He threw him away without much emotion. “She was my sister and yet I couldn’t help her because I wasn’t even there.”
The man scrambled back to his feet and hollered, “That’s a lie.”
Caden watched as the man looked at him in sorrow before shaking his head and then he turned to Caden and Stone who had limped to stand next to him.
“Take your injured and go. We will take care of the rest,” he told them.
Caden and Stone nodded their heads as they backed up slowly not taking their eyes off of the men in front of them, and Caden stilled for a second his black wolf eyes met the green ones, and for that second Caden had a feeling that they shared a similar fate.
He shook the thought away as he continued backing up Stone taking the lead and guarding their wolves out. They both knew that they had some seriously injured wolves to take care of as he continued backwards his eyes alert. Caden dropped his gaze once to scan the area around him and although there were wolves down, he didn’t notice anyone from his pack or Stone’s but he couldn’t be sure as he continued walking backwards.
Once clear of all the wolves, he noticed that the wolves that had come out with the green-eyes man were more able then anyone would’ve thought although he could tell they were getting along in years.
His wolf nodded his head once before he tilted it back and howled into the sky his pack wolves hearing his howl let lose their own. It was a howl of anguish at the lost wolves but also a howl of victory and respect for the wolves of the Everwood Pack.
He turned on his tail and joined the others not seeing the green eyes that watched him for a second before he returned them to the man in front of him.
“You said that I lied,” he continued on as if nothing had interrupted them.
“If you done what you said and chosen your mate then the pack would’ve been safe,” the man growled, and the green eyes of the man who stood facing him flared at his words.
“Let me tell you something,” he said cutting him off and the man froze at the iciness of his voice. “I did choose my mate and my mate was the one who betrayed us, you bastard.”
“No,” the man said shaking his head eyes going wild. “She only wanted to get rid of the witch nothing more.”
His confidence in what he thought happened made him blind to what he was revealing to the man in front of him so when he heard the growl he shuddered in fear as it echoed around the whole area. Even the other wolves shook on their four legs were they stood and the man watched as they began to retreat from both sides.
His wolf was trying to tell him something but he blocked it out as he yelled past his fear, “You killed her. It is your fault.”
Caden and Stone had shifted thirty miles away to attend to their wounded where they had hidden provisions on the chance it would be needed.
Every wolf went still as they heard the growl that echoed through the area and Caden’s wolf trembled as he told him, He knows.
Knows what, Caden asked but his wolf howled lightly in sympathy before he retreated back.
Caden shook his head not understanding but sensing that the man had suffered greatly although Caden didn’t know what from.
“Caden,” Gregory said coming over to him carefully. He had been attacked heavily and bleeding from several wounds but nothing that would a lasting damage.
“We lost Sean and Dale,” he told Caden quietly, and Caden closed his eyes in remorse at losing pack members.
“We will take them back with us,” Caden told him in haunted voice.
Gregory nodded his head putting a hand on his Alpha’s shoulder before he shifted up to his feet grimacing as pain went through him.
“Gregory,” Caden asked frowning at him.
“I’m fine,” Gregory told him. “After we shift again, our wounds will heal you know.”
Caden shook his head a rueful smiling crossing his face as Gregory limped away to check on the others which Caden had already done before sitting down.
Stone came over and sat down next to him on the broken branch.
“How are your men?” Caden asked as Jerry stretched out his bandaged leg.
“We lost one,” he told Caden in a sharp voice. “He will be going back with us.”
Caden nodded his head as he looked around at the pack members before him and commented, “We were damn lucky that we didn’t lose more.”
Stone nodded his head at the statement knowing that it was truthful because the rogue wolves hadn’t been properly trained, but they had something driving them that had made them stronger.
“Let’s get home,” Stone said climbing back to his feet. “I miss my mate.”
At his words, the wolves around them immediately started getting to their feet and Caden smiled at how the word ‘mate’ tended to motivate a wounded wolf more than anything else. His own mind went directly to Abella although for one brief minute another floated through his mind, but only briefly before he thought about the grey eyes of the woman who had made an impression in his life.
“Alpha,” a deep voice called to him, and Caden turned around quickly a frown forming until he realized who it was.
“Briac,” Caden told him with a smile seeing an uncertain look in the man’s eyes. “Is there something you need to discuss with me?”
Briac nodded his head and as they started moving, Caden helped up one of his injured members as Briac helped another and Caden said, “So talk. It is going to take us some time to get back.”
Briac looked at the two members they were helping and they gave him grins letting him know that he was with family.
Briac chuckled as he began to speak telling them exactly what came into his head and in the end, they all knew that he was looking for advice on what to do.
Back at Stone’s pack, the pack doctor immediately took charge of the injured wolves as mates came forward to check on them.
Caden watched as one woman stepped forward looking at Briac and he noted that she limped as she continued toward him.
“She is the rogue I told you about,” Stone told him as he walked next to him.
Caden watched the woman walk over to Briac noticing how his eyes lit up at the sight of her before he turned back to Stone.
