Page 48 of Let Us Prey
He’s observing me thoughtfully, his gaze roaming over my hair again before settling on my face. “Only the strongest offspring are produced by the Council heads. Even disowned, you're still considered a worthy threat, and until they drain it from your body, you still have their blood. Never forget that.”
I have the distinct feeling Cassius is talking about more thanmysituation, and I make a mental note to ask Bash or Nico to tell me exactly what happened on Bloodstone. Something passes between my professor and I in that moment—a mutual understanding that wasn’t there before—and I straighten, nodding resolutely before rejoining the group.
Although I do my best to appear unruffled, my heart is already racing at the thought of letting my bunny free. Luckily, Cassius’ focus is now on addressing the class, so he doesn’t seem to pick up on my nerves. “When we fully shift, the more animal parts of our brain are in control—with only a small percentage of human awareness still available. So what you gain in strength and speed, you lose in strategy, making costly mistakes more likely to occur.”
Our Professor casually removes his shirt, and I annoyingly feel my cheeks heat at the sight. “But when wehalf-shift, we retain that awareness while still accessing our greatest physical assets—our fangs and claws, etcetera.”
With that, his upper half morphs into a monstrous black wolf with humanoid features… and very sharp fangs and claws. In response, my fingers itch and my gums ache, but I force my bunny down, determined to maintain control.
“Too bad a half-shift won’t help DD,” Heather B. snickers, her toothy piranha threateningly flickering over her face. “What’s she gonna do with those wittle buck teef? Nibble us like baby carrots?”
Todd chooses that moment to acknowledge my existence again. “As long as it’s better than the godsawful blowjobs she used to fumble her way through before I dumped her ass.” Chad howls with laughter, high-fiving Todd as my vision goes red.
“Hence why Princess Bobblehead mentioned baby carrots,” Cassius smirks, back to his human form, but still shirtless. “As any pred with half a brain knows, prey aren’t always helpless. Equines have a deadly kick, some prey are poisonous, and certain unicorn bunnies haveverysharp teeth… Now everybody go practice half-shifting before I match you up!”
My murderous gaze is still locked on Todd when Cassius suddenly crowds me from behind, slipping his hand under my hair to wrap around the back of my neck. I tense, but instantly relax as his thumb and index finger press into my pulse points. “I need you to breathe, Delores,” he calmly speaks. “But stay mad enough to show me those claws.”
Taking a few even breaths, I concentrate on connecting with my bunny. As if she was waiting for this opportunity, she races to the surface, and I gasp, my initial instinct to tamp her down again. “I’ve got you,” Cassius soothes, his thumb imperceptibly caressing my skin, grounding me. “You’re in control here.”
I don’t feel in control. I feel on the verge of either a bloody rampage or tackling my half-naked professor to the ground to relieve the tension buzzing under my skin. My hands shake as abnormally sharp claws sprout from my fingertips, but Cassius continues to stroke my neck, murmuring encouragement.
“Excuse me, professor, but that’sfavoritism!”A watery shriek sounds from the lake, breaking my concentration. Heather E. is scowling in our direction—or attempting to scowl. Herfaceis the only part that’s shifted, the bulbous eyes and thickened lips making her look like a slightly more feminine version of the Swamp Thing.
It’s an improvement, actually.
“Stop flapping your lips, albacore. The smell of tuna makes me sick,” our professor shoots back, not missing a beat. “And you!Todd!Get over here.”
“What are you doing?” I hiss through gritted teeth, feeling my anger rising despite his hold on me. “That’s my fuckingex!”
Cassius hums as Todd approaches. “Oh, I’m aware. I’ve still got you.”
Todd struts over, as if he’s been selected team captain of douchebaggery. His back is grotesquely hunched, and a smattering of large liver spots have cropped up on his skin as his hyena struggles to breach the surface.
How did I ever find him attractive?
“What’s up, prof?” Todd smugly grins, his teeth yellowing by the second. “Do you need me to show DD how it’s done or something?”
“No,” Cassius smoothly replies. “I don’t think you could showDeloresanything, at least not without the use of a magnifying glass. Just stand there, moron, and try not to irritate me.”
“Huh?” Todd’s dopey, half-hyena face scrunches with confusion. “I don’t understand the rules… ”
Cassius darkly chuckles, “We’re going to see which one of you cries first.”
And then he releases me.
For a moment, I feel off-kilter from the loss of his hand on my neck, but then I focus on my heartbeat—the steady pulse reminding me I am the master of myself. I coolly study Todd’s face, searching for a glimmer of recognition while I wait for him to make a move, anything to acknowledge our history together. His gaze is as vacant and remorseless as the animal he’s failing to shift into, and I realize he never looked at me any differently.
Our perfect match was never a match at all, just my sad attempt to make everyoneelsehappy. And I never would have been happy with Todd. He wouldn’t have cared for me in the manner I deserve, or challenged me in the way I crave. Compared to the dreams I’ve always had for myself—the ones I kept hidden until recently—Todd was a nightmare I almost found myself trapped in.
I’m so thankful I woke up.
“So, what is this,Delores?”Todd sneers, his hair standing on end like a badly cut mohawk. “Are you just fucking your way through the faculty so you can pass your classes?”
I hear Cassius sharply inhale, but I simply lift my chin and stare down my ex-boyfriend, like the maggot he is. Rage is still simmering beneath the surface, but I channel it this time, allowing the emotion to feed instead of suffocate. My claws elongate again, and Todd pales as two sharp fangs lower from my gums, sliding past my bottom lip—the release almost as good as an orgasm.
“Y-you fuckingfreak!”he stammers, eyes darting around as if looking for an escape. I catch movement from the lake as the piranhas turn their attention my way, but I’m focused on the prey in front of me. “What the fuckareyou?”
“You’re a Romulus,” Cassius growls in my ear. “Now, make him bleed for me, baby.”
