Gregory shook his head as he said, “Only to a few of us, Caden.”
Caden sighed before he stood up and asked, “Are the preparations done for tomorrow?”
“Yes,” Gregory said with a small grimace. “Although I don’t know about the party afterwards which Leana has plan.”
Caden frowned sharply before he said, “I guess it’s something, but hopefully everything we go all right and we honor them properly.”
“Don’t worry,” Gregory told him clamping a hand on his shoulder. “Our women won’t let us or the pack down.”
Caden glanced up sharply noting the look in Gregory’s eyes and he had the feeling Gregory was talking about all the women including Abella.
“You like her, too, huh,” Caden asked closing his eyes and stretching.
Gregory didn’t respond right away and Caden opened his eyes to stare at him before Gregory asked slowly, “Did you want my honest answer to that question?”
Caden felt his wolf’s interest in the answer so he nodded his head as continued stretching his black eyes focused on him.
“I don’t know her personally,” Gregory began, “but she is the first woman in the house who made Asilynn feel welcomed without any artifice. Besides Jessa, Abella was the first to even take her at face value and maybe it is because she is different from us as is Asilynn. Abella also has a disadvantage because of who she is, and we both know that there are werewolves who don’t trust witches.”
Caden nodded his head to that statement before he said thoughtfully, “Our pack doesn’t seem to have the same opinion.”
Gregory laughed as he walked over and leaned against the wall. “The reason for that is because Abella didn’t try to force her way inside the pack house. Even when she was here, many didn’t even know it until she came down that first day she studied in the office. For all her power and I believe she has a lot, she’s never used it against us.” He chuckled suddenly before he commented, “As for that stunt your first day back, I think that was more to scare Leana then anything else.”
Caden couldn’t help his chuckle at his fighter wolf’s words because he knew for a fact Abella done it on purpose even though Leana hadn’t been as startled as she should’ve been, which made Caden think she had known about Abella.
“When did Leana arrive, Gregory?” Caden asked suddenly his black eyes narrowing slightly as he walked over to lean against the wall next to him.
“A few hours before you arrived,” Gregory informed him. “We were surprised when she walked through the door except…”
Caden knew why Gregory stopped talking as he finished in a hard voice, “Jenna.”
Gregory nodded his head before he added, “She had help from one of the council members I believe, but I can’t be too sure on that.”
Caden frowned at that piece of news as his wolf murmured, I thought so.
What do you know, Caden asked sharply his black eyes staring at the opposite wall, and Gregory noting his intense gaze, merely stood next to him not saying a word.
Later, his wolf responded back and Caden growled low in his throat getting a startled look from Gregory.
“Do you ever feel like strangling your wolf half?” Caden asked seriously causing Gregory to look at him in shock before he laughed.
“All the time especially when he is being a wiseass,” Gregory revealed, and Caden glanced over at him with sharp eyes before a rueful grin came to his face.
“So it’s not just me,” he murmured as Briac and Timothy walked back into the room.
“Nope,” they both said telling Caden they had been listening in on the conversation.
“That was fast,” Gregory remarked.
Caden looked over at them seeing the smirks on their faces before he said wryly, “Too fast which tells me that you had already ordered before mentioning it to me.”
The three of them glanced at his other before turning and giving him smug looks, “Guilty,” they said without guilt or shame.
Caden shook his head as he stepped away from the wall. “Let me take a shower and change,” he told them wiping his face again as he headed for the shower room that the gym had.
It didn’t take him long and ten minutes later, he joined the others in the game room where Briac threw him a beer as soon as he walked in the room.
Timothy and Gregory had already started the first game of pool and Caden took a long swig of his beer as he walked over to watch them play.
“Caden,” Briac said standing to next him.
“Tomorrow,” Caden said without hesitation downing the rest of the beer his mind suddenly flashing to the two members who lost their lives.
“They knew the risks, Caden,” Gregory stated leaning against his pool cue.
Caden glanced up realizing that his thoughts must’ve transmitted to the others as Timothy added, “We are a damn good pack, but we aren’t invincible.”
Caden nodded his head slowly twisting the bottle around in his hand as Briac said, “We honor their memory by continuing to live.”
Caden sighed before he asked, “So whose was the winner?”
Timothy groaned as Gregory held up his cue in victory, and everyone laughed as Caden shook his head and called out, “I guess then it’s my turn, huh, Gregory?”
Gregory’s laughter stilled as Timothy laughed before remarking to Briac, “Caden hasn’t lost a game yet to Gregory.”
The following day, Jessa returned to the pack house with Asilynn carrying bags inside the house heading directly for the kitchen.
“What is that for?” Jenna asked as they walked in where Jenna had been cooking, or they assumed from the mess.
“Some desserts for the ceremony,” Asilynn told her as Leana walked in the room.
“We have it covered,” Leana told her snidely her eyes widening when Jessa ignored her completely and began to set them up.
“What…” Leana started harshly only to be interrupted when Caden and Briac entered the room.
“Where is Natalee?” Briac asked scanning the room with narrowed eyes.
