by Unknown
“You drugged me? Why?”
Jared stared at her, surprised in spite of everything. He staggered, fighting to keep his balance as the potent drug sapped his strength.
She stared at him with great blazing blue eyes and bit her lower lip. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I had no choice.”
Jared opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. He blacked out before he hit the floor.
Day 1
Jared woke on his back to a cold cement floor. He still had his clothing, but everything else—his watch, cell phone, and wallet—was gone. He noted the silver bracelets on his wrists in spite of the throbbing in his head and aching of his body.
Jared had almost rolled over when the sound of angry female voices stopped him. He laid still and listened, hoping to recover his faculties before they noticed he was awake.
“Mistress, please, I beg of you! Let me live! The male I’ve brought you is as fine as any cat.” Jared identified his treacherous werecat by her voice and scent.
A different, more refined woman laughed. It was a cruel sound, and the scent of death lingered about her like heavy cologne—vampire.
“Oh please!” she said. “You must be delusional, except even you aren’t so stupid. This wolf is unacceptable. Do you think I haven’t learned about werewolves in the last fifty years? They’re killing machines—tanks with claws and fangs—and they hate vampires. You’ll bring an entire rabid pack down on top of us!”
“No, Mistress, please,” the cat pleaded. “All wolves aren’t the same. This one is submissive. He claims no pack; I asked him myself. He’s traveling alone. Only a low status wolf driven out of his pack would do so. I believe he’s some pack’s castoff Omega.”
“Where do you come by your information?” the vampire demanded, sounding skeptical.
“I did some research,” the cat said. “I saw a documentary on wolves, and I looked it up on the Internet. Please, believe me. Give him a chance. He can be trained to fulfill your needs.”
From his posture of dead opossum, Jared almost blew it then and there. He developed a painful stitch in his side and bit the inside of his mouth to stop the laughter.
“I don’t think…” The vampire trailed off, voice full of temptation and doubt. “Werewolf blood is said to be a rare delicacy.”
Jared chose that moment to issue a dramatic moan and roll over. He opened his eyes to survey his surroundings. The room was no more than three-hundred square feet. He was inside of a smaller iron-barred cell with walls but no windows. The cell contained a cot and a folding chair. A small doorway showed a bathroom with a toilet, sink, and countertop with a chipped rectangular mirror. There were wall-mounted security cameras outside the cells.
Jared grabbed hold of the iron bars and exerted his massive strength. They held. He would not be able to bust out using conventional werewolf tactics. Both women fell silent, watching him.
Across the hall, the werecat occupied an identical area. The cat paced near the bars and no longer looked human. She had shifted to a form midway between human and feline. She wore no clothing but remained bipedal with arms and legs, hands and feet. Her fur was short and fine; cream-colored on her main body and dark on her face, ears, legs, and tail. From the look of it, she was a seal point Siamese. Oh, and a fucking anamorphic wet dream. Screw the stupid schoolgirl uniform.
Jared stared at the vampire through the bars. She was no more than five feet tall and of slender build and willowy limbs. Her straight chestnut hair fell past her shoulders and parted in the middle at her widow’s peak. She wore an old-fashioned rose-colored chiffon dress. Her floral perfume could not mask the underlying scent of death and decay.
The vampire’s eyes were light brown, and Jared met her gaze without hesitation. He more than halfway expected to feel something—awe, hypnosis, or a contest of wills. “Heh, not even tingles,” he bragged with a wolfish grin.
The vampire pursed her lips and glared harder, staring him straight in the eyes, hoping to accomplish…something. Finally, she sighed in disappointment and rolled her eyes.
“What’s wrong? Can’t command me?”
“Cats are my animal,” she said. “Don’t let it go to your head, wolf. The silver bracelets will prevent you from shifting, and if you are unwise enough to persist, then they will cut off your hands.”
Jared glanced at the silver bands on each wrist. “Good to know,” he said with a careless shrug. “What’s your name?”
The vampire betrayed her surprise. “You’re not what I expected for a werewolf.”
