Psyche Honor (Psyche Moon) (18 page)

Kato came because his packmates needed him, and at the time,
I associated his comment with Billie. She felt lost without a pack, and Kato's
arrival banished the haunted look she'd had during the drive. Now I watched my
mate cleaning a bird for my dinner, joined by a Wolf who called me daughter,
and I sat beside a cave they found for me to sleep in. They could survive very
simply as wolves, and they worked to keep me fed and comfortable. I realized
I’d begun to rely on the pack and welcomed having people in my life who looked
out for me. It was new.

 Kato turned his head and gazed lovingly at me, sensing my
thoughts.
You are Pack.

I'm realizing that. I'm beginning to understand what that
means.

In Pack, one heart beats and many hearts echo. We are
one.

I still can't believe you crossed a mountain range to
meet us.

You are pack, Muzi.
I would do much more for you,
just as you have proven you will do much for the pack.

Muzi. What does that mean?
I asked.

The Sage who raised and taught me called me this as a
child. I would be honored to be that for you and for you to call me Muso as I
once called him.

I'm honored, Muso.

Billie rose with the clean bird hanging from one hand,
leaving only a small pile of feathers behind. I hurried to gather a last armful
of firewood. Dusk was falling, and I set the wood near the mouth of the cave.
Billie took my hand and kissed my wrist. “Sit and rest. I'll do it.”

“I'm not going to argue.” I sat just inside the cave as she
expertly built a fire near the opening. She hadn't dressed, and I enjoyed
watching her muscular body move as she worked. The fire crackled to life, and
she fed it into a small hot blaze. Once satisfied, she turned and knelt in
front of me. Grasping both of my hands in hers, she gazed up into my eyes. It
was the most supplicant gesture I'd ever seen her make. Kato lay beside her,
mimicking her movements in wolf form. I fidgeted uncomfortably.

Billie spoke reverently to me. “When you told me what you
did earlier, I was grateful. But I did not realize just how much you did for
us. I didn't grasp how much you risked, and what it's cost you. Kato told me
how distressed you were after meeting Cassandra for the first time. He said it
disgusted you to pretend you'd collared me. It sickened you so deeply, it took
an afternoon to soothe you. He said you chose to save the Pack, knowing it
could cost you everything including me. And you didn't hesitate. All you asked
in return was his promise to ensure I knew you hadn't betrayed me.

“Our pack rejected you when it should have embraced you as
my mate, and yet you were willing to risk our relationship. You chose to save
our pack knowing they would try to kill you for it if they caught you. You are
the best person I've ever met. Selfless. Giving. Understanding. I can only
dream of living up to your example. Our pack owes you everything. I'm not ready
to give up on them, and I doubt you are either.”

Tears sprang to my eyes, and my hands trembled in hers. “I
was so afraid you'd be mad at me for deceiving you and letting John die.”

“Gods, no. I'm grateful for what you did. And I'm incredibly
impressed that you pulled it off.”

“I'm not ready to give up on the pack,” I declared with a
squeeze.

“Then tonight we rest, and tomorrow we plan.”

Your mate speaks the truth. Our pack owes you a great
debt.

Billie cooked the bird over the open fire as the sun slipped
below the horizon. As it roasted, I filled her in on everything. The bird was
delicious, and once I'd had my fill, she and Kato shared the leftovers. Billie
put the fire out, choosing to restart it in the morning rather than risk it
spreading or drawing notice.

 I will watch over you and your mate tonight. Sleep well
and deeply. You are safe here.

“
A good night's rest would do us both good. Thank
you, Muso,” I answered for Billie and me.

Billie unrolled the sleeping bag, and to my surprise we both
fit in it, though barely. Undressing with uncharacteristic immodesty, I joined
Billie inside our bed. She spooned me against her chest and held me tight. Kato
curled against my stomach, his head resting on my arm. As promised he listened
to the night with erect ears. I fell asleep feeling like Pack for the first
time.

* * *

Morning came, and I woke rested. The bitter aroma
of coffee filled my nose, and I opened my eyes to find Billie pouring me a cup.
“Good morning. How did you sleep?”

