The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 266: Chapter 266

Catrina POV:
“I’m ready.”
My voice, though a tremor of uncertainty ran through it, held a firm resolve, a determination that came from the depths of my soul, from the love that burned within me, a fire that even Damien’s darkness, even Rowan’s death, couldn’t extinguish.
Elias, the shaman, his dark eyes piercing, his gaze holding mine with an intensity that made my wolf whimper, nodded slowly.
“You say you’re ready, Catrina,” he said, his voice a low rumble that echoed the ancient whispers of the mountains, the secrets of the spirit realm.
“But are you truly prepared… for what awaits you? For the trials that will… test not only your strength and courage… but also… your heart and soul?”
I hesitated. His words, a warning, a prophecy of the dangers I was about to face, sent a chill down my spine.
The memory of the spirit realm, its twisted trees, its shadowy creatures, its suffocating darkness, made me tremble.
But the thought of Rowan, of his fading scent, the warmth leaving his body, the emptiness in his eyes… it fueled my resolve.
I had to try.
“I’ll face anything, Elias,” I said, my gaze never leaving his. “Any challenge. Any… price. I have to bring him back.”
He studied me for a moment, his dark eyes seeming to see right through me, into the depths of my soul, into the heart of my love, my grief, my desperation.
And then, he nodded again, a hint of respect, of admiration, softening his stern expression.
“Very well, Catrina,” he said, his voice a low rumble. “Then let the trials… begin.”
The air around us grew colder, heavy with the scent of magic and a primal energy I couldn’t define.
The familiar warmth of the workshop, the crackle of the fire, the comforting presence of Emma – it all faded away, replaced by a swirling mist, a darkness that pressed in on me, suffocating, disorienting.
My wolf snarled, her claws extending, her senses on high alert, ready to fight, to flee, to protect.
Where are we, Catrina? Her voice, a mix of fear and excitement, echoed in my mind.
“I… I don’t know,” I whispered, my own voice a tremor of uncertainty. The darkness was absolute, blinding. I couldn’t see, couldn’t smell, couldn’t even feel the ground beneath my paws.
It was like being suspended in a void, an emptiness that echoed the hollowness in my own heart, the loss of Rowan, the pain of a love that had been stolen.
“The first trial, Catrina,” Elias’s voice, a distant echo, cut through the darkness.
“It is a test of… your… will. Your… determination. Your… ability… to face your… deepest fears.”
His words, a warning, a prophecy, made my wolf whimper.
What does he mean, Catrina? What fears?
And then, the darkness shifted, swirling, coalescing into a familiar, terrifying landscape.
I was back in the spirit realm. But this wasn’t the ruined palace, the site of our battle with Damien.
This was… different.
Twisted trees, their branches like skeletal claws, reached out, their shadows whispering secrets, their leaves rustling with an unnatural sound.
The air was cold and heavy, thick with the smell of decay and a cloying sweetness that made my stomach churn.
And then, I saw it. A path. A narrow, winding path that snaked through the twisted trees, disappearing into the swirling mist. It pulsed with a faint, green light, a beacon in the darkness, a promise… and a threat.
“The labyrinth, Catrina,” Elias’s voice echoed again, a guide, a warning.
“It is a test of your… resolve. Your… ability to… navigate the… twisted paths of your own… mind. To face your… deepest fears. To… overcome… the shadows that… haunt you.”
My wolf growled, her claws digging into the ground, eager to run, to escape this terrifying place. But something held her back, a sense of purpose, a need to prove herself, to face the darkness, to reclaim the power that was rightfully hers.
We have to do this, Catrina. For Rowan.
I took a deep breath, my heart pounding against my ribs, my eyes fixed on the path, the green light pulsing, a beacon that both lured and terrified me.
“I’m ready,” I said, my voice stronger now, filled with a new determination. “Show me the way.”
And as I stepped onto the path, the labyrinth of shadows, a twisted reflection of my own heart, my own soul, my own love, opened up before me.
The path twisted and turned, leading me deeper into the spirit realm’s embrace.
The air grew colder, the shadows darker, the whispers louder.
I could feel eyes watching me, unseen creatures lurking in the mist.
My wolf’s instincts screamed at her to turn back, to flee, to escape this place of nightmares.
But I pressed on, my gaze fixed on the faint green light that pulsed ahead, a guide, a promise of… something. I wasn’t sure what awaited me at the end of this path, but I knew I had to find it.
I had to face the shadows. I had to overcome my fears.
I had to… bring Rowan back.
The first illusion shimmered into existence, a mirage of the old Magnus Hotel, its amber windows gleaming, its lobby filled with warmth and laughter, the scent of pine and coffee a bittersweet reminder of a life that was gone, a future that had been stolen.
I saw Rowan there, standing by the fireplace, his silver fur shining in the firelight, his amber eyes warm and welcoming as he smiled at me.
He held out his hand, a silent invitation, a promise of a love that had been… erased.
“Catrina,” he whispered, his voice a melody that made my heart ache, my wolf whimper. “Come… come home.”
I wanted to run to him, to fall into his arms, to lose myself in his scent, his touch, his love.
It was everything I’d ever wanted, everything I’d lost, a dream come true.
But a voice, a whisper of warning, echoed in my mind.
It’s not real, Catrina. It’s an illusion. Don’t let it fool you.
I hesitated, my heart pounding, my wolf pacing restlessly, torn between the longing for my mate and the chilling certainty that this wasn’t him, not really.
It’s Damien’s magic, Catrina. He’s trying to trick you. To trap you. To… break you.