“She is with Abella,” Jessa told him. “Natalee wanted to make a few things for today and asked Abella to help her so Abella said she would bring her over when they get done.”
Briac visibly relaxed as Jenna huffed, “Why the hell is that woman coming over for?”
Her eyes narrowed at Briac before she asked sharply, “How long are you going to play with your new toy, Briac?”
Briac’s body stilled as his eyes darkened with anger and Caden put a hand on his shoulder sensing his wolf at the surface.
“What time will they be coming?” Caden asked ignoring the startled glance Leana threw him.
“Probably in an hour or so,” Asilynn told them glancing up at the two of them.
Caden grabbed Briac by the arm as he said, “We are going outside to check on things. Let us know when they arrive.”
Jessa grinned as Asilynn outright laughed at Briac being literally dragged away from the room.
Jenna eyes flared with anger as Leana murmured in a hard voice, “Wait until she arrives and I will show her who runs this pack.”
She forgot about Jessa and Asilynn as they turned to stare at her in astonishment as she stormed out of the room Jenna following a few seconds later.
Jessa and Asilynn finished what they were doing and were heading up to their rooms to get their clothes out when Jenna and Leana came back down.
“Where are you going?” Jessa asked stopping them.
“None of your business,” Jenna snarled as Leana tossed her head.
“We are going shopping if you must know,” Leana said smugly. “I’m sure that Caden doesn’t want his Alpha Female and mate to embarrass him.”
With those words, Leana continued down the stairs and Jenna followed after giving them a smirk.
“I wonder if Caden knows about her spending his money,” Jessa asked aloud only to jump when someone answered her.
“As his mate, I don’t think he will mind,”
the deep arrogant voice said.
Asilynn and Jessa turned around to look at the council member who was standing at the top of the stairs.
“She is more suited to him than the other one,” he said with a twist of his lips.
“That is a matter of opinion,” Jessa said hotly starting back up the stairs. “Personally, I disagree and she has a name, sir.”
Asilynn finished up with, “It’s Abella and don’t judge her because of the fact she is a witch. She didn’t judge you because you are a werewolf.”
The council member sneered, “She is an abomination that has the power to destroy. We don’t want a repeat of history.”
He walked down the stairs as Asilynn and Jessa froze and stared after him with confusion in their eyes.
“Do you know what he was talking about?” Asilynn asked Jessa who shook her head.
Do you know what that was about, Jessa asked her wolf.
Her wolf was silent for a few minutes before she mentioned, a rumor is going around that the first werewolf fall in love with a witch and when she left, the pack fell apart because he fell apart.
Is it the truth? Jessa asked eyes narrowed.
No, was her wolf’s instant response but she didn’t say anything else about it as Jessa frowned wondering who would know the truth.
Almost four hours later, Caden stood in the backyard observing it with narrowed, hard eyes although he didn’t make a sound.
Abella, standing off to the side, sensed his tension and said without meaning to, this isn’t what you wanted was it?
No, was his comeback and Abella nodded her head once as Natalee and Asilynn came over to her.
“We will be heading out soon,” Asilynn told them.
Jessa and Asilynn had explained the night before what the ceremony entitled so Abella was surprised when Leana walked out of the house dressed in a tightfitting blood red dress with spiked red heels.
“Doesn’t she know?’ Natalee murmured as Leana headed for Caden.
Jessa who had walked up as Natalee asked this with Timothy said dryly, “She never asked and when she was here before we had no deaths.”
Abella watched as Caden turned to her to say something and then stopped his black eyes almost obliterating the whites of his eyes.
“Jessa,” Abella murmured getting her attention and she tilted her head to Caden. “Go talk to him before he does something that he will regret on this day.”
Jessa’s head shot around before she took off reaching Caden and Leana just as Caden’s hand reached out to Leana.
Abella waited until Jessa put a hand on his arm and she saw her lips began to move that she reacted.
Caden today is about your two fallen pack members. Don’t let your anger at her ruin their ceremony, she told him through their link her grey eyes never leaving him.
Asilynn went to say something and Timothy stopped her putting a hand on her arm. “She is claiming him down,” he told her as a few others joined them.
Caden didn’t respond to Abella’s word but his body relaxed and his wolf growled lowly with anger although he stopped himself from shifting.
“I’m okay, Jessa,” he told his sister quietly his black eyes still locked on Leana who seemed puzzled by the whole thing.
“Alpha Female,” the council member said coming over to her. “You should go change before we began.”
She gave him a glare before she tossed her head and said waspishly, “As the Alpha Female, I have to look my best to represent the pack and support my mate.”
He frowned at her words but didn’t say another word as Caden said stonily, “I hope you can keep up, Leana, in those heels.”
She gave him a startled glance but he turned away from her as he said to the pack, “Let’s go honor our fallen werewolves.”
Suddenly the backyard was full of wolves and Asilynn smiled as Gregory’s wolf came over to her nudging her hand.
“Go ahead,” Abella told her giving her a smile. “I will follow shortly.”
