《Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates》


 Chapter 1-Dating A Coward Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 1: 1-Dating A Coward Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "When are you going to ept me?" I asked him as he shrugged into his ck jacket, adjusting itfortably while sitting beside me on the bench. The alpha before me looked excited for the night. He was the only son of Alpha Diaz of The Vicious Bane Pack. He was supposed to have his official crowning when he turned 23 but that would be another three years.


    "It''ll take time. Why do you always bring it up when I am in a good mood?" His irritation was evident. But I needed to know if I was holding onto false hope or if this was leading somewhere.


    In the hustle and bustle of my house, everyone had forgotten that I finally turned eighteen. I had waited for this day for what felt like forever.


    Probably since I was six.


    That''s when everything changed, and I was no longer Daddy''s princess or Mommy''s little queen. But that''s when I found a friend in Altan. Despite him being an alpha''s son, he connected well with me. However, he always insisted we keep our friendship a secret. I wondered if it was because he was ashamed of me having no wolf. But like any other werewolf, I carried a certain aura and also the ability to find a mate, if only I had one. Apart from that, I didn''t have any other abilities that a fully transitioned werewolf has even when they are in their human form.


    "I turned eighteen tonight, Altan. I''ll be expected to find a mate soon. I don''t want my father to push me into a match with someone of his choosing," I managed to say, even as his hands roamed over my thighs, lifting my knee-length dress toward ces that made me ufortable.


    It felt wrong being touched like that in public. Especially in the abandoned underground station.


    The pack that once thrived here had long been destroyed by dark forces. Now, it was just barrennd between active territories, with a rarely-used train station stop.


    That''s why Altan had brought me here. Nobody could see us here.


    "Mmm. We''ll figure something outter. But for now¡ª" He nuzzled his face into my neck, his fingers toying with my pendant. Every time someone got too close to it, fear gripped me.


    This pendant was my lifeline. A shield, protecting me from harm.


    "Altan, I don''t think we should be doing this here," I murmured, growing increasingly uneasy with his advances. But he insisted on meeting in secluded ces, where no one could spot us together. It hadn''t always been like this. It wasn''t so sexual before. But now that I was eighteen, he was acting differently¡ªmore possessive, more physical.


    When he had asked me to lie to my family and sneak out, pretending I was going to study at a friend''s house, he had promised to celebrate my birthday with a cake.


    That was a lie. There was no cake.


    Just his lust-filled gaze.


    "No onees here, Hnie!" he grumbled, lifting his head from my neck and cupping my face in his hands. "I want all of you tonight. I need to see how far you''re willing to go¡ªto prove to me that you''re ready to be my mate, to be the Luna of the pack." His words felt heavy, suffocating.


    I had wanted his eptance for so long. And despite not being able to find a fated mate, I wasn''t entirely upset that Altan had promised to make me his chosen mate.


    "I am¡ª" I began to respond, but before I could exin how ufortable I felt about giving myself to him before any realmitment, he grabbed my pendant.


    It was like he had snatched my heart from my chest.


    "Take this off," he whispered close to my ear, making me shudder. I quickly shook my head.


    "Altan, I''m not supposed to," I pleaded, but he shook his head in return. Then, in one swift motion, he yanked the pendant from my neck.


    Seeing the pendant in his hand felt like staring at my own vulnerability reflected in a mirror.


    Swallowing hard, I whispered, "I should put it back on."


    But it was toote. My body had already started releasing pheromones almost instantly.


    He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, his body visibly trembling.


    "They called it a curse, but I call it a blessing," Altan murmured before pressing his lips against mine with a passion that made me shudder. His words echoed in my mind as I remembered how others had described me.


    Growing up, I was kept sheltered for this exact reason, until an old neighbor gave me the pendant to help control my condition.


    Being born into an Omega family, I was supposed to be like them¡ªordinary. But when I turned twelve and couldn''t transition, I discovered that my body produced potent pheromones, attracting those around me uncontrobly. But they weren''t that bad until I began to grow. It only happened to one in a million years to a cursed she-wolf and sadly, I was deemed one now.


    My body could go into heat quickly, and it was dangerous. The pendant had suppressed my pheromones.


    Now, without the pendant, I was left vulnerable, and in public no less.


    "Rx, Hnie. No one''s going to pick up on your pheromones here," Altan reassured me as he pulled away, his eyes gleaming with desire.


    He quickly discarded his jacket, ready to fulfill what he had always wanted. He had often expressed his desire to take my virginity when my body was in heat, the pheromones making him insatiable.


    No!


    I didn''t see it as a blessing. It was most definitely a curse.


    The realization hit me hard as he grabbed my wrists, pinning me against the wall. He wasn''t going to stop tonight.


    "You''re mine now," he whispered in my ear, his hand slipping under my dress, lifting it higher with each movement.


    "And ours too!" A sudden voice startled us both, forcing Altan to stop.


    We turned to see a group of Alphas standing before us, wearing blue training jackets and holding bottles of alcohol.


    "Excuse us!" Altan tried to pull me past them, gripping my hand tightly, but the tallest of the Alphas blocked his path, his massive frame towering over us.


    "You can go," the man growled in a low, menacing voice, "but leave her with us."


    Fear gripped me as I squeezed Altan''s hand, my heart pounding in my chest. There were six of them.


    They must have been returning from Alpha training and celebrating when they caught a whiff of my pheromones.


    That was the only exnation for why they came at us so aggressively. Their eyes, hungry and predatory, raked over my body from behind Altan.


    He had recognized me by my scent¡ªthe cursed one. And I had identified them as alphas from their training jackets.


    "I don''t want any trouble. I''ll take her home. You guys enjoy your drinks," Altan said, nodding at their bottles, though it was clear they wanted something more than alcohol.


    "Come on now, I can sense your aura¡ªyou''re an Alpha too," the tallest alpha hissed, stepping closer to Altan''s face. He was so tall and broad that it looked like he could crush Altan with ease. "What are you doing with someone who doesn''t even have a wolf?" He sneered, having picked up on my human scent.


    "Altan!" I whimpered, stepping behind him and clutching his shirt, trembling with fear.


    The young Alphas were intimidating¡ªhuge, imposing, and clearly not in control.


    "Step away. That''s an Alpha''s order," Altan snarled, but one of them broke intoughter.


    At that moment, I realizeding here had been a mistake.


    They already knew my body was in heat, and now they were, too, driven by my pheromones. But I held out hope. Altan was an Alpha, and surely hismand would be respected.


    "Are you sure you want to be known as the Alpha mated to a wolf-less creature who gives off such a filthy scent that she drives men wild around her?" the tallest Alpha taunted, cing a hand on Altan''s shoulder, his voice loud enough for me to hear. He seemed to be the one leading.


    "Altan, let''s go!" I begged, tugging on his shirt, but he shook his head, conflicted.


    The Alphas were stepping closer now, too close. Desperate, I snatched the pendant from Altan''s hand and quickly fastened it around my neck, praying it would stop them.


    "Toote," one of the Alphas sneered,ughing cruelly. "With or without your scent, we want you tonight." The leader''s eyes remained locked on Altan''s, daring him to act.


    "Altan!" I shook him again, trying to hold his hand, but this time, his fists were clenched tightly, making it impossible for me to intertwine our fingers.


    "Look at her! She''s a cursed and shameless woman, unting herself in public, ready to release her pheromones. Would you ever want to make a woman like her your Luna?" The Alpha taunted, and that''s when I noticed Altan turn slightly towards me.


    Our eyes met, and for the first time, I sensed the depth of the trouble we were in.


    "What are you thinking? Please, let''s go home," I mouthed silently, hoping he would snap out of his silence. But he remained frozen, unmoving.


    I was beginning to fear Altan, too.


    The Moon Goddess seemed to give us onest chance when a train arrived and stopped briefly at the station. All Altan needed to do was stand up for me and walk with me onto that train. Once we were back in our pack, I promised myself I''d nevere to ces like this again.


    But my hope for surviving the night shattered when Altan did something I never expected.


    The Alphas watched him closely as he slowly hunched over, picked up his jacket, dusted it off, and began walking away¡ªwithout me.


    In that moment, my world crumbled.


    My body froze in shock before I scrambled to my feet, only to have my arms seized by two of the Alphas.


    "Let me go!" I screamed, "Altan!"


    He stepped into the train, and the ss doors began to close.


    "What are you doing? Why are you leaving me with them?" I cried out, watching him through the ss as tears welled up in my eyes. He stood there, watching as the doors shut in his face. We could still see each other¡ªhe could still see me.


    "You''re ours tonight," the Alpha''s voice slithered into my ear.


    They pushed me roughly against the wall, and I realized, with dread, that my boyfriend had left me to the mercy of these Alphas.


    As they surrounded me, the one with gray streaks in his hair pulled out a camera and pointed it toward me.


    "Let''s have some fun, shall we?" he said with a sick grin, while the big guy signaled his friends to grab me. They pinned me against the wall as one of them began filming.


    It was going to be a long night. A night that would change everything for me.

 Chapter 2-The Runaway Teen.

    <h4>Chapter 2: 2-The Runaway Teen.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Every inch of my existence was battered. My body throbbed, and my eyes were now dry from crying.


    When I woke up, I found myself beside an abandoned building of the dead pack.


    It took me a few minutes to even force my eyespletely open. But I still hadn''t managed to move much since then.


    Quiet whimpers slipped from my lips whenever I tried to call for help.


    It wasn''t even the physical pain that weighed me down¡ªit was the crushing of my spirit and the vition of my body that left me paralyzed.


    "Ugh!" A sorrowful groan escaped as I tried to push myself to my feet, only to copse once again.


    Those Alphas showed me no mercy, even when I wore the pendant that was supposed to keep them from losing control.


    I barely had any clothing left. My undergarments were ripped away, and the dress I wore was torn apart from the shoulders down.


    But it was still enough to cover at least part of my body.


    I started my journey home on foot with much difficulty. By the time I reached the pack, it was broad daylight.


    "Isn''t she the girl who lures wolves with her indecent scent? Where do you think she was the entire night? And look at her¡ªOh My! Did she lose her virginity?"


    The loud gasp of a woman reminded me that I had reached the omega neighborhood. I crossed my arms over my body, trying to shield myself as much as I could.


    I kept my eyes down, unable to bear the judgmental stares of those who passed by.


    "Nile''s daughter. I told that old man to keep her chained up in the basement. He never listened. Thought he could prevent something like this with that pendant."


    The voices continued, but my steps never faltered. It was unbelievable that no one offered me even a sheet to cover myself, yet they had already spread the news to my home.


    Before I even arrived, my father was standing at the top of the stairs. The neighbors trailed behind me, beside me, taunting and sneering.


    Once I reached the bottom of the steps, they stopped following.


    With my gaze fixed on the ground, I climbed the stairs in silence and entered the house. My father didn''t say a word until the door mmed shut.


    That''s when I felt the sting of a p against my cheek, the burn searing my skin as I clutched the wall to keep from falling.


    "You did this on purpose, didn''t you? You wanted us punished for neglecting you all these years, and this is how you made yourself known to us and everyone else!" my stepmother, Larissa, shouted, pointing her finger at me. She wore her usual heavy eyeliner, glossy red lipstick, fake nails, and a golden dress.


    My father couldn''t afford my college fee, but she sure had money for her endless salon visits.


    "I told you to marry her off to some old widower. Wasting money on her education, and this is how she repays us!" my stepbrother, neen and full of contempt, hissed as he punched his palm and paced the room.


    Our house was small and very dark. During the daytime, we didn''t turn on any lights because the electricity bill was too high.


    We were really struggling with money, but I was the only one who had to sacrifice her desires.


    I stood with my hand on my cheek, wondering if any of them would evere to give me a hug. I was beyond shattered. My existence had been questioned.


    My body ached, feeling as though it had been nothing but a gutter for those Alphasst night, and that thought alone made me want to burn the entire pack to the ground.


    "I''m going to marry you off to the omega next door!" my father growled, grabbing a fistful of my hair and dragging me toward the pantry on the other side of the house, which we now used to store old nkets.


    "No! Wait¡ª" I nted my hands on the doorframe, forcing my body to stay outside. Afraid of the dark and confined spaces, I begged through hups for him not to do this to me. I needed attention for my wounds and injuries.


    "Ask her why she wasn''t at her friend''s house like she said she would be," Sullivan, my stepbrother, sneered. He wasn''t the typical sibling¡ªhe despised his sisters, me, and my little stepsister. He always imed we''d be the reason they''d hang their heads in shame one day.


    That''s when I realized¡ªthey didn''t know the whole truth aboutst night. They only saw the blood between my legs and my torn clothes and assumed I''d lost my virginity.


    Even though my condition should have told them I was forced.


    "I was meeting Alpha Altan, my boyfriend," I blurted out, my voice trembling. The moment I said it, my father''s grip on my back softened.


    He let go of me, and I turned around to watch them exchange nces.


    "What did you say?" Larissa stepped toward me, her heels clicking against the floorboards.


    "I''ve been dating Alpha Altan for some time now," I stammered through hups. However, I noticed my father''s eyes light up with a sudden gleam.


    "Did he¡ªtake your virginity?" There was a hidden excitement in my father''s voice, as though he was already nning to trap Alpha Altan into marrying me.


    "No!" I had to shatter their twisted hopes. "I was gang rap*d, and he ran away like a coward." I broke down, copsing to the ground as gasps filled the room.


    "AUGH! This is why¡ªI''ve been telling you to get rid of her!" Sullivan bellowed, his voice booming through the house.


    "Wait, wait! If what she''s saying is true, I can speak to Alpha Diaz. If his son was really dating Hnie, I can convince them to either ept her or provide us with some aid," my father murmured, his mind already calcting his next move in this dangerous game.


    "But before that, I want her gone," Sullivan growled, unable to contain his rage any longer. He lunged toward me, gripping my hair in his fist as he dragged me toward the pantry.


    I was still on my knees, too weak to resist. I couldn''t bnce myself or fight back. I fell into the pantry, and the door mmed shut in my face.


    Pain rushed back into my body as the darkness swallowed me whole. Trapped in the suffocating space, I relived every nightmare¡ªevery harsh treatment from childhood to the horrors of the previous night. It was all too much, and I lifted my head in despair, questioning the Moon Goddess.


    "Where were you when your alphas tore apart my dignity and self-esteem?" I whispered, tears spilling silently down my face.


    "Huh? Where were you when I walked home naked? Do you only care about alphas, gammas, and betas? What about omegas? Why did you create us if you never intended for your royals to ept us into their packs?" I huped, covering my face with my hands as sobs wracked my body.


    Shaking my head, I uncovered my face and muttered, "I will never forgive you for noting to my rescue. If you can''t save me, you have no right to decide anything for me. I swear, I will defy you at every turn. I promise you, I will not ept the mate you have chosen for me. And I will punish your alphas."


    I broke down again, the weight of it all crashing over me. I had begged her for a mate who could take me away from this toxic pack and its cruel people. She never listened. Instead, she cursed me with these pheromones that made me a target.


    I had only just dozed off when the door creaked open, jolting me awake. I quickly held my breath and straightened my posture, only to find my stepmother standing before me with a tray of food. The pantry was so cramped that only one person could sit in it. She knelt down and ced the tray on the floor, her head turned to the side.


    "Eat, or else you''ll starve to death," she said, her voice carrying an unexpected hint of care. But she didn''t linger; she left swiftly, mming the door shut behind her.


    The darkness returned, but the small candle on the tray provided some light. I had just grabbed the loaf of bread when the door opened again, this time with more secrecy.


    "Hnie! Oh my Goddess, are you okay?" It was Vani, my fourteen-year-old stepsister. Unlike Sullivan and Larissa, we had a strong bond. Though her mother didn''t allow her to spend much time with me, Vani always found ways to be around.


    "I heard what happened. I don''t know how to ease your pain, but¡ª" she stammered, reaching out to take the tray from me. Her action was unexpected. I thought she would be happy that at least I had food.


    My lips were so dry I couldn''t ask her why she had taken the food. But she began speaking before I could.


    "Dad went to Alpha Diaz to talk about you. His son¡ªAlpha Altan¡ªdenied ever dating or having feelings for you. He imed you are lying," she whispered softly, lowering her head. I wasn''t surprised; I had expected this. The man who failed to defend mest night wouldn''t admit to our rtionship.


    "His father was furious. He said you must have wanted the attention of the alphas to secure a chosen mate for yourself and that you brought this upon yourself," Vani said, her eyes filled with guilt and sadness.


    "It is not true," I whimpered.


    "I know. I believe you, Hnie. But everyone else is siding with Alpha Diaz, and he offered Dad arge sum to get rid of you," she said, her words making my heart stop.


    "It''s poisoned. Alpha Diaz must have known there''s some truth to your usations. He wants you gone before his son''s official crowning. Hnie! This home is no longer safe for you," she spoke urgently, her voice trembling with fear.


    "I''ve packed a bag for you. You need to run away because if you''re found dead in this pantry by morning, Dad will kill you with his bare hands." Each of her words sent shivers down my spine.


    "Come on. We don''t have much time. Dad and Sullivan are asleep, and so is Mom. They want to wake up and find you dead. It''s dark outside, so it is a perfect time for you to escape," she urged, holding my hand and pulling me out of the pantry. She handed me a dress to wear over my old clothes.


    "But where would I go? I don''t know any other ce," I pleaded, realizing I was begging a child who was doing her best to keep me alive.


    "Go to the woods. Your biological mother is in the roguemunity. You''ll find her if you head toward the Great Mountains. Just please go. These people will kill you," Vani insisted, her desperation clear. I quickly donned the dress, grabbed my bag, and followed her instructions.

 Chapter 3-No Home For Me.

    <h4>Chapter 3: 3-No Home For Me.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    The woods inside the pack were intimidating, but the forest beyond the pack''s borders was far more treacherous. I tightened my grip on my bag strap and took a cautious step forward.


    I despised this feeling of homelessness. The sense of security I once believed was mine to cherish had now be an illusion.


    I couldn''t even bear to think about Altan and how he abandoned me at the subway that night. If only he had fought to protect me, I wouldn''t be fleeing like a rogue now.


    Every growl in the distance sent a chill through my body.


    "There''s only one ce I can go," I muttered under my breath, biting my bottom lip as the thought of meeting my biological mother after so many years crossed my mind.


    She was the only one I could turn to now. My father said the rest of the family despised me because I reminded them of her.


    It was unfair, considering it wasn''t like my mother had chosen to leave my father. She had no choice¡ªespecially when he came home with his second mate and children. The betrayal had been too much for her, his fated mate.


    But I still remember what she said to me thest time we met.


    "The betrayal of your father is nothingpared to you choosing to live with the man who hurt me. You let me down, Nie!"


    I closed my eyes, swallowing back tears, and pressed on, fear gnawing at my heart. I avoided the open roads, knowing I didn''t want to be spotted by creatures who weren''t bound by any rules or restrictions.


    I''d be an easy target for them.


    I''d heard my mother had moved in with the rogue king a few years ago, and it wasn''t a secret where his mansion was.


    He was the wealthiest rogue and had established his own academy, where he trained warriors and alphas for high-ranking battles.


    He''d been living in the mountains with his four sons¡ªand my mother¡ªall this time. The trek was exhausting.


    I don''t know how I managed not to get robbed or attacked while wandering through the wilderness, but I suppose the Moon Goddess had finally taken pity on me.


    After hours of walking, just as my knees were about to give out, I looked ahead and saw the peak of the mountain and a massive buildinging into view.


    "Mom will be so broken when she sees me like this," I whispered in a broken voice, my existence shaken to the core, as I forced myself to continue up the trail toward the mountain''s summit.


    When I finally reached the top, panting and exhausted, I found an entirely new world awaiting me. The building before me was the academy, but beyond it, down the trail on the other side of the mountain, stood the grand mansion, towering over everything.


    I could see people from where I stood.


    "Excuse me, who are you? You cannot trespass on thisnd," a guard''s voice startled me as he approached. Ever since that night, anyone getting too close felt like a threat to me.


    "I''m here to meet my mother," I whispered so softly that he had to narrow his eyes and lean in to hear. "My mother. I''m her guest."


    He pulled back, frowning. "Your mother lives here?"


    He gestured toward the academy, and I quickly shook my head. Through the windows and open hallways on the second floor of the academy, I saw a few students watching curiously. They were probably wondering who I was¡ªsomeone so frail and disheveled, a sight they likely hadn''t seen before.


    "My mother lives with the rogue king. She''s his mate," I exined quietly.


    The moment I said that, the guard''s eyes widened in surprise. I had heard remarkable things about the rogue king, but seeing the respect his guards had for him in person was something else entirely.


    "Come with me," the guardmanded, motioning for me to follow him. He led me to his SUV, and thankfully, the rest of the journey wasn''t on foot. My legs were already killing me, and I hadn''t eaten anything since the incident.


    I wasn''t even sure how I had made it this far, but perhaps the will to survive had awakened something deep within me.


    The mansion behind the mountains was enormous, standing proudly amidst lush greenery, towering trees, and the dense forest behind it.


    The mansion resembled a ck castle, with open hallways on each floor and ck stone towers nking both sides. The guard stopped the car and helped me out, guiding me toward the main gate.


    "Inform Lady Urs that her daughter is here," the guard instructed the warrior stationed at the grand entrance.


    I took the opportunity to nce around and noticed how fresh the air was in this part of thend. A gentle breeze stirred the trees, making them sway rhythmically, and the birds chirped joyfully. In one of the many gardens, a stunning fountain caught my eye¡ªa sight I hadn''t expected.


    I had always believed rogues lived like savages¡ªthat''s what my father used to say. Even when the academy gained fame, rumors persisted that these people were nothing like civilized werewolves.


    The guard who had brought me here left in his SUV, leaving me standing outside the gate, waiting for a glimpse of my mother.


    After a few minutes, the front door opened, and there she was. The driveway was long, and she walked briskly toward me, her white high heels clicking against the ground. Yet, she carried herself with such grace that she didn''t stumble even once.


    Her golden hair was now a slightly darker shade, as if she had been dyeing it, but it was styled impably, just barely grazing her neck. The white dress she wore was elegant, made from what looked like luxurious silk.


    I forced a shaky smile, ready to copse into her arms and tell her everything I had endured in that cruel pack.


    "Mom¡ª" I had barely taken a step toward her when she raised her hand, signaling me to stop.


    "Why the hell are you here now? Huh? What happened, did your father shut you out too? Is that why you''vee crawling back?" The bitterness in her voice left me speechless. A deep frown marred her face as she looked at me with disdain. She waved a dismissive hand at me, continuing, "Get the f*** out of here."


    She didn''t even curse loudly, muting herself when saying the harsh word. It was clear¡ªshe was ying the role of the rogue king''s sophisticated new mate.


    "But I have nowhere else to go," my voice trembled as I spoke, and it felt like my heart shattered into a million tiny pieces. The shakiness in my tone revealed the pain I had endured, yet it did nothing to disturb herposed demeanor.


    "Go ask your father to find you a ce. You and I¡ªwe are nothing to each other. We stopped being each other''s everything the moment you chose him over me," she spat, her eyes filled with so much anger that I began to wonder if this door had truly been closed for me forever.


    "I can''t go back to him. I don''t want to¡ª" I broke down, standing before my mother, sobbing into my hands.


    "Well, then I suppose you''re on your own, just as I was. Now go, it''s time for my son''s arrival¡ª" Her eyes lit up as she noticed someone behind me. A car pulled up, but instead of driving up the long driveway, it stopped beside us.


    My mother nced at me briefly, gesturing with her hands for me to step aside, but I couldn''t move. I needed shelter, a roof over my head.


    A tall man in ck sunsses and a sleek ck suit emerged from the car. His towering presence, probably over 6 feet 6 inches, made me instinctively step aside. His veiny hands sported an expensive watch, and one of his broad fingers bore a blue ring and a tattoo of a sword in the storm on the back of his left hand.


    "My son, Norman!" my mother eximed, faking a smile as she hurried over to greet him. She didn''t even wee her own child with such enthusiasm, yet here she was, eager to please her mate''s son.


    "How many times do I have to remind you not to call me your son?" His voice was so deep it sent chills down my spine.


    "I''m sorry, I must''ve forgotten. Seeing you excites me so much," she replied, trying desperately to win his favor. All I needed was one smile from her, and I would have fallen to my knees in gratitude.


    "Who''s this?" Norman asked, barely giving me a nce. His cologne was sweet and mysterious.


    "I am¡ª" I barely got the words out before my mother silenced me with her harsh response.


    "She''s here for a maid''s position," she said, and my heart shattered, the words cutting deeper than any de. My own mother was ashamed to call me her daughter?


    "We don''t need any more maids. Dismiss her and send her on her way," Norman waved his hand dismissively before stepping into his car and driving up the long driveway.


    My mother quickly grabbed my arm, shaking me as she hissed, "You heard him. Now go away!"


    She covered my mouth with her hand, muffling any response I might have had. Without another word, she spun on her heel and hurried after her ''son.''


    I stared down at the spot where she had touched me, my arm still tingling from the roughness of her grip. A flood of tears escaped my eyes. What had happened to her touch? It used to be so gentle, so full of love.


    Even after she disappeared, I stood frozen, unsure of where to go. I had no ce to return to, nowhere to seek refuge.


    "HONK!"


    Startled, my body jolted, and I turned to see another car pulling up behind me. This time, an older man stepped out. He removed his sunsses, studying me intently.


    "What are you doing just standing there? Bow before the rogue king!" a guard hissed at me from behind the older man.


    I quickly lowered my head in respect, sping my hands nervously in front of me.


    "Who are you?" the man asked, his voice calm butmanding.


    "I''m your mate''s daughter, but don''t worry, I''ll be leaving now," I replied, ready to turn and go when he surprised me with his response.


    "You don''t need to leave."

 Chapter 4-Stepbrother Wants Me Gone

    <h4>Chapter 4: 4-Stepbrother Wants Me Gone</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You don''t need to go anywhere. It''s getting dark, and the wilderness is not a ce for a helpless werewolf," I noticed howforting his voice was. He didn''t appear threatening or angry, even though he stood as tall as a six-foot guy.


    "Mom said I''m not wee," I admitted, knowing I was practically begging to stay here, but it was my only chance to stay alive.


    The minute Alpha Diaz discovered I had escaped, he would deploy his warriors to capture me and punish me for all the ''sins'' I hadmitted, including fleeing from my punishment.


    "My door is open for any helpless creature. And you are not just anyone; you''re my mate''s daughter. Soe inside and stay for the night." He patted my head like a father would, and tears once again welled up in the corners of my eyes. I knew I was heavily emotional in the moment.


    I hadn''t even processed what I had endured over the past few days. With my weakened state, I followed him. His mansion was grand with many staircases leading upstairs and to different floors.


    "Sophia! Where is Urs?" Lord McQuoid called for the maid in a white apron and blue dress. They had a uniform for maids, and there were so many of them.


    My mother must not have to work a single day anymore, yet she couldn''t bring herself to soften up for me. I thought all these luxuries andforts might have changed her resentment toward me, but I guess I was wrong.


    "Dad! Why did you bring this maid inside?" The guy from earlier, Norman, appeared, walking downstairs. He wasn''t wearing the sses that had hidden his eyes.


    "She is not a maid," Lord McQuoid corrected his son, who frowned and tilted his head. His eyes brieflynded on me before he turned back to his father. "She is Urs''s daughter from her fated mate."


    That was all it took for Lord McQuoid to change the look on Norman''s face.


    "And Hnie, this is my eldest son, Norman A. McQuoid. He is not only the finest trainer at my academy but also manages my business." The pride in his voice made me think about my own parents. I never made them proud like this. In fact, one wanted to kill me while the other refused to acknowledge me as her child.


    However, I was jolted back to reality when Norman scoffed at me.


    "Why is her daughter here?" His tone was stern and harsh, clearly unweing. He was now looking me deep in my eyes while unbuttoning his coat.


    "Because, just like you stay here with your father, she can visit her mother," Lord McQuoid tried to reason, but the tall man seemed unmoved.


    "She visited; now she can leave," Norman stood his ground, his eyes harshly examining. I felt under attack but maintained myposure to avoid showing difort under his gaze.


    "You will not make that decision, young man. Besides, the mansion has many rooms; she can sleep in any of them for the night¡ª," His words were interrupted by the arrival of my mother.


    "Didn''t I tell you to leave?" Her voice was quite loud this time as she red at me.


    "Easy! Don''t you see, she is pretty shaken up. I think we should let her stay for the night," Lord McQuoid interjected and I wondered if he was the only one who could see the pain on my face. I must admit, it did intrigue me to wonder how it must feel to have a father like him.


    "No! She will not stay here. If it''s about safety, I can ask my driver to drop her back home. But she will not stay here. I will not allow this woman to bring her family and take over. We let you bring in this woman at one promise that you won''t expect more from us, but now her daughter is here too," Norman yelled, causing me to step back and away from everyone. He kept ring at me, taking off his coat and casually stretching his arm to the side to hand it over to the maid.


    "Norman, you''re scaring the little girl," Lord McQuiod attempted to step between us as Norman slowly lost hisposure. The amount of hatred from someone I had just met surprised me.


    "I think Norman is right. She should be dropped off," my mother agreed with her stepson, just to please him.


    "I won''t go back home," I said firmly. I knew I couldn''t return there. There was no home for me. Despite being disrespected here, I knew this would be the safest ce for me.


    The silence thickened the air. While the Rogue King seemed genuinely concerned, my mother covered her mouth, hiding her shock at my statement.


    But it was Norman McQuoid who lost his temper and came directly at me. "You are not staying here. This is not your home," he yelled, pointing his finger in my face. "I am not working hard so people like you can take advantage of the luxuries I provide. You need to leave."


    The disdain in his voice and the elegance still persisted, but his tone was sharp, and the clenching of his jaw didn''t go unnoticed either. As he continued ring into my eyes, I began to see stars. I had been starving, and the pain from the night of terror had not yet healed. I had only covered the bruises and wounds under arge sweater and an oversized dress, but that didn''t mean they didn''t exist.


    His scent was so strong just like his presence that I began to lose my consciousness.


    My vision blurred, and my body began to crumble. "Step aside, look what you''ve done," I could only hear Lord McQuoid''s voice before I passed out. I watched him push his son aside and approach me.


    I don''t know who carried me to where but I kept having these dreams of the past.


    ''Mommy will always love you,'' Those words were once spoken by my mother.


    ''Daddy will be proud of his little girl when she grows up and bes a pack''s doctor,'' My dad used to be so loving before he exposed his infidelity. I was my parents'' spoiled princess, but only until I was six. After that, I don''t even remember who I was. Just an excuse to make each other look bad or guilty.


    They used me in their personal war, and now I was without a family, a loved one, a parent, or even a friend.


    "Ahh!" My neck hurt so much from sleeping in the same position, probably. I winced as I began to wake.


    "I''ve never seen Norman lose his temper before," I heard some people talking around me. It was a woman''s voice.


    "Of course he was angry. He was having such a hard time seeing us around, and then she showed up," This time, the voice sounded much younger.


    "What if he kicks us out as well?" the girl asked.


    "That won''t happen. You are my childhood best friend, someone who left the pack with me and took her little daughter into the wilderness just so that she could be with me. I will never let this girl ruin our lives," that was my mother. I realized the other two were Aunt Emma and her daughter, who had left the pack with my mother many years ago.


    "She''s waking up," the girl, Charlotte, who I used to y with when I was little, announced as she saw me struggling to open my eyes. I had never felt so weak before.


    "Come on, stop this drama and get up. You''re leaving." My mother didn''t care about my condition. I bet she couldn''t even sense that something was wrong with me. She just grabbed my arm to pull me out of the bed again, but this time, I shrugged myself free, hugging myself and shaking my head.


    "Lord McQuoid said I can stay here," I uttered miserably.


    "Look at her, she''s already trying to take Lord McQuoid on her side," Aunt Emma had not changed in her behavior. She was still the same arrogantdy with her eyebrow raised and a scowl on her face.


    "Imagine, this is how the calmest one behaved. Girl, you better leave if you don''t want to fall under the radar of the other brothers. They are not as nice as Norman," Charlotte stated, and my body shuddered. What did she mean by that? Norman was nice? Did that mean the others would be worse than him?

 Chapter 5-Accidentally Touching His Bulge

    <h4>Chapter 5: 5-identally Touching His Bulge</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    "Great, Lord McQuoid said you''ll be staying in my room," Charlotte remarked, sounding more irritated than ever. I had always admired her, even though she was only a year older than me. But seeing her now made me realize how luxury can change a person.


    She paced around the room, scoffing and clenching her fists in frustration, unable to calm down.


    "Charlotte, it''s only temporary. Soon, she''ll be gone, and you can have your room back," her mother reassured her, gently patting her on the back to soothe her. I felt like such a burden sitting on the mattress they had hastilyid out for me.


    "But there are so many other bedrooms," Charlotte grumbled.


    "If she gets her own room, it means she''s staying here permanently. Try to understand, we don''t want that, right?" Aunt Emma muttered under her breath, running her fingers through Charlotte''s hair as though she was trying to be discreet.


    I didn''t respond to anything they said. All I wanted was to lie down and drift off to sleep. I hadn''t eaten all day¡ªjust an apple, which a maid handed me when everyone left for dinner, abandoning me in Charlotte''s room.


    "Fine. But not for more than a week," Charlotte snapped before climbing into her bed and turning off the bedsidemp.


    Aunt Emma shot me onest re before leaving the room. Finally, I could lie down and rest. But that wasn''t the case. Sleep wouldn''te easily, and when it did, it brought the same nightmare¡ªwhere I was pinned to the cold ground and those alphas were crawling over me.


    "No, get off me," I screamed, feeling their hands on my body. I was repulsed. I wanted to tear at their skin, break their fingers, and throw them into boiling oil.


    "Get off me!" I shouted again, this time thrashing violently. A blow struck me hard, jolting me awake.


    "What the hell is wrong with you? Shut up and go back to sleep," Charlotte growled, having woken me from the nightmare.


    I was drenched in sweat, gasping for breath, but realizing it had all been a dream brought a brief sense of relief.


    "Dammit, if you''re going to wake me up every night crying over your nightmares, you better ask for a new room," she muttered, already back in bed and sounding thoroughly annoyed.


    I didn''t me her. I would have been terrified too if I woke up to someone screaming like that.


    After calming my breaths, I eventually drifted off again. But that didn''t mean the torturous nightmares stayed away. By the time morning arrived, I was awakened by the sound of murmurs around me. Charlotte and her mother were already in the room, getting Charlotte ready.


    A deadly storm was expected in two days, and the weather was predicted to turn dangerously cold. Every single student at the academy, along with the staff at the mansion, was busy preparing for it.


    My two brothers, whom I was meeting for the first time, were out in the woods, gathering firewood. I was told to get ready quickly, as everyone would be working together to secure the mansion and academy from the storm and also pick the fruits from the trees before the storm destroys them.


    I''d never seen anything like this in the packs. The rogues had a very different way of living. I didn''t have a suitable outfit for this kind of work. While Charlotte was dressed in ck pants and a white top, I had to make do with an old blue dress.


    We marched alongside the other maids to the woods to join the stepbrothers and share the load. We stopped when we approached two men. The one stepping forward was a tanned, handsome man¡ªtall, broad, with a slim waist, and wearing a dirty white sleeveless shirt over ck shorts. He held an axe in his hand, effortlessly splitting wood with a single throw.


    "That''s Maximus. He''s Lord McQuoid''s third son. Isn''t he cute?" Charlotte whispered in my ear before smirking and straightening her posture.


    His blond curls framed his chiseled face, the golden strands catching the light in a way that made his piercing blue eyes even more striking. A thin scar traced just beneath his full, tempting lips, drawing attention to them, giving his face a rugged, almost dangerous allure. The tattoo on the back of his hand¡ªa sword, distinct from his brother''s¡ªonly added to his handsomeness. His body was a masterpiece of lean, sculpted muscle, effortlessly powerful.


    "Oh, sorry, I forgot¡ªhe''s your stepbrother. You can''t look at him that way," she teased dramatically in whispers, pouting as she nced back at Maximus, who was now heading toward us.


    "You all know why we''re gathered here," he began, his voice strong. "The storm will be arriving soon, and we must prepare as we always do. So get to your assigned duties and¡ª" He paused abruptly when his eyesnded on me in the crowd. I gulped and looked down, my hands sped tightly in front of me.


    I remembered how Norman had reacted to me, and I feared Maximus would humiliate me in front of everyone too.


    "And you," he pointed directly at me, causing me to look up swiftly, e with me. I''ll assign you some work."


    That was odd. He didn''t say anything else.


    Everyone else had left, but I had to follow him. He led me deep into the woods and stopped near a river. There were empty buckets ced on the side, so I assumed my task was to bring water to the main area, where they would be washing the fruits the maids were collecting before the storm.


    "I''ve never seen you before," he said before I could even step up and grab the bucket. I turned to him and saw him standing tall, one leg on the ground and the other propped on arge rock beside him.


    "I''m... Hnie," I replied, hesitating. I wasn''t sure if I should mention my rtionship with their stepfather. The brothers seemed hostile, so I decided to stay silent and wait for Lord McQuoid to introduce me to his sons. I felt more at ease in my stepfather''s presence.


    "Sweet name!" he said, tilting his head slightly as his eyes roamed over my body, ogling every inch of me.


    I started to wonder if I should tell him who I was before he said something that would make things awkward between uster.


    "I''m Maximus A. McQuoid," he introduced himself, clicking his tongue and strolling in my direction. I held my breath, trying to remainposed.


    "Should I carry these buckets to the main ground?" I asked, attempting to break the ufortable silence. However, I couldn''t stop my eyes from drifting down to his pants. He was packed tightly in them, and I hated that I had even looked.


    "What''s the rush?" he shocked me by stopping right in front of me, hunching down slightly.


    "You got quite a body. You know, I don''t discriminate. Anyone who can please me is wee in my bed," he said in a husky voice, lowering his face until our eyes met.


    I wanted to scream inside. Hearing that from my stepbrother was thest thing I wanted.


    "I should go. The others are already working, and I don''t want to¡ª" I tried to flee, but he stepped in my way, his smirk deepening.


    "Don''t act like you don''t know I caught you staring at the bulge in my pants. And trust me, it''s growing," he said, grabbing my hand and cing it on his bulge. Sure enough, I could feel it moving.


    I gasped, horrified, and immediately pulled away. Just then, Charlotte appeared, thankfully interrupting the moment.


    "Oh! You two have met already?" she said. I jumped back from him, rubbing my face with my hands, while Maximus didn''t seem the least bit shy about what had just happened.


    "Huh?" Maximus turned to Charlotte, his smirk fading as she continued.


    "I''m saying, have you met your stepsister? She''s Hnie. She''s staying with us for a week." The minute she made the introduction, the seductive grin on Maximus'' face vanished, reced by a look of sheer horror.


    It was equally horrifying for both of us as we stood there, cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

 Chapter 6-Getting Rid Of Me

    <h4>Chapter 6: 6-Getting Rid Of Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    "Say that again?" Maximus asked Charlotte with amanding tone in his voice.


    "Why? Didn''t anyone tell you?" she pouted, but she knew why they hadn''t been informed. With the storm approaching, it had been decided that there were far more pressing issues than my introduction.


    "Are you freaking serious?" His voice grew even deeper, and anger was evident in his eyes.


    "I am sorry, but that is the truth. She came to stay," Charlotte kept one eye on me, almost as if she took pleasure in Maximus''s reaction.


    What she didn''t realize was that his reaction stemmed more from the fact that he had said all those things to his supposed stepsister.


    "Charlotte¡ªguide the others; they are messing up the baskets," a shirtless man appeared with a frown on his forehead.


    With a striking presence, he stood at an impressive 6 feet 6 inches, his figuremanding attention effortlessly. His hair was a mesmerizing blend of two-toned brown and silver-blonde. Long, thick eyshes and perfectly arched eyebrows allured his emerald-green eyes, making them seem almost hypnotic.


    A distinctive tattoo of a sword marked at the back of his hand as well. His sharp jawline and high, sculpted cheekbones created a striking contrast that highlighted his impable facial features. Without a shirt, his well-defined abs drew the eye irresistibly, the low-slung pants enhancing his confidence at the same time.


    "Kaye! I was just telling¡ª" I didn''t know what was wrong with Charlotte, but she wouldn''t stop talking. However, it wasforting when the man gave her a stern look, and she immediately zipped her lips.


    "I will go guide the maids," she said, now that her task here was done, and she hurried away. But that didn''t change the fact that I was now under the scrutiny of two men.


    "Who is she?" Kaye asked his brother as Maximus continued to breathe heavily and re at me.


    "Meet our little sister, brother," Maximus muttered sarcastically. I had learned their names from Charlotte earlier that morning.


    Norman was 25 years old, Maximus was 22, and Kaye was 20. And the brother that I hadn''t seen around was 23 years old.


    "What?" Kaye asked, his eyes quickly scanning me.


    "I am Hnie. I am Urs''s daughter¡ª" I began, thinking they would ask me more, but Maximus''s loud, gruff interruption cut me off.


    "Why the hell didn''t you tell me that you are my stepsister? Why did you stand here listening to me talk to you?" He stepped closer, his towering form looming over me, causing me to nce at Kaye for support.


    "What did you say to her?" There was a strange hostility in Kaye''s voice. He seemed very intense.


    His body remained mostly still, and he kept his gestures minimal. He used only his eyes to track a person, without moving his head.


    "Nothing¡ªI was just assigning her tasks," Maximus replied to his brother but continued to stare at me, clenching his jaw. He looked so intimidating standing so close to me.


    "You!" Kaye said, and Maximus stepped aside, visibly disturbed. It wasn''t like I enjoyed hearing him speak poorly about me.


    But I wasn''t going to react because, no matter what, I had to stay here for my own good.


    "I don''t know why you showed up suddenly, but you won''t be staying here for long. After the storm is over, I want you out of my sight and my mansion," Kaye said, barely moving, his finger pointing to his chest each time he mentioned the mansion that belonged to him.


    "I can''t believe this," Maximus continued to mutter under his breath.


    "Don''t take it too seriously. I''ll get rid of her after the storm," Kaye said, showing little emotion. He patted his brother on the shoulder and turned to leave.


    I hated being alone with Maximus now because I knew he was ready to confront me.


    "Why didn''t you fucking say anything when I was¡ª" He closed his eyes, his face showing disgust at the thought of seeing his stepsister in that light. "And you were checking me out. Why the hell did you look at¡ª"


    He was delving into the wrong conversation. I hadn''t checked him out; my eyes had briefly wandered because he forgot to wear a damn underwear. Why was he walking around with such a noticeable bulge?


    "I didn''t check you out. I was looking at the ground," I hesitantly lied, but he continued to hiss through his nostrils.


    "Do you have any idea if anyone has heard or seen us?" He paused, his gaze lingering on the reminder of my hand near his bulge. "It would have been the end for both of us. I''m not sure what kind of messed-up things pack members do, but here, we don''t cross boundaries. And whoever does gets punished and kicked out to live in the wild," he said, waving his finger in my face, causing me to gulp.


    I was relieved that Charlotte hadn''t seen us.


    Now that I knew how seriously rtionships were regarded in the roguemunity, I decided to stay far away from these men I hadn''t even known before. They were young men, and I had a tendency to attract men. I would be in trouble if I released any pheromones and identally attracted any one of them. I shook my head quickly to avoid thinking about such an inappropriate thing.


    "Nothing happened. You''re my stepbrother, and I know my boundaries," I said. Apart from my scent and my body going into heat, I had promised not to engage in any sexual activity until I had punished those who had used my body as if they had every right to it.


    "Fuck off!" he waved his hand to dismiss me. "Go join the others, and if I hear you telling anyone about me hitting on the workers or the roguemunity she-wolves, I will be your worst nightmare. Did you hear me?" He warned me onest time before stepping out of my way and heading straight to the main ground, where Kaye was splitting wood again.


    I watched as the maids stared at Kaye and giggled together. Every time he lifted the axe, the girls bit their lips.


    I walked closer to Charlotte and grabbed the apples to clean them. "What happened? Did theysh out at you?" she asked with much enthusiasm.


    "No," I lied. I wouldn''t give her that satisfaction.


    "Oh! Well, they look pretty mad about your arrival. Anyway, leave this work and go bring in buckets of water. You''ve been granted a good life, so it''s better you pay with your hard work," she said. Now that she knew she wouldn''t get any gossip from me, she dismissed me angrily.


    It felt like walking on fire. I was exhausted and starving, and they made me carry almost fifteen buckets. Even when the brothers saw that I was tired, they kept pushing me and making demands. I could tell they were doing it out of spite because they were so caring towards the others.


    They didn''t let any maid overwork except for me. By the time I arrived back at the mansion with Charlotte, I had calluses on my hands.


    I didn''t stick around, and since I wasn''t wee at the dining table, I stayed in the room and was given a loaf of bread. I devoured it as if my life depended on it.


    After that, Iy down early and dozed off before Charlotte even came into the room. I didn''t like being around people anymore. Any gaze on me reminded me of the stares of the alphas when they stripped me naked and examined every inch of my body like hungry eagles.


    As I drifted into a deep slumber, the door opening woke me up. I thought it was Charlotte until a man appeared in my view. It was the same tall alpha who had initiated the torture that night.


    "What are you doing here¡ª" I tried to get up, but he quickly got on top of me and covered my mouth with his hand.


    "Your stepbrothers invited me over to let you know that you are not safe here, my little toy," he said. The minute he uttered those words, terror engulfed me. I couldn''t believe they were willing to go as far as finding that alpha and bringing him here to get rid of me.

 Chapter 7-Found My Fated Mate.

    <h4>Chapter 7: 7-Found My Fated Mate.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Noooo!" I screamed the moment I felt like he had prated me again. My whole body got covered in goosebumps, while my feet felt this pain that was simr to that night. It was like reliving the same night of torture.


    "Hnie! Are you seriously doing this right now?" A loud, ear-splitting groan full of frustration made me force my eyes open and stare at the ceiling. I realized I might have been screaming in my sleep again.


    "I''m sorry¡ª" I began, steadily getting off the mattress to calm my racing breaths before trying to go back to sleep, but Charlotte was not having it. She was ring at me from her bed, causing me considerable distress. I wanted to be left alone, or at least not be seen at that moment.


    "Get out of my room and onlye back when you''re sure you won''t wake up again," she threw her pillow at me, making me quickly leave the room before she could hurl anything else in my direction.


    It was a rather cold night. The storm might be approaching in a day or so, but the wind had already started to pick up. I didn''t want to go back into the mansion since the chance of encountering someone awake and getting into trouble seemed high. Instead, I walked out into the exterior walkway, an open corridor with a railing on both sides.


    I quickly held my hair as the wind started blowing it into my face, but it was unbearable. However, the view from both sides was so captivating that I hesitated to go inside. The full moon, with its red streaks, looked otherworldly.


    I ced my hands on the railing and continued gazing at the moon until I felt I wasn''t alone. The sensation of someone''s presence grew stronger, and I stepped back from the railing to turn to my right.


    My eyes caught sight of a tall man in the distance. He was wearing a ck suit, but his tie and white shirt were visibly disheveled. He had something sparkling in his hand¡ªalcohol, I presumed.


    Hesitantly, I moved away from the wall as he began to pace in my direction. I wondered if he had seen me in the dark, but a sh of lightning illuminated the corridor, revealing that he was looking directly at me. As his rapid steps approached, I started moving backward to distance myself from him. I didn''t know who he was, but the intensity of his presence made me fear he might harm me.


    "I was just going back¡ª" For all I knew, he could be a dangerous intruder wandering the mansion''s corridors, thinking he wouldn''t be caught.


    When he got too close, I spun around to run back, but I tripped and fell onto my back, heading towards the small railing. However, instead of falling over the railing and injuring myself, I found myself suspended in midair.


    I had been rescued by this stranger, who made me feel tiny inparison. His strong arms could easily grip my slender waist and break it if he applied pressure. The wind blew my hair onto his striking face, obscuring his features for a few seconds before my hair finally settled away.


    The gray in his eyes gleamed, drawing me deeper into his gaze. Despite my past trauma, being held close by such a handsome and tall man made me feel oddlyfortable with this stranger.


    He had long, light brown hair that were roughly tied in the back,plemented by gray eyes and thick, ck eyebrows. Standing at 6 feet 7 inches, he looked like a giant. There was a tattoo on the left side of his neck, but his intensely intimidating gaze made it difficult for me to focus on its details. His deep-set eyes,bined with full lips and a sharp nose, created a striking and well-suited appearance.


    I couldn''t tear my gaze away from him until my heart began to race. I frowned, realizing how intently he was observing me, and then it hit me¡ªI wasn''t wearing my pendant.


    The moment that thought settled in, I began to wriggle to escape from him. By now, my pheromones must have driven him wild. The sudden understanding of why he had been looking at me with such intense interest unsettled me deeply. It wasn''t affection or admiration but unmistakably pure lust.


    "Hey!" I struggled more, and he held me by my arms, pulling me upright with aint.


    That''s when everything around us fell silent. Our eyes locked, piercing into each other''s. As the world seemed to fade away, I saw myself in a red dress, running alongside a tall, handsome man in a ck suit. The weather was beautiful, and the scenery was breathtaking. It was incredibly serene.


    After running for a while, we stopped, exhausted, and faced each other. That''s when I heard a soft whimper from both myself and him.


    "Mate!"


    I gasped, wrenching my hands free and stepping back from him, breaking the mate-bond trance. I was back in reality, but it was toote. I had already glimpsed a possible future with him as my mate, and I was certain he had too. That''s how it works.


    But why?


    I stepped back further, leaving the stunned man behind. He began to falter but shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He was drunk, clearly intoxicated, but I was fully aware of what had just happened.


    "What is your name¡ª" he finally managed to ask, but his voice faded as I hurriedly retreated into the mansion.


    I didn''t dare look back to see if he had followed me inside. I was furious. It felt as though the Moon Goddess was toying with me. She couldn''te to my rescue but was quick to provide me with a mate who was aplete stranger, especially when I was apprehensive about men.


    I entered my room to find Charlotte sitting in bed, reading a book. So why had she asked me to leave?


    "Where did you go?" she asked casually as I tried to catch my breath.


    "I¡ª I was in the corridor outside¡ª" I sat on my bed, hiding my face in my hands and trying to calm my breathing.


    "Outside? Oh! You should never go to that corridor at night. Your stepbrother¡ªthe second one¡ªis known to drink and wander around there. You should avoid crossing paths with him. He is unpredictable and very moody most of the time," her every word about my stepbrother sent shockwaves through me.


    "My stepbrother?" I swallowed hard.


    "Yes, Emmet McQuoid. He''s not only a trainer at the academy but also a professor of war history. That corridor is basically his," she confirmed my suspicions, making my heart race even more.


    The Moon Goddess had indeed yed another trick on me. The man I felt the mate bond with was none other than my stepbrother.

 Chapter 8-The Stepsister I Didn’t Want

    <h4>Chapter 8: 8-The Stepsister I Didn¡¯t Want</h4>


    <strong>Emmet: </strong>


    When I looked up again, she was gone. I had to shake my head and blink repeatedly to evenprehend what had just happened. But my mind was hazy in that moment.


    "Mate?" I squinted into the distance, my steps unsteady. Did I just feel a mate bond with someone?


    "No!" I frowned. "Or did I? But¡ªI don¡¯t have a mate. I cannot have¡ªa mate¡ª" I was mumbling to myself when the alcohol I had consumed clouded my mind, and the next thing I knew, I was falling and sleeping peacefully on the cold ground.


    "Emmet!"


    "Brother, are you freaking kidding me?"


    The persistent calling of someone while holding my hand indicated only one person. He was always the one who would find me and take care of me.


    "Emmet,e on, get up. Let me take you to your room," said Norman, my sweet eldest brother, who seemed to bear the world¡¯s burdens on his shoulders. Even now that we were grown up, he still looked after us.


    "Ermmm?" I raised my brow the moment I opened my eyes, smiling at him as I sprawled on the ground.


    The look of sheer concern on his face made me feel guilty. He shouldn¡¯t have to babysit a grown adult.


    "Let¡¯s go," he said, sounding tired, as he helped me up and put my arm over his shoulder.


    "I should havee back home sooner. I was kind of stuck dealing with the security of the academy," he exined, letting me know why he hadn¡¯t found me sooner as he usually did.


    It made sense why I had spent the entire night in the corridor outside. Usually, he finds me almost immediately and brings me back to my room. But now, morning has arrived.


    "Just please take a shower and get to the breakfast table. Dad has been asking about you these past few days. You don¡¯t want his attention on you, okay?" He helped me to my bed and gently ran his hand through my hair.


    "Hmmm," I nodded, my face buried in the soft pillow.


    "Nowe on, get up!" I heard him say onest time before he walked out of the room. My bedroom was on the other side of the mansion, making the corridor a passageway between the mansion and my bedroom, or the one I had moved to. My official bedroom used to be on the top floor of the mansion, but it was so far from the corridor that I felt disconnected from the memories that had kept me going.


    As I forced myself up, I grabbed a ck suit and another white shirt before deciding to take a shower. I had been drinking for some time.


    Even when I passed out from excessive drinking, I usually recovered from the hangover pretty quickly. Maybe turning 23 wasn¡¯t so bad after all. Being an adult gives you the power to choose your battles.


    After showering and putting on a new suit, I stood before the mirror and ran my hand through my long, curly brown hair, styling them in a loose manbun with stray tendrils.


    I had heard that some things had been happening in the mansion, but the past two days had been so rough on me that I couldn¡¯t focus on anything. I hadn¡¯t been around anyone.


    Now, I was all set to leave my room to face my father, but before that, I hid a small bottle of rum in the inside pocket of my coat.


    "Your Highness," a maid bowed and giggled even as I walked past her with my hands in my pockets.


    Maintaining my casual pace as if the world around me weren¡¯t a mess, I reached the open garden. The daylight immediately struck my eyes, and I squinted slightly as my father arrived with his chosen mate. She always wore a fake smile whenever she saw us brothers, as if trying to convince us she could be a better mother to us than our own.


    I leaned back in my seat, observing her arm linked with my father¡¯s. How could someone just steal someone¡¯s mate like this?


    Norman returned to the table after ending his phone call and took his seat with an air of sophistication.


    "Morning, Dad," he said, adjusting his wristwatch, nodding respectfully at our father, then casting a sidelong nce at me.


    "Hello," I greeted, hoping to draw my father¡¯s attention.


    "How have you been? We¡¯ve missed you," my father said softly, and his mate nodded vigorously, her fake smile widening.


    "I was just here, minding my own business," I replied, stretching my neck as my phone beeped for the hundredth time. Finally, I decided to answer it, eager to escape the awkward family catch-up.


    "Hello," I said, excusing myself from the table as I stepped away.


    "Hello, Professor Emmet," Oh Goddess, it was that annoying and clingy student again.


    "Why are you calling so early in the morning, Sage?" I asked, scratching my forehead and absentmindedly kicking a small rock with my shoe.


    "I was wondering if you¡¯ll be taking any sses today?" she asked, and I rolled my eyes at her attempt to sound clueless.


    "The academy is closed today, I hope you know that," I said, trying not to snap. My attention was diverted as someone arrived at the table with Emma. It wasn¡¯t her daughter Charlotte.


    I frowned at the sight of her; I had never seen her before, yet she seemed oddly familiar.


    "Oh, I know, but I thought maybe you would take¡ª" Sage¡¯s voice trailed off as I interrupted her.


    "Sage, I have to go. Have a good day," I ended the call and returned to the table, my eyes locked on the blonde before me.


    She seemed timid but had striking features. Herrge blue eyes and long blonde hair made me wonder where I had seen her before and why she was joining us for breakfast.


    I sat down and noticed her stealing a quick nce at me before pretending not to notice. It was then that my father decided to introduce her.


    "Oh, Hnie, meet my very intelligent son, Emmet. He is the best trainer and teaches at the academy," he said proudly, making me feel guilty for spending my days drinking when I could bring him more pride.


    But I quickly refocused on the girl, who shyly raised her head and made my heart skip a beat.


    "And Emmet, meet Hnie¡ª" my father paused, heightening my curiosity. Was she the daughter of a family friend?


    "She is Urs¡¯s daughter and your stepsister," he finished, causing a knot to form in my stomach.


    We had a stepsister, and my dad had epted her into our lives and our home without even consulting us?


    But why did she look so familiar?


    I began to ponder intensely and noticed the girl gulping nervously. She was definitely hiding something. I am not going to rest until I investigate her and find out where I have seen her before.

 Chapter 9-Fool Me Once!

    <h4>Chapter 9: 9-Fool Me Once!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I had woken up early, anxious about my stepbrother waking and revealing the truth about our mate bond. Would he be that stupid to tell everyone and get us both in trouble?


    Maximus had warned me of the consequences if anyone even heard us joking inappropriately.


    Imagine how I¡¯ll be treated when they discover I¡¯ve felt the mate bond with my stepbrother.


    My mother would kick me out, and I¡¯d be seen as a lewd creature. As if my pheromones hadn¡¯t already made me feel filthy.


    I put on an old dress and left my room for breakfast, hoping to learn what was going on in the mansion.


    Since Charlotte stayed up until 5 a.m., her mother couldn¡¯t wake her. So, it was just the two of us.


    As I sat down, I noticed the man fromst night, engrossed in his phone. The way he abruptly ended his call after seeing me made me hold my breath.


    Introductions were made, but he kept staring at me. For a moment, I wondered if he remembered me at all.


    I mean, he was pretty drunkst night.


    "Emmet! Why don¡¯t you try this? I made a cheese omelet for you. It¡¯s a new recipe, and I know how much you like it," my mother said brightly to my stepbrother. But I noticed they seemed quite hostile towards her.


    Emmet tapped his fork in his te, but instead of epting the te she offered, he just stared at her.


    "Emmet! She¡¯s trying her best to get along with you. At least make an effort," Lord McQuoidined, but his son only rolled his eyes.


    I didn¡¯t want to see him that way, but he was so masculine and oddly attractive. My gaze then shifted to Norman, sitting beside him, his perfectly pressed light silver shirt with the sleeves rolled up just past his elbows, exposing his muscr arms.


    I quickly looked away, realizing what I was doing.


    Even though I tried to stay calm, it didn¡¯t change the fact that I had felt the mate bond with the man sitting there, acting like he owned the world. He was my stepbrother, and that spelled trouble.


    The only good thing was that I didn¡¯t have an active wolf, so after the initial mate call, there was no way he could know we shared the mate bond.


    But if he somehow remembers, I¡¯m doomed.


    "I¡¯m done," Emmet suddenly stood, causing Norman to nce up at him. He then looked over at their father and noticed that Emmet¡¯s abrupt departure was going to upset him.


    "I have some meetings I need to finish before the storm. Also, I¡¯ve asked Emmet for help," Norman quickly got up after his brother. I wondered if he was telling the truth or just making up an excuse to cover for him. The moment he offered that excuse, their father seemed to rx.


    "Ah, right. I¡¯m d Emmet is taking an interest in the business as well. Everything my golden child touches turns to gold," Lord McQuoid smiled with pride, even as Emmet himself didn¡¯t seem too moved by the praise.


    Emmet slid his hands into his pants pockets, casually tossing his coat back, then strolled away. His broad and muscr brother followed, grabbing his coat in a very particr way, draping it over his arm before leaving.


    I hadn¡¯t known them for long, but Norman struck me as someone extremely image-conscious. The way he dressed, essorized¡ªeverything was so precise and expensive.


    Emmet, on the other hand, was theplete opposite. His coat was disheveled, his shirt wrinkled, and he hadn¡¯t even bothered to tuck it into his pants. His tie was loose and askew.


    "Hnie! I¡¯m so d you joined us for breakfast. I¡¯ve been wondering why you¡¯ve been avoiding us, but then Emma told me that you¡¯re an introvert and don¡¯t enjoy being around people. That¡¯s why I stopped asking for you. But I¡¯m d you made the effort today," Lord McQuoid exined, clearly relieved by the excuses they¡¯d made for my absence. A knot formed in my stomach.


    It broke my heart that, instead of just tolerating mypany for a few minutes, they¡¯d gone to the trouble of crafting a lie.


    I could only offer a weak smile in response. Just then, Charlotte appeared, though by that point, Lord McQuoid and my mother had already finished their breakfast.


    "I¡¯ll help you get ready for the office," my mother offered eagerly, desperate to ingratiate herself with these people. She left with Lord McQuoid, leaving me alone with Charlotte and Aunt Emma.


    "Hnie! Why don¡¯t you make yourself useful?" Aunt Emma¡¯s sharp tone caught me off guard as she got up from the table, carefully filling a tray with small portions of every dish.


    "What do you want me to do?" I asked, prepared to endure any challenge. I noticed a secretive nce exchanged between Emma and Charlotte before Aunt Emma set the tray in front of me.


    "The brothers didn¡¯t join us because of you. Why don¡¯t you take this tray of food to one of them?" Her request shocked me.


    I was new in the mansion¡ªwhy would I be the one asked to bring them food? They should be the onesing down to eat with everyone else.


    "I don¡¯t think that would help. If anything, it might just annoy them even more if I showed up," I refused the task. I knew they didn¡¯t like me from our very first meeting.


    I had seen Norman¡¯s anger firsthand, and Charlotte herself had said the others were the real threat. So why would I willingly go before them?


    "Kaye is the youngest of the brothers. He¡¯s really sick today, so he¡¯d appreciate it if you took his food upstairs," Charlotte chimed in, agreeing with her mother. I turned my head, contemting my options.


    "Come on, didn¡¯t you see how worried your mother looked? Help her out by dealing with the brothers yourself, and convince them you didn¡¯te here to steal their money or live off them," Aunt Emma insisted, standing behind me and pushing me to get out of my chair.


    I really didn¡¯t want to do it, but she wasn¡¯t wrong about my mother being worried. She didn¡¯t deserve to be punished by the brothers because of me.


    I had to start handling my own problems. Maybe bringing food to my stepbrother would make him hate me less.


    "Okay, but which room is his?" I asked reluctantly, finally getting up from my chair, though I was so hungry I could have eaten right then.


    "The first room on the second floor. It has a ck doorknob, which makes it stand out from the others," Aunt Emma added, giving me a little shove forward.


    The tray was heavier than I expected¡ªor maybe I was just feeling light-headed. I took it and made my way upstairs, but deep down, I had a gnawing feeling that I was making a mistake.


    But it was toote to turn back. I was already on the second floor, standing before the door with the ck knob.


    Before I could knock, Aunt Emma rushed up behind me, swiftly turning the doorknob and pushing the door open. I didn¡¯t like what she did. Why didn¡¯t she knock?


    "Just leave it inside," she whispered, then quickly stepped back and headed downstairs, leaving me in a difficult situation.


    The room was pitch dark when I entered. He must have been in the bathroom, so I thought I¡¯d just set the tray on the side table and leave quietly.


    But my clumsiness betrayed me. As I ced the tray down, I knocked something off the table. It didn¡¯t just fall; it shattered loudly, echoing in the dark room.


    "Who the fuck is in my room!"


    His voice boomed from inside the bathroom, dripping with menace. I immediately regretteding here.

 Chapter 10-Getting My StepBrothers In Trouble.

    <h4>Chapter 10: 10-Getting My StepBrothers In Trouble.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Who the hell let you into my room?" he yelled the moment he started unlocking the bathroom door. He didn¡¯t even know who it was and was already this angry. Imagine if he saw me, he¡¯d lose his mind.


    I allowed the panic to settle for a moment before springing into action and rushing out of the room. Instead of heading downstairs, I kept running and frantically rattling the doorknobs of every room I passed.


    All seemed locked until I reached one door with a golden pattern on it. My breath caught in my throat as I twisted the knob and pushed the door open.


    At this point, my brain hadtched onto the idea that as long as I kept running and hid well, I would be fine. Any open door felt like an invitation to safety.


    That night, the train door had been just a few steps away, and if I¡¯d somehow managed to get through those doors, I wouldn¡¯t have suffered as much.


    So now, I took the chance and darted into the room as fast as I could.


    Unfortunately for me, Kaye had already left his room, searching for whoever had broken some decor in his bedroom.


    That much rage over a decoration? And Aunt Emma said he was the calmest one. Or should I say, I was tricked into believing that. Aunt Emma really screwed me over.


    But now I was facing an entirely different disaster. The room I had barged into without any warning had a naked man lying on the bed with an equally naked woman on top of him.


    "Oh, f**k!" the girl yelled in pleasure, grinding and riding him.


    "Ahhh!" I shrieked, covering my eyes and spinning around to leave the room. One step out the door, and I bumped right into Kaye¡¯s broad chest.


    I quickly stepped back and mmed the door shut before our eyes could meet. I thought if I locked it, maybe he¡¯d leave.


    "What the hell are you doing in my room?" Maximus shouted from behind me. I couldn¡¯t even gather the courage to turn around and face him.


    I had ruined his time with the she-wolf, who was probably his mate, and now he was grumbling and muttering curses under his breath.


    "Who is she?" the girlined.


    I stood frozen, facing the door, hearing the loud banging on it. I was stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea at this point.


    "Open the damn door, Maximus!" Kaye shouted, calling out to his brother. Maximus climbed out of bed,ing into view as he quickly adjusted his blue jeans while ring at the door.


    "What did you do?" he asked, turning his gaze to me.


    "I went to his room to give him breakfast, but it was so dark I couldn¡¯t see properly and probably knocked something over¡ª" I rambled, but he caught something in my words that made him shake his head as if to confirm he was hearing me right.


    "You went into his room?" His blue eyes narrowed at me, emphasizing that part of my exnation.


    "Yes," I stammered, stopping short when he sighed in disbelief. He was still shirtless, disying his abs and the muscle cuts properly. His cologne was so mesmerizing that I felt ashamed of breathing next to him.


    "You¡¯re screwed," he said. Not bothering to ask if I¡¯d be okay facing his brother, he opened the door without hesitation.


    However, Maximus gestured for the girl to hide in the bathroom. She was still only wrapped in a sheet, but she didn¡¯t catch his signal and stood awkwardly beside the bed.


    Kaye seemed to have rushed out of the shower when he heard me in his room. His ck shirt was soaked, and his ck pants were starting to get drenched too.


    "Did you seriously hide her in here?" Kaye stormed in, ring at his brother while pointing at me.


    "I didn¡¯t! She barged in and invited herself into my room. If you have any issues with her, deal with it outside," Maximus said, clearly eager to get rid of us, but his urgency went unnoticed as Kaye turned to face me.


    "Why the hell did youe into my room? Don¡¯t you know I hate people invading my personal space?" With each step Kaye took toward me, my breath caught in my throat.


    I felt like I was about to pass out. It brought back memories, the ones I had been hiding from everyone.


    "I¡ªI didn¡¯t know. I was told to bring you breakfast¡ª" I stammered, backing up until my back hit the wall, and he got right in my face.


    "You¡¯re not our stepsister, you¡¯re not part of this family. So why the hell¡ª" As he threw a punch at the wall just above my head, I ducked, covering my face with my hands.


    His aggression reminded me of that night, filling me with a paralyzing fear, and everything around me became a blur of mumbled voices until I heard a loud grunt that silenced everyone.


    "Is this how you treat a girl? The same girl who is your stepsister?" It was Lord McQuoid. He must have heard themotion and rushed upstairs to check on the chaos.


    "She came into my room without knocking¡ª" Kaye yelled, but his father¡¯s harsh re cut him off. I had stood up on my feet by now, watching the world burn because of me.


    My mother stood by Lord McQuoid¡¯s side, her eyes burning with hatred, as if I had ruined her perfect little family¡¯s peace.


    "So what? That¡¯s no reason to yell and chase after her like a lunatic," his father responded, sounding calm and reasonable, someone who could actually empathize with others.


    But my mother, on the other hand, shocked me.


    "But everyone knows Kaye hates it when his personal space is invaded. She shouldn¡¯t have gone in there," she spoke up against me, clearly trying hard to please the brothers.


    "Then it¡¯s your fault. You should have told her. She only brought breakfast to her stepbrother¡¯s room, trying to be helpful," Lord McQuoid snapped at her, shocking her as he raised his voice.


    My mother¡¯s jaw dropped as the situation quickly turned against her. I knew I¡¯d be in for a lecture from herter.


    But then, things got even worse. The girl started to quietly slip away, heading toward the bathroom. I watched Lord McQuoid¡¯s eyes widen at the sight, and then theynded squarely on his son.


    "You brought her here¡ª?" His jaw clenched with anger.


    "Dad, it¡¯s not what it looks like¡ª" Maximus stammered, quickly stepping in front of the girl to block her from view. It was at this point that I realized she wasn¡¯t his mate.


    "Pack your things. You¡¯re leaving my mansion."


    Lord McQuoid¡¯s words to his son shook everyone to the core, and all eyes turned to me. I had set off this chain reaction, dragging both brothers into a heated confrontation with their father.


    How on earth would I escape this mess now?

 Chapter 11-Getting Rid Of My Stepsister

    <h4>Chapter 11: 11-Getting Rid Of My Stepsister</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    I received a call from Maximus, so I put all my work on hold and rushed to my car. As I nced at the sky, I realized I would have had to return home soon anyway. The storm was already beginning to set in.


    The deadliest storm.


    But right now, there seemed to be an even bigger issue at hand. When Maximus calls, it means all hell has broken loose.


    In a very dramatic way.


    After parking the car in the driveway, I let the guard take it to the garage while I sprinted into the mansion. Maximus¡¯ words from the call still echoed in my head:


    "By the time youe home today, I will be gone."


    With that ying in my mind, I rushed past the living room and slowed down when I noticed my stepsister and her mother having a conversation. For a brief moment, I saw Hnie lift her head, and our eyes met before I disappeared from her sight.


    I made it to Maximus¡¯ room and found a girl leaving in a hurry. I hadn¡¯t seen her at the academy or around ourmunity before, so I could already guess what this mess was about. Once inside the bedroom, the bigger picture started to reveal itself.


    My father was sitting on the lonley sofa by the window, Kaye was leaning back against the wall with his head down and his hands in his pockets, and Maximus was rummaging through his closet.


    "Thank goodness you¡¯re here, Norman. Now stop your brother from leaving," my father¡¯s desperate plea for help made me turn to Maximus. He had pulled out a bag and was filling it.


    "Maximus, what¡¯s going on? Have you lost your mind?" I demanded as I approached him, snatching the folded clothes from his hands and throwing them aside on the bed, pushing him away from it.


    My mind kept racing, trying to piece everything together. Why was Kaye here and soaking wet? Did they both have something to do with the girl that left the room when I arrived?


    Oh no!


    This couldn¡¯t be good. It would break a rule that couldnd both of them in serious trouble.


    "Can someone tell me what happened?" I finally yelled, tired of watching everyone stand around like zombies. My father, like a chatterbox, quickly started exining.


    He filled me in on what had urred. Honestly, it wasn¡¯t a big deal. Kaye losing his temper when someone entered his room, Maximus sneaking in a pack member, and Dad arguing with them--it had all happened many times before.


    The only reason Maximus seemed to be taking things so seriously this time was because of the Hnie¡¯s presence. It had to be.


    Being yelled at in front of her must¡¯ve been the tipping point for Maximus. But what about Kaye? I turned to him, and my heart sank. He hadn¡¯t even argued with Dad, yet here he was, standing like a guilty party, while Maximus was the center of attention.


    Does raising your voice really help?


    "And because of... because of him, I told Maximus to leave the house," Dad concluded, and I nodded in understanding.


    "I¡¯m sure Maximus understands you were angry because he broke a rule. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s really going to pack up and leave," I said, hoping Maximus would remember that this wasn¡¯t the first time Dad had said something like that.


    "I¡¯m leaving," Maximus replied, sounding more determined than ever. His face was flushed red with anger, and the veins in his neck stood out.


    "And go where? There¡¯s a storming," I protested, trying to grab the clothes from him again as he stuffed them into his bag. This time, though, he stretched his arms wide to block me, holding onto his clothes tightly.


    "So, what do you expect me to do? Stay here after Dad humiliated me in front of that pathetic low-life girl?" There it was. I knew it--he felt humiliated because of her.


    "Oh! I see what this is really about," I clicked my tongue and stepped back, finally understanding. My father lifted his head, giving me his full attention. He shouldn¡¯t be dealing with this much stress at his age, especially over something so small.


    This had never happened before--Dad yelling at one of us, and we immediately started packing our bags. I hated how that girl had disrupted the peace in our family.


    "Dad, I¡¯m sorry. I lost my temper--" Kaye cleared his throat, pulling his hands from his pockets, attempting to apologize, but Dad raised his hand to silence him.


    "Enough! This isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯ve done this. And because of you, I got angry at Maximus," there was an unusual loudness in Dad¡¯s voice. It wasn¡¯t fair.


    Maximus wasn¡¯t even apologizing, yet Dad was worried and practically apologizing to him. Meanwhile, Kaye, the one who was actually trying to apologize, was still getting scolded. The way Kaye instantly closed his eyes and turned his head to the side made me feel the need to speak up against the unfairness.


    "Dad! We all know Kaye has anger issues, but entering his room without knocking--that girl is at fault," I finally spoke up. My father averted his gaze from me; he knew I wasn¡¯t wrong.


    "I think I know what to do," I said, nodding to myself as I paced between my family, contemting the right decision.


    "What is it? Tell me how I can make my son stay," Dad asked, desperate. I was sure Maximus wouldn¡¯t actually leave. He couldn¡¯t live without the luxuries and the power he had in the mansion and the academy. Everyone bowed down to him, and that was more than enough reason for my dear brother to stay.


    "Would you stay if that girl left?" I turned to Maximus, seizing the opportunity to rid us of the bigger problem. If we didn¡¯t do something about her now, she¡¯d stay for much longer. Any outsider was a threat to us.


    She had already proven that today by getting my brothers into trouble. It was her fault that Maximus was ¡¯leaving¡¯ and Kaye was once again under Dad¡¯s scrutiny for his temper.


    My suggestionnded well. Both my brothers looked at me, hope flickering in their eyes. But Dad seemed troubled.


    "Dad, please! Before you say anything, ask yourself--would you rather have peace in your home or keep that girl we didn¡¯t even know existed until she showed up at our door?" I pressed, using this as an example of how much trouble she¡¯d already caused.


    "Dad,e on. Even her own mother doesn¡¯t want her. Why are you so eager to keep her here?" I rolled my eyes, stepping closer to my father, towering over him.


    With a deep, defeated sigh, he slouched down and finally spoke.


    "Fine. But you¡¯ll have to ask her to leave. I won¡¯t be the one kicking her out."


    The smile that spread across my face surprised even me. I hadn¡¯t realized how much her presence had been bothering me until I made the decision that she would be gone.


    "Now tell me, Max! Is that what you want?" I turned to my brother, who had stopped packing.


    Our eyes locked, and hope and excitement gleamed in his as he responded, "I¡¯ll stay if she¡¯s gone."

 Chapter 12-I Am A Mannerless She-Wolf

    <h4>Chapter 12: 12-I Am A Mannerless She-Wolf</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Mom dragged me downstairs, away from the brothers and their father. Once we reached the living room, I sat down on the couch while my mother paced back and forth in front of me. I noticed how restless she was.


    Did she live like this everyday?


    Constantly anxious, always on edge, fearing she might have to bear the brunt of the brothers¡¯ anger? Before we could begin to reason, the tall and muscr Norman arrived. His presence was alwaysmanding. Whenever he entered a room, everyone else stopped. My mother froze instantly as he passed us.


    I caught a glimpse of the anger in his eyes when our gazes briefly met.


    "Oh Goddess, Norman is here," my mother muttered, her voice trembling as if she was on the verge of tears because of him.


    "Do you have any idea what¡¯s going to happen now?" she finally asked, her voice filled with dread.


    "I know. They¡¯re having a meeting," I replied, trying not to sound arrogant or dismissive. At first, I had been terrified, even running away from Kaye, but now that I was sitting here, I wondered why. It¡¯s not like he would have devoured me alive... or would he?


    "Why on earth did you even go into their rooms?" my mother raised her voice, ncing towards the staircase before biting her lip to stop herself from saying more.


    "Ask Aunt Emma. She¡¯s the one who sent me to Kaye¡¯s room, saying I should help you with the brothers because you were worried," I exined, determined to tell the truth and not let the situation get twisted when Emma arrived.


    "Why did you lie to me? Why did you say Kaye was sick and that my help was needed?" I confronted Emma directly, causing her gaze to drift to my mother, who was now looking at her, expecting answers.


    "Did you ask her to take that food tray to his room?" my mother demanded. The shock in her voice made Emma immediately shake her head in denial.


    Of course, she wouldn¡¯t admit it. I wasn¡¯t stupid; I knew she had set me up for disaster.


    "Even if she did¡ªwhy didn¡¯t you knock?" my mother swiftly pointed out that, no matter what, I was the one facing the consequences today.


    "I didn¡¯t. She opened the door and pushed me in. I thought I¡¯d just quickly leave the tray since I was already inside," I replied, watching my mother roll her eyes in irritation, exuding a harsh and unkind energy.


    "She definitely lies like your ex," Emma suddenly brought up my father, and it didn¡¯t sit well with my mother. Her eyes narrowed at me.


    "I¡¯ve known Emma for a very long time. There¡¯s no way she would lie or try to y tricks. If you¡¯re going to live here, you need to understand that there are certain rules you must follow. You are not allowed near your stepbrothers¡¯ rooms. You are not allowed¡ª" My mother stopped abruptly when I smiled sarcastically. "Am I telling you a joke?"


    I nodded to myself, deciding it was the perfect moment to speak my mind.


    "Do you live every day in fear of upsetting the brothers and getting thrown out of this mansion?" My question made Emma cover her mouth as if I¡¯d just said something utterly shocking.


    My mother had lost her sense of self. She would react based on how others around her were behaving. Now that Aunt Emma had made such a dramatic response to my question, my mother suddenly looked just as horrified.


    "At least I have a roof over my head, unlike you! Your sharp tongue will leave you homeless one day. And if you have such a problem here, why don¡¯t you go back to your precious father, the one you chose over me?" my mother shouted, her voice trembling until a tear finally rolled down her cheek.


    Did it really hurt her that much when I chose to stay with my father?


    She stomped her foot and rushed away, likely trying to hide more of her tears from us.


    "Tsk tsk tsk, she doesn¡¯t deserve you judging her hard work to please her mate and his sons," Aunt Emma had the nerve to speak after causing all this trouble.


    I stood up from my spot, and just then, a loud p of thunder illuminated the living room.


    "You may have saved yourself in front of the others, but I will never believe you again. Don¡¯t expect me to listen to you or follow any of your orders," I warned her, watching as her mouth slightly parted, her jaw dropping in disbelief.


    "You¡¯re so despicable," she muttered, stunned that I wasn¡¯t groveling at her feet, assuming I desperately wanted to stay here.


    That much wasn¡¯t a lie.


    I wanted to stay here because I had nowhere else to go. But that didn¡¯t mean I would let them push me around. I didn¡¯t get the chance to respond to her¡ªnot that I had anything to say¡ªwhen Norman came downstairs. His arrival made Aunt Emma step back and quickly scurry out of sight. I was sure she lingered nearby, though, because Norman headed straight for me.


    I had a feeling he¡¯d been called to "resolve" this so-called big issue. What I didn¡¯t expect was how quickly he would confront me.


    He stopped just in front of me, towering over me. I had to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. His thick eyebrows were furrowed in the front, raised at the ends.


    "When someone gives you a ce to stay, you don¡¯t take over; you live by their rules. There¡¯s a saying: ¡¯Don¡¯t bite the hand that feeds you.¡¯ I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t heard it¡ªit¡¯s for those who went to school and actually learned something. The way you barged into my brother¡¯s room makes it clear that manners and etiquette aren¡¯t your strong points. But that¡¯s where my issue begins. You may have been careless in your pack or your father¡¯s house, but this is my father¡¯s house. A house we built with love and rules. Today, because of you, my father had to sit and watch his son pack his bags. It was as if you went from room to room just to show my father how his sons were a mess," he paused, noticing the small shiver that ran through me.


    I wanted to speak up. "And I suppose you learned how to make up stories in school too? I didn¡¯t n any of this! I was simply bringing a food tray at Aunt Emma¡¯s orders, who suggested I should make amends with your brothers¡ª"


    I didn¡¯t get to finish before a sharp look from his eyes silenced me.


    "Amends? Who told you that you have any authority here to do that?" His words caught me off guard, leaving me speechless.


    How was I supposed to respond to such a statement? Isn¡¯t it a basic right to choose who we want to connect with or not?


    "You¡¯ve already caused enough trouble for our family. With that being said, we¡¯ve decided that you¡¯ll leave as soon as the storm is over," he concluded, and I could feel the creeping worry slowly take over me.

 Chapter 13-Hold Me, Daddy

    <h4>Chapter 13: 13-Hold Me, Daddy</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I kept staring at his face, imagining my life without a home. My heartbeat had slowed considerably. It felt as though I had only a few seconds to respond. I could either fall at his feet, beg for forgiveness, and ask to stay or just not care and let my fate decide my future.


    But first, I needed to understand what I had done so wrong for them to make such a big scene out of it. I made a mistake, and I would have apologized for it¡ªif only they hadn¡¯t assumed I barged into the room on my own. Apologizing would mean admitting I entered his room willingly, rather than under Aunt Emma¡¯s maniption.


    "Is there anything you want to say?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and narrowing his eyes at me, snapping me back to reality.


    He stood casually, like a boss, with his hands in his pants pockets, his suit perfectly pressed. What could I possibly say to him?


    "No. I will leave," I replied softly but with confidence. I wouldn¡¯t stay where I wasn¡¯t wanted.


    I could see in his eyes that if I objected, he would drag me out. I¡¯d be homeless either way, so why waste my energy begging before someone?


    I had begged Alton to stay and save me, and he didn¡¯t listen. Why would aplete stranger like Norman care?


    "See?" Norman paced back and forth once. I raised my head to watch his face through my blurred vision, unsure when I¡¯d be consumed by the horrifying memories of that night.


    "All you have to do is apologize," he muttered.


    But I refused to believe him. He hade downstairs after a huge argument with his brothers; there was no way my apology would change his mind.


    "I would, if you believed me. I went to his room with Aunt Emma, who opened the door without knocking. I don¡¯t know why she wanted to get me in trouble, but that was her doing," I said, watching him stretch his neck, as if he didn¡¯t care at all.


    Another thunderp sounded, and this time, a vase near the window in the entrance corridor shattered from the force of the wind.


    Norman nced behind me and gestured toward the broken vase. "You¡¯re leaving after this storm."


    With that, he turned and walked away.


    I stood in silence until the maids began rushing around. It had grown dark so quickly. Everyone was hurrying from one corner of the mansion to another. Taking a deep breath, I walked away from the living room and soon found my mother.


    "Norman told me to leave after this storm. You should be happy¡ªyou won¡¯t have to see me again," I said, my hands clenched tightly in front of me. I felt calm for now, but I knew I¡¯d be devastated once I was truly thrown out.


    She sighed, looking anxious. "Come, pray to the Moon Goddess that this storm passes without causing too much damage."


    I noticed others heading toward the prayer room in the basement as well.


    "Come on," Aunt Emma and Charlotte appeared behind my mother, both ready to leave for the basement. I steadily shook my head.


    "I¡¯ve already prayed," I lied. The Moon Goddess was no longer my goddess. I wouldn¡¯t pray to her¡ªshe wouldn¡¯t listen anyway.


    "Hnie! Everyone is heading to the basement. Come with us," my mother grasped my arm, causing me to wince. Why did everyone¡¯s touch hurt so much?


    "Ouch! Not everyone. The maids are still here," I said, ncing around at the maids trying to move vases and decorations away from the windows. It seemed they had miscalcted their earlier preparations.


    "That¡¯s because they have tasks toplete," my motherined.


    "I¡¯ll do the same. I¡¯ll help them," I said. Even though the storm frightened me, I wouldn¡¯t bow down before the Moon Goddess.


    "Let her be. Come on, let¡¯s go¡ªeveryone is waiting for you to start the prayers," Aunt Emma grabbed my mother¡¯s arm and pulled her away.


    I caught onest look of my mother staring at me until she disappeared from sight.


    Now, stuck in the storm, I decided to help the maids and make myself useful. As I hurried toward the second floor with a few tasks in mind, I saw the brothers leaving the room with Lord McQuoid, who quickly stormed past me, avoiding eye contact.


    So, he had finally bowed down to his sons¡¯ decisions.


    "What are you doing here? Go back to the basement," Norman yelled, startling me with how quickly he could lose his temper.


    Kaye walked past me, deliberately bumping into me before speeding downstairs. Maximus followed, almost knocking me to the ground as well.


    Maybe they didn¡¯t realize they were too big for someone my size, so their little bump felt like a car crashing into me.


    "I¡¯m taking care of the decor in front of the windows," I replied to Norman, briskly making my way past him.


    "Who the hell gave you any tasks?" I heard him yell after me, but I quickened my pace and disappeared into the darker corridor of the mansion.


    Thankfully, he didn¡¯t follow me. There were so many corridors and hallways in this mansion. It felt like they were nning to start their own rogue house soon.


    But for now, I need to upy my mind. I reached the end of the first corridor, where arge window offered a view of the storm outside. I could see just how bad the weather was. Quickly, I grabbed the curtains and tied them together, just in case the window shattered. Then, I started dragging the small table with a vase on it away from the window.


    Once that was done, I noticed a room nearby with the door wide open. I didn¡¯t want to barge in and get myself into trouble again, but the window in that room was also wide open.


    I rushed in to close it¡ªor at least I tried to. The wind was so powerful that it whipped my dress over my head, and I had to constantly hold it down while trying to reach the window.


    Climbing onto the windowsill, I stretched out my arm to grab the window. The moment I grasped it, I realized it was a terrible idea.


    The wind almost sucked me out. Before I knew it, my body was being thrown toward the open window. In that moment, I understood why this storm was unlike anything I had ever seen. The wind was changing direction violently, and my body flew halfway out of the window, with my hand desperately clinging to the window lock.


    I imagined myself either falling from the mansion or being blown away by the wind, but then something grabbed me.


    I felt myself being pulled back inside by two powerful, impossiblyrge hands. Effortlessly, he held me by the waist with one hand, while using the other to grab the window and pull me back against his chest. He shut the window with a swift motion. His cologne hit my nostrils hard, his touch soft even when his hands wererge and veiny.

 Chapter 14-On A Mission

    <h4>Chapter 14: 14-On A Mission</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    With my breath erratic and terror filling my eyes, I stayed motionless even after he had secured the window and saved me.


    "Do you not eat at all?" His husky and seductive voice from behind me sent chills down my spine. With much hesitation, I turned and slowly raised my head, finding Emmet standing before me. His beautiful hair was tousled by the wind, but he held me close for a moment before quickly unwinding his arm from around my waist.


    His hand alone was nearly the size of my small waist.


    "I was trying to¡ª" It was then that I realized I was probably trespassing in his study. Arge desk sat in the center, covered in papers that had been scattered by the wind.


    I recalled how the brothers were particrly possessive about their property.


    "I¡¯m sorry¡ªI was just trying to," I stammered again, still in shock from how the wind had almost swept me away.


    "Thank you," he muttered, cutting me off. I fell silent, raising my head once more.


    He was watching me with his head tilted slightly. "If you hadn¡¯te in time, I would have lost all these papers."


    He was much kinder and gentler than I expected, especially since I had heard he was the most unpredictable of the brothers. And unpredictable, as I understood, meant he could be quite dangerous when he wanted.


    "Oh! Do you want me to help you with them?" I offered, gesturing toward the scattered papers, trying to avoid his intense gaze. His eyes were so deep, framed by thickshes that could make anyone self-conscious. But the real question was, did he even blink?


    I have not seen him blink once, until he did. It was one heavy blink, slow and dramatic but effective.


    "Sure." Instead of asking me to leave or insisting he¡¯d handle it himself, he casually stepped back and motioned for me to help. I knelt down, gathering the scattered papers while he took his time before joining in.


    He calmly adjusted his pants and gave his coat a sharp tug before kneeling on one knee.


    There were so many loose papers, unorganized and unclipped. Yet, even as he helped gather the documents, he kept watching me, his narrowed eyes fixed on my every move.


    "Ahem! You might want to use that stapler," I uttered, not trying to be sarcastic but genuinely offering a suggestion as I spotted the stapler on the desk.


    "Got it. What should I do next?" he replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.


    "Uh, use it?" I raised an eyebrow, not quite expecting him to respond the way he did.


    He smiled.


    It wasn¡¯t a big deal, but something about his presence had led me to believe that he didn¡¯t smile.


    "Sure, anything else?" he asked, the hint of a smile still ying on his lips, causing a strange flutter in my chest. I quickly looked away. He was intimidating, to say the least.


    That was it¡ªI had to ask why he kept staring at me.


    "Is there something wrong?" I finally blurted out, avoiding his gaze while bundling the papers together.


    "Have we met before?"


    His simple question made my entire body freeze.


    *Have we met before?*


    So, he was trying to recall where he had seen me. How could I possibly tell him it was from the night we felt the mate bond?


    "We? I don¡¯t think so," I lied, squinting slightly as if I was really trying to remember his face.


    "Alright. That¡¯ll be it. Thank you." He stood up, tossing the papers onto the table without any sign of frustration. It seemed like he was naturally a bit... disorganized.


    As I ced my neatly stacked bundle down, I noticed him nce at it. He ced a finger on the stack, then watched as I moved closer to the pile he had casually thrown down. I began organizing them as well.


    "Your brother asked me to leave after this storm," I mumbled, keeping my eyes away from him.


    "And are you going to?" he asked.


    "Yeah," I replied with a sigh.


    "I don¡¯t want to stay where I¡¯m not wanted. Sure, I could beg him to let me stay, but that would mean he¡¯d hold power over me. Next time I make even the smallest mistake, I¡¯d be threatened to leave," I exined,ying out why I wasn¡¯t pushing to stay here.


    "Hmm. Well, thank you very much. You can go now, but just make sure you don¡¯t get too close to any open windows."


    I turned to look at him, surprised. I hadn¡¯t expected him topletely avoid the topic I had brought up. He was casually rolling his shoulders and stretching his neck, as if the conversation didn¡¯t matter to him at all.


    I guessed I was done here. But as I was about to leave, something caught my eye, stopping me in my tracks. I reached for a piece of paper¡ªmore like a notice.


    "The Red Jackets versus the Blue Jackets..."


    "You know about that?" I hadn¡¯t noticed when he¡¯d turned his attention back to me.


    I nodded slowly, my vision blurring as memories resurfaced. The Blue Jackets were a painful reminder of the alphas from that night.


    They wereing back from training. The blue Jackets represented the students of the Fellmoon Academy. It was the second best academy for training werewolves.


    "Our students will be facing some of the Blue Jacket holders next month. It¡¯s just a friendly match, but I want ours to win," he exined, walking closer and snatching the paper from my hands.


    "That would be it," he repeated, dismissing me once again. Without much thought, I walked out of his study. He mmed the door behind me, though it didn¡¯t feel rude, just exined his rough and loud ways even when he was very calm and polite himself.


    But my mind was stuck on that piece of paper.


    "Hold her hands, she¡¯s scratching me everywhere."


    "She thinks she can fight the Jacket holders."


    Those words were seared into my memory. I shut my eyes tightly, covering my ears with trembling hands.


    The way they groped me, touched me¡ªit was disgusting, humiliating. How could they be given a chance to train, to potentially be future Alpha Kings?


    No.


    "No!" I muttered aloud. "They shouldn¡¯t. They *can¡¯t* win."


    I refused to ept the possibility that they could one day rise to a higher rank after having destroyed my life.


    That¡¯s when a thought struck me. The rogues had the most prestigious academy¡ªthe Red Jacket holders. The Blue Jackets, on the other hand, always tried to enter Vortex Sanctum, and when they failed to gain admission, they settled for Fellmoon, the Blue Jackets.


    "I¡¯m going to ruin them. I¡¯ll be a Red Jacket holder and destroy them so thoroughly they¡¯ll wish they could go back in time and avoid me at all costs."


    A single tear burned its way down my cheek as I resolved to take on this mission. It wouldn¡¯t be easy, but I would make it happen.

 Chapter 15-Eyes On Me

    <h4>Chapter 15: 15-Eyes On Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    ¡¯Turn her around!¡¯


    ¡¯Let¡¯s do her together!¡¯


    ¡¯Look at her, take a closeup of her face when I c*m on her¡¯


    "No! Get off me!"


    "Get the f*ck away from me, you assholes!"


    I felt trapped. The darkness was consuming me. I could hardly breathe.


    "FUCK OFF!" I nearly screamed as a hard knock on the bathroom door jolted me back to reality.


    "What the hell is taking so long? I need to use the bathroom," Charlotte yelled from outside.


    I nced back at the mirror and quickly stepped away, avoiding my own reflection. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was losing my mind, but every time I looked into the mirror, my reflection seemed to stare back at me, almost as if she were asking why I hadn¡¯t done anything about those jerks.


    "Get out!" Charlotte banged on the door again. Taking a deep breath, I moved to the sink, careful not to meet my reflection¡¯s gaze, and sshed cold water on my face before leaving the bathroom. Charlotte shoved past me, deliberately brushing my arm to make her frustration clear, and mmed the door shut behind her.


    I wondered what she felt when she looked in the mirror. Her short ck hair with long brown eyes must be so attractive. She wasn¡¯t a broken soul like me.


    The storm outside was raging, but everything had been secured, so the women from the basement had finallye out.


    I was standing in my spot when my mother and Emma walked in. Charlotte emerged shortly after, her hands and face freshly washed.


    "I can¡¯t believe this," my mother eximed, throwing her arms up in exasperation before pacing away. If I had any other ce to go, I would never have burdened her with my presence.


    "She¡¯s so stubborn. The moment she heard you¡¯re wealthy and living in luxury, she wormed her way back into your life without a second thought," Charlotte continued her tirade against me. I wondered what I had done this time to upset her.


    I don¡¯t remember her being this toxic. Maybe her mother taught her how to manipte and discard people perfectly.


    "Norman has asked her to leave. That means he¡¯s furious with her, and now with me, because I¡¯m the reason she came here." So that was why my mother was losing her mind. It seemed like every conversation they had somehow revolved around me.


    When I first told her about Norman, she was too busy worrying about the storm. But now, she was bringing it up again.


    "The rogue king requests your presence at dinner," a maid announced as she entered through the slightly ajar door.


    "Ugh! Let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t want McQuoid thinking I¡¯m upset just because Norman is kicking my daughter out. He¡¯ll start questioning how I¡¯ll treat his sons if they cross me," my mother muttered, her thoughts entirely consumed by her own image and reputation.


    Not once did she ask why I looked so pale, or why my chin was bruised, or why there were bite marks on my arms. I had tried to hide them, but she must have noticed the ck eye and the other bruises when I arrived.


    "What about her?" Charlotte gestured toward me.


    "She has toe too. Otherwise, McQuoid will think I¡¯m a bad mother," my mom replied, her gaze as hollow as her words when she looked at me.


    "And it might be herst dinner," Aunt Emma added with a shrug. I followed them to the dining room where Lord McQuoid was already seated.


    I sat down next to my mother, despite her obvious difort. I kept my head lowered, forcing myself to stay seated and not pass out.


    "Where are the brothers?" My mother forced a smile every time she mentioned her stepsons.


    It reminded me of the fury in Norman¡¯s eyes, my eldest stepbrother. He practically red daggers at me earlier, nearly choking me with his harsh looks as he passed through the living room, heading upstairs to find his brothers.


    "Norman and the others have been running around, taking care of the academy and the mansion. And I believe they¡¯re still a bit upset about what happened this morning," Aunt Emma responded, her gaze slyly shifting toward me.


    "They should be here. They ought to have onest dinner with their stepsister," Lord McQuoid insisted, causing my mother to shoot him a harsh, judgmental stare.


    "Why? Can¡¯t you see how much her arrival has upset Norman? He never raised his voice like that before, and Maximus has never threatened to leave! Why are you trying to ruin the little bond I¡¯ve managed to create with your sons?" my motherined, her frustration clear as Lord McQuoid shook his head.


    "Let¡¯s just eat," Lord McQuoid said as he started on his meal, prompting the others to follow. I hesitated to touch anything at first.


    That¡¯s when Norman reappeared, and I instinctively straightened up. He had changed into a white shirt, his sleeves rolled up, exposing his muscr arms and a tattoo of a devil¡¯s eyes on his left forearm.


    "It¡¯s fine. We haven¡¯t started yet," Lord McQuoid replied, smiling as if pleased his son had joined us.


    "The others are still handling matters at the academy. They might not make it tonight," Norman said, his voice calm again, though I couldn¡¯t forget the way he had spoken to me earlier.


    I noticed that Norman hadn¡¯t nced at me once. His muscles were still taut, his veins prominent, making it clear he wasn¡¯tfortable¡ªhis whole body seemed too tense for that.


    I reached for the spaghetti bowl, but Charlotte¡¯s sharp nce warned me to leave it alone. I nodded silently, watching her ce a single loaf of bread on my te.


    "Why just a loaf of bread?" Lord McQuoid noticed, and finally, Norman looked in my direction. I realized then that I had been staring at him far too intently. The way he leaned over the table to reach for something, his broad shoulders hovering over the dishes, the way his massive fingers gripped the fork¡ªit all captivated me. The silverware seemed almost invisible in his giant hands, and everything around him looked so small inparison. When he took a bite, his red lips brushed the spoon clean, and then I felt his eyes on me. That¡¯s when I realized just how inappropriately I had been staring.


    I quickly looked down, embarrassed to have been caught by him.


    "She has a tiny stomach. I don¡¯t think she can handle the fancy food yet," Emma remarked as if I had just wandered out of the wilderness. I had eaten good food before, but I had to admit, the dishes in front of me were prepared with such precision and made from the finest ingredients.


    "She¡¯s a young woman, still growing. She needs proper nourishment. Serve her well," Lord McQuoid didn¡¯t appreciate Emma¡¯s attitude.


    I wondered if he noticed her stopping me from taking anything other than the bread. As Emma grudgingly filled my te, I started eating.


    Ugh!


    I couldn¡¯t believe how embarrassing I was. The moment I had a spoon in my hand, I began shoveling the food into my mouth as if I hadn¡¯t eaten in years. They all stared at me in silence until my mother nudged me with her elbow.


    "You must be really hungry," Lord McQuoidmented, and I nodded, managing a weak smile.


    "I haven¡¯t had solid food like this in a week. This... tastes really good," I murmured, my voice shaky, tears welling up in my eyes. The whole table listened to me, no one interrupting. It felt like I was on a desperate mission, trying to store up food for the time I¡¯d spend searching for a home after they kicked me out of here.


    It wasn¡¯t until muchter that I finally looked up, only to find them all staring at me in shock.

 Chapter 16-His Ego Is Too Big

    <h4>Chapter 16: 16-His Ego Is Too Big</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I slowed down, chewing my food as their gazes lingered on my face for a while.


    "A whole week?" Lord McQuoid asked, while Norman tilted his head, as if trying to understand something.


    "Yes," I replied, lowering my head swiftly, feeling ashamed to talk about the past week. Thankfully, no more questions came my way. Once the dinner ended, I cautiously lifted my gaze to watch Norman wipe his mouth and hands with a napkin before standing up.


    Even the way he rose was so graceful. His cologne was also incredibly strong. No one moved as he exited through the door.


    I wasn¡¯t eager for him to stay and listen to the conversation, but I suppose he had to be involved.


    The moment I cleared my throat and slid to the edge of my seat, he paused and remained standing, his hand resting on the back of his chair.


    "I have a request," I said directly to Lord McQuoid, though it seemed everyone was eager to hear what I had to say.


    "Sure, what is it?" he replied, a little hesitantly, trying to avoid his son¡¯s gaze as Norman silently observed our exchange.


    "I¡¯ve heard a lot of good things about the academy, so I was wondering... what test do I need to pass in order to be part of it?" I asked, and the room fell silent for a moment.


    Not a single person moved until Charlotte suddenly burst intoughter. As all eyes turned toward her, she quickly raised a hand to cover her mouth, apologizing with her eyes.


    "I wish I could help, but my sons run the academy. Norman and Maximus are responsible for admissions," Lord McQuoid said, ncing at his son, who adjusted his sleeves before gesturing for me to speak with him.


    "Come to my office," Norman said, turning away but not yet leaving the room.


    Without hesitation, I rose to my feet and followed him.


    "You don¡¯t need to do all that," I heard my mother tugging gently at my old sweater, but I ignored her and hurried after Norman.


    That¡¯s when he began walking forward again, making sure I was following him. We hadn¡¯t had a pleasant interaction since my arrival, so I wasn¡¯t sure what he intended to show me in his home office. However, when he started climbing the stairs, I realized his office wasn¡¯t on the second floor.


    I wanted to ask him which floor we were heading to, as my legs were starting to cramp. He disappeared from sight after I had to stop to catch my breath.


    Still, I pushed forward and eventually arrived on the fifth floor, sweaty and out of breath. The storm had quieted down a bit, though it was still raining. The clouds continued rumbling, disying the immense power they held.


    I found Norman standing there with his hands in his pockets.


    "You want to be a part of my academy, but you can¡¯t even climb a few flights of stairs without looking like you¡¯re about to copse," hisment made me straighten up, though I remained kneeling to ease the throbbing in my veins.


    "That¡¯s because... I¡¯ve never been trained. Isn¡¯t your academy known for training its students?" I asked, panting heavily. The look of disappointment and disgust on his face made me want to throw myself down the stairs just to escape his judgmental res.


    "We train those who can be trained. You don¡¯t even have a wolf--what exactly do you intend to aplish at our academy?" he spat out, throwing my weakness in my face. I lowered my head in shame.


    He wasn¡¯t wrong. I didn¡¯t have a wolf to rely on, no extra strength to protect myself.


    "Maybe I just need a good trainer to bring out my wolf," I tried to reason with him, but he remained as rigid as ever.


    "And what makes you think we would change our academy¡¯s rules just for you? We ept the best students, not someone we have to train from scratch. If we operated that way, the academy would be overrun with students by now. We sift through admissions and select only the elite," his voice was unwavering, cold.


    "Can I at least know what the tests are?" I asked, feeling it was my right to understand whaty ahead. If I failed, I would take responsibility for it myself.


    "No! You are dismissed. Go pack your things, if you even have anything, and be ready to leave. Your attempts to find ways to remain a part of our family are pointless," he said, clearly thinking I wanted to stay with them, which was why I was asking about admission to the academy.


    "I¡¯m not--" I tried to exin, but once again, he cut me off, raising his hand to silence me. His attitude was starting to wear on my patience.


    Why did he hate me so much? Was it because of his mother, or did he simply have a problem with the idea of having a sister?


    He walked away to his office, leaving me to trudge back downstairs, exhausted, as if he¡¯d worn me out just to prove a point. I was disappointed, feeling like aplete failure.


    Everywhere I go, I¡¯m told I don¡¯t belong. First, I had to leave my pack, then I was kicked out of my mother¡¯s home, and now I¡¯m apparently too weak to even ask about the admission criteria.


    I returned to my room and found Charlotte and her mother sitting together on the bed. Charlotte was in tears, and her mother was gentlyforting her. The way they both looked at me made me wonder if it had something to do with me.


    "Did you... get admission?" Charlotte asked through her sobs. Her mother¡¯s hand continuously ran through her daughter¡¯s hair, trying to soothe her.


    "Did he take you to his office to give you the forms?" she sniffled, pressing on with more questions about the academy.


    "Charlotte! Stop hurting yourself like this. You¡¯ll make yourself sick," Aunt Emma said softly, looking at her daughter with such love and concern. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what Charlotte had done so right to deserve such affection. But why couldn¡¯t I be loved by my mother?


    "No! It¡¯s not fair. She¡¯ll get admitted and be the center of attention, all independent and everything," she cried. Was that really what was making her so upset?


    Did she even know the life I had lived?


    "I didn¡¯t get any forms," I said honestly, feeling a little bad for her. The thing she worried most about was how much attention I would receive.


    I knew her life wasn¡¯t necessarily easy--I wasn¡¯t one to judge--but it was nothing like mine. Tomorrow morning, I¡¯d be asked to leave, while she would cuddle up and sleep in her warm, cozy bed. Yet shepared her life to mine.


    "Really? He didn¡¯t give you any forms?" Her face lit up, which caught me off guard.


    "No. I¡¯m too weak to even be considered a student at the academy," I finished, looking away as the smile on their faces slowly crushed my heart.


    Iy down on my lonely mattress and turned my face to the wall while they remained behind me on the bed, whispering about me for the next few minutes.

 Chapter 17-Red Jacket Holders

    <h4>Chapter 17: 17-Red Jacket Holders</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Take your bag and leave," my mother said, shoving it into my hands before folding her arms across her chest.


    The storm had just subsided after two days, and though the rain hadn¡¯tpletely stopped, my mother was already telling me to go. I didn¡¯t even get to share a meal with them after eating like a savage at dinner the other night.


    At least, that¡¯s what Charlotte had said¡ªthat¡¯s why I wasn¡¯t allowed to join them.


    "Go!" my mother repeated, refusing to look at me. She had woken me up early, demanding I leave.


    It was freezing, and I had nothing but the old pink sweater I was wearing. I didn¡¯t have socks or gloves either, and my slender fingers were already numb from the cold. The light drizzle of rain would soon soak me if I didn¡¯t find shelter.


    "Fine!" After staring at her for a moment, I turned around to leave.


    "And tell your father I¡¯m so happy with the best mate ever," she called out bitterly, her words biting even though I had my back to her. I kept walking, gripping the small bag in my hands. She really thought I would go back home. I couldn¡¯t me her, though¡ªI hadn¡¯t told her anything because she hadn¡¯t asked.


    Once I was a little further from the mansion, I realized I¡¯d have to climb the mountain, then descend again to even get away from their territory. They had secured arge stretch ofnd, including the mountains where the academy stood and the area behind it where the mansion was located. It was a massive piece ofnd. So, when they said I needed to leave, they meant I had to get far away from their territory.


    I hadn¡¯t seen the brothers for the past two days. They had been busy dealing with the storm and its aftermath. So many trees had been uprooted, and the beautiful rose gardens had been destroyed. I wondered what this storm was about¡ªwhy it had only hit this particr area. I didn¡¯t remember anyone in the pack preparing for such a deadly storm.


    When I reached the base of the mountain, I let out a deep sigh. Am I really leaving? Where would I even go?


    I sat down on the damp ground, looking around as I watched birds fly freely overhead.


    "How did they survive the storm without shelter?" I wondered aloud. They were so small, yet they had such courage and strength to survive alone.


    Inspired by them, I rose to my feet, newfound determination surging through me. I began the climb up the mountain.


    Once I reached the top, I scanned the surroundings, checking to see if anyone was around. The academy¡¯s front garden had people working to clean up the damage caused by the storm. I guessed the academy had been closed but was reopening today.


    I noticed a young man in a red uniform, wearing sses, walking toward the academy. He carried a shoulder bag and some papers in his hands.


    As he made his way to the garbage truck, he snatched the wet and torn notices from the trees, adding them to the papers already in his hands. I assumed he was clearing away the damaged notices. He was tall and slender, but his posture was perfectly upright.


    After tossing the papers into the garbage truck, he nodded in acknowledgment to the waste collectors before heading toward the academy¡¯s entrance. His steps briefly slowed as he nced at me, acknowledging my presence for a split second before disappearing from view.


    The collectors were preupied, so I rushed to the truck and quickly grabbed the discarded papers. Once I had them, I snuck away into the distance. There wererge trees surrounding the academy, but the space between the trees and the building itself was vast. The front and backyard had been cleared of trees and bushes, likely to make space for training.


    I sat down behind one of the trees and unfolded the wet papers in my hands. To my surprise, it was an admission notice.


    "Everyone is wee, but only a few are selected. Grab one of these and present yourself before the principal. Your name will be added to the candidate list. After that, you will stay in the candidate shelter¡ª"


    I paused, raising my head to look behind the academy. I couldn¡¯t see any sign of the shelter. Where was it?


    "¡ªdeep in the woods, away from your loved ones," I continued reading, but rolled my eyes at the emphasis on being away from loved ones. Maybe it was for those who came from packs or homes where they were cherished. For me, if I got the chance, this academy would be my only home.


    The academy had two tall buildings standing side by side with only a narrow space between them. One was the academy itself, and the other was the hostel. But that wasn¡¯t the candidate shelter.


    "While you stay at the shelter, you will be subjected to many tests, and the one who passes the most will be the selected candidate."


    I finished reading the key parts. Now I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why Norman didn¡¯t even give me a chance. It says right here that anyone can apply.


    I guess all I needed was to appear before him with one of these notices. The deadline for submissions was today, which exined why the notices were being torn down. I had to hurry and get to the office before noon.


    I waved the least damaged paper, hoping it would dry out soon. Rising to my feet, I shook the dirt from my dress and headed straight for the entrance. There weren¡¯t any other students around, which made me wonder why that guy hade to the academy today. My question was answered as I climbed the brown steps, entering the academy with my breath caught in my throat.


    The moment I stepped inside, I knew I wanted to be part of this ce.


    There were only a few students gathered in a group, holding papers and discussing something among themselves. I guessed they were monitors or some kind of authority figures in the academy.


    All five of them turned to look at me. A girl with blonde and pink ombre hair raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at my appearance, her blue eyes scanning me from head to toe. Her nose wrinkled in disgust.


    The guy I had seen earlier was standing with them, but I quickly looked away, focusing on the door marked *Admission Center*.


    Ignoring their stares, I stepped into the room and came face-to-face with someone seated in a chair, their back turned to me. I marched up to the table and dramatically pped the paper down on it.


    "I want to be part of this academy," I dered, my voice echoing in the room.


    The man slowly turned in his chair, and I found myself staring into the hazel eyes of Norman.


    Shit! Why did he have to be here?

 Chapter 18-My Mate Is Different Than His Brothers

    <h4>Chapter 18: 18-My Mate Is Different Than His Brothers</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    "Oh Goddess! Why won¡¯t you take a hint?" Norman tilted his head, his expression oozing casual arrogance as he demanded an answer.


    "The notice says everyone is wee," I replied, standing straight with my hands sped under my abdomen. I refused to let his harsh re intimidate me.


    He swayed slightly in his chair, but his eyes remained fixed on me. Hisrge frame seemed too imposing for the seat.


    His ck coat was off, and his muscles strained against the light blue shirt he wore.


    "No! I already told you, you¡¯re not allowed," he stubbornly responded, still rocking in his chair, looking annoyingly handsome.


    If only he kept his mouth shut, he¡¯d be the most attractive man I¡¯d everid eyes on¡ªjust like his brothers, though somehow they all seemed worse than each other.


    "But the notice says¡ª," I began, uncrossing my hands to point at the paper, but before I could finish, he straightened up in the chair and snatched it from my finger, tearing it apart.


    "Where? Where does it say that?" he mocked, tossing the torn paper to the floor before leaning back again. I stared at him in disbelief.


    How could he do that?


    "If you have nothing else to say, you can leave," he said dismissively, wrinkling his nose and giving a slight shrug of his massive shoulders.


    "You¡¯re so mean," I blurted, unsure of the right way to respond to his tant unfairness.


    "Is it because I¡¯m your stepsister? Or is this how you treat everyone from a less wealthy background?" I raised my voice, anger bubbling up as his calm demeanor only made it worse. He acted as if he wasn¡¯t beingpletely discriminatory.


    "I know what you¡¯re trying to do. People here know me, so scream all you want¡ªno one will bat an eye. Don¡¯t waste your time. Leave," he said coolly, tilting his head towards the door.


    I shook my head, refusing to give in.


    "I¡¯ll tell your father what you did," I threatened, but he continued to stare at me shamelessly. In fact, this time, he cracked a small, creepy smirk.


    "Go ahead, do that," he shrugged, utterly unbothered.


    Before I could argue further, the door swung open, and someone barged in.


    "Thirty students failed my ss this semester," came a familiar and oddlyforting voice.


    I turned slightly and caught a glimpse of Emmet walking in with Maximus. Emmet was dressed in a ck suit, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his tie loosely hanging around his neck. His hair was tied in a messy man-bun, with a few stray strands hanging loose.


    Maximus, on the other hand, was only wearing a tight ck shirt that barely fit his muscr frame, paired with ck pants. Their conversation halted the moment their eyes fell on me.


    "Why is she here?" Maximus didn¡¯t bother hiding his disdain. He mmed the file he was holding onto the desk, ring at me as if trying to intimidate me.


    "She wanted to apply for the academy," Norman replied softly, watching his brother for his reaction.


    "Huh?" Maximus snorted, looking like he was on the verge of bursting intoughter.


    "And your brother tore up the admission paper I brought with me," I added, stepping back slightly from Maximus, whose presence felt menacing.


    I noticed Norman cracking his knuckles upon hearing me mention his actions.


    "I thought this academy gave equal opportunities to everyone. I guess I was wrong. Apparently, Lord Norman doesn¡¯t want people like me joining his prestigious institution," I said, my anger rising. I wasn¡¯t about to leave without bruising his ego.


    "His students would be so disappointed to know that Lord Norman isn¡¯t as decent behind closed doors as he ims to be," I continued, noticing how his eyes narrowed further with every word I spoke.


    Maximus stood beside me, ncing between me and his brother, clearly waiting for a reaction.


    "She¡¯s so rude. Are you listening to her?" Maximus pointed at me, trying to provoke his brother.


    "Maximus, we¡¯re not twelve," Emmet replied coolly, though the sudden attention from Emmet filled the room with silence. Emmet, now done cing his papers on the desk, walked over and stood with his arms folded across his chest, observing.


    "But she acts like we are! How does she expect to be part of this academy without an active wolf? Is she trying to lower our standards?" Maximus stepped back, signaling Norman to take over.


    "You ran your mouth, and we heard you. Satisfied now? Got it all out of your system? The frustration?" Norman¡¯s voice was ice-cold, and his calmness irritated me even more.


    I thought I might have angered him enough to shout, but instead, he just returned to his unnerving calm demeanor.


    "You heard him. We¡¯re not weing you. Get out!" Maximus repeated his brother¡¯s words, making me nce at each of them in turn.


    I felt utterly helpless. First, I was kicked out of the mansion, and now I wasn¡¯t even allowed to apply to the academy.


    With a final re at them, I was just about to leave when a voice interrupted me. It came from my mate, who had no idea we were fated mates.


    "Why can¡¯t she apply?" Emmet¡¯s question made me stop and turn back to face his brothers. Norman stretched his neck as if trying to confirm he¡¯d heard Emmet correctly. He also got up from his seat, leaving it for Maximus. It was in that moment I realized Maximus was actually the one responsible for admissions. Norman merely added names to the list.


    "Because I don¡¯t want her here," Maximus replied bluntly, settling into the chair.


    "That¡¯s not how it works. You can¡¯t just pick and choose who you want here. We have rules, and we don¡¯t break them for anyone," Emmet said calmly, pushing his coat back and slipping his hand into his pants pocket.


    "Emmet! Please, we don¡¯t need this right now. We¡¯ve made a decision, and we expect you to side with your brothers," Maximus said firmly, while Norman stepped aside.


    Norman leaned against therge window to my left, crossing his arms over his chest, watching me intently from the corner of his eye. I could feel his gaze examining me, likely noting my reactions as his brothers argued over my application.


    "I¡¯d dly side with you if this decision made any sense. But I¡¯m not just going to follow along blindly. If she wants to apply, let her. Give her a fair chance. Don¡¯t be so threatened by her existence," Emmet retorted, his words direct and cutting through the tension.


    I watched as Maximus red at him, grumbling in frustration. He leaned back in his chair, his posture rigid, eyes narrowed, with his hands gripping the armrests tightly.


    "You¡ªtake this and fill out the application," Emmet said, grabbing the form from the table and stretching it out toward me.


    I didn¡¯t hesitate. I rushed forward and snatched the form from his hand. Maximus and Norman continued to watch as I grabbed the application and darted out of the room.


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡ªwhy had Emmet sided with me? Did he somehow remember we were mates?

 Chapter 19-I Can Survive This

    <h4>Chapter 19: 19-I Can Survive This</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    After I filled out the form while sitting behind the same tree as before, I walked back into the academy. Thankfully, the students were not around. I don¡¯t know why I felt so insecure under their gaze. They were so well-dressed and well-groomed, and here I was, wearing old clothes withrge holes. I know I should be fortunate to at least have something to cover my body with, but it makes others bully me.


    But that didn¡¯t mean the brothers weren¡¯t in the office. I was kind of hoping it was Emmet, but Maximus was sitting across the table, his head bowed over the papers before him.


    "I filled out the form," I said after clearing my throat to get his attention. He acted like he wasn¡¯t the one who let me in after I knocked on the door.


    "Tape it to my forehead," he pointed at his forehead without raising his head, his eyes focused on the files in front of him.


    "Leave it here," he then raised his head and yelled at me in frustration, his eyes conveying disdain.


    I ced the form down and gulped to moisten my throat. I guess he noticed and raised his head again, this time throwing the pen he was holding onto the file insolently while watching my face.


    "What now?"


    "Umm, where is the candidate shelter?" I asked, wondering if the others knew. Of course, they did. Many studentse here with their parents and loved ones. They help them with the forms and even spend the day with them before bidding farewell.


    It wasn¡¯t the same for me. I was literally walking into the academy with nothing but an old bag that contained two clothes.


    "Why didn¡¯t your fathere with you?" I don¡¯t know why he suddenly brought it up, but the mention of my father brought back memories of my stay in the pack.


    It wasn¡¯t pleasant. Suddenly, I felt fingers on my body, the disgusting touch of the men.


    I closed my eyes and hugged myself, shaking my head before taking a deep breath and then opening my eyes to respond to him.


    However, of course, he was examining my face when I opened my eyes.


    "I don¡¯t live with my father anymore," I replied more sternly.


    But he remained silently watching my expression before he added, "Well, wait outside then. After I¡¯m done with my work, I will head over to the candidate shelter to wee new candidates."


    I didn¡¯t expect him to personally walk me to the shelter, but since he offered, I nodded my head and left the office again.


    I felt so lonely, doing everything on my own now. I sat behind the same tree, but this time, my face was turned toward the academy. I didn¡¯t want to miss him walking out because he was my only hope to the shelter now.


    I sat cross-legged, ying with the wet grass in my hands. I was starving too. But looking around made me realize there weren¡¯t any fruit trees here. I should have picked some from around the mansion. But my mother was in such a hurry to kick me out that I didn¡¯t get to take any food with me.


    My eyes wandered off for a brief moment, and a distant memory shed before my mind: the time my parents took me to school. I had changed schools when I turned four because some kids used to bully me at the old school. My parents took it very seriously.


    They were ready to pay a hefty fee at the most expensive school for me. How did I go from being so loved to being so despised? And I didn¡¯t even do anything wrong.


    I blinked away the tears when I saw Maximus head out of the academy. He briefly paused and looked around, raising his arms and stretching them. I quickly got to my feet and began briskly walking toward him. I didn¡¯t want him to leave without me.


    It seemed like he was waiting and looking around for me because his search ended the moment his eyesnded on me.


    I didn¡¯t realize how fast I was walking until I slipped on the wet grass, one leg going forward while the other remained behind.


    "Ouch!" The moment I grimaced, I fell silent and regained my posture. I didn¡¯t want to appear weak.


    "Easy!" I heard, and I raised my head to find Maximus standing in front of me. He reached me so quickly.


    "I am fine. I¡¯m not hurt," I replied quickly, rubbing my hands on my dress to clean off whatever dirt I had gotten on it. I was pretty dirty at that moment.


    "Wow, you are so strong," the sarcasm in his voice made me lower my gaze.


    After an awkward silence, he turned, and we began making our way into the deep mountains.


    I stayed close to him, trying my best to keep up with his long strides. It was so easy for him to navigate around therge trees or walk over the small stream of water, while I had to jump due to having shorter legs than him.


    After about ten minutes of walking, we finally arrived at a cabin-style house. The wooden boards creaked as he stepped onto the stairs while I remained behind on the ground.


    There were other students who had already arrived with their families. I watched them being loved and hugged by their parents and siblings, carrying bags full of their necessities.


    I suddenly felt so lonely and miserable. I had no one by my side, and I wasn¡¯t the only one who noticed it. The parents of the other candidates also cast nces at me before refocusing on their children.


    "I hope your journeys werefortable. You are leaving your kids in secure hands. After a week of tests and examinations, you will be informed of the results. Now! I¡¯m giving you all ten minutes to say your goodbyes before this door opens," Maximus said, hismanding and serious tone referring to his students.


    I took a deep breath and then lowered my head.


    The ten minutes felt so long to pass.


    But finally, the parents and other family members of the candidates started leaving, and we were now facing Maximus standing on the front porch of the cabin that they called a Candidate Shelter.


    "Today is designated as a rest day for you all. You don¡¯t have to cook or do anything for a week. We will provide you with food, but starting next week, as the tests begin, you will be hunting down your own meals. This academy is not for the faint of heart--" his eyes briefly lingered on me, and I swear others turned their heads to look at me as well before focusing on him again. "I hope whoever gets epted deserves a ce in this academy."


    As he finished, I watched everyone give each other a nod as a gesture of good luck. Nobody did that for me. I guessed that was because I looked different from them. No fancy clothes or essories on me; in fact, I looked like I hade from prison.


    But the real test was to survive and pass these challenges, which I was more than ready for.

 Chapter 20-Maybe A Little Sketchy Job

    <h4>Chapter 20: 20-Maybe A Little Sketchy Job</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    We were led inside the cabin, and, well, it wasn¡¯t very fancy, but it had mattresses. I couldn¡¯t believe I had already found a ce to call home for a week. It was an open-concept room with three mattresses lined up along one wall and three more on the opposite side. Each side had its own bathroom, and there was a small kitchen in the backyard for the candidates.


    "Everyone, bring your tracksuits and keep them ready. The shoes and other items listed should also be with you when you arrive at the training ground on the first day. Remember toe prepared," Maximus instructed before stepping back, providing information I wasn¡¯t aware of.


    He left the cabin, but I rushed after him to ask about the tracksuit situation.


    "Maximus!" I called out from the front porch, stopping him.


    He halted abruptly and turned around, his eyes seeming distant for a moment before he raised an eyebrow, silently questioning why I had called him.


    "I don¡¯t have any of the things you just mentioned," I said, taking steady steps down the stairs to meet him. Standing in front of him made me feel so small.


    "And how is that my problem?" he replied, his tone cold and hostile.


    "I mean, where can I get them from, and what exactly do I need?" I watched his jaw tighten and wondered if he hated seeing me every time I spoke.


    "Go to Lamar and ask him. He¡¯ll give you the list," he dismissed me with a wave of his hand. But before he could walk away, he paused briefly, studying my face for a moment. "Since you said you don¡¯t have a home anymore, I would suggest not wasting money on something you¡¯re going to fail at. We¡¯re giving you a chance because you were persistent, but let¡¯s face it¡ªyou won¡¯t pass any of my tests. So why waste money on a tracksuit and the other items? Go back to your pack and find something useful to do," his words felt like a p in the face.


    So that¡¯s how he saw me? A child given a chance just because she insisted. He didn¡¯t even take me seriously.


    "Thank you so much for your advice. I¡¯ll find a way to earn money and buy what I need," I responded, trying not to sound rude since he was now my supervisor.


    "Earn money? You don¡¯t even have any savings?" he scoffed, leaning down slightly, bringing his face closer to mine as if daring me to repeat myself. I didn¡¯t. My stepmother used to take away whatever I earned.


    "I don¡¯t," I admitted, and he pulled back, stretching his neck as he looked up at the sky with an exhausted sigh.


    "Is anything in your life going right?" he asked, cing his hands on his hips. As much as I desperately wanted to shake my head, I didn¡¯t want toe across as pitiful.


    "No! I¡¯m lucky enough to have this opportunity to even be a part of this test," I replied, but he narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly skeptical of my response.


    "If you¡¯ll excuse me¡ª," I turned and walked away. He didn¡¯t call me back, and by the time I reached the door and nced over my shoulder, he was already walking away.


    Once inside, I found the five other candidates watching me as they spread clean sheets over their mattresses.


    With only a small bag in hand, I walked over to thest empty mattress and sat down on it. They had their own pillows and nkets too. But I didn¡¯t mind using what the shelter was providing.


    "So, are you guys from rich packs too?" The two girls spoke in unison and then giggled at the coincidence. They looked nearly identical, but one was taller and had a different hairstyle. There were also slight differences in their face shapes.


    "Hi, I¡¯m Sydney Coombs, and this is my twin, Salem Coombs," the one with purple hair said, shrugging her shoulders good-naturedly. Both of them wore branded clothes, carried designer bags, and sported expensive jewelry. Salem, however, didn¡¯t seem interested in talking; she rolled her eyes as her sister introduced them.


    "We¡¯re from Blood Hunters Pack," Sydney continued, mentioning a wealthy northern pack. Those packs were known for their affluence. I had heard great things about them, but it made me wonder about the omegas in their packs. The news always focused on betas, alphas, and gammas.


    "What about you?" Sydney turned to the quiet guy lying on his mattress, neck bent as he scrolled on his phone.


    He nced up, and the way he looked at her made me ufortable for her. His gaze was cold and emotionless.


    "I¡¯m Lamar Baker," he said tly. He had very little hair, shaved off intentionally, and a scar split his upper and lower lip. He wore a ck jacket, ck pants, and heavy ck boots. The fact that he didn¡¯t mention his pack was strange.


    "And what about you? Do you need an invitation to introduce yourself?" she said, making me nearly choke on my own spit. The guy beside me immediately lowered his gaze, clearly embarrassed by her cruelment.


    "I am Lucy Dixon, and he¡¯s my mate, Gavin Tee," she said quietly, lowering her head after introducing them.


    "And where are you two from?" Sydney pressed, arms folded over her chest.


    "I¡¯m from a small pack in the south," Lucy replied, her voice soft. My body tensed at the mention of the south.


    "Oh! The south has small packs?" Sydney sneered, exactly what I had expected her to say. The north and south were always inpetition, but the north kept their pack matters so secretive that no one really knew much about their internal issues.


    "And what about you?" Sydney¡¯s attention turned to me, and I noticed how everyone paused what they were doing to look my way. At this point, I wished Sydney was as quiet as Salem.


    "I don¡¯t have a pack," I said, taking slow, steady breaths.


    "Oh! A rogue!" Sydney made a gagging motion and then turned away in disgust.


    "How are you going to pay the academy fees then?" Lucy asked, surprising me. It was clear they had already noticed I had very little, but her question about fees caught me off guard.


    "Fees?" I echoed, confused. I didn¡¯t know there were fees to pay.


    "There¡¯s a hefty fee for both the shelter and the academy sses," Sydney shrugged with a smug smile, clearly enjoying her upper hand.


    I was speechless. How on earth was I supposed to pay fees?


    As I sat there, stunned into silence, I heard a slight chuckle from the guy lying nearby. My side of the cabin had Lamar and Gavin¡¯s mattresses and the rest were on the other side, opposite to us.


    "If you want to earn some money, I can offer you a job," Lamar spoke up. It felt like my prayers had been answered, even though I hadn¡¯t prayed.


    "Meet me outside in five minutes. I¡¯ll exin," Lamar finished, giving me a glimmer of hope in an otherwise overwhelming situation.

 Chapter 21-Even Selling Myself

    <h4>Chapter 21: 21-Even Selling Myself</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    While everyone unpacked their belongings, I sat and waited for Lamar to leave. He didn¡¯t unpack his bags.


    After a few seconds of silence, he rose from his mattress, slid his phone into his pants pocket, and nced at everyone while walking toward the door. I only gave him a few seconds¡¯ head start because I didn¡¯t want to be left too far behind. Immediately, I made my way to the exit.


    "Hey! If you¡¯re going, check if the warriors are bringing food for us," I heard Sydney yell, but I didn¡¯t respond to her. I was already out the door and didn¡¯t n to go back inside until I had this talk with Lamar.


    As he had mentioned, he was waiting for me by the tree, a cigarette in one hand and some cards in the other.


    "You said you could help me," I approached him, still carrying my bag over my shoulder. There was nothing in it worth unpacking¡ªjust a few items I preferred to keep close.


    "You need money," he said again, this time only raising his eyes.


    "I do," I replied.


    "How old are you?" he scanned me from head to toe and asked.


    "I am eighteen," I responded.


    He nodded his head before chuckling softly. "You look much older than your age. You have quite a body to die for¡ªand I¡¯m not flirting." Before I could even take it as apliment, he rified that it wasn¡¯t even that: "I just stated a fact. Anyway, I need to see your ID. I don¡¯t want to get in trouble."


    Luckily for me, I had made my ID the day I turned eighteen, the cursed day of my life. It was our pack¡¯s rule that whenever someone turned eighteen, they had to register and obtain an ID right away.


    I handed him my ID and watched him raise his brow, then smirk again. "You said you don¡¯t belong to a pack."


    The moment he said that, I felt my heart flip inside my chest and snatched the ID out of his hands.


    "You are one year younger than me," he chuckled and shook his head.


    "They will pay you good money, but remember, they might ask for some really unholy work," he uttered, unfazed by how quickly I took my ID back from him.


    "What kind of work?" I asked, and by this point, I could tell he was ready to leave. He had tossed his bag over his shoulder and was striding away from the cabin.


    "Um, sort of pleasure. But you get to decide if you want to do it or not. They have tiers: you can do the strip dance,p dance, oral, hand job¡ªstuff like that. You will get paid based on it." I suddenly stopped walking behind him when I heard the kind of work he was suggesting.


    The problem wasn¡¯t that I considered women who did that work to be of any less respect than others; the issue was my own trauma. I wasn¡¯t sure I could even imagine myself getting close to someone, let alone giving them any kind of pleasure.


    "Is there no other work?" My voice came out like a faint cry for help.


    He halted in his tracks and turned around to look me in the eye as he said, "Sorry! This is all I know. Unless you can sell drugs."


    It felt like one blow after another.


    "And from the looks of your face, I can tell you¡¯re not ready for this field of work. Go find any of your family members and ask them to lend you some money." As he concluded my rejection, his pace quickened.


    I seized upon my steps, contemting what my life would be like if I didn¡¯t get admission to this academy. This was the only opportunity I had left. I couldn¡¯t lose it.


    Otherwise, I would be on my own, without any direction, and the trauma would consume me. Just the thought of reliving that night over and over in my idle state caused me to shake myself back to reality and take a wild step.


    "Wait!" I called after him, but noticed he had already disappeared from my sight. I sprinted with all my might, finding him near the road where a bike was parked.


    "I will do it," I yelled and stopped to catch my breath. He had hopped onto his bike when my words reached his ears.


    "Huh?" He turned around, only his eyes visible from the helmet.


    "I¡¯m ready to do it," I repeated, watching him nod.


    "Then what are you waiting for? Hop on," he said, shaking his helmet and gesturing to the spot behind him.


    I stared at his bike and then approached him steadily, grabbing the helmet he was offering me. Climbing onto his back, I adjusted my posture and held onto the small support in the back.


    "You need to hold on tight," he cleared his throat, making me close my eyes and then ce one hand on his shoulder and the other around his stomach. The touch was not something I wanted to experience.


    It¡¯s not that he was a disgusting creature or anything; I just wasn¡¯tfortable touching anyone.


    In the next few minutes, the touch wasn¡¯t the problem. He rode like his bike would catch fire. I kept my eyes closed even when the helmet shielded me from the crazy wind. I just didn¡¯t want to see the fast-moving traffic around me.


    After about half an hour, the bike came to a halt, and I knew we had reached our destination. The ride had felt like it almost flew by, making me worry about whether we would make it safely. But now that we were getting off the bike, stress began to hit me hard.


    I returned the helmet to him, my eyes quickly scanning the area around us. It was a bustling ce, definitely a pack territory. From the unfinishedndmarks to the poor condition of the roads, I assumed it wasn¡¯t a very wealthy pack. The street we had parked on had two tall buildings on either side, adorned with many lights and neon signs sparkling in the dusk.


    Just standing there made me feel tingly. I began to wonder if I really wanted to go through with this.


    "At any point you feel like you don¡¯t want to continue, you can quit. Remember, we don¡¯t force anyone here. Women and mene here to earn on their own. You¡¯ll get to wear a mask too," he added, pointing at a few girls peeking outside the main gate. They were wearing porcin masks to keep their identities hidden.


    "So tell me, what do you want to do?" He swirled the keys around his finger, his eyes watching me intently.


    "Thep dance?" It was almost like I was asking him, and before he could check something on his phone, I added, "Is it okay if I suck at it?"


    Of course, I did. I didn¡¯t know how people gavep dances; I just wanted money.


    "Oh no! You¡¯re supposed to do a great job. How about you just apany an elite while he drinks? You just need to make sure he¡¯s having a good time. Just a little kissing here and there, and if you allow, a little bit more than that but no full pration." He showed me a half mask on his phone to exin in better words that there were even masks for different kinds of jobs.


    No matter what, I was going to get money tonight.

 Chapter 22-Oh Dear Stepbro!

    <h4>Chapter 22: 22-Oh Dear Stepbro!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "This building is for the elites having a good time," he said, guiding me toward one of the buildings at the end while handing me the porcin mask.


    "Oh wait¡ª," however, the moment I took a step toward the entrance, he halted me. "You cannot go inside looking like this."


    He wore a strange expression, his eyes scanning my appearance.


    "But I don¡¯t have anything fancy," I replied softly.


    Lamar gestured at the tall man standing nearby and then pointed at me. "Take her inside to the dressing room. Get her ready for the fun. Make sure she is asfortable as possible."


    I watched therge man size me up before stepping aside to lead the way.


    I didn¡¯t even know how I kept moving, as I had never done anything like this before. I suppose the idea of gaining admission was enough to distract me from everything else. Even the fact that being surrounded by elites might bring me closer to the touch of the alphas. I was ready to risk my mental peace at any cost.


    It is not like I have been sheltered before, I was on my own since I was six years old. So now it was time that I truly stand up for myself as my own hero.


    "Go inside; I will meet you again after midnight at the same spot where I dropped you," he waved his hand at me to dismiss me as I began to follow the guard inside.


    There were many rooms on both sides of the corridor, but the interior was much fancier than the outside. I guessed it was meant to disguise the building.


    "Go inside and pick any dress," the guard ordered, opening a door to a dressing room. There was no one inside, so I slipped in and heard the door lock behind me.


    "Okay! Calm down. I can do this," I tried to reassure myself by breathing through my nostrils. I desperately needed this money.


    I knew it wouldn¡¯t be my first time being touched and probably kissed; the first experience was forced. But I no longer wanted to save any experiences for my mate or my future boyfriend.


    I was past that foolishness of wanting to get married and have babies. That desperation had gotten me into a lot of trouble.


    There was a closet with lingerie and very short dresses on one side of the small room, and arge vanity mirror on the other side, adorned with makeup and various essories.


    I chose a ck short dress. However, its length worried me about whether it would even cover my butt.


    I held my breath and rushed into the bathroom, quickly washing my face before slipping into the dress.


    Right off the bat, I didn¡¯t like it. It was too tight in the chest, and my entire cleavage was on disy. It was extremely snug around my waist as well, but because I had a tiny waist, that wasn¡¯t a bother. However, my behind was another story; I had arge backside, and now it was all hanging out.


    "I should have picked something else," I cursed, but then again, everything else was quite simr. "Ugh! It¡¯s just a few hours, and then I might get used to it," I pumped myself up with confidence, reminding myself that I would need money for the future, too.


    I didn¡¯t realize the academy was so costly. No wonder not many could get in; I had thought it was all about strength and capabilities.


    Aftering out of the bathroom, I applied a red lipstick, as that was the only part of my face that would be exposed. I put on the mask andbed my long blonde hair, leaving it loose before grabbing the ck stilettos from the side.


    But my bad luck¡ª the minute I put them on, I tripped. I had never worn such shoes in my life, so it was going to be difficult for me to walk in them. Yet, I managed to take a few steps and make my way toward the elites. I felt like an amateur walking through the corridor after the guard, who stared at me as if I were a piece of food.


    "This one," he said, stopping in front of a room and gently knocking on it. "The elite is a special one. Make sure you don¡¯t mess it up with him. If you can please him, you¡¯ll earn a good cut for this one," the guard quickly informed me about the elite.


    Even as he talked about the importance of this job, his eyes lingered on my cleavage, making me incredibly ufortable. I wasn¡¯t sure how I would survive under the hungry gaze of the elite. Soon, I was let into a dark room with just a little light on in the corner.


    That darkness helped mask my fear and allowed me to fight back. I saw a man sitting on the couch, his legs spread and his arms extended as well. He looked gigantic in the ck shirt, which was partially opened, revealing his abs. He wore a ck mask on his face, leaving his lips exposed.


    I had been handed a tray of alcohol bottles to serve drinks to him. The guard had briefed me on what to do and how to prepare the perfect drink.


    As I tried to keep my steps steady and not trip while carrying the tray, I began to walk over to him. He silently stared at me as I ced the tray down and reached for a bottle to open it. I thought I would just serve him like a hostess and that would be all. But he instantly reached for my hand and stopped me.


    "I¡¯m not here for the wine," he said, and the moment he uttered those words, my heart flipped inside my chest. I had been told the elite would touch me and even initiate kissing and other groping, but I didn¡¯t realize he was only here for that.


    A gulp ran down my throat as he straightened his back and ced his finger on my shoulder. I don¡¯t know what it was about him, but his cologne was mesmerizing. He didn¡¯t seem like a danger, even as his finger pulled the strap of my dress down and he nted a kiss on my bare shoulder.


    My body shuddered as his lips moved on my shoulder, smooching the skin and causing my heart to rise and fall.


    At that moment, everything around me went silent. I couldn¡¯te up with a proper response to his advances. I knew I should respond in kind, but I hesitated.


    Then¡ªhis hand glided over my shoulder to my chest, groping my breasts that were spilling out of the dress and then suddenly sliding inside.


    The moment he did that, his hand cupped my breast, and my breath hitched in my throat.


    "You¡¯ve got quite a pair of breasts," he chuckled, and that¡¯s when it hit me. I suddenly jumped back, shocking him as well.


    It struck me hard when I finally locked eyes with him. I had been so frightened at first that I hadn¡¯t paid attention to the blue eyes and voice until now.


    With a shaky and trembling voice, I uttered, "Maximus?"

 Chapter 23-You Can’t Break Me

    <h4>Chapter 23: 23-You Can¡¯t Break Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I saw his eyes stare at my face in silence before the intensity of them began to shift. It was as if he was realizing what I had justprehended now. He quickly pulled back and then gasped. I managed to adjust my dress strap and get up in haste. I needed to escape from here. Why the hell did I end up in a room with my stepbrother? What if things had escted? As if what happened wasn¡¯t bad enough already.


    Within minutes, I was running out of the room like a madwoman. Thankfully, the guard had left. Other rooms were upied by some elites, and all I could hear were moans and grunting from inside. So the elites did take it far after the initial consent from the hostess. What if that was what had happened between us?


    I was losing my mind at the thought of being with my stepbrother. I covered my ears to drown out the voices in my head, using me ofnding in this mess because of my desperation. I rushed back to the dressing room and changed quickly, putting on my old clothes. At this point, I just wanted to get away from him and never face my stepbrothers again. By the time I grabbed my bag and was on my feet to the exit, the guard spotted me.


    "Why are you out already? Did you mess it up?" I heard him yell after me while I ran past him to the outside. Thankfully, he had a new girl with him that he needed to escort to the dressing room. Not wanting to scare her by grabbing me, he had to let me go. This was their motto; they didn¡¯t force anyone here.


    I was able to run away and make it to the street where I would meet Lammar after midnight. But it was too early, and I was now beginning to feel the cold weather too. With nothing else to do, I recalled the way Maximus ran his hand over my body and then under my dress. He had cupped my breast and touched my nipple too.


    I squeezed myself together and closed my eyes, feeling awkward and weirdly aroused. And that made me hate myself even more.


    "What the hell was that?" However, another shock hit me when I heard an aggressive grunt from behind me, a hand turning me around to face him. It was Maximus. He had taken off his mask and hade after me.


    I was beyond ashamed and guilty. Even looking into his eyes took me back to the moment when I had to deepen my stare just to recognize him.


    "You were¡ªwhat were you doing there?" He quickly blinked his eyes, as if to show he was feeling the same awkwardness that I was. He had to shake my body by grabbing onto my arms to drag me back to reality.


    "I needed money¡ªfor the admission," I stuttered, unable to look back into his eyes.


    "Ugh!" He pushed me back and paced away, his hand covering his eyes as he rubbed them.


    "Do you have any idea what just happened?" he spoke with difficulty, his breaths heavier than his words.


    "I didn¡¯t¡ªknow¡ª" I felt so dirty because now he would think I jumped into hisp on purpose. However, thankfully he didn¡¯t.


    "Helena¡ªyou are my stepsister¡ªdammit¡ªand you are taking admission into VS Academy. We have an image to uphold. Do you know what would have happened if someone else had recognized you? You would be banned from participating in any of the academies," he yelled, quickly looking around to make sure nobody was listening to us.


    "Come with me." However, he realized it was a risky ce to have this conversation. Instead of letting me follow him, he grabbed my arm and began to drag me to the road where his car was parked.


    I had so many things to say to him, but for now, I kept silent and tried to keep up with his long strides. He tossed me into the backseat of his car and then sat in the driver¡¯s seat himself. I guessed he was really afraid to be seen with me.


    Once he started the car and drove us out of the area, I managed to sit up and noticed how he was ring at me through the rearview mirror. "Are you going to start talking, or is ring at me another form of torture?" I hissed under my breath. Of course, he was taking me out for a ride; he would eventually question me. With that thought, he suddenly stopped the car and got out. We were on a long highway, seemingly abandoned.


    Or maybe nobody took this road during nighttime. But Maximus was a powerful werewolf; he could literally go anywhere without the fear of anyone attacking him.


    I watched him pace around the car with his hands in his hair. The devastation was visible on his face until he finally calmed himself and walked briskly toward my side, opening the door and then grasping my arm to pull me out of the car. Once he mmed the door shut, he ced his hands on the car on either side of me, caging me between his arms.


    "You are disqualified." The minute I heard those words, my body was covered in goosebumps.


    "What for? I was only trying to earn money because¡ª" My words trailed off due to his loud scoff.


    "I don¡¯t care what excuses you have. It is against the rules to indulge in such activities because it drives a person¡¯s mind away from the purpose of training and studies. Our students only focus on training and nothing else." All the while he was talking, he wasn¡¯t even looking at my face, as if I were some filth he had to speak to out of obligation; otherwise, he would have ditched me here and driven off.


    "A luxury only those can afford who have money stacked up with their parents. I have to earn¡ª" I tried to reason, but he shook his head again.


    "I don¡¯t care. This is not the job we allow. You could have earned by working at the bakery or any other ce. These environments are dangerous. There have been so many cases where a client bes obsessed and then starts stalking and attacking the hostesses. Do you want to lead such dangerous men to the academy and put others¡¯ lives in danger too?" he hissed, mming his hands on the car, making me close my eyes and jump.


    But if he thought he was done, he was wrong.


    "Yet you go there to take pleasure. A trainer can indulge in such activities just for the sake of fun, but a student can¡¯t even do it for the purpose of earning?" The minute I said that, he finally raised his head, and our eyes met.


    "I am homeless. I have no money, no rtives, no experience in work, and I have to be able to earn money by the end of this training. How do you expect me to make money in such a short time?" I raised my voice, my vision blurring as my eyes welled up. I would not let him make me feel dirty.

 Chapter 24-I Will Work For My Stepbrother

    <h4>Chapter 24: 24-I Will Work For My Stepbrother</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "It is easy for you to make up rules for others. You don¡¯t need to go out and find work or think about where you would be sleeping for the night. I am scared and alone, and I am trying to do my best to still find a way to make my life worth living. So, no! I won¡¯t allow you to judge me or tell me that I am disqualified," I hissed, arge tear finally breaking from the corner of my eye.


    The frown on his forehead unfolded, and he finally stepped back from me.


    "You don¡¯t have a ce to crash at?" he asked as if I hadn¡¯t told the brothers that I wouldn¡¯t be going back home.


    "I left my pack forever," I muttered, not hesitating in my responses.


    "But why?" His tone softened a lot, but that didn¡¯t mean he would be humble with me.


    "I just did. I no longer wanted to live with my father, who had only seen me as a burden. I didn¡¯t want to be sold to the neighbor or receive the worst punishment for disobeying him." I was discreet, not exining in detail what had initially led me to leave.


    But it was true that my stepbrother had always asked my father to make me marry some rich old werewolf.


    Maximus looked lost, but I could tell he did not expect that to be my response.


    "Augh!" With a stretch to his neck, he groaned in exasperation.


    "If you needed work, you shoulde to me or your stepbrothers," he said, and the way he phrased it made me smile sarcastically.


    "Stepbrothers? I thought you guys kicked me out. And as for your brother, which one are you talking about? Norman? I would rather trust the men from those hostess bars than your brother," I hissed every word when talking about Norman. He wasn¡¯t nearly as kind as he pretended to be.


    "Okay! I will not allow you to disrespect my brother. But as for work¡ªyou knew nothing about this job and just followed the guard like the idiot you are. Even if you need money, just use your brain before falling for such odd jobs," he hissed, stepping away and then pacing back and forth.


    I just silently watched him go through a plethora of emotions and then nod his head when he came up with some kind of n.


    "I will speak to your mother and let her lend you money." The minute he said that, I shook my head as aggressively as I could.


    "No! I am not taking anyone¡¯s money." My tone was much more stern this time. Even he narrowed his eyes at me to make sure he was hearing me right.


    "But you would rather¡ª" I didn¡¯t let him finish.


    "Yes, I would rather earn it on my own."


    He tilted his head, his nostrils ring at my stubbornness.


    "She kicked me out, and not once did she ask me where I would be headed. So thanks for the offer, but I won¡¯t be taking her money," I exined to him why I wouldn¡¯t ept her help.


    I don¡¯t want her to give me charity. All I wanted was for her to hug me just once so that I could feel the warmth of her love and forget about the harsh world that had torn me apart. She couldn¡¯t do any of that, so screw her money.


    "Fine. I will hire you and pay you by the hour," he said, cing his hands on his waist and facing me, making me take a deep breath.


    "I work at a personal garage where I make weapons, and then those samples are sent to the warehouse where they¡¯re produced in abundance. I need someone to clean my workspace in the garage, so tell me, are you up for the task?" I watched him zone out.


    "Ugh! You will be cooking and cleaning¡ª" I had to cut him off because at this point he was just repeating himself with the same kind of information.


    "I know¡ª" I snapped.


    "Then why aren¡¯t you taking my offer?" The way he furrowed his thick eyebrows was so eye-catching. I had to look away in order to focus on the deal he was offering me. It was actually a great opportunity, but why would he want to offer me work when he was the reason I was without a roof right now?


    "Why? Why would you offer me work?" I tilted my head, my arms folded across my chest.


    "You do realize I can disqualify you, right? What is this attitude for? You should be grateful I¡¯m giving you work and not kicking you out of the back hostel." He made me secretly roll my eyes at him, but he wasn¡¯t wrong. He could use this information against me to finally get rid of me, just like he and Norman wanted. So I¡¯m guessing he felt pity for me and decided to offer me a job.


    "Fine, I will do the job," I replied, and he closed his eyes, stretching his neck almost like he wanted me to thank him a million times.


    "Get in the car; I will drop you at the shelter," he scoffed and led me in. Well, as expected, he made me sit in the backseat because being seen with him would not only make him look uncool, but it would also upset his brothers.


    We drove in silence, and when we reached the woods, he stopped the car so I could get out. Without a word, he stretched his hand back with an address to his garage and then let me out. I stepped out of the car, and he drove past me to his mansion.


    I began to walk back to the shelter, but this time the area looked so creepy. Once I arrived, I entered the hostel to find everyone else asleep. In fact, even the guy who was supposed to pick me up hade after I believe he couldn¡¯t find me.


    I didn¡¯t realize how much time had passed while I was talking to Maximus. It was almost like time had stopped.


    I reached my mattress and sat down, trying not to make noise to wake anyone. However, soon my stomach started growling, and I remembered the candidates were supposed to receive food from the royal academy¡¯s kitchen today.


    I sneakily got up again and left the cabin, heading towards the backyard to the kitchen. It was a cozy ce with a fridge near the window, and as expected, the food inside was amazing. There were pies, different kinds of pasta,sagnas, sandwiches, and even fried rice and chicken.


    I filled a te with a little bit of everything and sat down on the cold floor of the kitchen. The moonlight illuminated half the kitchen, allowing me to watch the trees sway in the wind while I ate.


    However, after eating a good amount, my stomach was no longer the issue. Loneliness started to consume me, and I recalled how I had gotten myself tangled in yet another awkward situation today.


    How did my life turn into a shithole like this?

 Chapter 25-Teach Me Senpai

    <h4>Chapter 25: 25-Teach Me Senpai</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I had left the hostel much earlier than the others would have even woken up. I needed to see what my new job entailed, and I wanted to work every hour to make the most of it.


    The busier I was, the better I felt about myself. By that, I mean I didn¡¯t think about that night or those haunting chuckles.


    "This is where you will be working," Maximus stated, standing beside me and showing me a garage next to an abandoned building. I didn¡¯t know what part of town it was, but there seemed to be deserted houses and structures around. He had driven me here when I met up with him in front of the academy in the morning.


    It was a huge garage where he had some old cars and several wooden tables scattered with an assortment of tools.


    "When was thest time someone cleaned your garage for you?" I asked, my hands tied under my abdomen. I avoided how pumped his biceps looked. He must work out every morning and probably every hour to look so insanely muscr.


    "What do you mean by someone else doing it for me? I can do it myself. I¡¯ve done it before," he replied, sounding proud and full of himself, even when I could tell he wasn¡¯t good at cleaning up after his mess. If he were, his garage wouldn¡¯t resemble the aftermath of an earthquake.


    "Really, I can see," I said, taking a deep breath and exhaling as I managed to walk ahead through all the debris on the ground. It was an extremely spacious area filled with so much garbage that I began to wonder how much I would make by the end of the week.


    "It¡¯s not so bad," Maximusmented from behind me, probably trying to downy his messy lifestyle.


    "Well, I will be the one deciding that," I said, tilting my head. I had just turned around when I heard hisment.


    "You should move your hands instead of running your tongue."


    It was odd that I was receiving this remark frequently now. Previously, I had avoided unnecessary arguments. In fact, I thought if I acted sweet and didn¡¯t argue, I would be spared.


    Certainly, that wasn¡¯t the case.


    So now I just spoke my mind whenever I had the chance, but I definitely analyzed the situation first.


    "That bathroom¡ªyou will find the mop and the bucket in there," he pointed toward one of the doors in the side wall. I nodded and walked to the bathroom, expecting a dirty sight to hit me. But the moment I pushed the door open, I was surprised to see how clean it was. It smelled fresh and had everything neatly arranged.


    I had to nce outside at Maximus, who was gathering items from the closet next to one of the desks, and I rolled my eyes at him. He only cleaned his bathroom.


    Grabbing the mop and the bucket, I walked out and then stared at the vast area, searching for an empty spot to begin the cleaning. "Screw it. I need to first pick up all this mess." As the realization struck me, I set the bucket down and walked over to the far end of the garage, tying my hair up in a messy bun to start the work.


    I began picking up the empty cans and food bags with arge ck trash bag in my hand. It took me some time to finish that before I started taking the empty pizza boxes to the trash can outside. The weather was beautiful, but the deserted roads and tall, abandoned buildings were a bit eerie.


    I didn¡¯t understand why a strong and wealthy man like him had chosen this location out of all the ces in the area.


    "By the way, we had a party the other night. Me and some of my friends, which is why there¡¯s so much stuff around," he said, holding a strange-looking dagger in one hand and chalk in the other. He didn¡¯t even look up from the dagger as he was making some markings on it.


    "I can tell," I replied.


    Of course, the amount of food and alcohol bottles strewn about made sense now.


    "Did you used to have parties back when you lived in the pack?" He finally put down the chalk but kept the dagger in his hand, rolling his chair to look my way.


    I continued my work, ready to mop the ground now that I had removed all the trash. "No! I didn¡¯t have friends."


    "Howe? Were you able to scare them away with your harsh and swift responses?" I heard him chuckle, probably expecting to get on my nerves.


    "By the way, sorry for touching you. I didn¡¯t mean to. If I had known you were the one behind the mask, I wouldn¡¯t have¡ª" I finally turned to face him, and he got the hint.


    "I would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t talk about it," I requested, having to force that memory out of my mind.


    "Sure!" He raised his hands to gesture that he wouldn¡¯t do it again.


    "Do you have a boyfriend?" His next question stiffened my muscles. I took a deep breath and continued to mop while shaking my head in response.


    The reminder of my so-called boyfriend sent goosebumps across my body. That night, when I looked into his eyes as he jumped on the train, I saw emptiness. It felt like he never loved me. I could have sworn he went back home and slept peacefully. In fact, he had agreed with his father to execute me because I could be a threat to his reputation.


    "Hmm, you know, the more you try to hide things about yourself, the more youpel me to find out about you," Maximus shocked me with hisment. I turned quickly and shook my head.


    "No! There¡¯s nothing to find out. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t talk about myself. I look around and see people with pasts, presents, and even ns for the future, and I feel bad for myself because all my life, I¡¯ve thought about none of that," I yammered until I was out of breath and took a break to inhale a fistful of air.


    "I was just kidding," he narrowed his eyes as he examined my anxious state.


    "What is that?" In order to divert my mind, I quickly asked Maximus as I pointed at the dagger in his hand.


    "This! These are the recent daggers I am working on. They are going to be the best. They were here before, but I need to modify them," he said, looking so proud of himself when talking about his creations. I moved closer and watched him hold the dagger. "Look closely; this spiral design is what differentiates this one from the others. This is Frostine," he smiled as he showed me the white dagger with a small spiral design on its de. The rest looked simr, each with different markings.


    "What does it do?" I questioned, taking an interest.


    "It causes paralysis upon piercing, freezing the muscles in ce. This one has three circles with cross marks, and it¡¯s called¡ªThe Ocean of Silence. It mutes sound around the victim, making it impossible for them to scream or call for help."


    I was noticing every dagger with much attention. I had always been good at studies. Learning about my kind and the weapons had been my passion, but I just didn¡¯t get much time at home.


    "This is Devil¡¯s Touch, with a bone-like pattern, and it instills a sense of dread and hopelessness in the victim, paralyzing them with fear. This is Wrath¡¯s Grasp, with sharp zigzag patterns, and it inflicts excruciating pain without visible wounds, leaving the victim in torment." With a much prouder smirk, he concluded his exnation of thest dagger on his table.


    "I have moreing, but I need some boxes for them. They should not be in the hands of an ordinary man." He moved his shoulders until he returned from the clouds of pride and looked my way again.


    "Anyway, let¡¯s drop this and wash this car together," he said, getting up from his spot and pointing at the car that had be a victim of their outrageous party.


    Why didn¡¯t he hire someone to do all this work for him?


    "Did you have maids before?" I asked, watching him walk over to me. His broad shoulders moved as he strolled, his face handsomer than ever.


    Wow! If I had friends, they would be asking for my stepbrother¡¯s number.


    "I told you, I do all my work here. I don¡¯t trust anyone with my personal stuff. And as for you¡ªyou are not my maid," he surprised me as he walked past me, but because I didn¡¯t move, he turned around just a smidge to add, "You are my annoying little stepsister who is helping me for an allowance."


    Somehow, his words brought a smile to my lips. It assured me that I belonged somewhere.

 Chapter 26-Knowing My Stepbrother

    <h4>Chapter 26: 26-Knowing My Stepbrother</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Now, we stood in front of his car, wearing rubber gloves. He handed me a cloth and began pouring soap into the bucket.


    I watched him do that for a few seconds before he straightened up and nced down at his damp shirt and jacket.


    "What are you doing?" I nearly choked as he shamelessly pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside, his abs now fully on disy.


    "What? Am I supposed to keep my body trapped in there?" He shook his head slightly, a silent way of calling me ¡¯silly,¡¯ before reaching for the sponge in the bucket.


    "Okay, but stay away from me," I muttered under my breath, hoping he wouldn¡¯t hear.


    He started scrubbing the car with an intense focus, making his muscles flex even more. I hated how often my eyes drifted in his direction. But soon enough, we were both too busy with the task at hand to pay attention to ourselves.


    I dipped my sponge into the soapy water again, feeling the cool liquid seep through my fingers. I nced at him, just for a second. He was busy hosing down the tires, his back turned to me, muscles shifting under his wet t-shirt. His shoulders seemed broader than I remembered, and I quickly looked away before he could notice me staring.


    Why was I even paying attention to that? A quick sh ofst night came rushing back to me. My gaze drifted to his hand now¡ªhe was gripping the hose tightly, which made me swallow hard. The memory of his hand on my chest stirred something in me, and I bit my lip, shaking my head and silently cursing myself for letting my mind wander there. He really loves grasping things hard, not realizing how firm and big his hands are.


    "We¡¯re barely getting anywhere," he said, turning to me with a grin that made my heart stutter¡ªjust a little. His eyes, always a little too keen for myfort, flickered over me before he nodded toward the bucket. "You¡¯re hogging all the soap."


    "Sorry, I¡¯m just trying to be careful. I don¡¯t want to mess up your car." It was the only excuse I coulde up with.


    His head tilted, his wet hair making me wonder why he was drenched in water.


    "The only fragile one here is you, Hnie. Don¡¯t be ridiculous," he said, his casual tone snapping me back to reality.


    I didn¡¯t want to be the kind of person who ogled her stepbrother. He had literally just told me he saw me as his stepsister, as family. It felt strange. I had never been that way before. That thought made me instinctively reach for my pendant, and sure enough, I was wearing it. Of course, it wasn¡¯t me creating any pheromones, and he wasn¡¯t releasing any either. He didn¡¯t have that curse, so why was I so focused on him?


    Before I could respond, he turned the hose on me, sending a quick st of cold water that hit me square in the chest. I gasped, my hands flying up instinctively as the droplets soaked through my dress, making the fabric cling to my shirt underneath.


    "Earth to Hnie," he teased.


    "What was that for?" I asked shyly, trying to peel my dress away from my body. My cheeks burned as I noticed his eyes flicker toward my chest for a split second before he quickly looked away and resumed hosing down the car.


    "That was to wake you up," he remarked, but this time, he didn¡¯t turn back to look at me. I was sure I was showing more than I intended, and he was being careful not to stare.


    "Do you have a girlfriend?" The question slipped out before I could stop myself. He turned to me, his striking blue eyes meeting mine, looking more intense than ever.


    "You think I have a girlfriend, yet I¡¯m sleeping around, visiting hostess bars and all that?" He raised a perfectly thick brow, making me shrink inward.


    "You must have a mate. You¡¯re so strong," I said, genuinely curious as to why I hadn¡¯t heard anything about the brothers¡¯ mates. I thought maybe I didn¡¯t have a mate because I was a weak wolf.


    He tilted his head, pretending to scrutinize me. "You¡¯re looking a little... soaked there."


    I quickly turned away, biting my bottom lip as I heard himugh at how easily he could make me ufortable.


    "Ahhh!" he sighed deeply, stepping closer from behind. I wasn¡¯t sure what was happening, but whatever it was, it needed to stop.


    "I don¡¯t have a mate," he said, his voice suddenly close to my ear, almost as if he was leaning over my shoulder.


    "Oh! That¡¯s odd," I blurted, taking a big step forward and turning around, just to be sure we didn¡¯t identallye into contact.


    His abs were so defined, it was as if they had been sculpted by hand. And his shoulders... broad and powerful, like a god from an anime.


    "It¡¯s not that strange," he said, shrugging, his full lips delivering the information casually. "When we left the pack, it was made pretty clear that we might not receive any blessings from the Moon Goddess so easily."


    Full lips? Seriously? Was that how I was going to talk about my stepbrother? I felt disgusted with myself.


    "And yet you guys pray to her all the time?" I asked, my curiosity piqued. I could never forgive the Moon Goddess for what she had done to me, cursing me with these pheromones and subjecting me to that night of torture. Yet, they still prayed to her?


    His smile softened, and his voice dropped just enough to make my stomach twist. "We don¡¯t give up. Like how I¡¯m not going to rest until I¡¯ve finished washing this car." His gaze lingered on me a moment longer than it should have, as if he wasn¡¯t just talking about the car.


    I swallowed hard, suddenly aware of the silence stretching between us. My fingers fumbled with the sponge, dipping it back into the soapy water as I struggled to catch my breath. "Then let¡¯s finish quickly. I¡¯m getting paid by the hour."


    He lifted the hose again, holding the nozzle casually, as if unaware of the tension hanging between us.


    "Yeah, sure," he murmured, his tone almost teasing, but now deeper, more serious. With a quick flick of the hose, he drenched the hood of the car, refocusing on the task as if the moment between us had never happened.


    I let out a quiet sigh and forced myself to rx, to act normal. This was ridiculous. I needed to concentrate¡ªon the car, on anything but him.


    We worked in silence for a few minutes, the sound of water and soap filling the air. Slowly, my heart began to calm. At least this was helping me get to know him better. Before, I was afraid he¡¯d kick me out of the academy program out of some personal grudge. I mean, he couldn¡¯t stand the sight of me back when I was staying at his mansion. So, this felt like a good start.


    "Anyway, I¡¯ll finish this. Why don¡¯t you go take a shower and get ready for lunch? If you have any special requests, let me know." This time, he didn¡¯t even look at me.


    He stretched his arm over the roof of the car, a wet cloth in hand.


    "I don¡¯t like mushrooms," was all I said before sprinting away toward the bathroom.


    It had been one awkward conversation.

 Chapter 27-Without A Wolf

    <h4>Chapter 27: 27-Without A Wolf</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Showering in his bathroom was incredibly soothing. After finishing, I felt this sudden urge to sit in the bathtub.


    I had never owned a bathtub before, but I had seen people enjoying them in movies. I filled it with warm water and carefully lowered myself in. Taking a deep breath, I clung to the edge of the tub until I felt settled.


    The beautiful wall with its blue patterns caught my eye, and I found myself lost in admiration, forgetting everything else. The calmness of the water washed over me.


    As I began to close my eyes, a distant memory started to unfold in my mind.


    shback:


    "Hnie, are your parentsing for your first transition?" the girl to my left asked, her question sending a shiver through me at the mere mention of them.


    I wanted them toe, but I feared that if I upset them somehow, they would punish meter.


    My gaze shifted to my left, noticing all the parents lined up, offering their children reassurance, giving them thumbs up to boost their confidence. On my right, it was the same scene. But among all the faces, there wasn¡¯t a single one there for me. That scared me, and I started to doubt whether I was ready for my first transition.


    "Oh, poor Sally is an omega," someone remarked when Sally¡¯s transition revealed her status. I felt sorry for her. She would likely face a beating and perhaps never be loved again.


    However, to my surprise, her mother and father stepped forward, pulling her into a warm group hug.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re still our precious Sally. So what if you¡¯re an omega? You¡¯re our angel." Their words must have filled her heart withfort.


    I couldn¡¯t understand how one girl could receive so much love without having to do anything for her parents, while another child, working tirelessly every single day, would be hated.


    I was only twelve, but I had taken on responsibilities since I was eight. I began with cleaning fish and handling other small chores, but over time, I was given more significant tasks that consumed most of my day.


    I loved the idea of studying, of bing a doctor one day, but that dream felt far away now. There was no time to pursue anything with the heavy routine I had.


    But in that moment, all I wanted was to receive my wolf.


    "Don¡¯t worry, okay? Even if you don¡¯t have a powerful wolf, remember, your father and I saved enough to help you get into a better school,"


    A mother beside me spoke tenderly to her daughter. The warmth in her voice touched my heart, but it also brought tears to my eyes.


    Ever since my parents¡¯ divorce was finalized, I had been forgotten. It was as if they only cared about me when they were still in love. Was I just a product of their love and nothing more?


    I clutched my sweater tightly, a sudden chill running through me. Everything around me felt so dull and sad.


    After everyone else had transitioned, it was finally my turn. I doubted anyone cared about me¡ªmy own parents certainly didn¡¯t. But just before I could step into the woods for the transformation, I saw my stepbrother, Sullivan, appear with his friends. He was only a year older than me, and he had found his wolfst year when he turned twelve. He had been thrilled to discover he was a gamma wolf.


    He quickly became the star of the house.


    He gave me a quick hand gesture, urging me to get on with it. So, my father sent him to check on my results?


    Taking a deep breath, I left the curious eyes behind and entered the deep woods. But right away, I felt strange.


    It was a full moon, and all the twelve-year-olds were transitioning. The first transition wasn¡¯t aplete one; it was just the meeting of our wolves.


    I stood still in the forest, trying to channel my wolf, closing my eyes and focusing on her. But all my sadness and worries kept flooding my mind.


    I felt as if I would never be happy, that no one would ever love me.


    My father despised me¡ªhe couldn¡¯t even stand the sight of me. And my mother? She had left me, so angry that she swore she would never contact me again.


    How would I ever find her?


    Instead of finding my wolf, I copsed to the ground and started crying. After a few minutes, I realized I needed to go back before the warriors came looking for me. As I emerged from the woods, I noticed all eyes were on me. I had taken so long that everyone was dying with anticipation.


    My brother and his friends were staring at me, their bodies tense, their breaths barely making their chests rise.


    Everyone waited, holding their breath, as I uttered the words, "I didn¡¯t hear her."


    End of shback:


    "Are you okay in there?" The knock on the door startled me awake. I couldn¡¯t believe I had fallen asleep in the bathtub. As I tried to get up, I slipped and rolled onto the floor, the impact making me sore where I hadnded. Still, I forced myself to my feet, feeling guilty as I drained the water from the tub.


    I quickly slipped into my old dress and hurried outside, where I found the car all washed and Maximus waiting for me.


    "You took a shower just to slip back into an old, wet dress?" He almostughed, teasing me until his smile slowly faded.


    "You don¡¯t have another dress?" he asked, and I shook my head.


    "I have three, but I want to save them for training days," I muttered, noticing the puzzled look on his face.


    "Change into something warm, Hnie. You¡¯ll catch a cold," he said, his exhaustion evident in his voice.


    I began to wonder why he seemed so drained. Was it because he thought my whole life was just one long, sad story?


    He went into the bathroom to take a shower, and when he came out, he gestured for me to go inside and change. I knew I had to change quickly before he started makingments about how miserable my life seemed. I didn¡¯t want toe across as a victim of everything.


    So, I went back inside, this time choosing a red dress with small white flowers on it. After slipping it on, I walked out, expecting Maximus to be ready to grab some food. But instead, I saw him standing at the entrance with none other than Kaye.


    Kaye looked even taller as he stood there in his ck leather jacket and pants, his bike parked beside him.


    "You¡¯ve cleaned it well," Kaye remarked, turning to nce at Maximus, then doing a double-take when he saw me. His face shifted to surprise, and then his expression darkened.


    "What the heck is she doing here?" he yelled so loudly that I immediately knew this was about to turn into a very unpleasant conversation.

 Chapter 28-The Kiss Of Rose

    <h4>Chapter 28: 28-The Kiss Of Rose</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    The re Kaye was giving me was the scariest thing I had ever seen. It took me back to the day he had chased me through his mansion like a madman. And now, seeing me here with his brother in his garage, of course, he wasn¡¯t going to take it lightly.


    "I can¡¯t believe this," Kaye muttered under his breath, his voice dripping with anger, though this time it wasn¡¯t directed at me. He was furious with his brother.


    "Kaye! It¡¯s not like that. She¡ª" Maximus stammered, ncing at me before turning back to his brother.


    "Then what is this? We decided to cut her out of our lives, and you bring her back?" Kaye snapped. "Don¡¯t tell me you needed a sister so badly that you decided to keep her for yourself after we kicked her out?" His voice rose as he shot me a venomous look.


    "Oh,e on, Kaye!" Maximus groaned, throwing his hands up in frustration.


    "Kick her out right now," Kaye demanded, ring at Maximus. But before his brother could respond, he continued, turning to me. "You! You maniptive little thing. What kind of sob story did you spin to make my brother feel sorry for you and bring you here?" He jabbed his finger in my direction.


    "I didn¡¯t tell him any sob story," I began, trying to defend myself, but Kaye wouldn¡¯t let me finish.


    "You¡¯re not allowed to speak to me. Gather whatever you brought and get out!" he shouted, his hostility inching toward me. Maximus quickly stepped between us.


    "Kaye¡ª" Maximus groaned, trying to calm him down.


    "If I am not allowed to speak, don¡¯t ask me any questions!" I shot back, my voice rising in frustration. His frown deepened, his anger visible on his face.


    "What did you just say?" Kaye asked, his tone dark and menacing. He had an unsettling way of intimidating me¡ªhe didn¡¯t need grand gestures or loud threats. His stillness,bined with the way his piercing eyes seemed to bore into my soul, made him even more terrifying. His muscles tensed, barely contained beneath his skin.


    It was a truly terrifying sight.


    "Easy! Come with me, and we can talk about it," Maximus finally got a grip on Kaye and pulled him away from me. He led him outside, but I could still see them clearly. Kaye stood rigid, hisrge frame dominating the space.


    "I am so disappointed in you. Are you ying both sides? Acting like her older brother when we¡¯re not around?" Kaye¡¯s voice rang out, clear as day. He wasn¡¯t even trying to lower it, as if he wanted me to hear their conversation. Despite Maximus wanting them to speak privately.


    "It¡¯s not my fault. You¡¯re barking up against the wrong flower," Maximus protested, his tone exasperated. I cleared my throat and muttered quietly, "Tree," amused by the confusion in his words.


    Of course, I didn¡¯t say it out loud. The fact that Maximus had mixed up the saying was proof that, despite their strength, they weren¡¯t as infallible as I had expected.


    "Then who should I me?" Kaye asked stubbornly, clearly not one to be reasoned with easily.


    "Emmet!" Maximus replied, a look of guilt shing across his face as he dragged their brother into the mess. I instantly wanted to defend Emmet, but then I remembered¡ªthey were brothers. By the end of the day, they¡¯d forgive each other, but not me.


    "Emmet? What did he do now?" Kaye rolled his eyes, clearly used to his brother¡¯s antics. I could imagine Emmet being the one who often stayed out of their schemes.


    "He¡¯s the one who practically forced us to ept her as a candidate," Maximus admitted. I guess he should have exined that part first, because Kaye immediatelytched onto it, pointing an using arm in my direction.


    "She applied to the academy, and you let her?" Kaye¡¯s voice rose again, but Maximus quickly grabbed his arm and pushed it down, trying to keep the situation under control.


    "Emmet did. You know how he¡¯s getting; he¡¯s bing a real nuisance," Maximus wasn¡¯t lying. Emmet was the reason I even got the chance, and I hadn¡¯t even thanked him for it yet.


    "Huh! I¡¯m more surprised Norram allowed it," Kaye said, his hands now resting on his hips. He looked so aggressively dangerous, it was hard not to feel intimidated.


    "What could he do? He¡¯s stuck between his brothers. He doesn¡¯t have a favorite, so whenever we sh, he sidesteps to avoid picking sides," Maximus exined and quickly added, "I had to bring her here because I didn¡¯t want her going to Emmet for help with money. He¡¯s been showing a soft spot for her, and that could lead to her asking him for¡ª" He cut himself off abruptly when his eyesnded on me.


    It was painfully obvious that Maximus was struggling to convince Kaye that he wasn¡¯t interested in helping me. I mean, how long could he keep dragging his brother into this and ming him for everything?


    That¡¯s when Maximus grabbed Kaye¡¯s arm and pulled him even farther away, their voices lowering until I couldn¡¯t hear them anymore.


    My attention drifted to the table where Kaye had left some of his things. Among them were small ss bottles filled with herbs. I picked one up and read thebel on the white note stuck to the bottle. "me of lust." I then tilted my head and read what this herb was. It was a lush green herb that can cause a creature to go into heat, wanting sex, in simple words.


    I stared at the herbs for a moment before my eyes were drawn to a small brown package. Something was poking out from it that I couldn¡¯t resist touching.


    It was a purple rose.


    I had never seen one before. The edges of the petals were white, and the stem waspletely free of thorns. Just pulling it out of the package made me smile.


    It looked so inviting, so delicate. I held it the moment Iid eyes on it.


    Ipletely forgot about the brothers, or that I was even in the same ce as them. All I could think about was the rose in my hand.


    "You¡¯re so pretty," I whispered, holding it up to my face. "I bet you smell amazing."


    I wasn¡¯t sure how a rose could possibly speak to someone, but I swear it felt like it was asking me to smell it.


    And I had to.


    How could I deny a beautiful rose¡¯s request? I brought it closer to my nose and took a small sniff, smiling at the heavenly scent.


    Then I did it again. And again. A total of five times, until I felt like I couldn¡¯t get enough of it. But it had enough of me.


    Suddenly, everything around me blurred. My knees buckled, too weak to hold me up. My eyes grew heavy, and before I could even call out for help, I copsed to the ground, my fingers tightly wrapped around the purple rose.


    Everything went silent for what felt like an eternity. Then, a soft whisper in my ear jolted me awake.


    "My sweet, beautiful daughter,e have breakfast with us."


    There she was¡ªmy mother, dressed in white, with a purple rose in her hair, gently stroking my hair.


    It was as if I had woken up in a perfect world.

 Chapter 29-Her Dream Prison

    <h4>Chapter 29: 29-Her Dream Prison</h4>


    <strong>Kaye:</strong>


    I¡¯m not sure why my brothers thought it was a good idea to bring her back into our lives when we had already kicked her out, but there she was, standing in front of me shamelessly in my brother¡¯s garage.


    From what I recall, he doesn¡¯t even allow anyone in his personal space¡ªnot even the cleaners.


    "Just say you felt sorry for her," I muttered, though I didn¡¯t want to admit it out loud. My brother had a soft spot for beautiful women. And as much as I hated her, I couldn¡¯t deny that she was stunning. That might¡¯ve made my brother feel all sorts of ways.


    But then again, she was about to be our stepsister once my father officially married her maniptive mother. Wouldn¡¯t that be disgusting? Or would it?


    "Ugh! She was... in need, okay? I don¡¯t like her. I hate her just as much as you do," my brother finally confessed. "She showed up out of nowhere, like a gold-digger, after finding out about her mother¡¯s situation. I think she burned bridges because she was so sure she¡¯d live in the mansion and have afortable life. So, of course, she¡¯s in need of money now¡ª"


    As my brother spoke honestly, I shook my head and nced back at her, intending to re her down, but she was gone.


    Or was she?


    A frown creased my forehead, confusion taking over as my eyes dropped to the floor, where I found her feet still on the ground.


    Obviously, she couldn¡¯t have left without her feet moving, which only meant one thing.


    "Look now! She¡¯s trying to get our attention!" I scoffed. "Of course, she didn¡¯t just pass out. She saw I was angry and decided to fake fainting."


    Is this how she managed to fool both Emmet and Maximus?


    I could believe Maximus, sure, but Emmet? The guy who hates everyone suddenly feeling pity for someone he barely knows?


    "What?" Maximus followed my gaze. I quickly shifted my attention back to my brother, trying to gauge his reaction.


    He didn¡¯t look shocked, nor was there a hint of concern on his face. If there was, I needed to squash it before it grew.


    "Hnie!" Maximus rushed past me, and I had no choice but to follow. My steps were heavy, my entire body radiating exhaustion. I was so tired of this girl constantly demanding attention.


    "I think she¡¯s passed out," Maximus said with a trace of concern, kneeling beside her and lightly patting her cheek.


    Ew!


    How could he even touch such a disgusting creature? She was her mother¡¯s daughter, surely just as maniptive.


    "Hey, get up!" I nudged her foot with my shoe, trying to rouse her. I had a strong suspicion she was ying us¡ªuntil my gaze fell on her hand, and everything changed.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if Maximus was concerned, but I sure as hell was.


    "She... she¡¯s holding the Dream Rose," I lunged toward her hand, snatching it to inspect the rose before turning to check the envelope next to it.


    "Maximus, she smelled the scent of that rose," I tried to stay calm, but I couldn¡¯t. This wasn¡¯t good.


    "What? You brought this today. What is this?" Now Maximus looked genuinely shocked because he knew I didn¡¯t just bring him random flowers.


    "Maximus, tell me right now¡ªwhat does this mean? This rose! What is it for?" Of course, my brother knew I often brought herbs for weapon preparation. But that particr rose? That was something I¡¯d carried for myself. I was going to take it back home and keep it safe, but I left it on the table when I got caught up in an argument with him about Hnie.


