Page 102 of In Prey We Trust

“College level seems like tiny gains for lots of risk, though.”

“Not if you’re hoping these idiots will attract pros and eventually, you’ll own pro players, too. Knowing they’ve been cheating and living under false names while doing it would put them on the blacklist. They could end up at Bloodstone if the Council deems it. So once they ascend to real money, they still can’t escape him.” I sigh, trying to figure out if I want to tell Zhenga about this now or after the match.

She’s going to lose the fucking plot, so later it is.

“The big question is: is our girl in trouble tonight?” Fitz’s eyes turn amber and I chuckle as he flicks through screens to find what he wants. “I don’t give a flying pig fart if they’re cheating or what it means for the league. That’s an old life. I care about making sure no psychos harm her to further Kehinde’s money grab.”

“Agreed. Download all the real stats for the female players and we’ll take them home to coach her. That way, she’s doomed to fail.”

Fitz nods and I turn back to the cameras. We won’t have to play Shifter U again until next semester, so I’m not worried about fixing this bullshit right now. We can cross the match fixing scheme off the boards until after the holidays and we can go back to focusing on the actual threats.

I’m tiring of juggling the crooked assholes sitting on our Council; perhaps that needs to be the focus once we get through this year.

The Greatest

Delores

I’m not sliced to ribbons when I wake up and for that, I thank any deity listening as I stare up at the ceiling of my room.

Thanks to Felix and Fitz’s outing to Shifter Secondary yesterday, the guys could prepare me for every opponent I could face in the ring. The information they found was terrifying and at first, I was determined to fake illness to scratch my entry. Zhenga’s brother filled that team with criminals and violent girls who had no business being allowed to compete. Their actual records were full of things that made my blood run cold.

But I knew there would be even worse things waiting for me if I did.

Lucille wouldn’t stand for being embarrassed by my weakness, even if it was a true medical issue. My shows in the matches have kept the smaller preds looking to make a name for themselves away, and the mean girl groups have been waiting for a crack in my armor. None of the enemies I have watching my every move would waste the opportunity to come for me if I showed even the tiniest hint of failure.

My life is being directed by those who want to hurt me even when I’m fighting like hell to wrest it back. Each step I take towards claiming my independence is met with retaliation by the factions using me as some sort of pawn in a much bigger game. Not knowing what the game is yet meant getting out of a match where my opponents might have actual weapons beyond their animals wasn’t in the cards. The league officials should have kicked the cheating bitches out already, but Shifter Secondary hadn’t been disqualified once this semester.

Which meant they knew what the competitors there were doing and allowed it to continue.

When I stepped into the circle in the vast arena, typically reserved for the male team, all I could see were screaming blobs and lights. They called my opponent Trace Anitram—nicknamed ‘The Mistress of Pain.’ As if that wasn’t intimidating enough, the chick was built like a fucking brick house and smelled like canine. It didn’t take me long to figure out she was a wolf because she told me Fitz killed her boyfriend last year.

None of that would have boded well, especially because he pissed on the headless corpse, but I knew by her name what she was going to do to win. The crazy bitch hides claw tips as acrylic nails and when she shifts, the metal shreds the hell out of the other person with every swipe. Her matches end in the other team member, nearly bleeding out on the way to medical and before any officials can see, she swallows the fucking things.

Anyone psycho enough to tear up their insides week after week to win would happily kill me for glory, and I knew it. I had to shift immediately, going on the offensive with speed and sheer shock to keep her from pulling her tricks. It didn’t stop her, of course, but it helped me learn how she moved. Our fight lasted almost a half hour in the end and by the time I finally choked her out, I was almost spent.

The guys rushed the field again, helping me stay upright as I headed for the medical bay and the crowd lost its mind. Cappie won the night, but I had to be tucked into a pile of men to fall asleep that night. I might be getting stronger, faster, and meaner, but my inexperience is making it harder with every match. Somehow, I get assigned the worst opponent every time, and no one seems to figure out how.

I’m slightly concerned about what that means for the rest of the year.

Rolling out of bed carefully, I smile as Jinx pads over to her cat tree before I head for the door. The scent of something tasty catches my nose and my stomach rumbles. I’m going to devour whatever Chess is cooking—expending all that energy last night has me feeling wobbly as hell. As soon as I open the door, Fitz scoops me up in his arms, grinning like a madman.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Sleeping Beauty. They said I had to let you wake up on your own, not with the special kisses I wanted to wake you up with.” He bobs his brows and I laugh as I wind my arms around his neck. “I think you’d be a lot more energetic right now if we didn’t live in the land of cockblockers.”

Darting forward, I kiss his nose. “You’re probably right, but since you’ve got me now, feed me.”

“Careful, Baby Girl. I love when you’re all growly and hungry.” He turns and heads for the main room with a bounce in his step. I can feel as we walk.

Having people who are always happy to see me the minute I wake up is still novel and I bask in it every day.

“I’m excited about the Halloween party, but after last year, I’m also a little worried?” I look at my tiger with a rueful expression. “Rufus and Cori won’t tell me a thing about this group costume situation, so no one can blame me for what they end up with this year.”

“The hillbilly gangster wouldn’t dare make me look as silly as you did. I’ll beat his ass,” Fitz rumbles as he plops us on the sunken couch. “I don’t give a red, randy fuck about being in drag if you choose it. You can dress me up as a goddamn purple dino if it makes you happy. He, however, does not get the same leniency.”

“Don’t be rude, Fitzy,” Chess says from the kitchen. “Those two are doing all the heavy lifting for us and I don’t think Cori will let him go too insane. She’s got a good head on her shoulders.”

I blink, suddenly remembering. “Oh! I forgot to ask and I have no idea if you can do this by Tuesday, but… Cori’s lonely. Rufus says she’s hiding it and I can tell she’s upset when he’s flitting off with the triplets. Any chance you can play matchmaker? I’m worried she’s feeling very left out and unwanted, but won’t tell us.”

Fitz’s smile turns into a proud beam. “Fuck, yeah, I can! In fact, I might know the perfect girl. She’s in my Advanced Algorithmic Design class. I can chat her up tomorrow and see where she stands. This chick is smart, adorable, and she’s one of those do-gooder hackers. I bet Coco-cabana will adore that about her.”

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