The Hunger

by Melissa Haag

  He stayed where he was, face down on my bed, as I called, “Come in.”

  Jenna cautiously opened the door.

  “Is it safe?” Her expression shifted from wary to shocked. “Whoa. That smells painful.”

  “It is,” Fenris said, his words muffled by my quilt.

  “Sorry I had to interrupt,” she said, her guilty gaze shifting to me. “We don’t have a lot of time. Raiden thinks Fenris and I are going for a run. It would be better if we get to school before Aubrey.”

  Fenris lifted his head from my bed and looked at me.

  “Do me a favor and bring a set of Oanen’s clothes with you.”

  “Do I want to know why?”

  He crooked a grin at me and pushed himself off the bed.

  “I’m going to partake in our favorite pastime. See you in school, chipmunk.”

  I smiled at him as he walked past me, feeling how fragile his control was. One word from me and we’d be back on that bed kissing, Raiden and Aubrey be darned. But we weren’t the only two who would get into trouble. So I stayed quiet and let him leave.

  “Thank you, Jenna,” I said sincerely before she closed the door.

  She nodded and hurried after him.

  With a renewed purpose and a whole lot less anger, I raided Oanen’s wardrobe then left the house only minutes behind them. Thankfully, the parking lot was still sparsely occupied, and there was no sign of the familiar red convertible when I arrived.

  Carrying the change of clothes with me, I went inside. What Fenris meant by “our” favorite pastime became obvious when I heard a commotion from the pools. Why on earth would he want to mess with the mermaids after what I’d done to them yesterday?

  Rushing through the doors, I stopped short at the sound of Fenris’s low chuckle.

  “One more time,” River said. “I can still smell her.”

  She caught sight of me just as Fenris went under.

  “Hey, Eliana,” she called. “He’s almost done.”

  The complete civility of her tone shocked me stupid. Fenris’s head reemerged a second later.

  “Did it work?” he asked.

  River swam around him. Seeing her circling with that back fin poking up from the water sent a dart of fear through me, and my vision sharpened in response.

  “I think so. If those fresh clothes Eliana is holding are for you, you should be fine.”

  Fenris’s head turned toward me.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  He grinned. “Taking a bath.” He glanced at River and thanked her for letting him use the pool.

  “You know you’re welcome here any time.” She looked at me, blinking her second set of eyelids. “You too, Eliana.”

  Too weirded out and confused by the encounter, I said nothing as Fenris lifted himself out of the water. He accepted the clothes and said he’d be right back. I sat at the table and watched the mermaids. There were no hisses or catcalls. And it wasn’t because they were ignoring me. A few of them even waved.

  I’d done this? Changed their perception of me and Fenris with the command to find love? While I was glad they were no longer so hateful toward me, I worried about the ramifications. What would happen when it wore off? I was texting that question to my mom when the door to the pools opened and the druids walked in.

  “We have the payment,” Lauv said.

  River stopped her frolicking to look at the trio. “That’s so sweet of you, but it’s really not necessary.”

  Lauv’s reaction was similar to mine. Stunned silence.

  River and her friends didn’t seem to mind, though. They just went right back to their play, trying to tip the boat over and laughing over failed attempts.

  “This is weird, right?” Lauv said, tossing the packet of fish food on the table.

  “If the spell wore off, they wouldn’t be this calm,” Meg added.

  My phone buzzed.

  Mom: Coercion is short-lived. For humans, it wears off in a few days of no contact. For most other creatures, those it even works on, it wears off much faster. Our other ability is a different matter. That doesn’t wear off. It ends whenever the objective is met. At the Club, the humans stopped when the earthquake stopped. Most don’t remember. Or, if they do, they believe it was their idea.

  Mom: Are you busy tonight? Your father is making steak and lobster.

  “So is it okay if we still use the bathroom for spells?” Anne asked the other druids.

  “If they’re not pitching a fit, I say let’s go for it,” Meg said.

  “Have you given any thought to my offer?” Lauv asked when the other two walked away.

