Moon Spell (The Tale of Lunarmorte #1) (13 page)

Caia was surprised as Jaeden suddenly pushed the child into her arms. “Say hello, Jaela.”

“Uh, Jae …” Caia nervously wrapped her arms around the child. She tried not to blush as everyone watched her hold the little girl awkwardly, but then Jaela grabbed onto a strand of her hair and Caia
’
s eyes locked onto the little one
’
s big baby blues. She smiled sweetly at Caia and made some gurgling noises, trying to snuggle deeper into Caia
’
s arms.

“She likes you.” Lucien suddenly appeared beside her. He turned to Lucia. “I thought I was the only one she liked?” His disgruntlement amused everyone.

He was placated by the squealing Jaela when she realized he was there - she threw her arms out at him, hitting Caia in the face and crying out,
‘
Luchy!”

Wincing Caia turned to him. “I think she wants Luchy,” she teased.

“Oh only Jaela is allowed to call me that.” Lucien grinned, taking the girl into his arms. “Ain
’
t that right, gorgeous.”

Caia sat with them, enjoying the peace and comfort that this small group of the pack enjoyed with one another. They were obviously a family within a family, and so warm to her she felt herself being pulled in, despite her concerns.

“Dinner
’
s ready folks.” Ella smiled, looking sweaty from her slavery in the kitchen.

Dinner with them
all was probably the best time Caia had had. She hated to admit it, but as Magnus and Dimitri took turns light-heartedly teasing her and each other, as Julia jumped flightily from asking her questions about school to asking Ella about cooking, as Jaeden threw her affectionate smirks, as Christian and Lucia whispered lovingly to one another, and as Lucien ate his meal while playing with Jaela and making her giggle throughout the entire dinner, she realized that this was what she had been missing her entire life. Not the pack. Just a family. An ordinary family having a meal together. It was so humdrum and yet at that moment it was the most wonderful thing in the world to her.

When dinner was over the family decided to settle back in the living room with some coffee and cake.

“I
’
ll clear up, do the dishes,” Caia said to Ella as they got up from the table.

“No-”

“I
’
ll help.” Jaeden grinned, and managed to do what Caia couldn
’
t and shoo Ella out with the others. Lucien was the last to leave. He stood at the doorway, his eyes narrowed on Jaeden.

“All the times you
’
ve been over for dinner you haven
’
t once offered to clean up. What are you up to?” His glance shifted between her and Caia.

Jaeden laughed at him. “You
’
re so suspicious, Lucien.”

“Always. For good reason.”

She chortled at that and leaned past him, grabbing onto the door. “Bye, Lucien.” She began closing it on him.

“If she
’
s bothering you, let me know,” he said to Caia, and laughed when Jaeden smacked him on the arm and pushed him out of the door. She turned back to Caia once they were alone, smiling at the bemused look on her face.

“He
’
s not suspicious at all. He
’
s just plain nosy.”

They were standing together, Caia washing up, while Jaeden dried and put the dishes away.

“So how was that for you?” Jaeden glanced back at the table. “I know you were pretty nervous about it earlier.”

Caia smiled shyly, not meeting her eyes. “Honestly... and you promise you won
’
t tell?”

“Of course.”

She sighed and shook her head. “Ugh, this is stupid. I don
’
t feel like myself here at all-”

“Bu-”

“No, don
’
t get me wrong, I don
’
t mean that... I just... I feel really goofy because...”

Jaeden grinned. “Because?”

Caia shrugged embarrassed. “Because I
’
ve never had a better time,” she spoke so quietly even Jaeden with her lykan hearing had to lean in.

“Aw, Cy.” She laughed and shoved at her playfully. “Did you have
A Little House on the Prairie
moment tonight?”

At that, Caia splashed water from the sink up onto Jaeden
’
s face. She merely sniggered and pulled back as Caia narrowed her eyes on her teasingly. “Oh I am never telling you anything again.”

“You did.” Jaeden wouldn
’
t let up. “Aw, I think my heart hurts a little.”

“Oh, you
’
ve done it now,” Caia growled.

What ensued was a water/bubble/washing-up liquid fight that ended with the two of them slipping on the latter and landing hard on their butts, screaming hysterically.

“What the Hades...”

Giggling, and trying to catch their breaths after having chased each other around the kitchen - which now looked like the great flood had hit it
–
they glanced up at the kitchen doorway to see Lucien and Ella gazing around in wonder. Magnus stood chuckling behind them.

“What have you done to my kitchen?” Ella squeaked.

“It
’
s totally her fault.” Jaeden laughed, flicking bubbles at Caia.

“What...” Caia
’
s mouth fell open.

They turned at the sound of Lucien
’
s laughter. “If you were going to have a water fight couldn
’
t you have told us? Some guys pay to watch that stuff, you know.”

“
Lucien
,” Ella admonished.

“What?” He laughed innocently, and then turned back to look at Caia. “Need a hand up?”

She shook her head, wincing at the pain from her butt when she
’
d landed on the hard floor. She laughed breathlessly. “I think I can manage.”

“I might need a hand.” Jaeden smiled flirtatiously.

“A hand? You need something but it
’
s not a hand.” Caia groaned, getting to her feet. She pulled Jaeden up with her before turning to Ella. “We
’
ll clean it up, I promise.”