He mustered a weak smile. “I’m Omega, right? Omegas are the most subservient of wolves. Miss Kitty seems to have me all figured out, so what’s the point of faking a display of aggression or defiance? The bars are too strong to break, so I’m gonna do whatever you say anyway.”
The vampire frowned. “You could be lying.” Her doubt betrayed her youth and impotence. Older vampires could smell a lie. Jared made note of the information; no doubt it would prove useful.
“Lying about what?” Jared asked. “If I were a dominant then I’d be making threats and ripping out the fixtures.”
“Why aren’t you?” the vampire asked. He noticed the hunger in her expression when she looked at him. Her gaze lingered on his throat at the pulse point.
He put his hands on the bars and attempted to shake them. “This feels damn solid to me, so it’s obvious I’m not going anywhere. I have to live in here so if I trash it, then I’m hurting myself. Besides, if I were to get out, I’d have to get past you, the other vamps, and the silver jewelry that stops me from changing. So it seems like I’m stuck.”
“I find your agreeable attitude pleasing, wolf,” the vampire admitted with a smile. “I am Evangeline.”
Jared gripped the bars in both hands and leaned forward, pressing his face close to the bars. “Pleasure to meet you, Evangeline. I’m Jared.”
“Are you hungry, Jared?” As she spoke, fangs peeked from beneath her upper lip. Clearly, her focus on food stemmed from a personal interest.
“Hungry enough,” Jared responded. His posture appeared relaxed, his long body at ease. She couldn’t dominate him, but he wondered how he might affect her. Deciding to test the waters, the werewolf allowed his power to seep into the room, casting his net.
The vampire met his gaze and then fell under the sway of his magnetism. “You have the most remarkable eyes,” Evangeline murmured, strolling closer.
“Have you ever sampled a werewolf before?” Jared asked, careful not to push too hard. A vampire was not a human to be manipulated or cowed. If Evangeline realized his game, it was all over.
The flash of greed on Evangeline’s face betrayed her. “I have heard it is a…powerful elixir.”
“I’ll tell you what,” he said. “I’d like to demonstrate my cooperation. If I submit and allow you to feed from me, then I’d ask for a token in exchange.”
Evangeline licked her lips. The vampire’s eyes flashed red, and she could not disguise her bloodlust. “What do you want?”
“I want the cat who betrayed me. I overheard your conversation. You’re going to kill her anyway, and I’d like to play with her before I eat her.” Jared turned his head to stare straight at the treacherous cat.
The werecat flinched in fear, and her fur rose across her entire body. The cat’s eyes widened with absolute terror, and she emitted a long hiss. “No, Mistress, please. I beg of you!”
Jared glared at the cat. “I will make you pay,” he promised. The scent of her fear was delicious.
Evangeline smirked. “Done.”
Josephine huddled in the corner of her cell, watching with horror as the werewolf bargained with the vampire. The wolf’s power was greater than Josephine had imagined. How had he hidden it? The enormity of her miscalculation frightened her senseless. Jared’s stare was hard, cold, and blood-thirsty. Once the bars were no longer between them, those topaz eyes promised to exact an awful vengeance for her duplicity.
“Put your ar
m out through the bars,” Evangeline commanded the wolf, “and bare your wrist.”
“Really? You don’t prefer a major artery on the neck or inner thigh?” Jared teased with an easy charm. The werewolf was confident and seductive, radiating a casual self-assurance. Unfortunately, Evangeline was too stupid, too greedy, and too far under his spell to see it.
“Maybe after I’m sure you’re submissive to me,” Evangeline purred.
“It’s sweet, you taking your time with me since I’m a virgin to this,” Jared quipped. He shoved his arm between the bars of the cell as instructed, wrist angled up.
The vampire caught his arm in both hands, one holding his wrist, the other his forearm. She flashed fang, eyes glowing red, and hissed serpent-like. Then she bent and sank her teeth into Jared’s flesh.
Jared grimaced and the wolf flashed across his features. Josephine witnessed everything that Evangeline missed—the elongation of his teeth, the golden glow of his eyes, and the ripple of muscle beneath his skin as the transformation began and then halted. Through an amazing act of will, Jared reversed the change, grinding his teeth, and submitted as the vampire sucked his blood.
