Jessa and Timothy both smiled nodding their heads before Jessa told him, “I have applied the medicine to Abella’s back but she will need it done again in another hour or so.”
“Thank you, Jessa,” Caden told her giving her an appreciative glance. “I will take care of the late night until she is better.”
“We are going out to dinner as Jenna is cooking tonight,” Jessa stated without giving Timothy a chance to say a word although in this instance, Timothy didn’t have anything to say because he agreed with her. “Would you like for us to pick you up something?”
Caden shook his head as he told them, “I will make something for Abella and myself later if she is hungry.”
They nodded their head and he heard Timothy whisper, “He never makes dinner for us.”
“Deal with it,” he heard Jessa whisper knowing that Jessa wouldn’t admit that she missed when he cooked also.
He enjoyed cooking but he would admit that he enjoyed eating Abella’s cooking more and he wondered if he would get a chance to eat it again.
He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard Abella’s voice calling his name, Caden.
He locked up the files and exited the office locking the door behind him before he started up the stairs.
“Caden, dinner is done,” Jenna called out as she hurried out of the kitchen catching Caden taking the stairs two at a time.
Her mouth firmed as she followed him wondering why he was spending so much time in his room when she knew the Council could arrive at any moment to see his chosen mate and Alpha Female. As the only available she-wolf, she would be the automatic choice and she truly believed that he would choose her over everyone else.
“Caden,” she called out as she watched the attic door close behind him and she sighed in frustration as she strolled over and turned the knob only to stop when she realized the knob wasn’t turning. “What in the hell are you doing, Caden!” She shouted banging her fist on the door. “Who is the slut you have up in my bed?!”
Her mouth turned up in a smug smile as her words vibrated along the hallway and she whispered, “Let’s see how you talk your way out of this one, Alpha.”
She turned on her heel and walked back downstairs ignoring the narrowed and dirty looks she was given as she went into the kitchen and fixed two plates humming the whole time as the others looked at her before shaking their heads and walking away.
Up in his attic room, Caden swore under his breath as Jenna’s words echoed through the room and Abella’s eyes snapped open as he continued spreading the medicine over the welts on her back.
Abella frowned as she shifted slightly grimacing as pain went through her before she made herself more comfortable.
“I guess I shouldn’t tell her that this isn’t the bed she slept on, huh?” She remarked in an absent voice as she relaxed under Caden’s gentle touch and he stopped briefly at her words before he laughed openly without any shadows as he continued what he was doing.
Chapter 31
“All done,” Caden remarked ten minutes later as he twisted the top back on the jar before placing it on the nightstand next to the bed.
“Help me to sit up please,” Abella asked beginning to push herself up and Caden placed his hands on her upper arms lifting her into a sitting position.
Abella pulled down the shirt flinching before she turned around to face him.
“Are you hungry?” Caden asked brushing back the hair clinging to the nape of her neck.
Abella shook her head as she said, “Not at the moment.”
She frowned slightly as she scanned the room until she saw her backpack and she looked over at him.
“I will get it,” Caden told her giving her a sharp look causing Abella to sigh before she shifted to a more comfortable position.
“You are going to start your school work now,” he asked incredulously as Abella started pulling books and notebooks out after he handed her the bag and settled back down on the bed.
“I have slept for most of the day if I am reading the light outside correctly,” Abella said. “Although I need to sleep to recover faster, I have other things that need to be done too so I can do my school work since I doubt I will be going anywhere at this time.”
She gave a disgruntled look that he ignored as he picked up one of the books flipping through it as he offered, “Would you like my help.”
Abella gave him a startled look at his offer. “Don’t you have more important business to do,” she said slowly.
Caden kicked off his shoes and settled his body more comfortably next to her on the bed stretching out his long legs next to her own. “I have done all my work for the day so I can help you and when we get hungry I will go make us something to eat.”
Abella gave him a searching glance before she shrugged and said, “It is up to you” although Caden heard her say in her head thank you.
He didn’t comment as Abella opened up a notebook and Caden grabbed a book asking what chapters she needed to review as the night went on.
The sky was dark with no stars when Abella’s stomach growled and Caden looked up from the book he was flipping through as Abella flipped through another one making notes.
“I guess my body is trying to tell me something,” Abella stated closing both the notebook and the book. She stretched lightly grimacing as her back pulled. “I am going to need to use a computer.”
Caden nodded his head as he said. “Jessa has one in her room, but I can get you a laptop so you can work in here.”
She shook her head as she told him, “I can work in Jessa’s room.”
“I prefer that you work up here or in the office with me during the day if you like,” Caden told her in a voice that told Abella she shouldn’t argue with him.
Abella glared at him and said in tight voice, “Caden, you don’t have to babysit me all day long.”
Caden slammed the book close at her words and leaned toward before he growled, “I know I don’t, but you will do as I say.”
“Like hell I will,” Abella said heatedly her head shooting up at his words.
They stared at each other intensely until Caden groaned and planted his lips right on hers kissing her with all the pent up passion he had been restraining.
