Defeating the Sisterhood of the Rose

Chapter 10

Over six weeks had gone by since Nero had sent Mojito a letter. Not a word had been heard back. Things were starting to turn for the worse. More accidents were happening and there was a definitive pall over the house. It had gotten so bad that the men never let Isabella and Marcella out of their sight. Isabella even spent the night with the brothers depending on who wanted to watch over her that night.

Early morning sunlight was beginning to shine into the kitchen when Isabella shuffled into the kitchen in nothing but her nightclothes which consisted of a tank top and shorts. She had terrible bed head and was in the middle of a yawn when a shadow flitted across the kitchen floor. It stopped Isabella in her tracks. Her eyes flitted around looking for what had caused the shadow. When she found nothing, Isabella stepped fully into the kitchen.

The skin at the nape of Isabella's neck prickled as she went about fixing coffee for the boys and tea for her and Marcella. It was beginning to drive Isabella up the wall. The feeling was so intense that Isabella kept turning around to glance behind her. Finally, she'd had enough. Isabella left the kitchen to shake Raven awake.

Raven was sprawled across the bed on his back with his mouth open snoring softly. He didn't stir when Isabella whispered his name or when she shook his shoulder. Isabella finally had to resort to walloping him in the stomach. Raven cracked open one eye. Annoyance glinted from beneath his parted lids as he moved the arm that had been thrown over his head.

"There better be a good reason why you decided to wake me up so callously."

Isabella fisted her hands on her hips and glared down at Raven. "If I had wanted to be callous, I would have given you a nut shot."

"Fine," Raven said as he closed his eye. "What did you want?"

"There's something in the kitchen."

"It's just your imagination Isabella. Come back to bed."

"I'm not imagining this Raven. I saw a shadow and I had a prickly feeling on the back of my neck."

Raven cracked open his eye again and studied Isabella. Isabella wrung her hands and shifted nervously from foot to foot as she stared Raven down. He must have seen something that let him know she was telling the truth because he climbed out of bed with a groan. Raven paused long enough to drag on a pair of pajama bottoms before he headed out of the bedroom towards the kitchen.

Isabella stuck to him like glue as cautiously made his way into the kitchen. He looked everywhere, but couldn't find anything. Raven ran a hand through his shoulder length hair in an effort to tame it as he turned back towards Isabella.

"There's nothing here love."

Isabella looked nervously about the kitchen as she rubbed her arms. The feeling of being watched didn't dissipate and it was giving her goose bumps. Raven stepped up next to Isabella and began rubbing her arms in an attempt to soothe her. Isabella leaned into him and was grateful when Raven wrapped his arms around her in a hug. A sense of wellbeing entered Isabella as she basked in the protective embrace of Raven's arms. She completely relaxed against him and wrapped her arms around his waist as she rested her head against his chest.

"I'm sorry."

A chuckle rumbled through Raven's chest as he placed a feather light kiss on the top of her head. "We're all a little spooked."

"I know." Isabella said as she withdrew from Raven and turned to leave the kitchen. "But I am never like this."

"Fear causes everyone to act differently."