Marque’s deliberate jab at Cassandra amused me. Charismatic and personable, he might have been charming if not for his calculating gaze and selfish air. He hid his superficial thoughts well.
“It's nice to meet you, Marque,” I nodded, mimicking the men.
“My name is Alexander.” The older of the two had greying hair and appeared to be around 50. I hadn't yet determined the lifespan of my people, so I couldn't be sure of his age.
“Nice to meet you,” I nodded politely. The man gave me chills. He reminded me of the boys who’d attacked me but more accomplished at hiding his nature.
“Is this your Beta?” Marque asked, looking Billie top to bottom like a fancy suit he wanted to try on. Billie's hackles rose only slightly as she appraised him in turn. She did an impressive job of not reacting to the Mages. He eyed my mate like a coveted toy, and I forced myself not to react. “How did you come by such a rare prize?”
I began to play up my success with Billie. “I found her at a bar and took her home,” I replied as if finding a beautiful Wolf in a bar happened every day in my life.
“In a bar?” He was astounded and showed it openly, never taking his eyes off of Billie. “I need the name of this bar if this is what they're serving.”
“It's called Louie's,” I replied smoothly. “I'm sure you can find a man there if you’re interested, especially on a Friday night.” His eyes darted my way. “It's a gay bar.”
“Oh.” I'd thrown him off guard, but he recovered quickly. The older man grinned softly, and Cassandra laughed outright. Her young pet returned with my juice, and I sipped slowly.
Two beautiful young women in bikinis and high heels exited what appeared to be a sauna. Their skin glistened, and they at least had some of their personality remaining. They sauntered up to us. “Come join us in the sauna.” The brunette invited Marque flirtatiously, tugging at his shirt collar with a finger.
“Maybe later. Julie, I want you to meet my friend Sadie.” She looked at me as if seeing me for the first time. He ran a hand down her back, reminding me of a salesman caressing a sports car. “I want you to give Sadie anything she wants. She's our special guest today.”
Julie knew exactly what he meant and closed the gap between us. She threw her arms around my neck and pressed her breasts into me, dampening my shirt. “Anything you want, baby,” she drawled.
I gently pushed her off of me and gave my reply to Marque. “No thanks. She's not my type.”
“What is your type?”
“Do you really have to ask?” I rolled my eyes towards Billie who watched the barely dressed women with revulsion. She found Marque's bribe repugnant but channeled her emotions towards his pets in a successful attempt at appearing to size up the competition.
The older man, clearly bored, spoke at last. “Let's get down to business, shall we?”
“Of course you're all business, Alexander. You quit enjoying the pleasures of life a long time ago.”
“I haven’t quit enjoying life, Marque. But I grew bored of bimbos a long time ago.” He eyed Billie calculatingly, and I couldn’t see what he wanted out of her. It was probably better that way. The old man motioned for me to sit at a glass table by the pool. Julie and her friend dived into the water, playing like a couple of double D schoolgirls. Marque’s choice of playtoys didn’t impress me. I focused on the Mages, ignoring the sound of giggling.
Only four chairs surrounded the table, and I sat, nodding Billie towards a nearby pool chair. She sat with her eyes closed and stretched as if relaxing. I knew better. Through Billie’s mind, I smelled their fear of her, and she deliberately gave them reason to let their guard down a little. I’d thank her later. Marque, Alexander, Cassandra, and I sat around the table with our drinks. I felt like I'd entered a mafia movie.
“How did you come to have human parents?” Alexander asked, more at ease than when he stood two feet from a Beta. He failed to hide the extent of his curiosity.
I shrugged, showing discomfort with the topic. “I don't really know. I was adopted as a baby.”
“Strange. Very strange,” he replied. “Cassandra says you're interested in helping us claim the local Pack.”
I replied carefully. “That depends. What are you asking of me?”
“We want to use your Wolf to lure the others in,” he said as if explaining the obvious to a not-too-bright child. Billie listened intently without appearing to.
