Page 126 of Let Us Prey
I nod, positioning the ice gingerly. It’s cold as hell, but the soft exterior of the gel pack she chose helps. “The floor is killing me. We need to get someone to make mats. Speaking of which, I still think we need to ask Nico if the set design students can help for their exams. Our number is more complex than we planned, and we’re going to need so much time to get the choreography right.”
“Even if the three of us are the only ones singing,” Cori grouses. “I can’t believe Professora Balena refused to offer extra credit to the vocal majors because ‘only opera is true music.’ Musicals arelife.”
The honey badger rolls his eyes, but he finally nods. “I hate giving up creative control, but you might be right, Dollypop.Spanksfor the input.”
My face flames and I kick a foot out at him, catching him in the knee. “Stahhhhp.” He and Cori chortle like thirteen year old boys, and I huff in irritation.
“Seriously, Dolly. We really are here for you. I know you’re taking that sex ed class with Zhenga, but from what I hear, it’s taught from a data perspective. Ru-Ru and I can share personal experience,” Cori says softly.
“Tips and tricks about vaginas and dicks; that’s our superpower!”
Rubbing my hand over my face, I sigh in resignation. “I’m never living this down, am I? You two are gonna torture me about my sex life until the day I die.”
“You’re stuck with us forever,” they say in unison.
Looking at their cheesy grins, I can’t help thinking about how lucky it was that I poked my head into the theater last spring. I wouldn’t have survived this year without them, and even when I’m struggling with my past trauma, they’re patient and kind. Rufus and Cori are my ‘ride or dies,’ and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.
“You realize I’m a magnet for trouble, and people are always trying to kill me, right?” I say with a fond smile.
Rufus snorts as he pulls his phone out. “Hell, Dollybear, I have entire branches of my family tree trying to kill me. I call that a Tuesday. Your haters are cubs’ play in comparison.”
“I don’t have enemies like Michael Cobralone over there, but my orientation pisses a lot of douchebag jocks off. Last year Ru-Ru spent more time beating their asses than their meat.”
My eyes widen and I look at Cori in shock. “I didn’t know that. You’re always so… confident in who you are.”
“Apex hasalwaysbeen shitty, Dolly. You’re the target this year, but that’s nothing new. The assholes pick new victims every year—though, I’ll admit, your ex-BFFs took the bullshit to a whole new level.” The polar bear shrugs and winks at me. “I learned to give them the finger and move on.”
“Oh, you gave them the finger, all right... "
Cori and I kick him at the same time and he yelps. We look at one another and burst into giggles as he pouts and rubs his thighs ruefully.
“Watchthe jewels, ladies. I’ll have you know my balls are the hit of the Apex soccer team.”
I arch a brow at him, feeling playful. “Yeah? I thought that was the sport where you can’t use your hands.”
“Exactly.” He waggles his brows and we all dissolve into laughter again. An alarm buzzes on his watch, and the badger groans. “Well, ladies, I hate to break up our gossip sesh, but it’s time to sneak in a bite before we get back to work.”
Cori holds out her hand, and I use it to pull myself to my feet. I’m still sore as hell, but at least the bruise isn’t throbbing anymore. Giving her a grateful look, I pick up the ice pack and walk over to my bag to shove it inside.
I have the feeling I’ll be needing this again—if I’m lucky.
SIXTY-SIX
I Want You
Aubrey
The week of Spring Break passed quickly—primarily because Dolly set up camp in the Tower for much of the duration.
An uneasy truce has settled over the various members of our group despite the undercurrent of unresolved frustration. To her credit, our girl hasn’t used her two truths game to pry information about the incident out of anyone in a group setting, and for that, I am grateful. I’m the first to admit that dragons—myself included—hold grudges for far longer than other shifters based on the extent of our lifespan, and I am not ready to discuss my feelings about Nico’s actions with anyone, not even Rennie.
He tries, of course, but regardless of how many times he ventures into the murky waters, I rebuff the attempt. After his adventure in the tunnels with our rebellious fox, he gave me the rundown on what was needed to research what they found, and I assisted my intrepid bunny with locating the texts that might be relevant without hesitation. I refuse to allow the miasma of my emotions to prevent us from protecting her.
But I also find my dragon and I are in contention with each other more than we have been in centuries, and it’s making everything difficult.
My companion suggested that perhaps a solo outing with our girl, in a neutral, calm setting would help me find the Zen I worked so hard to achieve over the years. I don’t believe one date will soothe the roiling turmoil in my gut, but he made his damned ‘pleading face’ and I finally threw my hands up and gave in. My grouchy hermit routine bothers him, especially since he’s allowed Dolly into the fortress around his heart. If I can find even a partial truce with my animal, it would make things a lot less stressful at home.
Unlike the others, I didn’t plan a fancy trip or send specific clothing for Delores to wear. It’s not that I’m against doing a big production—in fact, I find the idea very appealing—but I would rather save my natural extravagance for a time when I am able to funnel all of my emotions into crafting the perfect experience. At the moment, my mind and heart are too fraught to do it properly, and Dolly deserves my full attention when it comes to showing her how I feel.
