Psyche Honor (Psyche Moon)

by Buhr, Chrissie

  Billie watched as if waiting for the hunting party to arrive. Nathan noticed the line of Wolves a moment later and jumped. She couldn't hear what he said, but Billie motioned for him to calm down. With a wave of her hand, Billie invited the Wolves to join her.

  The hunting party approached cautiously, heads lowered and hackles slightly raised. Jason took point, with Richard right behind him. Everyone else fanned out as they drew near their former Beta and the Wolf responsible for the death of their packmate. Amy smelled fear on almost every Wolf. Only Billie and Jason seemed exempt. The two most powerful Wolves in the Pacific Northwest faced each other.

  Kathryn joined Amy in shared concern for the pending conflict now that it had come. They held back slightly and Amy shrugged out of the fur-pack, dropping it where it lay. Her nose picked up another scent. Kato? That changed everything, and she looked with fresh eyes at the Wolves in front of her.

  Nathan's eyes shone clear, void of the haunted stare they once possessed. Somehow he seemed more intelligent than before. She took a step forward, nose stretched out curiously, and stared into the eyes of a Wolf she’d known for over seven years. Billie met her eyes, brilliantly green, full of life, and overjoyed to see her. All doubt faded, and she knew her friend was not collared.

  Amy couldn't contain her delight. She bounded forward, ignoring Jason's growled order to stop. Nathan jumped away from the white wolf racing towards them, but Billie opened her arms. Billie laughed at Amy’s fully body tackle, overjoyed at the greeting. She asked the foremost question in her mind. “Is Matthew alive?” Amy nodded, and Billie breathed a sigh of relief.

  Hearing a footstep behind Billie, Amy turned her head. Sadie looked down at her from the cave entrance with radiant eyes, Kato in wolf form beside her. Untangling from Billie's grasp, she raced towards her friend. In her excitement, she forgot that Sadie lacked a Wolf’s strength and build. Her weight knocked the woman to the ground heavily, but Sadie only laughed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

  * * *

  Hitting the ground after being tackled by an enthusiastic arctic wolf hurt, but I didn't care. “I missed you too, Amy.” I hugged the beautiful Wolf while dodging her expressive tongue. Jason growled, and we both froze. She backed away from me obediently but returned to a neutral zone rather than to the hunting party.

  “I'm not going to hurt her, Jason,” I said indignantly as I righted myself. “I would never hurt her.”

  Jason shifted into human form. Tattoos marked most of his body, and he stood proud and strong. Standing in the middle of the forest completely naked and flanked by a pack of wolves ... he'd never looked more fierce. Billie didn't move from her seat, but she was ready. She could reach him before he could touch me, and that satisfied her protective nature.

  They outnumbered and outmatched us. Looking around, I didn’t know who would fight on which side and who would stay out of a conflict entirely. Best case scenario pitted eight against five in their favor. At worst, they outnumbered us ten to two. I liked the idea of using magepower against them even less than I liked our odds.

  “I don't believe you,” Jason spoke through gritted teeth. His muscles flared. “You've already collared Billie and Nathan.”

  “No, I haven't.” I met his eyes, hoping he'd smell the truth in the simple statement.

  “You smell like a Mage.” His nose wrinkled in disgust.

  “Yesterday I used magepower to free Nathan from the Mage who collared him.”

  “That's not possible. You're lying,” Jason replied and took a single step towards me. I didn't flinch, standing in place by sheer force of will. I wanted to flee from his accusations more than his threat.

  Billie spoke and he stopped. “Jason, listen to me. You trusted me to be your Beta for two years. Hear me out. You owe me that much.”

  He stopped and met her eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. He would listen, but reluctantly.

  “Sadie has been following Kato's instructions for over a week. I didn't know anything about it until after we left Boise. He told her to keep it secret even from me. She trusts him like we trust him, more in some ways. He had a vision, and he asked her to help him change it.

  She spoke to every Wolf now. “In Kato's vision, almost every Wolf in our Pack was either collared or dead. In his vision, only two survived and almost every Wolf in this valley was collared. He asked her to find the Mages and stop them, whatever the cost.

