Psyche Shield (25 page)

“The Wolf’s collared. The Mage came here for a reason. He
wasn’t surprised to find another Mage here, but he was very surprised to find
me here. We should meet him face-to-face and find out more.” I focused and
found him easily and pointed. “He’s that way. I can find him.”

“Go with Matthew. Find the Mage and deal with him,” he ordered.
I wanted Billie watching out for Sierra and didn’t argue about leaving my mate
behind this time. I’d have chosen a different companion.

Graham’s expression graduated from icy to calculative. “I’m
going with you.” His declaration startled all of us, and my heart nearly
stopped.

“No fucking way,” I responded with every bit of diplomacy I
could muster. Both Alphas ignored me, facing each other. I had a bad feeling I
wouldn’t like the outcome. Suddenly Matthew seemed cheery and safe compared to
the alternative. I’d be grateful for his strong presence if the other Alpha
tagged along.

Jason met Graham’s gaze forcefully. “Give me your word
you’ll keep your claws off of Sadie.”

Graham didn’t blink. “One way or another I’m going after my
Wolf. I’ll kill any Mage that stands in my way.” Graham threatened me, and the
Alphas stared each other down.

“He’s your Wolf. Go. Don’t forget you’re in my territory,
and Sadie is Pack. If you turn on her, she has my permission to stop you any
way she can. Then I won’t stop her mate from tearing into whatever is left. Got
it?” Graham didn’t respond and I swallowed hard.

Billie hated letting me go anywhere with a hostile Alpha,
and it showed. She held Matthew’s gaze sternly for a moment of silent
communication. He nodded slightly, promising to protect me.

Matthew, eager to get the job done, demanded. “Let’s go.”

“You should probably put some clothes on.” My raised
eyebrows told both of them what I thought about running around the city with
two naked Wolves. I ran inside to change while they scavenged from the closet
where Billie kept spare clothing for her packmates.

From our bedroom, I heard Amy’s loud voice demanding to see
Sierra. Her familiar threats eased my mind about her welfare. I dressed
quickly, running a brush through my hair and brushing my teeth in only a few
minutes. Back downstairs, I found Matthew and Graham dressed in jeans and
T-shirts.

Glenn shoved a very large cup of instant coffee and an
energy bar in my hands. “You’re a God! I could kiss you.”

“Get me into trouble with Billie, and I’ll never bring you
coffee again,” he threatened good-naturedly before turning a serious eye on me.
“You look worse now than when you went to bed. You haven’t slept enough to go
off fighting Mages.”

I sipped the coffee and sighed appreciatively. “Not much
choice. I’ll manage. Shit, I almost forgot. The illusion around the property
will drop when I leave.”

Glenn raised his voice a little and spoke to every Wolf on
the premises. “You heard her. If you’re naked or furry make sure the neighbors
can’t see you. Amy, lower your voice.”

“You’re the best,” I told him appreciatively.

Billie walked up to me and pressed her forehead against
mine. I followed her thoughts without mindspeech. She loathed the situation. I
hunted a Mage who could be Kratos with a Wolf who recently tried to kill me and
another who would pay for the privilege. She wondered if I could handle the
Mage in my exhausted state and if I trusted Matthew enough to drag an
adversarial Wolf with us. If I said no, she’d argue against Jason’s orders.
“Can you do this right now?”

As far as I could tell, the Mage wasn’t Kratos. Since I
couldn’t have that conversation, I reassured her as well as I could. “Yes. If I
sleep first, he’ll get away. I may be exhausted, but I can handle one little
Mage. Matthew has my back if Graham tries anything. Besides, I have caffeine to
keep me going a little longer. I think Glenn’s trying to steal me away from
you, and he’s off to a good start.”

She appreciated my attempt to lighten the mood. “Never.”

“I warned you. Get your own coffee next time,” he threatened
and moved back outside.

“Ready?” Matthew and Graham waited for me at the door.
Billie threw her keys, and Matthew caught them easily. His truck would hold all
three of us, but we’d have more room in her Jeep. Matthew took the wheel and
ordered me into the back seat. I suspected he didn’t want the Alpha Wolf behind
him or too close to me. Graham sat in the front passenger seat, and we sped
off.

“Head towards Caldwell. I know where the Mage is.” Gulping
at the coffee, I started to forget how little I’d slept. Caffeine and
adrenaline did wonders for my system.

