Page 92 of Let Us Prey
They share a chuckle and I smile to myself. They’ve always been more alike than not, and not just because they’re both grumpy alphas. Since Dolly arrived, the wolf is slowly becoming the leader his little pack needs, and Aubrey is coming out of his hard shell.
“Excellent burn, spicy lizard. I might enjoy being stabbed a little, but I don’t think Cherry’s ready for that kind of play in the bedroom.” Bash pecks her cheek and trots over to the bar, leaving Dolly with eyes the size of the dinner plates.
Cash gives Dolly a once-over that only he thinks is subtle, as Aubrey slips his hand into his pocket, looking everywhereexceptat her. Oh, this is delicious—they’re both so fucking stubborn, they can’t even admit how attracted to this girl they are. I’m going to have a ball during dinner.
Nico pops his head out of the kitchen, narrowing his eyes at the rest of us. That’s an unusual look, but I suppose I can’t blame him for being frazzled today. “It would be nice if you could all help bring the food in... "
Oh, that was definitely aggressive… I’m going to need some popcorn.
“Oooh! It smells amazing. I’m so hungry I could eat an entire cow,” Dolly says, clapping her hands as she rushes over to help, earning her a smile from Nico that shows she wasn’t the reason for his ire.
Aubrey and I look at the wolves, shock clear on our faces. Bash snorts, elbowing his brother before smirking at us. “You didn’t know our Cherry is a ravenous meat-eater? Man, you two are sooooo far behind. Tragic.”
My brow furrows. I made sure to stock snacks for Dolly when she camps out here, but nothing was purchased with a carnivorous bunny in mind. I suppose this explains her lack of disgust when she joined us on our hunt. Bash is still gloating about his insider knowledge, and Aubrey puffs another smoke ring, clearly annoyed that he didn’t know this little… eccentricity of hers.
Dolly pokes her head out of the kitchen, interrupting our stand-off with a haughty exclamation. “This isn’t your palace, guys, and neither Nico nor I are June Beaver. Come in here and help us!”
Bash opens his mouth, but Aubrey rolls his eyes, cutting him off before he can speak. “Yes, yes, Sebastian. We’re all aware you’re happy to come for her anytime. Move your ass.”
That catches the wolf off guard, and Cash bursts out laughing in a way I don’t ever think I’ve seen before. I’ll be damned—Dolly’s a goddamned miracle worker. I grin at my companion, holding my fist up for a bump as I pass by him. Cash isn’t the only one she’s good for, and I enjoy seeing him have a little fun too. Aubrey is far too tightly wound for his own good, especially with anyone who hasn’t been around for centuries, like I have. Much like I suspect Cassius does, Aubrey punishes himself for mistakes of the past more than he’d like to admit.
We wait at the door, allowing Nico to walk through with the turkey, followed by Dolly, carrying an impressive amount of side dishes on her arms like a pro. The rest of us follow Cash into the kitchen, grabbing the various platters full of prime rib, venison, gazelle, and other savory meats. As we set our dishes on the table, Dolly bustles past to then return with another multi-plate load of side dishes, and I finally give in, asking the question I know we’re all thinking.
“Petit lapin, where did you learn to carry dishes like that? Surely you didn’t serve the food at home. Combined with the place setting—where did you pick that up?”
Aubrey snorts. “We know your mother didn’t teach you.” When he mentions her mother, she gives the dragon a look that could shrivel a lesser pred’s balls, and I cover my mouth with my hand.
I betshe learnedthatfrom her mother.
“Over the summer,” she says, sashaying over to the small ice bucket full of Dr. Pupper I left out for her. “I worked at House Grrowlvinchy for Luc, and it allowed me the freedom to experience real-world things. I made friends with a lot of prey animals who worked in the area, and one of the nicer ones was Clotilda. She’s a skunk who worked in the coffeehouse nearby, but she also had experience catering for Council families. We got to know each other when I helped her cover busy shifts, and she helped me wipe all of Lucille’s spy shit off my devices ‘cause she’salsoa hacker.”
No one seems to know what to do with that information. Bash is looking a little cagey, and I wonder how closely he was stalking her during the break. I clear my throat, waiting for someone to speak, and when they don’t, I sigh.
Not my forte, but okay…
“How did you end up working for… Luc, did you say?”
“I’ll share that information with you, but only if you guys do what I do with Bash.” She grins, walking up to the table and plopping her cute butt right in the chair at the head.
Five sets of eyes stare at her with open mouths, though whether it’s because of her statement or the chair she chose, I can’t say.
“What… you… do… with Bash?” Aubrey finally breaks the ice.
Nico snorts as he takes a chair one spot away from the grinning bunny. He’s left a seat by her side for Bash, even as he scowls at the distance between him and Delores. I eye him for a moment, again feeling like his behavior is off today.
Dolly rolls her eyes, sipping her soda as she gestures to the other chairs, implying we should all sit. “Yes. I tell you something about me and you then have to share something about you—something important, not some random factoid.”
That gets everyone’s attention, and Bash shrugs. “Seemed like a fair trade when she was naked.”
“Bash!” she hisses, her face flushing as pink as her dress. He just smirks at her like an asshole, then drops into the seat between her and Nico, completely missing the death glare coming from his fox.
To my absolute shock, Aubrey does not point out Delores’ bold choice of seat, instead following suit on her other side, shaking his napkin out and putting it on his lap before he responds. “Seems fair. Is there an out for questions we cannot answer for various reasons? At least, not yet... "
Good question.
My gaze flits between Nico and Cash, both of whom do not look excited about this little game. That means I’m the deciding vote, and since I enjoy the hell out of watching everyone cautiously dance around Dolly, I choose chaos. Giving her my most charming grin, I take the seat next to the dragon. “If there’s a way to pass on questions we can’t or won’t answer yet, I’m game.”
“What?!” Nico grumbles, but Bash ignores him, reaching over the table to high five Aubrey and I.