    "The person who smells it gets sent to an alternate reality¡ªnot exactly a reality, but their ideal dream world," I exined briefly, still contemting what I¡¯d done. I should never have left it out in the open.


    But how was I supposed to know my brother would have this annoying girl here with him? Maximus never touched anything I brought in until I told him what the herbs did.


    "Okay!" Maximus stood up, running his hands through his hair, trying to keep calm. "Let¡¯s wake her up from her perfect dream."


    Maximus ced his hands on his waist, staring at me. I didn¡¯t respond right away because I was still wondering how to exin, in the simplest terms, that it wasn¡¯t going to be as easy as he thought.


    "I, umm..." I looked away, my hands limp at my sides, my body frozen.


    "What? I didn¡¯t hear what you said," Maximus stepped closer. We both stood over the unconscious girl.


    "I can¡¯t bring her back," I finally admitted. As I turned to face my brother, I saw his expressionless face staring back at me.


    "You can¡¯t bring her back, or you don¡¯t want to bring her back?" Maximus frowned, his face flushing with frustration.


    "Kind of both," I shrugged.


    I understood the desire to help those trapped in their dream worlds, but I also didn¡¯t want her toe out. It seemed fair, considering she forced her way into our lives.


    "Kaye, listen to me," Maximus¡¯s panicked voice made me raise an eyebrow. Just then, we heard the distant rumble of a motorcycle, and he pped his forehead.


    "The food delivery guy is here. We need to get her out of sight before anyone sees her lying here." My brother was right to panic. If someone saw him with a girl passed out on the floor, rumors would spread, and they¡¯d eventually reach our father.


    Not that Maximus would get into trouble. He never does. But Maximus had a reputation to protect, just like the rest of us.


    "Fine." I stepped aside, watching him groan in frustration. "You can carry her yourself."


    Without another word, he scooped her up into his arms and rushed toward the small room next to the bathroom, where he usually rested after working all day. I stayed behind, collected the food, and then walked back to check on him.


    "I was waiting for you," he groaned, watching me stand in the doorway, arms crossed.


    "Help me out. If she doesn¡¯t show up at the candidate shelter, I¡¯ll be questioned. I don¡¯t even know who she told beforeing here, but if she told someone and doesn¡¯t return, everyone will be looking at me. And when I have to exin what happened, not only will I be in trouble, but so will you."


    As heid out his concerns more clearly, I felt a bit relieved. He wasn¡¯t worried about her¡ªjust our reputations.


    "But I¡¯m being honest with you," I said, my tone more serious now. "I found that rose with great difficulty only to keep it away so that no one touches it, and I don¡¯t know how to bring someone back from the dream prison."


    The moment I said that, my brother¡¯s face paled. He grabbed my cor, pulling me close so I couldn¡¯t avoid his intense gaze.


    "Then we¡¯re in big trouble." He shook me slightly in his panic, and in the process, identally ripped open my shirt.

 Chapter 30-The Lost Stepsister

    <h4>Chapter 30: 30-The Lost Stepsister</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    "Where are Maximus and Kaye? They were supposed to arrive and discuss the candidate list with us," I paced back and forth in the office, frustrated at how careless my brothers had be.


    "I don¡¯t know. I called them, but they didn¡¯t pick up," Emmet replied, lounging back with his legs propped up on the table, looking entirely toofortable. Sometimes I wondered why he was like this. Why couldn¡¯t he act more responsibly?


    He had so much potential, yet he was wasting it all.


    "Emmet, this is important. The tests start next week, and we haven¡¯t prepared anything yet. The students will be back at the academy soon, and those two haven¡¯t even submitted the sybus for training and subjects," I was the only one feeling this much pressure.


    Emmet sighedzily and muttered, "I¡¯ve submitted mine. As for them, I¡¯m not sure what they¡¯re up to, but I sent my guy to check. He told me they¡¯re at Maximus¡¯s garage." He casually showed me his phone screen, where the message from his so-called ¡¯trusted guy¡¯ was disyed--someone he always talked about but never revealed.


    "If they¡¯re not picking up the phone, I¡¯ll go fetch them myself." That was it. I couldn¡¯t sit around in my office any longer, waiting for them to show up.


    "Adios!" Emmet waved dismissively, already engrossed in a book he had grabbed from the library.


    I shot him a quick, judgmental nce before grabbing my coat and rushing out of the office. The monitors were gathered in the cafeteria, making ns for enforcing regtions once the academy reopened next week.


    I hurried toward my car, dialing Maximus and Kaye repeatedly as I walked.


    I didn¡¯t want to scold them--my brothers meant the world to me. But sometimes, they left me no choice. If Dad found out they were cking, he would be furious with them.


    And then Dad would yell at Kaye, while barely saying a word to Maximus. That would make Kaye feel isted all over again.


    Driving as fast as I could, I arrived at the garage in no time. Kaye¡¯s bike, parked outside, confirmed they were indeed together.


    I hurried out of the car, not bothering with my coat despite the cold. Rolling up my sleeves, I entered the wide-open garage, noticing food left untouched on the table, already going cold. But the two of them were nowhere in sight, which only heightened my worry.


    As I made my way to the far end of the garage, the door to Maximus¡¯s private room opened, and out came my brothers.


    Maximus looked incredibly tense, while Kaye was busy buttoning up his shirt. But what really unsettled me wasn¡¯t their behavior--it was the fact that the door to Maximus¡¯s room had been left open, and from where I stood, I could see someone lying in his bed.


    I froze, horror creeping up my spine.


    "I¡¯m telling you, you need to do it. Just--" Maximus cut off mid-sentence when he nearly bumped into me.


    Their eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting to be caught.


    "What the hell do you two think you¡¯re doing? You know sharing is forbidden in ourmunity!" I kept my voice low, not wanting anyone outside these walls to hear.


    They exchanged a brief nce before following my gaze to the bed, then back to me.


    "Ew, no!" Kaye eximed, wrinkling his nose in disgust.


    Even Maximus shook his head aggressively, waving his hands to dismiss the usation. But as they stepped aside, I realized the situation was far worse than I had imagined.


    The girl lying on the bed wasn¡¯t moving. Something about her stillness sent a chill through me. Instead of asking why she wasn¡¯t waking up, I shoved them aside and rushed into the room, only to find our stepsister lying unconscious in Maximus¡¯s bed.


    A sickening feeling surged through me.


    "You absolute idiots--" I couldn¡¯t even finish my sentence. They had followed me inside, but now they couldn¡¯t hide the truth any longer.


    "You two--" I covered my eyes with one hand, my other hand flying to my head as I rocked back and forth, trying to suppress the rising panic.


    "What?" Maximus asked casually, but when he met my eyes and saw the disgust written on my face, his expression changed. "Oh no! It¡¯s not what it looks like," he said, backing away, clearly desperate to put distance between us.


    "Of all the people in the world, you two chose her? And did you drug her?" My voice trembled with rage as the horrifying thought crossed my mind. Were they actually capable of something so twisted?


    The sight of our unconscious stepsister lying there made me question if they hadmitted a crime.


    "Brother--no! Do you think I¡¯m so desperate that I would even touch a creature like her?" Kaye responded, his voice steady as he expressed his disdain for her. But the sight of her in Maximus¡¯s bed, unconscious, didn¡¯t make any sense.


    "Then tell me what the heck is going on and why she¡¯s sleeping in your bed," I said, pping Maximus on the chest, causing him to step back and rub the spot where I hit him.


    "Ask him. It¡¯s because of his rose that she¡¯s probably lost in aa or something," Maximus said, the uncertainty in his voice weighing heavily on me.


    I turned to Kaye, who understood it was time for him to exin before I jumped to further conclusions.


    The next few minutes felt unbearably heavy as they recounted how Maximus had hired her for a job and how she had stumbled upon the deadly rose.


    It was bad, but at least it wasn¡¯t a crime. However, having her passed out in our home could lead to questions about their negligence. Since she was our stepsister, we could be scrutinized for how much of this was an ident and how much was intentional. We could be used of trying to eliminate her from the picture.


    "Okay, calm down," I said, reaching out to Maximus and cing a hand on his shoulder. He was only trying to do a good thing by hiring her. While I would have advised against it since she wasn¡¯t our problem, I knew my brother had good intentions. She had a way of evoking sympathy from others.


    She was skilled at appearing innocent and helpless.


    "Kaye! What do you know about this rose, and have you ever tried to break anyone out of this trance?" I asked, looking directly at him.


    "I¡¯ve heard about cases like this. There¡¯s a facility where the victims sleep because they can¡¯t be brought back to reality. Some of them have been in that state for over fifty years, and some even grew old and died while stuck in their dreams," Kaye said, his voice tinged with fear as he delivered the grim information. I could tell he was worried about getting into trouble for leaving such a dangerous rose out in the open.


    "Is there nothing we can do?" I inquired, hoping Maximus wouldn¡¯t lose his mind as he sat down, burying his face in his hands.


    "There¡¯s one thing that hasn¡¯t happened in the other cases: the roses that took the victims to their perfect dreams were lost. But Hnie had hers in her hand, so we know which rose she¡¯s stuck with," Kaye stated, his expression shifting to one of determination, as if he believed he could help her escape from her dream world.

 Chapter 31-Mr. Rune Nightmare

    <h4>Chapter 31: 31-Mr. Rune Nightmare</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I don¡¯t remember waking up to such happiness before. My mother had a radiant smile on her lips as she gently roused me from sleep.


    "Your dad and I have been waiting for you at the breakfast table. He made your favorite banana pancakes," she said, walking over to therge closet to pick out a dress for me. But something felt off.


    Her face.


    Why did she look like a stranger? I couldn¡¯t recall ever seeing this face before, but deep inside, I knew this was supposed to be my mother.


    "What are you thinking about?" she asked, likely noticing me lost in thought.


    "Did you change your hairstyle or makeup?" I asked as I got out of bed, moving toward her and cupping her face in my hands.


    Her smile was so warm andforting. Yet, the strange feeling of not recognizing her face was unsettling. She was so loving and kind, and I didn¡¯t want to hurt her feelings by asking anything foolish.


    "You noticed?" she said, touching her hair and smiling. At that moment, I realized the issue wasn¡¯t with her--it was with me.


    She seemed fine. Maybe I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I gave her a smile and nodded.


    "Anyway, your ball gown has arrived. You¡¯re going to look stunning. Just take a shower, and then I¡¯ll let the makeup artist in," my mother said, patting my shoulder as she walked away. But then she paused, turned back, and held my arms, looking deep into my eyes. "You will never be sad. My sweet daughter, you will never cry for your mother¡¯s embrace again."


    I didn¡¯t fully understand what she meant, but hearing those words felt like the answer to my deepest wish. An overwhelming urge to cry swept over me. But before I could release the tears, a knock at the door interrupted us.


    "Oh, that must be your stylist. The Alpha King must be very impatient. He¡¯s been sending gifts and jewels for you since this morning. This ball is going to be the best thing that¡¯s ever happened to you," my mother said. She was right. I needed to get ready--Alpha King would be waiting for our first dance together.


    If my memory serves me correctly, I felt the mate bond with him sometimest year, and we¡¯ve been together ever since.


    He had expressed his desire to make me his Luna Queen, and I had epted it. However, it wasn¡¯t like a clear memory--just something I knew, as if it were a fact stored in the back of my mind.


    After my mom left, I stepped into the bathroom, and the moment I caught my reflection in the mirror, my entire body began to tremble.


    This wasn¡¯t some innocent, "Oh, look, I¡¯m so beautiful" kind of surprise. Nor was it the horror of discovering a pimple on such a big day.


    It was something far worse.


    "My hair!" I gasped, staring in disbelief. What had happened to my tinum blonde hair? It was ck now. But I was blonde--at least, I thought I was.


    I shook my head in confusion before deciding to take a shower. Maybe I was losing my mind from the stress of today¡¯s event.


    My life was perfect. I had maids and servants always ready to serve me. People adored me. My brother and sister were like my best friends. Sometimes it felt like I was living in a dream. How could anyone¡¯s life be this perfect?


    I was the most cherished Royal--the Beta¡¯s daughter, loved deeply by everyone. After slipping into the stunning golden gown, I stepped out of the bathroom to greet the makeup artist and stylist the Alpha King had sent from the royal mansion.


    They prepared me as if I were a princess.


    I feltplete.


    My heart raced as I looked at myself in the mirror.


    "Look at you! I hope all evil eyes stay far away," my mother said, entering the room with my father, both of them beaming with pride.


    "Mom," I turned toward her, holding a thick, curly strand of hair in my hand, showing it to her.


    "Why is it ck? Wasn¡¯t I a blonde?" I asked, and that¡¯s when everything seemed to freeze. Both my parents stiffened, and even my sister, who was about to enter the room, stopped mid-step, not moving an inch.


    "Guys?" I questioned, taking a cautious step back to observe them.


    "Huh?" And then, just like that, everyone started moving again, leaving me utterly confused.


    "You all froze, like--" I couldn¡¯t even find the right word to describe what had just happened.


    "Let¡¯s go. The Alpha King is waiting for you," my mother quickly smiled again, taking my hand and leading me outside as if nothing had happened.


    I didn¡¯t want to linger either. My mate was waiting for me at the royal hall, and he had sent his Lamborghini to escort us. The whole protocol felt grand and dignified.


    My brother couldn¡¯t stop talking about how I was the best sister he could ever ask for.


    When we arrived at the royal hall, the chauffeur was there to assist us. As I walked through the crowd, people smiled at me. The soft, tantalizing music set the perfect mood.


    The hall was beautifully lit, and in the center stood my mate.


    He wore an all-white suit, his smile radiant. His jet-ck hair was neatly styled with gel, and his striking blue eyes were fixed on me from across the room. He was tall and broad, clearly muscr, but I couldn¡¯t tell too much about his abs under the suit. He was The Alpha King Rune Nightmare.


    I shook myself out of my daze, realizing this wasn¡¯t the first time I was meeting him. Of course, he had abs, and he was the best mate I could have ever hoped for. He treated me perfectly and always took care of me.


    He extended his hand for me to take, and without a second thought, I stepped forward and ced my hand in his.


    His touch was unexpectedly cold, despite him being such a warm person.


    "My beautiful Hnie," his voice echoed through the hall. Everyone fell silent as he spoke, even the music stopped.


    "My mate!" he added, pulling me into his chest. I giggled softly as his arm wrapped around my back, his other hand still holding mine.


    The music resumed, and we began to dance. Everyone stood around us, watching in silence.


    There were a few moments when something felt slightly eerie--nothing major, just the fact that everyone wore the same kind of smile, and they barely blinked.


    "Eyes on me," my mate whispered, and my gaze instantly shifted to him, as if I had no choice.


    But strangely, it didn¡¯t bother me that much.


    We continued dancing until somemotion interrupted our peace. That¡¯s when the smiles around us began to fade.


    My mate stepped back slightly and said, "Forgive me, my love. It seems we have an uninvited guest trying to steal you from me."


    His voice held a subtle hint of aggression as he looked over my shoulder. I turned to follow his gaze.


    There he was--a tall man dressed in ck pants and a matching shirt, his eyes locked on me as he dered, "I am here to take my stepsister back home."

 Chapter 32-The Most Hated She-Wolf

    <h4>Chapter 32: 32-The Most Hated She-Wolf</h4>


    <strong>Kaye:</strong>


    "Now what do we do?" Maximus asked Norman, who had been pacing restlessly, clearly struggling toe up with a n.


    He had been doing this anxious pacing for over ten minutes, and that was never a good sign. When Norman runs out of ideas, it usually means we¡¯re in deep trouble.


    "Okay, here¡¯s the n," Norman finally stopped, his expression a mix of anxiety and forced confidence. "We can just tell our dad that we found her like that," he exined, as if convinced no one would question us if she went missing.


    "Did she ever mention anyone who mighte looking for her or start investigating where she was when she smelled this rose?" Norman asked, turning to Maximus. Maximus went silent for a moment, then slowly raised his head and shook it.


    "From what I gathered, she¡¯s pretty much on her own. She doesn¡¯t have anyone," he replied.


    "Good¡ª," Norman started to say, but I quickly shook my head.


    "I¡¯m the one who brought the rose here. They¡¯re kept locked away for a reason, never meant to be around people. I was supposed to take care of everything, and I¡¯m the one who messed up. How can I just lie about it and then go back to working with herbs like I wasn¡¯t reckless enough tond this girl in a dream prison?" I unfolded my arms and let out a frustrated, almost desperate,int.


    "But it wasn¡¯t your fault. She shouldn¡¯t have been snooping around," Norman defended me immediately. He would never hesitate to stand up for me or any of his brothers. He was always on our side, no matter what.


    "She didn¡¯t know. It was my responsibility to safeguard that rose," I snapped, stepping away from him, needing some space. Maximus looked just as worried. This entire mess was because of me. A nagging thought started to take hold¡ªwhat if I really am irresponsible?


    I can¡¯t seem to handle my responsibilities without dragging everyone else into trouble.


    I have a problem or maybe I¡¯m the problem.


    "Kaye! Calm down. Don¡¯t me yourself," Maximus stepped forward and hugged me tightly. I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to return the hug, the guilt weighing too heavily on me. The fact that he was stillforting me, even after I had messed up so royally, made me want to crawl into a hole and disappear.


    "I need to get her back," I muttered, nodding to myself as I began to gather my resolve. I was pulling myself together, ready to take action.


    "So what are you saying? Speak clearly," Norman demanded, noticing the shift in my expression. Maximus released me from the hug and both of them watched my face, waiting.


    "There¡¯s a way to enter the same dream as the dreamer. If I get the same rose, tie our hands together, and¡ª" before I could finish, Norman was already shaking his head, and Maximus was throwing his hands over his head, his body rocking back and forth in protest.


    "Stop right there. I¡¯m not letting you go into that dream and get stuck with her," Norman cut in sharply, his voice firm. I knew he¡¯d object. He waspletely against this idea and would never let me attempt something so reckless.


    "You get where I¡¯ming from, right, Maximus?" I turned to him, searching his face for some support, hoping for just one person to be on my side.


    "I¡¯m sorry, but I agree with Norman. You know how to enter the dream, sure¡ªbut not how to bring her back. What if you get trapped in there too?" Maximus stepped back, aligning himself with Norman. Both of them were adamant, and I realized it was going to take a lot of convincing to get through to them.


    "You¡¯re not understanding," I sighed, exhaustion creeping into my voice and etched across my face.


    "I understand that you want to fix this, but Kaye, it¡¯s a suicide mission," Norman countered, his tone softening just slightly. "Why would I let you go to save someone that, frankly, I don¡¯t think anyone even wants back?"


    His words shocked me. I had always seen him as protective of us, and it hit me how much he had distanced himself from the rest of the world.


    "Don¡¯t look at me like that. We both know the truth," Norman continued, his voice cold. "Her own mother kicked her out. Why? Because a mother knows her child. She probably saw right through her. That girl only came back for the luxuries, not because she cared about anyone. Her father doesn¡¯t want her home either. No one¡¯s been looking for her. Doesn¡¯t that tell you something about what kind of person she is?"


    His exnation made me sigh deeply.


    He wasn¡¯t wrong.


    "Yeah, she told me no one wants her and that she has nowhere to go," Maximus added, his voice low.


    "It¡¯s not even about her anymore. I¡¯m not thinking of her as my stepsister, but as someone who should have been protected from the rose. I gather these roses every few months to make sure no one falls victim to them¡ªand now I¡¯ve brought one right to her?!" The guilt weighed heavily on me. I couldn¡¯t live with the thought that a girl was trapped in a dream prison because of my carelessness.


    "I get it, but it still doesn¡¯t justify risking your life. You have no idea if you¡¯ll make it out alive, so let¡¯s drop that idea for good," Norman sighed, rubbing his face in frustration.


    "Okay, listen¡ª," Norman ced a hand on my shoulder, his voice softening, "I¡¯ll go talk to Emmet, our walking encyclopedia, see if he knows anything useful." He paused, meeting my eyes to make sure I was actually paying attention.


    "And in the meantime, make sure you two stay here and don¡¯t breathe a word of this to anyone," he pointed at Maximus, then gave my shoulder a reassuring pat. It was clear he wasn¡¯t going to let me go through with my n, which is why I stopped pushing.


    "Okay?" Norman asked again, stepping back to look at both of us, gauging our reactions.


    "Okay, I guess," I mumbled, barely audible. Norman continued walking backward, maintaining eye contact with me until he finally broke it, turning to nce at Maximus.


    "Maximus,e with me for a moment," he gestured at him, then turned and headed out. Hnie was still sound asleep, looking as if she was caught in a peaceful dream.


    As they walked away, I clutched the brown envelope tightly in my hand. Inside, there was one more rose. I knew Norman was giving Maximus instructions to keep an eye on me, to make sure I didn¡¯t do anything reckless. After their conversation, Maximus returned while Norman disappeared out of the garage.


    "Okay, let¡¯s wait for Norman. How about I pour you some wine? It¡¯ll help you rx a little," Maximus said, walking over to a chair in the corner after grabbing a bottle of wine and two sses in his other hand, patting the empty seat next to him. But I had already made up my mind.


    "I¡¯m doing it," I dered, without hesitation.

 Chapter 33-Crazy Dynamic!

    <h4>Chapter 33: 33-Crazy Dynamic!</h4>


    <strong>Kaye:</strong>


    I knew I had to repeat myself, even louder this time, and exin to my brother the n that had been brewing in my mind all along.


    "I¡¯m going into the Dream Prison," I repeated, noticing how clueless my brother seemed.


    "Huh?" He tilted his head, slowly standing up and setting the bottle and sses aside as he walked toward me again. I knew he would try to stop me, but I was determined to go through with it.


    It was my responsibility to keep these cursed roses away from my people, and instead, I had failed miserably.


    "I¡¯m doing it," I said more firmly this time. He shook his head in response, his expression hardening.


    "You¡¯ve lost your mind. I won¡¯t allow this. Norman trusted me with this duty. He knew the moment he left, you¡¯d try to convince me too. So no! I¡¯m not letting it happen," he said sternly,ing closer, standing right in front of me as if daring me to try and head toward the bed to begin the dream-travel process.


    "Maximus! If you respect my decision, you¡¯ll let me do this. I need to go in there and bring her out¡ª" I was tired of the back-and-forth. I was an adult capable of making my own choices. The mere thought of someone suffering because of me was unbearable. How on earth did Norman expect me to go on living as if nothing had happened?


    "No! Are you serious? You don¡¯t even know how it works," Maximus argued, standing so close as if to block any attempt I might make to lie down. Then his eyes fell on the envelope I was holding, and he realized what he had to stop me.


    He tried to snatch the envelope from my hand, but I quickly hid it behind my back. I needed to speak to him first.


    "I know how to get in there and bring someone out, okay?" The moment I said it, his jaw dropped.


    "Then why have you never brought anyone out before?" he asked, genuinely curious. He knew how protective I was of these victims¡ªwhether from herbs, cursed nts, or otherwise. It made sense that I¡¯d have jumped in to save them if I could.


    "Because they didn¡¯t have their roses with them when they were taken. She does. She has her rose, and I¡¯ll have mine in hand. I just need you to keep an eye on us and make sure no one steals the roses," I said confidently, even though deep down, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure how I¡¯d manage to rescue her. All I had was what I¡¯d read in the old texts.


    "First, exin how!" he insisted, ready to seize the envelope if I didn¡¯t start talking.


    "By breaking the haze and waking her up inside her dream. I need to do it quickly, or she¡¯ll lose touch with reality and be part of the dream world forever," I exined, recalling the ount of someone who had allegedly escaped the Dream World. I wasn¡¯t sure who this person was, as the book never mentioned a name. It only described the experience of leaving the Dream Prison.


    "Please, do you not trust me?" I was starting to worry that if we kept arguing, we might lose Hnie to the Dream Prison forever.


    "Norman is going to kill me for this," Maximus muttered. "But fine, if you¡¯re that certain, I¡¯ll let you go in. Just know this: if you don¡¯te out, I swear I¡¯ll jump in and stay there with you forever." He finally relented, as I had expected. Despite our constant bickering, we were close¡ªcloser than anyone else.


    Our dynamic was unique. With Norman, we always tried to be on our best behavior. He was more like a father than an older brother. Whenever we were in trouble¡ªany kind of trouble¡ªwe knew we could count on Norman. We were his top priority.


    With Emmet, though, things were different. He often made us feel judged. He¡¯d scold us first and then offer help, and even then, he wasn¡¯t as reliable. Once he started drinking, he¡¯d forget about everyone, and we¡¯d have to take care of him.


    But Maximus and I? We were a mess together. We were everything Norman and Emmet weren¡¯t. Maximus was Dad¡¯s favorite, and even when we got into trouble together, I¡¯d end up taking the me.


    So, the decision was made. I pulled out the rose and walked over to the bed.


    "Bring me a purple ribbon," I instructed Maximus, who still looked confused and worried.


    "You think I keep ribbons lying around here?" he tried to joke, searching for something to ease the tension before sighing in resignation.


    "I¡¯ve got a purple tie. Will that work?" he asked, holding up a tie.


    "Yeah, that¡¯ll do," I said, reaching out for it.


    He handed me the tie, and I climbed onto the bed after taking off my shoes. I took Hnie¡¯s cold hand in mine. As soon as our hands touched, I felt something strange. Her skin was so soft, and even though it was cold, there was a subtlefort in her touch.


    "Feeling a bit awkward lying next to your stepsister?" Maximus teased, snapping me back to reality. I forced a grunt, pretending not to be distracted by the fact that I was, indeed, lying next to my ¡¯stepsister.¡¯


    "What? No!" I quickly replied.


    "She¡¯s not my sister or even my stepsister," I muttered inwardly, as I quickly tied the purple tie around her wrist and let her hand fall limp beside her.


    Her touch had shaken my sense of reality.


    Iy down next to her awkwardly, feeling Maximus hovering over me as he secured the other end of the tie to my wrist. The tension between us was palpable, though neither of us said anything.


    Then, I brought the rose to my nose, inhaling its delicate, intoxicating scent. A wave of drowsiness washed over me.


    It felt strange¡ªyet somehow familiar.


    Before I knew it, I was slipping into sleep. And the next thing I know, I am gaining awareness in a whole different environment.

 Chapter 34-Her Dream Man Vs Her Stepbrother

    <h4>Chapter 34: 34-Her Dream Man Vs Her Stepbrother</h4>


    <strong>Kaye: </strong>


    "Hey, who are you?" I heard someone speaking right in my ear, making me wince slightly as I struggled to open my eyes.


    "Hey, don¡¯t you know ck isn¡¯t allowed?" A woman shouted, and I finally snapped into full awareness. I jolted up as if waking from the dead and looked around at the crowd, all gasping, dressed entirely in white.


    They all looked like some kind of AI characters¡ªalmost as if they had been hand-drawn. Each of them wore the same expression, like one person¡¯s emotions were copied across the others. If one appeared worried, the others mirrored the concern instantly. I didn¡¯t need to think twice; I knew exactly where I was.


    I was in the perfect dream of Hnie.


    "Who are you?" A woman holding a white umbre asked, her eyes scanning me from head to toe.


    "I¡ªuh¡ªI¡¯m here for Hnie," I stammered. The moment her name left my lips, I watched them smile, cing their hands on their hearts.


    "Oh, our sweet Hnie? Why are you looking for our beautiful child?" An elderly woman spoke kindly, nodding her head as she used such affectionate words for Hnie.


    "Do you... know her?" I asked, unsure of how things worked here. I had learned a lot about this dream world. Yet, aside from one person¡ªwho many still called a myth¡ªno one had ever escaped this prison of dreams.


    "Of course we do. She¡¯s marrying our king tomorrow. We all know her well," the woman looked almost offended by my question.


    "Can you take me to her?" Her statement terrified me. Marrying? Who was she marrying? And what kind of dream was this?


    Did she want everyone to love her? Well, she could have just started acting nice and responsible in the real world. She didn¡¯t need a dream prison to have her perfect life.


    "Why? Why would we take you to her? She is pure¡ªso sweet, and a virgin. Why would we take you, dressed in such dark clothes, to her?" A man stepped forward, clearly displeased that I even mentioned Hnie¡¯s name.


    "Because I¡¯m her stepbrother," I blurted out, realizing I needed to respond quickly before they turned on me. I knew nothing about these people or what kind of power they might have.


    "Oh? Her stepbrother? That¡¯s strange. But we¡¯re heading to her special dance with the king. If you¡¯d like, you can join us. I¡¯m sure the king will know what to do with you." The olddy¡¯s smile was tantly fake.


    But she couldn¡¯t fool me.


    I knew full well they were taking me to this so-called king, and I had a bad feeling about him. I rose from the spot where I hadnded and began walking behind them. They turned asionally to cast quick, suspicious nces at me, whispering among themselves as we moved.


    Before long, we arrived at a grand hall where everyone stood around watching a couple dancing. And that¡¯s when the rm bells started going off in my mind.


    As I stepped inside, the crowd parted, creating a path for me. They looked at me like they might tear me apart, but my gaze settled on the woman in a golden dress. She was the only one wearing a color other than white. And that¡¯s when my heart began to race uncontrobly.


    Even though her hair was now ck, Hnie was still unmistakable.


    Her eyes sparkled, wide and vibrant, and her lips were fuller, tinted with a deep red. She had rounder cheeks, but her sharp jawline made her stand out from everyone else.


    I had to take a deep breath and shift my focus to the man standing beside her as I announced, "I¡¯m here to take my stepsister back home."


    I noticed a confused look on Hnie¡¯s face, as if she had no idea what was going on. At this point, I began to wonder if the person who had beenbeled a myth wasn¡¯t lying after all.


    That mythical person imed to have escaped the dream prison, saying that the dream reflected something deeply desired in real life. They spoke of a master in the dream, someone who wanted to manipte the victim into epting him as their ruler. And perhaps that¡¯s how the victim would remain trapped forever.


    "You cannot be her stepbrother. Her mother is married to her father, and they live happily ever after. There is no stepson," the man spoke in a sharp ent, one that was hard to ce.


    I nced over at the people he referred to as her parents, and sure enough, they weren¡¯t her real parents. They were just random people who looked nothing like her actual mother¡ªor, likely, her father either.


    "I don¡¯t know... I just know she¡¯s my stepsister," I quickly adjusted my tone to sound as confused as possible.


    If I wanted to save her, I had to make her hate this dream world and want to return to reality. But the way she stood next to this man, she had never seemed happier.


    That was not a good sign.


    The man looked over at Hnie, whose gaze was fixed on me, making me ufortable. Why was she staring at me so intently?


    The man then cleared his throat and smiled. "Well, wee. I assume you¡¯vee from a different ce?" He tilted his body slightly to the left, leaning on one leg as he waited for my response.


    I nodded, and only then did he smile with relief. "Well, you¡¯ll need to take off that ck shirt first. We have some strict rules here. We don¡¯t allow dark clothing. They remind us of darker times," he said, gesturing with his hands as he spoke.


    From his words, it was clear he wanted me to forget where I hade from.


    "Okay," I agreed, forcing a weak smile.


    "The dance was wonderful, my love. I think you should head home now and rest. You¡¯ll need to prepare for the wedding in the morning," the man said softly, holding Hnie¡¯s hands with care.


    "And Mrs. Niles, why don¡¯t you take this gentleman home and give him some of your husband¡¯s white clothes?" The man addressed Hnie¡¯s supposed "mother."


    "Of course, Alpha King Rune," the woman bowed to him, though the strange look they exchanged didn¡¯t sit well with me.


    I realized I might be running out of time. This man was the alpha king in Hnie¡¯s perfect life, and like a master in someone else¡¯s dream. His ultimate goal was to make her submit to himpletely.


    In Hnie¡¯s case, marrying her would be the final step in controlling her.

 Chapter 35-The Inappropriate Stepbrother

    <h4>Chapter 35: 35-The Inappropriate Stepbrother</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Something about this guy iming to be my stepbrother just didn¡¯t sit right with me. I kept ncing over at my mother and then at my father while I sat in the passenger seat. My new, mysterious stepbrother sat in the backseat.


    We were driving back home in our own car, and my mother had insisted that I sit up front with my father.


    "Why did you call yourself her stepbrother?" I heard my mother ask the guy named Kaye, which is how he had introduced himself to us.


    "I don¡¯t know. Did I?" he responded.


    "Kaye! You must have forgotten. You¡¯re her real brother. Your father and I gave you away because we didn¡¯t have the means to take care of a child when you were born. You¡¯ve been living with my sister, but you always visit us," my mother exined. The moment she said that, a memory of him visiting us resurfaced.


    However, I still felt a strange, heavy unease with him being in the car. I steadily turned my neck to pass a quick nce and instead stared at my mother as she quickly moved in front of him. Her hair got in the way.


    Two beautiful purple roses rocking her hairstyle.


    Wait! She had one rose earlier, where did the second onee from? Did she pick it up from the venue? My mom was very particr about the rose in her hair. But now she has two.


    "Oh right. I remember now. Wait! How did I forget?" Kaye suddenly straightened up, startling me with how tall he was.


    "Or were you just ying a prank on us?" my father asked, and that¡¯s when the three of them startedughing. I thought maybe I shouldugh too.


    So, I did.


    But I had missed the funny part. I was trying hard to recall more memories of him, but nothing concrete came to mind¡ªnothing that I could picture clearly when I closed my eyes.


    When we arrived home, my mother made sure to walk me to my bedroom. "Listen, don¡¯t leave your room until morning. It¡¯s bad luck for a bride to talk to anyone before the wedding. Now, go to bed so we can wake up early in the morning," she said, stroking my hair lovingly before closing my bedroom door.


    I heard a click from outside and realized she was serious about these customs. I didn¡¯t mind; I felt so happy being cared for like this.


    After taking off my dress and slipping into a white nightgown, I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection.


    And just like before, I felt strangely unfamiliar to myself.


    Was I just nervous because of the wedding? My dad had mentioned that my mom felt the same way when she was getting married to him.


    Shaking off the thoughts, I turned to leave my bedroom but froze when I saw someone sitting on my bed, the window to my room wide open.


    I swear, if I hadn¡¯t felt so secure and content in my life, I would¡¯ve screamed at the top of my lungs. But I didn¡¯t.


    However, I stormed over to the bed to make sure I wasn¡¯t seeing things incorrectly. My brother Kaye was sitting there, head tilted, holding a book I had been reading.


    "The Perfect Life of Hnie? Seriously, who wrote a book about you?" His voice dripped with jealousy.


    Yes, that¡¯s exactly what it was¡ªhe was envious of my perfect life and how everyone adored me.


    "Why are you even here? And don¡¯t touch my stuff with your hands!" I snapped, snatching the book out of his grip and cing it back on the nightstand, ring at him.


    "That¡¯s it?" he asked, and I frowned at him.


    "That¡¯s your dream? People aim for greatness, and all you want is to be loved? So the others were right about you. You want to be treated like a princess, to have everything revolve around you." I had no idea what he was talking about. What others? Was he referring to my brother Sullivan?


    "You and Sullivan are jealous of me because everyone cares about me¡ª" As I started to rant, he suddenly stood up and grabbed my wrist, twisting my arms behind my back and shoving me against the wall.


    He did it so effortlessly and shamelessly that I forgot to scream. But as the shock settled, I realized how close his face was to mine.


    "What the hell are you doing? I¡¯m going to scream," I hissed, warning him.


    "Do it, and I¡¯ll silence you," he hissed back, his face inching even closer.


    "You¡¯ll need to let go of my hands to do that," I muttered, trying to lean away from him, attempting to avoid the awkward proximity.


    "There are other ways I can silence you," his eyes darted to my lips before he quickly looked up. For a moment, I swear he even surprised himself because he gulped and hurriedly added, "I¡¯m not here to argue with you."


    I was still shocked by hisment.


    "You¡¯re here to make your sister ufortable? How could you even joke about something so disgusting?" I snapped, justifiably furious.


    How dare he touch me like that? It waspletely inappropriate.


    "We¡¯re not siblings," he muttered under his breath.


    "What the hell are you talking about? Why are you trying to convince me that we¡¯re not rted?" A shiver ran up my spine as he narrowed his eyes at me and groaned.


    "It¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m here to bring you back to the real world. You¡¯re trapped in some ridiculous fantasy that¡¯s going to consume you," he said, his tone growing more intense.


    I couldn¡¯t let him keep ranting.


    "Fantasy? This is my world! What are you even talking about? Did youe here to ruin my wedding or something?" I grimaced as he rolled his eyes, leaning so close that we were practically breathing the same air.


    "Hnie! You sniffed that stupid purple rose and ended up here. Did you forget? You¡¯ve been working for my brother Maximus, and I caught you." The moment he said that name, a shudder went through my body.


    It was a new name, but something about it deeply unsettled me. Kaye noticed my reaction and nodded aggressively.


    "That¡¯s it. I have to say things from the real world to break you free from this dream," he said, a wide grin spreading across his face as he started spouting the most outrageous things.


    "Remember? You went to live with your mother, and she kicked you out. You had nowhere to go. You said you left your father too. You wanted to join the academy, but you didn¡¯t have any money¡ª" He made me close my eyes, and what I felt on my cheek next stunned me.


    Tears.


    I hadn¡¯t cried out of sadness in years.


    "Hnie! Wake up before that man consumes you like he has consumed all his other victims," Kaye shook me, forcing me to open my eyes.


    And that¡¯s when I gave him a small nod.


    "Good. Now, tell me, what do you remember?" He finally let go of my hands and stepped back, waiting for me to agree with him.


    But instead, I calmly and steadily said, "That I need to call for help."


    Before he could understand what I meant, I started screaming at the top of my lungs, "HELP! HE¡¯S HURTING ME!"

 Chapter 36-Jealous Much?

    <h4>Chapter 36: 36-Jealous Much?</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I watched his face turn red and then lose its color as he yelled back at me while covering my mouth with his hand. "What are you doing?"


    The moment we heard footsteps approaching my bedroom, Kaye grabbed my arm and started pulling me towards the window.


    "Stop it," he grunted as I shook my head, trying to kick him away.


    "I am not going without you; do you understand me?" he hissed, leaning closer to my face. When I attempted to resist further, he seized the small knife from the food tter and held it against my neck, shocking me with his hostility. He then removed his hand from my mouth. I was stunned, feeling the sharp de against my skin. My heart raced in my throat, my veins pulsating. Yet he looked so calm, as if he had done this before.


    "Now shut up," he warned me through his piercing gaze.


    "Are you going to kill me?" My breath hitched, and my eyes formed tears of fright. I had such a perfect life until now. Why did he have toe here and ruin my night before the wedding?


    "Come with me, and I will spare your life," he hissed, forcing me out of the window. He then continued to throw me over his shoulder and jumped down.


    It was all happening so quickly and abruptly that I truly thought I was dreaming. He put me down but only to grab my arm and start sprinting into the darkness. My heart was pounding so hard, and I was too afraid to resist and risk getting stabbed.


    I did hear my parents open the door to my room and call out for me, so I had a little confidence that my parents would find me. Or they would contact my mate and let him know what happened very soon.


    Once we were deep in the woods and engulfed by darkness, he finally pushed me onto the ground and stood on top of me, his legs spread over my stomach.


    "Now, if you make one more noise¡ª" he waved the knife in my face, his massive body hunched over mine. I nodded shakily, showing obedience. He finally stepped back, and I sat up, my hands resting on the ground behind me.


    "What do you want from me? Are you going to kill me?" I asked, choking on my own tears.


    "No! And stop it¡ªthis is not you. You don¡¯t even cry when people kick you out of their homes or when they humiliate you. This you¡ªthis is pathetic," he had so much animosity in his voice that I began to wonder if maybe he had lost his mind.


    "I am me, Hnie. There is no other version of me; why do you keep saying that?" I asked in a low murmur.


    "Hnie! You are trapped in this crazy dream world because you¡ªyou sniffed that purple rose. This is not real; this is a dream prison, and if you don¡¯t get out in time, you will be stuck here forever. And let me tell you something: you will not be happy. You saw those people that you called your parents? I recognized them." He was driving me to the brink of madness now. He looked so tall and ripped, huffing like a beast.


    Everything he said went over my head, but it was also one heck of a terrifying im.


    "They were once the main leads in their own dream prison. The master¡ªthe alpha king, in your case¡ªshowed them this beautiful vision of a perfect life before he consumed them. Now, they aren¡¯t even living their own dream. They be a part of whoeveres here. Do you want to be forgotten and be a side character in someone else¡¯s perfect dream world?" he yelled, shaking his head angrily at me.


    "Now tell me¡ªdo you not think this isn¡¯t your mother? Do you not remember your mother? Your father? We brothers¡ªwe gave you a hard time and kicked you out. But then you still clung around because that is who you are. You arepetitive and stubborn and very annoying. You want to get whatever you desire, and you do it no matter how many people are trying to stop you. But this one¡ªthe one who just wants to be praised¡ªis not the real you." He knelt down before me, maintaining deep eye contact.


    I kept staring at his face until I had a shback of something very terrifying: my mother grabbing my arm and kicking me out of her house. It shuddered through my body and made Kaye examine me closely.


    "You remember something," hemented.


    "If it¡¯s true¡ªhow do you think you are going to break me free from this dream prison?" Since I was beginning to feel very misced, I tried to give him a chance. It wasn¡¯t a lie that I felt odd about my mother. If thisdy was my mother, then who was the one from my shback?


    I had only memories of this ce, but I had shbacks of the ones Kaye was telling me about.


    "That¡ªI think if you remember something or everything, you would be able toe back home," he scratched the back of his neck, and I frowned.


    "Okay, then remind me," I said, sitting with support from the ground.


    "Okay¡ªm," he nodded slightly and then took a deep breath. "You don¡¯t look exactly like this in the real world. I mean, you have tinum blonde hair."


    The minute he said that, my body was covered in goosebumps. This was the exact thought I had whenever I stared at myself in the mirror.


    "I remember myself with blonde hair," I smiled widely, and his face broke into a grin before he smiled too.


    "Okay, keep going. You were¡ªum¡ªumm¡ª" He looked around, making me wonder why he didn¡¯t remember anything himself.


    "Shit¡ªI never spent time with you. I don¡¯t know you. I just know you were working in the garage for Maximus when you smelled that rose¡ª" His voice faded as I had a distant memory of that day.


    "Ohhhh¡ªI remember¡ªI remember¡ª" I jumped up, getting on my feet, and he followed suit. He looked so happy and excited that I had remembered something. "I remember Maximus!"


    "Huh?"


    "I remember him. We had this amazing conversation when we washed his car¡ªhe was so sweet and flirtatious that I was like, ¡¯Whoa! I am your stepsister, dude!¡¯" Iughed, not realizing the depth of my words, but Kaye didn¡¯t seem very pleased for some reason.


    I thought he wanted me to remember.


    "He flirted with you, and he¡¯s the one you remember?" Kaye looked quite displeased.


    "You mentioned him, so I remembered him." My excitement faded because I guessed that wasn¡¯t a good sign.


    "Okay, sure," he uttered, his hands on his waist and looking away.


    "But why are we not going back home?" I asked him, and he looked around at the lights appearing brighter.


    Themotion started to approach us. It was pack members looking for us, searching for the bride-to-be.


    "Shit!" Kaye hissed. "I think we are left with only one option. I have to kiss you!"


    My heart dropped in my chest when he cupped my face in his hands out of the blue.

 Chapter 37-My Stepsister Is My Broken Mate

    <h4>Chapter 37: 37-My Stepsister Is My Broken Mate</h4>


    <strong>Kaye:</strong>


    It just felt right. I thought if I reminded her about her real life, she would wake up, but then I realized it wouldn¡¯t be that easy. Getting out like that would be too easy. But what¡¯s not easy is to find someone to kiss, someone who is not under the hypnosis of that crazy Mr. Rune. That¡¯s when I remembered something my foolish brothers had told me when I was a kid. They would tell me these fairytale stories of how the sleeping princess wakes up after a kiss. I wasn¡¯t Hnie¡¯s prince charming but a kiss night do.


    "Kiss her!"


    If I kissed her, she would awaken, like some Disney tale. I wasn¡¯t entirely convinced, but there was nothing else I could do.


    I cupped her face and watched as shock registered in her expression. I didn¡¯t want to do this. I had never even considered kissing my stepsister-to-be. And Hnie!


    Never!


    She was irritating and reminded me of her gold-digging mother. It¡¯s women like these who ruin homes for women like my mother.


    But right now, I had to close my eyes and do the right thing. Before she could even protest, I pressed my lips against hers.


    I thought it would be a quick kiss. Our lips would meet, and before I knew it, the torture would be over. But the moment my lips tasted hers, something switched inside me.


    I felt my body heating up, urges rising. My hands held her face tightly; her skin was soft and smooth, like butter.


    Instead of breaking the kiss, I found my head tilting and parted my lips just enough to take in her upper lip. That¡¯s when I felt a push from her. She had ced her hands on my chest and pushed me away, breaking the kiss.


    The awkwardness made me look down, my gaze shifting to the side.


    "What the heck was that?" she hissed, wiping her lips clean in a panic.


    I wondered what had happened to me.


    How had I ended up acting so desperate?


    The fact that I never wanted to touch her but ended up holding on made me feel even more embarrassed.


    "I told you that might be the way," I groaned, clearing my throat to appear confident. If I acted guilty, it would confirm my shame.


    "Yeah, but a peck would have been enough," she mumbled, her mouth barely moving, then she began to look around.


    "It didn¡¯t work," she said, staring at me, her hands now on her hips.


    "Or maybe you¡¯ve made me lose my mind too. I¡¯m such an idiot for thinking this isn¡¯t the real world. You¡¯re crazy, and you¡¯re driving me crazy¡ª" she hissed, already turning to leave. I had this one chance to make her see the truth, and I screwed it up.


    "You had a rough life," I called out, watching her slow down.


    The warriors and pack members had passed us, oblivious to our presence in the woods.


    But it wouldn¡¯t be long before they found us.


    "What did you say?" She turned around to face me.


    "You weren¡¯t just kicked out by your mother; I believe your father never loved you either," I murmured, something I had previously thought was a lie.


    But seeing her desperate need for love made me wonder if part of what she had said about her life was indeed true.


    "And¡ªyou don¡¯t even have a wolf. Not a mate or a lover either. You don¡¯t have a shelter or any money¡ªthere¡¯s no one who¡ª" I paused when I noticed tears beginning to form in her eyes. Well, I¡¯m not the kind to make a girl cry, but damn! I had to do it now.


    "You were lonely," I added, and soon a tear rolled down her cheek.


    "And I¡¯m sure nobody is even looking for you," I continued, watching as her face began to change color. It took me a moment to realize her hair was changing color.


    We stood facing each other, the full moon shining above us.


    "You¡ª" I fell silent when she closed her eyes, only to open them again with a sniffle.


    "I remember everything," of course she did.


    Her hair had now turned tinum blonde. Maybe now we could find a way out of here. She buried her face in her hands and started sobbing, causing me to tilt my head and zone out. I thought she would be grateful to wake up from a dream that had imprisoned her.


    "Don¡¯t worry, we will find a way to get out of here," I told her, taking a steady, deep breath.


    Instead of responding, she simply shook her head.


    "Okay, you know what? Very soon, they¡¯re going toe looking for us. We need to escape before Rune finds you and marks you as his forever," I urged, ncing around and listening as the crowd drew closer once again.


    One of these times, they would discover us. The only reason they hadn¡¯t yet was, my best guess, the darkness. Mr. Rune didn¡¯t like the shadows. He fooled everyone with light and promised a good dream world to make them stay.


    "Let¡¯s go; we need to hide somewhere else," I said, expecting her to follow me. Instead, she finally uncovered her face and looked me in the eyes.


    "No!" Her voice was soft and gentle as she dismissed me.


    "What do you mean by no?" I inquired, furrowing my brow.


    "My real life sucked. I¡ªI don¡¯t ever want to feel that way in my body," her words sent goosebumps coursing through me.


    "Your body? What do you mean? Are you upset because you didn¡¯t have a wolf?" I was trying to understand her purpose for wanting to stay here, where she wasn¡¯t even promised a happily ever after. The minute Mr. Rune marked her, her story would end, and she would be a side character.


    "No! I hated everything. Especially how I felt after that night. I don¡¯t ever want to look at myself in the mirror and see that victim of abuse¡ªand¡ª" she paused, her words enough to shake the ground beneath my feet.


    "I don¡¯t ever want anyone to touch me again. So I¡¯d rather stay here and disappear¡ª" It couldn¡¯t be. She was saying things that were horrifying.


    "No! I am not going to let you ruin yourself," I reached for her hand, and the moment I did, I heard something so terrifying that I instinctively gasped and stepped back.


    But the voice echoed through my head again.


    "Mate!"

 Chapter 38-Save Me, My Stepbrother

    <h4>Chapter 38: 38-Save Me, My Stepbrother</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    A twisted pain in my chest widened my eyes. Kaye was staring at me as well, looking as shocked as I felt.


    Did he hear it too?


    Did I just feel the mate bond with him?


    But why and how? I had already found my mate, and it was his brother, my other stepbrother. What kind of twisted game was the Moon Goddess ying with me?


    I now remembered everything. And yet I didn¡¯t want to leave. I told him enough, and that was because my real life was full of misery.


    But now this¡ªit just confirmed I shouldn¡¯t return. The Moon Goddess was on a mission to make me apologize to her. And he fucking kissed me. I kissed my stepbrother. But is it okay if I think of it as just a dream?


    The moon goddess is ying with me.


    That had to be it. Why else would she make the people who were going to be my stepbrothers my mates?


    Not only that, but they also hated me.


    "They are here," and then we broke out of the trance once the loud noises approached us. In that moment, I realized they had caught us.


    Or specifically, Kaye.


    The warriors arrived and tried to grab Kaye¡¯s arm, but he punched one of them in the face. Both of themnded on the ground when he kicked them too, but then many others arrived from behind them.


    The entire pack house had now surrounded us.


    My mother was among them, wearing her perfect hairstyle, but she looked shocked when she reached me.


    "Your hair¡ª" she gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.


    "You¡ª youe to my home and try to take away what belongs to me." I felt a long arm wrap around my body, sending goosebumps across my skin.


    It was Rune.


    I slowly and shakily turned my back to look at him. He wasn¡¯t as charming as I had thought before when I was under his control.


    But now that I could see his true self, he was terrifying. His hair was wet, and his smirk was extremely creepy.


    "Hnie! Come on. How can you want to live here?" The desperation in Kaye¡¯s voice was different than before we felt the mate bond.


    I gulped at the urgency in his eyes. He hade here for me, whatever the reason, and I was grateful for it.


    "She is noting with you. She would much rather have a perfect life here than suffer in your world," Rune said with a smile, shaking me as he kept his arm wrapped around me, holding me close to him.


    "Hnie! I won¡¯t leave until youe with me." Kaye extended his hand, and Rune¡¯s nails pierced my skin, his grip tightening around my arm, evidence that he wasn¡¯t happy about it.


    "What made you think you could escape? You came here to ruin my perfect world. You are going to stay here forever. There is no exit. And as for your wolf¡ªI¡¯ve decided you don¡¯t have a wolf in my world," Rune snapped his fingers, and Kaye dropped to his knees. My body flinched, and I swear Rune noticed it because he turned his head to me.


    "How about we go away? Huh? Have the perfect ending for you¡ªan ending you wouldn¡¯t get in the real world. There¡¯s no end there; only one issue resolves, and another pops up. But here, you get a happy ending, and then it¡¯s over," he smirked as if that were enough to convince me.


    But I was already convinced, wasn¡¯t I?


    As he started to drag me away, I felt my body freeze. That night when Altan didn¡¯t stick around to protect me, I realized I had no one. But then Kaye came here to bring me back.


    I was shocked.


    I didn¡¯t care whatpelled him toe here; his dedication to doing the right thing twisted my heart.


    I should be doing the right thing too.


    "My happiness is not in finding a happy ending," I suddenly stopped and murmured, making Rune lower his head to watch my face. "My happy ending is to go back to the real world and punish those who have wronged me."


    With that, I suddenlynded a punch on Rune¡¯s face. He barely moved but looked offended. However, my knuckles hurt.


    "How dare you!" My mother, who was kind and sweet, lunged at me to p me. I had let my other mother hurt my feelings, so I wouldn¡¯t let this one abuse me.


    I grabbed her hand and kicked her in the stomach, causing Rune to let out a growl.


    "That¡¯s it. Take them away! I will tear them both apart!" Rune yelled, and his body began to emit darkness.


    Finally, he was revealing his true self. This ce was not a dream nor heaven; it was a nightmare.


    "Come on!" Kaye shook me as I watched and turned my neck back to see Rune¡¯s neck growing, his head bing one of those creepy things with wide eyes and an even wider smile.


    His people began snickering and stepped out of the way. His neck wiggled and moved in quick motions. It suddenly lunged at me, but Kaye picked me up and tossed me to the side, saving me.


    The others were now just standing in a circle to make sure we couldn¡¯t leave.


    "You cannot escape me," Rune said with a maniacal grin.


    His head seemed like a wrecking ball,ing at us. Every time it tried to attack, Kaye would save me.


    He was quick and strong, able to lift me as if I were a feather.


    "Ughhh! Hiding behind your stepbrother?" Rune stretched his neck up to the sky, his voice booming from above. "So it was all true about you. You¡¯re just a pathetic loser. If I were there that night, I would have done the same and even worse to you than what those alphas did. And after I was done with you, I would have made sure to discard your body and kill you."


    His words made the crowdugh, sending tremors of fear through me.


    "Don¡¯t let him get to your head!" Kaye yelled, holding my hand and preparing to dodge the next attack.


    "Aww, poor Hnie. Or maybe you wanted that to happen. You wanted someone to attack you and feel nice and good."


    It was definitely not a dream world; it had be my nightmare when I raised my head and saw a shback of that night.


    I could no longer move or defend myself.

 Chapter 39-Our Messy Stepsister

    <h4>Chapter 39: 39-Our Messy Stepsister</h4>


    <strong>Maximus:</strong>


    I was deeply concerned for my brother. I kept pacing around, wondering if I had made a mistake by letting him go after her. What if he was mistaken about the way out of the dream prison? I kept ming myself for trying to do good for her. If I hadn¡¯t hired her, my brother would be here with me today. My eyesnded on Hnie¡¯s neck, and I groaned.


    Hnie was fast asleep, her breaths slow and steady, but I couldn¡¯t stop staring at the pendant around her neck. It caught the faintest glimmer of light, an unusual symbol etched into the metal that I had never seen before. What on earth was it? I moved in closer, careful not to trip andnd on top of her, my heart racing as I tried to get a better look. The design appeared old, almost ancient, as if she couldn¡¯t have purchased it from a local store. Slowly, I pulled out my phone, snapping a picture of it. The screen¡¯s glow illuminated the pendant¡¯s peculiar details, sending a shiver through me. I needed to find out what this thing was.


    "What are you thinking?" my wolf snapped me out of it and asked, but I avoided him, shoving my phone back into my pants pocket. I had been at odds with my wolf for a long time¡ªmaybe ever since he had awakened and disappointed me. He felt like a curse, someone who didn¡¯t care about my feelings. He would do what he wanted and get me in trouble.


    "Really? When did I do that?" Xim was clueless, and sometimes I felt like I was being too harsh on him. I wanted to use him, to me him. But he was as much a victim as I was.


    "Sorry, I¡ªdid it again," I sighed, apologizing for mistreating him once more.


    "It¡¯s alright. I can sense your anxiety," he murmured.


    I couldn¡¯t stop pacing. The room felt too small, the walls pressing in on me with every step. Shadows pooled in the corners, stretching out with the flicker of the dimmp, but I couldn¡¯t focus on anything except the pounding in my chest. I had messed up. I could feel it in the pit of my stomach, a cold knot of regret twisting tighter with each breath.


    "I should have stopped him, or it should have been me going in there," I muttered, unsure of where it was. Kaye was responsible for learning about herbs and cursed nts. The air felt thick, as if I were suffocating under the weight of it all.


    "He wouldn¡¯t have stopped. He sounded like he knew what he was talking about," Xim tried to console me, but I shook my head once again.


    "I can¡¯t shake off this feeling. If he knew what he was talking about, why is it taking him so long?" I anxiously ran my hands through my hair when I heard someone arrive in the garage.


    I hastily rushed out of the room to check on whoever had arrived. My mouth dried up and closed when I saw Norman enter the garage with a book in his hands.


    "Here, I only found this. Emmet gave it to me," he said, cing the book on the table and waiting for me to get closer. I nodded, lowering my head and sneakily closing the door behind the sleeping beauty, and then strode toward the table. I didn¡¯t think he would return so soon.


    "Where is Kaye? Ask him toe here. I need to know something from him," Norman demanded, hunching over the table with his hands on either side of the open book. I took my time, steadily reaching him. All the whileing up with excuses in my head. Norman would not be happy to find out I let Kaye do the crazy thing. He gave me one job¡ªone job and I didn¡¯t do it.


    "Umm, he left," I shrugged, while he steadily turned his head and raised it, his body still hunched over and towering over the book. His eyes hinted at giving me a second chance for my response. I could either take my words back or keep lying to him.


    "Huh? What are you talking about? How could he leave? He was talking about all the potential and doing the right things¡ªwhere did he go?" Of course, knowing Norman, I should have realized he would not be easy to persuade. He was asking all sorts of questions, and I was quickly making up lies in my head. But my throat keep drying up and I had to clear it everytime I started speaking.


    "Ehm! He couldn¡¯t sit around waiting for you toe up with something. He decided to look into the details of the rose himself." Wow! I was getting good at lying. This wouldn¡¯t be the first time I had deceived my brothers. I always did this to my father and everyone else. But today, I felt guilty. It wasn¡¯t just about my life; it was about my brother¡¯s.


    "Maximus! What are you hiding?" Just when I thought I had him fooled, he mmed the book shut and straightened his back, facing me. Norman had taken care of me since I was a child, so obviously he could see right through me.


    "Nothing¡ªI¡¯m just worried. What if Kaye couldn¡¯t find anything, or your research didn¡¯t turn out well, or Kaye couldn¡¯t bring her back¡ª" I shut up when I realized I was talking too much.


    "Maximus, what have you two done?" He pushed me aside, not even letting me stop him, and ran toward the room. I knew there was nothing I could do anymore. He burst into the room while I stayed back. I was too scared to see his reaction.


    After a few seconds, he came out, looking furious and breathing heavily.


    "Why? Why wouldn¡¯t you two listen to me?" he yelled,ing at me.


    "He told me he knew what he was doing." I instantly backed down from the fury of my brother. It wasn¡¯t that I was afraid of him; I respected him immensely. He had always been there for me and had done so much for me. I didn¡¯t want to see the disappointment in his eyes.


    "Well, let me tell you something: he didn¡¯t know anything. There is not a single book that can confirm how one can escape from there. That man who escaped never exined the full truth because nobody remembers how they got out," Norman shouted, his voice causing my heart to flip inside my chest.


    "That person is probably not even real. A myth!" Norman hissed, looking so desperately worn out.


    "What do we do now?" I hastily followed him as he went back inside to re at Hnie.


    "It¡¯s all because of her. Her arrival has ruined our perfect world." His re was so intense that I feared he would destroy the rose in her hand, ensuring there was no way she could ever return.


    "Kaye said he wouldn¡¯te back if he couldn¡¯t bring her," I quickly added before he did something reckless and got Kaye stuck there if he wasn¡¯t already trapped.

 Chapter 40-True Love Saved The Day?

    <h4>Chapter 40: 40-True Love Saved The Day?</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Hnie!" Kaye held my hand, trying to pull me away, but I couldn¡¯t feel my legs anymore. My vision blurred from tears as Kaye wrapped his arms around my body to carry me. I could sense his strength, yet he still struggled to move me from my spot.


    "Ahahahaha!" Rune¡¯sughter echoed through the air, his head disappearing into the clouds.


    "Kill them!" As my false mother yelled, I found Kaye standing before me, cing his hand on my chest.


    "You will not let them win; you are my mate. Together, we are stronger than they can imagine." His warm hand slipped beneath my shirt to touch my skin, resting over my heart.


    "Ahhh!" I gasped, waking up.


    "Ugh!" Rune yelled, attacking us again. Kaye raised his head to assess the situation, then carried me and rolled us both onto the ground, saving us once more. I caught a glimpse of Rune¡¯s head submerged in the earth before he rose again. He would take a few moments to calm down beforeunching another assault.


    I struggled to look away from the damage Rune¡¯s head caused to the ground. And once I did look away, I found Kaye staring at my face.


    My body was connected to his, my hands on his chest. I was breathing on his face when I noticed my pendant touching his lips. Just the thought of his soft lips touching anything that belonged to me caused a shiver to run down my spine.


    "Get him away from her!" Rune screamed as he charged his strength. I was lying on top of Kaye when the guards arrived, grabbing my arms to pull me away from him.


    They broke our intense eye contact, taking me away from Kaye as he held onto my hand.


    I watched his hand slip through my skin, unable to hold on. It all happened in slow motion until Kaye¡¯s fingers brushed against mine and I was finally snatched away from him.


    "Ugh!" Kaye groaned when they grasped his arms too. They clung to him, surrounding him¡ªmany against one. As they pulled me away, I watched Rune shift his focus to Kaye. He was going to attack him. I looked around at my fake family until I noticed something I had overlooked before.


    Not overlooked in the sense that it hadn¡¯t intrigued me until now.


    My mother was the only one with roses in her hair. It had been just one when I first woke up here, but it changed to two out of the blue in the middle of my dance with Rune when Kaye arrived.


    And then it clicked.


    These were the exact type of roses that we had to sniffle from in order to wake up in this messed up dream prison.


    "Kaye! I know how we can escape this nightmare!" I yelled, making him turn his face toward me with great effort as the guards held him, attempting to chain him. He fought with every ounce of strength he had at that moment.


    It made sense why he couldn¡¯t transition. This was Rune¡¯s world, a dream world. Nothing here was real, so when Rune decided to make Kaye a wolfless creature, he took away his wolf.


    "How¡ª," Kaye yelled.


    "Try to get away from them and reach me," I shouted, hissing at my false mother, who was digging her nails into my skin.


    "Got it," Kaye replied,nding a punch on the guard¡¯s face, causing him to tumble back. He then effortlessly kicked the one in front and headbutted another who tried to hold him. Even without his werewolf abilities here, he was still capable of fighting them off.


    "How could you even be on his side? Hees from the scary world where you were so unhappy," my mother was screaming at me, her eyes filled with anger and rage.


    As Kaye battled the others, I ran toward my mother. She looked petrified as I grabbed her by the hair.


    "Get her away from me! Is this how you treat your mother?" Her voice was entirely different now¡ªhigh-pitched and nasty.


    I managed to grab the roses from her hair and then rushed toward Kaye, who was now set free.


    "What is it?" Kaye asked, his eyes shifting to the roses.


    "Maybe this is our way out?" I suggested, holding up the flowers. He studied my face and then took the rose from my hand, leaving me with one.


    A loud growl erupted in the air, piercing through and slicing the wind as Rune prepared to attack us again.


    However, this time, all his people came at us. They had their hands on us, ensuring we didn¡¯t move a muscle.


    "This is our only chance," Kaye uttered while his eyes remained locked on mine.


    As soon as we stretched our necks back and looked at the wrecking-ball-like heading down at us with full force and speed, we both tore apart the roses in our hands.


    We waited for something to happen, but we were still there, and the head was descending toward us. I had never felt so scared for my life before. We closed our eyes, my hands on his chest and his arms around my waist.


    I guess that was it.


    And then sand fell on us, drawing us closer together.


    "Ahhhh!" I gasped, sitting up in bed and breathing heavily like a bull.


    "They¡¯re back¡ª!" Maximus yelled, jumping up and down as he ran toward Kaye.


    I quickly turned my head to make sure he was okay, and sure enough, Kaye sat in his bed, smiling at his brothers.


    "You idiot!" Norman eximed, his muscles bulging until he saw Kaye wake up. He rushed to the other side as well, helping Kaye get out of bed and then joining in a group hug.


    I watched them in silence, slowly realizing that the dream had indeed been beautiful. If only it weren¡¯t just a dream.


    I don¡¯t want to believe it¡¯s just a dream.


    I slowly got up from the bed while the brothers exchanged details. Then Norman turned to me.


    "You!" he grunted, striding briskly toward my side of the bed and grabbing my arm tightly.


    "You are going to stay away from my brothers. You almost made me lose my brother." He didn¡¯t stop dragging me along, and his siblings didn¡¯t protest either.


    Why would they?


    They all hated me. I didn¡¯t fight back, and soon he had taken me to the exit, where he pushed me so hard that I almost fell.


    But I didn¡¯t.


    I was saved by a pair of strong hands and a very familiar scent. It was the mostforting and beautiful aroma I had ever encountered. The man helped me regain my bnce, and the moment I did, I came face-to-face with his handsome features.


    His gray eyes were peering at me through thick eyshes, and his bushy eyebrows were furrowed.


    "Emmet, let her go. You took her side and let her participate. Do you know what she did? She almost got Kaye killed," Norman exaggerated, making me close my eyes to take a deep breath because I was definitely going to defend myself against his false usations, whether he liked it or not.

 Chapter 41-My Stepbrother Is Sweet And Sexy

    <h4>Chapter 41: 41-My Stepbrother Is Sweet And Sexy</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I did¡ª" I didn¡¯t get to finish before Emmet spoke up. He had a charming presence. Every time he talked, I found myself falling silent, just so I could listen to his voice.


    "If a she-wolf without an active role managed to get my brother almost killed, maybe we should be questioning my brother¡¯s strength. What happened to all those years of training?" Emmet slid his hands into his coat pockets, briefly jingling his keys before pulling them out.


    "Emmet¡ª" Norman rolled his eyes. "She got herself into trouble, and while trying to save her, Kaye nearly got trapped in the dream prison."


    Well, he rified that quickly. Before this, he made it sound like I had run after his brothers with a knife.


    "Is that why you were asking me all those questions about the dream prison?" Emmet had a mild smile on his lips, almost as if he¡¯d expected Norman to tell him about what was going on.


    "Yeah, I just didn¡¯t want to worry you," Norman quickly exined, trying to justify why they hadn¡¯t involved Emmet earlier. But that¡¯s when Emmet showed me he wasn¡¯t so easily read.


    "I¡¯m sure you had your reasons. But I¡¯m just d my brothers are fine¡ªand she¡¯s safe," Emmet said, gently touching my arm as he motioned toward me.


    I felt the gesture resonate deeply within me, and I swallowed hard.


    Oh, I knew why.


    He is my mate.


    But not just him¡ªhis brother is my mate too.


    I almost coughed at the memory of the dream. But then again, it was just a dream. What if it wasn¡¯t true?


    "As for you, let me take you to the shelter," Emmet said, turning his attention back to me as he gestured toward his car.


    I nodded, despite Norman¡¯s lingering re, silently warning me not to get in the car with his brother. Ignoring his stare, I walked over to the vehicle.


    Emmet exchanged a few words with Norman that I couldn¡¯t catch before he returned, holding his keys.


    Unlike his brother, who made me sit in the back seat, Emmet opened the passenger door for me, and I calmly slid inside.


    Once he started the engine, I found myself shifting uneasily in my seat.


    "I was working for Maximus," I muttered, turning slightly toward him.


    His hands gripped the steering wheel, the veins prominent under his skin, as he kept his eyes on the road.


    "Norman told me," he mentioned, referring to the brief conversation they had before we got in the car.


    "I have to be a part of this academy. I don¡¯t want to lose this opportunity," I rambled, wondering if Maximus had already fired me. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he had. I had causedplete chaos for them.


    "I admire your ambition. As for the admission fee, don¡¯t worry about it. Don¡¯t worry about any money¡ªI¡¯ll take care of it," Emmet said calmly, making my heart skip a beat.


    "I don¡¯t want to be a burden on anyone. I¡¯m notfortable borrowing money from you or my mother," I repeated, voicing the same sentiment I¡¯d expressed earlier.


    "I wasn¡¯t lending you money. Think of it as your brothers¡¯ allowance," he replied, slowing down just enough to pass me a quick nce. Hearing him strictly call himself my brother was a bit hard since we were mates.


    "No! I don¡¯t want that either. I want to work," I insisted again.


    "Fine. How about this¡ªyou take the money for the admission now, and when you start earning, you can pay it back? How does that sound?" His tone was so reasonable that I felt foolish for continuing to refuse his help.


    "That would work," I mumbled, relieved that he didn¡¯t follow up with anything to make me feel like I had given in too easily.


    "Hnie, I¡¯ve said it before, and I¡¯ll say it again¡ªif you ever need help, you cane to me anytime." As he parked the car on the side of the road, his deep, husky voice softened. He wasn¡¯t using that tone to sound a certain way¡ªthat was just how he naturally spoke.


    "I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so different from your brothers, but your kindness surprises me," I admitted, feeling the need to tell him how much he¡¯d helped me.


    I took off my seatbelt and turned to him, not getting out yet, and he didn¡¯t seem in a rush either.


    "And thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of the candidate list," I finally expressed my gratitude, something I should have done days ago. He unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to face me, his eyes carefully observing me.


    "I don¡¯t want to upset you or make you feel bad, but you don¡¯t have a wolf. There will be four stages of the tests¡ªtwo physical and two educational. You need to pass at least three of them. How do you n to¡ª" He paused, showing how thoughtful he was, even when stating the obvious.


    "I honestly have no idea. But I know I¡¯ll give it my 100%," I said confidently, watching as a smile slowly formed on his lips.


    "Then go ahead and give it your best shot. I want to see you in my ss next week," he teased, making meugh along with him.


    Wow! I canugh?


    I shocked at the thought and immediately stopped. When was thest time I¡¯dughed like that?


    Then my eyes drifted back to Emmet. He was so handsome¡ªhis long hair falling perfectly against his strong neck, his chiseled jawline, and his high cheekbones. He could easily make anyone¡¯s heart race.


    "Now go, rest well, and be prepared for tomorrow," Emmet said, finally breaking eye contact and straightening his posture, focusing back on the steering wheel. I nodded, slowly got out, and gave him a quick wave before walking through the woods.


    "You know you can be disqualified for trying to use one of the brothers to get into the academy."


    The voice sounded familiar, but I didn¡¯t recognize it until I turned around.


    "You!" I hissed, my eyes locking on his face, a flood of memories and anger blurring my vision.

 Chapter 42-A Crazy Gang Bang!

    <h4>Chapter 42: 42-A Crazy Gang Bang!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Whoa! Easy there, why are you looking at me like you¡¯re about to kill me?" He raised his hands dramatically, pretending to surrender, though I knew it was just his way of mocking me.


    "You knew if I participated in that kind of activity, I¡¯d be disqualified, didn¡¯t you?" I hissed, a frown etched on my forehead, my eyes ring at him.


    He shrugged, adjusting his jacket with one hand before wrinkling his nose. "One lesspetitor."


    "You¡¯re an asshole, Lamar," I muttered under my breath.


    "Okay, fine. I heard what happened. You chickened out and escaped. Key word: escaped. So what¡¯s the big deal?" He sounded so nonchnt, as if the game he yed with me didn¡¯t matter. Of course he didn¡¯t know that I ended up in my stepbrother¡¯s private room.


    "Oh, so just because I didn¡¯t get caught, everything¡¯s fine?" I wanted tosh out, but he seemed too strong. I kept my hands to myself and maintained a safe distance.


    "Hmm, you¡¯re acting like I meticulously picked you. You were desperate, and I thought, why not? It¡¯s not like I felt personally threatened by you. Others might, but you?" His voice dripped with sarcasm as he looked me over from head to toe.


    What an arrogant jerk!


    "You know what? Screw you!" I muttered, turning away to leave when he rushed after me.


    "What were you doing in the car with Emmet McQuoid? Or should I ask, how did you convince him to sit with you? He¡¯s not someone who¡¯s easily persuaded," Lamar kept rambling. One thing I¡¯d learned in the past few days was that Emmet had apletely different reputation in other people¡¯s eyes.


    To me, he was the easiest person to talk to. Or was he just like that with me? Could it be because he remembers that I¡¯m his mate? But he always insists on the whole stepbrother thing. Ugh!


    "You seem to have grown a backbone thesest few days. I remember when you were so sweet and timid," Lamarughed as he continued to follow me.


    "And I thought you were a decent person. First impressions really aren¡¯t worth much, huh?" I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn¡¯t see my face.


    "I was just trying to help you. Anyway, you still didn¡¯t answer my question. Where have you been all this time? And you¡¯reing back with Emmet Mc¡ª" He stopped mid-sentence when I swiftly turned to face him.


    There was a nasty smirk on his lips as he licked them, staring at my face.


    "Got a problem? Why don¡¯t you go ask Emmet yourself?" I shot him a tight-lipped smile, and I could tell he didn¡¯t like being outmatched.


    His smirk instantly faded when mine appeared.


    "Oh wait, you can¡¯t. You¡¯re scared of him. As for me hanging out with him, we¡¯re family. So stop annoying me about it," I warned, wagging a finger in his face before turning on my heel and walking away briskly.


    I didn¡¯t hear any remarks from him after that. Soon, I arrived at the shelter where I had to deal with other people. Ugh. I was beginning to realize just how much I enjoyed being alone.


    People can be so deceptive. They lure you into situations and emotions that are nothing but illusions.


    "Oh, you¡¯re back. I thought you¡¯d run away," Sydney stood beside her mattress, wiping off her makeup in front of the mirror. Her side of the wall was now fully decorated. She¡¯d gotten far toofortable and didn¡¯t hold back from unting her stuff.


    Her sister, Salem, was already in bed, either sleeping or pretending to. Salem wasn¡¯t much of a talker.


    I wished Sydney had taken after her.


    Ignoring her, I headed straight to the bathroom.


    "What a stuck-up bitch," Sydney muttered loud enough for me to hear. I stayed in the bathroom until I was done showering, trying to block out the annoyance. I didn¡¯t even have a uniform for the tests. I remembered Maimoxus mentioning it.


    "Oh, crap!" I groaned, realizing it would be another problem to deal with in the exam ground tomorrow. When I came out, Sydney was already asleep, and Lamar had also dozed off.


    "Hey," a soft *psst* caught my attention. I nced over at the far end of the mattresses and saw a couple sitting together, enjoying food by the dim light of a cellphone.


    "Come over here, we got you some food too," Lucy smiled warmly, her dimples making her look even more charming.


    I reluctantly walked over to tell her I wasn¡¯tfortable sitting with anyone new, but the sight ofsagna and sushi was enough to change my mind.


    I was starving, and this food hade from the academy.


    People in the past had deceived me with their false sweetness and fake kindness. Now, I am much more cautious.


    "Come, sit with us," Lucy insisted, making room for me and serving a little bit of everything on my te.


    "Hey, I noticed you don¡¯t have anything to wear. Why don¡¯t you try one of Lucy¡¯s tracksuits? She brought a few extra. You can use them," Gavin suggested, sliding a folded tracksuit in my direction.


    "Yes, please. I don¡¯t mind sharing," Lucy added, shing her signature dimples.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why they were being so kind to me. I wasn¡¯t used to people offering me anything out of nowhere. But they seemed so sweet and not evil. I watched the help, and then felt a little tug in my heart.


    "Thank you," I managed to say, choking on the tears I was trying to hold back. I didn¡¯t want them to see me cry, so I made it seem like nothing was wrong. I sat with them in silence, eating while they giggled andughed over each other¡¯s silly memories.


    They were so full of life.


    After we finished, I headed to my bed, hoping to get a good night¡¯s sleep and wake up refreshed. But before I could, my mind was left spinning.


    "Ahmm!"


    I woke up to the sound of someone moaning outside the shelter. It was strange because everyone else was still sound asleep.


    Who could be out there, having the time of their life? And why outside our shelter?


    I counted heads¡ªall the candidates were in their spots. Cautiously, I made my way outside.


    It was so cold outside that my skin began to turn red, and I was sure my cheeks were flushed crimson too. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. But even the biting cold couldn¡¯t prepare me for the shock I was about to experience as I left the shelter.


    As I stood in the opened door, what I saw made my heart stop.


    It was the four brothers.


    They were all naked, and it felt like I was witnessing something I shouldn¡¯t be. A ritual of some sort but it was not a ritual. A girl was on all fours. Emmet was lying on the ground while she rode him, Norman taking her from behind. Kaye had his length in her mouth while she clutched Maximus¡¯ soldier in her hand.


    "Ah!" I gasped, the worst shock hitting me like a punch to the chest when I recognized who the girl was.


    It was me!

 Chapter 43-The First Round

    <h4>Chapter 43: 43-The First Round</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I shook myself awake, but the nightmare seemed to have scarred me for a lifetime. Very soon, my mother would officially be marked and married to the father of the men I had dreamt of having a gangbang with.


    I shook my head again while showering. I didn¡¯t dream of it¡ªit just happened to be part of my nightmare.


    Instead of getting a restful night, I ended up waking and falling back asleep multiple times. I wanted to wake up feeling refreshed, but instead, I woke with overwhelming guilt. It felt like, subconsciously, I must have thought the brothers were very attractive.


    But then there was Norman.


    He was handsome¡ªextremely handsome¡ªbut I hated him with every inch of my being. There was no way I would dream of him like that.


    After slipping into the brown tracksuit Lucy had given me, I left the bathroom to find everyone ready to go.


    "Let me braid your hair," Lucy smiled warmly. She was so kind, with her beautiful hazel eyes that had a hint of violet in them.


    Her pixie-cut ck hair made her look even more adorable, especially when she tied it up into two small pigtails.


    She sat behind me and started braiding my hair while I noticed Sydney and Salem exchanging looks, silentlymunicating with each other. As always, the two were dressed impably. Salem¡¯s ck sprots bra and waist up ck leggingsplemented her sharp features, while Sydney¡¯s pink chrome leggings and deep V top made her look ethereal.


    Lamar satfortably with a smirk on his face. He knew I was still annoyed with him, and I wondered how I would perform in today¡¯s training.


    "Hey, don¡¯t stress. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do just fine," Lucy reassured me, adjusting my hair and helping me stand.


    I had never had friends who were so gentle with me. Lucy being so polite and kind felt a little unusual. I wanted to trust her kindness and believe she genuinely wanted to be my friend. But then, my eyes kept drifting to Lamar and Sydney, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡ªwhat if Lucy turns out to be just like them?


    We all stood in line outside our shelter, waiting. The awkward silence made me feel uneasy. We were told to stay there until we were called. There were other shelters and many other candidates participating, but I had heard that ours was thest group of the session for today¡¯s tests.


    "Listen, no matter what, don¡¯t give up, okay?" I felt a light tug on my shirt and turned to see Gavin, who was holding his girlfriend¡¯s hand to get her attention as well.


    "As long as you make it to the final line, you¡¯re fine. You¡¯ll only be disqualified if you don¡¯t return before midnight. Sure, you might lose the test, but at least you won¡¯t be disqualified. You¡¯ll just finishst, and if there are others who also finishst from other sessions, you¡¯ll all be grouped together. That way, you still have a chance to win if you do better in the other tests," Gavin whispered, giving us a helpful insight.


    "So, giving up isn¡¯t an option," Lucy echoed, nodding to herself as I bobbed my head softly in agreement.


    After a few more minutes, we saw the brothers arrive and quickly formed a line, standing side by side.


    "Wee, everyone," Norman approached first, making me secretly clench my jaw. He was wearing a gray shirt, his muscles straining against the fabric of his rolled-up sleeves. He was broad and bulky¡ªpure muscle and arrogance. Sometimes, I wondered if he looked at others and thought to himself, ¡¯What a peasant!¡¯


    "I hope you¡¯re all ready for the first test," Maximus said, his gaze sweeping across the group. I could have sworn his eyes lingered on me for just a moment too long. He was dressed in a blue shirt, neatly buttoned and tucked into ck pants, with his sleeves rolled up. He held some papers in his hand, likely a score sheet.


    "Ahem!" Emmet cleared his throat as he arrived, wearing a white shirt that was half-tucked into his pants, the other half hanging out. His long hair was pulled into a bun, with a few loose strands framing his face.


    I expected him to say something, but he remained silent.


    I felt a twinge of difort when Kaye joined the group. Dressed in all ck, he stood with his brothers but didn¡¯t say a word.


    "This is the first round, and it¡¯s all about stamina," Maximus announced, oddly focusing on me as he said the word. "You¡¯ll run 20 miles and return to this spot. Follow the white track markers and make sure you arrive before midnight. Anyone who finishesst will be considered fail."


    My heart began to race in my chest. I nced around and noticed Sydney growling, already hyped up to win the race. Salem looked equally excited. Everyone seemed eager¡ªexcept for me.


    "And no one is allowed to shift. You can rely on your wolf¡¯s strength, but you must remain in your human form throughout the race," Norman added in a stern voice, his gaze filled with arrogance as it swept over the group.


    "Now, everyone, prepare yourselves," Maximus instructed, stepping aside with his brothers. Anxiety churned in my stomach.


    There was no way I could beat any of them. I wasn¡¯t even sure I could make it to the finish line. Compared to the others, I was just a human. Nervously rubbing my palms together, my eyesnded on Emmet. I noticed he was already looking at me.


    Our eyes met without any expression at first, but then he gave me a small, reassuring nod, and I found myself smiling slightly. He looked soforting. That simple nod was enough to give me a sliver of strength.


    "Go!" Maximus waved the papers and stepped back, turning to speak with his brothers.


    The moment the race began, everyone burst into motion, their feet pounding against the rocky trail with powerful, confident strides. I followed, my steps awkward and unsteady as I tried to find a rhythm, though it felt forced rather than natural. For a brief moment, I dared to hope that maybe I could keep up. But that hope quickly faded.


    It wasn¡¯t long before I realized how far behind I had fallen. The gap between me and the others widened with every painful step. My legs were the first to betray me, a dull ache creeping in, slowing me down as they surged ahead. My heart pounded loudly, the sound echoing in my temples, a constant reminder of how hard my body was fighting just to keep moving.


    Still, I kept going. The ache in my muscles grew into a sharp burn, but I refused to stop. My breaths came in ragged, shallow gasps, yet I pushed on. The trail twisted ahead, but when I nced up, all I saw was empty space¡ªthe others were long gone, not a single person in sight. The silence of the mountain weighed on me, hinting at the loneliness of being so far behind.


    "Ah!" I groaned, frustration and exhaustion mingling in my voice as I nced up at the sky. Dark clouds loomed, slowly devouring the blue, casting shadows over the path. The storm brewing in the distance seemed almost like a curse. It was clear now what the oue of this race would be, but even with that certainty sinking in, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to stop. Not yet.

 Chapter 44-Maybe I Did It

    <h4>Chapter 44: 44-Maybe I Did It</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long I had been running. Time had blurred, and the pain in my chest struck me sharply. At least, I assumed it was my lungs¡ªit was hard to tell anymore. My whole torso burned, forcing me to slow down. I could hear my muscles cry for help. My bones were cracking too. At one point, my mouth was so dry that I stopped entirely just to lick my lips to moisten them.


    Not that I had been moving quickly to begin with. I just needed a break, a moment to catch my breath. Winning? That hope had already slipped away. Now, all I wanted was to finish. Just cross the finish line and make it to the meeting point.


    I sank to the ground, my legs trembling beneath me. Each breath escaped in ragged gasps as I tilted my head back, stretching my neck. A single raindrop sshed on my face. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was a blessing or a curse. Rain would only make things more difficult. The ground would turn slick, and the cold would creep in. Still, it had been over an hour already, and I should have covered most of the distance. But I hadn¡¯t even reached three miles yet. Three miles. My heart sank.


    I felt so weak. I had never been active, never trained for something like this. Doing chores around the house wasn¡¯t remotely the same as actual physical exertion. What was I thinking? After a few more deep breaths, I forced myself to stand. I couldn¡¯t stay here forever. I had to keep moving.


    The race had startedte because the other candidates from different shelters had to be examined first. I had no idea how many of them had passed or how many had been disqualified. What if... what if I was the only one left? The thought crept into my mind like a shadow, filling me with a deep sense of dread. What if I failed too? What if I was thest one standing, and I couldn¡¯t even finish?


    The weight of it all made my chest feel even tighter, as if I were being crushed from the inside. I wanted to copse. I wanted to scream. My legs felt like they might give out at any second, and it didn¡¯t help that the world was growing darker. The night seemed to be swallowing me whole, and with it, every ounce of hope I had left.


    Could I even make it twenty miles by midnight? Doubt swirled in my mind. The dark path ahead felt like it was closing in on me. Fear gnawed at me. I wasn¡¯t the only one who would be terrified¡ªmany would give up simply because of the shadows lurking in the woods. This race was as much a test of courage as it was of endurance.


    I nced down at the red smoke bomb they¡¯d given me. It was my escape, my signal to quit if things became too overwhelming. My fingers hovered over it, tempted to pull the pin and end this nightmare. But then I shook my head, withdrawing my hand as the memory of their smug faces resurfaced. The ones who hadughed, doubted me, said I wouldn¡¯t make it.


    "I can¡¯t give up," I muttered through gritted teeth. Frustration, anger¡ªit all surged inside me, driving me forward. I wasn¡¯t going to let them win. Not like this.


    By the time I was back on my feet, I was already drenched in sweat, though the rain quickly washed it away. Moving was a struggle, but I kept going. Finally, after many long hours, I could see the finish line. Lanterns lit the path, and warriors stood beside the brothers, holding umbres over their heads. I took a deep breath and lifted my gaze, seeing the area ahead deserted. The others must have been sent back to the shelter. The brothers were standing just outside the shelter¡¯s grounds¡ªthe same ce they had used to lecture us earlier that morning.


    I reached the finish line and copsed onto my knees, wheezing like crazy. The crowd remained silent as Norman stepped forward, crouching beside me. The warrior shifted the umbre, ensuring the rain didn¡¯t dare touch the rogue king¡¯s son.


    "And you think you deserve to be part of the academy?" Norman asked, lifting my chin so I had to meet his gaze.


    "I finished," I corrected him, breathless.


    "Last! You failed. That¡¯s not finishing," he sneered, wrinkling his nose in disgust. His aura was menacing, his narrowed eyes drilling into mine, daring me to challenge him. In that moment, I felt a surge of anger, not just at him, but at myself¡ªfor not winning this race.


    "It was only twenty miles. Even those who finishst don¡¯t take this long. This has never happened before until now¡ªyou¡¯ve set a new low," Norman continued, while his brothers stood silently behind him. I kept ring into his eyes, refusing to look away.


    Just then, Emmet finished a phone call and walked over. "Hnie! That was impressive. I¡¯m d you didn¡¯t give up. Keep pushing forward, you have potential." His words hit my ears like music.


    I nced from Norman to Emmet, noticing the prideful smile on Emmet¡¯s face.


    Norman clicked his tongue in irritation, took a deep breath, and then walked off toward Maximus and Kaye. Emmet was different from them.


    "But I failed," I said, sitting up, my back straight. I watched as Emmet gestured to the warrior to hold the umbre over my head instead. He didn¡¯t care that his suit was getting soaked, which wasn¡¯t ideal since the heavy rain instantly drenched him, making his white shirt almost see-through. He had tossed his coat aside earlier, so now I could practically see the outline of his muscles. There were tattoos on his body, but I couldn¡¯t make them out clearly.


    "You still have three more tests to go. Besides, the ones who finishedst from other groups are in the same position as you. So, if you pass the next tests¡ªand hopefully excel in one or two¡ªyou¡¯re in," he reassured me, his tone surprisingly kind. His deep, heavy voice might make someone think he was harsh, but he wasn¡¯t.


    "Just head inside and rest. Tomorrow is the intelligence test, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll pass with flying colors." He didn¡¯t even look at me as he spoke; his eyes were fixed on the sky above.


    He was kind, a different kind of kind. I wasn¡¯t even sure if he realized how much his words meant to me.


    "Really?" I asked, and he nodded, a warm smile spreading across his face.


    "Just have faith in yourself. Look at what you aplished today. It was a tough challenge, and you did it. I¡¯m sure you can achieve anything if you put your heart into it," he said, gently pressing a finger toward my chest. He didn¡¯t actually touch me, but it felt like his words had reached my heart.


    Then, without another word, he stood and walked away to rejoin his brothers. But I continued to watch him, wondering why I felt an odd connection with him¡ªa mate bond, perhaps?


    And then my gaze shifted to Kaye, who quickly looked away, almost as if he had been caught watching me.

 Chapter 45-Witnessing A Sin

    <h4>Chapter 45: 45-Witnessing A Sin</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I stepped into the shelter, drenched and with my head down. However, sudden cheers erupted, and before I knew it, Lucy was jumping towards me.


    "I¡¯m so d you made it!" She hugged me tightly, and as much as I wanted to share her happiness, I couldn¡¯t.


    "Congrattions," Gavin called out from across the room, offering me a smile. They had already changed. I guessed Sydney was thest one still in the bathroom.


    Salem satfortably against the wall, wearing a purple dress, her attention focused on her phone.


    "So, Hnie¡ªtwenty miles? Seriously?" Salem finally spoke, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She shot me a condescending look before scoffing at Lucy for acting as though I had won a medal.


    She wasn¡¯t wrong, though. There was no reason for us to be celebrating this. I wasst and felt like I had died a thousand times just trying to cross the finish line.


    "Don¡¯t listen to her," Lucy whispered in my ear.


    I hadn¡¯t seen anyone argue with the twins, and I could easily guess why.


    Nobody wanted to deal with a bully.


    "The water was so refreshing," Sydney remarked as she walked out, drying her hair with a towel that she carelessly tossed onto my mattress before heading to hers.


    "Oh, Hnie! Gosh, you actually made it. I was so worried about you! I was like¡ªwow! I used to run twenty miles when I was just a kid. And here¡¯s this grown woman struggling to finish!" Yep, that was Sydney¡¯s way of mocking me. She was more subtle about it than her sister.


    "Oh, by the way, do you know who won?" she giggled, doing a little shoulder shimmy. "Me!" She pointed a finger at her chest, and my faint smile quickly vanished.


    Not only were they blessed with a good family, luxuries, a powerful pack, and beauty¡ªbut also strength?


    "That¡¯s because you two sisters were wing at anyone who tried to pass you," Lamar said, taking off his hat to reveal his scratched-up face.


    I nearly gasped, but Sydney merely straightened her posture, unfazed by her own actions.


    "You came at me first. You were checking me out, mister," she used, pointing her fake acrylic nails at him, the pink design glinting under the light.


    "Huh? I wasn¡¯t checking you out! I was trying to pass you, and you didn¡¯t like it. Imagine if I had shown the same aggression," he retorted, almost lunging at her. Sydney narrowed her eyes at him, fists clenched tightly. Her nails must have been digging crescent marks into her palms.


    But she was so confident in her strength, I wondered if her wolf was as powerful as she seemed to think.


    And that¡¯s when I began to recall Norman¡¯s words.


    These are what the candidates look like. How well-trained and strong will the students at the academy be?


    Am I getting ahead of myself by even applying to this academy? But then, how else would I get my revenge?


    "Step back, Baldie. You mess with my sister, you mess with me."


    Salem¡¯s voice was calm but filled with menace as she delivered the threat from where she sat. Her skin began to turn a faint purple, a warning of what she was capable of. Her wolf must have been ready to surface.


    "I¡¯m not scared of two Barbie dolls. You want a fight? Meet me in the backyard after midnight," Lamar sneered, brushing past Sydney and nearly knocking her with his shoulder. She cursed under her breath but didn¡¯t retaliate.


    "Go change, or you¡¯ll catch a cold," Lucy quickly urged, gently pushing me towards the bathroom before Sydney could focus on me again.


    Once inside, I peeled off my tracksuit and quickly washed it, hoping it would dry by morning. I wasn¡¯t sure it would, especially since it was still raining outside.


    After taking a shower, I returned to my mattress andy down, staring at the ceiling. I didn¡¯t have the appetite to eat anything.


    So many thoughts and memories kept swirling in my mind. After a few minutes, I began to doze off, only to wake up past midnight with my stomach growling, begging for food.


    "Ugh!" I groaned, curling up and trying to ignore it, but the toll of those ten miles had caught up with me. My back ached, my legs were cramping, and my whole body felt weak. I wondered what it must feel like to have an active wolf.


    Why wasn¡¯t I given one? The Moon Goddess had granted me these pheromones without hesitation, so why not a wolf?


    I realized if I stayed lying there, ignoring my hunger, I¡¯d spiral into yet another angry rant against the Moon Goddess.


    I just wanted to grab something to eat and go back to sleep.


    I quietly slipped out of my mattress, careful not to disturb the others. The shelter was dark, and I made my way to the backyard. The rain had eased, but it was stilling down steadily.


    I silently wished for clear skies by morning. Emmet mentioned tomorrow would be an intelligence test, and he expected me to excel. Or maybe he just said that to make me feel better?


    I guess I¡¯d never know.


    Yawning and rubbing my eyes, I made my way to the kitchen. But before I could reach for the door, I realized it was already wide open.


    What I saw inside was a sight I did not want to witness.


    I remembered Lamar challenging Sydney to a fight earlier. Well, it seemed they had decided to settle their differences in a very different kind of "battle."


    Sydney was sitting on the counter, with Lamar standing between her legs, his dick going in and out of her in a rough manner. His hands roamed freely on her naked body, biting her nipples while she moaned, and her fingers gripped his back, pulling him closer as their bodies moved in sync.


    "Faster," she whispered, leaning back, her eyes half-closed, urging him on. He responded with a hard lick of her tit, his lips trailing around her ares.


    Their movements grew more intense as she demanded more from him, and with a swift turn, he positioned her differently, turning her around on the counter and smacking her ass hard. The kitchen was thick with tension, their voices low but filled with urgency.


    "You want it rough?" Lamar muttered under his breath, his tone dark and challenging as he tightened his grip on her hair, his hand lightly pping her asscheek yet again.


    Sydney responded with a breathless moan, her body arching into him as she whispered, "I like that," a satisfied smirk ying on her lips.


    That¡¯s when I instinctively stepped back, and the floorboard beneath me creaked. The sound shattered their moment, freezing them in ce. Slowly, their heads turned toward me, expressions shifting as they realized they were no longer alone.

 Chapter 46-Thrown Away!

    <h4>Chapter 46: 46-Thrown Away!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I clenched my fists in anxiety, stepping back, unable to tear my gaze away from them. I could tell they weren¡¯t pleased to see me standing there.


    Quickly, I turned to leave, but amotion behind me stopped me in my tracks. As I hurried, I slipped on the slick steps and nearlynded on my butt. However, I didn¡¯t hit the ground.


    Lamar had grabbed me from behind. I didn¡¯t know how he reached me so fast, but the distance was short.


    "Where do you think you¡¯re going?" he muttered in my ear, pulling me back into the kitchen and mming the door shut.


    He tossed me across the room, my body flying andnding lightly, like a feather.


    Sydney was hastily pulling on her pink gown while Lamar finished adjusting his pants. He didn¡¯t bother to button his shirt, revealing his abs.


    "So, you ruined our fun, huh?" Lamar sneered, cracking his knuckles, looking disturbingly unhinged.


    "I was just looking for... food," I mumbled, keeping my head down, avoiding eye contact in an attempt not to provoke them.


    "Well, consider yourself lucky tonight because you found more than just a snack," he snickered, his fingers slowly and deliberately tracing his abs, his voice dripping with arrogance.


    "I¡¯ll just go back to the shelter," I said, trying to stand up, but the way Sydney shoved Lamar from behind made it clear I wasn¡¯t supposed to move.


    "What? You want her to join us?" Lamar joked, ncing at Sydney while she grunted. She hadn¡¯t even looked me in the eye the whole time.


    "She saw us! She¡¯s going to tell everyone I was messing around with you in this run-down kitchen," Sydney hissed, her voice rising before she caught herself, lowering it to avoid waking anyone in the shelter.


    I doubted that would happen.


    "So, what do you want me to do about it?" Lamar rolled his eyes at her, cing his hands on his hips. They both stood in front of the door, making sure I didn¡¯t move.


    "I won¡¯t tell anyone. I don¡¯t gossip," I quickly assured her, genuinely meaning it. I had no intention of spreading rumors. But she shook her head furiously.


    "No! I won¡¯t let her walk through the hallways and give me that look, like ¡¯Oh, I know your secret,¡¯" she said dramatically, shrugging her shoulders, trying to paint me as some kind of nosy gossiper.


    "But I wouldn¡¯t. And why would anyone believe me, even if I did say something?" I asked, confused about what she was trying to aplish by keeping me here. It wasn¡¯t like she could make me forget, so what was she really up to?


    "Lamar, you don¡¯t get it. If she says anything, everyone will start watching us. Anytime we talk or meet, they¡¯ll assume something¡¯s going on," Sydney folded her arms across her chest, hinting at some hidden paranoia behind her words.


    "I¡¯ll walk out of here and never mention it. I have secrets too, I know what it¡¯s like to keep them," I said, my voice trembling. My entire body was shaking; their stares were terrifying. I couldn¡¯t tell what was running through their heads, but it wasn¡¯t good. Sydney seemed determined to convince Lamar that I would go out and spread the news of their encounter.


    "Fine. What do you want me to do?" Lamar finally understood her silent plea, and that¡¯s when I knew I had to act quickly.


    I sprang to my feet, rushing towards the door. My n was simple: shove them out of the way and escape. But I didn¡¯t make it far.


    "No! Don¡¯t!" A hand grabbed my hair, yanking me back with brutal force. I fell onto my back, wincing in pain as Lamar loomed over me, shaking his head. He crouched down, resting his hands on his knees while Sydney stood tall beside him, her expression cold and calcting.


    "Make sure she doesn¡¯t take part in the rest of the tests so she gets disqualified and kicked out of the program. I don¡¯t want her in my academy, spreading rumors," Sydney demanded, and I was in shock. I couldn¡¯t believe what she was asking.


    "There¡¯s only one way to make sure of that," Lamar said, straightening his back with a sigh.


    "I know. Let¡¯s mess her up," Sydney sneered, and before I could react, she kicked me hard in the stomach.


    "You¡¯re crazy!" I screamed, but it didn¡¯t matter. The next thing I knew, they were both on me, kicking and punching relentlessly. I tried to defend myself, iling my arms to fight back, but it was no use. Their blows keptnding until darkness began to close in on me.


    It wasn¡¯t fair. They didn¡¯t even give me a chance to call for help. It all happened so fast that I couldn¡¯t even fight back¡ªnot that I could have overpowered them anyway.


    But I couldn¡¯tnd a single punch.


    I wondered if they nned to kill me. But why? It wasn¡¯t that big of a secret, and it¡¯s not like anyone would believe me without proof.


    My whole body ached, and I was barely conscious when I felt myself being lifted and carried.


    "Dump her far away. We just need to make sure she misses today¡¯s test. She¡¯ll be off the list and never allowed near the academy again," I heard Sydney whisper as I was ced in the backseat of a car.


    I could feel blood trickling from my nose and lips. My eyes were so swollen that I could barely open them.


    "We should¡¯ve just given her wolfsbane and let her sleep through the day. Why did you have to ruin such a pretty face?" Lamarined as the car started moving. I had no idea where they were taking me.


    I desperately wanted to get up and fight back, but my life was far from a perfect dream.


    "Pretty face? Then why didn¡¯t you beg her for her dry vagina instead of fucking me?" Sydney shot back, her voiceced with bitterness. Lamar let out a teasingugh in response.


    They were having a casual conversation, as if they weren¡¯t in the middle ofmitting a crime. After what felt like forever, the car came to a stop, and I felt myself being lifted out again.


    Lamar slung me over his shoulder, carrying me down a dark, rough path. When he finally set me down, he pped my cheek lightly to wake me up.


    "Sorry, you should¡¯ve minded your own business. I really can¡¯t afford to lose my connections with the higher-ups," he muttered before shoving me forcefully. My body rolled down a steep hill, the thorns and jagged rocks tearing into my skin. Inded at the bottom, barely able to keep my eyes open before losing consciousnesspletely.

 Chapter 47-The Broken Brother Bond

    <h4>Chapter 47: 47-The Broken Brother Bond</h4>


    <strong>Maximus:</strong>


    "She is so dull and foolish," Imented as I entered the mansion with my brothers. It was raining heavily, so we had informed the maids to prepare soups and other meals for us. We nned to spend some quality time as a family.


    "I wonder how everyone feels about our academy giving a chance to a wolf-less creature like her?" I continued, noticing Norman fixing his shirt, which made me wonder if he had a n.


    "I have already taken care of it," he shrugged, stepping onto the terrace where a beautiful gazebo awaited us. The weather was pleasant now. It was still raining, but it only added to the beauty of the night.


    Emmet had been left behind, and I knew what he was doing before arriving here. The three of us sat down, watching the maids serve us delicious food just as Emmet showed up.


    "I didn¡¯t let anyone know about each candidate from the shelters this year. They arepletely in the dark about who is joining and who isn¡¯t. So when she gets rejected, she will be out of our lives, and no one will know our admission criteria dropped so significantly," Norman quickly exined before Emmet reached us. He had three bottles of wine in his hands, looking all smiles and cheerful.


    "But this happy drinker over here had promised to pay for her admission fee. If he hadn¡¯t been so generous, she would have been out by now," Iined, noticing how Emmet didn¡¯t even pay attention to my words as he sat down and focused on the bottles first.


    "Hey, not tonight. Enjoy the feast with us first, and then we¡¯ll all drink together," Norman reached for his hand and shook his head, his eyes meeting our brother¡¯s gaze, who nodded steadily before leaning back away from the alcohol.


    "But¡ªhave you guys ever wondered what might be making her so desperate that she wants to be part of the academy where she will only get bullied for having no wolf?" Kaye¡¯s statement really surprised me.


    I guess we had promised we wouldn¡¯t even want to focus on her life. Our only goal would be to send her back from where she hade.


    And then I remembered how Kaye acted when he returned from sharing his dream. He had been very silent and didn¡¯tment much whenever Hnie¡¯s topic was brought up.


    "Once she is in the academy?" Norman let out augh, hisrge frame looming over the table as he started on the entr¨¦e.


    "She will never get to be a part of the academy. Not just because we don¡¯t want her to be, but because she cannot pass these tests. You saw how terribly she performed in the first test, right? I thought she wouldn¡¯t even make it by midnight. And I will tell you what she is thinking. She believes that if she gets into the academy, she will tell everyone she is the stepdaughter of the rogue king and the stepsister of the academy trainers and will be treated differently. But she is mistaken. I will never let her take advantage of our hard work." Norman filled his mouth with cheese tarts, looking very pleased with the taste of the food.


    "But she did reach the finish line. And that¡¯s what matters the most. She doesn¡¯t have a wolf, yet she is so determined. I really don¡¯t understand why you brothers are so against the idea of your own stepsister doing well in her life?" I knew Emmet would say somethingpletely ridiculous.


    I just didn¡¯t understand why we had to sit with this drunkard and talk about important issues when he never acted like a family member or thought like one. If we hated someone, shouldn¡¯t he hate them too?


    "Yeah, like we would pay attention to what you say," I grunted under my breath, earning a head shake from Norman.


    "I mean¡ª," Kaye cleared his throat, his fingers dripping in sauce as he picked up a dumpling, "what if it¡¯s something else? She¡ªum¡ªmight be dealing with some issues." The brother who never thought twice before speaking his mind was now stuttering.


    I raised my eyes and nced at Norman, who was looking back at me. We understood each other very well. We weremunicating with our eyes, already grasping what was going on. Whoever spends time with her starts to feel something for her¡ªeither sympathy or maybe something else. Is she a witch or something?


    I wanted to argue with Kaye and tell him that everyone is going through something in life. The omegas mainly, so why should we give Hnie so much privilege?


    "Alright. Let¡¯s talk about our own bigger issues. She shouldn¡¯t be a topic of our important discussions," Norman straightened his back, no longer hunched over the food, and gestured to Emmet to pour us all a ss.


    "Umm! I will not drink much tonight," Kaye scratched his neck, his eyes squinting slightly as he avoided making eye contact with us. This was not good. I was worried about my brother.


    "Why not? Are you going somewhere?" I inquired, and he steadily shook his head.


    "I¡¯ll just sleep. I don¡¯t feel like staying awake," he replied. He had been so different ever since he returned. I heard these were signs of stress and worry of returning from the dream prison. That damn girl had really messed up my brother¡¯s head. But why the heck was she not showing any signs of trauma from the dream prison? It was her dream prison, and she spent time there; howe she was fine?


    "Sure, whatever feels right," Norman said, not even looking at Kaye as he patted his back. After we had one drink, Emmet and Kaye left to do their own things. This had never happened before.


    When we sat down like this, we talked and cherished these moments for hours, sometimes even until dawn. We knew we had fairly busy lives, so whenever we got a chance, we really made the most of it.


    "Something is up with him," Norman sniffled, staring at the wine ss in his hand. I could tell my brother did not expect Emmet and Kaye to leave our meeting like that.


    "Do you think¡ªmaybe¡ª" I shifted ufortably in my seat, "Hnie is doing something to them?" I didn¡¯t want to say it outright, but I had a very bad gut feeling that she was responsible for how distant our brothers were bing.


    "Hope not," there was a clear warning in Norman¡¯s eyes as he finished his drink.


    "We should head back to our rooms too." The disappointment and sadness in Norman¡¯s gaze really upset me. He had done so much for us, so my brothers leaving this family meetup really hurt him. He walked over to me, bent down, and gave me a kiss on the head before parting ways. He had never been just our brother; he always took care of us as if he were our father.


    "I am going to confront that cunning girl tonight," and that¡¯s when I couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. I got up to go grab Hnie out of her shelter and make her answer my questions.

 Chapter 48-Her Scent Of Blood

    <h4>Chapter 48: 48-Her Scent Of Blood</h4>


    <strong>Maximus:</strong>


    I drove to the shelter, not keeping the time or the rain in mind. Since Kaye refused to talk about Hnie¡¯s perfect dream, I wanted to ask her myself. Something must have happened in that dream prison that changed Kaye so much. He looked so lost.


    "I have a very bad feeling about this. What will you even say when calling her out of the shelter at this time of night?" Xim questioned, showing his reluctance to support my idea of confronting her.


    "I will say we brothers decided to ask her onest time if she still wants to be part of the tests after what happened¡ª" I paused mid-sentence, "I¡¯ll just make up some excuse. It¡¯s not like anyone can dare to ask me any questions."


    I was growing impatient; my veins felt like they were about to explode. Why wouldn¡¯t Kaye want to talk about what happened in the dream prison? Did he really not remember anything like he imed? If that were true, then why the change of heart?


    Once I reached the road where we parked our cars to head toward the shelter, I sighed and remained in my seat. The way my two brothers had changed worried me. Emmet and Kaye were the most dangerous people anyone coulde into contact with. Emmet had spent many years of his life showing no feelings or emotions to anyone around him, and Kaye simply hated everyone. If they could be convinced by her stupid games, then I was a very weak person when it came to women.


    "Just think¡ªwe cannot do anything with her because she is our stepsister," Xim spoke up, voicing what I wasn¡¯t saying out loud.


    "Of course I¡¯m not tempted by her," I felt offended that he even brought it up. But was it a lie?


    Suddenly, a shback of us washing my car together came to mind. I remembered when her dress became see-through, revealing her bra. It was so difficult to look away from her. If she weren¡¯t my stepsister, I would have ripped her clothes off and chewed that bra off to suck her nipples¡ª


    "No, no, no! She is my stepsister!" I instantly yelled in my car, taking deep breaths.


    "She is taking over everyone¡¯s heart," my wolf shocked me when he phrased it that way.


    "Not mine," I refused to believe that and got out of the car to confront her. As I marched down the dark trail, I prepared my questions in my head. Once outside the shelter, I watched it stand tall. All the students had their cars and bikes parked on the road except for Hnie. She had nothing. I walked over to the shelter and knocked on the door.


    I expected everyone to be fast asleep, but it was surprising how quickly Sydney opened the door. I recognized her because she was the first one to cross the line the other day.


    "Maximus McQuoid?" Her eyes grew wide, and her lips quickly rubbed together to look presentable. She ran her fingers through her wet hair and then smiled widely.


    Did she just take a shower, or was she out in the rain?


    "You must have a candidate here who wasst in yesterday¡¯s test? What is her name¡ª" I pretended to think, even though it would sound strange that I arrived at this time to speak to a candidate, "Hnie."


    Sydney raised her brow, checking me out from head to toe.


    "Can I see her?" I asked, trying to appear confident.


    "Umm, she left," she shrugged, and no matter how hard I tried to hide my surprise, I couldn¡¯t. My jaw dropped. I quickly cleared my throat and adjusted my jacket, trying to process her statement.


    "What do you mean by she left?" I questioned her.


    Sydney came from a wealthy background. I had always seen her wear branded clothes from the admissions to the test day. But today, she wore something less appealing.


    Her confidence was shaken, which shouldn¡¯t have been the case since she came first in yesterday¡¯s race. My eyes thoroughly examined her bodynguage; she was shaking, either from the cold or nervousness.


    "I don¡¯t know. She was crying a lot that ¡ªshe let everyone down byingst. We tried tofort her and told her that it wasn¡¯t the case and that she should at least try, but she refused. She said she was wasting her time and that she didn¡¯t even have money for the main admission," Sydney yapped on until she finished, then took a deep breath, almost as if she were trying to calm herself down.


    "Huh? Really? She left?" I tilted my head, examining her as she nodded again.


    "Okay. I came here to talk to her myself. I thought I could try to convince her not to be a part of this academy and save her money¡ª" However, just when I was trying to rify why I hade, I focused on my own words.


    She didn¡¯t pay a dime. She wasn¡¯t going to pay either. Emmet had already informed her that he had paid for her entry and had even promised her admission fee.


    "Oh, well, she saved you the trouble," Sydney kept holding the door a little too tightly.


    "Okay, have a good night, and best of luck for tomorrow." I didn¡¯t stick around and quickly turned to leave. I heard her close the door, but I wasn¡¯t satisfied with her reasoning. Hnie quit? That girl was crazy stubborn.


    "Do you smell something?" Xim uttered, causing my body to freeze in my steps. "It smells like blood in here."


    My body twitched at my wolf¡¯s words. I looked around and took a few steps toward the backyard when I found one of the candidates cleaning the kitchen.


    "You¡¯re cleaning the kitchen in the rain?" I asked the guy, making him jump in shock. He turned around and smiled awkwardly, clearly not expecting me to arrive. He was Lamar, the one with sketchy actions and background. He was in my mind and I nned to keep a close eye on him once he is in the academy.


    "We went a little crazy and spilled all the marinara sauce here," he let out a nervousugh, making me nce around the kitchen. He was really going at it with the mop.


    His shirtless body seemed tense, and if he thought he could fool me with the fresh scent of blood and call it marinara sauce, he was mistaken.


    "Okay, good job," I patted his shoulder, walking out of the kitchen and heading straight to my car.


    "We need to find Hnie," I told my wolf with determination. Something happened here tonight, and I wouldn¡¯t rest until I found Hnie and ensured she left on her own, just like Sydney said she did.

 Chapter 49-Cradled In My Arms

    <h4>Chapter 49: 49-Cradled In My Arms</h4>


    <strong>Maximus:</strong>


    Rain pounded against the windshield as I gripped the steering wheel, my eyes scanning the dark road ahead. The wipers struggled to keep pace, but I barely noticed. I couldn¡¯t get my interaction with Lamar and Sydney out of my head.


    ¡¯They were lying,¡¯ my wolf caught on and I hissed under my breath. The strange thing was that I felt incredibly odd. I quickly checked my messages from Norman and realized the next full moon was in exactly four days. It made sense.


    My chest tightened, but not just from frustration. A dull ache spread through my body, a warning I couldn¡¯t ignore. My muscles were tense, and my joints burned as if I¡¯d been running for miles. The full moon was still four days away, but the pull was already there, making every movement harder and heavier. That¡¯s what happens every full moon.


    Tonight, however, I felt as if I could sense Hnie¡¯s scent. That was peculiar. I didn¡¯t typically respond well to the scents or odors of living beings. Something was amiss.


    My chest constricted. I had left the windows open to keep my focus on the aroma, as it had somehow be my greatest power tonight.


    I floored the gas. The tires skidded on the slick road, but I didn¡¯t care. I had to find her.


    ¡¯I just have a very bad feeling about this,¡¯ I knew I wasn¡¯t freaking out over nothing.


    The scent grew stronger as I drove deeper into the mountains. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling¡ªshe was close, and someone had harmed her. My gut twisted with anger and concern.


    Recalling Sydney¡¯s words only made me feel more uneasy. Could it be that those two had done something to her? There was no way.


    They were going to be students at our prestigious academy; they wouldn¡¯t do something so reckless and jeopardize their futures. Rain hammered on the roof, a steady, maddening rhythm. I followed Hnie¡¯s scent as best as I could, but it kept fading in and out, swallowed by the storm. I mmed the brakes as the road split ahead, the tires skidding on the wet gravel.


    Left or right?


    I growled in frustration, trying to concentrate, but the rain was washing her scent away. I turned left, hoping for a breakthrough. After a mile, the road ended abruptly, leading to nothing but dense trees and mud.


    "Damn it!" I mmed my fist against the steering wheel.


    "Calm down. Remember, it¡¯s just Hnie?" Xim noticed my agitation and quickly tried to remind me that if she had left, it would be good for us.


    "I don¡¯t understand. Why the heck are you looking for her? Sydney said she left. Isn¡¯t that what we brothers wanted? Weren¡¯t you worried about Kaye?" I hated it whenever Xim referred to Kaye as just my brother and not his.


    This was what Xim did whenever the full moon was approaching; hence, I avoided him. I reversed, trying the other road. For a moment, I caught her scent again, stronger this time¡ªthen nothing. Another dead end.


    Then another wave of pain surged through my body, making me bite my bottom lip. I gritted my teeth, trying to shake it off. I didn¡¯t have time for this. Hnie was out there¡ªhurt, afraid. I couldn¡¯t let the pain slow me down. Not now.


    I mmed the wheel and turned the car around again, battling the stiffness in my arms. The tires skidded as I rounded the bend, and then I mmed the brakes. I just had a feeling she was here.


    I closed my eyes and tried to focus on anything but the rain. Then I heard a soft whimper.


    "Ah!" It was filled with pain and misery.


    I jumped out of my car, drenched by the rain, and looked around, reaching a slope where the whimpers grew stronger. I hastily grabbed my phone and turned on my shlight to look down.


    There she was.


    At first, I barely recognized her through the blur of rain and darkness. Her small formy at the bottom of a slope, struggling, barely moving. She was trying to crawl up¡ªher fingers digging into the mud, her body shaking. Even in this state, with wounds painting her skin red, she was still fighting.


    A whimper broke through the storm, faint but desperate. It tore through me, sharp as a de. I was in disbelief. How the hell did this happen?


    It was also proof that Lamar and Sydney lied.


    Did the candidates do something to her? Of course, the smell of blood in the kitchen was simr to the scent of blood on Hnie.


    "Hnie!" As soon as I yelled her name, I watched her slowly raise her head, and my heart twisted at the sight. She had swollen eyes, one of which was even shut. Her split lips were swollen, and her nose was a mess.


    There were many more injuries, but they faded into the darkness.


    "I can do this," I focused on her trembling lips and saw her trying to muster some courage. It broke my heart.


    Without wasting another minute, I rushed down.


    "We can let her die here," Xim whispered creepily, but I blocked his voice out. That wasn¡¯t even an option.


    I dropped to my knees beside her, my hands hovering for a moment, afraid to touch her, afraid of hurting her more. She tried to speak, but all I could hear was her ragged breathing and her struggle to stay conscious.


    For the first time, I felt something snap inside me, something I didn¡¯t even know I had. Protectiveness. Rage. A need so deep it hurt worse than any transformation ever could.


    "I am here, Hnie. I will take care of you," I whispered, cradling her as gently as I could. My hands trembled, but I lifted her and made my way up to my car. Once Iid her down in the backseat, I sped off to take her to the hospital.


    "Uhhhh! I am¡ªfine. I have done this before," she muttered in her semi-conscious state. Every word that came out of her lips sounded like a tragic story.


    I felt so terrible and guilty. We knew she was a vulnerable creature among crazed young wolves, and we didn¡¯t warn them about treating her right.

 Chapter 50-Maybe I Am Heartless?

    <h4>Chapter 50: 50-Maybe I Am Heartless?</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    The sadness had consumed me entirely. I had worked so hard all week to spend this time with my brothers like I always did. But now it was all ruined. Emmet and Kaye were barely present. I knew they were grown up now, but we were stillmitted to our time together--until Hnie arrived.


    Once they brought her up, their moods changed.


    Throwing my phone on the bed, I stood before therge mirror and began taking off my shirt. My eyes lingered on my abs and the prominent scar on the left side of my ribs. It had healed, but the scar remained. Some scars are left on our bodies to ensure we don¡¯t forget the tragic past. So every time I stripped naked and saw the scar, I was transported back in time.


    But the ringing of my phone pulled me back to reality. I turned my head and stared at the screen.


    "Oh! Jessica," I groaned as I realized I had forgotten to text her back. I reached my bed and dropped onto the hard mattress with my arms spread wide and my shirt wide open. I held my phone up and sighed as I opened her text.


    Jessica: I got the work done myself. But I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been busy, and that¡¯s why you couldn¡¯t reach me back.


    I felt terrible for forgetting about her. I couldn¡¯t recall a single thing when it came to my brothers. Jessica had asked me to do a simple task of getting information on someone, and I couldn¡¯t even manage that for her.


    She was the daughter of Lord Louise, the wealthy rogue from North. He was as big a name as my father but couldn¡¯t secure the title of Rogue King because of us brothers. We seemed more suited for taking over the duties of the future Rogue King in the North, South, East, and West.


    That¡¯s whenLord Louise returned to his pack and decided to be a part of it again. He became the Alpha King of the North. Then an alliance was formed between my father and him. They decided I should choose Jessica as my mate. We had been dating for some time before we got engagedst year. She was confident, powerful, and a royal beta in line with her pack. I had a great understanding with her since we had known each other for years.


    Instead of texting her back, I decided to call her instead.


    "Hello?" I could barely sound normal. That was my problem; I couldn¡¯t fake my emotions. When I was upset, it showed in my bodynguage, my tone, and even my words.


    "Hey, you okay?" she asked after only hearing a word.


    I felt like smiling.


    "I¡¯m fine. Just tired. We had an exam today. The new candidates took their first test," I uttered, staring at the ceiling.


    "Oh, you guys have already started new admissions?" I could tell she must be pouting or rolling the strands of her brown hair around her finger.


    "Yeah, the new semester is starting," I mumbled.


    I knew why she didn¡¯t like hearing about our academy. Her brother wanted to be a part of it, but he failed the tests, especially the educational ones. Not only that, he was ted to be the alpha of his pack before he could be the Alpha King.


    "Hmmm, my brother is doing very well. He stayste on the training ground and goes back to his hostel early in the morning. His teachers are praising him a lot," she began with her usual chatter. I didn¡¯t mind her talking about her brother, but it had be quite repetitive at this point. She wanted her brother to be a part of our academy so he could be the next Alpha King of the North.


    The academies usually trained Alphas for the final battle between Alphas for the selection of the Alpha King title. It took ce every five years. But that¡¯s not all. They have to fight the existing Alpha King in the final battle, and if they don¡¯t win, the reigning Alpha King remains the crowned king.


    "Yeah, you know what? I¡¯m kind of tired," I said, cutting her off. I didn¡¯t have time to hear about her brother¡¯s aplishments. He was very arrogant, and whenever we met, he acted like he was a big deal.


    "Oh, I¡¯m sorry I bored you with all the talk about my brother," she replied in a much bitter tone before adding, "Okay, tell me how I can change your mood."


    I waited in silence, contemting how to avoid offending her. But there was no other way. Her remark hinted at the fact that I cared a lot about my brothers, too.


    "By letting me rest?" I groaned. "We¡¯ll talk in the morning. Good night!" I hung up, but before I could even put my phone down, she called me again.


    I didn¡¯t even open my eyes and answered the call. "Jessica, can we please talk tomorrow?" I grunted through clenched teeth.


    "Brother, we¡¯ve got a problem." My eyes shot open when I heard Maximus instead. I pulled my phone away just to check the caller ID--it was Maximus calling me.


    "What happened? Are you okay?" I asked, hearing some noises in the background, and goosebumps spread across my skin. Why wasn¡¯t he at home?


    "I¡¯m in my car right now, taking Hnie to the hospital," I said, unsure whether to be shocked or concerned.


    "Hnie? Why is she in the car with you? What the fuck!" I stood up, holding my phone between my cheek and shoulder while buttoning up my shirt.


    "It¡¯s umm--she was attacked by someone and thrown into the deep mountains to die." My phone almost slipped from my grasp as I tightened my hold to focus on my brother¡¯s words.


    A defenseless creature was attacked by someone in the shelter? Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be safe there? Why would she be targeted?


    "Listen, I¡¯ming over. Just send me the address," I told him, knowing he had to drive her to the nearest pack to get her proper treatment.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll admit her until then--" I cut Maximus off because I had to.


    I hated to be that person who was heartless, but I really didn¡¯t feel good about this girl. Ever since she had shown up at our door, she had only gotten herself into trouble and wasted my brothers¡¯ time.


    "Don¡¯t admit her. Let mee over first," I uttered with difficulty, not happy that what I was about to do would make my brother see me as a heartless creature.

 Chapter 51-In The Backseat Of My Car

    <h4>Chapter 51: 51-In The Backseat Of My Car</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    "Why can¡¯t we admit her? She¡¯s in bad shape," Maximus¡¯s voice was raised, though not at me. His anger stemmed from sheer frustration as he paced around his car, the door to the backseat left open to reveal the wounded Hnie. The sight of her was truly devastating, one must have felt bad for her. But not me.


    I didn¡¯t feel deeply affected. My reaction was a learned behavior. I just knew I had to feel bad for her and that¡¯s what I was trying to do.


    "Do you want our academy to be in the news? We¡¯ve worked tirelessly to reach the level of sess we have today. I¡¯m not risking it for anyone¡ªespecially for her," I said, gesturing toward her. I tried. But I just couldn¡¯t act like I would give up everything for the sake of someone like her.


    Ever since she had stepped into our lives, she had been trying to get our attention. And my naive brothers were drawn to her innocence.


    She was wheezing, probably from pain, and my eyes lingered on her longer than I intended before I looked away. No! I wouldn¡¯t let myself feel sorry for her.


    My brothers aren¡¯t very wise. They¡¯re emotional fools with soft hearts, prone to weaknesses. But I have none of those ws.


    The only weakness I have is ¡¯are my brothers¡¯.


    "To hell with that! It¡¯s not our academy¡¯s fault. People will understand. Right now, she¡¯s dying¡ª" Maximus groaned, running his hands through his hair.


    I rolled my eyes and knelt down by the car door, struggling to fit in the tight space without bending awkwardly. Carefully, I touched her wrist to check her pulse. Her skin was smooth, soft to the touch. Her wrist was so slender that I could hold it between just two fingers, and it still felt fragile. If I applied a little more pressure, her wrist would split into two halves.


    I noticed her thick eyshes fluttering as she fought to keep her eyes open. Despite her injuries, she was trying to stay conscious. It surprised me.


    She was so stubborn¡ªrefusing even to pass out.


    But her eyes were swollen and dark, bruised almost beyond recognition. I noticed her bruised lip. She must have endured so much pain as a wolfless creature.


    "What happened?" Maximus¡¯s hand on my shoulder startled me, nearly making me jump.


    I swallowed hard and immediately pulled my hand away. It was like I had drowned in a sea of unknown emotions. They didn¡¯t seem learned for a moment and that startled me. I ced my hand on my chest, a little above the scar on my ribs and then shook myself out of the trance.


    "Um, she¡¯s sustained many injuries, but none are fatal," I said, standing up, feeling oddly disoriented.


    Why the hell had I taken so long just holding her wrist?


    "Well, she can¡¯t heal on her own. And just because she won¡¯t die doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s in any less pain. Look at her¡ªshe¡¯s barely breathing. We need to get her immediate care," my brother said, his voice edged with worry for a girl who seemed to do nothing but disturb our peace. Worse still, her mother had once ensnared our father in her maniptions too.


    I remembered her mother behaving the same way when she first entered our lives. She used to be so helpless, constantly in trouble, and my father loved swooping in as her ¡¯hero.¡¯


    "Let¡¯s take her to our farmhouse. I¡¯ll bring in doctors and nurses, have them sign NDAs, and make sure she¡¯s well cared for. She¡¯ll be fine, alright?" I patted Maximus¡¯s shoulder as he continued to stare at her. I wasn¡¯t going to let this issue be a noose around my brother¡¯s neck. He didn¡¯t understand the severity of this situation yet.


    "Maximus, remember what we¡¯ve discussed about her? She¡¯s making us lose sight of ourselves," I reminded him. I¡¯d been so proud of him tonight for seeing through her, but now he was falling back, just like the others.


    We weren¡¯t supposed to think like emotional fools. We run an academy, and it¡¯s our duty to protect its reputation above all else. And then, my brother¡¯s image meant the world to me.


    "Fine, but we need to take good care of her. This happened to her under our academy¡¯s shelter," Maximus said, looking visibly weary. But he knew he could trust me.


    I¡¯d make things right. What this fool didn¡¯t realize was that if anyone found out, they¡¯d start questioning him, asking why he was looking for Hnie¡ªa candidate¡ªafter midnight. He¡¯d told me he wanted to confront her, but nobody would understand that; they¡¯d see it as an excuse. I¡¯d let a hundred more Helenies go if it meant protecting my brother¡¯s reputation.


    "Alright, let¡¯s drive her to the farmhouse, then," Maximus said, resigned, as he moved to get back in his car. But I caught his hand, pulling him back.


    "You should head home. I¡¯ll take care of her," I said, watching as Maximus drifted into thought before snapping back and shaking his head.


    "I can drive her myself," he insisted. However, I knew he was not thinking straight and would end up making a mistake or two. Above all, I needed to keep her away from him.


    "Maximus, don¡¯t you trust me?" I asked, hands on my hips.


    With a sigh of defeat, he stepped out and let me take over. I climbed into his car, sending him home in my own vehicle.


    After starting the engine, I adjusted the rearview mirror to get a quick look at the biggest drama queen around.


    "How can someone manage to get into so much trouble all the time?" I muttered, shaking my head as I spoke to her.


    I wasn¡¯t sure she could even hear me; she¡¯d finally passed out.


    Tomorrow, I¡¯d have to clean Maximus¡¯s car. She¡¯d dirtied it with her blood. Poor guy¡ªhe must have been frantic when he realized she was missing.


    Why couldn¡¯t she just mind her own business and stay out of trouble?


    But then it hit me¡ªtomorrow is the test, and there¡¯s no way she¡¯ll make it onto the field in this condition.


    "Looks like you are going to fail this test and then, you are out of the academy," I couldn¡¯t believe something good came out of something tragic.

 Chapter 52-Wrapped Around Her Finger

    <h4>Chapter 52: 52-Wrapped Around Her Finger</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    "Well, I guess this time the Moon Goddess really wants you to stop bothering us," I said, pressing down on the gas. It was a long drive ahead, but I knew her injuries weren¡¯t life-threatening.


    I had already arranged for doctors and nurses to be ready upon our arrival. Our family farmhouse was a beautiful ce, rich with greenery and memories. After hours on the road, I finally pulled up to the house.


    The ambnce, along with a team of medical staff, was already there.


    "Take her inside," I instructed, adjusting my shirt. It was 8 a.m., and I hadn¡¯t slept a wink all night. Still, the serene morning weather was refreshing. I took a deep breath, letting myself rx for a moment as I watched the paramedics lift her onto a stretcher.


    She looked so defeated, so alone. My small smile faded as I recalled the sound of her pained breathing, her voice heavy with sorrow.


    "Ugh!" I muttered, turning away and trying to clear my mind.


    "Take good care of her. I¡¯ll check inter, alright? If anything urgentes up, call me," I told the doctor. He nodded, but before I could leave, he added, "Your brother has been calling non-stop. Should I update Maximus McQuoid on her condition?"


    A wave of tension settled over me. My brother had been so worried that he¡¯d contacted everyone involved here.


    "Only if he calls again," I said firmly. "But don¡¯t reach out to him yourself. Let him rest." With that, I headed back to my car, anxious to be on time for the test at the ground.


    This entire mess would be dealt with without dragging our academy¡¯s reputation through the mud. And I wouldn¡¯t let anyone question my brother¡¯s decisions.


    Once I was back in the car and on the road again, my phone rang. It was Maximus. Hearing about his constant worry for Hnie filled me with frustration. If she weren¡¯t in our lives, my brother would be free of all this stress.


    "Yes, Maximus, she¡¯s fine. I have the best doctors here, and they¡¯re taking good care of her. They said she¡¯s lost blood, but not enough to be fatal. You were fast to find her, and that saved her. It¡¯s just that, without an active wolf, she can¡¯t heal on her own. Don¡¯t worry; she¡¯s in good hands," I assured him in one breath, hoping he¡¯d feel some relief.


    After a few more minutes of reassuring him, he finally ended the call. It was a miracle she could still move as she did after such a terrible fall. Her injuries weren¡¯t life-threatening, but the pain she must be in... it would be unbearable for most.


    But why did we even care?


    There are countless people who suffer daily. We can¡¯t grieve for them all.


    Once I reached the mansion, I took a quick shower and put on a clean white shirt before heading to the training grounds. My brothers were already there, preparing to start the test. When I arrived, I saw the candidates standing in a line. They greeted me with a respectful bow, then sat as I gestured for them to take their seats.


    "Is there a problem, Lucy?" I asked, noticing the girl with short hair ncing up from her table, looking tense.


    Our exam was set up in an open-air area for all the candidates from this shelter. Today, it was their turn to be tested.


    "It¡¯s just that... one of us leftst night," she murmured, her expression somber.


    Was she talking about Hnie? I thought no one here even liked her.


    "Well, whoever is gone is gone. You should focus on your own test and staypetitive," I told her, making it clear that I was disappointed in her distraction.


    "Does that mean," Salem asked confidently, raising her head, "that because one of us left, the candidate with the lowest score still passes?" She wasn¡¯t wrong. The rule stated that only five candidates from each shelter could advance, meaning one would typically be disqualified. But with Hnie gone, they were all technically guaranteed a spot in the academy. We were still holding the test to assess their abilities, though.


    I knew all the candidates well; I had examined them thoroughly before this.


    "Exactly," I replied, giving her an approving nod. Salem¡¯s posture straightened with pride.


    Since only one student fails each round, they should be grateful Hnie left.


    Just then, Emmet and Maximus arrived, looking refreshed¡ªuntil their eyesnded on the empty seat. Maximus already knew what had happened, but Emmet seemed confused.


    "Where¡¯s Hnie?" Emmet asked, stepping closer and whispering in my ear.


    "She left," I said, keeping the truth from him to avoid stirring up more concern over that rogue.


    "Huh. What do you mean, ¡¯she left¡¯?" Emmet questioned, his expression shifting to disappointment, just as I¡¯d expected.


    "I¡¯ll exin everything after the exam," I assured him with a steady look. I¡¯d have to tell him sooner orter¡ªotherwise, he¡¯d think I was hiding something from him.


    "But¡ª" Emmet began, only to be gently pushed back by Maximus, who was well aware of the situation¡¯s seriousness.


    "Hnie won¡¯t be here today. Let¡¯s get through this, and afterward, I¡¯ll fill you in on everything that happened," Maximus said, trying to calm Emmet. Even so, Emmet began pacing back and forth, radiating such intense frustration that I started to worry about him.


    "Where¡¯s Kaye?" I asked, looking around for the others. Emmet and Maximus were already here, but Kaye was nowhere in sight.


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to arrive, though he came with trouble trailing right behind him. Dressed in arge ck overcoat with the cor turned up, he walked over with a fierce energy, a group of warriors following closely behind. The anger in his eyes was unmistakable, and I sensed he was about to make a drastic move.


    "I¡¯m here," Kaye announced, his voice tight with anger. "And I¡¯m here to arrest two despicable candidates whomitted a crimest night."

 Chapter 53-Saving Helanie

    <h4>Chapter 53: 53-Saving Hnie</h4>


    <strong>Kaye:</strong>


    After I arrived in my room, a heavy sadness settled over me. I couldn¡¯t quite understand why, but something about this night just felt wrong. I sank into the bathtub, letting countless thoughts swirl through my mind.


    "That mate bond... it has to be just something from the dream prison," I murmured to myself, trying to make sense of everything.


    "Dammit!" I groaned in frustration.


    Every time I closed my eyes, I recalled the words spoken by Hnie in the dream prison. Could it be?


    Was she really abused?


    Or was it something even worse--assault?


    She had said she didn¡¯t want to feel the same way about her body here as she did in the real world. She also mentioned some group of alphas. I sighed heavily and got out of the bathtub. Ever since I returned, I¡¯d started seeing Hnie in a different light. I might have thought she was lying to gain sympathy... if only she was.


    But she never spoke about any of this to anyone, not even a hint of abuse. I remember my brothers telling me that when she first arrived, she had been starving for days. And then there was the fact that she didn¡¯t even want to return to her pack.


    After drying off, I slipped into ck boxers and went straight to bed. Tomorrow was the big exam for the new candidates, and I was the one who had created the test.


    I awoke to a dim, gray light filtering through the window--dawn had arrived, though the sun barely broke through the clouds. My body felt weighed down, as if the night itself clung to me, refusing to let go. A dull, deep ache lingered in my chest, but I couldn¡¯t understand why.


    I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something bad had happenedst night. I didn¡¯t remember what, but I knew I¡¯d woken up in the middle of the night with that same strange sadness weighing on me.


    I rolled out of bed, yawning and stretching. Burying my face in the sink, I washed up and then paused, my hands gripping the edges as I stared down into the water.


    "What is going on?" I groaned in frustration. I hated feeling this way. Before all this dream prison business, I¡¯d been so focused on my goals, determined in my direction. And now, all I could think about was someone who was soon to be my stepsister.


    I felt a sh of disgust, but then, just as quickly, I remembered the kiss we¡¯d shared. It had felt so raw, so real.


    My mouth was dry, and my muscles felt tight, as if I¡¯d been clenching my fists in my sleep. Whatever had me so tense, I couldn¡¯t quite name it. I slipped on a ck coat and decided against a shirt. Wearing just ck pants, I studied my reflection in the mirror. My hair was a little messy, and it seemed like it might be time for a change.


    "And to impress whom?" I didn¡¯t expect Ye to be so critical. But then again, my wolf was always like that.


    "Huh? Why would I impress anyone? You know me. I do what I want. This is just for a change." I shrugged, feeling a stab of annoyance. I hated when anyone questioned my motives.


    "You used to do everything to be epted by Dad and Mom," Ye scoffed, "and now Hnie is added to the list?"


    I shook my head at him, trying to ignore his words as I worked some gel into my hair, styling it. I finished off with a heavy chain around my neck and put on the watch my brother Norman had given me. After all that, I just wrapped my long overcoat around my arm to wear itter.


    Once I was all set, I walked out of the room and was immediately greeted by Maximus. But he didn¡¯t seem to notice me--he was lost in his own world, talking to someone on the phone. Sliding my hands into my pockets, I strolled closer, intending to greet him, but his words froze me in my tracks.


    "How is Hnie? Is she recovering well?" Just hearing her name made my attention snap to his conversation.


    "I get it, Norman, and I trust you and the doctors you picked for her. But her condition was so bad. I¡¯m sure those candidates did something to her," he said, his anxiety causing my body to tense.


    Someone did something to Hnie? When?


    It must have beenst night. Was that why I felt so restless?


    But why would I feel anxious over her? She¡¯s not rted to me by blood, so why would her situation affect me this much?


    I didn¡¯t want to consider the mate bond from the dream as a reason--I knew it was a lie.


    "I saw Lamar cleaning up blood in the kitchen while Sydney answered the door and lied to me, saying Hnie wanted to quit. Those two were the only ones awake. I¡¯m sure they did something. Are we really not going to do anything about it?" Maximus¡¯s concern for Hnie made something twist ufortably inside me.


    I should be d that my brother was so responsible and caring. But why wasn¡¯t I?


    "Okay, okay. Just tell the doctors to keep her safe. I think she¡¯ll be fine at the farmhouse," he said, as I nodded to myself, processing everything I¡¯d overheard.


    Without alerting him that I¡¯d heard it all, I walked away.


    "What are you doing?" Ye questioned, noticing my steps had turned into a brisk walk. I made my way to the exit and quickly got into my car.


    The exam was set to start at noon, and Hnie¡¯s shelter would be the first to take it. It was only 5 a.m. now, but I knew I needed to do the right thing.


    "I¡¯m going to the farmhouse," I said, storming into my car and gripping the steering wheel in frustration.


    "Dammit!" I groaned as I hit the road, trying to process what had happened to Hnie. The worst part was that nobody seemed to be nning any action against Sydney and Lamar.


    "And why should this concern us? It¡¯s not our problem. We should stay focused on our own goals," Ye hissed at me, but I ignored him.


    All I could see was the long road ahead and my own mounting concern for Hnie. I knew, deep down, that if I didn¡¯t check on her myself, this feeling would only get worse. I needed to see her for myself.

 Chapter 54-I Want To Be Her Hero

    <h4>Chapter 54: 54-I Want To Be Her Hero</h4>


    <strong>Kaye:</strong>


    Despite my wolf yapping about how we shouldn¡¯t be wasting time on Hnie, I kept driving and reached the farmhouse a few hourster.


    The moment I got out of the car, I spotted a warrior holding a phone to his ear until he met my gaze.


    He slowly lowered the phone, awkwardly clearing his throat as I walked past him.


    "Seriously? Calling my brother to tell him I¡¯m here?" I gave him a look of disbelief before heading toward the main gate and gesturing to the warrior there to open it.


    The pool was dirty, as though no one was taking care of the farmhouse. Why?


    Just because my brothers and I weren¡¯t staying here? And what about Hnie? Why wouldn¡¯t they clean up before her arrival?


    "And someone clean the damn pool and the area around it!" I shouted, watching everyone scramble to get to work. They knew better than to give excuses. I had a problem¡ªI couldn¡¯t control my rage.


    Sometimes, I¡¯d say things so hurtful that I¡¯d rather cut ties with people than apologize for my outbursts.


    Apologizing to someone outside my family didn¡¯t sit well with me. I hadn¡¯t been raised to bow down. I was determined to make the world bow to me.


    But right now, all I could think about was Hnie.


    "Where is she?" I asked, stepping into the farmhouse as the sliding ss door opened.


    The spacious living room was filled with nurses lounging around. At least Norman had ordered an entire team of doctors and nurses to look after Hnie.


    "She¡¯s resting," a nurse quickly jumped to her feet, hiding a coffee mug behind her back. Did she really think I didn¡¯t notice?


    "So, there¡¯s a patient here, and you¡¯re all just lounging around?" I put my hands on my hips, then pressed two fingers to the bridge of my nose, trying hard not to yell.


    "Actually, we took care of her and decided to take a quick break¡ª" the same nurse started to exin, while the others stepped back from a table crowded with food. The sight of it made my blood boil. Hnie was probably in her worst state, something I¡¯d already gathered from Maximus¡¯s words, and here they were... having a party.


    They had taken over the kitchen and living room, using the TV to watch movies as if on some vacation.


    "Open the damn door for me!" I shouted. A doctor emerged from one of the rooms, hastily bowing, fumbling to adjust his shirt as he approached.


    Was this a medical team or a group of tourists?


    An awkward silence settled as I faced him, hands on my hips, my breaths heavy. I wanted to scream, to call them all out for thisck of respect, but then I thought of Hnie, and the rage drained out of me.


    "What happened to her?" I asked, my voice steadier now as I made my way toward the room where she was kept.


    "She¡¯s suffered severe injuries. Someone brutally beat her," the doctor exined, rying the details he¡¯d gathered from Maximus and Norman aboutst night.


    Hearing all this made me want to punch a wall.


    "Alright, leave me alone with her," I gestured for him to step back and entered the dimly lit room. Shey there, hooked to IV drips, surrounded by shadows.


    Bandages covered her body; her face was swollen, her head wrapped in gauze. She looked so fragile lying in that bed, like a creature too delicate for the world around her.


    "Hnie..." I pulled a chair close to her bedside and sat down, watching her face. Even after everything they¡¯d done to her, she still held on to a kind of haunting beauty. Her face carried an enigmatic look, as though she were hiding an entire world inside her.


    "Hey," I murmured, gently grazing my fingertip over the back of her hand. One of her fingers on her right hand was broken, encased in a ster cast. Her other hand had an IV drip attached, and I kept my touch as light as possible. Touching her without her permission felt almost like a vition.


    "A vition? Aren¡¯t you being dramatic?" my wolf grumbled. "Fine, she¡¯s hurt and all, bute on¡ªshe¡¯s just another she-wolf. Okay, maybe our stepsister, too," he added with a sigh.


    "And I¡¯m telling you, the reason we¡¯re even worried is because she¡¯s our stepsister. Nothing more," he insisted.


    But I wasn¡¯t paying attention to him. My gaze remained fixed on Hnie. I sat in silence for about ten minutes before I saw her eyelids flutter open. My heart leaped out of my chest.


    I quickly leaned back, pulling my hand away from hers, giving her space.


    "Dr Alson, she¡¯s awake!" I called for the doctor, trying to keep my voice steady.


    The doctor rushed in, and I stepped aside, though I didn¡¯t leave the room. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that, even though my brother had brought her here, the doctors hadn¡¯t been taking her condition seriously. But now they would.


    Or else¡ªI¡¯d make sure of it.


    "Alright, she¡¯s stable, but her recovery will take time," the doctor said after an hour of checkups and administering her medication. He left, and the room was quiet again, just the two of us.


    She sat propped up against two pillows, breathing slowly, her eyes fixed on the wall ahead of her.


    "Hnie!" I stepped closer and sat down again.


    "Did you... save me?" she asked, her voice trembling. Tears gathered on hershes, spilling with every blink. I could only imagine the fear and pain she must have feltst night when they hurt her.


    I hesitated, a wave of guilt rising in me. I knew it was Maximus who had saved her. But he wasn¡¯t here, and she seemed to be looking to me as her rescuer.


    With a slight nod and a lot of guilt, I replied, "I did."


    I¡¯d always felt a sense of jealousy toward Maximus¡ªnot out of spite, but envy. I¡¯d watch as my parents showered him with praise, giving him all the credit, even when I performed just as well on any project.


    But today, for the first time, I broke my rule of never taking anything from my brothers. I took credit for something that wasn¡¯t mine, and for someone with whom I wasn¡¯t even sure what my rtionship was.

 Chapter 55-How Sweet!

    <h4>Chapter 55: 55-How Sweet!</h4>


    Hnie:


    "Who are you picking?" My father loomed over me, towering above a small six-year-old. Every time he asked me this question, it felt like I wasmitting a crime just by thinking about choosing.


    "I don¡¯t want to be without Mommy," I whimpered, clutching my teddy bear tightly.


    "Hnie! You¡¯re not a child anymore." My father snatched the teddy bear from my hands, trying to force an answer from me.


    "Now look at me and tell me, who do you pick?" he demanded, his intense gaze piercing into mine.


    "Mommy!" I whispered, barely audible, choosing my mother for what felt like the hundredth time that week. And once again, his hand struck my cheek.


    "You¡¯ll never be loved like this. If you can¡¯t choose your father, you don¡¯t deserve to be a daughter. I¡¯ve given you everything¡ªeven this stupid teddy bear. I work day and night for you and your mother, and yet you still choose her?" His voice shook as he yelled, making me curl up tightly, sobbing uncontrobly.


    "That¡¯s enough!" my mother¡¯s voice broke through, saving me as she walked into the room and saw what he was doing.


    "She doesn¡¯t want to go! Why are you forcing her?" she shouted, cradling me as I melted into her arms.


    "Since you cheated, Alpha Diaz allowed me to keep her until our rejection is finalized on the full moon. So back off!" My mother held me tightly, and for the first time, I felt safe in her embrace. I never told her that every time my father forced me to choose, I always picked her.


    Dad had made it clear that if I chose my mother, he would be harsh with me whenever I came to stay with him. And I didn¡¯t want my father to be cruel.


    "Fine! Take her all you want, but one day, she¡¯ll make a choice and she will choose me," he said, his voice echoing through the air, iming that I¡¯d eventually have to make my choice¡ªthough he ignored the truth. I had already chosen. I had chosen my mom.


    "Hnie!"


    A familiar voice began to break through my dream. My mother¡¯s presence blurred as I slowly opened my eyes, finding myself surrounded by doctors. It took a moment, but I remembered what had happened the previous night.


    However, I was shocked to see my stepbrother beside me. This ce was unfamiliar, and I could have sworn that I¡¯d diedst night.


    "Did you... save me?" I could barely string together a full sentence. Kaye was sitting in the chair beside my bed, his expression unreadable.


    He stared at me for a moment before answering, "I did."


    I was stunned. How was he always the one to find me? The one to save me?


    "Why¡ªand how did you find me?" My voice was barely a whisper. I wasn¡¯t hurt or crying from the assaultst night; I was mortified that someone had to see me like this.


    "I don¡¯t know... But tell me what happenedst night, Hnie. I need you to tell me everything," he insisted, his gaze narrowing as he spoke. The intensity in his voice made me freeze for a moment before I swallowed hard.


    "Don¡¯t think about anything else, just aboutst night," he added, noticing that my mind was wandering.


    "The people who did this... they belong to prestigious packs. I don¡¯t think anyone would believe me. And even if I said their names, they¡¯d just bully me more, if I ever made it to the academy¡ª" I stopped, remembering why that dream might no longer be possible.


    "Academy," I repeated, attempting to sit up, but Kaye held me down.


    "Hey, you¡¯re not supposed to get up," he said firmly, his steady gaze stopping me from moving and injuring myself further.


    Why did he care so much?


    "No! I can¡¯t miss the exam. I have this one goal, this one chance, and¡ªoh no! I¡¯m going to miss it!" I gave up trying to leave the bed, throwing myself back onto the pillow and crying out loud for the first time. The academy was my only focus, my reason to keep going, and now it felt like that had been stolen from me.


    "Hnie! I¡¯ll have the damn exam postponed until you¡¯re healed, do you hear me?" He grabbed my arms, leaning over me and yelling until my crying softened and I looked back at him, stunned.


    "What?"


    I felt confused. What did he just say?


    "You would... postpone the exam?" I asked, swallowing hard. The words felt like needles in my throat.


    "I will," he replied, removing his hands from my arms as he sat back down, while I leaned against the bed, almost sitting up.


    "But why? Don¡¯t you want me out of the list? Isn¡¯t that what your brothers want?" I recalled how Norman and Maximus seemed determined to see me fail these tests.


    "No! I¡¯m not like my brothers," he said sharply. Then, almost to himself, he murmured under his breath, "At least, not for you."


    It was so quiet that I couldn¡¯t be sure I¡¯d heard it correctly.


    "Now, as for the ones who hurt you¡ªyou really think I¡¯m not capable of punishing a couple of so-called elites? Hnie, your..." he paused, clearly struggling with the words, "your stepbrother..." He practically groaned at thebel, as though it pained him to describe himself that way.


    So, he was still having trouble epting a connection with me. Then why did he care so much?


    "Your stepbrother is very powerful. Now, just start from the beginning, and watch how I deal with those bastards," he said, allowing the faintest smile. For a moment, the ache I felt faded.


    "It was Lamar and Sydney. I didn¡¯t do anything. I was starving, so I went to the kitchen¡ªand I found them... hooking up. But they got so angry. She didn¡¯t want any rumors spreading, so she persuaded Lamar to beat me up and dump me somewhere far away, so I couldn¡¯t make it to the exam. They wanted me out, and now they¡¯ve won." Just talking about the academy brought a painful lump to my throat. I felt like I¡¯d never cared about anything as much as I did about reaching my goal.


    "You didn¡¯t lose, and they didn¡¯t win anything. I don¡¯t give a damn about our academy¡¯s reputation. I care about justice, and the exam will be postponed until you¡¯re strong enough to join it. I¡¯ll make sure you are taken to the testing grounds myself," he said firmly. Then, unexpectedly, he ced his hand on my forehead, gently stroking it.


    What had happened to him?

 Chapter 56-I Failed.

    <h4>Chapter 56: 56-I Failed.</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    It was all unfolding before my eyes. My brother had arrived with the warriors to make an arrest, and I had a sinking feeling about it.


    "What¡¯s going on, Kaye?" I approached him steadily, trying to catch his attention. His bulging muscles and tense veins made it clear just how concerned¡ªand angry¡ªhe was about this particr matter.


    I nced over at the candidates and saw Sydney and Lamar staring at each other. It reminded me of Maximus¡¯s words.


    "Something happened herest night. Right at this shelter," Kaye announced, raising his hand to point at the cabin behind everyone.


    Most of the candidates looked bewildered¡ªexcept for the two used of being involved.


    I nced over at Maximus, who returned a look that told me even he had no idea what was going on with Kaye.


    I hadn¡¯t told Kaye, and it didn¡¯t seem like Maximus had either. So how would Kaye even know?


    "What happened?" Emmet asked, setting down his papers and slipping his hands into his pockets.


    "Can we discuss this privately first?" I asked Kaye, ufortable with the way he was handling things. If this was truly about Hnie and the two candidates, then it needed to be dealt with discreetly. Damaging our academy¡¯s reputation over that girl would be reckless¡ªand besides, we didn¡¯t even know everything.


    Could it be that they¡¯d had a confrontation with Hnie, and she simply hadn¡¯te out on top? That sort of thing happens often among werewolves. We¡¯re part animal, and situations like this arise.


    "No! Everyone should know," Kaye refused, not even ncing at me. He walked directly over to the candidates, stopping at Lamar¡¯s table.


    Lamar sat upright, his face expressionless, though the slight twitch at his temples betrayed his nerves. I could sense his anxiety from across the room. At this point, they both looked so guilty that it was hard to doubt anything had happenedst night.


    Could they truly be so heartless as to attack her without any provocation?


    "Get up." Without another word, Kaye grabbed Lamar¡¯s cor and pulled him out of his chair, shocking everyone around. Sydney covered her mouth in horror as Kaye marched over to her table and seized her by her ponytail.


    I cringed, twisting my body and gritting my teeth. It didn¡¯t look right for him to handle them so roughly. But was it not justified?


    "Hey, you can¡¯t do that to her!" Salem rose to defend her sister, but her eyes caught Emmet¡¯s steely re from afar. He stood silently, head bowed with his intense eyes peeking through his thick eyebrows, tapping the tip of his index finger on the table as a warning. She sat down again, covering her face in her hands.


    "These two attacked an innocent candidatest night," Kaye announced, his voice bold and unyielding. "They beat her without any provocation or wrongdoing on her part and then abandoned her at the bottom of a hill, knowing she doesn¡¯t have a wolf. She could have died."


    The details struck me as odd.


    "And the fact that you¡ª" he shook Sydney by her ponytail, still gripping both of them beside him. Standing tall between them, he red down. "You encouraged this brute to attack her," he growled at Sydney, who kept her eyes glued to the floor.


    How did he know all this?


    Even Maximus exchanged a nce with me before he pulled out his phone to contact the warriors back at the farmhouse.


    "Wait¡ªthey attacked Hnie?" Emmet finally broke his stare at Salem to ask his brother.


    "They left her to die," Kaye added tly.


    Without another word, Emmet strode forward, using his long strides to close the gap and swiftly yanked Lamar from Kaye¡¯s grip.


    Emmet forced Lamar to face him and then punched him square in the face, prompting me to rush over to stop him. Emmet was ufortable, restrained most of the time only because he didn¡¯t want to unleash the storm that simmered inside him every second.


    "Emmet, let the warriors handle this," I said, rushing behind him and wrapping my arms around his waist to pull him away from Lamar. Maximus caught on and quickly moved between Emmet and Lamar¡ªonly to take over and start punching Lamar himself.


    "Hey!" I shouted. We needed to be cautious with this case. The two culprits could y on sympathies, and we didn¡¯t want that. Sydney and Lamar wouldter im they were abused before being investigated.


    These two hadmitted a crime; they shouldn¡¯t be given any opportunity to paint themselves as victimster.


    "Warriors, take them away and notify their packs," I ordered, finally managing to push my brothers off Lamar, who was nearly unconscious.


    Kaye had released Sydney, but he was ring at her like he wanted to end things right here and now.


    "I didn¡¯t do anything! You guys are only using us because some wolfless rogue used me. She¡¯s just jealous of me!" Sydney began ranting as the warriors moved to cuff her.


    "Really? Then tell me, you two¡ª" Maximus turned to Lucy and Gavin. "Did Hnie talk about quittingst night? Did she leave right before your eyes?"


    I noticed Salem ncing slowly at Gavin and Lucy, giving them a warning look.


    "No! She was so determined. She would never quit¡ªthat¡¯s not Hnie." Despite usually being timid and hiding behind her boyfriend, Lucy rose to her feet to speak up.


    I watched her confidently take a stand for what was right.


    "There you go, brother," Kaye said, walking over to me with a surprising intensity. "Even a new candidate knows how to stand up for someone she barely knows. It¡¯s not about a particr person, but about doing the right thing." Shock struck me when Kaye leaned in and whispered, disappointment clear in his eyes.


    It was the first time I¡¯d ever seen that look on his face.


    "You think I¡¯m not doing the right thing?" I tried to grab his arm to stop him, stunned that my younger brother was now against me, all because of Hnie.


    Did she say something to him about me? She¡¯d been partially conscious when I took her to the farmhouse. Maybe she heard me venting.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter. Justice will be served," Kaye replied as he freed his arm and briskly walked away, leaving me to watch the warriors arrest the two culprits and take them away, while my brothers looked back at me with expressions I¡¯d never wanted to see.

 Chapter 57-The Ugly Nurse

    <h4>Chapter 57: 57-The Ugly Nurse</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I was given tranquilizers for hours, but as I slept, the horrifying events from the night of the Alphas¡ªand the faces of Lamar and Sydney¡ªkept reying in my nightmares. By the time I woke up, I realized it was already toote.


    "Please don¡¯t get up. You need to rest," said the nurse beside my bed, but the way she pressed her fingers firmly into my shoulder to push me back down made it clear she wasn¡¯t thrilled about caring for me.


    "I just want to know... did the exam start today?" I asked in a hoarse, strained voice.


    "Huh? I¡¯m not here to find things out for you. Why can¡¯t you just stay quiet and rest?" she replied, sounding exasperated.


    I didn¡¯t understand. Why was she so irritated with me?


    "Is she awake again? We can¡¯t keep pausing the movie," another nurse grumbled as she walked in, and that¡¯s when it dawned on me why they seemed so bothered.


    "Go to sleep, okay?" the nurse by my bed ordered, throwing me a sharp look before turning around to speak with her colleague.


    "She keeps waking up," I overheard herin as they both exited, mming the door shut behind them.


    "Can I get some wa¡ª" I started to ask, but the loud m cut me off. I nced around for water but found nothing within reach.


    I rested my head back, staring up at the ceiling. No. I wouldn¡¯t let them treat me like this. They were here to take care of me, and I refused to be seen as a burden just because they couldn¡¯t enjoy the luxuries of the farmhouse.


    I noticed an empty ss on the small table beside me. Moving my arm was difficult, as I¡¯d been bedridden for a while and hadn¡¯t moved my muscles after that incident. A cast covered my little finger¡ªa reminder of the extent of the injuries Lamar and Sydney had inflicted on me.


    With effort, I carefully stretched my arm and nudged the ss until it tipped over and crashed to the floor, shattering with a loud noise that was sure to attract the attention of the nurses and doctors outside.


    The door swung open, and they rushed in, panic clear in their eyes. The nurse, whose name tag read "Prim," rolled her eyes once she realized what had happened.


    "Did you freaking smash it?" she hissed, hunched over and snarled like an angry dog.


    "I did," I replied calmly, unafraid as she advanced toward me.


    "Who the heck does she think she is?" the other nurse demanded, ncing at the doctor, who merely shrugged. What kind of people were assigned to care for wounded werewolves?


    These peoplecked even a hint ofpassion.


    "And may I ask why? Are you going to clean it up?" Prim yelled as she stomped closer. Did she really think I wouldn¡¯t tell Kaye how she was treating me? Or did she assume she could lie to him?


    I wondered what was going through her head¡ªhow she could be so brazenly disrespectful.


    "No! You will clean it up. You¡¯re here to take care of me¡ª" I stated firmly, noticing her face twist with annoyance.


    "Ohhhhhhh!" She rolled her eyes dramatically, forming her mouth into arge, exaggerated "O." "We¡¯re here to take care of her. Look at that attitude!" She sneered, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "We don¡¯t even know who you are. It¡¯s a privilege granted to you by the Rogue King¡¯s sons that you¡¯re resting here. Otherwise, people without a wolf usually die in the woods alone."


    The smirk on her lips hinted that she knew I was wolfless.


    "Why didn¡¯t anyone tell me?" A strong, deep voice suddenly echoed through the house, causing everyone¡¯s eyes to widen in shock.


    "That¡¯s Emmet McQuoid," one of the doctors whispered, quickly stepping away from the nurses. They began to jostle each other in their desperation to leave, but they couldn¡¯t; the brothers had blocked the doorway.


    As Kaye entered with Emmet right behind him, it was clear Emmet had been questioning Kaye about me. The two brothers exchanged an odd look at the nurses before their eyes fell on the shattered ss.


    "What¡¯s going on here?" Kaye demanded, his gaze shifting to the broken ss on the floor.


    "Oh, we gave her some medication, and she¡¯s... creating a bit of a scene," Prim had the nerve to lie.


    "She seems perfectly calm to me," Emmet observed, slipping his hands into his pockets as he eyed Prim. She subtly adjusted her curly red hair and pushed her chest out, though her attempt to appear confident was hardly discreet.


    "She was using us of not doing a great job," she said, suddenly switching to a softer tone. "I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but we work really hard, so it hurts when someone tries to use their power against us¡ª" She looked down, sping her hands in an attempt to appear vulnerable.


    "She was giving you all a hard time?" Kaye questioned, his voice filled with suspicion.


    "They¡¯re lying. I only asked for water when she ignored me and left the room," I quickly exined, hoping to rify before she painted herself as innocent and me as some kind of crazy brat.


    "That¡¯s not true. We didn¡¯t hear her. We¡¯ve been checking on her nonstop. But ask her¡ªwhy did she break that ss?" Prim quickly looked up, and as everyone¡¯s attention shifted to me, she wrinkled her nose at me with a smug little smirk.


    "Did you break the ss?" Kaye asked, and I felt a lump form in my throat. They already thought I was difficult. Appearing spoiled on top of that was hardly ideal.


    "I did," I admitted, refusing to lie.


    "See? And then she started saying, ¡¯Oh, you¡¯re going to clean this up¡¯ and so on," Prim muttered meekly, making me clench my jaw.


    "She¡¯s telling the truth," the other nurses chimed in, siding with her, while the doctors remained silent.


    "Hnie!" Kaye turned to me, his expression serious. "I¡¯m going to handle this because we don¡¯t treat anyone unfairly here," he assured, and I caught a smirk twitching at the corners of Prim¡¯s lips.


    "Apologize to her right now," Kayemanded, his voice firm.

 Chapter 58-The Two Handsome Hunks

    <h4>Chapter 58: 58-The Two Handsome Hunks</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I don¡¯t even need her apology. I don¡¯t like making anyone feel low or disrespected. But since she¡¯s shown no respect for my job, I suppose it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll ept her apology," Prim forced a weak, triumphant smile, trying to look both innocent and full of herself.


    "What are you babbling about?" Emmet groaned at her.


    "I didn¡¯t ask her to apologize to you. I¡¯m telling you to apologize to Hnie for your mistreatment of her and for causing her stress when she should be resting," Kaye asserted, his tone clear and leaving everyone in shock.


    Prim¡¯s mouth dropped open, her gaze fixed on Kaye.


    "But why would I apologize? I didn¡¯t even do anything wrong," she replied in a softer tone, but I could tell that neither of the brothers believed her.


    "So, you checked on her multiple times, right? And all the party leftovers, the movies left on the TV, the mess in the living room and the kitchen¡ªthose must all be Hnie¡¯s doing too, right?" Kaye faced her, calling her out.


    "Umm, we were just bored, so¡ª" she stammered, flinching as Kaye slipped his hands into his pockets.


    "If you were doing your job properly, Hnie wouldn¡¯t have had to break the ss to get your attention. Yet you still had the nerve to belittle her and make her look bad when your job was to look after her. That amazes me," Kaye stepped closer, towering over her. Emmet leaned against the wall, smirking.


    This was the first time I¡¯d seen Emmet take pleasure in someone¡¯s misery.


    "You¡¯re fired. All of you are," Kaye enunciated each word, and chaos erupted among the group.


    "But we didn¡¯t do anything! It was the nurses¡ªthey were bitter about having to care for a wolf-less girl," one doctor protested, now trying to shift me as their jobs hung in the bnce.


    "Oh, really?" Emmet turned to the nurse, who gasped.


    "We didn¡¯t do anything! It was only Prim who spoke badly about the patient," one of the nurses, who had earlierined about me bothering them, quickly tried to cover herself.


    "She has a name¡ªHnie," Emmet corrected her sharply before adding, "You¡¯re all fired. You heard my brother. Now get out of here."


    He raised his hand in a dismissive wave, not even looking at them, as though exhausted by the topic being dragged out. The doctors and nurses looked devastated as they were ushered out of the farmhouse.


    "We need to hire better staff for our people," Kaye remarked, stepping closer to my bed, only to be unintentionally edged aside by Emmet, who leaned in before him.


    "Hnie! They really put you through a lot," he murmured, bending down and gently lifting my chin with his finger to examine my face. His touch was so gentle, and his gaze lingered on my features with such intensity. Did he even know how incredibly attractive he was in our realm?


    "What about the exam?" I asked as he straightened, clearly disheartened by my injuries.


    "It¡¯s postponed," Emmet replied.


    "I postponed it myself and arrested the culprits," Kaye quickly interjected, prompting Emmet to turn slightly and give him a sidelong nce.


    "Will I be able to take the test again?" I knew I sounded like a broken record, but my mind was focused solely on that test. I just wanted to join the academy, to learn how to fight and defend myself. If only I could do that, something like this would never happen again.


    "Of course. But to do that, you need to heal first," Emmet said, cing his hand gently on my head, petting it like one would a small, beloved puppy.


    His gesture was casual, but the warmth of his touch made it feel special. I bet he didn¡¯t even realize it, but I did.


    "I¡¯ll stay with her," Kaye offered, and Emmet groaned.


    "What? Don¡¯t you have your usual corridor parade during full moons to keep up with?" Kaye teased, rolling his eyes as he mentioned Emmet¡¯s private corridor.


    I¡¯d heard that no one else went there; it was reserved just for Emmet. The corridor led to a guestroom outside the main mansion, where he would often retreat.


    "Yeah, but make sure to take care of her, and keep me updated on her health," Emmet said, patting Kaye¡¯s shoulder before turning to give me onest, warm look. "Hnie, get well soon, okay?" His hands were in his pockets, and he gave a simple nod that somehow suited him perfectly.


    I nodded back, watching Emmet leave with Kaye following him outside. Their kindness surprised me a bit, though I¡¯de to expect it from Emmet, who had been kind since the beginning. But Kaye¡¯s sudden change in attitude was unsettling. Why was he suddenly so concerned about me?


    I only hoped he hadn¡¯t remembered the mate bond. I didn¡¯t want the mate bond interfering with my goals. My mind was set on revenge, and I had already made a promise to the Moon Goddess: until I achieved that, I would reject anything she chose for me.


    So, I couldn¡¯t even think about having a fated mate¡ªlet alone two.


    "So," Kaye returned, rubbing his hands together. "The new team of doctors and nurses will arrive in two days. Until then, they¡¯ll be on call with me. I¡¯ll be taking care of you from now on," he said, adjusting my nket with care, which made me narrow my eyes at him.


    I was sure he knew I was watching him. He ignored my gaze for a while, but eventually, he couldn¡¯t help ncing back at me.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" he asked, his eyes carrying a hint of apprehension, as though he feared what I might bring up.


    "Why are you being so nice to me? Didn¡¯t you kick me out of your home before?" I asked, watching him take a deep, steady breath.


    "People make mistakes. And I never imed to be perfect," he replied with a shrug.


    "No, seriously¡ªwhy are you being so kind to me?" I pressed, and he sighed, rolling his eyes as though he was tired of the same question over and over.


    "I realized you might not be as evil as I thought," he said, then paused. "And if you ask me another question, I might just say something so shameless it¡¯ll make your cheeks turn red. Is that what you want?" The way he bit his bottom lip yfully to tease me made me gasp, and I quickly turned my head to the side.


    Heughed, but what he said next surprised me even more. "Look at you! Why do you get so blushy so fast? Just wait until I give you a bath¡ªhow are you going to survive that?"

 Chapter 59-Losing My Brothers

    <h4>Chapter 59: 59-Losing My Brothers</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    I haven¡¯t been able to rest ever since Kaye left. His eyes held so many questions for me.


    "He must have just been upset," Maximus guessed, noticing my silence.


    "It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not upset with Kaye¡ªhe¡¯s my brother. It¡¯s just that..." I stopped, realizing that my brother saw me as a role model, and I had let him down.


    My real issue was with Hnie. She wasing between us brothers. But I also decided then and there not to speak about her in front of any of them from now on. If I had to make changes for our own good, I¡¯d do it quietly, without discussing it.


    "Maximus! Maximus!" As we entered our mansion, a loud, high-pitched voice echoed through the hallway before we could even see who it was.


    Then Charlotte appeared, practically bouncing in front of us, her wide smile making me cringe. She was wearing a short purple dress and holding a te of cookies.


    "I made these for you!" she said, raising the te up, even getting on her tiptoes to reach Maximus.


    My brother shot me an awkward side-eye before sighing and epting a cookie. Her smile brightened even more when he took one.


    "Oh, Norman, why don¡¯t you try one too?" she asked, turning toward me, though her eyes remained fixed on Maximus. I¡¯d been noticing how she kept eyeing my brothertely, and I wasn¡¯t pleased. We allowed her to stay here, but that didn¡¯t mean she and her mother could start stirring up trouble.


    "No, thank you. And what are you doing in the kitchen, making cookies?" I asked, stepping in front of Maximus. Her surprised look told me she hadn¡¯t expected me to confront her.


    Just because I hadn¡¯t done it before didn¡¯t mean I wouldn¡¯t do it now.


    "I... I saw a video on baking and thought I¡¯d give it a try. I remembered how much Maximus likes homemade cookies." She stepped back, keeping a careful distance but still stealing nces at him.


    The hesitation and stuttering in her voice gave away a hint of the fear she must have been feeling in that moment.


    "You don¡¯t need to do anything for me or my brothers. Now go feed these cookies to someone else," I raised my voice, watching her flinch. Her mother, hearing themotion, rushed out of her room, hugging her daughter protectively and avoiding my gaze.


    "Let¡¯s go." I grabbed the cookie from Maximus¡¯s hand, tossing it back onto the te as I walked past the two of them. They were not good people¡ªthey had bad intentions. Charlotte was probably trying to trap Maximus because, let¡¯s face it, who wouldn¡¯t want to marry a future rogue king?


    "What was that? Why did you even ept that cookie from her? Are you interested in her?" I demanded as soon as we were out of earshot. Maximus awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.


    "No!" he replied quickly.


    "Then why are you epting cookies from her? Don¡¯t you realize she¡¯s trying to show interest in you? When you take the cookie, you¡¯re giving her hope," I said, frustrated. I couldn¡¯t understand why my brothers struggled to see the difference between simple kindness and encouraging someone¡¯s advances.


    Besides, I¡¯d never allow Charlotte to cling to him. Anyone connected to Urs had no ce in our lives.


    "Sorry. I thought I¡¯d just keep her guessing and then tell her I wasn¡¯t interested if she asked directly," Maximus shrugged, still not grasping the seriousness of the situation.


    "Maximus, you can¡¯t y those games here. I know you see other women outside this mansion, but do you not remember what Dad warned you about? You can¡¯t bring any of those affairs into this house. And as much as it pains me to say this, Charlotte lives here. She¡¯s family¡ªthough by force¡ªso if you lead her on, it¡¯s going to be a problem, and you¡¯ll have to see her every day afterward." I grabbed his arm, trying to make him understand the gravity of the matter. My brothers were my everything, my soul purpose of living.


    I¡¯d tried to teach him countless times to have patience and trust in the Moon Goddess. She would reveal his fated mate in time. But he was impatient¡ªand, if I¡¯m honest, a bit too addicted to the attention from women.


    I winced at my own thoughts; honestly, it was a disgusting habit.


    "Fine, fine, I get it. I¡¯ll go to rest. Hopefully, Kaye and Emmett will update us about Hnie¡¯s condition," Maximus¡¯s voice softened a bit when he mentioned her.


    I had noticed something strange about that girl¡ªwhoever spent time with her would start acting oddly. Somehow, they would find a way to bring her up in conversation, as if she¡¯d cast some kind of spell on them.


    "They¡¯re weak, or maybe just too emotional," I muttered to myself, heading to my room.


    But I needed to make sure Kaye still saw me as he always had. Everything I did, I did for my brothers. How could he look at me and judge me like that? Hisment earlier had really gotten under my skin.


    It¡¯s not like he hadn¡¯t made his own mistakes. But I always understood him and stood by his side, and he knew that about me too. That¡¯s what hurt the most¡ªhe questioned me today, and all because of Hnie.


    Grabbing my phone, I dialed one of our warriors¡¯ numbers, lying back on my bed and staring at the ceiling.


    "Get me some information on Hnie Niles," I said, nodding to myself. The only way to deal with this was to understand why she was here. If I could dig into her past, maybe I¡¯d discover her real intentions.


    As soon as I hung up, Emmett¡¯s message popped up on my screen.


    Emmett: Kaye has volunteered to stay with Hnie and take care of her. Also, we¡¯ll need a new team of doctors and nurses.


    I sat up, stunned. This was too much. Things were spiraling out of control. Hnie needed to be sent away.

 Chapter 60-The Divine Beauty Of My Stepsister

    <h4>Chapter 60: 60-The Divine Beauty Of My Stepsister</h4>


    <strong>Kaye:</strong>


    "Hnie! Your wounds need to be cleaned, and you need a bath to help with your fever." I watched her stand hesitantly by the bed, hugging herself tightly and looking reluctant.


    "I¡ª" Her voice held a quiet hesitation, her gaze fixed on the ground as if she wasn¡¯t really present. It felt as though only her body was here.


    I walked over and, without touching her hand or arm, gestured toward the bathroom and started in that direction. As I neared the door, she slowly began to follow, her hand rubbing her elbow, eyes still cast downward. I¡¯d never seen anyone with such pure innocence.


    My brother¡¯s words echoed in my mind.


    No! She was nothing like her mother.


    In fact, she seemed different from any other she-wolf.


    Once she entered the bathroom, I gave her privacy to undress and settle into the bath. After a few minutes, when I stepped inside, I saw she hadn¡¯t fully undressed¡ªshe sat in the water, wearing only her bra and underwear. I understood she wasn¡¯tfortable being fully exposed around me, and I respected that.


    I sat beside her, holding the washcloth gently in my hand, pressing the warm cloth over her bruised back with the lightest touch.


    My heart sank as I worked, even without direct contact. There was something so haunting about Hnie. She barely moved, her gaze fixed somewhere far away, distant.


    She hadn¡¯t said much since I¡¯d insisted on helping her with the bath.


    "Let me know if it hurts," I murmured, but she didn¡¯t respond.


    I moved to her shoulder, careful around a particrly dark bruise. Her skin felt warm beneath my touch, and for a moment, I almost forgot why I was here¡ªlost in the quiet sound of water, the faint scent ofvender, and the soft rhythm of her breathing.


    She was so distinct, her scent almost intoxicating,forting in an inexplicable way. In her presence, I didn¡¯t feel the usual weight to keep up appearances.


    Realizing I¡¯d zoned out, I forced myself back to reality, focusing on wringing out the washcloth.


    However, there was something on her back I couldn¡¯t look away from¡ªcircr burn marks scattered across her skin.


    The pinkish scars seemed to be healing, but they were unmistakably from cigarette burns.


    The moment I let the washcloth slip into the water and gently touched one of the marks, I felt Hnie¡¯s body shudder. That small, startled movement told me she¡¯d juste back to the present, from wherever she¡¯d been lost.


    "That will be it. Thank you for your help," she said quickly, almost pulling away, her voiceced with urgency.


    "I¡¯m almost done," I replied softly, though I could sense her unease.


    "No! It¡¯s fine. I can manage myself," she insisted, reaching for the washcloth that had slipped into the tub.


    "Uh... it¡¯s under you," I said, debating whether to help her find it or simply let her be.


    She was unusually tense and unwilling to let me continue¡ªnot in a way that seemed like personal choice, but more as if the thought of being touched repulsed her.


    "Hey, what¡¯s going on?" I finally asked, unable to understand why she seemed so miserable yet fought so hard. I¡¯d never heard her talk about boys, mates, makeup, or any of the usual things people her age enjoyed. Even when she was in the mansion, I have not seen her talk to her mother. And it reminded me how her mother wanted her gone. Why? How could a mother hate her daughter so much and why?


    "What are all these marks on your body?" The moment I mentioned them, she lifted her head, and my breath nearly caught in my throat. Her eyes were red, as if she was trying to hold back tears.


    "I¡¯m... human, remember?" she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don¡¯t have a wolf to heal me, so the scars stay, and my body is fragile. Can you please leave so I can dress?" She quickly turned her face away after her response.


    It was painfully clear that her secrets mattered deeply to her. No amount of pressing or prying would make her open up.


    Could it be trust issues?


    "Sure. I didn¡¯t mean to make you ufortable." I got up, pointed to the ck dress I¡¯d left for her, and walked out of the bathroom.


    Once back in the bedroom, I began pacing from one corner of the room to the other.


    "The ruthless Kaye, going crazy over a few marks on a stranger¡¯s back," Ye taunted, making me roll my eyes.


    "What? Did I upset you by calling her a stranger?" He always knew how to get under my skin.


    "Why are you straying from your motive? What happened to your goals? Surely, taking care of that woman¡¯s daughter wasn¡¯t on the list, was it? I hope you haven¡¯t forgotten what her mother did to you and your family." Ye¡¯s words dripped with venom, causing me to close my eyes. But the minute I did, those burn marks on her back shed in my mind.


    "She acted like it was nothing, as if cigarette burns are normal¡ªsomething people just brush off. But, because they¡¯re wolves, they heal," I muttered under my breath. Just then, the bathroom door opened, and I quicklyposed myself.


    She stepped out in the ck dress, her skin soft and glowing.


    As she sat on the bed, I turned to leave to get her some food when her voice¡ªgentle and soft¡ªcalled my name, and my world seemed to stop.


    "Kaye!"


    It was so delicate that the hair on the back of my neck stood up.


    "Thank you." Her simple gratitude filled me with a surprising sense of pride, making me feel important.


    A small smile crept onto my lips, and I took a deep breath before turning back to her with a nod.


    Her tinum blonde hair was still wet, falling loosely over her shoulders¡ªa striking contrast to the ck dress.


    In that moment, a wave of disgust washed over me, and I quickly left the room. Isn¡¯t it wrong to think this way about my stepsister?


    "Imagine what Mom would say," Ye murmured darkly, sending chills down my spine.

 Chapter 61-The Wet Prince

    <h4>Chapter 61: 61-The Wet Prince</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    After Kaye left, I couldn¡¯t stay awake for food and decided to rest. The moment Iy down in bed, a suffocating sensation overwhelmed me. It felt as if someone were drowning me¡ªI could swear I felt my hair getting wet.


    I forced my eyes open, and to my surprise, I was no longer in the bed I had just settled into. Darkness surrounded me, and my body was half-submerged in cold water.


    "Where am I?" I muttered, my voice echoing back to me in the empty space.


    As I raised my head, I spotted a faint light above. It dawned on me¡ªI was trapped in a well.


    The air was cold and damp as I pressed my back against the slimy stone wall.


    "Huh! How did... I get here?" I stammered, feeling the frantic rise and fall of my chest. The well was narrow, just wide enough for me to stretch out my arms and feel the rough, wet stones on either side.


    "Somebody, please help me," I whimpered, my voice barely audible. The small circle of light above illuminated only the upper portion of the well, while darkness gaped beneath my feet. The walls seemed to close in tighter with every shallow breath I took. My chest tightened as I noticed a figure standing at the top.


