“Alpha Caden,” Asilynn said only to be stopped when Caden put up his hand his eyes never leaving Abella’s face.
Abella’s grey eyes went stormy at his tone before she murmured, “And if I don’t, Alpha Brody?”
Caden stepped closer to her and said with narrowed eyes, “Do you really want to see?”
Abella stared at him her body stiff and her grey eyes going blank before she said in an emotionless tone, “Out of respect for your lost members, I will do so but only for them, sir.”
She turned to Leana and said a few words before they disappeared, and Caden closed his eyes as his wolf said with a grin, she was pissed at you.
I know but I also had a feeling she was about to leave, Caden responded his tone confused, and his wolf heard it.
“Caden you shouldn’t have done that,” Jessa said angrily, and his eyes snapped open looking at the angry faces around him.
“It is done,” he said in his Alpha tone before he walked away as one Council member followed after him.
Jed frowned as Jessa asked quietly watching the rest of the pack following them. “Uncle Jed, is it true that the first pack fell apart after the first werewolf fall in love with a witch?”
Jed’s head spun around to look at her in astonishment as the others looked on in surprise unaware that a few pack members heard her sentence and with scared looks, hurried after the others to report what they heard.
The Council member walked beside Caden and told him softly, “There is something I think you should know, Alpha Caden.”
Caden didn’t respond but nodded his head, and as the man talked Caden’s eyes narrowed into slits while the wolf inside him was quiet and still.
As they reached the house, Leana was waiting with a smile on her face and a band playing in the background.
“Thank you, honey,” she said walking over to him with that smile before she pouted. “You should get on to her though because she was rude to me even though I said thank you.”
Caden nodded his head as he murmured something heading inside the house and up to the office his mind in torment.
Caden, what he told you was bullshit, his wolf finally said angrily a second before Jed appeared in the office.
“Caden,” he began but Caden held up a hand. “Don’t do anything rash.”
Caden looked up at him before he closed his eyes and sent out a short message to the pack, from this night on, no one will have anything to do with the witch Abella Deans.
Abella sat down quickly on her bed as Caden’s message vibrated through her mind and tears came to her eyes at his words.
“So he has chosen,” Abella murmured as the tears slid down her cheeks dropping on to her jeans as she stared down at the book in her hands.
Chapter 42
“Caden,” Jessa yelled running up the stairs only to be stopped by Jed coming down. “What is going on Uncle Jed?”
He gave her a piercing look through hardened silver eyes before he went down the rest of the stairs and out the door disappearing before he even got off the porch.
“Jessa,” Asilynn said as she walked into the hallway her face pale. “Does he mean it?”
Jessa didn’t comment as her eyes lifted to the ceiling and her mouth went into a grim line. “Why are you doing this, Caden?”
“To save the pack from her influence,” a voice said, and Jessa turned her eyes away from the ceiling to a few pack members standing at the bottom of the stairs.
“We heard what you said about a werewolf falling in love with a witch,” another one stated.
Jessa scowled as she said, “Did any of you ask your wolf if it was true, or did you come running back here with the news and someone told you it was true?”
Jenna chuckled as she said coming through the crowd, “Now Jessa, I know you don’t want to believe it but I got it from reliable information. I think it’s a good thing that Caden has forbidden anybody from socializing with her. After all, everything that has happened only proves what I was told as being right.”
Jessa opened her mouth to say something when Leana said smugly, “As the Alpha Female, and Caden’s mate, I agree with his decision. I will reinforce that decision no matter who they are.”
She glared at Jessa and Asilynn as Natalee looked on in confusion.
“What happened?” She asked Briac who came over to stand next to her.
Briac’s words were low in his own confusion as he told her, “Caden has issued an Alpha order that no one is allowed to see or speak to Abella.”
Natalee turned her head to him in shock as she said, “What?”
Briac nodded his head and he put an arm around her as she leaned against him before Jenna walked over to them.
“I’ve let you play long enough,” she said in a sharp tone grabbing Natalee by the arm and yanking her away from Briac. “It is time for you to get your ass away from my mate.”
“Briac,” Natalee said as she reached out grabbing Jenna’s arm and pulling it off her that Jenna cried out.
“Natalee,” Briac said stepping in between them seeing how the pack was viewing Natalee, but Natalee only saw him taking Jenna’s side.
Natalee’s face paled and she looked at him with watery eyes as he stepped forward, “Natalee…”
Before he could say anything else, Jenna grabbed him and pulled him back toward her. “Now that you know just like your friend, you should leave and go back wherever he picked you up from.”
Natalee wasn’t listening to her as she looked at Briac and he reached out a hand to her before Caden’s voice intervened.
“What is the problem down here?” He asked walking down the stairs ignoring the glares he was receiving.
“Nothing, Alpha,” Jenna said with a smile in his direction as Leana walked over to him leaning up against him.
“Briac’s playmate is getting ready to live so we were helping her,” she said on a sly note.
Briac’s eyes never left Natalee although his wolf was enraged until Caden spoken, and Briac was left dumbfounded.
