Page 124 of The Hunger
“It’s going to be just us girls,” Jenna said.
“Perfect.” His grin widened, and I sensed his growing lust. “We could invite Kelsey and Zoe, too.”
Fenris’s thumb stroked mine under the table. That small gesture meant everything to me. Despite the day he’d been having, he’d sensed my distress and immediately lent his support. He wasn’t the only one.
“You might want to tone it down, Eugene,” Willow said. “Eliana’s eyes are flickering.”
“Sorry, Eliana,” Eugene said quickly. “I promise to be one of the girls tonight.”
I could feel the hope rolling off of him and started to cave.
“Okay. See if Kelsey and Zoe want to join in, and let me know so I can call Mrs. Quill. She’ll want to make sure there’s enough food for everyone.”
When the bell rang, the rest of our group went to class, and Fenris and I returned to the pool.
“The whole point of coming here was so you could eat,” Fenris said, tugging me onto his lap. “Stop nibbling and eat, Eliana.”
I wrinkled my nose at him.
“It’s a lot easier when it’s just the two of us.”
“Or maybe Aubrey’s reaction momentarily undermined your confidence. Are you going to let her have that power over you?”
“I’m well aware of when I’m being manipulated, Fenris.”
He leaned in and playfully licked my nose.
“What are you going to do about it?”
I cupped his face in my hands and considered him. What he felt wrapped around me more tightly than his arms. Worry. Always a thread of that. But love. So much love. Had it always been there, hiding under the considerable amount of his ever-present lust? There was no denying how much his lust tempted me. It was like setting dessert in front of a starving teen. Where that was intense and distracting, his love was just the opposite. It was gentle and supporting and deserved so much more than what I’d been giving in return.
What was I going to do about that?
I desperately wanted to give something worthy back. While there were a number of different ways my kind could bring joy, physical release being the most gratifying to many, I knew that wasn’t his deepest desire. And that’s what I wanted to give him.
Opening myself, I sought what he really wanted from me. I thought it would be the mate run but, instead, found something far more terrifying. He wanted me to show the world he was mine. He wanted me to stake my claim on him in front of everyone. And often.
He didn’t care if I acted like a jealous girlfriend or not, but he desperately wanted me to be possessive of him. Publicly.
“Why are you starting to panic?” he asked. “Do you want to go somewhere quieter?”
Heart racing, I shook my head. Quieter was the opposite of what he wanted, but he would give me that because he thought it was what I needed. I didn’t, I only preferred it. While I stared at him, I sensed the mermaids in the pools. They weren’t really paying attention to us. There weren’t any people roaming the halls. It was just us.
“I love you, Fenris,” I whispered before touching my lips to his.
He groaned loudly as I started to feed. His hands ran over my arms and back like he couldn’t get enough of me. I opened my mouth and gave more. The first touch of his tongue to mine sent me spiraling. My fingers slid into his hair, and I shifted positions on his lap, straddling him and deepening the kiss. Fenris was my air. My life. Everything I needed.
If loving Fenris was a sin, I welcomed hell with open arms.
Breaking off the kiss and throwing my head back, I gulped down what he offered me. The ravenous feeding reminded me of the cake dreams. The rich spice of his devotion coated my tongue, and I didn’t ever want to stop greedily drinking it in.
Fenris shook beneath me and guided my lips back to his. I wanted more. So much more.
This time, Fenris broke away, his hand gripping the back of my head firmly as he pressed his forehead to mine.
“It feels like I’ve silently loved you for an eternity. I dreamed of a time when you’d finally love me in return, and now that it’s here, I’m terrified I’m going to wake up and find out that none of this is real.”
His words penetrated my feeding haze, and I soothingly ran my hands over his chest.
