Psyche Shield (24 page)
“You’re hired,” Glenn informed me. Billie nuzzled my hand
affectionately, not yet ready to leave her wolf form behind.
“I never thought I’d be doing security work,” I told her
while looking down into her crystal blue eyes.
Matthew stared intently at me, drawing my attention away
from Billie. “I want to hear more about illusion. That was very strange when
you dissolved under my teeth.” Billie sensed the memory rise in me and smelled
my fear. I couldn’t help it, and she set her chin on my knee protectively. She
met Matthew’s gaze, and he drew back a couple of inches respectfully. He hadn’t
intended any aggression towards me, and we all knew it.
I reassured her with a hand on her neck. “Trust your nose.
Illusion doesn’t work on scent.”
His expression barely changed. “It’s a good thing I didn’t
know that before.”
“She’d be dead,” Glenn replied somberly, his eyebrows rising
slightly.
Matthew eyed me closely, a calculative look on his face. “I
doubt it. I didn’t even manage to sneak up on her. She didn’t want to fight me.
She was buying time for Billie to arrive.”
I nodded carefully, the memory still vivid. “I didn’t want
Billie to lose her pack. Using magepower against you would have burned this
bridge. That’s not something Wolves are likely to forgive. But I honestly don’t
know what I would have done if Billie hadn’t shown up. We were lucky she got
there in time.”
“Matthew’s lucky Billie didn’t kill him. Wolves aren’t known
for thinking clearly when our mate is threatened,” Glenn commented, my fear of
Matthew and Billie’s reaction to it speaking for itself.
Neither am I,” I admitted yet again.
Glenn considered me and Billie thoughtfully before he spoke.
“You’ve agreed to help us train. Do you know what we’re asking of you?”
I glanced down at Billie and met her gaze. “I do. We both
do. Sometimes you’re going to hunt me, and you won’t be able to give either of
us any warning. It has to come out of nowhere.”
“Will we survive hunting your mate?” he asked his Beta,
leaning forward and smiling mischievously. She met his eyes in an indiscernible
challenge, and he straightened once again, the grin fading from his face.
Too tired to laugh properly at them, my body simply shook in
mirth. “I think your chances will improve when another Alpha isn’t out for my
blood.”
“We’ll limit the hunters to Wolves you trust,” Matthew
offered, knowing that excluded him for the time being.
“That’s probably a good idea.” I appreciated the offer and
yawned uncontrollably.
You’re exhausted
, she noticed and nuzzled my hand
again.
Thank you for watching over them so we could run. Why don’t you go to
bed? I’ll join you soon.
“You took the words right out of my mouth. Good night,
everyone.” I waved at the room and climbed the stairs. Falling asleep
instantly, I slept so soundly I didn’t even hear them downstairs.
Billie followed Sadie’s progress up the stairs to
their bedroom, her feet heavy and her eyes barely open. She’d love nothing more
than to join her. Energized from the run, she wanted to twist the sheets with
her sexy mate. She could easily spend the next hour just holding her and watching
her sleep, but her duty remained with her packmates a little longer.
Billie met Jason’s eyes contentedly. He perched in wolf form
on one of the cozy chairs and surveyed his pack, proud and satisfied. Her Alpha
and her mate didn’t understand or like each other, but they’d begun to accept
the place the other had in her life. They respected each other, and she could
live with that. Even the incessant bickering had become a strange but effective
compromise, a way to meet on common ground.
Wolves lounged throughout the lower level of the house. Some
dozed and others recounted their adventures on the run. Amy trotted down the
stairs with Nathan on her arm. His pallor, still ashen from blood loss, had
nevertheless improved since they left.
The Medic bubbled with infectious happiness as usual. “Hiya,
everyone! Oooh, deer.” The couple eagerly shifted into wolf form and joined
Sierra. Most of her packmates were the grey wolves found in the local
mountains. The arctic wolf, red wolf, and grey wolf eating together looked out
of place. Once the injured and Medic ate their fill, the remainder of those who
stayed behind shared the leftovers.
