Chapter 30 – Not My Fiance. But His Alpha Brother.

“I was eighteen,” I began, my voice rougher than intended as memories I’d buried deep began clawing their way to the surface. “Old enough to think I understood pack politics.”

Sera shifted carefully in the medical bed, making room for me to sit beside her. The mattress dipped under my weight as I settled against the headboard, grateful for the solid warmth of her presence as I prepared to excavate wounds I’d spent years learning to ignore.

“My parents had what everyone called a perfect marriage,” I continued, staring at the sterile white wall across from us rather than meeting her eyes. “Beautiful, powerful, completely devoted to each other and to our pack’s prosperity.”

The irony of those words tasted bitter now, colored by everything I’d learned in the bloody aftermath.

“What happened?” Sera asked gently, her hand never leaving my face.

“My father had an affair with his assistant,” I said, the words feeling like broken glass in my throat even after all these years. “A woman named Patricia -Gabriel’s mother. It started when I was thirteen, though I didn’t learn about it until much later.”

Sera’s fingers tightened against my cheek, offering silent support as I continued.

“When my mother found out, she was devastated. The divorce proceedings were… brutal. My father wanted to keep me as the future Alpha heir, while my mother wanted me to come with her to her family’s territory.” I closed my eyes, remembering the custody battles that had torn our pack apart. “I was angry at both of them, furious that they were destroying everything I’d believed about family and loyalty and love.”

“You were just a child,” Sera said softly. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“Wasn’t it?” I opened my eyes to meet her gaze, seeing my own pain reflected in those emerald depths. “Because the day they died, I was supposed to be at home. My mother was coming for one of her scheduled visits -the court had given her every other weekend and Wednesday evenings. But I was angry at her for the divorce, angry at my father for the affair, angry at the whole fucking situation.”

My voice grew harsher as the memories became clearer, more vivid. “Instead of going home after school, I went to a friend’s house. I stayed for dinner, then convinced them to let me spend the night. I was being petulant, trying to punish both my parents by making my mother’s visit meaningless.”

Sera’s hand moved to cover mine, squeezing tightly as she sensed where this story was leading.

“When I came home the next morning, I found them.” The words came out flat, emotionless, because that was the only way I could say them without completely falling apart. “Both of them, in my father’s study. My mother had been… she’d been torn apart. My father was slumped over his desk, his throat ripped open.”

“Oh God,” Sera breathed, tears beginning to spill down her cheeks.

“The house had been ransacked, but in a calculated way. Specific files were missing from my father’s safe, certain documents that contained sensitive pack information.”

I stood abruptly, needing to move as the restless energy of old rage began building in my chest. “Gabriel’s mother had vanished completely. No trace of her anywhere, like she’d never existed. The timing was too convenient to be coincidence.”

“You think she orchestrated it?”

“I think someone did.” I turned back to face Sera, seeing understanding dawn in her eyes. “Someone who knew my father’s security protocols, who could get close enough to disable the safeguards, who had access to pack secrets that could be sold to our enemies.”

“And Gabriel?”

My jaw clenched as I thought about my worthless half-brother. “Gabriel was twelve years old when it happened. Too young to be directly involved, but…” I shrugged, feeling the familiar weight of suspicion I’d carried for years. “I’ve never been able to trust him completely. His mother’s blood runs in his veins.”

The silence that followed was heavy with shared grief and understanding. Two orphaned wolves, both carrying the weight of unsolved murders and unanswered questions.

“So you’ve been ruling the pack since then?” Sera asked quietly.

“Yes, I’ve been carrying the responsibility since my parents died.” I managed a bitter smile. “Claire stepped in to help -she’d been my mother’s closest friend and advisor. Without her guidance, I probably would have destroyed everything my family had built.”

Sera was quiet for a long moment, processing everything I’d revealed. Then she took a deep breath, her expression growing determined.

“Damien,” she said, her voice stronger than it had been since she’d awakened. “The Moon Goddess told me something else. About seeking justice for the past, about healing more than just wounds. What if… what if our parents’ deaths are connected?”

The possibility had occurred to me, of course. Two pack massacres, both involving betrayal from within, both targeting Alpha families with specific bloodlines. But I’d buried the suspicion along with everything else that hurt too much to examine.

“It’s possible,” I admitted reluctantly. “But Sera, investigating something like that would be dangerous. We’d be stirring up old enemies, people with everything to lose if the truth came out.”

“Then we do it carefully,” she said, her emerald eyes blazing with a determination I’d never seen before. “We find out what really happened to both our families. We get justice for the people we lost.”

Seraphina’s POV

“Damien,” I said quietly, my voice still rough from exhaustion. “About the Northern Ridge Pack… when you merged those territories after your parents died, did you absorb any survivors from my family’s pack?”

His blue eyes sharpened with interest. “Some, yes. After what happened to your parents, the remaining wolves were scattered and vulnerable. Most were grateful for the protection and stability our pack could offer.”

My heart began to race with sudden hope. “Are any of them still with you? People who might remember my parents, who could tell me about my childhood before…” I swallowed hard. “Before Elizabeth and Victor took me in?”

“Several, actually, maybe. But I’m not sure whether they are alive now.” Damien’s expression grew thoughtful.

“I want to find them and meet them,” I said, trying to keep the desperate edge out of my voice. “I need to know who I really am, who my parents were before they died.”

