by Bryce Evans
Adrianna continued washing her hands before she addressed the snarling woman.
“I didn’t pick Cade. The fates chose him for me. I take it that you have been with my mate before?” Adrianna asked.
“Been with him. Well honey, you could say that. We fucked all the time. He couldn’t get enough of me. He was going to mate with me before you came along and turned him with your magic.”
Adrianna looked at the woman without any expression on her face. “If you are a true werewolf, then you would know that we don’t pick our mates, the fates pick them for us. He was never yours,” Adrianna said, then she turned back to get a paper towel.
The woman was so angry with Adrianna that she released her claws and tried to slash Adrianna in the face. Adrianna reached out quickly and wrapped her hand around the woman’s neck, cutting her air supply off. Her hand never made it to Adrianna’s face. The woman started turning red and gasping for air.
Adrianna leaned over and whispered in the woman’s ear, “I will forget the rude comments you have made about sleeping with my mate. I know he will be missed in your bed. However, if you ever try to claw me again, I will keep squeezing until there is no longer life in you. You would be wise to remember that, wolf.”
Adrianna released the woman as she fell to the ground gasping for air. Adrianna never turned around as she walked over to the door, opening it.
Peter Reece, one of her students and now one of Cade’s Protectors, was waiting outside the bathroom for Adrianna. While the door was open, he observed the young lady on the ground gasping for air.
“What happened, Alpha?”
Adrianna looked up at Peter, surprised by him addressing her as Alpha.
“She got a little frisky letting her claws out. See to her, Peter,” Adrianna said as she walked out of the bathroom.
Adrianna could hear Peter telling the woman, “Hey, at least she didn’t pop your shoulder out. Trust me, she could have done worse.”
Cade and Samson were walking toward Adrianna as they saw Peter going into the bathroom. “What’s wrong, Adrianna?” Cade asked concerned.
“Oh nothing, just a pissing contest between me and one of your girlfriends. Hey, guess what?” Adrianna asked Cade.
“What?” Cade answered warily.
“I won!” Adrianna said as she walked past her mates who were frowning.
Cade and Samson watched as Adrianna walked over to Mace and the Elders. Cade looked over to Samson frowning, “Shit, I had hoped the past wouldn’t reach up and bite me today.”
“Well, let’s hope none of the ones I’ve been with try to have a go at her.” Samson sighed as they walked over to Adrianna and Mace.
As they were walking out of the town hall, Cade reached over and grabbed Adrianna’s hand. She tugged her hand back, and looked up at Cade with an expression that said, “DON’T.”
“Adrianna, I’m sorry for Petra’s actions today. I hope you don’t blame me for it.”
“I’m sorry Cade, but I don’t know if I can handle much more of this. All the women with their dirty looks and snide remarks, I don’t deserve it. Don’t you teach your wolves the fates decide their mates, not us? I didn’t choose you. The fates chose you for me.” Adrianna knew immediately that she had hurt Cade with her words. She had pretty much said that she didn’t want Cade but she had little choice. The fates chose for her.
Cade stepped away from Adrianna, and then informed Samson that he would catch up with them later. You could see the hurt in his eyes. He walked away from Adrianna without another word.
“Cade, please, I’m sorry,” Adrianna pleaded with Cade as he turned his back to her, walked over, and got in the truck with his Beta.
“What have I done, Samson?”
“You fucked up,” Samson said angrily as he pulled Adrianna to their vehicle.
Mace was already sitting in the front seat waiting for Adrianna and Samson. “Where is Cade going?” Mace asked.
“He needed to pick up some stuff from his house. He wanted to show us where he lived, but I guess we’ll see it later,” replied Samson.
Adrianna knew what that comment meant.
Samson didn’t say it but he was pissed at Adrianna too. She had hurt both of them with just one comment.
Mace looked back at Adrianna as he felt the tension in the air. Adrianna was looking out the window. She had put her sunglasses on so you couldn’t see her eyes. Samson sat on the other side of the vehicle looking out his window too.
