Soul Mates

Soul Mates

By Sandy Wolters

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 Sandy Wolters

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Published by Sandy Wolters

Copyright 2013 Sandy Wolters

http://www.sandywolters.weebly.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any other information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author.

Editor: Dannye Williamsen, www.YourEditingPartner.com

Cover art: © Brenda Carson - Fotolia.com

Cover design: Dannye Williamsen, www.YourEditingPartner.com

Poem: The Way of Spirit by Dannye Williamsen from her book The Seasons of My Soul is used with permission.

Soul Mates

Pulled Back Through Time, Shandelle Is Caught Between An Enduring Love And A Wizard’s Magic

In the beginning of time, one soul splits into two. Lifetime after lifetime, the two souls are reborn and seek to reunite. Like a beacon of light from heaven above, their light shines for each other. Without the other, there is only darkness. A wonderful blessing that can only come from a deeply-bonded love, the sharing of one soul can also be a black curse if something disrupts the moment of their coming together.

Ireland 1323 Donovan, chieftain of the Clan O'Brien, has unsuccessfully searched his entire adult life, to the detriment of his clan and all those around him, for that elusive possession that will bring his soul peace. He doesn't know what it is, but he will give up everything to find it. One day, he is summoned by the Wizard and told the secret of his obsession—his soul mate. She is no longer living in his time, but there is a way to bring her back to him.

Phoenix 2013 Shandelle and Ian are embarking on their new life together. She is everything Ian ever wanted but never realized he needed before he met her. Shandelle is a generous soul who lives to make Ian and everyone around her happy. Unfortunately for them both, evil is stalking them. The blood bond duty of a close friend brings betrayal and evil into their lives. How were they to know that the death of a six-year-old girl in the early fourteenth century could have such grave consequences on their lives today?

Other Titles by Author

Maggie Mae

July 4th 2005, Maggie Mae's wedding day was the happiest day of her life, the most painful day of her life and the day she died three times.

Now, years later, Maggie is a recluse who shuns the world. When her life is turned upside down, she is thrown into the path of the only man who can save her. Elk Bend Chief of Police Michael Rogers helps her pick up the pieces of her shattered existence. There is something haunting about the beautiful, lonely Maggie that draws Michael like no other woman.

But someone—or something—lurks in the shadows. There is another who wants Maggie for his own. Someone willing to destroy her rather than see her in the arms of anyone else.

Justice for Emily

Rachael Merchant is on a cross country trip running from the tragic images of her last case that are embedded deep in her soul. A City of Phoenix Homicide Detective, she is trying to deal with the freak show her life has become. Three days ago, after sitting in a hospital room with a man who had just murdered his three small children because he was angry his wife had left him, Rachel left the hospital, went back to work, and quit on the spot. After her captain persuaded her to take an indefinite leave of absence to clear her head, she got in her car and just drove. Now, she is parked on the side of the road, unable to outrun the images of those three babies.

Officer Patrick Sheehan thanks fate when he discovers that the woman he has stopped to assist on the side of the road is a homicide detective. His good friend, Emily, was murdered just days ago, and Patrick knows who killed her—her husband and his boss, the Chief of Police of Brownwood, Texas. Alone, he can't get Emily justice. He needs the help of this homicide detective whether she likes it or not.

A Brother’s Love

FBI Special Agent Pilar Campos lives and works in a man’s world, and she loves her job. What could be better than pointing her gun at people and arresting them? A smartass with a temper, she is not above breaking bones if someone disagrees with her. She enjoys seeing the fear she inspires in her coworkers. Needless to say, she doesn’t have many friends.

Pilar and her partner, Rick, have been executing surveillance on the Snowflake Militia Group for two years. Everything is going just fine with the twenty-seven-million-dollar operation until she is forced to shoot and kill Thorne Baker, the brother of the self-proclaimed leader of the militia group, Boone Baker. This is the moment her life changes forever.

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my sweetheart of a daughter, Shandelle, for all of the love and support she's given me and to Ian, the love of her life, for giving her the gift that her father has given to me all of these years.

I also dedicate this book to my beautiful granddaughter, Taylor, who is turning into a warm, loving, and generous woman—someone I am proud to know and cherish deeply.

Finally, to my very own soul mate, Michael, for always being there for me and loving me no matter what. You have my heart.

The Way Of Spirit

Spirit brought us together to share

All those precious moments in our lives;

To have someone about whom we care

And who loves us just the way we are.

I know our souls touched before in flight,

If only for brief moments in time,

For your eyes hold an elusive light

That kindles memories deep within.

Spirit knows the way I feel inside,

The joy your presence brings to my life.

I know that He’ll always turn the tide

To keep us together forever.

by Dannye Williamsen

The Seasons of My Soul

Chapter One

Ireland 1303

Watching the preparations for the upcoming festivities at the castle unfold in front of her, the young girl closed her eyes and breathed deeply to take in the smells of the assorted meats as they roasted on the communal spit. Her mouth was watering from the savory scents.

Today was indeed a special day. It was not only her birthday, but also a day of festival where all the people belonging to the Clan O’Brien converged on the castle dressed in their finest clothes, partook in games, listened to bards, danced, and indulged in succulent meats and spirits. Today was the first day of February, traditionally the first day of spring in Ireland and the day for honoring St. Brigid of Kildare. Long tables and benches had been set out in the courtyard for all the clansmen and visitors to partake in the celebration.

