Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 209

Chapter 209: 209-Everyone Is Sleeping Around

Helanie:

His lips tasted like fresh cherries, intoxicating and sweet. His arm was wrapped tightly around my waist, his body pressed firmly against mine. The disgust I used to feel upon someone’s touch was slowly fading when only around certain rogue brothers and it really confused me. But then my body would remember and I would flinch hard.

However, before it could go any further, I remembered we weren’t alone either. My eyes darted toward the car, and I broke the kiss, gently unwrapping his arm from around me. Lucy wasn’t in sight.

“She’s lying down in the backseat,” Maximus said, noticing my discomfort and answering my unspoken question.

“What are you doing?” I asked, the realization of what had just happened washing over me. Kissing him was a mistake.

“Your friend ruined my plans for the night, so I decided to steal a little kiss to salvage it,” he replied smugly, a teasing smirk playing on his lips. His tone was almost infuriatingly cocky, making me roll my eyes.

“What’s your point? I’m your student and your stepsister. What exactly are you planning here? Because, Maximus, I didn’t feel the mate bond with you. I’m sure whatever you felt was just heat from the combat,” I said coldly, even though I didn’t entirely believe my own words.

My life had turned into a complete mess. My friends were fighting and hiding things from me, my reputation at the academy was hanging by a thread, one of my mates had found a chosen mate, and now his brother was claiming to be mine. On top of that, the seniors would undoubtedly be plotting their revenge after their humiliation.

With all this chaos, I couldn’t afford to focus on the romantic side of my life. And I certainly couldn’t accept my mates—not with the promise I made to myself and the challenge I issued to the Moon Goddess.

“I felt it,” Maximus said firmly. “I know we’re mates. As for my intentions, they’re clear. You extend your hand, and I’ll hold it.” His playful tone had vanished, and I could sense his displeasure at how dismissively I spoke of our mate bond.

“Anyway, I’ll drop you both—” he started, but I cut him off.

“How about I just go back to where Jenny is?” I suggested, but he shook his head.

“Jenny has her brother and Lamar. Lucy’s alone. Go with her and text your friends that you won’t be at their cabin tonight,” he said, his tone now practical and calm, more like someone trying to help than someone pushing his agenda.

I’d spoiled his mood, but at least I got some insight into what he was thinking. Sadly, I couldn’t indulge his delusions. I had a mission.

I climbed into the passenger seat, leaving Lucy to sleep in the back. When he dropped us off, I gently woke her and helped her upstairs. She clung to me as we entered the building.

Once inside the elevator, she kept hugging me tightly. As I pressed the button for our floor, a red button lit up unexpectedly. Before I could say anything, Lucy lifted her head, her eyes fixed on it. Then she turned to me, her expression mirroring my own confusion.

“You see it too?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Her reaction confirmed I wasn’t imagining things.

“There’s no tenth floor, Helanie. Why is this button here? It wasn’t there before,” Lucy whispered, her voice trembling. I could see the goosebumps rising on her skin.

“We should let it be—” I started, but my words didn’t seem to register. Before I could stop her, she pressed the button.

“Lucy!” I yelled, but she simply shrugged.

“I just want to forget about the pain I’m feeling right now,” she murmured, her voice heavy with emotion. It was clear that she was desperate for a distraction, even if it meant venturing into the unknown.

The elevator doors slid open, revealing the tenth floor. But what we saw was unlike anything we expected. It wasn’t the dorms. Instead, a narrow, mist-covered road stretched ahead, flanked by dense woods on either side.

“What is this place?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Oh…” Lucy gasped, clutching my hand tightly.

“Do you know this place?” I asked again, watching her eyes remain fixed on the misty road. She nodded, her face pale.

“This… this is where Gavin and I first met,” she whispered, her voice breaking as tears welled up in her eyes.

“Aw, you poor soul. Why would he cheat on someone like you?”

The sudden, unfamiliar voice made my blood run cold. My body shuddered, and even Lucy stiffened in shock. She met my gaze briefly before turning her eyes back to the road.

“Who are you? How do you know what happened between me and my mate?” she called out, her voice sharp and unsteady.

A chill ran down my spine as I realized this floor wasn’t random—it was for Lucy. I’d been to the tenth floor before, but it had never been like this.

“Because I know what happened, Lucy Dixon. You didn’t do anything wrong. You’re a good person,” the entity’s voice resonated with a strange, soothing certainty. Its focus was solely on Lucy tonight.

That’s when it hit me—something my friends once mentioned. They’d felt a strange presence in the hostel whenever they were deeply depressed.

Tonight, Lucy was deeply upset, which must be why she found the elevator’s hidden button. None of the others had ever found the tenth floor because they’d never been in the elevator while in a state of such raw despair.

“Let’s go,” I said firmly, grabbing Lucy’s arm and starting to pull her away. She seemed strangely fascinated by the voice, likely because it was telling her things she desperately wanted to hear from Gavin.

The entity called her name again, but I had already dragged her into the elevator. As I pressed the button to head back downstairs, Lucy kept her eyes fixed on the misty road until the doors finally shut.

We made it back to our room, but Lucy remained silent.

“Lucy, I don’t think that floor is a good place to visit. Next time, we won’t press that button, okay?” I said, sitting on her bed. She broke her distant stare and gave me a small nod.

“Okay,” she murmured before slipping under her blanket.

I let her be, hoping sleep would help her clear her mind. Heading to my bed, I grabbed my phone and sent a quick text to Lamar:

Me: I’m at the hostel with Lucy.

But there was no response. I eventually dozed off, the weight of the night heavy on my mind.

In the early morning, a text from Jenny jolted me awake:

Jenny: You’re probably going to hate me more, but I slept with Lamar.