Psyche Shield (14 page)
“I was fine with it until you said I might have to leave you
behind,” I grumbled a bit too loudly.
“Welcome to our world,” s Human spoke loudly from the other
side of the room.
“What do you mean Sadie is an alarm system?” William, a
younger Wolf asked curiously. I recognized him as one of the hunting party who
found us, but I hadn’t exchanged more than a few words with him. He’d softened
his attitude towards me, but beyond that I didn’t know where he stood.
Billie nodded at me to answer. “I can sense everyone for
miles, and I can tell Human from Wolf from Mage even if I don’t know the
person. After tonight I’ll recognize everyone in this room, and I’ll know if an
outside Wolf comes around. I don’t have to enter your minds to do any of this.
I promised I wouldn’t.” Murmurs began rising in the room, a wide mixture of
responses to my explanation. Too many worried about the safety of my watchful
eye, so I continued. “For me, recognizing a mind is like a Wolf recognizing a
scent. It’s automatic. I don’t even have to brush the surface of your mind to
recognize you. I know a lot of you are still nervous or afraid. I can feel
emotions without touching your minds too, and it’s pretty thick in here. If you
have questions, ask me.”
Amy’s voice chimed loudly from the dining room. “When are
you getting married?” The question caught me off guard, and I covered my
reddening face with one hand. A few people chuckled appreciatively.
Jason took back the meeting and addressed the Wolves. “We
must avoid a Pack War. They’re most likely to strike when you’re alone. Do not
be vulnerable to an attack in any way. Stay in pairs or in public at all times.
We don’t want to fight them. I promised Sierra we will not harm any of her
packmates unless defending our own. Do not break my promise,” he glowered.
“Stay safe while we work it out with her Alpha.”
“How are you going to convince them we’re not collared?” I
looked forward to Jason’s answer.
“Trust us. Your job is to not be vulnerable while we figure
out the rest. Defend yourself of course, but avoid a fight. Keep your nose up
for any strange Wolf. No one runs without my permission until this is over. Any
questions?” His tone didn’t encourage any. A few questions arose anyway, and he
addressed them with more patience than I’d come to expect from him.
The meeting ended. They milled about making arrangements and
gossiping. Kathryn, Billie, and Gary spoke close enough for me to hear. They
each handed Gary an envelope. “This is cash, a credit card, and the hotel
information. Give the kids something educational to make up for missing school
and make sure you stay busy enough that you’re not fretting about us. If time
off of work is a hardship for anyone, or if you need anything, talk to Billie
or me,” Kathryn explained.
“Don’t be overly concerned about the expense. Take care of
each other,” Billie told him. “The only reason you’re in danger here is because
you’re not an exposure risk. They’re only interested in us. If you’re not
around any Wolves, you’re not in danger.”
Gary didn’t want to leave his wife, and it showed. “Will you
keep an extra eye on Jazz? She’s not like most of you. She gets lost in her
work and doesn’t notice what’s around her.”
“I’ll make sure someone escorts her to and from work each
day. And she can stay here if she doesn’t have someplace else in mind,” Billie
promised him. Feeling a little better about leaving his absent-minded wife
behind, he thanked them and came to say goodbye to me.
“This isn’t your fault,” he whispered in my ear too low to
be heard by anyone except Sierra.
“Yeah, but once again it’s about me. I’ll do everything I
can,” I whispered right back. “I won’t let anything happen to Jazz if I can
help it,” I promised him, and he knew I meant it. He said goodbye to his wife
and left with a Wolf escort.
Wolves I’d never met introduced themselves to me and Sierra.
Some had questions, but mostly they wanted to get a feel for me. Sierra
struggled to keep calm with so many strange Wolves around her, and Kato’s
presence at her side helped.
They’re starting to accept me
, I told
Billie, pleased with what I sensed from them. Several Wolves jumped when they
sensed our mindspeech.
Oops.
