Page 27 of Shadows of the Soul

“I am not a naïve man, Cora. I understand and acknowledge that strange shit happens around you, and I walked into that with my eyes wide open. I am not frightened by the danger that seems to stalk your every move.” He gathered me in his arms and planted a kiss on my lips that stole my breath and made tingles draw down my spine and into my core.

He drew back, but kept me wrapped in his arms. “Besides, life was getting too boring.”

I snorted. “Never a dull moment with me. That I can promise.”

He grinned and grabbed my hand before dragging me along with him. A breeze, which smelled of the earth, spun around us, lifting the roses from the floor. It felt like the universe was giving me the green light to a future with Hudson at my side.

Hope—that’s what was whispering through my mind. Hope and excitement. My heart threw itself a party. Hudson represented everything light, and it was like taking my first breath of fresh air after living in the city smog.

“How do we stop the telepathy?” Hudson asked as we walked in the direction he swore the car was in. Intuition told me it was the opposite way, but who was I to argue with the nose of a shifter?

“We remove the necklaces,” I answered.

“It’s not as intrusive as I thought.”

“Exactly. You need to be directing your thoughts, or be completely unguarded.”

He pointed ahead of us. “There.”

The car wasn’t just wrecked, it was upside down in a ditch by the side of the road and looked like it had been the loser in a monster truck rally. “Damn, we are at least three hours’ drive away from Aunt Dayna’s, we can’t walk.”

The tell-tale hum of an engine foretold the car that rounded the corner ahead of us. “Here comes the cavalry,” Hudson said.

“What did you do?”

“I called for backup while you were sleeping.”

A shiny black Cadillac Escalade pulled to our side and stopped. Hudson opened the rear door, and I peered inside. Oh wonderful. Here comes Dangerous Dave—we were saved. I sighed and jumped in the back of the car. Hudson shut the door and got in next to Dave.

“What the fuck happened?” he asked, gazing at the overturned car amongst the bloodied roses.

“A bunch of crazy shifters ran us off the road and chased us into an underground bunker with an entity in a storm, and then when we emerged in the morning it had rained white roses covered in blood,” I summarized, leaving out the naked limbo part. Dave arched a brow at me and shot me his hard assed stare. Ha, nice try, far scarier creatures than you schooled me. I opted for a change of subject. “I thought you’d be too busy with my Aunt Liz for a rescue mission.”

“She was called away. Something about a political spat involving the Order’s leader and the United Kingdom’s missing vampire princess.” He cast a glance over his shoulder at me. Wonderful, my grandmother was in a pissing contest with Rebecca’s parents—again. His nostrils flared, and he glanced between me and Hudson. “Seems like I’m not the only one who’s been busy.”

I rolled my eyes because, of course he could smell what we had been up to. “We are grownups, unless Hudson has to clear all his conquests with you prior to the deed?”

“Only the dangerous ones,” Dave muttered before turning around and setting off. “There are snacks in the cooler next to you, courtesy of Liz.”

“Ooh, Aunt Liz makes the best snacks.” I popped the lid of the cooler and plucked out the note from the top.

Cora,

For the love of my ovaries, please tell me you took advantage of your trapped in a tight space situation with the Principal. If not, you lose your female card—I revoke it on behalf of all women everywhere.

Love, Rebecca

P.S. I hope you are safe.

I scoffed and dug around in the cooler for less judgmental food. I grabbed a turkey salad sandwich and handed it over the seat to Hudson. “Here.”

He took it. “You’re sharing?”

“Don’t read anything into it, big guy. It’s not a proposal or an acceptance of one.”

“For now.”

“Did I miss something?” Dave asked, as if he didn’t already know. Perhaps he assumed I was a passing fancy, the flavor of the month.

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