The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Rowan's POV:
My body ached like crazy as Derek helped me into the hotel room. The fight with Carson was way tougher than I thought.
"Wow, you got really banged up, little bro," Derek said as I flopped onto the comfy couch.
"Good thing that Mondragon beta went easy on you."
I wasn't in the mood for jokes after the rough fight, so I just glared at him. Derek shrugged and poured himself a drink from the mini fridge.
"Here, drink this. It'll help the pain," he offered.
I mumbled a thank you and gulped half the drink down. The strong liquor burned a bit, but it felt good going down my sore throat.
We sat in silence for a while as I tried to clear my head. Finally, Derek spoke again.
"So, what's next, big shot alpha? Did you win the duel and get to keep your bride?"
The question hung heavy in the air, making it hard to breathe. I took another swig of whiskey, stalling for time to think of the right words.
"Look, I never wanted to marry Isabelle," I finally admitted, avoiding Derek's sharp eyes. "Dad forced me into this whole thing."
Derek scoffed. "Since when does Rowan Magnus ever listen to his father?"
A humorless laugh escaped my lips. "Things are more complicated than they seem, Derek."
"Isn't that always the case with our messed-up family?" he shot back, his voice getting tense.
Derek was staring at me, a mix of worry and curiosity in his gaze. "So what are you gonna do about Isabelle and this whole arranged marriage thing?"
Another drink helped me gather my courage before answering.
"Fine," I grumbled, "I gotta marry Isabelle, at least for now."
Derek's eyebrows shot up like he couldn't believe his ears. "Wait, what? After all the fighting and arguing, all the defiance... it was just an act?"
His voice sounded like he was accusing me of something.
"Of course not!" I shot back, my voice rising. "I never wanted this! I fought Father every step of the way!"
Derek didn't look convinced, his lips pressed into a thin line. I took a deep breath to calm down before explaining.
"Look, marrying Isabelle buys me time and some control away from Father. Once we're officially married, he can't force or control in our pack anymore."
Saying it out loud made the plan feel clearer, more justified. I sat up straighter, my voice gaining strength.
"Don't you get it? This is how I break free from Dad's control for good."
Derek listened, his face unreadable. "So that's the plan? You marry Isabelle, move into the mansion, and take over the whole Magnus empire?"
I opened my mouth to reply, then stopped. Derek watched me closely before adding one last question.
"What about Catrina? And the baby?"
A sharp pain shot through me at the mention of my former mate and child. The family I'd messed up so badly.
I couldn't look Derek in the eye anymore. I turned away, hiding the guilt and hurt that burned within me.
"I'll deal with them later, when the time is right," I mumbled, feeling the tension thick in the air.
We sat in silence for a long while, the weight of my decision heavy between us. I could practically feel Derek's disapproval radiating off him.
"You're gonna regret this, little brother," he finally said, a hint of sadness in his voice. "Just remember what I said."
Before I could fire back with a heated reply, he stood up.
"I got some things to do myself. Get some rest and think carefully about the path you're choosing, Rowan."
With Derek's cryptic warning hanging in the air, I was left alone with my thoughts and growing doubts.
I lost track of time, numbly nursing my whiskey while my body throbbed from the fight and my heart ached even more for the impossible situation I was in.
Marrying Isabelle felt like the right choice and a terrible mistake at the same time.
Suddenly, a loud argument erupted from outside the room. My instincts kicked in at the sound of raised voices.
It was my father, his anger radiating clear as he snarled words I couldn't understand. A shiver ran down my spine at his menacing tone, and I quickly opened the door.
Stepping into the dimly lit hallway, I just caught a glimpse of my father's broad back disappearing around the corner, storming away like a man possessed.
In the opposite direction, halfway down the hall, I saw Catrina.
"Yeah, I figured that's what you all wanted – to get rid of me!"
"Maybe it's better if I do what your father says! Leave this baby here and disappear!"
Those words hit me like a physical blow. I froze, the air knocked out of my lungs. Did she really just say that?
My wolf howled in protest at the thought of her abandoning our unborn child. Our pup. Our future.
