by Bianca D’Arc
Cat's Cradle: String of Fate, Book 1
Cat'sCradle:StringofFate,Book1
Most lovers kiss. This one pounces.
String of Fate, Book 1
As bad days go, this one qualifies as one for the books. Elaine knew being late for her jiu jitsu class could earn her a reprimand from her sensei. But the sensei’s not there. And suddenly, neither is her car. Even walking home becomes problematic when she stumbles onto things that most definitely do go bump in the night. One of whom is too handsome for his own good—and too sexy for hers.
An Alpha Pantera Noir—black panther shifter—Cade operates on his immense skill, superior strength, and dominant personality. There’s something about this small spitfire of a human woman that threatens to bring him to his knees. She blundered into the middle of his mission to transport his queen to safety, and now it’s his responsibility to keep Elaine safe as well. Except no matter what he does, danger finds her at every turn.
Thrust into a world where the supernatural is commonplace, Elaine finds her considerable martial arts skill tested to the limit—and her ability to resist Cade crumbling by the second. But when nothing is as it seems, the last things she can trust are her own instincts…
Warning: This book contains bad language, great sex, sometimes hostile, but always sexy, big cat shifters on the prowl, and lots of tuna for Chuck—wait a minute—tuna?
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
577 Mulberry Street, Suite 1520
Macon GA 31201
Cat’s Cradle
Copyright © 2010 by Bianca D’Arc
ISBN: 978-1-60504-870-3
Edited by Bethany Morgan
Cover by Kanaxa
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: January 2010
www.samhainpublishing.com
Cat’s Cradle
Bianca D’Arc
Dedication
This book is dedicated to Mom. She’s always been there for me and will always be my best and truest friend. Love you, Mom.
Many thanks to Jessica Jarman, Jambrea Jones and Valerie Tibbs for their sound advice and friendship. And a special thank you to Bethany Morgan, my fantastic editor.
Cat's Cradle: String of Fate, Book 1
Chapter One
Shihan was going to be pissed. Elaine knew she was in for it as she rounded the last corner practically on two wheels. She parked her Volkswagen bug and hopped out, only remembering to chirp the alarm over her shoulder when she reached the door of the dojo.
The Silent Tiger Martial Arts School was located in the basement of an office building, but at this hour, the small parking lot was relatively empty. It wasn’t the safest part of town, but then, who would be foolish enough to attack a group of jiu jitsu students on their way to or from class? Their cars, though, were another matter. Only last week, Sergeant Riley had come out to find his SUV missing all four expensive off-road tires.
Elaine skidded down the stairs and entered the small changing room set aside for female students as quietly as possible. The lights were set low in the outer office, but that was nothing new. During class, usually only the big room was lit. She hurried into her gi jacket and tied the belt. Shihan Harris didn’t take lateness well. He’d been known to send latecomers away, usually in pain.
She rushed to the curtain that separated the outer office from the dojo proper. There wasn’t a lot of noise coming from within, but then Shihan might have everyone meditating. Great. She’d have to walk in on a silent room, making her tardy appearance all that much more noticeable, but it couldn’t be helped. Dithering outside would only make her later. She stepped through the curtain, bowing in the ritual way.
Rising from the bow, she realized the room was nearly empty. Where were the thirty hot guys who made up the advanced class? There were only five bodies sitting or standing casually on the mats at the far end of the room. The lights were lower than normal, too. Elaine squinted as she stood in the doorway, uncertain.
She heard a muffled curse and saw a bulky form in a black gi heading her way. His black belt blended with the worn material of his uniform. It had to be her teacher.
“Shihan?”
One beefy hand waved her to silence as he drew closer. “Class is cancelled tonight. Didn’t you see the sign on the door?”
Elaine felt heat rise to her cheeks. “Sorry. I was late and didn’t notice. If the sign is still there, I didn’t see it.”
He stopped in front of her, blocking her view of the other four people in the dojo. Something struck her as odd about the small group at the far end of the room. She couldn’t be sure from the quick glimpse she’d had, but she thought at least two were female. As far as she knew, there were only two other women enrolled in the school at present, and none were in the advanced class. Could they be students? Or merely friends of the teacher?
Speaking of whom, Shihan didn’t look happy. Elaine gave up thinking about the visitors. She had enough to contend with at the moment.
“Go home, Elaine. Forget you came in here tonight and don’t tell anyone what you’ve seen.”
The hairs on the back of her neck stood at attention. “If there’s anything I can do to help…” She had no idea where the offer came from, but the man¾this normally unshakable mountain of a man¾looked so different from his usual calm self, the words just popped out of her mouth before she thought twice.
“No, Elaine, but thanks. Remember, not a word.”
