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.”

there it was. That worried tone. “You know that scares the

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slammed up

“Don’t what?”

thing.” The words came out sharper than I meant. “I can take

“I know you can-

“Because it sounds like you think I’m still that

anymore, Caleb. I’m not.”

The kind that made me

I do that? Why did I always bite people’s

quickly. “That

made it worse. “You worked your ass off to get where you

anymore. You’re tough

got

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

at the

“Do you though?”

we please change

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

to sound

turning sixty

truck. Just birthday stuff. Normal stuff. Nothing

Tell her

thing is…” He paused. “We’re throwing her a party. Saturday night. And

The room tilted.

“Caleb, I don’t-”

listen. Before you say no, just hear me out.

talk. My mouth went totally

new life where nobody knew me, where I could just be… whoever. Where the past

he wanted me

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“You still there?”

I whispered.

you left for reasons. Good reasons. His voice got all soft and pleading. “But Mom misses you

Like, all the time. ‘I hope Sera’s cating enough. I hope she’s

always come home.“”

falling. Hot and stupid and

fair,”

“I know.”

like that and expect me to-” I couldn’t finish.

all. “We miss you. It’s been three years, Sera.

for what?” My voice broke completely. “To face everyone I ditched? To pretend

pressed my hand over my mouth. Trying not to completely lose it.

just a birthday party,” he said gently. “One weekend. Saturday to Sunday. Drive up

That’s it. Easy.”