The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 91: Chapter 91

Marcus' POV
The air in the office crackled with betrayal, thick enough to choke on.
Derek, my own son, my blood, had defied me. He hadn’t brought Rowan to me as ordered.
He’d sided with my brother, Jarrett, to protect that omega… carrying that bastard.
The Kezrach Larva pulsed within me, a venomous fire stoking the rage that roared through my veins.
How dare they try to undermine my authority, to steal the power that rightfully belonged to me, the power that kept our pack strong?
I paced, my claws scraping against the polished floor, my wolf pacing beside me, a snarling shadow urging me to assert dominance, to crush those who defied me.
They thought they were so clever, Jarrett and Derek, trying to strip me of my power, of my control.
They would learn. They would all learn.
“Traitorous whelps,” I growled, my voice a guttural sound that echoed through the empty hotel lobby.
“They think they can steal what's mine? The power I’ve fought for, bled for?”
The Larva whispered in my ear, its voice a silken thread of paranoia and rage, twisting my thoughts, amplifying every fear, every suspicion.
“They’re all against you, Marcus. They want to see you fall.”
I slammed open the office doors, my eyes scanned the lobby, searching for any sign of those who’d dared to betray me.
“Jarrett! Derek!” I roared, my voice amplified by the Larva’s power.
“Come out and face your Alpha!”
Jarrett emerged from the shadows, his face set in a grim line, his eyes filled with a sadness that only fueled my anger.
“Marcus, this has to end,” he said, his voice calm, steady. “The Larva, it’s destroying you, destroying our pack. We have to break free from it, before it’s too late.”
I laughed, a harsh, brittle sound. “Break free? You fool. The Larva is my strength, my weapon. It keeps our pack safe, pure. And I won’t let anyone take it from me.”
Jarrett’s eyes narrowed, his body tensing as he prepared for a fight he didn’t want, a fight I knew he couldn’t win.
“Marcus, listen to me. This isn’t strength. It’s a curse. It’s turning you into something… something monstrous. It’s destroying everything we’ve built.”
He was wrong. They were all wrong.
The Larva was my salvation, the key to our pack's survival.
It was the only way to ensure our strength, to weed out the weak, the disloyal.
The Larva pulsed, its power surging through me, urging me to silence my brother, to make him understand.
“Lies!” I spat, slashing at him with my claws, a warning, a taste of what was to come.
“The Larva is our salvation, our strength. And I won’t let you or Derek take that from me!”
Jarrett dodged, his movements swift, his wolf instincts battling against the authority I held as Alpha.
But I was faster, fueled by the Larva’s power, my reflexes sharpened, my senses heightened.
I attacked again, my claws finding their mark, tearing into his flesh. The scent of his blood filled the air, making my wolf snarl with primal satisfaction.
“You’re weak, Jarrett,” I growled, my lips curling back in a snarl.
“Just like Derek. The Larva makes me strong, invincible. And anyone who stands against me will be crushed.”
Jarrett staggered back, clutching his wounded chest, blood staining his shirt.
“Marcus, please,” he pleaded, his voice hoarse. “This isn’t you. We can help you, break the Larva’s hold. Just let us in.”
I laughed, the sound echoing through the empty lobby, a mockery of his pleas.
Help me? They thought they could help me?
They were the ones who needed help. They were the ones who were weak, blind to the truth.
“You can’t help me,” I spat, my eyes burning with a rage that threatened to consume me.
“The Larva is a part of me now, and I will use it to destroy anyone who challenges me!”
That’s when Derek stepped out of the shadows, his face pale, but his eyes filled with a stubborn determination.
“Father, stop this madness!” he pleaded, his voice breaking.
Madness? They called this madness? This was power! This was control!
“Madness?” I echoed, a cruel smile twisting my lips. “No, my son. This is power. The power to protect our pack, to ensure its survival. And I will do whatever it takes to maintain it.”
I didn’t give them time to react. I lunged, my claws bared, a growl ripping from my throat.
Jarrett tried to shield Derek, but I was too fast, too strong.
My claws connected with flesh, tearing through both of them. The scent of their blood, my own blood, filled my senses, driving me deeper into the Larva’s embrace.
“This is my pack,” I snarled, my eyes wild.
“My family. My legacy. And no one, not even my own flesh and blood, will take it from me!”
They crumpled at my feet, broken and bleeding. A wave of twisted triumph, fueled by the Larva, surged through me.
I had won. I had proven my strength.
They had defied me, and they had paid the price.
But as the initial rush of victory faded, a sliver of doubt, sharp and unwelcome, pierced through the haze of rage.
