The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 121: Chapter 121

Catrina POV:
"He's gone, Rowan," I whispered, my voice broken. "Lucas is gone."
I couldn’t look at him. Couldn't bear to see the reflection of my own pain in his eyes.
My heart ached, a gaping wound that bled with every breath.
He's right. I am useless. I am a burden.
His cruel words echoed in my head, twisting the knife that Isabelle had already plunged into my heart.
I’d been so stupid to believe him, to trust him, to dream of a future where our love could overcome everything.
It was all a lie.
A cruel fairy tale whispered by a wolf who couldn't face his own weakness, his own fear.
A wolf who crumbled under the weight of responsibility, who couldn’t handle being different, who chose the easy way out.
Derek stepped back, the tension between Rowan and me thick in the air.
Even our wolves could sense it, their primal instincts clashing, their loyalties divided.
"We need to focus on finding Lucas, not on…" Derek hesitated, searching for the right words.
He was stuck between his brother and his Luna, a reflection of the brokenness of our pack.
"We don't have time for this," I said, my voice cold and empty.
All the fight had drained out of me. “Every second we waste arguing, Emma is getting further away with my son."
I turned to Derek, my eyes pleading.
His calm, steady presence was the only thing keeping me from falling apart.
“You promised you’d help me, Derek,” I whispered, clinging to his words like a lifeline.
“You promised we’d find Lucas.”
He nodded, his face hardening with resolve.
He put a hand on my shoulder, his touch grounding me.
“We’ll find him, Catrina,” he said, his voice strong and sure.
“I swear it. We’ll turn this city upside down, but we’ll bring Lucas home.”
He glanced at Rowan, his eyes sharp, a silent rebuke.
He was disappointed in his brother, in his outburst, in his failure to be the Alpha he needed to be.
“Rowan,” Derek said, his voice low, a warning in his tone.
“Why don’t you go check the parking lot? See if you can pick up Emma’s scent, her car. We’ll go through the security footage again.”
Rowan flinched. I could see the shame and regret in his posture, in the way he avoided my gaze.
He knows he messed up, my wolf growled, a flicker of bitter satisfaction in her voice.
But it was a fleeting feeling. The pain of losing Lucas, the fear for his safety, overshadowed everything else.
Rowan nodded silently and left the security office.
His scent, a mix of pine and woodsmoke and something sad, lingered for a moment before fading.
I turned back to the monitors, my eyes scanning the grainy images.
I was looking for any sign of Emma, of Lucas, of any clue that could lead me to my son.
Derek, patient and focused, pointed out details, analyzing angles, trying to track Emma’s movements through the crowded mall.
But hours passed, and the trail went cold. Emma had vanished, her scent lost in the sea of human smells.
Her motives were as unclear as the shadows that were lengthening over the city as the sun went down.
We’re losing him, Catrina, my wolf whimpered, her voice full of despair.
He’s gone. He’s really gone.
“Don’t give up hope,” Derek said gently, his hand squeezing my shoulder. “We’ll find him. We have to.”
He was trying to be strong, but I could see the doubt in his eyes, the fear he was trying to hide.
We were facing something we didn’t understand, a darkness that threatened to swallow us all.
Damien. The name had whispered and sent a chill down my spine. A powerful sorcerer, craving my power, seeing Lucas as a pawn in his twisted game.
He’s behind this. I know it.
My wolf growled, her instincts screaming a warning.
But how could I fight an enemy I couldn’t see?
Someone who manipulated people from the shadows, who preyed on our weaknesses?
“There’s something else, Derek,” I said, my voice barely a whisper.
The weight of this secret, this terrifying knowledge, felt heavy on my heart.
He looked at me, his green eyes sharp. He could sense the darkness that was closing in on me.
“What is it, Catrina?” he asked.
I hesitated. Should I tell him? Should I burden him with this, too?
He’s Rowan’s brother. Lucas’ Uncle. He’s pack. You can trust him, my wolf urged, a small voice of hope in the darkness.
I took a deep breath. I had to trust someone.
“It’s not just Emma,” I said, my voice stronger now.
I met his gaze, a silent pact forming between us. We were in this together now.
“There’s… someone else. Someone powerful. Someone who wants to use me, to use Lucas, for… evil.”
Derek tensed, his wolf on high alert.
“Who, Catrina? Who’s behind this?”
“His name is Damien,” I said, the name feeling heavy and dangerous on my tongue. It was a whisper of ancient magic, of a power I couldn't grasp. A threat to everything we held dear. “A sorcerer”
Derek’s eyes widened, a flicker of fear in their depths.
“A sorcerer?” he breathed. “But… that’s just a story. A legend to scare pups.”
“He’s real, Derek,” I said, my voice firm. I knew it in my bones, in my wolf’s gut. “And he’s coming for us.”
Derek stared at me, the weight of my words sinking in.
He was no longer just Rowan’s brother, the Magnus Beta.
He was my ally, my partner in this fight against a darkness we didn’t understand.
We’re in this together, my wolf acknowledged, her voice a low growl of acceptance.
We were united now, bound by fear and a shared need to protect our family, our pack.
The air in the room crackled with tension, the scent of our wolves mixing, their instincts intertwining.
We were warriors now, facing a common enemy.