When they pulled up at Adrianna, Cade, and Samson’s house, Adrianna jumped out of the SUV and ran for the trees. The big oak tree’s limb swept down and picked her up.
Mace stood in shock, looking up in the trees. “Shit, I know you said she could talk to the trees, but I guess I never really realized that.”
Samson just shrugged his shoulders, still pissed at Adrianna. He walked in the house leaving Mace standing outside looking up at the trees.
A few minutes later, Mace walked in the house looking around at the new furniture. “Wow, it looks great in here,” Mace said surprised.
Jacob Cord walked into the living room smiling at his Alpha. “Hey, Alpha.”
“Well hello, Jacob. It looks great in here. You did a great job,” Mace said softly.
“Thanks, Alpha. I hope I got everything in the right place. Where is Adrianna? I need to tell her where I put everything.”
“Well, Jacob.” Mace paused not knowing how to tell Jacob about Adrianna’s ability to talk to the trees. “She’s in the trees.” Jacob looked up at Mace and saw the look on his face that said he wasn’t kidding.
Jacob ran to the window and looked outside, trying to see if he could see Adrianna talking to the trees. “Alpha? I don’t see her.”
“Well trust me, Jacob, she is out there. Why don’t we go into town and eat? I think Adrianna needs to be alone with her mates tonight.”
Jacob wanted to protest, but thought better of telling his Alpha no. “Okay, if you think she won’t be mad at me for leaving.”
“She won’t be mad. Let’s go, Jacob. I’ll bring you back in the morning bright and early.” Mace knew Samson could hear Mace talking to Jacob. He knew he was telling Samson that he would bring Jacob home in the morning and he had time alone with his mates.
Chapter Fourteen
The tree cocooned Adrianna in its limbs. She sat talking to the trees, telling them what a horrible mistake she had made. Explaining how she hurt her mates.
Cade drove up an hour later, walking into the house finding Samson alone. “Where is Adrianna?” Cade asked.
“She has been up in the trees since we returned home.” Samson sighed as he looked down at his feet. “I shouldn’t have been so mean to her. I was mad at what she said to you. I didn’t speak to her on the way home. We sat on opposite sides of the car. I was just so pissed off.”
Cade shook his head then bellowed at Samson. “Well I’m still mad. I’ve done nothing but try to appease her. What, did she expect that I was a virgin? I didn’t exactly want a mate either, but I got one.”
Both mates turned at the gasp that came from Adrianna as she walked into the living room. Adrianna burst out crying and ran through the kitchen back door. She was too fast for Cade and Samson to grab her before she shifted into her wolf and ran toward the woods.
Samson grabbed Cade’s arm before he could go after Adrianna. “She’ll come back when she cools off.”
“I hope you’re right. I just got pissed off with everything and her actions today with Petra. Shit man, It’s hard for me too. If she had listened longer, I would have said that I didn’t want a mate at first, but I do love her now. I can’t see my life without her. I thought she felt the same.” Cade sighed as he walked over to the couch and sat down.
“She has to learn, Cade, that we have feelings too and she needs to understand we aren’t going to take her crap when she dishes out. Just because she is, the Trinity doesn’t give her the right to treat us like shit. She needs a good spanking.”
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Cade exhaled as he looked up at Samson and smiled. They sat there hatching their plan to give Adrianna a good spanking when she returned home. Then they would make love to their mate and tell her how things were going to change in their house.
Samson and Cade waited at the house for Adrianna to return while Adrianna ran toward Seige Field. Adrianna was so tired from the stress of today and the moving that she dropped down, lying in the field of wild flowers. The flowers were beautiful with all kinds of different colors. She fell asleep, crying in her sleep. She was in such a deep sleep that she shifted back into her human form. As Adrianna was sleeping, a brown wolf was watching on the outskirts of the field. He knew his Master would be happy to know she was finally alone. He shifted and picked up his cell phone, calling his Master’s number. Within minutes, six other wolves showed up. They watched and waited for their Master to arrive. As they waited, Adrianna started to levitate above the flowers. She was in a deep sleep. The wolves moved closer and surrounded Adrianna; afraid she would wake up and float away before their Master could arrive. They knew if that happened someone would die, most likely one of them. They didn’t want to bring the Master’s wrath upon them.