I replied impatiently, letting them see insecurity in my response. “I don't know what that means. I've lived in the Human world my whole life. You're going to have to spell it out for me.”
He obliged. “We've prepared a trap. We want your Beta to lead the entire Pack into the trap on the next full moon.”
“And then?” Richard had explained this part to me once, but I wanted to hear how they collared Wolves from their own mouths.
He spoke again as if to a slow child. “We make them our pets.”
“How? I’ve only ever claimed this one, and I’m doubting you’re planning on sleeping with all of them.” Sarcasm rippled out of me, and I hoped he’d take the bait. I needed to know how this was done.
He gave me what I wanted and smiled as if enjoying a memory. “Weaken the body and then claim the mind. Two days in the sun without food and water and weaker Wolves crack. Pain helps with the stronger ones. Most Wolves can be claimed before they die of thirst or injury.” I understood why Billie died in Kato's vision, and I almost gave myself away thinking about what might have happened to her. She’d never give up.
“Just like that?” I asked in disbelief. “The four of us can claim an entire Pack?”
Marque played with the stem of his wine glass as he stared at me. “Three can do it, if all three have the proper training and experience. You, Sadie, do not. I haven't agreed to join yet, and you won't succeed without me.” He had something in mind, and I knew what he wanted. He’d given me a key piece of information, though. We were it. Every Mage I needed to stop sat at this table.
Cassandra drawled at him with sickening false sweetness. “I've offered you an equal share. What more do you want, Marque?”
“There's no way that Sadie here can carry her weight. If she didn't have the Beta she'd be useless. I want a third of her share and a sign-on bonus. Two hours with her Beta.”
“The Beta isn't for rent. By shares you mean Wolves, right?” I negotiated.
“Of course,” Cassandra dribbled. “Plus everything they own.”
I nodded as if considering the barter. “The Beta is mine. But there are a couple of beautiful Wolves in the pack I think you'd be happy with.” I refused to let any individual come to mind as I negotiated.
“Two hours with the Beta, today, or I walk.” Marque insisted, his eyes turning hard and cold.
“No. The Beta is not negotiable. She’s mine.” My skin prickled in warning. He pushed at my mind, trying to read me. My shields held, and he pushed further with no success. He couldn't see anything I didn't want him to see, and his eyes narrowed slightly. I held him out easily. “Stay out of my head, Marque,” I warned him.
“You're more powerful than you appear to be,” he commented dryly. Alexander and Cassandra watched but did not intervene, accustomed to this kind of power play. I didn't bother replying. Without looking at her, he turned his attention towards Billie. I reacted instinctively. By the time he touched her mind, I'd drawn power to me. Pushing him away from her, his head whipped and struck the back of the chair. Billie sat up and watched, showing none of the aggression I felt in her.
All three Mages stood in an instant. “Who are you?” Marque asked harshly.
“Who the hell do you think you are? Stay out of my head and keep your hands off my Wolf,” I warned him. The power felt rich within me, and I enjoyed myself.
Alexander glared knowingly at me. All pretenses had ended, and it was time to finish it. Cassandra simply looked at me, stunned. The women in the pool continued to giggle, oblivious to the power play nearby. Billie watched us, seemi
ngly calm.
“She lied to us. There's no way she's untrained,” Alexander declared.
“Then she's dead,” Cassandra decided. I sensed her call mentally to her pets. Four bulky men plus Nathan came out of the shadows and advanced on me. I nodded to Billie, and she moved towards them without a word. Every pet lunged at her, and she responded with skill and relief at having something to do.
She could handle four Humans and a Pup. I faced the Mages, no longer holding back. Marque pushed at Billie’s mind again, and with a single thought he fell to the ground. The two remaining Mages looked at his crumpled body in horror and shock. “Kratos,” Cassandra whispered, instantly running towards the house.
“Stop,” I commanded her, and her legs stilled. I held her in place and turned to Alexander. “You know something about me.” He blanched. As soon as the word Kratos came out of Cassandra's lips, I sensed a memory rise in him. “What do you know?” He didn't want to say. Rooted to the spot, his mouth gaped. “Tell me what you know about me,” I commanded.
