She gave the man a polite smile, which he returned before he walked away from the house heading to his car. Abella didn’t wait to watch him leave as she closed the door quietly behind him; however, she didn’t head directly to the kitchen as she leaned against the door and her body trembled slightly before she pulled herself together.
She headed back into the kitchen with a smile as she announced, “Dinner has arrived.”
Her grey eyes were shadowed with uneasiness and apprehension as she sat the bags down at the table, and Caden who was about to say something noticed the slight tremble of her hand as she served herself.
Something is wrong, his wolf warned him, and Caden nodded his head wondering what upset her in the few minutes that she went to the door.
“He was right,” the young man said into his phone as he drove back to work. “It was her; she looks just like the man in the picture. So now that I have confirmed it, when do I get my money?”
The man hung up not too long after wondering why they were searching, and willing to pay a nice sum, for the young woman he just met. Although if he was honest, he had to admit that she was easy on the eyes nothing fantastic, but he believed that she would be good for a few days of fun. Too bad, he couldn’t get a shot with her first, he thought to himself as he pulled into the parking a lot at his work. He shrugged his shoulders reminding himself that they paid him well for finding her so he could let them have the rest.
He walked back into the restaurant just as his boss called out, “Here is your next order and address.”
He smiled as he grabbed the order and headed back out into the night.
Chapter 20
“Let’s watch a movie,” Jessa cried jumping up from her seat and rushing into the living room.
“Hey, Jessa,” Timothy called out getting up from the table to follow her.
Abella chuckled as she started clearing the table before she started washing the dishes that they used.
“Abella,” Caden said quietly. “What is the matter?”
She threw him a stunned look before she smiled and remarked, “Nothing, Caden” before she turned back to the sink and started the water to wash dishes. Caden walked up and reaching from behind her turned off the water. He crowded her against the sink placing his hands on either of her keeping her caged in, and he said, “There is something wrong, Abella. I can see it in your eyes.”
She trembled against his body as she admitted, “I don’t know, Caden, I just got a weird feeling from the delivery man although he did nothing wrong. I guess my sleepless nights are catching up with me.”
Caden frowned, and Abella tilted her head back so that she could look up at him.
“I sleep better when you are here,’ she confided, “But you have a pack to run so you can’t stay with me every night.”
She leaned back against him cautiously and rested her head against his shoulder, and he clenched his hands on the counter to stop himself from wrapping his arms around her.
“Come on, Caden, Abella,” Jessa called from the living room. “Timothy and I already picked the movie and we are just waiting for the two of you.”
Abella sighed before she straightened up and turned back on the water.
“Go,” she urged throwing him a smile. “It won’t take me long to do these dishes.”
Caden hesitated for a second before leaning down and kissing her gently on the curve of her neck and he whispered, “Okay.”
He felt her shudder as his breath caressed her skin and he smiled gently before stepping back, and walking out of the room.
Abella had to close her eyes and slow her breathing as her heart hammered in her chest. The moment he caged her in, her heart had started hammering and even though she had felt breathless, she controlled it well until he leaned down to kiss her, and his warm breath blew across her skin. She couldn’t help the reaction of her body to the caress and she knew it was one of the most pleasant sensations that she had felt in her life.
She shook her head to clear it so she could focus on the task she was doing. As she washed the dishes, her mind wondered about her reaction to the deliveryman.
She was still puzzling over it when she finished the dishes and wiped down the table before folding her dishtowel onto the counter near the sink. She stepped into the living room noticing that Caden and Timothy were gone, and Jessa was looking through one of Abella’s schoolbooks.
“They went to get some snacks,” Jessa said looking up from the book. She made a face, as she teased, “You don’t buy many snacks.”
Abella grimaced as she settled in the corner of the couch pulling off her sneakers before curling up in the corner.
“I buy them when I can afford to,” she admitted making herself comfortable. “So what movie did you pick?”
Jessa rolled her eyes as she muttered, “Timothy picked it.”
Abella looked at her and groaned, “Why do I have a bad feeling about this movie thing?”
Jessa laughed as the men came back into the house with bags of chips, cookies, candy and other goodies.
“Are we feeding a zoo?” Abella asked her eyes taking in all the food.
“I am a growing boy,” Timothy uttered with complete honesty that they all laughed.
“The rest is for you to have in the house,” Caden said shaking his head at Timothy.
His cell rung as he headed to the kitchen and Abella watched as he checked the caller id before answering although his “hello” was harsh.
Abella turned back to Timothy and Jessa as they argued over who got to open the bag of Doritos, and she giggled at the normalcy of the situation even if it was a little childish.
Caden came back into the room with drinks and sat down next to Abella who sensed that the phone call had pissed him off.
“Ready,” Timothy said with a smug grin and they all nodded their head as he pressed play.
Then Abella wished she had gone upstairs on the plea of not feeling well as she turned into Caden just as the psycho on the TV used a chainsaw to cut off someone’s head.
“Sick man,” Abella murmured.
“Yes, he is,” murmured Caden in agreement putting an arm around her and drawing her closer.
