My Sister Stole My Mate, And I Let Her Chapter 461 A BIGGER THREAT

SERAPHINA’S POV

A wave of panic washed over me, threatening to choke me.

I reached out, my fingers lightly grasping Kieran’s extended hand.

“Kieran.”

My voice seemed to boom in the sudden quiet of the room. Kieran remained motionless.

My heart hammered against my ribs like a drum.

No, this couldn’t be happening.

Had I harmed them?

I spun around to face Alois. “Alois!”

He didn’t even flinch.

A fresh surge of fear struck me, making my hands tremble.

Within my veins, I could still feel the residual power, a volatile, silver energy that crackled like lightning. It hadn’t yet subsided after my actions within the puppet’s mind.

A gasp escaped me as intense heat spread across my lower back, like something alive was stirring just beneath my skin.

Then, an inexplicable instinct bloomed in the core of my thoughts.

It wasn’t a clear thought, more of a profound certainty.

The same power that had halted them could also set them free.

Taking a shaky breath, I looked back at Kieran.

“Move,” I urged in a near whisper.

Instantly, they all came back to life.

The entire room seemed to lurch back into motion all at once.

Kieran drew in a sharp breath, his hand pulling away from mine.

Corin completed the step he had been frozen mid-motion.

Maya jolted, as if jolted out of a terrifying dream, against Ethan.

Brett stumbled back with a muttered curse.

The abrupt return of movement was so jarring that for a fleeting, disorienting moment, everyone just stared at each other in stunned confusion.

Then, every pair of eyes snapped towards me.

My stomach plummeted.

Kieran’s hands closed around my arms, his grip firm as his eyes, filled with raw alarm, swept over my face.

“What happened?”

“I… I froze you. I… I didn’t mean to.” My voice felt thick.

That was the most terrifying part.

It sent me back to that day in OTS, the first time I’d frozen Lucian without understanding my own abilities.

I had believed my powers were under control after the second visit to the Origins Archives, but this felt like a humiliating step backward.

Corin’s expression had become unnervingly sharp.

His psychic energy tentatively probed mine before swiftly retreating, as if he’d touched something volatile and dangerous.

Brett ran a hand roughly over his face. “It felt like my body just stopped obeying me.”

Maya nodded, her usual calm demeanor visibly fractured.

“I could still think,” she whispered. “I just… couldn’t move.”

Ethan’s gaze narrowed as he studied me intently, not with fear, but with a mixture of concern, calculation, and protective wariness.

Kieran’s hold on my arms tightened. “Are you alright?”

I choked back a sob. He was the one directly affected, yet he was asking about my well-being.

I managed a shaky nod.

“What exactly did you do inside his mind?” Brett inquired, glancing at the puppet.

The man now sat slumped in his restraints, breathing shallowly, his features hollowed by exhaustion. Yet, a subtle shift had occurred within him; the profound emptiness was gone, replaced by a faint, almost fragile flicker of humanity in his eyes.

“I broke Catherine’s restraints,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

Alois froze.

“How?”

“I forced them apart.”

Silence descended once more.

Not the unnatural stillness of before, but a heavy, charged quiet.

Corin let out a slow breath through his nose. “Sera…”

The gravity in his tone made my chest ache.

When I had delved into Aaron and Celeste’s minds, I had navigated their defenses, searching for the truth.

A psychic wouldn’t typically breach deeply entrenched mental restraints with brute force, especially not those crafted by someone like Catherine.

Psychic manipulation demanded precision, finesse, and patience.

What I had done felt less like unlocking a door and more like violently ripping the very hinges from the fabric of reality.

Abruptly, Alois clapped his hands together once, the sharp sound cutting through the heavy atmosphere.

“Well,” he declared with an air of casualness that felt entirely forced, “it’s been a long and draining day, both emotionally and physically. Sera can share any further revelations tomorrow. Everyone, retire for the night. Get some rest.”

Maya let out a scoff. “I doubt any of us will be sleeping tonight.”

Alois gestured vaguely towards the exit. “Gaze meaningfully into the middle distance. Whatever helps.”

Maya snorted softly before allowing Ethan to lead her away.

Brett paused a moment longer near the puppet, his jaw tightening as he stared at the man bound to the chair.

As the others filed out, Corin stopped beside me.

His voice dropped to a careful murmur. “You frightened me tonight.”

I drew a trembling breath. “You have no idea. I frightened myself.”

His gaze searched mine for a long moment before he nodded once and walked through the doorway.

Two guards entered, unfastened the puppet, and escorted him to a separate holding cell.

The instant the heavy interrogation room door clicked shut, leaving only Kieran, Alois, and myself, Alois’s veneer of lightness evaporated.

“The markings on Sera’s back,” he stated abruptly. “Kieran, examine them.”

I blinked in surprise. “What?”

Kieran frowned. “Why?”

