The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 258: Chapter 258

Catrina POV:
“No… no… that’s not possible…” Rowan shook his head, unable to accept it, unable to believe that the Beta he’d trusted, the wolf who had fought beside us, had turned against us.
But even as he denied the truth, Carson’s voice, distorted and filled with Damien’s cold malice, shattered any hope we had left.
“You’re wrong, Alpha,” he sneered, his voice a mockery of his former loyalty.
“He’s not… using me. I… I chose this. I… I embraced his power.”
He raised his hand, his fingers tracing a pattern in the air.
The air crackled with energy, and shadows swirled around him, forming a vortex of darkness, a reminder of the power he now wielded, the darkness he’d embraced.
“I… I’m more… than just a Beta now, Alpha,” he said, his voice dripping with a cruel amusement, a mockery of the pack hierarchy he'd once served.
“I’m… I’m something… more. Something… powerful.”
He looked at Isabelle, his gaze possessive, hungry.
It was a look that made my wolf snarl, a primal urge to defend her, to protect her, to reclaim what he believed was… his.
“And now, Isabelle… you’ll be… mine.”
As Carson, consumed by Damien’s darkness, his golden eyes burning with an unholy fire, lunged towards Isabelle, my own wolf, a fierce protector, rose within me, her silver fur bristling, her amber eyes blazing.
I will not let him hurt her, my wolf growled, her voice a vow, a promise of a battle that would decide the fate of our world, of our love.
I stepped in front of Isabelle, shielding her, my own power surging, a force that even Damien’s magic, even Carson’s betrayal, couldn’t extinguish.
“You’re wrong, Carson,” I said, my voice a low growl, a challenge to the darkness that had consumed him, a reminder of the bond he'd broken, the love he’d betrayed.
“She’s not yours. And she never will be.”
I raised my hand, silver light crackling around my fingertips, forming a blade of pure energy, a weapon forged in the fires of love and loss, a testament to a destiny that couldn’t be denied.
“I won’t let you touch her. Not now. Not… ever.”
And as the battle raged, the spirit realm itself trembled, the clash of light and shadow, of love and darkness, a symphony of chaos and hope, a reminder that in this world of wolves and magic, only one thing was certain – nothing would ever be… the same.
"Enough!" I roared, my voice laced with Lyra’s power, a command that echoed through the ruined palace.
Even the shadow warriors paused, their glowing red eyes flickering as if sensing a power beyond their comprehension.
The air crackled with magic, the spirit realm itself responding to my call.
My gaze, sharp and filled with a chilling calm, met Carson’s, or rather, Damien’s, who was now wearing Carson’s body like a stolen suit.
He stared back, his crimson eyes blazing, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in them, a recognition of a power that threatened his control, a love he couldn't extinguish.
“You dare defy me?” His voice, a distorted echo of Carson's, was a hiss of rage.
“You think you can stand against me, little omega? You are nothing! A pawn in my game! A vessel for my power!”
I laughed, the sound cold and sharp, a mockery of his arrogance.
“You’re the pawn, Damien,” I said, my voice filled with a quiet strength.
“A desperate soul, clinging to a love that was never yours, a power you could never truly possess. You’re a parasite, Damien, feeding off the life force of others, twisting their love, their loyalty, to suit your own selfish desires.”
I gestured towards the crumpled form of my father, his silver-grey fur dull, his amber eyes lifeless, a painful reminder of the sacrifices made, the lives Damien had taken.
“You stole his life, his strength, his love. You tried to do the same to Rowan. To me. But you failed, Damien. Because love… love is stronger than your darkness.”
He snarled, his fangs bared, his crimson eyes blazing with a fury that made the air crackle.
But beneath the anger, I could sense fear, a growing panic. He was losing control, his grip on Carson’s body weakening, his magic faltering.
I could feel it, a shift in the energy, a lightness, a hope, that was like a breath of fresh air.
“It’s working, Catrina,” my wolf purred, her voice a melody of joy and strength. “He’s weakening. His hold… it’s slipping.”
“You… you can’t defeat me, Lyra,” Damien snarled, his voice cracking, a hint of desperation in his tone.
“I am… I am a god! I am… immortal! I will… I will crush you all!”
“You’re nothing but a parasite, Damien,” I said, my voice calm, steady, filled with the power of a thousand lifetimes, the strength of a love that defied death, a bond he couldn’t break.
“A thief. A coward. And your reign of terror… ends now.”
I raised my hand, silver light intensifying, the power surging through me like a tidal wave, a force that made the ruined palace tremble.
My wolf, a majestic creature of and shadow, stood beside me, her strength and grace amplifying my own.
“This ends now, Damien,” I repeated, my voice echoing through the chamber, a judgment, a promise of retribution, a love song that would shatter his darkness.
I saw fear in his crimson eyes, a flicker of understanding that his time was over. He was facing a power greater than his own, a love he could never possess, a destiny he couldn’t control.
“You… you can’t…” he stammered, his voice a broken whisper, his magic fading, the shadows that had clung to him, to this realm, retreating, like rats fleeing a sinking ship.
“It’s… it’s over, Damien,” I said, pity replacing anger. The fight had drained me. It felt like centuries of pain were compressed into this one night, this one final battle.
“Let go of him, Damien,” I pleaded, my voice softening, my heart aching for the wolf who was lost, for the friend who had betrayed us, for the love that had been twisted.
“Let go of Carson. He… he doesn’t deserve… this.”
But even as I spoke, even as I felt a glimmer of hope for his redemption, Damien, his red eyes blazing with defiance, his ego shattered, his power dwindling, made his final, desperate choice.
“If… if I can’t have her… no one will,” he hissed, his voice a venomous whisper, full of spite and hate.
“If… if I can’t have… power… no one will.”
He laughed, a hollow, chilling sound that echoed through the ruined palace.
And then, with a final, defiant gesture, a cruel act of self-destruction, he turned his magic… inwards.
Carson’s body, his vessel, convulsed, his golden fur dimming, his crimson eyes fading, the light of his soul extinguished.
And as his lifeless body slumped to the ground, the scent of decay a reminder of the darkness he’d embraced, a silence, heavy with the weight of loss, a grief that echoed my own, settled over the ruined throne room.
I knelt beside him, my tears falling, my wolf whimpering, a mournful lament for a love betrayed, a friendship broken, a soul lost to the darkness.
“I… I’m sorry, Carson,” I whispered, my voice broken, a final farewell to a wolf who’d tried to protect, to love, but had lost his way, a reminder that even in victory, the cost can be unbearable.
“I… I wish… things could have been… different.”