Psyche Shield

by Chrissie Buhr

  Jason didn’t like her answer and started to pace. “Kato, I want to talk to you as soon as Sierra’s under control.”

  Inform our Alpha I will be with him shortly and will answer his questions as well as I may. I delivered the message.

  Jason waited impatiently, pacing restlessly. Billie leaned casually against the kitchen table, refusing to show her own disquiet. I wondered if they realized one of them always paced and the other always acted casual. They expressed themselves very differently, but underneath it all they were much alike.

  “How’s Nathan?” Billie asked the Medic who continued to dote on her injured mate.

  “If he can get some sleep around here, he’ll be just fine,” Amy grumbled, worry for her mate showing through her voice. Nathan looked like he wanted to drop off to sleep but couldn’t with all the commotion.

  “Why don’t you two go up to the guest bedroom?” I suggested. “I can dampen the noise so he can sleep.” Jason stopped pacing abruptly and glared at me. “If that’s okay with you, of course.” Despite my efforts, sarcasm trickled into my tone. Billie glanced warningly at me, and I snapped my mouth shut before inflaming the situation further.

  Jason narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing me for several seconds while Amy helped Nathan to his feet. “Do it.”

  I still think we should try that out, Billie commented, smirking despite the seriousness of the situation.

  Sensing the mental exchange and seeing Billie’s conspiratorial smile, Jason’s lips thinned. “If you have something to say, say it out loud,” he snarled at us.

  Billie’s grin widened and she winked at Jason. “Pillow talk, Alpha. Nothing more.”

  “Hmph.” He believed her but still didn’t like it and resumed his pacing. Meanwhile, Amy and Nathan made their way slowly upstairs. As promised, I raised an illusion to dull the noise beneath them. Before long I sensed Nathan drift off to sleep.

  Kathryn arrived with Richard on her arm and another Wolf right behind them. They looked more content as a couple than I’d seen them in a while. Richard seemed troubled, but he no longer took it out on his mate. Their improved relationship lifted my spirits.

  I updated her hastily. “Sierra needs you. Her friend died, and she’s taking it pretty hard. She’s out back with Kato.” Sierra’s angst had improved since Kato’s arrival, but she still grieved for her friend violently.

  Kathryn appraised the room, recognizing the impact of her niece’s distress in the atmosphere. “I should not have left her side. I apologize to each of you for my lapse in judgment.” Her presence erased the last of Sierra’s lingering effects on the Wolves.

  Jason narrowed his eyes at the Elder but spoke more politely to her than to Billie and me. “You should not have kept this from me.”

  Kathryn lowered her gaze in regret. “I did not believe any harm would come of it. I wish to tend to my niece straight away. Afterwards I will tell you everything.”

  Jason nodded his assent and eyed Richard. “Did you know your mate is a Sender?”

  “I don’t know what that is.” Richard shook his head, clearly unsettled by what he didn’t know.

  Kathryn patted her mate on the arm. “I will explain everything to you as well. Please wait here. I do not wish you to be adversely affected by her distress.” She disappeared into the backyard, leaving the rest of us in awkward silence.

  I’d barely met the newest Wolf in the room and didn’t know his name. He leaned against the wall by Matthew unobtrusively. I couldn’t hear their soft conversation. He missed nothing around him and observed the tension between us neutrally. Matthew announced their intentions to go back to Richard’s and Kathryn’s home to clean up and catch Linda’s scent.

  “Take Owen and Phil too. Get in and out quick. If it can wait, leave it. Make damn sure you look too formidable to attack, and do not retaliate. One Wolf already died today. No more.” Jason made his point clear.

  They left, and silence filled the room. Finally Billie broke the ice. “It’s good to see you, Richard.”

  “And you, my friend,” he replied quietly. As packmates they knew their place with each other. As friends, they hadn’t resolved their differences.

  “How are you getting along without me at the firm?” she continued, choosing a safe topic.

  Richard answered carefully. “The staff is curious about your absence. I have assured them it has nothing to do with our altercation. All requests of you are waiting until you’ve returned.”

  “How is morale and gossip about our ... altercation?” Richard, in a moment of heightened stress, had threatened one of the paralegals. Billie had been forced to restrain him physically in full view of other employees. At the firm, Billie worked for Richard and everyone knew of their friendship. Only Richard’s personal assistant Isabel was Wolf, and only she knew that Billie outranked him in Pack hierarchy. Everyone else saw an employee toss the boss against the wall and kick him out of the office. Billie hadn’t had sufficient time to smooth things over before we fled town.

