“He needs to see that you're the same Billie as you were before I came into the picture.”
She grinned wickedly and stripped out of her clothes, laying them out on the patio table. “I'm going to hunt him down and box his ears for disobeying my orders. That's the Billie he knows.”
“Have fun.” I smiled sweetly, enjoying the strip show. She shimmered into her wolf form, grinned over her shoulder at me, and darted into the foothills.
* * *
Billie raced through the hills, dodging around sagebrush and leaping over rocks. The scents of the desert and the city enveloped her, and she ignored the scent of fresh prey. She hunted something else tonight. The run exhilarated her senses, filling her spirit with the freedom of being Wolf.
She was more than Wolf. She was Beta. As Beta, she held the responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of the entire Pack, and she had the strength to fulfill her duties. One of her Pack had forgotten that, and she would remind him.
Richard lived in Eagle, the next town over. With a few detours around human homes, Billie could reach it in half an hour without winding herself. Careful to stay clear of any human scent or sound, she ran.
Richard and Kathryn lived in a modest home on a sizeable stretch of land. Like Billie’s home, it had been equipped with a large doggie door, sufficient for any Wolf to enter. She ducked through the door, hackles raised and shoulders taut. Billie approached silently, the flap of the doggie door announcing her arrival.
Kathryn, lounging in a recliner, looked up from her book at the hostile Wolf in her home. She expressed neither concern nor surprise at her Beta’s sudden entrance. “Richard, darling. Billie's here to see you.” Billie heard a huff from the next room. Holding her stance, she looked pointedly at Kathryn, asking her position in the inevitable conflict. “It's good to see you, my dear.” Kathryn replied easily, folding her book on her lap and waiting. She would stay out of it unless needed.
Richard took no time in appearing. He growled at the sight of Billie, a clear challenge to her authority. “How dare you come into my home and threaten us!”
“She's not threatening me, dear. Only you. After today I would expect no less from our Beta.”
“Get out of my house!” Richard snarled.
Billie shimmered into human form, standing ready but not approaching. She wanted to speak, and a wolf's vocal cords did not produce words. “I told you to meet Matthew.” He didn't respond but his fists clenched angrily. “You lost control at the office. You nearly attacked a Human. Richard, I will not let you hurt someone.”
“I am not going to hurt anyone.” Billie heard his emphasis and the implication. Sadie was right. He believed Billie would turn on them.
“I am Beta. I protect the Pack from others, and I protect others from the Pack. I won't let you hurt anyone, and I won't let you risk the Pack's safety by hurting someone. If that means kicking you halfway to Nevada, I'll do it.”
“You risk us all every moment of every day that you're with that Mage,” he growled low and his shoulders tensed.
“This isn't about Sadie. This is about you and me. Either you trust me or you don't. Do you trust me?”
“No.” His voice lowered and she thought she heard sorrow. “Not anymore.”
Without another word, Billie shimmered into her wolf form, already in midair before fully wolf. The weight of her body knocked Richard to the ground, and he rolled away from her. He began to shed his clothes, and Billie waited for him. She wanted this fight at a wolf's level. As soon as the last article of clothing fell to the floor, he transformed. A solid black wolf lowered his head at her, silver tipped hackles raised.
Kathryn lay her book on her lap and turned towards the two Wolves circling each other in the living room. “Please don't break anything historical. I'd ask you to go outside if I thought it wise,” she requested with bland resignation.
Billie acknowledged her with a look that said “I'll do my best.” Using the brief opportunity, Richard attacked. He tried to grab her shoulder with his powerful jaws, but she twisted easily out of his reach. He pounced again, and again she twisted, this time grabbing him by the neck and throwing him to the ground. She backed away, giving him a chance to get up.
