The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 216: Chapter 216

Catrina POV:
“I am… everything, Catrina. And you… you are mine.”
Damien’s voice, smooth as silk but laced with a chilling possessiveness, echoed through the stone chamber.
His crimson eyes, burning with a wicked fire, held me captive.
It was like his gaze was a powerful force, pulling me deeper into the darkness.
My body trembled, not with fear, but with a rage that roared inside me that even Damien’s magic couldn’t break.
“No, Damien,” I said, my voice shaky but strong. “I’m not yours. And I never will be.”
He chuckled, a low, menacing sound that sent shivers down my spine.
“Such defiance, Catrina.” His eyes, like a predator’s, were fixed on me, hungry and possessive.
“But it’s useless, my dear. You’re mine now. Body and soul.”
He stepped closer, his presence looming over me. His scent, a mix of cinnamon and something rotten, made me want to gag.
“Don’t fight it, Catrina,” he whispered, his voice a hypnotic caress.
His words were like a snake, slithering into my mind, his dark magic trying to control my thoughts, to make me forget Rowan the life we’d built together.
“Let go of the pain. Forget the past. Embrace the future… with me.”
He touched my cheek, his fingers cold and skeletal.
The memory of Rowan’s touch, warm and comforting, the memory of his lips on mine… it was a spark of real love, a love Damien could never understand.
“No! Don’t let him touch you, Catrina! Don’t let him into your mind!” My wolf snarled, her claws digging into the stone floor. She was bristling, fighting back against his magic.
But Damien’s magic was strong.
It was like a poison seeping into my veins, a darkness clouding my thoughts. He whispered promises of peace, of oblivion, of escape from the pain.
“Forget him, Catrina,” he whispered.
His voice was a lullaby, his words weaving a spell, a web of lies.
“He’s not worthy of you. He’s weak, indecisive, a slave to the old ways. He’ll never be the Alpha you need, the mate who can fulfill your desires.”
His words, laced with dark magic, twisted my thoughts, making me doubt myself, making me remember…
“Catrina, I… I’m sorry. This was… a mistake.”
Rowan’s voice, cold and distant, echoed in my memory. I saw his face, his eyes full of regret, as he walked away from me at the prom.
The pain of that rejection, the feeling of worthlessness, washed over me again.
“He left you, Catrina,” Damien continued, his voice a soft caress.
“He chose another path. He doesn’t need you. He doesn’t want you. He… never did.”
“No… that’s not true…” I whispered, my voice breaking. My wolf whimpered, her defiance fading.
The weight of his words, the truth I’d tried so hard to deny, felt like a crushing burden.
“He’s lying, Catrina. Don’t listen!” My wolf snarled.
But her voice was distant, weak. It was like a tiny flame flickering in the growing darkness.
“He’s with her now, Catrina,” Damien said, his voice a venomous whisper.
He was talking about Isabelle, the Alpha female, Rowan’s fiancee.
“She’s his equal. His partner. His… future.”
And as he spoke, I saw a picture of them together, happy, a life without me. A tear rolled down my cheek. It tasted bitter, like betrayal, like loss.
“He doesn’t love you, Catrina. He never did.” The voice of doubt echoed in my mind.
It was a cruel reminder of my own weakness, of the omega I was, the omega I’d always been.
“Look at me, Catrina.”
His voice was a command I couldn’t resist. His crimson eyes held me captive, pulling me in.
His magic was erasing the memories, the pain, the love, replacing them with… nothingness.
“Forget him, Catrina,” he whispered, his touch sending shivers down my spine.
“He’s not worthy of you. He’s not… the one. I am, Catrina. I’ve always been… the one.”
His magic was seeping into my mind, twisting my thoughts, rewriting my memories, erasing Rowan, replacing him with… a blank slate.
“Fight him, Catrina! Don’t let him win!” My wolf snarled, but her voice was getting weaker. The darkness was closing in.
I tried to remember Rowan’s face, the warmth of his touch, the sound of his laughter.
But the memories were fading, slipping away like sand through my fingers.
“You’re safe now, Catrina,” he murmured, his voice a soothing lullaby. “You’re with me now. And I will… never… let you go.”
His lips pressed against mine, a cold, possessive kiss.
It tasted like ashes, like a love that was dead. And as I slipped into unconsciousness, I felt a part of myself, the part that had loved Rowan, the part that had been me… slip away.
“Who… who am I?” My wolf whimpered, her voice a distant echo, a question lost in the darkness.
“Who am I?”
I woke to the sound of laughter. Happy laughter. It was a child’s laughter, light and carefree, a sound that filled my heart with a warmth I hadn't felt in what seemed like a lifetime.
I opened my eyes, and the darkness was gone. I was in a beautiful meadow, the sun warm on my skin, the scent of wildflowers sweet in the air.
A little boy, with Rowan's amber eyes and my dark hair, was chasing butterflies, his laughter echoing through the field.
He was so beautiful, so innocent.
Lucas… My wolf purred, her voice filled with a fierce, protective love.
He was our son. Our pup. And he was safe. Happy.
"Mama!" He ran towards me, his tiny arms outstretched, a smile lighting up his face.
"Look! A butterfly!”
I laughed, a sound that felt strange, unfamiliar, a forgotten melody. I scooped him up in my arms, his small body warm and solid against mine.
"It's beautiful, Lucas," I said, my voice soft, full of a love that felt both real and… distant.
He giggled, his tiny hand reaching up to touch my cheek.
“You’re beautiful too, Mama,” he said, his voice a sweet whisper. “Like a princess. A silver princess.”
He touched my hair, his little fingers tangling in the silver strands, a reminder of the transformation I’d undergone, the power I’d unleashed, the darkness I’d faced.
But… it wasn't a dream, was it?
It really happened. Damien. The Bloodmoon pack. The fight. Rowan…
The memories came flooding back, a torrent of fear and pain and love, overwhelming me, making me dizzy.
I closed my eyes, clutching Lucas tight, trying to hold onto the warmth of his small body, the innocence of his laughter, the love that felt both real and… borrowed, as if it belonged to another, a ghost of a feeling, a whisper of a past life.
"Mama, what’s wrong?" Lucas asked, his voice full of concern, his little hand patting my cheek.
“I… I’m fine, sweetheart,” I whispered, forcing a smile, pushing the memories away, the darkness, the fear, the confusion.
I had to focus on the present, on this beautiful meadow, on the sun shining down on us, on the laughter of my son, a precious gift, a reminder of a love that had been… lost?
But even as I told myself that, even as I held him close, a cold dread crept into my heart, a shadow that I couldn’t escape, a premonition of a darkness that was coming, a destiny that was unfolding.
“He’s coming for you, Catrina.” A voice, cold and menacing, whispered in my ear, a reminder of the sorcerer’s power, the threat that loomed, the promise he’d made.
“And this time… you won’t escape.”
I looked up, my gaze scanning the meadow, searching for the source of the voice, the danger that lurked.
But there was nothing there.
Only the sun, the flowers, the laughter of my son, a fragile illusion of peace, a temporary reprieve from the storm that was brewing, a darkness that was already closing in…