The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 256: Chapter 256

Catrina POV:
The air crackled with a raw power that wasn’t Damien’s.
It was mine. Lyra’s. Ours.
A silver light, a shimmering energy, emanated from my body, pushing back the shadows, illuminating the ruined throne room with a brilliance that made the remaining shadow warriors cower and whimper.
It was a power that hummed in my blood, a song of ancient magic, a legacy I was finally claiming.
I felt my wolf, a majestic creature of and shadow, merging with me, her strength and grace amplifying my own.
“Catrina, what… what’s happening?”
Rowan’s voice, a mixture of awe and fear, reached me, but I couldn't tear my gaze away from Damien.
He stared at me, his crimson eyes wide with disbelief, a flicker of fear, cold and primal, replaced his usual arrogance.
He sensed the power shift, the tides turning.
“You… you’re different,” he stammered, his voice losing its smooth confidence. “Your magic… it’s… it’s not…”
“It’s not yours, Damien,” I said, my voice a low growl, echoing Lyra’s power.
It was no longer the hesitant, unsure omega he’d manipulated, controlled, twisted.
This was a force beyond his comprehension, a primal energy fueled by a love he’d tried to destroy but only strengthened.
“It’s mine. And I’m taking it back.”
I raised my hand, the silver light intensifying, forming a shimmering blade of pure energy.
It hummed with an ancient power, a force that made the air vibrate.
“You’ve made a grave mistake, Damien,” I said, my gaze never leaving his.
His fear fueled my confidence, my determination.
“You underestimated me. Underestimated… us. You thought you could control me, use me, twist my love, my bond, to suit your twisted desires. But you were wrong.”
“You will pay for what you’ve done, Damien,” I said, my voice a low rumble, echoing Lyra's strength.
“You will pay… for the lives you’ve taken, the pain you’ve caused, the darkness you’ve unleashed.”
The memories of my suffering, Rowan’s pain, the sacrifices, Brock's brave act – it all fueled the anger burning within me, a righteous fury that demanded justice, retribution.
It was a primal instinct, a she-wolf’s vengeance, an omega’s defiance against a world that sought to control them.
“Lyra… please…” Damien’s voice was a desperate plea now, stripped of his usual arrogance, his eyes wide with terror, the shadows around him flickering.
“Don’t do this… I… I love you… I’ve always loved you…”
“You don’t know the meaning of love, Damien,” I snarled, my voice cold and hard, a reflection of the icy mask he’d tried to force me to wear.
“You’ve twisted it, corrupted it, turned it into a weapon. Your love… it’s nothing but… obsession. Control. And it ends… here. Tonight.”
He tried to speak, to plead, to bargain for his pathetic existence, but I wouldn't listen.
My heart was closed to him, to his darkness, his twisted promises.
All I could see was the love he’d tried to destroy, the future he'd almost stolen from us, the family he'd torn apart.
"No more, Damien," I said, my voice heavy with finality.
"Your reign of terror ends now.”
I raised the silver blade, the light blinding, the power exhilarating. It thrummed with an ancient energy, a promise of justice, of retribution, of a love that would conquer all.
“Goodbye, Damien.”
I brought the blade down, and the world exploded.
The spirit realm shuddered, the air crackling with energy, shadows scattering.
Damien’s scream, a terrifying sound filled with rage and pain, echoed through the ruined palace.
But it was a scream quickly swallowed by the silence, the emptiness he’d created.
Then, he was gone.
The dark magic that had clung to him, that had poisoned this realm, dissipated, leaving behind a faint scent of decay, a reminder of the darkness he’d embraced.
A silence descended upon the throne room, heavy with the weight of what had transpired.
The battle was over.
The monster was gone.
I stood there, my body trembling, the silver light slowly fading, returning my fur to its usual ivory white, my eyes to their warm amber.
Exhaustion, both physical and emotional, threatened to overwhelm me.
But as I looked around at the faces of the ones I loved – Rowan, Derek, Isabelle, Carson, my parents – I felt a surge of joy, a relief so profound it brought tears to my eyes.
The love that had been tested, twisted, almost broken, was stronger than ever.
“We did it, Catrina,” Rowan whispered, his voice hoarse with awe, his amber eyes shining with a love that made my heart soar.
“You… you defeated him.”
He reached out, cupping my face in his hands, his touch warm, real, a grounding force in the chaos of this otherworldly realm.
It was a reminder of the bond we shared, a destiny we had almost lost, a love that even death couldn't break.
“You… you were amazing, Catrina,” he murmured, his thumb gently stroking my cheek, the warmth of his touch reminding me of our stolen moments, the life we had almost had, the future we were now fighting for.
“I… I’ve never seen anything like it. The power… the light… it was… you were…”
He struggled to find the words, his gaze filled with a mix of awe and a love that made my wolf purr with contentment, a melody of joy and gratitude.
“You were… everything I ever… dreamt of.”
And as he leaned in, his lips finding mine, his kiss warm and gentle, a promise of a love that would endure, I knew, with a certainty that settled deep in my soul, that we had won.
Together.
But even as joy and relief surged through me, a tremor of worry, a whisper of a fear I couldn't quite shake, lingered.
The spirit realm, no longer shrouded in Damien’s darkness, was still a strange, unsettling place.
The air felt thin, the trees skeletal, the ground barren.
And as I looked at the faces of the ones I loved, their exhaustion evident, their fur matted with blood, their scents a mix of triumph and grief, the weight of our victory, the sacrifices made, settled on me.