Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

41 Chapter 41

41 Chapter 41

Seraphina’s POV T

The late afternoon sun painted Silver Moon Harbor in shades of gold and amber as Damien drove us toward the

harbor district, his expensive car gliding smoothly through the Friday traffic. Adrian was practically vibrating with

excitement in the backseat, his small face pressed against the window as he pointed out every interesting

building and boat we passed.

“Look, Mommy! That boat is huge!” he called out, his voice bright with wonder. “Do you think people live on it?”

“Speople do,” | replied, turning in my seat to smile at him. “They're called houseboats.”

“Could we live on a boat, Mr. Damien?” Adrian asked, his attention immediately shifting to our driver. “That

would be so cool! We could

sail around the world and see whales and pirates!”

Damien chuckled, that rich sound making warmth spread through my chest. “Pirates might be a little dangerous

for everyday neighbors,”

he said, catching Adrian's eyes in the rearview mirror. “But the whale-watching sounds like an excellent idea!”

I'd changed into comfortable jeans and a soft sweater as Damien had suggested, grateful to be out of the formal

work attire that had defined my interactions with him until now. There was something liberating about sitting

beside him in casual clothes, like we were just a normal couple taking their son out for an afternoon adventure

instead of a complicated tangle of mate bonds, dark pasts, and

unresolved tensions.

“Where exactly are we going?” | asked as Damien turned onto Harbor Street, the familiar scent of salt air and

seaweed drifting through

the car's air conditioning.

“Somewhere | used to go when | was Adrian’s age,” Damien replied, his voice carrying a note of nostalgia I'd

never heard before. “My

father used to takethere when pack business got too overwhelming. He said every Alpha needed a place

where they could just be a

person instead of a title.”

The car pulled into the parking area of Harbor Point Marina, where dozens of boats bobbed gently in their slips

and seagulls wheeled

overhead in lazy circles. The setting sun turned the water into liquid gold, and | could hear the soft sounds of

waves lapping against the

docks.

“Whoa, Adrian breathed as we climbed out of the car, his wide eyes taking in the forest of masts and the bustling

activity of the marina.

This place is amazing!”

Damien caround to our side of the car, and | felt that familiar flutter in my stomach as he moved close

enough forto catch his

intoxicating scent. His hand found the small of my back with casual possessiveness that sent electricity shooting

through my nervous

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system.

“There's an ice cream stand at the end of the main pier,” he said, his breath warm against my car as he spoke

quietly enough that only |

could hear, “And after that, | thought we might take a walk on the beach. Adrian mentioned he’d never built a

proper sandcastle.”

The thoughtfulness of the plan made my heart do a little flip. Here was one of the most powerful Alphas in the

werewolf world, and he'd spent tresearching what a four-year-old boy might enjoy on a Friday evening.

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“That sounds perfect,” | said softly, my voice carrying more emotion than I'd intended.

We made our way down the weathered wooden pier, Adrian running ahead to peer over the railings at the boats

below while Damien and | followed at a more sedate pace. The marina was busy with Friday evening activity,

families enjoying dinner on deck, couples walking hand in hand along the water, children feeding seagulls from

paper bags of breadcrumbs.

“Two vanilla cones and one rocky road,” Damien told the teenage boy working the ice cream stand, then glanced

atwith raised.

eyebrows.

“Vanilla is perfect,” | assured him, touched that he’d remembered my preference from scasual comment I'd

made during one of our

office conversations.

Adrian accepted his rocky road. “This is the best ice cream ever!” he announced around a mouthful of chocolate

and marshmallow. “Mr.

Damien, you're the best!”

“Just Damien,” Damien said gently, ruffling Adrian's dark curls. “We're not at work now.”

As we walked along the pier, | found myself stealing glances at Damien when | thought he wasn’t looking. With

his expensive suit jacket

discarded and his white shirt sleeves rolled up to reveal strong forearms, he looked more relaxed than I'd ever

seen him.

“Mommy!” Adrian called out from where he'd run ahead to examine a particularly impressive yacht. “Clook

at this boat! It’s like a floating castle!”

| hurried toward him, laughing at his enthusiasm, when | felt warm fingers catch my hand. Damien’s palm was

calloused from years of

physical training, but his touch was gentle as he intertwined our fingers.

Thank you,” he said quietly, his voice barely audible over the sounds of the marina around us.

“For what?”

