by Bianca D’Arc
Mitch’s eyes opened. They were wild and unfocused as he thrashed, but Cade held him. Gina had his legs, holding on with more strength than Cade would have credited for a female, though she was a tiger. Elaine had wisely backed away. There was no way the little human could ever hope to hold a full-grown tigre Alpha, though Cade knew she would have given it her best shot had there been room to maneuver.
Slowly, Mitch seemed to settle. His eyes lost the feral glow and began to clear.
“Focus, friend. You were tranq’d and poisoned.” Cade pitched his voice in what he hoped were comforting tones.
“Where am I?” Mitch was still out of it, but able to speak. So far, so good.
“You’re among friends, Alpha.” The woman, bless her, stroked the tiger, her touch soothing. “I’m a doctor. Your associate—” she nodded toward Cade but never took her eyes or hands off Mitch, “—brought you to me when you wouldn’t wake up. Good thing, too. I still don’t know what they dosed you with, but it would’ve been lethal to a lesser cat.”
“Damn.” Mitch tried to sit up but they stilled him. “What happened?”
“The dojo burned, but our people got out. Harris was outed. We can’t use him again. But the biggest problem is that I haven’t located your phone. Who did you call since the last memory wipe?”
“The phone went into a storm drain during the fight.” Mitch groaned as he lay back on the bed.
“I’ll have someone go fish it out if it’s still there. If it’s not…” He didn’t have to complete the thought. Mitch knew just as well as he did what it could mean.
“I called Amanda and Perkins this morning. Also Bonnie, Ray and Charlie. And the beta safe house landline.”
“I got everyone but the safe house. Dammit. The site could be compromised.” Cade flipped open his phone again and hit speed dial.
Cat's Cradle: String of Fate, Book 1
Chapter Three
Elaine watched Cade stride out of the room, already talking in low, urgent tones to whoever had picked up on the other end. He was intense in a way she’d never encountered before. Now that he was awake, his friend seemed pretty formidable as well. He was larger than Cade, but that had been the only thing she really could say about him until he opened his eyes.
Now those sparkly brown and gold orbs were taking in every facet of the room. The man was hyper-alert, sniffing the air. He pinned Gina with his gaze.
“You’re tigre?” he asked.
Gina seemed to know what he was talking about. She nodded shortly.
“And you’re really a doctor?”
Again, she nodded, checking one of the bandages on his brawny arm. “I’m also a Universal, which is the only reason you’re alive.”
“Blessed Be,” the big man said, surprising Elaine a bit with his ardent tone. She didn’t think a guy this big or this imposing would care for the blessings of a higher power, but apparently all these shifters felt the way Gina did. Elaine knew from their long friendship that Gina’s belief system was a little different, but she believed in her goddess strongly. Stronger than Elaine had ever felt about the church her parents occasionally belonged to, at any rate.
“Whatever they dosed you with, it was lethal. The Lady was watching over you tonight, brother.” Gina agreed as she swabbed a slowly oozing cut.
The man’s hand shot out and captured Gina’s in a strong grip. “I’m not your brother.” Elaine watched, fascinated, as their eyes met and held. The energy of the moment crackled in the room and made her uncomfortable. Was the big guy threatening her friend? He’d better think twice before doing something so stupid.
“Listen up, buddy.” Elaine stood at his side, drawing his attention as she stared down at him. “You play nice with the good doctor. She saved your life.”
Surprisingly, the man chuckled, but it turned into a cough. He shifted his magnificent tawny gaze between Gina and Elaine with something like amusement.
“Your pet human has claws, Healer. I see now why you’re friends.” He lay back and seemed to relax a bit. “But you know I’m right, little one. There’s something very different about you, and I’ve never seen you at the Clan meets.
Gina shifted away. “That’s because I’m not part of tigre d’or.”
“I sniffed that right away.” The man seemed a little disgusted by her answer. “But you do have a Clan affiliation, don’t you?”
“I have my familial Pride. That’s sufficient.” A haughty air flowed through Gina’s words, surprising the heck out of Elaine, who’d never seen her down-to-earth friend put on airs.
