Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

53 Chapter 53

53 Chapter 53

Serahina’s POV 1

When | cto, | was hanging upside down in my seatbelt, my head throbbing and warm blood trickling down

my forehead. The car had cto rest on its roof in a shallow ditch, steam hissing from the crumpled engine.

Through the spider-webbed windshield, | could see boots approaching. Heavy work boots that moved with

deliberate, unhurried steps.

Fear shot throughlike ice water as | realized my situation. Alone, injured, trapped in an overturned car in the

middle of nowhere,

with whoever had just runoff the road walking towardlike they had all the tin the world.

| fumbled for my seatbelt release with shaking fingers, gasping as the mechanism finally gave way and | tumbled

down onto the car's

ceiling in an undignified heap. Glass crunched under my hands as | tried to orient myself, tried to find a way out.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?”

The voice was rough, amused, and completely unfamiliar. A man’s voice, though | couldn’t see his face through

the damaged windshield.

“Looks like a pretty little thing got herself into strouble,” another voice added, and | realized with growing

horror that there were at

least two of them. “Good thing we happened to be driving by.”

| managed to crawl toward what had been the passenger side window, now partly open thanks to the crash. If |

could squeeze through,

get into the forest, maybe | could hide until they gave up looking for me.

“I wouldn't do that if | were you, sweetheart,” the first voice said, and suddenly a hand was grabbing my ankle,

draggingback from the

window opening. “It's dangerous out there in the dark. Bears and wolves and all sorts of nasty creatures.”

| was yanked from the car and hauled to my feet, swaying as a wave of dizziness nearly sentback to the

ground. Two men stood

before me, both wearing flannel shirts and jeans that had seen better days. The taller one had greasy brown hair

and a scraggly beard,

while his companion was shorter and stockier with mean little eyes that remindedof a rat's.

“Looky here, Dale,” the shorter one said, circlinglike | was livestock at auction. “She's even prettier up close.

Nice car too, before we

messed it up. Bet she’s got money.”

“Please,” | said, trying to keep my voice steady despite the fear clawing at my throat. “I don’t have much cash

with me, but | can get you

whatever you need. Just letgo.”

Dale laughed, the sound harsh and grating in the quiet forest. “Oh, honey, this ain't just about money. Though

we'll be taking whatever

you got. His eyes traveled overin a way that made my skin crawl. “But a pretty little thing like you, all alone

out here... well, seems

like a waste not to have a little fun first.”

The shorter man, whose n| didn’t want to know, stepped closer and reached out to touch my hair. | jerked

back instinctively, and his

expression darkened.

“Now, now,” he said, his voice taking on a threatening edge. “Don’t be unfriendly. We're just trying to help a lady

in distress.”

There was something else in the air. Another scent, cleaner and more powerful, approaching fast through the

trees.

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The sound of breaking branches and rapid footsteps made all three of us turn toward the forest. Someone was

coming, moving through the underbrush with purpose and speed that suggested either extensive wilderness

experience or supernatural ability.

“What the hell-” Dale started to say, but his words were cut off as a figure burst from the tree line.

The newcomer was tall and lean, dressed in dark jeans and a black leather jacket. But it was his hair that caught

my attention first-

golden blond, almost white in the darkness, catching the light like spun silver.

“Gentlemen,” the stranger said, his voice carrying a cultured accent that spoke of education and refinement,

though there was an

underlying tone of barely controlled violence that made my would-be attackers take an involuntary step

backward. “I believe the lady

would prefer that you leave her alone.”

“This ain't your business, pretty boy,” the shorter man snarled, though | noticed he was keeping his distance

from the newcomer. “Walk

away and pretend you didn’t see nothing.”

The blond stranger tilted his head slightly, as if considering the suggestion. “I'm afraid | can’t do that,” he said

pleasantly. “You see, | have

a terrible weakness for damsels in distress. It's a character flaw, really, but there you have it.”

Dale pulled a knife from his belt, the blade gleaming wickedly in the darkness. “I said back off. There's two of us

and one of you. Do the

math.”

“Mathematics was never my strong suit,” the stranger replied, and | could hear the smile in his voice even

though I couldn't see his face

clearly. “I was always more of a hands-on learner.”

What happened next was too fast for my human eyes to follow completely. One moment the stranger was

standing twenty feet away,

relaxed and conversational. The next moment, Dale was on the ground, his knife spinning away into the

darkness while he clutched a

wrist that was bent at an unnatural angle.

The shorter man tried to run, but the stranger moved like liquid lightning, intercepting him before he’d taken

three steps. There was a

brief struggle, a pained grunt, and then he too was on the ground, curled up and whimpering.

“Now then,” the stranger said, brushing invisible dust from his jacket as he stood over the two groaning forms. “I

suggest you gentlemen

return to whatever hole you crawled out of and forget you ever saw this lady. Because if | hear about you

bothering innocent travelers

again...” He left the threat unfinished, but the menace in his tone was unmistakable.

Dale and his companion didn’t need to be told twice. They scrambled to their feet and disappeared into the

darkness, leaving behind

only the sound of crashing branches and fading footsteps.

| stood there in the sudden silence, my heart still hammering against my ribs, trying to process what had just

happened. The stranger

turned toward me, stepping into a patch of moonlight that finally illuminated his features.

He was breathtakingly handsome, with classical features that looked like they'd been carved by a master

sculptor. High cheekbones, a

strong jaw, eyes that seemed to shift between blue and gray in the moonlight. But it was his hair that truly

caught my attention-that impossible shade of golden blond that seemed to glow with its own inner light.

“Are you injured?” he asked, moving towardwith fluid grace that spoke of predatory power barely held in

check.

“I... | think I'm okay,” | managed, though my voice was shaking badly. “Thank you. I don’t know what would have

happened if you hadn't

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shown up.”

“I have a fairly good idea,” he said grimly, his gaze flicking to my overturned car. “Can you walk? We should get

you somewhere safe and

call for help.”

| took a tentative step and immediately swayed as pain shot through my left ankle. The stranger moved forward

instantly, his arm sliding

around my waist to steady me, and the moment his skin touched mine, | felt a jolt of recognition that nearly

knockedoff my feet.

“Easy there,” he said gently, his voice softer now, concerned. “You've had quite a shock.”

“My nis Seraphina,” | said, my voice barely above a whisper as | continued to stare at him. “Seraphina

Knight.”

The moment my nleft my lips, the stranger went completely still. The arm supportingtightened almost

imperceptibly, and |

heard his sharp intake of breath.

“Sera?” he said, his voice filled with shock and disbelief. “My God... Sera? You're really Sera?”

<