow produced a spinner card from under her shirt.
“We knew better than to put the good stuff out,” she said with a grin.
“I’ll be the spinner for this round and swap out with one of the losing team members for the next game,” Laurel, the fourth in the her-herd if Aubrey still counted as a member, said.
“What do you think, partner?” Fenris asked, putting an arm around my shoulders. “Feel like being flexible?”
Hunger unfurled in my middle like the menacing beast it was.
My life was a living hell.
Chapter Twelve
“This isone of those times where your helpfulness is less than helpful,” I said, looking up at Fenris.
He grinned and gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze.
“You can do this. Remember what you said. If I thought you were going to actually hurt someone, I’d be waiting a long time.”
I rolled my eyes at him while testing my hunger. The chocolate I’d eaten hadn’t done a thing to calm it down, but to my surprise, it just wasn’t as intense as it’d been in the past.
“I’ll try one game. But if I ask to be the dedicated spinner so Laurel can step in, no complaining.”
The three girls gave an excited squeal and moved toward an open space on the dance floor.
Fenris held me to his side and leaned in to speak softly in my ear. The way his breath tickled my skin made it difficult to stay focused.
“Try to stay in the game at least until Adira shows up. After this morning’s interruption, you know she will.”
I nodded and let him lead me to my doom. Only, Fenris’s version of trouble wasn’t as bad as I’d thought it would be.
He kept it playfully light the entire time, teasing the girls as well as me. I understood why and felt a fair amount of pity for him. If he took a single tangled limb seriously, any one of the girls would have him pinned to the mat in a heartbeat. But since he spread his attention equally, it kept them happy and me distracted enough that I could ignore the way his arm pressed against my leg. Almost.
Jenna stretched for the closest green circle, and Fenris nudged her mid-reach to knock her off balance. She went down with a laugh then sat with Laurel to cheer Willow on.
The doors opened, letting in a refreshing gust of cool air just as Laurel spun a red for Fenris. He pressed his stationary arm more firmly against my leg and leaned closer to wind his free arm around my other leg.
“This looks interesting,” a familiar voice said. “We call dibs on playing the winners.”
I arched my neck to look up at Eras and the mermaids with him.
“Unusual company you’re keeping,” Fenris commented. “What happened to your muscle?”
“He got bigger muscle,” one of the girls said as she flashed a toothy grin.
Any fun I’d managed to have disappeared quickly. The next three spins proved too much for Willow, and she collapsed with a grunt.
“About time,” Eras said. “Janette and Miranda. You go first.”
Willow gave me an apologetic glance as she moved off the mat.
“Actually, I think I could use a break,” I said. “You’re welcome to the mat, Eras. Since you’re so enthusiastic about the game, I’m sure you and River wouldn’t mind facing off with Janette and Miranda.”
He smirked at me.
