The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 164: Chapter 164

Catrina POV:
“I can’t believe it’s over! No more homework! No more tests! No more of Principal Thompson’s boring speeches!”
Ashley sighed dramatically, fanning herself with her graduation program.
“I know, right?” Sheila chimed in, leaning back in her chair.
Her blonde hair was perfectly styled, even under her graduation cap. “It feels so weird. Like… What do we do now? We’re not kids anymore. We’re… adults!”
“Speak for yourself,” Jenna muttered from behind us. Jenna was our resident cynic.
“Being an adult sounds overrated. Bills, jobs, responsibilities… No thanks. I’d rather stay a teenager forever.”
We were in the school auditorium, waiting for the graduation ceremony to begin.
The air buzzed with nervous excitement, but it was also bittersweet.
It was graduation day. The end of high school. But the beginning of… what?
My friends were buzzing with plans.
“I’m going to miss you guys,” I said quietly.
Even though my mind was still a mess of jumbled memories, I felt a pang of sadness at the thought of leaving my friends. They were the only things that felt normal in my life.
“Aw, Cat, we’ll miss you too!” Ashley squealed, grabbing my hand. “But we’ll stay in touch, right? Girls' weekend every summer? Beach trip, anyone?”
“Totally!” Sheila agreed, her blue eyes sparkling.
“We’re not done with our adventures! Road trip to Vegas after graduation?”
I managed a smile, but I couldn’t share their excitement. They had plans, dreams, goals.
Ashley was going to study fashion design in New York.
Sheila wanted to be an actress in California.
Even Jenna, our resident cynic, had applied to photography school in Chicago.
Me? I had… nothing. No plans, no dreams, no clear sense of who I was or what I wanted to do.
The amnesia had left a hole in my life, a void that I couldn’t fill.
“I don’t know, Ash,” I sighed. “I’m not sure about my plans yet. Maybe I’ll stay here for a while, get a job…”
The words felt empty, meaningless. I didn’t want to do any of those things.
The future felt like a blank canvas, and I was afraid to paint on it.
“He’s the key, Catrina. Rowan. He holds the answers.” My wolf growled, her voice a low rumble in my chest.
She was right. I felt this connection to him, a pull that I didn’t understand.
But how could I explain that to my friends?
How could I tell them about the wolf inside me, about the dreams that haunted me?
“Earth to Cat! Helloooo?” Ashley waved a hand in front of my face, laughing.
“Seriously, girl, where are you? You’ve been spacing out all morning.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled, forcing a smile.
“I guess I’m just… overwhelmed. It’s a big day. The end of high school. It’s kind of scary.”
“Yeah, but it’s also the start of something new and exciting!” Sheila chirped.
I wished I could share her optimism.
But the future felt more like a threat than a promise, a confusing darkness full of unanswered questions.
The ceremony started, and I tried to focus. But my gaze kept going back to Rowan, sitting in the front row.
He looked so different from everyone else – his amber eyes shadowed, his expression brooding.
His wolfish presence was strong, making my own wolf stir, a mix of fear and longing.
I hadn't spoken to him since the dance. He’d rejected me, his words a cruel echo of the doubts in my own mind.
”It was a mistake.”
My wolf whimpered, her pain a constant ache in my heart.
Rowan's father, Marcus Magnus, the Alpha of Magnus Pack, sat beside him. He was stern and imposing, his amber eyes holding a cold fire that made me shiver.
Next to him was a woman I didn't recognize, her dark hair pulled back, her emerald eyes sharp and intelligent.
And beside her… another wolf.
He had brown hair and playful emerald eyes. He looked a lot like Rowan, but older, but there was a warmth about him that Rowan seemed to lack.
“He’s pack, Catrina.” My wolf growled, her voice low and rumbling. “But… he’s different. Not like Rowan”
The ceremony finally ended, and the crowd erupted in applause. I stood up, a wave of relief washing over me.
It was over. But what came next?
Find him, Catrina. My wolf urged. Find Rowan.
As people started to leave, I saw Rowan heading for the exit with his father and the dark-haired woman. The other wolf lingered for a moment, his emerald eyes meeting mine with a curious look, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.
Then they were gone, swallowed by the crowd.
Their scents faded, leaving me feeling lost and confused.
“He’s gone, Catrina.” My wolf whimpered. “And he’s not coming back.”
The words echoed the emptiness inside me. Even surrounded by friends, by the excitement of graduation, I felt alone.
“It’s over, Catrina. He’s chosen his path, and you have to choose yours.”
My wolf sighed, her voice sad but accepting.
“He’s an Alpha. We’re just… weak. We don’t belong in his world.”
I nodded, trying to convince myself she was right.
Maybe it was better this way.
Maybe it was for the best that Rowan didn’t remember, that our paths had diverged.
I could finally move on, embrace the human life that was expected of me, forget about the strange dreams, the whispers in my blood, the wolf that stirred within me.
But even as I told myself this, a part of me I couldn't silence, rebelled.
It whispered of a destiny I couldn't escape, a bond that transcended logic, a love that defied the boundaries of our separate worlds.
And as I watched Rowan disappear into the crowd, a single tear escaped, tracing a path down my cheek.
A silent testament to the love I couldn't let go of...