Psyche Shield

by Chrissie Buhr

  “See! She can say thank you,” Amy replied. Billie looked ready to order the Wolf to shut up. She caught my eyes and clenched her jaw instead. Sierra’s presence had unnerved the stalwart Beta more than I’d have expected.

  Kathryn made a noise of displeasure and chided her friend. “Amy, dear. You are not helping the situation, nor are you showing proper hospitality to our guest. She is exhausted, injured, far from home, and terrified. Her lack of courtesy is excusable. Yours is not.”

  Billie leaned a hip against the edge of the couch tensely, her eyes sharply warning the Medic. “Kathryn’s right. Back off.”

  Amy waved her hand at Billie, unwisely dismissing the Beta’s order. “I don’t see the point in walking on eggshells. I get why she’s being rude. She’s in the same room as a Mage and that’s pretty scary for any Wolf. I’m irritated because of what happened last week.” She stopped her ministrations and looked Sierra squarely in the eyes, emphasizing her next statement. “Sadie’s not going to collar you.”

  “Aren’t you?” The frightened Wolf looked at me searchingly, and I returned her stare with my own sorrowful one. Billie refrained from censoring Amy and let me respond instead. Sierra’s assumption didn’t surprise me. Every Wolf thought the same thing initially, and some never moved past it. The constant distrust towards me hurt, but I’d come to expect it.

  “No, I won’t.” I assured her steadily.

  Sierra continued to study me, unsure whether or not to believe me. She didn’t smell a lie, but she didn’t know if she could trust her senses. Despite the awkward way Amy shoved us into the conversation, she was right. We couldn’t ignore the elephant in the room if we wanted it to find somewhere else to live. My packmates observed us attentively and didn’t bother hiding it. “Why not? Isn’t that what you do?”

  Explanations would take time, and she needed sleep more than anything. So I kept my response simple, hoping to reassure her enough that she could rest. “Some Mages do, yes. But not all of us. Not me.”

  “You don’t collar Wolves?” She asked again, relaxing only marginally. Kathryn took the empty plate from her hands and handed it to Billie.

  My mate’s concern that Sierra would try to hurt me eased but didn’t disappear. A Wolf close enough to reach me before I could think could hurt me. If I had time to react, they didn’t have a chance. In her exhausted and injured state, Sierra posed no real threat, and I no longer sensed any risk of attack. Still, I didn’t want to add to Billie’s already frayed nerves and kept the couch between us, leaning on my elbows over its back as we talked.

  I made Sierra the same promise I made to every packmate, Wolf or Human. “I never have and I never will.”

  Sierra wavered slightly. She’d kept going on pure adrenaline, and as her fear subsided the last of her strength disappeared. Even the act of sitting up became too much for her to maintain, and Amy interrupted. “Lie down and sleep. You can hear all about Sadie when you’re not falling over exhausted.”

  Sierra didn’t have much choice and curled into a ball with one knee tucked over her stomach, her braced leg sticking out at an awkward angle. Before she closed her eyes, Billie informed our houseguest of our plans. “Sadie and I have to run an errand. Amy and Kathryn will stay here with you. If you need anything, just ask.”

  Chapter 2

  She’ll sleep better with me out of the house anyway, I spoke into my mate’s mind after we climbed into her black Jeep.

  Billie didn’t deny it. “She’ll get used to you.” We switched between mental and verbal speech easily. It hadn’t taken Billie long to grow accustomed to this form of communication. Mages communicated through mindspeech, but not Wolves. Raised by Humans, I’d had no opportunity to use the ability until recently, but it felt as natural as breathing to me.

  Jason’s not going to be happy about her staying with us, is he? I brought up another pressing question. We hadn’t seen the Alpha since our return. Before we came home, he told Billie I upset the balance of the pack and caused trouble by my presence. I didn’t look forward to proving him right so quickly.

  “No,” she replied stonily and gripped the wheel a little tighter. “But since she knows about you, she should get to know you.”

  I understood her reasoning and agreed with it, but that didn’t make it easier. Let’s hope she comes around before she has the strength to try anything, I replied wistfully.

