Page 25 of Let Us Prey

An angry growl rumbles over the line, and before I can finish my sentence, he’s hung up. I’m pretty sure that means he’s on his way, but while I’m waiting, I’ll see if I can at least find a way to?—

“Open up, Baby Girl!”

Sweet baby Hermes, that was fast.

I walk over to the door, cracking it enough to glare suspiciously through the slit. “How did you get here so fast? Did you even bring me any clothes?”

“Of course I did!” he huffs, not-so-subtly attempting to wedge himself through the cracked door. “You think I’m going to ignore your request to get in my pants?”

Opening the door a little further, I snatch the pile he’s holding, ignoring his protests when I shut myself in for privacy. His black Apex sweatpants are baggy on me, so I tug the strings tight and roll the waist on my hips. The same goes for the white tee, which I have to knot at my waist before covering myself with the giant zip hoodie. I’m not sure if the tennis shoes he brought will fit, but Iplop onto a bench and give them a whirl, anyway.

I’ll be damned.

Fitz and I have almost the same size feet. Mine are big as hell and Lucille always complained I was disproportionate. She was rumored to have considered trying to bind them when I was a child. I don’t know who stopped her, but luck has to go my way at least once in a blue moon, right? I leave the laces loose and tuck the sweats in, knowing I look like a reject from a Run DMC video, but, hey—at least I’m not naked. Grabbing my phone and near-empty gym bag, I walk over to the door and pull it open, coming nose to nose with my tiger savior.

“Thank you, Fitz. I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t here. I don’t think I’m ready for a naked walk to the Tower, even if itwouldshow whoever pulled this shit that they can’t shame me.”

Fitz’s hooded gaze sweeps over my baggy outfit, and a low growl rumbles in his chest. Only this time, it has a different tone. “As tempting as it is to watch you take a naked stride of pride across campus, I do like seeing you in my clothes...”

My nose scrunches as I flush under his gaze, feeling my body heat as he watches me. I have to get out of here before I do something stupid. I’m standing in the gym, completely commando, with a professor’s clothes on, and I definitely need to go before someone notices how close we are.

Okay, Dolly, get a grip on yourself.

“I have to get to set design, but um... I’ll see you later?”

“You bet,” he chuckles, and despite his promise sounding a bit like a threat, I warm all the same. Once again, I’m surprised by how comfortable I am with an actual Khan having me in their sights, but I’m not going to question it.

Before I round the corner, a wolfish whistle pierces the air, causing me to glance back over my shoulder. “What can I say?” he shrugs with faux innocence. “I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave.”

Rolling my eyes, I turn and head out of the Leo, toward whatever challenge awaits me next.

Lonely Girl

Delores

CLASS CANCELED

My jaw dropsas I stare at the sign on the door to the backstage area. I risked having my ass and the secret tattoo I got over the summer flashed all over campus to make sure I didn’t miss seeing this professor, and he fucking ditched!

Of all the bullshit…

I look around in frustration. My tardiness means Cori and Rufus are long gone, but I’ll have to stay to make certain whether the set design block—also taught by Professor Chess—suffers the same fate. If I head back to my room, I’ll just have to haul cottontail back here again in… damn. Forty minutes. I’m really fucking late. I’ll need to remember next week that I can’t shower or change after Dance & Movement before I book it to the Shird.

Live and learn, I suppose. It’s not like I can’t dash some perfume on as I hop between buildings, but I hate thinking I’ll be stinky when I’m working around the adorably shy cheetah. He’s wary enough as it is; I don’t need to repel him with my stench, too.

Ugh.

What am I going to do? I can’t hang around in the hallway; it’s too exposed. I don’t think the Heathers would be caught dead in this building, and the Todd bros are too stupid to attack without instructions. Unfortunately, with what happened in the gym earlier, I can’t trust thatanyonein the student body, regardless of their year, isn’t working for my enemies. I’ll be a sitting...rabbit…everywhere I go.

I wrinkle my nose as I pull out my phone and look at the Apex app. The prey modifications the nurses helped me add show a lot of options if I want to sneak away without being seen. Since that’s not what I want at the moment, I have to find a place in the building to hole up in until I can confirm Professor Chess is avoiding me like a severe case of the clap.

He won’t cancel class for the entire year, will he?

I tense as I hear footsteps approaching, waffling for only a second before I sprint down the hall toward the closest stairwell. Once I’m through the door, I hop onto the railing, sliding down in my borrowed joggers like a frat boy at a kegger. Three minutes and a few close calls with gravity later, I’m at the bottom adjusting my enormous boy-clothes wedgie.

Not the most graceful exit, but it’ll do in a pinch.

Scampering across the lobby, I ignore the gaudy Angry Bird statue in the center and slip into the brightly lit Shirdal Memorial Theater. There aren’t any students or professors in here, but there’s an enormous amount of space. There are at least ten hidden exits; the nurses had me mark them on my app. The best part is the piano, which makes me smile. I can work on my songs while I wait and won’t need to worry about being trapped like a rat. It’s the best option, given the circumstances.

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