Page 128 of Let Us Prey
Dolly is turning as pink as the proverbial bunny’s nose, and I’m left to gape at the two furious looking students escorting her. Not only are they threatening a professor, but they’re serious as a heart attack, and I don’t have a clue what they’re talking about. I walk around the side of the car and open the door so the girl in question can get in.
“I applaud your fierce defense of your friend, but I have absolutely no idea what the fuck you’re talking about.” I pause, letting my dragon slip into my gaze for a moment. The suggestion that we would hurt Delores woke him up, and I have to squeeze the squishy kitty in my pocket to help calm his irritation. “I would never allow harm to come to the niblet, nor would I let her suffer any ills. Your staunch concern is misplaced, I fear.”
Good job, Aubrey. You didn’t even roast them alive for their insolence—nice.
Rennie would be proud of my measured, pragmatic approach. I wait for the badger to nod and then look at the colorful bear for her agreement. Once they both give their approval, I round the car and squeeze myself in. It’s ridiculously small, and I’m not, so Dolly immediately dissolves into giggles. I scowl at her, even though I’m secretly enjoying the adorable sound of her joy, and peel out of the lot.
The quicker we arrive, the less time I have to spend crammed into this clown car.
“Aubrey! You drive like a maniac!” she chides, giving me a stern look.
I arch a brow at her. “Buckle up, then, bite size. This is going to be a bumpy ride.”
“You’re telling me... " she mumbles sarcastically.
I don’t respond until she complies. “If you’re worried about my driving that much, we’ll fly next time.”
“It’s a date.”
Which is how I managed to ask her on a second date as our first only began.
* * *
“Holy shit,I forgot—it’s Easter!” Dolly exclaims as we park in the oddly packed lot.
I blink, looking around in shock. The town square is filled with decorations, vendor booths, and a myriad of activities that spill over onto Main Street. Scents waft on the breeze from food trucks, and a huge staging area fills the center of the park, its line extending the length of the path I’d hoped to privately stroll along.
How would I know we were walking into a writhing mass of appetizers and their spawn? I don’t pay attention to weird human holidays based on zombie guru stories!
Rubbing the back of my head, I give her a sheepish look. “I didn’t realize all of this was going on. If you’d prefer to go somewhere else, we can... "
“No!” Her face is shining with excitement as she watches the crowds. “I want to stay.”
What?
“You want to… stay here? With all of the… humans and… shifters?” I’m sure my face is a mask of confusion. Sheknowsme, knows things I don’t share with anyone but her and Rennie, so wanting to set me loose here is a surprise. Not to mention, despite living at Apex longer than anyone else, I wasn’t aware they held events where we mixed with humans at all.
I suppose even I can learn something new.
Dolly claps her hands, her pastel hair bouncing on her bare shoulders. “Aubrey, this is anentire daywhere everyone is excited to see abunny.Of course,I want to stay!”
She’s so fucking adorable; I’m going to lose my shit.
I finally crack a smile, holding my hand out to her. She’s so young and it takes so very little to make her happy. Even if this will be like sticking bamboo shoots under my nails, I wouldn’t deny her this joy. “Okay, lunchable. We’ll walk among the sheep so I can learn what all the fuss is about.”
“Yay!” Dolly launches herself across the cramped console, wrapping her arms around my neck and planting a smacking kiss on my lips.
Holding onto her waist, I struggle to keep the dragon at bay. “Who knew that’s all it would take for you to initiate contact?”
She sniffs as she pulls away, shrugging a shoulder carelessly. “It wouldn’t take much if you’d quit being so cranky all the time.”
I know she doesn’t fully understand how rare shifters like Rennie and I work when it comes to mating—almost no one does—but that’s a secret for another time.
“I’m not cranky,” I protest, as she leads me to a booth full of ridiculous looking tiny clothing. “I’ve been working late trying to gather the information you requested, so I’mtired.”
Dolly picks up a sparkly purple collar with a bow on it and I realize this is a table ofpetclothing, of all things. “This would look adorable on Jinx.”
It’s almost painful to admit she’s right, so I just grumble a bit while she loads up a small basket of items and hands it to the prey shifter manning the booth. Her grin only widens when I pay, but she takes the small pink bag and slides it onto her wrist. We walk past a few more booths, and I continue buying all the little things she coos and gushes over.
