Change

12

THE NEXT MORNING, I went into work and spoke with the Dean as soon as he came in. I told him I had some personal issues come up and I would really appreciate it if I could take the week off. Since we had nothing important planned for the week and he didn’t need me there anyway, he let me have the time. I warned him that depending on how things went, I might need the next week as well. He said I had the vacation time available, I might as well use it during the summer while he needed me less. 

With the time off arranged, I headed over to Bill’s house. I pulled into the large circular driveway and parked my car next to Bill’s pickup. As I approached the door and reached to knock, it opened beneath my hand, startling me. I gasped and jumped before noticing Bill standing in front of me, grinning. 

“Come on in,” he said, turning to lead me deeper into the house. “I heard your car in the driveway on my way to the kitchen.” 

I grinned at his upbeat mood and followed him. “What do you have in mind for me today?” 

“We already know your strength and hearing are coming in. Have you shifted again? On purpose this time?” 

“Yeah,” I told him about shifting the day before. “OH! That’s something I was supposed to tell you about. While I was in wolf form, I could think my responses to Brandon and have him hear them. He said I’m telepathic and to make sure I told you about it.” 

“Well, it means you have the ability to do at least one-way communication. Have you heard any strange thoughts from others?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“You might not notice it at first, or you might not realize what it is at first. Sometimes you hear just random things, a sentence here and there, and with your hearing still coming and going you might think you were actually hearing someone say it.”

“I did have that happen. I was out shopping on Saturday, with Izzy. I thought the sales girl was just being rude, but it’s possible... Then it happened again, later at the club.” I thought back over the things I had heard in the club that night.

“Wait, did you say you went to a club on Saturday?” he blinked in astonishment.

“Izzy and I had been planning it for weeks.” I knew it was a weak excuse but I was going to use it anyway.

“How did that work out for you?” His tone was suspicious. 

“Sometimes it wasn’t too bad. Sometimes it was like I’d climbed inside one of the speakers and was going to be bounced across the room at any moment. By the time I gave up, I had a massive headache.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t walk in and turn around and walk right back out. Those places are hell on normal hearing, much less our sensitive ears.”

“I know that now, but I didn’t think about it when I went, and I didn’t want to back out on Izzy again,” I said. 

“Instead of letting down a girlfriend, who would probably understand if you had just told her you didn’t feel good, you tortured yourself. Sometimes, girl, I wonder about you.”

“Yeah, I know. So does everyone else.” I grinned.

“You were saying before I interrupted that you were hearing things at the club Saturday night?” “Yeah, and now that I think about it, most of it were things most people wouldn’t say out loud. One girl didn’t like her date and couldn’t wait to escape. Another was determined to get revenge on her cheating partner. I just thought the noise was wreaking havoc with my hearing. But it happened again last night at dinner.”

“Sundays are family dinners, right?”

“Yes, sir,” I reverted to the habits my parents and grandparents had made sure all of us learned as children. I don’t always use the term of respect with my friends, but I do with anyone not my age. 

“Only you, Nickie,” Bill shook his head as he rolled his eyes skyward. “Only you. Anyway, yes, you’re showing signs of being able to use telepathy in both directions. To both plant your thoughts into someone’s mind, and to pull thoughts from their minds as well. I’ll work with you myself on learning to use those gifts, but I’ll have Karen work with you on shielding so others with the same talents can’t use them against you, unless you let them. Telepathy can be very useful in some situations, but also a nuisance if you’re not prepared to deal with it.” 

He offered to fix me some breakfast along with his own but I had already eaten, just in case I ended up not getting the time off work. I wasn’t hungry but I did accept a cup of coffee and sat with him while he finished cooking and ate. 

“I did have something I wanted to ask, if you don’t mind,” I said.

“What is it?” 

“Well, you know Raine as well as you know me, right? I mean, not that I think he’s Kindred or anything. But in the fact that he’s my brother and one of Dad’s kids. Maybe in a you’ve been around him and are familiar with him’, kind of way.”

“Yes, of course. What about Raine?” 

“I noticed it last night. There’s something different about Raine. I couldn’t place it. I still can’t figure out what it was. But it’s like I sensed something different from him all of a sudden. I couldn’t see anything and he insisted nothing’s changed, not even his soap. But I don’t think I’m imagining it. After a few minutes, it dawned on me, it wasn’t that something had changed with him, but with me. I realized I was probably sensing something that had always been there. I told him I must have imagined it, but I’m certain I didn’t.”

“I doubt you’re imagining it, but let me ask a few people and see what I can find out. It may be that he has some strength or talent that you’re sensing. I would guess from just looking at him, he has some Native American blood. There may be some talent or power he inherited and that’s what you’re sensing.”

“Let me know if you find anything?” 

“If I find anything to explain it, I’ll be sure to let you know,” he said.

“Thanks.”

Bill picked up his dishes from breakfast and rinsed them in the sink before loading them into the dishwasher next to it. We moved into his office to start what he called my lesson for the morning.

We worked on picking thoughts from each other’s minds on purpose and projecting only the thoughts we wanted another to hear into the others for several hours before Bill called a break and left me sitting limp and exhausted on his living room couch while he went to fix lunch. 

A few minutes later, he called me in to eat and handed me one of the sandwiches he’d made. 

“I have some people I’d like you to meet, but they aren’t available until Wednesday. Could you come to dinner here Wednesday and meet them?” He watched me eat.

“I don’t have any other plans. I’d be happy to meet whomever you want me to.” 

“It’s our Lysandros and Harmonia, the couple who are second-in-command to the pack. They’re the other numbers on the emergency card I gave you the other day. I think it would be a good idea for you to meet them and get to know them a bit.” 

“Sure,” I said as Karen walked in.

“Hello, Nickie, how has your morning gone?” she asked me.

“Good, but exhausting.”

“She’s got the basics down. The rest will improve with practice. She’s a quick learner,” Bill said. 

“That’s good to hear. Did he totally exhaust you, or you going to be up for more this afternoon?” she asked. 

“More of the same?”

“Not quite the same, but just as much work. It’s different, but still something you’ll need.” 

“Well, I was pretty worn out before, but between a bite to eat and a bit of rest, I am feeling better.”

“The faster metabolism and needing to eat more will take some getting used to. You’re probably still eating like you did before. Aren’t you?” She gave me a knowing look.

“Well, yeah. No one told me I would need to eat differently; they just keep feeding me anytime I shift. No one said anything about needing more all the time. I’ve been thinking something is wrong with me because, suddenly, I’m always starving.”

“Of course you’re always starving. You burn a lot more calories now, even if you aren’t shifting. Leave it to the men to forget that detail. They never worry about eating too much and just eat whenever they are hungry anyway. It wouldn’t occur to them to tell you, now would it?” Karen shot a teasing grin at her husband. 

“Sorry, I should have told you, Nickie, it just never occurred to me,” Bill said apologetically. “Is that sandwich enough or do you want something more?”

I looked down at the almost finished sandwich in front of me. “Honestly, I’m still hungry.” My face heated as I made the admission. 

Karen went to the refrigerator behind her, opened the door, and looked inside for a moment. She pulled out half of an apple pie. “How about some pie?”

“That would be wonderful!” My mouth watered at the rich cinnamon scent coming from the dish.

“Do you want it cold like this, or warmed? I think I may even have some ice cream we could put on the side, if you’d like?” she asked. 

“Warm with ice cream would be wonderful.”

“No problem, let me just pop this in the microwave for a few seconds and I’ll check for the ice cream,” she said as she cut two large slices. She looked over at Bill, where he was hovering on the edge of the room as if reluctant to leave us alone. “There’s no need to hang around and keep us company if you have something to do. We’re going to have us some pie and ice cream, if you’ve left any ice cream. Then we’ll go work on shielding basics. You go do whatever you need to do, we’ll be fine.” She finished dishing the pie onto a pair of plates and set them in the microwave. 

“I haven’t touched the ice cream, you should have plenty for your pie,” he replied as Karen turned back to the remaining pie and re-covered it before setting it back in the refrigerator. “But since the two of you are set here without me, I have some things I need to get done. I’ll see you later. Nickie, come by Wednesday morning for more practice, eight thirty or nine will be fine.”

“Yes, sir,” I watched Karen move around the kitchen as she fixed our treat. 

By the time the microwave beeped, signaling the end of its cycle, Karen was ready. She pulled the plates out and set them on the counter before she scooped the ice cream out of the container. Bill kissed Karen’s cheek before leaving. 

Karen slid a plate across the counter to me before sitting down on the stool on the other side of the bar.

“How well are you handling things?” she asked.

“Okay, I guess. It’s a lot to process.”

“It is. I want you to know if you have any questions or concerns you’re more than welcome to come to me or Bill. Even the things you might think are stupid little stuff.”

I swallowed the food in my mouth before replying, “I’ll keep that in mind, thank you.” 

“I’m sure you have questions. Things you’ve experienced that we just haven’t thought to tell you about.” 

I remembered the shower I’d taken Saturday afternoon. “I do have a couple of questions, if you’re sure you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind. What is it you want to know?”

“Do you remember when I was about six and I ran into the tree and split my head open?”

“Sure, you were chasing one of your brothers, if I recall correctly.”

“Yeah, Cam had been teasing me and I was hot on his tail, determined to get back at him. Anyway, I ended up with stitches and I had a scar right here.” I showed her the spot near my hairline were my scar used to be. “But Saturday afternoon, I noticed it seemed to be disappearing, and when I thought to check it again this morning, it was completely gone. Is that normal?”

“It’s not unheard of, though, it generally takes longer. Do you have any other scars, or any worse scars? Worse than that one, I mean?”

“That’s the only one I can think of, or at least the worst one. All my others were mostly scratches or odd small wounds to have scarred, but every scar I’ve thought of seems to be gone now.” 

“Hmm. That may be why it was so quick. It was the only larger scar your body needed to heal. Generally, it can take weeks or even months to get rid of scar tissue, depending on how much of it there is and how bad the scar is.” 