Had I done the right thing? Were Jarrett and Derek truly threats?
The Larva’s whispers, always present, intensified, drowning out the nagging voice of reason.
“They betrayed you. They tried to steal your power. You had no choice.”
Yes, the Larva was right. They had betrayed me. They had tried to undermine me.
I had no choice but to eliminate them, to protect the pack from their weakness.
“Take them to the dungeons,” I ordered, my voice cold, emotionless.
The guards, who had gathered at the commotion, moved quickly, dragging Jarrett and Derek away, their bodies leaving bloody streaks on the polished floor.
I watched them go, a hollow ache settling in my chest. This was for the best, I told myself.
This was what it meant to be Alpha. To make the hard choices, even when they cut you to the bone.
But as I turned away, heading back to my office, a memory flashed through my mind. Rowan.
My other son defied me too. Challenged my authority.
And I’d sent him away, locked him in the very same dungeons I was now condemning my brother and my other son to.
The Larva hissed, its voice a venomous whisper. “They are weak. They are unworthy. They will only bring you down.”
As I went down there, the air in the dungeon was thick with the scent of mildew and fear.
Perfect. It was a fitting aroma for traitors.
As I descended the stone steps, the echoes of my own footsteps seemed to mock me, amplifying the anger and betrayal that gnawed at my gut.
I paused outside their cell, the Larva’s whispers urging me forward, fueling the rage that pulsed through my veins.
“They deserve to rot in this darkness.”
I pushed the heavy door open, my gaze settling on the two figures huddled in the corner.
They looked pathetic, their clothes torn, blood staining their faces.
Good. They should suffer for their sins.
A flicker of doubt, unwelcome and weak, tried to surface.
They were family… But the Larva quickly snuffed it out, replacing it with a righteous fury.
“Family? They had proven they weren't family. They'd chosen to side with that outsider, that omega who had dared to steal my son away.”
"Traitors," I spat, my voice dripping with contempt. "You dare to defy me, your Alpha?”
Jarrett stirred, his gaze meeting mine with a defiance that surprised me.
He was weak, always had been.
“Marcus, this has to stop,” he rasped, his voice weak but steady. “The Kezrach Larva… it’s eating you alive. It’s destroying everything we’ve built.”
I laughed, a harsh, empty sound.
“Consuming me? No, brother. The Larva is giving me power, the strength to protect our pack. To weed out the weakness that threatens to destroy us.”
Derek shifted beside Jarrett, his eyes narrowed.
“At what cost, Father?” he asked, his voice surprisingly steady. “How many more lives will you sacrifice to this… this obsession?”
Obsession? It wasn't an obsession. It was survival.
The Larva was the answer, the key to our pack's future.
Didn’t they see that? They were blind, both of them, seduced by that omega’s weakness.
“This isn't an obsession, Derek,” I growled, my claws flexing, itching to teach them both a lesson they wouldn’t forget.
“This is what an Alpha does. I protect my pack. And anyone who threatens our strength, our unity, will be dealt with.”
Jarrett sighed, his gaze filled with a sadness that twisted something inside me, something I refused to acknowledge.
“And what about your family, Marcus? Are we really a threat? Or are you just using the Larva as an excuse to silence anyone who questions you?”
His words struck a nerve, a chord of doubt that I quickly silenced. The Larva hissed, its voice a venomous whisper in my ear.
“They are trying to manipulate you, Marcus. Don’t listen. Don’t weaken.”
I shook my head, the Larva’s grip tightening, its power coursing through me like a potent drug.
“Enough!” I snarled, cutting off their pathetic pleas.
“I won’t be questioned. I am Alpha. And I will do whatever it takes to protect this pack.”
Jarrett's expression hardened. The defiance in his eyes, the way he held himself despite the pain…
It was like looking into a distorted mirror, seeing a reflection of my own defiance from years ago, back before the Larva had taken hold.
“Then you leave us no choice, Marcus,” he said, his voice laced with a resolve that sent a shiver down my spine.
“We will find a way to break this curse, even if it means going against you.”
Panic flared, hot and sharp, fueled by the Larva’s need to maintain control.
“You will do no such thing!” I roared, my voice echoing off the damp stone walls.
“I will not tolerate any more defiance! Not from you, not from Derek, not from anyone.”
I turned to the guards standing outside the cell, their faces impassive, their eyes reflecting the fear that now permeated the entire pack.
“Double the guard,” I ordered, my voice leaving no room for argument.
“These traitors stay locked up. And prepare the pack. I have an announcement to make.”