The Witch Prophecy

by Mary Goldberger

  The pack came running at her scream and Abella looked at her with blank grey eyes.

  “What the hell is going on here?” Caden said angrily as he walked through the doorway. When he saw Abella, his whole body froze and he snarled, “What in the hell is she doing here?”

  “I don’t know,” Jenna sobbed running over to him and Timothy standing behind Caden rolled his eyes.

  Caden looked at the young woman in his kitchen and when she lifted her eyes to meet his, he felt his wolf relax as he said it is her the one from the grocery store.

  Caden continued to glare at her as Abella stood there in silence. There was nothing to say and she wasn’t going to defend herself as she knew that it would be a waste of time.

  “Move it, John,” Jessa ordered as she came back into the kitchen. She ignored the others as she rushed over to Abella.

  “Let me see your hand,” Jessa said without mincing words. A ghost of a smile crossed Abella’s face before she said mockingly, “Yes, mother.”

  Jessa sent her a glare before she wrapped the gauze around the burn and she winced as she finished, “That is going to be painful.”

  Abella moved her hand to ensure that it was not too tight, but she responded, “I have had worse, Jessa.”

  Jessa frowned at her, but before she could say anything else, Abella said, “You think you can take me home, Jessa.”

  Jessa looked over at her pack and brother, and she saw Jenna sobbing on Caden’s chest. Her eyes hardened as she turned back to Abella. “Sure, but can I eat at your house tonight?”

  Abella shrugged, “I was just going to order a pizza tonight. I really don’t feel like cooking.”

  “Pizza,” Jessa said in enthusiasm, “My treat tonight for putting up with my lousy attempts at cooking.”

  Abella laughed although Jessa could tell it was strained, “You should have seen me when my dad first started teaching me, he got so frustrated that he…” She stopped dead at what she was saying and her eyes filled before her face became a mask.

  “Let’s get going before it gets too late,” she said abruptly. Jessa sighed as she recognized the subject change and knew no matter what she said Abella wouldn’t touch on it again.

  “Let’s get going,” Jessa agreed as they walked out of the room. Jessa noticed the pack didn’t move for Abella yet she moved through them without touching a single member.

  They were at the door when Abella stopped suddenly and turned back to Caden who had followed them with Jenna clinging to his arm.

  “Don’t worry, sir,” Abella said meeting his black eyes, “I won’t come back to this house.”

  With those words, she walked out of the house ahead of Jessa.

  Jessa turned angry eyes to her brother and she said sharply, “Sometimes, big brother, you can be such an asshole.”

  With those words said, Jessa followed Abella to the car and took her home. Once there they ordered their pizza and watched a movie. It was getting around eleven when Abella turned off the TV as Jessa wanted to watch another movie.

  “Go home, Jessa,” she said softly.

  Jessa folded her arms across her chest as she said, “He was rude.”

  Abella nodded her head, “But we already knew that he did not want me there so it is understandable. Besides, Jessa, he is family so you shouldn’t disrespect him. You never know what may happen.”

  Jessa saw the shadow of pain cross her eyes, and she said sincerely, “I am sorry about your parents, Abella. One day, when you trust me enough, will you tell me what happened?”

  “One day,” Abella promised with a slight smile before they hugged each other, and Abella walked her out to her car.

  She closed the door as she drove away and she knew that she wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight as she headed for the one room in the house that no one even knew was there.

  Jessa let herself into the pack house as Timothy came down the stairs and Caden walked out of his office.

  “Where have you been?” Caden demanded as Timothy wrapped her in his arms.

  Jessa glared at her brother, “You are lucky I even came home. I would have spent the night at Abella’s house if she hadn’t told me to come home so you wouldn’t worry.”

  She pulled herself out of Timothy’s arms and walked over to Caden. She stood there for a moment until she wrapped her arms around his waist and he enclosed his arms around her.

  “I love you, brother,” she whispered.

