Caden frowned as he told her, “You need to eat more than that.”
“I am still full from last night so you are lucky if I can get down the toast,” Abella told him with a slight wince.
Caden leaned forward and kissed her forehead before telling her, “It will take time for your body to get back in to a routine.”
“I hope not too much time,” Abella muttered crossly but she knew that it would as she gave Caden a cross look.
He laughed and patted her hand which rested on her thigh as he told her evenly, “I will be back in a few minutes.”
Abella nodded her head watching him walk out of the room before she looked down at her hand still able to feel the heat from his hand as it lingered on her own hand and on the inside of her thigh where his fingers grazed.
“I guess I’m doing better than I thought,” she murmured as the heat continued to linger spreading into her stomach and a flush came to her pale face although his touch had been innocent enough.
Caden took a deep breath before he walked into the kitchen his thoughts still on the light touch of her thigh he felt as he patted her hand. He only meant to pat her hand but when his fingers grazed the inside of her thigh even through the sheet which was all that he covered her with, then the sensation had travelled up his arm almost making him lose his breath. He had been tempted to let his hand linger longer until he remembered that she was still healing from being captured that he shouldn’t be thinking of such things at this time especially with her back healing. Unfortunately, his libido wasn’t listening as it came up with another idea that didn’t involve her being on her back and he shook his head roughly to clear it of its perverted thoughts.
“Are you okay, Caden?” Timothy asked with a knowing smile.
Caden growled at him as he poured a glass of orange juice and toasted some bread wishing he had asked her what she wanted on it.
Strawberry jam if you have any, he heard causing him to freeze.
Up in his room, Abella gasped her hand going to her mouth as she heard Caden’s voice in her head and she responded back not thinking about it. She shook her head as she said aloud, “He couldn’t have heard me.”
A few minutes later, the door to the attic opened and Abella looked warily at the door until Jessa filled the entrance.
“Caden wanted me to come ask you if there was anything particular you would like on your toast,” she asked with a smile settling down on the bed.
“Strawberry jam if you have any,” Abella told her resting back against the headboard. “So what did you want to talk with me about if you have the time?”
Jessa hesitated for a few seconds but Abella waved her hand indicating that she was fine for the moment so Jessa began to explain what Ms. Helms had told her about school.
Abella listened thoughtfully and when Jessa finished explaining, she sighed running a hand across her eyes.
“I guess it can’t be helped,” she said flinching when she shifted positions.
“Abella, how sore is your back right now?” Jessa asked in a low tone.
“Do you really want to know?” Abella said in the same low tone and when Jessa nodded her head, she sighed. “It feels as if someone his poking me with a hot iron every few seconds.”
“What didn’t you say something?” Jessa said in a panicky voice.
Abella put out a hand to calm her down as she said in resignation, “If I said anything do you actually think Caden will let me leave this bed much less this room?”
Jessa thought about Abella’s words and she admitted that Abella was right. Right now, Abella’s recovery was the most important thing to Caden with the pack taking second place for once.
“So Caden doesn’t learn about this,” Abella told her in a stern voice.
Jessa sighed but nodded her head before she stated, “Besides, the ointment that Dr. Olsen and Cicely concocted is doing a better job than I thought”
They had been so engrossed in their conversation that they hadn’t heard the door open until Cicely remarked, “Which needs to be administered every four hours starting from right now.”
Chapter 30
Cicely watched as the two faces that turned to her flushed red and she chuckled as she walked over to the bed.
“Don’t worry,” she said sitting down putting a hand on each of their shoulders. “I won’t say a word.”
Jessa giggled as Abella tucked her chin down for the first time in her life and Cicely laughed much louder at the action which elicited more giggles from Jessa and laughter from Abella.
“All right all joking aside,” Cicely said in sharp tone. “Turn on to your stomach so we can apply the ointment which we started the night before but I wanted to make sure that you didn’t have an adverse reaction to it before we continued.”
Abella gave Jessa a helpless look before she turned and lay on her stomach gently making sure to pull the shirt up revealing her back.
Cicely look at the rawness on her back and asked quietly, “How can you bare the fabric against your skin?”
As she lifted up the shirt high, she saw how Abella’s knuckles went white as she clenched the pillow before she relaxed them closing her eyes and taking deep breathes.
“Brave girl,” she muttered as she opened the jar and gently began to spread the ointment on each welt whether it was fresh or healing.
Abella didn’t say a word although both Cicely and Jessa could see her flinching as Cicely applied the medicine.
“This needs to be done every four hours,” Cicely said again as she finished up and when Abella moved to pull the shirt down Cicely stopped her.
“Leave it be,” she was told.
Abella subsided although in her mind it was a reminder of how weak she had been unable to do anything as they captured her.
“What can you tell me about this poison that can weaken a witch’s power?” Abella asked as she rested her bruised cheek on the pillow.
“I will tell you everything about it if you stop using the spell to dull your pain,” Cicely bluntly just as Caden came into the room with her plate of toast and orange juice.
