A Cat's Tale Read online

  “Carl, bring Jared reading material,” Evangeline instructed. “Find out what he likes.”

  “Yes, Mistress,” Carl said.

  “Can I please have my cat back?” Jared asked, keeping his eyes lowered in an ingratiating manner.

  Josephine shook her head in silent denial. Evangeline did not even look at the werecat. “Carl, put her collar back on.”

  A wail of denial rose from Josephine as the human servants surrounded her. She got in a couple good scratches before a solid kick to the stomach left her doubled over. Before she recovered, Carl snapped the hated collar back on Josephine’s neck.

  “Let this be a lesson to you,” Evangeline said. The vampire extended an open hand toward Josephine. The collar about Josephine’s neck glowed white hot and excruciating pain lanced through her body. It felt as if the vampire were ripping her apart from the inside. Josephine screamed and grabbed for the collar, making a futile attempt to be free.

  Jared surged against the bars, creating a resounding clash as his full weight struck steel. “Mistress, please—”

  Evangeline turned her attention to Jared and Josephine’s pain stopped. Panting, the werecat went limp. “I want to kill her myself,” Jared pleaded.

  “An admirable desire, my wolf,” Evangeline said. “Carl, give Jared his cat.” With a flip of her hand, the vampire departed.

  Always obedient and efficient, Carl dragged Josephine to the cell. “Ought to kill her and get it over with,” Carl advised Jared. Forcing the werewolf back like a lion tamer with a chair, Carl wielded the cattle prod before him and backed from the cell. He slammed the door shut behind him and locked it.

  “Yeah, well, I like to play with my food,” Jared replied. “Get me some sports magazines, some porn, and a copy of Shakespeare’s works, okay?”

  “Shakespeare seems a mite highbrow for a wolf,” Carl said. He dropped Josephine to the ground. She welcomed the cold cement to the human servant’s cruel touch.

  “What can I say, I’m trying to better myself,” Jared quipped.

  He did not come close to Josephine until the servants departed. She shrank from him, quivering with fear and loathing. She hissed when he touched her but lacked the strength to lash out and was forced to endure his examination.

  Jared checked her for injuries and inspected the collar before he picked her up off the floor. “Josie, Josie,” he said, settling her against his chest. “What am I going to do with you?”

  Josephine turned her face to the side in an act of passive resistance. Tears trailed along her cheeks and down her neck to the hated collar. Jared’s gentleness was a form of torture. The waiting was destroying her. “Just get it over with,” she said, once she was strong enough to lift her head.

  He carried her into the bathroom. She supposed he wanted someplace easy to clean up afterward. Or maybe he liked privacy for the act. He set her down on the counter next to the sink. As he reached past her to the faucet, Josephine got in a clean swipe at his face. Her claws gouged four parallel incisions across his cheek from below his eye to his jaw.

  A snarl erupted from Jared; his lips peeled back in a bold show of teeth. His wolf rose, and those topaz eyes turned on her with restrained violence. He grabbed her arms, capturing and pinning her against the countertop. Josephine fought but he was too strong. “I ought to rip out your throat and eat you alive,” he said. “That makes twice now that you’ve betrayed me.”

  He imprisoned her wrists with one hand and positioned her so he stood between her parted thighs. Josephine wailed and struggled as his muscular body surged against hers. He pressed his chest to her breasts and then released her wrists. Once freed, she gouged his shoulders, leaving deep scratches, as he buried his face against her throat.

  Josephine waited. She waited for his teeth to rip out her jugular. Maybe he intended to take her body first. She waited for the inevitable violence and abuse she knew must be coming—it was all she had ever known. With a tired sigh, Jared turned his head to the side and rested his bloody cheek against the top of her head. His breathing was deep and steady and his touch comforting.

  “I don’t understand,” Josephine said, crying again but for different reasons. It had been far too long since another person had held her.

  “You’ve been abused, Josie,” he said. He lifted his head to look down at her; already his cheek had begun to heal.

  As she gazed upon the bloody scratches, Josephine cringed with guilt. Thank God she had missed his beautiful eye.

