Page 25 of In Prey We Trust

My face turns bright red, but I clear my throat loudly. “I just might, Fitzy, but you go first.”

“If I get to watch that? Hell yeah. Peg me ‘till next Tuesday, baby girl. I’ll even ask nicely.”

“For the love of Zeus’ singed balls, Fitz!”

I’m going to enjoy the hell out of this, even if I’m a tomato the whole way.

Letting Aubrey drive was a mistake. The dragon maneuvered the huge SUV like he would his giant winged form, and I thought Felix’s head was going to explode. Chessie looked a little green, too, but since we’ve been on solid ground for a bit, it’s gotten better. The tiny bookstore is in the Adams Morgan district of the city and the brick row houses filled with boutiques, bars, food and music are adorable. It seems like a hip, young profession type section of the city—perfect for our first stop.

Once we finally find parking, I hop out to look around. I haven’t been to the Capital since I was a small child, but the excitement in the air here is palpable. I’m sure this vibe differs greatly from the ones we’ll find in our other stops, but as someone who has traveled little, I’m eager to explore.

Lucille took me more places in the womb than out of it.

“Riddles & Relics?” I look over at Aubrey, who rolls his eyes. “I guess they carry more than books?”

“Assuredly, lunchable. It’s obviously run by someone connected with the Kavarits. It will have to suffice.” He sniffs and grabs my hand before Fitz can, flashing him a toothy grin.

“Hope you’re wearing flame retardant undies, Baby Girl. This will be very interesting.”

I frown, wondering why on earth I would need that in a bookstore. Rennie’s lips quirk up as he holds the door open and we enter to the tune of tinkling bells. My jaw drops as I look at the interior, feeling a bit like I stepped into the damn TARDIS. The store stretches back much further than I would have expected and instead of being three stories like it appears, it’s one huge open space with bookshelves spanning from floor to ceiling on every wall. Electric torches light the room, but only dimly, because the decor is right out of the fucking Mummy. I half expect to see Brendan Fraser come sauntering out of the back with his adorable grin and earnest eyes.

What? That cast is so hot I’d do them all and I’m fairly sure I’m straight.

Making sure I don’t have a little daydream drool on my chin, I lean in to whisper to my dragon. “What is this place?”

“Hello! Welcome, welcome!” The booming voice cuts him off before he can answer and when I look over, I have to pick my jaw up again.

Holy. Mother. Of. Zeus.

Apparently, I’m not doing a good enough job of hiding my reaction to the three hot men who just entered the store from the back room of the shop in a line. Fitz lets out a snarl and Aubrey grips my hand so tightly I have to bump his shoulder with mine to get him to let up. I open my mouth to say something, but Felix pushes his way to the front, standing in front of our group like he’s the king of the lions on the big rock. The testosterone chokes me a bit as the others shift into a weird pack position around me, their shoulders stiff.

The triplet who spoke smirks and I can tell he’s the troublemaker of the group. He has high cheekbones and spiky, coal black hair razored at the sides with big brown eyes and sensuous lips. His brothers share his features, but one is much more muscular with very short cropped hair and the other is lithe with long waves. They are clearly comfortable letting the extrovert handle communication because neither responds to my guys’ aggressive stances.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I mutter, letting go of my dragon and pushing out of the alpha male clump. Once I’m standing at the front again, I smile at the sexy bookshop guys neutrally. “Hello, I’m Dolly and these are my…”

Damnit, I was doing so well taking charge.

Chess chuckles from the back, and I know they’re all waiting for me to get myself together. I take a deep breath and look at the hotties with a proud grin. “These are my boyfriends. Sorry, I’m still getting used to that.”

Once the words leave my mouth, I’m surprised to feel Felix step behind, pressing his front to my back to murmur so low even I almost don’t hear him. “That’s my girl, Princess.”

My eyes flutter as I lean into him, soaking in the sensation of my dominant tiger touching me like a sponge. A throat clears and I know it’s the jokey guy, so I force myself to croak, “I need books for the start of the semester at Capital Prep. We’re transfers from Apex.”

That gets their attention and the other two men fan out along the counter with narrowed gazes. Muscle guy cuts in before the other two can respond. “Your men are too old to be students. Are they staff?”

“Yep,” I reply with a shrug. “What can I say? I’m a lucky bunny.”

Bunny seems to confuse them, but the long-haired one studies us carefully. Something about his expression tweaks my instincts, but it doesn’t seem dangerous as much as… angry. Finally, he points at Aubrey accusingly. “You are the coal sucking Draconis inhabiting our library. Don’t bother denying it.”

I don’t see him change as much as I feel the rage in my gut. It might be from Rennie, who I know has to be holding my straight laced boyfriend back; I don’t think anyone else could manage it. But he’s going to lose it and if I’m going to get what I need for the semester, these guys can’t kick us out for some weird dude thing. Turning on my brightest smile, I look at the joker, hoping he’s reasonable.

“Family rivalries aside, I need the books for my second year classes. If you all want to whip them out and measure, you can do it once I have what I came for. I’ll happily window shop elsewhere while you do so.”

That gets a bark of laughter from both groups of alpha men, and I smirk in satisfaction. The best way to distract any male is to mention their dicks, and I’m getting fairly accomplished at knowing when to pull that card.

“I enjoy your spunk, young one. The puzzle of your heritage is intriguing as well, so we will do as you suggested and put aside our grievances. Perhaps old Khufu deserved a rest after so many years of service. You may have granted him a boon in disguise.” The triplet with the wavy hair is soft-spoken and his tone radiates intelligence and kindness. He’s likely the leader and his short-haired brother is their enforcer. That would fit some of the pack dynamics we learned about in Shifter Basics last year.

“I appreciate it… oh, you didn’t give me your name. I’m sorry,” I reply sweetly. “What are your names, gentlemen?”

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