Page 90 of Let Us Prey
I arch a brow. Now that I think about it, the fisher cat left my classes a few times too. All of my professors—including the guys—are pretty strict about phones in class. A student leaving to take calls all the time is very odd, especially as he wasn’t a Council heir or anything.
Who was that meek little fisher cat connected to that earned him such VIP treatment?
“Maybe he was boffing Professor Marten in web design,” Rufus says as he waggles his brows.
Cori reaches over and punches him on the thigh. “Not everything is about sex, Ru-Ru! Don’t freak her out—professors here actuallydon’tmake a habit of sleeping with students, so it only goes to show how serious Dolly’s guys are about her.”
I give her a grateful smile. “Thank you, Coco.”
“Hmph, I was just trying to make a joke!”
Since I still can't turn my head, I lightly pat the spot on Rufus’ thigh where Cori punched him. “I know Ru-Ru. I appreciate your humor, and the invite to come home with you if I ever need to. I’d love to meet both of your families someday. I’m sorry… I’m still learning how to trust people, and I’m not holding things back on purpose. I guess I didn’t realize how damaged I was by all the shit before I met you two.”
Rufus holds his hand out to Cori, who seems to have some sort of mind meld with him because she has a twist tie ready. “We know that, Dollypop. That’s why we adopted you when you showed up. Misfits like us need to stick together.”
He lets go of my hair, and I dig in my bag for a mirror. Rufus rolls his eyes, pulling out his phone to take a picture of the masterpiece he’s been working on, texting it to both of us.
“I look like a Viking!” I squeal in excitement. The intricate braid makes me look like a total badass, and I cannot wait to show Bash. He’s going to love this.
They all will…
“Dolly, come hang out in our room tonight. I’ll show you how to preserve this look for your dinner. It’s only a day or two—and your sexy professors will love it.”
Thank Hera I found the two best friends a girl could have.
FIFTY
Somebody’s Watching Me
Renard
“Stop messing me up, Bash!” Delores’ frustrated cry echoes through the Tower, but I know it’s coming from the kitchen.
Despite her utter lack of cooking knowledge, she’s determined to ‘help’ with our dinner preparation. Nico tried to get her and Bash—who is currently nipping at her heels like a lovesick puppy—to go play with the Slaystation, but she insisted, declaring she wasn’t a charity case to be served. No one wanted to push the subject, as we all know she wasn’t welcome in her childhood home over the holiday break. It’s probably why Nico is allowing her in his sacred space at the moment, despite the added distraction of Bash, who is no doubt doing nothing but feeling her up, rather than assisting.
“Aw, Cherry, how am I supposed to keep my paws to myself when you’re wearing that frilly apron thingy?” Bash whines.
How indeed.
Delores shrieks again before her giggles fill the air, and I shake my head, glancing at the dragon lounging on his throne with a large, dusty book. Aubrey senses my eyes on him, smirking knowingly as he carefully shuts the book. He’s been feisty since the night of the parents’ meeting, and I’m not sure why.
Could it be that he’s having as much trouble keeping his dragon calm around Dolly as I am with my gargoyle?
“You could go down and mediate,” the dragon suggests, arching a brow at me. “Living in Paris for all of those years must have rubbed off on you a little. Surely you know how to cook?”
I snort. He damn well knows I love to learn things and frequently take up hobbies on a whim. I absolutely know how to cook. Granted, Aubrey and I had no need for that skill until the wolves came along, and Nico does the majority of the cooking, but still. “I don’t want to disturb Nico’s workspace, as I had them renovate the kitchen to his specifications. Besides, there’s already too many cooks in there, don’t you think?”
“Fuck, yes, there are,” Cash mutters as he gets up and walks towards the stairs. “I’ll go handle my brother before Nico loses his mind.”
Aubrey watches him go before smirking at me. “If he thinks we believe he’s getting involved to wrangle Bash andnotto ogle the frilly apron and dress combo, he’s in deeper denial than we thought.”
“You know what they say about denial—it’s not just a river in... "
“Stop it,” the dragon huffs grumpily, shifting in his chair. “You’re especially cheeky today. Is that because you agreed to let bite size come hunting with us after dinner?”
Since Bash’s ‘date’ with Dolly, she’s become a frequent visitor in the Tower. Whether she’s plopped at my desk doing homework, playing Slaystation with Bash, or even simply curled up on the couch with headphones and sheet music, I almost expect her presence at this point. And since Dolly doesn’t like it when I brood on the ledge ‘like emo Spiderman,’ I now make a habit to join the circle.
Shrugging at the pointed question, I rise from my throne and walk to the sidebar, pouring us each a drink. “I promised she could join whenever she wanted. I couldn’t very well take that back, now could I? Besides, you let her spend the night with you, big guy. Don’t throw rocks in glass Towers.”
