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.”

Ophelia left, I found myself alone in the tiny apartment with a

edge of the couch, swinging his

to make of having

realizing I had absolutely no idea how to care

face lit up with cautious hope. “Could we have mac and cheese? That’s

could mac and

tiny kitchen surrounded by what could only be described as a culinary disaster.

burn water-actually burn water-while simultaneously overcooking the pasta

cheese sauce that had the consistency

competence with the fascinated

10.29

1/3

<

36 Chapter 36

attempted to create what the box had optimistically labeled “creamy cheese

detector that was now beeping

plan.”

the small kitchen, and turned to face Adrian with

do you say we order pizza

I’d heard from him all evening. “You’re not

hair and leaving it more disheveled

I am

showed me his room

His bed was a twin size covered with a dinosaur comforter that had clearly seen better

careful block letters, along with what appeared to be various prehistoric creatures

crayon. 1

that featured two stick figures

sun. I made it for

to have such a thoughtful

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

maybe someday we’ll find him, but I think he

you think

with the casual philosophy of childhood. “Because if he