Cade and Samson sat at the table frustrated because Adrianna hadn’t returned home yet. They decided to go and look for her. It was starting to get dark outside. Cade informed Samson that she had probably fell asleep at Seige Field.
“She did that all the time when she was little,” Cade said as he walked in the direction of the field.
The wolves started inching closer and closer to Adrianna. They continued to look behind them as if they expected someone to be there. As Cade and Samson got closer to the field, the wind had picked up, blowing harder. The hair on the back of their necks began to rise. They knew something was wrong and started running, trying to find Adrianna.
The wolves started pacing back and forth when they knew their Master had arrived. The brown wolf turned around and saw his Master walking up toward Adrianna. His Master had a black cape and hood on. The wolves spread out, bowing their heads as their Master walked past them.
Cade and Samson ran into the clearing where they saw Adrianna floating in the air above the flowers and seven wolves surrounding her. Then they saw the person in the hood and cape. They couldn’t see who the person was because the hood was hiding their identity. Cade couldn’t tell if it was a man or woman. Cade started to shift when the wind became so brutal they couldn’t move.
Samson could see the person in the cape had reached out, trying to touch Adrianna. Then the tree’s roots that surrounded the field started moving underground toward Adrianna. The wolves could sense that something was moving toward them, they started panicking, and trying to flee the field. The roots burst through the ground, surrounding Adrianna, shielding her from the person in the cape. The roots were so tightly woven that nobody could get through their barrier. Then it sounded like the flowers in the field were yelling at the wolves and the person in the cape. Cade and Samson thought their eyes were playing tricks on them, but the flowers started weaving together and throwing rocks from the ground at the wolves.
The person in the cape started moving backwards, almost like they were floating. The person held their hand up, shielding the rocks from touching him or hers body. However, the rocks were pummeling the wolves. One of the wolves was hit in the head. He died instantly, falling to the ground, shifting back to his human form. The other wolves escaped, running toward their Master that was standing, staring at the edge of the field. The edge of the field was the borderline between Ashland and Viston land.
Cade and Samson had no power to move, as they watched, the wind died down allowing them to regain their movement. They watched as the caped person ran behind the field. They heard a vehicle’s engine start and then leave the area. They couldn’t see what type of vehicle had driven off or who the caped person was. Cade and Samson continued to watch as the roots retracted from their woven patterns and disappeared into the ground. They ran toward Adrianna as she continued to float above the ground. Her eyes were closed and she remained in a deep sleep.
Cade reached out and pulled Adrianna to him. Adrianna never woke up but snuggled closer to Cade as he hugged her to him.
“Let’s go home,” Samson said to Cade. “We have a lot to discuss about Selena’s vision coming true. We need to call the Supreme Alpha and the others. They were too close. They almost had her, Cade.” Samson ran his hand reverently over her hair.
“I know. Let’s get her home,” Cade said, and snuggled Adrianna closer.
Cade and Samson walked back to the house, looking around for any type of danger. They were usually the hunters, but tonight they felt like the hunted. If it hadn’t been for the trees and flowers, Adrianna would’ve been taken.
When they arrived at the house, Selena was standing on the front porch. It was odd that she was there without Afton. She was looking in the direction where they came out of the woods.
She ran toward them with a worried look on her face. “What happened?”
“Let’s get inside first,” Cade answered.
“She is bleeding on the side of her face. Go to my car, Samson, and get the first aid kit out of the glove box,” Selena asked Samson. He ran to Selena’s car as Cade carried Adrianna in the house.
Samson tried to open the passenger side door but the door was locked. He walked around to the driver’s side door, opening it. As he was about to lean in the car, he noticed something black laying in the backseat. He hit the lock button and opened it up. He was shocked to see it was a black cape and hood. He placed the cape back on the backseat and then went around to the passenger side to retrieve the first aid kit. He ran back into the house with the kit. Cade had laid Adrianna on top of their bed, trying to wake her up. Samson walked in the bedroom staring at Selena. He didn’t know what to do. Should he say something about the cape and hood that he had found in Selena’s car? Samson held his tongue waiting for Selena to leave, and then he would talk to Cade about it.
