Forbidden Mate, Bound by Fate

Chapter 16

SYDNEY

As the nurse pushed my wheelchair to a stop in front of a closed door, I felt my heart racing like a wild animal trapped in my chest. Elder Thane stood beside us, his eyes fixed on the door and his expression unreadable.

The scent wafting from the other side of the door hit me like a punch to the gut. My heart skipped a beat, then pounded rapidly as I realized who was inside the room.

My body reacted before my mind could catch up. My senses are on high alert. I felt weak and vulnerable, but my instincts were screaming at me to be cautious. The nurse seemed oblivious to the tension, but Elder Thane's eyes flicked to mine, and I sensed a glimmer of awareness.

He knows. I can feel his suspicion right now because he knows something is going on.

Elder Thane's gaze returned to the door, and he stood there for a moment, as if talking to someone using his mind-link connection. Then, slowly, he reached out and grasped the door handle.

My heart was racing now, pounding in my ears like a drumbeat. I was afraid of what would happen when Elder Thane opened the door. Uncertainty filled my mind, and I couldn't calm my racing heart. I couldn't shake off the anxiety because I was unsure of what awaited me when the door opened.

The door swung open with a soft creak, and the nurse immediately pushed my wheelchair into the room.

The room was larger than I expected, with a hospital bed in the center. Alpha Gray slept peacefully in his hospital bed, a dextrose IV attached to his arm. The machines beeped softly around him. His chest rose and fell with each breath, his face calm and relaxed.

His parents, the previous Alpha and Luna of this pack, stood beside his bed, their faces stern and disapproving. My own parents stood opposite them, their expressions worried about Alpha Gray's condition.

And then there was Alexis. She's sitting beside Alpha Gray's bed, holding his hand in hers. Her eyes met mine, and I saw a flash of guilt and anxiety before she looked away.

The room was thick with tension, and I could feel the weight of everyone's gaze on me. Elder Thane stood at the foot of the bed. I saw how his eyes were surveying the room before coming to my side again.

"Let's get started," he said, his voice firm and commanding. "We have a lot to discuss."

I felt like I had walked into a cage full of dangerous lions who wanted to kill me and eat me alive. Everyone's eyes were fixed on me, their gazes piercing and hostile. The previous Luna looked like she was about to shift while looking at me, her eyes flashing with fury.

The former alpha grasped my arm with a restraining hand. His eyes pierced mine with dagger-like intensity, giving me a hint of the anger he was feeling towards me right now.

"Calm down, my love," the previous Alpha said to Luna in a low and soothing voice.

But Luna's anger didn't dissipate. She glared at me, her eyes blazing with hatred.

"What is she doing here?" she spat, her voice venomous.

Elder Thane's expression remained calm, but his eyes narrowed slightly. He glanced at me and quickly shifted his gaze to Alpha Gray.

"She's here to answer all of our questions," he said in a firm voice.

"She's the reason Alpha Gray is in this condition!" Luna replied. "Because of her, my son is in danger right now, and up to this moment, we don't know when he's going to wake up!”

My parents stood opposite the Alpha pair, their faces etched with fury and disappointment towards me. My mother's eyes were blazing with anger, and my father's jaw was clenched.

"Sydney, what are you doing here?" my mother asked angrily.

I swallowed hard because I felt like I had been punched in the gut. "Elder Thane brought me," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.

My sister Alexis sat beside Alpha Gray. Their fingers entwined, fueling the ache of betrayal in my chest that I felt while I looked at them right now.

He'd denied our mate bond, but he granted my sister the intimacy I longed for. As our gazes met, Alexis's eyes flashed with a mix of emotions – a fleeting triumph, a hint of guilt, and the familiar facade of sisterly affection.

"Why did you come here, Sydney? What are you planning to do with my mate's room?" Alexis asked me. Her voice was soft but accusatory.

I felt a surge of defensiveness, but Elder Thane's calm demeanor kept me in check.

"I didn't come here voluntarily," I replied with a cold response, trying to keep my voice even.

The previous Alpha stepped forward. His eyes flashed with anger while never leaving my face. His heavy breathing showed how furious he was with me because he obviously believed the accusations he heard against me.

"You're manipulative, Sydney!" he growled. "You drugged our son and bound him to you without his consent."

I shook my head and looked away because I felt the tears prick at the corners of my eyes.

"That's not true, Alpha," I protested. "I swear, I'm telling you the truth. I don't know what happened that night."

“Liar!” Alexis shouted.

Her voice rang through the whole room, but even though she shouted loudly at me, Alpha Gray didn't wake up.

I tried to explain everything I remembered from that night, but no one seemed to believe me. Everyone in the room looked at me with disgust and anger, their faces twisted with hatred. I felt like I was drowning in their animosity, suffocating under the weight of their dislike.

Elder Thane's voice cut through the tension, calm and authoritative. "Enough," he said. "We'll get to the truth. But for now, let's focus on the facts.”

The room fell silent, but the anger and hostility lingered, a palpable force that threatened to overwhelm me.

Elder Thane's eyes swept the room, his gaze lingering on each face before coming to rest on me.

"Now that Sydney and Alpha Gray are mated, we must explore the connection between them," he said, his voice calm and collected.

“What do you mean, Elder Thane?” the previous Alpha asked.

“We can use that connection they have to help Alpha Gray’s fast recovery, Alpha,” Elder Thane answered.

Alexis's face contorted in disgust, her eyes flashing with anger. She shot me a deadly glare before she spoke.

"You can't be serious, Sir," she spat, her voice rising. "You expect me to let that b***h get closer to my mate and use her bond with Gray to help him recover?”

Elder Thane nodded. His expression was unyielding and serious. He seemed to have already decided what he wanted to do, even though he knew that everyone around us was against his suggestion.

"I'm afraid it's necessary, Alexis. Your bond with Alpha Gray didn't seem to have a significant impact on his recovery,” Elder Thane responded. He took a deep breath before he continued.

“Perhaps I can see that the bond between him and Sydney can be leveraged to help him heal faster."

Alexis's face turned red with rage. She gritted her teeth before she stood up and clutched her shaking hands.

"I refuse to allow it, Sir!" she said firmly. "You're not going to use her to help my mate because she's the one who ruined our mate's bond in the first place. And if she successfully heals Alpha Gray, she will use that to manipulate everyone and force us to believe that they are real mates!”