I see that. Nothing like an enemy from the outside to
stifle conflict within
, she replied neutrally.
Jason had a lot to do with it. His statement floored me.
One Wolf blatantly scrutinized me and Billie as he sensed the mental contact
between us.
He heard you earlier. How can we convince others to trust
you when our own packmates don’t? I said the same thing to him when negotiating
our return, but this time it hit home. You’re taking a lot on right now. Can
you effectively watch the territory and guard my mind?
I’m getting used to multitasking. I’ve been doing both
since we got back, and it’s becoming natural.
Good. You sound much more confident in your abilities
these days. You really don’t know the extent of what you can do, do you?
Nope. I keep finding out I can do more. It’s kind of
scary, actually. I have no idea what my limits are.
After giving them a little time to satisfy their curiosity
and work out details with packmates, Billie declared it time for everyone to
leave unless they planned on staying the night. Jazz chose to stay elsewhere
and left with another Wolf. Kathryn promised Sierra she’d return in the morning
and left hand in hand with her mate. Soon only Jason, Matthew, Amy, and Kato
remained.
Muso, when Sierra is anxious she has a strong effect on
others, but more on Billie than anyone else. Do you know why?
Your mate has grown accustomed to your mind in hers and
is more open to the Sending gift because of it.
His explanation upset me.
You
are not harming your mate. Nor do you make her weak.
I digested his statement.
Only you and Kathryn seem to be
able to staunch Sierra’s emotional output.
Her gift comes from my Mage father, as Kathryn’s comes
from a Mage ancestor. She senses the sameness between us and finds comfort in
it.
I feel the same way about the three of you
, I
admitted.
Jason, Billie, and Matthew delved into more detailed
strategy. As the pack’s right hand and the third best fighter, they’d call on
Matthew and his team if anything happened. Amy listened quietly. Staying fully
in the loop helped her assess potential medical needs, so they let her
eavesdrop even after they kicked everyone else out. Kato didn’t look like he
was going anywhere, listening to everything said with his head on Sierra’s good
leg. I stretched out beside him, the back of my head leaning against his shoulder,
and listened.
“Any advice, Eldest?” Jason asked Kato at one point.
Your plan is sound. They will not believe your words.
They will see truth only in your actions.
I relayed his response,
anticipating Jason’s annoyance at using a Mage as a translator. He twitched his
lip but didn’t comment.
Matthew’s eyes darted between us, and I couldn’t tell what
passed through his mind. The last time we’d come face-to-face, he’d tried to
kill me, and we hadn’t spoken yet. Still battered from the resulting fight with
Billie, he moved with only a little less power than usual. His presence and a
yellowing bruise down his neck made me nervous, but he seemed to hold no ill
will towards me.
“What actions will convince them?” Matthew asked of no one
in particular.
“What convinced you?” I hadn’t meant it to sound like a
challenge, but it came out that way.
“I tried to kill you, and you didn’t kill or collar me.” I
hadn’t expected such a blunt answer delivered so dispassionately, even from
him.
“Great,” I replied dryly. “All we have to do is let them try
to kill me and hope one of you shows up before I’m forced to defend myself. I
don’t like that plan.” Billie didn’t either.
“You can defend yourself against them if you have to?”
Matthew asked.
“I can stop a Wolf without any lasting effects if I have
to,” I assured him.
“How?” They’d heard the statement before, but I’d never
explained it. Only Billie had seen me use it on the Mages.
I sat up and faced them cross-legged on the bed. “The mind
controls the body. I can stop someone in their tracks, knock them motionless to
the ground, or whatever. It’s not collaring. But it takes magepower, and I
don’t like doing that.”
“What isn’t magepower?” Matthew pressed for more details.
“Reading thoughts and emotions. Illusion. I know who’s
around me just like I knew you were coming and had time to respond. I can speak
into someone’s mind without coercing them. Basically, if I don’t smell like a
Mage, I’m not using magepower, and if I’m not using magepower, I’m not taking
away free will. Some of this is invasive and rude, but it’s not coercive.”
