Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 166

Chapter 166: 166-Pick A Team!

Helanie:

Everyone had gathered in the living room, waiting for me to announce the details of the task and explain the rules. However, we had to wait a few more minutes as the ones serving punishments had yet to arrive.

Eventually, they rushed in, looking like a complete mess. Sydney’s hair had remnants of food in it–I guessed some rich alpha’s mate had been offended by her attitude and tossed an amuse-bouche at her. Meanwhile, one of the ladies had pushed Salem away when she attempted to retaliate.

The two of them looked utterly miserable. They muttered under their breaths, passing snide comments and pulling faces, which immediately drew the attention of everyone in the room. Norman, unsurprisingly, called them out. I heard they had already been thoroughly scolded and that their punishment had been extended beyond what was initially planned.

“Huh, what is it? Just tell us quickly. We have other things to do,” Sydney hissed, standing against the wall, clearly trying to avoid drawing further attention to her disheveled state.

Salem stood beside her, arms folded across her chest, looking equally irritable. Together, they looked like walking disasters.

“Now that everyone is here, I’ll explain the task,” I began, addressing the group. “Listen carefully, because I won’t be repeating myself over and over again.” My tone sharpened as I directed the comment towards Salem, who had already started fiddling with her phone. It was little provocations like this that made her so infuriating.

“This class is called Knowing Your Weapon” I continued. “A monstrous creature, once captured by the rogue brothers, will be in a long cage. At the far end of the cage, there will be a key.

“You’ll be split into groups of three and given ten minutes to run into the woods to find an herb that can be used to weaken or repel the monster. Once back, you’ll need to use the herb to get past the creature, grab the key, and unlock the door on the other side of the cage. Whoever succeeds within fifteen minutes will win.

“Keep in mind, injuries are possible if your herb fails to work. The monster can attack and might even leave you gravely injured–or worse. And one more thing,” I added, my voice firm, “you are not allowed to transition into your wolf forms.”

I read this directly from the file in my hands, a sense of dread gnawing at my heart. Despite my unease, I kept my expression neutral.

“Why not? We’re werewolves! If a monster can fight us with its full might, why can’t we do the same?” Sydney objected, her sharp tone encouraging murmurs of agreement from a few other students.

“That’s because this class is designed to teach us how to fight even if we’re weakened–such as when we have wolfsbane in our system or for any other reason we’re unable to transition. We can’t always rely on our wolves,” I responded confidently, meeting her gaze.

Sydney narrowed her eyes at me, a smirk forming on her lips. “Of course you can’t,” she said mockingly. “But we can–because we have wolves.”

I found Sydney’s taunt deeply offensive, but I chose not to respond. Thankfully, my friends had my back. What shocked me, however, was the person who stepped forward to defend me.

Penn scoffed loudly, drawing everyone’s attention to him, and then added with a sly smile, “You should practice, too, Sydney. Your wolf won’t be able to wash clothes or mop the floors for you.”

His comment, a clear jab at Sydney and Salem’s punishment, caused their faces to turn pale. The two exchanged uneasy glances, as if trying to decipher why Penn was targeting them.

“I can defend my special friends,” Penn said casually, making no effort to hide the fact that he was openly flirting with me.

“That’s good,” a sharp voice interrupted. “Because you’ll be defending against the monster.”

Professor Kaye’s sudden arrival startled us all. I instinctively stepped away from Penn–not out of guilt for his flirting but because I didn’t want unnecessary drama. There was nothing going on, and I didn’t intend to act like there was. I had no desire to make anyone jealous or feel a certain way. If something ended, it ended. I wasn’t the type to try to linger in someone’s thoughts.

Kaye shot Penn a judgmental glare as he approached, stepping between us and extending his hand for the file. I held it out for him, but as he took it, he deliberately brushed his hand against mine. The action felt intentional, but I said nothing.

“This test is important,” Kaye announced, addressing the group. “It will help me assess everyone’s strengths and how you think under pressure. As for not being able to use your wolves, don’t worry. There will be tests where you’ll rely on your full strength. And I’ll make sure you’re not left unsatisfied,” he added with a sharp tone, his eyes briefly flicking to Sydney.

Sydney lowered her head at his words, her confidence evidently shaken. “You’ll get your chance to fight the deadliest monsters–since you seem to crave it so much,” he added with an edge that silenced her completely.

I couldn’t help but wonder why these girls didn’t realize that their antics only led to repeated humiliation.

“Anyway,” Kaye continued, turning his attention to me, “Helanie, come see me after discussing the teams with them. I want the finalized list in fifteen minutes. I’ll be in my car at the parking lot.”

His tone was serious, and I nodded in acknowledgment. As soon as he left, everyone began forming a circle to pick their partners.

“How about we write our names on pieces of paper and pick them in three turns? Whoever’s names come up together will be paired as a team,” Jenny suggested. Some of us nodded in agreement, while others, who had already chosen their teams, stayed quiet.

For those without a partner or a clear idea of whom to team up with, we wrote our names on slips of paper and placed them in an empty bowl. The sisters, unsurprisingly, didn’t participate–I assumed they had already formed their group.

I began picking the papers. The first name to come up was mine, the second was Penn’s, and the third was Lamar’s.

As I glanced around, I noticed Jenny and Lucy exchanging concerned looks. They had been left without partners and seemed worried about being stuck in a weaker team. I realized I had ended up with a strong group, leaving them to fend for themselves.

“I’ve got an idea,” I said before drawing another team. Turning to my friends, I added, “Why don’t you three form a group?”

Jenny and Lucy nodded in agreement, relief evident on their faces. Gavin immediately started searching for their names in the bowl to remove them since they had now formed a team.