CHAPTER 205: _ARTIFICIAL HYBRID

When I heard the knock on the office door, I could already sense who it was and smiled, relaxing more in my seat.

"Come in."

The door swung open and as I expected, Odessa walked in, closing the door behind her as soon as she got in. However, she paused after moving a few steps forward, her gaze landing on Marcellus.

"Oh, hey Marcellus." Odessa greeted him with a small smile before her gaze went to me and she gestured at the door. "I could come back later if..."

I instantly knew where she was going with this and waved my right hand dismissively. "Oh, Odessa, it’s fine. Marcellus and I have talked things out after I apologized and he’s... Forgiven me for my huge mistake at the Charity Ball."

Odessa nodded slowly with a surprised expression, walking further inside with measured steps.

"You’re talking something out with someone and... Apologizing?" She repeated with a teasing tone, causing me to roll my eyes and for Marcellus to chuckle. "I guess the world is healing."

I smiled sarcastically at her while Marcellus continued laughing, shaking his head before getting on his feet.

"I should be on my way. We might need to start scouting for a new Gamma and Delta due to the upcoming blood moon festival five months from now." He remarked.

Oh, right... The Blood Moon festival.

The biggest event among werewolves of North America which only happens once every lunar eclipse.

I’ve never observed one in my lifetime.

"A blood moon festival?" Odessa mused with a curious tone. "Back in our coven, we witches hold events in tune with the lunar cycle. My aunt talked about the blood moon months before I got here."

Marcellus merely flashed her a small smile before walking toward the door. However, when he got in front of the door, he paused, turning around to face me.

"You’ll owe me more than a few words to apologize though. Although I’d say we’re kinda even after your evil ex-wife and uncle almost killed you."

I raised an eyebrow, glancing briefly at Odessa who had already walked to my table, placing her hands on it and smiling at me.

"Are you trying to guilt trip me, Marcellus?" I asked with a light smirk.

He shrugged in response, grinning. "Maybe. Is it working?"

I shook my head as we both laughed a bit more before he finally stepped out and closed the door behind him, leaving me with my mate.

"Mon Ami," I said with a low tone, getting off the chair and turning around the table.

I placed my hands on her shoulders, staring into her eyes as I caressed them tenderly. "How are you holding up?"

Her smile became a bit more solemn as she blinked a few times before speaking. "Probably better than you. I’m... Worried about you, Kaelos. I’m worried that you’re letting all this get into your head. And that’s exactly what the Lord of the North would want."

I smiled wryly, feeling the warmth of her skin and wishing for nothing more than to be in this moment forever. With her and no one else.

"Trust me, Odessa. The lord of the North’s manipulations isn’t what’s getting into my head." I said casually, my smile widening a bit.

She furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head with pure curiosity just then. "Then what is?"

I paused, my eyes becoming distant for a heartbeat. Something flashed through my mind just then.

Madame Greyheart had always pondered on how the whole world would know about THAT secret from over a decade ago if I ever killed her.

She was murdered under mysterious circumstances under my roof. Would her "little birdies," or whatever she called them, leak the secret? Should I be worried about that?

’Dude, let’s forget about that for now.’ Damon chimed in my head just then. ’Look at our mate in front of us. The mother of our child.’

As soon as he said that last part, my small smile turned into a wide grin as I slowly brought my right hand to Odessa’s stomach, pressing it gently there.

She giggled at my touch, blinking at me with reddened cheeks.

"This child is what clouds my mind," I whispered, making each word clear so she could never forget. "You’re all that clouds my mind."

Her blush increased as she lowered her head, seeming too shy to look me in the eyes. I was just about to talk to her through our mind link when she beat me to it.

’Aunt Althea and I had a long discussion in the gardens after the meeting.’ She said through the mind link but her voice sounded somber. ’It was mostly emotional stuff, but talking with her helped me remember an important detail.’

I squinted my eyes, slowly withdrawing my hands from her and taking a step back.

"What’s wrong?"

She raised her head, pursing her lips for a few seconds before she also followed suit and spoke physically.

"Remember the night when I escaped to the Blood Oak woods? When I was captured by those rogues and their leader, Tonka?"

I nodded slowly in response. How could I forget?

I’d ended up slaughtering the bastards but their leader, Tonka, managed to escape. Almost like he disappeared into thin air. Odessa, who had awakened her magic by then, had tried using a spell to track him, but she ended up finding out that he was dead.

Which placed us at a dead end.

"That night before you showed up, Tonka and the others were talking about taking me to the true Lord of the North. Some said it would take too much time and that they weren’t ’artificial Hybrids ’." She revealed, pausing.

I frowned.

"Artificial Hybrids?" I repeated, blinking with confusion. "What’s that?"

She shook her head with a clueless expression but spoke nonetheless. "I don’t know but remembering that info made me come to a hypothesis. What if an artificial hybrid is capable of magic and also has a wolf just like an actual Hybrid like myself?"

When she asked that, my eyes widened.

It was all making sense now!