My Sister Stole My Mate, And I Let Her Chapter 473 A FEW PRECIOUS HOURS

SERAPHINA’S POV

By the time the day concluded, I felt as if I were floating on air, a lightness washing over me that only comes after narrowly escaping a grave danger.

The video proclaiming “WE KNOW SERA” had spread like wildfire across all networks, far quicker than we could contain it.

Marcus’ interview continued to circulate, but now every repost was inundated with comments defending me, ridiculing him, or directly labeling him as deceitful.

Incredibly, the public perception of the silver wolf began to shift once more.

Individuals who earlier had condemned me as a monster were now sharing ancient lore about silver wolves safeguarding their territories. They drew comparisons between me and legendary protectors and historical heroes, as if the world had suddenly decided silver fur was a symbol of cinematic heroism rather than something to fear.

For the first time in days, as I moved through the packhouse corridors, the oppressive feeling of whispers that used to press into my back had vanished.

Instead, people offered smiles, friendly waves, and congratulations.

With each such interaction, a warmth spread through my chest.

As evening approached, I had come to a firm decision.

“I want to do something for the children,” I announced to Maya, who was simultaneously managing three different communication channels.

Maya let out a skeptical snort. “For the same children who inadvertently won your public relations battle?”

“Precisely.”

“That statement alone is still utterly bizarre.”

A spontaneous laugh escaped me, surprising even myself.

It felt foreign, as though my body had forgotten the very sensation of laughter.

“I’m quite serious,” I said with a soft tone. “I simply… want them to understand how much this moment signifies to me.”

Maya’s expression softened considerably.

“You know,” she murmured, “you’ll never escape the reputation of being impossibly soft-hearted.”

“It’s a truly tragic fate.”

“Absolutely devastating.”

By dinnertime, the entire west dining hall had undergone a remarkable transformation.

Long tables were laden with food, a testament to the enthusiastic contributions from both the kitchen staff and pack members who had practically vied with one another to help.

Twinkling string lights were artfully draped along the overhead beams. Board games and card games were brought out in abundance.

One section of the room was dedicated to a dessert table so excessively piled with sweets that Kieran uttered a remark about “weaponized sugar.”

The children entered hesitantly at first, clustering near the entrance in small groups.

Then, in an instant, the room erupted into a vibrant scene of noise and activity.

Peals of laughter.

The sound of running feet.

The scraping of chairs.

Ava entered with Daniel by her side, feigning an indifference that clearly masked her delight at being celebrated.

The instant she noticed the festive decorations, however, her eyes widened.

She caught me observing and immediately adopted a stern look. “You’re making too big of a fuss over this.”

“That’s because it’s the most significant event ever.”

I moved across the room to intercept her before she could slip away and embraced her tightly.

She made a muffled sound of protest.

“Sera,” she whispered, clearly embarrassed. “People are watching us.”

“Yes,” I replied, my voice muffled by her hair. “That’s typically how hugs function.”

A few of the nearby children let out small giggles.

Ava groaned dramatically, though she returned the hug nonetheless.

Daniel shook his head beside us. “You two are utterly embarrassing.”

“Envious?” I inquired.

He scoffed. “What reason would I possibly have for that?”

I smiled and pulled him into the hug as well before he could evade my grasp.

That action elicited a genuine laugh from Ava.

The sound was almost overwhelming, as it had been such a long time since anything in Nightfang had possessed such an uncomplicated sense of joy.

Dinner quickly descended into delightful chaos.

The most wonderful kind of chaos.

Children zipped between tables, precariously balancing too many cupcakes. Toby, through some dubious means, managed to persuade Ethan to join a card game that he was undoubtedly rigging.

Corin found himself surrounded by three younger children, who were relentlessly demanding tales of sea monsters after someone let slip that he hailed from Seabreeze.

Maya spent the entire evening with a little girl nestled in her lap, engrossed in reading stories from a voluminous book.

At one point, I observed Kieran standing near the doorway, his gaze sweeping across the lively scene.

His eyes met mine.

His expression struck me more profoundly than I had anticipated.

He wasn't Alpha Blackthorne.

He wasn't the commander preparing for an impending war.

He was simply Kieran, a man gazing at the semblance of a family we had somehow forged amidst the unfolding catastrophe.

I crossed the room to approach him as the children remained captivated by the dessert spread.

“You’re staring,” I remarked softly.

“Because you are exceptionally beautiful.”

“That was surprisingly charming.”

“I am an Alpha. Our innate charm is legendary and quite devastating.”

I let out a quiet snort.

His hand found my waist, a grounding and comforting presence.

“You seem much happier tonight,” he said in a quiet voice. “And I find that utterly wonderful.”

His words resonated deep within a tender part of me.

“I don’t believe I’ve ever experienced this feeling before,” I confessed.

His gaze searched mine with quiet intensity. “What feeling?”

I surveyed the room once more.

At Ava, meticulously allocating cookies to the younger children as if performing a vital state duty.

At Daniel, patiently instructing two young boys in the art of playing darts.

At the children who had bravely stood before the entire world to defend me, armed with nothing but their unwavering honesty.

My throat constricted as I whispered the words. “This much love.”

Kieran’s expression softened with such immediate tenderness that it was almost difficult to look directly at him.

“Sera—”

“I am aware of your affection for me,” I stated gently, cutting in. “And for Daniel, and for the ones most dear to me. However, this situation…” My gaze returned to the room, focusing on the children whose laughter was a little too loud and who were sneaking desserts when they thought no one was observing. “It’s quite overwhelming. I’ve never experienced such a profound sense of being seen before. I’ve never had so many individuals stand up for me in such a manner.”

After dedicating so much of my existence to feeling merely tolerated, or worse, completely unwanted, following the chaos Marcus had instigated, and after enduring the labels of monster, unstable, and calamity, words that seemed to cling to me as if they were my own, the reality still felt incredibly dreamlike.

As if a strong blink would make it all vanish.

Kieran tenderly caressed below my eye with his thumb.

“You absolutely deserve all the love the world can offer,” he whispered.

That sentiment nearly broke me more than the video had.

So, instead of responding verbally, I leaned in and planted a soft kiss upon his lips.

For a fleeting moment, the ambient noise of the room melded into a comforting blend of warmth, joyous sounds, and the rhythmic thumping of his heart against my hand.

A wolf-whistle echoed, and we broke apart. Ethan stood across the room, a disarmingly wide grin on his face, as a group of children erupted into gleeful giggles.

“Good heavens,” Ava groaned, feigning distress. “My appetite is vanishing.”

“That’s likely because you devoured four pieces of cake,” Daniel pointed out to her.

“And it’s all coming back up onto your shoes if you don’t mind your own affairs.”

Daniel made a disgusted face. “You are repulsive.”

Ava provocatively stuck out her tongue. “The correct term you are searching for is magnificent.”

A helpless laugh escaped me then, a sound freer than any I’d managed in days, as I rested my head against Kieran’s chest.

All around us, Nightfang resonated with renewed vitality.

Children bickering over sugary treats.

Pack members conversing animatedly, their voices overlapping.

A shout from the kitchen signaled that Toby had, apparently, pilfered whipped cream directly from the bowl.

The sounds enveloped me gradually, seeping into the empty spaces that anxiety and sheer exhaustion had hollowed out over the preceding weeks.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Nightfang did not carry the menacing aura of a territory poised for conflict.

It sounded like home.

And for a precious few hours, the external war was held at bay.