Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 495

Chapter 495: 495-The Bride Without A Groom
Helanie:

It was odd. Wearing a white dress for my wedding. I chose a plain satin dress because we still had to show that I wasn’t happy about this marriage but at the same time, I wanted to look like a bride for Emmet.

There weren’t going to be many people. Just my family and Kaidon’s family. My friends had decided not to come because I told them so. They were anxious, and I had to tell them to just trust me.

Penn had been extremely upset because after his initial offer to help me out in front of the brothers, I never got back to him.

“Just think about it one more time. Marrying Kaidon would traumatize you.” Lamar was on the phone with me, others listening in since he had put it on speaker.

“Lamar, trust me. I’ll be fine,” I reassured him, scared that maybe our calls were being recorded.

“Why didn’t she choose me?” Penn muttered from behind, still complaining.

“Penn, not right now,” Salem hissed at him, and he grunted in response.

“Anyway, I’ll tell you guys what I have in mind.” I was being careful not to use certain words.

For example, I couldn’t say I had a plan.

“Well, I hope by that you mean not getting married.” Lamar was so down. I heard from Sage that he hadn’t been eating at all ever since the trial happened. All my friends had been worried about me.

The academy had started, and they said they couldn’t enjoy a single day like they used to when I was there.

Lucy was her usual self, and Sydney was being very quiet. It was almost like a storm was building inside her.

I’m not sure if she had heard about me and Altan already. But she must have—

The trial had exposed a lot of things, and I heard it was also in the headlines.

“Anyway, I’m at the council court. I’ll let you know later what happened here,” I said before hanging up the call.

My parents and I sat in the waiting room, waiting for Kaidon and his mother to arrive. It had already been a few hours, and I was kind of hoping Alpha Diaz didn’t notice.

I heard he had locked up Altan. Someone from the mansion told my father that Altan wanted to come and interfere with the marriage, offering to marry me instead, but his father locked him up.

“What’s taking them so long?” Larissa scoffed, rolling her eyes all the way to the back of her head.

I knew what was taking so long.

It was already midnight, and this was around the time we were supposed to get married.

I straightened my back and checked the clock. It was just unsettling—and not because Kaidon didn’t show up. Of course, he wouldn’t. But where the heck were Emmet and Norman?

“Kaidon’s not even picking up his phone,” I heard Alpha Diaz’s voice as he walked toward us, and my heart sank in my chest. What the heck was he doing here?

“Ugh, nobody wants this woman,” he let out a laugh.

“Should we go back home? We’ve been sitting here for a while,” my stepmother suggested, but Alpha Diaz didn’t even look at her.

“What should we do now?” the council head, Lord Vonston, asked Alpha Diaz, who had been glaring at me like I was the problem.

“Just keep them here. We still have time. The moon is rising and will stay at its peak for a few hours, I believe. But before the clouds cover the sky, I’ll have a husband here for her.”

This was exactly what I had been afraid of—and my fears were coming to life.

I slowly lowered my head and fidgeted with my fingers.

“Even her stepbrothers, who paid so much to be allowed to stay here tonight, are missing,” Alpha Diaz commented in passing before he walked toward the exit. That was not good.

I stepped to the side and started calling Emmet again, but he wasn’t picking up anymore.

“Ugh,” I muttered, trying Maximus—but of course, he wouldn’t answer either. Norman had told me that on full moon nights, Maximus would be in the woods, and Kaye would be taking care of him.

But where the heck were Emmet and Norman?

“It seems like they’ve opened the side room for us. We should rest there,” Larissa got up and walked toward the room. My father and stepmother followed.

My sister was left at home with the neighbor watching her.

I was anxious.

I stormed into the room and looked at my so-called family. They were so stress-free, and here I was, freaking out.

I even called Norman so many times, but he didn’t pick up either.

That’s when I finally got a call back from Kaye.

“You were calling? Is everything okay?” he asked.

“Umm, I didn’t want to worry you because I knew you’d be with Maximus tonight—” I was speaking in whispers so my family wouldn’t hear and mess things up even more.

“Don’t worry about that. Tell me, what’s bothering you? Have you got—married yet? I mean—have you and Emmet—”

I noticed how hard it was for him to talk about my marriage to his brother.

“That’s the issue. My groom is nowhere to be found. I’ve been calling Norman and Emmet for a while now, but they’re not picking up,” I started breaking down.

Until now, I thought I was fine and everything was going according to plan—until this happened. And being all alone again, among people who hated me, left me in such a state of panic.

“Really? Okay, don’t worry. I’ll do something,” I heard him getting all worked up.

“Alpha Diaz said he’s bringing me some guy to marry,” I mumbled under my breath.

“Oi! That is not happening. I’m coming over,” he said, and my heart skipped a beat. I didn’t know what he could do by coming here or how that would help, but I had a feeling he was talking about volunteering.

“Don’t worry, you’ll have the next full moon to reject me.”

And I was right. My heart started beating louder and faster, but it was the only way to get anything done.

If he couldn’t make it… would I have to call Penn? But it will take so much time then.

“I’m coming, Helanie,” he reassured before hanging up.