Psyche Moon

by Chrissie Buhr

  “It must have been terrifying.” I thought of her going through that alone.

  “The Pack took me in. I felt less like a freak with so many other freaks in the room.” Her lip twitched in an ironic grin. “Everyone welcomed me, and they helped me come to terms with what I was. The transition is different when it happens without consent and without a Pack for guidance. We have a harder time coping with it, and I was hell to put up with for a while. Amy was being nice when she called me a bitch. The Pack helped me through it, and I owe them everything. I would have killed someone if Kathryn hadn’t found me. We’ll do the same with the new Wolf.

  “You’re one of us now, Sadie. A mate automatically becomes one of the Pack, even when they’re not a Wolf.”

  “They’re scared of me.” I watched the hills rush by, thinking of the terror I’d sensed from every Wolf who discovered my true identity.

  “They’re scared of Mages. They don’t know you yet.”

  I didn’t respond for a long time. “I’m not used to talking about the things I can do. Obviously I don’t even know what all I can do.”

  “Do you trust me?” She asked.

  “More than I’ve ever trusted anyone before.”

  “Please, love. Don’t hold back from me. Don’t be afraid to trust me. I can handle it. I can handle what you are because I know who you are. I don’t believe there is a creature on this Earth that’s evil by nature.”

  “I don’t know anything about my people. It’s hard to see good in some of the things I can do, though.” I thought about the boys dying at my hands.

  “You killed them. You had very valid reasons to do it, as did I. In the end seven people are dead because of you. Two because of me. That isn’t easy to live with no matter who or what you are.”

  “They were just kids.” Tears welled in my eyes. “They tried to kill us, so I killed them. I could have just stopped them, but I got angry and let the power overwhelm me. There’s nothing right about any of that.”

  “No.” She replied sadly. “There’s nothing right about any of it. But we’re alive and we’re here. We’re together. That’s the part I have to hold onto.”

  “Be in the present.” I whispered. She turned off onto a dirt road, drove only a couple minutes, and parked. We stepped out of the jeep into the forest, breathing in the fresh air. She walked up behind me and wrapped her arms around me. Her chin rested on my shoulder.

  “I don’t know about you, but I want to run.” She looked longingly at the forest in front of us.

  “Sounds perfect. Can I carry some of the stuff this time?”

  “You can carry all of it.” She grinned widely and handed me a small day pack with everything we needed. As I strapped it on, she began shedding her clothes. I enjoyed watching her undress, wrapping her clothes in a wad and throwing them on the front seat. Her eyes changed first, shifting from green to blue. Her body rippled and the change happened so quickly I couldn’t follow it. She dropped to all fours, her shape gliding from Human to Wolf in a fraction of a second.

  Her fur drew my attention the most, a myriad of shades of grey, black and white. I’d only ever seen her fur coat stained with blood. The Wolf standing in front of me was exactly as an ordinary wolf would look, except I could see Billie clearly within the eyes. She was beautiful, magnificent, and wild.

  Her eyes questioned me, waiting for my response. She still wondered what I’d think of her in wolf form. I kneeled in front of her and took her head in my hands, stroking her cheek. “I can handle what you are. You’re still Billie.” She grinned and licked my face.

  “Eeew!” I jumped backwards and she snorted in laughter. She danced around me as I stood, wiping slobber off my face. Laughing, I hoisted the pack and followed her into the woods. We hiked for a while, or rather I hiked and Billie chased squirrels and darted about the woods. She always returned to me, grinning and rubbing against my leg. She stood almost to my hip, her fur soft under my hand.

  Where are we going? I asked. She’d been leading us somewhere, but I didn’t know the area.

  Does it matter? She laughed. I smell a creek this way. It’s not much farther.

  “Sounds good.” True to her word, I could hear the stream only a few minutes later. As it came into view, I smiled. Several feet in width, the stream trickled down the center of a ravine. A small clearing lay in front of me, and I set the pack down. The water was cold, and I splashed it on my face, enjoying the shock. When I opened my eyes, Billie was human again, and gloriously naked. She kneeled at the creek, washing her hands in the water.

