The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 162: Chapter 162

Rowan POV:
“Dance with me, Catrina.”
The words left my mouth before I could think. My voice was a low rumble, echoing my wolf's own desire.
I didn’t know what I was doing.
My feet seemed to move on their own, pulling me towards her, towards Catrina, the girl who had invaded my dreams, the girl whose scent haunted my every thought.
Before I could apologize, before I could chicken out, she nodded.
“Okay,” she said softly.
Her amber eyes met mine, and I felt something… a spark… a flicker of recognition that made my heart jump.
“What are you doing, Rowan? This is wrong. This isn’t right.” My wolf growled, a warning in his voice.
But as she put her hand in mine, it was like the rest of the world faded away.
The music, the lights, the people… gone.
It was just Catrina and me, swaying to the music, her scent filling my senses, her warmth chasing away the emptiness inside me.
“This feels… like coming home.” My wolf purred, a low rumble of contentment.
I’d forgotten how good it felt to hold her, to be near her.
To lose myself in her amber eyes, eyes that held a hint of moonlight, a whisper of something she didn’t even know was there.
For a moment, I could pretend everything was okay, that the nightmares hadn’t happened, that the pain and loss were just… a bad dream.
“Don’t get attached, Rowan. You can’t.” My wolf’s warning snapped me back to reality.
“You’re stepping on my foot, Rowan.”
Catrina’s soft laughter brought me back to the present.
I blinked, looking at her, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, my cheeks flushing.
I’d been so lost in thought, in memories that weren’t supposed to be mine, that I’d forgotten how to dance. How to act normal.
I could feel eyes burning into me. Emma.
She was glaring at us, her face full of anger and jealousy. But I didn’t care. Not anymore.
“She’s not your mate, Rowan. She is just a human.” My wolf growled in confirmation.
I’d been forced onto this path, a path that led to power, duty, and a loveless marriage with Isabelle Mondragon.
But my heart, my wolf, wanted something else.
“Catrina, I…” I started to say, but the words caught in my throat.
Guilt twisted in my gut. “I’m… I’m sorry. This was… a mistake.”
Her smile vanished, and I saw hurt in her eyes, a hurt that mirrored my own.
“A mistake?” she whispered. “What do you mean?”
I couldn't explain. I couldn’t tell about the love I was supposed to have let go of.
A love that was now just a ghost in my memory.
“I shouldn’t have… I shouldn’t have danced with you,” I stammered, looking away from her eyes.
I couldn’t bear to see her disappointment, the accusation that I wasn’t being the Alpha, the mate, she deserved.
“It was… wrong. I’m… I’m sorry.”
I pulled away from her, my heart aching, my wolf snarling in protest.
It felt like I was tearing myself in two, ripping away a part of my soul.
“Rowan, wait!” She called after me, her voice full of hurt and confusion.
But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.
Run, Rowan. Run before you break her heart. Before you break your own.
My wolf’s voice was frantic, urging me away from the dance floor, away from her scent, away from the love I couldn’t allow myself to feel.
“Rowan! What the hell was that about?”
Emma’s voice, sharp and angry, stopped me.
She was standing in front of me, her arms crossed, her eyes narrowed, her face red with anger.
“Why were you dancing with that… that… nobody?”
“It doesn’t matter, Emma,” I said coldly. I just wanted to leave, to escape this whole situation, this charade I was playing.
“It was a mistake. It’s over.”
“A mistake? You think you can just… dance with her, humiliate me in front of everyone, and then just… walk away?”
Her voice got louder, drawing stares from nearby classmates.
“Emma, this isn’t the time or place,” I said, my voice a low growl.
She flinched, a flicker of fear in her eyes. My Alpha blood was showing, a power I didn’t want, a legacy I was trying to escape.
“We’ll talk later.”
I pushed past her, her scent, her touch, everything about her, suddenly repulsive.
I just wanted to get away from the noise, the lights, the expectations, the fake smiles.
As I reached the exit, the cool night air hit me, and I felt dizzy.
The memories, the visions, the whispers of a future I wasn’t supposed to remember, crashed over me.
It was a wave of fear and confusion, and a longing for a love that was forbidden, a bond that had been broken.
“You’ll have to let her go, Rowan.”
The words, spoken in a deep, powerful voice, echoed in my mind.
I couldn’t remember who said them, but I remembered the promise I’d made, the sacrifice, the destiny I was supposed to change.
”To turn back time, to fix everything, to give her a normal life… you have to release her. Completely.”
The voice, ancient and wise, filled me with a chilling certainty.
I had chosen to erase her memories, to give her back her freedom, even if it meant losing her.
”It’s the only way, Rowan.”
”You’ll have to… sever the mate bond. Erase her memories. Everything that’s happened since you met… it’ll be gone.”
”It’s… the greatest act of love, Rowan. To give her back her freedom, her life. Even if it means losing her.”
”I’ll let her go. I’ll erase her memories. I’ll give her… another chance.” My own voice, a vow spoken from the depths of my soul, a promise I couldn't break.
I stumbled towards my truck, the night air cold against my skin.
The moon, a silver sentinel in the sky, seemed to be watching me, judging me.
I knew I had made the right choice. The only choice.
But the pain of it, the emptiness in my heart, was unbearable.
“I love you, Catrina.” My wolf whimpered, his voice full of sadness.
“And I’ll always regret… letting you go.”