[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her":3,"chapter-my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-269":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","My Sister Stole My Mate, And I Let Her",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},764393,1010,"Chapter 269 SMALL TALK","my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-269",269,"\u003Cp>SERAPHINA’S POV\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I woke to the sound of the sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the violent crash or sharp slap of water, but the slow, breathing rhythm of waves folding into themselves, over and over again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room was washed in pale morning light, the curtains stirring softly as if nudged awake alongside me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, I lay still, suspended between sleep and memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the memory of my mother’s call surfaced, unbidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clipped pauses. The careful half-answers. The way she’d evaded again, as she always did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small knot formed beneath my ribs—not sharp enough to hurt, not heavy enough to crush. Just...there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘You’re allowed to feel it,’ Alina said gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I exhaled into the pillow. ‘I know.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But you’re not allowed to let it slow you.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That drew a faint smile. I rolled onto my back, eyes tracing the ceiling beams. The disappointment lingered, thin and translucent, like morning mist—present, but already dissolving in the light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She doesn’t get to decide how far I go anymore,” I murmured aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alina’s presence warmed in quiet agreement. ‘You came this far on your own strength. You’ll reach the end the same way.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That settled something inside me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I dressed quickly and made my way downstairs, following the sound of voices and light footsteps echoing through the open hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good morning!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dora barreled into me at full speed before I even reached the last step, tiny arms wrapping around my legs with familiar certainty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half her curls were sleep-tangled, the rest woven into little braids. Her blue-and-gold eyes sparkled like sunrise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You didn’t disappear,” she announced, clearly relieved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I laughed, crouching automatically. “Was that a concern?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She nodded solemnly. “Sometimes, I have really strong dreams, and then I wake up, and there isn’t a mermaid hugging me. I thought you were a dream, too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I giggled, smoothing her hair back gently. “Not today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her grin returned instantly, contagious and unguarded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No adults were in sight, but breakfast was already in full swing. Kai sat at the head of the table, methodically buttering toast while keeping half an eye on his siblings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dora darted out of my arms and plopped herself in front of Neri, who rolled her eyes fondly before she continued braiding her little sister’s hair with practiced fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reef crouched by the open doors, utterly absorbed in something small and wriggling, cradled carefully in his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Morning,” I greeted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kai looked up first, offering a polite nod and smile. “Good morning, Sera. Did you sleep well?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was a little taken aback by his grown-up tone. “I did, thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neri beamed at me from behind Dora. “You should let me braid your hair later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reef popped up beside me. “Do you want to see a sand dragon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blinked. “A...what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thrust his hands forward. Inside was a twisted knot of driftwood, damp and crooked—unmistakably wood, and yet, somehow, also unmistakably a dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It guards the tide pools,” he explained earnestly. “This one’s old. Probably older than the pack.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s...fascinating.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our parents have a meeting this morning,” Kai informed me, “and—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dora cut her brother off, tugging my sleeve impatiently, having once again slipped out of Neri’s hold. “We’re going to the beach. You’re coming.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced down the corridor leading deeper into the estate—toward Corin’s likely whereabouts, toward a thousand unanswered questions cued up in my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I looked down at Dora’s expectant face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay,” I sighed. “Just for a little while.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her cheer was immediate and explosive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a blur of buttered toast and coffee, I found myself heading to the beach with Selene’s children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beach was beautiful in broad daylight. The tide was low, exposing broad stretches of wet sand that gleamed like polished glass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seagulls wheeled overhead, calling to each other as the children raced ahead, flinging off shoes and jackets with wild abandon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Kai around, I quickly understood why there wasn’t an adult watching the kids.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stationed himself instinctively—close enough to step in, far enough to let them roam free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now and then, his gaze flicked to Dora, tracking her movements with quiet vigilance that reminded me painfully of someone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neri gathered shells with delicate focus, arranging them into small patterns while humming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice, light and melodic, drifted across the shore. To my astonishment, a cluster of seabirds gathered nearby, hopping and swaying as if enchanted by her song.