Page 137 of The Hunger
“Raiden assigned you to the first group, Jenna.” Her mom glanced at me. “He’d like both of you at the communal fire by nine.”
“Wow. That’s really late.”
“This morning, Jenna. Not tonight.”
Jenna frowned even as she nodded and shut the door.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“We never start that early.”
“Just like the mate runs never go all night, right?” I asked.
She nodded. “Raiden’s changing the rules to try to manipulate the outcome.”
Jenna’s phone buzzed, and she read the message with a groan.
“Aubrey heard you’re here and is handing out her usual threats. I really hope I find my mate tonight.”
Half-listening, I turned a slow circle in her room. Fenris was here. I was sure of it. His lust resonated from every corner of the room. How could Jenna not smell it? I breathed it in, letting the subtle flavors of it tease my tongue. Vanilla. That was new. Fenris was anything but vanilla.
What did the new flavor mean? Probably that he was up to no good.
Two could play at that game.
“Mates are tricky business,” I said. “They can be wonderful one moment but stingy with their love and affection the next. It’s enough to make a girl want to cry.”
The lust changed, introducing subtle notes of Boston cream pie. Fenris was definitely here and listening. I stopped turning and went to sit on Jenna’s bed.
“Fenris is stingy with his affection?” she asked. “He’s always hugging or kissing you.”
“The nose licks are fine. But real kisses are better. I can count on one hand the number of times we’ve kissed tongue to tongue.” I sighed. “Fenris tastes amazing.”
Jenna’s desk rattled as if something had bumped it. Pretending I hadn’t noticed, even though Jenna was frowning at it, I looked at my hands and focused on my feelings for Fenris. Affection. Need. Longing. Desire.
“I’d give anything for some of those kisses and some reassurance right now.”
Again, I used that trick where I pushed everything I felt toward him to feed what he was feeling for me. The desk moved a good foot, and Jenna’s hairbrush fell to the floor.
“What the hell?” Jenna jumped to her feet.
I didn’t move. Instead, I kept pushing my feelings toward the spot across the room.
With a hungry look in his dilated eyes, Fenris suddenly appeared beside the desk.
Standing, I opened my arms and wiggled my fingers, unable to keep the smile off my face. His eyes narrowed on me fractionally before he leapt. The momentum of our collision swept me off my feet and backward. A laugh ripped from my lips a moment before I hit Jenna’s mattress.
“I’m going to go get some more cookies,” Jenna said. “It might take me a while.”
As soon as the door closed behind her, Fenris buried his face in the crook of my neck and inhaled deeply.
“Do I even want to know why you’re hiding in another girl’s bedroom?” I asked.
“I was waiting for you to show up.” He gave my collarbone a nip. “Not enough real kisses, huh?”
I grinned and threaded my fingers through his hair.
“I could always use a few more.”
