Abella shook her head in confusion and weariness before she said, “That’s why I asked for the report off the laptop. I had started a similar report for that same class to hand in before I went with Cicely and the others to take down the witch hunters.”
Timothy frowned lightly at her words but his eyes were filled with worry as he glanced at Jessa before shifting his eyes back to Abella.
“I think, Jessa,” Abella said slowly her own eyes thoughtful, “for the time being until I understand the situation with the missing witches if indeed any are missing, it would be better for you and your baby to limit contact with me. I would suggest the same thing for Natalee but she has no other place to go and I don’t plan on kicking her out so Natalee, please be on your guard while here.”
Natalee nodded her head as Jessa protested, “Abella, I can take care of myself.”
“That wasn’t a request, Jessa,” Abella said a hard note in her voice as she got up from the couch holding the laptop with one hand as she reached down to grab her hair tie. “I love you like a sister and I don’t want anything to happen to you. Besides, I don’t want your mate coming after me to tear my throat out if something should happen to you and his unborn baby.”
“Pup,” Timothy contradicted.
“Huh,” Abella said looking at him in confusion and the others smiled at it.
“When our mates are pregnant, we consider them pregnant with our pups,” Timothy explained and he watched as Abella’s widened with shock before she started laughing.
“I get it,” Abella said between her bouts of laughter causing the others to shake their head at her.
“Go get some sleep, Abella,” Jessa told her watching tears drip down her cheeks from laughing so hard although for a moment, she believed that they were real tears.
Abella wiped her face with the back of her hands and nodded her head. “I have a little more studying to do then I’m going to take a bath and try to get some sleep. Have a nice night and thank you Jessa.”
She gave them a smile before she walked up the stairs slowly the case bumping against her leg.
“Natalee, keep an eye on her,” Jessa murmured watching her.
“You think…” Natalee began only to stop as Timothy spoke confidently.
“She doesn’t truly know what happened with Caden although it is possible he opened the link for her to hear,” Timothy said with a frown looking over at Jessa who nodded her head.
“I am sure he did,” she confirmed.
Natalee looked at them questioningly as Briac said, “So they can talk to each other? I thought so when we picked her up at in that town.”
“We don’t understand it either and although I think Uncle Jed knows the answer, he hasn’t told us,” Jessa said her eyebrows going up as she turned to Timothy. “We need to talk to Uncle Jed again about that rumor because he really didn’t explain anything last time, did he?”
“No, he didn’t,” Timothy said slowly and thoughtfully as Briac nodded his head in understanding and Natalee looked at them with questions in her eyes.
“Why don’t we have something to drink so we can explain it,” Timothy stated nodding his head to Natalee and Jessa getting his meaning, nodded her head.
Natalee led them in to the kitchen where she poured four glasses of lemonade as Jessa explained what they learned about the rumor concerning witches and the first werewolf.
“I never heard of that before,” Natalee told them sitting back in the chair. “Although I have to admit from what I understood witches were rare in today’s society.”
“They are,” Timothy confirmed.
“In fact, other than Cicely who we knew through Uncle Jed, Abella was the first young witch we actually met,” Jessa told her.
“First witch I met,” Natalee admitted. “She scared the hell out of me when she vanished in the restroom when I pinned her to the wall.”
Jessa and Timothy looked at her with raised eyebrows as Briac shook his head and waved his hand telling them, “Go on and tell them what happened.”
So that’s what Natalee did, and by the time she got done telling them what happened, Jessa was laughing so hard she almost fell out of the seat while Timothy grinned putting an arm around Jessa’s shoulders keeping her in the chair.
“Not funny at the time,” Natalee muttered her eyes glimmering with humor.
Briac watched her with eyes alight with humor and happiness although it dimmed a little when his wolf reminded him you haven’t dealt with Jenna yet so don’t get too happy. Right now, Natalee is playing her own game and it doesn’t mean she is going to let us back in.
I know, Briac answered back his eyes slightly narrowed as Natalee and Jessa laughed about something together.
Upstairs lying in a tub of hot water, Abella smiled herself at the laughter that echoed through the house when suddenly her eyes widened and she lurched up reaching the toilet just before she threw up.
“Something I ate didn’t agree with me today,” she uttered to herself lying back down in the tub after putting out her toothbrush to brush her teeth after she finished her shower.
She laid there her body soaking as she thought about what she was told about the witches and suddenly her mind went to the one witch that had given her an eerie feeling. She couldn’t remember her name although she remembered Aunt Cicely telling her that the woman was all right.
“Where are you, Aunt Cicely?” Abella muttered in the quiet of the bathroom her eyes closed easing her breathing hoping to use her ability to find her but for some reason, she couldn’t see anything concerning her almost as if there was a block up shielding Aunt Cicely from her.
She opened her eyes as the water began to cool before she slowly got to her feet and took a shower washing her body thoroughly her mind going to Caden and if he was okay before she made herself think about her classes knowing that thinking about him only hurt her heart.
