Jacob's Ladder (String of Fate) (8 page)

She gave simple messages of love from lost family and friends. Messages of warning and of importance about things those on the other side had left undone. Blessings for marriages and new children. All sorts of things that were incredibly specific and undeniably touching for those who had the rare chance to hear from lost loved ones.

It was reassuring in a way, especially for Jake. He was human. Beliefs about an afterlife varied greatly from culture to culture and Jake was reassured to hear that the next realm was something undeniably real. He had adopted a mostly shifter attitude toward religion, life and death early on in his studies, but even he had doubted the existence of other realms—especially the idea that the spirit went on, into another realm after it left this place.

Ria kept talking for a couple of hours or more. She drank from the water bottle at her side occasionally, but her eyes kept their unearthly glow and her voice changed depending on the kind of message she delivered. Sometimes tender, sometimes tough, she seemed to strive to convey the actual tone she was receiving from those whose messages she delivered. She was the conduit—the means by which they could communicate with the mortal realm—and both sides seemed to respect that.

She often said
you’re welcome
after delivering a message. It became clear she was accepting the thanks of the spirit for having relayed the message as well as those of the person in the mortal realm who had received it.

She kept going, but Jake could see the toll it took on her. She seemed to give of her own energy to keep the connection strong, losing a bit of her sparkle as the session wore on. He kept one eye on his watch, wondering how much more of this she could take until finally, she called a halt.

“This is the final message before the window closes for another cycle of the moon. The departed wish you all to know that we face great danger and we must face it alone. They cannot help us in what will come and even they do not know how it will all turn out. The message is one of perseverance. The message is a reminder of our duty to the Goddess and to Her Light. A reminder of our pledge to serve good and fight evil. For what we are facing is the truest evil that has ever manifested in our mortal realm. It was defeated once and it has sought to return here ever since. It has not ever gotten this close to victory before and it is our task to keep it from triumphing.” The glow started to fade from her eyes. “We must win,” she whispered before the magic was gone entirely and she slumped, her head down, her arms at her sides.

The ritual was over and Jake could see that Ria was completely drained. The shifters got up silently and filed off the deck, heading back to their duties. Many looked back at Ria as if to say something or offer to help, but then they saw Jake there, at her side and some nodded, knowing he would look out for her.

Finally only Edvard was left. He came over and collected the bowl and other accoutrements Ria had used while Jake lifted her into his arms. She was completely drained and didn’t object as he carried her down to their cabin. Edvard took care of the cleanup while Jake took care of his lady.

Ria slept for a few hours, waking in the middle of the night to find herself wrapped in Jake’s strong arms. She didn’t really remember how she had gotten from the upper deck where the ritual had been held to her cabin, but she knew Jake had orchestrated it. She hadn’t been left so drained by a new moon ritual in a long time, but she had felt it important to push herself this time—to give as many messages as she could, in case she never got a chance to do so again.

She was a realist. Her chances of survival during the coming struggle weren’t good. She had been dodging one threat or another most of her life but all the things she had learned from the ancestors during those first few minutes of contact last night had her worried. Truly worried.

She snuggled into Jake’s arms, glad he was with her. She had never known such happiness as when she was with him. If she did fail and ended up joining the ancestors on the other side of the veil, at least she had known this short time with Jake—her true mate. She had never really thought she would find a man as amazing as him. A mate of her heart that her inner cat not only respected but loved as much as her human heart did. Jake was it for her. The perfect man to share her life with—if she had a life after the danger that was coming.

He had saved her ass once already, and in a very dramatic fashion with that helicopter rescue, but could they keep preventing disaster again and again? The enemy wouldn’t give up easily. Somehow, one of the
Venifucus
leaders knew her secret. The ancestors had been very specific about that. Only one knew of the amulet.

“I can feel you tensing up.” Jake’s voice came to her out of the darkness of the cabin and she realized she must have awoken him with her worries. His arms tightened around her and she was grateful for his warm presence.

