A Cat's Tale Read online

  “Put your arm out through the bars,” Evangeline commanded the wolf, “and bare your wrist.”

  “Really? You don’t prefer a major artery on the neck or inner thigh?” Jared teased with an easy charm. The werewolf was confident and seductive, radiating a casual self-assurance. Unfortunately, Evangeline was too stupid, too greedy, and too far under his spell to see it.

  “Maybe after I’m sure you’re submissive to me,” Evangeline purred.

  “It’s sweet, you taking your time with me since I’m a virgin to this,” Jared quipped. He shoved his arm between the bars of the cell as instructed, wrist angled up. The vampire caught his arm in both hands, one holding his wrist, the other his forearm. She flashed fang, eyes glowing red, and hissed serpent-like. Then she bent and sank her teeth into Jared’s flesh.

  Jared grimaced and the wolf flashed across his features. Josephine witnessed everything that Evangeline missed—the elongation of his teeth, the golden glow of his eyes, and the ripple of muscle beneath skin as the transformation began and then halted. Through an amazing act of will, Jared reversed the change, grinding his teeth, and submitted as the vampire sucked his blood.

  As the vampire fed, Jared turned his malevolent gaze toward Josephine. “Gonna getcha, cat,” he mouthed, sending chills up her spine.

  Evangeline released him and emitted a long, satisfied hiss. The vampire glowed in blood-sated pleasure. Jared yanked his arm back, giving the bite wound a cursory examination. “I’ll need to eat to keep my strength up, especially if you want to feed often,” he said.

  The besotted vampire smiled. “I’ll have food brought,” Evangeline promised. She went to the wall and pressed the intercom. “Carl, come here now.”

  Silence reigned as they waited. Carl arrived with two other minions. “The wolf is now my favored pet,” Evangeline declared. “See to it that he is fed twice a day.” The vampire began to leave and Josephine held her breath, hoping and praying she had been forgotten.

  Evangeline paused at the base of the stairs, her foot hovering over the first step. She glanced back at Josephine with an evil smile. “Oh, and give him the cat.” Then she departed, moving faster than the feline eye could follow.

  Terrified, Josephine backed into the farthest corner of her cell, sinking to a crouch. Her fur rose as her tail puffed and lashed in anger. She hissed and yowled as the cell door opened and the three men approached her. Carl held a cattle prod, which he shoved toward Josephine, delivering a nasty jolt of electricity. The attack rendered her senseless, and she dangled in the men’s grip as they dragged her from the cell.

  “Stand back,” Carl warned Jared. The human servant waved the cattle prod at the werewolf through the bars. Jared moved back into the cell and the vampire’s servants swung the door open. They tossed in Josephine, slammed the door shut, and locked it. Amazingly, Jared caught her slight form midair and held her limp body against his chest.

  “Thanks, guys,” Jared drawled. “So, does this count as my first meal or can you get me some cheeseburgers?”

  Carl glared at Jared’s insolence but the servant knew his place. He would not risk the wrath of his capricious mistress. “Any preferences?”

  “Not really,” Jared said. “Oh, and don’t forget fries. And a chocolate milkshake.”

  Josephine trembled as the servants departed, leaving her alone in the grip of the wolf. She fought to hold back tears but failed. His hands were strong and intimate on her skin as he lowered her to the bed. Jared sat on the edge and leaned forward, inspecting the burn mark on her shoulder.

  “Shh, don’t cry,” he said, strong fingers wiping a tear from her cheek. “I won’t hurt you. I promise.”

  “I don’t believe you,” Josephine hissed as more tears fell. She hated herself for being so weak. “Sooner or later you’ll tire of this game and then you’ll hurt me.”

  Jared sat back and smiled. “Well, then,” he said, “it’s in your best interest to appease me. Right? So I don’t get bored too soon.” He leaned forward and Josephine flinched, expecting a blow that never came. “What’s your name, little one?”

  She bit her lower lip and decided to be compliant as he had suggested. It might keep her alive a while longer, at least until she could figure out how to get herself out of this mess. “Josephine.” She gritted her teeth, tasting bitterness. Names were very personal for her people, and she did not want him knowing hers or using it.

