Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

49 Chapter 49

49 Chapter 49

Damien’s POV 1

The words hung in the air between us like a confession that had been locked away for decades. Sera’s emerald eyes widened with shock

and something deeper.

“Your parents too?” she whispered, her free hand reaching up to touch my face with exquisite tenderness. “Damien, I’m so sorry.”

I leaned into her touch, allowing myself this moment of vulnerability that I’d never shared with another soul. Not even Lucas knew the

full truth of what had happened that night.

“I was eighteen,” I began, my voice rougher than intended as memories I’d buried deep began clawing their way to the surface. “Old

enough to think I understood pack politics.”

Sera shifted carefully in the medical bed, making room for me to sit beside her. The mattress dipped under my weight as I settled against

the headboard, grateful for the solid warmth of her presence as I prepared to excavate wounds I’d spent years learning to ignore.

“My parents had what everyone called a perfect marriage,” I continued, staring at the sterile white wall across from us rather than

meeting her eyes. “Beautiful, powerful, completely devoted to each other and to our pack’s prosperity.”

The irony of those words tasted bitter now, colored by everything I’d learned in the bloody aftermath.

“What happened?” Sera asked gently, her hand never leaving my face.

feeling like broken glass in my throat

Patricia-Gabriel’s mother. It started when I was thirteen, though I didn’t

against my cheek, offering silent support

the future Alpha heir, while my mother wanted me to come with her to her family’s territory.” I closed my eyes, remembering the custody battles that had torn our pack apart. “I was angry at

loyalty and love.”

were just a child,” Sera said softly.

opened my eyes to meet her gaze, seeing my own pain reflected in those emerald depths. “Because the day they died, I was supposed to be at home. My mother was coming for one of her scheduled visits-the court had given her every other weekend and Wednesday evenings. But I was

going home after school, I went to a friend’s house. I stayed for dinner, then convinced them to let me spend the night. I was being petulant, trying to punish both my parents by

mother’s visit meaningless.”

cover mine, squeezing tightly

next morning, I found them.” The words came out flat, emotionless, because that was the only

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49 Chapter 49

them, in my father’s study.

his desk, his throat

breathed, tears beginning

ransacked, but in a calculated way. Specific files

contained sensitive pack information.”

the restless energy of old rage began building in my chest. “Gabriel’s mother had vanished completely. No trace of her anywhere, like

think she orchestrated

back to face Sera, seeing understanding dawn in her eyes. “Someone who knew my

enough to disable the safeguards, who had access to pack

“And Gabriel?”

I thought about my worthless half-brother. “Gabriel was twelve years

but…” I shrugged, feeling the familiar weight of suspicion I’d carried for years. “I’ve never been