Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 87

Chapter 87: 87-The Guilt!

Helanie:

The night was so peaceful that the moment I lay down in bed, I fell asleep instantly, as if I’d slipped into a coma. But in the middle of the night, I woke to the sound of someone slamming the balcony door.

Groaning, I sat up and looked toward the balcony. It was Lamar.

He had shut the door after stepping outside to smoke. Through the glass, I could see him pacing back and forth, a cigarette in hand.

He looked restless.

If it had been anyone else, I might have checked on them, but it was Lamar—the guy I hated the most.

So I decided to lie back down.

Closing my eyes, I hoped to fall asleep again. But then I heard the balcony door creak open and footsteps approaching my bed.

My heart skipped a beat as realization struck me.

I bolted upright, my mind racing with fear that he was about to do something awful. But when I looked, there he was, standing at the edge of my bed with his head bowed.

“What are you doing? You freaking scared the life out of me,” I hissed under my breath.

“I wanted to apologize,” he said, his voice heavy, thick with emotion. Was he… sniffing? Was he crying?

“Okay,” I muttered, trying to avoid further confrontation at this ungodly hour.

“I didn’t mean to… I just thought you’d be fine since werewolves heal quickly. I know you don’t have a wolf, but I didn’t realize how slow healing could be without one. I swear I was going to come back for you once the test was over.”

He rambled excitedly before pausing, as though he realized how messed up it all sounded.

“That doesn’t make me sound convincing, does it? But that was the plan. I messed up,” he admitted, his words faltering.

I frowned, confused about why he was bringing this up again.

“Okay… so what do you want from me now?” I asked, pulling my blanket closer to shield myself from the cold.

“I want you to stop it,” he whispered, his tone so low it sent a chill down my spine.

“Stop what?” I murmured, narrowing my eyes at him in confusion.

“Ever since—” he stopped mid-sentence, moving to sit on the edge of my bed. I instinctively leaned back, putting some distance between us. “Ever since I hurt you, you’ve been appearing in my dreams. You chase me, and then… you brutally kill me.”

He paused, his voice trembling. “The worst part is—it hurts. Every hit you land on me feels so real. And sometimes, when I’m in a happy dream, you suddenly show up, screaming or crying. I just want it to stop—you need to stop it, please.”

He placed his hands near his ear, wincing as he accidentally grazed a burn from his cigarette.

I watched him flinch and then abruptly stand, as though waking from a trance. His gaze flicked from the cigarette in his hand to my face, his expression unreadable. Without a word, he straightened up and bolted toward the door.

I didn’t even get the chance to ask him what he was talking about before he disappeared from the room.

Letting out a shaky breath, I lay back down, unwilling to dwell on what had just happened. Before long, sleep pulled me under again.

Lucy’s alarm woke me the next morning. She had been busy planning everything the night before—our uniforms, shoes, and even our accessories were laid out neatly.

Thankfully, Lamar had gotten ready long before us. Maybe he was trying to avoid any interaction again.

Lucy, ever organized, let me use the bathroom first. She didn’t bother me until I came out, which I appreciated. I didn’t take much time either, though the warm water from the shower was so comforting that I almost stayed longer.

At least our uniforms were cute.

It was a red checkered skirt, white shirt, and then a red coat or sweater with a red tie. The red shoes were so cute.

We stood together in the elevator, the silence thick as I found myself recalling that strange 10th floor.

“Um, I thought the building was fully occupied?” I asked, clearing my throat to start a conversation without directly bringing up the oddity and potentially freaking her out.

“Huh? What do you mean?” she replied, adjusting her hair with a frown. I could tell she wasn’t happy with her new hairstyle.

“The 10th floor,” I said, trying to sound casual.

She turned to me with a confused look, as if I’d just told a bad joke.

“What floor?” she asked, her frown deepening.

“The 10th floor. What’s the deal with it?” I pressed, watching her squint slightly, as though searching for the right response.

But before she could say anything else, the elevator doors slid open, revealing a sight that immediately grabbed our attention—and not in a good way.

It was Gavin, dressed in the academy’s uniform: a crisp white shirt, a red tie with white vertical stripes, and black pants. But it wasn’t just him that shocked us.

It was the fact that he was fixing Jenny’s hair.

