Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

Seraphina’s POV 1

“I’m in,” I said again, because once wasn’t enough. Because I needed to hear myself say it twice to believe I was actually doing this insane

thing. “I’ll do it.”

Rico’s smile stretched wide across his face. Satisfied. Victorious. Like he’d known all along I’d break.

“I knew it,” he said, clapping his hands together once. “I knew you’d say yes. The moment I saw you in that alley, taking down that drunk

bastard, I knew you had it in you.”

My stomach twisted. “Had what in you?”

“The hunger.” His eyes glittered in the harsh warehouse lights. “The desperation. The willingness to do whatever it takes to survive.”

God, he made me sound like some kind of animal. Maybe I was.

“Look, Sera.” He stepped closer, his voice dropping to something almost gentle. “I’ve been doing this for fifteen years. I can spot talent,

sure. But more than that, I can spot fighters. The ones who don’t quit when it hurts.”

“I don’t know if that’s me,” I admitted quietly.

“Trust me. By the time I’m done training you, by the time you step into that ring for real, you’re going to be the best goddamn female

fighter this circuit has ever seen.”

The words should have made me feel better. Should have given me confidence or hope or something positive.

Instead, they made me want to throw up.

What the hell was I doing? Twenty–four hours ago, I was scanning groceries and pretending my life was under control. Now I was

agreeing to get punched in the face for money.

“Hey.” Rico’s voice cut through my spiral. “You still with me?”

“Yeah.” I forced myself to focus. “Yeah, I’m here.”

“Good. Because we’ve got a lot of work to do. Training starts tomorrow. Six AM sharp.”

Six AM. Of course.

“There’s just one thing,” I said before I could lose my nerve.

Rico raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

My hands were shaking again. I shoved them in my pockets so he wouldn’t see. “I need to ask you for a favor. A really big favor.”

“I’m listening.”

stuck in my throat. Pride and desperation wrestling for control of my tongue.

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167 Chapter 167

out in a rush. “Not the fight money. I mean, I need that too, but I

Before tomorrow morning.”

didn’t change. “How

cracked. “For rent. My landlord is

Silence.

was, begging a stranger for money like some kind

you

caught me off guard.

you have rent money? You work at that grocery store. I

By a coworker. She borrowed money from me for a bus ticket home, said she’d pay

my boss docked my pay for damages I didn’t cause,

broke,” Rico

my bank account and a landlord who’s going to

in less

me with those sharp, calculating eyes. Probably doing the math on whether I

back,” I said desperately. “I swear. Once I start fighting, once I win some money, I’ll pay you

other work. I’ll do whatever it

“Stop.”

so fast my teeth clicked

pocket and pulled out his phone. “How

could use a little more. For food

make it an even two

stared at

up his banking app. “Should cover your rent, get you

proper training gear.”

“I can’t take two thousand dollars from

from his phone, his expression serious. “Sera, if you’re going to do this–then you need

to focus. You can’t focus if you’re worried

“But I’ll owe you-”

167 Chapter 167

me

it an

me. In my ability to get beaten up

what to say,”

quit that grocery store

I blinked. “What?”

grocery store.” Rico looked up again. “You need to quit. Today. Tonight. As

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