The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 120: Chapter 120

Rowan POV:
“Alpha, we have a problem.”
Liam’s voice was sharp, urgent. It cut through the tense silence of the pack meeting.
I looked up from the maps spread across the table, my brow furrowing.
My wolf already sensed trouble.
“What is it, Liam?” I asked, my voice firm.
I was the Alpha now, and I had to sound in control. But my gut was twisting with a bad feeling.
Liam shifted from one foot to the other, his gaze flickering nervously towards the elders.
They were watching me, their faces grim. I could feel their disapproval, their dislike of Catrina, hanging heavy in the air.
“It’s… Catrina, Alpha. And the pup,” Liam stammered, avoiding my eyes.
My heart stuttered. Dread washed over me.
“What about them?” I demanded, my wolf rising up, protective and snarling.
“Are they hurt? Is someone threatening them?”
No. It can’t be. They’re safe at the Mondragon mansion. Isabelle promised…
But a cold certainty gripped me, a feeling deep in my bones that something was terribly wrong.
“They were… at the city hospital, Alpha,” Liam blurted out.
“There was… an incident. At the mall. The pup… he’s gone missing.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I couldn't breathe.
Adrenaline surged through me, hot and powerful, followed by a wave of primal rage. I jumped to my feet, the maps scattering across the floor.
Gone? Lucas is gone?
My wolf roared, a primal scream of fear and fury that silenced the entire room.
Nothing else mattered now. I had to find my pup. I had to protect Catrina.
“Explain,” I growled, my voice a low, dangerous rumble.
My eyes burned with a fire that could melt steel. “Tell me everything. Now.”
Liam flinched under my Alpha glare. But he quickly collected himself, his voice steadier now.
“Catrina went to the city for a doctor’s appointment, Alpha,” he explained.
“Carson drove her. They… ran into some of her old classmates at the mall. One of them… a human girl… she took the pup. Derek is with Catrina now, at the mall security office. They’re looking at the security footage, trying to track her down.”
A human took Lucas?
How dare she? How dare some weak human touch my pup, my family?
I didn’t waste any time. I was already moving, a blur of motion as I raced out of the packhouse.
My wolf was straining at his leash, desperate to unleash his fury, to hunt.
“I’m coming, Catrina,” I growled, my voice a low rumble that echoed my wolf’s rage.
“I’m coming, Lucas. Daddy’s coming to get you.”
The drive to the city was a blur. The scenery whizzed past, meaningless.
All I could see was Catrina’s face, her eyes wide with fear, her voice choked with sobs.
I failed her. I failed him. The thought was a knife twisting in my gut.
I’d been so wrapped up in my own doubts, the pressure from the elders, the threat from King Alaric… I’d forgotten what truly mattered – protecting my family.
I’d let them down, made them vulnerable. All because I was too weak, too afraid, to face my own demons, to be the Alpha they needed.
Never again. I swore to myself, my wolf growling his agreement.
Never again will I let anyone hurt them. I will find Lucas. And whoever took him… they will pay.
The mall was a nightmare – loud, crowded, filled with the overwhelming scent of too many humans.
I found Catrina and Derek huddled in a small, stuffy office, their faces lit by the glow of security monitors.
Catrina looked pale, her eyes red and swollen.
She smelled of fear and sorrow.
My mate. My wolf whimpered, his heart aching for her.
I wanted to comfort her, to hold her close, to promise her I would make everything right.
But the rage, the fear, the guilt… it exploded inside me, shattering my control.
“What the hell happened, Catrina?” I roared, my voice echoing through the small room.
“How could you let this happen? How could you be so careless, so stupid?”
Catrina flinched, her eyes widening in fear. Derek turned to me, his face a mixture of shock and anger.
“Rowan, calm down,” he said firmly.
“This isn’t helping. We need to focus on finding Lucas, not blaming each other.”
But I couldn’t calm down. The fury was burning me up from the inside out.
“Don’t tell me to calm down, Derek,” I snarled, my wolf pacing inside me, desperate to get out, to tear something apart.
“She lost our pup, Derek! Our son! How can I be calm?”
I rounded on Catrina, my gaze burning into her.
The power of my Alpha presence pushed her back against the wall.
Her scent, usually so comforting, now filled me with rage.
“You’re useless, aren’t you?” I spat, the words tasting like poison in my mouth.
They were my father’s words, the words I’d sworn I’d never say.
“Stop it! What are you doing?”
My wolf howled, a desperate plea against the darkness that was taking over.
But I couldn’t stop. The anger and fear were a raging torrent, washing away everything else.
“I should’ve listened to Isabelle,” I continued, my voice cold and hard.
“She was right. You are a burden. A problem. A distraction.”
Catrina gasped, her hand flying to her mouth, her eyes filled with hurt.
It was the same pain I felt, the same betrayal.
Her scent, now tinged with fear and sorrow, was a painful reminder of everything I was destroying.
What have I done?
Shame washed over me, heavy and suffocating.
I wanted to take it back, to unsay the words, to erase the pain in her eyes. But it was too late.
Derek stepped between us, his gaze fierce, his wolf snarling.
He was protecting his Luna, shielding her from me.
“Enough, Rowan,” he growled, his voice low and menacing.
“You’ve said enough. Get a grip and let’s focus on finding Lucas.”
His words, sharp and commanding, snapped me out of my rage. The red haze faded, leaving behind a sick feeling of shame and regret.
I saw what I’d become, the monster I’d turned into.
I’m a failure. I failed as an Alpha, as a father, as a man.
The truth hit me hard.
I looked at Catrina, her face pale, her eyes reflecting my own pain.
“Catrina, I…” I started to say, my voice hoarse.
But she turned away, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.
Her scent, full of heartbreak, was a constant reminder of what I’d done.
I’ve lost her. I pushed her away. And now, I’ve lost our son.
Despair, cold and heavy, settled over me. I had no answers, no solutions.
Just a terrible feeling that everything was falling apart, and I was powerless to stop it.
I’ve failed them. I’ve failed everyone.