“I spoke to my mother.” She tried not to let emotion affect her, but she couldn’t help the way her voice cracked on her whispered admission.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Jake turned her in his arms, and hugged her tight, kissing her temple, her cheek, her ear and moving down to her neck, offering comfort. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she was quick to reassure him. “She’s never come forward before and she died a long time ago. She was Nyx before me. It passes down through the maternal line and she was away on business when she was attacked and killed. She had left the amulet among her belongings and I knew where it was and what it did. She had raised me with the knowledge, though not even our Guards knew the real secret behind her power.”

“When did she die?” Jake asked. It was about time he figured a few things out. Ria knew she looked a lot younger than she really was and she fostered that illusion.

“About ten years ago,” she admitted. “When I was seventeen.”

“Wait a minute.” Jake leaned up on one elbow, looking down at her in the dim light. “You’re twenty-seven?”

He seemed more amused than upset so she smiled. “Yeah. Shifters live a long time and age a bit differently than humans. Plus, I’ve fostered the young image so people would underestimate me. How’s it feel to be my boy toy?”

He laughed and she was reassured by his reaction. “You’re not that much older than me, sweetheart. But you definitely pulled one over on me this time. I thought you were in your late teens or early twenties—older than you look, but not by much.”

“Disappointed?” She looked at him carefully gauging his reactions.

“How can you even ask that?” He tucked his arm around her and drew her close so he could kiss her. “You’re my perfect mate, Ria, no matter how old you are.”

“Glad to hear it because I feel the same way about you,” she admitted, kissing him deeply as he made her forget the scary things she’d learned for a little bit.

He let her go and a devilish sort of smile lit his face as he looked at her.

“What?” She just knew he was up to something.

“I was just thinking. If I’m your boy toy, then you should be my sex kitten. What do ya say? Fair’s fair, and all that, right?”

She pretended to consider his playful words. “What exactly are a sex kitten’s duties?”

“Let’s see.” He rubbed his hands over her body as he thought about it. They were both naked, which was a good start, she thought. “I think you have to try to seduce me a lot. Not that I’ll be all that hard to seduce, but I might make you work for it occasionally.”

She grabbed his butt playfully. “You’ll make me work for it, huh? How exactly do you expect to manage that?” She lifted her leg, her thigh rubbing against the part of him that was already getting hard.

“With you? Not easily, that’s for sure.” He chuckled as he dipped his head to nibble on her neck. “But a man has his pride.”

She reached down between them and wrapped her hand around his hardness, holding his gaze. “Yeah, I’d say you’ve got quite a bit to be proud of here.”

He laughed, even as his breath caught. “I don’t think you need any help with the sex kitten thing, Ria. You’ve got the part down pat.”

She reached forward, licking his jaw with a quick motion before kissing her way to his lips. After that, things moved fast and there wasn’t a lot of talking. He rolled her over and the covers fell to the floor as they hastily came together.

He thrust inside her even as she grabbed his ass to encourage him. Her inner cat was purring against his chest, which seemed to excite him even more. Good. That was good. He wasn’t turned off by the evidence of her inner beast.

They faced each other, breathing hard as he did all the work this time. She was still a little drained from the ceremony, but she was swiftly gaining strength as her mate saw to her most basic needs. The desire and passion she felt in his arms was invigorating. The way he made love to her gave her hope for the future and a desire to remain in the present—in his embrace—for as long as they could manage.

But her body had other ideas. Her insides clamped down on him as a small climax hit her unexpectedly. Jake looked into her eyes as she came, holding his own climax back, watching her, making the moment even more intimate. And then he flipped her over.

Dragging her ass back toward him as he knelt behind her, he gave her what the cat craved. The world might call this position doggy-style, but it worked really well for cats too. The panther screeched in her mind, loving the dominant possession of its mate. The cat made no distinction between Jake and the fact that he couldn’t turn furry. It was simply devoted to him—in any form. As was the woman.

His thrusts increased, pushing her to another climax, this one much higher than the previous. She strained against him, pushing backward to meet his thrusting hips, grinding against him as his hands guided her hips with strong, sure motions. Then all coherent thought fled as the pace increased once more into a frenzy of climax and completion the likes of which she had never felt before.

