Chapter 61
"You are pregnant!" Sophie exclaimed, her eyes widening with excitement.
I froze, the words hanging in the air like an unwelcome guest. "I don’t think she was supposed to hear that," Fatima said in a dull tone, staring at Bella's mother, who looked as if she had just seen a ghost.
I mentally facepalmed, feeling a rush of anxiety. "Yeah, me too," I replied with a sigh.
"Oh, shit...well, now she knows. But seriously!" Sophie said, covering her mouth with a smile, her excitement uncontainable despite the awkward situation.
All I could think about was how Jake was going to totally murder me for letting that slip. But deep down, a part of me felt a twisted sense of satisfaction. Bella’s mother now knew I was carrying Jake’s baby, not her daughter’s. The feeling of having something to hold over her was exhilarating, as if I had just won the lottery. Watching her reaction was almost worth the chaos that would undoubtedly follow.
Bella's mother blinked twice, her shock quickly morphing into rage. "You are lying. It can't be true, witch!" Elsa spat, her voice low and menacing.
"You can ask Jake if you want," I shrugged, trying to maintain my composure.
Elsa’s face twisted in fury, and it seemed she was on the verge of a screech. "Oh, yes, I will! And if you are pregnant, the council deserves to know you are carrying an abomination!"
"How dare you call her baby an abomination!" Fatima shot back, standing up from her seat, her voice rising with anger.
Elsa growled, her gaze icy. "And who are you...?" She sniffed the air, as if trying to ascertain Fatima's worth. "A human!"
I instinctively stood in front of Fatima, pushing her behind me as a protective barrier. "Yes, she is human and under my protection," I declared, my voice steady despite the turmoil churning inside me.
Elsa scoffed, dismissing me with a wave of her hand. "We will see about all of this!" She turned on her heel and stormed out of the kitchen, leaving a thick tension in the air.
I exhaled loudly, the breath I had been holding finally escaping. Fatima groaned, throwing her hands in the air. "Well, that went well," she said sarcastically.
Sophie rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "She’s definitely on her way to snitch to the council and her devilish husband. I still can’t believe I’m going to be an auntie!" Her excitement was palpable, but it was tinged with worry.
I sighed and smiled at her. "Surprise!" I laughed, and she enveloped me in a bear hug, her joy infectious despite the circumstances.
Fatima, however, remained thoughtful, a frown creasing her brow. "This is sweet and all, but I’m genuinely worried about that evil redhead. Plus, I’m pretty sure there’s a good reason your mate doesn’t want this to go public."
I groaned, realizing she was right. In my rush to assert myself, I might have just made a colossal mistake. "I probably just screwed up to soothe my ego and pride," I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly.
Sophie bit her lip, her expression serious. "Fatima is right, Priscilla. You are a hybrid witch carrying a hybrid baby, and that is pretty much unheard of. Some people might see this as a threat to their kind."
"But why? It’s just a baby," I said in frustration. "Why would anyone want to kill a baby? It doesn’t make any sense!"
"It’s not just a baby," Sophie said, her voice firm. "That child is the first of its kind. People will have questions. They’ll wonder if that child could destroy them or try to end their existence. Your baby’s future power is unpredictable, and some species are unwilling to take the risk of finding out what your baby can do."
I felt a knot form in my stomach. "Why would my child try to destroy anyone? This doesn’t make any sense."
"It sounds like a bunch of people playing guessing games and trying to get rid of your child based on assumptions," Fatima said, rolling her eyes. "The 'what ifs' are basically murder and completely uncalled for."
"Long ago, centuries even, a hybrid baby was born—a vampire born of demon blood. The daughter of Zaire, a notorious thief and murderer from the great city of Anu. He was unbeatable and instilled fear in everyone. He raped Danu, the Princess of Anu, who was cursed by the moon goddess to never see daylight again after she killed her parents for power. After Zaire assaulted her while she slept, she fell pregnant and had a baby. That child grew up with an insatiable appetite for destruction. Ultimately, the baby destroyed the city of Anu, leading to its downfall. This story is why people won’t just accept what they do not know, especially if there’s a chance that something could bring them harm," Sophie explained.
I understood where they were coming from, but I felt a fierce protectiveness welling within me. "I understand, but you cannot be afraid of something you have never experienced before. I am not going to let anything or anyone hurt my baby. I won’t let that happen—over my dead body."
"I think it’s about power," Sophie continued, her tone matter-of-fact. "Everyone wants to be stronger than the next race. Vampires want to be stronger than werewolves, werewolves want to be stronger than vampires, and witches are in the mix too. Nobody likes knowing that there might be another hybrid kind that could be born. It’s like introducing a new competitor that could outshine them."
I felt my anger boil over at the thought. These people were harboring resentment towards my unborn child because of future politics. I held my stomach protectively. "I will burn them alive," I muttered under my breath.
"Excuse me! You have to look at this!" Fatima said, rushing to the window. Her expression shifted from concern to alarm. We followed her gaze outside, and my heart sank.
A huge commotion was unfolding in the courtyard. Crowds of people had gathered, surrounding Marcus, who stood on a makeshift platform, his voice booming with authority. "A witch stands in our territory, and she carries a demon child! An abomination to nature!" he declared, his words cutting through the crowd like a knife. Gasps filled the air, and I could see some people shaking their heads in disbelief, while others nodded in agreement, their faces twisted in anger.
"We cannot accept this! Their kind massacred our people in cold blood, yet your king is still blinded by the witch’s spell! We must get rid of the devil before she destroys us all, just like her kind did to our ancestors and our grandfathers!" he continued, his fervor igniting the crowd. They began to murmur and nod, their expressions growing more hostile as they rallied around Marcus’s inflammatory speech, their energy shifting toward a warlike fervor.
Sophie’s grip on my shoulder tightened. "We need to get you to Jake fast," she urged, her eyes wide with concern.
I nodded, panic rising within me. "Yes, we need to—"
"No need for that; he’s already here," Fatima said, still looking out the window, her expression a mix of awe and fear.
Two men burst into the kitchen, locking the doors behind them. "The Alpha ordered us to keep you safe, Luna," they said in unison, their voices grave yet reassuring. I felt a rush of relief wash over me, nodding my head appreciatively as I looked outside.
But my relief vanished instantly when I spotted Jake in the midst of the crowd, surrounded by a throng of angry men wielding knives and torches. My heart raced as I realized they were turning against their own Alpha because of me. The fear of losing Jake to their fury consumed me, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that the battle for our future was about to begin.
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