My Sister's Mate

What Shouldn't Be

When my mother died, I thought nothing else could uproot my life.

I was wrong.

Because one week ago, Kieran Hale said my name, and nothing has been the same since.

Now, everything feels… wrong.

The house I grew up in? Gone. My father moved us into the Blackthorn packhouse the day after the engagement ceremony, an official sign to the pack that Julia is preparing to take her place as Luna.

It’s supposed to be temporary. Just until the mating ceremony. But even after a week, I still feel like a stranger here. Like I don’t belong.

And Kieran?

I wish I could say I’ve barely seen him. But the truth is, he’s everywhere.

Even now, I feel his presence across the dining hall, like a storm cloud hanging over my skin. I don’t have to look to know he’s sitting at the main table with the council, his rightful place as Alpha.

And I definitely don’t have to look to know that Julia is right beside him.

I focus on my breakfast, trying to block them out, but it’s impossible when I feel his gaze, heavy, lingering, like he’s fighting something only he can feel.

“You know, if you stab your eggs any harder, they might file a formal complaint,” Lena says, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I blink down at my fork, realizing I’m gripping it too tightly. “Sorry. Just… distracted.”

“Uh, huh,” she drawls, lifting an eyebrow. “Let me guess, Tall, broody, and emotionally unavailable?”

I roll my eyes. “I’m not thinking about him.”

“You’re a terrible liar,” Selene says softly, her voice always gentler than Lena’s teasing edge.

“She’s obsessed,” Lena declares. “Honestly, Ava. It’s been a week. He’s bonded to Julia. You need to focus on more important things, like how I’m going to murder Sebastian.”

I choke on my juice. “What did he do now?”

Lena slams her fork down. “Existing. Why is he everywhere? Like a shadow, an irritating, judgmental, muscle, bound shadow.”

Selene laughs softly. “You know he’s the Beta, right? Being everywhere kind of comes with the job.”

“And being a condescending ass, is that part of the job too?” Lena mutters.

I shake my head, biting back a smile. “He can’t be that bad.”

“Oh, he’s worse.” Lena leans closer like she’s sharing a scandalous secret. “I swear, he watches me during training like he’s mentally writing ‘Lena’s Guide to Complete Incompetence.’”

“You do have a habit of bending the rules,” Selene reminds her.

“It’s called creative problem, solving,” Lena huffs. “I mean, why follow the proper takedown form when you can just kick a guy where it hurts?”

“Maybe Sebastian prefers wolves who follow orders,” I tease.

Lena snorts. “He’d probably combust if he tried to boss someone like me around outside the ring. I bet he’s never broken a rule in his life.”

“I don’t know…” Selene hums thoughtfully. “I think he enjoys pushing your buttons.”

“As if.” Lena flips her hair over her shoulder. “The day Sebastian actually flirts with me is the day hell freezes over.”

“You’re still talking about me,” a familiar, cold voice cuts in from behind.

Lena’s eyes widen as she slowly turns her head. “Well, if it isn’t His Royal Grumpiness.”

Sebastian stands with his arms crossed, glaring down at her with his usual air of authority. His black uniform clings to his tall, muscular frame, and his jaw is locked tight, like he’s already regretting coming over.

“I’m sorry,” he says, voice smooth but razor, sharp. “Did you say murder?”

Lena tilts her head, smiling sweetly. “You’re awfully defensive for someone who claims not to care.”

His emerald eyes narrow. “I don’t care.”

“Sure you don’t.” Her voice drips with fake innocence. “So, why are you here? Missed me already?”

Sebastian’s lips twitch, not a smile, exactly. Something harder. “I’m here because you forgot to log your training hours. Again.”

Lena gasps. “You’ve been stalking my logs?”

He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Follow the rules, Lena. It’s not that hard.”

“Rules are boring,” she quips.

“And you’re reckless,” he fires back without missing a beat.

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. They’re ridiculous.

“You know,” Lena says, leaning forward, “I think you secretly enjoy this. Following me around, watching my every move, it’s kind of obsessive. Maybe you should examine that.”

Sebastian glares at her like she’s the bane of his existence. “You’re impossible.”

“You love it,” Lena winks.

His jaw flexes. For a split second, it almost looks like he wants to say something else, but instead, he turns sharply and walks toward the Alpha’s table.

As soon as he’s gone, I burst out laughing. “You really know how to push his buttons.”

Lena flips her hair dramatically. “It’s a gift.”

