Laying Claim to the Soul (4 page)

Cold air drifted over her body. Tabatha tried to get up, but something held her down. Slowly, she scanned her surroundings trying to catch her bearings and not draw anyone’s attention, knowing something was not right. Tabatha was in some kind of filthy room, on some table, strapped down. Her arms were tied to the side and she was freezing, which was weird in itself. Someone yanked on one of her feet, a rope of some kind pressed down on her ankle, securing it to the table.

“I warned him not to get involved, but would he listen? No! Now I have to take things into my own hands, and deal with a human!” The angry squeaky voice said and she knew he was speaking in some other kind of language, but Tabatha could understand him even though the sound was like someone scratching on glass, annoying.

She glanced up and snarled. “Who are you? What the hell are you doing? Let me go!” The creature looked to be part snake and part lizard. “

Okay guys. Anytime would be great to come to the rescue here! I hate snakes!!
 
Hoyt, Chax do you hear me?”
she sent out telepathically since it was obvious Wol-itelm had left her.

“You stupid thing. No one can hear you. Not even the great Wol-itelm. His mark has been burned from your body. No one will find you.” His split tongue peaked out of his mouth. “Now to figure out what to do with you,” he said, as his gaze roamed over her naked body.

Cold chills filtered across her body. “Why are you doing this?” Tabatha tried squirming on the steel table to get away from his touch, to stay strong, but tears rolled down her cheeks. The last words she had said to her mates ran through her head. 
The ceremony is off!
Would they come for her?

“I don’t understand what Wol-itelm sees in you. Hsss…There is nothing special about your body.” His cold, damp hand traced up her leg and he squeezed her thigh, coming close to her pussy.

“Don’t touch me!” She tried to jerk away, but the restraint held tight.

“Why, you little bitch. Think you’re too good for me?” He stepped in front of her, and pulled her hair, holding her in place as he slapped her across the face.

Her world started to darken, but she shook her head free of his grasp. Her face burned and Tabatha was afraid he might have broken her cheekbone, it hurt so much. She had to stay focused. If she could change to a wolf, she could heal and get free. The thing turned to walk to a nearby chair. Seeing her only chance, Tabatha shifted to her wolf form, slipping out of the bonds. She jumped off the table, and ran for the door, but was picked up from behind and thrown across the room. She hit the wall, pain radiated through her body. Anger took hold and the demon took control as she once more started to shift.

“Oh, you are a talented one, aren’t you? Well, let’s see what you have.” The creature’s tongue forked out, and his beaded green eyes glared at her as he stepped towards her, getting ready for her attack. He was bulky, almost slimy looking, and Tabatha really hated the idea of touching this thing.

Tabatha’s clawed hand came up, swiping across its stomach. The creature looked up, stunned at first until his pain-filled scream bounced off the dirty walls. “How the hell did he find us? This isn’t over bitch,” the creature promised before disappearing from the room.

Tabatha waited for another attack, not trusting the creature. Someone had found her, but she didn’t care who or how. Her body hurt, and her heart had been trampled on enough today. Tabatha realized one thing out of this whole mess. “
I can’t live without them.”

She leaned against the wall, and slowly dropped to the floor. All she wanted was to be held by her men.

A roar filled the room before Wol-itelm appeared in front of her. Tabatha sat there and admired his human form again. His long blond hair reached the floor and his piercing gray-blue eyes gazed down at her from his seven-foot frame.

“You’re hurt,” he growled. “I’ll kill Timble for this. He’s gone too far!” He gently picked her up, hugging her close to his body like she weighed nothing. He mumbled a few words she couldn’t understand, and the pain disappeared.

“Who was he, and why did he do this, Draco? I don’t understand.” She curled up around him as he transported her back to her room. There, Hoyt, Chax, the Master, and the child waited for her return. She would not get her hopes up again.

“
We’ll talk about it later. Your son Drake awaits you.
” Wol-itelm words cut like a knife through her heart. She couldn’t hold it back, tears rolled down her cheeks once more.

“They took him from me Wol-itelm. They want to give him to someone else. I don’t know how we bonded so quickly, but we did. The moment I picked him up, he connected to me. Why won’t they believe me? I can’t hold him and have them rip him away from me again, it hurts too much.”
She held onto to Wol-itelm, her face buried into his chest, not wanting to look anymore.