  “I need to talk it over with Megan.”

  She nodded. “With someone of Zayn’s skill, I know you probably don’t need favors from us. The simple truth is that you’d be doing us a huge favor. We learned so much in the fifteen minutes he was with us. I wish he wouldn’t have been in such a hurry.”

  I remained silent, unwilling to give her the assurance she was looking for. Eventually, she gave me a small smile and went away.

  Fenris sat next to me.

  “I can smell your worry,” he said. “What’s wrong?”

  “This is wrong,” I said, looking at the mermaids. “I did this, and according to Mom, they’ll never know it. What I can do is dangerous, Fenris.”

  “Maybe in someone else’s hands. Someone like Aubrey. But not you, Eliana. The fact that you recognize how dangerous it is shows that you’re not taking the power you have lightly. You know what it’s like to have someone who has more power than you to play with your life. You won’t do that.”

  “I already have. Look at them.”

  “I am. They’re happier than they’ve been in a long time. But they’re still the same. Watch.”

  “Hey, River. Is the Oracle still giving you trouble?”

  All the humor left the pool area, and every water-dwelling creature looked at Fenris like he was personally responsible for the Oracle.

  “Tread carefully, Fenris,” River warned. “She eats our family, young and old, and has for centuries, thanks to the Council’s complacency. I hope that changes when you’re Alpha and have the Council’s ear.”

  “With Megan pushing the Council to make the change, too, I think it will.”

  For a moment, all the anger melted away from River’s tense expression, and I thought I saw a tear before she nodded and dove under.

  “See?” he said softly. “She’s still the same person. Only now the anger and blame are directed where they’re due.”

  “I’d feel better if I could undo it.”

  “But would they?”

  I considered the question as we walked to the first-session’s classroom. Lucas looked up from his papers.

  “Adira thanks you for the dinner invitation but says it’s unnecessary. She knows you’re fine with small group feedings. However, she would like to see you practice on a larger scale.”

  “What does that translate to for today’s seating assignment?” I asked bluntly.

  His lips twitched. “Sit wherever you’d like, Eliana.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Aubrey was a female dog all day. She growled at me when she walked into the first session room and saw me sitting beside Fenris. Then she demanded to know why he smelled like the pool and had the nerve to inhale in my direction.

  She left early from Lucas’s class and took the seat I usually used for the second session. I could almost hear her teeth gnashing together when Fenris steered us toward two open seats elsewhere. Her anger climbed as Eugene explained algebra to Yanet while Fenris and I quietly talked about my favorite cake flavors. The topic provoked my hunger, and I accidentally fed on Fenris. Just a little. However, Aubrey noticed. With a rage-filled cry, she flipped a desk across the room before storming out.

  “Real stable, that one,” Yanet mumbled.

  “I’m just glad it wasn’t me she flipped,” Eugene said, going to pick up the pieces of the desk.

  “
Report the incident to Adira,” I told him. “It’s not safe for Aubrey to be in here with you.”

  Fenris’s phone started to ring a moment later. He sighed and answered it. Even though he didn’t put the call on speaker, his dad was loud enough to hear.

  “I thought I told you to stay away from Eliana.”

  “So now you don’t want me to chase down my mate?”

  “She’s not your mate, Fenris. She’s a succubus messing with your head. I let you attend school so you can socialize. If you can’t do that, get your tail home now.”

  “I am socializing. Or did Aubrey conveniently forget to mention the other students in the room she almost injured when she threw her desk?”

  Raiden swore softly.

  “Yeah, she’ll be a real trophy wife for some unfortunate soul.”

  “You agreed to toe the line, Fenris.”

  Fenris cocked his head, and I could feel the absolute anger rolling off of him.

  “I have been toeing the line. And, if you want me to get up and walk out of Girderon’s doors now, I will. But complete separation from Eliana isn’t going to change anything other than the relationship I have with my father.”

  Raiden’s agitated sigh echoed through the phone.

