Mated To The Cold Hearted Alpha
Chapter 116

Lucky

“Nooo!” Sydney dropped to her knees in front of me.

I didn’t need to explain.

She fully understood just from my reaction. Arms wrapping around my shoulders, she held tight. Her voice quivered, “I’m so sorry, Luca.”

We sat on the floor for several minutes while I composed myself. Sydney was silent…just there with me.

Kneeling for so long caused my legs to feel numb. I shifted position so that I was sitting on my butt with my back against the couch, my elbow resting on my bent knee. My head felt heavy, and I struggled to keep it up, finally just dropping it back on the couch behind me with my eyes closed.

Sydney’s voice came soft, “I want you to keep it.”

Lifting my head to look at her, I found she was also still sitting on the floor across from me. Her eyes glistened with emotion.

I looked down at my still tightly clenched fist and opened it to reveal the tiny gold treasure. I was desperate to keep the little locket, but I didn’t know Sydney’s sentimental attachment to it. Forcing the words out of my mouth, “Are you sure? She was your sister.”

With a sad nod, Sydney replied, “Yes. She was. But she was your mate, and I know she would want you to have it.”

Exhaling slowly, I swallowed down another sob. “I know why.”

One of Sydney’s eyebrows rose. She tilted her head, not following my statement.

F**k. I had no idea how to tell Sydney that her sister was dead because of me. I thought I’d rather have my heart jerked out of my chest then be the cause of my mate’s death. I was beginning to understand Hycinth’s guilt. I didn’t kill Madison, but she most definitely lost her life because of me. My voice hitched, “I’m So…s-sorry.”

Sydney’s brows furrowed. “What are you sorry for?”

“It’s my fault that Madison’s gone.” The words tasted vile on my tongue. The truth truly was an ugly thing.

Sydney inhaled sharply but didn’t say anything, just waited for me to continue. I tried, but the words stuck in my throat. The silence lingered between us. Closing my eyes, I hissed under my breath, “I can’t believe I ever called that bastard my father.”

“Alpha Grant?”

I couldn’t look Sydney in the eye and hung my head with my eyes closed. Rubbing the delicate trinket with my thumb, I worked to gather enough courage. “Yesterday, Oracle Memoree visited us. Apparently, according to Alpha Grant, Leander wasn’t good enough for Hycinth, so they devised a plan to kill him. Your sister didn’t just get caught in the middle. She was targeted…because of me. Another Oracle revealed to them she was my mate. That bastard had it all planned out. He felt if both my and Hycinth’s mates were out of the picture, that we would choose to be together.”

“No!” Sydney whispered.

“But he was wrong. Hycinth and I grew up as siblings. We never had any other affection for each other than that. Madison is gone simply because she was fated to me.” My shame was too heavy. Throat locked tight, I couldn’t hold my head up. It dropped lower.

For another long moment, Sydney didn’t say anything. Finally, she whispered, “You don’t really believe that, do you?”

Her response wasn’t what I expected. I lifted my head. I expected to see anger or disgust because those emotions stifled the air and suffocated me. Instead, there was just immense sadness reflected in her almond-shaped eyes.

“How can I not?” I choked out. “If it weren’t for me, Madison would still be alive. And then I treated you like shit.” Regret washed over me. I shook my head, remembering all the times I’d provoked Sydney unnecessarily. “I’d always felt drawn toward you, and it just pissed me off because I didn’t understand it. F**k. I was a d**k…I’m sorry.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “What’s done is done. None of us can change the past. For a long time, I blamed myself for Jason’s death. He died defending my sister. If she hadn’t been my sister, he would still be alive. We can all look back and say ‘what if,’ but what good does that do? We’re still here, and we gotta just keep going. I didn’t get a chance to know him, but I know it’s what Jason would want for me…and I know Madison would want the same for you.”

My throat clenched tight. I wiped away the trickle of tears that didn’t want to stop. “What was Madison like?”

Sydney’s lips curled into a small smile as her eyes unfocused, remembering the past. “She was feisty. Even though we were twins, as you can see from her picture, we didn’t look at all alike, but we did share the same ‘strong-willed’ attitude.” Her smile grew mischievous. “Drove our parents crazy.”

“I wish I could’ve known her.” I gave Sydney a bleary smile and looked down at the precious image in my hand. Madison-honey blonde hair swept back into a messy bun, green eyes crinkling as she smiled into the camera like she could conquer the world. I didn’t doubt it. With just one look, she’d captivated my entire heart. The pressure in my chest tightened. “F**k, what I wouldn’t give for just one minute with her.”

Silence hung heavy in the air again. There was nothing Sydney could do to fix it. She knew that so she didn’t bother to even try. When I didn’t say anything further, she murmured quietly, “You asked me a minute ago if Hycinth returned, would I challenge her for her position and Leander.”

My shoulders tensed, unsure where she was going.

“Leander kept me alive after my mate and Madison died. He made me breathe even when I screamed at him that I couldn’t.” She brushed away a stray tear. “I truly didn’t think Leander thought of her as a mate, not after what happened with his mother. I thought he was just doing his duty for the pack.”

“And now?” I pressed. “How do you feel about him now?”

She met my stare dead on. “I feel…hate.”

Hate…?

Her words shocked me.

“Not for Leander… I hate the Diamante pack.” A low growl reverberated from her voice. “They stole everyone precious to me. Jason, Madison and then Leander when Hycinth arrived.” Reaching for a box of tissues on the nearby side table, Sydney pulled one out and dabbed her eyes and nose. She let out a heavy breath. “I know Leander will never be mine. It was pretty clear the night he punished Dagger. There were no doubts left in anyone’s mind after that. And in hindsight, I was stupid for thinking anything else. The mate bond is so much stronger. Honestly, I was shocked that Hycinth had the strength to walk away.”