The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 161: Chapter 161

Catrina POV:
“Wow, Cat! You look amazing.”
Brock’s jaw practically hit the floor as I stepped out of my bedroom. The red dress swirled around me, silky and soft.
I tried to smile, to be excited like he was, but I just felt uneasy.
“Thanks, Brock,” I mumbled, looking away from my reflection in the mirror.
My eyes looked uncertain, and my hands were shaking.
I didn't understand why this night, this whole prom thing, felt so heavy, so… wrong.
“You shouldn’t be here, Catrina.” My wolf’s voice was a low rumble of disapproval.
“This isn’t right. You’re not supposed to be with… him.”
“I… I hope it’s not too much,” I said, fiddling with the silver locket my parents had given me.
It was a wolf’s head, a reminder of the secret I carried, the wolf blood that ran in my veins.
But I didn't understand it, this heritage, this power that scared and fascinated me at the same time.
“Too much? Are you kidding? You’re… breathtaking.” Brock’s voice was a breathless whisper.
He sounded possessive, and it made my wolf growl, wanting to protect…
Protect what, Catrina? Your mate? Your Alpha?
The thought, unwelcome and confusing, sent shivers down my spine.
I remembered Rowan’s intense gaze at the gym, the way his amber eyes had seemed to see right through me.
It had awakened something inside me, a longing I couldn’t explain.
“Come on, Cat. The limo’s waiting,” Brock said, his voice eager, pulling me back to the present.
I felt the weight of his expectations, the pressure to be normal, to be the carefree girl he thought I was, the girlfriend he deserved.
But I felt anything but carefree.
I nodded, forcing a smile. I put on a mask, pretending to be excited for prom, pretending to be in love with my human boyfriend.
Pretending to be a girl who had no idea about the secrets that lurked in the shadows, the destiny that whispered in my dreams.
The gym was decorated with streamers and balloons, the music loud, the air thick with perfume and sweat and nervous energy.
My wolf was restless, her senses on high alert. My gaze scanned the crowd, searching for him.
Rowan.
He was standing near the punch bowl, surrounded by his friends, the other players from the high school team. Their laughter was loud.
They belonged to a world I didn't understand, a world I felt shut out of.
He was wearing a tux, his dark hair slicked back, those amber eyes gleaming with mischief.
He looked like he had it all – the golden boy, the Alpha heir, the star quarterback.
And me? I was just Catrina.
The quiet girl, the one with the fuzzy memories, the one trying so hard to fit in, to pretend everything was normal.
I tried to focus on Brock, on his clumsy attempts at dancing, his chatter about graduation and summer plans.
But my gaze kept going back to Rowan. It was like a magnetic pull, a force I couldn’t resist.
He was laughing, his head thrown back, his amber eyes sparkling.
For a moment, he seemed to forget the weight of being the Alpha heir, the expectations, the destiny that had been chosen for him.
And as our eyes met across the crowded dance floor, a spark ignited between us.
My heart skipped a beat, and my breath caught in my throat. My wolf stirred, a low growl rumbling in her chest.
It was a mix of longing and fear, of a desire that both excited and terrified me.
He sees you, Catrina. He feels it, too.” My wolf whispered.
“They’re announcing the Prom King and Queen, Cat! Come on!”
Brock tugged on my arm, eager to see who would win.
I followed him, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Rowan. I watched as he and Emma walked up to the stage, their hands clasped, their smiles a little too bright, a little too fake.
They were the perfect couple, the king and queen of our school.
“They don’t… belong together.” My wolf growled, her voice possessive.
“And the winners are… Emma Patterson and Rowan Magnus!”
The announcer’s voice boomed, and the crowd roared. I watched as Rowan leaned in and brushed a kiss against Emma’s cheek.
It was a staged kiss, a performance for the crowd. It felt empty, a charade that mirrored the hollowness inside me.
Jealousy, sharp and unexpected, twisted in my gut.
I couldn’t explain it. I barely knew Rowan.
Why did it matter who he kissed? But it did. It mattered a lot.
“He’s not hers, Catrina. He’s yours.” My wolf growled, her voice a primal command.
I tried to ignore her, to push down the feelings that made no sense. I danced with Brock, I laughed with my friends, I pretended to be normal, to be the carefree girl I used to be.
But I couldn’t escape the memory of Rowan, of the spark between us, of the longing in his eyes.
As the night went on, the music slowed, and couples swayed on the dance floor.
I found myself standing alone, Brock nowhere in sight.
My gaze was drawn to Rowan, leaning against the wall, watching me.
He pushed away from the wall, his eyes never leaving mine.
He walked towards me, the distance between us shrinking, the air crackling with tension.
I felt dizzy, a sense of… déjà vu washing over me.
A flash of memory, a dream, a nightmare… a life I wasn’t supposed to remember.
For a moment, I was back in that crumbling temple, the air thick with magic, a silver she-wolf staring at me with burning amber eyes.
“He’s the one, Catrina.” Her voice echoed in my mind. “He’s your mate. Your destiny.”
Rowan stopped in front of me, his scent filling my senses – pine, leather, and a raw power that made my knees weak.
“Dance with me, Catrina,” he said, his voice a low rumble.
It wasn’t a question. It was a command. An Alpha’s command.
My heart pounded. I wanted to say no, to run away, to stay safe in my little world of denial. But I couldn’t.
My wolf was already pulling me towards him, towards the destiny that awaited us.
“He’s the one, Catrina. Don’t fight it.”