The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 210: Chapter 210

Rowan POV:
“Rowan, honey, dinner’s ready!”
Mom’s voice, warm and familiar, pulled me from sleep.
I opened my eyes, blinking against the soft, golden light that filled the small kitchen. It smelled like woodsmoke and something delicious.
I sat at the rough-hewn wooden table, my legs swinging, too short to reach the floor.
My mom was at the stove, her long hair a waterfall down her back.
Her scent—lavender, vanilla, and something uniquely hers—was a comforting presence.
“Coming, Mom!” I shouted, hopping off the stool and running to the table.
Everything felt peaceful and safe here in our little cabin in the woods. Like the world outside didn't exist.
Mom placed a bowl of steaming stew in front of me. She smiled, her eyes filled with love. It made my chest ache with a longing I couldn’t explain.
“Eat up, sweetheart,” she said. “You need to be strong. It’s your turn to get water from the well tonight.”
I wrinkled my nose. “But, Mom, it’s dark out there! And spooky!”
She chuckled and ruffled my hair. “Don’t be silly, Rowan. You’re a big, strong pup now. You can handle a little darkness.”
She kissed my forehead, and a wave of warmth, a feeling of safety, spread through me.
But there was also a sadness there, a longing that confused me.
“Eat your stew, honey,” she said, turning back to the stove. “Then you can go.”
I picked up my spoon, the smell of the stew making my stomach rumble. But as I was about to eat, everything changed.
The warm kitchen dissolved, replaced by a coldness that seeped into my bones. I smelled magic and decay, and my wolf snarled.
“This isn’t real, Rowan. It’s a trick.”
I was back in bed, the rough sheets scratching against my skin. The pain in my side throbbed, a constant reminder of Damien’s attack.
My mother, her form shimmering like a ghost, stood beside the bed with a bowl of soup.
“You need to try harder to fool me,” I growled, my amber eyes narrowed.
My wolf was on high alert. I could feel magic swirling around her, the power of the spirit realm. It made me uneasy.
“This isn’t real. This dream. It’s just an illusion.”
Vivian sighed, her ghostly form flickering, her amber eyes filled with sadness.
“Rowan, please,” she said softly. “I’m just trying to help. You’re hurt. Damien’s magic is powerful. It’s hurting you.”
“You think I don’t know that?” I snapped, pushing myself up, ignoring the pain.
“I know Damien’s magic is strong. I know the pack healers can’t help. So why bring me here? To this… dream? What’s the point?”
“It’s not a dream, Rowan,” she said, her voice firm but gentle.
“It’s a memory. A real memory. And it’s not just about your body. It’s about your soul. You’re carrying so much pain, so much guilt. You blame yourself for what happened to Catrina, but it’s not your fault, Rowan. It’s not.”
“Don’t tell me what to feel, Mother,” I growled, my wolf bristling with anger.
“You left. You abandoned us. You don’t know anything about pain. About loss. About… sacrifice.”
My words were harsh, a reminder of the years of silence, of the anger and resentment I felt towards her.
“Rowan, please,” she pleaded, her voice breaking. Tears welled up in her amber eyes.
“I never abandoned you. I never stopped loving you. I was… trapped. Imprisoned. I couldn’t reach you. Not until now."
“Just… eat your soup, Rowan,” she said, placing the bowl on the bedside table.
Her touch, a ghostly caress, made my wolf whimper. He longed for a connection that was impossible.
I stared at the soup, the steam rising, the aroma filling the room.
It smelled like home, like a simpler time, a life before the darkness, before the pain.
“I’m… I’m not hungry,” I mumbled, my stomach churning with guilt.
“Please, Rowan. For me?” Her voice was a soft plea, a mother’s love, a sound that echoed in my soul.
I hesitated, drawn to the warmth of her presence, the scent of her lavender and vanilla, the love in her amber eyes.
And then, I picked up the spoon.
“It’s just a dream, Rowan. A trick of your mind.” My wolf growled, still suspicious.
But as I took a sip of the soup, the warmth spread through me.
The memories, vivid and bittersweet, unfolded in my mind.
I saw myself as a young pup, running through the forest with Mom. Sunlight dappled through the leaves.
I could hear my laughter, her laughter, the pure joy of it.
“Faster, Rowan! You’re not even trying!” she’d called.
“I am trying, Mom!” I giggled, my little legs pumping, my wolf pup yipping happily beside me.
“But you’re too fast! You’re like the wind!”
We collapsed on the soft earth, laughing.
It was a beautiful memory, a world away from the darkness that would later consume my life.
“You’re special, Rowan,” she whispered, her amber eyes, so like my own, filled with love.
“You have a kind heart. Don’t ever let anyone take that away from you.”
Her words were a warning, a plea.
She was right. I thought, a pang of sadness hitting me.
I did have a kind heart. Once.
But the darkness… it changed me.
The memory faded, the warmth of her presence gone. I opened my eyes. The dimly lit room, the sterile scent of the Mondragon packhouse, brought me back to reality.
It was a stark contrast to the vibrant life of the dream.
I looked at the empty soup bowl, the soup cold now. It was a reminder of the love I’d pushed away, the connection I’d broken.
A single tear rolled down my cheek “Thank you… Mom.”
Maybe… maybe it wasn’t too late. I could still honor her memory, protect the people I loved, be the Alpha, the man she believed I could be.
The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. I’d tried to rewrite our destiny, to give her a normal life, but I’d failed.
I’d brought the darkness back into her life. And now, she was paying the price.
“Where is she?” I asked, my voice rough with urgency. “Where’s Catrina?”
Vivian’s form shimmered, her face etched with worry. “She’s… she was taken by Damien… I don’t know where”
“I have to go to her,” I said, jumping out of bed, ignoring the pain that shot through my side.
I had to see her, to be with her, to tell her… to tell her everything.
“Rowan, you’re still weak,” Vivian said, her voice a plea. “You need to rest. You need to heal.”
“I can’t rest, Mom!” I said, my voice desperate. “I have to get to her. I have to… I have to fix this.”
“It’s not your fault, Rowan,” she said softly, her hand hovering over mine, a phantom touch that sent shivers down my spine. “You did what you thought was best. What any Alpha would have done to protect his mate.”
“But it was wrong, Mom,” I said, my voice breaking.
“I was wrong to try to control her destiny. I was wrong to push her away. And now… now she might be lost to us forever.”
“She’s strong, Rowan,” Vivian said, her voice full of hope.
“She’s a fighter. She loves you. And that love… that love might be enough to save her.”
Her words were a comfort, but the fear still gnawed at me. I had to see her, had to be with her, had to tell her how much I loved her, how much I regretted everything.
“I have to go to her, Mom,” I repeated, my voice firm with a newfound resolve. “I have to try.”
And as I turned to leave the room, I knew, with a certainty that burned deep in my soul, that I wouldn’t give up.
I wouldn’t let her go.