“This is your father’s file,” Caden said giving her nudge with his head. “I asked Abella if I should tell you, and she asked me since I was relieved when I learned he wasn’t mine, then how did I think you would feel if he wasn’t your father too.”
Caden watched as Jessa’s eyes lit up as she began to read the file of the man their mother had found some comfort in for a short time.
“She was right,” Jessa said with a smile. “Devin isn’t our father.”
“No,” Caden said with a slight twist of his lips. “He isn’t our father.”
Jessa began to laugh before she turned to Timothy, “He isn’t my father.”
Timothy smiled and his eyes shined as he pulled her to him, “I know, honey, I know.”
He looked over at Caden and Caden’s black eyes gleamed for the first time with pure pleasure, and not anger as Jessa smiled with complete joy.
For the next few hours, they talked and laughed before they called it a night.
“So, Caden,” Jessa asked as they headed back to the pack house. “Does that mean that Devin has no right to the position of Alpha?”
“None at all,” Caden stated firmly. He wasn’t going to mention the other things he discussed with Abella about Devin poisoning their mother, or the fact he may have been responsible for Jared’s death.
“But I have implemented a plan so that if something happens to me,” Caden told her looking over his shoulder for a second, “then the pack will be taken care of.”
They walked into the pack house a little while later, and Jessa was full of high spirits as her and Timothy wandered up to their room.
Caden went upstairs to his own room to grab a change of clothes before his phone went off.
He opened to see a text from Abella: I won’t be home until almost eleven if you still want to come over. Abella
Caden looked at his clock and he sighed in frustration as he had over three hours to kill before Abella would be home.
Let’s go over anyway, his wolf said, and Caden felt his wolf’s impatience to see her.
Caden immediately got up and headed back down stairs. He went into his office first before mind linking Timothy I am going over to Abella’s place so if you need me give me a call.
Yes Alpha, Timothy said although somewhat distracted.
Caden chuckled as he walked out of the office making sure that the door locked behind him before he walked out to his truck.
Once at Abella’s house, he parked and settled back in his seat as he waited for Abella to return home.
He didn’t doze off but sat there thinking as he waited. A few minutes before eleven, Abella’s car pulled into her driveway and Caden got out of his truck to meet her as she stepped out of car.
“Abella,” he said quietly walking up to her, and he would have said more if he hadn’t caught the look on her face.
She had been crying he noticed immediately as he looked over her red eyes and blotchy face, and he put a hand on her shoulder.
“Abella,” he said quietly, and he watched as tears began to gather in her eyes. On a groan, Caden pulled her into his arms tucking her in close to him as she cried.
He heard her mumbling into his coat and leaned down to hear her, and he was stunned at what he heard.
“I talked to my mom tonight,” she said as tears slide down her face.
Chapter 17
Abella could feel Caden’s reaction to her words as he froze before he ushered them to the front porch and into her house after asking for the key.
He ushered her into the house and to the living room before going back to lock the door.
“Would you like to talk about it?” Caden asked lightly coming over to crouch in front of her, and Abella laughed weakly wiping the tears from her face.
She looked at him and said in a watery voice, “How I saw my dead mother and spoke with her?”
Caden looked uncomfortable, but he shrugged and said, “If you like.”
Abella tilted her head back letting her eyes rest on the ceiling for a moment before she started quietly, “I remembered tonight…everything from the night of my parents’ death and those three years with my father’s family.”
She shuddered as she made the comment and Caden frowned at the movement, but he didn’t make a sound. Abella sat there with grey eyes blank as she stared at the ceiling.
“Abella,” Caden said softly.
Abella drew in a deep breathe and then let it out slowly as she began to talk.
Flashback:
“Hi, honey,” her mother stated looking at her with shining hazel eyes.
Abella sunk to the floor as Mrs. Benders said quietly, “It is one of my gifts as long as it is a witch.”
Abella heard her, but she couldn’t respond as she stared at her mother.
“Mom,” she started, and her mother shook her head as a slight frown crossed her face.
“Abella, honey,” she said floating over to her to put a light hand on her head. Abella tilted her head so that she could look into her mother’s face although it was a little transparent. “Your father and I have been watching over you, and although we wished we could have been here to protect you, you have done a good job of taking care of yourself. We WILL never be ashamed of you no matter what.”
Her mother narrowed her eyes at Abella before continuing, “As for blocking your memories, it was merely a defense mechanism. You did what you could to survive because if you hadn’t then you would have collapsed under the strain.”
“Mom,” Abella whispered, “Did Dad really love us?”
“Oh, honey,” her mother said as a smile began to cross her face and Abella watched her mom’s eyes lit up with a light she never seen before. “Your father loved us more than anything in the world. He may have entered my life with another motive, but in the end he decided to stay in it by my side loving me and you.”
