Layla

Isabelle


I followed Kaden as he lead me downstairs, he'd insisted to carry me but I declined his offer since I could walk but he still had his protective hold on my wrist. He really didn't plan on letting my hand go.

Cassandra, Jason, and Carter had already gathered around the dining area and sat on their seats, Kaden made me sit beside him as he took his seat as well.

"Good morning, Isabelle," Cassandra smiled at me, her eyes seemed to notice the small marks Kaden had left on me at the start of the morning but she didn't say anything about it.

"Good morning," I smiled back.

Jason was too busy stuffing food inside his mouth yet he greeted me good morning followed by Carter whose mouth was half full of food.

"Well I heard that you both are a couple now, is that true Isabelle?" Cassandra smiled, her tone made me blush.

"Umm...I-I..." I hesitated and felt the heat traveling to my cheeks.

"Oh come on, Isabelle. You don't need to feel shy, you are his mate after all," Carter spoke before biting onto the sandwich. His statement made me blush even more.

"Yeah, he's right," Jason chirped in.

"And You both can stop eating like a pig, none's going to snatch your food from you," Kaden groaned, the annoyance becoming clear on his expression.

"Oh come on, you can just go all grumpy old ass on us just at the start of the morning," Carter spoke, his teeth still moving to chew the bread.

"You two don't wanna get beaten do you?" Kaden's Jaw ticked.

"You don't want Isabelle to think bad of you that you beat your friends for no reason, do you?" Jason smirked.

"Damn this prick!" Kaden muttered under his breath.

A small giggle slipped past my lips, their conversation looked funny to me and even more because of Kaden's reactions--He looked cute.

Kaden glanced at me, his annoyance slowly getting washed away but then Jason decided to open his mouth again causing the same expression to get plastered on his face again.

"So, Kaden is whipped for his mate huh?" The mischief in his voice matched the look on his face.

"Jason, I swear to God if you don't shut up right now...I'll..."

"Come on, Kaden. You know you are already swooning over Isabelle, you better not get angry when they are saying the truth." Cassandra chuckled. The blush took upon my face the mention.

"Thank you, Cassie," Jason and Carter spoke in unison.

I saw the disbelieve passing through Kaden's eyes," I can't believe you are supporting these two freaks!" He exclaimed.

"We are not going to get the chance to pull your legs again, so we are making adequate use of it." She responded, the mischief that I had previously seen in the eyes of the other two men now shined in her eyes too.

I had to bite my bottom lips to stop the laughter that threatened to tear from my throat.

I saw Kaden Jaw clenching, the frustration now becoming evident. In order to save him from the situation, I ran a small debate in my head and uttered the question.

"Ummm...when's Layla coming?"

Three pairs of eyes set on me followed by Kaden's one that made it a four.

"Why would she come?" A perpetual frown settled on Cassandra's lips.

Before her reaction could confuse me, Kaden took the cue to speak, "Oh, I forgot to inform y'all. Layla's going to be here in a few minutes, she'll be staying with us for a week or so."

"And why the heck she is coming here?" Cassandra spoke, her eyes now partially glaring at Kaden. Carter and Jason didn't look pleased by Kaden's announcement at all but they didn't say anything.

"To spend time with us, of course," Kaden chuckled almost looking confused by Cassandra's reaction.

"Well...you are wrong in this matter," Carter spoke, no sign of mischief in his voice," She is coming here only because......."

"She is going to act like the witch she is and try trapping you in her trap so that you will marry her." Jason finished Carter's sentence.

I didn't know why their conversation caused the awkward pit to rise in my chest. I didn't know why the thought of Kaden marrying someone else hurt me. We were supposed to marry we love, so did that mean Kaden loved her? If yes, then why did Jason say that Layla wanted to trap Kaden?

It was too complex for my brain to understand.

"I don't understand why you guys think of her so bad," Kaden sighed shaking his head, "Cassandra, do you remember the time when her dad sent the proposal to our parents? She was the one to decline it first because she knows I don't have any feelings for her and she considers me a friend too."

"That's your misconception, Kaden," Cassandra folded her hands over her chest," She did it only because she wanted to be great in your eyes and by doing that of course she is a, e even greater in your eyes that seem to notice the threats from even hundreds of miles away but not the one you keep around by considering a friend."

I silently listened to their conversation. At this point, Layla's character seemed controversial to me. Out of the four people in the room, three of them were saying Layla wasn't a nice person, and the person I trusted the most believed that Layla was not as they thought.

I trusted Kaden but this time I really couldn't get myself to fully trust his words.

"What are you even talking about?" Kaden chuckled, "How can she be a threat?"

"I think you really don't understand how deceitful she is in nature and mark my words even if she is not a threat to you...her jealously would effortlessly turn her a threat to Isabelle," Cassandra's tone did say it all, she was serious.

"You are thinking of it way too far, Cassandra," Apparently Kaden was not taking her seriously," Layla won't do any such thing."

"You shouldn't have agreed on allowing her to come here when you know that we all are here trying our best to ensure Isabelle's safety. She's like a little sister to me and even if you consider Layla safe none of us do."Jason spoke, my eyes softened when he uttered the word 'Sister.'

