“Honey, there is nothing wrong with that,” he said, and Jessa rolled her eyes.
“I know, but I just remembered that Abella was given an inheritance, and she told me herself that it would let her finish school without having to work, but be able to focus on her studies,” Jessa told him.
Timothy began to see what had her frowning, but before he could say anything, a door opened.
Just then, Caden came out of his office with a dark scowl on his face that caused Jessa to frown, and Timothy looked at him questioningly.
“Dad and Trixie are coming home,” Caden gritted through his teeth.
“Why are they cutting short their vacation?” Jessa asked in confusion. They haven’t seen their dad and his new mate since Caden became Alpha of the pack nine years ago. Both Jessa and Caden lost all respect for their father after he decided to “ditch” his mate when she discovered she was sick and chose another, his lover to be truthful.
Unfortunately, their mother was the true Alpha of the pack and when he left her, the pack immediately accepted her son as their Alpha. It had pissed off their father who thought that the Alpha position should have stayed with him although he never realized that the pack listened more to their mother than him. Even to this day, he believed that he is the rightful Alpha of the pack although the pack members despise him for what he did to their Alpha.
“Why is he coming back now?” Timothy asked in a cold voice.
“He heard about Abella,” Jed said from the top of the stairs. They all turned to look at him as he slowly made his way down. “He wants to make sure that she doesn’t become a problem for you and the pack.”
Caden scowled as he asked in a hard voice, “Who told him about Abella?”
His wolf snarled, the bastard.
No one had an answer for that question so Jed stated, “Well, let’s wait until your father arrives to learn the answer.”
Jenna walked in at that moment with a smile and a tight dress.
Jessa looked at her with a scowl as she latched on to Caden’s arm.
Caden ignored her as he told Jessa, “Tell Abella that this Friday would be good.”
Jenna frowned as she asked, “For what?”
Jessa answered her absently, “Caden wants to meet with Abella and ask her what happened when she was captured.”
“Really,” Jenna said with a narrowed look.
Then she turned to smile at Caden, “So where are you meeting her?”
Caden answered her with a growl, “We are going to have dinner at a nice restaurant. Jessa and Timothy are going with me.”
Jenna’s mouth tightened before she cooed with a slight smile, “Maybe I should go, too, Caden, as she may take it as going on a date.”
“I doubt that,” Jessa said with a sigh.
Caden looked at her with narrowed eyes as Jenna asked, “And why do you doubt it?”
“Because Abella knows that Caden dislikes her,” Jessa spoke honestly. “She also suggested the restaurant because she promised him that she wouldn’t come back here.”
Jed stood there listening to the conversation and his eyes hardened as he thought about what Abella was going through because of these people.
He looked at Caden and he shook his head because he knew that Caden had no idea that his father had ordered Dr. Olsen to give Abella the hospital bill.
He focused back on the conversation when he heard Jessa say, “I will call Abella, and let her know.” She was just about to dial the number when she stopped, “Abella had to go to work tonight.”
Caden looked at her with a frown and she explained, “Abella told me today that she got a part-time job and she would call me after work so we could hang out if it wasn’t too late.”
Caden nodded his head as his own cell rung and he answered untangling himself from Jenna and going back into his office.
Jed heard what Jessa said and he frowned before asking, “Was Abella in school today?”
“Yes, Uncle Jed,” Jessa said looking at him a question on her face.
“Nothing to worry about, Jessa,” Jed assured her before he headed back up to his room. He smiled as he said through his mind, Thank you.
You‘re welcome, he heard back, and he chuckled before he turned his mind to more serious matters.
The Council time here was almost up and so was Caden’s deal although with everything happening, Jed believed that Caden needed more time.
Calling a meeting in his room, he stated his case.
“I don’t think he needs more time,” one council member stated with an angry look.
Another one stated, “With the rogues attacking and the witch, he hasn’t had time to even look for a mate much less date someone.”
“How about that she-wolf Jenna?” another asked.
There was silence until the one who was standing at the window asked sharply, “Do you really want her to be the Alpha mate of someone as strong as Caden?”
There was silence at his words and Jed noticed the look in the Council members’ eyes. They had been there long enough to see how she acted and what they saw, they didn’t particularly like, and they knew that her being an Alpha Female could be dangerous for Caden and the pack.
“Too bad his mate isn’t here,” another murmured, and there was a whispered agreement among them.
Jed didn’t join in this agreement because he had a biased opinion on Caden’s mate and he knew that the Council wouldn’t trust his word because of that bias.
There was a sigh and then one started, “All right. Caden may have an additional two months.”
“Agreed,” another stated, and it went around the room until all agreed, and Jed hid his smile of satisfaction.
“Okay,” he stated calmly his face showing nothing. “I will let Caden know and we will leave at the end of the week.”
They all nodded their heads before heading out of the room, but one stopped looking over his shoulder, “What about Abella? Is she ready to be left on her own?”
