Sacrificed to My Sister: The Mate They Stole From Me Chapter 09
I was hanging laundry on the balcony when my comm device rang.
The number was unfamiliar.
I answered, and a woman’s sharp, furious voice came through.
Are you Harper Vance? I am Kaelen Thorne’s mother.”
I went still, a wet shirt dripping in my hand.
“You know Kaelen was reported for violating the Pack Privacy
Act. The Council stripped him of his Enforcer title and barred
him from the Alpha Trials. His grandmother collapsed when she heard.”
Her voice trembled with rage.
Did you do this? Were you the one who reported him?”
Ma’am,” I cut in, “I made the audio recording. The video, the
threats, and every ugly word were all his.”
Silence followed.
Then the call ended.
I finished hanging the shirt. The wind snapped the fabric against the railing.
Half an hour later, I went outside to take out the trash and
found Kaelen waiting near the fence at the edge of the property.
He wore a faded, worn hoodie. When he saw me, he
approached and stopped several feet away.
His eyes were sunken, and his lips were cracked.
“My mother called you,” he said hoarsely.
“She did.”
She said you were the one who reported me.” He swallowed. “I
want to hear you admit it.”
I looked him directly in the eyes.
“I did.”
He stared at me, his face hollow with exhaustion.
Do you have any idea what this means for me?”
No. And I don’t care.”
His throat worked.
The video and the recording. Can you help clear my name?”
“You uploaded the footage yourself, Kaelen. Did you honestly
think there wouldn’t be consequences?”
His face turned white.
I walked past him.
A strangled sob came from behind me.
Then I heard Chloe’s voice.
“Harper! I am sorry. I am so sorry!”
I turned.
Chloe clutched at me, tears streaming down her face.
I was wrong! I never should’ve treated you that way. I…”
peeled her hand off my coat.
“I love Kaelen,” she cried, the words breaking between sobs.
“I’ve loved him since the day he helped you move into the
dorm. But he only ever saw you. I was jealous. I had nothing,
and he was an Enforcer. I thought staying close to bring me closer to him.”
you would looked down at her tear smeared face.
The sweet dimples she used to fool everyone were gone. All
that remained was a tear streaked face and naked desperation.
Do you hear yourself, Chloe?” I asked quietly. “Even now, all
you can talk about is how much you love him and how unfair
your life has been. You still haven’t spared one thought for
what it felt like when my best friend helped pin me to the ground.”
I removed her fingers from my coat one by one.
“Don’t touch me.”
“Harper, please!”
“You and Kaelen are nothing to me now.”
I turned and walked away.
Behind me, Chloe’s sobs rose into wails, and Kaelen tried to comfort her in his ragged voice.
I never looked back.
When I returned to my apartment, I opened my terminal.
I found the encrypted file labeled Backup_2.0 and dragged it to the trash.
Then I selected Empty Trash.
A message appeared on the screen.
System: [This action will permanently delete the file from your system.]
I clicked Yes.
The folder was empty.
I closed it and opened the Council project brief.
Their voices had no place in my new life.
was no longer someone’s sister, someone’s mate, or someone’s shadow.
I was Harper Vance of the Blackwood High Council.
And that was the only name that mattered.