The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 179: Chapter 179

Rowan POV:
“Dude, what the hell happened to you?”
Chad’s voice, sharp with concern, jolted me awake.
I sat up, my head pounding, my vision blurry. Morning light streamed through the dorm room window, a harsh contrast to the darkness clouding my mind.
The memories of last night were a mess of emotions and half-forgotten dreams.
“What… what are you talking about?” I mumbled, my voice raspy.
I looked down at my hands. My knuckles were scraped. I could smell dirt and… blood.
“Look at yourself, man. You look like you fought a bear.” Chad pointed at the mirror on the back of the door.
He was a little amused, a little worried, but he had no idea about the real battle that had raged inside me, the shadows that haunted my soul.
I stumbled out of bed, my body aching. In the mirror, I saw a disaster.
My hair was a mess, my clothes were ripped and stained, my face covered in scratches and dried blood.
“What happened? Where were we last night?” My wolf whined, confused.
His senses were on high alert, trying to make sense of the chaos in my mind.
“I… I don’t remember,” I muttered, my eyes darting around the room.
The familiar posters, the textbooks, the scattered clothes… it was all a jarring reminder of the normal life I was trying to build, a life that felt more and more like a lie.
“Dude, you were wasted last night,” Chad chuckled. He just thought I’d had too much to drink.
He didn’t understand the primal fear that was at me, the feeling that something… or someone… was missing.
“You stumbled in here around 3 am, mumbling about a girl and a wolf and a… temple? It was crazy, man.”
“A girl? A wolf? A temple?” My wolf snarled, his claws digging into the wooden floor.
Confusion clouded my mind. I needed answers.
I needed to understand the fragmented memories…
And then, it hit me. A memory, sharp and painful, cut through the fog.
Catrina.
I’d gone to her dorm. I’d seen her. Smelled her.
I’d felt the pull of her scent, the warmth of her gaze, the undeniable connection that defied all logic, that whispered of a past I wasn’t supposed to remember.
“I… I went for a walk, I guess,” I mumbled, ashamed of the lie, the truth burning in my throat.
It was my own fault. I hadn’t been able to control my wolf, my Alpha instincts.
“Needed to clear my head.”
“Yeah, well, next time you need to ‘clear your head,’ try counting sheep instead of punching trees,” Chad chuckled, looking at my bruised knuckles.
“Or, better yet, find a girl to help you unwind. Plenty of willing volunteers around here, especially for a guy like you.” He winked, reminding me of the life I was supposed to be living – as a carefree rich playboy.
But it was all a lie. A charade. I was tired of pretending.
I pushed past Chad, his scent – sweat, beer, and human ignorance – making me nauseous.
I stumbled towards the bathroom, needing to escape, to wash away the scent of my weakness.
“What are we doing, Rowan? We’re a mess. We’re hurting her, hurting ourselves…” My wolf’s voice was full of sadness, of regret for the love we’d lost.
I splashed cold water on my face, staring at my reflection. The scratches, the bruises, the haunted look in my eyes… It was a reflection of the battle inside me.
The struggle between my human need for control and my wolf’s primal instincts, the pull towards my mate, the need to protect her.
And as I stared in the mirror, the memory of Catrina’s scent, her touch, her voice whispering my name in the darkness… It brought a wave of fear.
“She’s in danger, Rowan. I can feel it.” My wolf growled, a warning echoing my own unease.
And we’re the only ones who can protect her.
I remembered our argument, the way I’d accused her of being with another Alpha.
I’d seen the hurt in her eyes, the confusion. And now, a new fear gripped me.
“Why was she wearing that necklace, Rowan? Who gave it to her?” My wolf’s voice was sharp with suspicion, a hint of jealousy.
It doesn’t matter. She’s not ours anymore. We have to let her go.
But I couldn't shake the image of that wolf pendant.
The ruby eyes, the way it had felt against her skin, warm and pulsing… it felt wrong.
“It wasn’t a gift from a lover, Rowan. It was… something else. Something darker.”
My wolf growled, a warning in his voice. “We have to be careful. We don’t know what’s going on.”
I tried to push the feeling down, to focus on college, on my human life. But the shadows of the past, the memory of Catrina… it haunted me. I couldn’t escape it.
The days that followed were a blur – classes, parties, meaningless flings with girls I barely remembered.
It was all a desperate attempt to fill the emptiness inside me, the ache in my heart.
But it was no use.
Catrina was everywhere, a ghost in my thoughts, a shadow that followed me, her scent lingering in my senses.
“We have to go back to her, Rowan.” My wolf pleaded. We have to find her. Before it’s too late.
But I was afraid. Afraid of making the same mistakes, of hurting her again.
I was trapped between my duty, the life I was supposed to live, and the destiny that called to me, the love I couldn’t forget.
One night, I found myself at another party.
The music pounded, the air was thick with sweat and cheap beer, and I felt sick to my stomach. I couldn’t take it anymore.
“We’re going to find her, Rowan.” My wolf growled, his voice full of determination. “We’re going to find Catrina.”
I walked out of the party, into the cool night air. The moon, full and bright, hung in the sky, a reminder of the world I belonged to, the world I was trying to deny.
And as I turned, a familiar scent hit me, a lavender and vanilla fragrance that sent shivers down my spine.
Catrina.
She was standing across the street, her back to me.
My heart pounded, and my wolf snarled, a mix of possessiveness and fear.
I had to get to her...