Howling Moon (11 page)

* * *

Raphael lowered himself
carefully onto the gym floor. Now
he
felt sick. If Jack was maintaining contact, that meant –

He shuddered at the thought of Jack sharing the thoughts of the woman he was stalking.

Cat’s eyes staring at him burned with a need for answers. And while he’d rather do almost anything else in the world than tell this story to
this
woman, he began to speak.

“Fiona Monier is a were-cougar.”

Cat furrowed her brow and opened her mouth to speak, but he raised a hand to stop her question. “Bear with me here. This takes a little bit of background to understand. Fiona and her family are among the most powerful of our kind. Because of that, she was recruited into Wolven when she was still very young.”

Cat was watching him avidly. He knew she could sense his reluctance to reveal this. But she didn’t make another sound.

“She had an affair with the head of the agency.”

Understanding flowed into her face. “Jack?”

“Yes.” Raphael watched her absorb the information, saw her pondering the implications. When he thought she was ready, he continued.

“Fiona is brilliant, beautiful, ruthless,” He paused, took a deep breath through his nose to calm himself down. “At the time, she was completely disinclined to limit herself to a single man.”

“I’m guessing Jack didn’t take that well.”

Raphael leaned back, planting his palms on the floor behind him. He looked up at the ceiling, trying to organize his thoughts. “Actually, for the most part, he was okay with it. He loved her, and was mated to her, but most of all he understood her. He knew she loved him. She’d have her fling, but men she’d come back.”

Cat looked confused. “So, what happened?”

“She met
her
mate and left Jack for good.”

“Mate?” She tilted her head slightly, her voice and expression making the word a question.

Raphael sighed. “You’ve heard people talk about soul mates?” She nodded. “Well, with the Sazi it actually happens. It’s both a physical and a magical bond. Sometimes, as with Jack and Fiona, it’s one-sided. One person is tied but the other can walk away at any time. If tilings have gone too far, and the bond is too tight, when they do walk away, the mated person’s mind can break under the strain. But a mated male literally
can’t
physically injure the woman he’s bound to.”

“So Jack is obsessed with Fiona. What has that got to do with me?”

“He can’t harm her. Not ever. But he hates her so much it’s driven him quite literally insane. So, he punishes women who look just like her.”

Her breath stilled. But it made such ridiculously simple sense. “Me.”

Raphael nodded sadly. “The resemblance is uncanny.”

The two of them sat in silence for a long time. When Cat finally spoke, her voice was soft, but firm. There was no hint of hysteria. And though Raphael could smell her fear, overlaying it was the scent of absolute determination.

“He won’t be giving up. He’ll keep coming at me until one or the other of us is dead. He’s sane enough to want to come back and get me.” She stood in one graceful movement and held out a hand to help him up.

“You’re right. He won’t give up. I know.”

“Then I have a lot of work to do before he comes back. Let’s get training.”

Jack prepared to
give the woman’s thoughts a gentle nudge, just enough to move her to wakefulness. He only had a few minutes free before his next meeting to take care of this little charade. Still, there was enough time to do a little poking around. He wanted to see what was on her mind, find out if things were going according to plan.

It was surprisingly difficult. Ms. Turner was a strong-willed woman, even asleep. He slid past her thoughts of her parents, her determination to take over her father’s company, even her anger and loathing of him. None of that mattered to him. When he found what he was looking for he wanted to crow with delight. The seer had been right.

Jack took a second to write a note on the pad of his desk to give to his admin assistant. Roses perhaps, or some jewelry. Laura was always good at finding just the right gift for the occasion, and this deserved something special.

Now, it was time to up the stakes a little. Good morning, kitten.

Cat stiffened at
the sound of the voice in her head. It was morning. She had just opened her eyes and been debating whether or not to climb out of the nice, comfy bed. It was
cold,
and damp, the kind of weather that made her bones ache, made her want to stay under the covers and do nothing all day. But the voice changed all that. She wanted to move, not to stay in one place too long.

