Page 39 of Eat. Prey. Love. (Apex Academy Capers #5)

“Go!” Renard’s gravelly voice shatters the stillness of the night, and I’m off like a shot, my heart hammering with exhilarating fear and desire. The woods become a blur as I dash through the underbrush, the cool night air whipping against my skin. My rainbow hair is a wild cascade around my shoulders until I yank it back, securing it with the elastic I’ve kept tucked in my pocket for this very moment.

Always be prepared like a good Pred Scout, that’s my motto.

As I run, I don’t dare look back, but I feel the heavy beats of Rennie’s onyx wings and the rush of Aubrey’s fiery breath as they take to the skies in half-shifted form. The thought sends a delicious shiver down my spine. They’ve done this with me before, I know how they work, what their path will be as they work together to track me. That gives me an edge from above, but this time, I have more than just my huge winged preds looking for me—I have the ground kitties as well.

I imagine Fitz and Felix’s powerful tiger bodies slipping between the shadows while Chess’s cheetah swiftness will help him close in on me—each movement calculated, each sense heightened in their animalistic forms. The three of them were raised on an island soaked in blood and they’ve probably had to hunt victims together before. I don’t know because I haven’t asked, not wanting to force them to re-live their trauma at the hands of their father anymore than I want to re-live mine. But now I wish I had, given that they are probably a dynamite team moving through the brush as one ambush waiting to scent me.

The soaked crotch of my capris giving them all a nice, strong smell to follow isn’t doing me any favors, either.

Panting, I press my back against a thick tree trunk and listen. The forest is alive with nocturnal symphonies, but beneath that, I search for the distinct sounds of pursuit—the crack of a twig, the rustle of leaves, or the soft pad of paws against the earth. I tune into the bunny inside me, letting her prey instincts sharpen my hearing. The distant flap of wings sends a thrill through me, but it’s too small to be either of my aerial mates.

I have to be clever, as much as my body thrums with the need to be caught, claimed, and ravished by them. I move again, quieter now, ears twitching at every sound, eyes scanning the dancing shadows. The woods are a playground, and I’m the coveted prize—a prize that craves the chase, the suspense of the hunt. But winning, for now, means staying one step ahead, being the elusive target that drives them wild with anticipation.

As much as I want them to find me and fuck me upside-down until I can’t walk, the dark part of me where the red-eyed bunny and that blue lightning live refuses to make winning easy for them.

My legs move with a mind of their own, darting from tree to tree, the thrill of evading capture mixing potently with the growing need between my thighs. It’s a dangerous dance, one where I’m both participant and prize, and I can’t help the grin that spreads across my face.

“Ollie, ollie, oxen-free, boys,” I whisper to the night, a taunting invitation to my lovers. A part of me wants to surrender, to feel the strength of their bodies pinning me down so badly that my cunt aches to be filled—but not when the chase is just as intoxicating as what comes after.

I press on, deeper into the thicket, my excitement building with every heartbeat. They’re out there, my sexy, dangerous predators, and tonight, we play a game where everyone hungers for victory—and I’m eager to see who will claim their Valentine’s prize first.

Moonlight slices through the leaves, casting a silver glow that I avoid like spotlights on a stage. I press my back against rough bark again, my heartbeat a frantic drummer in the quiet orchestra of the night. My breath is shallow, my senses on high alert as I use every ounce of my shifter instincts to become one with the shadows.

I feel their eyes scouring the forest, their ears tuned for any sign of my presence. But I’m careful, so very careful, slipping through the underbrush without so much as a rustle. The damp earth beneath my feet is cool and forgiving, silencing my steps as I weave between trees, deeper into the heart of the woods where the canopy shields me from prying eyes above.

The thrill of the hunt is electric, coursing through my veins and pooling at my core. I’ve played this game with Renard and Aubrey many times, their aerial advantage always adding an extra layer of excitement. But now, with Fitz, Felix, and Chess prowling below, the stakes feel deliciously higher.

I might be just a little twisted for enjoying the men who could literally eat me hunting me for sport, but who the fuck cares what anyone else thinks? No shame in the game, baby.

My laughter is a silent ripple in the air, amusement dancing in my chest at the thought of eluding all five of them. Kings and soldiers for their kind, but little old me, a cosmic mix of prey and pred that shouldn’t exist, is leading them on a much more lengthy chase than should be possible. My victory is short-lived, though, as the pulsing need between my legs betrays another desire entirely—one that yearns for capture.

“Where are you, my fierce felines?” I murmur to myself, a playful taunt that only the trees can hear.

