Psyche Shield (28 page)

I didn’t worry about Sierra with you here
, Sadie
countered sleepily. Billie kissed her mate’s cheek and met Matthew’s eyes
appreciatively from across the yard.

Kathryn joined them, curling in wolf form beside her friend.
Her small black head rested on Sadie’s hip as she used the Sending gift. Amy,
Nathan, Phil, and Sierra quickly shifted into wolf form and surrounded her with
fur, the brace abandoned in the grass nearby. Sadie drifted off to sleep
quickly and slept deeply.

Only a few of the Boise Wolves remained in human form. The
doggie pile around Sadie didn’t surprise them. Wolves sometimes comforted a
distressed or injured packmate this way. It astonished the visitors to see the
intimate gesture offered to a Mage, their own packmate adding to the pile of
fur.

Matthew and Stephen ensured the temporary allegiance held
while the Alphas met with the strange Wolf. No one challenged the truce, and
light conversation littered the yard. One of the Montana Wolves requested food
for Bran. Richard, remembering the nearly empty refrigerator, called Isabel. It
had been a long morning without a meal.

Billie’s packmates automatically took over her duties so she
could care for her mate. The break also gave her a chance to consider the
strange Wolf’s arrival. She’d wondered many times if the Wolf who bit her was
collared. As she came to know other Wolves, she realized how strange he’d
behaved, but she never found him.

The Wolf who bit her was collared to Sadie’s family. It had
never crossed her mind that her mate’s family had a hand in her becoming Wolf.
She could accept some coincidences in life, but not this many.

Jason opened the back door and called to his Beta quietly.
“Is she asleep?” Billie nodded. “Come inside. Amy, Kathryn, and Matthew too.”
He drew the other Beta’s attention, giving a similar but less commanding order.
Nathan whined in complaint, and Amy licked his face reassuringly. She showed
her confidence that the Alpha and Beta would protect her from the dangerous
Wolf inside. Nathan let her go, and she trotted into the house a few steps
behind Kathryn.

Billie disentangled herself from Sadie, careful not to wake
the sleeping woman. She grabbed Nathan’s nose playfully as she stood. “I’ll
take care of your mate; you take care of mine.” He agreed, settling his chin on
Sadie’s shoulder. Leaving her mate in her packmates’ care, she crossed the yard
with long strides. By the time she reached the back door, she felt prepared to
meet the Wolf who’d haunted her dreams.

Kathryn sat opposite the strange Wolf, a hesitant look on
her face, while Amy anxiously checked him over. She couldn’t smell the Medic’s
fear, but she knew her friend could hide it. The newly freed Wolf sat like a
spring ready to snap. He watched Amy with wild eyes, and Billie vowed to get
her friend away from him as soon as possible. Jason appeared to feel the same
way, hovering over the Wolf and ready for anything. Graham sat on the arm of
the other couch, alert and watchful. Amy finished her assessment, pronounced
him uninjured and left quickly. She nearly ran into Stephen in her hurry to
leave.

Billie introduced herself as soon as Amy left. “I’m Billie,
Beta of the Boise Pack. Welcome to my home.” He glared at her rudely.

Stephen glanced at his Alpha and tried. “What’s your name?”

“Winston.” He answered the other Beta’s question but
continued to glower at Billie.

Jason narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Winston says he’s been passed from one Mage to another. Always the same
family.”

The implications of the statement hit Billie. “Sadie’s
family. Gods. She said you were collared forty years. Can we expect more of her
family to show up?”

Winston refused to answer her, and Jason’s voice rumbled.
“Answer her question.”

“You’re a fool.” Winston didn’t take his eyes off of Billie
as he snarled at Jason. “I don’t know what game the Mage is playing, but I
won’t be part of it. I won’t talk to her pet.”

“I’ve already explained Sadie to you, and I won’t repeat
myself,” Jason’s growl deepened. “Answer my Beta’s question.”

“No. I’ve been doing her family’s dirty work for too long.
I’m done. If she comes near me, I’ll kill her.” His eyes grew even wilder with
desperation and fury.

“Good luck with that,” Matthew murmured from his vantage
point against wall.

Billie stifled a grin and tried a different tactic. She
glared down her nose at him and spoke sharply. “Do you remember me? Do you
remember biting me eight years go?” The statement startled nearly every Wolf in
the room. They refrained from commenting, their reactions subtle.

