[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her":3,"chapter-my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-260":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","My Sister Stole My Mate, And I Let Her",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},764384,1010,"Chapter 260 A FOOL’S ERRAND","my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-260",260,"\u003Cp>SERAPHINA’S POV\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coastal transit warehouse behind the institute was nothing glamorous—a squat concrete structure crouched between salt-scrub grass and a stretch of cracked asphalt that obviously hadn’t seen steady traffic in years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its windows were dark, doors mottled with rust, but the low, electric hum crawling beneath my skin told me all I needed to know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wards. Old but efficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pulled my jacket tighter as I approached, the wind sharp and damp against my cheeks. The smell of brine and oil hung heavy in the air, carried in from the far-off docks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, four wolves were in the final stages of prepping a matte-black transport van. Unlabeled wooden crates lined the walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stepped inside, and all four heads turned toward me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman closest to the van—lean, her blonde hair yanked into a severe knot—was the first to step forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re Seraphina Blackthorne,” she said. Not a question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I swallowed. “I am.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Iris,” she said, offering a firm nod instead of a handshake. “Team lead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes, pale gray and unblinking, cut through me with sharp assessment. She stood balanced and ready, boots worn smooth at the toes from use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beta, without question—but the kind forged by discipline and power, not proximity to an Alpha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Former special forces, if Alois’ briefing hadn’t been exaggerating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t usually accept last-minute additions to my missions,” Iris said. “But no one says no to Alois.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I chuckled dryly. “Tell me about it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her lips quirked slightly. “Route’s tight, timing tighter. Let’s get introductions done fast.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tossed her thumb behind her. “That’s Gear.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A broad-shouldered man with arms like hydraulic pistons glanced up from tightening a bolt on the van’s undercarriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gave a silent nod, expression unreadable under heavy brows, then returned to work without a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air around him felt dense, grounded. Beta, too, his strength so tangible it seemed to vibrate in the space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wren,” Iris continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A petite brunette woman perched on top of a crate, one foot braced, the other dangling. She lifted two fingers in greeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her brown gaze sharpened as our eyes met—quick, assessing, like she’d already clocked three exit routes and my breathing rate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Omega, but there was nothing fragile about her. Not in the slightest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heya,” she chirped. “Don’t mind Gear. He’s allergic to small talk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gear grunted in reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And Codex.” Iris pointed to a dark-haired man who stood slightly apart, tablet in hand, glasses catching the overhead light as his eyes flicked between me and whatever data stream he was parsing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His aura was...odd. Controlled. Layered. Possibly a Beta. Possibly a low-perception Alpha. Hard to tell, and I suspected that was intentional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pleasure,” he said, giving a small wave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flicker of déjà vu tugged at me as I recalled my first meeting with the LST team, but these wolves were nothing like those at OTS.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My OTS team had been brilliant, idealistic, restless—fueled by belief and ambition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This team was something else entirely. I could feel the weight of their experience and prowess. No restless energy vibrating beneath the surface.Taciturn in a way that spoke of things already endured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, Alois’ addition,” Iris said, folding her arms. I didn’t miss the way her gaze flicked briefly to my throat. To where my pulse carried the unmistakable hum of Alpha blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re Alpha-born.” Again, not a question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I inclined my head. “I am.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And yet,” she said carefully, “no full shift.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The warehouse fell very quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t flinch. “Correct.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something in the group shifted—not rejection exactly. Adjustment. Expectations recalibrating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wren’s smile faded into neutrality. Codex tapped his tablet once, likely tagging a note. Gear’s eyes narrowed—not in judgment, but calculation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Iris studied me a beat longer, then nodded. “Understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No complaints. No grumbled dissent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just acceptance—anchored firmly in Alois’s authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We roll in ten,” Iris announced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Urgency pulsed in the air as the team slipped into their roles with seamless coordination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crates were already sealed and warded, loaded onto the large vehicle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gear secured the final crate, hefting a full hundred pounds like it weighed nothing. Wren darted around the van, testing door locks and climbing onto the roof with acrobatic ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Codex triple-checked the internal cooling seals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The