True Connection (The Soul Mate Series)

by Walter, Rachel

  As I change into my uniform, I think about what just happened. That look he speared me with before he left, I can’t figure it out. It was worry, or maybe regret. But what would he be worried about? Or regret?

  I glance around and notice the class is filing out to the gym. Shit! “Hey, Heidi!” I shout. “Wait up!”

  She smiles and waits near the door as I jog towards her.

  “What’s up with you and Barry? I thought you were with Seth?” She asks, when I reach her.

  “Barry is my brother’s best friend. They just think I need to be escorted everywhere. Losers,” I say in annoyance. It’s not the whole truth, but it’s not a lie either.

  “Your brother and his friends are as hot as they are weird,” she laughs.

  “You can say that again,” I say distractedly. “The weird part,” I wave my hand when she laughs.

  All through gym, I try to ignore the nagging feeling that something is happening and something is wrong. Barry wouldn’t react that way, if it wasn’t in my best interest.

  I stay close to Heidi and her friends, something I don’t usually do. I’m polite to them, but I tend to stick to myself. A few of the girls seem to not mind that I’m normally a loner, and just ramble about this and that. Favorite make-up products, who they’re crushing, gossip about other classmates, all kinds of girly stuff. I’d tune them out, but they’re providing me with a perfect escape from my worries.

  “Did you hear about that senior girl, Gretchen?” Sarah asks. I shake my head.

  “That red head that was all over Henry?” another girl asks.

  “Henry who?” I ask.

  Sarah rolls her eyes. “Your brother, silly. Keep up.”

  I nod. “I don’t keep track of his fan club, so I have no idea which one she is, or was,” I raise an eyebrow.

  “Well, word has it, that they’re going on a date,” she giggles.

  What? My brother is dating? “News to me,” I shrug.

  I don’t know what’s worse. Listening to the worries inside my head, or these girls gossiping about how hot my brother is. I glance up to the clock on the wall after helping set up equipment. Only forty more minutes of listening to them.

  I groan and move with the group.

  ***

  When the bell rings, I make sure to walk out of the locker room with a group of girls, and meet Flynn at the end of the hall. He ushers me to the cafeteria door, where we always meet up for lunch. I get an ominous feeling as I see everyone there, waiting. The guys look pissed, and Skeeter looks like she might cry. I yank my arm away from Flynn, and go to Skeeter.

  Just as I open my mouth to ask her what happened, we’re both ushered out the door towards the student lot.

  “Follow me,” Barry says to Seth, as he unlocks his Jeep.

  “Can I ride with you?” I whisper to Seth. He nods.

  “It doesn’t matter who you ride with,” Barry glares at me. “Let’s just go, now!”

  What crawled up his butt?

  I climb into the passenger seat of Seth’s car, and we follow Barry away from the school. I look out the windshield and notice the guys in the Jeep seem to be having an animated conversation. I’m kind of enjoying the quiet ride in Seth’s car.

  Well, mostly quiet. Skeeter is sighing and making agitated noises, like the car just isn’t going fast enough. And Seth is tapping his fingers on the gearshift.

  “Will one of you tell me what’s going on that everyone’s in some kind of frenzy?” I finally ask.

  “We figured out the answer to who and why,” Seth says, absently.

  I wait for him to continue, because I’m lost and I have no clue what he’s talking about. After a bit, I can tell he isn’t going to elaborate unless I ask. “What do you mean who and why?” As soon as I say it, it dawns on me. The attacks in the forms of dreams and the stalker! “Oh! Well, tell me! Who? Why?”

  “I can’t believe we never guessed. It’s Derik,” Skeeter informs me.

  I suck in a breath and turn in my seat to look at her and Seth both.

  “The why, is obviously your first day here. You embarrassed him, turned him down, and then chose myself and shape-shifters over him,” Seth says.

  Well, I suppose I really did bring this all on myself. I’m endangering and inconveniencing my friends, my boyfriend, and my family, too.

  Perfect.

  I turn back in my seat and look out the window. “Is he working alone?” I ask.

