My Mate Is An Omega
Chapter 59

Caitlyn POV

A few months ago, I thought I was on an emotional rollercoaster after being rejected by my former mate, and meeting my second chance only a few days later. However, this was on a whole other level.

In the last twenty-four hours, I risked losing my pup to replace my mate, led an attack against the ones who kidnapped him, got captured by them, found the man who had made me suffer the most, and learned I was some kind of "pure" wolf from an ancient lineage. To top it off, I had no time to make sense of any of it, because I was still on a mission. I couldn't afford to waste a second.

So why was I rooted to the floor?

From a safe distance, I watched Caleb and Boris fight for me, and it surprised me. He never did before; from the moment he found out I was his mate, all he did was push me away. On the day that was supposed to be the happiest one of my entire life, he broke our sacred bond without hesitation. There were no explanations, no apologies. He cut me from his life as if I was a weed growing in his perfect garden.

I was mad at him. For betraying not only our bond, but also our friendship. For rejecting me in such a cruel way. For making me believe I was unworthy of being loved. For trying to ruin my second chance at being happy. For taking the one I loved the most away from me, and plotting to kill him. I had every right to be angry; he had given me more than enough reasons to despise him.

Yet somehow, I couldn't replace it in my heart to hate him.

"You are truly kind, Cait." Faye's voice brought me back to reality. "Despite everything he put you through, you haven't forgotten your past together. The highs and lows... they're still clear as day inside your mind. You can't loathe him because you know that, in the end, he isn't evil. He is merely a child who couldn't break the cycle of abuse. He made all of the wrong decisions based on hate, because it's the only thing he's ever known. You tried to show him love, but once he shut you off, there was nothing else you could do. You can't hate him because, when you look at him, you don't see a monster; you see a scared pup."

I remained in silence for a while longer, my heart aching as I watched Boris' light blonde fur slowly turn crimson. He was fighting with all his might, but there was only so much he could do as he fought alone against two beasts with double his size. "Should we help him?" I asked expectantly.

She lowered her ears. "You know we can't fight, Cait. Even if we are supposedly stronger than normal wolves, we lack the proper training. We would end up being more of a hindrance than a help." I couldn't argue with her, but it didn't make the pain go away. "The best thing we can do is run, and hope he will somehow defeat the bears. If we don't, they'll soon get to us, and his sacrifice will have been in vain." Again, I knew she was right, but it was still a tough decision to make.

I glanced at the gruesome battle one last time, and for a brief moment, the wolf's pale blue eyes met mine. My lips slowly parted to let out the words "I forgive you" almost instinctively. The mix of surprise and relief in his semblance let me know he had gotten the message. It gave me the strength I needed to turn around to leave. With a heavy heart, I rushed through the cold cave until I reached the closest door. As soon as I pushed it open, the world shone brighter and my pain quickly faded away. My mate, my fiancé, my Alpha... he was right there in front of me.

When he lifted his head, finally noticing me, his gorgeous green eyes shone with joy. As my feet moved hurriedly in his direction, almost tripping a few times, I didn't have to think; it was instinctive. The magnetic pull between us urged me to be near him, to touch him, and I didn't fight it. I quickly crossed the small distance that separated us, my legs giving in as I wrapped my arms around him, ready to never let him go.

After being apart for so many hours, not knowing whether I would ever see him again, I needed to know he was real. My hands traveled along his bare back, eager to remember the texture of his rough skin. Tears ran down my face as I buried my nose into his neck, taking in his exquisite scent as if it was my oxygen. The whole world seemed to disappear as I realized it wasn't a dream. He was truly there, with me.

"Beautiful," he whispered faintly, his sweet voice sending pleasant shivers down my spine.

Only then, I allowed myself to pull away slightly so I could take a good look at him. There were a few new scars on his face, but the dried blood on his chest assured me Atlas had already helped him heal. He had thick metal chains wrapped around his wrists and ankles, forcing him to kneel on the floor. It hurt me to see him in such a poor condition, but it could be worse; like Caleb had guessed, there were no signs of him having been tortured in the past couple of hours.

Once the initial thrill of our reunion was gone, the soft smile on his lips faded. "You shouldn't be here, Cait," he observed worriedly.

"I'm not leaving without you," I promised adamantly, my heart throbbing in my chest as I slowly remembered where we were.

