Possession of the Soul (16 page)

“Chax? Hoyt?”She heard someone move behind her.

“You’ll learn to listen to us and not risk your life or that of others!” Chax yelled and spanked her ass.

“Let me go! How dare you do this to me!” Tears fell down her face as she struggled with the bonds. Her butt burned and for some reason, her hands burned, too. She looked up and claws appeared where her fingers were. Concentrating, Tabatha cut at the bonds with them. One tie snapped, then the other, freeing her hands. Tabatha’s legs were still strapped, but that didn’t matter. She heard the sound of rushing air before something made contact with her ass, and turned her upper body, grabbing his arm.

“Get out before you go too far! I’ll not have a mate like Shannon’s. Any man who does this to a woman is nothing but an ass!” She snatched up the lamp near the bed and letting go of his hand, threw it at Chax’s head. “No one touches me in anger. I’ve already warned you once!”

She dug her claws into the bed and waited for the men’s next move.

Both mates frowned at her, but backed out of the room slowly. When they were gone, she cut each of the bonds on her legs, and jumped off the bed. Storming to the door, she slammed it shut.

“This isn’t over, Tabatha,” Chax snapped on the other side of the door.

“Yes, it is.”

Tabatha held her breath. But all she heard was their retreat into the living room.

The tears slowly stopped, and she closed her eyes. Tabatha didn’t understand why everyone was so furious with her.
It’s not like I knew the demons would be there, and it wasn’t even my idea to go to the fucking mall!

She started to sink to the floor when the room before her dimmed and the dizziness returned. “Chax, I told you to back off!” She screamed before she blacked out.

“Are you all right, baby?” item’s voice was right beside her. Slowly, she opened her eyes to stare up at the biggest green eyes she had ever seen. Long silky blond hair reached to the floor as he knelt by her and swept her up in his arms. “I couldn’t stand it anymore. Those fools can do without you for a night, because tonight, my queen, you will be pampered. I’m so sorry they hurt you.” He gently laid her down on a huge bed. He stood next to it and stared into space for a moment.

 
This man is a god, and I’m in his bed!
Tabatha shook as she admired his muscular body. She choked when her gaze landed on his shaft which stood hard and ready.
Okay, there is no way his cock is going to fit inside me!

Chapter Thirteen

 
“I have brought our mate here to my home for the night. The both of you better think of a way to get back into her good graces after the stunt you tried to pull. You should know better than to touch a female in anger, and this event was not her fault. One more stunt like that, and mates or not, I’ll pin both of you to the wall and see how you like to have your asses beaten in anger.”
Wol-itelm let his rage slam into both Chax’s and Hoyt’s minds.

He turned his attention back to Tabitha and smiled, noting her apprehension. “There will be time for that later, but right now I want to talk and show you my world, if that’s okay with you.” He reached out with his large hand.

She hesitated for a minute but placed her delicate one into his. As he pulled her up he whispered, “Remember, Chax and Hoyt will have to deal with me, too.” She bit back a laugh as she imagined that future.

“How would you like to go for a ride on a dragon? I want to show you my little paradise. One day I hope we all can spend time here, but until the Others agree, I’m afraid I’m taking a chance having you here tonight.” He led her to a huge, wide-open door large enough to fit three tractor-trailers on its threshold.

“Then you need to send me back to Earth.” She stepped back and stared up at him. “I don’t want to cause trouble between you and the Others. I have enough problems on my own world,” she whispered.

Wol-itelm lifted her chin with his index finger. “You needed an escape, Tabatha, and I needed to hold you, if only for a few hours. It gets so lonely here. Allow me this precious time to comfort me until the day comes when we can be together.” He lifted her into his arms and softly kissed her. Tabatha’s lips warmed his cold ones. “You’re so warm and it’s been so long since I’ve had the female company.”

He placed her on the floor and backed away. His body shifted, wind blew her hair back as a giant red, black, and purple dragon stood before her.

 
“As you see, my mark is my other form. Hop on, beauty, and let’s soar with the stars.”
He bowed before her and placed his knee as a mounting step for her to climb up on his massive back. With a wide smile, she stepped up onto him and sat behind his neck, holding on tightly.

