The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 92: Chapter 92

Carson’s POV
An uncomfortable energy runned beneath my skin, making it impossible to sit still.
Ever since Isabelle had given the order to find Catrina, a weird tension had settled over the Mondragon packhouse.
It wasn’t just the usual buzz of activity that came with an Alpha’s mission. This felt different.
Heavier. More… desperate.
I paced the length of the hallway, my steps echoing in the quiet mansion.
Isabelle was usually the picture of calm, even when dealing with pack drama.
But this… this was different. Her obsession with finding this Catrina, this omega who’d captured Rowan Magnus’s heart… it just felt off.
Sure, Catrina was technically Rowan's mistress, and everyone knew Alphas were possessive about their mates. But Isabelle was already married to Rowan! It didn’t make sense.
“Something’s not right,” I muttered to myself, raking a hand through my hair.
“What’s gotten into her?”
Isabelle was my Alpha, and my loyalty to her was absolute.
But a part of me, a part I usually kept buried deep, couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right.
This wasn’t just about pack politics. This was… personal.
I found myself drawn towards Isabelle’s office, needing answers even though I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear them.
Voices, hushed and urgent, drifted from behind the closed door, making my wolf perk up its ears.
I paused, debating whether to knock, when Isabelle’s voice, sharper than usual, cut through the wood.
“We have to find her, David. It’s not just about pack law anymore, don’t you see?”
Pack law? What did pack law have to do with this whole mess?
My curiosity piqued, I knocked lightly and pushed the door open.
Isabelle sat behind her desk, her expression unreadable as her eyes met mine. David,one of the strongest warriors we had, stood beside her, his face etched with concern.
“Beta Carson,” Isabelle acknowledged, her tone neutral. “What is it?”
I hesitated, unsure how to voice the unease gnawing at me.
“Alpha,” I began, dipping my head in respect. “I just… This whole thing with Catrina… I don’t understand.”
Her eyes sharpened, a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes. “What about it?”
I took a deep breath, knowing I was treading on dangerous territory but unable to stay silent any longer.
“Why are we putting so much effort into finding her? She’s… she was just Rowan’s…” I stumbled, unsure how to phrase it without sounding disrespectful.
“His mistress,” David supplied, his voice flat.
Isabelle’s eyes snapped to his, a silent warning passing between them.
“It’s more complicated than that,” she said, her voice tight.
I held her eyes, my wolf sensing her distress even as she tried to mask it.
“Then explain it to me,” I pressed gently. “Because I don’t understand. You’re already married to Rowan. Why does it matter so much if…”
She sighed then, the carefully constructed mask of Alpha command slipping for a moment, revealing her real self.
“You’re right, Carson,” she admitted, her voice weary.
“It’s not just about pack politics. It’s… Catrina, she’s not just any omega. She’s Rowan’s true mate.”
Her words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken implications. I stared at her, my mind struggling to catch up. But that was… impossible. Right?
Seeing my confusion, David spoke up, his voice low. “The Moon works in mysterious ways, Carson. Sometimes, bonds are sealed and defy tradition. It happens.”
But Isabelle wasn’t finished.
“And I…,” she continued, her voice barely a whisper now.
“I’m jealous, Carson. I wanted Rowan. I was forced into this marriage, but I believe one day he would choose me, that we’d lead the pack together… But Catrina… she has what I can never have.”
The confession, raw and vulnerable, hung in the air between us.
I’d never seen Isabelle like this, her usual Alpha confidence replaced by a raw honesty that both shocked and saddened me.
“You’re not… you’re not just trying to find Catrina for the pack, are you?” I asked, the realization coming slowly.
“You’re trying to… to keep Rowan for yourself.”
Isabelle’s shoulders slumped, as if the weight of her admission was finally too much to bear.
“I don’t know what else to do, Carson,”
She whispered, her eyes fixed on her hands clasped tightly on the desk before her.
“I want the power, the respect, that comes with being his mate. And Catrina… she’s in the way.”
Her words, laced with a desperation that mirrored the fear in her eyes, struck a chord within me.
All those years, hiding my own feelings for her, respecting the boundaries of rank and tradition…
And now, seeing her so lost, so consumed by this impossible longing…
"Alpha, I…" I started, but the words caught in my throat.