Billie interrupted her own conversation with Matthew to
appraise the injured Pup. “How are you doing?”
“Lots better. I like healing so quick.” He grinned as he
rested his chin on Amy’s head. Their height difference matched perfectly for
it, and Billie found the gesture endearing. “I slept right through to when we
heard you down here.”
“What was up with that?” Amy asked. “It was totally quiet
and then all of a sudden, wham. The house was loud.” By Nathan’s expression,
the noise had startled him too.
Billie considered the question for a moment and the answer
came to her. She laughed out loud. “Sadie went to bed. She must have forgotten
about the illusion and dropped it when she fell asleep.”
Amy raised her chin, pretending irritation. “Would you ask
her to drop it gently next time, ’cause that was rude.”
“I got a good long sleep out o’ it. I ain’t complaining.”
Nathan stuck up for Sadie. Everyone knew he had a soft spot for her.
Matthew eyed the stocky Wolf. “Phil says you fought well for
a Pup with no training. I could use someone like you.” He met Billie’s gaze
pointedly.
Billie nodded, approving of Matthew’s suggestion. “He
already has decent wilderness survival skills and a level head. From what I’ve
seen he has great potential as a tracker. He’d be a good addition to your
team.” She gave her assessment. If Matthew wanted Nathan on his team, she’d
support it.
Nathan had some knowledge of what that meant through Phil,
but he asked for more details. Matthew laid it out, including the downside of
the job. He wouldn’t surprise the Pup. “What would ya want me to do?”
“I like the sound of most of it, and I can live with the
rest.”
“Wilderness tracking is where we’re weakest right now,”
Matthew admitted. “We’re good, but not good enough. You can fill that niche. No
one is ordered onto my team. Once on it, we follow orders without question.
What’s your answer?”
“Sure. ’Specially if it means people quit calling me a Pup.”
“It’ll be a while before that happens.” Amy reached up with
one hand and patted his cheek affectionately.
Matthew continued, ignoring Amy’s comment. “We all work for
Jason’s security company. The job sharpens our skills and we’re available at a
moment’s notice. We’ll get you a job there too.”
“As soon as you’re healed, you’ll start training with them
and with me,” Billie agreed and waved Kathryn over. “You’re the best tracker we
have. Will you teach Nathan?”
“I would be my pleasure.” She inclined her head towards the
Pup.
“I’ll keep the first aid kit stocked,” Amy complained. “I
spend more time patching up these guys and Billie than everyone else combined.”
“I’ll be careful,” he promised her.
“No, you won’t,” she pouted. “You’ll hop to it and do what
needs to be done. I like that about you, so I won’t ask you not to do this. But
if you lie to me about an injury again, I’ll ...” It took her a moment to come
up with a threat that would work. “I’ll paint neon hippie flowers on your Harley!”
“You have a Harley?” Glenn asked, ignoring the strange but
effective threat as he joined the conversation.
“Back home I do. I’d like to go get it and my other stuff
soon if I can. I talked to my sister after we got back and let her know I’m
okay. Be nice to see her ’n show her I’m not the total jerk she saw last.
She’ll like Amy.”
Billie knew the sentiment. Pack didn’t replace a Wolf’s old
family. “We’ll make it happen. I’d like to take Sadie to see my family too.”
“I don’t have any family to introduce you to.” Amy twisted
her head to look into her mate’s eyes apologetically. “Just some distant
cousins and great nieces and nephews that don’t know I’m still alive.”
“Could be worse,” Billie commented offhandedly. “You could
have Sadie’s family.”
“True,” Amy’s face lightened. “I’d like to be a fly on the
wall at that family reunion!”
“I was at the last one. I’ll skip it,” Nathan huffed. Billie
silently agreed with the Pup. She hoped Sadie would find kin she could relate
to, but realistically she anticipated more like Cassandra. Either way she’d go
if Sadie asked.
“Christmas with your family, then?” Amy suggested brightly.
