Page 38 of Eat. Prey. Love. (Apex Academy Capers #5)
The incident yesterday put a pall over the plans for the evening, though luckily, it happened before our plans for Valentine’s Day. While ma petite alternated between furious and outraged, she was able to vent that frustration playing Smash Preds with Fitz and Chess. She might be as dangerous to controllers as my mate—hers almost died several times during the marathon of fighting challenges in our living room.
Fitz, of course, reveled in her bloodthirsty competitiveness, and I saw the same kinship in Felix’s expression. They were raised to identify targets, then systematically destroy the enemy when they grow tired of playing with their food. Flames and I hunt for sustenance and occasionally revenge, but not for sport. Watching our girl ping pong between the hurt, angry Dolly and the developing predator was interesting for everyone.
But it did not take away the desire to shred that disgusting flesh picker to ribbons while she screamed in agony.
Rockland is a gnat—an insignificant blip on our radar that stubbornly refuses to go away when there are bigger problems we should be focusing on. I believe she is being backed by Society members to keep our family from looking more closely into the sins of their past, but I cannot deny the effectiveness of her campaign of terror. She has cornered ma petite lapin by forcing her to attend the ‘counseling sessions,’ then using that time to wield what little power she has to provoke Dolly. If we could get someone to approve ditching the damn things, perhaps this would be easier to manage.
Unfortunately, that does not seem to be possible, so I am focused this morning on erasing that irritating event from her mind. Chester is working on gathering the food and supplies for dinner while I am mapping our space. The others have expressed jealousy over this kink and I think ma petite will be so distracted by her role that she will lose all thought of those who have tried to harm her this week. Aubrey and Felix are focused on other supplies, and Fitz was assigned to keep his eyes on her at Pred Games practice and then occupy her afterward so we can get ready for tonight.
Hopefully, he can keep his eyes on the prize and his mouth shut or he’ll ruin the surprise.
Banking off the side of the mountains, I turn back towards the woods on the east side of the campus. The wind is light, but I’m able to glide over the treetops, peering down into the area the others said was fairly unoccupied. Since I didn’t explore this section myself, I’m hoping anything unusual will spike my radar or at the very least, make my amulet pulse with the vibration of magical presence .
“This isn’t the time of year for their shenanigans,” I mutter as I think about our most dangerous foes—the Fae. “They will get more active as we head toward the spring equinox. Likely they are staying out of the spotlight after the lunar new year until it is time for renewal. Their powers will be greater then.”
That would explain why we didn’t hear about missing students between Yule and our trip to l’Academie , and it would also explain the lull in activity since. My knowledge of their cycles is based on old contact, so I’m not sure how closely the Fair folks will be following ancient traditions now. Being trapped outside of the Veil and in hiding for centuries may have forced them to behave in new ways to avoid being caught.
“The people we knew— I knew—were not this bitter or vengeful. Living the punishment their species was handed has made them petty and vindictive. I only remember beauty and moonlight tinged with rosy-hued glasses, I suppose.”
I still haven’t told the story of how I was exiled and I’m trying to work myself up to that admission slowly.
“Statues who have remained silent gatekeepers of the past for as long as I have are loath to speak about failures,” I murmur as I coast past the easternmost edge of the forest. “But I cannot stand guard for my kind any longer. My family needs to understand how I know so much about our enemies.”
But not tonight—tonight, we will all show our fated mate, the girl we were all waiting for, how loved and adored she is. It might not be in the sappy, Hallmark way humans would, but she will adore our plans. Together, we’ll make Dolly feel all the love she’s been denied in the past and she’ll carry it with her whenever these assholes try to tear her down again.
Which they will… but not tonight.
Moonlight filters through the canopy, casting silver shadows over the forest clearing. I perch on a branch high above, my onyx black skin almost indistinguishable from the velvety night. Below, Fitz and Felix, who only manage to work together this well when it’s regarding our girl, guide Dolly through the underbrush with hushed tones of excitement.
“Come on, Baby Girl! You’re gonna looooove this shit. Promise.”
Dolly’s soft laugh dances through the air as she holds onto them for balance. “Whatever it is, I hope it’s worth almost breaking my neck trying to pull a Skywalker in a dark forest, oh Master Yoda.”
“ Noice reference, babe,” Fitz says and Felix sighs heavily.
I had no idea how much a ridiculously mismatched family could fill my cup, as the humans say, until our bunny came along.
