True Connection (The Soul Mate Series)

by Walter, Rachel

  I know that’s Barry. I don’t know how but I know it’s him.

  I cry for my mom and Alex. I cry for Henry and Leland. I cry for Barry. And I cry for everyone who I put in danger with Derik and his coven of soul suckers.

  Henry comes running out and just hugs me, without question.

  ***

  I stop just inside the door in the kitchen. “She needs to stay behind,” Fane growls. “We have to have more than just Seth with her and Delilah.”

  “I think that’s a bad idea, she needs to go with us,” Athan says.

  Fane jerks his head to stare at him.

  Charlotte locks eyes with me but the glowing doesn’t happen so I take in her expression. She’s worried, the lines on her forehead and the frown tells me that much. I just wish I could climb inside her head to figure out what’s going on.

  “She’s the key,” Sam says suddenly. “She needs to be able to fool Derik that she is alone and came to free her family. She needs to be the one to do it and make them believe that she has no intentions of escaping.”

  Fane flies out of his chair. “No!”

  “She has to go Fane,” Fionn says.

  Fane turns to him. “You don’t care about her, or her family! Why are you even here?”

  “Fane, Jasmine is not Cait or Maggie. Yer outta line here!” Fionn growls. A heavy silence hangs over the room.

  Fane looks like he’s in pain, like Fionn just stabbed him.

  Who are Cait and Maggie?

  Fane closes his eyes and takes a visible breath.

  “I miss ‘em, too,” Fionn says sadly. “Jasmine is a sweet child. Easy to love, an hard to keep safe. But she is not dem. Dis is sometin’ she has to do, Fane,” he says, accent growing thicker.

  Fane shakes his head. “She is Seth’s Cait, and Henry’s Maggie, and Barry’s now, too. I refuse to send her off to her death! You already heard what Charlotte said if that happens! I will not allow it!” He booms.

  Every single shifter in the room, except Fionn, kneels. I look behind me, and Henry is kneeling, too. I guess he’s part of the pack.

  “You don’t have a choice. Fane, it’s her choice,” Avan says and points to me.

  Suddenly, all eyes are on me.

  I back up and bump into Seth.

  Fane pierces me with a look that sends chills down my spine, and makes me remember getting in trouble with Dad as a kid. “You will not leave this house until we have the situation under control and your family is safely home,” Fane says so sternly, that I just want to say okay and go to my room, but I know I can’t.

  I pinch my thighs through my jeans. “I’m sorry. I have to get them,” I whisper.

  “I can’t allow it,” he says through his teeth, as his eyes fill with tears.

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper then launch myself into his arms for a hug. His thick arms swallow me.

  “I can’t let you do this. It’s a fate worse than death,” he whispers.

  I close my eyes. “Seth won’t let that happen.”

  “He won’t be able to do a thing about it.” His chest rumbles with a growl.

  “With fierce friends, I think I can be saved. We just need the right plan.”

  “It has to be a very well thought out plan. I can’t let you go alone.”

  “I have to be alone to get them to safety.”

  “We’ll find another way,” he says and squeezes me tighter.

  I squeak from pain, and he loosens his arms, but doesn’t let go.

  “Is Barry back yet?” I ask him.

  “He’ll be back in a few minutes,” Fane promises.

  “Are we in agreement then?” Avan interrupts. “Jazzy goes with us when we know the location, and she will be the only one seen.”

  Charlotte stands then, and doesn’t give anyone a chance to respond. She says her no and pulls Seth and I back outside.

  “This night will end one of two ways.” She doesn’t beat around the bush, just jumps right in and spits it out. “One happily, but the other…” She trails off, and my spine stiffens. Seth grabs my hand and squeezes. “I see your relationship line fading, not disappearing as it would with a death.” Her eyes shimmer quickly, but don’t glow. “It means they change you tonight. The coven is planning to change you into one of them, not kill you. Not torture you. And not let you go freely. You always thought Derik wanted you for another reason, that’s his reason. He wants to keep you as his pet.”

  The acid in my empty stomach churns.

  “That will not happen. I will not let that happen to her!” Seth growls.

  “You need to keep that anger right there. You will need it!” She shouts at him.

  When they fall silent, I ask a burning question. “Should I stay behind then?”

  “They die if you do,” she whispers and clutches my other hand.

  “Then I go,” I say confidently. I can’t be scared for any “what if” scenario. This needs to be done and I’ll deal with the rest later.

  “And if they turn you?” She questions.

  “I pray someone kills me. I don’t want that life,” I tell her.

  Seth tightens his hold on my hand.

  The only thing physically keeping me on this porch is their hands holding mine. I just want to run. But I can’t run from this. I have to face this.

  Leaves rustle behind us, and I turn to look. Barry is slowly walking up the walk.

  “Go, he needs you, I’ll be right inside,” Seth whispers.

  “But you need me too.”

  “I’ll always need you, but Barry looks like he needs a hug, and I don’t think he wants one from me,” he says with a crooked smile.

  I just want to curl up with him and listen to music like everything in the world is right. With a sigh, I give him a quick peck on the cheek and squeeze his fingers once more before walking over to Barry.

  Chapter 20

  What’s Buggin’ Barry?

  “Hey,” I say quietly as I reach the part of the yard where he stopped. He doesn’t take his eyes off the grass, but responds with a nod. “You okay?”

  “I’ll be okay,” he says, sadness lacing his words.

  “You missed the blow up in the kitchen,” I say, trying to coax him into talking or at least looking at me.

  “Yeah?” He snorts. “Did Charlotte tell Leland his relationship lines?”

  “No, um, your dad and Fionn,” I whisper.

  He stiffens then sighs. “I should’ve guessed.” He shakes his head. “What was it this time? Those two don’t always agree, and Fionn doesn’t kneel to my dad’s Power because his is stronger.” That explains the whole kneeling thing.

  “Actually, it was about me. Sort of,” I say with a frown. “Then it evolved to Cait and Maggie.” I shrug, and his eyes snap to mine. “I don’t know who they are, or were?” I pause, waiting for a new reaction from Barry. “Charlotte just explained something to me and Seth, that helps me understand part of the argument.”

  With a heavy sigh, he tugs me towards the house. “They were…wow…” He scrubs his face as he sits on the bottom step. “I need to ask you something.”

  “Okay,” I shrug and sit next to him.

  “Has Charlotte said anything…” he looks into my eyes. “About tonight?”

  I look away from him and take a deep breath. Honesty is the best policy right? “Well, my relationship line with Seth waivers,” I say to my shoes. “If I don’t go, my mom and cousin’s lives end tonight,” I say and look back to him. “If I go, I save them. That’s what I want, them to live, be healthy, and to be safe at home.”

  He nods and looks down to his clasped hands resting on his knees. “How does your line waiver?”

  I start peeling some paint off the step. “I don’t die tonight,” I whisper.

  “Are you okay with that outcome?” He whispers.

  Tears fill my eyes. “No,” I say and look back into his eyes. “I’m not okay with that at all.” I blink rapidly to erase the unrelenting tears. “No matter my choice, th
ere’s a possibility someone I love will either die, get injured, or be turned. I can’t live with that,” I shake my head. “I want a Happily Ever After miracle,” I whisper and wipe my face.

  He wraps his arms around my shoulders and pulls me to him. “Shh…” he soothes. “Seth will know when you need us, and we will be there. I won’t leave his side for a minute.” he rubs my back lightly.

  It’s comforting knowing that he’s got my back and not running away again. I take a deep breath and pull away from him. “Alright, I’m okay. I think.”

  “Do you have a few minutes?” he asks. I nod. “I’d like to tell you a story,” he says, looking off to the yard.

  “Like a bedtime story or campfire scary?” I joke.

  “Non-fiction and far from funny,” he says and scratches his head. I shift sideways on the step and lean against the rail. “I heard this story many times growing up. But until recently, the story had a different ending.” He cracks his knuckles before tugging the ends of his blond hair and turns on the step to face me, transforming into the serious version of himself, the version I’ve only seen a handful of times.

