Billie let me know when she left the office. It was after 8:00, and I could feel utter exhaustion in her mind. Have you eaten? I asked.
Only a few bites since lunch. She replied.
I’ll warm up dinner.
A few minutes later she walked through the door, sniffing the aroma. “You made a whole meal.” She said, surprised.
“I thought you’d be hungry.” I grinned. Spaghetti and meatballs, French bread, and salad sat ready on the table.
“Richard was right. You are a goddess.” She pulled me into an embrace, fingering my hair and reveling in the embrace. I could feel her exhaustion start to slip away as soon as she touched me.
Breaking the embrace, I steered her towards a chair. “Eat before you collapse.”
“Gods, I could eat a moose.”
“Don’t you mean a horse?” I joked.
“Nah, moose tastes better.”
I coughed. “I shouldn’t be surprised that you know that.” She grinned, shoving a large bite in her mouth. She ate as if she hadn’t for days.
“What did you do with the rest of your day?” She asked between bites.
“I took the rest of the day off of work. So mostly I relaxed. Read a little, worked in the yard.”
“Nice.” She wasn’t ready to talk about her day. “What did you read?”
“It’s a book about the whooping crane and how they were saved from extinction. It was practically a miracle, since the population was down to fifteen. It’s a good read. The whooping crane is a magnificent bird. It would have been a shame to lose them. The population is over 500 now, and growing.”
“I’ve never seen a whooping crane.” She mused. “Where do they live?”
“Me neither. They live in Texas and Florida. Some migrate to Northwest Canada in the summers. They don’t travel through here.” The banter was pleasant, relaxing us both. I’d tried to read earlier, but truth be told I couldn’t keep my mind on it. I spent most of the time with the book in my hands and my thoughts on the morning.
She picked up my thought. “It was a hell of a day, wasn’t it?” She sighed.
“Yeah.” I agreed. “How did it go after I left?”
“Richard talked to each of the clients, and we’re making good on the theft. One of them just lost their home, and Richard paced for an hour after that conversation. I found enough of Pearson’s trail that we were able to file charges. Richard and Cyndi are still at the office working. He was good. I never would have figured it out without you. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I’m glad we caught him. I’m just kind of blown away by this morning.”
“How so?”
I tried to explain what I wasn’t sure of myself. “I’m still not used to being so open about this stuff. That’s part of it. I still can’t believe I was paid $2000 to catch a thief. This is not a normal day for me.” I thought for a minute while I chewed. “Overwhelmed would be the right word.”
“Are you sorry you did it?”
“No.” I unhesitatingly shook my head. “Not at all. It just doesn’t feel real yet. Like I’m going to wake up and realize none of it happened and there isn’t two grand in my bank account.”
She grinned. “Sadie Aidan, Mind Reader. I’ll keep you in the books as Professional Services Contractor.”
That lightened it for me. “I should get a business card.”
“I’ll get you a cape.” She offered.
“Okay. But no red, yellow or spandex.”
“Deal.” She poked her fork at me, answering a question I’d been avoiding. “And yes, the fee you were paid was reasonable for the service you provided.”
I shook my head. “Wow. I’ve been working at a warehouse for how long?”
She cocked her head at me. “You haven’t used it to advance your career or get what you want. I like that you don’t exploit it.”
“I have rules.” I replied.
“What kinds of rules?” She was starting to feel satisfied and her eating slowed to a more moderate pace.
“Don’t manipulate or exploit people. Don’t invade their privacy. That kind of thing.”
Her fork paused. “Did you break any rules today?”
“I did. But as soon as I sensed him I knew he was guilty. Getting the details meant breaking a rule, so I did it.”
“Are you okay with that?” She asked.
“Yes. Mostly.” Her eyebrows asked me to elaborate. “I know it was the right thing, and I’m glad it’s working out. There’s a little bit of guilt tagging along for the ride.”
