Page 13 of Shadows of the Soul

“No, please go on,” I encouraged. “What do you know?”

Dave frowned and dropped his offending finger before running a hand through his hair. What had they figured out about me? The possibilities were endless. I wasn’t exactly an open book.

Robert leaned forward, clasping his hands together and eyeing the two of us. “I think you should take a step away from Miss Roberts.”

Dave, Hudson, and I snapped our heads toward the very human sheriff.

“Stay out of it,” I barked. Then turned my glare on to Dave as I stood to my full height. My nose would brush his nipples, so it wasn’t exactly impressive. “And you, stop making threats in my home. My hospitality is only holding out on account of our previous working relationship. I owe you nothing, not my time, not my home, not my food, and certainly not my secrets. If you have ferreted out a measly morsel of information about me, use it wisely. Because once you burn this bridge, there is no coming back.”

Dave’s mouth opened, closed, and opened again. Help, I’d broken Dangerous Dave.

Hudson tore his eyes away from Robert, who he’d been leveling with his full alpha stare.

“Boys, boys,” Rebecca started with a twinkle in her eye. “She’s the prettiest girl in town, and I’m sure you can behave like gentlemen while Cora decides if any of you are worth her time. But right now, we have an aunt to save and a nemesis to destroy.”

Saved by the vampire princess sex addict. Also, she was the prettiest girl in town. A Nordic goddess with ice-blonde hair and blue eyes, Rebecca turned the heads of men and women, regardless of their preference.

Hudson leaned back in the armchair with a smirk of self satisfaction on his face. The idiot thought he had me in the bag. “You’re right,” he said. “Me and Cora will travel to Dayna’s house and rescue her.” Wait, what? He wanted to come with me? Probably hoping to score some brownie points.

“I’ll go with Cora,” Sebastian chimed in. “You stay here.”

“And have you save her from death with your blood again?” Hudson snorted. “I don’t think so.”

Everyone’s eyes were playing ping-pong with the two of them. Sebastian fisted his hands, the knuckles turning white. “It wasn’t intentional.”

“We are going into a dangerous situation. The people who took Dayna aren’t looking for a tea party with Cora. Someone will get hurt.”

“Which is exactly why I should be there. I can heal her.”

“And I can protect her from getting hurt in the first place.”

I rolled my eyes and glanced at Dave and Rebecca for help.

Rebecca looked like she was about to grab popcorn while Dave eyed me like I’d taken a shit in his cornflakes this morning.

“Hudson, you come with me,” I decided. He grinned, full white teeth on display. “Don’t get excited, princess. I can protect myself just fine, but I don’t trust you with my house. Sebastian, stay here with Rebecca and guard the house. I don’t like it when I’m called away.”

Rebecca winced. The last time someone had lured me away, they had kidnapped Maggie.

“What about me?” Dave asked.

“You have enough on your plate with the pack,” I said, referring to the wildies. His eyes tightened as he looked between me and Hudson.

“Wait, my Aunt Dayna is being held inside her own house?” I checked.

Hudson nodded once. “I think the point is to make it easy for you to find her. You are the ultimate prize, after all.”

I rolled my eyes. “Sure. Let’s go with that.” It was more likely Aunt Dayna had put up such a fight they’d found it difficult to extract her from her home. Dayna’s house was unusual. It was protective of Robert’s women. The more I thought about it, the more it didn’t sit right.

“We can take my car,” Hudson said, rising to his feet. “It’s a fourteen hour straight drive to your aunt’s town.”

I blinked. How did he know that? Ugh, never mind, I had bigger fish to fry than a nosy principal and his lapdog. “I have an errand to run first.”

Hudson folded his arms, making me lament how I’d become jealous of a freaking shirt. “What errand?”

“I need to see a man about a spell.”

“You’re a witch. Can’t you do it?”

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