She could almost see her mom standing in the living room, smiling at her. The musty smell of the closed-up cabin reached Tabatha, bringing a deep sadness to her. Tabatha gulped as more memories flashed across her mind’s eye. She reached for the light switch in hopes that Melody had managed to start the generator. In the light, only dust and furniture covered by white sheets greeted her. Tabatha turned, grabbed the bags from the hallway, and moved into the kitchen. She set them on the huge wooden table where she’d spent many holidays baking with her mom.
Melody came in behind her. “You know, I think I’ll take you up on that offer of staying here for a few days.” She walked back into the living room, pulled off the sheets, and shook them out. “We can dig through the photo albums and video tapes, have some good laughs.” Dust floated around the room, and she sneezed.
“Bless you,” said Tabatha. “Let’s change into some sweats, and afterward, we can start opening things in here.”
As she made her way down the hallway, Tabatha traced her finger along the wallpaper she and her mother had put up the summer before the accident. Her father had always kept a drawer full of sweat suits. She stood before her parents’ bedroom and stared through the doorway. Although darkness shrouded the room, she could just make out the furniture in the little light spilling from the living room.
A lump formed in her throat. Could she do this? With resolve, she flipped on the light switch. Her dad’s office shoes still sat in front of the chair, and his pipe rested in the ashtray next to it.
Melody wrapped her arm around her. “You know, I’m sure we can find something to wear in your old room. We don’t need to go in there if it’s too hard for you.”
Turning, she smiled at Melody, “No, it’s time.” Tabatha strode to the drawer and pulled out two pairs of sweat pants and matching shirts. “I’ll have to go through their clothes this weekend anyway and send them to the Salvation Army. Mom would have wanted that. But I want you to take anything you want. Mom always did think of you as her daughter, too.” She threw one of the outfits to Melody, who caught it.
“Maybe tomorrow. I think right now some good music and cleaning in the living room, kitchen, and bathroom will be enough for tonight.” Tears slipped down Melody’s cheeks. “Even after all these years it’s like we’ve stepped into the Twilight Zone. I keep expecting your dad to come out and yell at us to get out of their room.”
Tabatha hugged Melody. “I know. I was thinking the exact same thing. But you’re right. This room is too much right now. Tomorrow we’ll go through it.” She stepped back and turned off the light, putting a hold on that part of her pain.
Tomorrow, Daddy, I’ll say goodbye.
“You aren’t with your mates? Why? And why so sad? It’s tearing my heart apart, Wol-itelm said.
A warm sensation of arms surrounding her and giving her comfort almost made it seem real. Please stop. I need to think straight, and I can’t do it with you popping into my mind whenever you feel like it. Tabatha shook her head and closed the door. Tabatha went into the bathroom, stripped out of her costume, folded it, and placed it on the counter for later.
Pulling the sweatshirt over her head, Tabatha could still smell her father’s scent just like it was yesterday. Okay, why can I smell this? Shouldn’t it have faded by now?
“Hey, Melody? Can you smell Dad’s scent on the clothes?” She stepped into the hallway and frowned at her friend.
Melody sniffed her sweatshirt. “I can’t smell anything except a musty odor. Why?” She followed her into the living room.
“It’s weird. It’s like in the club’s bathroom when I was actually growling, and now I can smell my dad’s scent. It’s like my body is changing or something.” Moving into the living room, Tabatha dug through a box and tried to put that thought behind her, but she knew something was wrong. She sensed her body was changing, somehow, and it scared the hell out of her.
“There is nothing for you to fear. You’re just recognizing things more now, and yes, your body will be changing now that your mates have come into your life,” Wol-itelm informed her.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. It might be your body telling you enough is enough. I mean come on, in the last 24 hours you’ve gone through hell. You need to rest. “ Melody’s words jarred her from Wol-itelm’s telepathic voice.
Tabatha found some old records next to the stereo and laughed as she picked up her favorite one. “Maybe.”
After putting away the supplies they’d picked up at the store, they worked on cleaning up the living room and kitchen, sorting things to keep and things she would donate. Melody opened up the windows to let air inside the stuffy cabin. Tabatha wiped down the fireplace mantle and looked up at the clock. Two hours had passed.
