My Sister Stole My Mate And I Let Her (Seraphina) novel Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Chapter 21 JEALOUS EX

SERAPHINA’S POV

"Stop—fuck!"

I doubled over, bracing my hands on my knees as I struggled to breathe through the burning in my lungs.

Someone must have connected a Bluetooth speaker to my heart, because it was thundering so loudly that I barely heard when Lucian came to my side and said, "That’s enough for today, Sera."

I shook my head, immediately regretting it as the training field tilted. "No, I..." I swallowed against the dryness in my mouth. "I can keep going."

Lucian, the sadistic bastard, was gone, and Lucian, my friend, said in a gentle, patient voice, "You’re done, Sera."

I straightened and winced when I felt a stitch in my side. "I haven’t completed the course," I panted, resisting the urge to rub at the ache in my chest.

I’d run the obstacle course at OTS three times before I got shot. Each time, I finished drenched in sweat and mud with my palms scraped raw from climbing rocks.

But I finished.

Now? I’d collapsed halfway, feet planted in a muddy ravine as I tried to distinguish the ringing in my ears from the singing of the birds fleeting overhead. As if mocking my weakness.

"I always finish," I whispered, staring longingly at the rest of the obstacles I had to overcome—I would probably die if I attempted to go on any further.

"Yeah," Lucian said, "before you got shot by a silver bullet and had open-heart surgery."

"But I—"

"Healing takes time, Sera." He placed a comforting hand on my back, although it was drenched with sweat. "You’re not back to a hundred percent, and that’s okay."

I huffed. "Being wolfless sucks."

"Hey," he nudged me gently. "That’s what saved you, remember?"

"Right." I exhaled, wiping sweat off my brow and accidentally smearing mud on my forehead in the process. I reminded myself to be grateful that my weakness had saved my life.

"Why don’t you hit the showers, and we’ll go grab some dinner?" Lucian suggested.

My first instinct was to kindly refuse the offer, being in no mood to be out in public. But then I remembered that I was going home to an empty house and leftover takeout in the fridge.

So I gave Lucian a tired smile. "Sure."

***

"You’re probably the first person I know who could wear a long face while in the Moon Garden."

I blinked and pulled my gaze away from the lily I’d picked and was fiddling with.

The flames cast a warm glow on the side of Lucian’s face as he smiled softly. "What’s it going to take to cheer you up?" he asked.

I exhaled, shaking my head. "I’m sorry. You’ve been so sweet taking me out to dinner and then this..." I waved my hands toward our surroundings. The serene beauty here was marvelous, but the stupid thing was... that I couldn’t even appreciate it.

"There’s still something on your mind," Lucian noted. "Is it Daniel? You miss him?"

My chest tightened. The admission tasted bitter. This was exactly why they’d sent Daniel away—because his mother was too damaged, too wolfless, too weak to protect him.

We’d never been apart this long. Not since the night he was born, when I’d counted each tiny finger through exhausted tears. Now every breath without him felt like drowning.

"Yes." The word tore from my throat. "I miss him, very much."

"The only thing that takes my mind off him is training." My fists clenched. "...If I could just become strong enough, fast enough, we can be together again."

He nodded. "I get that, but you can’t rush these things, Sera. You’re already doing so well for what you’ve been through."

He squeezed my hand. "Progress isn’t linear; there are highs and lows and twists and turns, but you’ll get there, I know it."

I cracked a genuine smile. "Thank you, Lucian. For being by my side and for taking the time out to train me."

"Well, about that..."

"What?"

"I was going to make it a surprise,"—he shrugged—"but I might as well tell you now."

"What?" I pressed.

"I’ve assigned you a new trainer."

My face fell. "Oh, am I not meeting up to your standards?"

His eyes widened slightly. "Oh, no, no, it’s not like that. This trainer is an elite warrior, in many ways more skilled than I am. She’ll guide you properly in your next phase of training."

"Oh," I said, intrigue replacing my despondency. "Who is it?"

"Well—"

His gaze shifted to something to the left, and his face tightened. "You have got to be kidding me," he muttered.

I frowned, turning in the direction of his line of sight. "Wha—"

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