Page 77 of Let Us Prey
“It should be rightthis way, Cherry.”
I nod as Bash leads me into the forest surrounding the training ring, smiling secretively to myself. The way Cori cut my dress allows my fluffy bunny tail to poke out, but the petticoats and dress hide it a little in the folds. It’s almost invisible in the darkness outside of the training ring, so none of the guys have noticed it, yet. Luckily, Bash has kept his arm around my shoulders, so my little secret is still safe.
I’m kind of excited to see what they think.
It only took me an hour to even get it to pop out enough to peek out of the slit Cori created in the dress. Both of my friends were stoked that I managed a partial shift, and Rufus started taking bets on which one of the guys was gonna lose their shit when they saw it. I don’t know why he thinks it will be such a big deal, but he’s dead certain it’s going to get me flipped over a godsdamn table—possibly byallof my guys.
I’m not gonna lie. As exciting as it is, the idea of all them together is still a bit intimidating. I don’t know if I’m ready for actualsexwith anyone again—and definitely not more than one person at a time. I’m still struggling to keep asshat Todd’s memory out of my head when Bash and Nico touch me. Regardless, I’m really fucking proud that I managed to pull off a partial shift.
At the very least, I’d better get some praise.
My cheeks heat when I think of Cash’s last message to me on Predbook. ‘You did good, baby’ wouldn’t be that big of a deal to most people, but to me, it’s more praise than I usually got, especially when I was younger. From him especially, it makes my skin tingle, and I can’t wait for the grumpy wolf to see my shifting accomplishment. He’s been so encouraging in class, even if in an intensely overbearing way, and I bet he’s gonna be impressed.
“We’re almost there,” Bash whispers in my ear and for a moment, I feel embarrassed that I was thinking about his brother while he’s sort of cuddling me. Is that a party foul or something? That’s not the right word, but hell if I know what I’m doing, trying to date five guys who are decades older than me. And Bash said he was okay with sharing me with all of my guys, so…
There you go, grouping them all as ‘yours’ again, Dolly.
“What is this place?” I ask the wolf, deciding to get out of my own head as I look around the thick foliage of the surrounding forest appraisingly. I’ve never ventured this far into the woods of Apex before, although I know there are some prey escape routes that run through this area.
“It’s not like the enchanted wizard forest in the movies, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Aubrey rumbles from behind us, surprising me with his appearance. I can’t even look at the dragon in those damned bunny ears without giggling, so I don’t answer. Rufus’ source for accessories made for big guys was this amazing store called the Cubby Holer. We had a blast on a video chat with the owner as we ordered everything we needed to complete the costumes, especially the pieces for the growly librarian. Besides the sexy bunny ear headband, Aubrey is decked out in a rhinestone choker and wrist bangles, and he definitely got the highest heels of the group.
Bash snorts and turns his head to give the dragon a nod of acknowledgment. “Nice one, Smoky. No, D, it’s not full of trees that will beat you up and throw apples at you, like inThe Gizzard of Oz.It’s just… private.”
“Uh-huh,” I reply, practicallyhearinghis suggestive eyebrow waggle as I peer into the darkness. My vision isn’t great in the dark—thanks, rabbit genes—but the guys seem to be navigating okay. I don’t want to trip over a branch and make an ass out of myself before we get to what I’m suspecting isnota game. In fact, I’m pretty sure this is an invite-only party, and I’ve been hornswoggled by the resident horndog.
The scent of fox precedes Nico as he sidles up on my other side. “You look lovely tonight, Lo. I suppose I have you to thank for the fact I’m traipsing through the forest in this historically-accurate period piece dress? Excellent work, by the way—I’ll be sure to put in a good word with your professor.”
I giggle just as a shout echoes from the back of the group. “Ooooh, Nico, draw me like one of your French girls!” That was definitely Aubrey, and he’s snickering along with Renard as they bring up the rear. Nico flushes as red as his Titanic-themed dress and then growls, this time drawing a snort from Bash. I wrinkle my nose at the group antics.
Boys. They’re so fucking goofy, even when they’re like… older than the internet.
“Actually, you have Bash to thank for being out here,” I counter. “He’s the one leading us on thisLord of the Skies-style hike. He swore there’s some sort of cool game out here, but I’m thinking he’s full of—OH MY GOD!”
We hit a clearing, and right out in the open, slumped against an oddly-shaped tree, is a dead body. I’m pretty sure it’s dead because it’s got blood all over—oh, shit. The bloodmightbe makeup, because I just realized it’s the fisher cat who was trying to talk to me before Bash lost the plot. He was dressed as a zombie, so maybe…
I shrug Bash off and rush over to the collapsed predator, dropping to my knees so I can feel for a pulse in his neck. When I can’t find one and my fingers come back bloody, I realize the mess isn’t his costume, and this isnota prank.
“Holy fuck, Cherry! You have a fluffy tail!”
Of course, Bash would notice that now.
There’s a loud growl from behind us and Cash comes stomping through in his poofy blue dress, looking down at the body. His glare cuts to the treeline, as if he’s expecting the killer to jump out at any moment, before addressing his brother. “You didn’t disappear after you hassled this kid out in the open, right?”
Hera help me.With that corset on, he looks like a kielbasa wrapped in butcher string, and it’s really difficult to take this seriously.
Bash shakes his head. “Hell, no. I didn’t want anyone else sneaking up to mack on our girl!”
“Sebastian, he’s trying to protect you. Everyone saw you threaten this kid tonight,” Renard says as he gazes at the treetops, inhaling deeply. His voice goes soft as he murmurs, “Something in this place feels familiar.”
Aubrey walks over to look at the body, sighing heavily. Rainbow-colored irises flick to my rear end briefly and he arches a brow, but says nothing more. I turn away as goosebumps crawl over my skin, pretending to look at the dead student in front of me as I try to figure out if I’m feeling a prey instinct, or something else. A puff of smoke spirals through the air from over my shoulder before I hear him growl, “I’m going to check the view from above.”
One powerful jump later, the half-shifted dragon is flapping his wings and taking flight. I’ve never seen a seven-foot-tall lizard in a one piece suit and fishnets before, but I’m never going to forget this image until the day I die.
Renard watches him fly off, shaking his head. “Dragons are always so dramatic. Aubrey’s probably bitching about the paperwork being a nightmare.”
Cash grimaces, nodding at the gargoyle. “He’d be right. We’ll be up all night dealing with this mess.” His gaze finally lands on my tail, and he looks almost… wary. “That’s what we get for following something small and fluffy into the forest.” He awkwardly clears his throat and pointedly looks away.
I open my mouth to shoot back a retort, when something sparkly catches my eye. Brushing off my knees as I stand, I walk over to where the moonlight is shining on something metallic on the ground, beneath the leaf litter. It takes a second to kick off the brush, but once I do, I find a small plaque, embedded in the ground.
