Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 306

Chapter 306: 306-My Brother Loves Helanie

Norman:

The way Maximus was glaring at Emmet and raising his voice didn’t seem to come from just hating Helanie’s mother. It was more than that. I wasn’t blind—I had been noticing it all too well.

I stayed silent because I thought the announcement of the engagement ceremony would knock some sense into Maximus and make him realize that what he was going for couldn’t be accepted.

But it seemed like he hadn’t learned anything. I needed to confront him.

And then there was Kaye, who had no idea where Kesha was these days but always knew what Helanie was doing—what she was wearing, what she was eating, all the time.

The fact that both of them were showing the same interest in Helanie could be dangerous. It could cause sibling rivalry, and I wondered how much Helanie was involved in it.

Was she giving Maximus hope?

She didn’t seem like the type to do so. From what I knew about her, she was shy and very reserved.

“Why? Why won’t you ask him any questions?” Maximus refused my request, and that was the first sign that things were spiraling out of control.

“I’m asking you, and are you responding?” I slammed my hand on the desk when I had enough. Both Kaye and Maximus went silent.

“I didn’t know it would cause so much distress. I honestly thought you guys were getting along well with Helanie,” Emmet finally responded to his brothers’ accusations.

And who could blame him?

Kaye and Maximus had been hovering around Helanie constantly. It definitely made Emmet think things were fine.

“You guys heard him. Now respond since you wanted to confront him so badly,” I hissed at the two, who now looked down, unable to explain their behavior with Helanie.

Yes, sometimes I sided with Emmet a little more, but I had my reasons. Emmet was more reserved when it came to expressing his feelings.

I had to protect him—it seemed like I always had to be the one to explain his side because he rarely did it himself. He was so broken inside that I wondered how he managed to get out of bed and keep going every day.

“Now, Maximus!” I got up and pointed my thumb toward the door, briskly walking out of Emmet’s office.

Maximus followed shortly, his body language tense because he knew damn well he had some explaining to do.

“What is going on?” I asked directly, wasting no time on anything else.

“Emmet needs to communicate better with us before making plans or decisions for us. We weren’t ready to accept Helanie as our stepsister, but he still—” Maximus’s rambling could go on for hours. I knew that about him.

“Cut the crap. What is going on between you and Helanie?” I muttered the words clearly so he would understand.

As soon as I asked him that question directly, his face darkened. A gulp ran down his throat, and that alone was reason enough for me to believe I had asked the right question.

“What do you mean?” He avoided my eyes, swallowing again.

“Maximus, don’t take me for a fool. What is going on between the two of you?” I grabbed his collar, forcing him to stand straight and look me in the eye.

“We are mates—you know that. I’ve told you everything,” he muttered, looking away once again. But this time, he didn’t sound as aggressive.

The first time he told me he had felt the pull toward her, he had been furious about it.

“And you’re pursuing her?” I asked, watching as he restlessly rubbed his face with his hands.

“I’m in love with her,” he whispered, making me lean in to hear him clearly.

“Say that again,” I demanded, worried I had heard him correctly.

“I said, I’m in love with her. I want her as my mate, not some freak from the woods,” he hissed, standing his ground and making a loud, firm statement.

“What about her? Did she—did she agree to it? Does she want you back?” I didn’t know why it was so hard for me to get those words out. I had to push myself to even ask.

“She showed interest in me but asked for some time,” Maximus admitted, making my heart sink in my chest.

“She knows you two are going to be stepsiblings—” I stopped mid-sentence, realizing how unreasonable I was being. “I’m such a fool for questioning her when she’s just a young girl who only just turned eighteen. But you— you work with weapons. How can it be so hard for you to understand that this could lead to trouble?”

I didn’t want to directly ask him if he had lost his mind.

Not only that, but what about Kaye?

I remembered how much he was interested in Helanie. What would happen if these two ended up together?

“I just know we are mates. She is my only mate,” Maximus groaned, and for a moment, I wished to tell him the truth—but then I stopped myself.

“Okay, listen. Since Helanie asked for some time, give her that time. In the meantime, don’t make any mistakes. I’ll try to figure out what needs to be fixed before you two take a step forward,” I said firmly.

I wasn’t going to argue with him about accepting his mate.

I knew he was recalling the pull of the mate bond for something else—but I also knew the truth.

They were mates. That wasn’t a lie.

And I was no one to tell him not to pursue her.

If anything, I would rather help him than stand against him.

But somehow, a strange sadness had taken over me. I couldn’t quite grasp it, but I felt drained, like all my energy had disappeared.

“Thank you,” Maximus beamed, jumping at me and wrapping me in a tight hug, bouncing up and down like an excited child.

“I knew you would be on my side,” he said, breaking the hug and speeding away.

He was finally happy.

And I should be happy for him.