The Hunger

by Melissa Haag

  While the others prepared to return to their scheduled classes, Fenris and I lingered in the cafeteria.

  “How much trouble are you going to get into for not playing their game?” I asked once we were alone.

  “Your concern over trouble is cute.”

  “Unlike the way you attempt to avoid giving me straight answers.”

  He darted in to give my nose a quick lick and grinned at me.

  “If I’m lucky, all sorts of trouble.”

  For the next few hours, we talked about nothing and everything. Between the company and the continuous light feedings, the hunger that had stirred earlier slowly abated, and I found myself reveling in Fenris’s undivided attention. He listened to every word I said. My insides would go hot and cold, and the corner of his mouth would briefly tip just a smidge higher.

  He toyed with my hands, circling his fingers around my wrist and tracing the lines on my palms. The touches never felt confining or annoying. Just the opposite. I craved each one more than the last. I knew Fenris did too. When I used my right hand to gesture as I spoke, he took possession of the other one. When I’d lifted my hands to pull back my hair, his hand went to my jean-clad leg. It was like he couldn’t be next to me and not touch me. And I loved it until it was time for the bell to ring.

  “I’m going to pass on the ride to the Roost, but I’ll meet you there.” For the first time since lunch, Fenris released me and stood. How could this lack of contact feel so wrong?

  I sought his emotions to see if he felt the same. Instead of finding a longing similar to my own, I found his mood was a weird mix of dread and excitement. The latter wasn’t unusual to sense on Fenris; he was always up to something. However, the combination of the two made me down right suspicious.

  “What are you up to?”

  “Just trying to buy a little more time with you. See you soon.”

  He jogged out the cafeteria doors that lead to the snow-covered space we only used when the weather was nice. When he started unbuttoning his shirt, I quickly left the cafeteria.

  The girls and Eugene were already at my car by the time I arrived.

  “Sorry for the wait,” I said, unlocking it.

  They piled in, with Willow, Eugene, and Laurel taking the back and Jenna going for the front. I smiled at them, feeling their excitement at spending some time together. Time without Aubrey breathing down their necks. I wondered how long it would take her to figure out they weren’t going back to the pack with her.

  A rage-filled scream echoed across the parking lot, answering my question. Panic surged from the three girls.

  “Go, Eliana,” Willow said. “Hurry.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Laurel swore softly a second before Aubrey landed on my hood in a crouch and leaned in to peer through the windshield.

  “Where is he?” the crazy she-wolf raged.

  The panic grew thicker in the car, feeding my fear. Then Eugene leaned forward between the seats.

  “Hey, Eliana? Use your wipers. You have something on the windshield.”

  Aubrey’s gaze shifted to him, and she snarled.

  “It’s only against the law to eat a human,” she said.

  “Wait, are you offering to lick me?” he asked.

  Based on the burst of amusement from the other three girls, I was the only one in the car who wanted to smack Eugene. However, on the other side of the glass, I could feel Aubrey's increasing anger. Although Eugene had provoked her, I didn’t want to see him pay for that mistake and knew I needed to do something quickly.

  I reached for the wiper control.

  Laurel snickered at the first spray of water and Aubrey’s reaction to it. Not a drop hit her, but she flew backward as if it had. She curled her fingers and raked her claws down the front of my car.

  “Laugh now, Eliana. You won’t be able to make a sound when I’m done with you.”

  That dark thing inside of me rose up at the threat. Recognizing what was happening stopped me from using all my power. Rather than control her, I coerced her.

  “But you’ll make plenty of sound while I’m playing with you, Aubrey.” Her hateful expression faltered, and I smiled seductively. “Touch them, and I promise I’ll make you my plaything.”

  She didn’t snarl at me like I sensed she wanted to. Instead, she slid off my hood and backed away. Each step was more of a struggle than the last as I continued to call to her.

  “Okay,” Jenna said. “Time to go before there’s a threesome in your backseat.”

  Her words jerked me from my haze, and I looked in the mirror to see Laurel and Willow taking turns kissing Eugene. He caught my gaze and grinned.

