Prey

Chapter 17

A/N: Them✨

Doe's POV:

I adjusted the thick blanket around my shoulders as I leaned back against the wall of the window sill, bringing one knee up to my chest.

Beside me sat what had to be the twelfth empty cup of tea I've had today.

As well as an empty bowl of what used to be a warm fruit soup that Xander insisted I try to eat.

According to him, I can't just live off of peppermint tea, lemon, and honey all day and expect to get better.

But if getting better took away my temporary 'immunity' from getting my blood taken, I don't know if I want it to come sooner.

Which may or may not be why I wasn't currently asleep at the moment despite how badly my body wanted me to be.

I turned my head to the side to look at him, catching him at his desk.

Just from his posture alone, I could tell he wasn't focusing on the stack of papers in front of him, and instead was off somewhere in his mind trying to figure something out.

Personally, I hoped he was trying to figure out how he was going to tell Layla that I was currently off-limits.

For all that I know, she hasn't let him know she's coming by any time soon.

He's probably hoping that she just won't stop by for these next few days, but both of us know that those chances are slim to none.

His shoulder slumped, showing a sigh that I couldn't hear before he set his elbow on the desk, head now resting on his fist.

Causing the blonde mess that was his hair to fall in his face as usual.

My brows pressed together at the sight of it, preparing to bring up the topic of a haircut again.

He didn't make any move to tuck it back, further proving that he wasn't paying attention at all to what was in front of him.

Even though I was currently sick, I still had the common sense to tie half of my hair up to get it out of my face.

I didn't need it sticking to my forehead with how much this fever was making me sweat.

If my throat didn't feel like death I would say something about it, but my predicament saved him from that for today.

Even with his advanced hearing, the rasp my voice would have with him being that far away wouldn't properly express my point.

A quick blur of grey flashed in my peripherals, causing me to turn my head back towards the window again, immediately spotting the familiar dove landing beside the nest she had hatched from.

Xander told me that an inca dove had built her nest in the outside corner of his window and raised her brood nearly five years ago, and ever since then one of the chicks returned the next year to repatch the nest for their own use.

I got to see the most recent one, and it helped in keeping me distracted from things back then.

I spent a lot of time sitting just how I am now, watching these birds be raised and eventually set out on their own.

Which was why I immediately recognized the bird.

Although she only had one sibling, she was easily the prettiest of the two.

The bird hopped up onto the rim of her childhood nest, turning her head to eye it before pecking at one of the stray sticks.

Clearing my throat, I spoke.