The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 124: Chapter 124

Catrina POV:
“He’s alive, Catrina,” Vivian’s voice whispered in my mind. “He’s out there. And you… you can find him.”
Her words were meant to comfort me, but they were hard to hear over the panic screaming inside me.
Fear, unlike anything I’d ever felt, was tearing me apart.
It was the primal fear of a mother separated from her child, a she-wolf whose pup had been stolen.
I collapsed onto the floor of the security office, staring at the city cameras. My legs gave out, and my whole body shook.
I couldn’t breathe.
The flickering monitors, the smell of the room, even Derek’s voice… it all faded away. All I could feel was the empty space in my heart where Lucas should be.
He’s gone. They took him. And it’s all my fault.
The thought stabbed at me, over and over. Every second was torture, filled with fear and uncertainty.
Derek was beside me in an instant.
"Catrina?" He sounded worried.
I couldn’t even look at him. Shame and guilt burned in my throat, choking me.
“Catrina, breathe,” he urged, his voice calm and steady.
“You have to be strong. For Lucas. We’ll find him. I promise. But we need your help.”
His words were kind, but they only made the emptiness inside me ache worse.
I missed Lucas so much. His laugh, his scent, his warmth… all gone.
How can I be strong when a part of me is missing? How can I even breathe when I feel like I’m suffocating?
My wolf whimpered, sharing my pain. She was restless, pacing inside me, her claws scraping against my bones.
Our pup, our sweet baby, was gone. Lost in this cold, human city.
Useless. Weak. A burden.
Rowan’s words, Isabelle’s accusations, all the doubts I’d carried my whole life… they came crashing down on me, crushing me under their weight.
It’s my fault, I whispered, my voice broken. I shouldn’t have come to the city. I should have stayed hidden at the mansion…
“...Like a weak, shameful omega.”
That poisonous lie, the one that said omegas were weak and worthless, burned in my heart. It was eating away at my strength, at my hope.
“No, Catrina,” Derek said firmly. “Don’t even think that. This isn’t your fault. Emma made her choices. And she will answer for them. I swear it.”
I knew he wanted revenge. But revenge wouldn't bring Lucas back.
It wouldn't fix my broken heart.
“We have to find him, Derek,” I pleaded, my voice raw with desperation.
“Please. We have to find Lucas. Before it’s too late.”
“We will find him,” Derek vowed, his voice fierce and determined.
“I swear it on my wolf.” He paused, his gaze intense. “But we need a new plan. Something… different.”
I looked up at him, my eyes blurry with tears. “What do you mean?”
“The police are doing their best,” he said.
“But they don’t understand. They’re looking for a missing child. They don’t see the real danger. They don’t understand the magic, the darkness. They don’t even know about werewolves.”
He was right. The police were searching, but they were searching for the wrong thing.
They were looking for a human child, not a werewolf pup, not a child caught in a supernatural war.
“We need someone who understands those things, Catrina,” Derek said seriously.
“Someone who can guide us, who can help us fight… the unseen dangers.”
“You mean someone like… Vivian?” I asked.
My encounter with Rowan’s mother in the spirit world had been intense, overwhelming. She was powerful, and a little scary.
“Vivian?” Derek’s voice was sharp with surprise. “How do you even know about Vivian? Do you really think we can find her?”
I hesitated. “I… I met her,” I confessed.
It felt strange talking about Vivian, about the spirit world, to someone else. But I had to trust Derek.
“She came to me… in the hospital. After Lucas was born.”
He was silent for a moment, his brow furrowed.
“Vivian,” he finally said, his voice full of awe. “I never thought… I mean, she disappeared years ago. Do you really think she can help us?”
“She knows about Damien,” I said, hope flickering in my chest. “She knows about the magic. And she believes we can find Lucas.”
“Damien?” Derek’s eyes widened.
“You told me about him before. The one who’s behind all this. But… he’s supposed to be just a story. A myth.”
“He’s real, Derek,” I insisted. “Vivian said so. He’s been around for centuries. He’s a powerful sorcerer, and he wants to use me… and Lucas… for something… something terrible.”
“But why?” Derek asked, his voice full of disbelief.
“What could he possibly want with Lucas? He’s just a pup.”
“I don’t know,” I admitted.
“But Vivian said he’s afraid of me. He senses my power… the magic in my bloodline. And he thinks Lucas is… the key to something. Something that could change everything.”
“This is… a lot to take in, Catrina,” Derek said, shaking his head.
“But… if Vivian thinks we can find Lucas, then we have to try. She’s… well, she’s Vivian, she is Lucas grandmother. She probably knows things we don’t.”
He took a deep breath, a new determination settling on his face.
“Okay. We’ll find Vivian. We’ll figure out what this Damien is up to. And we’ll get Lucas back.”
A spark of hope flared in my chest, pushing back the darkness. We had a plan now, a path forward.
It wouldn’t be easy. But with Vivian’s help in the spiritual realm, I knew we could do this.
We’ll find him, Lucas. My wolf’s voice was a low growl, full of fierce love. We’re coming for you, little one.
We left the security office, stepping back into the noise and chaos of the city. But this time, I didn’t feel so lost, so alone. I had a flicker of hope burning in my heart.