Page 19 of Shadows of the Soul

“What if it’s both? What if he takes me flying, then drops me from a height? I won’t survive.”

She squeezed my hand. “That’s the thrill of falling in love. But if you don’t take that leap, you’ll forever wonder what could have been. Don’t waste away an old woman without knowing love, at least once.”

I nodded as Rebecca swept into the room. She smiled at me, no doubt having heard all of our conversation. “Are we saying yes to the Terror of Tennessee?”

I squeezed my eyes closed. “I don’t know.”

“Better than a no,” Rebecca replied.

“Ask yourself this, Cora,” Aunt Liz said. “If he was after one thing, why would he have rebuffed all other advances from numerous females? Why would he move himself off pack grounds and onto yours? Why would he wait this long for a quick roll in the sack? And why would he cook for you, the first woman ever, a meal in private? The answer is easy, Cora, shifters only protect and provide for their mates.”

“Plus, you accepted the meal,” Rebecca tagged on.

“So?”

“It’s like admitting you trust him to care for you, a proposal of intentions.”

“But nobody knows,” I whispered.

“Everyone knows,” Aunt Liz said. “The packs, your grandmother, even Karen at The Pit.”

My mouth fell open. Mates were family, cherished, and forever. Hudson’s mate would be the only thing above the pack in his life. There’s no way he was this stupid. They would never accept an elemental as their principal’s mate. He would be expected to find a nice feline female and make furry babies. I couldn’t give him that. As far as he was aware, mating with me might make me powerless. The Roberts woman’s curse meant if we married a stronger male, they could take our power for themselves. It’s why I had a bouquet of aunts and no uncles. However, no man could take my power. I wasn’t built the same way as other elementals. My magic came from a different source. But he couldn’t know that. Could he? What if—no. Don’t imagine yourself in a future with him. Happy, loved, safe—damn it. Now that image was planted in my mind.

Aunt Liz smiled. “You imagined your future as Mrs. Abbot.”

I glared at her. “The curse,” I muttered.

Aunt Liz waved her hand. “Would he take your power? As his mate, it would leave you defenseless, something that would go against the bond.”

I felt my objections withering away along with my resolve, because one thing I was sure about Hudson Abbot is that he was strong enough in his own right and too proud to take an ounce of power from me.

“I’m so screwed,” I confessed.

Aunt Liz chuckled as she grabbed my plate and took it to the sink to rinse. My aunt didn’t chuckle. It wasn’t her style. I frowned as she hummed a tune and shared a look with Rebecca. A smile played on Rebecca’s lips.

“Wait,” I stated, standing and rushing over to Aunt Liz. I grabbed her arm, spun her toward me and studied her closely. Wild hair, red slightly swollen lips, a flush on her neck. Like a beard rash. I blinked. Who…

I snapped my fingers. “You are doing the horizontal tango with Dangerous Dave.”

Her eyes went wide and darted to the door. “Shush.”

“No tango yet, only the prelude,” Rebecca informed me.

“Now who’s been holding out on the shifter?”

She rolled her eyes. “You have to make them work for it a little. No point in being easy.”

“Are you sure you can handle him?”

“Darling, the more pertinent question is, can he handle me?” She winked then waltzed out of the room, leaving me with disturbing images of my straight-laced aunt.

“Everyone is having sex but me,” Rebecca pouted.

“You have plenty of sex. Perhaps what you need is a more meaningful connection.”

“All my connections are meaningful.”

“For a night.”

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