“Hmm,” she grunted, un-amused, and spun on her heel to leave.

Lucien and Magnus followed, and she could hear Lucien say, “Leave
‘
em be. She
’
s just having some fun.”

Jaeden raised an eyebrow as she turned back to Caia. “Sounds like Lucien
’
s championing someone.”

Caia frowned distractedly, looking around them at the mess. “How did we do this?” She snorted.

Jaeden laughed wearily. “I don
’
t know, but we better clean it before Ella decides to
end
us.”

Sitting down at
her desk, Caia smiled sheepishly at Jaeden who was sprawled across her bed, now in dry clothing borrowed from Irini
’
s closet. Caia
’
s clothes were all a little too short.

“You think Ella will forgive us?”

The kitchen was now sparkling clean after a thorough tidy up. Tired and a little afraid of Ella, Jaeden had followed Caia up to her bedroom rather than sit with the rest of the family.

“She already has, I hope.” Jaeden sighed, glancing down at the calculus work Caia had left on the bed. “Dude, what is this?” She tilted her answer book up at her.

“Drywall,” she replied sarcastically.

“Haha, funny.”

Caia smiled. “What are you talking about?”

“Uh, the genius solutions you
’
re apparently capable of.”

“What?” Caia knitted her brow in confusion and took the answer book Jaeden held out to her. Her eyebrows must have hit the roof. “What the Hades...”

Now in the once blank space next to the problem she had been unable to solve was a solution and answer. She had no idea if it was right. There was no way on Gaia
’
s green earth she would have been able to come up with that. It was gobbledy-gook.

“I have no idea how this got here.” She looked up at Jaeden, her eyes round with confusion. “Did you do this? Are you messing with me?”

Jaeden snorted. “Jeez, no. I wouldn
’
t even know where to start with calculus. Or anything to do with math. Math hates me.”

“Irini, maybe? One of the others?”

Jaeden sat up and stared at Caia like she had gone a little crazy. “You
’
re saying you didn
’
t answer this?”

“No!” Caia stood up abruptly. “This is just another in a long line of weird things that have happened to me this week.” She grimaced, staring hard out of the window as if the forest would give her the answers. Images passed across her eyes - of water coming on of its own accord; of Alexa
’
s chair flying away from her without anyone having touched it. What was going on here?

“What other weird things?” It was Jaeden
’
s turn to frown.

Could she tell her? She felt like she could trust her, but she had only known her for a week, and telling her this stuff would probably only make her think she was a prime candidate for the insane asylum.

“I um...” Caia took a breath.
No
. This, she would have to keep to herself, until she could work out what was going on. “Nothing. You know... I forgot the teacher did this one as an example for me. I must really be exhausted, huh?” She laughed hoping it didn
’
t sound entirely fake to her.

At first she thought Jaeden was going to argue, her gaze narrowing as if she were trying to see past something. It seemed she gave up, however, smiling gently. “You
’
re cuckoo, you know that?”

“It
’
s been drawn to my attention on occasion.”

“Beside the cuckoo, I
’
m really glad you came back. You
’
re sort of soothing.”

She smiled gratefully. “You were right before. I
’
m not used to being around so many people. I hope I can keep the names straight.”

“Yeah, you are kind of awkward.”

Caia grunted. “Well, thanks.”

Laughing, Jaeden threw a pillow at her. “I
’
m kidding.”

There was a moment of comfortable silence, and then Jaeden giggled as if she had just remembered something. “So, you ready to get publicly naked on your first run with the pack?”

Caia
’
s heart stopped. “Get what?”

“Are things going
to plan?” he asked his agent.

“Very well. I nearly have all the information I need to execute Phase One,” she purred back at him.

“You
’
ve raised no suspicions?”

“Not a single one.”

“Good. Make sure it stays that way. I want the information I need soon. Very soon.”

“You
’
ll have it, sir.”

“Hm, we
’
ll see. I
’
ll be in contact.” He turned to Lars as he placed the phone down on the receiver. His assistant was hopping from one foot to the other, like a puppy dog waiting on a treat.

“Well?” Lars asked excitedly.

“Do you have to be right at my back? Go stand on the other side of the room.”

“I take it things aren
’
t going well.” Lars
’
s face fell as he inched away from his superior.

“According to our spy everything
’
s going perfectly well. She
’
ll be sending the information we need over the next few weeks.”

“And Caia?”

“Integrating into the pack. By the time we get the little bitch, the pack may actually mourn her.”

Lars sneered. “Yes, but by then we
’
ll have all the information we need to destroy the rest of the mangy mutts … they won
’
t have time to mourn the abomination.”

A slow, lazy smile spread across his face. He liked it when his lackeys were particularly enthusiastic. “Sometimes, I do like your way with words.”

“You nervous about the run tomorrow?” Sebastian asked, as he eased back on her bed. Caia had been hoping to maybe sleep late, what with it being a Saturday and all, but she
’
d been woken up by Ella, who told her she had visitors coming over. She
’
d reluctantly got up and showered, had a sleepy breakfast with Ella, while Irini sat sipping cup of coffee after coffee. She was venturing out to an early picnic with Aidan. Caia hoped Aidan liked grumpy for brunch because Irini really wasn
’
t a morning person.