Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 43

Chapter 43: 43-The First Round

Helanie:

I shook myself awake, but the nightmare seemed to have scarred me for a lifetime. Very soon, my mother would officially be marked and married to the father of the men I had dreamt of having a gangbang with.

I shook my head again while showering. I didn’t dream of it—it just happened to become part of my nightmare.

Instead of getting a restful night, I ended up waking and falling back asleep multiple times. I wanted to wake up feeling refreshed, but instead, I woke with overwhelming guilt. It felt like, subconsciously, I must have thought the brothers were very attractive.

But then there was Norman.

He was handsome—extremely handsome—but I hated him with every inch of my being. There was no way I would dream of him like that.

After slipping into the brown tracksuit Lucy had given me, I left the bathroom to find everyone ready to go.

“Let me braid your hair,” Lucy smiled warmly. She was so kind, with her beautiful hazel eyes that had a hint of violet in them.

Her pixie-cut black hair made her look even more adorable, especially when she tied it up into two small pigtails.

She sat behind me and started braiding my hair while I noticed Sydney and Salem exchanging looks, silently communicating with each other. As always, the two were dressed impeccably. Salem’s black sprots bra and waist up black leggings complemented her sharp features, while Sydney’s pink chrome leggings and deep V top made her look ethereal.

Lamar sat comfortably with a smirk on his face. He knew I was still annoyed with him, and I wondered how I would perform in today’s training.

“Hey, don’t stress. I’m sure you’ll do just fine,” Lucy reassured me, adjusting my hair and helping me stand.

I had never had friends who were so gentle with me. Lucy being so polite and kind felt a little unusual. I wanted to trust her kindness and believe she genuinely wanted to be my friend. But then, my eyes kept drifting to Lamar and Sydney, and I couldn’t help but wonder—what if Lucy turns out to be just like them?

We all stood in line outside our shelter, waiting. The awkward silence made me feel uneasy. We were told to stay there until we were called. There were other shelters and many other candidates participating, but I had heard that ours was the last group of the session for today’s tests.

“Listen, no matter what, don’t give up, okay?” I felt a light tug on my shirt and turned to see Gavin, who was holding his girlfriend’s hand to get her attention as well.

“As long as you make it to the final line, you’re fine. You’ll only be disqualified if you don’t return before midnight. Sure, you might lose the test, but at least you won’t be disqualified. You’ll just finish last, and if there are others who also finish last from other sessions, you’ll all be grouped together. That way, you still have a chance to win if you do better in the other tests,” Gavin whispered, giving us a helpful insight.

“So, giving up isn’t an option,” Lucy echoed, nodding to herself as I bobbed my head softly in agreement.

After a few more minutes, we saw the brothers arrive and quickly formed a line, standing side by side.

“Welcome, everyone,” Norman approached first, making me secretly clench my jaw. He was wearing a gray shirt, his muscles straining against the fabric of his rolled-up sleeves. He was broad and bulky—pure muscle and arrogance. Sometimes, I wondered if he looked at others and thought to himself, ‘What a peasant!’

“I hope you’re all ready for the first test,” Maximus said, his gaze sweeping across the group. I could have sworn his eyes lingered on me for just a moment too long. He was dressed in a blue shirt, neatly buttoned and tucked into black pants, with his sleeves rolled up. He held some papers in his hand, likely a score sheet.

“Ahem!” Emmet cleared his throat as he arrived, wearing a white shirt that was half-tucked into his pants, the other half hanging out. His long hair was pulled into a bun, with a few loose strands framing his face.

I expected him to say something, but he remained silent.

I felt a twinge of discomfort when Kaye joined the group. Dressed in all black, he stood with his brothers but didn’t say a word.

“This is the first round, and it’s all about stamina,” Maximus announced, oddly focusing on me as he said the word. “You’ll run 20 miles and return to this spot. Follow the white track markers and make sure you arrive before midnight. Anyone who finishes last will be considered fail.”

My heart began to race in my chest. I glanced around and noticed Sydney growling, already hyped up to win the race. Salem looked equally excited. Everyone seemed eager—except for me.

“And no one is allowed to shift. You can rely on your wolf’s strength, but you must remain in your human form throughout the race,” Norman added in a stern voice, his gaze filled with arrogance as it swept over the group.

“Now, everyone, prepare yourselves,” Maximus instructed, stepping aside with his brothers. Anxiety churned in my stomach.

There was no way I could beat any of them. I wasn’t even sure I could make it to the finish line. Compared to the others, I was just a human. Nervously rubbing my palms together, my eyes landed on Emmet. I noticed he was already looking at me.

Our eyes met without any expression at first, but then he gave me a small, reassuring nod, and I found myself smiling slightly. He looked so comforting. That simple nod was enough to give me a sliver of strength.

“Go!” Maximus waved the papers and stepped back, turning to speak with his brothers.

The moment the race began, everyone burst into motion, their feet pounding against the rocky trail with powerful, confident strides. I followed, my steps awkward and unsteady as I tried to find a rhythm, though it felt forced rather than natural. For a brief moment, I dared to hope that maybe I could keep up. But that hope quickly faded.

It wasn’t long before I realized how far behind I had fallen. The gap between me and the others widened with every painful step. My legs were the first to betray me, a dull ache creeping in, slowing me down as they surged ahead. My heart pounded loudly, the sound echoing in my temples, a constant reminder of how hard my body was fighting just to keep moving.

Still, I kept going. The ache in my muscles grew into a sharp burn, but I refused to stop. My breaths came in ragged, shallow gasps, yet I pushed on. The trail twisted ahead, but when I glanced up, all I saw was empty space—the others were long gone, not a single person in sight. The silence of the mountain weighed on me, hinting at the loneliness of being so far behind.

“Ah!” I groaned, frustration and exhaustion mingling in my voice as I glanced up at the sky. Dark clouds loomed, slowly devouring the blue, casting shadows over the path. The storm brewing in the distance seemed almost like a curse. It was clear now what the outcome of this race would be, but even with that certainty sinking in, I couldn’t bring myself to stop. Not yet.