“You smell like a Mage now,” he pointed out.
Billie answered from a Wolf’s perspective. “This is just the
residue. It takes time to fade. When she does it, you won’t miss it. As
tempting as it is to ask Sadie to read them, I don’t think it’s a good idea. It
would offend any Wolf.”
Jason thought about it before deciding for me. “I’d like to
know what they’re planning, but it’s not worth pissing them off. Stay out of
their heads. The same rules that apply to this pack apply to any Wolf or their
Human packmates.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “That limits me to watching
over the territory and illusion. Thank God.” Matthew’s eyebrows rose minutely
at my response, but I no longer cared. Ready to go to bed but unwilling to go
to bed alone, I lay down beside Kato again.
Before long they concluded discussions for the night. I
didn’t feel like we’d accomplished much, but I didn’t argue. I needed sleep,
which brought up a question I hadn’t voiced.
I don’t think I can watch over
everyone while I sleep, Muso. Billie, yes. We’re never truly separate anymore.
But not the territory. That worries me.
In time you will learn to maintain awareness while
sleeping. For now I will watch over them while you rest, though not as well as you
are able
, Kato offered.
Our Human packmates are and will continue to be
safe. If I may stay in your home, I can assist you and spend time with my
granddaughter.
Of course you can stay!
Jason, Matthew, and Amy left and I felt like I could relax
for the first time in hours. “You have your house back. Almost,” Sierra
commented as she stretched muscles tight from the day’s anxiety.
“I didn’t know this house could hold so many people,” I
sighed. “Wolves seem to take up more space, even when they’re the same size as
a Human.”
“Some Wolves sure do,” she agreed. Her eyes followed her
thoughts and settled on the front door.
“The ones that come around the most seem to have the biggest
personalities. I guess that’s my fault for falling in love with a Beta. I don’t
know about you, but I’m wiped. Do you need anything before I go to bed?”
“I should eat again. That’s the worst part about being
injured. I can’t get enough to eat. But I can get it.”
Kato jumped to the floor and shifted into his human form. “I
too would enjoy a cold meal. I can retrieve food from the icebox for myself and
Sierra so that you and your mate may retire.”
“What do you need to be comfortable while you’re here?” I
forgot that Billie and Sierra didn’t know he planned to stay, and they looked
at the Eldest in surprise.
Kato smiled, “I am comfortable already. Thank you for your
hospitality, Muzi.”
Fatigue turned into exhaustion as Billie followed me up the
stairs.
Kato is going to watch over the territory while I sleep, and he gets
to spend time with his newly discovered granddaughter too.
She’ll like that.
She’ll like knowing he’s her grandfather. I hope he tells
her soon.
We undressed and climbed into bed. I could barely keep my eyes
open and cradled comfortably against my mate. She ran a hand through my hair
and tucked her chin in my neck.
I love you.
She responded with a kiss on my ear, and I tucked her arm
under mine so I had something of her to hold. I fell asleep with her light
breath on my neck.
I woke up alone. Rolling over, I hoped to find
myself in error and Billie lying awake beside me. Oftentimes I opened my eyes
to find her contentedly watching me sleep. Once awake, we’d fool around before
starting our day. I groaned at her absence, but she required much less sleep
than I did, and we had guests. Downstairs with Kato and Sierra, she noticed my
waking mind.
Good morning, love
, she whispered through our bond.
The sun filtered in brightly through the curtains.
It’s
late. I slept in.
She’d hoped I would.
You needed it. You haven’t been
sleeping enough lately.
I stretched and relished the feel of clean sheets and a soft
bed for a few minutes before donning a robe and stumbling downstairs. Billie
pressed a cup of coffee into my hands when I arrived. I managed to not spill it
as I joined her on the couch with a kiss. “Best girlfriend ever. Good morning.”