Suddenly, a rustle catches my ears. Not the whisper of leaves or the skittering of a small animal—it’s something far more deliberate—a presence, fast and focused. Before I can react, I’m pinned against a tree, Chess’s body a solid heat behind me.

“Gotcha, Angel,” he purrs, his voice laced with victory as he shifts back to human form faster than a blink.

“Damn it, Chessie. You’re so fucking fast,” I gasp, but there’s no real frustration in my voice—only a rising tide of arousal.

“Only when I’m hunting,” he says with a dark smirk that’s unlike him. His hands are on me in an instant, tearing away the fabric at my capris’ crotch with a swift, practiced motion. The cool night air kisses my exposed skin, heightening the sensation as he drops to his knees. His breath is hot against my wetness, and I clamp my lips tight to stifle the moans threatening to spill forth.

I can’t make a noise and have the others find us; I want to play some more.

Chess doesn’t hesitate or ask like usual. This game has the possessive part of him raring to go and he’s not going to worry about permission. His tongue lashes out, bold and demanding, while his fingers tease and plunge in a rhythm that has my entire body quaking. Every stroke, every suck sends me spiraling toward ecstasy, and I bite down hard on my lip, tasting blood.

“Keep it down, Angel, or they’ll hear,” he chuckles against my flesh, his voice a velvet taunt. “You don’t want the others to join in too soon, do you?”

“Channeling Fitzy, my white knight?” I manage to mutter in between stifled moans of pleasure.

His laugh vibrates over my sensitive clit, and I detonate, shudders wracking my frame as the orgasm rips through me like lightning. Chess doesn’t stop until I’m limp against the tree, spent and panting. His rough cheetah tongue is a goddamn delight, and I close my eyes as I try to unmelt my brain so I can speak.

“Alright, I’ll give them a fair shot,” he says, standing up and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, a smirk playing on his lips. “But they better hurry, or I might just decide to claim another round.”

As he saunters off toward the clearing we started in, I gather what’s left of my composure and prepare to dart back into the darkness. The scent of my release lingers heavy in the air, a fragrant beacon for my remaining hunters.

“One went down, four to go” I whisper, the thrill of the chase reignited within me.

With a few deep breaths to steady my racing heart, I tug the remnants of my capris up around my hips, the torn fabric mocking me with its new purpose. The damp air of the forest clings to my skin, carrying the scent of my arousal like a tantalizing promise to my pursuers. I can’t help but grin at the thought of what’s coming—my body thrums with anticipation as much as the need to stay ahead.

For now.

I slip between the trees, my feet silent upon the leaf-strewn ground. Each step is a dance, a playful frolic that beckons them closer while moving farther away. My bunny senses are heightened by my time with Chess; I listen for the slightest shift in the forest’s whispered secrets, the telltale signs of my hunters on the prowl.

Suddenly, a rustle above sends adrenaline spiking through my veins. Before I can dart away, an orange blur drops from the branches, and I’m met with the wild, gleaming eyes of Felix in cat form. His grin is all fang and triumph. I spin to flee, only to find myself ensnared by sinewy arms—the warm embrace of a half-shifted Fitz, his alabaster fur a stark contrast against the night.

They’ve caught me, their prey, and oh, how I’ve longed for this twin sandwich.

“Tsk, tsk, Princess,” Felix rumbless, his voice a growl of delight. “Looks like you’re trapped.”

“You’re ours now, Baby Girl,” Fitz chimes in, his tone smug and victorious. His eyes are full of delight, flashing with hints of his big cat as he holds onto me tightly. “Time to pay the piper.”

Their half-shifted forms are a sight to behold, primal and powerful. It ignites a fire within me, the heat of desire mingling with the thrill of being so thoroughly hunted. The twins tear at my shirt, shredding it down the front as if it were mere tissue, and I’m bared to the cool kiss of the night breeze. This is something we’ve haven’t done yet, either—half-animal, half-men, and just the twins sharing me.

Best. Valentine’s. Day. Ever. Motherfuckers.

Felix’s rough tongue traces circles around my nipples, his fangs grazing tender flesh, sending jolts of pleasure-pain down to my core. Fitz’s hands are on my hips, guiding me back against him, his erection pressing insistently at my entrance. Wet and wanting, I welcome him inside with a gasp, my body yielding to his invasion .

“Shhhh,” Fitz whispers, his hot breath tickling my ear. “I’m not sharing with the winged weenies right now, only my bro. So keep that pretty mouth closed unless we occupy it, Baby Girl.”

