Soul Mate (The Mating Series) (45 page)

Trisha finally left me alone. Realization
of my predicament dawned on me. I couldn’t stop the ritual. My head tingled so bad that I barely focused, but I had no clue if someone tried to find me or how close they were. I paced with anticipation and fear.

CHAPTER 22

“It’s time!” Trisha bopped in my room.

“Where’s Z?” I asked.

“It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding,” Trisha said. “He’s in the grand hall waiting for you.”

“Trisha, wait
,” I said.

“Why?”

“I’m afraid.”

“Don’t be afraid
,” Trisha soothed. “Z is the most amazing the creature you will ever meet.” She patted my head as I began to sob. “He’ll take care of you and his child. You can’t say that about most men.”

“I don’t love him.”

“You’ll grow to love him, in time. Z will stay with you for the rest of your life,” Trisha said. “Come on.” She took my hand and led me out of the room. We walked along a lengthy corridor to another door. When Trisha opened the second door, we were joined by three other people in red robes like mine. “I have to get my robe on,” Trisha said, giddy. She acted like we were friends and she was my maid of honor. It made me sick.

The five of us walked down another long hallway until we entered another room. This building was some kind of emp
ty office building. The room, at one time a conference room, had been decorated ornately. It gave me a religious feel, but the act about to happen was evil. Nine other people occupied in the room. They formed a semicircle. Z stood in the middle of the room in only a pair of pants. His bare chest heaved as I entered.

Z attempted
to appear attractive to me.
Give it up beast!
Although, the man, whose body Z stole, was attractive, I could only see him as a revolting monster. A makeshift altar sat in the middle. It looked like a sacrificial altar, draped in red satin. It didn’t look comfortable to have sex on. I shivered. As Trisha presented me to Z, I noticed the shackles on each end of our makeshift bed. I hoped they didn’t intend to shackle me to it. “Are those for me?” I asked.

“Do you think you’ll need them?” Z asked. He
aimed to sound gentle, but I could hear the demon reverberate in his voice. It scared me.

“No
,” I said. “I keep my promises, no matter how much I hate them.”

“You’
ll feel different after tonight,” Z said. “After the ritual I’ll be the only thing you care about.”

“I’
ll be brain washed,” I said.

“It’s time to begin
,” Felipe, the shaman, said.

“Ready?” Z asked.

“Do I have a choice?”

“No, and you know the alternative.” I saw a gleam in Z’s eyes. He hoped I would bolt. He wanted to make
it difficult on me.

The
vibration in my head became so strong I kept blinking. I prayed it was Jimmy with help. Felipe anointed my forehead, wrists and ankles with strong smelling oil. It smelled musky like sweat or urine. “What is that?” I asked

“Pheromones
,” Felipe answered. “You’ll see why.”

Z began to smell me all over like an animal. The more he inhaled the more beastly he became. The group began to chant something. I
didn’t know the language, but I thought it was Aramaic. The volume of the chant rose.

The shaman removed my robe. I
stood, naked and defenseless, in front of the cult of people. I watched Z.  The more they chanted the more Z transformed. He snorted and howled as he convulsed and contorted in inhuman ways. I trembled with fear. When Z took me, he wouldn’t be a man. He would be the demon.

The shaman
pushed me down on the altar. He drew my arms above my head and began to bind me with the shackles. “I said I didn’t need the shackles!” I cried.

“You’
ll need them.” Felipe said, softly.

“Please don’t.” I begged. “I can’t stand to be restrained like this.”

“This is for you.” Felipe said. The Shaman ran his hands down my legs in a seductive way. He pulled my knees apart and anointed my nether region with the pheromones. Felipe locked my feet in shackles. This act sent Z into a frenzy. He stomped and paced around inside the circle. The group locked hands as a barrier to keep Z inside their sacred space. “Do you want me to blindfold you?” Felipe asked.

“Please
!” I couldn’t see any more of the ritual. Everything went black, but I could hear. Sedation would have been better.

Z pounced
on me. His body burned against mine. I screamed in fear. I fought against the restraints.

“You have to wait
,” Felipe said to Z. “Don’t enter her until I say.” Z only grunted in response. Z breathed hot and fowl in my face. I could feel his red hot poker of sex push against me in anticipation. Unbearable, the heat burned against my flesh. He hadn’t even entered and scorched me. I couldn’t imagine how painful the actual act would be.

Felipe
spoke in the unknown language. Z sunk his teeth into my shoulder. I let out a loud wail. Blood ran down my shoulder. He licked at the blood with a tongue that was not human. It felt rough like a cat’s tongue.
How could these people watch this transformation and worship this beast?
I couldn’t see him, but knew transformed.

“Take her now.”
Felipe announced. I felt Z’s hips pull back to force himself into me. I let out a scream.

“Freeze
!” A voice shouted. “You rape that girl and I’ll shoot you!” I knew the voice. I forced myself to recognize it.
It’s Ben!
Ben came to save me. I panicked. Z was close to pushing himself into me. I bucked against the shackles. Z drew up on me. He planned to rape me. My salvation came too late. 