“That’s not enough, lone one, and you know it. We tigers need the Clan. You can’t go it on your own. Or are you one of those stubborn stray cats?” Mitch’s voice was soothing and a bit reproachful now.
“We go our own way, Alpha. It was my father’s choice. His bid for freedom.” Gina looked as frustrated and annoyed as Elaine had ever seen her. And after a lifetime of friendship, that was saying something.
A cunning sort of knowing entered the big man’s gaze. His focus on Gina didn’t waver. “You’re not…?”
Gina’s head bowed regally in acknowledgement, and no further words were spoken. Mitch had been effectively silenced by whatever they’d just communicated so obscurely.
“Anyone mind telling me what just happened here?” Elaine knew Gina at least would find the humor in her words, but the pale blue eyes turned to her were deadly serious. Elaine sat hard in the chair they’d dragged to the bedside. “What? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, Ellie. It’s just that I’m a little different from the other cats. We live apart from them and have chosen to stay hidden from all Others.”
Elaine looked from her friend to the tense man in the bed. “I guess helping this guy let your cat out of the bag, huh?” She tried for humor, but Gina’s answering smile was tinged with sadness.
“That’s up to him.” Gina looked at Mitch. Elaine had seldom seen her friend so fierce.
Mitch seemed to weigh his words before answering. “For now, I’ll hold my tongue, but I make no promises for the future. Our people need you and your kind, doctor. Does your sire still live?”
Gina nodded shortly. “He doesn’t want anything to do with the Clan.”
“But we need him. Especially now,” Mitch insisted.
“Why? What’s so special about Gina’s old man?” Elaine felt like she had to remind them she was in the room. Tempers were flaring in subtle ways she didn’t fully understand.
“My dad is the Tig’Ra. The Sun King of the tigre Clan. Or at least, he was. He renounced his throne in favor of the tigre d’or Alpha before I was born.”
“Holy crap. Gina, are you saying you’re royalty?” Elaine saw a stiffness in her best friend’s spine she’d never seen before.
Gina sighed. “I’m tigre blanche¾a white tiger, Ellie. You know how rare white tigers are among ordinary cats? Same goes with us, but it’s more than a genetic thing. It’s kind of a spiritual designation as well. The difference in scent is subtle, but it’s telling to one of us. I didn’t expect to be able to hide it from this Alpha. My dad’s parents were both like him—” she pointed at Mitch, “—Tigre d’or¾golden tigers. But Dad was born blanche and so was I, though mom’s golden, too.”
“Which means you could be our queen, doctor,” Mitch put in quietly.
The enormity of the words hit Elaine, but she just couldn’t handle the idea her best friend was some kind of lost princess. She didn’t quite believe the thing about shifting form into a big cat either. This was too much for one day. She was feeling overwhelmed, but at least two things were very clear—Gina didn’t want to be royalty, and Elaine would stand beside her friend no matter what.
Elaine drew Mitch’s attention. “You’d better keep quiet about Gina. She saved your life. You owe her.”
Mitch nodded regally. “I see your point and I’m grateful, but I can’t make promises about the future. Our people need leaders.”
Gina stood and paced softly across
the floor at the foot of the bed. “I’m nobody’s leader. I’m a doctor and a damned good one. I’ve never been part of the Clan, never interacted with Others. I’d be the worst sort of role model.”
“You’re scared.”
Elaine wondered idly if the guy in the bed realized the challenge he’d just laid down. Nobody told Gina she was afraid. It was a dare she could never resist ever since they were kids and was the easiest way to piss her off. Sure enough, Gina’s chin rose in defiance, and Elaine recognized the signs of anger in her best friend.
“I’m a realist, Alpha. I’m not fit to lead the Clan, and I certainly don’t want to be courted and fought over by a bunch of brawny cats with a thirst for power and no regard for me as a person.”
Mitch surprised them all by gritting his teeth and sitting up. The rippling muscles of his abdomen fought against the pain of his many wounds.
“I would protect you with my life. Any cat that dared disrespect you would fall to my claws.” The fervent ardor in his voice surprised the heck out of Elaine. He really sounded serious. But his words seemed to deflate Gina’s anger. She sighed and sat back on the bed, touching the man’s bare shoulder with just the tips of her fingers.