    It was a familiar face. He looked disheveled, holding the well¡¯s heavy cover in his hands. Was he the one who put me here?


    It had to be him.


    He was definitely closing the lid.


    "Norman! No!" I screamed so loud that it jolted me awake.


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I had just seen. Norman, throwing me into a well? Was it... just a nightmare, or was this a warning to be cautious around him?


    I gasped again, desperate for air, but it felt as if I couldn¡¯t get enough. The memory of the dream was too real, too vivid. The sensation of being trapped in that well lingered painfully in my mind.


    "Hnie!" I nearly jumped as I saw Kaye standing in the doorway. He must have woken up when I started screaming in my sleep.


    I stared at his face in silence as he came closer and sat beside me, his gaze scanning my face intently.


    "I was in¡ª" I tried to speak, thinking I¡¯d calmed down, but my breath hitched, and I began to hyperventte again.


    "Shh, it¡¯s okay. It was just a dream." His voice was low and soothing, though it barely cut through my panic. His eyes shone in the dim light of the bedsidemp.


    "He... he threw me in the well. He wanted to trap me there¡ª" My voice faltered, and tears stung my eyes as I recalled his face.


    "Who? Who threw you into the well?" Kaye¡¯s gaze locked onto mine, leaning in closer, his eyes intent. The intensity woke me up fully, snapping me back to the present.


    I pulled back instinctively, taking deep, steadying breaths. He was kind to me today, but who knows how he¡¯ll act once I¡¯m back on my feet. People like the broken ones; it¡¯s when the miserable raise their heads that they start to disturb others.


    "I¡¯m fine. It was just a nightmare," I said, clearing my throat as I covered my face with my hands, rubbing away the remnants of sleep and panic.


    "Was it Lamar? Don¡¯t worry¡ªhe won¡¯te near you again." Slowly, I uncovered my face, surprised by how confidently Kaye reassured me. Did I believe him?


    No.


    If there¡¯s anyone I can rely on, it¡¯s me. I have to be the one to protect myself.


    "Hnie¡ªI want to know¡ª" He was frowning, studying my face, but just then, his phone rang, interrupting us.


    He nced at the screen, and his expression changed; he shot up from the bed as if he¡¯d seen a ghost.


    "Mom? How are you?" he said, answering the call with an uneasy smile.


    They¡¯d never talked much about their mother, but I knew they loved her. They hadn¡¯t been able to ept my mother as their father¡¯s new wife, not even after all this time.


    "Oh, alright. I¡¯ll be there as soon as I can," he replied, hanging up. He didn¡¯t turn back to look at me right away, dialing another number quickly.


    "Emmet, Mom called. She wants me toe over. Where are you?" His fingers fidgeted as he bit his nails, an anxious look shadowing his face.


    I didn¡¯t understand why a call from his mother would make him so nervous.


    "Oh, that¡¯s good. I need to leave soon," he mumbled, sounding somewhat relieved, though he still paced around the room, wiping his mouth nervously.


    "Thank you. Bye." He ended the call with a barely audible murmur, then seemed to remember where he was, ncing at me with a faint, broken smile.


    "Um, Emmet will be here in a few minutes. I have to go," he said, his tone uneasy as he turned to leave. But just as he reached the doorway, he spun around, as though remembering something, and spoke in a voice almost too vulnerable to recognize.


    "Please... take care of yourself."


    He was soon out of my sight, but I kept remembering the way he had looked at me. Iy down for a few minutes, but then I heard the front door open. I managed to get out of bed to see who it was.


    I knew who it had to be.


    It had to be Emmet.


    I wasn¡¯t mistaken. I walked out of my room but couldn¡¯t make it all the way through the living room because my body still felt weak.


    The entire house was shrouded in darkness, with the thunderstorm illuminating parts of it. I watched a dark figure enter and close the door behind him.


    The light flickered on, illuminating Emmet¡¯s face, and my breath hitched. He was drenched from the rain, and the first thing he did upon entering was start unbuttoning his wet shirt.


    He flicked on the side tablemp and casually ced his phone down while opening his shirt with one hand.


    I wanted to make my presence known, but I was stunned as he took off his shirt, revealing his chiseled physique.


    He was incredibly muscr, adorned with tattoos that didn¡¯t cover his entire body. Arge tattoo of a sword ran down the center of his chest, and there was something written along his ribs.


    "Oh!" The moment he finally noticed me, I gasped and quickly looked away.


    This was going to be awkward now.

 Chapter 62-My Dear Mother

    <h4>Chapter 62: 62-My Dear Mother</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    "I heard what happened at the examination grounds." Her blue eyes shifted toward me as she held the teacup with grace. Even after everything that had transpired, she maintained her poise. Her posture was always upright, and her demeanor was stern.


    "Two candidatesmitted a crime and then lied to Maximus McQuoid," I used the words the others had been employing when discussing that incident.


    "Hm, and you got them expelled?" She tilted her head, her eyes questioning.


    "Arrested! We cannot allow such dangerous creatures to roam freely," I replied, refusing to take the teacup that her royal beta had been holding for me.


    Mr. Larry Taboida had been friends with her since childhood. But when my mother left the pack, he was left behind. Now that my mother was back in her pack and serving as alpha queen, she had hired him to work for her.


    "Norman! Who is the victim, and why isn¡¯t she in the hospital, but rather in the farmhouse that you brothers share?" I knew my mother would bring it up. She had information on all of us; her trusted men kept an eye on us, but we never confronted her about it.


    It was a mother worried about her sons, right?


    "Since you know she is staying at our farmhouse, I¡¯m sure you must know who she is," I replied, shaking my head. Mr. Larry pulled his hand back, but my mother grabbed the teacup and offered it to me herself this time.


    Her light blue dress looked like a summer breeze, and her hair flowed in the winding through the window.


    I had been informed by Mr. Larry that my mother wanted to see me, so I had to leave everything behind and hurry over. She had called for Kaye too, so I knew what she wanted to discuss with us.


    "Urs¡¯s daughter? I heard she came to stay with you for a while but then left, and now she¡¯s participating in the academy?" There was a bitterness in her tone; I knew she wouldn¡¯t want her in our academy.


    "She wouldn¡¯t pass the tests. There¡¯s no need to worry." I epted the teacup and noticed my mother watching me drink from it.


    "Yet she is in the farmhouse. Anyway, I didn¡¯t bring you here to talk about some useless creature or a gold digger¡¯s daughter. I¡¯m here to make a suggestion." She straightened her back, ying with the ck diamond on her finger. It was a rare gem, just like my mother¡ªshe was rare too.


    "Hi, I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte!" That¡¯s when Kaye barged in, anxious and flustered. I hated how my mother¡¯s presence made him feel. He was always on edge around her, constantly worried about doing something wrong. It wasn¡¯t just the big things; even a cough from him would upset her.


    "It¡¯s nothing new," my mother said with a bright smile, attempting to y it off, but herment must have stung Kaye.


    "It¡¯s alright. You¡¯ve been really helpful these past few days." I quickly defended him, but my mother¡¯s eye roll was disheartening.


    "Mom! I left the minute you called¡ª" Kaye had a smile on his lips as he turned to Lady Darcy Katz, but she was so imposing that she didn¡¯t even acknowledge him and instead interrupted.


    "Release the two students." She leaned back, crossing one leg over the other and watching us for a reaction.


    "Huh? Sydney and Lamar? They havemitted a heinous crime. If they are given a chance today, they will do it again, thinking they¡¯re invincible." Kaye looked so passionate when discussing what was right that it honestly made me feel guilty for not doing the same.


    "Oh! Kaye has decided to start focusing on the right things and not y in the grass anymore?" My mother¡¯sment made Larry turn toward us andugh along with her.


    "They are treasures, not some grass," I stated loudly, wiping the smile off Larry¡¯s face.


    "Whatever." My mother used a rough tone. "But release those two. You don¡¯t have any proof. Besides, do you know who Sydney¡¯s father is? He is a royal beta of the Blood Hunters¡¯ pack and also the biggest investor in my jewelrypany." My mother¡¯s eyes lingered on Kaye, who looked incredibly ufortable hearing her demand for Sydney and Lamar¡¯s release from custody.


    "Mom! The victim is awake and¡ª" I watched Kaye trying to exin, but my mother shook her head.


    "So? Make her go back to sleep then." Her words sent a shudder through Kaye¡¯s body right in front of my eyes and I felt a little pain in my heart.


    "You¡¯re not going to cause so much trouble for the sake of that rogue, wolfless slut, are you? Do you know the alpha of the Blood Hunters¡¯ pack has been putting so much pressure on us? And by the way, must I remind you of the rules? Rogues that are not part of the academy are pretty much vulnerable and not the responsibility of anyone. Even if she dies, Lamar and Sydney cannot be held ountable."


    I was struck with shock when my mother exined that rule to us. The rogues who are not part of our mansion or academy do not fall under any rules. They are rogues, and they have no security or protection. I knew the rule, I just forgot about it.


    I wanted to defend my brother Kaye, but it was a significant rule, and if the alpha of the Blood Hunters¡¯ pack defended his beta¡¯s daughter, we would be called out for breaking it.


    "So, I hope you don¡¯t want the alpha and the royal beta to send their warriors after this rogue girl. Because there will be no rule that will keep her safe from their wrath. So silently withdraw the charges and avoid embarrassing yourself and me," my mother said, looking straight into Kaye¡¯s eyes. I knew she was taking control of him.


    Kaye would rathermit a crime himself than upset our mother. The shocking part was that even though I didn¡¯t like Hnie at all, I felt a sense of wrongness in that moment when Kaye sighed and gave up.

 Chapter 63-A Perfect Man!

    <h4>Chapter 63: 63-A Perfect Man!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I¡¯m sorry," I said, turning around to give him some privacy as he pulled another shirt from the bag he carried with him. Just a few days ago I was deeply hated by these brothers. But now they were taking turns taking care of me? Or was it because they felt guilty or responsible for someone from the shelter attacking the other candidate?


    "Did I wake you up? Sorry, I didn¡¯t realize I was being so loud," he murmured softly in his deep, raspy voice.


    "No, it¡¯s fine. I... I haven¡¯t been able to fall back asleep since waking up from a nightmare," I admitted, waiting for him to finish changing.


    He stepped up behind me, gently tapped two fingers on my shoulder, then walked past. That was his casual way of letting me know he was done.


    I turned around just in time to see him untie his hair and give it a quick shake, freeing the loose strands.


    "Then let me make you something to eat; you must be starving," he offered, heading to the kitchen and pulling out some bread.


    I walked over slowly, taking a seat at the counter while he cracked some eggs and began whisking them.


    "Can I ask you something?" I couldn¡¯t hold back my curiosity any longer.


    He was so different, so distinct. I wondered why he wasn¡¯t on his brother¡¯s side.


    "Go ahead," he said, leaning over the pan with his head lowered but his eyes locked on mine. Hisrge hands rested on the counter, steady and strong.


    "Do you have a mate?" Asking him this felt strange, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself.


    It wasn¡¯t that I wanted him to im me¡ªI was just curious. Being acknowledged and loved by my mate was far from my priorities.


    Besides, I had felt a mate bond with his brother too. But since it happened only in a dream, and I didn¡¯t have a wolf to confirm it, I might never know what that experience truly meant.


    "Nope!" he replied, drawing out the "p" with emphasis.


    "And I don¡¯t want to find one. I believe in soulmates more than in a mate bond," he said, surprising me with the distinction he made between the two.


    "But... isn¡¯t a mate supposed to be a soulmate?" I asked, watching him as he squinted one eye slightly and shook his head.


    "For many, I just don¡¯t believe in it," he said as he began assembling the sandwich. I found myself zoning out.


    Could it be that we shared a dislike for the Moon Goddess? Was that why he rejected what she had chosen for him?


    "And you? Do you want to find your mate?" he asked, sliding the te towards me. I stared down at the sandwich and scrambled eggs. They looked delicious.


    How was he so perfect?


    "I don¡¯t have a wolf," I replied, hoping it would suffice as an excuse.


    "But that doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t feel a mate bond for the first time. Just make sure it¡¯s a full moon, and you get some physical contact with your mate. Maybe try going to a full moon ball and dancing around," he said casually, taking a bite from his own sandwich.


    Of course, he knew everything. Did I really think I could deceive him? He knew all about wolves and how they could sense a mate bond, even when their wolf was dormant.


    Shifting ufortably in my seat, I took a bite of the scrambled eggs. "Since you¡¯re a trainer and professor at the academy, you must havee across many individuals without wolves. Has any of them ever found their wolves?" I didn¡¯t know what I was hoping to hear, as the academy rarely admitted such students.


    "Hmm, not at the university, but outside of it, yes," he nodded, leaning over his te with his hands on the counter. His hair was so healthy¡ªit shone beautifully.


    "And?" I prompted.


    "Honestly, they usually found their wolves before turning twenty," he replied, his words lifting my spirits.


    I didn¡¯t say anything after that, focusing on my meal in silence.


    "You¡¯ll get your wolf one day, Hnie. But you have to work for it, maybe even make sacrifices," he said thoughtfully. "Sometimes, wishes onlye true if you¡¯re willing to let go of something you love most."


    His words took me by surprise. When I looked up, I found him staring off at the wall, lost in thought.


    That¡¯s when his phone ringing finally snapped him out of his daze. He shook his head slightly, then picked it up, leaning one hand on the counter as he stared at the screen before answering.


    "I¡¯m listening," he said, stepping out of the kitchen.


    "I had a feeling they¡¯d take that route," I heard him say, his voice trailing off until it fadedpletely.


    Oddly enough, I was feeling much better. The brothers had truly done their best to take care of me.


    A few minutes after I¡¯d finished my food, I saw Emmet return, a disappointed expression on his face. He slid his phone onto the counter, and it barely stopped at the edge. I could tell something bad had happened, something that was really bothering him.


    "Is everything okay?" I asked. He sighed, his hands resting heavily on the counter, his broad frame leaning over it.


    "They had to let Lamar and Sydney go. Rogues who aren¡¯t linked to the mansion or the academy don¡¯t get any protection, so any crime against them isn¡¯t really considered a crime," he said, a bitter edge in his voice, clearly upset by the news.


    I wasn¡¯t only disappointed¡ªI was afraid, too. But I kept a calm expression, not wanting to show how much it disturbed me.


    "It¡¯s alright. I just wanted them to acknowledge that a crime wasmitted," I said, keeping my posture straight as he looked at me in surprise.


    "Hnie, it¡¯s okay to show disappointment, to be angry," he said gently, his voice so soft that I couldn¡¯t help but give him a small smile.


    "I¡¯ll be fine. Once I¡¯m at the academy, I¡¯ll be safe," I replied confidently. He nodded, almost proudly, as though he admired my optimism.


    But now, more than ever, I was determined to see this through.

 Chapter 64-Unfair World

    <h4>Chapter 64: 64-Unfair World</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "We¡¯ve been so worried about you. We wanted toe see you, but no one would tell us which hospital you were at," Lucy said, holding my hand tightly, as she had since I arrived. I¡¯d returned after a week. My injuries have healed, but the mental stress has only added to my concerns.


    "I¡¯m much better now," I replied, not wanting to tell her that I¡¯d actually been at my stepbrother¡¯s farmhouse. I¡¯ve learned not to trust anyone with my secrets. If my stepbrothers hadn¡¯t shared my location, I probably shouldn¡¯t either.


    After Emmet exined the n, he was asked to leave to handle some academy issues, leaving me alone at the farmhouse with the doctors and nurses. The new medical team was quite decent, making sure myfort was their top priority.


    This morning, a warrior escorted me to the shelter. I¡¯d heard they were resuming the examinations today.


    "Those two should never have been let out of prison," Gavin muttered, shaking his head as he watched Salem walk out of the bathroom, freshly dressed for the exam.


    "Excuse me? And why not? They didn¡¯t break any rules," she shrugged, her eyes narrowing as they fell on me, filled with hostility and irritation.


    "But they hurt someone. Those rules exist for a reason¡ªrules are there to keep animals in check. If someone attacks a rogue, they¡¯re no better than animals," Gavin argued, prompting Salem to roll her eyes and pick up the curling iron.


    She grabbed a section of her hair and began curling it with the hot iron rod in her hand. "And did you ever think about what all this has done to my sister¡¯s reputation? She was in prison. For the Goddess¡¯ sake, she didn¡¯t even have her makeup with her. Just the idea of her sleeping without her skincare routine freaks me out."


    It was, unfortunately, prettymon for people like her to act this way. I didn¡¯t expect anything else from her.


    "Anyway, I¡¯m fine now, and I¡¯m ready for the exam," I said, pointedly ignoring that woman and trying to focus on the two people who were actually being kind to me.


    "Then let¡¯s head out¡ªthe trainers are here," Gavin said, ncing at his phone. My heart skipped a beat at the thought of facing Lamar and Sydney again.


    I followed behind them, dressed in the same brown tracksuit that Lucy had given me earlier. She¡¯d washed it clean, and I was grateful for her thoughtfulness.


    Once we stepped onto the training grounds outside the shelter, I noticed the seats arranged neatly for the audience. The brothers were finally arriving.


    They were all dressed in ck for some reason, with a group of warriors standing behind them¡ªLamar and Sydney among them. My stomach twisted at the sight, and I quickly lowered my head, taking a deep breath to steady myself.


    When the group reached the tform near the brothers, Norman took the lead.


    "These two were imprisoned for a reason. Unfortunately, thews don¡¯t fully apply to rogues. But that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯ll tolerate such behavior again. These two candidates have been given another chance, and this will be theirst. If they¡¯re caught¡ª" Norman paused, seeming to recognize the unfairness of the situation. At the very least, they could have been banned from the academy.


    "If they¡¯re caught again, they¡¯ll be expelled."


    As he finished, Salem cheered, clearly thrilled to be reunited with her sister. But Sydney kept her head down, unwilling even to look up.


    "However, Lamar and Sydney will no longer be eligible topete for Alpha King status. Sydney may train here, but without any guarantee of ever achieving the royal beta rank she wanted, and the same goes for Lamar. Neither will be allowed to be Alphas or royal betas," he announced, and I finally looked up.


    The way Lamar clenched his jaw and closed his eyes made it clear that this punishment stung. Sydney covered her face in her hands and began to sob.


    "If you don¡¯t want this to be your future, you¡¯re free to withdraw from the exam and join an academy that tolerates such behavior," Norman hissed, his gaze sharp.


    I noticed the brothers exchange a relieved look. The way Norman turned to them, his shoulders squaring, made it clear that his motives weren¡¯t entirely about justice¡ªor about me. He was doing this for his brothers.


    "So, what¡¯s your decision?" he asked the two of them, right before the exam began. Both looked visibly drained, likely from a sleepless night filled with regrets.


    But this was what they deserved for their cruelty.


    "I¡¯ll stay," Lamar sighed, his voice thick with guilt. He kept his eyes down, avoiding my gaze.


    Sydney, however, stared right at me and said firmly, "I¡¯ll stay."


    "Well then, let¡¯s begin with your apologies to the victim," Kaye stepped forward, gesturing for the two to apologize to me.


    Lamar took the initiative, stepping towards me. Although every instinct told me to step back, I forced myself to hold my ground. "I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know what I was thinking... Honestly, I wasn¡¯t thinking at all. What I did was inhumane. If I could, I¡¯d apologize to you every day. Please, forgive me."


    There was a sincerity in his voice, a guilt that sounded genuine. But it didn¡¯t soften my heart. I stayed silent, waiting as Sydney approached.


    "I¡¯m sorry. I was drunk," she muttered, her toneced with attitude, which made me groan in frustration.


    "No, you weren¡¯t," I snapped. Myment sent a ripple of silence through the room. All eyes turned to her, waiting for a response. But it was Salem who stepped forward.


    "You should have a little empathy¡ª" she began, but her words were cut off sharply by Emmet.


    "That¡¯s enough, Salem. I sincerely hope you¡¯re not suggesting that a victim should havepassion for the people who tried to kill her." His harsh tone stunned everyone into silence.


    Salem looked thoroughly humiliated, but Emmet wasn¡¯t finished.


    "And next time, don¡¯t act like you¡¯re everyone¡¯s grandmother. Go back to your seat," he yelled, pointing to the chair at the far end. Salem snatched up her belongings and hurried to the back, thoroughly chastened.


    Realizing that the brothers were waiting for a genuine apology, Sydney took a deep breath and tried again. "I¡¯m sorry. Please, forgive me."

 Chapter 65-From My Experience

    <h4>Chapter 65: 65-From My Experience</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    The chaos finally ended, and we sat down for the exam. I hadn¡¯t realized it would be a verbal examination.


    Each of us was given five questions, and whoever scored the highest woulde in first. The first round focused on herbs and nts, and to my surprise, the others weren¡¯t doing so well. Most of them barely managed to answer three out of five questions correctly, except for Salem, who scored four. Now it was my turn.


    Kaye returned to my seat, his eyes lingering on my notebook for a moment before he shook his head and resumed the examination. He began asking me questions, and I nailed four of them. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t get the fifth one right. Now, it was a tie between Salem and me.


    I had already passed the exam, but I wanted to score the highest, so I was thrilled about the tie-breaker round.


    "Both of you,e here and stand in front of everyone," Emmet instructed, gesturing at a spot before the group.


    My heart was pounding so hard I thought I might faint. Salem looked confident, while Kaye had been watching me intently. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what kind of question he¡¯d ask. Knowing the brothers well, I suspected that Norman had probably whispered something ridiculous to Kaye, just to throw me off and make me lose.


    They had a quick exchange when they saw Salem and me tied.


    "The question is..." Kaye announced, his eyes shifting briefly from me to Salem before returning to me, "Which rose induces a profounda and dream-like hallucinations?"


    The second he said it, I sprang to my feet, ready to answer.


    "Pink!" Salem shouted first, but she was wrong.


    "Kaye turned to me, almost demanding that I answer. "Hnie?"


    "It¡¯s the purple rose¡ªthe one that traps its victim in a prison of dreams," I replied confidently. As I spoke, I noticed a faint smile on Kaye¡¯s lips, as though he had chosen that question on purpose.


    The defeated look on Salem¡¯s face was satisfying to see. I turned to the crowd, catching Lucy and Gavin giving me a thumbs-up, though Sydney had her arms folded tightly over her chest. Naturally, she wasn¡¯t pleased. Lamar, on the other hand, kept his expression neutral.


    "Congrattions¡ª" Emmet began, shing his usual charming smile, but before he could finish, Norman and Maximus exchanged a look and shook their heads.


    "These two have done a great job. How about we give Salem one more question? If she can¡¯t answer and Hnie does, only then will we make a final decision. This time, I¡¯ll ask the question." I knew Norman wasn¡¯t thrilled about me taking the lead.


    "Making up your own rules, brother?" Emmet scoffed, but he masked it with a sarcastic smile.


    Norman merely grunted and asked Kaye to step aside. I knew exactly why¡ªNorman suspected Kaye had asked thatst question knowing I¡¯d answer it in a heartbeat.


    Now, Norman stood before us, his hands tucked into the pockets of his ck pants, his fitted ck shirt straining against his build. There was a glint in his eye, almost challenging me, as if to say, *Let¡¯s see how you win this time.*


    "What is the effect of a lush green herb?" he asked. The moment he spoke, my mind shed back to a day I had sniffed the purple rose. I recalled a bottlebeled with the herb¡¯s effect.


    "It¡¯s called the me of Lust. It puts a creature into a state of heat," I answered, barely pausing to take a breath. The look on Norman¡¯s face said it all.


    Behind him, I noticed Kaye and Emmet exchanging wide smiles.


    "Damn it!" Salem muttered under her breath as her sister rushed tofort her. She knew I had won from the slight nod Norman gave me. He didn¡¯t even bother to congratte me; instead, he turned away to join his brothers.


    As Lucy and Gavin ran over to give me a group hug, I caught Salem and Sydney ring at us. Lamar simply sat in silence, his eyes fixed on me, though this time, they held no hint of anger.


    "If you¡¯re all done celebrating, we need to start the second exam," Norman announced, his tone tight. For someone who was supposed to be impartial, he seemed visibly annoyed. I could¡¯ve sworn he was muttering under his breath, too.


    Kaye stepped between us, facing the students while Salem and I faced each other. We both tilted our heads back to meet his gaze¡ªhe was so tall that we had to crane our necks to look him in the eye.


    "Ask them the toughest question you cane up with. Whoever answers first and correctly will be the winner," Norman stated. Kaye closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. I could feel my nerves mounting.


    We returned to our seats, and this time it was Emmet who had prepared a set of questions rted to weapons. He began firing them off in a fast-paced, quiz-style format, forcing us to answer quickly. I did my best, racing to keep up with each question until we reached the final one. Whoever answered thisst question correctly would be dered the winner.


    I wanted this victory so badly.


    ncing over Emmet¡¯s shoulder, I noticed the brothers arguing in the background. It was clear that Norman was frustrated. But Kaye caught my eye and gave me an encouraging nod, urging me to stay focused. Then, looking back at Emmet, I realized he was pausing slightly, making sure I was ready. I returned his gaze with a small nod of my own.


    At that, Emmet proceeded to give us the final question.


    "What mark does a weapon touched by a devil have?" he asked, his voice steady. Immediately, I recalled a conversation with Maximus about weapon markings. This was how I¡¯d managed to score so well, but now I needed to get thisst answer right.


    Without hesitation, I shot to my feet and answered, loud and clear, "A bone-like pattern!"


    The defeated look on Norman¡¯s face confirmed my victory. With a proud and cheerful smile, Emmet dered, "Hnie got it right."

 Chapter 66-Are They My Friends?

    <h4>Chapter 66: 66-Are They My Friends?</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I felt as if I¡¯d grown wings. My heart swelled with pride and joy, a feeling so rare I couldn¡¯t recall thest time I¡¯d felt this way. The moment Emmet announced I had achieved the highest scores in both tests, I jumped up and hugged Lucy, who had already run toward me, arms outstretched. Gavin quickly joined, and we all shared a group hug that felt like home.


    I have never had friends before or someone who would celebrate with my victory. So it meant the world when those two cheered for me.


    As I looked around, I saw Kaye pping steadily, Emmet giving me a proud smile, but Maximus and Norman stood silently, their faces unreadable. Why couldn¡¯t they be happy for the candidate?


    After we celebrated, the brothers left, while the rest of us headed back inside the shelter. The sisters didn¡¯t stick around, though; I wasn¡¯t sure where they went to spend their time, but I was relieved not to have to face them again.


    Gavin and Lucy had ordered pizza to celebrate my victory. They were genuinely thoughtful. For the candidates who camest in this session, a pairing with those who also ranked low in other groups was in store. They would then face another exam, and finally, the candidates who ranked lowest would be let go. That¡¯s why finishing the tests mattered so much. What surprised me most was how thrilled Gavin seemed, even though he¡¯dest in the academic test.


    Lamary on his mattress, barely moving. I didn¡¯t think he was actually asleep, but he was definitely pretending.


    "Tomorrow is the final exam. It¡¯ll be tough, but I¡¯m certain you¡¯ll do great," Lucy said, holding my hand reassuringly.


    "What¡¯s the test about though?" I asked, realizing that unlike everyone else here, I hadn¡¯t trained for months in preparation. Most of them had spent ages gearing up for these exams, while I¡¯d decided on a whim to join the academy.


    They say time flies, but for me, it felt as if it had frozen that night. It had been more than a month since that incident, yet it felt like it had only happened yesterday. The faces of those alphas were still vivid in my mind, their mockingughter and the humiliation still haunting me, no matter how many cheers I received for passing each test.


    "All the candidates will be given different colored shirts," Gavin exined, his words making my heart race. "We¡¯ll have one hour, and in that time, we need to avoid getting caught. If we¡¯re able to catch at least one candidate, we¡¯ll rank higher. The one who gets caught will be rankedst. The winner sits out, and the loser¡ªyeah, that¡¯s what they call them¡ªis given one more chance. If they get caught again by someone else, they¡¯re disqualified. But if they manage to avoid capture the second time, someone else will take their ce as the lowest-ranked candidate and will be moved to another shelter topete against the other lowest-ranked candidates. Which is a final round between all the losers of each shelter"


    So all I had to do was avoid getting caught¡ªtwice.


    "Hey, don¡¯t worry; you¡¯ve got this," Lucy assured me with a smile. She motioned for me to lean in closer to her and Gavin. "We¡¯ve got a n."


    I leaned in, listening intently.


    "Since I¡¯ve alreadyest in the previous two exams, if you¡¯re the first to get caught, I¡¯ll go after Lucy¡ªsince she hasn¡¯t rankedst before¡ªand bring her to the finish line. That way, you won¡¯t be disqualified. Then you and I will end up in thest round together, and I¡¯ll help you in the physical rounds and you help me with the educational part," Gavin shed me a smile, brighter than any I¡¯d seen before.


    "Really? You two would do that for me?" I didn¡¯t know what came over me, but I found myself breaking out of my shell and talking more freely.


    "Of course! We¡¯re friends, after all," Lucy cheered, making my eyes misty.


    "Thank you so much, you guys. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re being so kind to me, but it means the world." I rose and hugged them both, drawing out theirughter.


    They were so full of life. Even though I knew they¡¯d been bullied by Sydney and Salem, they still stood up for me. Kaye had told me about it. How I wished I could take a stand against the alphas, but no one would believe me. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t rely on anyone else to pass judgment.


    I need to seek justice for myself.


    "Now, let¡¯s get some rest. Tomorrow is judgment day," Gavin said, giving me aforting pat on the head like a big brother offering strength.


    I went back to my mattress, and sleep took over quickly. When I woke up, I noticed two mattresses were empty¡ªthe sisters hadn¡¯t spent the night with us. Maybe it was nothing, or maybe it meant they¡¯d rather avoid the sight of me altogether.


    I could only imagine the humiliation Sydney must have felt, being locked up. From what her sister said, Sydney hadn¡¯t received any special treatment in the prison.


    We got ready and assembled outside the shelter, waiting for the brothers to arrive. The two sisters showed up hand in hand, swaying their ponytails as they walked past us, each shooting me a cold, unsettling re.


    Sydney stood right beside me, but Gavin slid between us, giving me some relief. I shed Gavin a grateful smile as the brothers approached, holding shirts and reminding us of the rules.


    While we waited in line, I overheard Sydney murmuring something to her sister. Her words didn¡¯t escape my notice.


    "Today will be the perfect chance to show certain ¡¯people¡¯ what we¡¯re capable of," she said, her toneced with malice. Goosebumps crept up my arms¡ªI had no doubt she meant me.


    "Absolutely. Let¡¯s win this match and maybe even knock someone out of the list," Salem replied, her gaze directly aimed at me. Their exchange made it clear: they were nning to target me in this round.

 Chapter 67-Such A Loser!

    <h4>Chapter 67: 67-Such A Loser!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I watched as Lamar received a white shirt, Lucy got purple, and then Kaye handed me a green one. It was such a murky green that it would help me blend right into the bushes. He smiled as if he¡¯d picked it out especially to help me.


    I wanted to smile back, but my gaze kept shifting to Norman, who was scrutinizing us all, observing every detail.


    Then Gavin was given a blue shirt, while Sydney ended up with pink, and Salem was handed a yellow one.


    Now, we all stood before the brothers, facing them directly.


    "Remember, you have a five-minute head start. Try to separate from each other and stay hidden for one hour. Your time starts now," Norman announced, and everyone began sprinting like mad.


    If none of us were caught, the test would continue.


    As I started running, I noticed how quickly the others dashed away. It must be so satisfying to move that fast. That¡¯s when I nced back and noticed Sydney trailing behind me.


    She was running slowly, almost deliberately, as if she wasn¡¯t even trying to hide or escape. That¡¯s when it all clicked¡ªshe wasing after me.


    My heart pounded harder as she picked up speed. I tried to shake her, but she stayed right on my heels. I didn¡¯t even realize five minutes had passed until I heard the bells ring in the distance, signaling the start. The first thing Sydney did was close in, scooping me up effortlessly.


    I elbowed her, trying to weaken her grip around my waist, but she was letting her wolf strength take over.


    I iled, kicking and twisting my arms, but it was useless. She carried me like a rag doll, racing at a breakneck speed, then tossed me at the brothers¡¯ feet.


    Only then did I grasp just how fast she was; I¡¯d barely had a moment to resist.


    "Ah!" I gasped, trying to stand, but stumbled andnded t on my but.


    "Good job, Sydney; that was fast," Norman said, stepping forward and adjusting his watch with a pleased smile.


    Watching him smirk at my defeat infuriated me.


    Maximus showed no reaction, but Emmet and Kaye looked disappointed in me. Their expressions were getting easier to read.


    "Go on, Hnie. Start the second round. If you get caught again, I believe you know what will happen," Norman said, not even ncing in my direction.


    "Aren¡¯t we supposed to make an announcement that I¡¯ve been caught once?" I asked, remembering the n I¡¯d made with Gavin and Lucy.


    However, when Norman turned to me with a sly grin, it felt like my heart twisted painfully in my chest.


    "Nope! We¡¯ve changed the rules this time. No one¡¯s getting a chance to cheat," Norman shrugged, and I felt a tremor ripple through me.


    "Go!" he barked, and I scrambled to my feet, striding past Sydney, who stood smugly with her hands on her hips. It hurt to see her standing there so confidently after what she¡¯d just done to me.


    I took off running again, aiming for the dense, bushy side of the mountain to avoid being spotted. I had no idea how I was going to alert Gavin and Lucy that I¡¯d been caught. Norman must have changed the rules, worried someone might help me.


    But just as I left the open area and darted onto a narrow path, someone lunged out from behind a tree, shoving me to the ground with a force far too intense for this round.


    "Ugh!" I cried out, pain ring as I scrambled to my knees. But before I could rise, Salem grabbed me from behind, trapping me in a headlock and dragging me back down.


    The world blurred as I felt myself pulled to the ground, watching my dreams of escaping get crushed.


    "No!" I hissed, biting down on her arm, which made her release me briefly. I rolled onto my stomach, trying to crawl away, but barely had a second to move before she grabbed my ankles, yanking me back with brutal force.


    She was fierce, and I couldn¡¯t break free, no matter how hard I tried to hold onto anything in my path.


    "Bend your knees and then kick out with all your strength!" a voice called from nearby. I looked up to see Lamar standing a short distance away. Our eyes met, and he began moving toward us. At first, I thought he wasing to help Salem, but as I bent my knees and kicked, she flew backward,nding hard on her back.


    Maybe not! Maybe he wasn¡¯t here to help her¡ªor was he going to turn me to the trainers himself?


    "You¡ª!" Salem spat at Lamar, who shot toward her, scooping her up before she could retaliate. She kicked out, hitting his knee with a sharp blow.


    "Ugh!" he grunted, dropping to one knee as he tried to grab her leg. "Get out of here! Run!" he yelled, snapping me out of my daze.


    I nodded and tried to get away, but Salem grabbed my leg. We became tangled, struggling against each other. As Lamar finally managed to overpower Salem, she grabbed a fistful of sand and flung it into his eyes.


    With Lamar momentarily blinded, she broke free. Before I could react, she punched me hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I stumbled, and before I knew it, she had thrown me over her shoulder, sprinting away at top speed.


    Barely conscious and with pain stabbing through my stomach, I saw Lamar chase after us. He followed until the open training ground came into view. Of course, he couldn¡¯t interfere in front of the trainers.


    Once again, Salem dumped me at their feet. This time, I scrambled up, furious, and shoved her backward.


    "Hey!" she snapped, her expression a mix of anger and triumph.


    "No need to be bitter about it," Normanmented, leaning back against the table, his legs stretched out and a nasty smirk on his lips.


    Seeing the smug satisfaction on his face made me want to lunge at him next.


    "Well, that¡¯s it, then," he said, feigning sympathy. "You¡¯re no longer a candidate. Why don¡¯t you head back to the shelter, collect your things, and leave? We¡¯ll be talking to the epted candidates now. Since you lost, everyone else from this shelter has been epted, and Gavin will have toplete another test with candidates from the other shelters." Norman sounded all too happy as he exined the rules now that I was out of the list.

 Chapter 68-Knight In A Shining Armour

    <h4>Chapter 68: 68-Knight In A Shining Armour</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Hnie! Wait," Lucy yelled, but I saw Norman gesture for her to stop, keeping her froming in my direction. I have seen the sadness in her eyes for me.


    "Aren¡¯t you going to sign the admission form?" I heard Norman ask her. I didn¡¯t want to leave, but what else could I do? I had failed the tests.


    My heart ached so deeply that I knew if I stayed any longer, I would end up crying like a child. The one goal of my life had been snatched away because of my own weakness. This was all my fault.


    I watched as Gavin and the others were loaded onto a bus, headed to the academy where the selected candidates would pay the entry fee, while Gavin would sign up for the backup tests. Going back into the shelter alone felt like a p to my face¡ªa harsh reminder from the alphas that I was on my own now, with nowhere else to go.


    I sat down on my mattress, staring at the wall where Sydney and Salem used to hang so many things. Now, it was bare, a stark hint that they¡¯d left and moved to the academy.


    "I couldn¡¯t even manage that much," I muttered to myself, covering my face with my hands. I had been holding back tears, trying not to cry like a child, but sometimes, it¡¯s okay to let it out.


    "You did your best." I looked up at the sound of Emmett¡¯s voice. I thought he¡¯d left with his brothers. He wore white pants and a shirt with a long, gray coat.


    "I wanted to be part of the academy so badly," I groaned, hunching forward with my elbows on my knees, my face buried in my hands. Emmett looked around for a ce to sit, then settled on the edge of the mattress across from mine.


    "I know. I¡¯ve never seen someone so¡ª" he began, but I interrupted him with a scoff.


    "Desperate?"


    He shook his head and corrected me, "Determined."


    "Thanks for being nice, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m still out," I sighed, watching him gently push his coat aside as he slipped his hand into his pocket.


    He was a devilishly handsome man, and his rugged demeanor only made him stand out more.


    The issue was the mate bond. I wanted to me the mate bond even though I couldn¡¯t feel the pull anymore, and neither could he, especially with the absence of my wolf.


    "Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself," he said, finally pulling his hand out and revealing a red card. "There might still be a way for you to get into the academy."


    My heart skipped a beat, and I looked up to meet his gaze.


    "But I failed thest test," I replied, wanting so desperately to believe him, but the reality was clear.


    "Actually, there¡¯s one more chance. I¡¯m not sure how much it will help, but..." He extended his hand, offering me the card.


    It bore the academy¡¯s logo, with ¡¯Professor Emmett¡¯s Recruit¡¯ written on it.


    "What¡¯s this? How can I use it?" I sat up straight, clutching the card tightly as I looked at him, excitement flickering across my face.


    "This is a special card that each of us brothers holds," he exined. "It gives us the right to choose one recruit. If any candidate fails, we can give them this card to present at the backup tests, allowing them to take just one additional test for a chance to re-enter the academy. But there¡¯s a catch." His voice softened, making me rise almost out of anticipation, then settle back down, eager to know what else I¡¯d need to do.


    "What¡¯s the catch?" I asked.


    "This card can only be used by a family member." The word family made my body tense.


    "Oh!" I rxed, though a wave of disappointment surged within me. That stung. I¡¯d raised my hopes for nothing.


    "But you can use it," he added, and I looked up to see him smiling in an almost unbothered way. "You are my stepsister."


    For some reason, hearing him say that with such a casual smile bothered me. I¡¯d told the Moon Goddess many times that I wouldn¡¯t ept any fate she chose for me, yet there was a strange little twinge when Emmett called me his stepsister.


    But once that fleeting feeling passed, I sat up straighter, a smile tugging at my lips.


    "I can?" I asked, and he nodded.


    "Yes, go ahead. Use it. But¡ª" he paused, his tone bing more serious, "you¡¯ll need to use it wisely. Just holding a pass doesn¡¯t guarantee admission. You¡¯ll have to rely on your skills."


    He stood up, having helped me yet again, and I watched him walk away. After a few steps, he stopped briefly and turned back to say, "Best of luck, Hnie. I want to see you in my ss soon."


    A smile returned to my face, and I held the card tightly, tears of relief filling my eyes. But I had to vacate the shelter quickly; the warriors had arrived to lock it up.


    That¡¯s when my anxiety spiked. Where would I go now? I knew how dangerous the wilderness was, especially for rogues without a home or any connection to the rogue kings or the academy. Slinging my small bag over my shoulder, I carefully tucked the card away and prepared to leave.


    But as soon as I stepped outside, I noticed a warrior pointing at me. I followed him hesitantly as he led me through the trees to the main road.


    "Where are you taking me?" I finally asked. I recognized this warrior; he worked for Kaye.


    "Young Rogue King Kaye has instructed me to take you to a hotel room and serve as your driver until you find a ce of your own." He didn¡¯t borate, but his words meant a lot to me.


    I was in shock as I continued following him. Just when I thought I had no one, someone had been quietly looking out for me.

 Chapter 69-The Past Vs Me

    <h4>Chapter 69: 69-The Past Vs Me</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    "Kaye!" My steps felt heavy as I walked toward my car. I had seen what happened today, and it filled me with anger. Watching Sydney and Lamar participate felt like witnessing something terrible unfolding right in front of us¡ªwhile we stood helpless to stop it. That¡¯s why I decided to use this moment to bring Hnie¡¯s name into association with ours. At the very least, it might help keep her safe.


    For now, though, we needed a ce for her. I knew Kaye was on the same page. Although we hadn¡¯t openly discussed it, we both understood that we didn¡¯t mind if she stayed in our lives. We didn¡¯t me her for her mother¡¯s actions.


    "About Hnie," I said, staring at the hood of my car. I felt the need to calm down. The full moon always left me drained and worn out. My muscles ached intensely, and I could barely work out for two days afterward, yet I still pushed myself.


    I¡¯ve been trying hard to eat well and stay strong. Another full moon had just passed a few days ago, and I¡¯d done my best to prepare for it, but now I was still recovering. I needed to be at my best for every full moon, but I also found myself worrying about that innocent young girl back at the shelter.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I arranged a hotel room for her. I told the staff to look after her." Thankfully, Kaye was thinking along the same lines and not acting like a bitter child unwilling to share a father.


    I understood why my brothers resented her mother, but why take it out on Hnie? Her mother left her when she was only six¡ªhow could she possibly be like her? And if we were to hold grudges, then our father was just as responsible. So why not be angry at him, too? After all, it takes two to tango.


    "What about her admission?" Kaye asked, sounding concerned. I was puzzled why he wouldn¡¯t just give her his card and introduce her as his stepsister.


    "I gave her my pass. I just want to know who¡¯s on the test team." I was worried she¡¯d get banned if she didn¡¯t use the card correctly.


    "Oh, no. Maximus and Norman are on the team," Kaye said, his exhausted tone already hinting that things wouldn¡¯t go well for Hnie.


    "But why Maximus? Doesn¡¯t he want to rest or anything?" Iined as I opened my car door, wincing as I moved. Every little minute that I spent after the full moon hurt my body.


    "I don¡¯t know. He said he wants to work hard this year," Kaye replied. "Let¡¯s just hope thest test is educational."


    If Maximus and Norman were on the list, there wasn¡¯t much we could do.


    "Yeah, let¡¯s see what we can do," I said, determined to do everything I could to convince my brothers to make it an educational test.


    "So, she¡¯ll be known as our stepsister now?" The hesitation in Kaye¡¯s voice made me wonder if he was ready to ept her in that role. I couldn¡¯t me him¡ªhe¡¯d suffered the most.


    "Yeah, why?" I asked, swallowing hard.


    "No particr reason," he replied, though his tone was a bit stiff, as if there was something more he wanted to say. But I am sure he would never open up to me. Maybe he will speak his mind to Norman, we all do.


    "Once she signs up and gets epted, her name will be added to our family records through her mother¡¯s name," I reminded him.


    "Oh! But that¡¯ll only be valid as long as Dad keeps her mother around. If he leaves her¡ª" Kaye¡¯s words made me sigh. My brothers still held onto the hope that one day Dad would leave Hnie¡¯s mother.


    Once Hnie is enrolled at the academy using my card, she¡¯ll forever be known as our stepsister, at least until Dad decides to kick her mother out but that won¡¯t affect her admission. And if he formally epts her mother in a ceremony and marks her, then Hnie will be recognized as our stepsister not just at the academy but everywhere.


    "Anyway, let¡¯s just see what happens," I said, wanting to steer the conversation away from her mother. The two were different people, after all. Hnie seemed genuine and also a little lost. I couldn¡¯t put my finger on it, but something seemed wrong about her past.


    After we hung up, I headed home, walking down the open corridor as fresh wind blew from both sides. At the end of the corridor, I reached the outside room.


    "Emmet¡ª" A distant call made me turn to see Urs watching me from across the corridor.


    "Hm? Do you need something?" I looked away, keeping my hands in my pockets. I didn¡¯t want to be openly dismissive, but I wasn¡¯t fond of her. The only reason I was even responding was because of her daughter. Hnie had earned my respect with her stubborn determination to join the academy.


    "I heard there was...an incident in the shelter," she said, keeping her expression neutral, though I could tell she was trying to study my face from a distance.


    "Yeah, there was. But it¡¯s been taken care of," I replied, noticing fog forming along the corridor as the temperature dropped. The full moon had left me feeling drained.


    "I heard it was about a candidate¡ªa rogue one," she continued, rubbing her hands together anxiously. Her energy was so intense that I could sense it despite the corridor and the cold wind between us.


    "Yes," I replied curtly, keeping my responses brief. I knew what she wanted to know; I just didn¡¯t understand why. She had cast Hnie aside¡ªso why ask about her now?


    "A warrior told me...it was a wolfless girl named Hnie¡ª" she shrugged, trying to seem casual, but her presence here contradicted her indifference.


    "Aha. Anything else?" I sighed, noticing the slight shock in her expression and the way her hands stilled.


    "They...they said the girl is fine now. Is it¡ª" she paused, so I answered her question for her.


    "Yes and yes! It¡¯s your daughter, and she¡¯s participating in the tests now. Anything else?" She finally shook her head, apparently finished asking whatever it was she came here to learn.


    I could tell she was anxious, but why not ask about her daughter directly?


    I turned and entered my small room outside the mansion, my sanctuary. This corridor and this room held memories of all I had faced and ovee.


    As soon as I dropped my coat onto the couch, I grabbed a bottle of wine from the mini fridge and took a long drink. Iy face-down on my bed, and that¡¯s when it happened again.


    The same cold breeze drifted through, and with it, the bittersweet feeling that happiness was slipping away.


    "Look at those stars, Emmet." I could hardly believe my eyes. She stood before me, a faint smile lighting her face.


    "I¡¯vee from the stars," she murmured, her voice so soothing I could listen to it forever without growing tired.


    "But I¡¯m scared," I confessed, watching her perfectly dark brows furrow with concern. The way she looked at me meant everything.


    "What scares you, Emmet?" she asked in her gentle,forting voice. It felt like ages had passed since Ist heard it.


    "What if you go back to the stars?" I didn¡¯t want to imagine her leaving again.


    Ever since she¡¯d entered my life, I¡¯d felt whole.


    "Then you¡¯ll find a way to bring me back, won¡¯t you, Emmet?" She stretched her hand toward me, and I grabbed it instantly.


    I¡¯d never let her go.


    Or so I thought. But then my deepest fear¡ªmy fear¡ªcame to life.


    "Noooo!" I shouted as I watched her body thrown into the well.


    "Nooooo!" I screamed and screamed, but it was useless.


    This can¡¯t be real. This isn¡¯t how it happened. It has to be a dream. I need to wake up.


    "Please, noooo!" I cried out, and that¡¯s when a hand gripped my shoulder, shaking me until I foundfort in a strong pair of arms.


    "Brother! Wake up, it¡¯s only a nightmare."


    I opened my eyes to see Norman sitting beside me on the cold floor.


    "She¡ª" I gasped, struggling for air, "she fell into the well."


    My heart was pounding wildly. I could still feel drops of sweat trickling down my temples.


    "No one fell into the well, Emmet. It was just a nightmare," Norman¡¯s embrace felt grounding and safe.


    "How do you always know when I¡¯m in pain?" I didn¡¯t even realize when I¡¯d gotten out of bed and started wandering through the hallway. I tended to do this whenever I was too drunk. But right now, I just wanted to know how Norman always managed to be there when his brothers needed him.


    "I just know, Emmet." He ced one hand over my heart and the other over his own, a broken smile on his lips.

 Chapter 70-It Is Combat Time

    <h4>Chapter 70: 70-It Is Combat Time</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I don¡¯t think I can do this. I am notfortable here," I murmured, sliding his hand away, feeling awkward about how he was touching me in ss. We have kept our rtionship a secret. I thought we did but sometimes the way everyone whispered when watching us made me wonder if he had told his friends about us.


    "Hnie! Don¡¯t be like that. Nobody¡¯s going to say anything to us," he insisted, his hand slipping up my skirt again. Every time he touched me, I felt as if everyone¡¯s eyes were darting in my direction. Even when no one was looking, I just felt exposed.


    "Altan! Not in the ssroom," I whispered, pping his hand away, which made him grunt and angrily pull his chair back.


    "What happened? Did Miss Goody Two-Shoes upset you again?" A voice from behind made me roll my eyes. She was always trying toe between us, and he let her.


    "Please don¡¯t be mad at me. I just don¡¯t want anyone starting rumors. If they reach my father¡¯s ears¡ª" I tilted my head to look at him and saw the anger in his eyes. He was furious.


    "You only care about your own reputation, Hnie. If you loved me, you¡¯d take off that pendant and kiss me right here," he demanded. His demand didn¡¯t catch me off guard. He¡¯d asked me to take it off countless times before. But now, here in the ssroom?


    The teacher would arrive any moment, and if she caught us like this, I was doomed.


    "Altan, there are so many guys here. You know what happens when I take my pendant off," I said, ncing around at the others who were already watching us. They all knew Altan wanted to be my first, and he was waiting for me to turn eighteen.


    "And you think I won¡¯t be able to handle anyone looking at you? I¡¯d poke their eyes out. But only if you trust me. You don¡¯t even think I can protect you¡ªyou rely on this pendant more than you rely on me," he hissed, grabbing my notebook and tossing it across the room.


    I didn¡¯t know how else to tell him that he was right. I was afraid he couldn¡¯t protect me, but I wouldn¡¯t say it out loud and hurt his pride.


    As I went to retrieve my notebook, others began throwing it around, kicking it, and sliding it across the ssroom. All the while, as I tried to catch it, Altan sat backfortably and watched. And yet he wanted me to believe he could shield me from anyone¡¯s bad intentions.


    I woke up suddenly, drenched in sweat, even though I had never slept in such afortable bed before. I had only been asleep for a few minutes and was already struck with a nightmare.


    "Ugh!" A groan escaped my lips as I sank onto the soft bed. This wasn¡¯t just any hotel room¡ªit was a suite. After that nightmare, I decided to shower again to feel better. After a warm bath, I stepped out wrapped in a plush, blue bathrobe.


    The room service was incredibly attentive. They brought me delicious food, and now they were giving me a foot massage. I was a little confused as to why they were treating me so well, but then I remembered who had booked the room. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t dare disappoint the rogue king¡¯s son and his future sessor.


    "Thank you so much," I murmured to the staff before lying down on the bed. It was set on an elevated tform with windows on three sides and a TV mounted on the fourth wall.


    Iy there in silence, watching the rain patter against the window. It was the perfect weather to just be here. If only I feltpletely at peace with my life.


    The red card in my hand could mean everything¡ªor absolutely nothing¡ªif I didn¡¯t use it wisely.


    "If only I had the will," I sighed, longing for the part of me that had always existed but never truly surfaced.


    With that thought, I drifted off. I woke early the next morning to room service again and began preparing for the day. Kaye had left me a letter with the staff detailing the location and timing of the next test round.


    I was a bit nervous, dreading the thought of facing Maximus and Norman again. Those two didn¡¯t like me very much.


    I spent nearly the entire day watching TV. Back when I lived with my dad, I¡¯d never had a TV. I wasn¡¯t even allowed the simplest form of entertainment.


    This was my first time holding a remote control, and it felt empowering to be the one in charge.


    Living a normal life felt so good. For a moment, I wished I could¡¯ve been a daddy¡¯s princess. I could only imagine how much fun it would have been not to be touched or mocked whenever someone felt like it.


    In that life, my dad would have protected me, and everyone would have thought twice before harassing me. No alphas would have dared to take my virginity or leave me for dead when they were finished with me.


    No rogue king brothers would mock me, and no wealthy pack candidates would beat me up to hide their nasty little secrets.


    A hopeless tear threatened to spill as I pretended to be utterly engrossed in the movies on screen.


    The truth was, I wasn¡¯t.


    Every time a girl appeared on the screen, I wondered about her life. What if she was living the same tragic story behind the scenes?


    Or maybe not.


    What would it be like to walk in her shoes, though?


    I closed my eyes and groaned. "I am not a victim," I whispered into my palms, throwing the remote aside and turning the TV off. Crawling into bed, I reminded myself that tomorrow was myst chance to get into the academy, and I couldn¡¯t afford to miss it.


    Yet with the card in my hand, I was no longer just a rogue who could be mistreated without consequence. Now, with that card, I was the rogue king¡¯s stepsister and stepdaughter¡ªpart of their family. But only If I get epted.


    I went to bed carrying the same negative energy, waking up once again feeling like my life was an endless loop. The room service had left a new tracksuit in my room, courtesy of Kaye.


    After dressing, I slung my bag over my shoulder, double-checking that I had the card, and headed for the testing grounds.


    The same warrior who had escorted me to the hotel was waiting outside for me.


    "Ma¡¯am, did you have breakfast?" he asked as he helped me into the back seat.


    "I did, thank you!" I replied, sure that Kaye had instructed him to look out for me.


    Soon, we arrived at the familiar grounds, a ce that now stirred up a feeling of dread. I¡¯ve been through so much here. But I needed to push past it if I wanted to make it into the academy.


    Though it was a different section of the grounds this time, the warrior escorted me directly to where everyone was gathered.


    As the group came into view, the warrior stepped aside, and I made my way forward.


    Norman and Maximus stood among a circle of the final candidates, both of them wearing sleeveless shirts that showed off their muscr arms, their hair damp from the morning mist.


    "Come on!" Norman pped his hands, introducing two students who seemed ready to face off inbat.


    It wasn¡¯t until one of them threw a punch and got wed in the stomach that I realized the final test was all about physical strength¡ªspecifically,bat skills.


    I instantly wanted to p my forehead. I scanned the crowd, but Gavin was nowhere to be seen. Had he already taken his test and left? I knew there were two sessions, so maybe he was scheduled for theter one. Should I haveeter?


    While I was lost in thought, the candidates continued tearing each other apart. Their agonized screams were honestly more terrifying than anything I¡¯d ever heard. The savage intensity of the battle caught me off guard.


    I didn¡¯t like it.


    All the candidates here seemed intense and brutal. Maybe they had failed the written test and were making up for it with sheer physical strength.


    "That¡¯s it. You¡ªyou¡¯re out." In a cold, unfeeling voice, Norman pulled the winner off the other candidate, whoy sprawled on the ground, and yelled at the loser.


    This was really happening.


    "The test here isplete. We¡¯ve already epted the candidates¡ª" Maximus stepped into the center, and I realized the ones standing on their left had lost their chance at the academy, while the epted candidates stood on the right.


    But before Maximus could finish, he spotted me in the crowd and frowned. His brother followed his gaze and, upon noticing me, tilted his head back and sighed in clear frustration.


    "Oh, it¡¯s you again." This time, Norman didn¡¯t bother to hide his disdain. Now, all eyes were on me.

 Chapter 71-The Two Angry Trainers

    <h4>Chapter 71: 71-The Two Angry Trainers</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Let me handle her," Norman whispered to his brother, hands on his hips. He was wearing a white sleeveless shirt and a pair of gray jeans. His hair, damp yet springy, fell in casual waves across his forehead.


    The strands bounced even more as he strode toward me, gesturing for me to step aside so we could speak in private. But I didn¡¯t obey his silent instructions, forcing him to stop directly in front of me, his back shielding me from the view of the other students.


    "And what are you here for now?" he asked in a low, gruff voice.


    "To try my luck onest time," I replied, a bit too eagerly. After all, he would soon be my trainer at the academy. I respect him and want a good rtionship with him as a teacher and a student.


    "Huh?" He squinted, as though struggling to grasp what I meant. I guess I needed to exin myself better to him.


    "I said¡ª" I started to repeat, but he clicked his tongue sharply, silencing me.


    "I heard you. Now tell me why you think you¡¯ll get another chance when the rules clearly state you¡¯re out. The other candidates who lost left already, so why are you still hanging around?" He pointed at the ground for emphasis before cing his hands back on his hips, standing tall and imposing.


    I would think twice before provoking him again, especially when he was letting his wolfish side show.


    "Because I have this." Stepping back from him slightly and positioning myself within view of the crowd¡ªjust in case he tried to snatch it away¡ªI held up the red card.


    He stared at it for a long moment, then hissed under his breath.


    "What... what is this?" His voice was almost a growl, teeth clenched so tightly I half-expected his jaw to snap.


    "My stepbrother gave it to me," I replied without shame, boldly invoking his brother¡¯s name, knowing full well he might not approve.


    The others nearby leaned in, straining to catch our conversation after seeing the card in my hand. Though they couldn¡¯t hear us, they understood what the card signified: onest chance.


    "Did you... beg Emmet for it?" Norman ran his hand through his hair, visibly anxious, as if I had somehow stolen his brother¡¯s kidney.


    "No! He gave it to me himself," I insisted, my tone growing harsher before I quickly softened it, catching the look Norman shot me. He obviously didn¡¯t appreciate me speaking back to him so sharply.


    Maximus, who had been hanging back, finally gave in and joined us.


    "What¡¯s going on here? Why does she have that card?" he demanded, striding toward us with a scowl. He echoed the question his brother had asked before. Norman just pointed at the card, sighing as he took small, agitated steps back and forth.


    "Emmet gave her his card?" Maximus¡¯s voice almost rose until he noticed the students around us. Lowering his tone, he hissed, "And you came here to use it? Have you lost your mind? Do you have a death wish?"


    "I want to be part of this academy," I repeated, feeling like a broken record. Each time I mentioned the academy, Norman fixed me with that deadly re.


    "What is your obsession with the academy, anyway?" he scoffed. "It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll aplish anything. You don¡¯t even have a wolf, and half the sses arebat training." He gestured for me to step away, but I resisted again, refusing to move out of the crowd¡¯s sight.


    I wasn¡¯t about to be isted. Being alone meant being vulnerable, and I couldn¡¯t handle feeling miserable among strangers.


    "That¡¯s my problem to worry about. If I can just learn to defend myself, I could join the training," I tried to exin, but they didn¡¯t want to believe I was capable of anything.


    "With that frame of yours?" Norman sneered, wrinkling his nose. "You¡¯re fragile and¡ªvery maniptive."


    "All I know is that I have this card now," I replied, holding it up so the students could see that I intended to use it.


    "Did you even see what today¡¯s test is about?" Maximus moved in front of me again, blocking my view of the crowd. "And besides, the test is over. We¡¯ve already chosen the candidates. Now, if we pit you against an epted candidate, they¡¯llin about having to take the test twice, and if we put you up against a failed candidate, everyone will wonder why they¡¯re not getting another shot."


    Maximus¡¯s excuse brought a slight smirk of relief to Norman¡¯s face.


    "Besides, they¡¯re being downright brutal over there," Norman said, his tone softening just slightly. "Remember how it felt when Sydney and Lamar beat you up? This will be worse, and no one¡¯s going to rush you to the hospital. Because once you lose¡ªyou¡¯re just a rogue." He paused, then added gently, "This card might let you try, but it¡¯ll only give you Emmet¡¯s stepsister¡¯s status if you¡¯re epted."


    "And you said I was maniptive." The moment I called him out on his changing tone and his pretense of concern, his softened expression instantly hardened, anger shing in his eyes again.


    "Easy!" Maximus stepped between us as Norman squared up, ready to confront me over my remark.


    It seemed Maximus hade up with a solution. He faced me, rolled his shoulders, stretched his neck, and then dered, "Since there¡¯s no other candidate left, you¡¯ll have to fight the trainer."


    My heart didn¡¯t just skip a beat; it skipped several. I fell silent, waiting for him to add something¡ªsome rification, or even a hint that this was a joke¡ªbut he was dead serious.


    "Huh? You mean... I¡¯ll have to fight you two?" Since he left me hanging, I decided to confirm it myself.


    "Yes, or how about just one of us?" Maximus¡¯s smirk sent a chill down my spine. My body shuddered in fright.


    This was wrong on so many levels. How on earth was I supposed to stand a chance against him?

 Chapter 72-The Story Of My Pendant.

    <h4>Chapter 72: 72-The Story Of My Pendant.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    I watched their faces in disbelief. After thinking it over, even Norman gave his brother a nod. The two looked so pleased with themselves afterpletely unsettling me. It was so infuriating, the way they were changing rules and all. And nobody wouldin. Their academy was the best of the best. Even Alpha¡¯s were sending their children to the academy.


    "But that¡¯s not fair. You two are trainers¡ªpeople who train other Alphas and Alpha Kings! How could a mere girl like me, without a wolf or any training, ever fight any of you?" I wanted to shout and call for Emmet and Kaye, but what could they do? These two were responsible for today¡¯s test, and Maximus had specifically chosen it for me.


    "Well, if you¡¯re so weak, then why try to be a part of our academy?" Norman folded his arms over his brother¡¯s shoulders, smirking proudly at his brother foring up with such a devious n.


    It was beyond unfair. Why were they so determined to crush my dreams? Was it simply because of the academy¡¯s reputation, that they didn¡¯t want someone "weak" like me in their ranks, or was there some other reason they were treating me this way?


    "Hm, but she¡¯s not wrong. If everyone hears she had to fight a trainer, they¡¯ll agree it¡¯s unfair." Norman scratched his chin thoughtfully, making me wonder if he was mocking me or truly reconsidering.


    "I know. How about this¡ª" Maximus raised a finger as a new idea sparked in his mind. This time, he stepped back and walked until he was among the students who had been eagerly watching, waiting to find out what was going on.


    "If Hnie here cannd just one punch¡ªjust a single punch within a fifteen-minute match¡ªshe¡¯s in!" he announced. Norman chuckled.


    He walked back to join his brother and spread his arms wide. "He won¡¯t even fight back. He¡¯ll only defend himself."


    The pride on Norman¡¯s face was unsettling.


    Some of the students began to snicker, sensing how ridiculous it was. There was no way I couldnd a single hit on this beastly man.


    "There¡¯s no chance she¡¯ll manage," one of the studentsughed, joined by a few others.


    "Come on, Hnie. What happened to ¡¯I¡¯ll do anything to be part of this academy¡¯?" Maximus mocked, not caring that the other students were witnessing a teacher bullying a potential candidate.


    At this point, I needed to stop calling myself a student. I wasn¡¯t one yet, and with this final test, I likely never would be.


    I lowered my head, remembering the faith Emmet had shown in me when he handed me that card. Even if I lost today, I¡¯d stay in the ring for the full fifteen minutes and give it everything I had.


    I raised my head and saw the brothers shrug. Norman slipped the card into his pocket, turning to the epted students.


    "You¡¯re starting at the academy the day after tomorrow¡ª" He was about to dismiss them, already assuming I wouldn¡¯t fight, when I raised my voice, loud enough for everyone to hear.


    "I¡¯ll do it." As my words cut through the air, everyone turned to stare. Norman took a moment, probably unsure if he¡¯d heard me right.


    "What did you say?" he asked, while Maximus rolled his eyes at me.


    "I said I¡¯ll do it." I put down my bag and walked toward them steadily.


    Maximus stepped closer and whispered in my ear, "Don¡¯t embarrass yourself. Just leave."


    "No!" I took a step back, unwilling to let him manipte me.


    "Even if I don¡¯t seed, I¡¯m ready to give it everything I¡¯ve got." I adjusted my posture, and gradually, everyone started to step back, making space.


    "Fine. Maximus, just do it. It¡¯s only fifteen minutes," Norman yawned, ncing at his watch. For them, it was just fifteen wasted minutes, but for me, it meant everything.


    I couldn¡¯t give up. Even though I knew the odds were stacked against me.


    "Alright," Maximus shrugged, and everyone cleared the field. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t run around; he¡¯d only need to stay within the white circle.


    We faced each other, and the second Norman gave the signal, I lunged at Maximus with my weakest punch. It wasughably easy for him to dodge, and I ended up face-first in the mud. Laughter erupted as I lifted my head, mud streaked across my face. I quickly wiped it off with my sleeve and got back on my feet. Maximus didn¡¯t even need to move fast; he just stood there, watching me struggle.


    Each time I missed, theughter grew louder.


    I tried to mask my frustration, but my throat tightened, and my cheeks burned. I couldn¡¯tnd a single hit. Tears began to prick at my eyes, and I brushed them away with the back of my hand. Each passing minute reminded me of that night. This was my only chance to stand up to these Alphas. But now, it felt like I was losing it.


    "Is that all you¡¯ve got?" Maximus¡¯s taunt jolted me back to the present. I was covered in mud.


    My hand dropped for a second, my heart sinking. They were all having so much fun. They knew I couldn¡¯t win and were just waiting for the fifteen minutes to be up. He was simply toying with me.


    Just one punch, I told myself.


    I threw my next jab a bit harder, hoping it might connect, but he sidestepped with a smug "Too slow!" that sent another wave ofughter through the crowd.


    Frustrated, I charged at him, trying tond a punch or even an elbow to his face, but he moved aside so swiftly that I fell even harder,nding straight in the mud again.


    This time, as I tried to get up, I felt my pendant brush against my lips. I didn¡¯t know why, but it triggered a memory of how this pendant had once gotten me into trouble. Instead of focusing on the fight, I removed it right there in front of all the students and the two mocking brothers.

 Chapter 73-Not A Weakness Anymore

    <h4>Chapter 73: 73-Not A Weakness Anymore</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    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 toote for him.


    I could feel it now¡ªmy 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 Inded 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 andnded 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 Inded 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 simr 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 tond 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 epted his hand and got to my feet, a smile beginning to form on my own lips.


    "Wee to the Red Vortex Sanctum Academy," he said, his handshake forceful and strained.


    But I didn¡¯t care. I was just too happy.


    "Yeah, wee! 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 sess.


    "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, ncing 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 red 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¡ªyou 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¡ªyour 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¡ª" 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 conditionter in life, after I failed to transition.


    "Maximus." Norman appeared, cing a hand on his brother¡¯s shoulder. That¡¯s when I realized it was just the three of us left.


    "And¡ª" 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 ce 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.


    "Congrattions." He nced around cautiously before offering his congrattions. 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.

 Chapter 74-The Cursed Mate Bond Or Our Stepsister?

    <h4>Chapter 74: 74-The Cursed Mate Bond Or Our Stepsister?</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    "Maximus!" I watched him rush after Hnie as she sprinted toward Kaye¡¯s car. My muscles tensed at the sight. My brothers were letting her use our resources to defeat us. How the fuck was that okay?


    "UGHHHH!" Maximus threw a fit once she was out of sight. As the other students left the ground, I gave them an awkward smile while grabbing Maximus¡¯ arm and subtly pulling him away.


    I needed to calm him down before he made himself look like a sore loser. I led him to my car, shoved him into the passenger seat, and gestured for the driver to take his car. I got in to drive him home myself.


    "What a b****!" he yelled again, his aggression starting to worry me.


    "It¡¯s not that big of a deal," I sighed, feeling a pang in my chest from seeing my brother so shaken.


    "Maximus! Calm down," I urged, growing increasingly concerned as he was losing control. I had never seen him this worked up before.


    "How could that happen¡ª" he hissed, pping his forehead repeatedly until I parked the car on the side of the road to check on him.


    He didn¡¯t need to take it so hard. Things like this could happen to anyone. I hoped he wasn¡¯t letting his ego take the hit.


    "So what if she beat you? It doesn¡¯t prove anything," I said, taking his hands to stop him from harming himself.


    "How¡ª" he grunted again.


    "Are you upset because a wolf-less girl beat you? If that¡¯s the case, just know this: you lost to a girl. Women are the most powerful and unpredictable creatures. Don¡¯t feel bad about it," I said, trying to ease his guilt. I didn¡¯t want him to feel this way just because she didn¡¯t have a wolf.


    You never know when a woman might surprise you.


    And although I despise Hnie, today she impressed me. I was honestly speechless at her courage and determination.


    "I don¡¯t get it¡ªit just¡ª" Maximus looked away, avoiding my eyes, and that worried me.


    "Maximus! Look at me; calm down," I urged, trying to turn his attention back to me, but he wouldn¡¯t focus.


    "Norman! It¡¯s not just that she won. It¡¯s how she won¡ªI felt...a pull towards her," he finally burst out, turning to face me. My heart skipped a beat.


    I couldn¡¯t even respond right away, stunned by what he¡¯d just admitted.


    "What are you saying?" I asked, needing to be certain I¡¯d heard him correctly.


    "Norman, it was strange. Suddenly, I felt this pull towards her. I can¡¯t exin it, but it was¡ª" he covered his face with his hands, hesitating before he continued, "and it¡¯s not even the full moon."


    I could tell he wasn¡¯t lying.


    I had sensed something too when he did, but I¡¯d assumed it was just his anger. Clearly, it was much stronger for him.


    "Uh, there has to be another reason. Maybe you thought it was a pull, but you were just angry¡ª" I tried toe up with some excuse to put him at ease, but deep down, I knew there was no other exnation. He was certain of what he¡¯d felt.


    "Norman, I got angry afterward. Before that, I didn¡¯t even care if she beat me or not. It wasn¡¯t a big deal¡ªuntil I felt that strange sensation. It has to be a mate bond. And since she doesn¡¯t have an active wolf, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever know what it really was," he said, a hint of frustration in his voice. He wasn¡¯t wrong.


    "Does that mean...she¡¯s my mate?" Maximus¡¯s eyes widened, and I felt my stomach twist.


    "You didn¡¯t hear your wolf call her ¡¯mate,¡¯ so that means no," I said quickly, shaking my head to push away any ideas forming in his mind.


    He¡¯d said it himself. Hnie didn¡¯t have an active wolf, so no one could fully sense a mate bond with her. Since that chance had passed, and he hadn¡¯t truly heard it, there was no way she could ever im they were mates.


    At least, not until her wolf awakens.


    Still, I need to handle this carefully¡ªbefore her wolf does awaken, and this time they feel the mate bond fully.


    Because how else could we exin that pull?


    "It was nothing. It wasn¡¯t even a full moon," I said, cing a hand on his shoulder to stop him as he opened his mouth to speak.


    "Trust me, it must have been nothing," I reassured him, and he finally rxed in his seat.


    "I was so scared," he murmured. I could only imagine what the thought of discovering her as his mate would have done to him.


    But I was concerned, too. It was possible he¡¯d sensed something with her outside the full moon. I just needed to make sure she didn¡¯te forward with any ridiculous ims.


    "Now, let¡¯s go home and rest," I said, starting the car again. I needed to handle this immediately.


    After dropping him off, I headed straight to my office, clutching Emmet¡¯s card in my hand.


    "I¡¯m not giving Hnie a single chance to change her mind. There¡¯s a possibility she might go back to her hotel room and start thinking about the mate bond. What if she decides to im Maximus as her mate instead of enrolling in the academy as his stepsister?" I said to myself, holding her admission papers tightly, determined to settle this matter.


    I am not going to let her reconsider her decision. She must sign and be our stepsister.


    No one at the academy would take her seriously if she started iming her stepbrother as her mate, and she wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to do it, either. After grabbing the admission papers, I set off for that cursed hotel where she was staying.


    I wouldn¡¯t give her a chance to think or change her mind. She needed to sign these papers as quickly as possible.


    Just then, my phone rang, and I saw who was calling. I hadn¡¯t spent much time with Jessicately, and I wondered when she¡¯d finally snap.


    But like every other day, I ignored her call and kept driving toward the hotel.

 Chapter 75-Melons Out And He Is Embarrassed

    <h4>Chapter 75: 75-Melons Out And He Is Embarrassed</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I rushed into the hotel, exhrated as it finally hit me¡ªI had really won admission. Once in my room, I kicked off my shoes and leapt in joy. This has been the happiest I have been after so long.


    "I¡¯ll watch TV all day and eat whatever I want. Two whole days without stress!" I couldn¡¯t believe it¡ªI was still tearing up, but these were tears of happiness. I have longed for this day. And despite having so many obstacles, I did it. Thanks to Kaye and Emmet for it.


    I stripped off my clothes and sank into the tub, letting my muscles rxpletely. For once, I tried to silence the disturbing thoughts and visions that usually haunted me when I was alone. Pushing aside the sorrow, I focused on my future at the academy.


    Yet, a small tension lingered in the back of my mind¡ªanxiety about my health. The constant stress had worn me down. Each day felt like a battle, and every ce, a battlefield. I¡¯ve been feeling weakertely, with frequent headaches adding to my worries.


    After a long bath, I¡¯d barely wrapped myself in a bathrobe when there was a knock at my door.


    "It must be room service," I thought as I walked over and opened the door. But the person standing outside made me instantly regret not checking first.


    I tried to m the door shut, but he wedged his shoe in, making it impossible to close. Groaning, he forced his arm against the door, shoving it open as I took a step back in fear.


    "What are you doing here?" I growled at Norman, who didn¡¯t even respond as he barged inside, scanning the room as if I were hiding something. He checked the balcony, the bathroom, even the corners of the room.


    "Take a good look, and don¡¯t forget to look under the bed. I might be hiding one of your precious brothers there," I scoffed, mming the door shut and crossing my arms over my chest. He halted his search and shot me a deadly re.


    Did he really think his brothers were here?


    "Here, sign this," he said, puffing out his chest as he extended a stack of papers towards me.


    Frowning, I took the papers and began to skim through them. They were the academy admission documents. I didn¡¯t understand.


    He had been so adamant about keeping me out of the academy, yet now he¡¯d shown up in a rush, practically shoving the papers at me.


    "Sign them," he repeated, reaching into his pocket to hand me a pen.


    I just stared at the pen, then at the papers.


    "What¡¯s the dy now? You were desperate enough to do anything to get admitted, and now you¡¯re stalling?" His tone was sharp, clearly intended to sound confident and snarky, yet I could detect a slight hesitation in his voice that didn¡¯t escape me.


    "You actually want me to sign these?" I raised a brow, fanning myself with the papers. I could tell he didn¡¯t like it; he probably thought I was being disrespectful to him and his precious academy.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter what I want. You yed the card and passed the test. So sign." His refusal to look me in the eyes only confirmed my suspicions¡ªhe had an agenda.


    "Hmm, well, I¡¯m still deciding, so I¡¯ll sign when I¡¯m ready." I shrugged, extending the papers back to him.


    He finally looked directly at me, his face a mix of surprise and frustration.


    "You¡¯re thinking about it? Weren¡¯t you the one who desperately wanted to join the academy?" As he stepped forward, it felt like a giant was approaching me. He was tall and broad-shouldered, as were all his brothers, but his stance was even more imposing.


    Every time he moved closer, my body instinctively flinched.


    "I told you. I¡¯ll sign when I¡¯m ready." Truthfully, I was ready, but I couldn¡¯t resist giving him a hard time. Considering how opposed he was to my joining the academy, I was beginning to suspect he had a hidden motive for pushing this now. Annoying him felt like the least I could do.


    "Hnie..." He clenched his jaw, pointing a finger at me before balling his hand into a fist and pressing it against his mouth, as though reining himself in. "Don¡¯t y games," he warned, trying to calm himself.


    "I¡¯m not. But why are you here? I didn¡¯t know the trainer was supposed to show up at a candidate¡¯s residence just to get a signature." I folded my arms across my chest, only realizing afterward that my robe was slipping, barely staying in ce.


    "That¡¯s because... my brothers want you in the academy," he said, but I could tell he was lying.


    "And they know I passed the test. So, what¡¯s the rush?" I was seeding in getting under his skin, just as he had gotten under mine all these weeks.


    "Fine." He sighed, shrugging as if in defeat. "I wanted to surprise my brothers with your signature." Could he really note up with a better excuse? He tried to act cool so he grabbed his phone and unlocked it but I could tell he wasn¡¯t doing anything on his phone. He then slipped it into his pocket.


    "But I suppose that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just wait here until you¡¯ve made up your mind and signed the papers." Instead of leaving, he dropped the pen and papers on the table and casually shrugged off his coat.


    "Hey, you can¡¯t¡ªbe here!" I stammered, feeling suddenly ufortable. His brothers were tolerable, but he¡ªhe was something else. A man filled with vengeance and negativity.


    "Why not? My brother¡¯s paying for it." He tossed his coat onto the couch and strode toward the raised area. The living room was partially separated from the bedroom by a ss sliding door.


    When he dropped onto the bed to rest, my anxiety spiked.


    "I¡¯ll call your father and¡ª" I started, but before I could finish, he lifted his head from the pillow and shot me a dark look.


    "And tell him exactly what? What am I doing?" he challenged.


    I leaned over the bed in haste, forgetting my robe until his eyes widened, and he hissed at me.


    "Fucking cover your titties."

 Chapter 76-Aroused!

    <h4>Chapter 76: 76-Aroused!</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    The way she rushed at me,pletely unbothered by her robe slipping open, left me in shock. The fabric fell apart, exposing her body to me. It felt likemitting a thousand sins in just a few seconds. My heart sank instantly, and guilt flooded me.


    Inappropriate!


    Uneptable!


    I¡¯m a disgusting man. I shouldn¡¯t even be called a man for seeing my stepsister¡¯s body like that. And possibly my brother¡¯s mate?


    No!


    She¡¯s nothing to me. She¡¯s just my stepsister. That thought only made me feel more revolted with myself.


    Her skin was like porcin, her figure smooth and delicate. Her breasts were full and round, like water-filled balloons that seemed to jiggle with each small movement. And her nipples¡ªthey were red, a vivid contrast against her pale skin.


    That¡¯s when I jerked upright, feeling the urge to punch myself. Why the hell was I even noticing these details?


    I shouldn¡¯t even be alive for picking on the details like that.


    "I didn¡¯t know¡ª," I heard her murmur in embarrassment. By then, she had clutched her robe tightly around herself, so I dared to look at her again, fists clenched.


    "Why would you¡ª," I bit my tongue and turned away. Although she was now holding her robe securely, her exposed image was burned into my mind. Thankfully, she had been wearing underwear, sparing me further torment.


    Could this be called trauma?


    I thought she was just some random girl. But her body¡ª


    No, Norman! You disgusting fool, she¡¯s your stepsister, whether you like it or not.


    This shouldn¡¯t have happened. I hated every second of the decision toe here. I should have just let her show up to sign the papers.


    It was strange. I¡¯ve never felt like that before. I¡¯ve seen many she-wolves strip down for transition, and not once did I react this way. This was different¡ªnot arousal, but a feeling like I hadmitted a sin or trespassed on something sacred.


    Her body was like a temple and I have seen it without her permission. The feelings I was going through were raw.


    "I¡¯ll sign the papers. Just leave!" she suddenly yelled, making me stare at her in disbelief. She was acting as if I had caused this.


    She traumatized me.


    Her cheeks were flushed, like a chipmunk¡¯s, with her full, red lips and blushing face.


    "You¡¯re shameless," I hissed, barely containing my frustration. "You did this on purpose, but trust me, I¡¯m not someone you can sway with your body¡ªor anything else."


    "I¡¯m shameless? Why the hell would I want to show you my body of all people in the world? You¡¯re thest person I¡¯d ever want to expose myself to!" Every word she spat out made me roll my eyes.


    Such a liar.


    Or was she really telling the truth? Huh! I am Norman McQuoid. Who wouldn¡¯t want me?


    But why would I argue with my stepsister over not wanting me. It was not me speaking, but the trauma of seeing her naked.


    But the second I tried to get out of bed, I sensed a big problem. Not small¡ªhuge. Gigantic.


    "What? Leave! I thought you were disgusted," she mocked, clearly remembering my reaction when I¡¯d called her shameless. She went on, yelling, "Go! Leave!"


    I wanted to leave, but if I got up now, she¡¯d see my...problem. I couldn¡¯t let her notice. I was beyond frustrated and embarrassed. How could I do that?


    "I will, just give me a second," I muttered, turning my face away. I had never felt so humiliated in my entire life. This girl was a she-devil. A few seconds in her presence, and I was already dealing with the biggest embarrassment of my life.


    "Your seconds are up¡ªleave already," she demanded, trying to sound annoyed, but I was the only one feeling ufortable here.


    I didn¡¯t know why this had happened; it shouldn¡¯t have. She was absolutely off-limits. So why, of all times, did this happen now? How could I get up without her noticing the "weapon" in my pants? The thought alone made me want to disappear on the spot.


    This had never happened before¡ªnever.


    "Just turn around, and I¡¯ll leave," I pleaded, closing my eyes and keeping my face turned away. I was afraid any movement might reveal everything. My fists were resting on the mattress, my body raised and my knees bent. I couldn¡¯t even looked down at my pants.


    "Why? I¡¯m dressed now," she protested stubbornly.


    Why was she so impossibly difficult?


    Maybe this was the Moon Goddess warning me to stay far away from a lunatic like her. She had this odd way of making everything revolve around her. I was choosing my words carefully because I refused to believe I could be seduced by her. This was just maniption¡ªnothing more.


    "I don¡¯t want you shing me again. Turn around, and I¡¯ll leave," I hissed, my irritation building.


    "As if that¡¯s my life¡¯s mission," she retorted, her tone sharper than ever. Since I was miserable, she seemed to be talking even more. After defeating Maximus in the test, she¡¯d definitely grown a pair of wings. Her words had taken on a bitter edge, too. Sometimes, I expected her to show some gratitude towards us brothers¡ªlike when we let her stay in the mansion during that deadly storm. But she didn¡¯t oncee to thank me. Not even to challenge me or prove me wrong about what I thought of her.


    But no! Not Hnie.


    She was so full of herself that she didn¡¯t even ask, didn¡¯t bother to request to stay in the mansion. She always spoke in such a firm tone, never humbling herself, even when she probably should have.


    "You want me gone, right? Then just turn around, and I¡¯ll be out of your sight," I muttered under my breath, closing my eyes to keep from snapping.


    "Fine," she finally relented.


    After a few seconds, I cautiously turned my head to confirm she wasn¡¯t looking. Once I saw her face turned away, I sprang off the bed and rushed toward the door.


    "Just sign the damn papers. I¡¯ll send my warrior to pick them upter," I instructed curtly, one foot already out of the room. Before I could hear her response, I was already out of the suite and heading straight for the elevator.


    I just needed to get to my car and drive far away. This girl was trouble¡ªa devil who could cause even worse damage. The memory of her robe slipping open made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I practically flew out of the elevator and hurried across the lobby to the parking lot, thinking I¡¯d finally escaped the embarrassment.


    But no. Another surprise was waiting.


    "Norman? What are you doing here?" Jessica was standing right by my car, clearly waiting for me.


    "I was here for some work," I replied, my gaze fixed on the car. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why I¡¯d never felt this way about Jessica. Not once had I identally felt aroused around her. Even on romantic dates, when she¡¯d try to brush her foot against my leg under the table, I barely reacted.


    Around her, I was always tense, as if my body was dead, devoid of emotion. But with Hnie today, I felt this strange surge of desire that made me despise myself. It hade out of nowhere, and I prayed she hadn¡¯t noticed. As I was lost in these unsettling thoughts, I saw Jessica move to block my path.


    I froze, then remembered my "issue" and tried to dodge around her. But she stepped directly in my path, blocking my way.


    "What the¡ªwho are you here to see?" Her tone shifted as her gaze dropped, and her eyes scanned my pants, filling me with instant dread as she focused on my boner. Oh! I could see why she felt the need to question me. I would not get aroused by her. I even told her maybe it was because I had so much on my mind all the time.


    "What do you mean?" I frowned, attempting to sidestep her, but she blocked me again. I understood she was worried and even disgusted. I would have been too if my girl wasn¡¯t feeling me but then came out of a hotel all wet down there. But the embarrassment I felt was so strong that I failed toe up with a proper response for her. Instead of giving her an excuse tofort her, I decided to ignore her.


    "What are you doing?" I groaned at her when she didn¡¯t let me pass.


    "Norman, you¡¯ve got a...boner. Who the hell is staying in that hotel room?" Her almond-brown eyes brimmed with tears the second the question left her lips.


    "There is a woman in there that you came to see. And she ¡ªsomehow gave you the biggest boner and then let you walk out without easing your tension?" I have never been used like that. I felt the p to my ego when she talked like I am some horrible and disgusting man who would cheat on her like that.

 Chapter 77-My Father Buried Me.

    <h4>Chapter 77: 77-My Father Buried Me.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What a jerk!" I groaned, furious that he acted as if I¡¯d shed him on purpose. Even though it had been almost two minutes since he left, I still couldn¡¯t settle down.


    "I should have just signed the papers," I sighed, slumping onto the couch and staring at them from across the room. My thoughts were interrupted by a phone beeping nearby.


    "I don¡¯t have a phone," I muttered, ncing over at the coat beside me.


    "Oh!" Realization dawned quickly¡ªhe¡¯d left his coat in his hurry to leave, and in his coat pocket was his phone. But why did he act like he was the one embarrassed? I was the one who got exposed! What exactly was going on with him?


    I shook off the thought as the phone buzzed again. I wasn¡¯t usually nosy, but Norman was a strange man, always involving himself in my business. Maybe I had the right to see who was blowing up his phone¡ªwhat if it was something urgent? Or maybe he was calling himself, trying to locate his phone.


    After convincing myself with every excuse possible, I slipped my hand into his coat pocket. Instantly, I was hit by the strong, hypnotic scent of his cologne, intoxicating in a strangely unsettling way. I held my breath and pulled out the phone, realizing that he hadn¡¯t even locked it before putting it away.


    What a rookie mistake.


    My heart was pounding as I held the phone in my hand. Technology is dangerous; these days, our entire lives are stored in these little devices. One nce could reveal everything. That¡¯s exactly how I felt as I looked down at his unlocked screen. Seeing that he had no screen lock timer made it worse.


    My fingers hovered over the notifications, where I saw multiple missed calls from someone named Jessica.


    Who was Jessica?


    Then there were messages from his brothers, his father, and one other person. For some reason, thatst contact grabbed my full attention. It was because of the brief message snippet that showed on the screen.


    Joe: Her name is Hnie¡ª


    That half-sentence made my heart skip. Was he talking about me? But why, and who was this person he was talking to?


    Without thinking twice, I clicked on the conversation. What I found in those few minutes made me want to die a thousand times over.


    The conversation was between Norman and a guy named Joe. Norman had instructed¡ªor maybe reminded¡ªJoe about a task he¡¯d given him.


    Norman: Get me her data.


    Joe: Her name is Hnie Niles, and she¡¯s from a pack called The Vicious Banes Pack.


    I barely had a moment to catch my breath before another message popped up, revealing even more information.


    Joe: She was in a big scandal a few weeks ago. Apparently, she¡¯d had rtions with a bunch of rogues, and when she was caught, she used the alpha¡¯s son. She imed he was her boyfriend, that he took her to the station, and that she lost her virginity to him. Her lies caused an uproar, and she was meant to be executed, but her father imed he had done it himself and buried her in a grave he dug. From what I¡¯ve gathered, he was even rewarded for it.


    Joe: May I ask why you¡¯re interested in her, Your Highness? Because, from what I know, she was a messy individual, a liar, and a traitor so everyone was relieved when she died.


    Tears streamed down my face as I absorbed what had been said and done behind my back. So they told everyone I¡¯d slept with rogues? And my father lied about killing me and burying me himself?


    I wanted to scream, to tell this man that it was all a lie¡ªthat I had been gang-raped by some jacket-wearing alphas, and then my own family refused to believe me. They were ready to kill me.


    All this time, I¡¯d thought of my father, wondering if he might be grieving, maybe feeling guilty for abandoning me. Sometimes I hoped he wondered where his little Hnie was, if I was safe, if I was being cared for.


    But no!


    He was apparently rewarded for iming he killed his own daughter. So no, I don¡¯t think he ever cared.


    Now, I needed to do something about this. The image my pack had painted of me for this man would make Norman feel justified in taking me back to my pack to face the execution I¡¯d escaped.


    No!


    What should I do? I was panicking, losing my mind. Sweat was beading on my temples. I didn¡¯t want to think about that night ever again, but here I was, dealing with its aftermath.


    A knock at the door snapped me back to reality. I realized it must be Norman,ing back for his phone.


    With trembling hands, I started typing on it.


    Norman: Oh no, not that Hnie. I¡¯m asking about Hnie Miles!


    I didn¡¯t know if my n would work, but I couldn¡¯t risk getting caught.


    Joe: Oh! There¡¯s no such Hnie in the records. She must be a rogue, or maybe she didn¡¯t live a significant enough life to be remembered by pack members after she left.


    Norman: Yes, I¡¯m talking about the rogue one.


    Joe: There¡¯s no concerning information on any Hnie who went rogue. So I guess she¡¯s harmless.


    Since Hnie Niles was officially dead, it didn¡¯t seem like he cared about the other one being dangerous.


    I deleted the parts of the conversation that might expose me. Now, the chat just looked like Joe was messaging Norman after his reminder, letting him know that Hnie was likely a rogue without a criminal record, which would exin why her name wasn¡¯t on any list of pack members or criminal lists.


    Once I was sure Joe had finished delivering the information, I slipped the phone back into his pocket, leaving the chat open to make it seem like it had been left that way all along and that is why the texts were automatically read.


    I hurried to the door, quickly wiping away my tears, and opened it for the person waiting outside, clearly anxious for me to respond.

 Chapter 78-Something Fishy

    <h4>Chapter 78: 78-Something Fishy</h4>


    <strong>Kaye:</strong>


    "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 fianc¨¦e. 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 ce?


    I tilted my head up, ncing at the building, and worry began to creep in. Hnie 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¡ªwhat 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, awkwardugh.


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


    "We had a meeting here. I arrivedte, as usual," I tried to joke, but she shook her head to dismiss myment.


    "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 aplishments. 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 tofort her in a way my brother had failed to do.


    There weren¡¯t many people I feltfortable 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-stoptely¡ªhandling 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 exins 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 Hnie.


    I¡¯d heard about what happened at the grounds today, and as usual, Hnie 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 Hnie. As I took the elevator up, a feeling crept over me: maybe Norman hade 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 Hnie we¡¯re talking about.¡¯


    His tone threw me off. I hadn¡¯t even realized he had an issue with Hnie.


    "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 Hnie¡ªyou 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 imed 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 Hnie¡¯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 brothere 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, ncing 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.

 Chapter 79-He Thinks I Am Sleeping With His Brother

    <h4>Chapter 79: 79-He Thinks I Am Sleeping With His Brother</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "That¡¯s his stuff," I stepped aside to show him Norman¡¯s coat. I didn¡¯t know what it was, but the way Kaye was reacting seemed a little off.


    "Oh, so he came here and..." Kaye narrowed his eyes at the coat, "...got a bit toofortable?" It seemed like he was talking more to himself now.


    "What did hee for?" he asked again. I nced around and spotted the papers on the table.


    "He came for a signature," I replied, pointing at the documents.


    Kaye walked over to the table, picked up the papers, then slowly turned back to look at me.


    "He came here to ask for your signature personally and then just left his coat behind? Since when did he get sofortable¡ª," he paused, as if he were unraveling some hidden conspiracy.


    "I don¡¯t know. He was refusing to leave until I had signed," I responded, still holding the robe in my hands.


    It didn¡¯t strike me at first, but I noticed the way Kaye was examining me before he turned away to pick up his brother¡¯s coat.


    I was trying my best to understand what was going through his mind, but his behavior was odd.


    "Hmmm," Kaye muttered, pulling his brother¡¯s phone out. His expression grew even more tense as he looked at it. He was probably reading an open chat.


    He scrolled through it, then let out a grunt.


    "Did he ask you for anything?" His tone was cryptic, but I quickly shook my head, hoping to dismiss any bizarre thoughts he might be having.


    "Do you think he came here to try to threaten me into backing down?" I asked, and he sighed.


    "I¡¯m certain he didn¡¯te here to make you back down, especially since he brought the papers. Did he propose some kind of deal? Was there any chance he thought that if he somehow made Maximus lose¡ª" he trailed off when he saw my frown.


    "You think¡ªI won because I offered your brother something?" I finally understood what he was insinuating.


    He gave my robe a quick nce, almost as if to confirm my question, then adjusted his shirt and responded, "It wouldn¡¯t be your fault. You didn¡¯t have a choice. I¡¯m not ming you¡ª"


    "Oh heavens! You think I slept with your brother to win this round of the test? You actually think I would sleep with my stepbrother and then ept the card to officially be called his stepsister?" I covered my face in frustration, realizing just how far Kaye was taking this.


    "Then exin how you could have beaten Maximus! And then¡ªNormaning here after hours with these papers for a signature? And he leaves his coat...his phone with your chat open, and he was looking into your background¡ª" Kaye couldn¡¯t seem to finish a single thought, jumping from one point to the next.


    "Oh no! That¡¯s why his girlfriend thought¡ª" Kaye frowned, pacing anxiously as he muttered, "Norman and you¡ª"


    At that, I felt a surge of anger. I couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore.


    "Your brother and I hate each other. Do you want to know why he came here?" I was done ying along. I could piece things together just as well, and I was ready to prove I had no interest in that jerk of a man he calls his brother.


    Kaye turned to face me, his eyes sharp and demanding answers.


    "He came here because he wanted me to sign Emmet¡¯s card quickly and officially be your stepsister. He hates that you and Emmet care about me and probably thinks I¡¯ll end up sleeping with one of you¡ªjust like you thought I slept with him to get admitted in the first ce. Norman wasn¡¯t even close to Maximus in the ground. I won because I used my brain, not my body. And your brother left in such a hurry because he found it inappropriate to be here with me in a bathrobe," I snapped, watching his expression soften slightly.


    "That makes sense, too," he muttered under his breath.


    "He¡¯d want you as our stepsister rather than..." Kaye stopped mid-sentence, lost in thought. I didn¡¯t know what was going on between him and his brother, but I hated even the thought of being in a situation where I¡¯d have to deal with Norman in that way.


    Now that his suspicions seemed to settle, Kaye turned to me, and his eyes widened slightly when he saw the anger still lingering in my gaze.


    "I am¡ªI don¡¯t know. I just saw you in a robe, then my brother¡¯s coat, and it¡¯s... unlike him to visit someone so...," he grimaced, and I noticed how anxious he looked. He could barely get his words out. He was all over the ce, stuttering and fidgety.


    "It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not like you really know me, or I know you. I just hope you¡¯ll ask me directly next time instead of jumping to conclusions. I¡¯m not perfect, Kaye, but I know my boundaries. My stepbrothers are where I draw the line." The moment I said that, his face went pale.


    I don¡¯t know much about men or how they react to certain things, but his expression was so conflicted.


    "So, you¡¯ve epted us as your brothers?" There was a hint of sadness in his voice.


    But I was sure of my answer. "I have."


    He gave a slight nod, stepping back. "Alright then, sis! Congrattions."


    His tone was dripping with sarcasm, and I couldn¡¯t understand why he¡¯d be upset that I epted him as my stepbrother. Was he doing all this for some other reason? Did he not want me to see him as a sibling?


    "Kaye¡ªthe thing is¡ª" I felt an urge to exin why I had to ept him as my stepbrother, but why did I feel that way? It wasn¡¯t like any other rtionship could happen between us.


    "No! I understand. Thank you for clearing things up. I¡¯ll be on my way, and I¡¯ll leave these here. Just sign them." He wouldn¡¯t even look me in the eye as he turned, grabbed his brother¡¯s belongings, and dashed out of the room.


    The moment he was out of sight, I felt a wave of nausea. I barely made it to the bathroom before I started throwing up.

 Chapter 80-Character Assassination

    <h4>Chapter 80: 80-Character Assassination</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    After he left and I threw up, I went to bed to rest. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t feeling well. My head was pounding, and everything around me seemed to spin.


    The thought of being used once again of something I didn¡¯t do had taken a toll on me. On top of that, the embarrassment of identally shing Norman and finding out what people back at the pack had been saying about me just added to the mix.


    The next day felt different. I refused to sit around doing nothing. I needed a job. Emmet had covered my admission fees and other expenses, but he couldn¡¯t pay for everything. I didn¡¯t want anyone to feel like I was using them or that I relied on their money.


    "Hello, I was looking for a job and heard that this pack doesn¡¯t require any specific qualifications for hiring--" I tried to speak softly to the woman behind the counter.


    It was a small caf¨¦, and I felt surprisinglyfortable there. The moment I stepped in, I just knew I could work here.


    However, while she was all smiles with the other customers, her expression changed the moment she looked at me, hardening.


    "A rogue?" she raised an eyebrow. She appeared to be in herte forties, with piercing blue eyes and short, curly blonde hair.


    "Yes," I said, choosing my words carefully. "I saw the ad, and it said even rogues are wee to work here."


    I didn¡¯t want to anger her, but something in her energy felt off, almost like she was silently judging me.


    "How old are you?" she asked, and I straightened my posture before replying.


    "Eighteen."


    "Why are you a rogue?" For someone whose ad weed rogues, she was asking some pretty tough questions.


    "Umm--my father didn¡¯t want me after he divorced my mother," I exined, noticing her head tilt slightly.


    "Where is your mother?" She tapped her fingers on the counter, making me feel anxious, as if I were being evaluated. I noticed her name tag, Benita, and then took a deep breath.


    "She moved on and wanted me to start my own life. Anyway, I¡¯ve been epted into the Vortex Academy," I added quickly, noticing her expression shift. There was now a hint of respect on her face.


    "Oh, why didn¡¯t you say that before? Wee aboard," she said, quickly removing the nk to let me in.


    "So, what can you do?" she asked, cing a hand on my back and giving it a quick pat.


    "Um, pretty much anything. I can bake really well," I replied, ncing at the menu. It was full of baked goods, and I had done a lot of baking back when I lived with my father.


    "Great! But can you manage time? No offense, but we don¡¯t usually get a red-jacket holdering here to ask for work."


    "If you¡¯re a rogue, how did you manage the admission fee? That academy isn¡¯t cheap," she continued, and I felt my chest tighten.


    "It was just luck, I guess," I lied, noticing her look a little dissatisfied.


    "But can youmit? The caf¨¦ requires workers to be here from nine to five," she said, folding her arms as I looked off into the distance.


    "Um, is there any way I could do shorter shifts?" I asked, and she shrugged before shaking her head.


    "You know what--actually, it¡¯s fine. We¡¯re not hiring right now. But I¡¯ll let you know if we have any openings in the future." Her tone had changed abruptly. She was now on her phone, acting as though she hadn¡¯t just invited me behind the counter a moment ago.


    "Um, is this about the admission fee?" I ventured, trying to understand what had triggered her sudden disinterest.


    "You know where you got the money from," she replied coldly. "A girl wearing an old dress, looking like she hasn¡¯t been eating well, somehow pays for a pricey academy and thenes here looking for a job for rogues?" I noticed her expression and realized what she was implying.


    "We don¡¯t really hire *those* kinds of girls. You should stick to whatever job paid you that admission fee," she said, outright using me. Before I could defend myself, she added, "I remember seeing you on a bike with some guy a few weeks ago. You were headed to your job."


    The way she said it made my face go pale. My cheeks flushed as I recalled that night.


    She must have seen me with Lamar. That¡¯s why she thinks I¡¯m some sort of escort, assuming that¡¯s how I paid for my admission.


    "And you¡¯re probably wondering how I remember you?" she continued, her eyes narrowing. "When a girl who looks like a porcin doll, with long light ash blonde hair and gorgeous eyes, heads to a ce like that, trust me, we remember. I remember thinking, *Wow! That guy¡¯s getting a hugemission for bringing in such a doll.*"


    I didn¡¯t know whether to feel ttered by her pliment" or mortified that she recognized me from that night.


    It was sad that anyone who got to know me seemed to think of me as some girl who was either sleeping around or doing whatever she could to get a man¡¯s help.


    "Okay, thank you for the assumption, but I don¡¯t work there, and I¡¯ve never worked there," I said, and then I left. I couldn¡¯t keep dealing with people judging me.


    I was desperate for money, but not that desperate anymore. When I initially agreed to work for Lamar, it was because I was devastated and lost. Even now, as lost as I feel, I know that if I try, I can do anything. And I will.


    I walked out and returned to the hotel. Sitting down, I held the pen in my hand and looked at the papers in front of me.


    Why hadn¡¯t I signed them already?


    Was it because I was hesitant to ept my mate as my stepbrother?


    And what about Kaye? He hadn¡¯t checked on me since thatst time.


    With a heavy heart, realizing that my life isn¡¯t like everyone else¡¯s and that I need to focus on my goals first, I signed the papers.

 Chapter 81-Stepbrother Or A Sugar Daddy?

    <h4>Chapter 81: 81-Stepbrother Or A Sugar Daddy?</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Thank you so much for taking care of my needs all this time," I said, expressing my gratitude to the warrior as I bid him farewell. He had just dropped me off at the entrance of the academy. It was my first day in the hostel, and a mix of excitement and apprehension bubbled within me as I wondered who my roommates might be.


    "It was a pleasure. Let me know if you ever need anything," he replied with a warm smile. His kind green eyes stood out, and I noticed the streaks of gray in his hair¡ªlikely a testament to years of hard work. He appeared to be in histe forties.


    "I will, Mr. Henderson." The moment his name left my lips, he froze, his expression flickering between surprise and gratitude.


    "You¡¯re the first person to remember my name. Most people don¡¯t bother," he said, visibly moved by the acknowledgement. It was actually like that. People like him and I appreciated smaller gestures.


    "Best of luck," he added before walking away. Taking a deep breath, I turned to face the huge entrance.


    The academy¡¯s entrance loomedrge, nked by two identical buildings. I stepped inside toplete the formalities, clutching the signed paperwork I needed to submit. Around me, other students milled about, many wearing wristbands of different colors. I could barely see any red.


    I entered the office and spotted Maximus, Norman, and Emmet managing the registration process. Or rather, Maximus and Norman were handling the paperwork, while Emmet stood behind them, holding a register with an air of disinterest.


    The moment I stepped in, Maximus cleared his throat, and Norman¡¯s attention shifted from the documents to me. Their reactions struck me as peculiar, almost as if they were concealing something.


    Avoiding their curious gazes, I gave Emmet a polite nod. He responded with a sweet smile, immediately setting the register down to take a seat.


    It felt oddly ttering. He had remained uninterested while others submitted their forms, but the moment I arrived, he chose to sit and rx.


    "Hello, Hnie. How are you feeling?" Emmet asked, stretching his legs out and resting them on the table. As he crossed them nonchntly, his two brothers exchanged a disapproving nce. The energy they emitted reminded me of petty cliques.


    "I¡¯m fine," I replied with a polite smile and extended my papers to Norman.


    He snatched the forms from my hand, his harshness prompting Emmet to shake his head disapprovingly. I was kind of trying my best to forget about Norman being in my hotel room and seeing me in that state. However, he must have taken it more seriously because his mood looked worse today.


    "So, you¡¯ve signed everything. I assume you¡¯ve purchased your uniform and supplies too?" Norman asked, skimming through the pages without meeting my gaze. It was his way of mocking my living condition and also the fact that I was jobless. That was another issue. I had nothing.


    While other parents came with their kids to the academy¡¯s hostel, I came by myself. Not even a wolf by my side.


    Maximus, meanwhile, kept his eyes fixed on me. His rigid posture and piercing stare made me feel uneasy.


    "I forgot. You don¡¯t do anything yourself, do you?" Norman added, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "You just have other people pay for your things. So, has one of your sugar daddies bought everything for you?"


    His wordsnded like a p across my face, stinging far more than I cared to admit.


    I despised the way Norman spoke to me. He always found a way to belittle me, treating me like some kind of gold digger. I badly wanted to give him back the way he was trusting me. But then I remembered I will have to face him everyday in the training ground. So I just didn¡¯t say a word.


    "Maybe you convinced someone¡¯s mate or a rich¡ª" Norman continued, his tone sharp and mocking. I swear, when he noticed the tears welling up in my eyes, a fleeting smirk of triumph shed across his face.


    I immediately dropped my gaze, biting my tongue to stop myself from reacting. This was my academy now. If enduring their cruelty would mean they¡¯d tire of it sooner, I was willing to y along. I just wanted to live here peacefully, without any trouble.


    "Actually¡ª" Emmet¡¯s voice cut through, interrupting his brother, "I¡¯m d you brought that up. I¡¯ve actually bought her some stuff."


    My head snapped up in disbelief as Emmet rose from his chair and walked to the locked cupboard.


    "You did what?" Maximus spoke for the first time, his voice low and incredulous.


    "Stuff," Emmet shrugged, nonchntly opening the cupboard and retrieving a ck bag.


    "You can¡¯t be serious, Emmet," Norman said, his tone thick with disappointment.


    I blinked, and a single tear escaped, tracing a warm path down my cheek.


    "Why? You were worried if someone bought stuff for her. And now you are upset that someone did?" Emmet raised his thick brow to his brother in sarcasm, disying a clear hint that he wasn¡¯t pleased with his remarks.


    "Is this how she convinces you to do things for her?" Norman sneered, noticing my tears. I hastily wiped my face with the back of my hand, swallowing the lump in my throat.


    "She didn¡¯t say anything to me and neither has she asked me to buy her anything. You need to stop thinking like we brothers are God and people beg before us in order to get anything. As for me, I know what I need to do and what I should buy for my stepsister," there was such a harshness in Emmet¡¯s voice that he left me shocked.


    I didn¡¯t want the brothers to be pinned against each other because of me.


    "Here!" Emmet said, walking back and holding the bag out toward me. "A gift from your elder stepbrother for qualifying for admission." His voice was light, but his eyes searched mine as he held the bag patiently.


    I hesitated, my gaze darting to Maximus and Norman. Norman¡¯s judgmental headshake was enough to make me shrink back.


    "I can¡¯t ept this," I murmured, shaking my head. "But thanks for thinking of me." With that, I rushed out of the office, my heart pounding.


    I didn¡¯t want his brothers thinking I was some lowlife rogue taking advantage of their kindness. I wanted to prove myself, not give them more reasons to ridicule me.


    Briskly, I stepped outside, gulping down the cold evening air. The weather had turned somber¡ªdark clouds gathered ominously, and the sharp breeze whipped at my face. I didn¡¯t hear footsteps behind me; I thought I was alone. I was too lost in my swirling thoughts.


    "And where do you go from here?" Emmet¡¯s voice came suddenly from behind me, startling me. I spun around to face him, my heart skipping a beat.


    The wind tousled his long hair, making it flow in the storm like something out of a painting. His calm demeanor, however, stood in contrast to the wild weather.


    "You ran off like you had somewhere important to be," he remarked, a hint of amusement in his tone. His words referred to my hasty exit¡ªand the fact that I¡¯d rushed out without even collecting my hostel key.


    "Oh," I muttered, unable to meet his gaze. Embarrassment crept into my chest, squeezing my lungs. I just wanted to dig myself a grave and hide it from everyone¡¯s eyes.


    "Hnie, are you really going to let them control your life like this?" he asked, his voice soft but heavy with meaning. A sigh escaped his lips as he waited for me to respond, the weight of his question settling over us both.


    "By letting them make decisions for you, you¡¯re only proving them right¡ªthat by bullying you, they can shape you however they please," he said, his wordsced with quiet wisdom. I watched his face closely as he spoke, noticing the spark in his eyes and the strength in his veiny hands, one holding a bag and the other clutching a folder. The bag was huge, what did he buy?


    "Did you have breakfast?" he asked. I shook my head slightly.


    "Well, I haven¡¯t either. How about youe with me to a caf¨¦ in a nearby pack? We can talk more once we sit down."


    There was no question in his tone; he was simply telling me I wasing with him. I didn¡¯t want his brothers to think they could control me, yet I also couldn¡¯t think of a reason to refuse. So, I followed him to his car.


    "In the passenger seat, Hnie¡ªI¡¯m not your driver," he teased, his face still serious, but he held the door open for me. I slipped inside, trying to understand why he was always so kind, seemingly without any w.


    Once I settled in, he took the driver¡¯s seat, hands firm on the steering wheel. I sensed he truly had something important to discuss with me.

 Chapter 82-The Stepbro I Needed

    <h4>Chapter 82: 82-The Stepbro I Needed</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "They have the best coffee," Emmet said as he ced an order for both of us. He ordered a variety of dishes, making it clear he was ready to devour them all.


    He had casually rolled up his sleeves, even the cuffs of his coat, without a second thought about ruining the sharp creases.


    The weather was pleasant. This pack was a small one but I believe they had some affiliation with the rogue king.


    "I¡¯m sorry for not epting that bag. I just don¡¯t want your brothers to think I¡¯m a gold digger," I said, initiating the topic myself. Sitting across from him made my cheeks flush with heat.


    "Why do you care what they think?" he asked, his gaze steady. "You see, they¡¯ve realized that by calling you a gold digger, they can manipte you. The moment you stop epting help, they win. Tell me something."


    He leaned back in his seat, awkwardly trying to adjust his legs under the small table without touching mine. The space was cramped, and his tall, broad-shouldered frame made it even more challenging.


    "Have you always been this quiet? Always so concerned about what others think of you?" he asked. His question made me nod instinctively, without hesitation. That was exactly how I had lived my life until now.


    Every day, I¡¯d feel self-conscious when delivering baked goods to the pack members, overhearing their whispered remarks. If someonemented that my dress looked too tight, I¡¯d starve myself to loosen it because I couldn¡¯t afford to buy new clothes.


    It happened often.


    I¡¯d even change my hairstyle just to avoid giving the pack members any reason to criticize me.


    "And how did that go?" he asked gently. "Did it make you everyone¡¯s favorite?"


    Tears pricked my eyes as I shook my head, unable to respond.


    "I see. Then why try so hard?" he continued, his voice softer now. "Instead of living to please others, why not just focus on doing the right thing? I¡¯m not asking you to lose your mind or act recklessly, but you don¡¯t need to let your world revolve around what others think of you."


    The more he spoke, the more memories of my time in the pack resurfaced, each word cutting deeper.


    "Hnie, let me give you a simple example," he said, his tone taking on a reflective quality. "Imagine two brothers. One tries desperately to be perfect¡ªalways punctual, always doing whatever he thinks will earn him approval from his parents. The other just acts like himself. He works hard, does the right thing, but doesn¡¯t linger around for praise or worry about what people think."


    He paused, his eyes drifting as if lost in thought. Adjusting his cor with long, slender fingers, he continued, "Now, when the first brother¡ªthe perfect one¡ªmakes even the smallest mistake, everyone pounces on it. They say, ¡¯Ah! The mask slipped. See, we knew you weren¡¯t so perfect after all.¡¯ But when the other brother, who doesn¡¯t even care about impressing anyone, does the smallest kind gesture, everyone appreciates him. They say, ¡¯See? We knew he was good at heart.¡¯"


    He finished speaking and focused on my face, studying me to see if I understood his point.


    "My point is, no matter what you do, people will always find a way to criticize you. If you¡¯re perceived as bad, they¡¯ll constantly remind you that you¡¯re capable of doing good. But if you¡¯re too good or seemingly perfect, they¡¯ll search for ws in you. So, do things for yourself, not for the approval of others. Don¡¯t be entirely selfish¡ªdo good, but not for the reaction it will get."


    He gestured to the bag sitting on the chair beside him. "That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you this. I bought all this for you as a gift for your first day at the academy, and I want you to keep it."


    I nced at the bag, then back at him, shing a small smile. He was so cool.


    "You exin things so well," Iplimented him. He shrugged, brushing off the praise as the food arrived.


    "Please, help yourself," he said, pointing at the dishes. Clearly, he had no time for more conversation once the food was in front of him. He began devouring sandwiches one after another. I was astonished to see how arge sandwich disappeared in just two bites.


    Well, I should¡¯ve known. For someone his size, food was clearly fuel.


    "How can someone be so perfect?" I asked absentmindedly, and he immediately burst intoughter, mouth full. It was the first time I¡¯d seen himugh so hard.


    "See? You¡¯re doing it too," he said, grinning, which made a frown form on my face.


    "I¡¯m not perfect. Hnie, I don¡¯t even care about what people think. But somehow, they still say I¡¯m good and perfect." He was clever, effortlessly weaving his own advice into the situation.


    No wonder he was the best professor at the academy.


    After finishing the meal, he paid the bill, and we got back into his car. He handed me the key to the hostel and dropped me off at the main entrance.


    "Thank you," I said, leaning down to speak through the window.


    "Let me know if you need anything, okay? And don¡¯t let anyone pick on you. If they do, remind them you¡¯re my stepsister."


    The fact that he didn¡¯t care about the gossip that might follow¡ªabout his father¡¯s new wife and my connection to him¡ªshowed how confident he was in himself.


    I nodded and watched as his car drove away. The bag he¡¯d given me was heavy, but I clutched it tightly and headed inside. Other students were arriving too, dragging their luggage behind them.


    My room was on the eighth floor. There were elevators avable, but most of the students were taking the stairs. Maybe it was their way of sneaking in a workout, but I wasn¡¯t about to join them. I chose the elevator.


    The moment I stepped in, I felt the stares of the others. Their eyes were full of judgment, and for a fleeting second, I considered taking the stairs instead.


    Then I remembered Emmet¡¯s words.


    Straightening my back, I pressed the button for the eighth floor.


    As the elevator ascended, I stared at the glowing red buttons, noticing that the 10th floor indicator kept blinking.


    "I didn¡¯t press 10," I muttered to myself, puzzled.


    With that thought nagging me, I pressed the 8th floor button again. Then once more for good measure.


    I wasn¡¯t particrly familiar with elevators. I had only used them asionally¡ªmostly during my hotel stay¡ªand this was one of my first real experiences. But this elevator was unusuallyrge, its walls adorned with intricate patterns that felt oddly out of ce.


    My breathing quickened unexpectedly as the temperature inside began to drop. Anxiety crept in, tightening its grip on me, and I could feel my nerves stretch taut when I saw the elevator bypass the 8th floor entirely and continue straight to the 10th.


    I swallowed hard, feeling an unsettling chill. The elevator seemed to have a mind of its own. *I pressed 8. So why the hell is it stopping on 10?*


    And then came the strangest part. As soon as the elevator reached the 10th floor, the doors slid open, and the lights went out.


    "Shit! What the heck!" I hissed, staring at the pitch-ck hallway before me.


    The corridor had windows lining both walls, but the view outside was unnervingly dark. Why is it so dark outside? It was broad daylightst I checked, anyway. What could have happened?


    Curiosity gnawed at me, overpowering my sense of caution. Against my better judgment, I stepped out of the elevator. I shouldn¡¯t have, but somethingpelled me to.


    I approached one of the windows, peering outside to get a better sense of the situation. Maybe a storm had rolled in? That could exin the darkness, right?


    But no.


    It wasn¡¯t just overcast¡ªit was an abyss of ckness. So profound, I couldn¡¯t see a thing beyond the ss.


    "Ahhhh, a rape victim!"


    A voice echoed through the hallway, and my heart plummeted into my chest.


    "Who¡¯s there?" I shouted, my voice trembling as I stared into the distant darkness.


    "Who is it?" I called out again, louder this time, but it only seemed to amplify the eerie silence.


    A sinisterugh broke through the void¡ªlow, mocking, and chilling.


    "Hahahahaha! Where was all this anger when your father was kicking you in that pantry?"


    My breath hitched, and tears began to well up in my eyes. My body trembled, paralyzed by fear.


    "I¡ªI don¡¯t know who you are," I stammered, my voice barely audible. "How do you know me?"


    My mind spiraled into chaos, grasping for answers. Was this real? Or was I trapped in some kind of nightmare? That had to be it¡ªa dream, a terrible, suffocating dream.


    "Just tell me your name," the voice growled, deep and guttural, like something otherworldly. "And I shall take away your pain."


    I instinctively stepped backward, inching toward the elevator, my feet dragging as if weighed down by invisible chains. Desperation wed at me as I tried to focus on the voice.


    It was heavy¡ªinhuman. A sound that resembled the growl of a phantom, resonating through the darkness.


    "Tell me your¡ª,"


    As he continued again, I ran back into the elevator and started pressing the button over and over again. The minute I raised my head, fear engulfed me entirely.

 Chapter 83-Roommate With A Monster

    <h4>Chapter 83: 83-Roommate With A Monster</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    As soon as I lifted my head, I watched the elevator door shut. The lights were on and I was still standing beside the bag like before. I quickly checked time and it seems like barely any seconds had passed.


    Did I hallucinate or what?


    "Of course I zoned out," I pped my forehead. It has been a difficult time for me. I wasn¡¯t able to hold food down either. After that night, I would get such weird hallucinations and nightmares. I stared at the 10th floor button and then fixed my posture.


    The elevator was unlike anything I had ever seen. It felt as though I had stepped into a world of fantasy. The subtle blue and gray tones,bined with the intricate carvings on the walls and the ornate frames of the mirror inside, were breathtaking.


    Every passing moment in this ce reminded me that everything I had endured to be a part of this academy was worth it. Every minute of torment and sacrifice had finally paid off.


    As the elevator ascended, I felt the weight of the bag Emmet had given me. It was heavier than I expected, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he had packed inside. I was excited, to be honest. No one had ever given me a gift before, and knowing Emmet, I was sure it would be something thoughtful¡ªsomething I would use every day.


    The elevator doors opened, and I stepped into a hallway that left me awestruck. Theyout was simple but stunning. Rooms were positioned opposite each other in pairs, followed by an open stretch of hallway with tall windows on either side. This pattern repeated until the very end of the corridor, where a single room stood alone, its door framed by elegance.


    The hallway itself was a masterpiece. The arched windows were almost ceiling-high. Each window was set between delicate columns that supported the arches above, casting soft reflections on the smooth marble floor in muted shades of gray andvender. Warm light from chandeliers and wall sconcesplemented the daylight, giving the hall a serene and weing glow.


    Under one of the windows, a wooden bench with a teal cushion sat, with a small nt on the side. At the far end of the hallway, double doors of a single andst too caught my eye. My heart skipped a beat as I realized that the room at the end of the hall¡ªRoom R-56¡ªis the room I will be sharing with two strangers.


    The door was nked by twomps that matched the ambiance of the hostel perfectly. Yet, as I climbed higher through the building, I noticed it growing colder. The open windows likely allowed the wind to sweep through, carrying a crisp chill from floor to floor.


    "Room number R-56," I read aloud, staring at the te on the side of the door. Taking a deep breath, I inserted the key, ready to unlock my new space. However, to my surprise, the door was already ajar. My roommate was clearly inside.


    Bracing myself, I pushed the door open, a small pang of dread creeping in. I hoped I wouldn¡¯t find myself paired with someone difficult or unpleasant.


    The moment my eyesnded on her, though, all my fears vanished. It was none other than Lucy.


    Oh my fate had blessed me with her sight on the first day here.


    A bright smile spread across my face as recognition hit me. She turned from her bed, her expression lighting up when she saw me. Without hesitation, she rushed toward me, wrapping me in a tight hug.


    "Lucy!" I eximed, my voice filled with joy as she lifted me off the floor and spun me around.


    "I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s you!" she squealed, setting me down only to pull me into another hug. We bothughed, our excitement bubbling over as we hugged again and again, cheering like maniacs.


    I felt so incredibly blessed in that moment.


    "I was so scared. I thought I¡¯d end up with the two sisters," Lucy said, rolling her eyes as she held my hand. I nced around the room, a wave of relief washing over me.


    She was not wrong. I was frightened of being with a stranger or a bully myself.


    We both had the same fear. I had dreaded the possibility of opening the door to find Salem and Sydney as my roommates. If that had happened, I might have walked right out. Ever since my win, I¡¯d had a gut feeling they would do everything in their power to make my life here difficult.


    "I¡¯m so d you¡¯re here," Lucy continued, her smile widening, "but¡ªyou lost thest test, didn¡¯t you? So..." Her hand moved to scratch her scalp awkwardly, and I realized she didn¡¯t know what had happened after that.


    "Umm, yeah. I got a card and then had to take one final test," I exined vaguely, avoiding details. I knew she would bring it up again eventually, but for now, I wanted to steer the conversation elsewhere.


    "The room is beautiful," I said quickly, changing the subject. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t seem to notice the hesitation in my voice. She was so happy that she overlooked itpletely.


    The room truly was stunning¡ªa perfect blend of gothic and neossical design. The walls featured subtle paneling and delicate carved moldings that gave the space an air of understated luxury.


    "It really is. Take a good look around," Lucy said in a dreamy tone, her voice barely above a whisper. She was just as captivated as I was.


    The tall, arched windows were a masterpiece, their intricate frames giving the room a fairytale-like charm. The space was designed with thoughtful symmetry: two of the beds were positioned parallel to each other with an equal gap between them, while the third bed was ced to the side, directly facing the room door. Each bed faced one of the grand windows, which framed the breathtaking view of the sky and the swaying branches of tall trees outside.


    Small nightstands with tablemps stood between the beds, providing just enough separation to bnce practicality with the room¡¯s cohesive, elegant atmosphere. The beds themselves were luxurious, with soft mattresses and thick, cozyforters that spoke of wealth andfort.


    I have never stayed in a ce like that. I mean, I had stayed in a hotel suite but that wouldn¡¯t be called home.


    Now this is what I can call my home. The home I¡¯ve worked so hard for and nearly died too. But it was all just so worth it. I was so happy and proud of myself for not giving up in that moment.


    "This ce is amazing," I murmured, running my fingers over the smooth surface of one of the nightstands.


    "It really is. You can pick whichever bed you want, but I think the two that are parallel to each other would be perfect for us," Lucy said, gesturing to the beds positioned near the bathroom door. "I¡¯m not sure who our third roommate is, though."


    She walked over to the bed directly facing the door and pointed to it. "I¡¯m taking this one," she said decisively.


    "I¡¯ll take this one," I said, choosing the bed next to hers. It was perfectly positioned by the windows, offering a fairytale-worthy view of the trees and sky outside.


    Even the faraway mountains could be a perfect view but then the deep hill down would be scarier at night.


    I walked over, lightly touching the cool, intricately carved frame of the window. It felt surreal to be here, sharing this beautiful space with Lucy. I smiled to myself, feeling the weight of all my fears and doubts begin to lift.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter who is the third person sharing a room with us. As long as we are together¨C," I took a deep breath and then exhaled, exining howfortable I felt here.


    "We will be fine," she finished for me with a bright smile covering my lips from her response.


    "We even have our very own balcony! But it¡¯s so cold right now that I don¡¯t want to check it out," Lucy said, hugging herself and pouting slightly. "Oh, and we have a walk-in closet with three walls full of shelves¡ªone for each of us!"


    She exined how we could divide the space to avoid arguments and misunderstandings. It was thoughtful, and I appreciated how she was already trying to make thingsfortable for all of us.


    That¡¯s when the door opened, signaling the arrival of our third roommate. we both turned to face the door, hoping to wee a pleasant person.


    It felt as though someone had shown us a perfect haven, only to throw in a monster to ruin it.


    A tall guy stepped inside, a bag slung over his shoulder. He looked just as shocked as we were when he realized he¡¯d be sharing the room with us.


    "You¡¯ve got to be kidding me," he hissed, tossing his bag onto the solitary bed and shaking his head in disbelief.


    It was Lamar.


    Lamar Freaking Baker.

 Chapter 84-Teen Crush Or A Crushed Teen!

    <h4>Chapter 84: 84-Teen Crush Or A Crushed Teen!</h4> "No! I¡¯m roommates with girls¡ªone of them is¡ª" Lamar had already dialed a number toin about us. Our moods soured the moment we discovered he was our roommate.


    "At least give us a third girl in the room with us," Lucy whispered under her breath and he grumbled, still avoiding looking in our direction. Without another word, he walked straight to the balcony door, heading to his side of the bed. The minute he saw it was us, especially me, his face turned pale. I wasn¡¯t very happy either.


    Sharing the space was going to be difficult¡ªboth the bathroom and the balcony doors were on his side of the wall.


    We awkwardly stayed silent as he opened the balcony door and stepped out in a rush.


    "Gosh! This is so frustrating. Why him?" Lucy pped her forehead, her disappointment written all over her face.


    "Did Gavin¡ª?" I started, worried about whether he had been able to settle in. We should have talked about him already.


    "He did, but he¡¯s not my roommate. I thought we¡¯d get someone nice," she said, looking utterly dejected. I understood why. Having Gavin as a roommate would have been amazingpared to Lamar¡ªthe infuriating troublemaker.


    I hated him so much, and now I¡¯d be forced to see his face every single day.


    "And you know¡ªI can guide and scold Gavin, but Lamar? I just hope he doesn¡¯t leave the bathroom aplete mess all the time," she added, sitting on the edge of her bed, stomping her feet anxiously as if her thoughts were spiraling out of control.


    "Which room is he in?" I asked, happy for Gavin that he¡¯d gotten a spot but sad for Lucy that they wouldn¡¯t be sharing one.


    "He¡¯s on the fifth floor," she said, checking her phone and frowning at the screen. "With some girl named Jenny and her brother Penn."


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to console her. Before I could think of anything, Lamar came back in, stretching his shoulders and arms. Then, he cleared his throat, clearly about to address us.


    "It¡¯s no secret that we don¡¯t like each other," he began, his tone t and disinterested. He wasn¡¯t even looking directly at us.


    "Yeah, because you were always arrogant to everyone¡ªand then you tried to kill me," I snapped, folding my arms across my chest.


    "Right. I did that too. So let¡¯s just not talk to each other and stay out of each other¡¯s business," Lamar shrugged. I couldn¡¯t argue with him¡ªI didn¡¯t want tomunicate with him either.


    "But we wanted to befriend you so badly¡ª" Lucy, who usually struck me as a gentle and caring soul, rose dramatically from the bed, cing her hands over her heart in mock sincerity.


    Even Lamar seemed taken aback by the sudden shift in her demeanor.


    "Annoying!" he hissed before swiftly escaping the room.


    "Well, I guess it won¡¯t be too bad. Boys don¡¯t tend to hang around their rooms for too long," Lucymented casually, as if her sudden change in attitude hadn¡¯t just startled us both. Perhaps being epted into the academy had given her a newfound boost of confidence. Apart from that, she wasn¡¯t wrong though. Lamar never stayed in the shelter either. He was always out and about. Besides that business of bringing hostesses to the bars, it kept him upied most of the time.


    "By the way, you should start unpacking. I¡¯ll bring my stuff in gradually and then start setting it up," she added cheerfully, her enthusiasm unmistakable.


    I nced at my single bag, still untouched. I hadn¡¯t even bothered to open it yet. I nodded at her suggestion, noting that she¡¯d already unpacked one of her own bags neatly into the closet.


    "Oh, and is anyoneing to meet you this Sunday? It¡¯s a family meet-up day. I¡¯m so excited to have my family around!" Lucy ced both her hands on her heart and sighed dreamily.


    "Umm, let¡¯s see." I quickly looked away, pretending to inspect the room as though I hadn¡¯t already taken it all in. Truthfully, I just wanted to avoid this topic.


    "Hey, I forgot you¡¯re a rogue. But that doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t have a family, right? You¡¯re so young, and¡ªyou live in the wild. I just assumed you had someone with you," she said, watching my face closely for a reaction.


    "If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, we can drop it. We¡¯ll discuss it whenever you¡¯re ready. As for this Sunday, you can join my family for the feast. You¡¯re going to love them, and I know they¡¯ll love you," she added with a cheerful giggle.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel happy for her. She was lucky to have such a loving family¡ªand to love them just as much in return. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t say the same about my own.


    Gosh, my father. He had told the alpha he killed me and buried me, just so he could avoid admitting I had run away. He didn¡¯t want to lose the money he got from the pack. He probably thought his daughter would die in the wild anyway, so why not save himself the trouble?


    "Hey, did I upset you?" Lucy¡¯s soft voice broke my spiraling thoughts. "I really need to watch what I say. Gavin always tells me I talk nonsense, and I think I finally realized it today."


    She gently rubbed my elbow, trying tofort me. I didn¡¯t me her. It wasn¡¯t her fault that even a passing mention of family could ruin my mood.


    "It¡¯s not your fault," I said, forcing a small smile. "I was just thinking about something else. Why don¡¯t you bring Gavin here? I¡¯d love to meet him and congratte him on joining the academy."


    I struggled to keep up the fake smile, but pretending to be okay was exhausting. Memories of my past always left me paralyzed¡ªtrapped in a pit of depression I couldn¡¯t seem to escape.


    "I¡¯ll go get Gavin to meet you!" With a snap of her fingers, she excitedly uttered and dashed out of the room.


    Now, it was just me and the bag.


    I dragged it into the closet, noticing how spacious it was. The two walls facing each other were lined with shelves, leaving the wall opposite the door for Lamar¡¯s things¡ªa decision we¡¯d silently agreed upon.


    Sitting down on the floor, I unzipped the bag. Inside were two brand-new uniforms, shoes, a few casual outfits, notebooks, stationary box, and some tracksuits¡ªall practical items I¡¯d expected to need.


    But then I froze.


    At the bottom of the bag was a phone box.


    "He got me a phone?" I murmured, staring at the sleek packaging. My hands trembled slightly as I picked it up, realizing it was one of the most expensive models on the market.


    I hesitated to turn it on. epting such an extravagant gift didn¡¯t feel right. Was this really okay?


    I kept staring at the phone before finally picking it up. He¡¯d already charged it and even set it up for me. That was thoughtful of him, especially since I¡¯d never owned a fancy phone like this before. Operating it made me nervous¡ªI was terrified I¡¯d break it.


    Then, a message popped up on the screen, and a huge smile spread across my lips.


    Prof. Emmet: Sorry for adding my name to your phone list. Let me know if you¡¯re adjusting well.


    Prof. Emmet: I just found out who your roommate is. Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll see what I can do about it.


    My smile grew so wide that my cheeks started to hurt. Was he thinking about me?


    He must have been. He¡¯d gone back to the office just to check who my roommates were.


    Me: It¡¯s alright. You¡¯ve already done so much. I don¡¯t know how I can ever repay you.


    For the first time in so long, I sat holding a phone, grinning like a teenager with a crush. But that wasn¡¯t the case with me. He was just someone who made me feel alive.


    Prof. Emmet: By staying happy and safe.


    I nodded to myself like an idiot, his words echoing in my mind. I was so absorbed in the moment, sitting in the closet, that I didn¡¯t even notice someone entering the room until the closet door mmed shut.


    I jolted upright, staring at the door in confusion. Was it just a strong gust of wind?


    I quickly got to my feet and tried opening the door, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. That¡¯s when it hit me¡ªit wasn¡¯t the wind. Someone had locked me in.


    "Hey!" I shouted, banging on the door with my fist. "Who the heck locked this? It¡¯s not funny!"


    Laughter echoed from outside, and my blood boiled. I hated it. Why? Why did people always have to ruin my moments of happiness?


    I kept pounding on the door, shouting, until it finally swung open. Standing outside was a concerned couple¡ªLucy and Gavin.


    "Hey! Who locked you in?" Lucy asked, immediately pulling me into a warm hug. Gavin, meanwhile, scanned me anxiously, his worry evident.


    "I saw Sydney and Salem running downstairs," Gavin muttered, shaking his head in frustration.


    So, they¡¯d already started?

 Chapter 85-The Second Girlfriend

    <h4>Chapter 85: 85-The Second Girlfriend</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m fine now," I said, holding Lucy¡¯s hand to stop her from chasing after those girls and risking getting bullied. I tried to reassure her, even though my voice felt unconvincing.


    "But you threw up because of them," Lucy said, sitting down on my bed. Her hand gently rubbed my back, her concern evident.


    She wasn¡¯t exaggerating. I had actually thrown up when the closet door opened. The overwhelming emotions got to me.


    "Yeah, but I¡¯m okay now," I nodded, trying to sound steady. Then I turned to someone I¡¯d unintentionally ignored. "Hey, Gavin!" Guilt tinged my voice. The twins had scrambled my thoughts so much that I hadn¡¯t even greeted him properly.


    "Hey! I heard about what happened," he replied in a hushed tone as he took a seat on Lucy¡¯s bed. "You seriously won against Maximus."


    He whispered it with a bright smile, his voice barely audible but filled with excitement. Lucy tightened her grip on my hand, silently demanding more details. As for Gavin, if course he didn¡¯t know much since he wasn¡¯t present at the ground but he got the main news.


    "Yeah, I didn¡¯t want to talk about it and risk getting into more trouble," he admitted, lowering his voice. "The final test was for Hnie tond a single punch on Maximus... but she ended up throwing two. Everyone at the backup tests was talking about it, but they kept it quiet," Gavin exined, his tone conspiratorial.


    His hushed voice made me wonder just how afraid they were of the brothers. It also made me worry whether Maximus was still angry about it.


    "Anyway, be cautious around Lamar," Gavin advised, his expression growing serious. "If he tries anything with you two, let me know." He gave us a reassuring nod, his gentle smile a smallfort.


    "Oh, and by the way, tomorrow¡¯s the first day," he added. "The second day is when they¡¯ll be handing out bracelets for ranks. Just in case¡ª"


    I cut him off before he could finish. "Just in case the bullies want to identify who¡¯s at the bottom," I interjected, rolling my eyes in frustration.


    It was disheartening because I already knew how it worked. The Alphas would receive the highest-ranking ribbons, while the rest of us would be categorized with lesser colors. The thought transported me back to the memory of that night¡ªthe Alphas¡¯ wrists adorned with blue ribbons.


    "Hnie!" The snap of fingers in front of my face pulled me from my spiraling thoughts.


    "Yeah?" I blinked, focusing back on their faces.


    "Go freshen up," Gavin said with an excited grin. "Tonight¡¯s our first official dinner in the academy hall."


    I hadn¡¯t fully processed it¡ªI was now part of this ce, part of their traditions. All students were required to stay at the academy, only allowed to return home during vacations. It was a strange, overwhelming realization.


    I nodded silently and stood up, choosing a purple dress Emmet had bought for me. Lucy, ever the helper, braided my hair, leaving soft strands to frame my face. She wore a matching purple dress, her pixie cut now grown to the nape of her neck, entuating her delicate features.


    Gavin was dashing in a tailored suit he imed he¡¯d been saving for a special asion. The three of us were ready to leave, and thankfully, we didn¡¯t run into Lamar until we were already outside the dorm.


    He hurried back to his room to get ready. Without sparing us a nce, he sprinted inside.


    "Seeing his face makes me want to puke," Lucy joked, pretending to gag dramatically. I elbowed her andughed along.


    I won¡¯t lie¡ªmy life has changed drastically. I never used to have friends. The only person I knew outside my home was Altan. Just thinking of his name sent chills down my spine, goosebumps prickling over my skin.


    But I didn¡¯t have time to dwell on those thoughts as I made my way out of the hostel toward the academy. The campus was filled with students. Some faces I recognized from thest test, while others were clearly seniors.


    We were all led to the second floor, where a stunning yet enigmatic hall awaited us. The interior design matched the bedrooms and hallways of the hostel, with a cohesive color palette and elegant window frames.


    The hall featured three long tables with rows of chairs, and on a raised tform at the front was a round table decorated far morevishly. Its intricate designs and beautiful chairs suggested it was meant for someone important.


    Gavin and Lucy chose seats next to each other in one row, while I ended up sitting across from them with a group of other students. The hall grew increasingly crowded as servers prepared borate meals in therge kitchen to the side. The mouthwatering aromas were so tempting that my patience began to wear thin.


    That¡¯s when a girl slid into the seat beside me, her friend sitting next to her. They seemed to have arrived together.


    "Hey, Gavin!" the girl next to me called out suddenly, interrupting him as he leaned toward Lucy, whispering something that made her giggle. They looked like they were catching up before the interruption.


    "Oh, Jenny!" Gavin greeted her with a smile. It took me a second to remember where I¡¯d heard her name before¡ªLucy had mentioned that Gavin was sharing a room with Jenny and her brother, Penn.


    The two siblings were unmistakably twins, with matching ck hair and hazel eyes.


    "You left your closet an absolute mess," Jenny said, tilting her head yfully.


    I noticed Lucy¡¯s hand instantly tightened around Gavin¡¯s.


    "Oh, I¡¯m so sorry!" Gavin replied with a sheepish grin. "I¡¯m pretty clumsy when ites to unpacking."


    Lucy straightened in her chair, her posture stiff. I wondered how long Gavin would take to introduce her, and soon he did.


    "Oh, by the way, this is my girlfriend, Lucy, and my best friend, Hnie."


    Wow! Me, someone¡¯s best friend? It felt strange but good at the same time.


    I gave Jenny a polite nod, which she returned with a small smile.


    "And these are my roommates, Penn and Jenny," Gavin added.


    "How rude!" Jenny pouted, feigning offense. I saw Lucy take a deep breath, clearly trying to keep her cool. It was obvious¡ªshe was jealous of Jenny.


    I mean, who wouldn¡¯t be? If your mate was sharing a room with a gorgeous girl, you¡¯d probably feel uneasy too.


    Jenny leaned closer, her voice suddenly taking on a sharper edge. "I¡¯m just your roommate?"


    Her tone made me freeze. I turned slowly to observe her bodynguage, which seemed oddly... suggestive.


    "Are you afraid to tell your girlfriend that I¡¯m also your girlfriend?"


    The moment the words left her mouth, my heart sank, and my head whipped toward Lucy. She looked pale¡ªlike she¡¯d just seen a ghost.

 Chapter 86-Not Their Family

    <h4>Chapter 86: 86-Not Their Family</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    The tension hung heavy in the air as Gavin shook his head at Lucy, his tone firm. "That¡¯s not true."


    "Really? But she just admitted to it!" Lucy yelled, her voice carrying across the room and drawing everyone¡¯s attention to us.


    "Lucy, let¡¯s not do this here." I extended my hand to rest it against hers, hoping to calm her down, but she quickly pulled her hand away from mine.


    "Jenny, what are you saying?" Gavin gave her a harsh and confused look.


    "Hey, hey, I was just joking," Jenny interjected before the situation could spiral further. She hissed the words at them, then stered an awkward smile on her face to assure the onlookers that everything was fine.


    It was mortifying. Thankfully, the servers emerged from the kitchen, bncingrge traysden with food, providing a much-needed distraction.


    "What?" Lucy snapped at Jenny, her tone sharp.


    "I didn¡¯t realize you¡¯d take it so seriously or that it would escte like this. I¡¯m sorry¡ªI shouldn¡¯t have joked like that," Jenny replied, her voiceced with genuine regret.


    "Well, you shouldn¡¯t joke about things like that¡ª" Lucy leaned over the table to whisper harshly, but before she could finish, Penn mmed his hand on the table, startling everyone.


    "That¡¯s enough," he said, his voice as rigid as his posture. "My sister made a joke and apologized. Move on."


    The suddenness of his outburst silenced the table. Penn¡¯s reserved demeanor only made his rare disys of emotion more striking.


    "I¡¯m sorry," Jenny whispered again, her eyes darting toward Gavin and Lucy, who now sat ufortably in their seats.


    "Stop apologizing," Penn grunted under his breath, though I heard it clearly. Jenny bowed her head in shame.


    The awkwardness lingered as our tes were filled with an array of extravagant dishes. The atmosphere was tense, but the arrival of food provided a small relief.


    Suddenly, a voice rose above the clinking of utensils. "Hi, everyone. I¡¯m Sage Mn, the top senior. It¡¯s great to have you juniors here for your first dinner." Her tone was polished, and she carried herself with the air of someone used tomanding attention. "The trainers and the Rogue King will be joining us shortly, so please hold onto your forks and wait for their arrival."


    I recognized her immediately. She was the same girl I¡¯d seen when I first stepped into the academy, clutching the pamphlet that promised new beginnings.


    I had guessed it right¡ªshe was special. I noticed her wearing two bands, one red and the other ck. The ck band signified her status as a top senior, while the red indicated her alpha rank. Tonight, she wore a sleek ck branded dress, her blond and pink ombre hair styled in voluminous curls.


    "Thank you very much," she said graciously before taking her seat among the other four top seniors. She seemed especially giggly around the guy sitting to her right¡ªa blond, effortlessly handsome figure who resembled the stereotypical popr bad boy from a teen movie.


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice the way every junior seemed mesmerized by him, their gazes practically dripping admiration. Even Salem had been staring at him for a while, her attention clearly captivated.


    But then, my focus shifted. The brothers and their father had arrived. My breath hitched when I saw someone unexpected¡ªmy mother. She walked beside the Rogue King, her red gown gleaming under the chandeliers and adorned with dazzling diamonds that graced her neck and hands.


    Charlotte, on the other hand, wore a stunning golden dress and looked radiant standing next to her mother. They seemed to be living the perfect life.


    I exhaled deeply and lowered my gaze, feeling a wave of emotions wash over me. When I nced up again, the brothers were making their entrance.


    Emmet and Kaye walked in first. Their ck tuxedos were immactely tailored, and both carried themselves with distinct poise. Emmet looked more polished than usual tonight¡ªhis damp hair tied back in a man bun with a few loose strands framing his sharp, sculpted features.


    Kaye, as always, maintained his rigid demeanor, his posture straight and his movements restrained, offering little in the way of gestures.


    Then came Maximus. He wore a gray shirt beneath his ck suit, his yful smirk already drawing the attention of many admiring eyes around the room. His confidence was maic, as if he thrived on being the center of attention.


    Finally, thest to enter was Norman. Broad-shouldered and d in amanding ck suit, he exuded power and intimidation. His eyesnded on me immediately, and his expression darkened. The hostility in his gaze was unmistakable before he turned away to join his family on the stage.


    "That girl is Charlotte. She lives with them. Can you imagine being that blessed?" Lucy whispered to Gavin, though I overheard her clearly.


    Yeah, right.


    I had stayed in that mansion before, and it was far from a blessing¡ªat least, for me.


    "Hello, everyone," Lord McQuoid addressed the room as he took the stage. "I wee you to my academy. I hope you will work hard and achieve your goals. Now, let¡¯s enjoy the feast."


    With that, he sat down, and the banquet began. The chatter among the guests grew lively as they ate and socialized, yet none of them even nced my way. My gaze kept drifting back to my mother.


    Did she know I was part of the academy?


    If she did, wouldn¡¯t she have tried to find me?


    Or perhaps I was overthinking. The woman who had thrown me out of her life would hardly be searching for me now.


    "Hnie! Why are you eating so little?" Gavin¡¯s voice interrupted my thoughts. He must have noticed how I was pushing the food around on my te without actually eating. The steak and other other dishes remained untouched.


    "Here, start eating." Lucy reached over toward my te, but before she could add anything to it, Jenny stepped in, piling food onto my te without hesitation. Though she did it casually, I caught Lucy grumbling under her breath, her lips forming a pout.


    This wasn¡¯t good. These two were never going to get along.


    "There you go," Jenny said with a cheerful smile, doing a little shoulder wiggle.


    "Thank you," I replied quietly, hoping to avoid upsetting Lucy.


    "You have such pretty eyes," Jennymented, her tone light and bubbly. I forced an awkward smile in response.


    "You know, I could eat all this food by myself," she continued, chatting away like a wind-up doll. I didn¡¯t mind her energy, but Lucy clearly did.


    "Hey, Jenny!" Lucy drummed her fingertips on the table, her tone sharp enough to cut through Jenny¡¯s chatter. "Hnie likes to eat in silence."


    Mortified, I wanted to dig a hole and disappear. I hadn¡¯t even said that, but now the spotlight was on me. Desperate to diffuse the tension, I started shoveling food into my mouth, hoping to avoid further confrontation.


    "Oh, I didn¡¯t know. Sorry!" Jenny¡¯s voice didn¡¯t lose its enthusiasm, though, and in a way, that was a relief.


    We eventually finished eating, though my attention remained divided between the brothers and my mother. None of them acknowledged me, and they left without even hinting to the students that one of their family members was among them.


    I felt a heaviness in my chest¡ªa sadness I couldn¡¯t entirely exin. Maybe it was because, deep down, I still missed being part of a family.

 Chapter 87-The Guilt!

    <h4>Chapter 87: 87-The Guilt!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    The night was so peaceful that the moment Iy down in bed, I fell asleep instantly, as if I¡¯d slipped into aa. But in the middle of the night, I woke to the sound of someone mming 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 ss, 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¡ªthe 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 toe 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 n. 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 nket 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¡ª" 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¡ªit hurts. Every hit yound 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¡ªyou need to stop it, please."


    He ced his hands near his ear, wincing as he identally 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, Iy back down, unwilling to dwell on what had just happened. Before long, sleep pulled me under again.


    Lucy¡¯s rm woke me the next morning. She had been busy nning everything the night before¡ªour uniforms, shoes, and even our essories wereid 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 soforting 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 upied?" 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¡ªand 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 ck 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 herposure. There were others around, and Gavin might not take kindly to her making a scene. After all, he had already been upsetst night when she yelled at him without giving him a chance to exin.


    "I can¡¯t believe this," Lucy muttered under her breath before storming past Gavin without another nce.


    "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 nonchnt, as though it was perfectly normal for him to be this close to Jenny.


    Some might call Lucy insecure, but let¡¯s be real¡ªif 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 forter," 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 ss on the third floor.


    The ssroom 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¡ªalmost 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 ss. 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 andposed demeanor told me she was fully aware of the situation¡ªand didn¡¯t care.


    I nced 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¡ªthey 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¡ªhello! 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 ss erupted into cheers at her words¡ªbut not everyone joined in. Those aspiring to be Alphas or royal betas remained silent. Even the warriors kept quiet, their pride unwilling to ept 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 toe 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 ss 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 ck suit with a perfectly tucked white shirt. He looked nothing like I¡¯d expected¡ªno hint of drunkenness. His hair, still damp, was styled impably. A single strand fell across his forehead, while the rest was tied back in a man bun.

 Chapter 88-Not An Ugly Duckling

    <h4>Chapter 88: 88-Not An Ugly Duckling</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Hello ss, I¡¯m Professor Emmet McQuoid, your ss teacher, and I¡¯ll be the one to teach you the history of wars, werewolves, other creatures, as well as herbs and weapons. Physical training, however, will be conducted by my brothers," he said, tossing the papers onto the podium, then quickly grabbing his sses and putting them on.


    I had never seen him wearing sses before. I turned to check on Sydney and Salem, who were both exchanging nces¡ªconstantly looking at each other before finally turning to Emmet.


    "So, let¡¯s get started with the first ss," he said, quickly adjusting his tie before lowering his head to begin flipping through the pages of the book he had brought with him.


    As his head was down, I noticed him briefly raising his eyes, his eyebrows furrowing for a moment. His gazended directly on me, and then he quickly looked away as if he just wanted to confirm I was there.


    He started the ss by giving an introduction to the academy and exining how and when it was established. The academy was actually built long before Lord McQuoid took over. In fact, it used to be an abandoned building, so they had to renovate it. But from what I gathered, most of the interior was kept the same when they added the furniture. The way he delivered his wisdom was quite captivating, and strangely enough, everyone was focused.


    "That¡¯ll be all," Emmet announced, mming the book shut and giving us onest nce. His eyes lingered on me for a moment longer before he nodded and gathered his things to leave.


    "I can¡¯t believe this hunk spoke for five hours, and none of us got bored," Lucy remarked, perfectly capturing what everyone was thinking.


    It was true. Five hours had flown by, and we¡¯d written down so much. All the materials were in the vintage ck-and-orange notebook Emmet had given me in the bag the other day¡ªa thoughtful touch. Lucy and Gavin bothplimented it too.


    "Let¡¯s head out and grab something to eat, what do you say?" Lucy smiled, getting up and then immediately turning around to face someone at the front. "Why can¡¯t this bitch leave us alone?" she muttered under her breath.


    As Lucy mentioned, I looked over her shoulder and saw Jenny standing by her seat, waving at us.


    "Maybe she just wants to be friends with us since Gavin is her roommate," I thought, not the kind of person to judge someone right away.


    "Stop taking her side, Hnie," Lucy snapped. "She¡¯s seducing my mate. She¡¯s not a good person." As she grabbed my hand and tried to pull me away from our spot, I felt like rolling my eyes. Why the heck would she say that? There was no proof. But I didn¡¯t want to upset her, so I just stayed quiet. Gavin followed us in silence, clearly unwilling to talk.


    "Guys, are we headed to the canteen?" Somehow, Jenny didn¡¯t pick up on the fact that none of us wanted to hang out with her.


    "Hey, Jenny!" Lucy suddenly stopped walking and turned to face her. The two would have bumped into each other had Jenny not stopped midway. She looked a little shocked too.


    "Why don¡¯t you go apany your brother? Isn¡¯t it wrong to leave him alone?" Lucy forced a smile, trying to sound sweet, but it was clear she was trying to push Jenny away. The look of embarrassment on Jenny¡¯s face made me feel guilty.


    "But he hangs out with his friends," Jenny mumbled, sounding drained. That¡¯s when Gavin, who had been awkwardly standing behind us, stepped forward.


    "It¡¯s okay. You cane along with us," he said with a cheerful tone. Lucy, clearly irritated, turned just slightly and shot him a look.


    I swear Jenny saw it. She watched them for a moment before forcing a smile.


    "Actually, you guys enjoy yourselves," she said quickly. "I just remembered I have to sit with someone else." I could tell she was lying to avoid any further awkwardness.


    "Oh, shoot. Well, what can be done in that case, right?" Lucy said, acting disappointed, though I could tell she was relieved that Jenny backed down.


    Jenny walked away, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether she was trying to befriend Gavin or just wanted to fit in with us girls. It seemed like she was more focused on being part of our group.


    We headed to the cafeteria and took the seats at the back while the seniors grabbed the better spots.


    It didn¡¯t matter much to me. I was just happy to be part of this academy. If things had gone right, I would have gone home and told everyone that I wasn¡¯t entirely useless. The things they had told me¡ªabout not being able to do anything with my life¡ªbothered me so much that I cried myself to sleep every night.


    I wanted to prove myself to them, but I couldn¡¯t, because I was a coward and a weak person back then. And if I cried over any of their hits or abuse, they would call me weak and pathetic, not understanding that the abuser should be the one who gets the hate.


    While I sat with my friends, my food in front of me, lost in thoughts about my life back home, I didn¡¯t realize I had be a target for the top seniors.


    "So, people¡ªwe have a special student here," a voice suddenly interrupted my thoughts. I snapped back to reality when my food tray was snatched right from in front of me.


    "Hey!" Gavin stood up, facing the guy who had taken the tray.


    The guy, wearing a blue and ck wristband, stood facing Gavin. He was a top senior¡ªand probably not a friendly one. His hazel eyes radiated a threat to anyone standing up to him, and the smirk on his lips proved he hadn¡¯te here to be checked.


    I knew it wasn¡¯t going to be easy for me to leave this cafeteria without any trouble today.

 Chapter 89-The Juniors Vs The Seniors

    <h4>Chapter 89: 89-The Juniors Vs The Seniors</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Gavin¡ª," Lucy got up and steadily pinched the sleeve of her Gavin¡¯s shirt, trying to remind him that they shouldn¡¯t be going too far when confronting these bullies.


    They had even snatched her te away.


    "Ah! That bitch is your mate?" I noticed the name tag on the guy¡¯s shirt: Arlo James. His brown hair was styled so perfectly that one might confuse him with one of the good guys.


    "She¡¯s ugly as fuck, bro." The minute he said that, I watched Lucy¡¯s confidence shake. She looked around, and strangely enough, her eyes fell directly on Jenny, who was sitting with some random students from our ss. Jenny didn¡¯t seem to be mocking her or anything, but Lucy¡¯s fists clenched.


    "How fucking dare you! She is not for you! So it doesn¡¯t matter how you see her," Gavin yelled, grabbing the senior¡¯s cor. That¡¯s when whispering began, and gasps erupted in the air.


    I guess no junior had ever responded to the top seniors this way before.


    "Easy!" Arlo clenched his jaw but kept the fake smile on his lips.


    "Nobody wants her ugly ass. You can have her all to yourself." Arlo licked his lips and turned to look at the other top seniors, who were busyughing at his jokes, while Sage was engrossed in her phone. I looked around and saw all five of the top seniors. They seemed just as bad, if not worse, than Arlo¡ªexcept for Sage. She wasn¡¯t part of theughing game; instead, she was so busy with her phone that she barely looked up.


    But then, before Gavin could respond, Arlo grabbed him by the shirt and tossed him over the table. It all happened in such chaos that Lucy started screaming until a top senior with the name tag Riri jumped in. She pushed Lucy back into her seat, ced her foot between Lucy¡¯s legs on the seat, and leaned over her, pointing a finger at her.


    I looked around for help but found no one. Gavin tried to break free from Arlo¡¯s grip but failed as Arlo kept pinning him down.


    Now I felt like I needed to step up. Although I wasn¡¯t going to be much help, I needed to stand up for my friends¡ªor at least get beaten up alongside them.


    "Fucking let him go," I got up, smashed the bottle, and held it up to Arlo¡¯s neck. I did it so quickly that no one saw iting.


    Silence filled the air.


    It was as if everyone was now excitedly anticipating what would happen next.


    "You¡ª," it wasn¡¯t him getting riled up, but there was a strange excitement in his eyes as he leaned his body closer to the shard in my hand. He then hunched down until the broken ss was in contact with his neck and added, "Cut it through. Come on!"


    There was no fear in his eyes. My hands were visibly shaking, and so were my knees.


    "I will do it if you don¡¯t let go of my friend," I tried to raise my voice, but it came out a little shaken.


    "Really?" he mocked, while othersughed behind him.


    "Then do it, because I ain¡¯t letting your friend go," he whispered the words, almost like mouthing them.


    "Do it, do it," the cafeteria was filled with the seniors chanting those words. The juniors remained tight-lipped, not even uttering a word.


    "Hey, that¡¯s not very nice. If she does it now, you¡¯ll use her of attacking you on the academy¡¯s grounds," that was none other than Jenny, rushing toward us.


    She came and stepped between us, also trying to free Gavin from Arlo¡¯s grasp.


    "And look at another junior thinking she can fight us," Arlo turned to Jenny and then smirked. "And a very pretty one too. How is it that you got an ugly bitch and such gorgeous ones defending you?" Arlo asked Gavin, pointing at Lucy when mentioning the "ugly one" and then at me and Jenny when mentioning the "pretty one."


    I instantly felt my stomach tie into a knot, just the way Lucy¡¯s mouth opened a little. I can only imagine the defeat she must have felt, being called lesser than the girl she was jealous of.


    And that, too, in front of everyone.


    "The ugly one must be after him, and he¡¯s after the pretty one," the top senior yelled in the most annoying voice.


    She was giggling a lot, and it angered me.


    "Says the one who look so rugged," I yelled back, causing everyone to gasp.


    "Ohhh! Feisty!" Arlo let go of Gavin, who jumped off the table to check on Lucy. When Jenny was about to give him a hand to get up, he clearly ignored her to make a point that he would choose Lucy no matter what others said.


    "What are you? A porcin doll? An untouched beauty who thinks she can talk big to anyone and get away with it because she¡¯s gorgeous?" I don¡¯t know what it was, but his words made me feel disgusted.


    There was no pride in gettingpliments from such nasty creatures.


    "How dare she¡ª" The top senior rose from her chair and pouted angrily, but Arlo gestured for her to stay back, as he intended to handle it himself.


    "How about¡ª" He kepting at me, and I kept backing down when someone intervened.


    "How about you leave them alone?" It was Penn. He came with his friends, a junior, but he had many friends who would end up sticking up for him.


    "Ahh! The alpha¡¯s son and the most arrogant one," it seemed Arlo already knew of him. As the two faced each other, I felt this weird twist in my stomach.


    I wanted to throw up, but I refused to do it here. So, I started walking away when the top senior I had yelled at got in my way.


    Her name tag said Riri. She was the one who was enjoying this fight the most. She came in to push Lucy and then went back to sit in the audience, only toe back again to bother me.


    "Please step out of my way," I tried to be humble, but she shook her head.


    "Not until I make you beg before me for forgiveness," she pushed me, standing broad before me.


    Shit!


    I was not able to hold it in anymore.

 Chapter 90-There Is No 10th Floor

    <h4>Chapter 90: 90-There Is No 10th Floor</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Let me go¡ª" I gestured for her to step out of my way, but she kepting at me. If only she listened to me, she would have saved herself from the uing disaster.


    "What if I don¡¯t? What would you do then?" she asked,ing so close that I had no choice. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose, but it happened.


    The disgusting feeling of throwing up made me gag even more, and before I knew it, I blurted it out, spitting everything on her.


    In short, I threw up all over her perfectly pressed uniform.


    "Eww!" she screamed, while I coughed and continued to throw up. Chaos erupted throughout the cafeteria as I knelt down, feeling dizzy.


    "Get her out of here, someone!" I heard someone scream in disgust.


    That was exactly what I wanted to do¡ªto leave!


    But this girl had the audacity to step in my way and stop me.


    "Hey, let¡¯s get you out of here," a familiar voice said. I couldn¡¯t even make out themotion around me as I kept my head down, but Jenny had already wrapped her arm around my back to help me stand.


    She helped me rush out, but someone suddenly pped her hand off my back. I was dizzy and didn¡¯t have the energy for any argument.


    "Aren¡¯t you too pretty to be helping someone?" Lucy¡¯s voice was filled with hurt, and I knew she would take thements too seriously. But honestly, it wasn¡¯t her fault. Jenny did nothing wrong. She even stood up to defend us.


    "I¡¯m so sorry, but Lucy, you shouldn¡¯t focus on what they¡¯re saying right now. Hnie nee¡ª" Jenny tried to continue walking, but Lucy interrupted, freeing me from her embrace and wrapping my arm around her own shoulder.


    "You don¡¯t need to tell me how I should take care of my friend," Lucy groaned, pulling me away. At this point, I just wanted them to stop arguing and let me go.


    Thankfully, Jenny didn¡¯t follow us, and we managed to get out of the academy without further incident. The moment the fresh air hit my face, I felt much better. But now, I had to clean up, and the pounding headache wasn¡¯t helping.


    "You feeling okay?" Lucy asked, rubbing my back gently.


    "I feel terrible, Lucy. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ll ever go back to the academy again," I muttered, feeling like I wanted to disappear in that moment.


    That Riri girl wouldn¡¯t leave me alone now.


    "It wasn¡¯t your fault. Anyone would gag with such ugly people¡ªapart from me, being mean to you," she said, her words making me frown.


    I had my body bent over, hands on my knees, taking deep breaths.


    "You are not ugly. Don¡¯t listen to them. They were just trying to get a reaction out of you," I said, trying to make her understand the cruel reality of the world we live in. People don¡¯t really like to see others happy.


    "Then why only me? They didn¡¯t try to get a reaction out of anyone else, Hnie. Let¡¯s just admit it¡ªI¡¯m not very pretty, definitely nothingpared to Jenny," she said, her voice tinged with sadness. She made me feel so bad for her.


    "You¡¯reparing yourself to her for no reason, honestly. Gavin loves you¡ªclearly, he loves you only. Jenny just seems to want to be close to us. Not to Gavin," I said, trying to exin what I had observed. I understood why Jenny might be trying so hard to fit in with us. Being Gavin¡¯s roommate, maybe she wanted the group to expand, making things more peaceful for everyone.


    "I don¡¯t know anymore. My confidence has really gone down, Hnie. After what happened today, I feel like I¡¯m not good enough," she said softly. I can understand her emotions.


    I knew this would happen. Those bullies didn¡¯t just attack our emotions or bodies¡ªthey were torturing us mentally.


    "That¡¯s not true. You are more than enough. Look at yourself in the mirror and tell me you¡¯re not pretty, you are gorgeous. Those bullies are the worst¡ªdon¡¯t let them get to you," I said with a sigh, feeling a little better myself.


    But she didn¡¯t seem to budge. The way she shook her head, barely moving, made me feel even angrier at Arlo for hisments.


    For a moment, I thought about going to Emmet to tell him what had happened in the cafeteria. But then I remembered how things worked around here. The bullies were seen as a way to "test" a person¡¯s strength¡ªhow they responded, reacted, and fought back.


    If I kept running to Emmet for help, I¡¯d bebeled weak. I didn¡¯t want to act like a child going aroundining.


    "How are you feeling now?" she asked, changing the subject and checking on me.


    "I¡¯m not entirely okay. Maybe once I change and get into myfy bed, I¡¯ll feel better," I said softly.


    Thankfully, Lucy understood. We really needed to get away from here. I wasn¡¯t sure if the bullies woulde after us, and it wasn¡¯t just the top seniors¡ªthey weren¡¯t the only ones doing the bullying. Even some of the other seniors were actively targeting the juniors.


    "Anyway, let¡¯s get you to your room. You should change and rest," Lucy said, holding my arm and starting to walk me to the hostel.


    I was in a really bad state, feeling weak as if I might throw up again.


    "Come on, you¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯ll get you some soup¡ªand even candies! Candies and choctes always work for me," Lucy said, trying to sound cheerful. I knew she was faking it, but I let her.


    I did intend to have a conversation with herter and remind her how special she is.


    As we walked into the elevator, I noticed Lucy take a deep breath. She usually took the stairs like the rest of the students, so this must have been her first time using it. I felt the need to warn her about the buttons though.


    Last time, I had identally pressed the button for the 10th floor, and the hallucination that followed made everything so much creepier. I will be lying if I say I haven¡¯t thought about checking that floor myself to see if it was indeed just a hallucination. Something just told me it was more than just that.


    "Be careful with the buttons. Don¡¯t press the 10th floor," I sighed, barely able to keep my eyes open. I remembered thest time it happened¡ªthe weirdest hallucination had left me shaken.


    Later that evening, when I returned from dinner and took the elevator alone, since Gavin and Lucy had taken the stairs, arguing the whole way, the 10th floor button had kept blinking, as if asking to be pressed.


    "Huh? Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯tnd you on the 9th floor," Lucy said quickly, pressing the right button before turning back to support me.


    "No! I¡¯m talking about the 10th floor," I said, taking a deep breath, my voice trembling. My vision was blurred by tears, though I tried to make it seem like it was just because I wasn¡¯t feeling well.


    I wasn¡¯t feeling well¡ªthere was no lie in that. But the truth was, I was also hurt and worried.


    "Hnie! What are you talking about?" Lucy¡¯s voice had a hint of yfulness, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to smile.


    "The 10th floor... it just clicks by itself. And then¡ªI don¡¯t know¡ªthe elevator doesn¡¯t actually go to the 10th floor," I said, struggling to piece together my thoughts. Was it real? Should I ever check it out? I mean, if there is a floor, there must be students there in the dorm rooms.


    "Um, there is no 10th floor. The building only has nine floors," Lucy said matter-of-factly.


    The minute those words left her mouth, I opened my eyes and turned my head, raising it from where it rested against the wall of the elevator. I stared at her, suddenly alert. She didn¡¯t seem like she was joking.


    Quickly, I nced at the buttons. Sure enough, there was no 10th-floor button.


    "Huh? But I saw the button¡ª" I trailed off, confused. I clearly remembered seeing the button before. Even after the hallucination, I had seen it. So, it wasn¡¯t just in my head.


    But now... there was no button at all?


    "You must have mistaken it for the 9th floor," Lucy said gently, rubbing my arm in an attempt tofort me.


    "No, Lucy. I know what I saw. There was another floor¡ª" I stopped myself, unsure of what I was saying. What if I was wrong? What if it was a hallucination?


    What if there was never a button?


    "Yeah, you¡¯re probably right. I¡¯m just not feeling well," I mumbled under my breath, rubbing my face with my hands to calm myself.


    The elevator door opened with a soft ding, and Lucy helped me out, guiding me toward our room with so much care it made my chest ache.

 Chapter 91-A Pregnancy Test

    <h4>Chapter 91: 91-A Pregnancy Test</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You will feel better if you rest," Lucy said as she helped me change and even washed my uniform for me.


    "I hope the bath is helping. I just don¡¯t understand¡ªwhy didn¡¯t you just sit in your undies? Are you really that shy?" she asked, worried about why I had worn a dress to sit in the bathtub in front of her.


    "It¡¯s alright. You don¡¯t have to answer me," she smiled gently when she noticed I was struggling toe up with a reply.


    "Have you spoken to Gavin? Wasn¡¯t it him calling you earlier?" I asked, having noticed her phone ringing multiple times, though she kept avoiding it.


    "I don¡¯t know what to say to him right now," she admitted softly, holding a sponge in her hand as she cleaned my arms with it. She had insisted on giving me a bath, and there was no way she was taking no for an answer.


    "Lucy! How will you two resolve the issue if you don¡¯t even talk about it with him?" I said, genuinely unable to understand the argument between them.


    She seemed reluctant to believe the pain in her chest could stem from anything else.


    "Did you not see him take care of her hair this morning? Hnie, if your mate knows you¡¯re insecure about someone or something, and they keep doing it, what would you think of it?" she asked.


    She wasn¡¯t wrong. I would flip out too, but at least I¡¯d have a talk with my mate¡ªor even an argument.


    But silence? Silence could be deadly for rtionships.


    "I know you don¡¯t believe me, and I don¡¯t expect you to. I know what I felt¡ªI just don¡¯t understand why he can¡¯t stay away from her! Like, why does he have to do her hair in the middle of the hallway, knowing I¡¯d being downstairs at any moment? He¡¯s not even trying to help me with my doubts," she groaned, tears filling her eyes.


    After we were done, she left the bathroom so I could change. Later, she tucked me nicely into bed, but her body twitched slightly when Gavin stormed in with soup and fries.


    "She needs to eat; she¡¯s too weak," Gavin said softly.


    "Come on, Hnie. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re pregnant and can¡¯t hold down food," Lucy insisted, holding up a spoon for me.


    That¡¯s when my heart dropped in my chest. I tried not to show any reaction, but her words struck a chord. They pulled me back in time¡ªto that night¡ªand then to my current condition.


    I had missed my periods ever since that night, but I was so consumed by revenge and determination to get into the academy that I hadn¡¯t even thought about it. Or maybe I just didn¡¯t care... until now.


    "There you go," Lucy smiled as I took the bite, just to calm her down. But inside me, a storm was brewing.


    What if it was true?


    I shook my head, and when I noticed them narrowing their eyes at me in confusion, I realized I must have looked like I was having a conversation with myself.


    "By the way, thank you for standing up for me," Gavin said, referencing the earlier incident. His words temporarily gave me something else to focus on¡ªa brief distraction from the horrifying thought swirling in my mind.


    "I messed up anyway," I muttered steadily, ncing at Lucy, who kept her head down, her eyes fixed on the ground.


    "They knew you were affected by thements, Lucy," Gavin said as he turned toward her. She quickly averted her gaze, turning her face to the side to avoid looking at him.


    "Lucy! Penn told me that the top seniors have a list of all the students, and next to your name, they wrote insecure! They¡¯ve even picked on your argument with me over Jenny the other day¡ª"


    It all made sense now, why they were constantly trying to hurt Lucy byparing her to Jenny and calling Jenny prettier than her.


    "Oh, Penn told you that? Or was it Jenny herself? She must have fed you this nonsense!" Lucy¡¯s voice rose, her tone defensive.


    "Come on, Lucy. What¡¯s your problem? You¡¯re sharing a room with Lamar. Did you see me questioning you?" Gavin countered, his voice rising for the first time.


    "That¡¯s because I¡¯m not sticking by his hip! I don¡¯t even speak to him!" she snapped back, her voice matching his volume.


    The two stood up, fists clenched, ring at each other.


    "You know what¡ªlet her rest, shall we?" Gavin finally said, grabbing Lucy¡¯s arm to lead her out. It seemed they wanted to continue their argument elsewhere, away from me.


    I thought about telling them they weren¡¯t bothering me, but then it urred to me that maybe they just didn¡¯t feelfortable fighting in front of me. So, I let them go. Lucy grabbed her coat before walking out with Gavin, leaving me alone¡ªwith nothing but the terrifying thoughts haunting my mind.


    "What if I really am pregnant?" I whispered, my voice barely audible as I ced a trembling hand on my belly. No! I refused to believe it. How could I possibly carry the bastard¡¯s child?


    But then again, I hadn¡¯t had my periods, and all the symptoms seemed to point to the horrifying possibility.


    shback:


    "Aghhhhh!" the one with brown hair groaned as he finished inside me, while the others held my hands and legs tightly, pinning me down. My eyes were dry now, the tears long gone.


    But they weren¡¯t done.


    It had been hours. Every time I thought it was over, another one of them woulde up with a new way to torture me.


    "Oh my! Her pussy is so powerful, she¡¯s sucking me dry," the main guy said as he stood up, stroking his cock.


    "I told you, she¡¯s very excited but pretending to hate every second of it," another oneughed cruelly while I shut my eyes tightly, trying to escape this reality.


    I wanted to be anywhere else, to go to my happy ce. But there wasn¡¯t one.


    In the first few minutes, I¡¯d clung to the hope that Altan woulde back and save me. But that hope died quickly. Now, I didn¡¯t even wish for rescue anymore. I just wanted them to leave¡ªor to kill me before they left.


    End of shback


    "I need to... get a pregnancy test," I said to myself, jumping off the bed, my heart racing painfully in my chest. I wouldn¡¯t be able to rest until I confirmed that I wasn¡¯t pregnant.


    But where could I even get a test?


    The roguemunity didn¡¯t have malls or stores. And even if they did, I doubted they were essible to anyone except the royal family.


    I knew the brothers had ns to take over abandoned packs and turn them into a safemunity for rogues¡ªdifferent from the usual rogue chaos. Only those connected to the brothers or the academy would be part of thatnd.


    Then I remembered the small packs surrounding the roguemunity. Some of them weren¡¯t very judgmental and had trade deals with the brothers.


    Grabbing a purple sweater¡ªmy old sweater¡ªand my boots, I headed to the door.


    I was going to confirm what my restless mind refused to let go of. I had to know.


    I cannot be pregnant with those bastards¡¯ child.


    I left the hostel without anyone noticing and made my way to the nearest pack on foot. It took me three hours, but I didn¡¯t care. I was so determined that I ignored the toll it was taking on my body.


    I had only a small amount of money left from when I worked for Maximus, but it was enough to pay for the test. I did get a few strange stares¡ªprobably because of how young I looked and the noticeableck of wolf in me¡ªbut I didn¡¯t stop to exin or care.


    Once I was heading back, I carefully hid the test and returned to my dorm room, where Lucy was waiting for me. Her eyes were swollen and red, so I assumed she¡¯d had another fight with Gavin.


    "When I read your text saying you were going out for a walk, I thought you meant a thirty-minute stroll. How are youing back after six hours?" she scolded, cing her hands on her hips as her sharp eyes scanned me.


    "And look at you! Your hands are red¡ªyou¡¯re freezing to death," she said, rushing over to grab my hands. She started rubbing them quickly to warm them up.


    "What happened between you and Gavin? Did you two sort things out?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation away from myself. She sighed heavily.


    "I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me, Hnie. I¡¯m just so insecure," she admitted, her voice tinged with guilt. It seemed she was finally acknowledging that she might have been overreacting.


    "But¡ª" she said, cutting herself off as she dragged me to my bed and made me sit down. She kept holding my hands, her grip firm, as she continued.


    "I just have this very bad feeling. Like¡ªmy mate bond is sensing something. A tug, almost," she said, her eyes locking onto mine, her emotions raw and visible.


    "What do you mean?" I asked, confused.


    Because I didn¡¯t have a wolf, I wasn¡¯t able to feel anything with Emmet. And wow... That thought hit me harder than I expected.


    He was my mate.


    My professor is my mate.


    My stepbrother is my mate.

 Chapter 92-With A Child

    <h4>Chapter 92: 92-With A Child</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Hnie¡ª" As she continued, she shook me back to reality, forcing me to focus on her issue and stop thinking about myself for a moment.


    "It¡¯s a weird kind of feeling when your mate is¡ªcheating on you," she bit her bottom lip, trying to hide the pain.


    "Could it be a false rm?" I asked, not wanting the two to separate. Ever since I had known them, I had only known them together. They made me believe that true love exists and is very real.


    "It could be," she said, her tone hesitant. "Sometimes, if the other person is distressed, their wolf can feel slightly less attracted to their mate. Which, in my case, means Gavin must be feeling less attracted to me. And there could be many reasons for that, but what if¡ªit¡¯s because of the cheating part? It happens mostly because of cheating." She seemed so confident in her feelings.


    "Did you tell him about it?" I asked. She nodded.


    "And what did he say?" I inquired, noticing tears welling up in her eyes.


    "He said¡ªhe¡¯s less attracted to me because I keep making him feel guilty, and I doubt him all the time. I don¡¯t know what to do. I don¡¯t want us to go down that path, but how do I avoid this weird feeling in my chest?" she sobbed, as if she had been holding back her tears for years.


    I instinctively went in for a hug, though I couldn¡¯t help ming Gavin in my heart. She was already so hurt, and instead offorting her, he told her he was less attracted to her.


    "It¡¯s just that¡ªhis tone toward Jenny is so odd," she said, breaking the hug to hide her face in her hands.


    "To be honest with you, I didn¡¯t notice anything," I admitted. As soon as I said that, she raised her head to look at me.


    "Really? You don¡¯t think the two might be secretly hooking up?" she asked, her voice filled with hope as she searched my face for an answer.


    "To be honest, I didn¡¯t notice it. I actually found Jenny more interested in befriending us than Gavin," I shrugged, noticing a faint smile forming on Lucy¡¯s lips.


    "Anyway, enough about me. Are you okay?" I asked, relieved to see her feeling a littleforted. Just then, the door swung open, and Lamar stumbled in.


    "Ah! The two girls I hate the most," he said, rolling his eyes and hupping loudly.


    "Is this motherf***er drunk?" Lucy whispered to me, making my jaw drop in disbelief.


    "Hey, close the door before anyone sees me like this," Lamar clicked his tongue and pretended to hide under his nket, as if shielding himself from the warden.


    "Are you serious? She was sick earlier, and now you¡¯vee in drunk. Do you have any idea how she¡¯ll feel with the stench of this nasty smell?" Lucy got up, her frustration so visible, and confronted Lamar.


    He uncovered his face from the nket and frowned at her. "She needs a drink to loosen up a bit," he shrugged,pletely unbothered.


    "Hey, Lucy, be a doll and help me take off my shoes," he said, stretching his legs out and giving her exaggerated puppy-dog eyes.


    The more he spoke, the more he shocked us.


    "Ew, I wouldn¡¯t touch your gross feet with a ten-foot pole," Lucy grimaced, kicking his shoes back toward the nket.


    "Don¡¯t be rude. Why is it that all cute girls are always so rude?" he said, but the moment he uttered those words, I saw Lucy straighten her back. That onepliment seemed to light her up, and it saddened me.


    "Anyway, I¡¯ll drink this¡ª" Lamar pulled out a bottle, but Lucyunched herself at him, trying to snatch it from his hands.


    "It¡¯s lemon water! But if you¡¯re so curious about jumping into my bed, just do it. You don¡¯t need an excuse. In fact, a girl as pretty as you doesn¡¯t need any excuse at all," he flirted shamelessly, his eyes gleaming as he showered her withpliments.


    "Lucy! Come back here. Let him deal with his mess himself," I said, stretching my hand toward her. She stared at it for a moment before finally taking it.


    "I¡ªI should go look for Gavin," she said, hesitation evident in her voice.


    Her words threw me off. Was she going to look for Gavin because Lamar had made her feel some type of way, and she needed to remind herself that she already had a mate?


    "You wannae?" Lucy looked at me, her expression softer now. I was d she had finally decided to talk to Gavin. Hopefully, the two of them would resolve this matter, and by tomorrow, all our worries would vanish¡ªmaybe even mine. My heart sank at the thought of the test.


    "Yeah, I¡¯ll take a walk near the library," I said. The library was on the ground floor, near the bathroom. I didn¡¯t want to be left alone in a room with Lamar, who was heavily drunk, so I decided to head down there. Nobody would be around at this hour, and I could take the test in peace and have some time to myself.


    "Okay!" Lucy said as she walked out. I grabbed my sweater, tucking the test inside it to hide it.


    I was about to leave when I heard Lamar grunt my name under his breath.


    "What is it now?" I turned around, hands on my waist.


    "You¡¯re still mad at me. You¡¯ve been mad a lot these days. Every time I look at you, you¡¯re angry¡ªand not smiling¡ª" He pouted, as if trying to look cute.


    "And what? You think you will kill me if I don¡¯t ept your apology?" I replied with a sarcastic tone.


    "Listen¡ªabout the things I said to youst night¡ªjust forget it. It¡¯s not your fault," he said, sounding much less drunk than he had appeared when he first arrived.


