The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 257: Chapter 257

Catrina POV:
“What’s wrong, Catrina?” Rowan asked, his gaze searching mine, his wolf’s instincts sensing my unease. He pulled back, a concerned frown creasing his brow.
“You… you look… worried. Are you hurt? Did Damien…”
“It’s… it’s not Damien, Rowan,” I said softly, shaking my head, my gaze flickering towards the others, seeking answers, needing reassurance.
“It’s… this place. This… realm. It feels… different. Empty. Like… like it’s… dying.”
“She’s right, Rowan.” My dad, his fur stained with blood, his amber eyes filled with a weariness that mirrored my own, stepped closer.
“The spirit realm… it’s not… what it used to be. Damien’s magic… it… it drained this place. Corrupted it. Twisted it to his will. And now… now that he’s gone…”
His voice trailed off, his gaze meeting mine, a shared understanding, a fear that I knew we all felt, the knowledge that even though Damien was gone, his darkness had left a scar on this world, a wound that might never heal.
“He’s gone, Dad, but… but the darkness is… is still here. It’s… it’s everywhere.”
“What are we going to do, Catrina?” Emma asked, her voice a small, scared whisper.
She stood beside Maggie, clutching the ancient book, her scent a mix of human worry and a determination that surprised me.
She’d faced a world she didn’t understand, a power she couldn’t comprehend. But she’d fought, she’d believed, she’d helped us.
She’d risked everything for… love.
“Can we… can we even… leave this place?”
“We have to try, Emma,” Isabelle said, her voice firm. She was an Alpha, a leader, a wolf who wouldn’t give in to despair, even when the world around her was crumbling.
“We have to… find a way back. To… to our world.”
But her words lacked her usual conviction, her confidence. Even an Alpha, even a warrior, couldn’t escape the feeling of unease, the knowledge that something was wrong, that the balance had shifted, that the spirit realm was… fading.
I looked at Rowan, his amber eyes searching mine, a mix of love and worry reflected in them.
I saw a strength in him I’d never witnessed before, a determination, a leadership that had been forged in the fires of our shared ordeal.
“We’ll find a way, Catrina,” he said, his voice low, a promise etched in his gaze.
He squeezed my hand, his touch a comfort, a reminder of the bond that tied us together, a bond that even the spirit realm couldn’t break.
“We always do.”
I nodded, a weak smile, a feeble attempt to reassure him, to push down the fear that was growing inside me, a chilling premonition that whispered…
It’s too late, Catrina.
The darkness has already won.
“Where… where’s Carson?” Derek’s voice, a sharp question, cut through the silence.
His gaze swept the throne room, searching for his Beta, his friend, the wolf who had always stood by his side, a loyal companion.
But his golden eyes, usually warm and playful, were clouded with a worry that echoed my own, a fear that gnawed at us.
“Carson?” he called out, his voice echoing through the ruined palace, a plea for an answer that didn’t come.
The silence amplified the emptiness, the loss, the fear that something was terribly wrong.
“He’s not… he’s not here, Derek,” I whispered, my voice a tremor of worry, my gaze flickering towards the shattered remnants of the archway where Damien had brought us.
It was the same archway where my father had stood, his amber eyes blazing with a love that defied darkness, a protective fury that echoed my own.
But now, the archway was empty, devoid of any scent, any presence.
It was a blank space, a reminder of…
“He’s gone, Derek.” My voice cracked, the truth escaping my lips.
It was a bitter confirmation of a betrayal, a loss that cut deep, a reminder of the darkness that Damien had unleashed.
“He’s… he’s gone back.”
“Back? Back to… where, Catrina?” Derek asked, his voice a hollow whisper, his golden eyes mirroring my fear, his wolf’s instincts sensing the truth.
“Back to… the Bloodmoons?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head, my heart sinking as I spoke the words, the knowledge of Carson’s betrayal, a heavy weight on my soul.
I saw the pain in his eyes, the understanding, the shared grief.
We’d both been betrayed by the same wolf, by a love that was both beautiful and dangerous, a force that could either heal or destroy.
“He’s… gone back to Damien.”
The air crackled, the ground trembled.
A wave of dark energy surged through the ruined palace, knocking us off our feet. It was a powerful surge, a reminder of Damien's magic, a force that we thought we had defeated, a darkness that…
“What’s happening?” Isabelle shouted, her voice a mix of fear and anger.
She scrambled to her feet, her amber eyes scanning the shadows, her wolf’s instincts on high alert.
Her gaze met mine, a shared terror, a chilling understanding, passing between us.
“He’s not gone, Isabelle.” My voice was a shaky whisper, echoing the fear that was consuming me.
“Damien… he’s… he’s still here.”
“Impossible!” Rowan growled, his voice a mix of defiance and disbelief. He struggled to stand, his silver wolf snarling, his amber eyes searching for the enemy we thought we'd defeated, the darkness we'd tried to banish.
“We… we destroyed him. Catrina… she… she defeated him.”
But even as he spoke the words, a shadow, cold and menacing, fell over us, and the air grew heavy with the scent of decay and ancient power.
And then, from the heart of that shadow, a figure emerged, his black robes swirling, his red eyes burning with a fury that made my wolf whimper.
But it wasn’t Damien.
It was…
“Carson? What… what are you…?” Rowan stammered, his voice a broken whisper, his amber eyes wide with shock and betrayal.
He couldn’t believe it. Neither could I.
Carson stood there, his fur gleaming, his golden eyes now a chilling crimson red, a reflection of Damien’s power, a mockery of the love he’d once professed.
“He’s using him, Rowan,” I said, my voice a lament for the wolf who was lost, for the friend who had betrayed us, for the love that had been twisted, corrupted.
“He’s… he’s Damien’s vessel now.”