The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 66: Chapter 66

Rowan’s POV:
Walking across the huge college campus, I felt like a fake.
Back in the day, I could just be myself, without all this pressure and responsibility. Now, I had to pretend to be someone I wasn’t.
I was “Rowan Magnus,” the cool, charming new guy that all the girls seemed to like. I’d played this part before in high school, but that felt like ages ago.
Everything was different now. What mattered to me, what I believed in… even how I saw the world.
But here I was, acting like that old version of myself so I could stay hidden and finish this mission for the Drakhor Clan.
This is so messed up. I thought, watching a group of guys tossing a football around.
Back then, I pretended to care about this stuff. Now it all seems so… pointless.
“Hey, Rowan! Wait up!”
I tried not to sigh as a group of giggling girls came up to me, their eyes sparkling. I put on my best smile and turned to face them.
“Hey, ladies,” I said, trying to sound cool and casual like I used to.
“What’s up?”
The blonde one in the middle - I think her name was Tiffany - twirled her hair around her finger.
“We were wondering if you’d join us for lunch. You know, show you around campus.”
Her friends nodded, looking me up and down.
It used to make me feel proud, but now it just made me uncomfortable.
“That’s nice of you,” I said, trying to sound interested.
“But I’ve got some stuff to do this afternoon. Maybe another time?”
Tiffany pouted. “Aw, come on, Rowan. We just want to get to know you better.”
She moved closer, and her perfume was so strong it almost made me dizzy. I took a small step back.
“Maybe some other time,” I repeated, giving her a smile.
“I really gotta go.”
They finally left, looking disappointed. I watched them go, feeling a little bad.
Before, I would have loved the attention. But now, all I could think about was my mate.
My Catrina. The thought of her warmed me from the inside out.
She’s so different from all those other girls. Back in high school, girls like Tiffany were all I cared about.
Flirting, hooking up, it was all a game. I never thought twice about it.
Heck, I even slept with Catrina at prom, thinking it was just another fling.
But ever since I saw her again at the Magnus Hotel, that night she looked at me with those sad, knowing eyes while she was carrying my pup… something changed inside me.
It was like I finally woke up and saw what a jerk I'd been.
She was so strong and brave.
Even when I was a total jerk to her, she still had this fire in her eyes, this spirit that I couldn't shake. She’d helped me see how wrong I was about so many things.
About omegas, about life, about myself.
She was the only girl I wanted, the only one who really understood me. Now, the thought of being with anyone else made me feel sick.
I just wanted to go back to her, to hold her in my arms and tell her how sorry I was for everything.
I sighed and kept walking, trying to forget about her for now. I couldn’t get distracted. I had a job to do.
As I turned a corner, I saw a familiar face leaning against a building – Emma. We made eye contact, and I felt a rush of fear.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Rowan Magnus,” she said, walking towards me.
“Fancy meeting you here.”
I tried to act relaxed and smiled. “Hey, Emma. Long time no see.”
Her hazel eyes narrowed. “That’s one way to put it. I always thought you’d go to some fancy college, not this one.”
Her words stung. “I, uh, wanted to try something different. You know, see new things.”
She snorted and crossed her arms. “Uh-huh. And that’s why you totally disappeared after graduation?”
I felt my face getting hot. “Look, Emma, I… I’m sorry about that. It wasn’t—”
“Don’t bother,” she said, cutting me off.
“I don’t want your excuses. What are you doing here, Magnus?”
Her accusing tone made me angry.
“I’m not doing anything. Just trying to go to school, like everyone else.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. And I guess that has nothing to do with you flirting with every girl on campus?”
I opened my mouth to defend myself, but she kept going.
“I saw you with those girls earlier, Rowan. You might be able to fool them, but you can’t fool me. You’re up to something, and I’m going to find out what it is.”
My chest tightened with fear. If she figured out who I really was, it would blow my cover. I had to be careful.
“Emma, I swear, I’m not—”
“Save it,” she interrupted again, her eyes hard. “I’m watching you, Rowan. And if I catch you lying, I’m going straight to the dean.”
Then, she turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, my heart pounding. This was bad. Really bad.
I spent the rest of the day feeling jumpy, looking over my shoulder for Emma.
I couldn’t risk her ruining everything.
Walking back to my dorm, feeling totally exhausted, I wondered if I’d gotten in over my head.
The Drakhor trusted me with this mission, but college was way harder than I thought it would be.
And then there were all the girls flirting with me.
After finding my mate, I might be a different wolf now, but I was still a guy. Fighting off their attention was a constant struggle.
I wondered what Catrina would think if she saw me now, with all these girls around.
Would she understand why I was lying? Or would she think I was going back to my old ways, hurting her all over again?
Just thinking about that made my chest hurt. Catrina was everything to me.
I couldn’t stand the thought of hurting her, ruining our future, just for this mission.
But I had no choice. My pack, my family, they needed me. I had to finish this, even if it cost me everything.
I had to find a way to be true to Catrina, even while living this lie.
As I got to my dorm room, I stopped and took a deep breath. I could do this. I had to.
I straightened up and opened the door, ready for whatever was coming next.
This was all new, but I was a alpha—a protector, a fighter. I would do what it took to win.
Somehow, I would figure out the Drakhor Clan's secrets and break this curse. Even if it meant sacrificing part of myself.