Page 114 of Blood & Claw

They sat like that for a while, accompanied by the crack and pop of the fire, the danger ebbing away inch by inch. Darach’s breathing evened out, while Ailsa’s nerves steadied.

Glancing his way once more, she observed her bodyguard’s strong profile. “Feeling better?”

“Aye.” His grip on her hand tightened. “You did help me, you know? I told you … I feel different from before. The beast still wants out, but something in me is stopping it.”

She harrumphed. “Thank The Five, I’ve done some good.”

His lips curved. “You did.”

Ailsa watched the firelight dance across his face.

Harvest Fire flashed through her mind then—Lewis rejecting her, the laughter that had followed, and the vow she’d made afterward never to hand another person the power to hurt her like that again.

Yet Darach had placed his life in her hands tonight. He’d trusted her.

Perhaps she needed to trust him too.

The thought frightened her. Even so, she found herself wanting to believe that if she showed him the darkest parts of herself, he wouldn’t turn away.

They remained there, fingers entwined in the glow of the fire.

The companionable silence stretched out, and yet instead of relaxing, Ailsa found herself growing tenser. Anxious.

She could stay quiet.

Keep pretending.

Walk away with her secrets intact.

Or she could let him in.

She started to sweat then.

He showed you the monster inside him … maybe it’s time you showed him yours.

Moments slid by as she wrestled with herself. And then, she drew in a deep, steadying breath. “Darach,” she murmured eventually. “There’s something you need to know.”

29: BLOOD CONFESSIONS

“SOUNDS OMINOUS,” DARACH replied, glancing her way.

Her throat tightened as she slid her hand from beneath his.

“Go on then,” he murmured, his gaze searching her face. “I won’t judge.”

“You might have noticed,” she began huskily, “that I enjoy fighting … and killing.”

He gave a slow nod, his expression difficult to read.

Ailsa swallowed. “Aye, well, it’s worse than that. I also have thoughts … about blood.”

He inclined his head at that, yet didn’t comment, giving her space to elaborate.

“When I killed that outlaw in Ardroth … I watched him bleed out and felt an … insatiable hunger.” She broke off there. Gods. The truth sounded so much worse spoken out loud.

Fern was right; she was a predator … but then, so was he.

Darach didn’t reply immediately. However, the furrow between his brows gave him away.