The Heart’s Lost Souls: Part One: The Binding Read online

  “I do believe I’ve heard of you. I think Tabby calls you the playboy of demons,” Shannon said as Caym took her hand and kissed it. In the background Chax snarled.

  “How interesting. I do have to say our king has the luck as Chax does with his woman, stunning indeed.” Caym said with a smile and backed up when Belen stepped towards him.

  “Caym, report,” Apollyon said, as Shannon rested her hand on Belen’s back.

  “The western and southern lands are wound up. It would seem Lilith and a few others have been running their mouths. We have a few of them below and from what I’ve heard many more are on their way here. Should be here in the next few minutes.”

  “Do we know what was said?” Apollyon glanced down at the demons, as more and more arrived.

  “Is Shannon safe here?” Kebar asked, joining them at the railing, looking down.

  “Yes. The upper floor is my personal domain, no one can penetrate it without an invite,” Apollyon said as Shannon moved closer to the railing.

  “Apollyon, can a man have a demon form if he isn’t born a demon? I know Tabby has one, because of Chax, but does the same thing happen with a male?” she asked, scanning the crowd below.

  “Yes, but their other form, the one they were born with, will always be dominant. The only ones that are truly different would be the higher power levels and class. For you, I believe each of your different forms will be equal, even though you prefer this human one.”

  “Why do you ask?” Caym questioned.

  “Because he’s here. Ben, Tabby’s brother,” Shannon said, making sure only those close to them heard her words, trying to narrow her search.

  “How can you tell? There are too many to know?” Chax asked, coming up to the railing.

  “I grew up with Tabby and Ben. I know,” she said. “He has to be mated to one of your ladies, Apollyon.” Shannon actually snarled, thinking of Melody and what he had done to her.

  “My Little Queen, please come down from there,” Belen whispered into her ear.

  “Come down from where,” Shannon glanced down and about lost it as Belen grabbed her around the waist, bringing her back to where Apollyon stood with the rest of her mates.

  “Well, that answers that question.” Chax said. “Never seen a female of your kind,” Chax frowned. “Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen you or Tabby’s father in your natural forms.”

  Shannon held up her hand. It had turned to Blue, black and a touch of purple-clawed hand. “Wow, those claws are something.” She smiled up at Belen. “Sorry, didn’t know what I was doing. Didn’t mean to give away anything.” Her body once more changed back as she lifted her hand up and cupped Belen’s cheek.

  “Do not apologize for something you didn’t realize you were doing,” Belen leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Show me what you were searching for,” he asked and that is when Shannon felt him enter her head slowly, waiting.

  “Another thing to get used to,” Shannon said, but showed him what she had felt. “Don’t know if I can describe his scent to you though.” she frowned and turned to look down, everyone below now staring up at her. “Well, looks like I really messed up. Sorry Apollyon.” She looked over her shoulder at him and he laughed, moving to her side looking down.

  “There is nothing to be sorry for. You just showed them how truly powerful you are and a perfect mate to all of us.” Apollyon wrapped his hand into hers, as he shifted to his demon form. “As you can see, our mate can hold her own for those of you who were worried.” His voice raised as he lifted her hand and kissed it. “You hurt her, you will not only feel my wrath, but also theirs.”

  Fallon, Belen, Kebar, Zeus and Star all stepped to the banister beside them and that is when Shannon heard the whispers, the seven.”

  “Is he still here?” Tabby asked from behind them, with Wol-item with her.

  “I don’t know, his scent is weak, but he was here, I’m sorry Tabby.” Shannon said, and held out her hand to her.

  Chax moved to her side frowning. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea if she allows others to see her.

  “They need to see her standing next to me… ” She glanced over her shoulder down at the people. “Because if one person harms a hair on her head, I’ll make sure to make that person my mate’s meal.” Shannon glanced up at Belen who laughed.

  “Plus, I think they also need to know she is now protected,” Shannon touched the markings around her neck and glanced back at Tabatha who laughed and pushed Wol-item’s arms away, stepping up next to her side.

