I stopped what I was doing, and stood looking at my brother, something was different about him but I couldn't put my finger on it. He looked the same as he normally did. His long dark hair was pulled back in a neat braid that laid half way down his back. His face was the rounded features of those with predominantly European ancestry with the exception of his chiseled cheekbones, though his skin is much darker. It was obvious, at least to me, that he had a mixed heritage but I’d never been able to figure out exactly what mixture, but then I'd never actually asked either. Apparently I kept my attention on him too long and he noticed.
"What's up, Trouble?" he asked, using an old family nickname.
"I'm not sure…" I said as I continued to look at him, "Something's different but I can't place it." That got my mother and Brit's attention and they started trying to spot some difference in Raine.
"Don't know what it could be, nothing's changed. I haven't even changed shampoos in months." He said lifting one brow as he looked at me.
"I don't know either, but I know it's something."
"I can't see anything different, Nickie" Mom said.
"Me either." Brittney put in.
It suddenly occurred to me that maybe it wasn’t that something about him had changed but that I was now picking up something I'd always missed. That perhaps I'm the one that's changed.
"I'm probably just imagining it," I said, letting the topic drop as I went about setting the table for dinner. I finished filling the glasses and cups with ice while Brittney set the roast and sides on the table and Raine added the salad and dressing.
Cameron showed up just as we were about to call the rest of the family to the table. He was just late enough that Dad would chew him out about it later. Like a typical sibling, I was just glad it wasn't me that was in line for that ass chewing. I hugged Cam hello, noting the scent of leather that seemed to come from his skin and the sweat from his day that was a thin coating over it. It made me think back and realize that when I had hugged Raine I had smelled leather but it was different, it wasn't his scent it was just the scent of the leather he spent so much time carrying as part of his uniform. Raine's skin had had an almost scent to it the sharp tang of sage mixed with the gentler more mild aroma of oregano and again I wondered exactly what it was about him that seemed so different now.
We all gathered around the table and took our seats, my father quickly but solemnly blessed the meal before we all dug in.
"I'm sorry I was so late, I got called in this morning. I got off with just enough time to rush home and change. If I had been five minutes later I would have shown up in my uniform."
"I thought you were supposed to be off today?" Mom asked.
"I was, but there was a three car accident coming off the mountain and they called me in to help cover."
"That's too bad, anyone we know?"
"Nah, no one local, and no fatalities, but they had to fly a couple out to Tucson. They'll probably live but they were pretty bad off."
"So, what happened?" Raine asked.
"Driver thought he knew a lot more about mountain driving than he did. He was crossing over the yellow line on switch backs coming down the mountain. He'd missed the fact that there was a car going up and head-on'd him. The car behind him, apparently some friend, was following too close and rear ended the first guy. There was an assortment of injuries all around, but only the two in the first car were seriously hurt."
I heard a voice in my head, *I wish we could talk about something happier during dinner.*
"How's Janelle?" I asked.
"She's good, I would have brought her tonight but she just got off an eighteen hour shift and she was so tired she was slurring things together when she spoke." Cam replied.
"I'm sure that a good night's sleep will set her right, eighteen hours is a long shift," Mom put in.
"It is, someone called in sick and she stayed to cover their shift. The money's good but it exhausts you."
We had a good meal and used the time to catch up with each other. Shiloh was still in Flagstaff, going to school. She had opted to take a summer class and stay there to make it a little bit faster to get her degree. It also meant that she could have her pick of apartments in the area when most of the other students cleared out for the summer. This meant she wouldn't be at dinner that night, or much at all for a while yet. I guess, now that we are adults with lives of our own, four out of six isn't a bad average for Sunday dinner, but I did miss my sisters and I’d be glad when they were both home again.
I always enjoy Sunday evenings with my family, but it felt off tonight. I think it was mostly that I wanted to tell them the latest with me. I knew I couldn't and I was afraid that even if I could, how would they react? I was having a hard enough time dealing with what I was learning about myself, they would think I was losing my mind.
Chapter 5
The next morning I went into the office and spoke with the Dean as soon as he came in. I told him that I had some personal issues that had come up and that I would really appreciate it if I could take the week off. Since we had nothing important planned for the week and he really didn't need me there anyway, he let me have the time. I warned him that depending on how things went I might need the next week as well, he told me that I had the vacation time available, I might as well use it during the summer while he needed me less.
With the time off arranged, I headed over to Bill's house. I pulled into the large circular driveway and parked my car next to Bill’s pick up. As I approached the door and reached up to knock, it opened in front of me. It startled me and I gasped and jumped, before I saw Bill standing in front of me, a grin on his face at having caught me by surprise.
"Come on in," He said, turning to lead me deeper into the house, "I heard your car in the driveway on my way to the kitchen."
I grinned at his upbeat mood as I followed him to the kitchen, "So, what do you have in mind for me today?" I asked.
"Well, we already know that your strength and hearing are coming in. Have you shifted again? On purpose this time?" He asked.