“Like a baby,” I replied, accepting the warm brew from her
hands. “What's cooking?”

“It's a mishmash of nuts, fruit, and greens. I went on a
walk while you were sleeping.”

I eyed the small pot sitting covered on the fire. “That's
not much food. What are you eating?”

She smiled knowingly. “I hunted already. I'll eat what you
don't.”

“It’s weird that you and Kato are only eating my leftovers,”
I remarked.

Billie smiled as she circled to sit behind me, wrapping me
in her arms. “We can live off of what we hunt, and we don't have to cook it
unless we're in human form. I eat better out here than I do in the city. The
cooked food is for you.”

“Don't you need a more rounded diet than just meat?”

“What I hunt is more than just meat, and I get most of what
I need from a whole animal. A piece of chicken isn't a complete meal, but a
chicken is. Some fruits and veggies here and there, and I'm set.”

“So your dietary needs are like a regular wolf's not a
human's?” I hadn’t thought about it before.

“It's somewhere in between, but closer to a wolf’s.”

“Interesting,” I commented, sipping the delicious coffee.
“Where's Kato?”

“He's nearby, hunting and scouting probably.”

“I can't sense him unless he wants me to. I've never met
anyone I couldn't sense before him.”

“He's unusual,” she remarked with admiration.

“How long have you known him?”

“I met him just after I became Beta, so about two years. I
don't see him often. He stays in wolf form most of the time and only comes to
Elder Meetings when he's needed.”

“I can't figure him out. He's more than just a Wolf. He said
he was born Sage. Do you know what that means?”

“His father was a Mage. I bet that has something to do with
it.”

“Really?” I burst at the revelation. “He never told me
that.”

“He's not one to overshare. I know very little about him and
his life. Most of what I do know I found out in the last week.”

“Will you tell me what you know about him?”

Billie considered the question. “He's originally from
Africa. I don't know how old he is or when he came here. I don't think anyone
does except maybe Kathryn. The earliest stories I've heard go back to just
before the Civil War. Isingoma was Alpha of another pack and Kato was his Beta.
They were twins. When Richard's pack was nearly destroyed by a Mage, Kato came
to help them survive and became Alpha of this pack.

“Isingoma was Kathryn's first mate. He and their grandson
died in the Tulsa Race Riots. She and Kato are close - I didn’t realize how
close until this last week. Losing his twin was very difficult for him. Someone
once told me that the spark left his eyes after his twin died. According to
Kathryn, Isingoma and Kato believe they are a single soul divided into two
bodies. When Isingoma died, Kato was left incomplete. Not long after, Kato
relinquished Alpha to Jason, and he all but disappeared into the mountains.
Maybe that's why he lives as a wolf. I've heard it said that he foresaw Jason
as the next Alpha and made him Wolf to fulfill his vision.

“He's something of a legend among Wolves. Whenever I meet
Wolves from other packs, they ask me about him. I've heard a lot of stories and
don't know which of them are true. They say he's the oldest Wolf in the United
States if not the world. They say he can see the future, which apparently he
can. Some believe he's a Sensitive and a Wolf. Other stories are interesting
but absurd."

I nodded. That filled in a few gaps. “He's mentioned his
brother before. It felt like a black hole opened when he talked about him. He
asked me to be his student.”

“Is that why you called him Muso?”

“He said that's what he called the Sage who raised and
taught him.”

“Whoa. Sadie, that's huge.”

“I know. I'm completely blown away. He talks about his
abilities like they're the same as mine except he can't coerce. He said he was
spared the ability to harm.”

“He said something like that in the last Elder Meeting. It
was the first time any of us knew his father was a Mage. Kathryn didn't even
know. Richard and Jason were livid. They accused him of lying to them by keeping
that information to himself.”

“How did Kato respond to that?” I wondered.

She laughed at the memory. “He said he understood their
anger and forgave them. Then he asked how you had betrayed them when you didn't
even know you're a Mage. He has a way of pointing out what's important and
what's going on underneath it all. Kind of like you, actually.” She sobered as
she remembered Richard's reaction. I sipped the delicious coffee and enjoyed
the feel of her arms around me. “I'll bet your stew is ready. Hungry?”

