Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

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Seraphina’s POV 1

**Three years later.**

The afternoon sun painted golden squares across my living room floor, and I was sprawled on the couch eating cereal straight from the

box like the sophisticated adult I’d become.

My phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen and nearly choked on a mouthful of Cheerios.

*Caleb Morrison*

My heart did a weird flippy thing. Hope, panic, and guilt all mixed up like a bad cocktail.

I let it ring twice more. Playing it cool. Totally casual. Like my palms weren’t suddenly sweaty.

“Hey!” Way too enthusiastic. Tone it down, Sera. “What’s up?”

“There she is!” Caleb sounded way too cheerful. “My favorite city girl who’s apparently too busy being badass to call her favorite border

family.”

“I’m not too busy,” I said, sitting up. Cheerios went everywhere. Great. “I’m just… you know. Doing stuff.”

“Stuff. Right.” He laughed. “What kind of stuff?”

“Actually, I was eating cereal in my pajamas and debating if I need to be a real adult today.”

“It’s three–thirty, Sera.”

“Exactly. I’m winning at life.”

“So for real though,” Caleb said, voice getting softer. “How are you doing? And don’t say ‘fine‘ because I can hear when you’re lying.”

I hugged my knees to my chest. Suddenly felt small. “I’m doing… actually pretty good. Not fake good. Like, real good.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Got a nice place. Work’s steady. I even have money saved up. And get this–I bought furniture. Real furniture. Not stuff I found on

the street.”

“Look at you! All grown up and responsible!”

“I know, right? Though I did kill a cactus last month. So maybe I’m not that grown up.”

“You’re such a weirdo.”

“Thanks. I try.” I picked at my pajama pants. “But yeah, seriously. Things are good. Still fighting. Making decent money. Can’t really

complain.”

That worried tone. “You know that scares the

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slammed up

“Don’t what?”

The words came out sharper than I

“I know you can-

it sounds like you think I’m still that scared mess who showed

anymore, Caleb.

kind that made me feel like an

I always bite people’s heads off

quickly. “That

sounded understanding, which made it worse. “You worked your ass off to get where you are. And you’re

that person anymore. You’re tough as

got

because you’re strong doesn’t mean people can’t worry about you. You know

at the ceiling.

“Do you though?”

please change the

He cleared his throat. “Actually, that’s kind of why I’m

tried to sound

turning sixty

me like a truck. Just birthday stuff. Normal stuff. Nothing

her happy birthday for

her

The room tilted.

“Caleb, I don’t-”

Before you say no, just hear

couldn’t talk. My mouth went totally

years. Built this whole new life where nobody knew me, where I could just be… whoever. Where the past couldn’t

wanted me to go

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“You still there?”

I whispered. “I’m

know you left for reasons. Good reasons. His

She talks about you all the time. Like, all the time. ‘I hope Sera’s cating enough. I

always come home.“”

started falling. Hot and stupid and I couldn’t stop

fair,” I choked

“I know.”

can’t just–you can’t say stuff like that and expect me to-” I couldn’t

didn’t sound sorry at all. “We miss you. It’s been three years,

everyone I ditched?

not to completely lose it. When did I start

a birthday party,” he said gently. “One weekend. Saturday to Sunday. Drive up Saturday morning, party that night, leave

That’s it. Easy.”