  “Even though I am an asshole,” he teased quietly squeezing her slightly as Timothy looked on with a hint of jealousy.

  Jessa laughed as she pulled away and went back to Timothy’s arms, “Unfortunately even then. I had some good advice tonight about family and never knowing what may happen.” Her eyes saddened as she said, “Abella understands the loss of family and she said that as my brother I should respect you. I told her you were rude, but she merely said we had already known that you didn’t like her presence in the house.” She yawned as Timothy swung her up into his arms, but Caden heard her as he took her to bed, “Don’t worry, Caden, I don’t think she will come back unless she has no other choice, or.” She stopped here a frown coming to her face as Caden asked, “What’s make you so sure?”

  Her answer was simple as she stated, “She promised you.”

  Caden frowned at her words and he turned back to his office where he sat down behind his desk. He sat there staring at the paperwork on his desk as his wolf growled within him.

  She meant it as Jessa said, his wolf said.

  I know, he said sadly for some reason.

  You felt it again when your eyes met, his wolf said and it wasn’t a question so he ignored it not answering. There was a knock on his door and it opened to reveal a skimpy clad Jenna who sauntered in.

  “Caden,” she purred as she ran a hand down her thigh, “Are you coming to bed?”

  Caden looked at her but he didn’t feel any passion or lust in him as he stared at her obvious attempt at seduction.

  He gave her a leering smile although he had to force it, “I am sorry, Jenna, but I need to work on some pack work. We have visitors coming in a few days so I need to be prepared.”

  She pouted but said, “Okay, but come to bed as soon as you can.” She blew him a kiss as she left the room. As soon as the door closed, Caden let the smile drop as he realized Jenna was taking too many liberties that she was even sleeping in his bed whenever she chose to. He sighed as he realized he was the one who gave her the impression, but it was something he couldn’t fix now as he focused his mind with effort back on to the paperwork although he kept seeing a pair of wary grey eyes flashing before him.

  Chapter 4

  Two days later, Caden was finalizing last minute details for the arrival of their guests this evening when he frowned wondering why the council for the werewolves was coming to his pack lands.

  Why, he asked his wolf and Caden felt the shrug his wolf gave him in response not knowing the answer to the question either.

  Exiting his office, Caden looked up to see Jessa coming through the front door and he smiled remembering that he hadn’t asked her about her project.

  “Hi Jessa,” he said walking over to her and dropping a brotherly kiss on her forehead.

  “Hi Caden,” she said with a slight scowl at the kiss although her eyes danced with humor.

  “So how did you do on your project?” he asked as they headed towards the kitchen where Timothy was with Jenna and a few other pack members. She was about to answer when they walked in the kitchen and saw Jenna sitting on Timothy’s lap, and they were kissing.

  Jessa’s face fell as she stared at them and tears came to her eyes.

  “Timothy,” Caden roared and Jenna jumped off Timothy’s lap as he looked at them in horror.

  “Baby,” Timothy cried as he quickly got off the chair, “It is not how it looked.”

  Jessa didn’t bother to answer him as she ran out of the house shifting into her reddish-brown wolf. She ran until she recognized w
here she was heading and not thinking about her form, she went up to the door and scratched.

  Abella heard the scratching and she frowned as she cautiously opened the door and the huge wolf bolted to her living room.

  “What?” Abella said shocked but even more when the wolf shifted and Jessa stood in her living room naked. Abella quickly closed the front door her wide eyes still on Jessa.

  “Abella,” she sobbed as she collapsed to the floor.

  Abella shook herself as she went over to the couch and grabbed the throw blanket she kept there. She covered Jessa with it as she dealt with the fact that Jessa was a werewolf. She remembered her mom telling her once that there were more supernatural beings out there besides themselves although Abella never met any of them.

  Abella sat down on the couch as Jessa fell asleep on the floor and she thought about everything over the last few weeks. She had known that something was different, but she hadn’t wanted to get involved and now she was because she knew that Jessa had been too upset to notice what she had done. In retrospect, Abella would trust her with her secret and hopefully they could still be friends afterwards.

