The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 234: Chapter 234

Isabelle POV:
“We need to find Rowan, Isabelle.”
Carson’s voice, a low rumble, cut through the quiet murmur of the forest, the wind sighing through the trees.
It was a mournful sound that echoed the ache in my own heart, the emptiness that Rowan had left behind.
I’d found Carson in a secluded clearing, his fur gleaming in the moonlight.
His head was bowed, his shoulders slumped, and his scent was a mix of pine and grief. I recognized the grief. It was a mirror of my own.
“He’s hurting, Isabelle.” My wolf whimpered, wanting to comfort him, to offer solace.
“But I couldn’t. He loved me, and I… I loved someone else.”
“I know, Carson,” I sighed, my gaze lingering on him. His golden eyes, usually so bright, were clouded with sadness.
“We all are. But he made his choice. He chose… her. And now…”
My voice trailed off. Rowan had chosen love over duty, a path I couldn’t understand.
It was a decision that had shattered the peace, the alliance between our packs, the future we’d planned.
“He’s not coming back, Isabelle,” Carson said, his voice soft, full of sadness.
“He’s gone. And she’s… she’s lost. Damien’s magic is too strong. We can’t fight it.”
“We have to try, Carson.” I squared my shoulders, my Alpha’s instinct taking over.
The need to protect, to lead, to fight, was a force inside me. I wouldn’t give up. Not while there was a chance to save Catrina, to save Rowan… from himself.
“But how, Isabelle?” Carson’s voice was full of desperation.
“What can we do? Rowan’s not thinking clearly. He’s blinded by love for this girl who… who might not even want to be saved.”
“We need… we need to find someone who can help us, Carson,” I said, my voice firm. My gaze met his, a challenge, a demand, a reminder of the strength we still possessed, the bond between us.
“Someone who understands Damien’s magic. Someone who can reach Rowan, bring him back.”
“But who, Isabelle?” Carson asked, his voice weary. He sounded defeated, like he thought we were fighting a losing battle. And I felt the same fear, the same doubt, gnawing at me.
“Who could possibly stand against Damien? Who could break his hold on Catrina? Who could save Rowan from himself?”
I paced back and forth, my mind racing, trying to find a solution.
Think, Isabelle. Think! My wolf growled, her claws digging into the earth, her amber eyes searching for an answer.
“Carson,” I said, a memory flashing through my mind. It was a conversation I’d overheard, a whisper of a name, a place, a legend that had always seemed like just… superstition.
“There’s a woman. In the human town. Agnes. She runs a New Age shop. People say she knows things. About the unseen world. About… magic.”
“Agnes?” Carson frowned, his golden eyes skeptical.
“You think this… woman… can help us? She’s just a human. A fortune teller.”
“I don’t know, Carson,” I admitted, meeting his gaze. I was desperate. “But we have to try. We can’t just sit here and watch everything fall apart.”
“But how do we even find this Agnes? And even if we do… why would she help us? She’s human, Isabelle. They don’t understand our world.” His voice was a low rumble, full of doubt.
“She’s not like other humans, Carson,” I said, my voice stronger now, a conviction growing inside me. It was a gut feeling, an instinct.
“I can feel it. She’s connected to our world. To the magic. To the spirit realm.”
I paused, looking into his golden eyes, asking him to trust me, to take a leap of faith.
“We need to go to her, Carson,” I said. “We need her help. And we need to bring Derek.”
His eyes widened, and a flicker of hurt crossed his face. He remembered my confession, my rejection.
“Derek?” he echoed, his voice a whisper, his gaze dropping to the ground.
“But… why? Why would we bring him? He’s… Rowan’s brother. He won’t…” His voice trailed off, the unspoken question hanging in the air.
He’s still hoping, Isabelle. My wolf growled, a mix of pity and annoyance. He’s hoping you’ll choose him.
“He cares about you. And he wants to help Rowan. He… he’ll understand.” I said softly, my heart aching with a sadness I couldn’t explain.
“But… what about me, Isabelle?” His voice was a plea, a desperate attempt to reclaim the connection we’d shared.
“Will… will you be… uncomfortable? With him there? With… us… together?”
He’s offering you a way out, Isabelle. My wolf purred. He’s willing to step aside.
“It’s alright, Carson,” I said, my voice firm, meeting his gaze. I couldn’t lie to him anymore.
“Derek understands. He’s accepted it. We’re… we’re okay, Carson. Really.”
He nodded, but a shadow of sadness lingered in his eyes. I felt a pang of regret, a wish that things could be different, that love and duty weren’t always at odds.
“I… I know someone who can help us get to the spirit realm, Alpha,” he said, his voice low. He was changing the subject, trying to escape the awkwardness.
“A… Bloodmoon. A rogue. I… I met him a few years ago. When… when I was… looking for other options. Other paths.”
His words hit me like a slap in the face. He’d been talking to Bloodmoons? To rogues? It felt like a betrayal, a threat to our pack, to our world.
“You… you know a Bloodmoon, Carson?” I asked, my voice a low growl. My wolf bristled, her claws wanting to extend.
“You’ve been… consorting with rogues?”
“Alpha, I…” he stammered, his eyes meeting mine, a flicker of fear. He was desperate to explain, to earn back my trust.
“I was trying to find a way… to protect you. To save the pack.”
“Protect me?” I scoffed, my voice full of scorn.
“By consorting with the enemy? By betraying our pack? By risking everything for a… a foolish hope?”
“It wasn’t foolish, Alpha,” he pleaded, his voice a whisper. His golden eyes were shadowed with pain.
“I truly believed I could protect you, that I could save the pack. I was willing to do anything, to give up anything… for you.”
His words hung in the air, a confession that made my heart ache. He’d been willing to sacrifice everything for me… and I’d chosen someone else.
Before I could respond, Derek stepped forward, his golden eyes blazing with anger, his scent, a mix of pine and possessiveness, making my wolf whimper.
He grabbed Carson by the shirt, pulling him close.
“Are you a traitor, Carson?” he growled. “Is that what you are?”