Page 51 of Eat. Prey. Love. (Apex Academy Capers #5)

I twirl a strand of my hair, watching Rufus slouch into the plush couch across from me, his eyes alight with the thrill of recounting his spring break adventures. Cori perches on the armrest, her usual chatty self replaced by a quiet, zipped lip behavior that’s weird as hell considering she, too, left campus during the break. The main room of our suite hums with the energy of our reunited trio having a last days of break slumber party on this chilly spring night, and I couldn’t be happier to huddle in with them for tea time.

“Spring break was amazing,” I sigh, leaning back in the cushy furniture. “But I missed the hell out of you, even if you were having fun jaunts off-campus.”

Rufus smirks, the corners of his lips twitching upwards as he leans back, arms outstretched as if embracing the memories. “The Kavarit triplets are a handful, but you know me—never one to shy away from a challenge.” He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, and I can’t help but laugh. His innuendo about his three Sphinx men doesn’t just border on scandalous—it gleefully leaps over the line.

“Triple the fun, huh?” I tease, joining in on the playful banter. “I bet they kept all of your… attentions busy.”

His laughter fills the room, a rich sound that always makes me smile. “Oh, Dollypop, you’re getting better at this! But the break wasn’t just playtime, unfortunately. I got some epic B roll for the documentary. The scenery was almost as breathtaking as the company.”

“Almost?” I arch a brow, earning another chuckle from him. “I highly doubt that.”

Cori remains unusually tight-lipped, her gaze fixed on her brightly colored nails. It’s unlike her to be this quiet, especially when there’s gossip to share. “And what about you, Coco? Your silence is louder than Rufus’ crowing about his sex-capades.”

She shrugs noncommittally, a flicker of something crossing her face before she schools it back into neutrality. “Just sorting things out for the uniforms and getting all this damn work done,” she says. Her nose wrinkles and she waves her hand. “Since we were all dumped into the frying pan with the end of year projects, I feel like that’s all we can do outside of a few social things. You know?”

“You didn’t have any fun?” I press as my radar goes off when she tries to wiggle out of specifics again.

What’s going on with her? Is she still mourning Giselle?

“It's a lot, D,” she says with a sigh. “I’ve been finalizing the uniforms for the entire Pred Games team, and there’s a lot of logistics involved in making sure they’re up to quality standards when I can’t just make them all myself. I have to make sure they don’t damage the brand I’m building.”

“Isn’t Zhenga helping?,” I ask with a frown. “If not, I’ll talk to her. She’s supposed to make this easy for you since you’re doing her a massive favor with the rebranding of the team.”

Her eyes widen and she shakes her pastel, rainbow curls. “No, no! She is helping, but you know how I am. And I have to make sure I can compete with my family in the public eye. It’s daunting.”

“Okay, now that you’ve Spanish Inquisitioned Coco, spill it. Your turn to share more spring break shenanigans,” Rufus prods, his eyebrows wiggling with mischief. “That will lighten up this party because you have five hunks of man meat.”

I grin, leaning back into the plush cushions of my suite’s main room. “Well, I had some luxurious times and some blah times, just like you, Ru-Ru. It was pretty amazing, especially since no F-A-E tried to ruin our vacay. I’d even say… transformative.”

“Transformative? That’s a big word for ‘I got some tail, Dollykins,“ Cori teases, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

This switch flipping with her is really weird and I have to get Rufus alone to talk about it. She’s worrying me.

“Ha,” I snort, intentionally ignoring her pun. “Fitz brought me something to balance out the scales—literally. Someone will be regretting their bullshit when they hobble across campus missing one of their piggies.”

Rufus howls with laughter, “I’m picturing that chick trying to sashay her way around the green with a bandaged foot and it’s delicious .”

“After that, his brother took his turn—and not that way, pervs,” I say quickly. “Felix had me training hard for the next scrimmage every morning. He’s relentless when it comes to making me faster and able to last longer if I need to run. ”

“Well, you do have to work off all the yummy stuff your cheetah makes. Speaking of Chess, what did he do besides try to make us all roll to the bed later with this food?” Cori grins a little and I feel that pit in my stomach knot more. She’s definitely hiding something.

“Chessie joined Fitz and me for yoga sessions that twisted me into knots I didn’t know existed. Plus, he cooked up a storm—his paremesan garlic fries are to die for.”

