Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother - Chapter 286

Chapter 286: Chapter 286
Seraphina’s POV

The cafe was small. Cozy. The kind of place with mismatched furniture and the smell of fresh coffee baked into the walls.

Ophelia found us a corner booth. Away from the windows. Away from curious eyes.

Caleb slid in across from me. His brown eyes hadn’t stopped searching my face since we sat down. Like he was trying to memorize every detail. Like he still couldn’t believe I was real.

“So.” He wrapped his hands around his coffee mug. “Where do I even start?”

“I’ll start.” I took a breath. “I owe you an explanation. A long one.”

Ophelia squeezed my hand under the table. Support. Encouragement.

“After I left your family’s place…” The memories rushed back. Sharp. Painful. “I went to the human world. Didn’t know what else to do. Didn’t have anywhere to go.”

Caleb’s jaw tightened.

“I needed money. Needed to survive.” I stared at my tea. “So I started fighting. Underground boxing rings. Illegal stuff. But it paid well.”

“Jesus, Sera.” He leaned back. Shock written across his face. “You were fighting humans? For money?”

“I was good at it.” A bitter smile crossed my lips. “All that anger I had inside. All that pain. I put it into my fists.”

Ophelia squeezed my hand again. She knew this story. Had heard pieces of it before.

“Then Damien found me.” I continued. “He tracked me down. Brought me back to his pack.”

Caleb’s eyebrows shot up.

“It’s a long story.” I wrapped my hands around my tea. Let the warmth ground me. “But yes. He found me. Brought me home. And then…”

I paused. The next part was harder.

“We had problems. A lot of them. Trust issues. Misunderstandings. People trying to tear us apart.” I thought of Gabriel. Emma. All the lies and betrayals. “There were times I thought we wouldn’t make it.”

“But you did.” Caleb’s voice was gentle.

“We did.” I smiled despite the painful memories. “It took time. Patience. A lot of fights and a lot of forgiveness. But we figured it out.”

“And then came the rogues.” I took a sip of tea. Steadied myself. “Voss and his army. They’d been threatening the pack for years. Finally, we had to face them head-on.”

Caleb leaned forward. Intense. “The war at the border. I heard about that. Everyone did.”

“It was bad.” I didn’t elaborate. Couldn’t. Some things were too fresh. “But we won. Voss is dead. The rogues are scattered. It’s finally over.”

By the time I finished, my tea was cold. Caleb’s coffee sat untouched.

“Jesus, Sera.” He ran a hand through his blonde hair. “That’s… that’s a lot.”

“I know.”

“And you didn’t contact me because…?”

“At first, there was too much chaos. Damien and I were fighting. Constantly. I didn’t want to drag anyone else into my mess.” I looked down at my hands. “Then the war started. And I was terrified that if anyone connected me to you, Voss might target your family.”

Caleb’s expression softened. “You were protecting us.”

“Or trying to.” I finally met his eyes. “I’m sorry. I should have found a way. Should have at least let you know I was okay.”

“You’re here now.” He reached across the table. Squeezed my hand briefly. “That’s what matters.”

The gesture was familiar. Comforting. Like no time had passed at all.

“So.” He sat back. A grin spreading across his face. “You’re mated to an Alpha. Have two kids. Survived a war. And now…”

“Pregnant again.” I couldn’t help smiling. “Twins.”

“Twins!” His laugh echoed through the cafe. Genuine. Warm. “Damn, Sera. When you do something, you really commit.”

Ophelia giggled. “That’s what I said!”

The tension broke. Suddenly we were all laughing. The weight of the past lifting just a little.

“Your parents.” I sobered first. “How are they? Margaret and Robert?”

Caleb’s smile turned gentle. “They’re good. Still in the same house. Still asking about you every time I visit.”

My heart clenched. “They do?”

“Mom keeps your room exactly the way you left it.” He shook his head. “She lights a candle for you every full moon. Prays to the Moon Goddess for your safety.”

Tears pricked my eyes. Margaret. The woman who’d shown me what a real mother looked like. Even if only for a short time.

“They miss you, Sera.” Caleb’s voice dropped. “A lot. They never stopped hoping you’d come back.”

“I want to see them.” The words rushed out before I could stop them. “I want to bring the kids. Show them where I came from. Introduce them to—”

I stopped. Caught myself.

