Page 55 of Prey It By Ear

My feet make a wet sound every time I land, and I tell myself it’s not a metaphor for the swampy atmosphere I’ve found at all the supposed institutions of higher learning. Even if it is, I know that facing the realities of becoming an adult isn’t supposed to be easy, nor is it ever fair. That irks me, especially with my past, but I’ve grown wise enough to know that I have the power to affect that. Finding my mates, standing up to my mother, and gathering all my friends are proof of that. Lucille was convinced I’d have none of that, and almost certainly plotted to sell me off and control me via some financially beneficial agreement with one of her cronies.

I didn’t let that happen, and I’m living my life my way; that’s a victory if I’ve ever heard of one.

Felix gives me a concerned look, and I realize I’ve been much quieter than usual, so I push my hair behind my ears and give him a crooked smile. “Besides my nightmare fuel with Rockland, I have three—count them, three—classes in three different buildings, on opposite ends of campus, all before lunch. First period at Shird, then the little dystopian joy at Dupree, and then I get to cross the whole fucking campus again for Voice. I’m pretty sure they did it on purpose, so I’d have shin splints by Halloween.”

My mate makes a sympathetic noise, but his lips are already twitching. “You realize they did this to keep you occupied and not cause trouble, right? Nobody gives normie students a schedule like that, unless they’re secretly hoping to catch them on the quad for a ‘random’ disciplinary check. Midori even got flustered when I mentioned it seemed like your schedule was specifically built to overload you, and demanded to see any other student with something similar.”

“I’m aware,” I grumble as we pass a trio of freshman girls in matching leggings, all giggling at the sight of a six-foot-tall, stone-carved sex god walking through their quad. “I’m pretty sure the nasty people in that stupid office are running a pool on how many times I can cross the main square in a day without being harassed. There’s not even a way to use the fucking prey tunnels to do this shit, Felix.”

His eyes are bright with amusement as he sighs. “I know, and if I could have fixed it, I would have. But the witch said your mother approved the damn thing, and I decided that calling that bluff would entail dealing with both her and my father. It seemed like asking for trouble, and we’ve got enough of that as it is.”

Always so damn good at seeing the bigger picture, and of course, he’s right.

I try to look annoyed, but it’s impossible. “Yeah, that was bad enough once, and I shudder to imagine what the conversation you had with your father was like. I’m scarred enough by his non-consensual teeny package video antics as it is.”

He snorts loud enough to draw glances from the breakfast crowd slumped near the lake as we pass it. “Zeus’ crispy boxers, Princess… don’t say shit like that in public. The last thing we need is it getting back to that sadist. I’ve seen what happens to people who insult… that area.”

Giving him a pointed look, I drawl, “Your gross dad doesn’t scare me, Felix Khan. Pairing up with Lucille says a lot about how desperate they both are, and I’m never going to be put in a position where he finds out what happens when someone threatens my bunny. I may not have known how to defend myself yet with Todd, but I promise that since I killed Abel, I’ve learned enough to make a motherfucker regret that type of behavior.”

“I’m sure my twin had something to do with that,” he says with a tiny grin. “And I shudder to imagine what psycho shit he’s helped you plot out for such an occurrence.”

I arch a brow. “Did you know you can peel a dick like a banana with something sharp like claws or even my hidden knife? It’s really fascinating how fragile they are. After practicing, I think I’ve got the hang of it, even though I’m flooded with adrenaline and fear.”

Fitz made sure of that, and he worked on a lot of other terrifying scenarios as well, even though he hated every second of trying to frighten me.

The elder tiger swallows hard and looks a little green. “It's good of him to work on anatomy lessons, I suppose.”

My foot twinges as we continue, and I wince just enough for him to notice. He doesn’t call me on it, but he shifts the bag to his other shoulder so his free hand can hover near my elbow in case I trip again. I hold on reluctantly, not liking that outsiders might see me hobble, but apparently, I need some bananas for something other than making my mate want to vomit. I’ll deal with that after this stupid appointment.

The closer we get to the Dupree Admin building, the more my playful attitude shifts. I pop a mint, hoping to make my mouth less dry. This damn reaction is making me mad; the vulture yelled at me and disrespected me, but I know she can’t beat me, even one-on-one. I’d win every time, even without a magic leak. But I’m all aflutter anyway, and it’s really fucking inconvenient.

Felix slows as we approach the wide stairs, and he looks at me seriously. “Do you want to talk about her so you get it out before we go inside?” he asks, not needing to specify who.

I hesitate briefly and then shake my head. “I’m good,” I say, but my voice betrays a tremor. “I just want to get it over with.”

He nods. “I’ll walk you in and stay with you until we get to her office. There will be someone else who picks you up to go to Voice. We will not leave you alone to deal with the trauma of coming back after she attacked you.”

Words are such a small thing, and yet his support feels like armor. I want to lean into his side and hide, but I match his stride instead, tightening my hands into fists until I can’t feel anything but the pressure. We hit the steps, and he stops at the bottom, putting the bag down and turning to face me directly. There are other students going in, but none close enough to eavesdrop.

Brushing my jaw with his knuckles, he tilts my head so I have to look him in the eye. I force a smile, but I know it doesn’t reach my eyes.

“Whatever happens up there,” he says, voice low, “you do not let her see how it affects you, not even a little. If you have to, think about how many laps you can take around the quad in under ten minutes, or what kind of hijinks Fitz is getting up to while he’s unsupervised. But you keep her out, Princess; she can’t have any of you.”

It’s not a pep talk, but it is.

I inhale shakily before I reply, “Okay. I’ll focus on all the funny things I can do to make Aubrey crazy, or what Fitz will do to get back at you for setting that new rule. Maybe I’ll even try imagining you dealing with the new crop of non-athletes trying out for your team who have notes saying they can’t be injured or their parents will sue.”

“Glad to be of service, Princess.” My tiger smirks, eyes crinkling as he pulls away to head inside. I grab my bag to give my hands something to do, but he tugs it back. “We carry it, not you. That’s the other new rule.”

“Since when?”

“Since I decided you’re not allowed to carry heavy things when you have to go through all this bullshit. I’m a future king, so my word is law.”

I roll my eyes, but let him have it. We climb the steps together, side by side, and pause at the double doors. Felix kisses my forehead, nodding at them.

“Go on,” he says. “Take this step yourself if you want to get rid of all that shitty tension making you upset. Trust me on that.”

I believe him, so I do as he says, tugging the left door open and blowing out a long breath. The instant I push through the doors into the lobby, a blur of black-and-white zips up in front of me, and Raina is there—practically vibrating out of her own skin. The uniform she’s wearing is crisp, with fabric trimmed in blue. Last year, they didn’t have anything official-looking for the prey staff, and I wonder why they’d add it suddenly. She bounces on the balls of her feet and does a little hand-flapping wave that makes Felix snort quietly through his nose.