“Is that a stipulation?” Abella asked quietly.
Jessa and Caden looked at her in astonishment as Cicely said with indifference although her eyes were haunted as if she knew what was going to happen, “If you want to know about the witch poison then yes.”
Abella was quiet for a few minutes before she nodded her head and closed her eyes mumbling aloud a small chant, “Pain from wounds received come back with full effect. Open the senses and let it be.”
As the last words was uttered, Abella’s breathing came faster as her back begin to burn as if on fire and her still mending rib howled with pain as the other bruises on her body began to ache.
She clenched the pillow tightly her knuckles completely white as the pain raced through her and Caden put down the tray rushing over to her.
“What is going on?” He asked in a harsh tone as he watched tears seep through her closed eyes.
He sat down on the bed putting a hand to her hair feeling how Abella’s body trembled and he leaned forward whispering in her ear as he lightly stroked her hair.
Cicely watched as Abella concentrated on Caden’s words and she smiled grimly as Jed said from the doorway, “She was blocking her pain.”
Caden turned his head to look at him although he hadn’t stopped stroking her hair.
“Why would she do that?” Jessa asked before she paled and answered her own question. “She didn’t want us to worry about her. She even admitted that her back felt like someone was taking a hot iron to it although she didn’t want Caden to know about it.”
Caden’s eyes grew dark with anger as he looked down at her and he thought he heard her say I’m sorry but you have enough problems without having to worry about me.
Caden jerked back slightly his hand stilling as her voice floated through his mind and he noted that Abella had fallen asleep within those minutes.
“How is that e
ven possible?” He muttered aloud to himself.
“How is what possible, Caden?” Jessa asked looking at her brother in confusion.
Caden glanced over at her and said with bewilderment in his voice, “Is it possible to be able to speak with each other without mating?”
Everyone looked at him in astonishment as Jed asked slowly, “What do you mean, Caden?”
Caden turned his head to look at him before he explained, “When I went downstairs to fix Abella breakfast, I remembered thinking I should’ve asked her what she wanted on her toast when I thought I heard her voice in my head telling me strawberry jam if we had any.”
Jessa gasped at his words and everyone looked at her as she admitted in a shaky voice, “That was exactly how Abella worded it to me when I asked her for you but I didn’t tell you that part.”
Caden nodded his head as he recalled the strange look Abella gave him this morning after Jessa called Jenna away from the door, and he looked down at her.
“You heard me this morning, didn’t you?” He asked quietly knowing that she wouldn’t be able to answer his question.
Jed and Cicely looked at his each other in astonishment as Jessa stared at her brother and best friend wondering what in the world was happening.
Jed, Cicely, and Jessa went down the stairs first as Caden draped a sheet over Abella leaving her back exposed to the air until later as instructed by Cicely.
He sat there for a few minutes just watching her sleep before he followed the others down to the office and as before he locked the door behind him.
In the office waiting for Caden, Jessa asked, “I thought in order to speak through a link like that one had to be mated or part of a pack.”
Cicely looked at Jed who shook his head before telling them, “I never heard of it happening before but it could be possible. I need to talk to the Eldest Council member we have and see what he says.”
Timothy came into the room as he finished this statement and looked at them oddly. “What is going on?”
Jessa sighed as she told him, “It’s complicated, baby. I will tell you later.”
Timothy looked at her in confusion before he nodded his head as Caden came into the room followed by Jenna who smiled at them.
“Caden,” she began only to be stopped as Caden settled down behind his desk a distracted look on his face.
Jenna frowned before saying sharply, “Caden!”
Caden didn’t even flinch at her tone until Jessa said much quieter, “Caden, are you okay?”
At the sound of his sister’s voice, Caden frowned and turned his black eyes to her although he didn’t answer her question.
“I think we should leave Caden to do some work as it is probably that which has occupied his mind for the moment,” Jed suggested giving Jessa and Cicely a pointed look.
“I have to agree,” Cicely said looking at her watch. “I need to get to the library anyway and open for at least a half day.”
“I have some homework to do,” Jessa offered quietly as she gave Caden a worried look before Timothy folded her hand into his.
“First, I am taking you out for a drive,” Timothy told her with a wink as he literally pulled her out of the office sending a quick look to Jed who nodded his head once although he never looked at him.
Jenna smiled thinking that with them all gone she could easily seduce Caden until Jed said in a dry voice, “Don’t you have something to do Jenna so your Alpha can work in peace?”
Jenna turned blazing eyes to him but Jed only stared at her with silver eyes that promised her she didn’t want to start anything with him unless she was willing to pay the price.
“I have to go and get dinner started,” she said grudgingly. She took the chance and leaned over the desk staring into Caden’s black eyes as she said with a touch of lust in her voice, “Caden, I can make you a plate and we can enjoy a meal in here like we use to.”
She didn’t bother waiting for a response to that offer because whenever she offered that in the past, Caden was always more than willing to oblige.
