Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

16 Chapter 16

Seraphina’s POV 1

The car was warm and comfortable, a welcome relief from the cold concrete and my bleeding feet. I settled into the soft leather passenger seat with a grateful sigh, still clutching the torn fabric of my wine-stained dress around myself. My rescuer-I realized I still didn’t even know his name-seemed genuinely concerned about my wellbeing, which was more kindness than I’d experienced in the past

several hours.

“Thank you again,” I said softly, watching the city lights blur past the window. “I really appreciate this. I’m Seraphina, by the way.”

“Michael,” he replied with that same warm smile. “Michael Harrison. And don’t mention it—I couldn’t just leave you walking around

barefoot and bleeding.”

As we drove through the quieter residential streets, I found myself relaxing for the first time since the disaster at the restaurant. Michael kept up a gentle stream of conversation-asking if I was too cold, whether I needed to stop somewhere for first aid, if there was anyone I wanted to call. His voice was soothing, almost hypnotic, and I felt my earlier tension beginning to ebb away.

“Actually,” he said as we stopped at a red light, “my place is just a few blocks from here. I have a first aid kit, and you could clean up, maybe get those feet properly bandaged before heading home. It’s the least can do after what you went through tonight.”

Something in his tone made me glance over at him, but his expression remained the same-concerned, caring, genuine. Still, a tiny alarm

bell went off in the back of my mind.

“That’s very kind,” I said carefully, “but I don’t want to impose any more than I already have. If you could just drop me off at the station—”

“Nonsense,” Michael interrupted, his voice carrying a hint of something I couldn’t quite identify. “The subways aren’t running this late anyway. Just let me help you get cleaned up, and then I’ll drive you wherever you need to go.”

As we continued driving, I began to notice a strange, sweet smell in the car-something floral and cloying that seemed to grow stronger with each breath. At first, I thought it might be air freshener or cologne, but there was something odd about it, something that made my

head feel slightly fuzzy.

“Michael,” I said, pressing a hand to my temple as a wave of dizziness washed over me, “what’s that smell? It’s very… strong.”

“Oh, that?” His voice sounded different now, less warm and more calculating. “Just something to help you relax. You’ve had such a

stressful evening.”

I tried to reach for the

snarling in my mind, but

out,” I said, my words slightly slurred despite my efforts to speak clearly. “I want to get out of the

something cold and predatory beneath. “I

almost there.”

as I realized what was happening. The sweet smell-it had to be some kind of drug designed to

173

market substances used

I tried to shout, but my voice came

just smiled, and it was nothing like the kind expression he’d worn when he’d first

and promises of terrible

the weather instead of kidnapping me.

enjoy

it was made of cotton and lead, my limbs heavy and unresponsive. I managed to fumble for my phone,

and it slipped from my grasp to fall

of a modest house on a quiet residential street. The porch light

windows were dark-no neighbors around to hear

to my side of the car, opening the

my arm.

to pull away from his grip. My coordination was shot, but

“I’m not going in there. Take

cold and ugly. “Sweetheart, after tonight’s little performance at the restaurant, I

miss you for a while. Did you see the way your precious Alpha looked at you? Like you were trash he wanted to

flame of anger that

Ayla was fighting, lending me

said, my

Michael’s grip tightened

something cruel and hungry.

the house despite my attempts to resist.

what happens to them. Especially when they’ve already been publicly

scraped against the concrete as he pulled me up the

scream, but the

with his keys while maintaining his