Psyche Shield (22 page)

I sensed the strange energies that enveloped Kato when he
had a vision of the future. It felt like something great and vast enveloped
him. The Wolves couldn’t sense it, but they saw the change in him as it
overtook him. “The opportunity to mend the conflict with my granddaughter’s pack
is nearing. You are prepared to meet this challenge and turn enemy into ally.
We near the end of a war.” With that, Kato’s human form shimmered and an
Ethiopian Wolf sat by Sierra’s side.

Jason grunted heavily, dissatisfied with the conversation
but unable to force it. Instead he looked at Billie and me demandingly. Billie
turned a troubled look towards the Ethiopian Wolf. “I don’t understand half of
what Kato says.” I only shrugged, which seemed safest. I could evade his
questions, but I couldn’t lie without him smelling it.

Is anyone else going to die before we mend the conflict?
I asked my Muso.

I do not know
, he replied somberly, resting his chin
on Sierra’s knee. Jason sensed our mental contact, and opened his mouth to
comment. I discretely shook my head and darted my eyes at Sierra, begging him
not to ask.

Before he could argue with me, I stood. “Is anyone hungry?”
Distracting the Wolves with food worked, and I retreated inside to gather
together something that resembled a meal. As anticipated, Jason followed, and I
glanced pointedly at the door suggesting he close it.

“What did he say to you?” Perceptively, he spoke so softly I
could barely hear him.

I spoke even softer. “Mind if I use illusion to muffle our
voices?” He nodded and I raised an illusion so the Wolves outside couldn’t hear
us at normal volume. “I asked if anyone else is going to die over this. He
doesn’t know. I didn’t want Sierra to hear his answer.”

Jason’s face hardened. “What do you know that you’re not
telling me?”

Too much, I thought. I blew out a deep breath and came up
with something I could tell him. “I know their gifts come from Mage blood, but
the rest is speculation. Kathryn didn’t know she has Mage blood until recently,
and Sierra still doesn’t know. It makes sense that any Wolf who knows they have
a Mage ancestor would keep it quiet. We’re not exactly popular around here.
Maybe it’s more common than you thought and my presence is bringing it all out
into the open.”

“You have not told Sierra?”

“No. That’s for Kato to decide.”

He narrowed his eyes at my indirect challenge to his
authority. “Not your Alpha?”

I almost leapt into a delicious argument and stifled it, but
not before he noticed. “I was talking about family, and that information should
come from her grandfather, not me. Of course you can tell her if you want.”

He accepted the difference and looked at me thoughtfully.
“Are all Mages as powerful as you?”

I didn’t want to answer the question, but he deserved as
much of an answer as I could give him. “No. Not all Mages are even capable of
collaring or controlling a Wolf. Your minds are very resistant to us, and it
takes time and effort to twist it. You were right about how that is done. Some
Mages can’t do much more than read minds and create illusions.”

He liked hearing limitations to Mage powers. “How much time
does it take to collar a Wolf?”

“It depends on the Mage, and it depends on the Wolf. The
three from last week estimated it would take a few days for the four of us to
claim the entire Pack, and they knew they may not be able to claim everyone.
They thought I was average and untrained and wouldn’t be much help. I know from
Kato’s vision that they would have failed to collar you, Matthew, and Billie
entirely. I believe the difficulty goes hand in hand with dominance.” I shook
my head and justified my explanation. “I’m making some assumptions here. I’ve
only met those three, and I’m basing a lot of this on what they believed.”

He grew thoughtful. “That supports my experience with Mages.
How long would it take you to collar a Wolf?” He suspected the truth and tested
my honesty.

“I’d rather not say,” I admitted.

“Why?”

“Because the idea sickens me.” He stared hard and I
relented. “Minutes probably. I’ve only ever freed a mind, not claimed it. But
it’s easier to make a mess than clean it up.”

“Freeing a collared Wolf isn’t supposed to be possible. How
did you do it?”

“I don’t know. I shouldn’t be able to do half this stuff
without proper training, according to the others. I don’t know how I do it. I
just do.” He understood instinct better than I did.

“Every time you talk about your powers, you smell like
half-truths. You’re hiding something.” I bit my lip and didn’t answer
immediately. He growled softly, a clear warning not to disobey him.

