Possession of the Soul (3 page)

A huge door stood before her. The beads of her costume shook as her body trembled under her overcoat. Again Tabatha had the premonition something would change when she walked through that door, but she was never one to run from a challenge. She might delay one, but eventually Tabatha always dealt with whatever came her way. Straightening her shoulders, she readied herself to deal with what she felt would be the next phase of her life.

 
All who are supernatural can’t be blamed for a few bad apples.

Cool air entered her lungs as she took a deep breath and strode into the Moonlight Night Club. Melody had already informed Tabatha that the club was werewolf-only, and that humans never ventured into it unless invited.

Shane grabbed Melody around the waist, bringing her closer to his body as they entered the club, warning others of his claim.

Tabatha’s jaw dropped as she stared at the meat market before her. The lights were low, and men strode around bare from the waist up. Some wore only a single fig leaf over their cocks, like they were from Adam and Eve’s time, making women wish they were Eve. She had never seen so many hot men assembled in one room. Some men dressed as Greek gods, and Tabatha loved Greek anything. Not many women were present, and the few that she did see had looked up as they entered and glared at them. Tabatha remained just inside the door.

Melody stepped up beside her.

“Okay, I have just died and gone to Heaven,” Tabatha whispered in Melody’s ear.

Once again, Shane took Melody by the waist. “Ready, ladies?”

“I can’t believe you’ve kept this place secret. I’m surprised women around the world aren’t begging to get in. God, this is heaven,” Melody whispered.

Shane laughed. “I’m afraid I’m all the Heaven you’re getting, mate, so stop staring.” He growled, pulling her closer to his body. “Now come on. I want you two to meet the Alpha and captain, since he’s waiting for us.” Escorting the ladies across the room, Shane ignored everyone else.

The huge men stared at Tabitha, sniffing the air as if she was something served up for their pleasure.

 
Tabatha the T-bone.

“Only our T-bone!”
a voice snarled in her mind.

She squirmed and scanned the area. She knew certain groups of shifters could send such messages to others, but she knew no one here. They reached the table where four men sat. Tabatha studied each one.

 
“You won’t find me in this room, little one, but soon I’ll have the pleasure of nibbling on my T-bone,”
the voice purred.

“Shit, I totally forgot we have a coat check. Here, give me your coats.” Shane distracted her from the heated words, helping both of them slip out of their floor-length dress coats.

The room erupted in whistles along with another growl in her head.

Heat singed Tabatha’s face as she glared at Melody. “I told you the outfit was too skimpy,” she murmured, elbowing her friend.

Shane handed their coats to a girl who sauntered up to their group. The young woman was tall and lanky with long black hair that swung across her ass as she strolled by them. Tabatha heard her growl as she passed, tossing her hair back like she was
the
only woman in the room. However, the belly dancer outfit she wore wasn’t filled out like Tabatha’s, and the girl knew it.

“Boy, what is it with all the growling?” Tabatha laughed, trying to ignore the witch and the mysterious voice in her mind.

Melody snorted. “I have a feeling the women are jealous. You look fabulous tonight. Look. They’re huddling now. Maybe they’re pissed that a human is in the club.” Melody nodded at a group of women dressed in an assortment of costumes.

From belly dancers to those dressed as Eve they all stared and pointed their fingers at her and Melody.

“Oh, this is going to be fun!” said Tabatha. She rolled her eyes.
This party better get going or I’m leaving.
“Melody, I’m not really in the mood to fight, but then again with the day I’ve had, maybe what I need is a good old brawl.” She threw her hands up and glared back at the women, daring them to do something.

“This is supposed to be a night of relaxing.” Melody kept her gaze trained on the group.

“Okay, you two need to settle down. They’re just nervous having you here,” Shane stated.

“It looks to me like we’re not wanted here,” Melody said, indicating the women across the room. Shane and the men next to them looked at the group. The men stood up and growled, showing their teeth. In submission, the women slowly moved apart.

“Forgive them. They’re not fond of humans,” said the man standing next to her. By the way he held himself, Tabatha knew he was the Alpha. She knew the Alpha had to keep an eye on what everyone was doing in the room.

“Now, Shane, aren’t you going to introduce me to this lovely lady?”