Asilynn nodded her head as she climbed onto Gregory’s back and he took off before Abella returned her attention to the Caden in his wolf form and her grey eyes grew bright with pride at him. They dimmed when he howled lightly causing Leana to stumble before she climbed on to his back after looking around at the others. The look of disdain on her face caused Abella’s eyes to narrow and a frown come to her face as Leana’s blue eyes met hers and she smirked before Caden took off.
Caden run ahead of the pack leading the way and his wolf huffed lightly she is heavier than I remembered.
Caden chuckled at his wolf’s comment as they continued on when suddenly his wolf murmured she smells different.
What do you mean different, Caden asked indifferently as they run along and he sensed that Abella wasn’t with them.
She will show up when we reach it, another wolf said, and Caden’s wolf turned his head sharply meeting the silver eyes of a grayish-brown wolf.
Caden howled and the pack answered as Leana clutched his fur hard and Caden was glad in that moment his mother had changed one aspect of the ceremony as they reached the werewolf graveyard for werewolves who had no mates or family in their pack.
The pack came to stop behind him and Caden was surprised when his wolf sent a thought to Abella without him, and a few seconds later he smelt her on the air.
He shifted back to his human form his black eyes immediately going to the spot that Abella had appeared and she gave him a small smile her grey eyes hooded as Leana grabbed a hold of his arm.
“What is this place?” She asked in low trembling voice.
“It’s where we bury werewolves who die before they find their mates,” Gregory answered stepping forward fully naked.
Leana let her eyes travel down him before going back up and her eyes lit up with appreciation which Gregory find to be repulsive as he turned and walked back to his mate.
“The ceremony will begin,” Caden said as he shifted back in to his wolf and tipped back his head howling in to the sky as the sun began to set.
Abella observed the werewolves around her and she smiled at their devotion to each other. The ceremony wasn’t an elaborated thing with Caden making a long speech, but merely consisted of the entire pack howling in to the sky until the sun set completely and the moon shone brightly. Abella had been prepared for this as Jessa and Asilynn had explained the ceremony in detail and she stood still her head lifted back her eyes slightly closed as she said a chant for those werewolves who lost their lives hoping that they find peace in the afterlife.
Her head lowered as Asilynn lifted her head up as she had been praying and they gave each other smiles before Abella let her eyes roam across the rest of the pack. When her eyes met those of other human mates, she smiled giving them a nod as they stood next to their respective mate’s wolf form. Abella was unaware of how their eyes followed her as she scanned the area before they finally landed on Leana only to have her grey eyes widen in shock. Leana stood next to Caden with a scowl on her face and her eyes dark with anger.
Abella’s mouth turned down in to a frown as she watched Leana nudge Caden’s wolf trying to get his attention. She turned her head to look at Abella with hard eyes and Abella didn’t look away from the stare unaware of the mates who were watching them.
Finally the howling stopped and Leana snapped her gaze away from Abella to gaze down at Caden who stood proudly before he shifted, and Abella had to clear her throat her body reacting as Caden’s human form came into view.
“We will walk back now,” Caden said lowly his voice rough from the howling.
“What!” Leana screeched in a grating tone.
The council member murmured, “It is why I suggested you change, Alpha Female.”
Jed sent the man a glare before he walked over to Abella who stood quietly off to the side.
“Hi Uncle Jed,” she said giving him a smile as he approached.
Jed only stared at her until the smile disappeared from her face and she shifted her
eyes away from him. “The story of the first werewolf, you told it to me,” she stated in a very low tone.
“Yes, when you were attacked the first time,” he answered settling next to her as they watched the pack members began to slide on boxers for the men and shirts for the women.
“Did you know then what would happen?” Abella asked her eyes roving over the pack and Jed realized, although Abella didn’t, that she was alert and keeping an eye out for the pack.
“No, I didn’t,” Jed answered giving her a strange look before he continued. “But I believe your mother did.”
Abella’s head snapped around in shock her mouth opening but no words came out and Jed chuckled quietly.
“Has Caden read the book yet?” Jed asked her his eyes returning to the pack as they prepared to go back to the house.
“I don’t think so,” Abella said quietly her eyes averted.
Jed gave her a stern and narrowed look. “Return it,” he ordered in a hard voice.
“But, Uncle Jed,” Abella began lifting her grey eyes to him.
“He deserves to know just as the first werewolf, just as O…” Jed cut himself off before he finished the last thought.
“Just as who?” Abella asked her own eyes narrowing at him.
Jed shook his head as he told quickly, “Return it, Abella. He has a right to know as it is his birthright, an Alpha’s birthright.”
Abella paled as his words sunk in and for the first time, she paid full attention to the words and she murmured, “Every Alpha since then has suffered the same fate.”
Jed didn’t have time to respond as the others came over to them and Leana ordered, “As a witch, I want you to take me back to the pack. I don’t plan on walking back.”
Abella’s head slowly turned to her as Caden stilled his black eyes focused on Abella as she said, “I don’t belong to the pack, Alpha Female, and as such I don’t take orders from you.”
“Caden order her to take me back to the pack house,” Leana said in a pout, and Caden looked in to those blue eyes before he turned to Abella.
“Take her back to the pack house,” he said his voice hard, and everyone froze where they stood at his tone.
The Witch Prophecy Page 40