The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 227: Chapter 227

Isabelle POV:
"We have to call off the search, Isabelle. It’s getting too dangerous."
Marcus’s voice was a low growl, filling his office with tension.
A reminder of his disapproval, of the pressure of the alliance between our packs.
"He’s not in the Bloodmoon territory, Marcus. We've searched everywhere. There’s no sign of him.” I stood by the window, my gaze fixed on the forest.
The trees swayed in the wind, their branches like skeletal fingers reaching out, a reflection of my own anxiety.
Rowan, my betrothed, was lost. Not just physically, but… emotionally.
"He's reckless, Isabelle," Marcus continued, his voice a deep rumble.
His amber eyes, cold and calculating, watched me.
It was a judgment that made my wolf bristle, her fur rising, ready to challenge, to defend.
"He’s putting the entire pack at risk with this foolishness. He's forgetting his duty."
“He’s blinded by his… infatuation,” I said, the word "love" bitter on my tongue.
It felt like a betrayal to even think about love, about the forbidden longing I felt for Derek, the warmth in his golden eyes, the way his scent made my wolf purr.
“He’s not thinking clearly.”
“He’s thinking with his heart, Isabelle. “My wolf's voice was a painful reminder. “And his heart… it belongs to another.”
My wolf was right. And it frustrated me, this frustration, this jealousy, that I couldn't control.
“He’s my heir, Isabelle," Marcus said sharply, a reprimand in his tone.
“He’s supposed to be a leader, not a lovesick pup chasing a scent.” His gaze hardened.
“He needs to be reminded of his duty. The Alpha Summit is just days away. We need to present a united front. We can’t let his personal… distractions… interfere.”
He was right.
The summit was crucial, a chance to strengthen our alliance against the growing threat of King Alaric, a power-hungry Alpha who wanted to control everything.
But I couldn’t focus on politics, on the future of the pack.
All I could think about was in my own hell created with my feelings.
“He’s not coming back, Isabelle.” My wolf whimpered, echoing my own despair.
The thought sparked a fresh wave of anger, a resentment directed not just at Rowan, but at myself.
I couldn’t be the Luna he needed, his equal.
“You’re too cold, too ambitious.”
The voice of doubt, a constant whisper, reminded me of my own insecurities.
I’d hidden them for so long, buried them beneath layers of duty, control, behind the icy facade of a strong Alpha.
“You’re distracted, Isabelle.” Marcus’s voice broke through my thoughts.
His gaze was sharp, perceptive. “Your mind is elsewhere. Your heart is… divided.”
I flinched.
He was right. He’d seen through my mask, exposed my vulnerability.
“I apologize, Alpha Marcus,” I said, my voice carefully neutral, trying to regain control.
“It’s just… the situation with Rowan, with the Bloodmoons… it’s… concerning.”
“Concerning? It’s a disaster, Isabelle!” Marcus slammed his fist on the table, making me jump.
My wolf bristled instinctively, but then she cowered, submitting to his dominance.
“He’s defied our agreement, he’s put our pack members in danger, and all for a girl who’s not even his mate!”
“She is his mate, Marcus,” I corrected him, my voice a low growl.
The words came out before I could stop them, a betrayal of the truth I’d been trying to deny, the bond I couldn’t escape.
“He just… doesn’t remember.”
The words hung in the air, a confession of my own longing for a forbidden love.
Marcus’s gaze narrowed, his amber eyes piercing me.
He saw the truth I was trying to hide, the desire that burned within me.
“You’re defending him, Isabelle,” he said, his voice a low growl.
“Why? Why would you defend the wolf who rejected you? Who chose another?”
“I’m not defending him, Marcus,” I said, my voice a shaky whisper.
I couldn’t meet his eyes.
The shame of my own weakness, the weight of my secrets, was too much.
“I’m just… trying to understand. He’s… he’s not thinking clearly. He’s… lost.”
“He’s lost himself in this omega infatuation,” Marcus growled, his voice a mix of anger and disappointment.
It was a father’s pain for a son who'd gone astray, a leader’s frustration with a subordinate who’d disobeyed orders.
“And you, Isabelle… you’re letting him. You’re indulging his weakness. You’re forgetting your duty.”
His words were a slap in the face.
They ignited a fire inside me, a spark of defiance against the role I was supposed to play, the destiny I was supposed to accept.
“I’m not forgetting my duty, Marcus,” I said, my voice stronger now, meeting his gaze.
My own wolf stood beside me, her amber eyes blazing, a challenge to his dominance.
I was an Alpha too.
“But my duty isn’t just to the pack. It’s also to myself. To my own heart.”
I took a step closer, my wolf’s presence radiating, a wave of power that met his.
“I can’t… I can’t be the Luna you want, Marcus,” I said, my voice trembling but firm.
It was a confession, a truth I’d been denying.
“I can’t… I can’t be with Rowan. Not when my heart… belongs to another.”
He stared at me, his amber eyes cold and calculating.
But then, a flicker of… Anger? Disappointment?
He saw the power of the mate bond, the undeniable pull of a love that defied all the rules.
“You… you’ve chosen… Derek?” he asked, his voice a low growl.
“You’ve betrayed… my son? Our alliance? Our future?”
The weight of my choice, the knowledge that I was shattering our carefully constructed world, the fragile peace between our packs… it was a burden I couldn’t escape.
But it was my truth.
“Yes, Marcus,” I whispered, my voice soft, but my gaze steady.
It was a confession that set me free, even as it broke his heart.
“I choose… Derek.”
And as Carson, my Beta, my… friend, walked into the room, his golden eyes wide with shock…