The Hunt (By Kiss and Claw #2) - Melissa Haag Page 0,77
to act brash at dinner.
I no sooner had that thought than I inwardly cringed and wondered what my father would think. Although he did say I needn’t be respectful of Adira, I doubted he’d be okay with the complete rudeness I’d been displaying lately.
A frustrated sound escaped me. What was right?
I didn’t know. But did anyone? Everyone I spoke to had differing opinions. And that’s all they were. Opinions. The only one who’d had any measure of real advice was Fenris. And, he told me to listen to myself. To be myself. That’s all I could do.
Rather than drive straight to the Quills’, I made a detour for Megan’s to feed Elbner. When I apologized for missing Monday’s feeding, his unusual quietness was barely a blip on my radar with my thoughts on the upcoming dinner.
The Quills’ empty driveway relieved me when I arrived. After parking in the garage, I sat for a moment to send a better, more selfless message to Fenris.
Me: Good luck tonight. I’ll be thinking of you. And remember you’re not prey, either.
Fenris: I’ll be thinking of you, too.
The immediate response to this message and not the previous one created an avalanche of doubt, which I quickly shook off. He had a lot on his plate, and I was being needy again. That thought sparked the memory of Fenris’s remark about us reversing roles, and an idea began to form.
With a slowly growing smile and a nervous twist in my stomach, I grabbed my phone.
Me: I’m going to take a raincheck on dinner with you. I think I’m going to purposely cause some trouble that might result in a call from Adira or another surprise portaling to your club.
Mom: I’m so proud of you and can’t wait for the fallout. Make her cry!
Knowing I had Mom’s support bolstered me enough to leave the car. I checked the time and saw I had an hour before dinner. Perfect.
Mrs. Quill smiled at me when I entered the kitchen.
“Did you have fun today?”
“For the most part. Thank you for the sandwiches.” I lifted the bag. “Unfortunately, Fenris got distracted and didn’t eat them.”
Delight lit her expression. “That’s all right. Maybe he’ll come over tomorrow and want a snack.”
“Maybe. I can never tell with him. Do you need any help with dinner?”
“No. Everything is set. Are you,” her joy dimmed, and worry crept in, “excited about tonight?”
I shrugged. “It’s hard to say. I better go change.”
Fenris’s knack to mislead without lying was addictively easy to mimic. I wasn’t sure if I should be impressed with my skill or concerned, though. I decided to be neither. Like my many other talents, it was what it was. I could choose to use it or not.
By the time a portal appeared in the foyer, I had everything ready.
From where I waited on the steps, I smiled politely at Adira and the two boys close to my age who trailed behind her. Well, they didn’t precisely trail. They stumbled and tripped when they saw me. Their dark hair and blue eyes matched, but one looked a bit older than the other.
Their reactions helped calm some of my nerves over how ridiculous I looked. I hadn’t held back when dressing for dinner. Makeup. Hair. Heels that would kill a lesser being. I wore it all, and I let myself love it. That was all that influenced them. I wasn’t even trying yet, and the boys were already showing signs of being enthralled.
“Ice giants?” I asked, the question rude in its openness but not in its tone.
“As is your preference, Eliana,” Adira said, her gaze sweeping over me. “You look lovely.”
“Of course I do.” I ran a hand down my side, allowing myself to enjoy the smooth texture of the thin material against my skin. When I looked up, I knew my eyes were black. Slowly, I walked toward the trio. I could feel the provocation of each swaying move in my bold, red dress and sensed their responses to the way the side-slit exposed my leg.
One of the boys reached for himself, gaining my full attention.
“Your over-enthusiastic self-gratification reminds me of someone I find rather offensive. Touch yourself again, without my permission, and you will remove yourself from my presence.”
“Adira said you’d be meek. I’m glad you’re not,” he said, grinning.
I looked at her. “He won’t do. Keep him or take him away; I won’t feed from him.”
Without waiting for a reply, I gestured at the older one.