  Who knows, Derik could’ve gotten a whole fleet of them to go after me. All I did was tell him no and put him in his place. I don’t think I was even that rude to him. It couldn’t have damaged his image in school or even with any of his buddies. There has to be something more to it than this.

  “Two of his friends in school are Devuxen. That’s all we got so far,” Seth says.

  The more I think about it, the more I don’t understand it.

  I can see being rude or spreading rumors around school because of what I said. He’s immature that way. But what I don’t understand is why he would actually want to hurt me because of this.

  Those dreams, yes they’re scary, but he could’ve done worse from what Athan said about them. Yea, I did feel like I was actually choking… I don’t even know anymore.

  I growl and tug on my hair. “I don’t get it,” I say, and turn in my seat. “I’m Devuxen enemy number one, because I wouldn’t sit with him at lunch and I won’t be his fling for a day. That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard, and I live with Barry now!” I nearly shout in my confusion. “According to Fane and Athan, he’s basically saying that I’m not safe with anyone, and he’ll take out everyone I’m near, just so he can what, eat my soul because I said no?” I blow out an annoyed breath and wait for one of them to attempt to enlighten me.

  “Devuxen can compel humans. Most humans can’t turn down a devux for anything they ask. That’s why he is doing this, and I’m honestly surprised he hasn’t tried taking it further, yet. You, a human, told him no and embarrassed him in front of his buddies and other peers. He’s the known ladies’ man. Just ask Skeeter,” Seth says.

  “I had no idea he was a demon, I mean a real demon,” she huffs. “The girls that hang around Derik are all… Well, honestly they’re dip shits,” she pulls at her seatbelt and looks over to me. “I don’t have any girl friends for this reason, except for you, Jazzy. Now I understand why they’re all about Derik, and follow him everywhere. They can’t help it,” she says sadly.

  “Half the school’s female population is soulless then?” I ask in surprise.

  “Not exactly,” he mumbles as he flips his turn signal to follow Barry. “They survive a few weeks to a month by taking little pieces of a soul at a time, sometimes from several,” I gasp, and he reaches his hand over to pat mine for a second. “If they took a whole soul each time they fed, there would be a large amount of deaths and it would cause too many problems,” he scowls and takes a deep breath before continuing. “When they take small portions of a soul, it slowly changes the victim. It’s like losing a piece of who you truly are and not getting it back or knowing it was taken.”

  The blood drains from my head as I process this information. I’ll be one of the soulless morons, if Derik doesn’t drain me. I won’t even know if he’s taken anything from me.

  “But he has to be physically there for it to happen, so he can’t take your soul in a dream attack,” Seth explains, which calms my fears almost instantly.

  “When he figures out that I can sleep without his interference, he’ll probably be pissed, right? Will he try something more than the dreams?”

  “He’ll figure it out soon enough, but he won’t have the chance to do anything else,” he white-knuckles the steering wheel. “He won’t be able to get to you. I’ll make sure of it,” he growls, and I swallow. Derik wouldn’t stand a chance against him. Why is he provoking Seth by coming after me? He has to have help. He can’t be that stupid to go at it alone.

  Skeeter interrupts my thoughts. “He w
as the one who turned Steven, didn’t he?” Seth nods his answer.

  “How can he change a human into a devux? What, you bite someone like a vampire?” I snort.

  “I don’t know. It has something to do with the soul of the victim,” he shrugs. “The process kills the victim, but somehow, some change. They aren’t exactly the same person after that,” he answers.

  I nod and stare out the window. The landscape is unfamiliar to me. “Uh, where are we going?”

  “Pack House. The Elders are meeting us there, too. It’s easier to get the whole Pack together on their turf,” he says.

  “Okay,” I squeak. More new people, yippy.

  He reaches over and rubs my leg for a minute. I focus on the tingles, trying to calm my growing anxiety. I understand our bond better now, but it still amazes me that it’s real and not just some strange emotion conjured up in a fantasy section of my brain.

  We turn down a bumpy, twisting, dirt lane, lined with trees.

  No wonder Barry has a Jeep. Seth’s Mustang is not built for this type of road.