She gave Jed a small nod and smile as she sauntered out of the office, and Jed gave a mocking frown as he waved his hand gently the door swinging shut behind her.
“I never had that happen with Leana even though we knew each other longer,” Caden admitted in a deep voice.
“I don’t know what to tell you,” Jed confided. He ran a hand through his graying hair as he continued, “Although Cicely and I have both been around for fifty-some odd years, we never heard of two individuals especially a witch and werewolf being able to communicate without claiming each other as mates.”
Caden looked at him with dark eyes as he admitted something else, “I believe my wolf understands what is going on, but he isn’t talking about it when I ask.”
Jed turned to him sharply as he asked, “Are you sure about that Caden?”
Caden shook his head wearily as he told Jed, “I’m not sure of anything at the moment, but it is a feeling I get about my wolf. Right now, he is happy about having Abella in our home, in our bed, but he is anxious too as if he knows something is about to happen. It is hard to describe.”
Jed laughed lightly at his words. “And yet, Caden, you did a good job.”
Caden chuckled tapping his forehead with the palm of his hand before he admitted in a low voice, “I will probably be leaving within the next few weeks to help Alpha Stone.”
Jed turned to the window as he told him, “Cicely has already talked to me about it although I don’t think she broached the topic with Abella yet.”
Caden looked at him in confusion until Jed continued. “When Abella gets better, Cicely wants Abella to show them the way to where she was held. Cicely has a grudge with this particular witch hunter and she wants to see him dead if nothing else before she dies.”
“She wants Abella to help her,” Caden stated in rough voice.
Jed nodded his head as he admitted, “I don’t think Abella is going to tell her no when asked. I don’t know what all happened while they had her but Cicely said that Abella is at peace with herself.”
“Peace with herself about what?” Caden asked getting up from his chair to walk over to the window.
“With the fact that she comes from two worlds,” Jed told him seriously. “She is the daughter of a witch from an old bloodline while she is also a daughter from one of the oldest lines of witch hunters. She was born between two individuals who should’ve hated each other and yet they were each other’s light in this dark world.”
“Light in this dark world,” Caden murmured thinking about when his and Abella’s eyes met for the first time, and how both his wolf and himself had seem to come alive at the look.
Jed watched as Caden began to smile his eyes brightening in his tan face and he quietly slipped out of the room. He had some questions that he wanted answered right along with Caden and Abella, and he knew only one person who could answer them for him.
Caden turned to say something to Jed only to be shocked when he realized Jed had left without him being aware of it.
There was knock on the door and Caden said “Come in” absently as his thought about something.
Timothy poked his head into the door looking at Caden before he stepped fully into the room closing the door behind him.
“I wasn’t going to enter without checking first,” he teased only to swallow back his laughter as Caden gave him a heated glare.
“Have you heard anything else from Stone,” Caden said in a business-like voice.
“No, and Briac hasn’t called either,” Timothy informed him walking over to the desk as Caden did the same taking a sit in his chair.
“We are ready when Stone calls,” Caden stated picking up his pen tapping it lightly against the top sheet on his desk.
Timothy hesitated as he suggested, “Maybe I should be the one going as we don’t know if Abella will be healed when that does happen.”
Caden looked up and said confidently, “When it does, I am
sure that Abella would be the first to tell me to go even if she was worried about me. Also I just learned from Jed that when Abella gets better, Cicely is going to ask her to track down the witch hunters that took her.”
Timothy’s mouth dropped open at that before he asked, “Will you be okay with that?”
Caden shook his head honestly before admitting, “But I can’t stop her from doing what she believes is right. I am willing to go after rogues who are plaguing our pack and neighboring packs so I can’t stop her from hunting down the men responsible for her parents’ deaths and other deaths because of the fact that they are different.”
Timothy sighed in frustration because what Caden was saying was the truth but he heard the worry and Caden’s own frustration echoed within his voice.
“My wolf actually agrees with me on this one,” Caden told him with a small laugh. “In fact, concerning Abella, we seem to be on the same side since Leana left.”
Caden shook his head in disbelief as he looked down at the sheet in front of him before he made a few marks before shifting it to the side and starting on the next sheet.
Timothy took that as his cue to focus on business as they began to go over some information that Jason from the bank faxed over for them to look at as well as Caden going over his restaurants expenditure and accounts to see how each one was fairing.
It took him and Caden most of the day, and Caden was just closing the last folder when suddenly he stopped his eyes lifting to the ceiling.
“Abella is awake,” he remarked quietly moving much quicker to put the things away as Timothy chuckled quietly.
A few minutes later, Timothy started moving faster when he sensed Jessa coming toward the office and Caden laughed at him as Timothy gave him a sheepish grin.
“I can’t help it,” Timothy murmured a second before Jessa knocked on the door.
“Go,” Caden commanded as she opened the door and Timothy gave him a roguish grin.
“Oh, Jessa, Timothy, do you think you two and few others could help me tomorrow?” Caden asked. “I want to move around some rooms.”
The Witch Prophecy Page 29
