Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

129 Chapter 129

Seraphina’s POV 1

The silence stretched on for what felt like hours, though it couldn’t have been more than a few seconds. Every face in our immediate vicinity was turned toward me, and I could practically feel their judgment crawling across my skin like insects.

“I need some air,” I said quietly, my voice sounding strange and distant even to my own ears.

Damien’s grip on my waist tightened. “Sera-”

“Please.” I looked up at him, and whatever he saw in my expression made him release me immediately. “I just

need a minute. Don’t follow me.”

I walked away before he could protest, pushing through the crowd of elegantly dressed guests who watched

me go with poorly concealed curiosity. Each step taking me further from the warm glow of the ballroom and deeper into my own humiliation.

The French doors leading to the terrace were mercifully unlocked. I stepped outside into the cool night air,

grateful for the relative quiet and the absence of staring eyes. The terrace overlooked the gardens, where

fairy lights twinkled among perfectly manicured hedges and fountain bubbled softly in the distance.

I gripped the stone balustrade and tried to breathe.

*Your nanny.* The words echoed in my head like a broken record. *I always thought she was your nanny.*

God. How many other people thought the same thing? How many conversations had happened behind my

back, people wondering why the powerful Alpha Damien Nightshadow kept some random human woman

around his house?

The worst part was that Emma’s mistake wasn’t exactly unreasonable,

I was just… ordinary. Human. Forgettable.

A soft breeze rustled the leaves in the garden below, carrying with it the distant sound of laughter and music from the party inside. Riley’s engagement party. The celebration I’d promised to attend, the night that was

supposed to help me feel normal again.

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Instead, I felt more isolated than ever.

I closed my eyes and tried to center myself the way I used to when Ayla was part of me. But there was no

anymore, no fierce wolf spirit to lend me strength. Just empty silence where

I whispered to

hollow. Because deep down, I knew Emma was right to be confused. What was I doing here, playing dress-up in fancy clothes and pretending I belonged in

wasn’t even a wolf.

time I heard multiple sets of footsteps. Guests were starting to spill out onto the terrace, probably looking for quieter spaces

go back inside. Find Damien. Make polite excuses and leave before I embarrassed myself

That’s when it happened.

champagne flutes. He was moving quickly, probably trying to refill glasses for the guests who’d wandered outside.

tables.

stumbled forward with a startled yelp, the tray tilting dangerously

regain his balance.

to slow down as I watched twelve crystal glasses slide toward the edge of

would have kicked in

diving out

human reaction time far too slow to save me from

coming.

with a crash that seemed to echo across the

every direction, and I went down hard, my expensive

the suddenly

ground with a thud that knocked the air from my lungs,

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me in a puddle of humiliation. Broken glass glittered

server gasped, dropping to his knees beside me. “Ma’am, I’m

sorry!”

on the terrace rushed

gawk

but my hands slipped on the wet stone and I went down again, this time with even less dignity. Champagne dripped from my hair, my dress was completely ruined, and I was

her up!”

“Is she bleeding?”

“What happened?”

finally managed to get to my hands and knees, though the position made me

continued to drip from my clothes, forming a growing puddle beneath

voice carrying clearly across

called out to the server, her tone sharp

to the Alpha’s mate!”

head snapped up in horror. No. She wouldn’t. She

you are,” Emma continued, her voice growing louder with each

Damien’s partner this way, even though she’s only

words hit the crowd like

Only human now.

shocked voices

once.

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