“I was talking about Timothy,” she told him.
Caden turned his black eyes to her and he smiled, “I know.”
She cuddled closer resting her head on his shoulder her body relaxed, and within minutes, she was asleep.
“Damn you, Timothy,” Jessa cried out as the movie ended. She had kept her eyes closed through most of it.
“Jessa,” Caden warned lowly that she opened her eyes and turned to look at him.
Abella had fallen asleep against him and from his expression he didn’t want to wake her up.
“Damn,” she muttered, “there goes our talk.”
Caden’s arm wrapped more securely around Abella as he narrowed his black eyes at his sister.
“She needs to know,” Jessa defended stubbornly.
“She does,” Caden agreed, “but when I am ready to tell her.”
Jessa frowned as she admitted, “Something tells me you should tell her soon, Caden.”
Caden nodded his head, but said, “When we both are ready, I tell her but right now we are just getting to know one another.”
Jessa sighed and started to say something else, but Timothy stopped her with a kiss.
“He is right, honey,” he told her softly.
“I know,” she admitted quietly. She looked at Caden for a few seconds intensely before suggesting, “Another movie?”
She didn’t miss the smile that crossed Caden’s face as Timothy said “I am game” jumping from beside her.
“Not another horror,” Jessa moaned jumping up behind him.
Caden only shook his head smiling as they argued over the next movie and Abella snuggled closer into his body.
Timothy and Caden left around midnight after making sure both women were tucked into bed as Jessa had fallen asleep on the second mo
vie.
They were quiet as they headed back to the pack house until Timothy asked suddenly, “Who called earlier? Was Jenna or Devin?”
“Jenna,” Caden growled harshly.
Timothy shook his head as they pulled up to the pack house.
“Go on to bed, Timothy,” Caden suggested as they entered the house.
Timothy sighed and said honestly, “I doubt I will get any sleep. I don’t sleep well when Jessa is not in bed with me.”
Caden chuckled as he headed for the office not admitting that lately ever since the first night he slept at Abella’s, sleep didn’t come easy for him either.
He walked into the office noticing right away that someone had been in there going through his files, and from the faint smell of perfume, he knew who it was. He sighed in frustration and exhaustion as he corrected the mistakes they made when putting things back so he wouldn’t know anyone was in there. After fixing their mess, he grabbed the files he wanted to review before walking out and locking the door behind him.
He started up the stairs making the detour to the infirmary along the way.
Dr. Olsen was still up working on his own papers when he entered the room.
“Hi Caden,” he said looking up when the door opened.
Caden closed the door quietly behind him before heading over to Dr. Olsen’s desk taking the same seat he took last time when he wanted the truth about Devin.
“It is time we had that conversation,” Caden said quietly his black eyes intent and focused on the doctor.
“Okay,” Dr. Olsen said settling back in his chair.
Caden didn’t waste any time, but asked bluntly, “Why did you present the bill to Abella in the first place even though I have a feeling you were trying to use her to make a point to Devin?”
Dr. Olsen looked startled for a second before he allowed a slight chuckle to escape his mouth as Caden’s eyes narrowed to mere slits.
The doctor could tell that Caden’s wolf wanted more than anything to be let out, but Caden had a grip on him although it was a weak grip now.
“Caden, I didn’t know that Abella was able to pay the bill,” he admitted first.
Caden growled low in his throat. “What does that have to do with it?”
Dr. Olsen sighed as he leaned forward on the desk admitting, “I presented her the bill because Devin told me that if I didn’t, he would tell you the truth. Now, I know it was a bluff but with everything going on I didn’t think you were ready to hear that the man you thought was your father wasn’t your biological father although I should have known that you would have been able more acceptable to the truth.”
Caden looked at him and said, “Okay, I understand that you wanted to protect me, but how does that relate to using Abella in the process?”
He looked at Caden and said softly, “Caden, in my mind, there was a reason for what I did although now that I look back it wasn’t a good reason. Let me tell you everything about your mother and Devin before I tell you why I did what I did.”
Dr. Olsen looked at Caden sternly, and Caden eyed him wearily wondering what else Dr. Olsen had to tell him as he settled back in his chair and he mentally recalled what he read in his mother’s dairies realizing that although he read them, he hadn’t committed everything to memory.
We need to go back and reread them, his wolf advised him, and Caden agreed as he looked at Dr. Olsen waiting for him to begin.
Dr. Olsen noted the look and started, “You lost your real father when you were only two years old as you know,” Caden nodded his head at this only to frown at the doctor’s next words, “and you had nightmares for weeks afterwards that your mother worried about you. When Devin came into your mother’s life when you were five, at first he took an interest in you, which your mother believed was what you needed.”
Caden was quiet before he said, “I didn’t know that I caused my mom to worry about me although I do remember her looking at me with sadness.”
“You look exactly like your father,” Dr. Olsen confirmed. “I don’t think your mother ever regretted that you looked like him, or that you reminded her of him. I think she regretted that he couldn’t be here with you. Devin was, she believed, good for you and came at a time that your mother needed someone,” he continued sadly.
