Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

Chapter 185

185 Chapter 185

Seraphina’s POV

The little girl’s chubby arms around my waist. Her sticky face pressed against my stomach. That word-*Mama“-echoing in my ears.

I couldn’t shake it.

Back at Margaret’s place, I went through the motions. Helped set up for her birthday dinner. Smiled at the right times. Laughed when

everyone else did. But my mind kept drifting back to that street corner, to those innocent eyes looking up at me with such certainty.

“Sera, honey, you’re burning the garlic bread.”

Margaret’s voice snapped me back. Smoke curled up from the oven.

“Shit!” I yanked the tray out, nearly dropping it. The bread was charcoal black.

Margaret took the tray from my hands, her eyes soft with concern. “What’s going on with you tonight?”

“Nothing. Sorry. I’ll make another batch.”

“We have plenty of food.” She set the ruined bread aside. “Talk to me.”

“I’m fine. Really.” I forced a smile. “Just tired from the drive.”

She didn’t look convinced, but she let it go. For now.

Dinner was loud and chaotic in the best way. Margaret’s friends filled her dining room with laughter and wine and terrible dad jokes. I

sat at the corner of the table, picking at my pasta, trying to be present.

“So Sera,” one of Margaret’s book club friends–Linda? Lydia?—leaned toward me. “Margaret says you’re a professional boxer. That must

be so glamorous.”

“It has its moments.”

“Do you travel a lot?”

“Yeah. Constantly.”

“That sounds exhausting.” She took a sip of wine. “Do you ever think about settling down? Starting a family?”

The pasta turned to cement in my mouth. I forced myself to swallow.

“Linda,” Margaret cut in smoothly. “Sera’s only twenty–six. Plenty of time for all that.”

“Oh, I know! I just meant—” Linda backpedaled. “My daughter’s your age and she’s already talking about freezing her eggs. These young

women today, so practical about these things.”

I excused myself to the bathroom. Locked the door. Stared at my reflection.

*Mama.*

15:06

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185 Chapter 185

girl’s face swam in my vision. I gripped the edge of the sink until my

Get it together, Seraphina.

the cake and sang

think you’re going?” Margaret materialized in front of the

“Home. It’s getting late.”

“The guest

“Margaret, I can’t—”

You almost gave yourself second–degree burns.” She stepped

“You think I’m letting you drive two hours in

“I’m fine to drive.”

one finger when I opened my mouth to argue. “One night. That’s all

you for once.”

my defenses crumble. Maybe I was more tired

thing Saturday morning. I have

practice.”

with relief. “Perfect. I’ll

bright and too early, sunlight stabbing through the curtains like an

My head pounded. My eyes were swollen.

her pancake promise, piling my plate high with blueberry

remembered.

last night,” she said, sliding the

twisted into knots. The sweetness made me nauseous. “I really need to get

“It’s barely nine.”

to the growing pile. “And I want to

eyes seeing straight through me like they always did. Then she sighed, and I knew I’d disappointed

“Alright. But drive carefully.”

her goodbye, inhaling her familiar lavender perfume, trying to memorize the feeling of being held.

15.05

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185 Chapter 185

that my usual route was closed due to

Highway 7

wheel until my knuckles cracked. Through

No. No way.

heart racing, and tried to find another route. Any other route. But the

insisting on Highway

3 hours on this broken

I’d be in my car the whole time. Just passing through.

know I was

as I merged onto

radio, some mindless pop song about love and heartbreak, because of course

I turned it up louder, letting

to a crawl. Of course. Saturday afternoon in downtown, everyone out for

my palm, then my whole hand, trying

Red light.

trapped. Waiting. My eyes

street,

restaurant with grass and outdoor

it automatically. White tables with cheerful yellow umbrellas. People laughing, talking,

their simple Saturday

then I saw

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