Psyche Shield (12 page)
“In order to find out what they were up to, I had to
convince her I had something she wanted. I needed an invitation. A pet Beta is
a real prize for someone like her, and Billie was a better way to take the pack
than Nathan. I told her Billie was claimed and agreed to help her in order to
stop her. It was all a lie, of course. Even after she left, I couldn’t tell you
what I was up to. I’m sorry I scared you.” I met his eyes apologetically.
“I’m sorry I didn’t trust you. You could have kept me from
telling Jason or erased what I heard. Right?”
“I didn’t want to,” I admitted. I might have felt proud of
my ethical stance if I hadn’t violated it only the day before.
Jazz had a question of her own. “You received a phone call
that week and claimed it was a wrong number. I thought you were lying then, but
I wasn’t sure. What was that about?”
“That was Cassandra. I didn’t want her in my mind even for a
simple conversation, so I convinced her to use the phone. You were right, I was
lying. I was surprised you bought it, actually. Wolves are the only people who
can see through my lies.”
She dismissed it. “I must have been distracted.”
Gary pondered what I’d said. “If you can’t lie to Wolves,
how did you get away with deceiving them?”
“Half-truths and evasive answers. They knew something was
off. They thought I was still recovering from the attack and finding out I’m a
Mage.”
He saw the shame in my eyes but had no way of knowing what
I’d done to his entire family. He shook his head, misunderstanding my reaction.
“We’re not mad, Sadie. We’re grateful. Thank you for what you did for us. All
of us.”
“You’re welcome.” Accepting his compliment seemed like the
quickest way to end the topic. Even as I explained how I avoided the truth, he
didn’t see it in our dinner conversation.
The kids listened with rapt attention and I wondered at the
wisdom of letting them know so much. I’d never considered having kids. Anytime
I’d thought about it, I’d wondered if they’d be like me, and it seemed cruel to
pass on my curse. Jazz and Gary were raising Human kids in a non-Human world,
and they seemed well-adjusted and healthy. For a moment I considered what it would
be like.
I think about it too sometimes
, Billie responded to
my thought.
Not often, but sometimes. Usually when the Pack kids are around.
If the child came from you, it would be Human. From me,
who knows? I’ve never let myself consider it.
With you in my life, I’d consider it
, she confessed.
After
we’ve ended the Mage-Wolf War of course.
LeeAnn raised her chin and cocked her head slightly in an
adorably wolfish manner. She opened her mouth as if to say something then shut
it quickly. She had a question. Billie’s admission fed my determination. “Ask
me anything. She’s the one who bites.” I pointed at my mate. The girl and her
brother both giggled.
“Everyone says Mages can read minds and control people. Is
it true?” she asked. Her brother leaned forward a little, wanting to know as
well. I glanced at Sierra, knowing she’d wondered about the extent of my
abilities but hadn’t asked me yet. I would have chosen a different topic, but
their curiosity didn’t surprise me. Everyone wanted to know about magepower.
“It depends on the Mage. Some are more powerful than others,
just like Wolves. Illusions and reading thoughts are easy and basic. Pretty
much every Mage can do that. We can speak mind to mind with each other just
like I do with Billie. What’s strange about us is that she can speak into my
mind. With Humans and Wolves, the communication is normally one way. I can
speak to them but they can’t speak to me. I’m making an assumption there. Human
and Wolf minds are pretty similar that way, but I’ve never tried it on a Wolf
other than Billie.”
“Why not?” she asked.
“Jason’s orders,” I replied. “I’m not allowed to go into any
packmate’s mind except for Billie’s, even if someone asks.”
“So you’re not allowed to read my mind either?” She thought
about it.
“Nope. But some things don’t require going into the mind.
Like illusion and sensing who’s around me. Some surface thoughts and emotions
are always there - I can’t shut them out even if I want to.”
“Why not?”
“It’s like trying not to eavesdrop when someone’s talking right
beside you.”
“What else can Mages do?” I started to wonder if her
questions would ever run out.
“We can alter thoughts and memories, erasing, adding, or
changing them. We can control a person’s actions, and of course there’s
collaring. A Wolf’s mind is more resistant than a Human’s mind, so everything
is more difficult with Wolves. Not all Mages can coerce like that, and some are
better at it than others.” I hoped she wouldn’t ask for much more.
“What about killing people with just a thought?” Her serious
expression showed how much the idea scared her.
“Most Mages can’t do that,” I assured her.
“But you can,” she insisted. “I heard Mom and Dad talking
about it.”
I glanced at Billie as if she could get me out of the
conversation. But once asked, I had to answer and nodded slowly. “Yes, I can.”
