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

  She didn’t have much time before her friends would come back in the room. Shannon wanted to know what was going on, and Randy was the person who could fill her in. She got out her laptop and opened her email to see if Randy had written back.

  There it was, the email she had been waiting for. Her heart started to beat fast and her palms got sweaty. This email could be a life changer for her, but then again, her life had already changed thanks to Tabatha and Melody.

  Dear Shannon,

  I have been waiting till I knew you were safe with your friends before I sent this letter. I have talked to the Mother Goddess and I know of your situation. No, I do not think you are crazy. There are many things that I know are true, and what you tell me does not sound like nonsense. We must meet soon, there is no time to waste. You can even call me tonight if you wish. Here is my cell number 313-445-6782.

  In addition, I will not call the police or social services. I know we can help you. I am calling others that owe me some kind of debt and who I know will help us. I’m glad the little bit of our help gave you time to get to your friends’ wedding.

  Shannon snorted. “Saved me in more ways than you know,” she said and looked up as Tabatha and Melody came back into the room.

  “Whatcha doing?” Tabatha asked, coming over and sitting on the arm of the couch. She looked over Shannon’s shoulder at the email, as Melody stood next to her. “Is that the lady you were telling us about? The one that helped you get here in one piece?”

  “Yeah, this Randy person is supposed to be one of the top witches around.” Shannon read on.

  I have spoken to Drake Stewart. He and I will be there at the wedding. I will have the others meet us there, so please inform your friends. Your grandmother will have to wait. Take care, Princess Shannon, and be careful.

  Your humble servant, Randy Kruger

  Shannon glanced over her shoulder at Tabatha. “What do you think? There’s a cell number in her signature. Do we call her?”

  Tabatha frowned and glanced up at the door, where her father appeared.

  “I’ve heard of this woman,” he said. “If she has offered to help and is bringing others with her, it could be why my nephew is having a major problem. Call them, little lady, and inform them to be careful. I’ll be watching you, protecting you. I can’t worry about the others. I’m sorry.”

  Shannon stared at the man and then shook her head. “You shouldn’t have to do this. I don’t know what’s going on, but I know it’s connected to the different worlds out there. So much is going to change. Do I have the strength to do this?” Shannon cringed as she heard herself whining. “Oh God, I sound like a damn child.”

  Melody and Tabatha placed their hands on her shoulders and squeezed. “We’ll do it together, Shannon. You stood by me when I need you guys. We won’t leave you no matter what,” Tabatha said as her father moved forward and knelt down next to Shannon.

  “Each of you have dealt with so much in your young lives, but you have a strong heart, Shannon, that much I can see. We all will be here for you no matter what happens.” He leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek. “Call her.”

  Shannon turned to back to the email as Tabatha hugged her father. She couldn’t believe that this woman didn’t think she was nuts, and she couldn’t understand why Randy had called her Princess, let alone why anyone would come all this way to help her.

  Melody handed her a phone. “Call.”

  Shannon took it and punched in Randy’s number.

  “Hello Princess Shannon,” Randy answered on the second ring. “I knew you would call. We are not far from you now. We will be there for the wedding. We are not going to hurt you. Plus, I believe your friends wouldn’t take kindly to that, and I sure don’t want to go up against Wol-item. I know this is real and I would never betray you. None of us would.”

  “Why do you think I am a princess? You should think I am crazy,” Shannon said, earning a snort from Tabatha and a slap on the side of the head from Melody.

  Ignoring her friends, Shannon listened to Randy.

  “I have had a few dreams that I know in my heart are real,” Randy said. “I have talked to the Mother Goddess and she has informed me that the Council of Witches and Warlocks have forbidden any of them from helping you in any manner until you have sealed your bond with your soulmates. Drake also has spoken to the King of Warlocks. He was told the same, but he himself did not agree. He sent a few who have pledged to help you in any way we can and try to protect you as much as we can. Yes, there is a very powerful spell that binding you and your powers. I can sense it just talking to you. We have been working with witches around the US and some overseas to slowly erase some of the wards on you, hence why you feel so different and can do things now. After the wedding, we’ll make plans for the ritual to take place the following day. This cannot wait. It must be done now!”

  “Ask her why those idiot witches and warlocks won’t help you. Maybe I should speak with my mate about them?” Tabatha said.

  “No, tell you friend we will handle this. If we have the Anasazi threating the witches, this could be bad. We can do this, Shannon, I promise.”

  “Why wouldn’t the council step in to help, and what is the council? I don’t understand. I have done nothing to them, and what kind of ritual are we talking about? I am already so tired I can’t take much more—if I even survive this week. Each day the spell is draining me more and more. I’m afraid to go to the doctor, but I am going to see one next week to see what is going on. With my luck they’ll tell me I have cancer. Whatever it is, I think it is spreading through my body. I don’t know why I know this, but I feel it and it scares me.”

  Tabatha and Melody gasped. “What the hell are you talking about?” Melody growled.

  Shannon waved them off as Randy spoke.