After almost an hour in the bathroom, Abella exited dressed in favorite pair of night clothes and she paused briefly at the top of the stairs noting the silence and the lights that were off before she went in her room closing the door quietly behind her.
She settled down in bed pulling the book towards her knowing that sleep would be impossible so she would use the time to study as the week was approaching fast.
Cicely groaned in pain, but she maintained her block as she felt Abella trying to find her. She knew that she had to get in contact with someone to keep an eye on Abella not wanting her to suffer any more than she had already, and was suffering at the moment.
So she contacted the one person that she knew she could trust, the one person who would protect Abella more than anybody else, and as her mind relaxed and focused she let go of her own resistance knowing that this could be her last fight.
Chapter 46
Four days later, Abella came home from class with a sigh of relief as she walked through the door and Natalee looked up from the table that she was sitting in front of doing her sketches.
“One down,” Abella remarked with a small smile as she placed her book bag on the couch before settling down beside it.
“How do you think you did?” Natalee asked returning her attention to the sketch she was working on not worried about Abella seeing it as she had immediately put her head back when she sat down.
“I think I did okay, but I won’t know until the next class,” Abella told her wearily. Natalee knew that she wasn’t getting much sleep as she was only taking naps, which were only a few hours a day.
“You really need to get some sleep, Abella,” Natalee remarked quietly lifting her eyes briefly from the paper as Abella frowned.
“I know,” was her response as she opened her eyes and stood up from the couch grabbing her book bag.
“How is it going with Briac?” She asked as she headed out of the doorway, and Natalee laughter stopped her at the door.
“So far so good although I know he hasn’t broken the bond between him and Jenna yet,” Natalee told her with a
smile.
“You don’t seem too upset about it,” Abella commented turning her head to look at Natalee.
“I think he has something up his sleeve,” was her comeback, and Abella chuckled before she headed out of the room.
“I hope it is what she deserves,” was what Natalee heard as she left the room and Natalee hoped the same thing as she continued working on the sketch in front of her.
In her room, Abella settled on her bed pulling her book bag close to her as she unzipped it taking out her notebook before she placed the bag on the side of the bed.
Opening the notebook, she placed it to the side before she turned and grabbed the laptop that Jessa had brought over not too long ago and she powered it up glancing at her notebook as something flashed across the screen, but she didn’t notice it.
Once it finished powering up, Abella went immediately to the file with her report and opened it scanning through it before she started typing bringing the notebook closer so she could read it.
For two hours, she worked on the report editing and adding new information as she flipped through the notebook and got off her bed to get a few books that she checked out of the library a few days ago. Her report was due in two days and although she had another test tomorrow, she wasn’t too worried about it as she continued working.
She sighed when she saved what she had done for the evening before she turned off the laptop not noticing a little remainder that flashed again before she powered it down.
“Almost done,” she mumbled to herself as she unplugged the laptop and placed it back underneath the bed with the closed notebook on top. She laid back for a little letting her mind ease before she sighed and reached over without looking grabbing a book that sat on the nightstand.
She opened her eyes and sat up opening the book to begin studying again for her next test her eyes going over the book before she turned her head and grabbed another notebook flipping through its pages to go over some handwritten notes she had there.
Natalee going to bed almost four hours later saw the light still on in her room and shook her head saying quietly, “I hope once this week is over you can get some sleep.”
Natalee was awake before Abella the next day and when she came down, Natalee pushed her down in a seat at the table taking the book and notebook from her that she had carried down with her.
“You will eat something today,” Natalee told her in a no nonsense kind of voice, and Abella chuckled.
“I just haven’t been hungry,” Abella told her.
“Well, today you need to eat at least something,” Natalee told her placing in front of her a plate of scrambled eggs and three pieces of bacon.
Abella felt her stomach grumble and she realized in surprise that she was actually hungry as she picked up her fork and began to eat.
Natalee smiled in satisfaction as Abella cleaned her plate and asked, “Is there anymore bacon?”
Natalee laughed giving her the rest of the bacon that she cooked and she sighed happy as she poured herself a cup of coffee before sitting down across from her.
“Thank you,” Abella said other eating the last piece of bacon and picking up the juice that Natalee had given her instead of coffee.
“So what are you doing today?” Natalee asked taking a sip of her coffee watching the grimace shift across Abella’s face.
“Study,” Abella said a second later before she hesitated and then asked, “Has Timothy or anyone heard anything from their Alpha?”
Natalee stared down in the cup as she shook her head slightly. “Nothing yet from what I understand although it has been a week.”
Abella nodded her head as she finished her juice when a knock sounded through the house and they looked at each other before both got up heading for the front door.
“Good morning,” Jessa said brightly her smile wide and Abella chuckled as Natalee rolled her eyes opening the door wider to allow her to enter when suddenly she froze.
