My Sister Stole My Mate, And I Let Her - Chapter 123

123: Chapter 123 HOVERING PREDECESSOR 123: Chapter 123 HOVERING PREDECESSOR KIERAN€™S POV
Whatever tempest Celeste was trying to whip around me, it all faded at the thought of my son.

€œDaniel,€ I answered, my voice softening despite the tension still clawing through the room.

€œDad!€ His words tumbled out, breathless and excited.

€œI need your help.

I€™m in the kitchen and I think I almost got it right this time, but-well, there€™s one thing missing.€
I blinked, confusion tugging my brows together.

€œMissing from what?€
€œThe elixir!€ he declared, as though I should€™ve known, waving his hands for emphasis, hair sticking up from the number of times he must have dragged his fingers through it.

€œThe one from Dr.

Ainsworth€™s notes-the energizing drink for wolves.

I found it in Grandpa€™s library, and he was really famous for powerful potions even stronger than Alcanor€™s.€
A chuckle rumbled through me, and I didn€™t even flinch when a door upstairs slammed-courtesy of Celeste, no doubt.

€œLet me get this straight, Danny, you€™re telling me you€™re trying to brew one of Alcanor€™s fabled elixirs?€ I asked, my lips twitching despite myself.

He rolled his eyes exaggeratedly.

€œNot Alcanor, dad.

Dr.

Ainsworth.

His elixirs were much stronger than Alcanor€™s.€
I nodded, trying to feign seriousness to match his.

€œRight.

Got it.€
He nodded.

€œMom€™s been working so hard lately, and I thought that if I could make the elixir for her, then she wouldn€™t feel so worn down.€
His earnestness hit me square in the chest.

Gods, the way he adored his mother-so fierce, so unyielding.

If only I€™d given her even half of that consideration.

I leaned back on the couch, letting the weight of the day loosen just enough to savor the purity and comfort of my son€™s presence.

€œSo, what€™s missing?€ I asked, humoring him.

€œAngelica root,€ he said at once, his voice dropping to a whisper as though it were a forbidden treasure.

€œI checked the cabinets twice, and I asked Chef, but we don€™t have any.€
Angelica root.

A harmless herb, hardly the stuff of legends.

Still, at the sight of him standing there in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, stubborn determination burning in his eyes, it was all I could do not to laugh.

€œYou€™ve already tried making it?€ I asked.

There was a pause.

Then, sheepishly, €œTwice.€
I bit down a chuckle, shaking my head.

€œAnd?€
€œ…The first one tasted like boiled socks,€ he admitted.

€œThe second exploded.

Chef may or may not smell like rotten eggs for a while.

He€™s refused to keep helping me.€
My laugh broke free then, low and warm.

€œDaniel…€
€œI€™ll get it right,€ he insisted.

€œIf I can just find the last ingredient, I know it€™ll work.€
I wanted to tell him legends were just that-legends.

That no root or herb could breathe new strength into Sera.

But the words died on my tongue.

I couldn€™t bear to puncture his iron belief.

Instead, I leaned forward, resting my forearm against my knee.

€œListen to me, champ.

Angelica root€™s hard to come by here, especially this late.

Even if I wanted to get it, there€™s no guarantee I could get it to you in time.€
His silence carried disappointment, and I felt it like a weight.

€œBut,€ I added quickly, €œI€™ve got a better idea.€
His head lifted, his eyes lighting up.

€œBetter than Dr.

Ainsworth€™s elixir?€
€œMuch better,€ I said solemnly.

€œBecause instead of relying on an old doctor€™s scribbles, we€™ll come up with something ourselves.

Something only you and I know about.

A secret recipe that€™s just for your mom.€
His breath caught, excitement reborn.

€œReally?€
€œReally.€ I let a smile curve my lips, and he mirrored it.

€œWe€™ll work on it when you return, and we€™ll make it so good she€™ll believe it is one of Alcanor€™s fabled elixirs.€
€œYes!€ His voice burst out, brimming with glee.

€œDad, that€™s genius!

We€™ll call it… We€™ll call it the Blackthorne Brew!€
I chuckled.

€œCareful, that sounds like something that should come with a warning label.€
He laughed, and the sound lifted the heaviness from my chest.

For a while, we talked-half-serious debates over ingredients, whether honey would overpower ginseng, whether cinnamon was too obvious.

He scribbled notes like a little scholar, his enthusiasm infectious.

For those few minutes, the world outside didn€™t exist.

There were no rogues, no threats, no cantankerous women clawing at my shoulders.

Just my boy and his impossible dream of giving his mother the moon in a bottle.

€œOkay, bud,€ I chuckled when a yawn cut him off mid-sentence.

€œI think you should head on to bed.€
He nodded.

