The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 26: Chapter 26

"Yes everything is okay." I avoided his questioning gaze.
I felt weird talking to him now, kind of guilty too. After all, he is married!
Rowan frowned, clearly not believing me. "Are you sure? You seem...off."
I shook my head quickly.
"I'm fine, really." I forced a smile, not wanting him to worry.
He stared at me for a moment, then let out a breath. "Alright, if you say so."
He ran a hand through his dark hair. "I just wanted to check on you and the baby."
My heart squeezed when he mentioned the baby. Our baby, the one he didn't want anything to do with at first.
I gently put my hand on my belly. "We're good."
Rowan watched my hand move, his eyes filled with a feeling I couldn't understand.Longing? Regret?
He just gave a short nod, like he wasn't sure what else to say.
"Yeah, good. That's good..."
It got really quiet between us, like neither of us knew what to say next.
Feeling awkward, I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, really wanting to get out of there.
"So, um, did you need something else?"
He tried to say something, then stopped and shook his head.
"No, never mind. I'll let you get back to it." He gave me one last long look before turning and walking away.
I finally let out the breath I was holding in and closed the door, leaning against it for a second.
My heart was racing, and I had a bunch of mixed-up feelings swirling around in my head.
Some of it was remembering things about my parents, and some of it was about this whole connection to the Magnus pack.
A few hours later, I was at work cleaning a hotel room.
My back was killing me from the baby, and I was scrubbing the bathroom floor on my hands and knees when I heard someone behind me.
I jumped up so fast I almost fell over. It was Isabelle, staring at me with those dark eyes of hers.
"Whoa, you scared me!" I shouted, my heart hammering in my chest.
Isabelle's lips curved into a tiny smile.
"My apologies." She took a step closer. "I wanted to speak with you."
I eyed her carefully. "About what?"
"About my promise to you." she said, glancing down at my belly. "To keep you and your...mutt safe."
A flash of memory hit me - Isabelle promised to protect me and my baby from Rowan's father, but only if I joined her pack and became one of her omegas.
I shifted uncomfortably, knowing Isabelle wanted me as far away from Rowan as possible now that he was about to officially take over as the new Alpha of the Magnus pack.
But what else could I do? At least with Isabelle, my baby would be safe.
Looking Isabelle in the eye, I ignored my wolf whimpering about being away from my mate.
"I remember your promise," I mumbled.
Isabelle gave a short nod, happy with my answer.
"Good. Then you're coming with me after Rowan's ceremony. Bring whatever important stuff you can fit." Her voice left no room for arguing.
My eyes went down to my baby bump, remembering Rowan's kind, golden eyes from this early morning.
My throat felt tight, but I nodded anyway. "Okay, I'll come with you."
Isabelle looked surprised I agreed so quickly. "Smart choice, little omega,"
She turned to leave, but then stopped and looked back. "Oh, Catrina?"
I looked at her cold stare, scared. "Yeah?"
"Don't forget," she said, and her smile made me shiver.
"You and the baby belong to me now. I'll be keeping an eye on you."
Then she walked away, leaving me feeling like everything was broken all over again.
My stomach hurt, but I knew I had to do what Isabelle said. It was the only way to keep my baby safe.
For the next few days, until Rowan's big ceremony to become Alpha, I tried to get myself ready to work for Isabelle. Every time I saw Rowan, my heart ached.
I remembered all the sweet moments with Rowan, how much I wanted us to be a family. But now, thanks to Isabelle's tricks, that dream was disappearing.
The night before the ceremony, I couldn't sleep. My mind raced with questions.
Could I really leave Rowan forever? Could I take the baby away from its dad before it was even born?
It was way past midnight when heartburn and nausea woke me up. I paced around my tiny room, sipping cold water to calm myself.
Then came a soft knock at the door. I stopped, feeling nervous all of a sudden.
"Catrina?" It was Rowan's deep voice, and my heart jumped. "Can I come in?"
My hand shook as I put down the water glass. Slowly, I walked towards the door. Taking a deep breath, I opened it a tiny bit to peek out.
Rowan looked messy but still super handsome. His dark hair was sticking out in all directions, and there were dark circles under his eyes, like he hadn't slept at all.
I looked at Rowan, worried. "Are you alright?"
He gave a short, sad laugh. "I should be asking you that."
He looked at my belly for a second, then back at me. "Can I come in, please?"
I wasn't sure if I should. Maybe this would be the last time I saw him before Isabelle took me away. I slowly nodded and stepped aside to let him in.
Rowan came in, his wide shoulders almost filling the whole room. He turned to face me, looking nervous but sincere.
"I can't stop thinking about you," he mumbled.
"About us."
My breath hitched when he reached out and gently brushed his hand against my cheek.
"I messed up, Catrina. Can I please try to fix things?"
His touch and the sadness in his eyes made my heart pound. This was the Rowan I liked - caring, wanting to protect me, just like I always wanted him to be.
But I knew it wouldn't last. Everything felt real again, and it hurt.
"Rowan," I whispered, tears welling up. "It's too late for that."
Rowan's eyes got sad, then confused, and a little scared. "What? Why?"
I took a deep breath, trying not to cry.
"Isabelle...she's making me leave after the ceremony. To work for her as an omega." I put my hand on my belly.
"She says it's the only way to keep the baby safe from your dad."
Rowan's fists clenched up tight, and his jaw moved back and forth really fast.
"That manipulative bitch!" he growled.
He stepped closer and put his hands on my face, looking at me hard.
"Don't listen to her, Catrina. You don't have to go. I'll find another way to keep you and the baby safe, okay? I promise."
My heart ached really bad when he begged me to stay. I wanted to believe him so much, but I knew he couldn't really fight Isabelle.
I shook my head and cried a little.
"You can't stop her, Rowan. She's super powerful." I put my hand on top of his, feeling so sad and full of love for him all at once. "This is the only way to keep our baby safe."
Rowan stared at me for a long time, his golden eyes filled with worry and anger. Then, his shoulders slumped down sadly.
"I'm so sorry, Catrina," he whispered, his voice rough. "This isn't how things were supposed to be. This isn't how I wanted our family to start."
"I know," I mumbled, trying to stay hopeful.
Rowan gently cupped my face with his big hands. His eyes looked serious.
"You don't have to go with Isabelle. I won't let her take you and the baby away."
A tiny flame of hope flickered inside me at his words, but I still wasn't sure.
"But how can you stop her? She's really strong..."
"I'll figure something out," he said confidently, like he wouldn't take no for an answer.
"Just give me a little more time. I promise I'll keep our family safe, no matter what."
Looking at his determined face, I started to believe him. Before, Rowan kept pushing me away, but now he wanted to protect us both.
I nodded a little. "Okay, Rowan. I trust you."
Relief flooded Rowan's face, and he leaned his head against mine. We stood there for a while, feeling better because we were close.
When he finally pulled away, a tiny smile peeked out on his lips.
"Everything will be okay, Catrina. I promise." He gently rubbed my cheek with his thumb. "I won't let anyone take my family away again."
I smiled a little back, feeling a spark of hope. Rowan could be super convincing when he wanted something, and really good at getting things done.
If anyone could find a way around Isabelle's plan, it was him.
"Just don't do anything crazy, okay?" I said, even though I wasn't really joking. Rowan could be impulsive sometimes, and that worried me.
He gave me that grin that used to make me like him a lot. "Have some faith in me, little omega."
I pretended to be annoyed by the nickname, but I felt lighter all of a sudden. Maybe, just maybe, things could work out after all.