  “She met the Mage who collared Nathan and pretended to be one of them. She couldn't keep Gary from overhearing the conversation without the Mage finding out about Gary's connection to the Pack. She wouldn't risk Gary's life, so she risked an Alpha’s anger instead. She convinced this Mage to bring her into the fold and into the plan to wipe out our Pack. She did that to stop them, not to join them.

  “Yesterday we went to meet them, and I posed as her pet. We found Nathan there, collared. There were three Mages at this meeting, and they're all dead now. Sadie stopped them and freed Nathan. I didn't know it was possible either. She freed the humans we found there as well. It's no surprise that she smells like a Mage. She used a lot of magepower yesterday, and she did it for us. She did it for Pack. Nathan is whole again, and we have Sadie to thank for it. She risked everything to save us.”

  Billie let her words sink in. I sensed mixed responses from the hunting party. Kathryn and Amy accepted her explanation easily. Jason and Richard didn't believe her. Everyone else sat on the fence.

  Billie continued. “Jason. Alpha. I don't want to be at odds with you. The Mages are dead. The Pack is safe. We want to come home.”

  “That's one hell of a story, Billie. And a convenient one. You're not lying, but if you believe you're telling the truth, it wouldn't smell like a lie.”

  “Look at me, Jason. You know me.” Her steadiness impressed me.

  Amy spoke up. “It's her, Jason. I know it. I feel it. Sure, Sadie stinks like a Mage right now. But Billie's story makes Gary's story make sense! And look, Kato's here. Kato would know before any of us if Sadie was dangerous.”

  “Kato could be collared, too. This is the problem with Mages, Amy. We don't know what's real around them.”

  Kathryn added her two cents. “Perhaps you don't know what's real, but I see Billie in her eyes and no one else. Amy's right about Kato. I've never known him to be wrong about someone.”

  “We can't know that for sure. She's too dangerous.” He took another step towards me threateningly. Billie flew to her feet and stood between her mate and her Alpha. Nathan popped to his feet, ready to back her up despite his terror. She waved a hand and he sat with a thud.

  “You will not touch her,” Billie declared.

  “The Billie I know wouldn’t fight her Alpha to protect a Mage.”

  “Billie protects those that she loves,” I reminded him.

  “Then why did she nearly kill one of her packmates?” Matthew's injuries angered him immeasurably.

  As often happened, I lost patience with Jason and snapped in irritation. “Matthew was following your orders, and he doesn't do that halfway. He was trying to kill me, and he wouldn't stop. He wouldn't accept defeat. She had to crush two legs before he quit trying to kill me. She could have killed him. Instead she made certain she didn't.”

  “How many Wolves would spare the life of the one trying to kill their mate?” Kathryn asked reasonably.

  “Mage manipulation.” Jason simply wasn't listening. He took another step towards me, and Billie resigned herself to a fight. Jason struck the first blow, and Billie countered. They moved too quickly for me to follow, but I tried desperately. It looked more like a blurry naked dance.

  Nathan scrambled out of the way in a flash. Horrified that it had come to this, I covered my mouth with my hands. Kato leaned against me comfortingly, and Nathan circled around to crouch behind me. He was scared and looking to me to protect him. Can you do anything, Muso?

  Wait, Muzi. Your mate will win this fight.

  I thought Jason was the better fighter.
/>
  He once was. He is discovering he is no more.

  With Jason distracted, Amy came to my side once again. Wrapping her arm around my shoulder, she watched the fight with me. Whispering directly in my ear so low that none but Kato and Nathan could hear, she said, “Billie's winning.” I grasped her hand on my shoulder, digging my fingers into her flesh nervously. I didn't dare speak, move, or even brush Billie's mind. Any distraction could be disastrous.

  The fight continued for too long. I saw blood on the ground but wasn't sure who it came from. Then abruptly Jason fell to the ground and lay still. It ended so quickly I didn't believe my eyes at first. He still lived. I could sense it, but I had no way of knowing the extent of his injuries. It was over. Amy jumped up and sprinted to her Alpha. Kathryn brought Amy's fur-pack and knelt by Jason's still form.

