Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 211

Chapter 211: 211-Someone Is Ready To Listen

Helanie:

“Yes, sir?” I stood in front of them, my hands tied in front of my body under my abdomen in perfect posture.

Norman had his coat off, his off-white shirt wrinkled from the muscles holding up the shirt at multiple places. He was buff, and today he looked like he had done an intense workout before coming to the hostel.

He had his arm extended on the table, playing with the paperweight, and his body leaned back in the chair.

Next to him sat Kaye on the chair, his arms folded over the table and his head down, but he was watching me through his thick eyebrows.

Maximus stood next to the window, his hands in his pants’ pockets and that casual smoldering look on his face.

As for Emmet, he stood behind the empty chair, his one arm folded over the high back of the chair, and his eyes noticing my every move.

“Umm, did I do something wrong?” I inquired, feeling overwhelmed by being under the scrutiny of such powerful werewolves.

I always thought I had moved on from some of the trauma until I was in a place similar to the last one–a place where I was alone with powerful men. And every time I remember, nope! The trauma is still there.

I was trying my best to keep my composure and not shake in front of them.

“Have a seat,” Norman finally spoke up after letting me think over what I might have done for a good two minutes. I moved slowly and took the chair. Emmet stepped out from behind the chair and sat down, all their eyes on me now.

“Can we just start talking? She is getting anxious,” Kaye hissed in a whisper, thinking only his brother would hear.

Norman nodded his head exaggeratedly and straightened his back in the seat.

“Helanie! When you first took admission in the academy, everyone thought you wouldn’t go very far. Honestly speaking, I was one of them,” he paused to take a break, “but then you proved us all wrong. After seeing your performance in all the tests, everyone is shocked, but all eyes are on you.”

The minute he said that, I found my heart revive. My posture straightened and a smile covered my lips. I noticed Kaye, Emmet, and Maximus smile at me, looking so happy.

“The council has been frequently asking about you as well. The way you handle every exam despite having no wolf has left everyone in awe. I hope you continue to show such courage and determination, and big things will be promised to you. We are seeing a lot of potential in you, Helanie. Just make sure you don’t let the friend drama drag you down,” As he continued, he mentioned my friends, and my smile started to falter a little.

“My friends?” I asked because I was curious what they knew.

“Your friends had been getting in trouble a lot. We even received complaints from the top senior about last night, and sadly, one of them has said your name in the report as well,” it was Emmet who spoke up this time, looking slightly disappointed that I took part in that activity.

“You guys bullied the seniors and then egged them along with the top senior. May I ask why?” Kaye asked, his head tilted and his eyes narrowed at me.

Before I could answer, he added, “I think it is about time you think about your friends seriously. Alpha Penn doesn’t understand how risky it could get for you and the others in the group who aren’t from big packs to back them up or pay heavy fines,” he explained, causing my body to twitch a little.

So his problem was Penn?

“Sir, thank you for your appreciation and concern. But about that report–I understand where it might be seen wrong. But we had a good reason. They bullied us the other night–” I was shut down when Norman shook his head, and I got the cue that he didn’t like what he was hearing. Or maybe he didn’t agree with what I was saying.

“Don’t you know the seniors are given permission to give juniors a tough time?” Norman asked, but not in a taunting tone. He was keeping his regular sarcastic ass in his pants this time.

“I do know that, sir. Which is why we never retaliate when they bully us in the academy. But sir–that was outside the academy. One of my friends was going through a rough patch with her mate, and that’s when they attacked us. Not only was the attack verbal, but–” I took a deep breath as I contemplated what I could do in this moment.

They were all watching me, and I felt like I had someone who would listen this time, something that I wished someone had done for me last time.

When I walked barefoot home that night, I had prepared a whole paragraph of how I was in pain and how I felt throughout the night. I hoped to sit and tell the council and my father everything so that the rapists were put behind bars.

But all my hopes were shattered when I wasn’t even allowed to speak my truth.

So now was the time.

I instantly rolled up my shirt and sweater sleeves to show the pinch marks to the brothers. And their reaction encouraged me to explain everything.

“What the fuck is that?” Kaye pointed at the pinch marks.

“They have pinched me so many times, pushing me, and then–they started throwing me on the ground–and–,” even in this cold weather, I began to feel sweat on my temples. “They–they tried to rip off my clothes. And then–” As I raised my head and noticed them watching my face, with their eyes wide and anger written all over their faces, I realized I wasn’t quite telling them about what happened to Jenny, Lucy, and me that night. But I was only narrating what had happened to me.

“That is what happened to Jenny and Lucy, I was pinched several times,” I finished abruptly, looking down and lowering my sleeves.

“Did you hear that?” Kaye muttered, pointing at me.

“This is not bullying, this is assault,” Maximus approached the table, his voice harsh this time.

“We need to do something about this,” Emmet determinedly slammed his fist on the table. I was in shock, watching these men ready to fight for me, for the right cause.