“Lucy!” I watched as Lucy stormed forward, clearly ready to confront Jenny. Quickly, I grabbed her arm and shook my head, silently reminding her to keep her composure. There were others around, and Gavin might not take kindly to her making a scene. After all, he had already been upset last night when she yelled at him without giving him a chance to explain.

“I can’t believe this,” Lucy muttered under her breath before storming past Gavin without another glance.

“Hey, you two! We’ve been waiting for you!” Jenny called out, rushing toward us with Gavin trailing behind her.

“Morning!” Gavin greeted, trying to sound cheerful.

Lucy ignored him entirely, her pace quickening.

“Whoa, what’s going on? Is her mood still sour?” Gavin asked, falling into step beside me as I slowed down to look at him.

“Did I do something?” he added, genuinely confused.

I couldn’t understand why he was acting so nonchalant, as though it was perfectly normal for him to be this close to Jenny.

Some might call Lucy insecure, but let’s be real—if she were the one acting this friendly with some other guy, Gavin would’ve lost it.

“Let’s just get through the first day and leave the drama for later,” I said in a hushed tone, hoping to diffuse the tension without adding fuel to the fire.

Lucy, still visibly upset, didn’t want me talking to anyone else, so we walked in tense silence all the way to the academy.

Once we arrived, the top senior, Sage, greeted us and led us to our first class on the third floor.

The classroom was loud with activity, filled with so many students, all exuding an air of confidence.

But the way they looked at the ones weaker than them was unnerving—almost predatory, like they were eyeing fresh meat. It was clear that bullying was not just expected from the seniors.

As we stepped into the room, Lucy grabbed my arm, dragging me toward the back of the class. We found seats, with me by the window and her right next to me. Gavin sat down beside her, leaving no spot for Jenny.

Jenny gave a small shrug, her lips curling into a pout. Lucy didn’t acknowledge her, but her straight posture and composed demeanor told me she was fully aware of the situation—and didn’t care.

I glanced at Gavin, catching a flicker of embarrassment on his face. He and Jenny must’ve talked about sitting together in the front, where there were four seats, but clearly, that wasn’t happening now.

Jenny didn’t seem too upset, though. Her brother appeared just then, hands stuffed in his pockets, moving with an easy, confident stride. Without saying a word, he took her arm and guided her to a seat in the second row.

And then, right before our eyes, came the infamous Demon Twins.

Sydney and Salem Combs were hard to miss, and naturally, they’d found a way to make their uniforms stand out. But today, they weren’t just dressed to impress—they seemed downright giddy. Sydney had her hair pulled into a sleek high ponytail, while Salem wore hers loose and curled.

“I don’t think we need an introduction, but—hello! I’m Sydney Combs, and this is my twin, Salem Combs,” Sydney began, her voice dripping with exaggerated cheerfulness.

“We’re the royal beta’s daughters from the Blood Hunters Pack,” she added with a gleaming smile.

“We’re happy to announce,” she continued, “that we’ve decided to take you all under our wings. If you have any needs, we’ll be here to… help.”

Her tone was sweet but fake, her words edged with mockery.

“And we’ll also protect you all from bullying,” Salem added, her tone just as sugary.

The class erupted into cheers at her words—but not everyone joined in. Those aspiring to become Alphas or royal betas remained silent. Even the warriors kept quiet, their pride unwilling to accept protection from another junior.

“Apparently,” Lucy whispered in my ear, “bullying here is brutal. It’s considered part of the training, so the authority figures don’t really intervene.”

A shiver ran down my spine as her words sank in.

“But,” Sydney continued, her smirk widening, “if you want our protection, you’ll have to come to us. And after we save you, you’ll owe us a favor.”

Her tone was sly, dripping with amusement. It was clear she intended to have plenty of fun with this new arrangement.

“Anyway,” she said, stepping back, “we’ll let the first class begin now.”

With that, the twins returned to their seats, naturally taking spots at the very front of the room.

As they moved aside, the teacher walked in, and my heart stopped.

It was Professor Emmet McQuoid.

He was breathtakingly handsome, dressed in a sharp black suit with a perfectly tucked white shirt. He looked nothing like I’d expected—no hint of drunkenness. His hair, still damp, was styled impeccably. A single strand fell across his forehead, while the rest was tied back in a man bun.