    "Are you even drunk?" I raised an eyebrow at him. He quickly nodded.


    "Not that much. I might have exaggerated a bit so you wouldn¡¯t ask me questions aboutst night¡¯s conversation," he admitted, avoiding my gaze.


    "Yet you¡¯re the one who brought it up yourself," I muttered.


    "Yeah, I didn¡¯t want you to talk about it in front of Lucy," he murmured, his voice soft, his eyes lowered like a guilty child who¡¯d just broken something precious.


    "Why?" I asked, suspicious.


    "Eh, no particr reason. I just don¡¯t like too many people knowing about my conversations with others," he said, scratching his head awkwardly. "Yeah, I can see you¡¯re giving me that look. But in all seriousness¡ª" He hupped and quickly shed a sheepish grin. "I¡¯m sorry. If there¡¯s a way to make it up to you, I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll even protect you from the bullies."


    I let out a loud scoff, and he nodded, looking as though he understood. "I guess that was a good response to my stupid statement," he said, shaking his head at himself.


    "You know, I¡¯ll just go now," I said, not wanting to stick around. I was anxious about the test I was about to take. Besides, Lamar showing up drunk to discuss such a serious issue wasn¡¯t the right way to handle things.


    "Got it," he said as I walked out of the room.


    In the elevator, I stared at the buttons, my eyes scanning for the tenth floor¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t there. Maybe I had hallucinated it all. I¡¯d had some pretty crazy nightmares recently about wells and other unsettling things, but to hallucinate something so vividly had left me puzzled.


    Since I had spent some time talking with Lamar, I was certain Lucy had already reached Gavin¡¯s room. That meant I had the chance to head straight to the ground floor.


    I rushed into the bathroom and took a deep breath, pulling out the test. Wasting another minute wasn¡¯t an option. I peed on the stick and set it aside, waiting as my heart pounded against my chest.


    "It¡¯lle out negative. I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m just stressing over¡ªnothing," I muttered, trying to calm myself down. I didn¡¯t even know why I had taken the test in the first ce. Maybe the nausea and vomiting were just from stress.


    But now I was here, in the bathroom¡ªnot the one in my room, but the bathroom next to the library¡ªand there was no turning back.


    "Please be negative. I don¡¯t need this on top of everything else I¡¯m dealing with!" I whispered desperately, my voice trembling. I closed my eyes, but shes of that night came rushing back¡ªthe night they had used me so brutally.


    If this test came out positive, it would mean the Moon Goddess was having far too much fun at my expense.


    Finally, I opened my eyes. The result stared back at me.


    Two lines.


    Positive.


    My jaw dropped as a single tear fell straight from my eye, bypassing my cheek andnding on the test.


    "No! This can¡¯t be. How could you¡ªhow could you let this happen?" I hissed at the ceiling, imagining the Moon Goddess sittingfortably and watching me, her suffering she-wolf, from afar.


    It was positive.


    Panic struck me hard. My breathing quickened, and my chest tightened as my mind spun out of control. I couldn¡¯t¡ªI wouldn¡¯t¡ªcarry a baby from one of those monsters.


    But now I am pregnant.


    And as miserable as I could possibly feel.

 Chapter 93-Spotting One Of Them

    <h4>Chapter 93: 93-Spotting One Of Them</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    <strong>shbacK:</strong>


    "Let me go!" I yelled, my back pressed against the wall. I wanted nothing more than to escape this ce and never return. I will behave, I promised myself, I won¡¯t leave my homete at night, and I¡¯ll never meet Altan again.


    "Moon Goddess, please spare me this once," I begged, my hands raised and sped together in desperation. I heard themugh as my pleas fell on deaf ears.


    "Please fill their hearts with kindness and sympathy for a broken girl like me," I continued, my voice trembling as one of them stepped closer. Shaking, I quickly grabbed my pendant and wore it, praying it would somehow stop them.


    "Please! Stop this. Send someone to help me!" I uttered, my breaths growing shallow, my throat dry, as another man moved closer, leaning in with his arm braced on the wall above my head.


    "She¡¯s not going to listen. In fact, she sent us here to help you¡ª tomake you feel better," he sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "I don¡¯t think that Alpha of yours could have given you any pleasure. Let us help you instead," he added, his tone unnervingly creepy. The way he licked his lips made my skin crawl.


    His hand lowered to my dress, and I pped it away, hastily fixing my clothes. He stared at his hand for a moment before suddenly grabbing the hem of my dress and shaking it, making the othersugh as I struggled to free myself.


    The humiliation burned my cheeks, my face growing hot with shame and anger.


    "Look at that," he sneered, letting go of the hem only to grab at my neckline, pulling it down as I desperately pushed his hands away.


    "See? They¡¯re so milky and big," his vilements pierced through me, making my ears burn with fury and disgust.


    "Ayo! Dude, should we grab some condoms?" another one chimed in, his wide grin making it clear he was enjoying every moment of my suffering.


    As they all stared at me like predators circling prey, the leader shook his head and added with a smirk, "Nah, let¡¯s fill her up nice and good."


    End Of shback.


    It had been ten minutes, and I sat on the closed toilet seat with the test in my hand.


    "I wasted my time praying to you for help," I muttered brokenly. My voice was devoid of emotion, and my face had no expression.


    I had no idea what I was going to do with my life now. Sometimes, it feels like the Moon Goddess waits for the perfect moment to hit me with bad news.


    "What am I going to do now?" I sighed, gripping the test tightly. Deciding to head back to my room, I didn¡¯t want to linger and risk making Lucy worried.


    I turned on the faucet and washed my face and hands before staring at my reflection in the mirror for a few minutes. The image staring back at me was hard to bear¡ªmy broken self, pale and weary.


    "I¡¯m not going to let this happen," I whispered through my clenched jaw. I knew what I had to do. This would ruin everything for me.


    If they found out, I¡¯d be asked to leave the academy. Physical training would no longer be possible for me. And it would make them think my priorities weren¡¯t aligned with bing the best¡ªthe one thing I¡¯d been working so hard for.


    Taking onest deep breath, I stepped out of the bathroom.


    The moment I did, I froze in my tracks. Standing there was a woman, at least six feet tall and easily three times my size, her muscr frame in an all-ck suit. She was pacing around the hallway, her eyes scanning the area.


    I instantly knew she was the warden. We hadn¡¯t been formally introduced to her yet, but the others had warned us about her. They said that after meeting her, we¡¯d reconsider our decision to stay here¡ªor even think about leaving the academy altogether.


    She held a stick in her hand, tapping it menacingly against the palm of her other hand as she surveyed the surroundings.


    My anxiety spiked, and my legs felt so numb and heavy that I couldn¡¯t move.


    When I heard her grunt, it jolted me back to reality. I quickly rushed to the side, squeezing myself into the narrow space between two antique-decorated cupboards.


    It was dark there, and I silently prayed she wouldn¡¯t see me. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t seem to nce toward the bathroom.


    I assumed she¡¯d question why I hade here instead of using the bathroom in my own room. If I told her my room¡¯s bathroom was upied, she might follow me back to check it. Then she¡¯d find drunk Lamar, and he¡¯d get into trouble.


    I rolled my eyes at the thought of seeing that idiot again. With so much going wrong in my life, I still had to deal with him, too.


    Finally, the warden left, and I watched her disappear down the hall. I let out a deep sigh of relief but didn¡¯te out of hiding immediately.


    However, the moment I stepped out and started sprinting, I hadn¡¯t even taken more than a few steps before I came face to face with another problem.


    If I hadn¡¯t stopped in time, we would have collided¡ªand that would¡¯ve made her furious.


    She narrowed her eyes at me, cing her hands on her hips, and then gave me a once-over, sizing me up from head to toe.


    "And what are you doing here?" she asked, folding her arms over her chest and smirking, as though mocking me for being caught sneaking around on the ground floor.


    "I was... using the restroom," I stammered, gulping down my fear. My hands were sped behind my back, gripping the test tightly.


    It was Sage in front of me.


    I hadn¡¯t had a face-to-face encounter with her until now. This was our first interaction, and the way her eyes lingered on me, paired with her raised brow, made it clear she meant trouble.


    "And why not in your own room?" she asked, tapping her foot impatiently against the floor. I guessed she was allowed to roam around freely since she was a top senior.


    "Come on, answer my question, or I¡¯ll have to ask Miss Warden toe check on you," she said, tilting her head dramatically, her tone exaggerated and mocking.


    "My roommate was using it, and I couldn¡¯t wait any longer, so¡ª" I began to exin, but I noticed her gaze drop to my hands.


    Her expression shifted immediately.


    I knew I was in trouble.


    "What is it? What are you hiding behind your back?" she asked, her voice dripping with mockery and menace. The threat in her tone was clear, and I didn¡¯t dare risk upsetting her further.

 Chapter 94-The Forced Engagement

    <h4>Chapter 94: 94-The Forced Engagement</h4>


    <strong>Norman: </strong>


    "Emmet, just meet her once." My strides were long as I chased after my brother through the open corridor leading to his sanctuary.


    He had returned from the academy while I had juste back from the office after enduring a two-hour meeting. Mom had been blowing up my phone, pleading with me to convince Emmet to meet her.


    "At least meet Demi and Davon," I said. The moment their names left my lips, my brother stopped and turned to face me. The wind blew his coat and hair, making him look even more intense.


    "Why? I don¡¯t like kids, and I don¡¯t like hanging around them. They¡¯re loud and ask too many damn questions," he said, his voice dripping with disdain. Every time their names came up, Emmet¡¯s attitude soured.


    I couldn¡¯t understand why, but he always looked ufortable when they were mentioned.


    "Emmet, they¡¯re our siblings," I said, stepping closer to him. I hoped that if he looked me in the eye, he¡¯d realize how much his behavior was hurting everyone. His attitude toward them waspletely unjustified.


    "And?" he shrugged.


    "They¡¯re innocent. Why are you taking your anger out on them?" I couldn¡¯t grasp why Emmet was upset with Mom. She was a victim in all of this.


    Thest I remembered, when our parents were divorcing, he had begged Mom to stay. Dad had even allowed her to live in the guesthouse, but she chose to leave instead.


    "I¡¯m way past all that stuff. As for Demi and Davon, I don¡¯t know what to say to them. They¡¯re kids, and I have no idea how to deal with kids," he said, sliding his hands into his pants¡¯ pockets, his expression utterly nonchnt.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll be straightforward with you. Demi and Davon have been showing some behavioral changes. They¡¯re bing aggressive, especially for kids their age, and Mom wants you to tutor them."


    The moment I finished speaking, his jaw clenched visibly.


    "Does she think that¡¯s what I do at the academy? Tutor kids? They don¡¯t even need a tutor; they need a babysitter. Is that what she expects me to be for them?" His tone turned sharper, prompting me to reach out and ce a hand on his shoulder.


    "Yes! Babysit them, spend time with them, and get to know their personalities. Also, start teaching them about our history and the werewolf powers we possess. Just meet them once, and you¡¯ll understand what I mean," I said, noticing a faint frown forming on his forehead. For a moment, it looked like he was finally considering my words.


    "But I won¡¯t force you," I continued. "I¡¯ll leave the decision in your hands. Just let me know what to tell Mom."


    I patted his shoulder and pressed my lips into a thin line before walking away.


    I thought about heading back to my room to prepare some files for thetest deals when I saw Jessica sitting in the living room with Charlotte.


    We had a fight in the parking lot of the hotel, and after that, I had ignored her entirely. So seeing her here was a surprise.


    "Jessica!" I sighed exhaustedly.


    She immediately stood up to greet me with a slight bow of her head.


    "Come," I said, shooting a harsh re at Charlotte while calling Jessica to follow me. I had told Charlotte countless times to stay away from my guests. She was nosy, and if I ever caught her snooping around in my business, she¡¯d have to face severe consequences.


    Jessica followed me to my bedroom, and the moment she stepped inside, she turned to start talking.


    "I couldn¡¯t stay away from you, so I came here to squash our differences," she said hesitantly, as if she had rehearsed this conversation in her mind a hundred times.


    I mmed the door shut and folded my arms across my chest, silently hoping that, for once, she would back down.


    "Jessica, I can¡¯t keep doing this. You¡¯re only hurting yourself with this forced engagement," I said, deciding to be honest. I had given us a chance because she wanted me to believe I¡¯d eventually fall for her. But so far, nothing of the sort has happened.


    "Norman! Just onest chance. We need to make it work. We¡¯re meant to be together," she said, sping her hands together as she begged. I looked away, unwilling to meet her pleading eyes.


    "Why do you want to ruin your life with someone like me? You deserve someone who thinks about you, someone who helps ease your doubts and makes you feel secure. You know, after our argument, I didn¡¯t even think about reaching out to you. That alone should tell you something. You don¡¯t deserve this," I said, tired of the fa?ade we both upheld. In public, we pretended to be happy because she refused to let go.


    "Okay, I get it. Just onest chance," she whispered, holding up her pinky as if it would seal the deal.


    "I don¡¯t think this is healthy for you, Jessica. I want you to move on and find a better mate," I said, shaking my head at her persistent demands.


    When I finally raised my gaze, I saw her looking at me with teary eyes, her heartbreak evident.


    "I am not returning the ring to you. I will not--I love you more than anyone in the world. I am ready topromise. You don¡¯t have to love me; just let me love you," she insisted in a broken voice, her pleading tone shaking my resolve.


    She was, after all, my friend, and that¡¯s why I needed to put an end to this.


    "That¡¯s not fair--" I began, but she shook her head, cutting me off.


    "I¡¯m fine with it. You¡¯re not even interested in someone else, so just stay with me. I won¡¯t bother you," she said, sniffing as she tried to hold back her tears, though some still slipped free.


    I knew she¡¯d say this, and I also knew how it would end. She¡¯d be hurt, just like thest time.


    "You had your man follow me, Jessica. You know how much I hate people snooping around in my business. And then you say you won¡¯t care if I don¡¯t love you back. But you do care enough to hire someone, make them follow me, and then show up at the parking lot of the hotel?" I paused, my voice firm. "I¡¯m sorry, Jessica. But I¡¯m not doing this anymore."


    Her sharp gasp made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.


    Why?


    Why was she even in love with someone like me? I was incapable of loving anyone.


    The only reason I kept going was to keep my brothers safe. That was my life¡¯s only goal--and it would never change.

 Chapter 95-Things I Wish To Unsee

    <h4>Chapter 95: 95-Things I Wish To Unsee</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    My blood ran cold, and my eyes fixated on her face. I was terrified for myself. What if she saw the test? I will be in so much danger.


    There was no way she wouldn¡¯t tell the other top seniors. I already had a bad start with them, and this news would be used against me to kick me out of the academy. And Norman would love that very much.


    "Come on, show me what you¡¯ve got there," I wished I had remembered that the hostel wasn¡¯t just for juniors but also for seniors.


    "You¡¯re not allowed in this corner," Sage folded her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing at me.


    "Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll leave," I attempted to sidestep her, but she blocked my path, making me wonder what she was up to.


    The beautiful red silk gown she wore made her look like a goddess, but the malice in her eyes ruined her purity.


    "Now,e on, take it out. Let me see what you¡¯ve been hiding back there," she insisted. Finally, when I refused to show her my hands, she stretched her arms behind my back and forced my hands forward. That¡¯s when I felt another pair of hands grasp mine, prying my fingers open as they brought my hands fully into view.


    Now my hands were in Sage¡¯s sight, and her eyes fixated on how empty they were.


    "Where did it go? I know you were hiding something. Tell me, where did it go?" she demanded angrily, ring at me.


    I turned to my side to see who else had arrived and who could have taken it from me. My heart sank when I saw Jenny standing beside me.


    "I got it for you," she said, a strange smile on her lips.


    "Show me. What was she hiding behind her back?" Sage demanded from Jenny, and I started to panic.


    "This!" Jenny stretched out her hand, and I began shaking my head.


    "It is none of y--" before I could finish, Sage¡¯s angry grunt silenced me.


    "Such an expensive chocte bar. I wonder how you could afford it. Oh, I see! You were eating it here so you wouldn¡¯t have to share it with your roommates," Sage¡¯sughter echoed as my head turned toward Jenny, who held a chocte bar in her hand.


    "Anyway, I¡¯m not interested in this. I wonder how many calories it has. But that doesn¡¯t mean you can roam the hallways at this time. Now, go back to your rooms," she said, pointing towards the staircase. Both Jenny and I nodded quickly before running towards the stairs.


    I didn¡¯t even think about using the elevator in the moment. We hurriedly began climbing the stairs together.


    "I know you have plenty of questions for me," I said as we walked up the stairs, no longer rushing.


    "Yeah, like, why are these top seniors so rude?" Jenny¡¯s nonchnt tone caught me off guard, and I slowed down even more.


    "I mean about--what I was hiding behind my back," I said, watching her pause with me before biting her tongue.


    "Oh, sorry. Here," she said, handing it back with a smile.


    "You¡¯re not going to ask me any questions?" I wondered if she knew it would make me ufortable or if she simply hadn¡¯t noticed the positive lines.


    "About what?" she asked with a casual shrug.


    "About the test," I said, finding it hard to bring up the topic with anyone.


    "Oh, I mean, we have ovaries; we get pregnant. What¡¯s so shocking about it?" she said, giving me a warm smile before reaching out to gently hold my hand between hers.


    "I just want you to know that I¡¯m in full support of you--" she started, but I interrupted her, needing to tell her the truth.


    "What if I don¡¯t want this baby?" I said softly, watching her nod with understanding. She didn¡¯t look shocked, not even for a moment.


    "Then I¡¯m here for you. I can arrange everything if that¡¯s what you want, and no one will ever find out," she said. There was something so calm about her demeanor that it made me wonder if anything ever surprised her.


    "You don¡¯t want to hold this leverage over me? To get me to do something for you?" The words slipped out of my mouth reflexively. Too many people in my life had used my vulnerabilities against me, and I assumed she¡¯d do the same.


    "I don¡¯t think people who take advantage of someone¡¯s misery are good people," she replied, giving me a sad look.


    "I didn¡¯t mean to question you--" I sighed, feeling guilty.


    "It¡¯s okay. I understand why you wouldn¡¯t trust anyone. As a rogue, life must have taught you a lot. Do you live alone?" she asked, sitting down on the staircase and patting the empty step beside her.


    I sat down with her, staring off into the distance. "I have no one who wants me."


    I didn¡¯t want to overshare and risk regretting itter, but I didn¡¯t want to lie either. So, I chose the middle ground.


    "Where do you stay when you¡¯re not at the academy?" Of course, that question had toe up. No one could survive these mountains or woods alone without a roof over their heads.


    "I--" I filled my mouth with air, trying to think of a lie. I didn¡¯t even know how I¡¯d managed to survive this long. I guess I had Kaye to thank for giving me a suite to stay in.


    "I¡¯m only asking because the academy hostel closes during vacations or holidays. Do you have a ce to stay then?" she asked, her eyes filled with concern as she sat before me, looking so genuinely innocent.


    "I don¡¯t," I admitted, this time being entirely honest.


    "Oh, well, no worries. You cane stay with me in my pack! I have an all-pink bedroom. We can share it or--wait, what¡¯s your favorite color?" she asked enthusiastically, but I just stared at the wall.


    She was kind, and her offer seemed sincere, but the answer to her question felt different now.


    "I like ck. It represents strength and power. Darkness and mystery," I said, unable to think of rainbow colors in my current situation.


    "That is so cool!" she grinned widely. "You¡¯re the badass type, I get it. But hey, I¡¯m taking you with me during holidays and vacations, and I won¡¯t take no for an answer."


    Her pout was so adorable that it made meugh a little.


    "By the way, what were you doing out of your room at this time?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.


    "I was getting bored in my room. Gavin was leaving, so I left too, but then he went outside, and I decided to wander around when I heard your voice," she exined. Then she pulled out a chocte bar from her side bag.


    "I carry choctes. Don¡¯t ask me why," she said yfully. Her way of talking was soforting, and she didn¡¯t seem judgmental at all. As she insisted, I epted the chocte with a small smile on my lips.


    "Hey, I¡¯ll be there with you when you make a decision, okay?" she added.


    It was time for us to leave. I gave her a nod, and we both got up from our spots. She pointed to the elevator for me, and I guessed she didn¡¯t mind me using it.


    "I¡¯ll see you in the morning, and please don¡¯t worry too much. We¡¯ll figure something out, okay?" she said, patting my shoulder and helping me into the elevator.


    As the doors closed, I sighed in relief. She could be faking her kindness, and maybe she would go around telling others. I couldn¡¯t be sure.


    At least her initial response helped me calm down. Otherwise, I would havepletely freaked out.


    I made my way to my floor and briefly stopped to look out through therge open corridors. It was so foggy and peaceful outside, even in the dark.


    Hugging myself to shield against the cold, I walked steadily to my room door and opened it. But the sight before my eyes was something I swear I had never expected to see.


    Lamar was in his bed, on top of some girl. He was naked, with a nket covering his lower body.


    "You¡¯ve got to be kidding me, Lamar! This is not a room for your *fun activities*! Why the heck did you bring someone here? What if the warden sees her--" I started ranting, not caring that I was ruining his so-called fun time.


    I was beyond furious, already upset about the pregnancy test, and now this.


    My voice startled them, and Lamar instantly rolled to the side while the girl sat up, holding his sweater to her chest to cover herself.


    "What the--" My hands flew to my mouth as I recognized her.


    Lucy.


    She stared back at me, her eyes wide with shock.


    "Lucy! What the fuck!" I yelled.

 Chapter 96-All Wrong

    <h4>Chapter 96: 96-All Wrong</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Fucking put your clothes on," I hissed at her, but then I just felt like I didn¡¯t even want to be there anymore. Everything was falling apart so badly now.


    "You know what¡ª," I sighed, "I¡¯ll just leave." I didn¡¯t know what I was thinking. I was so overwhelmed with emotions, wanting to get away one moment and then stay the next.


    And that¡¯s exactly what happened the minute I stepped out of the room.


    "I¡¯m not going to leave her in there, making out with that animal," I muttered, rolling my eyes at my own indecisiveness before storming back inside with renewed determination.


    Once I was back in, I got to see their reactions.


    Lamar had put on pants, while Lucy was crying on the bed¡ªstill naked, covered in sheets, her hands over her face.


    "You¡¯re really not drunk, are you?" I used, narrowing my eyes at Lamar. It was obvious he wasn¡¯t as wasted as he was pretending to be. In fact, he might have had only a few drinks.


    "Did you know he isn¡¯t drunk?" I asked Lucy, since I¡¯d already confronted Lamar about it.


    "She knows. I didn¡¯t trick her or anything," Lamar muttered, his head bowed. Lately, he¡¯d been doing that a lot¡ªacting all cutesy as if it could fool everyone.


    And honestly? It worked. He fooled Lucy.


    "What were you thinking, Lamar? Do you not know she¡¯s in a rtionship? She has a mate!" My fists clenched at my sides, and he noticed, stepping back cautiously as if I could actually hurt his brick-like face.


    "I know. But¡ªhey, maybe that¡¯s why you need to understand it wasn¡¯t just us messing around¡ª" He didn¡¯t finish his sentence because I cut him off.


    "Oh, sorry, I didn¡¯t know you two weren¡¯t just messing around but actually building a castle!" I snapped, nodding sarcastically to mock him.


    "That¡¯s not what I meant," he shot back, his tone defensive. "Lucy is your friend, and you know her character better than I do. She wouldn¡¯t sleep with anyone unless she had a good reason."


    That caught me off guard. Coming from him, it was unexpected. I¡¯d fully expected him tough in my face, mock me for ruining my friend¡¯s rtionship with her mate, or worse, tarnish Lucy¡¯s character entirely.


    "Okay, you need to stop looking at me like you¡¯re going to eat me alive. But trust me¡ªshe is not at fault. She had a bad day, and¡ª"


    I had to raise my palm to stop him mid-sentence.


    "I know her, and I¡¯ll talk to her myself. I¡¯d rather hear what happened directly from her than listen to you. Got it?" I snapped, my voice louder than I intended. He pouted, raising his hands in surrender.


    "I understand," he muttered.


    "You need to leave," I said firmly, pointing at the door.


    I knew the warden might be on his rounds, but Lamar had managed to sneak out before, so I figured he¡¯d be fine this time, too.


    "Fine, let me grab my shirt and sweater. But hey, don¡¯t be too harsh on her¡ªit¡¯s not her fault¡ª" Lamar started again, trying to justify things while Lucy sat silently on the bed, her face buried in her hands.


    "If I need your exnation, I¡¯ll ask for it. Right now, I don¡¯t. So leave!" I yelled, my finger still pointing at the door.


    "Get out," I hissed, closing my eyes to steady myself. Lamar finally walked past me, the force of his movement creating a slight breeze that brushed against me.


    The fact that he¡¯d seemed so apologetic earlier but then jumped on my friend the moment I left infuriated me. Just imagining everything unraveling¡ªand the possibility of Gavin finding out¡ªwas physically painful.


    And then there was my own secret, the one I knew wouldn¡¯t stay hidden for much longer. I was losing my mind, more than ever.


    When I finally heard the door m shut, I walked over to the bed and grabbed Lucy¡¯s dress from the floor, tossing it toward her.


    "I can¡¯t even¡ª" I muttered under my breath, pping my forehead with enough force to make it sting.


    "How could you¡ªLamar? Lucy? What about Gavin?" I stammered, unable to form aplete sentence. My hormones must¡¯ve been messing with me. They¡¯d break mepletely soon enough, if they weren¡¯t already.


    "Put on your clothes, Lucy. We need to talk." I took a deep breath and turned my face away from her.


    "And take a shower," I added before stepping into the closet.


    I sat on the floor inside for some reason, my hands clutching the pregnancy test I had hidden there. It was almost funny how I¡¯d even painted over it with red nail polish I¡¯d found on Lucy¡¯s shelf. After finishing my little craft project, I tucked it away and sat back down, pulling my knees up to my chest and hugging them tightly.


    Time passed before I heard the closet door creak open. Lucy walked in. She¡¯d taken a shower, but she hadn¡¯t even bothered to dry her hair. Without a word, she sat down beside me, silent.


    For a few moments, neither of us spoke. Then she rested her head on my shoulder, and I leaned mine against hers.


    We stayed like that for a while until she sniffled and finally broke the silence.


    "I went to see Gavin," she began, her voice shaky. "He wasn¡¯t in his room. Neither was Jenny. Her brother told me they left the room together."


    I listened to her full sentence and immediately remembered my own encounter with Jenny.


    "Just because they left together doesn¡¯t mean they were together," I said, raising my head from hers and turning to face her. We were still sitting on the cold floor. I recalled what Jenny had told me when I found her. She¡¯d been alone, and since she was with me, she couldn¡¯t have been with Gavin.


    "Of course they¡¯re together. They¡¯re both missing, Hnie," she argued, her voice filled with certainty. The more she spoke, the more I felt like she was being foolish¡ªpunishing Gavin without even thinking or asking him any questions.


    "They could be anywhere. In fact, I saw Jenny on the ground floor near the library," I said, trying to reason with her before she did something reckless like confronting Gavin about her assumptions.


    "You don¡¯t have to lie for them," she said, rolling her eyes.


    "Why would I lie? I¡¯m just telling you what I saw," I replied firmly. She needed to stop spiraling and confront Gavin calmly. The two of them needed to fix this without yelling or making rash decisions.


    But honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure how she could fix it now.


    "I don¡¯t care anymore," she said with a dismissive shrug. "He¡¯s upset me too many times. Let him deal with the pain of heartbreak, just like I did when I felt the stinging pain of our mate bond shaking one night."


    She refused to listen to reason.


    But then again, how could I me her? If she said she knew what she felt, who was I to tell her otherwise?


    I didn¡¯t even have a wolf, so I might never fully understand the intensity of what she was feeling.


    "But I don¡¯t think this was the right thing to do," I said, trying again. "What if it was just a random act of sway? What if he momentarily thought about cheating on you? I¡¯m not defending his actions, but it would be less messy than what you did. And Lamar, of all people?"


    I turned my face away as the memory of Lamar beating me up and leaving me for dead shed through my mind.


    She lowered her head, covering her face again.


    "Are you going to tell Gavin?" I asked after a long pause. I heard her gulp, the sound loud in the tense silence.


    "Did he tell me he cheated on me?" she countered, raising her head and looking me straight in the eye. There was so much confidence in her gaze, as if she truly believed she¡¯d caught Gavin in the act.


    In that moment, I felt utterly lost.


    I was stuck between two of my friends caught in this war¡ªthe mate war. And the problem was, I wanted to believe Lucy more than ever now.


    Because if she was wrong, then she had screwed up big time. Not only would she have destroyed her own rtionship, but she¡¯d also hurt her mate by cheating on him with the one person we all despised.


    "And please, I expect you not to tell him," she said, her tone throwing me offpletely.


    I had no idea what she was nning, but whatever it was, it felt ominous. The confidence on her face when she spoke about cheating on Gavin was unsettling. The only time she seemed remotely guilty was when she made eye contact with me, likely because Lamar had previously tried to kill me.


    "I¡¯ll stay out of both of your business," I said, raising my hands in surrender. I had my own worries to deal with and didn¡¯t want to be dragged into their mess.


    "I¡¯m going to sleep now. I¡¯m tired," she said as she got up, dusting off her dress before walking out of the closet.


    I was scared for her.


    The game she¡¯d started wouldn¡¯t end well. I couldn¡¯t see how their rtionship would survive this.

 Chapter 97-My Deceptive Wolf

    <h4>Chapter 97: 97-My Deceptive Wolf</h4>


    <strong>Kaye:</strong>


    My mom had been fixated on Maximus for the past five minutes. She hadn¡¯t looked away from him as he used his phone in front of her.


    We had our casual dinners with her at the beginning of every month, but tonight was different. Norman didn¡¯te.


    He was usually the one trying his best to keep the peace between all of us. Now that he wasn¡¯t here, I wondered how the night would go.


    "Maximus, did you speak to Emmet?" I knew Mom would ask him some kind of question just to get his attention.


    "Hmm?" Maximus raised his head momentarily from his phone before looking down again. "When has he evere?"


    "I know that much. But did you ask him to start joining our dinners?" she insisted.


    Emmet was a different breed. He had stoppeding to these dinners after the first few times, and eventually, he avoided meeting our mother altogether unless she bumped into him somewhere¡ªor Norman dragged him to an event where she¡¯d be present.


    "I think Norman did," Maximus replied. He was so distracted that I wanted to snatch the phone out of his hands and make him listen to her. But I didn¡¯t want to upset Mom by acting out in front of her.


    I hadn¡¯t even touched my phone in her presence, yet she had so little to say to me.


    "And?" She had to work so hard to get answers from Maximus, while I sat there dying for her to ask me a single question.


    "And¡ªhe said no," Maximus replied carelessly. However, he finally put down his phone and sighed tiredly.


    "When will dinner be served?" he asked in an exhausted tone.


    "Why? Do you have to be somewhere?" The hurt in Mom¡¯s voice made me feel sad for her. She was trying so hard to keep us together, to stay close to us.


    I knew just a few kind words from Maximus could lift her mood, but he refused to give her even that.


    "Yeah, kind of. I have a date¡ª" he smiled before looking at Mom, "sort of... with a bunch of friends." He quickly twisted the truth, trying to pass it off as a joke.


    "Are you going out with a girl?" Mom was spot on. But Maximus wasn¡¯t foolish either. She never liked us going out with anyone¡ªat least not with someone who wasn¡¯t her choice. Maximus would never admit the truth to her.


    "No! I was joking," Maximus frowned, reaching for his phone again. I shook my head at him.


    "Let¡¯s have a nice conversation without you using your phone for a while," I muttered under my breath, gesturing to him that he was hurting Mom.


    "Kaye, you¡¯re younger than him. You don¡¯t need to order him around," Mom suddenly grunted at me in disapproval, crushing my confidence.


    I nced at Maximus, who took it as a joke and stuck his tongue out at me, but I felt nothing but regret. I just wanted Mom to know how seriously I took these family dinners.


    "Anyway, did you two meet your siblings?" That¡¯s when Mom brought up our younger siblings, and I noticed Maximus¡¯ body twitch slightly.


    We had longed to live in the same house as them. They were our little siblings, but when Dad rejected Mom, they left with her since they were just babies and needed their mother.


    "I did. I even brought them gifts too," Maximus said with a wide smile, his desire to share a roof with our little twins shining through.


    I loved my little twin brother and sister, but we had missed so much of their childhood because of our parents¡¯ hatred for each other.


    "They¡¯ve gone to bed right now, but they¡¯ve been asking about their brothers a lot," Mom said cheerfully as she mentioned the twins.


    "They¡¯re so adorable, but they can also be so stubborn when they want something," I added, eager to join the conversation. I didn¡¯t usually like kids, but my siblings were the cutest exceptions.


    "Kaye, they¡¯re just kids. Of course, they¡¯ll be stubborn. You used to be stubborn too," Mom said,pletely misinterpreting myment, and once again, she decided to school me for it.


    "Kaye was justplimenting them in a cute way. You need to chill, Mom. If you want us to keeping here, you¡¯ll need to adjust your attitude too. Or else¡ªjust like Emmet¡ªI might also stoping," Maximus¡¯ tone shifted as he noticed the look on my face.


    A sudden wave offort washed over me when I realized how well my best friend¡ªmy brother¡ªunderstood me.


    "Of course, I was joking too. Right, Kaye?" Mom said, turning to face me. Her smile faded as her eyes locked onto mine. I felt my hands and feet grow numb.


    I didn¡¯t know how or why, but she had this strange control over me. I guess it was because I loved her so desperately, and her attention couldpel me to do things I normally wouldn¡¯t.


    "How about we cheer up and get ready for dinner?" I said, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction.


    "That¡¯s a nice idea. I¡¯ll go check on the servers," Mom said as she stood up and left.


    Maximus leaned back in his chair and looked at me. "You okay?" he asked softly.


    "I have you. How can I not be okay?" I replied, earning a smile from him. But the truth was, I wasn¡¯t okay.


    Something was missing in my life¡ªor perhaps, someone.


    ¡¯I know who you¡¯re thinking about. You¡¯re wasting your time and energy. She¡¯s a forbidden fruit now,¡¯ Ye said, as if he were ready to remind me yet again.


    ¡¯I don¡¯t know who you¡¯re talking about, but I wasn¡¯t thinking of her,¡¯ I retorted, exposing myself in the process.


    ¡¯Anyway, she¡¯s soon to be your stepsister. Unless Dad rejects her mother, it¡¯s a done deal. And then, you¡¯re her trainer. I hope you realize it¡¯ll be unfair to the other students, because you¡¯ll be biased as hell,¡¯ he added, clearly trying to annoy me.


    "I¡¯m not even thinking about her. You¡¯re the one who keeps bringing her up," I said, trying to sound clever and flip the conversation back onto him.


    ¡¯Huh, ever since she saved you in that dream prison, you¡¯ve been so infatuated with her. The minute you two held hands after crushing those flowers and felt those weird feelings, you started acting differently,¡¯ Ye said, making me tilt my head in frustration, though I let him continue.


    ¡¯And then¡ªyou held her back while she rested her hands on your chest. Kaye, it was only a dream prison. You two were miserable and vulnerable. Don¡¯t take those feelings seriously; they meant nothing,¡¯ he stopped yapping to hear my response now.


    What he didn¡¯t realize was that, while running his mouth, he had answered one of my biggest questions. That¡¯s when I started piecing things together.


    ¡¯How do you know that? How do you know such little details if you weren¡¯t even there?¡¯ I asked, my voice low but pointed.


    I remembered the big hint he had given me after we returned¡ªthat Rune had silenced him in the dream prison. This was why the mate bond I felt with Hnie couldn¡¯t have been true¡ªbecause Ye had supposedly been asleep.


    So how, then, did he know everything in such detail?


    ¡¯From your memory, duh! You know I can ess your memory,¡¯ he replied smugly, but I could tell he was scrambling.


    ¡¯But, Ye¡ªremember you told me you didn¡¯t feel the mate bond because you were asleep? You said Rune made me think I felt it?¡¯ His silence was deafening, and I knew he realized I was catching on to him.


    ¡¯So? Why are we talking about this for now?¡¯ he said hastily, clearly panicking.


    ¡¯You started it,¡¯ I scoffed.


    ¡¯Ye, when I felt the mate bond with her, you were awake. It wasn¡¯t untilter that Rune arrived and dered you inactive,¡¯ I said, my voice shaking as a painful sense of betrayal crept over me. That was the detail I had been missing all along.


    ¡¯Oh... I must have been mistaken then,¡¯ he mumbled. But the guilt in his voice betrayed him, proving me right.


    ¡¯I can¡¯t believe you did this to me. You lied to me about my mate bond? You used the dream prison to manipte me, to lie to my face!¡¯ My voice cracked, and I couldn¡¯t begin to exin how torturous it was to realize that my own wolf had been dishonest with me.


    But then again, what did I expect from Ye? He had always been this way¡ªcunning, maniptive, and abnormal.


    "Kaye!" Maximus snapped his fingers in front of my face to grab my attention. "Are you alright? You don¡¯t look good."


    He gestured at my hands, which had started transforming. My nails were growing, turning into sharp ws, and my skin was changing color. I knew that if I didn¡¯t get control of myself soon, my transition would begin¡ªand that would be very, very bad.


    "Hey, look at me," Maximus said, cupping my face firmly in his hands. His voice was steady,manding, and full of concern. "You need to calm down."


    As he held my gaze, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle of wolfsbane.


    "Take a few sips," he insisted, holding the bottle to my lips.


    I obeyed, taking just one sip. The liquid burned my throat, its sharp bitterness bringing tears to my eyes. I didn¡¯t let him see them, though¡ªI couldn¡¯t let him see why I was crying.

 Chapter 98-The Terrible Outcome Of That Night

    <h4>Chapter 98: 98-The Terrible Oue Of That Night</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I woke up feeling even more nauseated than ever. I didn¡¯t want to go to breakfast. The breakfast was served on the hostel¡¯s ground floor, and I knew all the academy students would be there, ready to bother the juniors. So, I decided not to go into the hostel¡¯s dining hall for breakfast.


    "Where are you going?" Lucy asked, tugging on my sleeve to get my attention.


    "I don¡¯t want to eat here," I whispered, making sure the students walking past me on their way to the hall didn¡¯t hear me.


    They would run to tell the bullies, and then the bullying would get worse once they realized how much it was bothering me.


    "Then I¡¯lle with you," she said.


    "Girls! Come!" Gavin yelled from the big door, waving at both of us.


    "Are you two going to talk about your differences?" I asked her, feeling bad for Gavin.


    "Not now. I¡¯m just pretending to be fine for now. I can¡¯t forgive him for cheating on me and pushing me over the edge," she said, her words making me strain to keep my reaction neutral. I wanted so badly to yell at her for taking things so far without any evidence, but I didn¡¯t want to meddle in their rtionship¡ªor judge Lucy.


    "Come on, have breakfast with us," she urged, trying to pull me toward the door. But I politely declined her offer.


    The reason wasn¡¯t because she had slept with Lamar. It was because I needed to get rid of the test hidden in my sweater pocket. My hands were in my pockets, clutching the test tightly. It felt like a constant reminder every few seconds¡ªI was pregnant.


    "Lucy, is it okay if I take a walk and grab something to eat along the way?" I asked, hoping she wouldn¡¯t press further. Her frown showed her confusion.


    "Eat from trees?" She tried to joke, but it was obvious she didn¡¯t understand where I could possibly go to eat on foot. It wasn¡¯t like I could just stroll to a nearby park.


    Actually, I really couldn¡¯t. I¡¯d done so yesterday, and now my legs were aching terribly.


    "And it¡¯s so cold and dark outside," she continued, sounding concerned.


    "It¡¯s okay. Please go ahead and join him. I just want to be alone for a while," I said, rushing to leave before they insisted oning with me. I was debating on staying when I thought maybe Gavin would question her for the pain he must have feltst night but since he seemed fine, I decided to leave. I don¡¯t think Lucy needed me for now.


    Before she could say anything else, I had already turned around and started walking away.


    I hugged my body defensively as I left the academy hostel in the dark. It was dangerous out there, but what was happening inside me felt far more threatening than anything lurking outside.


    I walked all the way to the track, ncing around for any passing cars. Once I was certain there were none, I began hiking up the incline, sweat forming around the test I¡¯d been holding tightly for over an hour.


    When I reached the top of the mountain, far from the academy, I finally pulled the test out and stared at it. The red cross on the test with a broken heart I had drawn over it, made me take a deep breath.


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder: If I had gotten pregnant under different circumstances¡ªwith someone I loved¡ªwould things have been different?


    Would my reaction have been different?


    Maybe I would have decided to keep the baby. Maybe I wouldn¡¯t even be at the academy.


    Closing my eyes, I threw the test as far as I could, watching it disappear almost instantly into the darkness. The wind had picked up, colder and stronger now.


    "I guess there¡¯ll be a storm tonight," I whispered to myself, my words carried away by the biting wind, which also swept the tears from my eyes. It was weird how I could roam around much more safely in the wild than I could among pack members. shes of that night still haunt me. Especially the face of those alphas and then there was Altan.


    I clenched my jaw and closed my eyes to let the tears fall freely for a while before I went back to my dorm room. It was frustrating that I had to look for an excuse to cry in the dorm room. Sometimes I just wanted to curl up in the corner of the room and sob for no reason.


    I began my slow journey back to the hostel. By the time I reached the road, I felt the sudden and overwhelming urge to throw up.


    "Ugh! What do you want?" I yelled at my belly in frustration. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to think of this baby as mine. It didn¡¯t feel like it belonged to me¡ªit belonged to one of those alphas, not me.


    So why was this baby growing inside me?


    "AHHHHHH!" I screamed into the night, knowing no one would hear me out here. Then I resumed walking, slower this time, consumed by anger and frustration.


    I didn¡¯t want food, or anything at all. All I wanted was a single day free from thinking about how my life had been forever tied to that one night.


    I was so angry.


    So frustrated.


    "Hey!"


    When I neared the hostel, someone called out to me. Lifting my head, I saw Kaye standing by the main gate, almost as if he had been waiting for me. Seeing him so early in the morning was a shock. I did not expect him toe see me after weeks had passed since ourst meetup.


    "Trainer Kaye!" I greeted him with a little bow and instantly noticed the disapproving look on his face.


    "Just Kaye!" he corrected me, causing a shiver to run up my spine. The way his eyes were fixated at me gave me a feeling of weirdness.


    "Where were you?" he asked, striding toward me with quick, long steps. The long ck overcoat he wore made him look even taller.


    "I went out for a walk," I replied, trying to sidestep him and keep walking.


    "Can I have a minute with you?" he asked, stepping in my way and stopping me in my tracks. That came out of nowhere so I was not sure how to respond to him.

 Chapter 99-My Stepbro Says We Are Mates

    <h4>Chapter 99: 99-My Stepbro Says We Are Mates</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What are you thinking about? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to abduct you away from your friends," he said with an awkward smile.


    The word abduction hit too close to home, and my body visibly shuddered before I quickly nodded to mask my difort.


    "What is this about?" I asked, my voice steadier than I felt. He narrowed his eyes slightly, studying me, almost as if he were judging my reaction.


    "Follow me," he said softly. He didn¡¯t move, though, waiting for a response from me.


    I hesitated, my thoughts swirling with uncertainty. Should I follow him? A part of me wanted to refuse, but my heart whispered that I should hear him out.


    "Oh... okay," I replied, giving in without much resistance this time. He had done so much for me that I feltfortable following him.


    He began walking ahead of me, and I stole a quick nce at the hostel to make sure no one was watching us walk away together.


    That¡¯s when I almost tripped from not paying attention to the road. I stumbled straight into Kaye¡¯s back, grabbing onto his coat to stop myself from falling. His strong and mesmerizing cologne hit my nostrils like a truck full of bricks. It was so sudden and out of the blue, but his scent had a sense of calmness to it.


    He turned swiftly, his hands reaching out to steady me, but I had already pulled my hands away.


    "Did you ask anyone at the hostel about me? Kaye! What if they find it weird that¡ª" I started, my words rushed and anxious. I didn¡¯t want any moreplications, so I was trying to be cautious. But somehow, my concern soured his mood.


    "Forget the hostel, and screw what they think. If they bother you about this, let me know. I¡¯ll show them what privilege can do," he snapped, his tone harsh as his jaw clenched tightly.


    That¡¯s when I realized something was wrong. Why had hee out of nowhere to talk to me? What could be so important that he couldn¡¯t wait for me to be at the academy?


    "I¡¯m not angry with you, I would never use a harsh tone with you," he quickly added when my silence lingered too long. A forced smile crossed his face as he tried to soften his tone.


    "What do you want to talk about?" I asked again, taking a step back.


    "It¡¯s... uh... juste with me," he said, avoiding a proper exnation. Without waiting for my response, he began walking toward his car.


    I followed him quietly. When we reached the car, he opened the back door for me, and I slipped in without a word. He got into the driver¡¯s seat and started the engine.


    "I¡¯m guessing you skipped breakfast," he said after a moment, adjusting the rearview mirror to nce at my expression.


    "I wasn¡¯t really hungry," I replied honestly. I hadn¡¯t had much of an appetite since finding out about the pregnancy.


    "You need to take care of yourself. And if you can¡¯t¡ªthen I will. And I¡¯m not taking no for an answer," he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for debate.


    The sudden shift in his mood caught me off guard. His open concern and determination to care for me were... unexpected. Even his words were more open to show emotions and feelings.


    "You¡¯ve already done enough, Kaye," I said, my voice softer now. I hadn¡¯t forgotten all the ways he had helped me.


    "That was nothing. You have no idea how I could turn your life into a fairytale," he said yfully, though something about it felt odd.


    The Kaye I knew was kind, yes, but he rarely showed any emotions. He usually kept a calm, almost distant demeanor. But today, he seemed cheerful¡ªalmost overly so.


    It felt strange, and I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond.


    "What¡¯s going on? And where are we going?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.


    "We have this... um, project," Kaye started. "There¡¯s an abandoned pack we¡¯re preparing formercial use by rogues. We¡¯re nning to develop malls, ygrounds, parks, and even caf¨¦s. In fact, one rogue has already signed up to start a caf¨¦ there. I think it¡¯ll be a good way to offer rogue membership and keep them safe from wild rogues. Anyone working on thend will be given privileges and protection under thew."


    I nodded as he carefully exined the n. "That sounds amazing," I said sincerely.


    "So, I wanted you to try the caf¨¦ with me," he added, a smile appearing as he nced at me through the rearview mirror.


    "Why me?" I asked, skepticism creeping into my voice. I¡¯d learned to be cautious about random acts of kindness.


    "Hnie, I... need to talk to you about something too. Let¡¯s get to the caf¨¦ first," he replied. Yet again, his demeanor shifted whenever he brought up the reason behind his visit to me in such early hours.


    "I don¡¯t do well with the anxiety of suspense," I murmured, hoping he¡¯d understand that dragging it out wasn¡¯t helping.


    He suddenly pulled the car to a stop in the middle of an empty road, letting out a sigh as he rested his hands on the steering wheel.


    "Okay," he said, "but you need to eat something first. I want you to feel your best¡ªand right now, you seem... down."


    He reached into the dashboard and pulled out an energy bar. Then, without warning, he stepped out of the car and opened the back door for me.


    "Here," he said, handing me the bar.


    While I finished eating, he walked around the car, keeping his distance but clearly waiting for me to join him. Finally, I stepped out of the car, determined to press him for answers.


    "Tell me now," I insisted, crossing my arms over my stomach.


    He stood in front of me, tall and determined, the faint morning light filtering through the clouds and framing him from behind. His broad shoulders make him look even hotter.


    Then, in the softest tone, he said, "We are mates."

 Chapter 100-Kiss Of A Rogue King

    <h4>Chapter 100: 100-Kiss Of A Rogue King</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    My body had been shaking ever since he said those words. I thought I would never hear them again, mainly because I was convinced it was just part of the dream prison.


    "That¡¯s not true," I shook my head, refusing to believe it.


    "I¡¯m not mistaken, Hnie," he insisted. As he tried toe closer, I stepped back, creating distance between us.


    "Kaye! You said you didn¡¯t remember anything about that¡ªdream prison." I hugged myself as my mind drifted to the other details of the dream prison.


    "I didn¡¯t¡ªuntil I did," he stammered, and I knew he had lied to me. It¡¯s not like I had beenpletely honest with him either, but I had said a lot of things in the dream prison that worried me.


    "Kaye, it was just part of the dream," I rubbed my elbow, turning my face to the side, feeling embarrassed.


    I was pregnant, and now he was iming that we were mates. Which wasn¡¯t even possible because I knew damn well that I had felt the mate bond with his brother before him.


    "So you remember everything too?" he stepped forward and held my hands. That¡¯s when panic struck me.


    "Kaye!" I pulled my hands free and stepped back.


    "It has to be part of the dream¡ª" I tried to make an excuse, but he looked adamant.


    "You¡¯re telling me I found my mate, and now she doesn¡¯t even want to acknowledge me?" The hurt in his voice made me feel guilty.


    But how was it possible? What about Emmet then? Had I wronged him? Could I have imagined it?


    No! I remembered feeling it so vividly. But with Kaye, it was different. I didn¡¯t get the usual vision of us together in the skies like most people do because of the mate bond at first. But that was because there was no time to savor the mate bond that night, and since we were already in a dream, we couldn¡¯t dream about anything freely as the dreams were being controlled by Rune.


    "What do you want from me then?" I realized that it wasn¡¯t working. He was certain he hadn¡¯t mistaken it.


    So, even though I was confused about why I felt the mate bond with two brothers, I had to admit¡ªthis wasn¡¯t just a dream anymore.


    "I want you to¡ªlet me ept you." I let out a gasp, my hands flying to my mouth. My eyes were wide open as I stared at him.


    "Kaye! What are you saying? I¡¯m your stepsister!" I started fiddling with my fingers, almost nervously from the start.


    "You¡¯re not my sister by blood. And as for the status of you being my stepsister, I¡¯ll speak to Dad and make him understand that his old self needs to get a grip. Because sure as heck, I¡¯m not leaving my mate because of him or his feelings toward your mother." He suddenly became aggressive, pointing a finger at me before he changed his tone. "That¡¯s you. I¡¯m not going to leave you, Hnie. I don¡¯t care what others think, okay?"


    I was still recovering from the shock he had just sted at me.


    "Kaye, I don¡¯t know¡ª" I hugged myself, my arms around my stomach, feeling disgusted by everything.


    There was a perfectly handsome guy in front of me, my mate in fact, and he was openly expressing that he wanted to ept me. While I was carrying another man¡¯s child.


    I wasn¡¯t even sure if he would be okay with his mate having such a past. Some people could be nasty. And then there were the rumors about me in the pack where I lived. How could I move past all of it?


    "What don¡¯t you know? Is it about what you said in the dream prison? Did something happen? Did your father used to hit you? Just tell me and I¡¯ll go crash every bone in his body¡ª" I had to silence him because I didn¡¯t want him going to my pack.


    "I left the pack long ago, so I¡¯ve been living as a rogue for a while. When I was a kid, I used to get bullied, and that¡¯s what I was referring to," I lied through my clenched teeth.


    "Then let me find those bullies¡ª" he insisted, but I kept shaking my head. I couldn¡¯t even raise my face.


    I had received so much shock in thest few hours that I didn¡¯t know how to respond. Now, I learned I had two mates.


    "Hnie! What¡¯s wrong? I thought you¡¯d be happier. Everyone wants to find a mate so badly¡ª" His voice was making me dizzy, it was so mesmerizing.


    I was afraid to lift my head and look into his eyes because I feared I might fall for him outside of the mate bond.


    "I have some ambitions," I kept my eyes on the ground, tears welling up. I could have just shared a kiss with my mate and lived happily ever after, but here I was, stuck in confusion.


    "I¡¯ll be on your side, celebrating your sess when you achieve your goals," he said, making it harder for me to dismiss him.


    "Kaye! I only see you as my stepbrother." I raised my head when I said it loudly and noticed his face changing color.


    "Then change your perspective. I¡¯m not asking you to ept me right away, just let me¡ªlet me¡ªprove to you that I can be the best mate you could ever have. No second-chance mate can evere close to my level," he smiled, but his smile faded when I shook my head.


    "Stop shaking your head, Hnie. What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t seem happy," he frowned, expressing his frustration openly now.


    "Kaye! I don¡¯t want to talk about it." My voice broke as I took a deep breath and added, "I¡¯m not looking for a mate."


    "But you found one," he mumbled.


    "I have no feelings for you. It would be odd for me to now think of you as my mate after only thinking of you as a stepbrother," I insisted with a heavy heart, and I could tell I had broken his heart.


    He looked so hurt that he just stood in front of me, unable to say anything.


    "Can you please drop me home?" I didn¡¯t wait for him to respond and went ahead to sit in the car.


    He stayed outside, not moving an inch, before he finally came back and mmed the door shut. He started driving aggressively, grunting every few minutes.


    I understood he was angry. I would have been too, but I wasn¡¯t trying to fool anyone. I was with a child. And who was to say, once I told him my truth, he wouldn¡¯t flip out on me? That he wouldn¡¯t betray me?


    I had learned not to share my secrets with anyone. People change! They change in a heartbeat.


    The journey was so ufortable because he kept shaking his head and groaning a lot.


    We finally arrived, and before I could leave the car, I noticed he locked the door so that he could have onest word with me.


    "You see me just as your stepbrother because you never gave me a chance. And you still refuse to, but if you think that will be enough for me to leave you alone, then you¡¯re wrong. From today onwards, I will show you that I am not only your stepbrother. I will make you so wet and horny for me that you will question your own statements," he said in the most seductively aggressive tone before unlocking the door.


    I was shocked as he said those words, and I instantly jumped out of the car. I had to walk back to the hostel before it got toote. I needed to get ready for my first ss.


    But just as I was about to walk away from the car, Kaye stormed out and grabbed my arm, pulling me against his chest.


    "Kaye!" I gasped as he cupped my face and crashed his lips onto mine.


    In that moment, I could have pushed him away, but the brief moment before he kissed me was too short for me to react.


    I didn¡¯t push him away.


    Even though I imed not to see him in that way, I needed that kiss so much.


    His lips were soft, yet so hot, as if they were burning mine. There was no tongue involved, but it felt like I was melting inside his embrace.


    He broke the kiss after pressing our lips together so aggressively and hard, letting out a deep breath.


    "Have a good day, my mate!" That was his way of making a point.


    I was in a daze, even as he started walking back to the car.


    That kiss...


    I knew I should have stayed true to my words and pushed him away, but I just let him kiss me. I guess I wouldn¡¯t regret it, given how lonely I had been for so long. But I had already told him my decision.


    However, why did I have two mates?

 Chapter 101-The Man With No Wolf

    <h4>Chapter 101: 101-The Man With No Wolf</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "And everyone who is an Omega shall get a yellow star on their red bands," Emmet stated as he pulled out a bag full of bands. The red in ribbons were for alphas, the brown for royal warriors, green stars on the red ribbon were for royal beta, ck for other important posts in a pack and silver was for the alpha king status but only alphas in senior posts can get it after they have proven themselves to be able to fight for the alpha king status. Today¡¯s lecture was just as good as always. However, I was slightly distracted, and I bet Emmet noticed it too.


    He kept raising his head and pausing every time he saw me zoning out. I felt bad because I wanted to be a good student.


    He gave a nod to the first person sitting in the front row, and she stood up to walk over to him, holding out her hand for him to tie the wristband.


    "Professor Emmet! If you¡¯re okay with it, I can help with the students in this row," Sydney, ever the self-proimed master of the room, stood up to offer her assistance. I had noticed this before¡ªher relentless efforts to be the ss monitor. Salem was quick to nod her head in agreement. The twins were always busy supporting each other.


    Emmet shook his head and pointed at her with his finger, silently instructing her to sit down.


    "Hnie!" Hearing him say my name made me straighten my spine and look his way. Everyone turned to follow his gaze, curious to see who ¡¯Hnie¡¯ was.


    I had been doing my best to stay low-key for a while now. It¡¯s been a week since I found out about my pregnancy, and I still hadn¡¯t processed the news. I didn¡¯t even know what to do.


    Gavin and Lucy were a mess themselves¡ªthey would argue and then take long, tense walks. Jenny had been busy trying to befriend me, but Lucy always dragged me away from her. I didn¡¯t protest because I didn¡¯t want to make Lucy ufortable. Although, I was grateful for the help Jenny was offering me.


    "Hnie!" Emmet called me again, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Please help with this row."


    He gently pushed some of the bands to the side on the podium for me to grab. I was shocked he asked me, especially since Sydney had already offered to help.


    I got up while Sydney and a few others red at me harshly. Reaching the podium, I grabbed the bands and moved toward the right side of the ssroom¡ªthe side where my friends and I usually sat.


    I began wrapping the bands around everyone¡¯s wrists. Each band had a name written on the back. Then I reached Penn. I hadn¡¯t interacted much with him before, but I¡¯d heard from Gavin that Penn preferred to keep to himself.


    "Alpha!" I said as I checked his band. He nodded, shook his leg slightly, and then rolled up his sleeves, extending his hand toward me.


    I tied the band around his wrist, and as I did so, my fingertips brushed casually against his skin. I swear, I saw goosebumps appear on his arm.


    It was odd.


    "It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll fix it myself," he said abruptly, pulling his hand back and adjusting the band on his own.


    After I finished handing out bands to everyone, I returned to my seat,pletely forgetting about my own band.


    "If everyone has received their bands, you¡¯re free for the day," Emmet announced.


    Due to the heavy rain and storms over the past few days, they hadn¡¯t been able to distribute the bands earlier. Many students were falling sick, and some of the wolves seemed to be affected in strange ways.


    "ss is dismissed," Emmet said, finally raising his head and shutting the book he had forgotten to close earlier.


    He was so weirdly attractive. Everything he did seemed to draw everyone¡¯s attention. I¡¯d noticed Salem eyeing him a lot, too.


    "And Hnie,e here for your band," Emmet said, resting his elbows on the podium, tilting his head, and narrowing his eyes at me.


    My body reacted strangely around him, and I didn¡¯t like it. I respected him, and the idea of thirsting over him¡ªwhen he was my professor, stepbrother, and I was pregnant¡ªfelt entirely wrong.


    But he was my mate.


    And so was Kaye.


    I nodded and grabbed my bag, walking toward him. The ssroom began to empty as I stood there, waiting for him to hand me my band. However, he seemed to be taking his time, rummaging through his bag to retrieve it.


    Why was my band in his personal belongings?


    Once the ssroom was empty, he finally turned to me.


    "What kept you upied today? Don¡¯t tell me I bored you," he asked, his toneced with yful flirtation.


    "No, you never do. We like your teaching style a lot," I replied shyly, my fingers fidgeting nervously as I tried to meet his gaze.


    "I¡¯m not asking about ¡¯we.¡¯ I¡¯m asking about you," he said, folding his arms over the podium and leaning closer to me. His question felt deliberate, as if he already knew the answer.


    "I like your teaching style," I repeated, extending my hand toward him.


    He brought out my band and held it in his hands, sighing at it, "I want the star to change once you get your wolf."


    "I don¡¯t think me finding a wolf would make much difference," I said with a littleugh, mocking myself. The girl who couldn¡¯t get a wolf would certainly never receive one with a higher status. If anything, I¡¯d end up with a weak Omega wolf.


    "You never know. In fact, do you know about Soren Vaughn?" he asked, his tone casual, but the name left me dumbfounded. I began to wonder if this was a test of my knowledge or just a regr mention somehow rted to my situation.


    "You can answer without overthinking," he added, a sweet smile forming on his lips as he spoke to me.


    "Who is Soren Vaughn?" I inquired. "Is it someone mentioned in the books?" I tried to recall if I¡¯d evere across that name in our reading material.


    "Not really," he replied. "But there¡¯s a book written about him. It didn¡¯t make many sales because it was banned in most packs. But that¡¯s beside the point. Soren was a man who didn¡¯t have a wolf, and everyone assumed that if he ever got one, it would be a weak Omega wolf."


    He paused, his gaze steady as he waited for my reaction. Every time someone without a wolf was mentioned, I couldn¡¯t help but be all ears.


    "And did he?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.


    Emmet leaned forward, resting his arms on the podium, and shook his head.

 Chapter 102-He Loves Giving Gifts

    <h4>Chapter 102: 102-He Loves Giving Gifts</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    His answer broke my hopes. I thought it was going to be a motivational story but it turned out to be worse of a kind. However, before I could feel disheartened, he added, "He received the most powerful wolf¡ªand it made him immortal."


    My heart sank at the thought of how incredibly lucky Soren Vaughn must have been.


    "Immortal? How is that possible?" I asked, lost in thought but deeply impressed by this man¡¯s luck.


    "Everything is possible in our world, Hnie. There are creatures different from us. And he was better than most," Emmet replied. The past tense he used made me question the so-called immortality Soren Vaughn had received.


    "He¡¯s no longer alive?" I raised an eyebrow.


    Emmet let out such an adorableugh that I felt my cheeks flush with warmth.


    "He couldn¡¯t age¡ªhe stayed young and was seen by so many people over the years. But eventually, he disappeared. Immortality doesn¡¯t mean someone can¡¯t be killed by a specific weapon or in a certain way. I mean, if you behead someone or take their heart out, they¡¯re going to die," he said so casually it was as if he¡¯d witnessed it firsthand. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he had done extensive research on Soren Vaughn.


    "So someone killed him?" I asked, leaning in slightly.


    "I like how you ask questions, Hnie. It shows how attentively you¡¯re listening," Emmet remarked with a soft smile before continuing. "As for your question, since no one has seen him in years, it¡¯s assumed he was either killed or ended his own life. Who would want to live for over 100 years, only to watch their loved ones grow old and die, right?"


    He spoke with such understanding that I couldn¡¯t help but nod in agreement.


    He was right. Poor Soren¡ªhe was given a gift he couldn¡¯t fully cherish.


    "So, Hnie, there¡¯s a chance you might get lucky too. You just need to stay positive about it," Emmet said, his words filled with genuine encouragement.


    "Thank you for believing in me," I said with a warm smile, giving him a small bow of respect.


    He wrapped the band around my wrist, the yellow star glinting on it. His fingers brushed against my skin, and he suddenly frowned.


    "You have a fever, Hnie," he said, his voice shifting to a more serious, almost aggressive tone. "May I?"


    The change in his demeanor was striking.


    I nodded, and he ced his hand on my forehead, shaking his head in disbelief.


    "That¡¯s why you were so distracted. Why didn¡¯t you tell me you weren¡¯t feeling well?" he asked, looking exasperated.


    "I didn¡¯t know I wasn¡¯t feeling well," I replied honestly. I genuinely hadn¡¯t realized¡ªI thought it was just because of my pregnancy.


    "Come to my office with me. I¡¯ll give you some medicine, and I also want to speak with you about the ss monitor position," he said, gathering his things.


    I was shocked by his words. "You mean to say you want my advice on who should be the ss monitor?" I guessed, though he didn¡¯t stop to rify and instead continued leading me toward his office.


    The corridors were emptying as the students headed back to the hostel, likely getting ready for lunch. The warden was notoriously strict, but thankfully, I hadn¡¯t had any confrontations with her yet.


    Once inside his office, he shut the door and pointed to a chair. I sat down, expecting him to take the seat across from me at the desk. Instead, he dragged his chair close to mine and sat down next to me.


    Hunched forward with his elbows resting on his thighs, he looked directly into my eyes. "I want you to be my ss monitor."


    "Me?" I asked, pointing a finger at my chest in disbelief.


    "Why not? Hnie, I see how determined you are, how stubborn you can be when ites to aplishing things. I think you¡¯d make the perfect ss monitor," he said, leaning back in his chair.


    He couldn¡¯t have been more wrong. He had no idea that I was theplete opposite of what he described. I wasn¡¯t strong at all¡ªI couldn¡¯t even decide what to do about my pregnancy.


    "I think the Alphas will be upset," I replied quietly. "Besides, I really just want toy low."


    I looked down quickly, not wanting to see the disappointment in his expression.


    "Hnie, you didn¡¯te here toy low, and I¡¯m going to push you, no matter what you say," he said with a casual shrug, walking over to a shelf to grab something.


    "I got you this¡ª" he began, holding out a small box.


    I let it drop onto myp and quickly tied my hands behind my back, refusing to ept any more gifts.


    "I don¡¯t want any gifts. I think I¡¯ve already overused your kindness, and I haven¡¯t been able to repay you for anything," I said, my voice trembling.


    I didn¡¯t know what came over me, but a sudden wave of emotion hit, leaving me teary-eyed. Even he seemed startled by the intensity of my reaction.


    "I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just very emotional," I immediately excused myself, feeling his eyes on me.


    "It¡¯s the fever," he said gently. "Besides, it¡¯s a bracelet¡ªnot just any bracelet, though. It has an rm system. Whenever you¡¯re in trouble, you press this button here, and I¡¯ll get an alert and your location."


    He bent down slightly to show me the small red button on the beautiful purple bracelet.


    "Why? Do you think I¡¯ll be in trouble? If I¡¯m so weak, why make me a ss monitor?" I blurted out. This wasn¡¯t how I wanted to respond¡ªnot when someone was being so thoughtful toward me. But I was a mess.


    I didn¡¯t understand why I was acting so rude, mean, or overly emotional. Justst night, I cried while watching a cartoon with Lucy.


    A cartoon!


    I couldn¡¯t make sense of it. The girl who had once stopped crying altogether, even when thinking about ¡¯that night,¡¯ was now sobbing over a cartoon?


    "Yeah," Emmet replied softly, his voice full of understanding. "You¡¯ll probably get yourself into trouble, and I want to be there for you. As for being ss monitor¡ªthose are two separate things."


    He didn¡¯t even give me the chance to apologize for my behavior. Instead, he waved the bracelet in front of me, brushing past my reluctance.


    I realized I didn¡¯t really have a choice.


    So, I reluctantly pulled my other hand out, and he gently slipped the beautiful bracelet onto my wrist.

 Chapter 103-My Brother And My Mate

    <h4>Chapter 103: 103-My Brother And My Mate</h4>


    <strong>Kaye:</strong>


    "This is the best pizza ever," Maximus mumbled with his mouth full, still praising the food. He had no choice but to act as though he was utterly thrilled by the pizza¡ªit had been a hard-earned treat after his rigorous workouts.


    "And how is your training going, Maximus?" Norman asked, since he always kept a close eye on our training and whereabouts.


    "It¡¯s tough, but I guess I¡¯m doing much better this time. The weapons are working wonders too," Maximus joked, referring to taking his own weapons with him into the deep woods.


    "Be careful ying around with those things, though," Emmetmented before lowering his head to focus on his food.


    "I¡¯m not an amateur like you, Emmet. I know how to control my emotions and my weapons," I noticed Emmet pause before continuing to eat. Maximus always made remarks about Emmet, criticizing him for not acting like a brother who should be more responsible, like Norman. But Emmet almost never argued with Maximus, and I guess that upset Maximus most of the time. He wanted Emmet to fight back and exin that we mean a lot to him.


    "No need to be snarky, Maximus. He takes care of the academy and business with me," Norman jumped in, as he always did, to settle his brother¡¯s issues.


    "We do too," Maximus scoffed, shrugging his shoulders. "It¡¯s just that we don¡¯t hide behind alcohol for most of it."


    I sighed, watching Maximus keep targeting Emmet. If Emmet didn¡¯t want to be an elder brother to us and look after us, that was fine. We weren¡¯t kids, but I agreed that there were times when we needed each other¡¯s support and help.


    "Anyway, this pizza is really good," I said, steering the conversation back to the food. You can never go wrong with food.


    Now, however, Maximus was preparing to leave for another round of training in the deep woods, where he would only eat whatever he could forage from the trees¡ªif he was lucky enough to find anything.


    "I agree," Emmet said, wiping his mouth clean with a napkin. We were seated on the rooftop of our mansion, enjoying a brotherhood meeting.


    "Emmet¡ª" Norman interrupted, hastily swallowing therge bite of pizza he had just taken.


    "I¡¯ve found a spot where some unique herbs are growing." Meanwhile, Maximus turned to me.


    "That¡¯s great. I could take the students there to show them that ce," I replied. However, my attention shifted back to Norman and Emmet, whose conversation had taken a far more intriguing turn.


    "I heard you bought a purple diamond bracelet. Please tell me you¡¯ve already found a mate," Norman said, his voice brimming with excitement. I was ready to celebrate my brother¡¯s good fortune¡ªuntil I heard Emmet¡¯s response.


    "Oh, that was for Hnie."


    My body tensed. The bite of pizza in my mouth suddenly felt impossible to swallow. The pizza lost its taste. Hearing my brother take her name was already too much for me and then his response shook the world from underneath my feet.


    I didn¡¯t understand how Emmet could think such a statement would go unnoticed. The rest of us froze, and at that moment, he was the only one still eating.


    "Hnie?" Norman asked, echoing the question burning in all our minds. "You bought a diamond bracelet for Hnie? Purple diamonds, no less?"


    His voice carried the shock and disbelief we all felt. How was Emmet sofortable buying gifts for someone? I thought he was void of any emotions and feelings. Just doing the right thing was his motto.


    A burning sensation spread through my veins, as if someone had poured acid into them. My gaze lingered on Emmet¡¯s face, and anger bubbled up inside me, threatening to spill over.


    Why would he buy such an expensive gift for my mate? Did Hnie ept it?


    Should I have done something like that, too?


    Questions swirled in my mind, each more troubling than thest. And yet, Emmet seemed to be the only one who could answer them.


    "She¡¯s not safe out there. She¡¯ll be a target¡ª" Emmet began, raising his head from his food to respond, but Maximus cleared his throat, stepping in before he could finish.


    "If she¡¯s too weak. She shouldn¡¯t even be in the academy," Maximus said, his tone sharp. He was probably still bitter about the fact that Hnie had punched him in front of everyone.


    "But I guess Emmet isn¡¯t entirely wrong. She¡¯s a student now, and it¡¯s obvious she could be an easy target. If students aren¡¯t safe in our academy, everyone will question our leadership and also our academy¡¯s reputation," I exined, though I hated every moment they spent implying that Hnie didn¡¯t belong here. Technically, she was an owner of the academy.


    ¡¯Yeah, because she¡¯s the owner¡¯s mate?¡¯ my wolf, Ye, shot back, still sulking. He had been caught in a lie once before and was lucky Hnie didn¡¯t yet have an active wolf. If she did, the mate bond would have driven him crazy by now. I tried to avoid Ye because I was still upset with him about lying and also disrespecting Hnie many times. She did not deserve all this. She was just an innocent and very pure girl.


    "And maybe you are forgetting that the main part of our training is bullying. Seniors give juniors a hard time to prepare them for difficult situations," Norman argued, bringing up the rules we have all made together.


    "But that doesnt mean killing anyone," Emmet shot back immediately. However, there were still some heavy questions that Emmet needed to answer.


    "But how does a diamond bracelet keep her safe? Wouldn¡¯t it make others question where she¡¯s getting the money for something like that?" Norman narrowed his eyes at Emmet, his pointed words making me clench my fists.


    Every time they brought up the bracelet, jealousy red in my chest. I should have been the one to do that. To give her something so meaningful. So expensive.


    "There¡¯s a tracker in the bracelet," Emmet said casually, the words slipping from his lips as if they were no big deal. Another wave of shock hit me.

 Chapter 104-Teasing Helanie

    <h4>Chapter 104: 104-Teasing Hnie</h4>


    <strong>Kaye:</strong>


    We were watching Emmet¡¯s face in shock. But he didn¡¯t seem too concerned about our looks as if putting a tracker in someone¡¯s bracelet wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    "A tracker, Emmet?" My voice rose sharply as I finally lost myposure. I mmed the half-eaten slice of pizza back onto my te, drawing everyone¡¯s attention to my face. "Are you tracking her now?"


    "She knows¡ª" Emmet rolled his eyes, his casual demeanor only fueling my anger.


    "And she ¡¯let¡¯ you give her that bracelet?" I asked, my frustration mounting. We were having a full-blown debate, and Emmet barely seemed bothered enough to respond.


    Maximus waited for him to answer the question, and Emmet finally seemed to realize that our anxiety was growing by the second.


    "I told her it¡¯s a gift with a tracker, just in case something happens. She asked all the same questions you guys are asking now. Besides, she has no idea it¡¯s not a diamond bracelet. I just didn¡¯t want her to¡ª"


    Norman scoffed and cut him off. However, I knew if she knew it was really diamonds, she would have never epted the gift. Not that it would have been her fault to ept it.


    "Then you should have given her something mediocre, like something from the mall with a tracker in it. Why give her diamonds? And, of course, I figured she wouldn¡¯t know the truth about the diamonds¡ªshe might have never seen one before," Norman¡¯s words made me clench my jaw. He was so hateful towards her that sometimes he didn¡¯t realize the words he was using for her. And I wondered,


    Why was he always belittling my mate like that?


    "Your love for material goods isn¡¯t good, brother. When we first left the pack life, we were broke too. So, it¡¯s pretty petty that you¡¯re using words like that about Hnie¡ªsomeone who¡¯s been nothing but a victim of everything and everyone around her," I couldn¡¯t just sit there quietly while my brother talked this way about my mate and his future sister-inw.


    "Kaye! Are you okay?" Maximus patted my shoulder to check on me, while Norman just stared at me, his expression hurt.


    "You think I love material goods?" he asked, his voice filled with hurt, and I could feel it pierce my heart.


    "I¡¯m just saying... yourment is too harsh. But you know what, I¡¯m sorry!" I closed my eyes and spoke softly, feeling guilty. What was happening to me? My world now revolved around Hnie.


    But there was something I was worried about.


    How would my mother react to this?


    "As her professor and stepbrother, I think I did nothing wrong. And if it reaches the point where I have to make an announcement about her being my stepsister, I¡¯ll do it. That will surely keep her out of danger." Emmet hissed with every word.


    It was a good thing he was calling her his stepsister, but it made me wonder¡ªhow would I ever be able to marry her if my father kept her mother with him?


    One of us would have to step back, and I wouldn¡¯t be the one to do it.


    But what if Emmet was using the term "stepsister" to throw us off, all while secretly trying to impress her?


    "Then there is a way to help her," I cleared my throat, trying to get their attention.


    "And what exactly is that?" Norman sighed. I could tell he knew I wasn¡¯t as opposed to Hnie as he and Maximus were.


    "Why can¡¯t we ask her to move back into the mansion?" My words made Maximus and Norman exchange a nce, but they weren¡¯t very subtle about it.


    "Maybe you¡¯re forgetting that all students must stay in the academy¡¯s hostel for the same kind of treatment," Norman smirked as he delivered his piece of mind.


    "Actually¡ªKaye might be onto something. She can stay in the academy for a few weeks and then move back in. It¡¯s not like we stay in the hostel. We¡¯re the owners, and as our stepsister, she has the power to decide where she wants to stay," Emmet said, looking so pleased with himself that my heart skipped a beat.


    Did I do the right thing by suggesting that?


    What if it made it easier for him to be close to her?


    "And rob her of the experience of the hostel? I think that¡¯s too much. Let¡¯s not raise eyebrows. She¡¯ll be an object of hate if she receives any more privileges," Maximus rolled his eyes, his tone dripping with bitterness.


    Will he still hate her when he finds out she¡¯s my mate?


    "But she cane over on holidays and weekends," Emmet continued, and by now, I had silenced myself. I didn¡¯t want to bring her to the mansion anymore¡ªat least, not unless I¡¯d won her heart and made her stay, knowing she would ept me.


    "I¡¯ll go, guys. I¡¯m tired," I said, shutting down the topic. For once, I saw Maximus and Norman look relieved. They didn¡¯t want to talk about it either.


    "Goodnight," Norman smiled at me, making me smile back. He always does that. His one smile can bringfort to us anytime.


    Iy down on my bed with my phone in my hands, taking a picture of my chest. My veiny hand slid into the shot as I bit my bottom lip, smirking at the thought of teasing Hnie.


    ¡¯Don¡¯t do it. Since when did you be so desperate?¡¯ Ye questioned my intentions.


    I just wanted to tease her.


    ¡¯I can imagine her cheeks turning red, her beautiful eyebrows nting in anger. I wish I could see it live,¡¯ I sighed as I clicked send to her phone.


    Only a few secondster, I saw that she had read the message.


    Curiosity and excitement hit me as another idea popped into my head. I quickly began typing.


    Me: Sorry, I was sending that to someone else.


    I guess I should remind her of how much she feels for me¡ªmake her feel jealous, so she sees me as more than just her stepbrother.

 Chapter 105-Lying To A Friend.

    <h4>Chapter 105: 105-Lying To A Friend.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "If I had a wolf right now, I would be talking to her instead of myself," I groaned under my breath.


    "I just wish I had you with me," I sighed sadly.


    I had been staring at the bracelet until Lucy arrived, and I had to quickly roll down my sweater¡¯s sleeves.


    "What¡¯s going on? How was the walk?" I asked Lucy, who looked a little lost. It was almost like she was guilt-ridden.


    "Hnie! What do I do now?" She sat down on the bed, her eyes full of tears.


    "What happened? Did Gavin say something?" I was worried for the two of them. After she had cheated on him, she expected Gavin to bring up the pain of the mate bond shaking, but when he didn¡¯t, she was confused as to why.


    But tonight, I guess she was finally realizing she jumped to conclusions when she should have given him a chance to exin himself.


    "He talked about it," she said, and I already knew what she meant.


    "Oh! And what did you say?" I mumbled, my heart skipping several beats.


    "He said he felt the most pain that night¡ªso much so that he couldn¡¯t even take a step forward. He felt an urge to transition too, but couldn¡¯t because of the extreme pain." She held my hand, speaking softly as if she were scared the walls would hear her.


    "Hnie! That is not how I felt. So does that mean I was wrong?" Her lips turned dry, so she had to lick them to moisten them before responding.


    "I don¡¯t know. What did you say to him?" I questioned, and she started shaking her head.


    "I told him I was with you that night, so he might ask you¡ª" My eyes widened when she pulled me into this mess.


    "Lucy¡ª" Before I couldin, she held my arms and shook me a little.


    "You have to save me. I don¡¯t want him to find out. He¡¯ll leave me, Hnie. I¡¯ve seen him grow distant after that night. Even when he was trying not to question me, I could see the coldness in his eyes," she sniffled as she rambled.


    "As much as I want to be on your side, you need to understand that he is my friend too. And even if he wasn¡¯t my friend, I would still suggest being honest with him," I uttered softly.


    Although I had not been in an intense rtionship like the two had, I was once dating someone. I remember how he used to go missing for days and I would hear the gossip about him being with other girls, but he would always get so defensive whenever I asked him any questions. Then a time came that I lost my mind and started to trust him entirely. It was mainly because he was good at spinning mes and narratives. And then his sweetest words would sway me away.


    I was a girl who grew up in a household where no one loved me. Whenever my little sister tried toe sit with me, she would be snatched away by my stepmother. So when Altan showed me love, I took it seriously and vowed to never lose it.


    Well, I can see how that turned out.


    "But your friend wants to save her rtionship with your other friend," she uttered.


    "But I cannot lie to a friend," I tried to make her understand that we both can¡¯t betray him. It¡¯s one thing to find out your mate cheated on you, but imagine knowing that even your friend lied to you.


    "Then what? Are you going to tell him the truth if he confronts you about it?" She let go of my hands, her voice changing from anxious to defeated.


    "I¡¯m not sure what I will do, but I cannot lie to him. I can say you were in the room," I uttered anxiously.


    "But don¡¯t mention Lamar," she requested, putting me in a tough spot. However, the minute she spoke of the devil, he arrived. The door opened, and Lamar walked inside, mming it shut while managing the bags in one hand.


    He acknowledged us staring at him so he raised his brow before minding his own business.


    "You!" Lucy¡¯s grunt at him caught his attention once again. He raised his head, his eyes wide with confusion, and watched me first, then Lucy.


    "Yeah, I stay here, don¡¯t I?" he raised his eyebrow, walking over to his bed to put the food bags down. Did he sneak in so much food for the night?


    How much is he going to eat?


    I understand that he had been waiting for a weekend off, which we were supposed to have¡ªthe first weekend with the families. But due to heavy rain, it was called off. But that didn¡¯t mean he should bring in so much food and get us in trouble.


    If the warden smelled all this food here, she woulde for our throats.


    "You alwayse in and bring problems for us," Lucy muttered, walking over to him.


    He looked at her, then leaned away from her, steadily pointing his finger at her. "Is she okay?"


    He asked me instead.


    I mean, Lucy wasn¡¯t wrong about that but it is not like she was not equally involved in that night¡¯s sex. Now she was ming him entirely.


    "Because of you, my mate might leave me now," she stomped her foot and argued with him. It wasn¡¯t fair that she was using him when it was her fault for jumping into his bed.


    "But¡ª" he scratched the back of his neck, not saying the words he wanted to say.


    "You¡¯re like a curse. First, you try to kill Hnie, and then my rtionship¡ª" The minute she brought me up, Lamar narrowed his eyes on her. I knew she had pressed the wrong buttons.


    "Just because I¡¯m silent doesn¡¯t mean you can keep going on and on. I¡¯m apologetic for what I did to Hnie. I should have known that a person without a wolf can die from such wounds. As for you¡ª I¡¯m keeping my mouth shut because I don¡¯t want to piss off Hnie," his tone was harsh as he pointed his finger at her and kept yelling through a muffled tone.

 Chapter 106-There Are Freaks Everywhere

    <h4>Chapter 106: 106-There Are Freaks Everywhere</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I was shocked when he made it seem like he was only controlling his anger because of me. Why would he care?


    "Huh, you want me to believe you even care?" Lucy said what I wanted to say.


    "Of course I do, because she¡¯s the only sensible person around me," he grinned,plimenting me. I rolled my eyes because I did not believe he truly thought of me in that light.


    "Is that why you tried to kill her? Because you hate sensible people?" Lucy taunted him.


    If I didn¡¯t know these two, I would have thought they were lovers. The two argued endlessly and also weirdly enough, the two had sex thest time they were annoyed with each other. Even the thought of that sight made me nauseous.


    "Hah! You¡¯re just taking advantage of the fact that I¡¯m not responding to you in the same tone. You¡¯re saying whatever you think suits you while I¡¯m being a gentleman and holding back my anger," he replied, perhaps giving himself a little too much credit.


    The two started muttering at each other when my phone beeped. With a frown on my forehead, I stared at the caller ID.


    I had saved some numbers, as the academy told us to. One of them was Kaye¡¯s number. So why was it that Kaye was messaging me at this hour of the night?


    While the two argued, I checked the message, and my mouth dropped. It was a half-picture of him, from his chin down to his chest. His ck shirt was only partially opened, but it was his hand with a tattoo on the back of it sliding into the shirt that made me gasp. His Adam¡¯s apple looked so appetizing. His strong and sharp corbones seemed to call for me.


    I stared at the image, feeling the heat rush to my cheeks. The strong, veiny hands with a ck ring on his finger, and the tattooed hand sliding into the shirt¡ª it was such a sight.


    I felt my heart flutter for a moment.


    "Right, Hnie?" Lucy calling my name made me realize I had been staring at my phone for way too long, and in the meantime, those two continued to argue.


    I hadn¡¯t even listened to what they were saying. My eyes kept diverting to the image and then to Kaye typing something.


    What was he going to say now? Was it a tease?


    "Hmm," I simply nodded at Lucy, who frowned before turning back to argue with Lamar.


    "See? She agrees too," Lucy hissed at him.


    "You want me dead?" The pain in Lamar¡¯s voice made me realize what Lucy had probably said.


    "No! I mean, don¡¯t drag me into your argument," I protested, more curious and focused on what Kaye was doing than on the two of them at that moment. I knew their argument could wait¡ªI needed to check Kaye¡¯s message as soon as possible.


    That¡¯s when Kaye¡¯s message popped up on the screen. I read it immediately, but what I saw was something I didn¡¯t expect.


    Trainer Kaye: Sorry, it was meant to be for someone else.


    It was as if he had pped me through the phone. I just stared at the text, wondering why.


    How could he send this to me and then say it was meant for someone else? And wait! Who was it for?


    Didn¡¯t he say he remembered that we were mates and that he wanted to be with me? Was all that bullshit just for the show?


    I was ring at the screen in anger. I don¡¯t even know why I was so angry when I had rejected his advances and told him clearly to move on because I wasn¡¯t looking for a mate.


    It had to be because he lied about trying to win me over.


    I shook my head, unable to gather my thoughts and understand why I was so upset about all of this.


    I grunted and typed a text in haste.


    Me: Maybe chek the caller ID well next time beffore you send an ev3n riskier picture.


    I hit the send button, and only after that did I realize the many typos. I was so angry that I created a mess of a text.


    But it didn¡¯t matter. He would get the point that he should be careful.


    Trainer Kaye: Why are you awake at this hour? Don¡¯t you have sses tomorrow?


    I rolled my eyes at his audacity to ask me when he¡¯s being inappropriate and sending out images.


    I don¡¯t know what got into me, but I decided to be a little petty myself.


    Me: I was talking to Lamar and Lucy. We were discussing some ns for the weekend.


    It was a lie, and I wanted him to know I had a guy I was talking to.


    Trainer Kaye: Lamar? Are you friends with him now?


    I smirked, like I had done something, and typed.


    Me: Yeah! Pretty close.


    However, his response really got on my nerves.


    Trainer Kaye: hahahahahaha


    What was that? Was he making fun of me, or did he seed in getting a heated response from me? I put my phone down when I realized the room had gone awfully silent. Actually, not silent, but there were weird noises that stole my attention. Noise of little smooching.


    That¡¯s when I raised my head to see Lucy and Lamar making out.


    "What the fuck, you guys?" I shouted, jumping off the bed to physically separate them. They had their tongues in each other¡¯s mouths and all that. Once I got between them and pushed them away, I red at Lucy for answers.


    "Seriously? What the heck is wrong with you two?" I yelled, my breath quickening and my heartbeat racing.


    I take back my earlier thought of mistaking them for lovers. They wereplete freaks.


    "I¡¯ll go find Gavin," Lucy muttered anxiously before storming out of the room, leaving me alone with Lamar to deal with.


    Of course, she fled the scene. But that didn¡¯t mean I wouldn¡¯t corner them for answers¡ªstarting with Lamar.

 Chapter 107-Cursed Like No One

    <h4>Chapter 107: 107-Cursed Like No One</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What are you doing? Have you lost your mind or what?" I screamed at her in a muffled tone through my phone while Lamar stood behind me, waiting for me to confront him.


    I had called her instantly after she left.


    "Yeah, that¡¯s fine, Hnie. You can use my hairbrush. I¡¯m sneaking out with Gavin for a transition. See youter," she said. The hesitation in her voice, as she acted like she had done nothing wrong while being around Gavin, made me roll my eyes hard at her.


    Once she hung up the call, I realized she was so embarrassed that she couldn¡¯t even face me. But the guy behind me was shameless. He stood tall, his eyes on me as I turned to face him.


    "Wanna eat some food? It¡¯s getting cold," he acted so nonchntly, as if he hadn¡¯t been caught shoving his tongue down my friend¡¯s throat. How many times am I going to catch them together?


    Was Lucy just looking for excuses to cheat on Gavin? At this point, it seemed like it.


    "Why are you doing this?" I asked him, probably throwing my anger at the wrong person. He wasn¡¯t the one in amitted rtionship; he wasn¡¯t the one who had a mate he was cheating on.


    Sure, he was wrong, but the huge mey with Lucy. As a friend to Lucy and a Lamar hater, I was obviously taking my anger out on him instead.


    "I don¡¯t know what happened. I was talking to her, and she suddenly got on her tiptoes and kissed me," he tried to sound nonchnt but came off as ignorant.


    "It wasn¡¯t just a kiss. You two were checking out each other¡¯s tonsils," I muttered.


    "That¡ª I¡¯m just a guy, a guy with needs. If a girl is going to throw herself at me, I¡¯m not going to push her away. Besides, I believe in giving women pleasure," he sighed and sat down, not even bothering to look guilty this time.


    At least he felt guiltyst time.


    "What happened to pleasuring Sydney?" I brought it up without fear. I remembered they had warned me not to ever talk about it, but screw it. If they dared try to hurt me now, I would scream so loud that I¡¯d make the Moon Goddess sitting in heaven on her throne hear it and bleed from her ears.


    "Well, you told Lucy about it," he frowned at me but I did not care. And yes! I have told Lucy and had also told her to not tell anyone that I told her but I guess when gets angry, she just spills whatever is in her mind and heart.


    "Well, I did Sydney, didn¡¯t I? If she wants more, she¡¯ll ask for it. But I won¡¯t put her business out," he said, shaking his head and pretending to zip his lips with his fingers. That was probably a taunt at me for letting Lucy in on that secret.


    "Come have some food," he added, pulling out fast food items and cing them on the bed, offering me to eat with him.


    Suddenly, saliva started to form in my mouth. I was hungry, and I hated it, but I needed to eat for two. However, I had been avoiding food altogether.


    I just didn¡¯t want to admit anything.


    "No, thank you!" With a stomp of my foot, I returned to my bed andy down. I didn¡¯t like lying in bed when the lights were on and there was someone in the dorm¡ªespecially Lamar.


    But I hid under the nket, my hand reaching for my belly.


    What am I going to do? How am I going to deal with all this?


    I was tired and exhausted, so I fell asleep.


    I woke up to the sensation of something strange happening to me. It was a weird pain in my back, and I swear I could feel something wet between my legs.


    I didn¡¯t understand it at all. So, I rushed to the bathroom in the dark, mming the door shut and turning on the lights. That¡¯s when I saw it¡ªwater pooling between my legs.


    "Huh?" I muttered. Then, I noticed my belly. It had grown so much that it left me inplete shock. I ced a trembling hand over it and frowned. This couldn¡¯t be happening. I had only found out about my pregnancy recently¡ªmaybe a week or two ago. So how could this be possible?


    Tears began welling up in my eyes as panic consumed me. "How is this possible?" I whispered, fear and terror gripping me.


    I quickly undressed from bottom down and sat down on the cold bathroom floor, gasping as the pain started tearing me apart from the inside.


    "What is happening to me?" I groaned, clenching my fists and biting my tongue to stop myself from screaming. But the pain only grew worse, spreading through my body like fire.


    I could feel something moving, forcing its way out of me. Then came the most unbearable pain I had ever experienced.


    "Ahhhh!" I screamed in agony, not even realizing I had woken up the others in the dorm.


    A knock on the door made me flinch, but my focus quickly returned to my body, writhing in pain.


    "Hnie! Are you okay? What¡¯s going on?" Lucy yelled, banging hard on the door.


    "Do you want me to break it down?" I heard Lamar ask her. I shook my head frantically, too overwhelmed to shout at them to stop.


    Then¡ªit happened. My worst fear came to life as I watched in horror. A baby slid out of me.


    It was like a scene from a nightmare. The baby, crying loudly, was covered in blood and still attached to me by the umbilical cord.


    "No!" I cried out, too shocked to even hold the baby. My mind reeled. This couldn¡¯t be real. How could it be?


    I hadn¡¯t even been pregnant long enough for this to happen!


    Just then, Lamar broke down the door and rushed inside, followed closely by Lucy. Their eyes widened in disbelief as they took in the sight before them¡ªa baby, me, and the mess that none of us were prepared to face.

 Chapter 108-My Stepbro Wants To Spank Me

    <h4>Chapter 108: 108-My Stepbro Wants To Spank Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "NOOOOO!" as I screamed, I woke myself up. I was sweating and breathing profusely.


    Thankfully, it was just a nightmare but it opened my eyes. I needed to do something before it was toote. I checked the time and it was around 4 a.m., I noticed the lights were out, and both Lamar and Lucy were asleep in their beds. I had slept for many hours, so now I couldn¡¯t go back to sleep again.


    I got out of bed and marched toward the balcony with a sweater in my hand. Once I was outside, I put on the sweater and socks and sat in the chair, facing the view.


    There was a vast sky in my sight, and so many thoughts in my mind.


    "What am I going to do about Kaye? What about this baby?" I closed my eyes as I uttered the scary thoughts to myself.


    "Soon it will bebat ss with Norman, and he¡¯ll surely exhaust me to death. How will I¡ª even get anything done with this baby in my womb?" My heart was full of sorrow and worry. I was beginning to get tired of my life, but I had to keep going. I didn¡¯t want to face the alphas once again.


    "Isn¡¯t it too cold here?" I rolled my eyes when Lamar¡¯s voice reached my ears.


    "You again!" I scoffed under my breath.


    "Yes, me again! You know what? You¡¯re the only one who looks so exhausted at the sight of me," he said, sitting on the chair next to mine.


    "That¡¯s because I don¡¯t understand what these girls see in you," Imented with a side nce at him.


    "That¡¯s cute. They seekfort in me, Hnie," he hunched over and rested his elbows on his thighs. "Whenever they¡¯re upset, they go for a guy who can listen to them."


    Before he could keep going, I interrupted him.


    "And you do that by letting them shove their tongues so deep inside your mouth that they can literally speak to your lungs. I get it," I nodded sarcastically, but he startedughing loudly, pping and stomping his feet as if it was the best joke he had ever heard.


    "Hnie, it¡¯s just a few minutes of talking, and they feel thefort they didn¡¯t get from their mate, so they get way toofortable. And as I just mentioned, I like givingfort, I don¡¯t push them away. I don¡¯t want to make them ufortable," he exined, softening his tone after his antics.


    "I get it that you probably will hate me till yourst breath, and trust me, I understand that. But I really want to mend everything. I don¡¯t want us to be roommates and stay bitter," he had the nerve to suggest we resolve our issues when he was partially a problem that my friends might break up soon.


    "And I won¡¯t make out with Lucy again, I promise," he instantly added, probably because of the side-eye I gave him, with a hand on his chest.


    "I will see what the future holds for us," I mumbled before leaning back in the chair and resting my head.


    He stayed watching my face for a while before he too leaned back, and we just stared at the view in silence.


    Today was once again Emmet¡¯s ss, but he was going to take us out to the mountains and show us the herbs and where most of theme from with finding the herbs.


    I knew the usage of the herbs and the process of finding the rarest ones would be taught by Kaye himself. After a while, I got up and left to go inside. By the time I was in the bathroom, Lucy woke up.


    There were no more words spoken between us while we prepared for school.


    It was only after Lamar left ahead of us that Lucy gently nudged my arm to stop me from getting in the elevator.


    "Please don¡¯t tell Gavin about it," she said. The minute she said that, I sighed and walked into the elevator. I wouldn¡¯t tell him anything. I didn¡¯t want to get between the two, but I wouldn¡¯t lie for her.


    I won¡¯t tell him that I know she didn¡¯t cheat. I¡¯ll just say I don¡¯t know. And I guess I will be doing wrong with that too, but I had too much on my te.


    Everyone had gathered outside the academy, so I joined them too. Gavin looked pretty sad and gloomy, and I wondered if he had felt itst night too. Lucy stood with him, trying to make small talk. Meanwhile, I was standing next to Lucy, trying to avoid noticing them.


    "Hey," I heard a little voice from the other side. "Are you excited for today? I can¡¯t believe we will be reaching the top of the mountains today," Jenny said excitedly, moving her shoulders happily.


    "Yeah, I¡¯m not really a hiker," I replied with a closed-lip smile. What was weird was that the minute Jenny started interacting with me, Lucy left Gavin alone to focus on us.


    "We will hike together, okay?" Lucy intervened, holding my hand to remind me I wasn¡¯t allowed to go anywhere with Jenny.


    Soon, Prof. Emmet arrived wearing a gray shirt with his hair open. He looked like he had jumped out of aic book.


    "I want to be spanked by him so bad," I turned my head to the owner of the voice, and as I expected, it was Salem.


    "Desperate," I hissed at Salem, turning to find Emmet looking straight at me.


    "So, everyone, we should start the hike. Stay together, and I will do the attendance when we reach the top," he said, sidestepping, his t-shirt showing off his muscles better today.


    He always hides his body behind loose shirts and coats, so today everyone got blessed with the outline of his muscles.


    "Hnie! You wille with me," he confidently pointed his finger at me in front of everyone, not shying away from giving me priority.


    I nodded and steadily walked ahead of everyone to him when I saw Sydney and Salem re at me before they started whispering in each other¡¯s ears.


    "Come," Emmet said, gesturing at the others to form groups and start trekking.


    "You look weak, have you been skipping meals?" he inquired, and I shook my head, lying to him.


    "Don¡¯t make me spank you, Hnie!" His words shook me, making me recall Salem¡¯s wish. But it was the way he said it that made me feel the heat in my cheeks.

 Chapter 109-So Comfortable

    <h4>Chapter 109: 109-So Comfortable</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    After he made thatment, he continued walking alongside me on the trail until he stopped and ced his hands on his waist to check on me. We were headed to the same mountain I had visited a week ago, so it brought back such bad memories that kept my spirits low.


    "What?" I asked, bing self-conscious and fixing my hair. I didn¡¯t think I had done anything, so why did he stop like that?


    "How about we rest here?" he suggested, walking over to a tree and sitting down in its shelter.


    "You¡¯re doing this because you know I don¡¯t have a wolf and might get tired. I don¡¯t want you to babysit me, sir," I recalled our rtionship at the academy and spoke ordingly.


    "Really? No! Actually, I was tired," he shrugged, pulling out a protein bar to munch on.


    I just watched his face for a moment before joining him. He offered me a bar, and I took it.


    Although I had a feeling some students might have seen us sitting here. We were left behind because he was stalling a lot, and now I understand why. He wanted us to take breaks without anyone walking over us.


    And it¡¯s not like I was any keen on going to the same mountain.


    "I noticed you never ask about your mother," he said, bringing her up, and my muscles tensed.


    When I first left my house, I hoped to find my mother. Somewhere along the line, I genuinely thought she would break into tears and hug me forever. I expected her to immediately understand everything I had been through. I wanted to be in her embrace and feel safe.


    But then she just kicked me out.


    On top of everything I had been through, my mother showing disdain at the sight of me really broke me. But that¡¯s when my journey began¡ªwhen I decided to be my own savior, rather than waiting for someone to save me.


    "There¡¯s nothing to ask about. She lives in a mansion full of luxuries, has stepsons, and her best friend with her," I said. Even though I wanted to sound indifferent, somewhere along the way, my voice broke into a little whisper.


    "And you think that¡¯s all it takes for someone to be truly happy?" he inquired. I let out augh¡ªnot at his question, but at the fact that I could never be that someone.


    "Trust me, for some people, it matters," I mumbled, staring into the distance.


    "And what about you? What matters to you?" he asked in a tone so understanding it almost felt like I could share anything with him without fear of judgment.


    "Growing up, all that mattered to me was finding a mate," I admitted before pausing, sensing he had more questions for me.


    "It must have been hard after your wolf didn¡¯t awaken," he said softly, almost sadly.


    "Do you think one can only be with their fated mate?" I asked, turning the question back on him.


    "No! I definitely don¡¯t believe that," he replied firmly. "I truly and wholly believe you can make anyone your mate if your heart belongs to them. Chosen mates are a real thing, you know. There are books written about them," he added with a teasing smile, running a hand through his hair to keep the wind from blowing it everywhere.


    "Then I guess I believed in chosen mates at one point too," I said, my voice cracking at the memory of Altan. He had fooled me so perfectly. I couldn¡¯t believe I had trusted him to protect me.


    That night, when I left my home, I did it because he promised he¡¯d take me back safely. I was so naive, blindly following him wherever he wanted to go.


    He didn¡¯t tell me he nned to take my virginity. He said he wanted to celebrate my birthday by cutting a cake together. But there was no cake that night. There was only me, and my self-worth, which was shredded and left to bleed until nothing was left behind.


    I shuddered as the memories flooded back. If it hadn¡¯t been for those Alphas that night¡ªthose monsters who raped me¡ªAltan might have done it himself. He had been so forceful. Even when I told him I wasn¡¯tfortable, he kept pushing. He even took off my pendant. As the thought crossed my mind, my hand instinctively flew to the pendant, and I touched it briefly. It had be a constant reminder of my pain.


    I couldn¡¯t stop wondering¡ªif the Alphas hadn¡¯t arrived, would he have raped me too? And why didn¡¯t hee back with his guards to save me? Was he so ashamed of being associated with me that he preferred to let me fall into the hands of devils?


    "Were you ever in love before?" he asked, breaking the silence. His eyes were fixed on me, probably catching the tears welling up. But I wasn¡¯t ready to share that part of my life¡ªnot with him, not with anyone. It would take me time to trust anyone ever again. He watched me intently, as if trying to uncover my deepest, darkest secrets.


    "No," I said, deflecting. "I just always missed my mother." Once again, I shifted the topic back to her.


    "Anyway, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s fine now that I¡¯m gone," I wanted to roll my eyes so badly, but he was my professor, and I didn¡¯t want to seem like a brat in front of him.


    "She asked about you, though," he said, causing me to shift and look at his face in confusion.


    "When you were attacked, she got the news. She asked me who it was, and even though I¡¯m not very good at judging people by their expressions or bodynguage, I noticed that she looked worried¡ª," he paused deeply before adding, "for you."


    "I¡¯m done resting, though. We should continue. If we stay behind too long, others will get ideas," I said, looking at his face again. I got up, and he followed me. We silently reached the top, hoping to have fun looking for herbs when we found Sydney and Salem yelling at everyone.


    "What did I tell you all, huh? Stand in one fucking line!" Sydney screamed at the top of her lungs again, growing furious when everyone rolled their eyes at her and instead sat far away.

 Chapter 110-They Found It

    <h4>Chapter 110: 110-They Found It</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Ugh! Where has everyonee from? The fucking woods or what?" she continued to scream, while her sister was cussing out too.


    "Sydney! Settle down, you are not the ss monitor," Emmet cleared his throat to step up, causing the screaming twins to shut up and obediently tie their hands behind their backs.


    "Prof Emmet, I think it¡¯s time we chose a monitor, or two¡ª," Sydney suggested with a smile on her lips as she looked at her sister.


    The two were so full of themselves.


    "Why would we need two?" Emmet stood before them, tilting his head.


    While Sydney was talking to Emmet, I saw Salem staring right at his gray shorts. And not just at his shorts; I could tell exactly where her eyes were. His bulge was noticeable, even though I could tell he was wearing underwear and wasn¡¯t even excited. But that was enough to excite Salem. She even stared at the Calvin Klein underwear showing when he lifted his hands to gesture for everyone to gather in one spot.


    "These are all here for big missions, so they need full attention," Sydney didn¡¯t want to outright admit that the two sisters wanted the same position.


    "Okay then¡ªI will choose the ss monitors myself. You don¡¯t need to tire yourself out," he spoke roughly to her before turning to the ss.


    "You see this picture here? It¡¯s a very well-known herb used for healing. I will make four teams, and whichever two teams find the most of these in the next two hours will choose one member from their team to be the ss monitor," Emmet shocked us when he introduced our first task.


    It was quite windy here, so I was more focused on my health than any of the tasks. I didn¡¯t want to be the ss monitor either, so I wasn¡¯t really bothered.


    "Team A shall have Lucy, Gavin, Jenny, Penn, Roi, Mirret, and Hnie," he finished and stared at me before moving on to Team B.


    "Team B, Sydney, Salem¡ªLamar¡ª" I didn¡¯t hear the rest because Lucy came close to me and whispered in my ear.


    "The devils are paired together. At least it means only one monitor will be from their team."


    She was right. Both the sisters being ss monitors would have been the deadliestbination for all of our peace.


    "Nowe, get started," he pped his hands after giving us a paper with a drawing of the herb.


    Emmet started wandering around while we began to look for the herb with tiny yellow leaves on top of a round green stigma.


    "We have to make sure we have the most of these herbs," Lucy kept yammering while looking for the herbs. She was also constantly reminding everyone that we needed to win so that one of the ss monitors would be from our team.


    We found a decent amount, and then we had to walk into the deeper part of the mountains, among the trees.


    I watched Salem and Sydney go crazy too.


    However, Lamar was everywhere. One second, he was next to us, and the next minute, he was far away. I could tell his basket was full of herbs too. He was really good at it, but I wondered if he wanted to be the ss monitor or if he was doing this to make Sydney or Salem the ss monitor.


    We continued our search before I heard somemotion.


    There were girls gathered around one spot,ughing a lot. Since Jenny was kept close to her brother due to Lucy¡¯s hostile behavior towards us, it was just the three of us looking for herbs together.


    Gavin was helpful, but he had been very distant and silent, as if he wasn¡¯t entirely here.


    "What are theyughing at now?" Lucymented with a taunting tone.


    "Let them be. Let¡¯s focus on¡ª," I started to say, but I only tapped her arm to make her turn around ande with me when I heard Sydney make ament that made me feel a little weird.


    "Imagine the life of a single mother."


    The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and I turned to look at them. They weren¡¯t looking my way, but they were constantlyughing over something.


    "We have only five minutes. Let¡¯s go back to the spot and meet up with our other teammates," Lucy brought me back to reality. I nodded and followed her, still wondering why Sydney made thatment. It just sounded too personal.


    We made it to the ground where Emmet had been waiting for us, and everyone stood in groups.


    Sydney¡¯s team arrivedte, and they still seemed to beughing their asses off for some reason.


    Emmet had been doing push-ups and other workouts while waiting. So, when everyone arrived, his muscles were pretty pumped up. The cuts in his shoulders were crazy, and I couldn¡¯t help but notice his hard abs when his shirt blew up a little from the wind.


    But there was a frown on his forehead that I could tell came from the way Sydney¡¯s team wasughing.


    "Sorry, sir. Actually, we found something that made us giggle a little," Sydney quickly exined after noticing Emmet¡¯s harsh re.


    "What did you find?" Emmet asked with a bored expression and tone, knowing she wouldn¡¯t stop until someone asked her.


    "We found out that someone¡¯s pregnant." My heart skipped a beat, and everything around me turned cold when Sydney said that.


    For a moment, I thought everyone was looking at me. My body began to feel cold, and my ears were ringing with a beeping noise.


    I felt like I was going to copse from fear and embarrassment.


    "Huh?" Emmet scoffed loudly to get everyone¡¯s attention back on him.


    I noticed how everyone wasughing in the corners of their mouths. Was it really that funny?


    I lowered my head and closed my eyes, my arms wrapped around my belly while she added, "We found a pregnancy

 Chapter 111-The Mockery!

    <h4>Chapter 111: 111-The Mockery!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "And someone drew on it too," sheughed as she showed the test I had tossed away when I found out I was pregnant. What are the chances that out of everyone, they found the test.


    I welled up but kept my posture, trying so hard to think about something funny to avoid tearing up in front of everyone and exposing myself.


    Sydney was holding the test with a napkin, a grimace on her face.


    "That is disgusting," Salemmented, "I hate girls like these. Why spread legs apart when you are too ashamed of getting pregnant."


    "That is rude," Jenny added, which made Sydney turn to look at her in anger.


    "Jenny is right. What¡¯s so funny about it? How about Sydneyes here and tells us why she thinks this is so funny?" Emmet gestured at her with two fingers, signaling for her to walk up to him and stand in front of the whole ss.


    She did so, still holding the test wrapped in a napkin.


    "It¡¯s because it has to be an illegitimate child, or else why would a mother toss away the test? Or maybe she was excited at first, drew a broken heart because she wasn¡¯t sure if her mate or baby daddy would ept the child, and when he didn¡¯t, she threw it here. But she won¡¯t be able to hide the belly for too long." She was talking and moving her hands around, shrugging and rolling her eyes.


    All those gestures hit me hard.


    "And you got all this information from the doodles on the test?" Emmet ced his hands on his waist. If she was any wiser, she would have read the room. But she was too cocky to understand anything.


    "Yes! And whoever this girl is, she must be out there. I wasughing because people make choices that can either make or ruin their lives. This girl decided to get knocked up by some guy who isn¡¯t ready to take responsibility, while look at us, look at me and my sister. We chose to be here at this academy. I guess priorities are different."


    I had no clue how she managed to make this about herself, but my head was hurting a lot now.


    "Okay! You¡¯re a good storyteller," Emmet said, snatching the test from her hand with the napkin and eyeing her to walk back to her team. "Just because you all are a part of this academy doesn¡¯t mean the others living their lives are any lesser than any of you. I¡¯ll throw it away. Just so you all know, I¡¯m not pregnant and not hiding anything."


    That was a direct taunt at Sydney, who looked very disappointed after she thought she had "won" byparing her life choices to someone vulnerable.


    As I raised my head, I noticed Lamar staring at me. Shoot! Was he observing me the whole time?


    I quickly looked straight ahead and sniffled, "It¡¯s so cold."


    I said it clearly to Lucy, making sure Lamar could understand I was red because of the cold, not because the girl with bad choices, like Sydney, was talking about me.


    "Now, in groups," Emmet ordered, and all the teams gathered together but kept a little distance. I was so consumed in my own thoughts that I didn¡¯t even realize Lamar was now standing right next to me until he cleared his throat.


    "You okay?"


    "It¡¯s cold," I said in a bitter tone, not even making eye contact with him.


    "Okay, and how many did you collect?" he inquired, looking through my basket that I quickly hugged to hide from him.


    "Come on, how about we trade?" he asked, and I red at him, watching him smirk at me.


    "Don¡¯t be so stingy," he said, not even waiting for my response. He snatched the basket out of my hands, shoving his basket into mine.


    "Lamar! What the heck are you doing?" I grunted at him, trying to reach for the basket he had stolen from me. But he held it out of my reach,ughing a little.


    "This is not a joke, Lamar. Give me my basket back," I red at him, but he just shrugged.


    "You¡¯re acting like you¡¯ve gathered all the herbs from the mountains," hemented with an exaggerated eye roll. "Besides, people say I¡¯m very lucky. Maybe my basket will bring you some luck too."


    "Hey¡ª" I shut up when I realized it was his team¡¯s turn to turn in the baskets. He winked at me before walking away with Sydney and Salem.


    "What did he do? Did he take your basket?" Lucy asked, peering into my basket¡ªactually, Lamar¡¯s basket that I now had.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t collect many anyway," I said, not too bothered. I just hated how every day felt like such a battle for me.


    Imagine the chances of the test being found by Sydney. It was just so messed up, like the moon goddess was torturing me.


    "And he collected a lot," Lucy¡¯sment made me lower my head to look into his basket. And like she said, it was filled to the top. I raised my head to find Lamar standing with Emmet.


    He was looking at me when he winked again. Why would he give me his basket?


    I guess we had been staring for too long until Lucy elbowed me, and I saw Emmet observing us both. He didn¡¯t look too happy.


    "Eyes here," he told Lamar, pointing at his basket.


    Then it was our turn. Everyone handed over their baskets one by one as Emmet counted them. I wasst.


    "What is going on?" Emmet asked out of the blue, confusing me with what had happened.


    "Was he bothering you?" Emmet asked, mentioning Lamar, who was now standing with his teammates.


    "No!" I shook my head.


    "Impressive!" As he finished counting, hemented with a smile on his lips. I frowned in confusion because Emmet gave me a head-nod, a head-nod that he hadn¡¯t given to anyone else. I began to wonder if Lamar¡¯s basket was fuller than everyone else¡¯s basket.

 Chapter 112-He Comes With A Bad News

    <h4>Chapter 112: 112-He Comes With A Bad News</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Everyone now anticipated the oue of the test. My best guess was that Sydney would definitely be the ss monitor. If she didn¡¯t, she might just rip her hair out.


    "I¡¯m so nervous. What if Jenny ends up bing the ss monitor from our team? Or her brother?" Lucy whispered into my ear, her gaze fixed on Jenny.


    "What makes you think our team collected the most herbs?" I asked, worried why she was so certain about our team winning. We barely tried.


    "Lamar¡¯s basket was full," she replied with a shrug. I sometimes wondered how she casually argued with Lamar after cheating on her after mate with him.


    "But what if, collectively, ours is less?" I shrugged. She pouted in response. "Besides, why would it matter if Penn bes the ss monitor? He¡¯s an alpha, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to handle the responsibilities well."


    Lucy turned to look at me like she¡¯d seen a ghost. "No! Not him. He¡¯ll favor his sister. And whenever there¡¯s a group assignment, he¡¯ll make sure my mate is paired with his sister," she grumbled bitterly. I felt bad for her¡ªshe didn¡¯t need to be so worried or insecure.


    "Let¡¯s just hope and pray the best person gets the badge," I said earnestly. Thest thing I wanted was another bully taking control over us. It would be a nightmare on top of what we were already dealing with.


    "Team A and B did amazing, so we will choose the ss monitors from these two teams. However, Hnie collected the most herbs," he added, lifting my basket. I felt so out of ce. It wasn¡¯t my credit to take, but why did Lamar do that?


    "I¡¯ll let you decide who should be the ss monitor among your team," Emmet informed the two teams, letting use up with a decision.


    I watched Sydney and Salem gather in a circle with their team, while our team huddled together.


    "I think I would be amazing as a ss monitor," Penn, who barely ever talked, shrugged, his hands in his pockets.


    "Okay, I think Hnie should be it, since she found the most herbs," Lucy said, causing Penn to narrow his eyes at me.


    "You want to be ss monitor?" Penn asked me directly, and before I could shake my head, Lucy spoke for me.


    "Yes, she does, but if you don¡¯t want her to be, we can do a vote," Lucy said, holding my hand and putting pressure on it secretly to tell me not to reject the offer. I knew if I disagreed with her, she would die from anxiety.


    "Well, I have no issue. I¡¯d love to see Hnie lead as an omega," Penn said, stepping back when I thought he would retaliate. However, hisment was slightly obnoxious.


    "Okay, I¡¯m notfortable¡ª" I shut up when Emmet walked up to us, his head down as he yed with the dirt on the ground.


    "So, what did you guys decide?" he asked, raising his head a bit sneakily, as though he wanted to know what we were talking about.


    "We want Hnie to be the ss monitor¡ª" Lucy was interrupted when I shook my head at her. I guess I should have let Penn know that I didn¡¯t want to be the ss monitor. But my mind was so all over the ce that I couldn¡¯t react immediately.


    "Amazing idea," Emmet quickly took the notion and walked away, making me feel even more helpless.


    "You¡¯re just saying no for no reason. Professor Emmet also wants you to be the ss monitor because he knows you¡¯ll be able to deal with the students better than those witches," Lucy hissed at me, clearly upset that I was saying no so repeatedly. Penn stood in his spot, observing me.


    I hated it whenever someone¡¯s eyes lingered on my face for just a bit too long.


    Emmet stood with the other team and then returned to make an announcement.


    "ss, we have found our two ss monitors. It will be Hnie¡ª" He took a pause before adding, "and Sydney."


    I knew it, of course. We¡¯d be butting heads so much now because she would try her best to make it seem like she¡¯s doing most of the work while I¡¯m wasting my time.


    "And I hope Sydney will remember to behave around Hnie. Because this time, her mistakes will not be overlooked," Emmet said, with some guts, mentioning something that had been said not to be repeated.


    It was because many students didn¡¯t know about the issue apart from our group from Shelter. Of course, Jenny knew because Gavin had told her, but Penn now had his eyes on Sydney before he looked away and got lost in his thoughts.


    He was a weird character; I didn¡¯t know where he fit in.


    We began our journey back to the hostel, and after hours of walking with many breaks suggested by Emmet, we finally arrived.


    "Everyone, take your notes from the front desk and head to the hostel. Food will be served soon, so eat it while it¡¯s warm," Emmet said, ready to depart.


    "Can you please go grab my notes? I need to use the restroom," I asked Lucy, who gave me a nod and walked with Gavin to the front desk. I couldn¡¯t wait to get to the hostel to use the bathroom, so I rushed into the academy¡¯s restroom.


    After using the restroom, I came out in a hurry to meet Lucy outside when I bumped into someone. My body almost flew back from the heavy build of the guy. However, I didn¡¯t fall down. He had grabbed my arm and prevented my fall.


    "Watch your step, little wolfless creature," Norman mumbled, the same hostility in his eyes from before.


    I steadied myself, and he let me go.


    "Sorry, I was in a rush," I muttered.


    I attempted to walk past him, but hisment made me stop dead in my tracks.


    "Hmm, I hope you¡¯re keeping that diamond bracelet safe. You don¡¯t want to lose such an expensive gift."

 Chapter 113-Too Expensive

    <h4>Chapter 113: 113-Too Expensive</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    "Diamond?" I lowered my head to stare at the beautiful bracelet. But now, it felt so heavy on my wrist.


    "Don¡¯t act like you didn¡¯t know," Norman scoffed, making me lift my head and look at him in disbelief.


    "What? You think I don¡¯t know what you like?" The mockery in his tone, paired with the raised eyebrow, made me clench my jaw.


    "Please, do tell me what I want," I said in a gentle tone, though I gritted my teeth to show him I wasn¡¯t pleased with his taunts.


    "Like mother, like daughter. Your mother loves diamonds too. She would do anything¡ªand I mean anything¡ªto get her hands on something with diamonds in it. And look at you! With your sad face and always being weak and meek, you somehow managed to get one for yourself." He shrugged like he knew me inside out.


    "Wow!" I said, forcing a smile and nodding my head. "I didn¡¯t know you were paying so much attention to me. I¡¯m ttered, sir. Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts at all times." My mocking tone wiped the smirk off his face.


    He nced around, probably checking if anyone was watching him lose hisposure, and then hissed, "Don¡¯t you dare disrespect me, Hnie. My brothers won¡¯t always be around to protect you from my punishments. In this academy, you are under me. I can punish you any way I want," he snapped, pointing his finger at me as his massive figure loomed over me.


    "Okay. Anything else?" I asked politely, though I took a step back. His intimidating size was overwhelming and triggering.


    "Huh! I should be the one asking you that. Is there anything else you n to ask from my brother? Maybe a mansion? A car?" he sneered, clearly trying to get under my skin, before turning to walk away.


    I watched him leave, rooted to the spot. Despite my show of confidence in front of him, I felt utterly disrespected.


    "Oh, and¡ª" he called over his shoulder, "I hope you¡¯ll work really hard to stay in this academy. Fail even one exam, and you¡¯re out."


    After throwing that parting shot, Norman walked past me to torment his next victim, while I stayed behind, staring at the bracelet on my wrist.


    "Are these real diamonds?" I felt so bad and guilty for epting this gift. I wish Emmet had told me these were diamonds. But then again, why would he flex about what he was gifting me.


    In that moment, I made up my mind to return the gift. Emmet had done a lot for me; he didn¡¯t need to do anything extra. Besides, I did not want his toxic brother¡¯s eyes on me. I marched straight to his office, which was on the second floor, and knocked on the door.


    "Come in," a voice called from inside. It was his husky voice. I opened the door and found him sitting at his desk with his sses on and some files in front of him. I could tell he looked a little tired, as he had nned to leave after our hike when he got into the academy. However, he wasn¡¯t alone. His brother sat with his back to me, but I didn¡¯t need to see his face to recognize him. It was Kaye. And I swear, he knew I was there because he tilted his head and then leaned back in his chair, moving it sideways.


    "Is everything okay? Why aren¡¯t you at the hostel for lunch?" Emmet took off his sses while speaking in a gentle, steady tone, even though he seemed a little bothered before my arrival.


    "I wanted to have a word with you," I murmured, slowly walking to the side to stand next to Kaye.


    He hadn¡¯t looked my way directly, but from his bodynguage, I could tell he wanted me to know he had acknowledged my arrival.


    "Sure, Kaye¡ª" Emmet gestured at his brother to leave us alone, but Kaye shook his head.


    "I¡¯m not going anywhere. She can talk in front of me; I¡¯m pretty sure she won¡¯t have trouble," he said, turning his head toward me, his voice suggesting he wouldn¡¯t like it if I asked him to leave.


    However, I didn¡¯t want toin to Emmet in front of Kaye.


    "What is it about?" Emmet asked, probably thinking it was rted to school.


    "About this," I sneaked a nce at my hand and then touched the bracelet with my other hand¡¯s finger.


    "Oh, what about it?" Emmet asked. Since he hadn¡¯t asked his brother to leave after I mentioned the bracelet, I decided to go ahead with the conversation.


    "I can¡¯t take this," I said, taking it off and cing it on the table. Kaye¡¯s head moved toward the bracelet, and I watched him stare at it before raising his head, looking at me from the side.


    "Why not?" Emmet ced his hands on the files, his head tilted as he waited for me to answer his question.


    "Why didn¡¯t you tell me these were real diamonds? I can¡¯t ept something so expensive." My voice carried a hint of difort. And I was ufortable.


    Material goods meant nothing to me. In fact, I still carried the burden of Emmet paying for my fees and other things. I couldn¡¯t let him spoil me.


    "Hnie, this is your stepfather¡¯s money. You deserve it as much as the rest of us. Now please, don¡¯t insult me by returning it." Emmet¡¯s voice had turned a little harsh, leaning more toward sadness, and it really made me feel bad. He had been nothing but helpful to me, and I insulted him?


    "No! I didn¡¯t mean to insult you. I would never! I¡¯m so sorry¡ª" I had no clue what got over me, but I began to repeatedly rub my hands together and apologize.


    Tears suddenly filled my eyes. I had never been so weak. Why the heck was I so messed up these days?


    And then it struck me.


    My hormones.


    I was pregnant, with so much stress and so many changes happening to my body now.


    "Hnie¡ª" Emmet looked shocked, his voice taking me aback. I quickly stopped pleading and looked down in confusion. Even Kaye seemed to have stopped rolling in his chair.

 Chapter 114-Her Mate Cheated Whole Night

    <h4>Chapter 114: 114-Her Mate Cheated Whole Night</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    The way he said my name, I thought he was going to yell at me.


    "Hey, it¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to apologize. I mean, please ept my gift. I didn¡¯t mean to say that you insulted me," Emmet said as he got out of his chair to approach me. His voice was now calm and soothing.


    "Now, take it," he insisted and held my hand in his manly big hands and ced the bracelet back in my hand.


    "Umm, Emmet¡ªNorman wants you to visit his office," Kaye intervened when Emmet just ced his hand on my shoulder. His touch was so soft andforting.


    Emmet turned to him and watched him for a moment. "What does he want?"


    "I don¡¯t know. You need to go see," Kaye said, sounding serious.


    "Okay, and Hnie, don¡¯t take everything so seriously. Just ept my gift and go eat your lunch, okay?" Emmet¡¯s voice was so sweet as he insisted I don¡¯t talk about returning the gift. Then, when he gently ced his finger under my chin to lift my face, I felt my heart skip a beat.


    Without any thought, I just nodded obediently.


    Emmet walked out while I grabbed the bracelet. I thought that was it¡ªI¡¯d be out of the office and that would be done. What I didn¡¯t realize was that Kaye had made Emmet leave for a reason.


    The minute I was close to the door, Kaye rushed out of his chair and stepped in my way, turning me around by holding my arm and pinning me against the door.


    I had my eyes on his face, wide with shock.


    "Kaye¡ª" His name left my lips in an utter plea.


    "Why did you get so sad so quickly?" He ced his hands on the wall beside me, his body hunching down to my level, but he couldn¡¯t quite reach my face because of how tall he was.


    "It was nothing¡ª" My response came out in a whisper.


    "Hnie! You don¡¯t have to feel so sad and apologetic, especially not to any of my brothers. And this bracelet, it is yours. All the wealth my family and I own is equally yours, my mate." His whisper hit my skin as he leaned down, his eyes looking through mine. My body got covered in goosebumps, the hair on the back of my neck standing too.


    "And¡ªdon¡¯t¡ª" He suddenly gave me a peck on the lips, and I couldn¡¯t even move a muscle in shock. "Never¡ª" He gave another little peck. "Be sad¡ª" As he gave another peck, the touch suddenly turned from pleasant to traumatic. I don¡¯t know why but the sweetness of his touch took me back in time.


    Right before my eyes were shes of that night and their lips against mine by force. It shouldn¡¯t have happened because Kaye¡¯s touch was not harsh and neither was it forceful. It was a kiss of a mate, like a shelter during a storm.


    "No!" I don¡¯t even know when I pushed Kaye back and almost screamed at him, "I should go."


    I couldn¡¯t even look at him to see how he would react and turned around to storm out of the office.


    It wasn¡¯t until I was on the ground floor, heading out the gate, that I realized what I had done.


    I didn¡¯t want Kaye to feel like I was disgusted by his touch. I was just not ready because of what I was dealing with and all the secrets I had been keeping inside. But now, I was worried about how he would take my rejection. Even the cold wind felt like hot air from hell.


    "Hnie," Jenny, standing by the tree, was a shock to me. I thought everyone had left by now.


    "I was waiting for you. What took you so long?" She smiled, rushing to hold my hand. I noticed she was always very affectionate, wanting to hold hands and all.


    "I was¡ªumm¡ªwhere¡¯s Lucy?" I looked around and questioned.


    "She and Gavin left. They had a little argument," she uttered through gritted teeth and then bit her tongue when mentioning their argument.


    "Really? About what?" I questioned as we strolled toward the hostel.


    "Umm¡ªso, Gavin had a pain in his chest the other night. And then, he felt something again, so he was asking her questions, but she wasn¡¯t taking it seriously," Jenny exined. I felt shocked that the two had argued in front of others.


    "What if others were also there instead of just you?" I stopped talking and turned to her, but she shook her head.


    "No, it was just me," she shrugged.


    "Oh, ah! I heard Gavin had pain the other night. He couldn¡¯t even transition or anything," I sighed, feeling like I needed to speak to Gavin at least once. It had been days, and we hadn¡¯t been able to talk about anything¡ªmainly because I was avoiding him asking me if I knew what Lucy had been up to these days.


    "It must have been bad. So bad¡ª" The strange grief in her voice made me raise my eyebrow at her.


    "You know how it feels?" I don¡¯t know why, but I felt like I should ask her that question, so I did.


    "Were you told and exined¡ª" As I started to rify my question, she exined it to me herself.


    "I¡¯ve felt it. I¡¯ve felt that pain with so much intensity, Hnie, that I thought I was going to die. The whole night, I thought it would end now¡ªnow¡ªbut it didn¡¯t. It just kept going, and I knew¡ªhe was cheating on me because he didn¡¯t even pick up my calls that night. But¡ªwell¡ªI know that pain, so yeah¡ª" Through her weak smile, she uttered the most painful words.


    "Oh, Jenny, I¡¯m so sorry," I instantly held her hands tofort her.


    "Hnie, I even threw up blood because whoever he was with, he didn¡¯t stop until morning," she continued to tell me her heartbreaking story.


    At that moment, I realized how little I knew about the people around me.

 Chapter 115-Just The Two She-Wolves In Pain

    <h4>Chapter 115: 115-Just The Two She-Wolves In Pain</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    "He and I had been friends since we were kids. We grew up as friends, the three of us. In fact, he was like a brother to Penn," she took a pause to take a deep breath and added, "and then we fell in love. We also felt the mate bond, but we had already been dating long before that. I was beginning to think I had found my soulmate and that I would never be alone as a she-wolf¡ªbut then¡ªone night¡ªit just happened. I felt this pain and started calling him, but he wouldn¡¯t pick up my calls. I went to my brother¡¯s room because of the pain I was feeling, and he woke up Dad, who also called his parents, but nobody knew where he was until morning. He arrived straight to my mansion and imed he had been training the whole night."


    There were tears in her eyes as she spoke about her mate. We had taken a stroll away from the academy instead of going to the hostel. She was really emotional after we started talking about the mate bond and mates cheating on each other.


    "Then? Did you believe him?" I asked, and she shook her head.


    "But others did. They all told me that there could be a million different reasons. He could have been really hyped up due to the training or gotten injured, and I was feeling his pain. Hnie, I just don¡¯t believe it, and sadly¡ª" she paused, and I already knew what she was going to say next.


    "You are still fated to him," I stated, not even asking her a question.


    "Yeah. That is the painful part, that I don¡¯t know the truth, and my family just wants me to stay with him. In fact, they¡¯re nning our summer engagement next year," she sighed, turning her face to the side.


    "Do you still like him?" I wondered what would happen to her if he didn¡¯t admit the truth. Isn¡¯t that what happened with Lucy too? Did she feel the same way? I mean, Jenny¡¯s situation was worse because of her throwing up blood and all, but pain is pain, and I guess it¡¯s the reason behind the pain that hurts them for a longer period of time.


    "I do. That¡¯s the part that makes me the most angry. I still love him, but then I remember that night, and I just want to know the truth so I can reject him without worrying about whether I made a mistake in judgment," she uttered quietly, lowering her face into my palms.


    I realized that Jenny was very fragile and adorable. She was a gentle soul who deserved better, better than the fated mate who was probably gaslighting her.


    "Can¡¯t you ask for an investigation?" I inquired, letting out a sigh.


    "No one will investigate an alpha, Hnie," she replied with a sad, little, exhausted sigh that escaped her lips, making me feel even worse. She seemed so helpless.


    "You know, I¡¯ve always dreamed about going to the Fellmoon Academy," she mentioned, referring to the pack¡¯s biggest academy and the rival of ours. "My mate and I used to talk about it a lot." There was a broken smile on her lips that I couldn¡¯t ignore.


    "Then what happened? Why did you choose RVS?" I asked, now interested in her words.


    "Because my mate went to FM first. And after he cheated on me, I changed my mind. Even when I was told I was too weak to qualify for RVS, I tried. I didn¡¯t want to be in the same ce as him." She paused to wipe away a tear trailing down her cheek. "It¡¯s very easy for elites to get into FM. They have quotas for alpha, royal beta, and royal gamma children. One extra seat, even if they don¡¯t qualify. So, he went there. But I decided toe here¡ªI didn¡¯t want to be anywhere near him."


    She sniffled, her tiny hands trembling, likely at the painful memory.


    "Your brother didn¡¯t want to use that privilege" I asked curiously. She sniffled again, using the back of her hand to wipe her cheeks.


    "No. He always thought FM was for weak alphas. Besides, he had to take a step back so I could have the chance to take that seat. But I¡¯m d I came here," she sighed and gave me a broken smile.


    "He calls me sometimes, acting like everything is fine. I just wish there were a way to find out who he spent that night cheating on me with. I only remember one of his new FM friends making ament about some girl who had just turned 18. It was a joke," she said, raising an eyebrow at me.


    I frowned, prompting her to exin further. "His friend said, ¡¯What if he just gifted a girl who turned eighteen his dick for one night? Just a gift from an alpha.¡¯ Even though he made it sound like a joke, I felt like it was true. There has to be some truth behind it. But who knows? Anyway, I¡¯m stuck with him," she shrugged, her expression torn.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say tofort her. All I could think was how d I was that Altan was never my mate.


    Imagine not only being gang-raped but also feeling the betrayal of your mate, watching you get eaten by some hungry alphas, only to run away like a coward.


    "Anyway, I just hope things get better between the two of us," she uttered and looked down. At this point, I wanted to ask her so many questions about her friendship with Gavin, but because she kept tearing up thinking about her mate, I didn¡¯t want to pressure her into more stress. At least, not for now.


    "Let¡¯s go¡ª," tapping the back of her hand, I had already managed to say so much when someone¡¯s arrival brought silence to me. And I almost got a feeling like I got caught betraying my friend.

 Chapter 116-A Little Sensible

    <h4>Chapter 116: 116-A Little Sensible</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    "I¡¯ve been waiting for you at the lunch table, and you¡¯re sitting here?" It was Lucy, her eyes suggesting she saw this as a betrayal.


    "Oh, I didn¡¯t realize we had skipped a meal¡ª" I mumbled, my words trailing off as Lucy started to walk away.


    It was an obvious indication that she was hurt and didn¡¯t like me sitting and spending time with Jenny.


    "Lucy¡ª" I called out to her, getting up in haste.


    "I think it¡¯s because of me. She clearly hates me," Jenny sighed, following me to the hostel.


    "Not that. That¡¯s not the issue. She¡¯s just worried about her mate bond with Gavin," I excused her as I had to go after Lucy. I could tell her conversation with Gavin might not have gone very well.


    I asked around after entering the hostel and found out that she had gone to her dorm room. So, I quickly took the elevator and pressed the button. However, as soon as the elevator doors closed, my eyesnded on the floor buttons, and my heart sank when I saw the 10th-floor button. I blinked repeatedly to make sure I was seeing it correctly.


    My fingers hovered over the button, even though I had already pressed the button for my floor. Something told me I shouldn¡¯t double press it. I remembered thest time this happened and thought I had pressed the wrong button.


    So, I decided to see if doing nothing would change anything.


    As the elevator moved up, my heartbeat escted along with it. Then, it stopped at the 8th floor.


    I was slightly confused, wondering what was going on.


    The door opened, and I stepped out, but I immediately stepped back to take a picture of the floor buttons, thinking that would be the only proof I could show myselfter that I hadn¡¯t hallucinated.


    However, the moment I got back in, the 10th floor was gone.


    I groaned, feeling lost once again, but rushed out because I had another mess to deal with. Lucy might be thinking I¡¯m on Jenny¡¯s side, but in reality, I¡¯m her friend, and I genuinely don¡¯t know if Jenny is to me for the pain Lucy felt that night.


    "Lucy!" I entered her room to talk to her and make her understand that what she was doing was unhealthy.


    She was curled up in bed, her knees pulled close to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs.


    "Gavin said he¡¯s getting tired of me," she stated, her eyes fixed on one spot.


    "And I think you¡¯re tired of me too. I mean, who would want to be around someone who¡¯s always dealing with one thing or another? My tantrums must be too much for you too." What she said reminded me of myself.


    I sat down on the bed with her and held her hand, making her sit up straight and face me.


    "You are my friend, Lucy. I could never get tired of your shenanigans," I let out a littleugh, and she smiled awkwardly. "As for Gavin, I¡¯ll talk to him. He should be more considerate of your emotions. But this whole mess you started with Lamar¡ªI don¡¯t know who¡¯s entirely wrong and who¡¯s right."


    She nodded, understanding my point.


    "I want to be honest with him, Hnie. I want to tell him what I did, and maybe then he¡¯ll feel less guilty about what he did ande clean about it." Her hopeful voice made my body shudder, but I masked it under a straight face.


    I wanted her to be honest with him, but not with the thought that he would be too. I¡¯m not even sure if he cheated or not.


    "There¡¯s a big chance he would... reject you," I murmured, and her hands slipped out of mine.


    "How about we wait, and I¡¯ll try to poke around to find out if he did cheat on you¡ª" I spoke in a gentle tone, understanding that she was emotional and needed someone beside her right now.


    She had already made a huge step in cheating on him, so now we needed to be very careful with our actions.


    "Bad advice!"


    We both turned to Lamar, walking out of the bathroom after he had taken a shower. His brown shirt was soaked. Did he not know how to use a towel or what?


    "And who would need your advice?" I rolled my eyes at him.


    "You two should. As a guy, I know how we deal with stuff like that. Even if we¡¯ve cheated on our girl, we just can¡¯t stomach the fact that she cheated on us. And if she confesses, instead ofing clean, we¡¯d leave her because we¡¯ve already cheated, so now her cheating on us gives us a good excuse to not feel guilty and also leave her and find someone new as... we already did with who we cheated with," he yapped on, even though I was eyeing him to stop saying anything that would hurt Lucy.


    She heard it all and then instantly covered her face with her hands, starting to cry.


    As I gave Lamar a harsh re, he mouthed an apology to me, "Sorry."


    "Listen, I¡¯m just being honest. You¡¯ve already punished him, right? And if you still want to be with him even after he confesses that he cheated, you should just let it be. Because trust me, men don¡¯t like the taste of their own medicine," he walked over to Lucy¡¯s bed and stood beside it.


    Although I wanted to argue with him, I just couldn¡¯t disagree. I remembered what Jenny said. Even when she threw up blood, her mate never admitted it and gave her random excuses every time it was brought up.


    "I think he¡¯s right. You should really wait until we find a way to deal with this matter," I decided for Lucy. I knew it wasn¡¯t my ce to make decisions for her, but she was emotional and might make a mistake.


    I just wanted to make sure I knew the truth behind Gavin and Jenny before Lucy told him anything.

 Chapter 117-He Knows!

    <h4>Chapter 117: 117-He Knows!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I hate to admit it, but maybe he is right," I repeated myself with a much bigger frown this time.


    "I am never wrong," Lamar sounded cocky, which made both Lucy and me give him a judgmental re.


    "Except for the time when I¡ª" he looked down, mentioning the night we didn¡¯t want to talk about again. It wasn¡¯t the worst thing that had happened to me, so it didn¡¯t really traumatize me like the other night. I guess it¡¯s because of how much worse my previous trauma was.


    "At least you look apologetic. Your girlfriend doesn¡¯t even seem to care," Lucy rolled her eyes when mentioning Sydney. But somehow, Lamar looked so lost at the mention of his girlfriend.


    "My girlfriend?" Lamar raised his brow, asking us in a mild tone.


    "She¡¯s talking about Sydney," I rubbed my temples, my voice full of exhaustion.


    "She¡¯s not my girlfriend," he scoffed at Lucy, who stared at his face before hugging herself. I wondered what she was thinking in that moment. Probably the fact that she slept with someone who sleeps with everyone¡ªliterally everyone. Hopefully, Lucy wasn¡¯t keeping many hopes up with this man.


    "Okay, take a shower, and then we¡¯ll see what we can do to find something to eat," I told her, pushing her toward the bathroom to freshen up. I was starving too, and my legs were hurting from the hike. I wasn¡¯t like them, who had their selves¡¯ help. Once she went into the bathroom and started the shower, I turned to look at Lamar, who was still roaming around the room, asionally ncing at me.


    "I know about your situation," he muttered, making me fold my arms over my chest and watch his face in silence. I was just waiting for him to say another joke or make another foolishment.


    "Do you know who the father is?" The moment I heard those words from his lips, my posture shattered, and my lips parted to let out a gasp that I quickly tried to cover up.


    "Huh? I didn¡¯t know you had gone crazy," the awkward smile on my lips must have given away the truth.


    "Hnie, you cannot act like it¡¯s nothing. You will start showing signs soon, and then what? What about the physical changes?" he attempted toe closer, speaking in whispers. I stepped back and held up my palm to silence him.


    "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Is this your way of torturing me? Are you trying to start a rumor?" My voice was shaky as I kept trying to deny the truth, but he looked so confident about his statement.


    "Okay, if you don¡¯t want to admit it, that¡¯s your choice. I¡¯m just trying to help," he said, using a much more understanding tone before walking away to sit on his bed.


    I kept staring at him as he used his phone. "There¡¯s a ce I can take you two for lunch since we all missed lunch." He sounded so casual, as if he hadn¡¯t just given me the biggest shock of my life by telling me that he knew my secret.


    "How¡ªhow can you help?" I stammered, and everything went silent almost instantly. He steadily raised his head, and our eyes met.


    "I don¡¯t know what to do," I continued, and he put his phone down, sighing tiredly.


    "Do you know the father? Was it a one-night stand?" he asked, not trying to sound sarcastic or mocking.


    With a shaky feeling in my body, I shook my head in answer to his questions.


    "Do you want this baby?" he inquired. I lowered my head. My hand very steadily moved to my belly, and I rubbed it, wondering what I truly wanted.


    "Hnie, you make the decision, and I¡¯ll take care of it for you," his voice was soforting that I kept looking down and let him speak. "And if you want to keep the baby, I can manage that too."


    I thought I didn¡¯t want this baby, but there was a strange feeling inside me that made me wonder if it would be wrong to not want this child.


    "Hey, don¡¯t think too much. I can try to get a leave for you¡ª" he began, but he was interrupted when I raised my head and spoke up.


    "I don¡¯t want this baby."


    "It¡¯s not my baby," I didn¡¯t know why I thought about it, but I just couldn¡¯t ept this child.


    "Okay, you don¡¯t need to say anything else, and trust me, it will never reach anyone¡¯s ears ever," he said, giving me a warm head nod. By then, Lucy walked out of the bathroom wearing a blue dress.


    "How about you two girls get ready, and we head out for lunch? There¡¯s a small pack nearby with the best cafe, I¡¯ve heard. How about we go try that?" he suggested, and Lucy looked over to me.


    I was too stunned to speak. I didn¡¯t even know what had just happened. Did I really just speak to Lamar about my pregnancy? Could I even trust him?


    "Okay," I uttered, rushing into the bathroom to take a hot shower. My body needed it so badly.


    After I dressed in baggy jeans and a white shirt, I topped it with my purple sweater and walked out of the bathroom, thinking I might catch Lucy and Lamar making out again. However, that wasn¡¯t the case this time.


    The two were sitting separately on their beds, using their phones.


    "All set? I¡¯ve called in a favor from a friend at the hostel. He¡¯s lending us his car," Lamar slipped his phone into his pocket and got up from the bed, inviting us to join him. We followed him to the door, and then I knew I had to take the elevator. But instead of going alone, I noticed Lamar passing me to enter the elevator before me.


    Lucy seemed to have no choice but to join us in the elevator as well. I used to be the only one who frequented the elevator, but today, it was the three of us.


    When we exited the elevator, we came face to face with Jenny and Gavin. The two were standing at a distance. Jenny was with the board, looking at the notice, while Gavin was on his phone, texting someone.


    I had a feeling things weren¡¯t going smoothly now that we had encountered the two on the ground floor¡ªpractically not together, but still present in the same ce at the same time.

 Chapter 118-The Friend Who Trusted me

    <h4>Chapter 118: 118-The Friend Who Trusted me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Lucy¡¯s phone beeping was the sign that Gavin had been hitting her up, actually.


    He raised his head to acknowledge us, and after giving me a nod, he walked over to us. Lucy acted timid, steadily holding my back and moving closer to me.


    "What¡¯s up? You guys headed somewhere?" Gavin asked.


    "Yeah, for lunch. Want to join us?" I asked, feeling bad for him catching us like that. We should have asked him to join us.


    "I¡¯m not sure if everybody wants me to join them," Gavin muttered.


    "Gavin, pleasee," Lucy came from behind me and spoke to him nicely. Gavin smiled at me.


    It was after some time that the two were smiling at each other genuinely. I just wish Lucy hadn¡¯t done what she did.


    But for now, I really wanted to leave this hostel and go eat something.


    Before we could walk out, Jenny came after us. She seemed to want to join us but instead, stood to the side, rubbing her palms together.


    "You want toe?" Lamar asked her, making Lucy re at him.


    If shees with us, things might get a bit awkward, but then I remembered she had skipped lunch too. So, as we all watched her face, she smiled and nodded her head as she epted the offer.


    Now, it was just us walking out of the hostel.


    "Why did he invite her?" Lucy whispered in my ear, making me ufortable since Jenny was right beside me on my left.


    I tried to warn Lucy with a look, silently pleading with her not to say or do anything here, but she ignored me. Instead, she kept making remarks about how shameless Jenny was for tagging along with us.


    "Oh, shoot! How are we all going to fit in one car?" Lucy pouted as we reached the vehicle. I knew exactly what she was trying to do.


    "No need to worry. I can take all of us to the caf¨¦," Penn¡¯s voice interrupted, and suddenly, he arrived in his 7-seater Rolls-Royce SUV, pulling up smoothly right in front of us. He got out, shing a weing smile. Wearing sunsses and branded clothes, he looked like a rich alpha straight out of a book.


    "Wow! Is this your car?" Gavin eximed, jumping up and down excitedly as he stared at the luxurious vehicle.


    "Come on, hop in," Penn insisted. Without dy, Gavin jumped into the backseat, followed by the rest of us. Penn and Jenny sat in the front, with Penn taking the wheel.


    "How are you?" I asked Gavin. He had twisted in his seat to talk to Lucy and me. However, Lucy had nudged me into the middle, likely to avoid any awkward interaction.


    "I¡¯m great, especially after feeling that pain," Gavin said pointedly, his words clearly aimed at Lucy. He added, "Twice."


    I noticed his gaze flick toward Lucy, who had clenched her fists tightly.


    "I hope you two resolve this matter soon," I said softly. I didn¡¯t have much else to add, but guilt weighed on me for not telling Gavin about his mate¡¯s betrayal. It was far tooplicated¡ªboth of them were my friends.


    "And you don¡¯t know anything about what might have happened that night?" Gavin asked me suddenly. The moment those words left his mouth, my throat went dry.


    It felt as if he already knew I was aware of the night he was talking about.


    "Why are you bothering her, Gavin? How would she know?" Lucy quickly interjected, leaning forward before turning to face him.


    "Why do you sound so nervous, as if I caught you in a lie?" Gavin scoffed, his tone sharp and bitter. I had never seen him this angry before.


    "Guys, please remember we¡¯re not alone," I whispered, gently pushing both of them back into their seats.


    "I¡¯m telling you, Hnie, if I ever find out that you knew something and didn¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll be very upset with you," Gavin stated firmly before sliding away from me and looking out the window. His words made my stomach drop.


    Lucy gently held my hand, trying to reassure me that everything was fine. But it wasn¡¯t. Even though I didn¡¯t say it out loud, I was ming her for Gavin¡¯sment. Still, I wouldn¡¯t let her do anything out of pressure¡ªit wasn¡¯t her fault entirely.


    Soon, we arrived at the caf¨¦. The moment I saw the ce, my heart started pounding like a drum. It was that caf¨¦¡ªthe one owned by Benita.


    I hade here once for work, and the judgmental way she had looked at me still haunted me. That single encounter had crushed my confidence so much that I couldn¡¯t muster the courage to apply for another job afterward. Worse, I was terrified that she might recognize me from that desperate night when I had epted Lamar¡¯s offer to be a hostess just to make ends meet.


    We all got out of the car and walked inside, greeted by other servers. My heart thudded painfully in my chest; I silently prayed that Benita wouldn¡¯te over and say something in front of everyone.


    "Lamar¡ª," I whispered, hoping to discreetly get his attention. Unfortunately, my attempt wasn¡¯t subtle enough; everyone in the group turned to look at me.


    "Nothing," I mumbled quickly, brushing it off. They continued walking toward thest table, leaving me to trail behind.


    When we reached the table, I wanted to sit with my back to the main counter to avoid being seen. But that spot was already taken by Gavin, Penn, and Jenny. Lucy and I had no choice but to sit where we were in clear view of the counter.


    From our table, I could see Benita working, handing out orders. My heart raced as I hoped she wouldn¡¯t notice me. But then it happened¡ªher eyesnded on me, and she froze for a split second. Her smile faded as recognition lit up her face.


    She began walking toward our table, smiling faintly at first, but with every step, the smile started to fade. Her eyes were fixed on me.


    "Greetings! What brings the RVS students here?" she said with a forced smile, making it clear she¡¯d noticed the bands on our wrists. It dawned on me just how much respect students from RVSmanded everywhere.


    "Food, what else?" Lamar smirked, throwing out a casualment. Sheughed politely, but I noticed her narrowing her eyes at him briefly before turning her gaze back to me.


    "I think I know you," she said with a smirk, making my palms sweat nervously.

 Chapter 119-The Argument

    <h4>Chapter 119: 119-The Argument</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Really? Who?" Lamar asked, either out of in stupidity or ignorance.


    "You!" She pointed her finger at Gavin instead, who shifted in his seat before smiling.


    "Yeah, I¡¯ve been here before. It was when I was getting ready for the backup tests," he admitted. "Why don¡¯t you surprise us with your best meal, like you didst time too," he said while holding the menu.


    "Sure, I would! Oh, I see you brought your mate here too," Benita smiled as she started taking orders.


    "He talks about me, and I¡¯m¡ªcheating on him?" I noticed the shift in Lucy¡¯s demeanor. I didn¡¯t want her to take thedy¡¯sment too seriously because I didn¡¯t want Lucy to do something irrational in the heat of the moment.


    I just wanted her to take some time and ask Gavin if he had actually cheated on her or not. Because, like Lamar said, if she confronts him directly, he might never confess.


    Thankfully, she left without causing more trouble, but Lucy had gone utterly silent the whole time.


    Penn was busy on his phone, so I assumed he only tagged along because he knew his sister would be alone if he didn¡¯t join.


    As for Jenny, she sat with her shoulders slouched sadly. Lamar was the only one talking, and Gavin was engaging with him.


    "I can¡¯t hide it anymore," Lucy whispered in my ear as she stood up, causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end.


    "Lucy¡ª" I grabbed her hand, trying to pull her back down, but she shook her head.


    "Can we talk, Gavin?" she asked, interrupting his conversation. Lamar¡¯s eyes darted to mine, and I gave him a look. He understood what I meant.


    "Umm, the food is about to be here. Why do you need to talk right now? And in front of everyone? Rude!" Lamar tried to y it off, but Lucy seemed determined, and, surprisingly, Gavin seemed intrigued by what she had to say.


    "Sure, what is it?" Gavin asked, folding his arms on the table.


    "Can we go outside and talk?" Ignoring everyone, Lucy directed her attention solely to Gavin, and he focused only on her.


    "Lucy, maybe let everyone eat first," I urged her, still holding her hand. I really didn¡¯t like the idea of her speaking to him here. There were so many people around.


    Why would she do that?


    "I need to do this. I can¡¯t live with this guilt. He deserves to know," she said aloud, not even trying to whisper. Everyone heard her and stared in confusion.


    But Gavin, of all people, just nodded, his jaw clenching as if he already knew what she was guilty of. Of course, the pain he felt that night was a reminder of something Lucy had done wrong.


    "Let¡¯s go outside. You guys enjoy the feast," Gavin said, standing up and walking away, with Lucy following closely behind him.


    The awkward silence lingered for only a few seconds before I hastily got up to follow them. This was news that Gavin wouldn¡¯t take lightly, and he would clearly need someone by his side to calm him down.


    I was also worried about how he might react to Lucy admitting she had cheated on him.


    I needed to be there to ensure they both stayed safe and kept their hands to themselves during such a big conversation.


    "Hnie, you shouldn¡¯t¡ª" Lamar immediately got up and grabbed my hand. I could see in his eyes that he didn¡¯t want me to go after them, and I understood why.


    "Too much stress," he mouthed silently.


    "All worth it for friends," I replied. I knew I was already weak and hadn¡¯t been eating properly, given my current state. But being there for my friends was important to me. I had never had friends before, so now that I finally did, I was willing to do whatever it took to support them.


    "Then I¡¯lle too," Lamar insisted.


    It was odd how Penn remained seated, watching the situation unfold without interfering. He didn¡¯t seem shocked, interested, or concerned about what was happening.


    Jenny, on the other hand, looked puzzled and worried for all of us.


    "No, I don¡¯t think Gavin would appreciate seeing you right now," I said, shaking my head at Lamar. "If you go outside while Lucy is telling Gavin she cheated on him with you, he¡¯ll take it very hard. And honestly, nobody would me him."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine," I added, seeing the concern in Lamar¡¯s eyes. I had to reassure him so he wouldn¡¯t follow me.


    After he reluctantly backed down, I quickly made my way outside, where Lucy and Gavin were standing face to face.


    "What is it? Are you finally going to confess to what you did to me?" Gavin asked her, his tone harsh and his eyes zing with rage.


    "Are you ready to tell me why I felt pain that night?" Lucy confronted him.


    I didn¡¯t immediately step beside them but stayed back, keeping my eyes on them in case they lost control of their emotions.


    "I told you, I was upset about not being epted into the academy. When I was with the others in a shelter, I started feeling like I could neverpete with them. I was frustrated and down. I tried to transition in the woods, but due to the stress, my wolf couldn¡¯te out. I was failing at everything, and that might have been why you felt something strange in your heart," Gavin yelled, his voice rising with frustration.


    Lucy hugged herself, her arms wrapping tightly around her body. I could see the regret on her face now that he had answered her question honestly.


    "So, tell me, Lucy¡ª" Gavin started, but before he could finish, her mouth fell open, and a gasp escaped her lips.


    That reaction seemed to throw Gavin into an uneasy state.


    "I thought you cheated on me," she murmured, her voice barely audible.


    It took Gavin a few moments to process her words before he finally spoke. "Is that why¡ªdid you cheat on me?"


    This was what I had been afraid of, and now it was finally happening.

 Chapter 120-The Bitter Truth And Shattered Friendship

    <h4>Chapter 120: 120-The Bitter Truth And Shattered Friendship</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Tell me, did you cheat on me? Is that why I felt that pain?" Gavin insisted, his voice unwavering. But Lucy¡¯s confidence had been shattered.


    I guessed she had hoped for a different oue when they came out of the caf¨¦. She had really believed Gavin would confess something that would justify her cheating back on him. But now that it turned out to be a huge misunderstanding, she seemed uncertain whether she could tell him the truth and still save their rtionship.


    "I was distressed, and maybe that¡¯s why you felt that pain," she said, clearing her throat and instantly lying, even though she hade out here to tell him the truth.


    "No, Lucy. You¡¯re not lying to me anymore. You need to tell me the truth now. It¡¯s now or never," Gavin said, keeping his distance from her. She didn¡¯t try to move closer to him either.


    I stood by and watched as two people¡ªmates¡ªwho had once loved each other deeply and seemed so full of life began to fall apart.


    In that moment, I couldn¡¯t help but think about my own rtionship. How would I react if I ever faced Altan again? Would I hit him, p him, curse him, or just cry at the fact that I had ever loved someone so weak and cowardly?


    But what would I want to hear in that moment¡ªthe truth or a lie that might make me feel less disgusted with him?


    I would choose the truth.


    "Lucy¡ª" Gavin yelled, and atst, she opened her mouth to confess.


    "I did," she said, her voice trembling. Silence engulfed them.


    "You did what? Say it clearly," Gavin demanded, his tone now broken. The harshness and anger had dissipated, leaving only pain.


    "I cheated on you. I did it with someone, and then I made out with him again the other night when you felt that pain," she admitted, her voice barely audible as she closed her eyes in shame.


    My breath hitched when Gavin turned to look at me, his eyes shooting daggers.


    "What is she saying? She did it with someone¡ª" Gavin stammered, his words tumbling out in a confused jumble. There was a strained smile on his face, one that suggested he was desperately hoping we¡¯d tell him this was all some sort of sick joke.


    His hands flew to his head, grasping his hair in disbelief.


    "We didn¡¯t finish¡ª" Lucy stammered, as if that detail would somehow help the situation.


    Gavin abruptly stopped pulling at his hair and rushed toward her. I instinctively stepped between them in a split second.


    "Oh, thank you so much for not finishing," he yelled sarcastically. It seemed he wasn¡¯t trying to hurt her but needed to confront her face-to-face, to make sure she understood the depth of his pain.


    "So wait a minute¡ª" Gavin¡¯s voice grew quieter as if he were piecing everything together. The realization dawned on his face.


    "So you cheated on me, and you just kept going without even confirming if I cheated on you?" he hissed, his eyes spilling over with tears.


    Lucy clutched at my sweater, seeking some form offort, but I couldn¡¯t help wanting to reach out to Gavin instead. He looked utterly destroyed.


    "And then¡ªyou just kept lying. Was it really you thinking I cheated on you, or was that just an excuse you made up to cheat on me?" His voice broke as tears streamed down his face.


    I wished Lucy would say something¡ªanything¡ªto help calm him down because he was spiraling. His hands tugged violently at his hair, and he was breathing heavily, his veins bulging in his neck.


    "And you¡ª" Gavin¡¯s finger suddenly pointed at me, and I realized it was my turn to be confronted.


    "You knew about it? Because she was in her room that night, so¡ªwait¡ª" He pped his forehead, little sobs of helplessness escaping his lips.


    "Gavin¡ª" I started, stepping forward to try tofort him, but he raised a hand to stop me.


    "Who was it?" he demanded out of the blue.


    I silently prayed that question wouldn¡¯te up.


    "It was a mistake. I was so broken ever since I felt that pain¡ªGavin, it was so consistent for days that I just¡ª" Lucy finally opened her mouth, her voice trembling, but Gavin shook his head. He wasn¡¯t listening anymore.


    "I don¡¯t care," he snapped. "I told you on the first night you called me, using me of cheating, that I felt distant from you. I was miserable¡ªwondering if I would ever even make it into the academy, if I could be with you and share that experience with you. But no, instead of supporting me, you used me of sleeping with someone."


    "Yes, I grew distant from you, but I never cheated on you. But now¡ªit doesn¡¯t matter. You cheated on me." He clenched his fists, his voice trembling with anger.


    "Now tell me¡ªwho the fuck was it?" His voice turned from broken to harsh, the words cutting through the silence like a de.


    "Gavin, why do you want to do this to yourself? Whoever it was, it wasn¡¯t serious. And she¡¯s not even¡ª" I tried to step in and resolve the matter, but he hushed me, his re stopping me mid-sentence.


    I realized I was wrong. He had every right to know who it was, as long as he didn¡¯t do something reckless and get himself into trouble, like picking a fight with a ssmate.


    "You stay out of it. You chose her friendship over mine, Hnie," he snapped, pointing a finger at me. His anger burned in his eyes, making them red and fierce.


    Guilt consumed me. It was my first time making friends, and I had already managed to betray their trust.


    "Tell me," Gavin yelled, his voice breaking as Lucy shook her head. She lowered it, sobbing while wrapping her arms tightly around herself.


    "It can¡¯t be nothing because you did it twice. Is it¡ªyour roommate? Because who else would have been in the room at that hour of the night?" Gavin¡¯s mind was racing, piecing everything together with terrifying precision.


    "Was it Lamar?" he finally said, his voice trembling as he uttered the name.


    Lucy yelped, covering her mouth in shock, but her reaction gave her away.


    That was it. The truth was out, raw and undeniable.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how things would go from here, but a heavy, nauseating feeling settled in my stomach. Everything was spiraling out of control, and I suddenly felt very, very sick.

 Chapter 121-My Mate Saw Me In Someone Else’s Arms

    <h4>Chapter 121: 121-My Mate Saw Me In Someone Else¡¯s Arms</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Tell me, was it Lamar?" Gavin yelled, and that¡¯s when others started toe out of the caf¨¦. This was going very bad.


    Lucy looked at them and then back at Gavin, pleading with her eyes not to expose their business in front of the crowd. She already hated Jenny because she believed Jenny had slept with her mate. Being exposed in front of her now would only make things worse.


    However, now that Lucy knew Jenny wasn¡¯t the one who had slept with Gavin, I wasn¡¯t sure how she would behave with her.


    "What?" Gavin nced at the others, his face hardening. He turned to Lamar and yelled, "You¡¯re the asshole who slept with my mate!" Lamar shook his head in disapproval.


    "I¡¯m not feeling well," I murmured, cing a hand on my forehead and beginning to walk away. It was a weird sensation¡ªI felt like I wanted to throw up, not just casually but violently, as if I wanted to empty my guts.


    "Look, man, she didn¡¯t do anything," Lamar said, stepping forward to defend Lucy. "She was drunk, and I was drunk too."


    "She fucking confessed to making out with you afterward!" Gavin screamed, charging toward him. Despite my nausea, I moved quickly to push them apart.


    As I did so, I tripped and face-nted.


    "Ugh!" I groaned, feeling a sharp pain in my stomach. Instead of getting up, I remained sitting, wrapping my arms tightly around myself.


    "Are you guys insane?" Jenny screamed, rushing over with her brother to help me.


    But Gavin didn¡¯t hear her or notice anything else. He grabbed Lamar by the cor.


    "Please stop, it was my fault," Lucy whispered to herself, barely audible.


    "Get your hands off me! It¡¯s not like you didn¡¯t push her to cheat on you," Lamar yelled, freeing himself from Gavin¡¯s grasp.


    "She knows I didn¡¯t cheat on her! you took advantage of our situation, and that mate of mine didn¡¯t even remember that you¡¯re the same man who tried to kill our friend!" Gavin shouted.


    The argument escted, their voices bing a blur. All I could hear was everyone using each other, and it made my head spin.


    "Let¡¯s take her home. She¡¯s on her period, and she¡¯s usually in a lot of pain this time of the month," Jenny lied to her brother.


    Penn didn¡¯t hesitate. He scooped me up in his arms and carried me to his car.


    "What about them?" Jenny asked, climbing into the backseat with me.


    "They can figure it out themselves. They¡¯ve got enough energy to argue all night," Penn replied, starting the engine.


    I didn¡¯t want to leave them like that¡ªLucy was upset, Gavin was heartbroken, and Lamar was taking me he didn¡¯t entirely deserve. But Penn had already begun driving us back to the hostel.


    Jenny gently caressed my hair, and within a few minutes, I fell asleep in herp.


    However, I woke up to the siblings talking in whispers. They weren¡¯t loud, so I could only catch bits and pieces of their conversation, especially since I wasn¡¯t fully awake.


    "What¡¯s up with your friend? Why is she so weak?" I heard Penn ask.


    "She barely eats. I don¡¯t think she likes the food at the hostel. Besides, she¡¯s not used to living among so many people," Jenny replied, her words mixed with a little truth.


    "Oh, that¡¯s because she¡¯s a rogue. I get it. But shouldn¡¯t a rogue be strong? I mean, she survived all by herself in the woods¡ªhowe she looks so timid?" Penn questioned.


    "Brother, sometimes it¡¯s easier to live alone than among people who are bitter and toxic," Jenny replied, her toneced with honesty.


    "Anyway, I hope today¡¯s drama taught you some lessons too. You see, Lucy thought her mate was cheating on her, but he wasn¡¯t," Penn said. I could tell he was indirectly referencing Jenny¡¯s own trauma.


    "The pain I felt that night was different, Penn. Besides, it¡¯s funny how you¡¯re using Lucy¡¯s pain as an example and not Gavin¡¯s. Gavin felt the pain, and it turned out to be true, didn¡¯t it?" Jenny countered quickly. It was sad to hear her brother dismiss her experience and take her mate¡¯s side.


    "Unless he admits to what he did, you can¡¯t fully me him. The pain could¡¯ve been from anything. You know mates feel each other¡¯s pain when their wolves are active. Anyway, did you congratte him for passing the recent tests?" Penn tried to steer the conversation away, urging her to focus on mending the rtionship.


    "I didn¡¯t. I¡¯ll do it when I feel like it," Jenny snapped, her voice turning harsh. After that, the two fell into silence.


    Soon, we arrived at the hostel, and I began to wake up fully. I wasn¡¯t feeling as sick anymore, though the dull pain lingered.


    "It¡¯s okay, I can walk on my own from here," I whispered to Penn as he opened the door to the backseat, ready to carry me.


    "You¡¯re barely able to move. Come on now," Penn said, rolling his eyes. Jenny stood behind him, worry etched across her face as she watched me.


    I wanted to resist, but I feared that if I took even one more step, I¡¯d fall t on my face.


    After a few seconds, Penn scooped me up in his arms. I was nervous about being seen by any of the seniors or top seniors¡ªthey¡¯d bully me mercilessly if they caught sight of us.


    But in my anxiety over the potential bullying, Lucy and Gavin¡¯s situation, and the seniors, Ipletely forgot about one person: my mate, Kaye.


    The moment Penn carried me out of the car, my eyes locked directly with Kaye¡¯s. He was walking out of the hostel, dressed in ck pants, a ck shirt, and a ck jacket.


    His steps froze, and a look of shock crossed his face as his gazended on me.


    In that instant, even though Kaye and I weren¡¯t officiallymitted, I felt as though I¡¯d betrayed him. His expression only confirmed my suspicions.

 Chapter 122-The Jealous One

    <h4>Chapter 122: 122-The Jealous One</h4>


    <strong>Kaye:</strong>


    "Kaye, may I have a word with you?"


    As I was preparing to leave the mansion to check on Hnie and see how she was doing, Norman called out to me. It was as if he instinctively knew where I was headed.


    We hadn¡¯t mentioned Hnie again, but it had only been a few days. Somehow, my brothers always found a way to bring her up, which inevitably soured my mood. It wasn¡¯t just Norman and Maximus, who openly disapproved of her¡ª even when Emmet showed too much care for her, it worried me.


    "Yes, sure," I said, sneaking a quick fix of my hair while slipping my hands into my pockets as I turned to face him.


    "Where are you headed?" he asked, tilting his head slightly, his fingers meticulously unbuttoning his sleeves.


    "I was thinking of heading to the hostel to remind the juniors to prepare for my ss¡ªprioritizing herbs and poisons first instead ofbat," I replied, watching as Norman¡¯s expression contorted at my decision.


    "And you switch the sses without consulting me first?" His smile was disarming, but I wasn¡¯t fooled by the subtle edge in his tone.


    "I was actually nning to discuss it with you, but then I heard Dad wants you to apany him to the meeting with Mom, so I figured you¡¯d appreciate my help," I said, keeping my voice steady, even as I chose my words carefully.


    I¡¯d always be ready to help Norman out¡ªanything for the brother who had always been there for us. But this time, I wasn¡¯t doing it just for him. I was doing it for Hnie. I didn¡¯t want to tell her directly, but I knew she wasn¡¯t ready forbat sses.


    I feared that if I wasn¡¯t around, Norman wouldn¡¯t step in to stop anyone from pushing her too hard. Combat was about strength, and no one would ask their opponent to punch or kick gently¡ªit wasn¡¯t the nature of the academy. Everyone here was training for serious roles¡ªprotecting their packs and defending their people.


    But I was shamelessly biased. I knew Hnie needed more time before she was ready to join anybat sessions.


    "That¡¯s thoughtful of you. Fine, go ahead, but make sure you check on Maximuster," Norman said, thankfully not pressing further. He patted me on the back, dismissing me.


    I quickly rushed out, eager to see Hnie before anyone else could interrupt¡ªespecially Emmet.


    He barely did anything around the mansion, so he had all the time in the world to visit her and, worse, possibly win her heart. I just hoped he only saw her as his stepsister.


    As I settled into the car and began driving to the hostel, I couldn¡¯t help but think about the bracelet Emmet had given her. Hnie had been quick to return it to him once she realized it was made of real diamonds.


    "It was all for show. Don¡¯t forget she took it back immediately too," my wolf murmured in my head.


    I rolled my eyes at him, brushing off his words.


    "Don¡¯t just give me the silent treatment. Don¡¯t forget what Norman says about her," Ye continued. I knew he wouldn¡¯t stop until I addressed it.


    "You two don¡¯t even know her. Besides, Emmet is her professor, so she didn¡¯t want to upset him," I replied, aware of Ye¡¯s attempts to manipte me.


    I wasn¡¯t a fool. I didn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s judgment to know Hnie was nothing like her mother or anyone else.


    She was so different, so deep.


    There was a unique kind of shine in her eyes, as if she didn¡¯t belong to this world. Nothing seemed to intrigue her, and that in itself intrigued me.


    "So let Emmet take care of her. He¡¯s her stepbrother as well," Ye retorted, clearly trying to rattle me with the title.


    "As if that¡¯s the only connection we have with her. And as for Emmet¡ªthe brother who needs days off to recover after every full moon? He can¡¯t take care of her. He should focus on his health first," I snapped, annoyance creeping into my voice. Emmet¡¯s constant attempts to impress Hnie were getting on my nerves.


    He barely did anything else in his life.


    "So, just out of curiosity¡ªyour brothers bullying her or the brother trying to impress her to win her heart. Which one bothers you more?" Ye¡¯s question left me momentarily speechless.


    Straightening my back, I thought about it, and both options seemed equally terrible.


    I chose silence for the rest of the drive and soon arrived at the hostel. After parking, I went inside and sat down with the warden.


    "Agrona," I greeted her with a nod. She returned my gesture with a small smile as we both took our seats.


    I nced around her small office, noting the bed tucked in the corner and the walls adorned with photos of former elite students. A very curated list, but who was I to judge?


    "How is everyone here? I hope the bullying has lessened," I said, my tone neutral.


    Agrona¡¯s sharp eyes briefly wandered to mine before she lowered them, a small smile ying on her lips.


    "Young future rogue king¡ªbullying is part of the academy, not the hostel. At least not when I¡¯m around. There can only be one bully at a time," she said, her mismatched red and blue eyes glinting with an odd charm.


    I¡¯d always wanted to ask Agrona what had happened in her past, but ever since I was a kid, Dad had told me not to ask such questions.


    "Anyway, I¡¯d like you to make an announcement to the juniors that the scavenging for herbs will start next Monday," I said quickly as I got up. We had just finished discussing how the juniors had either gone to take naps or left the hostel for other errands.


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to ask her directly about Hnie¡ªit would draw too much attention. And, as Agrona herself had said, there was only room for one big bad bully in the hostel.


    And that was Agrona.


    "Sure!" she replied, her rough voice coated with a sweetness I could tell was fake. I¡¯d always felt that her niceness was just a front, something she put on because of the position she held.


    "Tsk, tsk, tsk, little lover couldn¡¯t even get a glimpse of his mate," Ye taunted, but I ignored him, keeping my head straight as I walked out of the hostel.


    That¡¯s when I saw something that made Ye add to his earlier jab.


    "Oh, look! Our journey wasn¡¯t entirely wasted. We found your mate¡ªwith her new lover¡ªcarrying her bridal style, off to what is probably their first night together," Ye sneered, his voice dripping with mockery.

 Chapter 123-Too Much Comfort From My Mate

    <h4>Chapter 123: 123-Too Much Comfort From My Mate</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I was horrified by the sight of Kaye watching me being carried in the arms of Penn. I knew it looked bad, but why would it bother me? It shouldn¡¯t, right?


    But it did.


    The hurt in his eyes made me feel like dying in that moment. Oh, wait¡ªI would die from the pain.


    Penn only gave Kaye a brief nod before rushing past him to take me upstairs. I couldn¡¯t do anything; the pain was too much. Kaye, on the other hand, seemed frozen in ce, as if he wasn¡¯t one for grand gestures anyway.


    I closed my eyes because, at this point, I didn¡¯t even want to see what was going on around me anymore. I didn¡¯t want anyone to see me either.


    But that was inevitable¡ªwe were spotted before we could even reach the elevator.


    "Wait!"


    A loud, gruff voice stopped us.


    I opened my eyes and wriggled my legs, signaling Penn to put me down. The moment my feet touched the floor, I dropped to my knees, wrapping my arms tightly around my stomach.


    The warden stood tall with her hands sped behind her back. The silence was enough of a warning¡ªI needed to raise my head and give her my full attention, or she¡¯d just keep staring.


    So I did, though I had little energy left and was wracked with pain.


    "What¡¯s going on here? Is this some kind of romantic suite where lovers carry their mates around in their arms¡ª?" Before the warden could draw the wrong conclusion, I quickly tried to correct her.


    My first mistake.


    "He¡¯s not my lover," I said in a meek voice. Even I was shocked by how low and feeble I sounded.


    Her expression changed instantly, and now I wanted to know what I¡¯d done wrong. Was she upset because she¡¯d assumed incorrectly?


    "How dare you!" she roared. "Take your words back and don¡¯t speak until I¡¯ve finished talking, or I¡¯ll pluck your tongue from your throat and feed it to the animals!"


    She lunged at me suddenly, backing me against the wall. My spine straightened instantly, and my eyes widened in fear.


    I was terrified¡ªthis was the first time I¡¯d seen another woman this up close. That¡¯s when I noticed something unsettling: she had two different-colored eyes. But it didn¡¯t look gic. One of her eyes was blood-red, riddled with wiry veins that covered her cornea.


    I bet she noticed how scared I was. My heart was pounding so hard, it felt like it might burst out of my chest.


    "Why don¡¯t you have a wolf¡¯s scent?" she demanded, sniffing me like a dog.


    I kept my body rigid, pressed as tightly against the wall as I could. My breaths were uneven and erratic. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed giggling. A quick nce confirmed it¡ªSydney and Salem, along with their little entourage, were poking their heads out from the staircase, watching me get scolded.


    "Agrona, thank you for taking care of the students, but I¡¯ll take it from here," said a familiar voice.


    Kaye¡¯s arrival was shocking¡ªhe looked like he¡¯d been stabbed in the chest. I thought he would¡¯ve left by now.


    But I was wrong.


    Agrona didn¡¯t step away from me. Instead, she turned her head to bring Kaye into my line of sight. He looked so determined, his eyes fixed on her as he raised an eyebrow. He didn¡¯t move a muscle or make any gestures.


    She then looked back at me, and I caught a smirk of acknowledgement on her face.


    "Go, little wolfless creature. You¡¯ve been spared¡ª" she whispered. But just as she moved away, she added, "for now."


    Agrona stepped aside before turning her attention to Penn and Jenny. For someone like Jenny, I always thought she¡¯d be confident and arrogant. She came from a powerful pack but was surprisingly meek, often sharing strange and contradictory stories about her experiences.


    Penn, however, was steady and confident as he faced the warden.


    "Let¡¯s make sure you kids don¡¯t repeat this kind of behavior," Agrona warned before walking away.


    "You guys can go," Kaye said, and we all thought that was the end of it.


    "Let¡¯s get you to your room," Penn said loudly, turning to Kaye with a polite nod. "Thank you, Professor Kaye."


    "Actually," Kaye interjected, his gaze unwavering as he locked eyes with Penn. "Leave Hnie behind. I need to speak with her."


    Penn nced at me for confirmation, clearly searching my face for any sign of protest.


    "I¡¯ll be fine," I said, giving them a small nod.


    Penn and Jenny walked away toward the staircase, with Penn wrapping an arm around his sister¡¯s shoulders tofort her. Now it was just me and Kaye.


    "A minute outside?" Kaye asked, his tone leaving no room for refusal.


    I followed him steadily, relieved that I wasn¡¯t feeling too weak anymore. The cool air outside hit my skin as Kaye turned to face me.


    "What was going on?" he asked in a simple yet aggressive tone. "Why were you in his arms?"


    His question was sharp,ced with a possessiveness that reminded me of how mates sometimes spoke to each other. I could have easily responded with sass, telling him to mind his own business. But I sympathized with him. I knew it hurt to see your mate with someone else.


    I didn¡¯t have a wolf, so I couldn¡¯t fully understand the depth of such feelings. But I¡¯d seen my friends suffer, and the thought of being the cause of someone¡¯s pain unsettled me.


    I was ready to exin that there was absolutely nothing between me and Penn when Kaye suddenly softened, adding, "Did you get hurt?"


    However, his simple addition shifted something inside me¡ªsoftened me, just a little bit.


    "I actually did. I fell and hurt my knee," I said, using a scratch from earlier as evidence.


    "What were you doing? You need to be a lot more careful, especially for my ss," he said, his toneced with concern.


    He began to kneel down, reaching to inspect my torn baggy jeans. The fall had been bad in many ways¡ªI¡¯d lost yet another pair of pants. But I wasn¡¯t going to discard them; I couldn¡¯t afford to rece them.


    As for Kaye, I quickly stepped back, not wanting to make it too obvious that something unusual was going on between us. Someone might notice, and thest thing I needed was more attention.


    "Your ss?" I asked, confused. What had happened to thebat one?


    "Yeah, I¡¯ve switched sses, Hnie," he said, his voice soforting as he gave me the news.

 Chapter 124-A Terrifying Night Ahead

    <h4>Chapter 124: 124-A Terrifying Night Ahead</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    After Kaye checked on me, he noticed that the seniors and nosy juniors had starteding out, probably to see why a professor was talking to a student alone without involving others.


    "Take care and apply something on it. I¡¯ll ask you to send me a picture of this injury in a few hours," he warned me, gesturing slightly with his finger as he pointed at me.


    Just as he was about to turn around and walk away, someone called out to him.


    "Professor Kaye!"


    I stepped aside to let her pass as she came running like a headless chicken. It was the senior, Sage.


    She approached with a prideful expression on her face, wearing her best attire¡ªa new tracksuit and headphones¡ªas if she were all set for a fun run.


    "Yes?" Kaye asked. He already seemed to know her. I mean, she was a top senior, so he definitely knew of her.


    "I, um¡ªwanted to¡ªask for a favor," she said, her tone far gentler than it usually was when she spoke to Kaye.


    "Go ahead," Kaye replied, and she stretched out her hand to give him something.


    "Can you give this to Professor Emmet for me?" she asked softly, trying to fake a gentle and kind tone.


    It felt odd standing next to her. I probably should have left since I was done talking, but I didn¡¯t know what kept me there.


    Kaye stared at the package and shook it lightly. I realized it wasn¡¯t just a piece of paper inside but something else moving too.


    "It¡¯s a chocte bar," she exined again. "I wanted to thank him for teaching us with so much passion."


    She was trying so hard to sound cute as she asked Kaye to give her gift to his brother. I didn¡¯t even realize how intently I had been watching her until my eyes shifted to Kaye. I found him staring at me with intent.


    He seemed a little lost or maybe just observing me¡ªI couldn¡¯t tell.


    "Sure. You¡¯re his favorite student, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be very happy to receive this," Kaye said, his tone changing as he agreed to her request.


    She moved her shoulders happily, almost smugly. I didn¡¯t know she was Emmet¡¯s favorite student.


    "I am?" she said, equally shocked, while Kaye nodded his head to confirm.