  “I think the staff is ready to give you a medal,” he replied soberly, his Irish lilt emerging as it did occasionally when strained. “I’ve made things right with Tina. She’s avoiding me, so I’m keeping my distance and giving her space. But she’s back at work and seems content with the compensation and apology I offered.”

  “What do they believe happened?” Billie asked, relieved to hear his report.

  “I didn’t give an explanation. According to gossip, I’m having marital difficulties,” he grunted, “which is closer to the truth than I’d like. Isabel is proving valuable in keeping the rumors in check.”

  “Good,” Billie replied. Both of us wondered when or if he’d make things right with me. Neither of us asked. If forced, I suspected he’d return to his old rancor in lieu of apologizing. He hadn’t even acknowledged my presence since he entered our home. I couldn’t complain. It seemed we’d put insults and threats behind us.

  Our friendship ended when he found out what I am, and his viciousness hurt me deeply. On one hand, I could understand his reaction, considering that a Mage had slaughtered nearly his entire pack including his first mate. But the massacre had happened long before I was born. I hoped his attitude towards me was changing. I could live without the awkward tension between us, and Billie wanted her friend back. When honest with myself, I didn’t know if I did.

  “How’s the Pup?” Richard asked after a long silence.

  “The knife wound will heal in a few days. We’ll see if any fresh injuries show up. He lied to Amy,” she added with a devious smile.

  “Kathryn told me they were mated. That is happy news.” Little of his joy showed through. I thought he looked more miserable than ever.

  Kato saved us from the clumsy attempt at conversation. Muzi, please join us outside with your packmates.

  I relayed the request, and we headed as one to the back patio. How is she? I asked my Muso.

  She has lost a dear friend today. With our assistance, her emotions will not cause distress to others.

  Sierra sat where Billie and I left her, Kato sitting in human form on one side and Kathryn on the other. Her anguish weighed heavily in her eyes and posture, but she didn’t extend it to the rest of us as we gathered around. “He thought I was collared and came to save me. That’s the kind of Wolf he was. He came to save his friend.” She shook her head.

  “Is there anything we can do?” I asked her.

  “Stop this. End this somehow. Don’t let anyone else get hurt. Or killed,” she replied with a tremor in her voice. We made no promises about stopping the Pack War. Nothing we could say would be both honest and reassuring, and she knew it. “I’m sorry about earlier,” she apologized to all of us.

  Billie reassured her. “That was a very understandable reaction.”

  Jason rarely displayed compassion, but when it mattered most, he could be surprisingly courteous. Calling him sensitive would suggest that he ever quit scowling, but he backed off when someone needed it. I’d disco
vered that side of him the first time we met. Reluctant to question or accuse the grieving Wolf, he turned to Kato and Kathryn for answers. “No more secrets. What’s going on?” He didn’t hold his irritation in check despite his respect for the Elders.

  Kathryn spoke first. “I have known what I am since long before I came here. I did not wish others to know and did not believe it necessary to explain, so I did not. Today I was proved wrong. I am sorry for my deception and the harm it caused.”

  Jason nodded slightly, accepting her apology and explanation readily. He understood Kathryn’s motives and her reluctance to speak of her past. He shared little of himself with others. He did not understand Kato’s reasoning, and only respect for the one who made him Wolf and named him Alpha held his snarl. Instead he glowered. “What is happening in my Pack, old friend? We are Wolves.”

  “You are learning more about your packmates. Only your perception of us has changed,” Kato replied evenly, his deep brown eyes seeking the Alpha’s understanding.

  “Nothing has changed?” Jason did not believe him and the veins in his neck showed his level of frustration. “Sierra nearly caused a brawl because of an ability I’ve never even heard of before. More than my perception has changed, old friend.” Jason sensed something happening around him, but he couldn’t define it well enough to ask the right question.

  Kato cocked his head at the Alpha, unfazed by his anger. “If none had offered another explanation, would you have believed this more than Wolves quarreling?”

  Jason’s patience evaporated. “That is beside the point, and you know it. You’re keeping something from me. What is it?”

  “I say what must be said as I become aware of it.”

  Jason closed his eyes, and I could practically hear him count to ten. When he opened them his resolve showed clearly, though he spoke respectfully to the Eldest Wolf. “You have always been cryptic, and I have always respected your judgment. But we’re nearly at war with another pack. I know there’s something you’re not telling me. I demand an answer this time. What is going on?”

  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.”