“I ran from my home, from everything I knew and loved, because I understood my secret, my ability, would change how everyone saw me. My secret is just as dangerous as yours and can never be shared.”
She sat in the chair across from me and nodded. I took another steadying breath and tried to ignore the feeling that I needed to keep my ability to myself.
“I can control people. With a thought, my will becomes their will. I’ve never ill-used my ability. Since the day I was born, I’ve known it’s meant to help and protect; others before myself.
“I can’t control your kind. Not like I could mine. I think I understand how you control the pack, though. You implant your thought in them. It’s essentially how my ability works with humans; I hold a person’s will and let my will flow into them. But with your kind, I couldn’t hold your wills long enough to influence anyone. But, when that man attacked me in my bedroom, I...” I shrugged and shook my head. It felt so wrong talking about what I could do. I’d kept this secret for too long.
“You found a way?” Winifred said. Worry flooded her gaze.
“Not exactly. I couldn’t control him, but I knew what I wanted. I wanted him off. In my desperation, it was like my desire to have him off me hardened into something physical. I hit him with it, and he flew off me. That’s when you came in.”
She nodded.
“And those times in the yard?”
Guiltily, I looked at my hands. In the yard, I did more than just beat back men. I controlled them. But something cautioned me against revealing that detail, a detail of which she was hopefully unaware.
“Every time I moved one of them, it was the same thing,” I said, carefully wording my answer to avoid a lie.
She exhaled and considered me for a moment.
“As an Elder, I need to do what is best for the whole of our race. It relieves me that you can’t control us. That would represent a dangerous potential. Yet, as a human, you are at a disadvantage here, and hearing you have the ability to defend yourself is a relief. Mates are important. Without them, we have no future. As a potential mate, you are important to our kind. Yes, your ability is unique, but I see no reason it should concern us.” She patted my hand and stood. “Now, let’s finished this up and make some cookies.”
I returned her smile with a weak one of my own and moved to help. She accepted me because she sensed little threat in me. What would she do if she knew the truth, that I could control them, too?
Fourteen
It was a relief when Winifred left with another truck bed full of metal. Throughout the weekend, she’d continued to be nothing but kind. It just made keeping something from her harder. I wanted to tell her. Yet every time I set my mind to do so, something stopped me. It was as if a little voice in my head whispered caution.
“I wish she would have brought more eggs,” Mary said as I closed the outer door.
Winifred had brought six dozen. We ate three Saturday and three again that morning. It wasn’t just the men who liked to eat well. Mary did too. I grinned at her.
“She said she’d bring more next weekend. Until then, you’ll have to make due with oatmeal,” I said. Mary made a face and turned back to the dishes. I went to join her.
I was mentally preparing for another week of monotony when Thomas and Gregory walked in from outside.
“Ready, Charlene?”
“For what?” I asked, setting aside a plate.
“I thought we’d start with a walk along the north border.”
“Is that far?” I finished drying the last plate and wiped my hands.
“Far enough that I’d need to carry you there and back if we don’t want to sleep out there.”
There wasn’t much to do here. The laundry from the weekend could wait until tomorrow, and Mary was already making eyes at Gregory.
“Did you need me here for anything?” I asked her anyway.
“No. Go on and enjoy your day. Gregory and I will find something here to occupy ourselves.”
A slow grin spread on Gregory’s face.
I blushed and focused on Thomas.
“All right.”
He chuckled and motioned for me to lead the way out the door. As soon as we were in the yard, he scooped me up in his arms again. The feel of his skin under the palm of my hand made me blush further.
He ran with ease, covering the distance to the lake and then past it. Bramble filled in between the trees but Thomas always managed to find narrow trails around or through them. When my face grew a little cold from the cool forest air, I turned into his heat and laid my cheek against his shoulder. It amazed me that his breathing remained even. I laid my hand over his heart. It beat steadily.
Suddenly, he stopped, and I was on my feet. Trees surrounded us. How did he know where the property ended? I looked up and met his gaze. The focus I found there startled me.
He reached for my hand and lifted it up to his chest. He placed it over his heart once more. Then, he took my other hand and placed it on his skin as well. He held them in place as he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
“I never thought such a simple touch could do so much,” he said. He shook his head. “I understand what Gregory means.”