The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 170: Chapter 170

Catrina POV:
The world spun around me, a blur of motion.
One minute I was trapped, suffocating, surrounded by those unknown guys, their laughter grating on my nerves.
The next, Rowan was there, a wave of raw power scattering the guys around me like bowling pins.
He stood in the middle of the chaos, his amber eyes blazing with fury, making my heart pound.
It was a mix of fear and a strange, exhilarating sense of safety. His scent, pine and leather and pure Alpha power, filled the air.
He was a dominant force, a shield protecting me from those unwanted touches, those hungry eyes.
The guys who’d been crowding me mumbled apologies and backed away.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Rowan growled, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through the yard.
His gaze was fixed on the retreating figures, a silent threat in his amber eyes.
They scrambled away, disappearing into the crowd. A nervous silence fell over the party, everyone sensing his power, the primal instinct that recognized a true Alpha.
And then it was just the two of us. Rowan.
He stood a few feet away, his amber eyes intense, burning into mine. His scent was intoxicating, overwhelming, making my head spin.
He hadn’t said a word, but the air crackled with tension, with an unspoken awareness.
I wanted to run, to hide from his gaze, from the memories flickering at the edge of my mind.
But I couldn’t move.
My body betrayed me, drawn to him, to the warmth of his presence, the power of his wolf.
It was a primal force that scared and excited me at the same time.
“Are you okay, Catrina?” His voice, low and laced with concern, broke the silence.
I finally looked at him, really looked at him, for the first time since that night at the prom, the night he’d rejected me, the night he’d walked away, leaving me alone, heartbroken, lost.
And a wave of… recognition? Longing?
A feeling I couldn’t name, washed over me. It drowned out the doubt, the fear, the confusing memories.
He looked different. The carefree, arrogant Rowan was gone.
His amber eyes were shadowed with sadness, a pain that I wanted to soothe, to share.
“He needs you, Catrina.” My wolf whimpered, her own eyes mirroring the longing in mine.
And in that moment, as the music faded, as the world around us disappeared, all I could feel was the heat of his gaze, the pull of his scent.
The rules, the warnings, the fear… it all vanished.
All I wanted was to be close to him, to be claimed by him.
The alcohol I’d had at the party, the music, the heat of his gaze, it all swirled inside me, loosening my inhibitions, making me bolder than I’d ever been.
“You came back,” I breathed, my voice a husky whisper.
I stepped closer, swaying slightly, my body drawn to him like a moth to a flame.
"You did come back."
"Catrina..." He frowned, his gaze searching mine, a flicker of confusion in his amber eyes.
“I… I don’t understand.”
“You left me,” I said, my voice a mix of accusation and a longing that embarrassed me.
Why was I acting like this? It was the alcohol, I told myself.
It was making me reckless, making me say things I didn't mean.
“At the dance. You just… walked away. But you came back.”
“The dance?” He shook his head, his confusion deepening.
“I… I don’t… what are you talking about, Catrina? Are you feeling okay?”
He reached out, his hand hovering near my arm, but not quite touching me.
I wanted him to touch me, to pull me close, to erase the ache in my heart, the emptiness that had been there for so long.
"Don’t you remember?" I asked, my voice a throaty whisper.
I leaned closer, my body brushing against his, the heat of him radiating through my skin, making me feel dizzy.
“The way you looked at me, Rowan? The way you held me? The way you made me feel…”
I could feel my wolf purring, her claws retracting, her fur softening against the heat of his aura.
I was losing myself in his scent, in the promise of his touch, in the forbidden desire that pulsed between us.
“Catrina, I…” He pulled back slightly, his eyes wide with alarm.
“You’re… you’re not making sense. You’ve had too much to drink. Come on, let’s get you out of here.”
“Take me, Rowan,” I whispered, the words escaping my lips before I could stop them.
I reached for him, my fingers tangling in his shirt, pulling him closer.
“Take me now.”
His expression shifted from concern to… disgust? Pity?
It was like a slap in the face, a bucket of ice water thrown over the burning desire that had been consuming me.
“Catrina, stop it.” His voice was sharp, firm, a rejection that made my wolf whimper, her tail tucking between her legs.
“You’re drunk. You don’t know what you’re saying.”
He gently disentangled my fingers from his shirt and stepped back, putting distance between us.
The warmth of his presence, the intoxicating scent of his wolf, receded, leaving me feeling cold and exposed.
“He’s disgusted by you, Catrina.” My wolf whimpered, her voice a broken sob.
“He thinks you’re easy. Pathetic.” Shame burned my cheeks, and tears stung my eyes.
“I… I’m sorry, Rowan,” I mumbled, my voice a strangled whisper. I couldn't meet his gaze.
The weight of his rejection, his pity, was crushing. “I just… I need to go.”
I turned to leave, wanting to escape the humiliation, the burning shame of his rejection.
“Wait, Catrina,” he said, his voice softer now, but still distant.
“You’re not thinking straight. Come on, I’ll take you home. Or somewhere safe. But I… I can’t… not tonight.”
His words, a rejection veiled in concern, were a final blow.
He didn’t want me.
He didn’t even desired me.
“He’s choosing her, Catrina. The human girl. The safe choice.” My wolf growled, her voice full of anger and despair.
I nodded silently, my heart breaking, and followed him out of the frat house. The cool night air hit me, but it couldn't cool the burning shame in my cheeks.
The memory of his touch during our dance, the warmth of his hand in mine, now felt like a cruel taunt, a ghost of a connection that had never truly existed.
He walked me to his truck, his silence a chasm between us.
He opened the passenger door, and for a fleeting moment, our eyes met.
His gaze, shadowed and intense, held a flicker of… something… that made my heart ache.
But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a carefully blank expression.
He was shutting me out, hiding behind the mask of the Alpha heir, the boy who was supposed to be my mate, the wolf who was meant to claim me, but who now seemed like a stranger.
And as he started the engine, the truck rumbling to life, I knew, with a chilling certainty, that I was alone.