Damien was quiet for a moment, his thumb tracing gentle patterns on the back of my hand. “The Northern Ridge territory is about a four-hour drive from here. The old lodge is still standing.”

“I need to go there,” I said, the words coming out with more urgency than I’d intended. “Damien, I need to see where I came from, to understand my heritage. These abilities I have, the healing power -I think it’s connected to that place, to my bloodline.”

His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. “Sera, the northern territories aren’t entirely safe right now. With the increased rogue activity, the border incidents -“

“Then come with me,” I interrupted, then immediately shook my head. “No, actually, don’t. Adrian needs stability right now, and you have pack business to handle. I can go alone.”

“Like hell you can,” Damien said, his voice carrying enough alpha authority to make the medical equipment hum in response. “You’re not going anywhere dangerous without protection, especially not when you’re still recovering from whatever happened today.”

I opened my mouth to argue, then closed it as I saw the implacable determination in his expression. We stared at each other for a long moment, neither willing to back down.

“How about a compromise?” I suggested finally, though I could see from his expression that he wasn’t going to like what I was about to propose.

“I’m listening.”

“I go to the Northern Ridge territory to meet these survivors, to learn about my parents and my heritage. You stay here with Adrian and handle whatever urgent pack business is keeping you up all night.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Damien, be reasonable -“

“No.” He stood abruptly, his movement sharp and predatory as he began pacing the small space. “You’re talking about traveling alone to a remote area where we’ve had multiple security incidents. You’re still weak from using powers you don’t fully understand.”

“I can take care of myself,” I said, though even I could hear how weak that sounded after everything that had happened.

“Can you?” Damien turned to face me, his blue eyes blazing with intensity.

The frustration in his voice made my own temper flare. “So what are you suggesting? That I hide here in Silver Moon Harbor like some delicate flower while other people make all the important decisions about my life?” I crossed my arms and lifted my chin defiantly. “I’ve spent five years proving I can take care of myself and my son. I’m not about to start playing the helpless omega now just because you’ve decided to go all caveman on me.”

“Caveman?” Damien’s eyebrows shot up, and despite his obvious frustration, I caught the hint of amusement tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I prefer ‘protective mate,’ thank you very much.”

“Same thing,” I shot back, though I could feel my own lips twitching with suppressed laughter. “Next you’ll be telling me I need a bodyguard to go grocery shopping.”

“Don’t tempt me,” he muttered, running his hands through his hair.

We stared at each other across the small room like children having a standoff over the last piece of cake. Despite the serious nature of our discussion, there was something almost ridiculous about two grown werewolves glaring at each other with matching stubborn expressions.

Finally, I sighed dramatically and flopped back against my pillows. “Look, you big overprotective Alpha,” I said, unable to keep the affection out of my voice despite my exasperation. “You have a pack to run, a business empire to manage, and warriors who actually listen to your orders without arguing back every five minutes.”

“Hey -” he started to protest.

“And,” I continued, holding up a finger to silence him, “Adrian needs stability. He’s just started getting attached to you, and Ophelia has already done more than anyone should ever have to do for us. I can’t ask her to basically become a single parent while we both go gallivanting off on some personal heritage quest.”

Damien opened his mouth, probably to deliver some perfectly logical counterargument, but I pressed on before he could derail my momentum.

“Besides,” I said, warming to my theme and gesticulating with the kind of animated passion that would have embarrassed me under normal circumstances, “this is something I need to do for myself.”

Damien stared at me for a long moment, his expression cycling through frustration, exasperation, and something that looked suspiciously like fondness. Then he threw back his head and laughed -a rich, genuine sound that filled the sterile medical room with warmth.

“You know what?” he said, his voice still bubbling with mirth. “You’re absolutely right. Here I am, trying to protect a woman who just saved my entire warrior unit from certain death, as if you’re some fragile thing that can’t handle a road trip.”

“Exactly!” I said triumphantly, then narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “Wait. You’re giving in way too easily. What’s the catch?”

His grin widened, taking on that wicked quality that always made my stomach do gymnastics. “Oh, there’s definitely a catch. You’re marching into that training facility and accepting the hero’s welcome you’ve earned. They are waiting for you.”

Seraphina’s POV

The moment I stepped through the doors of the Nightshadow Pack training facility, a thunderous roar of applause erupted from every corner of the warehouse space. My face immediately burned with embarrassment as I took in the sight before me -dozens of warriors, medics, and support staff had gathered, their faces beaming with genuine warmth and respect that I’d never experienced in my life.

“There she is!” Ben Thompson’s voice boomed above the noise, his broad grin splitting his scarred face as he pushed through the crowd toward me. “The miracle worker herself!”

I tried to shrink back against Damien’s solid presence behind me, but his hand settled firmly on the small of my back, offering both support and gentle encouragement.

“I really don’t think this is necessary,” I murmured, my voice barely audible over the continued applause. “I was just doing what anyone would do -“

“Like hell you were,” Marcus interrupted gruffly, though his usual scowl had been replaced by something that almost resembled a smile. “What you did yesterday… I’ve been fighting for years, and I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Ben stepped forward, his eyes bright with emotion. “You saved my life, Seraphina. These hands,” he gestured toward my still-tingling palms, “brought me back from the edge of death. How do you thank someone for something like that?”

“You don’t need to thank me,” I said quickly, overwhelmed by the intensity of his gratitude. “Really, I’m just glad you’re okay.”

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