Abella, stunned at first, opened her lips and gave him full access as they kissed in a way they haven’t done before.
As Caden’s hands went to pull her closer to him, Abella flinched slightly and he broke the kiss both of them breathing heavily.
“We shouldn’t do this,” he told her his black eyes dark with passion and Abella could see how they flickered telling her his wolf was more than willing. “Your back…”
Abella made a decision in that moment as she pulled him toward her kissing him fully erasing the memory of when Wester kissed her. Caden’s lips were hard with passion but the way he kissed her was softer telling her that she was special to him.
You are, she heard and she pulled back her grey eyes wide and cheeks flushed.
She searched his face bafflement shining in her eyes and Caden leaned forward kissing both eyelids before he feathered kisses over her forehead down her nose across her cheeks. He nibbled lightly on her ear before he whispered, “I want you, Abella, but I think we should wait until you’re more healed…”
Abella felt urgency go through her at his words and she immediately fell back against the bed taking him with her. Her eyes widened as pain shot through her and Caden swore under his breath as he moved fast reversing their positions.
Abella looked down at him from her resting place on his chest and Caden watched with a smirking look in his black eyes.
“Then can we…” she began only to stop when Caden shook his head on the pillow.
With his hands on her waist, he pulled her down to rest fully against him and he told her gently as one hand came up to stroke her hair, “We will, Abella, of that I can promise you.”
Abella sighed heavily her breath tickling his chest as she said, “Then why do I ha
ve this bad feeling if we don’t soon then our chance will never come.”
Caden was uneasy at her words as his wolf howled in agreement with her. He kissed her on top her head as he enclosed her waist with his arms being careful of the welts that had been delivered in that area.
“Would you believe that right now I don’t feel any pain?” Abella murmured.
“I will take that as a compliment,” he told her with a smug laugh and Abella lightly hit him on the chest with palm of her hand.
They lay like that for twenty minutes until both of their stomachs started growling and Abella giggled when she heard Caden’s stomach.
“Is my wolf getting hungry?” She teased only to catch her breath at the darkness in his eyes.
“In more ways than one,” he groaned as he tightened his hold for a second before he eased her off him. “Let’s go eat before we end up doing something else.”
“I’m more than willing,” she reminded him as they climbed off the bed.
Caden turned to look at her watching as she grimaced moving stiffly before he said, “You need to heal more” but there was something in his voice that had Abella’s eyes widening. “I don’t think I can hold back once we do so I want you to be able to enjoy it and not be in pain.”
Abella’s eyes grew stormy with emotion while her face turned pink with embarrassment at his words as she tugged at the shirt. She frowned lightly and asked, “Do you have a pair of shorts that I can borrow?”
Caden looked her over and his eyes flared as he realized that even though the shirt came mid-thigh her long legs were exposed and his nostril flared recalling how it was the only thing she wore last night around Timothy.
Abella glanced over at him as he walked over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of sweat pants tossing them to her.
“Use those,” he told her in a grated voice.
As Abella pulled them on, she asked him, “What is the matter, Caden?”
He turned toward the door as he told her, “That shirt was the only thing you had on last night when we ate with Timothy and Jessa.”
Abella tilted her head slightly at the rough timbre to his voice as she tied the sweats as tight as she could get them without irritating her back. She was still thinking about his words when suddenly she understood what she was hearing.
“You are jealous,” she said her tone filled with disbelief as he turned around to look at her.
“Not just me,” he told her taking two strides and lifting her into him with his hands on her hips. “I trust Timothy completely, but I still didn’t like the fact that he got to see more of you than even I have.”
“That’s not entirely true,” she told him in a soft voice resting her own hands on the ones resting on her hips.
Caden drew in a deep breath controlling both his urges and his wolf’s as he clenched her hips before turning them both to the stairs.
“I am hungry,” he said unevenly as they started down the stairs.
Abella giggled at his words feeling a twinge in her back but she ignored it enjoying these moments with Caden.
“So what are we having tonight?” She asked as they exited the attic stairway and Caden’s eyes gleamed.
“What do you feel up to helping me make?” He asked as they started downstairs to the kitchen.
The gleam that had lit up in Caden’s eyes flared in Abella’s as they entered the kitchen and she murmured, “I am sure we can think of something.”
The next morning after Caden went downstairs, Abella groaned in pain easing from the bed.
“Ignoring it last night wasn’t the smartest thing to do,” she murmured to herself. She walked over stiffly to Caden’s desk and sat down in the chair slowly with a sigh.
As she looked down at the desk, the book lying on top caught her attention and she reached for it with a slight frown.
She opened and began to read forgetting all about her back as she read about the first werewolf and the woman he loved but couldn’t be with. It was hitting noon when she finally finished it tears running down her face and her eyes gleamed with sadness for both the wolf and the witch wondering what it meant for her and Caden as she closed the book slowly.
Down stairs, Caden was getting up from his chair about to head out when the door swung open without knocking. Caden’s head snapped up in anger at the disrespect when Jenna stormed into the room her eyes flashing.