“I’m not trying to hide from you. I just don’t want to talk
about it,” I sniped at him.

“You don’t get privacy in this,” he spoke sternly, his tone
allowing for no debate.

“Why not?” I asked. “This isn’t easy for me either.”

His voice deepened. “You’ve proven your loyalty, and you’re
Pack now. But I can’t trust you so long as you’re hiding things from me.”

He had a point, but after all I’d been through to protect
the pack, his accusation offended me. “Really? You can’t trust me? I’ve done
everything you’ve asked of me. Okay, not everything but almost. I’ve given you
reason after reason to trust me.” I pointed a finger at him accusingly. “You,
on the other hand, have threatened to kill me since the moment we met. You
ordered Matthew to kill me and Billie. You hunted us halfway across the state
and tried to kill my mate. I understand why you did all that, so I’m willing to
trust you. Why won’t you return the favor?”

“Because I don’t have to. I’m responsible to my Pack, and
that’s more important than making you feel good. You’re a Mage. Half my pack is
scared of you, and I gave you Pack Status anyway. You owe me an answer,” he
pressed.

He’d hit a nerve, abrading it relentlessly until I spoke
impulsively. “I’m still getting used to all of this, Alpha. What I am. What
everyone here is. And especially what I can do. I quit using magepower when I
was sixteen years old. I pretended it didn’t exist after that. I killed seven
people by wishing they were dead, and I didn’t even know that was possible
until afterwards. Now I have to figure it out real quick so I don’t hurt anyone
else. I don’t like it when people are afraid of what I can do. I don’t want to
be a Mage at all, and I got stuck with a lot more power than most. How would
you like knowing you can destroy the people you love?”

“I can,” He replied blandly.

“You can kill them. You can’t destroy them,” I argued.
“There’s a big difference between us.”

“You’re right about that.” His eyes narrowed, and I wished I
knew what he thought about the statement.

“I don’t want to hurt anyone, Jason.”

“Unless they’re threatening someone you care about,” he
pointed out practically. I couldn’t deny it. “Matthew wants you to teach him to
fight Mages.”

“He asked earlier. I’m willing, but I would like a promise
first.” He didn’t respond, waiting for my request before deciding whether or
not to growl at me. “I’ve learned a few things about my people. We’re as
different in power as you and Amy. And we’re as different in personality as
Adrienne and Jazz. Not all Mages are dangerous to Wolves. Some of my people
don’t have the power to coerce Wolves, and some don’t want to. Will you let the
ones who aren’t a threat go? Will you lift the standing order to kill any Mage
in our territory?”

“How do you suggest I keep my pack safe if I do that?” He
tensed at the idea of letting Mages walk free, but he asked the question
honestly.

“Me. I can take point with any Mage who comes around. I’ll
know if they’re dangerous, and I can handle it if they are. Wolf versus Wolf.
Mage versus Mage.” He considered my suggestion in silence for several moments.
I misunderstood his reticence and lost patience. To be fair, it irritated me
that I couldn’t sense his feelings on the matter. “I think I’ve already proven
I’ll do whatever it takes to protect the pack.”

He grinned wide at my belligerent assumption, and for a
moment I felt more like a potential snack than a packmate. “I’m not questioning
your loyalty, Mage.”

“Oh.” I shut up and waited.

“I’ll give it a go. You’re responsible for keeping them out
of our minds. Figure out what they’re up to and kick them out if they’re not a
threat. They’re not welcome here no matter what. If you can’t assess or control
the situation for any reason, we’ll take no chances. Work with Matthew and his
team. Teach them and learn from them.”

“I’ve wanted that for a while,” I admitted.

“What is Kato hiding from me?” His question caught me off
guard.

I didn’t know enough to answer the question anyway, and my
confusion showed through naturally. Still, I could only give a half-truth.
“Kato may be my mentor, but I feel like I’m in kindergarten most of the time. I
know he had a vision before he went cryptic and quit talking, but I don’t know
what he saw. I can sense the visions but not see them. He doesn’t usually share
them with me.”

“Half-truths again,” He warned me. “I’m Alpha of this pack.
Kato gets away with it because he’s older than dirt. You’re not.”

“I trust him.”

