Page 143 of Let Us Prey

How would I know we were walking into a writhing mass of appetizers and their spawn? I don’t pay attention to weird human holidays based on zombie guru stories!

Rubbing the back of my head, I give her a sheepish look. “I didn’t realize all of this was going on. If you’d prefer to go somewhere else, we can...”

“No!” Her face is shining with excitement as she watches the crowds. “I want to stay.”

What?

“You want to… stay here? With all the… humans and… shifters?” I’m sure my face is a mask of confusion. She knows me, knows things I don’t share with anyone but her and Rennie, so wanting to set me loose here is a surprise. Not to mention, despite living at Apex longer than anyone else, I wasn’t aware they held events where we mixed with humans at all.

I suppose even I can learn something new.

Dolly claps her hands, her pastel hair bouncing on her bare shoulders. “Aubrey, this is an entire day where everyone is excited to see a bunny. Of course, I want to stay!”

She’s so fucking adorable; I’m going to lose my shit.

I finally crack a smile, holding my hand out to her. She’s so young and it takes so little to make her happy. Even if this will be like sticking bamboo shoots under my nails, I wouldn’t deny her this joy. “Okay, lunchable. We’ll walk among the sheep so I can learn what all the fuss is about.”

“Yay!” Dolly launches herself across the cramped console, wrapping her arms around my neck and planting a smacking kiss on my lips.

Holding onto her waist, I struggle to keep the dragon at bay. “Who knew that’s all it would take for you to initiate contact?”

She sniffs as she pulls away, shrugging a shoulder carelessly. “It wouldn’t take much if you’d quit being so cranky all the time.”

I know she doesn’t fully understand how rare shifters like Rennie and I work with mating—almost no one does—but that’s a secret for another time.

“I’m not cranky,” I protest, as she leads me to a booth full of ridiculous looking tiny clothing. “I’ve been working late trying to gather the information you requested, so I’m tired.”

Dolly picks up a sparkly purple collar with a bow on it and I realize this is a table of pet clothing, of all things. “This would look adorable on Jinx.”

It’s almost painful to admit she’s right, so I grumble a bit while she loads up a small basket of items and hands it to the prey shifter manning the booth. Her grin only widens when I pay, but she takes the small pink bag and slides it onto her wrist. We walk past a few more booths, and I continue buying all the things she coos and gushes over.

It seems I have as much trouble saying ‘no’ to her as I do to Renard, and they both know it.

I watch her make her way around the town, noting the symbiotic interactions between the clueless humans and the shifters that live here. The spider shifter selling hammocks can make a fortune onsomething that costs her nothing but time, and the humans will pay a premium for a ‘hand-crafted’ item.

There don’t seem to be any predators here, which is not surprising—young preds aren’t known for control or subtlety.

When we make it to the middle of the square, she gives me an evil smirk, and it makes my eyes narrow in suspicion. I don’t know what she’s got planned, but it can’t be good. No one close to me makes that expression unless they’re getting ready to do something they know will piss me off. She tugs on my hand, practically vibrating with mischief as she pulls me over to… a line?

“We’re going to get our picture taken with the Easter Bunny!” Dolly squeals as she leans into me and bats her lashes. “I want to frame it and put it in the Tower.”

Hell no. Absolutely not. I’ll never hear the end.

She must see the refusal brewing in my expression because she amps up the lash-batting and pulls a pout. “Please, Aubrey? Pretty please with sugar on top?”

I shake my head, warring with the part of me that craves cuteness. “No.”

The pout gets bigger, and she widens her eyes. “Pretty, pretty please? I’ll pop my ears out. Then we can both feel silly.”

She’s as big a cheater as my companion, and my eyes narrow. If I have to play along, I’m going to make her work for it. “Ears and tail. Plus, you have to do something silly in the photo—to make it fair, of course.”

Her nose wrinkles, but she finally nods. “Okay. But I’m gonna stand here in your big hulking shadow while I shift, so no one sees me if I don’t get it right.”

I snort, moving to block her from the rest of the onlookers. “Go ahead, then.”

Dolly clears her throat and squares her shoulders—which is even more adorable, because who does that before they shift? Finally, one fluffy angora bunny ear pops free, followed by another, and she gives me a bright smile. “I’m doing good, right?”

“Yes, you are bite size. But you forgot...”

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