Page 33 of In Prey We Trust

I shrug. “I’m fucking curious. You assholes can not tell me you’re not curious about what Dragon Daddy and Gargoyle Grampy are packing when they’re shifted. They could google what tiger and cheetah cocks look like. Everything about them is speculation.”

That makes Dolly turn even redder and I know it’s because she’s felt the emo professor’s big boy for herself. She socks me in the shoulder and grumbles, “This is a little weird. Admit it.”

“It is not! And now I know his giant pole is definitely special, ‘cause you’re trying to distract me. I’m buying this inaccurate guy, his cumtube, and the harness, baby girl. If the heaving hot pants wants to prove me wrong, he’s going to have to show me.” I hear Chess groan, but they’re all full of crap. I can smell everyone getting excited and I’ll have my big orgy if it kills me.

“He doesn’t have a cloaca,” Renard says helpfully. “This is not that far off, though the spines aren’t big—”

“Enough!” Aubrey roars, then softens when Dolly giggles. “If you insist on pursuing this line of thought, I bet the black or blue rooms can match our French poet.”

Everyone laughs and I shrug. “I plan on investigating this entire place, my winged weenies. I’m sure we’ll have boxes full of fun to teach my baby girl how depraved we are.”

Now, to lure him to the ropes and restraints on the red level so I can get him all worked up.

My grin spreads as they stare at me, and I shrug. “I think we need to hit up the red level next. Baby Girl’s bondage box is dangerously amateur. Any of you want to help me fix that?”

As predicted, no one protests.

Hell yeah.

Trouble

Delores

The cool water of the shower courses over me as I finish getting the conditioner out of my rainbow locks. Learning to take cold showers was hell at first, but since they help me calm down the increasing urge to grab one of my men and go to town as well as maintain my color, I’ve accepted it. I took a fuckton of them over the summer when we were separated and I know from Zhenga’s classes last year it’s because my shifter hormones are in high gear.

Being a teenage bunny and finding… mates… I haven’t claimed causes that, apparently.

I have one last day of semi-freedom while people arrive and I intend to kick ass at practice, then make the most of it with my guys. Fitz’s shopping spree included five boxes of goodies that had them all so giddy we could barely get to sleep when we got back last night. It was late and this damn Pred Games thing was early, so nothing got taken for a test run, but I can feel all the fun times gear as if it’s haunting me.

Smiling to myself at how easily our family is coming together after the disaster at Apex, I finish up and head into my room, wrapped in my towel. As predicted, there’s a sparkling hot pink workout kit waiting for me, and I shake my head. Rennie gets a kick out of leaning into Felix’s original ‘Barbie’ nickname and his stuff reflects that. Even the damn tennis shoes match, so I know I’ll at least look the part of the spoiled princess the other team members will expect me to be.

Getting them to believe it so they leave me alone is another thing entirely.

Once I’m dressed, I scoop my hair into a tight ponytail and grab my bag. I’m the last one here this morning because Felix and Fitz went to meet Zhenga for a strategy session before practice, and Aubrey drafted Rennie for library duty. The latter grumbled, but since Betsy hasn’t arrived yet, he could convince him with stern glares. He would have taken Chessie, too, but my sweet knight got an email requesting he meet with the guidance counselor to go over some of his additional duties as their assistant.

I’m a little nervous about making the trek down the lane and through the tunnels to the underwater field access alone—I have no idea what terrors await me at Capital Prep when more of the students arrive.

Luckily, the moment I step out the front entrance to the library, the Captain comes scampering up with a crooked grin. “Aye, lassie! I’ll be escorting you to practice as Raina’s busy in the Aquatic dorm. She wishes ye well, though.”

I smile and shake my head. “They knew I wouldn’t feel safe until we get the lay of the land, right?”

“Aye. Our most generous gargoyle made certain the loyal prey from Apex were given jobs here, and we all mean to repay him by keeping his future queen from anyone who might harm her. You’ll have eyes on ye everywhere ye go that are friendly, too. Don’t worry your whiskers, Miss Dolly.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Captain! Just Dolly is fine. Didn’t Raina tell you that?” I chuckle as we walk down the path past House Reptilian, frowning as a dark vibe makes me shiver. I’m glad we made that my ‘fake’ warren, but something about it gives me a wiggins, even from here.

He arches the eyebrow without a patch at me. “She did, but my crew is well trained. None of our men will do Admiral Renard the disrespect of calling his mate such a familiar name.”

Admiral? Did they promote him? His band of merry prey is so incredibly odd.

“Okay. But remember, he’s not my only… uh… boyfriend. I don’t want the others to get jealous,” I tease gently. “Be nice to them, too.”

“Of course, lassie! Now that we are no longer at Apex, all the friends of the Admiral are part of our crew. That includes Betsy, first mate of the books, and the ship’s medical staff and…”

He goes on for a few minutes and I realize that somehow, my brooding boyfriend must have saved the jobs of almost all the prey who survived the attack at Apex. Not only his closest friends, like those who worked in the Tower or the nurses who saved me, but the herbivore who maintained the grounds, the pigs and mole rats on the cleaning staff, and even the capuchins and macaques who worked in the kitchens. My soft-hearted gargoyle probably couldn’t stand them losing their livelihoods because some dickweasels decided to bomb us.

Rennie is the biggest mother hen of any gigantic, exotic predator and it makes me squishy thinking about it.

“I really appreciate it, Captain. I’m learning to defend myself and I’m getting good, but I can’t watch my back and my front. The guys have to do more work here than at Apex, so they aren’t able to follow me all the time, either.” I wrinkle my nose as we enter the tunnel from the stairs and the walls surrounded by water make my heart rate jump.

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