Psyche Shield (29 page)

“Why? I went to a lot of trouble to get you back,” Graham
demanded to know her reason.

“I have discovered family here. If I stay, I can get to know
them.”

He hadn’t expected that response, and his eyebrows nearly
met in the middle. “What family?”

“Kato is my Great-grandfather.” Light murmuring came from
her packmates. Like her before coming to Boise, they only knew of Kato through
stories and legends.

“I was not aware Kato had any children. That makes Kathryn
your aunt.” The Alpha darted his eyes towards his old friend. Kathryn blinked
in affirmation, her ears resting contentedly. A few of her packmates hadn’t
heard of her relationship to Kato and glanced at her in surprise.

“None of us knew. Even Kato didn’t know until I arrived.”

“Family is important, and Wolf family is irreplaceable.” She
sighed in relief at his understanding. “Do you accept her into your Pack?”
Graham asked the other Alpha formally.

“I accept her. She can’t be a bigger pain than Sadie.”

Graham laughed heartily. “Then I approve. Take care of her.
She has a way of getting herself into trouble.”

“I’ve noticed,” he grunted.

Sierra made her first request of Jason. “Alpha, I’d like to
go back for Xan’s funeral, show my father I’m alive and well, and collect my
things if I may.”

Jason thought about Sierra’s Sending gift and the havoc
she’d created upon discovering her friend’s death. He wouldn’t send her to the
funeral without support and made a quick decision. “Kathryn will take you. You
can’t drive on that leg yet anyway.”

Billie listened in, delighted to have Sierra as a packmate.
She liked the Wolf, and Sadie had grown quite attached to her new sister. Once
she had her Sending gift under control, she’d be an asset to the pack.

Stephen emerged from inside the house to speak to his Alpha.
“We’re ready inside. Matthew offered a ride back to our vehicles.” The Beta
lowered his voice to barely above a whisper. “We can’t run from here, but
Matthew’s truck won’t hold us all. I don’t think he’ll let his packmates near
Winston. We need another option.”

Jason felt the same way as Matthew and spoke to the pile of
fur nearby, sounding somewhere in between a request and a command. “Amy.
Kathryn. I need to use your cars.” They lifted their heads in acknowledgement.
“It’ll take two vehicles to hold all of you anyway. I’ll drive the other.”

Kathryn emerged from the doggie pile and transformed,
approaching the Montana Alpha and Beta on two feet. “I have been remiss in
staying away so long. I will gladly bring Sierra to settle her affairs and
would be pleased to visit both of you and your families while there.”

Graham nodded curtly. Stephen answered for both of them.
“I’ve tried to respect your decision to stay away, Aunt. But your family is not
all dead,” he chided her.

She inclined her head sadly, accepting his rebuke. “I wish
to stay with my pack through the funeral and full moon. Sierra and I can leave
the day after. If we do so, will we arrive in time for her friend’s funeral?”

Graham nodded again, and Billie saw resentment towards
Kathryn in the Alpha’s demeanor. “You’ll make it in time.”

Stephen ended the awkward conversation by extending a hand
towards Billie. “It’s been interesting.” Humor glinted in his eyes and his
formality began to fall away. “When your mate wakes, give her my thanks for
returning Bran.”

“I’ll do that.” Billie accepted his handshake. “I’ll contact
you if she has any useful information about it.”

“Until then,” he replied. “Ready, Pop?”

Sierra promised to see her packmates in a few days. The
Montana visitors finished eating and left with Jason and Matthew. In their
wake, Billie smiled widely in satisfaction.

“It’s over. It’s really over,” Sierra sighed in relief. She
lay on her back in the grass near Sadie, Nathan’s tail tickling her arm.

“We did it,” Billie said smugly. “Welcome to the pack,
Sierra. You can stay with me and Sadie as long as you like.”

“Thanks.” Light sadness still hung over her, and Billie
suspected she thought about her friend. “I’m looking forward to exploring this
area. I haven’t seen much of it.”

Billie finally let herself relax and sat beside Sadie,
running her hand through her mate’s hair. Sadie slept deeply, her mind
completely quiet. “I try to get out every weekend. You should join us on our
next trip.”

“I’d like that,” she replied genuinely.

