Page 88 of Eat. Prey. Love.
Cori’s larger-than-life diva-like presence draws a chuckle from me despite the tension, and Rufus, with his gangster swagger, seems ready to take on anyone who dares cross me. The Captain and Raina are next to Farley, whose sharp gaze sweeps over the scene. The crew and his couriers are all hidden around campus to help protect the space.
I can’t help it—I flash them all a wide, fangy grin, a show of bravado. Midfield becomes my stage as I pause, striking a pose that screams confidence. It’s not just for them; it's a reminder that I’m not just Delores Drew, the prey they sent to death two years ago. Now I’m Dolly, the predator bunny with five mates and a cadre of friends, fearless and indomitable in the face of danger. Cameras flash, videos roll, and for a moment, we’re all immortalized in that surge of solidarity.
I can’t fuck this up or I’ll never live it down. Put up or shut up, Dolly.
After the team scatters to the sidelines, I’m rooted to the spot, watching my teammates engage in their own battles. Some dance through their opponents with Giselle and precision, others clash with the brute force of their animal spirits. But there are those who falter, who meet the ground with a thud that echoes the sinking feeling in my gut.
Cappie’s team is no joke—they’re trained, ruthless, and every hit they land whispers ‘professional’ in brutal arcs and calculated strikes. My turn looms at the end, the final act in this spectacle of tooth and claw. The announcer’s voice booms across the arena, heralding my entrance with an edge that sends shivers down my spine.
“Prepare yourselves for the ferocity ofl’Academie’s very own Delores ‘The Destroyer’ Drew!” His words hang heavy in the air, saturated with an expectation that feels like a weight around my neck.
That intro might have been a little much.
I know Cappie’s tactics all too well. They’ve seen me grow, watched me evolve from prey to predator in their practice ring last Fall. Their new coach will have dissected my style, analyzed my every move, and now they’ll send a ringer—one crafted to exploit every weakness they think they know. It’s a chess game, and I’m the queen everyone’s eager to topple.
A deep breath steadies my nerves, steeling my resolve. Let them come. I’ll show them what it means to face a true predator, one who’s learned to turn vulnerability into strength. The spotlight awaits, and beneath it, I will either shine or shatter, but one thing’s for certain—I won’t go down without a fight.
The stadium’s energy crackles with anticipation, a live wire ready to ignite. Jaiyana Faez, the notorious saltwater crocodile shifter, emerges opposite me, her gaze as chilling as the legacy that trails behind her—her father was a Pred Games titan. I can taste the dread that name inspires, a bitter tang on my tongue. Worse yet, she’s a croc, and last time I faced her I was stymied by the resemblance to my former abuser. But he’s gone now and I’m burning to settle old scores with the likes of her kind.
If I can’t beat the shit out of Bruno now, I can sure as fuck kick this chick’s ass as a stand-in.
I plant my feet, feeling every inch the gladiatorial champion Cori envisioned me to be, clad in black and silver that gleams under the harsh lights. The crowd roars its approval, an ocean of sound that surges and swells around me. I let it wash over me—a baptism of noise before the battle. Then, my smirk cuts through the din like a blade; I raise my arms, commanding silence. It falls like a cloak, heavy and expectant.
With a wicked grin, I feed off their hunger for spectacle, and I give them one—a salute of twin middle fingers aimed at the shadowed boxes where our ‘honored’ Council guests probably lurk. Their outrage is my fuel; it burns hot and bright as I spin on my heel and stride into the ring, ready for war.
I’m no longer a pawn for my mother or any of these motherfuckers; I’m a free bunny.
Jaiyana wastes no time. Her strategy is clear: disconcert, unbalance, intimidate. She shifts seamlessly, human to crocodile, scales flashing dangerously. Each time she rolls, attempting to topple me with brute force, I realize there’s an unnatural strength to her movements. This girl wasneverthis fast, nor this strong before and gaining this much skill in the couple months since I fought her? The math isn’t mathing, so whether it’s magic or drugs, it doesn’t matter. It’s not normal, and it’s not fair play.
My heart hammers a fierce rhythm as I half-shift. Bunny claws elongate, muscles coil tight with leporine agility. I dart and weave, a blur of motion that keeps me just out of reach of her snapping jaws. I need to strategize. My eyes scan hers, searching for the telltale signs of enhancement. No dilated pupils, but a darkness that doesn’t seem natural.
I know what I have to do. The power lies within me—a cerulean reservoir of might I haven’t tapped since Apex. But how can I unleash it here, without revealing my full hand to the stadium’s prying eyes? The answer remains elusive, a puzzle to solve while parrying the relentless assault of a creature born from nightmares and honed by legacy.
No one said being the queen would be easy, and I’m on my own.
Sweat drips into my eyes, stinging them as I duck another vicious snap of Jaiyana’s jaws. The crocodile girl is relentless, her strength inexplicably mounting with every lunge and strike. My muscles burn with the effort of constant motion—dodging, weaving, blocking, countering with rapid jabs that seem to do little more than irritate her.
“Come on, Dolly,” I mutter to myself, breathless and desperate. “You’ve got more in you. You have to.” I envision the bunny within, quick and cunning, but this fight demands more than animal instinct. It requires the part of me I have no idea how to control and call forward. I can’t just knuckle my way through this one like I did with the drugged chick last year.
“Please,” I plead internally, directing my silent words to the wellspring of energy I know is buried inside me. I don’t know if talking to it like I do my bunny will work, but I definitely have to try. “I need you now. Not just for me, but for my mates and my friends. I can’t let this girl get the chance to kill me in front of a zillion people.”
The arena spins around us—a kaleidoscope of faces, cheers, and the pungent scent of bloodlust. The sight of my family—the one I chose—sharpens my resolve. They’re counting on me, and the thought of letting them down tightens like a noose. I won’t go down like the weak little rabbit my mother and all my ex-friends think I am.
I can do this; I just have to focus on getting that stupid lightning to listen to me.
“Help me beat her without exposing my secret,” I implore the enigmatic force, bargaining with a whisper of consciousness that feels both alien and intimate. “Keep me safe and hidden, but alive. I have you for a reason and that’s not clear yet, but it can’t end right now.”
It’s a stalemate of evasion and assault until, suddenly, there’s a response—an electric thrum that begins at my core and surges to my fingertips. As the power builds, it seeks an outlet, and I lashout with newfound potency. My hands connect with Jaiyana’s scaled flesh, and the energy leaps from me to her—an invisible arc of crackling defiance. I’m almost too surprised to hold on, but I dig my fingertips in, making sure it all flows into her.
Jaiyana’s eyes widen in shock, her body seizing up as if hit by a bolt of spring lightening—which I guess she was. She collapses in a heap of motionless predator on the grass field. The crowd falls into a stunned silence before erupting into a cacophony of awe and disbelief.
Ignoring the pain that racks my body and the blood that tastes like copper in my mouth, I stand tall amidst the chaos. With my legs trembling, I face the masses with my arms raised high again. The roar that meets me is deafening, a tidal wave of adoration washing over the arena.
I lock eyes with each member of my found family—their pride, their joy, their relief mingling with the wild exaltation of the crowd. Then, with a heart full of defiance, I cast a look towards the shadowed alcoves where the Council lurks, knowing full well the tremors of fear my victory sends through their ranks.
Dolly, you’re more than a girl taking back her life. You’re the storm they never saw coming.
The Phoenix