Jacob's Ladder (String of Fate) (5 page)

The cat was hot and wanted him now. No more waiting. The woman allowed him only a moment to catch his breath before she climbed over him and impaled her wet pussy on his hard cock. Oh yeah, that’s what she wanted. Both the woman and the cat that lived inside her took a moment to savor the first feel of her mate.

Her hair fell around them as she bent down over him and held his gaze as she began to move. A slow sensual glide made her ultra-aware of every last inch of her mate. He fit her so well, she was panting already, her body rocketing into places she had never been before. It seemed she had been waiting for the right man all these years and finally—finally—she had found him. Or he had found her. It didn’t really matter at the moment, while they were as close as two people could be.

And still, she wanted to be closer. She began to rock on his hardness, allowing her body to take control where her mind left off. Thinking was overrated anyway. Feeling…now
that
was the right thing to do in this situation. Her hunky mate hard and ready and filling her to overflowing, her body feeling languid and tense all at the same time, her senses reeling into places that were delicious and unfamiliar. Yeah, this was the time to let go of the thinking part and just feel.

She sat up, riding him hard now, running her fingers over his hard-muscled chest. He had the most wonderful build. He was honed. Like a hunting cat. Or an athlete. Her more primitive side approved. She wanted to lick him all over. But that would come later.

Right now, she needed to come, like she needed her next breath. She needed the relief that only being with her mate could give. And she needed it now. She sped her pace, glad when his strong hands went to her hips, helping guide her and taking some of the strain off her leg muscles. She wasn’t used to riding like this, but something told her it would become a common occurrence with Jake in her life now.

She looked forward to training her thighs every chance she got. Ria smiled as her head dropped back on her shoulders, instinct taking over as her body began to quake. Her inner muscles clenched hard around him and she could feel an answering tightness in his body. She screeched as she came, his groan sounding only a moment later as his warm come filled her quivering channel.

She rode him through the shared orgasm, slowing and finally coming to a rest, draping her body over his as they both caught their breath.

“Jake?” She pet his chest, content to lie in his arms as they both quieted.

“Mmm,” he replied, the lazy sound sending new shivers down her spine.

But she couldn’t give in to the satisfied lethargy threatening to claim her. She had serious things to discuss with him. Life-altering things.

She lifted up a bit so she could look into his eyes.

“Jake?” she asked again. His eyes opened and gazed up into hers. The look on his face was one of joy and satisfaction, mirroring what she was feeling too—except for the trepidation about what she had to say next. She decided to just get it all out. Like ripping off a bandage, it was probably better to do this quickly. “Jake, I was serious before. I just want to make sure you know that. You’re my mate.”

She watched his expression carefully as a broad smile came over his lips and he tugged her a little closer.

“I like the sound of that even better now that I know how great we are together.” He kissed her temple in a playful move, but she was trying to be serious.

“Mating means something really important among shifters, Jake.” She tried to make him understand, but he was still being a little more flippant than she wished.

“If it means we get to do this every day for the rest of our lives, I’m all for it.”

Hope lifted her heart a tiny bit. He was thinking in terms of forever, but was he only teasing? Mating was deadly serious among her kind.

“The rest of our lives,” she repeated his words more slowly. “That’s what mating means, Jake. Are you up for
that
?” She wasn’t smiling now. No, she was challenging him to match her serious mood.

His expression turned grave and her heart sank. Had she scared him off? Had she overdone it? But, dammit, she had a right to know what he was thinking. He was her
mate
. There were no secrets among mates. Her inner cat protested the very idea that he could be thinking in less permanent terms about their relationship.

Jake sat up in the bed, taking her with him until they faced each other. He slid his hands down over her arms until he could grasp both of her hands with his.

“I am very serious when I say that I am with you for the duration. As long as you’ll have me, Ria,” he said in a deep, somber tone, his gaze searching hers. “I have an inkling what mating means for your people, but not being a shifter myself, all I can say is that I’ve seen us together when we’re old and gray, and our joy in each other never diminishes. I want that. I want that future with you, sweetheart. Of all the possibilities I’ve ever foreseen, that’s the thing I want the most. You. In my life. For the rest of my life. Is that enough for your inner cat? Will you be satisfied with that?”