  “I realize it’s going to take time to win your trust, but time is the one thing we don’t have a lot of. You’re the most gorgeous creature I’ve ever seen, and I admit I want you, but not like this. If something ever happens between us, I want you to want me too.”

  Josephine opened her mouth to apologize but the words got stuck behind a mountain of mistrust. This might be another game. Once he’d won her trust, then he would kill her. It was a scenario all too easy to imagine.

  When she made no reply, Jared grunted, conveying disappointment. “Hold still a second,” he said, reaching for her throat. Josephine remained motionless, submitting to his touch. She felt his fingers on the collar, turning it, fumbling with the combination lock.

  “Got it,” he said, and the collar came free in his hands. He grinned. “I was paying attention when the vampire took it off.”

  Josephine stared at him in disbelief and reached up to feel her bare throat. Then, Jared snapped the collar back into place, closing the lock before the cat had a chance to react. She gazed at him in absolute hurt and disbelief.

  “If I leave it off, the vampire will figure out that I’m deceiving her,” Jared explained with an ironic smile. He backed away from Josephine. “Somehow, I think you can be trusted not to tell Evangeline I know how to take it off. I’m getting out of here, Josie. You can bet your sweet tail on it,” he said.

  Somehow, she believed him. Abruptly, Josephine realized the enormity of her mistake in trusting Evangeline instead of Jared. She wanted him to be the real deal; she needed to trust her attraction to him. But it was impossible. She had betrayed him twice. He had no reason to take a back-stabbing cat with him when he left.

  “How the hell am I supposed to trust you?” Her own outburst caught Josie by surprise.

  Jared stared at her with unblinking topaz eyes. “You think it’s any easier for me, pussycat?”

  Day 3

  It was a day much like the one before in the werewolf’s cell. Hours passed like molasses. Carl brought Jared fast-food that he then shared with Josephine. Evangeline returned when the sun set. Jared flirted and submitted; the vampire fed and left in a hurry.

  “I’m bored,” Josephine said, pacing the floor. The cloying heat and humidity made her fur damp. She never felt clean no matter how many hours she devoted to grooming.

  Jared looked up from his magazine and heaved a sigh. The werewolf straddled the single chair, leaning with his chest against the back. His skin glistened with the sheen of sweat, emphasizing the corded muscles of his throat and arms. “At least you’re still alive to be bored.”

  The cat swung on him. “You think that’s some sort of consolation?”

  Jared smirked. “Why don’t you come over here? I could do with a quick snack.”

  “You’re all bark, no bite,” Josie snapped. Her ears flattened but she no longer believed he’d eat her. He wasn’t above taunting her with it though.

  Jared’s sultry chuckle caused her fur to ripple and her tail to kink. “I’ve got plenty of bite.” His teeth snapped together, mocking a bite.

  His provocative teasing only earned him a tail smack across the lower jaw. With lightning quick reflexes, he caught the tip between two fingers. The scent of his arousal was thick on the air; his gaze smoldered as it lingered on tail and backside. “I can think of ways to pass the time.”

  Damn him. Josie snatched her tail away before her wanton nature got her into more trouble than she could handle. But, ooohhh, how she’d love to throw caution
to the wind. She’d bet one of her nine lives that her big bad wolf would be worth the ride.

  Fuming, Josephine sat on the cot opposite Jared. Out of desperation, she decided to try a different tact. “Where are you from?”

  His eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Why? Do you need more information to sell to the vampire?”

  Her ears flattened. “Fine,” she huffed. “You were the one who wanted to talk yesterday.”

  “Gee, I wonder what could’ve changed.” Jared’s sarcasm was sharp and pointed.

  Josie’s ears flattened further and she sighed, falling silent. She needed his goodwill and seemed to have destroyed any chance of obtaining it through her own machinations. She wanted so much more from him than simple kindness.

  Remarkably, Jared relented. He tossed his magazine into the pile of reading material Carl had provided. “Roanoke, Virginia.”

  Josephine’s ears sprang forward. “Why were you heading to LA?”

