Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 275

Chapter 275: 275-The Deception And My Monster Mate

Helanie:

“Lamar, don’t worry, she’ll be fine. I’m with her,” Rayden said, noticing all the anxiety Lamar had shown ever since it was announced that I’d be paired with Rayden for the task.

We stood outside the cabin, ready to head out and take our places. It had been a hectic day. I had this growing uneasiness that I couldn’t share with anyone at the moment.

I avoided everyone and stood silently with Lamar in the corner. Jenny had been very friendly and all smiles with Rayden the whole day. I noticed the way Lamar looked at her and then how his expression turned upset.

“Let’s trade spots,” he sternly asked Rayden, who clearly hadn’t expected it.

Rayden quickly shook his head in response to Lamar’s request. “We’ve practiced all day and made plans. I don’t think it’s a good idea to change the teams now.”

I knew Rayden wouldn’t agree. By now, the others had started to gather around us, curious about what was happening.

“I think it’ll be fine. If she’s not comfortable, she can go with Lamar,” Rudy said, stepping in and clearly annoying Sydney. Salem hadn’t shown any reaction that made me think she disliked me since we arrived, but I still didn’t trust the two sisters.

“No! I’m fine. I don’t want the plan to change,” I argued. I didn’t want to switch teams.

Everyone immediately looked at Lamar’s face, as if waiting to see how he’d react to me refusing his request.

“Helanie! A minute!” Lamar groaned, placing his hand on my arm to gesture for me to step aside.

I followed him, while the others likely started gossiping about us.

“What’s going on? Don’t you realize Rayden isn’t the best choice to stay with?” Lamar voiced his disapproval almost instantly.

I fidgeted with my hands, locking my eyes with his as I firmly replied, “Lamar! Rayden is an alpha. I’ll be safer with him.”

I didn’t want to hurt Lamar’s feelings, but he seemed to be struggling with my decisions lately.

“There’s no lie in that!” Sydney yelled, making it clear they had overheard us.

“Just so you know, I don’t agree with you,” Lamar hissed before storming off.

Finally, we headed into the woods to check out the spots. There was a huge tree with a large X marked under it. A silver cage hung above the X, and on the other side, there was a chain that Lamar, Sydney, and Salem would hold.

They took their positions, none of them looking happy. Penn, Arlo, and Rudy armed themselves with swords and arrows, ready to attack the lycan once it arrived at the location. Sage was already marching up the mountains to search for the lycan and lure him down to the woods.

Rayden and I paced along the road, holding water guns. Being alone with him felt strange, and I tried my best to act normal.

“You know, I used to think you were stubborn and selfish. But recently, you’ve changed my mind, especially after you forgave me. I’m really impressed by your intelligence,” he said after a long silence.

I didn’t feel like saying much, so I forced a smile and gave him a small nod to make my stance clear.

He seemed to appreciate it—I could tell.

Suddenly, a loud howl echoed through the air, making my heart sink. I knew Sage had encountered the lycan. That was part of the plan. Once she spotted the lycan, she was supposed to howl.

“Hold the gun tight,” Rayden ordered, squaring his shoulders. The monstrous howls and heavy grunts started getting closer. Sage appeared, running towards the road in her wolf form, then sped past us.

Then the lycan came into sight. I glanced up at the eclipse, and honestly, it was terrifying.

My hands started shaking as I kept my eyes fixed on the lycan. Our job was to drive it off course by spraying it with the poisoned water.

“Ready?” Rayden asked, his voice full of anxiety and tension.

The lycan looked deadly and was rushing towards us at an unbelievable speed, almost like it was in fast-forward. Rayden stepped forward and aimed his gun at the creature. I followed his lead, staying slightly behind him.

I watched him steady himself as the lycan bared its teeth and let out a howl so loud it froze us in place. Then, it lunged at Rayden. But he was ready.

My heart raced in my chest, and my eyes watered as I braced myself for what was coming. Rayden fired his gun, but the water spraying out had no effect on the lycan.

“What the—” Rayden yelled just as the lycan pounced on him.

I stepped back in panic.

“Ughhh!” Rayden cried out in pain.

I watched in horror as the lycan attacked him. It slashed his stomach with its claws, then grabbed him and slammed him into the ground over and over.

Rayden tried to shift into his wolf form, but it didn’t work.

“Fire—fire your gun!” Rayden cried out, begging for my help.

“I broke my gun!” I shouted, running to the side and disappearing into the woods.

“Helanie!” Rayden yelled for me, but I didn’t turn back. Why would I?

I had purposely replaced the water in his gun with plain water. Did he really think I would forgive him that easily? After all the horrible things he had done to me, did he believe a single apology would be enough to soften me?

No. I wanted him to suffer—beaten down by the lycan, by my mate.

I ran through the woods with my gun in hand, then slammed it to the ground, breaking part of it.

I wasn’t sure if the lycan would kill him, but soon I heard Sage and the others shouting, calling for everyone to come together to save Rayden.

Lamar ran toward me and grabbed my arms, checking to see if I was okay.

“So, you really did it. You’re so stubborn. I was terrified and completely against this plan, but I guess I should’ve known—you can be fierce too,” he said, with relief and admiration in his voice.

Thankfully, I had texted him my plan the night before, right before Salem came to talk to me on the ground the other day.