The Alpha Who Never Loved Me (Serena and Kieran) novel Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Kieran’s pov

The boy's fever broke around midnight.

I watched his small chest rise and fall, steady now, the flush fading from his cheeks. Sophie had finally stopped crying, her head resting against my shoulder as exhaustion pulled her toward sleep.

"Thank you," she murmured. "I don't know what I would have done without you."

"You don't have to do anything." I brushed a strand of hair from her face. "I told you, I'm here."

She smiled weakly and closed her eyes.

It wasn't until I stepped into the hallway that I remembered Serena.

I pulled out my phone and dialed her number.

The number you are trying to reach is unavailable.

I frowned and tried again. Same result.

What the hell?

Serena never turned off her phone. Even when she was angry with me which happened often enough, she always kept it on, waiting for me to call and apologize. It was part of her pattern: sulk, pout, wait for me to coax her back into good spirits.

This was different.

I was about to call again when something on the floor caught my eye.

The bracelet.

I bent down and picked it up, turning it over in my hands. The clasp was broken, bent at an odd angle like someone had ripped it off with force.

My blood ran cold.

Had she been here? Did she see us?

"Kieran?" Sophie appeared in the doorway, her brow creased with concern. "Is everything okay?"

I slipped the bracelet into my pocket. "Fine. I need to go home."

"Of course." She stepped closer, guilt flickering across her features. "I'm so sorry for monopolizing your time. Your wife must be upset with you."

"Don't worry about it." I grabbed my jacket, already moving toward the elevator. "Serena's not the type to cause problems. She knows her place."

I drove straight home. The house was dark when I arrived.

I found Serena in our bedroom, curled on her side with her back to the door. The curtains were drawn, and she didn't stir when I entered.

I stood there for a long moment, studying the rigid line of her shoulders. If she'd seen me with Sophie at the hospital, she would have confronted me. That was Serena's way, demanding explanations and refusing to let anything go until she'd worn herself out with accusations.

I exhaled slowly, the tension in my chest easing.

Growing up, Serena had been a spoiled princess, the beloved daughter of Blackthorn's Alpha, indulged and adored by everyone around her. She threw tantrums when she didn't get her way. She demanded attention like it was her birthright. She loved fiercely and expected to be loved fiercely in return.

I'd found it charming once. The way she'd pout when I forgot her favorite flower, or sulk for days over some imagined slight. It was easy to forgive her moods when she looked at me with those big, hopeful eyes.

But if she discovered the truth about Sophie and Ethan, if she found out about the child and everything I'd kept hidden, she'd make my life a living hell.

I wouldn't tolerate it.

Serena was my Luna but she needed to understand that some things were beyond her control. Some things she simply had to accept.

I sat on the edge of the bed and pulled out the bracelet.

"Serena." I touched her shoulder. "Wake up."

I tried to fasten the bracelet but her eyes snapped open instantly, I held up the bracelet. "Why did you leave this at the hospital?”

She stared at it like it was a snake about to strike. "I lost it while visiting my mother."

I waited for the explosion to come since she found out but she just lay there, silently.

It unsettled me more than any tantrum could have.

"Put it on." I reached for her wrist.

She pulled away. "No."

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify