Taming A Predator

Chapter 16

Doe's POV:

The plaza was a lot busier in the morning.

Despite its size, it appeared that Xander and I got there right as it really began to bustle.

We'd got ready and left not long after we woke up and headed out, right now aiming for a tucked away breakfast nook he liked.

No offense to Lily whatsoever, I think we were just both seeking out a change of pace for today.

Something close to the days we used to have as a break from the welcome changes being here has brought.

They were all good changes, that much I can't argue, but this was something that I needed.

I think we both did.

I ended up about half a step behind Xander, maneuvering our way around the people gathered here to begin their day.

He had the height advantage over me to actually see where we were going, so I just simply followed his move, accidentally bumping into a few people or tripping over the cobblestone bricks that lined the streets.

The chattering voices all around made it practically impossible to hold a conversation without almost screaming at each other.

I'd wanted to grab his hand or something to help keep up my pace, but kept second-guessing and disregarding it for a multitude of reasons.

The fact that he was quite a big deal around here being one of them.

Although with what he was wearing, he specifically made it so that he wouldn't be so easily distinguished, but it was still a possibility with further inspection.

It had never once come up in any of our conversations about his life here that I was expected to treat him a certain way in public, and I knew his image here was very important to him.

I already had it in my mind that with one look, people could identify me as a pet.

I rose my head once that thought crossed my mind, flicking my gaze across the multiple faces that passed me.

My brows rose at the complete absence of something that I was so used to.

No one. Absolutely no one was giving me that stare.

The ones filled with morbid disgust or pity. No scoffs full distaste at my very presence.

At my existence outside the walls of a cage.

Weird...

They just were simply... carrying on with themselves. The ones I did make brief eye contact with responded with a smile and incline of their head.

Just like they did with the others around when they did the same thing.

I hadn't realized the hunch in my shoulders until I felt it melt away, taking all of this new information in.

Well, that feels... different.

There was a tad more pep in my step, reclaiming the inches I'd lost.

Dumb vampire and his long legs.

He'd turn his head to check in every thirty seconds or so before going back to scanning the surrounding area.

I don't think he 100% remembered where it was.

My fingers balled at my side once that urge to grab at his sleeve came again.

I'd gotten... a little bit into the new book and It made me second guess some things.

Both in this book and the last one I'd read the characters were always so nervous to keep a hold on each other, but I couldn't grasp why.