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dora calls her a werewolf Snow White,” Kai said quietly when he noticed me watching. “The birds like her singing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neri flushed at his words but didn’t stop singing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reef dragged me from discovery to discovery—holes that were definitely homes to ancient sea spirits, smooth stones that could absolutely grant wishes if thrown correctly, and a piece of seaweed he insisted was proof of a legendary leviathan sighting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I listened, I laughed, I crouched and peered and pretended with a carelessness I’d forgotten I possessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Selene’s children were wonderful, each one unique and special in their own way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time Dora squealed with delight, every time Kai patiently reigned in Reef’s wilder impulses, every time Reef’s wilder impulses broke free, something tugged at my chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel would love this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought arrived uninvited, warm and aching all at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pictured him running wild with the kids on the sand, as free and happy as he’d been on Kieran’s island, and my heart clenched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the kids decided that beach volleyball played just at the edge of the shore was the next great adventure, I hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think I’ll watch,” I said lightly. “From over there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kai studied me for a moment, perceptive beyond his years—like Daniel. “You don’t like the water much, do you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I met his gaze and smiled. An image of another beach, of a high wave consuming me, flashed in my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m...working on it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded, accepting that answer without pressing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I perched on a cluster of sun-warmed rocks, just out of reach of the tide, and pulled out my phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel picked up on the second ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except it wasn’t Daniel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sera?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kieran’s face filled the screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh,” I said, startled. “Hi. I—sorry, I was calling Daniel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s still training,” Kieran replied. “I can get him if you want.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, it’s fine,” I said quickly. “I can call back later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I moved to end the call.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something in his tone stopped me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smiled then, not sharp or guarded. Just...soft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You look different,” he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let me guess, I’m glowing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His own laugh seemed to surprise him, and the sound sent a flutter through my chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s the word,” he said. “The sea suits you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heat crept into my cheeks. “Thank you. It’s nice here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And because I was polite—not because I’d wondered about him after hearing he’d come after me—I asked, “How...are things?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Kieran and I did something as absurd as skydiving without a parachute: we made small talk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, it was awkward—weather, schedules, the kind of careful conversation built to tiptoe around landmines. But slowly, almost without noticing, the stiffness faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I found myself describing Selene’s family, Dora’s insistence on adopting me, Reef’s dragons, and Neri’s singing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kieran listened, amused and thoughtful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Daniel would love it there,” he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was just thinking that,” I admitted softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence settled between us then, surprisingly not uncomfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kieran seemed different. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but the angsty, broody Alpha I knew who’d let me go by the skin of his teeth had been replaced by this...this carefree man with an easy smile who’d asked what my freaking room smelt like.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay, one last round,” Kai called out. “And then we have to go in for dinner.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dinner?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was when I realized how long we’d been talking. It was the longest conversation I’d ever had with Kieran that didn’t end in an argument or leave my chest tight with tension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I cleared my throat. “I should...check on the kids.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right,” he said, then hesitated before continuing. “Sera. I’ve been working on something. A...Christmas gift.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heart skipped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was hoping,” he added carefully, “that you might be willing to see it when you get back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My cheeks burned. I must have been out in the sun too long. “I—I’ll think about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smiled. “That’s all I ask.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the call ended, I sat for a moment longer, staring at the darkened screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was...nice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An incredulous sound slipped past my lips. Had I accidentally called into an opposite dimension?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still distracted by the unexpected warmth of my call with Kieran, I stood. The sun dipped lower, shadows stretching across the sand as I stepped toward the children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the world shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wave came without warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a gradual surge. Not a teasing pull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It rose—massive, sudden, wrong—and slammed into the shore with violent force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Water hit my legs, my waist, my chest—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then it lifted me clean off my feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gasped, breath tearing from my lungs as cold engulfed me, spinning me sideways, backward, under.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The roar of the sea swallowed everything else.\u003C\u002Fp>",1511,"2026-06-03T02:27:49.405Z",1,"novelbin.me","c6bbaa975075f5d4ebfe7f1fabbcd7ba85e42e34adc3eae626501fb8e439454c","my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-270","my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-268",488,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-cover.jpg"]