The Master Psychic

chapter 9 - confession

The slam of Sage's bedroom door echoed through the house, leaving a tense silence in its wake. Harper sat back on the couch, her face pinched with worry, while Mason remained standing, his fists clenched at his sides. He was halfway to the stairs when Jared's voice stopped him.

"Mason," Jared said quietly but firmly. "Wait."

Mason turned, his eyes narrowing. "She's upset. I need to—"

"This isn't the time to chase her," Jared interrupted, his gaze steady. "She needs space. And you need to hear something—something you don't know."

Mason's jaw tightened. "What do you mean?"

Jared didn't answer right away. He glanced toward Harper, then back to Mason. "Not here. In private. Your office."

The weight in his voice left no room for argument. Mason hesitated, then gave a sharp nod. He cast a quick look at Harper, silently promising he'd explain later, before jerking his head toward the hallway.

"Fine. Office. Now."

The two men disappeared down the hall, the air growing heavier with every step. Harper sat frozen on the couch, wringing her hands as a cold unease settled in her chest. Whatever Jared was about to reveal... she could feel it wasn't going to be simple.

Inside the office, Mason shut the door firmly and turned to face Jared. "Alright. We're alone. Talk. What the hell do you know that I don't?"

Jared leaned against the edge of the desk, his expression unreadable, his silver-gray eyes locking with Mason's.

Mason's eyes narrowed, his arms folding across his chest as he stared Jared down. "Start talking. What the hell do you mean by more to her visions?"

Jared held his gaze, unflinching. "The visions weren't meant to scare her, Mason. They were meant to show her."

Mason's jaw ticked. "Show her what? Nightmares of you? You think that's comforting?"

Jared shook his head, his voice calm but weighted. "Not nightmares. A message. A connection. She isn't just seeing me because I'm a Hyde. She's seeing me because I'm tied to her. Soul to soul."

Mason froze, the words landing like a blow. "A... soul tie?"

"Yes," Jared said, his tone steady, almost resigned. "It's rare. Unpredictable. But when it happens, visions are the first sign. Not warnings. Not fear. The visions are a pull—her soul reaching for mine, even before we've met."

Mason paced a step, running a hand over his face. "You're saying she's having visions because you two are—what? Destined? Connected?" His voice hardened, laced with protective fury. "You expect me to believe that after everything she's been through, she's just supposed to accept being tied to a Hyde?"

Jared leaned forward, his eyes flashing silver in the low light. "Believe it or not, it doesn't matter what you accept. The bond is already there. She feels it—I saw it in her eyes at dinner. That pull she can't explain? That's the tie. And fighting it will only make it harder for her."

Mason slammed his palm against the desk, the sound sharp in the small room. "If you hurt her—if you so much as think of using this bond against her—I swear, Hyde or not, I'll put you in the ground."

Jared didn't flinch. He simply met Mason's glare with quiet certainty. "I don't want to hurt her. The bond isn't a curse, Mason. It's... fate. Whether you like it or not."

Mason's breath came heavy, his mind racing. A soul tie. A Hyde. And Sage—his little sister—at the center of it all.

Mason's fists were still clenched, his breathing sharp, but Jared didn't back down. His voice grew quieter, more deliberate, as though he was choosing each word with care.

"There's something else you need to understand," Jared said, leaning against the desk. "In normal Hyde situations, a soul tie is... different. When a Hyde finds theirs, that person becomes their master—the one who controls them. Commands them. Without that tie, most Hydes can't control themselves at all."

Mason's eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. "And you expect me to let Sage believe she's supposed to be your... your master? Your leash?"

Jared shook his head firmly. "No. That's the point. I didn't learn control through a master. I forced myself to. Every transformation, every moment I could've lost myself—I fought it, and I won. That's why when the bond formed with Sage, it didn't chain me the way it normally would."

Mason frowned, confusion flickering across his face. "...So what does it mean for her?"

"It means she isn't my master," Jared said simply. His silver eyes softened just slightly, though his tone remained steady. "She's my equal. My... soul mate, if you want to call it that. The bond ties us together, but not in dominance. Not in control. It's connection. Balance."

Mason raked a hand through his hair, pacing a short line in the office. The word soul mate lingered in the air like a spark he couldn't put out. "So you're telling me she's bound to you—like she doesn't have a choice?"

Jared's voice dropped, steady and certain. "The bond exists whether she chooses it or not. But what she does with it? That's her decision. I won't force her. I won't... cage her in this." His gaze hardened, meeting Mason's full on. "I need you to believe me when I say that."

For the first time, Mason hesitated. His protective fury wavered against the weight of Jared's certainty, though the distrust in his eyes didn't vanish.

"Try anything," Mason warned, his voice low, "and I'll end you before you ever get the chance to hurt her."

Jared gave a single, almost solemn nod. "I wouldn't expect anything less." The office door was shut tight, but Sage had learned long ago how to move quietly in her own home. Bare feet padding softly against the hardwood, she crept down the hall and pressed herself against the wall just outside the door.

At first, the voices inside were muffled, only the rise and fall of tones reaching her. But when Mason's voice sharpened in anger, she leaned closer, her breath shallow.

"...so you're telling me she's bound to you—like she doesn't have a choice?" Mason's words cut through the wood.

Sage's pulse stuttered. Bound? To Jared?

She pressed a hand to her chest, straining to hear as Jared answered, his voice low and steady.

"The bond exists whether she chooses it or not. But what she does with it? That's her decision. I won't force her. She isn't my master—she's my equal. My soul mate."

The word slammed into her like a physical blow. Her knees went weak, and she had to catch herself against the wall to stay upright. Soul mate?

She swallowed hard, every nerve in her body humming as Jared's voice continued.

"In normal Hyde situations, the soul tie makes the person their master. But I never had one. I learned to control it myself. With Sage, it's not about control—it's about connection. Balance."

Sage's head spun, her breaths quick and shallow. She wanted to run, to bolt back upstairs, but she couldn't tear herself away.

Inside, Mason's voice rumbled with fury. "Try anything, and I'll end you before you ever get the chance to hurt her."

Jared's reply came calm, unwavering. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

The silence that followed seemed to echo louder than their words. Sage slowly backed away from the door, her heart pounding so loudly she feared they might hear it.

She turned and hurried up the hall, every step quick and silent, her mind tangled in the truth she'd just overheard. Soul mate. Bound. Connection.

She shut her bedroom door softly and leaned against it, trembling. The silver eyes in her visions weren't just warnings. They were a tether.

And now she knew why.