Mated To The Cold Hearted Alpha
Chapter 147

Leander

A sudden northeastern gust of wind rustled through the trees, causing several russet-colored leaves to lose their already tenuous hold on the branches above us and flutter to the ground. Autumn had settled in since Hycinth had left me. Three long months. More than half of her pregnancy. The thought was staggering.

Ever’s head came up, his astute gaze automatically scanning the horizon.

“But I don’t think so,” Luca murmured quietly.

“What do you mean?”

“After Oracle Memoree visited us and we finally knew the truth, in all of its ugly glory,” he flinched, green eyes losing focus for a moment before continuing, “the plan was to contact you…figure a way to reach out as soon as I returned from our old pack. Hycinth wasn’t in great shape…she didn’t think you or the pack would want her back…but she wanted to try.”

“The pack?” I raised an eyebrow. “Why would Hycinth think the pack wouldn’t want her back?”

Luca’s shoulders pulled back, his tone clearly communicating his personal feelings on the matter. “Because no one told her goodbye.”

My gaze cut sharply to Ever.

Ever opened his mouth to speak, but Luca wasn’t done. “Hycinth has not had the luxury of a pack her entire life. Yes, she thought she had a pack until she was fifteen. Unfortunately, she found out that was a complete f*****g lie. And then you came into her life and forced her to run. It wasn’t easy for either of us…three long years without a pack.” He swallowed thickly. “And then she was here. You had to see it yourself. She flourished with female companionship. She needed it. So did her Wolf.”

Fresh pain slashed through my heart at the mention of her Wolf.

Luca’s expression registered he saw my anguish, but there was no leniency in his next words, the timbre of his voice dropping into accusation. “Leander, she didn’t go through the ceremony for you. She did it for them. Regardless of her relationship with you, it was no small gift that she gave your pack.”

My heart sank lower and lower with each word he said. He was right. So much damage had been done, so many obstacles stacked against us. How was I ever going to get Hycinth back?

“I’m sorry,” Ever spoke quietly, “That was my fault. Leander did not give that order. I did.”

Luca turned to face him and demanded fiercely, “Why? What hurt could it have caused? They were happy to be around her while she was having s*x in front of them and allowing them full access to her body so you could have what you wanted most.”

Ever’s face paled. Eyebrows knitted together, he had to swallow before he could speak. “You’re right. I did it because I was angry on Leander’s behalf and terrified of how her leaving would not only crush Leander but also open the door to neighboring packs all too willing to take advantage of the situation. But I was wrong to take my anger out on her in that way.”

“Ever, she’s only eighteen…a child for f**k’s sake…a child who is now going to be a mother and without a Wolf. She wasn’t trying to hurt you, and she shouldn’t be personally held accountable for anyone else’s actions, particularly evil bastards of other packs. Believe it or not, she never wanted to leave. She loved the people here. They never truly accept her but she loved them anyway…because that is who she is. She denied herself the love of her life and the people who had become family because she thought she was doing what was right.”

Unable to speak, Ever could only nod.

Luca wasn’t done. This time, he focused on both of us. “She didn’t know what you knew. What might have been obvious to you was certainly not obvious to her because she was carefully insulated against the truth. We both were. All she saw was what that bastard of a father wanted her to see. For as cruel as he was, he loved her more than anything, letting her dress him up and have tea parties with her and her bears. He played and sang to her almost every night. What Alpha does that? What was she supposed to think?”

“F**k,” Ever swore under his breath.

Chest feeling as though it had a million bricks stacked on it, I struggled to breathe. In all of our conversations, except for our goodbye, I had suspected this truth. Hycinth’s words clearly held him in high regard so I assumed she didn’t know. It wasn’t until the end when Hycinth revealed she was aware her father had killed my mother that I made the grave mistake of not being explicit with my questions. I had asked if she knew the full extent, and she had confessed she did. She had answered truthfully, even giving me what little detail she had. But we had both been wrong. “Luca, I swear to you on my life, I don’t know how yet but I will fix it.” I had never felt words more strongly.

Again, he seemed to recognize the fervor of my intent because he exhaled heavily, “I know. It’s a f****d up situation that you both played a part in. I get that. She made mistakes as well. This pregnancy…” his voice trailed off.

We sat quietly for a few moments, the harsh truth weighing down on all of us. Only time would tell the outcome of her pregnancy, the health and well-being of the tiny shewolf frozen in her belly.

Jaw tight, Luca asked hesitantly, “Do you think he told her…about your sister?”

I thought back to what Luca had already shared regarding their conversation with the Oracle and clarified, “You knew the first chance baby was my sister but Hycinth didn’t?”

“No. The Oracle never explicitly stated it was your sister, just that a child had been conceived and then murdered. It wasn’t until I went to our old pack that Sydney revealed your mother had been pregnant when Alpha Grant killed her. That was when I put two and two together. It couldn’t have been a coincidence. When I returned that night, Hycinth was already asleep so I didn’t have a chance to tell Hycinth before Dagger took her.”

“I don’t know if he did or not.” I ground my teeth together. “But if I had to guess, I would say yes. Dagger didn’t hold back in damaging her physically. Most likely, he took every advantage to torment her emotionally as well.” My hands clenched into fists as I tried to control my anger.

Forest green eyes blazing, his Wolf now front and center, Luca’s feral expression matched mine. “What…exactly…did he do to her?”

“They beat and raped her,” I replied plainly. Luca had been present so I wasn’t exactly sure what he was asking.