Caden looked at him closely although his wolf was churning inside of him.
“You loved her,” Caden stated no question in his voice.
“I did, but your mother loved her mate there was no doubt about that,” Dr. Olsen admitted. “Then I found my mate not too long after and although I love my mate, your mother always kept a special place in my heart. It was nothing like what I felt for my mate and my mate knew about it. She didn’t begrudge me that because she knew I belonged to her.”
Caden settled back into the seat as he waited for Dr. Olsen to continue wondering why he didn’t explain all of this when they talked before.
“Devin is a fool and a bastard,” Dr. Olsen said bluntly. “Even when your mother was alive, he would make decisions and act like he was the Alpha of the pack. He would override your mother’s orders and give new ones. Your mother knew about it, but wanting to keep the peace, she would quietly correct those decisions. When she met Jessa’s father, I saw a change in her. He made her feel again although she tried to fight it even though Devin was never faithful to her from the day they met. Your mother knew, but since they weren’t mates she never really felt it neither did she stop him. Your mother was a damn good Alpha as was your father, but she also accepted the mistakes she made.”
Dr. Olsen looked at Caden and smiled, “Your mother ran the pack although Devin believed he did, but he doesn’t have a head for figures. He demonstrated that when your mother fell ill, and if it wasn’t for her Beta, I think the pack would have suffered greatly.”
Caden shook his head and asked harshly realizing that they were still off the reason he came here, “Why did she stay with him so long?”
Dr. Olsen hesitated for a second before he admitted, “Because she thought he made an impression on you and by the time she realized he didn’t, it was too late. Devin is charming in his own way although most of the pack knew what he was doing; they still respected him because he was mated to your mother. It was only after your mother became sick and he started being more reckless with his actions that he lost the packs respect. You see, Caden, by this time, he was sure that the pack was his even without the Alpha blood. Your mother had been sick for a very long time although she hid it with the help of her Beta and me.”
Caden paled as he asked, “How long was she sick for?”
“Seven years,” Dr. Olsen told him quietly.
Caden’s eyes widened in shock then he growled, “Why didn’t you tell me all this when I asked you for the truth?”
Dr. Olsen closed his eyes as he admitted, “Because your mother made me swear to tell you only if it became necessary to tell you.”
“So it is necessary that I know now?” sneered Caden his hands clenched into fists and the blackness encompassing both eyes fully.
“Yes, because you see Caden, your mother got sick not so long after Jessa was born, Dr. Olsen told him.
There was complete silence in the room until a growl erupted from Caden and before the doctor could blink, Caden had shifted into his wolf. The doctor froze in his seat while Caden’s wolf went crazy in the room before him howling into the night.
The doctor knew that there was no way to calm him down so he waited until Caden calmed himself down and was ready to hear the rest, and the real reason why he presented the bill to Abella, which somehow got lost in the reminisce of the past.
In their bedroom, Devin chuckled as he said to Trixie, “I guess Caden is having a rough night.”
Across town in her own bed, Abella woke as the howl came through her open window, and she whispered into the darkness, “Caden.”
Chapter 21
Two hours later, the infirmary looked like a war zone with beds and curtains ripped to shreds,
and claw marks in the walls. Dr. Olsen looked at the panting wolf in front of him and although the eyes were still narrowed, Dr. Olsen knew that the wolf, and man, was calm enough to hear the rest.
“Are you ready to hear the rest, Caden?” He said quietly, and the wolf growled once before shifting into his human form.
Caden merely grunted at him as the doctor tossed him a pair of boxes before he said without emotion, “Finish what you were telling me.”
Dr. Olsen watched as he walked over to the window sweat rolling off his skin and his hair tousled as he ran a hand through it.
“Your mom was very cautious about Devin even though as I said before she thought he was good for you, “Dr. Olsen continued from where he left off, “so she didn’t let him mark her as his mate until you were almost eight. By that time, she really didn’t have a choice in the matter because Devin had made it plain to the pack that he was her second mate.”
Caden turned at this news with lifted eyebrows, and the doctor chuckled, “Even I believed it until your mom came to me and told me that he wasn’t her second mate although she didn’t dispute his claim. I assumed that your mother didn’t dispute it because it would make a complete and utter fool of Devin, and your mother had a soft side to her personality that wouldn’t let her to do such a thing especially as she had feelings for him when they first met.”
Listening to the doctor’s words, it finally clicked why he did what he did, and Caden said, “You hoped that I wouldn’t have any qualms about making a fool out of Devin in front of anyone. That is why you did as Devin asked and not because you were worried about him telling me the truth.”
The doctor grimaced slightly as he confessed, “Yes, although I do admit I was worried about you learning the truth, but I believed that you needed to remember.” As Caden gave him a speaking glance, Dr. Olsen confided, “Before what happened with your mate, you were starting to remember your father although I believe like your mother did, that you never really forgot. You just pushed it to the back of your mind to make your mother happy.”
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