medication—unstable, disguised, and potentially catastrophic if mishandled—never left my awareness. It thrummed faintly, like a held breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We departed as soon as everything was secure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The road curved away from the warehouse and into the coastal stretches—long, isolated ribbons of asphalt flanked by cliffs and scrub and the distant roar of waves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gear took point in the monstrous, modified transport, engines whisper-quiet despite the vehicle’s size. Iris sat beside him in the passenger seat, Codex and Wren behind them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sat in the rear at first, watching the team operate with the practiced rhythm of people who’d worked together for years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And though no one rejected my presence, the realization dawned quickly enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially when night fell, and the driving rotation was set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gear, first shift. Wren next. Codex after. I’ll take dawn.” Iris paused. “Seraphina...you’ll rest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blinked. “Excuse me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alois hinted that you’ve been through a rough journey,” she said pragmatically. “You can rest. We’ll wake you if needed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words were practical. Kind, even.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, they stung.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Special accommodation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The story of my life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared out at the dark ribbon of road, jaw clenched, the engine’s hum rattling up through my bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\" I straightened in my seat. “I can contribute.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Iris didn’t look away from the road. “You are contributing by not being a liability.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words weren’t cruel. Just factual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the sting lingered anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t come to sit quietly in the back,” I said, keeping my voice level. “And I’m sure that’s not what Alois intended when he added me. Give me something to do. Let me pull my weight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence stretched between us. Iris hesitated. Codex shifted, uneasy, while Wren offered a small, sympathetic wince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Iris sighed. “You want a task?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glanced at me then and began to move from her perch beside Gear. “Passenger seat. Navigation, perimeter scans. You screw up, you’re benched. Understood?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relief surged. “Understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I slid forward eagerly, heart pounding as I took the passenger seat next to Gear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt useful again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For all of five minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within that time, it became painfully clear that I’d been given a fool’s errand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gear’s navigation system was absurdly advanced—terrain mapping updating in real time, ward-sensitivity scanners adjusting route efficiency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It recalibrated faster than I could blink, flipping between satellite feeds, terrain overlays, and live hazard warnings. The dashboard AI called out turns before I could even open my mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Wren’s earlier scouting notes had already synced into the onboard feed, her tagged ambush points and collapsible roads integrated seamlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every suggestion I made was either already accounted for or unnecessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My fingers curled against my thigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried again. “There’s a coastal bypass ahead. Narrow, but—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tagged,” Wren said calmly. “Ruled out. Landslide risk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I swallowed. “Alternate inland cut?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gear’s system already rerouted us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heat crept up my neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At some point, I benched myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I slumped back, eyes fixed on the dark ceiling, feeling hollowed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A familiar ache unfurled in my chest—the one that always whispered I was both too much and never enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alina stirred within me. ‘You are doing well,’ she murmured. ‘You are not less than them.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Yeah, well, that’s not what it feels like.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gear caught my reflection in the side mirror and, without looking away from the road, fished a cold can from the small cooler wedged at his feet and held it out to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here,” he grunted, his voice rough, likely from disuse. “You look like you need this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blinked. “I don’t—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Relax,” he rumbled. “Non-alcoholic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took it, surprised by his—albeit grudging—show of camaraderie. “Thanks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded once, then settled back, his gaze sweeping the horizon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I popped the tab—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant the seal hissed, the hairs on my neck stood on end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shift. A ripple. An unseen current brushing across my senses like cold fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fluctuation sharp enough to prickle my skin, carrying a dangerous, distorted aura that did not belong to any of us—or the land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My grip tightened around the can.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something was very, very wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>",1385,"2026-06-03T02:27:49.405Z",1,"novelbin.me","be6f77b8af8a76421bad82c32bc6a2873b1f5b2182b8034e72a14af1599d37e4","my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-261","my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-259",488,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-cover.jpg"]