The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 220: Chapter 220

Catrina POV:
“You dare defy me, Lyra? For him?”
Damien’s voice, a furious thunderclap, shook the ruined palace.
His crimson eyes blazed, and the shadows around us danced like frightened creatures. I stood beside him, my silver-white fur bristling.
heart ached for Rowan, who lay wounded on the ground. But I had to hide my feelings. I had to pretend to be Lyra, cold and uncaring.
“He needs us, Catrina.” My own wolf whimpered. She longed for Rowan, for the mate we’d lost.
“He’s nothing to me, Damien,” I said, my voice a low growl.
I tried to sound like Lyra, but my gaze flickered towards Rowan. I couldn’t help it.
“He’s a weakling,” I continued, using Damien’s own insults. “A pathetic excuse for an Alpha. He’s just a reminder of a past I want to forget.”
“You’re lying, Lyra.” Damien’s voice, a silken purr, was more terrifying than his anger.
He turned to me, his crimson eyes piercing, seeing right through my facade.
“You still care for him. I can see it in your eyes. Your scent betrays you. Your wolf whimpers for him.”
He cupped my chin, his touch cold and skeletal, sending a shiver down my spine.
“Don’t deny it, my love. Embrace the darkness. Let go of this… pathetic attachment. He’ll only bring you pain.”
His words, laced with dark magic, played on my deepest fears, the memories of Rowan’s rejection, the pain of our broken bond. I could feel my resolve weakening.
“He’s strong, Catrina. Too strong. We can’t fight him.” My wolf whimpered. “He’s going to win.”
"You mistake my concern for weakness, Damien," I said, my voice cold and sharp, trying to imitate Lyra's tone.
"I merely observe that the Alpha is injured. A liability. He will slow us down. He's of no use to us in this condition."
Damien studied me, his gaze intense, his magic probing my mind, searching for any lie.
“You propose we abandon him?” he asked, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
“Leave him here to die? A fitting end for a weak Alpha who defied me.”
“No. He is still a Magnus. His bloodline is valuable.” I forced my voice to stay even, emotionless.
“We can… use him. But he must be… taught a lesson. Broken. Remade.”
What are you saying, Catrina? My wolf howled, terrified. We can’t let him do that to Rowan!
But I had to play this game, and had to pretend to be the cruel, power-hungry Lyra that Damien expected. It was the only way to save Rowan.
“You intrigue me, Lyra,” Damien said, a cruel smile twisting his lips.
“You’ve changed. The centuries have… hardened you. But there's still a flicker of that fire, that passion, that drew me to you in the first place. The desire for power… yes, I understand that.”
He paused, his gaze lingering on my face.
Was it regret I saw in his eyes? Or longing? It was quickly gone, replaced by a cold determination.
“Very well, Lyra. We’ll break him. We’ll bend him to our will. He’ll be our weapon, our tool.”
Damien’s voice was a silken whisper, sending shivers down my spine. “And then… we’ll see if his precious omega still finds him so… irresistible.”
“There’s a… simpler solution, Damien,” I suggested, my voice smooth, controlled.
Inside, I was screaming, my heart breaking. But I had to stay calm, had to outsmart him.
“Oh? And what do you propose, my love?” Damien asked, intrigued.
“Please, Catrina, don’t let him hurt Rowan anymore.” My wolf whimpered, her claws digging into the ground.
“His… attachment to the omega… it’s a weakness, yes,” I said, the words painful to speak, each syllable a betrayal.
“But it’s also… inconvenient. Unnecessary. Why not just… erase it? Sever their bond? Make him forget her… completely?”
Damien chuckled, a low, dark sound that echoed through the ruined palace.
“Erase his memories? Make him forget his precious mate? Now that’s a cruelty I hadn’t considered, Lyra.”
He tilted his head, his crimson eyes burning into mine.
“You’ve truly embraced the darkness, haven’t you, my love? No sentimentality. No weakness. Just pure ambition. I’m impressed.”
I forced a smile, hating the coldness that twisted my lips, the mask I had to wear.
“He’s buying it, Catrina. He believes you.” My wolf’s voice was a tiny spark of hope.
“It’s a simple solution, Damien,” I said, my voice cold and sharp.
“Erase his memories of her. He’ll be free of this… weakness. He’ll be stronger, more focused, more useful to us.”
My wolf whimpered. It was a dangerous game I was playing, risking Rowan’s heart, his very soul. But it was the only way to save him.
It’s the only way, Catrina.
Damien was silent for a moment, looking at Rowan’s unconscious body. And then, a slow, cruel smile spread across his face.
“Very well, Lyra,” he said, his voice smooth as silk. “It shall be done.”
He raised his hand, his fingers moving in the air, a dark energy swirling around him.
“No!” I cried out, the word bursting from my lips before I could stop it. My own fear, my own pain, broke through the mask.
Damien turned to me, his crimson eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint in them.
“What did you say, Lyra?” His voice was soft, but laced with a threat.
“I… I just…” I stammered, my mind racing, desperately trying to cover my mistake.
“I just… wondered if… if it was wise, Damien. To mess with his mind so much. He’s an Alpha. What if there are… side effects? Unforeseen consequences?”
“Consequences?” Damien laughed. His laughter echoed through the chamber, a chilling sound that made me tremble.
“You, who once defied a king for love, are now worried about… consequences? You, who embraced the power of the Silver Wolf, are now hesitant to use a little… dark magic?”
He shook his head, a mocking smile on his lips. “You disappoint me, Lyra. You’ve gone soft.”
He turned back to Rowan, his hand raised, ready to unleash his spell.
"No, Damien, please!" I cried, the fear and love I’d been hiding bursting out. “Don’t hurt him! Please! He doesn't deserve—”
"Silence!" Damien roared. His voice was like thunder, shaking the palace. His crimson eyes blazed, and his grip on my arm tightened.
He stared at me, his gaze piercing, his magic probing my mind. “You’re still weak, Lyra,” he spat, his voice full of contempt.
“Still clinging to this… pathetic attachment. You haven’t changed at all.”