The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 276: Chapter 276

King Korvash POV:
“Your courage is commendable, Catrina Blanc, but misplaced.” My voice resonated through the stone chamber, each word a reverberation of power.
She stood before me, a flicker of defiance in her amber eyes, a testament to the omega spirit, the Lycan blood that flowed within her.
"Damien is not so easily vanquished."
“I saw him die, Alpha King,” she challenged, her voice trembling but firm. “I destroyed him. His magic dissipated. He’s gone.”
“Death in the spirit realm is merely a transition, a change in form, not an ending,” I stated, my gaze piercing hers, icy blue meeting defiant amber.
“Damien’s essence, his obsession, his hunger for power, transcends the physical. He exists as pure intent, a parasitic consciousness seeking a new anchor, a new vessel.”
Confusion clouded her features. “But what does he want? Why all this pain, this destruction?”
“He seeks to merge with the spirit realm itself,” I revealed, my voice a low growl, a chilling echo of Damien's ambition.
“To become a god. To rule over all of creation. Rowan’s actions, though noble in their intent, have inadvertently paved the path for Damien’s ascension.”
“Rowan?” Pain laced her voice, the name a wound that refused to heal.
“How could Rowan have helped him? He tried to save me, to protect me from Damien's darkness.”
“By altering time, by breaking your bond, he created a ripple, a tear in the fabric of reality,” I explained, each word carefully chosen, a weight of centuries of knowledge behind them.
“Damien thrives on chaos, on imbalance. He will use that tear, that disruption, to weave himself back into existence, stronger, more dangerous than before.”
“But I destroyed his physical form. How can a ritual that saved me be what he needs?”
“The ritual was not his goal, Catrina; it was a catalyst. He needed the disruption, the surge of power, the raw energy of a rewritten destiny, to anchor his essence, to draw power from the spirit realm itself.” I paused, letting the weight of my words settle, watching as understanding, then fear, dawned in her eyes.
“He feeds on chaos, Catrina. And your love for Rowan, that powerful bond, that defiance of destiny… it is the final piece he needs to complete his transformation.”
She swayed, her hand instinctively going to her belly, a protective gesture, a mother's love shielding the life growing within.
“So, even… even in death, Rowan is still… tied to Damien? He’s still… a pawn in his game?”
“He is a focal point, Catrina, a nexus of power,” I clarified.
“Your love for him, amplified by the time-altering ritual, resonates through the spirit realm, a beacon that draws Damien's darkness, a source of energy he will exploit.”
“There has to be a way to stop him,” she whispered, her voice barely audible, a desperate plea, a flicker of hope against the overwhelming odds. “There has to be something we can do.”
“There is, Catrina Blanc. But the path is perilous, the price… steep.” My gaze held hers, the weight of centuries settling on my shoulders, the burden of a king, the responsibility for the fate of our world.
“And the choice, the sacrifice… it must be yours.”
“What… what is it you ask of me, Alpha King?” she whispered, her voice trembling, her gaze unwavering, a mix of fear and a fierce determination that made my ancient heart stir, a recognition of the Lycan spirit, the warrior princess who slept within.
“To sever the connection,” I stated, my voice heavy with the weight of what I asked, the knowledge of the pain it would cause, the sacrifice it would demand.
“To break the bond that ties you to Rowan Magnus. To extinguish the beacon that draws Damien’s darkness. To… save your world.”
She recoiled, her hand flying to her chest, as if I had struck her, the pain in her amber eyes a reflection of the love she carried, the bond she cherished, the destiny she was being asked to deny.
“But… but I can’t,” she whispered, her voice breaking.
“I… I love him. I… I can’t… I won’t… let him go.”
“Love is not always about possession, Catrina Blanc,” I said softly, my voice a gentle echo, a reminder of a truth I’d learned centuries ago, a lesson etched in the very core of my being.
“Sometimes… sometimes… the greatest act of love… is… sacrifice. Is… letting go.”
I saw the tears welling up in her eyes, the conflict raging within her, the battle between her heart and her duty, her love and her destiny.
“If you cling to this bond, Catrina,” I warned, my voice a low growl, a prophecy of the darkness that loomed, the consequences of her choice, “Damien will use it against you. He will twist it, corrupt it, turn it into a weapon of his own making. He will destroy you, Catrina. And he will destroy… everything you love.”
“But if you let go, if you sever the connection, if you extinguish the beacon… you will save him, Catrina. You will save your world. You will save… yourself.”
I paused, my gaze holding hers, my words a challenge, a plea, a choice that only she could make, a destiny that only she could forge.
“Choose wisely, Catrina Blanc,” I said, my voice a low rumble. “The fate of your world… rests on your… decision.”
She closed her eyes, her breath coming in ragged gasps, the weight of my words, the knowledge of the sacrifice I asked of her, the love she was being asked to deny, crushing her.
I watched her, my ancient heart aching for her, for the young she-wolf who carried the weight of the world on her slender shoulders, the omega who was destined to be more, the Lycan princess who had to choose between her love and her destiny.
And as she stood there, the spirit realm’s silence amplifying the pounding of her heart, the whispers of the ancient ones echoing in the shadows, the fate of our world, the future of our kind, hanging in the balance…
She opened her eyes, her amber gaze meeting mine, her voice steady, filled with a resolve that made even my ancient wolf stir, a recognition of the Lyra’s spirit, the warrior princess who had awakened within her.
“I’ll do it,” she said, her voice a whisper, but her gaze unwavering, her love for Rowan, her commitment to her world, shining brighter than ever.
“I’ll… I’ll break the bond. I’ll… I’ll let him go.”