The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 232: Chapter 232

Rowan POV:
“Kael, you’re bleeding!”
Lyra’s voice, sharp with worry, cut through the haze of pain clouding my vision.
I winced and instinctively brought my hand to my side.
A jagged claw mark oozed blood, staining my tunic crimson.
"It’s nothing, my Princess," I gasped, trying to downplay the pain. It was hard to breathe, and my whole body ached.
Two of the King’s elite warriors had just finished sparring with me, their attacks brutal, their amber eyes cold and unforgiving.
They wanted to show me, a lowly omega, my place.
"Nothing?" Lyra’s amber eyes narrowed. "They practically tore you apart, Kael! This isn’t right! You shouldn’t have to… to…"
Her voice trailed off, her gaze flickering towards the palace where Damien, her betrothed, held court.
His presence loomed over us, a constant reminder of the danger our forbidden love faced.
We were alone in the training yard now, a stolen moment in the shadow of the palace walls.
It was a secret space where our love, dangerous and forbidden, could exist for a little while.
“Lyra, it’s okay,” I said, forcing a smile, trying to ease her worry.
Seeing her upset, the pain in her eyes, mirrored my own.
I loved her, but she was a princess, destined for a life I could never share.
“I’m used to it. It's part of being an omega, right? We serve, obey… and bleed."
My words were bitter, the truth of our world a hard pill to swallow. Lyra’s eyes flashed with anger. She hated the injustice, the way omegas were treated.
“No, Kael,” she said, her voice firm, her gaze challenging the rules that kept us apart.
“It’s not right. You’re not… you’re not like other omegas. You’re stronger. Braver… You’re…”
She paused, her cheeks flushing pink, her gaze dropping to the ground, unable to voice the words that would shame her.
It was a burden I understood. We both carried the weight.
“You’re… special, Kael,” she whispered, her words a balm on my wounded soul.
She reached out and lightly touched my arm. It sent shivers down my spine, and my wolf growled, a low rumble in my chest, a mix of desire and pain.
I wanted her desperately, but our love was impossible.
“You shouldn’t have to endure this, Kael,” she said, her voice filled with sadness, a sadness that I felt too. “It’s not fair. It’s…”
“It’s our reality, Lyra,” I interrupted, my voice weary.
We were trapped in a world of rules and expectations we couldn't escape.
“You’re a princess. I’m an omega. And our world doesn’t allow for… happy endings. Not for… us.”
“But why, Kael?” Her amber eyes, filled with rebellion, searched mine.
“Why does it have to be this way? Why can’t we choose? Why can’t we be together?”
I looked at her, at the woman I loved, the she-wolf who held my heart.
And the truth, a bitter and painful truth, was there on my lips, a confession that would break her heart.
“Because… that’s just how it is, Lyra,” I said, my voice soft, full of sadness.
“The ancient laws, the traditions… they rule our lives. Omegas serve, obey… we’re not meant to love.”
“But I do love you, Kael,” she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.
She reached for my hand, her fingers entwining with mine, her touch a spark of warmth and hope in the darkness.
“And you love me. Why can’t that be enough?”
“It’s not enough, Lyra.” My voice cracked.
The weight of her words, the truth in them, was a heavy burden.
“Why not, Kael? Why isn’t our love enough?” Her voice was full of anguish, her grip on my hand tightening.
“Don’t you want to be with me? Don't you want to be… free?”
I looked at her, her face a mask of pain and confusion. I cupped her face in my hands, my thumbs brushing away her tears.
“Lyra, you know I want to be with you. More than anything. But we can't fight the world, not like this. Not now."
“But we have to fight, Kael!” She pulled away, her eyes blazing with defiance.
“I won’t let them control my life. I won’t let them choose my destiny. We can find a way. There has to be a way!”
Her words, full of passion and hope, tore at my heart. I wanted to believe her, wanted to fight for our love, for a future together.
But I also knew the reality of our world, the power of the ancient laws, the danger we faced.
“Lyra, my love, please,” I pleaded, my voice a soft murmur.
“We have to be smart. We have to be careful. Damien is watching. Your father is watching. One wrong move… and they’ll tear us apart.”
She looked at me, her amber eyes searching mine, her wolf, a beautiful silver creature, battling with her human heart.
I could see the conflict within her, the struggle between love and duty, between hope and despair.
“I… I understand, Kael,” she whispered, her voice filled with sadness.
“But… promise me something. Promise me that… even if we can’t be together in this life… we’ll find each other again.”
I leaned in, my lips brushing against hers, a stolen kiss, a taste of a forbidden paradise, a memory I would cherish forever.
“I promise, Lyra,” I whispered, my voice a vow.
“We’ll find each other again. Even if it takes a thousand lifetimes… we’ll find each other.”
And as we clung to each other, stealing a moment of joy in a world that sought to tear us apart, I knew our love wouldn’t die.
It was a connection that went beyond this life, a destiny we would find again.
And as the memory faded, leaving a bittersweet ache, a longing for a love that was lost, I knew what I had to do.
I had to save Catrina. I had to fight for our future. I had to reclaim the love that was rightfully mine.