The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 314: Chapter 314

Catrina POV:
The packhouse buzzed with a nervous energy, a mix of fear, anticipation, and a fragile hope that fluttered like a wounded bird.
Wolves whispered in hushed tones, their scents a confusing blend of pine, leather, and underlying anxiety.
Rowan stood beside me, his hand firmly clasped in mine, a silent reassurance, a steady anchor in the storm of emotions that swirled around us.
His return had stirred the pot, and not everyone was happy about it.
"Easy, love," Rowan murmured, his voice a low rumble, his thumb stroking the back of my hand.
"We knew this wouldn't be easy."
"Easy?" I scoffed, my gaze sweeping over the room, taking in the wary expressions, the averted gazes, the hushed whispers.
"They look like they're expecting us to sprout a second head, not welcome their Alpha home."
He chuckled, the sound a warm melody that chased away some of the shadows. "Give them time, Catrina. They've been through a lot. Five years is a long time to live under a cloud of uncertainty. And Derek... well, he was doing his best."
His words, though kind, couldn't quite erase the knot of worry in my stomach.
Derek.
The name still sent a shiver down my spine, a reminder of the darkness that had almost consumed him, the larva's insidious influence.
We’d managed to free him, to break Damien’s hold, but the scars remained, a chilling reminder of the battle we’d fought, the victory we’d won, a victory that felt… incomplete.
I squeezed Rowan’s hand, my fingers intertwining with his, a silent conversation passing between us, a shared understanding of the challenges we faced, the love that fueled our determination. We were in this together.
“Ready to face the music?” he asked, a playful glint in his amber eyes, a teasing smile that made my heart flutter.
"As long as you're with me," I replied, my voice soft but firm.
He leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear, sending a delicious shiver down my spine.
“Always, Catrina. Always.”
The great hall doors swung open, and we stepped inside.
A hush fell over the room, the whispers ceasing, the gazes turning towards us, a sea of faces, a mix of familiar and unfamiliar, their scents a confusing blend of fear, respect, and a lingering suspicion.
Rowan’s grip on my hand tightened, his silent support a lifeline in the sudden silence. He took a deep breath and began to speak, his voice ringing with Alpha command, a power that had been dormant, now reawakened, stronger, more resolute.
"Pack," he began, his gaze sweeping over the assembled wolves, his amber eyes filled with a mix of love and a fierce determination.
"I know my return has caused… confusion. Uncertainty. And I know I have a lot to answer for."
He paused, his gaze lingering on each face, acknowledging their doubts, their fears, their unspoken questions.
"Five years ago, I made a choice. A choice to protect the woman I love, to protect our future. A choice that led me down a path… none of us could have foreseen."
A murmur rippled through the crowd, the word “choice” hanging heavy in the air.
Five years ago, he’d chosen to use the ritual, to erase himself from our lives, to give me a chance at a normal life. Five years ago, he’d chosen to sacrifice everything… for me.
“I’m sorry for any pain my actions caused,” Rowan’s voice was full of genuine remorse.
“But I’m back now. And I’m asking for your trust. Your loyalty. Not just as your Alpha… but as your brother.”
The silence stretched, thick with tension, the weight of his words, the sincerity in his voice, hanging heavy in the air. Then, a voice, hesitant at first, broke through the stillness.
“What about… the larva, Alpha?” Elder Thorne stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Rowan, his voice a gravelly rasp, his scent a mix of pine and a stubborn resistance to change.
“What about the… darkness that… it brought upon us?”
A collective intake of breath echoed through the hall. The larva.
The word was a chilling reminder of the enemy we’d faced, the darkness that had almost consumed us all, the threat that still lingered, a shadow in the corners of our world.
Rowan’s jaw tightened, his amber eyes hardening, but his voice remained calm, steady. “The larva is gone, Elder. Destroyed. Along with the… the one who wielded it.”
He looked at me then, a silent acknowledgment of the battle we’d fought, the sacrifices we’d made, the love that had endured.
A murmur rippled through the crowd, a mix of disbelief and a flicker of hope. They wanted to believe, to trust, but the scars of the past, the fear of the unknown, were still fresh, still raw.
“And Derek?” another elder asked, his voice sharp, his gaze fixed on Rowan, his scent a mix of fear and accusation.
“What about… the changes we saw in him? The… the darkness?”
