Prey

Chapter 90

Xander's POV:

The place I wanted to take her was... busier than I had anticipated.

Granted, it was quite a popular picnic spot, I just didn't think it would be as popular during the winter.

Doe didn't seem to mind though and actually looked to be content people-watching as she nibbled on the chicken skewers we had gotten from a nearby vendor.

I'd finished mine a few minutes ago, and was now lying face-up on the dark blanket with one leg bent over the other, soaking up the direct sunlight through the cold air.

She sat crisscrossed right beside me, her head turning every so often as she gazed around the people here.

I turned my head to its side, doing a brief look-over myself.

Almost all of the groups here consisted of two people per blanket on this slow-cleared area of grass, all sitting very close to each other.

It looked like most of these people were on dates.

That thought stewed in my head for a moment, finally clicking something that made my eyes widen in sudden realization.

Holy shit we look like we're on a date.

Of course, my purr began rumbling at the thought alone, at the mere concept of that being what was happening right now.

Followed shortly by a warmth flooding over my shoulders and up to my face.

Oh, come on!

I tried to put a stop to it but found it to be just as effective as arguing with a brick wall.

Every excuse I thought of to try to convince myself that the idea was too farfetched and unattainable just got either shot down or hit with an internal 'I don't care'.

We're not the same species.

I don't care.

There's no way this is natural.

I don't care.

I need to stop this before this gets out of hand.

Immediately shot down.

I was stuck. I was completely stuck and I didn't know what to do about it.

It was a different kind of stuck than when it was with Layla, so much so that it took me till now to finally see it for what it was.

This one didn't feel like a suffocating trap. This one was warm and welcoming.

It was fingers gently intertwined with mine instead of a hand holding me by the throat.

I glanced up at her, the sun brightening her hair as it flowed with the soft breeze.

And yet I held myself back.

There was one thing that I couldn't dispute. That being that this was a very one-sided thought.

She didn't grow up learning about these sorts of things.

She was brought up as a human programmed to never show emotions.

Or to never live long enough to begin to discover them on their own terms...

It was indoctrinated into her during the most developmental part of her life... So many shitty things were.

She wasn't taught or even showed attraction or romance.

She was taught to serve and give in ever since of the words. Even down to the most violating and defiling of actions.

I felt that angry tension in my jaw again the more I thought about it.