“You’ll understand when you look.”

My stomach churned as I suddenly became intensely aware of the stinging sensation at the base of my spine.

Kieran’s eyes flickered towards me before he gently turned me around."}

As Kieran’s fingers brushed my skin, a jolt ran through his entire frame, causing me to instinctively pull my hair over one shoulder. My shirt was lifted, and the contact sent a shockwave through him.

A surge of fear coursed through me.

“Kieran?” I asked, my voice laced with concern.

He slowly raised the hem of my shirt higher. The cool air against my skin surprisingly did nothing to numb the intense burning sensation.

Alois stepped nearer, adjusting his spectacles.

A profound silence settled over us for several heartbeats.

Then, Kieran let out a low curse.

“What is it?” I demanded, trying to turn and see. “What’s wrong?”

His hand gently pressed against my lower back, a gesture that felt both possessive and fiercely protective.

“They’ve spread,” he stated, his voice tight.

A cold dread slithered down my spine.

“How bad?” I pressed, my anxiety mounting.

He remained silent for a moment, his lack of immediate response confirming my worst fears.

My stomach twisted into knots as Kieran lowered my shirt back into place and gently turned me to face him. His expression was carefully controlled, betraying nothing.

“Kieran,” I prompted, my voice barely a whisper.

I watched his jaw clench.

“The markings are nearly complete,” Alois said softly, his words resonating with a grim finality.

The statement echoed through my mind, heavy with foreboding. I recalled the morning Kieran first noticed the silver script, like living ink, coiled across my lower back. At the time, they had covered only a small section of my skin.

“How far have they reached?” I inquired, my voice hushed.

Kieran hesitated, his gaze briefly dropping before meeting mine again.

“Up to your ribs,” he revealed.

I instinctively wrapped my arms around myself, a shiver running through me.

Had the silver markings truly expanded that much overnight?

No, not overnight.

After tonight.

After whatever I had just done.

Alina stirred restlessly within my consciousness. ‘That shouldn’t have happened so rapidly.’

My chest felt constricted. ‘But you said yours never changed,’ I countered weakly.

‘They didn’t.’

That response offered absolutely no comfort.

Alois slowly removed his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose with thoughtful consideration.

“Well,” he began, his tone laced with a knowing gravity, “you understand the implications, don’t you?”

Corin’s pronouncement echoed in my memory: ‘When the pattern is fully formed, your anchoring will solidify. Then, your power will naturally stabilize at its peak.’

“I’m nearing Sovereign level,” I breathed out, the realization dawning.

“I suppose congratulations are in order,” Alois remarked, though his voice conveyed the stark opposite sentiment.

I managed a weak smile. “I’m becoming stronger. That’s a positive development… isn’t it?”

“See that the other Alphas do not discover this,” Alois cautioned, his voice sharp with warning.

The gravity in his tone sent a fresh wave of unease washing over me.

Kieran’s arm circled my waist, his presence grounding.

“They won’t,” he stated with firm finality.

A lump formed in my throat, but I swallowed it down.

“They already know I’m a psychic and a silver wolf. Is this truly such a significant development?” I questioned.

“You immobilized an entire room, including three Alphas, a Beta, and two formidable psychics,” Alois pointed out calmly. “And it wasn’t even intentional.”

The soft hum of the fluorescent lights filled the space. In the distance, the faint echo of guards’ footsteps could be heard traversing the lower levels, the sounds muffled by concrete and steel.

Yet, within the room, the silence grew heavier.

“The alliance remains a delicate balance,” Alois continued, choosing his words with care. “You have managed to earn some measure of their trust. However, once the Alphas realize you possess the power to dominate them…” He let out a quiet exhale. “Fear has a way of shattering trust more effectively than almost anything else.”

I knew he was entirely correct.

If the Alphas discovered I held the power to incapacitate them—and potentially far more—with a mere thought…

“They would perceive me as a greater threat,” I whispered, the understanding chilling me. “They might even turn against us.”

Kieran’s arm tightened around me, as if sensing the direction of my spiraling thoughts.

“You are not a threat,” he asserted, his voice unwavering.

I looked up at him, finding his gaze locked with mine, filled with an unshakeable intensity.

Alois sighed softly. “Indeed, she is not. But fear has a tendency to transform the unknown into something monstrous. It’s the reason witches were once subjected to immolation and vampires relentlessly hunted.”

The stark truth of his words settled heavily in the room.

For a long moment, silence reigned.

Then, Alois’s gaze returned to me, his expression shifting to one of almost reverent awe beneath his lingering concern.

“Nevertheless,” he murmured, “Catherine developed restraints capable of withstanding psychic collapse, and you shattered them. I can think of no one more deserving of reaching Sovereign level.”

The silver markings beneath my skin continued to throb with a silent, steady pulse.

Not with pain, but with growth.