Mr. Alderman continued walking to his room giving a casual “goodnight” over his shoulder before entering and closing the door behind him.
He sunk wearily to his bed and put his head in his hands. The Council may be right about Caden choosing a mate, but in his opinion, the one he chooses had to be someone who would stand beside him instead of trying to use or overshadow him. He was getting old, he thought to himself before lying back on the bed. He would rest for the night, and in the morning he would go back to visit Abella, he had a story he needed to finish.
Back at the hospital, Abella shifted in her bed and she moaned loudly just as the door opened. Dr. Olsen strode in to check on her and he heard her moan.
He sighed as he heard her pain through the moan before he injected some pain meds in her IV.
“Not yet, my dear,” he muttered soothingly. He checked her vitals and satisfied with what he saw, he walked out with a heavy tread. The phone on the ward was ringing and the nurse answered it just as he passed by.
“Dr. Olsen, telephone for you,” she called out to him, and he nodded.
He was surprised when he heard Caden’s voice after he took the phone from her as he had updated his Alpha on Miss Deans’ status earlier.
“How is she, Doctor?” Caden asked tiredly and restrained.
“The same as earlier, Alpha,” he answered. “I had to give her another injection as she was beginning to wake up.”
“Is she okay?” Caden asked with an anxious note in his voice that the doctor was sure he was unaware of at that time.
“She is fine, Caden,” Dr. Olsen responded, and Caden hung up.
Dr. Olsen shook his head as he hung up to then smiled at the nurse before he walked to his temporary office.
The next day, Mr. Alderman paid Abella another visit but this time without Dr. Olsen’s knowledge.
“Good morning, Abella,” he said as he appeared in her room suddenly.
He listened for sounds outside her room and satisfied that they wouldn’t be interrupted for a while, he relaxed and sat down in the chair he had previously used.
“So, Abella, how are you doing today?” He asked her letting her body and the machines attached to her speak for her.
Satisfied that she was healing, he settled himself back in the chair and asked, “So where did we leave off in my story?”
He was silent for a moment when suddenly he exclaimed, “That’s right. I was telling you how the first alpha and witch were falling in love. So let’s continue from there.’”
The young witch had a profound effect on the Alpha, and he was starting to think that it was possible to love and mark another as his mate even though she wasn’t his second mate. The Fates had told the Alpha because of members of his pack selfishness regarding their own fated mates, then he would be the one to bear the punishment; he wouldn’t get the chance at a second mate, neither would any Alphas that followed. It was consider unfair according to some but the Fates decided that only Alphas should know of the circumstances of the actions of their pack. The first Alpha knew this and he knew that the witch who he was falling for could be his redeeming quality although it was something he had to think hard on. Unfortunately, during this time, his true mate suddenly reappeared back in his life never actually explaining her disappearance for those three years. Her reappearance in his life confused him as his wolf wanted his true mate while his human half wanted the witch. The witch seeing his confusion and what it was doing to him made the decision for him by taking herself out of the equation. Before she left, she performed a spell so that he wouldn’t forget her but she dimmed the feelings he had for her. In the end, the Alpha chose his mate and the young woman moved on with her life. The Fates watched all this and noticed that as time went by the Alpha was never completely happy although he chose the mate the Fates decided for him, and neither was the witch who loved him although she married and had children.
So the Fates decided watching their story unfold and they created what we know call “The Witch Prophecy.” Although many say it is a myth not to be believed, someone recorded it in the history of the first werewolf. The prophecy reads like this;
‘A witch from an ancient bloodline will soothe the soul of a savage beast,
The savage beast will win her love as he opens a heart that had been dead,
The savage beast will be put to the test, as one will return to him,
The witch of an ancient bloodline will step aside for his happiness,
His happiness will depend on the choice he makes.’
Mr. Alderman chuckled as he finished his story, “I have always liked this story as it shows that the Fates are not so unkind. However, many people believe that Fate shouldn’t have created such a prophecy as it gives the witch hope when everyone knows that the true mate will always be chosen.”
He shook his head as he stared at Abella and his eyes softened.
“Hopefully, one day I can tell you this story again when you are awake to hear it, and I can ask you to tell me what you think of my storytelling,” he said with a soft chuckle.
He heard footsteps at the door and he touched Abella’s hand before he disappeared just as the door opened.
Chapter 9
Three weeks later, Caden allowed Timothy to take Jessa to the hospital so she could see Abella. Abella hadn’t woken up for some reason although Dr. Olsen had stopped the injections as she was healing nicely.
“Hi, Dr. Olsen,” Jessa exclaimed excited to be able to finally see Abella.
Dr. Olsen laughed as he smiled at them.
“Hi Jessa, Timothy, so Caden finally allowed you to come visit?” He asked with a lifted silver eyebrow.
Timothy nodded his head, “The rogues haven’t made a move, and Caden’s information from the surrounding packs is that the rogues have been defeated. The few that are left seem to be waiting for something. Caden had a few of us go back to the compound where they held Abella.”
