Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 297

Chapter 297: 297-A FuckBoy

Helanie:

“What? You don’t like it? I did it all by myself. No help from the warriors or any decorators,” he said proudly, making me pout and then nod my head.

Yes! I wanted to celebrate my birthday again. I would not let those alphas decide anything for me.

“I love this,” I said, and it brought a huge smile of comfort to his face.

“So, shall we go eat your cake?” he winked, and I rolled my eyes at how he always made everything sound so dirty. We walked over to the table, and he pulled my chair for me like a gentleman.

But I kept looking around in worry. We were in an open space, deep in the dangerous woods, with the night upon us. I was beyond terrified in my heart until I felt him reaching out for my hand and holding it across the table.

“Hey, don’t worry. When you’re with me, no monster can come near you,” he said, not realizing how much it meant to me.

“What if it did?” I asked, and he, who was busy grabbing the knife, raised his head in confusion. “What if a monster did come here to attack me? What would you do? Let’s say he is someone you cannot fight. He’s more dangerous and powerful than you. Now it’s up to you to either save yourself or stay and probably die?” That question popped into my head, and I asked it thoughtlessly.

But his response was quick. “Then I’m making sure you run away while I fight till my last breath.”

He looked sternly at me before adding, “This should not even be a question in your mind, Helanie. I am not afraid of losing my life for you. I know you might think it’s too soon for me to be making such big claims, but I mean every word of it. Even if you don’t accept me, even if you never want to be with me—you will always be my priority.” His words and the intense look in his eyes warmed up my body.

“Now, let’s cut the cake because we have a whole night to enjoy ourselves,” he rubbed his palms excitedly, coming out of his chair and standing behind me to hold the knife with me.

I cut the cake, but there were tears still trying to force their way into my eyes. I had tried so hard to become an alpha’s priority in the past—to the point that I ignored all the red flags he waved in my face.

And I saw how it ended. You can’t force someone to love you.

“Umm, I love a good cheesecake,” I closed my eyes to enjoy the taste of it. I used to bake cakes myself to sell them back when my stepmother made me work. But it’s a different kind of satisfaction when you don’t put in any work and simply enjoy a treat.

“True, I enjoy a good cheesecake too,” he whispered from behind me, turning my face to the side with his hand and rubbing his lips over mine to taste the cream left on my lips.

It filled my heart with butterflies and sparkles. I quickly looked ahead and shyly glanced down.

“I want to be with you so badly, you have no idea,” Maximus expressed his feelings again.

“I love you, Helanie!” His confession always sent goosebumps across my skin. The best part was that he didn’t pressure me to respond or accept his love right away.

He just wanted us to date without any taboo title, and I admired his efforts. While I was busy thinking about revenge, there was someone who was bringing happiness into my life, and I guess I could allow myself to enjoy it. I deserved it.

“Now, how about we dance?” he asked, playing some music on his phone and holding his hand out to me. Smiling, I placed my hand in his. Soon, he pulled me close to his chest, making me giggle softly.

I rested my hand on his chest, and we began to sway slowly.

He taught me how to dance just by leading me to follow his steps. His eyes never left my face. There was so much emotion in them as he watched me.

“You know, when we finally get married and commit to each other, I’ll build a house for us near my garage,” he said softly, his fingers gently brushing my cheek. Our bodies were still moving in rhythm.

“Why near your garage?” I asked, confused.

“That land used to be an abandoned pack. I want to build our own community there. Somewhere away from everyone. I’ve noticed you don’t really like crowds—kind of an introvert, it seems. That’ll be a good place for you to have your own space and be the queen of your own land,” he said while we danced. I didn’t stop him because I loved hearing him talk.

It was bittersweet, though, because this reminded me of how things used to be with Altan.

“Have you ever been in love before, Helanie?” he asked out of the blue, and my heart skipped a beat. I had a bad feeling he noticed it since his hand was resting on my back, feeling my heartbeat.

“It’s not a crime to love someone before, Helanie. You don’t need to be so guarded about your past with me,” he said, sounding a little hurt by my reaction.

“It’s not that. It’s just that it didn’t really end well,” I admitted, looking down and then gazing past him at the distance.

“I just want to know about you. But if you’re not ready to share, that’s okay. I’ll tell you about my life instead,” he offered, continuing, “I was a player—a ‘fuck boy,’ or whatever you want to call it. I had a different girl in my bed every night. My nights didn’t feel complete unless I had someone with me.”

I didn’t know why he said that, but it changed my mood completely.

“In fact, I have a confession to make. Back when I was first expressing my feelings for you, I picked someone up from the club and had a little… intimate encounter with her,” he finished.

I quietly ended the dance with him.