“That’s the plan. It’s less likely to be followed by a
funeral.”
“Killing a relative would be a real holiday downer.”
“No doubt,” Billie regretted the topic and wanted a new one.
She raised her eyes to the ceiling, her lips thinning. “She’s really out. I
knew she was tired, but I didn’t realize. She should have said something.”
“She’s tough. Determined,” Glenn complimented.
After Glenn’s initial attitude towards Sadie, his praise
surprised and pleased her. She dallied only a little longer with her packmates
before saying goodnight.
Kato waylaid her as she crossed the living room, his serious
expression giving her reason for concern. “Please tell my Muzi that I must go
attend to important matters. I will return as soon as I may.”
“I’ll tell her. Is something wrong?” Kato’s disappearance
without so much as a goodbye would crush Sadie.
“Events are unfolding untimely.”
“I don’t understand,” Billie told him, her eyes locking with
his as she searched for a better explanation to give her mate.
“I hope to offer an explanation upon my return.”
She suspected he couldn’t say more around the others. If so,
she wouldn’t inquire and instead asked, “Will you at least say goodbye to her?”
“I must go now and cannot wait until she wakes. She must
rest and regain her strength. I ask you to care for our family knowing you will
do so regardless.” He placed a hand gently on Billie’s cheek.
“I’ll take care of them. Come back soon,” she pleaded with
the Eldest Wolf, hearing an extended absence in his words. “Sadie needs you.”
He didn’t answer, and Billie wished for a private
conversation. Instead she bid him farewell, and he darted out the doggie door
in wolf form. As he disappeared into the night, she continued up the stairs.
Standing in the doorway, she watched Sadie sleep for a few
minutes. Her mate slept deeply, her breathing heavy and rhythmic. Billie didn’t
even sense a dream within her quiet mind. The love she felt for this woman
couldn’t compare to anything she’d known before.
Her mate was Pack. Billie’s packmates had distrusted Sadie
the moment they found out she was a Mage, hated and hunted her like the enemy.
Even after she’d proven herself, they’d denied Sadie Pack Status. Some still
feared and distrusted her, but one by one they came around. Asking her to stand
guard over their children and injured showed the level of confidence they had
in her. She didn’t know if Sadie realized how much that meant to a Wolf. Their
wish had been granted, and her mate stepped forward unwaveringly to fill any
Pack need.
No matter how complicated her life had become by having a
Mage as a mate, she wouldn’t wish for anything else. She accepted the whole
package, even if it included relatives straight out of a horror flick. Billie
knew from the beginning what kind of person her mate was. She’d proven it time
and again, and her packmates finally began to see it.
Tearing her eyes away from the sleeping woman, Billie
showered quickly before slipping between the sheets. Lying next to her mate,
she wrapped an arm protectively around her. Sadie scooted closer reflexively,
her mind still quiet. Billie closed her eyes and fell asleep contentedly.
Something woke me. Darkness poured through the
closed curtains when I opened my eyes. The only light in the room came from
Billie’s clock on the bedside table, announcing I’d slept less than three
hours. My brain felt sluggish and cloudy. But something felt wrong. I couldn’t
tell what, but a sense of dread began to escalate, and my heart raced. Cobwebs
obscured my mind, refusing to budge, and I wiped my face with a hand before
trying again.
Billie
, I called to my sleeping mate as I rolled to
face her, dislodging her arm from its resting place on my stomach.
Billie,
wake up.
She woke instantly, alert green eyes meeting mine.
What’s
wrong?
She sensed my concern and assessed our surroundings automatically,
ears and nose telling her what lay beyond our bedroom.
I don’t know.
Irritated at the answer, I rubbed my
face vigorously again. The fog in my mind persisted.
Can you hear anything?
No. Everything sounds normal. What do you sense?
I don’t know. Something is happening, but I can’t think
clearly. Shit. This isn’t good. I’m getting up.
She moved quickly, making no sound despite her dizzyingly
rapid speed. The clock’s faint light turned Billie into a blurred shadow.