He sighed in defeat, knowing there was no way he would convince me to flee without rescuing him first. His gaze shifted from me to the door as if to make sure there was no one coming after us.

"They drugged me with wolfsbane; Atlas is not at full strength yet. I'm going to need your help."

"Just tell me what to do." I stood up quickly, ready to follow his instructions.

He pulled one of his arms down abruptly, and I noticed something drop on the floor. When I looked up, I realized that the metal plate connecting the chains to the rocky ceiling was loose. He probably managed to rip one of the screws out earlier, and a second one had just fallen off.

"I have been trying to weaken the chains ever since Atlas woke up. I was planning to break free in an hour or so, once the wolfsbane left my system. But since you're here now, I think there's an easier way we can do this." He pointed with his nose at one of the thick cuffs on his wrists. "These aren't made of silver. The fuckers thought I was some kind of some special wolf, whose apparently a lot more sensitive to silver. Turns out they were wrong, but..." he lowered his head shamefully. "There's something I need to tell you... about me."

"I know you're part bear, Lance. I don't care," I spat, cupping his face with both of my hands to force him to look at me. "I'll always love you, no matter what you are. And also... it seems I'm The Original."

For a few seconds, he just stared at me in confusion and disbelief. "Of course! it all makes sense now! How I felt stronger after you marked me, and how you healed so fast in the kitchen the other day." It didn't take long for a proud smile to light up his face. "You should have no problem setting me free then."

"He's right, Cait," Faye chimed in again. "If we have enhanced abilities, we should be strong enough to break the chains."

I nodded my head in agreement as I quickly placed my hand around the thick metal cuffs, taking a deep breath before I started pulling them apart. The sound of a ticking clock inside my head made my heart beat faster as I tried my best to concentrate on the task. It took me a few seconds, which seemed more like hours, until I finally heard a metallic breaking sound, followed by a relieved gasp. "You're doing good, beautiful. Just one more left."

My mate kept trying to encourage me, probably sensing my anxiety through our bond. It was surprising how calm he managed to be after being taken away from home, chained, and beat up. Was he masking his own suffering to make me feel more relaxed? I did as he said, using all of my strength to destroy the other cuff. The second I did, he jumped to his feet and embraced me in a loving hug. I didn't miss how he was being more careful than I expected him to, probably afraid to hurt our pup. Still, the pounding of his heart beating against mine as our chests pressed together let me know just how much he had missed me. Despite the situation we were in, I allowed myself a few minutes to enjoy his presence.

"I love you so much, Caitlyn." His voice was deeper, mixing with Atlas'. Was it wrong that I found it sexy as hell? "But I'm still mad you risked your life and our pup's by recklessly coming here."

"And I'm still mad you put yourself in danger by ordering your Beta to leave while you searched the borders alone," I sharply replied.

"Touché." A light chuckle left his lips, echoing through the dark, cold walls of the dungeon. It made the place so much warmer and brighter; but the next second, he pulled away to look at me with seriousness in his semblance. "Now let me get you out of here." However, the moment we turned around to head to the exit, we were unable to move.

"I'm afraid I'll have to ruin your plans, bastard boy." I quickly recognized the man standing in front of the door. He wasn't nearly as intimidating as the shifters I had met here, but after what he had done to me earlier, I was wary of his magical abilities. "You can try," my mate growled, taking a step forward to stand defensively in front of me. "But you'll have to kill me before you lay a finger on her."

"That's quite alright. Maximus only wants her; you can die for all I care." The warlock lifted his hand up, and I instantly understood his intentions. No! I had to do something. I had to replace a way out. If I didn't, Lance...

"It'll be okay, beautiful." The soft voice inside my head took me by surprise. My mate's eyes were still locked on the man in front of us, but his heart was beating for me. "Just stay behind me."

My eyes widened with horror as I realized what he meant. Lance was tough, but Atlas wasn't ready to come out yet. He wouldn't be strong enough to survive the damage of a direct offensive spell, and I was sure he knew. He was planning to use his own body as a shield; he would sacrifice himself if it meant I would be safe for just a little longer. I wanted to argue, but there was no time. There was nothing I could do.

Then, it hit me they didn't care about my mate, but they still wanted me.

