Page 14 of The Hunger
I wasn’t simple and knew a power struggle when I saw one.
“Yes.”
“I’ll take them,” Mrs. Quill said, leaving Mr. Quill’s side.
I gave her hand a grateful squeeze before we left the study and reappeared in Mom’s living room.
“Thank you,” Mom said.
“Of course. Would you mind if I had a private word with Eliana?”
Mom waited for me to indicate I was fine with it before excusing herself. Mrs. Quill didn’t speak until Mom closed her bedroom door.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
I didn’t answer right away, giving myself a moment to let her question settle in. Was I all right? Not really. So many upsetting things had happened since the earthquake ripped me from my cake-filled dreams. Discovering Fenris had been stalking me, Piepen’s baby-daddy drama, kissing Fenris and discovering I’d been feeding on him for weeks…
“It’s been a long day on very little sleep. I’m so tired that I’m not sure I know the answer.”
“It has been an exhausting day. But I enjoyed every moment, shopping for your dress. Thank you for including me.
“You are a beautiful person, Eliana. Inside and out. And I hope, whatever the cause of your tears tonight, you remember your worth. Don’t stop protecting those who can’t protect themselves.” She kissed my forehead. “I’m only a call away if you change your mind and want to sleep in your own bed.”
She disappeared without another word, leaving me alone to think about what she’d said. While I knew she’d probably meant Ashlyn when she mentioned protecting others, my mind fixated on Fenris. I’d betrayed his trust by telling his father where to find him. Hopefully, when he was himself again, he would forgive me.
Only, I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to forgive myself.
Mom reemerged from her bedroom. The gossamer wrap she wore did nothing to hide her idea of pajamas. She held out a folded square of white as she approached.
“The guest room is yours for as long as you’d like. Since you didn’t have a chance to pack anything, I thought you might like one of your father’s t-shirts to sleep in.”
When she’d shown up at Dad’s door to collect me four years ago, we’d been strangers. She might have understood the urges I’d been starting to have, but she hadn’t understood me. In these last few weeks together, that had been slowly changing. A simple shirt to sleep in proved that.
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Sleep well, baby.”
I watched her walk away and hoped her understanding would hold true in the next few days because my life was about to get more difficult. Feeding on Mrs. Quill before going to the Club had been an appetizer at best. And the quick feeding on Fenris hadn’t been close to the main course I needed.
A shiver rippled through me at the thought, and my hunger twisted inside of me. Subtle and small but still there.
The night feedings had been sustaining me. What would happen now that Fenris wasn’t there? Nothing good. Looking back, I could see how my hunger had been growing more intense. The dreams had started out infrequent and short, progressing to nightly dreams where I’d fed until bloated. Yet, in the last few days, I’d gotten hungry long before I went to bed.
How would I feed myself? The idea of going back to Mrs. Quill turned my stomach. Yes, I’d managed tonight. But barely. Where did that leave me? Asking Adira to procure meals for me like she did for my mom? No, thank you.
Shaking my head, I closed myself in the guest room. The problem could wait until the morning. Hopefully, a full night’s sleep would bring clarity.
Tossing my clutch on the bed, I stripped from the dress. However, I couldn’t put on Dad’s shirt with the strip of grey body paint standing out starkly on my skin. Making a face, I went to the shower and scrubbed until the color was gone and Piepen’s mark glowed brightly once more. By the time I finished, I couldn’t stop yawning.
I climbed under the covers, and my feet bumped something heavy. Tiredly, I grabbed my clutch and removed my phone. The light blinked, indicating a message. It could be Megan. Or it could be Fenris or Adira.
After a moment’s hesitation, I checked.
Fenris: I know you’re upset, and I’d like a chance to explain. Meet me at the caves tomorrow.
Silencing the phone, I set it on the bedside table without answering. Three days. I could avoid him for that long. No problem.
I closed my eyes and tried to go to sleep. Instead, my mind drifted to Fenris and the moments we’d shared over the past few weeks. I dwelled on each interaction, seeing things differently now. The one that stood out the most was our last time together in the caves. His tormented expression as he’d listened to me explain why I would never feed on him stood out in inescapable clarity. He’d been keeping his secret then.
