“I shake my head, "What can he do he hasn’t already done? What can anyone do to me that hasn’t already be done?" I turn and face her, "I don’t have any walls left, Shell. I'm like a single tree standing in a field for everyone to see. There is nowhere for me to hide.”

“Tell me something, Raphael?" He was already turning, heading to the door. "What is it you'd like to know, Guild Hunter?"She hid her smile at his slip. "What do I call you? Husband? Mate? Boyfriend?"Stopping with his hand on the doorknob, he shot her an inscrutable look. "You can call me 'Master'.”

“I’m not trying to do it like that … I’m trying to do it like it hasn’t been done!”

“I shake my head, but I can’t change this. I can only bear the scars, as I have always done, as I ever do.”

“I want a soul mate who can sit me down, shut me up, tell me ten things I don’t already know, and make me laugh. I don’t care what you look like, just turn me on. And if you can do that, I will follow you on bloody stumps through the snow. I will nibble your mukluks with my own teeth. I will do your windows. I will care about your feelings. Just have something in there.”

“I let my face go blank and nodded slowly. "Yes.The trolls.Back. With me. Cannot form.Complete sentences." I shook my head. "Yeah,so not happening."He considered me,annoyed and at a loss for what to do next."I don't kill humans.""Me niether!See,common ground already.”