The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 110: Chapter 110

Rowan POV:
The city lights blurred past as I ran, a dizzying mess of colors. Buildings whipped by, tall and cold, nothing like the forests back home.
The air stunk of exhaust fumes and greasy food.
It was a world away from the clean, pine-scented air of the Mondragon territory.
“I hate this place.” My wolf grumbled, overwhelmed by the city’s noise and smells. “Too many people, too much concrete, too much human.”
I felt out of place, on edge. Surrounded by clueless humans who had no idea what really lurked in the shadows.
But I have to do this.
My wolf snarled, a burning rage building inside me.
It had been weeks since Brock Callahan kidnapped Catrina.
Weeks of watching her fight those awful memories, those nightmares.
Weeks of knowing that jerk was out there, free, and I couldn’t touch him.
He hurt my mate. He terrorized my pup. He’s going to pay.
I'd tracked him to a run-down apartment building on the edge of the city. It reeked of mildew and despair.
Just the kind of place a creep like Brock would hide out.
I didn’t even bother knocking. I kicked the door in, the flimsy wood splintering under my boot.
The stench of stale beer and sweat hit me like a punch to the gut.
Brock was huddled on a stained couch, looking like a scared rabbit.
His eyes were bloodshot, his face pale. He jumped when he saw me, all his tough-guy attitude gone.
“You…” he stammered, his voice shaky. “How did you find me…?”
“Why did you take her, Brock?” I growled, my voice low and dangerous.
Forget the formalities. I wanted answers.
He cowered on the couch, looking around like he was trapped. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Lies.
I grabbed him by the throat, lifting him clean off the couch. It was effortless. My wolf was snarling, his claws itching to rip into Brock’s flesh.
“Don’t lie to me,” I snarled. “Tell me why you took Catrina, what you were planning, or you’ll regret it.”
“No! Please!” he choked out, his eyes bulging with terror. “I didn’t… I didn’t want to hurt her! I swear! He made me do it!”
He? my wolf snarled. “Who the hell is he?”
I shoved Brock back onto the couch, glaring at him. “Who made you do it, Brock? Who put you up to this?”
“It… it was someone named Damien,” he whispered, his voice trembling.
“He… he promised me… power. Said he could help me get Catrina back. I… I didn’t know… I didn’t know what he was really up to…”
Damien. The name meant nothing to me, I didn't recognize it at all.
But the way Brock said it, the sheer terror in his voice, sent a chill down my spine.
This Damien… he’s bad news. My wolf growled, every instinct screaming a warning.
The faint, sickly-sweet scent of the Kezrach Larva clung to Brock. The same stench that haunted my father’s memory.
Was Marcus behind this somehow?
Even in death, is he reaching out to torment me, to hurt Catrina?
No… this is different. This is something else.
I crouched in front of Brock, forcing him to meet my gaze. “Tell me about Damien. What does he want? Why Catrina?”
Brock shuddered, his eyes darting around the room like the shadows themselves held dangers.
“He… he said she was special. He needed it for… magic. Some kind of powerful magic. Magic that could change the world.”
Magic? My wolf bristled.
What kind of magic would make someone kidnap my mate? What could this Damien possibly want with Catrina?
“What else did he say, Brock?” I pressed. “What was he planning to do with her?”
“I… I don’t know,” he whimpered, shaking his head.
“He wouldn’t tell me. Just… he said she was meant for great things. That she would be… a queen.”
A queen? My wolf roared, possessive fury coursing through me.
No one was going to take Catrina from me. No one.
I grabbed Brock’s shirt, pulling him close. “Where is he, Brock? Where can I find this Damien?”
“I don’t know! I swear!” he choked out, his eyes wide with fear.
“He never told me his real name. He just… appeared one night. He said he’d been watching me, watching Catrina. He told me everything I needed to know to take her, he helped me…”
A cold dread settled in my stomach. This Damien, whoever he was, he was playing a dangerous game.
I shoved Brock back onto the couch, disgust twisting in my gut. He was pathetic, a pawn in a much bigger game.
I need to find Damien. He’s the one pulling the strings.
“Why did he pay you to take her, Brock?” I demanded.
“What were you supposed to do with her?”
Brock flinched, avoiding my gaze. “
I… He just told me to keep her safe. To hide her. He said there were people who wanted to hurt her. That he was protecting her.”
More lies. I could smell his fear, his guilt.
“You call that protecting her?” I scoffed. “You locked her in a basement! You drugged her! You tried to erase her memories! That’s not protection, Brock. It’s torture.”
He whimpered, covering his face with his hands. “I know… I messed up. But he… he was so convincing. He said… he said it was for her own good. That she would thank me later…”
Pathetic coward, my wolf snarled.
I glared at Brock, my anger a hard knot in my chest. He was wasting my time. A small, insignificant piece in a much bigger puzzle.
I need to find the one who put him up to this.
“Did he gave you money, right?” I asked, my voice sharp. “To kidnap Catrina. How much?”
Brock’s eyes widened, pleading. “It doesn’t matter! I’ll give it back! I’ll do anything! Just… Please don’t hurt me!”
“I don’t care about your money, Brock,” I growled. “I want information. Who is Damien? Where can I find him?”
He shook his head, his face pale. “I don’t know! I swear! He only talked to me through burner phones. He never gave me a real name, a real address…”
I leaned closer, letting my wolf’s presence fill the room. He could feel my power, smell the threat in the air.
“Think, Brock. Think hard. Any little detail could help me find him.”
Brock squeezed his eyes shut, his whole body shaking.
“There was… a symbol. On the money. A weird symbol. I don’t know what it meant. But he said… he said it was a sign of his power.”
A symbol. A sign of power.
This just keeps getting more complicated. My wolf growled, his senses on high alert.
I had to find this Damien. And I had to find him fast.