The Alpha Fell for the Villainess
Chapter 3
Seraphina couldn’t sleep.
Not because of Aurora.
Not even because of Magnus.
Because of Kieran Blackwood.
Something about him felt wrong.
Not dangerous wrong.
Hidden wrong.
She’d spent her entire life around predators pretending to be harmless.
Drunks with knives.
Smiling men who beat their wives.
Pack wolves who acted weak until someone turned their back.
Kieran fit too neatly into that category.
Nobody that calm was truly useless.
The next morning, Seraphina woke to shouting downstairs.
Magnus. Aurora.
Servants running around nervously.
Perfect.
She threw on a shirt and headed downstairs barefoot.
Aurora stood near the dining table holding her phone.
“You embarrassed me last night.”
Seraphina grabbed coffee from a servant.
“Good morning to you too.”
Magnus looked furious already.
“You will stay away from Kieran Blackwood.”
There it was.
Interesting.
Seraphina leaned against the counter.
“Why? Afraid your useless future son-in-law might suddenly develop standards?”
Aurora slammed her hand down.
“You flirt with every man who looks at you.”
Seraphina laughed.
“And you panic every time they do.”
Aurora moved toward her immediately.
“You think because Kieran entertained you for five minutes, you matter?”
“No,” Seraphina said calmly. “I think you’re terrified I might.”
That hit.
Hard.
Aurora’s face twisted instantly.
Magnus stepped in before she could respond.
“You’re marrying Kieran because Blackwood blood strengthens this pack. Nothing else.”
Seraphina stared at him.
“You keep saying that like I forgot I’m livestock.”
Magnus’s voice went cold.
“You should remember your place.”
Seraphina smiled slowly.
“You first.”
Wrong answer.
Magnus grabbed her arm violently.
Coffee spilled across the floor.
Aurora smirked immediately.
“There she is,” Seraphina muttered. “The real princess.”
Magnus dragged her closer.
“You will apologize to your sister.”
Seraphina looked directly at Aurora.
Then smiled.
“No.”
The slap echoed across the room.
Pain exploded through her cheek.
Still—
she laughed quietly.
Magnus looked genuinely enraged by that.
“You think this is funny?”
“No,” Seraphina said softly. “I think you are.”
Aurora suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Seraphina’s chin.
Hard.
“You should’ve stayed in the gutter where you belonged.”
The words hit differently this time.
Because Aurora meant them.
Every second of this.
Every bruise.
Every humiliation.
Seraphina’s expression slowly changed.
Flat. Cold. Dangerous.
Aurora noticed too late.
Seraphina suddenly shoved her backward hard enough that Aurora crashed into the dining table.
Glass shattered everywhere.
Aurora gasped.
Magnus roared instantly.
“You little—”
Seraphina ran before he could grab her again.
—
She ended up near the east side of the estate.
Empty training grounds.
Good.
She needed space before she killed someone.
Her cheek burned.
Her ribs still hurt from Magnus shoving her yesterday.
And underneath all of that—
Constant.
The kind she’d carried since childhood.
“You run every time someone hits you?”
Kieran.
Of course.
Seraphina didn’t turn around immediately.
“You follow women around often?”
“Only the entertaining ones.”
She looked back finally.
Kieran wore black training clothes today.
No tie.
No expensive jacket.
More dangerous like this.
Way more dangerous.
And now that she was paying attention—
his wolf scent felt stronger than before.
Buried. Hidden.
But there.
Interesting.
Kieran noticed her studying him.
“You figuring me out over there?”
Seraphina crossed her arms.
“You’re not weak.”
Kieran smiled immediately.
Bingo.
“There she is again,” he murmured.
“The smart version.”
Seraphina stared at him.
“You hide it on purpose.”
Kieran walked closer slowly.
“Maybe I enjoy disappointing people.”
“No,” Seraphina said quietly. “You enjoy making them underestimate you.”
For the first time—
Kieran looked genuinely interested.
Not flirting.
Interested.
“Careful,” he said softly. “You notice too much.”
Seraphina laughed once.
“That’s how poor people survive.”
Silence.
Then Kieran glanced at the bruise darkening her face.
“Magnus hit you again.”
Not a question.
