Mated To The Cold Hearted Alpha
Chapter 110

“The violet and cerulean smoke?!” Hycinth breathed. She seemed to understand more than I did. I had no idea what the hell colored smoke she was talking about.

The Oracle nodded in approval. “Yes. That is correct. You bore his child at that moment.”

Hycinth’s mouth dropped open. It took her a minute to close it. The shock never left her expression as she asked incredulously, “Are you telling me that was when Leander got me pregnant…even before we had s*x?!”

What she said sounded like nonsense, but I had no details on the ceremony preparation, so for the moment, I just listened.

The older shewolf nodded again.

“Does it always h-happen that way for the mating ceremony?” Hycinth stuttered.

“No. Never has it happened in such a manner. Usually, conception occurs during intercourse.”

Hycinth blinked, stunned silent, finally out of questions.

“This smoke that you are referring to, the thing that got Hycinth pregnant…what was in it?” I asked skeptically.

“Leander’s semen was the main ingredient…as well as other components.”

“And ashes from this first baby?” I clarified. I was beginning to understand what she was trying to say, but that just sounded too fantastical.

“Yes,” she acknowledged.

“You had no right to interfere in nature in that way!” I snarled. What the hell had they done to Hycinth?

Not losing a bit of calm, the Oracle replied, “In this instance, I had every right. Destiny had to be put back on course. No other bloodline would do.”

“Bloodline? What the hell bloodline are you talking about?” I snapped.

“It isn’t important,” she brushed off the question and fixed her attention on Hycinth again. “I came here to tell you, for your child to reach her fullest potential, she needs her father’s influence. What you do with that information is your choice.”

She stood to leave, the conversation clearly over. A large part of me was still confused as hell but another felt relief. She’d only wanted to talk. I could handle that as long as she left peacefully.

“Wait!” Hycinth put her hand out.

The Oracle hesitated and then settled back down in the chair, looking at her expectantly

Hycinth twisted her hands together. Hope and nervousness painting her expression in equal measures. “Um, I’m not sure if we can ask…but since you’re here…d-do you know who Lucky’s mate is?”

I froze…

Eagerness welled up at me. I hadn’t thought to even ask, but what if this shewolf knew? Was it possible? She certainly had bizarre knowledge. Would she tell me?

But just as quickly as hope grew in my chest, it deflated like a balloon because, for the first time, the Oracle’s expression appeared stricken. She gazed at me with sadness in her eyes. “I’m sorry, young Wolf, your mate is no longer of this world,” she said softly, but nothing could lessen the impact of her statement.

“No!” Hycinth sobbed. “That can’t be true!”

The Oracles’ words were like a stake in my heart. I stood frozen, unable to believe I’d heard her correctly. My throat had gone dry. I swallowed thickly and could barely get the words out, “W-What happened…to her?”

“Sometimes the truth does not set us free. Knowledge can strike its own lethal blow,” she replied cryptically.

“That’s not an answer!” I growled fiercely. My hands clenched into fists, fury burning a hole in my chest, never to be filled again. Breath came from my lungs, but I no longer fit the definition of living because I was empty inside. I had nothing left to lose. “You can’t just come in here and spout some shit like that and not give me every last damn detail!”

Resignation filled her expression, the sorrow in her eyes becoming more profound.

Dread filled me. It tangled up and suffocated what little heart I had left. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that whatever she said next was going to destroy me…and I was right.

Exhaling, she spoke softly, “The male…you called father…killed her.”

That was it…

I couldn’t stand upright any longer.

Pain

Betrayal

Anguish

…all crashed over me, threatening to drown me.

I couldn’t breathe…

I fell, crashing to my knees, not even noticing the ricochet of pain in my legs at the impact.

“No! That can’t be true!” I was on the floor, but Hycinth jumped to her feet, her hands in fierce animation. “You say that as if Daddy knew the shewolf was Luca’s mate. There’s no way he could have known. Even Lucky didn’t know who she was! He wouldn’t hurt Luca like that…he couldn’t…” she trailed off, her voice catching with emotion because the Oracle’s face remained impassive, transparent.

The agony in my heart testified to the truth-the Oracle hadn’t spoken a lie.

I understood now…

The constant ache, the gaping hole, in my heart was there for a reason. I’d always assumed the devastation inside me was a result of striving to replace my other half. But it wasn’t. My consciousness hadn’t known the truth, but my soul did the loss I’d felt for so many years was grief…

…I’d been grieving a woman I’d never known.