Abella felt the tears run down her face as she asked, “Mom…”
“Abella, your father was an amazing man,” she told her. “In fact, after we got married and you were born, he did even more.” At Abella’s confused look, her mother told her, “Your father turned around and started hunting the hunters. He only did it when we came across an older woman whose daughter and son had been taken by a group of hunters. David learned that the daughter was a witch while the son was initiated as a hunter and had to kill his own sister. It killed your father when he learned that, and he decided to help when it was needed as he knew how they operated.”
Mrs. Benders interrupted here, “Abella, your father helped my daughter get away when a hunter attacked her. The hunter decided to have a little fun with her before killing her. Your father had been upset that he didn’t get there in time to stop him from raping her, but he stopped him from killing her. It took her months to sleep without having nightmares, and your father came over almost daily just sitting with her. Now my daughter is happily married with two children of her own, and she raged when she learned that David and your mother died by hunters.”
Abella looked at her and a slight smile crossed her lips before she refocused on her mother.
“Abella,” her mother said sternly, “training is almost complete. Jed was able to finish up what I taught you, but now Mrs. Benders here is going to help you develop your third eye.”
“Third eye?” Abella asked in confusion shifting her eyes to Mrs. Benders before going back to her mother.
“When you can focus on a person, or a place, and see it in its present time,” her mother explained, “it is called the third eye. It is ability that will help you when you need it. Also once it is trained, you can literally use it to bring some one to you.”
“Huh?” Abella said knowing that she sounded completely clueless at the moment, but that was because she was.
“When it is strong enough, if you focus heard enough, you can link with that person’s energy, and literally teleport him to you,” Mrs. Benders told her.
Her mother nodded her head, “It will make y
ou weak, but it is the same idea when you teleport a quilt from your room.”
“That was a spell,” Abella countered as a slight blush covered her cheeks.
“So is this but on a bigger scale,” her mother said smiling at the blush that covered her daughter’s cheeks. She frowned as she asked, “Have you read about the first werewolf?”
Abella went to say “no” when suddenly remembered something. She said slowly, “I haven’t read anything on it, but I have a feeling that someone told me the story.”
Mrs. Benders and her mom looked at each other before turning to look back at Abella.
“When you get the chance, sweetie, look it up,” her mother advised. Then she smiled running a hand down her hair, “Your father and I are so proud of you although your father is a little upset that you forgot what he taught you.”
Abella looked at her in confusion again before another wall broke in her mind, and she gasped as it fell.
Her mother shook her head, “You are stronger than you ever knew. Your life is going to change from this day, and it isn’t all going to be happy but stay true to yourself.”
Abella nodded her head, and her mother said, “Give him time, but let him choose, Abella.”
“Give who time, mom?” Abella asked tilting her head to the side with a question in her eyes.
Her mother leaned forward and with her ghostly lips brushed a kiss across her forehead, “You will learn soon enough.”
She pulled back and another frown crossed her face as a blank look came to her eyes, “Another thing, Abella, be careful of Devin. He tried to hire your father once, but when David learned what he wanted done, he turned him down. The man would do anything to take something that he thinks is rightfully his.”
“The pack belongs to Caden,” Abella said firmly, and her mother smiled at the firmness in daughter’s voice. Abella didn’t know it yet, but her mother knew that she was already developing feelings for Caden Brody, and those feelings would heal what others have destroyed.
“Just remember what I told you,” her mother whispered drifting back. “I have overstayed my visit, but remember everything. Stay strong, my beautiful daughter, and always remember us both the good and the bad because it will define you. You are special, my child, and your father and I love you.”
“Mom,” Abella cried out reaching out to her, but her mother was gone after throwing her a kiss and a wave of her hand.
Mrs. Benders collapsed into the chair she had evacuated, breathing hard, she said, “I am sorry, Abella. I only had the energy to call her for those few minutes.”
Abella looked toward her, and would have said something smart, if she hadn’t seen the weariness on her face.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Abella said sincerely. Mrs. Benders smiled and nodded her head closing her eyes to regain her strength only to have them flash back open in surprise at Abella’s next words.
“When do we begin my training?”
Mrs. Benders looked at her and although she could see the tears she was holding back, she saw determination reflected there.
“We will begin next week after the library closes,” she said, and Abella’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I got the job,” Abella asked hesitatingly.
Mrs. Benders laughed as she straightened in the chair, “That was a given from the second day.”
Abella’s eyes brightened in relief and she smiled just as brightly as she said, “Thank you.”
“You are welcome,” Mrs. Benders said looking at her watch. “You should head home as a certain Alpha was hoping to come over tonight, and you told him you would be home at eleven.”
Abella gasped as she looked at her wristwatch before swinging her eyes to her.
“Go,” Mrs. Benders told her and watched as Abella headed for the door. She called out, “Abella.”
“Yes,” she said turning her head to look at her.
“For now call me Cicely. Ma’am and Mrs. Benders makes me feel older than I really am even though I have grandchildren that says otherwise,” she offered her, and Abella laughed.
“Okay…Aunt Cicely,” Abella said before walking out the door.
