Page 4 of Let Us Prey
Unfortunately, by the time I ran down the bell tower’s eight million moldy steps, Delores had disappeared once again. It was a good thing I already knew her building and room number, as well as her date and time of birth.
What? I needed to know if we were astrologically compatible!
Her dorm is the closest one to the Leonidas Gym—the Leo, as I call it—and no, that wasn’t an accident. A Romulus doesn’t simply expect his subjects to fall in line—he strong-arms them until he gets what he wants. I told those hooters at Admissions I wanted to see Delores’ window from my office, and the eastside of the CHUM was the best they could do without assigning her a bed under my desk.
Although, maybe they could arrange that as well…
I muscle my way into the dorm’s elevator alongside some pizza-faced frosh and his parents, practically vibrating with excitement by the time we reach the sixth floor. With every probable scenario bouncing around my brain, I am wholly unprepared to find my girl collapsed outside a piss-soaked trash heap instead of the palace she deserved.
“WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED HERE?!”I bellow, slamming the roses I’d bought against the wall. Delores scrambles to her feet, but her surprise is immediately replaced by relief when she sees it’s me—her knight in wolf’s clothing.
“Oh, hi, Bash. Were those…for me?” She weakly gestures toward the pile of torn petals that now decorate the carpeted hallway. When I simply sigh and toss the mangled stems aside, she hurriedly continues. “You know, I’m not really a flower kinda girl anyway... "
I cock my head, finally taking in the full glory that is Delores Drew. The first thing I notice is how different she looks from the last time I followed her home from her summer job at the fancy clothing store. She’s wearing a white dress shirt knotted over a deliciously short black skirt—her long legs clad in fishnets and adorably large feet encased in shit-kicker combat boots. Both ears now sport multiple piercings and a tiny stud decorates her delicate nostril.
The jewelry thatreallycaptures my attention is the diamond Preyboy Bunny winking at me from her exposed midriff, luring me to my death like one of those electric bug zappers.
Fuck me, she looks like a punk rock slice of cherry pie.
“Whatdoyou like…instead of flowers?” I ask, forcing my gaze to meet hers before my tongue ends up in her belly button.
Her tasty lips twist in a shy grin as she steps closer. “I like when my shitty ex-boyfriends end up on my doorstep, beaten to a pulp.”
A low growl of contentment rumbles in my chest as my wolf responds to her praise. “You liked my gift?”
“Yeah,” she breathes, that confusing yet mouthwatering scent of hers back to permeate my brain. “It made me feel…tingly.”
Must. Get. Naked. Must. Mate.
“Are you 18 yet?” I blurt out, apparently only capable of being a total creep in her presence.
She barks out a laugh, snapping me out of my lust-filled daze. “Yes, Bash, I was already of age when I met you... " she trails off, no doubt thinking of prom night, whenToddfucked her and then dumped her, like a total moron.
“If he so much aslooksat you here at Apex, I’ll break every bone in his body. Again,” I vow, dick twitching when I see her pupils dilate at my threat. “Just like I’ll do to the shitstains responsible for trashing your room.”
Delores huffs a strand of golden hair out of her big blue eyes. “I already know who’s responsible, but trust me, it’s not worth it to strike back—at least, not yet. And, no offense,” she looks me over almost apologetically. “But they’re Council heirs and their families have a lot of power. I would hate for something to happen to you because of me.”
Shocked, I simply gape at her. I am a fucking Romulus—the second in line to rule, if you wanna get technical—and have beat shifters three times my size into submission or premature death. Opening my mouth to tell her as much, I quickly snap it closed again. I don’t want my girl to know I’m part of one of the most fearsome families in our world.
What if that makes her afraid ofme?
“Very well, Cherry,” I demurely bow my head, helpless to resist her cute little decree. “I’ll behave. For now. But you can’t sleep in this room until we get maintenance up here to gut the place.”
She nibbles her pillowy bottom lip, first gazing into her trashed room before warily eyeing me again. “Where else would I stay?”
I close my eyes, breathing in and out to the count of three before I run off with her like a primitive cave wolf. My brother Cash would be so proud of my restraint right now—not to mention a shit ton less grumpy than if I impulsively moved a stray student into our townhouse.
Although it would be worth it for Nico’s reaction.
My favorite fox and I first laid eyes on Delores while enjoying a midday library tryst. Our girl randomly appeared in the staff courtyard—her cherry red lips, short schoolgirl skirt, and white panties the perfect eye candy for me to jackhammer Nico’s ass until he couldn’t sit for a week.
When I’d finally talked to her, on the night of her prom, a week later, she’d offhandedly mentioned a run-in with Nico in the arts building—an encounter that involved him aggressivelycorneringher, of all things. It had taken me half the summer to fuck the truth out of him. Apparently something about Delores brought out the primal beast in my usually submissive fox, and whilehefound it horrifying, I couldn’t wait to get the two of them in a room together, so I could watch the show.
And then join in. Obviously.
Quickly glancing around the CHUM’s hallway, I stalk to the next door down and kick it open. A coyote shifter yelps, dropping his Slaystation controller in surprise as I enter the cramped space with Delores’ pile of luggage.
“You. Out,” I bark. “This is my girl’s room now, so scram, Pup-Tart.”
