Chapter 10

Diego

I paced the confines of our sparse room, my eyes never leaving Rowan's huddled form in the corner. I felt so sorry for him. It shouldn't be happening this way. Had I known, I wouldn't have come here.

He had been crying, his shoulders shaking as he tried to muffle his sobs. It was tough. It was the first time he was dealing with so much and he didn't know how to handle it. He needed me now more than ever before.

I felt a surge of protectiveness toward him, a need to shield him from the cruelty of Marcus and the harsh reality of our situation. I had once thought he was my protégé, someone who looked up to me, and even though he might have been like that one time, he wasn't anymore. He was as cruel as any other cartel member.

Marcus, the bastard, had taken great pleasure in taunting Rowan, his jabs laced with malicious intent. I had threatened him, warned him to stay away, but it only seemed to fuel his desire to hurt Rowan, to see him break.

And because there were other members in here, I couldn't do anything without risking myself too much and leaving Rowan to fend for himself. If he was alone, he wouldn't make it. He needed me so much.

"You'll never break him, Marcus," I growled, my eyes flashing with warning. "And if you try, you won't live to see another day. That much I promise."

Marcus smirked, his eyes glittering with amusement. "Oh, Diego," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. The bastard was enjoying this so much. He had no idea how much I wanted to choke him until he was dead. "You always were a hothead. But it seems your little omega has you well-behaved. That is, I suppose, another good thing from your relationship."

I clenched my fists, my body coiled and ready to strike. "I said stay away from him," I snarled, my voice low and dangerous. "Or haven't you learned your lesson yet? Do you want me to teach it to you one more time?"

Marcus laughed, his eyes shining with malicious glee. "Oh, I think I'll enjoy breaking him just to see the look on your face," he said, his voice dropping to a husky whisper as he took a step toward Rowan.

I had to do something right at that moment and no one could stop me.

I lunged, my hands wrapping around his throat, my eyes flashing with fury. He widened his eyes, obviously showing me he didn't expect I could move that fast.

"You touch him, and I'll rip your heart out," I snarled, my voice cold and deadly. I didn't think I had ever said something truer to what I was thinking. I really wouldn't hesitate before doing what I said I would.

Cartel members rushed in, dragging me away from Marcus, who adjusted his clothes with a smug smile. I had expected this. The instant I did something risky, those men were already on their way to stop me. Marcus had free rein, but I couldn't respond.

"You can't protect him forever, Diego," he said, his voice laced with satisfaction. He was enjoying this so much, which was one of the reasons I wanted to choke him. "And when you're gone, he'll be mine to do with as I please. You know I always do what I say I'll do."

I glared at him, my eyes burning with hatred. "Over my dead body," I growled, my voice echoing in the room. "You won't lay a hand on him."

Rowan, his eyes wide and fearful, huddled further into the corner, his shoulders shaking as he tried to muffle his sobs. This was taking a huge toll on him, and I wished I could do more. The problem was, I had so little experience with this. I didn't know exactly what to do. If only I could kill Marcus right now without the rest of the cartel killing me too, leaving Rowan alone... I couldn't let that happen. Just the mere thought of it made me question my next move several times.

I wanted to go to him, to offer him comfort, but something held me back. I didn't want to scare him, to make him feel trapped by my presence. I was aware that we weren't what I was aiming for us to be. We still had so much more time to spend together before he was fully comfortable in my presence. At the end of the day, he still feared me.

As the hours ticked by, the tension in the room thickened. Rowan remained in his corner, his body curled in on itself, his eyes downcast. I felt so sorry for him, still wishing I could do so much more.

I knew he was scared, and the thought of him suffering tore at my heart. I had never felt like that for another person before in my life. It really was making me suspicious about him being my fated mate. I had always thought I would know immediately after seeing the person for the first time, but maybe it happened differently.

With a heavy sigh, I crossed the room, my eyes never leaving his form. "Rowan," I said, my voice soft. "Come here. There is something I can do for you."

He flinched, his eyes widening as he took in my outstretched hand. We had made some progress before now, but these recent events left psychological scars in his mind. He needed me now more than ever before.

"I-I'm fine," he stammered, his voice shaking. He was trying to keep me away from him, but we both knew that wasn't the best for his mind. "You don't need to worry about me. I'm fine. Really, I am."

I took another step closer, my eyes softening as I held out my hand. "Come here, Rowan," I said, my voice gentle. "I just want to hold you. I know how much you want that."

He hesitated, his eyes flicking to Marcus, who smirked, clearly enjoying the tension between us. With a deep breath, Rowan rose, his eyes downcast as he took my hand, his fingers trembling in mine. This was difficult for him. He didn't know how to react.

I led him to the bed, pulling him into my arms, his body shaking against mine. I held him close, my nose buried in his hair, inhaling his scent. It was so much him. It was perfect and made me feel at peace, despite all the shit happening around us.

