Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

37 Chapter 37

37 Chapter 37

Damien’s POV 1

The sight of Sera lying unconscious and injured in her small bed made something primal and murderous rise in

my chest. Her torn clothing, the dried blood at the corner of her mouth, the violent bruise spreading across her

delicate cheek-each detail was like gasoline thrown on the fire of my rage.

*Someone hurt our mate, * Alex snarled in my mind, his mental voice sharp with protective fury. *Find them. Kill

them. *

But beneath the rage was something else—an overwhelming need to kiss and possess her, to leave my mark on

her bare breast. | set

down the soup I'd brought and moved to the small bathroom, gathering clean washcloths and a bowl of warm

water.

When | returned to her bedside, | hesitated for a moment, my hands hovering over the torn fabric of her blouse.

The mate bond between

us hummed with awareness, and despite her unconscious state, my body responded to her proximity with an

intensity that made my

pants uncomfortably tight.

*Focus,* | commanded myself sternly. *She’s hurt. She needs care, not your lack of control.*

| began cleaning the dried blood from her face with gentle strokes, careful not to apply too much pressure to the

bruised areas. Her skin

was soft as silk beneath the cloth, and | found myself marveling at the delicate bone structure of her face, the

way her dark lashes fanned

across her cheeks.

The torn blouse had to go. As carefully as possible, | eased the damaged fabric off her shoulders, trying not to

think about the way the

movement revealed the creamy expanse of her skin. Her bra was shredded beyond repair, the delicate lace

hanging in tatters.

My breath caught in my throat as | took in the sight of her bare chest-pale skin marked with bruises that made

my wolf howl with rage,

but also curves that were absolutely perfect. Her breasts were full and round, the nipples a soft pink that seemed

to call to my mouth.

*Stop.* | commanded myself, even as heat pooled low in my belly. *She’s unconscious and injured. Have some

fucking dignity.*

| forced myself to focus on the task at hand, using the warm cloth to gently clean away dirt and dried sweat from

her skin. Each stroke

was careful, clinical, though my hands trembled slightly as they moved over the soft curves of her body.

| eased the nightgown over her head, carefully maneuvering her unconscious form to get her arms through the

sleeves. The simple

cotton felt like silk beneath my fingers, and I had to resist the urge to let my hands linger on her skin longer than

necessary.

As | was pulling the covers up to her chin, Sera stirred slightly, a soft moan escaping her lips. Her eyelashes

fluttered, and then those

magnificent emerald eyes opened, unfocused and confused as they tried to make sense of her surroundings.

“This is quite the development,” she said, her voice hoarse but carrying a hint of her usual spirit. “What exactly

is happening here, Alpha?

Are you reenacting Sleeping Beauty?”

“Something like that, I admitted, settling into the small chair beside her bed. “Though I think you're mixing up

your fairy tales. Sleeping Beauty didn’t wake up making smart remarks.”

“Maybe she should have,” Sera said, trying to push herself up into a sitting position and immediately wincing as

the movement sent pain

in

37 Chapter 37

shooting through her ribs. “Would have made the story more interesting.”

“Easy,” | said, reaching out instinctively to steady her. “You've been through hell tonight. Just rest.”

“Adrian,” she said suddenly, panic flashing in her eyes as full awareness returned. “Where's Adrian? Is he safe?

Did they hurt him?”

“He's fine,” | assured her quickly, my hand settling on her shoulder to keep her from trying to get up. “I found

him in the border forests

and brought him home. He had dinner, toldabout fifteen different dinosaurs in remarkable detail, and is now

sleeping peacefully in

his room.”

Relief flooded her features, so intense that tears began spilling down her cheeks. “Thank you,” she whispered,

her voice breaking with

emotion. “God, Damien, thank you. | was so scared. When | realized they'd taken him...”

“Who did this to you?” The question cout rougher than intended, my protective instincts overriding my

attempt to remain calm.

Sera’s expression darkened, pain and anger warring in her green eyes. “My loving family,” she said bitterly.

“Elizabeth, my adopted

mother called, demanded | chome. When | got there, they had sdisgusting old man named Harold

waiting-apparently they'd

arranged to sellto him like livestock.”

White-hot rage exploded through my system. “They what?”

“Fifty thousand dollars for one lightly used omega,” Sera continued, her voice growing stronger with fury. “Harold

was quite excited about the prospect of having a young wife who could bear children. Elizabeth thought it was

the perfect solution to their financial

problems.”

| was on my feet before | realized I'd moved, my hands clenched into fists as Alex howled for blood in my mind.

“Givenames,” | said,

my voice carrying enough alpha authority to make the windows rattle. “Addresses. | want every detail.”

“Damien, no.” Sera’s hand shot out to grab my wrist, her fingers surprisingly strong despite her weakened state.

“They're not worth it. |

handled it.”

“You were beaten unconscious!”

“After | put Harold in the hospital and left Elizabeth bleeding on the floor.” A fierce smile curved her lips,

transforming her face from

beautiful to absolutely magnificent. “Turns out omega doesn’t mean helpless. Who knew?”

The pride in her voice made my chest swell with something that felt dangerously close to admiration. My mate

was a fighter.

But before | could respond, Sera’s expression shifted, becoming distant and cold. “Anyway,” she said, pulling her

hand away from mine and settling back against her pillows, “thank you for bringing Adrian hsafely. I'm sure

you have more important things to deal with than babysitting a beaten-up omega and her son.”

“Sera-"

“Really, Damien, you should go.” Her voice was carefully polite, but there was something underneath it that

made my wolf whimper with distress. “I'm sure Anna is wondering where you are. After all, you wouldn’t want to

keep your fiancée waiting”

“Sera, it's not what you think-"

She turned her face away from me, focusing on the wall instead of meeting my eyes. “She has your pendant,

Damien.”

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“Don’t waste your twith me,” Sera continued, her voice growing stronger and more cutting with each word.

“I'm just the omega

employee who you happened to sleep with in a moment of weakness. Anna is your real mate, the one you've

been searching for. Don’t let