“I remember,” he spoke slowly, not breaking eye contact.

“Why? Why bite me and leave me? If a Mage wanted to make me
Wolf, why not come back for me?” She’d wanted those answers for a long time.
Defiantly, he refused to provide them.

Jason and Graham exchanged a look. Jason ordered Matthew and
Kathryn to stay with the insane Wolf. The Alphas and Betas stalked out the
front door and crossed to the other side of the lawn where they could speak
privately.

Billie kept her voice low so no one would overhear, stating
what none of the others wanted to voice. “He thinks they did come back for me.
Especially since I’m with Sadie. I don’t think I’d believe it either.”

“I’d think the same if I didn’t know Sadie,” Jason agreed.
“He’s not going to talk with you or your mate around.”

“I think we’ll be fortunate if he doesn’t attack one of
you.” Stephen glanced towards the house.

Jason concurred and ordered his Beta to keep her distance.
“Both of you. No point in feeding the fire. Absolutely do not leave Sadie
unprotected until he’s gone.”

Billie hadn’t planned on it. “I won’t. I want Matthew with
him at all times. He’s too unstable,” she suggested.

“He needs a pack, but he can’t join mine for obvious
reasons.” Jason looked pointedly at Graham.

“I’ll take him,” Graham decided grimly and somewhat
reluctantly.

“He’s off his head,” Stephen warned his father.

“Maybe.” The Montana Alpha reserved judgment.

“Sadie said the same thing,” Billie warned them. “She said
he was collared too long and the damage to his mind is extensive. She couldn’t
repair it. She warned me to be careful, he’s insane and dangerous, ready to
snap.”

Graham thought he deserved a chance. “He won’t get it here.
Not with a Mage around.”

“I’ll try to find out what happened eight years ago,”
Stephen offered.

“I appreciate it,” Billie replied. “And last summer. He bit
Nathan too.”

Jason curled his lip at his Beta, unaware of the Wolf’s
history with Nathan until she mentioned it. “I want to know if more of Sadie’s
relatives are going to show up.”

Billie cast a concerned glance towards the house as if able
to see through it to the backyard where Sadie slept. “Gods, I hope not. I don’t
know how much more she can take.”

“How is she?” her Alpha asked, his voice less gruff than
usual when discussing his Mage packmate.

“She’s completely exhausted. She’s not Wolf, and she’s been
trying to keep up with us. We asked too much of her. No more for a while.”
Billie set her jaw, determined to let her mate rest as long as needed.

“She’s done her part. Let her sleep. Unless another one of
her long lost relatives shows up,” Jason replied with a grunt.

Billie’s frustration began to leak out. “Of all the Mages in
the world, we get another cousin in our territory. She shouldn’t have to go up
against her own family like this, Alpha. No one should have to do that.”

“You’re right. But something’s going on. It’s been five
years since the last Mage. Since your girl showed up, we’ve had four, two of
them cousins. Four from our pack and two from theirs have been bitten,
collared, or killed by her relatives. What about the ones we lost over the
years? Did her family take them from us too?”

“I don’t know.” Billie pinched the bridge of her nose,
grateful that she could answer his question honestly. “I want answers too. She
didn’t know anything about her family until she met Cassandra. She may know
more from today. I’ll ask her later. I won’t wake her.”

Graham and his son listened with interest. “You got yourself
in a tight scrape here.”

“Tell me about it,” he grumbled and pointed out. “It’s a
tighter scrape with you on our tail.”

Graham looked at Jason cannily and asked his son. “How’s
Bran?”

“Spitting mad and in need of a long run,” Stephen answered
cheerfully.

“Then he’s back to himself?” The Alpha asked mildly. He
still had difficulty believing it possible to free a collared Wolf.

“So it seems.” Stephen looked nearly convinced.

“Do you know how long he was collared? Or how?” Billie
asked.

“I haven’t asked yet,” the other Beta replied.

“Does Sadie know?” Jason nodded towards Billie’s mate in the
backyard.

“She probably knows more than Bran, but she hasn’t said much
yet.”

Graham shook his head. “I never thought I’d see the day when
I’d fight on the same side as a Mage. Today was eye-opening. What she can do
isn’t right, and she doesn’t belong with Wolves. I don’t want any part of it.
You’re fools, but I can see you’re not collared. We’re done hunting you. You
gave us a run, though.”