    "Thank you so much, sir. It truly means a lot to me," she eximed. Of course, she was ecstatic, and why the heck was I so jealous?


    I shouldn¡¯t be.


    This wasn¡¯t what my life was going to revolve around.


    "Make sure you finish your run before evening, Sage. No one is allowed to stay outsidete tonight," I heard Kaye tell her.


    "I¡¯ll leave now, sir," I said, giving him a faint nod before turning around and walking steadily back inside. I entered the elevator and pressed the button, but somehow, my eyes kept darting to the panel, hoping the tenth floor would appear magically.


    "If it shows up, I¡¯ll send this Sage to the tenth floor," I hissed under my breath, almost like a brat, before catching myself and biting my tongue.


    Once I got back to my room, I realized how lonely it was without Lamar and Lucy. Even though Lamar irritated the heck out of me, I¡¯d been realizing he was a little less insufferabletely. But what about Lucy?


    So many thoughts swirled in my mind as I tried to focus, even though I didn¡¯t want to. I hadn¡¯t eaten anything and was feeling incredibly sick. I managed to take a quick shower, but as soon as I got into bed, I couldn¡¯t resist the pull of exhaustion and fell asleep.


    I jolted awake when the door opened.


    "I¡¯m so sorry for bothering you like this," Lamar said as he stepped in, noticing he had woken me up. He quickly apologized, but I couldn¡¯t help noticing dried blood on his face.


    It instantly made me realize something was wrong. It wasn¡¯t long before memories of the tension between Gavin and Lucy came flooding back, and I sat upright.


    "Where¡¯s Lucy?" I asked groggily, guilt bubbling up inside me for having fallen asleep while my friends were out dealing with so much.


    "I don¡¯t know," Lamar replied, sitting down on the bed and pulling his bag out from underneath. He unzipped it, and my stomach churned when I saw what he was doing.


    He had drugs in his bag.


    "What the heck are you doing?" I nearly shouted, rushing over to lock the door. He was so reckless sometimes, and I felt immediate guilt for thinking he was "less insufferable" just a few minutes ago.


    "I don¡¯t know shit, okay? Your friend Gavin tried to pick a fight with me, so we¡ª" He paused before yelling, "And that other insecure friend of yours ran into the woods crying like a baby!"


    His sudden change in tone and behavior stunned me. I instinctively stepped back, putting some distance between us.


    This side of him¡ªthe unpredictable, erratic side¡ªwas startling, though not entirely unfamiliar. I had glimpsed it before, in the kitchen with Sydney that night. But this wasn¡¯t the same cocky demeanor. No, this version of Lamar looked genuinely bothered.


    "Insecure?" I shook my head at him in disbelief as he injected himself with something from his bag.


    "Screw you, Lamar!" I hissed, determined to go after Lucy and Gavin¡ªwhichever of them I could find first.


    "You probably shouldn¡¯t go after them. You¡¯re not well yourself. Put yourself first for once, because no one else ever will¡ªnot even your mate. Look at what happened between the two of them," Lamar had the nerve to lecture me, his voice slurred and intoxicated as hey sprawled on the bed.


    I mmed the door shut behind me, ignoring his words. The fact that he had praised Lucy so much earlier but was now calling her insecure just proved how fake he was. And that fake person held my secret. I had to keep that in mind.


    But for now, I was focused on finding my friends. It was getting dark, and the woods were no ce for anyone¡ªapart from the top seniors and alpha students who could defend themselves.


    Just as I stepped out of the elevator, I spotted Gavin walking toward the staircase, alone and bloodied.


    If he was here, where was Lucy?

 Chapter 125-A Lycan On Full Moon

    <h4>Chapter 125: 125-A Lycan On Full Moon</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Tonight is a full moon, so I¡¯ll be chilling in my room and watching movies," I heard a student say as I was rushing after Gavin.


    It was a full moon again? Oh is that why Kaye was asking Sage to remain inside.


    Also,I needed to do something about my situation. It had already been so long, and I was acting like I wasn¡¯t carrying a child.


    "Gavin!" He stopped when I called after him.


    "If you¡¯re looking for someone who will ept your apology, I need time, Hnie. I can¡¯t even look at you right now," he murmured, refusing to turn around and face me.


    "Umm, right! I¡¯m sorry. I really am. But the night is upon us, and Lucy hasn¡¯t been to the Host¡ª" I paused when he turned around abruptly, looking furious.


    "You¡¯re asking me about her? Is this your way to hurt me more?" The hurt in his eyes made me look down instantly.


    "I¡¯m not saying you should look for her with me. I¡¯m just asking¡ªdo you have any idea where I might find her?" I used a soft tone, trying to avoid direct eye contact.


    "I can¡¯t believe this, Hnie. You, out of all people. I thought¡ªwell, I guess I was wrong. You¡¯re just too good for all of us. You choose your friends so carefully, always keeping yourfort in mind," he said bitterly. But it wasn¡¯t just his tone that hurt me; it was what he said.


    "Gavin! I couldn¡¯t speak between you two¡ª" I tried to exin, but he raised his hand to silence me and sped upstairs. I turned around and came face to face with Salem.


    "Ouch!" she mouthed. "Trouble between friends? You can share it with me. I¡¯m good at solving troubles." She folded her arms over her chest, giving me a peculiar look.


    "And why would I trust you?" I scoffed, folding my arms across my chest. She noticed and didn¡¯t seem to like it because her sharp eyebrow arched as high as it could.


    "I heard your friend is missing. What was her name again? Oh yeah, insecure Lucy!" she giggled to herself, and my jaw clenched.


    "I can help you find her," she whispered, but I shook my head, refusing her offer.


    "It¡¯s a full moon tonight, Hnie, and rumors say that whoever roams around the woods or the mountains during a full moon never returns to their friends," she whispered in the creepiest tone. Suddenly, a few wolf howls erupted, sending a shiver down my spine.


    Sheughed at my reaction and then shrugged. "I¡¯m good at sniffing. I can sniff her out, but I¡¯ll need something in return."


    She was swaying from side to side, her head tilting left and right every few seconds. It was odd talking to her directly. I used to think Sydney was weird.


    Now I knew why Salem didn¡¯t talk much¡ªshe was creepy as hell.


    "What do you need?" I asked. She nced at something on my wrist without even unfolding her arms.


    "My bracelet?" I inquired, and she nodded dramatically.


    "You don¡¯t need to give her anything. I¡¯lle with you," Jenny cut in,ing to the rescue.


    I knew she was the daughter and sister of an Alpha, so she had to be strong and capable.


    But it seemed to ruin Salem¡¯s n as she stomped her foot and started walking away before muttering, "Maybe next time. But I want that on my wrist."


    She mouthed thest part before storming off. I quickly pulled my sleeves down and gave Jenny a nod of appreciation for her help.


    We rushed out together, the wind slowly picking up.


    "Salem was lying about the rumors, right?" I asked Jenny as we began hiking down the trail to the woods near the mountains.


    "Those are just rumors. If they were true, they wouldn¡¯t be called that," she replied, trying to sound positive, though I sensed a bit of hesitation in her tone.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why she would endanger herself for Lucy, who had always shown disdain for her, but all help was appreciated.


    "Anyway, thank you!" I said, and she smiled happily, holding my hand.


    Jenny used her phone¡¯s shlight while I kept trying to contact Lucy. But a few minutes into our walk, it started getting extremely chilly.


    Not only that, but the silence was growing¡ªalmost as if the life outside, beyond closed doors and walls, was slowly retreating.


    We both noticed it. I saw the goosebumps on her skin whenever the shlight beam fell on her arms.


    But neither of us talked about it out loud. It wasn¡¯t like we could go back without Lucy.


    We made it to the edge of the woods and entered, greeted by an even eerier silence.


    Once we were deep in the woods, we clung closer together than before.


    "Lucy!" Jenny let out a faint cry, so quiet it was as if she feared someone¡ªor something¡ªdangerous might hear her.


    I swallowed hard and straightened my posture. "LUCY!" I yelled louder.


    As we began to walk forward, we started to realize just how unnervingly silent everything around us had be. Not even the wind was whooshing. It was a silence so absolute, it almost felt alive.


    And then, a blood-curdling scream pierced the quiet. It came from the direction we were heading.


    Both of us froze, exchanging a look that said everything¡ªwe recognized that voice.


    Before we knew it, we were running toward the sound of Lucy¡¯s scream.


    And then we heard the howls. They weren¡¯t normal wolf howls. They were wild, feral, the kind of howls that didn¡¯t belong to anything natural.


    I had a sinking feeling in my chest. I almost knew what we were about toe face-to-face with.


    As soon as we reached the spot where Lucy was, we both froze in ce.


    Before us stood a massive beast, towering and menacing.


    He was unlike anything I had ever seen before.


    "That¡¯s a lycan!" Jenny whispered in a shaky voice, confirming what we both feared.

 Chapter 126-The Moon Goddess Has Lost Her Mind

    <h4>Chapter 126: 126-The Moon Goddess Has Lost Her Mind</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    A beast-like creature that Jenny called a lycan not only existed but was now standing before us.


    When living in packs, we only heard stories about such crazy creatures and monsters but never really believed in them.


    We were taught about the monsters that were in by brave pack members. But what existed beyond the borders was always dismissed as a myth.


    That¡¯s why standing before this huge beast felt like a nightmare. What made it worse was that my friend was at the receiving end of the beast¡¯s ws.


    Lucy was on the ground, her eyes fixed on the massive creature before her. She was so paralyzed with fear that I don¡¯t think she realized she could transition¡ªeither to fight back or run away.


    "We need to do something," I whispered, unable to move a muscle, fearing that any movement might reveal us.


    "I can¡¯t transition," Jenny whispered back, squeezing my hand. I didn¡¯t understand why until I noticed how cold her hand had be.


    It was the lycan effect.


    I had read about it before. Slowly, the myths about lycans came back to me¡ªand none of it was good. A cursed wolf filled with so much rage that it would devour werewolves to quench its anger and thirst.


    "Go get Lucy and make it to the hostel," I said, pushing Jenny away in a split second as I resolved to save Lucy.


    If I could.


    At least, I could buy them a few minutes to get a head start.


    "HEY! Over here, asshole!" I shouted, raising both arms in the air and waving them. Jenny turned her head toward me, her face twisted in horror.


    The lycan¡¯s snarl grew louder. Saliva dripped from its exposed canines as it turned its attention toward me, its new target.


    "What are you doing?" Jenny yelled, but I had already turned around and started running.


    "Just take Lucy and go!" I screamed, sprinting as fast as I could. Behind me, I could hear the heavy thud of footsteps.


    Once the lycan effect wore off and we were in its presence for more than a few moments, the world around us became clear again. I heard the snapping of twigs and the sound of its breathing growing louder. It was much closer now.


    Before I knew it, ws wrapped around me from behind, lifting me off the ground.


    In that moment, something caught my attention. My thoughts went straight to my stomach¡ªand my baby. It was an immediate instinct, a sh of fear for my child¡¯s life.


    If he applied any more pressure, I would not only bleed, but I could lose my baby.


    I had never thought like that before. Up until this moment, I had only hated this child and resented the fact that I was carrying it. I never thought of it as mine. But right now, fear gripped me so strongly that it was undeniable. As my legs dangled in the air for a few seconds, panic surged through me. Then, I felt solid ground beneath my feet again.


    I wasn¡¯t thrown away but freed¡ªsomething had attacked the lycan.


    I crawled away quickly, hearing the wild howls and grunts behind me. Then I turned, still on the ground, to see a werewolf¡ªhalf the size of the beast¡ªfighting it.


    The two were locked in a brutal battle. The lycan¡¯s snarls were so feral and intense that I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how I had survived.


    Or had I survived at all?


    Despite the werewolf¡¯s fast and relentless attacks, the lycan managed to w it against a tree, wrapping its enormous hands around the werewolf¡¯s back and tossing it aside.


    It all happened so quickly. I hadn¡¯t moved a muscle. I watched as if it were a horror movie, as if I were strapped to a chair, unable to leave or even close my eyes.


    Once the lycan had thrown the werewolf away, it turned and rushed toward me again.


    I scrambled backward, trying to crawl away, but it was moving faster than before.


    Just as it reached me, I did the only thing I could think of¡ªI grabbed my pendant. I wasn¡¯t sure if it would even work on a lycan. After all, it was more beast than man¡ªa monster. But I took off my pendant anyway, hoping to confuse him with my scent.


    He raised his ws to strike me but froze midair.


    A strange silence engulfed us again, deeper and heavier than before.


    This time, though, what happened next was far crazier than anything I could have anticipated.


    I wanted to use this pause to get to my feet and run for safety, but I was stopped in my tracks.


    I heard a voice¡ªso unexpected and unfamiliar that I couldn¡¯tprehend it at first.


    "Mate!"


    No!


    Not a lycan!


    How was this possible?


    I felt like the world was copsing around me. Was it the pendant? Should I wear it again?


    I couldn¡¯t believe that simply taking off the pendant had done anything¡ªor had it?


    In a rush of uncertainty, I quickly put it back on while keeping my eyes fixed on the lycan. It was staring at me, almost as if it had felt something too.


    "Hnie! Get away from him," Jenny¡¯s voice was mixed with the shouts of Lucy, both trying to bring me back to reality. But I couldn¡¯t focus on anything but the fact that the Moon Goddess had lost her mind.


    But that didn¡¯t make sense. He¡¯s just a monster, without logic or reason¡ªright?


    Then, before I could think further, my vision started to blur.


    I vaguely made out the shapes of two werewolves appearing again, both attacking the lycan together. One was the injured werewolf from before, and the other was someone new.


    But I couldn¡¯t hold on long enough to make sense of what was happening. My body had reached its limit, and exhaustion imed me.


    I passed out.


    Thest thought I had was a fleeting one: I guess I¡¯ll wake up in heaven or hell, alongside the two werewolves who thought they could take on a lycan.

 Chapter 127-Goodbye!

    <h4>Chapter 127: 127-Goodbye!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Guys, she¡¯s waking up!" I heard a loud scream that jolted me awake. I was taking my time opening my eyes, but the way Lucy¡¯s voice pierced through my ears, I opened them with my fists clenched, as if I could fight a Lycan with two soft punches.


    However, before me stood all the people I call friends¡ªor acquaintances, or ex-lovers to each other, probably.


    I¡¯m not sure.


    They were just there, huddled around me near the river. Why was I near the river?


    "What¡¯s going on? Are we all dead?" I asked, a loud gulp running down my throat, so difficult to swallow.


    "No, but you almost got my sister killed," came Penn¡¯s voice. He stepped into view, his body bearing a few injuries that seemed to be in the process of healing. He was only wearing pants, his abs and muscles on full disy. Apparently, he had been taking a shower in the river.


    "Did you not hear your sister tell you that Hnie threw herself before the Lycan to save her friends?" The voice belonged to Lamar, who stood next to him in khaki pants, also wet. Both had sustained injuries, but like Penn, Lamar was already healing.


    "What happened?" I whispered under my breath, utterly lost.


    "Last night, after you passed out, the boys came to help," Jenny began, her voice soft. Lucy sat beside me, holding my hand between hers, constantly trying tofort me.


    "Who was the first werewolf¡ª" I had just opened my mouth when Penn smirked in a taunting way, turning his head to look at Lamar, who rolled his eyes.


    "Tossed away like a little bi**h," Pennmented, causing everyone to turn their heads to him and then back at me. He should have taken the hint to stay quiet.


    "Then my brother came, and then¡ª" Jenny paused as Gavin emerged from the river, wearing blue pants.


    "I should have known you¡¯d do something reckless," Gavin remarked, his hands on his waist.


    "You came looking for us?" I asked, genuinely impressed. I wasn¡¯t too happy with myself, but the fact that he still came to look for both Lucy and me, even after we betrayed him, left me speechless.


    "That¡¯s what friends do, Hnie. He didn¡¯t do anything remarkable. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s crazy for making the Lycan go after you. It¡¯s one thing to wander somewhere and risk stumbling upon something deadly, but it¡¯s an entirely different thing to call danger directly to yourself to save your friends," Jenny said, silencing everyone with her statement.


    She then turned to the group, as if seeking their approval to continue. "However¡ª"


    I frowned as I checked my body, realizing that I hadn¡¯t sustained any injuries, apart from a few scratches.


    "However what?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at Jenny.


    "The Lycan tried to take you away with him," Lucy blurted out, cutting to the punchline.


    "Huh?"


    "Maybe he wanted to save me forter?" I tried reasoning it out, still unable toprehend what she meant.


    "Lycan don¡¯t save their food. They eat fresh," Penn interjected. "I mean, the live person." He added quickly, ensuring no one thought he was only mocking me.


    "Are you all alright? How did you guys fight the Lycan?" I asked curiously, looking at the boys. They exchanged smug looks, but Jenny scoffed loudly.


    "They all got their asses beat. They were wailing like¡ª" She shut up abruptly when her brother shot her a harsh re. "The sun came up, and the Lycan had to retreat. It¡¯ll stay in hiding until the next full moon," she said with a shrug.


    That¡¯s when I remembered the detail I should have noticed earlier.


    I felt the mate bond¡ªwith a monster. And that monster was now in hiding.


    What the fuck?


    "Hnie, are you okay?" Lamar quickly knelt down to check on me as I zoned out.


    "Of course she is. She got my sister kill¡ª" Penn began another tantrum, but Gavin and Lucy hissed at him simultaneously.


    "Your sister is fine," Lucy nearly yelled, clearly annoyed.


    "Huh, says the one who¡¯s the reason everyone even went into the woodsst night," Penn replied, showing no ability to read the room.


    "What? Am I saying anything wrong? These two fight, she cheats on him, they fight again, she runs into the woods, and gets everyone¡¯s life in danger. Wow! You really are a troublemaker, aren¡¯t you? The devil in disguise," hisments directed at Lucy silenced everyone for a moment.


    I stood up to face him, but Lucy¡¯s tug on my shirt held me back.


    "We should head back to the hostel," Lucy said softly, perhaps admitting her guilt. But what hurt the most was that her mate didn¡¯te to her defense¡ªand he couldn¡¯t be med for it.


    She had brought this upon herself, but she never asked any of us toe looking for her. I did it on my own, as did Jenny and the rest of them.


    "Guys, let¡¯s get ready for Professor Emmet¡¯s ss. I heard he¡¯s only teaching today, and then his brother, Professor Kaye, will be taking over for the next three weeks," Jenny said, trying to change the subject.


    As she spoke, I began feeling strange¡ªalmost like I was going to throw up.


    When we reached the hostel, I took a quick shower before joining the others outside, acting as though we hadn¡¯t almost been killed in the woods the night before.


    We all silently agreed not to talk about what happened, at least not where anyone else could hear us.


    The warden wouldn¡¯t be very pleased to hear we had an encounter with the Lycan.


    We silently walked to our ssroom, but I noticed Penn holding Jenny back from approaching us. I guessed he thought we were troublemakers and that his sister would get hurt if she kept hanging around us.


    However, the minute we sat down, I saw Sydney stand up to announce something.


    "Today, we will receive our ss monitor badges¡ª" her words started to fade as a sharp pain began to grow in my stomach. I felt oddly dizzy, to the point where I knew I needed to make a run for the bathroom.


    So I did.


    While Sydney stood beaming, I rushed past her, hearing her offended exmation, but I had no time to stop. In fact, I even ran past Professor Emmet without giving him more than a fleeting nce.


    "Hnie¡ª" I heard him call after me, but I was in too much of a hurry.


    I dashed straight to the bathroom and locked myself in a stall. That¡¯s when something terrible hit me, freezing me in ce.


    There was so much blood between my legs.

 Chapter 128-Once A Pregnant She-Wolf

    <h4>Chapter 128: 128-Once A Pregnant She-Wolf</h4>


    <strong>Lamar:</strong>


    "What a bitch! Did you guys just see that?" I heard Sydney¡¯sment and raised my head to see what was bothering her now.


    I just knew something had offended her. Everyone nodded, but then I turned my head all the way to the back, where my frenemies sat.


    I don¡¯t even know what to call them. It just seems like I like hanging around those misfits because I¡¯m one too.


    Then I realized Lucy and Gavin looked confused¡ªthe seat beside them was empty. I wasn¡¯t sure what had happened between Gavin and Lucy after my fight with Gavin. Had they rejected each other or not? I didn¡¯t care.


    But Hnie was gone.


    "She must be dying to poop," someonemented, clearly trying to appease Sydney. I watched Lucy get up to check on Hnie, and Jenny started to follow, but her brother was quick to grab her wrist and force her back down without even looking at her.


    I had a very bad feeling about it.


    I managed to get out of my seat too, rushing towards the door and stepping outside.


    "Lamar, you too?" Sydneyined, but I was already in the hallway when I spotted Professor Emmet standing there, his back turned as if he was looking at something. He must have seen Hnie. Where did she go?


    I had a feeling that if Professor Emmet saw me going after Hnie, he would stop me. So I changed my route and hid behind the wall until he had re-entered the ssroom. That¡¯s when Lucy couldn¡¯t leave the room anymore.


    But I walked freely, running towards the end of the hallway and looking around. Hnie was nowhere to be seen.


    I was worried.


    "Dammit, answer your phone." I called her several times, but there was no response. Was she well? We should have let her rest for the day.


    My heart was pounding hard. She was pregnant and far too ignorant of her own health.


    I had a bad feeling that she might have gotten herself into trouble again.


    ¡¯Why the heck do we care?¡¯ My wolf finally woke up and questioned me.


    ¡¯I just don¡¯t know,¡¯ I answered him, hoping he would understand.


    ¡¯She¡¯s quite sweet, isn¡¯t she?¡¯ Marl had never felt this kind ofpassion for anyone except our family. But he wasn¡¯t wrong¡ªHnie was different.


    ¡¯Let¡¯s find her and hope she¡¯s fine.¡¯ I knew that if Hnie were in trouble, Marl would feel terrible about it.


    It wasn¡¯t sexual tension or anything like that. Nothing of the sort. It was more like¡ª


    ¡¯Family.¡¯


    Marl said it perfectly.


    ¡¯She feels like family, doesn¡¯t she?¡¯ he was right. She did feel like family, and I couldn¡¯t understand why.


    That¡¯s when her message popped up on my screen after I had called her so many times:


    Hell-To-Me: I dooont jwbo what to ddo


    I frowned at the mess of a text. In that moment, I knew she was not okay. So I called her again, hoping she would be able to talk now.


    "Hnie, where are you?" Thankfully, she picked up.


    "I¡¯m in the bathroom... I¡ªI¡¯m bleeding," she stammered between hups, crying and sobbing.


    Her words sank into me like a weight in my chest, leaving me unable to ask her anything else.


    I didn¡¯t have any experience with this kind of thing, but I knew this wasn¡¯t a good sign for a pregnant woman.


    "I¡¯ming," I said, then paused as I realized I wouldn¡¯t even be allowed near the girls¡¯ bathroom. "Does Lucy know?" I inquired cautiously, thinking about who I could tag along.


    "No! Jenny¡ªdoes," she sniffled on the other side.


    "Got it, we¡¯ll be there. Don¡¯t worry." I nodded to myself, then rushed back to the ssroom to fetch Jenny.


    I entered the ssroom, breathing heavily, and felt everyone¡¯s eyes on me.


    "Yes, Lamar. Where were you?" Professor Emmet¡¯s voice rang out as he immediately questioned me. However, I was quick to notice that he didn¡¯t look like himself that day.


    He seemed weak, almost like he had been through hell. His face was bonier, his jawline sharper, as if he had lost weight overnight. His long hair was disheveled¡ªtoo messy. His shirt was untucked, and I could tell he was hiding a small bottle of wine in his pocket, probably wishing for the ss to end so he could sulk.


    His usual confident and mysterious aura waspletely off that day.


    "Umm, I was... umm¡ªI want to take a half-day leave with my umm¡ª" I scratched the back of my neck, scrambling for a way to get Jenny toe with me, "my friend¡ªhelping me with my health."


    I ced a hand on my chest and coughed, pretending to be unwell.


    "What is going on? Where is Hnie?" Professor Emmet suddenly shifted his focus, seeming to lose interest in my excuse. Perhaps it was unusual for students to leave his ss early¡ªhis lectures were always captivating.


    "She skipped ss," Sydney chimed in, making me squint at her for implying that Hnie wasn¡¯t interested.


    "Why? And what friend do you need to help you with your health?" Professor Emmet¡¯s uncharacteristic behavior gave me some hope. Usually, he was highly observant, but today, he seemed distracted, brushing things off and struggling to focus.


    Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself to say the friend¡¯s name, knowing it mighte as a surprise to her¡ªand her overprotective brother. "Jenny!" I dered, extending my arm dramatically and pointing at her.


    Her brother almost did a double take, his eyes darting from me to his sister, who now had her narrowed gaze fixed on me.


    "Hnie!" I mouthed silently, making sure to be quick before anyone noticed.


    "Yes, sir, can I please help my friend?" Jenny jumped to her feet, her pale face showing that she understood the seriousness of the situation.


    "Are you serious?" Penn muttered under his breath, but his words were loud enough for nearly everyone to hear.


    Professor Emmet sighed, looking utterly exhausted. He waved a hand towards Jenny, allowing her to leave with me.

 Chapter 129-The Cozy Cabin

    <h4>Chapter 129: 129-The Cozy Cabin</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Come on, lean on me," Jenny said the moment she walked in and saw my state. She immediately went into fullmando mode.


    I had been in the bathroom for what felt like ages, staring at the blood pooling between my legs. The sight alone was enough to make me feel faint. Then, out of nowhere, I broke down crying¡ªoverwhelmed with fear.


    The first person to check on me was thest person I expected: Lamar.


    Strangely, I trusted him. Somehow, he managed to calm me down just enough to bring Jenny to me.


    Now, Lamar was waiting outside while Jenny did her best to take care of me. She cleaned my legs and coaxed me to stand, her voice firm but kind, trying to encourage me. She wanted to get me out of there to get Lamar¡¯s help, though I had no idea what they had nned.


    "I don¡¯t want to go to any hospital," I whispered, clinging to Jenny¡¯s shoulder for support.


    "You don¡¯t have to," she assured me, her tone steady andforting.


    The next few minutes were a whirlwind. Jenny helped me out of the bathroom, and Lamar was waiting just outside the corridor. Without a word, he scooped me up into his arms and began rushing downstairs. Jenny followed close behind, running to keep up.


    The academy¡¯s dark, narrow corridors seemed endless, their vintage wallpaper and massive windows casting eerie shadows in the dim light. The faint smell of chemicals wafted through the air as we passed ssrooms where senior students were studying herbs and poisons.


    I could hear Lamar¡¯s heart pounding¡ªquick and loud in the silence. His grip was steady, but his urgency made him keep going.


    Finally, I saw the light streaming from the exit ahead, and relief washed over me. We had made it out without being stopped.


    But just as Lamar was cing me in Jenny¡¯s car¡ªa car I didn¡¯t even know she had parked right outside¡ªa voice called out to him, stopping him in his tracks.


    "What is going on?" Kaye¡¯s voice cut through the tense air as he tried to peek over Lamar¡¯s shoulder to get a glimpse of me. I felt a pang of guilt¡ªevery time he saw me, I was with someone else.


    "Umm, Hnie wasn¡¯t feeling well, so we decided to take her out for a meal," Jenny stepped forward, her voice steady as she tried to exin. Lamar, on the other hand, was silent. I could only imagine why.


    "Step aside. Let me take a look," Kaye said firmly, gesturing for Lamar to move away from the car door. As he approached, I instinctively pulled Lamar¡¯s jacket tighter around my legs, shielding myself.


    "Can we please leave?" I whispered the moment Lamar stepped aside.


    Kaye¡¯s steps halted, and I could see the hurt sh across his face.


    "Fine. You can leave¡ªwith me. I¡¯ll take care of¡ª"


    "No!" I interrupted before he could finish, shaking my head desperately. "I want to go with my friends." My voice trembled with guilt.


    "Hnie¡ª" Kaye closed his eyes, took a breath, and then looked at Lamar. Of course, my choice of friends would be questioned.


    "Can we please leave?" I repeated, more urgently this time, sweat beading on my forehead.


    "Fine," Kaye grunted after a tense pause. "But Lamar¡ªyou¡¯d better take care of her."


    With that, he stepped aside. Jenny climbed into the car, followed by Lamar, but Kaye lingered outside. His eyes stayed fixed on me, filled with unspoken emotions, until we drove out of sight.


    Exhausted, I leaned against Jenny¡¯s shoulder, letting my eyes close. Silent tears slipped down my cheeks as I listened to them talk, thinking I was asleep.


    "I¡¯ll arrange for someone toe take a look at her," Lamar said, his voice low and firm.


    "My cabin will be fine for her," Jenny replied, her words spilling out quickly. "It¡¯s a gift from my dad¡ªa private space in the roguemunity. There are plenty of guards outside, so she¡¯ll be safe there. But I just need to know something¡ªwhat do you think happened?"


    Her voice was breathless, and though I couldn¡¯t see her face, I could imagine the worry etched across it.


    "Jenny! You¡¯ll need to console her," Lamar said, his voice tight with tension. "There¡¯s no easy way to put this, but with that much blood¡ªand her current state¡ªI think... she¡¯s lost the baby."


    The moment I heard those words, my eyes flew open. A wave of anguish hit me, and I began sobbing uncontrobly.


    Jenny wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a hug, while Lamar turned away, staring out the window. His fists clenched and unclenched, his jaw tight as though wrestling with his own demons.


    It was strange seeing him like this. He looked so worried, so... human. It was hard to believe this was the same person who once wanted me dead.


    And then there was me.


    I hadn¡¯t even realized how much I cared about this baby until now¡ªuntil it was gone. Maybe I didn¡¯t care in the traditional sense, but some deep, primal part of me did. A motherly instinct I didn¡¯t know I had.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t deny it: I had lived with this trauma for too long. I should feel relieved to be free. But instead, I felt hollow.


    At some point, the exhaustion overtook me, and I passed out. When I woke, I was in a small, cozy cabin. the IV hooked up to my arm. The sterile smell of medicines hung in the air.


    The past two days had been a blur. Jenny stayed by my side the entire time, a constant source offort. Lamar visited intermittently, bncing taking care of things at the academy with checking in on me.


    I hadn¡¯t touched my phone at all. I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to face the outside world.


    I knew that once I healed and returned to the academy, everything would be different. It would be Kaye¡¯s ss by then. The thought of seeing him again¡ªof trying to exin everything¡ªwas unbearable.


    The pain of losing a child was immense, but for me, it went deeper. It wasn¡¯t just the loss of a baby¡ªit was the weight of everything that had led to this moment.


    "What?" Jenny¡¯s sharp voice jolted me from my thoughts. She was on the phone, her tone heated. "Whatever!" she huffed before hanging up.


    When she turned back to me, her expression softened into a smile.


    "You¡¯re awake," she said gently, holding a piece of paper with a few strands of red hair clinging to it.


    "Yeah," I croaked, my throat dry and raspy.


    "I lost... my baby, right?" Even though I already knew the answer, I needed to hear it. To confirm it.


    It wasn¡¯t that I wanted to give birth or had nned for a child, but after carrying it inside me for so long, a connection had formed. It was undeniable.


    Jenny hesitated before speaking. "Do you want to maybe... contact the father? To cope together?" Her voice was careful,passionate. She was just trying to help, not knowing theplexities of my situation.


    "There is no father," I said sharply, then paused. "And not because it was a one-night stand."


    I realized I¡¯d said too much. I didn¡¯t want to exin. There was no point.


    Jenny nodded, offering a gentle smile. "I understand. We won¡¯t talk about him again."


    I appreciated her attempt tofort me, even as my heart felt heavy.


    "By the way," she said, shifting gears, "Professor Emmet took hisst ss and left for a month. Professor Kaye is stepping in. But since it was a full moon night, Kaye decided to take a break. I don¡¯t get why those brothers always take breaks, but at least we got some free days."


    She was trying to distract me, yapping about academy gossip, and I gave her a weak nod.


    "I want to go back to attending sses again," I murmured, though the thought filled me with unease. Lucy and Gavin had been trying to contact me¡ªapparently so persistently they were practically threatening Jenny for information on my whereabouts.


    I couldn¡¯t fathom how Lamar and Jenny had managed to fend off the questions and suspicion. They truly had been my saviors.


    "What¡¯s that?" I asked, noticing the strands of red hair in her hand.


    Jenny let out a scoff. "This? It¡¯s from the girl he¡ªugh, his one-night stand. I found these on his coat." Her tone shifted, her frustration bleeding through. "And guess what? I can¡¯t even ask for a DNA test because of my dad and the packs questioning everything I do!"


    For a moment, I saw fear in her eyes. It struck me¡ªan Alpha¡¯s daughter, someone who should have the world at her feet, was just as trapped as the rest of us.


    I reached for her hand weakly. "Jenny, thank you so much for taking care of me," I said with a small, sincere smile. I¡¯d been alone most of my life, so someone stepping up for me like this meant more than words could express.


    Jenny pouted dramatically, her voice lighthearted as she hissed, "That¡¯s what friends do, Hnie! I swear, if you thank me one more time..."


    Her exaggerated frustration brought a faint smile to my lips. Over the past few days, I¡¯d been drifting in and out of sleep, and every time I woke, I would thank her again. Maybe I was overdoing it, but I couldn¡¯t help it. I was truly grateful.


    "And who were you yelling at on the phone?" I asked, my curiosity finally getting the better of me.


    She rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck. "That was my dad," she groaned. "He was telling me that my oh-so-loyal Alpha boyfriend has transferred academies after acing all the RVS tests. So, yeah, in one week, my Alpha mate will be my senior."


    She hissed thest word, her irritation clear.


    For some reason, my chest felt heavy. A strange ache settled deep in my heart, one I couldn¡¯t quite exin. Why did the thought of her Alpha mate affect me like this?

 Chapter 130-My Forbidden Mate

    <h4>Chapter 130: 130-My Forbidden Mate</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You look so weak. Are you sure you want to take the first ss and not a day off?" Lucy stood by my bed as I fixed my shoces.


    "Let me do that." She finally unwrapped her arms from around her chest and squatted down to help me with the shoes. I knew she had been upset with me.


    I was gone for two days but ended up staying for almost a week. I heard everyone else left for their homes during the holidays. Well, I guess my child sacrificed himself to give me shelter for the holidays.


    But Lucy was upset. I arrivedtest night, and she only stared at me. I guess she had so many questions but couldn¡¯t ask any at the time, as Lamar kept insisting I rest.


    "I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t there for you. I heard about Gavin breaking up with you," I said softly while she kept her head lowered.


    "It¡¯s okay. The only thing that bothers me is that you were sick, and you left with Jenny without even telling me anything. How could you be so unwell that you had to leave ss midway? Did you three... n a trip? Because that was Professor Emmet¡¯sst ss for the month," she finally stood up and spoke, her tone devoid of gestures. She looked so defeated.


    "No, we didn¡¯t. I just wasn¡¯t feeling well and had no other option but to leave," I replied, concealing the real reason I left like that.


    "You could have at least asked Jenny to take me to you, but you didn¡¯t." She was right toin. She didn¡¯t know the truth, so all of this was, of course, upsetting to her.


    I couldn¡¯t expect her to magically believe me when I had given her no good reason to trust me.


    "I was already feeling guilty for bing a burden on her. Anyway, let¡¯s head out. It¡¯s Kaye¡¯s ss, and I don¡¯t want him to get upset," I said, recalling ourst interaction.


    He didn¡¯t look too pleased.


    "Okay, let¡¯s go." She held her hand out to me, and I took it. I was sure we would be able to fix our broken friendship.


    We walked out together while Jenny was with her brother. Ever since she took me in, her brother had been so angry with her. I understood he was worried for his sister. I just hoped he realized her troubles were more about her alpha mate than me or anyone else.


    The seniors were still on holiday, so it was just our ss. Which also meant her alpha mate would probably arrive next week.


    The minute we stood in the third row to wait for Kaye, I noticed him fix his gaze on me. Kaye wore a ck shirt and khaki pants, his hands sped behind his back.


    "Wee back, Hnie. I hope you¡¯re feeling well," he called out to me in front of everyone, turning all heads in my direction.


    I nodded my head in appreciation for the acknowledgment and lowered my gaze.


    "I hope you don¡¯t have a fever," Kaye said as he took long strides toward me. Before I knew it, he had the back of his hand on my forehead.


    I raised my head, and our eyes met. "Missed you so much," he mouthed, making my heart skip a beat.


    "Good, you¡¯re feeling well," he mumbled flirtatiously. It was also his way of letting me know he didn¡¯t misinterpret my leaving with Lamar that day. That was a relief.


    Even though I wasn¡¯t considering dating him or expecting to be epted by him, his words still lingered in my mind.


    "There¡¯s something about me that you all should know¡ªI like practical work more," he began, wandering around with his hands sped behind his back. "And I also enjoy good challenges, trips, and exciting ways of studying. So, I¡¯ve decided to take you all on a little trip. I hope your families don¡¯t mind me stealing you guys for some time."


    As he mentioned that part, he turned to me and smirked. "Go pack your bags. I¡¯ll be taking you to the Red Crown Pack, my mother¡¯s pack. Let¡¯s find some exciting new herbs!" he announced.


    Everyone started cheering. I guess they all really wanted to go on a trip for a while.


    "Go!" He pped his hands, and we all scattered to pack.


    Lucy and I hurried to pack our bags, while Lamar, of course, was already packed. He never really unpacked; he would take clothes out as needed and put them right back in his bag.


    Before long, we were all seated on a bus. Kaye sat in the passenger seat next to the driver, while I silently took a back seat with Lucy. She had been doing her best to get Gavin to talk to her.


    "Do you know we¡¯ll be staying at Lady Darcy¡¯s guesthouse?" Gavin suddenly turned to speak to me excitedly, causing Lucy to smile brightly.


    "Really? It¡¯ll be amazing to meet our trainer¡¯s mother!" Lucy eximed, bouncing up and down in her seat.


    I could tell she wasn¡¯t that excited, just trying to engage with Gavin. Unfortunately, he ignored herpletely, turning his head straight again. Lucy¡¯s energy faded.


    I held her hand to reassure her, silently eyeing her to give him some time. They hadn¡¯t rejected each other yet, so I figured Gavin needed time to work things out.


    As for Lady Darcy, I was a bit skeptical. I wasn¡¯t sure how she¡¯d react to me being in her guesthouse.


    Would she hate me, like her sons did?


    I hoped not.


    I sat asfortably as I could, though my body ached far too much. That had been happening a lot ever since I lost the baby. I had been seeing wolves in my sleep too¡ªfar too often forfort.


    "You know, I¡¯ve been looking up sightings of lycans, and it seems like... we¡¯re not the only ones who¡¯ve encountered one," Lucy said.


    Her mention of the lycan reminded me of the cursed mate bond I had felt with that beast.


    "I don¡¯t understand why the academy doesn¡¯t mention the lycan. It¡¯s not just some creature¡ªit¡¯s a cursed someone," she added, making me turn my head toward her.


    She had really been doing her research on the lycan¡ªor, should I say, my forbidden mate.

 Chapter 131-The Bitter Mother-In-Law

    <h4>Chapter 131: 131-The Bitter Mother-In-Law</h4>


    Hnie:


    "Wee to my home," said a talldy standing beside Kaye the minute we arrived. The guards had already prepared for our meeting with the alpha queen of the Red Crown Pack.


    I was guessing the woman beside Kaye was not only the alpha queen but also his mother. She was tall and broad, making it almost obvious that she was the mother to those tall and crazy rogue kings of the west, south, north, and east.


    But that was for the future. They would be crowned ordingly. It made me wonder where I would be in my own future.


    "I am Darcy¡ª," she said with a sleek smile, her red lipstick glistening, "this handsome trainer¡¯s¡¯ mother."


    The way she turned to talk about Kaye was odd. It seemed forced, but Kaye¡¯s reaction was even stranger. He looked shocked, as if he couldn¡¯t believe his mother had spoken about him at all.


    "I have opened my arms for your arrival and have prepared my guesthouse for you all. I hope your stay here is meaningful and that you learn a lot about the grass and bushes," she said. However, that little mention, which seemed like a joke to everyone and caused them to chuckle, appeared to mean much more to Kaye. His smile briefly faded before he forced it back and gulped.


    What was he swallowing down?


    Was it a defense mechanism? Was it something he wanted to say about his passion for poisons and herbs?


    I guess we would never know.


    The warrior now gestured for us to move in the direction of the guesthouse, which was a little farther in the huge yard. The narrow alley leading to the guesthouse made the whispers louder.


    "Umm, Hnie and Sydney¡ªstay over there," Kaye called to us, making us both stay behind while the others marched ahead.


    "Why did you have to wait with me?" Sydney muttered under her breath.


    "That¡¯s right. You should be in prison, not here waiting by my side," I snapped.


    Ever since I had lost my baby, I realized something had changed in me. The shift could be for better or worse, but it was definitely not for the better for those around me. I had lost my sense of subtlety¡ªthe ability to not say things directly.


    "I have been spared; I shouldn¡¯t be punished again by words¡ª," she turned to hiss at me just as Kaye arrived.


    "Sydney, back off. You are now a monitor; gain some ss," he growled, stopping next to us. He was so tall, with broad shoulders and a slim waist, that I couldn¡¯t help but admire his physique with one quick nce.


    "But sir, she was talking about¡ª" Sydney lowered her head when Kaye raised his hand to silence her.


    "You know what, you should go back. I will only introduce Hnie as a monitor to my mother for now," he said, dismissing her with a hand gesture.


    I saw the look of utter shock on her face. She seemed offended, but what could she have done? Kaye wasn¡¯t the type to listen to arguments.


    She shot me a deadly re before turning to look at Kaye, then walked away. Once she was out of sight, I noticed Kaye smirk and lower his head toward me.


    "I wasn¡¯t going to introduce her to my mother¡ªor your future mother-inw¡ªanyway," he said in a flirtatious tone that made the hairs on my skin stand up.


    "Why would you say that? What makes you¡ª" I began toin, but his narrowed eyes and the deep stare on my face confirmed there was nothing I could say to stop him.


    "Let me answer that for you. You¡¯re my mate, and there¡¯s no choice of rejection or me wanting anyone else. So, in that case, you¡¯ll have to end up with me. Which means my mother will be your mother-inw one day," he shrugged casually, gesturing for me to follow him.


    I didn¡¯t know how his mother would react to me. I was sure she wouldn¡¯t like me.


    I walked behind Kaye, watching as his mother stood on the porch. He must have told her he was bringing the ss monitor to introduce her.


    "Mom, this is Hnie, our ss monitor."


    He stepped aside to let me be seen, looking so proud as he did. His mother, however, wore a huge, fake smile. She sized me up and down before raising an eyebrow in acknowledgment.


    "You¡¯re Hnie. The daughter of my husband¡¯s mistress?" she asked bluntly.


    The way she jumped straight to the point was eerie, almost confrontational.


    "I am¡ª," I replied, my voice hesitant.


    "She¡¯s not like her. She¡¯s actually the best student¡ª" Kaye started, only to be silenced as his mother cut him off.


    "The best student who is a rogue? I doubt that. Anyway, why on earth is she a ss monitor when I¡¯m certain she can¡¯t even handlebat?" Her tone dripped with mockery, as if she was trying to provoke me.


    I didn¡¯t need to read her mind to know she hated me.


    "I actually agree with her," I said calmly. "I didn¡¯t deserve to be the ss monitor. But I¡¯m d I passed the test and became one. I promise not to disappoint Professor Kaye or any of my other professors."


    As I looked at Kaye and said that, his face lit up with pride. But at the same time, his mother¡¯s face darkened. She clearly didn¡¯t like the way her son was smiling at me.


    "Sure, we¡¯ll see about that. I¡¯d love to ask Norman for your report," she said, the glint in her eyes sinking my heart into my chest.


    I closed my eyes briefly and took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. Her words felt more like a threat than a concerned alpha queen simply checking on her son¡¯s student.


    "Like she said, she will not disappoint," Kaye dered loudly and resolutely this time.


    But I could tell¡ªhis support for me only made her dislike me more.

 Chapter 132-The Change In Me

    <h4>Chapter 132: 132-The Change In Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Everyone, please go to your assigned rooms, take a shower, and thene out to the garden for dinner with the Alpha Queen," Sydney was yelling when I arrived at the guesthouse.


    It was an enormous space with many rooms inside. A big wooden staircase stood in the center, and a massive window disyed a stunning view of the mountains as the living room¡¯s centerpiece.


    There were a few bedrooms on the ground floor, while the rest were on the second and third floors, each with balconies, and finally, a rooftop.


    "Why are you not obeying me?" she screamed again, her fists clenched. I could tell she was struggling to make everyone listen to her.


    And for the first time, I agreed that she needed to be heard. The students had turned the guesthouse into a fish market.


    "EVERYONE, GO BACK TO YOUR FUCKING ROOMS!" As soon as I yelled, the entire ce went dead silent.


    Their heads turned toward me, slow whispers beginning to spread, but it was their actions that mattered. They all grabbed their stuff and rushed to their rooms.


    I don¡¯t know what happened, but I had grown so tired of people not listening.


    After everyone had scattered, I realized Sydney had been watching me with her arms folded across her chest.


    "You can thank meter," I said tiredly, not even stopping to look at her as I walked away.


    My room was next to the backyard, which I shared with my ssmates and Jenny this time. I could tell Kaye had been observant and had chosen Jenny as our fourth roommate because he knew I would befortable with her.


    Once I was in the room, I noticed all eyes were on me¡ªexcept for Lamar, who had a smirk on his lips as he sat on the couch, ying a game on his phone.


    "What happened?" I asked Jenny and Lucy, who were standing next to the window, probably discussing me.


    "Exactly! What happened to you? You came in there with all your guns out," Lucymented, referring to me yelling at everyone earlier.


    "Ah, that? I was just trying to warm up my voice for the next few days," I shrugged. After a few seconds of silence, the two of them burst outughing.


    Lucy rushed over to give me a hug when the door opened again. This time, Gavin walked in with his bag. I was surprised¡ªI hadn¡¯t known he would also be sharing the room with us.


    His arrival immediately changed the atmosphere.


    Lucy stepped away from me, her entire attention now focused on him, while Jenny awkwardly walked over to her bed. The room had three king-sized beds: Lucy and I were probably sharing one, Gavin and Lamar would share another, and Jenny would sleep alone.


    It was also extremely cold in this pack.


    "Don¡¯t look at me like I¡¯m an outsider. Remember, we used to be friends before," Gavin said, breaking the silence. He would make ament here and there, and then things would go back to normal before turning awkward again.


    "It¡¯s not that. I was just wondering why I have to be the one to sleep alone," Jenny pouted, pointing at Lucy and me.


    Lucy had warmed up to Jenny, though notpletely. At least she wasn¡¯t using her of sleeping with her mate anymore, so I guess that was a good start.


    "You can always share the bed with me¡ªI¡¯m single," Gavin said with a smirk, patting the empty side of his bed.


    The room fell into an awkward silence the moment he made that remark. I watched as Lucy¡¯s face turned pale before she clenched her fists.


    "You are so shameless," she muttered, voicing her emotions openly this time.


    "How? I¡¯m single. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m jumping into someone¡¯s bed after believing in my delusions that my mate cheated," Gavin¡¯s voice still carried hurt. And why wouldn¡¯t it? They were still fated to each other.


    "I was talking about¡ª" Jenny tried to softly rify, but Lamar ended up cutting her off.


    "Me? Did you want to sleep with me?" he joked, making Jenny roll her eyes, but instead, his remark caught the attention of the wounded bear in the room.


    "Haven¡¯t you slept with enough she-wolves already? Or do you n to sleep with everyone present in this room?" That was it. Gavin had taken it too far. He could argue with Lucy all he wanted, but dragging Jenny and me into the mix wasn¡¯t fair.


    "Don¡¯t ever mention me like that again, Gavin," I said with a stern voice, making my point clear. Once again, everyone turned to stare at me.


    "I was just¡ªforget it," Gavin muttered, his voiceced with defeat as he dismissed us all with a wave of his hand.


    "Gavin and Lamar will be sharing a bed," Jenny quickly said before shutting up. She wasn¡¯t the type to stir up issues, but this was something that needed to be discussed. The boys could pretend they weren¡¯t aware of the arrangements, but they had to ept it.


    "I¡¯ll sleep in the bed with Hine. She has plenty of space or we can put pillows between us. Or I¡¯ll sleep alone. You guys should share beds," Gavin disagreed quickly, wagging his finger in refusal.


    "I¡¯ll sleep on the couch. I¡¯m fine there. No need to take your anger out on sleeping arrangements," Lamar finally gave up his spot.


    He wasn¡¯t always troublesome¡ªit was only when he wanted to do something that he wouldn¡¯t listen to anyone. For example,ing back to the dorm drunk and wasted, doing drugs in the room, or sleeping with literally anyone who looked sad.


    Once that was settled, I took a shower and got ready, slipping into the ck tracksuit that Jenny had insisted I ept as a gift.


    With the clothes sorted and a desire for some fresh air, I walked out of the room and into the backyard. That¡¯s when I saw someone splitting wood.


    It was a shocker to see him here¡ªor in fact, to see him in front of me after so long.


    In the cold, chilly weather stood Maximus, shirtless, his muscles pumped as he raised the ax and split the wood with precision. Then his eyes fell on me, and he stopped what he was doing.

 Chapter 133-Deem Demeaned

    <h4>Chapter 133: 133-Deem Demeaned</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I straightened my posture, hid myself, and looked around to make it obvious I was there for the fresh air¡ªcold but fresh air.


    "Congrattions on bing the ss monitor," he voiced from afar, his tone heavy with restless breaths as he took another hit on the piece of wood.


    "Thank you," I replied under my breath, not sure if he even heard it.


    The backyard was lush green with tall trees and an even bigger open area.


    In the distance, if the fog cleared, I could see the faraway mountains. But it was so foggy that one could barely see anything past a few miles.


    "You know what that means?" Maximus continued, causing my body to squirm ufortably.


    "That means I will get to make you work firsthand in my ss." There was a scoff he let out that I wanted to avoid, but that scoff made me believe he was waiting to make things difficult for me.


    "Okay," was all I said before turning around to leave for the guesthouse. There was no point in talking with him since he barely ever acknowledged that his behavior was so inconsistent.


    "Run, run, run!" I heard him say, and as I turned just a little while still walking, I watched him swing the ax yfully in the air, almost as if he were threatening me.


    It was the oddest encounter I had ever had with him. He had turned really aggressive toward me over time. When I worked in the garage for him, he wasn¡¯t aggressive or hateful at all. But I guess Norman had really rubbed off on him.


    "Everyone ready?" I asked, standing in the living room and watching everyone nod their heads. It was just a casual dinner, so everyone was dressed in their warm and cozy clothes. But that didn¡¯t mean Sydney and Salem weren¡¯t dressed up.


    They wore matching red tracksuits, their hair curled to perfection, and their makeup done nicely.


    I wasn¡¯t going to judge them, though. If I had the means, I would dress up too. I liked doing my makeup and wearing good, fancy clothes. However, I never really had any of it, so all I could do was watch Sydney and Salem and admire their fashion sense.


    "Let¡¯s leave for the main mansion, but remember, don¡¯t make Professor Kaye regret bringing us here. Don¡¯t go wandering around the rooms or any area that you are not introduced to or asked to go to," I ended my announcement, and thankfully, everyone nodded their heads. I hoped they understood too.


    However, Sydney started chuckling, which made me turn to her and raise an eyebrow.


    "You know, I¡¯m allowed to walk around freely. My father knows the Alpha of our pack and Lady Darcy. I¡¯ve visited her before too," she said in a rather giggly tone, acting sweet and full of life¡ªas if I didn¡¯t know she was only telling me this to make me feel small.


    Sydney loved talking about her status and rank. In fact, that¡¯s what she does most of the time: using her father¡¯s rank and his association with other Alphas as leverage in every situation.


    We all began to walk in a line toward the mansion, and once we arrived at its dining room, we were immediately impressed by the setting.


    It was a huge hall with tall ceilings and beautiful chandeliers. The space felt narrow, though, like a long train carriage connected to the mansion.


    The walls were made of ss, allowing us a clear view of the outside.


    Then, the gorgeous Lady Darcy arrived, wearing a fancy red dress. Her hair was curled into what seemed like a vintage hairstyle, paired with long eyeliner and bold red lipstick.


    She appeared to be the inspiration behind Sydney and Salem¡¯s style¡ªI could tell just by looking at how they carried themselves.


    "Sit down," she gestured for us to take our seats.


    We all sat down, with Kaye on her left and an empty space on her right. Kaye had made me sit on his side, while Sydney sat next to the empty chair. I had a feeling the seat was meant for Maximus, but I was wrong.


    Soon, a young girl entered the hall, wearing ck leggings and a golden dress. She had striking brown hawk-like eyes and a short brown bob. Her jawline was so sharp that I bet everyone¡¯s eyes lingered on her face for longer than they realized¡ªif only to admire the sharp angles of her jaw.


    She was tall, probably around 5 feet 8 inches, and her high heels made her appear even taller.


    She walked over to Lady Darcy, kissed the back of her hand as she was offered to, and then silently sat in the empty seat, making Sydney look small and insignificant inparison.


    "Kaye, you remember Kesha, right?" Darcy turned to her son, who had been constantly sneaking nces at me by turning his head, pretending to check on the students. He straightened his back to acknowledge his mother¡¯s question.


    His eyes lingered on the girl being mentioned as Kesha for a moment before he nodded his head promptly.


    "Kesha Unns?" he asked, and the girl smiled¡ªher expression a little odd as if to confirm she was indeed the person being referenced.


    "She has been crowned as the Alpha of her pack recently," Darcy announced, which made Kaye watch Kesha with an impressed look on his face.


    I shamelessly felt jealous, even though I wasn¡¯t officially with Kaye. My wolf wasn¡¯t active, so none of the scent or bond-rted pains worked for me. The jealousy I felt had nothing to do with a mate bond¡ªyet I still liked to me and use the mate bond for my jealousy.


    "And what are you doing these days? I heard you¡¯re making amazing¡ª" Kesha began in her beautiful ent, but Darcy interjected in a way that made my heart sink in my chest.


    "Doing the same useless shit of bing Dora the Explorer and wandering around with his students," herment was so demeaning that Kaye gulped loudly¡ªloud enough for me to hear.

 Chapter 134-I Got My Mate’s Back

    <h4>Chapter 134: 134-I Got My Mate¡¯s Back</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    It was the oddest interaction ever. His mother outright insulted his work, and I could tell from the look on Kaye¡¯s face that he didn¡¯t like it.


    However, it didn¡¯t make Darcy take her words back. She seemed almost proud of her snide remarks.


    "I¡¯m sure he does take part in the family business," Kesha¡¯s tone the second time was harsh; her voice was much deeper and raspier. Yet, she would almost chew on her words when talking.


    "He does not. He spends most of his time on things that anyone can do," Darcy shrugged, gesturing for everyone to start eating. A maid was specifically standing by her side to fill up her ss of expensive wine or even refill her te.


    "That is so sad," Kesha uttered, folding her arms behind her te and not even taking a bite as she showed interest in the topic.


    "I like doing what I do," Kaye finally opened his mouth, but I felt like there could have been a much better response.


    "But do you think that will be enough? Suppose you find a mate tomorrow¡ªwhat will you do for her? Don¡¯t you think your brother¡¯s mate will feel happier because they are more sessful and popr than you? You should think about all these things before choosing a path. It is not only about you but also your mates and your kids," she finally unfolded her arms from her chest and took a bite of the steak on her te.


    I noticed Sydney watching her with big eyes, almost as if he were admiring the rings and bracelets Kesha wore.


    Of course, Kesha talked about Kaye¡¯s achievements as if they were nothing because she was all about material goods.


    Even the utensils used for her were made of gold. Darcy knew how to cheer her up by making her feel special. But why?


    Which pack was she from, and why was Darcy so fond of her?


    "I don¡¯t think my mate will care about all that," Kaye said determinedly, but augh from his mother soured his mood again.


    "If you keep going into the woods and spending full moons next to those poisonous trees¡ªGoddess knows doing what¡ªyou will never find a mate. Or at least not one good enough to raise your social status and make people envious of you," Darcy seemed to pass such crudements.


    Kaye¡¯s status? As if he were nothing and needed a rich mate to elevate his confidence and position.


    "Actually¡ª" Once Kaye didn¡¯t open his mouth, I felt the urge to defend him.


    Everyone suddenly fell silent while Darcy narrowed her eyes at me. It was a clear hint that I needed to shut up and not interfere.


    But they were talking in our presence, so I guessed it was fair that we got toment.


    "He doesn¡¯t just spend his time around the poisonous trees. He makes medicines that are now wanted and used in literally every big pack¡¯s hospital and pharmacy. He creates scents and perfumes that all the rich people enjoy. He also produces poisonced weapons that can be extremely useful during wartime. I understand that he needs to be more active in his family business, but that doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s doing nothing. He is a business himself, and I can assure you, everyone sitting here knows about his brand that produces medicines, perfumes, and many other useful things."


    The way I spoke with such confidence and knowledge left Darcy and Kesha watching my face in silence. However, Kaye lowered his head and smiled before raising it again to face them confidently.


    "That is true. Our pack only uses his medicines," Jenny spoke up, giving a boost to her trainer and also supporting my words.


    "I used to work at a pharmacy, too. We would always showcase Professor Kaye¡¯s medicines in the front row, and they would go out of stock so quickly¡ªwhether it was for skincare or deadly injuries," Lamar added, making me smile to myself.


    Just a few weeks ago, I had no one. And now, I have friends who quickly join hands to form a protective circle around me the moment they feel like I need it.


    If they hadn¡¯t started talking, Darcy would have shut me down angrily.


    "True, I only use his perfumes. They just suit me," Salem giggled, moving her shoulder up to her ear and blinking her eyes repeatedly.


    "And our pack¡¯s alpha only relies on Professor Kaye¡¯s poisons for border security," Lucy added, and Gavin nodded in agreement with her.


    "We are huge fans of his work," Gavin spoke up loudly.


    The way everyone had started cheering for Kaye was such a p to Darcy¡¯s face. Such a shame for a mother to not recognize and praise her own son¡¯s achievements.


    "Okay, thank you everyone for reminding me that I don¡¯t know my son," she said, making it sound like a joke. "But you should know that I was the one who supported him when he first showed interest in the... herbs." I bet she wanted to make another tauntingment but changed her mind. Her appearance and fake facade were far more sacred to her than being honest and appreciating her son.


    "Anyway, have your food," she added, giving us all a smile, though her eyes lingered on me a little longer.


    Once we finished our meals, I suggested we help the maids with the cleanup. However, Sydney and her followers, along with half of the ss, left with her to take a stroll before heading back to rest.


    "You are such a kind little girl," the old maid gently ran her hand through my hair as she praised me for washing the dishes. Everyone else who stayed was doing their best to clean up the kitchen and living areas so that the maids, who had worked hard to prepare such an amazing meal, could get some rest.


    After I was done washing the dishes with Jenny, I noticed a text on my phone.


    Professor Kaye: Come meet me behind the big tree in the backyard after midnight. I really need my mate to be with me for some time.


    I quickly put my phone screen down so nobody saw the text. I felt worried about his request. If I went to meet him, he might think I had epted being his mate. And if I didn¡¯t go, not only would he be hurt, but I would feel restless too.

 Chapter 135-The Midnight Kiss

    <h4>Chapter 135: 135-The Midnight Kiss</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I don¡¯t want to be rude, but his mother is so weird," Jenny agreed with the rest of us as we made it back to our room and sat down near the window to talk about the dinner.


    "Maybe she just wants her son to be more popr like her other sons?" Lucy mumbled, trying hard to understand Kaye¡¯s mother¡¯s side as well.


    "Of course, we can expect that from you. You¡¯re quick to defend or find reasons for messed-up actions," Gavin muttered under his breath, souring everyone¡¯s mood.


    "Lucy, that¡¯s not true. Kaye has achieved a lot. It¡¯s just weird how none of his parents seem to acknowledge it. It¡¯s like they turn a blind eye to his achievements and then shame him in public. No parent¡ª" I suddenly stopped as I recalled my own parents, "who loves their child would do that."


    "His mother is a bitch. I¡¯ve heard a lot of stuff about her," Lamar said, sitting up after lying straight on the cold floor for a few minutes.


    "What kind of stuff?" Jenny turned to him, the two girls showing way too much interest in what he had to say.


    "About how she was when she was still married to Lord McQuoid," he continued but gave no useful information.


    So the girls scooted closer to him, their ears practically perked up as Lucy whispered, "What kind of stuff did she do?"


    I shook my head in disbelief because I noticed a small smirk on Lamar¡¯s face. He was clearly enjoying the attention on himself. I couldn¡¯t even be certain if he knew anything at all or was just making things up to keep them listening.


    "All sorts of things," he replied vaguely.


    "What¡ª" Before Jenny could ask again and he gave her the same non-answer, I intervened.


    "Haven¡¯t you two figured out by now that he knows nothing?" I rolled my eyes and teased yfully, making Jenny p Lamar¡¯s thigh. She immediately pulled her hand back when he narrowed his eyes at her.


    The way the two looked at each other before she shyly slid away was... odd. I hoped she wasn¡¯t on his to-do list.


    "Anyway, aren¡¯t you guys going to bed now? We have to leave early in the morning to collect herbs," I said, half-honestly. I wanted them to go to bed before midnight so I could figure out what to do about Kaye¡¯s message.


    But if they didn¡¯t go to sleep, I could alwayse up with an excuse to Kaye and get out of the situation. The question was¡ªdid I even want to get out of this situation?


    "We¡¯re not really sleepy," Lucy whispered, her eyes ncing toward Gavin. I could tell she wanted to use tonight, with us all staying under one roof, to somehow reconcile with him.


    "I am sleepy. I¡¯ll head to bed," Gavin said, clearly not in the mood. The moment he stood up, Lucy looked down and sighed.


    "I can stay with you," Jenny offered with a smile, but I could tell Lucy wasn¡¯t having it.


    "No, I think Hnie is right. We should sleep so we can wake up early," Lucy uttered defeatedly.


    We had already changed and were in our pajamas. I was assuming it would take them an hour to fall into a deep sleep, and then I¡¯d wait another hour just to make sure they were truly out before I left.


    I¡¯d leave?


    So maybe I¡¯d made up my mind then. The reason wasn¡¯t the Moon Goddess; it wasn¡¯t why I was feeling this pull toward Kaye. Since my wolf had been dormant, I had just figured¡ªor, more so, made excuses¡ªfor why I was feeling a little possessiveness toward him and it surely wasn¡¯t because of the mate bond.


    Steadily, everyone went to their beds andid down. None of us spoke, and I was hoping they would fall asleep soon.


    In the meantime, I wondered why Kaye and his mother¡¯s rtionship was so strained. I¡¯d be a fool not to notice, especially since everyone else had picked up on it, too.


    After about two hours, when the clock struck midnight, I got up and looked around at everyone. I was going to lie about needing water if anyone caught me leaving my bed.


    They were all sleeping peacefully. Since I shared a room with Lucy and Lamar, I already knew their sleep patterns and how to tell if they were in a deep sleep. Thankfully, Gavin¡¯s little snores and Jenny curled up like a cute teddy bear were signs they were out cold, too.


    I carefully opened the bedroom door and slipped out, ncing around. Since our room was thest one near the backyard exit, it wouldn¡¯t be too hard for me to sneak out. I opened the door to the exit and stepped outside, instantly feeling like sneezing as the cold wind brushed against my nose.


    My skin started to itch¡ªa sign I should have brought my sweater with me. The inside had been much warmer, thanks to the fireces running separately in every room.


    But I needed to see Kaye. I thought he wanted to talk about what had happened at dinnerst night.


    With my legs shaking, I made it to the tall trees far ahead in the backyard and stepped behind one. That¡¯s when I spotted Kaye sitting on the big rocks with a nket wrapped around his body.


    I had never seen him look so miserable.


    The Kaye who always looked like he was ready to walk down a runway was now covered in a nket like a child.


    "Hey," I uttered softly, watching as he snapped out of his thoughts and acknowledged me with a warm, cozy smile.


    "I knew you woulde," he whispered, raising his arm to offer me a ce under his nket.


    I hesitated, staring at the open space. Sitting under the same nket as him would mean sitting too close. But the spot beside him looked so weing that I couldn¡¯t bring myself to reject the offer.


    I sat down, close enough for him to wrap the nket around me, too.


    Suddenly, it was the warmest ce in the world. Then, I felt his hand slip into mine under the nket, his touch soft and warm. Slowly, he leaned closer and, before I knew it, crashed his lips against mine.

 Chapter 136-The Acceptance I Didn’t Expect

    <h4>Chapter 136: 136-The eptance I Didn¡¯t Expect</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    His lips were soft andforting. I could have pulled away, but in that moment, I just couldn¡¯t. I enjoyed how good they tasted¡ª a hint of cherry with a subtle touch of honey. His lips felt like a journey to heaven. I smiled against his lips as he pressed his mouth harder on mine, deepening the kiss.


    However, I didn¡¯t participate much, which made him slowly pull back. He lingered close, his breath warm on my face, until a snapping twig interrupted his next attempt to kiss me.


    I got so scared that I instinctively pulled away, breaking the cozy nket circle and looking in the direction of the noise.


    "Hey, easy! Maybe it was just a squirrel," heughed, raising his arm to reassure me.


    "Maybe we should check. What if someone saw us?" I asked, still shaken, dismissing thefort of his warm embrace.


    "For your peace of mind, I¡¯ll check it out," he said, getting up. Before leaving, he wrapped the nket snugly around me.


    The way he took care of me felt almost unreal. I wasn¡¯t used to such gentle gestures anymore.


    After a few minutes, he returned. He must have been freezing in just his white long-sleeve shirt and ck pants, which exined why he had wrapped himself in a nket earlier.


    "There¡¯s no one around, and the guesthouse doors are closed," he uttered.


    This time, I raised my arm to offer him somefort. He had been so sweet to me, and it didn¡¯t hurt to be nice to him in return.


    He smiled widely before sitting back under the nket with me. Our heads peeked out like two eggs from a cozy nest.


    "Back when I kissed you in the office and you ran out on me, I was scared you might be disgusted with me because of the ¡¯step-sibling¡¯ title," he said, recalling that day. I didn¡¯t expect him to bring up something I thought he had long forgotten.


    Of course, he hadn¡¯t forgotten. But I guessed he wasn¡¯t the type to push for answers impatiently. Instead, he waited for the right moment to bring it up.


    "I was afraid someone would catch us," I lied. The truth was, it had been the haunting memory of other, unwee touches that came crashing down on me like a wrecking ball, making me react the way I had.


    "Yeah, I figured something was up. Anyway, are you okay now?" he asked gently, as expected. He was addressing another incident that needed exining.


    "I¡¯m fine now," I replied, quickly looking away. But because we were sharing the same nket, I couldn¡¯t move much and was still within his sight.


    "What happened, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?" he whispered, almost like he was making sure not to offend me. Then, before I could answer, he added, "I was worried. Jenny told me you had digestion issues because you skip meals so often."


    It was clear he didn¡¯t believe Jenny¡¯s excuse.


    "Why trust Lamar again, Hnie? People don¡¯t change that quickly," he continued without waiting for my response.


    I felt so guilty that he had to leave without real answers.


    "I had thought about that too, but recently, Lamar has shown some real growth," I replied to his concerns. "And don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be careful."


    I watched him reluctantly nod his head. "Umm, the dinner was awkward, but thank you for standing up for me. I didn¡¯t know you saw me as a perfect man with so many achievements."


    The more he spoke softly, his fresh minty breath fanning over my face, the more I realized how badly he needed someone to talk to about what he was dealing with.


    "You really are a great guy and doing an amazing job in your field. I just think your mother doesn¡¯t know much," I tried to exin gently, attempting to convey my thoughts about his mother in the nicest way possible.


    He stayed silent, making me wonder if he was going to defend her.


    "I¡¯m thest child from when they were still married and things hadn¡¯t turned ugly between them," he began quietly. "When I was born, I hadplications. My mom suffered so much during her pregnancy with me. And once I was born, I ruined their peace because I wouldn¡¯t stop crying all the time. My messy state took a toll on their marriage as well. Things got ugly pretty quickly."


    He sighed deeply before continuing.


    "However, they managed to ignore the chaos for a while and act like a family. But it didn¡¯tst. Things fell apart again¡ªand this time for real. Somewhere along the line, taking care of me became too much for them. It was like I was cursed, constantly in pain and restless. I can¡¯t even exin it. So, after a while, my parents concluded that suffering because of me was too much. And when I didn¡¯t ¡¯return the favor¡¯ by achieving big things for them, they started resenting me. That¡¯s why... you saw what happened tonight."


    He smiled awkwardly but never made eye contact during the whole conversation. I swear, if he had looked me in the eyes, he would have started bawling like a child. He sounded so meek and broken.


    "But how was that your fault? Some kids are just a bit more restless and fussy than others," I mumbled softly, my voice filled with concern.


    "That¡¯s how you think. Not everyone is as understanding as you are. That¡¯s why..." He slid closer to me, his hand resting on my thigh while his eyes lingered on my face for a moment too long. "I want you as my mate and my forever."


    Maybe he was studying my reaction. When I didn¡¯t object¡ªpartly because I wanted to ovee my lingering fear of touch¡ªhe seemed to take it as a sign that I was okay with it.


    His hands moved up my thighs, reaching my waist. He held my tiny waist firmly in his hands, pulling me onto hisp.


    "I, Kaye McQuoid, ept Hnie as my beautiful mate," he whispered against my lips.


    Before I could process my shock or respond, he closed the gap, crashing his lips against mine. This time, he quickly slid his tongue into my mouth, silencing me with an intensity that left no room for words.

 Chapter 137-Kissing The She-Devil

    <h4>Chapter 137: 137-Kissing The She-Devil</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    "I think Maximus is staying with his mother so that he can go out and date around easily," I heard one of the maids say. As soon as I turned my head toward her, she fell silent.


    Her meek reaction was because she knew she wasn¡¯t supposed to gossip about my brothers.


    But she wasn¡¯t lying. I had heard about Maximus throwing wild parties while he moved out to "test the weapons."


    We had just finished dinner, and these days, I was more concerned about Emmet. He had been drinking a lot. Usually, he did that after a full moon night to numb the pain, but this time, his drinking had be unusually frequent.


    Dinner had been quiet as none of my brothers joined us. Earlier, I had found Emmet passed out in the forbidden corridor. I carried him to his room and tucked him in nicely.


    Maximus was staying with Mom, probably out on a date for the night. Kaye had his students staying at the guesthouse in Red Crown Pack.


    I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that I should have been there too¡ªor at least visited for a few minutes.


    Then my mom called, and what she said left me stunned.


    "Kesha is there?" I asked, skimming through the office file I had brought home to work on.


    I was barely getting any sleep these days. With my brothers wandering around unhinged, I needed to stay alert. They might need my help anytime, and I wanted to be avable.


    "Yes, she arrived for the feast, but that b*tch ruined everything." My mom¡¯s tone turned so harsh that I set the file down to ask what she meant.


    "Kesha?" I asked, confused, since my mom loved her dearly.


    "No!" she snapped, sounding offended. "I¡¯m talking about that stepsister of yours."


    My body tensed at the mention of her. I had been avoiding her name for a while, but now it was back, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why.


    She had been out with her friends on the full moon night. I instantly shut myself down, unwilling to face the fear of knowing what had happened that night.


    "What has she done now?" I asked, trying to sound nonchnt.


    "She started reminding me how to appreciate my son¡¯s work." The minute she said that, my muscles tightened¡ªnot because of Hnie, but because I feared the implications.


    Why would Hnie need to remind my mom of something so obvious? Did Mom demean Kaye in front of his students again?


    "Mom, did you hurt his feelings by belittling his work?" I closed my eyes and muttered through clenched teeth. She better not have.


    "That¡¯s not the point. He is my son, and I can give him any kind of advice. Why the heck is Hnie interfering?"


    The fact that my mom still tried to defend herself after admitting she had bullied my brother in front of his students was shocking.


    "You know how sensitive Kaye is about his work. Why would you do that? And now you¡¯re upset because someone stood up for him?"


    My annoyance at the mention of Hnie shifted slightly to relief¡ªrelief that, for once, she had done something good.


    It was shocking that she stood up to my mother, the Alpha Queen, for Kaye. How courageous was that? Did she not fear the consequences of her actions?


    "Can youe over? I need my son who understands my concerns," my mom said. Her tone had softened, no longer angry at Hnie.


    Perhaps she realized she was at fault and had been unfairly ming Hnie for something I couldn¡¯t be upset about.


    She took a stand for my baby brother¡ªitpletely changed my mood. I wished for everyone to support and stand against the evil that came my brother¡¯s way. He had been through enough torment.


    "Fine, I¡¯ll be there in a few hours," I whispered, already on my feet and heading out to her pack.


    "Take your private jet. I want you here before midnight," Mom demanded. I nodded, as if she could see me through the screen.


    I ended the call and headed for the exit. I was looking forward to seeing both my brothers and, hopefully, taking control of the situation to ensure Mom didn¡¯t disrespect Kaye again.


    It took me a few hours, but I made it there before midnight. I had already decided that I would defend Hnie¡¯s actions this time.


    She earned a pass for standing up for Kaye. My brothers always came first for me.


    However, when I arrived at the mansion and saw Kaye heading toward the guesthouse with a nket wrapped around him, I couldn¡¯t help but feel worried.


    He looked weak and upset. Was he okay?


    I started following him to make sure he was fine, but I was soon stopped as the guards caught up with me.


    "Your Highness, your mother is waiting for you in her study," one of them dered.


    "I¡¯ll meet her in a minute," I said, brushing them off as I rushed ahead. I had already lost sight of Kaye.


    Leaving the guards behind, I made my way to the backyard, feeling confused and restless.


    Why was he heading there at this hour?


    When I finally reached the area where he was, I was hit with a sight thatpletely blew me away.


    Right before my eyes, my brother stood wrapped in a nket, and Hnie was ready to sit and share the nket with him, and then before I knew it, they shared a kiss.


    My body shuddered as I took it all in. For the next few moments, I stood frozen, processing what I had just seen.


    All this time, I had been so worried about Maximus being her mate that I never thought to check on Kaye.


    His behavior toward Hnie had changed so drastically that we couldn¡¯t even mention her without him bing defensive.


    I had been afraid Emmet was giving her too much attention, but here I was, watching my baby brother kiss the she-devil.


    Suddenly, it all made sense. Mom wasn¡¯t just worried about Hnie defending Kaye in front of her¡ªshe was trying to protect him. Hnie was attempting to position herself as the better person while simultaneously starting a war with my mother.

 Chapter 138-Ending The Affair

    <h4>Chapter 138: 138-Ending The Affair</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    The sight had left me deeply unsettled. I didn¡¯t even know how to process it. All this time, I had been worried about the wrong brothers. Kaye was always the quiet one. He never shared his concerns or secrets with anyone except Maximus.


    So, I wondered why he hadn¡¯t discussed anything with Maximus. If he had, Maximus would have at least told me.


    "Norman, my son!" The moment I stepped into the open door of my mother¡¯s office, I was greeted by a distressed mother.


    A few hours ago, I hade here intending to argue with her. But now, my focus had shifted to Hnie and Kaye.


    "Come, have a drink with me," my mother gestured. Mr. Larry quickly filled my ss to the brim.


    He handed it to me, and I sat across the table, staring at my mother and then at the ss in my hand.


    "Do you have any idea what you¡¯ve done today?" I began, taking a small sip as the alcohol burned my throat.


    "I understand you¡¯re upset, but I¡¯ve always tried to motivate my children. That girl highlighted it in a negative light and made a whole scene about it," she said, waving her hand as she swirled the wine in her ss before taking anotherrge sip.


    I could tell she had been drinking even before I arrived.


    "It was a big deal for Kaye. And Hnie stepping up to defend him has made him softer toward her," I exined, watching her frown. Before she could ask any further questions, I added, "She¡¯s clearly hitting on Kaye, and your son, who has always craved acknowledgment for his hard work, has surrendered to her beauty and antics."


    I watched as she straightened her back and set her ss down.


    "So, congrattions. Your resentment toward your son over the years, ming him for your failed marriage, has finally pushed him to find someone he sees as a better mother," I muttered, recalling the kiss I had witnessed. He wasn¡¯t looking for romance; he was looking for a mother figure¡ªsomeone who would take care of him.


    And he had found one.


    I¡¯m sure Hnie had been showing him care and concern.


    "That can¡¯t be. She¡¯s his stepsister," my mother almost hissed, biting her tongue angrily.


    "But she¡¯s not. I saw them kiss tonight. And I¡¯m certain it stemmed from the fact that she values him and his hard work, unlike you. So, congrattions again¡ªyou¡¯ve sessfully pushed him away. He¡¯s no longer your problem," I said, setting my ss down and clenching my jaw with every word.


    "They kissed? What a slut. Who even kisses their stepbrother¡ªoh, I see. She must have learned it all from her mother," Mom growled, mming her fist on the table.


    It was the first time I¡¯d seen her lose her temper like this over Kaye.


    She had always neglected him, using him of being the reason she had so many miscarriages after his birth. Something that wasn¡¯t even his fault.


    They called him a curse on our family. But my brother was not a curse at all¡ªjust someone caught in the crossfire.


    "You think I hate my boy?" She finally turned to me, her voice sharp. "I don¡¯t hate him. I just¡ªwas angry at him. But I will not let him be taken away from me. That girl¡ªI need to do something about her. I will eliminate her from my son¡¯s life," she dered as she stood up, her words brimming with anger and hatred.


    "I hope you don¡¯t mean physically. I¡¯m all for you separating them, but don¡¯t hurt her," I said. I wasn¡¯t sure why it slipped out, but as soon as my mother turned to scrutinize my face, I added, "She¡¯s been through a lot already. If anything else happens to her, we¡¯ll be questioned. Besides, now that she¡¯s a student of our academy, the rules andws apply to her."


    "Hmm, then I know what I need to do," she sighed, cing a hand on her forehead.


    I had a feeling she still didn¡¯t care much about Kaye. She seemed more upset about losing control over him to Hnie¡ªher ex-mate¡¯s new chosen mate.


    "Anyway, I¡¯ll go take a rest for now," I said, getting up from the chair. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to return home. I had to stay here and keep an eye on Kaye and Hnie before things escted between them.


    "Your room has been cleaned," Mom called out as I walked out of her study.


    Once I reached my bedroom¡ªwe all had a room at Mom¡¯s ce¡ªI dialed Kaye¡¯s number. I needed to pull him away from her.


    "I¡¯m at Mom¡¯s ce. But you¡¯re not in your room? Where are you?" I asked in one breath, making sure to sound stern enough to unsettle him andpel him to return to the mansion.


    "I was on a walk outside. I¡¯m justing back now," he replied. The urgency in his voice clearly indicated that he was rushing back, leaving whatever he had been doing with Hnie.


    "Okay, I¡¯m waiting for you," I lied before hanging up. I didn¡¯t have anything to discuss with him. I just wanted to see him return to his room, after which I¡¯d head to bed. I¡¯d been awake for nearly forty hours, and my mind was racing with so many thoughts.


    "Maximus imed to have felt the mate bond with her on the ground. Emmet treats her like no one else ever has. And now Kaye! Kaye has been having an affair with her. What is going on? Is she doing this on purpose? Is she here on a mission? What if her mother knew about it and that¡¯s why she kicked her out of the mansion? Perhaps she feared her daughter having an affair with my brothers could jeopardize her own rtionship with my father?"


    I stayed outside, pacing back and forth in the hallway until Kaye arrived. He didn¡¯t take long, but I noticed he was missing the nket. I had a feeling he¡¯d left it with Hnie.


    "Yeah, you wanted to talk?" Kaye asked, looking sheepishly grim.


    "Nah! I just wanted to say goodnight," I said. While patting his back, I noticed a long blond hair on his white shirt but decided not to confront him about it¡ªat least not now.


    "Okay, night, brother," he replied, avoiding my gaze as he entered his room before me.

 Chapter 139-A Little Spice!

    <h4>Chapter 139: 139-A Little Spice!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    He had his hands under my shirt, gently reaching for my breasts. There were moments when I felt like I might freak out or repeat what I did in Emmet¡¯s office the other day¡ªpush Kaye away and run out on him.


    But his tender kisses on my lips eased my nerves, making me feel morefortable with him. Yet, a lingering fear remained in the back of my mind.


    What if some Alphas arrived and tried to touch me? Would Kaye run away like Altan did?


    Would I be left on my own?


    Even though I knew Kaye was far more powerful than Altan in both strength and presence, I couldn¡¯t shake the fear that he might not step up for me. What if he was too afraid of being known as romantically associated with me?


    His hand softly caressed my bare breast, and a moan escaped my lips into his mouth. Embarrassed, I quickly felt a flush of heat rise to my cheeks. Somehow, he must have noticed because he suddenly stopped and pulled his hand back from under my shirt.


    "Did I do something wrong?" I asked quickly, our lips only inches apart.


    "No! Absolutely not," he smiled warmly. "I just don¡¯t want to do anything out here in the open air. I can tell you¡¯re a bit shy about intimacy. Take your time¡ªI¡¯m in no rush," he added, his tone sweet and reassuring as he gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.


    "Thank you for being so understanding," I uttered in disbelief. For a moment, I¡¯d been scared he would get angry with me.


    "But I do want to talk about us," he said softly.


    The moment those words left his lips, I straightened my back and turned my head to the side, avoiding his gaze.


    "I¡ª," I began, but the words caught in my throat.


    As much as I would have loved to have a mate like Kaye¡ªan absolute dream for any she-wolf¡ªI couldn¡¯t ept him. Not just because of the vow I¡¯d made to defy the Moon Goddess until I¡¯d exacted my revenge, but because Kaye wasn¡¯t the only one who was my mate.


    How could I tell him without triggering him that his brother was also my mate?


    And what about Emmet? What if he denied it altogether? I wasn¡¯t even sure if he still remembered anything about our bond.


    And then there was the Lycan¡ªthe beast I¡¯d felt a mate bond with. I didn¡¯t even know who he had been before he turned into that creature.


    I was losing my mind, suffocated by theplexity of my life and the challenges it constantly threw at me.


    "I haven¡¯t thought about it," I murmured in a shaky voice.


    "Will you give it a thought after tonight?" Kaye asked gently, almost desperately.


    My fists clenched beneath the nket, and my lips quivered under the weight of my misery.


    "I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t want to think about anything right now," I said, my voice trembling. "My mother is marrying your father, and if we got together... her rtionship would be doomed."


    I wasn¡¯t sure how she would react if she found out I was the reason they couldn¡¯t be together.


    But I was certain Lord McQuoid wouldn¡¯t choose me over her. He would likely demand that his sons forget about me. There were too manyplications.


    If I stayed tied to his sons, it would spark a fight between them. And then there was the Lycan¡ªwhat would happen if the truth about him came to light? I¡¯d be questioned endlessly about why I was fated to him as well.


    "Why do you keep zoning out? What¡¯s bothering you?" Kaye asked, snapping his fingers in front of my face to grab my attention.


    "Why are you worried about your mother? She never loved you. She doesn¡¯t even care about you. She already had a mate, and my father is her chosen mate¡ª" Kaye continued to argue, but I had to cut him off.


    "Kaye, she has known your father for many years and has dated him. I don¡¯t think it would be fair to ask her to leave him just like that. If she truly loves him, it would be incredibly difficult for her to let go," I said, quickly lowering my gaze.


    Even though my mother didn¡¯t care about me, I still cared about her. She had been through hell with my dad, and I believed she deserved a happy ending.


    "So you want me to wait for many years so we canpare our rtionship to theirs? Just tell me how long," he whispered, his voice tinged with frustration.


    I stayed silent, not daring to look into his eyes.


    The awkward silence lingered for a while until his phone started ringing, breaking the tension. He turned his attention to the call, and I sighed in relief while noticing how tense he looked.


    I watched him talk to his brother, Norman, over the phone. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why Norman was calling at this hour. Was he always so involved in his brother¡¯s business?


    Once the call ended, Kaye let out a tired sigh, lowering his head.


    "Do you have to go?" I asked, piecing together what I could from the one-sided conversation.


    "Norman is here," he announced, making me feel even more ufortable. Why was Norman here?


    Would he try to cause trouble for me?


    "It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything. I¡¯m here to take care of you. But right now, I have to go," Kaye said, steadily unwrapping the nket from his body and draping it around mine instead.


    It was only then I realized how small the nket had seemed on him, yet how enormous it felt wrapped around me.


    "Come on, let me drop you at the guesthouse," he insisted as he got up.


    "It¡¯s right there¡ª" I murmured, gesturing toward the guesthouse in the distance.


    "It¡¯ll make me feel better to see you enter through the door," he insisted again, his words making my heart skip a beat.


    I gave him a small nod and followed behind him. He led me to the guesthouse, waiting patiently until I had locked the door behind me and was safely out of his sight.


    Once inside, I leaned against the door, my mind racing.


    How would things go between us? How long would I have to wait?


    And when would I finally put those Alphas behind bars? As I thought about all that, I hugged his nket for

 Chapter 140-The Evil Woman’s Evil Daughter

    <h4>Chapter 140: 140-The Evil Woman¡¯s Evil Daughter</h4>


    <strong>Norman: </strong>


    <strong>shback: </strong>


    "Why are you doing this? Don¡¯t you see I¡¯m with child?" my mother¡¯s voice broke as she asked the evildy that question.


    I wish I hadn¡¯t been hiding under the bed. It was Kaye¡¯s turn to seek his brothers, and unfortunately, I hade here.


    Or maybe I had done so on purpose, so I could witness the evil woman taking a step forward in her brutality.


    "I¡¯m not doing anything. I just believe you shouldn¡¯t be sitting around like this. Pregnant women should keep working too," I could see the red heels of Urs as she hissed at my mother.


    "The doctor told me I would lose my child if I didn¡¯t rest," hearing my mother plead with her was so painful.


    "So? Is that my fault? Listen, I¡¯m not the babysitter anymore. I¡¯m not your caretaker either. I¡¯m soon to be his queen. The rogue queen--that will be so amazing. So, you¡¯d better get used to this life now. I mean, why bring more life into the world when your existing kids are going to live a life of hell?" Her voice was always filled with hatred for me and my brothers.


    It was still tolerable until Urs started terrorizing my brothers.


    "If I were you, I¡¯d kill these babies. They¡¯re not going to save your rtionship," she scared me when she advised my mother to ¡¯take care¡¯ of the babies.


    End of shback:


    "Good morning." I had the worst night but had to greet my mother since it looked like she had been through hell as well.


    She looked so disturbed, as if she hadn¡¯t been able to blink even once.


    The morning, though, was amazing. The sun was peeking through the clouds, and the fresh morning breeze filling our lungs as we sat in the garden for breakfast was refreshing.


    "It will be a great morning for us indeed," she said, rubbing her eyes. No makeup on her face--that was new. She was definitely bothered.


    "Tell me you¡¯ve decided to change your behavior with Kaye," I said, grabbing a ss of fresh orange juice to clear my throat. My voice was raspy today.


    The full moon always came with such a worry. And when it left, I felt like so much had happened, but I wouldn¡¯t know exactly what until someone told me.


    "I¡¯ve decided to finally give love to my son," there was a smirk on her lips as she mentioned Kaye. It was always a smirk, never a smile of appreciation.


    It hurt.


    But I wouldn¡¯t let her hurt him.


    "I hope you¡¯re not nning to hurt my brother with any of your games," I said, my tone harsh and far from gentle.


    "I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just going to give him what he¡¯s always wanted--my undivided attention, extreme love, and affection," she murmured confidently. Her tone had changed again, but this time it seemed like she was genuine about bringing happiness to Kaye.


    Of course, her giving him attention would mean a lot to Kaye. I just hoped she wasn¡¯t doing it to gain control over him.


    "I want to know what you¡¯re up to," I demanded. She smiled and shook her head at me.


    "Norman, I¡¯m his mother. I¡¯ve always loved him. I was just strict with him because I was afraid I had done so much for nothing. Anyway--" her tone softened noticeably as she continued, "I¡¯ve decided to arrange a date between him and Kesha."


    I was in shock.


    It was so strange to hear her mention Kaye and Kesha in the same sentence. Among all the she-wolves, she loved Kesha the most.


    I had always heard her talk about Kesha for Maximus because he was the most adored and perfect son for both her and my father.


    So of course, it would mean a lot to him.


    "Really? So, you just changed the guy for your precious Kesha overnight?" I asked, making sure she could hear the sarcasm in my voice.


    "I¡¯ve met that girl--what¡¯s her name? Ah! Hnie," she nodded to herself, saying the name through gritted teeth.


    "She¡¯s a pretty one. Not at all like her mother. The tinum-blond girl with big blue eyes. Have you seen her hands? Did you notice how small and soft they look?" she continued, describing Hnie in unnecessary detail.


    "Did you ever notice her body? All the weight in the right ces. But one must wonder if she¡¯s as soft and sweet-smelling as her breath?" she asked, and I rolled my eyes.


    "Mom! I haven¡¯t paid attention to her in such detail," I lied, feeling a twinge of guilt for being so tant about it.


    It was a huge lie.


    I remembered that one day when I got a good look at her breasts. Even now, just thinking about it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.


    I felt so guilty and disgusted with myself because, no matter what, I couldn¡¯t forget that sight.


    "Hmmm, she smells amazing--at least her breath does. Those rosy cheeks and plump red lips. Even living as a rogue didn¡¯t harm her beauty. Norman, if my son kissed her, he¡¯d need a major distraction to forget about a beauty like her," Mom said.


    She was right about everything. She had made a good decision after thinking it through.


    "But you need to be subtle about it. I¡¯ll take care of Hnie. I need to distract her somehow," I straightened in my chair, scratching the back of my neck in worry.


    "That¡¯s good. We won¡¯t let another one of us get distracted by those wicked women, you hear me?" she muttered under her breath just as Kaye showed up, smiling brightly.


    "Good morning," Kaye cheered,pletely unaware of what had been happening behind his back.


    Watching him look so happy made me feel guilty.


    What if we stole Hnie from him and he lost his charm?


    But it needed to be done. It had to be.


    Kaye had no idea what else was going on. I couldn¡¯t bear to watch my brothers fight with each other over her.


    And then there was her mother.


    I couldn¡¯t believe Hnie wasn¡¯t like her.

 Chapter 141-By His Side And I Am On The Wrong Side

    <h4>Chapter 141: 141-By His Side And I Am On The Wrong Side</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    "The food they prepare is so good," Jenny said, elbowing me. On my right was Jenny, and on my left was Lucy. The others were also seated around the table having breakfast, while some were lounging on the couches and sofas.


    All in all, it was a cozy little setting. Thankfully, Salem and Sydney were too busy impressing their minions with grand stories about their pack and father.


    We were all dressed in tracksuits and had grabbed our bags for the first mission of the day. Kaye had informed us early in the morning to get ready for the search for herbs.


    I was pretty excited. Not only for the first task but also to see him again. It was odd how he had managed to spark something in my heart with his consistent showcase of care and affection. The kiss we sharedst night didn¡¯t make me regret anything. For the first time since that night, a touch didn¡¯t freak me out.


    "If Professor Kaye asks you to make teams for the search, can you please pair me with Gavin?" Lucy asked, making me turn my head toward her. I noticed how little she had eaten during the meal. She kept staring at Gavin, her eyes filling with tears whenever her gaze lingered on him.


    He seemed unbothered when he wasn¡¯t directly talking to her. But I couldn¡¯t me him. The betrayal must have been too much for him.


    "I will," I reassured her.


    After breakfast, we all left the guesthouse and waited in the front garden for Kaye to arrive.


    We didn¡¯t have to wait long; Kaye showed up shortly after us. He was wearing a ck tracksuit with matching ck joggers.


    His hair had started growing to the length of his necktely. They were wet, so I assumed he¡¯d just taken a shower--or maybe he¡¯d used gel.


    "Good morning, everyone. I hope you all had a great sleep. Today, we¡¯re starting with an exciting mission: the search for a pink flower known as the ¡¯Flower of Comfort.¡¯


    "It¡¯s said to have been used during the times of war when warriors returned to their tents, wounded and filled with despair from missing their mates and pups. The flower broughtfort to their agitated souls. Though the effect was temporary, it was enough to soothe their aching spirits," Kaye spoke passionately about the flower, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile at him.


    He was bing such a ray of hope in my life.


    Maybe, if I could trust him, I could share my secrets with him.


    However, the thought of my messy secrets instantly spoiled my mood. I looked down, trying to take a breather, when he called my name and stole my attention back.


    "Hnie!"


    I raised my head, noticing that everyone¡¯s necks had turned toward me.


    "Since you¡¯ve won a simr test in my brother¡¯s ss, I expect you to show great results this time as well. Take these pictures and spread them around your group," Kaye exined, steadily reaching out to hand me the pictures. As he did, his hand gently brushed against the back of mine, and he smiled foolishly.


    "Sydney, take the rest and give them to your group. We¡¯ll not only find these flowers but also use them today," he added, handing the remaining pictures to Sydney without even sparing her a nce before returning to his spot at the front of the ss.


    I had only just started distributing the papers when someone joined us. I didn¡¯t turn to greet her, though the students in the front row did.


    It was his mother, dressed in a white tracksuit, her hair styled in a sleek bun. She still wore her signature red lipstick and bold eyeliner.


    "Mom! What are you doing here?" Kaye¡¯s voice was filled with shock.


    I kept side-eyeing their interaction. After everything Kaye had told me about his rtionship with his mother, I couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for him.


    I think when mates fail to save their rtionship, they use their pups to avoid feeling too guilty themselves. They me everyone around them except themselves.


    "I heard about the task. It sounded intriguing to me," she said softly, shoving her hands into the pockets of the white jacket she wore over her tracksuit.


    "Really?" Kaye asked, his skepticism clear.


    "Yes! I wanted to be part of this search. I know I¡¯m too old to be looking for flowers alongside these kids, but how about this: you and I have our own match? I want to find this flower and see how you use it. I want to be on my son¡¯s side today," her voice softened further, a stark contrast to the tone I remembered from yesterday.


    Even I was shocked when she gently touched his cheek and caressed it.


    But what was truly shocking was Kaye¡¯s reaction.


    He was staring at her face as if he¡¯d seen a ghost--or like how a toddler looks at their mother after she picks them up from daycare.


    "But I thought you found my work useless," he said, sounding so helpless and vulnerable. He seemed to forget he was standing in front of his students and startedining like a lost child.


    "I didn¡¯t find your work useless. I just thought you were unable to make people respect it since you couldn¡¯t even defend it. But afterst night, I was so proud of you when your students stood up for you. That¡¯s when I realized my son had achieved something remarkable," she said.


    Her words, spoken in such an overly sweet tone, struck me as insincere--a fa?ade, perhaps.


    Or maybe it was just my own bias. Having never experienced love like that from either of my parents, I found it hard to believe in any parent¡¯s affection for their children.


    Nheless, her words were enough for Kaye to happily ept her offer and allow her to tag along.


    She made sure she was walking right beside him as we began our journey into the woods.


    In fact, she kept talking to him the entire time, taking an interest in everything he did.

 Chapter 142-Give Me Comfort

    <h4>Chapter 142: 142-Give Me Comfort</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    "His mom is so clingy," Jenny whispered in my ear as we took a break in the woods.


    "We were upset with Kaye because his mom didn¡¯t give him enough appreciation. And now everyone is judging her for sticking too close to his side," I argued, raising my brow at her.


    I was happy for Kaye. I guess he wanted his mother to recognize his worth and value all these years. Now that he was finally getting it, I didn¡¯t want anyone to judge them.


    "I guess you¡¯re right. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t believe people can change overnight," Jenny pouted, but then a bright smile spread across her lips as she pointed at a pink flower--the same one we had been searching for all this time.


    One hour in, we realized that finding this flower was nothing like what Emmet had asked us to do before. The herb he had chosen earlier was easy to find, but this flower was different. So far, everyone¡¯s bag was empty. Now, however, Jenny had finally found one.


    She walked over to the flower, plucked it from the stem, and turned to me, extending her hand to offer it.


    "You¡¯re our leader and ss monitor--you should have it," she said with a warm smile.


    I shook my head instantly.


    "Jenny, I can¡¯t ept your help all the time. You found it, so you should keep it," I replied firmly, trying to make her understand that she needed to do her best for her records as well.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to get admission to this academy, and I wasn¡¯t okay with her giving up praise just for me.


    "Now, let¡¯s keep looking. Make sure everyone on our team gets the flower so they can experience its effects too," I announced, ncing sideways at Lady Darcy and Kaye, who were nearby.


    I noticed how Darcy had been engaging with him. It was true that Kaye seemed happy, but it was also true that he was supposed to be with his students. Instead, he was spending a lot of time with his mother.


    When one of the students asked him a question, Lady Darcy immediately stepped forward, shielding her son and answering on his behalf. The proud look on Kaye¡¯s face made it clear he was happy his mother was taking an interest in his interactions. But it just rubbed everyone the wrong way.


    After a few more hours, we had all found flowers. I was a bit distracted, still thinking about the previous night and how Kaye had epted me. I was so captivated by his charm andfort that I forgot how our eptance might affect my mother¡¯s happiness.


    In that sense, I was proving her fears right. She worried I¡¯d ruin her rtionship, and I had.


    Finally, we were done and headed back to the garden where we had started. I could tell the students hadn¡¯t enjoyed the task too much.


    "I was expecting Professor Kaye toe up to everyone one by one and share some exciting facts about the flower beyond its main effects," I overheard one of the girls saying to another.


    "The seniors had so much fun taking his sses, but today, he was so dull--hiding behind his mother," the other girl responded sadly.


    I was stunned to hear the conversation. Kaye had worked so hard for himself, and for everything to be overshadowed by this one ss didn¡¯t sit well with me. But what could be done? Maybe it was because this was the first time his mother had appreciated his work, and he was a little overwhelmed by her presence. Maybe things would be back to normal tomorrow.


    "It was an amazing find," Darcy pped her hands, taking over instead of Kaye. I noticed some of the students rolling their eyes.


    "So, now--" Darcy began speaking but paused, sharing a nce with Kaye first to ensure she was on the right track. With a proud nod from him, his arms folded across his chest, he confirmed she was heading in the right direction.


    "Everyone will take a sniff of the flower after heading to their bedrooms and enjoy thefort it provides," she announced loudly, her voice filled with admiration. The way she gestured with her arms and smiled widely made Kaye smile back at her.


    Finally, after the whole day, his eyesnded on me. He squinted slightly, and this time, his happiness seemed on a different level. Even his smile had changed. It wasn¡¯t just the usual--it felt like he was at ease, no longer needing to show off his achievements to earn my praise.


    "I¡¯ll do it too. I¡¯m actually excited. It¡¯s a shame I never knew a flower like this existed before, but now that I have it, I¡¯ll definitely enjoy it," Darcy said, holding the flower in her hand and gently caressing its petals as she spoke.


    "She¡¯s so faking it," Jenny muttered beside me. At this point, I couldn¡¯t help but think she might be right. Darcy did seem to be overdoing it.


    "Anyway, everyone, please head back to your rooms," Kaye finally stepped up and addressed the students. The group, which had been silent and unimpressed with Darcy¡¯s speech, suddenly looked more engaged when hearing their professor¡¯s voice.


    We all made our way back to our rooms, where lunch had already been set out for us. We were eating in our rooms today. After finishing our meals, we freshened up, showered, and changed intofortable pajamas.


    It was finally time to take a sniff of the flower we had found ourselves and experience its promisedfort.


    "I¡¯m going to feel so light after this," Lucy whispered, holding her flower while sneaking nces at Gavin, who was also ready to try it.


    "I hope it eases my pain," Jenny added.


    I sat in silence, holding the flower in my hands and wondering if it would work for me. My pain felt far too intense for a flower to resolve.


    But then, after much anticipation, I took a deep sniff of the flower.

 Chapter 143-The Flower Of Comfort

    <h4>Chapter 143: 143-The Flower Of Comfort</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    "Ugh! It hurts so much," I groaned, my bones aching as I sat on the couch and stared at the TV.


    "Baby, watch some cartoons and drink this hot cocoa. It must be from ying in the rain," my mother said lovingly as she handed me the cocoa and put on my favorite cartoon movie.


    "Nothing is helping," I whined, squirming as Iined. I didn¡¯t know what was wrong with me, but ever since I came here with my mom, I had been feeling so restless.


    "Maybe you¡¯re missing the connection with the pack," she sighed, running her hand gently through my hair.


    "I¡¯m not missing anyone. I¡¯m happy here," I replied, holding her hand and giving her a broken smile. But just then, a knock at the door jolted us out of our moment together.


    "I¡¯ll go check the door. Drink this and keep yourself covered, okay?" she said, nting a kiss on my forehead before walking away.


    "Ugh! I¡¯m supposed to be atfort," I groaned, twisting my elbows in an attempt to relieve the ache.


    Suddenly, the pain was gone. I sighed in relief and smiled to myself, quickly taking a sip of the cocoa. I didn¡¯t remember feeling relief like that before, but today, I did. As I savored the moment, I noticed the atmosphere around me change. Even the ce itself seemed to shift.


    It was no longer the couch or the living room of my mother¡¯s new ce. I was now at the underground station where I had been attacked. My heart started racing in my chest, tears welling up in my eyes as the fear of the alphas returning gripped me.


    And then, I heard them--giggling andughing. I froze on the spot, my steps stuck, and my knees shaking. I didn¡¯t want to go through all of that again. But as I stood there, paralyzed, I watched the alphas walk past me, ignoring mepletely.


    Relief washed over me as my body rxed. My muscles unclenched, and for the first time in a long while, I feltforted. They disappeared from sight, and I let out a huge sigh of relief.


    "Nothing happened," I whispered, a wide smile spreading across my lips, a sense of ease settling into my heart.


    Nothing bad had happened. I had finally escaped from those alphas.


    And then, I found myself standing in front of the kitchen door where I had once witnessed Lamar and Sydney making out. But this time, when I opened the door, there was no one there.


    The visions kept shifting. I found myself in so many different ces, but eventually, the effects of the flower began to wear off. Too much time had passed.


    I woke up in my bed with a smile on my lips and dried tears on my cheeks.


    Stretching and yawning, I smiled like a fool.


    "I really do feel so light," Lucy said as she got up, stretching her arms. Everyone else looked just as refreshed, as though they¡¯d had the best nap of their lives.


    To our surprise, when we checked the time, we realized we¡¯d been sleeping for four hours.


    Outside, the clouds were roaring and thundering as a storm set in.


    "Now, let¡¯s go get some tea," Lamar suggested, getting off the couch, and we all followed him.


    Lucy and Gavin were walking behind the group when I overheard their conversation.


    "I have your favorite snack that you used to eat with tea," Gavin said softly to Lucy.


    She took a moment before responding to him.


    That must have been such a huge shock for Lucy.


    "Really? You¡¯re talking to me?" The disbelief in her voice saddened me. She had done this to herself.


    "After the pain was relieved, I realized I can get over it. I¡¯ve punished you enough, but I really want to give us a chance, Lucy. I really want us to be together again," Gavin¡¯s request made me hug Jenny¡¯s arm happily.


    I so badly wanted to jump up and down and celebrate their reunion, but since they¡¯d been waiting for this moment for so long, I didn¡¯t want to interfere.


    "Really? I promise I will never hurt you again. I will be the best girlfriend," Lucy responded, happily talking back to him as we made our way into the living room.


    There was an incredible smell of tea and snacks. I guessed the food had arrived from the mansion.


    Everyone was excited about the food because, after the relief, they were finally going to enjoy it. But for me, it was a little different--because of one person¡¯s presence.


    "Norman, sir, we are so delighted to have you here," Lucy, extremely happy to be reunited with her mate, jumped in to greet the man who stood behind the kitchen counter with his sleeves rolled up, his hands on the counter, his body slightly hunched.


    "Hey," he greeted her with a smile and a brief nod toward the others.


    I didn¡¯t bow to him. He hadn¡¯t earned my respect.


    "So, how did your team perform, Hnie?" he said my name, and my body shuddered. It was clear he wanted me to stay behind while the others sat down in the living room.


    The kitchen was wide open to the living room, with a big window behind it. The shes of thunder outside lit up the room, making Norman appear even more intimidating.


    "They did great," I replied, awkwardly reaching for a te. But he grabbed it for me and began filling it up.


    "I can help you out, Miss Monitor," he said. I wasn¡¯t sure if he was trying to be sweet or funny, but it didn¡¯t help.


    "Howe you¡¯re serving me?" I kept my voice low, not wanting to attract unnecessary attention to us. But the way nobody seemed surprised at him speaking with me made me wonder if he¡¯d already talked to Sydney about her team and had normalized his conversation with me.


    "I¡¯m not all bad, Hlenaie," he said with a forced smirk on his lips--a smile, but not a genuine one. "I heard what you did for my brotherst night, and I thought I¡¯d thank you..." Before I could even think that was sweet of him, he added, "...and warn you about my mother."

 Chapter 144-Bowing To My Mother

    <h4>Chapter 144: 144-Bowing To My Mother</h4>


    <strong>Kaye:</strong>


    "How was it?" I asked my mother after she had used the flower. She had taken a long nap and emerged now, around 6 PM. I guess she took even more time than expected.


    "It was so good. I cannot believe I¡¯ve been sleeping on something like this all my life. If only I had known about it years ago--" she trailed off, lowering her hand and sighing, her hands sped together.


    "I¡¯ve done you wrong, my son," she said. I didn¡¯t expect her to bring up our dynamic so soon.


    But it was a good start. She had no clue what it meant for me to spend the day with her. She was so refreshed today, here in the woods. Everything I said had her full attention. The way she told me she cared about me and wanted me to be happy gave me an idea.


    If I could mend our rtionship, I could tell her about Hnie.


    "I was in a tough spot back then, and I med you for the wrong reasons," she began. "I had lost my mate in such a humiliating way-- and then you-- you were just not doing what I wanted you to do. I wanted you to be with me all the time, but then you¡¯d go back to the mansion and be happy there. It was disturbing because you were always in so much pain when you came to my ce," she said, caressing my cheek. Her words were shaky, as though she¡¯d cry if she spoke another word.


    I remembered that time. I was little back then, but the issue was that she expected all of this from me on the full moon. Every time Urs sent me to my mother¡¯s ce, it was a full moon.


    "But still--you always remained my favorite son." It was like my mother had shaken the world from under my feet with one statement.


    "You were, and you still are. I just know you¡¯re the only person who looks for my validation, who cares about me, and who wants to make me happy. You work so hard to earn my admiration and approval. So, I guess it¡¯s fair to say that you turned me into a brat," she said with augh before a tear rolled down her cheek.


    "Mom, I didn¡¯t know," I said, instantly holding her hand and rubbing it between mine.


    "Of course, you didn¡¯t. I never told you and let you spoil me," she chuckled at her own foolishness, but in my eyes, it was sweet.


    "You¡¯ve actually earned my heart and respect, and I guess you¡¯ve achieved more than your other brothers," she said, herments filling my heart with warmth.


    I had longed for this day. I wanted to do better and to be better. I didn¡¯t hate my brothers--I loved them. But since I was a kid, I¡¯d been told I wasn¡¯t good enough. So, I worked hard to be the best, and today, hearing her say that I was the best meant everything to me.


    "Hence, I¡¯ve decided to ask you to take my favorite human on a date. I want you and Kesha together," she said.


    With just one wish, she ruined everything.


    I stared at her face, and before I could express my difort, Kesha walked out of the side room wearing a ck dress.


    She came and sat beside my mother, shyly avoiding my gaze.


    Kesha was adored by my mother far more than Jessica had ever been. Kesha always obeyed my mother, no matter what, and that made her special in my mother¡¯s eyes.


    The sad part was that, during my teenage years, I had considered dating Kesha many times. Not because I was attracted to her, but because I knew she was regarded as the best she-wolf. Dating her would have meant that I was good enough for someone of her caliber.


    I tried a few times to talk to my mother about Kesha, but she would always tell me that she had already thought of Maximus for her. I used to get so jealous.


    But I grew out of that phase when my interactions with Kesha dwindled. I hadn¡¯t seen her for two years now, and I realized I had never truly liked her. I just wanted to prove myself worthy in my mother¡¯s eyes by being with someone special.


    And today, my mother was asking me to date her. Kesha seemed to be on board, but I was not happy at all.


    I didn¡¯t want Kesha.


    She was nothingpared to Hnie. And even if Hnie was nothing, I would still want her. For the first time in my life, I didn¡¯t want to do something for someone else. I wanted something for myself--something my heart had chosen.


    "What happened, Kaye? I¡¯ve requested something of you," my mother said, smiling widely. "You know, I told Kesha my son would never humiliate me. That¡¯s why I had the confidence to ask you this question in front of her. And then I also told her how you wanted to date her for so long--" she added, smiling innocently,pletely unaware of the storm brewing inside me.


    "Umm, but I will need to speak to you privately about this date," I said. Even though I had wanted to say no immediately, I just couldn¡¯t.


    I started beating around the bush, but even then, my mother¡¯s smile faded so quickly that I wanted to dig a hole and hide in it.


    "Oh!" Kesha stood up abruptly, stepping away from the couch.


    "I¡¯m not denying--" I began, feeling immense pressure as both women stared at me expectantly.


    "It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll go get ready for a dine in with your family," Kesha said, as if she hadn¡¯t alreadye out dressed to perfection. She gave us onest smile before walking back into the room.


    Now it was just me and my mother, and I knew I had to tell her that I couldn¡¯t date Kesha.


    "What happened? Why don¡¯t you look happy? Weren¡¯t you the one who had asked me to talk to her for you? I hope you¡¯re not going to make me feel small by suddenly changing your mind," my mother rattled off, not giving me a second to exin my side.

 Chapter 145-Giving Up!

    <h4>Chapter 145: 145-Giving Up!</h4>


    <strong>Kaye:</strong>


    "Not all of a sudden, Mom. It¡¯s been two years, and you kind of told me back then that you wanted her for Maximus," I said, keeping my voice soft and murmuring under my breath while forcing a smile.


    Why was it so hard for me to talk to her?


    "Oh! So you¡¯re going to say no?" Her tone shifted, terror and disbelief evident as she ced a hand on her chest. The shocked look on her face scared me.


    "Kaye! I told her that you like her and that you¡¯d go out on a date with her. If you deny it now, her father and she will think I did this to humiliate her," she said, her voice shaking. Disappointment was written all over her face.


    "Mom--" I gulped hard, abandoning the idea of saying Hnie¡¯s name at that moment. My mom wasn¡¯t in the mood to understand. If she heard Hnie¡¯s name now, she¡¯d hate her even more.


    "No! It¡¯s fine. You proved everyone right today. I used to think I was being too harsh on you. But look at you--you¡¯ve gotten me into so much trouble. Is this what it means to love you? You betrayed me," she muttered, raising her hand as if to tell me not toe closer.


    "I¡¯ve given you so many chances to prove yourself to me. Today, I even asked Kesha out for you, taking the opportunity from Maximus, and you ruined it all. And why? Why would you do that? Kesha is perfect--the one I always wanted for Maximus. But now that she¡¯s agreed to you--" She pped her forehead so hard I could see a handprint forming on her skin.


    At that moment, I felt like if I didn¡¯t act now, I¡¯d forever be lost under my brother¡¯s shadow.


    "I didn¡¯t say no," I blurted out. My mom fell silent, finally letting me speak. "I was saying--I don¡¯t know if I can arrange a perfect date for her in such a short time. I don¡¯t want to mess it up."


    Guilt hit me like a tidal wave.


    I could hear the echoes of Hnie¡¯s cries in my head. I had promised her so much, and now this was happening. But deep down, I had also wanted this chance for myself.


    "Oh, you silly boy. You don¡¯t need to worry about anything!" Mom¡¯s tone changed as relief washed over her face. "Do you have any idea what all of this means? Her father is the Alpha King of the East, and she¡¯s an Alpha of her own pack. She¡¯ll soon be an Alpha Queen, and with that, you¡¯ll not only be an Alpha King but a Rogue King as well. Oh, my son! Big things areing your way. All eyes will be on you in the next few months!"


    My heart started skipping beats.


    My parents had always told me they didn¡¯t care what I chose to do with my life. I had cried for years, craved their attention, and wondered if anyone would ever care about me finding a mate.


    "And don¡¯t worry--I¡¯ve already arranged a date night for you two," she said, caressing my cheek and smiling happily.


    She rushed away, leaving me sitting frozen in my spot.


    "Wow, look at you. You¡¯re going out on a date with the woman who will bring attention to us," Ye said sarcastically, as if we weren¡¯t already infamous enough.


    "It¡¯s not about that, you dumbass. You¡¯ll finally be loved by your parents. Everyone will want to talk to you and include the son who holds multiple titles," Ye added, his tone biting.


    I stayed silent. How could I be happy about it?


    "I have a mate. Do you not feel anything for Hnie?" I asked Ye, who growled in response.


    "You forced her upon us by epting her. Even when she told you she wasn¡¯t even thinking about us. I guess it¡¯s safe to say that epting her when she didn¡¯t want us, and we couldn¡¯t be with her, was the worst thing ever. The good part is that she doesn¡¯t have an active wolf, so neither she nor we feel the pain of the betrayal," Ye retorted.


    He wasn¡¯t wrong, but who was talking about betraying Hnie?


    "I¡¯m not leaving Hnie for Kesha," I said, rolling my eyes.


    "Oh! So you¡¯re taking Hnie out on this date? I thought it was Kesha. My bad," Ye taunted, hitting the mark perfectly.


    "No, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m going to wreck this date, and then Mom can say whatever she wants. I¡¯m not going to stop pursuing Hnie," I dered, firm in my resolve.


    That¡¯s when my phone rang, yanking me back to the grim reality of my messed-up situation.


    It was my dad calling. That was a shocker.


    I just stared at the screen in utter surprise. Dad never usually called me unless I was the one calling him.


    "Hello?" I said cautiously, unsure if it was really him. What if someone had stolen his phone or something?


    He had been upset with me a few days ago and hadn¡¯t even checked myst message. Now, out of the blue, he was calling me.


    "My son, I heard about you and Kesha. Is it true?" His voice was unusually jolly. I hadn¡¯t heard him call me "my son" like that in a long time.


    "Oh, Goddess! I didn¡¯t know you were doing such great things. I should have kept a closer check on you. By the way, her father called, and they¡¯re talking about hosting a party and a council meeting to discuss your role in herbs and medicines. They¡¯ve been praising how you¡¯ve done great things for the pack members even while living as a rogue. I guess you¡¯ll be able to convince them to start a herb center in every pack now," he said excitedly.


    My heart sank when he mentioned the herb center.


    I had wanted that so badly. Even though the packs were using my products, they hadn¡¯t been keen on letting me expand my branches into their territories. Maybe it was because I was a rogue--or because everyone knew my parents didn¡¯t care about me, so no one else did either.


    "So, you¡¯re going out with Kesha tonight?" Dad asked again.


    I realized how quickly everything had changed just from the rumor of me going out with Kesha.


    "Yes, you heard it right, Dad," I replied, feeling like a coward as I resigned myself to my fate.

 Chapter 146-He Wants To Meet With Me

    <h4>Chapter 146: 146-He Wants To Meet With Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Excuse me? Is that a threat?" I asked in a low murmur, turning my head back to watch my friends. They were busy celebrating the good news they had received from Gavin and Lucy.


    "Why would you think of me as that evil person who only threatens you?" he tilted his head, his giant shoulders looking even more imposing from this angle.


    "I¡¯m just warning you. Your decision to stand up for my brother might not have been received well by my mother. So whatever you do, make sure you don¡¯t get yourself into trouble with her," he said, holding the te out for me, his voice dropping with caution.


    "And why would you warn me?" I questioned, genuinely confused.


    "Because my brother cares too much about you. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t hate you--I still do. You¡¯re pretty hateful. However, my hatred shouldn¡¯t be the reason my brother gets hurt. So, whatever your ns are for him--" My heart skipped a beat when he mentioned Kaye and me like that.


    What did he mean by that?


    Did he know anything about us?


    "I have no intentions. He is my trainer and my stepbrother, and that¡¯s all," I lied, hoping to save Kaye from his brother¡¯s wrath for epting me.


    There was definitely something going on between us. But I couldn¡¯t admit it to him, especially when I hadn¡¯t even admitted anything to Kaye yet.


    "Okay, I hope you¡¯re not lying this time," Norman said, making me clench my jaw. When had I ever lied to him?


    "You know what--" With a huge smile on my lips, I turned to face my ssmates. "Sir Norman is so funny. He wants to sing a song for us!"


    The minute I announced that, I heard him grind his teeth from behind me. I knew he¡¯d get angry with me, but I didn¡¯t care. He had needled me way too many times, so now it was my turn.


    "You will regret messing with me, Hnie," I heard him grunt behind me.


    "No! She¡¯s just being funny. Anyway, enjoy your meal, everyone," he said quickly.


    He wasted no time grabbing his coat and walking past me, but as he did, he slowed down slightly to whisper, "You¡¯re really getting under my skin, Hnie. You don¡¯t want to know what happens to those who mess with me or my brothers."


    With that, he stared at my face. Our eyes connected briefly before I noticed his gaze drop to my lips. It was a quick two-second nce before he looked away and hissed at himself, then sped out of the guesthouse.


    "Hnie,e join us," Lucy called out eagerly. She was all over the ce, and I didn¡¯t me her. She was finally happy.


    Before I could join them, my phone rang, and I had to step away. Seeing that it was Kaye calling, I feltpelled to check on him. With Norman showing up here and warning me about his mother¡¯s threats, I felt it was necessary to talk to him.


    Maybe he was going to tell me the same thing--that his mother was angry with me?


    "Hey," I answered, steadily putting the te down. I remembered the way he had epted me. After so long, I had found a little happiness in my life.


    But I couldn¡¯t cherish it fully. I had promised the moon goddess--challenged her.


    "Can we meet?" His voice wasn¡¯t as cheery or flirtatious as it usually was, and that instantly concerned me.


    "Right now? Is everything alright?" I asked in a worried tone.


    "I need to have a talk with you. It is very important, Hnie. It¡¯s important for us," he rephrased, causing goosebumps to spread across my skin.


    "Sure, let me get them distracted," I uttered as I watched my friends waiting for me to join them.


    "Umm, you cane after midnight. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll wait for you at our spot," he said, his voice so low and dull that it rmed me.


    I didn¡¯t want him to be hurt or to hurt me.


    But why did I feel like something wasn¡¯t right?


    What could it be that he wanted to talk about?


    Or was it just that he wanted to spend time with me, like he hadst night? I cut the call and joined my friends.


    "You¡¯re so silent," Jenny elbowed me, whispering as I sat beside her.


    "I¡¯m just still feeling too rxed," I lied.


    "I¡¯ve got a few flowers left. I guess I¡¯ll mix them with some herbs and make something amazing," Lamar joked in a low murmur, making all of us stare at him with disapproving looks.


    "You guys are no fun," hemented, rolling his eyes.


    "Maybe you should join our group, then, Lamar," Salem chimed in unexpectedly. I straightened my back to see what her group was up to.


    Sydney stood by the window next to the bookshelf, her minions gathered around her. She was watching her sister talk to Lamar, and I felt like maybe she had asked Salem to invite Lamar to their team.


    "No, thank you. He is our friend," Jenny quickly dismissed Salem¡¯s offer.


    "Your friend? I can understand that, but why are you friends with such omegas and rogues? Shouldn¡¯t you be hanging around with people of higher ranks?" Salem continued, clearly trying to provoke us.


    I wasn¡¯t in the mood to hear her argue with us over Lamar. My mind was preupied with what Kaye might want to say to me tonight.


    "Look at your brother--he isn¡¯t even sitting with you because of your friends," Salem added smugly.


    "What is your problem, Salem? Don¡¯t you have enough minions? Do you think we¡¯ll be your servants? I¡¯m happy where I am," Jenny shot back with a sharp response, instantly souring Salem¡¯s mood.


    Salem rolled her eyes and stomped her foot. But before she walked away, she made deep, awkward eye contact with me. Then she pointed at her wrist, her eyes fixed on my bracelet.


    She was referring to the bracelet on my wrist.

 Chapter 147-Such A Tough Choice.

    <h4>Chapter 147: 147-Such A Tough Choice.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Everyone had fallen asleep after a fulfilling dinner. It was just our first task of the day, yet everyone was so tired. Some of the fellows even acted as if they had achieved everything.


    I mean, it was indeed a big deal, but I had a feeling this was not at all what Kaye meant when he said we would be staying here for intense lectures.


    I hugged the nket he gave me tightly, using it as myfort as Iy in bed. Jenny had asked me where the nket came from, and I lied to her, iming I had found it in the cupboard of the second floor¡¯s storeroom.


    The cozy white nket felt like a soft cloud as I held it tightly. My eyes stayed on the wall clock, waiting for midnight so I could go and speak to Kaye.


    It wasn¡¯t that I had forgotten about my revenge, but a littlefort on the side didn¡¯t hurt. And who knows? If I could share my pain with Kaye, he might even help me get justice.


    Once I was certain everyone was asleep, I snuck out with the nket wrapped around my body. I figured we would need to sit and talkfortably. But since Norman was staying over for the night, I felt a bit concerned about him catching us together. That would have been a disaster.


    Thinking about that, I quickly went back to the room and put the nket back, even going so far as to ce a pillow under it to mimic my presence. But tonight, I grabbed my old purple sweater before leaving. It was cold outside, and I didn¡¯t even know how many hours we would be sitting and talking about life.


    After exiting through the back door, I reached the tree to find Kaye standing in ce. He looked distraught, and I was instantly rmed.


    "I¡¯m sorry. I took a little time," I murmured, excusing the dy. The whole act of going back and disguising myself with the nket took a few minutes.


    "It¡¯s okay. Ahem," he cleared his throat but then fell silent.


    "You look distressed. Is everything okay?" I asked in a worried tone.


    He wasn¡¯t even wearing a nket or offering for us to sit down tonight.


    "I¡¯m going to ask you something," he finally said, lifting his head. That¡¯s when I noticed the redness in his eyes. I was right¡ªhe was distressed, and whatever was on his mind had clearly been bothering him deeply.


    "Sure, what is it?" I questioned, trying not to gulp. Deep down, I was afraid. What if one of his brothers had said something about me, and he wanted to confirm whether it was true?


    "Are you ready to ept me?" he asked, and my body felt a wave of relief¡ªthough not entirely, because now we had to talk once again about the fact that I wasn¡¯t ready.


    "I don¡¯t have a wolf. Even if I ept you, I can¡¯t mark you," I replied softly. He nodded, understanding but still holding onto the question lingering between us.


    "Then are you ready to marry me?" he threw another shocking question my way, leaving me utterly speechless.


    "Kaye!" I eximed, but he silenced me with a gesture of his hand.


    "I don¡¯t want to stay here anymore. I want to marry you and take you with me to the East so that I can start a roguemunity there as a rogue king. So tell me, are you ready toe with me?" he extended his hand, and my body felt numb.


    Going with him would never have been a hard decision to make¡ª


    But only in an ideal world, where I¡¯d have no objections to leaving everything behind.


    "What about my academy?" I asked. He took a deep breath.


    "I know it¡¯s a huge deal for you, but... I¡¯m also leaving a big part of my life behind by moving away with you. I¡¯ll be starting from scratch without any help. I have a lot of savings, so that won¡¯t be a problem, but I¡¯ll have no parents, no siblings, and no pack¡¯s support. I¡¯ll even be rejecting a huge offer they made to me," he said cryptically, and I couldn¡¯t understand what had gone wrong in the past few hours to make him want me to leave with him.


    "What offer?" I asked. He shook his head.


    "Hnie, if you leave with me, you¡¯ll have to give up your dreams of being a part of this academy. And I¡¯ll give up my dream of building herb centers. It¡¯s a risk and a sacrifice we¡¯ll both make. But I¡¯m ready for it. Are you?" he asked, extending his hand again as if reminding me that he¡¯d been waiting for me to take it.


    "Kaye! I hope you understand when I say this, but this academy is important to me. I cannotpletely cut ties with the world here," I bit my tongue after saying that, watching as his hand slowly lowered.


    "You said you would wait," I quickly reminded him of the conversation we had the other night.


    "I wanted to. But now... I¡¯m being cornered, and I don¡¯t think I can look my mother in the eye and deny her request. So I¡¯m telling you¡ª" he began, but I cut him off mid-sentence.


    "You want me to run away with you? Why? Can¡¯t you ept me in front of everyone?" The realization hit me like a wave, and his immediate guilt spoke volumes.


    "They will ept you," he replied sternly. "Besides, you don¡¯t even want to be epted in front of everyone else."


    "So you knew I would say no? Then why did youe here to ask me that question?" I felt betrayed, like he¡¯d yed me. "Oh!" The truth struck me again. "You knew I would say no. You just wanted me to be the reason we both moved on from each other."


    As I murmured those words, tears started forming in my eyes.


    "Hnie! That is not true. I am... lost right now. I just want to know if you ever n to ept me. Because what I¡¯ll be giving up for you is huge¡ª" he tried to step closer, but I raised my palm to stop him in his tracks.


    "I cannot ept you until I¡¯ve figured my life out, Kaye. You told me you would wait. If you don¡¯t want to wait anymore, I won¡¯t me you."


    I said it with a harsh yet confident tone, making it clear where I

 Chapter 148-The Angry And Unpredictable Stepbrothers

    <h4>Chapter 148: 148-The Angry And Unpredictable Stepbrothers</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Fine." He was so quick to give up tonight, confirming my suspicions. He really wanted me to be the reason he stopped pursuing me.


    "I think by the time we wait, we¡¯ll be free. Then, once you¡¯ve figured out whatever you want from your life, I¡¯ll ask you that question again. Until then, we¡¯re both free."


    I frowned at his choice of words.


    What was he even trying to say?


    "Huh?" I raised my head, watching him closely, waiting for him to exin himself.


    "You don¡¯t even want to say that you¡¯ll ept me in the future. And what future? When? I know nothing. So by the time you¡¯re ready to ept me, I¡¯ll wait, but I won¡¯t¡ª" He abruptly stopped, gulping hard.


    So I helped him finish his sentence. "You won¡¯t stay single?" I let out augh and shook my head at myself.


    I mean, he wasn¡¯t wrong.


    He had every right to date whoever he wanted. It¡¯s not like I¡¯d ever told him I liked him or that I would ept him.


    If anything, I¡¯d promised the Moon Goddess that I would never ept what she chose for me.


    "You¡¯re taking it the wrong way. I¡¯m very conflicted. I¡¯m stuck between two paths, Hnie. One is where I want to be, but I don¡¯t even know if that path will ever open for me. And then there¡¯s the path I¡¯ve always wanted to take. That path is open now and inviting me," he murmured under his breath, gulping frequently¡ªeither to moisten his throat or to hide the guilt he felt for leading me on.


    I didn¡¯t even know if he was in the wrong or if I was.


    But we were both hurting.


    "You should pick that path, Kaye. You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯m ever going to ept you." I kept my tone honest, my posture straight, and my eyes focused on his face.


    I did it so it would be easier for him to make a decision. He wasn¡¯t at fault for thinking about himself. And even though it would hurt, I was ready to face the truth. I couldn¡¯t drag him along.


    But I thanked myself for keeping my secret.


    What if I had told him everything?


    "You were never going to ept me?" he asked again, and I shrugged.


    "I don¡¯t know, Kaye. I¡¯ve always told you that I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be ready." I was being honest, but looking into his eyes was so difficult.


    "You should go ept the deal," I said softly, turning around to leave. My steps were slow, but my intention was clear¡ªI aimed to leave. Yet, somewhere deep down, I had a feeling he would step forward and hold my hand to stop me from walking away.


    But he didn¡¯t.


    He stayed out as if he really wasn¡¯t sure whether he wanted me to stay. So, with that, I walked back to the guesthouse. But instead of going inside, I lingered around and wandered into the front yard, hugging myself as I took slow, steady steps into the garden.


    "What¡¯s going on between you and him?" someone called out behind me. I instantly turned to see Maximus approaching.


    It was shocking¡ªand a little frightening¡ªthe way he came toward me.


    "Hey!" I yelled, thrusting my hand out to press against his chest, keeping a safe distance between us.


    "I just saw youing out from the backyard, and my brother was walking out from the same path. You two were together? Why?" he demanded, his breaths huffing out of his nostrils like a bull ready to charge.


    "Go ask him," I muttered, unwilling to take his usations. He couldn¡¯t just appear and interrogate me. Why should I have to answer him?


    "Did you hurt him? Did you say something mean to him? Or maybe try to cause a rift between him and our mother?" His voice grew louder, his words right in my face, forcing me to lean back to put more space between us.


    "Maximus!" another voice cut through, sharp and authoritative. Norman appeared, taking long strides toward us. He was dressed in just a white T-shirt and ck shorts, his cheeks and lips flushed red from the cold.


    "Back off," Norman hissed, shoving Maximus away from me.


    "They were together¡ªI saw her and Kayeing out from behind the same tree!" Maximus yelled, pointing usingly.


    Norman clenched his jaw, raising a finger to his lips to silence him.


    "Kaye must have asked her to talk about¡ª" Norman closed his eyes, clearly improvising a response. "¡ªabout our mother. She disrespected him the other night, and Hnie took a stand for him."


    He ended up using the truth, but I couldn¡¯t understand why he didn¡¯t let his brother corner me or threaten me. Norman wasn¡¯t usually the type to defend me.


    "That¡¯s not what Mom told me," Maximus protested. "She said Hnie was making fun of Kaye¡ªwhen¡ª" His voice trailed off as his own words seemed to catch up to him.


    The look on Norman¡¯s face must have made it clear to him that their mother had lied.


    "It was the other way around," Norman said firmly, his hands on his hips. "Now, go back inside." Then, turning to me, he pointed toward the guesthouse.


    I nced at their faces before I started to walk away. Maximus looked utterly stunned, realization dawning on him as Norman revealed their mother¡¯s deception.


    That moment gave me a clear picture of how wicked their mother truly was. Not to mention, I hadpletely forgotten about focusing on the deal Kaye was talking about.


    Or maybe he wasn¡¯t ready to discuss it in detail, which was why he dodged the question.


    I returned to my bed and slid under the nket. But it no longer provided thefort it once did. I didn¡¯t even know what the point was in keeping his nket with me anymore.


    But the nket wasn¡¯t the only thing troubling me. He had actually epted me.


    What were we going to do about that?

 Chapter 149-The Broken Bond Cannot Be Fixed

    <h4>Chapter 149: 149-The Broken Bond Cannot Be Fixed</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I can¡¯t even remember how I spent the night. I was in and out of sleep the whole time. It felt like I had lost something.


    Even though I hadn¡¯t entirely fallen for Kaye and had resisted the urge to be with him, his constant reminders of his love for me made me believe he was going to wait for me no matter what.


    Which was kind of selfish of me. I¡¯m not sure what kind of troubles and hurdles he was facing in his personal life.


    Just like I wouldn¡¯t let him in, he wasn¡¯t letting me in either.


    And then there was the fact that I never shared the truth with him. I kept so much from him, so it was only fair that I didn¡¯t judge him for not wanting to wait. In fact, he did say he would wait, but he also made it clear that he wouldn¡¯t just sit and do nothing while waiting for me.


    But with dating, there¡¯s always a chance of falling in love and moving on from the one you are waiting for. That¡¯s why I told him to move on. I didn¡¯t want to believe someone was waiting for me.


    I had been hurt enough times, so it was better to take out the poison before it hurt me even more.


    "Good morning," Jenny finally walked out of the bathroom wearing a purple dress.


    It felt more like a chill day for us. We were only supposed to do some research on the herbs Kaye had mentioned in the ss group text.


    "You look good, Lucy!" Gavin, who had been all handsy with Lucy since morning as the two shared a bed and cuddled while doing research, said loudly. "Why don¡¯t you wear something like that?"


    Lamar had finally gotten a separate bed, where he was lying on his stomach with a piece of paper in front of him and searching for herbs online.


    Jenny and I were now sharing a bed. But that wasn¡¯t the problem. The problem was the way Gavin mentioned Jenny¡¯s dress.


    It was just a simplepliment, but why say it in front of your mate? He knew this wasn¡¯t Lucy¡¯s style. And he had always admired her style more, but suddenly, he wanted her to wear dresses.


    Lucy forced an awkward smile and replied, "I¡¯ll see if I can find a dress."


    "Or you can borrow from me. In return, you just have to be my friend," Jenny added with a yful hint in her words.


    I had been trying so hard to focus on the task at hand, but the conversation I had with Kaye kept repeating in my head.


    I wondered if I should have said more or asked more.


    What if the conversation didn¡¯t end on a good note? Or a satisfying one?


    "Ugh!" I put the notebook down and sighed loudly enough to get everyone¡¯s attention.


    "You can get a dress too," Jenny joked at my outburst.


    "No! It¡¯s not that. I just have a headache," I lied, rubbing my temples.


    I hated how distracted I was. This is why I didn¡¯t want to ept any mate. My entire focus should have been on punishing those assholes, and not getting hurt in the process by my mate.


    Or mates.


    "Do you want coffee?" Lamar sat up, his legs folded under his body.


    Gavin and Lamar still hadn¡¯t started talking, and I guess they never would. The two werepletely different individuals. We never really forced them to act like friends either.


    "Do you think we can get it?" I asked, and he nodded.


    "There¡¯s a caf¨¦ down the road. We can get it from there. They have amazing croissants as well. If you¡¯re too cold, I can go fetch them for you," Lamar said softly, more seriously than he usually did when talking to others.


    I noticed Jenny raise her brow and then wink at me. In response, I shook my head at her. There was nothing going on between me and Lamar, and there never would be.


    He was more like a brother--a brother I would fight with rather than get along with.


    "No, I¡¯lle with you. I want to get some fresh air," I insisted, and he nodded, putting his pen and paper down.


    "While you guys are at it, can you get us a chocte fudge? The thing is, Lucy over here is being feisty, so I guess we¡¯ll use it in our smexy time," Gavin said, his tone making me feel incredibly ufortable.


    "Hey!" Lucy awkwardlyined.


    "What? They¡¯re friends," Gavin shrugged as though he didn¡¯t realize Lucy might have shared that desire with him in private.


    This wasn¡¯t how Gavin used to act before. He used to respect her choices and privacy so much more. Now, he was being so bold with her.


    Was it because they were trying to rekindle their rtionship? Or were they even trying to rekindle it at all?


    Since I had too many of my own worries, I decided not to focus on them for now and walked out with Lamar.


    "Are youing with us?" I inquired, noticing Jenny had walked up to the door but stopped as her phone beeped.


    Her smile faded as quickly as it had formed.


    The sadness in her eyes confirmed that the text had to be from her mate, or someone talking about her mate, or giving her information about him.


    "Yeah, please take me with you," she said, her tone almost a cry for help. Lamar and I exchanged a nce before giving her a nod.


    She began walking behind us, her steps slow as she kept using her phone.


    "Do you think she¡¯s going to break up with him?" Lamar¡¯s question shocked me. I didn¡¯t know he was aware of her mate situation.


    "How do you know?" I asked, raising my brow and clenching my jaw to warn him not to push further.


    "I¡¯ve heard things. She was talking with her brother, and they mentioned how she was being cold to her mate and all, so I figured something was up," he shrugged, making it sound so casual.


    "That Gavin isn¡¯t being genuine anymore, though," he added. However, what he said really made me worried.

 Chapter 150-Without Her Everything Is Dull

    <h4>Chapter 150: 150-Without Her Everything Is Dull</h4>


    <strong>Kaye:</strong>


    It was unlike anything I had experienced before. I woke up to my mom bringing me bed tea.


    It felt strange. The whole morning, Mom kept asking me about my ns for my herbs business.


    The attention they gave me was unreal, but I was more happy that I was finally visible. However, the pain in my heart from watching Hnie hurtst night lingered.


    The fact that she had been so honest when talking about her ns for the future also made me recall that I was the one who had convinced her I would wait for her.


    I had been so wrong about this--leading her on and then acting impatient.


    I had done her dirty, and that guilt had been eating me up the entire time.


    "Kaye! A word--" Norman said, snapping his fingers in front of my face to get my attention as we all sat together for breakfast. He didn¡¯t stop or look at anyone else; he just proceeded to walk out of the mansion.


    My mom, Kesha, and Maximus were having a conversation when Norman did that, and it suddenly paused everyone¡¯s activity.


    I gave them a quick nod to excuse myself and rushed out to hear Norman out. He was waiting on the front porch, wearing a white suit and adjusting his cufflinks.


    "Yes?" I joined him, adjusting my ck shirt while wondering what he wanted to talk to me about.


    "I heard about you and Kesha," he started, his eyes wandering into the distance. The gardeners had arrived early this morning. They were going to trim the grass and the big trees. It was going to look so fresh. Everything would be perfect by the end of the day.


    But if that was true, why did I feel so empty inside?


    "Did Mom coerce you into making this decision?" The way my brother asked made me wonder if he knew more than he was letting on.


    "Tell me, Kaye. Did Mom make you take this decision? Because I know you¡¯re no longer interested in Kesha." It wasn¡¯t a shock that he was talking about my previous interest in her.


    I wanted attention and thought she would make a perfect mate and rogue queen. Besides, I liked her before because my mom did too. And I knew instantly that if I epted her, my mom would ept me as her favorite son.


    "You not answering me isn¡¯t helping," Norman said.


    "What if I tell you I like someone else, and it¡¯s true that I¡¯m only taking this step because it gives me what I¡¯ve wanted all my life?" I murmured in a shattered tone. My demeanor and confidence had been shaken ever since I was offered this deal.


    Norman kept watching my face before he nodded steadily, almost as if he were trying to consider something.


    "Then I will do anything to make it happen for you." His tone was stern, but there was just a slight pause before he added, "With the one that you like," he finished.


    It was like a different kind of relief hit me when he said that.


    "But you will need to promise to wait for me to fix things first. I have to make sure some things are dealt with, because it could get messy between us brothers if--" He stopped talking, but his response had intrigued me.


    What did he mean by that?


    Wait, did he know that I liked Hnie?


    "Because--my brothers would like to know about it too. They would like to know who their brother¡¯s mate is, and also, that you defying Mom would change a few dynamics," he quickly added when he noticed I looked slightly shocked. Good thing he didn¡¯t know about Hnie.


    But--sadly, things were already over.


    I had asked Hnie, and she had told me straight up that she hadn¡¯t even considered me yet.


    "Forget about it. I was just testing you. I¡¯m happy with the decision." I gave him a fakeforting smile, but he only narrowed his eyes at me.


    "Kaye, you don¡¯t need to do it if you don¡¯t want to. You know you cane to me to resolve your issues, and I won¡¯t betray you." He ced his hand on my shoulder, using aforting tone.


    That meant so much to me.


    I had been so upset since the decision was made, so Norman having this talk with me meant everything.


    "I know. But trust me, I¡¯m fine." I gave him a nod, and he finally bobbed his head in understanding.


    "So, a date tonight, huh?" Norman asked with a smile.


    He had always been the one I could count on. He never judged me or my brothers. It was just sometimes weird to me that he didn¡¯t have a life of his own.


    Even when Jessica was desperately trying to be with him, he would focus more on us. That made him earn so much respect in my eyes, but I did want him to live his life to the fullest as well.


    But well, now that he had broken things off with Jessica, there was a little discourse going around. The packs and council weren¡¯t happy that a rogue had broken the engagement with a pack rank holder.


    Did Norman care?


    Nope!


    I didn¡¯t see him sweat at all.


    "Yeah, quite nervous I am," I ran my palms together, pretending to be excited, and my brother knew I was pretending.


    "Don¡¯t ask weird questions," he joked, shaking his head while pouting.


    "Just a few, I¡¯m courteous about women," I lied, and he startedughing. I knew everything about Kesha and her previous rtionships,


    But for fun¡¯s sake, if I were going on a date with Hnie, I would have asked her so many questions. It would have been so much fun.


    "Good luck!" My brother patted me on the back, and I gave him a tired smile.


    "After this date, um, I¡¯ll need that monster in a cage. I¡¯m stepping up the notch for the students. They should know they¡¯re not here on a pic," I had made so many fun ns before. But now, even talking about them sounded so boring.


    What was upsetting me so much?

 Chapter 151-So Much Booze And Noise

    <h4>Chapter 151: 151-So Much Booze And Noise</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    "The coffee was so good," Jenny¡¯s mood had changed after going out with us. I felt a little better as well, but still upset because of the way things had escted and ended with Kaye.


    It was so short-lived.


    "Anyway, what should we do today? We¡¯re free the whole day, and nighttime is the best! We should check out some cool restaurants," Jenny said, jumping up and down like a child the whole time.


    She was so full of life.


    I wondered why her mate had thought about cheating on her. She was kind and understanding too.


    "Or maybe we should do something that suits our age. You know, they have bars and crazy nightclubs?" Lamar intervened, turning around to face us as we were walking into the guesthouse.


    "Umm, just because we¡¯re now eighteen doesn¡¯t mean we should start drinking and losing control when we¡¯re on a trip from the academy," Jenny scoffed at him, folding her arms across her chest.


    I noticed Lamar rolling his eyes at us before he turned around and entered the guesthouse. The living room was packed with Sydney and her friends.


    They had music ying, and Sydney was dancing on the countertop of the kitchen. Salem sat on the couch in the corner, watching everyone.


    She was weird.


    That silent kid who would judge you hard, and whenever she opened her mouth, she would let you know exactly why she stayed silent all the time.


    "Is that Gavin and Lucy?" Jenny pointed in the distance, making me squint my eyes to focus on them. Meanwhile, Lamar joined the dancing party, doing some dirty dance moves and dry-humping the girls who flirted with him.


    The girls were so happy for him to join. As always, Penn was absent.


    And just as Jenny had pointed out, it was indeed Gavin and Lucy standing in the corner. Some of the girls were trying to drag Gavin away from Lucy to join the crazy party, but she had her arm wrapped tightly around his, stopping him from leaving her.


    I felt bad for her.


    Gavin was showing a huge change, and I bet Lucy was just trying to match his pace because she was in the era of trying to win his heart again.


    "Ew, it smells awful in here," Jenny covered her nose as the strong alcohol smell hit her. Yep, they had alcohol in here.


    I¡¯m not even sure if they had asked permission before nning all this.


    "Okay, I need to have a talk with Sydney," I muttered as I hastily made my way through the crowd to get her attention.


    "Sydney! Come down!" I yelled. She rolled her eyes and bent down.


    "Why don¡¯t you join me too?"


    Her voice was shaky and stuttering. She was heavily drunk.


    Who the heck got them this much alcohol?


    "Sydney, if you don¡¯t want me to drag you down myself,e down," I hissed, pointing at the floor, and she finally let out a sigh of exhaustion and jumped down.


    She wore a small white top with a deep cleavage and a little red skirt. Her butt cheeks were hanging out.


    "What is it? Why are you ruining the mood?" she inquired, tipsy as hell.


    "Did you ask Kaye or Lady Darcy before throwing a party and getting booze at her ce?" I questioned. I had to yell to even make my voice reach her ears. The music was that loud here.


    "Yeah, yeah, I did," she nodded, dismissing me with a hand gesture.


    "Can you show it to me?" I asked, leaning over to her ear.


    "Oh, your breath is fresh. You need to drink some of the good stuff to enjoy the party," she quickly assessed and offered me the bottle she was holding in her hand.


    "No, thank you. Can you show me the written permission letter?" I insisted again. I knew I was being a party pooper, but being part of this academy meant a lot to me.


    And I didn¡¯t want to mess it up over some booze or a party thrown by an amateur.


    I knew my status and position in the academy. If things went south, she would get off easily while I would be burdened with questions.


    Lady Darcy would purposely use me of being irresponsible while giving Sydney a free pass.


    "Ummm--," Sydney looked away, scratching her chin.


    "Please tell me you have a permit letter," I said, feeling so exhausted as I looked at her clueless expression.


    "I have it. I just don¡¯t know where it is," she leaned over me, fanning her alcoholic breath all over my face and yelling.


    "Oh, I remember--" she then extended her entire arm toward Salem on the couch, "she has it. Go ask her."


    She then wiggled her fingers, asking me to leave and bother her sister.


    I followed her finger and walked over to Salem, while Jenny hurried after me.


    "My brother is outside waiting for me. He wants to go shopping. I¡¯ll be with him. Do you want toe with us?" she whispered in my ear, offering a way to exit. But I had to stay here and make sure the drunk people didn¡¯t cause more issues than they already had.


    "You go enjoy. I¡¯ll be with Gavin and Lucy," I responded in her ear, feeling so nauseated by the air.


    Jenny left while I reached Salem, who only raised her brow to show me that I had her attention.


    "Sydney said you have the permit letter from Darcy to throw this party and bring alcohol here," I didn¡¯t have to yell too loudly here. This corner was much quieter.


    She had her leg crossed over the other as she shook it.


    "Yeah, what about it? You wanna see it?" she asked, straight to the point.


    "Yeah, I do. Can you show it to me?" I insisted, and she got up, acting like I had asked her to perform a dance for me.


    She led me to her room on the second floor, which was at the end of the hallway. I entered the room with her, but before I could even watch her grab anything, she snatched my phone out of my hand and pushed me onto the bed, running toward the door and mming it shut.


    "What the fuck!" I yelled, terror hitting me when I heard her lock the door from outside.

 Chapter 152-My Stepbrother Wants To Catch Me

    <h4>Chapter 152: 152-My Stepbrother Wants To Catch Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    I should have known not to trust Salem. I had been shouting and knocking on the door for a while, and nobody seemed to have remembered me. I bet no one noticed. Gavin and Lucy had been busy together, and with Jenny leaving the guesthouse, I bet even if Lucy had noticed my arrival, she might have thought I left with Jenny.


    I was growing impatient, getting angrier with every passing minute. If I had a wolf, I would have jumped out of the window by now.


    "You know what, I¡¯m going to do it," that was it. I wouldn¡¯t sit around and do nothing. The fact that Salem didn¡¯t even consider me confronting her when I got released made me understand they were taking me too lightly.


    They really thought they could do anything to me and not face the consequences.


    I opened the window and took a deep breath as I walked out onto the balcony. Their rooms had beautiful balconies, but jumping off such a balcony would definitely cause some damage to my legs.


    The cold wind brushing against my skin didn¡¯t help either. I tucked my body in, shaking from the cold, while I looked over the railing. There was a small pattern on the walls of the guesthouse that I thought about utilizing when climbing down.


    My heart was pounding so hard in my chest as I adjusted my feet on the design and then my hands to stay in the air.


    However, after a few seconds of hanging on the wall, I realized it was a bad idea. I could not move a muscle. I had never been the type to go out and exercise my strength or take anybat sses. Everyone rejected my attempts to get stronger back when I was in a pack.


    My teachers would force me to take cooking sses, saying this was what I could do in the future. Since I didn¡¯t have a wolf, they didn¡¯t consider me doing anything besides baking, cooking, or bing a housewife mate of some omega.


    "Okay, I am so, so stupid," I hissed at myself, shaking while pulling my body closer to the wall and refusing to look down.


    The cold wind had started to stab me as fear mixed with the air.


    "And I thought you couldn¡¯t be weirder," I heard someone¡¯s voice from below, but I was too scared to lift my face from the wall. My forehead was touching the cold surface.


    "Which one of the brothers are you?" I asked, knowing damn well from the voice that it was Maximus.


    "Really? As if you don¡¯t know. You know, I had been thinking about how you hadn¡¯t messed up again. I guess I was wrong," he said in a good mood, not in that crazy mood where he makes weird threats or scares me by swinging the axe in the air.


    "Okay, I admit I¡¯m weird and everything you¡¯re saying. But can you help me climb down? I kind of feel like I¡¯m stuck--" I stuttered, almost losing my grip on the pattern and slipping down before I grabbed onto another design and saved myself.


    But I could tell my knee had been scratched.


    "And why would I do that?" he inquired. There was yfulness in his tone, but I wasn¡¯t ying. I was hanging on for my life, and that little slip had given me a real-life death experience. Not that I hadn¡¯t had one before--too many times by now--but I was going to worry about the one in the moment.


    "Because I don¡¯t want to die," I replied in a shaky tone.


    I don¡¯t know why he was taking so long. Did he really want me to die or what?


    "And you wanting something should be my wish as well?" he retorted, making me even more impatient.


    "Look, if it¡¯s too hard for you to watch me survive, you can call someone else to help me. But I¡¯m kind of in a rush, and my hands are getting colder. I might not be able to hold on for too long," I said, now pleading. My voice left my mouth with much difficulty.


    "Okay, you have another option. If you want, I can ask him toe here and help you," he stated from below, sounding so casual even when he could see I was struggling to stay still.


    "Okay, please hurry up," I begged, my eyes closed.


    "You¡¯re not going to ask me who I¡¯m bringing to help you?" At this point, I wondered if he would keep talking about useless things even as I was falling.


    "Who?" I yed along, knowing he was my best help in the moment. And in my case, hanging onto his conversation.


    "Norman. Do you want me to bring him here for you?" Hearing his name almost made me lose my grip.


    "No! He¡¯d make sure I fall and get killed," I was so frustrated that I couldn¡¯t hide the truth about Norman¡¯s image in my mind.


    "My brother is not that bad," he sounded defensive. Great, I¡¯d probably pissed him off.


    "Ugh! Fine. I¡¯ll help you. Lose your grip and let go, I¡¯ll catch you," he suggested with confidence, causing me to frown and grunt under my breath. Was he for real?


    "Huh? I¡¯ll die!" Iined, my voice louder this time.


    "You¡¯re second-guessing my strength? Little troublemaker, just jump," he yelled, making me shake my head.


    But what could I do then? I had to listen to him. I could no longer stick to the wall, and I didn¡¯t believe anyone else wasing.


    So, I did what he asked of me and loosened my grip, letting go. My eyes were tightly shut as my body floated in the air.


    Itsted only a few seconds, but I was so frightened that not a single scream escaped my lips.


    As Inded, I felt two strong arms catch me. It was safe to say I hadnded straight into the arms of my stepbrother.

 Chapter 153-My Stepbrother Wants A Kiss

    <h4>Chapter 153: 153-My Stepbrother Wants A Kiss</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I didn¡¯t drop you; you are perfectly fine in my arms," I heard him whisper as I slowly opened my eyes. He was smiling at me, his eyes shining in the daylight.


    I didn¡¯t even utter a word, and he didn¡¯t set me down either. He just kept staring and smiling.


    Then, he gave a little jump, making me fly andnd back in his arms. It was so he could make me listen to him: "You like being in thefort of my arms, don¡¯t you? If you don¡¯t want me to let go, I have the strength in my arms to carry you around all day. Or how about¡ª" He shocked me by saying that so nonchntly.


    "How about I take you to my room?" The moment he said that, I jumped out of his arms andnded on my feet.


    However, he startedughing, enjoying the misery his words had caused me.


    "Don¡¯t you feel ashamed?" I hugged myself, turning my face away.


    "I am shameless, little sister. I can take off my pants, flip out my soldier, do a whole fan thing, and not feel shy or embarrassed," he shrugged, making me look back at him.


    As I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes at him, I saw a frown form on his forehead.


    "You were pretty upset when I swung a punch at you," the minute I reminded him of that day, I saw his smirk disappear.


    "You were hurt like a baby, and now you¡¯re talking all big. Or maybe it¡¯s your male ego," I didn¡¯t know why I was still talking when I should have shut up already. He didn¡¯t seem too happy about the mention of that day.


    "And you think your punch was the reason I was so disoriented?" He stepped closer, making me unfold my arms from around my chest and step back. I showed clear fear as he moved in my direction, so he stopped.


    "Then¡ªthen what was it?" I stuttered, failing to keep myposure.


    "You know what it was¡ª" He tilted his head, his eyes holding me ountable. Was he referring to my pendant? I bet he felt weird, but he wouldn¡¯t have put two and two together.


    "Anyway, why were you hanging off the wall? Is this your way of getting attention now?" His voice returned to normal, with a yful, hissing undertone.


    "Salem locked me in her room," I sighed as I delivered the news to him.


    "Umm, you¡¯re still getting bullied?" He rolled his eyes, making me squint at him.


    "As if you guys have done anything to stop the bullying. Your academy literally encourages people with high power and rank to bully the weak," I argued, and in return, he smirked even harder.


    "Why do you keep smirking at random topics, weirdo?" The instant I called him that, his breath became shallow.


    I knew I had messed up and offended him, but just like earlier, he was quick to ovee his anger.


    "Why did Salem lock you up in her room?" he asked.


    "They are¡ªoh yes! They are having a party and have alcohol¡ª" I shut up the moment I remembered that Lucy and Gavin were at the party too.


    "They¡¯re having a party in there?" He raised his brow.


    "Music and a little dance," I awkwardly shrugged to make it seem like less of a crazy party. I mean, we could hear the music outside, but he didn¡¯t have to go inside and see the alcohol bottles. The fact that Salem locked me in meant they hadn¡¯t gotten any permit.


    "Hnie! You know you suck at it," he whispered. "You suck at saving anyone."


    Before I could even be happy that he was talking about me not being able to lie, he added, just to piss me off, "Anyway, you don¡¯t have to save their asses. You think I don¡¯t know they have drugs and alcohol in there?" Hisment shook the world from under my feet.


    "And the look on your face tells me your friends are also in there. So you were the only one not wanting to be a part of it, and they locked you up in here?" He pointed at the room, making me follow his finger to the top.


    I then noticed him taking long strides, probably to go in there and confront the troublemakers. That wasn¡¯t good. Lucy and Gavin would get into so much trouble, and Lucy had a habit of getting too anxious.


    I know I was being biased, but I swear I could tell Lucy didn¡¯t want to be part of this party. She was only there because she didn¡¯t want to spoil Gavin¡¯s mood.


    "No! You are not going in there!" Like a stupid person who holds any authority, I spread my arms to stop him from getting inside.


    "Huh?" His eyes held a challenge for me, or maybe a warning that I needed to step out of his way before I pissed him off even more.


    "Please!" I pleaded, still holding my arms out.


    "Are you requesting or ordering me?" Hemented on my gestures and then my tone. The contradiction between the two was pretty obvious.


    "Why? Why can¡¯t you just let it slide this once?" I begged, moving sideways when he tried to sidestep and walk past me.


    "Hnie! You¡¯re acting like a child. You think you can request, and I¡¯ll listen? Of all the people in the world, I will go against you in a heartbeat." Although his statement was hurtful, I knew it was true as well.


    Besides, I didn¡¯t have to be hurt by someone¡¯s statement who barely knew me, or whom I barely knew.


    "I know," I replied in a murmur that was barely audible.


    However, the silence from his side and no attempt to pass me made me lift my head to watch him. He was staring at me with no smirk or expression on his face.


    "Fine. I¡¯ll let it slide this once, but¡ªon one condition," he thankfully agreed, but what was that condition?


    "What is it?" I inquired, steadily lowering my arms.


    "You have to kiss me."


    That came like a flying dagger, hitting me in the chest.

 Chapter 154-So, Here Is A Deal

    <h4>Chapter 154: 154-So, Here Is A Deal</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Sorry, say that again? I guess the wind distorted your words, and I heard something ridiculous," I said, refusing to believe what I¡¯d just heard. It had to be the wind.


    "Do you want me to spell it out for you?" he asked, a smirk stered across his face. "K-I-S-S me."


    In that moment, I realized he wasn¡¯t lying when he said he was shameless. He was as bold as theye.


    "You¡ªyou¡¯re being¡ª" I stuttered, trying to avoid his gaze. How could he say something like that so casually, with not even a hint of shame?


    "Me, what?" he teased, forcing me to nce at him for a brief second before looking away again.


    "I¡¯m serious, Hnie. Either you do that, or¡ª" his voice dropped, turning colder, "I¡¯ll expel all these students for disrespecting my mother by using her guesthouse as a club."


    His words hit me like a punch, and I quickly turned to face him, my fear evident.


    "Do you not remember that I¡¯m your stepsister, and¡ª" I paused, grasping for another valid reason to highlight how inappropriate this was, "and your student?"


    I let out a frustrated grunt as I kept shifting my gaze, refusing to meet his eyes.


    "None of that matters in your case," he replied nonchntly with a shrug, his confidence sending a chill down my spine.


    "Why?" I raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing him.


    If it were someone like Kaye or Emmet, I could understand why they¡¯d say something like this, but him?


    "As if you don¡¯t know," he muttered, his piercing gaze locked on mine.


    "I don¡¯t. You need to tell me why you think the rules¡ªor even basic decency¡ªdon¡¯t apply in my case," I demanded, my frustration bubbling to the surface.


    "Listen, there¡¯s no such rule that says a trainer can¡¯t be intimate with his students¡ªas long as it¡¯s after their academy time is over," he stated, his tone dripping with arrogance. "And as for you being my stepsister? Who¡¯s to say my father won¡¯t drop your mother after a few years of ¡¯fun¡¯?"


    His smirk was infuriating, his words even more so. They painted a horrid picture, one I didn¡¯t want to imagine.


    "Well, even if that is the case, why do you think I¡¯d want to be intimate with you?" My voice was steady now, though my mind was racing.


    I couldn¡¯t let him go into the party. If he caught the students, it would mean trouble for everyone¡ªexcept a handful of us, including Penn, Jenny, and me.


    "If you don¡¯t," he said, gesturing towards the door, "I¡¯ll go in there and¡ª"


    Before he could finish, I jumped into his path, blocking his way.


    "Do you believe in forcing someone to kiss you?" I asked, my voice low as my eyes darted away. The tension between us was suffocating.


    "Fine," he scoffed, shaking his head in annoyance.


    "You¡¯re so irritating and controlling, Hnie," he hissed under his breath before stepping back, his hands now resting on his hips.


    "Go in there and warn them to stop this party, and also¡ª" he suddenly started taking deep breaths, as if trying to calm himself down. He probably didn¡¯t like the fact that I won the argument, but I didn¡¯t think he was being forceful. He just wanted to make a point¡ªor maybe make his stance clear.


    "Bring Salem to me," he added, and I almost turned to leave when I heard Salem¡¯s name. I stopped.


    "Why her?" I inquired.


    "Why? Are you jealous I¡¯ll be talking to her?" He was shamelessly flirting with me. I didn¡¯t know what was wrong with him.


    Wait a minute... What if his mother set him up for this game so he could prove a point¡ªthat I¡¯m just ying around with all the brothers?


    "Don¡¯t worry. I have to punish her for locking you in that room. Just go and do what I said. I¡¯m not going to exin every step to you, Hnie." He leaned forward, his eyes narrowed, and he put pressure on my name.


    "And you have only five minutes to stop the madness going on inside. If you don¡¯t do it in five minutes, I will arrive, and whoever is in there will get punished." His words made my heart start thumping loudly.


    "So go, your time starts now." He started the timer on his phone, making me hurry up.


    "Okay," I replied, then started sprinting toward the front to enter the guesthouse and warn everyone.


    As I ran, I already had a n. Since Sydney and Salem had been so mean to me, I decided to give them a taste of their own medicine. A little punishment wouldn¡¯t hurt them.


    I knew Maximus was exaggerating when he said he would expel everyone. But imagine him yelling at the ss monitor? Sydney would deserve it.


    The minute I walked in, I looked around for my friends. Gavin was sitting on the kitchen counter, talking to none other than Salem, while Lucy stood close by, her arms folded over her chest with a very pissed-off look on her face. It seemed like a group conversation, but it wasn¡¯t. Lucy was only there because she had no choice.


    Shit!


    I didn¡¯t want to be in Salem¡¯s sight. Sydney was now way too drunk to notice anything, so I had to be discreet.


    I looked around again, this time spotting Lamar. He was drinking and sitting on the couch while some girl from our ss was giving him ap dance. There were three other girls standing next to them, looking extremely pissed.


    "Hey, it¡¯s our turn. Lamar,e on," one of the girls almost yelled loudly enough to be heard over all the music.


    Wow. He was really popr with the girls. In a weird way.


    "Hey," I said, approaching him, then pushing the girl off of him.


    "Woah, blonde, back off. It¡¯s my turn," the girl said, grabbing my arm to pull me away from Lamar.


    Oh, I knew these girls. They were Sydney¡¯s friends and always so mean to everyone else.


    "Lamar!" I uttered as she began pulling me away from him. At this point, I was scared I might not even leave the guesthouse before the time runs out.

 Chapter 155-They Say I Am Evil

    <h4>Chapter 155: 155-They Say I Am Evil</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Lamar!" I called for him again, and finally, he opened his eyes. This dude didn¡¯t even care who was sitting on hisp. The way he could barely blink made me feel bad for him. He was so drunk, and the girls around him were in full control of their senses.


    "Hey, don¡¯t drag my friend away," Lamarined, but his voice was barely audible.


    "She was anyway leaving," the girl lied, but I shrugged her arm off and pushed her away. Now that I knew he was so wasted that he couldn¡¯t consent, I felt sick to my stomach.


    "He can¡¯t even allow you on hisp," I hissed at her, and she acted like I had said somethingpletely out of the blue.


    "Did he push me away? No! So it means consent," she ced her hands on her hips and argued. Of course, she did. That was typical of her. I would¡¯ve expected such a defense from her. She was Sydney¡¯s friend¡ªthey don¡¯t really care about people around them or their rights.


    "You fucking psycho, you touch my friend again and I¡¯ll kill you," I muttered, giving her a little push.


    Her eyes bugged out in shock as I continued, "He is too drunk to consent. So fucking stay away from him."


    I couldn¡¯t believe that girls were behaving this way without showing any realization that a man has rights too. But I knew how it felt when somebody touches you without your will.


    "He likes girls¡¯ attention. He¡¯ll even do it with me in the morning," she folded her arms over her chest and argued while I reached Lamar.


    "Then do it tomorrow when you both can consent. Just because he sleeps with women doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s an open invitation now and has no right," I muttered, shaking my head in disbelief.


    If everyone starts respecting the other¡¯s space and dignity, we can make a heaven on this earth. But if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.


    "Come on, Lamar, let¡¯s leave." I put his arm around my shoulder and helped him up.


    "You are a bad, bad woman¡ª" While walking with me, Lamar hissed at the girl, making her act shocked once again. As we made our way out of the guesthouse, I heard someonee after us.


    I didn¡¯t have to turn around to know who it was because she had already made some noise and made herself known to me.


    "Hnie, what¡¯s going on?" Lucy stopped after me and quickly put Lamar¡¯s other arm over her shoulder. The minute he got support, that jerk lifted his legs and bent them, trying to swing.


    "Yooooo!" he yelled like a child, making us instantly hunch over to relieve some pressure.


    "Oh great, Jenny is here," I muttered as I raised my head.


    Penn narrowed his eyes at us, holding his sunsses in one hand and his phone and wallet in the other.


    "What¡¯s going on?" Jenny asked as she rushed toward us. Penn took a second but then managed to help Lamar into the car.


    "We need to get Gavin out of here, and we have only two minutes left," I checked the time on Jenny¡¯s watch and announced, making the two girls stare at me in confusion.


    "He¡¯s not going to leave," Lucy sighed tiredly, not realizing how urgent it was.


    "Okay then, Lucy, go inside and bring out the others. Leave the troublemakers behind¡ªSydney and Salem included. And Jenny, your task is to bring Gavin out," I felt a little ashamed of myself when I handed the task of getting Gavin to Jenny. It was obvious I believed he would listen to her more than Lucy.


    Lucy did a double take but then rushed away. I guess I¡¯ll be questioned about thister.


    I couldn¡¯t go back inside myself because I didn¡¯t want Salem to see me. If she did, she would realize something was wrong. How the hell did I escape the second floor?


    "May I ask what¡¯s going on?" After Penn hadid Lamar down in the backseat of his car, he approached me to question what was happening.


    "They¡¯re drinking in the guesthouse, and I¡¯ve been given five minutes by Professor Maximus to get everyone out. Or whoever stays in will be punished," I exined, and he narrowed his eyes at me, probably trying to process my words.


    "So why aren¡¯t you going in there to announce it? Why just send two people in and bring them out one by one?" he asked, his hands on his hips.


    "Because¡ªI don¡¯t want everyone toe out. Some people deserve punishment," I watched him squint at my words before he clicked his tongue.


    "You¡¯re so evil. For someone who¡¯s endured bullying, you¡¯re no saint either. Why would you want your ssmates to be punished?" he hissed. "I¡¯ll go announce it to everyone that they need to leave." He nodded his head, shocking me with hisment.


    I didn¡¯t stop him because I knew it was almost time. I turned around and saw some students running out while Gavin walked toward me briskly with Jenny. Even Lucy hade out.


    "All set," Lucy said, smirking until she saw Gavin and then stared at Jenny.


    Penn couldn¡¯t even make it to the front porch of the guesthouse before Maximus came out from the back. Penn stopped dead in his tracks, as he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to get in trouble for a bunch of strangers.


    He watched Maximus enter the house and then turned to stare me in the eye. And when Norman showed up from the back, that¡¯s when we all really started to worry about what would happen next.


    "They¡¯re all doomed," Jenny whispered, shrugging when her brother¡¯s eyes fell on her.


    "It serves them right," I replied, folding my arms over my chest without breaking eye contact with Penn.


    I didn¡¯t care what he thought of me. He wasn¡¯t there when I got bullied or tortured, so he had no right or ce to judge me or advise me.

 Chapter 156-Accused Of Using Drugs

    <h4>Chapter 156: 156-used Of Using Drugs</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Did you know about the timer? Why didn¡¯t you announce it to everyone?" Penn yelled at his sister.


    "Beca¡ª," Lucy tried to respond, but he raised his palm to silence her.


    "I¡¯m not talking to you. I¡¯m speaking with my sister," he shouted at Lucy before turning back to Jenny. We had already reached the car to keep an eye on the heavily drunk Lamar.


    "Why do you want to be a part of this politics? You had to work extra hard to get into this academy, and now you¡¯re throwing it all away by getting involved in petty drama that isn¡¯t even your problem?" The way he was shouting at her made my blood boil.


    I had a stepbrother back home. Living with Sullivan had been such a task. He was a bully, end of story. There wasn¡¯t much else to say. He hated my guts, just like my so-called parents. So, Penn yelling at Jenny reminded me of those days, and it was exhausting.


    "Here," Lucy whispered as she handed me my phone. "I saw it on the kitchen counter and thought you might have left it there by ident."


    "I¡¯ll tell you exactly what happened and how it ended up on the kitchen counter," I whispered back to her before our attention returned to the siblings.


    "She¡¯s my friend. I¡¯m not going against her," Jenny finally spoke, and I guess she shocked her brother with the tone she used.


    "Look at you. Spending time with them has changed your tone and mannerisms," Penn hissed, taunting us for being from a lower rank.


    "Huh, you¡¯d rather I befriend Sydney and Salem? Do you even know the kind of crazy shit they do?" Jenny fired back with so much confidence that I felt proud of her.


    Our group, along with half the ss, was now sitting in the garden. They had found out about the timer Maximus had given us, so they didn¡¯t argue when running out of the guesthouse.


    "Don¡¯t befriend them for the wrong reasons. But their group, with the higher-rank girls, isn¡¯t so bad either," he argued again.


    Did he really want her to join Sydney¡¯s team? Or was it because he thought they were the winning side?


    At this point, I could tell from the number of people outside that only Sydney, Salem, their minions, and a few guys were left inside¡ªthe same guys they often used to harass and bully others.


    "Those girls... are bad," Lamar managed to sit up. "Imagine¡ªthey almost sexually assaulted me. Me! I would¡¯ve done it with them if they¡¯d asked nicely¡ªwhen I wasn¡¯t drunk."


    The minute he said that, I watched Penn¡¯s expression turn guilty.


    "Somebody get him some water," Lucy whispered, and I noticed Gavin ring at her with an unsettling intensity.


    "Why did you punish Salem? She never did anything to you."


    The weird part was, the question came straight from none other than Gavin. It made us all turn to look at him in shock.


    "I guess because if she told Salem, she would¡¯ve told her sister and those awful she-wolves," Penn, who had been taking their side for the past five minutes, suddenly switched sides.


    However, my phone started ringing, and seeing Professor Maximus¡¯ name on the screen made my heart skip a beat. I began to wonder what had happened.


    Were they going to confront me in front of everyone¡ªthe girls and the boys?


    I gestured with my hand to signal I needed a moment, stepping away to answer the call. I put the phone to my ear.


    "Yes, sir?" I asked, but there was no response.


    However, the line wasn¡¯t silent. I could hear conversations happening in the background. That¡¯s when I realized he¡¯d called me so I could hear what was going on.


    "Sir, we didn¡¯t do it," Salem was speaking in a strange, innocent tone.


    "Really? But you girls are here," Norman¡¯s voice was sharp with anger. "Or maybe it was your clones?"


    I could hear the venom in his voice as he yelled at her.


    "It was that weird girl!" Salem blurted out, her tone suddenly defensive. "She and her friends mixed something into our drinks."


    Hearing her outrageous lie, I turned to my group of friends. They had all been watching me silently, clearly wondering why I wasn¡¯t speaking into the phone. Without saying a word, I rushed back and stood among them, switching the phone to speaker mode.


    "Who is¡ª" Penn started to ask, but Jenny quickly hushed him. I assumed he wanted to know who was on the call.


    "What weird girl?" Maximus demanded, his tone as sharp as ever.


    "That Hnie and her friends!" Salem doubled down on her lie. "It was them! That Lamar guy brought the alcohol but told us it was non-alcoholic beer. And those other friends of hers¡ª"


    Salem¡¯s words were so absurd that everyone listening had their jaws practically on the floor.


    "So you didn¡¯t know about the alcohol bottles?" Maximus questioned, his voice heavy with disbelief.


    "Give me your phone," I suddenly heard Norman grunt, followed by a loud noise, as if he¡¯d snatched the phone from someone¡¯s hand.


    "So, Lamar brought the booze? Firstly, Lamar wasn¡¯t even on the property the whole time. And even if he arrived with the booze, what about these text messages?" Norman¡¯s tone was biting, each wordnding like a punch.


    I felt a chill run down my spine as goosebumps spread across my arms.


    Jenny, standing close beside me, gently ced her hand on my back. She was always so observant.


    "Your sister Sydney is having a conversation with one of your guy friends who are present here, asking him when he¡¯ll be bringing the alcohol," Norman stated, his voiceced with certainty.


    Relief washed over me as he mentioned actual evidence¡ªtext messages.


    "Umm, well¡ª" Salem¡¯s facade was beginning to crack, her voice faltering.


    But just when I thought she¡¯d given up, she shocked me.


    "Then Hnie should be punished as well!" she eximed, a desperate edge to her voice. "She¡¯s in our bedroom, waiting for one of us to bring her drugs."


    I froze. My heart stopped for a moment as her tant, audacious lie hung in the air.

 Chapter 157-I Won This Time

    <h4>Chapter 157: 157-I Won This Time</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What is she talking about?" Lucy whispered to me. I had already muted the call and even changed Maximus¡¯ caller ID to something random before putting the phone on speaker.


    Everyone frowned, their foreheads creasing in confusion.


    "Twins! Hnie has an evil twin!" Lamar stood up again, yelling in his drunken state. We all hushed him, and he bit his tongue before lying back down.


    "Really? So if you go upstairs now, you¡¯ll bring her down and make her stand before us?" Maximus continued, his yful tone evident. He was clearly enjoying this.


    Because he knew I wasn¡¯t there.


    Oh, this was going to be so much fun when Salem walked in and realized I was gone.


    Now the call had turned even more interesting. We all listened with curiosity and anticipation.


    "Yes, I can bring her down. She¡¯ll walk downstairs with me in just a minute," Salem excitedly exined. "But I want to go there myself."


    Of course, she insisted on going alone so she wouldn¡¯t have to exin why the door was locked from the outside.


    The sound of her rushing footsteps was so loud through the phone that we all startedughing quietly.


    Gavin looked surprised, probably because he had believed Salem to be an innocent little kitten. I made a mental note to ask himter why he suddenly took her side.


    "Is it true? Hnie is upstairs?" I heard Norman whisper, likely to his brother.


    "Nah! She¡¯s not. Just wait and watch," Maximus replied.


    A strange energy coursed through my body at the thought of Salem¡¯s impending exposure.


    I had been wrong many times in my life, and it usually took some time before others met their karma. This time, I had jumped out of the window, and karma was about to walk through the front door to confront Salem in the most brutal and humiliating way.


    She would be caught lying twice. It would be so much fun to witness.


    A few secondster, we heard noises again.


    "Where is she?" Sydney asked, her voice still sounding drunk but alert enough to want to see me in trouble.


    "I¡ªI swear she was in there," Salem stuttered.


    "Really? Then where is she now?" Maximus asked confidently.


    "I don¡¯t know. The window to the balcony is open; she must have run out of there," she quickly exined, trying to ount for my absence.


    "Are you sure? How would we know she was really in there? You don¡¯t have any proof," Maximus pressed, his tone challenging.


    "Oh! Her phone was left on the counter. She was so drunk¡ªthat she¡ª" Salem trailed off, presumably running to check for my phone.


    "The phone isn¡¯t here either," Maximus added smoothly.


    "What is going on? Are you lying just to drag her down with you?" Norman yelled, clearly upset.


    It was obvious he didn¡¯t appreciate being lied to.


    Because Maximus sounded way calmer than Norman, who was like a raging bull.


    "But I am not lying. I swear she was in there," Salem continued, desperately trying to convince them.


    "She was at the party, though. I saw her," added the same girl who had been trying to force ap dance on Lamar earlier.


    I rolled my eyes, recalling that ridiculous incident.


    "Then where is she now?" Maximus asked again, his voice steady but firm.


    "Wait a minute. You¡¯re saying she was downstairs, and Salem is saying she was upstairs. So who¡¯s telling the truth? Why would she jump out of the window, just to get back inside, and then jump out of the window again?" Norman bellowed, his voice so loud that even we felt a shiver.


    The rest of the group had sobered up just enough to quietly back away, trying to avoid the brewing chaos. Thankfully, Norman was so angry that he hadn¡¯t noticed much else when storming into the guesthouse.


    "She was in the room. She was locked in there!" Salem shouted in frustration.


    "Are you sure? She was downstairs¡ª," Salem¡¯s friend started to question her. Their conflicting stories were falling apart. Salem, clearly at her wit¡¯s end, screamed in frustration, but her final outburst exposed herpletely.


    "Of course, I¡¯m not lying! I locked her in there and took her phone, leaving it on the counter so she wouldn¡¯t bother us about not having a permit to party¡ª" Salem abruptly stopped, realizing toote what she¡¯d just admitted.


    She mmed up, but it was over.


    "Ohhh! Yes! She even asked me if I had a permit, h h h. That¡¯s why I sent her to you, sis¡ªI knew you¡¯d handle her," Sydney hupped, spilling thest bit of incriminating information.


    "Great," Norman pped, and we all jumped at the sound. I could only imagine how terrified the others must have felt in there if he could scare us so easily.


    "I guess it¡¯s safe to say Hnie warned you all, and you locked her in there so you could keep breaking the rules," Maximus stated, his tone sharp and confrontational.


    What I didn¡¯t understand was why he let me off the hook. Why didn¡¯t he break the deal and bring his brother in before time ran out?


    These brothers were so weird and unpredictable. I could never figure out what went on in their thick skulls.


    "You all, get your asses to my mansion. As for the others, give them a day off before they start their hard tasks," Normanmanded Maximus. Then, we had to run after the car, careful not to be seen by anyone.


    But just before Maximus could end the call, I heard Salem say something that I knew woulde back to haunt me.


    "So Hnie escaped and called the brothers on us?"


    And that¡¯s when the call got cut off.


    "Ugh, now I know why you didn¡¯t want to help them," Penn muttered, sounding guilty. But he quickly looked away, probably because apologizing for yelling at and using me was too much for his ego.


    "Are you okay, Gavin?" Lucy asked, drawing our attention to him.


    Somehow, instead of looking relieved to have survived the punishment, Gavin looked heartbroken.

 Chapter 158-So Kesha Is Why He Left Me?

    <h4>Chapter 158: 158-So Kesha Is Why He Left Me?</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Gavin had excused himself and left for a walk while we all made our way back into the guesthouse, now that the whole mess was over. We gave it twenty minutes, just in case, before returning.


    "Guys, we¡¯re not supposed to clean anything. I just got a text from Professor Maximus. He doesn¡¯t want us to clean up; we¡¯re supposed to head straight to our rooms," I said, standing in the living room and wrinkling my nose at the disgusting smell of booze and drugs.


    Penn was helping Lamar, who was in much better condition now.


