Page 117 of The Hunger
“I don’t think being called selfish is funny.”
“It isn’t. I’m proud that you’re offended rather than hurt. Something you felt not too long ago because of Raiden.”
I considered what she was saying. “I guess I’m tired of allowing people that kind of power over me.”
“Good for you, Eliana. Would you like to join Mr. Quill and me for dinner? I haven’t seen him for hours.”
Even as she said it, I could feel her lust for her husband bloom and felt no guilt in taking what she offered. It helped take the edge off my hunger, but didn’t ease the yearning I had for Fenris.
“Thank you, but I think I’d like to spend tonight in my room.”
Her breathing was still a little faster when I left her.
When I returned to my room with a hoard of chocolate in hand, there was another message waiting.
Megan: I can’t tell if you’re being cheerful or if there’s something wrong. I wish reception was better out here so we could talk. If you need me, though, I can be there in less than a minute.
Me: I’m fine, but my list may be growing. Save the world, then get back here for a girls’ night. Popcorn, movies, dessert, and a lot of talk. We should invite Jenna, Willow, and Laurel too.
Understanding that any reply would take a while, I turned on a horror movie and settled in on the couch.
Instead of waiting up for the reply, I fell asleep and woke at dawn with chocolate melted to my cheek and a serious case of hangry. It didn’t help my mood, knowing that I would probably have some new obstacles to navigate in order to see Fenris again. Bitterly, I acknowledged that I should have just run Aubrey over with my car.
Grumpy and owning it, I shambled to the bathroom to clean myself up. When I finally checked my phone, I saw three messages.
Megan: Not much of an update on the Kraken front, but good news about Ashlyn. Zayn’s got a plan and is gathering what he needs to cast a spell. Keep Sunday open. I’ll tell you more when I see you tomorrow.
Lauv: Zayn’s not old. He’s a genius that’s barely out of his teens. And his hawt-self dissected our memories and pinpointed the problem. He’s confident Ashlyn is alive because the summoning spell doesn’t work, and he’s already conferring with Megan about the next step in finding our lost human. Please let us be there when he does whatever he’s planning on doing to locate her. We’ll owe you big time if you do.
Jenna: Would it be okay if I came by before school?
Relief flooded me to hear that Ashlyn was alive. But I would need to talk to Megan about Lauv’s request before I answered her. Since the phone service was awful, I decided to wait until Megan came home and replied to Jenna instead.
Me: Of course. I’ll be ready in fifteen.
I finished brushing my hair and put on some light makeup before picking out my clothes. By the time I finished, there was a soft knock on my door.
“Eliana, you have company,” Mrs. Quill called.
“Come in.”
The door opened, but it wasn’t only Jenna who stood with Mrs. Quill. My eyes locked on Fenris, and my hunger rushed forward. Vaguely, I was aware of Mrs. Quill pressing Jenna back and Fenris smiling at me. That was it before I was in his arms, legs wrapped around his waist, and feeding from him.
He nuzzled my neck and trailed his lips along my skin. I shivered at the sensation and gulped down what the simple contact created. Slowly, the hunger eased. The fine tremors rocking Fenris’s lean frame didn’t, though.
Burying my fingers in his hair, I turned my head enough to brush my lips against his ear.
He groaned and held me tighter.
“I missed you,” I said softly.
“I couldn’t tell.” His reply was muffled against my neck but full of humor. Underneath that, I felt his anguish.
“You’re more than food to me, Fenris. You know that, right?”
He didn’t answer.
Gently tugging his hair, I lifted his head so our gazes met. His pupils were insanely dilated like that night in the woods outside the cabin.