Envious of her ability to wake up fully alert with even less sleep, I dressed
as quickly as possible in the dark. Billie required very little light to see
clearly. By the time I met her at the door, she wore a robe and listened
intently.
Quietly.
Her senses didn’t pick up anything unusual, but she
trusted mine.
The door opened without a sound to my non-Wolf ears, and I
tiptoed behind her down the hall. She noticed something and lengthened her
stride, disappearing down the stairs. She listened to the environment
intensely, but I didn’t hear anything, with my own ears or hers. Once I started
moving, my mind began to wake up.
What’s going on? What do you hear?
Almost nothing. That’s the problem. It’s too quiet
,
she informed me.
I followed at a slower pace and stretched my senses
gradually. Wolves slumbered throughout the house. Behind me I sensed Nathan and
Amy in one bedroom, Richard and Kathryn in another. Jason, Matthew, Glenn, and
Owen slept lightly in the living room below me. Through our connection, I
sensed Billie call out to her packmates, speaking too softly to be heard by
anyone other than a Wolf in the same room.
I didn’t find Kato or Sierra at all, and their absence
finally woke me up. Extending my senses outward, I located Sierra in the
backyard, half asleep. She wasn’t alone, but she didn’t know it yet.
Oh my
God, Billie! The Montana Wolves are here. Out back. They’re after Sierra!
I sensed Sierra wake as she heard her packmates move in on
her. Fear escalated instantly and then disappeared suddenly. I sensed nothing
from my sister and nearly panicked before finding her unconscious mind, still
alive but very quiet. Billie and the others reached the backyard, and I had
enough sense to raise an illusion around the property.
Wake up everyone upstairs.
Her clipped order came
through, and I knew she faced Sierra’s attackers.
I’d nearly reached the bottom step and turned around.
Sierra’s unconscious mind sent me into turmoil. Moving as quickly as I could
back upstairs, I no longer worried about staying quiet. Nathan and Amy bolted
awake when I threw the door open without knocking. “Get up. The Montana Wolves
are here.” Leaving the bewildered couple before letting them respond, I flew to
the other bedroom. I’d made enough noise to wake Kathryn and Richard, who
dressed as I barged in.
I ran back downstairs at top speed, four Wolves beating me
to the lower level despite pausing to dress. Briefly I thought it strange that
they bothered with clothes and rationalized that nudity would limit their
movements inside the city. Belatedly, I found my own thought baffling. If I had
to justify why my packmates needed clothes, I’d grown more accustomed to nudity
than I thought.
Reaching the back door last, I stopped abruptly at the
threshold. The scene in front of me made my heart pound and my breath come
short. Five Wolves had managed to sneak up on us inside the city in wolf form.
I assumed the three in human form would have worn clothes if they’d arrived on
two legs. Even under the cover of darkness, the bold maneuver reeked of
desperation. Fortunately our nearest neighbors still slept, and I ensured we
wouldn’t draw their attention.
Graham stood on the far end of the yard in human form with
his packmates flanking him and the foothills to his back. The Wolf at his side
glared at us with identical eyes, and they even held themselves with similar
defensive posture. His son and Beta, Stephen, had Sierra draped over his
shoulder like a bag of grain. They could have fled into the foothills on four
legs, but not with the unconscious Sierra in tow.
Two packmates in wolf form postured on either side of the
Alpha and Beta. They bared their teeth silently, hackles raised as they
anticipated an attack. A fifth Wolf on two legs did the same but from a
slightly more Human demeanor. In all, they made an impressive show of force,
and they still didn’t hold a candle to ours.
Jason and Billie stood side by side facing the intruders.
Billie’s relaxed posture fooled no one this time. With her red curls flying
loose and wearing only a thin silk robe, she looked like a mythological goddess
of war. Fully clothed and in a good mood, Jason could look ferocious. His
expression threatened the intruders mercilessly, and muscles rippled under the
tattoos that covered most of his body. I’d seen it before, and I still thought
he looked like a beast from hell. This time it reassured me. The entirety of
Matthew’s team flanked them. The Montana Wolves faced the strongest fighting
force in the Pacific Northwest, and they knew it.