  “Don’t take any chances,” she warned me with a concerned glance. “Make sure someone is close enough to stop her if she does. Don’t count on Amy.”

  “I will. Just how pissed are you at Amy?” The level of anger she’d displayed towards her friend had surprised me, though it had already begun to fade. Billie had a hot temper but rarely stayed mad long.

  She huffed. “I didn’t tell her not to out you, so I can’t complain. But I wanted more time to deal with our own pack before we involved others.”

  I felt the same. It had been an exhausting week, and I hadn’t slept enough. “I wanted to spend the day in bed with you.” Not running around taking care of more problems.

  She zoomed in on the first part of the statement and grinned deliciously. Billie’s intense green eyes pierced me for a moment, and I warmed with the promise of where her thoughts led. “Me too. No rest for the wicked.” I’d have you all to myself today if I could. We have stuff to take care of, but soon, she promised.

  In a real bed with real sheets, I sighed longingly, sending her an image of us tangled in the bedding, naked and entwined but clean.

  “I thought you liked camping,” Billie replied with surprise, though she enjoyed the image and saw herself nibbling her way slowly from ear to toe. My body warmed and my breathing quickened at her thought.

  “I love camping. I don’t like hiding in a cave from a pack of Wolves who want to kill me,” I explained. “I’m not complaining. Not really. But clean sheets and a roof over my head sound really good right now.”

  “Want to go camping next weekend?” Billie joked with a wicked grin, slipping an arm around my waist and pulling me closer.

  Her embrace melted away the last of my tension regarding Sierra. Running a hand down her thigh, I felt her aroused response to my touch. “If you can promise me a week without invading Mages and murderous Wolves, I’ll do anything you want.”

  Mmm. It’s a deal. I can think of a few things I want you to do.

  I doubt you can keep your side of the bargain. I’ll do them anyway, I replied seductively. Her red curls falling out of her clip whipped around her face in the breeze from the open window. Her wild, fiery hair reflected her personality well, and I resisted the urge to kiss her while driving. Instead I plucked one lock off of her cheek and tucked it behind her ear, stroking her face with my thumb in the process.

  I’ll hold you to that promise! She kissed me on the forehead. Her hand at my waist slipped under the fabric so that I could feel the skin-on-skin contact. A Wolf’s sex drive ran much hotter than mine, and I loved it. Somehow I’m going to get you alone today. Then we can celebrate our return home properly.

  With clean sheets, I insisted, wishing I could make it happen immediately. Feeling her arousal as intensely as my own, I had difficulty holding back.

  A hot bath and a massage, she suggested, and I melted at the prospect of one of her massages. Noticing my response, she fed the fantasy. I’ll start at your feet and work my way up. You’ll be completely at my mercy and let me do anything I want. I might reach your nipples by tomorrow.

  When have I ever said no to anything you want to do to me? I told her, my breath starting to hitch. If she kept going, I’d forget the people all around us and embarrass myself.

  Never. As soon as this is done and our guest is taken care of, we’ll disappear for a little while, she promised, her libido ebbing as she remembered our current mission.

  My thoughts hadn’t strayed far from it either. Ever since Kato informed us of the situation, we’d felt the weight of it. Sighing in resignation, I leaned further into her. How d
o you want to handle this?

  I’ll talk to her first. If she understands the stakes, she’ll probably agree on her own. She’s pragmatic and logical. She won’t like it, of course, but I think with some persuading she’ll see that it’s necessary. We’re lucky it’s Jazz. We wouldn’t have a chance of convincing most Wolves.

  Does she know what really happened yet? Gary, Jazz’s Human husband, overheard the damning conversation that led Jason to believe I’d betrayed the pack. Based on Gary’s accusation, Jason had ordered my death.

  She might be the only one who doesn’t. Gary said she’s been locked in the lab since you gave her a blood sample. He’s barely seen her.

  Wait. She might still think I collared you and Nathan and killed John? I asked in sudden alarm.

  Billie shook her head and stroked my waist reassuringly. According to Gary she got the short version of the events but didn’t stop long enough to hear the whole story. She knows you’re not Satan.

