Free Psyche Shield by Chrissie Buhr Page A

Sierra’s loud peripheral emotions reached me in
the kitchen. She strained to hear us through the illusion, and I stifled a
laugh.
    Kato took Kathryn’s hands in his and looked at her with
bright eyes that made him look much younger. “Sister, do you remember Dalla?”
    His use of the title ’Sister’ startled Kathryn even further.
“Yes, Brother. I remember meeting her when you visited Sanyu and Kibuuka. She
was a beautiful soul and a lovely girl.”
    “She returned to her family shortly after that visit, and I
never saw her again. I did not know until this morning she was with child when
last I saw her. The Wolf we rescued from the mountains is my descendent. What’s
more, she shares your gift.”
    “Kato! By the Gods, you have a granddaughter!” Kathryn
declared. I nearly let the illusion slip, and even Billie appeared startled. “I
am delighted for you. This is why you brought her to us?”
    “Yes. Her presence creates much difficulty in the future of
our pack, and yet I could not let her die.”
    “Of course you couldn’t let her die,” Billie told the
Eldest, the idea of abandoning someone in distress offensive to her. “We’ll
deal with any problems.”
    “Thank you for your support, Beta,” Kato nodded solemnly.
“I’m afraid I have created much trouble for you and your mate by bringing her
here. I must ask you to face enmity from another pack before ours is ready to
stand with you.”
    Billie spoke fiercely. “Kato, I wouldn’t have left her out
there even if she wasn’t your granddaughter. You don’t owe us an explanation.”
    Kato’s need to explain baffled me as much as Billie. More
importantly, his granddaughter sat in the next room unaware of the
relationship. “Why are we discussing this behind an illusion? Why don’t you
tell her?”
    He looked at each of us as if searching for something. “In
time, yes. For now I ask you to keep my secret. Sister, she shares your gift
but does not yet know how to harness its benefits. She must learn quickly. Will
you teach her without telling her of its origins?”
    Kathryn’s face tightened with his request. Her eyes shifted
focus, and she replied hesitantly. “I will do as you ask if I can. Lately I
find myself troubled by this gift and inconsistent in its use. I sometimes
spread my own sorrow unintentionally, which I have not done since losing my
Sanyu.”
    A shadow fell across Kato’s face at the mention of his twin
brother’s death. It lasted only a moment. “You ache for your mate’s attention.
Richard is alive, and hope still exists between you. Find joy in this Wolf,
your niece, and you may find your gift returns in full.”
    Kathryn had been distant a great deal since discovering my
Mage heritage. Her mate, Richard, had turned on me viciously, despite our
friendship. Kathryn refused to tolerate his bigotry, and their relationship had
suffered over it. I’d assumed conflict with her mate caused the melancholy that
settled over her, but there was more. Her voice shook as she articulated it.
“What of its origins, Kato? This changes how I view the family I left as a
child.”
    He looked within her, his eyes softening compassionately.
“The gift sometimes comes of Human parents with no such ability, as it did for
Sierra, a Mage distant in her heritage.”
    I glanced back and forth between the Elders and interrupted.
“Kathryn’s a Sensitive?”
    “Her gift is much like that of a Sensitive but flows in the
opposite direction. She bestows emotions instead of reading them. My brother
taught her to use the Sending gift well, and she has done so for many decades.”
    Billie expressed her surprise more sedately. “That’s what
you meant after you told us Sensitives are of Mage lineage. You told Kathryn
there was no benefit to adding to the situation.”
    “Even now there is no benefit to any others knowing of
either Wolf’s lineage. Our Mage packmate is still difficult for them to
accept.” He spoke to me directly, eyes bright with