Jed smiled nodding his head, “Yes, she will be fine. I have taught her what I know. Now, the rest is up to her.” He didn’t tell them that he was leaving her in capable hands to oversee the rest of her training, which was almost complete.
The man nodded his head and left the room, and Jed went to his window looking out.
Yes, he thought looking up at the black sky, Abella would be fine but now came the hard part; watching from the sidelines to see what happened next because he couldn’t interfere.
Chapter 12
Two days later, Abella pulled into her driveway to see Jessa standing on her front porch with an angry expression.
Abella sighed and got out of her car heading for Jessa, and her front door. She was tired and frustrated that she really didn’t want to deal with Jessa right now, but she owed her in explanation. For the last two days after school, she had been heading straight for her job that she rarely had time to hang out with Jessa.
“Hi, Jessa,” she said as she walked up to the front door and as she went to unlock the door she noticed that the door opened too easily.
She frowned as she sensed something in the air and she muttered darkly as she pushed open the door walking in, “Someone was in my home.”
“What?” Jessa asked in shock following her inside and closing the door behind them. “Are you sure?”
Abella didn’t have to answer as they entered the living room to see that someone trashed it and someone broke her ornate box that she used as a keepsake from her mom.
Abella walked over to it slowly as she looked at the pictures of her parents and other important documents torn all over the place.
She dropped down to her knees as she carefully began to gather up all the torn pieces, but her mother’s box was destroyed and tears slid down her face at its destruction. The box was use to house spells and incantations, but Abella used it differently. She had used it as a keepsake for the most important things of her parents until she was a true witch.
Now she nev
er could use it as it intended to be like her mother before her.
“Abella,” Jessa whispered in a sharp voice.
Abella looked up at her to see her eyes focused on the opposite wall.
In bright red letters, written on the wall:
“LEAVE OR DIE WITCH!”
Abella, still kneeling, paled but stated clearly, “At least they are direct and to the point.”
She went back to picking up the torn pictures of her family as Jessa stared at her with a stunned expression.
“Is that all you have to say?” Jessa asked in a controlled voice trying to hold on to her anger as her wolf snarled inside her.
“What do you want me to say, Jessa?” Abella asked finally standing with pieces of torn pictures and papers in her hands. “I don’t know who wrote it or who broke into my home. It could have been anyone…”
“That wrote on your wall and broke in,” Jessa finished.
“And that could be a polite term for another word,” Abella argued, and Jessa just narrowed her eyes at her.
She sighed and then turned around heading for the stairs and her room as Jessa followed.
Once at the top, Abella stopped for a second and with a wave of her hand, she locked the door before entering her bedroom.
Jessa entering behind her watched as Abella went to the nightstand where her parents’ picture stood.
“Sorry, mom, dad,” she whispered before opening the drawer and placing the torn pieces in it. After closing the drawer, Abella sat on the edge of her bed.
Without looking up at Jessa, she said, “I am sorry, Jessa, that I haven’t been able to hang out with you since I started working.”
“I thought that your inheritance was enough to help you until college,” Jessa huffed, but stopped when Abella looked up at her.
Abella shook her head and kicking off her shoes, she settled back on the bed before she started explaining, “With the money they left me, I could finish school as long as I wasn’t extravagant, and could live by myself. When I first moved here, I made the mistake of buying this place, which cut into the money, but at the time, I didn’t know what would happen. After the hospital bill came in the mail, I knew I could pay it but it was going to cut in to what was left.”
Jessa didn’t say anything as she settled on the edge of the bed, and Abella continued, “I actually thought about dropping out of school,” she chuckled at Jessa’s look of surprise. “Ms. Helms talked me out of it by saying her sister needed help at the library. She gave me a week as a trial so I have a few more days left.”
She shook her head before laying it back against the headboard, and said, “We shall see what she thinks about my work then.”
Jessa nodded her head in understanding although she said in confused voice, “I can’t believe Caden would do that to you.”
Abella laughed so hard that she shook the bed, and Jessa felt a smile pull at her mouth.
“I think your brother wishes that I never moved here, or at the very least, wasn’t picked as your partner for that project,” Abella said after her laughter subsided.
Jessa watched as she fell asleep and she quietly got up from the bed. Taking the quilt at the foot of the bed, she covered her up and quietly left.
She made sure that the door locked behind her and as she started for her car, her eyes hardened in anger. Caden had some explaining to do.
Caden was in the living room with their father and his “new” mate when Jessa came storming in. She stopped at the sight of them, and they smiled at her.
“Hello, father,” Jessa said her face blank.
“Hi, Jessa,” Devin, their father, said indifferently.
Jessa nodded her head at Trixie, her father’s mate, and then turned narrowed eyes on Caden.
“You made Abella pay the hospital bill,” Jessa growled. “Did you know that she almost dropped out of school because of it? A good thing that Ms. Helms talked her out of it and helped her to find a part-time job, or I would be hitting you right now, brother.”
Caden’s eyes widened at the information before he said, “Jessa, I never received the bill for the hospital.”