“What about my Wolf?” Graham demanded.

“The Mage is the first priority.” His eyes flashed and I
explained with more patience than I felt. “I need to find out why he’s here and
if he’s the only one. As soon as I uncollar your Wolf, I’ll lose that chance.
And anyway the Mage called your Wolf back. We’re all headed to the same place.
I won’t leave him collared. I swear. But I need to deal with the Mage first.”

“Can you really uncollar Wolves?” he asked skeptically.

“Yes, I can.”

“If it’s possible, how come no one has ever heard of it?” he
questioned me.

Isingoma’s words came back to me once again. Those who can
won’t; those who will can’t. “I think most Mages who are capable of it are more
interested in collaring Wolves than uncollaring them.” Graham watched me from
the corner of his eye, the muscles in his jaw twitching. The belligerence that
usually only came out with Jason rose to the surface. “What?”

“What did you do to Linda?” he demanded.

“Who?” I didn’t follow at first, my thoughts elsewhere. “Oh,
you mean the Human that’s been sneaking around stealing purses and cars? The
one who nearly got Amy and Nathan killed? Nothing.”

“I don’t believe you.” The challenge caused Matthew’s
fingers to twitch as if he held himself back from hitting Graham.

“That’s not new,” I shot right back at him.

“If you didn’t collar her, why did she lie to me?”

“Let me guess. She told you Jason, Billie, and the others
were out running, and it was safe to sneak in and caveman Sierra?” His
expression confirmed it. I’d begun to recognize the subtleties in Matthew’s
not-so-blank expressions, and he smirked slightly. I couldn’t help myself and
smiled. “I raised an illusion so our neighbors wouldn’t see wolves coming and
going from our backyard. I didn’t even know Linda was watching. It’s perfectly
safe.”

“Why didn’t you sense her?” Matthew wanted to know.

I asked myself the same question and didn’t like the answer.
“Apparently I wasn’t paying close enough attention if I didn’t sense someone
watching my home.”

“We didn’t smell her either,” he admitted. “She knows how to
hide from Wolves. Maybe the same skills work with Mages.”

“We’ll have to try it out sometime. That could be useful,” I
pointed out.

“Useful how?” Graham asked.

Matthew answered for me. “Useful against Mages who intend us
harm.”

“Like the one we’re about to meet,” I added grimly.

“How do you know where the Mage is?” Graham asked, his
posture still highly defensive. The Alpha could attack in a heartbeat, but so
could Matthew. I watched him cautiously, ready to defend myself if I had to.

Holding back a snippy response, I answered him honestly.
“When I read your Wolf, I connected with the Mage’s mind. I know where both of
them are.”

“Does the other Mage know we’re coming?” Matthew asked for
more practical information.

“Yes. He’s waiting for me.”

“Why?” Graham’s suspicion never ended.

“He probably thinks the same thing you did. Or do. Whatever.
He wants to meet the Mage with an entire pack of pets.”

He snarled with disgust. “Pets?”

“Their word, not mine,” I snapped.

“Why didn’t you sense this Mage in our territory?” Matthew’s
question sounded like an accusation. After our conversation the previous night,
I knew otherwise.

As promised, I explained the way my powers worked. “The way
I’ve been watching the territory has a limited range. Outside of that range I
have to know the person to find them. He’s too far away. Until I met him
through the Wolf, I didn’t know who to look for.”

“You know Nathan and Phil,” he pointed out.

“I could have known exactly where Nathan and Phil were and
what was happening. But I would have had to connect with their minds to do it.
I’m not stupid enough to disobey Jason twice in one week.” He glanced at me in
the rearview mirror, clearly saying he had full confidence in my stupidity. A
burst of laughter caused me to choke on the coffee. “You’re probably right, but
not this week.”

Matthew and I hadn’t yet discussed how we’d approach this
kind of situation. He let me take point and asked how I wanted to handle it.
“I’m going to knock on his door and talk to him. No games this time.”

“And then?” I didn’t reply for several minutes and they
waited.

“It’s Graham’s Wolf, so it’s not my decision. I want some
answers first. After that I think it should be his call.” Matthew approved, and
I gathered he’d already made the decision but wanted to hear what I would do.

“Then he’s dead.” Graham condemned the Mage easily, and
Goosebumps rose on my arms. I couldn’t be so casual about it, no matter what
he’d done. The Alpha noticed and snarled derisively. “That bothers you?”

