The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 119: Chapter 119

Catrina POV:
Everything went black. One minute I was standing there, my world shattering around me.
The next, there was nothing.
When I woke up, my head was throbbing, and I could barely see.
I was lying on a hard bench, the smell of popcorn and cleaning supplies strong in my nose.
Two humans were leaning over me – a woman with bright pink hair and a man in a security guard uniform. They both looked worried.
“Take it easy, miss,” the woman said gently.
“You fainted. Are you feeling any better?”
I tried to sit up, but my head spun.
“Lucas,” I croaked, my throat dry.
“Where’s my baby?” Panic surged through me, a primal fear that drowned out everything else.
“Where is he? Where’s our pup?” My wolf snarled, his senses on high alert.
“Your friend, the blonde one, she has him,” the security guard said, pointing towards the baby store.
“Said she was calling your husband. Something about… needing a ride?”
My stomach dropped. Emma.
That lying snake! She’d pretended to be my friend, but it was all an act. But why? Why would she take Lucas?
“No,” I whispered, fear making my voice shake.
“She’s not my friend. She’s… she’s nobody. Where did she go? Which way did she go?”
I tried to stand, but my legs were wobbly.
The woman with pink hair put a hand on my arm.
“Just relax for a minute, miss,” she said kindly. “I’m sure your friend will be back soon.”
Relax? Is she insane? My wolf howled. Our pup is gone! We have to find him!
I pushed past her, ignoring the dizziness. I had to find Lucas.
He was my everything. My whole world.
“Lucas!” I cried, my voice echoing through the crowded mall. “Emma! Where are you?”
I stumbled towards the baby store, my eyes frantically scanning the faces of the shoppers.
My wolf was trying to pick up Lucas’s scent, his sweet, milky baby smell.
But the mall was a jumble of scents – perfume, food, sweat – it was too much.
I couldn’t find him.
We’re losing him, Catrina! We have to find him! my wolf panicked.
“Lucas!” I shouted again, ignoring the stares of the humans.
They had no idea, no clue about the terror tearing me apart.
“Someone, please help me! My baby is gone!”
“Catrina? What’s going on?”
A familiar voice cut through the panic. I turned, and my heart leaped into my throat.
It was Derek, his golden eyes wide with worry.
“Derek! Thank the Moon Goddess!” My wolf whimpered, a spark of hope flickering in the darkness.
But a nagging doubt, a bitter voice whispered in my ear.
He’s a Magnus. Just like Rowan. Can you really trust him?
“Derek, you have to help me,” I gasped, my legs shaking.
“Lucas… he’s gone. That girl… Emma… she took him.” My voice broke.
“Catrina, slow down,” Derek said, his voice firm but gentle.
He put a hand on my shoulder, his touch grounding me. “Start at the beginning. Tell me everything.”
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside me, to make sense of the jumbled thoughts and overwhelming emotions.
“I… I came to the city for Lucas’s checkup,” I said, my voice shaky.
“Carson drove me. He… he’s probably still at the doctor’s office.”
“Okay, good,” Derek nodded. “We’ll let him know what happened.”
He looked at me, his eyes searching for mine. He could see the fear beneath my facade, the truth I was trying to hide.
He knows. He knows about Rowan and Isabelle, about all the doubts and accusations.
Shame burned my cheeks. I wanted to run and hide, to disappear from his knowing gaze.
“What happened at the mall, Catrina?” Derek asked gently. “Who is this Emma? Why would she take Lucas?”
“She… she was in my class in high school,” I whispered. “We ran into each other. She seemed nice at first. But then… she started talking about Rowan…”
My voice trailed off. Remembering Emma’s words, her cruel revelations about Rowan’s past, made the pain fresh again.
He was just using me.
Like all Alphas, he takes what he wants and doesn’t care about the consequences.
That bitter thought, the ingrained belief that omegas were just pawns in the Alphas’ games, choked me.
“What did she say, Catrina?” Derek asked, his voice soft but firm.
“Tell me everything. It might help us find Lucas.”
I took a deep breath. I had to be strong. For Lucas.
Be strong, Catrina, Vivian’s voice whispered in my mind, a small flicker of encouragement.
“She… she said that Rowan was her ex-boyfriend,” I said, my voice shaking. “That she… that she saw him at college sneaking into the girls room. That he was a player. That he couldn’t be trusted.”
Derek frowned, his wolf growling low in his chest.
“That’s ridiculous,” he said. “Rowan wouldn’t… He loves you, Catrina. He chose you. He would never…”
His voice trailed off, and I saw doubt flicker in his eyes. He knew Rowan better than anyone.
He knew his past, his struggles. And he knew, as I did, that even the strongest love could be broken.
“We have to find him, Derek,” I said desperately.
“Emma knows about Rowan, about the pack. What if she… what if she tells someone? What if she exposes us?”
“We’ll find him, Catrina,” Derek promised, his voice strong and reassuring.
He squeezed my shoulder. “I promise you, we’ll find Lucas. And we’ll deal with Emma. No one messes with the Magnus pack. Not on my watch.”
He pulled out his phone. “I’m calling Carson. He’ll know what to do. We’ll get this sorted out, Catrina. I promise.”
His words gave me a sliver of hope. But deep down, I felt a cold dread growing.
“It’s a nightmare, and it’s only getting worse.” My wolf whimpered, her voice echoing my own shattered hopes.