  “Drive slow,” he said.

  I rolled down all the windows and did as he asked until he was shivering and Laurel and Willow had regained their sense of self.

  “I’m sorry about that,” I said.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Willow said. “It was fun. But why wasn’t Jenna affected?”

  “I would have been if I hadn’t been paying attention,” Jenna said.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “I knew what was about to happen when your eyes went black. And since I was aware and what you were doing wasn’t directed at me, I could mostly ignore its call.”

  “Yep, I’m definitely going to pay more attention to your eyes,” Willow said.

  “Not me,” Laurel said, leaning against Eugene and smiling up at him. “I’m just going to stick closer to you.”

  Eugene grinned and tucked her closer to his side. Given Raiden’s opposition to me, I couldn’t help but wonder what he would think of a human and werewolf pairing. Probably nothing good, which was sad. Based on Laurel’s emotional reaction to Eugene’s gesture, she sure wouldn’t mind if something more developed between them.

  The parking around the Roost was crazy considering the early hour.

  “What is going on?” Willow asked.

  “I’m not sure,” I said. “But Fenris seemed like he was up to something before we left.”

  “Maybe it’s another Game Night.”

  It wasn’t. The inside of the Roost was crammed with unfamiliar teens dancing to the sultry notes from a new trio of sirens.

  I glanced worriedly at Eugene and saw he already had earbuds in.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll watch over him,” Laurel said over the music.

  “Let’s grab that table,” Jenna said, nodding toward the back.

  She led the way, and I trailed behind to keep an eye on Eugene. He kept his gaze glued to the floor and slid in between Willow and Laurel. Despite his visible adherence to the safety protocols that Ashlyn taught him in their short time together, I could feel his growing anticipation.

  “No dancing tonight,” I warned. “There are too many people here.”

  “Does that go for everyone?” Fenris asked, sliding in beside me. I loved the way he didn’t stop moving until his leg pressed firmly against mine.

  “It probably should until we know why it’s so crowded,” I said.

  “It’s the earthquakes after hearing death’s song worldwide,” he said. “According to what I overheard last night, word’s spreading that something otherworldly is going down. Mantirians are flooding back to their origin strongholds, thinking that the Councils there will keep them safer.”

  “Overheard?” I asked.

  “My dad was talking to the pack elders. They’re scrambling to accommodate all the wolves already arriving for Saturday’s run.”

  He glanced at the mass of bodies moving to the music.

  “We really should dance.”

  The reluctance in his words caught my attention, and I studied him, trying to gauge if he was pushing my boundaries or if there was something else going on.

  “Eugene will be fine, Eliana,” Jenna said. “And dancing as a group would help cover Fenris’s need to touch you every two seconds.”

  Fenris flashed a grin at her.

  “I thought I was being subtle at lunch.”


  Jenna snorted and shook her head.

  “Let’s just dance, lover boy.”

  The banter between the two of them didn’t stir any jealousy, even though I could feel their affection for one another. Yet, catching an unfamiliar female giving Fenris a long look from the dance floor made my eyes go black.

  “Yes,” I all but purred. “Let’s dance.”

  Fenris’s lust grew as he slipped from the booth and offered his hand to Laurel while looking at me. I understood the pretense and didn’t truly mind. However, that thing inside of me stirred. I took a calming breath then stood, joining the group out to the floor.

  I would have never considered myself particularly close with Fenris’s girls, but the way they danced, taking positions around him so no strangers could, made them friends for life. While they made it look like he was dancing with all of us, he only ever touched me.

  My hunger grew with each caress. Just when I was going to suggest some air on the roof, a voice rang out over the music.

  “Fenris Wolcott!”

  The music abruptly cut out, and the people between us and the door parted to show Raiden standing just inside the entrance. His gaze swept over me, the girls, and locked on Fenris’s hand on my waist.

  “It’s time to go,” Raiden said.

  Fenris’s fingers twitched but didn’t release me. He stared at his father, his anger boiling.

  Jenna leaned in, draping an arm over Fenris’s shoulders while Willow snaked an arm around his waist.