“They do know Tabatha. You’ll be able to feed and take care of him as any mother would her own child too. He’s yours.” Wol-itelm voice soothed her when he lowered her to the floor, and stared down at her breasts.

“You mean…” The words stopped when suddenly her breasts felt full and throbbing. She glanced down and two wet spots stained her blouse Wol-itelm had dressed her in. “Well crap.” Wol-itelm laughed.

“You’re a mother in all senses now.” All three men stared at Wol-itelm as he placed her in front of him.

The beast within her started to rise, but she pushed it back down. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. When you took Drake, it was like someone had attacked me,” she whispered and stepped up to Chax and Hoyt.

Chax gazed down at her. Tabatha could see the anger that lurked in his eyes, “Are you okay? Why didn’t you try and contact us?”

“She couldn’t.” Wol-itelm said behind her. “He blocked her from contacting anyone. That worm Timble even burned my mark off of her. I’ll personally deal with him.”

Chax’s head rose, and a deep snarl emerged. “Why is Timble so interested in our mate?”

Wol-itelm sighed. “Why don’t we let Tabatha and little Drake get reacquainted? We need to talk.”

The Master stepped forward and handed Tabatha the baby. “The boy has connected with you,” the Master began. “He can’t go below. I don’t know why this has happened so soon. It usually takes weeks before a newborn will form a bond with a mother. But he’s done it within minutes.” He ran his hand over the boy’s head.

“Take him. He is yours, but I’ve instructed Chax that when he reaches puberty, he will need to be brought down to me, so we can see what powers he has. Chax will have to train him. He has agreed, and so has Hoyt.”

Tabatha took her son. He cooed and snuggled up against her breasts.

“I didn’t do it. I just picked him up and a warm sensation went through me. I’m sorry if you think I’m not good enough for him, but I know I can do this.” She brushed her fingers across Drake’s cheek. “We can be the family he needs.”

“We’ll see.” The Master sighed, and looked to Wol-itelm. “Others will be furious over this. It’s only going to bring more trouble for them. But there is nothing we can do about it now that the child has chosen.”

“Let’s talk in the other room.” Chax moved towards the bedroom door, but turned and looked back at her. “We’ll talk in a few, so don’t go anywhere,” he said, his words a command.

She nodded, and walked to the bed, sitting on it with her son. “When the men come back, we’ll go to the store, little one. You need a crib, food, clothes and diapers. Oh, and we must not forget Christmas presents for your first Christmas.” Tabatha hugged the tiny bundle tighter against her chest and prayed no one would take him away again.  

Chapter Five

All four men filed into the study. Chax turned and stared at Wol-itelm. “You know you shouldn’t be here.”

Wol-itelm sat down in a leather chair, and gazed up at Hoyt and Chax. The Master stood next to him.

“In all my thousands of years I have never dreamed of having a mate.” He tapped the arm of the chair with his hand. “But also, I never dreamed of this. Therbelenth, the enforcer, is here keeping an eye on me and I have my guide watching me as well, so on that front we are safe. Plus, no one here really knows my human form.”

Wol-itelm tapped the floor with his foot, scanning everything in the room. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have announced that Tabatha was my mate and Timble picked up on this.” Wol-itelm stood up and faced both them. “I really didn’t believe he would betray me, but that’s not the issue now.”

Chax glared at Wol-itelm. His stomach knotted at the thought of a god for a mate, let alone that fact that the god’s enforcer was walking around Earth. He knew this was going to bring trouble, but Chax also couldn’t ignore the attraction, the need. He glanced at Hoyt, who remained silent.

“How do you feel, Hoyt? You know this means a whole mess of trouble,” Chax asked him.

“How am I supposed to feel? Not only am I mated to you, but now I’m told I’m to be mated with a god? Can this day get any more confusing?” He threw up his hands, and leaned back against the desk.

“When I first saw you, Wol-itelm, I knew something wasn’t right, but I had no idea it was this.” Hoyt shook his head, and stared up at the giant god-man in front of them.

“Right now we have a bigger problem,” Wol-itelm replied. “I’m afraid we’re going to have to postpone your ceremony for now. You can’t inform anyone of the real reason, either. Including Tabatha. We’re going to have to convince everyone that the two of you might have rushed things, that you two need time to work through some issues. I don’t care if you have to say that you found someone else. You have to make Tabatha believe it, or no one else will believe it.” He looked back and forth between both of them.

