Page 95 of In Prey We Trust

I can’t smell from this height, but Rennie nods in agreement. Learning about their fully shifted capabilities is a slow process, given they’re both reticent as hell, but I’m picking it up. My other men are apex predators and they enjoy hunting—especially Fitz—but Aubrey and Rennie are on another level. I don’t know if all the mythical preds are like them or if their species are at the top of the food chain, but it’s terrifying and sexy at the same time.

Maybe that’s why I’m eager to allow them to control this evening; I want to experience all of it.

“Almost time, bite size.”

The gravelly voice of Aubrey’s dragon makes me clench my thighs and I know he’s talking more than normal because he figured out what it does to me. Rennie is holding one of the creepy guys who were watching the camping college kids. He’s still crouched over him as his life fades away, but my dragon finished his meal a few moments ago. I laughed as his fiery belches burned down two trees and a copse of berry bushes and he gave me the most reproachful lizard look I’ve ever seen.

I sniff the air, tilting my head as the coppery tang permeates my senses. My eyes burn for a moment and I growl low as my bunny pushes at my skin. Aubrey’s vision is enhanced in full shift, and he can see things much more clearly than when he’s wearing glasses as a human. My ears pop loose, twitching as I feel my body move towards the hulking gargoyle unbidden. It’s like I’m in a trance and I can’t stop myself from getting closer.

“Snacklet, I don’t think you should—”

Before I can respond, the animal inside of me snaps and I fully shift. My tail pops free, fur covers my limbs, my nose wiggles, and I’m bouncing towards Rennie on enormous feet eagerly. A huff of frustration comes from behind me, but I ignore to approach my poetic onyx warrior. “What’s happening to me?”

Rennie turns, looking at me with fearsome fangs and rock hard obsidian skin that shines in the moonlight. His mouth is full of blood and his eyes flashing such a bright blue that it’s hypnotizing. “I knew it.”

“You knew what?” I ask. My voice isn’t as steady as theirs in a full shift. I don’t do it often enough, I suppose, and my body isn’t used to this. “What did you know?”

His lips curve into a satisfied smirk, and he picks up the body he was feeding as he rises to his feet. “Flames owes me a grand. Thank you, ma petite.”

Stomping my thumper, I stalk closer, trying to make my brain focus on his words and not on the smell. “Why? Why does he owe you money?”

“Because he bet me a thousand dollars you eat meat because you’re not really prey.” DragonAubrey shakes the ground as he lumbers towards us with his wings extended. “The first time we brought you along and you didn’t vomit in disgust, he declared you’re something else entirely.”

Frowning, I step up to where the gargoyle is holding the almost lifeless body up with an expectant look. “What does that mean?”

“You shifted and couldn’t stop it, right?” I nod at Rennie as he shakes his prize. “This is why. Whatever you are, your animal wants to feed on the life force, as I do. Dragons and other mythical shifters have… different needs than normal apex preds. Besides being hunted for various stupid reasons, we don’t intermingle with regular preds so they can’t figure out our secret.”

I blink, clenching my clawed fists. “Is that why I can hardly make my brain work right now? I’m hungry?”

DragonAubrey’s large head butts up against my back, pushing me into Renard gently. “It’s also why you’re having difficulty mastering some of your powers, we believe.”

The scent overwhelms me and I dive in without another word. My bunny lets out a fierce roar inside of me as I gulp down the fluid that tastes like the best meal I’ve ever eaten in my life. I drink and drink until I can't get flow anymore, then lift my head to look at my men. My face has to be messy; I tore in like a rabid animal and I can feel the stickiness on it.

But they’re looking at me with such intensity that I can fucking feel my pulse in my pussy.

“What?” I ask throatily. “You said—”

Rennie’s eyes go black for a moment, then back to bright blue. “Run.”

That one word makes my heart pound like it’s going to escape my chest. I dart my eyes to Aubrey, seeing his rainbow pupils dilate as his big head bobs in response. Taking a deep breath, I let the bunny take over as I leap into action. I sprint into the darkness of the surrounding woods, ducking branches and obstacles with springy hops and jumps that I never could have made before. My muscles sing and I can hear every noise around me as I dodge and weave, hoping to throw them off my trail long enough to elude them.

“Come out and prey, my sexy carnivores,” I whisper under my breath. I know they can hear me and I feel them fanning out, but I don’t know how. It’s like all of my senses are sharpened to the point of painful awareness of my surroundings. I hear bugs and crackling branches, the swish of grass on the breeze, and the sound of night animals slinking around.

Luckily for them, I’m the prey tonight, so they’re safe.

Monsters

Renard

I can smell her excitement and adrenaline in the air as I stalk through the woods. Flames went in the other direction once he changed back to a half-shift. It’s easy for us; we’ve been shifting so many centuries we can transition easily even while moving. His enormous dragon would have torn through the space in a path of loud splinters and fallen trees, thus ruining the hunt.

Dolly shows an affinity for this; her trail is less obvious than I would have expected.

The bunny part of her moves with speed and skill naturally now that she has better control. As her animal became one with her human side, she stopped shifting into the small, helpless prey she described to Fitz last year. Instead, she’s a lean, fierce bi-pedal rabbit that’s giving me a merry chase through the darkness. I should thank Felix for that when I lord our little game over him and the other cats. They would enjoy this, too, but it would be far less intense.

My eyes scan my surroundings, night vision helping me discern the smallest movements in the surrounding foliage. Aubrey is likely in the sky, waiting to dive like a missile from the air if he finds her. I could do that as well, but I’ve always enjoyed the thrill of moving on foot when I’m seeking my meals. Flying makes it much too easy and I like a challenge.

The snap of a twig close by gets my attention as I soak in the sounds of the night. Grinning, I stalk towards the noise silently, slipping through the shadows like the superhero Fitz likens me to. Those of us who hunt bigger game learn early on that slow and steady always wins their dinner—crashing about only gives your prey more time to hide.

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