“This is so exciting! I feel like a little girl again, going on a ride at an amusement park. Thank you, Wol-itelm.”

She kissed his neck, and for the first time in centuries, he felt warmth spread through his body. He took off into the night, reaching for the stars for that once-in-a-lifetime adventure, because tonight she would be his.

***

Tabatha was speechless. Everywhere she looked, there were sights that amazed her. Three moons surrounded his palace in the sky. Bright stars twinkled, while curious animals she had never seen before flew around them.

Only in a fairy tale could one come up with a sight like this. His homeland was made of glass and gold and sparkled in the moonlit sky. The air, warm and gentle on her face, urged Tabatha to take a deep breath. The aroma of Lilly of the Valley comforted her.

 
“This is so beautiful and peaceful Wol... Oh hell. I can’t say your name. Hmm. what should I call you? I don’t like Walter. That sounds nerdy and you certainly aren’t nerdy.”

“Well, thank you for that.”
He laughed.

 
“I know! How about Drakos? It’s the Greek name for dragon.”
She jumped, almost losing her grip on his neck.

 
“Careful, little one, and Drakos is fine, but only you may call me this. Look over there to the left. See that lighted place far off in the distance? That is my friend’s home. I’m hoping when he wakens he will volunteer to be my Guide. To be in your world, I need a Guide. It means one to watch and help control my temper when it comes to my mates. My powers will have to be monitored to make sure I don’t slip up and destroy your world or annihilate your people.”
Drakos’ voice faded at the end.

Sadness slipped into Tabatha thoughts, and she detected that it was coming from Drakos.
“Is being my mate going to cause you problems, Drakos? If it is, please don’t do anything that would bring you harm. I don’t think I could bear hurting another person.”
She hugged his neck.

 
“Little one, it is not sadness about our joining. It’s sadness that I will have to let you leave this place in a few hours. Come, it’s time to spend a few hours in my arms.”
He flapped his big wings, and a snort of fire shot out of his mouth as he headed back to his palace in the sky.

A surge of pure sexual hunger attacked her senses and dampened her thighs.

 
“I’m sorry, Tabatha, but you’re going to have to come back now. Our mate can’t take you yet. He must have his mentor guiding him,”
Chax gently informed them.

Drakos landed at his door, and she climbed down while he shifted to his godly form. “You should learn to mind your own business, Chax.” He sighed and turned to her. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to spend some time with you, but Chax is right. If I crawled into the bed with you, I wouldn’t be able to stop.” He lifted her, backing her up against the closest wall. “You’re even more beautiful in person, my little angel. One taste before I have to send you home.” His mouth covered hers, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, not wanting to leave.

His kiss was cool, yet scorching at the same time. He lifted his head, his green eyes had darkened to blackest night. “I’ll keep a close watch. Your other mates won’t touch you again in anger. They know what they did was wrong.” His voice was barely a whisper as she started to fade from the room.

“No, I want to stay,” she whispered back, but knew she had no choice.

Once again in her room on her bed, Tabatha curled up into a ball, hugging her pillow. An emptiness resided in her heart. She didn’t know how, but in those few minutes, he had captured and held a piece of her.

No one had ever treated her with such specialness. Tabatha turned her gaze to the door. Hoyt and Chax still owed her a huge apology. Climbing out of bed, she walked to her closet and opened the door. She grabbed a T-shirt, slipping it on. Tonight she wanted time alone to just sleep. Tabatha locked her bedroom door, even though she knew it wouldn’t do any good.

Stiffness started to settle in her backside as she walked to the full-length mirror and lifted her T-shirt up. Sure enough, she was already starting to blister from their spanking. She didn’t know why her bottom hadn’t been sore earlier.
Maybe it was because I was in a different world where there’s no pain.
Whatever the reason, she didn’t want to inform Drakos of this. She could just image his wrath.

Slowly, she slid onto the bed on her stomach and covered herself. Tomorrow would be soon enough to work through all the emotions. Right now all she wanted to do was sleep.