She accepted it too readily. “Mom mentioned something about
a parrot.”
“You mean this parrot?” I asked her cheekily, eager to
change the topic. She squealed at the brightly colored bird that appeared
suddenly on the table. It walked over to LeeAnn’s plate and pecked at her food
without disturbing it. Sierra hid her outward reaction to the bird, but I
sensed her rising fear. “Sorry, Sierra. It’s harmless.” I made the parrot go
away and the tension in the room left with it.
“I’ve never seen anything like that,” she commented.
“Illusion doesn’t work on smell.” I informed her helpfully,
hoping the advantage would give her some peace of mind. “Your nose will tell
you whether something’s real or not.” She nodded abruptly, and I wondered where
her thoughts led. She let her emotions show loud and heavy in the room, but her
thoughts remained hidden most of the time.
Billie steered the conversation towards mundane topics once
again. After dessert we relocated to the back patio where the sun sat low on
the horizon to our left. Billie opened a bottle of wine and filled glasses for
the adults.
Eventually Jazz brought up the blood sample she didn’t know
I already gave her. “I hope you change your mind about helping me with my
research, Sadie. A sample of your blood would be invaluable.”
Once again I evaded answering the question directly.
“Cassandra was my cousin, and right now there are things I don’t want to know.”
Gary cast me a worried look. “I hadn’t heard she was your
cousin.”
I nodded. “My birth grandmother and her mother are sisters.
That wasn’t the family reunion I was hoping for.”
“Did you learn anything about your birth family?” Jazz
asked.
“Yeah. Some of it’s pretty gruesome, the kinds of Mages I’ve
heard about from all of you. But apparently my parents weren’t like that, so
that’s something.”
“Did you learn how your parents died?” Jazz knew how my
mother abandoned me. We’d discussed some of the possible reasons why she would
do that. I knew a little more, but I couldn’t tell them most of it. I knew my
grandmother killed my father and suspected my mother committed suicide to
protect me.
“I know I wasn’t orphaned by Wolves.” I referenced one of
the possibilities we’d discussed. I wanted to share these intimate and
unsettling details of my life with my friends.
I wish I didn’t have to hide
so much from them.
Billie reassured me, confident in her claim.
Someday
you’ll be able to tell them everything. When it no longer matters who knows and
we’re not worried about the wrong Mage finding out that you’re still alive.
I feel like I’m lying to them.
She didn’t like the evasive techniques either.
We are
lying to them. But it’s necessary.
Sierra watched the kids play in the yard, and I sensed they
reminded her of someone. “Do you have any kids?”
“No. Not yet,” she replied. “They remind me of home and the
Pack kids there.”
“You miss them.” Gary spoke the obvious.
“Very much. I hope my Alpha believes us. I’d like to see
them again,” she replied. Billie explained the Montana Pack situation to our
guests.
The sun sat on the horizon when I sensed Kathryn and Jason’s
approach. I informed Billie silently.
Could her Alpha be here already?
I
asked.
If he left immediately, yes.
Billie’s tension
returned now that the time had come for her to watch her packmates drive off
into a dangerous situation without her. “Sierra, Jason and Kathryn are on their
way. That probably means it’s time to meet your Alpha.”
Sierra stiffened, and I felt her anxiety rise and spread to
the others. “Careful. Especially tonight,” I cautioned her. She closed her eyes
and took a deep breath. Her emotions steadied a little, and I nodded
encouragingly. Jazz and Gary noticed the exchange but didn’t ask.
The Alpha and Elder arrived, entering without knocking and
meeting us on the back patio. LeeAnn and Dean yelled hello from across the
yard, unfazed by Jason’s intimidating show. He wore only jeans, displaying his
tattoos and muscles deliberately. He waved back at the kids, showing no
affection outwardly. The kids felt it from him and for him.
Correction. Tattoos, teeth, and attitude. You don’t have
any tattoos.
That can be changed
, she teased.
Growing up around you and Jason, no one will be able to
intimidate those kids
, I told Billie.
Nope.
The thought satisfied her.
Jason deliberately ignored the mental exchange. He ignored
me entirely. Kathryn politely greeted the children and their parents, clearly
distracted.
Jason’s determination shone in his eyes, and he directed a
fierce expression at Sierra. “Graham called. Are you ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She set her jaw as she battled
her rising nervousness. “What about Kato?”
Kathryn extended a hand to the young Wolf. “Kato will arrive
in his own way.”
“Where is the meeting?” Billie asked her Alpha.