  Thank God, I sighed in relief. Jazz might still blame me for scaring her husband, but at least she’d heard some of the truth. When did you talk to Gary?

  I called him on my way out of town this morning. I tried Jazz first, but she didn’t answer. Gary said she was already at the lab. According to Amy, he stuck up for you at the Pack Meeting.

  That made no sense to me. The last time I saw Gary, he accused me of betraying the pack before running away in terror. Why would he do that?

  When he stopped long enough to think about it, he realized you let him go. You could have stopped him, but you didn’t. By the time they gathered for the Pack Meeting, we were already gone, but he’d begun to question what he heard. He’s known you longer than any of us.

  He’s not mad? I liked Gary and hoped I wouldn’t lose that friendship.

  Not at all. Billie pulled the Jeep into a parking lot and killed the engine. The simple building housed a research laboratory where Jazz worked as a geneticist. None of her coworkers knew her specialty: lycanthropic genetics. The woman barely looked old enough to have a teenage son. They’d never guess she graduated from college the same year that Watson and Crick published the famous DNA paper and predated World War II. They only knew she spent part of her time on a private research and development project.

  In the front office, a polite receptionist confirmed our identities and handed over temporary ID passes. Before long Jazz opened the security door wearing a lab coat and jeans, a pair of safety glasses perched on her head. Her long nearly-black hair, pulled back in a simple pony tail, hid under her lab coat. She appeared to be in her early thirties, only a little older than me.

  She spoke to us politely and professionally, giving no indication of our friendship. “Thank you for coming. Right this way.” We followed her in silence through a series of sterile halls with doors leading into rooms filled with complicated equipment and smelling of foul chemicals.

  As we made our way through the building, I lightly touched every mind searching for any Mage coercion among her coworkers. We’d encountered sentries before, collared Humans who lived relatively normal lives without knowing they spied for a Mage. Wolves could smell a Mage, but they couldn’t detect a sentry.

  Everyone here is Human. No sign of Mage coercion, I informed Billie.

  Good. I don’t sense anything out of the ordinary, but I can’t smell much in this place. I don’t know how she can handle all the chemicals. She grimaced visibly.

  She said she’s used to it. I can’t even stand the smell, and I don’t have a Wolf’s nose, I replied. Jazz gave no sign that she sensed the mental exchange. At work she kept a professional distance from her packmates, one of many security measures that helped keep the existence of Wolves secret.

  Eventually we entered a small room filled wall-to-wall with refrigerators, computers, and strange instruments. No windows allowed natural light into the room, and a picture of her family covered the only window on the door. I raised a shield to protect our conversation from any mental or physical eavesdropping. No Mage could penetrate the barrier I raised, and no Human could hear anything said within it. We’re safe to talk openly, I informed Billie. Wolves couldn’t sense a barrier or illusion. Safely out of sight and sound of anyone else, Jazz leaned against the closed door. Her pretense disappeared and a wide triumphant smile spread across her stunning face. “Welcome back!”

  “Gods it’s good to be home!” Billie exclaimed, sharing her packmate’s joy.

  “It’s good to see you, Jazz,” I told her genuinely. “I hope you’re still coming to dinner.”

  “We wouldn’t miss it. The kids are eager to meet you.” Her bright eyes told me everything that mattered. My worries about our budding friendship dissolved into relief. She noticed and cocked her head confidently. “Gary and I understand you were protecting the pack. We are grateful for what you did.”

  “You don’t know how much that means to me.” I fought back tears remembering the last time I’d seen Gary as he ran away from me. “He thought I’d betrayed everyone. He was never scared of me until then, not even when he found out I’m a Mage.”

  “He’s not anymore,” she assured me. Jazz’s cheeks turned rosy with excitement and she couldn’t contain her announcement any longer. “I’m glad you called. I have some great news for you. Billie’s bite isn’t lethal to you in any way. I’ve double-checked everything and I can’t explain it yet. But you don’t have anything to worry about.” After discovering that Billie’s bite might kill me, I’d given Jazz a sample of my blood. She wanted it for her own research purposes anyway. None of us knew the consequences of my decision at the time.