My name is Cat, asshole. She sat up straight and threw off the blanket. I know who you are now. I also know what you want, but you’re not going to get it. You’re not going to kill me like the others. I’m going to kill you instead.

She could hear his laughter in her head, warm and rich and rolling. So they’ve told you about me. Good. Have they by chance mentioned my ‘insurance policy’?

The file with proof of the Sazi existence? Oh, yeah. They told me about it. Said that if you die of anything other than natural causes, the proof gets released to the press and the humans start a witch hunt. Must really be something to have them so scared.

Cat closed her eyes, shutting out all the external stimuli. Raphael had told her that if she eliminated distractions and concentrated, she might be able to break Jack’s hold on her. At the very least, she’d be able to glimpse further into his mind. Like she’d want to.

Still, she focused her thoughts, concentrating hard. If she wanted to bring Jack down, she needed to know more about him. Yes, she’d be spending tonight on the Internet, but that would only teach her about his human side. His Sazi side wouldn’t be in the computer records. To know her enemy she needed to get inside his head – literally.

I’d love to see it. Because, frankly, I don’t buy it. Cat tried to keep him thinking about the file, keep him distracted.

You don’t need to. They do. His voice in her head was smug.

He had a point. Frankly, it was a smart move on his part, playing on the Sazi paranoia. They believed they would be hunted down and destroyed; believed it enough that Raphael had bound Cat with magic to make
sure
she couldn’t betray them.

Charles wants you to be fully trained before you leave Boulder Conveniently enough, so do I.

You do?

Oh, yes. You wouldn’t be much of a challenge otherwise. As it is… well, I’m all aflutter with anticipation. You’re doing quite well. A little clumsy, but definitely not bad for a first attempt at distracting me.

Oh, goody.

He laughed again. You’re almost as sarcastic as I am. How absolutely delightful. You have no idea how much I’m looking forward to our next meeting, kitten. It might interest you to know that I’m already healed from our last encounter. I took a shower at my club this morning, and nobody saw a single bruise. Think about that… in the meantime, work hard, and learn fast. My patience isn’t endless. He paused and his voice deepened, as though angry. And find a different teacher. I don’t
like
Ramirez. I don’t trust him.

He cut the connection easily, before she had the chance to tell him where to go and how to get there. Cat swore. He’d seen right through her. Damn it! Last night Raphael had promised that someday soon, if she practiced the exercises he’d given her, she’d be able to do just as well. She certainly hoped so.

Looking down at the angry red marks that still remained on her legs and stomach made her shiver. Jack was already
healed?
Once she started to remember the night she fought, she remembered it all, and she’d hurt him badly. On top of that, Raphael said he’d shot him several times with silver.

Damn! How powerful did that make him?

She tried to think about something, anything, else. But, it was hard going. The knowledge that Jack Simpson was out there, watching and waiting… she shuddered at the thought, her stomach roiling. But Raphael was teaching her, and she was determined to keep on training with him,
especially
since Jack didn’t like him.

As always, she took refuge in work. Barefoot, she padded downstairs to Violet’s office. Originally intended as the master bedroom, it was huge. The walls were painted a pale lilac that exactly matched the lilacs in the pattern of the ruffled curtains that framed wide, multipaned windows. The carpet was a vivid royal purple, as were the throw pillows on the loveseat that took up one corner of the room. Next to it stood a tall set of bookshelves that was filled with hardback books Violet used for research and dozens of romance novels, many of their colorful spines bearing her aunt’s name in the large, hot-pink lettering that was her aunt’s trademark. Cat walked over to the computer desk and hit the switch to turn on Violet’s computer. She was careful not to disturb so much as a single Post-it note or sheet of paper that was strewn over the desktop. The “novels” she was supposed to study from were stacked neatly on the end table next to the loveseat She shuddered. Normally she liked fantasy novels. She had entire shelves filled with them in her bedroom in California. These books, however, did not make the grade. If the writer hadn’t had the Sazi as a captive audience, the books would have died an ignominious death due to lifeless characters and clunky dialogue. And the attitudes were archaic – honor, challenges, and the rule that a man couldn’t stay with a woman more powerful than himself.