"No!" I screamed as I pushed Lance aside to jump in front of him. Confused, he didn't have time to react, a gasp of pure fear leaving his mouth as he noticed how vulnerable I was.

"Damn it!" the man cried out in annoyance. The spell had already been casted, which meant it couldn't be canceled. However, he redirected it by quickly moving his arm to the side. A lightning bolt hit one of the walls, making me blind for a second. And when I was able to see again, I couldn't believe my eyes.

A fire spear flew in the warlock's direction. With an impressive speed, he created a magic shield to block the spell that caused the flames to dissipate as they crashed against it. The power still pushed the man back a few feet, but he didn't seem to have gotten hurt. I turned my head in the direction where the spear had come from and was astonished to replace the onyx-haired woman.

"Cordelia?!" My mate couldn't hide the shock in his voice.

"You were taking too long, Luna," she scolded me, but her gaze was still focused on the short man. "I'm glad I came to check on you. Didn't expect to see a familiar face. Nice to see you again, Victor."

"You traitor b***h!" The warlock hissed, preparing another spell - this time, directed towards the witch. "I knew we should have killed you when you went against the coven."

"The coven went against the laws established by the high witches," she corrected him. "But I suppose you should have." A smirk played on her lips. I think it was the first time I ever saw her smile. Before I could process the unexpected interaction, she turned to us. "Go! I'll give you cover!"

I heard her command, but I simply couldn't move. I was utterly petrified, shaken by the absurd chain of events. Thankfully, Lance didn't hesitate to follow her orders; he promptly scooped me in his arms, using his werewolf speed to rush to the exit as colorful flashes of light exploded behind us. There was a shifter war going on outside, while a magic duel just started inside. And we were caught between both.

My head was a mess as we ran through the darkness; everything was happening too fast. I almost didn't notice the pair of red eyes approaching us, but when I did, my heart stopped. An instant later, my mate placed me on the floor as he gave his wolf control to fight against the huge black beast. "Lance!" I screamed in horror. Atlas was back, but was he strong enough to take on a bear that size?

"Don't worry, sweetheart. He'll be fine." The sinister voice I had heard as soon as I entered the cave gave me chills. I was shaking as I lifted my head up to replace the Alpha inching closer to me. "As long as you do what I say, that is."

Maximus snapped his fingers and the room went silent. There were no more growls or hisses from the fight that had just begun, only a loud thud. Tears threatened to fall down my face as I watched the black bear pin my mate to the ground with his front paw. Atlas struggled to break free, with no such luck. He was panting as his green eyes observed me, a mix of pain and concern in them.

Why? Why was all of this happening?

"My patience is running thin Luna. All it takes is a single command, and your Alpha will be dead," the leader threatened. For the first time, I was truly scared of him. "Give me the bite, or watch everyone you love be murdered."

All of the air left my lungs as I remembered the raging war outside. My pack, my friends, my family... they were all fighting against a bear army outside. It must have been at least an hour since I last saw them. Were they alright? Were they winning? Fear washed over me as I realized they could be dead by now.

A whimper caught my attention, making me focus on the light brown wolf lying helplessly on the ground. Would the bear stay true to his promise and release my mate if I gave him what he wanted? Or would he throw it out the window the second I gave him the power he needed to destroy the world? There was no way out. My intelligence, my only gift, would not be enough to solve this problem.

Either way, I would lose.

"Just do it," Faye whispered inside my head, making me gasp in shock.

"What?"

"Your time is running out." The bear rushed me. "Three..."

"They'll kill him, Cait!" There was only despair in her voice.

"Two..."

"They'll kill him either way!" I argued frantically.

"One..."

"Just trust me! Please!" She begged.

"I'll do it!" I screamed at last. "I'll give you the bite! Just don't hurt him, please!"

A mischievous smile played on the Alpha's face. "I'm glad we came to an agreement." He laughed, grasping my arm to pull me up. "Now, give me your powers!"

"Don't do it, Cait!" Lance's voice echoed in my mind, but Faye immediately shut him out. I flashed our mate one last glance before I turned my attention to the bear again.

The scene played in slow motion as I watched the Alpha bear kneel in front of me to allow me to proceed. I had no idea how to do this, so I closed my eyes and let my she-wolf take over our human body. My canines elongated and I sunk them into the man's thick skin. The foul taste of his blood invaded my mouth, and the next second, I blacked out.