Page 62 of Huntress

“Dammit, Mutt, let me take your shirt off!” Elsie wheezed, then took advantage of the stunned look he gave her and grabbed his wrist with one hand, trying to raise his shirt with the other. Any pressure on that wrist shot bolts of pain up to her elbow, and with her shoulder injury she could barely move the arm at all, but he let her pin him.

Elsie ignored the pain and shoved his shirt up to reveal his injury. He rolled his eyes and sighed as she took in the sight of his damaged flesh. Parts of his broken rib cage were exposed through the still-weeping sword strike.

“Gods,” she muttered, pressing a gloved fingertip over his heart. The sword had only missed by a couple of inches. “You’re lucky this didn’t kill you.”

“Leave me be,” the demon complained. He watched her face carefully, not daring to take more than the shallowest of breaths.

“Let me take care of you. It’s the least I can do to thank you for helping me,” she persisted. This wouldn’t have happened to him if she’d been faster. Stronger. She had to make sure he was okay.

Pressing her eyes closed for a beat, she reconciled what she would have to do. It was a risk, but she didn’t think there was a chance they’d bond. He hated her to the depths of his soul, and everyone said the most important part of forging a mating bond was compatibility.

Elsie peeled off her gloves as her heart beat wildly. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d accidentally touched a man, let alone on purpose! This was different, though, right? He was a demon. So why did her heart flutter with nervousness? Why did it feel like she was about to change the course of her entire life?

The demon watched what she was doing with a frown on his face. The emotions he was throwing around echoed her own. Elsie lowered her palms to his chest, ready to use the wisps of magic left to her, but before she got her fingers on those muscles, he reached up and caught her wrists, the same as she’d done to him.

“Damn it, Mutt!”

“I don’t want you to touch me.” His face was calm, but the emotions flooding into her stopped her retort cold. He was angry, but more than that, he was scared. She stared into his eyes, wondering what he was afraid of.

“Okay,” she whispered, understanding that she’d crossed a line, but for once he kept his sharp tongue in check.

It wasn’t until that moment that she noticed how tense he was, how hard and tight his muscles were between her thighs. It was faint, but he was shaking. Shame washed over her, but she wasn’t about to move. Not yet. Let him suffer a bit in retaliation for running off and worrying her earlier.

“Mutt–”

“What the hell are you doing?” Marley demanded. They hadn’t felt her presence, nor heard her calling. Startled into reality, the demon’s grip slipped, and Elsie fell forward, her palm landing hard on his chest.

Searing hot pain exploded between them. She felt every inch of the hole in his body, and he felt the torn muscle and flesh in her shoulder and stomach. Then something else exploded through their chests.

Elsie’s breath was ripped from her lungs as an iron grip seized her soul and tore its way from her body. Pressure built in the top of her head and snapped into place. An excruciating cry escaped her lips, and she looked into the horrified eyes of her demon. Cold dread built, as if death herself stood over the pair of them, scythe at the ready.

No, no, no, no, NO!

“Holy shit,” she whispered.

“Captain?!” Marley said urgently. She’d crouched down next to them, searching Elsie’s face. “What happened?”

‘What happened? Oh, nothing much, I’ve just secured a mating bond with a fucking demon!’ she thought savagely, her entire being in a state of panic. She couldn’t take her eyes off his, at the loathing written all over his face.

“Captain?!”

Elsie blinked heavily, snapping out of it. She sat back, snatching her hand off the demon as though she’d been burned. She wasn’t dealing with this nightmare right now. Or ever.

“M-Mutt stopped a sword intended for me with his body. You weren’t around, so I was going to start healing him,” she answered, knowing full well how bad this looked. She picked up her glove and pulled it back on.

“Are you kidding me?!” Marley shouted.

The demon lay back and looked up at her with angry resignation. Elsie smacked his chest, and he let out his breath in a whoosh. Dramatic. She didn’t have the strength to hit him hard enough for that reaction. “Tell her this is your fault!”

He stayed silent, as he always did when there were other people around. The hound looked like the perfect submissive pet, making her out to be an unreasonably pushy and abusive owner. He knew exactly what he was doing.

“Captain, it’s a demon. If he’s strong enough to be fighting with you, he’ll heal on his own,” Marley stated, giving Elsie a strange look, not understanding what all the fuss was about.

“He saved me, Mar,” Elsie insisted. “I owe him.”

Marley hesitated. If Elsie’s fae blood was demanding the debt be paid, it would explain her strange behavior.

“What the hell?” Trenton muttered as he and Trisse walked up together.