Once Bitten (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #1)(15)

Her warm hand reached out to squeeze my arm. “Well now, I’m sorry. Look Alexa, there is plenty that I don’t know and may never know. But, what I do know is this: Much the same as the attraction between the north and south ends of a magnet is the attraction between two souls cut from the same magical cloth.”

I blinked at her. My mind was racing, but I wasn’t following. I moved to empty the dustpan but continued to glance at her attentively.

“When drawn close enough together, their natural attraction makes it impossible for them not to join. Like a battery in a way.” She shook her head and frowned. “It’s hard to explain. But, two batteries on their own possess an impressive amount of power. If you put them together in the right circuit, they can become so much more than each was on its own.”

A light bulb went on in my head as her words sunk in. “So this is just a power thing?” I tensed stiff as I returned the broom to its post in the corner.

Her thoughtful brown eyes were warm when she smiled. “It might be. But, I’ve never known of such a deep connection between two people without it meaning more.” She gave me a wink, and my jaw dropped.

“Wait a minute.” I held up both hands in a stop motion. “Please tell me you’re not about to use a term like ‘soul mates’ in this conversation.”

Her smile froze. “You’re not interested in him? Don’t tell me he has it out for you or something. Sheesh. That could only happen to you.”

“No, it’s not like that. He’s a friend, sort of.” My thoughts strayed to Shaz. “It’s just really complicated.”

The white wolf and I were close yet we had never been thoroughly intimate. The unspoken bond had developed quickly. We were fast friends from the beginning. Yet, we were not an item, despite the people who thought that we should be, like Kylarai. Like I said, it’s complicated.

Lena nodded in understanding. “Matters of the heart often are.”

“It doesn’t happen with anybody else.” I mused aloud.

“Nobody?”

“Well, I definitely am drawn to the energy of some. It’s not the same, though. I vibe off them, but there is no feeling of need or resulting power high.” As my thoughts wandered back an hour or two, my cheeks grew hot with embarrassment. Just remembering brought a tingle to the pit of my stomach.

A soft laugh shook Lena’s shoulders. She opened her hand to reveal the three sparkling stones.

“Take the purple one. It’s for meditation and inner peace. Good for the soul. As for the other thing, I’ll look into it and see what I can dig up.”

I stared into her hand in wonder. Ever so slowly, I plucked the purple stone from her palm with my thumb and forefinger, careful not to touch the remaining two.

“What are those two for?” I couldn’t help but be curious. They were so beautiful. “And, thank you.”

“Stress relief and healing properties. My sister tends to be a very high strung person.” Lena chuckled and slipped the blue and green stones back into their velvet pouch.

The purple stone seemed to shine just a little bit brighter as I turned it over in my hand. Although the stone was shaped like a random rock, the surfaces shone where the jagged, cut edges split the light.

“Is there anything specific I need to do with it?” I hoped not. Spells and chants are not my forte.

“No, just drop it in your wallet. Keep it by your bed. Whatever. It should stay charmed until the new moon and then it can be re-energized.”

“Awesome, Lena, thanks again.” Though I wanted to continue examining the dime sized gem, I made myself drop it into my pocket.

“It’s no problem. Really. A little positive energy at your side can make a world of difference.”

She launched into a story about how one of her amulets saved Kale from a near fatal encounter with the sun. I recognized the story as one that I’d heard before from him. Her tale was interrupted when my cell phone rang.

“Speak of the devil,” I murmured upon recognizing Kale’s number on the call display.

“Tell me you’re up for some fun and games tonight.” He purred into the phone like a wanton lover. A shiver crept up my spine in response.

“What kind of games?” I hated the obvious note of curiosity that made its way into my voice. I was as bad as a cat sometimes, which was probably why Jez and I have such a great time together.

“Maybe a little good cop, bad cop. I’m digging for some information.”

I contemplated his offer but not for very long. “Which one do I get to be?”

“Whichever one your little heart desires.”

Damn vampires. Was there nothing they couldn’t do? Each and every one of them whether male or female has this natural pull, to draw prey. Fortunately for them, it works pretty well.

“What’s the deal?” I was getting the feeling that he didn’t want to fill me in until I met up with him. He had an awful tendency to drag me into situations that I would have never entered otherwise.

“Like I said, I need a little information. No bloodshed, if I can help it.” He chuckled, and I frowned in response, despite the fact that he couldn’t see it.

I was trying to avoid Lena’s fixed gaze without looking conspicuous. I knew she didn’t have the keen hearing that some of us had, but the look she was giving me was driving me nuts.