He stood inches taller than Billie and much heavier, growling deeper, eyes wild with rage. Again he attacked his Beta, flying directly at her. Richard’s greater size didn’t matter against his quicker and more skilled opponent. Billie took him by the throat and pinned him to the floor, knocking a small table over with his hip. A ceramic pot fell to the floor and shattered. Her ears twitched in Kathryn's direction fleetingly.
Richard twisted and snarled, his claws slashing at Billie's underbelly but only finding purchase across her shoulder. Blood welled where his claws bit deep enough to dig into the flesh. She didn’t even flinch. Shaking him by the throat, she growled a warning. Finally he lay quiet under her hold.
Still she did not free him and after a few long moments, he whimpered. Releasing her grip, she stepped back several steps. He flipped to his stomach, panting, but did not rise. Billie shifted to human form, and he followed her lead a second later. She looked at her friend kneeling on the floor, fully Beta in the power of her stance and gaze.
Blood dripped down her left shoulder and covered her arm. She gave no notice. Light bruising began to show on Richard's throat and hip. Not a single scratch marred his skin. Billie turned to face Kathryn, still sitting in the recliner, her book on her lap. “I'm sorry about the pottery. Was it old?”
She smiled kindly at her Beta. “No, it was not. It is replaceable.”
Billie nodded. “Good. I apologize for the need to intrude into your home tonight.”
Kathryn glanced between her mate and her Beta. “You left him without a single scratch. Thank you. May I tend to your wound before you leave?”
Billie raised her arm and appraised her shoulder casually. “The bleeding is already slowing. It'll be fine, but thank you.” Richard didn't raise his head, looking stolidly at the ground in front of him. She changed back into her wolf form and ducked out the doggie door.
The air smelled even crisper on her way home. She took her time, trotting through the brush and hills. Scenting a marmot, she gave chase and caught it easily. Enjoying her dinner, she thought about the conflict with Richard, hoping she'd made her point. Trotting towards home, she felt confident that her difficulties with Richard would resolve. A weight lifted off her shoulders, and her footsteps lightened.
* * *
As Billie sped into the hills in her fur coat, I watched her as long as I could. She disappeared into the brush quickly, and I smiled at her retreating form. In my heart, I longed to follow her, furred and four-legged, into the brush. She had to do this without me, so I stayed away. The sun dipped lower off to my left. I enjoyed the peace of the evening and reflected on my new life.
As dusk began to fade from the sky and stars peeked out of the heavens, I spotted movement in the shadows. Billie was nearly home. I sent a greeting and sensed her satisfaction.
She trotted towards the house, ducking low and wary of observers. You're clear. No one is looking your way. I helped her out. With that knowledge, she picked up her head and raced towards me, mouth wide with glee.
I laughed as she approached, wondering if she would jump on me again. Then I saw the blood on her shoulder, looking too much like the night I almost lost her. You're hurt. What happened? I exclaimed.
It's just a scratch. Skidding to a stop in front of me, she grinned a wide wolf grin and shimmered into her human form.
“That's more than a scratch.” I stood and inspected her shoulder, scowling.
“It's not even bleeding anymore. It was worth it,” she smirked.
“Richard did this to you?” I responded anxiously. “What happened?” Billie sat in one of the chairs and pulled me onto her lap. She recounted her story as she ran her fingers through my hair. “Do you think it helped?”
“Yeah, I think it did.”
&
nbsp; “Your mood has improved if nothing else.” I sighed in satisfaction and nestled in closer. Her breasts rested against my back, my head on her uninjured shoulder.
She kissed the side of my neck and traced a line down my chest with her finger. How can you tell? she murmured in my mind.
“Just a guess,” I replied, enjoying her hands and lips on me. “How about we try out your hot tub?” I suggested.
You want me to clean the blood off. She bit my neck lightly in mock protest.
“Yes. It reminds me of you nearly dying on my couch. Plus you smell like whatever you ate on the way home.” I wrinkled my nose. “Since I don't want you to let go of me, water sounds like a good compromise.”
