My Sister Stole My Mate, And I Let Her

8: Chapter 8 OUT OF THE SHADOWS 8: Chapter 8 OUT OF THE SHADOWS SERAPHINA’S POV

“Hi, Sera.”

His voice was deep and smooth, mildly amused—maybe because I was staring at him with my eyes popping out of my head.

When I didn’t move or say anything, he chuckled, the sound rumbling in the space between us.

“I see I must have caught you at a bad time.

I’ll just—”

He turned to walk away, and I gasped out of my frozen state.

“Wait!”

He turned back, an eyebrow raised.

“It’s…

you.”

His lips twitched.

“Lucian Reed.” He stretched out the tattooed arm to me expectantly.

On autopilot, I reached out with my uninjured arm and took his hand.

It was large and warm and swallowed mine.

“Seraphina Bl—” No, not Blackthorne—not anymore.

Not really Lockwood, either.

Besides, he already knew my name.

“Uhm…

come in, please.” I stepped out of the doorway and gestured into the house.

“Thank you,” Lucian said as he crossed the threshold.

He towered over me, almost as tall as Kieran, and I took an instinctive step back.

“Th-this way.”

I led him to the living room and gestured for him to sit in the armchair.

He sat in it as if it were a throne, and something told me he could drop into a pile of mud and make it look regal.

His head swiveled, taking in the living room—the flowery wallpaper, the mismatched couches, and oddly matching side tables.

“Your home is lovely.”

I couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic, but I waved the comment away.

“It came like this.

I just moved in.”

As soon as I said the words, I dropped my gaze.

Why was I telling this stranger my business?

“How are your injuries?” he asked, nodding toward my bandages.

My fingers brushed over the surface.

“They’ll heal.

I—” I swallowed.

“Thank you.

I should have said that the moment I opened the door—thank you so much for saving my life.”

Lucian grinned, a full-toothed smile that made him look less intimidating.

“You’re very welcome, Sera.”

I worried my lower lip between my teeth.

“Can I ask, though…

why were you even there?

Why take such a risk for… for someone you don’t even know?”

He shook his head, his smile fading into something softer.

“I was just passing through.

And knowing someone or not… no one deserves to be hunted like that.

I couldn’t just stand by.”

He slipped a hand into his pocket and then stretched it to me.

My eyes scanned the contents.

“‘Out of the Shadows,ʼ” I read out loud, looking up at Lucian in question.

“I’m the Alpha of the Shadowveil Pack in the south,” he said.

“And the president of—” I glanced at the card again.

“‘Out of the Shadows.ʼ”

Lucian nodded.

“It’s a relief organization dedicated to helping wolfless and vulnerable wolves—Omegas, outcasts, rogues.” He shrugged.

“If a wolf needs help, OTS is there.”

Well, that explained a lot.

“That’s…” Noble, impressive, awe-inspiring.

For someone who had spent her whole life being ridiculed and cast aside for being wolfless, it was a dizzying relief to find out that there was someone out there—a whole ass organization—who cared that much for my kind.

“How did you even find my house?” I asked, the words tumbling out.

“They said you never left a name.”

Lucian chuckled, the sound rich and warm.

“I prefer to avoid unnecessary complications.

But I do like to follow up, especially when someone looks… very alone.

I just wanted to make sure you were truly alright.”

My hands clenched in my lap, a familiar ache tightening my chest.

A stranger could see the isolation my own family had willfully ignored for years.

Lucian leaned in, bracing his elbows on his thighs, his expression turning earnest.

“Forgive me if I overstep, but… I did ask around.

A little.”

I tilted my head, a frown forming.

“About me?”

“You’re Edward Lockwood’s eldest daughter, correct?

And I heard you’re without a wolf.”

I could almost hear my mental walls slamming up, iron gates locking.

“What is this?” I hissed.

“Were you targeting me?

Did you save me so you could—”

“I saved you because you were in danger,” Lucian said simply.

“And I’m here to check up on your well-being.”

“Do you go check on every wolf you save?”

“Not every single one,” he admitted honestly.

“So…

why me?”

“Because I want you to join my organization.”

I blinked.

“What?”

He nodded.

“You’re an Alpha’s daughter, an Alpha’s sister, and an Alpha’s wife—”

“Ex-wife,” I corrected immediately.

Something twinkled in Lucian’s eyes as he nodded.

“Forgive me—ex-wife.

Either way, I believe your identity and experiences could inspire many werewolves facing similar…

disadvantages.” It was a kinder word than the ones I’d heard my whole life: disability, problem, impairment.

I snorted.

“I’m not role-model material.”

Lucian raised a brow.

“I’d say you’ve built quite a life for yourself and your son, even in light of your family’s antagonism and recent divorce.”

“I—” It was slightly unsettling how much this stranger knew about me.

“The point is, Sera,” he said, “I find you inspiring, and I know many others would, too.

OTS is more than a relief organization.

We also offer the…

tools every wolf needs.

We can train you, make you strong in your own right, so you never have to rely on someone else to save you.”

I glanced down at the card in my hands—then back at Lucian.

He smiled kindly.

“You don’t have to decide right now.

Take some time to think about it.”

I nodded slowly.

That, I could do.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

“You already said that.”

I laughed softly.

“Yeah, but…” No one had ever asked me to belong to something.

Even my pack and family, with whom belonging should have been automatic, hadn’t wanted me.

But here was Lucian, who’d sought me out, who wanted me to be a part of something.

It sounded almost too good to be true.

“Well,” Lucian said, pushing himself to his feet, “I should get going.”

I stood, too, and walked him back to the door.

“I hope you say yes,” he said as he opened the door.

“I think this will be really good for you.”

I smiled hesitantly.

“I’ll consider it.”

He shot me one last smile before leaving.

Sighing, I leaned against the door, staring at the contact card in my hands.

“‘Out of the Shadows,ʼ” I whispered.

What would that be like, I wondered.

If the organization was filled with wolfless wolves like me, I’d be among my kind, so to speak.

Could it be possible?

Could I find a community there?

That night, I dreamed.

In the dream, I stood in a sunlit clearing, surrounded by faces I didn’t recognize but felt I’d known forever.

Laughter echoed, warm and unburdened.

I was wearing gear, not fine dresses, and my body moved with a strength and grace I’d never possessed.

Someone handed me a trophy.

Cheers erupted, genuine and roaring.

Then a tall figure stepped from the crowd.

His features were blurred by the dream’s brilliant light, a silhouette of broad shoulders and quiet strength.

He pulled me into an embrace that felt like solid ground after years of falling.

His lips brushed the corner of mine—a whisper of a kiss, sweet and fleeting.

“I always knew you could do it, Seraphina.”

The voice was deep, warm, resonant with pride.

It felt familiar.

I wanted to see his face clearly, but the next second—

The recognition jolted me awake.

My eyes flew open in the dark of my new bedroom, staring at the ceiling with my heart pounding against my ribs.

Why HIM?