  “I love you, Fenris. So far, in every aspect of your life, you’ve been a level-headed thinker. And, you’ve continually impressed me with your ability to see beyond the immediate problem, except in this one.”

  “Have you considered that I’m not the one having trouble in this case?”

  I set my hand on Fenris’s arm when he started to shake with anger. He took a calming breath.

  “I know you think what you’re feeling is real, but try to look at this objectively. There’s never been a documented werewolf and succubus pairing. Ever. It’s always been wolf to wolf, Fenris. Why do you think you’re suddenly different?”

  “I don’t think I’m different. How long does our documentation go back, Dad? A hundred years, maybe? Before that, most of our kind were still scattered and hiding from human discovery. We had no reason to associate with other species. What if all those mateless wolves the packs have put down lost their humanity because they weren’t looking for their mates in the right place? Living in these strongholds is forcing us to intermingle. Think about that, Dad, before you close yourself to the possibility.”

  “Only if you consider the possibility that you’re under Eliana’s influence and not thinking clearly.”

  Fenris threw his phone.

  It shattered against the wall in an epic explosion of glass and plastic. Silence reigned, and I glanced at the other occupants in the room before looking at Fenris. His eyes were closed. His hands fisted. And his face was flushed.

  “Seems to be a wolf thing,” Yanet mumbled before going back to her math equation.

  Keeping a level head, I sent a quick text to Jenna.

  Me: Let Raiden know that Fenris’s phone needs to be replaced and that he should contact you if he needs to get a hold of Fenris. Please meet us at the pool. Bring Willow and Laurel. Avoid Aubrey at all costs.

  Jenna: On it.

  I could feel the pain and anguish Fenris suffered because of Raiden’s doubt and started questioning our decision to wait. Yet, I cringed away from the thought of mating with Fenris solely to appease the adults in our lives. That wasn’t how I wanted to commit myself to Fenris, and looking at him, I knew he felt the same.

  Tucking my phone away, I stood and touched one of Fenris’s hands. He opened his eyes and looked at me.

  “Your father is right about one thing,” I said. “You are the most impartial person I know. So, if I were the one having an issue with my mom right now, what would you have me do?”

  “I’d try to distract you from the issue for a while until you could come back and think things through with a clear head.”

  I offered him my hand.

  “Would you like to be distracted for a while?”

  The grin that lit his face was breathtaking and made my heart ache with how much I cared about him.

  “I’d like nothing more.” He accepted my hand and allowed me to lead him from the room.

  Behind us I heard Yanet say, “I’d give my left tit to have her lead me away for an afternoon of distraction.”

  I hurried my pace, and Fenris chuckled.

  “Yanet has good taste.”

  “She’s only saying that because I fed from you in front of her.”

  “If that’s the case, then why wasn’t Eugene influenced, too?”

  “Why can’t you be this logical when arguing with your dad?”

  “I am. He’s just more stubborn than you are and refuses to admit when he might be wrong.”

  “Thank you. I think.”

  He grinned and opened the pool room door for me.

  “Hey, Fenris!” a mermaid called with a wave. He waved back with an easy smile but never took his focus from me.

  “So are you going to tell me what we’re doing back in here?” he asked.

  “I’m hoping it’ll be the last place Aubrey would look since we spent our free time in the cafeteria yesterday.”

  The door opened behind us.

  “The gang’s here,” Jenna said, walking in front of the other two girls.

  “It wasn’t easy giving Aubrey the slip,” Willow said. “She stormed into Eating Like a Human in a full-blown rage.”

  “Sorry about the rage part. That’s on me,” I said.

  “No, that’s on her. She needs to learn some control.”

  “What did she want with you?” Fenris asked.

  “She took my phone and sent a whiney bitch message to Raiden, like it was from me. She’d just left to look for Laurel when I got Jenna’s message.”

  “Thank Loki, I read the text and got out of there before she found me,” Laurel said.

  “So now what?” Jenna asked.