“To what?” Caleb prompted.

“To the closest thing I had to a real family. Before Damien.”

Silence fell. Heavy with emotion. With years of separation finally coming to an end.

“They’d love that.” Caleb’s voice was thick. “Mom would probably cry for a week straight. But she’d love it.”

“Then it’s settled.” I wiped my eyes. Smiled. “As soon as things calm down. We’ll visit.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

Ophelia cleared her throat. “Okay, enough sad stuff. Caleb—what brings you to Silver Moon Harbor? You’re a long way from the border.”

He shifted in his seat. “Business actually. I run a repair shop back home. Came here to pick up some parts. Specialty stuff you can’t get anywhere else.”

“That’s amazing, Caleb.”

“It pays the bills.” He shrugged. But his smile said more than modesty allowed. “Keeps me busy. Keeps me out of trouble.”

“Trouble.” Ophelia raised an eyebrow. “What kind of trouble would a nice guy like you get into?”

Was she… flirting?

Caleb’s ears went slightly pink. “The usual kind. Bar fights. Rogue scuffles. You know how it is near the border.”

“Sounds dangerous.” Ophelia leaned forward. Interested. “Must be exciting though. Living on the edge like that.”

Definitely flirting.

I bit back a smile. Watched the exchange with growing amusement.

“Exciting isn’t the word I’d use.” Caleb laughed nervously. “Exhausting maybe. Cold definitely. Boring mostly.”

“Boring?” Ophelia tilted her head. “I find that hard to believe. A strong, capable guy like you? Running his own business? I’m sure plenty happens.”

Caleb’s face was fully red now. “I mean… sometimes… it’s not all—”

“We should get going.” I took pity on him. Checked my phone. “Damien will wonder where we disappeared to.”

“Right. Yes.” Caleb stood quickly. Grateful for the escape. “I should head out too. Still need to load up my truck.”

We gathered our shopping bags. All fifteen of them. The pile looked ridiculous.

“Let me get the check.” Ophelia started toward the counter.

“No way.” Caleb stepped in front of her. “I’ve got it.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You were our guest.”

“And you two just shared the craziest story I’ve ever heard. Least I can do is buy coffee.”

“Caleb—”

“Ophelia.” He said her name firmly. Gently. “Please. Let me.”

Their eyes met. Something passed between them. A spark. A moment.

Ophelia’s card slipped from her fingers. Fell to the floor.

They both bent to grab it. Heads nearly colliding. Hands brushing.

Caleb got there first. Picked up the card. Held it out to her.

Their fingers touched.

“Here.” His voice was softer now. Almost tender.

“Thanks.” Ophelia’s cheeks flushed pink. “I’m usually not this clumsy.”

“It’s charming.”

She laughed. Nervous. Nothing like her usual confident self.

I watched the whole thing unfold. My best friend. My childhood friend. Having a moment right in front of me.

Caleb straightened. Cleared his throat. “I’ll just… go pay now.”

He escaped to the counter. Left Ophelia standing there holding her card like it was made of gold.

I sidled up next to her. “So.”

“Don’t.” She held up a hand. Face still flushed.

“I wasn’t going to say anything.”

“Your face is saying everything.”

“My face is perfectly neutral.”

She glared at me. I grinned back.

Caleb returned a moment later. Transaction complete. Awkwardness lingering.

“It was good to see you, Sera.” He pulled me into a hug. Warm. Brief. Brotherly. “Don’t be a stranger this time, okay?”

“I won’t. I promise.”

He turned to Ophelia. Hesitated. Extended his hand.

She shook it. Professional. Distant. The complete opposite of five seconds ago.

“Nice meeting you, Ophelia.”

“You too. Caleb.”

More eye contact. More electricity.

Then he was gone. Walking out the door. Disappearing into the afternoon crowd.

I counted to three.

“So.” I turned to Ophelia. “That was interesting.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The blushing. The fumbling. The ‘it’s charming’ comment.”

“He was just being polite.”

“He was being smitten.”

Ophelia dropped into the nearest chair. Her face still red. Her eyes slightly dazed.

“He’s…” She started. Stopped. Tried again. “He’s really…”

“Really what?”

She looked up at me. That flustered expression melting into something softer. Something I hadn’t seen on her face before.

“He’s quite the gentleman, isn’t he?” The words came out dreamy. Almost sighing.