He had no choice. “I suspect. I don't know,” He stuttered. “When I was a young man, I heard a story. I don't even know how much of the story is true and how much is false. The story was about a woman, a Mage with no powers who was pregnant. Her mother was Kratos and for some reason believed the baby was dangerous. She hunted her daughter and unborn grandchild, but she never found them. That's all I know.”
He spoke the truth. I turned to Cassandra. “You know more.”
“I won't.” She shook her head violently. “She'll do worse than kill me.”
“Who?” I compelled her.
“My aunt. Your grandmother.” The woman blanched as the words came out of her mouth.
“Tell me what happened to my mother.”
“No one knows. Your grandmother never found either of you.”
“What about my father?”
“She had him killed.”
“Why? Why kill an unborn baby?” My head spun with the new knowledge, but the power sustained me. I held both Mages with a thought. Distantly I heard Billie’s fight behind me end. She listened intently.
“My mother told me that her sister believed you would kill every last Mage. My aunt is Kratos, and sometimes they go crazy. My mother didn't know whether to believe her or not.” I stole memories as I questioned her, retrieving information both ways. I knew my parents’ and grandmother’s names. I knew my mother had no power and saw Cassandra’s loathing of such a Mage.
“What else do you know about me?”
“Nothing. You disappeared. We thought you were dead.”
“Tell me about my grandmother,” I commanded.
Cassandra began to sweat as I gave her no choice but to answer. “She's Kratos, and she's ruthless. No one crosses her. If she finds out I said anything to you, she'll turn me into her pet. She's done it before. A Mage betrayed her, and she claimed him.”
I cocked my head and looked at her like a bug. “What should I do with you?” She didn't speak, and I could sense the war within her. She would rather die than end up as her aunt's pet. Or mine. I saw the same conflict within Alexander.
The two Mages in front of me looked at each other, silent communication between them. Alexander closed his eyes, and for a moment, I thought he was praying. Suddenly two shots rang out, and they fell backwards to the ground.
Billie and I both spun towards the bikini-clad woman holding a gun at her side, a confused expression on her face. Billie approached the woman warily and removed the gun gently from her hand. Julie looked up at Billie wordlessly, her face clouded and perplexed.
I looked at the dead Mages on the ground with joy. We won. Letting the power dissipate, I began to come back to my normal self. The world spun, and I felt myself falling. Billie's arms caught me, holding me tight. Cassandra's words echoed in my ears.
“Sadie. Can you hear me?” Billie's voice rose over my spinning thoughts and exhaustion.
“Yeah. I can hear you.”
“Thank the Gods,” she replied. She looked around at the carnage. Three Mages and a Human lay dead. Nathan and two Humans lay crumpled on the grass, knocked unconscious after going up against Billie. A large handful of very lost pets looked at their dead owners blankly.
I took in the scene and groaned. “We made another mess, love. And Jason's not here to clean up after us.”
“We're going to have to clean this up ourselves,” she replied and looked at the dead Human sorrowfully. “I didn’t hit him hard enough to kill him. He shouldn’t have died. I don't know what to do with the collared people. I don't think I should end their misery like I'll do for Nathan.”
“Don't kill anyone. I know what to do. Can I sleep first?”
She shook her head. “I don't think that's a good idea. These people are unpredictable.”
“I can change that.” Even fatigued, I gathered a little power with ease and sent a thought out to each collared person. “They'll obey you now. I'll make it right when I wake up.” She didn't understand, and I drifted off to sleep before I could explain.
Chapter 17
When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a strange bedroom. Soft sheets that smelled of lilac covered me, and waning sunlight poured through the window. I panicked, reaching for Billie's mind automatically. Billie! Where am I?
You're safe, love. I'm coming. She wasn't far, just a few rooms away, and in moments she had the door open. She cradled me in her arms, whispering soothing words. Memories flooded back in a torrent. I held her tight, urging her to never let me go. My legs began to shake, then my arms. My head felt like it would burst, and a low moan escaped my mouth. You're safe. I'm here, she whispered into my mind.