The clearing I chose is aglow with an ethereal luminescence that only the night can afford, and it’s here we’ve laid out our Valentine’s ambush for Dolly. My heart is pounding with anticipation—both for her reaction and the after dinner activity I’ve planned for us all.
“Are we there yet?” Dolly’s voice dances up to me, light and melodic, betraying her eagerness. Her loose cotton capri pants brush against the foliage, and the slip-on shoes she wears make soft sounds against the earth—a stark contrast to her typical combat boots she stomps around in at l’Academie.
The moon acts as a spotlight, illuminating the vibrant ombre rainbow strands of her hair, making them shimmer like a kaleidoscope come to life. She’s a vision, even in her casual attire; the crop top she made from Fitz’s tee shirt allows glimpses of skin that I know all too well, smooth and warm to the touch.
“Almost,” Fitz teases, his voice a low rumble of contained delight. “Keep those pretty eyes covered a little longer.”
I watch from my vantage point as they reach the edge of the clearing. My gaze is drawn to Dolly’s hands, fidgeting slightly with the hem of the blindfold, her fingers betraying the only sign of her impatience. It’s a small gesture, but it speaks volumes about her playful nature—one of the many facets of her character that we’ve all come to adore.
The fact that she trusts us this much after the bullshit her ex pulled makes my poetic nature want to explode with verse—and it is the night for it.
“Patience is a virtue, Princess,” Felix chides gently, though I can tell by the way his voice carries that he’s smiling, probably wearing that smug grin that makes you want to punch him and hug him at the same time.
“Virtue, schmirtue. I want food , buddy,” she retorts, but the giggle that follows is pure Dolly—unfettered and genuine.
They’re close now, steps away from the blanket we spread earlier, a large blanket splayed out earlier in the night for our feast. Tonight is about more than just food and drink, though. It’s about the connection that binds us, the shared affection we have for the woman who somehow brought us all together.
“Okay, stop here,” Fitz instructs, as they reach her designated spot in the middle of the setup.
I silently leap down from my perch, landing with a Giselle that belies my statuesque form. The moment has come for the big reveal, and I can feel the energy of the night converging upon us, a silent witness to our peculiar courtship ritual.
“Ready?” Felix asks, his fingers ready to unveil the surprise.
“More than you know,” Dolly replies, and I can almost hear the smile in her voice.
With a flourish, Fitz and Felix remove the blindfold, and Dolly blinks against the sudden glow of the moonlit forest. Her eyes adjust, and then widen with delight. In this moment, with her joy so palpable, I’m reminded why we’ve gone to such lengths—for the love of Dolly, our unexpected muse, our Valentine .
Aubrey ambles up beside me, his dragon forced to stay in his human guise for the occasion. The grin on his face is as wide as the wings he’ll spread later. Despite the humor on his face being a rare sight when not nestled among leather-bound tomes and ancient manuscripts, tonight he’s eager to show our bunny how much he loves her. His hands, usually reserved for flipping through pages with delicate care, now grip a wicker handle firmly. The picnic basket dangles from his grasp, its contents a mystery that only Chess knows. My mate’s excitement is a tangible thing, wrapping around us like a warm shroud, and his eyes—those deep pools of knowledge—sparkle with pride over the moonlit soirée we’ve orchestrated.
“Brilliant, love,” he rumbles in a voice that could easily be mistaken for the starting notes of a symphony, the timbre rich and comforting. “Under the stars, surrounded by nature’s embrace—it’s perfect.”
As I nod my acknowledgement, Chess approaches, each step an exercise in balance and poise. I can’t help but marvel at how his cheetah agility bears the weight of two coolers brimming with frosty beverages and treats. He maneuvers with feline Giselle, though the coolers swing like pendulums, testing his lithe strength. His expression is one of determined focus, which belies an underlying playfulness—like a cub pretending to be a full-grown hunter. It’s a look that says he would shoulder any burden, no matter how heavy, to see Dolly smile.
And I know he would—just as he would for Fitz.
“Be careful, Chester,” I call out, my voice a low rumble that dances with the night breeze. “The last thing we need is you spraining something before the main event.”
He flashes a quick, toothy grin, his golden eyes catching the light as if they hold their own fragment of the moon within them.
“No chance, Ren. I’m all in for this,” he says as he adjusts the straps of the coolers with a nimble twitch of his shoulders. Chess lowers the coolers to the earth, his slender muscles flexing beneath his fur, while I watch over Dolly carefully.