  A large white house comes into view. It’s huge. The front door is French doors, and the porch stretches the length of the house. It’s a beautiful house, just extra large. I wonder how many rooms there are. My uncle’s six-bedroom home pales in comparison to the size.

  As we get closer, a few A-frame houses, and some sheds, or maybe they’re shacks, come into view. There’re two large fire pits a few yards from the first A-frame house. It’s like community living. I wonder how much of the pack live here, Tony and Flynn don’t. Actually, I have no idea, but this isn’t where we picked them up this morning.

  Barry motions us to park near a weeping willow on the left side of the pack house. When we walk towards the house, Henry pierces me with a furious stare. He literally looks like he’s having a hard time containing his anger. He’s ready for a fight.

  I feel like I’m forgetting something, something important. But Barry and Flynn seem to be about two seconds away from shoving us into the house. I don’t have the time to think about anything other than not tripping over my own two feet.

  As the giants hustle us through the room, passing dozens of angry, concerned and worried faces, I try my best to become invisible.

  I caused this.

  We stop moving, I peek around Seth’s shoulder, and see Fane and Athan in deep conversation near the corner of the room, both looking worried.

  It’s like Fane felt me watching him. He turns to face me and instantly my heart aches, he reminds me of my father. Not his appearance, but the way he looks at me, like I’m important to him and he cares.

  I can’t hold his stare, so I look past him and spot Seth’s parents, Claire and Luke, talking with another shifter and Bastian. Sam, Seth’s brother, is to their left talking to someone I don’t recognize.

  Fane shakes Athan’s hand and walks over to where Barry stopped, about three feet away from me. “Son, where’s the Coven location?”

  “I don’t know that yet, I haven’t had enough time to get that information.” He drops to one knee and turns his head to the left. I’ve never seen anyone do that. Maybe it’s a pack thing?

  “Stand,” Fane says in a stern, authoritative tone.

  It makes me want to cower.

  “Could I please have everyone’s attention?” Fane’s voice booms. Immediately, silence fills the room. “Devuxen have made themselves known in this area, again. For whatever reason, they have targeted Miss Williams here.” He points me out, and a few gasps fill the silence. I slink into Seth’s side in an attempt to hide. “Whoever the attacker is, he has made it perfectly clear that he will hurt anyone to get to her. There have been three attacks against her. Fortunately, someone was around to wake her. Our night patrolling is helping as well, but it does not stop these types of attacks. Barry has witnessed two attacks just last night.”

  Henry bristles beside me. Holy shit! I can’t believe it took me this long! I’m such a fool. Henry doesn’t know anything! I bring my hand to my mouth and start chewing the cuticles.

  I want to groan or smack my head into a wall a few times. I have a lot of explaining to do.

  Glancing at Henry from the corner of my eye, he still looks furious, but I’m pretty sure a lot of that anger is towards me.

  Fane gave the floor to Barry, who filled every single person in on the name of the devux that’s after me, and why I am being attacked. It’s Barry, funny, sarcastic Barry, the fact that he’s not cracking jokes or swearing and is being completely respectful, has me slack jawed.

  A question from somewhere in the back, pulls me from my thoughts. “How did a devux attack her, if we were patrolling?”

  Sam steps forward. “The devuxen doesn’t fear anyone, but they do not like to be hunted or threatened. With shifters or amaranthine around, they tend to stay away from this particular form of attack, because they can be easily found. He’s attacking Jasmine in the forms of shadow stalking and nightmares.”

  I think shadow stalking is what happens when I’m alone in the halls at school, but I could be wrong. My theory makes sense, so that’s what I’m going with.

  “She should always have someone with her, even when she’s awake, too,” someone hollers from the back.

  I want to shout, I already have someone with me as much as possible! Do I need supervision in the bathroom, too? But I don’t think it would be wise to speak right now.

  “How is the nightmare attack different from any other bad dream?” someone else shouts out another question.

  I don’t blame her for asking. I didn’t know there was a difference. Hell, I didn’t know that I was being attacked, or hunted. The dreams felt real, looked real, and left me feeling like I was knocking on Death’s door, but I just thought they were dreams.