"It's okay to be scared," I whispered, my lips brushing his ear. He shivered slightly, at the same time enjoying the sensation, but knowing it was wrong. "I won't let anything happen to you. I'm here for you."

He nodded, his body relaxing slightly as he burrowed into my embrace. His body was warm and soft, allowing him to melt into me.

I wanted to protect him, to keep him safe from the dangers that loomed over us. But more than that, I wanted him, wanted to claim him fully as mine. If only I hadn't come here, that was what would be happening right at this moment. I just knew.

As we lay there, our bodies pressed together, I felt a sense of peace wash over me. I wasn't even thinking about Marcus and the other cartel members anymore. It was as though we were in our own bubble, safe from everything else.

Rowan's presence soothed the turmoil within me, and I knew, in that moment, that he was more than just an omega I was protecting. He was so much more. He should stay with me for the rest of his life.

I closed my eyes, my body relaxing into the mattress, and let sleep take me, my dreams filled with images of Rowan, his eyes shining with love and desire. It was a deep, meaningful dream, one that left me feeling more connected to him than ever before. I couldn't stop thinking about it.

How could I do that, anyway? The dream meant so much to me.

The next morning, I woke with a start, my heart pounding in my chest as I realized something significant. My body was soaked in sweat and I still couldn't stop thinking about that one thing.

I sat up, my eyes landing on Rowan, his eyes still closed as he slept peacefully. It was then that I knew, with absolute certainty, that Rowan was my fated mate.

That had to be it. That was what the dream meant. He was supposed to be with me. Fate brought us together. It also made me change my mind about him, protecting him from the moment his life was in danger.

I had suspected it before, felt the pull toward him, but in that moment, as the sun streamed through the window, illuminating his face, I knew without a doubt that he was mine, and I was his.

Part of me didn't want to think that was what was happening, but I couldn't ignore it anymore. There was no point in fooling myself, anyway.

Rowan stirred, his eyes fluttering open as he took in my intense gaze. His eyes were beautiful, looking at me differently. I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. It had to be something good about me.

"Good morning," he said, his voice soft and groggy. "Did you sleep well?"

I found it slightly funny he asked me that. I didn't think he would, considering where we were and our circumstances. The cartel members were still here. Anything suspicious we did and they wouldn't hesitate to murder us.

Still, I nodded, my eyes never leaving his face. "I had a dream," I said, my voice rough. "About you. About us, to be exact. I want to talk about it."

He sat up, his eyes widening as he took in my serious expression. Given the way he was looking at me, it was obvious he understood what I was talking about. He may even have had the same dream.

"Me?" He echoed, his voice showing his surprise. "What was it about? Tell me everything."

I took a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest as I gathered my courage. I knew why I was nervous, but I also knew I shouldn't be feeling that way. I just didn't like it.

"It was... strange," I said, my voice soft. "But it felt... right."

He bit his lip, his eyes searching mine. "Tell me," he said, his voice quiet. "Please. Tell me everything."

I knew he was whispering because he didn't want anybody to hear our conversation. It was better that way. It was a private matter, after all.

So, I took a steadying breath, my eyes never leaving his. "I dreamed that you were mine," I said, my voice low. "That we were mates, destined to be together."

His eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat as he processed my words. Just from his reaction, I knew he understood me. He didn't think it was weird. He understood exactly what I was talking about.

"I had a dream, too," he whispered. "The same dream, I think. I don't think I'm mistaken about that."

I nodded, my heart hammering in my chest as the truth sank in. My nervousness was one of the reasons I was becoming surer about my suspicion. He really was my fated omega.

"We're fated mates," I said, my voice rough. "It's why I felt so drawn to you, why I couldn't stay away. That explains everything."

He nodded, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "I felt it, too," he whispered. "But I thought it was just my imagination. I didn't think it was real because I thought it would happen differently. People had always told me I would know immediately after seeing my other half."

I took his hand in mine, my thumb brushing over his knuckles. His hand was soft and warm. He didn't pull back, allowing me to hold his hand for as long as I wanted. And as long as it depended on me, that was going to be a long time.

"It's real, Rowan," I said. "And I promise to do everything in my power to get us out of this mess and keep you safe. I know it's going to be risky, but it's going to be worth it. Trust me."

He squeezed my hand, his eyes shining with hope. "I trust you, Diego," he said,. "And I'm grateful for your protection, for everything. I didn't think I would ever say something like that, but there are also so many other things I never thought would happen. I never thought the cartel would come after the money I owed them, to begin with. Not after so much time."

I pulled him close, my arms wrapping around him, and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. He allowed me to do that, his body melting into mine. He trusted me now more than any person in his life, and that was something I cherished.

"We'll get through this," I whispered, my lips brushing his hair. "I know we will."