  “I really like the naked part of all this.” I cocked my head and ran my eyes over her body.

  She grinned and leaned in for a kiss. I ran my hands down her sides and paused at her hips. “You’re not naked enough, love.” She whispered, her breath soft on my cheek.

  “Is that a request?” I teased.

  Quicker than I could follow, she had my shirt unbuttoned. “An observation. I want to undress you myself.”

  “Can you catch me?” I teased and jumped to my feet, taking off across the clearing. She gave me a slight head start before pouncing on me. Tackling me from behind, we fell to the ground, Billie twisting under me to cushion my fall. Laughter spilled out of us both.

  She rolled on top of me, knees straddling my waist and hands on either side of my head. Her chest heaved under her rapid breath, making her breasts rise and fall deliciously. But her eyes held me, her face only inches above mine. My hands moved to her hips, and her eyes brightened.

  “Well, are you going to undress me or what?”

  # # #

  Keep reading for a preview of Psyche Honor, coming this winter …

  If you enjoyed Psyche Moon, please take a moment to leave a review at your favorite retailer.

  Now step away from your reading device, walk outside, and enjoy this beautiful day!

  About the Author

  Whether living in a cabin in the woods or a city apartment, Idaho’s mountains are and have always been my home. The wilds are true civilization, and its inhabitants my sisters and brothers. I am most content with open sky above me, trees surrounding me, and feet bare against the earth.

  mailto:chrissiebuhr1@gmail.com?subject=Psyche Moon

  Psyche Honor

  by Chrissie Buhr

  Chapter 1

  “Jason, we have a big problem.” John's voice, strained and tense, emanated from his phone.

  “What’s wrong?” Jason didn't want any more problems, big or otherwise. He had enough to manage without something new arising.

  During the drive back to Boise, he'd had plenty of time to ask Nathan questions about the Wolf who bit him. Knowing the Pup was holding back, he'd coaxed and pushed for more information, but the man remained taciturn the entire way. His shadowed eyes watched the scenery pass, new instincts drawing him inexplicable to the forests and hills. Jason knew how difficult his transition had been and didn't push. Alone, with no way of understanding the changes within him, he'd reacted to it with escalating aggression and violence. One man still lay in a hospital bed after an encounter with Nathan. Local news of the brutal assault and Nathan's arrest had reached Jason's ears, and he'd left for Rigby immediately.

  Jason had planned on spending a great deal of time with the Pup during his first week in the Pack. He hadn't planned on coming home to a major Pack cleanup or to find a Mage living in his territory. Reluctantly, he'd focused his immediate attention on nine dead teenagers, a wounded Beta, and a powerful but seemingly trustworthy Mage. In his wildest dreams he'd never imagined a situation in which he'd allow a Mage to live in his territory, let alone date one of his Wolves. The proverbial shit had hit a very large and rapidly spinning fan. A week later he could still smell it.

  John's announcement promptly returned his thoughts to the present. “Nathan told me who bit him and what happened. All of it this time. He said the one who bit him was ordered to do it. By a Human.”

  “A Human?” Jason’s lip curled in skepti
cism.

  “The way he described it, no way that Wolf was acting on his own.” John’s voice shook in fear masked with a healthy dose of anger.

  “A Mage made a Wolf and then abandoned him? That doesn’t make sense.”

  “Wait ‘til you hear the rest of his story.”

  “I’m on my way.” Jason jabbed a button on his cell phone and shoved it into his pocket. He paused, thinking. He could do without Mage problems until he knew how he felt about Sadie. He’d have killed her the moment he knew if it hadn’t been for Billie. He’d kill her now if not for his promise. Dammit Billie. He thought. Only you would fall for a Mage. He’d promised his Beta, and he was a man of his word. He'd allow Sadie to live so long as she didn’t threaten the Pack.

