Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 122

Chapter 122: 122-The Jealous One

Kaye:

“Kaye, may I have a word with you?”

As I was preparing to leave the mansion to check on Helanie and see how she was doing, Norman called out to me. It was as if he instinctively knew where I was headed.

We hadn’t mentioned Helanie again, but it had only been a few days. Somehow, my brothers always found a way to bring her up, which inevitably soured my mood. It wasn’t just Norman and Maximus, who openly disapproved of her— even when Emmet showed too much care for her, it worried me.

“Yes, sure,” I said, sneaking a quick fix of my hair while slipping my hands into my pockets as I turned to face him.

“Where are you headed?” he asked, tilting his head slightly, his fingers meticulously unbuttoning his sleeves.

“I was thinking of heading to the hostel to remind the juniors to prepare for my class—prioritizing herbs and poisons first instead of combat,” I replied, watching as Norman’s expression contorted at my decision.

“And you switch the classes without consulting me first?” His smile was disarming, but I wasn’t fooled by the subtle edge in his tone.

“I was actually planning to discuss it with you, but then I heard Dad wants you to accompany him to the meeting with Mom, so I figured you’d appreciate my help,” I said, keeping my voice steady, even as I chose my words carefully.

I’d always be ready to help Norman out—anything for the brother who had always been there for us. But this time, I wasn’t doing it just for him. I was doing it for Helanie. I didn’t want to tell her directly, but I knew she wasn’t ready for combat classes.

I feared that if I wasn’t around, Norman wouldn’t step in to stop anyone from pushing her too hard. Combat was about strength, and no one would ask their opponent to punch or kick gently—it wasn’t the nature of the academy. Everyone here was training for serious roles—protecting their packs and defending their people.

But I was shamelessly biased. I knew Helanie needed more time before she was ready to join any combat sessions.

“That’s thoughtful of you. Fine, go ahead, but make sure you check on Maximus later,” Norman said, thankfully not pressing further. He patted me on the back, dismissing me.

I quickly rushed out, eager to see Helanie before anyone else could interrupt—especially Emmet.

He barely did anything around the mansion, so he had all the time in the world to visit her and, worse, possibly win her heart. I just hoped he only saw her as his stepsister.

As I settled into the car and began driving to the hostel, I couldn’t help but think about the bracelet Emmet had given her. Helanie had been quick to return it to him once she realized it was made of real diamonds.

“It was all for show. Don’t forget she took it back immediately too,” my wolf murmured in my head.

I rolled my eyes at him, brushing off his words.

“Don’t just give me the silent treatment. Don’t forget what Norman says about her,” Ye continued. I knew he wouldn’t stop until I addressed it.

“You two don’t even know her. Besides, Emmet is her professor, so she didn’t want to upset him,” I replied, aware of Ye’s attempts to manipulate me.

I wasn’t a fool. I didn’t need anyone’s judgment to know Helanie was nothing like her mother or anyone else.

She was so different, so deep.

There was a unique kind of shine in her eyes, as if she didn’t belong to this world. Nothing seemed to intrigue her, and that in itself intrigued me.

“So let Emmet take care of her. He’s her stepbrother as well,” Ye retorted, clearly trying to rattle me with the title.

“As if that’s the only connection we have with her. And as for Emmet—the brother who needs days off to recover after every full moon? He can’t take care of her. He should focus on his health first,” I snapped, annoyance creeping into my voice. Emmet’s constant attempts to impress Helanie were getting on my nerves.

He barely did anything else in his life.

“So, just out of curiosity—your brothers bullying her or the brother trying to impress her to win her heart. Which one bothers you more?” Ye’s question left me momentarily speechless.

Straightening my back, I thought about it, and both options seemed equally terrible.

I chose silence for the rest of the drive and soon arrived at the hostel. After parking, I went inside and sat down with the warden.

“Agrona,” I greeted her with a nod. She returned my gesture with a small smile as we both took our seats.

I glanced around her small office, noting the bed tucked in the corner and the walls adorned with photos of former elite students. A very curated list, but who was I to judge?

“How is everyone here? I hope the bullying has lessened,” I said, my tone neutral.

Agrona’s sharp eyes briefly wandered to mine before she lowered them, a small smile playing on her lips.

“Young future rogue king—bullying is part of the academy, not the hostel. At least not when I’m around. There can only be one bully at a time,” she said, her mismatched red and blue eyes glinting with an odd charm.

I’d always wanted to ask Agrona what had happened in her past, but ever since I was a kid, Dad had told me not to ask such questions.

“Anyway, I’d like you to make an announcement to the juniors that the scavenging for herbs will start next Monday,” I said quickly as I got up. We had just finished discussing how the juniors had either gone to take naps or left the hostel for other errands.

I couldn’t bring myself to ask her directly about Helanie—it would draw too much attention. And, as Agrona herself had said, there was only room for one big bad bully in the hostel.

And that was Agrona.

“Sure!” she replied, her rough voice coated with a sweetness I could tell was fake. I’d always felt that her niceness was just a front, something she put on because of the position she held.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, little lover couldn’t even get a glimpse of his mate,” Ye taunted, but I ignored him, keeping my head straight as I walked out of the hostel.

That’s when I saw something that made Ye add to his earlier jab.

“Oh, look! Our journey wasn’t entirely wasted. We found your mate—with her new lover—carrying her bridal style, off to what is probably their first night together,” Ye sneered, his voice dripping with mockery.