Three shots rang out. Z’s body dropped on me. The body went cold in a second. Z left the pilfered body.
The man was dead, but I heard Z close to my ear growling. I heard a scuffle of many people. Ben had backup. I couldn’t see what went on, but I could hear more gun fire and yelling. “Ben!” I screamed “help me!”

The light blinded me
when the blindfold came off. Then Ben came into focus. “Hold on, Cassie,” Ben said. “I’ve got you.” He yanked on the bindings. He freed my hands first and then my feet. I immediately pushed the lifeless man off of me. I sat up and saw my blood covered body. I began going into shock. I shook uncontrollably. “I need a medic over here!” Ben shouted. “Are you hurt?”

“I don’t know
,” I sobbed. “There’s so much blood.” Ben picked me up and wrapped me in the satin altar.

I heard a terrible noise in the corner of the room. I saw Z in his true demon form. He looked
terrifying. I never saw a creature like it. He looked blackish-red in color. He had the legs of a beast, with claws for hands. His eyes were yellow cat’s eyes. I realized that only I could see Z.

He began to charge Ben, but stopped short. A
howl like a banshee came from the walls. I looked around. Shadows materialized. “Aziel” one of the shadows called. “You have betrayed your master.”

Z backed away from the shadows. He hissed and growled at them. “Aziel, Lucifer has ordered your
execution.” I alone saw the otherworld confrontation. The shadows seized Z. I watched as they ripped Z apart. I screamed and became inconsolable.

“She’s in shock!” Ben called, as I watched my captor be torn to fleshy pieces. “Get the medics here, we’re losing her.”

Emergency personnel surrounded me. Ben held me while they examined me. They poured ice cold alcohol all over my body. The cold caught my attention. I looked at Ben. “They have to pour alcohol on you to get the blood off. It kills any blood born pathogens.” Ben held me close to keep me warm. He vigorously rubbed my arms. I continued to shiver. “Did he…” Ben couldn’t say it. He wanted to know if Z raped me.

“No
,” I said.

“Thank God.” Ben held me tight to him. I sobbed. “You’re going to be alright.”

“How did you find me?” I asked

“Jimmy
,” Ben said. “He really is psychic, isn’t he?” I nodded. “He knew where they took you.”

“Is Jimmy alright?” I asked. “I thought he was dead. Trisha Pennington stabbed him. I
saw
it.”

“He got several stitches, but he’s alright.”

“He’s here, waiting outside.”

“I want to see him.”

“Not yet,” Ben said. “Let these people take care of you.”

“Ben, I
have
to see Jimmy.”

Ben patted my arms. “He’s not going anywhere. Let them check you out first.”

I let the medics check me over several times. I grew impatient with them. I wanted to see Jimmy. I needed to be with him. Ben brought me a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. He helped me dress. “Come on; let’s go see your boyfriend.”

Ben walked me out of the building. Jimmy stood by the ambulance. He paced slowly with a limp.
Jimmy’s wounds ached.  Jimmy looked up and saw me. I ran to him and jumped in his arms. We nearly toppled to the ground. “Whoa!” Jimmy exclaimed. He squeezed me so tight I couldn’t breathe. “I thought I’d lost you!” Jimmy sobbed. He couldn’t stop sobbing. “Are you alright?” he asked through tears.

“I will be
,” I said. I kissed Jimmy and held on to him.

“I felt you
,” Jimmy said. “I could feel you sending me messages. That was so smart Cassie.”

“
I’m thankful it worked,” I said. “It was terrible Jimmy.” I could barely speak through my sobs.

“Sh!” Jimmy patted my head. “We don’t have to talk about it right now.” Jimmy and I continued to hold each other
, not talking, until the police broke our embrace.

“The French Lick Police Department
wants to put you up in a hotel room tonight.” Ben interrupted. “They have lots of questions, but they can wait until tomorrow.”

“I want to go home
,” I said.

“I’
m taking Cassie home tonight. I can bring her back later,” Jimmy said.

“No can do Buddy
,” Ben said. He had an apologetic expression. “I understand you want to get out of here, but the police won’t let you leave until they have their answers,” Ben said. “Let them get you a room.”

“How safe will Cassie be?” Jimmy asked.

“I’ll personally make sure there’s an officer at the door all night,” Ben said.

“Whatever.” I said, waving dismissively. “I just want to go to bed and sleep.”

Jimmy and I didn’t say anything once we left the crime scene. We didn’t have to. Jimmy watched me the entire drive to the hotel. He waited for a break down. It would happen, but not until later. I was mentally and physically exhausted.

Ben took us to the West Baden Hotel, the most upscale hotel in the area. If circumstances were different, I would have enjoyed our room. At the time, I wanted to sleep away the previous days. Jimmy tucked me into the luxurious big bed. He pulled me close to him. I fell asleep in Jimmy’s arms.

CHAPTER 23

I chose to go home to my own apartment. I needed some down time after the grueling week. Jimmy refused to let me out of his sight, but I convinced him to leave me alone for a while. He agreed to give me a couple of hours by myself. He promised to be back before sunset with dinner.