Laying Claim to the Soul (17 page)

“That is a while ago, but you know I think that was one of the only birthday’s I wasn’t around for. I always made sure you had a gift from me sent to you, since you were ten. You did get them right?” Hoyt asked and she shook her head.

“Nope, not a one. That is another reason why I was surprised about you and Ben being so close. I had thought you two didn’t talk anymore. So I guess he didn’t want me around you even then,” she said getting a snarl from Hoyt.

“That piece of shit, sorry Tabby, but your brother has messed our lives up for the last time. Now, let me think when you turned 15 that was about…Well damn, you’re going to be 30 this March.” He smiled and she growled at him.

“Don’t push it Hoyt. I already feel like I’m old with everything going on. Melody and I were thinking of using that as our wedding date. It would be a time to smile, not remember the dead cat my brother gave her.” She shivered remembering all the blood that had dumped into her lap.

Needless to say her father had spanked the crap out of him and he had to go to a year of counseling. But nothing had returned to normal that day. Her mother and mate had been more than up tight for a long time. Watching everything she did, making sure they knew where she was going at all times.

“I was away that weekend, if I remember correctly, but you are right, your brother acted weird. I remember he was grounded but he wouldn’t tell me for what. Blamed you and he wouldn’t shut up. That was the first time I beat the crap out of your brother.” Hoyt shook his head. “Damn that was a long time ago, but now that you pointed it out, that is when he changed.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

“Let me think on it, but I think you should pick another date. You’ll still remember that day and I want our day to be without sadness to it, okay?” Hoyt asked staring into her eyes.

“Okay and thanks.” Tabby kissed his cheek.

“For what?” he asked standing.

“For all those gifts I didn’t get. I’m sure I would have loved them,” she said squeezing his arm before he left.

Tabby heard a snort and glanced at Melody who was smiling away. “Such a suck up. Now come on, we need to pick another date. Off with you!” Melody shooed him away and he laughed.

“Be careful, little sister. I’ll inform Shane about that one stunt you pulled the other night,” Hoyt threatened.

Melody’s face turned a bright pink and glanced at the doorway where Shane stood with his arms crossed. “What did she do this time?” he said.

“Me…” Melody shook her head. “I did nothing?” She glared at Hoyt, who laughed.

“Come I’ll explain how you got your gift last week,” Hoyt said, pulling Shane along with him.

“Damn, now I’m going to have a red butt to match yours,” she muttered and Tabby squirmed in her seat, her own ass hurting.

“Yea okay, so the 25th is out,” she sighed. “How about April Fool’s Day?” she teased, but regretted it when some invisible fingers squeezed her nipple hard. “Damn it, that hurt!” she yelled crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the door.

“Fine, March 18th. Ii will give us enough time to get everything done and it will be on a Saturday. Now to think of all things we need.” She glanced over at Hoyt’s mother who stood next to Wol-itelm’s mom. She was cooking something on the stove, which amazed her especially since she wasn’t from their world.

“Grace, is there anything special to your family we should include in the ceremony?” Grace looked up and then to her mom, who was working on a salad. “You know in the old days, they did have one part of a ceremony that was beautiful. It might be something you two would like and it would help with the decorations also.”

Helen turned, grinning. “I remember I had it done at my wedding. Husband didn’t like it, but it brought tears to my eyes and from what I’ve heard our daughter is quite a dancer.”

Hearing the word “dancing,” Tabby knew she was going to love this idea. Melody groaned. “You know I have two left feet.”

“Oh, you won’t have any problem with this, child.. You see it’s the dance of love and believe me it is hot. I’ll never forget the look on Brady’s face. He was jealous seeing the other men watch me perform my part of the ceremony. Needless to say our honeymoon started early, right after that dance.” His grandmother actually blushed.

“You don’t want to know how many men grabbed their mates and took off to find a quiet place, but then again with you having three men, it would be interesting to say the least.”

She fanned herself and looked at Melody who was doing the same thing, but grinning. “Oh yea we are so doing this. So what kind of dance? Do we pick it?” Melody asked getting up and getting them bottles of juice.