Kathryn, Richard, and Amy stood behind their fighters,
largely ignored by the intruders. Richard would back the others up in the
unlikely event they needed it. Kathryn and Amy stayed out of physical conflicts
as a rule and added little advantage. Kathryn’s typical serenity faltered, her
mouth set firmly in displeasure.
I took everything in but couldn’t remove my gaze from
Sierra’s limp body slung over a Wolf’s shoulder like a bad Tarzan movie.
Outraged, I held my tongue with considerable effort and moved to stand near
Kathryn. With the Sender on one side of me and a clear path to the door on the
other, I covered my bases. Hopefully her gift would curb any unwise impulses. If
a fight broke out, I could get out of the way.
Graham stared bewildered at the Wolves in front of him. He
stood no chance of winning, but that didn’t explain his confusion. “What trick
is this? You were running.”
By his expression, Jason didn’t understand the other Alpha’s
question. With sudden clarity, I knew why they chose this moment to grab Sierra
and why they looked like a three-headed hydra just landed in front of them.
Their Human spy saw the fighters leave, but not their return. After all the grief
she’d caused, I took pleasure in fooling her with my illusion.
“You’re not taking her,” Jason informed the other Alpha
coldly, ignoring what he didn’t understand. “Not like this and not until I know
you won’t hurt her.”
Graham hadn’t expected to fight at all, so he tried reason
instead. His voice reached every pair of ears, echoing commandingly despite the
low volume. He didn’t know about illusion, and we didn’t enlighten him. Like
most of the other older Wolves, his accent reflected his age. Archaic and modern
phrasing merged, and I couldn’t have placed his origins on my own. “She’s one
of mine. You have no right to keep her.”
Stephen didn’t twitch under Sierra’s weight or under
Billie’s irate stare. He projected calculative intelligence without his father’s
arrogant fury. Under different circumstances I’d probably like him. Only
confidence in my packmates kept me from knocking him senseless to the ground.
He held the other Beta’s stare, dismissing me as unimportant. Billie responded
to the Montana Alpha without taking her eyes off of Stephen. “We’re not holding
her against her will. She’s free to go anytime she chooses.”
“If that were true, why would she stay?” The Montana Alpha
challenged.
Jason pointed a finger at Sierra’s limp body. “I offered her
protection until you came to your senses. Obviously you haven’t.”
As much as I could without entering her mind, I assessed
Sierra. She still lived, but I couldn’t tell much. Amy assessed her as well and
probably knew more. As softly as I could, I whispered, “Is Sierra okay?” Until
I spoke, Graham hadn’t spare more than a passing glance at me. Apparently I
didn’t smell like a Mage anymore, but he’d heard my voice before, and it gave
me away. His face hardened viciously as he turned his full attention on me. Amy
didn’t have a chance to answer.
“You,” He snarled. “I won’t let you have her.”
I knew he could smell my fear. My packmates stood between
us, and I didn’t fear for myself even without magepower. Stephen could kill
Sierra before any of us had time to react, and it terrified me. I opened my
mouth to protest but stopped. Nothing I said would change his mind about me. I
just looked at him, pleading silently.
“I’m Alpha here, Graham,” Jason snarled, asserting his
position. “You’re trespassing. Put Sierra down and leave before I order my
Wolves to attack. You will not win.”
“Why is she so important to you?” Graham demanded of me,
clearly not hearing Jason’s ’I’m in charge’ statement.
“I never meant to put her in danger. Please don’t hurt her.”
I would willingly beg for her life if that’s what it took.
“No Wolf should have to live like this,” Graham interrupted
me and shook his fist stubbornly.
“I didn’t collar her!” I yelled desperately, beginning to
lose the battle of self-control. Outwardly Billie ignored me, but I sensed her
concern. Another Alpha brought out my belligerent side and unwisely threatened
someone I loved while I tried to control my impulses on less than three hours
sleep.
