Psyche Shield (27 page)
There’s more I have to tell you.
“What are you doing?” Graham interrupted my conversation,
distrustful of the mindspeech.
“I’m talking to Billie,” I replied.
“Don’t,” he ordered.
Matthew warned him again, his voice reaching dangerous
levels. “She doesn’t take orders from you.”
Graham still doesn’t trust me,
I told Billie,
ignoring the Montana Alpha’s commands.
Is he threatening you?
I heard her protective side
surface.
Not exactly. Matthew’s handling it.
“What kind of Wolf takes orders from a Mage?” Graham replied
snidely.
“My orders come from my Alpha and Beta,” he countered. “So
do hers.”
“Even if she’s telling the truth, she doesn’t belong in
Pack. You may think what she did back there is well and good, but it’s not.
She’s a Mage.”
Matthew had had enough and growled low, the entire Jeep
rumbling. “This Mage just helped you kill her cousin to free two Wolves. So
either say thank you or shut your fucking mouth.”
They didn’t respond, wisely.
Matthew’s growing on me.
I sensed Billie smile.
Billie provided clothes so they could move about
freely. Wolves from both packs littered the backyard. Still a little wary of
each other, they nevertheless waited politely for Sadie, Graham, and Matthew to
return. Sierra woke and vehemently scolded her packmates for hitting her over
the head. Kathryn helped her calm down, and Amy diagnosed only a minor
concussion. Minor for a Wolf, at any rate, with no lasting harm done.
Billie leaned against the hot tub gazebo, deliberately
maintaining her most intimidating Beta expression. Tensions ran just below the
surface and could erupt again at any time. No one would dare break the stalemate
under her watch. Jason and the other Beta talked inside, too low for them to
hear.
Discovering the collared Wolf had shocked everyone. It
turned the imminent Pack War into a temporary but reluctant allegiance to get
him back, and she hoped it would last. She hoped Graham wouldn’t do something
stupid to force Sadie to defend herself. She bristled at the arguments she
could sense between her mate and the Alpha. If she used any kind of mental
ability against Graham, even in self-defense, the Pack War would renew with a
vengeance.
When Sadie gathered magepower, she felt it, but then the
connection dimmed. Sadie still did that sometimes. She withdrew into herself
and Billie could sense little of her mate’s thoughts and emotions. She waited,
confident that Matthew and Sadie could handle the Mage and Graham. She trusted
that Matthew would take care of Sadie, even if her mate did not.
“Who are you?” Owen’s challenge brought Billie’s attention
sharply to the side of the house. A young woman strutted into view, a Human
with mischief in her eyes. Billie hadn’t heard her approach and started towards
her, wondering which nosy neighbor thought she could enter her backyard
uninvited.
One of the Montana Wolves answered her question. “Linda! Why
did you come back?” Upon hearing her name, every Boise Wolf turned to study the
Human that had caused so much fuss. Billie returned to her perch and
scrutinized the woman silently.
“I never left,” she announced jovially and crossed to sit
beside him on the grass. “I got tired of watching you, so I decided to join
you.”
“I told you to stay away,” the Wolf rebuked her harshly.
“You also said you were grabbing Sierra and leaving. In and
out, one minute tops. It’s been a lot longer than a minute. Hi, Sierra.” She
greeted her packmate.
Her packmate continued scolding her. “You should have waited
for our call.”
“How were you planning on calling me?” She cocked her head
at him, completely unaffected by his reprimand. “You didn’t bring your cell
phone. You really should find some way of carrying your cell when you’re all
furry.” He grumbled, the argument going nowhere. “Speaking of.” Linda pulled a
small purse out of her handbag and tossed it to Amy.
The Medic scowled and caught it mid-air. “Thanks, I think.”
She rummaged through her purse and checked for anything missing.
“Everything’s there,” Linda assured her. “Your bank
account’s a little lighter than before, but that’s it.”
“Linda!” Her packmate raised his voice warningly.
“What? I bought you a gift. I thought you’d be happy. Oh,
put your hackles down, Dad. I’m just kidding.”
Glenn burst out laughing, drawing a warning scowl from
Linda’s father. “Don’t encourage her. She gets worse with an audience.”
Billie, unimpressed with the young woman, decided to
introduce herself. “I’m Billie, Beta of the Boise Pack.”
“Yes, I know. I’ve been watching you.”
Sierra saw Billie’s expression darken ominously and thought
it best to intervene. “Linda, you’re a guest in Billie’s home right now. Please
show her some courtesy.”
“Is she a friend of yours?” Billie asked Sierra, her
irritated gaze remaining on the Human.
“I used to babysit her,” Sierra replied neutrally.
“Then you know how to manage her,” Billie replied. “Keep her
on a leash, or I’ll do it myself.”