  Mage trouble on the heels of Sadie’s arrival couldn’t be coincidence, though. Jason didn’t believe in coincidence. He hoped, for Billie’s sake, that Sadie had nothing to do with Nathan. For all of their sakes, he hoped Sadie was exactly what she said she was. If not, they could be wishing for a quick death before this ended. He ground his teeth, and growled.

  Pulling a worn t-shirt over his head, Jason grabbed his keys off the counter and left for John’s home.

  Jason entered without knocking to find Nathan pacing around the living room. John shared a modest urban home with two packmates. A classic bachelor’s pad, worn furniture and clutter dominated the living room. It nevertheless smelled of mild soap and Wolves. A quirk of the species – most Wolves preferred to live in a clean environment, single or not.

  The new Wolf stopped pacing as soon as Jason entered, his eyes meeting his Alpha’s gaze for a fraction of a second before lowering submissively. John stood in the doorway between the living room and kitchen, arms folded across his chest, closely watching the agitated man’s internal struggle. “He’s restless. He needs to run.” John stated the obvious.

  Jason nodded. “We’ll run soon. But first I need to hear what happened.” Nathan resumed wearing a path in the carpet, and Jason could hear the frightened man’s heart rate rise. The new Wolf didn’t want to run – he wanted to tuck his tail between his legs and bolt. “Sit down.” Jason ordered sharply, his command giving no room for disobedience. Nathan obeyed without hesitating, crossing to the couch and falling into it. His hands and feet continued to twitch with the impulse to flee.

  Jason gazed down at the man with his best kind but stern Alpha expression. “Look, kid. The way that you were turned isn’t the way we do things. It makes the transition more intense and emotions harder to control."

  Nathan interrupted insolently. “You told me that already.” His rising voice demonstrated the level of his irritation.

  Jason growled. “Don’t interrupt me.” Nathan shrunk a little, his Wolf nature instinctively understanding his subordinate place. If he’d been in wolf form, his ears would have dropped in apology. “If the situation was different, I wouldn’t push you. I’d let you run this energy off and calm down. But I need you to tell me what happened first. All of it this time.”

  Nathan nodded and closed his eyes, his hand pressed against his forehead as if the memory would explode if allowed to surface. “It was a couple of months ago in Rigby. I was at home working on my car when two men drove up. They got out of their car and the skinny one started asking me for directions into town. I lived a few miles out off the main roads, so it was strange them being there at all. The big one didn’t say anything. His eyes were dull, like he wasn’t playing with a full deck. The skinny one made my skin crawl and I could tell right away he was trouble. I didn’t want trouble, so I told him how to get to Rigby and was done with him.

  “Behind me, I heard him say ‘Do it.’ I knew somethin' was wrong and spun around ready to fight. But the big guy - the one with the dull eyes - was big and freakin’ strong. I hit him and he didn’t even twitch. He broke my nose and a few ribs, or that’s what I thought when it happened. When I was on the ground, he grabbed my arm and bit a chunk out of it. After that he just stopped. He walked back to the skinny guy and stood there like a moron.

  “So I’m bleeding from my nose and arm and in a lot of hurt.” He paused, and Jason waited in silence, sensing the poor man’s struggle to explain what he’d experienced. “I’ve been in plenty of fights. Nothing like this ever happened before. It felt like something was crawling inside my head. Like a bad trip I had once as a kid and I popped acid. For a minute I thought the skinny guy was talking to me in my head.” He shook his head, either to banish the memory or clarify it. Jason couldn’t tell. “Then out of nowhere a woman shows up. They argued and the air went sharp like it does in a thunder storm. She said me and the big guy belonged to her now. Like we were pets or somethin'. The air went sharp again, worse this time. My head cleared a bit, I found my feet and took off running. Never looked back.”

  “Did you call the police?”

  Nathan shook his head. “Nah. It was too weird. Didn’t know what to say to them. Didn't want anyone thinkin' I was crazy. I went to a buddy’s house and crashed there for a few. Never healed so quick from a fight. My nose and ribs were good in a few days. The bite took a lot longer.” He pulled the sleeve of his shirt up to show Jason an ugly scar on his upper left arm.