“And you’re one hell of a fox.” The Alphas complimented each
other.

Billie accepted his admission graciously, insult and all.
“I’d offer to put you and your Wolves up until morning, but Winston’s a
problem.”

“We’ll leave right away.” Graham wouldn’t stay any longer
than necessary. Billie thought it had more to do with Sadie than Winston.

Jason concurred, as eager as Billie to be rid of the insane
Wolf. “Him here, right now is asking for trouble. Good luck with that one.”

“Good luck yourself. I’ll take a touched Wolf over a Mage
any day. You’ve redefined trouble bringing her into the pack.”

Jason snorted in agreement. “She’s a Goddamned thorn in my
side.”

“Then why?” Graham couldn’t understand the other Alpha’s
decision and demanded an explanation.

“She’s Billie’s mate. She’s loyal to the Pack,” Jason
replied simply.

“She’s a Mage. You can’t be sure of anything around them,”
Graham argued.

Billie bristled but kept her mouth shut while her Alpha
answered. “I’m sure she’s on our side, and she’ll fight tooth and claw to
protect the Pack.”

“She already has,” Billie affirmed. “You have no idea.”

“I still think you’re fools,” Graham reasserted.

Billie didn’t respond to the repeated insult. “Alpha, can I
call back our Human packmates and arrange John’s funeral?” The absence of a
proper burial for her friend weighed on her, and she wanted to begin making
arrangements.

Jason agreed. “Do it. He deserves a proper goodbye. Plan a
long weekend for the funeral and full-moon run. We’ll leave as soon as
everyone’s home.”

Stephen asked about John’s death, and Billie gave him the
short story. “A Mage collared Nathan, used him to kill John, and tried to take
the pack.”

“Cassandra, the one Sadie killed.” Graham’s knowledge
surprised Billie.

“Yes. Sadie told you?”

“A bit. That Mage came here looking for his mother. He said
she stole his pet. I reckon he meant Nathan.”

“You win a medal for worst in-laws in history,” Stephen told
Billie, his attitude towards Sadie slightly more open than his father’s.

“She’s worth it,” Billie informed the Wolf without pause.
“I’m sorry about Xan. I’m glad we could settle this without any more
casualties.”

“Same here. I’ll gather my Wolves and get out of your hair.”

With the truce sealed, they headed back inside. Billie
walked past Winston without a glance. A quick hand signal to Matthew told him
to stay put and stand guard. Only he and Stephen remained with the seething
Wolf. Even Kathryn abandoned her charge and exited with her.

Once outside under the afternoon glow of the sun, Billie
asked Kathryn for an explanation. “I cannot help him. I will go where I can be
of use,” she replied vaguely. Shifting back into her wolf form without further
justification, she merged with the doggie pile around Sadie. Billie looked
longingly at her sleeping mate but couldn’t join her yet. She had a few calls
to make.

“Gary. Ready to come home?” Her greeting caught every
packmate’s attention. Her eyes glowed and she spoke to the Wolves as much as to
the Human. “The conflict is over. We’re all fine.”

The Wolves heard Gary’s response. “Thank the stars!”

“We’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

“The kids and I will come home tonight. We miss Jazz. I’m
sure others will feel the same.”

“As soon as everyone’s home, we’ll head out for a long
weekend. We’re burying John.” Murmurs of approval spread through the yard.

“I’ll tell the others.”

“Thanks, Gary.” She smiled as she ended the call. The Pack
felt incomplete with their Human packmates absent. With a quick text she sent
the good news to the entire pack. Isabel and William entered the backyard in
time to overhear the conversation, arms loaded with enough food for everyone.
Wolves began congregating around them. Most hadn’t eaten yet, and the sun shone
directly overhead.

“The conflict is over,” Graham affirmed to his packmates.
“My mind is at ease that the Mage poses no danger to us, and Jason and I have
settled our differences. We leave as soon as you’ve finished eating. Make it
quick.” His packmates whooped and stirred.

Sierra shifted into human form and caught Graham’s
attention. “Alpha, can I speak to you?”

He walked to meet his Wolf where she sat on the ground beside
the sleeping Mage. She couldn’t stand without her brace and he didn’t make her
put it back on. “What is it?”

“I wish to stay in Jason’s pack if he will have me.” Her
packmates looked up in surprise and Jason joined the discussion.