The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 222: Chapter 222

Isabelle POV:
“I don’t think this is just about a rogue pack, Isabelle.”
Derek’s voice, a low rumble that sent a shiver down my spine, made my heart pound.
It wasn’t just his words.
It was the way his golden eyes looked at me, the intensity in his gaze. His scent, a mix of pine and a raw, untamed energy, filled my senses.
My wolf stirred, a mix of excitement and fear.
“I think there’s something more going on. Something bigger. Something… we don’t understand.”
He was right. I could feel it, too. A darkness, a presence, lurking at the edge of my awareness. It was a whisper of a memory, a dream, a premonition of danger.
A danger that was bigger than just a rogue pack, bigger than just a missing omega.
But I couldn’t focus on that. Not right now.
All I could focus on was… him. Derek.
His words, spoken with a conviction I’d never heard from him before, were breaking down the walls I’d built around my heart, revealing the vulnerability I tried to hide.
“He cares, Isabelle. He cares about her. About… Catrina.” My wolf growled, jealous.
Her claws wanted to extend, to mark her territory, to defend what was… what? What did I even want to claim?
“Why are you so interested in this girl, Derek?” I asked.
My voice came out sharper than I intended, the jealousy spilling out. “Are you… into her?”
The question hung in the air, a challenge, an accusation.
I was afraid I’d pushed him away, driven him into the arms of another she-wolf, a she-wolf who could give him what I couldn't—a true mate bond.
Derek stared at me, his golden eyes wide with shock and hurt. It made my wolf whimper.
I’d hurt him, and the guilt twisted in my gut.
“Isabelle, I…” he stammered, looking away, unable to meet my gaze.
He was carrying the weight of my accusation, the answer I’d thrown at him.
“Don’t lie to me, Derek.” My voice was cold, the icy facade snapping back in place.
I needed to regain control, to hide the fear, the vulnerability, I’d just shown.
“Have you… have you slept with her? Tell me the truth, Derek. Have you… been with… all of Rowan’s girlfriends?”
The words tasted like poison in my mouth. The bitterness wasn’t just from my own unfulfilled desires.
It was the knowledge that I, the Alpha, the one who preached loyalty and duty, was breaking every rule. I was a hypocrite.
“What?” Derek sounded both angry and hurt, his voice echoing my own pain.
“Isabelle! How could you… how could you even ask that?”
He turned away, and my heart ached at the sight of his slumped shoulders, the pain in his golden eyes.
I’d broken the bond between us, the trust, the love he’d offered.
He loves you, Isabelle. He always has. And you… you’ve pushed him away. You’ve broken his heart. My wolf howled, a mournful sound, a lament for a love that was lost.
“Derek, wait,” I whispered, desperate to reach him, to bridge the distance I’d created, to fix the mess I’d made.
But he kept walking. His scent, pine and leather and heartbreak, faded, leaving me alone with my mistakes, my guilt, the knowledge that I’d pushed away the one wolf who truly cared, the one who saw the woman beneath the Alpha, the one who…
“Isabelle, are you… crying?”
His voice, a soft whisper full of concern, stopped me.
I turned, my eyes, usually cold and guarded, now filled with tears. I couldn't hide my vulnerability anymore.
“It’s… it’s just… stupid, Derek,” I whispered, my voice trembling.
Tears, a torrent I couldn't hold back, spilled down my cheeks. I was so tired of pretending, of being the strong Alpha, the heartless leader.
“I’m… I’m just tired of this game, Derek. I'm tired of being… alone.”
“It’s not a game, Isabelle,” he said, his voice a low rumble that comforted and terrified me at the same time.
His gaze held mine, a connection that defied all the rules, all the boundaries.
“It’s… real, Isabelle. What you’re feeling. What… what we’re feeling. It’s real.” He stepped closer, his scent filling my senses.
“I… I don’t understand, Derek,” I whispered.
My heart was a mess of conflicting emotions – my duty to my pack, my loyalty to Rowan, the alliance that bound us, battling with the desire that burned inside me.
“How can… how can this be real? He’s your brother. And I’m… I’m his fiancée. We can’t…”
“We can’t… what, Isabelle?” he interrupted, his voice a low growl, a challenge.
“We’re not supposed to feel? To love? To want?”
He cupped my face in his hands, his touch sending shivers down my spine. My wolf whimpered, a mix of fear and a longing I couldn’t deny.
“It’s real, Isabelle,” he whispered.
His eyes were full of a love I’d never known before, a love that was… unconditional.
“I love you, Isabelle. I know it’s wrong. I know I shouldn’t. But I can’t deny it anymore. And neither can you.”
His words, so sincere, so vulnerable, shattered the walls I’d built around my heart. I ached with a mix of joy and terror. I’d found something real, something true, but it was forbidden, dangerous.
“Derek, I…” I stammered, my heart pounding. I was betraying Rowan, my pack, the alliance.
“I… I can’t… I shouldn’t…”
“We can’t stay here, Isabelle,” he said, his voice urgent. “This place… it’s not safe. Not for us.”
He took my hand, his touch warm and strong, a stark contrast to the coldness I’d embraced for so long.
“Come with me, Isabelle. Let’s get out of here.”
I followed him, my wolf pacing beside his, her amber eyes filled with a warmth, a hope, a love that defied logic, a love that scared me.
I’d made a choice, a choice that felt right, but a choice that could destroy everything.
“Derek…” My voice trembled. “What have we done?”
What have we unleashed? My wolf whimpered, her voice full of fear.
We walked into the darkness, hand in hand, the fate of our packs, our world, hanging in the balance.