The Alpha's forbidden omega mate - Chapter 95: Chapter 95

Isabelle’s POV:
The cool night air did little to soothe the burning tension in my chest.
I watched Rowan disappear into the hospital, his shoulders hunched with worry, and knew I couldn’t put off this conversation any longer.
My fingers instinctively reached for the pack of cigarettes in my pocket. A bad habit, I knew.
But sometimes, the familiar scent of tobacco and smoke helped to calm the storm inside me.
One quick drag, then I stubbed it out under my heel. This wasn’t the time for indulging my vices. I had a pack to protect, and a future to save.
“Rowan,” I called out, my voice cutting through the quiet hum of the hospital’s generators.
He turned, his gaze wary, his Alpha instincts already sensing my unease. "Isabelle? What is it? Something wrong?”
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the conversation to come.
“We need to talk. About Brock. And the threat to your mate and pup."
His expression hardened instantly, a low growl rumbling in his chest. It was the sound of a wolf sensing danger, ready to defend its own.
“I knew it,” he muttered, his eyes narrowing. “That cowardly excuse for a human… he wasn’t working alone, was he?”
I stepped closer, meeting his gaze head-on. “No, Rowan. He wasn’t.”
“Who, Isabelle? Tell me who’s behind this!”
The command, sharp and edged with frustration, was pure Alpha. But underneath, I heard the fear, the primal urge to protect his mate and pup.
I held up a hand, silently pleading for him to calm down. Panicking wouldn’t help anyone.
“I don’t have a name yet, Rowan. Not one I can give you. But this… this goes deeper than just Brock’s twisted obsession. This threat… it’s aimed at all of us. At the Mondragon pack. At the Magnus pack. At everything we’re trying to build.”
His eyes widened, the implications of my words sinking in. “You’re saying this is… a power play? Someone wants to destabilize the packs?”
I nodded, my gut twisting with a certainty that had been growing with every scrap of information I uncovered.
“Yes. And if we don’t figure out who’s behind it, and fast… the consequences could be devastating.”
Rowan ran a hand through his already-tousled hair, frustration etched on his face.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner, Isabelle? We could’ve been more careful, we could’ve—”
“I know,” I interrupted, holding up a hand to stop his self-recrimination.
He was right, of course. But telling him while he was on a desperate mission to find Catrina wouldn't have helped anyone.
“I needed to be sure, Rowan. I needed to gather enough information to understand what we were dealing with. And I needed to protect Catrina, your pup… keep them safe until we had a plan.”
He looked at me then, really looked at me, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of something in his eyes that wasn’t anger or accusation.
It was… understanding? Gratitude, even?
“So what did you find out, Isabelle?” he asked, his voice quieter now. “What’s this threat? And how do we stop it?”
“It’s the Kezrach Larva, Rowan,” I said, meeting his gaze head-on. “It's stronger than ever.”
His face went white, the color draining out of it as if I’d punched him in the gut. Of course. The curse. It was always there, lurking in the shadows, and following us everywhere.
“But how?” he whispered, his voice barely audible. “We thought… we thought we’d contained it. My father should…”
“No, Rowan,” I said. “It’s not just about your father. It’s so much bigger than that. This curse… this Kezrach Larva… it’s a threat to all of us.”
He stopped, his head turning slowly, his gaze meeting mine with a mixture of apprehension and hope.
“Alright, Isabelle,” he said, his voice low and serious. “What’s the plan? How do we stop it?”
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I had to say. This wasn’t going to be easy.
“We need to work together, Rowan,” I said, my voice firm despite the tremor of nerves that ran through me.
“You, me… Jarrett and Derek. We need to figure out how to undermine your father’s control over the Magnus pack, how to weaken the curse’s hold on him… on everyone.”
His expression darkened, the protective instincts of an Alpha. “What about Catrina and Lucas? I won’t risk their safety again. Not for anything.”
I placed a reassuring hand on his arm, my gaze steady.
“I know, Rowan. And that’s why they’ll be under the Mondragon pack’s protection. Safe. Secure. While we deal with this.”
His brow furrowed, doubt clouding his features.
“But Isabelle, you and I… we’re still…” He trailed off, the unspoken words hanging heavy between us.
“Married? Yes, we are,” I said, cutting him off before he could voice the doubts that I knew plagued him.
Our marriage, a political arrangement born of necessity and ambition, had always been a thorn in our sides.
“And the Alpha King doesn’t exactly approve of Alphas neglecting their duties, especially when it comes to producing heirs. But this… this is bigger than us, Rowan. This is about protecting our packs, our families, from something that could destroy everything we hold dear.”
He looked at me then, really looked at me, and for the first time since Catrina had come into our lives.
I saw a flicker of something in his eyes that wasn’t resentment or suspicion. It was… understanding. Respect, even.
“Alright, Isabelle,” he said, his voice rough but resolute. “I’m in. What do we need to do?”
Relief washed over me, so potent it almost made me dizzy.
We were in this together. Finally, the danger wasn’t over, not by a long shot.
“We need to coordinate with Jarrett and Derek,” I said, my mind already racing with strategy.
“Come up with a plan to weaken your father’s grip on the pack, without tipping our hand too soon. And then there’s this other threat… the one working with Brock. We need to find them, Rowan.”
He nodded, his jaw set with a determination that mirrored my own.
“We’ll find them,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.
“We’ll stop them. And we’ll break this curse’s hold on our pack, once and for all.”
Pride swelled in my chest, mixed with a healthy dose of apprehension. This wasn’t going to be easy.
But with Rowan by my side, truly by my side, for the first time in what felt like forever… I knew we had a fighting chance.
“Thank you, Rowan,” I said, meaning it more than he could possibly know.
“This isn’t… well, it’s not what either of us expected, but I’m grateful you’re willing to work with me. For the sake of our packs.”
He gave me a small, almost apologetic smile.
“I’m doing it for Catrina and Lucas,” he admitted, his voice softening.
“But I’m also doing it for the Magnus pack. For all of us. And I know… I know you are, too. In your own way.”
He wasn't wrong. My motives might have been a bit… muddled at the beginning.
Driven by ambition, by jealousy, by a foolish, lingering hope that maybe, just maybe, I could still win Rowan’s heart.
But seeing him now, so devoted to Catrina, so fiercely protective of their son…
I knew that dream was dead.
And in its place, something else was taking root. A sense of responsibility, a fierce loyalty to my pack, to the future that we were fighting for.
“You’re right, Rowan,” I said, offering him a small smile.
“We’re doing this for all of us. For the future of our kind.”
He reached out then, his hand closing over mine in a firm grip. The warmth of his touch, unexpected and surprisingly comforting, sent a jolt through me.
“Then let’s get to work, Isabelle,” he said, his eyes meeting mine with a newfound understanding.
“The sooner we end this threat, the sooner Catrina and Lucas can live in peace.”
Peace. It was a precious thing, so easily shattered. And yet, it was worth fighting for. Worth sacrificing for.
“Let’s do this, Rowan,” I said, my voice firm with newfound resolve.
With a nod, he turned and headed back to the hospital, his footsteps purposeful, his Alpha aura radiating strength and determination.
Watching him go, I felt a surge of pride mingled with a strange, unfamiliar sense of hope. Maybe, just maybe, we could make this work.