The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 23: Chapter 23

"Alpha Rowan, we need to solve some important matters now..."
The comment cut through the tension like a sharp knife. I spun around to see Rowan and Derek's dad, Mr. Magnus, leaning against the doorway with a grin.
Rowan's jaw got tight, and he glared at his dad.
"What do you want?" he growled.
Mr. Magnus chuckled, like he thought the whole thing was a joke. "Shouldn't you be, you know, busy with your new wife right now?"
Rowan looked like he might explode, but before he could answer, Mr. Magnus kept talking. "Or maybe you decided to take a break and play pretend family with your little helper-dog here?"
"Watch your tongue," Rowan growled.
Mr. Magnus just shrugged, not caring that Rowan was mad.
"Hey, I'm just saying what everyone's thinking. It's not every day the super important Alpha Rowan Magnus decides to ditch his pack and his duties."
"I'm not ignoring my duties!" Rowan shot back, his voice tight.
"There's something important I need to take care of."
Marcus scoffed. "Important, huh? Or are you just making up excuses to skip work and hang out with your new pet over there?"
He jerked his head towards me, making me blush with anger and embarrassment.
Rowan stepped forward, his voice low and dangerous. "That's it! You will be nice to Catrina."
Marcus burst out laughing. "Nice? To someone who's tricked you into forgetting your pack? Come on, son, be serious."
Derek, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke up. "That's out of line, Father.”
Marcus gave Derek a nasty look. "This is none of your business, pup! This is between me and my heir."
"He's right, Derek," Rowan said, his voice low and dangerous.
"This is a matter for me to handle."
Mr. Magnus reached into his pocket and pulled out a fancy pouch with a drawstring. "Is this what you've been missing?"
My stomach lurched. It was the same bag I kept my savings in! How did he have it?
Rowan's eyes narrowed and he took a step closer. "Where'd you get that?"
Mr. Magnus just tossed the bag in the air and caught it, a big, mean smile on his face.
"Oh, it just showed up. You know how things can get lost around here, right?"
Rowan finally lost his cool. He lunged at his dad in a flash and pinned him against the wall, his arm on Mr. Magnus's throat.
"Give it back, right now!"
Derek jumped forward, trying to stop them.
"Rowan, wait!"
But Rowan held up a hand, keeping his eyes locked on Mr. Magnus.
"This is between me and my father. Stay out of it."
I felt a chill run down my spine at Rowan's words. His father? But Derek had always been led to believe Marcus was his father too.
Mr. Magnus wheezed out a laugh, but it didn't sound good.
"So you're the big tough guy now, protecting your little helper like some guard dog? When did you get so weak, Rowan?"
Rowan squeezed his dad's throat even harder, making Mr. Magnus's face turn red.
"I said stop talking!"
Mr. Magnus gasped for air.
"You gonna kick me out of the pack for some omega? I'm your father, Rowan! Your own flesh and blood!"
Rowan looked unsure for a moment, and Mr. Magnus took advantage of it.
"She's not telling you everything about herself, is she? I bet you wouldn't be so quick to protect her if you knew the real story..."
Rowan boomed, his voice shaking the room. "Shut up! I don't want to hear another word!"
Mr. Magnus just cackled. "Fine, son. But remember what I said. The truth will come out someday. And when it does, you'll regret not listening to your old man."
Rowan shoved his dad away with a final push. Mr. Magnus landed on the floor, gasping for air.
"That's it from you," Rowan growled.
"Get out of here before I lose my temper."
Mr. Magnus scrambled to his feet, glaring at Rowan with anger.
"You think you've won? This isn't over, not even close."
He looked at me with mean eyes, making me shiver. "Enjoy your time with your little whore, Rowan. But when the truth comes out, she'll be a big problem for you and the pack."
With that creepy message, Mr. Magnus stormed out and slammed the door super loud.
The room was quiet for a long time, like nobody dared to breathe. Everything that just happened between Rowan and his dad was confusing.
They argued so badly, it seemed like way more than just a normal fight between a dad and his son.
"Rowan..." I started to ask, feeling unsure.
"Wait, did you guys say Mr. Magnus isn't Derek's dad?"
Rowan got stiff and wouldn't look at me. Then Derek chuckled a humorless laugh, getting our attention.
"He's not really my father," Derek said plainly. "Well, not by blood."
My brain spun. I was confused. They always seemed like a family, dysfunctional if anything.
Rowan let out a long breath and rubbed his face with his hand.
"It's a confusing situation. Marcus is my father, but not Derek's. Derek's real father..." He stopped talking and shook his head.
Derek finished his sentence, his voice a little sad. "He died when I was a kid. Marcus became the leader of the pack then, and I guess I just ended up being his responsibility."
"But why did you become the alpha then?" I pressed, looking at Rowan.
"Shouldn't Marcus have kept that role?"
The brothers looked at each other in a way that made me shiver. It felt like they were hiding something big.
Rowan spoke carefully. "My father, well, he's not exactly healthy in here" He tapped his temple.
“He became too obsessed with being in charge, and it messed him up over time. We all realized he couldn't lead the pack anymore."
Derek scoffed. "That's, uh, a nice way to put it. he’s totally crazy, a danger to everyone. Rowan had to become the alpha to keep the pack safe from our own father."
All this new information was making my head spin.
How could such a big secret have been hidden for so long? And what did it have to do with the weird stuff Marcus said about me before?
"There's more, isn't there?" I whispered, barely audible.
"Something you're both keeping from me."
Rowan's face went serious, and he shook his head.
"Not now, Catrina. We know for sure it was my father who stole your money. Remember how he was making fun of you and then had the bag? But why would he do it?"
A wave of relief washed over me for a second – at least we knew who stole the money.
But then, Rowan's words made my stomach clench. If Marcus stole from me on purpose, it meant something bad. It was like a warning or a mean trick.
Derek looked worried as he thought about what Rowan said.
"Yeah, you're right. Stealing your money wasn't just meanness. He is planning something, and we need to figure it out before he does it."
Rowan agreed, his face serious. "Exactly. We have to be careful and find out what He is up to before he can cause any more trouble."
Then Rowan zipped up his jacket with a relieved sigh, the velvet pouch with my savings disappearing into his pocket.
"Wait!" I said.
"What are you doing with that?"
He flashed me a reassuring smile.
"Just making sure everything's here, Catrina. You tell me how much you had, and I'll double-check it in my room."
"Are you kidding me?" I demanded, but Rowan was already striding towards the exit, Derek following close behind.
"Hey! My money!" I yelled, but they didn't even look back.