Possession of the Soul (15 page)

“Now, go back into the house so we don’t have to worry about you,” Hoyt ordered. “We’ll take you shopping later.”

Her face burned. Anger bounced along every part of her body, and sweat formed on her forehead.

“Watch out, Hoyt!” Ben yelled.

Tabatha shoved her knee into Hoyt’s balls. She brought her fist back, swung, and hit Chax in the face hard. She sent him flying across the lawn on his ass. Tabatha glared at her mates. She couldn’t believe the strength and power she had, now that they’d changed her. She grinned, looking at her fist.

“I’ll tell you what,” she snarled. “I’m going shopping now with Melody! No one is going to stop us. If you want to send a guard with us, that’s fine, but don’t you ever tell me what to do again. I am not your pet!” She shouted. She got into the car and grabbed the door handle. Her knuckles turned white as she yanked with all her might. The door creaked and banged closed. Tabatha flicked the lock down.

Melody fought to get into the car and finally managed it, and shut her door with a thud. She started the car, backed it up, and they made their escape.

Tabatha took one glance in the side mirror to see all four men brushing off their clothes and glaring after them. But she didn’t care. She would not be treated like a slave, ever.

Melody and Tabatha drove in silence to the mall. Melody tapped her nails on the steering wheel, a good sign she was furious.

“I have a feeling I’m going to have to buy a warehouse full of undies,” Tabatha said as they walked into the mall ten minutes later.

“I know what you mean,” Melody replied. “Ben and Shane do the same things to me. What is it with them, anyway? My ass is so fucking sore. It would serve them right if we went to a movie and stayed out late.”

“You know, I haven’t seen a movie in a long time. Let’s do it. There’s a new action movie playing in theaters with that hot British guy.” Tabatha smiled and looked at the shoes on the rack in front of her. She loved shoes. When it came to shopping, shoes were her one weakness.

Hoyt stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Surprised, she elbowed him in the gut, spinning around to face the new threat, and ready to punch again. Seeing who it was, she grunted and continued her shopping. He moaned behind her, but she just ignored him.

“Hey, Melody, what do you think about these?” Tabatha walked to the shoe rack where Melody now stood. “I think they’ll match that blue outfit you have, and they’re half-off.”

She showed her a pair of three-inch pumps. Melody oohed and ahhed, grabbed them, and put them into the basket on the floor next to her. Tabatha and Melody set their baskets next to two chairs and sat down to try on the shoes, ignoring their respective mates who had all now caught up with them.

Hoyt and Chax slid in behind Tabitha. She sensed them scanning the area. “You know you could act a little more like you’re shopping and less like body guards. It will only draw more attention to us. I thought you didn’t want that?” She questioned and glanced back at them.

“We wouldn’t be here if you would have listened,” Hoyt hissed.

“And maybe I would have listened if you had asked instead of ordering me,” she snapped back and tried on another pair of shoes.

Melody’s mates mimicked hers. All four stood with their arms crossed over their chests. Muscles bulging, intimidating anyone who walked by. They reminded her of the muscle-bound calendar models who always made her drool.

“You two should just go on home.” Tabatha sighed and tried on a pair of black pumps. “You were busy, remember? Melody and I have plans, so just leave the guards and go. And don’t worry about dinner. We’ll eat out and make it a girls’ night out.”

“You’ll come home when you’re done here. We’ll wait,” Chax growled.

Tabatha turned and glared at him. She took a deep breath and relaxed. “I know you and Hoyt are worried, but I do need some girl time. I can’t be forced to be at your every whim night and day. You know what would make this perfect? If Shannon was here. I don’t know when the last time was we all went out for a girls’ night out.” She sighed and looked over at Melody, who nodded.

“Yeah, but you know that asshole husband of hers wouldn’t let her come if we asked. He hates us.” Melody’s anger had all four men glancing at her. She waved her hand. “It’s a long story. Maybe one day we’ll tell you about her and you can help her.”

Chax turned his attention back to Tabatha as he towered over her. His long red hair swung around his face. His stare, meant to frighten her, did no such thing. All she could think about was how handsome he appeared in human form. Muscles rippled under his shirt, which clung tightly against his chest. She could sit there all day and drool over him, but she shook her head.

“I’m going to the movies with Melody after we’re done shopping, and then we’re going out for dinner,” Tabatha stated through clenched teeth. “With our ceremony coming up so quickly, I won’t have any time for myself.”

“Can I help you ladies with anything?” A saleslady had come up to them.

Chax opened his mouth, ready to say something else, then stopped. Tabatha smiled and handed the sales lady the basket of shoes.

“Yes, you can ring these up and give them to him,” Tabatha stated and pointed to Chax.

His face burned red, and his eyebrows twitched.

“He’ll pay for them and put them in the car. I have some more shopping to do. Thanks, honey!” Tabatha smiled over her shoulder and pulled Melody with her. Two of Hoyt’s guards followed them out of the shoe department but kept their distance.

Melody laughed as they made their way to the clothing department at Macy’s.

Tabatha hung onto Melody’s arm as they walked through the store. “You know what? With all this talk about our ceremony, I forgot I don’t have a dress. We already picked out yours, so let’s shop for mine. Since this isn’t going to be a big wedding, I think something short and cool would work well.” Tabatha pointed to the dress section and moved toward it. “I don’t want white. I like dark red. I know it’s different, but it’s my favorite color and it would look great with Chax’s deep red hair and Hoyt’s black hair.”

Tabatha and Melody browsed through several racks of dresses. Ten minutes later, she spotted the one she wanted, grabbed it, and held it up against her body.

 
It’s perfect.

It had no back, and the front swept down to show cleavage. She squealed and danced around with the dress.

Melody laughed as they walked to the fitting room so Tabatha could try it on, but Chax stepped in Tabatha’s way, and took the dress out of her hand.

“We need to get out of here. Something is wrong,” Chax hissed and put the dress back on the rack, pulling her to him and holding her around her waist. He drew her away from the dressing room just as a stranger stepped in front of them.

The stranger leered. “Well, why would you do that, Chax? I wanted to see the slut in the dress. What’s wrong? Did you really think you had killed me that easily the last time we met?”

Chax pushed her behind him and growled as if he were about to shred the guy. Unfamiliar demons appeared from nowhere and surrounded them. Tabatha moved closer to Chax. She could only guess how Chax kept the humans away.
Okay, what the hell did Chax do now?

Most of the demons around them were marked as slaves. Chax had explained earlier what certain markings on a demon meant so she could recognize danger.

Melody scooted closer to the fitting room and tried to get away, but a demon marked with slave status on his upper bicep swept her up into his arms. She screamed and kicked, trying to get away.

Tabatha ducked around Chax and ran straight for the demon that held Melody. But Chax’s brother Derk suddenly stepped up behind the demon and snapped his neck. At the sound of crunching bones, Tabatha almost vomited.

Her brother Ben darted toward Melody and grabbed her, pulling her into his arms. He squeezed his mate tightly and kissed her cheek.

Ben raised his head, glared at his sister and shouted, “How could you?”

That look used to always make her scared of him, but right now it only infuriated her. She hadn’t done a damn thing! How dare he think this was her fault! Tabatha frowned and backed up and found herself up against a solid chest. She looked up into another demon’s face, one she did not recognize and that smiled down at her.

 
Shit!

Tabatha elbowed the giant behind her, but he didn’t budge.

 
Shit and double shit!

She did the only thing she could think of: She swung her arm down and hit him in the balls. She spun away from him just as he buckled to his knees.

Tabatha used her whole body weight behind the kick she delivered to his jaw. The demon flew backward, falling to the floor by the dressing room.

Tabatha shook herself and gasped for air. Out of the corner of her eye, Tabatha caught a glimpse of Chax. His growl sent a chill up her spine as she listened to his words as he faced down the strange demon who seemed to be the leader.

“How did you get away from Caym?” Chax snarled and transformed into his demon form. Chax’s red skin grew brighter, his teeth and claws became sharp weapons. Tabatha had never seen him in his full beast form. What a sight!

“Caym is too lazy and too cocky, thinking no one will oppose him,” the creature replied. “Now, I think I’m going to have that little slut you call a mate. I bet she’s a good fuck. Who knows? Maybe I’ll keep her until I get tired of her,” the demon taunted.

Chax’s brothers spread out to contend with the other demons that crouched, ready to attack.

Tabatha grimaced. The numbers still didn’t look good. In beast form, Hoyt, Shane, and her brother stepped up to join them. Melody was nowhere to be seen.

The demon lunged at Chax, and both of them spun round and slammed into her before she could move out of the way. Tabatha flew backward and landed on her ass. She jumped up in time to see the same demon that she had knocked down earlier come at her again.

Her body was aching and anger and frustration clouded her mind. Something shifted in her body, her skin itched, and her hands burned. Glancing down at herself, she saw hair start to sprout on her arms. Fingers turned into claws, and fangs started to protrude from her mouth. She was shifting, but she didn’t know whether into a demon or a beast. The demon continued charging at her, and she blocked his attack. Sinking her fangs into his arm, he screamed in pain and he tried to force her off of him. Tabatha growled and gouged part of his cheek with her claws. Jumping back, she waited.

The demon wiped its face and screamed. “You’re going to die, bitch!” He moved so fast that the next thing she knew he was behind her and grabbing her by her hair, swinging her body like a rag doll. Her head ached as she clawed for one of the clothing racks. She held on despite the hair the creature tore out of her head.

He laughed and released her, but that was his mistake. Tabatha’s anger only fueled her further, and she jumped him, clawing his chest.

He tried to dodge her claws and at the same time, he struck back, barely catching her arm with his claws.

“Why won’t you just go away?” She punched his jaw, sending him flying. She looked around and noticed a piece of metal from a broken rack lying close to her. She grabbed it and hit the demon across the head as he came back for more.

Chax dashed to her with Hoyt right behind him.

The fighting stopped as Caym roared and suddenly appeared next to Chax. He shook his head and laughed. “It seems my appearance has scared the others away. Oh, well.”

He scanned the room, taking in everything that had happened. Snapping his fingers, everything returned to normal. He then turned his attention to Chax.

“I can’t believe your mate just knocked out the same lesser demon, twice! Oh, this is great. Wait until the boss hears about this. I bet he shows up at your ceremony. You’ve lucked out, my friend. I must apologize, though,” he said, pointing at a demon on the floor, “for letting this one get away from me. I caught him last week, and the weasel slipped by the guards, who are now being punished for their lack of attention. It seems that he has been searching for you for a while, Chax. Something about you promising his sister that you would mate with her?” Caym growled and raised his eyebrow at him. Backing up, he kicked the demon Tabatha had defeated that lay on the floor. One minute he was there and the next he was gone.

Tabatha leaned on Chax and searched for Melody.

“Where’s Melody?” she asked.

“Don’t worry about her. Chax sent Melody back to the house with some guards. You have other problems to deal with,” Hoyt barked.

Tabatha started to protest, but he silenced her.

“You put your life in danger. You’re lucky you only have a few scratches.”

Tabatha shrank back, glancing at Ben and Shane, who gave her a fierce look. They turned and walked away without a word.

Tabatha scanned the department store expecting to see more demons. But all the demons were gone. Everything was back to normal as if there had never been a fight.

Caym called her name.

She turned to see him coming toward her.

“I must say goodbye, dear lady. It has been enjoyable, and I’m a little jealous of Chax. You’re the perfect mate for him. I would put a tighter leash on you than he has, but I’ll have fun watching you give him hell,” he whispered in her ear as he leaned over, kissing her cheek. “Good luck with these guys.” He pointed at her mates. “You’re going to need it.” Caym grinned and disappeared.

Tabatha blushed and looked up at her mates’ furious faces. No one else said a word to her as they disappeared from the store. Everything blurred around her, and a humming noise rang in her ears. Strong arms held her, but her eyes remained closed as she tried to get her balance. Upon opening them, she saw that she was now with both Chax and Hoyt in her bedroom.

“Okay, Chax. Next time, warn me before you send me anywhere.” She moaned and another wave of disorientation hit her.

Blinking, she saw her bed’s headboard slowly come into view as her vision adjusted. She found herself face down on the bed with each of her arms and legs tied to a bedposts, Tabatha listened to her surroundings. With the bonds tight against her limbs, there was no way she could escape.
Did they find me?
Tabatha screamed, not knowing what had happened.