“It is really strange, isn’t how others are given second mates and yet, we don’t get that option?” Stone said in a conversational tone and Caden gave him a narrowed look.
“You got lucky, Jerry,” Caden reminded him as Stone’s mate walked toward them her eyes filled with relief.
“So I did,” Stone commented his eyes softening as he caught sight of her.
Caden smiled with envy as he turned back to the others before he said quietly, “Briac got a second chance and from the look of it, his second chance is a hell lot better than his first.”
“That’s even sadder,” Stone’s mate said as she reached them her eyes turning to Briac and Natalee.
“Did Briac tell you anything about her?” She asked Caden who was watching them with thoughtful eyes.
“Yes,” Caden said. He smiled before he told them, “He thinks her name, Natalee, is beautiful for one.”
Stone and his mate grimaced slightly before Stone said quietly, “She believes that the name was given to her as an insult.”
Caden looked at him in astonishment before he turned back and said, “I have to agree with Briac though, it is a pretty name.”
Briac looked over at them and Caden tilted his head inviting them over, and he watched as the woman Natalee hesitated until Briac put his arm around her waist and guided her over.
“This is my Alpha, Natalee,” Briac said with a smile. “Alpha Caden, this is Natalee.”
“Nice to meet you, Natalee,” he said sincerely noticing the wary look in her eyes which reminded him of Abella. “You and Abella will get along fine as you both are too wary for your age.”
Natalee’s eyes widened at the comment as the others looked at Caden in astonishment before Briac said with a chuckle, “I have to agree with my Alpha
on that one. Abella is more wary than you are even though I think the both of you have had rough childhoods.”
Natalee hesitated before she asked in a scratchy voice, “Would I get to meet this Abella?”
Caden laughed as Briac said slowly, “If you want to, then yes. Does that mean you have decided to leave with me?”
There was a rising excitement in his voice when he asked this question and Natalee turned to Stone with a questioning look. He shook his head with a grin before saying, “We can’t force you to stay here especially when it concerns this important matter, but you always have a place to return to if you need it.”
Natalee nodded her head before she smiled at Briac whose own eyes dimmed a little at the subtle hint Stone was giving him.
“I understand, Alpha Stone,” Briac said with a slight incline of his head.
Briac and Natalee walked away a few minutes later as Gregory and a few others called them over.
“He got really lucky,” Caden murmured watching them as Stone and his mate nodded their head in agreement.
“So,” Stone began as they turned to go inside the pack house. “Tell about this woman Abella that Briac thinks so highly of after what, two meetings, and when are you going to be leaving. I think you should answer the latter first before telling us about Abella.”
Caden shook his head at his bluntness as they headed into the kitchen where it seems even Stone’s mate preferred and he said absently, “It’s funny but Abella prefers spending her time in the kitchen also.”
Those words alone were revealing to Stone and his mate but neither said a word as Caden said, “I will be sending the two wolves’ home with the uninjured members of my pack tomorrow. If it’s all right with you, I want to stay for a few more days so the injured wolves can recuperate before returning?”
Stone nodded his head as his mate gave Caden a searching look noticing his eyes were dim as if he was worried about something, and she wondered if this Abella had anything to do with it.
“So now, tell us about Abella,” Stone said making himself comfortable at the table as Caden settled down across from him eyes lit with humor.
“What do you want to know?” He asked leaning back against the chair.
“Everything,” Stone said.
“Anything you want to tell us,” his mate stated at the same time, and Caden laughed as Stone sent her glare which she took with a scrunch of her nose and a smile.
Stone scowled and said quietly, “I can’t win.”
The room filled with laughter at his words before Caden sat back and tell them about Abella starting off with, “She is the daughter of a witch and a witch hunter” getting both of their undivided attention.
A week later, Caden and his pack were getting ready to leave including Natalee and Briac when suddenly the green eye man from the Everwood Pack showed up.
Caden and Stone stepped out on the porch talking when they watched the black wolf come trotting up to them.
Caden’s eyes watched his approach warily as Stone took one look and went back into the house before returning with a pair of shorts which he tossed to the wolf as soon as he reached the stairs of the porch.
The black wolf huffed lightly before he shifted into is male form and pulled the shorts on.
“I am too old to be darting into bushes,” the man said with a hint of a smile.
Caden and Stone just looked at each other before turning back to him.
“I hope that Jerry looks as good as you at that age,” Stone’s mate said coming out of the house and Stone threw her a glare which had the other man laughing.
“Thank you, Alpha Female,” the man said with an incline of his head.
She smiled at him as she wrapped an arm around Stone’s waist. The man smiled at them with sadness before he said, “I just thought I would let you know that we dealt with the rogues.”
From the tone of his voice, Caden seriously doubted that the rogues would be bothering anyone again.
“We didn’t kill all of them, Alpha Brody,” the man said reading the look in his eyes and Caden laughed lightly.