She chuckled low, and suddenly I found myself draped over her shoulder, my head hanging halfway down her back. I had a great view of her ass and took the opportunity to grab it.
“Oh, you're getting wet,” she exclaimed as she dumped me in the hot tub, clothes and all. Shockingly warm water enveloped me. Coming to the surface, I saw her standing in front of me, naked and fantastic. She hit a button on a discretely placed panel and bubbles churned around me.
“Have I ever mentioned that you’re fun after you beat someone up?” I cocked my head and placed a finger on my chin thoughtfully. “A psychologist would have a field day with that. Have you considered getting professional help?”
She answered with a side leap into the water beside me, splashing me in the face. I squealed. She grabbed my pants and stripped them off of me, upending me and then lifting me to the surface moments later. Gripping my bare waist, she pulled me towards her. The last of my clothes stuck to my skin, and I locked my legs around her waist.
Her eyes roamed freely over my body. “Your shirt’s a little see-through when it’s wet,” she observed with satisfaction.
“You’ve got cream on your whiskers, love,” I teased.
“Did you just call me a cat?” She took my shoulders in both hands and held me just over the water’s surface. Locking my legs tighter around her waist, I screamed like a little girl, my hands flailing uselessly. Reaching out a thread like I’d done before, I pinched her nose hard.
Taken completely by surprise, she dropped me into the water. I came to the surface in time to see her holding her nose with a shocked expression. She looked at me blankly then roared with laughter. “How do you do that?”
I smiled and wrapped my arms around her neck. “I don’t know. How do I do anything?”
“Not even Jason can take me by surprise like that.” She gazed proudly into my eyes. “I’m so glad you’re on our side.”
“Well I doubt you’ve ever done this with Jason,” I teased, pressing myself against her seductively.
“I’ve never even thought about it,” she said.
“Didn’t think so.” I reached out a thread and slid an invisible hand down her ass and between her legs. She gasped in surprise, her breasts heaving lusciously. My nipples perked, mimicking hers. “Want to see how many of these I can manage at once?” I nibbled on her ear with my real mouth and sent a second thread running down her back while rubbing her labia with the first.
“Gods, Sadie,” she moaned and barely stayed on her feet.
“You always say ‘Gods’ in the plural, never just ‘God.’ It’s cute,” I remarked.
“Richard’s influence,” she replied. Then she turned her thoughts towards me entirely. She picked me up easily by the waist, and I wrapped my legs around her. She went to her knees, and the water reached our necks. Leaning back, she ducked her head briefly. Water dripped down her face, and her hair stuck to her cheeks and neck. “Will you do something for me?” she asked, kissing my nose.
“Anything,” I replied.
“Will you drop the illusion? I promise not to glare at the bruises, but I don’t want to pretend with you. I want this to be real.”
One side of my mouth quirked, and I revealed the yellowing bruises on my face and body. “I’ve been doing it so much lately, I didn’t even realize.”
“Much better.” She kept her promise. She noticed them and avoided touching me where it hurt, but she didn’t scowl like before.
My thin shirt stuck to my skin, the only fabric between us. I plucked a curl off her cheek and smoothed her wet hair off her neck. Her playful mood persisted, and she pinched my ass. “Hey!” I laughed, pinching hers without reaching for it.
Chapter 12
“Do we really have to go to work today?” I asked Billie as she crawled out of bed. I stayed stubbornly under the sheets, watching her stretch her arms above her head.
“I do. I’ve got to run damage control whether Richard shows or not. I’m hoping not. Are you ready to go back?” She liked that I watched her.
“Ready, yes. Willing, barely,” I replied with a frown. “That job belongs in another world.”
“I remember feeling like that. The first few months after I came here, they kept me away from Humans. Then Richard gave me a job at the firm. The first time I walked in there as a Wolf, it was strange. It was like a part of me didn’t believe that the regular world existed anymore. It helped having a couple of Wolves in the office.”
“I have Gary. It’ll be the first time I’ve talked to him since this started.”
