Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 73

Chapter 73: 73-Not A Weakness Anymore

Helanie:

My heart raced as I felt Maximus step up right behind me, taunting me with a sneer. My grip tightened around my pendant. It was like a quick decision that I took it off. I am not even sure what I would get from it. My mind ordered and I did it.

“Come on, I’m right here! You can’t even hit me once?” His voice cracked slightly, and a frown appeared on my forehead. I slowly stood up, turning to meet his gaze.

I had just taken off my pendant, but he was way too close now. I bet he could sense the shift in my scent, the faint trace of pheromones. It would take some time before the others noticed, but I was exuding such intense anxiety that I wondered how long I could keep it hidden.

And that’s when I saw Maximus falter. He tried to keep smirking, but his confidence was clearly wavering. His attempt at mocking me was crumbling. At moments, he even narrowed his eyes at me, as if trying to understand what had changed. But it was too late for him.

I could feel it now—my courage.

I lunged at him.

This time, he dodged, but when I retreated and struck again, he wasn’t quick enough. My delicate, seemingly fragile knuckles connected with his strong jaw, drawing a gasp from the crowd. My punch barely moved him, but when I landed a second blow, the shock on his face was unmistakable. The crowd went silent.

Maximus was just as stunned as everyone else. I was amazed that I hit such a scary trainer.

His eyes were wide, and his mouth gaped as he stumbled back, pushing me away. I tripped over my own feet and landed squarely on my butt. But the test was over.

I have done it. I won!

“Maximus!” Norman stepped between us, shoving his brother back, murmuring something in his ear.

“You can’t just give her a chance to win by being easy on her and then act upset,” Norman said, managing the situation. The crowd nodded in agreement, as if convinced the only reason I landed a punch was because Maximus had gone easy on me.

But I could tell that beneath the surface, they were all a bit shocked, maybe even starting to believe that Maximus hadn’t expected me to hit him at all.

Maximus’s face flushed with anger at the humiliation. His fists clenched, and I saw a similar expression on Norman’s face, though he struggled to maintain control of both the situation and his wounded brother, whose pride had taken a serious hit.

“Step aside, I’m going to kill her right here, right now!” I heard Maximus growl as he tried to approach me.

The other students were murmuring among themselves, but we were the only ones inside the white circle.

“Do you want everyone to remember this and blow it out of proportion?” Norman muttered to him. “It’s nothing. You let her win, unintentionally, because you felt sorry for her.”

I was in shock as I listened to Norman’s words. Was he gaslighting Maximus…or me?

However, I shifted my attention to my pendant and quickly snatched it back, fastening it around my neck while Norman worked on calming Maximus.

In that moment, I realized: my pheromones aren’t my weakness. I won’t let them be my weakness ever again.

They distracted Maximus long enough for me to land a punch. Oddly, I had forgotten to even get up from the ground. My mind was in a strange, dazed state, and I couldn’t tell if I should celebrate or just process how this so-called curse had actually helped me today.

Eventually, Norman managed to pacify Maximus. The two of them faced the crowd again, and this time, Norman gave a diplomatic smile.

“We appreciate her hard work. This is why my brother has decided to give her a chance. She never gave up, even when time had almost run out.” I could only imagine how difficult it must have been for Norman to say that aloud.

“I agree. It’s…nice to see someone fight so hard to join our academy,” Maximus muttered, forcing a faint smile as he walked over and offered me his hand. His eyes were red with anger, and his smile was tight.

I accepted his hand and got to my feet, a smile beginning to form on my own lips.

“Welcome to the Red Vortex Sanctum Academy,” he said, his handshake forceful and strained.

But I didn’t care. I was just too happy.

“Yeah, welcome! I hope you have a good stay,” Norman added from behind his brother, though his tone felt more like a threat.

I was sure they’d remain bitter for now but would eventually forget about me. As future rogue kings, they had far bigger things to worry about.

“Thank you!” I smiled, even though I knew they weren’t thrilled with my success.

“Now everyone, enjoy the next two days. Soon enough, the academy life you’ve all craved will begin,” Norman announced, but every time he spoke, it felt like his words were secretly aimed at me, a warning about how challenging academy life would be.

The crowd started to disperse, but Maximus and Norman signaled for me to stay. I ignored them and began to leave ahead of the others.

“I said wait,” Maximus hissed, striding briskly in my direction. I slowed my steps, glancing over my shoulder, noticing that Norman was busy assisting others.

I finally turned back to see Maximus, still rooted to his spot, his eyes wide and brimming with anger as he glared at me.

“How did you do that?” Maximus nearly yelled, though his clenched fists seemed to remind him not to draw attention by shouting.

“What did I do? You challenged me to fight, so I did,” I replied, uncertain if he would bring up my pendant. I wasn’t even sure if he’d noticed that I’d taken it off. But clearly, the pheromones had affected him.

And maybe that was exactly what he was asking about.

“You—you made me lose my concentration!” He advanced toward me, eyes fierce and full of aggression. I took a quick step back, keeping my distance.

“And that’s what the match was about. I knew I couldn’t win otherwise, so I let you have your moment to mock me—your own ego got you distracted,” I replied firmly, determined not to let him learn the truth about my pendant.

“No!” He wagged a finger at me. “That wasn’t the distraction. I’m not a child who loses focus from a little banter. You did…something else.” He looked away, rubbing the back of his neck, clearly frustrated.

“What did I do? Please, enlighten me,” I said, shrugging. I watched as he closed his eyes, trying to control his heavy breaths.

“You are—” He paused, lost, and seeing him look so puzzled was oddly satisfying. He had no idea about my pheromones. Only people from my pack knew, and that was because I developed this condition later in life, after I failed to transition.

“Maximus.” Norman appeared, placing a hand on his brother’s shoulder. That’s when I realized it was just the three of us left.

“And—” Norman turned toward me, possibly to issue some sort of threat, but I was already walking away. I didn’t want to stay behind. Remember when I said I’m now afraid of being alone with others? I meant it.

I hurried out, thinking I’d have to find a place to crash or even beg someone to let me stay with them. That’s when I saw the warrior standing by the car, waiting for me.

“I heard you did it?” he asked, and I quickly nodded, reaching the car.

“Congratulations.” He glanced around cautiously before offering his congratulations. I could only imagine how much the brothers would yell at him if they saw him celebrating my win.

“All set? Should I take you back to your hotel room?” It felt like my guardian angel was finally looking out for me.

But not the Moon Goddess. I didn’t believe anything good in my life came from her. She’d sooner ruin things for me than fix them.

“Yes,” I said, hastily climbing into the car just as I saw Maximus emerge from behind the trees, moving in my direction.

“Should I stop the vehicle?” the warrior asked, noticing the rogue king standing in the road.

“No! No, he’s not here for me. He’s just making sure all the students have left,” I lied, grateful that the warrior didn’t ask any more questions. And since Maximus didn’t call for either of us, there was no reason to stop the car.

I watched as Maximus stood there on the road, watching the car speed away. I knew I couldn’t avoid him forever, but at least for today, I needed to keep my distance.

I’d bruised his ego, and that thought made me smile.

Today, I had my first victory over a powerful creature. I was beyond happy.