  “Do you smell him?” she asked and Tabby nodded as a tear rolled down her cheek.

  “I remember us as children. Like the time he took the three of us out fishing,” Tabby said and Shannon laughed.

  “You would remember that. The only thing I caught that day was your brother. I kept yanking on the pole, buried that hook deep into his arm, but he didn’t say a word. He wasn’t part of all this then, Tabby. I can’t tell who got to him, put things in his head. I really do believe that creep Nicolas did something to Ben.” Shannon glanced up at Apollyon. “What did you do with Nicolas? Is he still alive?”

  “You are cold. Do not worry about this, he is suffering many deaths for what he has done.” Apollyon reached up and pulled a wrap out of thin air, wrapping it around her and pulling her in closer.

  “I need to see him,” Shannon whispered into his chest. “I need to know how he knew.”

  Apollyon reached down and lifted her chin. “Know what baby girl? What do you think this small blimp knows?”

  She turned and pulled Tabby into Apollyon’s living quarters. “Bring him, please,” Shannon said, saying nothing else till they were in another room. She turned to look at Tabby. “Do you remember the time this Nicolas came to visit your father and I was there with Melody. We were having a sleep over that night,” she smiled. “I totally forgot about this night, but he said something to me as he was leaving that made no sense to me then.”

  Tabby frowned, as Wol-item, Chax and all her men except for Apollyon followed them inside. “I don’t remember. I always stayed away from him as a child, he was rough, mean.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry I don’t remember.”

  Shannon squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry, I kind of had a feeling you didn’t hear him,” she said, watching as Apollyon came in, behind him this Nicolas was being dragged in by two of her mates men.

  “What do you need, baby girl?” Apollyon asked.

  Nicolas lifted his head, his gaze landed on her. Staring, a small smile started to form and that is when she felt it. Just enough to know that the Great Shield was in more trouble than Shannon had believed.

  “You know you’ll never find all of them no matter how long you search,” Nicolas told her in a dialect only they would use on the Great Shield.

  “Oh, I’ll find them, but you should have kept your mouth shut long ago and now, because my next place to visit is the Great Shield, I’m not the only one who is watching them.” Shannon placed her hand at her throat and Nicolas’ eyes got big, seeing for the first time her markings.

  His gaze jumped to Tabby’s and flinched, almost shriveling up right there. “Wow, whatever you just said, scared the living shit out of him,” Tabby said, stepping up next to her.

  Shannon looked up at Apollyon, then at Wol-item. “He’s working with someone at the Great Shield. He doesn’t have a lot, but there is a magical trace still on him.”

  “What did he say?” Wol-item asked, moving to Tabby’s side.

  “That I would never find all my children,” Shannon whispered.

  * * *

  The flame hit his arm right before he jumped back as Wol-item’s mate fried her uncle. The massive white dragon stood in the middle room, and had everyone scrambling.

  Shannon sighed. “Tabby aren’t you supposed to keep your dragon hidden?”

  Belen snorted. “A little late for that. The good thing is that she is protected at least,” he said, but Wol-item was not a happy dragon e
ither.

  “That is true, but why flaunt what you have,” Wol-item said and Belen could actually see Shannon flinch, glaring at Wol-item.

  Both Belen and Apollyon pulled Shannon back into their arms. “Don’t,” he whispered in her ear, but she didn’t as Wol-item’s mate turned on him.

  But when Belen expected a fight to come on, all he saw were tears, rolling down her cheeks and to Belen he’d rather have the fight than to see the tears of his woman.

  “It’s sad after all of this you really don’t know a damn thing. Shannon, I’ll speak with you in the morning at breakfast. I will be going with you to this place, my mate can stay home and watch the children.” With those words Tabby, was gone.

  Wol-item shook his head. “I don’t know if I’m cut out to be a mate. Every time I turn around we are at odds with each other.”

  Shannon stepped out of her mates’ arms and stood in front of Wol-item. “Tabby has always put on a good show. She would rather you see her as a warrior than one that cries, but my best friend has so much pain buried inside her. When she does stuff like this, a little bit of that anger and hurt slips past her wall-shield. In some ways we are much alike. Our walls are as tall as a mountain, but hurt our family, no matter what hell has no fury like we do. Tell me, Wol-item, would you really have my sister/best friend any other way?” Shannon asked and tilted her head to the side. “I’ll wait to hear that answer, because if you value your clothes and such I’d go home. I’m seeing a nice big bonfire right now.”

  Wol-item’s head snapped up. “She wouldn’t,” he snarled, but was gone a second later and even he could hear the roar of his anger in the distance.

  “I need to see my children,” Shannon said, leaving the room by herself, but all of them knew where she was going. Feeling the sadness in their woman, put an ache in his heart.

  “Now that hurts,” Kebar mumbled and turned to look at him.

  “I don’t think Shannon meant for any of us to see what is buried deep in her. With that only being a glimpse, it’s going to take a long time to place a dent in this wall,” Fallon said.

  “Maybe, or she actually let her shield down a little because we are gaining her trust,” Apollyon said. “Either way, she’ll need us all and after we deal with this Great Shield, I say we all start concentrating on finding our family.”

  Belen nodded, following Shannon back to their rooms where they found her on the floor, staring at the three little ones while they slept. She looked up at him, as he scooped her up in his arms, resting her head on his chest.

  “Tomorrow we find the last part of our circle. I don’t know why, but I have a feeling he’ll be waiting for us when we get to this place.” She placed a kiss on his chest and looked up at him. “I’m tired.”

  “I know, we’re here.” Belen said, moving into their room. He gently lowered her feet to the ground. “Let’s get these clothes off you. I want to check and make sure your wound is healing.”

  “What wound?” Kebar said, stepping up to them and helping him strip Shannon of her clothes. Kebar hissed as he stared at her back, letting them all know the branding marks had not healed all the way. “How can you stand with this?” he asked, his gaze met his. “The twins,” he growled and Belen nodded.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Shannon opened her eyes, but didn’t move. Three of her mates—Apollyon, Zeus and Fallon were in bed with her and the other three were close. She had slept, but for how long Shannon wasn’t sure. “How long was I out?” she asked, Apollyon who raised up and placed a kiss on her lips softly.

  “You’ve been sleeping for two days and I do say you scared us, but Bull informed us it was surprising you didn’t crash before this. How do you feel?” he asked, Zeus and Fallon, reaching over, touching her.

  “Stiff, but not as drained,” she said. “The children?” she asked.

  “Are fine,” Belen said, coming into the room with Kebar right behind him. Star appeared in the room next to Apollyon. “Now your two friends, that’s a different story. Melody and Tabatha have been as grumpy as I’ve seen them. Even their mates said they were confused as to why they were acting so weird.”

  She reached up and touched her neck. “Do you think it has something to do with this?” she asked.

  “Hmm, we never did… ” Apollyon started to say as Tac came crawling across the bed to sit on her stomach.

  “Are you okay? When I couldn’t reach you, I was getting worried,” Queen Carmen, asked at the same time she heard Tabby yelling from the other room.

  “I’m coming in,” Tabby said, throwing open the door, Melody at her side, but behind them was Randy and the mother goddess, Frigga herself, and all of them looked a little wired. “What the hell happened? Do you know you scared the living crap out of all us?” Tabby growled pushing Kebar out of the way, standing at the foot of her bed.

  “Tabby… ” Shannon snapped.

  Melody snorted. “Coffee is on its way, but we were worried and confused.” She reached up and touched her cheek. “I have a feeling we are all going to have to figure this out, because you being out like that shouldn’t have such an effect on us.”

  Shannon pushed at Apollyon. “Move, demon man. I need coffee and food. I’m starving.”

  Apollyon leaned down and nipped her neck. “Hold still. Ladies, we’ll meet you in the dining room. If you would be so kind as to take the children with you, we need to speak with our woman.”

  Everyone left except for Frigga. She moved up to take Tabatha’s place, frowning as she stared at her. “I thought your Queen Bracen removed the spell?”

  “What do you mean? She did remove it, didn’t she?” Belen asked, looking from her to the Queen Mother of Witches.

  “I have a feeling I know why you were knocked out and why we were so affected. I’ll meet you in the dining room. I need to speak with Odin on a few things.” The queen vanished from the room.

  “Well, my suspicions were right on. Get up, Apollyon. I want a shower before I see everyone.” She once more tried to get out of his arms but he held on.

  “Stop,” he said quietly, but with a force that had her looking up at him. Yep, his tick in his right cheek was getting it. Shannon did a little sweep and sure enough the steam coming from the six of her men was not a good sign.

  “I did nothing. Why are you mad at me?” she turned and glared at Apollyon giving him the same he was giving to her.

  “Not mad, disappointed,” Fallon said sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning over and squeezing her leg. “We need to be able to take care of you. What you have been through shouldn’t have happened and the fact we weren’t even there to help you will always haunt all of us.”

  Zeus sat down next to Fallon. “You pushed yourself too much two days. You’re not allowing us to help, Shannon.” Zeus looked over at Belen.

  “My Little Queen, you are keeping us out. Two days ago was the first time we saw Shannon, but it was a small crack of what is below the surface is it not?” Belen asked.

  She looked down, the room all of a sudden was getting to warm and Shannon didn’t know what to say. How could she open up when she’s been closed off for years? She glanced to the door to the bathroom and the next thing she knew she was there, but she didn’t move. Standing there naked, looking down at the floor. “I will try,” she whispered and moved into the bathroom, closing the door and locking it.

  This morning, she needed to stand under the shower and let the water clear her head. Today would be long, and she had a feeling something else was coming and it wasn’t just her mate. Her gut was in knots and the thought of going to the Great Shield had her scared out of her mind. These people had destroyed, hurt and damaged Shannon so bad she didn’t know if she’d ever feel whole again.

  She stepped into the shower, the water turning on to just how she preferred it, and poured down on her as she just stood there, letting the heat work its miracle, heating her aching body. Her back was still tender, Shannon knew she was healed mostly from everything that had ha
ppened, but for some reason she felt like a bus had run over her. Who knew, maybe it was because part of some spell was still on her.

  “I think I need to let Tabby burn someone,” she grumbled.

  “I hope it’s not us?” Apollyon said, as he and Belen stepped into the shower with her. “I’m sorry Shannon, we shouldn’t have wakened you to this. We know this is all new, and so much has happened.” He pulled her hair away and placed a kiss on her shoulder from behind, while Belen stepped in front of her.

  He cupped her cheeks, lowering his head kissing her softly, like she was a fragile porcelain doll or something. Apollyon’s touch was gentle as he placed kisses down her spine, kneeling behind her and gently pushing her legs apart for him.

  “Ohhh, what are you doing,” she whispered, grabbing onto Belen’s broad shoulders as Apollyon’s long thick tongue slid into her pussy, along with a finger.

  “We are giving you what you should have had, when you opened your eyes. Showing you that you are special to each of us, My Little Queen.” Belen said, placing kisses down her chin, neck till he sucked her nipple into his mouth, stopping all talk.

  Apollyon slid his finger up into her ass, loving her ass at the same time making love to her pussy with his tongue. Each man, touching her, opening their mind to her, showing Shannon what she meant to them.

  “Let go Shannon, open yourself to us. We’re here and promise to hold you tight,” Apollyon whispered in her mind.

  Shannon looked down at Belen, who was staring up at her, waiting. “You’re asking… ” she sighed, as Apollyon removed his finger and tongue, his body now up against her back.

  “You’re shaking. Is it so bad to share yourself with your men?” Apollyon asked. “We’ve seen everything haven’t we?” he asked.

  “I don’t know,” she whispered. “There are blank spots, even I’m afraid to try and see what is the cause.” She looked over her shoulder at him. His eyes were dark as the night, but when they were focused on her like they were right that minute something inside her melted. “What if it’s something bad and you all end up leaving?”