Howling Moon (38 page)

Raphael stretched out
on the bed. He needed to rest. It had been a long day, and it was just getting longer. It wasn’t the lack of sleep. He was used to doing without sleep on the three days of the full moon. But Holly’s change had been difficult, and drained them all. Then, there had been the disastrous breakfast with the family at the Run. Raphael tried not to think too hard about that. He’d hoped that when Jake fought his way to Holly’s side they might have been able to patch up their differences. It might have worked, too. But Jasmine had shown up, looking much the worse for wear after her punishment from Tatya.

Raphael sighed and rolled over, punching the pillow into a more comfortable configuration. There was nothing he could do about the family mess. It would iron itself out one way or another eventually. He just wished… But no. Better to keep out of the middle of it, and there were more urgent matters to be dealt with.

Late this afternoon they would have the ceremony where Lucas severed his ties to the pack and Raphael took it over. It wasn’t that complicated a task magically, but it required a great deal of power. Which meant he needed to be at full strength. That, in turn, required
rest.
But his mind wouldn’t leave him alone. His thoughts chased each other like a pup after its own tail.

Raphael rolled over onto his back and stared up at the bedroom ceiling. He was taking over the pack. It was real. All the years of playing second in charge and working in Lucas’s shadow were over. He should be happy. But the fact was, he wasn’t. This wasn’t
his
pack, or his people, and they’d made that abundantly clear. The pack was splitting, because of
him.
Yes, only a few of them had chosen to go with Martin and Daphne. Most hadn’t wanted to give up their jobs, homes, and lives here. But that didn’t mean they wouldn’t cause trouble. Hell, Raphael’s own niece was one of the worst. If Jasmine didn’t get in line he was going to have to take steps, and that would cause no end of trouble in the family.

Which brought him right back to the mess with Holly. She wouldn’t be at the meeting tonight. She’d made her fealty to him privately this afternoon so that she wouldn’t have to face Jake and the others. Her first real hunt would be with Cat, not with the pack that should be her home.

Was it so unreasonable for him to want the pack to accept his mate? He didn’t think so. She had a lot to offer his people, if they could open their minds just a little bit and look at her as an individual instead of dismissing her from outright prejudice. Unfortunately, they hadn’t shown any inclination to do that in the time she’d been here, and it didn’t look as if that situation was likely to change.

As much as he hated to admit it, Jasmine had simply said what nearly the entire pack had been thinking. He had hoped it wouldn’t come to a choice between his mate and his people, but that hope was fading fast. He had a home, a business that he’d spent decades building. He didn’t want to lose them. But he would set it all aside in a heartbeat. Because these past weeks with her he’d learned the difference between existing and living.

He closed his eyes and focused on his mate. Right now she stood in the middle of the living room of her apartment. The portrait he’d painted of her parents was propped against the wall in front of her. There were tears in her eyes, but they were happy tears. He could actually feel her amazement that he’d gone to so much trouble, and her joy that he’d gotten it just exactly right. She reached out, placing a gentle fingertip against the canvas.

But simmering underneath her joy at die picture, there was rage. He shared that rage, and had for decades. They had to stop Jack – had to stop him before another family was torn apart. It would happen soon. Raphael could feel it in his bones. The tension was building with each separate document they created for the dummy file, with each computer file they sorted. He and Cat probably knew more about Jack right now than any other living being. Hell, they probably knew more about him than
he
did. His schedule, his movements, every detail of his existence was all documented. Raphael and Cat-went through all of it, from the scheduled lecture on water rights at UCLA this afternoon to the VIN number of his brand-new private helicopter.

Raphael opened his eyes and threw off the sheet. It was useless. He wasn’t resting. He wouldn’t be
able
to rest. He might as well get up and go over the ceremony details again.

You
seem exhausted,
kitten. I take it you poured all your strength into saving the Sanchez girl? Not wise, my dear. Not wise at all. If I came for you tonight, you wouldn’t stand a chance.

Cat growled at the empty air. Go away! Leave me alone. Either come here and take your best shot, or go away. Haven’t you done enough damage to me?

Oh, no. Not by – What? No, I don’t want any calls, Laura. Tell whoever it is that I’m in a meeting.

This was strange. For the first time, she was intruding on Jack’s thoughts – being present when he thought he was alone.

He used
what
name? From Chicago? Oh, yes. I’ll be more than happy to talk to…
Inteque.
Put the call through. I’m just in a mood for –

There was silence for a moment, and he must have realized that Cat was still connected. He gave a low, menacing growl that made her shiver to the tips of her toes before slamming down mental shields in a way that nearly blinded her with pain. Tears streamed from her eyes as she staggered toward the bathroom in search of something, anything, to dull the agony.