“Famished.”

She pulled the pot off the fire and poked at it. “It's done.
I don't know how tasty this is, but I can guarantee it's nourishing.”

“Then I have nothing to complain about. Come here,
beautiful.” I invited seductively. “Kato will be back at some point.” She
joined me on top of the sleeping bag by the fire. We lay facing each other.
“I've decided I like naked camping.” Her green eyes glittered in the morning
light, and I ran a hand down the curve of her side and hip. Her breath
deepened, and I sensed her rising arousal.

The curve between her breasts drew me in for a kiss, and she
closed her eyes. I worked my way around her breast with my lips, feeling her
skin quiver beneath my touch. Her rosy nipple perked to attention when I grazed
it with my teeth. I shifted my hand down her ass, brushing the skin delicately.
She enjoyed the attention, her legs parting a bit in an unconscious invitation.

Billie’s acute senses picked up something I didn’t. “Kato’s
coming,” she announced.

I sighed dejectedly and stopped admiring her so intimately.
“Time for breakfast, I guess.” We sat up, and Billie handed me the cooling
stew. Kato joined us shortly.

“This isn't half bad.” The stew surprised me, and I fed
Billie a bite to prove it. She nodded in agreement. I ate all of it, scraping
the bottom of the pan for the last bits. Kato lay in wolf form, watching the
dying embers intently. His mind, hidden from me again, focused on something far
away. A deep and powerful blanket enveloped him as he meditated.

When I finished eating, he shimmered into human form and
directed his focus at Billie and me. “We must determine the next course of
action.” He cut to the chase.

“Agreed,” Billie replied. “Our first priority is to stop
Cassandra. As much as I want to rejoin the pack, that can't be our priority. Is
that your opinion too?” she asked the Eldest.

Kato nodded his agreement. “The two priorities will become
one in short time.”

“What do you see, Muso?” I asked. “Do you know what we need
to do?”

He looked long at Billie and me before he responded. “You
must join the Mages who conspire against us and be as if one of them.” Billie
stiffened. She still didn't like the idea.

I’d had more time to accept it. “Cassandra said they're
meeting to finalize their plans soon. I can find out when and where.”

“You must convince them you are one of them.” He turned his
gaze to Billie. “You also must convince them she is one of them.”

“I need to pretend to be collared.” Her nose curled as she
considered the idea. “I like it better than Sadie going in alone. But won't
they know I'm not?”

I shook my head. “It's taboo to enter the mind of another
Mage's pet. That's how I baited Cassandra to begin with. I entered Nathan's
mind. That's no guarantee, but even if someone does, I think we can pull it off.”

“How?”

“I know I can keep them out of your head. The trick is doing
it without giving myself away as Kratos.” The vague idea formulated as I spoke.
“If I understand how it works correctly, the fact that we're sexually involved
means I could collar you at a deeper level than if we weren't. I should be able
to use that as an explanation if I need to. It also means your superficial mind
would be intact. Your emotional reactions won't give you away.”

She thought about my statement. “So I can get angry or shocked,
and it won't blow our cover?”

“So long as you don’t act on it, yes. I told Cassandra that
I've been compelling you to trust me no matter what. No matter what goes on
around us, you trust me. You don't have to like it. If I ask you to do
something, you'll need to do it. And I can't guarantee you'll be comfortable
with everything, but if you refuse, it'll give us away.

Billie's face went white. “What will I have to do?”

“I don't know, but I'm not going to ask you to do something
you'll regret.” She didn't like it one bit. “Trust me, love.”

“I trust you. I absolutely trust you.” I knew she did, but
she didn’t give up control easily.

“I should warn you about one thing. Cassandra has already
asked me to give you to a Mage to have sex with in exchange for his support.
I've told her no several times.”

“You've got to be kidding me!” The concept disgusted her, as
it should.

“She'll probably ask again. I'm being possessive and jealous
of your sexual pleasures.” I explained apologetically. “They want to use you to
collar the rest of the pack. I'll agree to that because we won’t have to go
through with it, and it will let us figure out what they're up to.”