  “I think the council is afraid you’ll have too much power to control by yourself. Until you have at least two anchors, they will not offer you help. The council are a group of the highest and the most powerful witches and warlocks that rule their kingdom and those of us elsewhere. As for cancer, I believe this or something is growing inside of you, not cancer per se. I also feel your powers were very low. That’s why what little magic you’re doing seems like a lot.

  “The ritual will have to be a blood one. This is the only way we will be able to reach that far into your grandmother’s realm, but we will. Drake is very powerful, and with all the help I have called in, we’ll be able to do it.

  “You will need to wear a special white dress for the ritual. What size are you? I will pick one up on the way there tomorrow.”

  Tabatha shook her head. “Tell her we already it, because we’re going to be there. I have to let you know right now that if I see any of these pussy council people, my dragon is going to fry their asses,” she said as smoke rose out of her mouth.

  “Wow,” Shannon couldn’t help but giggle.

  Randy laughed. “I so want to be there when the council meets your friends.”

  “I don’t know about how much blood I can afford to lose, but I will try. The children will be fine, and we don’t have to worry anymore about my husband. He’s out of my life. What time will the two of you be here?”

  “We are coming in late. So, sleep well and visit with your friends. Believe me, we’ll see you tomorrow. There are already many of our friends around camping out. It’s good you are where you are. You should be able to sleep the whole night, and you need it.”

  “Please don’t let me down. I’ve been hurt too many times and I feel this is my last shot,” Shannon said with tears in her eyes, hanging up the phone. Wiping the tears, she closed her laptop and took a deep breath. “Okay, let me show you a few things so you’ll know what to do. Tabatha, this is going to be important. You cannot allow anyone to harm my body when I die. I’m so sorry this is going to happen here on your special day. I promise I’ll make it up to you,” Shannon said, turning to look at her best friends.

  For the next three hours, Shannon w
ent over her notes with Melody and Tabatha. By the time she was done, Tabatha sat back and shook her head.

  “You know, if I wasn’t mated to the men I’m with, well, I wouldn’t believe any of this. It’s like one of those damn science-fiction books. But do you really believe you have that many mates?” Tabatha sat forward. “I can promise you one thing. We’ll help you find your children, whatever it takes.”

  “Thank you both. As for mates, I don’t give a damn about that right now. After the hell I’ve lived through, men are the furthest thing from my mind. I just want to find out what the hell is going on, and if I have these children out there, I want them back. God, what if they are doing what they are doing to me to them?” Shannon got up and went to the windows, where she looked outside. “If they’re hurt—”

  “If even one of them is hurt, they’ll pay, I promise you,” Tabatha growled, once more allowing a little smoke to come out.

  “Little Dragon, you okay?” Wol-item showed up next to Tabatha and rubbed her back.

  “Sorry, I’m afraid it’s my fault once more. I bet you’ll be glad to see me gone,” Shannon said.

  Wol-item frowned. “Never. You are going to stay with us as long as you want. Tabatha and Melody have been worried nonstop for you. Plus, as you have seen, this home is large enough for all of us. We can set you and the children in a separate wing if it would help.”

  Tabatha smiled leaned up to kiss his cheek. “Love you, my dragon. Now go. We’re fine; we’re being sappy. Oh, but wait. Have you ever had any dealings with the council of witches and wizards?”

  “Tabatha!” Shannon hissed. “We don’t need to start anything.”

  “I just want to know if he’s heard anything,” she said.

  Wol-item frowned. “I know they can be rather snobbish, from what I’ve heard. Why, have they been giving you trouble?” he asked, and Shannon had to laugh as a little puff of smoke came out of his nose.

  “You two are too much. Go, and let us get on with gabbing. I’ll be fine,” Shannon said, knowing it was a lie, but she was bound to at least try to give her two friends some happy moments.

  * * *

  By the time Shannon had fallen asleep, she was exhausted. There were no dreams this night. Maybe it was fitting, because she knew that tomorrow her life would change. But she didn’t know if it would be for the better or not.

  Chapter Three

  Therbelenth paced back and forth, glaring at the door. Across the hall was the woman his recent lover had pleaded with him to kill. Pysay had told him she was trouble and then pointed out that even the Anasazi wanted him to watch her.

  “You should just kill her now and get it over with, then we can get back to where we were. Our children need you,” Pysay had said. “When was the last time you actually spent some time with your boys? They are already getting ready to take command of the Fields of Past. Do you realize what kind of honor that is?”

  He didn’t know why he listened to Pysay, or for that matter why he even touched the woman. But until he was mated, his instincts made him take the women who offered themselves to him. And being mated wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. The fates had deemed their mate wouldn’t born for another 600 years.

  “Stop this right now,” his uncle, Trace of the Celestial Sands, said, leaning against the wall as he watching Therbelenth. “The woman is under my protection and you will not touch a hair on her head. “You are family, but I warn you, harm her and you will deal with me.

  “Lucas, come control you son, or I will,” Trace ordered and vanished.

  “I don’t care if he carries the mark or not. No one will tell me how to do my job,” Therbelenth growled just as his father appeared in the room.

  Lucas walked around him, studying him. “Something else is going on here. Why is this little female bothering you so much?” His father stopped and glanced toward the door. “She does hold much inside her, but it’s as if she can’t get to her gifts or she does not recognize them, which is strange in itself,” his father said.

