The Alpha King's Witch Bride
Chapter 180: _The Pregnant Lie

Chapter 180: _The Pregnant Lie

All eyes turned to the source of the screech. It was Celine, who pointed an accusatory finger at an amused Althea.

"You lie. You lie, witch!" Celine snapped, clutching her stomach with her right hand. "You’re only saying that to get attention away from me. B–Because you somehow found out I’m pregnant!"

Oh shit...

Everyone was surprised by her revelation and turned their gazes to me first before staring at her again.

"Celine is... Celine is pregnant?" Odessa asked, confusion thick in her voice.

Gosh, she was going to get the wrong idea.

"Yes, hybrid," Celine said victoriously, laughing maniacally. "And unlike your filthy half-breed baby, my baby will have a say over the throne and will be accepted by the continent. Your child wouldn’t even be—"

"For the love of everything under the moon!" I couldn’t take it anymore and snarled, my voice booming around the throne room and causing everyone to jolt.

I glared at Celine, pointing a finger at her. "Pipe down for once."

"No, Kaelos." Odessa suddenly blurted, stepping forward with a shaky voice. "Let her continue. How does she have your child? Have you... Have you been sleeping with her during our marriage?"

Things were escalating quickly, and I could feel all her emotions. Her anger. Her confusion. The betrayal.

But how do I quickly make her understand that I never betrayed her?

How do I make her know that the last time I had anything to do with Celine was weeks before her arrival and that even then I was drunk?

’You could start by using your words, buddy.’ Damon blurted in my head causing me to draw in a deep breath.

"Weeks before you arrived... I had been drunk, foolish, and desperate for something to feel real. But it has been months since then..." I explained bluntly but that still didn’t seem convincing to her.

Odessa still had her gaze on me, her violet eyes glimmering with anxiety as her chest rose and fell with each trembling breath.

Just when I parted my lips to speak, Celine suddenly burst out into laughter, holding her stomach and using the fingers of her left hand to wipe off tears from her eyes.

"Oh, sweet little Odessa." She muttered, turning around to face Odessa who had her jaw clenched. "When are you going to get the fact that Kaelos is NOT for you? He has never been for you."

I could feel Oddesa’s emotions and confusion reaching a new peak but Celine didn’t seem to be stopping anything soon.

"You’re nothing more than a means to an end." Celine continued, spreading her arms apart. "I ruled beside him for years before you showed up. I helped him keep his hold on the throne. I, with my wit and cunning, have taken down people against his rule."

What the fuck?

’When the heck did any of this happen?’ Damon muttered in my head but I was clueless as he was.

"That thing you call a child..." Celine pointed at Odessa’s stomach, her voice dripping with venom. "It’s nothing. It holds no say and is meaningless as you—"

"Celine!" I roared, my voice shaking the throne room.

But to my surprise, she turned her head swiftly to me and barked. "Oh, shut up, Kaelos! I’m tired of your foolishness. Have you forgotten the leverage my mother had over you?"

The cold smirk on her face was more than enough confirmation that she knew about the secret too. The secret that has haunted me for thirteen years.

"How bitter does someone have to be to go through all this stress simply to get rid of another person?" Odessa suddenly blurted with a scoff, causing all eyes to turn to her.

I watched as she walked toward Celine, ignoring the gazes of Marcellus and Althea. When she was only a few feet in front of Celine, she continued coldly.

"You might have done all those things with him but Kaelos never loved you. He never even cared about you." Odessa’s words were merciless but she clearly didn’t care as she folded her arms in front of her chest. "Why don’t you grow some self-respect for once and MOVE ON?"

There was a deafening silence after she said all that. Celine had her back facing me but I could tell she was seconds away from snapping.

’You have to step in before this turns into a catfight.’ Damon commented in my head, causing me to grit my teeth. ’Although... I would love to see our mate beat some sense into that bitch.’

Fortunately, before things could escalate further, a voice broke through the silence. "Luna Queen Celine!"

All eyes went to the entrance of the throne room where Elder Davina walked into the place with a solemn expression. She drew out an envelope from her robes and waved it around.

"I found this letter in your mother’s body. A letter from an organization called the ’Haven of the Lost’."

My eyes squinted as everyone else blinked with shock and confusion.

"The Haven of the lost?" Althea blurted. "They’re an organization of rogue witches whose members offer their magic services to clients in exchange for a favor."

She brought her gaze to Celine, who seemed like a cornered rabbit now.

"It all makes sense now," Odessa mumbled before sniggering and shaking her head. "The enchanted earrings at the Charity Ball. You were using it to communicate with a witch from this organization who helped you fabricate that video!"

Celine stuttered repeatedly, seeming lost on what to say until she found the right words. "What sort of baseless accusation is that? And what enchanted earrings are you talking about?"

"These." Elder Davina blurted before flinging a pair of golden hoop earrings to Althea who caught them swiftly. "I found those underneath Madame Greyheart’s pillow."

I blinked, remaining silent as all these things began coming to light. It was like a soap opera was unraveling in real life and I was at the center.

"What the fuck were you doing snooping through my mother’s stuff, hag?" Celine sneered at Elder Davina but before she could overreact, I spoke coldly.

"Enough."

I slowly rose to my feet, glaring at Celine who finally turned to face me. My expression was plain as I walked down the steps, my gaze never leaving her.

"I’m not even going to address the fact that you colluded with a witch to frame my wife." I blurted, shaking my head. "But upon more thought... The fact that you’re telling me about your pregnancy NOW when you could’ve easily done so before Odessa’s arrival is suspicious."

Celine parted her lips repeatedly, her eyes quivering with tears. "K–Kaelos, what are you saying?"

My expression remained plain and so did my voice as I blurted. "The baby. Your pregnancy. Is it real or another magic trick?"

Silence.

She blinked, opening and closing her mouth and barely being able to maintain eye contact.

My jaw clenched, and I felt all the parental instincts disappear in a flash as I thundered.

"Answer me, woman!"

Celine jolted but then her jaw clenched as she slowly raised her head, staring at me dead in the eye. I was only a few feet in front of her but I felt something off at that moment.

"Why don’t you ask my mother?"

Her mother?

Before I could comprehend what she meant by that, she made a swift movement, drawing out a dagger and sending it straight for my chest.

"Kaelos!"

The dagger struck flesh, causing my eyes to widen when I felt the stinging pain.

I stumbled back, my blood blooming across my chest like a cursed flower. And Celine... was smiling.