Alie handed the cup filled with aromatic coffee to Gabriel before finally pouring green tea for herself.
"Fated encounters are the most wonderful ones in my eyes," Carlos said.
"I used to have a mate before I found Gabriel," Alie replied.
"So, Gabriel is your second mate!? That’s interesting," Carlos said, resting the cup and saucer on the table.
Alie glanced at Gabriel, asking for his permission whether she should share the truth with Carlos.
"I didn’t find my mate after turning eighteen. It took twelve years for my wolf to finally respond to a woman. But before that, it responded to the pup in her womb," Gabriel explained. "We had quite an interesting encounter that night," he added, smiling and looking at Alie.
"Hmm. I get it," Carlos said. He realized Alie had a bad experience with her first mate. But he was happy that she got a second mate right away.
"You’re going to give birth to a boy," Carlos affird, bringing both Gabriel’s and Alie’s attention to him.
"Wait, how do you–" Alie paused in a disbelief gaze.
"I’m blessed with the power of visions. I never told you about my family since we t for such a short period. My mother and father both were powerful in the witch’s world. From them, I inherited so traits," Carlos replied.
He leaned back slightly on the couch, his tone softening. "Do you rember what I told you the day I left your pack?"
Alie furrowed her brows, searching her mory. "You said a lot of things... but I never really contacted you after that. I thought staying in touch with soone from the witch’s world might bring complications, especially back then."
Carlos chuckled faintly. "I understand. But that day, I told you your life would change through sothing unexpected, so be careful of choosing your mate."
Alie furrowed her brows while Gabriel narrowed his eyes, clearly trying to read between Carlos’s words.
"Did you see an older version of her in your vision back then?" Gabriel asked.
"Sort of," Carlos replied. Then he added with certainty, "The pup isn’t yours, is it? It’s from her forr mate."
"Yes," Alie admitted. "After I was rejected... I found out I was pregnant. I know it might sound wrong to keep the child after that, but I just couldn’t bring myself to end the pregnancy. I decided to raise my pup alone... until Gabriel ca into my life."
Gabriel took her hand in his, giving it a firm, comforting squeeze. "It doesn’t matter to whose blood the child carries. What matters is that I found Alie, and I chose her, and everything that cos with her."
Carlos offered a small, sincere smile. "That’s... truly admirable of you."
Gabriel took the final sip of his coffee before it could cool further, while Alie absentmindedly left her green tea untouched.
"You ntioned you had sothing important to discuss," Carlos prompted, sensing the shift in mood. "What is it?"
Gabriel’s gaze flicked to the nearby servants still cleaning the area, and then to Albus, who stood at a respectful distance.
"Clear the mansion," Gabriel ordered Albus. "No one stays until I say otherwise." He had forgiven Albus, thus giving him one last chance.
Albus gave a slight bow and quickly ensured that every servant exited the premises.
Once silence settled over the room, Gabriel reached into his pocket and retrieved his phone. Unlocking it, he handed it to Carlos, revealing an image of a strange, ancient-looking mark.
"This symbol, it’s on the back of Alie’s neck. And I recently discovered it’s also etched on my scalp," Gabriel said solemnly.
Carlos examined the image with focused eyes, studying the intricate curves and lines.
"Do you know anything about it?" Gabriel asked.
Carlos shook his head slowly. "No... I’ve not seen it before."
He then looked up at Alie. "May I see it? Only if you’re comfortable."
Gabriel turned to her, silently asking if she was okay with it. Alie nodded, locking eyes with him.
"Go ahead," she said softly.
Alie rose from her seat, and Gabriel gently swept her hair over her shoulder to reveal the back of her neck. Carlos approached, maintaining a respectful distance until he caught sight of the mark etched clearly into her skin.
"I’d like to touch it," he said, seeking permission from both Alie and Gabriel.
"You can," Alie replied softly.
Carlos reached out and lightly pressed his fingers against the mark. The mont his skin made contact, a sudden wave of energy pulsed through his hand. His eyes glazed over, a quick blur of vision overtaking him, and he staggered back, withdrawing his hand almost imdiately.
Gabriel, noticing the subtle shift in his expression, stood alert. "What happened?"
Carlos forced a smile, though his breathing had changed slightly. "Nothing to worry about," he said, masking the disorientation he felt.
Alie turned to face him fully, her brows gently furrowed in concern.
"I’ll look into it," Carlos assured them. "But... that mark isn’t ordinary. It holds power, possibly ancient. I can’t say anything for certain yet, not until I understand it better."
Gabriel gave a single thoughtful nod, though his eyes remained locked on Carlos, watching him closely.
’Why did I see a witch?’ Carlos wondered silently. ’Her eyes were filled with vengeance. What connection does she have to this mark?’
A flicker of uncertainty crossed his face before he spoke again. "Gabriel... the mark on your head. Have you ever seen it yourself?"
Gabriel shook his head. "No. My mother told about it once, but... she never explained anything."
Carlos humd under his breath. "Then we need to see it for ourselves. Let’s check if it matches Alie’s."
He gestured for Gabriel to sit.
Gabriel sat down without question, and Carlos stepped behind him. Carefully, he parted Gabriel’s hair with his fingers, searching through the thick strands. Alie moved closer, a curious look on her face, her gaze fixed on Carlos’s fingers.
"There it is..." Carlos whispered, finally finding it. "And it’s not the sa."
Alie’s heart skipped a beat.
Carlos leaned in for a closer look, his brows drawing together. "It’s similar in structure, but different in design. Like... two pieces of a sigil ant to be joined. One mark complents the other."
Gabriel tilted his head slightly. "A pair?"
"Possibly. Or two halves of sothing greater," Carlos murmured.
He stepped back, arms folded, as his mind spun with implications.
"I’ll need ti. And access to older scrolls from the witch archives. But one thing is clear, these marks were never ant to be on wolves."
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