"Yeah, I was talking to Brandon on the phone yesterday and when he found out I wouldn't shift alone, just in case I couldn't shift back, he insisted that he come over and I practice. I shifted in the bedroom while he made us something to eat, and once I was in wolf form I went to see him in the kitchen, because he said he wanted to see me as a wolf to make sure I made it okay. OH! That's something I was supposed to tell you about. While I was in wolf form I was able to think my responses to him and have Brandon actually hear them. He said it means I'm telepathic, and that I was to make sure I told you about it."
"Well, it means you have the ability to do at least one way communication. Have you heard any strange thoughts from others?"
"Not that I'm aware of."
"You might not notice it at first, or you might not realize what it is at first. Sometimes you hear just random phrases, a sentence here and there, and with your hearing still coming and going you might think you were actually hearing someone say it."
"Wait… I did have that happen. While I was out shopping on Saturday, with Izzy. I thought the sales girl was just being rude, but it's possible... And then it happened again, later that night, at the club." I thought back over the things I had heard in the club that night.
"Wait, did I hear you say you went to a club on Saturday?" He asked, blinking in astonishment at what I’d said.
"Well, yeah. Izzy and I had been planning it for weeks." I knew it was a weak excuse but I was going to use it anyway.
"And how did that work out for you?" His tone suspicious.
"Well, sometimes it wasn't too bad. But sometimes it was like I'd climbed inside one of the speakers and was going to be bounced across the room at any moment. By the time I gave up and went home I had a massive headache."
"I'm surprised you didn't walk in and turn around and walk right back out. Those places are hell on normal hearing, much less our more sensitive ears."
"I know
that now, but I wasn't thinking about it when I went, and I didn't want to back out on Izzy again," I said defensively.
"So instead of letting down a girlfriend, who would probably understand if you had just told her you didn't feel good, you tortured yourself. Sometimes, Girl, I wonder about you."
"Yeah, I know. So does everyone else." I grinned.
"You were saying before I interrupted you, that Saturday night, at the club you were hearing things?"
"Yeah, and now that I think about it, most of it was things that few people would say out loud. One girl didn't like her date and couldn't wait to escape him. Another was determined to find someone to sleep with as revenge on her cheating partner. I just thought the noise was wreaking havoc with my hearing. But it happened again last night at dinner."
"Sundays are the big family dinner, right?"
"Yes, Sir." I replied, reverting to the respectful phrase my parents and grandparents had made sure all of us learned as children. I don't always use it with my friends, but I do with anyone not my age.
"Only you, Nickie" He said, shaking his head at me as he rolled his eyes skyward, "Only you. Anyway, all of that means yes, you're showing signs of being able to use telepathy in both directions. To both plant your thoughts into someone else's mind, and to pull thoughts from other people's minds as well. I'll work with you myself on learning to use those gifts but I’ll have Karen work with you on your shielding so that others with the same talents can't use them on you, unless you choose to let them. Telepathy can be very useful in some situations, but also a nuisance and an annoyance if you're not prepared to deal with it."
He offered to fix me some breakfast along with his own, but I told him I had already eaten, just in case I ended up not getting the time off and staying at work all day, and I wasn't hungry but I did accept a cup of coffee and I sat with him while he finished cooking and ate.
"I did have something I wanted to ask you though, if you don't mind." I said.
"What is it?"
"Well, you know Raine as well as you know me right? I mean, not that I think he's Kindred or anything. But in the fact that he's my brother and one of Dad's kids. You've been around him and are familiar with him, right?"
"Yes, of course. What about Raine?"
"Well, I noticed it last night, at the family dinner. There was something different about Raine. I couldn't place it, and I still can't figure out what it was. But it's like I am feeling something different from him all of a sudden. I couldn't see anything different and he insisted nothing had changed, not even his soap. But I'm pretty sure I'm not imagining it. I'm at a loss for what it is that's triggering this reaction from me. After a few minutes I figured out it wasn't something had changed with him, but with me, and I was just sensing something that had always been there. I told them I must have imagined it, but I'm certain I didn't."
"I doubt you're imagining it, but let me look into it and see what I can find. It may be that he has some strength or talent that you're sensing. I would guess from just looking at him, that he has some kind of Native American blood, and there may be some talent or power that he inherited from it that you are sensing."
"Will you let me know if you find anything?"
"If I find anything that might explain it, I'll be sure to let you know," He said kindly.
"Thanks, I'd really appreciate it."
Bill picked up his dishes from breakfast and rinsed them in the sink before he loaded them into the dishwasher situated next to it. We moved into his office to start what he called my lesson for the morning.
We worked on picking thoughts from each other’s minds on purpose and projecting only the thoughts we want another to hear into theirs for several hours before Bill called a break and left me sitting almost limp and very tired on his living room couch while he went to fix lunch.
A few minutes later he called me in to eat, he handed me one of the sandwiches he’d made.
"I have some people I'd like you to meet. But they aren't available until Wednesday evening. I'd like it if you could come to dinner here Wednesday and meet them." He said, watching me eat.