  “Now we have some fun taking selfies and sending them to Raiden so he knows that you’re with Fenris,” I said.

  “Oh!” Willow waved her phone. “Use mine since she made me sound like an idiot.”

  They crowded around Fenris, who still held my hand. When I would have stepped away, he reeled me in and tucked me just under his chin.

  “Eliana, how do you feel about cheek kisses?” Jenna asked.

  “They’re okay for public if it’s platonic but should probably be saved for home in a romantic sense.”

  Jenna laughed so hard she snorted.

  “I meant, are you okay if we lean in to kiss Fenris’s cheek for the picture?”

  “Oh. I think so?” I wasn’t entirely sure, though. Jenna, Willow, and Laurel all knew Fenris thought of me as his mate. Jenna asking showed deference to me as his mate, too. So I knew they were posturing kisses just to appease Raiden. Yet, would that dark thing inside of me be okay if their lips made contact with the only person I hungered for?

  Before I could fully decide, all three leaned in, pressed their lips to his skin, and snapped a picture.

  “That’s perfect,” Willow snickered, looking at it.

  “Let me see.” Jenna stole the phone and opened the picture for all of us to view.

  Fenris was grinning wide as the girls kissed him, but it was my eyes that caught my attention. They were all me, no black.

  “Crop it so it’s only the faces,” Laurel said.

  They worked on it for a minute then sent it to Raiden with a message that they were getting some quality time in. Afterwards, Willow sent it to Jenna and Laurel.

  “Aubrey is going to go volcanic when she sees this,” Jenna said.

  “Please don’t send it to her until I’m in Ireland,” Willow said.

  “Ireland?” I asked.

  “Yep. I talked to my parents last night. If Aubrey somehow manages to stay in the pack after Saturday, I’m gone. Maybe I’ll get lucky and find a mate there. If not, I’ll pack hop until I get lucky.”

  While the three of them chatted about future plans, Fenris held me close. I loved
the feel of being wrapped up in him and lightly caressed his arms. This time when I slipped and fed, no one made a big deal about it. And it was obvious they knew based on the quick glance Jenna gave me followed by her tentative smile.

  We managed a full half-hour of just hanging out before Aubrey group-texted the girls. Jenna groaned. It was Laurel who answered when Fenris asked why, though.

  “Raiden sent her the group picture. Why would he do that?”

  “You were sharing me with Eliana. Dad knows that Aubrey won’t share.”

  “It’s not going to take her long to find us,” Laurel said.

  I could feel her fear and frustration. They’d all liked spending this time together and being normal for a change. No competition and jockeying for Fenris’s attention and no disappointment over perceived failures.

  “Jenna, can you text Raiden and let him know I’m trying to call Megan to see if she can pop in at the Academy for the rest of the afternoon?” As I asked, I dialed.

  Jenna’s eyes went wide for a moment. Then she grinned and hurried to send the message while I listened to the line ring and ring. When it went to voicemail, I hung up and sent Megan a text.

  Me: Do you think you’d send Aubrey straight to hell if you saw her?

  Knowing I wouldn’t hear from her for a while, I tucked my phone away.

  “He didn’t answer,” Jenna said. “Do you think—”

  All three of their phones buzzed, and I saw Aubrey’s name as Jenna looked down at her screen.

  “Enjoy his time while you can,” she read. “Keys are in the ignition. I’ll see the three of you in the pack parking lot after school.”

  Laurel flinched.

  “I wish I had non-pack friends,” she said. “This would be the perfect night for a sleepover. I hate how Aubrey always goes for the face. I swear she’s trying to blind me.”

  “You can hang out at my house for a while after school,” I offered without hesitation. “Well, the Quills’ house.”

  “You should see the game room they have,” Jenna said.

  “Do you think your mom will let you?” Laurel asked her.

  “She was fine when I went to the city with Eliana and her mom for shopping. Raiden had something to do with that, though. Do you think Mrs. Quill would reach out to our parents and ask, Eliana? We’d have a better chance of getting permission then.”