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

been through. Adrian sat on the edge of the couch, swinging his little legs and stealing glances

to make of having a stranger

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

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

hard could mac and

Sera’s tiny kitchen surrounded by what could only be described as

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

sauce that had the consistency of rubber

attempts at domestic competence with

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36 Chapter 36

from the saucepan where I’d attempted to create what the box had optimistically labeled “creamy cheese

smoke detector that was now beeping with the persistence

plan.”

kitchen, and turned to face Adrian with what I hoped was an

do you say we order pizza

first genuinely happy sound I’d heard from him all evening. “You’re not very good at

my hair and leaving it more

am at making

to arrive, Adrian showed me his room with the serious demeanor of a child

bed was a twin size covered with a dinosaur comforter that had clearly seen better days. Drawings

block letters, along with what appeared to be various

crayon. 1

said, pointing to a drawing that featured two stick figures

under the sun. I made it

to have such a

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

someday we’ll find him, but I think he might not

you think

the casual philosophy of childhood. “Because if he wanted to find us, he would have already, right?