Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 145

Chapter 145: 145-Giving Up!

Kaye:

“Not all of a sudden, Mom. It’s been two years, and you kind of told me back then that you wanted her for Maximus,” I said, keeping my voice soft and murmuring under my breath while forcing a smile.

Why was it so hard for me to talk to her?

“Oh! So you’re going to say no?” Her tone shifted, terror and disbelief evident as she placed a hand on her chest. The shocked look on her face scared me.

“Kaye! I told her that you like her and that you’d go out on a date with her. If you deny it now, her father and she will think I did this to humiliate her,” she said, her voice shaking. Disappointment was written all over her face.

“Mom–” I gulped hard, abandoning the idea of saying Helanie’s name at that moment. My mom wasn’t in the mood to understand. If she heard Helanie’s name now, she’d hate her even more.

“No! It’s fine. You proved everyone right today. I used to think I was being too harsh on you. But look at you–you’ve gotten me into so much trouble. Is this what it means to love you? You betrayed me,” she muttered, raising her hand as if to tell me not to come closer.

“I’ve given you so many chances to prove yourself to me. Today, I even asked Kesha out for you, taking the opportunity from Maximus, and you ruined it all. And why? Why would you do that? Kesha is perfect–the one I always wanted for Maximus. But now that she’s agreed to you–” She slapped her forehead so hard I could see a handprint forming on her skin.

At that moment, I felt like if I didn’t act now, I’d forever be lost under my brother’s shadow.

“I didn’t say no,” I blurted out. My mom fell silent, finally letting me speak. “I was saying–I don’t know if I can arrange a perfect date for her in such a short time. I don’t want to mess it up.”

Guilt hit me like a tidal wave.

I could hear the echoes of Helanie’s cries in my head. I had promised her so much, and now this was happening. But deep down, I had also wanted this chance for myself.

“Oh, you silly boy. You don’t need to worry about anything!” Mom’s tone changed as relief washed over her face. “Do you have any idea what all of this means? Her father is the Alpha King of the East, and she’s an Alpha of her own pack. She’ll soon become an Alpha Queen, and with that, you’ll not only be an Alpha King but a Rogue King as well. Oh, my son! Big things are coming your way. All eyes will be on you in the next few months!”

My heart started skipping beats.

My parents had always told me they didn’t care what I chose to do with my life. I had cried for years, craved their attention, and wondered if anyone would ever care about me finding a mate.

“And don’t worry–I’ve already arranged a date night for you two,” she said, caressing my cheek and smiling happily.

She rushed away, leaving me sitting frozen in my spot.

“Wow, look at you. You’re going out on a date with the woman who will bring attention to us,” Ye said sarcastically, as if we weren’t already infamous enough.

“It’s not about that, you dumbass. You’ll finally be loved by your parents. Everyone will want to talk to you and include the son who holds multiple titles,” Ye added, his tone biting.

I stayed silent. How could I be happy about it?

“I have a mate. Do you not feel anything for Helanie?” I asked Ye, who growled in response.

“You forced her upon us by accepting her. Even when she told you she wasn’t even thinking about us. I guess it’s safe to say that accepting her when she didn’t want us, and we couldn’t be with her, was the worst thing ever. The good part is that she doesn’t have an active wolf, so neither she nor we feel the pain of the betrayal,” Ye retorted.

He wasn’t wrong, but who was talking about betraying Helanie?

“I’m not leaving Helanie for Kesha,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Oh! So you’re taking Helanie out on this date? I thought it was Kesha. My bad,” Ye taunted, hitting the mark perfectly.

“No, you’re right. I’m going to wreck this date, and then Mom can say whatever she wants. I’m not going to stop pursuing Helanie,” I declared, firm in my resolve.

That’s when my phone rang, yanking me back to the grim reality of my messed-up situation.

It was my dad calling. That was a shocker.

I just stared at the screen in utter surprise. Dad never usually called me unless I was the one calling him.

“Hello?” I said cautiously, unsure if it was really him. What if someone had stolen his phone or something?

He had been upset with me a few days ago and hadn’t even checked my last message. Now, out of the blue, he was calling me.

“My son, I heard about you and Kesha. Is it true?” His voice was unusually jolly. I hadn’t heard him call me “my son” like that in a long time.

“Oh, Goddess! I didn’t know you were doing such great things. I should have kept a closer check on you. By the way, her father called, and they’re talking about hosting a party and a council meeting to discuss your role in herbs and medicines. They’ve been praising how you’ve done great things for the pack members even while living as a rogue. I guess you’ll be able to convince them to start a herb center in every pack now,” he said excitedly.

My heart sank when he mentioned the herb center.

I had wanted that so badly. Even though the packs were using my products, they hadn’t been keen on letting me expand my branches into their territories. Maybe it was because I was a rogue–or because everyone knew my parents didn’t care about me, so no one else did either.

“So, you’re going out with Kesha tonight?” Dad asked again.

I realized how quickly everything had changed just from the rumor of me going out with Kesha.

“Yes, you heard it right, Dad,” I replied, feeling like a coward as I resigned myself to my fate.