The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 104: Chapter 104

Isabelle POV:
King Alaric of the Southern Range was a pain. Arrogant, power-hungry, and about as subtle as a charging bull.
He sat sprawled on the Mondragon mansion’s grand hall, surrounded by his warriors, all puffed up and trying to look important.
“Alpha Isabelle,” King Alaric boomed, his voice echoing through the grand hall.
“It’s been far too long. I trust your union with Rowan Magnus is proving…fruitful?”
I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge to roll my eyes.
His question, thick with innuendo, made my wolf snarl.
He acted like my only job was to pump out pups, as if I were some kind of baby factory.
“The state of my marriage isn’t something we discuss in public, Alpha King,”
I said, my voice cold as ice.
“I’m sure you have better things to do than worry about my pack.”
He chuckled, a harsh, grating sound.
“On the contrary, Alpha Isabelle. The future of our alliance, the strength of our bloodlines… these things are very important.”
He leaned forward, his amber eyes gleaming with a predatory look that made my skin crawl.
“I understand there’s been…difficulty producing an heir. Perhaps your bond with Rowan Magnus isn’t as strong as we thought?”
Anger surged through me, hot and powerful. I straightened my spine and met his gaze head-on.
“My bond with my husband is none of your business, Alpha King,” I stated, my voice hard as steel. “And I will not be pressured into having pups like some common omega.”
He stood up, towering over me. His scent was strong – musk and barely-controlled anger.
“You’re playing a dangerous game, Isabelle,” he growled, his voice low and threatening.
“Defying the Alpha King has consequences.”
I didn’t back down. Not one inch.
“I am Alpha of the Mondragon pack,”
I declared, my voice ringing with the authority of my ancestors. “And I will not be bullied in my own territory. Do I make myself clear?”
He stared at me, a silent challenge in his eyes. The air crackled with tension.
Then, a slow, cruel smile spread across his face.
“Very well, Alpha Isabelle,” he purred, his voice smooth as silk, but with a venomous undercurrent.
“But remember this: alliances can change. Loyalties can be tested. And the Southern region… well, we don’t like those who insult us. Or those who show weakness.”
With that thinly veiled threat, he turned and swaggered out of the hall, his warriors trailing behind him like a pack of well-trained dogs.
I watched them go, my wolf snarling, my claws aching to shred something. Anything.
“Alpha?”
Carson’s voice, calm and steady, cut through my anger. He stood beside me, his brow furrowed with concern.
“That was… not the best move, Alpha,” he said carefully.
“King Alaric doesn’t forget a slight. He’ll hold a grudge forever.”
“I’m not afraid of him,” I snapped, still simmering with anger.
“He has no right to stick his nose in my pack’s business.”
Carson sighed. “I understand, Alpha. But sometimes… maybe it’s better to be a little more…‘diplomatic’?”
I rounded on him, my eyes flashing.
“Diplomatic? You want me to smile and act nice while he insults my mate and my pack? While he treats me like some breeder he can just use to make pups?”
“No, Alpha,” Carson said quickly, raising his hands.
“But there are ways to show him who’s boss without starting a war. He’s a powerful ally. We need him, especially with the Magnus pack still a mess after Marcus.”
He was right, of course. I knew that. But my wolf was wounded, furious. She wanted to fight, to rip and tear, to unleash all her anger on anyone who dared to disrespect her, her pack, her…
Mate.
The word echoed in my head, sending a strange ache through my chest.
Was that what Rowan was to me now? My mate?
Even though our marriage was forced, even with all our messy history… did I actually care about that gruff, brooding Alpha?
The thought was unsettling. I'd always been strong, independent.
I didn’t need a mate to rule.
But Rowan… he was different. He challenged me, fascinated me, and yes, annoyed the hell out of me sometimes.
But there was something about him… his loyalty, his fierce protectiveness. It struck a chord deep inside my wolf.
“So what do you suggest, Beta?”
I asked, my voice softer now. My anger was fading, replaced by a wave of vulnerability I wasn’t used to.
Carson met my gaze, a flicker of respect in his eyes.
“We need to play this smart, Alpha,” he said.
“King Alaric wants an heir. He wants a symbol of our alliance. Let’s give him what he wants… but on our terms.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Go on…”
He grinned, a sly, mischievous glint in his eye.
“I think it’s time we remind the Alpha King that the Mondragons don’t do anything halfway. And that Alpha Isabelle… always gets what she wants.”
He really was a sly fox. And fiercely loyal.
A smile tugged at my lips. My wolf purred in agreement.
Yes, King Alaric wanted an heir.
He wanted a show of power, a way to bind our packs together. Fine. He would get what he wanted.
But he would learn that underestimating a Mondragon Alpha, especially a she-wolf, was a huge mistake.
“Carson,” I said, my voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
“Tell me everything you know about the breeding practices of the Southern packs…”
He chuckled, that low rumble I’d come to appreciate. “You know, Alpha, for someone who claims to despise breeding talk, you sure are interested in the details.”
“Don’t get smart with me, Beta,”
I warned, though I couldn't help the amusement that danced in my eyes.
“Just answer the question.”
“As you command, Alpha,” he said with a mock bow.
“But don’t blame me if some of these traditions… make your fur stand on end.”
And as Carson began to explain the intricate, and often bizarre, customs surrounding werewolf mating and alliances…