  The story had Jason troubled. Two Mages fighting over Wolves didn’t bode well. “Did you hear any names?” Nathan shook his head. “Describe them.”

  “The skinny guy had glasses and light brown hair. My height. He talked like the local kids do when they come home from college. You know, like anyone else 'cept bigger words and full o' themselves. The big guy, the one who bit me, was solid muscle, over six foot, army haircut. I didn’t get a good look at the woman, but she sounded southern.”

  Jason nodded, taking it all in and liking the situation less with every sentence. “What do you remember about their argument?”

  Nathan's eyes darkened and his shoulders hunched forward, like something warred within him. “Not much. They talked about us like they owned us. It’s kind of a blur.” Jason could smell his fear rising in acrid waves, panic not far away.

  "Look at me." Nathan's head snapped up, his eyes focusing. Jason held the Wolf’s eyes, forcing the man to see the strength of his Alpha and Pack. “You’re safe now. You’re one of my Pack, and we protect each other. We'll protect you. For now, I want you to always have a packmate with you. Until I’ve looked into your story and you quit acting like a caged animal about to bite, you don’t go anywhere alone.” He looked pointedly at John. “Don’t take any chances. Keep a few Wolves around here at all times – safety in numbers.” John nodded solemnly, understanding his orders to protect the new Wolf and to protect others from him. Without a word, he flipped out his phone and sent a quick text.

  “Any sign of a Mage let me know. Kill any Mage you find if you can do it without getting caught.” Jason remembered the newest complication and sighed. “Except Sadie.”

  “Sadie? Billie’s girl?” John exclaimed, his eyes widening.

  “Yeah.” Jason snarled. “Billie’s mate is a Mage.”

  “Holy shit!” John dissembled visibly. “How the hell did that happen?”

  Jason glowered. He'd been asking himself the same thing for days. “Sadie didn’t even know what she was.”

  “She … How? … Shit! Do you trust her?”

  “I trust Billie. I gave my word – I won’t kill her if she doesn’t threaten the Pack.” Jason reiterated the same words he'd conveyed to everyone.

  “Billie’s not collared?” He shivered involuntarily.

  “No. No sign of it. Sadie saved Billie’s life last week. You heard about the mess in the North End?” John nodded. “She protected the Pack, too. She’s earned the benefit of the doubt.”

  “Jesus. This is fucked up.”

  “Tell me about it.” Jason growled.

  Nathan had been listening intently. “I thought Billie was a girl.”

  “She’s my Beta, second in command in the Pack.”

  “And she’s dating a girl?”

&nbs
p; Jason looked sideways in impatience but spoke to John. “Why don’t you fill him in on Mages. And explain what a lesbian is while you’re at it.”

  “I know what a lesbian is.” Nathan huffed and grinned.

  Jason met the Pup's eyes and held them, his voice low and threatening. “Billie is the second most powerful Wolf in the Pacific Northwest. She can kick your ass without breaking a sweat, so I suggest you don’t go there.” His tone softened. “Besides, she’s the only other Wolf here that was turned by force. She’s the only one who knows firsthand what you’re going through. You’d be wise to learn from her.” Nathan nodded, his grin vanishing from his face.

  Jason pulled out his cell and punched a few numbers. “Amy. I want you to check out the new Wolf again. If anything is off, I want to know.” He listened. “After work is fine. You can join us for his first run when you’re done.” He hung up and turned to Nathan “I’ll be back later. Stick with the others.”

  He gestured for John to follow him outside. Far enough away from the house that they could speak without Nathan overhearing, Jason whispered. “We don’t know how far the Mage got with him.” John nodded without surprise. “He could be coerced. Don’t let him out of earshot and keep others with you at all times. I won’t lose anyone to him if he’s collared. I’ll be back before sundown and we’ll Run.”