Howling Moon (31 page)

“What’s this?” Raphael
gestured to the rope-handled paper bag with the logo of a large independent bookstore imprinted on it that Betty was handing over to him. At her request the two of them had stopped by her office. This was apparently why.

“It’s an apology gift for Cat. I didn’t get a chance to talk to her the other night, and I wouldn’t blame her if she never speaks to me again.” Betty shook her head sadly. Raphael scented her resigned sorrow and guilt before the smells were swept away by the ventilation system. “But I spoke with Nana, our seer, and she told me about something that they used back when she was working with Fiona’s sister, Aspen Monier, to get control of her gifts.”

“Didn’t work very well, did it?” Raphael took the bag. He reached in, pulling out one of three books on yoga.

“Actually it
did.”
Betty shrugged her shoulders. “Apparently what we’ve seen is the new and improved model.”

Raphael shuddered. He’d always liked Aspen but he had to admit she scared him. Her gifts of foresight and hindsight were immensely powerful. Her visions were vivid enough that they frequently left her adrift, not knowing
when
she was. How often had he heard her ask, “What day is it?” then, “What year?” Still, she was one of the few people who had never once blamed him for what had happened with Fiona, even though she’d taken great pains to claim damages for her twin against their younger sibling in a manner that left permanent scars, both mentally and physically. Bobcats might be
small
animals, but you did not tangle with one lightly. “That’s just terrifying.”

Betty nodded her agreement. “Anyway, I wanted to make some gesture to show just how sorry I am about what happened. I’ll never truly be able to make it up to the two of you. I know that. But…” Betty turned away, blinking. Raphael started to pretend not to see her crying since she was obviously trying not to, but then thought better of it.

“It’s all right.” He patted her awkwardly on the back with his free hand. “It was an honest mistake. Everyone signs the damned release. The only reason I didn’t is that Tatya’s only got midlevel security clearance. People were bound to find out sooner or later.”

“Later would’ve been better.” Betty reached across the desk to grab a box of tissues. Pulling one from the box, she blew her nose noisily.

“Spilt milk and broken teacups,” Raphael said firmly.

“Excuse me?”

“It’s what my foster mom used to say. ‘No use crying over spilt milk or broken teacups. Just clean up the mess and move on.’”

“I can just hear Albina saying that! It sounds exactly like her.” Betty chuckled as she patted her eyes dry with a clean tissue.

“Is this everything you needed?” Raphael changed the subject. He didn’t want to think too hard about his family right now. It just reminded him of Jake and Holly. “I’d really like to get going.”

At Betty’s nod he turned toward the door, only to jump aside as Sally burst into the room.

“Alphas, I think we have a problem…”

Cat, you can’t
go back to the hotel. Cat forced herself to keep a neutral expression on her face despite her shock at the sound of Raphael’s voice in her head. She even managed not to drop her fork onto the plate from the surprise. Why not?

The press have found out where you’re staying. There
are
pictures ail over the Internet. They’re from the security camera at the hotel. They’re in black and white, and blurry, but there’s no mistaking it’s you.

Hang on a sec. Cat concentrated, bringing Raven into the mix and catching him up on what Raphael had told her. He was still swearing internally when she connected the three of them in a mental conference call.

What am I wearing in the pictures?

It’s the outfit from yesterday, and the date is at the bottom of the camera frame. He stared at the computer screen over Sally’s shoulder. Cat knew because suddenly she was seeing the screen, too – through his eyes. It was a new experience and as unnerving as it was useful.

How are you doing that? Raven asked.

I don’t know.

Doing what?

Cat’s making it so we can see the screen along with you, Raven explained. I didn’t know that was possible.

Neither did I.

Cat wasn’t paying much attention to their conversation. She stared at the screen, lost in thought. Somebody obviously had a source at the hotel, which meant that they would find out what she was wearing this morning when she left, even trace her tracks if they tried hard enough.
That
would completely blow her new disguise. Unless…

I have to go back.

What?
the two men chorused.

I have to let them see me now, in the same outfit I wore this morning, looking exactly like Cat Turner with a bunch of packages. That way they’ll think I was just out shopping and not follow up too closely.

It’s a helluva risk, Raphael grumbled.

1 don’t like it any better than you do. Cat’s mental voice was firm, with more than a hint of annoyance. But I don’t want them finding out about my trip to the attorney. I’ll give up the disguise if I have to, but Jack and his people can’t find out about the corporation I’m setting up. It’d ruin everything.

