Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

36 Chapter 36

36 Chapter 36

Damien’s POV 1

The taxi ride to Sera’s apartment felt like the longest twenty minutes of my life. Adrian had finally stopped crying, but he remained pressed against my side like a small, warm anchor, his tiny hand clutching my shirt.

“Mr. Damien?” he said quietly as we pulled up to the modest brick building. “Is Mommy going to be okay?”

“She’s going to be fine,” I assured him, though my chest tightened with worry I couldn’t quite suppress. “Your mommy is very strong.”

Ophelia answered the door before I could even knock, her dark hair disheveled and her eyes red-rimmed with exhaustion and stress.

She looked like she’d been running on pure adrenaline for hours.

“Thank God you found him,” she breathed, immediately reaching for Adrian and pulling him into a fierce hug. “I was so scared, little man.

Are you hurt? Are you okay?”

“I’m okay, Aunt Ophelia,” Adrian mumbled against her shoulder, his voice muffled but steady. “Mr. Damien found me in the forest and

brought me home.”

Ophelia’s eyes met mine over Adrian’s head, gratitude and something deeper shining in their depths. “I can’t even begin to thank you,”

she said, her voice thick with emotion. “When I realized he was missing…”

“Where’s Sera?” I asked, scanning the small apartment for any sign of my mate.

Ophelia’s expression darkened. “Unconscious in her bedroom. I found her at the school-she’d been beaten pretty badly.”She’s running a

fever, probably from shock and exhaustion. I was just about to run to the pharmacy for antibiotics and pain medication.”

My wolf snarled at the thought of someone hurting Sera, but I forced myself to remain calm for Adrian’s sake. “Go,” I said, gently

touching Ophelia’s shoulder. “I’ll stay here with them until you get back.”

found myself alone in the tiny apartment with a four-year-old who was clearly trying very hard to be brave

Adrian sat on the edge of the couch, swinging his little legs and stealing glances at me like he wasn’t

having a

hungry?” I asked, realizing I had absolutely no idea how to care for a child.

lit up with cautious hope. “Could we have

could mac and cheese

Sera’s tiny kitchen surrounded by what could

burn water-actually burn water-while simultaneously overcooking the pasta until it resembled mushy cardboard and

had

attempts at domestic competence with the fascinated horror of someone witnessing a train wreck in slow

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36 Chapter 36

create what the box had optimistically labeled “creamy cheese sauce.” The smell was somewhere between

frantically at the smoke detector that was now beeping with the persistence of

plan.”

opened every window in the small kitchen, and turned to face Adrian

you say we order pizza

I’d heard from him

admitted, running a hand through my hair and leaving it more disheveled than before. “I’m better

am at

the pizza to arrive, Adrian showed me his

size covered with a dinosaur

careful block letters, along with what appeared to be various

crayon. 1

favorite,” Adrian said, pointing to a drawing that featured two stick figures standing under

under the sun. I made it for her

have such a thoughtful son,” I said

a daddy too,” Adrian said matter-of-factly, settling onto his bed and hugging a stuffed wolf that looked like

him, but I think he

would you

shrugged with the casual philosophy of childhood. “Because if he wanted to find