“There are many sexual dances that you can use over the different cultures. You just have to remember that you are dancing, giving yourself to your man.” Helen said.

“You know there is a dance that was taught to us as a child, the females to attract a male. From what I understand it is very risky or sexual. The costume for it might not be something you would wear here on Earth?” Ivyflame said as Tabby’s clothes disappeared replaced by a garment that seemed to be alive as it moved around her body when she stood.

“Wow, you can see everything, but not and it moves with you?” Tabatha said, doing a few dance steps and loving the feel of the material or whatever it was against her skin.

“It is cool, I have to say that,” Melody spun around and the garment seemed to open up giving peeks of her lower region. “Damn, I love it!”

Before she could say anything, her clothes were back and so were Melody’s as Wol-itelm and her father came into the room, glancing at her, then at his mother.

Wol-itelm frowned, “Why do I have a feeling you are up to something. You blocked me?”

“She did no such thing. I did it. You don’t need to see what we were doing. It is a surprise for their wedding,” Ivyflame said going back to her cooking.

Tabby turned to sit back down, but her father’s hand on her arm had her looking up at him. “We want to go through your mother’s trunk, but I won’t do it without you there,” he said.

A large lump formed in her throat and she nodded, knowing this was going to be hard.

“Come on, we can do it together,” Melody said, wrapping her arm around her and hugging her. “Who knows, maybe your mom left you millions and millions of dollars.” She teased and Tabby laughed remembering their game.

“I still want to go to Switzerland,” she said

And Melody said “And I still want to go to Ireland.”

They teased each other, stepping in the dining room and seeing the trunk on the table with Chax and Hoyt sitting there along with Apollyon, Hilario, and Therbelenth who seemed to be glaring at both Nicor and Apollyon. She was going to have to ask Wol-itelm what was up with that later.

Chapter Twenty

Her father pulled out a chair for her and nodded for her to sit, then pulled one out for Melody placing it next to Tabby, already sensing that Melody was her security blanket. Trace snorted as did Wol-itelm.

“Really, security blanket?” Wol-itelm asked, glancing at Melody who laughed, catching on.

“We’re both each other’s blanket — have been since we were six,” Melody looked up at her. “When Tabby beat the hell out of the girl that had me down on the ground and was pounding the shit out of me.”

“I hated bullies, plus I knew what it was like to be picked on.” She shrugged and opened the trunk again. Slowly, Tabby pulled out the things in the trunk: jewelry, what looked like two journals and what appeared to be letters, one addressed to her father, one to her and… She looked up at Wol-itelm, frowning. “How did she know?” she asked, handing him the envelope with his name on it in her mother’s handwriting.

“I don’t know, little pet. Go on, open yours first,” Wol-itelm nodded to the one in her hand. “It’s not that old, so I have a feeling it was written just before they were killed.”

She nodded and opened her letter, reading to all in the room.

Tabby,

I don’t have much time to write this letter. I’m afraid for your life and ours right now, so if you are reading this be careful of those around your brother. Ben has changed so much and we don’t know what to do about him. It’s one of the reasons we moved out here.

His violent nature and jealousy were too extreme, even his father knew Ben wasn’t right in the head, but now he’s been with these creatures I’ve never even heard of, so please, baby, be careful. I’ve written letters to your father, Trace and your soon —to-be mates.

Yes, I have the gift of seeing somethings in the future, one of the reasons I’m writing this. I see an explosion, don’t know where, or how, but it’s going to bring death. Don’t know if it will be ours or what, but I wanted your father and your mates to know what they are dealing with.

My mate, Ben’s father, has drawn a map of the place Ben used to go to. It might be of some help. Also I’ve included some photo’s he took of some of the men.

Try and be happy baby, and you tell Melody thank you, because I know she will be there helping you through this mess. I just wish… well that is neither here nor there. I left a surprise for you upstairs in the right corner of the attic. It’s covered in two garment bags, it was my mother’s dress. I never got to wear it, so I hope you will. I love you so so much and your father. We are alike in so many ways. I had two men who loved me while you will have three.

