The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Catrina POV:
"Someone's fighting out there!" someone yelled.
My ears perked up, and before I could think, my wolf instincts took over. I rushed towards the noise.
Rounding the corner, I froze. Rowan stood in a fighting stance, facing off against another massive wolf.
"Did you just accept some strange wolf's challenge?" I shouted at Rowan. "Have you lost your damn mind?"
I expected anger from Rowan and Isabelle. But the unknown wolf whipped his head towards me.
"What the hell is this omega saying?" he snarled.
Rowan stepped forward, "Back off! If you want to fight, it's with me. Leave her out of it."
The whole scene spun before my eyes. Part of me wanted to flee, but my wolf instinct screamed to protect my mate, even though he'd rejected me.
Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit me. My vision blurred, and the last thing I heard were angry shouts before everything went dark.
I woke up in a dimly lit room, alone on a soft bed. Where was I?
"Is someone there?" I called out weakly.
A figure emerged from the shadows.
"Yeah, I'm here," Rowan's deep voice said. "Just getting you some water..."
My heart skipped a beat at the unexpected sound of his voice. The confrontation and my fear for his safety came flooding back. But I remained silent, unsure what to say.
Rowan cleared his throat awkwardly.
"I know... I know you said you didn't want to talk to me anymore. But you fainted, and I couldn't just leave you there."
His voice had a nervousness I wasn't used to hearing from him. Confusion clouded my mind.
"Looks like you don't have many friends around here," Rowan said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Guess it's just me, huh?”
I scoffed at his assumption. "That's irrelevant right now,"
I said firmly, taking a sip of the water he provided. "Why did you accept that fight with the other wolf? What was going on?"
Rowan's face darkened, the shadows playing across his chiseled features.
"What kind of alpha would I be if I backed down from a formal challenge?" he declared as if the answer was obvious.
Alpha politics were lost on me. Sensing my confusion, Rowan sighed.
"Don't worry, even if he wins the duel, that beta wouldn't dare hurt you or the pup."
His words hit me like a wave. Was he worried about me?
Before I could overthink it, another realization came to me - Rowan facing off against a strange, enraged wolf filled me with fear.
"I'm not worried about myself," I said, my voice firm.
"It's you! My wolf... she can't bear to see her mate… former mate gets hurt."
An electric silence appeared in the room. Rowan's gaze locked with mine, holding an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.
"Catrina..." Rowan began roughly, "You know I never wanted to reject you, to shut you out like that..."
My mind raced, a million words trapped on my tongue. But Rowan continued, finally saying the words he'd kept bottled up.
"Catrina," he said, his voice filled with conflict, "I didn't reject you because I don't care. You have to know that's not true."
He paused, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
"It's just... my father's beliefs about omegas, they're so deeply rooted in me. He always taught me omegas were inferior, only good for bearing pups and serving their pack."
His words, though an attempt at apology, set a new wave of anger within me. My jaw clenched at his archaic views.
Rowan seemed to sense the rising storm within me, holding up his hands in a gesture of peace.
"Now, I know that's complete bullshit," Rowan admitted. "You're strong, fierce, an amazing woman in every way. It's just... old habits die hard, you know?"
I was unimpressed by his lame excuse.
"So that's your justification for treating me, your fated mate, like dirt? Some leftover misogynistic crap from your deadbeat father?"
Rowan flinched at my words but didn't try to deny them. My anger flared even hotter.
"You're going to be a father yourself, Rowan! When are you going to grow a backbone and ditch those toxic views about omegas?"
He opened his mouth, likely to defend himself, but I cut him off, my fury too strong to let him interrupt.
"Our pup deserves better than an alpha father who sees omegas as nothing more than baby machines! I won't let you pass those disgusting prejudices onto our child!"
My words hit Rowan like a physical blow. He widened his eyes and took an involuntary step back.
Good. He had to see how unacceptable his twisted beliefs were.
"Catrina, you have to understand, it's not that simple..." he began, but a sudden noise outside cut him off.
His head snapped towards the door, his body tensing.
Without another word to me, he rushed out, leaving me feeling dismissed and dejected once again.
How could I have even begun to forgive him so easily? Rowan was still deeply infected by his father's toxic views on omegas.
Until he addressed that and truly saw me as his equal, there was no hope for us.
Tears of anger and heartbreak in my eyes. What a fool I'd been, clinging to hope for a man trapped in outdated thinking. The father of my pup was still stuck with his father's views.
If Rowan couldn't rise to the occasion and be the partner I deserved, then I'd raise our child alone. He wouldn't ruin our pup with his backward attitudes and prejudice.
Dominance, power, control - that seemed to be all that mattered to alphas like Rowan and his father.
When would they understand that life, relationships, and families were about so much more? Omegas weren't just second-class citizens.
Blinking back fresh tears, I pushed those vulnerable thoughts aside and smoothed my hair. I shouldn't let anyone see me like this.
However, curiosity overcame me when the sounds of Rowan's voice and another man's conversation became louder outside the room.
"Rowan? Who's out there?"