  Barry answers by explaining what the attacks can do to my physical body in dream state. Fane suggests he tell everyone what happened when I was attacked the night before. Barry catches my gaze, looking apprehensive about it. I nod to tell him that it’s okay. He takes a few deep breaths and nods.

  “Last night she had two attacks, almost back to back.” He pauses. “A bloodcurdling scream woke me. I could hear her screaming, crying, and gasping for air through her door. Henry and I tried the knob and Leland tried pounding on the door, but it was locked, and she couldn’t hear us. I kicked it in and when I saw her, I just froze. Her skin lacked color except for her cheeks. At one point she stopped breathing, and tried to fight off something, which ended up being Leland on one occasion.” He takes a deep breath. “In the attacks, she’s always with someone, and whoever it is, gets killed in front of her. So far that has been, her cousin, brother, mother, uncle, best friend and her soul mate,” he says in a solemn voice.

  Fane puts a hand on Barry’s shoulder. “I don’t believe Derik is working alone. He has guidance. In the attack, Seth, her soul mate, was decapitated and later torn to pieces.” He nods to us as Seth squeezes my side, offering me comfort. “We weren’t positive he was Amaranthine,” he shakes his head, like he should’ve known from the start that Seth was different. “So, for Delilah’s safety, we must keep her secret. The less Derik knows, the better things will turn out.”

  The Elders and shifters all start discussing my protection schedule and hunts for finding Derik’s coven, or whoever it is that’s helping him. Seth is still holding onto me, but he’s listening intently to what people are saying around us, especially Athan and Fane. Henry has his arms crossed over his chest, glaring towards Barry and Flynn.

  Sam comes over just as I’m about to try talking to Henry.

  “You know, for someone so little, you sure stir up a lot of trouble,” he winks. I nod, showing I agree with that statement. “Hey, I’m joking.”

  “Sam, it’s been a long few days, or even months for her. Leave her be,” Seth comes to my aid, unneeded.

  “He’s fine, Seth,” I say, but they pretend not to hear me.

  “Hey, I’m not the enemy here little brother,” Sam g
rowls. “I just want to see her smile. You two are too young to be dealing with this. Right now is a happy time for the two of you. You should be smiling and sneaking off into the woods.”

  Seth’s jaw clenches and he glares at Sam. “I can’t. I won’t allow her to be put in danger,” he says, his expression changing to almost a plea. “This devux is messing with everything inside of me.”

  I try to project to him that I’m okay, and he’s not doing anything wrong as I rub my thumb across his knuckles.

  Seth looks down into my eyes. “Jazzy, why don’t you go talk to Henry for a few minutes?”

  I nod and turn my head to where I saw Henry last. He gives me a dirty look and squeezes through the throng of bodies, towards the door.

  I groan. “Do me a favor. Please?” I ask him.

  “What’s that?”

  “Go easy on your brother. Sam was just being nice. He’s trying, so maybe this is your chance to help strengthen your relationship with him,” I give him a pointed look.

  “Fine, I’ll agree, if you wouldn’t mind me sending a shifter out to keep an eye on you guys, just in case.”

  My eyes bulge and my mouth pops open. He wants me to be okay with having a shifter up my ass, while having a private conversation with my brother, who just found out way too much about the supernatural world?

  I glare at him. “No matter what you think, my brother would never hurt me. I don’t need a bodyguard for a conversation with him!”

  “No, Sweetheart. Not protection from him, protection for the both of you. Please?” his hands cup my face and he stares into my eyes.

  I mull his words over and feel him through our bond. His honesty and worry for not just me, but my brother as well, shines. I regret jumping to conclusions. “I guess that’s okay. Tell Flynn or Tony to back off, and not to listen,” I say, knowing it will be one of the two he sends for guard duty.

  “I… I’ll see you in a few,” he says with a small sigh.

  I wink and turn towards Sam. “Behave.”

  “Me?” he feigns hurt. “I’ll be good,” he winks and leans towards me. “Your boyfriend might be in a headlock in a few minutes though.”