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Aubrey

Being back to the normal grind after the amazing time we all had on Spring Break is annoying. I usually love being able to kick morons out of my library, but the time our little family had alone was much more satisfying.

Even Fitz tearing around the rave covered only in glitter and body paint, screaming “I Am The Walrus” was better than this shit.

Rubbing my eyes as I squeeze the sparkly tiger mochi Chess gave me, I chuckle at the memory. Felix was ready to murder his overstimulated twin, but Rennie reminded him Fitz was tripping balls and would remember little to none of it. That made the future king practically salivate, so he and I chased the high tiger around snapping photos we plan on using later.

Dolly thought the whole thing was hysterical and let the naked cat give her piggyback rides throughout the grounds.

Who would have thought any of that even possible before last spring? Not me.

Being back in session has cut our time with her immensely, as she’s swamped in school work and rehearsals for the talent show. It’s my turn to take her on a date, but I haven’t asked yet. My dragon and I are in contention with each other more than we have been in centuries, and it’s making everything difficult. He wants to claim her now and I can’t decide where to have dinner.

My companion suggested that perhaps a solo outing with our girl, in a neutral setting, would help me find the Zen I worked so hard to achieve over the years. I don’t believe one date will soothe the roiling turmoil in my gut, but he made his damned ‘pleading face’ and I finally gave in. The grouchy hermit routine bothers him, especially since he’s allowed Dolly into the fortress around his heart. If I can find even a partial truce with my animal, it would make things a lot less stressful at home.

Unlike the others, I don’t want to plan a fancy trip or send specific clothing for Delores to wear. It’s not that I’m against a big production—in fact, I find the idea very appealing. However, for the first time, I would rather save my natural extravagance. At the moment, my mind and heart are too fraught to do it properly, and Dolly deserves my full attention while showing her how I feel.

Rather, how my dragon feels—which, at the moment, is far too feral for her to witness .

The sound of the archive’s airlock opening interrupts my brooding, and I look up from my stacks of books on the table. “Ah. You’re awake.”

“As are you,” Renard says, arching his brow. “Might I inquire when the next time you plan on sleeping might be?”

Rolling my eyes, I go back to examining the book that came in for authentication this week. “Don’t be dramatic. I sleep fine in the spare room if I’m too tired to remain upright.”

“Mmm. I suppose that’s why you look like a giant, stubbly wreck, huh?” The gargoyle drops into the chair across from me, watching me through narrowed eyes.

“Pfft,” is the only reply he gets as I cross-reference another book for verification.

His heavy sigh is tinged with frustration, and he pauses before speaking again. “Aubrey, for the love of Aed, go get ready for your date with Dolly. Stop being a grumpy old asshole. I’ve known you fifty times longer than anyone else. If you don’t get your horned head out of your ass, you’ll be sorry later, mon ami .”

Here comes the French; I’ve got him going now.

The dragon inside of me rumbles to life as the fire in my belly ignites. Rennie’s lips curve and his eyes flash electric blue, instinctively responding to the challenge, but he doesn’t shift one of his languid limbs—yet. My oldest companion knows I can’t allow myself to damage the precious books in my hoard—not again—so he’s keeping his own inner beast tightly leashed.

“I don’t like being told what to do, Monsieur Laveaux,” I snarl.

He’s the only one I trust to tangle with my temper this way.

Rennie rolls to his feet gracefully, strolling to the door and pressing his finger on the pad to open it. “I suppose that’s why I do it, Lord Draconis.” That said, he strides out of the archives, and leaps into the elevator space, climbing up the walls like the theatrical sod he is.

Son of a bitch. Way to ruin a perfectly good brood, Rennie.

After a nap, a shower, and a great deal of playful sniping later, I’m dressed for my trip to town with Dolly. It’s a casual outing, so according to my in-house fashion guru, I shouldn’t wear a jacket. Fussing with the collar of the light-colored oxford, I take one last glance in the mirror. I’m not vain, but I feel very exposed. It has been a long time since I’ve done something like this, and I don’t want to fuck it up.

“You’ll be fine,” Renard calls from his cozy spot in the nest. “Stop overthinking it.”

As if stopping my brain is an option.

“If you say so,” I mutter, and head back into the room. Pulling my phone out, I realize I need to go down and meet our girl. Her friends are dropping her off at the Admin building on their way to work on sets for the talent show. The way Delores lit up when she talked about the piece she’s performing was enough to make my heart squeeze. If nothing else, seeing her so happy is gratifying. Before break, she seemed ready to toss in the towel.

“Catch!”

I barely get my hand up in time to snatch the car keys as they come flying towards my face. The gargoyle grins at me, his expression full of faux innocence, and I roll my eyes at him. “Hilarious. I’m headed out now.”

Trudging down the steps of the Tower, I consider how much things have changed since Christmas break.

