Page 58 of Shadows of the Soul

I nodded. “Yes. There’s more.”

“More?”

I glanced down at our entwined hands. This was it. He was going to leave me. “My grandmother, holding that power, climbed the hierarchy of elementals. Right to the top.” I looked up, straight into his eyes. “My grandmother is Eloise Roberts, the president of The Order.”

Hudson’s lips twitched. I blinked and narrowed my gaze. He pressed his lips together, clearly trying to stop himself from laughing.

“What?” I snapped. “None of this is funny.”

He roared with laughter.Help, I broke the Principal. Dave would definitely have my head.

“Did you think I didn’t know?” he asked.

I tilted my head. “Clearly.”

“The president waltzes into your home after you were attacked and has tea and cake, and you think I didn’t put it together?”

My mouth fell open. “You said nothing.”

“I was waiting for you to tell me.”

“It was a test.”

“No, it was me giving you the space to trust me.”

“You’re not mad?”

He shook his head and wrapped his free hand around the back of my head, drawing me closer. “I’m not mad. The altered curse puts a spin on things. But–”

He kissed my lips with a gentleness reserved for precious things. “But?” I breathed.

“Whatever is hiding inside of you? Whatever beastie you’ve got chained up tight? She would never hurt me. Would never leave me powerless, just as I would never do that to you as my mate. You would never do that to me.”

“You are putting an awful lot of faith in a make believe monster.”

His thumb slid over my pulse in my throat. “When you are ready, let her out. I promise to be gentle.”

Said beastie raised her head and took him in.Mine. I sucked in a breath. She barely spoke, only acknowledging me when I was in danger. She didn’t rankle at her chains.

Hudson’s eyes flared with surprise. He’d heard her. Shit, shit, shit. How had he heard her?

“Stop panicking, Cora. When you are ready, I’ll be here.”

“There’s one more thing.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

“I’m meant to seduce you into signing a treaty with the other factions that I believe will pit you in an upcoming war against humans.”

He barked a laugh as he turned the engine on and pulled away onto the main road. “Again, little witch, what makes you think I don’t already know?”

Oh boy. My grandmother was screwed. She’d underestimated the Principal, and I had a feeling she was going to regret it.

Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One

I am exceptional, so screw you.

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