    "Everyone, just go back to your rooms," I announced. They all nodded in agreement. Penn took Lamar upstairs, while a small group of other students walked up to me.


    "Thank you so much for saving us. We¡¯ll remember this and try not to mess things up because of that stupid girl again. We¡¯ll follow your lead," one of the girls said, and the others nodded behind her in appreciation.


    "It¡¯s alright. We all make mistakes. But next time, make sure to ask for a permit¡ªdon¡¯t just trust someone¡¯s word," I warned them. They seemed to understand and left quietly.


    Now, the only ones left on the ground floor were Lucy and me.


    "What¡¯s bothering you?" I asked, noticing how quiet she was.


    "Why did you ask Jenny to go after him? Why didn¡¯t you think he woulde with me?" she asked softly, her voice low and hesitant.


    "Because you said yourself that he wouldn¡¯te out. As for Jenny, she¡¯s just his friend¡ªa friend he¡¯s not mad at for cheating on him," I answered honestly, trying to address the issue directly. Lucy had been pretending like nothing was wrong, but I couldn¡¯t ignore it.


    "Huh? That was over and already dealt with. Why are you bringing it up again?" she sniffled, trying to hold back tears. I instantly felt guilty.


    "You think it¡¯s all over? Lucy, don¡¯t you see the change in him? I don¡¯t think he¡¯s forgotten anything," I argued gently, not wanting to upset her further. But she still didn¡¯t seem to understand.


    "Would you forget so easily if your mate cheated on you? No! He¡¯s giving me a chance to fix things between us," she said, caught up in her own delusions.


    For now, I gave up. She turned and left the guesthouse, clearly heading after Gavin.


    I followed her quickly, but stopped in my tracks when Maximus suddenly appeared. Lucy also stopped and turned to listen to him.


    "Are you two heading somewhere?" he asked. It was around 6 p.m., and the whole day had been such a disaster that we hadn¡¯t even touched our assignment. We only had until morning to submit it.


    "Yeah, we¡¯re meeting Gavin¡ª" I mumbled the rest of the lie under my breath. The truth was, we didn¡¯t know where he was.


    "Okay," Maximus replied, ncing at Lucy before straightening up and focusing on me again.


    "The others will be staying in the servant quarters until the trip is over. They¡¯ve received their punishment, and their parents have been informed. For the next few days, they will serve as everyone¡¯s servants, especially their fellow students. Tomorrow morning, they¡¯lle back to clean the entire guesthouse. Tonight, they¡¯ll be cleaning the mansion. Their punishment will continue until we decide to call it off," he announced. He sounded a bit exhausted¡ªnot his usual cheerful self from earlier.


    "Okay," I nodded, my hands gripping the edge of my sweater in tight fists.


    "A word, Hnie?" Maximus finally asked, not waiting for Lucy to leave, though he noticed she intended to stay.


    "Okay," I said, turning to Lucy. "Stay here. Don¡¯t go anywhere without me." I reassured her before stepping away with Maximus.


    We stopped in the garden, just far enough so that Lucy wouldn¡¯t overhear us.


    "Thank you for giving me a chance to let the others escape," I said to him before he could start speaking.


    "It¡¯s fine. It was proven that you were innocent anyway," he replied, scratching his neck nervously. He seemed to hesitate before continuing, "This is all the information about the next task. I believe you¡¯ll deliver it well to your group in the morning. Make sure they understand it properly. Hnie, this task could lead to serious injuries, so be prepared." His gaze shifted away awkwardly as he added a note of caution.


    I was taken aback¡ªnot by his words, but by the fact that Kaye hadn¡¯t shown up to deliver the list himself. I¡¯d heard so much about how well Kaye managed these trips, yet this time, he seemed absent. It was as though his mother¡¯s demands were taking up all his attention. He didn¡¯t seem to realize that he still had a duty to us, the students he¡¯d brought here.


    But I digress. It wasn¡¯t as if he¡¯d entirely changed just because his mother finally decided to show him affection.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll deliver the information and make sure they understand the rules and details of the task," I said, taking the file from Maximus.


    "Go see what your friend wants to do," he replied abruptly, acting strangely detached. Without waiting for me to say another word, he walked away.


    I returned to Lucy, who now looked visibly agitated.


    "He¡¯s not picking up my calls. Why is he so upset? What happened?" she demanded, as if I had all the answers.


    "I think we should go back inside and wait for him," I suggested. It wasn¡¯t a full moon, so I was confident he was fine¡ªespecially since he had responded to one of her calls by cutting it off. But Lucy didn¡¯t want to acknowledge that, so I didn¡¯t bring it up again.


    "What if it¡¯s a test? What if he wants to see if I¡¯ll go after him?" she asked, shocking me with how delusional she was acting.


    There was no way Gavin would be waiting for her like that.


    "Lucy¡ª" I began, stepping closer to her when I saw a car drive past the main entrance toward the back of the main mansion.


    It wasn¡¯t the car itself that surprised me¡ªit was who was inside it that shocked me.


    It was Kaye and Kesha.

 Chapter 159-Drugs And Helanie

    <h4>Chapter 159: 159-Drugs And Hnie</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I couldn¡¯t focus on Lucy anymore. My eyes were glued to Kaye and Kesha in the car together, and from the looks of it, they seemed pretty dressed up. A weird kind of coldness crept over my body¡ªa coldness no embrace could wash away now.


    "I¡¯m going back inside," I whispered, not even raising my head anymore.


    "Are you okay? Did I upset you?" Lucy asked. I stopped dead in my tracks. When I turned around, I saw her eyes widen, doubling in size as if she already knew I was about to be blunt with her.


    "Stop worrying about what others think of you, Lucy. You can¡¯t live like that," I said, my tone harsh, my voice breaking under the sudden wave of pain and betrayal.


    "It¡¯s easy for you to say that. Your life is perfect, Hnie. You¡¯ve got everything¡ªlooks, luck, and people who just like you. Look at you! You survived as a rogue, lived through the woods without a wolf, and then got admission into the academy with the most dramatic entry ever¡ªpunching the trainer. You instantly made friends. Nobody hates you. You¡¯re so loved. There¡¯s literally no trauma in your life except for that one time when Lamar and Sydney attacked you. And even then, you got your revenge. It¡¯s like you¡¯re the Moon Goddess¡¯s favorite. And the brothers¡¯ favorite too," she added, thest part barely a whisper.


    I just stared at her face, her words reying in my mind like a reel of the torture I¡¯d endured my entire life.


    "You¡¯re so pretty and clean. You¡¯ll probably lose your virginity to your mate who will love you forever. I don¡¯t think you understand how much I feel, Hnie. I¡¯m impure. I cheated on my mate. My family has such high expectations of me. My mother calls me every day, asking what I¡¯m doing, what I did the night before. Their affection suffocates me. And the one person whose affection I want most is avoiding me," she continued, tears streaming down her face.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say, except that I would love to be in her shoes. I would love to have a family who cared enough to call me every day¡ªeven just to bother me. I would cherish it so much.


    It was shocking how angry and upset we both were with our lives. But I never thought she envied me.


    "What makes you think I have the best life, Lucy?" I asked, desperate to know what she was seeing that I couldn¡¯t.


    "Lamar, Jenny, me, Gavin, Professor Kaye, Professor Emmet¡ªliterally everyone likes you," she said with a bittersweet smile as tears rolled down her cheeks. "In fact, when you were attacked by a Lycan, the boys acted like they were on a mission."


    I had to cut her off at this point, or else I would start breaking down.


    "Enough. That¡¯s all you see in my life?" I asked, my voice trembling. "Lucy, the brothers don¡¯t like me. My parents kicked me out of their lives. You¡¯re lucky to have someone who cares about you. As for Gavin, you need to give him time. I know you messed up, but that doesn¡¯t mean you have to lower yourself so much that he walks all over you. You need to know when to stop chasing someone," I advised in a broken tone.


    I¡¯ve done that too. The moment Kaye started second-guessing our rtionship, I stepped back. I wouldn¡¯t beg him to stay. I wouldn¡¯t tell him he had betrayed or hurt me. If he couldn¡¯t see it himself, he didn¡¯t deserve to hear it from me. It wouldn¡¯t change anything.


    "I just don¡¯t know what to do," Lucy sobbed as she ran to hug me, crying into my arms.


    I patted her back while my thoughts drifted to Kaye and Kesha together. So that¡¯s why he was pulling away from me¡ªhe had found someone better. Someone who would help elevate his status. And of course, his mother liked her.


    I wasn¡¯t a fool; I could see what was happening. I had noticed the way Lady Darcy looked at Kesha. She adored her.


    "Let¡¯s head inside now," I said, breaking the hug and leading Lucy back into the dorm.


    Jenny was already in bed, fast asleep, exhausted from the day. Lucy went straight to bed, and soon enough, I could hear her soft snores.


    I, however, couldn¡¯t sleep. It was in those weak moments that I felt the desperate need to do something to ease the overwhelming pressure. It had been a rough day, and I needed relief. I don¡¯t share my pain with anyone, so sometimes, I have to find my own way to cope.


    Quietly, I got out of bed and crouched near Lamar¡¯s bed, carefully pulling out his bag. I unzipped it with cautious, deliberate movements, trying not to make a sound.


    Lamar was fast asleep; Penn had brought him back earlier. Gavin still wasn¡¯t home, but I¡¯d sent him a text, and he¡¯d replied saying he was at a nearby bar, so I knew he was fine.


    I knew nothing about drugs, but I grabbed a small stic bag of powder I found inside Lamar¡¯s bag and tucked it into my sweater. Then, I slid the bag back where it was and sneaked out of the room.


    The rooftop was my destination¡ªa quiet ce where no one would find me.


    When I reached it, I was struck by how peaceful yet eerie the night felt. The view from up there was beautiful, but the cold air only emphasized the storm inside me. My body, under so much pressure, felt warm despite the chill.


    I sat down on a chair, cing the stic bag in myp. I stared at it, debating whether to open it, when I suddenly heard footsteps behind me.


    "Drugs and Hnie should never be in the same sentence¡ªor in Hnie¡¯sp," a voice said, stern and disapproving.


    My heart sank at the sound. I turned around and saw him standing there, shaking his head at me in disappointment.

 Chapter 160-Oh Wolf!

    <h4>Chapter 160: 160-Oh Wolf!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What are you doing, Hnie, with my stash?" Lamar asked as he sat down in the chair next to mine, his body hunched over so our faces were on the same level.


    "Oh, it¡¯s drugs?" I attempted the worst acting ever.


    "What else did you think it was?" he replied with a small smile, probably thinking how stupid and na?ve I was.


    "I thought it was some sort of candy powder," I said, barely finishing my sentence before he snorted out augh. I almost punched him forughing at me.


    "You¡¯re so adorable, Hnie. But nope! Don¡¯t do that," he said, snatching the bag out of myp. His suddenpliment caught me off guard.


    "But¡ª" I started to protest, only to stop when he raised a finger, silencing me.


    "Do you even know what kind of drug this is? And you¡¯ve never had drugs before. So you decided to try an unknown drug for the first time on a rooftop? Where did all your brains go?" he scolded, his tone sharp but strangely gentle. Unlike my brother back home, his words weren¡¯t filled with judgment¡ªjust concern.


    "I know what you did for me today," Lamar said, tucking the drugs into his jacket pocket. "You saved me."


    "I know it sounds ridiculous when a guy says this. People usually assume, ¡¯Oh well, so what if he was drunk? He probably enjoyed it, and men don¡¯t really care.¡¯ But it¡¯s not true. It¡¯s actually pretty sad because we do care. Everyone cares. Taking away someone¡¯s choice to say no¡ª" He paused, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets and straightening his back in the chair, turning his head away.


    "It¡¯s awful when people do that."


    His tone, his words, the way he was acting¡ªit all felt too personal, too close to him. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from asking.


    "Do you have a trauma like that?"


    He slowly turned his head back to me, a faint smile on his lips. "You know, I promised myself I¡¯d never talk about it. But after how you stood up for me today, I just can¡¯t hide it from you. I believe everyone deserves someone who will listen to them without judgment or the fear of being ckmailedter," he said. His voice carried so much weight, and every word was filled with meaning.


    "You¡¯re right," I replied softly, lowering my head.


    "I knew someone who was taken advantage of," Lamar said, and I quickly looked up to stare into his eyes.


    "And trust me, the culprit got away just fine."


    Even though he kept a small smile on his lips, his eyes betrayed him. They held anger¡ªthe kind of anger I¡¯d seen in my own reflection when I first looked in the mirror after everything I¡¯d been through.


    "They¡¯ll get punished," I muttered.


    "You believe in karma?" he asked, and I shook my head.


    "I am karma, Lamar. I think you should be too."


    There was an odd silence after I made thatment. I was sure he understood what I was trying to say but kept his questions to himself, perhaps because I wasn¡¯t ready to exin it outright.


    "That guy Gavin¡ªhe¡¯s been taking too much interest in Salem," Lamar said suddenly, breaking the quiet. "I¡¯ve noticed them making eye contact or sneaking away to talk. I don¡¯t know why he asked Lucy out again when it seems like he¡¯s not fully there. He¡¯s interested in Salem."


    He tried to use aforting tone, but his words still managed to pull the ground out from under me. My mouth felt dry.


    "What? But he found out how evil she is today. Do you think¡ª" I stopped mid-sentence, remembering how upset he was after Salem¡¯s truth was revealed.


    "Why would he ask Lucy out if he wants to be with Salem? And why Salem?" I asked, my voiceced with disgust and anger.


    "I guess, in his head, he thinks he¡¯s doing nothing wrong. His mate cheated on him, so now he wants to do the same," Lamar said with a shrug.


    I wanted to be understanding. I¡¯ve always been about giving people what they deserve, but Lucy is my friend. My loyalty made me biased.


    "I¡¯m not going to let him y with her," I dered firmly.


    "I know. There¡¯s no way you¡¯d betray your friends," Lamar said with a small smile. Thepliment warmed my heart, reassuring me that I¡¯d chosen my friends wisely¡ªand that giving Lamar a chance was the right decision.


    "You know what?" Lamar said suddenly. "Take this and rx for the night."


    He handed me a flower, and I realized he might have picked up on the fact that I had been through something. Or maybe he thought Sydney¡¯s attack had left me traumatized.


    "I have plenty of these flowers offort," he added, and I smiled as I epted it.


    "Well, would you look at that? Hnie is epting a flower from me. Who would¡¯ve thought¡ª" he paused, his cheerful demeanor fading as he looked at me more closely.


    "Whoa! Are you okay?" he asked, frowning.


    I felt tired, with pain in my body, but I assumed it was just the fever I¡¯d been fighting. My body was warm; I knew that much.


    "How do you know I¡¯m not well?" I asked.


    "Your nose¡ªit¡¯s bleeding, Hnie," he pointed out, quickly grabbing a napkin from his pocket. He stood, leaning my head back and cing the napkin under my nose.


    I thought that would be it¡ªthat the nosebleed would stop, and I¡¯d feel better. But I was wrong.


    "You have such a high fever¡ª" Lamar¡¯s voice started to fade as an excruciating pain surged through my body.


    This was new. I¡¯d had fevers before, but this pain¡ªthis was something else entirely. My elbows and ankles felt like they were being crushed.


    "Hnie! Is your¡ªwolf waking up?" Lamar¡¯s voice sharpened with urgency.


    The moment he said that, I straightened my back, looking at him with fear and shock.


    "No¡ªwhy would you say that¡ªahhh!" I cried out as pain shot through my elbow. It felt like it snapped, the bone cracking right before our eyes.


    Lamar was right. Something was happening to my body.

 Chapter 161-The Wounded Helanie

    <h4>Chapter 161: 161-The Wounded Hnie</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    Kaye had returned while we were having dinner with our mom. I could take just one look at Kaye¡¯s face and tell he wasn¡¯t happy, though he was trying so hard to appear so.


    Why couldn¡¯t he just back down?


    But I couldn¡¯t force him. However, if he came to me asking for help, I wouldn¡¯t be able to deny him.


    Even though I hate Hnie to my core.


    If only that girl would just leave us alone and get out of our lives.


    "It was an amazing night. Kaye gifted me this bracelet," Kesha said as she sat down, showing our mother the diamond bracelet Kaye had given her. It was picked by my mother, and she used Kaye¡¯s card to pay for it.


    Kaye¡¯s only contribution was showing up for the date.


    "Aw! My son has great taste," Mom said, faking her enthusiasm as she did her little shoulder dance. But the moment sheplimented Kaye, his face lit up.


    He even looked around to make sure we were all paying attention. Maximus rolled his eyes, pouting at me. We all knew how much our mother¡¯s approval meant to Kaye.


    Why couldn¡¯t she just truly love him? Why did she have to fake it?


    And I couldn¡¯t even call her out because it would hurt Kaye, and on the next full moon, he would suffer so much that his pain might even kill me.


    "Brother, you seem tired. You should rest," I said to Kaye, who seemed to have been waiting for someone to open the exit door for him.


    "I¡¯ll also go rest now," Kesha said happily, getting up and extending her hand for Kaye to hold. Of course, she was going to cling to him.


    I didn¡¯t mind. She was a good person, but if my brother didn¡¯t like her, he shouldn¡¯t be with her. Yet who am I to decide that, especially when he had told me himself that he wants to be with her?


    Once Kaye and Kesha were out of our sight, my mother¡¯s fake smile faded away. She turned her attention to Maximus and then to me.


    "When is Emmeting here?" she asked. I leaned back in my chair while Maximus let out a sigh of exhaustion.


    "He doesn¡¯t want toe here. Get over it, Mom," Maximus groaned in annoyance, clearly tired of her constantly bringing up Emmet.


    Kaye and Maximus weren¡¯t really fans of Emmet anymore because of how peacefully he sleeps during full moon nights¡ªand afterward, too¡ªwhen he should be with his brothers.


    They used to be very close to him growing up. While I was acting like their dad and mom at once, Emmet was the brother they could y around with.


    Until everything changed, and we lost Emmet.


    The guy we live with today is nothing like our brother. He cares about nothing and no one.


    I still love him, but Maximus and Kaye have lost their interest in even speaking his name since Emmet changed.


    "But why? Why does he hate us so much?" my mom¡¯s voice cracked, and this time, she wasn¡¯t faking it.


    "Mom, you know him," I murmured.


    "Is it still because of that rogue girl? Why the heck did your father even let her into our mansion? Look at my son now. Look what she did to him," my mom broke down, covering her face in her hands.


    Maximus widened his eyes and bit his tongue, awkwardly getting up tofort her. He bent down over her chair and gave her a side hug, clearly unsure of how to handle the situation.


    "Please don¡¯t cry," he said in the most awkward tone.


    "Mom, he¡¯s fine," I reassured her from afar. I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to get too close to her. I had to stay here for the sake of my brothers. I cannot leave, or I would have done so a long time ago.


    As for that girl, I never liked her. So, I understood what my mother was saying.


    "Anyway, when are our little siblingsing back home?" Maximus inquired excitedly.


    "They¡¯re in the boarding house right now. They¡¯ll being back in two weeks," Mom replied.


    I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes at her. She wanted kids so desperately, yet she sent them away to a boarding house. Such little kids living in a boarding house while she sits here, controlling everyone¡¯s lives.


    "Oh! I just got an idea," she eximed, her mood changing so quickly. She lifted her head, and Maximus stepped back slightly, folding his arms but still watching her. His expression was so dramatic.


    "You¡¯re going to ask Emmet toe here to see his twin siblings. He needs toe," she said, smiling widely, as if Emmet would ever agree to do that.


    I didn¡¯t think he hated kids. It was just that kids have high energy, and Emmet didn¡¯t like loud sounds or overly talkative people. He preferred staying in his safe zone, keeping to himself.


    "Haven¡¯t you tried that way too many times already?" I sighed, rubbing my temple with my index finger.


    "Huh, this time I¡¯m going to do something more," she replied with a smirk. Even though I wanted to tell her not to y any more games with my siblings, I gave her a pass when it came to Emmet.


    He needed to get out of whatever stress and depression he was drowning himself in.


    "I¡¯m going to make him babysit the twins. And for that, I¡¯m going to allow your father to see my babies," she added.


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing. She was so damn ready to do anything to get what she wanted.


    The babies she had fought so hard to keep away from my father¡ªshe was now willing to use them for her schemes.


    But I was done listening to this conversation. Especially when I started receiving a phone call from Lamar, the student who had attacked Hnie previously.


    "Wait a minute," I excused myself, getting up and rushing to the side.


    "Yes?" I answered, surprised. No one usually dared to call me or bother me.


    "Umm, Hnie is not well, and none of the other trainers are answering their phones," Lamar said hastily.


    I nced over at Maximus. His phone had run out of battery again?


    But what happened to Hnie?

 Chapter 162-He Chose A Mate And His Brother Is Taking Care Of Me

    <h4>Chapter 162: 162-He Chose A Mate And His Brother Is Taking Care Of Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Lamar¡ªstop calling them. I don¡¯t want their help," I begged him to stop, but he wouldn¡¯t listen. He was freaking out, and I could tell why.


    My nose was bleeding so much.


    After the initial arm cracking, it had gone back to its ce, but the fever was so high that I was seeing things at this point.


    I guess his call was finally answered because he stepped away, running his hands through his hair. His sight seemed blurred.


    I wasn¡¯t even able to speak anymore. My tongue kept rolling back in my mouth, and my eyes were unfocused, rolling in my head.


    "Okay¡ªand¡ªhe¡¯sing¡ª," I could only catch bits and pieces of what Lamar was saying.


    I closed my eyes briefly¡ªor so I thought¡ªbut when I opened them again, I saw someone else standing beside Lamar.


    "Huh? Ugh, I¡¯m seeing devils now. I guess my fever has reached my head," I muttered fearfully, pointing at Norman¡¯s hallucination.


    I had been seeing things¡ªfaces¡ªand now this demon was standing in front of me.


    "Hnie!" Lamar hissed under his breath, gesturing something to me, while Norman, of course, looked angry. When doesn¡¯t he look angry?


    "I¡¯m sorry, but I swear I¡¯m seeing that demon of a man in front of me. Do something¡ªmy fever¡ª," I kept yapping until Norman¡¯s loud grunt silenced me.


    "That ¡¯demon¡¯ is here to help you," he said, and I forced my eyes open to look at him.


    "Professor Norman hase here to help you," Lamar corrected me, giving me a look that practically screamed for me to shut up ore up with a lie to save myself.


    "Oh, I¡¯m not talking about him. I¡¯m talking about the demon behind him," I blurted. I had no idea what was wrong with me, but it felt like I¡¯d sniffed the deadliest poison or drug ever.


    Except I hadn¡¯t, which made the whole situation even more unsettling.


    "Oh, look, sir, she wasn¡¯t talking about you," Lamar added quickly, trying to help me out.


    "I know. She¡¯s so sweet, isn¡¯t she?" Norman remarked sarcastically, his tone dripping with irony. Lamar shrugged.


    "If you say so. She can be pretty mean to me. I think you¡¯re her favorite professor," Lamar replied in one breath. Norman rolled his eyes, taking off his white coat and handing it to Lamar without even looking at him.


    Norman then walked closer to me, rolling up his sleeves and crouching down to my level. He ced his fingertips on my eyelids to check my eyes, peering straight into them. Then, he ced the back of his hand on my forehead.


    His hand was cold but so big.


    "You do have a very high fever. That¡¯s why she was hallucinating earlier," hemented, his minty fresh breath fanning over my face.


    "I¡¯ll do some cold sponging and take care of her. You go ahead and get some rest. You still smell of that alcohol you had at the party earlier," he said without turning to Lamar.


    Both Lamar and I exchanged a guilty, awkward look at thatment.


    He knew Lamar had been part of the party. Maximus definitely didn¡¯t tell him that he had given me five minutes to save the people I wanted to save from the punishment.


    "Okay," Lamar reluctantly walked away, while I looked like a sad puppy.


    "Don¡¯t act like I¡¯ll eat you alive. I don¡¯t have a death wish; you¡¯d w my insides out if I dared to try," Norman muttered, his tone almost teasing.


    I didn¡¯t know what he thought of me¡ªI wasn¡¯t that tough at all.


    "Come on, let¡¯s take you downstairs," he cleared his throat, his arms reaching for me before he pulled them back.


    I guess he was debating whether he should carry me or not. I knew he hated me, so it must have been hard for him to decide.


    "I can walk on my own," I said, feeling slightly more coherent. That happened every few minutes¡ªI¡¯d feel better before the dizziness and weakness returned.


    "Good," he replied quickly, clearly relieved.


    He stayed close as I started walking, ready to catch me if I fell. I took my time on the stairs, careful not to tumble and hurt myself. By the time I reached the second floor, the familiar dizziness washed over me again. I sat down on the floor, breathing heavily.


    "Hey, if you can¡¯t walk, we can rest in one of these rooms," he said, pointing at the empty rooms that used to belong to the mischievous servants who wouldn¡¯t be using them anymore.


    "Okay," I mumbled. I managed to get up and walk into one of the rooms, but as soon as I reached the bed, I threw myself onto it.


    Staying on my feet wasn¡¯t easy anymore.


    Once I was lying down, Norman grabbed the nket from under me. He wasn¡¯t exactly gentle as he pulled it out, but he tucked it over me afterward.


    I let him wander around while I rested. When I opened my eyes, I felt a cold sponge on my forehead and saw him sitting beside me on a chair that barely amodated his frame.


    "Did you feel anything tonight?" he asked immediately, noticing my eyes were open.


    "No, just a headache," I lied.


    I knew, as a trainer, he was trying to understand my condition. But until Ipleted a full transition, I didn¡¯t n on telling anyone that I felt my bones crack earlier.


    Still, just the thought of my wolf waking up made me feel so damn relieved.


    "Are you sure?" he asked again, his eyes narrowing slightly.


    I nodded firmly.


    "Hmmm. You don¡¯t hate Lamar anymore? He tried to kill you," Norman said casually as he reced the cold sponge on my forehead.


    "I don¡¯t believe in second chances. But here, I had no choice. He was right in front of me, and he showed he had redeemed himself," I replied, recalling how I¡¯d never thought I¡¯d be friends with Lamar again.


    "Hmm." Norman leaned back, lowering his head. After a pause, he said, "My brother is dating Kesha now. She¡¯ll be his chosen mate."

 Chapter 163-All Eyes On Me

    <h4>Chapter 163: 163-All Eyes On Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    After he told me the devastating news that I guess I had already suspected, he gave me some medicine, and soon Gavin arrived, looking for me.


    Norman said goodbye and left me in Gavin¡¯s care. Gavin took care of me and sat beside me in silence while I let the medicine do its magic. When I finally felt better, I knew it was time to confront Gavin.


    "Don¡¯t y with Lucy," I said, and he frowned.


    "What makes you think I am?" he replied, sounding unconvincing because he avoided eye contact.


    "I know what you¡¯re doing, Gavin. Don¡¯t ruin everything. If you can¡¯t forgive her, just let her go. That will be her ultimate punishment. Don¡¯t stoop so low¡ª" As I was speaking, his scoff and head shake interrupted my words.


    "Did you say all that to her when she was cheating on me?" he asked. There was a sad and sarcastic smirk on his lips, as if to use me of being a hypocrite.


    "Gavin, she didn¡¯t tell me before cheating on you. Besides, she was certain you had cheated on her, and while I think she¡¯s wrong, I just see her side. She was devastated. Her punishment will be you leaving her." I didn¡¯t want them to end things on such a bad note, where there wouldn¡¯t even be a chance for them to be friends again.


    "You should rest. I¡¯m not ying here," he muttered and leaned back, closing his eyes. The rest of the night was peaceful. In fact, I woke up feeling so good, as if I had healed perfectly.


    We returned to our room, where everyone was dressed up. Jenny wore a beautiful blue dress, while Lucy was in a pink dress. I guess she was really trying to impress Gavin.


    "Are you okay?" Jenny asked me for the fifth time while Gavin attended the restroom to get ready for the day. We had been invited to join the royals in the mansion for some reason.


    I was waiting for my turn to use the restroom and dress up.


    "Hnie, why don¡¯t you try this dress on?" Lamar showed up, running inside wearing a ck suit with a disheveled white shirt and ck tie. He was always like that, and I guess it suited him.


    "What?" I was shocked when he opened the cover to reveal a white dress. It was a brand-new white dress.


    I noticed how red his hands were and how rosy his cheeks and nose were too. He had run out into the cold, just so he could grab me a dress?


    Where did he even find an open shop? The shops must have been opening soon, so he must have persuaded them to open early.


    "Lamar, why did you get me this dress?" I got up, speaking in utter disbelief.


    "We are friends. And consider it a thanks for helping mest night," he smiled, showing his white teeth.


    "Wow, Lamar is getting someone a gift," Lucymented, giving me a wink. I remembered when she said I had so many people to take care of me.


    "Now tell your friend to ept it and get ready," he turned to ask Lucy, who gave him aforting smile and a nod.


    "Come on, Hnie. We don¡¯t have time. Besides," Lucy bent over and whispered, "today, they¡¯ll be serving everyone food and drinks."


    Oh, I know who she was referring to. It was crazy how everyone was looking forward to seeing the sisters serve them. It showed how much they despised them for making their lives miserable all these days.


    After I got ready, we left for the mansion. That white dress made me feel some type of way. It was beautiful, with pearls and patterns that looked like a fairy walking from fairy tales. Jenny did my makeup and made me wear her pearl earrings and ne, while Lucy did my hair in beautiful two braids from the front, tying them in the back with the rest of my hair in big curls, spread around openly. The loose strands all over my face, along with the freshly cut bangs, looked so well.


    I never thought I could look this way.


    We entered the mansion, and the first thing we saw was Sydney and Salem in ck-and-white maid¡¯s costumes, holding trays and looking so grim.


    "Wow," Jenny whispered, quickly holding my arm and pulling herself closer to me. The entire mansion was lit up with beautiful lights and had white flowers decorated everywhere.


    "Kesha¡¯s father and Lord McQuoid are here," As soon as Gavin said that, I felt my confidence shake. But I had to constantly remind myself that I could never be with Kaye anyway.


    As we reached the huge dining hall, I stopped in my tracks at the sight of Kaye and Kesha standing together with an old man¡ªprobably Kesha¡¯s father. And right beside them was Lord McQuoid.


    So, it was official. They were really going to be each other¡¯s mates.


    I kept staring at them like a robot before I snapped back to reality when Kaye¡¯s eyesnded on me. The look on his face, as his eyes traveled from my head to toe, was one of shock. Then, a little smile of satisfaction formed on his lips before it faded away quickly when Kesha unknowingly put her arm over his arm while talking to her father.


    I looked away and straightened my back, turning my head to the other side to watch Norman stand with his mother. However, his eyes were on me, and there was a look of confusion on his face. His stare lingered on me before he shook his head and looked away. He then started to walk toward Kaye and his father, but his entire neck was turned toward me. I knew he was looking at me.


    Maybe it was because of how quickly I had gotten rid of that fever. Whatever it was, it made him stare at me a little too long, to the point that he didn¡¯t see the small white rug and almost tripped as his shoe got caught in it.

 Chapter 164-Earth To The Angel

    <h4>Chapter 164: 164-Earth To The Angel</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Hey, hey, watch your step, brother," Maximus arrived at the right time, wearing a ck suit as he held his brother, who looked so bashful as he attempted to fix his posture.


    "This rug¡ª" he hissed, lowering his head but side-eyeing me.


    "Was he checking you out?" I didn¡¯t know Jenny was watching us.


    "I was sickst night, so probably that¡¯s why," I shrugged, looking away at Sydney and Salem. They didn¡¯t look happy at all. And the ssmates were giving them a hard time¡ªprobably because that was the only time they could take their revenge on the "evil sisters."


    Norman walked away and joined Kaye, while Maximus turned, and his eyes fell on me. As he had imed before, he was truly shameless. He even smirked as he walked over to us.


    "Jenny, did you ask the two to serve you the starters?" he asked her, pointing at Salem.


    "No, I should go and do that," she rushed away, falling for his tricks.


    When he looked back at me, he found my eyes narrowed at him. "And I thought angels only resided in heaven."


    I was kind of showing him a sassy attitude until hisment made me awkwardly stare back at him.


    "Why would you¡ªwhy do you¡ª" I stuttered, hissing under my breath and frowning, until I had so many lines drawn on my forehead.


    "Keep stuttering, you look even cuter. As for me being me, I don¡¯t know. I was kind of stopping myself in the beginning¡ªbut then¡ªI thought, who knows?" He made no sense. The way he was using codes to talk was only hurting my head.


    "I don¡¯t even think you know what you want to say. Are you tasked to make me look bad by responding to your flirting?" I raised my brow, and he copied my gesture, making me sigh in exasperation.


    He was so annoying.


    "Tasked by who, and why would I be tasked to flirt with you?" He slipped his hands in his pants pockets and asked me.


    I didn¡¯t want to say anything else, or he would put two and two together. I couldn¡¯t say his mom did it so that Kaye could think I flirt with everyone, which wouldn¡¯t make sense anymore because Kaye had already left me.


    He didn¡¯t leave me¡ªhe gave me a hard choice that he knew I could not ept. Or did he? He didn¡¯t know about my revenge.


    "Earth to the angel," Maximus snapped his fingers in front of my face to get my attention back on him.


    "Everyone is here. Emmet didn¡¯te?" I looked around, changing the topic.


    "Nope! He doesn¡¯te here," he replied in a much drier tone.


    "My mom¡ªshe must not be allowed here," I questioned and answered it myself while nodding my head to myself as I concluded it.


    "Yeah," he replied.


    "Umm, your aunt and your cousin didn¡¯te either. And the servants didn¡¯t have to because my mom has her own team of servers. Anyone else you want to talk about to avoid talking about me?" he murmured, making me turn my head to him and notice the smirk instantly form back on his face.


    However, even while Maximus was talking, I couldn¡¯t help but remember a piece of information that I had been missing.


    "Jenny is here. I will see you around," Maximus said as he stepped away. Jenny arrived with Sydney and Salem behind her.


    "Come on, give her some fresh orange juice," Jenny asked Salem, who kept ring at me as she shoved the tray in my face.


    "Hey, behave!" Jenny almost hissed at her.


    I grabbed the juice and dismissed Sydney with a wave of my hand, not feeling like consuming any food.


    I had one thing¡ªand only one thing¡ªin my mind.


    Kaye epted me.


    Previously, I hadn¡¯t seen it as a big deal because I didn¡¯t have a wolf, but now that I had a feeling my wolf was waking up, I was worried.


    Everyone was enjoying breakfast, while the brothers and the royals sat separately at a table. The students sat at another table.


    I sneakily typed a text for Kaye because I had to resolve this matter before my wolf wakes up and goes into heat. I didn¡¯t want to be connected to someone who was not mine.


    Me: Can you meet after midnight?


    I raised my head to notice how he reacted to my message. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to be involved with anyone¡ªespecially not with the one the moon goddess had chosen for me. It was pretty obvious that the moon goddess¡¯s choice would hurt me.


    I watched Kaye hold his phone, then put it under the table, typing something.


    Professor Kaye: Sure.


    When I thought that would be all, his message popped up again.


    Professor Kaye: But try toe after you¡¯ve changed. I don¡¯t think I can see you in this dress and not lose my control.


    Blood and heat rushed to my cheeks, but I killed the feeling instantly. I am not a mate stealer.


    I didn¡¯t respond to him.


    "Try this," Lamar held his fork up with a shrimp on it. He had to get up and bend all the way over from the other side when offering me that bite.


    I took it because I did want to enjoy the time. But my phone blew up instantly after that.


    Professor Kaye: What is he doing? Does he not like staying alive? And why are you epting bites from him?


    I just stared at the screen, wondering how he processed things. We were officially over, and he had said yes to choosing Kesha. Then why the heck did he care who I spoke with?


    Professor Kaye: And why the heck is Penn staring at you like he has nothing better to do?


    His message was what brought my attention to Penn. I swiftly looked up from my phone to the side where he was sitting and found him watching me. However, my sudden look at him made him look down so awkwardly that I felt bad for catching him like that.

 Chapter 165-Suddenly Everyone Is Jealous

    <h4>Chapter 165: 165-Suddenly Everyone Is Jealous</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    A few minutester, after I caught Penn ncing at me and quickly looked away upon realizing my mistake, I saw him approach our side of the table. He crouched down to whisper something into his sister¡¯s ear.


    She listened attentively, nodded, then quickly left her seat for him, walking around the table to sit next to Lamar.


    Penn took the seat beside me, clearing his throat.


    "White is your color, huh?" he began, making me shift ufortably in my seat and nce at him.


    "Thank you," I replied with a polite smile, epting hispliment.


    "About the other day when I used you--I guess my alpha rank had gone to my head," he admitted. "I didn¡¯t realize how tough life can be for those who fall victim to higher-ranked werewolves¡¯ bullying. I suppose I was too stuck-up, feeling privileged for never having faced the same. That made sympathizing feel... far-fetched for me."


    He leaned slightly forward, one arm stretched across the table, his posture straight. His tone was soft and understanding, his words carrying a depth that surprised me.


    "I do ept simple apologies, though," I joked lightly. He chuckled quietly, almost to himself.


    "Are you dating anyone?" he asked suddenly. The way he closed his eyes, as if enciuraging himself to pose the question, made me gulp in utter bewilderment.


    Questions like these are usually preludes to a date offer, and I wasn¡¯t sure if I was ready for that--if I even wanted it with Penn, of all people.


    "No! I just want to focus on my tasks and the academy for now," I replied, feeling awkward about the extra information I tacked on. I only said it so he wouldn¡¯t ask me out, even if he was nning to.


    Maybe I was overthinking, but his constant stare and awkward demeanor made it clear why he was here.


    "Oh! Well, that¡¯s a great way to achieve bigger goals," he said, nodding. Then he added, "May I know when you might open the doors to the possibility of dating someone?"


    The fact that he was so charmingly persistent was, admittedly, praise-worthy.


    "Why do you want to know? Do you have someone in mind you think I¡¯d look good with?" I teased, watching him frown and scoff.


    "One thing you should know about me, Hnie," he said, his posture softening as he turned toward me. Leaning closer, he whispered, "I don¡¯t do public service. If I see something impable, I¡¯d rather keep it for myself than offer it to someone else."


    His words sent a shiver down my spine, covering my body in goosebumps. He straightened again, smirking as I swallowed hard.


    "I saw you stand up for yourself, fighting anyone who crosses you," he continued. "And the way you protect your friends--whether it¡¯s by throwing yourself as bait for the lycan or saving them from punishment--that¡¯s rare."


    Heughed lightly, then turned serious again. "You¡¯re different in so many ways. I¡¯ve met plenty of higher-ranked she-wolves--dated some of them, even--but none have shown the kind of strength and uniqueness you do. Sometimes, I even wonder if you¡¯re lying about being the daughter of Omegas or not having a wolf."


    He reached for his wine ss, taking a sip topose himself after giving me what might have been the sweetestpliment I¡¯d ever received.


    However, I was stunned by his words about my rank. Could it be true that my wolf was entirely different from my parents¡¯?


    "That¡¯s very sweet of you," I muttered awkwardly, deliberately avoiding the topic, while my phone beeped repeatedly in myp.


    "You must think I¡¯m so weird," Penn said, his tone light but confident. "Just yesterday, I was judging you harshly, and today, here I am, sitting next to you, hoping you¡¯ll change your mind about dating soon." He took a big sip from his drink before continuing. His confidence didn¡¯t surprise me; alphas were always like this--straightforward, until they decided not to be honest anymore.


    "We could start by being friends. How about that?" I raised an eyebrow as I posed the question. He tilted his head thoughtfully before responding.


    "I don¡¯t want to end up friend-zoned like Lamar and Gavin," he mumbled, smirking smugly.


    "It¡¯s different with them," I replied. "One of them is like a brother to me, and the other was dating my friend." I trailed off as I noticed Lucy shifting ufortably in her seat to my right. That¡¯s when I realized she had been eavesdropping on our conversation.


    "Is dating my friend," I corrected myself quickly. Pennughed quietly, his amusement evident.


    "So how about the two ¡¯friends¡¯ go for a walk after tomorrow¡¯s task?" he suggested, his tone casual but intent.


    I narrowed my eyes at him, then nodded. "Sure, I like the idea of a little walk--especially after losing ourselves in the task," I said with a yful shrug as I reached for my orange juice.


    I noticed his gaze lingering on me for a moment too long. "You know about the task?" he asked, tilting his head curiously. I nodded in confirmation.


    "Breakfast is over," I announced, ncing around the table to see everyone finishing up. "Shall we all head back so I can inform everyone about the task and the rules?"


    "Sure, I¡¯ll help you gather all the Pok¨¦mon," he whispered with a grin as he got up from his chair.


    His sudden yfulness felt suspicious. It made me wonder what was going on. Was something different today? Instinctively, I touched my pendant to ensure I hadn¡¯t taken it off. First Maximus, and now him--what was happening?


    We all got up and began walking back to the guesthouse. With some space to myself, I decided to check my messages. I had expected them to be only from Kaye, but confusion crept in when I saw a text from Maximus as well.


    Professor Kaye: Screw midnight. Meet me in two hours back at the mansion. I need to discuss the task with you.


    Professor Maximus: Why is that alpha boy flirting with you? Are you two dating?

 Chapter 166-Pick A Team!

    <h4>Chapter 166: 166-Pick A Team!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    Everyone had gathered in the living room, waiting for me to announce the details of the task and exin the rules. However, we had to wait a few more minutes as the ones serving punishments had yet to arrive.


    Eventually, they rushed in, looking like aplete mess. Sydney¡¯s hair had remnants of food in it--I guessed some rich alpha¡¯s mate had been offended by her attitude and tossed an amuse-bouche at her. Meanwhile, one of thedies had pushed Salem away when she attempted to retaliate.


    The two of them looked utterly miserable. They muttered under their breaths, passing snidements and pulling faces, which immediately drew the attention of everyone in the room. Norman, unsurprisingly, called them out. I heard they had already been thoroughly scolded and that their punishment had been extended beyond what was initially nned.


    "Huh, what is it? Just tell us quickly. We have other things to do," Sydney hissed, standing against the wall, clearly trying to avoid drawing further attention to her disheveled state.


    Salem stood beside her, arms folded across her chest, looking equally irritable. Together, they looked like walking disasters.


    "Now that everyone is here, I¡¯ll exin the task," I began, addressing the group. "Listen carefully, because I won¡¯t be repeating myself over and over again." My tone sharpened as I directed thement towards Salem, who had already started fiddling with her phone. It was little provocations like this that made her so infuriating.


    "This ss is called Knowing Your Weapon" I continued. "A monstrous creature, once captured by the rogue brothers, will be in a long cage. At the far end of the cage, there will be a key.


    "You¡¯ll be split into groups of three and given ten minutes to run into the woods to find an herb that can be used to weaken or repel the monster. Once back, you¡¯ll need to use the herb to get past the creature, grab the key, and unlock the door on the other side of the cage. Whoever seeds within fifteen minutes will win.


    "Keep in mind, injuries are possible if your herb fails to work. The monster can attack and might even leave you gravely injured--or worse. And one more thing," I added, my voice firm, "you are not allowed to transition into your wolf forms."


    I read this directly from the file in my hands, a sense of dread gnawing at my heart. Despite my unease, I kept my expression neutral.


    "Why not? We¡¯re werewolves! If a monster can fight us with its full might, why can¡¯t we do the same?" Sydney objected, her sharp tone encouraging murmurs of agreement from a few other students.


    "That¡¯s because this ss is designed to teach us how to fight even if we¡¯re weakened--such as when we have wolfsbane in our system or for any other reason we¡¯re unable to transition. We can¡¯t always rely on our wolves," I responded confidently, meeting her gaze.


    Sydney narrowed her eyes at me, a smirk forming on her lips. "Of course you can¡¯t," she said mockingly. "But we can--because we have wolves."


    I found Sydney¡¯s taunt deeply offensive, but I chose not to respond. Thankfully, my friends had my back. What shocked me, however, was the person who stepped forward to defend me.


    Penn scoffed loudly, drawing everyone¡¯s attention to him, and then added with a sly smile, "You should practice, too, Sydney. Your wolf won¡¯t be able to wash clothes or mop the floors for you."


    Hisment, a clear jab at Sydney and Salem¡¯s punishment, caused their faces to turn pale. The two exchanged uneasy nces, as if trying to decipher why Penn was targeting them.


    "I can defend my special friends," Penn said casually, making no effort to hide the fact that he was openly flirting with me.


    "That¡¯s good," a sharp voice interrupted. "Because you¡¯ll be defending against the monster."


    Professor Kaye¡¯s sudden arrival startled us all. I instinctively stepped away from Penn--not out of guilt for his flirting but because I didn¡¯t want unnecessary drama. There was nothing going on, and I didn¡¯t intend to act like there was. I had no desire to make anyone jealous or feel a certain way. If something ended, it ended. I wasn¡¯t the type to try to linger in someone¡¯s thoughts.


    Kaye shot Penn a judgmental re as he approached, stepping between us and extending his hand for the file. I held it out for him, but as he took it, he deliberately brushed his hand against mine. The action felt intentional, but I said nothing.


    "This test is important," Kaye announced, addressing the group. "It will help me assess everyone¡¯s strengths and how you think under pressure. As for not being able to use your wolves, don¡¯t worry. There will be tests where you¡¯ll rely on your full strength. And I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re not left unsatisfied," he added with a sharp tone, his eyes briefly flicking to Sydney.


    Sydney lowered her head at his words, her confidence evidently shaken. "You¡¯ll get your chance to fight the deadliest monsters--since you seem to crave it so much," he added with an edge that silenced herpletely.


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why these girls didn¡¯t realize that their antics only led to repeated humiliation.


    "Anyway," Kaye continued, turning his attention to me, "Hnie,e see me after discussing the teams with them. I want the finalized list in fifteen minutes. I¡¯ll be in my car at the parking lot."


    His tone was serious, and I nodded in acknowledgment. As soon as he left, everyone began forming a circle to pick their partners.


    "How about we write our names on pieces of paper and pick them in three turns? Whoever¡¯s namese up together will be paired as a team," Jenny suggested. Some of us nodded in agreement, while others, who had already chosen their teams, stayed quiet.


    For those without a partner or a clear idea of whom to team up with, we wrote our names on slips of paper and ced them in an empty bowl. The sisters, unsurprisingly, didn¡¯t participate--I assumed they had already formed their group.


    I began picking the papers. The first name toe up was mine, the second was Penn¡¯s, and the third was Lamar¡¯s.


    As I nced around, I noticed Jenny and Lucy exchanging concerned looks. They had been left without partners and seemed worried about being stuck in a weaker team. I realized I had ended up with a strong group, leaving them to fend for themselves.


    "I¡¯ve got an idea," I said before drawing another team. Turning to my friends, I added, "Why don¡¯t you three form a group?"


    Jenny and Lucy nodded in agreement, relief evident on their faces. Gavin immediately started searching for their names in the bowl to remove them since they had now formed a team.

 Chapter 167-He Won’t Reject Me

    <h4>Chapter 167: 167-He Won¡¯t Reject Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    "I will go give these names to Professor Kaye," I told my friends and began to leave. At the same time, Sydney and Salem were heading back to the mansion to continue serving and cleaning.


    The moment we stepped outside, their group quickly formed a circle around me. Even though I wasn¡¯t as powerful as them, I didn¡¯t flinch. I had faced them too many times before, and they no longer seemed intimidating to me.


    "What is it?" I asked, folding my arms over my chest. "Haven¡¯t you learned from your previous mistakes?"


    The two sisters shared a nce before Sydney stepped forward. "You are such an evil person. You went out of your way to secretly inform everyone that Professor Maximus wasing here and didn¡¯t even tell us?" she demanded, her toneced with ignorance.


    "I did warn you girls. The first time I thought about doing something good for you, your sister locked me in a room. So why do you think I would go out of my way for bullies like you?" I kept my tone harsh, refusing to waver or stutter. I wasn¡¯t about to give them the satisfaction of getting under my skin.


    To be honest, they didn¡¯t. Their behavior wasn¡¯t shocking to me anymore.


    "Then you¡¯ve started a war," Salem whispered in her raspy and unpleasant voice.


    "Oh, really? I thought you girls were already at war with me," I muttered, noticing their smirks fade.


    "Now, get out of my way unless you want me to tell Professor Kaye why I was dyed," I added firmly. Their friends immediately began whispering among themselves, as if trying to break the circle and avoid further trouble.


    "You can go now, but we¡¯ll get you next time," Sydney threatened. Her words didn¡¯t scare me. This wouldn¡¯t be the first time they tried to get me in trouble. If I had survived this long, I was confident I could handle whatever they threw at me in the future.


    They walked away to continue their punishment, and I jogged to the parking lot. Kaye was sitting in his car, the passenger-side door open.


    It was about to rain, so I hurried. I wanted to get back to the guesthouse before the downpour started. Quickly, I got in the car and shut the door, noticing him staring at me while his hand rested on the steering wheel.


    "This is the list of..." I began, extending the papers toward him. But he pushed them down, making it clear that the list had only been an excuse to get some time alone to talk to me.


    "You said you wanted to talk about something," he inquired urgently.


    I had to take a deep breath because what I was about to say wasn¡¯t easy for me to talk about. Gathering my courage, I took another deep breath and uttered, "Kaye! Congrattions!"


    His face showed signs of exhaustion, his eyes darkening as he shook his head.


    "It¡¯s just a business deal," he muttered, refusing to ept my congrattions.


    "Then congrattions on acing that deal," I added. He stretched his neck, his bodynguage betraying obvious signs of weariness.


    "I also wanted to ask you to reject me," I said, my words bringing his movements to an abrupt stop. His eyes fixed on me, wide with shock, as I made it clear why I had called for this meeting.


    "Huh? Why? Why are you suddenly--," he stammered, his usualposure slipping as his ent lost its sharpness.


    "It¡¯s not sudden. I don¡¯t want to be epted by someone who is starting a new life with his chosen mate. Why drag me along?" I argued, shifting in my seat. My back pressed against the door, my body turning to face Kaye fully.


    "This was what we decided. That until you were ready, I could--," he began, but I silenced him with the sharpness of my reaction.


    "You¡¯re going to get married to Kesha. What exactly are you expecting from me? Toe to you and be your mistress once I¡¯m ready? Kaye, you made your choice, and now I¡¯m making mine. I just want rejection. It¡¯s my right," I said firmly, amazed at the confidence in my tone.


    If I hadn¡¯t been through so much, I might have begged him to ept me. I would have dropped everything to be with him. But I had realized that if someone truly wants to be with you, they¡¯ll wait--they won¡¯t simply find amusement elsewhere in the meantime.


    I wasn¡¯t even ming him. He had every right to date whoever he wanted. But at least, he could reject me now.


    "Okay," he nodded, his Adam¡¯s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard, seemingly trying to process what I¡¯d just said.


    "Okay?" I murmured softly, almost disbelieving.


    "Then it¡¯s my choice that I¡¯m not rejecting you," he said, raising his head to meet my eyes with a determined gaze as he made his announcement.


    "That is--," he interrupted me, finishing what I was about to say.


    "Ridiculous? Controlling of me? Think whatever you want. As for marrying Kesha, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m doing what I should. It was their fault for asking me to choose her. I¡¯ll keep her around until you decide to ept me, and then I¡¯ll drop her," he said, his tone so demeaning that I couldn¡¯t believe I had once started to fall for this man.


    "You are--wow! You¡¯re going to drag an innocent girl along just to get the benefits of business deals, and once you have me, you¡¯ll discard her?" I asked in disbelief. He shamelessly nodded his head.


    "You heard me right. The deals are mine, and you are mine, Hnie. Go ahead, hate me all you want, but the day you realize the only innocent person in ournd is you, you won¡¯t hate me for ying that woman," he said without remorse, picking up the list and pretending to be done with the conversation.


    "You can close the door when you leave," he added, his focus shifting entirely to the papers in his hands.

 Chapter 168-They Won, But At What Cost?

    <h4>Chapter 168: 168-They Won, But At What Cost?</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Lamar, Penn, and I had chosen to wear ck tracksuits. Everyone was offered a color theme, and we picked the pure ck ones with only a red cross on our shoulders.


    The other teams had already performed, and they did terribly. I arrived at the ground with hopes that the test wouldn¡¯t be so difficult. But as the first three teams were beaten to a pulp by the monster, my confidence started to shake.


    Kaye had been inspecting the whole test very thoroughly. He was making sure to let the warriors step in and save the students once they gave up on the test.


    Once the students realized they could no longer continue, they would release a gas bomb matching their tracksuits on the ground.


    There were three cages--long, cylindrical ones that stretched across the entire ground.


    "Are you okay?" Penn slipped closer to whisper in my ear.


    "I guess," I muttered, watching as Gavin, Lucy, and Jenny¡¯s team prepared, along with two more teams.


    "I hope they do well," I wished, as the others had failed miserably. My heartbeat was honestly rising with every passing minute.


    It was a deadly fight, especially as the big, green, frog-like monsters attacked them with their long, thick tongues. They seemed like giant hybrid frogs.


    I had only heard about them in stories. Now I was realizing why everyone said the world outside the borders of the packs was as scary as hell.


    Lucy was right. I was lucky to have survived roaming in the wild on my own when such a crazy monster existed.


    As Kaye started the timer, Gavin, Lucy, and Jenny ran in the direction of the woods. Kaye had changed the rules a little for our ss. Every student in the team was supposed to gather one herb, so a total of three weapons. The fear of facing the frogster was so overwhelming that the students lost their focus and couldn¡¯t even think about the herb part.


    Their minds were stuck on how to fight the frogster.


    "Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ll do well," Lamar reassured as he elbowed me to look at Penn. His sister was going to be in the cage with the frogster. He looked frightened, probably even regretting that he hadn¡¯t asked his sister to be on his team and had instead left the decision up to the piece of paper.


    After about ten minutes, the teams returned with something in their hands. The cages opened, and they all got in. The frogster seemed hungry, not even letting them adjust as it threw its sticky tongue at Lucy, making her jump and roll to the other side.


    "Watch out!" I screamed, instantly covering my mouth because my voice could distract them.


    Gavin sat on the side, waiting for the perfect moment to use the herb he brought. But I noticed the others had given him herbs as well.


    "The two girls have opted to be a distraction," Lamar was quick to understand their strategy.


    Penn remained silently watching, his eyes wide, as if he would run the minute he saw his sister get hurt.


    While Gavin released a blue flower that dispersed dust into the air, the frogster sniffed it and started to pause.


    "I guess it¡¯s working," I jumped up happily, and I¡¯m sure the others noticed it too. That¡¯s when Jenny, Gavin, and Lucy began to run past him, but sadly, as Kaye had warned us, these frogsters were quick to recover from the effects of the herbs. As they were passing, the frog extended its tongue, but instead of directly attacking the girls, it swung it around to toss them away.


    My heart sank in my chest with worry as everything seemed to slow down. It felt like there were only a few minutes left, and Gavin was even in a rush because now he had to save the girls. Since he was in the back, he could see the frogster attacking them.


    He ran, and when I expected him to first grab Lucy and then Jenny, he only grabbed Jenny and rolled her over the ground, saving her while Lucy paused to watch them.


    I could see the shock in her eyes.


    "LUCY, RUN!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. Lamar quickly held me from behind as I watched the frogster¡¯s tongue hit Lucy in the waist and throw her away.


    Shended far away, right next to the exit door.


    I didn¡¯t even realize when, but I had started to cry and sob.


    "Lamar, give her some water!" Kaye was distracted by my cries, so he turned and yelled at Lamar.


    I shook my head at Lamar; I didn¡¯t need water. My eyes were glued to Lucy, who could barely get up from the ground as she coughed up blood.


    It was now time for Gavin to use the other two herbs so they could pass the frogsters. The two ran, and Gavin helped Lucy up. The minute he did, Jenny got the signal from them and grabbed the key, unlocking the door and getting out. She held the door open for the two while the frogster threw its tongue out again.


    Gavin was quick to escape with Lucy, and the door was shut just in time, causing the frogster¡¯s tongue to hit the door instead of them.


    Once they were out, some of the students started to cheer for them, as they were the first team to make it through. However, they only made it by one second. Otherwise, they would have failed too.


    The other two teams were in the same situation--they lost by the margin and also suffered way too many injuries. I ran to Lucy but couldn¡¯t even hug her because she copsed on the ground and started throwing up blood again. Total of only two teams had made it so far.


    "Kaye! What is wrong with her?" I yelled at Kaye, making everyone stop and stare at him. I didn¡¯t know why I used such a tone with him in front of everyone, and I didn¡¯t understand why he obeyed me like a lost puppy. He rushed over, bowed down to mymand, and knelt beside Lucy, something he hadn¡¯t done for anyone else.

 Chapter 169-In The Cage

    <h4>Chapter 169: 169-In The Cage</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "It¡¯s okay, she¡¯s fine. Others have sustained even worse injuries, and they will heal too. She just needs to transition, and¡ª" Kaye had been reassuring me while I sat next to Lucy on the bench. Everyone was taking a little break before it was my team¡¯s turn with Sydney and another team. I have never had friends so I never thought about getting connected to someone so well. But right now, they were more family to me than my own family, if I can still call them that.


    "She¡¯s my friend; of course, I am worried about her," I snapped at him for constantly asking me to calm down.


    "Okay, I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll help her transition safely myself, okay?" he asked, kneeling in front of me on the bench. I didn¡¯t notice my friends staring at me. Lucy was barely conscious, and my heart ached for her.


    "Okay," I hissed, turning my head to the side.


    "You!" he called out to Lamar. "Bring her some juice and sweets. Her turn is next, and she doesn¡¯t seem to be doing too well¡ª" Before Kaye could get an angry re from me for saying she wasn¡¯t doing well, he realized his mistake and added, "I mean, it will just be good for her."


    He then got up once I regained myposure and looked around at the people judging me. I guess I had overreacted, but seeing Lucy tossed around like that just broke my heart.


    It was at that moment that I realized no one should be with someone who doesn¡¯t love them enough. A mate is supposed to be a ride-or-die.


    Although I would have been upset too if it had been Jenny who got hurt, that wasn¡¯t the part that bothered me. What messed with my head was that Gavin chose Jenny over Lucy. It must have caused Lucy so much pain.


    Not only that, but if he could, he would have saved both. But the chances of saving both were 50/50, and he didn¡¯t want to risk Jenny getting hurt.


    "I¡¯m here with her. Go get ready for your turn, Hnie," Gavin whispered, and I instantly turned to re at him. He looked shocked too, but I understood why I was ring at him.


    "Hey, it¡¯s okay," Jenny said, patting my shoulder. I gently ced my hand on the back of hers and removed her hand from my shoulder.


    She looked confused, but I wasn¡¯t anymore. I wasn¡¯t foolish enough not to see that something was wrong here.


    But my mind was all over the ce, also now scared of what would be of me in that cage.


    "Okay, let¡¯s go, it¡¯s our turn," Penn said, offering me his hand, but I didn¡¯t take it. I just wasn¡¯t feeling like being around anyone at the moment, except for Lucy, who wasn¡¯t even in her senses to respond to me.


    We all walked over to the cages and stood before them.


    "Make sure you guys keep her safe, you know. She¡¯s extra baggage for you guys," Sydney called from her cage¡¯s door, looking so confident because she was a strong she-wolf with a high rank.


    "Do you think these two can do anything?" the guy, their third partner, Hans Willerk,mented. He was a douchebag, but that¡¯s a story for another day.


    "Focus on your own mess, dude," Lamar replied.


    "Huh! We ain¡¯t mess. But you will cry when you will lose because of how slow she is. She will rely on you¡ª," As Sydney feltpelled to shame me for having no wolf, Kaye got angry at her.


    "Shut up Sydney!" he yelled and she instantly shut up.


    "Guys, don¡¯t focus on them," I said as I gestured toward the way Sydney and Salem were posturing.


    They seemed ready to go into the woods the minute the timer started, but we were supposed to head into the woods. Every second they wasted could be beneficial for us.


    "Everyone, positions¡ªgo!" Kaye yelled, but his voice broke. I guess this was the first time during the test that he sounded worried.


    We rushed forward, while I heard Hans yell at the two sisters for heading toward the woods.


    "Are you dumb? You cannot enter the cage without getting a weapon," he continued to yell at them. I have never had a personal face off with Hans before. But I have heard that he is extremely toxic, a typical toxic alpha.


    "Go fast," Penn muttered, rushing ahead of us. Of course, they could use their wolves¡¯ strength, but transitioning was banned, and attacking the frogster with their wolves¡¯ strength was prohibited.


    Lamar and Penn reached the woods before me, but I wasn¡¯t too worried. I already knew which herb I was going to pick.


    The minute I reached the woods, I didn¡¯t even need to go deep inside. I had kept the time, ce, and location of the herb in my mind¡ªalong with its effects. A silver flower called ashpetal. Its petals turn into ash and dust when touching someone, getting absorbed in the skin and causing the victim to feel worms move under their skin.


    I had already grabbed my weapon so I was now making my way back. Soon, I realized the others were right behind me as well.


    "What did you get?" Penn yelled, reaching me.


    "Ashpetal, what about you?" I asked back, feeling my heart race speeding with how fast I was going. I had to keep up with Lamar and Penn. I did not want them to lose because of me.


    We have nowe back to the cage in only five minutes. Once The cage door opened, my body felt so cold like I had been frozen to my spot. Needles to say, stepping into the cage was like walking into a death trap.


    "It is okay, you can do this," Lamar whispered and I nodded my head while the cage opened. I got to see Kaye do it personally for us and while we were stepping in, he gave me a look of confidence, also making a gesture of thumbs up.


    I nodded and took a deep breath, entering the cage.

 Chapter 170-Too Many Victories

    <h4>Chapter 170: 170-Too Many Victories</h4> "I am ready for my attack," Lamar yelled, holding his herb tightly in his hand. Penn was making sure that neither he nor Lamar stayed too far from me. I was sure they were worried that if I were alone and the Frogster attacked, I would get hurt. But that was exactly what I wanted to change. I didn¡¯t want to be dependent on anyone. They had their own test to pass; they shouldn¡¯t be babysitting me.


    "Got it," Penn said, giving him a thumbs up, and I nodded in agreement. I thought facing the Frogster would be terrifying, but it wasn¡¯t that scary at all.


    I watched Lamar throw the herb he brought at the Frogster, but it only made the creature go crazy. The Frogster barely moved, and we knew in that moment it had failed.


    We jumped around, trying to confuse the Frogster enough that it wouldn¡¯t focus on just one of us. I could hear shouts and screams outside the cage¡ªsome cheering for us, others filled with worry.


    "Penn! Give me your herb!" I yelled, extending my arm toward him. He handed me the Blighthorn herb. I had read about it¡ªit causes brain freeze.


    I took his herb and mine, cing them in my palms and began to crush them.


    I could feel the powder forming and mixing in my hands.


    Lamar and Penn were doing their best to distract the Frogster while I was busy nning our attack.


    "Okay, listen, get it to face you two," I shouted, noticing Kaye reaching the cage and anxiously holding onto the bars. He wasn¡¯t even being subtle about it.


    "Hnie, are you sure?" Lamar hesitated to let me take the lead because he was worried about what I might do.


    "I¡¯ll be fine!" I yelled in reassurance.


    Lamar and Penn raised their arms to get its attention, and they didn¡¯t have to do much. The Frogster turned toward them, ready to throw its sticky tongue out.


    I ran to the back of the Frogster and positioned myself perfectly to attack it at the moment it was most distracted.


    Everyone gasped as I climbed onto the back of the Frogster, confusing it with my unexpected move.


    "What are you doing?" Lamar yelled in concern.


    "Don¡¯t worry about me! I have the herb with me. Just cross him and get to the key!" I yelled, making sure they knew what I was trying to do.


    Penn and Gavin sprinted toward the exit while I climbed onto the Frogster, reaching its head, and ced the herb in its eyes.


    The minute the herbs touched its eyes, the Frogster lost its mind. I jumped andnded on the ground, watching the Frogster throw its tongue in all directions.


    "Come on, Hnie!" Penn and Lamar yelled in unison, their hands extended toward me. I crawled under the giant frog¡¯s feet, making sure it didn¡¯t stomp on me. I had to roll, stop, and even jump while crossing in front of it. It couldn¡¯t see for a while, but that¡¯s when it started using its limbs and tongue to hit anything it could find.


    I bolted toward the exit door and reached the two, giving them both my hands. They pulled me out, making me the first one to leave the cage, and they followed right behind me. Once Penn shut the door, Lamar screamed as he checked the timer.


    "We still have 7 minutes to spare!"


    "What?" I asked in shock, looking around to see everyone¡¯s reaction. They were all in shock but still cheering for us.


    It was indeed a huge sess for us. I saw Kaye smile at us, showing his clear favoritism. But why not? We were the first team to pass the test so well¡ªno injuries to any of us.


    "What the hell are those two doing?" the moment Lamar¡¯s eyes fell on Sydney¡¯s cage, we all turned our attention to them. And it¡¯s safe to say that the two girls had surely lost their minds.


    The sight before us was not only terrifying but the results were going to be extremely hrious in a painful way.


    "Is that...?" Penn asked Lamar as we walked past their cage to reach the front, where Kaye was. Even Kaye was staring at Sydney and Salem with such shock that I knew the result was going to be a disaster.


    "Yep!" Lamar nodded. "The two idiots brought the me of Lust." Lamarmented, making me remember I had seen this herb crushed in a bottle when I was working in Maximus¡¯ garage.


    Oh shit! Why would they bring the me of Lust?


    And not only that, I guess before anyone could warn them¡ªor their own partner could see what they were doing¡ªthe two were already busy throwing the herb for the Frogster to sniff.


    "No, you fucking morons!" Hans yelled, but it was toote. The Frogster sniffed a handful of me of Lust, and its entire body froze for two seconds.


    "Shit, what¡¯s going to happen next?" I turned to Penn as we reached the front, watching the others perform.


    "They¡¯re not going to die, as long as they¡ªsave themselves, because the Frogster is going to fall in love with these two now," Penn used a much more censored version as he mentioned the effects of the me of Lust.


    "In short, Froggy is going to be full of lust now, and these two are the ones to me for it," Lamarmented, causing Kaye to p his forehead and gesture to the warriors to quicklye for help.


    "Run!" Sydney yelled to Salem, still not understanding that they had messed up.


    As they ran, the Frogster extended its tongue, but instead of hitting them, it curled it around Sydney.


    "Huh?" Sydney yelled.


    Salem stopped running to watch the Frogster pull Sydney closer to itself, almost like it was trying to hug her.


    "What the fuck is he doing?" Sydney yelled as she got covered in the Frogster¡¯s saliva.


    "Ew," was all I could say. Well, that¡¯s what they get for being overconfident.

 Chapter 171-The Flame Of Lust And Walk Of Shame

    <h4>Chapter 171: 171-The me Of Lust And Walk Of Shame</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "This is not fair," Sydney cried, tears streaming down her face. She had been crying non stop ever since they freed her from the grip of the frogster¡¯s tongue. He just held her, his saliva dripping all over her.


    It was so disgusting. Kaye had asked the warriors to step in, but they were disqualified for using something so reckless.


    Hans had been grinning at them while Salem was still in shock.


    Everyone was wounded and had to go rest, but before that, Kaye was going to make an announcement.


    "Only a few teams managed to show me how thoroughly they did their research. I¡¯m amazed because Hnie¡¯s team has set a record none of my students have ever achieved. I¡¯m proud of you three¡ª" he wrinkled his nose slightly as he mentioned Lamar and Penn too.


    "So, I¡¯ve nned a little trip to the nearby beach where you¡¯ll each have your own huts. However, the winning teams will get therger ones. You¡¯ll be able to enjoy your time in those huts and on the beach for the rest of this trip. I¡¯ll be there to take care of your needs and ensure you have the best experience. But whenever I¡¯m not around, I¡¯ll expect the winning teams to keep things under control. Anyway, start packing your stuff and load it into the cars before you head out for shifts and healing. Once you¡¯re all healed, the cars will pick you up. Just get in the car where your luggage is loaded," he announced, sounding a little distracted as he kept ncing at his phone.


    We were extremely delighted because all my friends had seeded¡ªexcept for Lucy, who might have won, but at what cost?


    "Hnie!" Kaye whispered as he walked past me. Being the ss monitor made it easier for him to ask me to step aside whenever he wanted, and nobody ever questioned it.


    "Yes?" I asked, following him.


    "You should take the other car, the ck one. It has everything you¡¯ll need," he said, making me shake my head.


    "Thank you, sir, but I¡¯ll sit with my friends. I don¡¯t really care about stuff, so I¡¯ll be fine," I tried to excuse myself, but Kaye, being Kaye, wasn¡¯t going to listen.


    "Hnie, the seats arebeled with their names, and I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll fit in the car with them. So¡ªyou can ride with Jenny and Lucy," he said. As he looked away, I realized his problem was just the guys.


    He was dating someone while being possessive about me hanging out with my friends?


    I didn¡¯t argue because, in hindsight, it was probably for the best that Lucy stayed away from Gavin. I was so mad at him.


    "Okay, thank you," I said and walked away, joining my friends. We made our way to the guesthouse on the bus that had picked us up earlier.


    Even though the winning teams were happy, they were all so injured that none of them could enjoy their victory until they healed and reached the beach. The bus dropped us off, and everyone started unloading to pack their stuff and load their bags for the woods, where they would shift. Once they healed, they would be able to enjoy the trip fully. The cars would pick them up from the woods afterward.


    Since I wasn¡¯t going to transition, I decided to wait at the guesthouse and leave with the cars to pick everyone up from the woods. Penn and Lamar didn¡¯t need to transition either, but they had to let their wolves run around and feel the energy and adrenaline rush of winning such an intense task. It was the same for Jenny; she wanted to go with her brother. I guess she sensed I was a little distant from her.


    Gavin was apanying Lucy, but I had asked Lamar to keep an eye on Lucy. I just didn¡¯t trust Gavin with her anymore.


    "You must be so happy that we lost," Salem muttered as she walked past me, her tone dripping with sarcasm.


    "It¡¯s not our fault that you were stupid enough to bring the me of Lust to a war," I retorted, already frustrated with Gavin and in no mood to deal with Salem¡¯s remarks.


    "Oh really? Anyone could mistake it for another herb," Sydney hissed, still covered in saliva. She clearly needed a good shower.


    "Huh, I don¡¯t think anyone is stupid enough to mistake the me of Lust for a weapon. Come on now," Lamarughed, causing them to re at each other before storming past us.


    "We¡¯ll show you that the girls you hang around with aren¡¯t as wise as you think," Salem yelled as she entered the guesthouse.


    Everyone rushed to the bathrooms to shower. I stayed behind, not in a hurry. Watching Gavin treat Lucy like she meant nothing made me want to ask Kaye onest time to reject me. I didn¡¯t want to be like Lucy¡ªa second choice after being the first.


    "You guys go ahead. I¡¯ll join you in the car after I¡¯ve loaded my bags and taken a shower," I told them as they waited for me. Lucy had been unusually quiet, and I was starting to worry about her well-being.


    "Which car?" Jenny yelled as they hurried off. They didn¡¯t have much time and needed to move quickly.


    "I will have my luggage in it. Maybe I will be in the car as well by that time," I replied. Honestly, I didn¡¯t know which car that was because I hadn¡¯t seen it yet. I figured I¡¯d ask Kaye about Jenny and Lucy¡¯s car and load my stuff there. That way, when they came out of the woods and headed straight to their car, we could reunite.


    They had already left while I stayed behind to take a shower. Before that, I sent Kaye a text, asking him toe see me at the guesthouse.


    Me: Can youe to the guest house? I need to speak with you. It¡¯s important.


    I went to the bathroom and washed my face and when I came out to find my phone slightly disyed.


    I sighed as I put my phone on the bed and began packing my bag. However, there was a croissant on my bed that made me frown.


    "Did Lamar leave this for me?" I rolled my eyes, recalling how he kept pestering me to eat the lunch sent over from the main mansion.


    I grabbed the croissant and took a huge bite. Almost immediately, I felt like something was off, but I had already swallowed it.


    Maybe it¡¯s just caramel? I thought, trying to brush off the strange feeling.


    As I continued eating, my gaze drifted to the window, and I saw Salem sprinting away from the mansion.

 Chapter 172-I Will Make Norman Cum Tonight

    <h4>Chapter 172: 172-I Will Make Norman Cum Tonight</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I was taken aback by the fact that Salem was still in the guest house when I thought everyone had left. Why was she still around?


    Halfway through eating the croissant and packing my bags, I began to feel a strange sensation in my body. It was unlike anything I had experienced before¡ªmore like an overwhelming heat.


    "Huh!" I muttered, staring at the remaining croissant in my hand. Looking around for a clean surface to set it down, my eyesnded on a piece of paper on the bedside table.


    I walked over to put the croissant on the paper but stopped when I noticed something written on it.


    "What is that?" I murmured to myself, the croissant still in my hand as I read the note.


    "I told you, anyone could mistake the me of Lust for anything."


    The words¡ªand their meaning¡ªwere so ominous that my brain froze for a moment. I stared at the paper and then at the croissant, back and forth, over and over, for almost two minutes before it hit me.


    "Salem!" I eximed, dropping both the croissant and the paper as I stepped away. My gaze fell on the greenish tint in the caramel, and it was as though my heart stopped beating.


    Why would she do this?


    How much of it did she use?


    I was already feeling dizzy, though I remained conscious. It didn¡¯t feel like I was drunk¡ªmy bodynguage was fine¡ªbut something was definitely wrong. My breaths grew heavier as I reached for my phone, only to realize it was locked. Someone had tried to guess the code too many times.


    "What the fuck?" I whispered, panic setting in. Everything was hitting me all at once. Salem and Sydney had taken their revenge on me, just as they¡¯d warned.


    But I hadn¡¯t asked them to use the me of Lust on the frogster! Why were they punishing me for their own stupidity?


    This wasn¡¯t even the worst part. I soon realized that while I didn¡¯t appear outwardly impaired, I couldn¡¯t stay on my feet for long. At first, I thought I¡¯d simply leave the room, find someone, and ask for help. But then it dawned on me¡ªI didn¡¯t know how I might behave when I encountered someone.


    "I hope I don¡¯t see anyone¡ª" I mumbled, but the words struck me hard as I suddenly remembered the text I¡¯d sent to Kaye.


    What if he came here? What if he didn¡¯t realize I¡¯d ingested the me of Lust?


    "I¡¯ll tell him¡ª" I started, but my thoughts were abruptly cut off. My mind felt like it was shutting down, and I couldn¡¯t even remember what I was about to say.


    All I could think about was having someone beside me.


    "Oh! Is there no man around?" I pouted, grabbing a towel from the ground and throwing it back down with full force.


    "And these clothes are so awful," I hissed at my purple sweater and baggy pants.


    "I don¡¯t want to wear anything, huh!" I scoffed, rolling my eyes dramatically.


    "You know what? I know where I can find someone," I said, smiling so hard it almost hurt. "There¡¯s a mansion where hot people live."


    I had never spoken to myself this loudly before, but now I was doing it like a lunatic.


    As I stood up to walk toward the door, my legs felt heavier than ever.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll rest for a few minutes and then head outside," I mumbled, forming a hazy n in my mind. Maybe I was tired because I was weak¡ªand so unbearably horny. The heat was coursing through me, and all I could think of was finding someone to beg to make me their sex ve.


    I could barely walk out of the room and felt like I have traveled miles.


    "Done. Now, mission ¡¯Find a man who can make me see stars in daylight,¡¯" I giggled, standing up and twirling on the spot with my arms spread wide.


    The pain had faded away. There were no burdens or worries weighing me down anymore¡ªjust this burning desire, and no man in sight to quench it.


    I wanted someone powerful. Someone who could keep going all night without stopping.


    But just as I moved toward the door, my phone rang in my pocket. I pulled it out and smiled when I saw the caller ID.


    It was Professor Kaye.


    Ohhh! A professor.


    It would be like forbidden, raw passion. My phone was no longer under lock prison.


    "Mmmm," I giggled as I answered the call.


    "Hey," I purred in a seductive tone, probably confusing the person on the other end of the line.


    For a professor to hear his student using such a tone must¡¯ve been shocking. And considering Kaye and I had some history, this was about to get interesting when he came over.


    But the voice that answered wasn¡¯t Kaye¡¯s.


    "It¡¯s me, Norman. Why are you texting my brother now? What ¡¯important talk¡¯ do you want to have with him?"


    It was my big, muscr brother on the call.


    "Ew, Norman!" I snapped, pretending to gag. "Why are you answering his phone?" I groaned, cringing at the thought.


    "It was either I do it, or his chosen mate," Norman hissed, exining why he had quickly grabbed his brother¡¯s phone. "She was about to read your text since Kaye left his screen unlocked. Now tell me, what is it?"


    I hesitated, contemting whether to tell him about my ns. But what if he was just nice enough to tell his brother that someone wanted to be... smashed? I needed someone¡ªbadly.


    "I want Kaye toe here and feel me," I said, pouting dramatically.


    "Huh? What do you mean¡ªby feel you?" Norman¡¯s confusion was obvious, both in his voice and in the awkward silence that followed.


    "You know what I mean. You¡¯re not a child, are you?" I scoffed, irritated at him for wasting my time. My thighs pressed together as my desire surged, making me even more impatient.


    "Hnie! Is this some type of prank?" Norman¡¯s voice lowered, probably because he was using his brother¡¯s phone and Kaye might be nearby.


    "Ugh! No! Just tell Kaye toe here¡ªit¡¯s very important, okay?" I snapped, my tone sharp andmanding. I didn¡¯t wait for his response, cutting the call before he could argue.


    I sat back, waiting for Kaye toe. However, when I heard footsteps and turned around, it wasn¡¯t Kaye who had arrived.


    "What is it? Why are you confusing him? And that indecent tone¡ª" Norman ranted, hands nted firmly on his waist.


    Oh, shit! Why did hee?


    Or better yet, should I ask how many times I can make this arrogant asshole cum?

 Chapter 173-My Inappropriate Stepsister

    <h4>Chapter 173: 173-My Inappropriate Stepsister</h4>


    Norman:


    "Who was it?" Kesha asked, trying to peek over my shoulder to check my brother¡¯s phone.


    Kaye needed to be very careful with his phone now. He was no longer single, and a single mistake couldnd him under scrutiny.


    "A guy from the office, asking if Kaye would join work next week," I lied, locking my brother¡¯s phone screen.


    "Oh, I hope you¡¯ll convince Kaye to show some interest in the family business," she advised, making me turn around to watch her for a moment.


    "He is not a child, Kesha. You don¡¯t need toeining to me about him," I said harshly. She gulped and quickly nodded her head.


    I needed to go see what Hnie was up to. All this time, I kept wondering if I was wrong about her, but today, she proved me right.


    She was indeed trying to seduce my brother. I briskly started sprinting toward the guesthouse. Imagine if Maximus saw Kaye and Hnie together in apromising state¡ªhe would be devastated. He had imed to feel some kind of bond with her.


    This was why I had asked Kaye to let me know before making any decisions. I would need to find a way for Maximus to reject Hnie.


    I could never let her be with him.


    But if Kaye truly wished to be with her, I would have found a way. Even if it felt like a death sentence to me, I would still do it for his happiness.


    As I reached the guesthouse and entered through the door, I confronted her about her intentions. She stood in her spot, staring at me like she had something on her mind.


    "Aw, this gray suit looks so good on you," she said in a sweet, seductive tone.


    I felt my body tense at her audacity. The inappropriatement took me by surprise.


    "What is going on? Why were you asking Kaye to meet you?" I demanded, ignoring the call I had with her earlier and hoping she would have a valid reason this time.


    She batted her eyshes mischievously, pouting and watching me with a glint in her eyes. I steadily fixed my coat, trying to maintain myposure.


    "I needed help," she uttered in a babyish voice.


    "What kind of help?" I asked, trying hard not to show how uneasy she was making me. I didn¡¯t want to be speaking with my stepsister when she was acting this way.


    "Umm, I got an injury, and since I don¡¯t have a wolf, I wanted Kaye¡ªoops! Professor Kaye¡ªto take a look at it," she said, childishly putting her hand over her mouth after forgetting his title.


    I groaned. "He is not a doctor."


    "I know, but he can take a look and tell me if I need to go to the doctor," she replied. She wasn¡¯t acting like her usual self. That¡¯s when I remembered the guesthouse was empty. Is this how she truly behaves when she¡¯s not around others?


    "What injury?" I asked, not trusting her one bit.


    "It¡¯s on my leg," she said, bending down as if to show me, but then groaned inint, straightening her back again.


    "I need to go change and then show you. Please wait here," she whispered, her voice low as she tried to appear sad and miserable.


    Even as she tried her best to look innocent, I knew something devious was brewing in her mind.


    "What makes you think I¡¯ll wait here for you?" I grunted, cing my hands on my waist. But the moment her gazended on my pants, I quickly moved my hands to cover myself.


    What was she looking at?


    I wasn¡¯t hard or anything.


    Was she checking me out?


    "It¡¯s alright, you can leave¡ª" she said, but before she could finish, I turned to leave. Her next words, however, stopped me dead in my tracks.


    "I¡¯ll go look for Kaye myself."


    I swirled back hastily, pointing a finger at her in warning. "Don¡¯t ruin things for him. He¡¯s made his choice."


    I uttered the words, not wanting it to be obvious that I knew about their little affair. But my brother had told me he was okay dating Kesha. I would not let Hnie destroy his rtionship. Was she ckmailing him or something? Trying to make herself known to Kesha, perhaps?


    "Go change and show me the injury," I huffed at her, and she smiled widely before turning around to go to her room.


    However, I noticed how slowly she was walking the whole time. Maybe she really did have an injury and was in pain. Or maybe her tone was all raspy just to annoy me?


    I sighed and sat down on the couch to wait for her toe out. I had been restless and had countless sleepless nights.


    Then came the pain¡ªthe pain that kept growing in my chest every day, every passing second of my life.


    I briefly closed my eyes, resting my head back and spreading my arms for a moment. But the footsteps approaching me made me open my eyes, thinking she would be out now, probably in a long dress or something she could lift easily to show me the injury on her leg.


    However, that¡¯s not what happened.


    She was standing before me in a silk short nightdress that barely reached the start of her thighs. And her cleavage was so exposed that half of her assets were clearly visible.


    "What the fuck?!" I attempted to rise, but she was standing so close that I had to force myself back onto the couch, trying to create some distance between us.


    "What the heck is wrong with you?" I turned my face to the other side, the pain in my chest intensifying due to the growing stress.


    "What happened? I want to show you my injury. Look! It hurts here so much," she bent down, using an even more seductive tone. As she ced a finger on her chest, I briefly got a view of her breasts due to her position being so inappropriate.

 Chapter 174-Heart Felt Alive!

    <h4>Chapter 174: 174-Heart Felt Alive!</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    "Hnie, behave yourself," I got up in haste and, while doing so, I ended up pushing her unconsciously to get her away from me.


    "Ouch!" a loud scream escaped her lips, and she fell back on her butt. A loud thud followed with her fall.


    "I didn¡¯t mean to. Are you okay?" The regret I felt for identally hitting her was going to drown me for years. I quickly knelt down beside her to check on her.


    She kept her head down, her lips pouted, and she was clearing her eyes with the back of her hand constantly.


    "Hnie!---," I uttered, and she finally raised her head. There were big tears in her big eyes.


    "Now I am injured," she quivered, causing me to hiss at myself for being so careless.


    "Let me help you get up," I held my hand out for her, but she shook her head, causing a frown to appear on my forehead. Didn¡¯t she want my help? Why was she making it so difficult?


    "Carry me," she raised her arms and requested, turning my body to pull back.


    "Come on, you hurt me. Now you will take care of me or I will tell everyone you hit me," she shocked me with her ckmailing.


    How can a girl looking so innocent be so evil?


    "You are threatening a future rogue king," I just wanted to confirm if she knew it was a crime to be ckmailing or threatening a rogue king.


    "Well, a rogue king hit me. Isn¡¯t that a crime too?" she ced her hands on her waist, pouting while her naked legs were stretched forward.


    One wrong posture and I could see her red underwear.


    What the fuck, Norman? You already saw her underwear?


    I quickly looked away, hissing under my breath, "Cover your¡ªundergarment."


    "Why? Is there a bomb in my undergarment? Pick me up, or I will take my underwear off and throw it at you," her threats became deadlier.


    My body fell into goosebumps at how inappropriate she had been with me.


    Wow! I felt vited for a moment.


    "I didn¡¯t know you were such a wh¡ª," before I could finish, she did it.


    "A whore? Well, now you know. So, are you picking me up, or should I call your father and tell him to check the security footage and watch youe here when everyone had left?" her words were perfectly shaped, her threat scary.


    My head turned to her in reflex. The shock in my eyes was pretty much avable for her to see.


    "What, now!" she hissed.


    I had so much going on in my mind. At one point, I cussed at myself foring here. But then I realized if I hadn¡¯te here, Kaye would have, and I don¡¯t think he could have resisted her shenanigans since he had already kissed her before.


    "Fine," I groaned, stretching my hands towards her but feeling so awkward that I pulled them back instantly.


    "Stop it, you wuss! Fucking put your hands on me," her yelling at me was another shock that hit me like a bomb. She grabbed my hands and put them on her waist, causing my body to shudder.


    However, I just froze. Her body was so warm through the clothes. I thought she would be freezing in her silk nighty.


    With much worry and shyness, I wrapped my arms under her body and carried her. But then she took a step ahead and wrapped her arms around my neck, making me stretch my neck away from her.


    "Don¡¯t do that," I warned, quickly running forward to look for her room.


    "My room is upstairs," she advised, making me stop in my steps.


    "But didn¡¯t youe here to grab a nighty?" I inquired in confusion.


    "Some girl has left her nighty behind, so I decided to change here instead of walking upstairs. You know I cannot go all the way upstairs with such an injury," she was batting her eyshes a lot, even swinging her legs while I carried her like she was my responsibility.


    "Fine, which room?" I turned back, walking towards the staircase.


    "I am bad at describing directions. When you take me upstairs, I will show you which room," she pouted, resting her head on my chest.


    However, I was on the staircase when she did it, and I almost lost my bnce. Her cing her head on my chest silenced the pain in me for a moment.


    I bet my heart beat like normal for a second. It could be because of the stress and sudden shock, but where did the pain go?


    "Come on, keep moving, you pervert," she moved her legs harder, dragging me back to reality with herment.


    "Don¡¯t use such terms for me," I warned her, going upstairs and standing before the hallway.


    "Fine, I will call you daddy. Is that okay now?" she continued to be like someone I had never faced.


    Wondered what happened to her? Was she always that way and was finally showing her true colors?


    "Keep going," she voiced. Although she seemed more on the curvy side, she was very light.


    I took her to the end of the room and thought that would be it since she didn¡¯t stop me at any other room, but goddess, I was wrong.


    The minute I was about to open the bedroom door, she voiced, "This is not my bedroom."


    I stopped, clenching my jaw.


    "Can I touch your jaw?" her request threw me off once more.


    Or maybe she was punishing me for being a little harsh on her all the time.


    "No! And where is your room? Because, Hnie, I am going to drop you on the floor now," I threatened her, giving her a warning because I won¡¯t be carrying her around like her chauffeur.


    "Who told you it was on the second floor?" she asked in a timid voice.


    With all my strength and anger, I yelled, "You did!"


    I gave her a good shake, making her jump ande up in my arms.


    "Oops! I don¡¯t know what is wrong with me today. I just¡ªit¡¯s on the downstairs," with her directions, I also picked up on that littlement she made about herself.


    What was going on with her today?

 Chapter 175-I Am Guilty.

    <h4>Chapter 175: 175-I Am Guilty.</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    I walked her back downstairs and then to the backside where she said her bedroom was.


    So I was right previously.


    While I kept walking, I didn¡¯t forget to notice and examine her bodynguage.


    "Now!" I put her down on the bed and pointed at her. "If there is no injury, I¡¯m leaving."


    I warned her, trying to stop her from ying games this time, but the minute I was about to walk away, she said something that caused my entire body to be covered in goosebumps.


    "Fuck me!"


    I hesitantly turned and watched her face.


    "If you won¡¯t, I will ask Maximus or Kaye to sleep with me, and trust me, they will not reject me," her tone wasced with lust.


    "How dare¡ª" I yelled, not even able to finish what I was going to say.


    My body started to heat up, not from lust or her seduction but from shame.


    Heat had rushed to my cheeks now, causing me to appear even stiffer.


    "What the heck is wrong with you? You tried so hard to show us that you are nothing like your mother. You attempted everything in your power to be part of our academy, all just to throw it away like this?" I shouted, angry at the fact that she had even been able to fool my brother.


    "And why did you say Maximus?" I then remembered Maximus used to hate her. He was angry that he had felt something for her.


    Wait, did something change?


    "I don¡¯t have time. If you don¡¯t give me what I¡¯m asking for, I will¡ª" she suddenly moved forward and grabbed my bulge from over my pants, causing such a shock that I froze. Her hand was small, barely able to hold my bulge, which wasn¡¯t even hard yet. But the moment she grabbed it, I felt my dick twitch.


    "Hnie¡ª" I pped her hand hard, leaving a red mark while stepping away from her in panic.


    She instantly winced and held her hand, blowing air on the back of it.


    "What the fuck is wrong with you? It sucks that I was right about you. I should have fucking thrown you out of our lives when I had¡ª" as I was yelling and stepping back and away from her, I stepped onto something and groaned loudly.


    "The fuck is that?" I shouted, turning around and seeing food on the ground. It was a half-eaten croissant.


    My eyes lingered on it, and then I knelt down to observe it. "That is me of lust."


    The green inside was not even disguised properly. The smell of the foul substance was so pungent that it hit me hard.


    "What is¡ª" I shot up, turning to look at Hnie, who was still rubbing the back of her hand.


    "Somebody fed you this?" It all made sense, and I felt guiltier than ever.


    She sat there miserably, pouting and, Goddess knows, not even understanding what she was doing.


    The one thing that hurt me the most was that I could have just known she was under drugs from the little different smell on her. Her skin had a hint of that smell, but my hatred and judgment for her were so strong that I didn¡¯t realize the truth behind her messed-up state.


    Ridden with guilt and embarrassment, I reached out and sat on the bed. "Who did this to you?" I asked.


    It was suddenly just so wrong.


    The fact that someone drugged her and left her behind without the acknowledgment that there are so many guards here who could have just taken advantage of her state, knowingly or unknowingly, saddened me.


    I don¡¯t remember when was thest time I felt this bad and sad. This agony was different.


    "You did. You just pped it and, look, left a mark on my hand," she spoke so cutely with her lips puffed and pouted, extending her hand and showing the red mark to me.


    "Look!" she insisted again, showing me her milky skin with a rash from my p.


    "I am so sor¡ª" I stopped as the word apology was not my best pursuit. My ego was so high that I never made a mistake¡ªor never thought I made one.


    But ever since Hnie had arrived, I had been just so rude to her. And it was probably because of her mother¡¯s actions.


    But today, when she was under FOL, she still held herself back because usually even a little amount would make the victim go crazy. She could have just done way worse, but she resisted.


    "I will apply some soothing ointment to it," I spoke softly, guilt to the point that I couldn¡¯t even raise my eyes to meet hers.


    "You are a bad man," she poked, and I shot my head up.


    "But you have been staring at me weirdly," she mumbled, making me roll my eyes at her.


    "I never did," I refused to let her get under my skin, especially now that I knew she didn¡¯t even know what she was doing.


    So all this time, when I was shouting and cussing at her, I was torturing a victim.


    "The other day, when we were at the mansion and I arrived, you tripped because you were checking me out," she mumbled, a little mischievous smile nting itself on her lips.


    "That is not true¡ª" I almost yelled in my defense. But the truth was that I did trip because I stared for too long. It was not because I was checking her out¡ªshe just stood out among everyone and made me wonder why she was given so much beauty and shine when her mother is such a bad woman.


    "So now can we have sex?" she jumped and sat attentively.


    "No! You are going to rest. If I knew earlier, I would have given you the anti-FOL, but it is toote as the FOL has taken over your blood now. So I am going to leave and get you a sedative so that you spend this time sleeping peacefully and wake up safe¡ª" Now that I knew it wasn¡¯t her fault she was acting that way, I used a gentle tone with her.


    However, she suddenly jumped and sat in myp, her legs wrapped around my waist, and her posture seductively tempting. My hands flew back on the bed in shock, but she didn¡¯t let me get away as she held my tie and started forcing me towards her.

 Chapter 176-Forced To Be This Way

    <h4>Chapter 176: 176-Forced To Be This Way</h4>


    <strong>Norman: </strong>


    My reflex was working hard, and normally I would have thrown or pushed her back, trying to keep the environment and our rtionship clean and appropriate, but right now, she was not at fault.


    And I have already manhandled her enough when thinking she was attacking me. I gently ced my hands on her back, with a very fearful and shaky bodynguage, and carried her to put her down.


    "Hnie! You don¡¯t want this. You will hate yourself when youe to. So how about you rest," I spoke to her calmly.


    This was the first time I was able to watch her face so closely. I had seen her before, but right now, I knew she was so intoxicated that she wouldn¡¯t remember all these details in the morning.


    I just had a moment to stare at her closely.


    Mom¡¯s words resonated in my mind, and I quickly disagreed with my mother¡¯s words when describing Hnie¡¯s features.


    Her words didn¡¯t do justice to her beauty.


    I have never seen someone so wlessly beautiful but with such a messed-up fate. She had been through enough, and even her own mother kicked her out of her life.


    She was a rogue and had been attacked to the point that she was left for dead, and today, she was drugged.


    I began to wonder about her fate and her identity.


    "But I--I don¡¯t want to be alone," she pouted, her eyebrows nting.


    I let out a deep sigh of exhaustion, worried if I left, she would run out again and get herself into trouble that no one, not a man or a woman, wants for themselves.


    Even the thought of her acting this way would destroy her confidence. From the way she keeps herself and how everyone wanders around her, especially the boys, not like I haven¡¯t noticed, I could tell Hnie was saving herself for her special mate.


    So her protection was important.


    "Okay, I will stay here and ask my guard to bring you some sleeping pills," I uttered, attempting to get up, but she held my hand and stopped me from inching away from her.


    "You should stay here," she pouted andy down while still holding my hand. I looked around awkwardly at the walls, as if someone was watching me.


    But there was no one here.


    "Okay!" I awkwardly replied.


    I shouldn¡¯t care too much. Call someone from the paramedics and put a guard outside her door. But she was--she was my brother¡¯s mate. So I had to personally take care of her. My hatred for her mother aside, I was seeing change in their behavior.


    She seemed different from her mother, but who knows what she is hiding beneath the beautiful face of hers.


    My eyes drifted to her as she moaned in the bed, probably from the heat in her body, and I quickly looked away.


    "You know, you are so heartless," she uttered, almost like whining.


    "Why would you say that?" I inquired in a low murmur, kind of intrigued to know her thoughts about me.


    "Because you don¡¯t care about anyone," she added. Her eyshes were long and curled up, and it was crazy that she didn¡¯t seem to be wearing any makeup.


    "That is not true. I care about my brothers a lot," I corrected her, and she shook her head.


    "You only care about your rules. You want to control them, or maybe show them that they can rely on you," she continued to misread me.


    "Is that how Ie across?" As I asked, she sat up to face me. It was quite intriguing to see a she-wolf resisting for so much. Like I said, she would be throwing herself at me and screaming if she didn¡¯t get what she wanted in the moment. But she was holding it back to the point that she was sounding more drunk than aroused.


    Or was it because of her inactive wolf?


    Could be.


    "You do," she voiced softly.


    "You are hiding secrets in your heart," she continued to shock me with her observation. "It is okay to share it with someone sometimes. You won¡¯t get hurt."


    "Do you believe in sharing secrets?" I asked in much anticipation, and she shook her head very steadily, like a mischievous puppy.


    "No! Two can only keep a secret if one is dead," her voice had turned into an even softer whisper now.


    "Then why are you asking me to share my secrets with someone?" I inquired, raising my brow at her.


    "Because I don¡¯t like you and I want to give you bad advice," the minute she said that with the most genuine pout on her lips, I felt life run through my body, and a loudughter escaped my lips.


    I couldn¡¯t help butugh at her trying to be evil when on FOL, when people are horny instead.


    "This is crazy. You areughing!"


    The sudden waking of my wolf changed my mood instantly. I stoppedughing at once.


    "What happened? Is my joke not funny anymore?" she inquired, watching my face with so much intent.


    I gave her a gentle headshake and added, "I guess this is the loudest I haveughed in so many years."


    "Oh no! I wanted to hurt you," she pouted again, making me smile at her. I have never sat down like this with any woman and spoken so many words about basically nothing.


    So this is how a meaningless talk sounds like? But it¡¯s not too bad?


    My words are always calcted; I don¡¯t speak when my words are not directed toward a cause. But today, as the sun was going down, I sat with this girl that I hated so much and had the best talk ever about literally nothing.


    "Why do you dislike me so much?" I asked her, tilting my head tiredly at her.


    "Because you dislike me," she attacked back.


    "I don¡¯t have a choice, Hnie, but you have. I am not born to like anyone," something deep within me started to shake as I said those words. It was so hard to open up and not feel the same pain in my chest that I felt when my mother clung her ws into my chest, grabbed my heart in her fist, and muttered to me,


    "Your life is mine."

 Chapter 177-His Crazy Heart

    <h4>Chapter 177: 177-His Crazy Heart</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    "Tell me, why don¡¯t you have a choice?" In front of me was a monster who wouldn¡¯t think twice before killing me. But today, he was acting calm. Maybe because he didn¡¯t want to get in trouble with me.


    My mind was all over the ce. Somewhere deep down, I knew this is not how I act, especially with this man, but then I would go back to the heaven where nothing hurt me.


    I only wanted pleasure. I kept holding his big, gigantic hand between my two hands. He had big bones, veins, and such masculine hands.


    "Everyone has a choice," I added, and he steadily shook his head.


    "I don¡¯t," his smile was fake and vacant. That¡¯s because he didn¡¯t want to be nice to me but was forcing himself.


    "Hmm, why?" I inquired with a frown, trying my best to deliver the exact emotions that I should be feeling when having this conversation and not just drool over him because of how hot I was feeling in my body.


    He stayed silent, his eyes fixated on the floor as he zoned out before he lifted his hand, making mine raise along.


    He then freed his hand from mine but held my hand in his own this time. With a much steadier movement, he ced my hand on his chest.


    I don¡¯t know what he was doing until I began to feel his heart against my palm. Not just one heartbeat, but four. His heart was pounding like it was racing for something.


    I don¡¯t even think my own heart would beat so fast when I am nervous or doing some extreme exertion. This was crazy.


    How was he alive like this?


    "There are--howe there are four heartbeats?" I asked him, and he let out a littleugh, shaking his head once again as if to show me that I was being silly.


    "You will never get an answer for that. It¡¯s my secret," he let go of my hand just so that he could put his finger to his lips when talking about his secret.


    I didn¡¯t remove my hand from his chest, still hearing his heartbeat and even stunned by how much attention I had on his heartbeat.


    "It is nothing," he awkwardly tried pulling my hand away, but I kept my hand on his chest, and somehow, he gave up and just sat in his spot.


    I watched him look sofortable with his head down and his eyes on my hand. I slowly slipped my hand under his shirt, touching his cold chest, and all four of his beats skipped. His heart went entirely silent for a moment before he gently grabbed my wrist and pulled my hand out, shaking his head very softly.


    "You don¡¯t want to do this. And I don¡¯t n anything for my life, neither do I intend to find a mate or choose a mate. You are my stepsister that I despise, and I would like this difference between us to stay." Even when his words were hurtful for someone who was horny, there was still a subtle feeling of empathy I had for him in the moment.


    "I will always keep my brothers as my priority, and I will--squash anyone or everyone who tries to hurt them. I am equipped that way. But I promise you that if you don¡¯t do anything wrong to them, I will try my best not to hurt you with my words and actions again," he finished, taking a deep breath and then exhaling from his nostrils.


    "Why is it so hard for you to ept that you are not so cold-hearted?" I asked, and he rubbed his face in his hands.


    "Because that is true," he replied.


    "Then why did you care today?" I watched him tilt his head as if telling me I was asking way too many questions.


    "My brothers care deeply about you, Hnie. If they found out you were in this state and I didn¡¯t take care of you or let them know what happened to you, they would not trust me again with anything rted to them," he calmly answered my question, and I nodded my head.


    That¡¯s when his phone rang, and he picked it up. His thick eyebrows narrowed, and his focus was on the caller.


    "Okay, leave it on the counter. I will grab it from there," he said on the call and ended it.


    I was weirdly hungry for sex, but I knew my body was resisting the urge to jump on him again. He looked sad and didn¡¯t want to be a part of it, and I didn¡¯t want to be part of something that takes away someone¡¯s right to say no.


    My head was all foggy as he got up and left the room. I stayed sitting in bed, my hands in my hair as I grasped my hair in my fists.


    That is when he came back with a sandwich and medicine in his hand, while his pinkie was wrapped around the bottle cap of a water bottle.


    He sat down and handed me the sandwich, carefully unwrapping it before handing it to me.


    "You gotta finish this because then you will be taking medicine," he uttered, watching me take a little bite.


    "Big bites!" he groaned, his fists resting on the mattress while he kept staring at my face with intent. He looked so scary, so I started taking big bites.


    "Take a water break. Do I have to teach you how to eat as well?" he rolled his eyes, offering me water after he opened the cap.


    I grabbed it and drank from the bottle while he held my sandwich for me. It was not sex, but making him take care of me was such a relief that I didn¡¯t need an orgasm to feel better.


    I then ate the rest of the sandwich and drank the water with the pill. He got up, holding the nket as Iid downfortably.


    "I wanted to enjoy the trip, you know I won today?" Iined, pouting.


    He let out a littleugh before he whispered, "I know. You are a wonder, Hnie. Now sleep, I will be in the living room. No one wille near your bedroom, not even ghosts."


    For some reason, his words and reassurance were so much that I quickly closed my eyes and fell asleep from the pill he had given to me.

 Chapter 178-Day After The Mess

    <h4>Chapter 178: 178-Day After The Mess</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Uhmmm!" Comfort and good sleep go hand in hand. Especially when you have had a good 12 hours¡¯ sleep.


    I had the best sleep in so long. I slept like a baby and didn¡¯t even wake up until the lights were shed from the window.


    I got up and yawned, stretching my arms as far apart as I could. There is a weird satisfaction about stretching after waking up.


    But the minute cold brushed against my skin, I lowered my head to look at my attire, and a shockwave hit me when I found myself wearing Jenny¡¯s nighty that she forgot to pack, and I was supposed to pack it in my luggage.


    "Wait a minute! I was supposed to be¡ªat the beach," I instantly pushed the nket away and yelled, ready to jump out of the bed and try to get the idea of what the heck happened and how I ended up sleeping for so long.


    As I screamed and jumped to my feet, another shock hit me when someone barged in hurriedly. His sight in front of me was like watching a ghost doing tango.


    "Ahhh!" I screamed and wrapped my arms around my body, feeling so naked before the monster called Norman rushed in.


    He sighed and rolled his eyes as if calling me dramatic and then turned his body to the side, his hands on his waist.


    "I believe you are in your senses now," hemented, causing me to look around while still hugging myself. I found my sweater and baggy jeans on the couch, so I rushed to grab them. As I began to slip into the sweater, Iined, "How the heck did I end up in this¡ªnighty? And why are you here?"


    "Are you done?" Instead of responding to me, he asked very coldly.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t care how worried I was thinking about everything, and especially his presence in the guesthouse when I was all alone.


    "Yes," I grunted, folding my arms over my chest and maintaining a frown on my forehead.


    He turned to face me. He wasn¡¯t wearing his coat, and his shirt¡¯s first few buttons were open. I was extremely disturbed, thinking about the missing hours from my memory.


    "You were given FOL," he replied, and when I frowned, he exined, "me of Dust."


    I had a mixed reaction to his statement. I first believed he was lying to me just to freak me out, and then I remembered the note Salem had written for me.


    "Ugh!" As a yelp escaped my lips, I covered my mouth with my hands and kept staring at Norman with my eyes wide and big.


    "Oh no! Wait¡ªdid I? Why did you¡ªoh my¡ªdid we?" I had so many questions, and none of them were able to leave my mouth in full sentences.


    I wanted to run as fast as I could and then disappear into the mist.


    "No!" Norman quickly took a step forward, his hands up in defense when I stepped back from him.


    He stopped walking once he noticed how shocked and upset I was. "You did nothing. I came over because you had texted Kaye, asking him toe over. I called, and you said you were not feeling well. I arrived, and we did nothing. In fact¡ª" he took a little pause and then confidently stated, "I gave you a sleeping pill so that you could sleep it off."


    Relief only hit me when I remembered my attire. "Why am I in that nighty? Did you put me in that dress?" I asked, and he frowned.


    "No! When I gave you the medicine, you came to the bedroom and probably changed before heading to bed. Rest assured, nothing happened, and I would never¡ª" he scoffed loudly, but for the first time, I liked hearing him scoff so much.


    I would have felt such terrible guilt if I had done something or seduced this man before me.


    "No need to worry. You are fine," he added.


    It was quite weird that he gave me a pill to ensure I didn¡¯t end up doing something stupid. I mean, I wouldn¡¯t expect more from him. He wasn¡¯t the type tofort anyone, so him giving me a pill was already a big move.


    "I was supposed to be with my friends on the beach. What would they think¡ª" I was freaking out again when I realized it was a whole new day.


    "Don¡¯t worry about that. I told Lamar to inform everyone you had to fill in some ss report, so you stayed behind. Just go get ready, and I will take you to the beach myself. Kaye is headed to the beach too, and he doesn¡¯t know you stayed here. So if he asks you, give the same excuse I told Lamar," he was coldly yammering, not even making eye contact with me.


    "You will drop me to the beach?" I asked, raising my eyebrow in shock.


    "No need to point it out. It¡¯s either I take you, or Kaye does. And I don¡¯t think Kaye should take you now that he has a chosen mate," he shocked me once again with his words.


    "Why? I am his stepsister," I was slightly taken aback by his attempts to separate me from his brother.


    Was there something wrong? Did he know anything?


    "And I don¡¯t want you asking my brother for favors," he rolled his eyes when he didn¡¯t have a usible excuse.


    "Now, go get ready and pack your bags," he dismissed me with his hand before walking out.


    However, once he was out of the room, I heard him say one more thing, "We will make a quick stop to grab you breakfast. I don¡¯t want you going around telling everyone I¡¯m a monster, a demon who didn¡¯t even offer you food."


    I rolled my eyes, but the fact that he knew I called him a monster was just hrious.


    However, I was still angry at the fact that Salem did that to me. I will give her a befitting response and see how she recovers from it.

 Chapter 179-His Turn!

    <h4>Chapter 179: 179-His Turn!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I sat in the backseat while he loaded my bag in the trunk. I had only one bag, and it wasn¡¯t even heavy, but he was acting weird and grabbed the bag out of my hand.


    Once he sat in the driver¡¯s seat and started driving, I began to rx a bit in the backseat.


    "Ahem!" he cleared his throat, making a shiver run up my spine.


    "What do you eat for breakfast?" he asked, fixing the rear view mirror to keep an eye on me.


    "Anything. I am not picky," I replied, and he nodded his head.


    "Tell me something. Did your father love your mother?" As he asked me that question, I couldn¡¯t help but recall my time with them when they were married. I was very little, but I do remember them fighting a lot.


    "I guess," I shrugged, not sure.


    It seemed like there was also some stress between them. Whenever my father woulde homete or drunk and my mother was angry at him, he would just give her this look, and she would instantly feel guilty.


    "May I ask you something?" Without waiting for him to respond, I proceeded to ask him, "When did my mothere to live with you guys?" I was not sure what happened to her after I returned home and picked my dad.


    I just know I was six at that time, and then my mother was just gone. She disappeared and never even contacted me back.


    "We were little. It had been some years," he cleared his throat while answering. Since we were talking, and the car ride was about a few hours, I realized it was better than silence that we spoke about stuff that wasn¡¯t too personal but also engaging.


    "Why are you the way you are?" I bit my tongue the minute I asked him that question. I was not supposed to ask him anything personal.


    "Describe the way I am." However, he gave me a chance to correct my mistake.


    "Umm, very determined. Umm, the one who doesn¡¯t smile much and is always focused on work. Someone who is overprotective of his brothers and doe¡ª" As I continued to sugarcoat my thoughts of him, he intervened to get me to the point.


    "Be honest."


    I sighed and uttered, "A bitch! You are a bitch most of the time."


    I expected him to yell at me, ask me to get out, or even call me different slurs, but instead, I watched him let out a little snort almost before he fixed his posture.


    "I am this way and will remain this way," he stated.


    I nodded, thankful that topic was over, and I¡¯m guessing it was his turn to ask me questions now.


    "What is going on with the students of your ss? There is some drama going on, and I keep hearing about it from my people," he uttered, making me slide to the edge of the seat and fold my arms over the passenger seat while looking at him.


    "There has been some mate drama going on, that¡¯s all. Typical teenage stuff," I replied.


    Now that it was my turn, I asked him, "What people? You have people spying on us?"


    He let out a little louder scoff this time, shaking his head. "I do. It is important to know what my students are up to."


    "What is the deal between you and your mother?" he questioned.


    "Uhh! She hates me because I didn¡¯t pick her when I was a kid. And then my father proved that I had made the wrong pick," I shrugged.


    It was time he gave us a nod. "Why did you pick your father?"


    Now that it became a little too personal, I leaned back, looking outside the window of the car.


    This question was a little hard for me to answer, but I knew exactly why I had to pick my father.


    shback:


    "You little piece of shit! Can¡¯t you sit in silence?" he yelled, his green eyes narrowed at me and his hand raised to hit me twice. The first time had left quite a mark on my cheek.


    So this time, I instantly put my hands on my cheek to stop him from hitting me. He was my mother¡¯s boyfriend. I don¡¯t understand why he had toe live with us. Ever since my mother divorced my dad and we moved out, we were doing well until she started dating again.


    And John was the worst man ever. He didn¡¯t work or do anything. He would sit and watch movies the whole day. When my mom would leave for work, he would yell at me, hit me, and even break my toys. And once my mom woulde back home, he would tell her that I had been a difficult child.


    I was scared of him, and I couldn¡¯t tell my mother anything because John told me that he could hear our thoughts and that if I even thought about telling my mom anything, he would kill my mom and then make me his dog by putting a leash on my neck.


    "Now listen, tomorrow, the council will ask you who you want to stay with. And if you don¡¯t pick your dad, I will do worse things imaginable to you. Remember, you will grow up here with me, I will be the only one who makes your decisions, and then I will sell you to some old man to be his dog," he warned me, his finger wagging at my face.


    I was not happy here.


    He had killed my catst week and told my mother I did it. My mother was nice, but she was upset that I had harmed an innocent animal. She didn¡¯t hit me or yell at me, but she did ground me to teach me a lesson to be kinder and gentler to others.


    End of shback.


    That¡¯s when I made the decision to go back with my dad. John had threatened to kill my mother if I didn¡¯t pick my father, the very next day before I was going to make a decision.


    I was a child who didn¡¯t want her mother or anyone else to die. I didn¡¯t know that man was bluffing when he talked about killing me or my mother and also that he could hear my thoughts.


    "We are here," Norman¡¯s announcement shocked me. I couldn¡¯t believe I had been lost in my thoughts for so long.

 Chapter 180-A Sour Sight

    <h4>Chapter 180: 180-A Sour Sight</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    It was a beautiful beach hidden in a peaceful ce. The sand was soft and golden, and the sea was clear, shining in many shades of blue. The water was so calm, gently touching the shore, and the air was warm with a light breeze. Tall palm trees stood along the beach, their leaves moving softly in the wind, making rxing sounds.


    I had stepped out of the car with Norman behind me, and instead of heading over to see my hut, I walked straight to the water.


    The cold wind was blowing my hair all over the ce. I wore blue skinny jeans and a purple top with my purple sweater. I always washed this sweater and wore it back.


    "It is so calming out here," I spread my arms and giggled. I wondered if I had given up on my life, would I have been able to witness victories and visit ces like these?


    "It is," Norman replied, and I put my arms down.


    "Thank you for giving me a ride," I mumbled. He only gave me a head nod and then started walking toward the huts.


    On the beach, there were many small huts made of wood, each one special and charming. The roofs were covered with straw, giving them a traditional look. The walls were a mix of light wood and smooth stone, with big windows so people could enjoy the view of the blue sea and the colorful sky at sunset. These huts were built on stilts, raised above the water like small houses on the sea. I could tell this was a good tourist spot, but it had been booked just for us for a few days. That made it even more beautiful.


    I could tell the others were still sleeping, so I was excited to wake them up and surprise them.


    Norman had told me earlier that my friends had been so worried when Lamar called him.


    I followed Norman to the hut that was assigned to me. The lights were still out, so he gave me a hand gesture to proceed inside. I took the bag from him and entered the hut.


    The inside of the hut was very nice, with simple yet elegant furniture. Soft white curtains hung by the windows, blowing with the wind. There were cozy chairs and hammocks outside on the small wooden decks, perfect for resting and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.


    Around the huts, there were small shaded spots withfortable chairs, where you could rx in privacy.


    But it was dark inside, so I had to tiptoe to the curtains, and the minute I drew them back, the hut lit up. I got a good look at who was in the hut with me.


    It was Jenny and Lucy, which meant Penn, Gavin, and Lamar were likely in the same hut. That wouldn¡¯t be a good mix, but I didn¡¯t want to focus on it for now. The single beds looked sofortable, but I had a good sleepst night, so I wasn¡¯t even going to lie down.


    "Ugh!" Lucy was the first one to groan. As she rubbed her eyes and rose from the bed, her eyesnded on me.


    "Hnie?" she yelled happily, jumping off the bed and rushing over to hug me. I giggled andughed, feeling another pair of arms wrap around my body. It was Jenny. Her eyes were still half-closed, but I guess she heard Lucy say my name and got up.


    "I am sooo happy you¡¯re here," Jenny said, tightly hugging me. I hugged them both back before we parted.


    They started getting ready while I sat on the deck, waiting for them. The whole scene was so beautiful that I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Sometimes I remember Lucy¡¯s words and wonder¡ªam I indeed lucky?


    I survived Salem and Sydney¡¯s every attack, and today, here I was, sitting victoriously. But my smile was short-lived as I saw Kaye appear in my sight.


    "Baby, stop!" Right behind him was Kesha. She rushed to catch up to him and held his hand, resting her head on his shoulder as the two stared at the ocean.


    She wore a long blue dress with a round hat, and Kaye was in all ck again. Just the sight of them was a reminder that I wasn¡¯t entirely lucky.


    It¡¯s just that I focus on little happiness now.


    I think he didn¡¯t know I was watching them because once they were done admiring the view, and he turned, his eyesnded on me. He looked so shocked, like he¡¯d seen a ghost.


    I noticed him steadily pulling away from Kesha before beginning to walk toward my hut. But I didn¡¯t want to hear anything from him.


    "Lucy? Do you need my help?" I yelled as if she had been calling for me and instantly got up from the chair, heading back inside the hut.


    Jenny was on her bed, holding a mirror and perfecting her makeup.


    "Hey, are you done admiring the view? You know, we missed you so muchst night that we didn¡¯t do anything. The boys were so bummed you didn¡¯te that they went to their huts while the rest of the ss was dancing on the beach," she said, yapping away. But my eyes were on the deck from inside.


    I wondered if Kaye had left.


    He must have. He has his chosen mate now, and I didn¡¯t want toe between them.


    "So, did you and Lucy talk?" I suddenly remembered what had happened the other day and found Jenny looking down sadly.


    "I think she¡¯s still upset afterst time, and I don¡¯t me her. You know, she still tried talking to Gavin, and he was taking care of her too. So, I think maybe¡ªmaybe they can get back together someday," she smiled weakly, probably not happy to be dragged between mates.


    That¡¯s what I didn¡¯t want to be in Kaye and Kesha¡¯s story. I didn¡¯t want to be like Jenny, who everyone was side-eyeing for causing a rift between Lucy and Gavin, when the truth was far from that.

 Chapter 181-Cold War Between The Brothers

    <h4>Chapter 181: 181-Cold War Between The Brothers</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    After Lucy came out of the bathroom and we were set to go, Jenny called her brother, and the boys had alreadye to our hut. We spoke for a few minutes, which was basically just me giving them the same lie Norman had told me.


    But now that we were all set to go and hade out, I saw Sydney and Salem standing outside their much smaller hut.


    The two were talking, wearing blue and pink shirt dresses with a cut on the thigh, which was so high that their G-strings could be seen. The neckline was deep, as if they were ready to take off these dresses anytime soon when going for a swim.


    Their cheery morning smiles faded when their eyesnded on me.


    Sydney did a double take, whereas Salem rubbed her eyes to confirm it was indeed me she was seeing.


    The two started to stare at each other and whisper while I smiled widely, walking alongside my friends.


    "What is wrong with them?" Lucy asked as she slid closer to me, definitely noticing how weird the twins were acting.


    "They are probably just wondering why I am smiling," I replied, my gaze narrowing at Salem, who was staring at me like she was contemting how I was here on the beach with them.


    "And why are you smiling?" Lucy continued to inspect me. It wasn¡¯t hard for anyone to notice the bodynguage of us three.


    "Umm, Hnie, Professor Norman is asking you to meet him behind the huts. As for the rest of you, breakfast will be served in five minutes. So why don¡¯t you go sit in that hut?" A warrior walked over to us, letting me know that I was being asked for. As for the rest, they were escorted to the long cylindrical open canopy that they called the big hut for breakfast.


    I made my way to the three huts at a distance. Norman was sitting on a chair on the beach, a big umbre over his head and a table full of refreshments. It was Kaye on the other side of the table that made my skin itchy.


    Seeing him sit before me was hard. It took me back to the kiss and moments we had shared. But I had to be professional since I had worked hard for where I was today.


    "Yes, sir?" I asked, watching him take off his sunsses.


    "I didn¡¯t want to ask you about it right away in the morning, Hnie. I knew it would cause you a lot of stress, so I asked my brother instead," the fact that he talked about not wanting to cause me stress really took me off guard.


    "I don¡¯t understand, what is going on?" Kaye instantly straightened his back in his chair to question us.


    "I asked Kaye who had found the me if lust during the test," Norman continued, and I side-eyed Kaye, who had been staring at me as if I would open my mouth and he would enter my body.


    "Wait a minute, why is Hnie stressed about it? Did something¡ªwait a minute, did you get drugged?" Kaye quickly get up and slipped closer to me as he tried sniffing through my hair.


    "Kaye, we are not dogs," Norman shook his head, rming him about the fact that I was looking awkwardly at Norman when his brother was sniffing through my hair.


    "She stayed behind because of that?" Kaye asked again, and this time when I knew Norman had told me to lie about it, I felt like it would be messier if he found out Norman had stayed in the guesthouse.


    He would think we are lying, and I don¡¯t want the brothers to turn against each other.


    "It was Salem¡ª," I announced, watching the brothers look at me. "I saw Salem run out of the guesthouse after she had sneakily ced the me of Dust in my croissant."


    Kaye¡¯s bodynguage suddenly changed as he turned to me, facing me and blocking Norman out of my sight.


    "Why didn¡¯t you¡ªwait a minute." He was asking for a lot of waiting today.


    "You were drugged, did you do something? Did someone hurt you?" Kaye instantly grabbed my arms to pull me against his chest, which caused Norman to jump to his feet ande between us.


    He had to manly untangle Kaye¡¯s fingers from my arms to release me.


    "What are you doing?" I was so shocked that I just lowered my head when Norman asked Kaye that question.


    If Kaye didn¡¯t stop acting like this, his brother would find out and then things would get so messy. He¡¯ll think I¡¯ve been trying to pursue Kaye all this time.


    "I¡¯m just worried because you know what that FOL can do to someone," Kaye continued to express his worry.


    "I know, Kaye. I¡¯m a trainer too. But rest assured, she was fine. I took care of her. I personally stayed in the guesthouse to make sure nobody came to her or that she left," as Norman tried tofort him, I watched Kaye shift his body weight on his one leg and question his brother with his eyes.


    "You stayed in the guesthouse when she had FOL in her system?" The way Kaye posed that question sounded more like an usation. I could be wrong, but I swear I¡¯ve heard better tone from him.


    "Yeah, but I had given her a sleeping pill so that she¡ª," Norman tried to speak, but Kaye only shook his head, which made Norman shut up.


    I¡¯ve never seen such a look in Norman¡¯s eyes, but it was as if he didn¡¯t like his brother watching him with so much negativity.


    "You gave her a sleeping pill and you stayed in the guesthouse? Did something happen before that?" Kaye proceeded to ask Norman, making it so awkward between the two of us.


    And I could tell that Norman was not lying because I did find the pill bottle in my room.


    Now that Norman was being questioned, I also felt like it was a question to me.


    I just needed to remind him that I wasn¡¯t his problem anymore. Especially when Kesha came out in a pink bikini from her hut, which was on the side of the two brothers¡¯ hut.


    "Sir, I am fine and I am grateful Professor Norman took care of me. As for the culprit, it is Salem," I lifted my chin, my tone not shaky at all as I told my truth.

 Chapter 182-My Personal Maid

    <h4>Chapter 182: 182-My Personal Maid</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Kaye was watching my face with sadness. Did he want me to appreciate him for questioning his brother? He couldn¡¯t act all heroic to me anymore. He had a chosen mate that he should be taking care of.


    "Come over here," Norman gestured to the warrior who had brought me here before.


    "Bring Salem Coombs to me," he told the warrior, who quickly sped up to bring the culprit before us.


    I didn¡¯t know what it was, or maybe I did know¡ªit was the fact that his brother had questioned his morals. Norman looked very uneasy and restless. He had been pacing back and forth while Kaye stood in one spot. He rarely ever moved from his spot.


    Kesha had walked past us like we didn¡¯t even exist to go swimming. She did call for Kaye one or two times, but he entirely ignored her, and it¡¯s not like she came to ask him if he was hearing her.


    She proceeded to enjoy herself.


    After a few seconds, Salem appeared with the warrior. Her pale face told me she was already suspecting what this was about.


    "You drugged Hniest night?" Norman asked, his hands on his waist.


    "You know what we should do? We should throw her in the cage of the frogsters," Kaye interjected, not even letting her answer Norman, who closed his eyes to express his frustration with his brother.


    "What? I don¡¯t know, sir, what you are talking about?" Salem gulped, lying through her teeth.


    "Salem, I confirmed it from the CCTV outside the guesthouse," Norman bluffed, and she instantly started yapping in her defense.


    "Wait. Do you mean you ate the croissants? I baked those for a couple. They had asked me to use them as their kinky time¡ª" The minute she fell under the harsh re of Kaye and Norman, she shut up her nonsense.


    "I swear I don¡¯t know. I baked them for someone else," she began to sob, her face in her hands.


    I watched Norman clench his jaw. "This is what you guys do in your spare time? Fulfill your kinks with such dangerous herbs? So, no matter what the reason, you are getting punished."


    Once Norman understood that there was no way she would openly admit to drugging me, he decided totch onto anything just to punish her.


    "But I am already serving a punishment," Salem argued in a whimper.


    "You will be Hnie¡¯s personal maid, doing all her chores and taking orders from her for the next two weeks," Norman dered her punishment, and her eyes spiked with genuine tears.


    She was in shock.


    "Sir, that is not fair. She is just an omega, and I am¡ª" I have never seen her look so miserable. Just the thought of serving me had shattered her confidence.


    "Then why are you so obsessed with her?" Kaye didn¡¯t care how he came off. He let his professor mask slip and acted on a personal level.


    "I am not," she begged, even her palms meeting this time.


    "First, you lie about her and lock her in your bedroom, and now this. No, serve the punishment, or I will have to cklist you for this year. You will be joining next year as your fellow¡¯s junior," Norman spoke up, taking over the conversation.


    "Your pick," he tilted his head.


    The two brothers stood before her, hiding me behind their backs.


    It was the most bizarre sight ever. They were defending me, punishing someone for me.


    "I will do it just because you think I should be punished," now that it was made clear to her that nobody was sparing her, she was back to acting all obedient and innocent.


    "You two go now. Hnie, enjoy your breakfast." Norman was really sassy not to even ask her to enjoy her breakfast.


    We both silently walked back to our hut, where everyone questioned what had happened. Later, Norman made an announcement that because of the whole room-locked incident and Salem not looking apologetic, she would be serving as my personal maid.


    I saw the looks on everyone¡¯s faces. They were as shocked as Sydney and my friends.


    But my friends were secretly rooting for the moment I started giving her tasks.


    The rest of our three-day stay was the best.


    At night, soft lights fromnterns and string lights shone, making the beach feel magical. The air smelled like flowers and the sea, and sometimes you could hear soft music from a nearby bar, making the mood even better.


    This beach was a hidden paradise, a ce where nature and luxury came together in perfect harmony, giving everyone a chance to enjoy the calm and beauty of the world. Then, on thest night, they had music on the beach where everyone danced for hours before we all went to bed.


    It was so hard to say goodbye to this ce. The perfect Dream Ind. The journey back to the hostel was so tiring. We were exhausted but given a few days off to rest before we joined sses again.


    Once we were back at the hostel, I quickly dropped my bags andnded in my bed, my arms spread.


    Lucy was slowly unpacking her bags, not even taking a rest. I could tell she was still upset about a lot of what happened on the beach and in the cage.


    After that cage incident, Gavin and her rtionship took a huge downfall. They would talk so officially, where he would show care, and she would respond like a robot.


    "Lucy, let¡¯s go grab the timetable from the academy for our next sses," Lamar, who had noticed how lonely Lucy was even when she was around us, included her in a task to take her mind off things.


    I gave him a look of appreciation because at least Lucy working on something would get her distracted for a while.


    Lucy got up from the carpet and followed him outside, making sure she gave me a head nod.


    After she left, I heard a knock on the door and couldn¡¯t help but wonder who hade.


    "Come in," I said, and Jenny stepped in, her demeanor weak and her eyes on the ground.


    "I came to ask you something. Why are you upset with me?" she was direct as she, too, had noticed I had been very cold to hertely.

 Chapter 183-One Of Those Alphas.

    <h4>Chapter 183: 183-One Of Those Alphas.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I sat up, watching her stare at my face and wait for my answer. I had been avoiding these questions back when we were at the beach because I didn¡¯t want to spoil anyone¡¯s mood. But there were times when I saw Jenny notice my bodynguage and ask me if I was okay. I would give her my casual head nod and avoid eye contact.


    But of course, she wasn¡¯t stupid and had noticed that something had switched in me after that cage incident.


    "I really like you, Jenny. You know I befriended you and trusted you when you said nothing was going on between you and Gavin," I started as I recalled how we began our friendship in the first ce.


    "And there is nothing," she confirmed, but me shutting my eyes made her realize I wasn¡¯t done talking.


    "I just want to know the truth, Jenny. The way Gavin saved you just made me feel so itchy. I am not saying he should have let you get hurt, but to do that when he knew his rtionship with Lucy started to deteriorate because of her suspicions that there was something going on between the two of you, yet he chose you over her, just made me feel like we are in the dark about something," I watched her look so sad, and her lips quivered when I used a little harsh tone with her.


    She had such a gentle tone that even when anyone raised their voice at her, she would freak out and start tearing up. Not everyone, just the people that were her family and friends. I guess she held too many expectations from people around her.


    "Why don¡¯t you ask Gavin why he did that? I am not supposed to get between their rtionship. Whatever he is doing, he is doing on his own," she spoke in a murmur.


    "And I will just say that if she can sleep with Lamar and be friends with him, go out to the academy even now while I have to be questioned for saving my friend out of reflex, it¡¯s a bit hypocritical of you, Hnie. I expect you to make better judgment," Gavin arrived out of nowhere, interrupting us.


    "I will leave." I could tell Jenny had had enough of everyone dragging her into their rtionships.


    "No, you should stay because it is not your fault. You are my friend, and I don¡¯t regret saving you," Gavin had the nerve to want her here after she looked so ufortable. And I am so d she spoke up for herself.


    "No, Gavin. You are wrong for this. You cannot drag me in punishing her. I feel used right now. You are doing it on purpose, but you are also ruining my friendship with them," Jenny uttered, tears spilling down her cheeks.


    "Fine. I get it. I just don¡¯t get this one thing," Gavin bit the inside of his cheeks, nodding his head before he continued. "How is she a victim and I am not?" Gavin asked us.


    "She cheated on me after thinking I was cheating on her. All on the basis of just her thoughts, while I am being crucified because I saved Jenny after knowing Lucy cheated on me. And these are not just my thoughts¡ªit is a confirmed fact. I knew Lucy wouldn¡¯t die; she was fine after one transition. She can take her anger out because of her delusions, but I cannot, even when it is based on factual information."


    I suddenly felt a weird guilt hit me when he exined how unfair we had been to him.


    "Just because she looks cute when she cries? Hnie, I gave her a chance because I still couldn¡¯t see her cry and try so hard to be with me. But you know what happened after I gave her a chance? She asked me to stay away from Jenny. So she is still acting like¡ª" He closed his eyes as he groaned, "All the while she actspletely normal with Lamar, who she had slept with, made out with."


    I steadily got off the bed because I began to feel guilty now.


    "Gavin¡ª" I tried to approach him, but he showed me his palm to make me stand back.


    "It is fine, it really is. I don¡¯t want you guys to leave her alone and let her suffer alone, but at least don¡¯t judge me this hard that you all push me away. By the end of the day, I only want a friend who understands me," he whispered softly before he turned to rush out.


    As he started to rush out, I had to follow him. He was right. We have taken care of Lucy, but we forgot about him.


    So now was the time we became the friends he had expected us to be.


    "I will use the stairs," Jenny gently patted my back, awkwardness still lingering at the fact that I was questioning her.


    I took the elevator while thinking about what would happen next between us friends. I was worried. Once the elevator stopped and the door opened, I found Jenny on the ground floor with Gavin.


    She was making sure he didn¡¯t get away until I had arrived. But just as I was about to get off the elevator, I saw someonee and hug Jenny from the back.


    It all happened in a quick movement. So I just stood and watched it happen.


    The guy had blue, sparkling eyes, his blond hair spiked up. The freckles on his face were so prominent and the radiance dripping from his eyes.


    But that wasn¡¯t why I was observing him with so much intent.


    It was the fact that I had seen this face before. His face before he picked Jenny from the ground and gave her a good circle while Gavin stepped aside.


    "My beautiful mate, did you not miss me at all?" As he put her down and turned her to question her, his voice made its way through my ears, and shivers covered my body.


    All I could remember was something he had said in my ear when he raped me that night along with his other alpha friends.


    "After this, you will always miss me."

 Chapter 184-He Claims We Are Mates

    <h4>Chapter 184: 184-He ims We Are Mates</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I shut the elevator door closed and went straight to the top, hiding in my room until I was certain they were no longer in their main spots. I then rushed out of the hostel to make my way to the woods to get off this feeling of disgust and hatred.


    I don¡¯t even know how far I was going as I ran like a madwoman straight down the mountains and to the woods.


    It was weird energy, a boost that I had not felt like that before. All the memories of that night rushed back, and I felt so weird and dirty.


    How the fuck did I continue to live without thinking about them every day?


    Why was it taking so long for me to take revenge?


    And how am I supposed to take revenge?


    I wanted to get trained so that I could confront them, but now that he was in my academy, I ran out like a coward. Once my legs gave up and I dropped to my knees, I began to sob and scream into the air.


    "You must be really enjoying it all, huh? Can¡¯t see me happy?" I screamed as I lifted my head to stare at the moon goddess.


    "I hope you feel my pain one day in the worst imaginable way," I shouted, sobbing and then covering my face in my hands.


    That¡¯s when I heard the wind whooshing and something moving past my body so quickly that I suddenly stopped crying. I raised my face from my hands and looked around, turning to my back to see where that thing hadnded. It had hit a tree.


    "An arrow," I uttered, staring at the golden pattern on it.


    "Not just an arrow, sweetheart. It¡¯s going to be the best future weapon¡ªI just need to tweak a few things," Maximus¡¯ voice came through, making me quickly get to my feet and start clearing my vision and my cheeks from my tears.


    "What were you doing here? Don¡¯t tell me you came here chasing after me?" He walked into view, wearing a brown leather jacket and brown pants with a white shirt. He reached for the arrow to take it out but then turned to stare at me.


    I noticed a small bottle of white powder in his hand that he was probably using to tip the top of the arrow beforeunching it.


    "I wanted to take a walk," I uttered, realizing how sour my tone sounded, so I quickly cleared my throat.


    "You have been crying?" his tone changed¡ªnot the usual flirty one.


    "No!" I lied, turning my head to the side and hugging myself.


    "Hey, you can¡¯t lie to me, you know that, right?" Hisment made its way to my ear, and I couldn¡¯t help but watch his face in bewilderment.


    "Eh! You probably don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know how it works," he shook his head, confusing me with why he thought I couldn¡¯t lie to him.


    "Anyway, now that you are here," a smirk disyed on his lips as he began to walk toward me.


    I started to step back. Somehow, I would have found his flirting tiring but also cute if it had happened before I had seen that alpha¡¯s face. But today, him walking in my direction and me stepping back was reminiscent of that night.


    "I will spend some time with you," he said, and as my back hit the tree, I started to panic.


    "You touch me¡ªand I swear¡ª" my voice broke, causing him to stop in his tracks and narrow his eyes at me.


    "Oi! What happened? You know I won¡¯t touch you without your permission, right?" he almost yelled before walking over to hunch down to my face¡¯s level.


    "Hnie, I want you to tell me what happened. Did someone bully you?" he demanded an answer sternly this time.


    I didn¡¯t want him to know I was disturbed, but I couldn¡¯t help it. As I shook my head, he bent down even more, his hands on his knees.


    "Then who hurt you? Tell me their name, and I have the perfect weapon for them," he mumbled, eyeing the arrow and the bottle of white powder on the ground.


    "Which, by the way, you didn¡¯t even ask what it was," he straightened his back, his voice full of confidence. "This specific weapon can cause the type of itching that would make even the worst creature look funny."


    He patted his back, stepping away and grabbing his weapon.


    "And I know you will remember this and use it on some test. You know, I¡¯ve been hearing some things about you," he kept talking, and weirdly enough, I had nothing to add until he mentioned that part.


    My ears perked up, and the fear of what he might have heard about me drowned me.


    "What about me?" I asked, a gulp running down my throat.


    "The council asked us brothers about the girl without a wolf who is acing the academy like a pro. Do you know you¡¯ve done so impably mixing two herbs that everyone has been mentioning you? They¡¯re intrigued by you," he spoke warmly, steadily causing my heart to fill with so much ecstasy.


    Prior to him telling me this, I felt like I was wasting my time. The way I couldn¡¯t even face that alpha and ran out of the academy had me thinking I would never be able to do better or take my revenge. But now, there seemed to be hope.


    "Even I am amused. Hnie, your courage and willpower are amazing, and whenever someone praises you, I feel so happy and proud of you. You know why?" he stated, already making me feel better, but I was curious to know what he had to say next.


    "Because you are my mate," he dered, causing my jaw to hang low and my eyes to bug out in shock.


    I am his mate?


    Since when?


    "We are?" I asked, my voice filled with disbelief.


    As I posed the question, he nodded confidently.


    "Remember on the ground when we had a match? I felt something with you. And once your wolf is awakened entirely, we will feel it again," he was so confident, while I felt so guilty because he was mistaking my pheromones for a mate bond.

 Chapter 185-Not Entirely Lonely

    <h4>Chapter 185: 185-Not Entirely Lonely</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "No!" I shook my head, looking away awkwardly. Had this been going on in his head all this time?


    "What no?" He sounded offended that my response was like that.


    "It can¡¯t be. It wasn¡¯t a full moon, and I didn¡¯t even feel anything," I whispered under my breath, hoping that would make him retract his thoughts, but he confidently shook his head.


    "You don¡¯t have a wolf, and also, because it wasn¡¯t a full moon. And you know, those who don¡¯t have a fully active wolf cannot feel the mate bond after the first time. And sadly, our first time was without the full moon, so now we have to wait for you to have a wolf to feel it again," he was exining confidently, shrugging like this news didn¡¯t bother him.


    He seemed to be enjoying the thought of being mates with me.


    "Exactly, how can we feel the mate bond without a wolf moon?" I let out augh, a rather awkward one. So that he doesn¡¯t feel embarrassed and epts that he is wrong in his observation.


    "Hnie, it has to be a special bond, a mate bond then. Look, I know what I felt, so I am in the clear. Now, if it is too much for you to be mated to a dashing, powerful rogue king like me¡ª" he had a smirk on his face, his voice all husky this time.


    "Well, I guess I will have to wait for my wolf to wake up then," I quickly sidestepped him, moving over to the side to avoid being in his sight.


    "I won¡¯t wait. I will pursue you, and I am shamelessly admitting it. I just cannot wait for you to be in my ss," he mumbled in his beautiful voice and shocked me.


    He was so excited, but why? Didn¡¯t they hate me?


    "My mom stole your father from your mother," I stated, reminding him because I thought he had forgotten.


    I wouldn¡¯t let him have too many thoughts about us being mates because I knew that was not true. My pheromones had confused him so much.


    "And you are nothing like her. Listen, I get it. You are trying hard to get this kind of thing, and I am not afraid of a little challenge," he shrugged, moving to the other side.


    I didn¡¯t know how to respond to him anymore, so I stayed silent.


    "Let me walk you back to the hostel. It is gettingte." Finally, he stopped using that flirtatious tone and offered to walk me to the hostel.


    I would have asked him if I was managed, but the rogue world was a dangerous world, especially after the sun went down.


    I started walking behind him. He hummed a few songs on the way thatforted me into thinking my life was normal too.


    But what confused me so much was the fact that I once desperately wanted to be epted by someone. So when Altan stretched his hand out for me, I epted it happily.


    But then, now that I have men pursuing me, I cannot hold their hands.


    He left after we were near the hostel, and I went back inside. My body tensed up instantly at the thought of facing that alpha.


    I was beyond scared because of the way I would have to face him, because I was close friends with Jenny.


    "Hnie." Lamar found me before anybody else did. I was standing by the elevator, looking around all worried when he arrived. I didn¡¯t have time to speak with him out in the open, so I stepped into the elevator, but he quickly joined me.


    Now he leaned back, his arms crossed over his chest, and his eyes observing me.


    "What happened?" he finally spoke up when I didn¡¯t answer his silent gaze.


    "Nothing. Gavin and I had a little argument. He was upset that we don¡¯t treat him the same way we do Lucy," I spoke, not meeting his eyes.


    "Is that all?" he asked, and my body tensed up, but I only nodded my head.


    "Yep!"


    We got off on our floor and made it to our room, where Lucy was already in bed.


    "Did something else happen?" I asked Lamar, who gestured for me to get on the balcony with him so that we didn¡¯t wake up Lucy. We sat on the balcony, and he brought out his special stash. Not drugs, but food.


    "I cannot gossip without food," he mouthed, opening the pizza box and the beer cans.


    "I don¡¯t drink," I replied.


    "It¡¯s beer; everyone drinks beer," he insisted. "Come on, just one sip."


    He insisted, and I grabbed the can, staring at it.


    "Oh, don¡¯t impregnate it," he joked, and I rolled my eyes before taking a sip.


    "Ew!" My first reaction was, *what the heck did I put in my mouth?* But after a few sips, I felt much better.


    "Now, do you know Jenny¡¯s mate is here?" he asked, taking a big bite from the slice he had held in his hand.


    With much fake confidence, I shook my head. "Really? He has already arrived?" I inquired.


    "Yeah, he¡¯s our senior. So Lucy saw them together, and it made her feel guilty about her own shattered rtionship with her mate," he continued with his mouth full. "You know, I don¡¯t really feel bad after sleeping with someone, but I do feel guilty for sleeping with Lucy. I think if I had not¡ª" I shut him down because I realized he was wrong.


    "Then she would have done it with someone who would have told the entire academy and made her look like a whore," I corrected him, and he smiled at me.


    "Hnie, whatever bothers you at weird times. Because I do see a change in you every now and then. Whatever it is, I swear I will help you with it. I don¡¯t care what it would do to me, but I will protect you from these bullies like Salem and Sydney at all costs. Just please don¡¯t run away from your problems," Since he didn¡¯t know the exact reason why I was weird at times, he connected it to Salem and Sydney.


    But his words still meant a whole world to me.

 Chapter 186-The Quick Peck

    <h4>Chapter 186: 186-The Quick Peck</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Lamar and I had such a beautiful talk on the balcony. He fed me well, and I couldn¡¯t believe Iughed even after facing that alpha. It was Lamar¡¯s effect and also the good news Maximus gave me about my aplishments. So, I guess everyone was seeing my strength except for myself. We fell asleep after gossiping about everyone and woke up for the first ss with Maximus.


    We were in the woods, wearing red tracksuits for the first lesson.


    "What do you guys think is the worst weapon in my opinion?" he asked as he strode in front of the four lines he had made for us. Sydney and I were at the front of the two lines in the middle. Penn and Hans were at the front of the lines at the corners.


    "Me!" Sydney held her hand up to answer the question.


    Her sister had been very quiet ever since she was punished to do my chores. I didn¡¯t make her do anything yesterday because I was feeling low myself. But in the morning, Lamar and Lucy kept bothering me, asking me to call Salem to the room to order her around and have her drop our beds.


    I didn¡¯t call her.


    I wanted to stay away from that negative energy, but I believed my friends¡¯ minions would make it happen after our ss.


    "Sure, go ahead," Maximus stopped before the two of us. His eyes wouldnd on me, and a smirk would try to appear before he used his professional look and changed his attitude.


    "Something that can instantly kill," she stated, and I heard everyone gasp as if they agreed with her.


    "Do you all agree with her?" Maximus asked, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he was doing this on purpose.


    As everyone nodded, I watched him tilt his head and question me through his eyes.


    "What about you, Hnie? What do you think?" he asked me, since I didn¡¯t fall for his trap. He wanted to y hero by giving me a chance to grab the opportunity and answer his question correctly.


    Once I didn¡¯t, he called me out in front of everyone.


    "No," I answered because I knew what kind of weapon was his favorite.


    "Interesting! Why not?" he ced his hands on his waist, smiling because now I was headed the right way¡ªthe way he had chosen for me.


    "You like a weapon that would cause a slow and painful death," I replied as I remembered how amazed he was with the itching.


    A much wider smile covered his lips as he nodded at my response.


    "That is true, ss! Meet Hnie," I was shocked when he said my name as if they didn¡¯t know me already. "She has proven herself over and over again. But this time, she has actually caught the eye of the council. They are interested in her future at the academy. And it is a huge achievement for our academy in years. We have surely trained many skillful warriors and alphas who fought against the blue-jacketed hoodlums and took the crowns of the alpha kings, but her case is different. She doesn¡¯t have a wolf, but her strength and intelligence are so far above everything that you can only imagine what will happen when her wolf wakes up."


    His praise for me caused my cheeks to feel a strange warmth. I felt Lucy pinching my back, secretly teasing me, while Lamar whistled.


    "Now, I will let you guys wander around and discuss things before we start the target practice," the mention of what ss he was taking caused my heart to skip a beat.


    Missing a target!


    I would never.


    I needed to be perfect at hitting the target.


    "Everyone, you are free to choose whatever means and weapons you want for this ss," he stepped away from the big table he had set up in the woods for us to choose a weapon from.


    Everyone leapt to their feet to grab their weapons. Sydney chose a gun with silver bullets, others chose swords and different things, but I waited for my turn. I was in no rush. I had my eyes on this weapon ever since I had seen it in Maximus¡¯ hands¡ªthe itchy herb and the deadly arrow. I wanted to be perfect at it.


    As I was about to grab the weapon, I found Lamar reaching for it. My hand withdrew, and I guess he noticed.


    "It¡¯s okay. You can have it this time," he smiled, picking up a simple bow and arrow.


    Of course, I didn¡¯t get the itchy herb because Maximus only wanted us to learn, so I grabbed the golden arrow while Lamar grabbed a long bow, and I held thepound bow.


    Everyone started shooting at different targets, making sure there was a good distance between each other¡¯s targets because some of us had really bad aim¡ªespecially me. Never having held a weapon did this to me.


    "Here, let me help you." Well, Maximus stole the chance and adjusted his body behind mine. He made me correct my posture and pull the bowstring. The wheel rotated, giving me a strange strength in my body.


    "Keep your eye on your aim and the reason in your mind why you are shooting at your target," he whispered in my ear, his lips brushing against my earlobe.


    Suddenly, the enthusiasm of learning shifted to his touch. I felt so meek when his big arms were wrapped around mine as he held thepound bow with me.


    "Focus! On me, Hnie. Just me," he continued, making me nervously nce around to make sure nobody was watching us.


    "And then¡ªrelease!" he whispered, letting the bowstring go. The arrow pierced through the air, catching my full attention. The moment Maximus¡¯ lips touched my cheek, I let out a yelp.


    I turned, and my arrow hit the target.


    "What are you doing?" I wasn¡¯t mad at him. I felt much morefortable, and that bewildered me. He was not my mate; that was Pheromones. So why wasn¡¯t I angry at him for kissing me?


    "You taste so good," he winked, walking away while I stood in my spot awkwardly.


    But before he could disappear entirely, he added, "I can give you private lessons if you want."


    He wanted to use that chance to flirt with me, but I saw it as an opportunity to perfect my aim.


    So I shocked him when I agreed, "Thank you, that would mean a lot."

 Chapter 187-Invitation By The Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 187: 187-Invitation By The Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I could tell Maximus hadn¡¯t expected me to agree with him. But he eventually smiled and walked away.


    It had been two hours, and I was trying my absolute best to shoot at the target. However, despite my efforts, not a single arrow hit the mark¡ªexcept for the first one, which had been shot by Maximus.


    There was a circle crafted into the tree by Lamar that I had been aiming for. I was exhausted at this point, wondering how long it would take before I got better at this. I had been going with the flow all this time, thinking I had plenty of time to prepare for revenge. But now, one of them was already at the academy¡ªand even staying in the hostel.


    "Hey, Hnie! If you¡¯re done, should we go eat lunch?" Jenny called out from behind, surprising me with her sudden arrival. I had been avoiding her all morning, deliberately going to ces where I thought the seniors wouldn¡¯t be.


    I was doing my best to avoid her, but now she was here again. If I kept refusing her over and over, she might feel hurt¡ªperhaps even think I was still holding her responsible for the strained rtionship between Gavin and Lucy.


    "Umm, you see, I¡¯m so bad at this," I said, avoiding her gaze but trying hard to sound casual as I gestured toward the target.


    "Yeah, but you can always continue tomorrow. It¡¯s not like Professor Maximus is going to test us right away," she replied, clearly noticing my awkwardness.


    "Yeah, but... I¡¯m not even hitting the tree. Why don¡¯t you all go ahead and have lunch while I stay here and practice a bit more?" I suggested with an awkward smile as I watched my friends gather around me.


    "You guys go on ahead. I¡¯d like to have a word with her," Gavin said, urging the others to leave. I noticed Lamar frowning, clearly reluctant, but a quick nce from me convinced him to lead the others away. The rest of the group started packing up and leaving as well.


    "Are you upset because of what I said yesterday?" Gavin asked, stepping into my line of sight so I couldn¡¯t avoid looking at him.


    "No! That¡¯s not it at all. What you said wasn¡¯t wrong. We should have been more thoughtful and considerate of your feelings," I replied quickly, wanting to ease any worries he might have.


    "Then why are you avoiding sitting with us?" he pressed, walking over to therge table and setting his dagger down.


    "I¡¯m just really tired these days," I lied, unable toe up with a better excuse.


    "Listen," Gavin said, turning to face me directly, "if you think I¡¯d ever leave you, you¡¯re mistaken. You are my forever best friend, and I have so much respect for you. No matter what happens between Lucy and me, it won¡¯t affect our friendship. You¡¯re incredibly important to me," he finished, giving me a reassuring smile.


    I noticed someone else wandering around the table to put his weapon down. Penn was pacing around me like a firefly, sneakily trying to overhear our conversation. On my right was Maximus, watching us from afar.


    "Gavin! Nothing will ever happen to our friendship, trust me. I¡¯m just not into the hostel¡¯s food right now," I said, using the excuse to cover up my real thoughts. "Since I¡¯ve lived like a rogue, I can¡¯t eat the same kind of food for too long." I wasn¡¯t nning to join them for lunch either.


    I knew I was being childish, and I couldn¡¯t avoid facing him forever, but I wanted to drag it out for as long as I could. The day he recognizes me is one I dread deeply. I hope that day neveres.


    "Okay then, that¡¯s such a relief," Gavin said, cing a hand on his chest and sighing with relief.


    "Hey, why don¡¯t youe with me to Benita¡¯s Caf¨¦?" Penn smoothly interrupted, using the opportunity to ask me out in the subtlest way possible.


    "I¡¯m heading to the caf¨¦ anyway," he added with a sly smile, ncing at Gavin. "You go on and join the others. I¡¯ll take care of Hnie."


    Gavin hesitated for a moment but eventually left. Now, Maximus stood nearby with his hands on his hips, looking grim.


    "Shall we?" Penn asked, and I reluctantly said yes. I just wanted an excuse to stay out until it waste, so I could avoid confronting my biggest nightmare.


    I followed Penn in silence as we walked to his car. He opened the door for me, and I sat in the passenger seat. As he started the car, he cleared his throat, probably trying to start a conversation.


    "In a few weeks, we¡¯ll get some holidays. Where do you n to stay during that time?" he asked, reminding me of my impending homelessness.


    "It¡¯s only a few days. I¡¯ll manage something," I replied, sping my hands in myp.


    "Ahem! I was thinking..." He hesitated briefly. "Since the holidays are for the Warrior War in my pack, why don¡¯t youe and watch? I¡¯d really like to show you my pack." His offer was kind and sincere. I would have loved to ept it, but Jenny¡¯s mate would be there too.


    I hadn¡¯t told them about him, nor had I tried to learn anything about that bastard alpha so far. Being in the same pack as him would be unbearable.


    "Oh, I wish I could join," I said, turning my head toward the window.


    "Why not? Everyone else ising too," he said, pausing briefly before adding, "except for the seniors. They¡¯ll have exams, so don¡¯t worry¡ªthose top seniors won¡¯t be there."


    My heart lifted slightly at the thought. If all the seniors had exams, then that Alpha wouldn¡¯t be there either.


    "So, will the hostel stay open?" I asked.


    He shook his head. "Remember our trip organized by professor Kaye? The seniors will be away for a test trip this time, so the hostel will be closed."


    I nodded to myself. If I didn¡¯t have a ce to stay as the hostel would be closed, and the seniors wouldn¡¯t be at Penn¡¯s pack, then maybe I could go with him.


    "Cool," Penn said, smiling as he stopped the car outside Benita¡¯s Caf¨¦.


    I sighed quietly, unsure if this was the best choice but feeling like I had no other option.

 Chapter 188-And The Devil Follows

    <h4>Chapter 188: 188-And The Devil Follows</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    This caf¨¦ is always full of drama¡ªor perhaps I should say, whenever I step into it, I witness a drama unfold.


    We entered, and everyone bowed to us because of the wristbands, especially since Penn was an Alpha. Penn was ever the gentleman, pulling out a chair for me, helping me sit, and then taking the liberty of ordering for us.


    Benita herself walked out of the kitchen with a menu card in hand. She always made it a point to personally bring the menu whenever someone special arrived. Her eyes narrowed as theynded on me, followed by a subtle shake of her head. She made sure not to let Penn see her reaction, though. He had no idea I had oncee here seeking a job, only to be rejected because Benita thought I was a prostitute. Of course, the academy wouldn¡¯t allow any scandalous jobs, so I wasn¡¯t sure what she had been thinking.


    "Alpha Penn, how are you?" she asked in a cheerful tone.


    "I¡¯m perfect. How are you, Benita?" he replied, his charm evident in every word. As he began speaking, heads turned to him¡ªit was impossible not to notice his presence.


    "I¡¯m not well. Oh! Your parents must be so proud to have a son like you. Mine barely want to lift a finger," she said, smoothly transitioning from a simple greeting to venting about her family woes.


    "Wait, what did he do now? I thought he¡¯d changed after getting admitted to Fellmoon Academy," Penn asked, leaning in with genuine interest, as if he already knew the person in question.


    "Penn! You¡¯d think he¡¯d care about his old mother, but no. He¡¯s aplete mess. I thought this academy would teach him responsibility, maybe even give him some courage to stand up for himself and his family. But all he does is drink whenever he¡¯s home on holidays. I¡¯m so worried about him," she said, her face reflecting the deep concern of a worried mother.


    "Maybe it¡¯s just the stress of the uing Alpha War next year?" Penn suggested. "He¡¯s fighting to be the Alpha of this pack, isn¡¯t he? How¡¯s that going? Has the current Alpha said anything? He can¡¯t be happy knowing your son ispeting with him."


    I turned my head to look out the window, only half-listening to their conversation.


    "The Alpha is enraged, but he¡¯s maintaining hisposure for now. Still, I¡¯ve noticed he seems more rxedtely. My son doesn¡¯t seem to value the blue jacket anymore, and they can tell he¡¯s not going to make it. And the Alpha¡¯s son¡ªhe¡¯s in the academy too. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s making my son¡¯s life miserable over there," she said, pouring her worries out to Penn.


    At this point, she was practically trauma-dumping, but Penn didn¡¯t seem to mind. He handled the conversation with such poise and maturity that it was impressive.


    "I was hoping you could meet him once?" she asked, her voiceced with desperation. "I just want to know if he¡¯s okay, that the Alpha¡¯s son isn¡¯t causing him too much trouble."


    Her worried expression told me that this Alpha¡¯s son must be a troublemaker, likely bullying her son. The Alpha Wars were notoriously tricky, and the pressure they brought could break even the strongest of spirits.


    The two of them continued to talk before Benita took our order and left. During that time, I learned that she was the granddaughter of the Alpha of this pack¡ªwell, the former Alpha of The Dark Eclipse Pack. Her grandfather had once been the Alpha, but when the current Alpha joined the academy, he called for an Alpha War with her father, and her father lost.


    Now, she wanted to reim the pack, as the Alpha crown had been passed down to them for generations before it was taken away by the current Alpha. Her best option was for her son to battle the current Alpha¡¯s son.


    Once she left, I straightened up as Penn¡¯s attention returned to me.


    "I was kind of expecting you to speak up and help her out. You always have the best advice," he said, though I wasn¡¯t sure why Penn thought I had such wisdom.


    "I¡¯m an Omega, Penn. I don¡¯t know shit about shit," I replied. As soon as I said that, he started chuckling.


    "I like when you speak without any filters. Anyway, I¡¯m taking you to my pack with me. Jenny will be so happy to have you, which brings me to my next topic," he continued confidently, tapping his fingers on the desk in front of him. "Are you angry with Jenny over that cage incident? I¡¯ve noticed you haven¡¯t been talking to her like you used to."


    "It¡¯s not that. You know the physical exercises are starting, and I¡¯m stressing over trying to do my best. I¡¯m not hanging out with anyone these days," I replied, my head lowering as my phone beeped in myp.


    Seeing Maximus¡¯ name pop up on the screen was strange.


    "Anyway, you can always count on me for help with physical strength," Penn said, grinning. "I can make time for you in my busy schedule."


    I rolled my eyes at him before gesturing for him to excuse me as I read the message.


    My head was down, my eyes focused on the text.


    Professor Maximus: How about you stop wasting your time ande to the garage for more practice?


    Professor Maximus: I mean, only if my ss truly means anything to you.


    I narrowed my eyes in confusion, wondering why he was being so aggressive in the texts. Was he jealous that I left with Penn?


    As I sighed and was about to text him back, I briefly raised my head, and what I saw froze me in ce. A cold shiver ran up my spine when I saw that Alpha walk through the caf¨¦ door with Jenny.


    "Oh! Rayden, Jenny! Come here," Penn called, and my heart sank in my chest. It all felt like it was happening in slow motion. I didn¡¯t want to confront this man or risk him recognizing me.


    Suddenly, everything felt suffocating.

 Chapter 189-Back To My Stepbrother

    <h4>Chapter 189: 189-Back To My Stepbrother</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Guys!" he continued, and I quickly ducked, lowering my body and sitting under the table for a minute before crawling out to the other side of the caf¨¦.


    "Hey!" I heard Penn sound exhausted.


    It seemed like Jenny and Rayden were having a deep conversation or maybe an argument, so Penn¡¯s repeated calls to them were ignored.


    "Oh,e on," I heard Rayden¡¯s voice as he angrily followed Jenny. I took the chance to reach behind the counter. Penn turned around to look behind him, but their argument was helping me escape. I ran behind the counter and then entered the kitchen, briefly standing there and staring at them.


    Jenny finally saw her brother and approached him with Rayden tucked behind her.


    I could tell Penn tried to tell her I was with him as he pointed at the empty chair, but then he looked confused when he didn¡¯t find me there. He looked around, but I had stepped away from the small window in the door.


    There were chefs and servers back there, watching me as I made my way through the back door.


    "Really? You¡¯re that type?" I heard from behind, my tongue between my teeth.


    I turned and saw Benita standing there with her hands on her hips.


    "I got an emergency call," I said, though it sounded likeplete nonsense.


    "And instead of telling that poor guy the truth about wanting to leave, you¡¯re sneaking out like a coward through the back door. What emergency? You know the jacket holders aren¡¯t allowed to sell their bodies, right?" She had the nerve to say that word in front of her cooks.


    I stared at them watching me, then gesturing at each other in shock.


    "Don¡¯t throw usations when you don¡¯t know me," I straightened my back, realizing that if I didn¡¯t shut her down today, she¡¯d think she could say whatever she wanted and bully me.


    "Huh, isn¡¯t it obvious that you were going to the sketchiest streets with that guy who was here earlier?" She made sure everyone heard her as she used me of going to that shady ce.


    I nodded, catching her off guard. "We identally took a wrong turn. But why were you there?" I ced my hands on my waist as I watched her posture falter.


    "What are you insinuating?" Now that she was on the receiving end of such usations, she sounded offended.


    "What? I thought we were ying ¡¯Guess Who Was Doing What in That Street?¡¯ For you to encounter me there, you must have been there too." I rested my case, and as she fell short of an answer, her server gasped. I turned and ran out the back door.


    I had a feeling her next move would be to call Penn in the back and have him catch me red-handed as I tried to escape.


    Instead of going back to the hostel, I went straight to Maximus¡¯ garage without informing him.


    I was just scared, with so many thoughts running through my head, and I wanted to get away from everyone for a while.


    Besides, I couldn¡¯t go back to the hostel in fear. I had such a narrow escape from lunch, I might not be able to escape dinner.


    While on my way to the garage, I wrote a text to Penn.


    Me: Hey, I¡¯m so sorry for leaving like that. I had an emergency and couldn¡¯t leave from the front door.


    I saw that he read my message instantly, but then he never responded, and I wondered if it was because I had upset him. Of course, I would be upset too if I took someone out for lunch and they left without telling me¡ªespecially through the back door.


    While he didn¡¯t respond, his sister did.


    Jenny: I know you left because you saw me. I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re hating on me. Please speak to Gavin; he¡¯ll tell you I¡¯m innocent.


    I hissed under my breath, feeling guilty for hurting her. She was getting the wrong ideas because of how I was avoiding her. The timing of Rayden¡¯s arrival had been so bad. However, now I had his name and knew a little bit about him.


    When I reached the garage, as expected, I found it open. Maximus was shirtless, his pants hanging too low with a lug wrench in his hand. He was moving it around, staring at the dirty car in front of him. But then he suddenly stopped and turned his head to look at me.


    "I want to be perfect at aiming my target," I said, my words precise, my determination evident in my voice as I demanded he teach me.


    "Helena,e in," he instantly reached out and grabbed my hand, pulling me into the garage.


    I don¡¯t know why I couldn¡¯t speak another word for about ten minutes, but it wasn¡¯t a problem since he didn¡¯t ask me any questions either. He wrapped his brown leather jacket around me to warm me up and ordered me food.


    "First, we¡¯ll eat something, and then we¡¯ll talk about the training," he said, returning with a dirty white shirt on, paying the rider.


    The minute he ced the food down, I attacked it. I was starving. I don¡¯t know if it was from hunger or anger.


    I grabbed the burger and started shoving fries into my mouth. However, it didn¡¯t take long before I felt embarrassed when I looked up and saw him staring at me.


    "Oh! Apetition¡ªI love it," a proud smile spread across his lips before he grabbed the burger and started biting into it like crazy.


    It made me feel better about myself and eased the guilt. We ate like barbarians, and once we were done, he returned withrge stones.


    They all seemed simr, but heid them on the table for me and made a pyramid of some, a little further from the garage door.


    "How about we y a game?" He smirked. "Whoever hits the target can kiss the other one anywhere they want."

 Chapter 190-Kissing Game

    <h4>Chapter 190: 190-Kissing Game</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Just so you know, I¡¯m not kissing you or letting you kiss me," I said as I watched him aim at the targets.


    "Don¡¯t ruin the fun, Hnie," he said through gritted teeth, acting like he had to focus so hard to make a perfect shot. He was only doing this because I had told him how unfair it was since he was so good at it.


    Heunched the stone, and it hit the pyramid perfectly, crashing the stones and scattering them across the ground.


    "Aha!" heughed, turning to me and pouting his lips. He gently tapped his lips as he puckered them, making me roll my eyes.


    "So, I will select¡ª" As he started walking around me in a circle, I shook my head to dismiss any thoughts forming in his head.


    "No! You are not kissing me," I refused, but he let out an evil chuckle.


    "Okay, since you¡¯re so scared¡ª" Those words were deliberately chosen because he knew I came here determined to be good at aiming.


    "I¡¯m not scared," I stated confidently.


    "Thene on," he insisted, stopping right in front of my face.


    "This is like a win-win for you. I win, I kiss you. You win, you kiss me," I frowned. "How is this beneficial for me?"


    I watched him narrow his eyes at me, then bend down to ce his hands on his knees.


    "Oh really? You don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be pleased in return? You¡¯re acting like my kiss is nothing," he pouted like a child, making me sigh in exhaustion.


    "Just a quick peck, I promise. Okay?" He stretched his neck back and muttered, "Since my kiss is so disgusting..." He was definitely upset that it came across like that. He wanted me to immediately start celebrating that he would kiss me.


    "Why don¡¯t you work harder to aim better so you can win? That way, you can choose to kiss the back of my hand only, so you don¡¯t have to worry about your gracious lips touching my pathetic body anywhere else, mate!" Him calling me "mate" was his way of showing he was offended that his mate didn¡¯t want him to touch me or be touched by him.


    It¡¯s not that he wasn¡¯t an attractive man. I was just guilty of not being able to exin to him why what he felt wasn¡¯t a mate bond.


    I felt like I had led him on by ident.


    "Fine. That will be okay," I agreed, at least he wasn¡¯t wrong. I could try to win in that way.


    "So, I won," he suddenly repeated his victory, informing me that I could worry about him kissing meter, because right now, he had won this round.


    "Okay," I felt so shy but kept my posture, ready for him.


    He stepped closer, then steadily held my hand, raising it and kissing the back of it. A wave of heat ran through my body, warming me more than his jacket now. I shyly nodded and slipped my hand out of his, watching a small smirk y on his lips.


    "My turn," I said, walking over to the spot while he went outside to set up the pyramid again. I stood in my spot, my eyes on the stones, and when I tossed my stone, itnded so far away as if I were aiming at the air.


    "Ooooh! Seems like you want to be kissed," hemented with augh, getting under my nerves. If there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve learned about myself, it¡¯s that I don¡¯t have much of a sportsman spirit. I can¡¯t stomach losing any match.


    He walked closer once again, raised his hand, and the tip of his finger touched my cheek, making me shudder shyly. With his arm wrapped around my tiny waist, he pulled me in and lowered his face to mine. His lips brushed my cheek, and I swear I almost passed out. I hated how his touch was making me feel.


    "Mmmm," he pulled back, moaning afterwards.


    It was his turn, and he won again. His smirk kept growing. This time, he touched my chest, and my heart skipped a beat just thinking about it.


    He lowered his face to my chest and gently gave a peck to my skin.


    I swear, goosebumps covered my whole body as I wondered if it kept going, would he reach ces that were forbidden? And it seemed to be his goal, too.


    "Your turn," he said. I stepped back and checked the time on my phone.


    "I¡¯ll start heading back now before it gets dark," I suggested, not realizing it was already getting dark.


    He looked bummed but nodded finally, "Okay! I¡¯ll drop you off."


    He insisted, and soon we were in his car, making our way back to the roguemunity. I made him park a little further away, not wanting any rumors to spread.


    I quickly jumped out of his car to avoid any more talking. He had flirted enough with me for the day.


    As I walked back to the hostel, I texted him to let him know I had safely reached my destination. He had asked me to let him know when I did.


    Thankfully, dinner was being served, and everyone was already in the hall, or so I assumed. Since my friends knew I was out, they weren¡¯t going toe call me for dinner. I took the elevator and had reached the 8th floor when I saw Lucy standing outside our room.


    "You¡¯re here? Where did you go?" she saw me and rushed over to me instead of entering the room.


    "No, I was just walking around. You know, being a rogue. Old habits die hard," I joked, using my rogue status as an excuse to always go missing.


    "But why aren¡¯t you at the hall?" I asked, noticing that she looked out of it.


    "Umm, Gavin wasn¡¯t there either," she uttered, "Look, I know you tell me to stop torturing myself, but we haven¡¯t broken up..."


    In that moment, I had a very bad feeling about this.

 Chapter 191-Oh Gavin!

    <h4>Chapter 191: 191-Oh Gavin!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Please, can we go look for him?" she insisted, holding my hand and almost pulling me with her. My heart was pounding at the thought of walking around the hostel and getting caught.


    "Lucy! Why don¡¯t we just give him a call instead?" I asked, starting to pull her back toward the room. We were ying a tug-of-war at this point.


    "You think I didn¡¯t? I called him, and his phone is switched off," she replied, forcing me to stop pulling her.


    "Then maybe he¡¯ll return, and you can ask him where he went. The roguemunity is a big ce; he could be anywhere," I said, offering a weak smile as I tried to sound helpful.


    It pained me to watch her insist on going with her. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t even think twice about joining her, but tonight was different.


    "Hnie, that¡¯s the fucked-up part. He¡¯s not outside. He¡¯s in the hostel. I saw hime in with a red rose, and then he disappeared. I asked the guard outside if he left again, and he said he didn¡¯t. He¡¯s somewhere in there, not even in his room," she said, rambling with so much concern that, at this point, I was confused too. Could the red rose have been for Lucy? But then why did he disappear?


    "Okay, let¡¯s go look for him," I finally agreed. Watching her beg me toe with her wasn¡¯t easy.


    "But please, if he asks you to leave him alone, you will not beg him to stay," I hated when she acted so miserable.


    "I will not beg him to stay," she spoke softly, her voice sounding so low.


    "Can we first go ask Salem toe clean our room?" She suggested, and I shot her a disapproving look.


    "Really? You want me to ask for trouble?" I wasn¡¯t happy to hear that. I did not want to be around Salem whether it was to tease her or y with her.


    "Hnie, she tortured you. If you don¡¯t make the best out of this punishment, she¡¯ll think she can get away with anything in the future. And trust me, she hasn¡¯t learned from her mistakes," she stated, making me realize she was right.


    The reason Salem and Sydney kept hurting me was that they always got away with a p on the wrist.


    "Fine, let¡¯s go there first," I nodded. We were rushing because I wanted to be done with the search and get back to my room.


    As we stood before Salem¡¯s door, I noticed Lucy looked slightly agitated. In fact, by the time we were outside the door, she had a hand on her chest and the biggest frown on her face.


    "Are you okay? We can go back to the room--" I grew worried when I noticed tears in her eyes.


    What was happening to her?


    She ignored me and mmed the door open, confusing me. I had expected her to knock first. But the minute the door opened, I realized why she looked like she was in pain.


    It was her mate bond that pushed her to visit Salem first.


    Salem was in her bed, making out passionately with someone, who had perfectly tucked the red rose behind her ear.


    "Gavin!" Lucy whispered, tears rolling down her eyes. Gavin was shirtless, under the covers with Salem. But I could tell they had just started getting intimate, as they still had their bottoms on and Salem was mostly dressed.


    The two broke apart, and Gavin turned to face us.


    "I cannot believe--" Lucy¡¯s hands flew to her mouth, shock evident on her face.


    "Why the fuck did you not knock?" Salem had the nerve to get up and yell at Lucy.


    "He is my mate--" Lucy stuttered shakily, her breathing bing erratic. I felt so bad for her, I could almost feel her pain.


    Gavin shamelessly got out of bed and grabbed his shirt. But Lucy wasn¡¯t having it. She rushed forward to kick his shirt away, but Salem grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Gavin, who didn¡¯t even speak a word.


    "Hey! Hands off!" I stepped between them and pushed Salem. I had toe between them because I could tell Salem was about to get more aggressive with Lucy.


    "Let¡¯s go, Lucy," I turned to face her, and she had already left.


    Now it was just Salem and Gavin.


    "How could you--" I shouted at Gavin, who instantly looked down before muttering, "Have you asked her that too?"


    "Why this bitch, Gavin? Don¡¯t you know what she¡¯s done to me?" I yelled, confused about how he could do this to me and Lucy.


    He didn¡¯t just betray Lucy, he hurt me as well.


    "Worse than trying to kill you, like Lamar did? You forgave Lucy, and even Lamar," he defended himself.


    I was in shock.


    He was so busy trying to punish everyone by using different excuses that at this point, I didn¡¯t even know if I could ask him to exin himself. It was pretty obvious that he wanted to punish us and make a point, so he did.


    "You heard him. You¡¯re so wrong to side with his cheating mate and question him," Salem muttered. I averted my gaze from Gavin.


    "You told her," I felt personally attacked.


    "How much have you been telling her about your friends?" I just felt like I couldn¡¯t trust him in that moment.


    "I didn¡¯t say anything. She overheard us arguing one day and found out. But that¡¯s not the point. The point is, you¡¯re going to forgive me like you forgave her and Lamar, right?" He stepped out from behind Salem, who didn¡¯t look too happy that he wasn¡¯t yelling slurs at me for taking Lucy¡¯s side.


    "You know what, you two areparable," I said, and with that, I turned and left the room.


    I had to go look after Lucy. But when I reached the elevator, I felt a hand on my shoulder that spooked me out so much that I turned to stare at the person, my eyes wide and shock clearly visible on my face.

 Chapter 192-Oh Lucy!

    <h4>Chapter 192: 192-Oh Lucy!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What happened? Why are you looking at me like you¡¯ve seen a ghost?" It was Jenny asking me that question. I thought someone else had recognized me.


    I quickly gulped and straightened my spine to answer her.


    "Hnie! Are you angry with me?" she asked, and I shook my head, walking past her.


    I guess that¡¯s why she kept thinking I was angry with her--because she¡¯d reached me at times when I was in a rush. Not to mention, sticking with her would mean eventually meeting her mate.


    "I¡¯m kind of in a rush," I replied, stepping into the elevator.


    "I know," she said, rushing after me as the door closed behind us.


    "You¡¯re rushing away from me," she stated, her eyes making me feel guilty. "You even left my brother at the caf¨¦ today. If I knew you¡¯d run off just from my one nce, I wouldn¡¯t have gone there. I wasn¡¯tfortable being with my mate, so I thought being with you guys would make me feel better."


    I had to tell her something so she wouldn¡¯t feel guilty.


    "Jenny, I¡¯m going after Lucy. She found Gavin cheating on her with Salem," I said. My words caught her attention, and a gasp escaped her lips.


    "What? Where is Lucy?" she asked, and I shrugged.


    "Maybe in her room?" I replied, and Jenny shook her head.


    "I was actually there before I met you. I was looking for you and found the room empty. I¡¯m pretty sure I saw her run downstairs," she said, and I had a feeling she must have left the hostel again.


    Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t a full moon night, but the outside still felt like a dangerous ce to be.


    "I¡¯lle with you," she said. As we began rushing toward the exit, I had to remind her of something.


    "Can you please not tell Penn or anyone? I think Lucy wouldn¡¯t want anyone elseing along with us," I said, my voice tinged with guilt. I was lying so bluntly now, without even thinking what if we encounter trouble and need help?


    Then we¡¯ll call Lamar.


    Once we stepped out of the hostel, I felt a brief sense of relief. But my concern for Lucy was increasing.


    I had never seen her so speechless before. I remembered when she thought Gavin had cheated on her, she was so lost. Now that she¡¯d seen him in action, I could only imagine her pain.


    The two of us walked steadily, looking around for Lucy.


    The mountains were a dangerous ce, especially at night. And Lucy had this bad habit of finding sce in dark, dangerous paths.


    We found her right next to the beautiful river that we had once spotted during our strolls. It was actually Jenny who suggested we check near the tree by the river.


    Lucy was sitting under the tree, her knees pulled up to her chest, and her arms wrapped tightly around her legs. Her head was down, hiding her face.


    "Lucy!" I called out, and she slowly raised her face, showing just how much she had cried. Her eyes were swollen and dull, a reflection of the pain she was carrying inside.


    "It¡¯s over," she whispered under her breath.


    "I don¡¯t think I can ever... forget about it now. And I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll keep up the fa?ade of us doing okay. This was hisst attack, and--" she sobbed as she spoke, her words shaking. Jenny and I rushed to kneel beside her, trying to offer somefort.


    "What do you mean? What if he asks you to be with him again? What if he wants to make it right?" Jenny murmured gently.


    "No! There¡¯s no way we can go back from this," Lucy said, shaking her head. "I should¡¯ve known it was over when I cheated on him. But now I saw him--with my own eyes..." She stopped mid-sentence, her lips trembling, and another loud sob escaped her.


    "Lucy, he was wrong for this. You both were wrong," I said softly, trying to offer some perspective. "The right thing would¡¯ve been to reject someone you couldn¡¯t trust. Or at least take time apart. But you both decided to cheat on each other instead--" I cut myself off as she shakily grabbed my hand, forcing me to look at her face.


    Her eyes were filled with tears as she whispered, "It was all my fault. I started it. I slept with Lamar to hurt Gavin. So I can¡¯t act like the victim now, after I got a taste of my own medicine. I¡¯m only crying because it¡¯s over now. I¡¯m mourning the loss of my mate," she sniffled, taking heavy, deep breaths.


    The realization of where things had gone wrong for both of them must¡¯ve been so hard on her. She looked like a mess, and I genuinely felt bad for her. I wanted tofort her, but in that moment, I couldn¡¯t think of anything to say.


    And I believe her mourning the loss of Gavin was something she needed to do. She needed to get it out.


    "But I have a request," she said, looking at both Jenny and me. "Don¡¯t ruin your friendship with him just the way you didn¡¯t ruin your friendship with me when I slept with someone who tried to kill you in the past."


    It was a lot she was asking from me. Yes, Lucy had slept with my worst enemy at the time, but Salem was someone who showed no signs of redemption. Just because I had forgiven Lucy didn¡¯t mean I would continue forgiving everyone who betrayed me by sleeping with my enemies.


    "Lucy, I respect your thoughts and concerns," I said, trying to make her understand, "but when your friend starts sharing a bed with your enemy, your secrets are bound to be whispered into their ears." I wanted her to know that I couldn¡¯t forgive Sydney and Salem because they hadn¡¯t just wronged me once--they had hurt me over and over again.


    I wasn¡¯t that noble of a person to keep forgiving everyone.


    "Ohh! So that¡¯s the truth about your pathetic friend," a voice suddenly cut through the air, making all three of us jump. It was Riri Isaac, one of the top seniors I had once thrown up on.


    "I knew the juniors had much more interesting lives," Arlo, the one who had once called Lucy insecure, said as he appeared from behind Riri.


    "What do you say we have a little fun with our juniors here?" Arlo smirked, his eyes narrowing at Lucy.

 Chapter 193-The Disaster Saved us

    <h4>Chapter 193: 193-The Disaster Saved us</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Of course, we can do whatever we want since we are the seniors," Riri smirked, stepping ahead. I could see some other seniors behind them, but the top seniors were only these two assholes.


    "So, she had been cheating on her mate?" Arlo walked over to us, kneeling down so he could speak to Lucy, who already looked so broken.


    "That is none of your business," I snapped, turning on the spot and hissing at him under my breath.


    "We should go back," Kenny motioned with his hand, reminding me we should not mess with the top seniors.


    "Why? Are you scared of staying here with us, Alpha¡¯s sister?" Arlo turned his attention to her this time.