He gave her a tight but benevolent smile and raised one hand, indicating the exit. Elaine hustled out, grabbing her knapsack from the changing room on the way. She fled up the stairs, into the dark night.
Elaine pushed open the outer door, stepped through, and ran into a wall. Well, that’s what it felt like. The wall was muscular and male. Most definitely male. He smelled tangy and wild in the most delicious sort of way. Warning bells sounded through her brain. Elaine sprang back as the door slammed shut behind her.
Eyes the color of midnight snow narrowed and pinned her in place.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
Elaine stared at the man, noting her own odd reaction to his nearness. He made her body tingle. But his accusatory tone got her back up, and his size gave rise to a shiver of fear she didn’t like at all.
He also stood entirely too close. Elaine backed away to put some space between them. Enough to defend herself, should that prove necessary, though his size alone gave her pause. She was only a green belt. She knew a lot compared to the newer students, but she was on the lowest rung of the advanced ranks. She had a lot to learn before she would blithely take on a guy this size.
“I was just leaving.” She hefted her knapsack, putting even more space between herself and the stranger.
“Are you a student here?”
Fear rose in her throat. What kind of weirdo played twenty questions with a strange woman he met on the street after dark? The answer couldn’t be anything good. Still, she had to approach from a position of power. She couldn’t let him see her misgivings.
“What gave me away?” Trying for a
disdainful air she raised one eyebrow and glanced down at the uniform she wore.
The man didn’t rise to her mocking tone, but tilted his head in a puzzled sort of way. “There usually aren’t females in Harris’s advanced class.”
That told her he was either familiar with the school or some kind of stalker who watched the dojo at night. The first idea offered some comfort, but the latter was downright frightening.
She shrugged, edging away. “I was promoted recently.” She had to get out of here.
The mysterious man nodded, silky locks the color of darkness swaying gently with his movements. His hair was long for a guy, but it fit him. Gave him a somewhat cavalier look that few men could pull off. The guy was hot with a capital H, but he was also kind of creepy, and he was standing between her and the parking lot.
“Class was cancelled this evening. Didn’t you see the note?”
She followed his gaze over her shoulder to the scrap of paper on the door flapping in the slight breeze. The same scrap of paper she’d completely missed on her way in.
“Must’ve missed it when I chirped my car.” Again, she tried to work her way around him to the relative safety of the parking lot, but he sidestepped, countering her move and striking fear into her heart she fought to hide.
“What kind of car?”
She heard the suspicion in his tone, and it didn’t bode well. She tried to see around his broad shoulders, but he was just too big.
“A VW.”
“Color?”
“Lime.”
He shook his head and finally stood aside. The parking lot beyond was empty.
“Shit!” She started forward, uncertain what to do, but needing to look around to verify that her beloved bug was gone. Things had just gone from bad to worse, and the stranger behind her seemed even more sinister. She really had to get out of here.
He came up beside her¾not too close this time, thankfully. “I saw two guys driving away in a green bug when I walked up.”
“Dammit!” She moved farther away from him, and this time he stayed put. Swinging her knapsack around, she dug inside for her cell phone. The man just stood there, watching from a few feet away. She found the little phone and flipped it open only to curse again. The damned battery was dead.
And the stranger now knew it. Her gaze shot up to meet his in the darkness. All she saw from the shadows were two pinpoints of light—sinister-looking reflections from his eyes. A shiver swept down her spine. This man could be dangerous, and she was in a very weak position.
“Don’t look at me like that. I won’t eat you for dinner, kitten.” As if sensing her fear, he stepped back and raised his hands, palms outward. His voice dropped low, sending another kind of shiver through her.
She didn’t know why, but his gestures and words calmed her a little, though she was pointedly aware of her predicament. As a last resort, she supposed she could go back into the dojo, but it was the very last thing she’d consider. Her teacher had made it abundantly clear she wasn’t welcome there tonight.
She weighed her options, finally deciding on a course of action.
“Do you have a phone?” She asked the stranger.
“Sorry.” He held his position, a comfortable distance away, his pose completely unthreatening now, though his size made her hyper-aware of how male he was and how small she was in comparison.
Elaine stuffed the useless phone back into her pack and swung it over her shoulders again. She was still dressed in her black gi, but that couldn’t be helped. Sure, she looked a little weird running around the streets in a martial arts uniform, but it was night and the black fabric might just help her blend into the background. The less attention she drew walking alone at this time of night in this neighborhood, the better.
She started walking.
“Where are you going?”
“Home.” She needed to get away from this disturbing man as soon as possible.
“I’ll walk with you.” He was right behind her when she turned, much too close. She gasped, stumbling backwards as he watched, making her feel even clumsier, but his eyes were calm, measuring and all too cunning.
“I’ll be fine on my own.” She backed away, watching him to see if he followed, but he remained motionless, much to her relief.