  Billie replied for the both of us. “That’s excellent news for me and Sadie. Thank you. Have you told anyone else?”

  “No. I’m preparing a report for the other scientists, but I’m waiting on one more result to share it. I should have it done by the end of the week.”

  “You haven’t told anyone? Gary, packmates …?”

  “No. No one. What’s wrong?” She began to see the red flags fluttering around Billie’s persistent question, and looked questioningly at me. Something on my face erased her excitement, and she looked at her Beta with unveiled apprehension.

  Billie made herself comfortable on a stool, and I looked around for another. The room only contained one other chair, a small uncomfortable seat in front of her computer. Jazz dropped gracefully into it, and I leaned against the counter beside my mate. Billie took the lead, and I steeled myself for the dreaded conversation, steadying myself with Billie’s confidence. “Do you know yet why my bite isn’t lethal to Sadie?”

  “What I know is that she has the same genetic marker that we believe to be the latent lycanthropy gene. We’ve speculated for years that this gene is absent among Mages since the bite is fatal to them. We’ve never had an opportunity to test it before. Obtaining a tissue sample has never been a priority when Mages come around.” She sounded offended at the lack of consideration for her research needs. “I can’t draw any conclusions about the race from one person, but I have several working theories on why Sadie has this genetic marker. I’m waiting for another test to narrow it down.” She ticked her theories off on her fingers. “She could be part Human. She could be a genetic anomaly among Mages. We could be studying the wrong gene entirely…”

  Billie interrupted her mid-sentence, her voice flat as she verbalized the dangerous truth. “Our bite isn’t lethal to Mages.”

  Jazz dropped her fingers abruptly, surprised by her Beta’s announcement. “How do you know this?” She eagerly asked, completely missing the bigger picture.

  Your turn. Billie passed the hat.

  “Kato told us. It’s a deliberate lie that prevents Mages from becoming Wolves.”

  She didn’t argue with Kato’s information. Like all of us, she accepted the ancient Wolf’s knowledge without question. “Why would anybody lie about that?”

  I placed a hand on Billie’s shoulder as I explained. “Because if a Mage becomes Wolf, we keep all our own po
wers and gain yours as well. We’ve all seen what some Mages will do for power.” I paused and Goosebumps surfaced on my arms as they did every time I thought about it. The idea of Billie’s strength, speed, and longevity bestowed on someone who could manipulate and coerce the mind scared me. “That’s a lot of power.”

  “Oh, no.” She understood the implications and quit breathing for several seconds.

  “No one can know,” Billie explained urgently. “If Mages were to discover this, it would be disastrous for everyone. If even one person who knows is read or collared, we’ll have the bloodiest war in history on our hands.”

  “Everyone would lose. Wolves, Humans, and any Mage who tries to stand in their way,” I told her softly.

  “I see.” Jazz looked between us, her mind rapidly processing the dilemma. “I have to destroy the research.”

  I nodded, sensing her come to terms with destroying her work. Her quick willingness to do it anyway astonished me. “All of it, as if it never existed.”

  She began verbally listing what had to go. “Journals, notes, computers, backups, equipment logs, samples, everything.” She went to the refrigerator and retrieved two tubes of blood and set them on the counter. She started pulling tiny vials, notebooks and printouts from various places, adding everything she found to the growing pile. “You can take that and destroy it. If I do it here someone will notice. No one destroys research. I’ll wipe everything from the computers and backups.”

  Billie stashed all of the items she’d gathered into a handbag we’d brought for just such a purpose. Jazz blinked in confusion as she saw the large bag. I’d hidden it from view and would do the same on the way out. “Illusion,” I told her.

  “Oh. No one will suspect you left with all this.” She nodded approvingly and stuffed a lined notebook in with the rest.

  Turning in a circle, she inspected the room. When she faced us again, she declared. “That’s everything except for electronic data.”

  Relieved at her willingness, I still nervously anticipated the next request. “I’m glad you understand how important this is.” Your turn. I handed the reins back to Billie. The next part should come from her Beta, not from me.