  “Roughly a hundred years ago, there was a young male shifter that was the prince of the Italian Regal Shifters. The prince wanted to leave Italy and go to the States, find his own territory and run it his way. His father, the king, told him if he could beat the pack’s omega, he would allow him to leave the country and start his own pack in the territory of his choosing. If he was the victor, he’d leave with two defenders. The prince thought it was a good deal, so he fought the omega and was victorious. He chose two defenders, also friends, and they began their journey.” The corner of Barry’s lip twitches. “The prince decided to make a short visit to Ireland, as he was always drawn to the Celtic culture.” He takes a deep breath before continuing. “There, they introduced themselves to two packs so everyone knew they were there as tourists, and meant no harm.

  “On the third day, as they headed towards their cabin, in wolf form, the prince froze. Then bee-lined in the opposite direction of the cabin.” His voice raises some, soaking into the story. “The defenders, not knowing what happened, follow after him. They found their alpha, the prince, by a small pond. He found his mate and his wolf completely took over,” he smiles sadly. “The prince’s mate was a member of a pack in Northern Ireland. This meant, as long as she accepted him, she would join them in their journey to the States.” He pauses to clear his throat. “They went with the girl to her alpha, to present them as mates. But the prince was challenged, for a Mate Challenge. It’s a challenge to the death, and whoever the victor is, is who the mate belongs to.”

  I hold up my hand to pause him. “So, it would be like Tony challenging Seth, right?” I ask for clarification.

  “Yes, and if Tony were to win, you’d belong to Tony, not Seth. No matter how much it hurts, your new mate would be Tony.”

  My mouth pops open and I flounder for a bit. “That’s horrible,” I say. “Please tell me that challenge is banned now. I mean this is roughly a hundred years ago.”

  “Depending on the area you’re in, yes, the Mate Challenge has ceased.”

  “What is the point in that?” I ask, dumbfounded.

  He shakes his head and shrugs. “I don’t know, but if you think about it, the true mate will have a stronger drive to win. I would think so anyway. I don’t know my mate yet, so I can’t say for sure, but what lengths would you go to, to keep another woman off of your Seth?” He raises a brow.

  “What a terrible thing to ask, Barry!” I smack his arm. “I see your point though. I would fight her to the death and make damn sure, I won.” My reaction startles me, but I push those thoughts and images out of my head.

  “That’s my point.” He smirks. “Anyway, the prince was outraged by the challenge. He fought the challenger and tore him to pieces within minutes. Everyone felt his power.” His voice gains strength again, feeling the story. My heart starts to race, soaking in his words. “His power was stronger than the pack’s alpha.” He grins. “The prince, his mate, and defenders left to finish the journey and form the new pack. Along their journey, they acquired a few shifters who heard the story from Ireland or Italy. The newcomers were rogues that had no pack and wanted to belong to someone with legendary power. They made it to the States and after a year of searching, they found a territory perfect for what they needed. For many years, their pack grew and developed into a strong front for the territory. They gained allies with neighboring territories, and befriended the other beings and humans.

  “After decades of trying, the prince and his mate finally had their first child. His mate called her brother from Ireland to come and meet his niece. Her brother arrived a few weeks later. He loved the little girl and missed his sister so much that he denounced his position from his pack in Ireland. He was planning to join the pack of his sister’s mate, but decided that he would travel, and maybe find a mate of his own. Every couple of months, the brother would leave and then return within weeks. This went on for a few decades until the prince’s mate announced she was pregnant again. He decided that his travels could wait, and he tended to his niece’s training, as the prince cared for his wife. This time, she had a boy.” His smile slips. “A few months after the boy’s first birthday, an injured woman stumbled onto their territory.” His eyes flash with sadness before he looks away from me again. “She asked to speak to the alpha in private, only the alpha, unless he’s mated. Then she will speak to the couple. She told them her story, and they, as a couple, agree to help her and protect her child. The woman, happy with that decision, left to finish taking care of her business and find a safe place to rest her head as she wouldn’t seek shelter with them. The daughter, not knowing it was a secretive meeting, was in the adjoining room and heard every word. She thought the woman needed more protection than she claimed. She snuck out after the woman left and followed her.” I fist my hands together and hold my breath. I don’t think I like where this is going.

