The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 20: Chapter 20

Rowan's POV:
It was finally happening - my wedding day to Isabelle Mondragon. But instead of being excited, I felt totally down as I looked around the fancy party room.
Important people from other packs were there, all dressed up in their best clothes.
Shiny decorations and flowers filled the room, but I just felt weird, like I was watching a movie about someone else's life.
"Hey there, groom!" A deep voice boomed, making me turn around.
It was Carson, Isabelle's beta, and he was grinning at me.
"Don't look so sad, Rowan. It's a party!" he said with a wink.
I scoffed and crossed my arms.
"What do you want, Carson? Here to remind me to be good again?"
He laughed loudly. "Maybe. Just saying, I'm keeping an eye on you. Being married to our alpha doesn't mean you get special treatment."
I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Go find yourself a mate instead of staring at Isabelle all the time."
Carson's smile disappeared and he leaned in close, his eyes getting big. "Be careful what you say, kid. Messing with me isn't a good idea."
Before I could yell back, someone else spoke up. "Is everything alright here, gentlemen?"
It was Derek, looking sharp in a fancy suit. He eyed Carson cautiously.
"Maybe you should move along and let the groom relax," Derek said calmly.
Carson scoffed, but backed away a little, giving me a dirty look before walking away and joining the crowd.
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Thanks, Derek. That beta always tries to pick fights."
Derek didn't answer right away, and when he did, he seemed worried, which was strange for him.
"Hey, listen," Derek said seriously.
"I might have to leave the wedding a bit early. There's some stuff I gotta do, you know, important stuff."
I frowned in confusion. "Seriously? You're leaving my wedding early for some secret business?"
Derek held his hands up, palms facing me. "Whoa, whoa, it's super important! I can't just skip out on it."
I crossed my arms, annoyed that my own brother might miss my wedding for something else.
But before I could argue, loud music filled the room and everyone got quiet - the ceremony was starting. Derek apologized with a look and snuck out of the big hall.
I shook my head and walked to where I was supposed to stand, next to a very old lady who was going to lead the wedding ceremony.
Then, the doors opened and Isabelle walked in. She was wearing a super fancy white dress that looked amazing, like a princess.
As she came closer, our eyes met and I shivered. Isabelle's face looked different, not happy like a bride should be, but kind of blank and cold.
The priestess began the ceremony with a speech about the sacred bonds of mating and leadership. I tried to focus, but my mind kept wandering.
Suddenly, I thought about Catrina. I remembered her smile, how her belly was getting bigger with our baby, and the sad look on her face when I told her to leave.
"No way would she leave our baby," I said to myself.
If I had to keep Catrina safe somewhere even if she wouldn't like it, I would. Nothing would stop me from being with my mate and our baby.
"...and Rowan Magnus, do you take Isabelle Mondragon as your mate?" The old lady boomed, pulling me back to the wedding.
I blinked a few times, realizing I missed a big part of what she was saying. People started whispering because I wasn't answering.
I cleared my throat and started saying the words everyone says.
"I, Rowan Magnus, future Alpha of the united pack, claim Isabelle Mondragon as my mate and equal alpha. Our packs shall become one strong family..."
The words felt fake like I was reading from a book instead of saying them from my heart. But I kept going until I got to the most important part.
"I vow to always honor and protect...Catrina."
The name blurted out before I even realized it. Confused whispers filled the room.
Isabelle's face, which had been like ice before, changed completely.
Her eyebrows went down really low, and she stared at me with so much anger her nose even flared up.
I tried to say the right name quickly, but it was too late. Even the priestess leading the ceremony looked surprised.
"My apologies," I muttered. "I vow to always honor and protect Isabelle Mondragon as my mate. To lead our unified pack justly and with strength for all our days."
The rest of the wedding vows were a blur. I mumbled the words without really thinking, my mind already somewhere else.
I kept picturing Catrina and how happy we could be together. We could run away and build a life without all these strict rules.
Finally, the old lady finished talking and said we were married forever, in front of the moon and everyone watching.
Isabelle turned towards me daring me to say something or cause trouble.
I just stared past her, jaw clenched tight. She could have her fancy wedding ceremony, but this wasn't the end for me and Catrina.
"Wow, Rowan, that was one crazy wedding!" a happy voice said as cameras started flashing everywhere.
It was Zeke, Carson's little brother who loved gadgets.
He took pictures for the Mondragons all the time. He smiled really wide at me, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
"You couldn't just have a normal wedding, could you?"
Zeke joked, still grinning as he kept taking pictures.
"Saying another girl's name at the altar? That's some serious drama!"
I glared at him, not finding his teasing funny at all. But Zeke just winked, completely unfazed by my bad mood.
"Whoa, dude, what's wrong?" Zeke whispered loudly.
"You look like you just got dragged here against your will!"
A loud, mean laugh pierced the happy sounds as Isabelle came closer to me.
"Don't be silly, Ezekiel," she said sweetly, but her voice still sounded mean.
"My new husband has been a little...obsessed with a random stray for a while now."
Then she turned to me, her smile sharp and not nice at all.
"Isn't that right, darling? That whole crazy crush on that sad, low-class maid was just a phase, right? Like all Alphas have before they grow up."
I felt like I was going to explode. The way she talked about Catrina made me so angry, I could barely see straight.
My wolf was seconds from snapping free and ripping Isabelle's throat out for such disrespect.
I was about to yell back at Isabelle for what she said about Catrina, but Zeke started talking again, this time sounding calm.
"I dunno about all that love stuff," he said while taking more pictures.
"But this wedding is definitely gonna make for some super dramatic pictures! Reality shows got nothing on you two!"
Isabelle got all huffy and her face looked grossed out, like Zeke wasn't important enough to even talk to.
She turned around and walked away, clearly mad at Zeke's jokes.
"Maybe you should be nicer with your words, Zeke," she called back in a bossy voice.
"Someone might get upset and shut you up for good."
Zeke just shrugged, not worried at all. Isabelle walked away looking super annoyed.
"Don't worry about it, Bride," Zeke said back with a big grin.
"If I got a dollar for every time some big shot Alpha threatened me, I could buy your whole wedding present pile!"
I couldn't help but laugh a little, even though I tried not to. Zeke, from Isabelle's pack, was so bold and funny, it was kind of cool.
Zeke noticed I was feeling better and looked at me with one eyebrow raised, like he was curious.
"So, new husband," he said in a funny voice, trying to sound snobby like Isabelle.
"Now that we're done with the boring wedding stuff, what do you say we ditch this whole party and go find some single girls? I know this super hot German Shepherd back home who would love to meet you."
This time I really laughed out loud at his joke, even though it was a little rude.
Zeke grinned back, happy he made me laugh, even if it was just for a little bit.
"There you go!" Zeke chuckled, giving me a friendly punch on the arm.
"That's the Rowan I wanted to see in the pictures! Way better than the sad puppy dog face you had going on before."
I rolled my eyes playfully at his joke, a small smile still lingering on my face.
Zeke was definitely a character not scared to tease even the head Alpha right after his wedding.
As our laughter faded, the happy feeling I had for a second disappeared just as quickly. Zeke must have noticed because his smile dimmed a little, and he looked at me seriously.
"Listen," he said, suddenly sounding serious,
"I know this whole arrange marriage thing isn't exactly your dream wedding. And it sounds like you have some serious stuff going on with another she-wolf..."
Zeke trailed off, then went back to taking pictures to remember the big day for both the Mondragon and Magnus packs.
It wasn't just about Rowan and Isabelle getting married, it was about two packs becoming one big family…