Her mate. Jake, the incredible man, had given her exactly what she needed, and he took care of her even as their shared orgasm peaked, then faded slowly, depositing them back to earth with a feather light caress, landing them both back on the soft bed.

Jake took care of her, repositioning her nearly boneless body next to him, his arm wrapped around her even as they both faded into sleep. She had never felt safer or more protected than she did in her mate’s arms.

Chapter Seven

They made it to port later the next afternoon. Jake and Ria had slept in a little, though they were both up on the bridge with Edvard when they made port. Plans were made and adjusted as necessary. Travel was arranged and diversions coordinated. Edvard was using every one of his crew members to help hide the Nyx’s tracks.

He was also pulling every Kinkaid Clan member off the ocean and waterways and had already sent out warnings to the
were
Lords and other shifter monarchs all around the world. Water-born creatures on the side of Light had to be warned. The Leviathan would rise tonight, according to the seers.

Jake was glad they were taking his warning seriously. A few times in the past he’d had trouble getting people to listen to him. Not in recent years, but it had happened often enough when he was younger to make him worry that some still wouldn’t listen.

“Transport is coming for everyone,” Edvard said as he got off the phone and turned to Jake. “I’ll be along as soon as I secure the ship. We’re going to ward it as best we can, but I want you two to take the helicopter, as discussed. I’ve got teams in place, ready to meet you in the mountains.”

Ria stepped forward. “I can never thank you or Sam enough for helping us, Edvard,” she said formally. “I’m sorry to have brought danger to your vessel.”

“I’m glad you both were here to warn us, lass,” Edvard corrected her. “I hate to think what would have happened to my people without Jake’s foresight.” Edvard reached over to shake Jake’s hand and then turned to give Ria a hug.

“Your sister would have seen it,” Jake said, knowing that either way, the selkies would have had warning. He was just glad he had been there to work with Sophia by phone so they could fill in details each had missed. Together they had arrived at a much clearer vision than either would have had alone. “Please thank her again for working with me,” Jake added.

One day, he hoped to meet the reclusive seer and compare notes. There was so much he still really didn’t know about his gift. Any opportunity to talk with another who suffered from the same affliction was rare and worth pursuing.

“If all goes well over the next few days, you will have a chance to thank her in person soon,” Edvard said with a smile. “I spoke to her last night. She wanted me to thank
you
,” he emphasized the turnabout. “She was very impressed by the clarity of your vision and thought you worked well together. Our people are glad you were both available to consult with each other. I think you have both saved many lives this day—and you haven’t even begun the real task yet.” Edvard’s continued grin said he was looking forward to the battle.

Jake wished he could be as gung ho. In seasons past he would have been, but now, everything had changed. He had Ria to worry about now. Her safety preyed on his mind. He’d only just found her. He couldn’t lose her now.

Edvard looked from Jake to Ria and back again and Jake thought the older man understood his concerns. Edvard nodded once more and turned to look out over what he could see of the large ship from the wall-to-wall windows on the bridge.

“We’re almost done here. My people have secured the docks and the helicopter is ready. Now would be a good time to make your exit. We will keep anyone on the ground busy, but I suspect you have ideas about how to vary your flight plan to stay out of danger as much as possible, no?”

“Yessir,” Jake answered, realizing it was time to go. Much as he wanted to hide out on this floating luxury resort and pretend they were safe, he knew better. “We’ll be going directly. See you on the other side.”

“If not before,” Edvard agreed with a determined expression. “Good hunting, my friends, and may the Lady’s Light shine on you.”

“Good hunting, Uncle Ed.” Ria gave him one last, impulsive hug and then turned away. Jake followed her off the bridge and they headed quickly toward the helipad.

The supplies and weapons Edvard had provided were already in the chopper. Jake had checked and rechecked everything already. He did a quick status check once more before he fired up the engine and took off as quickly as possible. He had one chance to make a clean getaway. Edvard’s people were securing the area in and around the port. It would be up to Jake to pick a safe flight path that would take them where they needed to go.

