Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 41

Chapter 41: 41-My Stepbrother Is Sweet And Sexy

Helanie:

“I did—” I didn’t get to finish before Emmet spoke up. He had a charming presence. Every time he talked, I found myself falling silent, just so I could listen to his voice.

“If a she-wolf without an active role managed to get my brother almost killed, maybe we should be questioning my brother’s strength. What happened to all those years of training?” Emmet slid his hands into his coat pockets, briefly jingling his keys before pulling them out.

“Emmet—” Norman rolled his eyes. “She got herself into trouble, and while trying to save her, Kaye nearly got trapped in the dream prison.”

Well, he clarified that quickly. Before this, he made it sound like I had run after his brothers with a knife.

“Is that why you were asking me all those questions about the dream prison?” Emmet had a mild smile on his lips, almost as if he’d expected Norman to tell him about what was going on.

“Yeah, I just didn’t want to worry you,” Norman quickly explained, trying to justify why they hadn’t involved Emmet earlier. But that’s when Emmet showed me he wasn’t so easily read.

“I’m sure you had your reasons. But I’m just glad my brothers are fine—and she’s safe,” Emmet said, gently touching my arm as he motioned toward me.

I felt the gesture resonate deeply within me, and I swallowed hard.

Oh, I knew why.

He is my mate.

But not just him—his brother is my mate too.

I almost coughed at the memory of the dream. But then again, it was just a dream. What if it wasn’t true?

“As for you, let me take you to the shelter,” Emmet said, turning his attention back to me as he gestured toward his car.

I nodded, despite Norman’s lingering glare, silently warning me not to get in the car with his brother. Ignoring his stare, I walked over to the vehicle.

Emmet exchanged a few words with Norman that I couldn’t catch before he returned, holding his keys.

Unlike his brother, who made me sit in the back seat, Emmet opened the passenger door for me, and I calmly slid inside.

Once he started the engine, I found myself shifting uneasily in my seat.

“I was working for Maximus,” I muttered, turning slightly toward him.

His hands gripped the steering wheel, the veins prominent under his skin, as he kept his eyes on the road.

“Norman told me,” he mentioned, referring to the brief conversation they had before we got in the car.

“I have to be a part of this academy. I don’t want to lose this opportunity,” I rambled, wondering if Maximus had already fired me. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had. I had caused complete chaos for them.

“I admire your ambition. As for the admission fee, don’t worry about it. Don’t worry about any money—I’ll take care of it,” Emmet said calmly, making my heart skip a beat.

“I don’t want to be a burden on anyone. I’m not comfortable borrowing money from you or my mother,” I repeated, voicing the same sentiment I’d expressed earlier.

“I wasn’t lending you money. Think of it as your brothers’ allowance,” he replied, slowing down just enough to pass me a quick glance. Hearing him strictly call himself my brother was a bit hard since we were mates.

“No! I don’t want that either. I want to work,” I insisted again.

“Fine. How about this—you take the money for the admission now, and when you start earning, you can pay it back? How does that sound?” His tone was so reasonable that I felt foolish for continuing to refuse his help.

“That would work,” I mumbled, relieved that he didn’t follow up with anything to make me feel like I had given in too easily.

“Helanie, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—if you ever need help, you can come to me anytime.” As he parked the car on the side of the road, his deep, husky voice softened. He wasn’t using that tone to sound a certain way—that was just how he naturally spoke.

“I don’t know why you’re so different from your brothers, but your kindness surprises me,” I admitted, feeling the need to tell him how much he’d helped me.

I took off my seatbelt and turned to him, not getting out yet, and he didn’t seem in a rush either.

“And thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of the candidate list,” I finally expressed my gratitude, something I should have done days ago. He unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to face me, his eyes carefully observing me.

“I don’t want to upset you or make you feel bad, but you don’t have a wolf. There will be four stages of the tests—two physical and two educational. You need to pass at least three of them. How do you plan to—” He paused, showing how thoughtful he was, even when stating the obvious.

“I honestly have no idea. But I know I’ll give it my 100%,” I said confidently, watching as a smile slowly formed on his lips.

“Then go ahead and give it your best shot. I want to see you in my class next week,” he teased, making me laugh along with him.

Wow! I can laugh?

I shocked at the thought and immediately stopped. When was the last time I’d laughed like that?

Then my eyes drifted back to Emmet. He was so handsome—his long hair falling perfectly against his strong neck, his chiseled jawline, and his high cheekbones. He could easily make anyone’s heart race.

“Now go, rest well, and be prepared for tomorrow,” Emmet said, finally breaking eye contact and straightening his posture, focusing back on the steering wheel. I nodded, slowly got out, and gave him a quick wave before walking through the woods.

“You know you can be disqualified for trying to use one of the brothers to get into the academy.”

The voice sounded familiar, but I didn’t recognize it until I turned around.

“You!” I hissed, my eyes locking on his face, a flood of memories and anger blurring my vision.