Julia’s laughter rings softly as Sebastian drops into the seat beside Kieran, the leather of his jacket creaking with the movement.

“She’s going to be the death of me,” he mutters, grabbing the coffee pot.

Kieran snorts, lifting a brow. “I’ll send flowers.”

Julia’s hand drifts across Kieran’s forearm, soft, polished, but the touch is deliberate. Possessive.

“Are there no consequences for disrespect these days?” Her tone is light, but there’s an unmistakable edge beneath it. “A little discipline would remind her where she stands.”

Sebastian tilts his cup without glancing her way. “Lena isn’t a threat. She’s a pain in the ass, but she does her job.”

Julia’s smile doesn’t waver. “Discipline is part of leadership, isn’t it?”

Sebastian finally looks up, his face unreadable. “I’m leading just fine.” His voice is smooth, but beneath it lies an unmistakable warning.

Julia opens her mouth again, but Kieran cuts in, his tone colder than it needs to be.

“She’s not your concern, Julia.”

The words land heavy between them.

Sebastian hides his smirk behind his cup as Julia’s fingers twitch against Kieran’s wrist. “Of course, darling,” she murmurs, though her shoulders stiffen ever so slightly.

“Besides,” Sebastian adds, dragging the conversation forward, “the South Ridge patrol spotted rogue tracks near the old border post.”

Kieran’s relaxed demeanor fades, his expression sharpening. “Numbers?”

“Three or four. Nothing serious. Probably just passing through,” Sebastian says, leaning back in his chair. “I’ll double the night patrols, but I doubt they’ll try anything. Not after last time.”

Julia hums softly. “You’re awfully casual about potential threats.”

Sebastian shrugs. “Rogues bark more than they bite these days. And if they try something stupid, I’ll handle it.”

A low, humorless chuckle slips from Kieran’s lips, but the tension in his frame doesn’t fade.

“Keep me updated,” he says, already rising from the table. “I don’t want any surprises.”

Sebastian gives a casual salute, while Julia tightens her grip on Kieran’s arm as if the strength of her touch could keep him grounded.

But Kieran’s focus is already somewhere else.

And Julia knows exactly where.

AVA

It’s nearly midnight when I slip outside, the cool air brushing against my skin.

I should be asleep. I should be anywhere but here.

But the walls of the pack house feel too tight tonight, too full of thoughts I can’t outrun.

I follow the worn path toward the training grounds, breathing in the crisp night air. Out here, things are easier. There’s no Julia. No whispers. No impossible tension curling beneath my skin.

Just the quiet.

Until I hear him.

The faint sound of fists meeting a punching bag, steady, unrelenting, echoes through the stillness. My stomach twists as I step closer, and when I round the corner, my heart stumbles.

Kieran.

He’s shirtless, his skin glistening with sweat beneath the moonlight. Every sharp, powerful muscle flexes with each punch, tension coiled tight in his frame. He’s controlled, but there’s something raw simmering beneath the surface.

I should leave. I should turn around and walk away.

But before I can move, his voice stops me.

“Couldn’t sleep?”

His words slide through the night, rough and low.

I swallow hard, my heart pounding in my ears. “I, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Kieran stops mid, strike, his body going still. When he turns toward me, his silver eyes gleam under the pale moonlight, too intense, too much.

“You didn’t,” he says, but there’s something in his voice, something dark and tangled.

For a breathless moment, neither of us moves.

I should say something. I should leave. But instead, my mouth betrays me.

“You’re pushing yourself too hard,” I murmur, nodding to the torn knuckles on his right hand.

Kieran’s lips curve, not a smile, exactly. Something harder. Colder. “It helps.”

“What does?”

His gaze burns through me. “Forgetting.”

The air between us crackles, charged and dangerous. My skin prickles under the weight of his stare, and I can’t breathe, can’t think,

And then, as if realizing what he’s doing, he steps back.

The coldness slams back into place. His hands curl into fists, and when he speaks again, his voice is sharp enough to cut.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

The words slice through me, and I flinch despite myself.

“I didn’t, ”

“I’m not doing this.” His tone is final, as if the conversation, the pull between us, is over.

I swallow against the ache rising in my throat, willing myself to stay calm. “I didn’t ask for this, Kieran.”

His jaw tightens. “I know.”

And without another word, he walks away, leaving me alone in the dark, my heart pounding loud enough to drown out everything else.

But as I watch him disappear, I know one thing for certain.

Whatever this is between us?

It’s not going away.