“I don’t know yet. Graham’s cautious. We’re to drive to the
rest stop east of Boise and call him.” Jason rumbled at Billie, his order
absolute. “Stay here, Beta.”
“I don’t like this, Alpha. It smells like a trap,” Billie
protested.
“It probably is. Stay here anyway,” he repeated with a long
pointed look that deflected any argument.
Ignoring their disagreement, I hugged Sierra. “I hope this
is goodbye, and you get to go home. If it is, you better come back to see us.”
Billie placed a hand on her shoulder encouragingly. “And if
it’s not, you’re welcome in our home. You will always be welcome in our home.”
Sierra thanked us for our hospitality and followed the Alpha
and Elder. Billie began to pace immediately. “They’re walking into a trap, and
I don’t even know where.”
I felt like pacing but planted myself in a lawn chair
instead. “They’ll call if we’re needed. Kato will contact me if they can’t.” I
tried to assure everyone, myself included.
Kathryn’s hybrid car impressed Sierra. She’d only
ever known a moderate lifestyle in a small town, and the majority of her
packmates owned trucks or other vehicles that could traverse any of the back
roads. She thought about home and her father who had to be worried sick about
her.
She’d called him, but she didn’t lie well. He didn’t know
about Wolves, and she intended to keep it that way. Even a partial truth about
the car accident would bring him to Boise. Instead of pulling him into the
conflict, she told him she’d met new friends and would be gone a little longer
than anticipated. He didn’t believe her. Even as a teenager she didn’t lie to
him much. Since becoming Wolf, she’d found it necessary at times, and she
loathed it.
When she thought about never returning home, she couldn’t
keep the anxiety to herself, and it spread to everyone around her. The more
dominant Wolves translated anxiety into anger and overprotectiveness. Her
earlier panic affected Billie so badly, the Beta had nearly lost control. She
hadn’t had enough time with Kathryn, and she didn’t have control over this
thing they called a gift. Hearing how Kathryn helped Billie when she first came
to the pack gave her hope that it could someday benefit her pack instead of
disrupt it. But she needed time and training to get there. No matter what
happened with her Alpha, she had to keep in contact with Kathryn.
“What do you know of your pack’s history?” Kathryn surprised
her by speaking after a long silence.
“I know we’re one of the oldest packs in the country. It was
founded by Isingoma and Kato, according to the stories.”
“Do you know why it was founded?” Sierra shook her head no.
“It was created as a safe-haven for Wolves who did not fit anywhere else. Some
of the original members were runaway slaves, accused witches, and interracial
families. In such a remote location, we were protected from the prejudices of
the outside world.”
Sierra didn’t see the Elder’s point but found it interesting
anyway. “When were you Pack?”
“I found them just after the Civil War and lived there for
many years. Graham was born into the pack, a child of seven years old when I
arrived. I sought them out with Emma and Tomas, a lovely couple who took me in
as a girl. Emma made me Wolf as we traveled, and I arrived as a Pup. Emma and
Tomas bore a daughter a few years after. Hannah and Graham were nearly
inseparable as children, and it surprised no one when they became mates. Graham
is my oldest living friend, and your Beta my nephew. I left in 1943.”
“That’s why there are so many people of mixed races in my
pack?” Sierra found it strange that she’d never heard this about her pack’s
origins before.
“Yes. Your Beta among them. Your Alpha is no stranger to
bigotry. I hope he will see the way Wolves view Mages is no different.”
Sierra saw Kathryn’s point and considered her Alpha and Beta
from a new perspective. “I hope so too.”
“He is Alpha,” Jason reminded them. “He is obligated to his
pack’s safety above all else. That’s all that matters.”
“I disagree,” Kathryn said simply but did not expand on the
statement.
They pulled into the rest stop, Jason’s senses on high
alert. He assessed the nearly empty parking lot and barely lit buildings, his
nose and ears tuned into the environment through the cracked window. Sierra
didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary and decided it met Jason’s initial
approval as well. He stepped out of the car to call her Alpha while further
inspecting his surroundings.
With new instructions, Jason jumped back into the car. Just
a little further down the interstate, they turned off onto a paved road cracked
from neglect. After a short time they exchanged pavement for dirt, taking them
well away from Humans. Finally Jason pointed and Kathryn parked so they could
leave quickly if needed. They exited the car warily.
Rolling desert stretched in front of them with only a few
stands of trees in sight. A Wolf could find many places to hide. Sierra
couldn’t see or hear them, but she smelled her packmates. She knew every one of
them well, and she recognized two friends among them. She thought about Jason’s
insult. Her Pack didn’t have strong fighters like the Boise Pack, but only the
ignorant would call them weak. Graham chose a meeting place to his advantage.
