Psyche Honor (Psyche Moon) (14 page)

I’ll head this off if I can. I won’t let things spin out
of control. I won’t let the pack fall apart.

Perhaps the bigger issue is that she pulled this stunt in
public. If I hadn’t spun an illusion, a whole group of people would have
overheard us. She wasn’t even softening her speech for Human ears.

That’s a good point. How are you holding up?

I’m holding up. Don’t worry about me. Gary’s here with
me. Actually he’s talking to Jason about what happened.

Excellent. Tell Jason I’m leaving work to hunt down
Adrienne and I promise not to kill her.

“
Excuse me, Gary. Jason, Billie asked me to give you
a message.” Gary nodded, and I spoke in the direction of the phone, knowing
Jason would hear me. “Billie’s leaving work to hunt down Adrienne. She promises
not to kill her.”

Gary parroted Jason’s reply. “How pissed is she?”

“Not as pissed as she was two minutes ago. I’ve kept my
promise to you, Jason. Please keep her from coming after me. I don’t want to
break my promise, but I won’t let her kill me.”

Gary’s expression darkened even further as he punched a
button and Jason’s voice came out of the speakers. “You’re on speaker phone
now.”

Jason repeated himself. “What will you do to her if she
tries?” His voice rumbled aggressively.

“Billie asked me the same thing. Nothing permanent. I swear.”
Jason grunted. I couldn’t tell if he believed me or not. “The pack is in chaos
over me. I’m doing my best, but I don’t know how to make this right. I love
her, Jason. If I didn’t, I’d pack up my car and get out of your way. I don’t
want to make her choose between me and her pack. I think we both know what
choice she’d make, and Pack means the world to her. I’m growing kind of fond of
you guys myself.”

“Oh really?” He didn’t believe me.

“Well, not everyone.” I grinned at the phone, and Gary
covered his mouth and coughed to stifle his amusement.

Jason heard it and snorted. “Adrienne disobeyed my orders.
I’ll take care of it. Don’t break your promise to me.” He hung up without
waiting for me to argue.

Gary let out a low chuckle. I didn’t join him.
Jason got
your message.
I informed Billie.

Good. Are you staying at work or going home?

“I’m staying at work.”
I sent the message to Billie
and spoke aloud so Gary could hear.

He patted my leg. “Atta girl.”

I’ll see you at home then. Tell Gary thank you for me.

“
She says thank you.”

“Any time. I mean it.” He pulled out his lunch and ate
quickly. I checked the time and followed suit.

* * *

Following a hunch, Billie drove to Matthew’s home.
Adrienne had been trying to reclaim Matthew’s attention since he broke up with
her sixty years earlier. She’d become Wolf for him and resented it when she
found herself single. Billie didn’t have any sympathy for the woman. Adrienne
had stuck her toe across too many lines and pushed too many buttons. Billie
quit caring why a few years back. Adrienne knew Matthew’s routine, and Billie
knew her patterns.

Billie pulled up to the simple rural home in her immaculate
black Jeep and jumped out. She could smell Adrienne, the fresh trail leading
right to Matthew’s front door. Billie followed the scent, and the door opened
as she drew near. Matthew stood in the doorway looking impeccable in clean
jeans and a button-down shirt. He radiated power much the same way that Billie
did.

He frowned. “She’s inside. She disobeyed Jason’s orders, and
I’m not going to defend her. But she’s right about the Mage. She puts us all in
danger.”

“Sadie isn’t just any Mage. She’s my mate and no danger to
the pack.” Billie did not like repeating herself, and she’d said those words
too many times to sound nice.

“And if she is? Are you willing to sacrifice us for her?” He
folded his arms across his chest and leaned on the doorframe casually.

Billie seethed. “If you knew her, you would know how
ridiculous that sounds. She’s not like other Mages.”

“I’m not convinced you’re seeing this for what it is.” Billie’s
shoulders relaxed. Matthew had sparred with her enough times to know that tell.
He didn’t fear her reaction nor did he prepare for a fight. Out of all of her
packmates, only Matthew could do that. She held the former Marine in high
respect. “I’m not challenging you, Beta. I’m telling you how I see the
situation.”