“See what I mean? You don’t even know me, and you’re ready to kill or be killed on my behalf. I don’t want that. I’m a doctor. I preserve life. I don’t want to be the cause of bloodshed.”
Mitch caught her hand and enfolded it in one of his large palms. The man moved silently for such a large guy. Elaine felt a little uncomfortable witnessing the tender sort of understanding in his eyes as he gazed at Gina.
“Don’t ask me to forget your existence, doctor. Now that I know, I can do no other than walk beside you and protect your path. It’s my calling.”
Gina’s face when white as a sheet, and Elaine sat forward in concern. “You’re not just Alpha, you’re Royal Guard, aren’t you?” At the man’s simple nod, Gina seemed to slump, her energy drained as she turned to face Elaine with troubled eyes. “What the hell did you stumble into, Ellie?”
Cade chose that moment to reappear. The phone was folded and stowed on his belt, and his expression said he’d heard a good portion of the conversation. He’d probably been standing near the doorway for a while before making his presence known by moving into the room. He was so silent, neither of the women would’ve heard him but surely Mitch had seen him as he’d been the only one facing the door.
“They recovered your phone from the sewer, Mitch. Looks like nobody’s messed with it, though all the dialed numbers have been alerted just in case.”
The tension in the room eased and Mitch lowered himself painfully back to the bed, letting go of Gina’s hand at the last possible moment.
“My apologies, doctor.” Cade gave Gina a courtly little nod of the head. “I heard a bit of your conversation and I’m forced to believe the Lady guided us here tonight.”
Gina looked troubled still, and Elaine felt a stab of piercing guilt for dragging her friend into this mess.
“I think it’s only right to tell you about what brought us here. Mitch and I have been working as a team, safeguarding the travel of the young pantera Nyx to her new home.” Cade turned to address Elaine, clarifying. “Like the tigre, my Clan has a monarch. The pantera Nyx is our queen. She’s a young, unmated female whose parents were killed several years ago, so her reign started prematurely. She moves every so often for her own protection, since our enemies are well aware of her identifying characteristics. Harris was helping us find a safe place for her when the dojo was hit.” Cade turned back to Mitch. “They’ve got her stashed in a safe place.”
“So the Nyx is moving to the area?” Gina seemed worried.
Cade nodded. “But now that we know about you, we’ll have to rethink the plan. It’s not good to have two of you in the same city. Of course, if the Others have ID’d your friend here, your safety may already be compromised. Maybe you should consider moving, doctor.”
“Now wait just a minute.” Elaine rounded on Cade, but was prevented from venting her opinion as a ball of fur hurtled through the open door and into her lap. Chuck, the tabby cat, was shivering in fear and outrage.
“Something’s wrong.” Cade stalked out the door on silent, swift feet. Elaine followed, cradling Chuck in her arms, tiptoeing and trying to be as quiet as possible, but Cade seemed to hear her coming a mile away. He hadn’t gone for the door, but instead was cautiously approaching the window, angling to look at the fire escapes along that side of the building.
He shook his head at her and jerked his chin in the direction of the bedroom near where Gina was hovering. She could see Mitch trying to lever himself out of bed. Elaine hadn’t taken two steps before Cade was behind her, crowding her back into the guest room. It was one of the few rooms in the apartment that had no windows.
Cade shut the door partially, blocking the view of the windows in the other room. “There’s a werewolf on Elaine’s fire escape. No doubt he scented my trail. I was in that same location earlier tonight.”
“You were spying on me from outside the fire escape like some kind of pervert?” Elaine was outraged.
Cade shrugged. “I didn’t know who or what you were. I was doing my job.”
“Being a Peeping Tom is not a job unless you’re a sicko.” She was working into a temper when Mitch broke in.
“We left traces at her place. What if it’s searched?”
Cade held up one hand, palm outward. “I went back after my phone call and sanitized the place. I brought up a garbage bag with anything that might’ve indicated we were there and sprayed the whole apartment. She might come off as a clean freak, but they won’t know we were in there or in the halls leading here. I sprayed anyplace I found traces of scent and a few other areas to decoy, then sent Chuck to prowl around and rub up against the walls, leaving his dander and scent everywhere.” Cade reached out to rub the head of the now-purring feline in Elaine’s arms. That brought his touch too close to her body and she shifted the cat, placing him gently on the floor where he immediately twined around Cade’s legs in an obvious show of kitty affection.