They flew fast and as covertly as they could. Ria was impressed with Jake’s flying abilities once again as he maneuvered the helicopter in unexpected ways over the least congested airspace he could find. He was taking an oblique approach to the area they wanted.

He had explained that there might possibly be forces on the ground that could try to shoot them down—if they could find them. Which was why he was flying high and fast…and on a rather creative route.

They had to fly over a large swath of the state to get to the mountains. They were aiming for a small sector in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A secretive little mountain ridge where everyone was a shifter and the dominant group was a Pack of fox families.

“Mount Sterling isn’t far now,” Jake reported via the headsets they had both donned in order to hear each other speak over the noise of the chopper blades. “There’s a pretty famous lookout at the peak, but we’re aiming for a more secluded section of the ridge about four miles from the peak.” He executed a few maneuvers that she assumed were for their protection. “There’s a cabin and a group of hidden caverns where the shifter families live. There’s also a circle of stones at the highpoint of the ridge but the whole area is protected magically and by some pretty interesting topography that keeps the humans away, for the most part. We’re going to land in a small clearing…” he trailed off as he dropped altitude.

Ria saw the ridge of a mountain in front of them and it looked like the spine of some great animal. As they drew closer, she felt the energy of the place and realized there was a huge concentration of magic nearby. This was a special place, indeed.

“There it is,” Jake said, bringing in the chopper on a rapid approach.

Ria held her breath while he expertly piloted the helicopter into an impossibly small clearing. It was little more than a tiny hole in the otherwise dense forest along one side of the ridge on a mostly flat outcropping. But his skills were up to the test and he brought them to a gentle stop. One minute they were above the trees, the next they were surrounded by thick pine forest on all sides, with the rotors spinning down.

“There’s Ben,” Jake said as he took off his headset. She followed his line of sight to a tall man walking slowly out of the tree line. He was making some odd gestures with his hands and she saw Jake breathe easier. “Perimeter is secure. Everything is safe for now. It’s okay to get out.”

Jake threw open his door and quickly came around to her side to help her down. She grabbed the satchel of goodies Edvard had given her—a change of clothes and some other items—and joined him on the ground. After that harrowing ride, she was glad to have solid earth under her feet once again.

She realized they weren’t on dirt. No, this area was clear because it was scraped down to the rock from which the mountains had formed. No topsoil meant nothing could grow in this little patch. Handy.

“Ria, this is Ben Steel,” Jake made the introductions. Ria held out her hand to the other man and was pleased by the way he met her gaze. He might be human, but he was a strong example of his species.

“Thank you for helping my people,” she said, wanting to be sure to get that out of the way first. More than anything, she wanted to see her Guard, but she also didn’t want to disrespect this human’s effort on their behalf. “Are they nearby?” Ria was a little puzzled that at least one of her Guard hadn’t come out to meet her.

“They’re on perimeter watch. As soon as you get into the trees, they’ll come out. We want to be cautious of any satellite surveillance the enemy might have access to. In fact…” Ben took the baseball cap off his own head and plunked it down on Ria’s with little ceremony. “Let’s get you under cover of the canopy, ma’am.”

“Good idea,” Jake added as they made a dash for the trees which weren’t all that far away. Ben stopped as she handed his hat back to him.

“I’ll secure the chopper and do what I can for camouflage,” he said to Jake as Ria felt rather than saw her Guard converge on a path toward her. Ben turned away as Jake thanked him and within seconds, they were surrounded.

Dorian reached her first, bowing his head slightly, though he never lowered his eyes, as was proper protocol among their people.

“My queen, it’s good to see you in one piece,” Dorian said with genuine warmth. His lips twitched up into a smile she felt herself responding to in kind.

“It’s good to be in one piece, Dor. How’s Bronson?”

“On my feet, milady,” Bronson replied in a chipper voice as he bounded up beside her.

He was so young, so full of energy. The thought that he might’ve died just a few days ago was abhorrent to her. She reached out to take his hand, surprising him with a hug that he returned awkwardly.

“I’m sorry you got hurt, my friend, and I’m glad to see you on your feet again,” she whispered before letting him go. She wasn’t surprised to feel a couple of tears gathering in her eyes, but they didn’t fall, for which she was grateful.