Billie could respect his honesty, but it stung. “Sadie’s not
the problem here.” She left it at that and walked past him into the living
room. He followed silently.

Adrienne stood on the far side of the room, trembling in
anger and fear. Billie circled the room, eyeing her, daring her to challenge.
Adrienne didn’t speak while Billie stalked her. Matthew took a position out of
the way, watching intently.

Billie’s voice rumbled angrily. “You know Jason gave Sadie
permission to be in our territory. Correct?” Adrienne nodded reluctantly. “And
you know she’s under his protection. Correct?” She nodded again, cringing into
the wall. “You also know she’s my mate, not just my lover. I wore her matebite.
You saw it with your own eyes.” If she could have fled she would have, but
Billie had her cornered. The trembling Wolf had nowhere to go.

Billie came closer. “Do you challenge Jason’s authority?” She
shook her head. “Do you challenge my authority?” She shook her head again so
hard she hit the bookshelf beside her. Her temple began to bleed. “Then tell me
why you disobeyed orders.”

She opened her mouth as if to speak but no words came out.
On the second try she was able, and her voice squeaked. “She’s a Mage.”

“You don’t trust Jason and me and the Elders to keep you
safe?” Again she opened her mouth silently. Billie waited for a response, but
she only screwed up her face in thought. “If you don’t trust us, then you don’t
belong in our pack. Your choice. If you don’t trust us, then leave but don’t
risk everyone else’s safety. You nearly exposed us to Humans today. If it
weren’t for Sadie, you would have. You put the entire pack in danger when you
disobeyed orders and went off half-cocked in public. Do anything like this
again, I will shove your teeth down your throat.”

Adrienne nodded in compliance. Tears began to roll down her
face, partly in relief as she realized Billie wouldn’t attack her. Then Billie
crossed the last few feet, and she shrank to the floor, hiding her face.

“Look at me,” Billie ordered, and the Wolf raised her head
reluctantly. “If you attack Sadie, she will defend herself.” Adrienne blanched.
“She’ll leave you alive and uncollared, and then you’ll have to deal with me.
Try to hurt my mate, and I will break every bone in your body.” Adrienne nodded
and put her head on her knees.

Billie turned her back on the Wolf and faced Matthew. He
watched without expression or comment. She couldn’t always read him, and his
stoic demeanor didn’t tell her what he thought of the situation. Matthew was
the pack’s right arm. If something needed done, he did it efficiently and
expediently. Sometimes that arm carried a sword, and he wielded it with skill.
The third best fighter in the pack, she counted on him frequently. He was a bit
of an ass, but a loyal one. “Keep an eye on her. If it smells like she’s going
to do something like this again, tell me immediately.”

He glanced at the crying woman on his living room floor and
back to the powerful one standing before him. “Yes, Beta.”

Billie left without another word and drove towards home.
There was no sense in going back to the office at this late hour or in her
current state.
I don’t think Adrienne will bother you again.
She sent a
message to her mate.

Is she still in one piece?
Sadie asked with concern.

I didn’t touch her. I’m headed home.

I’m nearly done at work, but I promised Jazz I’d stop by
the lab and give her a blood sample. It shouldn’t take long. Feel like getting
dinner started?

Yes. That’ll help me unwind. See you soon.

* * *

I breathed again, though not easily. Hopefully the
conflict with Adrienne would not continue, but I couldn’t convince myself. The
rest of the day had ticked by slowly while I waited anxiously for Billie’s
update. Gary looked questioningly at me multiple times, wondering the same
thing. I only shook my head each time, letting him know I hadn’t heard back
yet.

I waved at him and he came immediately. “What happened?” he
asked. A few of the more obnoxious employees had noticed the conversation and
lunch spent with Gary. Whenever we spoke, they watched us like hawks, looking
for tasty gossip. I set an illusion around us, muffling our topic to any eavesdroppers.

 “Billie contacted me. She said Adrienne won’t bother me
again.” I hurriedly explained after his eyes widened. “She didn’t hurt
Adrienne. I don’t have the whole story yet, but she sounds confident that it’s
over.” I didn’t feel confident, and it showed. “No one can hear us, by the
way.”

