Shifting the Night Away (42 page)

Jenna eyes brows scrunched up together. The nonsense Clara was speaking sounded like hocus pocus, not therapy. “If it was that easy, I’d be able to do it myself.”

“I can teach you self-hypnosis, but overcoming the fear of the moment to rationally remove yourself from it is very difficult, and sometimes having a guide like myself can help you manage better.”

That made more sense. “Alright. Let’s try it, I mean, like you said, what have I got to lose?” She’d already been pushed to the brink and lost her sanity. This wasn’t going to take that away from her.

Chapter Two

Michael couldn’t remove the grin that spread across his lips as his knuckles made contact with the young pup’s face. That was going to leave a bruise, at least for a few hours, and maybe knock his ego down a peg or two. While Stephen was recovering from the head ringer, Michael maneuvered into position and flipped his trainee over his shoulder and felt immense satisfaction when Stephen’s back hit the mat.
 
“That is how it is done.” He walked off the mat and nodded toward Isaac who was watching from the sidelines. “Again.”

“Don’t you think he can use a break?” Isaac asked, obviously not enthusiastic about pummeling his partner when he was down.

“Tyler, why do we not give our partners a break?” Michael barked at the redheaded, freckle faced student that was more into magic than his skills as a warrior.

“Because the enemy will never give you a break in battle, sir.”

Willow, the slender, leggy, female wolf cadet with flowing black hair snickered behind her hand, and Michael started wondering, not for the first time today, why he was stuck with the outcasts this go-round of training. “Do you have something to add, Willow?”

“Only that Isaac knows this, he’s just scared to make his partner look bad.”

“Then why don’t you show him how things are done.”

“With pleasure.” An evil glint passed through her grey eyes as she bounded onto the mat with the agility of a jungle cat, bowed to her opponent, and began the sparring routine as instructed. She expertly handled the match with precision, dealing the least amount of damage to her cocky opponent who happened to be at least two times her size.
 

Eventually, they’ll make a decent team. Then they’ll be released onto the world as protectors of the Order. Protectors of the shifters and the humans. It was a necessary evil. Trained warriors masquerading as monks. The fact that they hid their secrets behind a monastery only made things easier. Trained in multiple religions, negotiation, and handling ethical dilemmas with the ability to battle any supernatural threat that could harm the humans or shifters in their assigned territories. They’ll partner with the local authorities and alphas to keep the peace while maintaining the secrets of their world. It was the only way to allow both races to coexist without turmoil and possible extinction of one or the other.
 

Working here, developing these whelps, was his self-subscribed penance for surviving and failing to protect his soul mate. When she died, half of his soul went with her. They were forever connected, forever bound, only she was dead, and he survived because of the wolf bite. Why he survived over her, he had no clue. Perhaps it was a cruel game the fates liked to play, but at least he was put to good use in training the new heroes of their world.

“Michael, can you send them to seminary class an hour early. I have something to discuss with you.” Bruce entered the training area in his heavy brown robes with a file in his hand. Seren followed close behind, her long, golden-blonde hair and form fitting clothes were a far cry from Bruce’s dark brown skin and shaved head.

Michael felt his lip involuntarily curl as his maker sauntered toward him. He knew he should be more respectful. She saved his life, tried to save his mate’s life as well, but she failed them both when his love died. Now he was forced to endure centuries on the planet alone, without the other half of his soul there to even him out. Instead of thanking Seren for her gift, a part of him despised her. It was an internal battle that he waged with himself, one he tried desperately not to allow out of his mind, but she knew. She had to know. Their relationship was tense at best and heated at most. “They only have an hour left. I’d prefer to keep them sparring.”

“I found her, Michael, and she isn’t doing very well.” Seren interrupted bluntly.

Michael laughed, “You’ve supposedly found her four other times, too. Every time you were wrong. You’re undoubtedly wrong now.” He focused on his students, “Good, now all four again.” He commanded and they did as they were told. He preferred things here. He was obeyed. It satiated the beast that shared his mind and body. Besides, he was tired of being disappointed. Her soul was lost to him. He faced that bitter truth a long time ago.

“Regardless, I need you to go to Chrystal Falls, New York, and investigate claims of misuse of power made on the wolf alpha.” Bruce handed him the file he was holding.

Michael didn’t uncross his arms or take the file from his mentor. He knew going there was simply a ploy masterminded by Seren. “Send an operative. I left the field years ago. You were the one that benched me.” He looked straight through Bruce.

“I’m sending you, and you’re taking my order unless you choose to challenge my authority.” Bruce’s words kept an easy, casual tone, but the threat was underneath.

Everyone in the room froze. Michael turned his head very slowly toward his boss. He knew he could take him down. He was aged and tired. Just because they were immortal didn’t mean they didn’t weaken as time passed. It was only a matter of time before he was expected to challenge him and take the position, but that time was not now. He had no intention of taking over the monastery until it was necessary. Unfortunately, that meant he’d have to follow orders. The beast and the order expected it. He held out his hand and waited for Bruce to put the file in his open palm.

