Ivy waves her arms, and the deer startles, making a beeline for the trees with a flash of her white tail.
I round on the human immediately. “Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?”
She’s still gazing at the spot where the deer vanished. “I-I’m sorry. I couldn’t…”
I grip her shoulders. “That deer could have seen you through the winter!”
Ivy whimpers, and I look down at my hands. My claws are drawn, cutting into her arms, and when I remove them, they drip with blood.
Shit.
She staggers away from me, looking at me like I’m the monster under her bed.
Guilt shreds my insides when Irealise…Ihurther.
“Ivy...” I whisper.
“Stay away!” she shrieks, tripping over snow in her haste to get away from me.
The look of betrayal on her face sends me spiralling into the abyss, and maybe this time, I won’t ever crawl back out. With a wretched sob, she disappears into the forest, turning her back on me, but I don’t go after her.
Instead, I stare at her blood. It drips from the tips of my claws, staining the snow at my feet.
Hurting her was never my intention. I’mdefinitelygoing to hell after this.
Nothing will ever make this right again.
I find her in her room, cleaning her wounds with a wet cloth.
She doesn’t see me watching her in the shadows. Nor does she see me when she presses the cloth to her shoulder, hissing in pain, and guilt tears me apart yet again.
I really never meant to hurt her. Maybe all those kids back in the village were right about me, after all. Maybe Iama monster.
Ivy stiffens. Then she spins suddenly, the colour draining from her face when she sees me.
I probably look like a horned demon from the bowels of hell, especially with the way my eyes glow.
She whimpers, gripping her blankets like a child. “Stay away...”
She’s terrified of me now, and rightly so. For her sake, I don’t use my speed. I move at a languid, human pace, raising my hands as a sign of peace—I even make sure that my claws are back inside my gloves. “I’m not going to hurt you, Ivy.”
She grips the blankets tighter, and I finally realise that she’s undressed.
The blood burns hot in my veins. Then my mouth dries, and the room spins in circles.
But as always, I get a hold of myself. I’m already on thin ice, and I need to regain her trust.
Ivy wrings the blankets with her fingers, worrying her bottom lip. Her terrified eyes don’t leave me, and shame gouges deep beneath my skin again, leaving permanent marks on my soul.
I will never forget the way she looked at me, as if I were some type of monster hellbent on vanquishing her. Still, I want to help.
“Here, let me…”
As I dare a step closer, she holds the blankets higher, tensing her shoulders. But when she realises I mean no harm, she relaxes her posture, offering me her wounded arm. I assess the wound, trying my best not to touch her. It’s worse than I thought.
These deadly claws of mine really are capable of so much damage. I block away the painful memories, focusing on the present. These cuts are going to scar her beautiful skin.
Well, not if I can help it. For the pain I’ve caused her, I will give her something in return. It’s the least I can do.