Maybe, just maybe, if she were lucky, she would get a glimpse of the chief's son, Donovan. She smiled to herself, not understanding the feelings her six-year-old heart felt when her gaze fell on the beautiful Donovan with his dark hair and intense, ten-year-old boyish good looks.

She held the wild rose she had picked on her walk to the castle close to her heart. She didn't know why, but she believed this rose was significant somehow. Her mother had always taught her to listen to her inner feelings so Shannon clung to the rose, knowing it would be of great import today.

As she weaved her way through the people, her spirits soared. Everyone was smiling, laughing, friendly. Moving closer to the inner circle of the courtyard, she noticed many unfamiliar faces among the men. While not unusual at festival time, her curiosity was aroused. As she moved even closer, a cold chill ran down her spine. Questions filled her mind as she became aware that these men displayed none of the lightheartedness of the others—in fact, just the opposite.

Her hand unwittingly flew to the amulet hanging around her neck in a leather pouch to feel its warmth and security. Who are these men? Why do they all look so unapproachable, so angry? Her feeling of unease was so intense that she wanted to run from the celebration and sound a warning of danger. Every instinct within her was forewarning Shannon about the pure evil of which these men were capable.

With such strong feelings of distress running through her body, she didn't realize that she was slowly backing away from where the men had gathered in a single area of the courtyard. As she put distance between herself and these strangers, the tension in her body eased. Though her senses were relaxing, she still clutched her amulet. Turning, she saw a stranger dressed as the frightening men were dressed; yet, there was something different about this man. He was not angry like the others. She felt no evil cascading off of him as she had with the others.

This man was sad, the feeling so strong within him that the air around him seemed to shimmer with it. She stood there, unable to move, watching as people, walking by this man, unconsciously gave him a wide berth. Although the people seemed oblivious to the shimmering aura around him, it was evident they must have felt it for they walked around this force field of sorrow as if to avoid being trapped in it.

Aengus Doyle, heir to the Clan Doyle, sat and stared into his cup of ale. He was burdened by the viciousness that always overtook him when he sought revenge against those who had murdered the people of his father’s clan—murdered for a few meaningless trinkets and even less livestock. With each day that passed, he knew he was becoming more and more like his bloodthirsty father, who ruled with an iron fist and a heart of stone. He could not help but wonder what had happened to that young lad who had loved life and dreamed of leading his father’s people with a generous, kind heart, rather than with one as black as his had become. Torturing those thieves had excited him as he discovered new ways to inflict pain upon them. It was as if his father had stepped inside him, possessing his body like the devil himself. Now it sickened him to the core.

Lost in thought and blocking all the sounds of celebration from himself, he felt a slight shift in the air pressure around him. A tiny voice made its way through the psychological walls he had set up around himself.

Excuse me, sir.

He ignored the sweet voice as he forcibly kept his attention on his feelings of disgust about the atrocities he had inflicted on other human beings. He hoped this exercise and his remorse would keep these dark, powerful emotions chained within himself, never to appear to him again. If he could keep them there, perhaps he had a chance to go on with his life.

Excuse me, sir, the voice repeated.

Without looking up, Aengus snarled, Go away! I do not desire to have a conversation.

The next moment, a beautiful rose moved into his field of vision. Something in his gut clenched. He looked up to see a little girl dressed in a well-worn smock, holding the rose out to him. His body relaxed as he looked at this beautiful child in front of him. She had golden hair that shimmered in the sun, light-colored freckles dotted her nose, and a beautiful smile crossed her lovely, bow-shaped mouth. Looking into her large, stunning eyes, he forgot to breathe. Her eyes were such a dark blue, they reminded him of priceless gems he had once been shown by his father in his clan's coffers. Her soul shone brightly through these eyes of sparkling sapphire, and he knew he would never forget them. He felt this child looking into his soul and experienced peace for the first time since his journey had begun.

I picked this rose for you, sir, on my way to the castle. She brandished the wild rose, and her smile grew even larger.

Aengus lifted his hand and gently took the rose from the child. As he did this, she climbed into his lap and put her tiny hand on his face to help steal the sadness from him.

My name is Shannon. Today is not a good day to feel so sad. Today is a happy day. It is festival and my sixth birthday. No one should feel the pain you do today.

The emotion this child was evoking in him stunned Aengus. At her touch, tension that had ensconced itself in his body flowed out of him. He felt warmth and love emanating from this small angel, undoubtedly sent to him from heaven above. No more words were spoken. Shannon simply looked into his eyes and smiled. Time stood still. He knew this tiny girl was somehow giving him strength, healing his soul. He didn't understand it, but he wouldn't refuse the gift she was passing to him.

Proudly, she told him, My mother says I have a gift. She says that I'm going to be a very important person when I grow up. I'm going to change the way people think and how they treat others. Her hand moved from his face to clutch her amulet. You are in danger. I can feel it. You're afraid of losing yourself to the dark side of your ancestry.

She paused as she took the pouch off of her body and held it out to him. This is my talisman. It's very powerful. She reached for his hand and placed it over the amulet in her own. Do you feel it? Do you feel the power of it?

His breath caught in his throat. He could feel the power, power such as that contained in the strong storms at sea. He felt the power surge through his body as if he had been hit by lightening.

Do you feel it?

He couldn't speak. All he could do was acknowledge her with a nod.

The amulet keeps me safe. My mother said to never take it off, but I believe your soul is in grave danger, and you need it more than I.

Aengus stared at her, unwilling to let go of the emotions this child aroused in him. She was offering something so personal, so powerful, to a complete stranger who she felt needed