Page 83 of Let Us Prey
Because baiting him is always a good idea.
Said no one.
To my surprise, Cash simply nods thoughtfully. “Yes, and no, Ren. Despite being a prey animal, Delores has proven herself a worthy adversary during class and in the ring, with nerves of steel when facing those idiot Council heirs. As for family shit,” he pauses, seeming to decide whether to elaborate before sighing. “I understand how it feels having your own blood turn against you. That kind of betrayal doesn't just heal overnight... "
“Wheredidyou see D on Friday?” Bash is entirely focused on Aubrey, completely missing his brother’s unexpectedly vulnerable admission. “Fenrir knows,Icertainly couldn’t find her anywhere. She didn’t come to the townhouse, and she wasn’t in her room or with Rufus and Cori. I was about to go beat the shit out of Todd again, but then I remembered I’d convinced Betsy to install tracking software on her phone, and saw her last location was in your lair beneath the library. Could she have spent the night withyou,Lizardo Lothario?”
All eyes snap to Aubrey, who clears his throat and shifts uncomfortably in his chair. “With the mental state she was in, I couldn’t simply set her loose, Bash. It would have been irresponsible of me to not offer the…comfortshe clearly needed.”
Renard snorts, but doesn’t elaborate on his obvious amusement. Bash leans forward, eyes wide and owlish, resting his chin on his clasped hands in an exaggerated show of interest. “Ooh, tell me more! Did your special brand of comfort include a roll in the hoard with your scaly dragon dick?”
“SEBASTIAN ROMULUS!”Aubrey roars, half-shifting as he leaps to his feet in a cloud of smoke rings. Luckily, the intense display means no one notices I fail to cower, as I usually would. “That is none of your flea-bitten, furry-assed business... "
“Actually,” Cash calmly interrupts. “Itisour business.Allof ours. For whatever reason, Delores has chosenthispack to align herself with,” he gestures to everyone present, and I wonder if he’s including me in that statement. “We all know I publicly declared her a Romulus—which Nonna fully supports, interestingly enough—and I think it’s only a matter of time before she’s declared a Draconis and Laveaux as well. So, Aubrey. Please. Enlighten us with what you think Delores needs right now,from her pack.”
Both dragon and gargoyle stare at Cash with a mixture of irritation, disbelief, and borderline respect before Aubrey nods and sits down again, seamlessly shifting back to his human form. “Fair enough, although sorry to disappoint your childish need for sordid details, because nothinghappenedbetween Delores and me that night.” When Cash simply stares at him, unblinking, Aubrey sighs. “Fine. We… kissed.” Before Bash can comment, Aubrey quickly adds, “However, I quickly put a stop to it when shebit my neck.”
A whine slips out as I recall Delores’ tendency to bitemeduring our group activities—although never on the neck. This, unfortunately, reminds everyone of my presence, including the wolf with season tickets to the action.
Don’t you dare say anythi…
“Oh yeah, she totally dominates Nico like that,” Bash drawls, as an almost uncontrollable rage flares to life within me. “It’s super fucking hot.”
I’m sitting right here, asshole!
It’s all I can do to tamp down the growl building in my throat. Being discussed like I’m not even present is nothing new in this company, but Bash talking about me as if I’m simply anotherconquestof his to brag about with the guys…
“Nowthat’sinteresting,” Cash muses, rubbing his chin, completely oblivious to the vulpine volcano about to erupt in his proximity. “Although not overly surprising. You know, I’ve been assuming Delores exhibits pred behavior because she was raised as a predator—by one of the biggest psychos on the Council, as we know—but I’ve seen herfangs,and now knowing her animal is compelling her tomarkus... "
“Wait, what did you say?” It’s Renard’s turn to interrupt, the usually unruffled member of our group looking decidedly pale. “Ourbunnyhasfangs?That’s impossible. Unless... " he trails off before abruptly standing and wandering in the direction of the glass cloche-covered orchid he’s always refused to discuss with anyone other than Aubrey.
The better to brood over.
“Enough with the unexplained hints, guys!” Bash tips his head back, groaning dramatically. “Personally, I’vehad itwith all the spooky shit going on around here. It’s fucking annoying that I don’t automatically have all the intel I need from book one, page one. You know what? The next person to keep a secret from me is gonna get their ass beat.”
Cue sweating.
Besides the dominant instincts I’m struggling to keep under wraps, I have a fairly big secret of my own. By some miracle, I proved my identity as Nicodemus Deoradhán to my mysterious contact in Washington, D.C., with the words of an Irish ballad my mother used to sing at bedtime. Since then, I've been in regular—very clandestine—correspondence with whoever they are, thanks to a newly opened PO Box of my own.
I’m not entirely surewhyI haven’t told my pack about these letters, but I suspect it’s because this secret ismine.Everything I have, from my job here at Apex to the clothes on my back, is because of my association with Cassius and Sebastian Romulus, but I was someone else before fate crossed our paths.
Maybe I’m still supposed to be someone else.
I’ve only received vague information about my parents and their deaths so far, but every new piece to the puzzle feels like a gift. Although the twins’ father—Vito—is a classic Romulus tyrant, mercilessly ruling Bloodstone for Nonna, at least he’s still alive. I was so young when both my parents were murdered, I barely even remember what they look like.
I wonder if my D.C. contact has a photo of them…
“…in the interest of getting everything out in the open,” Aubrey’s lip twitches in a rare show of mischievousness. “Cash, I think our bite-sized—and bitey—bunny should get a personal sex ed class set up with Zhenga, stat. Could you assist with adding that to her schedule?”
Cash freezes like prey in the headlights, no doubt horrified by the vision of his ex-fuck buddy instructing our inexperienced bunny, even if he’s not ready to acknowledge her ashisyet.
Ever ready to jump to his brother’s aid, Bash smoothly intervenes, “Yeah, so… you might not know this, St. Draconis, but there are some things—certain bedroomtechniques—that just can’t be taught from a dusty old book or a Pawerpoint. What our Cherry needs is more real-life experience, with someone whoisexperienced. And what better person to guide our girl through the tunnel of love than... " he pauses dramatically, as if anyone on campus or for a thousand miles wouldn’t know who he’s about to suggest. “Me.”
My fox disagrees so strongly, I spring to my feet, but I disguise my reaction by continuing toward the kitchen, as if physically compelled to get another beer. Once there, I help myself to a bottle, tearing off the cap with my elongated fangs and chugging the entire thing in one gulp. After a few deep breaths, I come back to reality and begrudgingly fill an ice bucket with a 12-pack, knowing I’ll hear about it if I return empty-handed.
While rounding the corner, I overhear the others unanimously agreeing to Bash’s self-serving plan of taking Lo on a date under the guise of ‘making her more comfortable around real men.’ As I wasn’t in the room when this group decision was made—not that I would have been asked to weigh in—I can only assume my future interactions with Delores will be limited to whatever Bash thinks is best.
Fuck. This.
