Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother (Seraphina and Damien) novel Chapter 224

224 Chapter 224

Damien’s POV

I glanced at my watch. 5:47 PM.

Still had time to pick up Sera from the training facility. She’d be done by six. Maybe we could grab dinner on the way home. The kids would like that.

I reached for my jacket when my office door opened.

Emma stepped in. Her expression was serious. Professional.

“Damien, sorry to interrupt.” She held up a folder. “The reports from the northern border just came in. You said you wanted to see them immediately.”

Right. The border situation. Rogue activity had been increasing. I’d told Marcus to send updates as soon as they had intel.

“Thanks.” I took, the folder. “Just leave it. I’ll review it tonight.”

“Actually…” Emma hesitated. “They marked it urgent.

There’s been another incident. Three rogues crossed into our territory this morning.”

My jaw tightened. “Anyone hurt?”

“No casualties. But they’re getting bolder.”

Fuck.

I opened the folder. Started scanning the first page. Incident report. Timeline. Patrol responses.

This was bad. Not catastrophic. But bad enough to

need immediate attention.

“Give me ten minutes,” I muttered.

Emma nodded and left quietly.

I pulled out my phone. Typed quickly.

**Me: Something came up. Can’t pick you up today. Will be home late. Take care of the kids.**

Sent.

Then I dove into the reports.

Border breach at 0800 hours. Three rogues. Male. Mid–twenties. Aggressive but not attacking. Just… watching.

That was worse than attacking. Watching meant reconnaissance. Planning.

I flipped to the next page. Patrol response times. Engagement protocols. Marcus’s notes scribbled in the margins.

*They’re testing us. Looking for weaknesses.*

I grabbed a pen. Started making notes. Increased patrols. Double shifts on the northern perimeter. Maybe move some of the trainees up there for real–world experience.

My phone buzzed.

**Sera: What happened? Are you okay?**

I stared at the message. Should probably explain. Tell her about the border situation. Let her know I was fine.

But the reports demanded attention. Three more pages of intel. Maps. Possible entry points. Suspected rogue pack movements. I’d explain later. When I got home. When I had actual answers instead of just problems.

I set the phone down and kept reading.

By the time I finished, forty minutes had passed.

I looked up. Emma was standing in the doorway again.

“Sorry,” she said. “But there’s someone here. Says it’s urgent. About the border situation.”

I frowned. “Who?”

“An informant. He wouldn’t give his name. Just said he has intelligence about the rogues. Critical information that can’t wait.”

An informant? We had a few. People on the fringes who traded information for money or protection.

“Where is he?”

“Conference room B. Downstairs.”

I stood up. Grabbed the reports. “Let’s make this quick. I need to get home.”

Emma led the way. Down the hallway. Into the elevator. Neither of us spoke.

The elevator dinged. Third floor. Emma stepped out first.

Conference room B was at the end of the hall. The door was closed.

My chest tightened. “You’re lying.”

“I’m not.” His expression was serious now. “Look, I know we have history. I know you hate me. But this is real. Valerie knows things. Things that could help you understand.”

“Tell me,” I demanded.

“I can’t. Valerie needs to tell you herself. Face to face.” Gabriel pulled out his phone. Started scrolling. “She’s scared, Damien. Really scared. But she wants to make things right.”

“Valerie doesn’t do anything unless it benefits her.”

“Maybe.” He set his phone down. “But what if she’s telling the truth? What if she really does have information that could help Sera? Help your family?”

Our eyes locked. I searched his face for the lie. For the manipulation. For any sign this was another one of his schemes.

All I could think about was Sera. About her wolf. About what Valerie might know.

Then I smelled it.

Sweet. Too sweet. Like artificial flowers and something else. Something chemical.

“Do you smell that?” My words came out slurred. Wrong.

Emma’s face shifted. “Damien? Are you okay?”

The room tilted. My legs felt weak.

“I don’t…” I reached for the table. Missed. “Something’s wrong.”

Emma’s voice got distant. Echoing like she was speaking underwater.

“Damien!”

My vision blurred. The fluorescent lights too bright.

Then too dark.

The floor rushed up to meet me.

Or maybe I fell.

I couldn’t tell anymore.

Everything was spinning. Fading. Disappearing into a sweet–smelling darkness that I couldn’t fight.