The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 211: Chapter 211

Rowan POV:
"Where do you think you’re going?"
Carson’s voice was sharp, full of surprise. It stopped me as I reached the door.
I turned to face him, my amber eyes blazing with determination.
“I’m going to find Catrina,” I said, my voice a low growl.
I let my wolf’s presence fill the room, a challenge to his authority.
“He’s still a Beta, Rowan, but… he’s in love with Isabelle.” My wolf reminded me, his voice a low rumble.
It was a reminder of the complicated relationships in our packs, the unspoken desires, the forbidden feelings.
“You’re in no condition to travel, Rowan.” Carson stepped forward, blocking the doorway. His golden eyes, usually so warm, were clouded with a mix of concern and… resentment?
“You need to rest, Rowan. You need to heal.”
“I’ll rest when I find her, Carson,” I said, my voice firm. I met his gaze, a silent battle of wills passing between us. I was the future Alpha, and he would obey.
“Get out of my way.”
He hesitated, his wolf bristling, caught between his loyalty to Isabelle and his duty to me. It was a conflict I understood, a reflection of my own struggle – the need to find Catrina, to reclaim my mate, battling with the responsibility to my pack, to my family, to the world.
“She’s gone, Rowan,” Carson said, his voice a soft rumble, full of sadness.
I could hear the echo of my own grief in his voice, the grief I was trying to deny, the truth I couldn’t escape.
“Damien… he took her. Back to the spirit realm. There’s… nothing you can do.”
“You’re wrong, Carson,” I said, my voice a low growl of defiance.
I had a deep, primal connection to Catrina, a bond that defied even death.
“She’s not gone. Not completely. I can feel her… somewhere. Calling to me. And I’m going to find her.”
I pushed past him, ignoring the pain in my side, the weakness in my body. Nothing mattered but finding Catrina.
“We have to find her, Rowan. We have to bring her back.” My wolf’s voice was a desperate plea, a constant reminder of the love I’d lost, the future I’d destroyed, the destiny I was determined to reclaim.
I stumbled through the halls of the Mondragon packhouse, the scent of pine and power a constant reminder that I didn’t belong here.
I had to get to the Drakhor Clan. They were the only ones who might understand Damien’s magic, Catrina’s power, the connection that bound us together.
I burst out of the packhouse, the cool night air a shock against my skin.
The scent of the forest, of pine needles and damp earth, was familiar, a reminder of my own wolfish nature. I would use every ounce of strength, every instinct, to find her.
“This way, Rowan. I can feel her. She’s close.” My wolf’s voice was a low rumble, a compass guiding me through the darkness.
I didn’t question him. I didn’t hesitate.
I just ran.
The forest blurred around me, the moon, a sliver in the cloudy sky, casting long shadows.
“We’re coming, Catrina. Just… hold on.”
I could feel her, a faint pull, a whisper of her scent – lavender and vanilla.
It was a thread of connection that stretched for miles, a bond that Damien’s magic, that even King Korvash’s ritual, couldn’t sever.
The forest opened up, revealing a shimmering veil, a portal to the spirit realm. I’d been here before, but I’d sworn I would never return.
But now, I didn’t hesitate.
I stepped through the veil, into the world of swirling mists and shifting shadows, of impossible colors and a heavy silence. It was a world of ancient power, of primal energy.
“We’ve been here before, Rowan.” My wolf’s voice was wary, remembering the danger, the fear.
The memory of that night, the night I made the biggest mistake of my life, flashed through my mind.
The battle against Damien. Catrina's sacrifice. The merging of her soul with Lyra’s.
The price I’d paid to try and save her.
“We were fools to think we could escape destiny, Rowan.” My wolf growled, his voice full of regret.
“Korvash!” I called out, my voice echoing in the swirling mists. “I need your help! Catrina… she’s in danger!”
A figure materialized from the shadows, tall and imposing, his silver fur gleaming in the strange, ethereal moonlight. His icy blue eyes pierced me, and I felt a chill of fear.
“You’ve returned, Rowan Magnus,” King Korvash said, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through the spirit realm.
His presence was a force of nature, a reminder of the ancient magic he wielded.
“But your arrival… was not unexpected.”
“I need your help, Korvash,” I pleaded, my wolf pacing restlessly, his claws digging into the ground.
“Damien… he’s taken Catrina. And… I don’t know what to do.”
“You chose this path, Rowan Magnus,” Korvash said coldly, his voice unforgiving. “You defied fate. You broke the bond. You played with powers you don’t understand. Now you must face the consequences.”
“But I did it to protect her!” I argued, my wolf snarling, his primal instincts battling with the respect I owed the Alpha King.
“I didn’t want her to be a part of this world, of this darkness! I wanted her to have a normal life!”
“Normal?” Korvash scoffed. “There is no ‘normal’ for an omega like Catrina, not when she carries the blood of Lyra, the ancient seer, the warrior princess. She’s destined to be your mate, Rowan Magnus. Your Luna. Your equal.”
His words, a truth I’d tried to deny, hit me hard.
“I know that now, Korvash,” I said, my voice hoarse, the weight of my mistakes, my guilt, crushing me.
“I was a fool. I thought I could control everything, protect her from the darkness. But I was wrong.”
I looked at him, my amber eyes pleading, my wolf cowering, desperate for forgiveness, for guidance.
“Help me, Korvash,” I begged. “Please. Tell me what to do. I’ll do anything to save her.”
Korvash studied me, his icy gaze piercing me.
And then, he sighed, his gaze softening, a flicker of… understanding? Pity?
“You cannot undo what has been done, Rowan Magnus,” he said, his voice heavy with sorrow.
“The threads of fate are tangled now, twisted by your actions. The darkness you sought to escape… it has found you again. And this time, I fear… it may be too powerful to defeat.”
Fear, cold and sharp, gripped my heart.
“But… what about Catrina? Can we save her?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
Korvash turned away, his silver fur shimmering in the dim light.
“Her fate… it is now intertwined with yours. With Damien’s. And with the ancient prophecy that binds you all together.” He paused.
“Go, Rowan Magnus. Face your destiny. And pray that your love… is enough to save her. To save you all.”