It was on the tip of her tongue to demand one thing more, but she figured she’d gotten enough out of him for now. It was early days in their relationship and he was already thinking in terms of forever—which satisfied her cat very well indeed.

The human part of her wanted his heart as well, but she figured that would come in time. They were on the same page. It would just take a bit of time and shared experiences to cement the relationship into what she wanted most…his love.

Near the empty warehouse on the shores of North Carolina, Master Willard Fontanbleu, Necromancer of the
Venifucus
Council of Elders seethed. His scraggly, long gray beard whipped around his portly body as he chastised those who worked for him.

“You let her escape!” A little bit of spittle shot out of his mouth along with the words. He was in a frothing rage. “She was within your grasp and you let her escape!”

“My lord, she had a team of commandos on the roof with a Blackhawk. There was no way we could have known she had such resources at her disposal. Our intelligence didn’t prepare us properly for such resistance.” The man was just a little too belligerent for Willard’s liking, but that would soon be remedied—or Willard would have a new commander of his small army. “My lord, we simply didn’t think—”

“Think?” Willard cut him off, tired of his bleating. “I’m not paying you to think, damn you! I’m paying you to apprehend the woman. No more, no less. So far, all you’ve given me is excuses.” Willard stared the man down. The soldier might be bigger and more physically fit than Willard, but he knew nothing of real power. Willard let the fire of his magic flare in his eyes and was gratified when the soldier involuntarily moved back a step. “You will get her next time or you will die trying. Understood?” The soldier gulped visibly and Willard finally had reason to smile. It wasn’t a pleasant smile for those viewing it, he realized, but it made him feel better to know his people grasped the lengths to which he would go to get his way. “You’re dismissed.”

Willard turned his back on the man, adding insult to the verbal injury he’d just inflicted. If the soldier was a little better at his job, Willard might’ve thought twice about showing his back to the man, but as it was, they both knew now who was the stronger one in this relationship.

Willard motioned for his aide to approach. The little toady annoyed the shit out of him mostly, but he was useful—even if he was a spy for the Council. Aaron came up alongside Willard and immediately began his usual, unctuous speech.

“What may I do to assist you, my lord?”

Aaron was a total suck up, but that’s what Willard wanted right now. Someone who wouldn’t argue with him and would do whatever he said—exactly what he said. Even if Aaron was filing regular reports with his detractors on the Council, Willard didn’t mind right now. Not when he was so close to achieving his goal.

“I want you to go back to the warehouse and trace the energy patterns. Find out where the Royal Guard slunk away to, and see if you can get a better bead on where the Nyx went, if you can. Then report back to me—and me alone. Understand?” Willard made eye contact, hoping to impress his will upon his aide though he knew Aaron had other, undisclosed masters.

“Yes, my lord. It will be done immediately.” Aaron actually bowed his way out of Willard’s presence. It was one of the quirky little things that made Willard smile and was probably the reason he continued to allow Aaron to live. He was amusing for a worm.

But Aaron, and everyone else in the organization, didn’t really understand why Willard was so obsessed with the
pantera
Nyx. He wasn’t about to explain it to them either. He knew a secret about the Nyx’s power. A secret he was not going to share with anyone until he was good and ready.

He’d be ready when he had the Nyx’s power for his own. Though…he might not tell anyone even then. After all, they laughed at him when he claimed to be a true necromancer. He had only communicated with the dead once—and that had been mostly by accident. A real necromancer—a mage who could raise the dead—hadn’t been seen in the mortal realm in centuries. Nowadays, the term was merely one of the many ceremonial titles applied to various positions on the Council of Elders.

Willard couldn’t raise the dead. He couldn’t even establish a reliable intuitive connection like a paltry psychic medium. He might have the ancient title of Necromancer of the Council of Elders, but it wasn’t a true designation of his magic. He was powerful, but his talents lay more in elemental matters, not necromancy.