  His lips curved into a smirk. “You could say I had an important engagement.”

  His private joke irritated Josephine. Her tailed lashed but she refused to succumb to the temptation to pursue it.

  “Wouldn’t it have been simpler to fly to LA than drive?”

  He licked his lips. “I have a thing about airplanes.”

  “Oh, really? Are you scared?” Josephine taunted.

  Jared snickered. “Scared of damaging the airplane while it’s ten thousand feet in the air? Oh, yeah, I’m scared.”

  The man was impossible. “Are both your parents werewolves?” she asked. He had spoken of his family with affection. Maybe he would open up if worked from a different perspective. And it worked like a charm.

  “Just my mom; my dad is human. They retired to Florida a couple years ago to operate a boat charter service for scuba divers.”

  “Do you have any littermates?”

  Jared snorted and grinned. “I’m an only child.”

  “What do you do for a living?” Josephine asked.

  His smile widened. “I’m a fireman.”

  He was a hero? It was not what she had expected. Slacker would have fit better with her image of him. “Are you the type of fireman who runs into burning buildings or a paramedic?”

  “Burning buildings, but I also perform building inspections, search and rescue, and respond to medical calls.” His stare grew pointed. “Sometimes I even rescue little cats.”

  Josephine blushed and bristled. “No one asked you to rescue me.”

  Jared snorted. “I wouldn’t be in this mess if it weren’t for you, so I’d have to disagree. Although, my life would be so much simpler if you were stuck up a tree.”

  She turned her nose up. “Humph.”

  “My turn,” Jared said, licking his lips in an alarming way. His regard had become little too hungry for her taste.

  “Your turn?”

  “You’re the one angling to get on my good side,” Jared reminded her with a smile that made it clear he harbored no illusions regarding her motives. “I answered your questions; turnabout’s fair play.”

  “Okay,” she agreed with reluctance. “What do you want to know?”

  “Why does the vampire use a gold collar instead of silver to control you?” Jared asked.

  The question surprised her. Josephine had expected something more…personal. “Evangeline had the collar made special for her pet cats,” she said. “She feeds exclusively on cats—or has—up until now. But usually one cat at a time.”

  “She’s been a vampire fifty years?” he asked.

  Josephine indicated agreement with a flicker of her ear.

  “And you’ve been here three years?” Jared asked, gaining control of the conversation. Josephine did not understand how, but she felt obligated to answer.

  Her chest hurt from a crushing pressure, restricting her breath. “I’ve survived longer than most,” Josephine whispered, turning her face away to hide her tears.

  “So that’s at least sixteen cats she’s used and killed—maybe more,” he said.

  “Yes, many more,” Josephine agreed, scrubbing at her leaky eyes. Soon her name would be added to that list.

  “Silver doesn’t affect you the same as it does me,” he concluded, “which explains why the collar is made of gold. Evangeline has no experience dealing with werewolves, does she?”

  “She’s clueless,” Josephine agreed, stiffening her spine. She turned a baleful gaze on the wolf. “And poor. I’d be surprised if those cuffs you’re wearing are more than silver-plated.”

  Jared nodded. His expression was one of thoughtful calculation. Josephine realized that his questioning had nothing to do with hurting her and everything to do with escape.

  “Do you heal when you shift forms?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she said. “It takes a lot of energy, but shifting heals most injuries. Why?”

  “Just curious,” he said with a shrug. Then he was quiet, thinking again.

  “The shotguns are loaded with regular ammo,” she volunteered, seeing an opportunity to be helpful. “Werecats aren’t vulnerable to silver, but normal ammunition kills us just the same, so Evangeline’s never had a reason to spring for the expensive stuff.”

  Jared fixed those unsettling topaz eyes on her. Then he smiled and she flushed with pleasure. “Thank you, Josie,” he said. “That’s useful to know.”

  Before she formulated a reply, Jared stood, shoving the chair aside with his foot. His tension communicated his intent, along with an obvious reluctance, as he adopted an aggressive stance. She sprang off the bed and they jockeyed for position for a few seconds.