Kathryn settled onto the grass beside Sadie, her head
resting on Amy’s leg. She waved at her mate, inviting him to join them. “I
would like to see my grandson tomorrow. I will not have another opportunity
until we return from Montana. Would anyone like to accompany me?”

“I would,” Sierra replied quickly.

“If I can get away, absolutely. I bet Sadie will say yes
even if I have obligations here,” Billie replied.

“And what of the new couple?” Kathryn asked of Amy and
Nathan. “Would you join me?” They looked at each other and agreed in silent
wolfish communication.

Chapter 16

Jason and Matthew’s return woke me, and I opened my
eyes as they entered the backyard. I’d slept without dreaming, though the
weight of the day never truly left. Billie noticed and kissed me on the back of
the neck. “You’re awake sooner than I expected.”

I sat up, disturbing the furred masses that surrounded me.
My mind felt thick, and I looked around in a state of confusion. “The Montana
Wolves left.” I murmured. The yard felt empty despite the handful of Wolves
still present.

“A couple hours ago.” Billie answered as I sat up. “They
couldn’t stay, not with Winston.”

“I’m glad he’s gone. Did you tell them what I said about
him?” The events prior to my exhausted collapse began to come back.

“I warned them.” She assured me.

Amy shifted back to human form so she could speak. “He’s
creepy.”

“Very.” Billie told her. “Kathryn didn’t even want to be
around him.”

The Elder shifted into human form so she could respond to
the comment. “My efforts on him did no good, and his presence unsettled me greatly.”

“He’s insane.” I announced with much less tact. “He was
collared too long.”

“How long?” Amy asked.

“Forty years.” I informed her, and she paled.

“No wonder.” She muttered. “How are you feeling, Sadie?”

“Still tired, but I’m okay.” I sounded surprised even to
myself. “There’s a lot I need to tell you guys.”

“You can tell us in the morning. Unless somebody I like is
going to kick the bucket first.” The Medic insisted.

I appreciated her wording even in my sleepy state. “I don’t
think I’m going back to sleep right away. How much did Winston and Bran tell
you?” I asked the group as a whole.

“Almost nothing.” Jason replied, pulling a chair closer
while Matthew stood beside him. “Do you know what’s going on?”

I nodded. “Give me a few minutes to wake up first. When I
uncollar someone I see some of their memories. I learned a lot.” Noticing
Nathan’s uneasy expression, I assured him. “I saw almost nothing from before
Cassandra got hold of you.”

Billie spoke privately to me.
There are a lot of
coincidences piling up, and it all points to your family. More than we
expected.

A lot more. I have even more to tell you and Kato.
I
agreed.

Jason frowned at the mindspeech, but Billie continued
anyway.
Is it true that one of your relatives tried to collar me eight years
ago?

Yes. And failed, thank God.
As I sat clearing the fog
out of my head, I considered all of the new information. How much should I say
to my packmates? I wished I could talk to my Muso first. “Where’s Kato?”

“He took off after you went to bed last night. He asked me
to tell you he had to leave to attend to important matters and will return as
soon as he can.”

“He didn’t say when, did he?”

“Does he ever?” Jason grumbled.

“No. He definitely works on his own time clock.” I replied.

Billie frowned. “Interesting that you said that. He said
events are unfolding untimely and he hopes to be able to explain when he
returns.”

“Maybe I can reach him.”
Muso. Can you hear me?

I hear you, Muzi. We have only a few moments to speak and
cannot be certain of our privacy.

I got right to it.
I learned a lot about my family today,
and I don’t know how much to tell Jason. He knows enough to ask very direct
questions now. Too much and too little all at the same time. Can you advise me?

The winds are changing. Events are unfolding untimely and
unpredictably. Tell your Alpha what you must but do not trust that what you say
will remain hidden. Trust only your mate in that.

I heard uneasiness in his tone.
Are you okay?

I will return as soon as I may. If fortune is with me I
will bring others when I return. I must go now. It is not safe for us to speak
in this manner. I will contact you when we cannot be overheard. Be well, Muzi.

That sounded ominous. I hadn’t even noticed Matthew
disappear inside, but he returned with a cup of coffee, strong and sweet. They
waited while I sipped the brew, the smell alone beginning to wake me up. It
gave me the time I needed to sort through what I’d learned and to decide what I
should say. I raised a barrier to protect our conversation, one a Kratos could
not penetrate.