“Adrienne is mean-spirited and hotheaded, but she’s neither
dominant nor powerful. She probably rolled over when Billie confronted her.”

 “Women like her drive me nuts. What’s her story?”

He shrugged. “She’s impulsive and self-centered. She throws
herself at men and then turns her back on them after she gets what she wants or
they don’t cater to her every whim. She’s been known to play one man against
another just for attention. She’s an eighty-something year old spoiled brat.”

“Lovely,” I remarked. “80 huh? She looks good for her age.”

 “Wolves always do.” His eyes brightened. “She’s just a few
years older than Jazz. We looked the same age when we met.”

“Lately I feel very young,” I remarked. “Amy’s about that same
age; right?”

“A little older. She and Jazz were friends before Jazz
became Wolf. Amy’s the one who bit her.” That interested me.

“How about Jason?”

“He’s never said, but he served in World War I, which puts
him at least 115. Richard is much older. He came to the US because of the
Potato Blight in 1845.”

“Ireland; right? People were starving and there was a huge
exodus to the US?”

“That’s the one.”

“Billie is very young compared to the rest of them.”

“Yes. There are only a handful less than 50. A Beta as young
as Billie doesn’t happen.”

“There’s so much I don’t know yet.” I rubbed my temples.
Used to understanding the people around me, I now found myself puzzled by their
motivations.

“It’s a whole new world.”

 “When did you find out Jazz was Wolf? When did you find out
there was such a thing as Wolves?”

The memory pleased him. “When I proposed to Jazz, she said
she had something to tell me. If I still wanted to marry her, I had to ask
again. That’s when she told me about Wolves. Of course I didn’t believe her, so
she showed me. I didn’t take it very well. A week later, I asked her to marry
me, and she said yes.”

“Some proposal.” I noticed the clock. “Well, our eight hours
of normalcy are over. I’m headed to the lab to give Jazz some of my blood.”

“She mentioned that quite a few times. She’s very excited.”

“I’m hoping she can answer a few of my questions too.”

“What kinds of questions?”

“Whether or not Billie can inadvertently kill me if she
bites me the wrong way.” I said it in a nervous rush.

“That would be good to know,” he agreed. “I better go. My
sister is expecting me. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye, Gary.” After finishing the last few details of the
shift, I headed across town to Jazz's lab.

Upon entering the private facility, I checked in at the
front desk. A receptionist took a copy of my driver's license and handed over a
temporary ID before calling Jazz to inform her I'd arrived. Jazz walked through
a security door in a white lab coat, safety glasses resting on top of her head.

She maintained a professional air about her as she escorted
me through a series of halls. I followed her lead, noticing the rank smell of
chemicals and the focused attention of her coworkers. She unlocked a door, and
we entered a small room filled to the brim with refrigerators, complex
instruments, and computers.

Once alone, her face brightened and the distant
professionalism disappeared. “I bring a lot of Wolves in here, and I keep
everyone at arm's length until we're alone.”

“Makes sense. So this is your lab?” I replied with a wave at
the room. I felt very small in the middle of so much strange equipment.

“One of them. The company does a lot of testing and
consulting for scientists across the nation. We also do a little bit of private
R&D contract work, which is how I'm able to use this facility to research
lycanthropic genetics. In the 1960s, a group of Wolf scientists decided we
wanted to study ourselves. So we formed a corporation and each of us works on a
different piece of the puzzle. R&D is always secretive, so it's easy to
keep quiet. My employers don't know the details of what I'm working on. They
get paid for the space, my time, and access to instruments and equipment.
Everything in this room is owned by the corporation.”

I was impressed and said so. “How do you stand the smell in
here? It's getting to me, and I don't have a Wolf's nose.”

She laughed outright. “I've been working in labs for sixty
years. I was a scientist before I was Wolf. I shut out the smell. The others
can barely get near the building.”

“How many Wolves are there?” I hadn't thought much about
Wolves outside of this one pack.

“25 in our Pack, 32 total in Idaho, and a little over 6,000
in the United States at last count. The worldwide population is only an
estimate. 150,000 give or take.”

I had a fleeting image of 6,000 Wolves wanting me dead.
“Does anyone outside the Pack know about me yet?”