“Almost ready, ma petite ,” I assure her, my voice a thrum of excitement that matches her own.
Felix busies himself with the spread, arranging the finger foods Chess crafted with such devotion—each piece a love letter in edible form. He pops open our scotch, his claws deftly avoiding any mishaps, then pours out the crisp Dr. Pupper into a cup for our mate with an almost reverent focus.
“Good to go,” he announces, stepping back to admire the feast laid out before us.
The moonlight catches in her rainbow-colored hair, setting it ablaze with vibrant hues. A gasp escapes her, a sound that wraps itself around my stone heart and squeezes with a warmth that threatens to soften even the hardest of gargoyles. She looks at everything, clapping her hands in delight as she takes in the spread.
“It’s not... five-star fancy,” Aubrey rumbles, scratching the back of his neck with a clawed finger, “but the best is yet to come.”
Dolly’s response is immediate; she whirls around, her arms flinging wide to encompass us all in her happiness. She plants kisses on each of us—a touch as light as a butterfly’s wings—and then settles down amid the cushions and blankets, her gaze twinkling with mischief.
“Food, boys. You need to feed this B before I lose control,” she declares, her voice laced with playful authority.
We all sit in a circle surrounding her with different foods to offer the girl who captured our hearts and changed our lives. The forest’s symphony plays around us as I watch Dolly snatch and nibble on a golden-fried mozzarella stick, her eyes alight with pleasure. A laugh ripples from her lips, and it spreads through our group like wildfire, infecting us all with shared mirth. Her appetite is robust and infectious; she takes a bite here, a sip there, her delight in the simple feast evident.
“Take a bite of this, Princess,” Felix insists, offering her a crispy onion, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “I promise you’ll love it.”
“Only if you have one too,” Dolly counters, laughter lurking beneath her words. She feeds him in turn, their heads close together, an intimate exchange observed by the moon and stars.
I join in the merry dance, leaning forward to present her with a skewer of cheesy goodness, my fingers grazing hers. Our gazes lock for a moment, electric and charged, before she bites down, her lips brushing my fingertips. I can’t help but shiver at the contact, feeling more alive than a man of stone should ever feel.
“Careful, Rennie,” Aubrey teases, his deep voice resonant in the still evening air, “or you’ll get too excited and we’ll ruin the dessert.”
His jest earns a round of chuckles, even as Dolly’s hand finds mine, giving it a tender squeeze.
When the last of the food has been savored, and our laughter has woven into the tapestry of the night, we settle into a contented hush. That’s when the gifts appear, each one adding another layer of emotion to the evening’s tapestry.
Aubrey presents his first, the sparkling earrings that match the Dragon Empress Tiara glinting in the moonlight. Dolly’s hands fly to her mouth, her eyes misting over as she admires their intricate design. She wasn’t a fan of finding out who the crown belonged to, but she adores parading around in it when she thinks no one is looking.
My mate did a very good job packing these for our trip overseas; he, too, deserves a treat.
“Thank you, big guy,” she whispers, reverence tainting her usually lively tone. “They’re beautiful. I’m terrified of them, but I love them just the same. ”
The typically grumpy dragon’s chest swells with pride, his grin stretching from scale to scale. “Of course, nothing less for our queen,” he says with a wink.
Before the sentiment can linger too long, I pull out my own offering, the tickets gleaming like a promise of adventure yet to come. Dolly gasps, her eyes widening as she realizes what they are.
“Our adventure into Paris?” she squeals, pure joy radiating from her. “Rennie, this is perfect! I can’t wait to see your city with you.”
“ Oui, ma chérie . I want to show you my home the way only someone who lived here when it was young can,” I reply, my accent thicker on my tongue now that I’m basking in her excitement.
“Fucking French-fried show-off,” Aubrey grumbles good-naturedly, but his smirk betrays his amusement.
“You know my people practically invented romance,” I shoot back, sharing a conspiratorial glance with Dolly, who is still clutching the tickets as if they might take flight.
She leans in then, her kiss a sweet stamp of gratitude on my cheek, the scent of her happiness mingling with the earthiness of the forest around us. “I’m excited to have dinner and see the show, then tour the city, my angel of music .”
I roll my eyes and huff playfully, “ You’re the angel of music, petite , not me.”
Dolly snorts. “I could totally be a mask-wearing stalker; I’m taking lessons from Fitzy.”