As the vampire fed, Jared turned his malevolent gaze toward Josephine. “Gonna getcha, cat,” he mouthed, sending chills up her spine.
Evangeline released him and emitted a long, satisfied hiss. The vampire glowed in blood-sated pleasure. Jared yanked his arm back, giving the bite wound a cursory examination. “I’ll need to eat to keep my strength up, especially if you want to feed often,” he said.
The besotted vampire smiled. “I’ll have food brought,” Evangeline promised. She went to the wall and pressed the intercom. “Carl, come here now.”
Silence reigned as they waited. Carl arrived with two other minions. “The wolf is now my favored pet,” Evangeline declared. “See to it that he is fed twice a day.” The vampire began to leave, and Josephine held her breath, hoping and praying she had been forgotten.
Evangeline paused at the base of the stairs, her foot hovering over the first step. She glanced back at Josephine with an evil smile. “Oh, and give him the cat.” Then she departed, moving faster than the feline eye could follow.
Terrified, Josephine backed into the farthest corner of her cell, sinking to a crouch. Her fur rose as her tail puffed and lashed in anger. She hissed and yowled as the cell door opened and the three men approached her. Carl held a cattle prod, which he shoved toward Josephine, delivering a nasty jolt of electricity. The attack rendered her senseless, and she dangled in the men’s grip as they dragged her from the cell.
“Stand back,” Carl warned Jared. The human servant waved the cattle prod at the werewolf through the bars. Jared moved back into the cell and the vampire’s servants swung the door open. They tossed in Josephine, slammed the door shut, and locked it. Amazingly, Jared caught her slight form midair and held her limp body against his chest.
“Thanks, guys,” Jared drawled. “So, does this count as my first meal or can you get me some cheeseburgers?”
Carl glared at Jared’s insolence, but the servant knew his place. He would not risk the wrath of his capricious mistress. “Any preferences?”
“Not really,” Jared said. “Oh, and don’t forget fries. And a chocolate milkshake.”
Josephine trembled as the servants departed, leaving her alone in the grip of the wolf. She fought to hold back tears but failed. His hands were strong and intimate on her skin as he lowered her to the bed. Jared sat on the edge and leaned forward, inspecting the burn mark on her shoulder.
“Shh, don’t cry,” he said, strong fingers wiping a tear from her cheek. “I won’t hurt you. I promise.”
“I don’t believe you,” Josephine hissed as more tears fell. She hated herself for being so weak. “Sooner or later you’ll tire of this game and then you’ll hurt me.”
Jared sat back and smiled. “Well, then,” he said, “it’s in your best interest to appease me. Right? So I don’t get bored too soon.” He leaned forward and Josephine flinched, expecting a blow that never came. “What’s your name, little one?”
She bit her lower lip and decided to be compliant as he had suggested. It might keep her alive a while longer, at least until she could figure out how to get herself out of this mess. “Josephine.” She gritted her teeth, tasting bitterness. Names were very personal for her people, and she did not want him knowing hers or using it.
“Josephine,” he said, testing it out. Then he grinned. “Seriously? Josie the Cat?”
Josephine emitted a loud, miserable cry of protest at being demeaned. “It’s Josephine.” She trembled and yawned, fighting heavy eyelids. She was exhausted, hurt, and her body required sleep.
“Josephine,” Jared repeated with an amused chuckle. He pulled a blanket over her and tucked it under her chin.
Those amazing topaz eyes gazed down at her from a face so handsome she ached. Why, just once, couldn’t life be kind? She needed a hero, not some sarcastic, sadistic wolf.
Right before she fell asleep, she felt his warm lips against her forehead. “Sleep tight, Josie Cat.”
Josephine awoke, stretching and yawning long before she opened her eyes. Memory returned through the haze of lethargy and then the scent of food inundated her nostrils, bringing her to complete alertness. Sniffing, she sat up and followed her nose to the edge of the bed until her vision focused on Jared with a white paper bag. He had an open cheese-burger wrapper in his hand and a container of fresh French fries on his lap. She froze and stared.
