Psyche Honor (Psyche Moon) by Chrissie Buhr Read Free Book Online Page B

conspiratorial look at the women and
placed a finger to my chin. “Does anyone outside the pack know her age? Because
I only promised to stay out of Pack minds.”
    Amy and Billie began brainstorming. I winked at Kathryn who
replied with a bemused grin.
    After a time Billie glanced at the clock. “I have to go. I
told Nathan we’d meet after breakfast and a rest. That would be about now. I’ll
be home this afternoon. Will you still be here, or do you have plans?”
    “Other than a long hot bath, I have no plans for my day.”
    “My bathroom has the best jets, and you’ll find bath oils
and salts beneath the sink,” she offered. “Enjoy. I’ll see you later.” Billie
kissed me lightly and hugged her friends goodbye.
    Amy and Kathryn lingered only a little longer. Amy asked how
I felt and touched my face to assure herself the bruise was healing cleanly.
“Your eye’s red now. Any change in your vision?” I said no. “That happens a
lot, and it’s usually nothing to worry about. If your vision changes at all,
call me right away.”
    “I will,” I promised.
    “Your nose looks good. How’s the rest of you?”
    “Still tender and achy pretty much everywhere, but it’s
getting better. My face and that bruise on my thigh are the worst.”
    “Can I see your thigh?”
    I nodded and pulled Billie’s robe up to expose an ugly
looking bruise twice the size of my palm. Dark blue patterns spread outwards
making it appear worse than a few days before, and the edges had begun to
yellow. Kathryn gasped, seeing the bruised thigh for the first time.
    “I don’t even remember this one,” I told her.
    “That is not uncommon,” Kathryn replied and clucked at it.
“You were fortunate not to break your leg.”
    “It’s healing nicely,” Amy declared after making me wince by
touching it.
    “How long until they’re all gone?” I asked her. “I know
Billie’s just being her protective self, but I’m tired of feeling her anger
every time she sees them.”
    “Another week and almost all of them will be gone. This one,”
She pointed at my leg “and the one on your face may take a little longer. Want
me to say something to Billie?”
    “No. I got it” I thanked her. They said their goodbyes and
left to start their day.
    I lingered over the rich coffee in a suddenly empty kitchen,
enjoying the growing light cascading into the room. The back of the house,
covered in large windows, looked upon the foothills. No homes or other sign of
human habitation could be seen from the vista. A large dog trotted across the
landscape, too far out to see the breed. I relaxed into the view, a few birds
flitting about and the crisp morning promising a warm day.
    For the first time in over a week, I let myself unwind.
Without realizing it, I began humming. As I turned to fix a second cup of
coffee, I heard the flap of the doggie door. I panicked, searching mentally for
whoever made the noise, before turning. I could sense no one, familiar or
unfamiliar. Hesitatingly, I turned around to find a red leggy canine with a
white chin and neck standing in the room. I’d seen wolves like him on
documentaries, but I couldn’t place the breed. He appraised me with intelligent
eyes, sitting on the floor calmly and waiting for my response.
    “Hello?” I said nervously. “I don’t sense Wolf. Are you a
regular wolf? Because that would be strange.” He cocked his head in a quizzical
look. I finished preparing my coffee while babbling to the animal. “I know. A
regular wolf showing up in my girlfriend’s home is strange. A Wolf is normal.” I
shook my head at the multitude of absurdities. “Well, you don’t act like a
regular wolf and you don’t have the mind of a Wolf. So which are you?”
    The red wolf grinned, and with a shimmer, an ancient black
man stood in front of me. Bright intelligent eyes stood out so brilliantly, I
barely noticed anything else. Even the waist-long unkempt hair and nakedness
couldn’t compare to the depths of