Page 142 of Marked By His Hunger
My heart did something weird in my chest.
Too fast.
Too hard.
I swallowed.
“Yeah,” I said, trying to keep it casual. “He did.”
Sapphire leaned forward slightly, eyes sharp. “And you’re just okay with that?”
“I mean, he didn’t eat me, so I feel like that’s a win,” I shot back.
“No, Serena,” she said, more serious now. “That’s not what I meant.”
Emery squeezed my hand tighter. “People don’t just like interact with him. Not like that.”
“Interact?” I repeated. “He literally tackled multiple Daemons off a cliff for me. That feels like more than interaction. He’s a hero!”
“That’s exactly the problem,” Sapphire said.
The room went quieter.
Not silent.
But heavier.
“What do you know?” I asked slowly.
Ursula and Emery exchanged a look.
Sapphire sighed.
“The Draugr isn’t just some hot Monster,” she said carefully. “He’s dangerous, Serena. Not like a gets-cranky-when-you-eat-the-last-chip dangerous. Like people-don’t-walk-away dangerous.”
“He didn’t hurt me.”
“Not yet,” Sapphire replied.
Something in me bristled at that.
“He saved me,” I said, sharper now.
“And we’re grateful for that,” Ursula said quickly, stepping in. “We really are. But Sapphire’s not wrong. The Draugr is unstable. His hunger?—”
“I know about his hunger,” I cut in.
Too fast.
Too defensive.
They all noticed.
Emery’s eyes widened slightly. “So, you like talked to him?”
I hesitated.
That pause was enough.
