The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Rowan POV:
Prom night. A night burned into my memory. That's when everything changed, the night I claimed Catrina as my mate.
She looked incredible, a vision in a red dress that hugged her curves. Her dark hair cascaded down her shoulders, and her golden eyes sparkled with a life I couldn't ignore.
Even then, before I knew what she truly was, I felt drawn to her. An animalistic urge pulsed within me, a connection that crackled whenever we were close.
Maybe that's why I watched her all night, my wolf tracking her every move. I should've known. My wolf recognized her as its mate, someone I needed to claim.
Instead, I ignored the pull, writing it off as lust for a cheerleader. The perfect disguise for the omega she was..
Later that night, everything exploded. After a fight with her human boyfriend, Catrina stormed off, alone, into the dark courtyard.
I moved out of the shadows, like a hunter stalking his prey. But when she turned, there wasn't fear, just a feeling of everything being right.
"Shouldn't be here alone," I growled, deep and bossy, the way I know makes her shiver. "It’s not safe."
She smiled, a risky, tempting smile. "For an unscented omega in the human world? I doubt that."
"Omega." The word slammed into me. The super-rare she-wolf every alpha craved, the kind that could start wars.
I'd spotted her cheering at a game freshman year, seeing an omega pretend to be a human cheerleader? It was funny. So I never talked to her.
Now, though, my wolf wouldn't be ignored. It howled with a primal mix of excitement and something deeper – need. This beautiful rebel was so wrong.
I growled, "You have no idea who wrong you are." I pulled her close, my body flush with heat.
The way she melted into me, trembling slightly, told me everything.
Her wolf recognized me too.
There was no fight as I kissed her hard, a rough claim that branded her as mine.
Her gasp turned into a moan as I deepened the kiss. She was soft against me, melting like butter. Finally, I pulled away, both of us gasping for air. Her lips were swollen, her eyes glazed.
"What's happening?" she whispered, lost.
I growled a possessive rumble and stroked her jaw. "You're mine, little mate. And you're finally ready to claim me too."
I kissed her again, but this time I nipped her lip gently. She whimpered, a sound of surrender that sent shivers down my spine. My wolf roared inside me, desperate to mate her, to claim this incredible woman as ours.
I lost control when I possessed her virgin body completely.
At that moment, I felt complete. Everything I ever needed was right here, in my arms. My destined mate, forever by my side. Our bond was perfect...or so I thought.
Looking back, I messed everything up with Catrina from the very first night. Blinded by the moment, I let my past and messed-up thinking cloud my judgment.
I shoved Catrina away. Dumb ideas about omegas being whores and unfaithful, all my dad's fault. He badmouthed my omega mom for years.
Stuck with those ideas, I became a jerk. Deep down, I craved the love an omega offered, something my mom never gave.
Messed up, right?
So with Catrina, my true mate, I blew it. Disgusted by her instead of cherishing her. Her face after I rejected her? Total heartbreak. I called her awful names.
As if taking her virginity and marking her as mine was somehow a mistake on her part.
Catrina crying haunts me. I threw away our bond for stupid reasons.
A month later, she returned pregnant. I lashed out, denied it. My words were poison. No wonder she fled. Maybe she's better off without me, this mess I am.
I became a typical alpha playboy, drowning sorrows with women. Empty. Nothing could replace my true mate.
I drank and fuck with anyone I could find. My wolf raged, denied our mate, and desperate for her return. I lashed out at my family, the few people who cared.
My dad's face was always etched with disappointment. He'd argue with my uncle Jarrett about me.
"Useless pup," he'd sneer, cigar smoke curling in the air. "Can't even lead the pack like an alpha."
My uncle Jarrett, the voice of reason, would just sigh and massage his temples. "Give him time, Marcus. He just 18 and you’re already expecting him to get married."
Let's just say I was a wreck after Catrina left. I wasn't proud of myself, but all I knew was violence and control. It was how I dealt with pain - a never-ending loop of hurting myself and everyone around me.
One afternoon, while I was hiding in my study at the pack mansion in Las vegas, avoiding my duties as usual, a soldier burst in, his face grim.
"Alpha," he said urgently, "we have a problem. A hotel worker contacted the pack."
Some human wasting my time? I took another swig of whiskey straight from the bottle, the burn a welcome distraction.
"What is it?" I snapped, annoyed. "Some stupid human saw something weird?"
The beta gulped. Then came the words that blew everything up.
"They found your mate, Alpha," he said.
I froze, a ringing in my ears. No way.
"Catrina Blanc," he continued, confirming my worst fear.
"Working as a maid at The Magnus Hotel, your family's place in Vegas. And...well, she seems pregnant."
The whiskey bottle slipped from my hand and shattered on the floor. Everything seemed to explode at that moment, and a deep dread settled in my gut.
Before I could even think, I was on my feet, moving with a purpose I hadn't felt in months. My wolf was in control, focused on its mate with laser focus. It took over.
I raced through the halls, following the scent of honey, peaches, and something raw and primal - the undeniable sign of her pregnancy.
The scent led me to a deserted hallway where I finally saw her, the woman who haunted my dreams.
A small figure in a maid's uniform bent over a cart. Even from behind, I recognized her - the dark hair waves, the curves I remembered, now more pronounced. My cock stirred to throbbing arousal at the thought of her swollen with my seed.
Seeing Catrina pregnant hit me like a ton of bricks. A war raged inside me. The scared kid hurt by his mom leaving, felt disgusted by the idea of an omega carrying on our bloodline.
But the other, the alpha who claimed her, roared in fury at anyone daring to threaten his mate and pup. This part of me just wanted to protect Catrina, to soak in her glow as a pregnant omega and keep her safe.
This situation was ripping me apart. The pressure was worse than anything I'd ever felt. It was all about Catrina – my pregnant mate.
I tried staying hidden, watching her work from a distance. But after what happened between us in the penthouse, I couldn't stay away. Especially not after that awful Mondragon alpha messed with her.
Even though I hate the whole arranged marriage thing with another pack, I'm stuck. As a future leader, I must do my duty.
But Dad's old-fashioned – no way he'd accept Catrina, even with my baby on the way.
Seeing him nice to her made me nervous. It's like he forgot he kicked out all the omegas when Mom left. What's his plan with Catrina?
Dad will never accept the baby as heir, he'll call it a mutt. But I don't care. Catrina's mine, and I'll protect her no matter what.