Psyche Honor (Psyche Moon) (15 page)

“Not from me. I'm going to wait until I have something to
show my colleagues before I bring it up.”

“I’m not eager for them to know,” I admitted.

“I’m not surprised.” She led me to a chair and pulled a
phlebotomy set out of a cabinet. “I'll start with a blood sample. I may ask for
more later,” she warned. “How was your day?”

“Eventful,” I replied. “Adrienne showed up at the
warehouse.”

“Oh, no. What did she do?” Jazz cringed as she prepared the
tubes and needles with practiced efficiency.

“She gave me until tomorrow to leave town or she’d kill me.
It was right out of a bad western movie.”

Jazz glanced up at me in shock. “She doesn't have the
authority. Did you tell Billie or Jason?”

I nodded. “Gary called Jason, and I contacted Billie. Billie
already took care of it.”

“I'll bet Gary loved that. He doesn't particularly like
Adrienne.” She positioned my hand palm up in front of her and wrapped an
elastic band over my upper arm. Lightly fingering the inside of my elbow, she
searched for the right vein.

“That was obvious.”

“What did Billie do?” she wanted to know. I relayed what
little information I had. “I’m surprised she didn’t do more. We're very
protective of our mates and we obey our Alpha and Beta. It's true that it's our
nature, but it's also part of how we stay hidden. She broke one of our most
important rules.”

“And she did it publically,” I added.

“She threatened you in public?” Ready to press the needle
into my vein, stopped abruptly. The needle hovered over my arm for a moment
before she resumed her task. The needle's sting pierced my skin, and I flinched
automatically. “She declared me a danger to the pack and threatened to kill me
if I didn't leave town in the middle of the warehouse floor. No discretion.
Don't worry, I made sure no one heard her.”

She popped a vial in place and red blood from inside me
began to fill it. Anger rose in her, but she didn't express it outwardly.
“That's unbelievable. The woman has no common sense.”

“Hopefully she has enough not to come back tomorrow.” She
removed one vial and filled another.

“Billie is our Beta for more reasons than her fighting
skill. We respect her, she's fair and honorable. She'll do whatever it takes to
protect us and the Pack, even if that means going up against one of our own.
She's earned our loyalty. She takes the responsibility of Beta seriously. She
also has a temper. It never lasts long, but we all know not to cross certain
lines with her. Adrienne would be a fool to threaten you again.”

I thought about what she said as Jazz removed the needle
from my arm, pressed a cotton ball against the puncture wound, and released the
tourniquet. “Is Adrienne a fool?”

She sighed. “Too often, yes. But she's never been this reckless
before. I'd be careful if I were you.”

“I am.”

Her concern extended beyond me. “I don't want Gary in the
middle of this. He's Human. Will you try to keep him out of it?”

“I won't let anything happen to Gary,” I promised
resolutely.

She looked at me with intelligent eyes. “I appreciate that.
You and Billie seem so different. But you're a lot alike in some ways.”

I blushed at the compliment. She set the vials aside and
pulled out a clipboard. “A few personal questions and we're done.” She ran
through a series of questions about medications and general health plus a
handful of very specific questions that made no sense to me whatsoever. “The
next questions are about you and Billie. Are you comfortable answering those?”

“I'm willing,” I replied honestly.

“Has Billie ever bit you?”

“Yes. Many times.”

“Has she ever broken the skin?”

“No.”

“In what context has she bitten you? For example, during sex
or sexual activity, during an argument, while sparring ...”

“Only in our sex life.” I could feel my cheeks burning. Jazz
showed no discomfort with the questions, which helped. She continued with more
detailed questions about our sex life.

“The two of you shared a matebite; correct?”

“Yes.” I smiled at the memory. “She bit me on the ear. It
reddened for about a day but didn't break the skin. I bit her between the
breasts and broke the skin. The mark lasted a couple of weeks.” A few more
details about the matebite, and she pronounced the embarrassing interview over.

“Any questions for me?” She set her clipboard down and
placed her hands in her lap.

“Where do I start?” I let her see how overwhelmed I felt
about my new world at times.

“Wherever you like.” Her straightforward logical manner
reassured me.