  Amy assessed the damage quickly with her acute senses, palpating his body with rapid fingers. “He's out cold, but his heart is beating strong. He should be okay.” She spoke to no one in particular, intending for everyone to hear. They didn't hear how worried she was, but I could sense it hidden behind professionalism.

  Billie exhaled visibly, her relief that Jason would live obvious to everyone willing to see it. Blood dripped down her chin from a wide split lip, and the beginnings of bruises began to blossom on her face and sides. She held herself strong but favored her right leg slightly, moving with less than usual grace. Only I could sense the amount of pain she hid from the Wolves. I twitched with the need to hold her, but something held me in place.

  Amy appraised Billie up and down and started to rise, but Billie shook her head. “I'll heal. Take care of our Alpha.” Every Wolf in the valley stilled when she spoke. I watched the scene and didn't understand.

  Muso, why did everyone react like that?

  Your mate has beaten the Alpha. They would follow her instead of Jason now if she asked them to. Instead she gave authority back to him.

  Why?

  Listen. Watch.

  Billie crouched beside the medic and gazed at her Alpha apologetically. “The cave is comfortable if you'd like me to move him.” Amy nodded, discretely sharing her concern with Billie. I sensed all this from a distance.

  Billie reached for Jason, and Amy cautioned her to hold his head steady. My mate gathered the unconscious man in her arms, cushioning his head against her shoulder. My paralysis lifted.

  Vaguely I noticed Richard's alarm at my movements, but I didn't care. Jason was argumentative, stubborn, and aggressive but also an honorable man who took care of the people around him. Billie loved him like a father, and that mattered more than anything else. I ducked back into the cave and spread out the sleeping bag.

  Amy preceded Billie into the cave, and Billie set Jason down, covering him carefully.

  “We have smoked elk when he's able to eat,” I told Amy, pointing at the wrapped bundle in the corner.

  “Thank you, Sadie.” Amy stayed professional, her voice even and hands steady. She had many years of practice hiding her worry from the other Wolves, but Billie, Kathryn, and I knew her better than that.

  “Is there anything else I can do for him?” I asked.

  “Not right now. I'll let you know.” Of Billie she requested, “Can you keep any conflict well away from him? He needs to rest.”

  “Of course,” Billie replied. She spoke softly to Jason so that only the women inside the cave could hear. “Alpha. Get better. We need you.” He didn't stir, lying as limp as a rag doll. I placed a hand on her shoulder and she stood, taking my hand in hers.

  Richard faced us in wolf form at the entrance to the cave. His hackles stood high, making him look much bigger than he really was. He growled deeply at the two of us, the reverberations echoing about the cave. Amy responded before either Billie or I could. Contrary to her normal demeanor, she threatened the Wolf exquisitely. “Richard, you may be my Elder, but if you start a fight anywhere near my patient I will chew your ear off and eat it.”

  Richard glanced between the medic and Jason and backed slowly away from the cave. Billie and I exited hand in hand. We passed him benignly and walked downhill parallel to the creek. Both of us remained alert, hyperaware of him and the others nearby. Richard paced alongside us twenty yards to our left, stalking us. We didn't pause until a wide patch of ground lay between us and the injured Alpha in the cave.

  “This has to stop, Richard. We need to talk.” Billie held his gaze steadily. He didn't back down, posturing to attack instead. Even with her injuries, he didn’t think he could defeat Billie in a fight, and he hesitated. He was desperate, a cornered animal with nothing to lose and uncertain what to do. Wolves gathered around us, encircling us. Nearly everyone was present, and all but Billie and I participated in the standoff in wolf form. Nathan and Kathryn sided with us. The other six stood with Richard.

  If it came to a fight between the divided Wolves, I didn't know who would win. Billie had bested the indomitable Alpha. Jason lay unconscious while she stood strong before them. Even injured she intimidated every Wolf. Uninjured I’d put my odds in her favor, but I could sense the severity of her injuries through our bond. Richard wasn't sure either, and he hesitated long enough for Kato to arrive.

  The Ethiopian Wolf trotted into the center and sat casually in the middle of the fray. He faced Richard, locking eyes with the Elder to no effect. Kato shimmered and a few of the younger Wolves saw the Eldest in human form for the first time. His ancient brown eyes never left Richard's.