Dr. Olsen frowned, “What did they discover?” He asked as they headed to Abella’s room.
“Nothing much,” Timothy admitted in frustration. “The rogues that we killed were gone, which means somebody cleaned up. The rooms were bare except for one room. The room had pictures of Caden all over it, and some pictures were of Jessa and some were of Abella. They even had pictures of the outing Abella and Jessa had before Abella was taken.”
Dr. Olsen’s eyes widened at the news, but he asked in confusion, “You said there were pictures of Abella, why would they have pictures of just Abella?”
Jessa explained, “They were taken at the grocery store a while back. They were shots of Caden watching Abella, and Abella looking at him.”
“Someone is tracking Caden,” Dr. Olsen commented, and Timothy nodded his head before saying, “For what purpose, we have no idea.”
Timothy didn’t add that Caden was taking steps so that if anything should happen to him, Timothy was already prepared to take over the pack. Timothy didn’t like the idea of becoming Alpha of the pack in such circumstances, but Caden was adamant about it.
“So can we see her now?” Jessa was asking snapping Timothy out of his thoughts.
“Yes, Jessa, but do not expect much,” Dr. Olsen said in frustration.
With those words said, he opened her door and walked into the room where Abella still laid on the bed followed by Jessa and Timothy. The tubes were gone and the heart monitor was push into the corner turned off. Abella’s brown hair lay in tangles across the pillow and her face was pale, but the bruises were fading.
“I need to see to something,” Dr. Olsen said before walking out of the room.
Jessa walked over to the bed noticing the orb on the side table next to the bed.
“Hi Abella,” she said gently. “Do you know that Timothy just called you by your first name?”
She threw her mate a teasing look and he rolled his eyes as a smile crossed his face.
“You were missed at school…” Jessa began to chat as she sat down in the chair.
The orb glowed briefly, but stopped as if the crystal inside was waiting for someone else.
After about thirty minutes, Timothy stopped Jessa’s ramblings.
“Jessa, honey,” he said softly walking over to her. “We need to get going.”
Jessa nodded her head before saying to Abella, “I hope you wake up soon, Abella. I miss my best friend.”
Timothy pulled her to him as tears came to her eyes and they walked out of the room.
They met up with Dr. Olsen as they were leaving and he smiled at them, “Do not worry, Jessa. She is going to be fine her mind is just grabbling with what she saw.”
At Jessa’s confused look, Timothy explained, “Javier told us that the rogue in the room with her shifted before he attacked Caden.”
Jessa’s expression cleared, but they looked at her when she sighed.
They were shocked when she admitted, “I doubt that his shifting in front of her is what keeping her asleep. Abella already knew that we werewolves.”
Jessa what do you mean? Timothy asked through their mate link.
She glanced over at him and said aloud, “I will explain later.”
She looked at Dr. Olsen who nodded his head at her although he knew that Caden was going to be pissed when he found out.
“So there is another reason why she is not waking up,” he stated with a frown as Jessa nodded her head before they walked away.
He watched them leave with a thoughtful look on his face as headed back to Abella’s room.
In the room where Abella laid, she moved on the bed slowly as her eyes fluttered lightly. The orb began to glow brightly and her movement stopped as she relaxed and the orb went back to normal.
The crystal inside the orb was a healing stone, but unfortunately, it needed a special someone to activate its full powers so that she could wake up. Without that person, the orb would keep Abella in a deep sleep until she healed fully.
Back at the pack house, Timothy took Jessa straight to Caden’s office where Jenna was making another play for him.
When the knock sounded on the door, Caden was grateful for the interruption as Jenna huffed and settled herself on the edge of his desk.
“Caden,” said Timothy coming into the office dragging Jessa without waiting for Caden’s acknowledge, “come in.”
Caden raised his eyebrows at the entrance, but Timothy closed the door behind Jessa ignoring his look.
“Jessa,” he said quietly pushing her forward, “tell him.”
Caden sat back in his seat looking at his sister with a questioning glance as Jenna eased herself more on his desk crossing her legs revealing shapely thighs.
Jessa sighed before explaining, “Abella knew I was a werewolf. The day we found Jenna kissing Timothy, and I ran to Abella’s,” she flinched slightly before she continued. “I forgot to shift back until after I was inside her house.”
Caden shot up from his seat and shouted, “What?”
He remembered talking to Abella on the phone and how she didn’t even mention she knew that they were werewolves, or even seemed upset about it.
“Jessa,” Caden warned in his Alpha voice wanting to know everything.
Jessa looked at him and crossed her arms over her chest.
“So she knew about us,” Jenna said laughing.
Jessa ignored her keeping her eyes directed at Caden and he sighed in frustration.
“Fine,” he growled walking around the desk stalking toward his sister.
Timothy stiffened, but Caden only stood in front of her staring at her with his black eyes and then he strode out of the room.
Timothy, you are in charge, he said clearly through the pack link as he went outside and shifted in his wolves.
Jenna slid off the desk to run after him, but by the time she made it to the door, he was gone.
