Her Sweet Flavour

a desired reward

POV: Evane

She's surprisingly feisty.

I hadn't expected her to throw food at me and get frustrated about me keeping her. I thought she'd be scared or upset and shy away from me, just like she was at first. I didn't think she'd throw her breakfast at me.

I don't mind cooking it all again since she let it get cold, but she'd better eat it this time rather than tossing it at me.

I check the TV in the living room that I can see from the kitchen, watching the feed I get from the small camera in her room. I knew the instant she was awake but I let her explore her room first and get acquainted with her surroundings before I went to see her and give her some food.

While I wait for the food I'm making again to cook, I watch as she eventually unfurls from her ball in the darkest corner of her room, crawling over to her bed and getting onto it. She cuddles one of her plushies as she lays down.

Turning on the sound, my heart shatters a bit as I hear her sobbing against the plush, mutter to herself. I can't catch most of her words but there is one I can hear her saying - "Bambi".

Without him my kitten has been so broken. I know I pushed her to her breaking point by taking him, but it was that or somehow forcing her to take them, which I thought would break her trust even more.

He's safe, and I know that - but she doesn't.

Maybe I'll give her a reward if she manages to eat her food. I won't punish her if she doesn't, but she needs some positive reinforcement to help her settle in and build up her trust with me again.

The oven dings as the food finishes cooking and I turn my focus away from her. She'll be fine alone in her room for a while. I made sure it's safe for her.

I serve the cooked food onto a clean plate and cut up some fresh fruit for her before placing it all on a tray to take to her room. I get the key out of my pocket as I walk up to her door, unlocking it and opening it, watching her as she scrunches up into herself.

"Come on, Adeline," I sigh, brightening the light in her room a little with the dimmer switch by the door. "You need to eat."

"...I don't want to..." She mumbles against the plush she's hugging making it very difficult for me to understand her.

I place the tray on the small desk in her room, setting everything up correctly before turning to her as she keeps laying in her bed.

Crouching beside her bed, I admire her for a moment before trying to get her to unfurl and get out of bed so that she can eat. Those drugs should have made her at least a little hungry and she hasn't been eating properly for a few days now.

"Come on," I try to coo, but she just curls up tighter unto herself. "Adeline," I sigh, knowing that there could be one thing I could try to get her to eat at least a majority of what I gave her. I don't expect her to eat it all, but I want her to eat most of it.

"If you eat over half of it, you'll get a reward," I tell her, which does catch her attention.

"Do I get to choose my reward?" She mumbles, lifting her eyes a little to look at me but still not meeting my eyes.

"No. I already have one in mind," I tell her.

"Will you tell me?" She softly asks.

"No. You'll only find out what it is if you do as I say and eat at least half of your breakfast."

She grumbles and instantly curls back up. I back off, sitting further away from her to give her the time and space she needs to think. I want to be patient with her, but I don't really want to cook it all again.