Cicely thought about it and she chuckled, she could live with Abella calling her “aunt.”
She shook her head, but there was a sad look in her eyes as with a wave of her hand, the candles in the room went out as one.
End of Flashback
Caden sat there not moving as Abella told him of her meeting with her mom.
When Abella stopped, he asked, “What did your mother mean about Devin trying to hire your dad?”
“I think you know the answer to that question more than I do,” Abella told him wearily before she began to lie down on the couch.
“Abella, you should go upstairs to your room,” he suggested wishing that they could talk more because he still had some questions. He would wait for those because she was exhausted.
“The couch is big enough,” she muttered.
Caden frowned as he asked her, “For what?”
“The both of us,” she answered. Then she blinked tired grey eyes at him, “Last night was the first night in forever that I slept without nightmares. Please, I don’t want to dream tonight.”
Caden’s black eyes widened at her words as his wolf growled at him to help her.
Caden nodded his head as he took off his shoes and his jacket before he slid onto the couch with her.
He wrapped an arm around her waist and he felt her freeze underneath his touch, and he held still until she relaxed. Then lifting slightly, he grabbed the quilt he had folded that morning and placed on the couch.
He covered them both up and after a moment of hesitation, Abella curled into his chest.
“I trust you, Alpha Caden Brody,” she uttered softly although he heard her.
“Thank you,” he whispered against her hair, and at his words, she sighed. “Go to sleep, Abella, and we will talk more tomorrow.”
“Okay,” she mumbled before letting sleep claim her. She felt safe and protected for the first time in a long time, and her tired mind try to tell herself something, but exhausted, she passed out before it could become clear.
Caden felt her relax fully against him, and he took a deep breath inhaling her scent as he relaxed himself.
Go to sleep, his wolf told him. I will alert you if something feels wrong.
Caden could not help asking, why does she have this affect on us?
You will learn soon enough, his wolf told him, and once he was asleep his wolf spoke softly again. However, unlike the first, I hope we will make the right choice.
The next morning, Abella blinked open her eyes wondering what she was doing on the couch when everything from the night before came flooding back to her.
She pushed the quilt off her as she sat up wondering where Caden was because she still could feel his body heat on the couch.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” a masculine voice said, and Abella turned her head to see Caden standing in the doorway of her kitchen.
“Um…good morning,” she said shyly running a hand through her tangled hair. “I am sorry about last night.”
“What about last night?” Caden asked leaning against the doorframe and crossing his arms over his chest.
Abella frowned as she swung her feet to the floor, “Well, for starters, crying on you the minute I got home, and then there is the asking you stay the night with me not to mention before that.”
She grimaced as she pushed herself to her feet, and muttered, “I need a shower.”
Caden laughed as he stepped away from the doorframe, “Go ahead and take your shower. After you, if you don’t mind, I would like to take one, and then afterwards over breakfast, we can finish that conversation from last night.”
When Abella looked at him in disbelief, he held out his hand and asked with look in his black eyes that Abella couldn’t ignore, “Deal?”
“Deal,” Abella said shaking his hand with a few seconds deliberation.<
br />
They shook hands and Abella grabbing the quilt headed up to her room to grab a change of clothes before heading to the bathroom. Taking a relaxing shower, she washed her hair and her body while thinking about the man downstairs that she slept next to all night without a twinge of fear. She frowned at that thought before shrugging her shoulders and standing under the showerhead rinsing her hair, and her body before turning off the water. Drying herself fully, she slipped on a pair of fresh underwear and bra before pulling on a tank top and pair of stone jeans. She pulled a light sweater over the tank top before sitting on the toilet and pulling on a pair of socks.
Grabbing her dirty clothes, she exited the bathroom going back to her bedroom to put the clothes in a hamper and to brush her hair leaving it down so that it would dry before putting on a pair of sneakers.
She headed downstairs and went into the kitchen just as Caden’s cell rung.
He frowned as he was just scrambling eggs, and Abella took the spatula from him as he grabbed the phone from his pocket.
She was shocked when he leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the temple before answering the phone.
“Hello,” he said absently as he opened the refrigerator.
Abella watched him freeze for a second before he said in a different voice from earlier, “I’m not coming back to the pack house at the moment, Jenna.”
Whatever she was saying on the other end, Abella could tell that Caden didn’t like it when he gritted out, “If there was something wrong, Timothy would have notified me already through the pack link.”
Abella frowned as she continued scrambling the eggs as Caden listened some more before finally saying in a hard voice, “Yes, Jenna, I understand. I will see what is going on.”
He snapped the phone closed and on his face was a scowl that Abella thinking if Jenna could see him now, she would be terrified when suddenly a picture of her came into her mind.
Abella gasped and she paled as she watched the smug look cross Jenna’s face before she turned to Timothy and Jessa. She spoke to them with a condescending air, “He will be coming home soon,” and then she walked away.
The Witch Prophecy Page 16