***

Tabatha woke up and glanced at the clock. Three a.m. She scanned the room. No mates. Getting up, she went into the bathroom and sat carefully on the toilet. Tabatha had no idea how she was going to handle them. She knew they were hers, but could she forgive them for their actions?

Walking into the hallway, she listened and heard nothing. She knew someone watched her, but whoever it was, they did not show themselves. She entered the living room to investigate where her mates had gone. Coming around the corner, she noticed them asleep in each other’s arms on the floor. They lay there so peacefully. She’d never seen such a beautiful sight. She knew they had made love to each other. The smell of passion still lingered in the air. Tears rolled down her face.

 
I can’t believe I’m falling for the big lugs, even after all they have done.
Very quietly she covered their bodies in the blanket that had been folded on couch. She made her way back to her bed, alone.

She awoke when the sun rose. She looked at the clock. Six a.m. Crawling out of the bed, she threw on a dress. Her ass burned, and blisters had formed over night. Tabatha walked into the kitchen and didn’t say a word to her mates. She started the coffee and peeked out the window at the lake. It appeared so peaceful.

She grabbed a cup and made her way down the pier. She didn’t dare sit down, so she just stood at the end of the pier staring out at the lake.

 
How can I get past what they did to me?

“I’m here to help. Talk to them, Tabatha. I think so much has been thrown at us that we all need to step back and breathe,”
Drakos murmured.

 
We’ll see. I wish you were here or that I was there with you. I feel like a piece of me was left there.
Tabatha sighed.

 
“I know, my little angel. It’s the same for me, and you should have told me about the blisters. I could have healed you. I’m a little angry about that. I guess we are all going to have a nice long chat.”

Tabatha looked down at the water. Cool water would soothe her burning butt, so she threw off her dress and dove into the lake. The water stung at first. Pulling herself up onto the floating pier, she laid down on her stomach, staring out at nothing. She felt someone watching her and looked up. Her mates stared at her from the shore. She ignored them and closed her eyes. She heard splashes and knew they would be there soon. The platform sank as they lifted their bodies up onto to it.

“We need to talk,” Hoyt stated and sat down next to her.

Water dripped down onto her. Chax sat on the other side of her and rubbed his hands up and down her legs. She used every ounce of willpower to ignore them.

“Don’t you know you mean everything to us? Especially to me? I’m free because of you. I can walk in the light now. I know what love is. If you die, I die also,” Chax whispered into her ear and rubbed her neck.

“If this is your kind of love, I don’t want it,” Tabatha stated. “You don’t understand this, but I need some freedom. You’ve taken my life and my freedom away from me. I like to go to movies, shopping, and doing things outside of a home. You can’t keep me prisoner in my own house. Then you tie me down and spank me like a child. I am not a kid. I told you to send a guard and I wouldn’t complain about it,” Tabatha stated calmly.

“I am sorry, but we’re new at this. We can’t lose you. You can do the same things you’re used to, but all we ask is that you give us time. You have to keep the guards with you.”

“I told you I wouldn’t complain about the guards.”

“The danger isn’t over. That demon wasn’t the one who put the snakes in that box,” Chax stated.

Tabatha sighed and got up, jumping into the water. She swam back to the shore and turned to pull her dress on.

The woods always soothed her. She started to walk the beaten path. She needed to think. Tabatha knew her mates followed as she made her way up the path toward the top of the bluff. It was weird how she could walk barefoot and not feel a thing. There were some nice benefits to being changed. She snorted taking a deep breath and closing her eyes taking in the quietness.

“When will your parents be here?” She asked, looking out at the view as she came to a clearing in the forest.

“Mine will be here tomorrow, and Chax’s father will be here the next day,” Hoyt said, strolling to one side of her and slipping his arm around her waist.

She pulled out of his arm. “I don’t know what I did wrong, but what you two did was uncalled for. I have blisters on my ass, thanks to you two.” Tabatha walked over to a big stone and gently sat down. Her butt burned on contact. “You two come into my life and in the past two days you’ve changed my body, lied to me, spanked me, and claimed me without me having any say in the matter. I’ve tried to overlook certain things and forgive the both of you, but you keep taking and taking.