“Let’s take a break. We can make a cup of instant coffee, have some muffins, and sit out on the deck,” Tabatha said and walked into the kitchen, getting two mugs down from the cupboard and cleaning them while Melody dug out the coffee they’d bought at the store. “We’ll have to go buy more groceries tomorrow. So we’ve decided we’ll be up here for a bit? We’ll have to call Doug and see if he’ll take care of Boots for us while we’re here. We’ll probably need clothes, too, from the apartment.” She leaned against the counter as she waited for the water to heat in the microwave. “I should have called Frank on our way up here. He would have loaded the fridge and freezer for me. I owe him and his son big time for taking such good care of the place.”
Melody removed the coffee mugs from the microwave. “I wonder what his son looks like. He was huge ten years ago and he was only 15 then. Imagine how tall he is now. I remember in school he had so many of the younger girls following him around—even at 15.” Melody handed her the coffee mug and they both stepped out onto the back deck.
The mountain view always took Tabatha’s breath away. She set her coffee down on the table and unfolded two patio chairs.
“I don’t know,” she replied. “I’m sure we’ll find out. You know, at one time I could talk to mom about anything. Boy, would she be a big help right now.”
Tabatha stared out at the water. The moon was reflected like a giant silver coin. It was so quiet now, just like it had been the day the explosion had killed her family. The flash of the explosion had been bright across the horizon; she remembered the force of it knocking her backward.
It had been warm that day, and the wind had blown gently. Birds had been chirping in the background, the fish jumping in the lake. The sound of a vehicle coming up the drive interrupted her reminiscence of that fateful day. Tabatha moaned the same time Melody did. They looked at each other.
“I should have known Hoyt would come. After all, he was a friend of Ben’s.” A Jeep pulled in, and another car maneuvered into the drive behind it.
Car doors slammed, and their men stomped around the house. Silently, Tabatha sat in her lounge chair next to Melody’s. Their mates saw them and strode out onto the deck. Hoyt’s guards followed at a distance.
Hoyt, Chax, and Shane stood before them, their bodies stiff as anger flared in their gazes.
Shane reached down, intending to pick Melody up, but she wouldn’t have it.
“Don’t try it, Shane. We did nothing wrong!” She warned before he touched her. The expression in her eyes dared him to try. “Don’t touch me! We came here to relax. So just be quiet.”
But that didn’t stop him. He picked her up, lugged her over his shoulder, and stormed into the house.
Tabatha laughed as she stared at Melody’s retreating ass. “Give him hell, Melody.”
But her laughter died. Hoyt and Chax moved in, their bodies tense.
“Do you know how stupid it was to come here without guards?” Hoyt questioned.
She shrugged. “I belong to no one, so I can and will do whatever I want to. I needed to come here, to sort some things out.” She held her hands out in front of her in an attempt to keep them at bay. “You’re not my mates yet, and I’m not convinced you are. This is my home, and I won’t be take
n away from it.”
A deep baritone laugh broke the tension in the air. Tabatha knew that laugh, and the owner of it should be dead. It couldn’t be.
“Hoyt, you and that thing better step away from my baby sister. Friend or not, I’ll kick your worthless ass.”
That voice! Tabatha would’ve recognized it anywhere. A voice she had longed to hear again, but never thought possible. She whipped around and stared at the corporeal ghost of her dead brother. Ben stood in the backyard very much alive—or was he?—And he looked furious. Shock didn’t cover the range of emotions clouding Tabatha’s mind. The world began to fade into darkness, and then all turned black.
***
Hoyt reached for Tabatha before she hit the ground. “You could have warned us, Ben! Why the hell haven’t you contacted me? I was planning on preparing her for your return.” He glared at Ben as they walked into the living room with Tabatha in his arms.
Melody gasped. Her eyes glazed over and started to roll back in her head.
“Grab her!” Hoyt yelled to Shane, who caught her and cradled her body.