She nodded, understanding what I meant. “If we ever ask you to do something you’re not okay with, please say so.”
“I will.” I promised.
Chapter 9
“Are you ready for tomorrow?” Jason asked Billie.
“We’re ready. A handful are headed up tonight to prepare a campsite. The rest of us are carpooling tomorrow.”
“I don’t like being gone for the full moon.”
“We’ll be fine.” Billie insisted. “No one’s new. We all know how to stay away from people. Hunting season doesn’t start for another month. Nothing will go wrong.”
He growled low. “I’ll be back day after tomorrow.”
“Do you have somewhere to go?”
“No. I’ll manage.” Running in wolf form under the full moon wasn’t compulsion. It was desire. Like coming home for Christmas. To be without a Pack on the full moon was lonely for any Wolf. The entire Pack headed to the wilderness every month to be together and celebrate being Wolf. They always chose a remote area where they could run without fear of guns and sing without worrying about hunters. “Anything important happening?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact. I’m seeing someone.”
He was immediately interested. “Who is she?”
“Her name is Sadie. She’s pretty damn awesome.”
“Does she know about us?”
“No. We’ve been hanging out with Richard and Kathryn, but she doesn’t know we’re Wolves.”
“Keep it that way, at least for now. I want to meet her first.”
“I’m serious about her, Jason. I love her.”
“I want to hear everything, but I’m running out of time.”
“Any progress?” Jason was trying to get a Wolf from Northern Idaho home to the Pack. The man was charged with felony assault, and no one wanted him in prison. Newly Wolf, the man hadn’t understood the changes happening within him, and he hurt someone. Jason was posing as an old family friend and trying to get him home.
“Quite a bit. I’m meeting the judge tonight, and from what I’ve heard of him he’ll listen to me.”
“Good. Bring him home.”
“Any way I can …”
“… so long as the police don’t follow.” Billie completed the old joke between us. Jason played by the rules until he decided they no longer applied. A personality trait left over from when he was Human.
“Time’s up, Billie. Take care of them tomorrow.”
“I have more to tell you about Sadie.”
“Can it wait until I get home?” She could hear a door opening on the other end of the line. He had company.
“Yes. It can wait. Find someplace you can run if you can.”
“If I can I will. See you soon.” Jason hung up.
Billie sighed. She didn’t want to hold back from Jason, but she needed more than two minutes. As a Sensitive, Sadie could discover what they were very easily. She needed to tell Jason, but she wanted time to discuss it when she did.
Billie and I cuddled on the couch, the sound of jazz low in the background. “More wine?” Billie offered as I emptied my glass.
“I’m good right where I’m at.” I replied. Her lips on my neck felt too good to want anything else.
She kissed my ear and then whispered in it. “You taste good.”
“You’re in an unusual mood tonight. Not that I’m complaining.” Billie had arrived with wine, candles, and a vase of beauti
ful red flowers with long stamens. She called them Chinese Hibiscus. Usually playful or feisty, that night she was all romance and sensuality.
“I’m romancing you. Like I promised.” She pulled the back of my shirt down to nibble where she knew I liked it. My entire body shivered at her touch, and after a few moments she moved back to my neck. “I like this shirt.” The top was made in the style of a man’s collared business shirt that was way too large. Since the fabric was pale brown and sheer, it showed quite a bit of me.
“Normally I wear something under it.”
“It’s perfect.”
I turned to face her, lying across the length of her body, feeling her beneath me. Stroking one nipple through her shirt, I asked. “So tell me about this trip.” I’d been curious since she told me she was headed out of town for a night without telling me why. I’d promised to respect her privacy. I hadn’t promised to play fair.
She smiled, ecstasy at my touch mixed with amusement at my tactics. “Are you trying to make me talk?”