Her Alpha ensured any fight would happen on four legs, with
teeth and claws, making retreat by vehicle nearly impossible. Retreat on four
legs would require him to leave the injured Sierra behind. Even up against
someone as skilled as Jason, Graham could outnumber him long enough to put
Sierra down. Her Alpha didn’t need to win the fight to win the battle. If the
Boise Alpha engaged, she would likely die. She didn’t have much hope of Jason’s
willingness to run away. She knew Graham’s strategies, but loyalty held her
tongue.
Her only hope lay in convincing her Alpha that Sadie meant
them no harm. She had to convince her packmates that she wasn’t collared. Fear
and distrust of Mages ran high among all Wolves, and she fought back her
growing panic.
They stood together silently for several minutes, waiting
and scanning the area with their keen Wolf senses. Sierra saw Kato before she
heard or smelled him. He trotted towards them casually as if attending a
barbecue, not a Wolf standoff. Silently he acknowledged them and sat beside
Sierra in wolf form, his ears cocked towards the rolling hills. The Eldest
Wolf’s presence reassured her, and she rested her hand on his head. With the
Ethiopian Wolf at her side and Kathryn’s hand protectively on the small of her
back, she felt ready to face her pack.
Jason noticed her packmates before she did, and she followed
his line of sight. Six Wolves approached in wolf form, her Alpha and Beta in
the lead. They trotted briskly, alert to everything around them. Four grey
wolves and two Ethiopian Wolves approached, fanning out slightly as they closed
in.
Sierra didn’t know if Jason could win six to one, but he
seemed to think so. Renowned as the best fighter in the region, few would dare
challenge him. He leaned casually against the car, a cocky demonstration with
his tattoos and muscles bare to the night sky. Yellowing bruises littered his
torso and biceps. They didn’t show injury, a weakness to exploit. Instead, they
made him look unyielding and unstoppable, a formidable opponent. Jason’s
attitude told Graham he didn’t mind the odds against him. Sierra had never had
much use for posturing, but she could appreciate its usefulness at times.
About forty feet away, they stopped. A large grey wolf with
black highlights and silver tips stepped forward from the others, an Ethiopian
Wolf two steps behind him. The Alpha’s compact body contrasted sharply with his
Beta’s gangly red form. One promised strength and power, the other speed and
agility.
With a rapid shimmer, they faced Sierra and the Boise Wolves
in their human forms. Shorter than average but well-muscled like most Wolves,
they made a striking pair. Both appeared around forty years old and could be
brothers except for Stephen’s darker coloring. Most Humans believed them to be
half-brothers, not father and son.
Kathryn spoke first and with genuine affection. She declined
to comment on their challenging stance and yet did not approach them. “Graham.
Stephen. It is a delight to see you both even under these circumstances.”
Her Alpha barely acknowledged his old friend, silently
evaluating each of them carefully. Sierra saw the truth in her Alpha’s guarded
stance and hooded eyes. They hadn’t come to talk. They’d come to put her out of
her misery. Her hopes of a quick solution dissolved, and she dug her fingers
into Kato’s fur seeking reassurance.
Desperately she looked at her packmates as they appraised
her through narrow eyes. Her best friend Xan stood to her Alpha’s left, hackles
raised so he appeared much larger than usual. They’d run many times together,
and she met his blue-eyed gaze in silent plea. Only sorrow and fury reflected
back, his shoulders tense. To his left, Melissa mirrored Kato’s wolf form, one
of several Ethiopian Wolves in her pack. She crouched low beside Xan, resentful
and prepared to act. Her friends believed her worse than dead, and she’d find
no help from them.
“Hand over my Wolf,” Graham demanded, bringing Sierra’s
attention sharply back to her Alpha.
Jason’s lip curled into a frown, his voice low and his
warning clear. “Not until I know she’ll be safe with you.”
Alpha versus Alpha could be touchy in the best of
circumstances. Only the most dominant Wolves ever reached that position in a
pack, and they rarely backed down from anyone. An Alpha protecting one of his
own would fight to the end. True to their nature, each refused to budge.
Graham, older and strong in character, had the advantage of position and
number. Jason, despite his youth, deserved his reputation. Wolves frequently
considered him to be unbeatable in a fight, and the thought brought a little
comfort to Sierra.
An uneasy silence filled the air until Graham finally spoke.
“You have a Mage among you. I can only believe you’re all collared.”
Jason stalwartly defended Sadie’s motives while his
aggravation towards her showed through clearly. “Sadie doesn’t collar Wolves.