“It doesn’t sound like he’s going to be back any time soon,
and I can’t even ask his advice. We need their help.” I told Billie. She didn’t
reply, letting me make the decision. I looked around the circle of Wolves:
Jason, the Elders, Matthew’s entire team, Sierra and Amy.
Every person I
tell is one more person that can be read.

“Jason, the Elders and Matthew.” Billie suggested aloud, and
I nodded. She addressed the group of Wolves. “Will everyone else go inside?”

“Are you going to explain to your Alpha what’s going on?”
Jason challenged us, feeling out of the loop.

“As soon as they leave.” I promised. The others left without
questioning the decision. As soon as they could no longer hear me, I addressed
my Alpha. “You accused me of half-truths and said you can’t trust me because of
it. The first part is true.” I sensed Billie’s surprise at the blatant
admission and Jason narrowed his eyes. He let me continue uninterrupted. “It’s
been necessary to withhold information from you. There are some things that I
can’t risk getting out. A Mage could read one of you, so I’m still not going to
tell you everything. But I’ll tell you what I can. But you have to promise that
you will not discuss it even with each other unless I’m around to shield the conversation.”

“That’s not your decision to make. It’s mine.” He asserted.

“I’ll be as honest as possible. I kicked a hornet’s nest
today, and I’ve put our pack and Graham’s pack in danger. I need your help. I
can’t leave them stranded, and I don’t know what to do about it. I can’t do
this alone or I wouldn’t risk telling you at all.

“We are Pack, Sadie.” Kathryn reminded me softly. “You are
Pack. If you need help, we will stand by you. If the pack is in danger, we will
face it together.”

“You’ve been withholding information from me too.” Jason
glowered at his Beta, staring her down.

She did not defend her actions. “Yes.”

“What if a Mage reads you?” He challenged.

“Sadie is preventing it.”

“I’m guarding her mind at all times. I can only do it with
her, though. There’s something about our matebond that makes it possible.
Alpha, please.” I begged him to understand as I deferred to his authority. I’d
never begged him for anything before. “If I tell you too much, I’m handing
weapons to your worst enemies. Wolf versus Wolf. Mage versus Mage. We keep
saying that, but it’s more than just deciding who confronts a particular
threat. I’m Pack, but I’m also a Mage. I can’t pretend I’m not, and I have to
act like one if we’re going to survive this. Trust me.”

“I’m responsible for the safety of this Pack. You ask too
much, Sadie.”

“I know. I don’t know how to do this any other way. I didn’t
ask for any of this, and I didn’t know I was getting the pack tangled up in it
until it was done.” I expected an explosion, and instead I received a
calculating stare from all parties.

“Tell us.” Jason ordered.

I took a deep breath and began. “I’ll start with the good
news. According to Lief, Bran was the only collared Wolf in Graham’s Pack. He
wasn’t even collared for very long. The bad news is that freeing Winston
screwed everything up. I’m pretty sure that’s what Kato meant when he said
events are unfolding untimely and unpredictably. If they figure out that
Winston is free, they’ll go for him and then they’ll come after me. They’ll
find me a lot sooner than I thought.”

“Who?” Jason asked, and I sensed Billie’s mind whirling with
the implications.

“Kratos.” I spat the word as if it tasted bad. “Kratos isn’t
just one person. It’s what we call a Mage who can control other Mages.”

Jason hadn’t heard the term before. “Explain.”

“A Wolf’s mind is resistant. It’s like moving a brick wall.
It takes a reasonably powerful Mage to hurt you unless they weaken you first.
Our minds are even more difficult. We seem to have a natural defense against
each other. It’s impossible for a Mage to collar or control another Mage. We
can’t even read each other very well unless we allow it or one is a lot less
powerful than the other. Except that a few of us can do the impossible, and
they call us Kratos.”

“That’s what you meant when you said your own people are
afraid of you?” Jason quit glaring, a thoughtful look replacing his usual
scowl. He began to understand my reluctance to discuss my abilities and my
recent outburst. My entire race feared me, not just a few Mages.

“Yes. Cassandra and Alexander committed suicide because they
were caught between two Kratos. Me and Beatrice.”

“Who is she?” Richard asked, absorbing every bit of
information I offered.