“I am sorry, but this is the only way. I’ve got to be able to find out what’s going on, and for that I’ll need time.” Wol-itelm held up his hand as Chax growled and stepped forward.

“It’s the only way to stop the attacks for now. I’m sorry, but it has to be this way. You both have to act like you’re having second thoughts in front of everyone — even those you trust. Tabatha must believe the both of you. Do you understand?”

Hoyt rushed Wol-itelm tackling him. “I will not refuse Tabatha. She has been through too much already!” Hoyt swung, just barely hitting his nose, but enough for both of them to fall to the floor. Wol-itelm landed on the ground with Hoyt on top of him. But Wol-itelm disappeared, reappearing behind Hoyt pushing him to his knees.

“I know the pain you’re feeling and I’m sorry, Hoyt, but it has to be.” He spoke softly, trying to comfort him. His hand traveled down his stomach to his cock. Wol-itelm slowly stroked it through the jeans.

“Apollyn, go watch Lilith, she is working with someone. I just can’t figure out whom. Also, see if you hear any word from the underground about a movement starting and report back to me. Hopefully we will get this done before your human holiday and the date of their ceremony.” Wol-itelm ordered the Master of Hell.

Chax’s gaze went back and forth to the Master, and Wol-itelm. Apollyn nodded and disappeared from the room. Hoyt’s beast needed to be claimed, and by the look on Wol-itelm’s face, it was time.

One moment they were all dressed and the next they were naked. Wol-itelm stroked Hoyt’s cock while his other hand guided his now well-lubed penis to Hoyt’s ass. “You’re next Chax,” he growled and pushed into Hoyt, claiming him.

Hoyt snarled, half shifting under Wol-itelm. “Release it, wolf boy! You’re mine!” the god said, pumping in and out of Hoyt. With two hands on Hoyt’s hips, Chax watched his two mates fucking, his own cock getting hard.

Chax moved around in front of Hoyt and grabbed onto his head, “Suck me,” he ordered watching Wol-itelm. His eyes were a deep red color and smoke trickled out of his nose and mouth.

Words foreign even to Chax’s ears came out of Wol-itelm, but his body language signaled something was about to happen. Chax jumped back right before Hoyt shifted fully to the wolf-beast howling and releasing his seed onto the floor.

Wol-itelm leaned over Hoyt biting into his neck, marking him. Chax noticed him stiffen and growl, releasing his sperm into Hoyt. The room grew quiet, Wol-itelm released Hoyt, licking the mark he’d left behind. “You are mine Hoyt, as I’m yours.”

Chax turned his body away Wol-itelm as he helped Hoyt to his feet, before launching himself at Chax. “Give yourself to me. You know it’s going to happen. Why fight it?” Wol-itelm asked from behind him.

Arms wrapped around him holding his arms at his side while the god-man kissed his neck. “We need to join together, be one if we are going to face the challenges that are coming our way. Above all else Tabatha needs to be protected.” he stroked Chax’s cock while rubbing his cock against the demon’s ass cheeks.

Wol-itelm swiped his leg catching Chax, and they went down rolling on the ground.

“You’re plan is stupid. It’s going to backfire on us,” Chax snarled and tried to flip the god off of him, but it was no use as his mate slid his cock into his ass.

“We have no choice. If we’re going to find out who the betrayer in our fold is, this must be done.” Wol-itelm raised him up as he pushed back getting to his knees.

Hoyt slid under them and grabbed onto Chax’s cock, sucking it. “
Even though I hate it, Wol-itelm is right. Things are not right with her brother. He’s acting off, even for him.
 
He could hurt someone and Tabatha would blame herself.”
Hoyt stated to him.

Chax snarled, hating what they were going to do, taking out his anger as he shoved his cock into Hoyt’s mouth while their mate fucked his ass.

“We all hate it. Come Chax, release it to me,” Wol-itelm demanded. As if on cue, something squeezed his balls, some kind of charge went through his body, and his orgasm was one of the most powerful ones he’d had in a while.

As with Hoyt, Wol-itelm bit his neck, claiming him, his seed warm in his ass. But still in his heart there was a heaviness and dread at what was going to come.

Chapter Six