Inform Hoyt I kept all those gifts hidden in the spot he used to watch you at. I knew your brother was throwing them away and didn’t want to stir up trouble, but I couldn’t destroy them either. Your man Chax is a quiet one, that I can see, and will need your guidance to have fun. So make sure you do as we used to.

One other note, I see Shannon coming with some kind of storm. She will need both you and Melody soon after your wedding, so be prepared. Never stop being who you are, Tabby. Tell Melody I love her.

Love you two angels, Mom

“All this time I thought it was me, the reason we moved out here, but it was Ben all along. Did you know?” she looked up at Hoyt through the tears and he shook his head.

“No, there were times Ben seemed distant, off, but he hid so much. It seems your mom knew more than she let on,” Hoyt said and looked at Wol-itelm who reached over and squeezed her shoulder before opening his letter, reading out to everyone.

Sir,

I have seen both Hoyt and Chax in my daughter’s life all throughout her years, but it was within the last year that you came into the picture. I don’t see what you are, but I know you are power unto itself. You and the other two will keep my daughter safe. I know this, but there will be dark days for everyone, I’m afraid.

This storm which I mentioned to my daughter will somehow involve people you know. My two angels will need your support in the coming days. Do not let them out of your sight. I know for a fact when Tabby and Melody get together those two think they can conquer anything, but inside they are vulnerable.

They love fiercely, but can’t always see the evil around them. Please take care of my girls, the three of you, and since you are reading this letter out loud and my daughters are listening, have them tell you about the time they were 12 and what happened to Eric.

Wol-itelm frowned not reading the rest of the letter out loud and taking a look at some of the pictures. What he saw was not good. Smoke came out of his nose, and
 
Hilario seemed to know that the pictures were ready to go up in flames so he snatched them from his hands.

Without even moving, Hilario looked at the pictures from across the room and that is when Tabby noticed the tick in his cheek. He wasn’t a happy camper either. “So what else? I know she wrote something else?” Tabby asked nodding to the letter then to the pictures.

“Mostly names and a few planets that I hadn’t even considered,” he handed the letter to Hilario and the man stood, stretching.

“What does she send you?” he asked.

Her father opened the letter and a map fell out of it. She reached to get it, but Wol-itelm grabbed it before her. “I’ve got it.”

She rolled her eyes. “Like I’m not going to see it?” Tabby asked.

“Nope, just like you don’t need… What are you doing?” he asked Hilario as he laid the pictures in front of her.

“I want to know if she has seen any of these men around her lately,” Hilario asked.

Wol-itelm grumbled, but she was already scanning the pictures as was Melody, leaning over her shoulder. “You know that looks like the guy at the store, you know the one who gave you the look when you bought that…” she whipped around and covered Melody’s mouth with her hand.

“There is no need to tell them that, damn Melody,” she glared at her friend who was grinning like a fool.

“I think they already know,” she teased as Tabby turned around, her face burning with embarrassment. Yep, each of the males were grinning like fools.

“Melody is right, he was the man who waited on us at the little store on our way here.” Tabby pointed at a picture. Then she picked up the one on the bottom. “Hoyt, isn’t’ this one of your men? I could have sworn I’ve seen him out back this morning.” She asked, handing Hoyt the picture.

“No, I don’t know him. Where did you see him? Was he talking to anyone?” Hoyt asked, handing the picture to Wol-itelm.

“I was making coffee this morning and looking out the window. He was there looking up at the house, by the dock. He saw me and waved so I thought he was a pack member. When I looked back a few minutes later, he was gone so I thought nothing of it. Who was he?”

“Someone who shouldn’t even be here. I’m sorry, I can’t stay for your dinner, Tabatha, but I must take care of a few things. I have a feeling we will see each other again soon.” Hilario said, as the pictures disappeared with him..

“Who was that man?” she asked Wol-itelm, but watching as her dad read his letter. The paper in his hands shook a little.