Abella noticing the huge grayish-brown animal next to her asked hesitatingly, “Jessa, why is that wolf here?”
Jessa glanced down at the wolf before lifting pleading eyes and rushed over to Abella grabbing her hands. “Please take him in until we can find out where he is from,” she pleaded. “He showed up this morning and Leana freaked out telling us to get rid of him. We don’t know who he is or even if he is like us so…”
Abella sighed as she said warily, “Why do I feel as if I’m being had?”
Jessa smiled giving her a hug. “Thank you, thank you, Abella.”
Abella nodded her head as she turned to Natalee and asked, “Is okay with your, Nat?”
Natalee rolled her eyes as she said, “I don’t have much say as this is your house.”
Abella gave her a glare as Jessa turned warning eyes on her that Natalee found suspicious but she would wait to ask what was going on when Abella looked at her watch and said, “I will go clean the breakfast dishes before I go back to studying.”
She nodded her head to the two of them and turned back toward the kitchen as the wolf followed her.
“What is going on, Jessa?” Natalee muttered stepping over to her.
Jessa lowered her voice and explained as Natalee’s grew wide, and her startled gaze went to the direction that Abella had disappeared. After she finished, Natalee looked at her in astonishment but before she could say anything, Jessa’s eyes lifted to the ceiling and she said slowly, “I need you to do me a favor, Natalee.”
Natalee looked at her in confusion as Jessa turned to her and told her, “I need you to get something from Abella’s room.”
Abella glanced down at the wolf at lying next to her as she sat at the table and she hid her smile wondering how long he was going to be here before she went back to her studying. She finally closed her books almost an hour later and stretched her back before getting up gathering her things as the wolf lying on the floor opened his eyes.
“I have to get going to school after a stop at the library,” Abella said aloud. “See you tonight, buddy.”
She waved to Natalee as she passed her in the hallway running up the stairs her hair bouncing against her back and she stilled for a second realizing with all the studying and worrying about Aunt Cicely, she hadn’t visited her sanctuary or even worked on her skills.
“I should be honest to myself,” Abella murmured as she walked over to the bed and started to load what she needed in the book bag. “I haven’t done anything like that since the night Caden chose his mate.”
She sighed as she zipped up the bag and placed it over her shoulder before turning on her heel and leaving the room unaware of the wolf that stood down the hall watching her with silver eyes.
After Abella left heading for the library, Natalee turned as Jed walked down from upstairs his silver eyes thoughtful before he remarked, “I know Jessa told you what is going on.”
Natalee nodded her head turning to face him as she tucked her legs underneath her. “Do you think that Abella knows?”
Jed shook his head but he didn’t tell her about Abella’s comment as she left the kitchen or what he heard while she was in her room.
“That’s dangerous,” he muttered aware of the slight narrowed look Natalee gave him. “I will be back later as there is something I need to check.”
Natalee nodded her head as she watched the older man head for the door but before the door was even closed behind him, he disappeared.
Natalee shook her head as she remarked aloud, “To think I have met more witches in this pack then all my travelling’s from before as a rogue” observing how the word didn’t create a feeling of regret or horror in her as it usually did. She smiled as she turned around picking up her sketch book and flipping through the pages until she came to the one that she was working on when Abella came home last night and picked up her pencil wanting to finish it sooner than later.
Her phone went off and she answered it absently, “hello” as she continued sketching and she stilled when she heard the voice on the
other end.
“You are wasting your time,” Jenna said harshly. “Briac has been waiting for me since he arrived at this pack. We had some misunderstanding but we will work it out so why don’t you go back to the Stone Pack, or wherever you came from?”
Natalee put down her pencil before she said in a low voice, “For one thing, I know all about you’re ‘misunderstanding’. As for Briac waiting for you, he shouldn’t have to because you are his mate. If you have problem, take it up with Briac himself and not calling me.”
With those words, she pulled the phone from her ear and ended the call. “That woman has a lot of nerve,” she muttered as she picked back up her sketch pad and went back to work.
Briac entered the pack house after training with the intent of getting changed and going to see Natalee when Jenna accosted him on the stairs.
“You need to stop seeing her now,” she told him putting her hands on the hips. “As my mate, you should be thinking of ways to getting back in my good graces.”
At her words, Briac’s eyes lifted and he stared at her as pack members crowded around them at the foot of the stairs drown out by her loud voice. Timothy and Gregory were standing off in the hallway as they had just came from practice also and they looked at each other with knowing looks before returning their attention to what was unfolding in front of them.
“Getting back in your good graces,” Briac repeated letting his body relax as he leaned against the railing folding his arms across his chest.
“Yes,” Jenna said giving him a narrowed look. “You bring another woman here knowing I am your mate and that is disrespecting me.”
She didn’t see the looks that the pack members shared at her words but Briac did, and he wondered what was going through their minds.
The Witch Prophecy Page 45
