My Sister Stole My Mate And I Let Her (Seraphina) novel Chapter 546

Chapter 546: Chapter 546 THE SQUARE AND THE MENACE (BONUS Chapter 5)

DANIEL’S POV

I was honestly convinced I was hearing things.

Ava had spent the entire week treating me as though I were part of the furniture, and now here she was, cheeks flushed, eyes shining like emeralds, grinning at me like I was the answer to every wish she’d ever made.

Before I could even begin to process this emotional whiplash, she snapped upright, her face shifting into an exaggeratedly serious mask.

“Right, sorry,” she mumbled. “My bad.”

Then she attempted a curtsy that would have been absurd even if she were sober, dipping into an over-the-top bow and sweeping her hand toward me with dramatic flair.

“Hello, future Alpha.”

She made it halfway through the gesture before her heel caught awkwardly beneath her, and all her usual grace vanished in an instant.

She started to pitch forward, but Matt swooped in, catching her by the waist and steadying her against him.

‘Nope,’ Thatcher growled, and I moved before I could even think.

One moment I was at the foot of the stairs, the next I was beside them, my hand closing around Ava’s forearm as I shot Matt a glare.

“Back away from her.”

My voice came out harsher than I meant, laced with enough command that everyone seemed to snap to attention by instinct.

Matt’s eyebrows rose. “Dude, she was falling.”

“I’ve got her.”

“I was just—”

“I said,” I bit out through clenched teeth, “I’ve got her.”

The Alpha in me wasn’t something I deliberately summoned. It was simply there, woven into my voice and the way I carried myself, and apparently tonight it had decided to make itself known.

Matt released Ava slowly, raising both hands.

I swept my gaze over the rest of them.

Bree had stopped laughing. Yvonne was suddenly very interested in the floor. Kevin and Bryce shared a look, then eyed the door like they were considering bolting back out into the night.

“You’re all lucky you made it back before official curfew,” I said, my voice low but still carrying through the foyer. “But if you don’t want to explain yourselves to Luna Sera in the morning, you should get upstairs and out of my sight.”

They scattered like startled birds, and I might have laughed if it wouldn’t undermine the authority I’d just displayed.

Matt hesitated, shooting Ava a questioning look, then glanced at me. Clearly, his survival instincts outweighed any argument he might have had, and he turned and followed the rest upstairs.

In seconds, the foyer was empty, leaving just Ava and me in the echoing quiet.

She let out a long theatrical sigh as though I was personally responsible for every woe that had ever befallen her.

“Ugh, I forgot what a square you could be.”

I blinked. Gods, she hadn’t called me that in so long.

“Seriously? That’s all you have to say?”

She scoffed. “I have nothing to say to”—she lifted a hand and made a circle in the air with her finger—“a square.”

“That’s a circle,” I deadpanned.

She squinted at her hand, and then shrugged. “Whatever.”

She started up the stairs.

I followed automatically. “Ava, wait. We should—”

She managed three steps before wobbling, and when I reached out to steady her, she brushed me off with a huffy, indignant wave.

“I can walk.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“I can.”

She took another determined step, only for her heel to catch the edge of the step. I caught her just in time, tightening my grip around her arm.

She thanked me with a glare. “I told you I can walk.”

“You’re drunk.”

“So? Drunkards walk.”

With a roll of my eyes, I slid one arm under her knees, the other around her back, and scooped her up.

She gasped, “Daniel!”

“Shh.”

“Put me down!”

“No.”

“I can walk.”

“Yes, drunkard. You’ve established that.”

“Daniel, I’m serious.”

I kept climbing.

She wriggled in my arms, but all she managed was to make me hold her tighter.

“If you don’t put me down, I’m going to scream.”

I snorted. “Yeah, do that. Wake up the whole packhouse. I’m sure Mom would love to see you like this.”

She fell silent at once, and I fought back a grin.

My mother was one of the few people Ava trusted and respected most, and I knew the thought of disappointing her would sober Ava faster than anything else could.

Apparently, it worked.

She settled against me with a disgruntled huff, her head resting reluctantly against my shoulder.

I carried her down the hallway toward her room, suddenly hyper-aware of how close we were and how far up her thighs her dress had ridden.

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