The sad part was that she more than suspected those were the rules of the culture she was being dropped into. If that was true she was so screwed.

Cat clicked the mouse on the icon to take her to the Internet. She needed to check her e-mails, check in with the one part of her life that still made sense. It took awhile for the program to upload. Violet’s computer was old and slow enough to drive Cat to distraction. When it finally finished, she stared at a screen that told her she had
ninety-three
new messages.
Jeez.

Some of it was spam. She got rid of those with a couple of quick clicks of the mouse. Condolence messages got a quick reply. There were several messages from the attorneys handling her parents’ estate. Those got forwarded to the executor – and the head of the Sazi, Cat reminded herself – Uncle Chuck.

The next message was actually from him. She opened it quickly.

Catherine, these are difficult times for you, I know. But I also know that you’re strong and resilient enough to cope with what’s happening. Know that despite what you’ve lost, you’re
not
alone.

Trust Raphael. He’s a good man. He can help you get a grip on what is going on in your life. He’ll help you and answer all your questions honestly, without any hidden agenda.

Call me if you need
anything.

I love you. Charles

Cat read and reread the message. He knew. He understood what was going on. She thought for a long moment, deciding how best to phrase what she wanted to say. She needed to be vague enough that anybody reading the message wouldn’t learn about something he shouldn’t – but she needed to still get her point across.

Dear Uncle Chuck:

You’re right. Things are very hard. I feel like my life’s turned upside down.

I’m hoping you can help me with something. I understand that you have a copy of the insurance file. Is there any chance I could get a look at it and that we can sit down and talk? I have an idea as to a solution to the problem. Let me know as soon as you can.

Catherine.

She hit the send button, and moved on to the messages from her friends. There were notes about concerts, babies, gossip about Brad and the office. One of her best friends from the office would be leaving for a new job at Microsoft at the end of the week.

She laughed. It had been bound to happen sooner or later. Ron’s e-mail sounded so surprised. He had a minor conviction for computer hacking in his background and had thought it would keep him from getting the job. Cat knew better. It hadn’t bothered her father one damned bit. Some of the best software programmers in the world former hackers. That was just a fact.

Cat glanced at the clock readout on the computer and swore under her breath. She needed to get moving if she wanted to get a run in before work.

In fact, she was dreading the day ahead of her. While she
did
trust Raphael as a person, she didn’t necessarily agree with his judgment. She was almost thirty! Far too old to be working at a burger joint! And while she would never insult Holly by saying so, it was such a step down from what she was used to. Still, Raphael had insisted, saying things like, “You need to get to know the pack members, see how other Sazi behave.” And, “You’re too new to this to be trusted out among the humans without supervision.”

As if the job weren’t enough, starting Monday Cat had been ordered to attend “puppy school” for training with the newly turned wolves. The idea had sounded iffy enough – and that was
before
she’d found out Tatya was the teacher.

Tatiana Santiago, the one and same woman who’d stormed off yesterday morning for no reason anyone cared to explain.

Immersion her ass! The idea was for her to spend every waking minute in the company of Sazi so that she could get a better grip on the culture. Unfortunately, the last thing Cat wanted to do was spend her time stuck in a classroom with a bunch of pre-teen kids during the day and working at a burger joint at night. Especially not if John was a typical example of how pack members behaved.

Raphael had listened attentively to everything she’d said. It hadn’t made one damned bit of difference. He’d made up his mind and nothing was going to change it. The best she could manage was to wring the concession from him that if she gave it her best shot and it still didn’t work, they’d figure out something else.

What made Raphael think that a cat could get along with a bunch of wolves, Cat wasn’t sure.

It was hours later when Cat tapped lightly on the door to Violet’s hospital room. “Hello?” She stuck her head in, just in time to see Ned pull hastily back into his seat as Violet wiped quickly at her reddened eyes.

Violet looked like hell. Her skin was drawn, her color had a grayish tinge. But far worse to Cat’s mind was the fine, nervous trembling that shook her aunt’s body.