"I don't have any other plans, I'd be happy to meet whomever you want me to meet."
"It's our Lyandros, and Harmonia, the couple who are second in command to the pack. They’re the other numbers on the emergency card I gave you the other day. I think it would be a good idea for you to meet them, and get to know them some."
"Sure," I said as Karen walked in.
"Hello, Nickie, how has your morning gone?" She asked me.
"Good, but exhausting…"
"She's got the basics down, the rest will improve with practice. She's a quick learner." Bill said.
"That's good to hear, did he totally exhaust you or you going to be up for more this afternoon?" She asked me.
"More of the same?" I asked.
"Not quite the same but just as much work. It's different, but still something you'll need to learn."
"Well, I was pretty tired before, but between lunch and a bit of rest I am feeling almost refreshed."
"The faster metabolism and needing to eat more will take a little getting used to at first. And you are probably still eating like you did before. Aren't you?" She asked, knowingly.
"Well, yeah. No one told me I would need to eat differently; they just keep feeding me anytime I shift. No one has said anything about needing more all the time. I've been thinking something is wrong with me, because suddenly I'm always starving."
"Of course you’re always starving; you burn a lot more calories now, even if you aren’t shifting. Leave it to the men to forget that little detail. They never worry about eating too much and just eat whenever they are hungry anyway. It wouldn't occur to them to tell you, now would it?" she shot a teasing grin at her husband.
"Sorry, I should have told you that, Nickie, it just never occurred to me," Bill told me apologetically. "Is that sandwich enough or do you want something more?"
I looked down at the almost finished sandwich in front of me, "Honestly, I'm still pretty hungry" I said embarrassed.
Karen went to the refrigerator behind her, opened the door and looked inside for a moment. She pulled out half of an apple pie and asked "How about some pie?"
"That would be wonderful!" My mouth watering at the rich cinnamon smell coming from the dish.
"Do you want it cold like this, or warmed? I think I may even have some ice cream we could put on the side if you'd like?" she wanted to know.
"Oh... Warm with ice cream would be wonderful."
"No problem, let me just pop this in the microwave for a few seconds and I'll check for the ice cream," she replied, cutting two large slices of the pie. She looked over at Bill, where he was hovering on the edge of the room, as if reluctant to leave us alone, "There's no need to hang around and keep us company if you have something you need to do. We're going to have us some pie and ice cream, if you've left any ice cream. Then we'll go in the other room and work on some shielding basics. You go ahead and do whatever it is that you need to do, we'll be fine." She assured him as she finished dishing the pie onto a pair of plates and set them in the microwave to warm.
"I haven't touched the ice cream, you should have plenty for your pie," He replied as Karen turned back to the remaining pie and recovered it before she set it back in the refrigerator. "But since the two of you are all set here without me, and I have some things I need to get done, I'll see you later. Nickie, please come by Wednesday morning for more practice, eight thirty or nine will be fine."
"Yes, Sir," I said, watching Karen as she moved around the kitchen fixing our treat.
By the time the microwave beeped signaling the end of its cycle Karen was ready and she pulled the plates of pie out and set them on the counter while she scooped the ice cream, Bill quietly kissed Karen on the cheek before he left, leaving Karen and me in the kitchen.
Karen slid my plate across the counter top to me before sitting down on the stool on the other side of the counter
bar.
"How well are you handling things?" She asked.
"Okay, I guess. It's a lot to process."
"Yes, it is. I want you to know that if you have any questions, or any concerns you're more than welcome to come to me or Bill. Even the things you might think stupid little stuff."
I swallowed the food in my mouth before replying, "I'll keep it in mind, thank you."
"I'm sure you have some questions, things that you've experienced or run across that we just haven't thought to tell you about." I remembered the shower I’d taken Saturday afternoon.
"I do have a couple of questions, if you're sure you don't mind."
"Of course I don't mind. What is it you want to know?"
"Well, first, do you remember when I was about six and I ran into the tree and split my head open?"
"Sure, you chasing one of your brothers, if I recall correctly, when that happened."
"Yeah, Cam had been teasing me and I was hot on his tail, determined to get back at him. Anyway, I ended up with stitches and I had a scar right here," I showed her the spot near my hairline were my scar used to be, "But Saturday afternoon I noticed that it seemed to be disappearing, and when I thought to check it again this morning, it was completely gone. Is that normal?"
"It's not unheard of, though, it generally takes a little longer. Do you have any other scars, or any worse scars? Worse than that one, I mean?"
"That's the only one I can think of, or at least the worst one, all my others were mostly scratches or odd small wounds to have scarred, but every scar I've thought of seems to be gone now."
"Hmm, that may be why it was so quick, it was the only larger scar that your body needed to heal. Generally, it can take weeks or even months to get rid of scar tissue, depending on how much of it there is and how bad the individual scar is."
"So if I had broken a bone or had some kind of serious injury, it would have taken longer to heal?"
"Exactly."
"Ok, I guess that makes sense, but it's going to take a little getting used to, not having that scar, it's been a part of me forever!"
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