    "Yeah, let¡¯s go back," I announced, helping Lucy stand up, but Arlo stood up, facing us and restraining us from moving.


    "Arlo!" I clenched my jaw, trying my best to stay calm. The night had already been stressful. Everything during the day was too much for me, and now this guy was trying to test my patience.


    "Oh! No title, huh? How do you feel hanging around these people?" Aftermenting on me not using a title for him, he turned to Jenny. "These are weak omegas. Why hang around them?"


    Jenny¡¯s body tensed as she had heard this too many times now. "They are better than anyone I¡¯vee across," Jenny said proudly.


    "These people?" Arlo pointed at me and Lucy. "One is a cheater, and the other is merely a pretty face. What¡¯s so special about them anyway?"


    It was time I spoke up. "Funny how there¡¯s nothing special about us, but you made it your mission toe after us and stop our path. If we¡¯re so boring and useless, why not leave us alone?"


    I tilted my head and watched his smile fade a little. "How about we start with this overconfident kitten?"


    Arlo said, and his friends began to form a circle around us.


    "No! I say we attack this cheater. I hate women who sleep around," Ririmented as she walked in a circle around us. However, she suddenly stopped behind Lucy and shoved her so hard that Lucy almost crashed into Arlo¡¯s chest.


    "Oops!" Arlo teased, smirking at the fact that she had touched him. I quickly held her arm and supported her body, helping her maintain her bnce.


    "That¡¯s enough! Now you guys are crossing your limits," I yelled out in anger, feeling like they should have stopped with the taunts. But they were starting toe closer, tightening the circle around us.


    "No, it¡¯s not enough. And, bitch, if you touch my friend again..." Suddenly, Riri took a step forward and grabbed Lucy by her ponytail.


    "Hey, let her go!" Both Jenny and I yelled in unison. Jenny grabbed Riri¡¯s arm, trying to pull her away from Lucy to set her free. That¡¯s when Arlo rushed forward and pushed Jenny to the ground.


    It began to get extremely violent. Their friends started throwing their hands at us.


    I could feel hits around my body, and some girl even pinched my back. Meanwhile, Arlo was making sure Jenny didn¡¯t get up from the ground.


    Riri had grabbed Lucy¡¯s ponytail again and was starting to drag her away from us.


    "Hey!" I tried to swing my arms around, but there were more than seven people apart from Riri and Arlo.


    My friends were screaming in pain. I could see Lucy being tossed onto the ground by Riri before she started receiving punches. Arlo was throwing rocks at Jenny, who had her face covered with her hands.


    "Let¡¯s show this bitch what it feels like to humiliate your fated mate by sleeping with someone else!" Riri screamed, before putting her hand on Lucy¡¯s clothes. I watched her apply pressure to Lucy¡¯s shirt, trying to tear it open.


    shback:


    My dress was ripped off my body in the most brutal way, my undergarments being pulled until I heard the snaps of the fabric splitting.


    They made sure they were as wild and aggressive as they could be. I moved my arms around multiple times to save myself and hit at least one of them, but they were so strong that when they pinned me down, I couldn¡¯t move a muscle.


    It was horrifying being naked in front of these blood-sucking alphas.


    Every second I spent watching their eyes hungrily ogling every inch of my body was like a memory that would stay with me forever.


    End of shback.


    Everything suddenly fell silent. My ears began to ring, and I heard a siren sound I had never heard before. The loud noise made me bend down and cover my ears. I wanted to know if they were hearing it too, but I guess they weren¡¯t, as their hands never stopped hitting me.


    "Stop!" I whispered, my head down, and my palms tightly pressed against my ears.


    "Let her go," I muttered under my breath, while my body felt like needles were being pricked onto my skin.


    The sense of urgency took over my brain. I wanted the siren to stop, but it seemed to be calling for me. That¡¯s when I could no longer take it anymore.


    I dropped to my knees, covering my ears, and yelled at the top of my lungs, "STOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!"


    My scream pierced the air, fueled by my anger at the fact that Riri was trying to rip off Lucy¡¯s clothes. However, the minute I shouted, the earth beneath me shook, and thunder pped in the sky.


    "What the fuck?!" I heard gasps and murmurs of shock and fright. I raised my head to see everyone holding onto each other.


    The earthquake was soon no longer a problem as hail started to fall out of nowhere.


    "What the heck?!" Arlo yelled. "Look for cover!"


    As they started to run away from us, I sniffled and ran for Lucy. Jenny had gotten to her feet and reached Lucy before me.


    "Girls!" I heard Lamar scream, approaching us with a wooden nk over his head. He came and held it over our heads.


    "Let¡¯s go," he said, giving us instructions to get to safety before the hail got bigger.

 Chapter 194-And It Is About Time That We Meet

    <h4>Chapter 194: 194-And It Is About Time That We Meet</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What was that?" Once we had made our way to Jenny¡¯s cabin, which was much closer to us than the hostel, Jenny asked. We couldn¡¯t focus on our path, as we were still remembering the warden. She would flip if she found us in this state.


    Lucy¡¯s hair was a mess, and her shirt was torn at the shoulder. Jenny had many bumps and bruises on her body. My arms and back had pinch marks, red spots, and some of them were even bleeding from the girls behind me who had acrylics on.


    "There was an earthquake that saved me in the nick of time," Lucy whispered, her hands sped together.


    "I just don¡¯t understand why those assholes followed you guys," Lamar hissed, giving us first aid.


    "That was my karma--" Before Lucy could speak anymore, I had to shut her down.


    "Oh, shut up! Nobody deserves to be bullied!" I yelled at her, and she instantly bit her tongue.


    "Umm, Hnie!" Jenny gave me an understanding look, wanting me to calm down and not yell at Lucy.


    "I¡¯ll see how I deal with them. By the way, Gavin had been looking for you girls," Lamar exined, and while the two stayed silent, I scoffed.


    "I heard what he did," Lamar cleared his throat, his eyes seeking my nce.


    "A lot happened tonight," Jenny uttered, rubbing her arms, as the rocks had been a really harsh treatment for her.


    "But the highlight stayed to be the earthquake. It was unlike anything. Did you guys hear the siren?" As Lamar continued to talk about the earthquake, he mentioned something that perked up my ears.


    "You heard a siren?" I asked, suddenly taking interest.


    "We all did. Why? You didn¡¯t hear anything? It was right after you screamed," Jenny sat up in the bed, her legs folded under her body.


    "After? But I was hearing a siren before that too. It was so loud," I touched my ears as I recalled the horrible sound. It sounded like the voice of someone, but it was merely a siren.


    "Hnie! It was only after you screamed. There were no sirens before that," Jenny added, hinting at the discrepancy in our stories.


    "Is that why you had your ears covered?" Jenny then mentioned the missing detail, and as I nodded, I saw Lamar cock his head. His eyes traveled briefly to Jenny, the two seeming tomunicate silently.


    "That¡¯s odd," Lamar finallymented.


    However, our conversation was cut off when there was a knock on the cabin door.


    "Who could it be?" I asked.


    "Gavin! He¡¯s been trying to find my location ever since he heard from me that I found you guys," Lamar looked guilty for leading Gavin to us.


    "I don¡¯t think any apology will matter now. I¡¯m not saying I me him for anything, but we¡¯re way past apologies. It¡¯s over for us," Lucy told us her decision, as Lamar headed to answer the door.


    No matter what Gavin said to her, she wasn¡¯t going to ept that they should get back together again.


    As Lamar had said, it was Gavin at the door. He walked in, leaving the door open behind him. I could see the crazy rain outside. The weather had gotten worse after the earthquake.


    My body tensed up, but my eyes remained on Lucy¡¯s arms. She had visible goosebumps all over her body. She was looking straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with Gavin.


    "I guess the rain will stop in an hour or so--" Lamarmented, heading to the window to close it, as the lightning kept scaring Jenny, who had gotten off the bed to stand away and let Lucy and Gavin speak.


    "I¡¯vee here to say sorry to all of you for the worries and stress I¡¯ve caused by acting differently. But I guess I can be okay now," Gavin said. I watched Lucy take a deep breath. I knew she was dying to let him know that she didn¡¯t me him anymore.


    But before she could say anything, Gavin spoke up again, with his own n. "I think it¡¯s time we finish this cold war. We both cheated on each other. Now I just want to save my friendship," Gavin stared at me before adding, "and Lucy!"


    She finally turned to him and straightened her back, her eyes showing so much interest in what he was about to say. "I, Gavin Tee, reject Lucy Dixon as my mate and free her from this pain."


    Everyone gasped as they watched him take that step. Lucy¡¯s eyes widened, her lips letting out a yelp as she must have felt the most excruciating pain ever.


    "Gavin!" I got up from the bed, upset that he chose this moment. She had just felt the pain of betrayal and the humiliation by the seniors, and now he came to reject her.


    "I didn¡¯t want to linger on it anymore," Gavin argued.


    "You asshole! She was in pain. The seniors bullied her and even hit her!" Lamar yelled, staying back when Lucy gestured for him to stay away.


    "I didn¡¯t know the bullying was at the level of physical violence," Gavin spoke softly, but Lucy got off the bed and stood face-to-face with him.


    "You are not wrong. I appreciate you setting me free. I, Lucy Dixon, ept your rejection. You are free now." As she epted his rejection, I could see the relief in Gavin¡¯s eyes.


    It hurt me because I could tell he was long over her before this day.


    "I don¡¯t think--I can stay here tonight. I¡¯ll head back to the hostel." I just couldn¡¯t stand here and watch it. I was suddenly feeling so cold, as if the angel of death had just walked in.


    When I met them, they were so in love, and now it was all over. Lucy still had love in her eyes, while Gavin was over her. I had seen him look more interested in Salem than Lucy, with just one encounter between Salem and Gavin.


    "But--" Jennyined.


    "It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll go with her," Lamar gave him a reassuring nod. As I turned to leave, I came face to face with someone who had arrived through the open door, and we hadn¡¯t even realized it.


    "I was looking for my mate and realized she¡¯s at the cabin with her friends," it was Rayden standing right in my path, happily announcing he had arrived. His eyes suddenly fell on me, and I noticed a strange look take over his face.

 Chapter 195-The Myth Of Queen Of Arthendel.

    <h4>Chapter 195: 195-The Myth Of Queen Of Arthendel.</h4>


    <strong>Maximus:</strong>


    As I closed my eyes, I saw her standing before me. Her beautiful long blond hair danced with the wind, her rosy cheeks looking fresh, and her red plump lips causing my heart to skip a beat.


    Hnie had the most captivating eyes I had ever seen. One could stare at them and never look away. The driver was moving slowly as per my instructions. I didn¡¯t want to reach the mansion already.


    My mind was consumed with thoughts of Hnie.


    My imagination ran wild when it came to her. If she ever found out how I imagined her, she would probably throw another two punches at me.


    "Ughhh!" I moaned while leaning back in the backseat, savoring every moment of pleasure from imagining her.


    In my thoughts, she started to take off her clothes. I had never seen her naked, so I could only imagine how amazing her body must look.


    My excitement grew, and I heard a giggle. It brought me back to reality, and my eyes shot open. The girl I picked up from the bar was sitting at my feet, her lips tightly wrapped around my dick.


    It was crazy how I couldn¡¯t fully enjoy it until Hnie came into my thoughts. This girl at my feet was good too. She seemed experienced. "Look at you, it keeps growing. I love a man with a long and thick dick," she shamelessly body-shamed others by constantly talking about big dicks.


    I should have seen it as a red g when I approached her at the counter, and she started ranting about how upset she was that her boyfriend had a small dick. I thought she was just talking, but nope!


    She wanted a big dick.


    With a smirk on her lips, she got up and raised her skirt, revealing she wasn¡¯t wearing underwear. My smirk matched hers as she sat on my cock, slowly taking it inside her. But she had to stop as she finally realized she didn¡¯t want that big of a rod in her. "Ow!" she winced in pain but kept trying to take it all in. "Oh my! Ouch! I am going to be in so much pain in the morning. What are you? An iron man?" sheined, biting her bottom lip but not giving up.


    My hands moved to her waist, and by grabbing her body, I helped her lower her body without taking any more pauses. "AHHH!" Finally, the moment I pushed her down, and my entire dick reached up her vagina, a loud scream erupted out of her mouth with tears streaming down her cheeks. "This is too¡ªbig for me," instead of enjoying the moment, she gave up. She quickly started to get up, "I don¡¯t want my insides torn apart."


    My disappointment was through the roof. "Or maybe just give me a minute," she excused, and I sat up, nodding my head. "Should I drop you home?" Seeing her in so much distress made me feel so bad for her. She looked like she was in a lot of pain. "No! I don¡¯t want you to think I am an amateur. I have had sex so many times, but this¡ªthis is the kind of punishment I want for being naughty," she pouted, sitting on the side to catch her breath.


    "And I want to return the pleasure too," she smiled, leaning over to my lips and pressing hers hard against mine. The moment we deepened the kiss, the car started moving. The driver instantly parked the car on the side of the road and started calling for the mercy of the Moon Goddess.


    "What was that?" The girl quickly broke the kiss, a terrified look on her face. It caused me to gently hold her hand tofort her.


    "Driver, what¡¯s going on?" I inquired, wondering why a mere earthquake had caused him to sound so distressed.


    "Your Highness, did you hear that siren?" he asked, turning to look at me. Mnia started adjusting her attire.


    "Maybe," I replied, shrugging. I had heard something, but I had been so focused on the kiss that I hadn¡¯t paid much attention.


    "The siren calling for natural disasters is a very bad omen," the driver said, making me roll my eyes at him.


    "Oh!" Mnia suddenly hugged herself.


    Her brown eyes and short ck hair were the reason I picked her up tonight. I wanted to escape the thoughts of Hnie that had been driving me crazy, so I chose someone who was theplete opposite of her.


    "My grandma used to tell me that when you hear the siren for disasters, it means she has woken up," Mnia added, continuing the driver¡¯s discussion.


    "Who?" I asked, in a nonchnt tone.


    "The Queen of Arthendel," she whispered.


    I frowned at her, then at the driver, who was bobbing his head so hard I felt strain in my neck.


    "You two are delusional as hell. Thend of Arthendel existed many years ago. No ancestors are left to continue the family tree. It¡¯s all just myths and stories," I said, already over Mnia. After I told them I was a non-believer, I noticed the way they were looking at me¡ªalmost like they were disgusted that I didn¡¯t believe in this imaginary Queen of Arthendel.


    "Anyway, drop her home after you drop me off first," I said, since we were already close to my mansion. I asked the driver to take me first, then drop her off on the other side of the road. She lived in a pack, and I was a rogue. Besides, my father would kill me if he saw me bring a one-night stand to his mansion.


    Once I got off, I made my way toward the entrance, wondering what had really happened with the weather. It was starting to get worse.


    "You shouldn¡¯t be out in the cold like that," a voice with a sultry tone called out. It was none other than Charlotte.


    She was Hnie¡¯s cousin of sorts, but the two were very different. Where Hnie barely noticed me, Charlotte would do anything for my attention.


    "And I feel like you need someone to take care of the problem in your pants," she giggled, standing at the entrance in a white, short silk nighty.


    There was only one question in my mind: should I give her a chance to show me if she¡¯s any better in bed?

 Chapter 196-Oh He Knows Me!

    <h4>Chapter 196: 196-Oh He Knows Me!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Hello," he spoke in his British ent, the ent that had given me shivers in my nightmares.


    "Hey?" He waved his hand in front of my face to break my intense eye contact with him.


    "Umm, hi!" Lamar quickly stepped up and extended his hand for a handshake. I jumped to the side to get out of his frame. As Lamar started to speak with him, I slipped behind Lamar¡¯s back.


    "I am Lamar," Lamar said, and the guy shook his hand. However, there was a weird energy around him. No wonder he seemed hesitant to touch anyone who wasn¡¯t an alpha like him.


    But he wasn¡¯t so thoughtful when he had his hands on a helpless omega that one night. My body shuddered, and I lowered my head, trying to calm my raced breaths.


    Maybe he didn¡¯t recognize me.


    Or else he would have said something.


    "I am Alpha Rayden," he introduced himself, and the more I heard him, the more I recalled the ugly details of that night.


    All I wanted to do was jump at him and w the skin off his face.


    "That is Gavin and Lucy, and she is Hnie," Jenny took over and introduced us in a very bored tone. I could tell she wasn¡¯t happy that Rayden hade to her cabin.


    "Nice to meet you all. And thanks for taking care of my mate so well," he walked over to Jenny and wrapped his arm around her shoulder to squeeze her closer.


    I gulped, my mind racing with so many thoughts. Why couldn¡¯t I kill him right now? I was sure my friends would help me, right?


    No!


    No one would be okay with the idea of killing an alpha. It would lead to life-altering consequences. No one is stupid enough to fight with an alpha when I can¡¯t even provide them with proof of the crime that had beenmitted that night.


    My father never let me go to the hospital to get a test done.


    "Hey, you okay?" I didn¡¯t even realize how long I had been staring into space until Lamar waved his hand before my face. I saw Rayden standing next to Gavin with his back facing me. Not being in his line of sight was such a relief.


    "I am tired," I whispered to Lamar, not even courageous enough to raise my voice.


    "Oh, I guess I arrived at a very bad time. I heard somemotion going on. What happened? Someone was talking about a lot of cheating in this group," Rayden said with a judgmental tone when talking about our group.


    I mean, it was no secret that he didn¡¯t like us. He had toe here because he wanted to stay close to Jenny, who was probably doing her best to spend as much time apart from him as possible.


    "Do you want me to drop you home?" Lamar asked, and I just shook my head.


    "I want to go by myself," I whispered, and he instantly shook his head at the idea.


    "Please," I requested, and he kept watching my face as though I had gone crazy.


    I wanted to get out of there before Rayden turned around again. I didn¡¯t wait for Lamar to argue and started rushing out of the cabin. The others had been so busy that nobody noticed me, but Lamar wasing after me.


    "I¡¯ll only make sure you¡¯re at the hostel¡¯s entrance, and then I¡¯ll go back to stay with Lucy and Gavin," he said from behind me. But I didn¡¯t slow down.


    I would definitely thank himter for walking by my side. It really helped with my anxiety. After I reached the hostel, just like he had said, he turned around to leave when I called for him.


    "Thank you, Lamar."


    I watched him slow down and turn around to look at my face. "I¡¯m always here for you."


    With that, he sprinted back to the cabin because he knew Lucy would be alone in there. With the rejection, the two of them must be devastated.


    However, I was upset that I couldn¡¯t stay with Lucy at that moment, and I couldn¡¯t even have a word with Gavin.


    Although the two had messed up, I had a feeling that somehow Gavin was more at fault.


    I could be wrong, though.


    I was rushing to the elevator when I saw Salem get in with me. That was new. I groaned, almost hitting the button in anger.


    She never uses the elevator, so if she was doing this to get under my skin, she had seeded.


    "Where is Gavin?" she inquired in a low murmur.


    "Why? I thought he was in your mouthst time. Did you lose him just like you lost your shame?" I turned to her, already yelling in her face.


    "Hnie! It¡¯s not my fault. Those two were long done. And besides, Gavin is a nice guy, and he¡¯s been a good friend to me," she shocked me with her words.


    He was her friend?


    So all this time, when she was bullying me and dragging me down, one of my friends was being a friend to her?


    "Look, Lucy is not a good girl for him¡ª" Before she could continue talking, I raised my palm and silenced her.


    "And you¡¯re the perfect match for him? Is that what you¡¯re trying to say?" I scoffed at her and rolled my eyes at the fact that I wasn¡¯t letting her speak.


    The elevator stopped at her floor, but she remained standing because I wasn¡¯t done yet. "Now get out. And remember toe to my bedroom because I want you to clean it thoroughly," I ordered her. I watched her open her mouth to express her shock before she walked out, and the elevator doors closed on her face.


    "Ugh!" I grunted angrily, stomping my foot on the ground.


    As I got off on my floor and reached my bedroom, I found a hand pull me behind the wall and pin me against it, with another big hand covering my mouth.


    "I knew I had seen you before. You¡¯re the girl from that night," Rayden said, staring back into my eyes, his hand covering my mouth, and with his other hand, he made sure to hold me still against the wall.

 Chapter 197-I Can Do No Wrong!

    <h4>Chapter 197: 197-I Can Do No Wrong!</h4>


    <strong>Rayden:</strong>


    <strong>Few Months Ago:</strong>


    "Ugh!" I groaned as I received another call from Jenny. She was my sweetest mate, but also a little boring.


    "Yeah?" I answered the call, stepping away from my friends. We had received a holiday notification yesterday and decided to celebrate our return home with a good drinking night.


    However, it turned out to be the best night when we spotted that couple in the underground train station.


    We had been debating where to go to do drugs when it was mutually decided that the abandoned station would be the safest choice¡ªno one would catch us there. But I guess what we didst night turned out to be far more thrilling than doing drugs.


    I could still feel my hands on her soft body. My dick stirred in my pants at the thought of being inside her.


    "Where were you all night? Are you with that redheaded bitch?" Jenny¡¯s angry voice pulled me back to reality as she shouted through the phone.


    I rolled my eyes harder. We¡¯d been through this before¡ªher constant ims of feeling betrayed. Last time, I¡¯d managed to lie my way out of it, but if she keptining, her brother might actually hire someone toe after me.


    Neither my friends nor I would like that. We were free spirits, unbound by restrictions, and we despised being scrutinized.


    "I was doing myst practice before the holidays so I coulde and enjoy my time with you," I snapped, using a harsh tone to shut her down.


    The best way to avoid being interrogated is to yell and shut the other person down. It always works.


    "Anyway, I¡¯m not going to answer any more of your questions. Last time, you had me under interrogation for two weeks. I¡¯ve told you already, that was thest time I¡¯d tolerate your disrespectful questioning. I¡¯m an alpha¡ªI¡¯ll be going to battles and doing important things. What will you do with all that pain if you can¡¯t even handle a little difort from me working out?"


    I got off the bed, shirtless, wearing only ck shorts. My friends were still asleep, but I had to get ready and leave because my insecure mate couldn¡¯t stop overthinking her imaginary pain.


    "I want¡ª" Before she could keepining, I cut the call and dressed quickly. As I was heading to my car, I received a text from my friend.


    Fox: Can you go check the area where we left her? I want to make sure she¡¯s dead. It¡¯d be bad if she somehow survived and got a DNA test done.


    I knew why he wanted me to confirm she was dead¡ªit was because of the coward in our group. He¡¯d start panicking if he thought she might still be alive.


    Me: Sure, I¡¯m headed that way. I¡¯ll update you on her situation.


    I lied. I had no intention of returning to the scene of the crime. She had to be dead. We¡¯d had her all night, and I¡¯d watched DID strangle her with his own hands. She didn¡¯t have a wolf¡ªthere was no way she survived.


    I nned to go back home to calm down my enraged and disheveled mate. These flings were fun for a night or two, but deep down, I wanted to change for my fated mate. It would take time before I could fullymit to Jenny and be loyal to her, but it was definitely on my bucket list.


    When I returned home, I switched off my phone so I could rest before seeing Jenny. After a few hours of solid sleep, I woke up expecting to see countless missed calls from her. However, I found it odd that I hadn¡¯t received a single one.


    Curious, I checked her profile and realized she had blocked me. That wasn¡¯t a good sign.


    I changed quickly and headed to see my parents. The moment I arrived, I sensed something was terribly wrong.


    "You idiot, what did you do this time?" My father stood in front of me, his expression stern. He didn¡¯t even wee me home or ask me to join them for lunch, though the meal was already served.


    My mother, as usual, didn¡¯t dare defend me in front of him.


    "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about," I replied, keeping my tone soft and feigning ignorance.


    "You fool, that girl is talking about rejection! What have you done? Don¡¯t you realize how much help her father is giving us to keep this pack from falling apart?" My father¡¯s voice thundered through the room, drilling into me just how crucial it was for Jenny to ept me.


    "She¡¯s talking about rejection?" I asked, stunned. I had expected her to cry, throw a tantrum, or break a few things likest time. Then, eventually, she would have no choice but to move on and return to normal.


    That was the problem. If Jenny reacted this way every time I spent the night with someone else, my life would be unbearable due to my father¡¯s anger .


    "I¡¯ll speak with her," I reassured my father, though I was panicking inside. He wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kick me out of the pack if things went south. And if there was nothing left of our pack because Jenny rejected me, I¡¯d lose everything.


    Our pack¡¯s survival depended heavily on my union with Jenny. Her pack was thriving, while ours was barely holding on. I couldn¡¯t live the life of amoner¡ªI needed to fix this.


    "And make sure you tell her how much you love her. Or else¡ª" My father left the warning unfinished, but his eyes made it clear. Losing all my luxuries would be the ultimate punishment, and I wouldn¡¯t survive it.


    "I will," I nodded, suddenly losing my appetite. I had to see Jenny and convince her parents that she was just insecure and overly sensitive.


    As I drove toward her pack, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the girl fromst night. What if she had survived?


    "No! I¡¯m sure she¡¯s dead. And if she¡¯s not, I¡¯ll kill her myself," I muttered determinedly under my breath.

 Chapter 198-Right Between His Legs

    <h4>Chapter 198: 198-Right Between His Legs</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "So, you didn¡¯t die, huh? What makes me wonder is, why are you at the academy? And the bigger question is, what did you tell Jenny that made her refuse to let me back into her life for even a moment?" His voice turned harsh, and the darkness in his eyes deepened as he pressed his hand harder over my mouth.


    His touch froze me in ce, disgust and goosebumps rippling through my body.


    I was hyperventting, struggling to take steady breaths, terrified of what he might do next.


    "How the hell did you survive? Why did youe to this academy and befriend my mate? Do you think you can pull this off to get back at me for that one night?" He leaned into my shoulder, his words sliding like poison directly into my ear. Torture¡ªthat was his intention.


    I held my breath, desperate to avoid any further connection between our bodies.


    "You know, I don¡¯t even remember your body or how you tasted. So why do you still have that night burned into your mind? If you were even slightly sane, you¡¯d thank the Moon Goddess for surviving and move on. Someone with more brains would¡¯ve promised herself never to get into trouble again. But you love trouble, don¡¯t you?"


    His hissed words felt like ps across my face. I had often asked myself how the alphas must feel now. Would they regret ruining someone¡¯s life like that? Maybe they woke up gued with guilt. But hearing him speak about that incident as if it was my fault made it clear¡ªthey were irredeemable.


    "Anyway, now that I¡¯m here, I¡¯ll fix everything you¡¯ve ruined. And not only that¡ªif you even think about opening your mouth, I¡¯ll let everyone know your truth. I¡¯ll tell them that beforeing to this academy, you were your pack¡¯s whore, sleeping with alphas to trap them with a pregnancy and force them into your cage. Not that I¡¯ll need to do much more than that. Everyone listens to an alpha," he sneered, his voice thick with venom, chuckling mid-sentence as if the scent of his cologne wasn¡¯t already making me nauseous.


    "Oh, wait¡ªI remember something," he said with mock excitement. "It¡¯s nothing big, but it¡¯s something. Do you remember when I was fucking you, and you begged me to stop? And then I came all over your face¡ª"


    Hisughter exploded, loud and cruel, making my jaw clench so tightly it hurt. He acted like he¡¯d achieved something extraordinary, his grotesque delight sending a wave of rage and disgust through me.


    I had never expected to encounter such a monster.


    In my head, I thought he would freak out and start apologizing to me. I imagined he¡¯d convince me he wasn¡¯t in his right mind that night, that it was all a mistake.


    But I was so wrong.


    "What? Are you going to cry again and beg me to let you go?" he whispered against my mouth, his breath making my stomach churn. I closed my eyes, scrambling to think of what I could do. If I didn¡¯t act, he¡¯d believe he still had power over me¡ªthat I was still the same girl he had used and tried to kill.


    That thought was unbearable.


    Without hesitation, I bent my knee and struck him hard in the groin. The next thing I knew, all the color drained from his face, and his eyes bulged.


    His mouth opened as though to yell, but only a strangled, painful cry escaped.


    "FUCK!" he finally groaned, his hands releasing me as they flew to cradle his aching crotch. Tears streamed down his face.


    "This is just the beginning, you asshole. I¡¯ll make you regret ever having a dick," I spat, grabbing a fistful of his hair and yanking his head up to meet my re. My words were a venomous whisper, dripping with fury. Then, with all the strength I could muster, I shoved him backward and bolted for the elevator.


    I didn¡¯t stop to check if he was regaining his posture. I knew it was only a matter of time before he came after me. Once inside the elevator, I frantically pressed every button, my hands trembling in haste.


    The doors closed just in time. For a brief moment, I hugged myself, tears streaming down my face as the adrenaline began to wear off. My body shook, and my breaths came in sharp, shallow gasps.


    But my relief was short-lived. The elevator dinged, signaling a stop, and the doors slid open. I froze, ready to step out, only to see him rushing down the stairs, his face twisted with rage.


    Panic surged through me, and I mmed the "close door" button repeatedly. The doors sealed shut again, and I copsed against the wall, gasping for air.


    "He¡¯s going to make me regret this," I muttered to myself, my chest heaving.


    Desperation guided my hand as I saw the red button for the 10th floor light up. Without a second thought, I pressed it, praying it would give me enough time to escape. I couldn¡¯t keep running¡ªI needed to find a safe ce to calm down and figure out what to do next.


    When the doors opened on the 10th floor, I stepped out cautiously, hugging myself tightly. My mind raced, but I couldn¡¯t shake the cold creeping through my body.


    The floor was eerie, shrouded in dim light and silence. I frowned, feeling a strange chill settle over me. I had heard whispers about this floor¡ªa ce that only appeared once in a blue moon.


    "You¡¯re back! I wondered when that was going to happen," a familiar, chilling voice echoed, sending a new wave of goosebumps across my skin.


    I froze, my breath hitching.


    "Ah! I smell fear on you. Is one of them here now? What¡¯s his name¡ªRayden Mores, isn¡¯t it? The alpha of the Shifters pack. He¡¯s a nasty one," the voice sneered, its tone dripping with malice.


    "What are you going to do, Hnie? You¡¯re not strong enough to fight him. Your wolf hasn¡¯t even woken up yet," it continued, growing darker and more menacing with each passing second.


    Chills ran up and down my spine as I approached the door. It looked eerily like an exact replica of my dorm room. The corridor, too, was an uncanny mirror of the floor where I lived. It was unsettling how identical everything appeared¡ªyet something about this ce felt deeply wrong.


    "Go on, step inside. This room is much better than the one you stay in, Hnie," the voice coaxed. At first, it sounded like a man speaking, but midway through the sentence, it shifted into a woman¡¯s tone, and now a haunting blend of echoing pitches that seemed toe from everywhere and nowhere at once.


    "If you like it here, you can choose to stay in this room," it added with a chilling calmness.


    I hesitated, my hand hovering near the door handle, when the voice spoke again, its tone darker now, filled with something sinister.


    "And if you want... you can let me into your body. I will take revenge for you."


    My heart thundered in my chest as my steps faltered, freezing me just outside the door. The weight of its offer pressed down on me like a physical force, making it hard to breathe.

 Chapter 199-Off-Limits Now

    <h4>Chapter 199: 199-Off-Limits Now</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What happened? Why did you stop? Don¡¯t you want to take revenge? Let me in, and you can be the best among everyone. The power you will hold will let you do wonders. Those Alphas won¡¯t stand a chance against you," the voice urged, its tone growing impatient. It almost sounded excited at the thought of me letting it take over my body.


    "No!" I groaned, pulling my hand back from the doorknob.


    "Why not? You could get revenge on anyone with the power I¡¯m offering you," it said, sounding slightly disappointed that I had withdrawn my hand.


    "What would you gain from helping me? I know no one does anything for free. So, what do you want in return?" I asked, my voice steady despite the growing tension.


    At this point, I had seen enough terrifying things that the voice, and whatever dark secrets it held, didn¡¯t scare me as much as it had the first time.


    "Hmm, you¡¯re quite cunning, Hnie," it replied. "Most people who have been through as much trauma as you wouldn¡¯t think twice before epting help. As for me, I just want to help. I¡¯m cursed to remain trapped here for eternity. My punishment ends when I help someone. I want to help you and finally be set free. I want to leave this world and be with my loved ones in the afterlife."


    The sadness in its voice was almost heartbreaking.


    "Who are you? What did you do to deserve being trapped here?" I asked. But the voice went silent.


    Just then, my phone started to ring. I frowned as I nced at the caller ID: Professor Kaye Calling...


    I declined the call and looked around, feeling the cold air bite at my skin. Momentster, another call came through¡ªthis time from Lamar.


    I scratched my scalp, confused.


    "Go take the elevator. I¡¯ll see you again soon," the entity advised. I hesitated but eventually stepped back into the elevator.


    After reaching my floor, I decided to answer the next iing call, which was from Kaye.


    "Hello?" I said, but was met with heavy breathing on the other end. My body froze, and a sudden wave of dizziness hit me.


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing.


    "Hnie?" Suddenly, he said my name, and I straightened my back.


    "Where the heck were you? Your friends called me and told me you¡¯ve been missing for hours, and then¡ª" As he spoke, he abruptly stopped and began to moan loudly. "Ughhh, Kesha, you¡¯re so sexy."


    I pulled the phone away from my ear, disgusted. Raising my head, I realized I was back on the tenth floor again.


    It felt like I was stuck in a loop.


    "It was just a little hint to show you how much things can hurt you," the entity said mockingly. "Kaye will soon have sex with that chosen mate of his. And then what? You¡¯ll cry and feel lonely. Let me help you!"


    So it was all just an illusion. This entity was messing with my mind, forcing me to confront painful truths.


    Instead of engaging with it again, I turned and rushed back to the elevator. But this time, it felt real¡ªno illusions, no tricks. I left the tenth floor and finally made it back to my own.


    The minute I stepped out of the elevator, my breath hitched. Rayden was leaning casually against my dorm room door, his hands shoved into his pockets.


    My body tensed. I hadn¡¯t expected him to follow me.


    I stayed rooted just outside the elevator, debating whether to step back inside and retreat to the ground floor. But no¡ªthat would make it seem like I was afraid of him.


    "What happened?" he asked from across the hall, a nasty smirk stered on his face.


    "Step aside. This is my room," I said firmly, keeping my distance.


    "I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t take orders from anyone," he replied, shrugging nonchntly.


    Just then, the door behind him opened, and he nearly stumbled back before catching himself. Lamar stepped out, his gaze flicking between us.


    "What¡¯s going on here?" Lamar asked, his tone calm but with an edge that suggested he¡¯d overheard something.


    Rayden¡¯s smile widened as if he was trying to ease the tension. "Nothing," he said smoothly, slipping his hands back into his pockets. "I think your friend doesn¡¯t like me very much. It¡¯s so hard to get your mate¡¯s friends to like you, isn¡¯t it?" he added with a forced chuckle, cing a hand on Lamar¡¯s shoulder.


    Lamar didn¡¯t flinch but simply folded his arms over his chest. His piercing re bore into Rayden¡¯s hand until he got the message and removed it.


    "Look," Lamar said, gesturing at me with a quick nce. "That girl over there? She¡¯s my best friend. She¡¯s very¡ªvery¡ªdear to me. To the point that I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to shove my hand up someone¡¯s ass and pull their alpha wolf out through their anus if they upset her."


    The threat wasn¡¯t direct, but we both understood it. Rayden¡¯s smirk faltered slightly.


    "She¡¯s a special one," came another voice. Gavin appeared at the top of the stairs, his narrowed eyes locking onto Rayden.


    "Jeez! Calm down. I was just teasing her," Rayden said, raising his hands slightly in mock surrender. "I saw hering and decided to stand outside the door to block her path. Of course, I know she¡¯s important to you all."


    The disappointment on Rayden¡¯s face was evident. I bet he¡¯d never expected me to have someone who would stand up for me. Not after how easily they¡¯d yed me thest time, when Altan ran away from the scene of the crime.


    "You shouldn¡¯t joke with her," Lamar said firmly. "There are plenty of other girls in this hostel. Try pranking them. She¡¯s off-limits."


    This time, Lamar ced his heavy hand on Rayden¡¯s shoulder.


    Though Rayden didn¡¯t budge¡ªbeing an Alpha, his strength was unmatched¡ªit was clear Lamar wasn¡¯t intimidated by him either.


    "Got it," Rayden muttered under his breath, his smile fading. He began walking past Lamar and then me, briefly locking eyes with me before taking the stairs.


    I hurried toward my room, eager to put this whole interaction behind me, when I heard Gavin call out, "Hnie!"


    Without turning around, I replied, "Not tonight, Gavin. I don¡¯t want to talk."

 Chapter 200-The Hero’s Entry

    <h4>Chapter 200: 200-The Hero¡¯s Entry</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    That was all for the night. Thankfully, Lamar didn¡¯t delve into the topic further. Lucy was already asleep in the bed. Lamar told me that he brought her back after she acted unusually cold. Jenny and the others had returned by the time I was at the tenth floor. I slept through most of the night but had a few nightmares. I frequently woke up to make sure the door was locked and that the Alpha hadn¡¯t gotten in.


    "Isn¡¯t it getting colder?" Lucy whispered, walking beside me toward the academy. Our uniforms were neatly pressed, and our shoes were shining--not because it was a special day, but because while trying to distract her mind, Lucy had found a new obsession with cleaning everything.


    Not only that, but Salem was going toe after ss to clean the room, and I didn¡¯t n to spare her.


    Last night had been a lot for all of us. Our friend group was all messed up now.


    "I think it will snow in a few days," Lamar said, running up to catch up with us.


    "Lamar, why is your tie all messed up?" Lucy grunted at him, making him look down at his tie and shrug.


    We were rushing together with a bunch of other students. I noticed Jenny and Penn walking ahead of us. Once Jenny heard our voices, she slowed down to match our pace, but I sped up to walk alongside Penn. I owed him an apology for ditching him the other day.


    "Hey," I greeted him, but as soon as I spoke, he sped up, leaving me behind.


    "Umm, it¡¯s okay. He¡¯ll be fine soon," Jenny caught up to me and reassured me that everything would be okay soon.


    I honestly didn¡¯t want to try too hard to make things okay. I guess I was just fine this way. I had too much on my te anyway.


    "Guys, you go ahead and book seats for us while I go put my stuff in the locker," I announced, rushing toward the lockers. The ss would begin in a few minutes, and I needed to be there. It was Emmet¡¯s ss. Now, we had three ongoing sses: Professor Emmet¡¯s, Kaye¡¯s, and Maximus training.


    Kaye would mostly give us lectures on herbs and introduce us to the herbs found in the roguemunity.


    I ced my bag in the locker, but before I could shut it, someone mmed the door shut in my face, making my heart sink in my chest at the sight of Rayden. Seeing him so early in the morning was bizarre.


    "Hm, it¡¯s nice to see you got a backup, but don¡¯t get too full of yourself just because some Omegas tried to defend you. But I must say, you surprised mest night. You seem to be growing more confident now," he said, leaning against the locker, locking me behind him as he spoke with crazy confidence and a nasty, hissing tone.


    I was starting to feel agitated around him. He was like a blood-sucking parasite who would drain me dry.


    "But I¡¯ll do my best to squash a little creature like you under my shoes very soon," he smirked, his hand reaching out to grab a strand of my hair. My heart sank again.


    Just then, his head was suddenly shoved down, and he grimaced, releasing me from his hold. It was Emmet.


    He hade toward us with a book in his hand that he hit Rayden on the back of the head with.


    "Why are you standing here, blocking her way? She¡¯s supposed to be heading to her ssrooms," Emmet said, looking much fresher than thest time I¡¯d seen him. But his eyes held an anger I hadn¡¯t seen before.


    "Sir, she¡¯s a junior and I¡¯m a senior--" As Rayden opened his mouth to exin why he could bully me, Emmet hissed at him.


    Emmet was so much taller than Rayden that he could literally swallow him in one attempt. Rayden wasn¡¯t short either; he was tall and muscr, but the rogue brothers were gigantic.


    "Not her. You are not allowed to bully Hnie," Emmet¡¯s words, said so loudly and without hesitation, made Rayden look at me, then at Emmet, in confusion.


    "May I know why, sir?" Rayden asked politely, making sure not to piss Emmet off, who already looked very upset.


    "The day I answer to you will be the day of doomsday. Now go back to your ss. This kind of behavior might be eptable in your previous academy, but here, you cannot question the trainers," Emmet extended his long arm and pointed down the hallway. Rayden quickly got to his feet.


    After Rayden left, Emmet stepped closer to have a word with me. I was really d he had shown up when I needed him.


    "I¡¯m really upset with you, Hnie," he spoke immediately, leaving no room for greetings or pleasantries.


    "Why? What did I do, sir?" Since he was so angry, I decided to stay calm and not push him further.


    "You skipped myst ss as if it meant nothing," heined, walking alongside me.


    "No, that¡¯s not true. I swear I wasn¡¯t feeling well, so I had to--" As I started exining, he silenced me with a smile.


    "I¡¯m just joking. But tell me, how are you now?" His voice was kind and soft-spoken, just like before, even with his deep, heavy tone.


    "I¡¯m fine now. Doing very well, actually," I replied. Walking with him wasforting. There was a sense of ease when he was around me, as if no one could hurt me now. I don¡¯t know why I felt that way about him, but it was all I could think of.


    We reached the ss, and I went ahead and sat down in my chair with Lucy and Lamar. Penn was sitting with his sister, as always.


    After the ss was over, Lamar turned to me and spoke in a whisper. "Both Salem and Gavin missed the ss."


    It wasn¡¯t until he mentioned that that I confirmed he wasn¡¯t lying.

 Chapter 201-Everyone Chooses Me

    <h4>Chapter 201: 201-Everyone Chooses Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What are you doing?" Lamar asked as I sped back to the hostel to catch Salem and Gavin. I didn¡¯t know why I was doing that.


    "They have rejected each other, so they can¡ª" Lamar shut up when I suddenly stopped in my tracks and turned around to re at him.


    "Okay, I¡¯lle with you," he muttered, using a gentle and understanding tone now.


    "I¡¯m not going there to reconcile. I¡¯m going to let him know that our friendship is over. He made his bed with my enemies," I hissed, briskly making my way to the hostel.


    Kaye¡¯s ss would start in ten minutes, so I nned to be back by then¡ªif only I could find Gavin and Salem together.


    I know everyone might be thinking why I was so harsh toward Salem and not when Lucy had slept with Lamar. The difference was that I was in a different state back then. Today, I was all messed up, feeling this rage in me that I couldn¡¯t express fully.


    My brain didn¡¯t allow me to forgive Salem, and she never apologized either. It was like she just expected me to reset my mind about her after she messed up every time.


    Now, as I faced Rayden, I realized I didn¡¯t want to forgive anyone.


    I just wanted revenge.


    And just like I had expected, the minute Lamar and I stepped into the hostel, we encountered the two together.


    Gavin stood with his back against the wall while Salem was blocking his path with her hands on the wall.


    "Tell me," she raised her voice, and we decided not to step into their fight.


    "You¡¯ve been asking me the same question for the past hour, and I don¡¯t know what to say to you," Gavin sounded exhausted, but his eyes told me he really liked Salem.


    "That¡¯s because you keep dodging me for an hour! Why were you hiding from me in the hostel? Did you really think you could leave without me catching you?" She turned her hands into little fists and mmed her fist on the wall near him.


    "Why are you avoiding me?" she posed the question again, and Gavin sighed in response. I could tell he was finally going to answer because I saw him gulp.


    "Because my friends don¡¯t like you," he responded, and I watched her body tense up.


    "What¡¯s that supposed to mean?" I could hear a little sadness in her voice this time, not the usualmanding tone she used.


    "Salem, you¡¯ve messed up so many times with Hnie that I don¡¯t think my friends would ept me in their group if they found out we were dating. So, it¡¯s better we just stop seeing each other. Let¡¯s call that moment one big mistake and move on." He finally raised his voice and set himself free by sidestepping away from her arms.


    Even she backed down and pouted. "All that because Hnie hates me?"


    "No! She doesn¡¯t hate anyone. You¡¯ve been very rude to her, Salem. How do you expect her to be okay with you hanging around us? Because I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t stop being with my friends," Gavin yelled, making her lips quiver and bend downwards.


    "But¡ªyou¡¯re choosing your friends over someone you like?" she asked in a shaky tone.


    I did not expect to witness all this. I noticed Lamar staring at me with his eyebrows raised and his arms folded over his chest.


    I felt guilty foring here like a madwoman to tell Gavin that we would no longer be his friends. For the first time in so long, I guess I acted like a teenager.


    "Salem, I thought she would ept you into our group like she epted Lamar, but I guess you never earned her apology. It¡¯s better if we stay away. I don¡¯t want to lose my friend," this time, he used the plural, specifically including me.


    "Let¡¯s go before things get awkward," Lamar tapped his fingers on my shoulder to get my attention and whispered.


    I rolled my eyes at him but eventually agreed. Turning around, I walked away. The two of us left and reached the academy in silence.


    A few minutester, Gavin arrived, but Salem never came.


    "Hi," Gavin approached me, sounding awkward, a forced smile stretched across his lips.


    "Hey, you missed the first ss," I cleared my throat to sound normal, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that Lucy and he had destroyed everything that had ever been between them.


    "It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll give him my register," Lucy replied replied.


    "You know, Professor Emmet was talking about the history of the Rogue Land¡ªit¡¯s so intriguing," Lucy, who had been busy pretending everything was normal, suddenly jumped into the conversation, including Gavin in the discussion she was having with Lamar and Jenny about the lecture.


    "Really? What¡ªwhat kind of interesting?" Gavin showed interest, though he seemed confused by how Lucy could still talk to him so casually.


    "There were monsters¡ªespecially in our hostel. You know, when their father first arrived at the hostel, it was taken over by some monster," she whispered dramatically, trying to set the scene.


    Her smile was sweet, but somewhere in her eyes, I could still see the pain. However, she was trying her best to revive our group¡¯sughter by avoiding everything that had happened.


    "Hm, I do feel a presence in the hostel sometimes. Especially the night I was very stressed and was in pain¡ª," Gavin started to bring up the night of Lucy¡¯s betrayal but stopped himself abruptly. He had punished her already, so perhaps it was better he didn¡¯t dredge it up again.


    "Exactly! Even I felt it sometimes," Lucy¡¯s excited agreement made me raise my brows at them.


    "I have felt it too," Jenny added, shrugging her shoulders.


    "What about you, Lamar?" I turned to ask him, beginning to feel genuinely creeped out about the hostel. It wasn¡¯t just the eerie presence¡ªI had actually been to a floor that didn¡¯t even exist.


    "I am the monster," Lamar said, his tone eerie and deliberate. The way he pronounced the words made everyone fall silent.

 Chapter 202-Locked In The Same Room As The Devil

    <h4>Chapter 202: 202-Locked In The Same Room As The Devil</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I know how the students can get the monster out of you," it was Kaye, who arrived out of nowhere. It was time for his ss, so when we were talking about the monster in the hostel and gathered outside the ssroom, he probably saw and overheard our conversation.


    Lamar instantly fixed his posture and looked down.


    "Everyone inside," Kaye spoke casually but with a hint of harshness. One could tell he wasn¡¯t in a very good mood.


    Everyone went inside, but as I walked beside him, I felt him gently pat my back with his hand. His touch was always soforting, and that is what riddled me with guilt.


    I didn¡¯t like the fact that it was so easy for him to remind me that I had started to feel something for him in the past.


    The ss was amazing¡ªthe brothers knew how to deliver exciting lectures. But after the ss ended, I began to feel uneasy about Maximus¡¯ ss.


    Mainly because this time Penn was in our group, and he was avoiding me like I was a disease.


    We all went back to the deep mountains, the ground used for aiming targets in groups. Penn was in our group.


    We each had our picks, and everyone started shooting at the targets.


    "Ow! You freaking idiot, watch where you¡¯re shooting!" a scream erupted, causing everyone to stop and turn their heads toward Salem. She had narrowly escaped an arrow fired by one of our ssmates.


    My eyes darted to Gavin, and I could see how concerned he looked before quickly looking away.


    Maximus noticed themotion and instantly joined us.


    "Everyone, there¡¯s a little change of ns. Since you¡¯re all so amazing at shooting your targets¡ª" that was a taunt, "how about you all try with stones first? Once you get better at your aims, I¡¯ll allow you to use weapons."


    He was right. It was actually dangerous to give omegas like me such powerful weapons. The reason I had been so scared while holding a weapon was that I was afraid I might hurt someone if I missed the target.


    Now that we all had stones in our hands and pyramids of stones in our view, it was much easier for me to shoot recklessly.


    I could tell Penn was really good at shooting. He was able to hit his stone perfectly and make the best pyramid copse.


    Some students were in my line of sight, while others were far away on the open ground. I chose the area with the most trees because I didn¡¯t like being in the open ground where I could be easily seen.


    "You know, your cousin was flirting with me hardst night," I turned at the sound of Maximus¡¯ voice. He had arrived from behind me, a smirk on his lips.


    "Kaye?" I acted like it didn¡¯t bother me.


    Why would it bother me anyway? It¡¯s not like he was my mate or something. Then why did it bother me, even just a smidge?


    "And I declined her," he said, and my body tensed up. "But I won¡¯t lie to you. There was a brief moment where I thought about giving her a try. But you know what stopped me?"


    He stepped closer, gently cing his hand under my arm to correct my posture as I held the rock beforeunching it.


    I didn¡¯t say anything, so he continued, "Because I knew if I did something with her, I would never have a chance with you. And I would rather choose you than a few hours of pleasure," he whispered directly into my ear.


    His other hand, resting on my back, slid to the front and ced itself on my stomach. His slow push from the front forced my back against his body.


    His manly hands roamed along my arms before reaching for my wrist, twisting it slightly so I held the stone tightly.


    "Nowunch!" he whispered, his lips pressed firmly against my earlobe.


    I¡¯m not sure what happened, but when Iunched the stone, the pyramid shattered under the impact.


    "Yayyy, I did it!" Excitement and happiness coursed through every nerve as I jumped up and down joyfully. My friends heard me and ran toward me.


    I spread my arms uncontrobly, not realizing who I was moving toward for a hug. My instinct led me to Maximus, who steadily opened his arms.


    But before I could crash into his embrace, Jenny darted in and hugged me first. Lucy, Lamar, and Gavin arrived at the same time. Lucy wrapped her arms around us, and Lamarpleted the group hug with his own addition. Gavin, however, stood to the side, pping awkwardly, unable to participate.


    My eyes flicked to Maximus, who mouthed something to disy his disappointment that Jenny had stolen the hug. He dramatically lowered his arms and shook his head.


    What a drama king.


    It was the highlight of my day for a reason.


    I had been trying my best to learn to aim perfectly because I had already picked a target in my mind. And my target had recently joined the academy.


    We enjoyed the rest of the shooting session, and although I didn¡¯t perform as well as that one perfect shot, I was still happy.


    Once the sses were over, we returned to the hostel. Now that Rayden had already recognized me, I didn¡¯t feel the need to hide from him anymore. I remembered the instruction: I should not be left alone and should always stay around my friends for safety.


    "Okay, you guys can go ahead and reserve the chairs. I¡¯lle in a minute," I said to Lucy and Lamar, who were too eager to head down and smell the food first.


    I wanted to take a quick shower and change before joining them.


    The lunch would be served in a few minutes, but those two couldn¡¯t wait. Hence, they left me at the door and walked away.


    I entered my room and was about to lock it when a pressure against the door pushed it open.


    An intruder walked in, his face twisted with a nasty expression.


    Rayden.


    He locked the door behind him and turned to face me.


    The two of us, alone in my dorm room, created the most terrifying face-off I had ever experienced.

 Chapter 203-Only When I Am Angry

    <h4>Chapter 203: 203-Only When I Am Angry</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Panic surged through my veins, and my steps faltered, retreating backward to put as much distance between us as possible.


    "What happened? Not so confident when you¡¯re alone?" hemented, his hands tied behind his back as he leaned casually against the door.


    He looked like a devil, staring and smiling at me.


    "Get out," I mouthed, forcing the words out, but only air escaped my lips.


    "Hmm? Say that again. Sorry, I didn¡¯t catch your gentle whisper," he teased, leaning forward as if pretending to hear me better.


    "I said, get out, or I¡¯ll call for help," I whispered, my knees trembling.


    The anger I felt at facing him again only deepened my hatred for the Moon Goddess. In this moment, I truly wanted to curse her for this. Not only had she burdened me with those cursed pheromones, but she also ensured my misery by denying me a wolf. If I had a wolf, I would have at least tried to run for safety¡ªeven now.


    But no! I am not alone this time.


    As I lunged toward my bag on the bed to grab my phone, he attacked me from behind. His hands wrapped around my waist, lifting me as though I were a doll, and he tossed me onto the bed. It all happened so quickly that before I could process it, he had already pinned me down.


    "You know what?" heughed in my face, using one hand to pin both of mine above my head while silencing me with the other. I thrashed my legs, but he swiftly spread them apart, positioning himself between them. This left my legs helplessly dangling behind his body and filled me with a renewed sense of disgust at his repulsive touch.


    "Hush, calm down. You really hate my touch, don¡¯t you? The door is not locked" he whispered, his words prompting me to nce at the door. Sure enough, the lock was undone.


    "Now, you can get out from under me and make a run for it. But you know you won¡¯t. Sure, you might have secured admission into this prestigious academy, but imagine this: I got transferred here midway. For that, I had to pass some terrifying tests¡ªnot like the ones you took. I¡¯m far more powerful than you, Hnie," he deliberately dragged out my name, sending shivers across my skin and leaving me covered in goosebumps.


    Tears began to sting my eyes, and his smirk widened in response. "I know you¡¯re probably thinking about asking your friends or that arrogant professor for help," he added, sneering as he mentioned Emmet in the most disdainful way.


    It was clear he wasn¡¯t pleased with Emmet warning him to stay away from me.


    "But do you know why I didn¡¯t listen to him and still followed you? Because I know you can¡¯t tell him¡ªor anyone¡ªanything," he said smugly.


    I tried to struggle, even attempting to open my mouth to bite his palm, but he pressed down so hard that I feared he might break my teeth.


    "And this isn¡¯t a challenge, just a fact: I did some digging and found something very interesting about you," he added with a chilling tone, his threatsced with confidence and malice.


    Suddenly, he released my mouth and hands, getting off me. I quickly sat up and scrambled back against the headboard, keeping my eyes locked on him.


    But it was clear he¡¯d already delivered his threat effectively.


    "You ran away from punishment and faked your death. Do you know what will happen if that bes public knowledge? When everyone finds out you lied about your status as a rogue¡ªand that you were never officially exiled from the pack¡ªyou¡¯ll be handed over to the Council for judgment. And let me remind you: they despise omegas like you.


    "As for your father, who lied about delivering punishment to you¡ªhe and his entire family, including that little sister of yours, will be hanged in public," he concluded, standing at the foot of the bed. His words sent a cold shiver down my spine.


    "And it¡¯s not like you have any proof against us. So, by exposing yourself, you¡¯d only be causing damage to yourself, not to me or my friends," he said smugly. Hearing him mention his friends was like a knife to my already fragile mental state.


    "So, from now on, you¡¯ll be a good girl and do as I tell you. Or else¡ª" he paused, noticing the deadly re I shot at him.


    "And that rogue professor of yours won¡¯t be stupid enough to jeopardize his academy¡¯s reputation and authenticity by sheltering someone wanted by the pack," he continued, his tone dripping with arrogance.


    "It¡¯s a world of alphas, Hnie. She-wolves like you are merely born to please us. But some of you never seem to understand that¡ªand end up getting yourselves in trouble," he said coldly, making my stomach churn. My thoughts immediately went to Jenny. She didn¡¯t deserve this.


    He didn¡¯t understand the concept of consent. This unhinged man now held my secrets, and I knew I had to do whatever it took to protect myself¡ªand ensure he never victimized anyone else again.


    "That¡¯s all I wanted to say. I¡¯m a nice guy. I didn¡¯t want to be rude to you. But if you listen to me, I¡¯ll listen to you. A good friendship and understanding can be formed between us, Hnie," he said with a twisted smile. "Now, now! I¡¯ll leave so you can get ready for lunch. I¡¯ll sit with you today, okay?"


    He was trying to y mind games with me, pretending we could be friends.


    He blew me a mocking kiss before heading out of the room. I stayed put, staring at the empty space he¡¯d left behind before letting out a hiss of frustration.


    Anger surged through me like never before¡ªthe fury of being ckmailed, manipted, and demeaned. I closed my eyes, clenched my fists tightly, and trembled from the force of the scream building inside me.


    Suddenly, I began to hear a high-pitched ringing in my ears, like sirens ring inside my head.


    And then¡ªthe bed beneath me started shaking violently. I snapped back to reality as the realization hit me.


    "Earthquake!" someone yelled in fear.

 Chapter 204-That Alpha Is Dumb

    <h4>Chapter 204: 204-That Alpha Is Dumb</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "And the siren was so loud," Jenny leapt, talking about the earthquake and how the weather got worse after that. We were at the lunch table and, sure enough, just like the way Rayden had said, he was sitting with us.


    He would pass me a quick nce and smirk but then look back at Jenny and act like he was listening to her.


    "Anyway, Hnie was so good at the ground today," Lamar brought the attention to me, smiling at me. I bet he noticed I wasn¡¯t my regr self today. I could barely eat anything when, most days, after not eating for a while, I ate like a barbarian.


    "She really was¡ª" Gavin suddenly shut up as he narrowed his eyes behind Lamar. I was too focused on the scene behind them as well.


    It was Penn flirting with none other than Riri. He was sitting with the top seniors and enjoying the lunch.


    "Wow, that is new," Lamar followed our gaze andmented under his breath. Jenny¡¯s smile faded away quickly when watching her brother sit and enjoy a feast with someone who had beaten us up.


    "I am done," Jenny announced, getting up from the seat to leave.


    "What happened?" Rayden rolled his eyes, his focus on his food. One could tell he didn¡¯t even want to go after her but had to since he was her mate.


    "I¡¯ming," he sighed, picking up a sandwich on his way to follow her.


    I saw Penn side-eye Jenny but then force a smile when talking to Riri again. However, after a few minutes, he raised his head and our eyes met.


    There was so much going on that I had to look away from him. With Rayden threatening me now, I couldn¡¯t really do much.


    We finished the lunch and saw Penn take Riri out of the hostel. It all happened right before our eyes. Since we had back-to-back sses, the lunch was served wayter than it usually does.


    "Where is Jenny?" I asked Lamar, who was always the one who would keep an eye on us.


    "She is in our room."


    He replied.


    So of course, she didn¡¯t go to her room where Penn might return to. I don¡¯t know why Penn was acting this way. Was he punishing me and not realizing that by doing so he was ending up hurting his own sister?


    "I will go speak with her," I said, speeding up to reach the elevator before Rayden appeared. I got to my room and opened the door in hopes of finding her alone. But how the hell did I forget that she had Rayden with her now?


    He was in our room, of course, acting like it was his first time. Jenny would not feel weird about him being in our room, but I did. He was like a ticking bomb and also someone who could be going through our stuff to find out more information about me and my friends.


    The fact that he went out of his way to look into me in my pack was what made him scarier.


    He stopped moving around just to acknowledge me before he began to pace around again. But this time, he had a smirk on his face as he used his phone.


    Jenny was sitting on my bed, her legs curled up to her chest and tears brimming in her eyes. She raised her head to me, and I understood that she wanted me to sit with her. I walked over and sat down on the bed; she instantly put her head in myp.


    Rayden stopped pacing once again, this time to watch his mate interact with me.


    "My brother has never acted this way. Why would he go out with someone who humiliated me so much?" she let out a cry,ining in myp. I was half-present consoling her, and half of my attention was on Rayden.


    Being in the same room as him and acting normal was just so insulting to me.


    "Maybe you should have a talk with him? Be open about it. What if he doesn¡¯t know what those seniors did¡ª" As I spoke softly, trying my best not to be heard by Rayden, Jenny lifted her head from myp to watch my face.


    "That is not true. I told him everything," she sounded beyond hurt when telling me that her brother indeed knew everything and yet chose to hang around those messy individuals.


    "I will have a word with him."


    Rayden suddenly arrived and sat down with me, causing my body to go fully alert. He ced his hand on the mattress but ¡¯identally¡¯ touched my hand. I got startled to the point that my body jumped visibly, but he was quick to divert attention to himself while I snatched my hand away from his.


    "Hey, I am sure he has a good reason. But if not, I will be the one punishing Riri for my mate." His fake sweetness and concern that he was suddenly showing seemed like just an excuse to sit so close to me.


    I bet he knew what his presence could do to me.


    I steadily rose and shifted to the other side where Jenny was sitting, but now I was in direct view of his eyes.


    "No thanks. I guess Hnie is right. I will confront him about it," she cleared her throat, putting her head on my shoulder. I could tell he didn¡¯t like his mate putting so much faith in me.


    "How about you go spend some time with your roommates? I want to speak with Hnie about something."


    The minute Jenny requested he leave, I watched his jaw clench.


    There was a weird look in his eyes whenever someone crossed him. His own reputation and self-respect meant a lot to him, but others meant nothing to him.


    "Okay," he replied harshly and got up, strolling toward the door. When he left, he actually mmed the door shut hard.


    "Who were you running from?" Jenny went straight to the point.


    "Not from you," I replied quickly.


    "Then Penn?" she asked, and I shook my head.


    "Was it Rayden?"


    The minute she said her alpha mate¡¯s name, my heart crumbled like a cookie.


    "No! It was¡ªsomeone else," I lied, but I noticed her not blinking as she shifted in front of me and kept watching my face in silence.

 Chapter 205-Some Justice!

    <h4>Chapter 205: 205-Some Justice!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Jenny never said anything and just remained sitting, watching my face. It was the most awkward few minutes of my life. For a moment, I felt like she knew I was lying to her.


    And that she knew all my truths.


    But then Lamar arrived with Lucy, and Jenny¡¯s attention was diverted from me.


    "Let me take you to your room," Lucy spoke politely to Jenny. Ever since the rejection, Lucy had changed a lot.


    She was like her old self¡ªthe one who was always loving and happy to help everyone around her. Thankfully, she stopped saying Gavin¡¯s name. But the sad part was that she was pushing herself too hard to act normal. It¡¯s fine to let the pain linger for a while instead of just hiding it.


    The rest of the day was full. I didn¡¯t go for dinner, and neither did Lamar and Lucy. We were all tired, and since we had lunchte, we just went to bed early.


    I had gone deep into sleep when I began to hear some whispers. They were the whispers that a distraught person would let out. I yawned and stretched in bed, opening my eyes and sitting up to narrow my eyes at the window in front of me. It was behind Lamar¡¯s bed.


    The room was so dark that I could barely see anyone else. However, soon my body began to feel terror when a body fell from the top of the building.


    It went down right before my eyes, and I froze in horror.


    As I pushed harder and opened my mouth to scream, I heard my voice echo like the entirety of the tenth floor.


    "Hnie!" A hand woke me up, making me realize I was sitting in my bed with my mouth wide open and no sounding out of it.


    "Lamar¡ªI saw¡ªsomeone fall from the floor above ours," I said, and he frowned, quickly holding a ss of water for me.


    "The ninth floor is basically just a rooftop and no one goes there. And there was no one that fell down. You had a nightmare," heforted, but I felt so uneasy. I turned my head for some reason to check on Lucy and found her peacefully sleeping in her bed.


    "Okay, you need to tell me what is going on with you," Lamar insisted as he held my purple sweater for me. I wore it but stayed in my bed. He sat down under the same nket with me.


    "It is nothing," I replied, feeling so vulnerable for keeping so many secrets within me.


    "You need to trust someone at least. Tell me," he insisted again, and I realized he wasn¡¯t going to let me go until I confessed to something at least.


    "It is the¡ª" My words got cut off when my phone beeped, and so did Lamar¡¯s and Lucy¡¯s at the same time.


    "What is that?" Lamar frowned, matching the notification with mine.


    It was a text from Penn to all of us.


    I checked the time, realizing it was only 11:35 p.m.


    "Why is he sending us a group text?" Lamar opened the text, and so did I.


    Penn: Come to the Blue Road.


    Lamar and I shared a nce, confused about what he was up to.


    "Should we wake up Lucy?" Lamar asked in a whisper.


    "I¡¯m already up. You guys were whispering too loud," Lucy turned in her bed and sighed, picking up her phone and checking the message. Sure enough, she had received the exact same message as us.


    "I say we ignore him," Lamar seemed to be done with the drama.


    But I was curious. And rightfully so, because soon Jenny¡¯s message popped up in the group.


    Jenny: What do you want from us?


    That made me realize she was in the group too. So her brother had asked her toe as well?


    I was slightly worried that he was pulling prank on us until I saw Jenny¡¯s message. He could ignore her pain but would never be the cause of it.


    "I say we go," I said, quickly jumping out of my bed once I realized Jenny would definitely go.


    "Yeah, we shouldn¡¯t leave her by herself," Lucy joined, getting up to look for her sweater.


    "Okay," Lamar itched his scalp, yawning instead of getting ready.


    "Lamar, don¡¯t fucking dy," I scolded him. He ran to his bag to grab a hoodie.


    In a matter of minutes, all five of us were at the front of the hostel.


    "Let¡¯s go," I said, but I noticed some other studentsing out in groups. They were our ssmates, and I wondered what was going on. Did Penn n a party maybe?


    We sat in Jenny¡¯s car and soon headed to our destination. I could tell Jenny was extremely worried and anxious as she kept rubbing her palms together.


    But Lucy was there for her. She was doing her best to take care of Jenny, which was a good change I noticed. Once the toxic mate bond was over, Lucy had returned to her true self.


    But now the issue was Penn.


    The car stopped, along with many other cars stopping beside ours. We all got out to see a sight so terrifying that my knees turned weak.


    It was Riri and the other girls and boys who had bullied us the other night. They were kneeling on the rough road with their hands behind their heads with Penn and Rayden standing behind them.


    The only person missing was Arlo.


    "What is going on?" I followed the crowd, watching Riri shake miserably. She was only in her bra and a tiny skirt.


    "This bitch thought I was picking her up for some fun time so she came here looking like this for me. I had to set a perfect trap for this bitch." Hearing Penn use suchnguage was so strange.


    "This bitch over here bullied my friends and hurt my sister," Penn raised his head, making sure we knew why he had been hanging around her.


    I never knew he was so full of vengeance in a good way, but I was scared to watch what he had nned for the ones in front of

 Chapter 206-Such A Liar!

    <h4>Chapter 206: 206-Such A Liar!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You guys have eggs before you," Rayden smirked, his hands in his red jacket. He was the type who would wear his jacket everywhere, but seeing Penn do the same really shocked me.


    I am not sure how I felt about all this, but I was up for a good payback. I think people deserve punishment for what they do to others.


    "Grab them and have a perfect aim, since that is what we are learning these days," Penn announced, and everyone grabbed the rotten tomatoes and eggs.


    I went ahead and did the same, out of my group, who were not sure if they wanted to do it.


    After I grabbed the baskets, my friends stepped forward to do the same.


    "We are seniors, and she is a top senior¡ª," one of the girls started speaking while shaking in her spot.


    "You can humiliate her today, but tomorrow, the top seniors will¡ª," she shut up when Rayden hit the back of her head. He then moved to stand behind that one arrogant guy who was punching me a lot the other night.


    I managed to get through the crowd and came to the front, with the others following me. I stood right before the guy who had Rayden stand behind him.


    "I don¡¯t know," Jenny whispered. She was a kind-hearted girl, who couldn¡¯t hurt anyone. But I wasn¡¯t.


    I was too excited to punish someone on a smaller scale first. That dude was happily pinching me with the others gathered around him that night. But the reason I picked him was because of Rayden behind him.


    Everyone had eggs in their hands, but no oneunched a single one because of the threat posed by Riri through her eyes.


    She would wait for the morning when she could get back at us for the humiliation that was caused to her.


    But right now, she couldn¡¯t do anything.


    I held the tomato in my hand and threw it up, catching it again while deepening my eye contact with Rayden.


    I then aimed at the guy, and guess what¡ªfor the first time, I hit the target so well. I hit him right in the face.


    And then everyone followed my lead. They all began to throw eggs and tomatoes at their targets, some missing, while others just wanted to do it for fun.


    Once the targets were all red and dirty, and our baskets were empty, we stopped. Riri was yelling throughout the whole time.


    "Now listen, you dare try that again, and I will make sure I ruin your peace so well that you will quit this academy," Penn held her ponytail and stretched her neck back to make her look at him.


    "Now go," Penn freed them. They all ran to their cars in their messy states, while our ssmates slowly began to return to their vehicles.


    Penn walked straight to his sister and held her hands. "I will never do anything that will hurt you. I just couldn¡¯t sit on the fact that she humiliated you the other night when I wasn¡¯t around. Jenny! You are an innocent girl, and I will do anything to protect you from the harsh reality around you."


    When he spoke like that, I remembered my own stepbrother, Sullivan. He didn¡¯t care about me.


    I lowered my head because Rayden hade and stood beside Penn now.


    "We will both protect you," Rayden said in the nastiest tone. I raised my eyes to watch him grin at me.


    "Anyway, I will leave now," Rayden checked his phone and announced his departure, almost in a hurry. We watched him leave without even asking Jenny if she would be fine.


    "And we will take care of you too." As soon as Lucy hugged Jenny, I watched Jenny close her eyes and then suddenly shrug her off.


    It all happened in a way that left us stunned. Jenny always wanted to be friends with Lucy, so for her to act that way was a bit odd.


    "Did I do something wrong?" Lucy awkwardly asked, looking around at Gavin, Lamar, and everyone.


    It was just our group with Penn now.


    "Tell me, did she do anything?" However, the way Penn asked Jenny that question and pointed at Lucy seemed like a threat.


    And Lucy understood it too, because she quickly stepped away from Jenny to avoid pissing off her brother.


    "Hey! Put your finger down," I couldn¡¯t let him threaten Lucy that way by asking his sister what she had done like that.


    Penn turned to me, tilted his head, and then narrowed his eyes. "It is not your fight. I am asking my sister."


    He tried to hold back his frustration by warning me to stay out of it.


    "Lucy is not alone. So if you think you will scare her by that little performance you did, you are wrong. Lucy will not be in the same position as Riri," I warned Penn, giving him a look that made him close his eyes and then hiss under his breath.


    The two were acting like they were superior to others. But I was angrier at Jenny for shrugging off Lucy.


    "And you! Why are you acting like Lucy had done something to you? Don¡¯t you know your actions are giving the wrong impression?" I turned to yell at Jenny, which caused her to raise her head and show her teary eyes.


    "Don¡¯t yell at her," Penn hissed, stepping up to wrap his arm around Jenny¡¯s shoulder, but she shrugged him off as well.


    "It is no one¡¯s fault but mine," Jenny whispered, her eyes down again.


    "What do you mean?" I inquired, realizing it wasn¡¯t about Lucy only. She just didn¡¯t want anyone close to her.


    "Jenny¡ª" Gavin spoke, but that was when Jenny raised her head and looked confident enough for the first time throughout the night.


    "No, Gavin. We should have told them this way long ago. Lucy had every right to be upset and get angry at us. We stopped her from showing her emotions and made her look like a fool." Jenny¡¯s words caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand up.


    "You said you felt him betraying you, right? That is true. The night we spent in the hut for the backup tests, we had a few drinks, and we ended up¡ªhaving sex."


    The truth finally came out, and oh! The gasps that filled the air were terrifying.

 Chapter 207-A Kiss To Help Me Through Storm

    <h4>Chapter 207: 207-A Kiss To Help Me Through Storm</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "We were drunk, and I didn¡¯t even know at that time that he had a mate. We did it and we woke up in the bed together. That¡¯s when he freaked out and told me that he had a mate. I swear I wanted to tell you, but he said he wanted you, so he would just make it up to you. But then things kept changing and getting worse and worse. I thought he would just win your heart back, but then¡ªhe started to hurt you for cheating on him and then¡ª," she grabbed her hair in her fist as she cried, huping loudly.


    "Why didn¡¯t you tell her?" Penn questioned.


    "I wanted to, but¡ª," she let out a cry.


    I turned to stare at Lucy and found her staring at Jenny¡¯s face in silence.


    "I will go home now¡ª," Lucy said, "and please, nobody follows me."


    She added as she watched me and Lamar go after her, "Please!" she almost begged. I still wanted to follow her, but Lamar gave me a headshake.


    Gavin was so embarrassed that he left soon after Jenny confirmed. It was all over the ce, and I wondered how we would ever go back from this.


    But I remembered how many times Lucy had told us that she knew her mate cheated and no one believed her.


    "Jenny!" Penn gave his head a good shake of disappointment.


    "I wanted to cheat on Rayden so that he feels the same pain, but then I ended up bing the reason behind others going through the same trouble," she continued, sobbing loudly.


    The more details she showed, the more I realized it was all Gavin¡¯s fault, honestly.


    "And why did you ept it before Lucy? She was already over it and trying to grow out of that trauma of the toxic end of her mate bond," as Penn tried to make Jenny understand that Lucy might be more hurt now, Jenny raised a good point.


    "No! She is not better. Don¡¯t you see? She is trying so hard to please everyone because she thinks it was all her fault. I cannot let her act like that when the real culprits are walking around with their heads up high!" Jenny stomped her feet like a child throwing a tantrum. But she was just angry with herself at this point.


    "Okay, you need to calm down. I will drop you at the hostel so that you can¡ª," Penn¡¯s words were cut short when Jenny gave him a headshake.


    At the same time, I began to receive text messages from Maximus.


    "I cannot face Lucy again. I want to go to my cabin," Jenny requested.


    I sneakily checked Maximus¡¯ text.


    Professor Maximus: "I found your friend sitting on the road and crying. Come collect her and show me your beautiful face to make my night as well.


    I don¡¯t know how Maximus could say something serious and then add that little flirtatious demand at the same time.


    "Are youing?" Lamar asked.


    "How about you go with them and I go collect Lucy? I know where she is, and I am the only one who can be with her right now." I didn¡¯t want Lamar toe with me because I knew Maximus would say something that would catch his attention. Lamar was always attentive to details anyway.


    "Okay, but be careful," Lamar said, following Penn and Jenny. We still had some things to discuss with Jenny, and she was ready for it.


    Hence, I nned to collect Lucy and make her confront Jenny because that¡¯s what Jenny wanted too. Once they left, I followed the road to the left, and sure enough, like Maximus had said, Lucy was sitting in the middle of the road with her legs crossed and her eyes on the sky.


    "She is possessed," Maximus whispered, quickly stepping in and leaning into my ear before he pulled back.


    I gave him a disapproving look before kneeling beside Lucy. "I know you are hurting, Lucy. But please, you need to pull yourself together."


    I felt Maximus stand behind me, listening to us carefully.


    "I can¡¯t believe that. I can¡¯t believe I was right all this time, but I was gaslighted into thinking I was paranoid and insecure," she whispered, a lonely tear making its way down her face.


    "May I know what happened?" Maximus knelt down right beside me, facing Lucy, who fixed her posture when facing her trainer.


    "She got cheated on and then faced the rejection but only to find out that her mate had actually cheated on her before all that," I started speaking, exining everything to Maximus in detail over the next few minutes.


    He had his head down, his arms folded over his knee, and his attention on my words.


    "That is unfortunate. I¡¯m sorry you went through all that. But Lucy! You have already been through it. Why cry another tear for that man? I know it¡¯s easier said than done. But try to think about your friends, they are so worried about you." He passed me a quick nce before staring back at Lucy.


    "And if you still feel gloomy, you will go to my brother Norman¡¯s office and ask for help. He provides amazing counseling." I wanted to roll my eyes so hard at the mention of Norman. Norman and counseling sounds like a good joke.


    "Okay," Lucy spoke in a soft murmur.


    "Now go sit in my car while I speak with Hnie. I will drop you two at the hostel," Maximus told her, and she followed his orders.


    I just had a feeling it would take her some time to feel herself again.


    "Really? Does it really matter to she-wolves if their mates are cheating on them? I mean, what if they are not epting each other? Of course, when they have, it is a different thing. But what about when they are not dating or¡ªnot even epting each other?" His question was very specific.


    Without even many thoughts, I remembered Kaye¡¯s words. He said the same thing to me. That unless we ept each other, he is free.


    "I don¡¯t think anyone should hold anyone ountable if they are not dating," I replied half absentmindedly.


    But it seems like Maximus liked my response.


    "You take her to the hostel, please. I will go after Jenny and Lamar," I said.


    "Love the way you order me," Maximusmented with a chuckle.


    "I am going to kiss you now," he said and I rolled my eyes, my body betraying me with how good he looked tonight. However, as I was about to walk away, I felt his grasp around my arm. He pulled me over his chest and instantly pressed his lips against mine.

 Chapter 208-Hard To Resist

    <h4>Chapter 208: 208-Hard To Resist</h4>


    <strong>Jenny:</strong>


    "He had promised me not to tell anyone. Gavin said if I did, Lucy would break up with him. So when Lucy cheated on him, he told me I still shouldn¡¯t say anything because their rtionship was already hanging by a thread. He imed he¡¯d just move on and win her heart again. I didn¡¯t want to be the reason they fell apart. But then he rejected her, and the guilt started to drown me. I felt like maybe I should have told her earlier. I was under the illusion they¡¯d eventually work things out," I said, pouring my heart out to Lamar for what must¡¯ve been half an hour.


    Lamar was such a good listener. He didn¡¯t judge me, not even once. He didn¡¯t flinch at my words or make me feel worse.


    My brother had left when he noticed how ufortable I was talking about all this with him around. I had asked him to find Rayden and make sure he didn¡¯te looking for me. Penn understood and left, leaving Lamar and me alone in the cabin.


    "You know it wasn¡¯t your fault, right?" Lamar said, tilting his head slightly.


    "I don¡¯t know," I murmured, lowering my head even further under the weight of my guilt.


    "Jenny, are you afraid of how Rayden will react?" Lamar asked softly. I lifted my head and shook it silently.


    "I don¡¯t care about him," I replied with a grunt, rolling my eyes. "I bet he cheated on me long before I did. Probably more times than I can count."


    Lamar leaned forward, his attention locked on me, his focus unwavering. It made him seem even more attractive. Confident, sure of himself, yet patient and kind. There was something maic about him; his presence always had me sneaking nces.


    "What makes you say that?" he asked, his voice steady.


    I grabbed the red hair from the side table and handed it to him. The lock of hair, sealed in stic, looked out of ce in the dim cabin light. Lamar took it, his eyes shifting between it and me.


    "He had this stuck on his jacket after one of his so-called ¡¯crazy nights,¡¯" I exined.


    "Oh," Lamar murmured, nodding as he processed what I¡¯d said. His expression turned thoughtful, but his warmth didn¡¯t fade.


    "You know what? One day, I¡¯m going to get a DNA test on one of these hairs and confront him. I¡¯ll bring that witch right in front of him. Let¡¯s see how he denies it when she confesses to sleeping with him," I said bitterly, though deep down, I knew I wasn¡¯t in the wrong. Rayden had no right to keep dragging me along. Sure, he probably felt hurt the night I slept with Gavin, but not as much as he should have¡ªbecause he was likely cheating on me too.


    I felt that pain, even then.


    "Hmm, you¡¯re a determined little kitten, aren¡¯t you?" Lamar chuckled softly. My gaze fell to his lips as he spoke. We were sitting across from each other on my bed, the dim cabin light casting a warm glow between us.


    "Jenny, it takes courage to admit the truth. You could have kept it hidden forever, but you didn¡¯t. You stood up because you couldn¡¯t watch Lucy force herself into a life that wasn¡¯t hers. That says a lot about you. You¡¯re not just some spoiled alpha¡¯s sister; you¡¯re a good person," Lamar said, his tone understanding, his words like a balm to my wounded pride.


    The more he spoke, the morefortable I felt in his presence.


    "Your mate must be very lucky," I blurted out before I could stop myself. Lamarughed it off, his eyes glimmering with amusement.


    "What happened?" I asked, unable to resist when he smiled so charmingly.


    "I don¡¯t have a girlfriend. And I don¡¯t have a mate," he replied casually, but his words sent my heart racing.


    I found him so attractive. He had listened to me vent for hours, and now he was telling me I was a good person. He saw me in a way no one else ever had. He was so different.


    "What?" he asked, his smile softening as he caught me staring.


    "Nothing. You¡¯ll think I¡¯m crazy," I mumbled, lowering my head to avoid his gaze.


    "Come on, I won¡¯t judge," he coaxed gently. He wasn¡¯t wrong¡ªhe never judged.


    "I find you very attractive," I confessed, my cheeks heating up with embarrassment. I was sure I was blushing furiously as he leaned closer, his eyes locking onto mine.


    "Really?" he whispered, his voice low and soft. With a finger under my chin, he tilted my face up until our eyes met.


    "I find you attractive too," he murmured, leaning in. His lips brushed mine softly, and in that moment, the world around us seemed to fade away.


    My heart instantly fell for him as I wrapped my arms around his neck. Heughed softly into my mouth before grabbing my waist and pulling me onto hisp, holding me securely.


    His lips moved in perfect rhythm with mine, sending goosebumps over my skin.


    "Mmm," I sighed as we deepened the kiss, our passion intensifying. We began tearing off each other¡¯s clothes, the heat between us building with every touch.


    My heart pounded like a drum in my chest. Sittingpletely naked in hisp felt natural, almost inevitable. His body was sculpted, rippling with muscles and adorned with tattoos. He held me tightly, guiding me as I sank down onto him.


    He was already hard, his heat filling me, warming me from the inside. I gasped, breaking the kiss as he began to suck on my breasts, his mouth hungrily exploring my body.


    I moaned softly, the sound escaping my lips as his hands roamed, gripping my hips firmly. My body moved perfectly against his, our rhythms perfectly in sync, I found myself on the bed, face down, as he shoved his dick in my vagina from behind.


    Each thrust sent waves of warmth and pleasure coursing through me. His grip on my body caused the thrusts to be faster than I had expected. His hands slid to my chest, cupping my breasts while he kept me upright, guiding me into a perfect position.


    We lost track of time, caught in the heat of the moment, giving in fully to each other. The night stretched on, and we fucked the whole night and then fell asleep.

 Chapter 209-Everyone Is Sleeping Around

    <h4>Chapter 209: 209-Everyone Is Sleeping Around</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    His lips tasted like fresh cherries, intoxicating and sweet. His arm was wrapped tightly around my waist, his body pressed firmly against mine. The disgust I used to feel upon someone¡¯s touch was slowly fading when only around certain rogue brothers and it really confused me. But then my body would remember and I would flinch hard.


    However, before it could go any further, I remembered we weren¡¯t alone either. My eyes darted toward the car, and I broke the kiss, gently unwrapping his arm from around me. Lucy wasn¡¯t in sight.


    "She¡¯s lying down in the backseat," Maximus said, noticing my difort and answering my unspoken question.


    "What are you doing?" I asked, the realization of what had just happened washing over me. Kissing him was a mistake.


    "Your friend ruined my ns for the night, so I decided to steal a little kiss to salvage it," he replied smugly, a teasing smirk ying on his lips. His tone was almost infuriatingly cocky, making me roll my eyes.


    "What¡¯s your point? I¡¯m your student and your stepsister. What exactly are you nning here? Because, Maximus, I didn¡¯t feel the mate bond with you. I¡¯m sure whatever you felt was just heat from thebat," I said coldly, even though I didn¡¯t entirely believe my own words.


    My life had turned into aplete mess. My friends were fighting and hiding things from me, my reputation at the academy was hanging by a thread, one of my mates had found a chosen mate, and now his brother was iming to be mine. On top of that, the seniors would undoubtedly be plotting their revenge after their humiliation.


    With all this chaos, I couldn¡¯t afford to focus on the romantic side of my life. And I certainly couldn¡¯t ept my mates¡ªnot with the promise I made to myself and the challenge I issued to the Moon Goddess.


    "I felt it," Maximus said firmly. "I know we¡¯re mates. As for my intentions, they¡¯re clear. You extend your hand, and I¡¯ll hold it." His yful tone had vanished, and I could sense his displeasure at how dismissively I spoke of our mate bond.


    "Anyway, I¡¯ll drop you both¡ª" he started, but I cut him off.


    "How about I just go back to where Jenny is?" I suggested, but he shook his head.


    "Jenny has her brother and Lamar. Lucy¡¯s alone. Go with her and text your friends that you won¡¯t be at their cabin tonight," he said, his tone now practical and calm, more like someone trying to help than someone pushing his agenda.


    I¡¯d spoiled his mood, but at least I got some insight into what he was thinking. Sadly, I couldn¡¯t indulge his delusions. I had a mission.


    I climbed into the passenger seat, leaving Lucy to sleep in the back. When he dropped us off, I gently woke her and helped her upstairs. She clung to me as we entered the building.


    Once inside the elevator, she kept hugging me tightly. As I pressed the button for our floor, a red button lit up unexpectedly. Before I could say anything, Lucy lifted her head, her eyes fixed on it. Then she turned to me, her expression mirroring my own confusion.


    "You see it too?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Her reaction confirmed I wasn¡¯t imagining things.


    "There¡¯s no tenth floor, Hnie. Why is this button here? It wasn¡¯t there before," Lucy whispered, her voice trembling. I could see the goosebumps rising on her skin.


    "We should let it be¡ª" I started, but my words didn¡¯t seem to register. Before I could stop her, she pressed the button.


    "Lucy!" I yelled, but she simply shrugged.


    "I just want to forget about the pain I¡¯m feeling right now," she murmured, her voice heavy with emotion. It was clear that she was desperate for a distraction, even if it meant venturing into the unknown.


    The elevator doors slid open, revealing the tenth floor. But what we saw was unlike anything we expected. It wasn¡¯t the dorms. Instead, a narrow, mist-covered road stretched ahead, nked by dense woods on either side.


    "What is this ce?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.


    "Oh..." Lucy gasped, clutching my hand tightly.


    "Do you know this ce?" I asked again, watching her eyes remain fixed on the misty road. She nodded, her face pale.


    "This... this is where Gavin and I first met," she whispered, her voice breaking as tears welled up in her eyes.


    "Aw, you poor soul. Why would he cheat on someone like you?"


    The sudden, unfamiliar voice made my blood run cold. My body shuddered, and even Lucy stiffened in shock. She met my gaze briefly before turning her eyes back to the road.


    "Who are you? How do you know what happened between me and my mate?" she called out, her voice sharp and unsteady.


    A chill ran down my spine as I realized this floor wasn¡¯t random¡ªit was for Lucy. I¡¯d been to the tenth floor before, but it had never been like this.


    "Because I know what happened, Lucy Dixon. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. You¡¯re a good person," the entity¡¯s voice resonated with a strange, soothing certainty. Its focus was solely on Lucy tonight.


    That¡¯s when it hit me¡ªsomething my friends once mentioned. They¡¯d felt a strange presence in the hostel whenever they were deeply depressed.


    Tonight, Lucy was deeply upset, which must be why she found the elevator¡¯s hidden button. None of the others had ever found the tenth floor because they¡¯d never been in the elevator while in a state of such raw despair.


    "Let¡¯s go," I said firmly, grabbing Lucy¡¯s arm and starting to pull her away. She seemed strangely fascinated by the voice, likely because it was telling her things she desperately wanted to hear from Gavin.


    The entity called her name again, but I had already dragged her into the elevator. As I pressed the button to head back downstairs, Lucy kept her eyes fixed on the misty road until the doors finally shut.


    We made it back to our room, but Lucy remained silent.


    "Lucy, I don¡¯t think that floor is a good ce to visit. Next time, we won¡¯t press that button, okay?" I said, sitting on her bed. She broke her distant stare and gave me a small nod.


    "Okay," she murmured before slipping under her nket.


    I let her be, hoping sleep would help her clear her mind. Heading to my bed, I grabbed my phone and sent a quick text to Lamar:


    Me: I¡¯m at the hostel with Lucy.


    But there was no response. I eventually dozed off, the weight of the night heavy on my mind.


    In the early morning, a text from Jenny jolted me awake:


    Jenny: You¡¯re probably going to hate me more, but I slept with Lamar.

 Chapter 210-All The Brothers In A Locked Room With Me

    <h4>Chapter 210: 210-All The Brothers In A Locked Room With Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I read her message and rubbed my eyes to shake off the sleep before I responded to her.


    Me: It is none of my business.


    And I wasn¡¯t being sassy about it¡ªI really meant it. Lamar was single, and Jenny was on the verge of being single. If not, I would be the reason she was left without a mate soon. Of course, her mate wouldn¡¯t stay alive for too long anymore. I would not let it happen. I would make sure he got the death penalty from the council.


    While Lucy was still asleep, I took a shower and got dressed for the academy. But something hung in the air¡ªa weird hesitation, ufortableness. After I came out of the bathroom wearing my uniform, I moved over to Lucy¡¯s bed to wake her up. She always wakes up before everyone else.


    "Lucy! Hey, good morning." With my hand running through her hair, I tried waking her up. Her pixie cut hair was now much longer. But she refused to move, causing me to worry.


    "Lucy?" My gentle tap became a good shake, and she finally opened her eyes.


    "I¡¯m not feeling well. My head hurts, and my eyes are on fire," she said in a raspy tone. I saw her swollen eyes, which she could barely keep open.


    "Can I please take a leave? I want to rest," she requested, shaking from the cold under the nket.


    Seeing her like this was not easy for me. After the rejection, she pretended so hard to be fine. The burden of guilt was so heavy on her that she tried to befriend everyone and act fine. But soon the truth was out. And now she didn¡¯t even want to pretend to be okay.


    "It¡¯s okay. You rest, okay? I will write a leave of absence for you and get it signed too," I said to her, touching her forehead to check her fever. She didn¡¯t have a fever, so that was good. I left her in the room and walked out to take the elevator.


    I began to feel extremely anxious, and to make matters worse, a message popped up on my screen from someone I didn¡¯t expect.


    Professor Demon: Come to my office after your sses.


    I sighed in stress, wondering why Norman was texting me this early in the morning.


    I got off the elevator to find Jenny wandering around in a disheveled uniform and messy hair. It seemed like she was waiting for someone. She held her phone in her hand and kept pacing from one corner of the hall to the other, her eyes on the staircase.


    I avoided her and tried to walk past her, but she saw me and ran in my way.


    "Hnie!" Her hand held onto my arm, making me stop in my tracks.


    "Are you still angry with me?" she inquired, sounding low and guilty.


    "I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m feeling, Jenny," I said without looking her way.


    "Where is Lucy? I was meaning to speak with her," her voice was full of guilt. But I was more shocked at the fact that Lamar had slept with Jenny as well.


    So is this how Lamar will act whenever someone in our group is upset?


    "Maybe not today. She is not feeling well, so she¡¯s resting," I had my head to the side, uttering without much enthusiasm.


    "I guess she is not feeling well because of me," she whispered under her breath but didn¡¯t release my arm.


    "I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll go to ss now," I whispered, and I guess by now she realized I wasn¡¯t talking to her either.


    "I wille with you," she insisted, beginning to walk along with me.


    "Who were you waiting for?" I asked as we walked out of the hostel.


    I could notice the hesitation in her body and her eyes lingering on her cellphone a lot too.


    "Lamar--," she quickly shut up after saying his name.


    "Wasn¡¯t he with you?" I asked. "I read your text this morning."


    Jenny¡¯s hold on my arm tightened as she answered, "He was, but then when I woke up, he was gone. And not only did he leave, he left with that strand of hair with him."


    I noticed her muttering the rest of the sentence under her breath.


    "What hair?" I questioned in confusion.


    "Oh, that red hair from the girl you think your mate cheated on you with?" I asked, and she nodded her head aggressively.


    "Why would he steal that?" It didn¡¯t make sense to me that he would steal it.


    "Maybe your mate did back when he was at the cabin?" I asked in bewilderment.


    "No! The strand was there with mest night when I was showing it to him. But it was gone after he left," she exined, confusing me even more.


    I had never been so confused before.


    "That¡¯s odd," I muttered to myself. I had no clue what my friends were doing now. But I wanted to focus on that scum and avoid pissing him off, all the while nning a perfect trap for him.


    We made our way to the first ss and sat happily to listen to Emmet. He was always so full of wisdom. He even took Kaye¡¯s ss. I heard Kaye was busy preparing for the seniors¡¯ trip.


    After the ss was over, I remembered I had to go meet Norman.


    "You go ahead and wait for me outside. I¡¯ll join you shortly after submitting Jenny¡¯s leave of absence," I said. I had written it down before leaving my dorm room. Now that Norman had called me for a meeting, I decided to submit the leave as well.


    But when I knocked on the door and entered his office, I was met with an even bigger shock: all the brothers were in the office, waiting for my arrival. That was not what I had expected.


    "Close the door once you get inside," Norman spoke from his seat. He looked even bigger in that miserable office chair.


    I gulped and walked in, closing the door behind me.

 Chapter 211-Someone Is Ready To Listen

    <h4>Chapter 211: 211-Someone Is Ready To Listen</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Yes, sir?" I stood in front of them, my hands tied in front of my body under my abdomen in perfect posture.


    Norman had his coat off, his off-white shirt wrinkled from the muscles holding up the shirt at multiple ces. He was buff, and today he looked like he had done an intense workout beforeing to the hostel.


    He had his arm extended on the table, ying with the paperweight, and his body leaned back in the chair.


    Next to him sat Kaye on the chair, his arms folded over the table and his head down, but he was watching me through his thick eyebrows.


    Maximus stood next to the window, his hands in his pants¡¯ pockets and that casual smoldering look on his face.


    As for Emmet, he stood behind the empty chair, his one arm folded over the high back of the chair, and his eyes noticing my every move.


    "Umm, did I do something wrong?" I inquired, feeling overwhelmed by being under the scrutiny of such powerful werewolves.


    I always thought I had moved on from some of the trauma until I was in a ce simr to thest one--a ce where I was alone with powerful men. And every time I remember, nope! The trauma is still there.


    I was trying my best to keep myposure and not shake in front of them.


    "Have a seat," Norman finally spoke up after letting me think over what I might have done for a good two minutes. I moved slowly and took the chair. Emmet stepped out from behind the chair and sat down, all their eyes on me now.


    "Can we just start talking? She is getting anxious," Kaye hissed in a whisper, thinking only his brother would hear.


    Norman nodded his head exaggeratedly and straightened his back in the seat.


    "Hnie! When you first took admission in the academy, everyone thought you wouldn¡¯t go very far. Honestly speaking, I was one of them," he paused to take a break, "but then you proved us all wrong. After seeing your performance in all the tests, everyone is shocked, but all eyes are on you."


    The minute he said that, I found my heart revive. My posture straightened and a smile covered my lips. I noticed Kaye, Emmet, and Maximus smile at me, looking so happy.


    "The council has been frequently asking about you as well. The way you handle every exam despite having no wolf has left everyone in awe. I hope you continue to show such courage and determination, and big things will be promised to you. We are seeing a lot of potential in you, Hnie. Just make sure you don¡¯t let the friend drama drag you down," As he continued, he mentioned my friends, and my smile started to falter a little.


    "My friends?" I asked because I was curious what they knew.


    "Your friends had been getting in trouble a lot. We even receivedints from the top senior aboutst night, and sadly, one of them has said your name in the report as well," it was Emmet who spoke up this time, looking slightly disappointed that I took part in that activity.


    "You guys bullied the seniors and then egged them along with the top senior. May I ask why?" Kaye asked, his head tilted and his eyes narrowed at me.


    Before I could answer, he added, "I think it is about time you think about your friends seriously. Alpha Penn doesn¡¯t understand how risky it could get for you and the others in the group who aren¡¯t from big packs to back them up or pay heavy fines," he exined, causing my body to twitch a little.


    So his problem was Penn?


    "Sir, thank you for your appreciation and concern. But about that report--I understand where it might be seen wrong. But we had a good reason. They bullied us the other night--" I was shut down when Norman shook his head, and I got the cue that he didn¡¯t like what he was hearing. Or maybe he didn¡¯t agree with what I was saying.


    "Don¡¯t you know the seniors are given permission to give juniors a tough time?" Norman asked, but not in a taunting tone. He was keeping his regr sarcastic ass in his pants this time.


    "I do know that, sir. Which is why we never retaliate when they bully us in the academy. But sir--that was outside the academy. One of my friends was going through a rough patch with her mate, and that¡¯s when they attacked us. Not only was the attack verbal, but--" I took a deep breath as I contemted what I could do in this moment.


    They were all watching me, and I felt like I had someone who would listen this time, something that I wished someone had done for mest time.


    When I walked barefoot home that night, I had prepared a whole paragraph of how I was in pain and how I felt throughout the night. I hoped to sit and tell the council and my father everything so that the rapists were put behind bars.


    But all my hopes were shattered when I wasn¡¯t even allowed to speak my truth.


    So now was the time.


    I instantly rolled up my shirt and sweater sleeves to show the pinch marks to the brothers. And their reaction encouraged me to exin everything.


    "What the fuck is that?" Kaye pointed at the pinch marks.


    "They have pinched me so many times, pushing me, and then--they started throwing me on the ground--and--," even in this cold weather, I began to feel sweat on my temples. "They--they tried to rip off my clothes. And then--" As I raised my head and noticed them watching my face, with their eyes wide and anger written all over their faces, I realized I wasn¡¯t quite telling them about what happened to Jenny, Lucy, and me that night. But I was only narrating what had happened to me.


    "That is what happened to Jenny and Lucy, I was pinched several times," I finished abruptly, looking down and lowering my sleeves.


    "Did you hear that?" Kaye muttered, pointing at me.


    "This is not bullying, this is assault," Maximus approached the table, his voice harsh this time.


    "We need to do something about this," Emmet determinedly mmed his fist on the table. I was in shock, watching these men ready to fight for me, for the right cause.

 Chapter 212-Lamar Played Dirty

    <h4>Chapter 212: 212-Lamar yed Dirty</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "That is not what we mean when we say the seniors are allowed to bully juniors. It is mostly by words or by challenging them to abat in front of the trainers," Norman said, his eyes narrowed as he spoke in anger.


    "That is why Alpha Penn did it. I am sure it was the wrong way--," I uttered.


    "And two wrongs don¡¯t make it right. I will definitely spare you and everyone involved, but the fine has to be paid," Norman added, making me sigh in relief.


    "We will pay for your fine," Maximus quickly added, but I noticed Norman tilt his head to glower at his brother for making that decision without his permission.


    "It is alright. I will do it on my own this time," that was the n. I wanted to get a job and do something for myself. Maybe they were right; we all needed a job so that we don¡¯t wander around after academy and get ourselves in trouble.


    "May I leave now? My friend--Lucy Dixon is not feeling well, and I have to go check up on her before I am headed to the ground for target practicing," I said to the brothers, who still looked pretty angry at the fact that seniors did this to us.


    "Sure," Norman said, eyeing me to leave the application behind.


    As I was headed out, I heard Emmet say something that caught my attention. "The top seniors will be pursued for getting physical, as well as they need to apologize to the juniors."


    At least there was justice somewhere. I left for the hostel to check up on Lucy and, weirdly enough, I noticed someone was using the elevator.


    That was odd.


    Nobody uses the elevator unless it is me or someone extremely sick. There was only one person who was sick today.


    "Lucy!" I uttered her name, rushing to take the stairs. I just had a very bad feeling about her taking the elevator.


    It took me a while, but I noticed my strength had gotten better now that I am more on the active side of my lifestyle.


    I reached the top and went straight into my room to find Lucy sitting in her bed with a food tray from the hostel¡¯s kitchen in herp.


    "Hey, was it a half day?" she asked, a very subtle and weak smile on her lips.


    "Umm, no! I came here to check on you. Were you--in the elevator?" I asked, feeling a bit shy to question her simple action.


    "Yeah. I couldn¡¯t really take the stairs. I¡¯m still having such a headache, but I wanted food, so I took the elevator because that was easier," she answered, taking a big bite from her sandwich.


    "Oh, okay. I will go to the ground for practice. Please message me if you need anything, okay?" I was relieved that she was taking care of herself. Last night, when she heard the truth, she had gone numb.


    "Okay," she smiled, and while I was heading out, she added, "And Hnie, thank you so much."


    Well, I was happy to be there for her. But right now, I needed to go practice some more. As we stood in a line, ready to take our spots and start practicing, I watched Lamar arrive. I remembered he had skipped the first two sses as well.


    And now, he looked like a mess. His shirt was all messy, and bags were under his eyes.


    The minute Jenny saw him, she tried to rush over to him, but I held her hand to stop her.


    "Not here. There have beenints about him already. I was barely able to dodge the punishment, but we were still fined. So, can we do all this once we are off the ground?" I whispered in haste before she confronted him in front of everyone and our group was tagged as the messiest juniors ever.


    Thankfully, she understood, but not before she received a text from her mate. I knew it was her mate because every time he texted her, she would roll her eyes hard.


    "Dammit, he is here," she muttered under her breath, rightfully upset, as this was our practice ss. Why the heck was her mateing here now?


    We didn¡¯t have much time to react because we saw that asshole walk onto the ground and speak to Maximus. I guess he asked to have a little chat with his mate. Maximus let him, watching him walk over to us. My body shuddered, and I started looking around, even more puzzled because Maximus was watching us.


    "Everyone else, go back to your positions and start practicing. I will now start approaching everyone and give them separate time," Maximus announced, but I was distracted by how angry that bastard looked as he grabbed Jenny¡¯s hand to pull her away from the ground.


    I just couldn¡¯t stand here because I was curious. I had to know everything about him so that I know when and how to attack him.


    Hence, I followed but stayed a little afar from them, still behind the trees as they faced each other on the road.


    "What is it?" Jenny hissed at him.


    "What did you dost night?" he asked her, phrasing his question with better details next time, "When I left, what did you do? You weren¡¯t stressed out. In fact, you were happy that your brother took a stand for you. So tell me, what the fuck did you do that I felt that much pain?" he muttered under his breath, his hands tightly balled into fists.


    I was scared for her. He was a dangerous and nasty creature who had no knowledge of right and wrong.


    If she told him that she had cheated on him, he might even hit her. I knelt down and grabbed a rock, just in case it was needed, but I was shaking so badly that I didn¡¯t know if I could even make a good hit.


    "I was practicing," Jenny threw the same excuse in his face that he had been throwing in her face for a while.


    "Jenny! Tell me, what did you do?" As he tried to smile, which made him look even creepier, someone arrived who shouldn¡¯t have intervened.


    "I will tell you what she did. She did me." It was Lamar, standing tall with a smirk on his

 Chapter 213-I Wish He Becomes The Punching Bag

    <h4>Chapter 213: 213-I Wish He Bes The Punching Bag</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I was in disbelief watching Lamar join the two and even air her business out. From what I know, Lamar never really sleeps with anyone and tells the world.


    So what the fuck was he doing now? Why do this to Jenny?


    She turned to him, her face turning pale. "What are you saying?" It was evident through the look on her face that she was eyeing him to take his words back or maybe make it sound like a prank.


    Her jackass mate stepped aside to keep an eye on both of them now.


    "You have two minutes to exin yourment to me," the bastard alpha warned Lamar, who shrugged.


    "I don¡¯t need time to tell you what I meant. We had sexst night, plenty of times in her cabin. In fact, if you go there and check the bin, you will find my semen in the used condoms," Lamar exined, giving details which made Jenny cover her mouth in shock.


    "What the fuck!" her mate turned to her, raising his hand when Lamar jumped between them.


    "Why the fuck are you so scared of him and not telling him about us? It¡¯s not like you want to be with him anymore," Lamar yelled, making me step out from behind the trees. But my aggression was slightly low from how I usually jump between people to break apart a fight.


    I didn¡¯t want to be in that asshole alpha¡¯s view.


    "Is it true? Is what he¡¯s saying true?" her mate yelled at the top of his lungs.


    Jenny was in shock, her hands still over her mouth and her eyes spilling silent tears of fear.


    "It is true. You wanted to know the truth, didn¡¯t you? And she has been over you for a very long time. She even slept with Gavin. Why the fuck did you not feel the pain when she cheated on you so many times? Or maybe your alpha wolf is not as strong as you make him seem," Lamar was out of line, screaming while chuckling to get the alpha all riled up.


    "You fucking moron, you have no idea who you have messed with." As expected, the alpha took a hit to his ego and lunged at Lamar, throwing a punch that Lamar dodged.


    It all happened quickly, so when Lamar sidestepped the punch, Jenny got hit.


    Shended on the ground, blood spluttering out of her nose.


    "Hey!" Lamar yelled, pushing the alpha away from Jenny, who sat on the road with her nose covered in her hands.


    "Jenny!" Even I made a run to her and knelt down beside her.


    "Oh!" The voice from Rayden made me lift my eyes.


    "Now it makes sense. I can tell who encouraged her to do all this," he nodded his head, his eyes staring at me.


    "You did," Lamar noticed and stepped in our way, blocking me from the nasty eyes of the unhinged alpha, whose name was so hard for me to pronounce most of the time.


    Themotion escted, and then someone¡¯s arrival put a stop to everything. Lamar and the jackass, who had their hands on each other with their cors all twisted between each other¡¯s fingers, stepped away as Maximus arrived.


    "What the heck is going on here? Did youe here to do this?" Maximus yelled at Rayden, who quickly looked down before he started defending himself.


    "I was aiming for Lamar¡ªhe slept with my fated mate, and he¡¯s telling me that my mate is sleeping around with everyone. That is disgusting for a mate and humiliating too. This friend group, all they do is fuck each other and then act like they¡¯re just friends," Rayden startedining, tears beginning to leave his eyes. I couldn¡¯t tell if he was genuinely hurt or acting this way to ease up the punishment he would receive for hurting another student.


    But I noticed he wasn¡¯t in uniform, and I wondered why.


    Oh! I remembered. Since he wasn¡¯t in uniform, he could get fined for the altercation, and if Jenny¡¯s family forgives him, he will be spared entirely because they are mates. Lamar might get a severe punishment for instigating him.


    But that wasn¡¯t the main issue. The main problem was the look on Maximus¡¯ face when Rayden exined the dynamic of our group.


    "That is not true. The girls in my group are very respectable," Lamar was now trying to defend us after he hade here and exposed Jenny¡¯s business without her permission.


    I never expected him to be a whistleblower. I¡¯m d I don¡¯t share my secrets with anyone.


    "Really? First Lucy was sleeping around in the group. She had sex with you and Gavin, who was her mate. And now my mate, she slept with Gavin and you. And Goddess knows how many Hnie is sleeping with because I keep seeing her spend time alone with¡ª"


    That was all Rayden had said when we watched a horrifying scene of Maximus throwing a punch from the side that knocked Rayden to the ground.


    Silence engulfed us as we watched the alpha pass out from the punch on the road.


    "And that is how you shut up a disrespectful, ugly pig," Maximus yelled at us. "Lamar, get her help and thene to my office." Of course, Maximus was angry at all of us.


    "And you! You areing with me," Maximus pointed at me, causing Lamar to raise his brow before quickly reaching for Jenny.


    "I¡¯ll call Penn toe collect this bastard too and present him to me and my brothers after he has learned not to drag everyone¡¯s name into his mess." That was a clear warning from Maximus to everyone who might use my name in this argument.


    I wasn¡¯t a child who didn¡¯t know he was threatening them to keep my name out of their mouths.


    "Come with me," he yelled again, and I stood up, following him to his car in bewilderment.


    "What about the training?" I asked in a meek tone, and he had only to turn and pass me a deadly re for me to shut up instantly.

 Chapter 214-The Mother And Her Teacup Party

    <h4>Chapter 214: 214-The Mother And Her Teacup Party</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Yeah, and put Rudy Archer and Sage Mn as the instructors for the day," Maximus was on a phone call with someone, organizing the whole day¡¯s routine for the juniors and assigning two top seniors as their instructors.


    I was sitting in the backseat of his car like a child scared of being scolded by her parents. But it wasn¡¯t my fault. He was so angry and yelling a lot too.


    I had never seen him look at me with that much anger. He even mmed his car door twice when getting in.


    "Where are we going?" I asked after I couldn¡¯t just sit in silence and let him take me wherever he wanted.


    "Hnie, I want you to stay silent for a while," he muttered, fixing the rear view mirror to pass me a challenging re.


    I sank back in my chair and kept looking outside the window. The fact that he just drove around for half an hour without any destination and then finally seemed to take the right path¡ªbut a path to somewhere I didn¡¯t expect him to take me¡ªconfused me.


    "Wait, are we going to the mansion?" I put my hands on the window, looking outside like a child, and questioned him.


    "Yeah," he answered bitterly, grunting right after that.


    "But why? I didn¡¯t want to go back there," I blurted out, instantly making it clear that I had no ns of returning to the ce where I was once kicked out from.


    "Hnie, you are going to sit in silence and let me drive. I get extremely distracted when I¡¯m angry and someone is talking to me, you get it?" he hissed under his breath, making it clear that he wasn¡¯t in the mood to listen to anything.


    "Are you angry about what that alpha said?" I hesitated at the mention of that alpha. Even thinking about him saddened my entire being.


    He didn¡¯t answer me and kept driving. I remembered the road to the mansion, especially the road up to the main gate.


    It reminded me of the day I had escaped my death sentence and came to my mother for shelter.


    In those moments, I badly wanted a mother to hide me in her wings and protect me from everything harsh in this world. But that didn¡¯t happen.


    I met the angry gaze of a mother who would rather hug and call her friend¡¯s daughter her family than embrace her own vulnerable daughter.


    My pout hardened, and I folded my arms over my chest as he stopped the car and got out. He walked over to my side and opened the door, but I stayed sitting, swinging my legs and staring at my white knee-high socks.


    "Hnie,e out," he insisted in a harsh andmanding tone.


    "Did I not tell you I didn¡¯t want toe back here? Why didn¡¯t you listen?" I muttered, not even turning my head to look at him. I kept my chin down and continued swinging my legs, mming one down and then raising the other, arms still crossed tightly over my chest.


    "I wanted to have a talk with you here, not at the hostel or academy," his tone softened a little once he realized I wasn¡¯t going to act guilty and take his anger.


    "Then there are caf¨¦s for that," I hissed, finally turning my head to re at him.


    "Yeah, but this is your house too. You can¡¯t just ban it for yourself, especially when¡ª" He stopped mid-sentence after receiving a disapproving re from me.


    "I want you toe to the mansion. And you are going to, since you¡¯re my mate. You need to warm up toing back here because the way you¡¯re so aggressive about returning to the mansion makes me wonder if I don¡¯t do anything now, you¡¯ll only grow more stubborn about it," he spoke in a whisper, causing my body to twitch slightly.


    It felt entirely weird to listen to someone make such future ns for me. It¡¯s Maximus now, but it was Kaye before that.


    And, to be honest, I¡¯ve never had anyone make ns with me or for me. I used to be the one constantly asking Altan about our future, and he would dodge the question.


    "Please, can youe inside? Or do you want me to be dramatic and cause a scene so everyone starts talking about how the rogue king tossed his stepsister over his shoulder and took her inside?" He had a sly smile on his face when he posed the little threat, making me narrow my eyes at him.


    "Fine, I won¡¯t do anything like that. Which is why I¡¯m requesting: can you pleasee in?"


    I could tell he was holding back his anger from the earlier issue. I felt like I could go in and hear him out. If I didn¡¯t, he would assume my group just messes around, like Rayden made us seem.


    After I sighed and slipped out of the car, he held my hand to drag me after him. It looked so weird, but I just followed him in silence.


    Once we entered the mansion, my body was covered in goosebumps at the sight of my mother, Aunt Emma, and her daughter Charlotte sitting in the living room, enjoying some tea. They wore beautiful dresses, had full-face makeup, and even their hairstyles were done perfectly.


    One could easily tell Charlotte wakes upte, does her morning routine, and then gets showered with love by the women around her for the rest of the day.


    The minute they saw me arrive with Maximus, their hands froze, teacups suspended mid-air. Charlotte was quick to elbow her mother, clearly expressing how distraught she was to see me. I remembered when Maximus told me Charlotte had made a pass at him.


    Was that why she looked so upset seeing me being dragged upstairs by Maximus?


    My mother tried to make eye contact with me, but I quickly looked away.


    Maximus took me to his bedroom and mmed the door shut. It felt so weird being alone in his room after he had kicked me out the first time.

 Chapter 215-Norman Doesn’t Want To Lose Me

    <h4>Chapter 215: 215-Norman Doesn¡¯t Want To Lose Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What was Rayden saying? Is it true that your group is getting involved in such immoral actions? Did Lucy cheat on her mate? Did Gavin cheat back on her? Did Jenny cheat on her mate with both the group members?" he phrased it all and made me realize how bad it sounded.


    "Hnie, I am not saying I believe in that man when he spoke about you. But you are going to get yourself in a lot of trouble like that. Why is your group so hell-bent on ruining your progress?" My body flinched when he used a bitter tone for my friends.


    "You are making it seem like they are doing it on purpose. They were having troubles, and trust me, it is normal in mates," as I was in the process of exining about my group to him, his door started getting banged on like someone had to pee inside.


    Maximus frowned, even hissed under his breath before answering the door. It was Kaye, who mmed the door open and then got inside, even hitting Maximus with his shoulder as he did so.


    "What is going on? Why do you have her here in your bedroom?" Kaye almost yelled before he took a deep breath, swallowed some of his anger, and then opened his eyes to ask the same question in a much better tone this time.


    "Why is it that I heard from the warriors that you have asked Sage and Rudy to be the juniors¡¯ instructors because you took Hnie with you?" Kaye ced his palms together, using them to gesture at me and then back at Maximus, a way to control his wrath.


    "Something happened on the ground today," Maximus groaned when being questioned.


    "And it was rted to Hnie?" Kaye asked, his entire focus on me.


    "Yes! Because of that, her group of friends are getting questioned, and guess who is leading in the group? Hnie! Her progress is making her stand out, so when these things get out, she will get bad grades and reputation," Maximus finally straightened his back to face his brother much more furiously now.


    "Huh? What kind of stuff are you hearing?" Now that Kaye heard it was about my reputation, suddenly he was interested in the topic.


    "Alpha Rayden made a im that everyone in her group is sleeping together. The confirmed cases are¡ªLucy, Gavin, Lamar, and Jenny," Maximus said their names, and my body felt this urge to defend them hard.


    However, there was another knock on the door, and I couldn¡¯t help but lower my hands to show how exhausted I was to see another personing to see what was going on.


    As the door opened, Emmet walked in this time. But the exhaustion on my face changed to embarrassment.


    I didn¡¯t want the rumors to be discussed in front of him. He takes me with so much respect that I don¡¯t want to be seen like a whore in front of him.


    "What is going on?" Emmet asked in his casual sweet tone. His eyes quickly scanned me to make sure I was fine before he turned to his brothers.


    "Oh look! The sleeping prince came out," Maximus made eye contact with Kaye, who rolled his eyes at the arrival of Emmet.


    Wow!


    I didn¡¯t know there was trouble between the brothers. The way they were hostile right off the bat towards Emmet was seriously worrisome.


    "Hnie! Come with me. I will drop you to the hostel," Emmet said, avoiding the harsh res and weird looks from his brothers.


    "No! I brought her here to discuss some stuff with her. She will leave when I say so, and not when you decide for her," Maximus quickly got in his brother¡¯s way, using a much more distasteful tone with him.


    "I know what happened. I heard everything. Hnie has nothing to do with it. Those are just teenagers going through a hard phase. Hnie doesn¡¯t have to answer for anything," Emmet exined, tapping his two fingers onto Maximus¡¯ shoulder to gesture him to step aside and let me pass through.


    "How is it not involving her when Rayden used her name too? He was spreading rumors because the reputation of her group is not well. It can get her in trouble," Maximus yelled, and I saw Kaye shift swiftly to look at me for answers.


    "Rayden said her name?" However, I realized the severity of the situation when Emmet sounded concerned.


    "Exactly. It sounds odd, and because of thest encounter of the juniors with the seniors, her group is already being mentioned as troublemakers. Where she is doing great things, her friends are busy ruining her reputation," Maximus exined, putting the me on my friends once again.


    This time, since the door was open, Norman walked in without having to knock on it.


    "Seriously? Here?" Norman asked, giving us a tired look.


    "And you! What is wrong with your group? Why am I receiving a secondint in one week from your team?" Norman was much more vocal and loud when questioning me.


    "My friends are having some trouble¡ª," I was shut down when Norman continued.


    "First, you guys should havee to us and let us handle the other situation when the seniors attacked you all, instead of nning revenge and assaulting them back. And now¡ªwe are getting letters that you are all doing¡ªweird stuff in your dorm rooms," Norman took a pause, but I believe the thing he censored wasn¡¯t a good one.


    "What letters?" Maximus asked Norman, who held up a bunch of anonymous letters to his brothers.


    "What is it?" I asked.


    "Someone is sending letters saying your group is involved in unholy activities," Kaye mumbled, reading the letter.


    "Who sent these? I am going to¡ª," Emmet shut up when both Kaye and Maximus shared a nce. That was an odd reaction, and the way Emmet quickly cut off made it even weirder.


    "Anyway, I will deal with these, but I don¡¯t want any moreints. You¡¯re leading our academy by surprise, and I don¡¯t want anyone to mess it up," surprisingly, Norman pointed at me and yelled. This was the first time he was stubborn about making sure I didn¡¯t lose my progress.

 Chapter 216-Facing My Evil Mother

    <h4>Chapter 216: 216-Facing My Evil Mother</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Now let¡¯s go. You need to be back in your academy and make sure you tell your friends to stop with their weirdness," Norman yelled at me from over his brothers, who didn¡¯t look too happy.


    But they were too busy judging Emmet as he crumbled the letter in anger.


    "Mention a gorgeous girl, and the alcoholic is suddenly growing a spine," as I was walking past the brothers to follow Norman, I heard Kaye make ament. And I knew it was towards Emmet.


    I suddenly just felt so bad for Emmet. Whatever made him drink was overlooked. He was called these names without any mention of what made him turn this way.


    After experiencing my own trauma, I¡¯vee to realize that the behavior of others is usually rooted from a deep trauma of some sort.


    As I reached the first floor, I noticed Norman look a bit ufortable. He kept looking up as if checking on his brothers but would then force himself to focus on taking me back home.


    "You can go talk to them, I can wait here," I said, and when he looked at me, I shrugged.


    I bet he wasn¡¯t happy that I knew what he was worried over. But since I had already said it, he took the chance and rushed upstairs. I strolled and reached the living room where the women were once part of. They were not here anymore, but their little tea party was still ongoing from the hot tea in the teacups.


    "Why are you back here? And why was Maximus holding your hand?" I recognized the annoying voice of Charlotte. I turned around and saw her stand there with her hands on her waist.


    I was hoping she wouldn¡¯t instigate me anymore. I was no longer the Hnie who would listen to them and only nod her head.


    I grew a big tongue after bing part of the academy.


    "And why are you--huh! That uniform!" She sounded so upset when picking up on my uniform.


    "What is your problem? Is it the fact that Maximus brought me back here or that I got admission in the academy?" I questioned in a stern and exhausted tone. The tone that instantly plucked her eyes out of her sockets.


    I could almost hear her scream in her head as she pointed at me, ¡¯Look at the audacity of Hnie for using such a tone with me.¡¯


    "You know you probably got the admission because the brothers felt bad for you and were nice to you on the testing grounds," she added, probably thinking she ate.


    "Charlotte! If you think it is that easy and anyone can be a part of the academy by just making the brothers feel bad for them, why don¡¯t you try it too? You can ask your mother to rub some butter on my mother nice and well and convince Lord McQuoid to give you admission in the academy! At least that will help with the bitter itch that you are having," I muttered in a sassy tone, my hands on my waist and my bodynguage just like the mean girls.


    I swear I would hate anyone doing this to me, but only if unprovoked. Charlotte deserved it.


    "How--," before she could ask me how dare I speak to her like that, my mother dearest arrived.


    "Mom!" Charlotte called for her mother, who I could tell had been hiding behind the door and listening in on our conversation. She jumped out, looking like a bouncer as she walked our way with her eyes narrowed at me.


    Charlotte instantly ran into her arms, poor girl crying because I gave it back to her.


    "Why are you back here? Why now? Why won¡¯t you leave me alone? You didn¡¯t want to be a part of my family until you found out I am going to marry a rich and powerful man. You only came back to take advantage, and now you got one. You are part of the academy, thanks to me," hearing this from my mother was really painful. But I didn¡¯t show it to her.


    Imagine being told that you¡¯re being talked about because of how well you¡¯re doing in the academy, but somehow my mother never acknowledges it. It just hurts.


    "When I left this mansion, I left the memory of you and I behind. I¡¯m sure you did it too. And thanks, because it helped me find my own path and not rely on a bunch of people who never saw me more than just a weapon of revenge against their mates," I spoke, my voice shaking a little. It¡¯s not easy to find out that your parents only wanted to use you to hurt each other.


    They only loved me until their rejection. Was I never more than that?


    "You will not dictate my life and my suffering like that. I did not weaponize you. In fact, I don¡¯t even want to acknowledge you as my daughter. You are nothing--" As she screamed in my face, she made me tear up. Good job! She could really break my confidence just like that.


    But I shut her up when I screamed back in her face, "And I hope to stay that way. You are not my mother, as I am not your daughter. So don¡¯t fucking yell at me. Don¡¯t fucking tell me what I should and shouldn¡¯t do with my life. And go ahead, fucking take care of that brat," I shouted, making Emma quickly put her hands on her daughter¡¯s ears so that she wouldn¡¯t hear the bad words being said about her.


    "Mommy, now you have to get me an admission in this academy," Charlotte began to sob on her mother¡¯s chest while my mother kept staring at me with her eyes wide and tears forming in them.


    "What? Does it hurt? Huh! Don¡¯t worry, once you get past the phase of wanting a family, you¡¯ll stop getting hurt by everything they say to you," I gave her a forced and very miserable smirk before I turned around to leave.


    But that¡¯s when I spotted Norman standing behind us, listening to us.

 Chapter 217-The Night I Felt The Mate Bond With The Lycan

    <h4>Chapter 217: 217-The Night I Felt The Mate Bond With The Lycan</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Once I sat in Norman¡¯s car, I started to take deep breaths. "Wow, I finally did it," I said to myself, but the minute Norman stormed back in, I gulped and sat straight.


    He sat in the driver¡¯s seat and started driving, but the minute he adjusted the mirror, I knew he was ready to have a talk.


    "You really didn¡¯t want toe back, huh?" It was more like a statement to himself than a question to me.


    "I would much rather live in the woods than in a luxurious ce where I am not respected," I replied, looking outside the window.


    "And what about your friends? They are causing damage to your reputation," he stated as he brought up the main topic again.


    "They are not doing anything to me. I get involved because I care," I replied again with much confidence this time.


    I was not guilty of having my friends and being part of their messed-up situation. They needed me, and I was not a coward who would turn her back on her friends just because she wants a peaceful life for herself.


    "What if they be the reason you lose the great opportunity of bing a top senior in the future or maybe even getting more privileges?" It was odd how he always asked so many questions to me. It wasn¡¯t that he wanted to get to know me, but more like he was intrigued.


    "Norman, I don¡¯t know about you or others around me. But I am there for my friends. Just because they have ws doesn¡¯t mean I will leave them. I have my own messy situations too. But they stand with me through and through. I will not leave them just because someone is spreading rumors about us. I am not scared of rumors," I stated confidently.


    I couldn¡¯t be too afraid of everything. Not to mention, I was already living a life where I had to be very cautious for my past catching up with me, and now I have to be concerned about who I befriend.


    "Hmm, never really expected such courage from you," hismentpelled my eyes to him.


    "I just don¡¯t understand how their personal issues can damage my reputation. Just because they are having trouble, should we leave them? These things exist because people see them as such a big deal. That is why they are now called a rumor. Rayden used our group of messing up, but he never told anyone that he had been cheating on Jenny and always gaslights her whenever she questions him. She was left with no other choice but to give it back to him. And you must have heard how he acted when he felt the pain. Why didn¡¯t he take her excuse like she has to take his every time he cheats?" I asked, and Norman sighed.


    "Because Lamar confessed. You need to also hold your friends ountable when they do something wrong. Confront Lamar and ask him why he exposed her business like that," he was not wrong, but I had a question for him.


    "What would you do if your brother turns out to be someone who is hurting others? Let¡¯s just say, your brother is the real one having a hard time, would you confront him?" The minute I inquired it from him, I saw his bodynguage change.


    His shoulders slouched down, and he almost missed the turn.


    "I will not--do it publicly. But I will do it in private and then make sure he doesn¡¯t do it again," he replied, but there was a weird hesitation in his voice for the first time.


    Not like how he always talks like he knows everything.


    "Anyway, it is the month of the eclipse. Emmet will have a lecture prepared for tomorrow about this month, but I will tell you briefly that the month will have lunar eclipse two hours every night. The lunar eclipse is a, um--more like a full moon in a weird way. Whenever the eclipse happens at night, it gives out the effects of a full moon, which means every night will be a full moon night for two hours. Just remind the warden to tell the students not to leave their dorms and the hostels after midnight," he exined, but took weird pauses in between.


    I sat curiously and then asked him something that I didn¡¯t expect to get him so nervous, "Does that mean the lycan will be out every night now?"


    He swiftly turned his head to me, almost going off the road before he grunted, "How do you know about the lycan?"


    "I heard the rumors--and then I saw him too," I said casually, not really thinking it would be such a big deal.


    I mean, that is what he meant when he said to not go out at night, right?


    "Hnie, a rumor is just a rumor--wait! Did you say you encountered the lycan--?" He immediately parked the car on the side of the road and jumped out of the car.


    I was regretting even mentioning it now.


    "You--," I have never watched Norman hyperventte like that. He sounded like a beast going crazy. I could even hear a gulp that he forced down his throat.


    He ran to my side and mmed the door open, making me jump back in the seat. I felt like he was going to rip the door off.


    "It was you that night?" As he posed that question, goosebumps appeared all over my skin, and I just kept watching his face.


    "What do you mean? How do you--," I gulped, feeling a weird coldness around me. It was like I was staring into the eyes of someone who knew my secret about that night.


    Who knew that I had felt the mate bond with the lycan?


    But that can¡¯t be. He wasn¡¯t there, then why was he asking me that question?


    "Tell me, was it you that night?" he continued, his eyes starting to turn red from holding back tears.


    In a mild and scared tone, I replied with a head nod and then uttered, "Yes! It was me that night."

 Chapter 218-A Sex Toy

    <h4>Chapter 218: 218-A Sex Toy</h4> "Were you--were you there?" I asked, stuttering and not even able to finish talking.


    "The warden told me someone left the hostel that night, and I didn¡¯t know--Hnie! Why? Why do you keep getting yourself in trouble?" As he resumed with his casual, cocky, and rude yelling, I realized he knew nothing.


    I am so d I didn¡¯t end up telling him anything. What if I had confided in him about the Lycan and gotten myself in trouble?


    "I was--looking for my friend Lucy. She was in the woods too. But then the Lycan attacked me, and my friends had toe to save me," I replied with much ease now that I knew he wasn¡¯t there and knew nothing more than what the warden had told him.


    "Ugh! I don¡¯t want any moreints. You are about to set a new record where a girl without a wolf is acing every test, and you are doing everything in your power to ruin it for yourself. I don¡¯t want that," he was leaning in the doorway, his finger posing a threat to me.


    "I thought you wanted me out of the academy," I shrugged, folding my arms over my chest, and I could tell he didn¡¯t like it. He hated when someone acted tough or not respectful in front of his royal highness.


    "I didn¡¯t. Because I thought you would not be a great fit, but you proved it otherwise, and now my academy is about to set a record. So you better--behave," he yelled, reaching inside with his big head forward.


    "What if I mess it up? I mean, I don¡¯t know, I am just a girl without a wolf." Now that I knew he was so looking forward to a record that I was definitely excited for, I decided to tease him just a little.


    "Hnie, I will not hesitate to spank you if you ruin this," he muttered, realizing how bad his words sounded, "I mean, I will--spend time scolding you. That is what I said."


    Oh goodness, is that what it looks like to make a giant man like him blush?


    "Okay! I will behave," I replied because I wanted to go back home now. His cologne was extremely strong; that chocte scent was too much.


    I was starving too.


    He nodded his head and then took the seat to drive me to the hostel. Thankfully, none of us started another conversation. I had too much of the McQuaid brothers for the day.


    My confidence was also over the roof after giving it back to all my bullies today, but once I got off his car, I remembered the whole mess that would wait in my group now.


    I remembered every word that the brothers spoke and decided to have a meeting with my friends.


    They needed to get their shit together before they all got kicked out of the academy. I sent a group text and asked them all toe to my dorm room in ten minutes.


    I entered my room to change before their arrival and noticed Lucy¡¯s bed was empty. She must be at the hall for dinner. So I took a quick shower, and by the time I came out, sure enough, all my friends were in the room. I expected a few to be difficult, but they took my text very seriously.


    Now I stood before them in blue baggy jeans and a purple sweater on, my hands on my waist. Lucy sat on the bed, a tray of food in herp, having literally no care in the world about what was happening around her.


    I saw Gavin look at her and then look down. At least he looked guilty. Lamar stood with the wall, his head down and his hands in his pants¡¯ pockets. Penn stood next to his sister, who refused to transition and let the bruise decorate her face.


    "I am sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to--hurt Lucy. I just got scared when I slept with Jenny and--," Gavin took the lead but couldn¡¯t finish because Lucy didn¡¯t even seem to realize we were discussing her. She cracked the crab leg and excitedly dipped it in the sauce.


    "Lucy! I thought somewhere along the line I would make it up to you, but I was so scared of being called a cheater that I just--yed you. And then when you cheated on me, my ass was so hurt. Merely because I knew I did it while I was drunk. I know it is not an excuse, but you cheating on me twice just made me so angry because I knew it was over. Yet I fucked up when I forced myself to give us a try and--" he reached over to the bed and sat down, talking to her, but when she raised her head and frowned, he stopped talking.


    "Oh, it is alright. You cheated, I cheated, then you cheated, now the game is over. I forgive you, and I am really not upset," she shrugged, sounding extremely satisfied as she put her focus back on the crab legs.


    That was odd and not normal.


    "How about we talk about this asshole who yed my sister?" Penn yelled as he brought our attention back from Lucy and towards Lamar, who looked away while rolling his eyes.


    I didn¡¯t really like his attitude. I never thought Lamar would be acting this way again.


    "I didn¡¯t know she was going to hide it from him," Lamar finally spoke up, not really making it easy for himself.


    "Really? And you just identally told him about Gavin too? You were purposely instigating him. Why?" Jenny got up, yelling, but her brother held her back by holding her arm.


    "I am sorry, okay? I got angry that you were still nning on staying with that douchebag. I was like--wow! She slept with me, and now she wanted to be back with her mate? I am not a sex toy, okay?" Lamar yelled, silencing us all as he put a different narrative out about himself this time.


    He wanted something serious with Jenny?

 Chapter 219-The Missing Evidence

    <h4>Chapter 219: 219-The Missing Evidence</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Hearing Lamar caused silence for a minute before Penn tried lunging at Lamar.


    I had to get in their way before they started fighting in my dorm room, and once again the attention would be back on our group.


    "Stop this!" I yelled, getting in between them and extending my arms to push them both apart.


    "We have been under the scrutiny of the trainers because of what¡¯s been going on in our group. One more discourse and our entire group will be punished or might even get suspended," as I yelled, they went silent.


    Jenny took slow strides to reach Lamar. Her eyes showed how much rage she had in them. She muttered, "You had no right to y me like this. I don¡¯t believe you did anything because you wanted something serious with me or that you wanted me out of Rayden¡¯s cage."


    A big tear rolled down her face, but she sniffled it back to add, "But tell me, where is my stuff that you stole from me?"


    "What did he steal from you? Is it--something branded?" Penn quickly questioned his sister, whose eyes were stuck on Lamar.


    "Please, give me back that thing. It is the only thing that I have that can help me get freed," she uttered, tears streaming down her face at this point. She was no longer yelling or shouting at Lamar but requesting him.


    I watched Lamar look away, not even showing concern or guilt for making her so vulnerable.


    "I don¡¯t have your thing," Lamar shrugged. Penn stared between the two before he grabbed Lamar by his cor to issue a warning.


    "Whatever you stole from her, I want it back before midnight, or else--" Penn threatened, making it hard for me to separate them at this point.


    "I told you, I don¡¯t know what she is talking about. And what can you do anyway? Because we can settle this outside right now," I knew Lamar was not afraid of any alpha, but going outside after dark would be stupidity.


    "Nobody is heading out for a month. The warden has made it clear," I mentioned the announcement from earlier that she made after Norman told me to inform her about the lunar eclipse month.


    "You want to know what I can do?" Penn avoided me and kept shaking Lamar, who steadily lowered his gaze to stare at Penn¡¯s hands on his cor before he grasped his hands to free himself.


    "Ask her what went missing?" Lamar turned to Jenny, who gulped anxiously.


    I guess she must have told Lamar too about wanting to get the DNA test done for the strands of red hair so that she could find the girl and make her confess before the council that Alpha Rayden has been cheating on her. That way, she could demand a rejection, and Rayden wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge it anymore.


    Penn now turned to focus on his sister because of the way Lamar spoke about the missing item.


    "What is it that he stole from you?" I sighed as Penn posed that question. Lamar was constantly avoiding making eye contact with anyone at this point.


    Gavin stood in the corner with his head down, but he was getting a lot of notifications on his phone. And then there was Lucy.


    I turned briefly to check on her and found her more worried about the meat stuck in the crab¡¯s leg than what was going on in the room right in front of her.


    "I think--I might have misced it. I will confirm it and then--" Jenny kept her head down, not even raising her eyes.


    "See, she doesn¡¯t even know what I stole, and you are threatening me for it. How rude! Just because I identally told her mate out of anger and frustration that she cheated, you guys are nowbeling me as a thief as well?" I was so upset and disappointed with Lamar. Why was he punishing Jenny like that?


    Penn looked disappointed and embarrassed, and since he had nothing else to say, he grabbed his sister¡¯s hand and pulled her away from us.


    "That is it. Your friendship with this group is over. Ever since they came into your life, you have turned into a mess. You forgot about your mission and why you came to this academy. Let this be an eye-opening event and pray Rayden forgives you after this," Penn was speaking in a harsh tone with her.


    Since I knew Lamar had messed up, even I couldn¡¯t defend my group. Her brother had every right to look after her, but him not wanting to realize she was not happy with Rayden was where he messed up.


    "Let¡¯s go," he dragged Jenny out of the room, passing me ast nce as he exited.


    "You should go rest too, Gavin. And probably check those messages," I said to Gavin, giving him a disapproving look. With his head down and his eyes on the ground, he nodded and left the room.


    "Oh shoot! There are no crab legs left. I¡¯ll go get some mussels. Do you guys want something? They¡¯re treating us very well tonight," Lucy jumped off the bed with the tray in her hands and a smile on her lips.


    Of course, seafood is not cheap, but her behavior was so off. This was not normal, but before I could even muster some courage to remind her that acting like everything was fine was crazy, she had run out of the room.


    Now that it was only Lamar and me left, I decided to confront him.


    "You stole those hairs from Jenny. I¡¯m not going to ask you why because I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t be honest with me. But return them to her. You said you were shocked why she isn¡¯t telling Rayden that she cheated so he can reject her. Well, she wants to prove to the council that he cheated first so she can demand a rejection because, considering how messy and awful Rayden is, he still might not reject her," I yammered, hoping anything I said would help him realize he was just causing trouble for an innocent girl.


    And just when I thought he would consider my request, he faced me and, in a very selfish and cold tone, replied, "Ah! I don¡¯t have it. And if you¡¯re done lecturing me, I¡¯ll go rest now."

 Chapter 220-In The Dark

    <h4>Chapter 220: 220-In The Dark</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I couldn¡¯t make Lamar speak with me. And in anger, I just didn¡¯t want to request a talk with him either. Lucy returned with more food and sat in the bed to eat alone with a smile on her lips.


    I wanted to speak with her, but she looked sofortable that I felt guilty for almost trying to make her cry over the injustice that happened to her. But since it was too early to do so, I decided to give her a day. She would probably be herself by the morning. Denial could be dangerous.


    Iy down in the bed after Lucy was done eating, and we both fell asleep before I woke up in the middle of the night at the sound of the door closing. Rubbing my eyes to confirm, it was Lamar who had left.


    The night was still not over, and it was only 12:15 a.m. I guess I will take a walk near the library. The warden told us the library would be open till morning so that those agitated wolves who wanted to go out at night but couldn¡¯t anymore have somewhere to stay awake at.


    But since nobody liked the library as it didn¡¯t help an agitated wolf, I nned to go there. I didn¡¯t have a wolf, so I guess I would find something to read and spend time with. I had no clue where Lamar had gone, probably to some girl¡¯s room to get the heat off and change his mood.


    Once I was on the ground floor and was about to enter the library, I realized somebody was already there.


    Storming inside, I began to reach thest shelves where a little light was turned on. However, it was a shlight that went out instantly after my footsteps became too loud.


    I knew who it was.


    I could hear little sobs from the corner right beside thest shelf. There was just a little space by the wall where he had fit himself perfectly and was sitting on the floor with his knees curled to his chest.


    "Lamar?" Even though I had never heard him cry before, I just knew it was his cries.


    He stopped, and it was I who turned my shlight on this time. It was indeed him, sobbing alone and looking so miserable.


    "Hey," I ignored everything else and quickly sat down beside him.


    "Are you okay?" My question made him point at my shlight; he wanted to sit in the dark.


    Before putting out the shlight, I noticed the red hair in the stic bag ced in front of him and his eyes fixed on them.


    Once it went dark, he began to sob again. My heart ached every time he hupped.


    "You know whose hair these are," Imented, hearing his sobs die a little.


    "Do you know her? Is she your¡ª" I couldn¡¯t finish because he was already set on responding to me.


    "My sister¡¯s."


    My heart sank in my chest when he spoke in the most painful tone ever. This was the first time he was talking about someone from his family. He never really mentioned or talked about his family. I even heard him whimper like a child before he sniffed and started cleaning his cheeks with the back of his hand. I could see him in the dark, even though not very well, but the small light from outside the window a little far from us made us not so blind in the dark.


    "Oh! Does she like him¡ª" Thinking about a girl, that too Lamar¡¯s sister, in love with Rayden, was not easy for me.


    She will have to face so much because of falling for the wrong guy. I had millions of scenarios ying in my head, but not exactly what Lamar was going to say.


    "His victim," my muscles contracted, and silence engulfed me. It was like he spoke something so horrific to me that I failed to respond.


    "She was my everything, my only family. We grew up together in foster care. It was just her and me. We would cause so much ruckus whenever someone tried parting us. She was, umm¡ªmy father¡¯s daughter with his mistress. But I didn¡¯t care. She was my sister. I never saw her as any less of a family. After our parents passed, we were moved around from foster care to another foster home. Every time someone came to adopt me, I would yell and scream to stay with her. It was usually me who everyone wanted because I was a guy, and they assumed I would grow up strong. But I didn¡¯t leave with anyone. I couldn¡¯t leave my sister behind¡ªshe was my family¡ªHnie¡ªshe was my family." His voice was so miserable that I instantly teared up but didn¡¯t let the sobs reach his ears.


    I didn¡¯t want to intervene. I am not even sure how long he had been keeping all this in his heart.


    "Where is she now?" I already suspected the answer, but I wanted to know how she was Rayden¡¯s victim.


    "I dug her grave in the mountains. I go there sometimes to speak with her. I even told her about you¡ªI said¡ª¡¯Hey, I found someone just as pure as you.¡¯ And then I couldn¡¯t tell her what simrities I saw between you two because, look-wise, you two arepletely different," he uttered softly, but I knew what simrities he must have felt.


    The smell of a victim is almost the same. The look on their faces and the broken dreams in their eyes are the same.


    "She died¡ªwhen and how?" I gulped, my heart racing in my chest. It was almost like I was asking about myself to him.


    "She was murdered¡ªshe was killed in a way that¡ª" Lamar started crying loudly now. I had to quickly hug him, but instead, hey down and put his head in myp.


    He was all over the ce, and I wondered what Rayden did to her.


    "What was her name?" I asked just to calm him down, and his body rxed a little.

 Chapter 221-The Victim In The Backseat Of Their Car

    <h4>Chapter 221: 221-The Victim In The Backseat Of Their Car</h4>


    <strong>Rayden:</strong>


    My friends had left earlier with the girls they met at the club. But I couldn¡¯t enjoy myself since my crazy mate had been blowing up my phone. Ever since I found out Jenny was my mate, I had been so in love with her. But then, she was not really good in bed.


    In fact, I had to coerce her every time I wanted to initiate something. It just didn¡¯t make sense to me why a mate would say no to their mate.


    Just fucking give up already.


    I groaned as I pushed the rearview mirror to the side so that I didn¡¯t see my friend doing the girl he picked from the club in the back of my seat.


    I hit the brakes hard in front of the motel, and my friend raised his head from between her legs.


    "Why are you stopping here?" he asked, confused.


    "Get out with your chick. You should do her in there and not in my car," I muttered, pissed off that he didn¡¯t realize I was getting all horny with them moaning in the backseat of my car.


    "Ew, I am not sleeping in this motel with you. I was promised some alpha bed," the girl snapped her fingers, clicking her tongue as she spoke.


    Rizz gave her a look and realized she wasn¡¯t it.


    "Umm, how about you go home then?" Rizz threw some money at her and opened the door for her to leave.


    She shot him a look of disappointment before she headed out of the car.


    "Why didn¡¯t you do her?" I inquired, watching Rizz wear his shirt and jump into the passenger seat with me.


    "I wasn¡¯t really feeling her. She was too loose for my liking," he replied.


    The others had left to sleep with the girls they picked from the club at the hotels and now it was just the two of us.


    "I feel bad for you. You are going through an even worse time. Your mate needs to back off," Rizz said, fixing the mirror so he could take care of his hair.


    "She is just innocent herself, so she wants me to remain innocent too. She doesn¡¯t understand that I am no longer the fifteen-year-old that was in love with her. I have grown up, and I do still love her, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t deserve some fun. At least until we have marked each other in a respected ceremony," I uttered in Jenny¡¯s defense. I was actually a little possessive about Jenny myself.


    As Rizz straightened his back and narrowed his eyes on the road, I followed his stare in a quick move.


    "Ohh! Check that out," I whistled at the beautiful girl standing on the side of the road with books tucked in her hands, close to her chest.


    "Look at those long red hair," Rizz joined me in appreciating the beauty in front of us.


    "See, this is what I mean when I say I like feminine energy. She looks so timid, so scared, as if the only one who can protect her is an alpha," I whispered, closing in on her. As I slowed down, I watched her steadily back away and look away from our car, as if she wasn¡¯t even seeing us.


    "Wanna pick her up?" Rizz already knew my answer when I rolled the window down.


    "Hey, what are you doing out in the middle of the night? It is going to rain soon, and you don¡¯t even seem to have an umbre with you," I used my mostforting voice on her.


    Once she¡¯s in my car and knows who I am, I¡¯m pretty sure she would be more than happy to be mine for the night.


    No she-wolf can ever deny the fact that they secretly want an alpha for a mate, whether it¡¯s a fated mate or a chosen mate.


    "I¡¯m waiting for a cab," she said in a genuinely soft tone. The way she hugged her books even tighter while watching us stare at her was so adorable.


    "Listen, the weather is about to get very bad. I don¡¯t think you can get a cab around this time. Why don¡¯t you let us drop you home? We¡¯re two alphas on a visit; we can drive you safely home." The minute she heard we were alphas, her posture rxed.


    "Oh! Thank goodness, I was so scared. But of course, the Moon Goddess sent the alphas for my protection." She was instantly relieved.


    There was no secret in the fact that since an alpha, we¡¯d nevermit a crime. We were thew here; we were supposed to take care of our people, especially poor omega she-wolves that needed saving. I mean, not just omegas¡ªshe-wolves were all the same, no matter their rank.


    "Hop in," Rizz got out of the car and helped her sit in the back. But the minute he decided to go in the backseat with her, I noticed the girl look a little ufortable. That was insulting, but I let it slide.


    After I took a much-abandoned road, using the guise of the rush on the other road, I let Rizz make the first move.


    I could tell he put his hand on her thigh because she jumped in her seat and backed away.


    "What are you doing?" Her voice was hostile, not like someone who appreciates help.


    "Come on. I¡¯m an alpha, the very handsome one. I think I like you, and if you are able to please me¡ª" The minute Rizz made his intentions clear, she huffed so loudly that even I had to fix the rearview mirror to watch her reaction.


    "Stop the car, please. I didn¡¯t know two alphas would think this low of their people. I didn¡¯t take the car in hopes of pleasing you. I am not born to please you. Please, just stop the car," in the most disrespectful tone ever, she made us realize not all helpless-looking she-wolves are worth gentleness.


    "We don¡¯t take no for an answer. You should have never gotten in our car," I understood she had pissed Rizz off.


    And the next thing I knew, he was using his power to pin her down. I heard her scream and scratch the back of the car, which got me all angry.


    Throughout the time, she didn¡¯t give up. Even when we switched and I took the backseat while Rizz sat in the driver¡¯s seat.


    We drove around in the rain, taking turns until it was morning. And then we had to make the decision of killing her.


    I let Rizz do it¡ªhe liked it somehow. Her muffled screams as we watched herst breath leave her body were just amazing.


    "Her brother is calling her," Iughed when I saw her phone on the side, notifying an iing call from ¡¯My Savior, My Brother.¡¯

 Chapter 222-Her Dead Body And My Dead Dreams

    <h4>Chapter 222: 222-Her Dead Body And My Dead Dreams</h4>


    <strong>Lamar:</strong>


    "Come on, Evaline, where are you?" I had my phone next to my ear, a beautiful white dress resting in a cover for my sister.


    She had turned eighteenst night, but I had to go buy so much stuff for her the whole day that we waited for the night for celebrations.


    Also, she had herst exam today. I was pretty excited for her.


    I baked a cake for the first time and was also going to surprise her with an apartment that I bought for us.


    A ce where my sister and I would live like a family without any fear of getting kicked out ever again.


    "Life is going to be perfect for you, my little sister," I set the candles on the cake, worried if she would arrive now.


    It was past midnight, and I wondered if her celebrations with her friends were over yet. She had made many friends in her life, and I have only her as a friend.


    I didn¡¯t want to upy myself with other activities that would lead me to lose my focus on providing for Evaline.


    She wasn¡¯t just my sister; I saw her as my little daughter even when we were only one year apart. And I never wanted any other family besides her.


    I didn¡¯t want a mate, not interested in mates either.


    But my patience was wavering thin now. She had called me and told me she wasing in an hour, but now, it had been more than an hour, and there were no signs of her.


    I called her repeatedly, but she never picked up my calls.


    But that¡¯s when I decided to not sit at home and do something about it.


    I began to run around to her friends¡¯ homes, and they all seemed to have returned half an hour ago already.


    Then where was Evaline?


    The rain hindered the process of looking for her so much. I managed to reach the warrior station to ask them for help, but they were of no help either.


    "She turned eighteen? I bet she¡¯s just around the woods looking for her mate. What eighteen-year-old spends her birthday at home?" the warrior leaned back in his chair, rotating the chair very obnoxiously and flossing his teeth.


    "She¡¯s not like that. She messaged me that she¡¯sing home. We had ns," I tried to show him my phone to confirm she was nning oning home, but he didn¡¯t even want to see them.


    "Kiddo, I am telling you, she is returning home with her mate in the morning. Besides, it is raining so much outside, why do you want us to run around for someone who is probably just enjoying her birthday?" he had such a dismissive tone that it irked me to stay here.


    He was doing nothing and just wasting my time at this point.


    Although it was unlike Evaline to change her ns and go into the woods, I really wanted this to be true. I really wanted her to show up at the door with her mate. As the night passed and I wandered around every road to find her on my bike, I began to feel like maybe it was true.


    Maybe she wille back with her mate. But that didn¡¯t stop me from looking for her, because that one percent that still wanted to stick with the reality of the scary world we live in kept bothering me from inside.


    I was soaking wet by the time it was ten past 7 a.m.


    "Evaline, please answer your phone, little princess. You know¡ªthe cake I baked for you¡ªis sitting hopelessly at home," I sent another voice mail while still on the bike. I was now riding on the road to the border for the fifth time. I knew I hade here earlier, but I just couldn¡¯t understand where she had gone.


    However, this time, I was hearing her phone ring in the distance. I hopped off the bike and held my phone in my hand, following the voice to a narrow road between the woods. It was like walking on the road that led to the end of my happiness.


    There¡ªin in sight was my sister.


    Or whatever was left of her.


    The sad part was that I began to find her clothes before I found her body.


    "Eva¡ªline," my voice grew thick, my throat starting to close up as I watched her in a humiliated position on the road. It was as if whoever did this to her left her on the road for a clear disy.


    "Evaline," I ran, dropping on my knees and trying to touch her cold body toy her in a much more respectful position. I took off my jacket and wrapped it around her, hugging her cold, dead, lifeless body and shaking her.


    "Wake up! Tell me¡ªwho¡ªwho did this to you," the sad part wasn¡¯t that she was lying there all by herself but the fact that some of the early joggers were standing around her, no one evening for help.


    "Please call the ambnce¡ª," I requested, remembering I have a phone too. But my hands were so numb now that it took me a hot minute to dial a number.


    The ambnce arrived, but they pronounced her dead on the spot. The warriors arrived, and the first thing they did was to arrest me.


    I didn¡¯t understand what was going on. But I didn¡¯t want to let go of my sister.


    My baby sister had spent the whole night in pain; now she muste home. But they wouldn¡¯t let me take her home. They took her away from me and put me on heavy wolfbane.


    "Wait! I want her toe home with me. She is not safe out there¡ª," my hands were tightly put in silver handcuffs. But the weird thing was that my skin burns from silver didn¡¯t hurt me at all.


    The warriors didn¡¯t respond to me, dragging me to the back of the warrior¡¯s vehicle.


    "Such a disgusting man," a man hissed from the crowd. And I agreed with him. Whoever did this to my sister was an awful person. But everyone¡¯s eyes were on me like I had done something.


    Someone had taken my heart out of my chest and left me to live with the pain in my chest instead.

 Chapter 223-They Did Horrible Things To Me

    <h4>Chapter 223: 223-They Did Horrible Things To Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    My body was covered in goosebumps. Lamar had stopped crying, but his eyes were stuck in space, his bodynguage entirely silent. He was breathing so slowly that I wondered if he was still alive after narrating the whole terrifying tale to me.


    "When did they¡ªrelease you from jail?" I asked, and Lamar let out a littleugh. But it was so sad and broken that it shook the world from under my feet.


    "I was tortured every day to tell the truth. They imed I nned it against her and that I had been waiting for her toe of age. The fact that they¡ªhad my sister¡¯s body with all the evidence on her but did nothing¡ªnothing to find the killers. They were supposed to do my DNA testing, but because I had too much wolfbane in my system, they kept dying. And then they told me that it was no match. In fact, the DNA of the two assholes didn¡¯t match anyone. They said it must be some rogues, but I know it wasn¡¯t true. My sister¡¯s hand clutched onto a residue of a blue jacket. It was when I found her body, but I was so distraught that I couldn¡¯t focus on it. Later, they told me they tested the students at the Fellmoon Academy, but there was no match. The council had been giving me shit, saying I must have preyed on my sister and let her wander around near the border for some rogues toe and do that to her. Somehow, the fingers always pointed back at me," I could hear the frustration in his voice.


    "You know¡ªI used to do drugs sometimes because I was just lonely. I grew up having a lot of trauma, so whenever I was alone in the workshop with my coworkers, I would do drugs. They used that excuse to tell everyone I was capable of doing something to my sister. One theory was that maybe I was high on drugs, or that I couldn¡¯t afford drugs, so I sold my sister," he began to harshly pat his chest with his fist.


    "I didn¡¯t do anything, I swear. I¡ªbought a home for her¡ªfor us. I wanted her to get married and live a happy life¡ªHnie! It was all stolen from us, and those council members and alphas didn¡¯t do anything. They protected the students of the Fellmoon Academy," he hissed, cleaning his cheeks with the back of his hand.


    I had no idea how much I had cried in those few hours of hearing what happened to Lamar and his sister. I cried more than I had cried for myself.


    "And that¡¯s why you joined the academy?" I asked.


    "I knew the academy fights the¡ªFellmoon Academy assholes, so I just hoped to get ess into the Fellmoon Academy without raising suspicions. That is why I wanted to hang around the elites. Remember when I beat you up so that you wouldn¡¯t join the academy? I was scared I would get kicked out if youined. I was blinded by revenge, but then I looked at you again, and I felt like I was no better than those alphas. I should have known you could die¡ªyou are not like the rest of us. But¡ªI just wanted revenge. I am so sorry. I am so d you didn¡¯t die that night. But I swear, I knew you wouldn¡¯t die because your injuries were not that bad," he was yapping, guilt dripping off his voice. "Hnie, when Jenny showed me those hairs, I felt like my soul left my body. All I could think of was that missing chunk of hair from my sister¡¯s head. They had beaten her up so badly that they left bald spots in her head. In that moment, I promised I would hurt Rayden so much¡ª" he hissed, grimacing ufortably.


    "I did the DNA test of the hair and¡ªit was my sister¡¯s hair," he grasped his hair in his fist and sobbed again.


    "I wanted my sister to tell me¡ªto share her pain with me, to tell me how they tortured her so that I could do way worse to them," he had such an innocent request.


    The restlessness he showed shocked me. There was a girl somewhere who went through almost the same and even worse fate as me, but she had someone who wanted to hear about it. Someone who wanted her toe back home so that he could bring justice for her.


    And then there was me. I went home, and everybody wished I had died.


    "I know what you are feeling¡ª" I sighed, as there were no tears left to cry anymore. "I know that feeling too well. The feeling of seeing Rayden¡¯s face and realizing he is the culprit."


    I clutched my hands tightly and then threw a fist on the ground, sobbing louder than Lamar. I didn¡¯t even realize he had gone silent and was watching me.


    With all the courage in my heart, I raised my head and stared into his eyes. "Lamar! It was horrible. They did¡ªhorrible things¡ªand theyughed throughout the night and then¡ªthey tried to kill me, but I¡ªbut I survived," I huped, covering my mouth with my hands as I couldn¡¯t speak anymore.


    "Hnie! What do you mean?" he inquired, his aura changing.


    "Lamar! You asked me many times what it is that makes me go numb at times? You remember that?" As I posed that question, he nodded.


    "That was because¡ªI am one of their victims too."


    A gasp that he let out covered my body in goosebumps.


    "There were too many that night, but I remember Rayden was one of them. I remember when his friend got on top of me to strangle me because I didn¡¯t have a wolf and I could die from it. All his friends cheered, and¡ªRayden keptughing until my eyes closed. I don¡¯t know how I survived, but I did, and it¡¯s been just one torture after another. And now he is here, ckmailing me and threatening me," I broke down, and Lamar quickly pulled me in for a hug.


    I had finally let someone in on my secret, the secret that I don¡¯t even speak to myself about.

 Chapter 224-One Of Us Is Gone

    <h4>Chapter 224: 224-One Of Us Is Gone</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I wish I knew already, but Hnie--I am here for you. What I couldn¡¯t do for my sister, I will do it for you," he hugged me so tight and said suchforting things that my own family never did.


    I had been crying on his chest for almost an hour and said whatever happened to me that night and then when I went home. I told him all about how my family wanted me dead and that I escaped to join the academy and take revenge.


    He listened so sweetly and attentively, but also interrupted a lot with his reaction. I could tell listening is not his best pursuit without reacting with anger.


    "Listen, I will not let that asshole harm you ever again. I will do the worst imaginable things to him," Lamar said, breaking the hug to cup my face in his hands.


    "Sullivan is an asshole. Forget about that brother of yours, I am your brother from now on. I will take care of you," he had such aforting voice and honestly speaking, he sounded like more family than my own family.


    "I was so tired of keeping all this secret in me but, Lamar. You know Jenny is innocent, right? She should not be the coteral damage," I said as I remembered why he had told Rayden at the ground that his mate slept with him. It was his way of causing pain to Rayden.


    "I know but it was needed. It is just the beginning for him, Hnie," he muttered under his breath.


    "What about the other guy, you said they told you there were two DNAs found on her. Did they say anything about the other guy? Like--do you know how we can find the other guy?" I inquired, and he sighed in exhaustion.


    "I have no clue. They refused to give any information. They just said it was unknown DNA, but I have a n. If we can get ess to any of the packs and somehow get their alphas to let us see through their royal records, we might find something on the DNA. The DNA result was sent to many packs for a match so--I am hoping," he uttered, biting his bottom lip as he too didn¡¯t know how we are going to achieve this goal.


    "Ah! But right now, we need to help Jenny out of his grasp," I mumbled. "She will ask you for the hair; what are you going to say to her?" I questioned, and he sniffed hard.


    "I have a n for that one too. Rayden loves to humiliate his victims," Lamar uttered in his mouth, almost like he was too busy thinking of a n. "I am going to cause him humiliation."


    The idea sounded good, but I wanted to know how.


    "May I know how?" I asked, and he chuckled.


    "I know some red-headed she-wolves," he smirked as he looked me in the eye.


    I kind of knew what he was thinking. "Let¡¯s start with slow and painful death for this one before we find the others and punish them."


    He smiled, and after so long, I smiled thinking about the revenge. I wasn¡¯t alone. I had my brother now.


    "Let¡¯s go. We need to wake up early and then get some work done. Besides, that Lucy--do you think she is fine?" Now that we got it off our chests, we got up from the ground to head back to our dorm room. He had his arm wrapped around my shoulder, making me feel like a bro.


    He was so cool and sweet, and the fact that we met through such a horrible way and made friends was just fate.


    We walked together like real siblings, but it appeared as though the Moon Goddess was never happy with our progress from the trauma. The minute we entered the dorm room, we were shocked to find the lights on and Lucy¡¯s bed empty.


    "Maybe she is in the bathroom," Lamar rushed over to the bathroom, but it was empty.


    "Lamar! She was not feeling well. It is not a good--," I began to panic right away. My heart was racing inside my chest, my mind unable toprehend anything.


    "Hey, she must be around somewhere. Maybe she went to Gavin¡¯s room?" he inquired, and I nodded, letting him go ahead to look for Lucy in Gavin¡¯s room. But I had another big fear.


    I ran to the elevator, but when I got inside, there was no tenth floor button. I had been in a lot of despair tonight because of recalling all the details of the night. I was devastated, so the button should have appeared. But it didn¡¯t.


    I went up and down twice, and many more times.


    "Hnie, what are you doing?" Lamar was waiting for me on the ground floor as I was ready to hit the buttons again.


    "Did you find any information on Lucy from the guard at the entrance?" I inquired, rubbing my palms anxiously.


    "He said no one left tonight," Lamar got in the elevator and kept staring at my face as I pressed all the buttons.


    "Lamar, Lucy must be on the tenth floor. I got a feeling that she--," I anxiously spoke, finding it annoying when the button didn¡¯t appear. We were now back on our floor, and Lamar stopped me from getting in the elevator again.


    "Hnie, there is no tenth floor," he argued. "Maybe she has returned to the room?"


    He was dragging me to the room because he must think I have lost my mind. But why the heck was the button not appearing?


    "Lamar, there is a tenth floor. Both Lucy and I had been to that floor. There is some entity that lives there, and it tells all the beautiful things that a distraught soul wants to hear. Lucy was fascinated with it as it appeared for her right after she found out she had been cheated on by Gavin--," I was yapping and yapping when we heard a scream from above us.


    We both looked up and then at the window. A body fell down from the top, and instantly I started breaking down.

 Chapter 225-They Want Me To Cry

    <h4>Chapter 225: 225-They Want Me To Cry</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Lamar! How--how did we not know she would do something like that?" Jenny was crying beside us, asking the same question over and over again.


    The cold weather didn¡¯t bother me that night. I had been in shock. We were gathered outside the hostel, the sun was slowlying up. The night ended up being the absolute worst for all of us.


    Especially for Lucy.


    "Jenny, it was not your fault," Penn had been trying tofort his sister, but she kept ming herself.


    I knew it wasn¡¯t her fault. It was the tenth floor¡¯s fault. She was definitely on the tenth floor, and that entity helped her free herself from the pain in a way that Lucy never imagined.


    That is what the entity promised me as well. She offered everyone different help. For Lucy, she found it easy to get it done and free herself.


    "Hnie," Lamar sat next to me, cing his hand on my shoulder, but I couldn¡¯t even cry a tear. I just felt my body being numb. All the other students were crying and screaming in terror.


    The news was, Lucy jumped from the rooftop, but the door was not opened. She wasn¡¯t at the rooftop, but who would listen to me?


    "The ambnce took her. She will be fine," Lamar kept insisting on her being fine when there was no way she could be fine. That big fall when she was in her human form--she would need to transition to heal, but she cannot when she is not even waking up.


    "Hnie, please at least say something," Lamar continued to rub my hand between his hands, worried for me.


    "Easy now, kids, she is taken to the hospital where she will receive the best care. I understand you are all upset, and I don¡¯t me you. But I will need to speak with everyone to know where they were when she went to the rooftop because definitely someone locked the door behind her," the warden made an announcement, sounding much nicer today.


    But she was wrong about one thing. Lucy was not at the rooftop.


    However, I had no strength in my body to argue with anyone. I just didn¡¯t even feel like I had any soul left in my body.


    I just sat on the front porch stairs and stared at the sky.


    "Miss Agrona!" Lamar raised his hand to get her attention. I was listening to everything and everyone around me. I just didn¡¯t feel like talking or crying. Heck! Even breathing was such a big deal now.


    "I don¡¯t think she is fine," Lamarined, his hand tapping on my shoulder.


    "Really? Let me see," the warden pushed the students away as she made her way to me. She reminded me of that evil principal from ¡¯Matilda¡¯. Sometimes she really acted that way.


    She approached me and knelt down, her eyes scanning me.


    "She looks fine to me," she replied.


    "If fine means someone who is half dead," Penn¡¯s voice was odd in the moment. I thought he didn¡¯t even want to speak with me again.


    "She is going through stuff. Lucy was her best friend. And she saw her--" Penn went silent when he probably noticed the other distraught students freaking out at his words.


    "Anyway, how do wefort her? She needs to cry to let it out," Penn continued.


    "Oh, it is easy to make someone cry." My body twitched for the first time when Rayden showed up.


    He wasn¡¯t even a tad bit affected by the whole incident. Even the top seniors looked scared and were hugging each other. The sight of one of us on the ground in so much blood was truly devastating.


    What kind of a monster was Rayden to not feel anything at all?


    "Of course, you would know since you cry all the time," Lamar, who knew the deal with Rayden now, stepped in my way to block Rayden out of my sight.


    "I am fine. I will go to my room now," I got up, tired and exhausted. My eyelids were heavy, and my heartbeat so low.


    I didn¡¯t even pass around a nce and had turned my back on them. As I was walking away, I heard the warden add, "Yeah, she is not fine."


    I went straight to the elevator and pressed the buttons. My heart skipped a beat as I thought the red button would appear, but it didn¡¯t.


    This was not fair.


    I got off the elevator and went to my room, getting cozy in Lucy¡¯s bed instead. I hugged her nket that still smelled like her and went to sleep.


    Everything around me was so cold. Nothing was intriguing anymore.


    But I woke up to the sound of noise. A loud noise of water. Rubbing my eyes, I forced myself to wake up to see what the chaos was all about.


    And to my surprise, half of the room was floating in water.


    "What the heck!" I gasped, sitting up. I looked around the room and noticed Lamar sleeping and having no idea he was getting drowned in the water.


    "Lamar! Wake up or you will drown--" I yelled, but he wouldn¡¯t wake up at any cost.


    "Lamar! There is water in here--water! Water!"


    I closed my eyes to yell even louder this time, "Water!"


    "Here, drink some," a hand shook me awake, a ss of water right in my face.


    Lamar was staring at my face in confusion. I noticed the bright light behind him. It was morning. The night passed without Lucy, and we still woke up. That was sad.


    "Oh! I must have had a nightmare," I excused, epting the water from his hands.


    "Hnie, you are not yourself. You are scaring me. Lucy was acting the same way before she--jumped," he uttered, his eyes fixated on me in pure worry.


    "She didn¡¯t jump, Lamar. She was pushed down," as I said that with my whole chest, I watched him narrow his eyes at me for answers.


    "I told you about the tenth floor. We have both been there, Lamar. And you know what is the scary thing? How we all spoke about feeling someone with us whenever we are sad, that feeling is gone now. That entity freed herself after she took Lucy from us," I muttered under my clenched jaw, still not ready to cry.

 Chapter 226-My Stepbrother Thinks I Will Take His Help

    <h4>Chapter 226: 226-My Stepbrother Thinks I Will Take His Help</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    We didn¡¯t get in our uniforms because the warden told us toe for breakfast in our mostfy clothes. We all gathered in the hall, the empty seat beside me still vacant for Lucy.


    "Hello everyone, good morning," Norman walked in, his long strides exining he was stressed out today. He wore gray pants and a white shirt, his sleeves rolled up to show his huge biceps.


    He was running a hand through his wet hair as if he had showered in a hurry. He looked around quickly to pass a stare at everyone to check on them, but once his eyes passed me, he did a double take before he nodded his head to himself.


    "An incident happened herest night. It was an unfortunate one," he started, and I clutched my sweater tightly in my fists. My hands were shaking, my arms folded over my chest. I bet I even scratched my skin while grasping onto my sweater under my arms.


    I had a feeling he was going to give us the bad news about Lucy. I wasn¡¯t ready to hear it.


    "We know you¡¯re all upset and worried. Probably even waiting on the news. I wish I had good news to tell you--" As he said till that part, I dropped hard on the chair, sitting with such pressure that everyone turned to me. Everyone else was standing except for me now.


    Norman stopped talking and pointed towards me, "Get her some water." He walked over to me, almost like in an emergency, gesturing to the others to get out of his way.


    "Hnie, please calm down," Lamar sat next to me, watching me hyperventte.


    It was bing real.


    I had seen it in my dreams once. I saw someone jump off the top and it happened. How did I never think about keeping an eye on Lucy after she started acting weird? Why did I leave my roomst night?


    "Hnie!" This time, it was Norman who was speaking with me. He had pulled a chair in front of me and had sat down with his legs wide spread to fit the tiny chair.


    "Look at me, you are fine," Norman whispered, snapping his fingers in front of my face. "Get her to drink some water."


    Lamar quickly nodded his head, grabbing the water ss from Penn to make me drink a sip or two. But I kept dodging it and huping. I felt like I wanted to cry so loud that I¡¯d bring a storm, but I was stuck in myself.


    I was stuck in so much guilt.


    "Lucy--" I whispered, my eyes on Norman now.


    He gave me consecutive head nods to console me, "She is alive. Okay? She is alive."


    He said, making sure I heard him right.


    "But you said you don¡¯t--have good news," I frowned, still taking deep and heavy breaths.


    "Yeah, because she is still in the hospital. If you are feeling fine, I will continue the announcement. Is that okay?" One could tell Norman was not good atforting anyone. He was always in a rush, making it appear as if he wanted people to calm down the minute he told them to calm down.


    "Okay?" he asked again, and after I nodded my head, he cleared his throat and got up, sparing the poor chair.


    "Lucy will be fine. We assure you that we will provide her with the best care. There will be no more sses till we have taken care of some security around the hostel, especially the rooftop and the areas around it," he exined.


    He was also worrying about the wrong part of the hostel. It was the tenth floor that they needed to work on.


    "With that--we hope you guys have the best time in your packs. Keep an eye out for the notifications from us. We will let you know when you can return," Norman finished his announcement, and everyone seemed pretty relieved that they didn¡¯t have to stay in the hostel for some time.


    "But make sure you go get your homework and assignments today before parting for home," Norman added.


    As everyone began to approach him with their queries, I got up to leave. I found Lamaring after me because he always did.


    "Hnie!" he called, and I stopped in the hallway, watching his face with no enthusiasm.


    "It wasn¡¯t your fault. You took good care of her. Besides, it was the tenth floor," he nodded his head in a way that told me it was his way of telling me that he believed me when I said there was a tenth floor.


    "Where are you nning on staying?" he asked. I remembered he also told mest night that he had never set foot in the apartment he got for his sister. He just couldn¡¯t, also because his pack members saw him weirdly.


    Even when he was innocent, they just felt like he was an easy target to me for what happened to his sister. Many still believed he sold his sister to pay off his debt to the drug dealers.


    "I don¡¯t know," I replied since I genuinely didn¡¯t know. We were both homeless, but at least he had a pack to return to.


    "You cane to my pack with me," he insisted. But I knew it would cause him so much stress since everyone would think he brought a new victim.


    "Let¡¯s go pack our bags. We¡¯ll see what we can do," I replied lifelessly, and before he could really walk away, I added, "We¡¯ll pack Lucy¡¯s bag too. Who knows, she¡¯ll wake up and ask us why we didn¡¯t take her bag along?"


    I watched him stare at my face with his eyes wide open.


    "I know she¡¯ll be very upset," I added and noticed Lamar looking behind me at someone. I turned steadily and noticed Norman towering over me.


    "Sir, she hasn¡¯t cried a tear," Lamarined.


    "I see. Okay, you go ahead and pack your bags. I will arrange a hotel for you to stay at," Norman shocked me when he showed he could be concerned about someone too.


    But was it really helpful to take his help?

 Chapter 227-Stepbrothers Hate To See Me In Pain

    <h4>Chapter 227: 227-Stepbrothers Hate To See Me In Pain</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I was having a weird kind of mood swings. One minute I wanted to pack, and the other minute I asked Lamar to do the packing and meet me at the hostel. We were going to write down the homework and then leave, as they were going to close the hostel.


    I bet they also did it because now that an incident like that happened in the hostel, the students were keen on leaving the hostel at nighttime to avoid that feeling of someone jumping off the rooftop.


    And the month was not a very good one for anyone to leave the hostel. Since the rogue brothers didn¡¯t want the story of Lycans to hit the news and be a reality from a myth, they wanted everyone back in their packs.


    And that¡¯s why probably Norman was even ready to get me a room in a hotel. But I had decided not to take his help.


    I entered the academy with a notebook in my hands, wearing blue skinny jeans and my purple sweater.


    Everyone was busy talking when they suddenly went silent. I didn¡¯t get why, but I refused to ask anyone and went straight to my lockers to grab my stuff.


    However, right when I was about to open my locker, I noticed something taped to the outside of it.


    It was a drawing of a ck-haired girl being pushed down a tall building by a blond-haired girl. My body flinched at what it was insinuating. Snatching the drawing off the locker, I turned around to look at everyone with my hand raised. "Who drew this?" I yelled angrily, my eyes fixated on everyone.


    They all seemed not too confident because they knew such usations could give them a bad reputation.


    "Come on, it¡¯s just a joke." I should have known he would be behind it. It was fucking Rayden.


    The other side of the lockers had the top seniors standing there with their hands tied over their chests.


    "Oh! I had a feeling she might be the reason Lucy is going to die," of course Riri had toe to fight me. She couldn¡¯t fight Rayden, who was the reason she was on her knees that night. She couldn¡¯t fight Penn either, so she chose me because her hatred for Lucy just didn¡¯t make any sense.


    "Or maybe we should bring up someone who is fighting for her life?" Sage, who had her earpods in, mumbled. I bet she had disconnected them when she noticed themotion.


    "Come on, Sage! Let¡¯s just be honest here. Lucy was just a miserable girl who loved hanging around the charming beauty, who always ends up bing the center of attention. Lucy got silenced, and if you think about it, Hnie was not in her room that night. She was also the first one who noticed Lucy going missing," Riri made me close my eyes to calm myself down.


    "And um¨Cshe was seen going up and down on the elevator. Wonder what she was doing?" Rayden added, his voice causing me so much trauma.


    "I will not talk about it with any of you," I lowered my head, holding myself back from letting out a scream.


    I was not feeling well. My brain wasn¡¯t processing at all. I would have defended myself hard had it happened some other day, but today, it was too soon. I still could see Lucy¡¯s body fall whenever I blinked. That is how miserable I was.


    I couldn¡¯t close my eyes for fear of seeing all that happen over and over again.


    "Guys, it is insensitive, you know?" Sage had her arms folded over her chest, warning the others.


    "No! I do think Hnie did it. She was tired of carrying Lucy on her back," said Sydney, who stood with Rayden. The mix was not good. The two should not be together in this fucking bullying. I noticed Salem standing behind her sister, trying to pull her back. Did she not want to see me suffer?


    "I will go," I said to myself since no one else was going to care.


    "Why?" However, Riri wasn¡¯t going to let me get freed from their harsh res. She stepped forward and put her hand on my shoulder, her nails digging into my skin.


    "Ow!" I hissed. "Let me go." Finally, anger surged through me, and I decided to scratch her arm. That¡¯s when I made a mistake, because it angered her.


    "How dare you!" The next thing I knew, she was screaming at me and pushing me to the ground.


    "Everyone, this is the culprit who killed our innocent Lucy," Riri announced, causing an uproar.


    "Hey, hey, that is not true. There is no such announcement--" Sage, who had been standing far away casually, finally started yelling, but her voice got submerged when the others attacked me.


    I don¡¯t even know who was throwing stuff at me at this point as I had covered my head in my hands and kept my face down. I began to sob. Not because of the mistreatment, but because I really missed Lucy.


    Was it really my fault that she jumped? Should I have stayed with her that night?


    As I began to cry, I heard themugh at me.


    "Hnie is a killer," Riri yelled, and others followed her. Soon the academy erupted in chants of the usation. I didn¡¯t even raise my head to see who else got involved.


    I could no longer hear Sage among the shouts. It was sad that I was still looking for someone toe and rescue me. At least today, because I couldn¡¯t fight for myself.


    My ears went silent because of the constant hitting of heavy stuff, but soon the voices resumed, and among them came a loud shout that finally put everyone into silence.


    "You all got some nerve picking on her!" It was Emmet. I had never heard him raise his voice or use such words like that before.


    I unwrapped my hands from my head and raised my face to see Emmet standing at the end of the hall with Sage behind him.


    So she brought him here?


    No! Not just him.


    In my sight stood the three brothers: Kaye, Maximus, and Emmet.

 Chapter 228-Stepbro Carried Me In Bridal Style

    <h4>Chapter 228: 228-Stepbro Carried Me In Bridal Style</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    The three stood tall and determined. They all wore ck, full ck. Emmet had an all-ck suit on, Kaye wore ck pants and a ck shirt, Maximus had ck jeans with a ck shirt and a ck jacket on.


    As they started to walk through the crowd towards me, the onlookers began to scatter, leaving space for them to pass through. The brothers were taller than everyone else, their auras dark and powerful.


    They all stopped right in front of me, and then Emmet hunched over, extending his hand towards me. I kept staring at his hand before I slowly raised mine to reach for his touch.


    As soon as my hand met his, he firmly supported my body and helped me up. The way he carefully wrapped his arm around me, with Kaye on the other side, made me look so small. All eyes were on us.


    I¡¯m sure some were even wondering why the trainers had shown up so defensively.


    "Sir¡ª," Riri stepped forward, probably thinking she needed to defend herself before it was toote. But Maximus¡¯ harsh repelled her hand to fly to her mouth, covering it with a gasp of sudden fear heaving across her lips.


    "Say one more word¡ª," Maximus warned Riri in a loud,manding voice.


    "Sir, we are seniors¡ª," she proceeded to speak again, but this time, he didn¡¯t even have to warn her. His harsh re was enough to send shivers down her spine.


    "And that makes the assault okay?" Kaye yelled, getting in her face to the point that she backed down in fear and tripped. While shended on her butt, I felt my knees getting weak.


    I didn¡¯t realize how quickly my health had been declining sincest night. It might have seemed like just a few hours to others, but it was a lot for me. Lucy being gone messed with my head.


    As I was about to fall, Emmet held me tightly.


    "Nobody is leaving the academy until further notice," Emmet groaned, changing the ns for the holidays.


    With that, he effortlessly roamed his hands under my body, and before I couldprehend what he was doing, he had carried me in his arms.


    "Ahh!" loud gasps erupted through the hallway. Was it really that weird that a trainer was picking up his student? An ill student in his arms?


    He started taking long strides towards his office upstairs. I didn¡¯t want to see any faces, so I closed my eyes and rested my head on his chest. His coat smelled like him, a very mild and expensive scent. I couldn¡¯t focus on the details, but his arms were so strong and big that I felt cozy instantly.


    Now that Emmet had reached the top of the stairs and the students were left behind on the first floor, I heard Kaye grunt.


    "Why did you carry her?" I didn¡¯t open my eyes, but my attention was on them now.