Sierra and her father gave Linda identical warning looks.
Sierra cautioned the young woman. “You heard the Beta. Don’t push your luck.”
“Oh, fine. I’ll be good.” She flopped onto her back in the
grass and Billie went back to scowling at everyone.
Her phone chimed. When she read Matthew’s text, it broke her
heart. “We’re on our way back. Your mate is upset. Contact her.”
She reached out to Sadie immediately and felt her mate’s
distress. As always, using magepower consumed her with guilt. Billie wanted to
hold her mate in her arms and sent a deliberate image of doing so. The Wolves
noticed the mindspeech, the Montana Wolves readying to fight if it turned out
to be a Mage trick. Her own packmates knew better and asked her to share the
news.
“The Mage is dead, and they’re headed home with a strange
Wolf. Your collared packmate is on his way back too. Sadie will free him when
she returns.” Many of the Wolves cheered, some of her own packmates among them.
Once she would have celebrated the news of a dead Mage with the others, but no
longer. Her mate’s friends looked at her with concern for Sadie’s welfare. “The
Mage was Cassandra’s son. She’s pretty upset.”
They watched the horizon and listened for Billie’s Jeep,
waiting anxiously for the returnees. “I see him,” Nathan announced and pointed
into the foothills, excited and nervous for the collared Wolf’s return. A brown
and black wolf trotted towards them at a quick pace. Billie hoped no one would
notice a wolf so close to Boise in broad daylight. She couldn’t do anything to
prevent it if they did.
He stopped at the edge of the yard and stood awkwardly,
confused. “Hey, Bran, what are you doing?” one of his packmates called out, the
only woman among the Montana Wolves.
Bran shifted into human form and replied. “I’m waiting.”
“What are you waiting for?” She prompted, and Billie could
see the Wolf’s odd behavior unnerved everyone.
Nathan went to the collared Wolf and moved him into the
shade, offering an explanation to the others. “When Cassandra died, it was like
a rubber band snappin’ my brain. I couldn’ figure out what was what. Sadie’ll
fix it.”
The Montana Wolves looked at Nathan in a new light, wary and
hopeful all at once. They’d heard Kato claim that Sadie freed a Wolf but they
hadn’t believed it. “Can she really uncollar him?” Linda’s father asked
skeptically.
“Yep. He’ll be okay.”
They didn’t have to wait much longer. Billie sensed Sadie’s
approach and left Glenn in charge of keeping order. Amy and Nathan jumped up
and followed their Beta.
Billie updated Jason and Stephen as she strode past.
“They’re almost here, and they brought home a strange Wolf.” At the front door
she paused and informed the other Beta with a scowl. “Linda decided to join
us.”
“I heard her. She’s hard to miss,” he responded blandly.
“She’s lucky she’s Human. I really want to hit her.” Billie told
the woman’s Beta with unhindered bluntness.
“I’ve been there.” By the look on his face, he’d felt the
same way many times.
They heard the Jeep, and Billie sped through the door to
reach her mate. Halfway down the driveway, she got her first look at the
strange Wolf. She froze in place, unable to tear her eyes off of him. Jason
followed her gaze and didn’t need an explanation. “Billie.” His gruff voice
brought her back to the present.
She pulled herself together and went to Sadie’s side. Her
mate, weak with exhaustion and spent magepower, tried to stand and wobbled on
her feet. Billie gathered her into her arms, ignoring Sadie’s repeated
protests. Briefly she locked eyes with the strange Wolf, and she saw
recognition in them.
Billie carried her mate into the house, passing Nathan on
the way. He looked like she felt, his attention focused on the newcomer. She
glanced at his fisted hands and ordered him inside. Intentionally, she
eavesdropped as Jason introduced himself to the strange Wolf.
“I’m Jason, Alpha of the Boise Pack. That redhead is Billie,
my Beta. How long were you collared?”
“I don’t really know. A long time,” he grumbled.
“Come inside.” Jason offered an invitation that sounded more
like an order.
He refused. “No. This is her home. Her and that Mage.”
“That Mage is Pack and the one responsible for your freedom.
Don’t fuck with her,” Jason warned low, and Billie’s face softened at the sound
of Jason defending her mate.
Small world
, Sadie told her, unable to hear the
conversation but sensing it through their connection.
He was collared when
he bit you. Forty years.
Billie looked at her, horrified and responded aloud for
Nathan’s benefit. “Looks like I’m not the only one he bit.”
Nathan’s hands still hung in fists at his side. “You too,
huh?”
“Whoa, what?” Amy stood on her tiptoes to try to see the
newcomer. “That’s him? He got both of you?”
Sadie clung to Billie’s neck and reminded all three Wolves.
“He was collared. It wasn’t his fault.”
