Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 78

Chapter 78: 78-Something Fishy

Kaye:

“What? I was here for some work. Get out of my way,” I watched Norman shout at Jessica, his back facing me, while Jessica stood directly in front of him, fully in my line of sight.

I never thought I’d witness my brother yelling at his fiancée. My brother rarely breaks his calm and collected demeanor, so something serious must have happened between them to spark this public argument.

But why here?

What was my brother even doing in this place?

I tilted my head up, glancing at the building, and worry began to creep in. Helanie was staying here, and I knew how much my brother despised her. Did he have a fight with her? She must be crying alone.

As Norman’s car pulled away, Jessica’s eyes drifted over to me, and she quickly began wiping her tears. I felt so odd facing their personal banter.

“Hello, Kaye! What are you doing here?” She greeted me in her usual gentle, polite voice. The fake smile on her lips couldn’t deceive me.

“I was here for some work. What about you—what happened?” I asked, sliding my hands into my pockets and keeping my tone soft.

“Oh! What work? What are you brothers doing here?” she let out a small, awkward laugh.

I gathered what had happened. She was likely upset that Norman was here, and instead of answering her questions, he had lashed out and left. Now, she wanted answers from me.

“We had a meeting here. I arrived late, as usual,” I tried to joke, but she shook her head to dismiss my comment.

“Kaye! You’re a very responsible person. Don’t joke like that,” she insisted, and I realized she must have picked up on my insecurities from conversations with my mother.

I always felt like I wasn’t good enough. My mother must have mentioned it when they met for dinner to celebrate Jessica and Norman’s engagement.

“Right, well, you should talk to my mom. She’ll tell you just how badly I mess up all the time,” I tried to joke again, but it came out miserably, and I hated how pathetic it sounded.

“I don’t need to listen to anyone else. I know you, and I’ve heard about your accomplishments. Do you know what people in our pack ask for whenever they’re really sick?” She was so warm and kind, almost treating me like a younger brother, and it made me realize just how much we both cared about Norman.

“They ask, ‘Is this the medicine made from Kaye’s herbs?’ They only trust your remedies, Kaye,” her words genuinely lifted my spirits.

I felt a sudden wave of acknowledgement, and it was amazing. But now, I wanted to comfort her in a way my brother had failed to do.

There weren’t many people I felt comfortable opening up to, and Jessica wasn’t one of them. I always spoke to her with respect, mainly because of how kindly she treated me.

“Thank you. By the way, don’t mind Norman. He’s been working non-stop lately—handling academy duties and even training in the woods all by himself today,” I said, making up an excuse on the spot. Truthfully, I had no idea why my brother was here today.

“Maybe that explains it. He probably needs rest…and maybe me,” she chuckled softly to herself, a small smile tugging at her lips as she seemed to drift into thought.

I wasn’t entirely sure what she was implying.

“Um, did you drive here, or would you like my driver to drop you off?” I offered, already itching to go see Helanie.

I’d heard about what happened at the grounds today, and as usual, Helanie had surprised me.

“Oh no, I drove. I’ll be heading out now. Thank you so much for letting me know about Norman,” she said, giving me a reassuring nod before walking to her car.

Finally, I was free to go see Helanie. As I took the elevator up, a feeling crept over me: maybe Norman had come here to confront her.

‘Maximus must be so upset,’ my wolf stirred awake, sharing my thoughts.

‘I know. I hope he realizes it’s not a big deal,’ I thought, not wanting my brother to be upset.

‘You’d be worse if it happened to you,’ my wolf replied with a pointed tone. ‘The only reason you’re not so riled up is because it’s Helanie we’re talking about.’

His tone threw me off. I hadn’t even realized he had an issue with Helanie.

“What’s wrong with you?” I asked him, puzzled.

‘Nothing. And nothing should be wrong with you, either. I know why you’re being so nice to Helanie—you think she’s our mate because of that dream? Let me remind you of something: we’re not her mate. Remember what Runes said? He claimed you don’t have a wolf. So, how could you have felt a mate bond when I wasn’t even awake at the time?’ My wolf snapped, as though he’d been holding this in for days.

A chill ran down my spine as the elevator doors opened. I’d wondered about the mate bond myself, but my wolf had a good point.

I shook my head, trying to clear my mind and focus. I was already at Helanie’s door, but she didn’t answer immediately. When she finally did, she looked so lost and dazed that I couldn’t bring myself to speak for a moment.

“Have you… been crying?” I blurted out. What a softie I am.

“No!” she replied quickly, but her gaze shifted away, her eyes avoiding mine. I knew she was lying.

“Did my brother come here?” I asked. Now that I saw the redness in her eyes, I was certain Norman had been here.

“He did, but I’m not crying. I’m fine. Did he send you to collect his things?” she murmured, glancing down. “I just realized he left his coat and some other stuff here.”

While I wanted to believe nothing serious had happened, I couldn’t ignore the way she was clutching her robe.

My brother left his belongings here? I couldn’t help but wonder if something happened between the two of them.