Page 9 of Let Us Prey

Her nasally whine makes my balls shrivel and I shake my head. “Professor to you, mutt. What do you want?”

“DD talked back to you. If you really mean what you said, she should get punished.” She looks at her friends who all nod with smug smiles and the boys sitting with them hoot in agreement.

I look at the girl with a narrowed gaze. “And you think I enjoy bitchy little tattletales more?”

She swallows hard and I grin fangily. “Up. You, your little friend, and those morons who came in late with you. Thirty laps around the gym…now!” They look at me in shock and this time, I put my coercion behind it. “Now!”

As they scramble to do as instructed, I tilt my head at the girl in the back. She’s caused quite a stir for the first day and I can’t help feeling that this won’t be the last time. So I smirk at her as I ask, “Doyoubelieve you deserve punishment, DD?”

Her reaction to the nickname is visceral, and I file it away. Fitz should be able to find out what shit I stepped on by repeating it, but for now, she needs to learn to lock it down. I stare at her, crossing my arms over my chest as I wait for her response. I watch as the indignance makes her posture change again and have to keep myself from grinning as her physical demeanor adjusts.

“If I do,youwon’t be the one to administer it, Professor.”

Goddamnit, Barbie. I’d fucking clap if it wouldn’t make me look weak.

The remaining students look at one another in awe, then back at her as she glares at me. Delores doesn’t back down until I nod,which makes them all start whispering like they’re in elementary school. Rolling my eyes, I walk to the whiteboard and write the names of the Pred Games fight videos I want them to watch before the next class.

“That’senough!” I shout when I finish writing. “Since today has been a shit show of epic proportions, and all I want to do is drink away the stench of failure wafting from you. These are the videos you will need to discuss on Monday. I’ve never understood why the fuck they have one day of classes after move-in, but Iassureyou if you choose to party all weekend and come unprepared on Monday, youwillrun this gym until you fall down.”

With that, I chuck the marker back onto the tray and give them all one last sneer before I bark, “Dismissed!”

Then I watch the goddess sway her hips as she wiggles out the door of my gym with her head held high.

Suddenly Seymour

Delores

Fitz’s twin is an asshole;that’s all there is to it.

I can’t believe I have to deal with his moody horseshit all year, especially once he figures out I’m not a pred. Choosing not to let Fitz move me into his place was a damn excellent decision and I’m patting myself on the back for making it, despite the vigorous protests of my lady bits. Being where I could watch Fitz and Chess inanycapacity sounded fantastic. But it felt wrong to invade their private space, when I hadn’t evenmetthe top kitty in their litter.

Way to be an adult, Dolly; good choices make happy bunnies.

Sighing, I look at the schedule I took a picture of on my phone. There’s a gap between Shifter Basics and lunch, but I’m not hungry yet. Because of the stupid pee-pee incident, I didn’t have time to explore the campus after I moved in, so I’m limited to a handful of known areas to hang out until I feel like eating. I chew on my fingernail as I look at the map and finally decide I want to go to the Shirdal Arts Center so I can change my major. The email I received during the summer said I needed a signature to join an art major and they’d only process my request if I got it.This is as good a time as any to look for the prowling professor that cuddles up with Fitz.

At least this member of his family won’t bark at me like I’m a fool.

My irritation at being underestimated by one of the Khan twins manifests in a speedy walk across the green and throwing open the doors of the theater once I’m inside. If one more person acts like I’m worthless today, I’m going on a rampage. That’s all there is to it. I stalk down the aisle on a mission when I see Rufus, Cori, and the gorgeous Chess standing in very similar spots to the last time I left this room.

“Look what the cat dragged in… our adorable visitor from last spring,” Rufus says as he slides his eyes to the professor with a smirk. Chess is facing a backdrop, studiously working on adding detail to it. He doesn’t turn at the joyful exclamation, but I see his shoulders tense a little. “Get up here, doll face. Cori and I were hoping you’d drop by once you got here.”

I smile, happy to feel welcomed by someone other than Fitz. Not that he isn’t important, but he can’t be by my side twenty-four hours a day. He mightwantto be, but I need other friends, even if I’m scared to death to make them. The Heathers emotional abuse after prom was no joke, but I refuse to let the terrorists win. All the internal work I did to heal from my trauma only goes so far until I resume living my life like a normal person.

So I comply with his request, taking the stairs on the side of the stage to meet the punk rock looking honey badger. I felt an odd sense of belonging as I saw that Rufus, like me, was wearing the Apex uniform as required, but he had his pants cuffed to show off matching Doc Martens and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to show off a myriad of interesting tattoos. He barely ties his tie, and he put a white chunk in his raven locks, making him look related to an X-Man. Even his hardware and eyeliner are chosen to amplify his ‘rude boy’ look.

I understand using unique style as armor against the automatons in a place like Apex.

As soon as I get on stage, Cori lets out a high-pitched squeal, bouncing over and giving me a bone-crushing hug. She’s dyed her tumble of curls in a pastel rainbow that would make any little girl scream, and she’s similarly decked out. Her style is the completeoppositeof Rufus—more waifu than e-boy—but her smile rivals the sun as she pulls back. “I’m so happy you’re here!”

Her words make my chest hurt, but my brain tells me I have to be cautious. Letting Fitz in after he helped me on prom night was dangerous enough, but he’s proved himself over and over since then. Rufus and Cori were kind, but I don’t know them well enough yet to trust they won’t betray me. They seem like good people, but a lot of crazy bitches are good at hiding their insanity until you’re hooked. Ignoring possible red flags is how I ended up staying with the Heathers for as long as I did. In the end, they showed their true faces and I’ll never allow myself to be treated that way again.

I’m no longer the wide-eyed idealist I was before I emerged; people have to earn my trust now.

“I have some free time before my afternoon classes and I thought I’d come visit. Thank you for being so welcoming,” I reply as I step back. My heart is racing from the proximity to a predator I don’t know if I can trust, and I need the space to calm down. “Whoever put Shifter Basics at seven a.m. is a sadist, by the way.”

Rufus howls with laughter. “No wonder you stomped in here like you were storming the beach at Normandy! You had Professor Felix snarl at you at the crack of dawn. Freshman Shifter Basics are theworst, especially in the first month. I enjoyed staring at his sexy ass, but his bedside manner leaves alotto be desired.”

“Youwishyou knew what his bedside manner is like,” Cori giggles as she winks at me. “Don’t worry, Delores. Felix hates all of us, though he’ll pick some he hates more than others and thosepeople should drop out. I doubt you’ll end up on that list, though. You don’t put on airs like the students he despises the most.”

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