To ruin an Omega - Chapter 344: The Future 3

Chapter 344: The Future 3

FIA

My voice trembled again, and I hated it. I hated how small I sounded when the fear came through.

She stepped closer until there was barely any space between us. Close enough that I could see the fine lines at the corners of her eyes. Close enough to notice that even she looked tired.

“You love him,” she said.

It was not a question.

“Yes.”

The simplicity of it made something inside me crack wider. I loved him. Enough to become something ugly if it meant he would live.

Morrigan exhaled slowly. “And you think you are the only one who sees the threat.”

“I think I am the only one who has seen him die,” I said.

Her hand lifted as if she meant to touch my face, then hesitated before settling on my shoulder instead. The gesture grounded me more than the bottle ever had.

“You should have told me,” she said softly.

“I know.” The shame of it burned hotter than the tears had. “I was afraid that if I said it aloud, you would look at me like I was mad. Or worse, that you would believe me.”

She gave a faint, humorless smile. “You think I have lived as long as I have without learning to take visions seriously? Plus, I have seen what you can do. Nothing you can say will sound insane anymore.”

That almost made me laugh, but the sound died in my throat.

“But protecting my son is not all I need to do now,” she continued. “I have to protect you as well. If you do this, if you take this path, there will be consequences.”

“I know.”

“You say that now,” she said, her eyes searching mine. “But knowing and living with it are not the same.”

My chest tightened. I thought of blood on my hands. Of the way Cian would look at me if he ever found out the lengths I had gone to in order to save him when and if punishment came for me.

“I would rather he hate me and live,” I said quietly, “than love me and die.”

The words felt like a confession.

She closed her eyes briefly, as if absorbing that. When she opened them again, there was no anger in them. Only sorrow. And something that looked dangerously close to understanding.

“You are asking me to stand aside,” she said.

“I am asking you not to stop me.”

That was the truth of it. I did not expect her blessing. I just needed her not to be my obstacle.

She studied me for a long time. Long enough that my breathing began to feel too loud in my own ears.

Finally, she nodded once, slow and reluctant.

“I will not pretend I agree with you,” she said. “But I see why you believe you have no choice. I mean… after all his sins, there is a possibility that that monster will hunt my son and kill him.”

“I’m sorry.” The words felt inadequate. But I could feel that creeping fear in her voice. “But this is also partly why I couldn’t tell him. Why I couldn’t tell you either. It’s a scary thing to know someone you love could die… will die. I have been there and it is such a dark place and—”

Morrigan pulled me into her arms.

I melted into the embrace, my body sagging against hers as she said, “That must have frightening. Holding that on your shoulders.”

Tears formed around my eyes again, hot and insistent.

“But no one should ever have to shoulder that themselves,” she whispered.

She broke the hug then, stepping back. She looked down at the purple vial now in her hands, turning it slowly in the light.

“But you cannot be the one to do it.”

My eyes widened. “What does that mean?”

I reached for it, but Morrigan pulled it away, holding it just out of reach.

“You are the future,” she said firmly. “I am not.”

“What? No!” I grabbed at it again, but she held it tight, her grip surprisingly strong.

“You know I hate that bastard,” Morrigan said. Her voice was low, tight with emotion. “He used me. He probably laughed behind my back, knowing despite everything he has done to me… to this family, I would hold his hand like a lifeline.” Her voice cracked. She paused, composing herself. “Even after what he had done to his own brother… My husband. Goddess rest his soul.”

She looked at me then, and I saw something fierce burning in her eyes.

“He deserves death if he will do the same thing to my son. But I will be the one to do it.” She lifted her chin. “I’m old anyway. If it bounces back on me because of traditional archaic laws, I can take it.”

“No.” The word came out sharp. “Cian would never forgive himself. I will never forgive myself.”

Morrigan looked at me steadily. “And what makes you think that you are the expendable one?” She let the question hang there for a moment. “No matter which of us it is, it would hurt my boy.”

She shifted the bottle to her other hand, her expression hardening.

“If you do it, it becomes an Omega’s revenge or madness. If I do it, it becomes a Luna who has a rough day.” Her words were clinical now, calculated. “At the end of the day, most of the elder circle anywhere will still see you as an omega to the bone whose only redeeming factor was that you married classes higher than they believe you deserve. But excuses will be made for a Luna.”

She stepped closer, her voice dropping.

“Let me be the one to do it. I’ll have easier access. Since he thinks he still has me in his corner, I have an advantage over you.” Her mouth curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “He will not see this coming from me.”

I hesitated. Every part of me wanted to argue. To take the bottle back and do this myself. To protect Morrigan from this burden the way I had wanted to protect Cian from the truth.

But she was right.

She was right about all of it.

I nodded slowly. “Okay.”