Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

126 Chapter 126

Seraphina’s POV 1

The morning light filters through our bedroom curtains, casting soft shadows across the hardwood floor. I’m

curled up in the reading chair by the window, watching Lily sleep in her bassinet, when Damien appears in

the doorway with two cups of coffee.

“You’re up early,” he says, crossing the room to hand me one of the mugs. His hair is still messy from sleep,

and he’s wearing just sweatpants, his chest bare and distractingly perfect in the gentle morning light.

“Couldn’t sleep.” I wrap my fingers around the warm ceramic, grateful for something to focus on besides the

knot of anxiety that’s been sitting in my stomach since yesterday. “Lily was fussy around three.”

“I didn’t hear her.” His brow furrows with concern as he settles on the edge of the bed across from me. “You

should have woken me.”

“You need rest too. Besides, it’s not like you could have helped. She was hungry.”

He takes a sip of his coffee and studies me with those silver-blue eyes that seem to see straight through all

my carefully constructed walls.

“I

got a call from Riley yesterday,” he says finally.

My heart does something weird in my chest. “Riley?”

“From the training camp. She wanted me to pass along a message.” Damien’s voice is careful, like he’s walking

through a minefield. “She and Lucas are getting engaged.”

The words slam into me like a punch to the chest. My heart does this weird little skip-part joy, part something that feels uncomfortably like grief. Of course Riley and Lucas are engaged. Everyone’s been

waiting for them to figure it out for years. I should be thrilled.

“That’s wonderful,” I say, and I mean it. My voice only wobbles a little. “They’re perfect for each other. Really

perfect.”

“They want you to come to the engagement party.” Damien sets down his coffee, his silver eyes studying my face. “They all do. The whole team has been asking about you.”

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I feel the blood drain from my face. “Damien, I can’t-”

“Why not?”

time I led that team,

a punch to the gut. The mission that went wrong six months before my capture. My tactical error that separated the team in

wasn’t your fault,” Damien

my grip. “I made the call to

the chair beside me, his hand covering mine on the coffee mug.

home. Everyone was fine.”

And now I’m not even a wolf anymore. What could I possibly

him stand, feel him move closer until his heat is a warm presence at my

to see their friend again,” he says

someone they care about.”

“Or you could be

survived something that would have destroyed anyone

whisper. “About Ayla. About what

makes my chest ache. “You’ll get respect.

visit.”

of the tension leave my shoulders as his arms wrap around me. Lily stirs in her bassinet, making soft baby sounds that tug at

I go and everything feels wrong?” I

like it’s the simplest thing in

you try!”

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breathing in his scent-pine and

Riley and Lucas to celebrate this

to myself to

I say finally, the word barely a

“Okay?”

his gaze. “But if this goes badly,

is slow and devastating. “I can live with

days later, I’m standing in the parking lot of the Training Facility, my hands clenched so tightly

metal is cutting into

smoothing down the simple black dress I chose for today. It’s

it’s clean and fits properly and doesn’t have any

familiar hiss, and the scent

recognizable. Weapons oil and leather and the

training at full

“Sera!”

from communications jogging

sight of his familiar grin does something to

you!” He pulls me into a bear hug that lifts me off my feet. “We heard you were

around. How are you

say

look good.” His eyes are kind, but I can see the confusion

about me. “Thinner maybe, but

a smile. “Congratulations to Riley and Lucas. I heard the

from a mile away” Jake grins. “Come on, everyone’s in