“I didn’t think you did, sir,” Caden said with a touch of respect.
The man nodded his head once after observing him quietly for a few minutes. “The Everwood Pack wanted to thank you for protecting them.”
“Yet, I doubt they really needed our protection,” Gregory said coming out of the house.
The man didn’t comment to this statement and yet his smile spoke more than any words he could’ve said.
“You are leaving today,” he asked noting the cars.
“Yes,” Caden said indicating Gregory and the others who had come out. “My wolves are missing their mates.”
At his words, the man looked at Caden intensely and Caden frowned at the look but before he could ask anything the man nodded his head.
“Then I wish you a good journey,” he said. “By the way, my name is Oden.”
After giving them his name and with a slight nod of ‘goodbye’, Oden turned and walked away shifting as he reached the end of the drive.
“Oden,” Stone repeated as they watched the black wolf bound off. “Have you ever heard of a wolf named Oden?”
Caden shook his head his brow wrinkled with curiosity as he said, “No, but I will definitely find out about him.”
Stone nodded his head his own curiosity gnawing him as Caden turned to his pack members.
“Well, we shall meet again, Alpha, Alpha Female,” Gregory said in a lilting tone as the others laughed even Caden let out a chuckle.
“Hopefully under better circumstances,” Stone said ruefully.
Caden nodded his head in agreement as they started for the vehicles and there was a sense of urgency in his eyes that hadn’t truly left him since the other day.
“He is worried,” Stone’s mate said as they drove away. Stone agreed silently as he watched the vehicles disappear before he told his mate as they turned back into the pack house. “Caden mentioned that Abella went with a group of witches to hunt down the witch hunters who took her.”
His mate’s eyes widened at that news before she uttered, “I hope that she is okay.”
“That’s what he is hoping too, honey,” he remarked as the door closed behind them.
In the first vehicle, Briac turned and looked at Caden who was driving before he asked, “No contact from Abella” referring to the fact that his cell hadn’t rung at all during his arrival at Stone’s pack.
“We decided not to call each other so it wouldn’t interfere with each other’s mission,” Caden told him not going to tell him how a few days ago he sensed Abella was in danger before the feeling went away. He still wasn’t sure if he was merely worried about her causing the feeling, or if something had happened which why in a way he was in a hurry to get home as the others.
“I hope you are ready also, Briac,” Caden told him quietly although Natalee heard him from the back seat.
“Briac, what exactly are you going to do?” She asked her eyes watching him closely.
Briac sighed before he reached back and took her hand, “Whatever I have to, but I don’t believe it is going to be easy.”
“He is right, Natalee, on that so I hope you are prepared as well,” Caden told her in a light voice. He chuckled seeing the nervousness in her eyes before telling her, “My sister will have your back without any effort on your part and add Asilynn, Gregory’s mate you will be fine.”
“What about Abella?” Natalee asked her eyes slightly narrowed, and Caden glanced through the review mirror at her before he answered.
“I don’t know if Abella will be there when we return, but I believe you will have her support too.”
Briac, he said through the pack link, I don’t know what you have said about Abella but watch Natalee because I believe she is more jealous of Abella than of Jenna.
Briac threw a stun look at his Alpha before he turned lightly in his seat watching as Natalee’s firmed into a tight line and her fists
clenched.
I will, he told Caden as he continued to watch her in the side mirror on his side of the vehicle.
They had been on the road for over an hour when Caden’s cell rung and he answered it with a brief, “hello” as he changed lanes.
Briac noted that he went still for a second before his body relaxed in the seat and he immediately switched back to the lane he just left. “Okay, we will be there in another forty to forth-five minutes.”
He listened a little longer before he said ‘goodbye’ and hung up the phone. Then Briac heard through the pack link, Gregory go ahead of us because we are making a stop to pick up Abella.
Yes Alpha they heard and then laughter before Caden chuckled to himself as Natalee leaned forward to touch Briac’s shoulder.
“Something wrong,” she asked quietly, and Briac shook his head.
“No, but you will be meeting Abella sooner than we thought,” he told her with a slight smile before he turned around to the front his hand reaching up to rest a hand on hers as they took the next exit while the others continued on home.
Chapter 37
Abella’s eyes flew open wide when the bullet stopped a few inches from her face and Wester exclaimed, “What in the hell…?”
Abella was stunned because she had no idea how she did that, or even if she did it, but hearing the anger and frustration in Wester’s voice she quickly reacted. She allowed her body to roll to the side as she reached for the knife she had strapped to her leg. As she came back up from her roll, she threw the knife not sure if it would hit Wester or not but at least it would create a diversion.
She was stunned when she looked up at him and saw the knife sticking out of his chest. He was looking down at the knife in utter astonishment before his narrowed eyes turned to her.
“How…” he started only to be interrupted as one of her group stepped in front of him. She grabbed the knife in a tight grip before she pushed it further into his chest as she said in a cold voice, “For my daughter, you bastard.”
The Witch Prophecy Page 35
