Page 25 of Blood of a Huntsman

A Taste of Insanity

The girl woke up at five that afternoon. Jack called right away, and this time, Bash answered.

Her name was Maddy, an undergrad earning her bachelor’s in witchcraft.

Maddy described the creature that had attacked her as a thing hiding in gray mist and black shadow, but when it stayed still long enough for her to have a good look, she'd seen a human face with sharp, long fangs, the body of a lion, and a snake’s tail.

"I was high, right?" she asked.

Jack smiled tentatively. "I wish. Get some sleep, Maddy. We got this."

Bash hadn't missed the way she looked at him, like he might just be worse than a human-faced, lion-clawed, snake-tailed monster.

He'd stayed as far away from her as possible in her borrowed accommodations within the impressive and cold Stormhale house on the hill.

The girl was still too weak to be moved.

"I'm sorry," he told her. "I just turned and—"

"I know who you are," she replied, cutting him off. "And I know about new vampires. It's cool. The demon left when you came, so it's doubly cool. Seriously. Chill. And you couldn't help yourself. No harm, no foul. Just…stay away from me, please? For now. While I heal."

Fair.

A knife to the chest, but better than what he deserved.

It might make him sound like an ass, but Bash was glad about the sentinel patrol. He definitely wasn't happy that the girl—Maddy—had been hurt, but having something to do, a purpose he was good at, in order to protect people? Yeah, he'd missed that.

After his nighttime astrology class, he headed to Oldcrest’s southwest border, near the Wolvswoods, his assigned post.

And he stopped dead.

"Catherine."

What was she doing here?

"Sebastian."

It's Bash.That's what he said to everyone else. What he should have said to her. But somehow, this stuck-up girl using his full name felt right.

"You're patrolling with me," he guessed.

"I'm not thrilled about it either. Never was very fond of babysitting."

He shook his head in disbelief. "Your people skills are horrendous. Didn't they teach you how to be nice, along with all the other shit you learned?"

She shrugged unapologetically.

"Oh, I can be nice. Is that what you want? For me to coddle you like everyone else?"

No. Not at all. Quite the opposite.

Bash was uncomfortable around mortals. Better around huntsmen, Jack in particular. Okay with vampires, because he knew that if he went crazy and attacked them, they could defend themselves.

But he only felt one hundred percent relaxed around one person. Her. Catherine Stormhale. The woman who didn't pity him, and who'd already put him on his ass once. Unlike absolutely everyone else, she didn't smell like dinner, not even a little bit.

She smelled like winter. Cold, crisp pine needles, apples and cinnamon. A delicious perfume that didn't make his throat tighten in thirst.

"You know, I think I'd love to see what you look like when you try to coddle," he replied, amused at the very thought.

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