Prey

Chapter 35

Xander's POV:

"Please enjoy!" The same words rang from the same woman that was here the day I got Doe.

Her shop was only open once a month, and always on the days after a bloodmoon, knowing that business would be good.

The crowd here showed it as well, but I got here with Layla early enough for us to be the first group to be let in.

To get the first pick of pets.

Step one: Check.

"Watch the step there," I advised while we passed through the door, remembering how that cursed thing tripped me up the last time I was here.

Something that, to this day, Doe has not let me live down.

My eyes drew over the oddly lit room, finding it very similar to the first time I was here.

Eight rows of these young girls filled the center each one ranging from three to twenty of them, all chained together with those who shared their blood type.

All staring blankly straight ahead while the rest of the vampires swarmed them.

A sight that, this time, sent a strange guilt-ridden knot tying itself in my stomach.

Which forced my gaze to the back of the room where I had first found Doe.

The AB positives were still kept at the back of the room.

"So, which blood type were you thinking?" I asked the girl beside me, in an effort to get my mind off this.

She tapped her pointer finger against her lips, eyes trailing over the girls.

"Well, I have been craving our old one for a while now,"

"AB positive it is then," I concluded with as much positivity that I could muster, starting our path to the back of the room.

"What about you?" she began, "Which one are we going to be splitting this time? I'm thinking Either one of the O's or B-negative."

The memory of the taste of Khloe's blood ran across my tongue at her last suggestion, causing me to swallow and clear my throat before speaking again.

The words I had been rehearsing in my mind ever since this plan was set.

"Ah, right, about that," I started.

Her head practically whipped towards me at the first sign of my...uncooperative response.

She kept her eyes wide, but I could see the slight pinch of dissatisfaction already present in her brows.

"I uh... I was thinking about holding off on that for a little bit. It's just been a while since it's been just me living in that room, and I kind of missed the quiet," I even added a yawn to the end of that sentence to make it sound more casual.

I doubted she knew me well enough to know how false that statement was.

As painful as that realization was...

"So my plan was to get another one for us to split after the next bloodmoon," I finished.

That would be enough time to come up with something fool-proof.

Finally, her eyes squinted to match the look her eyebrows were already showing me.

It made me think for a second that she somehow had seen right through my lie.

"You know that means that you're not going to see me as ofter, right?" her tone was flat.

"I-I know, But we can meet up for other reasons," I was grabbing at any excuse I could find at this point, trying to get that look off her face, "Plus, it'll only be for the season, then we can go right back to how it used to be."