Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

27 Chapter 27

Seraphina’s POV 1

For five years, my adoptive parents had vanished from my life completely-no calls, no letters. It was as if I’d never existed in their world,

which was exactly what they’d wanted when they threw me out.

The phone kept ringing. I let it go to voicemail, but immediately another call came in from a different number. Then another. My phone

buzzed with a text message, then another, the notifications piling up faster than I could dismiss them. 1

*Answer the phone, you little bitch.*

*I know where you work.*

*Nightshadow Industries. Don’t make me come there.*

My blood turned to ice. She was using different phones, probably borrowed from neighbors or friends, making sure I couldn’t just block

her number. And now she was threatening to show up at my workplace. I couldn’t let Elizabeth Knight storm into Nightshadow

Industries and cause a scene.

The phone rang again. This time, I answered.

“Hello, Elizabeth.”

“Don’t you ‘hello Elizabeth’ me, you ungrateful little bitch!” Her voice exploded through the speaker with such venom that I had to hold

the phone away from my ear. “Where the hell have you been for five years? Do you have any idea what you put us through? Disappearing

like some common criminal, embarrassing our family name!”

The familiar torrent of abuse washed over me like acid rain. Same Elizabeth, same vicious tongue, same complete inability to take

responsibility for her own cruelty.

“I’ve been building a life for myself and my son,” I said quietly, proud of how steady my voice sounded despite the way my hands were

trembling. “What do you want, Elizabeth? We haven’t spoken in five years. I assumed that meant you were done pretending to care about

my existence.”

But a harsh laugh that sounded like breaking glass. “Trust me, if I had a choice, I wouldn’t be calling you at all. But you need to come

home. This weekend. There are… arrangements to be made.”

“Arrangements?” I repeated, my voice rising slightly. “Elizabeth, I’m not coming back to Whispering Valley. Ever. I have a life here, a job,

responsibilities-”

voice reaching that familiar pitch that had

my childhood

for you, after taking in an

Owe us!”

owe you anything,” I said firmly, surprising myself with the steel in my voice. “You made it very clear five years ago

got exactly what you wanted-me gone, out of your life

00

114

someone else to help

to hang up when Elizabeth’s voice changed, dropping to something low and dangerous that made my wolf pace

your job at Nightshadow Industries, Elizabeth continued, her tone taking on a calculated quality that made my skin

in my throat.

old. Attends Silver Moon Harbor Elementary. Such a sweet little boy, from what I

something were to happen

clattering onto my desk with a sound that seemed to echo through the

couldn’t do anything

out threats in that same calm, conversational

up, my hands shaking so badly I could

near my son-” I started, but Elizabeth cut me off

I think you’re forgetting exactly who you’re dealing with here.”

ten times more terrifying. “I’m the respected wife of a pack elder. You’re an unwed omega mother

they’ll believe if something unfortunate

felt like it was being crushed in a vise, making it difficult to

evening.” Elizabeth’s voice was brisk now,

child. “And Seraphina? If you even think about running, if you

places. There’s nowhere you could hide

at my phone in complete silence. The office around me felt surreal, like

through thick glass. The familiar sounds of the building-air conditioning, distant conversations, the

and far

after all, taught me exactly how

throwing out a pregnant eighteen-year-old with

of far worse

barely controlled anxiety,

barely sleeping.

drive to Whispering Valley felt both endless and far too short. Every mile that passed on the familiar country roads brought back memories I’d spent five

the time I pulled into the gravel driveway of the Knight house, my hands were shaking and my wolf was pacing frantically in my

exactly the same-small, neat, perfectly maintained on the outside while hiding rot within its

arms open in what appeared to be a welcoming gesture. She was dressed in her Sunday best-a pale blue dress that brought out

214

applied

her voice warm and bright. “Oh, darling,

the porch steps and pulled me into what felt like a genuine hug, her arms wrapping around me