The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 304: Chapter 304

Catrina's POV:
Lucas turned to me, his small face a mask of confusion, his scent, though familiar, now tinged with a wariness, a distance, that made my heart ache.
“You’re… you’re not my Mama,” he said, his voice a small, uncertain sound, his eyes pleading for an answer, a truth he could understand, a reality he could grasp. “My Mama… she’s… she’s with the… the butterflies.”
His words, a childish explanation for a loss he couldn’t comprehend, a grief he couldn’t fully express, twisted a knife in my gut.
A reminder of the five years I’d been lost to him, stolen moments, whispered lullabies, bedtime stories, butterfly kisses – a lifetime of memories he didn’t possess, a bond that had been severed, a connection that had been broken.
“Lucas, honey,”
My mom said softly, her voice a gentle murmur, her lavender scent a comforting presence, a reminder of the family he knew, the love he’d always had.
She knelt beside him, her hand gently stroking his dark hair, her gaze warm, reassuring.
“This is… this is your Mama, sweetheart. She’s… she's come back.”
“No,” Lucas repeated, his voice small but firm, his gaze fixed on me, his amber eyes filled with a child’s stubborn refusal to accept a truth that was too painful, too confusing, too… impossible.
I knelt beside him, my gaze meeting his, my amber eyes, trying to connect with him, to bridge the gap that time and magic and sacrifice had created, the memories he didn’t have, the love he didn’t know.
“Lucas,” I said, my voice a soft murmur, a gentle warmth, a mother’s love reaching out, trying to find its way, to create a bond that had been broken, a destiny that had been denied.
“I know… I know it’s… confusing. But… but I am… your Mama. I’ve… I’ve been… away. For a long time. But… I’m… I’m back now. And… and I love you… very much.”
He stared at me, his amber eyes wide, unblinking, his small face a mask of confusion, his scent, though familiar, now tinged with a wariness, a distance, that made my wolf whimper, her claws digging into the earth, a primal instinct to protect, to defend, to reclaim the cub she’d almost lost.
“No,” he said again, his voice small but firm, his gaze unwavering, a child’s stubborn refusal to accept a truth that was too painful, too confusing, too… impossible.
“You’re… you’re not my Mama. She is my mama!.”
He turned to my mom, his small hand reaching out, his fingers instinctively seeking the familiar comfort of his grandmother’s touch, the warmth, the strength, the love that had been his constant, his anchor, in a world that had been shaped by loss, by absence.
“Grandma Maggie?” he asked, his voice a small, uncertain sound, his eyes pleading for reassurance, for a truth he could understand, a reality he could grasp.
“Is… is she… telling the truth? Is… is she… really… my Mama?”
Mom looked at me, her lavender eyes filled with a mix of love and concern, a mother’s pride, a grandmother’s protectiveness, and then she looked at Lucas, her gaze softening, a hint of sadness, of understanding, of a shared grief, a mutual longing for a future that had been denied.
She knelt beside him, her hand gently cupping his small face, her touch a silent reassurance, a grandmother’s love, a reminder of the family they’d become, the bond they’d forged, the life they’d built together.
“It’s… it’s true, Lucas,” she said, her voice a soft whisper, her words a careful explanation, a truth she wasn’t sure the boy was ready to hear, a destiny she wasn’t sure she could accept.
“She… she is… your Mama. She’s… she’s been… away. For a long time. But… she’s… she’s back now. And… and she loves you… very much.”
“But… but why… why did she… leave?” Lucas asked, his voice trembling, his lower lip quivering, his small body, though leaner, more wolfish, still carrying the vulnerability, the innocence, of a child who’d lost his mother, a pup who’d been abandoned.
“Why… why didn’t she… want me?”
His words, a child’s innocent question, a painful accusation, a reminder of the sacrifice I’d made, the life I’d almost lost, the love I was fighting to reclaim, twisted a knife in my gut, a wound that wouldn't heal.
I wanted to tell him the truth, to explain the complexities of our world, the dangers we faced, the choices I’d made, the sacrifices I’d offered, the love that had driven me, the destiny I was embracing.
But how could I explain the spirit realm, Damien’s darkness, the ritual, the merging, the Silver Wolf, the price I’d paid, to a five-year-old boy who’d only ever known the love of his grandparents, the safety of the pack, the warmth of a family that wasn't… complete?
How could I tell him that I’d given up my memories of him, of them, of our life together, to save his father, to protect our world, to rewrite our destiny?
How could I make him understand that even though I didn’t remember those five years, that even though I was a stranger to him, that my love for him was real, fierce, a bond that even death, even time, even magic, couldn't break?
“It’s… it’s a long story, Lucas,” I said, my voice a shaky whisper, my gaze meeting his, my amber eyes filled with a love he couldn’t see, a pain he couldn’t comprehend, a truth he wasn’t ready to hear.
“But… but I promise you, Lucas… I never… never stopped loving you. Not for a single second. I was… I was just… lost. And now… now I’m… I’m back. And I’m… I’m never… leaving again.”
He stared at me, his amber eyes wide, searching, questioning, a flicker of hope, a glimmer of recognition, dawning in their depths.
And then, slowly, hesitantly, he reached out, his small hand touching my cheek, his touch a tentative warmth, a fragile connection, a spark of a bond that was rekindling, a love that was being reborn.
“Mama?” he whispered, his voice a small, uncertain sound, a question, a plea, a hope.
“Yes, Lucas,” I said, my voice breaking, my heart soaring, my wolf purring with a joy so profound it brought tears to my eyes. “It’s me. It’s Mama. I’m… I’m here.”
And as I pulled him close, his small body warm and solid against mine, his scent, lavender and vanilla, a sweet, familiar melody that filled my senses, a reminder of the love we shared, the bond we were reclaiming, I knew, with a certainty that settled deep in my soul, that we would be okay.
Together.
But even as I reveled in that joy, that love, that hope, a chilling premonition, a whisper of a prophecy, a fear I couldn’t ignore, echoed in my mind, a reminder of the darkness that still lingered, the battle that was yet to be fought, the sacrifices that had yet to be made.
Damien’s magic, Catrina. It’s still out there. Waiting. Watching. And he’s not going to stop… until he has… what he wants. You. Your power. Our love. Our world.
My wolf growled softly, her silver fur bristling, her senses on high alert, ready to face the darkness, to protect the ones we loved, to reclaim the destiny that awaited us.
We have to be ready, Catrina. We have to… fight.
“Mama?” Lucas’s voice, a soft murmur against my ear, brought me back to the present, to the warmth of his small body in my arms, to the love that was real, the love that had endured, the love that would protect us.
“Are you… are you going to stay now? Are you… going to be… my Mama… again?”
I tightened my hold on him, my heart aching with a mix of joy and a fierce protectiveness.
“Yes, Lucas,” I whispered, my voice a vow, a promise, a love that defied everything.
“I’m… I’m staying. I’m… I’m going to be… your Mama. Always.”