His tenor voice caressed her body and turned her to mush. His dark blue gaze traveled down her form and settled on her breasts for a moment, then back up to lock gazes with her.

His handsome face and long black hair would be any woman’s fantasy. Even with his hair pulled back, Tabatha wanted to run her fingers through it. His size and stature intimidated her, but it also turned her on. He stood at least 6”6’.

“Excuse me, Alpha. You know my mate, Melody, and this is her best friend, Tabatha. Tabatha, this is our Alpha, Hoyt Cyrus,” Shane stated and lowered his head slightly.

“Shane,” a woman’s slightly irritated voice sliced through their group. Everyone turned to stare at the same woman who had taken their coats earlier. She swung her hips more to make her costume jingle as she walked.

Tabatha laughed and shook her head. “You’re doing it wrong. Let me show you how to do it.” She swayed her hips and rolled her belly, showing the woman how to dance. The woman glared at her while the men watched in awe as she worked her costume, making every bead sing.

“This phone rang in one of their coats.” She pushed the phone toward Shane, ignoring Tabatha. She turned her head and lifted a perfectly coiffed eyebrow as she sashayed past Tabatha and growled—again.

Tabatha couldn’t let it go. She wasn’t going to bow down to anyone, not even a pack of female wolves.

“Fuck this!”

Chapter Three

Tabatha stepped into the girl’s personal space. “Listen, bitch. If you growl at me one more time, I will rip that snout off your pretty little face.”

“Why, you fucking bitch!” The woman closed the gap and touched noses with Tabatha.

Tabatha glared at the woman for a moment, and then she turned her back to her. With a flick of her wrist, she dismissed the woman.

Everyone stared at Tabatha as if she’d grown another head.

“What?” She glanced innocently at the onlookers. “It’s the second time that witch has growled at me. I didn’t come here to be threatened. I’ve had a day from Hell, and this is supposed to be a party. All it’s been so far is a bunch of jealous bitches showing their teeth!”

Melody laughed and hugged her. “Here.” She handed her the cell phone. “It’s the other police detective about your car.”

She looked around the immediate area for a quieter place to talk and found a corner a few feet away from Shane and Melody.

“This is Tabatha Spinning. Did you find my car?” She sat down at the empty table as the officer told her what had happened. By the time Tabatha hung up the phone, both Melody and Shane had moved next to her.

“Well? What’s wrong?” Melody asked, sitting down beside her.

Shane handed Tabatha a beer, and she took a long swig from it.

Tabatha blew hair out of her eyes and handed the phone back to Melody, “It seems that my car is trashed. Some ritual words are scratched into the paint on the hood. The inside of the car is covered in human blood. They’re handing the case over to the PSU. From what the detective said, someone has summoned a demon named Chax.” She grabbed her beer and finished it, then reached for Shane’s drink.

He held it away from her.

“Hey, you need to slow down,” Melody said.

“I can’t believe this crap! Do I have a freak magnet attached to my body, or what? Do you think this is connected to the monsters that killed my family? I mean I’m all for a good scare, but this is too much.” She shivered.

Melody grabbed her hand. “I’m so sorry, Tabby. It has to be Kenneth. Everyone likes you. Well, except the bimbos around here.” She giggled.

Tabatha laughed as well.

“I bet he’s just trying to scare you,” Melody added.

She noticed Hoyt standing next to their table, his features stony as he gazed upon her.

“Why don’t we go to my private room upstairs where we can hear ourselves talk?” Hoyt took her hand, pulling her up out of the chair. “This way. Now who is this Kenneth and why would he want to scare you?”

He guided her through a wide hallway and up a spiral staircase. The architect had used the form of cave moldings to construct the hallway’s ancient looking walls. The dark cherry wood of the staircase reminded her of the Australian Queen Anne Style of the late 1800’s. She traced the woodwork with her fingers, memorizing every different engraving in the design.

Tabatha glanced up at Hoyt. “I’m totally impressed. This is amazing work. It must have taken years!” Hoyt’s hand traveled down her back and rested on her ass cheek as they entered his private domain.

Hoyt’s smoldering gaze held hers. “It took a while, but it was well worth the wait to see your reaction. I was hoping you would appreciate beauty as I do.”