I snapped at him, tired of his distrust. “I’ll make sure you
get your shot, and we’ll get your Wolf back. But don’t ask me to be happy about
killing someone.”

“Do you know how powerful he is?” Matthew interrupted us,
not knowing it didn’t matter. He wasn’t Kratos, and he didn’t stand a chance
against me. Going after him felt like shooting fish in a barrel.

I gave him the basics. “He’s more powerful than Cassandra.
Or at least more skilled at leaving a Wolf’s outer mind intact. But nothing I
can’t handle.”

Graham looked sideways at me, still uncertain about my
motives. He kept doing that, eyeing me as if he wanted to rip my windpipe out
with his teeth. It made me nervous, and he was too close. I didn’t know if I
could react quickly enough to stop him if he attacked me. I hoped Matthew
could. “You’re a Mage. Why would you want to help me get my Wolf back?” Graham
finally asked an intelligent question.

“I’m not helping you. You threatened to kill me after I went
out of my way to help your injured Wolf. You invaded our territory and attacked
Amy, Nathan, Phil, and Sierra. By the way, if you intended to make this
personal, you did a great job of it. You targeted my closest friends. I don’t
give a shit what you want. But I won’t leave someone collared even if their
Alpha is a jackass. I’ve looked into the mind of a collared Wolf. It is beyond
cruel. I’ll free anyone from that.”

He scrutinized me uncomfortably again. “You’re a blunt one.
I’ll return the favor. I don’t trust Mages. Now that I’ve met you, I don’t like
you. You sound like you mean it and I’m not convinced you’ve collared anyone
just now. I still don’t trust you. A leopard doesn’t change its spots. A Mage lies
and twists everything that’s good in us. It’s who you are. If I decide you’re
not a threat, I’ll leave you be. If I see that you are, I will find a way to
kill you.”

Matthew listened to him while watching my reaction. I didn’t
flinch away from Graham’s threat, and Matthew let us verbally duke it out. He
seemed to enjoy it, and he definitely respected me for it. I snorted at
Graham’s threat. “You think I can’t?” He turned to try and stare me down.

“You haven’t heard anything I’ve said so far. But I will tell
you this, and you can believe it or not. Wolves don’t want me in their heads at
all, so I don’t do it. Billie’s my mate, and it’s different between us. The
rest of you think it’s repulsive, and I’m starting to understand why. I’ll bend
over backwards to respect that, in my pack or anyone else’s. But I won’t let
you kill me. If you back me into a corner, I will stop you. I don’t have to
kill you or collar you to do it. But I make no promises for what my mate will
do to you if you try. ”

“I don’t suggest trying,” Matthew advised, and I smirked
despite the intense atmosphere.

Graham scrutinized my unflappable packmate. “You would let
her attack me?”

“No. I will stop you first.” He was growing on me.

Graham didn’t seem to know what to think about that. We rode
in silence for a while, and I directed us towards the far side of Caldwell.
Finally the abrasive Alpha broke the silence. “Who’s Cassandra?”

“Cassandra and two others tried to take the whole Pack. I
stopped them.”

“You killed them?” Graham asked.

“They’re dead.” I deliberately didn’t answer his direct
question.

The small city gave way to suburbs, and as we approached one
of the nicer areas, I knew I’d found him. I directed Matthew into an upscale
subdivision with manicured lawns and gave Graham instructions. “Let me take the
lead and do the talking. I’ll keep him out of your minds entirely. There’s no
risk of being collared.”

“Promise me you’re who you say you are,” Graham insisted,
coming as close to a promise as I could hope.

“I’m exactly who I say I am. Turn left. He’s in the second
house on the right, the tan one. Pull in like you own the place. I sense a Wolf
and two Humans with him. Not yours, someone else. They’re all collared.”

Matthew and Graham assessed the area as we stepped out of
the Jeep. They fell into a flanking position behind me, much as I’d seen the
Wolves do with Jason or Billie. It surprised me that an Alpha would take a less
dominant position, but he let me take point. It should have felt powerful.
Instead I felt like a kid playing dress up.

The front door opened as we reached the threshold. Hard eyes
behind thick glasses greeted me. He towered over me, and I had to crane my neck
to meet his gaze. “Your manners are appalling. Don’t you know it’s rude to
meddle in a pet’s mind?” he said by way of greeting.