  “I don’t want this.”

  “I don’t want it either, but that skank vampire is just looking for an excuse to waste you.”

  “Wait, Jared.” His proximity excited her, but did not eradicate her fear. Josie wanted to touch him but not like this. Not again.

  Josie opened her mouth to reason with him, but the words jumbled together in her head. The distinct scent of his arousal made it worse, because she knew the rough play turned him on.

  “I’m sorry, Josie.” His muscles bunched and he lunged.

  Josephine sprang backward and evaded his first grab. He backed her into a corner and caught her on the second attempt. The werewolf secured a hold on Josie’s waist and dragged her toward the bathroom.

  He left her arms free and his upper body undefended, maybe on purpose, out of shame or contrariness. For a split second, Josie considered raking her claws across his beautiful face and putting out his eyes. Her stomach turned at the image her imagination conjured.

  Instead, she offered up the obligatory resistance, fighting him with all her strength. She wailed at the top of her lungs and hit his shoulders and chest with closed fists. He succeeded in shackling her wrists within one fist.

  “Please, not on the floor,” Josephine begged before he took her down. The dirty tile of the bathroom floor offended her fastidious nature.

  Surprise flashed in Jared’s eyes but he complied with her request. Pressing her against the countertop, Jared pinned her squirming body beneath his own. He never crushed her, using his strength to hold most of his weight off of her.

  Josephine wrapped her legs about Jared’s waist, hooking her ankles behind his back, so her crotch rubbed against his cock. She mewled in need as his jeans created friction and the bulge in his pants rubbed against her clit. Yes, there…

  “Jesus, Josie,” Jared growled. His topaz eyes blazed. “You’re killing me.”

  Her blue eyes flashed. “Don’t complain to me about your predicament. I didn’t ask to be here in the first place.”

  She shut him up. Jared turned his face into her throat. Josie tensed as his weight shifted and he pressed harder against her core. His naked chest flattened her small breasts. It took her a minute to realize the wolf was enjoying her fur against his bare skin.

  “You feel like a rabbit,” the wolf murmured, rubbing his cheek against her shoulder.

  Josie suppr
essed a shiver of delight. “Well, I don’t taste like rabbit,” she snapped, clinging to the vestiges of her anger.

  Jared’s entire body shook with laughter and he removed his face from her throat. “Rabbits taste gamey. I’m betting you’re…rich. Creamy.”

  Josephine heard the smile in his voice. For a tease, the werewolf had an abominable sense of what was funny. She sighed. “Must we do this every day? This is no fun for me.”

  Jared lifted his head to stare down at her with patent disbelief. Thankfully, he released her hands. “Do you think I enjoy this?”

  She sniffed her disdain and rolled her hips to make her point. Jared sucked in a wet inhalation through clenched teeth. “It’s pretty obvious this turns you on.”

  At least he didn’t deny it. “So I’m male. Sue me. I can’t help being turned on by a beautiful naked woman.”

  She experienced a thrill she’d have preferred to deny. She hid her smile and feigned indifference. “My fear turns you on too.”

  She scored a direct hit. His shoulders hunched in shame. “I’m a predator. I’m sorry I still scare you.”

  She huffed. “You enjoy it. Everyone knows dominant werewolves are bullies.”

  His eyes narrowed. “I never said I was dominant.”

  “Please, I’m not stupid like Evangeline,” Josephine said. “You’re not just dominant. You’re uber-dominant.” Staring up at him in such close proximity, she found his steady gaze disturbing. The desire he aroused in her was bad enough. When he stared into her eyes, it was as if he could see straight through her soul and knew all of her secrets. She hated the thought.

  “I know your other secret too,” she said, indulging a tendency to brag, which she regretted as soon as the words were spoken. Jared’s eyes narrowed, intent and threatening.

  “What would that be?” he asked. He had her pinned so it was impossible to evade him.

  “Your hands—you can still shift. You’ve grown claws twice while we’ve been in here,” she said, stuttering a little. “The silver in the bracelets isn’t enough to hold you. Like I said, they’re just silver-plated.”