“If I had broken a bone or had some kind of serious injury, it would have taken longer to heal?” 

“Exactly.”

“I guess that makes sense, but it’s going to take a little getting used to, not having that scar. It’s been a part of me for so long.”

Karen laughed. “You’ll get used to it, trust me. Eventually, you’ll come to expect healing like that.”

“If you say so, I’ll believe you. Right now, it’s blowing my mind.”

“It’s a big thing to get used to.” 

“I have another question, if it’s not too personal.”

“What is it, dear?”

“Where can I find soaps and shampoos that aren’t so heavily perfumed that taking a shower runs me out of the bathroom? I used to think the ones I had were lightly scented but I can’t stand to be in the same room with them long enough to take a shower anymore.”

“We have a pack member who makes organic soaps and shampoos, unscented and very lightly scented, just for the pack. Remind me before you leave and I’ll give you her card. She makes things for normal humans too so someone seeing her products at your apartment won’t raise any difficult questions. They make great gifts if there’s anyone among your family or friends who are into that kind of thing.” 

“Thanks, I appreciate it. I didn’t know who else to ask.”

“No problem, dear. It’s totally understandable. Most of us are raised in this world and know what to expect when our first shift comes. You’ve been thrust into it with no warning. We expect you to have questions and want to help you adjust. Now, Bill has asked me to work with you on shielding this afternoon, how do you feel about that?”

“If he says I need it, I’ll do it, though I don’t understand why.”

“There are a lot of reasons to learn to shield, but I’ll just go over some of the most important ones.”

“Okay.” I continued eating my pie and ice cream as I listened.

“As a telepath, you have experienced firsthand how overwhelming it can be to hear other’s thoughts without trying to, shielding can stop that. It can also prevent other telepaths from reading your mind, unless you let them. You can also limit what you let them see should you choose to let them in.”

“All right.”

“Shielding also prevents those who also have talents from being able to borrow your powers or your strength without your permission. Basically, good shielding is a security measure. You want to be able to shut the door and have some privacy.”

“I’m following you so far,” I was starting to understand why Bill wanted me to learn this. 

“I’ll be honest with you. You can’t expect instant results. It will probably take several lessons, and lots of practice, to learn to shield well.” 

I nodded.

“Today we’re going to start with the basics, and I promise not to work you as hard as Bill did. Learning shielding can be tedious and exhausting, but unless you progress particularly quickly, I don’t anticipate doing much of that today.”

“Then what will be doing today?” I asked. While she had explained, I’d finished my pie and ice cream. I carried my plate around the bar so I could put it into the sink before turning back to face Karen.

“Every good shield, like any good building, needs a firm foundation. Today we’re going to work on building your foundation. So something doesn’t come along and shake your world and destroy all of your shielding in the process.”

“All right.” I wasn’t following her ‘shake the world metaphor’ but wanted to move on. 

“What we are going to start with today is meditation. Have you ever done any meditating?”

“Nope.” I shook my head. “Not unless you count a couple of yoga classes.”

“Yoga experience will help more than you’d think, you’ll see once we get started. Our main goal right now is to center ourselves and concentrate on our core of energy. Let’s go into the living room where we can be comfortable.”

I smiled as I followed her. We each sat on opposite ends of her large sofa, facing each other with our legs folded lotus style, and got to work.

We spent a couple of hours working on meditation and focusing on our core of energy before I’d made enough progress that Karen decided it was time to advance, and I made my first efforts at shielding.

“I want you to picture a wall surrounding you, make sure it’s completely surrounding you, top and bottom, too. Like a large bubble,” she instructed. “You can make your wall out of anything you like. It can be water, stone, metal, or air; whatever you are most comfortable with. Make it look like anything you want it to, as long as it totally encapsulates you.” Karen was quiet for a while as I worked on building my shields around me and making them look just the way I wanted. 

I sat with my eyes closed while I pictured my shields in my mind, and when Karen spoke again it startled me. 

“Alright, I want you to get up, move around, stretch out, work the muscles I’m sure are stiff and sore from sitting still for so long,” she said. “That bubble you are picturing, those are your shields. You are going to need to practice this at least a couple times a day. Sit down and center yourself, focus on your shields, and concentrate on them. With practice, your shields will eventually become second nature. They’ll exist without you having to think about them, centering yourself and focusing will reinforce and strengthen them. There is no such thing as shields being too strong. Once your shields are second nature and always up, all you’ll do to drop them is to picture them gone, or picture a window opening in them to let in only a small amount of what’s outside, whether you’re actively concentrating on holding them or not,” she paused. “Shielding isn’t difficult, but it does take practice and work. If you fail to do your reinforcing, over time your shields will weaken and things will start to leak through.”

I didn’t really understand it, but she promised I would catch on with time and practice. It was about four o’clock when we called it a day. I told Karen I had something I wanted to do the next day but I’d be back on Wednesday. I stopped and picked up take out on my way home, and after eating, I took a long relaxing hot bath I took my PCD with me and read my latest book while I relaxed.