My Sister Stole My Mate And I Let Her (Seraphina) novel Chapter 285

Chapter 285: Chapter 285 MORE QUESTIONS

SERAPHINA’S POV

Whether it was the lingering magic of the fireworks, or the quiet grounding of Lucian’s bracelet, or simply the fact that I was finally home—back in my own bed, beneath my own roof—after so long, I had the best night’s sleep in forever.

Not the shallow, fractured drifting where dreams snagged and unraveled the moment I reached for them, but real sleep—the kind that wrapped around me gently and didn’t let go until morning insisted.

When I woke, sunlight spilled across the sheets in pale gold bands, and for a lingering, peaceful moment, I just lay there, breathing.

My mind felt...still.

No buzzing at the edges. No restless tug beneath my ribs. The constant hum I’d grown accustomed to since my psychic abilities awakened had dimmed to something distant and manageable.

I rolled onto my side and glanced at my wrist. The bracelet sat there, unassuming and graceful, its beads cool against my skin. When I traced my thumb over them, a gentle warmth bloomed, like a silent reassurance.

I smiled to myself and finally got up.

I padded barefoot through the house, fingers gathering my hair, the echoes of last night still clinging to the air—laughter, warmth, voices weaving together like a fading song.

I opened windows, letting crisp air sweep through, then busied myself in the kitchen.

I missed cooking.

There was a comfort in the rhythm—cracking eggs, slicing fruit, the gentle sizzle of butter in the pan—that anchored me in the here and now.

I hummed as I worked, slipping back into the domestic, mundane pattern as if I’d never left.

Daniel padded in halfway through, hair a mess, eyes still heavy with sleep.

“Morning, Mom,” he mumbled.

“Morning, baby,” I said, leaning over to kiss his temple.

He gave me an adorable crooked smile. “I still can’t believe you’re actually home.”

I chuckled. “Maybe your favorite pancakes would help?”

His eyes lit up as he nodded emphatically. “Absolutely.”

I laughed, ruffling his hair. “Sit. It’ll be ready in a minute.”

Just then, the doorbell rang.

The sound startled me—not for its surprise, but for its sheer normalcy. A doorbell, ringing on a calm morning. No alarms. No emergencies. Just ordinary life.

I wiped my hands on a towel and headed for the door.

I wasn’t surprised to see Ethan standing on the other side.

He looked much the same as always—tall, broad-shouldered, posture radiating Alpha command—but there was a weariness around his eyes that hadn’t been there the last time I saw him.

“Hey,” I said, opening the door wider.

“Hey,” he replied, a small smile tugging at his mouth. “Merry Christmas. Or...day after.”

“Still counts,” I said, stepping aside. “Come in.”

He hesitated for half a second, glancing past me into the house. “I’m sorry I wasn’t around last night. With Mom away—”

“I understand,” I said, ignoring the way my chest tightened at the mention of our mother. “I remember what Frostbane Christmases are like. I wouldn’t have expected you to leave your responsibilities for me.”

Something in his eyes flickered, and he sighed before stepping in.

I frowned at the space behind him.

“Maya didn’t come with you?”

Out on the balcony, after receiving his gift, I’d given Lucian a summary of my travels and new abilities.

But I’d told Maya everything—about the Origin Archives and the Starlight Hallway, about the way the air had felt wrong long before the ambush, about the rogues and the silencer and the moment Seabreeze intervened.

And then there were the quieter things.

Corin’s sessions. The anchor work. The way my powers felt less like a storm now and more like something listening back.

I’d talked until my throat went raw, tracing every choice I’d made, every instinct I’d trusted, every mistake I’d survived.

Maya hadn’t interrupted once. She’d just sat there, knees pulled to her chest, eyes sharp and unblinking, absorbing it all like she was memorizing me.

When I finally ran out of words, she’d crossed her arms and declared she was staying the night—no arguments, no negotiations.

Getting her to leave had been a herculean task, requiring bribery, coercion, and the promise of a breakfast check-in.

So seeing her absent from Ethan’s side now was genuinely puzzling.

Ethan’s lips parted with a response to my query, but then—

“UNCLE ETHAN!”

Daniel appeared out of nowhere like a missile, launching himself forward with unrestrained enthusiasm.

Ethan barely had time to brace before Daniel wrapped himself around his waist, arms clinging tight.

Ethan laughed, startled. “Whoa—hey there!”

“You’re here!” Daniel grinned up at him. “You’ve never been here before!”

“I...haven’t,” Ethan admitted, glancing at me over Daniel’s head with something like surprise.

The realization hit me at the same time: this was the first time Ethan was visiting my new home since the divorce.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify