Declaration of Possession
Beyond the Stars

Excerpt

Light-years away, in the Realm of Royal Lights, Wol-itelm studied the human woman who would join him and his other two mates. She was a beauty for a human. He knew he had no choice but to sit back and watch his mates come together for now. Wol-itelm knew the Anasazi would be sleeping for another one hundred earth years. It was rare for any of them to be awakened from their slumber, but he’d somehow sensed something was going to disturb Earth’s balance and he only hoped his friends would allow his joining with the three mortals on Earth. Since Chax’s birth, Wol-itelm had watched him and protected him, making sure Satan kept close tabs on him. It was the only way the threesome would be safe. Otherwise, they would always be hunted and desired for their powers. Separated, they were no threat, but together, their powers suppressed any of those on Earth.

“I have to be there for them even if it’s from a distance.” Wol-itelm turned and summoned his Earth, The Master of Hell, Satan.”

“What can I do for you, Wol-itelm?” Satan bowed before him.

“My mate, Chax, whom you call your Grand Duke, will be coming across his other mates, soon. I want you to watch them carefully. Others will try to stop their union, but this cannot happen. Even those close to you will fight to destroy them. I can’t do much from here, but I will make my presence known to them soon. Chax already carries my mark, and soon, so will his mates. At least with the mark I can summon them. I’ve waited to contact Chax because I didn’t want to draw attention to him.”

He turned and studied Satan. “You’ve done well to protect him and you will be rewarded. I want you to release Chax’s brothers from your service also. It will give Chax, Hoyt and Tabatha more protection to have them close.”

Wol-itelm turned on his heel away and walked to his window. “You won’t be alone much longer. Your companion will show herself soon. I wish I could tell you more, but the fates have blocked my sight from ascertaining anything further. The only reason I can see my mates now is because of you, and for that, I thank you.” Wol-itelm smiled and flicked his wrist, sending Satan back to his domain.

“Soon, my mates, soon.” Wol-itelm strode back to his huge bed and lay down. He was so tired. “Just a little nap.”

* * * *

The heavy wooden door opened with a shove of her hip.

Thank God. Home at last! Tabatha sighed as she entered the apartment and flicked on the light switch.

She stared at the small place she now called home with Melody, her best friend. Bangor’s city lights flickered through her bay window and cast shadows on the buildings surrounding hers. The shoulder-bag briefcase she carried tugged on her arm as she let it drop onto the oak coffee table. All her personal things from the office now rested inside that case. Shaking her head, she started to sort through the day’s mail while she sat down on an overstuffed couch. Lifting her feet and resting them on the coffee table, she kicked off her pumps and sighed.

Her feet ached, and it felt like someone had taken a jackhammer to her head. She pushed her hair back away from her face, leaned her head back, and closed her eyes. Boots, her cat, jumped on her lap begging to be petted.

God, my life sucks, Boots!

Her morning had started out like a nightmare, and her day went downhill from there. First, someone stole her car from her apartment parking lot. Frantic, she’d called the police. After the police officer took her report, gave her a case number, and she walked two miles to work, she’d arrived two hours late. At the end of the day, her boss called her into his office and fired her. Cutbacks, he said.

Why couldn’t they have fired me when I arrived? They wanted more work out of me before they let me go, she surmised, that’s why!

The shrill ring of the phone disturbed her peaceful moment. Moaning, Tabatha let the answering machine pick it up.

“I know you’re home,” a male voice hissed. “I love those pumps you wore today. We’re coming for you next, Tabatha. We haven’t forgotten you.”

Chills skirted down her spine. She noticed the front door was unlocked. With panic racing through her, she jumped up, stumbling to the door. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her hand trembled as she turned the lock. The sound of it engaging seemed almost as loud as her terrified heartbeat. She slid down to the floor, leaning against the door.

“You should have died with your family, but that’s okay. Those luscious tits and pussy will be fun to explore before I kill you,” the voice threatened.

To think in one day she’d learned so much and had lost so much. Her parents’ protection had hidden so many things she never knew existed. Hell, at her very first job, The Red Fox Bar, where she worked as a barmaid, she’d met many different shifters and even a couple of witches. She had known the bar catered to the paranormal, and what better way to learn about the weird and magical than to observe it?

So, working her way through college, she waited tables, learning all she could. Tabatha remembered meeting Sammy that first weekend at her job. It had nearly scared the life out of her. As a cougar shape shifter, Sammy was minding her own business when two huge male cougars started to harass her. Both Sammy and Tabatha had laughed the next night when they’d talked about what had happened. Sammy had handled both of the male shifters as she’d transformed and swiped both their faces with her paws. They never bothered Sammy again, that Tabatha knew of. Soon after that, she and Sammy had become close friends, laughing all the time when the subject was brought up. Sammy had explained many different shifter customs to her over the next year.

To top it all off, one of her closest friends was a werewolf who was dating her best friend. To think she would have gone out into the world not knowing anything about shifters and other beings if it wasn’t for the fact her parents had been murdered by one of them.

The worst day of her life flashed before her eyes.