“Good morning, Catherine.” Ned’s voice held a false heartiness that cut Cat to the quick. Violet said nothing, didn’t smile, and couldn’t even bring herself to look at Cat. Instead, she clung to Ned’s hand like a lifeline.

“So, how’re you doing this morning?” Cat walked over to the chair by the window and took a seat. Emotions boiled over the top of each other as she saw Violet, looking pale and frail. She wanted to run over and hug her, but something stopped her. Instead, she struggled to appear casual, like nothing was wrong. It was a lie, and they both knew it, but it was all she could think to do.

“Oh, I think she’s doing a little better. Aren’t you, Vi?” Ned gave her hand a little squeeze.

Violet turned her head very slowly to where her niece sat. Her eyes were haunted and shadowed. Cat could see the effort it cost her aunt to face her fear and her heart broke from the realization that
she
was what Violet was terrified of.

Tears filled Cat’s eyes, running unchecked down her cheeks.

Violet’s eyes filled again, too. With a voice that was hoarse from crying, barely louder than a whisper she began saying over and over, “I’m so sorry. I can’t do this. I’m so sorry.”

Ned moved to the side of
the,
bed, taking Violet’s shaking form into his arms, holding her as she wept, his huge hands patting her back gently as he murmured soft words into her frizzy hair.

Cat sat there for a long moment, tears streaming down her face. The two of them were oblivious to her. It was almost as if she were invisible. In that instant she felt more alone than she had ever felt before in her life. In the past, whatever happened, she knew her parents were there for her. But they were dead. Brad was gone. Now Violet was lost to her as well.

Cat could barely see to fumble her way out of the room. She stumbled into the hallway, and ran right into a very large, solid chest.

“Are you all right?”

Cat looked up into a pair of wide chocolate brown eyes. “Do I look all right?” The sarcasm was completely spoiled by the fact that the words came out as a sob.

“Here.” The boy who had been carrying the other Sazi woman from Violet’s house steered her gently to the nurse’s station, where he snagged a box of tissues from behind the counter and handed them to her before leading her to a set of chairs in the small waiting area near the elevators.

Cat lowered herself into a chair, dried her eyes, and blew her nose noisily a few times.

He smiled the tiniest bit, looking hopeful. “Feeling better?”

“A little.”

“Good.” He reached down, grabbing the small wastebasket from underneath the lamp stand. He held it out so that she could toss the used tissues inside. “You want to talk about it?”

Cat thought about it for a moment, but decided against it. While he seemed a nice enough kid, she really wasn’t comfortable with me idea of baring her soul to a stranger. Besides, if she tried to talk about it now, she’d probably end up crying again. Her self-control was tenuous right now.

“No.” She shook her head. “No, thank you.”

“All right.” He set the waste can back where it belonged, then leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees. “We’ll talk about something else.” He smiled, showing straight white teeth and deep dimples. “My name is Mike Santiago, I’m the youngest son of the Alpha pair for Boulder, I’m a sophomore at CU with an undeclared major that my mother’s been giving me no end of crap about. I don’t have a job right now because my parents want me to concentrate on bringing my grades up.” His expression grew rueful. “It hasn’t been working.” He smiled again, and it was like the clouds rolling away from the sun. The whole room seemed to brighten. “Your turn.”

“Cat Turner.” She stopped, wondering what to say.

“What’re you doing in Boulder?”

“I’m staying with my aunt to avoid the press. I was on a camping trip with my family when a jaguar attacked us. My parents were killed.”

“I’m sorry.” Mike took her hand in his.

“Thanks.” She took a deep breath, determined that she was
not
going to start crying again.

“So, where do you normally go to school? What’s your major?”

“Actually, I graduated a few years back. I’ve got my Ph.D. in applied computer science with a background in business.”

“You do?”

He sounded so disbelieving her back stiffened with anger. Apparently he scented it, because he held his hands palm outward in a placating gesture. “Don’t be mad.” His voice took on a pleading tone. “It’s just, I thought – well, you look – Oh hell. I thought you were my age.”