Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

179 Chapter 179

Seraphina’s POV T

“Mama!”

The world tilted sideways.

One second I was standing there, frozen in place, processing the impossible sight of this tiny girl running toward me. The next, she

crashed into my legs with enough force to make me stumble backward.

Small arms wrapped around my knees like iron bands. A face pressed against my thighs. “I-” My voice came out strangled. Wrong. “I

think you’ve got the wrong person, sweetheart.”

But she didn’t let go. Just held on tighter, her small body trembling with what might have been excitement or relief or something I

couldn’t name.

“Sera?” Caleb’s voice cut through my shock. “Do you know this kid?”

“No.” The word came out too fast. “No, I don’t know her.”

My heart was hammering so hard I could feel it in my throat. In my fingertips. In every cell of my body screaming that something was

very, very wrong with this situation.

All I could do was stare down at the top of this little girl’s head–dark hair in slightly messy pigtails, one ribbon starting to come loose.

*Just like I used to do Lily’s hair. Always one ribbon looser than the other because she’d fidget.*

“Hey,” I said softly, my voice shaking despite my best efforts. “Hey, sweetie. I think there’s been a mistake.”

The little girl pulled back just enough to look up at me, and-

Oh.

Her eyes.

They were like looking into the ocean at dawn–blue and green swirled together in a way that didn’t quite match mine but felt achingly

familiar. Lighter than my emerald green, but with that same depth. That same intensity.

“You have pretty eyes,” she said seriously, studying my face with the kind of concentration only small children possessed. “Like the forest.

what Daddy says. ‘Mama

throat closed up completely. “I… that’s

small hand, fingers barely brushing my hair where it fell over my shoulder. “Daddy says Mama has hair like

between my ribs.

and swallow hard. “I’m not your mama. You’ve

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in the most devastating pout I’d ever seen. “But you

a smile. My face felt frozen. “Your mama sounds beautiful. But honey, are

girl’s expression shifted–something complicated passing across her small face. Sadness, maybe.

never seen my mama,” she said, so matter–of–fact it made my chest ache. “She’s not

shaking worse now. I clasped them together in my lap, trying to hold myself

little girl’s face brightened again, that devastating pout transforming into an excited smile that showed her baby tooth. “He says she’s beautiful and kind and brave.

in the whole

to a whisper like she was sharing a secret. “He

stronger than him. And Daddy’s

I managed. My voice sounded like it was

to

here! You found me!”

caught her hands gently, holding them between mine. They were so small. So warm. So achingly familiar in a way

met this

I made my voice as gentle as I could. As calm.

Like… like copies. But I’m not

I’d just told her the worst news in

over. Down those chubby cheeks. Dripping off her

slipped out before I could stop it. “Oh, sweetheart, don’t cry. Please don’t

her closer, my arms going around her small body without conscious thought. She buried her face in

body shaking with sobs.

a mama,” she hiccupped against my neck. “Everyone else has a mama. Why can’t

we should find her parents. Her dad must be looking

on the little girl’s shoulders. “He’s right. Your daddy must

where he is?”

“We were getting cupcakes. Will you come meet Daddy? He’ll be so happy!

looking for Mama forever and

good idea.” I gentled my voice, trying to make the rejection hurt less. “Your

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my own children.

children?” Her eyes went