My Sister Stole My Mate, And I Let Her - Chapter 63

63: Chapter 63 THAT€™S THEATER 63: Chapter 63 THAT€™S THEATER SERAPHINA€™S POV
I couldn€™t speak.

The words wouldn€™t come-not because I didn€™t know what I was supposed to say, but because everything in me rebelled at the idea of playing along with this twisted performance.

I€™d been pushed into the spotlight like some reluctant understudy in a play I never auditioned for.

I could feel the burn of every gaze on me-judging, waiting.

And then, on stage, I saw Kieran roll his shoulders, his stiff mask cracking.

He cleared his throat.

€œI don€™t think-€
A sharp crash shattered the moment.

A gasp rippled through the crowd, and everyone turned.

Glass had shattered near the corner of the ballroom.

A wine table lay overturned, a pool of crimson spreading across the marble like spilled blood.

The staff scrambled, voices rising in panic as the perfect illusion cracked.

€œOh dear,€ Lucian said smoothly, his voice loud enough to carry across the room.

€œThat was entirely my fault.€
My jaw dropped at the sight of him standing beside the toppled wine table, the remnants of a decanter dripping into a floral centerpiece.

I hadn€™t even noticed him move from our table.

His face was the picture of regret and mild embarrassment-but I saw the glint in his eye.

It hadn€™t been an accident.

€œI€™ll pay for the damages, of course,€ he added, brushing invisible lint off his sleeve.

€œSo sorry, Celeste, Kieran.€
I looked back up at the stage.

Celeste€™s smile had faltered.

My mother€™s gaze was scanning the room like a hawk, like she was trying to find the next mishap before it happened.

And Kieran-Kieran was looking directly at me.

His expression was unreadable.

What had he been about to say?

Was he going to pressure me, too?

Celeste€™s voice, sharp and incredulous, cut across the murmur of reassurances.

€œYou did that on purpose.€
Lucian looked at her and widened his eyes innocently.

€œOh, come now.

What could I possibly gain from interrupting such a beautiful moment?€
Kieran leaned over and murmured something in her ear.

Her spine stiffened, and she plastered her smile back on her face.

€œThat€™s…okay,€ Celeste€™s voice rang out, tight.

€œLet€™s not let that disrupt our night.€ She smiled, and my heart dropped.

€œSera-€
€œOh, I€™m so sorry.€ Lucian was suddenly at my side.

€œMy companion was startled by the sudden…ruckus.€
I blinked, realizing he was talking about me.

His hand was suddenly firm and steady on the small of my back.

€œCome, Sera.

You€™re shaking.€
€œI€™m not-€ I started, but he leaned in close.

€œLet me play the villain tonight.

You€™ve done it long enough.€
I did not have to be told twice.

I leaned into Lucian and closed my eyes.

€œSorry, I… I feel faint.€
Celeste€™s incredulous scoff rang out, and I fought the urge to smirk.

She wasn€™t the only one who could play a role.

And just like that, I let Lucian lead me away.

CELESTE€™S POV
I watched them disappear through the crowd, fury bubbling beneath my perfectly painted exterior.

The crack of glass still echoed in my mind, and the smug look on Lucian€™s face made my blood boil.

He€™d done it on purpose.

I knew it.

Everyone else might€™ve been fooled, but not me.

I€™d planned every moment of this night down to the most minute detail, where I would force my sister to concede defeat in front of everyone-perfect.

I was not going to be robbed of my rightful victory.

€œCeleste,€ Kieran said lowly, €œlet it go.€
Fuck that.

I hitched my dress delicately and began to descend the stage, brushing Kieran€™s hands off.

I was going to drag Seraphina back on this stage and choke the blessing out of her if I had to.

€œCeleste, darling!€
As soon as my glass heels descended the last step, I was enveloped by a flurry of voices and flashbulbs.

High-ranking members from Nightfang, Frostbane, and other allied packs, the press, and all the fashion bloggers and socialites I€™d invited-each one eager to bask in the glow of what they believed to be a fairytale coming true.

They saw the tiara, the gown, the golden lights behind us.

They saw power and beauty and victory.

Exactly what I wanted them to see.

I smiled.

Of course I smiled.

This was what tonight was about, and I was not going to let Sera ruin yet another thing I had worked so hard to acquire.

So I put the bitch out of my mind and basked in all the attention.

This was my hard-won right.

Kieran had descended, too, standing by my side, silent and stiff, but I didn€™t care.

Not even whatever brooding episode he€™d been having since I told him about the party was going to ruin tonight for me.

Not when I was too busy being adored.

Together, Kieran and I floated through the crowd, flashing cameras on our heels, accepting congratulations and compliments.

€œCeleste, you look like a goddess!€
€œI always knew you two were fated!€
€œTell us how it feels to be reunited with your true mate!€
Each praise wrapped around me like silk ribbons, and I€™d almost completely forgotten my annoyance.

