Page 75 of The Hunger
“Merrifolds? How is she doing? Is she spending a lot of time with you and the baby?” I asked hopefully.
“She’s amazing and is going to make a great mom. Someday. She’s not letting anyone near her petals yet. She told me that she’s going to wait a few more months, maybe even a whole year, until she can travel the world with you.”
Piepen’s hand jerked toward his hips again.
“It’s not really going to take you a year to decide to travel, is it?” he asked.
“I hope not.”
“Good. Let me know if your mate doesn’t treat you right. I’ll correct his behavior. Farewell, princess.” He nodded and left through Mom’s office window.
“That was far easier than I thought it would be,” I said.
“He’s thinking of someone else’s petals now,” Megan said with a chuckle. “You’re officially off the hook. Now, let’s get back out there and dance. One song isn’t nearly enough.”
Outside of Mom’s office, we could hear the music playing again. Megan smiled at Oanen and grabbed his hand. Fenris threaded his fingers through mine.
The hulking man at the bottom of the steps moved aside for us, but we were too slow to make it to the dance floor before the song ended and the DJ called out for Club Blayz’s fine proprietress. People made way for Mom as she strolled to the center of the dance floor.
“By special request, this song’s for you.”
A cover for The Middle started to play, and I spotted Dad near the stage as he danced his way toward Mom. She held out her hand to him and tipped her head back to laugh when he caught her up in his arms instead and started dancing with her.
“Your parents are adorable,” Megan said.
I wasn’t sure what they were. They confused the heck out of me most days. Fenris seemed to sense it because he leaned forward to whisper in my ear.
“That isn’t a shell of a man. That’s a man desperately in love and trying to make peace with his place in his love’s life. It might not be where he wants to be, but he’ll take what he can get.”
My heart started to ache because I knew that Fenris wasn’t only talking about my dad but himself as well.
“I can smell his love for her from here.”
I turned my head to look at him. His gaze dipped to my mouth, which was conveniently close. His proximity and the swelling of his lust stirred my hunger. But he didn’t lean closer. Neither did I.
“All of her lovers have adored her. This isn’t any different from how they acted when they thought she might be slipping away from them.”
Fenris made a sound of disagreement as he lifted his chin and inhaled deeply.
“There are no sour notes to indicate any resentment. That’s always present in coerced, unwanted relationships.”
“You can’t possibly know which scent is my dad’s from this far away.”
“My nose is better than most. Years of practice, searching for the slightest hint of your scent.”
I shivered and rested my head back against his chest as his arms came around my waist. We swayed to the music, watching my parents dance together. He was right. Dad didn’t look like a love-slave. He looked like an adoring husband.
As soon as their song ended, Fenris turned me and danced us into the crowd for the next slow song. I loved the way he moved with me. His touches were never inappropriate, but the way he looked at me said he wished they were. My hunger stirred inside me, but didn’t fight me for control.
“I can feel you’re hungry. Eat.”
I glanced at all of the people around us. Megan had once shared what it looked like when I fed. When watching others of my kind feed, I’d never witnessed anything like she’d explained, but that didn’t mean I wanted to risk feeding in front of humans. No, it wasn’t only that. I just didn’t want to feed in front of everyone. Especially my dad.
“I’ll eat later.”
He didn’t push for more of an explanation. Instead, he tucked me closer. I was so wrapped up in dancing with Fenris, as song after song passed, that I didn’t at first notice the floor shake.
The sudden burst of panic caught my attention just before the humans started to scream. The music cut out. Around us, the building began to tremble and groan.