  Abella’s cell phone rung a few minutes later and she snatched it up hurrying to the kitchen so the ringing wouldn’t wake up Jessa.

  Caden stood in his office tense as he waited for someone to answer on the other end.

  “Hello,” he heard her answer and he immediately calmed down which he didn’t understand for only his mate should be able to calm him down.

  “Is Jessa there, Deans?” he said using her last name to keep it impersonal.

  “Yes, although she was crying when she got here. What happened?” Abella asked softly not telling him how Jessa arrived at her house.

  Caden sighed thankful that Jessa had the sense to shift back before getting to Abella’s as he answered her, “She found Timothy with Jenna in his lap.”

  “Bastard,” he heard her mutter before she sighed.

  “I think it would be best if she stayed here tonight,” she said honestly not knowing the full details of what happened although she knew that Jessa had been upset.

  Caden narrowed his eyes as he knew it would be better if his sister did stay there, but he was worried.

  “Don’t worry, Brody,” Abella said, “I will keep her safe. I guess it is time we have that talk and afterwards, if she wants to tell you that will be her choice.”

  Caden scowled and then sighed in frustration before growling, “Fine. Just tell Jessa to call me later.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said respectfully before she hung up the phone and Caden pulled the phone from his ear as he stared down at it before he flipped it closed.

  There was a knock on his door and he said absently “come in.”

  The door opened and Timothy came in with his eyes shadowed with pain.

  Caden looked at him with narrowed eyes as he closed the door behind him.

  “Is Jessa safe?” Timothy asked not stupid to ask if she was all right because he knew the answer to that question.

  “Yes, she is with Abella,” Caden answered turning to his desk. Timothy nodded his head as he ran a hand through his blonde hair, “I did not cheat on Jessa, Caden, you have to believe me.”

  Caden looked at him for a moment before he let out a breath, “Fortunately for you, I know Jenna’s tricks.”

  Timothy sunk on the chair in front of the desk as he put his head in his hands before he began, “I was sitting there thinking about the meeting we were talking about earlier when Jenna came in the kitchen. She had been upset about something, but I wasn’t paying much attention until she suddenly sat down in my lap and started kissing me. I was stunned but before I could push her away, you and Jessa walked in the room.”

  Caden nodded his head in understanding as he could see that happening.

  “She was mad at me,” he admitted. “She had come here the night before and I wasn’t in the mood so I told her to go to bed. She told me she would be waiting for me and when I went up to bed later, she was in my bed so I slept down here in the office. I guess she hadn’t been happy about that.”

  Timothy looked up at him as he said, “So she wanted to hurt Jessa for it?”

  Caden sighed as he looked at the window, “In her mind, hurting Jessa is hurting me because I will do anything for my sister.”

  Timothy glanced at him sharply as he realized what he said, “Even mark her as your mate to keep her away from me.”

  Caden nodded his head and Timothy growled, “I would never hurt Jessa for anyone especially not that pack whore.”

  He winced after he said it, “Sorry, Caden”. Caden waved away his apology as he knew it was the truth.

  “Right now,” Caden said turning back to Timothy, “We need to focus on this meeting. I was hoping that Jessa would play hostess tonight but we what happened, she may not feel up to it.”

  Timothy nodded his head as they got to work and Caden forced his mind to get ready for their visitors although in the back of his mind he was worried about his sister and a certain young woman that he never really been properly introduced.

  Jessa woke up slowly and she realized that she wasn’t lying in a bed, but on a floor. She sat up slowly as she looked around the room relaxing as she recognized it, but she tensed again as she remembered why she was here and how she got here.

  “You are awake,” Abella said coming from the kitchen.

  “Yes,” she said slowly waiting to see what Abella was going to do ready to shift if she needed to protect herself.

