The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 217: Chapter 217

Rowan POV:
“This is madness, Rowan! You can’t go alone! You’ll be destroyed!”
King Korvash’s voice boomed through the chamber, his icy blue eyes blazing with anger and concern.
“Damien’s magic is too powerful. You’re still weak from his attack.”
“I have to do this, Korvash,” I said, my voice firm. I met his gaze, a challenge in my eyes.
“Catrina is in danger. I’m the only one who can save her.”
“She’s our mate, Rowan. It’s our responsibility to protect her.” My wolf growled, a primal urge surging through me, pushing aside the fear, the doubt, the memories of a past I’d tried to erase.
“You’re not ready for this, Rowan.” Korvash stepped closer, his silver fur bristling, his Alpha aura making my wolf want to cower.
“Damien’s magic takes time to heal.”
“I don’t have time,” I said, my voice a low growl.
My hand instinctively went to the wound in my side, the pain a constant reminder of Damien’s attack, the darkness he wielded.
“Every second I waste, Catrina is in more danger. I have to go to her. Now.”
“You’re walking into a trap, Rowan,” Korvash warned, his gaze intense. “Damien’s waiting for you.”
“I don’t care,” I said, my voice hard, a new determination hardening my resolve.
I was done running, done hiding, done denying the truth.
“I’m done letting fear control me. I’m going to get her back, even if it’s the last thing I do.”
“You’re a fool, Rowan Magnus,” Korvash said, his voice heavy with resignation.
“Maybe,” I said, meeting his gaze, a challenge in my amber eyes. “But at least I’ll die fighting for what I believe in. For the woman I love.”
I turned toward the shimmering veil at the edge of the clearing. It was a gateway to the spirit realm, a portal to the unknown, a path I’d walked before, a path I’d sworn never to walk again.
“Rowan, wait!” Korvash’s voice was a desperate plea, a command.
But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.
My wolf, restless and ready to fight, paced beside me. He was determined to protect Catrina, to reclaim what had been stolen.
“We’re coming for you, Catrina. Hold on.”
I stepped through the veil, and the world around me dissolved. The familiar scents and sounds of the forest were replaced by a chilling silence, a suffocating darkness.
It was a reminder of the danger I was facing, the power I was challenging, the love I was fighting for.
“Be careful, Rowan.” My wolf growled, a warning in his voice. “This place… it’s different. It’s changed.”
He was right. The spirit realm, usually a place of swirling mists and impossible colors, was now… empty. Desolate.
A wasteland of scorched earth and twisted trees.
The air smelled of decay, of magic gone wrong. It was a graveyard of broken dreams.
“Damien’s been busy, Rowan. He’s twisting this place, warping it to his will.”
I shivered, a cold dread settling over me. His power was strong, a darkness that made my wolf whimper, his claws digging into the cracked earth.
“Show yourself, Damien!” I roared, my voice echoing through the emptiness. It was a challenge, a demand, but the only answer was silence.
The silence made my heart pound, the fear gnawing at me, the need to find Catrina a burning urgency.
“He’s toying with us, Rowan.” My wolf growled, suspicious. “He’s leading us somewhere.”
A flicker of movement caught my eye, and I whirled around, my wolf snarling, ready to fight. But it was just a shadow, a trick of the light.
I was being watched, hunted.
And then I saw them. Two shadowy figures, their eyes glowing red, materialized from the mist.
Their scents were a mix of pine and a darkness that made my wolf bristle.
“You’re trespassing, Alpha,” one of the shadows growled. His red eyes were fixed on me, a predatory gleam.
“Turn back… or face the consequences.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” I said coldly, my wolf’s power surging through me, pushing back the darkness.
“I’m here for my mate. And I won’t leave without her.”
“Your mate?” The other shadow chuckled.
“You mean the omega? The one Damien claimed? She’s not yours anymore. She belongs to… him.”
“You’re wrong,” I growled, my patience gone.
I needed to reach Catrina, to shield her from these creatures, these puppets of Damien’s will.
“She’s mine. And I’m taking her back. Get out of my way.”
“Foolish mutt,” the first shadow hissed, his red eyes blazing.
“You think you can defy Damien? You’re nothing but a pawn in his game.”
“We’ll see about that,” I snarled, and lunged at them.
My wolf was a blur of silver fur and fangs, my claws extended. My anger, my fear, my love, fueled my every move.
The fight was quick and brutal. I tore through them, my claws ripping, my fangs tearing.
My wolf was a whirlwind of fury, driven by the need to protect, to reclaim, to avenge.
But as I fought, a chilling certainty settled over me. These weren't real wolves.
They were just shadows, puppets controlled by Damien’s magic. Empty vessels.
They dissolved into the swirling mist, their red eyes fading, leaving behind the scent of decay, a reminder of the darkness I was facing.
This was just the beginning. The real battle was still ahead.
I kept going, my wolf’s instincts guiding me, Catrina’s scent a faint trail leading me deeper into the darkness.
The barren wasteland gave way to a twisted, corrupted forest.
The trees were gnarled and skeletal, their branches like grasping claws. The air was thick with the stench of decay.
I fought my way through hordes of shadow warriors, their red eyes glowing, their claws sharp, their movements deadly.
But I was too driven by fury, by desperation, to be stopped.
“He’s testing you, Rowan.” My wolf growled, his eyes scanning the shadows. “He’s leading you… somewhere.”
I didn’t know where I was going, but I couldn’t stop. Catrina’s scent, a faint whisper of lavender and vanilla, urged me forward.
I finally emerged into a clearing. In the center stood a ruined palace, its walls crumbling, overgrown with thorns, its windows shattered. It was a place of forgotten glory, a reminder of a power that had faded.
And as I approached the palace, my heart pounding with dread and anticipation, I saw her.
She stood at a broken window, her back to me, her long silver hair like a waterfall of moonlight.
Her scent, lavender and vanilla, called to me, making my wolf howl.
“Catrina?” I gasped, my heart a mix of hope and fear.
Please, let it be her. Let her be… alive.