Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 587

Chapter 587: 587-The Painful Side Of Mate Bond
Helanie:

“It was such a tiring day, Helanie. And to think my brothers are still out there, I feel like dying,” Norman muttered, his face buried deeper into my chest while I sat on his lap, my legs spread and wrapped around his waist.

He was leaning back against the pillows on the headboard, finding comfort in my embrace—as he called it.

“Hmm, I missed these all day,” he mumbled into my chest while I ran my fingers through his hair.

“Do you think Jessica will hate me?” I asked, worried for her.

“Helanie, it doesn’t matter. I love you—that’s what should matter to you,” he said with his face so pressed against me that his words came out muffled.

“You matter the most to me, Norman. But Jessica is out there while Zharns are hyperactive. I’m so worried for her. We brought her here with responsibility, and now her father will ask us what we did to his daughter,” I rambled while he hugged me even tighter.

“Then her father should’ve kept her with him. And Jessica should also remember that you brought her here to take care of her. She shouldn’t have hit you, Helanie. Besides, don’t worry about her—the warriors told me they found her sitting in a café. They’ll take her back to her pack once she feels better,” Norman said, and I sighed in relief.

“Helanie,” he finally pulled back and smiled at me, “today was a hectic day. My world felt like it was burning. You have no idea how many times I’ve had nightmares of my brothers in pain. So for it to happen in real life… I was devastated. But the thought of coming back into your arms kept me going. Every time the sadness tried to take over, I remembered someone very special was waiting for me at home.”

His fingers gently rubbed my back while his eyes stared deeply into mine.

“Did Emmet eat anything?” he asked, brushing my hair away from my face.

“Nope. From what I heard, he told the maids not to disturb him,” I replied, taking a deep breath and letting it out.

It wasn’t easy for my wolf to block out the brothers’ pain. In fact, just a few minutes ago, I’d felt a sharp pain in my chest like I was having a heart attack. I didn’t tell Norman because he was already so stressed. But now, I was slowly starting to feel another wave of pain.

“Helanie, tell me honestly,” he started again, pulling me back from my thoughts.

“Tell you what?” I asked.

“You must be feeling their pain. How bad is it?” he asked, and I smiled, surprised at how easily he could read my mind.

“We seriously need to do something about these mate bonds,” I said with a soft smile, trying to change the subject.

“Don’t be too smart with me. I’m your professor—remember that. Now tell me, did you feel pain?” he playfully bit my collarbone while demanding I tell him the truth.

We knew we only had a few minutes together before we had to get up and go search for Maximus.

We just needed a short break.

“I felt like I was having a heart attack. I felt connected to Maximus on another level today,” I admitted. I knew it was true because I kept having visions of him.

“Helanie, that’s concerning,” Norman suddenly put me down and cupped my face in his hands. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

He looked so upset that I had kept my health issues from him.

“It’s fine. It happens to mates. It’s a reminder that we should have thought about the mate bond earlier. You know, Sally told me Maximus had been searching for his mate the whole time she was with him,” I said softly, my heart breaking at the thought of Maximus suffering alone out there.

“It reminds me of the night when he felt the mate bond with you… and dragged you a little farther into the woods,” Norman said, thinking back to the past.

“Anyway, we should get going. I’m coming with you,” I insisted, not wanting to be left behind. If Emmet came too, it would be a huge help.

“Yeah, let’s go. But you’re not putting yourself at risk for anything. Let me handle it,” Norman warned, taking my hand as he helped me out of bed.

Sometimes, I wondered how a man so big and angry could be so gentle. I loved how he acted with me, but I also felt bad for him. Now that I knew him more deeply, I realized how much pain he carried. That anger and frustration he always showed… it came from never having peace, not even in sleep.

My foot had barely touched the floor when the same pain hit me again.

But this time, I couldn’t hide it.

Even when I tried to stand upright, tears welled up in my eyes from the way the pain surged through me—from my heart all the way down to my toes, making them curl in agony.

“Helanie?” Norman noticed right away, holding my hand as I stood frozen, waiting for the pain to pass.

“Owww—” I whimpered softly before the pain became unbearable. My eyes shot up to meet Norman’s gaze.

I saw his eyes widen along with mine, both of us in shock at what I was feeling.

“Helanie, what’s happening?” Norman asked, rushing to support me.

My body had gone stiff. I couldn’t move my limbs, not even speak.

My eyes stayed open, blinking slowly, as tears streamed down my face.

I was in the kind of pain that made me wish I could just fall asleep and never wake up.

But sadly, I couldn’t say a single word.

“Helanie, I’m going to get you help,” Norman said urgently, stepping away from me. I heard him open a cabinet, then rush back to the bed in seconds.

The next thing I knew, he injected me with something—and whatever it was, it suddenly began to take the pain away.