But with the Nyx’s power—then he could very well become an actual necromancer. He could use her power for his own, and nobody would ever need to know. Killing her and taking her gift would improve his situation within Council by leaps and bounds. Which was why he continued to try to capture the woman—no matter how many times she slithered through his fingers.

He would get her one of these days…no matter how long it took him.

Chapter Four

Jake woke with a start a couple of hours later. They had made spectacular love once more and then settled into an exhausted, well-satisfied sleep—only to be disturbed by the visions that never quite let him go. This one had been a doozy.

He sat up in bed and realized Ria was awake beside him. He scrubbed at his face with one hand, even as he reached for his phone, forgetting for a second that it wouldn’t work all the way out here at sea.

“Damn.” He got out of bed, knowing he had to reach the communications center on the bridge as soon as possible. He had to warn—

“What is it?” Ria asked, already up and throwing on some clothes as he did the same.

“Vision,” he answered in a clipped voice, before he could stop himself. He felt bad instantly. Ria deserved better than a one-word answer. “Sorry. I had a vision. It happens sometimes, in my sleep. It can be disorienting.” He apologized as he stepped into his pants, dressing as quickly as he could. He didn’t bother with the shirt, pausing only to step into his boots before arming himself and heading for the door.

He paused for just a moment, surprised to see Ria right behind him. She had dressed quickly and silently, ready to assist. In that moment, he realized he couldn’t love her more. She didn’t even know what was going on, but she was ready to help him, no matter what. Having a mate was going to take some getting used to. Jake had been on his own with his talent for so long. It would be nice to have someone else to depend on when the more disruptive visions hit.

They would have to have a long talk about what happened to him when the really big ones struck him. He wanted her to be prepared before it happened, in case she was with him at the time. And judging by her willingness to follow him into who-knew-what, she probably would be. It would take time to readjust his thinking, but he looked forward to having a partner in life now in a way he had never anticipated before.

He opened the door, a smile on his face despite the situation. “I have to get to the comm center. I have to call Ben and warn him. The guys who tried to take you earlier are going to try to kidnap one or more of your Guards, hoping to use them to get to you. They think your Guards either know where you are or can be used to force you out of hiding.”

He heard her gasp, but other than that small reaction, she was right beside him as they climbed up through the ship toward the bridge. It was the middle of the night, but Jake noted a number of dark shapes skulking in the darkness, observing their path. No doubt the crew on the bridge knew they were on their way already and would be waiting for them when they got there.

Jake thought it was interesting that nobody seemed in any mood to stop them and question why they were prowling around the ship in the middle of the night. All they had to do was take one look at Jake to know he’d been in a hurry. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, for one thing, his pants were just barely fastened, and his boot laces weren’t tied. It would be obvious to anyone looking at him that he had dressed in a hurry. He liked the fact that Edvard had apparently given Jake the run of the ship—instructing his people not to interfere. That level of trust was something he hadn’t expected and greatly valued.

“Did you see anything about when this might be happening?” Ria asked, still keeping pace with him. She was as silent as her cat and an excellent companion. Jake realized he couldn’t have asked for a better match. Ria was everything he had never dared hope for in a woman—and he knew he had only just scratched the surface on getting to know her.

“It was daylight. Angle of the sun looked like afternoon. They have a few hours yet to prepare, and maybe turn the tables on their attackers,” he replied, climbing the last set of stairs toward their goal.

Surprisingly, Edvard himself was on the bridge when they got there. His hair was wet and he was wearing a terrycloth robe, a towel in his hand that had in all likelihood just been rubbed over his hair, which was standing out at odd angles.

Ria sniffed and grinned. “Did we interrupt your dip in the ocean, Uncle Ed?”

As they got closer to the ship’s captain, even Jake could smell the brine of the seawater that clung to Edvard. No doubt the seal shifter had just hopped out of the water.