I nodded towards the blood samples sitting in her
refrigerator. “The idea that the wrong bite from Billie could kill me is
frightening. Would you look into that as soon as you can?”

“Yes. We've speculated about the nature of the chemical
incompatibility between Mages and Wolves. Of course we've only ever had Wolves
to study. Definitive answers will take time, but I should have the initial
round of tests complete in the next week. I'll let you know what I find.”

“I can't tell you how much I appreciate that.”

“I'm happy to help. You are the most exciting thing to
happen in this field in a long time. Conveniently, we're looking for the same
answers. Different questions, but the same answers. Anything else?”

My phone interrupted our conversation, and I reached for it.
I didn't recognize the number, but I didn't think anything of it. “Hello?” No
one spoke, so I repeated myself. “Hello?”

“Can I speak to Elliot, please?” Cassandra's drawn came
through the phone. My stomach hit my throat at the sound.

“You must have the wrong number,” I responded and she hung
up.

Jazz noticed something off about the phone call. “What was
that about?” she asked.

“Wrong number, I guess.”

“It seemed like more.” She could smell the lie.

“It felt off. Strange. And the voice was familiar, but I
can't place it.” I considered peeking into her mind to see what she suspected,
but I didn't want to violate her privacy if I could help it.

“Why are you scared?” She looked at me calculatingly. I
couldn’t fix the situation without altering her memories, and I wasn't nearly
desperate enough to do that.

“I don't know.” I told her honestly. She quit asking
questions, but she clearly didn't dismiss it. “I guess I'm just on edge these
days, easily spooked.”

“You didn't seem spooked about Adrienne.”

I thought about that, and she had a point. I didn’t scare as
easily as before, and I saw the difference. “She came at me head on, and I saw
her coming. No surprises.”

She accepted the explanation but still analyzed me. “That
makes sense.”

“Billie probably has a feast ready by now. I better get
home. Dinner soon?”

“Yes. Let's plan on Friday after next. I think that'll work
for Gary too.” The previous tension dissolved.

“The kids can join us too,” I offered.

“They'd like that. They practically worship Billie.” She
sounded like a proud mom.

I beamed. “Do they know about Wolves?”

She nodded affirmatively. “We never kept it from them like
some parents do. They know their packmates and they know the stakes of telling
anyone.”

“I'm looking forward to meeting them. And getting to know
Gary outside of work.”

“We’d like that. I'll walk you out.”

As soon as we stepped into the hall, her professional
demeanor returned, and she escorted me back to the front desk in silence.

“Thank you for coming, Miss Aiden,” she extended as I
returned my temporary badge to the receptionist.

* * *

Billie had a feast prepared when I arrived home. “I
invited Amy to join us,” she told me after a kiss hello. “She's still a few
minutes out.” Her kiss worked its way down my neck, and I became instantly
aroused. Slipping my hands under her shirt, I fingered the sensitive skin at
the base of her breasts. She moaned and pressed me against the wall.

She needed to touch me, I realized distantly. After
Adrienne's threat, she needed to convince herself I was safe. Then my shirt and
bra landed on the floor, her mouth covered my breasts, and her motives didn't
matter. I kicked my shoes and jeans off and pulled her shirt over her head,
watching her breasts bounce.
I love you,
I murmured into her mind.
More
than I've ever loved anyone in my life.

She replied with actions. Lifting me by the thighs, she
raised my breasts level with her mouth. I wrapped my legs around her bare chest
and leaned into her, disappearing in her attentions. Her fingers pressed into
me, spreading me apart, and her breasts rubbed against my inner thighs. I orgasmed
abruptly from the raw passion she radiated. Encouraged by my climax, she
consumed my breasts, and I disappeared into the moment.

Pressing me tighter against the wall for leverage, she
slipped her arms underneath my legs. My curling toes pointed at the ceiling. A
little more flexibility, and I could have wrapped my feet around her neck.
Totally exposed to her, she nipped lightly at the undersides of my breasts
while my body relaxed into post-orgasmic bliss.

She looked up at me with absolute content and adoration. “I
love you. I will never give you up.”

