My Sister Stole My Mate, And I Let Her

Chapter 539: Chapter 539 AFTER (BONUS Chapter 6)

SERAPHINA’S POV

The ceremony passed in a beautiful blur that I knew I would spend the rest of my life trying—and probably failing—to describe with complete justice.

One moment I stood at the end of the aisle with Ethan’s reassuring arm linked through mine, his proud smile reminding me that no matter how much life had changed, he would always be my big brother; the next we were walking together toward Kieran beneath an arch woven with white and red roses, silver eucalyptus, and soft pink carnations.

Every face I loved seemed to melt into the background the instant my eyes found his.

He looked devastatingly handsome in a charcoal suit tailored so perfectly it seemed as though it had been made around him rather than for him, yet all I could truly see was the expression on his face.

Wonder.

Reverence.

Love so profound it softened every hard edge he’d ever carried.

By the time I reached him, his eyes were glassy, and I had to blink several times to clear my own blurry vision.

The vows were simple, not because we lacked words, but because we’d already lived through the complicated parts.

The years had taught us that love wasn’t measured by grand declarations or perfect promises, but by the choices made again and again when life became difficult.

There was something liberating about standing before the people who mattered most and promising only what we could control.

That we would choose each other every morning, listen before judging, forgive before resentment took root, talk about and through everything, and always find our way back home to one another no matter where life carried us.

There were no prophecies hanging over our heads, no destiny dictating our future, and no invisible obligations binding our hearts together.

There was only Kieran and me, two people finally given the chance to build a marriage on nothing more—and nothing less—than love freely chosen.

When Kieran slipped the ring onto my finger and fervently promised, ”This time, I’m going to love you properly,” I was fairly certain there wasn’t a dry eye anywhere in Nightfang.

Least of all mine.

***

By the time evening settled over the packhouse, the celebration had become exactly what I’d hoped it would be: vibrant, intimate, and just the right amount of chaotic.

The great hall glowed beneath hundreds of hanging lights woven through greenery and white blossoms, while laughter and music drifted from every corner.

Kieran hardly left my side for more than a minute at a time, his hand always finding mine again whenever someone drew us into conversation or another round of congratulations.

I lost count of how many embraces we shared, how many well-wishes were offered, and how many people leaned over to whisper that they’d never seen our Alpha smile quite so much.

They weren’t exaggerating. Every time I turned to look at him, I found his gaze already on me with the same starstruck wonder that had filled his eyes at the altar, as though he still couldn’t quite believe this reality belonged to us.

I didn’t have a mirror, but I was pretty sure the same look was reflected in my eyes.

We shared our first dance as husband and wife beneath a canopy of twinkling lights, moving slowly to a song neither of us paid much attention to because all I could hear was Kieran’s heartbeat beneath my cheek.

There was none of the stiff awkwardness of our first dance in that bar a million years ago; every step was easy and effortless because we’d finally learned how to move through life together.

Once the song was over, we graciously yielded the dance floor, and it quickly became crowded with couples.

My attention wandered toward a burst of childish laughter just in time to spot Daniel solemnly extending one small hand toward Ava, who was dressed in an adorable dark green dress that swirled around her knees as she moved.

She accepted his invitation with all the dignity two children could muster before the pair began enthusiastically attempting something that only vaguely resembled dancing.

Daniel counted each step beneath his breath, clearly determined to do everything properly, while Ava ignored every attempt at structure and simply spun in delighted circles until he finally gave up and joined her.

I laughed, resting my head against Kieran’s shoulder.

”They’re adorable.”

If an image flashed in my mind—of older kids, of a different dress, a different relationship—I kept it to myself. I knew firsthand that prophecies, especially vague ones, were a special type of cage.

”They are,” Kieran agreed softly, his gaze lingering on them for a moment before drifting back to me and softening.

He leaned closer until only I could hear him over the music. ”Sera?”

”Mmm?”

A slow smile spread across his face. ”I need to steal my wife.”

That single word settled somewhere deep inside me and stole my breath for a heartbeat.

Wife.

I’d worn the title once before without ever truly understanding how it was supposed to feel. Hearing it now, spoken with such fierce pride and unmistakable affection, was entirely new and exhilarating.

I smiled up at him. ”I love the way that sounds.”

His smile widened.

”Good,” he murmured. ”Because I plan on saying it as often as possible.”

I laughed, warmth blooming through my chest as he tugged at my hand. “Come on.”

Narrowing my eyes in exaggerated caution, I tilted my head. ”What are you planning?”

”A surprise.”

”Kieran Blackthorne,” I said, trying and failing to sound stern, ”we cannot disappear from our own wedding reception.”

His fingers intertwined with mine as though the answer were the most obvious thing in the world.

”We’re Alpha and Luna. We can do whatever we want.”

I stared at him, caught somewhere between disbelief and amusement, while he met my gaze with the reassured expression of a man who had already decided the matter was settled.

”Our families and friends aren’t going anywhere,” he said. ”The people we love will still be here tomorrow, next week, and next year. Tonight...” His thumb brushed across my knuckles. ”...tonight belongs to us.”

My chest tightened with emotions that had nothing to do with the wedding or the celebration surrounding us and everything to do with the unyielding certainty in his voice.

Hearing him place us above tradition, expectations, and even our own reception felt like another promise—one that said he would never again lose sight of what mattered most.

My fingers tightened around his, my heart so impossibly full it hurt.

”Lead the way.”

Because I knew, I’d always known, that I would follow Kieran Blackthorne anywhere.