Page 40 of The Hunger
“She probably doesn’t even know I’m gone. The villages are a madhouse right now.”
“Why?”
“Half the pack is looking for Fenris, and the other half is preparing for a huge mate run on Saturday.”
“Wait. Isn’t a mate run when one wolf scents its mate?”
“Yes. But when you get enough unmated wolves together for a run, it’ll turn into a mate run for some of them. That’s what this Saturday is. According to Mom, Raiden’s been calling all the packs in North and South America. Even some in Europe.”
She blew out a breath.
“You have no idea how much I wish yesterday’s kiss would have worked for my sake and for Fenris’s. I feel so bad for him.”
“Raiden’s doing the run because of Fenris?”
“He sees that Fenris is obsessing over you and thinks finding his mate will break that. Raiden has people watching the Quills’ place, your mom’s house, the Blayz…pretty much anywhere Fenris might show up.”
“He was at the Quills’ this morning.”
“Yeah, Raiden was hot about that. I guess Conall didn’t see Fenris until he walked out the front door.” She grinned at me. “They’ve underestimated his abilities for years. No one can hide like Fenris.”
“Sounds like it. I take it that trying to bait him in with that screenshot of our call didn’t work either?”
“Oh, it worked. He woke me up last night. Not exactly how I imagined his first appearance in my bedroom.”
“He was in your room? What did he say?”
“He wanted to know where you were and what you were planning.”
“And what did you say?”
“The truth. That I didn’t know where you were but you were worried about him. I explained how he’s under your influence and that he needs time away from you to break it. He laughed, licked my nose, and told me to stop listening to your nonsense. Then, he asked me to give him a thirty-second head start before telling my parents he was there.” She shrugged. “I gave him forty.”
I sighed. “He’s treating this like it’s some big game. Has he always been this way?”
Jenna shook her head. “No. I remember a time when he was a strict rule follower. But he went through a phase where he was withdrawn and moody. Then, after that, he was the Fenris we know today. Playful. Fun. Flirty.”
“And a troublemaker.”
Jenna grinned.
“Yeah, that too.”
I considered what she’d revealed alongside what Megan revealed.
“Was he a hugger before he went through his moody phase?”
Jenna snorted. “He’s not a hugger now. You and Megan are the only ones I’ve ever seen him hug. Except for that one time with Oanen.”
“How long ago was that phase?”
Jenna shrugged again. “I didn’t really notice then. I was still young enough that I wasn’t paying attention to the boys. Four years ago? Maybe five?”
A sinking feeling settled into my stomach. Rather than asking Jenna to confirm if Fenris’s phase coincided with my arrival, I changed subjects.
“Are you nervous about the run on Saturday?”
“Yes and no. I think I’m just ready to be done, you know?”
