Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother novel Chapter 175

175 Chapter 175

175 Chapter 175

Seraphina’s POV 1

The question hung in the air like a guillotine blade.

*Are you still in love with Damien?*

My fork clattered onto my plate. Lasagna suddenly tasted like cardboard. Like ashes. Like every mistake I’d ever made.

“I-” My voice cracked. “That’s not-”

“Mom.” Caleb’s voice carried a warning. “Don’t.”

But Margaret wasn’t looking at him. She was looking at me with those kind, knowing eyes that saw right through every wall I’d built.

“Honey,” she said softly. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. But I think maybe you need to.”

My hands were shaking. I pressed them flat against the table, trying to stop the tremors. Trying to stop the flood of memories that

threatened to drown me.

*Damien’s voice. Adrian’s laugh. Lily’s tiny hand wrapped around my finger.*

“I can’t think about them,” I whispered. The words barely made it past my lips. “If I think about them, I’ll—”

Break. Fall apart. Run back and beg them to take me even though I’m not good enough. 1

I closed my eyes.

Three years of discipline. Three years of forcing myself not to wonder. Not to imagine. Not to *feel*.

But Margaret had cracked that door open, and everything came flooding through.

“Lily’s three now,” I said, my voice breaking. “Three years old. She was just a baby when I left. She probably doesn’t even remember me.”

The tears came hot and fast. I couldn’t stop them.

“And Adrian–Adrian’s eight. He’s probably lost teeth. Learned to read chapter books. Made new friends. Grown so tall I wouldn’t

recognize him.”

My chest felt like it was splitting open. All the pain I’d been holding back for three years, all the longing and guilt and desperate love, it

all came pouring out.

“Do they hate me?” The question tore out of me. “Do they wake up every morning and hate me for leaving them?”

“Oh, sweetheart.” Margaret was around the table in seconds, pulling me into her arms. “No. No, babies, they could never hate you.” 1

“You don’t know that.” I sobbed into her shoulder like a child. “I abandoned them. What kind of mother abandons her children?”

Robert’s chair scraped back. He moved to Margaret’s side, his hand landing on my shoulder. Warm. Solid. Safe.

“You survived,” he said quietly. “That takes more strength than you know.”

I pulled back, wiping my face with my hands. My eyes were probably swollen and red. My nose was running. I was a complete mess.

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175 Chapter 175

“I tried so hard not to think about them,” I admitted. “Every day for three years, I woke up and told myself I couldn’t let myself wonder.. Couldn’t let myself imagine what they were doing. Because if I did…”

“You’d break,” Margaret finished.

“Yeah.”

Silence settled over the table. Not uncomfortable. Just heavy with things that needed to be said.

“But you’re stronger now,” Robert pointed out. “You’ve built a life. Made yourself stable.”

“So what?” I laughed bitterly. “I’m supposed to just show back up? ‘Hey kids, sorry I abandoned you for three years, but I’m doing great

now!‘”

“That’s not what I’m saying-”

“I miss him,” I whispered. “I miss Damien so much it feels like I’m missing a limb. Like part of me is just… gone.”

“Then maybe-”

“No.” I pulled my hand back, my walls slamming back up. “No. I can’t think like that. I left for good reasons. Nothing’s changed.”

“Everything’s changed,” Margaret said softly. “You’ve changed.”

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“Not enough.” My voice was flat now. Dead. “I’m still human. Still weak. Still not good enough for an Alpha and his pack.” 1

The silence that followed was broken only by the sound of my ragged breathing and the tick of the kitchen clock.

Then Margaret cleared her throat, changing gears with obvious effort.

“Well,” she said, her voice taking on that forced brightness people used when trying to move past heavy topics. “Speaking of change…

Sera, honey, have you thought about dating? Maybe meeting someone new?”

Oh God. Here we go.

“Mom,” Caleb warned again.

“What? I’m just saying! Three years is a long time to be alone. And you’re so young, so pretty-”

“Margaret, please-”

I pushed lasagna around my plate, not looking at anyone. “The guys at the gym are…” I searched for words. “Not really dating material.

They’re fighters. Brutal. Most of them have more scars than social skills.”

“Well, what about outside the gym?” Margaret pressed. “Coffee shops? Bookstores? Those places where normal people meet?”

“I don’t really go to those places.”

“Why not?”

“I’m just not interested in dating right now,” I said finally. “Maybe someday. But not now.” 1

Margaret exchanged a look with Robert.

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175 Chapter 175

“What about Caleb?” she said suddenly.

I nearly choked on my water, “What?”

“Mom!” Caleb’s face went bright red. “Absolutely not. We are not doing this.”

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