Seraphina looked away first.
“He likes reminding himself he owns things.”
Kieran’s expression darkened slightly.
That surprised her.
“You hate him,” he said.
“I hate all of them.”
“And yet you stayed.”
That hit harder than expected.
Because she almost answered honestly.
Mom.
Instead she shrugged.
“Maybe I enjoy suffering.”
Kieran stared at her for a long second.
Then suddenly—
he reached out.
Seraphina flinched automatically.
The movement happened before she could stop it.
Kieran froze immediately.
And suddenly the air changed.
Because now he knew.
Not suspected.
Knew.
People hit her enough that touch itself became a warning.
Damn it.
Seraphina instantly smiled to cover it.
Too late.
Kieran had already seen.
His voice lowered slightly.
“Who taught you to react like that?”
Seraphina’s smile sharpened.
“You ask too many questions.”
“And you lie too much.”
There it was again.
That feeling.
Like he could see straight through her.
She hated it.
So naturally—
she stepped closer instead.
Close enough that his wolf scent wrapped around her skin.
Dangerous move.
But Seraphina had learned years ago:
when cornered, seduce.
Distract.
Control.
She placed one hand lightly against his chest.
Slow.
Intentional.
“You know,” she murmured, “for a useless Alpha, you’re surprisingly observant.”
Kieran looked down at her hand.
Then back at her face.
No panic.
No confusion.
He knew exactly what she was doing.
And worse—
he looked entertained by it.
“You flirt every time someone gets close to the truth?” he asked.
Seraphina smiled.
“Does it bother you?”
“No.”
God.
There was something deeply wrong with him.
Kieran suddenly caught her wrist gently.
Not rough.
Not possessive.
Just enough to stop her from pulling away first.
“You don’t actually want people touching you,” he said quietly.
That one almost broke through her mask.
Almost.
Seraphina tilted her head slowly.
“And yet here you are touching me.”
Kieran’s eyes darkened slightly.
“Yeah.”
For one dangerous second, neither of them moved.
Then—
voices interrupted from the far side of the training field.
Aurora.
And Tristan.
Aurora spotted them instantly.
Her expression changed immediately.
Jealousy.
Again.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Tristan looked more confused than angry.
Aurora stormed toward them.
“What exactly is this?”
Seraphina pulled her wrist free casually.
“Conversation.”
Aurora looked at Kieran.
“You’re engaged to her.”
Kieran shrugged.
“Unfortunately.”
Aurora’s jaw tightened.
Seraphina noticed it immediately.
Aurora hated seeing Kieran pay attention to another woman.
Not because she wanted him.
Because she wanted everyone wanting her.
That was different.
Aurora stepped closer to Seraphina.
“You really are pathetic,” she hissed quietly. “Throwing yourself at every Blackwood brother.”
There it was.
Seraphina smiled slowly.
Then deliberately looked past Aurora toward Tristan.
The older Blackwood brother.
Future Alpha.
Aurora’s mate.
And very handsome.
“Oh,” Seraphina said softly. “You noticed?”
Aurora went pale with rage.
Perfect.
Tristan suddenly cleared his throat awkwardly.
Kieran burst out laughing beside her.
Actual laughing.
Aurora looked humiliated.
Good.
Seraphina leaned slightly closer to her sister.
Voice soft enough only Aurora could hear.
“You should hold onto your mate tighter.”
Aurora stared at her.
Then suddenly shoved her backward.
Hard.
Seraphina stumbled directly into one of the metal training poles.
Pain exploded through her shoulder.
Before she could react—
Kieran moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
One second he stood beside her.
The next he had Aurora’s wrist in his hand.
The entire field went silent.
Because suddenly—
the “useless” Blackwood brother didn’t look weak at all.
His wolf pressure rolled across the training ground violently.
Cold. Dominant.
Even Tristan looked surprised.
Aurora’s face lost color instantly.
Kieran stared down at her calmly.
“Don’t touch what’s mine.”
Silence.
Complete silence.
Seraphina’s heartbeat stopped for half a second.
Because that wasn’t the voice of a spoiled useless Alpha.
That was power.
Real power.
And for the first time—
Seraphina realized the rumors about Kieran Blackwood might all be lies.
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