She turned to Jessa with a smug smile and walked up the stairs winking at one of the unmated males who smirked at her before following her up to her room.
Jessa paid no attention to them as she turned to Timothy with a worried look.
Timothy only shook his head and closed the door also worried about Caden.
Caden made it to the hospital in no time as he shifted back to his human form requesting Dr. Olsen to bring some clothes through the pack link.
“Caden,” Dr. Olsen said surprise still in his eyes as he brought his Alpha a set of clothes.
“I need to see her,” Caden said without a second thought as he changed into the clothes.
Dr. Olsen frowned but nodded his head and led the way into the hospital.
Caden was rigid all the way to her room as his wolf pulled at his control until Dr. Olsen opened the door and they stepped inside the room where Abella still laid.
Caden felt his muscles relax and he heard his wolf sigh as they spotted Abella lying on the bed.
Caden noticed the orb on the side table beginning to glow before he switched his attention to Dr. Olsen who said, “Only ten minutes, Caden” patting his shoulder.
Dr. Olsen closed the door quietly behind him as he exited the room, and he shook his head walking away heading for his office.
Caden walked over to the bed looking down at the young woman with her brown hair and pale complexion as soon as Dr. Olsen closed the door.
He sat down in the vacant chair and said into the silence, “You didn’t tell them anything, did you, Abella?”
Caden sat forward with his elbows on his knees chin propped under his clasped hands.
He just sat there watching her as the orb continued to glow the longer he sat there. Ten minutes later, Dr. Olsen opened the door to remind him his time was up, but he stopped at the scene in front of him.
Caden sat in the chair not moving a muscle as he watched Abella on the bed and she, for the first time since her time here, was breathing easily, and her face was more relaxed.
Dr. Olsen slowly backed out of the room and silently closed the door.
“He can have a few more minutes,” he told the nurse at the nurse’s station, and she nodded before going back to her reports.
Caden sat there for two hours, just watching Abella as she slept for he recognized how even her breathing was now that had been absent when he first arrived.
He got up slowly from his position feeling his muscles ache slightly after sitting still for so long.
He stepped closer to the bed and lightly ran a finger down her cheek before whispering, “Why do you have this effect on me?”
He shook his head at his own question and he lightly brushed his thumb over her lips before he took his hand away. He looked at her one more time before heading for the door and walking out.
Once outside the hospital, he started in the direction of the woods were he shifted once its density hiding him. He headed for home still with unanswered questions roaring around in his head.
Five minutes after Caden left the hospital; Abella opened her eyes and looked around the hospital in confusion.
She sat up quickly before gasping as pain rushed through her at her sudden action, and her mind replayed the events of what happened after the rogue took her.
She glanced around the room again noticing the orb and she stared at it, as it had not lost its glow. She reached out a hand and lightly grazed it with her fingertips only to snatch her hand away as she felt its power. Then a voice said your guiding and protective crystal. It will help in your training, as there is more you need to learn. It has healing powers, which now activated will help you to regain your strength faster.
Abella looked around the room and back at the orb before she slowly climbed from the bed. She stretched slowly feeling her body protest at the movement but she continued until the pain was too much to bare then she stopped.
She searched the closet finding her jeans and her torn shirt. She grabbed the jeans and her shoes, but left the torn shirt as she remembered the man’s hands on her as he tore it, and she shuddered at the memory.
She dressed quickly as fast as h
er aching body would allow her stopping often to catch her breath.
Once dressed, she grabbed the orb pressing it tight against her and headed for the door cracking it open to look out into the hallway.
The corridor was empty and swallowing her trepidation about leaving too soon, when she just woke up, she eased out of the room closing the door behind her.
The years with her father’s relatives came in handy when she silently left the ward and walked out of the hospital. Once free of the building, she breathed a sigh of relief and headed for home.
There she could go to her secret room where she could heal herself faster and be safe for the time being.
Dr. Olsen nodded his head to the nurse as he headed for Abella’s room.
He knew Caden had already left because he felt his presence pass the office. He opened the door intending just to peek in on his patient when he froze. The room was empty even the orb that had been by the bed was gone.
“Nurse,” he called out walking further into the room.
“Yes, sir,” she said hurrying over to the room and she gasped as she reached the open doorway.
“But she was still here after Mr. Brody left,” she protested.
Dr. Olsen sniffed lightly and he could smell only her and Caden’s scent in the room.
“She must have woken up,” he muttered to himself.
The nurse looked at him dumbfounded as he walked past her and off the ward. He continued out of the hospital where he lost her scent before climbing into the car he had someone deliver to him.
He headed for the pack house were he rushed in looking around before heading for Caden’s office. Caden, Timothy, Jessa, Jenna, and the Council were in the room when Dr. Olsen busted into the room.
“Did Abella call you, Jessa?” He asked abruptly focused on Jessa not noticing how Caden stiffened in his chair at his words.
“No, how could she...?” Jessa began before realization struck home. “She is awake.”
“Yes, but she left the hospital,” he stated.
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