I bite back my moans as Felix enters me from the front, filling me completely. The sensation of being stretched, taken by both, is overwhelming. Together, they move in a rhythm that steals the breath from my lungs, their dual assault driving me toward a precipice I’m all too eager to tumble over.

“Princess, you’re so damn wet it’s like a waterfall,” the elder twin says as his hands squeeze my breasts. Fitz is helping me stay upright, but Felix is definitely leading the charge in this menage.

Our climaxes crest quickly then crash in a silent symphony, waves of ecstasy that leave us shuddering in unison. They release me from their grasp, shifting back to human forms with a wink and a nudge to send me on my way. Legs trembling with the aftershocks of pleasure, I straighten and continue my flight, knowing full well the sky-bound pair won’t be far behind.

How the fuck am I going to concentrate with my thighs covered in cum and my clothes in tatters?

My steps are less sure as I continue my path through the forest my body languid and sated, betraying my every attempt at silence. In my haze of bliss, I miss the gap in the treeline until it’s too late. Renard looms before me, his hard onyx skin gleaming in the moonlight—a dark and fearsome sentinel. Beside him, Aubrey’s scales catch the starlight, casting prisms across his imposing form.

“Goddamn it,” I breathe out, eyeing their massive, half-shifted bodies. “You assholes were just waiting .”

“Aren’t we always?” Aubrey teases. “Hunting for dinner, then having you for dessert is one of our favorite activities, snack size.”

“Uh-uh,” I say, holding my hand up. “There’s no way I can do this with you two… half-monsters. Not together. We’ve discussed this. ”

“Give us a tail, Dolly,” Renard urges, his voice a low rumble of desire. “Your bunny changes everything; I promise, ma petite. ”

My romantic Frenchman would never fib to me about this, so he must be right.

Hesitant yet curious, I let the change take hold. Rabbit traits emerge, sharp and soft in equal measure—the length of my ears, the twitch of my nose, the fluff of my tail, the short, soft fur covering my limbs. Aubrey chuckles at the sight, his excitement at cuteness palpable, while Renard circles, admiring my feral allure.

When my amulet dissolves the last of my clothes, they strike. Caught between stone and scale, I’m lifted into the air, soaring high above the treetops. The sensations are magnified, the fearlessness of flight combining with the rawness of their touch. Renard fills me, stretching me in ways that draw a helpless cry from my lips, and then Aubrey joins, his unique texture sending sparks of heat through my core.

I’m not sure I won’t break in half before we come, but man, what a fucking way to go.

Our skyward dance is fierce and brief, driven by the urgency of our shared hunt. The night becomes a blur of passion and pleasure, and when we finally descend to the clearing where it all began, my cries echo into the night, a testament to the hunt’s thrilling end.

My legs give out when Rennie lets go of me, the forest floor spinning slightly as I try to find my footing. Fitz is there in an instant, his strong arms steadying me with a gentleness that belies his earlier ferocity. From the picnic basket, he retrieves a soft, plush robe, its fabric comforting against my sensitized skin. He drapes it over my shoulders and I can’t help but lean into his embrace, the warmth of his body a stark contrast to the cool night air.

Always there to catch me, that’s my crazypants mate.

“Seems our Princess had her fill,” Felix teases, his voice laced with triumph as he begins gathering scattered utensils from the forest floor. “You’re in charge of bunny wrangling, bro.”

“More like she’s been thoroughly hunted,” Chess adds, his smirk audible even without seeing his face.

I crack an eye open to look at him, wondering if this bit of edge will lead to us mating next. His cocksure attitude tonight tells me it’s possible, and that makes me smile drowsily, even though I want to snap back with something witty, but my words are slow, my brain languid and sated. “You guys suck,” I manage, the attempted scold weak and unconvincing.

Rennie chuckles, his deep voice resonant in the quiet of the clearing. “Very well, from the looks of it, ma petite .”

Aubrey, wiping down a now empty platter, gives me a conspiratorial wink. “And we will again once you’re ready, lunchable. Fitzgerald will attend to your aftercare when we get home, and once you rest, we will give it another go.”

“Best... Valentine’s... ever,” I mumble, feeling my eyelids grow heavy. The praise is genuine, the experiences of the night engraved indelibly upon my memory.

“Time for sub-space bunnies to get home and cleaned up,” Fitz murmurs, lifting me effortlessly into his arms. As they tidy up the last remnants of our celebration, I nestle against Fitz’s chest, the steady beat of his heart lulling me towards oblivion.

“Thank you,” I whisper, knowing my gratitude is felt by each one of them.

With that, I let the darkness take me, the journey back to the library nothing but a distant motion as I drift into sleep, cradled by the love of my men.