The tone on campus is hushed—as if everyone is waiting for the next student to disappear without a trace. Henny asked the professors to load students up with work to keep them indoors studying, rather than sneaking around for parties and hook-ups. The meeting we had with her after the first day back revealed six more missing students, though none from families influential enough to cause a fuss. Much like the body that appeared on our balcony, despite security measures, not a trace remained of those who didn’t return from their homes.

If someone can sneak into Renard’s sanctuary to drop a body, is anywhere safe?

I doubt it. Rennie’s aversion to technology doesn’t stretch to our home. The Tower has a fully equipped alarm system with motion sensors we activate when we’re out. After all, the two of us have more valuable artifacts than anyone else at Apex, and neither of us appreciates invasion of privacy. But this motherfucker didn’t trip our system—they either climbed the sides or came from above.

Magic may not be the answer, as my lover thinks, but winged shifters could.

Dragons don’t take kindly to people invading their homes, especially ones who aim to hurt their treasures.

And Dolly is my treasure, without a doubt.

Shaking my head, I push all of that away as I arrive at the Admin building. Renard’s stupidly sleek Aston Martin parked in front—proving he really has the prey staff wrapped around his clawed little finger. I would have preferred we switch this roller skate out for one of his larger vehicles, but he stubbornly refused. That mischievous streak of his is going to be the death of me, especially if he ever gets Dolly to play along.

“Aubrey!”

Turning my head, I see the bunny in question waving as she walks up to me with the badger and polar bear. Her friends look like Sid Vicious and Nicki Minaj as they stroll up with my beaming date. They wear their eccentricity like a badge of honor, which I believe has given Dolly permission to be herself without judgment. I’d thank them, but the punky one is giving me a suspicious glare.

What in the name of Osiris did I do to him?

“Listen up, Prof,” he says as they reach the car. “We brought Dollybear here for your little jaunt to town, but she’d better come back unscathed.”

The polar bear bobs her curly head, rainbow hair flying as she points an accusatory finger. “Even when it’s consensual, you’re too old not to know how to take care of our girl. Don’t make us hunt you down.”

Dolly is turning as pink as the proverbial bunny’s nose, and I’m left to gape at the two furious looking students escorting her. Not only are they threatening a professor, but they’re serious as a heart attack, and I don’t have a clue what they’re talking about. I walk around the side of the car and open the door, so the girl in question can get in.

“I applaud your fierce defense of your friend, but I have absolutely no idea what the fuck you’re talking about.” I pause, letting my dragon slip into my gaze for a moment. The suggestion that we would hurt Delores woke him up, and I have to squeeze the squishy kitty in my pocket to help calm his irritation. “I would never allow harm to come to the nibblet, nor would I let her suffer any ills. Your staunch concern is misplaced, I fear.”

Good job, Aubrey. You didn’t even roast them alive for their insolence—nice.

Rennie would be proud of my measured, pragmatic approach. I wait for the badger to nod and then look at the colorful bear for her agreement. Once they both give their approval, I round the car and squeeze myself in. It’s ridiculously small, and I’m not, so Dolly immediately dissolves into giggles. I scowl at her, even though I’m secretly enjoying the adorable sound of her joy, and peel out of the lot.

The quicker we arrive, the less time I have to spend crammed into this clown car.

“Aubrey! You drive like a maniac,” she chides, giving me a stern look.

I arch a brow at her. “Buckle up, bite size. This is going to be a bumpy ride.”

“You’re telling me...,” she mumbles sarcastically.

I don’t respond until she complies. “If you’re worried about my driving that much, we’ll fly next time.”

“It’s a date.”

Which is how I asked her on a second date as our first began.

“Holy shit, I forgot—it’s Easter!” Dolly exclaims as we park in the oddly packed lot.

I blink, looking around in shock. They filled the town square with decorations, vendor booths, and a myriad of activities that spill over onto Main Street. Scents waft on the breeze from food trucks, and a vast staging area fills the center of the park, its line extending the length of the path I’d hoped to privately stroll along.

How would I know we were walking into a writhing mass of appetizers and their spawn? I don’t pay attention to weird human holidays based on zombie guru stories!

Rubbing the back of my head, I give her a sheepish look. “I didn’t realize all of this was going on. If you’d prefer to go somewhere else, we can...”

“No!” Her face is shining with excitement as she watches the crowds. “I want to stay.”

What?

“You want to… stay here? With all the… humans and… shifters?” I’m sure my face is a mask of confusion. She knows me, knows things I don’t share with anyone but her and Rennie, so wanting to set me loose here is a surprise. Not to mention, despite living at Apex longer than anyone else, I wasn’t aware they held events where we mixed with humans at all.

I suppose even I can learn something new.

Dolly claps her hands, her pastel hair bouncing on her bare shoulders. “Aubrey, this is an entire day where everyone is excited to see a bunny. Of course, I want to stay!”

She’s so fucking adorable; I’m going to lose my shit .