“She’s right. Go outside until you calm down. You too, Amy,”
Billie ordered the Pup and took her own advice.
Careful
, Sadie warned Billie about the strange Wolf.
He’s
not sane anymore.
What do you mean?
He was collared too long, and he’s ready to snap. He’s
dangerous.
Her voice sounded sad.
I couldn’t undo it.
You can’t fix everything, love.
Billie told her.
Bran
is out back. But you should rest first.
No. I promised Graham.
Billie insisted on carrying
her until they reached the backyard. Others followed, leaving the Alphas alone
with the newcomer. On her feet once again, Sadie looked at the Wolf waiting for
her in the grass. She glanced around at all the strange Wolves and felt like a
stranger in her own home. She recognized the Montana Beta that Kathryn spoke so
highly of. “You’re Stephen, right?” He nodded, intelligent eyes appraising her
shrewdly. “He’s going to wake up pissed and confused. Will you take care of
him?”
“Of course.” Stephen crossed to his collared packmate while
others moved further away, giving them room. Sadie didn’t need to move closer.
She gathered magepower, and Billie sensed her mind become something different
under its influence. Sadie always came back to her, but she didn’t like the
effect magepower had on her.
Wolves gasped and jumped all around her. The Montana Wolves
prepared to attack the threat in front of them, instinctively threatened by the
power. They hesitated and Matthew and Nathan moved quickly to stand in front of
their vulnerable packmate. After their initial surprise, the rest of his team
joined them, forming a wall to deter the foreign Wolves from trying anything.
Richard watched through hooded eyes, and Billie met her friend’s gaze.
Sadie ignored all of them, concentrating on the collared
Wolf. Almost immediately Bran started fighting. Stephen held him down, but Bran
didn’t hear his Beta’s voice. The commotion distracted his packmates, and they
watched as Sadie freed his mind. A few minutes later, Billie sensed her release
the power and become herself again.
“Now, it’s over.” Sadie commented, smiling contentedly at
the angry Wolf on the other side of the yard. He no longer fought his Beta, but
he looked ready to kill someone, a distinct improvement from the placid puppet.
The unfamiliar Human in the yard drew Sadie’s attention despite her exhaustion.
“Linda.”
“Yep.” The young woman smiled sweetly.
Sadie returned the sickeningly sweet smile. “It’s nice to
meet you, Linda. Now that I have, you’ll never slip by me again.”
“Oh, I will. If I want to,” she challenged the Mage. Sadie
saw something she didn’t like in the Human and frowned.
“No, you won’t. You screwed up. You’ll never get anywhere
near us again without me knowing.”
“Don’t get your panties in a ruffle. I’m just having a
little fun.” Linda defended herself, one arm tucked under her head as she
smiled condescendingly.
“Fun?” Sadie replied, ignoring Billie for a moment. She
pointed at the Montana Wolves “They came to save their packmate. Sierra wasn’t
in danger, but they didn’t know that. I hold nothing against them. But you?
You’re having fun. It doesn’t matter who’s getting hurt, who’s dead, or who’s
collared because you’re having fun.” Linda glared, offended by Sadie’s remarks.
Stephen listened and pretended not to enjoy the accusations.
He’d defend the Human if Sadie took it too far. None of Linda’s packmates rose
to her defense, and Sadie’s packmates listened to her rant in obvious
astonishment. They’d never heard her go off like that, and she hadn’t finished
yet. “You’re a selfish brat who gets her kicks creating chaos. This cute wild
child act may keep others from seeing the kind of person you really are, but
you’re not fooling me.” The world began to spin and Sadie lost her balance.
Billie caught her and steadied her.
You’ve made your point, love.
She has no conscience. She doesn’t care about any of them
,
Sadie insisted.
I know. But if you keep going you’ll offend her dad and
packmates.
“You’re exhausted. I’ll take you to bed.” Billie didn’t know how
much longer her mate could stay awake.
“I want to sleep out here. Pack, remember?” Sadie insisted.
Even her mindspeech began to slur with exhaustion.
She’s as bad as any of
the Mages I’ve gone up against, only without the power to coerce. She’d love to
be able to do what I can do. But I’ll back off.
Billie didn’t reply. The young Human had hit a very tender
nerve in her mate. She didn’t like Linda either, but the selfish brat was
someone else’s problem. Kathryn gently touched Sadie’s arm, distracting the
Beta from the mental conversation. “I believe your mate will be comfortable
over here.”
They found a spot in the shade far away from Linda and the
confused but uncollared Wolf. Billie lay with her mate, holding her
protectively. Sadie’s head rested on Billie’s shoulder, and she pulled her
knees close to her chest. Her hands trembled with spent magepower and another
death on her conscience.
I’m sorry you had to go through this again. I
should have gone with you.
