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The Biker Alpha Who Became My Second Chance Mate
Chapter 154
Tristan’s POV
I didn’t want to leave Athena alone, but I needed to be there for Seraphine. She was going through something terrible, and as her Alpha, I had
responsibilities I couldn’t ignore.
But if I was being completely honest with myself, there was more to it than just duty.
Sometimes I used helping Seraphine to ease my conscience about all the times I hadn’t been there for Athena.
All those years when she was suffering with Daxon, when she needed someone to protect her I and Orion weren’t there for her.
So whenever Seraphine called, I went. It was my way of making up for past failures, even though I knew it couldn’t really balance the scales.
I also knew that Athena didn’t like Seraphine, and I couldn’t blame her for that. There was something about Seraphine that set people on edge, though I’d
never been able to put my finger on exactly what it was.
I’d been thinking about finding her a new place to live, somewhere far from here where she could get a fresh start.
Somewhere her ex–mate’s memory couldn’t haunt her, even though he was dead now. Maybe then she’d be able to pull herself together the way Athena had, though I doubted she had Athena’s strength.
Very few people did.
When I arrived at the hospital, I was heading toward the main entrance when I heard Max’s voice in my head through our pack’s mind link. He always used it when he didn’t want anyone overhearing him call me by my title in public.
“Alpha,” his voice echoed in my thoughts.
I turned to see him walking toward me across the parking lot, his expression grim.
‘Where is she?” I asked the moment he reached me.
“The doctor says she’s going to be fine, but only because I found her in time. She took a lot of pills, but they were able to pump her stomach before any permanent damage was done. She needs rest now.”
‘Is she still sleeping?” I asked, already starting to move toward the hospital entrance.
Max nodded, then caught himself and spoke aloud but only for my ears. “Yes, Alpha.”
I started walking toward Seraphine’s room, my mind already focused on what I needed to say to her, how I could help her without giving her the wrong impression about our relationship.
“I’m sorry, Max said behind me, making me pause.
I turned back to him, raising an eyebrow. “Sorry for what?”
His face was etched with guilt, though I couldn’t understand why. “You trusted me to investigate Seraphine’s mate’s death, but it’s been months now and I still haven’t found any solid leads.”
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Chapter 154
Relief washed through me. For a moment, I’d thought he was about to confess to some serious mistake that would require punishment. The investigation
into how Seraphine’s abusive mate had died was important, but it wasn’t urgent enough to warrant that level of guilt.
“I know you’re doing your best,” I said, patting his shoulder. “We all are. We’ll get to the bottom of it eventually.”
Max nodded, but I could see he wasn’t entirely convinced. He took his failures personally, which made him a good beta but also meant he carried
unnecessary guilt.
I pushed open the door to Seraphine’s room and stepped inside. She was lying in the hospital bed, looking small and fragile against the white sheets, but the
moment I entered, she stirred awake.
Her eyes widened with surprise, then filled with joy when she saw me. The intensity of her reaction made me uncomfortable but I pushed it down.
“You came,” she said, trying to sit up.
I quickly moved to her side, gently pushing her back down onto the pillows. “You should rest. The doctor said you need it after what happened.”
Her face fell at my words, and I could see tears starting to form in her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
I frowned, wondering why everyone seemed to be apologizing to me tonight when they weren’t the ones who had done anything wrong.
“I know I’m weak and not as strong as Athena,” she continued, and my eyebrows shot up.
How did she know about what Athena had been through? I’d never discussed Athena’s past with Seraphine. I’d never discussed Athena with her at all, come
to think of it.
“Athena?” I asked carefully.
Seraphine’s eyes widened slightly, like she’d caught herself saying something she shouldn’t have. “What I meant was, Athena is your mate and I know you chose her because she’s strong and I’m not.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