  Therbelenth left the room without answering.

  He entered the room and stared down at the sleeping woman. She was stunning, and the scent that surrounded her had him hard as a rock. No human or whatever she was had ever had this effect on him, and he didn’t like it one bit. He went to step forward, but his uncle appeared and blocked his way.

  “This isn’t over,” Therbelenth snarled and left, going to see his sons. Hoping they could distract him from this sense of dread, hanging over him.

  * * *

  Shannon’s eyes popped open and she scanned the room, knowing one of the men had been there. It was still dark outside, so she knew it was still the middle of the night. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her body.

  Not only had she just had a dream of her soul mates, but the scent of the one who had been in the room had her body burning. She had thought her dreams would have given her a damn break, but nope.

  She couldn’t really remember what the faces of her mates were like in the dreams she’d had, but two were very tall—if she had to guess at least seven feet tall and very muscular. The one was a King of all Warriors, his cock hung like that of an elephant, and his tail had done amazing things to her. Shannon fanned her face, reaching over and to grab the bottle of water on the nightstand, glad her dream hadn’t been a nightmare and that she hadn’t awakened her friends with a scream.

  The man of her dreams had been obscene, and there was no way in hell he was going to put that thing near Shannon for sure—if he was real, that was.

  She couldn’t remember much about the second one, either, but he had long hair. He was also some kind of vampire, but sunlight did not bother him. He could walk in the sun, and she could tell he was very dominant from the way he had tried to issue orders to her. Shannon snorted, and Tabatha groaned, turning over in her sleep. Her friend was a kicker—one of the reasons Shannon was sleeping in her own bed in the hotel room.

  She put the water back on the nightstand and pulled the covers up around her. As she closed her eyes, she saw the man who was also the king of his people. Of course, she thought sarcastically, he couldn’t just be some regular person, now could he?

  Shannon rubbed her thighs together and moaned in her pillow. She was actually wet down there, which was a miracle in itself since for the past six years she’d been bone-dry. But once again her dreams were changing her.

  She also knew that if she did ever meet them, she would make them promise not to take other women or they could go jump in the nearest lake. But then again, she wondered if she could take their size or could handle how much sex they would probably demand.

  In her dream, she had seen how other men took mistresses to satisfy their needs, believing that their mates couldn’t handle how much sex they wanted from them. She also knew that in the other realms-worlds sex was nothing to be ashamed of and that it was done out in the open. Likewise, the men always pleased their soul mate no matter where they were.

  Shannon knew this would be a problem for her, because she had been raped from the time she could conceive a child. She didn’t know when the last time they had taken her, but here in this place Shannon knew they couldn’t get at her. She sighed and looked up at the ceiling, knowing she wasn’t about to fall asleep anytime soon.

  “What’s wrong?” Melody asked, reaching over and taking her hand. She and Melody had shared a bed as far back as the sleepovers they’d had as children.

  “Things are so different out there, Melody. Kings, Queens, snake planets, spider planets.” She shivered.

  “I so didn’t need to know about that,” Tabatha said, coming over and climbing onto the bottom of their bed with her pillow. “Give me some covers,” she growled.

  “You have a bed,” Shannon said, but Tabatha wasn’t having any of it, shaking her head.

  “Hush, tell us this hot dream you had, because we can both smell you,” Tabatha said.

  “Okay that is just yuck,” Shannon moaned. “It’s really wei
rd, though. Do you know it’s been years since a man has touched me? I’m usually as dry as the desert down there, but I dream of a king of vampires and some kind of elephant man with a cock as big as an elephant’s trunk and I’m panting in my damn sleep.”

  Tabatha busted out laughing. “Elephant man…. Well, if it’s any consideration….” She frowned. “Stupid men. Anyway believe me, mine are not small, and you can’t imagine what it’s like having all three of them poking you with their cocks.”

  Melody and Shannon sat up. “You had all three inside you,” Shannon squeaked.

  Tabatha threw her pillow at her. “Not in my pussy. Jeez, what do you think I am, a bottomless pit? I only had two of them there, and one in the other hole.” She moaned. “Now you have me all excited and I can’t do anything till tomorrow night.”

  Shannon glanced over at Melody. “How are you doing? Has… ?”

  Melody shook her head. “No, we haven’t heard a word about Ben. Even though I know now that he wasn’t my mate, it still hurts. He was part of my life, like Tabatha. He never once laid a hand on me before all of this.”

  Shannon leaned over and hugged Melody. “The first time is the hardest, because you can’t understand what the hell happened to the man you knew. Did you do something to set him off? I always wondered if maybe it happened to me because I wore something too revealing…. But I think Harold was another piece of this puzzle of my life. But don’t you think it’s weird that with all these powerful men around, they can’t find Ben? I mean they are gods, and the last time I saw Ben, he wasn’t a god.” She scooted up the bed and leaned against the headboard.

  “I started having these dreams that I swear were lifelike when I was about 16, right after I started my woman’s cycle. Nightmares, really, until recently. That’s why I always have my notebook by my bedside. I write down everything I can remember when I wake.” She shook her head and turned to look at Tabatha.