“Sounds tasty and hot at the same time,” Rufus says as he reaches for the cheesy delights on the table. “I’d love to watch those boys wrestling into yoga poses with their muscles?—”

“Rufus! It wasn’t a hot oil wrestling match. Just realxing, mediatative yoga,” I say, chuckling. “Since I have so much work, we tried to keep most of the time very low-key and low effort. We were all knitting together at one point. You should have seen the guys struggling with their needles.

“Knitting?” Rufus gasps, feigning shock before letting out a deep, rumbling laugh. “Oh, to be a fly on that wall.”

“Hey, they’re not half bad. Aubrey and Chessie are really good at it,” I defend, a smile tugging at my lips. “And of course, they were lifesavers when it came to researching papers and studying for tests—even Fitzy.”

“Speaking of life-changing experiences,” Rufus leans in, his eyes squinting at me as if he’s been waiting to ask. “Tell me about that date with the emo gargoyle.”

“It was… enchanting,” I say dreamily, then snap out of it as I catch Rufus’ expectant look. “He took me to Paris for a lovely dinner and then to a Phantom ball! We danced until my feet hurt.. but the real magic happened once we got home.” I glance around conspiratorially before pulling down my shirt just enough to reveal an impressive bite mark above my breast, still tinged with purple and blue .

“Damn, girl!” Cori exclaims, while Rufus simply whistles low. “Two down, three to go.”

“Don’t be weird about it.” I smack her playfully on the arm, but I can’t help the blush creeping up my cheeks. “This is normal with mates. Everyone says so.”

Rufus arches a brow. “I suppose if you’re lucky enough to have fated mates, it is. Not all of us are so fortunate, even if we have found the people we might stick with.”

Cori nods, looking less confident than before. “Not that some non-fated mates don’t… you know. Bite for marking purposes. Because they do… I’m told.”

What the hell is that about?

Rufus shrugs when I look at him and then sighs dramatically. “If only. I’m such a bite whore. It cranks my engine like no other.”

“Alright, that’s enough sex talk,” I say when I see Cori’s expression. I pick up a bottle of nail polish. “Since this is officially a slumber party, what color am I going with tonight?”

“Something bright and loud,” Cori suggests as she looks through the selection on the table. “I still want to know which guy is next, by the way. Who’ll be lucky mate number three?”

I consider her question, painting a perfect stroke of magenta on my nails. “I’ll know when it’s time,” I reply confidently. “My bunny instincts haven’t steered me wrong yet.”

“Speaking of knowing when it’s time,” Rufus chimes in, “what’s the scoop with your voice practicum song? We told you ours and you haven’t shared.”

I know he’s changing the topic again because Cori is being weird, and I’m grateful for it, even if I’m not ready to answer this yet. “That’s under wraps. It’s going to be a surprise.”

“Fine, keep your secrets,” Rufus says, feigning annoyance. “But you owe me a sneak peek before the big day. ”

“Maybe, maybe not,” I tease as Cori takes the polish to start on my nails.

Laughter and chatter fill the room, the air thick with the scent of fried sweets and the warmth of friendship. It’s a comfortable bubble until the shrill ring of the phone punctures it.

“Who the hell is that at nine p.m. on a Saturday?” Cori muses, cocking her head.

I reach for the receiver, the playful banter fading into silence. The moment I hear the voice on the other end, my heart stutters, a chill running down my spine. The laughter and warmth of moments ago evaporate like mist as I stare at the faces of my friends, their expressions turning to concern. “Good evening, Lucille.”

“You are alive. Who would have known?” The voice drips with venom and I have to steel myself for how this conversation will likely go. Her words slither through the phone line as she adds, “You’ve been quite the disappointment—again.”

Blood drains from my face, leaving a sickly pallor. I haven’t spoken to her since the Yule break. I knew I’ve needed to call her since Bruno’s explosive departure from this world—not that I mourn him—but I've been putting it off.

This is exactly why, despite my confidence upgrade and successes on the playing field.

“What seems to be the problem, Lucille? I can’t imagine what ‘problem’ you’re referencing.”

“Acting as if you’re clueless again?” she hisses. “Don’t make me laugh. You will fix this mess you’ve made, or I will find a way to do it for you—and you won’t like it.”