"Can I say something?" I spoke before Kaden could respond.

All of their gazes shifted at me.

"Of course, you can." Cassandra's tone changed almost immediately, now it was soft and calm.

"You all are going to be with me, right? It's just a matter of a week. Even if she is evil or does anything bad you all are going to be there to save me. So why not we just have our breakfast instead of arguing?" I smiled trying to change everyone's mood that had gotten playful to serious and argumental in a spilt of seconds after the mention of Layla.

"You've really gotten, Lucky. Kaden," Carter spoke, shaking his head whilst a small chuckle slipped past his lips, "God knows, how did you get someone like her."

"Of course, he got Lucky," Cassandra chuckled too," Otherwise how this devil could get such a kind girl? It was impossible."

I saw the smile tugging at Kaden's lips too, my smile didn't hold back anymore as I saw the atmosphere around gradually getting empty from that thick tension.

"But, this topic doesn't end here Kaden Moretti. If I see Layla doing anything that triggers me I'll disregard the fact that she is your childhood friend and throw her out of the mansion." She spoke again.

"As your wish," Kaden chuckled.

"By the way when the witch is coming?" Carter asked.

"Maybe she's on the...." Before Kaden could finish his sentence the doorbell rang.

"Talk about the witch and the witch is here," Jason spoke.

I saw a maid hurrying to open the door, and soon as they don't open a dark-haired woman wearing a short green dress came into my view. The maid took her luggage and she walked inside, She had long legs that seemed to shimmer and red color painted on her lips.

Her eyes didn't look at anyone else instead they only focused on Kaden, "Hello, my Prince Charming," She spoke, it almost looked as though she used the nickname for fun but her eyes said something else.

Smiling Kaden stood up, "Hey, Layla," He walked over to her, suddenly all the happiness inside me seemed to vanish.

"Oh, I hate her," Cassandra muttered under her breath.

"Thank you, Cassie. I love you too," She seemed to hear it had her chuckle made it obvious that she didn't take Cassandra's words to heart.

She wrapped her arms around Kaden and he hugged her back, the food in my mouth now seemed of no taste except for the bitterness that I felt spreading inch by inch.

"How are you? you didn't even call me once...not fair huh," She playfully nudged Kaden's arms.

"I got busy with work, Layla," Kaden responded, "Tell me, how's everything going? I heard that you are taking on the royal duties, is that true?"

"Yeah, since I am planning on getting married soon so that's why I decided to complete some of my duties before I rule another empire," She chuckled walking closer to the dining table and grabbing the apple from Cassandra's plate, and raising it to her own mouth, her eyes mocking Cassandra as she did so.

"I see, you still couldn't get rid of your habit of stealing, still a little thief you were from the start," Cassandra chuckled, the humor was less and the harshness was more in it.

"Come on, Cassie. You know I can't resist temptation," Her eyes glanced at Kaden before she winked at her. I hadn't got to meet a lot of people in my life but her behavior really made me think that she wasn't as nice as Kaden thought.

"That's why you steal men too, ain't I right?" The sweet tone Cassandra used didn't fit to her expression.

"It's not my fault that men chose me over their partners," She shrugged, her cat eyes shined with something....maybe evil?

"It's your overconfidence, maybe they just consider you a time pass," Jason spoke, his eyes didn't even glance at her instead they just stayed on the drink he was savoring.

Before Layla could come with another response, Kaden interrupted the conversation.

"Okay, enough sweet quarrel for today," His words were sarcastic, and eyes sent a message to them except for Layla as if he was telling them to stop.

"Layla you must be tried, why don't you just take a rest?" Kaden asked.

For some reason, I didn't like how sweet his voice sounded when he talked to her but I also knew it was wrong of me to feel so. She was his friend and one shouldn't treat their friend badly, should they?

"Yeah, you are right but I think I'm having more fun here," The chuckle from her sounded artificial as though behind that chuckle there hid something else too.

I saw Cassandra intaking a sharp breath whilst her eyes closed for a second, but when they opened her gaze landed on nowhere but me. I could see the unfamiliar glint that flickered in her eyes.

"Oh, Layla...have you met the new member yet?" She asked glancing at Layla.

"What?" She asked, almost sounding confused.

"Damn, too bad. You didn't know about it," Carter spoke, his voice was sympathetic which was not real from what I could notice.

"Well..meet Isabelle," Cassandra motioned her hand towards me, and Layla's eyes finally landed on me, "Kaden's Mate." The emphasis on the word mate was the exact moment when I saw different colors shining in Layla's eyes.

From what I could identify, one was bitterness, one was envy, and the last one was pure fury. And then she shouted in anger.

"SHE IS YOUR MATE?!"

Her anger caught me off guard and the smirk displayed on Carter, Jason, and Lastly on Cassandra's lips as if a plan they'd suddenly made had succeeded.

The confusion on Kaden's face took over and I found everybody in the room waiting for his reaction including me. One thing I knew was, whatever his reaction was going to be was not going to please Layla whose cat eyes were burning in rage, and the reason behind it was still unknown.