[{"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-358":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},764432,1010,"Chapter 358 A REQUEST","my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-358",358,"\u003Cp>SERAPHINA’S POV\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mere weeks ago, my first instinct would have been to pull away from Kieran. To spare Lucian the hurt of seeing me with the person I’d chosen instead of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I made no attempt to disguise the truth now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze dropped to our intertwined hands. I didn’t pull away as Kieran’s thumb stroked once across my knuckles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian’s nose twitched. I knew that by now, Astrid’s perfume had worn off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no mistaking what he saw. What he smelled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something flickered across his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not anger or shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was...despondency, self-mockery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if he had expected this outcome all along and hated himself for hoping otherwise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flicker was gone in a heartbeat. His expression smoothed into his usual polished composure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well,” he said lightly, as though we were meeting at a social gala. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kieran’s grip tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What you’re doing is trespassing,” he replied evenly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stepped forward without disentangling my hand from Kieran’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lucian,” I said quietly. “What are you doing here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was hoping to speak with you.” He hesitated, glancing at Kieran. “Alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kieran went still behind me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned to face him and squeezed his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s okay,” I murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His jaw flexed, muscles tensing as he bit down on a response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew after today—after the clash with the rogues and with Corin—the last thing he wanted was to leave me alone with Lucian. But to his credit, he didn’t make a fuss and gave a short nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll be by the car,” he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within sight and earshot. Something told me that was as much as he was willing to budge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian inclined his head, acknowledging the boundary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gaze trained on Lucian, Kieran raised our joined hands and pressed a lingering kiss to my knuckles, his lips warm against my skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to be irritated by the juvenile show, but I was too busy holding back a shiver of desire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kieran stepped back and leaned against the hood of his car, arms crossing loosely over his chest. Casual in posture only.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I climbed the steps slowly and joined Lucian beneath the porch light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Up close, I could see him more clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also looked better than the last time I’d seen him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shadows beneath his eyes were fainter. The rigid strain that had once pulled at his mouth had eased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the weight remained, clinging to him like a second coat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You look better,” I said gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He huffed a soft laugh. “That’s a diplomatic way of saying I looked like hell before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shrugged. “Hell would be putting it lightly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He laughed again, and for a heartbeat, there was no strain between us. No distance or secrets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment was gone as soon as it came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I won’t take much of your time,” Lucian said, sobering up. “I’m leaving.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My stomach dipped. “Again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded. “Again. For quite a while.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind shifted, cool against my skin. I folded my arms, suddenly craving Kieran’s warmth, though he was mere feet away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t want to leave,” Lucian continued, “without a goodbye like last time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Memories of waiting in restaurants and cafes surfaced, and I tightened my arms around myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You deserved better,” he said quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My chest tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m glad you came,” I said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s something else,” he added, shifting slightly. “I know it’s shameless; I know you owe me nothing, but I have...a request.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stilled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of request?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reached inside his coat and withdrew a small velvet pouch. From it, he removed a heavy signet seal—onyx, silver-edged, with the OTS crest etched deep into its surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He held it out to me. “I need you to take this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blinked. “The OTS seal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My brows drew together. “Lucian...that grants authority to mobilize your entire network.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m aware.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why would you give it to me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because I won’t be here,” he said simply. “I don’t anticipate disaster, but I’d rather not leave things...unguarded.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned. “But Maya would be a more appropriate choice. She’s practically your second in command already.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shrugged. “Maya is soon to become the Luna of another pack. One that has little to no affiliation with OTS.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If the acting authority of OTS were tied by marriage to another Alpha, it would create a conflict of interest. Questions of allegiance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped closer, gently uncrossed my arms, and lowered the seal into my open palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You,” he said, “are unattached.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind us, I could feel Kieran’s attention sharpen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lucian—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At least on paper,” he amended. “Plus, you’re the champion of the LST; no one would question your authority.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t expect you to manage day-to-day affairs,” he interrupted gently. “You’re already stretched thin. I know that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought of Vidar. Of Astrid and the USB burning a hole in my purse. Of the rogues. Of Marcus and Jack. Of the psychic network murmuring about neutralization. Of Celeste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gods, the list seemed endless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Stretched thin’ was an understatement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I only need you to hold on to it,” Lucian continued. “You don’t have to do anything unless something goes wrong or if OTS requires decisive action.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared down at the seal. It was heavier than it looked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You really trust me with this?” I asked quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Without a doubt,” he replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sincerity in his tone made the seal heavier. I closed my fingers around it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even without this,” I said, “if anything happened to OTS, I wouldn’t sit idly by.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His shoulders eased as a breath left him—one I hadn’t realized he’d been holding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath his relief, tension still coiled inside him. That wrongness still threaded his psyche.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lucian, what trouble are you in?” The question was out before I could stop myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clenched his jaw and looked away. His fingers flexed once at his side. His throat worked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, I thought he might answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he shook his head. “Now isn’t the right time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharp ache twisted through me—worry slashing through the frustration. Why wouldn’t he let me in?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t have to carry everything alone,” I pressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pained smile ghosted his mouth. “Don’t I?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lucian,” I whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He straightened. “I should go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned away, but before he could take a step, I called out. “Wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I slipped my purse from my shoulder and rummaged inside. My fingers brushed leather and fabric until they closed around cool metal and stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bracelet he’d given me at Christmas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had served its purpose; it had steadied me, anchored me through long, fractured nights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stepped closer and gently caught his wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stiffened slightly, startled, but did not pull away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without a word, I fastened the bracelet around his wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beads caught the porch light, shimmering faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This helped me,” I said softly. “More than you know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze dropped to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve added moonstones to it,” I continued. “It quiets the mind. Eases restlessness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up at me slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you won’t let me share in your burden,” I said, voice gentle but firm, “then let this carry some of it in my stead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emotion moved across his features—gratitude, conflict, longing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t deserve this,” he murmured, his fingers brushing the bracelet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After everything you’ve done for me,” I whispered, “it’s the least I can do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something else passed across his face, but I couldn’t read it. He stepped back slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you,” he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he descended the steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he passed Kieran, he slowed and leaned in, his shoulders angling toward Kieran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said something under his breath, too low for me to catch, but I saw Kieran’s jaw clench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian straightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, the two Alphas regarded each other—no hostility, but no warmth either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Lucian walked toward his car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood on the porch and watched him as he slid in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The engine started. Headlights flared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then he was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kieran ascended the steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did he say?” I asked quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That he won’t interfere,” Kieran answered through clenched teeth. “But if I ever hurt you again, he won’t stay still.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My breath caught. Underneath everything, warmth woke in my chest, lingering as Kieran reached for my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I won’t, you know,” he said. \"And not because of some bullshit threat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled me to his chest, cradling my head. \"I will never, ever hurt you again. I swear on my life.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I closed my eyes, revelling in the steady thump of his heartbeat. \"I know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1427,"2026-06-03T02:27:49.405Z",1,"novelbin.me","ffe5831dbf8d772e17f21abb226af012dc9eeb7f469d7f023da3925e11479796","my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-359","my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-357",488,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-cover.jpg"]