“Damn it, Hoyt,” Shane snapped. “You should’ve told me he was coming in! They’re going to be so pissed when they wake up, and I don’t blame them!” He placed Melody on the couch.
“I had no idea Ben would be here. Do you think I would put Tabatha through this shit?” He snapped back as he noticed Chax about to attack Ben. “Cool it, Chax. Ben is her brother. Ben, this is Chax. Your little sister’s other mate.” He nodded toward the demon and turned to walk to her bedroom.
He stared down at her small body as he laid her on the bed and traced his fingers down her cheek.
Damn, is she going to be furious!
“I couldn’t stay in hiding, knowing she’s in danger,” said Ben. “Plus when you called and told me she was your mate, I knew she would have a fit. You need my help with her, and well, I’ve missed Melody.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I have a feeling Tabby isn’t the only one to have two mates. When I saw Melody at the club last night, my wolf half wanted to claim her. It took every ounce of control to stay hidden from everyone.”
“Then I suggest you go talk to Shane before they wake up, because you’re going to have to explain all this crap.” Hoyt straightened and looked at him. “Did you let the team know you’re here?”
Chax moved into the room to stand in the corner, his attention on Tabatha.
“Yes, and they’re not too happy I’m here, but I don’t care. I need to be with Tabatha. I’ll go now and talk to Shane, but call me when Tabby starts to waken. I want to explain everything to her.” Ben turned and left them.
Hoyt shook his head and gazed over at Chax. “You know she’s going to want to stay here. We need to bring in more men to patrol this place.”
“I’ve scanned the area, and so far no one else is here, but I’m sure they will find out soon enough.” Chax nodded at Tabatha. “You know we’re going to have our hands full with her, right? From what I’ve seen already, she doesn’t take orders well.” He growled and walked over to her, tracing her breast with his finger. “I can’t wait to tame you.”
***
Tabatha opened her eyes to see the ceiling fan in her old bedroom. She looked around the room and saw Ben across from her. He stood there with Hoyt and Chax next to him, Ben’s smile as bright as his eyes.
Emotions rolled through her—happiness to see her brother, shock that he wasn’t dead and, last of all, anger.
She sat up and said, “Okay, someone better explain where the fuck you’ve been for the past ten years.” She lunged for him, anger surging through her system. How could he be alive and not tell her? Tabatha slapped him across the face. “I went through hell. I had no one!” She screamed.
Ben wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug. He held her until her pent-up emotions ran out.
“Mom and Dad…” Tabatha sputtered as the tears started to flow.
Her brother pulled her down on the bed next to him and embraced her tightly again. Tabatha noticed a new scar down his cheek. She traced the scar with her finger.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that alone, Tabby.” He leaned back and looked into her eyes, brushing her hair back. “The explosion threw me from the boat. A PSU agent found me and took me to the hospital in the next city. I lay in a coma for six months. They wanted me to help them find out what had happened. The PSU didn’t want the killers to know I was alive, so they set me up in a different town, working behind the scenes. Now that you’ve been threatened again, I had to come home as soon as I could.” He sighed, the sound weary and forlorn. “I visited Mom’s and Dad’s gravesites first. Then I came here. Everything still looks like it did when the accident happened. I am so sorry I wasn’t there.” He cupped her cheek.
“So, let me get this straight,” she replied. “You’ve been working for the PSU the whole time, but no one informed me you were alive? Do you know what I went through without you?” She stood and frowned down at him. “I had one year left in high school when this happened. Social Services wanted to send me to a foster home. They wanted me to leave the only home I’ve ever known. Thank God, Melody’s mom came to the rescue and told them that I could live with them.” Rage consumed her, body and soul. “You’re my older brother. You’re supposed to be there for me! So tell me, did you go in for training to be in this special force?” She detected movement behind her and turned to face Hoyt. “Don’t even say a word to me, Hoyt.”
“You have to understand, Tabatha. They wanted to keep you safe. If Ben had come back to you, the people who killed your parents would return to finish the job they’d started,” Hoyt tried to explain.
