Rejected and Pregnant: Claimed By The Dark Alpha Prince

The next morning, when Amelie woke up, as promised, Gabriel was next to her. Seeing the serene expression on his sleeping face, she felt relieved.

She turned her head to look at the time. It was still early morning hours. Though Amelie didn't wish to leave the bed, she eventually did. After freshening up, she went to the garden for a morning walk. Touching the flowers, covered in the morning dew, brought joy to her heart.

Her gaze lingered on the rain lilies, which were yet to bloom. Amelie looked at the sky, which was covered with clouds. "I wonder if it would rain today," she murmured.

"By the time you'll be here," Amelie's hand instinctively moved to her growing bump, "It's going to be winter."

A small smile formed on her lips as she began walking further. Her feet slowed as she felt Gabriel's presence. Before she could turn around, his hand came over hers and slowly their fingers intertwined.

"Good morning, Love," said Gabriel, flashing his smile. "Why did you come alone for the walk?"

"When did you return? You should have slept more. A good sleep is necessary for the body to function properly," she opined, showing her valid concern.

"I slept almost six hours. I returned by midnight," Gabriel said. "Besides, the morning gets beautiful with you and Noa by my side," he added.

The two began walking when Amelie asked, "Did you find out anything related to Ophelia?"

"Not yet," Gabriel replied.

"Oh. That's going to be troublesome," Amelie murmured.

"It already is. But don't fret. How long can she hide from us?" Gabriel chuckled.

"Why would she show herself?" Amelie questioned. "Maybe she knows we aren't getting affected," she asserted, "and finding new ways."

"That can be a possibility. But let's not talk about her in the morning. Now, there are only two months left before you'll give birth to a beautiful baby boy," Gabriel said, his hand squeezing hers firmly.

"Even I was thinking the same. Then, we will be mother and... Father," Amelie said.

"Why did you take a pause? Do you still think I don't consider Noa as mine just because you've him with Alex?" Gabriel tilted his head.

"No, that's not true," Amelie refused immediately.

"Then, why the hesitation?" Gabriel asked. "I'm not burdened by any of this. And Noa responds to me. He considers me as his father."

"I know," Amelie replied. "I didn't think like that. I paused because it still feels like a dream. You chose to be the father of Noa. That's such a blessing for both of us," she explained. "Let's go over there, near the big lake," she then added, pointing northward.

"Sure," Gabriel said. "You two are also a blessing for me. I got a mate with a little bun," he muttered, causing her to smile brightly.

~~~~~

Casaio brushed the hair strand away from Zilia's face which caused her sleep to abruptly break.

Sensing that, Casaio promptly pulled back his hand and sat straight while Zilia looked at him with a daze. She touched her cheek, verifying if something was there.

"Did I oversleep?" Her eyes moved to the wall clock and saw it was indeed late. Quickly, she sat up on the bed. "You should've woken me up early. Are we supposed to go back today?"

"No. We are staying another day here," Casaio replied. "Gabriel needs us," he asserted, his tone reflecting his tense state.

"I tried asking Amelie, but she didn't reply, saying we should know it from Gabriel," Zilia pronounced. She lifted her hands and tied her hair into a bun.

"A witch is after their lives. Something has happened in their past, which none of them knows about," Casaio briefly explained.

"Why? Wait! Your mother always used to speak about a prophecy that Gabriel would bring havoc. Is it something related to that?" Zilia frowned.

"I don't know fully. Gabriel wants us to stay away since the fight with the witch won't be easy. Above all, this is an old witch, who has been alive for decades," Casaio explained.

"That's why Carlos has come to help them. We should also help them in every way we can. Did they able to find the witch?" Zilia questioned.

"Not yet," Casaio answered. "It's not easy to find her. She is hiding herself well."

"Casaio, it just hit me," Zilia said, eyes narrowing as she recalled the earlier encounter. "Amelie... she's not an omega."

Casaio glanced at her, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"I sensed it," Zilia continued. "During our conversation, I kept feeling an alpha presence from her. It was a strong presence. And she's not wolf-less either. I was so caught up in everything that I forgot to say anything to her."

Casaio's expression turned thoughtful. Now that Zilia mentioned it, he too had noticed something unusual about Amelie. But they'd grown so used to her presence that the realization had slipped past him.

"You're right," he finally admitted. "There's definitely something different about her. Gabriel did mention curses. Maybe Amelie was under one… which hid her true nature."

"We need to ask them about it," Zilia said. "Soon."

Casaio nodded in agreement. "We will."

Zilia leaned in slightly, her voice dropping. "While I was working undercover as a spy, I picked up rumors about witches' hideouts. It might be a lead. Maybe the witch Amelie and Gabriel are looking for is hiding in one of them."

Casaio raised a brow. "That could be a breakthrough. Do you know where any of these places are?"

"I know of one," she replied cautiously. "But it's not in San Ravendale. It's in the capital."

"The capital?" he asked, interest piqued.

"Yes," she confirmed. "It's hidden in what's believed to be an old weapons house. Or so the rumors say. I never followed up on it because it wasn't relevant to my mission at the time."

Casaio frowned slightly. "A witch hiding in a weapons house? That's… bold."

"I know," Zilia replied. "But witches are known for disguising their presence in places no one would think to look."

"Then we'll check it out," Casaio said firmly. "If there's even a chance it leads to answers about the witch they are looking for, it's worth it."

Zilia gave a firm nod, "Yes." Then, her gaze softened, realizing they both started talking so casually after such a long time as if they both trusted each other.

Casaio felt the same. "Y-you should freshen up. We are already late for breakfast," he said, turning to stand up.

Zilia held his hand and leaned forward. The next second, her lips were on his as she kissed them firmly.