  “Josephine,” he said, testing it out. Then he grinned. “Seriously? Josie the Cat?”

  Josephine emitted a loud, miserable cry of protest at being demeaned. “It’s Josephine.” She trembled and yawned, fighting heavy eyelids. She was exhausted, hurt, and her body required sleep.

  “Josephine,” Jared repeated with an amused chuckle. He pulled a blanket over her and tucked it under her chin.

  Those amazing topaz eyes gazed down at her from a face so handsome she ached. Why, just once, couldn’t life be kind? She needed a hero, not some sarcastic, sadistic wolf.

  Right before she fell asleep, she felt his warm lips against her forehead. “Sleep tight, Josie Cat.”

  ****

  Josephine awoke, stretching and yawning long before she opened her eyes. Memory returned through the haze of lethargy and then the scent of food inundated her nostrils, bringing her to complete alertness. Sniffing, she sat up and followed her nose to the edge of the bed until her vision focused on Jared with a white paper bag. He had an open cheese-burger wrapper in his hand and a container of fresh French fries on his lap. She froze and stared.

  “Hey,” he said, “are you hungry?”

  She hissed in response and backed up on the bed. Jared gazed at her and then sighed. His topaz eyes were sorrowful as if he had witnessed far too much suffering for one life. She hardened her heart. She would not fall for his sad face.

  “Yeah, well, in case you change your mind.” Jared set a cheeseburger on the edge of the bed. Then he left his chair and moved away.

  Josephine waited, paranoid and scared, expecting him to jump her the second she let her guard down and displayed an interest in the food. Besides, it was junk. She had no interest in a greasy hamburger and French fries. She waited, nose twitching and stomach growling in protest. It smelled so…delicious. Finally, her willpower crumbled and she pounced, snatching and devouring the cheeseburger so fast she ate at least two bites of paper wrapper.

  “When’s the last time they fed you, Josie Cat?” Jared asked after witnessing the cheeseburger carnage.

  Josephine sniffed. “I eat all the time,” she lied.

  He laughed, a rich sound, stroking her fur like a friendly hand. Josephine glowered. His eyes danced with deviltry and his mouth was 100% kissable. He had big hands and strong arms; a lap designed for straddling. His animal magnetism oozed from every pour. And oh, how she hated him!

  Time passed before they spoke again. “Why did you do this to me?” he asked.

  Josephine stared at Jared. Her great blue eyes filled with tears that she fought against. “You see this collar?” she asked.

  He nodded. “It’s hideous.”

  “That’s not even the half of it. That demented vampire can suck the life from me any time she wishes if I disobey.”

  “Why don’t you turn into a cat and take it off?” Jared asked.

  “Don’t you think I’ve tried? This is as far as I can shift.” Josie indicated her cat-woman form with a quick gesture and scrubbed at her tears. “I didn’t want to bring you here. Evangeline ordered me to find her someone new. She was already angry with me because I—” She bit her tongue to keep from saying too much.

  “Because you what?” Jared asked. He sat on the floor with his back against the wall, knees bent, and arms dangling between them. His manner was mild and curious, as if they were discussing trivia instead of the betrayal that had landed him here.

  “Because I had already made her mad,” Josephine finished. She knew it was a lame excuse. She stared at the ground and then looked up at him. “I’m s
orry. I had no choice.”

  Jared flicked an imaginary speck of lint with his fingers. “It’s okay,” he said, and she didn’t believe him for a second.

  Sinking to a crouch, Josie wrapped her tail about her body and covered her nose. Jared deserved his anger. She despised herself for what she had done to a fellow shapechanger.

  ****

  An hour later, Jared stood and the motion caused Josephine to stir from her catnap. She opened her eyes and found Jared standing near the entrance of the bathroom.

  “Hey, Josie,” he called in a soft voice. “Come here a second.”

  Cautious but curious, she rose. She had stopped expecting him to jump her a while ago. “Why?” she asked, approaching the bathroom. “What is it?” She peered past him through the half open doorway.

  “Is this the only place without cameras?” he asked in a low voice.

  “Yes,” she said, peering at the werewolf. What was he up to?