She ducked into the bathroom. Nervous?
The sound of water echoed from the shower, but I knew she could still hear me. “Yes,” I said definitively. “But not about seeing Gary. I’m not sure why I’m nervous.”
Everyone isn’t going to be looking at you like a Mage? she suggested.
I considered it. “Yeah. And I’m not sure how that makes sense.”
She chuckled out loud, and I could hear her muffled laughter. I don’t know how it makes sense. A lot of us have said the same thing.
“Hmmph,” I grunted, annoyed that I didn’t understand myself like I did others. “I just know it’s time. I have to dive in sometime, and it may as well be today. If not for the extra income from catching Pearson, I’d be in trouble with the rent next month. That money won’t last forever. At least I can hide the bruises.”
They’re fading. They’ll be gone entirely soon.
“I’ve never had bruises that lasted this long before.”
I was in a nasty car accident once, pre-Wolf. I hit my head on the dash, broke my nose and arm, scared my parents half to death. It took several weeks for the bruises to completely fade. I’ve had worse injuries since becoming Wolf. Thank the Gods I heal quickly now. Want me to leave the shower running?
“Sure.” I quit procrastinating and pulled the sheets aside. She stepped out of the tub as I entered the bathroom, grabbing a towel to dry herself off. I showered quickly, barely even noticing the hot water.
Billie, dressed in one of her many suits, sat on the bed putting on her shoes when I exited the bathroom. She stood and kissed me softly. “I need to get going. Have a great first day back at work.”
“Good luck with damage control,” I replied. She grimaced and left.
In the parking lot at Lydd’s Warehouse where I worked as shift manager, I paused for just a moment to collect myself. Nervousness didn’t make sense to me. I’d worked this job for years. Nothing had changed, and it should have felt like a return to reality. It didn’t. Triple checking the barriers within my mind, I headed inside.
The office personnel welcomed me back, asking me if I felt better. “Much better,” I replied easily without giving any detail. They filled me in on my absence with their usual polite efficiency. I’d always stayed distant from my coworkers, maintaining an aloof attitude at the warehouse. They’d long since learned to give me privacy.
The crew gathered to collect their work orders for the day as they punched in, heading to various corners of the warehouse without delay. Few mentioned my absence. “Welcome back.” I looked up to see Gary smiling warmly at me.
“Hi Gary.” My anxiety eased a bit. “It’s good to see you.”
“I’ve missed you around here,” he replied easily. I could
sense mixed opinions from the eavesdroppers. I treated everyone fairly, but not everyone liked me.
“Thanks. How has it been going without me?” I asked out of politeness but little interest.
He shrugged. “Pretty good.”
“One day is the same as the next around here.” I cast him an amused look, and he enjoyed the private reference.
“That is very true. There’s enough excitement in the world. I enjoy having forty hours each week that are always mundane and routine.”
I caught his meaning and chuckled. “Give me a week or two, and I may start agreeing with you.”
As the other workers dispersed, he lowered his voice slightly, protectively concerned. “Jazz told me what happened. How are you doing?”
Dropping my pretense only slightly, unwilling to show my other coworkers any emotion. They couldn’t hear us, so I answered. “I’m doing okay. I’m healing up. Still tender but improving.”
His eyes roamed over my face with interest. “She told me about your illusions. That’s a new one for me.”
My mouth twitched in an attempted grin. “I’ve been surprising people left and right lately. Myself included.”
“Are the others giving you a hard time?” His paternal concern touched me.
“Some are. Most of the Wolves are avoiding me. Mages aren’t exactly popular around here.”
“No, they’re not. There’s a lot of bad history and bad blood between the two races.”
I nodded. “That became obvious very quickly. Not everyone is treating me like the enemy. Amy and Kathryn, your wife, John – they’ve been great. Your wife is awesome, by the way.”
Psyche Honor (Psyche Moon) Page 12
