Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother - Chapter 203

Chapter 203: Chapter 203
Damien’s POV

The front door closed behind me with a soft click.

Home.

I stood in the foyer for a moment, trying to shake off the darkness clinging to me like a second skin. The rage. The desperation. The way I’d pinned her down and—

*Stop. Not here. Not now.*

“Daddy?”

The small voice cut through my spiraling thoughts like sunshine through storm clouds.

Lily.

I turned toward the stairs and there she was. My baby girl. Standing on the landing in her pink pajamas with little unicorns on them. Her dark hair was a mess of tangles. One sock was missing. She looked absolutely perfect.

“Daddy!” She squealed and came running down the stairs so fast I thought she’d trip. “You’re home!”

I caught her mid-leap. She crashed into my arms with enough force to make me stumble back a step. Her small arms wrapped around my neck in a stranglehold.

“Hey, baby girl.” I buried my face in her hair. Breathed in that innocent child scent of baby shampoo and syrup from breakfast. “I missed you.”

“I missed you more!” She pulled back to look at my face. Her ocean-blue eyes—so much like mine, so much like her mother’s—scanned me with the seriousness only a three-year-old could manage. “Where were you? You didn’t come home last night!”

“I had work stuff.” The lie came easily. “Important business.”

“But you always come home!” Her bottom lip pushed out in that devastating pout. “I waked up and you weren’t here and I got scared!”

My chest tightened. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Sometimes Daddy has to work late.”

“But not too late!” She grabbed my face with both her small hands. Her grip was surprisingly strong. “You’re not allowed to not come home! That’s the rule!”

“You’re right.” I kissed her forehead. “That is the rule. And I’m sorry I broke it.”

“You have to make it up to me.” She said it with such authority that I almost smiled. “Lots of cuddles. And maybe ice cream. For breakfast.”

“For breakfast?”

“Yes!” She bounced in my arms. “Chocolate ice cream with sprinkles and gummy bears!”

“That’s not breakfast. That’s a sugar coma.”

“Please?” She drew out the word into multiple syllables. “Pleeeease? I’ll be good forever and ever!”

“Forever’s a long time, baby.”

“I mean it!” Her face was so serious. “I’ll eat all my vegetables and go to bed on time and not put my toys in Adrian’s bed anymore!”

“You’ve been putting toys in Adrian’s bed?”

“Maybe.” She buried her face in my shoulder. “But only a little bit!”

I couldn’t help it. I laughed. The sound felt strange after last night. After the darkness. But here, with my daughter in my arms, I could almost pretend everything was normal.

“Daddy?” Her voice got quieter. Uncertain. “Are you okay?”

I pulled back to look at her. “Why do you ask that?”

“You look sad.” She touched my face gently. Her little fingers tracing the lines around my eyes. “Are you crying?”

“No, baby. I’m not crying.”

“But your eyes are red. Like when people cry in sad movies.”

“I’m just tired,” I said. “Daddy didn’t sleep much last night.”

She studied me for another moment. Then she wrapped her arms around my neck again and squeezed tight. “It’s okay, Daddy. I’m here now. I’ll make you feel better.”

My throat closed up completely. This perfect, innocent little person who thought her hugs could fix anything.

“Thanks, baby girl.” I managed to get the words out. “You already do.”

“Adrian!” Lily suddenly shouted over my shoulder. “Daddy’s home!”

I turned to find my son standing at the top of the stairs. Eight years old and trying so hard to look like he didn’t care. But I could see the relief in his eyes. The way his shoulders relaxed slightly when he saw me.

“Hey, buddy.” I shifted Lily to one arm so I could hold out the other. “Come here.”

He hesitated. Then he came down the stairs with that careful dignity of a kid trying to be grown up. But when he reached me, he let me pull him in for a hug anyway.

“You were gone all night,” he said into my shirt. Not accusing. Just stating fact.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” He pulled back quickly. Too quickly. “I’m not a baby like Lily. I don’t need you home every night.”

I carried Lily toward the kitchen. Adrian followed a few steps behind. The nanny looked up from where she was cleaning up breakfast dishes.

“Mr. Nightshadow!” She looked relieved to see me. “I was starting to worry. You didn’t answer my texts.”

“Sorry. Phone died.” Another lie. My phone was perfectly fine. I’d just been too focused on Sera to check it. “Everything okay here?”

“Fine. The children were perfect angels.” She smiled at Lily, who beamed back.

Lily wiggled out of my arms and ran to the fridge. “So about that ice cream…”

“No ice cream for breakfast.” I caught her before she could open the freezer. “But I’ll make you pancakes. How’s that?”

“With chocolate chips?”

“With chocolate chips.”

“And whipped cream?”

“Don’t push your luck, baby.”

The next hour passed in a blur of domestic normalcy. I made pancakes—with chocolate chips for Lily and blueberries for Adrian. They fought over who got to flip them. Lily got syrup everywhere. Adrian lectured her about table manners.

It was perfect. Simple.

And all I could think about was her.

Sera. Locked in that hotel room. Probably terrified. Probably hating me.

I needed to tell them. About their mother. About bringing her home.

But how? How did you explain to children that their mother was alive and back.

“Hey.” I waited until they’d finished eating. Until they were settled at the table with full stomachs and happy faces. “I need to talk to you guys about something.”

Lily’s eyes went wide. “Are we in trouble?”

“No. Nothing like that.” I took a deep breath. “I need to tell you about… about someone very important. Someone you’re going to meet soon.”

Adrian’s expression shifted. Cautious. Guarded. “Who?”

“I can’t tell you yet.” I held up a hand before they could protest. “But I promise it’s good. Really good. This person… they’ve been away for a long time. And they’re back now. But they’re also very sick. Very weak. So they need time to get better before you can see them.”

“Is it a surprise?” Lily bounced in her seat. “I love surprises!”

“Yeah, baby. It’s a surprise.”

“But who?” Lily was practically vibrating with excitement now. “Tell us! Tell us!”

“Soon.” I tapped her nose. “I’ll tell you soon. But first, this person needs to get stronger. And you two need to promise me something.”

“What?” They said it in unison.

“Promise me you’ll be patient. And kind. And gentle when you finally meet them. Because they’ve been through a lot. They’re probably going to be nervous. Maybe even scared. So we need to be extra nice, okay?”

“Then I’ll be super gentle!” She declared. “I’ll use my inside voice and everything!”

“That’s my girl.” I looked at Adrian. “What about you, bud? Think you can do that?”

He was quiet for a moment. Then he nodded slowly. “Yeah. I can do that.”

“Good.” I stood up. “Now, how about we build that Lego castle you’ve been wanting to make? The big one?”

“Really?” Adrian’s face lit up. “The one with the dragon?”

“The one with the dragon.”

“YES!” Both kids jumped up, already racing toward the playroom.

I followed more slowly. I watched them for a few minutes. Memorizing this moment. Before everything changed again.

Then I stepped out into the hallway and pulled out my phone.

Lucas answered on the second ring. “Damien? Everything okay?”

“I need you to do something for me.”

“What?”

“The hotel where I’m keeping Sera. I need you to increase security.”