“Natalee,” Caden began softly. “Pack your things and I will have someone take you home.”
Natalee didn’t look at Caden but the eyes she had on Briac were hard before she turned away. “Yes Alpha,” she said politely. “As for the ride, don’t worry I will find my own way home.”
With those words, she limped up the stairs passing by Caden and the others before going in to the room that Caden had given her.
It didn’t take her long to pack before she was back down walking to the front door and Briac was nowhere to be seen, but Natalee put her bag on the porch as a car pulled up.
“Alpha Caden said I should take you were you need to go,” one of the members said getting out of the car.
He went to go lift her suitcase up when another car pulled in the driveway as Jessa and a few others came out of the pack house.
“Are you ready to go, Natalee?” Abella asked her tone reserved and her grey eyes were shielded by sunglasses.
“Yes, thank you for picking me up,” Natalee said grabbing her suitcase before the pack member could grab it.
Jessa was about to say something when she noticed the things in Abella’s car and she paled. “Abella you aren’t leaving, are you?” She asked in a soft voice as Asilynn suddenly sunk to the ground.
Before Abella could comment, Leana and Jenna followed by a few others came outside. “You need to leave now,” Leana ordered glaring at Abella who merely gave her the cold shoulder as she focused on Natalee.
“Ready to go,” she asked in soft voice her grey eyes shadowed with pain although the sunglasses hid them.
“I need to get out of here,” Natalee murmured, and Abella nodded her head as she took the case from her before heading to her car.
“Abella,” Jed called out as he came out of the house.
“I returned it,” Abella told him as she placed the case on the backseat and closed the door after Natalee slid inside the car. “But it’s worthless now, right?�
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Abella didn’t give him time to answer as she walked around the car and climbed into the driver’s seat before pulling away.
Caden was inside talking with Gregory and Timothy when his wolf said, she is here. He stilled for a moment before he continued on with his conversation as Briac sat on the stairs his head in his hands.
The others walked back in the house a few minutes later and Jessa didn’t even bother saying anything as she stormed past them to her room.
“Jessa,” Caden said stopping in mid-sentence. “We will be eating shortly.”
“I’m not hungry,” she called back, and Caden hid the flinch that went through him at her tone as Asilynn followed her more slowly up the stairs.
“I’m going to bed,” she said to Gregory. “I’m not hungry either.”
Gregory went to go say something but he stopped himself and gave her a kiss on the cheek before she continued on up.
“It is for the best,” the council member said with a smile. “Besides, after Caden finally marks Leana then the pack will be stable as you will have an Alpha Female.”
Jed stood in the doorway listening before he shook his head and turned away his eyes closing as he wondered what was the point in all this if it was merely going to be a repeat every time.
Later that evening, Caden called a pack meeting making it mandatory for all to come to it. Jessa and Asilynn stood beside each other near the wall so that as soon as the meeting was over, they could get out quickly.
Caden glanced over at them but neither would meet his eyes before he let his black eyes scan the others.
“I will be taking a week vacation,” he suddenly announced catching everyone’s attention as the room went quiet.
Jed stood off the in the corner silver eyes flashing but he didn’t say a word as Caden continued.
“Timothy and Gregory will be left in charge as Briac,” he said nodding his head at him, “will take over the fighter wolves until my return.”
“What about the mating ceremony?” The council member asked in a rush glancing at Leana who suddenly looked scared.
“It will commence when I return,” Caden stated turning his black eyes to Jed. “Will that satisfy the Council?”
Jed nodded his head although he still didn’t say a word nor did he look away from Caden as he turned his attention back to his pack.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier, honey, so I would have time to pack?” Leana pouted at him.
Caden smiled although it didn’t reach his eyes as he said, “I didn’t tell you Leana because I am going by myself this time. There are a few things I need to straighten out before I complete the marking ceremony. I am sure you understand this after being gone for three years, right?”
Leana looked uncomfortable at the mention but she nodded her head slowly, “Okay, I guess” but Cade caught the quick look she sent to the council member who looked just as nervous and Caden wondered about that although he pushed it to the back of his mind.
Someone else caught the look and his eyes hardened wondering what was going on as he continued to watch them even as Caden concluded the meeting.
Caden headed out of the room behind Asilynn and Jessa, and he called out, “Jessa, Asilynn, I need to talk with you for a moment.”
Jessa stopped briefly and asked without turning around, “Is that an Alpha order, sir?”
Caden frowned as he said slowly, “No, I just want to talk with you two.”
“I have homework, Alpha,” Jessa said starting back upstairs, and Caden frowned at the lie as Asilynn continued on up the stairs.
“I don’t feel well,” she added as they reached the top and went to their rooms.
Caden watched them walk away with narrowed eyes as Gregory and Timothy came over to him.
“Did you expect that they would appreciate you taking away their friend?” Timothy asked in a hard tone.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Caden said turning and walking away from them.