“She’s my birth grandmother. She’s the closest thing that
the Mages have to a leader, but she’s more of a self-imposed tyrant than
anything. Mages either do what she says or get killed or worse. Most stay out
of her way entirely. She was Winston’s original owner and the Mage who intended
to collar Billie. Something happened and she never came back to claim her. If
she or one of the others finds out Winston is free, they’ll want to know who
did it. It takes a powerful Mage to uncollar a Wolf. Not necessary Kratos, but
powerful enough to be noticed by one.”

“If they look for Winston, they’ll find the Montana Pack.”
Billie saw my dilemma.

I nodded. “And if they read Graham, they’ll know I’m Kratos.
I knocked Lief across the kitchen. They’re going to find all of us, but at
least I’m here. I can’t be in both places.”

“You kicked a hornet’s nest all right.” Jason told me,
irritated but atypically pragmatic.

“A Kratos could decimate them easily and quickly. I owe it
to them to do whatever I can to protect them. But I don’t know how from so far
away.”

“We’ll find a way. Tell us about these Kratos.” Jason
commanded. I’d expected an outburst for causing more problems with the Montana
Pack.

You didn’t put them in danger because you were reckless.
It happened as a result of saving two Wolves.
Billie enlightened me.
He
respects what you did and accepts your obligation to the Montana Pack as his
own.

Jason’s irritation returned with Billie’s mindspeech. “If
you have something to say, say it.”

“She explained why you’re not angry that I put the Montana
Pack in danger.” I explained hastily and admitted. “I don’t always understand
your reactions.”

“Likewise.” He conceded.

I continued “There are four Kratos besides me. All four are
obsessed with power and capable of anything. You’ve started questioning your
opinion of Mages because of me. But everything you thought was true is true of
them, and worse. I’m related to all but one of them. That’s why every Mage
problem involves my family. Even the relatives who aren’t Kratos are ruthless
and obsessed with power.”

“What danger is the Montana Pack in? How much damage can a
Kratos do?” Matthew asked the question I dreaded most in the conversation.

They needed to know, but the answer caught in my throat. My
opinion of Matthew had completely flipped during the day. I found it easier to
answer him than anyone else, so I locked eyes with the serious Wolf as I
admitted, “I could claim their entire pack in a couple of hours if I wanted to.
They couldn’t stop me. You’ve been around me enough that you could probably
slow me down a little. Not enough to stop me.”

Stunned silence followed my statement, and I regretted
saying it. Billie placed her hand on mine. “She’s only being honest.”

Richard’s face shadowed, his voice gruff. “If that’s true,
why don’t they do it more often?”

“I don’t think a Kratos killed your mate.” He looked sharply
at me, so I assured him. “I’m not reading you, I promise. You get this look on
your face. The massacre doesn’t sound like a Kratos. I don’t actually know, but
it sounds more like a pet out of control or a Mage with a grudge.”

“I refuse to believe a Kratos is unstoppable. There has to
be a way.” Jason declared.

“We have our weaknesses. I’m figuring out my abilities,
including my limits and blind spots. It should be the same for any Kratos.”

“You were vulnerable when you uncollared Winston and Bran.”
Matthew pointed out one example. To Billie’s surprise, his statement pleased
me.

I nodded fervently. “Uncollaring takes a lot of
concentration. I bet it’s similar when collaring a Wolf, but to a lesser
degree. And when I used magepower miles away like I did the day Amy was
attacked. I was more aware of Amy, Billie and Jason than the room in front of
me. Then there’s Linda. She slipped right under my nose. If we can figure out
how she did that, we can use it on others.”

“I will attempt to discover her methods during my visit.”
Kathryn offered.

“Anything that dulls your mind or requires concentration is
a weak spot?” Matthew asked, the wheels turning in his head.

“Yes. We have to start training right away.”

“What can we do to help the Montana Pack now that they are
drawn into this?” Kathryn asked, worry uncharacteristically showing on her
face.

“I don’t know. My hands are tied this far away. Any
suggestions?” I asked everyone in front of me.

“We should tell Graham and Stephen enough to keep them
alert. Ask them to tell us if they smell a Mage or notice anything out of the
ordinary.” Billie suggested.

“Graham won’t have anything to do with Sadie.” Jason
reminded us. “He may not tell us, or he may think she’s responsible for it. We
can’t count on his cooperation.”

“I can speak to him further when Sierra and I visit. Perhaps
he will come around.”