  Abella noticed the wary look in Jessa’s eyes and she smiled slightly as she waved her hand.

  Jessa started as clothes fell in front of her before Abella said, “You should get dressed before we talk. There is a bathroom to the right at the top of the stairs.”

  Jessa didn’t move as Abella went back to the kitchen so she grabbed the clothes and went upstairs to the bathroom.

  As she went back downstairs twenty minutes later, she was amazed that they were her clothes and more about what she had just discovered about her friend. As soon as she entered the kitchen, she said bluntly, “You are a witch.”

  “And you are a werewolf,” Abella retorted back.

  Jessa froze, and then she laughed, “So we know each others secret.”

  Abella nodded her head as she put down the plate of food and Jessa sat down to start eating although she wasn’t hungry. Abella sat down across from her after she poured them both something to drink.

  She looked at Jessa as she played with her food in front of her.

  “How much do you know of my past?” Abella asked suddenly.

  Jessa’s head snapped up and she said honestly, “I know that your parents died when you were fifteen and you moved in with your father’s relatives.”

  Abella nodded her head slowly as she sat there listening to Jessa.

  “I also know that you petitioned the courts to dissolve their guardianship not too long after your 17th birthday,” Jessa continued.

  “I did, or my lawyer did for me,” Abella confirmed. Then she took a deep breathe because she was about to trust Jessa as she started to explain, “When I was fifteen, my parents took me to local carnival. We had a great time eating junk food and riding the rides that after we left the carnival, I wasn’t thinking of anything except of how tired and happy I was. After that, I don’t remember what happened, but when I woke up three days later, I was in a hospital with broken ribs and a concussion not including the fact, according to the doctor I had been stabbed at least three times. How I survived was a miracle that even the doctor couldn’t explain it.”

  Abella stopped and looked down at her glass before looking back at Jessa. Abella grimaced slightly at the sympathy in her eyes, and she shook her head before continuing.

  “I am sure that you know about the psychiatrist that the doctor called in to talk to me,” Abella said quietly, and Jessa nodded her head slowly in confirmation. Abella glanced at her noticing that she was eating so she kept talking
, “The reason the psychiatrist was called in because I wouldn’t speak. I was scared and had been told a week after I woke up that my parents hadn’t survived the attack. I closed myself off from everyone including the psychiatrist although he was able to get from me one thing. I couldn’t remember anything except for the men surrounding us as we left the carnival that night; the rest is a blank. I had nightmares almost every night, and still do, but not as frequently when I was in the hospital. The psychiatrist believed that my mind is trying to protect me from something I saw that night whatever it may be. He told my doctor and my relatives that what happened could be lost forever, or come back to me when I least expect it.”

  Jessa sighed as she put down her fork surprised to see that she had ate most of what had been on the plate.

  “I asked Ms. Helms, the school administrator, about you and she told me,” she admitted quietly.

  Abella chuckled without humor as she said, “I guess I should have known that you would ask some questions about the new student you would be partnered with, but it didn’t cross my mind so I won’t hold it against you for being curious.”

  Jessa started laughing at her reasoning, but soon the laughter turned to tears and Abella waited for the tears to slow before asking her about what happened.

  “What happened, Jessa?” she asked softly as the tears began to slow down.

  “Caden and I caught Jenna sitting in Timothy’s lap, and they were kissing,” she sobbed out finally.

  Abella frowned at the information, as she never had a serious relationship although she had dated a few young men after leaving her relatives house, so she didn’t know much about relationships.

  She couldn’t help her train of thought and asked suddenly, “Was Timothy kissing her, or was Jenna kissing him?”

  Jessa looked at her in astonishment before saying harshly, “What is the difference? She was on his lap and their lips were locked together.”

  Abella sighed and ran a hand through her brown hair before replying, “I could be wrong about this because my dating experience has been, well, nonexistent, but I think who was kissing who would be important. If she was kissing him that doesn’t mean he was kissing her back.”