“It’s not safe down here at night.”
She couldn’t help the ironic laugh that escaped. “No kidding.”
He sighed, shaking his head as one corner of his mouth quirked up. “I know I frightened you, and I’m sorry. I’m a friend of your teacher’s. My name is Cade. I help out with the advanced class now and then, but I haven’t been here in a while.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Mr. Cade—”
“Just Cade.”
She nodded warily. “Cade, then. But like I said, I’ll be fine.”
“As you wish.” He inclined his head, those fascinating eyes holding her gaze. It was as if he could see right through her, but she knew she was imagining things. The guy was super hot, but cool as ice. If they’d met under other circumstances, she would’ve been very attracted to him, but at this point, there was just no way of knowing if he was on the level—or some kind of pervert serial killer.
Elaine suppressed a shiver, hefted her pack and began walking once more. She kept an eye on Cade, but he didn’t move to follow. She waved at him once before turning the corner and applying her feet to the pavement, making tracks away as fast as possible without drawing undue attention.
The key was to walk swiftly and silently and without drawing the eye of the more undesirable elements that came out around here when the sun went down. She’d keep an eye out behind her as well, just in case this Cade guy really was a perverted serial killer stalking her backtrail. With that frightening thought, she put on extra speed.
Cade eyed his companion across the dimly lit parking lot. Mitch made a short movement, a code signal he read easily.
Follow? Mitch asked with just the slightest movement of one hand. Cade shook his head and replied with another gesture.
Guard.
Mitch nodded and prowled out of sight. Cade knew his comrade would keep an eye on the group in the dojo while he checked out the uninvited guest. Following in her tracks, Cade headed away through the darkened streets of the unquiet city.
The woman moved gracefully for one not of the blood. She had an athletic build beneath the shapeless gi top, but the supple cotton of the pants revealed glimpses of a very shapely ass Cade would love to sink his teeth into. Strange, that reaction. Few women stirred his inner beast on such short acquaintance, but this one had intrigued him from the moment he’d caught her scent, just seconds before she’d slammed into him outside the dojo. She’d had that deer-in-the-headlights look on her face for a moment, and her innocence shone through like a beacon before she shielded her light behind a façade of wary vigilance. In Cade’s experience, that sort of thing couldn’t be faked.
But questions remained. What was she doing there, tonight of all nights? Was her presence really as guiltless as she wanted him to believe? Or was there something more sinister in play?
Cade was determined to find out. To that end, he followed the woman, stalking her through the city streets as she made good time. She’d walked about a mile and a half when her path took her into a small park. The shadows lengthened under the trees, and the hair on the back of Cade’s neck stood up straight. Didn’t she realize the chance she was taking? A woman alone, in the dark of night, on foot, with no cell phone and no means of protection. She was an assault waiting to happen. Cade picked up his pace, cutting the cautious distance he’d kept from his prey.
He entered the shadows of the park and caught sight of her ahead. She was remarkably silent for a human, though she’d never match his kind for stealth. Still, he had to admire the smooth way she moved. Off to her right, on an intercept course with her path, Cade caught sight of trouble.
A man, armed with something that glinted in the pale light. A blade of some kind perhaps. Ca
de could see well in the dark¾better than any human, at least. He sniffed and caught the scent of magic. Things grew more complicated, but he had to follow the woman and find out more about her. He didn’t want Others getting involved. This was his mission. His alone.
He stepped out into the weak light. It was enough for the Other to see him. Gazes met across the distance of the dark park, testing, probing. Cade allowed his eyes to glow for a moment, knowing the Other would see the challenge and understand what he was up against. A moment later the Other withdrew.
Cade moved swiftly after his prey.
A short distance from the small park, the woman stopped in front of an old apartment building. The big central library was around the corner and this apartment building was dwarfed by the monolithic library structure. It only had a few stories and probably a dozen small apartments on each floor. He did a quick circuit of the place and noticed which lights were already on. Once the woman went in, he’d do another circuit and look for any new lights. That would give him a place to start his investigation.
A few moments later, he’d noted only one light going on during the reasonable timeframe for her to get inside and up to her apartment. He would check it out, but chances were he would find her place on his first try. Unless she was playing some much deeper game, the woman was as innocent as she appeared. Cade would find out for sure though. More than his own life depended on it.
It was an easy jump from the ground to the sturdy fire escape for one of his kind, but he was careful to keep to the shadows. He ascended to the target window, bypassing the one with the light in favor of the one above. He’d keep watch from above the apartment where he thought the woman had gone and learn what he could through her open window.
She had safety locks that only allowed the window to go up a few inches. In case of emergency the locks could be easily removed from the inside to allow the tenants to make use of the fire escape. It was a good system that allowed fresh air in while keeping cat burglars out.