Jason raised a hand at me in firm warning, cutting the air
in a sharp movement. “Sadie, shut up. Don’t do anything.” His growl deepened as
he enunciated every word clearly. To everyone’s surprise, I followed his order.
Locking my lips together, I clenched my fists instead.
Graham’s eyes darted back and forth between me and Jason
undecidedly, his attention finally returning to the Alpha. His packmates
watched the exchange silently, hyperaware of everyone. They missed nothing. I
sensed their unease, and Billie smelled their fear. That was smart, considering
the group of Wolves they faced.
Wolf versus Wolf. Mage versus Mage.
I reminded
myself. I had to let the Wolves handle this situation, no matter what.
Deliberately turning my attention away from the offending Alpha and Beta, I
studied the Wolves with them. The Ethiopian Wolf drew my attention first, her
lanky red body reminding me of Kato. She tensed when I met her eyes, expecting
the worst. The other, an average-sized grey wolf with unusual black markings
lowered his ears menacingly at my scrutiny.
The Wolf in human form postured like the others. He stood
taller than his Alpha and Beta, and his sandy hair and pale complexion
contrasted with Stephen. As soon as I noticed him, he drew all of my interest.
The Alphas continued to argue, but I quit paying attention. I should have seen
it immediately. Locking eyes with the Wolf, I sensed two minds behind his gaze.
The Wolf challenged me, and someone else regarded me with frank curiosity.
This changed everything, and I didn’t know what would happen
when I announced my discovery. In the present situation, the Montana Wolves
might perceive mindspeech as a Mage attack, so I didn’t dare contact Billie
silently. Despite not wanting to inflame the conflict, his Alpha and Beta
deserved to know. With that thought, I made a decision and interrupted Graham and
Jason. Everyone could hear me, and I spoke slowly and carefully while watching
the Wolf’s reaction. “Alpha. Someone is watching us through this Wolf’s eyes.”
Everyone startled at the announcement, heads snapping in our
direction. Billie’s thoughts reflected the mood of every Wolf in the yard. A
burst of angst and outrage came at me from all directions. The presence of
another Mage in the conflict complicated the situation unpredictably.
The Wolf in question lowered his head, the other mind coming
to the forefront. The Mage looked at me, his eyes piercing sharply into mine
through the Wolf’s gaze. Through our bond, I sensed Billie’s concern intensify.
Rudely, the Mage tried to read me, and I refused to let him see anything. The
vein on Jason’s neck popped, and he looked closely at the Wolf. His eyes
narrowed and his voice deepened. “Is he collared?”
“If he’s not, he’s well on his way,” I replied and watched
the Wolf’s muscles tense.
“Read him.” I did not hesitate.
As soon as I touched the Wolf’s mind, he spoke. The words
emerged from his mouth and voice, but they came from someone else entirely. It
sounded incongruous, like watching someone lip sync. “Your manners are
appalling. Stay away from my pet.” Abruptly the Wolf turned and bolted,
shifting into wolf form as he fled. His stunned packmates watched him disappear
into the hills, everything else forgotten for a moment.
“My manners are appalling?” I almost gathered magepower so I
could bring the Wolf back. If I did that, the Mage would leave before I could
find him.
“Get him back.” Jason looked ready to explode as he shouted
at me. His order recaptured the other Alpha’s attention.
“We’ll lose the Mage if I do that.” I argued, ignoring
Graham’s hateful stare. “I’ll free the Wolf. I swear. But I want to meet this
Mage first.”
“What did you sense?” Billie disliked the new complication
even more than Jason, but she hid it better. The Montana Wolves blamed me for
their packmate’s behavior and believed him worse than dead. My mate watched
them closely. I took two steps towards Billie and Jason. This brought me closer
to the Montana Wolves, and I used Owen and Nathan as a barrier. If anyone tried
to attack me, they’d stop it before I had to.