The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 167: Chapter 167

Vivian POV:
“He’s hurting, Lyra. My boy… he’s hurting.”
My voice, a whisper lost in the swirling mists of the spirit realm, was full of sadness.
It echoed the ache in my heart, a mother’s pain for a son I couldn’t touch.
Damien's magic, his theft of my soul, couldn’t break the bond I felt with Rowan, but it kept me from reaching him, from comforting him.
Lyra, her silver form shimmering beside me, her amber eyes clouded with sorrow, nodded. She was watching Rowan, just as I was.
We could see him in the spirit realm, a vision of him in his bedroom, packing his bags, his shoulders slumped, his eyes shadowed with grief.
“He blames himself, Vivian,” she sighed. “He thinks it’s his fault. That if he’d been stronger, more… Alpha… Catrina wouldn’t be… gone.”
I watched him, my heart aching. His movements were mechanical, empty. I could smell his scent, a mix of pine and leather, and a faint, lingering trace of lavender.
It was a bittersweet reminder of the love they’d shared, a love that I’d helped him… erase.
“It was the only way to save her, Vivian.” Lyra’s voice echoed in my mind.
It was a reminder of the sacrifice Rowan had made to give Catrina another chance at a normal life, free from the dangers of our world.
But even though I knew it was the right choice, my heart ached for my son.
He was hurting, blaming himself, running from a destiny he couldn’t escape.
“He shouldn’t have to carry this burden alone, Lyra,” I whispered, my voice a small, lost sound in the vastness of the spirit realm.
“He’s just a boy. He needs guidance. He needs… his mother.”
A sob caught in my throat. Damien had stolen my soul, trapped me in this spirit world, a prisoner of his dark magic.
I couldn’t be there for Rowan, couldn’t protect him, couldn’t love him the way a mother should.
And now… he’s hurting because of me.
“You did what you could, Vivian,” Lyra said softly, her silver paw resting on mine.
“You fought for him, for the pack, for a better world. And even though you’re trapped here… you’ve never stopped loving him, watching over him.”
Her words were a comfort, but the guilt lingered. I had failed him.
My absence had left a void in his life, a darkness that had allowed his father’s influence to twist his heart.
“I can’t let that happen again. I have to reach him. Show him he’s not alone.”
“But how, Vivian?” Lyra asked, her voice a whisper. Her amber eyes, now flecked with gold, reflected my own desperation. “How can you reach him from this… prison?”
I closed my eyes, focusing on Rowan.
I could sense him, the scent of his wolf, strong and wild.
He’s not like Marcus.
He’s kind.
He has the potential to be a great Alpha, a leader who can bring peace to our world.
“But he’s lost, Vivian. He’s hurting. He’s running from his destiny.”
“I have to reach him, Lyra,” I whispered, my voice firm with a new determination.
“I have to guide him. Before it’s too late.”
I focused all my energy, my will, on Rowan. My thoughts, my emotions, reached across the distance between us, the veil between the worlds thinning.
Rowan… can you hear me?
“Rowan?”
His head jerked up, his amber eyes wide with confusion.
He looked around the room, searching for the source of the voice, a voice that was familiar yet forgotten.
He shook his head, dismissing it. He must have imagined it.
He was stressed, packing, leaving his pack, his family. It was a lot to handle.
But deep down, his wolf stirred.
A spark of recognition flickered, a warmth spreading through him.
Mom? His wolf whimpered, a low rumble in his chest.
He longed for the mother he’d never known, the love that had been stolen from him.
“You’re not alone, Rowan.” I whispered, sending a wave of love and reassurance across the distance.
“I’m here. I’m always with you. And I… I’m so proud of you.”
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.
He could smell the pine and leather of his own wolf, mixed with the faintest hint of lavender and vanilla.
A phantom scent that lingered, a reminder of the she-wolf he’d loved, the mate he’d lost.
For a moment, he felt a sense of peace, a warmth that chased away the fear and guilt.
The bond between us, a mother’s love for her son, pulsed across the distance, a bridge of light in the darkness.
“She’s here, Rowan. She’s with you.” His wolf purred, contentment rumbling in his chest.
His amber eyes softened, a flicker of hope returning.
He opened his eyes and looked at the picture of me on his nightstand. My smile, a faded memory, stared back at him.
And for a moment, he could almost hear my voice, feel my touch, smell my lavender scent.
The scent that used to calm him, chase away his nightmares.
“I’m here, Rowan. I’m always with you.”
But as I reached out to him, a sudden coldness descended.
It was like a shadow falling over me, eclipsing the warmth of our connection. My wolf whimpered, her silver fur bristling, fear gripping her.
“Something’s wrong, Vivian.” Lyra’s voice was sharp, afraid. “Something… evil.”
I tried to pull back, to shield Rowan from this encroaching darkness.
But it was too late.
The shadow had touched him, a cold tendril snaking through our bond. It was a whisper of malice, of a power that even I, a spirit wolf, feared.
“Damien.”
The name echoed in my mind, a chilling reminder of the sorcerer’s cruelty, his hunger for power, his ability to twist the very laws of nature.
“He’s not gone, Vivian.” Lyra growled, her voice full of fear.
“He’s still out there. And he’s coming for us.”