Sierra, apparently tired of the bed, reclined in a chair
with her injured leg propped up on the table. Tucking my feet under me, I
leaned against Billie and sipped on the sweet brew. Sierra acknowledged my
greeting absently, and I saw in her the same expression I’d seen on my mate
when we fled into the mountains.
She’s feels lost without her pack
, I commented with
concern.
I remember the feeling. At least she’s not alone
,
Billie replied, protective of the Wolf in her care.
Billie filled me in on her plans for the day. “I’m not going
in to work. Thank the Gods it’s not tax season. But I’ll be out most of the day
taking care of Pack business. Stay here with Sierra if you want. You can do
your job from pretty much anywhere in Boise. If you leave, take a Wolf with
you. How about you, Kato? Are you sick of being inside yet?” He rested his head
on his paws and looked at Sierra, showing his intention to stay. Two cats
curled next to him, sleeping contentedly. Billie smiled at the Eldest, pleased.
“I’m glad you’re here.”
With a full cup of coffee in me, I went in search of more.
Nearly awake, I expanded my senses, feeling like a cat stretching after a nap.
Kato noticed and acknowledged the shift change. “Kathryn and Richard are headed
this way.”
I’d settled back into Billie’s lap by the time Kathryn
arrived. Billie invited her to enter as she reached the door, saving us from
getting up. She shone with some of the serenity she’d lost during the conflict with
Richard and settled herself gracefully into one of the chairs.
“Richard didn’t want to come in?” Billie asked, disappointed
in her best friend still.
“He has a meeting at the firm and is running late. He does
not wish to leave me during this conflict.” She smiled at a private memory.
Kathryn’s happiness pleased both of us. “I don’t blame him.
Sadie can hold her own, and I still don’t want to leave her side.”
“Your mate can do much more than hold her own, dearling,”
she replied with a conspiratorial smile.
“You make it sound like you know something I don’t,” I told
her with a soft chuckle. The jest turned serious when I saw her expression.
“You do, don’t you?”
Raising a protective shield around us just in case, I
glanced at Kato questioningly. He didn’t know what she meant. Kathryn
elaborated. “My Sanyu foresaw his brother’s Muzi and shared some of his vision
with me. I thought nothing of it until I discovered Kato named you. He said his
brother’s Muzi would do what others would not and accomplish what others could
not. She will be more than Wolf, her pack a new frontier.”
Kato raised his head and stared at the Elder.
I did not
know he foresaw this.
I translated and Kathryn inclined her head. “He rarely
shared his visions with those who appeared in them.” Kato set his chin on his
forelegs contemplatively, and I pondered as well. Kathryn saw our identical
responses and raised her eyebrows. “Do you know what this vision means?”
I opened my mouth to reply but shut it quickly. I thought I
understood it, but something told me a deeper meaning lay beneath the obvious.
Billie remained conspicuously silent. Kato answered her question, and I relayed
the message.
Now is not the time to speak of it.
Kathryn accepted his answer easily, but Sierra wanted to
know more. “What is Muso and Muzi?”
“It is teacher and student, but it’s more than that,” I
replied, struggling to put it into words.
Kathryn saved me the effort. “An Elder Sage who wishes to
pass on all he knows will take a pupil as his student. Muzi is the inheritor,
the one he promises to guide until ready to take his place. My Sanyu, who you
know as Isingoma, named his grandson Muzi. It is a great honor.”
“But I am not Sage. I’m Mage. That’s the part I don’t
understand.”
Kato explained.
Sage is the bridge between Mage and
Human. Some of us stand as the bridge between Mage, Human, and Wolf, as do you
in a unique way.
A Mage raised by Humans and living with Wolves. A bridge
between all races.
I sought to understand.
Yes. I am Eldest and will in time introduce you to others.
When needed, they will come to help us in the rising conflict between Mages and
Wolves.
How will they help?
The Mage-Wolf War weighed on me.