“A wee fishie told me you looked like you were in a hurry,” Ed said without apology. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“I need to get a message to my man on the shore,” Jake replied, unsmiling. “They’re in danger.”

Ed led the way to the comm console, punching up a few different screens before turning over the interface to Jake. He didn’t waste any time inputting the number for Ben’s cell phone. Thankfully, the call was answered on the second ring. Ben didn’t sound sleepy, which meant he’d been standing watch.

“Ben, it’s Jake. You’ve got to move your guests. Your position will be compromised by this afternoon. Best not leave anything there for them to remember you by.”

“Any ideas where we should bug out to?” Ben asked. Jake was glad his human friend understood him enough by now not to question his intel. Instead, he asked the right question—what environment wouldn’t match what Jake had seen in his vision.

“Stay away from the beach and flatlands. I suggest the woods or better yet, the mountains. Head west. Remember the site we discussed out that way?”

“Affirmative,” Ben answered, all business now. “We can be on our way in a half hour. Is that soon enough?”

“Should be,” Jake answered, already breathing easier. “As long as you clear the flatlands before noon. Get your asses into the woods.”

“Heard and understood, Major. Do you want a check-in when we get there?”

“That’d probably be best,” Jake replied, looking up to meet Ria’s gaze. Everybody on the bridge heard the conversation, but Jake didn’t mind. He was firmly in the presence of allies—something that was usually a rarity in his line of work. “While I have you, can you give me an update?”

“Sure thing,” Ben agreed affably. “These cats heal quick. The youngster is able to walk, which is a goddamn miracle, if you ask me. He’s moving slow, but he’s moving under his own steam and the healer says he’ll be good as new in a few days.”

“That’s a relief to hear. So everyone is up and able to evac?” he asked, just to be clear. He could see Ria was eager for any word on her people.

“Oh yeah,” Ben answered. “There’s no holding these folks back. They’re impatient to be off and out to get a little of their own back. They’re mad more than anything else. And kind of appalled that a mere human is doing their job.” Ben laughed and Jake had to smile in response.

“I bet. Just tell them to sit tight. They’ll have ample opportunity to bloody their claws before this is over. That’s a guarantee.”

Jake looked over at Ria, raising one eyebrow in silent question. If she had any further questions, he was giving her an opportunity to ask them. She shook her head and Jake ended the call with a few final words to his friend, Ben.

When he disconnected, he sat back, sighing heavily. He contemplated the console for a moment, trying to gather his wits from the early morning vision. He was still a little disoriented, but having Ria’s steady presence at his side helped in ways he never would have expected.

“You okay, son?” Edvard’s deep voice cut through the fog that still surrounded Jake’s mind.

Jake looked up at the older man. “Yeah. I’m getting there. Sorry. This one was a little intense.”

Edvard put one beefy hand on Jake’s shoulder. “It’s always worse when they hit during sleep. Or so my sister claims. I’ve seen her stumble around in a fog for an hour or two after waking from a vision more than once. She was a seer from an early age, as I think, were you.”

Jake nodded, not seeing any reason to hide the fact that he had come to his talent young. He stood and immediately, Ria was at his side. Edvard watched them with a calculating grin as he moved back enough to let them pass.

“Since we’re all up, can I invite you to join me for breakfast? Or maybe a bracing dip in the ocean?” Edvard asked, a teasing light in his eyes.

“Looks like you’ve already been in the water,” Ria observed as they walked toward the door that led off the bridge. “But if it’s safe, I’d love to give it a go.” She looked at Jake, challenge in her gaze that he couldn’t ignore. Seemed his lady had a spirit of adventure that had been kept under wraps until now.

Jake pushed the door open and looked downward toward the dark water far below. Dawn hadn’t quite started yet and the early morning air was dark and mysterious. One of his favorite times of day. He checked his pockets for anything that wouldn’t handle a dunking, toeing off his boots. He was glad he had chosen to arm himself with a knife rather than a firearm when he’d left the stateroom earlier.

