The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 159: Chapter 159

Derek POV:
“Earth to Derek! Come in, Derek!”
Jarrett’s chuckle snapped me out of my thoughts.
I blinked, my gaze shifting from the window, where I’d been staring at the road, back to the spreadsheet on my desk.
The numbers swam before my eyes—meaningless columns and rows that represented the Magnus Hotel’s finances, the job that my dad assigned me to take care of.
“Sorry, Uncle,” I said, rubbing my face.
I was trying to chase away the image of Isabelle Mondragon. Her emerald eyes, her cool smile, the confident way she carried herself… She was a major distraction.
“Daydreaming again, eh?” Jarrett teased.
“Not about those profit margins, I’d bet. Thinking about a certain she-wolf?”
He leaned against the doorjamb, his arms crossed, a mix of amusement and warning in his gaze. Jarrett had seen it all in his years as my father’s Beta.
He knew about the mate bond, about a wolf’s instincts, about the temptations that could lead any wolf off the rails..
“She’s a dangerous distraction, Derek,” he said, his voice softening.
He looked out the window, a thoughtful look on his face. “An Alpha. A Mondragon. And… betrothed to your brother. Don’t forget that.”
“I haven’t forgotten, Uncle Jarrett,” I sighed, pushing the spreadsheet away.
The numbers were meaningless compared to the turmoil inside me. My loyalty to Rowan, my duty to the pack, clashed with the primal urge to claim Isabelle, to make her mine.
“She’s the one, Derek. The one you’ve been waiting for.” My wolf growled, his voice a low rumble in my chest.
It was a need that went beyond logic, beyond duty, even beyond brotherhood.
“She’s not like those other girls you chase, Derek,” Jarrett said, his voice a low rumble, echoing my wolf’s thoughts. “Those silly human girls… their beauty, their laughter… they mean nothing. Isabelle… she’s different. She’s fire, lad. A wildfire. And she’ll burn you to ashes if you’re not careful.”
“I’m not afraid of a little fire, Jarrett,” I shot back, a spark of defiance in my eyes.
“Maybe… maybe a little fire is exactly what I need. To shake things up. To challenge me. To make me… better.”
Jarrett chuckled, shaking his head, but I saw a flicker of concern in his eyes.
“You’re a stubborn one, Derek.” He paused, his gaze hardening.
“But don’t let your wolf lead you astray. Don’t let your desires blind you. This isn’t a game. This is real life. And your choices have consequences.”
His words were a warning, a plea.
I knew he was right. I knew the risks. But I couldn’t deny the pull, the allure, of my wolf’s desire.
Isabelle was everything I’d ever wanted in a mate.
Strong, intelligent, independent. An Alpha who wouldn’t hesitate to challenge me, to push me to be better.
She wasn’t some submissive she-wolf who would fade into the background.
“She’s your equal, Derek. Your match. She’ll make you better.” My wolf growled, urging me to pursue her, to defy the rules that kept us apart.
But the guilt gnawed at me. My loyalty to Rowan, the knowledge that I was playing a dangerous game… It was a constant battle against my desires.
“It’s not your fault, Derek.” My wolf argued. “The mate bond doesn’t care about rules. It just… is.”
The phone rang, and I glanced at the caller ID.
Rowan.
“Speaking of the devil,” I muttered, a wry smile on my lips. It was like the universe was reminding me of my duty, just when I was about to rebel.
“Hey, Bro,” I answered, trying to sound casual, hiding the turmoil inside me.
“Congrats on the win last night. I heard that you played like a beast. College’s scouts were there, practically drooling. You’re going to have every college in the country begging for you.”
“Thanks, Derek,” Rowan replied, his voice a little subdued.
He didn't sound like his usual, cocky self. “Just… doing what I have to do, I guess.”
“Yeah, you’ll be a legend,” I said, trying to sound enthusiastic, but my heart wasn’t in it.
My mind was already back on Isabelle, on the memory of her scent, her gaze, the challenge that simmered between us.
“Listen, Derek,” he continued, his voice softer now, less sure of himself.
“I… I wanted to ask… how are things going… with Isabelle? With the… alliance? Is everything… okay?”
His question caught me off guard. Guilt stabbed at me, a reminder of my own betrayal, the forbidden thoughts I’d been entertaining.
I knew this arranged marriage was a burden for Rowan, a constant reminder of the mate he couldn’t have, the life he wasn’t allowed to choose.
It wasn’t so long ago that Dad had laid down the law, his Alpha command echoing in the dining room, his amber eyes blazing with a fire that could melt steel.
“You will marry Isabelle Mondragon, Rowan. It’s for the good of the pack. The good of our future.”
I still remembered Rowan’s face, a mask of anger and defiance. “Dad, I’m not ready to get married! I have plans, dreams… I want to go to college, play football… I’m not going to throw it all away for some arranged mating!”
“Those are childish fantasies, Rowan!”
Dad had roared, slamming his fist on the table, making the dishes rattle.
“You’re a Magnus! The future Alpha! Your duty is to this pack, to its survival! This alliance with the Mondragons will secure our future, and you will honor it! Is that understood?”
Rowan had glared at him, his wolf snarling, but he knew better than to openly defy our father.
He’d been trapped, forced into a destiny he didn’t want.
And now, hearing the doubt in his voice, the pain that lingered beneath his forced cheerfulness, I felt a wave of sympathy for him.
“He’s a prisoner of his own bloodline, Derek. Just like Isabelle.” My wolf growled, his voice a low rumble of understanding. “But you… you have a choice.”
“She’s… fine, Rowan,” I lied, keeping my voice neutral, trying to hide the storm of emotions swirling inside me.
“We’re… working together. On the alliance, on the summit. Everything’s… going smoothly.”
“Good,” Rowan said, but his voice was flat, devoid of any real emotion.
I could hear the lie in my own words, the betrayal that resonated in the silence that followed.
“That’s… good to hear.”
He hung up, and I was left alone with the weight of my deception.
I knew I was playing a dangerous game, one that could cost me everything—my brother, my pack, my honor.
“You’re playing with fire, Derek. My wolf growled, his voice a warning. And you’re going to get burned.
But even knowing the risks, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was destiny. That Isabelle, with her strength, her fire, her untamed spirit… she was the she-wolf I was meant to be with.
She’s worth the risk, Derek. My wolf urged. Don’t let her go.
I tried to focus on the spreadsheet again, but the numbers blurred.
All I could see was Isabelle, her emerald eyes, her cool smile, her undeniable power. And I knew, with a certainty that defied all logic, that I was falling for her.
Hard.
And I was willing to risk everything for a chance to claim her, to make her mine.