Page 20 of Shadows of the Soul

“I can’t limit myself. It would be selfish to males everywhere. An experience with me is like therapy.”

“That’s the most twisted logic I have ever heard for avoiding a relationship.”

“But it’s still logic.”

Save me now.

***

Armed with my haul from Rockhard and Lenson, plus a bag of spare clothing, some throwing knives, and a picnic from Aunt Liz, I flung open the front door in time to see Hudson jumping out of his SUV.

He looked me up and down and quirked a brow.

“What?” I snapped as he grabbed the bag from my hand and threw it in the rear of the car.

He shook his head. “Are we auditioning for a modern version of Xena? Or maybe an exotic dancer? Do we need to make a stop at Randy Rogers?”

Randy Rogers was the seedy stripper bar in the next town. I’m pretty sure nothing was made of natural materials, including the strippers.

“We are wearing leathers for protection.”

“Nothing can protect you from me when you look like that.”

I huffed. “They are a natural repellant for many spells, plus they prevent scrapes and scratches.”

“Again, I can’t make any promises.”

“You’re impossible.”

He grinned and opened the passenger door. I ignored him and rounded the car before jumping into the driver’s seat. He chuckled as he climbed in next to me. “We can take the driving in shifts.”

I reached under the chair, lifted the handle and rolled it forward. Then I pumped it so my head popped over the steering wheel. Damn Neanderthal.

I dug in my pocket and pulled the silk pouch Lenson and Rockhard had given me. I handed it to Hudson, who took it from me like he was handling a bomb. “What is it?”

“Telepathy charm,” I answered. “Open it.”

He tugged on the ribbon and tipped the contents out. Two dime-sized discs of rose quartz fell onto his palm, each held by a piece of brown leather string.

“I wear one, and you wear the other. It needs to be touching your skin. In about eight hours, it will enable us to read each other’s thoughts. A handy tool when we are walking into an unknown situation with an anonymous threat.”

He rolled the quartz between his fingers. “You want me to put this on?”

“It didn’t come in different colors.”

“You trust me enough to be in your mind?”

“You won’t be in my mind. You will hear my thoughts, and I yours. There’s a difference.”

I reached out to grab my half. He batted my hand away before dropping one on his lap and opening the other. “Turn around.”

I met his eyes. It was a move toward the trust I accused him of never having. I spun in my seat and lifted my pony tail. His thumb skimmed the jumping pulse in my neck as he settled the charm against my throat before tying it. I sucked in a breath and spun back, finding him tucking his own charm under his shirt.

Hudson turned on the radio. Classic rock music blasted into the car before he dialed it down and lounged in his seat. I side-eyed him. His head had fallen back and his eyes were closed. He looked peaceful. I sped up and covered the next few hours of driving in silence. Aunt Dayna lived on the outskirts of a backward town. It was miles from any airport, so car was the easiest and quickest way to reach her. Luckily, most of the journey was on the main roads. Only the last hour would be a tough drive. The atmosphere changed at some point, making me check on Hudson. His heated stare was directed at my face. My gaze darted back to the road.

“It wouldn’t work,” I started. “Me and you. It would never work.”

“Why?”

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