The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 238: Chapter 238

Catrina POV:
"The nightingale… that sang… outside your window… every night… a melody of… love… a song of… hope… a reminder… of a bond… that… could never… be broken.”
Rowan's words echoed in my mind, chipping away at the mental walls Damien had built around me.
Like a tiny crack of light in a dark room, his words brought a flicker of hope.
My amber eyes widened – he remembered.
He remembered us, our past life, our secret love, our stolen moments under the moon.
“He remembers, Catrina!” My wolf howled with joy. “He remembers Kael! He remembers Lyra!”
But how? He had sacrificed those memories to protect me, to give me a normal life, a life free from danger and Damien's curse.
I looked into Rowan's amber eyes, and I saw the same confusion and disbelief I felt.
But there was also a spark of hope, a flicker of the love we once shared, a love Damien tried to erase but couldn't quite kill.
“He’s fighting, Catrina. He’s fighting for us. For our memories. For our love.”
My wolf urged me to fight too, to break free from Damien's control and take back what was ours.
“What’s this, Rowan?”
Damien’s cold voice cut through the air, shattering the connection between Rowan and me.
He turned to me, his red eyes narrowed, his grip on my arm tightening like he owned me.
“What foolish game are you playing?”
“I’m not playing games, Damien,” Rowan growled, his eyes locked on mine like a lifeline.
“I’m reminding her of the truth. The truth you’ve tried to bury. The truth you can’t erase.”
“The truth?” Damien’s chilling laughter echoed through the ruined palace, making my wolf whimper in fear.
“There is only my truth, Rowan Magnus. And your truth… your pathetic, omega-loving truth… ends here. Tonight.”
He raised his hand, and dark energy crackled around his fingertips.
“No more games, Rowan. No more distractions. It’s time to face your destiny. The destiny I have chosen for you.”
“He’s going to kill him, Catrina. We have to do something! “ My wolf panicked, her voice filled with fear and a fierce protectiveness I'd never felt before.
But I couldn't move or speak. Damien’s magic held me captive, like a puppet on strings. My thoughts, my emotions, my will – all suppressed.
Remember, Catrina! Remember! Rowan’s voice cut through the fog in my mind, like a beacon in the darkness.
Remember… what?
Suddenly, memories flooded back.
Images, smells, emotions – a whirlwind of moments that made my heart ache and my wolf howl with longing for a beautiful but painful past.
I saw the high school gym, the loud music, the smell of sweat and perfume.
I was dancing with Brock, but his touch meant nothing.
His scent was bland compared to the pine and leather that filled my senses – a phantom smell, a memory of amber eyes that burned into mine, a heat that made my heart race.
And then I saw him. Rowan. Standing across the dance floor, his amber eyes locked on mine.
It was like a silent conversation, a pull, a connection that whispered of a destiny I didn’t understand, a past I couldn’t remember.
He’s the one, Catrina. He’s your mate, my wolf growled, a primal instinct I couldn’t deny.
He walked towards me, the crowd parting like the Red Sea.
The music faded, and the world shrunk until it was just us.
“Dance with me, Catrina,” he’d said, his voice a low rumble.
And I, unable to resist, nodded and took his hand. A spark shot through me, making my knees weak and my breath catch in my throat.
He’s the one, Catrina. He’s the one you’ve been waiting for.
But as we danced, lost in his gaze and the scent of his wolf, the erased memories of that other life came back.
The life where he rejected me, chose duty over love, and left me heartbroken.
"It was a mistake, Catrina. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have… I shouldn’t have danced with you.”
His cold words echoed in my mind, a reminder of the pain and betrayal I tried to forget.
I pulled away, my heart shattering.
He doesn’t want you, Catrina. He never did.
The memory shifted. The high school gym faded, replaced by the college campus, the smell of coffee and books.
I was in the library, struggling to focus on my textbook, longing for something I couldn't name.
And then I smelled him. Rowan. His scent, a mix of strength and sadness, reminded me of our bond, the love he denied.
He stood before me, his amber eyes shadowed, a wall between us.
"We need to talk about the project, Catrina," he said, avoiding my gaze.
"Right. The project." My voice trembled.
I couldn't deny the pull I felt towards him, the warmth that spread through me when he was near. My wolf stirred with anticipation.
We talked about Shakespeare, about Romeo and Juliet, about love and loss and destiny.
Our words danced around the truth we couldn't acknowledge – the bond that still pulsed between us, a connection that time, magic, even death couldn't break.
As we worked, our shoulders brushed, our scents mingled.
I felt a flicker of hope, a spark of our old love, a promise of a future that maybe, just maybe, could still be ours.
He’s fighting it, Catrina, my wolf whispered. He’s trying to deny the bond. But he can’t. Not forever.
But then the doubt returned, the fear, the memory of his rejection.
“You’re better off… without me.”
And the hope faded, replaced by the chilling certainty that I'd lost him, that he would never be mine, that our love was forbidden.
The memories, a storm of pain, longing, and a love that refused to die, swirled inside me.
They shattered the mask of indifference I wore, revealing the truth – my heart still beat for him, for Rowan, my mate, my Alpha, my destiny.
“No, Damien.” My voice, a mix of my own and Lyra’s, was filled with a surprising strength.
“You’re wrong. He’s not… weak. He’s not… pathetic. He’s… he’s…”
My voice faltered. The words, the truth, the love I’d buried threatened to break free from Damien's magic.
“He’s… mine, Damien.” My voice was a whisper, a plea, a declaration of a love that defied everything.
“And I… I won’t let you… hurt him.”
Damien’s grip tightened, his red eyes blazing with fury.
“You dare defy me, Lyra?” he roared. “You dare choose him… over me?”
His anger, his possessiveness, his jealousy… it was terrifying, but it also made me feel powerful.
I knew then that the battle had begun. A battle not just for my heart and soul, but for Rowan’s life, for our pack, for the future of our world.
“He’s not… what you think he is, Damien,” I growled, my voice a mix of Lyra’s strength and Catrina’s love.
My defiance came from a bond that defied lifetimes, a destiny that couldn’t be denied.
“He’s… he’s more than just an Alpha. He’s… he’s…”
My voice faltered again, overwhelmed by memories, feelings, love.
“He’s… everything to me, Damien,” I whispered, meeting his gaze.
It was a challenge, a declaration of a forbidden love I couldn’t deny.
“And I… I won’t let you… destroy him.”
I stood tall, my silver-white fur on end, my amber eyes blazing with a fire that matched his. I felt a surge of power, a strength
I didn’t know I had, a love that could conquer even the darkest magic.
“Catrina?”
A voice, a whisper, a familiar warmth, a beacon in the darkness, made my heart leap.
My wolf howled with recognition, longing for a lost connection, a broken bond, a love that had been… stolen.
I turned towards the doorway, where a figure stood bathed in moonlight. His scent reminded me of the life we’d lost, the future we’d been denied, the destiny we were fighting for.
“Dad?”