Page 93 of The Hunger
A flush of embarrassment speared me, and I quickly untangled myself and looked for Dad with an apology ready. However, Fenris and I were standing alone near the open front door. Raiden sat at the kitchen table, looking at his hands, and Mom stood between the dining room and the kitchen, watching us.
“Where’s Dad?” I asked as Fenris closed the door.
“Checking the roast.”
“Are you ready to eat?” Dad called.
I flushed as I realized that Mom had moved Dad away so he wouldn’t be affected by me. Relief stung my eyes, and I looked at Mom.
“I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Of course you didn’t. You were too hungry, Eliana, and the fault in that isn’t yours. Is it, Raiden?”
She looked at Fenris’s dad, who said nothing. Mom muttered, “stubborn” before helping Dad carry dishes to the table.
Fenris’s fingers threaded through mine, and I looked up at him.
“I’m glad I got a hug instead of the slap I was anticipating.”
“I would never slap you.” Then I felt his humor. “But you already knew that.”
“I thought I did, but I can’t say I’ve been thinking straight since you left school. Can I get seconds on that hug before we eat?”
I could feel the real urgency behind those words. The need to soothe Fenris called to me. Knowing that Dad was probably watching, I hugged Fenris conservatively and snuck another pull or three before releasing him.
He exhaled heavily and set his forehead to mine, breathing in my scent.
“You have no idea how much I missed you.”
“I think I’m getting the idea.”
He grinned at me before we moved to the table. Mom insisted we sit together. If Raiden had any objection, he didn’t voice it. Fenris’s leg brushed mine as we passed the dishes, and after I took my first bite of roast, he traded our forks. The taste of him lingered on the tines, making the next bite divine.
“How old are you now, Raiden? Seventy? Eighty?” asked Mom.
“You know I’m forty-five.”
“Really? It’s a shame you’re losing your eyesight so young.”
Everyone glanced at Mom questioningly.
“What other explanation is there for your complete blindness toward what’s right before us? Look at them, Raiden. I know you saw what your son just did.”
Raiden sighed and did indeed look at me before turning to Mom and addressing the elephant in the room.
“Eliana is a good person, and I truly like her. That’s the only reason I agreed to your and Adira’s request to have Fenris spend more time with her. I trusted her to respect the boundaries of my kind. However, I didn’t expect things to progress so quickly between them.”
Raiden turned his attention to me.
“I know that you struggle with feeding, and I’m truly sorry for that. But you need to find someone else before you ruin Fenris for his true mate.”
Mom made an angry noise at the same time Fenris did. I couldn’t do much about Mom, but I reached out to take Fenris’s hand and stole his anger, knowing that it wouldn’t help the situation if he lashed out at his father now.
“You are the most thick-headed creature I’ve known,” Mom said. “Use your nose. I can feel what they feel for each other.”
“I scented her affection for him and his interest in her the day Fenris brought her home. But we both know that affection and interest don’t make a mate. I’d be proud to call her daughter-in-law if I held any other position in the pack. She’s not strong enough to hold a position of power.”
“Even after that demonstration just now?”