She’s proven her loyalty and stopped three Mages who threatened us just last
week. She’s a God-damned thorn in my side, but she’s no danger to any of us.”
“No Alpha would say that unless collared. You were too young
to be named Alpha, and your Beta is a Pup. Now she’s in bed with a Mage. It’s
clear what’s happened here.” Graham demeaned the Boise Alpha and Beta.
Kathryn rebuked him politely but firmly. “You’ve known me
since you were a child, Graham. How much time did you, Hannah, and I spend
together in our youth? You’d know if I were anything other than myself.” She
looked directly into his eyes and held them.
He searched her gaze for several long moments, longing to
see his friend. Doubt weighed on him and he shook his head minutely. “I haven’t
seen you much in recent decades. You seem like yourself, but I can’t be sure.”
“If you cannot be sure, then ask your son if his aunt is the
one he remembers.” She inclined her head at her nephew by his side, reminding
them of the familial relationship. The Beta appraised her cautiously, and a
nostalgic smile graced her face despite the strained situation. “Stephen, you
reminded me of your grandfather in your youth, and even more so as you mature.
I have been neglectful for not visiting you.”
Her nephew held her gaze just as his father did, and he too
shook his head. “It has been a very long time, Aunt. Maybe too long. I am not
sure either.”
“Then become sure before doing something that cannot be
changed,” she counseled them both sharply. “Do not blame this Mage for the
action of others of her race. Wolves consider all Mages evil and dangerous
because that is all we’ve ever known from them. This is no different from the
bigotry our families experienced. Give this girl a chance, and you will see she
means you no harm.”
Graham’s face tightened at her comparison. “This is not the
same. You can’t trust someone who can force you to think or do whatever they
want. They are treacherous creatures. We’ve all seen it.”
Sierra stated her case simply. “When they told me about her,
I thought she would collar me. I hoped to escape or die trying, but I was too
injured to even try to get away. I’m getting to know her, Alpha, and she is
like no Mage I’ve ever encountered or heard of. She stays out of our minds and
does not read or coerce others. She took in an injured stranger even knowing it
would cause conflict with another pack.” Her Alpha stared her down, and she
could almost smell him coming to a decision about her.
Their words fell on deaf ears. Every one of the Montana
Wolves raised their hackles, ready for a fight. Sierra curled into Kathryn who
stood unwavering beside her. Jason pushed off the car, preparing for an attack.
After observing the entire exchange in silence, Kato stepped
in front of Sierra and shimmered. Suddenly all eyes rested on the ancient Wolf,
his grey hair and beard moving in the light breeze. Most knew him only as a
legend, a subject of story and myth. Some recognized him as the mirror image of
their former Alpha. His appearance stalled the impending fight, and he held
their gazes firmly, each in turn. “It is true. Sadie has proven both friendship
and honor. No Wolf among us is collared, and one is free because of her.”
Kato’s transformation had drawn their attention, but his
words had a surprising effect. Graham shifted his stance aggressively and his
voice lowered. “Now I know the Mage has you. It’s not possible to free a
collared Wolf.”
“It is possible. She brought a lost Pup back to us.” Graham
didn’t believe him, and Sierra no longer hoped they’d escape without a fight.
She hoped they’d escape with their lives. Kato continued to speak, undaunted by
the six Wolves who threatened him. “No Mage has the power to collar me. Nor can
they fool me into believing a collared Wolf is free. This was also true of my
brother, the Alpha of your youth. Would you wage war on us because you do not
believe your own senses?”
“I would wage war on any Mage who threatens one of my
Wolves,” Graham growled, and his Wolves echoed the sound until it rumbled all
around them.
“Then the enemy you seek is not with us,” Kato assured him
sternly.
Graham clearly did not believe Kato or his own senses. He
quit arguing and issued a mandate instead. “Hand over my Wolf, or we’ll take
her from you.”
How Kato and Kathryn could maintain calm in this situation
baffled Sierra. If she got out of this alive, she vowed to learn their secret.
Kato didn’t budge but lowered his head warningly. “Sierra is under my
protection. You will not harm her.”
Jason took a step forward to stand beside the Eldest Wolf,
echoing Kato’s words. “You will not harm her. Don’t be foolish, Graham. You
won’t win this fight.” Sierra saw her Alpha and Beta’s confidence, confirming
her earlier suspicions. They didn’t need to win. They only needed to kill her
to succeed. They tensed slightly, and Jason noticed. He may have realized their
plan, but he wouldn’t retreat. Instead he ordered Kathryn and Sierra into the
safety of the car.