Samson stood there with the first aid kit in his hand staring at Selena. “What’s wrong, Samson?” Selena asked as she reached for the kit.
“Nothing!” Samson said a little harshly.
Cade looked up at Samson but didn’t say anything. He knew he would ask Samson about it later.
Selena ignored Samson’s harsh tone and got a little vile out of the first aid kit. “What’s that?” Cade asked.
“It’s smelling salts. This has happened before and I couldn’t get her awake, but this works.” Selena cracked open the bottle and placed it under Adrianna’s nose. Adrianna jumped awake, backing up toward the headboard. She had wild eyes, looking around the room for some type of danger.
“What happened?” Adrianna asked looking at Cade.
Selena spoke to Adrianna in a calm voice. “You fell asleep in the field. Your mates found you and brought you back home.”
Cade didn’t have time to tell Selena the rest of the story before Samson spoke. Samson put his hand on Cade’s shoulder and thanked Selena for dropping by but they needed to be alone with their mate. Samson advised Selena that they had a lot to discuss in private. Cade and Adrianna both looked at Samson in shock.
Selena looked at Samson but never showed an expression. She got up and walked over to Adrianna and kissed her on top of the head, then walked out of the bedroom. Nobody spoke as the front door open then close.
Cade shook his head from the daze he was in at how Samson spoke to Selena. “What the hell, Samson? Why were you so rude to Selena? She was only trying to help, plus we didn’t finish telling her about the person in the field.”
“What? Who was in the field?” Adrianna asked.
Samson sighed as he pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed. “Adrianna lay back down. Don’t argue about this. Can you do that without arguing with us?” Samson said, his tone demanding.
Adrianna sighed as she sat back on the bed, pulling the sheet up covering her nudity.
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�Cade, I need for you to sit and listen too. There is something you don’t know about yet.” Cade sat down beside Adrianna grasping her hand. This time Adrianna didn’t pull her hand away.
Samson started explaining what happened at Seige Field with the trees and the person in the black cape and hood. Then Samson explained how he went to get the first aid kit in Selena’s car and found a black cape and hood in the back seat. “Also, do you remember, Adrianna, Selena wasn’t in the dining hall at the Oakland Hills Resort when the magic was used against the Protectors? She ran in after the incident.”
Adrianna was about to say something but Samson continued talking.
“I know what you are thinking, Adrianna, but come on. Selena is a powerful witch, she had to have felt magic being used, unless she was the one using the magic.”
Adrianna and Cade stared at Samson.
“Adrianna, say something. I think the person in the field was Selena.” Samson bristled as he looked at Adrianna waiting for her reaction.
Adrianna stared at Samson shaking her head no. “It can’t be her. Selena is like a mother to me. She could have taken me out numerous times. I know it’s not her. Please, it can’t be her.”
Cade looked at Samson hoping it wasn’t true. “Are you sure Samson, maybe she has a similar cape? I mean, it’s coincidental—but Selena? She is the Supreme Alpha’s mate.” Samson frowned at Cade’s suggestion.
“Look, I know it doesn’t make sense, but if I’m correct, then she knows everything, including all of our plans. She has access and whereabouts on everyone. She has magic too, Adrianna. I mean, she taught you how to use your magic. The only problem is we don’t know why. And then there is that question of why she warned us?” Samson explained as he watched Adrianna’s defeated expression.
“I’m sorry, Adrianna, but it’s how I see it. I know you love her, but we have to take into consideration all the facts. She was waiting here for us when Cade carried you from the field and she was without the Supreme Alpha. Why would she leave him at home? Why was she here? We need answers to these questions. She may have planned all of this to get you here in Ashland. She said you had the most power in Ashland. If she can control you here, well she knows the rest of us will follow you. We are your mates, Adrianna. We would have no choice,” Samson said.