She knew he was referring to her and the woodwork, but his hand was driving her crazy. Every hormone she had was in high gear as this handsome man touched her body.

“This place is amazing.” Tabatha managed to say in a whisper as he pushed open the private door and waited for her to enter. “It looks like it just came out of an antique magazine.”

“It took some time, but I wanted this place to be perfect for a special lady,” he whispered next to her ear and escorted her into the room.

“Well, should you be touching me like this if there is a special woman in your life?”

Tabatha gazed around the large room. A private bar done in the same dark cherry wood of the staircase stood in the corner. To the right, one wall was nothing but a huge tinted window that overlooked the dance floor beneath them. There was a pool table by the opposite wall. Music streamed into the room from below, and her foot automatically tapped to the beat.

Four other men and two women were in the room with the bartender. One woman danced to the music in front of the window, ignoring everyone around her. Two of the men played pool in the left corner while another man leaned against the bar and watched every move the dancer made.

Along the far wall lay an entertainment unit with a loveseat opposite. Two long sofas sat at right angles to the loveseat with a coffee table between them.

“What makes you think you aren’t that special woman?” His tone teased her, and his hand traveled up her spine to settle on the middle of her back.

Tabatha laughed and slapped at his chest when he pulled her closer to his body. “It can’t be me, because you’ve just met me.” She looked up into his heated gaze. “Why would you do all this for me?” A knot formed in her throat as his arms encircled her and squeezed.

“You still haven’t answered my earlier question. Who is this man you mentioned?” Hoyt’s gaze penetrated hers, holding her still.

Out of the corner of her eye, Tabatha saw Melody and Shane follow them into the room.

Hoyt moved a strand of her hair behind her ear, tickling her. A quiver skated down her spine. He took a deep breath sending the fine hairs in her ear to moving. His chest rose under her hands, which clutched his shirt. She went to rub her ear against her shoulder, but bumped into Hoyt’s head. He had leaned down and to stroke her ear with his tongue. Being so close to him, Tabatha could’ve sworn her body temperature had started to soar, and her panties had grown damp with her sudden need to feel him inside her.

His next move only heightened her arousal as his warm tongue licked around the base of her ear. A small moan slipped out of her. Tabatha held onto his shirt, not trusting her legs at that moment. Her knees shook, and her now-wet thong stuck to her nether lips.

She closed her eyes and tried to answer his question, but nothing came out.

Melody pulled Tabatha away from Hoyt, propelled her toward the dance floor, and yelled over her shoulder. “I think she needs a little break. I mean, she’s had one hell of a day. Kenneth was her boss. He fired her because she wouldn’t sleep with him. He did it after she’d worked all day.”

“Thanks, Melody,” Tabatha said by her ear so she’d hear her over the music.

Melody smiled and leaned into Tabitha. “I thought you were going to pass out right there in his arms. What’s wrong with you? You never cave into a man that fast.” She turned and waved to Shane.

Tabatha started to move her body to the beat that surrounded her. Melody was right. No one had ever affected her so profoundly. Whenever Hoyt touched her, a sexual fire swept through her body.

“I don’t know. But all he has to do is touch me and my body and mind go bonkers!” Tabatha smiled.

Melody shrugged. “It could be what Shane describes as the mating call.”

“I have to go to the police station tomorrow,” Tabby changed the subject before Melody could further pursue it. “They want me to look at the car and see if I recognize anything. Would you mind driving me, Mel? I don’t feel like taking the bus to the police station. I told the detective I would be there around 10:00 in the morning. That way we can sleep in a little.” Tabatha waited for Melody’s answer as she caught Hoyt’s gaze traveling up her body.

“Sure, no problem. Now let’s enjoy this music and try to stay focused.” Melody laughed. “I know you love this song. We can relax and have some fun now that we’re not downstairs.”

Tabatha could dance all night long if the music and the men were the right combination.

The band played
Going Under
. Both Melody and Tabatha changed their pace to the new song as the beat sped up. The beads on her skirts chiming as her hips swayed and her feet beat out a counterpoint. The tempo of the drums and the lyrics flowed around the room, surrounding them. The women next to them growled and glared their hatred. But Tabatha didn’t care. The drums and sax downstairs stirred her blood, soothing every muscle in her body.