Some concrete answers would boost my confidence.
With wisdom, guidance, and foresight.
My hope of
concrete answers dwindled.
You wish to know what will come. Even with the gift of
foresight, the future is not yet written. Your choices determine your path and
the outcome of this conflict. The answers you seek are not for me to say. They
are for you to find and create.
I pondered his words.
Giving up on rejoining our conversation, Kathryn addressed
Sierra. “You’re learning to control your gift very quickly, Sierra. I’m pleased
with your progress in such a short time. Everyone present already knows of our
gift. They are the only ones.”
She didn’t seem comfortable talking about it and avoided
looking at Billie entirely. “I don’t feel like I’ve made much progress. I
affect people even more than I thought I did.”
“Improved awareness is progress. You see its effect and immediately
endeavor to calm yourself. With time and practice you will master the gift,”
Kathryn assured her.
“I’m trying,” she asserted, obviously unsatisfied with the
results.
“I see it too. You’re very upset about your pack right now,
and Billie isn’t.” I supported Kathryn’s assessment. She lowered her eyes, and
I knew she’d realized the enhanced effect she had on my mate. “I asked Kato why
it’s different with Billie. It’s because of me not you.”
What are you talking about?
Billie asked.
You’ve been absorbing her emotions more than most
, I
continued verbally. “But that seems backwards. I keep her mind protected so no
one can get in. Can you explain, Muso?”
Kato shimmered into his human form, disturbing the cats. One
stood indignantly and found a new sleeping place with Sierra. Kato sat on the
bed cross-legged. “You shield your mate against those who would violate her
mind. The Sender’s gift is not a violation. It is an offering that others can
accept or not as they choose. In balance, it is a strength not a weakness.”
Billie took it all in but didn’t know what to think of it. I
sighed. “The more I learn about all of this, the more I realize how much I
don’t know.”
“This is a sign of a good student.” He inclined his head at
me in praise. To Sierra he asked, “You have questions for me about your gift?”
She nodded. “I’ve always been this way. Why am I like this?
”
“Such gifts are inherited and most often manifest in the
form we call Sensitive. The Sending gift comes from the same lineage but
manifests only rarely. You inherited your gift from your foremother.”
“Looking back, I’ve often thought my Grandmother was a
Sensitive.”
“Was her name Dalla?” Kato asked softly.
Sierra, surprised to hear the name, shook her head. “No.
Dalla was her mother. I never met my Great-grandmother. She died during
childbirth and my grandmother was raised by Dalla’s sister.”
Kato’s face drifted into sorrow. “I did not know. This
explains much. Dalla had the Sending gift and used it well.” His face lightened
in memory, but the sadness did not leave entirely. “We spent a short time
together as companions and lovers. When she returned to her home, I did not
know she carried my child. It is possible your grandmother had Dalla’s gift in
some form, but I did not know she existed until I sensed your peril. I
understand now why Dalla did not send word to me of our child, and her sister
would not have known how to find me.” Sierra’s eyes widened as she connected
herself as Kato’s Great-granddaughter.
“Was Dalla your mate?” The question rushed out of Sierra
eagerly.
Kato’s eyes returned to the present and his granddaughter.
“She was not my mate, but we loved each other deeply. She held an obligation to
her people and returned home to fulfill it. I have many questions about my
child and grandchildren.”
“There was a family legend about ancestors who could become
wolves. After I became Wolf, I wondered if the family legend was about a Wolf.
Maybe it was about you.”
“Perhaps. You are not alone here, Granddaughter. Kathryn was
my brother’s mate and is your aunt. Sadie is my Muzi, and by my people’s
tradition, she is my daughter, as is her mate. You sit among family.” Sierra
looked around at us, bewildered but no longer looking lost.
Kathryn smiled warmly at her niece. “I am beyond pleased
that you are here. Of the many people I’ve known in my life, only Dalla shared
my gift. And now you.”