“Yep.” I admitted easily, giving her nipple a flick. Her royal blue shirt, conveniently, draped loose and tied around her neck. With one hand, I untied it and watched it fall. Her breasts exposed, I took the other nipple into my mouth and let my hand run down the length of her body, pulling the shirt out of the way in the process. Her breath hitched, and her rosy nipples hardened even more.
“I’ll never talk. You can’t make me.” She moaned.
I’m very persuasive. I replied, not wanting to free my mouth to respond.
I’m very stubborn. She insisted, her back arching and breast heaving.
We’ll see about that. I teased, pulling my shirt over my head. “I can keep this up all night.”
She ran her hands through my hair as I played up and down her chest and stomach. Before long, I forgot about the trip and just enjoyed the present. Her soft skin quivered under my lips and fingers. Her breath came faster as I slowly worked my way down her body. Her silky panties pulled away easily.
Reaching my hand under the couch cushion, I pulled out a cloth-covered object. Mentally hiding what I had in store took only a little focus. The vibrator against her clit took her by surprise. Before long she was gripping the sides of the couch and moaning uncontrollably beneath me.
Holding off her orgasm, she somehow twisted us so she was once again on top. Hip to hip, I pulled down my boy shorts. She placed the vibrator where we’d both enjoy it and ground her hips into mine. Breasts touching, clits vibrating, and minds intertwined in the fire between us. We came together, feeling each other’s orgasm as intensely as our own.
“So where are you going tomorrow?”
As the sun set, the Pack came together as one. The full moon rested low in the sky, and they basked in it as they did each month. The desert air, crisp and revitalizing, blew softly through each person’s hair and filled their lungs with the scent of the wild. The smell of sage, summer flowers, rodents and dust filled their noses. It smelled like home.
Each person stood naked in the setting sun, bare to the moon rising in the sky. Couples held hands or embraced. Billie’s muscles rippled as she walked among them, ready to stretch her legs. Her Pack. As their Beta, she belonged to them, was responsible to them. She loved her Packmates, each and every one of them. Even Jimmy who was a constant headache with his drinking and womanizing. She cherished these people in ways she could not express in words.
She would express it in song.
Ready to begin, Billie pounced onto a tall rock so she could see each member of her Pack as she spoke. Her face glowed in pride at the people in front of her. Her voice carried throughout the crowd. “It doesn’t feel right to run without our Alpha, but a Wolf needs him so he does his duty. It will be worth it to keep this new Wolf out of prison and bring him into the Pack where he belongs. If all goes well, Jason will bring the new Wolf home tomorrow. When we sing tonight, we’re singing them home.”
Hoops and whistles rang out all around her. Billie raised her voice and said, “Let’s run!” She changed so quickly only a ripple could be seen between the two forms. The Pack followed suit. Human noises transformed into wolf howls, singing to their missing packmates. The Pack rejoiced in song, celebrating being Wolf, and singing their loved ones home. They ran through the forests, playing and hunting. This was their night to let their wolf nature out completely, to be part of the Pack, and to be one with the wilds.
Chapter 10
Billie returned from her trip the next evening sounding energized and cheerful. Sounds like you had a good time. Our mental rapport was growing stronger. Distance mattered very little anymore, and we spoke as easily as if in the same room.
A very good time. She smiled. How about you?
Pretty normal. I missed you.
I missed you too, beautiful. I’d love to come over tonight, but I can’t. Jason’s back, and we have some things to discuss.
Tomorrow?
Yes. Most definitely. She promised, and I said good night, blowing her a mental kiss.
My mind on our conversation, I swung the car to a stop in front of my home. At night my senses usually stretched out around me, searching for hidden danger. But talking to Billie left me distracted and gave me a sense of safety. I kept thinking about her and how close we’d become in such a short amount of time.
I had no other explanation and no excuse for why I didn’t know something was wrong. I should have sensed them and driven away without stopping. Barely registering the darkened doorstep, I should have remembered that I’d changed out the bulb only a few weeks prior. I should have felt their presence and realized they were waiting for me. I didn’t.