“Good man. But why didn’t you do the fire escape while you were at it?” Mitch asked.
Cade sighed and rubbed one hand through his dark hair. “I prowled around most of the outside of the building before settling. It was too much to try to hide. Plus, an Other saw me following her in the park, and we have no way of knowing if he was one of them or not. They probably saw her come and go from the dojo, so they knew we had to be watching her too—unless she was one of us. Either way, she’s in danger until they know if she saw anything. I’m sorry—” Cade turned his icy gaze on her with what looked like genuine regret, “—but you can’t go home for a while. Not until things settle down and we neutralize those responsible for the fire and attempt on the Nyx. You’ll have to lay low, or better yet, head out of town for a few days.” Cade turned to Gina. “You should go too, Doctor, just in case. We know they’re after the Nyx, but if they somehow learn who and what you are, you’ll be in just as much danger.”
“I’ll guard the doctor,” Mitch said, drawing all eyes.
“You’re not going anywhere in a hurry, Alpha.” Gina’s caustic words were directed toward Mitch. “In case you haven’t noticed, you almost died a few hours ago. Despite the Universal blood I gave you, you’re still going to be weak for a few days.”
“What about it, princess?” Mitch seemed to have a talent for getting on Elaine’s nerves. “If you’re heading out of town, I’m going with you.”
Gina sighed. Elaine knew that sigh, and it wasn’t a good sign. Gina was about to give in to something against her better judgment. It had been the same way when they were in high school and Gina allowed Elaine to talk her in to buying that ugly polka-dotted prom dress. Gina had been the laughing stock of the prom and hadn’t let Elaine forget it for years afterward. Gina had that same look in her eyes that said she was resigned to her fate as she regarded the man in the bed.
“Yes, I’ll leave and yes, Mitch is coming with me.” Gina shut her eyes against Elaine’s objections. When they reopened, she didn’t look at her lifelong friend. “Frankly, I want to keep an eye on him. I really don’t think we’ll run into any trouble, but if we do, there’s safety in numbers. Which is why I expect you,” she looked directly at Cade, “to stick to Ellie like white on rice.”
“Why can’t I go with you?” Elaine wanted to know.
“Sorry, hun. Where I’m going only cats can follow. You know my parents love you, but I promised them a long time ago I’d never bring you to the family hideaway. I can’t break that promise and even if I could, you couldn’t make the trek.”
“So when you told me the cabin was off the beaten path—” Elaine tried for humor though she was scared for her friend, “—you weren’t kidding, huh?”
Gina chuckled. “It’s more like over the river and through the woods. I’m sorry, Ellie, but I’ve heard about these guys¾or ones like them¾they’re the best of the best. Not only are they Alphas, but they’re Royal Guards. Cade will look after you, if only because of your links to both the Nyx’s safety and mine.”
“You’ve got that right.” Cade inclined his head with a bit of respect that surprised Elaine as he agreed with Gina’s words. “I’ll stash her in one of our safe houses,” he said to Gina, talking right over Elaine’s head in a way guaranteed to piss her off.
“Excuse me, but what if I don’t want to be stashed anywhere?” Her ire rose along with her outrage. “I have a job, you know. I can’t just call in sick or not show up for days—and don’t try to con me into thinking it’ll be any less than that. I can put two and two together. I also can tell that if I just disappear, your enemies will definitely know I’m involved. If I go about my normal life, they might just leave me alone.”
“No way.” Cade’s silver eyes sparked with anger but she refused to be intimidated.
“She does have a point,” Gina said. Bless her heart. “Ellie’s one of the most capable people I know. If she acts like nothing’s changed, she could escape this. She’s not a shifter, after all. And she can defend herself if she does run into trouble.” Gina walked over and took both her hands, holding her gaze. “But you’ve got to promise me, El, if you do run into trouble, you’ll call for help. These guys don’t play around. If the bad guys think you know anything about any of this, your life would be in more danger than you know.”
