From Substitute To Queen. Chapter 185

"Starving," he agreed, but the way he looked at me suggested food wasn't what he had in mind.

I laughed and escaped toward the kitchen. "Actual food, Caelan."

"Fine," he called after me, "but I'm cooking. You just sit there and look beautiful."

Caelan stood at the stove wearing only black sleep pants, his bare back muscles rippling as he flipped eggs in the pan. His dark hair was slightly mussed from sleep, and morning sunlight streaming through the windows highlighted every defined line of his torso.

I hopped onto the marble countertop, letting my legs swing freely.

He set the spatula down and cupped my face with both hands, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. "You look incredible in my shirt."

"Just the shirt?" I teased.

"Especially just the shirt." His voice dropped to that low rumble that made heat pool in my belly.

He turned back to the stove, grabbing a fork to spear a piece of strawberry from the plate beside him. "Open," he commanded gently, holding the fruit to my lips.

I bit into the strawberry, some of the juice running down my chin. Before I could wipe it away, Caelan leaned down and kissed it off, his tongue flicking against my skin.

"Sweet," he murmured against my mouth.

I caught his hand as he moved to pull away, bringing his fingers to my lips. "Not as sweet as you." I playfully bit down on his index finger.

He groaned low in his throat. "Little tease. Keep that up and breakfast will burn."

"Maybe I want something else for breakfast." My teeth grazed his finger again.

Caelan's eyes flashed with heat. "Didn't get enough last night?"

My cheeks flushed, but I held his gaze. "Did you?"

He captured my mouth in a hungry kiss, one hand tangling in my hair. "Never enough with you, Sabi. I could have you every minute of every day and it still wouldn't be enough."

Twenty minutes later, we sat at the dining table with plates of perfectly cooked eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit. I was cutting into my egg when Caelan's voice turned serious.

He set down his coffee cup with a soft clink. "Today is Marcus's funeral."

My fork stopped mid-air. I looked up to find him staring down at his plate, his jaw tight with tension.

"I wasn't planning to go." He avoided my eyes, focusing instead on cutting his bacon into precise pieces. "But I'm worried about my mother. Her condition..."

His voice cracked slightly. "I'm afraid she won't be able to handle it."

*Marcus had tried to kill us both. He'd betrayed his own family, chosen Lucian over Caelan time and time again. But Katherine loved him, and she was grieving. Caelan needed to be there for her, even if it meant facing his own complicated feelings about his father.*

I reached across the table and took his hand. "I'll come with you."

Caelan's head snapped up, his eyes wide with shock. "What? Sable, he tried to murder you. You want to attend his funeral?"

I leaned forward, placing my other hand over our joined ones. "I'm not going for Marcus." My voice was steady, firm. "I'm going for you."

"I won't let you face this alone." I squeezed his fingers. "You shouldn't have to carry this pain by yourself."

"And Katherine needs support right now too. As your woman, as your future wife, I should be there." I met his eyes with quiet determination. "We're family now. That means we stand together, especially during the hardest times."

Caelan lifted our joined hands and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. "Thank you, Sabi. I don't know what I did to deserve you."

"How is Katherine's health?" I asked gently.

Caelan shook his head, running his free hand through his hair. "She collapsed the day she found out about Marcus's betrayal. Since learning about his suicide..." He paused, struggling with the words. "She's been completely shattered."

"I know she's heartbroken. But even after everything Marcus did, even knowing he wanted to kill her own son, she still loves him." His voice turned bitter. "My mother spent her entire life loving a man who cheated on her, who never truly loved her back. She's been devoted to someone who was willing to destroy our family for his bastard son."

"Sometimes I wish she could just... stop caring. Stop letting him hurt her over and over again." He looked up at me with pain-filled eyes. "I'm terrified that after today, after we bury him, I'll lose her too."

I moved around the table to stand beside his chair, running my fingers through his dark hair. "Katherine is stronger than you think. She'll find a way through this grief."

"And she won't be alone." I tilted his chin up to meet my eyes. "She has you. She has us."

Caelan nodded slowly, some of the tension leaving his shoulders.

After breakfast, I went back to my apartment to change clothes.

I chose a black knee-length dress with a matching blazer, keeping my makeup minimal and my hair in a simple low bun. Pearl earrings and black pumps completed the somber look. Everything about my appearance needed to be respectful and understated.

Thirty minutes later, Caelan and I drove through the wrought-iron gates of the Blackwood family cemetery. Gray clouds hung heavy overhead, and the autumn wind carried a chill that seemed to seep into my bones.

The cemetery sat on a hill overlooking the pack territory, with ancient oak trees providing a canopy over rows of marble headstones. Some of the graves dated back centuries, marking the resting places of Lycan Kings and their families.

I spotted Katherine immediately. She stood near a freshly dug grave, her slight figure trembling in her black dress. She looked... fragile. Breakable.

Beside her stood a man with Marcus's sharp features but harder eyes, and a woman whose expression could cut glass.