Prey

Chapter 49

Xander's POV:

My mind raced at the scene before me, mouth running dry.

No... No this wasn't supposed to be happening!

Why was she here!?

My stomach knotted, remembering that I never removed her constant access to this room.

I was going to. That was absolutely on my to-do list right after... Right after I called her.

Fuck.

Even then, I didn't think she'd have a reason to stop by after Doe's 'death'.

I didn't realize what was happening. I didn't realize what my instincts were warning me about until it was too late.

And now I was left to deal with it, my brain scrambling for the right way to present myself.

I could feel the default I put up whenever she was around, and the onslaught that had just been lowly simmering within me growling for release yet again.

"What the fuck is this?" She asked slowly, fury coating each word.

That dryness ran down my throat, the thick and all-to-familiar scent of Doe's fear permeating the air.

My eyes flickered to her as she took a shaky step back.

This wasn't supposed to happen so soon.

I knew this lie was going to fall through eventually, that I'd need to keep coming up with things to keep her away.

And keep Doe safe.

But I was too busy enjoying these days with Doe to think about what would work. I never thought about what my next plan was.

I couldn't think about it. I couldn't even have her name cross my mind without that weight falling in my chest all over again.

The pain that was currently scraping through my entirety at the sight of her here.

It was impeding my ability to think straight, so in a rush, I fell into what usually worked.

Talking.

Just start talking and do whatever I can to cover the lie.

Buy time to figure something out.

I couldn't fuck this up, nor did I want it to get messy.

Not with what I knew was on the line.

"Ah, Layla," I cleared my throat, trying to rid my voice of showing the insane amount of nerves on top of the sudden internal pain my body was putting me under, "It's... been a minute."

Her eyes narrowed ever further, fingers tapping impatiently against her crossed arms.

I knew that look well enough to know what she wanted from me.

An explanation.

Which I was desperately trying to come up with, but everything within me was working against me.

"It has," Her voice was a warning in of itself, those two words being enough to convey her current anger. "The reason for that being because you told me it was dead!" She bit out the last word.

No...No come on. Think. Think!

"She was!'" I blurted out, "Or at least I thought she was."

My untimely nervous laughter rose in my throat, and I used it to help playoff my words, forcing my stance to relax.

So I didn't look guilty as I spewed the only excuse I could come up with.

Which was almost impossible given my circumstance.