“You—or your people in the water—won’t mind if I dive from here, will you?” Jake asked, sensing it was time to demonstrate a little of his abilities. He might be human, but he’d trained hard to be able to keep up with most shifters. He might not be able to outswim a selkie, but he definitely could put on a show that might earn a little bit of respect.

Edvard looked at him with a measuring gaze. “No need to prove anything to me, lad. There’s a perfectly good platform for diving a few decks down.”

“And I hope you’ll escort Ria there,” Jake replied, moving his boots out of the way as he climbed up on the rail that ringed the bridge. He was on the side of the ship and the drop was substantial to the water, but doable. “I know many of your people are wondering who I am and what gives me the right to be here. Actions speak louder than words, in my experience. Plus, right now, the water is just what I need to clear my head.”

Without further ado, he dove.

It might not be the smartest thing he’d ever done, but his emotions had been running high since being with Ria. She had quite literally blown his mind. His emotional equilibrium was shot to hell, but he didn’t really mind. He knew he had to get a grip—and soon—for the sake of their mission, but a part of him wanted to revel in the storm of feeling that rushed through him each time he took Ria in his arms. Hell, it happened every time she even just looked at him in that certain way she had. He was a goner and he didn’t mind at all.

Jake parted the water with barely a ripple and he was proud of the dive he’d just executed. He might not win any gold medals at the Olympics, but he knew that near-silent high dive had probably scored points with the selkies on that giant boat. And those in the water beside him.

Jake circled upward and headed for the surface. He popped up the way he’d gone in, with as little sound as possible, unsurprised to find a trio of selkies in seal form swimming in a loose circle around him. They checked him out for a moment or two, then moved off to a slight distance, keeping him within the perimeter they’d set up around the anchored ship.

A splash to his right made him look. Sure enough, Ria—clad in a lovely turquoise bikini she must’ve borrowed from the ship’s stores—was entering the water from a much lower diving platform. He propelled himself in her direction, wanting to keep her in his sights while she was in the water. They were surrounded by some of the best and most magical swimmers in the world, who were thankfully, on their side, but something inside him demanded that Jake keep his new mate in his sight whenever the slightest danger presented itself.

He realized right away that she was a strong swimmer. She might not be the diver he had worked to become, but she was at home in the water. She swam over to him and splashed him playfully.

“Jake!” Her low tone was chastising, but filled with humor at the same time. “Don’t ever scare me like that again. I didn’t know you were part fish.”

“Well, now you do.” He swam around her, teasing her as she turned to keep him in sight. “I worked very hard to learn how to dive, and I enjoy a chance to show off in front of my girl now and again. You don’t begrudge me that, surely? Don’t shifter males show off for their mates?”

“Not by scaring them. Not if they want to keep their bits in the proper places.” She reached out and dug her fingernails—which were just a tiny bit sharper and a lot stronger than they would be on a human woman—into his shoulders. Her leg slid between his and he had to suppress a growl.

“I like my bits exactly where they are,” he replied to her teasing, both verbal and physical. The cold, ocean water made not one bit of difference when he had Ria in his arms. She turned him on like a lightning bolt.

“Mmm.” She rubbed closer, sliding against his body, heating the water in their vicinity. He wouldn’t be surprised to see steam rising around them. “I do too.”

“Come now, children,” Edvard’s voice cut through the pre-dawn ocean stillness. The selkie—in human form—had come up behind them silently. “I thought we were going to swim, not cuddle.”

Ria sighed loudly. “Okay. How about a lap around the yacht?”

Edvard looked at Ria doubtfully, then moved to assess Jake. “Do you think you can both handle that?”

Ria shrugged as Jake nodded. “If I get tired, I’ll depend on one of you to fish me out,” Ria joked, clearly not ashamed to admit that she might not be able to keep up with a selkie in the ocean.

Jake had a little more pride, but he would’ve admitted it if the trek around the huge ship was going to be a problem. He knew he could make it and between him and Edvard—and all the shifters in the water around them—they would keep an eye on Ria.