“That is because your father told me to give it to Abella,” Dr. Olsen said coming in the room.
Caden’s eyes narrowed as he swung toward his dad who settled back against the couch and Trixie settled in his lap.
“I was only thinking of you, son,” Devin said with a smirk on his face. “You really don’t need some human girl who isn’t your mate hanging around here causing trouble for you and the pack.”
Caden growled, “Dad, as Alpha, it is my choice to make.”
“Caden,” his father sighed, but there was a cunning look on his face. “You need to think about the pack and nothing else.”
At that moment, Jessa’s phone went off and not thinking she flipped it open and hit the speakerphone button.
“Hello,” she said absently, and then she stilled when she heard Abella’s tired voice, “Sorry about falling asleep on you.”
Jessa heard the sound of a pan and she knew that Abella was probably starting dinner, and she frowned as she glanced at her watch.
“That is okay although you didn’t sleep long,” Jessa said worry evident in her voice.
They all heard Abella’s sigh as she said, “Sleep hasn’t been very comforting lately.”
Before Jessa could ask what she meant, her father snarled loudly, “Young lady, you have caused enough trouble for my children and my pack. I prefer that you don’t contact either one of my children again.”
There was silence on the other end and then Abella said in an emotionless voice, “Of course, sir. I apologize for any inconvenience that I may have caused Jessa and her brother, and HIS pack.”
Jessa couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face as Abella put emphasize on “his,” and she watched as her father’s face turned red with anger at the emphasizes.
Then Abella continued, “Jessa, thank you for all your help. I think that we should cancel Friday’s meeting, as I doubt that any thing I say will be considered honest and truthful. I am sure that Alpha Caden will prefer it that way. I wish you and your pack the best.”
Abella hung up after her words and the silence in the room was deafening.
“Well, that is taken care of,” Devin said settling back on the couch again with an air of confidence. “Caden, where is that charming young lady, Jenna, I believe she said her name was? You should thank her for letting me know about how this young woman was trying to interfere in your life.”
Caden growled, and Devin stiffened where he sat, “I will take care of the hospital bill.”
Devin opened his mouth to speak when Dr. Olsen interrupted, “Caden, Abella already paid the bill in the full amount.”
Caden turned to him with a frown on his face and asked in a hard voice, “When did she do this?”
“Yesterday,” Dr. Olsen said shifting slightly on his feet.
Caden nodded his head before turning back to his father, “Next time you decide to give an order to one of the pack members, remember who the Alpha is father because I won’t hesitate to show you.”
Devin jumped to his feet knocking Trixie off his lap, but Caden was already strolling to his office. He stopped briefly as a smell teased at his senses, and he frowned but when he turned his face to the others in the room the frown was not present, “Timothy, I would like to see you in the office. Jessa, please take father and Trixie up to their room.”
Jessa nodded her head as she looked over at her father and his mate, and she said without emotion, “Follow me, please.”
Devin smirked as Caden and Timothy left the room, and Trixie giggled as Jessa rolled her eyes heading for the stairs.
Just then the door opened, Jenna walked in with bags on her arms, and she smiled after she closed the door.
“I didn’t know that we were getting company,” she cooed, and Jessa stopped herself from attacking her.
“Jenna, my father, Devin and his mat
e, Trixie,” Jessa did the introduction, and she watched, as Jenna looked her father over before sending him a wink.
Jessa shook her head as Trixie’s eyes narrowed, but it was the look in her father’s eyes that made her want to throw up.
“I will come with you,” Jenna said with soft laugh, and Jessa merely hurried upstairs with them following her.
She flipped open her cell phone punching in Abella’s number, but the phone only rung before it went to voice mail and she flipped the phone closed with a sigh.
Caden walked in his office with Timothy behind him only to see Jed standing at the window with his hands linked behind his back. He turned around as the door opened and they walked in.
“Jed,” Caden said in respect as Timothy closed the door behind them.
“Go ahead with your business first,” Jed said turning from the window and settling into the chair in front of the desk.
Caden nodded his head as he walked around his desk and he said without looking at Timothy, “Earlier in the living room did you smell something familiar, Timothy?”
Timothy frowned at the question, and he shook his head before suddenly stopping.
“Well, to be honest, for a second I thought I smelt a similar scent from the night we went to the compound,” Timothy offered before shaking his head. “The scent was so degraded at the compound that I can’t be sure.”
“I thought it was just my imagination,” Caden suggested looking at him. “I smelled it, too, so unless we can prove otherwise let’s keep in eye on them.”
Timothy nodded his head although there was a grim look on his face.
“I will let the others know,” Timothy said, and Caden nodded his head before Timothy left the room. The door was barely closed when Caden heard Timothy calling to the men who went with them to the compound that night.
Jed frowned as he asked, “Do you think that someone in the pack was there that night?”
Caden sighed in frustration running a hand through his hair as he admitted, “I don’t know. This is the first time that I smelled something from that night, but like Timothy said it was degraded, that it could be nothing but sensory memory.”
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