Page 72 of Let Us Prey
“Unfortunately, no.” I shake my head, sighing for effect. “Throughout most of my lifetime, I’ve only heard about the Apex Council. The Society must be some long-forgotten remnant of ancient times. I’m sure it was just a blip in our long, tumultuous history.”
“Hmmm,” she says, staring at the pictures on her phone. “I wish I could ask that twatwaffle Shifter History professor, but I can’t risk him kicking me out of class again since there’s another quiz tomorrow. I have to do everything perfect to make up for the fact heflunkedme on one of the four tests this semester, simply because I dared to criticize him.”
The rumble from my gargoyle startles me, but I tamp him down in favor of being reasonable.
“Some professors take criticism poorly…'' I start, determined to play devil’s advocate and not just jump to her aid without giving my colleague the benefit of the doubt—despite how odious Professor Abel is.
“I didn’t criticize him to be a bitch, Renard! He walked in and told us he changed the entire exam to a completely different one than we studied for! I’d bet my last prey-so everyone else in that fucking class but me was given a heads up!” Her eyes fill with fat tears and I freeze.
Holy fuck, what in the name of Aed do I do now?
Fighting the urge to flee from this display of emotions, I step closer. The floodgates are open now, and I bet she hasn’t let this out for a while. The snotty sniffles aren’t delicate, but the despair and anger radiating from her is real—changing her scent again in a way I’m having trouble pinpointing. My internal response to her current situation, and the ongoing torment she’s endured, courses through my veins like lava. My skin hardens and my tail drops, swishing in agitation, indicating the gargoyle inside of me is extremely pissed.
Sigh.
Delores looks up at me with a watery smile as I gather her in my arms, allowing her to rest her wet cheek on my chest. “I’m-I’m sorry. I’m always a m-mess around you. I don’t know why.”
Another chuckle rumbles out. “It’s the effect I have,petit lapin. Gargoyles are… Well, we differ from most shifters. The members of the clan I was born in have been around as long as our dragon friend, and we have… adapted into superb listeners. It is easy to bare your soul to one of my people when we sit there like statues.”
Sniffling, she buries her face deeper into my chest, holding on like a koala bear. “I suppose that’s true, if I’m any indication. I babble like an idiot every time I’m alone with you, and now I’m leaking all over your shirt. Plus, I made you get all ‘grr’ at me.”
She gestures at my shifted parts, which makes me laugh again, and I squeeze her—involuntarily, of course. Mostly because she’s shaky. “Not at you. I’m discovering that I particularly dislike seeing you so distraught. I’m quite vexed about it.”
She lifts her head and narrows her eyes at me. “Vexed? That’s all? Hmph.”
That adorable tantrum should have been followed by the stomping of a foot, but she seems far too comfortable teasing me while nestled in my arms. “Yes, vexed. I’m well aware you know what that word means. You have an excellent vocabulary, Dolly.”
“I do,” she admits with a sigh. “But I was hoping for something a little less… Victorian.”
If only she knew how very Victorian my thoughts actually are…
I snort, leaning my cheek on the top of her head, purely to rest my neck. “The Victorians were pretentious assholes.”
“Duh. Are you going to tell me anything I don’t know?”
Clever girl.
“Okay, fine, it pisses me the fuck off that people are torturing you,” I expel, in a rush, before I change my mind. “Aubrey says you can take care of yourself, and Bash says he has it handled, but I worry that one of us won’t be around the next time someone tries to hurt you.”
That seems to satisfy her for the moment, because she nestles closer before softly replying, “My turn for a truth: I worry about that, too. But I can’t hide from the world, or depend on everyone to take care of me—that’s how I ended up cluelessly losing my virginity to a tiny-dicked, douche canoe ex-boyfriend and getting the surprise of my life, emerging as abunny.”
She really can’t help herself, can she?
“The real secret is that most people’s first time is a nightmare,petit lapin.Everyone pretends it’s moonlight and roses, but it’s usually awkward and silly and not at all what it will be like later on, even for us ancients. It’s a lot like learning to fly, I suppose. Those of us with wings all looked like idiots while we learned to use them,” I muse, proud of how I steered the conversation to safer territory.
I don’t know how my gargoyle will react if we keep talking about sex.
Luckily, my redirection worked. “Flying was amazing! It was the biggest rush. I’m so glad you guys took me. Can we go again sometime? I don’t mind if it’s at dinnertime.” Delores babbles, gazing up at me with so much excitement, my heart skips a beat again.
Son of a bitch.
“Yes, we can, Dolly. Anytime you wish,” I murmur, knowing in my stony heart it’s the truth.
She sighs and rests her head against my chest again. “Thank you, Renard.”
I guess we’re staying like this for a while. I don’t mind that much—not really.
FORTY-ONE
