My Sister Stole My Mate And I Let Her (Seraphina) novel Chapter 5

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Chapter 5: Chapter 5 THE FUNERAL

SERAPHINA’S POV

Another sleepless night.

The irony wasn’t lost on me—I hadn’t shared a bed with Kieran in years, yet the unfamiliar silence of this new house felt louder than any absence. Every time I closed my eyes, the ghosts of what might have been danced behind my lids.

Three times I’d crept down the hall to check on Daniel, only to find him curled peacefully under his Star Wars comforter, his breathing deep and even. Thank the moon for small mercies. This modest house might lack the imposing security of the Alpha Manor, but I’d fill every inch with enough love to compensate.

When dawn’s pale fingers finally pried through my blackout curtains, a lead weight settled in my stomach.

Today we’d bury my father.

I dressed slowly, each movement weighted with dread. It wasn’t grief that paralyzed me—our relationship had died long before his heart stopped beating. No, it was the prospect of facing my family’s judgmental stares, of standing across a coffin from Kieran while our divorce papers gathered fresh ink.

Ex-husband. The term scraped against my raw nerves.

Daniel’s door creaked as I pushed it open. My breath caught—there he sat, already dressed in the miniature black suit we’d picked out together, his small fingers deftly maneuvering his Nintendo Switch.

"Morning, Mom." He flashed me a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Tears pricked my lashes. Where had my baby gone? The boy staring back at me wore Kieran’s strong jawline, his piercing gaze. A living reminder of everything I’d lost—and everything I’d gained.

"Look at you," I whispered, smoothing his lapel. "All grown up."

Sadness shadowed his face, but he steeled himself and put the video game console aside. "Let’s go," he whispered, shoulders squaring with forced bravery.

But when the old stone church loomed into view, Daniel’s courage faltered. His knuckles whitened around the car door handle.

"Hey." I cupped his tense shoulder. "Talk to me."

When he turned, the unshed tears in his eyes shattered me. "We didn’t... we didn’t get to say goodbye. Does that mean Grandpa doesn’t know we loved him?"

The question hit like a silver dagger between my ribs. While my father’s absence had become my normal, Daniel had lost his favorite storytelling partner, his secret cookie supplier.

I pressed my palm over his thundering heart. "Grandpa’s right here, my love." My voice cracked. "And here." I tapped his temple gently. "As long as we remember him, he’s never really gone."

Daniel exhaled shakily, some of the tension leaving his small frame. "Okay."

"Ready?"

His nod was all the strength I needed. Together, we stepped out of the car.

The church doors swallowed us into a sea of mourners—pack members in their finest black, allies from neighboring territories, and a scattering of human associates who’d done business with my father. The air hummed with whispered condolences and the cloying scent of lilies.

My family sat like royalty in the front pew. My mother’s head rested against Ethan’s shoulder, while Celeste—

Gods.

Even in grief, my sister looked like she’d stepped from a magazine spread. Sunlight through stained glass windows gilded her perfect blonde waves, her designer dress clinging to curves that had always made my own frame feel boyish in comparison.

"Daniel, darling!" My mother’s arms opened wide as we approached—not for me, never for me—but for the grandson who carried the Blackthorne name. The grandson who mattered.

I watched numbly as Daniel was enfolded in her embrace, his small frame disappearing against her black lace. That left only one vacant seat—sandwiched between Celeste and the end of the pew.

My sister’s glacial blue eyes raked over me. A decade apart, yet her hatred hadn’t dimmed. She inched away as I sat, the silk of her dress whispering against the pew like a snake’s warning.

Trying to force my thoughts away from the family who didn’t want me, I let my gaze wander round the hall—and land on another family that didn’t want me. The Blackthornes occupied the opposite side of the aisle, Kieran’s broad shoulders cutting an imposing silhouette beside his parents.

Leona Blackthorne’s lips pursed when she noticed me looking. Like my family rejected me, the Blackthornes refused to accept me. To them, I was Kieran’s legal wife, not his Luna.

His mother, Leona, still held the title of Luna even after the Alpha title was passed to Kieran. Now, she regarded me icily. I’m sure she was ecstatic over the divorce news. The stain on her family was finally gone.

A small, warm hand slipped into mine. Daniel had extricated himself from my mother’s clutches and now formed a living barrier between me and Celeste. His fingers squeezed mine—a silent I’m here.

I squeezed back, drawing strength from this remarkable child who shouldn’t have needed to be the brave one. The organ’s mournful chords signaled the service’s start. Just a few more hours. I could hold myself together that long. Couldn’t I?