  “She protected the woman for two days, before they were found by a group of devuxen. After the struggle, the daughter carried the woman, who was near death, back to her territory. They ran into her father while he was out searching for her. The woman explained as much as she could before the daughter shifted and explained herself. The prince led them back to the pack house to tend to their wounds. When they reached the inner limits, a warning howl ripped through the field. They all raced to the pack house, finding the rest of the clan and a new threat attacking the prince’s pack.” A small gasp escapes my lips as I lean towards him slightly. “The prince and his pack eliminated the entire clan, but not without cost.” Barry looks at me sadly. “Loss surrounded the prince. His mate and daughter were among the handful of casualties, as well as the woman he promised to protect.” He stops talking and stares at the sky.

  “Did the prince survive the loss? What about his son?” The questions flow out of my mouth without thought. Barry says nothing, just continues to stare at the sky, which allows the story to sink in.

  A woman came to the prince’s pack. She needed protection of some sort, for her child and her. That woman had to be Henry’s birth mother. I feel it in my gut.

  If it was Henry’s birth mother, then that means Fane is the prince of the story. I suck in a breath and tears come to my eyes. It was Barry’s mom and sister. I stare wide eyed at Barry.

  He glances at me from the corner of his eye. “Didn’t take as long as I thought it would.”

  My mouth opens and then closes. “Your m…” my mouth just won’t form the words.

  “Now you know why my father and I react the way we do.”

  “That’s not all I understand,” I mumble. Then remember Fionn and Fane’s argument. “What’s Fionn to you? He seems equally affected by the discussion.”

  “He’s my uncle on my mom’s side,” he says quietly. “Was it bad? Their fight?”

  “Well, it wasn’t good.” I shake my head. “I guess it all happened right after Charlo
tte told them what she saw with my relationship lines. But your dad said that he wouldn’t let me go without a perfect plan.”

  “Is there anything I can say or do to stop you?” His eyes are so intense and filled with so much emotion. I just want to hold him. So I offer what comfort I can and reach over and grab his hand with both of mine.

  He has to know that I have to do this. “In a way, I wish everyone would chain me up and throw away the key,” I tell him honestly. “But how could I live with myself if I agreed to stay behind? I know for a fact it’s me who has to save them.” I purse my lips.

  “I understand,” he nods and squeezes my fingers. “I promise not to leave Seth for a minute.” He grins, and I have an eerie feeling that he’s about say something questionable. “If I have to crap, he’ll come with me. I will know the minute you are in trouble, and we will get you out of there.”

  I start laughing. “Oh, poor Seth.” I tug a hand away from him and place it on my side. “Way to ruin a potentially sweet moment by Barry-ing it up!”

  “Hey, someone’s gotta do it.” He gives me a cheesy smile.

  I grin and bump his shoulder. “We should probably get back in there,” I say and stand.

  “Yea. I should see when we’re leaving,” he agrees, and follows me up the three steps to the porch.

  The door flings open just as I reach the “Welcome” mat. “Y’ins done?” Leland asks and I nod. “Good. Fane’s lookin’ for you Barry. Jaz, Skeeter wants to talk with you,” Leland tells us, and Barry squeezes past to head for the kitchen. Seth walks over and grabs my hand.

  I pull Seth along with me towards the kitchen, in hopes of hearing this master plan or even part of it. Instead, Skeeter grabs my hand away from Seth’s and yanks me into the bathroom.

  “You need to shower, and I’m to help you dress,” she blurts out as I’m about to question her.

  “Can this be done in my bathroom upstairs? And why do I need help getting dressed?”

  “Because you don’t have the right pants, but I checked and we’re the same size, so I sent my grandpa for the cargo pants. I always need help tying the straps,” she explains in a rush. “You can shower upstairs but right now I’m just trying to get away from your brother,” she blushes and fiddles with her pinky ring.