Wrapping my fingers in her hair, I met her eyes with
conviction. “I'm not going anywhere.” She set me down gently, and I leaned in
to kiss her softly. “But I am going to get dressed before Amy gets here. I'm
not ready to join your level of nudity.”

She smiled and ran a finger lightly down my body, leaving a
tingling path from breast to thigh. “She's not here yet.”

“True.” We moved to the couch and spooned, her arms wrapped
around me. I felt loved, and I felt safe. Her fingers brushed back and forth
across my chest, and I snuggled into her. “You feel like home.”

She smiled. I couldn't see it from my position, but I could
feel it. “This could be your home. To me it already is. You belong here. Would
you like to make it official? Move in with me?”

“I'd love to.” She kissed the back of my head, and I closed
my eyes. “Damn. Amy's almost here. I'm going to get dressed.” I started to get
up, but she pulled me on top of her. Laughing, I pretended to fight her. She
flipped on top of me, straddling my waist and pressing my wrists into the
cushions by my shoulders.

“Amy's here,” she smirked, still holding me down. At my
horrified expression, she let me go so I could hurriedly dress. She sat on the
couch and watched me scramble into my clothes. Amy knocked before I finished
dressing. I shot a warning glance at Billie, and she waited until I’d zipped my
pants before inviting Amy in.

“Hiya, Sadie!” She bounced through the door, hugging Billie
and me in turn. She had to have heard and smelled us, but she didn’t
acknowledge it in any way. “Dinner smells delicious.”

Billie retrieved her shirt from the floor and wiggled into
it. We ate at the kitchen table, and I discovered that Amy hadn't heard about
the day’s excitement. I filled her in on Adrienne's visit, and watched her
blanch, mouth gaping wide, when she heard how close we all came to exposure.

“That little … oooh! Billie, please tell me you threw her
into a wall.”

I grinned at the reference but directed my interest towards
Billie's confrontation. “I found her at Matthew's home of course. She has a
nice gash across her head from throwing herself into a wall, but I didn't touch
her.” She recounted the event harshly. “Then I threatened to break every bone
in her body if she ever threatens my mate again.”

Amy whistled. “You really went easy on her.”

Billie disagreed. “She was terrified, cowering and shaking
like a Pup. I'm not a bully.”

“Even I want to hit her for threatening Sadie,” Amy argued.

“She didn't fight me. She didn't even argue. If she does it
again, I'll fulfill my threat. She's afraid of you.” Billie poked her fork in
my direction. “And she doesn't trust me because I'm with you. If it was just
her, I wouldn't be concerned. She's been a problem since before I came here.” She
set her fork down and crossed her hands on the table. “Matthew agrees with her.
Not her actions of course, but he agrees with her opinions. He doesn't trust me
either.”

“This is not good.” Amy's trepidation rose until it began to
fill the room.

“Why is Matthew's opinion so important?” I asked,
remembering the Wolf I met the night of the attack. I didn’t like him much
then, and I hadn’t seen him since.

Amy answered. “Matthew wouldn't say something like that
about his Beta unless he felt strongly about it. He’s ex-military and does what
he’s told. He’s totally loyal. It shows what's going on in the whole Pack, not
just one or two people.”

That sounded ominous. “What do you think will come of this?”
I asked the medic.

She shook her head and thinned her mouth. “I don't know.
It's worrisome. Scared Wolves are dangerous, and when we don't feel secure in
our pack, we get scared. Billie makes us feel safe. She’s tough as nails and
nearly impossible to beat in a fight. She can protect us from anyone and anything.
Who will protect us from her if she turns on us? I'm not thinking that, but
they are.” She qualified her statement quickly. She thought for a moment. “If
it gets out of hand, they’ll come after you first.”

“You're not very comforting today,” I told Amy, trying
unsuccessfully to lighten the mood.

“Sorry.” She scrunched her face like a child. “I hope I'm
wrong.”

I smiled appreciatively before filling Billie in on my
conversation with Jason. “I told him I would defend myself if I have to.”

Billie's head jerked up, and her eyes widened. “You did
what?”

“I asked him to keep her away from me. I said I don't want
to break my promise, but I won't let her kill me.”