Raphael couldn’t keep the excitement out of his voice. You sound like you have a plan.

Yes, I do. Raphael, do you remember the Cherry Creek Mall?

Yes.

Cat started to think fast. This could work, if she was very careful. It has a pair of attached parking garages. The one on the east side of the building has an entrance directly into Jordan’s Department Store.

I know.

Can you be outside that door in a car with the engine running in an hour?

Make it two.

Fine. I’ll see you there in two hours.

Cat cut the connection, finding herself abruptly back in her own body. It was almost shocking to be looking out of her own eyes into the. busy restaurant. Raven had raised his hand in a signal to the waiter, who hurried over.

“We’ll have our check please.”

“Of course, sir.”

“I’ll meet you outside,” Cat announced. “I need to go powder my nose.”

Raven looked at her through narrowed eyes. She could tell from his expression that he was trying to speak mind-to-mind to her, but didn’t have the talent. She wasn’t going to help him, either. She knew she was being rude and high-handed, but she was simply too furious to be anything else. She’d been so careful, checking into the hotel under a pseudonym, explaining the need for secrecy to the manager. It hadn’t done a bit of good. Like it or loathe it, the press was an issue in her life again and the timing couldn’t have been worse.

Cat scooted her chair away from the table and reached down to grab the plastic bag containing her purse and the clothes she’d left the hotel in this morning. She stood, and moving swiftly she made her way through the crowded restaurant until she had reached the dimly lit hallway leading to the restrooms. She pushed the door open and found herself alone in an elegantly appointed waiting room with thick Persian rugs on the floor and comfortable chairs. An open arch led into a tiled area with the sinks and individual stalls that had walls and slatted wooden doors that reached to the floor.

Cat dropped the plastic bag onto the floor, pulling the door closed and sliding the bolt closed. With swift movements she stripped the glasses from her face and removed the various jewelry, sliding them into one of the pockets of her leather jacket and zipping it closed so they wouldn’t be lost. She pulled off the jacket first, folding it neatly and placing it on the floor. The jeans, T-shirt, and shoes followed in rapid succession. Finally she removed the delicate lace undergarments she’d been wearing underneath. She took a careful step backward, getting as far from the clothing as she could. The stall was sized for the handicapped, and bigger than most, but it was still going to be very cramped in here when she changed to cat form, and she didn’t want to damage or incinerate anything with her magic.

Cat concentrated, calling her beast forth. It was getting easier every time she did this, and less physically painful, but it was still disorienting. She was fairly certain she’d never really get completely used to it.

She stayed in cat form only for a moment, then shifted again, so that she stood, naked, her hair long once again. She pulled on Catherine Turner’s clothes and began preparing herself mentally to
be
Catherine. Not Cat – who was Raphael’s lover and Holly’s friend. But Catherine Turner, computer geek, victim of the paparazzi. The change in mindset was
hard.
So much had changed in the past few weeks.
She
had changed, far more than she’d even realized. It occurred to her that
Catherine
had always been a victim in one way or another. It showed in the way she dressed, the way she moved. It was what had made her so vulnerable to peer pressure, and made Brad so very sure she’d welcome him back with open arms.

Suddenly so many things made sense – but she simply
did not
have time to think about it. Raven was waiting impatiently outside, and somebody was bound to come into the bathroom sooner or later. But it was definitely something she was going to have to think long and hard about when she had the time.

She pulled on her clothes swiftly. The blue jeans and white tee were all right, but the jacket was distinctly worse for wear, heavily wrinkled from being folded and stuffed into the bag.

There was nothing she could do about it, so she pulled it on. Next she took the heavy gold jewelry from out of the clutch she’d been carrying this morning and put it on before sliding back into her shoes. She grabbed the clothing from her disguise and stuffed it into the bag. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she slid open the lock and stepped back into her old life.

Raphael checked his
watch for the twentieth time. He was in the Jeep, in a parking spot not far from the entrance where, in five minutes’ time, Cat was due to come out the doors. One level down, in a spot close to the exit gate, Betty was stationed in her white Volvo. If everything went according to plan, Cat would come through the doors and jump into the Jeep. He’d drive down the ramp, honking his horn. As soon as they were past, Betty would pull out of her space, effectively blocking anyone from following.