  I didn't move, didn't speak, frozen like a deer in headlights. I regretted the analogy as soon as it came to mind. Kato took his time meeting every person's gaze and holding it. Each saw something different when he or she looked into them. Some dropped their eyes or lowered their ears. Kathryn held his gaze tranquilly. When he spoke, his words carried to every pair of ears.

  “I am displeased with my packmates.” He looked directly at Richard. “It is a sad day when one Wolf turns on another without provocation.”

  Richard shifted into human form so he could defend himself. “How can you claim there was no provocation, Kato?” He puffed up his chest defensively.

  “You do not see clearly. You look at a friend and see an enemy.”

  “She is a Mage.” I could feel Kathryn's patience nearly end with those four words. For the first time ever, I heard her growl. Richard ignored her with effort.

  “This Mage risked more than her life to save the Pack. She risked her matebond to save you. You risk your matebond out of bigotry.” Richard bristled and prepared to argue, but Kato continued without giving him a chance. “Your Mage packmate faced three Mages who would have collared or killed every one of you. One of the three she discovered to be her cousin. She did this for you while dodging your teeth and claws. Even running for her life, she chose to save you. She freed a collared Pup, ending his torment and returning him home where he belongs. She gave her bed and food to her injured Alpha who ordered her death. These are the actions of a friend.”

  Richard's face tightened anxiously. His voice softened, but his fear remained. “How do I know any of this is true? How do I know you aren't collared, old friend? You could be saying exactly what she wants you to say.”

  Kato cocked his head and replied sternly. “I am both Sage and Wolf, the Eldest of both kinds, twinborn, and Sage-taught. No Mage has the power to collar me. The most powerful Mage in the world would fail in the attempt.” I hadn't thought about it, but it didn't surprise me. I could only enter Kato's mind if he allowed it. Without that, I had no power over him.

  Kathryn shifted into human form to speak to the group. “My first mate was Kato's twin brother Isingoma, who died years before I met Richard. He once told me that his mind was impenetrable. No one couldn't enter his mind unless he permitted it.”

  She walked to Richard and took his hands, holding them over her heart. “I love you too much to let you become what you hate. I'm not standing against you, my love. I'm standing between you and your prejudice.”

  He didn't sp
eak right away. He held his mate's hands and gazed longingly at her. The chasm between them began to narrow. Raising his eyes to Nathan's, he asked, “You haven't spoken yet, Nathan. Why?”

  Nathan almost jumped at the direct question. “No one asked me nothin'. Yer all just pretendin' I can't even hear you.”

  Kathryn closed her eyes before looking at the Pup. “He's right. I owe you an apology, as do we all.”

  He replied graciously. “Thank ya, ma'am. I get it. I'm a little irritated at ya, but I ain't mad. When I first met all o' ya I was trapped in my own head with a Mage yapping at me. She even made me kill John, and I didn't wanna do that. She's dead now, and I'm not sorry even if she was Sadie's cousin. I'm only sorry I didn't get to kill her myself. I know what yer all scared of 'cus I lived like that fer months. What I am kinda mad about is you blamin' Sadie. She's the reason I'm not trapped anymore. I'd fight every one of ya for being rude to her if Billie would let me.”

  I smiled fondly at Nathan, and Billie's mouth twitched in a near grin. Phil addressed me hesitantly. “Sadie. What happened with the Mages?” He missed John and sought to understand his packmate’s untimely death.

  “It's a long story, and I’d rather tell it when everyone isn’t snarling at me. Why don't we get more comfortable?” I didn’t want to be surrounded by angry Wolves anymore.

  “Food first,” Billie declared. “We have elk enough to go around.”

  The Wolves agreed. Billie instructed them to drag the carcass far down the valley so that Jason could sleep without a bunch of Wolves masticating outside of his door. Billie had been their Beta for two years, and without Richard and Jason actively speaking against her, they easily fell into old habits. “Why don't you go get some of the smoked elk?” Billie suggested as the Wolves around me fell into a meal I couldn't eat.