The Alpha King's Witch Bride
Chapter 243: _He’s Always Watching

Chapter 243: _He’s Always Watching

(Warning: Dark Themes Ahead)

"What the...?" I was at a loss for words as I stared at the wolf child whose eyes were empty and black.

No pupils, no iris. Just pitch black.

Suddenly, the purple liquid within the glass capsules began bubbling at a rapid rate, as if it were boiling. The child’s fingers twitched ever so slightly... Until a cold grin curled up his lips.

"Shit."

Before I knew what was happening, the glass capsule exploded, sending shards of glass and the purple liquid everywhere. I took a few steps back and used my arms to shield my face, gritting my teeth.

When my eyes fluttered open, I was stunned by what I saw next.

The little boy was crouching on the ground at first but then slowly rose to his feet, his empty black orbs locking on me.

That was no longer the body of a child. Something twisted, something evil... Resided in him now.

’Fuck them kids! Pummel him to the ground!’ Damon snapped in my head just then, causing me to blink a bit.

’And THIS is why I’m always hesitant to let you out.’ I growled with frustration mentally. ’What do you mean we should pummel him? He’s still a—’

Before I could finish our bickering, the child let out a bone-chilling scream before pointing his hands at me. Two powerful blasts of black energy shot out of his hands and headed toward me.

I knew the blasts were powerful because the air hummed with power before even reaching me.

My instincts went into overdrive as I crouched, avoiding the blasts as my mind reeled on what they might be.

There was only one explanation but I felt like it was impossible. It had to be...

"Magic?" I mumbled, squinting my eyes and bringing my gaze back to the boy as he sent blast after blast at me.

I evaded all, ducking, jumping and even using the element of surprise to sneak behind him until I finally managed to grab the little urchin by his arms, raising him off the ground.

Meanwhile, as the boy struggled against my grip, I felt vibrations coming from the other side of the atrium, causing me to swerve my head in that direction.

I peered through the black wall and saw that Odessa was still hot at it with the raven witch, holding her own despite not having many spells in her arsenal.

The raven witch was more versatile and skilled, levitating and dodging attacks with ease while having the time to cackle and taunt Odessa.

She seemed to be trying to get Odessa to fall deeper into her rage. And if that was the case... Why?

’Don’t give in, Odessa.’ I said to her through the mind link at the same moment that the little wolf boy in my hands growled and snarled, baring his fangs at me.

"You will not win!" He said in a voice that sounded like two people speaking at once, laughing malevolently. "He’s watching! He’s ALWAYS watching.".

My eyebrows furrowed into a frown.

He’s watching?

Who’s watching?

Suddenly, veins of black began to snake along his arms, and his mouth stretched into a grin too wide. The magic inside him was eating him alive.

The magic and the fact that the raven witch admitted to working for the lord of North brought me to a startling revelation.

The boy was an artificial Hybrid! Or, at least... Something close to one.

That’s why the raven witch was so interested in getting to Odessa. A true hybrid like Odessa could help her solve the code of creating a perfect hybrid through her twisted rituals.

But if they could do this to a ten-year-old... what would they do to a true hybrid like Odessa?

The realisation slammed into me harder than any physical blow ever could.

This boy... wasn’t meant to survive this.

He was a test. A sacrifice. A container not for a soul, but for corruption.

I stared into his trembling body... at how his veins pulsed violently beneath his skin, glowing an eerie black-purple with unstable magic. His limbs spasmed now, jerking uncontrollably as if puppeted by a dozen invisible hands.

And yet... he laughed.

It was the kind of laugh that should never come from a child’s mouth.

I gritted my teeth, my claws elongating involuntarily.

"You were just a kid..." I muttered, almost choking on the lump in my throat.

He looked up at me, his head twitching like a broken doll, before speaking again—this time, in a calm whisper that didn’t sound like him at all.

"Help... me."

Just two words, barely audible.

Almost drowned out by the sharp crack of his bones snapping as his body convulsed violently mid-air.

Then... BOOM.

A surge of black magic exploded from within him, knocking me off my feet and hurling me across the room like a ragdoll. I crashed into a metal pillar, my bones screaming from the impact, but I didn’t even flinch.

Because what I saw when I lifted my gaze made my stomach plummet.

The boy’s small frame was levitating now, his eyes rolled back, mouth agape as dark tendrils burst from his spine like twisted wings. He was screaming as the corruption tried to tear its way out of him.

And then...

He exploded.

Not in a way that left gore or blood... no. His body disintegrated into shards of obsidian crystal and ash, vanishing like smoke as a blood-curdling screech echoed through the atrium.

Something escaped from inside him. Some... presence.

A shadow.

And just before it disappeared into the dark magic wall, I saw a flash of eyes.

Blood-red.

And... Oddly familiar.

"He’s always watching." The words echoed in my mind as my eyes quivered.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

Was that... The lord of the North?

Or worse... Someone or something stronger than him?

My fury surged.

Every nerve, every cell in my body screamed for vengeance.

They used that boy like a lab rat.

Like he didn’t have a name. A family. A fucking soul.

"YOU MONSTERS!" I roared, and before I could stop myself, I turned to the remaining capsules and let the full force of my Alpha King aura explode outward.

Glass shattered.

Every. Single. One.

The liquid hissed and steamed as I walked through it, tearing open each capsule with my claws, yanking out limp bodies of children, teens and even adults. All of them were modified, scarred and marked with runes etched directly into their skin.

Most of them were unconscious.

Some were too far gone.

But a few... A few stirred weakly in my arms.

"I’ve got the captives. Get them out of here!" I bellowed through a comm device to the Mexico City soldiers waiting outside the pocket dimension. "NOW!"

I scooped a young girl into my arms, her body trembling like a leaf. Her ears were burned, and I could feel the faint pulse of artificial magic stitched to her heart like a bomb.

She blinked up at me with milky eyes. "Please... don’t let her... find me again..."

My breath caught.

I looked up toward the dome ceiling, which had several cracks on it, and suddenly, the air turned frigid.

Suddenly, Odessa let out a shriek from behind the black veil. I turned sharply just in time to see her magic explode outward, her body glowing faintly with golden-violet fire.

The raven witch was screaming, too... But it wasn’t in pain.

It was in delight.

Like she wanted this to happen.

"No!" I roared, stepping toward the barrier as I watched Odessa’s eyes glow a fierce, unnatural light.

It was a light that didn’t belong to her. The air rippled as her body began levitating slightly, and that’s when I knew...

She wasn’t in control anymore.