The realization hit me like a sucker punch to my chest. I hunched forward and dropped my head into my hands. “Noooo!!” the wail came from deep in my throat, my Wolf echoing a howl of his own. He was frantic in my head, in denial, begging me to do something, to fix this.

But what could I do?

There was nothing…

…just nothing I could do.

My shoulders shook as I sobbed into my hands, my body curled into a ball on my knees as I rocked back and forth.

Hycinth dropped to her knees in front of me and clung to me, holding on for dear life as her tears streamed down her cheeks, mixing with my own.

Minutes went by…

Abruptly, Hycinth lifted her head and screamed at the other Wolf, “Why?! Why would he do that? Why kill Luca’s mate?!”

“For you,” the Oracle stated quietly.

Hycinth froze, her face a mask of horror. She gasped for breath, “Nooo!”

I turned to Memoree, her words shocking enough to momentarily stop my tears. I sat back on my haunches. I still didn’t possess the physical strength to get up. Wiping the tears off my cheeks with the back of my hands, I asked gruffly, “What do you mean?”

As much as I knew she spoke the truth, there were so many things unexplained. Hycinth was right. I didn’t even know who my mate was. How could our father have known? And if he did, why did he…?

I couldn’t even finish the thought in my mind.

“The minute he saw Leander shift for the first time, he knew Leander was Hycinth’s mate.”

Leander? What did Leander have to do with this?

“How…?” Hycinth whimpered. “How did he know that?”

“Because the markings on Leander’s Wolf matched the stuffed toy I’d given your mother when you were young.”

“M-my stuffed animal? The one she gave me when I was four?”

“The very one,” Memoree acknowledged with a nod. “It was meant to be a sign for you. I’d hoped you would overcome the barriers of war and hatred that surrounded you to see the truth. You were always meant to be with Leander. It was your destiny.”

“It was my d-destiny…” Hycinth’s bottom l*p trembled. “…but not now?”

“That remains to be seen,” the Oracle hedged, her unwillingness to definitively answer was clear. “You have taken a dangerous path, one that is not without heartache and pain. In life, we are free to choose…but there are always consequences to our choices.”

Silent tears fell down Hycinth’s cheeks.

“What does Leander being Hycinth’s mate have to do with my m-mate?” I asked, still confused at what she was trying to say.

The Oracle’s wise gaze shifted back to Hycinth. “Your father refused to accept Leander for you, so a plan was put in motion to eliminate him. And in his place, he decided your mate should be”

“Me…”I cut her off, the breath leaving my chest in a whoosh, finally seeing the bigger picture.

The older shewolf returned her attention to me. “Yes, young wolf. He knew how close you both were. He figured if he removed both of your mates, it was only a matter of time before you chose each other.”

Hycinth made a pained sound. I met her grief-stricken eyes. She was trembling uncontrollably. What was this revelation, this devastating stress, doing to the life of her unborn pup? I didn’t know the answer. I spread my knees wide and shifted a few inches forward so that she was in between my legs, and gathered her into my arms.

“No!” she cried, trying to pull away. “I don’t d-deserve…your l-love. It’s my f-fault!”

She was no match for my strength. “F**k that!” I hissed. I’d already lost everyone else. I wasn’t losing her too. “You’re not going to take responsibility for that bastard’s behavior!”

Hycinth went limp in my arms, her head hung low, body still shaking with tears.

I rested my chin on the top of her hair, all of my strength gone and asked the Oracle, “How did he know?”

Memoree sighed heavily, “Your mother consulted another Oracle. They knew better than to ask me with that sort of intention. Also, neither of them trusted me since I’d been the one to give them the wolf toy.”

Hycinth’s head came up, just as stunned as I was by this new terrible revelation. “Our m-mother…was a part of this too?” I gasped, betrayal twisting like a knife in my chest.

Memoree nodded sadly. “When I knew they planned to go down this path, I warned her the price for their actions would be high…but she didn’t heed my counsel.”

I slumped a little lower, not sure how much more I could take. “W-what was her name?” I whispered brokenly.

“Madison,” the older shewolf spoke the name softly.

Madison…

… the name reverberated through my chest.

It felt…right.

The unbearable truth washed over me. My mate was gone. I’ve never even seen her, but I missed her so f*****g much.

“Oh, Lucky…I-I’m so sorry!” Hycinth sobbed.

I wasn’t even sure how to respond.

Now I just felt numb…