The Hunt (By Kiss and Claw #2) - Melissa Haag Page 0,108

infatuation that often results after we feed.’”

“You remembered that word for word? That’s borderline obsessive.”

“It’s observant. Just like I observed how you had allowed the subject to change then and are trying to change it now. Unconditional honesty, Eliana.”

“I’m really starting to hate that phrase.”

“Honesty shouldn’t be that hard. Not with me.”

“It is when I know you’re just going to give me dumb reassurances like, ‘I’ll be fine’ and ‘we already proved that theory wrong’ because both are wishful thinking, not fact.”

“Are we about to get into our first couple fight?” Fenris asked, his grin growing. “Hold on. Let me pull over so I’m ready for the making up part that’s going to follow.”

I reached over and grabbed the wheel.

“No to all of that,” I said with warning.

He grinned at me and pried my hand from the wheel to twine his fingers through mine.

“If I promise to be as discouraging as possible, will you tell me?”

“I’m worried about this plan of yours. You asked me to be your girlfriend in truth, and I agreed because I truly empathize with the pressure you’re under.” His thumb smoothed over mine, distracting me from my thoughts for a moment.

“This is the problem,” I said, lifting his hand and untangling his hold on me.

“Horrible problem,” he agreed. “Hand holding usually involves two hands. It’s not fun if I’m holding myself. That’s just lonely.”

I wrinkled my nose at him.

“The problem isn’t holding hands; it’s how much I like doing it. What happens when you’re ready to try finding your mate again? I wanted to hurt Eras for threatening you, and you saw how I behaved when my mom innocently entered the bedroom to check on us. I’m worried I’m becoming possessive. What if you find your future mate, and I hurt her because I can’t control my reactions? Or worse, what if I start taking your offers seriously and feed from you? Mom said that you would try to get over me. Try, Fenris. That does not sound like immunity.”

He continued to drive, not saying anything for so long that I huffed a sigh.

“I don’t want reassurances, but I do want your thoughts. Unconditional honesty goes both ways.”

He groaned and ran a hand through his hair.

“I’m conflicted. I know I’m pushing you, and the reasons behind my actions are purely selfish. I want to give you what you want, Eliana. But doing that means cutting myself out of your life. Is that what you really want? Me gone?”

My chest constricted at the thought.

“No.” The word was a tortured whisper.

“You know a little about my kind, but not everything. I’ve watched mated pairs find each other. There’s no fighting it. There’s no wanting to fight it. I know the girls are afraid of a stranger scenting them, and that’s why they’re after me. But what they don’t understand is that, when it’s their mate, he won’t feel like a stranger to them.”

He stole his fingers through mine and gave my hand a light squeeze.

“I can give you two promises with absolute certainty. I’ll never allow you to hurt my mate. And, feeding from me won’t change my future, only yours.”

It wasn’t easy to withhold my scoff at his promises as I let his words tumble around in my mind. But as I did, I grasped the truth of what he was saying.

He truly wouldn’t allow me to hurt his mate, just as he hadn’t allowed me to hurt anyone. Even myself. He protected me, and I didn’t see that stopping when he found his match. It was just who Fenris was. Granted, the reasons behind his protection might change, but his intent, his actions, those wouldn’t.

His promise about feeding was trickery. I saw it for what it was, an attempt to offer himself up to me again. Yet, as I’d pointed out to Mom, Fenris had a way of saying one thing while thinking another. It wasn’t lying, but it was a way of letting other people believe what they wanted. In this case, me. What did he think I wanted to believe, and what did he really mean? How would my future change by feeding on him? No, that was the wrong question. A distraction he added to throw me from the real issue. Would Fenris remain unaffected if I fed from him? Again, that was the wrong direction of thought. He hadn’t said he would be unaffected, only that his fate wouldn’t change.

And that was my answer. He would be affected, but once he