€œOkay.

Oh-Dad, by the way, Grandpa said you should call him.€
I stiffened.

I€™d judiciously ignored my father€™s calls all day.

But if he was sending Daniel to me, I knew I could no longer avoid the conversation.

€œRight,€ I said after a pause.

€œThanks, bud.

I should do it now.€
€œGood,€ Daniel said firmly, his best imitation of adult authority.

€œHe said it was important.€
€œYep,€ I said tightly.

€œGoodnight, Danny.

Sweet dreams.€
€œNight, Dad!€
The quiet of the room pressed in after I hung up, heavier than before.

I raked a hand through my hair, then dialed my father.

He answered on the second ring.

€œKieran.€ His voice was sharp, clipped.

No preamble.

€œFather.€ I kept my tone neutral, though my jaw tightened instinctively.

€œI assume you know why I wanted this call.€
I exhaled.

€œHow did you find out?€
€œYou forget that I was Alpha before you.

Nothing goes on that I€™m unaware of.€
Lovely, I thought.

Nothing better than a hovering predecessor.

€œOkay,€ I braced myself.

€œLet€™s hear it.€
€œCuff the attitude,€ my father snapped, his tone hardening further.

€œMarcus Draven has always been volatile, but you€™ve done a spectacular job of pouring gasoline on his sparking temper.€
I bristled.

€œI handled it.€
€œYou mishandled it.€ His voice cracked like lightning.

€œDo you have any idea what kind of fire you€™ve stoked?

Marcus may lead a diminished pack, but a hotheaded Alpha with nothing left to lose is more dangerous than one with full strength.

And if he throws his lot in with the rogues-especially since his heir is one of them-we will all pay for your recklessness.€
My hands curled into fists against my knees.

€œI know my limits.€
€œNo, you know your rage,€ he snapped.

€œYou know your impulse.

You let your emotions steer you, and our pack will bleed for it.€
The words hit deep because they carried a kernel of truth.

My wrath had burned too hot where Jack was concerned.

He€™d crossed the line when he targeted Sera, and I couldn€™t deny that my fury might have made me a little rash.

But admitting that weakness to my father was out of the question.

€œI won€™t let Marcus threaten my family,€ I said coldly.

€œIt€™s not about that,€ he shot back.

€œWithout a Luna, who reinforces you when you€™re outnumbered?

You think your warriors are enough?

You think raw strength is enough?

Foolish.

A pack is only as strong as the bonds at its heart.

You know this, Kieran.€
I gritted my teeth.

€œI thought Mother was more than happy to play Luna.€
€œDon€™t act sly with me,€ he retorted.

€œThe rogues are gathering, Marcus is snarling, and you are parading about without a true Luna at your side.

Expedite your wedding to Celeste.

Seal the bond.

Give your wolves something solid to rally behind before this explodes into war.€
His words pressed against the unease already coiled in me.

Celeste.

Her wolf was still frayed, her mind increasingly unstable.

I thought of her desperate eyes earlier tonight, her hands clutching at me with something close to mania.

I thought of the very real possibility that she€™d thrown herself in front of a moving vehicle.

She wasn€™t ready-not for the bond.

And she sure as hell wasn€™t ready for the responsibility.

And yet…my father wasn€™t entirely wrong.

The pack needed more than my strength.

It needed faith.

Unity.

A Luna.

My voice dropped, iron-low.

€œShe€™s not ready.€
€œShe doesn€™t need to be ready.

She needs to stand at your side.

Everything else comes later.€
€œNo.€ The word burst sharper than intended.

€œThat€™s not how this works.

If I bind myself to someone who can€™t carry the weight, I cripple the pack, not strengthen it.€
His silence was thick, then: €œYou€™re letting sentiment cloud judgment again.

Always sentiment with you, Kieran.

Even with Sera-€
My teeth snapped together.

€œDon€™t.€
I couldn€™t bear to think about Sera right now.

Couldn€™t bear to slide down the slippery slope of comparing her eligibility as Luna to Celeste€™s.

€œThen prove me wrong,€ my father growled.

€œHandle Marcus.

Contain the rogues.

Do it without dragging our name through the mud of your temper.

Otherwise, I expect to see preparations for a wedding within the fortnight.€
The line went dead.

I sat in the heavy quiet, the phone still pressed to my ear.

My father€™s words reverberated like thunder.

A resounding truth I had to face.

Marcus was dangerous.

Jack was reckless.

The rogues were circling like vultures.

And through all the crowding thoughts, my son€™s innocent voice echoed in my memory.

I closed my eyes, forcing breath through my lungs.

Whatever chaos was gathering, I would not let it touch Daniel.

Or Sera.

I would not allow harm to reach my family.