  “Are there any microphones down here?” he asked.

  “No, the security system is ancient. It has video but no audio,” she said. “Why?”

  “I want privacy,” Jared said. His hands closed on her upper arms in an iron-strong grip she had no hope of breaking. A jolt of pure terror hit Josephine. She panicked and hissed, and then yowled as Jared shackled her against him with his hands.

  “I’m sorry, Josie.” He dragged her into the bathroom and shoved the door closed behind them.

  “No, Jared! Please, don’t—” Josephine fought him with frantic determination. Her claws scored his forearms and she sank her teeth into his throat, drawing a hiss of pain from the wolf. Josie yowled in distress and her struggles were all that much more frantic because there was no one who would come to her rescue.

  “Jared, please! Please don’t hurt me!”

  Jared pinned her beneath him against the dirty tiles. Josephine shredded his shirt with her claws and left bloody gouges across his chest. She bit his face and fought with all of her might until the werewolf immobilized her on the hard floor.

  His naked chest pressed against hers, and his considerable weight held her down. Arms pinned above her head, Josephine could only sob and scream as his crotch pressed against her pussy. Through the denim, she felt his straining cock. He was huge, hard, and primal. She waited for him to finish undressing, for penetration, for the inevitable violation that never came. He remained rigid above her. His breath was short and labored, and his entire body dripped with sweat.

  Eventually, she dissolved into tears and he rolled off her, apologizing. “I’m sorry, Josie. I need for that bitch to believe I’m using you. My scent must be on you.”

  Josephine turned away from him and pressed her face against the cold tile. Her heartbroken sobs echoed through the small bathroom. What he had done, cruelty following kindness, was so much worse than any torture Evangeline had ever devised. Josephine knew she wasn’t strong enough or brave enough to survive him. If she couldn’t be rid of him, he’d do worse than kill her. He’d break her.

  Day 2

  The next evening found Josie curled on the hard floor of the cell because she had refused to share the uncomfortable cot with Jared. After the incident in the bathroom, the werewolf’s behavior had reverted to laidback and flippant. He offered her food, which she refused. He attempted to engage her in small talk, which she ignored. He had shown his true colors; she would not buy into his deception again.

  “How long have you been here, Josie?” Jared asked with transparent irritation. Repeated failed attempts to engage her in conversation seemed to be wearing down his patience.

  Boredom was the enemy of any cat. Josie glanced his way, tired of staring at the water stain on the wall. “Three years,” she said with a flick of her ear. “Maybe longer; it’s hard to keep track of time.”

  Jared stretched his arms and back. Muscles and joints popped as he worked out the kinks. “Does anyone know you’re here?”

  Josie blinked against more tears and shook her head.

  “No family? No friends?”

  She bit her lip. “Werecats are like werewolves. We’re born, not bitten. I was born feline; I don’t remember my mother. I spent the first twenty years of my life with a sweet old lady from Pensacola. I knew what I was, but I was content to spend most of my life as a cat. I only shifted when I wanted to open a door or get into the fridge. I made sure my owner never saw me change. She thought there was a ghost in her house.”

  Jared chuckled and grinned. “That’s so you, Josie Cat.” He paced the length of the enclosure once, stretching his legs. His movement brought him too close to her.

  Jared sank to a crouch. “How did you get here?”

  It was more personal information than she had ever meant to share but then no one had ever cared enough to ask before. She found herself answering against her better judgment. “One day I was kidnapped by vamps and then sold to Evangeline. I’ve been her blood pet ever since.” She stopped. “Until recently, that is. She’s done with me now.”

  Disgust crossed Jared’s mobile features. “Have you been alone the entire time?” he asked. “Or have there been others?”

  Josie shot him a sharp, hateful glance. Trust the wolf to sniff out the topic that hurt the most. “There was another cat when I got here,” she informed him. “He’s gone now. Evangeline killed him.”

  Jared did not take the hint. “What happened to him, Josie Cat? What happened to you?”

  Josie’s fur stood on end and her tail lashed. His ability to penetrate her defenses angered her beyond the point of caution. “I know your secret,” she hissed. Taunting him was the height of stupidity, but he refused to leave well enough alone.

  Jared cocked his head to the side, regarding her with an intent stare. “Which one would that be?” he asked, ironic and dangerous.

  “You’re not a submissive wolf, Jared. Any fool can see it.”

  “What are you going to do?” he asked. Jared’s body had grown stiff and he towered over her.

  The sounds of approaching footsteps cut their confrontation short. “Josie, don’t tell,” Jared warned, intimidating her with his topaz stare.

  Evangeline entered the confinement area with Carl and two of her other minions. Josephine flew at the bars and gripped them with both hands. “Mistress, please, let me out.”

  The vampire regarded Josephine with disdain. “Why on earth would I do that?” she asked. “Frankly, I’m surprised to find you still alive, Josephine.” She sniffed and then smiled. “The wolf has been making good use of you, I see.”

  “It’s boring in here,” Jared said with a shrug. “Can I have something to read?” The werewolf’s audacity was unbelievable. Josephine did not dwell on it. She could smell his anger and knew he intended to kill her.

  “Mistress, please, I beg of you. The wolf hasn’t been honest with you. Just let me out—” The werecat clung to the bars, prepared to beg on her knees if necessary.

  Evangeline regarded her and sneered. “I’ll admit, I’m intrigued to hear what you have to say. Do you have a secret, Jared? What do you think Josephine has to tell me?”

  Jared had not moved from where he stood. “I can’t say, but it’s probably a lie. As far as I can tell, she can’t be trusted,” he said with a chuckle.

  “She is a treacherous creature. Come, Josie, let’s hear it,” Evangeline said.

  “Let me out of the cage first, please,” Josephine begged. Her fear of the unpredictable werewolf was greater than for the familiar vampire. Evangeline might be moody and cruel, but at least she was a known quantity.

  “Open the cell, Carl,” Evangeline said with a small gesture.

  Carl opened the cell door and grabbed a fistful of Josephine’s hair. He held the cattle prod ready to keep the werewolf at bay. Josie scrambled from the enclosure and Carl locked the door behind her. Josie cowered at the vampire’s feet.

  “Let’s hear it,” Evangeline demanded.

  “Take off my collar first,” Josephine demanded. Removed fro
m Jared’s reach, she moved on to her next highest priority. The collar represented a constant threat to her life.

  Evangeline’s lips compressed. It was clear the vampire had not yet eaten and her patience was thin. However, she bent to work the combination lock on the cat’s collar. Josephine had spent endless hours playing with the antique lock, spinning the numbers in an attempt to find the right code. The vampire removed it within seconds.

  Josephine gasped and reached for her bare throat, feeling matted fur where the collar had encircled her neck. It was exhilarating to have the heavy weight removed. She felt able to breathe again for the first time in weeks.

  “What is he hiding?” Evangeline demanded.

  “Jared is a dominant wolf. He’s not his pack’s Omega at all,” Josephine blurted out, casting a quick glance at the werewolf. With a start of fear, she found him standing much closer to the bars than before. He was within arm’s reach of her.

  Evangeline arched her fine brow. “Really,” she said, casting a skeptical glance at the werewolf. “Jared, what do you say?”

  Jared rolled his eyes. “You’d think she could come up with something more creative.” He leaned against the bars and offered his arm. “Would it please you to feed, Mistress?” He spoke with exactly the right amount of humility and submissiveness. His entire body language communicated sensuous indolence; he was pure seduction.

  Evangeline beamed, both distracted and pleased. The vampire wrapped her hands around the werewolf’s arm and tilted back her head, mouth opening as her fangs extended. She bent forward, burying her fangs in his muscular arm. Jared grunted and turned his head to the side to conceal his expression from the minions across the room.

  While Evangeline fed, Jared stared at Josephine with malevolent topaz eyes. He froze her with his gaze and she discovered green and red specks within the golden irises. Josephine’s terror escalated with each passing second, leaving her trembling.

  Evangeline finished and used a handkerchief to dab at her mouth, wiping away a small amount of blood. She smiled at Jared with girlish adoration. Jared maintained a demur stance at odds with his blatant masculinity.