“You knew, didn’t you?” She nearly shouted. “Wait, this is why Shane appeared all of a sudden right before he met Melody, isn’t it? Shane knew all this, too!”
His eyes confirmed what she suspected.
“So you three have been lying to us the entire time. I know you work for the Paranormal Specialty Unit, but does Shane work for them as well?” Tabatha paced back and forth in the small bedroom.
“Tab, I started to train with them before Mom and Dad died,” Ben explained. “Hoyt and Shane trained with me in the same classes.” He stood and tried to pull her into his arms.
“Don’t!” She pushed him away. “Tell me something, Hoyt. Is all this about being my mate a lie, too? Did you just say it to keep an eye on me? And what about you, Chax? Do you work for them also?” She strode to the doorway, anger in her every step.
“I wouldn’t lie about being your mate,” Hoyt replied with conviction. “You’re mine, and Chax isn’t involved with the PSU. What he has said is true.” He followed her into the hall.
Bumping into the door, Tabatha glanced over her shoulder to see Melody. Her friend’s face was pink, and she had crossed her arms over her chest. Tabatha knew she’d heard everything they had said. Shane attempted to pull Melody away.
“So all this shit is a lie?” Melody asked. “Meeting you guys? Hell, you know what my family is like, but I couldn’t see my best friend in a foster home. I had to beg my mom to allow her to stay with us. And it wasn’t pleasant that whole year, let me tell you! Did you even think of all the nightmares she had or how many nights she cried herself to sleep? No! You just come waltzing in here and expect her to forgive you! Well I, for one, will not. Let’s go, Tab! I know the perfect place we can hide for a while.”
Tabatha glanced behind her. All four men looked on as Melody dragged her into the living room, heading for the door.
“Mel,” she said, “You know it’s not safe. Why don’t you stay here? I can just take off and disappear.”
“Neither of you are going anywhere.” Hoyt appeared behind them, his arms crossed over his chest. “We made a mistake, but it’s not safe out there.”
Tabatha fought to control her temper. “You’re not my mate yet! So I suggest you keep quiet. I agree we can’t leave, but that doesn’t give you the right to tell me or Melody what to do.” S
he turned and walked down the stairs to the pier.
Melody followed her.
The wind blew across her face as she stared out at the lake. Hurt and anger swirled in her head.
Melody kept her company. “I’m so furious I can’t stand to look at any of them right now,” her friend finally spoke, sitting down on the pier. “What are we going to do?”
“I have no idea. I’m thrilled Ben’s alive, but what they did… I just don’t know.” Tabatha sat down next to her. “Hoyt says he’s my mate, but how can I believe him now? And what about Chax? I mean, come on. I’m a human. How can I be mated to a werewolf and a demon?” Let alone a god of some kind. Tabatha heard the men walking down to the pier towards them, but chose to ignore their approach.
“Tabby, what’s that?” Melody pointed at a rubber raft floating in the water. Something furry lay on top of it.
“I don’t know. It looks like—Oh my God! It’s Boots!” She screamed and jumped up. “They killed Boots! How did they get into our apartment?” Tabatha gaped at their pet’s body. She shook, and her heart beat faster. Tabatha rubbed her temples as a dull twinge moved in her head. But on further examination, she realized Wol-itelm lurked inside of her.
“Yes, I’m here, baby, and I’ll always be there when you need me.” A soft breeze blew around Tabatha, surrounding her as if protecting her.
“Shit! They’ve found us,” Shane yelled, pushing Tabatha and Melody back as he kneeled on the decking. He grabbed the cat from the float as it came close to the pier. “Its neck is broken.”
“Let’s go, Tabby.” Hoyt wrapped his arm around her. “I want both of you in the house now. That animal was still warm.”
Fear ran through her. “I don’t want to leave her. This is my parent’s home.” All that had happened to her in the last day came crashing in around her, zapping her energy.
Chax looked out over the lake, reaching out with his senses. “No. They are not near. I do not sense anyone holding any intent to harm. This was a message meant to scare and upset you, drive you away from this place and back down to the city. We can protect you here, and send for more of Hoyt’s pack.”
Possession of the Soul Page 6