The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 246: Chapter 246

Brock POV:
Flashback:
“Just ignore them, Brock. They’re not worth it.”
Mom’s words echoed in my head, but they were hard to follow.
My stomach churned with a familiar anxiety. It was the same feeling I got every time Jason and his goons decided to pick on me.
Middle school was a jungle, and I was the weakest link – the chubby, nerdy kid with glasses, the perfect target for bullies.
My parents were going through a nasty divorce, and I felt like my whole world was falling apart.
“Look, it’s Brainiac! Lost in a book again?”
Jason’s mocking voice made me flinch. I kept my head down, staring at my worn copy of The Hobbit.
It was an escape, a portal to a world of adventure and magic, far away from the cruelty of middle school.
“Whatcha reading there, Callahan? Something about elves and fairies?”
One of his buddies, a tall, skinny kid with a mean smirk, snatched the book from my hands. His laughter echoed through the hallway, making me blush with shame.
“Give it back, Mark,” I mumbled, reaching out for the book. But I knew it would only make things worse.
“What’s the magic word, Callahan?” Jason taunted, his amber eyes cold and mocking.
It was a reminder of how powerless I was, how jocks like him ruled the school, and kids like me were easy prey.
“Please?” I squeaked, betraying my own pride, surrendering to the bullies who made my life miserable.
“What was that? I couldn’t hear you.” Jason grinned, his breath smelling like gum and something sour.
It reminded me of all the times he’d shoved me, tripped me, and stolen my lunch money.
“Please, Jason,” I repeated, a little louder this time, forcing the words out past the shame and fear in my throat.
“Just… give me back my book.”
“Aw, look at that, guys. The little nerd’s actually begging.” Mark laughed, enjoying my misery.
He tossed the book in the air and caught it, making my heart jump, worried he’d drop it.
“Maybe… maybe we should teach him a lesson, Jason,” another one of his buddies, a stocky kid with acne and a mean streak, suggested.
“You know… show him who’s… boss.”
“Yeah, I think… a little… reminder… is in order,” Jason agreed, his eyes gleaming with malice. I shrank back, my body trembling, terrified of what he might do.
Then, a voice cut through the tense silence, quiet but firm, a spark of defiance that surprised me.
“Leave him alone.”
I looked up. It was a girl standing a few feet away, her slender frame outlined against the sunlight streaming through the windows.
Her dark, wavy hair and bright amber eyes were like a beacon of hope in the gloomy hallway.
Catrina.
“What did you say, new girl?” Jason snarled, his eyes fixed on her, challenging her.
“You want to play hero? Protect this… loser?” He chuckled, looking at me with disdain.
“He’s not a loser, Jason,” Catrina said quietly but firmly, her eyes meeting his without fear.
“He’s… he’s my friend.”
“Friend?” Jason laughed mockingly. “You’re friends with this?”
He held up my book, The Hobbit, as if it were a symbol of my weakness.
“You’re friends with this… nerd? This… loser? This… freak?”
“He’s not a loser, Jason,” Catrina repeated, her voice stronger now, a steeliness in her eyes that made me stare at her.
The shy girl was gone, replaced by a fierce protector.
“And if you… if you touch him again… or his book… you’ll answer to me.”
Her words hung in the air, a challenge, a threat. Jason seemed confused.
He stared at her but she didn’t back down. Her steady gaze was a power he hadn’t expected.
He laughed nervously, his confident façade cracking. He had misjudged her, underestimated her.
“Whatever, new girl,” he muttered, looking away, his swagger fading.
“It’s not… worth it. Come on, guys, let’s… let’s get out of here.”
He tossed the book back to me carelessly. I caught it, relieved that it was safe.
He turned and walked away, his posse following, their bravado gone.
Catrina, the quiet girl, had just challenged the bully, and it had changed everything.
We were alone now, Catrina and me.
The silence was deafening. Her presence was warm and comforting, chasing away the fear and loneliness I usually felt.
“Are… are you okay, Brock?” she asked softly, her concern touching my heart.
“I’m… I’m fine, Catrina,” I stammered, looking down, unable to meet her eyes.
“Thanks… thanks for… for standing up for me.”
“They shouldn’t… treat you like that, Brock,” she said, her voice sincere.
“You’re… you’re not a… a loser, Brock.” Her eyes met mine, and warmth and kindness filled me with a longing for something more.
“You’re… you’re smart. And… funny. And… kind. Don’t… don’t let them… make you… forget that.”
Her words were like a balm on my wounded soul, a reminder of the good in the world, a spark of hope.
They brought tears to my eyes, but I quickly blinked them back, hiding my vulnerability.
She saw the real me. Not the awkward kid everyone else saw, but the person I could be, the person I wanted to be.
"You… you really think so?” I asked hesitantly, longing for her acceptance.
“I know so, Brock,” she said, her smile like sunshine, chasing away the shadows and doubts.
“And… I think… maybe… we could be… friends? If you… want to, of course.”
“Friends?” I echoed.
The word felt foreign, like a treasure I’d never possessed, a bond I craved but didn’t deserve.
“Yeah, friends,” she repeated, her smile widening. Her genuine warmth made my heart soar with a hope I’d never dared to dream.
“We could… hang out? Maybe… go to the library together? Or… grab a pizza after school?”
She was offering me friendship.
Me? The awkward kid who always got picked last, who always sat alone, who’d never had a real friend before?
“I… I’d like that, Catrina,” I stammered, my voice cracking with excitement and disbelief. A genuine smile spread across my face, reflecting the light she’d brought into my life.
As we walked away from the scene of my humiliation, her hand brushed against mine, sending shivers down my spine.
I knew that this girl, this angel, had saved me.
She’d seen something in me that no one else had – potential, hope, worthiness.
And I was determined to prove her right, to be the friend, the man, she deserved.
She’s special, Brock, a voice whispered deep inside me, a primal instinct I couldn’t ignore. Don’t let her go.
But as the weeks turned into months, as our friendship grew, as I found myself drawn to her laughter, her scent, her kindness, a fear, a premonition of loss, settled over me.
She’s not yours, Brock. She’s meant for… another.
And one day… she was gone.
Vanished without a trace, leaving a void in my life, an ache in my heart that wouldn’t heal.
She’s gone, Brock. And she’s not coming back.
The voice of despair whispered, reminding me of the pain of loss, the cruelty of the world.
I was heartbroken, lost.
But I never forgot her. Never forgot her kindness, her strength, her light. And I never stopped loving her.
Years later, when I saw her again at that new high school, she was different.
More confident, more beautiful.
Her eyes were now a mesmerizing amber, her dark hair longer, framing a face I recognized and made my heart skip a beat.
Even though I knew she didn’t remember me – a deep, primal instinct, a whisper of a forgotten bond, a love I’d buried – wanted to be recognized.
It was like a destiny I couldn't escape, a love I had to reclaim.
She was… her.
My savior.
My angel.
My… Catrina.
And I… I was determined to save her.