“Where were you last night?” She asked her voice cold and hard.
“I went to bed early,” he told her in a bored voice. He gave her speaking glance before he started towards her and she smiled as he put a hand on her back.
He escorted her out of the office locking the door behind him subtly before heading for the living room.
Jed walked in just as they reached the doorway and Caden immediately moved toward him leaving Jenna standing alone.
Jed watched as her jaw dropped in surprise as Caden said to him, “I need to go to Abella’s for a few things.”
“Interesting because I was thinking the same thing,” Jed told him with a smile. “It is one of the reasons why I came over today.”
Caden nodded his head with a ‘thank you’ as Jenna walked over to them. “So it’s the witch that you are taking care?”
She shook her head at him before she said in a soft voice, “Have you forgotten that the Council will be here soon, Caden?”
At her words, both men looked at her and she smiled sincerely before she turned and walked away the malicious look in her eyes not seen by them.
“I thought I had gotten rid of her,” she muttered as she strolled to the backyard not paying attention to the others she passed but Gregory’s mate, Asilynn, heard her and looked at her strangely.
Asilynn watched Jenna walk away before she said ‘excuse me’ to the others she was talking to before she hurried into the house looking for Alpha Caden.
When she was told that he left the pack house, she bit her lip before she turned and started up the stairs slowly. Outside the doorway that led to the attic, she hesitated briefly before she tried the knob noticing that it was locked before she knocked on it.
She didn’t know if it was going to be answered or not so after a few minutes of waiting, she turned to go only to stop when she heard the lock turn and the door opened.
She turned around as the woman in the doorway leaned heavily against the doorframe and observed her with wary grey eyes. “Yes, are you looking for Alpha Caden?” She asked in a soft voice.
Asilynn swallowed lightly before she answered, “No, actually I was hoping to talk with you.”
Abella’s eyes narrowed slightly looking at her closely and Asilynn noticed that her eyes looked red as if she had been crying.
“Come on up,” Abella told her moving stiffly to the side allowing her to enter the stairway going up to the attic.
As Abella closed the door, she wondered what the she-wolf wanted but she hadn’t seen any malice in her eyes when she turned around so Abella was going to trust her instincts as they headed up to the room.
“Are you okay?” The she-wolf asked noticing how Abella moved slowly towards the bed.
“Not really, but I can deal with it,” Abella told her truthfully as she sunk awkwardly onto the bed before looking up at her. “Have a seat because if you stay standing then I will have to get up and believe me, I really don’t feel like getting up right now.”
Asilynn couldn’t help but laugh at Abella’s bluntness as she sat down next to her on the bed.
“So what can I do for you, Miss she-wolf?” Abella asked grimacing slightly. “I don’t know your name so…”
Asilynn shook her head admitting, “I understand, but I should admit that I’m not a she-wolf. I’m human and my name is Asilynn.”
Abella’s eye widened at the news before she chuckled, “I am sorry then for assuming that you were a she-wolf.”
“Understandable,” Asilynn said with her own chuckle.
“My mate is Alpha’s head fighter wolf,” Asil
ynn told as Abella relaxed slightly. “In fact, he was one of the ones who helped rescue you from the rogues.”
“Then I have to thank him if I ever meet him,” Abella said with an incline of her head.
Asilynn watched the woman in front of her and she realized that she was enjoying talking to her. Then she remembered why she had been looking for Abella in the first place.
Abella watched Asilynn’s eyes dim as she remembered what she had wanted to talk to her about.
“So Asilynn, what is the problem?” Abella asked giving her a questioning glance that made Asilynn relax at the candid look.
“Well, I wanted to let Alpha Caden know, but he left so I figure you would like to know…” Asilynn began as she started to explain what she heard out in the yard when Jenna passed her.
Chapter 32
Caden entered Abella’s room looking around placing the backpack he brought with him on the bed as he realized it was the first time he had been in her room and he smiled liking the feminine look of the room. Caden noticed the picture by the bed first and he recognized Abella’s father first realizing that the woman standing next to him laughing had to be Abella’s mother while the little girl had to be Abella.
“You were cute as a baby,” he muttered aloud in the room.
He chuckled as he grabbed the picture placing it on the bed next to the backpack before he went over to her dresser and opened the drawers grabbing undergarments although he skipped over the drawer holding her night clothes. He opened more drawers grabbing shirts and shorts placing everything on the bed before he walked over to her closet. His eyes widened when he opened the door seeing the few dresses that still had tags hanging from them. He looked over the dresses before he picked a silvery blue that he liked and added it to the clothes on the bed. He grabbed a couple of jeans and then grabbed a pair of sneakers and pair of black flats that would look decent with the dress. He walked over to her dresser noting that she didn’t have much jewelry although he saw one locket lying on the dresser. He picked it up and a bottle of perfume that was sitting on the dresser walking over to the bed placing everything on it. He started packing everything up neatly as his wolf laughed at him you weren’t as neat with your own things.
The Witch Prophecy Page 30