The tension in the room deflated like a popped balloon as he leafed through the pages of the file. “These all seem fairly straight forward.” He closed his file. “I’d like to take my pupils on a field trip. Some real life experience in what we do may help them understand the importance of who they are to become.”

Bruce nodded. “As long as you can clear it with their professors, I see no issue with that.”

Chapter Three

Clara was pretty impressed with Jenna’s progress, so impressed she begged the staff psychiatrist to meet with her. Jenna was learning quickly how to remove herself from the nightmare and had actually had a fairly decent night’s sleep if her word, and the lack of baggage under her tired hazel eyes, was any indication. Dr. Jonas agreed to meet with Jenna after their hypnotherapy session this afternoon which meant she could be released. Clara wanted to make sure Jenna was set up with the best possible tools she could have before she was released just in case she didn’t come back. It was a common thing. People stopped going to hypnotherapists when the job was done, or even when it wasn’t, with no word on how they were doing. It was how she learned to set them up with tools as quickly as possible. Her job wasn’t to spend a lot of time with her clients, it was to help them and get them situated so they could help themselves as quickly as possible.

“Are you ready for another session?”

The smile that flirted with Jenna’s face was contagious. “Yes, I really believe this is helping me.”

“I think so, too. I’d like your permission to film the session so we can go back and review the clues. Are you okay with that?”

Jenna bit her lower lip. “I think so.”

“What concerns do you have with me videotaping our session?”

“I’ve never really cared to be in the spotlight.”

“This will only be seen by you and me, unless you want to share with someone else. Does that make you feel better about it?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, good. Now close your eyes and let’s begin.”

***

Michael wasn’t happy that Seren was assigned to this mission with him. He tried to bring along his students to avoid her joining him, but that didn’t help. She still weaseled her way into the case, and she still insisted she’d found his mate. Why she wanted him to believe her was beyond him. All he needed at the moment was to get his trainees settled in the local hotel and take a break from the witch that made him. Unfortunately, that wasn’t what she wanted. The moment his charges were set up she was on him.
 

“Why do you insist on pushing this matter?” The warning growled low in his chest. The angry beast tiring of her games. He rushed her against the wall, trapping her between his arms. “All you’re doing is torturing me and you. She’s dead, simple as that.”

“Why can’t you believe that she’s out there? I promise…”

“You promise, you always promise that you’ve found her. You get my hopes up and break my heart all over again when she isn’t the one. I’m so tired of allowing that demon giving me false hopes. I’m done. I’ve faced the fact that she’s gone and I’m trying to move on. You need to do the same.” He pushed off the wall and headed toward his room.

“I can’t.” Her voice barely a whisper, but he heard her. His animal senses heard so much more than humans did. “I can’t live with the fact that I killed her.”

“You didn’t. I failed to protect her. You tried to save her. She was human and humans are fragile.”

“You were human before I saved you.”

“I know.” He left her standing alone in the mildew-smelling hotel hallway.

***

Once Jenna was relaxed, Clara focused on her mission. She needed details, anything that would help her discover clues to a possible past life experience. The reoccurring dreams were too vivid, too real-to-life, lacking symbolic imagery, and the emotional connection she had to the dreams was overpowering. Clara had worked many past life regression cases centered around fears and addictions, but this one was different.

This past life experience was destroying Jenna’s life from every angle. Clara refused to let that happen. “Okay, Jenna, tell me how all of this came about.”

“Michael and I were at a Christmas celebration in the park. The snow was falling, the carolers were singing beautifully. He’d just asked me to marry him, and I said yes. He started spinning me around and we were dancing to the music, getting lost in the romance of the moment. Somehow we got too close to the woods. We’d been warned of the wild dogs in the forested area and knew better than to get too close, but we were too swept up in our happiness to realize it.”

“Can you tell me Michael’s last name?”

“Windsor.” The word flew from Jenna’s lips without hesitation.

“Good can you describe him to me?”

“Dreamy.” Jenna’s voice took on a whimsical tone which made Clara smile.
 

“What color is his hair?” Jenna pushed on.

“Black, long waves, just above the shoulder and he has the most striking green eyes. Every time I look in them I think of emeralds.”

“Anything else?”

“He’s built solid, tall, and has a dangerous air about him. I always feel so safe in his arms. Gallant, always the gentleman.”

“Very good detail.” Clara scribbled the information out on her tablet.

“Best of all, he’s mine. My Soulmate, the one made for me.”

Clara wrote the word down and stomped down her own disbelief in the word. Just because her belief system didn’t extend to the term didn’t give her the right to corrupt her client’s belief. “And what about you? Do you have a name?”