  “But we just got him to dance,” Jenna said, a slight whine in her voice.

  “Your Alpha gave you a command,” Aubrey said, appearing from behind Raiden. “Obey.”

  So many emotions erupted around us. Resentment and fear from the girls, but a lot more humor from the people we didn’t know.

  I felt unnecessarily provoked.

  “This is a lot of pointless drama, Raiden. Your son wasn’t breaking any rules to warrant you collecting the future leader of your pack away like an errant toddler. Fenris has been spending just as much time with Jenna, Willow, and Laurel as he has with me.”

  “I didn’t think you were this selfish, Eliana. This isn’t about you. This is about what’s best for the pack.”

  With my hunger pressing at me and demanding its due, I barely felt like myself.

  “You’re right about one thing. This isn’t about me.” I turned and looked at Fenris. “It’s about you.”

  “I’m sorry, Eliana,” Fenris said. “I don’t have a choice.”

  I nodded as he released me.

  “Raiden has threatened to send him away to other packs until he’s mated if he refuses to obey until Saturday,” Jenna said quietly.

  It wasn’t quiet enough, though. Raiden’s attention snapped to her.

  “It’s time for all of you to come home,” he said. “There’s nothing for you here.”

  I wanted to laugh.

  “There’s nothing for them in a club filled with males they’ve never met? Yeah, you’re absolutely acting in the best interest of the pack. I’m looking forward to Saturday, Raiden.”

  His expression showed surprise while Aubrey’s, which had been hungrily focused on Fenris’s approach, twisted with anger.

  “And you’re still welcome, Eliana. But until Saturday, please leave Fenris alone.” With that, Raiden turned and walked out the door, the rest following him.

  “Always eventful with you around,” Eugene said beside me.

  I took a deep, calming breath.

  “Come on. Let’s get out of here before we make someone else mad.”

  After dropping off Eugene and making sure he made it into the safety of his house, I tried calling Megan, but it went to voicemail. Rather than leaving a message, I sent a text.

  Me: Please tell me you’re almost done.

  She didn’t answer until I was in my room, checking for any lingering evidence of brownies. However, there was no additional mess and everything was neatly back in its place. Even the hamper was empty.

  Megan: I wish. Apparently, being an asshole is a universal mermaid trait. But according to the last update, they’ve managed to waken the Kraken without causing a tsunami. Yeah, it’s that big and a lot of trouble if it decides to move around. I sent the messenger with the first question. Their little fishy brains can’t deal with more than that. And it takes hours to get an answer because of the depth. I’m so over this.

  Me: Sorry your time in a warm tropical climate sucks. At least Oanen’s there, right?

  It took an eternity for a reply. While I waited, I took a relaxing shower that did nothing to calm my hunger, raided the kitchen for chocolate, and chatted with Mrs. Quill as she made dinner for Mr. Quill.

  “I can feel your hunger, Eliana,” she said. “Weren’t you able to spend time with Fenris?”

  I wrinkled my nose. “Raiden is being a bigot and doing everything he can to keep us apart. Even going so far as to call me selfish.”

  She studied me for a moment and started to smile.

  “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.

  “I’m trying,” he rasped. “It would be easier if you weren’t wrapped around me, but I’d rather chew off my own hand than let go.”

  Warmth spread in my middle as I gazed down at him.

  “Then, I probably shouldn’t kiss you.”

  “Only good ideas are welcome here.”

  My gaze dipped to his lips.

  “I like where this is headed,” he murmured a moment before his lips crashed against mine.

  A new kind of hunger flared to life inside of me, and I sighed against his mouth. He took full advantage of the opening. The first touch of his tongue to mine sent a jolt of need through me. My fingers gripped his hair. He clutched my backside and started moving.

  The minute my back hit the mattress, I tore my lips from his.

  “Fenris, wait.”

  “I am,” he said, claiming my lips again.

  I could have kissed Fenris forever if not for the insistent knock on the door. Torn between anger at the interruption and sensibly knowing we needed to be interrupted if I didn’t want this to go any further, I groaned and forced myself to wiggle out of Fenris’s hold.