“For givingthis.” His thumb traced a circle on the back of my hand, such a simple gesture but it sent heat

racing up my arm. “I've

never had anything like this. The three of us together... it feels right.”

The sincerity in his voice made my throat tight with emotion. “Damien...”

Before he could respond, Adrian's delighted shriek cut through our intimate moment. “The beach! Can we go to

the beach now? Please,

please, please?”

We spent the next hour building what Adrian declared to be “the most epic sandcastle in the history of the

world.” Damien, despite his expensive clothes and commanding presence, threw himself into the project with

surprising enthusiasm. He helped Adrian dig a moat, construct elaborate turrets, and even defended our creation

from the occasional wave that threatened to breach our carefully constructed fortifications.

| sat on a piece of driftwood nearby, watching these two males in my life work together with an ease that took

my breath away.

“Now we need a flag!” Adrian announced, standing back to survey their handiwork with obvious pride. “Every

castle needs a flag!”

Damien looked around the beach thoughtfully, then reached into his pocket and withdrew a business card. With

quick movements, he tore it into a triangle and fashioned it onto a small piece of driftwood Adrian had found.

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“Perfect!” Adrian clapped his hands with delight. “Now it’s really official!”

As the sun began to set, painting the sky in brilliant shades of orange and pink, we packed up our beach supplies

and made our way back toward the car. Adrian was drooping with exhaustion but fighting sleep with the

determination of a child who didn’t want the perfect

day to end.

“Can we do this again tomorrow?” he asked hopefully, his small hand slipping trustingly into Damien's larger

one. “Maybe we could build

a boat next time?”

“I think that sounds like an excellent plan,” Damien said, lifting Adrian easily when the little boy stumbled with

tiredness. “But first, you

need a good night's sleep so you'll have enough energy for tomorrow's construction projects.”

By the twe reached my apartment building, Adrian was sound asleep against Damien’s shoulder, his tiny

arms wrapped trustingly

around the Alpha’s neck.

“I'll carry him up,” Damien said quietly as we climbed the narrow stairs to my floor. “He’s heavier when he’s

sleeping.”

| fumbled with my keys, hyperaware of Damien's presence behindin the narrow hallway. The familiar scent of

sandalwood and

masculine warmth was stronger here in the confined space, making my wolf practically purr with contentment.

“Sera,” Damien’s voice was soft, barely above a whisper as | finally managed to unlock the door. “Before | put

him to bedA&,—"can | ask you

something?”

| turned to face him, noting how carefully he held Adrian's sleeping form, how his large hands cradled my son

like something infinitely

precious. “Of course.”

“When you think about Adrian's father,” he said carefully, his blue eyes searching my face for something |

couldn't identify, “do you ever

wish things had been different? That he'd stayed, tried to find you?”

The question caughtcompletely off guard. | studied his expression, trying to understand what he was really

asking, why it seemed so

important to him.

“Every day, | admitted honestly, my voice barely audible. “Not because | need rescuing or anything like that.

Adrian deserves to know his

father. He deserves to have someone who chose to be there, not just someone who accidentally created him.”

“And if that man showed up tomorrow?”

“I don’t know,” | whispered honestly. “I guess I'd want to hear his explanation before | decided whether to forgive

him or tear his throat

out.”

Damien's laugh was quiet but genuine. “Fair enough.”

| led him into Adrian's small room and watched as he settled my son into his dinosaur-covered bed with the

gentle care of someone who'd done this a hundred times before. Adrian stirred slightly as Damien pulled the

blankets up to his chin, but didn't wake.

“Sweet dreams, little man,” Damien murmured, his voice so soft | almost didn’t hear it.

When we returned to the living room, the atmosphere between us shifted again. The casual family dynamic we'd

shared at the beach was replaced by something more electric, more adult. | was suddenly hyperaware that we

were alone, that Adrian was asleep down the hall,

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that nothing was stopping us from finishing what we'd started in my bedroom the night before.

“I should go,” Damien said, but he made no move toward the door. Instead, he stepped closer, close enough that

| had to tilt my head back to look into his eyes.

“Should you?” | asked, my voice coming out breathier than intended.

His hand cup to cup my face, his thumb tracing the line of my cheekbone with exquisite gentleness. “I don’t

want to rush this,” he

said, his voice rough with barely controlled desire. “You've been through so much. I don’t want you to think I'm

taking advantage.”

“What if | want you to take advantage?” The words slipped out before | could stop them, making heat flood

my

cheeks.

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