Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 352

Chapter 352: 352-She Changed Faster Than A Weather

Maximus:

I had told Helanie to take her time but to let me know when she made her decision. I was really excited to be with her. Every time I saw her through the crowd, I felt at home. She was so charming, beautiful, smart, and loyal.

There was so much about her that I wanted to learn more about—her smile, her eyes, her dreams, and wishes. I could sit and write a book about them, even though I don’t like writing books.

I laughed to myself and strolled into my room to change.

I had called my mom to talk to her about Kaye, but her beta told me she was in the restroom. I didn’t ask too many questions because she’s an adult, but the fact that her beta was always by her side made me raise an eyebrow.

Mainly because she always complained that Dad moved on and she didn’t. I didn’t want to be involved in their drama anymore. Especially because Ursula was Helanie’s mother, and hurting her or saying anything bad about her would upset Helanie.

“I heard you called,” Mom said from the other side as I answered her call. I needed to change my clothes, and I couldn’t tell where my AirPods were, so I just put my phone on speaker for a while.

Now that I was in my room, I received another call from my mother.

“Yes, Mom, I was calling you, but your beta said you were in the bathroom,” I responded, taking off my shirt and throwing it on the bed.

“Yeah, I was. Tell me, is Helanie buying your act of being in love with her?”

The minute she asked me that question, my mood soured.

I stopped dead in my tracks while reaching for the closet and placed a hand on my forehead, trying to figure out what to expect next.

“Yeah, Mom. I told you I’d let you know when there’s progress. But rest assured, she is in love with me and has fallen for my lies.”

I knew I had to respond because Mom was waiting for me.

But I didn’t mean a single word. A few weeks ago, Mom had asked me to make Helanie fall for me so that she could stir up tension between my dad and Helanie’s mother.

I didn’t accept her plan—until I started falling for Helanie myself.

At first, I flirted with her just to see what would happen, but after the first time, I was already falling for her. She was so amazing. And then I told my mom I would do it.

Just so she wouldn’t find out from someone else that I was with Helanie and try to ruin it for me. So every time her trusted men told her they had seen me with Helanie, my mom would let it slide.

My plan was simple.

Once I made a public announcement, there would be nothing my mom could do to separate us. I would not leave Helanie for anyone. I was playing a dirty game with my own mother, but she could be very dangerous and toxic. And I wouldn’t let her toxic claws reach my Helanie.

She was too innocent for all this. All I knew was that I only wanted Helanie and no one else.

As my mom kept talking, I kept going along with the lies. I hated even thinking about playing with Helanie. But my mom needed to hold onto false hope. Otherwise—I knew she would get rid of Helanie before anyone even knew about us.

But once they did, no one would dare come after Helanie.

“Okay, Mom! I’ll talk to you later,” I hissed tiredly, not wanting to hear another bad word about Helanie. This was getting out of hand, and my mother was just waiting for the right moment to strike.

But in the next few days, things changed. Or I should say, Helanie changed.

Her behavior toward me became so cold. I guessed she was scared of how others would react. And I wanted to assure her that I would never let anyone hurt her. For that to happen, we needed to tell others about us.

So, I had to give her an ultimatum. I hated putting pressure on her, but she wasn’t understanding that we were getting closer to the engagement ceremony.

That ceremony could get us in trouble. People would complain if they saw us together after our parents got married. It would go against the rules of the Lycan community as well as the pack’s laws.

And then I risked it all, telling her to give me her silence if she wanted us to move forward with our plan. That night, I left the mansion to take care of my own things and returned exhausted.

I was tired. My body ached. My eyes moved to the clock, watching as it struck 3 AM.

My eyelids felt so heavy as Norman patted my back, bidding me goodnight.

I dragged my body upstairs to my room but was shocked to see Charlotte standing outside my door.

“I already told you, I wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole,” I reminded her of our last conversation when she had tried to sleep with me.

It was after that night that I made up my mind to change my ways. I never really thought I was the type to be loyal to someone, but I guess that’s what falling in love feels like.

“I’m not here to seduce you. I just needed a phone to text a friend. It’s urgent, and mine isn’t working,” she requested, rubbing her palms anxiously.

I sighed and entered my room, noticing that the door was already open. She must have walked in looking for me.

I grabbed my phone and, without looking, unlocked it and handed it to her. She quickly typed something while I poured myself a glass of water, feeling incredibly thirsty.

“All done, thank you!” she said, rushing out of the room.

I checked my phone, but there was no notification from anywhere else.