Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

44 Chapter 44

44 Chapter 44

Seraphina’s POV 1

The Nightshadow Pack training facility was nothing like what I'd expected. Located in a converted warehouse on

the outskirts of Silver

Moon Harbor, the space was massive-high ceilings supported by steel beams, concrete floors worn smooth by

countless hours of

combat practice, and the kind of industrial lighting that cast everything in harsh, unforgiving angles.

The scent hitthe moment | walked through the doors: sweat, testosterone, and the metallic tang of blood

from countless sparring sessions. My wolf Ayla stirred uneasily in my mind, overwhelmed by the aggressive alpha

energy that saturated the air like humidity

before a storm.

“Second thoughts?” Damien asked quietly, his hand settling on the small of my back. He'd changed out of his

expensive suit into black

tactical pants and a fitted t-shirt that showcased every sculpted muscle of his torso. The transformation from

corporate executive to

deadly predator was both thrilling and intimidating.

“Not a chance,” | replied, though my voice cout slightly breathless as | took in the dozen or so warriors

scattered throughout the

space. Almost all male massive, intimidating specimens who looked like they could bench press small cars

without breaking a sweat.

And every single one of them had stopped what they were doing to stare at

“Alpha,” a gravelly voice called from across the room. A man who looked to be in his forties approached us, his

scarred face set in lines of

barely concealed disapproval. His brown hair was streaked with silver, and a jagged scar ran from his left temple

to the corner of his

mouth, suggesting he’d seen serious combat. “This is the omega?”

“Marcu,” Damien's voice carried a warning edge that made several nearby wolves take automatic steps

backward. “Meet Seraphina

Knight. She’ll be training with us on weekday afternoons.”

Marcus lookedup and down with obvious skepticism, taking in my workout clothes-yoga pants and a fitted

tank top that suddenly

felt completely inadequate for this testosterone-fueled environment. “With respect, Alpha, training is for

warriors. We don’t have tto

babysit desk workers who want to play soldier.”

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Heat flooded my cheeks, but before | could respond, another voice cut through the tension.

“Oh, coff it, Marcus.” A woman emerged from behind one of the heavy punching bags, wiping sweat from

her forehead with a towel.

She was probably my age, with shoulder-length auburn hair pulled back in a practical ponytail and the kind of

lean, muscular build that

spoke of serious athleticism. Unlike the intimidating males surrounding us, her smile was warm and genuinely

welcoming. “Not everyone can be born with your charming personality.”

She extended a hand toward me, ignoring Marcus's glare. “I'm Riley Santos. | spend most of my ttrying to

teach these knuckleheads

that there's more to combat than brute force.”

“Seraphina Knight,” | replied, grateful for her friendly demeanor. “And I'm definitely looking forward to learning

more than brute force.”

“Santos,” Marcus growled, “she’s an omega. One hit from any of these warriors and she'll be in the hospital. It's

a liability we can’t afford.”

“Then don't hit her that hard, Riley shot back with the kind of casual confidence that suggested she regularly

stood up to Marcus's

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intimidation tactics. “Besides, didn’t you hear about what happened to that blonde bitch who tried to mess with

her? Word is she put Valerie Nightshadow in the hospital with her bare hands.”

Several of the warriors exchanged glances, clearly hearing this story for the first time. “That's different,” Marcus

insisted. “Civilian combat isn’t the sas warrior training. She'll get herself killed.”

“Only one way to find out,” | said, surprised by the steel in my own voice. “Unless you're too worried about your

reputation to risk training someone who might actually be capable of learning.”

The silence that followed was deafening. Even the sound of weights clanking and punching bags being hit faded

as every wolf in the

facility turned to stare at the omega who'd just challenged their head trainer.

Marcus's scarred face darkened with what looked suspiciously like anticipation. “Fine,” he said, moving toward

the center of the training

mat with predatory grace. “Let's see what you've got, omega.”

“Marcus,” Damien’s voice cracked like a whip across the space. “You will treat her with the srespect you'd

show any other trainee.

That means you don’t try to intimidate her, embarrass her, or prove a point at her expense. Are we clear?”

For a moment, | thought Marcus might argue. Then his gaze shifted between Damien and me, and something

calculating flickered in his

expression. “Crystal clear, Alpha.”

The next two hours were the most physically and mentally challenging of my life. Marcus putthrough a

series of basic exercises

designed to test strength, speed, and endurance&€” push-ups, sprints, defensive maneuvers, and reaction drills

that leftgasping and

drenched in sweat.

But the most challenging part wasn’t the physical demand&a€”it was the constant commentary from the peanut

gallery.

“Watch her form on those push-ups,” one warrior muttered to his partner. “She’s gonna hurt herself.”

“Ten bucks says she quits before the first hour is up,” another added with a snicker.

“Should we call an ambulance now or wait until she passes out?”

Each snide comment was like a match struck against my determination. Instead of breaking my resolve, their

skepticism fueled

something fierce and stubborn in my chest. I'd spent my entire life being underestimated, dismissed, written off

as weak and worthless.

Not today.

When Marcus demonstrated a defensive move designed to counter a larger opponent's attack, | watched with

laser focus, memorizing

every detail. When it was my turn to attempt it, | threw myself into the technique with everything I had.

“Not bad, Riley called out encouragingly when | managed to successfully deflect her practice attack. “Your center

of gravity is naturally

lower than most of the guys here, Use that advantage.”

Riley becmy closest ally in the training facility, staying after official sessions ended to work withon

technique.

“You know,” Riley said as we shared protein shakes after an especially intense session, “I've never seen Marcus

look actually impressed by

a trainee before. But just now, when you managed to pin Jake using that sweep we'd been working on, | swear |

saw him smile.”

“He seems don’t smile,” | protested, though warmth spread through my chest at the compliment. “He has two

expressions: disapproving

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44 Chapter 44

and deeply disapproving.” 1

Riley grinned, then her expression grew more serious. “Can | ask you something personal?”

“Sure.”

“What really happened that night with Valerie? The rumors are getting pretty wild, and Marcus has been asking

questions about your

background.”

“She threatened my son,” | said simply. “And | discovered I'm capable of more than | thought when it comes to

protecting him.”

Riley nodded slowly. “Maternal instincts are powerful things. But Sera... if there’s more to it than that, if you need

someone to talk to

about pack politics or bloodline complications, I've seen sstrange things in my there. I'm good at

keeping secrets.”

Before | could respond, the training facility’s main door burst open with a crash that echoed through the space

like a gunshot. A warrior

| didn’t recognize stumbled through the entrance, his clothes torn and bloodied, one arm hanging useless at his

side.

“Border attack,” he gasped, his voice carrying clearly across the suddenly silent facility. “Multiple casualties.

They need all available

fighters now.”

The effect was immediate. Every warrior in the facility dropped what they were doing and began grabbing gear,

their casual afternoon

training transformed into urgent preparation for battle.

1

“Where?” Marcus demanded, already strapping on weapons with the efficiency of long practice.

“Eastern sector, near the logging roads. Rogues, at least a dozen of them. They hit the patrol hard and fast.” The

messenger swayed on

his feet, and | could see bone gleaming white through a gash on his forearm. “Beta Lucas’s down bad, and

Thompson...” He shook his

head grimly.

Riley grabbed my arm. “Con,” she said, her earlier lighthearted demeanor completely gone. “The medical

bay is in the back. They'll

be bringing in wounded, and we'll need all the help we can get.”

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