Until-
€œQuite a stir earlier,€ one of the Alphas-Walter Conlan of Silvercrest in Hollywood-murmured, swirling his champagne.

I paused.

€œWhat do you mean?€ He couldn€™t possibly be talking about Seraphina and Lucian even after they€™d left.

If that snake had managed to steal my attention-
€œBetween the Gamma and the Omega-quite the spectacle.€
Oh.

Gamma Douglas had stormed into my dressing room earlier, furious because he€™d been disrespected by an Omega and embarrassed by-surprise, surprise-fucking Sera.

Maybe inviting her was a bad idea.

I blinked.

€œOh, that?€ I laughed lightly, flicking a hand.

€œJust a minor disruption.

I€™ll be sure to reinforce discipline among the Omegas.

They haven€™t really had a firm hand, so they€™ve been ill-mannered lately, but I assure you all that will change.€
He smiled, but it didn€™t quite reach his eyes.

€œYes, well, we wouldn€™t want things to get out of hand.

Packs are watching.€
Beside me, Kieran stiffened.

€œI completely agree,€ I said sweetly.

€œA little structure never hurt anyone.

They need to know their place.€
Alpha Walter chuckled dryly.

€œLady Celeste, you€™ll make an…interesting Luna.€
I beamed.

€œI will, won€™t I?

I truly believe-€
€œCeleste.€ The air seemed to shift as Kieran hissed lowly.

I turned to him and caught the flicker of something dark in his gaze.

€œWe should…talk,€ he said under his breath, voice tight.

€œIn private.€
€œOh, now?€ I arched a brow.

€œBut we€™re in the middle of-”
€œNow, Celeste.€
The tone brooked no argument.

I pasted on a smile for the guests and waved demurely as Kieran took my arm.

We walked through the winding corridor in silence, his grip just a little too tight, until we reached the side terrace.

The door clicked shut behind us.

€œWhat the hell was that back there?€ he asked sharply, stepping away from me.

€œWhat do you mean?€
His eyes burned into mine.

€œI heard Douglas whining to you, and that€™s how you resolved to treat the situation after what he did?€
€œHe was disrespected by an Omega-your Omega.€ I frowned.

€œIs that how you run things in your pack?€
€œMy pack runs on mutual respect, and position isn€™t permission to do whatever the fuck you want.€
I shook my head.

€œAre we really arguing about Gammas and Omegas on our night?€
€œIt€™s not just that.€ His fists clenched at his side.

€œWhat the hell was that earlier?€
I sighed in exasperation.

€œWhat now?€
€œMargaret€™s speech, for starters, and then forcing Sera into a corner like that?€
There it fucking was.

It always had to come back to Sera.

€œShe needed to give her blessing,€ I said tightly.

€œIt would€™ve made everything cleaner.€
€œCleaner?€ Kieran echoed, incredulous.

€œYou were trying to humiliate her, trying to assert your dominance.€
€œSo?

She deserved it.€
His jaw tensed.

€œYou don€™t get to decide who deserves what in my pack.€
My mouth dropped open.

€œYour pack?

Excuse me?€
He stepped closer, towering over me now.

€œYou are not Luna, Celeste.

Not yet.

You do not decide how things are run in my pack.

If you pull this kind of stunt ever again-€
€œWhat?€ I snapped.

€œYou€™ll what, Kieran?

You€™ll ditch me for Sera again?

Why don€™t we just call her back now, and you can reintroduce her as your Luna!€
He went silent, and for one tense moment, I held my breath.

But then-
€œYou€™re so quick to throw what happened ten years ago in my face and berate me about caring more about Sera than I care about you.

But do you even care about me?€
I blinked.

€œExcuse me?€
€œNot once did you ask about my opinion for tonight.

You didn€™t care that I didn€™t have a say, that I was visibly uncomfortable.€
I scoffed.

€œYou€™re not a child, Kieran.

If you€™re not comfortable, speak.

You€™re just mad because I took control.€
€œNo,€ he replied.

€œI€™m mad because you made me complicit in something I despise.

I stood beside you like a statue while you turned this night into a show about power and cruelty.

That€™s not leadership.

That€™s theater.€
He shook his head and added softly, €œYou humiliated yourself tonight.€
His words hit me like a slap, and my jaw simply dropped.

He ran a hand through his hair, suddenly looking tired.

€œI need air.€
I waved a hand around the open space.

€œHow much more air do you need?

Are you insinuating that I€™m suffocating you?€
Kieran gave me one last scalding look before he turned and walked back inside, leaving me alone on the cold terrace, the applause from the ballroom muffled by the door.

I clutched the railing, trying to breathe, wondering how my perfect night had turned into anything but.