Fury surged through me, replacing the initial hurt.
How could she even think about giving up our baby after everything I'd sacrificed? After all the pain I'd endured for us?
Driven by anger as I stalked down the hallway towards Catrina's voice.
I rounded the corner just in time to see the omega curled up on the floor in obvious distress.
My voice boomed with fury. "What did you just say?"
Catrina spun around, eyes widening at the sight of my battered body. A flicker of concern crossed her face for a moment.
"Rowan! Are you hurt from the fight?"
Her sudden worry about my injuries only made me angrier. It felt like a slap in the face after her earlier heartless words about our child.
"Is that important to you?" I snapped back, my voice harsh.
Catrina frowned, clearly confused by my hostility. "Of course! I don't want you injured…"
Her concern only fueled the fire raging within me. How dare to act like she gave a damn about me after all but admitting she wanted to abandon the most precious bond between us?
My voice was a growl."You just said you plan to abandon our baby?"
Derek stepped between us, trying to calm things down.
"She didn't mean it. She's just confused about what Dad said."
But I was too angry to listen. My wolf was on edge, ready to defend our unborn pup with everything it had.
"Don't interrupt me!" I roared, rounding on my brother with bared teeth.
He wisely backed off, leaving me alone with Catrina's wide, frightened eyes. A tiny part of me knew I was scaring her, but my anger drowned it out.
"What if it's true?" she whispered, her hands instinctively cradling her swollen belly. "What if it would be better for everyone if I left after the baby's born?"
Her words tore at me like claws. My wolf whimpered in denial, refusing to accept that she could even consider giving up our child, our future, so easily.
My anger blinded me, and all the hateful prejudices my father had drilled into me came flooding back.
"You're just like every other omega," I spat, disgust twisting my words. "Using babies as bargaining chips, making empty threats to get what you want."
"No! Rowan, I didn't mean-"
But I cut off Catrina's frantic pleas with a dismissive wave.
In that moment, she wasn't the woman I'd chosen as my mate; she was every negative stereotype about omegas that my father had warned me about.
"Save it," I sneered, my voice dripping with cruelty. "I don't have time for your manipulative games anymore."
Each hateful word felt like a fresh stab to my heart, reopening the wounds left by her supposed betrayal.
Years of ingrained conditioning overshadowed the brief feelings I'd allowed myself to have for her.
"You know, my father had you pegged from the start - a scheming little whore only after money and status."
Catrina's face crumpled at my vicious insult. But I was too far gone, blinded by hurt and poisoned by decades of prejudice.
"I may have been foolish enough to believe your act at first," I continued.
"But I see you clearly now. Just another omega only too happy to sleep with a wealthy alpha and get pregnant to trap him."
These were harsh, cruel words - the same kinds of biases I had vowed never to subject a partner to.
Yet in my rage, they came out without restraint, each one shattering Catrina further until she sobbed brokenly before me.
But I couldn't stop, determined to make her feel even a little bit of the betrayal and devastation I was feeling.
"It doesn't matter what you wanted," I raged coldly. "All that matters is what you are - a manipulative bitch in heat."
There. I had reduced this girl - my mate, the mother of my unborn child - to the ugliest, most wretched stereotype imaginable.
I thought seeing Catrina so upset after what she threatened to do to our baby would make me feel good. But instead of feeling happy, I just felt awful. My anger disappeared completely, and I was filled with shame and regret.
Looking at Catrina crying, I couldn't help but think of the disappointed look my dad used to give me.
"I gave you a chance to be better, Catrina," I said coldly. "But now I see my dad was right. You're not good enough for me or my family."
With those harsh words, I turned and walked away, leaving the heartbroken girl on the ground.
I was walking away from the promises I once made, and even from the special connection our wolves seemed to have.
I left everything behind without looking back, just like my father had always told me to do.
He said omegas were problems, not things to hold onto. That's what I told myself to try to deal with the strong dislike I now felt for myself.
There was only one place for me now - to fully obey the path my family expected me to take, no matter how much it hurt me inside.