“You have a home here with us any time you want or need it,”
Billie declared to my delight. I’d lived without family since my parents kicked
me out at 17, and suddenly I had more family than I ever imagined. An irate
Alpha couldn’t even quell my joy that morning. We talked and shared stories.
Kato heard tales of his descendants and spoke of his travels with her
Great-grandmother.
Before the afternoon set fully upon us, Billie announced she
had to leave. “Right now it’s a waiting game with your Alpha, which means more
work for me.”
* * *
Billie pondered Sierra’s assessment of the Montana
Alpha’s strategy. She preferred to meet an enemy directly, to strike at the
head without any subterfuge or clandestine activities. Graham’s methods sounded
like bullying to her, but it also made perfect sense. When hunting elk, they
didn’t target the strongest bull. Most often they picked out the weak or
vulnerable, separating it from the herd and taking it down as a pack. Graham
fought like a wolf hunts, and she could adjust to meet his strategy.
She mentally listed the most vulnerable Wolves in the pack,
Amy and Jazz high on the list. A few others held her concern. With Jazz at work
and Amy spending most of her time either with her, Sadie, or Nathan, she
decided to check on Ruth first. Stronger and more dominant than she appeared,
the old Wolf would surprise any who underestimated her. As matriarch of the
largest Wolf family in the pack, Billie suspected her family would congregate
around her.
When she arrived at Ruth’s modest suburban home, she
discovered even more than anticipated. Ruth had gathered every Wolf family
member and the majority of the Pack’s more vulnerable members into her home.
She could hear several throughout the house and smelled others who’d taken up
temporary residence.
“We’re all staying in one place. We miss our families.
Together their absence is more tolerable,” Ruth informed her Beta as her
nephew-in-law appeared from the other room. “Lina asked William to look after
her family, and he’s taking his promise seriously. He is guarding the lot of
us.”
“He always does,” Billie nodded gratefully to the powerful
Wolf. “I feel a lot better about their safety with you protecting them.”
“The Guard has enough to deal with.” He used an older term
for Matthew’s team, a relic from his time with them. “They don’t need everyone
scattered across the valley. I’m encouraging as many as I can to stay here
where I can keep an eye on them.”
“Who’s here so far?” Billie asked. He listed almost every
vulnerable Wolf on her list, including Jazz. “Will you see that Jazz is
escorted to and from work each day? I promised Gary.”
“I’ll see to it. I’m on PTO until this is over.” He worked
for Jason’s security company. He could easily arrange time off to take care of
pack needs.
“Penelope too,” Ruth suggested. “She’s not herself right
now.”
“What’s going on?” Billie demanded, her first thought that
the Wolf was collared. Sadie probably would have noticed, but neither of them
understood the complexities of her powers yet. She wouldn’t take any chances.
“Bozo.” Ruth’s matronly demeanor hardened when she referred
to her daughter’s ex-husband, Bono. She’d nicknamed the man years earlier and
refused to call him by his real name.
Billie’s face hardened. Bono had married a Wolf and spent
several years in the pack. He didn’t adjust to Wolf culture or Pack life and
only stayed because of his twin sons. The inevitable divorce, followed by a
long bitter custody battle ended with Penelope winning custody. He couldn’t
tell the judge his wife was Wolf without sounding like a lunatic, so he’d made
unfounded accusations of child endangerment. When the judge saw through his
lies, he’d cornered Penelope and threatened to expose Wolves to Humans if she
didn’t hand over their sons.
He never understood Wolf culture, so he didn’t expect to
find Jason, Billie, Ruth, and Glenn on his doorstep an hour later. They set
terms and conditions for his behavior if he wanted to remain in Pack territory.
Threats of exposure would not be tolerated, and any action that risked the
safety of the pack would meet with a response. Thanks to Glenn’s hacking
skills, they knew about some illicit activities he preferred to keep quiet.
Bono would face some difficult conversations with the authorities if he crossed
the line again.