Page 59 of Let Us Prey
To my surprise, Nico isn’t in Bash’s room, as usual, so we continue down the hallway toward what must be the master. Giving my hand a squeeze, Bash quietly opens the door, but his mischievous smile is instantly erased by what we find inside.
Cassius’ enormous black wolf is dominating the bed, protectively curled around a fox with unique orange and black coloring—and both animals are fast asleep. Bash has gone completely still beside me, and for a moment, I worry that we’ve stumbled upon something we shouldn’t have. But then I see his expression.
Yes, Bash looks like he’s seen a ghost, but there’s no mistaking the joy shining in his honey brown eyes. The juxtaposition between the bloodthirsty wolf I saw in the ring today, and the emotionally overcome man before me now, is startling, but also very telling. Heenjoysseeing his twin cuddled up with his boyfriend—even if he’s too dense to realize that’s what Nico is to him.
Recalling how concerned Nico was when he told me Cassius has been sleeping alone makes me realize something important. While the brutality I witnessed from both wolves today proves everything I’ve heard about Romulus is true, the rumors never included howfiercelythese men care about each other.
I wonder how that feels?
The only family and friends I’ve ever known have treated me like absolute garbage. I can only assume they kept me around for as long as they did because of what my family could do for them, or maybe just so they could feel superior about how clueless I was to their true natures. But now I know real friends don’t use underhanded tactics of control, and they definitely don’t scheme behind your back on how to humiliate—or unalive—you on social media. And family is supposed to love you unconditionally, not make you feel like your very existence is a problem to be solved, even if they leave the actual elimination up to someone else.
The red flags were there from the start, but I was simply too blind to see them.
Unfortunately, I’ve still had to deal with threats from the Heathers—and ongoing meddling from Lucille—since arriving at Apex. But thanks to my new friendships with Rufus and Cori, and whatever is developing between me and these professors, I’m recognizing my worth. With this comes the realization of how much love I have to give, but only to those who deserve it.
“How about a shower?” I hesitantly whisper, echoing Bash’s invitation from the first time I had dinner at the townhouse. The cloud of lust we came upstairs with has dissipated, thanks to our discovery of Cassius and Nico, but I’m still dying to get my hands on the wolf in front of me.
My voice seems to snap Bash out of his daze. There’s an air of thoughtfulness to him as he nods and shuts the door to his brother’s room, so I silently follow him back down the hallway and through his bedroom to the en suite. Once inside, I take off his clothes, almost as if I were helping remove his armor after a battle. His tee shirt and sweats are clean, since he wasn’t wearing them in the ring, but the instant his blood-spattered skin is revealed, I’m reminded of what I witnessed today.
What I had thehonorof witnessing.
“I really liked watching you out there in the ring,” I murmur, chewing on my lip as I struggle to say anything more about how deeply it affected me.
He immediately brightens, unmistakable pride lighting up his face. “Oh yeah? Does that mean my delicate little Cherry’s a bloodthirsty bunny, after all?” When I shyly nod, his expression turns serious. “I didn’t scare you today, did I?”
I recall how Bash has only ever expressed this concern in relation to him being a Romulus. He’s never once shown regret for who he is, or what he enjoys, and I admire that about him. The idea of being so unashamed—so confident in who you are—is an achingly foreign concept to me.
I’ll get there, eventually.
Smiling, I shake my head reassuringly, and shimmy out of my leggings and sweater—a task which Bash is more than happy to help me with. Once we’re both naked, he gets the water going before backing into the walk-in shower, tugging me after him.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what isthat?”Bash points excitedly at my ass as I turn to peruse the bath products.
I take a moment to realize what he’s talking about, but then I remember the ‘bad bunny’ tattoo I got over the summer. “Oh, that old thing?” I shrug playfully. “Just one of my earlier rebellions… beforeyou,of course.”
Before he can beat me to it, I grab the shower gel and bath pouf—another example of Nico’s handiwork I assume—and turn back to the water to start a lather. “Can I… wash you?” I feel my cheeks heating, but Bash’s expression makes my moment of vulnerability worth it. He’s looking at me with almost the same level of reverence he gave to the sweet scene in Cassius’ bedroom.
Thoroughly flustered, I babble, “Nico told me how important touch is to you guys, so I just assumed... "
“Yes, please,” he purrs, eagerly squeezing the soap onto the pouf for me, making me laugh as I bat his hands away. “I’msooooodirty, but I think a girl like you could finally clean me up for good.”
I purse my lips at his teasing, although I can’t quite hide my smile as I wash the blood from his skin. “Mmhmm… Nicoalsomentioned you’ve quit your doggish ways since I’ve come around.” Only a few weeks ago, I would have been way too chicken to say this out loud, but something about Bash just invites openness.
Not to mention, subtlety seems lost on him.
“Sure have,” he chuckles, snatching the pouf out of my hand so he can return the favor, giving way more attention to my boobs than seems necessary. “Who knew a bunny would make an honest man out of me?”
Here goes nothing.
“Or a fox,” I add, noticing how his wandering hands immediately stop their travels. As expected, his handsome face shows nothing but confusion, but I’m determined to let him figure this out for himself. “Apparently touch is very important to wolvesandfoxes, Bash... "
He exhales slowly as he sets aside the pouf and snags some man-scented shampoo, which he pours over my head before massaging it in. “Yeah… I don’t know how to explain what a big deal it is that Cash let one of us back into his bed.” While this isn’t the topic I hoped to broach, I encouragingly nod so he’ll continue. “He’s not just my older brother and my alpha, D, he’s my godsdamned hero. To see him laid low like he’s been—knowing what he’s capable of—it’s fucking wrecked me, and this pack. The only thing I can come up with to fix it is to kill every last motherfucker who’s responsible, you know?”
Again, not that long ago I would have found a statement like this incredibly disturbing, but having since experienced my own betrayal at the hands of those I trusted, I get it. I fully understand the burning desire to inflict a vengeance that not only matches what they did to me, but obliterates the offenders completely.
I still don’t know the entire story of what caused Cassius to lose his standing on Bloodstone, but Bash’s vehemence is reminding me of the advice he gavemeon prom night. He said the first step is finding the best shifters to back you up—yourtruepack—and then you’ll be strong enough to face your enemies.
As my wolf washes me clean with a surprising amount of care, I wonder if perhaps I’m already finding my way into the right hands after all.
