The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 219: Chapter 219

Rowan POV:
Damien’s laughter, cruel and cold, echoed through the ruined palace.
It was like a slap in the face, a reminder of my own pain, of Catrina’s betrayal, of the love I’d lost, the future I’d tried so hard to change.
He held her close, her silver hair a stark contrast to the darkness that clung to him.
Her body was stiff, unresponsive, her eyes empty, reflecting the void that had consumed her soul.
Damien had twisted her, corrupted her, stolen the love we'd shared.
And as his lips met hers, a cold, possessive kiss, a searing pain ripped through me.
It was a jolt of energy that made me gasp, my body convulsing, my vision blurring. I tasted blood, a metallic tang that filled my mouth.
“What… what’s happening?” I gasped, my voice a broken whisper.
The pain was more than just physical.
It was a torment that echoed in my soul, a connection to Catrina, a bond that even Damien’s magic couldn’t completely sever.
“He’s hurting her, Rowan! He’s hurting us!” My wolf howled, his voice full of pain.
He wanted to lash out, to protect her, but we were helpless.
“You should know better than to mess with powers you don’t understand, Rowan Magnus,” Damien purred, his voice smooth, but full of smug satisfaction.
His words mocked my attempts to change destiny, to protect Catrina from the darkness I’d unleashed.
“Your love… your bond… it’s a weakness. A vulnerability I can use against you. A chain that will bind you, that will destroy you.”
He chuckled, a cold, cruel sound that sent chills down my spine.
It was a reminder of his power, his control over magic, the price I’d paid, the love I’d given up, a wound that wouldn't heal.
He raised his hand, his long, skeletal fingers tracing a pattern in the air, a symbol of his dark magic.
A surge of energy, dark and cold, pulsed through the chamber, washing over me, chilling me to the bone.
I gasped, a cry of pain escaping my lips. Agony ripped through me, a fire in my veins, a torment that made my muscles spasm, my vision blur.
My wolf howled, a wounded animal, his claws digging into the ground, his amber eyes reflecting my own pain.
“He’s hurting her, Rowan. He’s using our bond to torture her.” My wolf’s voice was a broken sob, a lament for the love we’d lost.
“Stop it, Damien!”
The voice that echoed through the chamber was both familiar and… different. It was a cry of pain and anger, a spark of defiance against Damien’s power. It was Catrina.
I looked up, my vision blurry, my body wracked with pain.
Catrina was there, her silver hair shimmering in the dim light. Her amber eyes were blazing with a terrifying fire, but also a heartbreaking sadness.
“Don’t… don’t hurt him, Damien,” she pleaded, her voice a strained whisper.
It was a mix of Lyra’s strength and Catrina’s compassion, a plea for mercy that made my wolf whimper, a longing for a connection that was forbidden.
Her gaze met mine for a fleeting moment, and I saw a flicker of recognition, a warmth that pierced the darkness in her eyes.
It was a glimpse of the she-wolf I’d loved, a spark of hope in the encroaching darkness.
“She remembers, Rowan!” My wolf growled, his voice a low rumble of hope. “She’s fighting him! She’s trying to come back to us!”
“You… you dare defy me, Lyra?” Damien roared, his voice a thunderclap that shook the palace.
His crimson eyes blazed with fury, and his grip tightened on Catrina’s arm.
It was a possessiveness that ignited a rage inside me, a fire that burned even through the pain.
“You would protect this… weakling? This traitor? This fool who tried to erase you?”
“He… he didn’t mean to, Damien,” Catrina whispered, her gaze still fixed on me, a mix of confusion and a longing that mirrored my own.
There was a flicker of our bond, of the love he’d tried to bury.
“He was trying to protect me. He just… didn’t understand.”
“Protect you?” Damien scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“He was trying to control you, Lyra. To use you. To steal your power, your magic, your very soul! He’s a Magnus! He’ll destroy you!”
His words, a venomous truth, a reminder of my own darkness, of the mistakes I’d made, the love I’d betrayed, filled me with guilt and shame.
He’s right, Catrina. I’m a monster. My wolf whimpered, his voice broken.
“I… I have to get rid of him, Lyra,” Damien said, his voice a low growl, a chilling certainty.
“He’s a threat. A liability. A reminder… of your weakness.”
He raised his hand, his long, skeletal fingers tracing a pattern in the air, a symbol of dark magic, a promise of pain. A surge of cold, dark energy washed over me, making my wolf howl in fear.
“No, Damien! Don’t!” Catrina cried, her voice a mix of strength and vulnerability.
Her plea for mercy gave me a glimmer of hope.
“Please… don’t hurt him. I… I can’t… I won’t let you…”
“You… you defy me, Lyra?” Damien roared, his crimson eyes blazing, his grip on her tightening.
His possessiveness fueled my own rage, a primal need to protect her, to reclaim what was mine, a love that defied everything.
“You still… protect him?!”
Catrina flinched, her eyes widening with fear and confusion. It was a tiny flicker of the she-wolf I knew, the omega I loved, fighting for control.
And in that moment, I knew she wasn’t completely lost. Not yet.
“She’s still there, Rowan.” My wolf growled, his voice a low rumble of hope. “She’s still fighting. And she needs us.”
It was a spark of defiance, a flicker of light in the darkness.
Her love, her memory, was the key to breaking Damien’s control.
And I had to help her find it.