“You know more than you’re admitting,” he informed me
correctly. “Don’t push me, Mage.”

I grinned mischievously, needing to lighten the mood. “Has
anyone ever told you you’re a controlling son of a bitch?”

“Many times. They don’t usually live to say it twice.” His
eyes shined with sadistic humor, and I smiled. Our normal squabbling felt like
solid ground.

“I’m supposed to be grabbing food. Want to help me so they
don’t think I’ve annoyed you into ripping my throat out?”

“Don’t give me ideas,” he suggested.

The normally overflowing refrigerator lay nearly bare when
we opened it, so we pulled together a peculiar assortment of food and snacks.
Billie glanced up as we came out onto the patio, our arms full. Through our
constant mental connection, she sensed the argument but stayed out of it. No
longer concerned for my safety with Jason, she let us work our differences out
on our own.

I didn’t fill her in just yet. I didn’t think our Alpha
would appreciate sensing mindspeech, so I gave her a reassuring half smile
instead. Kato, still in wolf form, locked eyes with me. He had something to
talk to me about, but his mental voice didn’t fill my mind. He waited, too. I
hoped the three of us would have a private conversation soon.

The Wolves fed their insatiable appetite while I nibbled
just to have something to do. We barely spoke as we relaxed in the waning
sunlight. Sierra looked exhausted, and after eating, she announced her intentions
to retire. Kato and Kathryn followed her inside, and I watched them go. I’d
talk to the old Wolf later.

Only Jason, Richard, Billie, and I remained outside. For
once, the silence didn’t hang heavy and awkward between us. We stared out into
the foothills, and I knew the Wolves felt the urge to run. More than an urge.
They needed to run, to be a wolf for a while. My own desire to spend time in
the wilds paled compared to theirs. I’d grown to love the outdoors as a retreat
from Humans and my loneliness. For the Wolves, the wilderness was home.

“You know you can’t go home until this is over, Richard.”
Billie told her friend. “You’re welcome here of course. But I was going to ask
Kathryn to stay at Ruth’s before this happened. They need her.”

“I’ll stay with Kathryn at Ruth’s. The pack is stressed and
except for Sierra, the worst of it is there.” He glanced at me discretely, and
I doubted he’d have chosen to stay with us.

“You should run.” I spoke the words on everyone’s mind.

“It’s not safe right now,” Billie told me longingly.

Richard countered. “Tensions are rising. We’re starting to
jump at shadows. That’s not safe either.”

“We’re being attacked from the shadows,” Billie growled.
“Give me a hard fight over this any day.”

“You win every fight,” I told her, amused at her
preferences. “Of course you’d rather that.” I realized I should have phrased it
differently when I sensed Jason’s reaction. No one mentioned that he’d lost two
fights to Billie recently. His Beta outmatched him in skill, and his pride
could barely take it.

“We run,” Jason decided. “Right now Graham’s probably
licking his wounds and tending to his dead packmate. This is our best chance
until he’s gone.”

“Just the ones who need it most,” Richard advised.

“Graham won’t attack a stronger force.” Billie considered
the options. “Jason and me, Phil, Matthew and Owen. Glenn can watch over the
injured. William is with most of the rest.”

“And I’m the all-in-one Walkie-Talkie and perimeter alarm.
Billie and I can communicate any problems between the groups,” I offered.

Jason approved of the developing plan. “We’ll leave from
here and stay close. Can you shield us from Human eyes?” He asked me, and I
assured him I could. “Anything out of place, and you contact Billie. We’ll come
right back.”

“If you stay inside my range, I can warn you if they head
your way,” I reminded them.

“Richard, you’re coming,” Billie told him. “Amy too if she’s
willing to leave Nathan. Kathryn has to stay with Sierra. She needs it, but she
can’t run on that leg yet.”

Richard perked up at the invitation. “She can speak for the
Pack while we’re gone if need be.”

“Who else needs it?” Billie asked.

“Everyone,” Jason reminded them. “The rest will have to
wait. We leave after sundown.”

Billie pulled out her phone and texted those who would run
as well as those who would stay behind to stand guard. I wondered how her
injuries would fare during a run.
I’ll take it easy
, she promised me.
Don’t
spread yourself too thin tonight. If you can’t cover everyone, watch over our
packmates here.