What could I possibly say? I understood her desire for power, for the security and prestige that came with being the other Alpha’s mate.
But to use Catrina, to manipulate the situation to this extent…
“If Catrina ever becomes Luna of the Magnus pack…” Isabelle’s voice, barely a whisper, sent chills down my spine.
“I don’t know what I’d do. I can’t… I can’t lose my position, Carson. Not like this.”
I looked at her then, really looked at her, and a wave of protectiveness washed over me.
Not the usual respect and loyalty I felt towards my Alpha, but something… more.
This woman, this strong, capable Alpha, was terrified.
And for a fleeting moment, I forgot about duty, about pack law, about everything except the urge to pull her close and shield her from the pain in her eyes.
This wasn’t the Alpha I thought I knew, the one who always put the pack first, who believed in fairness and loyalty.
This was… something else. A woman blinded by her own ambition, by the fear of losing her position, even if it meant hurting those around her.
“What you’re talking about… it’s wrong. It goes against everything we stand for as a pack.” I finally said, my voice barely a whisper.
It felt wrong, speaking against her, questioning her decisions. But I couldn’t stay silent. Not anymore.
Her eyes narrowed “Are you defying me, Carson? Questioning my authority?”
My heart pounded against my ribs. “No, Alpha,” I said, my voice firmer now.
“I’m not defying you. I’m concerned. This isn’t you, Isabelle. Not the woman I…” I stopped myself, my cheeks warming at the almost confession that had nearly tumbled out of my mouth.
“Not the woman you what, Carson?” she pressed, her eyes sharp as a silver blade.
I took a deep breath, my wolf pacing restlessly beneath my skin, urging me to challenge, to fight for… for what?
For her? For the woman I'd secretly loved for years, even though I knew it was a hopeless, foolish dream?
“This isn’t about power, Isabelle,” I said, meeting her eyes head-on.
“You deserve more than to be someone’s second choice. Someone’s consolation prize.”
My words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken feelings.
My eyes darted to hers, searching for… understanding? Rejection? Anything but the blank mask she usually wore.
For a moment, she just stared at me, her expression unreadable. Then, she leaned back in her chair, turning distant.
“You have a choice to make, Carson,” she said, her voice cold.
“You can follow me, no questions asked. Or you can walk away. The choice is yours.”
My heart clenched, a painful squeeze in my chest.
Was that it? Was that all our years of friendship, of shared loyalty, meant to her?
“And what if I don’t want to walk away?” I asked, my voice low.
“What if… what if I think you deserve better than to settle for someone who doesn’t love you the way you deserve to be loved?”
There. I’d said it. My secret, buried for so long, exposed for her to dissect.
But if she was surprised, she didn’t show it.
"Don't be foolish, Carson," she said, her voice colder now, the mask firmly back in place.
“You know as well as I do that this isn't about love. It's about duty. About what's best for the pack.”
“And what about what’s best for you, Isabelle?”
I shot back, unable to keep the bitterness out of my voice.
The office door chose that moment to burst open, startling us both. David stood there, his face pale, his eyes wide with alarm.
“Alpha, Beta,” he gasped, his chest heaving as if he’d run all the way from the Mansion gates.
“It’s Catrina… there’s been an attack! She’s in the hospital, they say it’s bad!”
The world tilted on its axis. Catrina. Hurt? Maybe worse?
Isabelle, ever the Alpha, recovered first.
“An attack?” she said, her voice sharp, all traces of vulnerability gone. “Who? What happened?”
David shook his head, his words tumbling out in a rush.
“We don’t know yet. Rowan just got the call. He’s already gone to the hospital.”
I didn't need to be told twice. Catrina needed us, even if she didn't know it, even if she hated me for my part in all of this. She needed Rowan.
And in that moment, as I watched Isabelle compose herself, her features hardening into the mask of Alpha command, I knew I couldn't stay here, couldn’t stand by while she plotted and schemed.
"I’ll go,” I said, my voice firm. Before she could protest.
As I raced towards the hospital, a strange thought occurred to me: Maybe this was fate's way of intervening.
Maybe, just maybe, this tragedy was a chance for Isabelle to realize what was truly important.
That love, true love, couldn't be forced or manipulated. It had to be given freely.
And maybe, if she opened her heart, she’d see that the love she so desperately craved… it was closer than she thought.