People I Don’t Like #2
Standing in front of our door is Lucille, dressed in a tailored black suit, sunglasses, an enormous hat, and a face that could freeze the campus lakes.
She’s flanked by Taka Khan, whose eyes are like glass marbles set into a stony mask.
Behind them are six more preds—four obvious ‘playmates’ and two who have both the muscle and attitude of professional enforcers.
I take a second to register the rest—the three enormous suitcases, two trunks, and a stack of garment bags, all branded with the Rostoff logo and banded in Drew family blue.
Holy fuck, are they trying to move in?!
Fitz mutters, “That’s nightmare fuel if I’ve ever seen it.”
Aubrey says nothing at first, but every atom in his body is flexed and ready.
He’s still in a cardigan, but his neck is thickening and the lines of his jaw are already shifting toward something far less human.
The dragon inside him will not let my mother and the twins’ father get near me or anyone else in our family.
My mother looks past the boys, her eyes almost dissecting me. “Delores, darling. I do hope you’ve kept your home tidy. It seems the school’s lodging situation is… less than optimal for guests of my stature.” She says it as if she expects someone to laugh, but no one does.
My hands clench at my sides. “Why are you here, Lucille?”
She looks genuinely delighted that I asked.
“The Council is convening an emergency review of l’Academie, as well as the recent…
events… on campus. I insisted on oversight when we received word of the things happening since the beginning of the semester, plus as parents, we would like to watch the first match in two weeks. ”
Rennie steps forward, then walks right past Felix and Aubrey.
I see the micro-expression on Lucille’s face—a flicker of actual surprise, quickly masked.
“Madame Drew,” he says, his accent in full velvet-and-vinegar mode.
“You must forgive the lack of a red carpet, but the annex is already at capacity. As you may know, this accommodation was not intended to house guests on campus because of its proximity to the valuable texts in the archives.”
Lucille tilts her head, as if inspecting a bug she’s never seen before.
“Renard Laveaux, is it? I heard you were flittering around my daughter despite your own parents exiling you for what would be considered treason today.” She turns to Taka.
“I told you—no matter how carefully you seed the talent pool, the bad ones always show up to corrupt your line.”
Taka grins, a bare flash of teeth. “I find it quaint, love. His behavior reminds me of the old days, when every campus had cannon fodder we could put in the ring for our amusement.”
Fitz, now standing at my side, whispers, “I’m going to deck him, and that will definitely get me put behind bars. It’ll be worth it, though.”
His twin puts a hand on Fitz’s shoulder and the two of them form a literal wall between me and the door. I see Chessie’s fist tighten, his claws half-out, and I know it’s not just to look tough.
Lucille gives them both a look of icy disdain and then waves a hand at their luggage. “We’ll need two of the guest rooms. I’ll expect fresh sheets.” She turns to me again. “You should be accommodating, Delores. You remember what happened last time you refused me, yes?”
My voice comes out so steady it almost scares me.
“I think there’s been a miscommunication, Mother.
Every inch of this house is full, and there are no rooms available.
If you’d like, we can direct you to the dance dorm where my room is unoccupied.
I don’t know how comfortable your entourage would find it, but I’m sure you’ll make do. ”
She narrows her eyes, and I see the exact instant she shifts from trying to intimidate to burning it down. “If you don’t open the door, I’ll have security break it down.”
Aubrey steps forward, his height now much taller than anyone else’s, including their security.
His gaze is as cold as anything I’ve ever seen on this planet.
“You’ll find that in this house when Dolly says ‘no’, it is respected.
That means you do not have to go home, but you need to get the fuck out of here.
Otherwise, you will face a dragon who has not hunted yet this week. ”
Taka looks like he wants to say something, but Lucille holds up a manicured hand and fixes me with a laser stare. “Very well. But you’ve just moved yourself to the top of the agenda, daughter.”
I almost lose the thread, but it’s then I notice Mattie is not with them. It makes me panic a little, wondering if they’re imprisoning her somewhere.
Aubrey and Felix both keep their bodies in the doorway, not moving a single muscle, just radiating “fuck around and find out” energy so loud that even the Council goons shift uncomfortably.
My mother is defeated but not conceding, so she snaps her fingers at the lead attendant.
“Call the cart and my assistant. We’ll not walk a single step on this campus, not with the current…
threats to security.” She glares at me and then at the twins.
“You’ll be hearing from us soon. Don’t get comfortable because we are here to stay until after the Pred Games, Delores. ”
She turns on her heel and sweeps away, Taka following, and the rest falling in line behind her. They leave the luggage in a neat, aggressive little pile at the threshold.
Chess leans in, murmuring, “This is going to be fucking awful.”
Fitz is shaking, not from fear, but from the effort of holding back every retort and insult in his arsenal. I catch his hand before he can stalk after them.
“Don’t,” I whisper. “That’s what they want.”
My crazy tiger nods, his jaw clenched, and Felix finally releases his death grip on his brother.
Aubrey only relaxes when the outside security cam shows the group leaving the quad for the main road.
When the door closes, the quiet is louder than anything I’ve ever heard.
I’m acutely aware of all five of my mates—the tension in their bodies and the rage on every face.
Chess finally asks, “Are you okay, Angel?”
I shake my head, just once. “No. But I’m going to be. We all are if we just keep them as far from our home and our lives as possible.”
We spend the next few minutes in a blur of planning and logistics.
There’s a map of the house, a new set of codewords, a rotation of who’s on door duty and who shadows me to classes.
Every step is deliberate, a counter-move to the game Lucille is playing.
Fitz, with the resigned glee of a man facing his last meal, starts drafting a master list of potential Council tricks—poison, blackmail, digital sabotage, and old-fashioned intimidation.
Once we’re done, I take Felix’s hand. “We have to go, babe. I’m going to be late, and their presence means more scrutiny.”
We’re all on edge, and we all know it, but the world won’t stop spinning just because it threw us another curveball. As long as I have these people, I’m not afraid of what’s coming.
That doesn’t mean the convergence of vampires, Lucille Drew, outside fans, and a huge holiday night aren’t an omen for bad things to come, right?
Find out what happens next in Queen of The Prey: A Holiday Special.
(Note: no bonus this time ‘cause I’m working on that above!)