I tore my gaze away from the edge, and took him in as he concentrated on the road ahead. “I don’t like heights.”

“I can tell. But don’t worry. I’ve lived in this part of the country off and on most of my life.” Lucas paused as he went over another hole in the ground and the van bottomed out. “Believe it or not, the road used to be much worse.”

“Worse than this?” Not possible. Not in a million years.

“Yup.” He nodded with certainty.

I couldn’t imagine worse conditions. “It’s a miracle you’re still alive, then.”

“Eh. Back then we walked.”

“What? You didn’t have cars?”

“There were no cars.”

That made me pause. Man. I was so dense sometimes.

The wolves all looked much younger than they were. He probably wasn’t anywhere near as young as I thought he was. I’d figured he was a few years older than me, but not thirty yet. “How old are you?”

“How old do you think I am?” He asked with a wink.

Was that flirting?

No. Impossible. No way would he be flirting with me. He was far too good looking, and a wolf to boot. “I don’t know. I thought you were maybe twenty-seven, but I have a feeling I’m way off if you were around before cars made it to Peru.” He was grinning big time. It felt like the joke was on me. “Yeah. I’m definitely wrong. You’re way older than that. So how off am I?”

He laughed.

“Seriously. How old are you?”

“Old enough, princess. Old enough.”

I sighed. “I wish you’d stop calling me that.”

“What? Princess?”

“Yeah. It’s demeaning.” I turned away from him, taking in the horizon. “I’ve had enough of that in my life.”

“Hey,” he said as he gripped my hand for a second.

That one touch and I felt his aura, warming me to the core. It was so clear and bright. So strong. I could see a supernatural’s aura all the time, but feeling it, that was something infinitely more personal and unique. It didn’t happen that often. Only when the person was being very open with me and letting me in.

Almost as soon as the touch was there, it was gone.

And I missed it.

What was going on with my feelings for him? I was attracted to him, sure. But then I spilled my guts to him, and now…

“I’m not using the word to be demeaning,” he said, bringing me back to the conversation. Hopefully I hadn’t zoned out too much. “I was using it in a very literal way. But if you don’t like it, I’ll stop.”

Literal way? Someone had grossly misinformed him. “Me? Princess? Of what? The coven?” I nearly laughed. It was a completely ludicrous notion. “That couldn’t be further from the truth and there’s no way I’m going back there. Even once this whole mess is done with. I can’t. So, yeah. No.”

He frowned. “That wasn’t what I was referring to.”