“Hey,” he said, “are you hungry?”
She hissed in response and backed up on the bed. Jared gazed at her and then sighed. His topaz eyes were sorrowful as if he had witnessed far too much suffering for one life. She hardened her heart. She would not fall for his sad face.
“Yeah, well, in case you change your mind.” Jared set a cheeseburger on the edge of the bed. Then he left his chair and moved away.
Josephine waited, paranoid and scared, expecting him to jump her the second she let her guard down and displayed an interest in the food. Besides, it was junk. She had no interest in a greasy hamburger and French fries. She waited, nose twitching and stomach growling in protest. It smelled so…delicious. Finally, her willpower crumbled, and she pounced, snatching and devouring the cheeseburger so fast she ate at least two bites of paper wrapper.
“When’s the last time they fed you, Josie Cat?” Jared asked after witnessing the cheeseburger carnage.
Josephine sniffed. “I eat all the time,” she lied.
He laughed, a rich sound, stroking her fur like a friendly hand. Josephine glowered. His eyes danced with deviltry, and his mouth was 100% kissable. He had big hands and strong arms; a lap designed for straddling. His animal magnetism oozed from every pour. And oh, how she hated him!
Time passed before they spoke again. “Why did you do this to me?” he asked.
Josephine stared at Jared. Her great blue eyes filled with tears that she fought against. “You see this collar?” she asked.
He nodded. “It’s hideous.”
“That’s not even the half of it. That demented vampire can suck the life from me any time she wishes if I disobey.”
“Why don’t you turn into a cat and take it off?” Jared asked.
“Don’t you think I’ve tried? This is as far as I can shift.” Josie indicated her cat-woman form with a quick gesture and scrubbed at her tears. “I didn’t want to bring you here. Evangeline ordered me to find her someone new. She was already angry with me because I—” She bit her tongue to keep from saying too much.
“Because you what?” Jared asked. He sat on the floor with his back against the wall, knees bent, and arms dangling between them. His manner was mild and curious, as if they were discussing trivia instead of the betrayal that had landed him here.
“Because I had already made her mad,” Josephine finished. She knew it was a lame excuse. She stared at the ground and then looked up at him. “I’m sorry. I had no choice.”
Jared flicked an imaginary speck of lint with his fingers. “It’s okay,” he said, and she didn’t believe him for a second.
Sinking to a crouch, Josie wrapped her tail about her body and covered her nose. Jared deserved his anger. She despised herself for what she had done to a fellow shapechanger.
An hour later, Jared stood, and the motion caused Josephine to stir from her catnap. She opened her eyes and found Jared standing near the entrance of the bathroom.
“Hey, Josie,” he called in a soft voice. “Come here a second.”
Cautious but curious, she rose. She had stopped expecting him to jump her a while ago. “Why?” she asked, approaching the bathroom. “What is it?” She peered past him through the half open doorway.
“Is this the only place without cameras?” he asked in a low voice.
“Yes,” she said, peering at the werewolf. What was he up to?
“Are there any microphones down here?” he asked.
“No, the security system is ancient. It has video but no audio,” she said. “Why?”
“I want privacy,” Jared said. His hands closed on her upper arms in an iron-strong grip she had no hope of breaking. A jolt of pure terror hit Josephine. She panicked and hissed, and then yowled as Jared shackled her against him with his hands.
“I’m sorry, Josie.” He dragged her into the bathroom and shoved the door closed behind them.
“No, Jared! Please, don’t—” Josephine fought him with frantic determination. Her claws scored his forearms, and she sank her teeth into his throat, drawing a hiss of pain from the wolf. Josie yowled in distress, and her struggles were all that much more frantic because there was no one who would come to her rescue.
“Jared, please! Please don’t hurt me!”
Jared pinned her beneath him against the dirty tiles. Josephine shredded his shirt with her claws and left bloody gouges across his chest. She bit his face and fought with all of her might until the werewolf immobilized her on the hard floor.