I finally crack a smile, holding my hand out to her. She’s so young and it takes so little to make her happy. Even if this will be like sticking bamboo shoots under my nails, I wouldn’t deny her this joy. “Okay, lunchable. We’ll walk among the sheep so I can learn what all the fuss is about.”

“Yay!” Dolly launches herself across the cramped console, wrapping her arms around my neck and planting a smacking kiss on my lips.

Holding onto her waist, I struggle to keep the dragon at bay. “Who knew that’s all it would take for you to initiate contact?”

She sniffs as she pulls away, shrugging a shoulder carelessly. “It wouldn’t take much if you’d quit being so cranky all the time.”

I know she doesn’t fully understand how rare shifters like Rennie and I work with mating—almost no one does—but that’s a secret for another time.

“I’m not cranky,” I protest, as she leads me to a booth full of ridiculous looking tiny clothing. “I’ve been working late trying to gather the information you requested, so I’m tired.”

Dolly picks up a sparkly purple collar with a bow on it and I realize this is a table of pet clothing, of all things. “This would look adorable on Jinx.”

It’s almost painful to admit she’s right, so I grumble a bit while she loads up a small basket of items and hands it to the prey shifter manning the booth. Her grin only widens when I pay, but she takes the small pink bag and slides it onto her wrist. We walk past a few more booths, and I continue buying all the things she coos and gushes over.

It seems I have as much trouble saying ‘no’ to her as I do to Renard, and they both know it.

I watch her make her way around the town, noting the symbiotic interactions between the clueless humans and the shifters that live here. The spider shifter selling hammocks can make a fortune on something that costs her nothing but time, and the humans will pay a premium for a ‘hand-crafted’ item.

There don’t seem to be any predators here, which is not surprising—young preds aren’t known for control or subtlety.

When we make it to the middle of the square, she gives me an evil smirk, and it makes my eyes narrow in suspicion. I don’t know what she’s got planned, but it can’t be good. No one close to me makes that expression unless they’re getting ready to do something they know will piss me off. She tugs on my hand, practically vibrating with mischief as she pulls me over to… a line?

“We’re going to get our picture taken with the Easter Bunny!” Dolly squeals as she leans into me and bats her lashes. “I want to frame it and put it in the Tower.”

Hell no. Absolutely not. I’ll never hear the end.

She must see the refusal brewing in my expression because she amps up the lash-batting and pulls a pout. “Please, Aubrey? Pretty please with sugar on top?”

I shake my head, warring with the part of me that craves cuteness. “No.”

The pout gets bigger, and she widens her eyes. “Pretty, pretty please? I’ll pop my ears out. Then we can both feel silly.”

She’s as big a cheater as my companion, and my eyes narrow. If I have to play along, I’m going to make her work for it. “Ears and tail. Plus, you have to do something silly in the photo—to make it fair, of course.”

Her nose wrinkles, but she finally nods. “Okay. But I’m gonna stand here in your big hulking shadow while I shift, so no one sees me if I don’t get it right.”

I snort, moving to block her from the rest of the onlookers. “Go ahead, then. ”

Dolly clears her throat and squares her shoulders—which is even more adorable, because who does that before they shift? Finally, one fluffy angora bunny ear pops free, followed by another, and she gives me a bright smile. “I’m doing good, right?”

“Yes, you are bite size. But you forgot...”

She giggles and shakes her head, the floppy ears making her even cuter, and I have to squeeze the squishy cat in my pocket until it practically pops. “No, I didn’t.”

Frowning, I watch her spin, and I’ll be damned if her fluffy cottontail isn’t poking out the back of her black lace sundress as if they made it for it. My eyes travel up her body until they reach the choker she’s wearing; the stone embedded in the locket looks a little familiar…

Motherfucker.

“That dirty rat. He gave you a piece of that damned talisman!”

Her fingers make a zipping motion over her lips, but I can see the smug look in her eyes. I know that’s how Renard keeps his clothes from shredding, but he’s purposely withheld the magic from me because he knows how much it annoys me. I’m going to make him pay for this betrayal, but for now, I have to get through this sensory overload.

The line moves and we chat as we wait, playing a surface-level version of two truths to pass the time. When we finally get to the stage, the partially shifted bunny bounces up to the human in the lumpy-looking rabbit suit. It’s incredibly surreal to see these people queuing to take pictures with a giant fake animal. They’d lose their minds if they realized an actual shifter who turns into the same animal was in their midst.

Humans are the least aware species on the planet—it’s an indisputable fact.

“Come on, you stuffy librarian! Get in the picture with me!”

Drat.

I trudge over to awkwardly stand near the weird rabbit man. Dolly rolls her eyes and leans over the costumed idiot to grab my shirt. Stumbling forward, I lean down and only glimpse her wicked grin before she’s kissing me. I can vaguely hear the whirr of a lens clicking in the background, but my full and undivided attention is on the silky feel of her plush lips pressed against mine.

And that is how Aubrey ended up buying an overpriced picture of a bunny snacklet kissing a surprised dragon in front of a sweaty human in a fur suit.