SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Thirty-One
ELENA
Two months later
I winced, rolling out of bed as soon as I heard Gemma's cry. I tried going back to sleep to see if anyone would attend to her, but I had no luck whatsoever as she screamed louder.
Gemma had the complete gene of the Crooks in her since they didn't need a trumpet or any instruments for their voices to be heard.
Gemma's voice, in particular, was ear-splitting, and I wondered if she was acting this way to gain attention from me or her aunts and uncles.
I shuffled out of the bedroom in a velvet robe, reaching just below my knees.
I bumped into Sparkles, who seemed a little cheery this morning.
“Hey!” She mumbled, walking in the opposite direction.
“Hi," I muttered back.
Sparkles and I's friendship seemed surreal, but I was happy that she was indeed a changed person.
She took me like her younger sister even though I was a few months older than her. Also, she was even more protective of me than the rest of her siblings.
“I wonder if that child knows what she is sometimes doing. I would have thrown her out if she wasn't part of this family.” Sparkles mumbled before disappearing down the narrow hall.
It was true, and as I had said before, Gemma's cry was more like an alarm because it often woke all of us.
Even Kellen, who usually sleeps like the dead, her voice wasn't an exception to him.
“Someone should take care of that banshee,” Liam grumbled.
He came out in only a boxer brief that left nothing to the imagination.
“Oh!” He exclaimed.
“I'm so sorry.” I blushed, glancing away from him, before rushing to Callista's door beside his.
It wasn't a new thing to see Liam dressed that way. It happened every morning, and he wasn't even uncomfortable. I kept running into him.
Weirdo!
I tapped the door, then opened it slowly. I peered into the room to see Callista by Gemma's dressing table.
I shook my head as I noticed she was getting changed. Also, I guess it was the reason she had been crying.
“I'm sorry she keeps waking y'all every morning,” Callista murmured. “I feel I'm doing everything all wrong today. She doesn't want to stop crying."
Callista groaned while patting her back.
But that made her yowl even harder.
Moreover, I noticed she was flinching with each pat. I motioned with my hands for her to stop doing so.
I stepped to where they stood and took the baby from her.
Gemma moaned as I observed her. Her chubby hands reached my hair, and she tugged on it.
She giggled and hiccupped.
I grinned as I saw how cheerful she was.
“If only babies could talk," Callista said. “I guess she just wanted you to hold her."
I nodded in agreement.
However, I sensed that was not the case as she began to sob again.
“I don't think so. I think something is wrong with her." I said.
I set her back on the dressing table and took her clothes off, including her diaper.
Then, I saw the red slashes that covered her buttocks. It looked pretty new as if she had been smacked not long ago.
“Why does it look as if she was beaten?" I frowned, my eyes tailing to Callista.
“I promised I didn't do that. I would never hit my granddaughter.” She said.
“I believe you." It was true Callista wouldn't harm Gemma. I had seen how she doted on her, including her kids, even if they were grown-ups.
"But who did?” I inquired.
We both stared at each other, then at the door as it went ajar.
“Mom, you need to see this," Ellen yelled. “Oh, you are here.”
She stopped in her tracks as she saw me.
“What is it?" Callista asked.
“Never mind. I'll tell you later." Ellen's face spread into a broad, fake grin.
“I'm always here, Ellen.” I pointed out. “Why are you acting so funny?”
“I am? It's nothing.” Ellen added quickly while signalling for Callista with a nod of her head.
“You don't need to hide anything from me, and I know it's about him. I already saw the picture of them kissing if that's what you are about to show her.” I grimaced.
Ellen sighed while coming to my side. "That's not it, but it's more serious, and we are planning to go over there since we have a location now."
“See, he's getting married to her, or maybe it's the other way around since he's not in the right state of mind.” Ellen extended her phone toward me.
My heart skipped a beat as I saw the video of him waiting for her in what looked like a garden.
The pillars, tables, and chairs were shrouded with frills and tulles.
Next to Aiden was a rectangular table covered in a pink tulle tutu table skirt. A three-tier cake was stationed on the table with peonies scattered around it.
Moreover, I noticed only two attendees, which were Aiden and the minister who was going to officiate the wedding.
Aiden looked as if he had not been getting any sleep since his disappearance. He looked vulnerable and not like the alpha I knew.
He looked like a puppet.
The suit he donned clung to his body, and his brown hair, which I had always liked dishevelled, was gelled back.
His eyes had dark circles under them, and the corner of his lips curved in a small smile.
“This is our chance of getting Aiden back. I'm sorry, Elena, if you don't want to do this, but we need your help.” Ellen pleaded.
I blinked back, the tears threatening to slip from my eyes while nodding.
“That's fine. I want Aiden back. I think it's time to get back one of our own.”
Indeed, it was the time.
Hecate had cautioned me not to rush into anything because my emotions could worsen the situation.
Hecate had unlocked my powers, and I had trained more with Maya to improve.
Also, Kellen and Liam had taken it upon themselves to teach me how to combat since I was the only female in the pack who couldn't use a fist or sword.
I was better now in both, thanks to them.
“But before then, I need to take care of what is going on with Gemma.”
“Revelare!" I waved my hand over the slashes, and it all came together to form a name.
“S-I-E-N-N-A.” I spelled it out.
“That whore!” Callista grunted.
“It's a good thing we will destroy her today.” Sparkles beamed. “I like the mention of Violence.”
“You need another witch to be with you,” Maya said as she stepped into the room. “So, I'm in.”
“I heard she got tough-looking armies.” Brad chuckled, cracking his knuckles.
“I haven't used these hands in a while,” Jaxon added as he joined us.
My heart leaped with joy as I saw how eager they were to rescue Aiden. It was overwhelming, and I couldn't hold back the tears anymore.
“Aww, stop crying.” Sparkles said.
“You guys are so wonderful. Aiden is so lucky to have you all.” I said, wiping the tears gliding down my cheeks with the back of my hand.
“We are so lucky to have him because he wouldn't wait this long to rescue us if we had been the ones in trouble,” Jaxon said.
I nodded because it was the truth.
Aiden was more like a do-and-think-later man. No matter how awful the situation looked, he would jump into it, and it was a wonder he always came out victorious.
“That's right. We need to get going.” Ellen announced.
“Don't you think we are forgetting something?” Sparkles inquired, halting us.
“The evil twins!” Liam yelled as he dashed out of the room.
Kellen followed behind while shaking his head.
Everyone chuckled, then left the room.
Maya and I did double-layer protection to seal the doorway. The only person who could break the spell we had used was Hecate herself since she had taught me.
I glanced at the house one more time before entering Ellen's car.
I touched the necklace on my neck and silently prayed for the mission to be successful.