I didn't know where to start, so I didn't try. I couldn't even cry. I was too shocked by everything that had happened and all that I’d discovered. I don't know how long she held me like that. It was full dark when I sat up and looked my mate in the eyes.
“I heard what they told you,” she whispered. “I can't imagine what you must be feeling right now. But you saved our Pack. Amy, Kathryn, Jazz, Jason, Richard, and all the rest are safe because of you. Hold onto that. Be proud of that.”
I nodded, knowing she was right. “How's Nathan?”
She shook her head sadly. “He's collared.”
I didn't know how I could be certain, but I was. “I can undo it.”
She startled, hope filling her. “Really? That's possible?”
“I can undo what was done to all of them.”
“Gods, Sadie. That's incredible! I've spent the evening ordering zombies around. What was done to them is so horrible I wanted to scream. If you can return them to themselves ...”
“Soon,” I nodded. “Is there anything to eat here?”
“Yes. The zombies cooked while you were asleep. Nathan and I cleaned up the mess outside. I couldn't get myself to order the humans to help, so I asked them to cook a feast instead. I was going through Cassandra's stuff when you woke.”
“What did you find?”
“I found a lot of information about your family. I think you should wait to go through it, though. You've been through enough for one day, and it's not over. Plus I can hear your belly growling. Can you walk?”
“Yeah.” The trembling in my body had slowed, and I stood with her help. Slowly we made our way to the kitchen. Upon seeing me, Julie filled a plate and set a place for me at the table. I thanked her. “They have clothes on,” I commented to Billie.
She nodded, angrily. “The first thing I asked them to do was get dressed.”
“He actually thought I'd want her,” I mused. “He thought I was like him.”
“You're not,” Billie replied.
I shook my head silently and began picking at my food. I had no appetite, but I needed sustenance so I ate slowly. Julie stood beside me, waiting for an order. When I touched her mind, I could sense chaos and panic beneath the zombie exterior.
She knows, I told Billie. She's still in there, trapped, and she knows an
d remembers everything that has happened to her.
“Oh Gods,” Billie choked. I liked it better when I thought she was gone.
“I'll get you out of there, Julie. I promise.” Julie didn't respond, but somewhere within the chaotic depths, I sensed that she heard.
I can make her forget, I told Billie as I chewed. I can wipe all these memories from her mind. But I don't know if I should.
Billie thought about it. Can you remove every last bit of it? Or will she still have nightmares and jump at shadows?
She'll still have nightmares, and she'll still jump at shadows. Some memories aren't stored in the mind.
Can you wipe her memory of Mages and killing two people? Let her believe that she was drugged so she doesn't think she's crazy?
Yes. I can leave enough for her to understand what she's been through. So she can deal with it. I'll take the worst of it, and the parts she can't explain to humans. I'll have to do it one person at a time. I'll start with Nathan.
Billie nodded. “Whenever you're ready.”
I set my fork down and drained the glass of water. “I'm ready.” She searched my face before she agreed and called Nathan in from beside the pool. “Let's go into the other room. I doubt this is going to be comfortable. You may need to go Beta on him if he freaks out.”
She nodded. “Don't wipe his memories at all. He should be allowed all of it.”
“Are you sure?” I wondered if he should be cursed with the memory of killing John.
“Yes.” Billie sat Nathan across from her on a couch. I stood back and called power to me, feeling invincible as it flowed through every pore. Reaching into Nathan's mind, I looked at the twisted tangles with detached curiosity. Piece by piece and strata by strata, I untwisted the mess, focusing completely on the tedious task. When I could find no more fouled places, I retreated from his mind.
Slowly I let the power dissipate. I heard a strange noise as my vision cleared and the room came into view around me. The noise escalated, and I realized Billie held Nathan pinned as he screamed.
Nathan's eyes began to focus, and his screaming ebbed. He locked gazes with Billie and she let him go.
Psyche Honor (Psyche Moon) Page 19