Rowan sighed, his gaze dropping to the floor, the weight of his brother’s struggle, the pain he’d endured, the darkness he’d almost succumbed to, heavy on his shoulders.
“Derek was… under the influence of… something… evil,” Rowan explained, his voice a low rumble, his words careful, measured, a truth he was still grappling with.
“Something… that tried to… control him. To… to use him. But… he’s free now. He’s… he’s back to himself.”
He looked up, his gaze meeting Derek’s, who stood silently at the edge of the crowd, his golden fur slightly dull, his amber eyes filled with a mix of shame and a quiet gratitude.
“Isn’t that right, brother?” Rowan asked, his voice soft but firm, a challenge, a plea, a forgiveness, all wrapped into one.
Derek stepped forward, his movements hesitant at first, then gaining strength, his gaze meeting Rowan’s, a silent conversation passing between them, a bond that had been tested, twisted, but not broken.
“It’s true,” Derek said, his voice a low rumble, his words echoing through the silent hall, a confession, an apology, a new beginning.
“The… the larva… it… it had a hold on me. It… it twisted my thoughts. My… emotions. Made me… do things… I… I regret.”
He looked at Isabelle, his gaze lingering on her, his amber eyes filled with a remorse that made my heart ache, a reminder of the love they’d almost found, the future they’d almost had, the darkness that had almost consumed them both.
“I… I’m sorry, Isabelle,” he whispered, his voice a broken plea, a love that was both a burden and a blessing, a reminder of the path not taken, the destiny that had been denied.
“For… for everything.”
Isabelle stepped forward, her hand reaching out to touch his arm, her scent a mix of lavender and a forgiveness that surprised me, a strength that I admired, a love that had endured.
“It wasn’t your fault, Derek,” she said softly, her voice a gentle caress. “You were… under its influence. You… you weren’t yourself.”
Derek nodded, his gaze dropping to the floor, his body trembling, the weight of his actions, the darkness he’d embraced, the pain he’d caused, a heavy burden he was finally releasing.
“I… I know, Isabelle,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.
“But… I still… I still have to… to make amends. To… to earn back… your trust. The pack’s trust. And his.” He looked at Rowan, his eyes full of remorse.
Rowan stepped forward, his hand clasping Derek’s shoulder, a silent forgiveness, a brotherly bond reaffirmed. “You don’t have to earn our trust, Derek. You’re family. We’re here for you. Always.”
A collective sigh, a wave of relief, swept through the hall. The tension eased, replaced by a fragile hope, a sense of unity, a pack healing, a family rebuilding.
“Now,” Rowan said, his voice gaining strength, his Alpha presence radiating outward, a force that even the whispers of doubt, the shadows of fear, couldn’t extinguish.
“We have a lot of work to do. We need to rebuild. To heal. To prepare.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the assembled wolves, his amber eyes filled with a fierce determination, a love for his pack, a responsibility he was finally embracing.
“The threat may be gone for now,” he continued, his voice a low growl, a warning, a prophecy. “But the world… it’s still a dangerous place. We need to be ready. For anything.”
“What do you suggest, Alpha?” Jarrett asked, his voice respectful, his gaze meeting Rowan’s, a silent acknowledgment of his leadership, his return, his right to rule.
“We start by strengthening our defenses,” Rowan said, his voice firm, his gaze sweeping over the pack, his words a call to arms, a plan of action.
“We increase patrols, reinforce the borders, and establish communication with our allies. We need to know what’s happening out there, beyond our territory.”
He paused, his gaze lingering on Maggie and Henri, who stood near Lucas, their faces etched with a quiet strength, a love that had endured everything, a reminder of the family I’d almost lost, the future I was fighting for.
“We also need to… to heal,” Rowan continued, his voice softening, his gaze meeting mine, a shared understanding of the losses we’d endured, the sacrifices we’d made, the love that had brought us back together.
“We need to… to talk. To… to share our stories. To… to remember those we’ve lost. To… to grieve. And… to… to move forward. Together.”
And as the pack’s murmurs of agreement, their scents a mix of hope and determination, filled the hall, as the firelight danced in Rowan’s amber eyes, as his hand tightened around mine, a silent promise, a shared destiny, I knew, that we would face the future, whatever it held, together.
As one.
As a pack.
As a family.