The laughter of our family is a soft symphony of mirth as Chess steps forward, his sleek cheetah Giselle evident even with the coolers long set aside. He reaches into a side pocket and produces a worn canvas bag, which crinkles as he presents it to Dolly. She cocks her head, her rainbow hair shimmering in the moonlight, curiosity dancing in her eyes .
“Open it,” Chess urges, his own eyes gleaming with a mix of pride and anticipation.
She dips her hand inside and pulls out a sweater, the fabric cascading over her fingers like a waterfall of colors that sing in harmony with her vibrant locks. The yarn is thick, soft, and full of love—every stitch a testament to Chess’s dedication. Alongside the sweater are leg warmers, a perfect matching pair, their hues equally vivid and joyful.
“Chess, they’re beautiful!” Dolly exclaims, holding them up against herself, the size just right for covering her dance garb on the chillier days.
“Knitting’s become a bit of an obssession since we all decided to learn,” Chess admits, scratching the back of his neck with a shy smile. “It relaxes me now that I’ve gotten better under Aubrey’s tutelage.”
Her eyes brim with tears, not from sadness but the overwhelming warmth of being cherished. “I can’t even...” Her voice breaks, and she gestures for the bottle of scotch. Taking a hearty swig, she steadies herself before looking up at Felix, who now holds center stage.
Felix presents her with a box, its contents hidden within the dark leather confines. When Dolly opens it, the sight of the black leather collar studded with diamonds draws a collective intake of breath. At its center dangles a claw, pristine and menacing—one that has clearly been removed and treated, then blinged out.
It’s that fucking alpha wolf’s claw Fitz took with his finger the night he ripped the fucker ’s head off.
“I pilfered it from your jar. Sorry, not sorry,” Felix explains with a grin that matches Dolly’s wickedly arched eyebrow.
“Looks like someone has their big boy pants on tonight, Sir ,” Dolly teases, her voice sultry with promise .
Fitz laughs, stepping up beside Felix. “Not just him.” He presents another, smaller collar, this one masculine and bearing a lock with two keys. With a mischievous bob of his eyebrows, he extends it towards Chess, eliciting a round of chuckles from the group.
“Thought you’d appreciate the leash that goes with it,” Fitz says, winking at Chess, whose cheeks flame with a blush that could rival the setting sun.
“Fitz, for fuck’s sake…” Chess protests, but it’s no use; his embarrassment only adds fuel to their merriment.
Dolly delves deeper into the box, her hands exploring the treasures Fitz has packed. An array of adult toys, each more elaborate than the last, and a selection of lubes that promise a night of untamed pleasures. An impish laugh escapes her as she lifts a particularly audacious item, holding it aloft.
“Planning on keeping me entertained all night?” she asks, her gaze flitting between us as we look at her adoringly. “I can definitely get behind that, boys.”
I walk over to her, tilting my head. “Are you ready for the rest of the surprise, ma petite ?”
“Definitely.”
Dolly’s arms encircle me in a tight embrace, her warmth seeping into my stone-cool skin. She plants a soft kiss on my cheek, murmuring words of gratitude that hum through my core like the sweetest melody. She flutters to each of us, like a vibrant butterfly gracing flowers with her presence, her laughter mingling with the night air.
“Thank you, all of you,” she beams, eyes glistening with unshed tears that are a testament to the joy we’ve etched onto her heart tonight.
She finally turns to face me again, her gaze expectant and filled with curiosity. The corner of my mouth twitches upward into a knowing smirk. “There’s one more gift,” I say, my voice as deep and resonant as the forest around us. “And this one is for all of us.”
Dolly cocks her head, her rainbow hair catching the moonlight in a prismatic dance. “What is it?” she asks, excitement lacing her tone.
I stand taller, wings flexing behind me as I lock eyes with her. “You will shift,” I declare, anticipation curling within me at the thought of the game ahead. “Then we all will hunt you through these woods.”
Her eyes widen, a spark igniting within them—a blend of thrill and surprise. “All of you?”
“Every time one of us catches you,” I continue, the smirk solidifying into a grin of raw, exhilarating challenge, “we get to decide our prize.”
Dolly’s lips part slightly, as if tasting the promise of the chase on her tongue. Her expression flickers, then settles into a fierce resolve that mirrors the wild spirit I’ve always admired in her. A shiver of excitement travels down my spine, the promise of the hunt enlivening every inch of my being.
“Game on,” she whispers, her voice a sultry siren call that beckons us to the adventure that awaits.
This is going to be a very long and delicious night.