Cat had expected
to hunt by herself, but Holly was waiting on the front porch of the mountain property when she drove the fully repaired rental car up the driveway. She had very deliberately switched vehicles in a covered parking lot in downtown Denver. No one other than the current, chosen few was to find out that Cerise and Cat were the same person, and she was taking every precaution to prevent it.

Cat could tell that Holly had been crying, but her scent held more rage than sorrow.

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Cat said. “But shouldn’t you be with the pack tonight? What if you have a hard time shifting again?”

“I won’t. It was only that first time that was dangerous. I’ve shifted twice already today with no problem. Apparently I’m an alpha.”

Holly didn’t sound happy about it. That was kind of a surprise. While Cat couldn’t see what the big attraction was to being able to change forms away from the full moon she’d learned from her books and lessons that it was considered a really big deal among the Sazi, and particularly among the wolves. Cat would have expected her friend to be delighted.

“All right, what’s up?”

“Nothing.” Holly was obviously lying – Cat could smell it. She shifted her weight uncomfortably from foot to foot, making the floorboards creak. “It’s not important.”

Cat gave her a long look. Holly wouldn’t meet her gaze, but she didn’t answer, either. She sighed. If and when Holly was ready to talk about it, she’d be there for her. In the meantime, they had other things to deal with.

“So,” Cat spoke briskly. “Do you have any idea how we go about doing this? This is only my second moon, and both times so far Raphael came riding to the rescue with meat from the butcher.”

“Oh, crap. I didn’t think of that.” Holly’s eyes went wide. “I haven’t got a clue. Didn’t they train you in puppy school or something?”

“I quit early, remember.”

“Well, hell,” Holly shook her head ruefully. “Doesn’t this just suck?”

Cat walked up to the house and opened the door for them both. “We’ll either figure it out, or I’ll spring for steaks when we get back to town.”

The two women stripped, each folding her clothing carefully and stacking it neatly. The last thing Cat removed was the necklace Ivan had given her. She set it almost reluctantly atop her piled clothing and began walking to the French doors. She had just put her hand on the handle when she felt the intrusion and let out a gasp of pain.

Jack didn’t slide into her thoughts, he bulldozed through them. While a part of her knew she stood in her cabin, looking out at a meadow, she saw another scene entirely.

It was an empty warehouse, at least three stories tall, its rough wooden supports covered by corrugated metal.- A skylight, several of its panes cracked and broken, let the light of the full moon pour down into the building, illuminating some areas, while casting others in deepest shadow. A man was staked, spread-eagled faceup on the floor. Cat struggled to see who it was, but the angle was wrong, and Jack refused to move closer.

“I’ve noticed something about you, Cat.”

Cat shuddered. Jack seemed totally coherent. He knew who she was. But was that a good or a bad thing?

“
You are very protective of your human pets. You ‘d do almost anything to keep them from harm. You fought me to keep me from hurting your Aunt Violet, you stepped between Ned and the lovely Tatiana, and you’ve repeatedly done everything you can to protect Holly Sanchez.”

“They’re not
pets.”
Her voice was harsh in her own head.

“Perhaps that was an unfortunate choice of words.” Jack shrugged. “I told you to stay away from Ramirez. You disobeyed me. I intend to punish you for that.”

Jack paced restlessly around the edge of the room, always sta
y
ing just far enough away that Cat couldn’t see who his captive was.

His tone was bitter and seethed with rage when he continued. “My first choice, again, was your aunt. But she seems to have disa
p
peared.
Nobody
has heard a thing from her other than you. And you, my dear, have developed the irritating ability to block your thoughts. You’ve shut me out, my dear, and I
don’t like it”

So, he
had
been trying to intrude. Cat would’ve felt more like cheering if she wasn’t getting a psychotic’s-eye view of someone she knew tied and struggling at his mercy.

Then there was your friend Holly. As Raphael’s niece she’d be
perfect.
Unfortunately she’s part of the Boulder pack, and is still under Inteque ‘s protection.”

Cat remembered the last time he ‘d used the name Inteque. It had been the night of the challenge. He ‘d referred to Michael as “Int
e
que’s puppy.” So Inteque was either Tatya or Lucas. From what she’d gathered, Tatya wasn’t much older than Raphael, which meant Lucas was the more likely…

Jack’s words brought her back to the present. “So, I was forced to search a little further into your past, and I came up with
– “

Jack stepped forward with a grand sweep of his arm, giving her a clear view of his prisoner, Brad, whose terrified eyes looked into Jack’s
–
and into her own.

Cat threw up, all over the floor inside the French doors. Again and again, her stomach heaved until there was nothing left to come up. It severed part of the connection. Cat could no longer see the inside of the warehouse. Her eyes took in Holly’s fearful expression, the moonlit meadow. But she heard the roar of a jaguar, the wet rending of flesh, and every hopeless scream.