I saw them before I sensed them. Closing the car door behind me, it clicked and the dome light went out.
Suddenly two teenage boys grabbed my arms, one of them smothering my mouth with his hand, muffling my gasp. I had nowhere to go and didn’t even have time to run before they had me trapped. Frozen in panic, fighting didn’t even occur to me. Every muscle in my body stiffened. Darkness surrounded me.
Billie! Oh my God, help! They’re here! Instinctively I called out to Billie for help.
I’m coming! I’m coming Sadie! Despair filled me. I knew she was too far away. There was no way she could reach me in time, and I could think of no reaction except to call for Billie over and over.
A forearm pressed against my throat and my mouth was freed. Still, I could barely draw breath let alone scream. One kid dragged me across the lawn, his forearm pressed against my throat. Towing me like a deranged lifeguard, he wrenched me into the shadows of my home. I hadn’t made enough noise for anyone to notice, and I could feel no one watching me from the neighborhood.
I was alone.
Panic took over. If I’d thought to do so, I could have tried reaching a neighbor. I could have suggested they look out the window, call the police, or something. But my mind closed in on itself, and all I could do was call for Billie again. Fear gripped me more tightly than the boys holding me. I was helpless. Defenseless. Paralyzed and terrified, I did nothing, but I sensed everything.
Boys gathered around me from the shadows, and I could sense every one of them. My chest tightened as I got lost inside their collective emotions. Rage at being humiliated. Anger without any single cause but with an absolute focus on me. I caught memories of ex-girlfriends, of mothers and sisters, of random people where harm had been real or just perceived. Sadistic thoughts came from every boy. They wanted to teach me a lesson.
And yet I was simply the target, the poor dog that’s kicked when someone’s had a bad day at work. It wasn’t even me they were angry at, but I would pay for it. In that moment I hated my abilities, wishing I could block out the images of what they wanted to do to me. Usually I could, but not then.
Two of them grabbed my arms, pressing me against the side of my home. Tucked in the shadows and half concealed by a shrub, their fingers bit into my flesh. The others crowded around and leered or grinned stupidly. I counted nine thought
s, nine minds.
I couldn’t even see them clearly with my eyes. What I saw intertwined with my other senses, giving me a macabre impression of them. I saw them for who they were, hateful and inhuman, with no physical impression to soften it. One stood directly in front of me, so close I could smell the liquor on his breath. Poised like a snake about to strike, and clearly the leader of their adventure, he stole my focus.
The boy standing in front of me was the lead bully Billie and I had already encountered. Focusing my eyes on him, his expression mirrored all of the excitement and anger I could sense within him. As our eyes locked, his lips curled into a crooked smile. I knew Billie’s beating would be repaid that night, and I couldn’t help but think how young he looked. Too young to be so cruel.
He struck me across the face with his fist without warning or comment. The blow sent me reeling sideways and my legs went weak beneath me. The boys still held my arms, though, and pressed me back against the wall when my legs quit holding my weight. I couldn’t even take solace in the soft grass. Another blow, and a third before he spoke. “Will your girlfriend still like you if you’re ugly?” He murmured low in my face. “I’ll fuck you even if she won’t.” The boys around him chuckled.
Billie!
I’m coming! Hold on! I’m coming! Desperation and fury filled her. There was no way she could be as close as she sounded. It had to be wishful thinking, I thought. It couldn’t have been more than a minute since I’d called for help, so I could only be imagining that she was almost here.
I could feel my consciousness begin to slip away. Pain and blackness dimmed everything else. She wouldn’t reach me in time. I would be raped and killed before she arrived.
Someone grabbed the neckline of my shirt and tore it until it hung only by the sleeves, stinging my skin where the cloth resisted before ripping. A knife flashed in front of me and my bra hung in two, my breasts exposed. Excitement over my nakedness filled every mind surrounding me. I felt even more helpless and shamed than the last time this happened to me.
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