The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 93: Chapter 93

Catrina's POV:
As Rowan’s handsome face came into focus, a wave of pure joy washed over me.
My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment, all I could do was stare at him, memorizing every detail.
His tousled dark hair, the way his amber eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled, the way his strong arms held our son with such tenderness.
“Rowan,” I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion. “You’re really here.”
He leaned closer, his touch feather-light as he traced the line of my cheek. “Of course I’m here, Catrina,”
He murmured, his voice thick with a love that resonated deep in my soul.
“I told you… I’ll always be here. For you. For our son.”
Our son.
My gaze drifted down to the tiny bundle cradled in my arms. Our little Lucas.
He was so tiny, so perfect, with a tuft of dark hair just like his father’s.
“He’s beautiful,”
I breathed, my heart overflowing with a love I’d never even imagined possible.
“Our Lucas.”
Rowan’s expression softened, his gaze filled with wonder as he gazed down at our son.
“He is, isn’t he?” he whispered, his voice husky with emotion. “Perfect. Just like his mother.”
A wave of warmth spread through me, chasing away the last vestiges of the dream-like haze that had clouded my mind.
With a rush, it all came flooding back – the attack, the fear, the comforting presence of Rowan’s mother in that strange in-between place… and then, most importantly, the memory of our bond, the undeniable truth of our mating.
It was like waking up from a bad dream.
“I remember, Rowan,” I murmured, my fingers tightening around his. “Everything. Our bond, our family… it’s all coming back now.”
Relief flooded his features, so palpable it was like a physical touch.
He leaned down, pressing a tender kiss to my forehead.
“Thank the Goddess,” he whispered, his voice shaky. “I thought I’d lost you. Both of you.”
A pang of guilt struck me. Brock’s deception, the memory of my confusion and fear…
“Rowan, I’m so sorry. For everything. Brock… he did something to me. Made me forget.”
His jaw tightened, his eyes hardening with a familiar, primal fury.
“Brock,” he growled, the name like a curse on his lips. “When I get my hands on that—”
“Rowan, please,” I interrupted, placing a hand on his arm, needing to calm the anger that radiated from him.
Now wasn’t the time for vengeance. “Lucas needs us. We need to focus on our son.”
The tension visibly eased from his shoulders, replaced by acceptance. He was right. Our son, our family… they were all that mattered now.
He leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips, his touch igniting a spark of warmth that spread through my entire body.
“There’s something else,” I said, my voice catching in my throat.
“Brock… I don’t think he was working alone. I think someone helped him, someone who wants to hurt us… hurt our pack.”
Rowan’s eyes narrowed, his brow furrowing with a mix of concern and grim understanding.
“I knew it,” he muttered, his voice tight. “I could feel it, even before… Do you remember who it was? Did Brock say anything?”
I shook my head, frustration twisting in my gut. The memories of those missing weeks were still frustratingly hazy.
“No. I’m sorry. But I can feel it, Rowan. There’s something dark out there… something that wants to destroy everything we’ve fought for.”
His features hardened.
“Then we’ll be ready,” he said, his voice low and fierce.
“Whoever it is, they won’t get away with this. We’ll face them together. I won’t let anyone hurt you or our son ever again.”
His words, spoken with such conviction, such absolute certainty, warmed me from the inside out.
I believed him. He was my Alpha, my mate, and with him by my side, I felt invincible.
A soft coo from our son drew our attention back to the present.
Lucas was awake now, his tiny hand waving in the air, his eyes blinking against the bright lights of the hospital room.
“He’s hungry,” Rowan chuckled, gently lifting Lucas into my arms. “Ready for his mama?”
As I settled Lucas against my chest, helping him latch onto… well, onto the source of his next meal, a wave of contentment washed over me.
It was a feeling I’d never known before, this fierce, all-consuming love for this tiny being that was as much a part of me as my own heart.
“We did good, Rowan,” I whispered, gazing up at him through a blur of happy tears.
“We made a perfect little family.”
He leaned down, his lips brushing against mine in a kiss that was both tender and possessive.
“The perfect family,” he agreed, his voice rough with emotion. “And nothing, no one, is going to take that away from us.”
Rowan’s arms tightened around me, his warmth a comforting shield against the fear that still lingered at the edges of my joy.
He smelled like home, like safety, like everything I'd been missing without even realizing it.
Brock’s lies, the threat hanging over our pack… it all faded away when he held me like this.
For this moment, all that mattered was us. Our little family.
“I’m ready for whatever comes next,” I said, my voice firm despite the tremor that ran through me.
The fight wasn’t over, not by a long shot. But something about having Rowan back, about having our son safe in our arms… it gave me a strength I hadn’t felt before.
“We can face it together, Rowan. As mates. As partners. Nothing will keep us apart again. I promise.”
My promise wasn’t just words.
It was a vow, spoken not just with my voice, but with my wolf, with every fiber of my being.
I was done with secrets, with doubts, with the fear that had driven us apart for so long.
We were stronger together. We were meant to be together.
A slow smile spread across Rowan's face, chasing away the last shadows of worry.
"That's my Catrina," he murmured, his voice warm against my ear. “Strong. Brave. Ready to take on anything."
“With you by my side?” I teased, tilting my head up to meet his gaze. “There’s nothing we can’t handle.”
And I meant it. We’d already faced so much—jealous exes, power-hungry rivals, even a mystical curse that threatened to tear us apart.
We could handle anything, as long as we had each other.
For a while, we just sat there, Lucas nestled between us, a tiny, perfect embodiment of our love.
The hospital room, with its sterile scent and constant beeping monitors, faded away as I lost myself in the warmth of Rowan’s presence, in the feel of our son’s steady breaths against my skin.
This was peace. This was right. This was home.
“I love you, Rowan,” I whispered, the words tumbling out of me, unbidden but oh-so-true. “You and Lucas… you’re my whole world.”
His grip tightened around me, his love a tangible thing in the silence that stretched between us.
"I love you, Catrina,” he murmured. “More than words can say. We’re in this together, now and forever.”
Forever.
The word echoed in my heart. We had forever.
And no matter what challenges lay ahead – and I knew there would be challenges, because that’s how these things worked, especially for werewolves – we would face them together.
As a family.
As I looked at Rowan, his brow furrowed slightly even as he gazed down at our son, I knew he was thinking about the threat, about the enemies still lurking in the shadows.
And a part of me, the part that had always been fiercely protective of my pack, my loved ones, wanted to demand answers, to strategize, to plan our next move.
But another part of me, the part that was learning to embrace the quiet strength of being a mate, a mother, knew that sometimes, the most important battles were fought not with claws and fangs, but with love and trust.
And so, for the rest of that night, we didn’t talk about curses or threats or the weight of leadership that sat heavy on Rowan’s shoulders.
We simply existed in the quiet haven of our little family, drawing strength and solace from each other, knowing that tomorrow would bring its own set of challenges.
But for tonight, for this precious moment in time, we were safe.