Shelly and Burgess came forward next, greeting her and assuring her all was well. They were the most seasoned of her current Guard and they more or less led the rest. They gave her an update on the situation as they escorted her through the trees, Jake trailing behind.

When they led her around to the back door of a cabin, she went in with them, aware of Jake following. The back entrance had tree cover while the front of the place had a slight clearing, which could probably be seen from a satellite. When they were all inside the small building, she turned to Jake and motioned him forward. He had a closed expression on his face, and she saw the resistance on the faces of her Guard, but this confrontation had to happen and now was better than later.

“Everyone, this is Jake, the man who swept me out of your presence the other night and brought me to safety. He is also my mate.”

“Mate?” Shelly gasped, unable to hide her shock. The others seemed to handle their surprise and alarm a little better.

“Yeah, Shel, he’s my true mate and a powerful seer. He knew where and when to be there to save me and he’s foreseen things that may help us in our fight against the
Venifucus
. Give him a chance.”

“I’m sorry, milady. It just took me by surprise. He’s human? Or mage?” Shelly’s confusion was clearly evident.

“Human, yes,” Jake answered standing at Ria’s side. “Mage, no. Just a seer. That’s my one trick.”

“And it’s a helluva trick to have,” Ben Steel said, coming through the front door of the cabin and closing it behind himself. “Saved our asses more than once when we served together,” he went on. “Don’t you be doubting my boy Jake over there,” he said to the
pantera
Guards. “He’s as good as they come and he can probably best any one of you in hand-to-hand.”

“Now that I’d like to see,” Bronson muttered just a little too loud.

Ria bristled. “Instead of fighting among ourselves, shouldn’t we all be preparing for what’s to come from our enemy?” Jake’s hand on her waist tried to soothe her, but she didn’t like the way her people disrespected her mate. They would learn to respect him, or they would learn to be elsewhere. She didn’t want anyone around her and Jake who didn’t take her choices seriously. And who she chose to mate with was the most important choice she had ever made, as far as she was concerned.

Mating was for life. It was destiny. A shifter didn’t really
choose
a mate. Their mate was chosen for them long before they were ever born. In all the world there was only one special soul that matched theirs and it was up to each shifter to find that perfect match. When that happened, it was a true mating, and anyone who doubted Ria’s claims about Jake being her perfect mate didn’t belong in their inner circle.

There wasn’t time to fix that right now, when they were all facing a serious threat, but at the earliest opportunity, there would probably have to be a shakeup among her Royal Guard. Anyone who wouldn’t accept Jake would have to find someplace else to work. Jake was the most important person in her life now and if her protectors couldn’t accept that, then they weren’t the friends she thought they had been.

“Don’t worry, love. They’ll come around in time,” Jake whispered near her ear.

“Do we have that kind of time?” She looked up at him, turning her neck to the side to meet his gaze. His eyes grew troubled and she knew they didn’t have the luxury of time without him even saying one word.

“Sitrep,” she demanded, lowering her satchel to the table at the center of the large room. She sat and her people did likewise, except for Shelly, who kept watch by the back door.

Burgess delivered the report she’d demanded. “The foxes are watching the front. Ben’s got a few friends in the area as well, which he’ll tell you about in a minute,” Burgess gestured toward the human who had taken a seat next to Jake. “We called for reinforcements and the beta team will arrive within the hour. They’re coming by ground. The foxes have set up a watch on the single road below the ridge and will guide the beta team up here. I expect notification of their arrival at the base of the ridge any minute now.” He looked at his cell phone, then placed it down on the table. “The fox Alpha wants a meeting, as per custom. He’s a very understanding guy, and he’s helped us—mostly because his mate is a seer and demanded he do so.” Burgess nodded toward Jake with a touch of skepticism in his gaze that he couldn’t quite hide, but Ria let it go for now. “She took the non-combatants and half his soldiers to safety. They’ve left half their soldiers—about a dozen—to act as guides and scouts for us. So far, they’ve lived up to their end of our bargain and I have no reason to doubt their sincerity.”