“What did he say to you?” Gregory called out and Caden stilled on the stairs. “I saw that council member go after you when you walked away so what did he say to you that made you turn your back on her?”
Caden was quiet for a few minutes before he said without turning around, “Nothing” and continued up the stairs.
“I told him the truth,” the man said as Caden walked out of sight. “He needed to know that falling in love with a witch not his mate will lead the pack to disaster. I think you should tell your mates the same things also.”
He walked away as they watched him, and one of the members came over to them saying nervously, “I think Jessa and Asilynn should stay away from her.”
Timothy turned to the man and said in a hard voice, “Do know the first time she was taken?”
The man frowned at the question and shook his head as Gregory told them, “Because the rogues saw Caden eyeing her and not because she was a witch. No one knew that until we were told by a council member. The second time was because she was a witch and yet the pack never got involved, and neither did the witch hunters come after us. So explain to me how she is going to ruin our pack just because she makes our Alpha who hasn’t smiled in three years finally began to act like the man he was before he met Leana?”
Everyone looked at them in shock as Timothy and Gregory started up the stairs and Briac got up from where he was sitting.
“Even when I trashed her house, she didn’t do anything about it,” he told them. He turned shadowed eyes to them as he finished up, “She decided to trust me because she trusted Alpha Caden.”
He went up the stairs slowly before he made a detour and knocked on the door to the new office.
“Come in,” Caden called down and Briac walked in closing the door behind him unaware that Timothy came from the shadows and locked it.
“I may not like you right now, Alpha, but I will still follow you,” he said in a low tone as he turned to Gregory who nodded his head before they both walked to their respective rooms and mates.
Caden didn’t look up from the paperwork as he said, “I’ve been waiting for you, Briac.”
Briac glanced at him with narrowed eyes before he asked, “Then why did you tell Natalee to leave?”
“Why didn’t you stop her?” Caden countered finally glancing up.
Briac sighed heavily as he walked over and sat down in the chair in front of the desk. “I don’t know,” he said truthfully.
Caden sat back in his chair and looked at Briac with narrowed black eyes. “I told Natalee to pack her things and I would make sure she would get home because in that moment you chose to protect Jenna instead of backing Natalee.”
Briac’s eyes widened as he looked at Caden. “She was about to attack a member of the pack and I didn’t want you to banish her.”
Caden said harshly, “Do you really think I would’ve done that when I knew she was only protecting herself?”
Caden sighed before getting up and walking around the desk leaning against the edge. “You have been given a rare opportunity because most wolves don’t find their second mates so soon after thinking of rejecting their first mate?”
Briac laughed humorlessly before stating, “How can one be lucky about that?”
“Because you get the chance to have a second mate,” Caden told him sincerely, and Briac looked up at him in confusion.
“Alphas like me and Stone don’t get that chance so if we get lucky, our mates are everything we have waited for,” Caden told him. “But if we are not lucky, then we live without that bond that every other werewolf feels with the mates chosen for them.”
“But you can choose your mate then,” Briac said quietly.
“We can choose someone to live and grow old with yes,” Caden told him with a shake of his head. “But there is no such bond even though we mark them as our own; the bond that exists between true mates doesn’t really fully develop.”
“So if they cheat then you won’t be able to tell,” Briac said his eyes nar
rowing as he began to understand.
“We may get a feeling like my mother did with Devin, but no we don’t feel it like you or Jessa would,” Caden informed him.
“I don’t understand,” Briac said looking up at him with confusion. “Then what about the bond between you and Abella?”
Caden’s face went blank at her name before he got off the desk and walked back around saying, “Which one do you want, Briac, Jenna or Natalee?”
Briac noticed how his Alpha had ignored the question all together which told Briac that even Caden didn’t understand it.
“You will have to make a decision, Briac,” Caden told him.
Briac nodded his head although there was a faraway look in his eyes as he said, “I want Natalee but Jenna will give her a hard time when she comes back here and right now, most of the pack are on her side.”
“Is that what you really think?” Caden asked giving him a shrewd look before he sat down and went back to his paperwork. “Since you seem to be under the impression that the rest of the pack will give your mate a hard time because of Jenna, I suggest you talk to the pack then come back and talk to me.”
For the rest of the day, Caden spent time in the office making sure that things were ready when he left because he was going to make sure that there wouldn’t be any problems after he was gone.
As he worked, Briac went around the pack talking, chatting and asking questions, and what he found left his head reeling as he went to his room a few hours later to get around it.
He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Natalee’s phone only for it to go straight to voice mail. He sighed heavily before getting off the bed and leaving the room searching for Timothy who he find outside with Gregory discussing patrols for when Caden left.
“Timothy,” Briac said going over to him.
Timothy and Gregory both looked up at him as Timothy said, “What’s up, Briac?”
“Do you think Jessa will give me Abella’s number?” He asked in a low voice, and Timothy’s eyes narrowed before he nodded his head.
A few minutes later, Jessa and Asilynn came out of the house heading toward them after a brief scan of the yard.
The Witch Prophecy Page 41
