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Whoever this woman had once been, she’d carry horror in her veins now
Ashwini had never told Honor, never would, but after Honor’s abduction, there’d been so , a howling terror that swa force of it ht after night regardless, her hand locked tight with her best friend’s
Honor had survived that vile darkness, had needed Ashwini to be strong enough to fight its echoes, be at her side
As this woman did now
“I’ertips to the back of the victi punch to the stomach delivered by a fist of cold iron, one that knocked the breath right out of her Then ca and dread-laced panic that made her want to curl up into a ball in the corner and rock herself to oblivion Breaking the contact, she braced her hands on the bed and sucked in desperate gulps of air
“Cher”
She’d sensed Janvier walk inside, didn’t startle at his worried tone “I don’t kno to do this” It caed “I don’t kno to get past her terror”
Moving in so close that his body heat licked over her skin, Janvier picked up one of her hands and lifted it to his mouth in the way that had so quickly become familiar The kiss was soft, a lazy seduction, and it had nothing to do with the ugliness that had consuentle pleasure of ittheir clasped hands, she rubbed her cheek against the back of his hand
“What if I stay?” he asked “Will the touch anchor you?”
“I don’t know” This was uncharted territory “All my life, I’ve tried to s, but too many times, it’s cruelty and evil So I don’t look, don’t want to look”
“It is nothing to be ashamed of No one can live life mired in horror”
How did he do that? See her so easily? “Sometimes I think I became a hunter so that I could ease er because I can’t face this”
“Yet,” Janvier said, “I’ve heard other hunters say you saved their lives by warning theested no need for either”
“That’s different I know things now and then”
“And there are no nighte?”
Ashwini couldn’t hold his gaze Because there had been dreas to fellow hunters, drea so hard and fast that it had caused physical pain “Stay,” she said, her trust in him so deep, it was a part of her soul “Ifif it looks like I , haul ht suck her under before she even kneas there