Page 154 of Let Us Prey

My lips curve as I do a little twirl, summoning the bunny tail I know they all love. “I look super stealthy, right?”

“Indeed,ma petite.” His smirk deepens as his tail slides up my tummy. “What else is hiding under there?”

“Wouldn’t you love to know?” I push up on my toes and kiss his lips lightly before giving his ass a light smack. His eyes widen and I giggle, feeling confident under his hungry gaze. “Let’s go find the others before we get distracted.”

Winking, I turn on my heel, putting a little sashay into my steps asI head down the hall to the elevator. I can feel his eyes on my ass, and a tremble of excitement races through me at the thought of finally getting some answers, so I can focus on luring the rest of my guys into admitting how they feel.

It’s time for me to show these men who’s really in charge.

Once we’re gatheredin the tunnels, I can feel the tension that won’t seem to go away. The twins are worried about the connection to their father. Ren is fretting about the magic he can’t confirm, and I’m panicking about Lucille. The only ones who haven’t found a tie to their pasts yet are Chess and Aubrey, but it seems likely we’re going to expose a vast network of rich assholes. That might include people they know soon enough.

Hera help us if we can’t find this shit before our enemies do, because we have no idea why they want it.

“The Captain and his crew should be ready any moment,ma petite,” Rennie murmurs as he leans in close.

I nod, swallowing hard as my eyes sweep over the room again. My men mean so much to me, and I don’t want this to hurt any of them. I’ll never forgive myself if it does. Re-centering myself, I focus on half-shifting to my bunny. It’s getting easier every time, so when it happens, I’m less discombobulated than I have been in the past. I walk to the pedestal, putting my hand on it as my ears twitch.

This is it, Dolly—the moment of truth.

Ren walks over to me, looking pleased at the ears, tail, nose, and claws I’m sporting. “Are we ready to find out what this all means?”

Chess nods, reaching out to place his hand on top of mine. “Absolutely. I want to find the next clue and the next until we can keep our angel safe.”

Felix does the same, then Fitz, then Aubrey, and Rennie smiles as he uses his tail for contact so he can hold the ritual notes. His voice is deep and smooth, not stumbling once over all the foreign words and text he has to read. When he finishes, we all wait, holding our breath for something to happen, but it doesn’t.

I frown. This can’t be—everything Aubrey and I found pointed to doing this on the Blood Moon, and here we are.

Yet not a damn thing is happening….

“What the fuck?” I mutter as I glare at the pedestal. “Work, you stupid ritual bullshit!”

“I’m not sure that’s going to help,” Chess says with a fond smile. “It’s not like Aubrey when his Smackbook annoys him.”

A disappointed expression crosses my gargoyle’s face as he reviews the notes, and my anger bubbles to the surface, threatening to overflow. All of this research and frustration has been for nothing—I’ll still be looking over my shoulder all next year. A deep growl of irritation escapes my throat, and even my tigers look surprised.

“Tell them to let it rip, Rennie!” I snarl. “It’s obvious this needs a little more power. It’s time for Plan B.” The others give me a curious look, and I gesture to the walls, letting them know to get back.

Within seconds, a loud boom shakes the ground of the clearing, sending dirt and rocks cascading from the concealed doorway in the tree trunk. Once the dust settles, we find a bunch of dancing racoons in pirate hats pumping their tiny fists in front of a blasted out archway leading to the antechamber.

I can’t help smiling at the picture they make, even though fury is still pumping through my veins like lava.

Is it weird to be so angry you can’t speak and still be amused? Hell if I know, but I’m a big sloppy mess of emotions at the moment.

Turning to face my guys, I plaster on a cheerful grin. “Come on, guys. If being here on the right night didn’t do it alone, we need more ideas.”

When they give me matching defeated looks, I growl again. That changes the tenor of the room immediately and my brow furrows. “What?”

Fitz grins through dropped tiger fangs, his expression hungry as he replies, “Chess was right, baby girl. Your alpha is fucking spank. My cock is ready to rip out of my pants like the Hulk.”

“You look like dinner,” Rennie says as he grins slowly, walking around the pedestal with a predatory gleam in his eyes. “Doesn’t she, Flames?”

“Dinner’s off the table until we figure out what to do with this thing,” I snark playfully. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t give chase later.”

When I look over at Felix, he’s partially shifted and something about it feels like we’re headed in the right direction. Chess catches my look and suddenly, he’s a cheetah. He leads the twins to the pedestal, so we’re all touching it now. My dragon continues his reign of silence against the wall, and I chuckle. He throws up his hands when I pout, finally giving in without me having to ask.

Aubrey’s scales shimmer in the moonlight as looks at the designs on the stone shining in the moonlight. He arches a brow at Rennie. “Maybe the Captain did us a bigger favor than making the chamber accessible. These runes, cuneiform, and symbols are lighting up with the moon’s light. Try the words again, Rennie.”

“You need to move a little to the left, tigers. Flames, you go right a bit. We’re blocking a few of the designs,” the gargoyle says.

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