I glance at Rufus and Cori, shrugging in confusion. They know enough about Lucille to understand the danger she presents, but it’s a fool’s errand to guess without any context. Fix what? I think frantically, but keep my tone steady. “Perhaps you could enlighten me? I’ve been very busy with school—trying to catch up—and my grades are excellent. I don’t know what you need me to address.”

“Your behavior reflects poorly on our family. Actions have consequences, Delores Diamond Drew. Dire ones, if you don’t get it together quickly.”

Is she drunk and alone with no one to berate since Bruno’s pushing up daisies? I have no idea what the fuck she means.

“Lucille,” I say, my voice steady despite the ice slithering down my spine, “I’m doing well here; I promise.”

“Fine?” Lucille’s laugh crackles through the phone, a sound devoid of any genuine mirth. “Is that what you call your... spectacle? You need a firmer hand, Delores, and if you don’t start showing some respect for our name, then I’ll send someone to ensure you do.”

That veiled threat sends a shiver through me. The last thing I need on top of everything else is her enforcer, turning up to put me in line. I take a deep breath, trying to keep my voice level. “There’s no need for that; I will make sure everything is taken care of.”

“You’d better.This embarrassment you’re causing us needs to be dealt with.” Her tone sharpens like claws unsheathing. “And it will be, one way or another.”

Her threat hangs heavy in the air, a noose waiting to tighten. Part of me wants to lash out, to demand she stop speaking in riddles, but that would only send her spiraling further into rage. Instead, I take a different tack. Much like Rufus, I’m going to change the fucking topic—fast.

“Speaking of family, I have to do a Shifter History paper and I’d love for you to give me some information on your family from Russia. How are they, anyway?”

I don’t know shit about her family other than a brief memory of her talking about her father, but if this gets her off my ass and gives me info for our reasearch, I’ll say whatever I need to.

“Ah, darling, they thrive as always,” Lucille replies, the pride in her tone unmistakable. Yet, she reveals nothing substantial, no tidbits of information I can use. It’s all smoke and mirrors with her. “I’m afraid I don’t have time to discuss the old country, though. I have other things to attend to.”

At nine at night on Saturday? I don’t even want to know.

“Perhaps on another call then,” I reply, trying to keep the eagerness out of my voice. The guys and I believe knowing about her family history might give me a clue about my… exceptional circumstances, but if Lucille knows I want to know something she will work her hardest to make sure I don’t get the info out of pure spite.

“Perhaps,” Lucille says, her tone deceptively soft. “Now, I must go. Remember: I’ll be watching you.”

The line goes dead, leaving a silence that roars in my ears. I set the receiver down slowly, my hand trembling slightly. The uncertainty of Lucille’s words wraps around me like a shroud, and I can’t shrug off the unease that settles in my bones. I really don’t want her to do something rash—like send Bruiser to France to trail after me.

“Are you okay?” Rufus asks, his voice low and concerned. “That sounded rough.”

“As much as I can be,” I groan. “Just typical Lucille bluster, I’m sure. I’m just frustrated I wasn’t able to get anything out of her about her family. We’re running into brick walls trying on our own.”

When I glance at Cori and Rufus, their faces painted with concern, I can’t help but wonder why Lucille didn’t mention my Pred Games victory .

That was worth boasting about, right? It’s aggressive, assertive—exactly her style. So why the silence on that front?

“Maybe she’s upset about you calling out the Council,” Cori offers tentatively, as if reading my thoughts.

“That’s possible,” I reply, but the suggestion doesn’t sit right. Calling them out was bold—precisely the sort of move Lucille would eat up with pride. No, it has to be something else.

I feel it—an itch under my skin, a restlessness in my bones. Lucille isn’t one for empty threats. Whatever scheme she’s concocting, whatever ace she’s hiding up her designer sleeves, it’s clear she’s playing a game whose rules I haven’t yet deciphered.

I have to find out what the fucking hell she thinks I did to embarrass her before this blows up in my face.

“Hey, let’s not worry about that now,” Rufus says, trying to lift the mood. “We’ve got sweet things to eat and nails to paint. Let’s enjoy our slumber party while we still can, girl.”

“Right,” I force a smile, letting my friends’ laughter pull me back from the precipice of my fears. But as I join in, my mind races, trying to piece together the puzzle of Lucille’s demands.

What the hell does she know that I don’t?