It was as good a plan as they could come up with on short notice. Frankly, he’d been impressed with Cat’s choice of venue. The mall would be crowded with early Christmas shoppers, and there were a number of exits. She
should
be able to give any paparazzi that had managed to stay on her tail from the hotel the slip. But it was nerve-wracking sitting here, waiting. Every sound echoed off the concrete walls irritatingly, and the whole place smelled of car exhaust.

He glanced at the dashboard clock. Two minutes to go. A flicker of movement behind the glass doors to the department store drew his eye. Raven was standing casually in the menswear department as Cat flipped through a rack of dress shirts, a bunch of plastic shopping bags hanging from her left wrist. They were in place.

Raphael shifted the Jeep into gear, pulling out of the parking space. He braked to a stop, leaning over to throw open the passenger-side door. She leapt inside, throwing her packages and purse into the backseat and yanking the door closed. They pulled away with a squeal of tires, leaving Raven stalwartly blocking three camera-bearing men from following.

Raphael leaned on the horn as he took the corner onto the down ramp. He heard Betty’s answering honk, and hit the accelerator. As they passed, she pulled out, cutting off any possible pursuit.

Cat snapped on her seat belt, turning to glance over her shoulder. Horns were blaring in the background as they emerged into sunlight and Raphael turned off of the access road into the traffic on the main drag.

“The Volvo was a nice touch. Your idea?”

“Yup.” Raphael checked his mirrors. They were clear. “It’s Betty. She’ll block them for a minute or two, then come out, circle the block, and go back for Raven.”

“Should I
tell
him?”

“He knows.” Raphael assured her as he signaled to change lanes. “I did have to brief Betty, but it’s a fairly standard maneuver. We don’t use it often, but occasionally people like Antoine attract more press than we’re comfortable with.”

“Antoine?”

Raphael looked over his shoulder to make sure there was room to merge before changing lanes. If he followed the left fork he’d wind up on Colorado Boulevard. It was a main route that he could take to the highway. “Antoine Monier, aka ‘Antoine the Magnificent.’ He’s the council member representing the cats.”

“I’ve heard of him! He’s a
cat!”

“Almost everyone has heard of him. He makes sure of it” Raphael forced himself to keep his tone neutral. Fiona’s twin brother was powerful, charming, and blamed Raphael for everything that had gone wrong between his sisters. Cat would be
just
his type.

Raphael fought down a surge of irrational jealousy. Cat turned toward him, arching an eyebrow, her nostrils twitching slightly as she scented the air inside the car.

“What?” Raphael snapped.

“Nothing.”

Raphael sighed. “I can’t help it. Every time I think about you with somebody else I go nuts.” He stared at the road ahead, not meeting her gaze.

Cat shook her head. “You don’t need to worry, you know.”

It was Raphael’s turn to look shocked.

“Seriously.” Cat turned in her seat so that she was facing him. “1 skipped a bunch of grades in school, so I was too young for everybody I met, and my parents were seriously overprotective to boot. When I hit my rebellious stage I dated a bunch of celebrities, but not seriously. Then I dated a couple of guys from work, but they were jerks. Then, of course, there was Brad – “

“Brad?”

“I was engaged, briefly,” Cat said. “It ended badly.”

Raphael pulled into the left-turn lane to wait for the green arrow. His expression was serious as he turned to answer. “I’d say I’m sorry, but I’d be lying,” Raphael admitted. “Because if it had worked out, you wouldn’t be here with me. I’d like to know more about that part of your life.”

Cat opened her mouth to speak, but he gestured her to silence. “I know it’s too soon. You just lost your parents, you’ve got to adjust to being Sazi, there’s Jack to deal with. I understand. But I can’t help wanting what I want. And what I want is you, with me, always. Part of it’s the mating. But mostly it’s just
you.”

Raphael didn’t dare look at her right then. He’d promised himself after all the previous disastrous relationships that he’d never let himself be this vulnerable again. But in spite of his best intentions, she’d managed to slip through the walls he’d built to protect himself, and now he not only couldn’t imagine being without her, he didn’t
want
to.

He turned at the click of her seat belt unfastening. She moved across the seat, taking his face between her palms, and kissed him with a controlled passion that made him forget everything – until the angry honking of car horns brought them both back to their senses.

She laughed, scooting back onto the passenger side as he stomped on the gas so that the Jeep leapt into the intersection just as the light turned yellow. She pulled the seat belt back on. “So, where are we going anyway?”

“My place.” He gave her a sly wink. “Right after we make a couple of stops.”