Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 143

Chapter 143: 143-The Flower Of Comfort

Helanie:

“Ugh! It hurts so much,” I groaned, my bones aching as I sat on the couch and stared at the TV.

“Baby, watch some cartoons and drink this hot cocoa. It must be from playing in the rain,” my mother said lovingly as she handed me the cocoa and put on my favorite cartoon movie.

“Nothing is helping,” I whined, squirming as I complained. I didn’t know what was wrong with me, but ever since I came here with my mom, I had been feeling so restless.

“Maybe you’re missing the connection with the pack,” she sighed, running her hand gently through my hair.

“I’m not missing anyone. I’m happy here,” I replied, holding her hand and giving her a broken smile. But just then, a knock at the door jolted us out of our moment together.

“I’ll go check the door. Drink this and keep yourself covered, okay?” she said, planting a kiss on my forehead before walking away.

“Ugh! I’m supposed to be at comfort,” I groaned, twisting my elbows in an attempt to relieve the ache.

Suddenly, the pain was gone. I sighed in relief and smiled to myself, quickly taking a sip of the cocoa. I didn’t remember feeling relief like that before, but today, I did. As I savored the moment, I noticed the atmosphere around me change. Even the place itself seemed to shift.

It was no longer the couch or the living room of my mother’s new place. I was now at the underground station where I had been attacked. My heart started racing in my chest, tears welling up in my eyes as the fear of the alphas returning gripped me.

And then, I heard them–giggling and laughing. I froze on the spot, my steps stuck, and my knees shaking. I didn’t want to go through all of that again. But as I stood there, paralyzed, I watched the alphas walk past me, ignoring me completely.

Relief washed over me as my body relaxed. My muscles unclenched, and for the first time in a long while, I felt comforted. They disappeared from sight, and I let out a huge sigh of relief.

“Nothing happened,” I whispered, a wide smile spreading across my lips, a sense of ease settling into my heart.

Nothing bad had happened. I had finally escaped from those alphas.

And then, I found myself standing in front of the kitchen door where I had once witnessed Lamar and Sydney making out. But this time, when I opened the door, there was no one there.

The visions kept shifting. I found myself in so many different places, but eventually, the effects of the flower began to wear off. Too much time had passed.

I woke up in my bed with a smile on my lips and dried tears on my cheeks.

Stretching and yawning, I smiled like a fool.

“I really do feel so light,” Lucy said as she got up, stretching her arms. Everyone else looked just as refreshed, as though they’d had the best nap of their lives.

To our surprise, when we checked the time, we realized we’d been sleeping for four hours.

Outside, the clouds were roaring and thundering as a storm set in.

“Now, let’s go get some tea,” Lamar suggested, getting off the couch, and we all followed him.

Lucy and Gavin were walking behind the group when I overheard their conversation.

“I have your favorite snack that you used to eat with tea,” Gavin said softly to Lucy.

She took a moment before responding to him.

That must have been such a huge shock for Lucy.

“Really? You’re talking to me?” The disbelief in her voice saddened me. She had done this to herself.

“After the pain was relieved, I realized I can get over it. I’ve punished you enough, but I really want to give us a chance, Lucy. I really want us to be together again,” Gavin’s request made me hug Jenny’s arm happily.

I so badly wanted to jump up and down and celebrate their reunion, but since they’d been waiting for this moment for so long, I didn’t want to interfere.

“Really? I promise I will never hurt you again. I will be the best girlfriend,” Lucy responded, happily talking back to him as we made our way into the living room.

There was an incredible smell of tea and snacks. I guessed the food had arrived from the mansion.

Everyone was excited about the food because, after the relief, they were finally going to enjoy it. But for me, it was a little different–because of one person’s presence.

“Norman, sir, we are so delighted to have you here,” Lucy, extremely happy to be reunited with her mate, jumped in to greet the man who stood behind the kitchen counter with his sleeves rolled up, his hands on the counter, his body slightly hunched.

“Hey,” he greeted her with a smile and a brief nod toward the others.

I didn’t bow to him. He hadn’t earned my respect.

“So, how did your team perform, Helanie?” he said my name, and my body shuddered. It was clear he wanted me to stay behind while the others sat down in the living room.

The kitchen was wide open to the living room, with a big window behind it. The flashes of thunder outside lit up the room, making Norman appear even more intimidating.

“They did great,” I replied, awkwardly reaching for a plate. But he grabbed it for me and began filling it up.

“I can help you out, Miss Monitor,” he said. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to be sweet or funny, but it didn’t help.

“How come you’re serving me?” I kept my voice low, not wanting to attract unnecessary attention to us. But the way nobody seemed surprised at him speaking with me made me wonder if he’d already talked to Sydney about her team and had normalized his conversation with me.

“I’m not all bad, Hlenaie,” he said with a forced smirk on his lips–a smile, but not a genuine one. “I heard what you did for my brother last night, and I thought I’d thank you…” Before I could even think that was sweet of him, he added, “…and warn you about my mother.”