Page 55 of Let Us Prey

But I can’t think about that right now. I have one chance to assert my dominance, so I wink and blow a kiss at the professor, tossing my hair over my shoulder as I slam my way out the door. My sensitive bunny ears catch whispers of incredulity from the classroom as I go, and it only makes me smile wider.

I’ll still fail this exam, but when the story of why I failed gets around, I won’t be in trouble. It will please Lucille, that I didn’t allow him to talk down to a member of our family, even if I dragged the wolves into it. Her taste for blood is unparalleled, and striking the first blow against a lesser pred is exactly her style.

With a sigh, I trudge towards the library to start my work study early. Maybe the grumpy book hottie will make us do something so strenuous, he’ll be forced to take his shirt off. That would make up for this pisser of a day.

One can hope, right?

Sonata No. 14 “Moonlight”

Renard

Even though themoon is high, the lights are still on in the library, and waiting is making me restless.

It’s not as though the recalcitrant dragon and I have a specific schedule of when we meet to hunt, but it has been over a week. We’ve known one another long enough to sense the need to feast, and it’s overdue by several days. However, Aubrey’s drive to solve the riddle of the poison used at prom has him pushing himself far beyond his typical obsessions.

It’s almost like he’s worried about something other than general student safety.

The Khans aren’t gathered upstairs for once. I hear they are having dinner at their place with the fascinating Delores Drew. Usually I’m pleased to have my roost to myself, but tonight I pace the lower balcony outside my bedroom. My impatience has nothing to do with the silence; that’s a ludicrous proposition and I won’t entertain it. She’s not even that loud downstairs.

Except…

Stomping over to the gramophone, I lower the needle and close my eyes as the haunting strains echo off the stone. Music alwayscalms the beast inside of me, even when I’m hungry. My wings pop free, and I groan with pleasure as I walk onto the balcony again. Unlike most royals or alphas, a gargoyle lord can do more than simply half-shift—we can all shift specific parts at will. It’s a closely guarded secret that is rarely shared outside of our clans, and at times like this, it’s a blessing. I don’t want to transform enough that the rumbling allows my monster free.

He’s far too on edge to allow him free rein until we land on our hunting grounds.

The talisman around my neck flashes briefly, and I roll my eyes in irritation. It’s not late enough in the evening for it to matter that I haven’t shifted yet, so my magical watchdog is being overzealous. I brace my arms on the railing, inhaling the night air with a sigh.

Then I hear it—a soft humming coming from below. It’s so soft it barely registers, but the notes match the sonata playing in my room. I lean forward, trying to determine who it is, but all I can determine is that it’s a female, and she’s in the library courtyard.

Who would lurk there at night? What are they up to? Does Aubrey know someone is there?

Panic sets in. My scaly friend has been so concerned about someone trying to harm one of us, and a random person hanging around his library at night is suspicious. I need to find out who it is and what their intentions are… immediately. If people are breaching our perimeter, they could get inside and hurt the bunny hiding on our lower floors.

I jump onto the railing, flexing my wings as I look down at the courtyard. As soon as I home in on a landing spot, I leap and let my wings expand when I dive. My feet hit the soft earth with a thud, causing a gasp to interrupt the melodic humming I came to investigate. I walk further into the small space, accessing my enhanced night vision to see the figure in the shadows.

“Professor Renard!”

Oh,mon coeur?1. I thought Delores was eating at the tigers’ townhouse this evening, but here she is, walking through the courtyard like Annabel Lee.

No, I’m not exaggerating for dramatic effect—Delores is wandering under the tree in a long white nightgown and bare feet, humming along with my Beethoven. It’s like Byron’s poetry is leaping off the page and into my world.

“You—you dyed your hair,” I stutter, so entranced by her spell I can’t think of anything better to say.

Oh, this is going well, Renard. Way to show you’ve barely spoken to women since before the humans crossed the ocean to settle here.

Her cheeks flush with a color that matches one layer of her hair, but she still twirls a little to show it off. “I did! I’ve always wanted to express myself in this way and… now I can.”

The twinkle in her eyes is infectious, and I smile as she flits around under the enormous tree. Moonlight is shining through the branches and hitting her in a way that, once again, reminds me of long ago. I rub my hand over my chest, feeling the familiar ache this memory brings, though somehow, it’s a little less sharp than usual.

“Isn’t it dangerous to be out here alone? I’m surprised Fitz isn’t hiding in the bushes, monitoring you.” I watch her face screw up in what I’d almost call a pout, and I have to hold back laughter.

She stomps over and pokes me in the chest, frowning at the hard obsidian her finger meets. “Listen, you. He is not my keeper. My enemies could kill me every time I step out of my room, but I can’t live my life in fear. I’m eighteen and I should be able to run around after curfew and let my hair down. It’s not fair that I have to stay locked up like Rapunzel.”

A flare of overprotectiveness from my gargoyle replaces the dull ache—after all, watching over those we care about is in our nature. Despite my inclination to chastise her for being reckless, Ialso understand what she’s feeling. When I was her age, my desire to break free from the shackles of responsibility was just as strong. Unfortunately, the consequences were dire.

I don’t want her to suffer like I did.

“Dolly, I don’t believe anyone wants to lock you up.” She gives me a wry look and I grimace. “Okay, maybeFitzdoes, but that’s because it terrifies him to think someone might hurt you. Sure, they tasked him with protecting his Raj, but Felix is more than capable of handling himself. And Chess grew up with them in a dangerous environment. He can fight if he has to. But you… Even withthe amazing performances in Felix’s classes, it’s easy to worry someone will get the drop on you.”

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