The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 178: Chapter 178

Catrina POV:
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The sound of something hitting my window woke me up.
I sat up, my heart pounding, my eyes darting towards the window.
Moonlight streamed through the glass, casting long shadows on the walls. I felt a mix of fear and a strange excitement.
“What was that?”
My wolf whimpered, her claws extending instinctively, her senses on high alert.
“Is it… him?”
I threw back the covers and jumped out of bed, my bare feet cold against the floor.
“Catrina! Open up! It’s me!”
Rowan’s voice, a hushed whisper, sent a jolt of electricity through me.
My wolf howled, a deep, primal sound of recognition.
It was a feeling that defied logic, a bond that went beyond my amnesia, beyond the walls I’d built around my heart.
I rushed to the window, throwing it open.
The cool night air hit me, and his scent – pine, woodsmoke, and raw power – filled my senses, making my head spin.
“Rowan?” I gasped, my eyes fixed on him.
He stood in the shadows, his dark hair tousled, his amber eyes gleaming in the moonlight.
He was barefoot, his jeans ripped, his white T-shirt stained with dirt and… blood?
Crimson streaks stood out against his skin, a sign of a struggle.
My wolf was frantic, a mix of worry and a strange, exciting pull towards Rowan.
I didn't even care that my roommates were sleeping – I had to get to him.
“Catrina! Wait!” I heard Sarah’s sleepy voice calling after me, but I ignored her and raced down the hallway, taking the stairs two at a time.
Rowan was all that mattered.
“He’s hurt, Catrina. He needs you.” My wolf whimpered, her voice full of a longing I couldn’t understand.
It was a sight that made my chest ache, a primal instinct, like a she-wolf needing to care for her mate, surging through me.
“What are you doing here? What happened? Why are you hurt?”
I reached out, my fingers instinctively moving towards the cut on his cheek, wanting to soothe, to heal.
But he flinched away from my touch, pulling back as if I’d burned him.
His amber eyes, usually so bright and full of life, were now shadowed, intense, burning into mine.
"Don't." His voice was a low growl, a warning that sent a shiver down my spine.
He ignored my questions, his gaze intense, his amber eyes burning into mine.
There was a mix of accusation and desire in his eyes that made my heart ache.
“You smell like… another wolf, Catrina,” he growled, his voice a low rumble.
His words hit me like a punch to the gut.
“Like… another Alpha.”
My brow furrowed, confusion swirling inside me.
The fragmented memories, the whispers of a past I couldn’t grasp, the feeling that something was wrong… it was all too much.
“What are you talking about, Rowan?” I asked, my voice shaky. “I don’t understand.”
He stepped closer, his shadow falling over me. His scent was stronger now, a mix of pine and leather and a metallic tang of blood.
It made my wolf growl, a low rumble of warning. It was the scent of a predator…
“Don’t lie to me, Catrina,” he growled, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through me.
His amber eyes bored into mine, a laser beam that seemed to see right through me.
“I can smell him on you. His mark. His… claim.”
His gaze dropped to my chest, to the silver necklace with the wolf’s head pendant.
It felt warm against my skin, pulsing with a faint energy.
He laughed, a harsh, bitter sound that made my wolf whimper.
“You’re playing games, Catrina,” he said, his voice a mix of anger and hurt.
It mirrored the pain in my own heart, the pain of his rejection.
“You’re already mated, aren’t you? So why… why did you… ask me to… why did you…”
His voice trailed off, the unspoken accusation hanging in the air.
It was a reminder of my own desperation, my foolish hope that he might remember, that he might feel the pull of our bond.
“I… I don’t…” I stammered, my mind full of confusion.
I couldn’t understand what he was talking about.
The fragments of my memories, his scent, his touch, the dreams that haunted me… it was all a puzzle with missing pieces.
“Why are you… why are you saying this, Rowan? I don’t understand.”
“Don’t play dumb, Catrina,” he snarled, his patience gone.
The control he’d been holding onto shattered, and I saw the wolf beneath, the Alpha, the predator.
It was both terrifying and… exciting.
“Why are you wearing that necklace? That wolf pendant? Only a mated omega would wear something like that. It’s a gift from her Alpha. Her mate. The one who claimed her.”
His words, laced with bitterness and possessiveness, confused me.
My wolf growled, a low rumble of defiance, a yearning for a connection that felt impossible.
“I… it was a gift,” I whispered, my fingers clutching the pendant.
Its warmth spread through my skin, a small comfort against the coldness of his accusation, the fear that was squeezing my heart.
“But… I don’t know who sent it. I don’t… I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
“Liar,” he spat, his amber eyes blazing with fury.
My wolf cowered, wanting to submit, to escape his anger.
“You’re playing games, Catrina. And I’m not in the mood. You want to be with your Alpha? Fine. Go to him. But don’t play me for a fool.”
He turned and walked away, his scent fading into the night, leaving me alone in the darkness.
“He’s gone, Catrina.” My wolf whimpered. “He’s gone.”
Her voice echoed the despair in my own heart, the ache of a lost love, a broken bond, a future that was impossible.
I stood there, frozen, the moonlight cold on my skin. The bitterness of his words crushed me.
I’d lost him. The bond we’d shared… it was gone.