The Hunt (By Kiss and Claw #2) - Melissa Haag Page 0,70
how upset you are that I’m keeping the truth from you and the deals you suggested.”
“Did you come up with something you’re willing to trade?”
“I have.” He pushed away from his side of the pool and swam toward me. “Feed from me.”
“What? No way. We’ve talked about this.”
He caught me by my shoulders as if I’d been trying to escape. I hadn’t been. With Fenris, I didn’t need to. If I told him to cut it out, I knew he would. But, I also knew that he was being a dog with a bone on this topic and wanted to understand why.
“How badly do you want to know the truth?” he asked. “If you feed from me, I’ll tell you.”
“Not that bad. Think about what you’re saying. You’re afraid to tell me whatever it is because you think I’ll stop talking to you. I’m afraid to feed on you because I think you’ll turn into a mindless devotee who won’t have an original thought in his head other than sex.”
He gave me a funny look.
“It’s how they all end up, Fenris. I know you think you’ll be different, but I’m not taking a chance. I’m not doing that to you.”
His burst of laughter didn’t make a bit of sense to me. Then again, not much of what he did ever made sense to me. Grinning, he darted in to lick the tip of my nose, which turned my eyes black, then floated away.
My phone buzzed, and I turned, stretching half out of the water to grab it. Behind me, there was a splash and a burble of noise. I looked over my shoulder. Fenris had sunk below the surface with his head tipped back so he was staring at the ceiling. Just another example of me not understanding him.
I rested my torso on the ledge of the pool, wiped my hand on the bag to dry it enough to register on the screen, then checked my messages.
Mom: Adira can’t find you. I’ve ensured she can’t track you through your phone. If you’re up to having dinner with me, I’d love to hear about your day. Have fun, baby!
Me: Thank you!
Smiling, I set my phone on the bag once more and sank back into the water. When I turned around, Fenris was only inches away from me. I frowned at him.
“What are you doing?”
“Enjoying the view.”
My eyes went dark again, and my hunger rose up, ravenous and unstable.
“I’m not one of your girls, Fenris. Don’t flirt with me.”
He grabbed onto the ledge, one hand on each side of me.
“Put your legs around my waist, Eliana.”
The need to do it clawed at me. But I stayed where I was, pressed against the coarse side of the pool.
“No,” I managed through gritted teeth.
“Don’t you want to feel my skin? Make my heart race? Taste me?”
My pulse thundered at the thought of the slick feel of skin against skin. Of the touch of his lips against mine. Of the way Fenris and I would fit together perfectly. My gaze dropped to his mouth.
I needed to know. I needed to taste.
Lips parted, I leaned forward. Fenris made a sound, a low rumble in his chest that heated my blood further and made the dark monster inside of me imagine all manners of things Fenris and I would do together in this cave.
The wolf was mine.
My phone buzzed again, and the reality of what I was doing snapped into focus. I jerked back.
“Knock it off, Fenris.”
I splashed him in the face and pulled myself out of the pool in a rush. When I glared back at him, he huffed a sigh and returned to his place at the other side of the pool.
I wanted to be angry at what he’d provoked. Instead, that thing inside of me pushed my emotions in a different direction. I noticed how handsome Fenris looked with his hair wet and tousled. The torchlight reflected off the water and his eyes, and the effect created an ache in my chest that had nothing to do with hunger.
Then, he smiled.
The ache intensified dangerously, and I turned my back on him to check the message on my phone.
Adira: Where are you?
“Adira figured out the tracking spell is gone and wants to know where I am. Do I answer her, obviously not giving my location, or ignore her?”
“Ignoring her will probably upset her more and have her redirecting my dad’s efforts from finding Ashlyn to finding you.”