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.

assistant,” I said, the words feeling like broken glass in my throat even after

It started when I was thirteen, though I didn’t

my cheek, offering silent support

found out, she was devastated. The divorce proceedings were… brutal. My father wanted to keep me as 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 both of

loyalty and love.”

child,” Sera said softly. “It wasn’t

I 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 angry at her for the divorce, angry at my father for the affair, angry at the whole

after school, I went to a friend’s house. I stayed for dinner, then convinced

mother’s visit meaningless.”

mine, squeezing tightly as she sensed where this story was

I came home the next morning, I found them.” The words came out flat, emotionless,

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49 Chapter 49

of them, in my father’s study. My

his desk, his throat ripped

beginning to spill down her

way. Specific

contained sensitive pack information.”

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

she orchestrated

someone did.” I turned back to face Sera, seeing understanding dawn in her eyes.

who had access to pack secrets that could

“And Gabriel?”

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

weight of suspicion I’d carried for years.