    "I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know you wanted to participate in who will carry Hnie," Emmet¡¯s sarcasm was a first for me. But itpelled a shared yelp from both brothers.


    "Are you kidding me? You picked her up in front of the students. They will think something weird is going on between the two of you," Maximusined,ing after us.


    "Sorry, Maximus, that I didn¡¯t see anything more concerning than Hnie¡¯s condition worsening. Would you have left her there?" Emmet groaned, arguing in a way I didn¡¯t know he was capable of.


    "Of course not," Maximus sounded so defensive when responding to his brother, "but¡ªyou are an alcoholic. It is not a good mix to put an innocent, fragile girl into an alcoholic¡¯s arms."


    I was shocked at how the two younger brothers always taunted and disrespected Emmet.


    It can¡¯t be that they are just worried about Emmet drinking all the time. There¡¯s no way. You don¡¯t be rude and mean to someone you care about.


    But now we were stepping into Emmet¡¯s office. He quickly put me down on the big couch at the end of the office near the window.


    The three of them stood before me as I opened my eyes to let out a sigh of relief. I watched Emmet kneel before me, Kaye standing on his right with his eyes scanning me, and Maximus bending down with his hands on his knees on Emmet¡¯s left side.


    "Hnie, are you feeling okay now?" Emmet asked in hisforting and calm tone.


    I gave him a nod, which was only a lie. I wasn¡¯t fine. I felt horrible and wanted to cry my heart out.


    "You know, Lucy is well taken care of. She will definitely wake up and be fine¡ª" As Maximus mentioned her, I couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and broke down as loudly as I could.


    My hands flew to my face, covering it as I sobbed into my palms.


    "Maximus, I can expect such stupidity from Emmet, but why would you mention her? Don¡¯t you know it will hurt Hnie?" Kaye was quick toin, his tone filled with disbelief.


    "I didn¡¯t know. I thought she would want to hear¡ª," Maximus suddenly shut up, and I¡¯m guessing that was because the others passed him a harsh re.


    I steadily uncovered my face and noticed them just staring at me, clueless. They probably weren¡¯t even sure how tofort me.


    As there was a knock on the door, all three of them steadily turned to the door, almost like in slow motion.


    "Oh no," Maximus, who was still bent down with his neck all stretched to the back, was the first to express exhaustion.


    "That has to be him," Kaye added, his hands on his waist and his eyes on the door in the back.


    "Then go and open it," Emmet shrugged, turning to stare at me again. I watched Kaye and Maximus share a nce before Kaye walked over to the door to answer it.


    As he opened the door and stepped to the side, Norman walked into my sight, and I realized why they weren¡¯t happy about the knock.

 Chapter 229-Accused Of Attempted Murder

    <h4>Chapter 229: 229-used Of Attempted Murder</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Now Norman stood in the middle of the room with his arms on his waist, his gray coat pushed back, and his eyes on me before he turned his attention to his brothers. Emmet didn¡¯t seem too concerned as he stood on the left side of the couch against the wall. But Kaye and Maximus were constantly pacing back and forth, as if their brother¡¯s opinion of them mattered a lot.


    It was Emmet who was casually telling him what happened to me near the lockers. He told his brother all about the usations and how everyone took part in bullying me, throwing things at me¡ªeven the juniors.


    "So you¡¯re telling me that we have a bunch of illiterate pigs in our academy?" Norman finallymented, not sure if he was being sarcastic or questioning their ability to test candidates before granting them admission.


    "I think the bullying has gone through the roof this year because they see Hnie as a threat," Maximus quickly shifted the attention back to me, and my body sunk into the couch when Norman¡¯s eyesnded on me.


    "And also that the juniors are messy with each other. Previously, the juniors used to stick together, but now¡ª," Kaye shook his head in disbelief.


    "Bring the main culprits in. We are going to have a chat with them," Norman ordered, and I watched Emmet nod in agreement.


    Kaye was the one who made the announcement, and while he did so, Norman didn¡¯t move from his spot.


    "Don¡¯t fret, we will take care of this matter once and for all today," Norman muttered and finally stepped away. However, as the brothers paced around the office like hungry lions, I noticed Maximus stealing nces at Norman quite often. It was as if the two had some argument or conversation about me prior toing here.


    Or I could be wrong.


    Soon there was a knock on the door, and a warrior had brought some of the ones who started the whole mess. I was asked toe and sit in the seat with the other empty chairs. Emmet had sat behind the desk in his seat, but the others stayed standing.


    The first person to enter the office was Rayden, who couldn¡¯t hold back his smirk when he saw me. Then there was Riri, who kept her head high and wore a weird look on her face, almost like she was using me of being the reason she was in the trainer¡¯s office.


    Behind her was Sydney, who was acting like she was clueless as to why she was here. The look on their faces was so confusing. They seemed genuinely opposed and not guilty.


    As Rayden grabbed a chair to sit down, Norman cleared his throat to stop him.


    "Did we ask you to sit down?" Norman¡¯s tone was harsh,pelling a look of embarrassment from Rayden, who quickly straightened his back and stood up again.


    This time, he didn¡¯t make eye contact with me, nor did he pass me a smirk.


    Norman took the chair and dragged it to Emmet¡¯s side, sitting down on it. Kaye and Maximus decided to stay standing.


    "Start talking," Norman grunted, his arm extending behind the chair¡¯s backrest as he leaned backfortably.


    "What do you want us to say, sir?" Riri took the first step, speaking for everyone else with her.


    "Whatpelled you to think it was okay to use someone of attempted murder? Not just anyone, but the victim¡¯s best friend," Maximus posed the question well, and Riri acted so surprised as she looked around the room for the victim.


    "We didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Everyone thought about it but didn¡¯t have the courage to say it out loud. Hnie has been a messy individual. Whoever gets involved with her gets some sort of¡ªpunishment from the Moon Goddess," she mentioned the Moon Goddess, and it instantly reminded me of how messed up my life is. So much so that now others are noticing it too.


    "Oh! Didn¡¯t know you were besties with the Moon Goddess, and she tells you the gossip firsthand," Kaye folded his muscr arms over his chest, which made Riri take a huge gulp.


    "And by you iming that whoever gets in contact with Hnie gets in trouble, you mean they be targets of your bullying?" Maximus inquired, making Riri frown like she could never be the bully.


    "Sir? Me?" Riri pointed a finger to her chest. "I¡¯m not a bully. I was just¡ª," she was cut off when Emmet lowered his head and started taking off his coat.


    "Hnie doesn¡¯t get anyone in trouble. But you do. Why did you follow their group to the woods during the other incident?" Maximus questioned, and my eyes averted to Norman, who stretched his neck before looking over at Emmet and passing a nce at Maximus.


    He was noticing him way too much today, especially his interaction with me or his mention of my issues.


    "Oh!" Riri had no answer this time.


    "So who¡¯s the messy one again?" Norman asked.


    "Sorry to interrupt, sir, but Hnie needs to answer where she wasst night. One of our fellows is fighting for her life, and the only person who can answer is Hnie. She didn¡¯t even cry a tear for her own best friend until she was bullied. Don¡¯t you think she might be hiding something?" Rayden had the nerve to jump in.


    My body shuddered every time his attention was on me. I wanted to hide anywhere from his dirty re.


    "I was in shock," I uttered under my breath. "I was numb, I know, but that is because it¡¯s hard for me to swallow the truth," I whispered, keeping my eyes down and anxiously rubbing my palms.


    "Really? Why were you upying the elevator?" Rayden put his hand on the high backrest of my chair to turn it toward him, making me look into his eyes, and that¡¯s when my heart skipped a beat. I raised my head to see him watching me, and honestly, I just went speechless.

 Chapter 230-Stepbrothers Are Hot Headed

    <h4>Chapter 230: 230-Stepbrothers Are Hot Headed</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "She doesn¡¯t have an answer," Rayden showed me a very discreet smirk. My body was instantly covered in goosebumps, and they stayed throughout the time.


    "That is because Hnie¡ª" the minute Rayden got toofortable, even Riri opened her mouth to join him.


    "She is sketchy¡ª" Riri smiled at Rayden as if the two were in a court, acting a case.


    They were really acting like they were exposing me, and I felt like that too. I felt like they were able to ruin my reputation and paint me as some weird psychopath with bad luck.


    However, that¡¯s when Emmet grunted,ughing to himself. Our eyes averted to him, even Norman frowned at his brother.


    Emmet began to roll his sleeves up, showing a weird tattoo on his arm. Once he was done taking care of his sleeves, he stretched his neck in a circle and sighed.


    "And she¡ª" I bet even Riri thought Emmet wasughing at me because she started adding up more.


    But Emmet putting his finger to his lips was the highlight of the day. Or so I thought, until he opened his mouth, "Riri Isaac!"


    Her face lit up when he said her name with so much politeness.


    "Yes, sir?" she uttered.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were now on Emmet, and he very deliberately added, "You are expelled and banned from our academy."


    Even I was shocked along with the others. The smirk that Rayden had on his face when he thought they had sessfully convinced the trainers that I did something to Lucy was now far gone.


    Riri had her eyes bugged out, big tears already forming in them. ye and Maximus shared one big nce from over the two brothers before they looked back at Riri.


    Norman was still leaning back, a pivot on his lips and his eyes zoned out.


    "Sir, I am a senior. I have given years to this academy and¡ª" Riri was now using a much more obedient tone, but Emmet shook his head to silence her.


    "Get out! Your time here is done." I had not known that he could be that cold.


    "But sir¡ª" Riri¡¯s voice broke, her hands shaking at this point.


    "Sir, that is not fair," Rayden decided to speak up but in a much more scared tone until he saw Emmet re at him.


    "Do you want to leave with her?" Emmet¡¯s threat caused Rayden to visibly gulp.


    "No, sir, I am so sorry, sir," Rayden¡¯s entire attitude changed. He was stuttering too and gulping so many times that one would think his throat kept getting dry.


    "Sir, can you please ask Professor Emmet to give me onest chance? I don¡¯t think I did something that big," Riri now turned to request Norman, who gave her a disapproving look.


    "You did actually make a big mess. Throwing usations when there is video proof that Hnie was on the ground floor just makes you look very guilty of traumatizing her. Not only that, but you had a chance when you were spared for bullying and physically assaulting the juniors outside the academy. But you proved to us that you are not actually meant to be in our academy," Norman kept his voice calm, but his words held weight.


    "We don¡¯t want someone like you in our academy. That even after we called you here and showed you that we were not happy with how you acted with Hnie, you continued to bber and double down on your actions," Maximus added while Kaye smirked at Riri, happily watching her cry.


    "So, Rayden¡ªwhat were you saying?" Emmet now turned his attention to Rayden, who stood like an obedient student with his hands tied behind his back and his head down.


    "I was saying I realized where we went wrong," that was not how he sounded a few minutes earlier. Riri kept standing in her spot, slowly sobbing in her palms. I watched Sydney bite the inside of her cheek, her body looking so tense.


    I bet she was d she didn¡¯t open her ugly mouth.


    "Really? So what are you going to do now?" Maximus asked Rayden, who looked over to me before looking back down again.


    "I will seek forgiveness from Miss Hnie," his voice was so low. And he was being such a gentleman now.


    "Okay, go ahead, what are you waiting for?" Norman hissed, causing Rayden¡¯s body to shudder.


    He turned to me, his eyes on the ground still, "Miss Hnie. Please forgive us, we didn¡¯t know there was footage, umm, proof of you being innocent. We were actually in despair after Lucy¡¯s fall."


    He was hushed down by Kaye, who narrowed his eyes at his face.


    "We asked for you to apologize, not give her a whole essay," Kaye yelled, and Rayden nodded in little motions.


    As he faced me again, my eyes started to fill with tears. I had been waiting for this asshole to apologize to me, but apology didn¡¯t mean he was forgiven.


    Apology was just the first step of the beginning of his downfall. The alpha whose ego was so big only when he wasn¡¯t getting schooled by someone bigger and more powerful than him.


    And I could tell it wasn¡¯t easy for him to apologize to me either. He seemed so dead in that moment.


    "I am sorry, please forgive me, Miss Hnie," he spoke every word with much pressure.


    "Now, Sydney Coombs," Norman adjusted his posture in his seat, calling her name.


    She had been silently standing there for a while, and when she finally heard her name, she lifted her head, and that¡¯s when I noticed all the brothers stare at her weirdly.


    I turned to look at her and noticed that she looked pale. And then¡ªRayden had to quickly move away when she passed out right before our eyes.


    The fact that Rayden could have given her support, but that would be too much for someone like him, just showed right there that he was a cold hearted bastard.


    "Oh well, she is not escaping this. Now, Riri, go pack your bags and leave, we will be calling your pack now. As for you and the passed-out member of the bullies group, you will face extra punishment once everyone returns from the holidays. Also, the students who were there are all being observed and listed down; they will receive punishments too. Now¡ªget the fuck out of my office," Emmet yelled, which caused Rayden to jump to his feet and run out with his tail tucked between his legs.

 Chapter 231-Going Back Home With My Stepbrothers

    <h4>Chapter 231: 231-Going Back Home With My Stepbrothers</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "They will not bother you again," Emmet said after they had left. Sydney had actually passed out, so she was taken to the hospital by the warrior from her pack who came to pick her and Salem up.


    "Lamar is a good friend, huh? He had been waiting outside and had actually spoken to the warriors about the fact that you two were in the libraryst night," Kaye was cracking his knuckles while speaking about Lamar.


    "He also told us that you have been numb this whole time and probably even in denial," Maximus added, "which is not a good thing, Hnie. You need to understand, it wasn¡¯t your fault, and your friend wille back soon."


    Emmet had calmed down from earlier, but he still sat in his seat, focusing on the letters he was writing to the packs whose members had bullied me today.


    "We will continue with the holidays then. But fear not, you will receive justice, and all the students, once theye back, will apologize to you in front of everyone once again," Norman added, shaking his leg. He looked anxious as well.


    "You have your bags packed?" Maximus inquired, and I guess it was time I opened my goddamn mouth too. I had just been nodding all this time.


    "Lamar packed them for me," I replied but didn¡¯t know my response would get another bone crack from Kaye. He was standing beside Norman, cracking and stretching.


    "And where will you be staying?" Maximus leaned over the table, his eyes now even more prominent.


    "I¡ª" Norman stole his brother¡¯s attention back to himself. "I have booked a hotel room in a nearby pack for her," he replied.


    I didn¡¯t want to be in the Dark Eclipse pack; this was the pack where Benita¡¯s caf¨¦ was.


    But I didn¡¯t have a choice. However, I was contemting how to deny taking Norman¡¯s help.


    "A hotel room?" Maximus inquired.


    "Yeah." Norman leaned ahead to look over at Maximus through Emmet. I watched Maximus and Norman stare at each other in silence before Maximus nodded, agreeing with his brother.


    "Actually¡ªI am thankful for your help, but I will manage something myself." As I declined his help, I noticed the three of them staring back at me, like they were certain I would be so happy to have their support and help.


    "Yeah, she doesn¡¯t have to stay at the hotel," Emmet mumbled under his breath, his head down as he continued to work on theint letters.


    Emmet cocked his head as he stared at the letter, confirming he wrote it right before signing it, and while doing so, he added, "She is staying at the mansion with us."


    The silence thickened. I watched all their faces one by one. First, I saw Maximus zone out with a little smirk on his lips. Then I saw Kaye smile at me. However, when my eyes moved to Norman, I noticed the look of sadness and worry etched on his face. Of course, he didn¡¯t like me.


    And then my eyes moved to Emmet, who still had his head down but his eyes were up, watching me. I quickly straightened my posture and looked down once realizing Emmet had been noticing me stare at his brothers for a reaction.


    "I think she will be morefortable at the hotel. Given how her mother and the others don¡¯t want her around either¡ª" Norman gulped, speaking to Emmet while gently elbowing him.


    "I think Emmet is right," Kaye rolled his eyes, finally agreeing with Emmet for the first time.


    Yep! They did not have a good rtionship.


    "Hnie has been through a lot, and she needs someone to bring her back to life by taking care of her. Usually, such trauma¡ªseeing your own friend¡ªit leads to great depression, and Hnie being in denial is already a hint that she¡¯s headed that way." Kaye was so quick to exin why I should stay with them.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how good of an idea it was. I actually agreed with Norman on this.


    "Can I have a say in this? I think Professor Norman is right. I don¡¯t like being in that mansion. I want to be alone by myself for some time," I stated, but noticed how Emmet began shaking his finger at me.


    "Weren¡¯t you upset that you left Lucy alone only for a few hours when she was showing signs of depression? Yeah! Not taking any chances, and Hnie, I¡¯m making that decision for you with a lot of hopes that you will not say no to me. So think before you make a decision." The sudden sadness in Emmet¡¯s voice, the idea that I didn¡¯t feel safe orfortable at his mansion, made me feel guilty.


    He wasn¡¯t trying to control my life. He was just overly concerned because he thought if I were left alone, I might go deeper into depression.


    "It is my request," Emmet added, and everyone¡¯s eyes now narrowed at me.


    How could I say no to Emmet?


    "Okay." With that, I concluded that I would be going back to that mansion again.


    But this time, I would not be taking any shit from anyone. I swear those three women and this demon called Norman would not be allowed toe near me or insult me.


    "Thank you," Emmet mouthed those words with a smile on his lips, and Maximus narrowed his eyes and weirdly shared a nce with Kaye.


    The two nodded to each other after speaking with their eyes.


    "But may I have a request, please? I want to stay in the guest room, as I will be just staying there as a guest," I requested, and Emmet was quick to nod in agreement before the others. I got up to leave, but when I was out of the office, I found Norman storming after me.


    I already knew what he was going to say, so I saved him some time. "I am not going to decline Emmet¡¯s offer and upset him because I have to prove myself to you."


    I noticed him hovering over me with a nk look on his face as he corrected me, "I was going to say, you should pack and meet us at the front exit so that we can take you home with us."


    There was a subtle anger in his eyes at the fact that I misjudged him.

 Chapter 232-The Messy People But This Time I Am Courageous

    <h4>Chapter 232: 232-The Messy People But This Time I Am Courageous</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Stay in contact, okay?" Lamar whispered, standing right next to me with Norman¡¯s car.


    "Yeah, hey, why don¡¯t youe stay with me?" I requested; I really wanted him to have a safe ce and not go back to his pack where I knew people saw him differently.


    "I will be fine. I am not really a bound type of person. I like to go out at night and transition. And the roguemunity is not for transition for a month," he was not wrong, but I was still worried for him.


    As for the roguemunity and the woods, it was dangerous for a month as the lycan, or in more twisted words, my mate, might be running around looking for food.


    The packs were much safer with the borders, patrols, and everything. Now I understood why people were afraid of the rogue world. And also why packs have such fucked up rules, because they could silence anyone with the threat of kicking them out of the pack.


    "But you need to text me whenever you go out at night for transformation and then text me when you are home," I warned him, giving him a look that made him smile at me while shaking his head.


    "You sound so much like Evaline that you make me tear up," hemented, biting his underlip to stop the tears from appearing in his eyes.


    "Come on, I am your sister." With that, I gave him a warm hug before we bid goodbye. I will surely miss him, and I am going to meet him every other day, if not every day.


    I hopped in the car and watched Lamar get on his bike.


    The car ride was odd; I sat in the backseat of Norman and Emmet¡¯s car. I noticed the two talked very low, and their conversation was mainly about the family business.


    I knew Norman was mostly at the office, taking care of the deals. But the brothers would asionally join them for meetings to do their part as well.


    My eyes remained on the road outside.


    Once the mansion arrived, the brothers shut up. The car took the long road, and then it entered the main big gate.


    The passage to the mansion after that was long, but it was very refreshing to see the lush gardens all around the mansion.


    They really had a great life. Who even leaves the pack and lives such a luxurious life?


    I bet their parents really worked hard to be here, but sadly, it deteriorated their rtionship. Sometimes I do wonder if their rtionship was doomed because of my mother.


    They parked the car and jumped out of it. While Norman just walked ahead, Emmet stopped to open the door for me.


    "Bring her bags to the room I asked you to clean for her," Emmet called to the warrior, who gave him a nod and started unloading my one lonely bag.


    I kept walking after him, and as we entered, I saw Emma standing next to the kitchen door, probably giving orders for herself and her daughter. When she narrowed her eyes, it was like she couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing.


    Obviously, she didn¡¯te right away because Emmet was right in front of me.


    But I knew the confrontation was right around the corner.


    "This is your room. You will stay here, and you will let me know whenever you need anything. I know you wanted toe here like a guest, but I don¡¯t see you that way. Hnie, it is easy to scare someone from asking for their rights. It is your right to stay here and do whatever you want, of course not get in the way of Norman," he joked, making me smile back at him.


    "Showing her the room?" Maximus peered inside, smiling with his eyes.


    I rolled my eyes because I knew what wasing my way now.


    A lot of flirting from Maximus.


    "Yeah, got it all cleaned for her," Emmet looked around the room and sighed.


    It was a spacious room with windows on two sides of the walls that gave the view of the front garden and also the forbidden hallway. But the windows had really covered the hallway with mist.


    Even in daytime, I couldn¡¯t see anything outside.


    "Hm, Hnie, you can ask for anything here, no one will bother you," Maximus doubled down on Emmet¡¯s words, which made Emmet steadily turn just to look at his brother¡¯s face before looking back at me.


    "Now go ahead, freshen up, and join us for lunch," Emmet gave me a sweet eye-blink nod and left the room.


    Maximus only stayed for a few seconds to give me a naughty smirk before he followed after him.


    Once I locked the door, I got to see the room. It had a beautiful queen-sized bed next to one of the walls with a dressing table on the opposite wall. The two windowed walls had a fluffy big gray sofa chaise couch with a side table and a tripodmp on the side.


    After I had showered, I wore the same clothes that I had washed and dried beforeing here.


    "I need new clothes," I realized it was high time I got a job. I cannot just rely on people gifting me stuff.


    But now, I had to go attend the lunch. I left my room with nothing but worry in my mind. I hated the stares on me, and in this ce, sadly, everyone just looked at me. I walked towards the ss room where they were sitting down for lunch with a great view of the garden from the ss. They had prepared it recently, I could tell.


    "Come," Emmet smiled instantly, pointing at the chair next to Lord McQuoid. On his right sat my mother, and now on his left, I sat down.


    "I am so d you came back, Hnie. I have been hearing nothing but good things about you," Lord McQuoid soothed me when he instantly began to praise me. I thought he would be on my mother¡¯s side.


    Everyone went silent after hearing him say that, but of course, Charlotte had to embarrass herself.


    "You mean to say they areining about her?" She definitely had problems understanding the tones and words. Yet she looked so excited to hear the stories about how I fucked up.

 Chapter 233-I Guess My Stepbrother Is My Therapist Now

    <h4>Chapter 233: 233-I Guess My Stepbrother Is My Therapist Now</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    My mother didn¡¯t even raise her head. But her clenched fists and folded arms over the table were evidence that she didn¡¯t want me here.


    The brothers were silent for a while, but then I heard themugh among themselves, especially Kaye and Maximus.


    "Dad, tell her please," Kaye insisted, making Charlotte even more excited. Poor Lord McQuoid had no clue what was going on.


    "No, dear Charlotte. Hnie has been doing so well in the academy that the council has been asking about her results and progress nonstop. It¡¯s like if she keeps going like this, she will be the star student of our academy very soon," Lord McQuoid smiled when mentioning my achievements. I didn¡¯t really get what I did so well.


    Apart from the fact that I was passing all the tests with no wolf.


    I guess that is what made me stand out?


    "Oh!" Charlotte¡¯s smile went away pretty quickly. She lowered her head and added, "But that¡¯s because the strength sses haven¡¯t started yet, right? Once she gets into those sses, I¡¯m worried she will disappoint everyone." She had such fake concern in her voice. She didn¡¯t want Lord McQuoid to know what an evil individual she was for wishing my downfall.


    However, I had to stand up for myself now. "Those are calledbat sses, not strength sses,"


    I said in the most sassy and belittling way, "And fear not, cousin sister, I will try my hardest to get better atbat so that you don¡¯t have to hear bad news about me. I want you to keep smiling and not worry so much." I mocked her, but of course, I used a tone that would fool Lord McQuoid.


    But I¡¯m certain the brothers understood because they were constantly making eye contact andughing silently. Apart from Norman, who sat seriously in his seat, his head tilted and his eyes in space.


    "Let¡¯s cheer to Hnie," Maximus raised his ss, and I picked up my orange juice. My mother didn¡¯t even bother and started eating. Emma and Charlotte looked forced, but they did pick up their sses along with everyone else.


    Norman only fixed his posture and took a sip from his drink. But then his eyes suddenly moved up, and I felt like he caught me staring at him too hard. I felt so awkward when I stole my eyes from him.


    We finished the lunch in silence. Throughout the time, I kept stealing nces at my mother, and she never once lifted her head to look at me.


    It pained me, even when I told her that she meant nothing to me.


    I just needed answers for her behavior. She definitely cannot be upset with a six-year-old for choosing to go with her dad. She didn¡¯t even ask me once why.


    Couldn¡¯t she understand that something must have happened that made her daughter go back to her father that she initially didn¡¯t want to go with?


    "Hnie!" As I was about to get up after everyone else left except for my mother and Norman, Lord McQuoid called my name.


    I sat down again to answer him with my full attention.


    "I heard about the incident at the hostel. It must have been hard for you to witness your friend like that. I also heard about the bullying and your state," he gulped, almost like this part was a bit hard for him to talk about.


    My mother, who was previously all set to leave, instantly sat down again when her chosen mate called for me.


    She finally raised her head and frowned at me.


    "My state?" I asked Lord McQuoid in bewilderment.


    "You are pretty expressive about your emotions. Emmet told me about it. And he also mentioned how everyone is concerned that you were not able to portray your emotions correctly this time until you felt like you could cry behind the guise of getting bullied. I understand you wanted a reason to let that frustration out, and that bullying gave you the chance to do so. But that is not a healthy way. You should be able to express your sadness and grief. Don¡¯t let it all bottle up," as he talked so politely, like a loving father would, I steadily moved my eyes to the side to watch Norman stare at his image in the ss and run his hand through his hair.


    He wasn¡¯t paying full attention, almost like he was getting ready for a nap or something. He was unbuttoning his sleeves, taking off his watch when what his father said next stole both our attention.


    "That¡¯s why I think, while you are staying here, my son Norman will help you with therapy," as he finished, Norman¡¯s hand stopped in his hair, and his eyes shot up.


    "Huh?" he voiced.


    Even I didn¡¯t like the idea.


    "Umm, him?" my frown and the little wrinkle of my nose turned Norman¡¯s face straight to me.


    "What do you mean by him?" The man, who looked disgusted himself when his father mentioned him helping me with therapy, suddenly questioned why I was so skeptical about him.


    "Because¡ªyou are impatient and you don¡¯t really¡ª" I took a pause when I saw him narrow his eyes at me as if to issue a warning, "and you are also very aggressive. It¡¯s not like you will listen to me and understand. You will make it more like a lecture, where you talk and I listen." I have grown this spine and courage after the miscarriage.


    I keep my behavior journal recorded in my mind at all times.


    He looked like I had shot him.


    "Oh wow, you are really different from when you first showed up at our mansion," Lord McQuoidmented, which made Norman look at his father with a smirk.


    "Now you see, she is rude."


    Lord McQuoid, however, shook his head to dismiss his son¡¯s im. "She now knows how to stand up for herself. And she is very right, you should not be showing her eyes or threatening her with your scary big presence."


    It was like Lord McQuoid siding with me immobilized Norman for a moment. He didn¡¯t even move a muscle. His eyes were narrowed at his father, his mouth agape, and his fists clenched.


    "Now, you are giving her therapy. Prove to her that you can be very patient," Lord McQuoid dered, as he wasn¡¯t ready for any further argument.

 Chapter 234-Let’s Talk About Me

    <h4>Chapter 234: 234-Let¡¯s Talk About Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    There was no choice left for argument or discussion. I remembered what Emmet had told me: that some people can really bully someone into making decisions that make them look bad. Hence, I didn¡¯t argue with Lord McQuoid. I wanted Norman to dismiss his father¡¯s orders. And if not, it¡¯s not like I was the only one getting tortured, getting therapy from Norman. He hated it just as much.


    "You are not taking the eleva--," Normanined as I had to follow him. But his words were cut short when he realized I didn¡¯t n to either.


    I have challenged myself to grow my strength so that I can continue to wipe off Charlotte¡¯s smile whenever I get praised for acing any tests.


    Especiallybat sses.


    "Huh! How many breaks will you take reaching the fifth floor?" hemented, walking ahead of me.


    I didn¡¯t argue because it was not a lie that I would need my breath and needed to save my energy to climb to the fifth floor.


    However, like I had said before, my strength had increased now.


    But the issue was Norman¡¯s butt in my view.


    His pants were really tight to the point that his ass cheeks were perfectly visible. I would look away, but then my eyes would drive back to how round and muscr his ass looked.


    I scoffed, shaking my head. I could throw him down and punch him repeatedly.


    Why so hostile? I just didn¡¯t like this dude and his arrogant ass, I mean his attitude. Dammit.


    Once we reached the fifth floor, I watched him turn around with a smirk on his face. But the smirk of satisfaction washed off his face instantly when he realized I stood straight with my breaths steady and my hands tied in front of my body.


    The disappointment was so real on his face.


    "Alright, let it out," he waved his hand and turned around to unlock his office, and just like he said, I did let out the breath I had been holding back.


    I wheezed while noticing himughing at me when entering his office.


    His office was more in cylindrical length. There was a beautifully decorated table between twofortable couches.


    He gestured at me to take the couch while he rolled up his sleeves and took the couch from across mine.


    "So, how are you feeling now?" he inquired.


    "I¡¯m fine. I am not as breathless as you think I would be, but that¡¯s very weird of you--," I immediately thought he was mocking me until he rolled his eyes to silence me.


    "I was talking about what happened at the academy today," he gave me a nk look, causing me to feel embarrassed for my outburst.


    "I¡¯m okay," I replied, my hands constantly squeezing on my purple sweater¡¯s sleeves.


    "Hm, you are very aggressive at times," as he stated that, I narrowed my eyes because that was what I had said about him.


    "I don¡¯t only give therapy; I help people meet their traumas and look them in the eyes, Hnie," he continued very calmly and professionally.


    "But I don¡¯t have any traumas," I lied and instantly found him nodding like he agreed with me.


    "Not even when you were attacked in the back hostel? Or in the woods by the top seniors? Or by the bullies in the academy today?" As he continued to remind me why he could tell I was lying, I found myself speechless.


    "I don¡¯t let anyone in on my secrets:" that was my way of telling him that he can try this whole therapy thing, but I won¡¯t be opening up to him at all.


    "Okay, then let¡¯s talk about what is not a secret. Let¡¯s talk about your rtionship with your mother," he posed his question very meticulously.


    "Let¡¯s not," I folded my arms over my chest and stubbornly responded to him.


    I would not trust this man at all. Especially when he thinks I am nning to do something to steal his brothers or whatever.


    He was all about his brothers or controlling their lives. Hence, I wouldn¡¯t be trusting him at all.


    "Okay," he sighed before he added, "I have news on your friend."


    I gulped, clenching my jaw before uttering, "And that is your way to make me ask you so that you can also get back at me by saying you won¡¯t share anything with me either." I could feel it in my veins; I was very irritated now.


    Apart from Emmet, I was like this with everyone else.


    "So, you love to assume bad things about me. I get that, but I am not that horrible of a person, Hnie. Helping agitated werewolves and giving them therapy is my job, and I take my job very seriously," the sound of being offended rang in his tone at the moment.


    Then he fixed his posture and said, "Lucy is in aa."


    My heart skipped a beat, but I didn¡¯t know if he was going to add anything or not. I gave him a minute because, like he said, I had been assuming wrong about him too much now.


    "For how long?" After he didn¡¯t say anything, I asked him myself.


    "The doctors don¡¯t know," he replied.


    I swear my eyes started to itch, and it was like a river was waiting to stream down my cheeks.


    "Does that mean¡ªshe is dead?" I uttered shakily. I haven¡¯t heard of werewolves going intoas so frequently.


    Only a very few did in records, and they only died after that. Not a single time did anyone wake up again.


    "No! Don¡¯t assume bad, Hnie. She went into aa, and whereas there had never been good news about them, it is actually good for her. If she can heal during this time, we will do our best to wake her up and make her well," he reassured, but I couldn¡¯t tell if he was only saying that tofort me or if he truly meant it.


    But one thing was for sure, he did get a reaction out of me as I covered my face in my hands and started sobbing into my palms.

 Chapter 235-My Monster Mate Outside My Room

    <h4>Chapter 235: 235-My Monster Mate Outside My Room</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Umm, don¡¯t cry," Norman said in the most awkward voice, and I suddenly stopped crying. I raised my face from my hands and watched his face with disbelief on mine.


    "This is how you give therapy? You can¡¯t evenfort someone," myint must have hurt his ego because he scoffed and breathed through his nostrils.


    "I am not your mate. I give therapy, not warm and cozy hugs," he almost yelled before silencing himself.


    There were times when he said something odd before he checked himself.


    "You know, I have noticed something about you," he calmed down and leaned back in his seat. I could not benefit from his therapy; he was only riling me up more.


    I don¡¯t know why he said this was his style; I found nothing fascinating about it.


    "You get aggressive when you are hiding something," he uttered. "And it also seems like this aggression is new. You were not this way your entire life," my body flinched at his observation.


    "You don¡¯t know that. Maybe I was that way," I replied, trying to throw him off. I hated if anyone predicted me now.


    "Even an aggressive person has much control over their aggression. They know when to show it, or there is a pattern that they show it. But you, you suddenly be aggressive when there is no need for it. It just proves you have way deeper trauma that you don¡¯t want to address," he lowered his head, his eyes on his ring as he rolled it up to the top of his finger before rolling it down to the base.


    "Hnie, when did you leave your pack?" he asked, and my body began to tense up. I tried to act unbothered, but there was something very scary about him asking me that question.


    However, it just slipped through my lips as a reflex of defense, "Why? Did you not do your homework on me already?"


    I noticed him smile at his ring before raising his eyes.


    "There was no mention of you, which meant you had either left or were kicked out, and your name was wiped clean off the list," thankfully, he mentioned the other part of the information that I kind of coerced his agent, Joe, into giving.


    The blue ring on Norman¡¯s finger shone so beautifully from the sunlight entering the window.


    "It was a few years back," I felt so bad for lying through my teeth.


    "And why was that?" he inquired. However, when I didn¡¯t entertain his question, he added, "Did your father love you?"


    My heart was pounding hard in my chest now, "Was he upset that your mother left him?"


    I began to rub my hands all over my neck and noticed how sweaty I was. "I think I will go rest now. If you don¡¯t mind?"


    Of course, that wasn¡¯t me buying myself time. I would not be so polite with him these days.


    "Sure, but I will see you again," as I was getting up, his words froze me in midway.


    "Huh. I thought you didn¡¯t want to help me," I reminded him, and he only shrugged.


    "I changed my mind. That¡¯s how I am. I don¡¯t make an opinion of someone and stick with it." I didn¡¯t get what opinion he was talking about.


    But I just left his office. And as I stopped next to the elevator, I stared at the stairs and then at the elevator door.


    "It is okay, you can take the elevator, I won¡¯t tell anyone," I jumped when realizing he was standing right behind me, bending down in my ear with his arm extended and hand resting on the wall.


    As I turned to him, he pulled away and then walked back to his office. But before he couldpletely disappear, I uttered under my breath:


    "I hope this one doesn¡¯t have a tenth floor." My voice was loud because I was really hoping such an entity didn¡¯t exist here. I entered the elevator and was shocked when I noticed Norman standing outside as if he had run back to me with his eyes on me. They were red, and his body looked limbered.


    I got chills up and down my spine, but thankfully the elevator door had closed by then.


    "What the heck, what a creepy man," Imented under my breath, steadying my breath and getting off on the first floor. As expected, the threedies were having a conversation in the living room.


    As I walked past them, I found them instantly shutting up. I swear I could feel their eyes follow me until I disappeared.


    The rest of the day was good, actually. Nobody really bothered me. I did receive a book from Emmet, and some fruits were sent to my room.


    I sat on the sofa with the tripodmp to read the book. It was a book on different creatures in the roguemunity. The stories were intriguing. I only read thetest updated part about the Rune¡¯s dream world. Now that they knew more about him, they had added him in the book. But I just couldn¡¯t find anything on the lycan in the book.


    I initially fell asleep and even skipped dinner since we had lunch veryte. I woke up toplete darkness and a loud howl in the distance.


    My heart sank in my chest, which made me drop the book as I jolted awake on the sofa. My entire room was dark with only one circle lit where I was sitting.


    For some very weird reason, I felt like someone was watching me. As I hastily turned around to look behind me and outside the window, I found red eyes staring at me through the darkness.


    "Ahhh!" a yelp heaved across my lips, and my body jumped off the couch, continuing to stare at those eyes.


    They were so bloody and bright red that I couldn¡¯t even let out a call for help. I just sat on the ground, my body leaning back and my eyes wide open. It was so dark outside, but it was also the forbidden hallway where this giant thing was standing.


    And then, as it let out another howl, I knew what it was.


    It was the lycan!

 Chapter 236-Let Me Aid My Big Bad Stepbrother

    <h4>Chapter 236: 236-Let Me Aid My Big Bad Stepbrother</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I booked out of the room in an attempt to find someone and inform them about the lycan in the mansion.


    I ran into the living room as my guestroom was right next to the entrance and away from the living room and the foyer.


    I rushed past it, reaching the second floor after taking big steps on the stairs. The first door to appear was Kaye¡¯s, with a ck doorknob.


    I hesitated for a while when I recalled how he had acted thest time I had entered his room. But then I remembered the lycan, and I found it terrifying enough to start knocking on his door.


    I was certain he woulde out to help me, but weirdly enough, he didn¡¯t.


    My next stop was the door with a golden pattern: Maximus¡¯s room. As I was about to knock on it, I heard some footsteps and a door being mmed shut on the first floor.


    It came from the backside of the mansion, like the backdoor.


    Curiosity hit me, and I made my way to the stairs again, steadily walking down with a vase in my hand that I picked from the side.


    I reached the first floor, and the minute I saw a big shadow appear from the dark and move towards me, I raised the vase tond a strike.


    My handnded on the person, and the vase shattered on his head. Before I could scream, he lunged at me and put his hand on my mouth, pushing me against the wall and shushing me.


    "What the fuck is wrong with you?" he hissed in my face. It was Norman.


    He was tightly silencing me with his hand while blood was gushing down his head and covering all over his face.


    "It¡¯s me, not some burr, okay?" he muttered again just to reassure me I wasn¡¯t facing someone terribleing into the mansion.


    I was so shocked that I was just standing with my hands raised and attached to the wall, my eyes bugged out at him.


    "I¡¯m going to remove my hand from your mouth, but don¡¯t make a noise and ruin everyone¡¯s sleep, okay?" he asked again, anger all over his face and in his tone. I mean, I just bonked him with a vase; he was mad.


    I nodded, and he gently slipped his hand off my mouth and stepped back. That¡¯s when I got to see his messy state.


    He was covered in what almost seemed like dirt. His shirt was open too, and he was missing a belt, it seemed.


    He is usually well-dressed and never misses his belt, cufflinks, or watch.


    So it was a huge noticeable difference. And then my eyesnded on his naked body. He had a huge scar under his ribs. It looked so painful. He followed my eyes and quickly turned his face to the other side, buttoning up his shirt.


    "It¡¯s ill manners to stare at someone, you know? You wouldn¡¯t like it if I¡ªwell, never mind," he was yapping, but I had a few questions.


    "What were you doing out there?" I questioned, and he turned to face me now that he had his shirt all buttoned up. He actually did it wrong, with many missed spots, but that was not my focus of attention.


    It was the blood that was now soaking his white shirt and staining it.


    "Really? You¡¯re the one questioning me? You fucking hit me with a vase. What was that for?" he hissed, using his two fingers to wipe the blood from his face like a car wiper. It was so shocking to see him still stand and look not even bothered by the huge gash in his forehead. It was a big wound.


    "I saw a lycan outside my room¡ªand I thought¡ªwhy were you out there? Wait, did you see anything!" I was posing questions while concerned about how much pain he must be feeling in the moment. Although he didn¡¯t show it, I didn¡¯t believe he wasn¡¯t in pain.


    "No! I went out¡ªto inspect¡ª," his face lit up when he answered me, "yes, to inspect," he repeated, almost like confirming it in his mind. "I heard a howl and decided to check up."


    He looked away.


    "Are you in pain?" I inquired, feeling guilty.


    "From that vase? Not really," he shrugged.


    "Okay, then should we ask the warriors to look after that lycan and also¡ª," as I started yapping about the lycan, he frowned and then groaned.


    "Ouch!"


    In a very cold tone, he winced.


    "What happened?" I questioned, my eyes lingering on how he touched his wound.


    "It¡¯s actually hurting," heined, and I bit my tongue.


    "I am so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to, but I got scared," now that I saw the damage I had caused and how he mentioned he was in pain, I felt so bad.


    "It¡¯s alright. I will go off and shift," once he started to walk towards the exit again, I ran to stop him.


    I spread my arms and stood in his way, making him tilt his head and question me with his eyes.


    "There is a lycan on the loose and you want to go outside?" I noticed how he kept narrowing his eyes with every word.


    "I¡¯m not afraid of any lycan. I will just heal quickly that way," he gestured at me with his fingers to step aside, but I refused to let him go.


    I don¡¯t want to be the reason someone gets mauled by a lycan.


    "Hnie! You are doing it on purpose to keep me in pain, right?" he scoffed, using a low and hushed tone. He didn¡¯t seem to be in pain, or maybe he was just not the type to show it.


    But he had a handkerchief on his forehead. Yeah, he was the type who still carries a perfectly folded handkerchief with his initials on it.


    "No! That lycan will eat you up nice. I can give you first aid since I¡¯m the one who gave you this wound," I spoke with much difficulty, not sure if I wanted to give him aid.


    "I can do it myself¡ªyou know, yeah, okay!" he suddenly changed his mind, and I found myself stuck. I thought he would say he can do it and would proceed to go back to his room and take care of his wound himself.


    I was not so cruel that I didn¡¯t want to help him because I didn¡¯t like him, but because I have never given anyone first aid.

 Chapter 237-Playing Doctor-Nurse With My Stepbrother

    <h4>Chapter 237: 237-ying Doctor-Nurse With My Stepbrother</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "To my room," I uttered, pointing at my room. He was walking closely behind me, his heavy footsteps sounding like a monster enraged.


    He was so tall and big that I felt his presence like a whole-ass tower hovering behind me.


    "I know where the room is. I live here," he muttered under his breath, more like answering to himself.


    I opened the door, and he stared at me, then inside before stepping in first. I followed and closed the door.


    The instant I turned on the lights, the outside view looked even darker.


    "You sit here, I will go get the aid box," I pointed at the cozy sofa with themp.


    "And you thought if you didn¡¯t tell me, I would sit on the toilet?" he grumpilyined, sitting down on the couch next to the bed instead.


    Of course, he did. The other couch could only make space for him.


    "Okay, now!" I pouted, opening the box that was already here when I arrived.


    "Umm, we will clean your wound," I snapped my fingers and grabbed a sponge.


    He sat like a child forced to take part in a y.


    His gigantic hands on his knees, his fingers tapping restlessly.


    I stood in front of him, hunching just a little, as even when sitting, he was pretty much my size.


    I had to awkwardly stare at his face while he stared at mine.


    I started dabbing the sponge around his wound, cleaning the area.


    After I had cleaned his face with the most awkward eye contact that I tried avoiding, I grabbed another sponge to now use some ointment to clean it.


    I could tell he was already not satisfied.


    I bent down in front of him a little once more, my face at his face level.


    Once I touched the sponge to his wound, he winced, but he didn¡¯t even flinch, it seemed forced.


    That¡¯s when my hand motion slowed down, and I identally looked into his eyes since he kept staring at me shamelessly right in the eye.


    He cleared his throat and finally looked away, but stared at the ceiling instead now.


    "Now!" I straightened my back and tapped my finger on my chin, wondering what to do next.


    No one has ever given me aid before. The only time I did get any care was whenever I was passed out.


    So it was pretty much something I had to do for the first time in person. I was scared I was pressing too hard or not cleaning it right.


    I finally realized what I needed to do.


    "Now I will stitch the wound," as soon as I said that out loud, I watched him jump like he had a mouse in his clothes.


    "No!" he yelled, stepping away from me and snatching the box in front of me before I could reach it.


    "Have you gone nuts? Do you think we are ying doctor-nurse?" he scoffed, grabbing a band-aid from the box and walking over to the dressing table. I was so offended.


    "So I do all the hard tasks, you apply that band-aid, and suddenly you did everything?" I groaned, my hands on my waist.


    "You did nothing. Just wasted my time," he hissed, bending in front of the mirror to fit into it and then applied the band-aid.


    "But stitches are important," I don¡¯t know why he got so hard. I have sewn clothes before; it¡¯s not like I waspletely clueless.


    After he was done, he turned to me and shook his head.


    "Hey! Don¡¯t give me that look. I took care of your wound," Iined.


    "After you gave me that wound," he sighed, his eyes shifting to the fallen book next to the couch in the corner.


    He picked it up and swiftly skimmed through the pages.


    "You said something earlier," while his eyes were on the pages of the book, he uttered.


    "I said a lot of things; which one caught your attention?" I rolled my eyes, wondering if he was about to make aint about something I said.


    "About the tenth floor, why did you say that?" he closed the book, using a much-intrigued voice as he turned to face me.


    "Oh, that! Forget about it," I waved my hand to dismiss it. I don¡¯t want him to add "crazy" to the list of the things he says about me.


    "No! Tell me, what do you know about the tenth floor?" His insistencepelled me to check his reaction.


    He looked pale as he continued to focus on the subject. Did he probably know something about the tenth floor?


    "I have¡ªseen a button to the tenth floor a few times," I said in a muffled tone.


    "You have seen the button?" he almost rushed at me before he realized he was probably scaring me and stopped in his steps. I don¡¯t know if it was excitement or shock on his part thatpelled him into losing hisposure.


    "You¡¯ve seen it too?" It wasn¡¯t long before my brain started working again.


    "Tell me¡ªtell me when was it and did you¡ª," he stuttered, looking like he was second-guessing if he should be having this conversation with me.


    "To that floor? Yes, I have. I¡¯ve been to it at least a few times," I replied, seeing horror take over his expression.


    He went numb almost and then stepped back, missing a step and almost falling down. I tried to reach him to give him support, but then he bnced himself and showed me his hand to reassure me he was fine.


    "What do you know about it?" I began to ask, now more curious why the trainers never mentioned it.


    If they had only been upfront about it and not hidden the monsters like they hid the lycan from us, it would have saved Lucy.


    These rogue brothers were definitely hiding a lot. Same thing with the Runes dream world.


    I remember how they had kept it a secret, always calling it a myth.


    They were trying hard to make the roguend look safer when there were obvious stories of dangerous creatures lurking around.


    "Tell me," I yelled, and he broke himself free from whatever cage he had been stuck in.


    "I don¡¯t know. Don¡¯t mention it in front of anyone again. Good night," his mood soured suddenly, his tone harsh as he warned me with his finger pointing at me, then headed to the door. There was something extremely scary about the tenth floor and now Norman¡¯s reaction.


    I needed to find out the truth myself.

 Chapter 238-Her Mate Is Interested In Helanie

    <h4>Chapter 238: 238-Her Mate Is Interested In Hnie</h4>


    <strong>Lamar:</strong>


    "I am so worried for Hnie. Do you think she will be happy in that mansion?" I asked my wolf, who had been silently trying to understand something.


    "Is it normal for the brothers to bring someone to their mansion?" he asked, and I shrugged.


    "Hnie is a special student now. She is being praised by the council, so the brothers are definitely taking strict measures to ensure she is safe. Besides, they know she doesn¡¯t have a ce to stay, and then she got bullied in their academy to the point that she got traumatized, so they arepensating for it by giving her shelter," I exined to him, all the while standing outside the motel where I had booked a room for a month.


    It was a rather shabby one, but that was what I could afford.


    "I stopped listening to you before you started talking," my wolf responded to me yapping for about two minutes.


    I reached the counter and got my keys, noticing how they were eyeing me. The couple ran this ce.


    I walked all the way to the top floor and unlocked my room. The entire motel was pretty dark; the woods creaked under me as I walked, too.


    The single bed was helplessly ced in the middle, with a balcony across it, offering a view to the outside. At least I got a balcony. There were two wooden chairs on the other side of the wall. The room was not too small, but it was the way the woods creaked that made me ufortable.


    Now I was all alone, staring at the picture of my sister in my wallet.


    I have had such a rough childhood. Every day was a battle as I did chores nonstop to earn treats for my sister. She deserved so much in her life, and it was all snatched from her by those monsters.


    Suddenly, my phone rang, and I was brought back from my happy ce.


    Seeing Jenny¡¯s name pop up on the screen reminded me that I had something of hers that she will probably ask for again. I never nned to y her.


    She seemed like a nice one. I have had good conversations with her. Also, her radiant energy kind of brought warmth to my heart at times when I didn¡¯t expect to see light.


    So hurting her was really hard.


    I answered her call, thinking I¡¯d have toe up with an excuse as to why I can¡¯t give her the hair right now.


    But the instant she spoke on the phone, I realized she hadn¡¯t called for the hair.


    "Can you pleasee pick me up?"


    Her voice was heavy and shaky; little sobs were pretty evident in her voice, too.


    She must have been crying, but why?


    "Are you alright?" I sat straight in worry, hearing her little sobs reminded me of the night she confided in me about her mate nonstop causing her pain and then denying he¡¯d ever cheat on her.


    "Just tell me, can youe pick me up?" she asked with much pressure this time.


    "Sure, tell me where I should pick you up from?" I asked, already off the bed and putting on my shoes again.


    While I stayed on the phone with her, I left the motel room to go look for her. Strangely enough, her pack was right next to mine.


    Our pack was not very well known. It was just under a lustful and very low self-esteem alpha. He didn¡¯t have an heir, and I don¡¯t think he ever nned to have one either.


    That¡¯s why he always buttered up the rich Alphas by throwing parties for them so that he could stay as the Alpha despite growing old. And it was working in his favor for the most part.


    I was able to spot Jenny at the border, stopped by the warriors.


    I wondered why she didn¡¯t tell them she was an Alpha¡¯s daughter and sister; they would have let her in right away.


    "Hey," I rushed, but before I could do anything, she had already run into my arms.


    I awkwardly lifted my head to notice the smirks on the faces of the warriors. They were eyeing each other and then me. I knew why.


    "Let¡¯s go." Once she was approved, she started walking with me while continuing to sob.


    The warriors didn¡¯t let it slide and quickly voiced, "Youngdy, if you need help, call 111." My fists clenched because of the reason they were saying that.


    I ignored them and helped her onto the bike.


    "Here," I uttered, putting a helmet on her head while she stayed whimpering.


    "Hold me tight," I hopped on, putting on my own helmet. Her soft hands ran to my waist and then to the front, tangling her fingers together and holding onto my stomach tightly.


    I took her to my motel, where she might even feel misced, as a rich girl like her might have never been to something so rusty. But I never saw her wrinkle her nose or show any disgust.


    "Now tell me, what happened?" Once I sat her down on the chair, I asked.


    "I don¡¯t want to be with Rayden anymore," she uttered under her breath, tears streaming down her eyes.


    "Hm, talk to your father or brother, maybe," I wasn¡¯t sure how I could help her with that. I needed to stick to my own n and not get distracted. Once I get my revenge on him, pretty much both Hnie and Jenny will be free of his grasp.


    "They wouldn¡¯t believe me. They think of him as a future Alpha King or someone who will do great things for his pack. So my father thinks it¡¯s better that I stick with him," she uttered, making it clear that her family was pretty much neglecting her because of the typical greedy mentality.


    "You know, he was... looking into Hnie¡¯s background. He even had pictures of Hnie that he secretly took while she was in the hallway, doing academy work or even just sitting silently," she made my heart skip a beat with her ims.


    "When was that?" I inquired, growing angry at the audacity of that man.


    "Today. I saw him and then came here," there was a weird hurt on her face that made me worried for her friendship with Hnie.


    "It hurt so much to see my fated mate be so interested in my own best friend."

 Chapter 239-Tasting Her Again

    <h4>Chapter 239: 239-Tasting Her Again</h4>


    <strong>Lamar:</strong>


    I instantly shook my head to dismiss any ideas getting in her head. There was no way Rayden was stupid enough to get caught like that. He was a cunning man, so he did it meticulously.


    "Okay, you have to listen to me very carefully now. He did it on purpose. He wanted you to see that he is showing interest in your friend so that you distance yourself from Hnie, and he gets to manipte you after separating you from everyone in your life who might be the reason you¡¯re gaining courage to stand up against him," I spoke with much confidence, as I knew what was happening. Rayden was ying mind games now.


    I had to make sure Jenny understands that Hnie has nothing to do with Rayden taking interest in her. But I couldn¡¯t tell her the entire truth about me and Hnie¡¯s revenge against Rayden. The reason was simple. People in Jenny¡¯s life could have an influence on her.


    So it was dangerous to let her in on any of our ns.


    "What? But why?" she looked confused.


    "It is something narcissistic abusers do. They distance their victims from their families and friends so that the victims think their abuser is their only hope. And Rayden must have noticed that Hnie is close to me and must have thought Hnie knew you and I were going to¡ª And you know the rest," I itched the back of my neck when mentioning our one night together.


    "Oh! I will never doubt Hnie though. I¡¯ll be concerned for her if he were to be involved with her. Rayden is not a good person," she uttered under her breath.


    Thankfully, she had stopped crying at least.


    "I¡¯ve been thinking about Lucy. I got the update from my father that¡ª," she made me curious because we hadn¡¯t been told anything about Lucy¡¯s condition till now.


    "Lamar, she went into aa," Jenny¡¯s eyes quickly filled with tears due to obvious reasons.


    My heart went out for Lucy. She got yed by everyone around her. First her mate Gavin, then Jenny and even us. We messed up when we kept on telling her that she was wrong about Jenny and Gavin.


    "Well," I uttered, having nothing to add.


    "Hnie will never talk to me again after this," Jenny had a tiring tone, her eyes kept getting filled with new tears.


    "She will be angry, but I know she wouldn¡¯t me you. She is ming someone else," I remembered the tenth floor. I was kind of intrigued about it.


    And it¡¯s not like Hnie was lying. Quick thinking would confirm Hnie¡¯s usation.


    Hnie would asionally go missing when taking the elevator, and I always thought she was in the basement because once the elevator showed going down to the basement.


    Same with Lucy.


    If Lucy was on the rooftop, then who opened and locked the door after her?


    "Do you know something?" Jenny noticed me zoning out and questioned.


    "Hnie said something that kind of stole my attention," I cleared my throat, shifting to sit up straight now.


    "What about it?" she asked.


    "Jenny, there is a tenth floor apparently in the hostel that can only be seen by those who take the elevator when they are distressed," I watched her look lost. "Yeah, I know you wouldn¡¯t believe it. But Hnie ims to have been to the tenth floor, and Lucy did too before she¡ªHnie believes the tenth floor is what stole Lucy from us," I probably confused her even more.


    She just kept staring at my face before I noticed her eyes growing wider with every passing second as if she acknowledged something.


    "Oh my Goddess!" Jenny truly scared me with her reaction.


    "What? What is it?" I jumped in my spot, identally getting too close to her. There was barely any space left between our faces as we stared into each other¡¯s eyes.


    "When I got the admission, my mother sat me and my brother down to have a talk with us. She specifically told us to never take the elevator. Well, her reasoning to us was that the elevator is often for the weak ones, but thenter, she sat me down and told me to never take the elevator and go to the floors that are not mentioned by the trainers," she stopped talking to see my reaction.


    I was slightly lost because I had heard Sydney tell me that it is a thing that powerful werewolves don¡¯t take elevators.


    So probably that¡¯s why Jenny¡¯s mother forbade her, and she was thinking too much into it now?


    "But there is another crazy part about my mother," she added once she noticed I wasn¡¯t too intrigued by her findings. "My mom used to be a student of the VS, but she quit in the middle after one of her friends died in the hostel." As she finished this time, she got the look from me that she had been anticipating.


    "You need to have a talk with your mother," I cupped her face excitedly, probably thinking if we could get some more information about the tenth floor, maybe we could help Lucy wake up?


    "I will," she replied with the same happiness.


    "Oh Jenny, if we can help Lucy get up, imagine what it will do for Hnie. She will be so happy," as I said that, I noticed Jenny¡¯s smile disappear.


    "Oi! What happened?" Wondering at her reaction, I couldn¡¯t help but ask her directly.


    "Do you¡ªdo you like Hnie too?" I couldn¡¯t find jealousy or anger in her eyes, just a little sadness.


    "I do, like a sister. Jenny, she is¡ªshe is my sister from now on," as I murmured, Jenny¡¯s smile returned, but this time, she took a step forward and crashed her lips against mine out of the blue. I was shocked for a solid two seconds, but then I deepened the kiss with her.


    Her handsnded on my chest, showing how excited she was to be in my bed again.


    I wanted to stop it, remembering what Hnie has told me about Jenny. She warned me about using Jenny in our revenge.


    But what if I genuinely want to touch her?


    I didn¡¯t n to tell Penn or Rayden about this encounter, so I grabbed her tiny waist and pulled her closer, shoving my tongue in her mouth, which she happily epted.

 Chapter 240-There Is Something Wrong About My Stepbrothers

    <h4>Chapter 240: 240-There Is Something Wrong About My Stepbrothers</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Good morning, how was your night?" Maximus uttered from behind me, joining me in my morning walk.


    I¡¯d suited up in the tracksuit early this morning as I was determined to work on my strength. I was determined to get used to doing things beyond my capacity.


    "It was weird," I replied, taking long and big strides. Maximus looked fresh as hell. He was blushing red in the cheeks from the cold and was probably headed for his morning jog as well.


    "You can go ahead, jog, I am only brisk walking," I said, acting like I didn¡¯t know he was purposely walking slow so that he could spend time with me.


    "My goal is right beside me, so I don¡¯t need to run after it." He probably smirked. I know him so well now. Every time he talked and smirked, his voice sounded much more cheerful.


    "Maximus," I cleared my throat, noticing him quickly jump in front of me and face me. He was now walking backward, making sure he got me to look into his eyes.


    "You saying my name like that races my heart unlike any other exercise or workout could do," he was bing so overly flirtatious that he could not talk without flirting.


    "Can you please quit for a minute? I have something important to talk about with you," I groaned, making him look down dramatically like I had saddened him.


    "Okay fine, break the innocent guy¡¯s heart," heined, changing his position and walking beside me now.


    "Did you hear somethingst night?" I asked and noticed him shrugging.


    "You mean to say the loud noise of someone shattering something on someone¡¯s head?" I instantly knew Norman had told him about it. As I turned to look at his face, I found him smiling weirdly.


    "It is okay. He is fine," he added.


    "Actually, that was because I thought a lycan had broken into the mansion." He stopped dead in his tracks at the mention of the lycan. I noticed how quickly he turned to face me, and this time, he didn¡¯t even look like he was in a good mood.


    "Why would you think like that?" He was frowning hard now.


    "I heard a howl, and then I saw¡ªsomething outside my room. I got so scared," I uttered, genuinely petrified when I recalled those red eyes watching me.


    It was not at all easy for me to let it go since I had felt the mate bond with that thing. And now that thing was outside my room, staring at me? That made me wonder if it came for me.


    "What? Outside your room? Are you sure?" Maximus instantly pulled his phone out to text someone.


    "I¡¯m sure. Who are you texting?" I asked while he stepped away.


    "Just the warriors to make sure any of them, umm, saw something," the hesitation in his bodynguage scared me.


    Was it really that scary of a thing?


    "I am sure you just saw something sparkle and thought it was eyes," Maximus¡¯s voice was not steady at all, and his eyes lingered a little too long on his phone. He was trying to step farther away from me while texting someone.


    "Umm, yeah, the warriors didn¡¯t see anything," he was finally back to reality as he slid his phone back into the pocket of the jacket he wore over his shorts and paid attention to me again.


    "Oh, then yeah, maybe I was imagining things." Seeing how he was doing his best to convince me I was wrong, I decided not to have this argument or discussion, whatever it was called.


    "Hey, I am sure you saw something, but a lycan on our property is a big deal, Hnie. It means we are not safe in our home," he faced me, standing tall in front of me with his lips puckering and his eyes observing me for a reaction.


    "Sure," I replied, sticking to my decision not to talk about it with him again.


    However, I saw his eyes move a little behind me, and then a gulp ran down his throat.


    "Let¡¯s continue the walk," he added, almost like trying to distract me, but I quickly turned around to follow his stare.


    There was someoneing out from the woods, in the process of wearing a shirt.


    "Kaye! What was Kaye doing in the woods?" I asked, turning to Maximus, who broke his stare from his brother just to pass me an awkward smile that failed to hide the shock on his face.


    "He is a rogue king, must have gone to the woods for a quick transition. We start our mornings differently," Maximus rushed past me to Kaye, who was clearly out of it. He was wearing ck jeans, and while buttoning up his shirt, he was looking away from us with his legs shaking.


    Once he heard his brother talk to me, he turned around and almost lost his bnce. Maximus had to run to support him, and so did I.


    "Oh, Hnie," Kaye greeted tiredly.


    I didn¡¯t think a rogue king should be so tired, like he had been running around the whole night. It couldn¡¯t be just a fun morning run.


    "Are you okay?" I instantly posed a question because I noticed Maximus was trying to steer him away from me.


    "I think he needs to rest." There was so much guilt in Maximus¡¯s eyes. His entire bodynguage had changed after he saw his brothere out of the woods.


    "I am fine. I just wanted to say something to H¡ª" Kaye cleared his throat, almost falling to the ground.


    Maximus held him up and gave me an awkward look. "You should go ahead. I will take him home. I guess he¡¯s exhausted. Must be from the stress and all."


    Maximus¡¯s voicecked emotion¡ªor, one might say, life. He sounded lifeless.


    I watched him hold his brother and walk him to the mansion, his arm wrapped around Kaye¡¯s shoulder to support his body.


    This interaction was going to stick with me. It just looked very suspicious.

 Chapter 241-One Of Us Is Hiding A Truth

    <h4>Chapter 241: 241-One Of Us Is Hiding A Truth</h4>


    <strong>Maximus:</strong>


    "Ugh! My body hurts so bad," Kaye uttered, his weight on me as his legs could barely hold him up.


    "It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll get you some food. You¡¯ve been out the whole night?" I couldn¡¯t believe it. My brother had been in so much pain, and I was enjoying my life like everything was fine.


    "Yeah, pretty much," he replied, steadily taking control of his body.


    "I¡¯m fine, my muscles were strained from being in transition state for too long," he cleared his throat, straightened his back, and then stretched his muscles to feel better.


    "Where is everyone else, and why was Hnie outside so early this morning?" Now that he was slowly getting back to normal, he asked, pointing back at the door.


    "Yeah, she was headed for a walk," I replied, still not sure how I could ever be okay with seeing my brother in so much agony after a terrible night of transition.


    "Do you think she¡¯ll be fine by herself? The roguemunity is filled with dangers," he uttered, showing concern for Hnie.


    It was strange how we had all been so angry at her arrival, and now we were always worried for her safety.


    "She¡¯ll stick to the track," I reassured him. Hnie was not a dumb little girl. She knew the dangers and would be careful.


    "We would like an early breakfast," I called out to the head maid, who quickly got the servers under her to work.


    "You know, it¡¯s fine," Kaye waved his hand, but I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted him to go to his room for rest without eating anything.


    "I¡¯m starving too. So why not have breakfast? We haven¡¯t had a family meeting in two weeks," I reminded him with a forced smile, still feeling guilty in my heart.


    We both sat down after Kaye washed his face and hands to have breakfast before he went to rest. I could tell he¡¯d had a bad night. It should have ended after two hours, but I couldn¡¯t tell what had made him stay out the whole night.


    "Ughhh!" he stretched in his seat, not evenining.


    "I¡¯m sorry¡ª" before I could finish, Kaye swiftly straightened his posture and shot me a warning stare.


    "Don¡¯t ever be apologetic. I don¡¯t find trouble in it, and no one should," he warned me. I couldn¡¯t understand how someone could be so positive about it. But that¡¯s why I loved my brother so much.


    However, there was someone who didn¡¯t care as much as we brothers did for each other.


    "Ahhhh, morning," Emmet arrived, looking drunk as hell.


    Now, he was someone who didn¡¯t give a damn about any of us. We brothers might be dying, and Emmet would choose to drink himself to waste. Just likest night.


    Now that the academy was off for a month, he was going to drink every night and be happy.


    And because of him, Norman would be on the lookout at the forbidden passage after the two hours had passed, even when Norman should have been resting.


    Speaking of him, Norman showed up with a bright smile on his lips. We all nced at each other and then at the bandage on his forehead.


    "Don¡¯t ask me; that girl is just a minion with a hammer," Norman said, and as soon as he mentioned it, Kaye and I burst outughing. Emmet seemed lost since no one had filled him in on what had happenedst night.


    "Did I miss something?" Emmet inquired, still unable to open his eyes. It was shocking that he had even woken up early. He must have been getting wasted much earlier than usual.


    "Well, who¡¯s going to tell him?" I scoffed under my breath, Kayeughing silently as we exchanged a look.


    "Hnie thought a lycan got insidest night, and she hit me by mistake," Norman said, giving us a very disapproving nce as he went on to exin to Emmet what was making usugh.


    "The lycan got inside?" I watched Emmet gulp, and it seemed a bit strange.


    "It¡¯s fine, Emmet. Nothing happened. She must have had a dream or something," Norman quickly reassured him, but the way he said it caught both Kaye¡¯s and my attention.


    "Anyway, I¡¯ll go rest. I couldn¡¯t sleep the entire night. You guys enjoy breakfast, and be nice to each other," Norman said, his tone light until thest part, which he muttered in a whisper while patting both Kaye and me on the shoulders.


    After he left, we watched Emmet together. He didn¡¯t even look up, his focus entirely on the food.


    Once the food was served and the maids had left, ensuring no one else was around to overhear, I decided to throw a few taunts at Emmet. Not because I hated him, but because I hated how he acted as if we were invisible.


    "So, had funst night?" I asked. Emmet looked up, confused, probably unsure if I was even talking to him, given I never acted that way with him in so long.


    "It was a rather dull night," Emmet replied, grabbing a boiled egg and cracking it with his hand. He seemed to be starving.


    "I was thinking I¡¯ll gift you a bar this birthday," I continued. Emmet only nodded, his head bowed over the cereal bowl now.


    "That will be expensive," hemented.


    I wanted him to get angry, to show me any reaction. But he didn¡¯t. Apparently, his brothers meant nothing to himpared to that girl.


    "Hnie must have been scared," I said, turning my attention to Kaye. The minute I mentioned her, I got the reaction I wasn¡¯t expecting¡ªEmmet¡¯s focus shifted to me.


    "Did anyone check on her after she thought she saw the lycan?" Emmet¡¯s question drew both Kaye¡¯s and my attention. The way Kaye pouted at me told me even he understood why I was upset. Emmet didn¡¯t ask about our night, yet he was suddenly all ears when it came to Hnie.


    "I met her in the morning. She seemed fine," I replied bitterly. I just didn¡¯t understand why Emmet was taking such an interest in Hnie.


    First, he hurt me by not paying attention to me. Then he hurt me even more by acting differently toward the girl I found attractive.

 Chapter 242-That Pregnancy Test

    <h4>Chapter 242: 242-That Pregnancy Test</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    "What about Rayden¡¯s father? Did he respond to the letter?" I asked and noticed my brothers shared yet another nce that confused me.


    They always spoke with their eyes. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t notice, but there was no point in highlighting it when they wouldn¡¯t be honest about what was brewing in their heads.


    But I didn¡¯t hate them for it¡ªthey were my life. But if they found out my truth, they would be petrified.


    "No! But he will. That Rayden shouldn¡¯t have participated in the nder of his mate¡¯s friend," Kaye groaned angrily, his eyes showing that if he could, he would punish Rayden himself.


    I watched their faces for a minute to see if anyone had noticed what I had.


    "Don¡¯t you think that is weird?" I uttered, extending my hand for the pancakes, when Maximax pulled the te away, making me raise my eyes to meet his.


    "First exin¡ªwhat do you mean?" Maximus groaned, already giving his full attention. I didn¡¯t want to hurt my brothers, but that is what it is now. I didn¡¯t have any energy in my body to argue with anyone.


    "That Rayden guy¡ªever since he arrived, he¡¯s targeted Hnie. His first day with the juniors, I found him bothering Hnie with the lockers," I exined, and my brothers started to pay more attention.


    As their interest piqued, I reached over for the te and got it sessfully.


    "When you first arrive at a ce where your mate is, you instantly start impressing the friends, not blocking their paths and making them ufortable," I exined, their eyes still on me.


    "Say more, I want to know what you¡¯ve noticed," Maximus insisted, and I continued.


    "Every time Rayden is in view, Hnie loses her natural aura. She turns pale, and her eyes linger on him every once in a while. Not to mention, he carries a smirk on his face whenever he interacts with her." I wasn¡¯t done yet, but I found Kaye and Maximus sharing a nce, probably remembering the details of their own encounters with Rayden.


    "We might have noticed something too." Now that the attention was brought to the issue, they were focusing on recalling everything that might have struck them as odd.


    "Ah! That¡¯s why he was trying so hard to make Hnie ufortable about Lucy¡¯s fall," Kaye groaned, fisting his palm.


    "How the heck did we miss that?" Maximus asked himself, almost like he was so angry that he forgot to speak with his wolf in silence.


    Now it was good that my brothers were taking it seriously, but the way they were taking it seriously shocked me. They were so attentive¡ªbut since when?


    If I remember correctly, the reason Hnie had left this mansion to begin with was because of these two. One of them chased after her like crazy, while the other used her of being the reason Dad found out he had brought a she-wolf home.


    "Well, I¡¯m not sure about the two of you, but I¡¯ll be keeping my eye on Rayden, and I suggest you two make him busy too. So busy that he doesn¡¯t have time to do anything funky with Hnie," I told them my decision.


    I was sure they would do great keeping Rayden busy too. However, it was still unclear to me why Rayden was so focused on Hnie.


    It surely couldn¡¯t be their first meeting.


    "Anyway, this was a great breakfast," I cleared my throat and got up, but as I was about to leave, I noticed my little brothers¡¯ eyes on me. They had this childlike look in them¡ªinnocence and desire.


    "And Kaye¡ªrest," as soon as I said that, I watched a satisfied smile bless his face.


    Maximus lowered his head, so when walking past him, I petted his head and noticed his body jolted, probably in shock or happiness.


    Once back in my room, I stared at my bloody clothes fromst night. A sigh heaved across my lips as I picked them up and took them to the bathroom to wash them.


    I had to do this myself. The maids seeing it would spark rumors, and rumors are what I avoid.


    After I was done, I walked out of the bathroom again and reached the window to look outside. My eyes picked up on Hnie returning from her walk.


    She had all these loose strands of hair on her face, with curtain bangs that were always ying on her cheeks.


    Her face was red from the cold and the long walk. She reached the mansion and raised her head to look at me. Our eyes met for a moment before I had to pull the curtains down. I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on.


    She looked familiar but like a stranger at the same time.


    My eyes moved down to the diary I had to write an entry in. Next to the diary was a stic bag, and in that stic bag was a pregnancy test.


    This was the test that the students had found on the mountains. I remember the way everyoneughed about it. I was going to discard it, but then something caught my eye.


    It was the doodles on it.


    I¡¯m usually just not doing anything, so whenever I find something, I start digging into it. I like to capture stories or find out what happened.


    I was curious to know why this was discarded and who discarded it.


    But most of all, the doodles.


    I¡¯ve seen these in one of the students¡¯ tests. I have returned the tests so I couldn¡¯t be certain for now. I grabbed my diary and then the stic bag, walking over to the safe and putting the stic bag in it safely.


    "Dear my lonely self,st night was hectic. Could the lycan reallye to the mansion? Or what if the mansion belongs to him? What if Hnie really saw it? What if she¡ªBut a lycan wouldn¡¯t remember, yes! He wouldn¡¯t. But Hnie will. What if she is intrigued by stories as well? What if she tries to find out who the lycan is?"


    I stared at the wall and then sighed, not loving the idea.


    "She must not find out," I said sternly.

 Chapter 243-Maybe Someone Else Visited The Tenth Floor

    <h4>Chapter 243: 243-Maybe Someone Else Visited The Tenth Floor</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Thank you, I will call you when I want you to pick me up," I said to the driver, who was assigned by Maximus to drop me at Benita¡¯s Cafe to meet up with Lamar and Jenny.


    I got some calls from Lamar and understood that something happened between Jenny and Rayden. Well, I wasn¡¯t surprised.


    "Hey," I entered the cafe and noticed Benita pouting from behind the counter. She had one hand on her waist and her lips forming a straight line.


    I avoided her and went straight to the back where Lamar and Jenny were already sitting. I knew Benita must be thinking I am a shameless person for still showing up at her cafe. Well, I couldn¡¯t say no to Lamar, and there was no other better ce that was empty at the evening hour of this pack.


    "Thank goodness you have arrived. How are you feeling?" Lamar got up to give me a side hug, and when Jenny got up, I quickly sat down, pretending to have not seen her.


    I didn¡¯t want to be rude towards her, but what happened to Lucy and how Jenny was able to fool us for so long just made me feel so icky.


    She could have at least told me. Or, when Gavin was on a hurting spree, she could have then opened up.


    I know Gavin forbade her from telling anyone under the impression that he wanted to make things right with Lucy. But by hiding the truth and making her the guilty one? Jenny still told everyone despite Gavin not wanting everyone to know. Why couldn¡¯t she sooner?


    "I am doing much better. Guess who is giving me therapy? Professor Norman," I rolled my eyes, grabbing the coffee cup that Lamar had already ordered for me.


    "That must be great. How is he?" Lamar questioned, giving Jenny a reassuring nce when he noticed that she felt neglected.


    "Meh!" I frowned as I recalled our therapy session.


    "I give myself better therapy standing in the mirror," Imented after taking a sip from the hot coffee. It warmed my insides so well.


    I was once the person who hated coffee, and now I was slowly getting addicted to it.


    "I heard he had helped quite a few," Jenny intervened, and it was so hard for me to act like we were cool.


    I didn¡¯t hate her or anything, I was just feeling like if I forgave her too soon, I would be betraying Lucy.


    She is in the hospital, away from her loved ones, not able to fulfill her goal of staying in the academy. All because the truth was not revealed to her when it should have been.


    "Oh really, cool," I cleared my throat, watching Lamar check on Jenny constantly.


    "Umm, Hnie, I wanted to¡ªwe wanted to speak with you about something very important. Remember when you talked about the tenth floor?" The minute he mentioned the tenth floor in front of Jenny, my ears perked up. "Well, Jenny has something to add."


    He sessfully formed a bridge between us. I turned to her because I wanted to know how she knew anything about the tenth floor.


    "My mother used to be a student at the academy. She had a huge group, but then one of them died and¡ªafter that, my mother quit the academy altogether."


    She watched my face after finishing what she had to say. I was not convinced.


    "Okay, here¡¯s the thing. The entity on the tenth floor told me that if someone lets it in, the entity will be free forever. So, I¡¯m guessing you are suggesting maybe the entity killed your mother¡¯s friend? But if that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t that mean the entity would have been freed by now?" I noticed Lamar and Jenny¡¯s eyes grew wider, and in that moment, I also realized I had to give them a huge detail on what had happened on the tenth floor.


    I started telling them from the get-go, not including what the entity knew of me. Lamar knew, of course, but Jenny didn¡¯t.


    After I was done, I got to see the horror on their faces.


    "Why didn¡¯t you two tell us all this?" Jenny asked in a murmur.


    "It was just me in the beginning. Lucy saw the button the night of¡ªthe ultimate betrayal was revealed," my tone turned bitter, causing Jenny to lean back in her chair and then look down.


    "You know how everyone warns the powerful and higher-ranked wolves not to take the elevators? Jenny¡¯s mother sternly forbade her from getting off on any floors that aren¡¯t mentioned by the trainers, meaning floors that are not visible to everyone," Lamar added to help me understand why Jenny thought her mother¡¯s friend was somehow associated with the tenth floor.


    "Isn¡¯t that sketchy?" Lamar asked, his eyes on my face to confirm if I was as convinced as he was.


    And truly speaking, I was now.


    "Does that mean your mother knows something too?" I asked, and Jenny smiled widely even when it was a terrifying subject. I could tell she was happy that I was directly talking to her and taking interest in what she had to say. And I was honestly intrigued. If the entity killed her mother¡¯s friend, why was the entity still out there?


    "Yes, I think she does," she uttered.


    "Then can you ask her for more information?" I inquired, even more excited.


    "How about¡ª," she leaned over the table excitedly and smiled before suggesting, "I take you two to my pack and meet my mother? You can have a deep conversation with her. She is a very good person, not mean at all like other packs¡¯ Lunas."


    "I have to visit the hospital. They said the visitations are now allowed," I excused. I was ufortable visiting her pack. I was afraid of facing Rayden without my stepbrothers around.


    "But that is not until the day after tomorrow. We can visit my parents tomorrow¡ª" Jenny was cut off when someone came through the door to the cafe.


    She smiled behind me, making me turn around with my heart pounding hard in my chest.

 Chapter 244-A Fake Jacket Holder

    <h4>Chapter 244: 244-A Fake Jacket Holder</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Penn,e over here," Jenny waved her hand at her brother to get his attention. As he acknowledged her and gave her a nk look, her pleasant smile started to deteriorate.


    She lowered in her seat and looked down while her brother approached our table.


    "Where were you the whole night, Jenny? Dad, Mom, and I had been so worried about you. You never left the pack without informing anyone. What if something bad had happened to you?" Penn hissed at his sister, who kept lowering her head as if she was afraid if she met his eyes, he would find out the truth about her.


    "She was with me at the trainer¡¯s mansion," as soon as I lied for her, she raised her face and gave me a smile. Along with that, Penn looked less angry all of a sudden.


    "The trainers are giving me therapy, so¡ªI needed a friend on my side too," I kept lying and noticed how effortlessly I was doing it now.


    "Oh," Penn cleared his throat, "then you should have at least informed us. Jenny, we were so scared for you," his tone had shifted now that he knew his sister didn¡¯t spend the night lurking around.


    Aside from that, his eyes kept moving to Lamar, and a frown would appear on his forehead. He made no effort in hiding his disdain for Lamar.


    "Anyway, let¡¯s go make a call to Mom and Dad first, and then we can join them," Penn held his phone for her even when she had her phone with her. Jenny excused herself and left after him, but now I was going to confront Lamar about his rtionship with Jenny.


    I thought she was at odds with him after what he did to herst time.


    "So?" I asked, folding my arms over my chest and leaning back in my seat.


    "She is cute and just a friend. But¡ª," he leaned over from across the table to whisper the rest of what he had to say, "there is something about her thatpels me to bow down before her. Like, I knew she was off-limits now but¡ªher scent, her cute little pout, and¡ª," he shut up after finding me raising my eyebrows at him.


    "So you like her?" I inquired, giving him a look that made him visibly lower his eyes.


    "Umm, as a friend, yes," he added with shame in his eyes.


    I wondered what was going on between the two of them. I mean, I would much rather want to see Jenny with Lamar, who would love and care for her. But only if he doesn¡¯t cheat on her.


    Rayden was a mess and did not deserve her or anyone else. He deserved punishment. He was a rapist and a murderer.


    I scoffed under my breath at the recollection before my eyes moved to Lamar, who had turned his neck back to stare at Jenny.


    She hade back in after making a call and now stood in front of the counter to ce an order for all of us.


    "I¡¯ll go help her out," Lamar whispered, stealing a nce from me as he rushed to meet her.


    While he walked away, Penn walked over. I straightened my back in the seat and looked outside the window.


    I wasn¡¯t mad at him for being upset with me. I had stood him up and was in constant issues with his sister and best friend, Rayden.


    However, something made me look back at him when remembering him being friends with Rayden.


    He was Rayden¡¯s childhood friend and also his supporter whenever Jenny tried to tell her brother her mate was messy.


    Could it be that¡ª


    No! Lamar said the other guy was also a blue jacket holder. I gulped and cleared my throat to say something to Penn, who sat across from me with his eyes on my face but didn¡¯t say anything until we spoke up in unison.


    "How are you?"


    A littleugh from us, and then Penn took the lead, "I am sorry for what happened with Lucy. I was meaning to talk with you the same night, but then you just left for your room. After that, Jenny had an anxiety attack. She believed she caused Lucy all that stress. I had to take leave and take her home," he started exining quite right away.


    I kept nodding my head in agreement.


    "It is okay. I don¡¯t me you for not checking on me sooner. But I am good now. The therapy is working," I lied but did it specifically because, in the back of my mind, I was worried if Rayden and Penn shared information.


    Rayden should not know I am miserable.


    "That is great. Where are you staying? I mean¡ªI heard something happened on the academy¡¯sst day. I am so ashamed that Rayden was a part of the name-calling. I confronted him, and he told me that he only said those words under the pressure of the seniors. You see, he is a senior and had just shifted, so he thinks he needs to follow their lead to make a ce for himself," the way Penn was retelling Rayden¡¯s sidepelled me to wonder if Penn would even believe me had I ever said his friend was a scumbag.


    Probably not.


    Penn doesn¡¯t even know me like that. Why would he believe me over his best friend?


    "That was dealt with. The trainers took it seriously and even offered me free therapy and a ce to crash at," before Rayden or anyone else could have different ideas about me staying with the trainers, I answered Penn so that the news would reach Rayden.


    "Aha! What about Rayden? Are they going to expel him? I mean, he did wrong and received a warning¡ªhis parents did," Penn curiously asked when he should have known that if they had to expel him, they would have done it in the office.


    Besides, like Rayden said, he was so cunning that he initiated the bullying by getting in Riri¡¯s ears.


    She took the lead, and the academy cannot expel everyone for using harsh words. Sadly, I couldn¡¯t even tell if Rayden threw anything at me that day. I had my head down and covered in my hands.


    "You two seem pretty close. Did you ever visit him at the Fellmoon Academy? How was he there?" I asked in a gentle tone, like I just wanted to know more about his personality.


    "Oh, we are very close. Like best best friends. And yeah! Sort of. He was popr in Fellmoon. I used to visit him all the time, in fact¡ªfunny that you asked¡ª" Penn took a pause as heughed at the distant memory, "he used to have an extra jacket for me. So I would wear it and enter his academy, and nobody would question it."


    As he let out augh, it became hard for me to fake my own.

 Chapter 245-I Am Their Sacrificial Goat

    <h4>Chapter 245: 245-I Am Their Sacrificial Goat</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I kept watching his face like I had seen a ghost. But I had to hide the shock quickly or he would pick up on my anxiety.


    "That is so funny. And nobody caught you?" I repeated hisst statement, and he shook his head.


    "Nope! Fellmoon is not like VS. RVS is much stricter in terms of tests, punishments, and everything. As for Fellmoon, if you are an alpha, you are pretty much everything. Everybody bows down to you, and even when you hit someone, nobodyes to question it," he exined with a smile on his lips. Probably recalling all the times he had visited the Fellmoon academy or wore the blue jacket.


    "Would you wear his jacket outside the academy as well?" I gulped at my question. Lamar and Jenny were now heading our way, and I needed to hear his answer sooner.


    "Yeah!" Penn took his time answering that question.


    "For some time though," he added quickly, but Jenny and Lamar had arrived and sat down with us. Lamar gave me a nod to acknowledge why I looked so weirdly happy.


    That was because of the fake smile I had to carry on my face to fool Penn that I wasn¡¯t creeped out by his answers.


    "What are you two talking about?" Jenny asked, taking an interest.


    "I was telling her about the times I used to wear your mate¡¯s jacket to enter the academy or go around the other packs to attend parties. But then¡ªhe¡ªlost his extra jacket, so his father told him to stop messing with the blue jacket. We let it settle, and I also had to prepare for the RVS," his answer must have hit Lamar hard. I watched him lower his head, and his eyes lingered on the ground for too long before he looked up, and our eyes met.


    He seemed to have gathered why the conversation had stunned me as well.


    Could it be that the other DNA belonged to Penn¡¯s?


    "Oh yeah, they will change names to act like he is part of the academy. Actually, Penn didn¡¯t want to get caught with his real identity. In the beginning, he was probably thinking I would go to the Fellmoon, so in order for him toe and see me there, he would need his real identity and not the one that got caught on the premises without any jacket or visit permission," Jenny exined, making me keep staring at Lamar.


    It seemed like Penn had been frequenting the Fellmoon for some time until he stopped.


    What caused him to stop, and what happened to Ryaden¡¯s jacket?


    He lost it, or was it because Evaline had shredded it when trying to fight for her life?


    "Well, that was in the past. I am not that guy anymore. I have changed a lot and have turned my life around. I want to be a good guy now," Penn joked, sitting straight when Benita arrived with the tray.


    "Penn! My favorite alpha in the world. I am d you areing here every day. Where are your other two friends? And Jenny¡ªwhere is your mate?" She had a weird smirk on her face when she spoke with Jenny, as if she knew something about Jenny.


    "He is resting in his pack, why? Are you missing him?" Although Jennyughed at the end to make it sound like a joke, it was obvious she was being sarcastic.


    "Oh yeah, I hope you two figured stuff out. I was very upset when you came in with that guy¡ªGavin¡ªI didn¡¯t like him for you. You should never pick someone else over an alpha," she had the nerve to tantly bring up Gavin.


    And it made me realize Gavin and Jenny had been to this caf¨¦ way before we all came here together. It was probably why she had asked Gavin where his girlfriend was; she thought Jenny was his girlfriend. There was too much information and stuff going on for me to focus on.


    "Thank you, Benita, that will be all," Penn jumped in when finishing his sister at the verge of misery.


    Benita smiled and walked away. I could tell she was still not over the fact that her grandfather used to be an alpha of the pack. Hence, she looked down upon everyone.


    After we finished our food, definitely, Lamar and I had to swallow hard because the information we got from Penn clogged our throats. We all headed our separate ways.


    I arrived homete, but having a driver really worked in my favor. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t have to torture myself with Norman¡¯s therapy for the night. He was actually not at home.


    Not just him, the brothers were all missing.


    I heard they had to visit some pack to seal a deal they made with them about opening the borders for the students of the RVS.


    "You should not be staying outte. A simple car and a driver don¡¯t confirm safety." I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard my mother¡¯s voice from behind me.


    Upon turning around, I found her standing with the wall in a ck silk nightgown and her arms folded over her chest.


    "Weirdly enough, I always survive disaster," I sighed as I responded to her with an eyebrow raised.


    "Not every time is guaranteed," she spoke under her breath.


    "Is that a threat, Lady Urs?" Me not using the word "mom" for her caused her tough to herself and then steadily stroll over to approach me.


    "Take it as you will. Youing here means nothing. Your achievement should be to live far away from here and not use me as a cover to get favors from my stepsons," my body shuddered under the impression that she cared more about those brothers than me.


    Or probably because they were now her family.


    "As I said, I have cut my ties with you. Whatever they do for me, they do it with their free will. I don¡¯t ask them, I don¡¯t ask anyone for favors anymore," I muttered with a full nce at her from head to toe, letting her know I was judging her hard.


    "And you think they are doing it because they care about you or because you are a big shot? They are preparing you like an animal prepares its prey before he ughters it, chews upon its skin, and then discards whatever waste is left behind," the redness in her eyes scared me. Her words were terrifying, and the authority made it even worse for me.

 Chapter 246-Not A Gold Digger

    <h4>Chapter 246: 246-Not A Gold Digger</h4>


    Hnie:


    My mother¡¯s words had left me deeply bothered. I went straight to my room andy down in my bed, sleeping until midnight.


    The howls were louder that night, and I could tell they were different from the howls of a werewolf. They were of lycans.


    At this point, I thought I could differentiate between the howls easily. I stayed in my bed until the howls turned deadly. My body shuddered, and I jumped up, sitting straight and looking around at the windows that I almost never cover up.


    Soon themotion in the mansion made me run out of my room to find everyone gathered in the living room. Some of the housemaids and the chefs, who were mostly at the maid¡¯s corner, had alsoe out.


    My mother¡¯s eyes helplessly lingered on my face before she looked away. I joined them silently, standing between Charlotte, Emma, and my mother.


    "Lord McQuoid is confirming with his warriors that the mansion is safe," my mother whispered, probably rying the information to me since Emma and Charlotte already knew.


    "It is. I am sure it is. These kinds of noises are just normal," Charlotte, even when shaking at the whole situation, still managed to shrug her shoulders.


    "I hope it is. It seems like someone¡¯s arrival always brings in troubles," Emma scoffed, making me roll my eyes at them.


    "I will go see what is going on at the front gate." I didn¡¯t want to stay behind with these women and hear them throw jabs at me. But the minute I began to pace forward, my mother hastily rushed to block my path.


    "And what will you do? Just because you passed some tests, you think you are stronger than my mate? He will deal with it ande back with the information. As for you, don¡¯t get yourself in trouble just for wanting to be saved by someone," she was yelling her head off. Honestly speaking, it came so out of the blue that I didn¡¯t even know how to respond to her, so I went back to my room.


    I mmed the door shut and went back to bed. I was sure everything was fine. And sure enough, after a few minutes, everything was back to normal.


    Morning was rather dull. I didn¡¯t leave my room, and the maid assigned by Maximus for myfort brought my breakfast to my room.


    After I was done showering and changing into blue skinny jeans, I held my sweater and wondered when it would dry out. The weather was bad outside, it had been raining, and I washed my clothes early in the morning.


    I sighed as I put my sweater down again and grabbed my uniform¡¯s shirt. It was in that moment that the urgency of buying new clothes hit me.


    "I don¡¯t have a penny," I groaned at myself for living so carelessly as if I didn¡¯t have to buy stuff for myself.


    "What can I even do to earn money," I hissed at myself as I left the room. Since my room was right at the entrance, I walked out on Lord McQuoid leaving for work.


    "Hnie," he smiled, greeting me on the way.


    "Good afternoon," I replied awkwardly for missing the meals with them. When the brothers are around, it is much easier to sit and eat because the others don¡¯t act messy around them. But when they are not around, Emma, Charlotte, and my mother just be unbearable.


    "You didn¡¯te to breakfast¡ªoh! The academy is off. Why are you still in¡ª" he was having a hard time understanding what was going on as he noticed my uniform¡¯s shirt but then realized I was wearing pants under it.


    "I, umm¡ªwashed my clothes, and they aren¡¯t getting dried anytime sooner," I smiled awkwardly, pinching the space between my fingers.


    "Why did you wash them yourself? Give them to the maids; they will dry them out. And¡ªwhy do you not have¡ªoh!" he had his hands in his pockets as he nodded his head, probably realizing why I didn¡¯t have clothes.


    "It is not easy getting a job as a rogue and a student who has to be at the academy till 3 p.m.," he was speaking to himself now.


    "You know what¡ªwhy don¡¯t you work at Maximus¡¯ garage? He needs someone to help him out with the writing of the weapons. He is preparing some new weapons, and it is hard for him to test them and then write about them at the same time. You could be a writer for him," he suggested with his whole heart, definitely happy to help me.


    "Uncle! You left your phone behind¡ª" Charlotte, who was running up to Lord McQuoid, saw me standing with him and talking to him.


    "Thank you, Charlotte," Lord McQuoid smiled at her when epting the phone, but then he returned his attention back to me. "So, let me know what is your decision? It will help you with the job thing and Maximus with his work. You are anyway off at home for a month; might as well make money too," he was not wrong. Besides, working with Maximus would not be as hard as thest time.


    But then I remembered all the flirting he would be doing. If I were a dumb and naive person, I would probably note to the conclusion, but I wasn¡¯t. And it wasn¡¯t a secret that Maximus would be so happy to have me around without anyone else around us.


    "I will think about it, but thank you so much for the offer." I was genuinely happy that Lord McQuoid was nothing like his ex-wife, my mother, or most of his sons.


    By ¡¯most,¡¯ I mean, Norman.


    "Great, let me know then." Lord McQuoid gave me a little pat on the head before he left.


    But that¡¯s when Charlotte jumped to confront me.


    "You are not taking this job," she hissed, ordering me sternly.


    "And you will make the decision for me?" I asked her, watching her roll her eyes at me.


    "If you want to prove you¡¯re not a gold digger, you will not ept this job." Really? She thought that would scare me?


    "Doing a job equates to being a gold digger? You know what, I wasn¡¯t really going to ept the job, but since you challenged me, I guess I will take it." I was already considering it, but there¡¯s no harm in messing with the messiest person around me. And as I made my decision, I watched a satisfactory sight¡ªher face turning pale.

 Chapter 247-In the Pack Of The Guy Who Has A Crush On Me

    <h4>Chapter 247: 247-In the Pack Of The Guy Who Has A Crush On Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Of course she wanted to argue further but she knew she had already messed up when doing so before, hence, she remained huffing and puffing.


    After I told Charlotte my decision, I left the mansion because I had to meet up with Lamar. He had called me and asked me to meet him near the mountains for a talk.


    "Last night was such a mess at the mansion. The lycan keeps showing up," I said as I got out of the car and met Lamar, who was waiting for me with a box of donuts in his hands.


    He also had a small bag with him, which made me wonder if he was going somewhere.


    "That lycan is a story on its own," Lamar shook his head, offering me a donut and then the bag.


    "You want me to carry your bag? So rude," I joked, eyeing the bag.


    "Haha, so cruel of me. But take it. I don¡¯t want to see you wearing the same clothes all the time," he joked, but it made me realize he¡¯d brought me more clothes.


    "No, Lamar, I don¡¯t want to take gifts from you like that," I said, shaking my head but happily taking the donut. When ites to food, egos should not be involved.


    "Hey, don¡¯t tter yourself. It¡¯s not a gift. I just don¡¯t want you looking like you don¡¯t have clothes. Please take it. You can repay me by helping me with my revenge," he said, seeming to be in a good mood, or maybe he was just trying to act happy.


    With much hesitation, I grabbed the bag. After checking out the clothes, I felt even guiltier.


    "I¡¯ll pay you back for these clothes," I said, thankful to have a friend, a brother, who was so honest and thoughtful. But I¡¯d make sure to do something for him in return soon.


    "Let¡¯s talk about Penn," he switched the subject, making me raise my brow. I leaned back to check if the driver was still in the car, and he was.


    We started walking away from the car, taking a little stroll.


    "It was strange. I noticed that myself," I told Lamar exactly what I¡¯d been thinking.


    "What do you think we should do?" he asked.


    "Lamar, you once told me that the DNA sample was sent to every pack for a match, right? And they checked the Fellmoon Academy students¡¯ DNA samples, but what if the reason they couldn¡¯t find a match was that the perpetrator wasn¡¯t from Fellmoon Academy?" The thought of Penn being a person of interest shook me to my core. But anyone involved with Rayden could possibly be the culprit.


    "Hmm, but they said none of the samples matched, and we know Rayden was a confirmed case," Lamar corrected me, giving me a bit of hope that maybe it was just a coincidence and Penn could be innocent.


    "Well, then, how about we do our own investigation?" I asked Lamar, raising my eyebrow.


    "But we¡¯ll need to get those samples first," Lamar said thoughtfully.


    "Hmmm, Jenny wants us to visit his pack and¡ªPenn shows interest in me. In fact, he once asked me out, so what if¡ª" I watched him shake his head as he dismissed the idea.


    "Nope! If Penn is involved in this case, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll let you get close to him, so drop the idea," he warned me, but I had to convince him. We couldn¡¯t keep acting like I was some fragile girl who needed saving while Lamar did all the hard work.


    "Lamar, I¡¯m doing this for me and your sister. She couldn¡¯te back home that night, but I did. And I¡¯m sure I did it for a reason. Someone has to catch these assholes, and I don¡¯t want to stay in the shadows, hiding from their darkness. I want to try, and I promise you, if anything goes wrong, or if I think it¡¯s going wrong, I¡¯ll ask you for help right away," I insisted, but I could tell he still wasn¡¯t ready for it.


    "We¡¯ll talk about itter. First, guess what I have in my hand," he pulled out the stic bag with the red hair from his pocket.


    "That¡¯s the red hair," I murmured.


    "Not just any red hair. These are from the head of the most scandalous hooker around," he finished, making my eyes pop in shock.


    "How did you¡ª" I stopped myself when I remembered what he did for a living. Or his side job.


    "Yes, that¡¯s how I got it. And guess what? Even though the packs hate her, the dealers do too because she¡¯s so messy, she¡¯s a sweetheart. She¡¯ll be on board whenever I give her a call," I watched Lamar smirk widely, making me believe he knew exactly what he was doing.


    "We¡¯ll take him down slowly," I muttered in approval.


    "But first, he¡¯ll witness all the horrorse to life, and then¡ªhe¡¯ll beg for death himself," Lamar said, making me smile at him again.


    "How about we go visit Jenny in her pack? I want to talk with her about the tenth floor," I said, ready to go there as long as Lamar was with me.


    "Sure, let¡¯s do it," he gave me a nod, and we headed to the car. He let Jenny know we wereing, so she had already told the warriors at the border to let us in.


    Even though it was a long ride, I didn¡¯t feel tired or exhausted. I was so excited to see Rayden¡¯s face when he got his first blow.


    It will be iconic. Every day, he¡¯ll pray to the Moon Goddess for hope and will to live, but every day will be a new challenge for him.


    Jenny was waiting for us at the border, and she hopped into the car with us to take us to her mansion. I did hear her ask Lamar why the trainers were letting me use their car and have a personal chauffeur.


    I guess the questions will be raised soon by everyone, so I¡¯ll need to cut back on using Maximus¡¯s car everywhere.

 Chapter 248-This Luna Is A Liar

    <h4>Chapter 248: 248-This Luna Is A Liar</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Her pack seemed rich and in good health, sitting on an expensivend.


    "Mom, this is Hnie," she had shown us around her mansion. It was big and beautiful, with milky white tiles and expensive d¨¦cor.


    Of course, it was an alpha¡¯s mansion. But living in the rogue king¡¯s mansion had actually made everything else look much smaller.


    They had everything fancy, and probably cared more about the fancy look of their ce than the alphas did.


    "Oh, the girl you can¡¯t stop talking about?" her mother got up from the couch to greet me with a warm hug. She smelled so good, likevender.


    Her beautiful eyes and perfect curls made me realize that all the Lunas had this certain look about them. They just looked expensive. Wearing a baby pink long dress made her mother look even more gorgeous.


    "Have a seat," she offered me before moving on to Lamar, looking back at her daughter for the introduction.


    "Mom, this is Lamar," Jenny¡¯s voice changed as she said his name. I noticed her mother¡¯s smile shake a little. Could it be that she told her mom about her fight with Rayden? And who did she cheat on Rayden with?


    "Oh, hey Lamar," her mother¡¯s voice was slightly off this time, but she quickly forced a smile and offered Lamar a seat beside me.


    "Jenny, go ask the omega to bring in the snacks I¡¯ve prepared for you all," she told her daughter, who jumped up like an excited child and rushed out of the living room.


    Their mansion felt more like a home¡ªcozy and silent.


    "Hnie, I¡¯ve heard about your beauty, and I must say, words don¡¯t do justice," she made me blush with herpliment. "I didn¡¯t hear about you from my daughter, I mean, the beauty part."


    She gave me a little yful smirk to let me know who she was referring to.


    "Penn talks about you a lot. It seems like finally someone has stolen my son¡¯s attention," her pronunciation was so perfect that I could barely focus on her words and more on her tone and voice.


    "He is a good guy," I didn¡¯t know what else to add, and even then, I had to lower my eyes first.


    "Hnie, I¡¯m not really the one who believes in fated mates. My mate does, but for me, it¡¯s more important that the two connect well and that they have simr strengths, especially when ites to my son," she made it clear that such privilege wasn¡¯t for Jenny, and it made me feel bad for her.


    But then my ears perked up because I wanted to know what she meant by that.


    "You¡¯re pretty popr for doing well in the academy. I can see why my son is so fascinated with you. Not only do you have a good reputation, but you¡¯re so gorgeous, no one could hardly take their eyes off of you," she continued to shower me withpliments.


    I gave her a nod and then shifted to the edge of my seat. "You were a student at the academy?"


    I noticed how her mood shifted at the reminder of her own time at the academy. But she was so calm and peaceful as she brought the smile back onto her lips again.


    "I was," she didn¡¯t add anything else until she smiled to herself. "Jenny told me you wanted to talk about something?"


    I gave my head a slight nod as I thought of the right question. "Yes! I wanted to speak with you about the elevators."


    I didn¡¯t jump directly to the tenth floor because it would be easy for her to fake a confused look. The mention of the elevators made her smile vanish entirely.


    "What about the elevators? Does she take elevators?" It was her fake attempt to joke about Jenny and the elevators.


    "She doesn¡¯t, but I do. And so did¡ªLucy!" I watched her face go paler.


    "It¡¯s okay. I guess you¡¯re learning to increase your strength," she managed to get some response out of her lips but was looking away.


    "It¡¯s not that. I heard from Jenny that you left the academy in the middle?" I knew she was hiding something. Jenny was right. Her mother definitely knew something about the elevators.


    "Oh, yeah, one of my friends passed away. And after that, I got married and decided to just focus on my children," she was talking quickly, like she wanted to end this conversation as soon as possible.


    Till now, she had shown me appreciation and only praised me. But sadly, I had to break her idea that I was this sweet girl who would be too happy to receivepliments, so much so that I wouldn¡¯t ask any tough questions.


    But here I was, about to call her out on her lie. "But the academy was formed a few years ago. It was after the rogue king left the pack, and I guess his youngest is around the same age as Penn, maybe one year or two older than him?" I watched her face turn pale. "When did you study at the academy? Or¡ªwere you a faculty member there?" My questions caused her blood to run cold. I knew it because her face lost all color.


    Jenny stepped in, her eyes on us. She sat down beside her mother and ced her hand on the back of her hand.


    "Please, Luna Este, I really want the truth about the tenth floor. My friend got on that floor and now she rests in the hospital in aa," I uttered, watching her gulp and look down.


    A tear trickled down her cheek as she started telling the truth. "I was one of the many faculty members Lord McQuoid had hired back when the academy was created. But soon, an incident happened that made them expel everyone else and only keep a handful of people. Now his sons are the only trainers, apart from the warriors who help them around." She finished, but I wasn¡¯t done asking her more questions.


    Not just yet.

 Chapter 249-Everyone Let’s Go Find Helanie

    <h4>Chapter 249: 249-Everyone Let¡¯s Go Find Hnie</h4>


    <strong>Kaye:</strong>


    ¡¯Ugh!¡¯ I groaned as I sat in my seat and touched my chest.


    ¡¯Stop it, it¡¯s not that serious,¡¯ my wolf muttered in response.


    I had been giving him the silent treatment for a while. Every time my chest hurt, I would groan at him, and he would say the same nonsense to me.


    My brothers and I were headed back home after sealing a deal with a pack from the North. Those packs were always the messiest; they kept their business very private. They would much rather lose theirnds to drought and disaster than let anyone from the outsidee and help them deal with their issues.


    ¡¯It¡¯s hurting because I am missing my mate,¡¯ I muttered under my breath.


    ¡¯Your mate doesn¡¯t care about you. Besides, her wolf is still asleep, so don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s no pain. It¡¯s just in your head,¡¯ he hissed back at me. ¡¯Think about Kesha. She cares so much about you.¡¯


    This is why I didn¡¯t want to talk to him. He would bring her up out of nowhere and spoil my mood. Hearing Kesha¡¯s name only made me remember my messed-up life, where I had to be with Kesha over Hnie.


    ¡¯Do you me Hnie for not caring? This is why. Kesha is the reason Hnie doesn¡¯t even want to look at me. You need to know she¡¯s not like the others. You disrespect her, and she¡¯s done with you. You could be the ultimate werewolf king, and she wouldn¡¯t care about you,¡¯ I was growing tired of telling my wolf about Hnie. He should have known her by now. And somewhere deep down in my heart, I felt like he knew. He just didn¡¯t want to admit it.


    ¡¯Don¡¯t give her too much credit. By the end of the day, she is taking favors from your brothers, especially Emmet. I bet they¡¯re sleeping together,¡¯ the minute he said that, my head turned to the side, and I watched Emmet sit and stare out the window of the car. We had taken one car due to Norman¡¯s insistence. Otherwise, Maximus and I didn¡¯t want to sit in the same car as Emmet.


    ¡¯Oh! Don¡¯t look at him like that. You know it¡¯s not his fault. He doesn¡¯t know you and Hnie are mates. Emmet is--,¡¯ before my wolf could keep talking about how nice and caring Emmet is and that he¡¯s just a little careless because of his alcoholism, I had to shut him down.


    "Yeah, so caring that when Maximus and I needed him, he told us to deal with our problems and leave him alone. Every time we were in pain, Emmet was nowhere in sight. He doesn¡¯t care, even when we promised each other that we would always be there for one another," I hissed at my wolf so loudly that I bet my body shuddered visibly.


    "Guys," Maximus suddenly called for us, making us all look back. The driver and the warrior were sitting in the front, with a window rolled up between us to make a partition.


    It was because sometimes we talked about all sorts of stuff, and Norman had told us to stay private. So, we followed his rules, and honestly speaking, keeping your secrets to yourself helps a lot.


    "Huh?" Norman responded, while Emmet looked not so interested as he tiredly searched for his small alcohol bottle in his pocket.


    Here we go again.


    "I was talking to Dad, and he told me that Hnie is at Penn¡¯s pack. Did you know she was going there?" Maximus asked me and then looked at Norman, who shrugged.


    "So what? They are her friends," Norman didn¡¯t seem to grasp the intensity of it, but Emmetughed along with me.


    Emmet stopped searching for his bottle and turned his whole body to face us.


    "Isn¡¯t Rayden friends with Penn and Jenny¡¯s mate?" It was as if Emmet was reminding us of something we knew by heart now.


    "So what, guys? It¡¯s not like they¡¯d bully her there. She¡¯s not a child. She can take care of herself," Norman dismissed our concerns with a wave of his hand and looked straight ahead again.


    But Emmet was watching our faces as he added, "Let¡¯s head to the Pr Red pack."


    Finally, he was on the same page as us, but Norman was quick to look back at us again.


    "Emmet, you too?" he asked, and Emmet shrugged. Now, that¡¯s what we need Emmet for. We could really do anything that would upset Norman, but Emmet was this way.


    Even when Norman would always care for him, that wouldn¡¯t sway Emmet from doing what he wanted. He barely ever was under pressure.


    But at least now we were headed to see Hnie.


    ¡¯And you¡¯re only happy because you¡¯ll get to see her? What happened to you? Since when did you be so hopelessly romantic?¡¯ I had to avoid my wolf because I was honestly very happy.


    Every time I thought of her and smiled, my wolf grunted and hissed at me. At the same time, I was in contact with Rayden¡¯s father. I wanted to make it seem like I was discussing the recent event with him, but what I was really doing was trying to find out where his son was at the moment.


    Alpha Rayden¡¯s father: I will sit him down and have a talk with him myself once he gets back home. He¡¯s headed to his mate¡¯s pack right now. But I am reassuring you, he will not mess up again.


    I didn¡¯t even have to focus on his words because my fear hade to life.


    "Maximus," I turned to my side to whisper to Maximus, who was quick to give me his attention since we both took each other and our concerns seriously.


    "Rayden is headed to Jenny¡¯s pack." I didn¡¯t even have to exin to him why it was stressful information.


    Ever since Emmet brought Rayden¡¯s behavior around Hnie to our attention, we have been secretly worried about what was going on between the two of them. Maybe it was just because he was her stepbrother, but it was more than that for me.

 Chapter 250-Forced To Forgive Rayden

    <h4>Chapter 250: 250-Forced To Forgive Rayden</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Our anticipation was on the roof as we watched Luna Este. If she could give us any clue that we didn¡¯t know about the tenth floor already, we might use it to find a way to help Lucy.


    "The tenth floor--" Lady Este began, her voice carrying a mysterious undertone. But just as she was about to reveal more about her time at the academy, the sudden arrival of Jenny¡¯s father, Lord Dewitt, silenced her.


    "Your Highness," Lamar and I quickly stood to bow. With a swift gesture, he motioned for us to sit back down. He carried himself with an effortless elegance, surprising for a man who was the father of two grown adults. Tall and broad-shouldered, he cut an imposing figure in his ck suit.


    "I heard Jenny¡¯s friends were visiting, and I couldn¡¯t miss the opportunity to meet them," he said smoothly, taking a seat beside his wife. I noticed her flinch ever so slightly at his proximity. His aura was a lot darker than his smile.


    "Daddy, this is Hnie," Jenny introduced me, her voice bright as she gestured in my direction. Dewitt nodded, his gaze briefly distant.


    "The girl--" he started, but Jenny, in her excitement, finished for him.


    "The one who¡¯s acing all the tests without a wolf!" she eximed.


    We all assumed that¡¯s what he meant, but his next words caught us off guard.


    "The one who filed aint against your mate," he rified, turning his sharp gaze to Jenny. Her face fell, her previous enthusiasm dimmed under his judgment. She lowered her eyes, clearly feeling the weight of his disapproval.


    "Her mate bullied me, and he--" I began to defend my actions, but Dewitt raised a hand, silencing me mid-sentence.


    "I¡¯m speaking to my daughter. You can wait your turn," he said. His voice remained pleasant, but there was a distinct edge that made it clear he wouldn¡¯t tolerate interruptions.


    Lamar, sensing the hostility, grabbed my hand and pulled me up. "Let¡¯s go," he muttered. "It seems he¡¯s more upset about the bully getting caught than being apologetic for what his future son-inw did."


    Dewitt¡¯s expression darkened, and his gaze shifted between Jenny and Lamar, as though silently questioning if Lamar was the one Jenny had betrayed her mate with.


    "You¡¯re free to leave," he said coldly. "But understand, it wasn¡¯t my intention to seem unrepentant. The incident was a verbal altercation--he only acted out of concern for a mutual friend who fell. Lucy, wasn¡¯t it? She...fell from the rooftop, didn¡¯t she?" His voice dropped, and a knowing gleam lit up his eyes, sending a shiver through me.


    We froze, tension crackling in the air as Dewitt continued, "Sit down so we can discuss the tenth floor."


    He said the words with deliberate emphasis, his toneced with intrigue. Had I known Jenny¡¯s parents were so evil, I might have thought twice before visiting her pack. But then again, it was to get information about the tenth floor to help Lucy, I would do anything for my friend.


    Lamar tugged my hand again, but I whispered urgently, "Lamar, we should stay."


    He shook his head, resolute, and continued guiding me toward the door. That was until Lady Este¡¯s calm but chilling words stopped me in my tracks:


    "Your friend will die if she doesn¡¯t get help soon."


    "What do you mean?" I demanded, freeing my hand from Lamar¡¯s grip to face Lady Este directly.


    "Didn¡¯t I say, sit down?" Lord Dewitt spread his arms across the back of the sofa, a smirk ying on his lips. "Have a seat, Miss Hnie."


    Goosebumps prickled across my skin at the confidence in his tone. They knew something--something crucial--and I needed to save Lucy.


    Lamar sighed in frustration, realizing I wasn¡¯t backing down. He reluctantly followed me back to the couch, where we both sat.


    "But before we begin," Lord Dewitt said, his sharp eyes narrowing, "what are you willing to give us?"


    There was a cunning, almost predatory air about him. I had never met someone whose polished exterior cracked so quickly. His first impression had been disarmingly good--briefly.


    Norman crossed my mind. He was charming, too, until he opened his mouth. Yeah, I took my words back.


    "What do you mean?" Lamar asked, his tone firm. "You want us to pay?" He was taking the lead, sensing I was too anxious to risk offending them.


    "No, no. We don¡¯t need your money," Dewitt sneered, his smirk deepening. "Assuming you even have any."


    Jenny flinched at her father¡¯s mockery, shooting a pleading look toward her mother.


    "Daddy, please!" she murmured softly.


    "Beta Elias," Dewitt said with a calm butmanding tone, "take her to her room. We¡¯ll speak once I¡¯m finished with her friends."


    The royal beta obeyed immediately, stepping forward to escort Jenny away.


    "You can¡¯t force her to leave!" Lamar¡¯s voice rose, seething with anger as he watched Jenny struggle against Elias¡¯s firm grip.


    "She is my daughter, Lamar," Dewitt said coldly. "Your one night with her doesn¡¯t make her yours. What could you possibly offer her? Two low-ranked individualse here, desperate for information, yet unwilling to give anything in return. What does that make you?"


    Dewitt¡¯s harsh words had Lamar ready to leap from his seat, but I gripped his hand tightly, silently pleading with him to stay calm.


    "Tell us what you want," I said firmly, stepping in before Lamar¡¯s temper could get the better of him.


    "Just a little... assistance," Dewitt replied, his gaze shifting to his wife. She ced a stack of papers on the side table, and it was clear they¡¯d been waiting for this moment.


    I slid to the edge of my seat and picked up the papers. One nce was enough to make my stomach churn.


    They wanted my signature.


    "You want me to let Rayden off without punishment?" I hissed, anger boiling beneath my skin.


    "It¡¯s nothing serious," Dewitt replied nonchntly. "He won¡¯t even be expelled. But your friend won¡¯t survive without the information we have. So, tell me, Miss Hnie," his smirk grew darker, more dangerous, "are you willing to sign?"

 Chapter 251-Got Myself In Trouble Once Again

    <h4>Chapter 251: 251-Got Myself In Trouble Once Again</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I guess you didn¡¯t want to seem unapologetic?" Lamar muttered, shaking his head. His tone made it clear he was furious that Lord Dewitt was leveraging information to force me into forgiving Rayden.


    "Lamar," Dewitt began, his voiceced with authority, "you¡¯re in my pack. Do you know one of the rules of my pack? Never sleep with my daughter. Youe here, guilty of that very crime, and then try to act tough with me?" His words were sharp, calcted. He was a man who wielded power like a weapon, using it to control and silence anyone who dared oppose him.


    Lamar didn¡¯t flinch. "Go ahead, punish me. But you¡¯ll have to tell the council and your pack members why. Are you ready to admit that I was between your daughter¡¯s legs?"


    The sound of his hand mming onto the table echoed through the room. Lord Dewitt¡¯s smug smile vanished instantly.


    I gripped Lamar¡¯s hand tightly, a silent warning. Jenny wouldn¡¯t appreciate his reckless words, no matter how justified his anger.


    "What¡¯s wrong? Not so smug now, huh?" Lamar sneered, pulling his hand free from mine to re directly at Dewitt.


    "Do you want the information or not?" Lady Este¡¯s calm yetmanding voice cut through the tension. She turned her sharp gaze to me, ignoring Lamar entirely.


    In that moment, I realized the gravity of the situation. Myint against Rayden wasn¡¯t just a nuisance--it was a threat. If they were going to such lengths over a simple grievance, what would they do if they discovered I intended to use him of far worse--of rape and murder?


    "I¡¯m ready," I said through clenched teeth. Lamar shot me a look of disappointment, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Hnie..."


    I understood his frustration, but I had my reasons. A minor punishment wouldn¡¯t change anything, and expelling Rayden would only send him back to his pack--a safe haven. No, I needed him to stay at the academy, where I could watch his every move and make his life miserable. If I wanted to destroy my enemy, I had to do it while keeping him close.


    "I already know who the smarter one is between you two," Dewitt quipped, his tone mocking before his expression turned serious again. "There¡¯s a pen in front of you. What are you waiting for?"


    I gave a small nod and reached for the pen. Lamar grabbed my hand onest time, his eyes searching mine for any sign of hesitation. But I didn¡¯t waver. He let go with a defeated sigh, and I signed the papers, officially withdrawing myint.


    Dewitt snatched the papers from the table, a triumphant smile spreading across his face.


    "Now, my beloved Luna," he said, turning to his wife, "share what you know."


    Lady Este smiled, proud and confident, as though she had just won a great battle. She began to speak, her voice dripping with satisfaction.


    Lady Este¡¯s expression shifted back to that same dull, detached look as she began her story. "I was a trainer at the academy once, back when it was first established. The academy wasn¡¯t as polished as it is now, but it gained attention quickly-rgely because of the building the Rogue King had secured for himself."


    She paused, her gaze drifting for a moment. "One day, after a long stretch of back-to-back sses, a colleague and I decided to visit a sick student. We were exhausted and chose to take the elevator."


    At this, I noticed Lord Dewitt roll his eyes, clearly unimpressed with her choice. Lady Este caught his reaction and her face briefly flickered with guilt before she continued.


    "I went to tend to the student¡¯s wounds while my friend decided to head downstairs for supplies. But a few minutester, she came back up--without the aid box. She told me she had been to the tenth floor."


    Her voice lowered as she added, "We were intrigued and decided to try for ourselves. But only my friend could reach the tenth floor." She stopped, her gaze distant, and I seized the chance to ask, "Was she distressed?"


    Lady Este nodded solemnly. "She was struggling with her mate at the time. It wasn¡¯t long before I noticed her behavior changing. She¡¯d zone out during conversations, leave abruptly, and even skip her own sses. She¡¯d spend hours alone on the tenth floor. Her obsession began to terrify me."


    She paused again, as though the memories weighed heavily on her. "And then, one day, she jumped. Everyone said it was from the rooftop, but I knew in my heart--it was from the tenth floor."


    The room fell silent. Lamar turned to me with a sigh. "And that¡¯s exactly what happened to Lucy. So how does this help us?"


    His bluntness earned him a sharp re from Lady Este. She didn¡¯t appreciate her story being dismissed.


    "My friend died instantly," she continued, her voice edged with a sadness that hadn¡¯t been there before. "But a week before she died, she told me something chilling. She said the tenth floor knew she was lying about being the victim. It could see through her facade. She said she wasn¡¯t pure enough to free it from its curse--that it needed a simple, innocent soul to break free."


    The weight of her words hung in the air, and I felt my blood run cold.


    My eyes welled up with tears as memories of Lucy flooded my mind. She was so pure, so na?ve--a gentle, innocent she-wolf who didn¡¯t deserve any of this.


    "Alright, so we¡¯re back to the same question," Lamar snapped, his frustration bubbling over. "How does this help us? Lucy¡¯s in aa, and--"


    Lord Dewitt interrupted, his voice cutting through Lamar¡¯sints like a de. "There¡¯s someone who survived the tenth floor."


    Both Lamar and I froze, the weight of Dewitt¡¯s words sinking in.


    "There are rumors," Dewitt continued, his tone steady and deliberate, "of a person who reached the tenth floor, allowed the entity to take over their body, and yet somehow survived. They managed to trap the entity back on the tenth floor and escape death." He leaned back, his eyes gleaming with intrigue. "If you can find that person--whether man or woman--you could learn how they did it. And perhaps... save your friend."


    I turned to Lamar, searching his face for a reaction. For a moment, he looked as though he wanted to dismiss it entirely. But then, his expression shifted. The tension in his shoulders eased, and I could see the flicker of hope returning to his eyes.


    It wasn¡¯t a perfect solution, but it was a chance. A small thread of hope we couldn¡¯t afford to ignore.

 Chapter 252-I Won’t Bow Down To Rayden

    <h4>Chapter 252: 252-I Won¡¯t Bow Down To Rayden</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    We were all set to leave now that Lady Este had told us everything she knew. There wasn¡¯t much information, but at least we figured out there was a survivor who could share some details.


    Now, how and where to find him was the main concern. Besides, they weren¡¯t weing either after they got the signature from me. That was one cunning way they dealt with the issue for Rayden.


    "I am so mad at Jenny," I heard Lamar grunt, "But I need to return this to Jenny," Lamar whispered in my ear, slowing down near the exit. I wanted to sit him down and tell him Jenny was innocent but then decided to not do it here.


    "I¡¯ll wait for you here," I said and turned to the warrior to create a distraction so Lamar could find Jenny.


    "Can I have some water?" I asked the warrior who was following us.


    He nodded and headed toward the kitchen. Giving Lamar a quick nod of confirmation, I followed the warrior and grabbed a ss.


    "Hello?" The warrior¡¯s phone rang, prompting him to step away quickly to take the call in peace.


    "Ah!" I sighed, exhausted by the messy people around me. Luna Este and Alpha Dewitt had only confirmed my suspicions. They would never punish their sons, even if they found out they had done something wrong.


    I needed to be discreet and ensure the Alphas paid for their crimes.


    "Thinking about me?" My heart almost sank into my chest, and the ss nearly slipped from my hands, but I caught it just in time. That nasty voice belonged to Rayden, who had walked into the kitchen and was heading straight toward me.


    "Aey, aey!" He blocked my path, spreading his arms and cing his hands on the counter.


    I hated being anywhere near him, but now I was stuck.


    "You came here for me, just admit it," he insisted with a pout.


    I couldn¡¯t bear to look at his face, so I kept avoiding eye contact. Seeing him in front of me, not burning in hell, gave me extreme anxiety.


    "Aww, are you shy?" He deliberately mistook my hatred for shyness.


    "Get out of my way; I have to leave," I said softly, almost sounding like I was pleading with him.


    "No! I don¡¯t want you to leave. You hardly ever talk to me or make love to me like you did that night," he teased with a yful tone and a fake pout.


    His words made my head snap up, and I red at him.


    "Oops! Okay, fine, I won¡¯t bring up that night. But I¡¯m curious, does it make your heart flutter--"


    Before he could finish that disgusting sentence, I shoved him aside to escape. But he was faster than I was, grabbing my arm and pulling me back. My hands brieflynded on his chest before I jerked them away, trembling in fear.


    I thought I¡¯d be able to stand my ground and face him again. But why was it so hard to move on? Why had he shattered my confidence like this?


    Watching him was like facing the nastiest nightmare. Even breathing the same air as him was disgusting to me. His scent--oh, that was another story. It was one of the worst smells I¡¯d ever encountered, disgusting and revolting, worse than an old poop.


    "Let me see your beautiful face," he said, his fingers still wrapped around my arm. He ran his hand across my cheek to push back a few strands of my hair. That was it.


    I couldn¡¯t let him touch me again. My hand shot up, and before I knew it, I had pped him--once, twice, and even a third time.


    "You filthy bastard!" I screamed, raising my hand again.


    This time, someone grabbed my wrist and pulled me away from Rayden, who was hunched over in shock, his hand pressed to his cheek.


    "How dare youe here and hit my son-inw?" Alpha Dewitt roared, shoving me back against the counter and blocking my path.


    "Your son-inw--" I began, but then I noticed Rayden putting his finger to his lips, silently warning me of the consequences if I said anything more.


    The warning was clear. If he told everyone I had run away from my pack, my pack and the council would demand my return. Even if they failed to kill me, I¡¯d lose my chance to ever take revenge. I¡¯d also be banned from entering any pack forever.


    "You are such a disgrace! Bow down and apologize to my son-inw, or else--you¡¯ll stay locked up here until you do," Lord Dewitt shouted, gesturing to his warriors to stand guard at the kitchen door, preventing any escape.


    "Bow down to him!" he yelled again.


    Rayden, still bearing the marks of my hand on his cheeks, managed to smirk. But the tears in his eyes showed I¡¯d wounded his pride deeply.


    "I won¡¯t," I whispered, my eyes fixed on Rayden, nothing but anger burning in them.


    "If you don¡¯t bow down to him, you¡¯ll remain here. I¡¯m calling the council and bringing them here to take you into custody," Alpha Dewitt threatened.


    My heart raced in fear, imagining the worst. Once arrested, they¡¯d investigate my background and drag me back to my pack.


    I was desperate to end this nightmare and escape from this pack.


    "I--" I began, my voice heavy with shame and defeat. My heart shattered as I realized the humiliation I¡¯d face bowing down to my rapist. But just as I opened my mouth, a loud noise erupted in the kitchen.


    "She will not apologize to anyone," Emmet hissed, shoving the warriors aside with anger when they didn¡¯t immediately step out of his way.


    "And how dare you--" Maximus stormed in next, his voice cold and dangerous, "threaten her."


    After Maximus, Kaye entered, his jaw clenched and his eyes zing red with fury. "Keeping her trapped here, thinking no one woulde for her?"


    And just when I thought it couldn¡¯t escte further, Norman walked in, positioning himself in front of his brothers. "You¡¯ve gotten yourself into serious trouble, Dewitt."

 Chapter 253-Like A Daisy!

    <h4>Chapter 253: 253-Like A Daisy!</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    My brothers had rushed me to save Hnie. I thought they were being dramatic until I arrived at the location.


    I watched Hnie stand in the kitchen, her back pressed against the counter, her face pale. Her eyes were wide, as if she had been scared out of her mind.


    "She came here and insulted my son-inw," Dewitt said. He was truly an amazing guy. Amazing in the sense that every time he opened his mouth, I wondered if he had a brain.


    He had always been such a fascinating clown to me. Someone who didn¡¯t care about his people and only wanted to show off his power.


    "And you didn¡¯t bother asking her why? He must have done something for her to leave those marks on his cheek," Emmet hissed, making me flinch a little. He wasn¡¯t acting like himself--or at least not like the version of himself he¡¯d shown for so long.


    "She must havee after him--" Before Dewitt could fill Rayden¡¯s head with more ideas, Maximus silenced him.


    "Your son-inw is a grown man; he can speak for himself." I was now carefully observing the change in my brother¡¯s behavior.


    They were acting wild, like unleashed beasts, but only when it came to Hnie. The girl lowered her head, probably biting the inside of her cheek to stop her lips from trembling.


    It was an odd sight for me. The same girl who had been ready to blow my head off, who had smashed a vase over my head, the same Hnie whopleted strange tasks without the help of her wolf, now stood before us looking like a scared kitten.


    The easy answer would be to say she was faking innocence, but it didn¡¯t seem like that. She seemed genuinely terrified. What did Rayden do to her?


    My eyes traveled to Rayden, who was watching Hnie with a mixture of anger and anticipation glinting in his eyes.


    "She came into the kitchen to try and flirt with me, and when I turned her down--" he couldn¡¯t finish his story because Kaye cut him off.


    "And in anger, she pped you, etc., etc.--you couldn¡¯te up with something more believable?" I noticed Kaye¡¯s fists clenching. He clearly wanted to be alone with Rayden to have a more private ¡¯conversation¡¯ with him--using his fists.


    "Hnie!" As soon as she heard her name from Emmet, her body jolted. She didn¡¯t want to be noticed? Yes, she wanted to stay invisible.


    "What did he do?" Emmet asked her in a gentle, calm tone. All eyes shifted to her, but mine stayed on Rayden.


    He was acting strange.


    "We had an argument," Hnie said quietly, without lifting her head.


    "See? Just an argument, and she attacked him," Dewitt chimed in. I swear, if I hear him one more time--


    "Old man, can you shut up for a minute?" After silently observing everyone, I couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. My low, gruff tone caught everyone off guard, I could tell. Even Dewitt stared at me like a housewife discovering her partner¡¯s betrayal.


    "Hnie!" I reached her, shielding her from everyone else¡¯s gaze with my body.


    "Tell me what happened," I said, leaning down, my hands braced on the counter beside her. She looked so delicate, like a daisy caught in a storm.


    "I don¡¯t want any trouble," she whispered so softly I could barely hear her. I had to lean closer, tilting my head toward her lips to catch her words.


    "Please! I don¡¯t want the council here."


    I straightened up slightly, our eyes meeting, our faces just inches apart. That was because I¡¯d leaned in too close trying to hear her.


    "Who told you the council woulde here?" I asked, and she shook her head steadily.


    "You don¡¯t want to tell me?" I pressed, and she nodded.


    "Look, if you don¡¯t exin, you¡¯ll look guilty. His ims will seem true--that you attacked Rayden."


    She was barely breathing, standing frozen with her head bowed. I didn¡¯t like seeing her like this. Even though I despised her, I preferred the version of her that annoyed the life out of me.


    "Okay, just rx--" I straightened up, pulling my hands off the counter when I realized she was growing more ufortable the longer we stayed like this.


    "I¡¯ll find a way to get you out of this," I said, my eyes fixed on the wall behind her. When I stood tall, she seemed so small, she barely came into view.


    After thinking it over, I slowly turned around, narrowing my eyes at Rayden standing behind Dewitt.


    "You! She had aint against you." I remembered how they all bullied her into trauma when Lucy fell.


    "She epted his apology," Dewitt smirked, causing me and my brothers to exchange a look. But before we could think much more about it, Lamar burst in, having been kept out earlier.


    Seeing him with Hnie again made me roll my eyes at her. Why was she hanging around someone who had beaten her and left her in the woods? If she hadn¡¯t been found in time, she might¡¯ve lost her life--and her chance to be in the academy.


    "They kind of forced her. She wanted information about the Tenth Floor, so Luna Este and this guy--I mean--" Lamar hesitated and shifted his tone after catching a sharp re from me. I could call Dewitt an old man, but Lamar would get in trouble if he did so. "He told her if she didn¡¯t sign the letter, she wouldn¡¯t get the information."


    I turned to stare at Dewitt in disbelief.


    "So, you tricked her intoing here, making her think she¡¯d get information, only to make her sign the forgiveness letter and then trap her here, bowing to the one who bullied her nonstop?" Emmet spoke softly, his head lowered, probably to hide his eyes.


    I knew he was losing control. That couldn¡¯t happen. He tended to lose control far too easily.


    "Just one question--why are the rogue brothersing here to defend a mere student?" That¡¯s when Dewitt revealed why I hated him most--he picked up on energy far too quickly.

 Chapter 254-I Make Him Uncomfortable

    <h4>Chapter 254: 254-I Make Him Ufortable</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    My stepbrothersing to help me meant a lot, but I was still shaken by Dewitt¡¯s hostility toward me. And then Rayden touching me had ignited a spark of anger.


    To the point that I nearly jeopardized my position in the eyes of the Council. Now, as my stepbrothers walked over and stood in front of me, I couldn¡¯t look past them. The way Norman had asked me what had happened gave me the feeling that no harm could get to me now. I felt safe. However, the issues were still unresolved.


    But now my stepbrothers had to address Dewitt¡¯s burning questions.


    "Because it¡¯s unusual for trainers to not only defend their student but also give her a ce in their home, free food, therapy, and even¡ª" Dewitt paused briefly before chuckling to himself. It sounded like augh of disbelief.


    "Their own car and a driver, like she¡¯s some kind of Luna," he scoffed as he finished, making my heart skip a beat.


    I had a feeling those questions would surface once people noticed I¡¯d been driving Maximus¡¯ car. I should have been careful. I felt a sudden guilt for making my stepbrothers go through this because of my own carelessness.


    "We don¡¯t owe you any exnations, Mr. Dewitt. Anyway, we¡¯ll take our student and leave now," Norman hissed, turning to gesture for me to follow him.


    "She can¡¯t leave without apologizing for assaulting¡ª" Dewitt¡¯s words were cut short by Kaye groaning.


    "Sure, she¡¯ll apologize," Kaye said, shocking even his brothers until he added, "and then you can send your warriors to the academy to pick up your kids and Rayden¡¯s expulsion letter." The moment he said that, the entire kitchen fell silent.


    "All this for a student?" Dewitt¡¯s focus remained on the idea that something was suspicious about my rtionship with my trainers.


    "Yep! We woke up and chose justice. So tell us, what is it?" Maximus asked in a threatening tone.


    I stayed hidden behind them, not even attempting to step out. Lamar casually strolled closer and nudged me with his elbow, giving me a knowing look that something was about to happen soon.


    I didn¡¯t understand it in the moment; I was too focused on what Dewitt might say next.


    "Step aside. They¡¯re leaving." Giving up on his demand for an apology, Dewitt ordered his warriors, who wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop the brothers if they¡¯d wanted to leave anyway.


    The warriors backed off, and Norman turned, signaling for me to go first. I began walking out with Lamar, and the brothers followed us.


    When we reached the car Maximus had given me, I got in, but before Lamar could join me or even reach the car, Norman rushed ahead of everyone.


    "Take Lamar home. I¡¯ll take her," Norman was so quick to grab the keys from the driver and hop in that none of us could react. I turned my head to look at my brothers, and sure enough, they seemed lost and not okay with the idea.


    But Norman had already started the engine, sitting like a giant in the driver¡¯s seat. Once we hit the road, I could feel the tension growing inside the car.


    "The Tenth Floor, Hnie? Didn¡¯t we already talk about this?" Norman began, his voice gruff and angry. I should¡¯ve known he wouldn¡¯t miss this chance to scold me. And honestly, this time, I felt like I might actually deserve it.


    "We didn¡¯t. You shut me down and told me nothing. I wanted information that could help me with helping Lucy," I muttered, staring out the window. I hated how life kept moving so normally for us while Lucyy in a hospital bed.


    "That¡¯s because there¡¯s nothing to say. There was one incident, and after that¡ªnothing really happened. Just rumors," he said aggressively, fidgeting in his seat and gripping the steering wheel so hard I worried he might break it.


    "Then why didn¡¯t you do something? Even after the first case, shouldn¡¯t you have acted?" I asked, my tone turning argumentative.


    "There should¡¯ve been something done. But about what? There was no way to the Tenth Floor. It shocked me when you told me you¡¯d been there¡ªit scared the hell out of me because whoever goes there ends up dead," he hissed. "But now look at what you¡¯ve done. We were slowly building a case against Rayden. We were going to use every single thing he did because we were already uneasy about him. He came from Fellmoon Academy¡ªhe¡¯s under scrutiny to adjust and follow our rules. But you ruined it all," he yelled, hitting the steering wheel.


    "I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t know what you guys were doing. And I¡¯m really sorry I can¡¯t stop thinking about Lucy lying in that hospital while I¡ª" I cut myself off and closed my eyes tightly, refusing to let the tears fall.


    "Hnie¡ª" his tone softened, and a small sigh escaped his lips.


    "I know I¡¯m bing a nuisance, but I can¡¯t help it. She went up there, and I know that entity put terrible ideas in her head¡ªI just need to find that one survivor¡ª" I stopped, biting my lip as I fought to keep the sobs in.


    "Okay¡ªI get it. I was being a little harsh¡ª" I heard him stutter, but his sudden vulnerability only made me feel worse, and I broke down, bawling like never before.


    "Umm¡ªI didn¡¯t make you cry, okay? You¡¯re crying because¡ªyou¡¯re upset about¡ªDewitt¡ªugh, damn it," he grumbled, stopping the car on the side of the road. He got out, pacing for a few seconds before opening the backseat door for me.


    "Fine, I¡¯m so¡ª" he began but abruptly cut himself off. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and looked up at him. "I¡¯m¡ª"


    Was an apology that hard for him?


    "You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. You¡¯re right. I¡¯m just upset because everything was a failure today," I said, not in the mood for games.


    His body rxed, the tension easing from his muscles, and he added, "Hnie, I¡¯ll help you find that survivor."

 Chapter 255-Emmet’s Bracelet For The Rescue

    <h4>Chapter 255: 255-Emmet¡¯s Bracelet For The Rescue</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Norman watched my face in silence before walking back and sitting in the driver¡¯s seat. At least he was willing to do something good for once. I stayed silent throughout the ride. Thankfully, no one bothered me, and I made it to my room, where I stayed for the rest of the day and even into the next.


    I guess the brothers were too tired to deal with another mess. I wore ck jeans and a ck turtleneck from the bag Lamar had given me. I¡¯d received a text from Lamar, and we were going to visit Lucy in the hospital.


    My hair was in a messy braid, with my curtain bangs loosely framing my forehead and face.


    I left my room and went straight to the exit, not nning to take the car. I didn¡¯t want the brothers to face harsh questions or rumors because of me.


    Outside the main gate, I was greeted by Lamar, who was sitting on his bike, holding a helmet for me.


    "Hey," I greeted, taking the helmet.


    "Whoa! So ck¡¯s your color," heplimented.


    "Who looks bad in ck?" I replied. It wasn¡¯t a lie. Taking his helmet, I sat behind him on the bike and smiled, remembering the first time I¡¯d ridden with him. Who would¡¯ve thought we¡¯d be such close acquaintances?


    We arrived at the hospital in two hours since the pack¡¯s border was now under strict security. Benita must be waiting to reim the title of Lady of the Pack once her son wins the rank again.


    "She¡¯s that way," Lamar said after speaking to the nurse at the station, who told him Lucy was doing well. By ¡¯doing well,¡¯ she meant Lucy was now sleeping peacefully.


    My heart pounded in my chest as I approached her private room, assigned specifically because she was a student of the RVS.


    We entered her room to find her hooked up to multiple machines. I instantly wanted to break down, but I held my emotions in, making sure that if she could hear me, she¡¯d know we were hopeful for her return.


    "Hey, Luce!" Lamar and I said in unison, almost smiling, but the tears were visible in our eyes.


    "We miss you so much." I ran my finger along the back of her hand and noticed how cold she was.


    She had so many bandages on her body from the fall. If only she could wake up, just one moment of her waking up would be enough for her to be fine again.


    "You know, they gave us some time off. And the lycan is terrorizing the roguemunity," I continued, waiting for a response from her. But she remained silent.


    "Obviously, the clever lycan is seen as a myth, just like everything else," Lamar added, smiling as he gently ced his hand on her bandaged forehead.


    The door opened, and someone walked in, instantly souring Lamar¡¯s mood.


    "I came here to see her," Jenny said, looking like she had been through a lot too.


    "Huh! Are you sure that¡¯s why you¡¯re here? I mean, you could be hiding something, like always," Lamar¡¯s harsh tone made her eyes fill with tears.


    "Please, Hnie, tell him. You know I would never harm you guys. I didn¡¯t know what my parents were nning. When I told the warriors on the border to let you two in, my father got informed. He was on an ongoing call with my mother¡ª" she quickly tried to exin when Lamar silenced her by pointing a finger at her.


    "Not one more word. You¡¯ve proven to be a liar, Jenny. You¡¯re a coward¡ª" I squeezed his hand hard to stop him.


    "It¡¯s not her fault, Lamar. Do you think she has any say in anything?" I remembered how her father had dragged her to her room during her royal beta training.


    "Lamar, please try to understand me. I¡¯m on your side, just believe me," her eyes spoke for her. They held so much love and hope for Lamar.


    "Lamar,e on, don¡¯t be like this. You¡¯re taking your anger out on the wrong person," I warned Lamar, who rolled his eyes before giving up and pulling Jenny¡¯s hand to bring her into a hug.


    "I¡¯m very protective of my sister, Jenny. Just forgive me if I took my frustration out on you," he spoke softly to her, but I noticed how she closed her eyes when she was in his arms. She truly adored him, I could tell.


    But then I smiled at him calling me his sister. That meant a lot to me.


    "Anyway," he cleared his throat and broke the hug when Penn walked in with a bouquet.


    "Oh!" He quickly turned his eyes away from me.


    "Lamar, how about you and I wait outside while they meet Lucy?" I didn¡¯t want to make things awkward while it was about Lucy.


    Lamar and I walked out while the siblings stayed behind.


    But I noticed something scary when Dewitt and another man showed up. They walked straight toward us. Right then and there, we knew they were here for trouble.


    "Hnie! We¡¯re delighted to find you here. This is Lord Mrkey, Rayden¡¯s father, and we¡¯vee to take you to the council so that the argument about why your trainers threatened me in my home, and why they want to set you free so bad, can be discussed."


    Dewitt didn¡¯t even take a breath and shook the ground beneath my feet with his intentions for being here.


    The moment I heard them and realized how they cornered me, I gently touched my wrist, pressing the button on my bracelet like crazy. I had a very bad feeling about this.


    "Let¡¯s go," Dewitt said, not nning to dy likest time. He was surely mad that the brothers had made him walk me out by threatening to expel their children for me.


    "How about no?" Lamar quipped, making them exchange a nce and then smirk at him.


    "We knew you would say that. That¡¯s why we came here with the warriors," Dewitt was the only one talking, while Mrkey kept ring at

 Chapter 256-And The Arrest

    <h4>Chapter 256: 256-And The Arrest</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Actually, it¡¯s because we haven¡¯t seen Lucy yet. If you give us a few minutes," I said, my heart thumping hard, but I kept my exterior neutral.


    "I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯ve met her already," Mrkey finally spoke up. His voice was so strangely sharp, and the way he pronounced every word made it seem like he was judging Lamar and me. Or maybe that was just how he spoke to people who didn¡¯t have a much higher rank.


    "Well, even if we haven¡¯t, you can¡¯t take us away," Lamar decided to take the direct approach. I was only wasting my time. I had a feeling Emmet woulde. But then I wondered if I was doing the right thing by dragging him into this mess. What if he¡¯s unavable and doesn¡¯t see the rm?


    "Huh, for someone like you with such a low rank, you¡¯re very bold. What was your name again?" Mrkey asked in a much more threatening tone.


    "Why bother with my name? You want to talk about how trainers gave her privileges, why aren¡¯t they being asked for it? Why are you taking her with you only?" Lamar was good at this. I felt my heart revive a little when I noticed Dewitt eye Mrkey, something passing between them.


    "We¡¯ll call them too. But right now, she¡¯sing with us," Dewitt continued.


    I hadn¡¯t even spoken about what Rayden had done to me, and these older men were chasing after me like they had nothing better to do. That was scary too.


    "It¡¯s okay, Lamar, I¡¯ll go with them. Just let me use the bathroom first, and while I do, you go home, okay? I¡¯ll call you and let you know what happened, alright?" I gave Lamar a nod, not wanting him to argue anymore. The look of triumph on Mrkey and Dewitt¡¯s faces was enough to tell me they bought my lie.


    "Okay, call me at 3," he said, eyeing me. Lamar understood what we were talking about. There was a small hut nearby called 3, so all we needed to do was reunite there.


    Lamar walked past them, signaling that they had won without any struggle or conflict.


    "I¡¯ll meet you here in a minute," I told Dewitt, who didn¡¯t even acknowledge me talking to him.


    I helped myself and turned left toward the bathroom. The moment I got inside, I started to panic. Now I needed to find a way to escape this bathroom without getting caught.


    I was anxiously pacing around when I heard a little sound from behind me. I turned my head and noticed Sage standing by the sink.


    "You¡¯re that girl, Hnie, from our academy, right?" she asked in a calm and perfect tone. Her pink ombre hair was so bright and eye-catching.


    "Yeah, I am. I came here to see Lucy," I replied, steadily walking over to her. I remembered her from the day she had saved me by bringing the trainers to the hallway where the others were bullying me.


    "I saw her too. Ie here very often¡ª" she sighed, biting her tongue, but it was so subtle that I couldn¡¯t figure out why.


    "Why do you look so worried?" she asked, now facing me as she used a paper towel. Her long legs looked even shinier in the blue shorts she wore.


    "It¡¯s that¡ª" I pointed at the door. "Alpha Dewitt and Alpha Mrkey¡ª" I couldn¡¯t decide if I should trust her or not.


    "Penn and Rayden¡¯s fathers?" she nodded in acknowledgment. "They¡¯re troubling you?" she frowned.


    "They want to take me to the council to talk about¡ªthe fact that I pped Rayden the other day," I said. The moment I said that, I watched her narrow her eyes at me.


    "Whoa! I already like what I¡¯m hearing," she let out a littleugh. "Need my help? I can get you out without anyone seeing you."


    She was strangely weing. My initial impression of her hadn¡¯t been great, but as I was getting to know her, I realized she was probably the nicest top-senior girl. A little arrogant because of her rank and probably because of the rich pack she belonged to.


    "That would be very helpful," I muttered miserably.


    "Come with me," she gestured for me to follow her. I watched her text someone, and soon two big warriors showed up at the door.


    "Go behind them," she added, handing me her ck hoodie to cover my head with. Soon we were out, and the two of us were walking right behind the warriors. My heart kept skipping beats while she acted nonchnt,ughing with me over nothing.


    It was her way of making everything seem normal. And as she had said, the alphas didn¡¯t notice because they knew a girl like me wouldn¡¯t be friends with Sage or even have warriors.


    Jenny and Penn talking to them was another reason they were slightly distracted. Once Sage had helped me out of the hospital, I turned to her to thank her.


    "You have a ride?" she questioned, looking around.


    "Yeah, I have a friend waiting for me. Thank you so much, Sage," I was honestly surprised at how she was on board to help me whenever I needed it.


    "No issue, I¡¯m a girl¡¯s girl," she winked very stylishly before hopping into her Mercedes.


    I started to sprint toward the hut to find Lamar. He was waiting with his bike on. I rushed and jumped onto his back.


    "Great, how did you get out of there?" he inquired while I put on my helmet.


    "Sage helped, I¡¯ll exinter," I patted his back, and soon we hit the road. The cold wind felt even chillier now that we were on the run. But sadly, we overestimated how cunning Dewitt could be with his ns.


    As we reached the border, we noticed the warriors standing there with the big gates locked.


    "Shit," I cursed under my breath, and Lamar stopped his bike.


    "You two can¡¯t leave. Alpha Dewitt and Alpha Mrkey¡¯s request to the alpha of our pack has been epted for arresting you two," the warrior finished, making us realize all that action and nothing came out of it.

 Chapter 257-Saw A Lion

    <h4>Chapter 257: 257-Saw A Lion</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Where are you taking us?" Lamar red at the guy behind me, stopping him from touching me. We were being taken to the alpha¡¯s mansion, but the big question was: why?


    "Alpha Vernon wants to see you," the warrior hissed, making my eyes drift toward the sign near the mansion.


    The brown sign was knocked down, with the scratched-out name of the previous pack, *The Blood Curse Pack.* Next to it stood a new sign that read *Dark Eclipse Pack.* They had purposely left the old one there, probably as a reminder of the downfall of the previous alpha.


    As we reached the entrance, Alpha Dewitt and Mrkey caught up with us. Smirks spread across their faces as they blocked our path.


    "You know what¡¯s funny about little sparrows, Mrkey? They think they can beat an eagle," Dewitt remarked,ughing at me.


    "Lamar, he¡¯s calling himself an eagle," I said, rolling my eyes. I wasn¡¯t the type to sass anyone before, but things had changed. I¡¯d grown so annoyed with these people that I couldn¡¯t help myself.


    "Let¡¯s go inside and see. Who knows, you might meet a hungry lion in there," Dewitt scoffed, now calling himself a lion.


    As we all walked inside, I noticed how many people had gathered in the foyer. Warriors were standing in front of the pack alpha, blocking his view.


    "Alpha Vernon, thank you so much. You¡¯ve helped us catch these two nuisances," Dewitt announced loudly as he marched in with his arms spread wide and a huge grin.


    Mrkey wore the same smug expression. Were they best friends or something?


    A littleter, after they walked across the spacious hall to the warriors, the men stepped aside to reveal Vernon. A tall, slender man sat on a regal chair like a king. His hair was dyed ck, and he had a thin ck mustache. His striking hazel eyes stood out among his sharp facial features.


    He looked like a very stern and serious man. Rayden followed close behind, giving me a quick nce and rubbing his cheek gently¡ªprobably a reminder of my actions yesterday.


    Lamar and I stood alone, as if we were criminals, while Dewitt approached Vernon first.


    "No greeting for me?" a voice came from behind the warriors, right beside Vernon. As the warriors finally moved away, they revealed Emmet leaning back on a simr regal chair, one leg crossed over the other, his foot tapping on the floor.


    Silence fell over the room, and the smiles on Dewitt and Mrkey¡¯s faces instantly vanished.


    A smile crept onto my lips, but I quickly stifled it when I saw Rayden nce at me and then at Emmet.


    So, the bracelet really worked.


    "Hello," Emmet greeted Dewitt with a grin I¡¯d never seen him give anyone before.


    "Oh, great. This is exactly what we were talking about. Why is a trainer so interested in his student? Should we be worried, *Rogue Emmet?*" Dewitt made sure to emphasize Emmet¡¯s title.


    "And why are two old men running around chasing my student? I¡¯m definitely rmed, and others should be too when you¡¯re around their daughters," Emmet remarked. He usually avoided such bluntnguage, but he was openly using it now¡ªprobably because Dewitt and Mrkey were such despicable men with nothing better to do than harass a teenager.


    The moment Emmet checked them, Mrkey let out a loud grunt.


    "That¡¯s why you and your father could never be part of any pack. You have the manners of rogues," Mrkey sneered, trying to insult Emmet. But, as usual, Emmet wasn¡¯t interested in their words. He said what he wanted and then seemed to tune out whatever nonsense they threw back at him.


    "Anyway, we¡¯re still arresting her to present her before the council so they can investigate why the trainers ckmailed me into letting her go the other day. You had no right to demand her freedom," Dewitt said, trying to steer the conversation back to the main topic.


    Somehow, I felt calmer now. I trusted Emmet to handle this.


    "Sure," Emmet replied casually, "but you might want to call them and check if they¡¯re still interested in questioning her."


    Dewitt¡¯s face twitched as he quickly grabbed his phone. It seemed like Emmet had already taken care of the issue on his way here.


    As Dewitt made the call, Emmet looked at me and gave me a generous, understanding nod.


    "May I ask you something¡ªnever mind," Lamar murmured, hesitating when he noticed how intently Emmet was looking at me. I guessed Lamar wanted to ask the same question that was lingering in everyone¡¯s mind, but he decided not to press me.


    When Dewitt hung up, he stared at my face, then Emmet¡¯s.


    "The council said you are going to hold a meeting at the academy to exin why you¡¯re taking such an interest in Hnie¡¯s safety," Dewitt grumbled, his tone unusually subdued, as if he were trying to make sense of the situation. I felt lost, too.


    "Yeah, soon! So¡ªbefore that, you can¡¯t bother Hnie again. I hope you realize your little adventure doesn¡¯t stand a chance anymore. Find yourself a better hobby," Emmet replied firmly, finishing with a grunt as he stood from his seat.


    "Hnie, I¡¯m driving you home," he added.


    But just as he was about to step toward me, he froze. His eyes narrowed in a frown. I followed his gaze toward the entrance and saw Jenny and Penn walking in.


    Jenny¡¯s face was streaked with tears as she rushed to hug her father. I was even more confused now.


    "The first round begins now, enjoy the show and his suffering," Lamar bent down to whisper in my ear, sending chills up my spine.


    "What¡¯s going on?" Dewitt asked his daughter, exchanging a bewildered look with Rayden, who looked just as puzzled.


    "Daddy, he cheated on me!" Jenny eximed, breaking down into sobs.


    Rayden stood frozen, his eyes wide and filled with disbelief, as his mate openly dered in front of everyone that he had cheated on her.

 Chapter 258-Rayden’s Humiliation

    <h4>Chapter 258: 258-Rayden¡¯s Humiliation</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What is going on, Rayden? What is she saying?" I was sure Dewitt would never have confronted Rayden in front of all of us under normal circumstances, but now that his daughter had made it a public matter, he had no choice.


    Rayden walked forward at an excruciatingly slow pace, his eyes darting around to everyone in the room.


    "This is getting interesting," Emmet remarked, quickly turning back to his seat and settling in as if he were watching a show. Mrkey and Dewitt noticed his actions, and their expressions soured even more.


    "I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s talking about. I¡¯ve been at home," Rayden responded, his voice subdued, especially since it was about the alpha¡¯s daughter.


    "Dewitt, maybe we should go home and discuss this privately," Mrkey suggested. This wasn¡¯t the kind of public humiliation they had hoped for.


    "No!" Jenny abruptly pulled away from her father¡¯s embrace, yelling, "I¡¯m not going back home to talk about this! You all always dismiss my concerns."


    Her voice was so loud that even the maids rushed out to see what was going on.


    I could tell Rayden wanted to silence Jenny forcefully, but with her brother and father standing in his way, he didn¡¯t dare.


    "Daughter, I will not dismiss your concerns," Dewitt said softly. But it seemed he had already lost Jenny¡¯s trust; she shook her head and stepped away from him.


    "We would have talked about it if I had cheated on you. But I didn¡¯t, so¡ª" Rayden clenched his jaw but quickly changed his tone, trying to soundposed.


    He sounded more annoyed than anything, as if the questioning itself offended him.


    Emmet sat with his arm bent, fist under his chin, watching the scene with an excited sparkle in his eyes.


    "But you did," said a new voice, calm yet sharp.


    The voice belonged to a stunning redhead who walked in wearing stilettos. Everyone turned to stare at her and then at each other.


    I recognized her. Lamar had told me about her. It seemed the alphas knew her too, judging by the number of times she¡¯d been invited to pack parties to dance.


    "Rona. My name is Rona," she introduced herself with a hand on her hip and a snarky smile ying on her lips.


    "I don¡¯t know her!" Rayden shouted instantly, trying to shut down any ideas forming in people¡¯s minds.


    "Rayden, you¡¯ve been visiting me every few days for favors," Rona replied, doubling down on her im. Rayden¡¯s fists clenched tightly at her words.


    "You¡¯re lying about an alpha. You have no idea what consequences you¡¯ll face for this," Rayden snapped, his face turning red with anger.


    "She¡¯s lying, and the fact that she chose this moment to speak makes me wonder who filled Jenny¡¯s head with lies against me," Rayden growled, turning to re at Lamar, who exaggerated his look of innocence, clearly trying to provoke Rayden further.


    "You think I¡¯m a fool and anyone can trick me?" Jenny yelled, forcing her father to encase her protectively in his arms. But she kept struggling, determined to take control of the situation.


    "Jenny, I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re a fool, but you¡¯re innocent. People can easily trick you into believing nonsense," Rayden exined. I noticed Mrkey pacing back and forth, his usualposure slipping.


    "That¡¯s because you do it all the time," Jenny snapped.


    Curious about her brother¡¯s reaction, I shifted slightly and saw him ring at Rayden.


    "Rayden, what is going on? Why is Rona iming you slept with her?" Dewitt¡¯s voice carried his barely restrained anger, even as he closed his eyes in frustration. Mrkey paused mid-pace, throwing a quick nce at Dewitt, trying to gauge his reaction to the usation against his son.


    "I don¡¯t know. She probably needs money," Rayden hissed through clenched teeth.


    "If I needed money, I¡¯d have ckmailed you, note here and tell the truth outright. Besides, I wasn¡¯t the one who came forward. I don¡¯t reveal my clients¡¯ secrets. It was your mate who found me and told me you had a fated mate. I don¡¯t sleep with mated men," Rona retorted, wrinkling her nose in disgust at Rayden.


    Her words made Mrkey look away and close his eyes, clearly embarrassed. It was obvious how their mindset worked¡ªthey¡¯d enjoy her performances at pack parties butter look down on her.


    "What?" Rayden¡¯s attention snapped to Jenny, who pulled a stic bag from her pocket. Inside was a strand of red hair.


    "I got it tested, and guess what¡ªI was right!" Jenny shouted, causing Dewitt¡¯s eyes to widen in disbelief.


    Penn didn¡¯t hesitate; he rushed at Rayden and punched him square in the face, sending him sprawling to the ground. Blood sttered from his nose as he hit the floor, and I instinctively closed my eyes, taking a deep breath of relief.


    "What¡ªthat¡¯s¡ªyou tested it? You promised you¡¯d throw it away! I told you I had no idea how this hair got on me. And there¡¯s no way this hair belongs to her because I swear I don¡¯t know her," Rayden babbled, tripping over his words. In his panic, he identally confirmed that Jenny had found the hair in his jacket.


    "And that¡¯s what concerns you? That she promised not to test the hair?" Dewitt roared, his voice shaking with fury. Mrkey stepped aside, his face a mask of anger and disgust as he looked at his son.


    "Listen, I don¡¯t care what men ask from me. But when a mated man lies andes to me begging to be put on a leash because he wants a dominatrix¡ªwhen he gets on his knees and begs me to walk him around the room like he¡¯s my pet dog¡ªI feel disgusted. I didn¡¯t know my dog had another owner," Rona said smoothly, her sharp tone leaving everyone stunned.


    Her words turned every face in the room red with embarrassment.


    It was the ultimate humiliation for a man with a mate. And it was clearly visible from the way everyone looked at Rayden. It was just the beginning and I loved it.

 Chapter 259-We Are Going To Be Alone Together

    <h4>Chapter 259: 259-We Are Going To Be Alone Together</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Rayden!" Mrkey finally yelled as he quickly made his way toward Rayden, who was on the ground and looked horrified by what he was hearing. "What have you done? What have you been doing?" He grabbed Rayden by a fistful of hair and forced him up.


    "Dad, it¡¯s a lie. She¡¯s lying. I don¡¯t know how her hair got on me," Rayden tried to exin, but his father pped him.


    "Don¡¯t lie. You¡¯re such a coward. I thought when you asked to be my pet, you were just trying to experience something new because in your real life, you¡¯re so powerful that you wanted the thrill of being dominated. But the way you lied to your mate, manipted everyone, and now keep lying makes me wonder if this is who you truly are¡ªa liar, a cowardly dog," Rona eximed, shaking her head. The Alpha leaders showed their anger whenever she spoke to Rayden that way, but there was nothing they could do because he had brought this upon himself.


    "This is all just a conspiracy against me," Rayden muttered, shielding his head with his hands as his father continued to beat him.


    While themotion continued, I turned to nce at the person entering the mansion with his warriors. He was an Alpha wearing a red jacket. I could tell he was an Alpha from the band he wore.


    He had ck hair and hazel eyes, but there was something familiar about him. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder where I had seen him before.


    "What¡¯s going on?" Lamar whispered to me when he noticed how intently I was watching the Alphae in.


    "Who is that?" I asked.


    "Alpha Byron. He¡¯s Alpha Vernon¡¯s son. Why? Do you recognize him?" Lamar asked curiously, knowing about my past and noticing my interest in Byron.


    Byron stopped when he saw Rayden being beaten. I saw him smirk before turning to one of his warriors, who was secretly recording the whole scene.


    The video seemed to focus only on Rona and Rayden since Lamar and I were standing far from them.


    I could tell the warrior was recording on Byron¡¯s orders because Byron nodded at him, as if approving his work.


    "We¡¯ll leave and deal with this. Let me handle it," Mrkey finally said, turning to apologetically request permission from Dewit, who quickly agreed. Mrkey seemed to realize that everyone was watching them and evenughing at the spectacle.


    "We¡¯re sorry for causing all thismotion in your pack," Mrkey Moore said apologetically to Alpha Vernon, unable to even look him in the eye.


    "It¡¯s okay. I hope you handle this and resolve your issues. But make sure Rayden stays out of trouble. It doesn¡¯t look good. It makes me wonder why that girl pped him in the first ce," Vernon remarked, gesturing toward me. I stepped back to hide behind Lamar. I didn¡¯t want too many eyes on me, especially since the warrior was recording the entire ordeal.


    "I will," Mrkey said, bowing his head in shame over his son¡¯s behavior. He couldn¡¯t argue or assert his authority anymore.


    Grabbing his son by the cor, Mrkey dragged him toward the exit. Rayden didn¡¯t look up at me once, nor did he smirk like he usually did.


    It felt like such a satisfying victory, and I was ready for more toe.


    "It¡¯s just the beginning," I whispered, feeling proud of Lamar for handling the whole situation.


    Dewitt kept hugging his crying daughter as he walked behind Mrkey.


    "We¡¯ll leave now. Thank you for your hospitality," Emmet said, standing up and speaking respectfully to Vernon, who seemed to be fond of Emmet as well.


    "Anything for you, brothers," Vernon said, gesturing toward me to let me know we were fine.


    "Hnie,e, I¡¯ll take you home now," Emmet said, and I gave a quick handshake to Lamar before running after Emmet.


    While following him, I saw Byron tilt his head and narrow his eyes at me. There was something about him. I had seen him somewhere, but where?


    Was he there that night?


    I started to quickly recall the faces, but it seemed like I was having trouble remembering them.


    Was the trauma blocking their faces now? Or was it something more?


    "Hnie, here!" I heard Emmet call, and I realized I had been so lost in thought that I had walked up to the wrong car. I rushed back to where he was standing and got inside as he opened the door for me. Once inside, and after Emmet got in, I noticed him shake his head a little.


    "You¡¯re going to scold me for going to the hospital, aren¡¯t you?" I asked, speaking respectfully.


    "No! It wasn¡¯t your fault they were chasing you. Hnie, you can¡¯t just hide because there are people who act like kids and chase after teenagers," he reassured me, relieving me of the guilt.


    "However, I must ask why you didn¡¯t take Maximus¡¯ car?" he inquired, but a little sigh from me was all he needed for an answer.


    "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be resolved soon," he sighed, pulling out his phone as a notification came through.


    "Oh! There¡¯s a huge hurricane headed our way," Emmet said, his eyes moving to the outside. It was alreadyte, and evening was approaching with a storm setting in.


    "Shit, shit, shit!" I heard him panic for the first time. He started looking at the sky, moving restlessly in his seat.


    I didn¡¯t understand why he seemed so scared of the hurricane. We could always wait at the pack and let the storm pass.


    "It¡¯s hitting the area we need to drive through," he muttered, constantly bothered as he kept checking his phone and texting someone.


    I knew the roguemunity was more dangerous than the packs. Hurricanes would sometimes hit a specific area, almost like a curse. But why was Emmet so worried?


    "We have to stay until midnight to continue our journey back home," he said, finally sitting back in his seat, his tone filled with worry as his eyes stared nkly ahead.

 Chapter 260-The Shady Motel

    <h4>Chapter 260: 260-The Shady Motel</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    In thest ten minutes of him receiving the news of the hurricane and how he had to take shelter in the pack until midnight, Emmet had shown extreme anxiety. He had his fist under his chin, and his eyes were fixed. His breathing was erratic though.


    "Did you have to do something after getting home?" I asked after I couldn¡¯t just sit and watch him get all anxious and irritated.


    "No¡ªyeah! I have to do¡ªumm¡ªI have to¡ªI have to be somewhere," he was sweating and stuttering hard. I noticed how he was squeezing his fist tightly and would release his fingers before doing it again.


    "Emmet¡ªwhat is happening? It¡¯s okay, you can ask your brothers to fill in for you," I suggested in a mild andforting tone to help him feel better.


    "Brothers, yes! Let me call Norman," he said, and I realized he had been so anxious that he hadn¡¯t even called his brother.


    He had been in contact with the weather informant, and it seemed like the news was solid.


    "Driver! Stop the car here," Emmet requested, his voice shaky.


    The driver listened to him and parked the car near the border. We hadn¡¯t even passed the border, and Emmet had been acting so strangely all this time. Emmet dialed Norman¡¯s number right before my eyes, and then the next thing I knew, he was giving his head little repeated nods.


    "Norman, there¡¯s a hurricane on the way," he took a pause, his lips quivering almost as if he was shaking. "Look, I told you I was headed over to that pack¡ª," he ced his hand on his forehead as he couldn¡¯t remember the name.


    "The Dark Eclipse Pack," I replied, and noticed how he nodded and repeated the pack name to Norman. I heard him quickly tell his brother what was going on, and now he was listening to what his brother was saying.


    "No, you don¡¯t get it. I have to¡ª," he turned his head to me and then opened the car door to get out. The next five minutes were so hard to watch. He was pacing back and forth, and his hand kept running through his hair.


    His agitated look made me feel guilty. And also responsible for himing over to save my butt. If he hadn¡¯te here, he wouldn¡¯t be so worried right now.


    "I will try," I heard him say as he returned to the car.


    "Bye," he hung up and took a deep breath. "We have to, umm, stay at a motel," he added, which confused me a little.


    I thought he would stay at the most luxurious hotel suite. Not because I wanted to, but that¡¯s how they always acted. The brothers actually booked suites whenever they went out for meetings.


    "Okay," I muttered in guilt, not adding anything else. He told the driver which motel he wanted to go to, and he shocked me once again.


    He wanted the driver to take us out of this pack and then head to a much smaller pack with very weak security on the borders. In that specific pack, he chose the motel that was literally right on the edge of the border.


    I was confused. Why would he want to go to such a ce where the security was so bad?


    I stayed silent throughout the car ride, and once we reached the motel, he rushed out.


    He held the car door open for me urgently, so I followed him silently. I felt the need to question him about this urgency to return to the pack. There¡¯s no way it was a meeting that made him so anxious. His bodynguage looked more frightening than someone who is worried about missing a meeting.


    And what meeting was he attending at that time?


    We checked in and were escorted to one room. It was a very shabby ce, even sketchier since our room was on the far end of the ground floor.


    Right outside our door was an open area, and there was a vending machine on the side.


    I followed Emmet inside and was instantly shocked to see one bed in the middle of the room with two small chairs next to the window, which had heavy curtains blocking the outside view.


    He took off his coat and threw it on the chair, then turned to pace around when he noticed me standing in the corner next to the door.


    His body tensed up as he examined me. "I am¡ªso sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to make you ufortable," he finally realized I was with him. It was surprising for someone who notices such small details to miss out on a whole person standing right next to him.


    That¡¯s how I knew he was extremely lost and confused.


    "I shouldn¡¯t have¡ª" As I spoke, he rushed at me with such big steps that I froze.


    "No! You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. You should alwayse to me whenever you need help. It¡¯s just that¡ªthis timing is wrong¡ªit is not on you," he broke his sentences weirdly. Thankfully, he stepped at least a few feet away from me.


    "Oh!" he then realized something else and pped his forehead. "There were no other rooms. This was the only one avable. You can take the bed. I won¡¯t be sleeping anyway. I¡¯ll sit and do some work on that chair," he pointed at the chair and then pulled his phone out. "On my phone."


    Nope! I wasn¡¯t buying his behavior.


    He was hiding something. He seemed stressed out.


    "Emmet, what is it? Why are you so anxious? Did you have to be somewhere?" I asked him again, this time in a much more confident and stern tone.


    His eyebrows rxed, his jaw unclenched, and he closed his eyes to sigh before he replied. "Yeah! I had to be somewhere."


    "May I ask where?" I questioned, feeling both curious and worried.


    "Hnie¡ªehm! I have to be away from here. Right after midnight," he said in such a deep and low tone that I understood the urgency of it.

 Chapter 261-He Looked Wild

    <h4>Chapter 261: 261-He Looked Wild</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    He had excused himself and left to go out and do something. I figured he wanted to drink, so I didn¡¯t bother him. But now that I was alone in the room, I sat on the bed and checked my phone. Specifically, the academy group made by top seniors, juniors, and even Sydney.


    I didn¡¯t have an ount under my name, so I didn¡¯t get the entry to join, but that¡¯s when I relied on Lamar. He started sending me a series of things.


    Mainly about the videos being leaked of what happened today with Rayden. Just like I had expected, Alpha Byron was making that video for himself. Not really for himself. I didn¡¯t expect this next part. He had uploaded those videos everywhere.


    Some of thements read:


    Julia P: It¡¯s about time. This jerk has harassed me on the road once. I guess he was driving with one of his friends. They were catcalling me and being rude to me.


    Rylie: That¡¯s Raynard, that exins his toxic alpha male mentality.


    There were countlessments like that. I wasn¡¯t surprised to see he was a serial offender, but the fact that none of the girls were ever listened to broke my heart for them. But then there were a few menmenting under the posts that made me shake my head in disappointment.


    RockyPoineer: You see how the girls areing out with their stories? Where were they before? It¡¯s like they want attention.


    Ken: Of course, the she-wolves that couldn¡¯t have him are now having the moment of their lives.


    Rubie: Huh! Girls are so dramatic. I¡¯m so d I¡¯m not like them. I want to hear his side.


    Reem: Hate feminism. They teach women to act so miserable. A guy says hello, and they¡¯re offended and harassed. See how the two people in the video are consenting adults? Why is he being shamed for his kinks?


    I was annoyed.


    He wasn¡¯t being shamed for his kinks. He was being shamed for having a mate, manipting her, and then cheating on her.


    I put my phone down as I knew our next step already. After a few minutes of doing nothing, I got up to reach the door to look for Emmet when he came back inside himself.


    "Here," he was holding a sandwich and some drinks from the vending machine.


    "I am sorry for freaking you out earlier. I should have known you would me yourself for it," he was thankfully very polite and had calmed down now.


    "Please, eat something." He didn¡¯t look me in the eye while he ced the food down on the bed for me and reached for the chair.


    I¡¯m sure it will be a lot harder for him to sleep on the chair since he was much bigger and broader.


    "Emmet, you can take the bed," I insisted, but he gently waved his hand to deny.


    And I was wrong about him leaving to drink. He didn¡¯te back smelling like alcohol.


    After we were done eating in silence, Iid down in the bed, notfortable with him being on the chair, but he wouldn¡¯t let me give up the bed. I dozed off since the storm was hitting the windows, and I didn¡¯t want to stay awake and be terrified of the noise.


    I had only been asleep for a little when, just ten past 1am, I woke up to the sound of the wind almost knocking the window down. My heart was pounding so hard, as if someone had knocked my heart out of my chest.


    I looked around the dark room and was instantly made aware of the empty chair next to the window. The curtains had been pushed to the side earlier by Emmet, who kept looking outside the room to the window.


    But now the room was entirely silent. I rolled out of the bed and tiptoed to the window, looking outside to see if I could get a glimpse of anything.


    It was so dark and windy, but the thunderbolts would light up the outside just a little before it went back to being dark again.


    "Where could he be?" I asked myself as I stared at his phone lying on the table between the two chairs.


    He left his phone behind. He wasn¡¯t in the bathroom either. Could it be that he left to get something from the vending machine again?


    I was scared of the outside because it was an unknown ce, and I didn¡¯t even know how bad the storm was going to get.


    I reached for the door and opened it, leaving for the vending machine. Halfway through, I could see that Emmet wasn¡¯t at the vending machine.


    "Where did he go?" I was so worried for him.


    I didn¡¯t want to go back inside when he was outside in the storm. He was very anxious and nervous earlier, so it made me even more worried for him.


    "Excuse me, have you seen the guy who came with me?" I asked thedy sitting behind the counter, smoking a cigarette.


    She tilted her head and gave me a quick head-to-toe stare, examining every inch of me. "Nope!"


    Her response was so cold and careless.


    "Okay, thank you!" I didn¡¯t know what else to say. I returned to my room as there was nothing else I could do. And for the rest of the time, till 3:30 a.m. in the morning, I had taken so many steps.


    My soles were on fire, and my toes were hurting from the brisk walk. I was worried, so worried. And then my worry reached its height when I heard scratching from outside the door.


    Even when I should have been worried and scared of what it was, my instinct was that it was Emmet.


    I ran to answer the door, and as soon as I opened it, I came across a sight so terrifying that I froze for a minute.


    He stood before me, but he wasn¡¯t the Emmet that I know.

 Chapter 262-Norman Is Always Irritated

    <h4>Chapter 262: 262-Norman Is Always Irritated</h4> "Emmet!" His name escaped my lips in a desperate plea. I was horrified by how he looked. His body was covered in blood, his shirt in his hand, and only his pants were intact.


    He looked weak, breathing heavily and leaning against the doorframe.


    I quickly nced outside before grabbing his arm to pull him inside.


    Once he was in, Iid him down on the bed and turned on the light to check on his wounds properly. He had left a blood trail whening inside. That made me worried for him.


    "No! Don¡¯t¡ª" he groaned in pain, cing his hand over his eyes.


    He seemed too sensitive to the light, but that might have been because he¡¯d lost so much blood.


    Scratches covered his body, and then I noticed something on his neck that terrified me.


    It was a bite mark¡ªa dark, deep wound.


    "Emmet, what happened? Who did this to you?" I asked, panicking as I knelt beside him on the bed. But he seemed too exhausted to respond.


    I watched him stare nkly at the ceiling before slowly slipping into sleep.


    It felt strange standing so close to him and seeing him shirtless. His muscles and abs were tense, and his tattooed arm was smeared with blood¡ªhis or maybe someone else¡¯s.


    "Shit! What do I do?" I muttered. I got off the bed, struggled to pull the nket out from under him, and then covered him with it.


    There was no first aid kit in the room, and when I ran to the counter to ask, the woman there told me she didn¡¯t have one either. I was sure she just didn¡¯t want to help¡ªshe looked tired and high on drugs.


    So I came back to the room, scared. Whoever had done this to Emmet was still out there. If someone could hurt a strong man like him, I didn¡¯t stand a chance.


    Once I was back inside, I grabbed my phone and tried to think of who to call for help.


    Kaye and Maximus came to mind, but I decided to call Norman instead. He was the one always ready to help his brothers, so he seemed like the best option.


    As I dialed, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.


    He finally picked up, and I started rambling. "Norman¡ªhe¡ªhe¡¯s here with me. A motel¡ªno security¡ªhe told me to let him sleep, but he was awake¡ªand then not... I was so worried, and then¡ªand then¡ª" I couldn¡¯t string a single sentence together.


    "Hnie! What¡¯s going on? Take a deep breath and tell me," he said, his urgency clear over the phone.


    "Okay," I said, taking a deep breath before starting to exin everything that had happened during our stay here in detail.


    "He said he wouldn¡¯t leave tonight," I heard Norman mutter, though I could tell he wasn¡¯t talking to me. Then, in a cold tone, he added, "I¡¯ming over there. Don¡¯t bother him or try to wake him up. He¡¯ll be fine."


    "But he¡¯s lost so much blood¡ª" I began, but Norman cut me off before I could finish.


    "He¡¯ll be fine. He¡¯s very powerful. If you want to help him, stay away from him and don¡¯t even think about checking outside," he warned before abruptly hanging up.


    Even though the call had ended, I nodded to myself and then went to sit on the chair.


    There were moments when I desperately wanted to wake Emmet or at least check on him, but Norman had sternly told me to keep my distance.


    As the minutes dragged on and turned into hours, a knock finally came at the door, filling me with hope. I¡¯d been sick with worry about Emmet the entire time.


    The moment I opened the door, Norman stormed in, forcing me to step back quickly to avoid him trampling over me like a wee mat. He was wearing ck pants and a white shirt, his sleeves rolled up. Oddly, I noticed scratches on his arms.


    I shut the door while he went straight to his brother.


    I moved closer but made sure not to interfere as he reached for the nket covering Emmet. He paused, realizing I was standing right next to him.


    "You can go sleep. I¡¯ll take care of him," he said, pointing to the chairs, clearly suggesting I put them together to make a makeshift bed.


    "I can¡¯t sleep like this! He¡¯s hurt, and you expect me to lie down and rest?" I protested, shaking my head at the idea. Norman had brought a bag with him, so I assumed it contained medical supplies.


    "Hnie, there¡¯s nothing you can do. You¡¯re more useful when you¡¯re not talking or when you¡¯re sleeping," Norman said dismissively, waving a hand as if to shoo me away.


    His tone annoyed me. "I can help him. Give me that," I said, reaching out for the bag.


    To my surprise, Norman pulled back, staring at my hand like it was something strange.


    "You want to give aid to a shirtless trainer and your stepbrother?" There was a subtle hint in his eyes that he found it inappropriate.


    "I gave you aid the other night," I said, folding my arms over my chest in annoyance.


    "That was aid? I thought your n was to waste my time and let me bleed to death," he hissed, lifting the nket just enough to clean Emmet¡¯s wounds. The way he did it was strange¡ªalmost like he was trying to hide Emmet¡¯s body from me.


    "Oh, so you knew what I was trying to do." My sarcastic confession made him clench his jaw.


    "It¡¯s not easy to kill me, Hnie. You¡¯ll need to do more than just that. Now hush and go away, blonde!" The more Norman tried to dismiss me, the more irritated I became.


    "I¡¯ll help with the bite mark," I said, determined.


    The moment I mentioned the bite mark, I saw Norman¡¯s head snap up, his expression sharp and questioning. In that instant, it felt like he wasn¡¯t upset about Emmet being bitten but rather about me bringing it up.

 Chapter 263-He Said, Hush Blondie!

    <h4>Chapter 263: 263-He Said, Hush Blondie!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What? What is that look?" I couldn¡¯t understand why he kept ring at me like that.


    "You examined his body? Even after I told you to stay away from him?" Norman hissed through gritted teeth, his eyes clearly showing his disapproval.


    "It¡¯s not like I did something wrong. He came in shirtless! What did you expect me to do? Tell him, ¡¯Hey, put on some damn shirt because your brother won¡¯t like it¡¯?" I groaned, reaching to snatch the cotton swab from his hand, but he quickly grabbed it back.


    "I told you I don¡¯t need your help. It¡¯s inapp¡ª" he started but stopped abruptly when he noticed I wasn¡¯t listening anymore. I had leaned down to take a closer look at the bite mark on Emmet¡¯s neck.


    "How many times do I have to tell you to stop examining him?" Norman¡¯s sudden yelling startled me, making me step back instinctively.


    "He wouldn¡¯t be okay with you staring at his bare chest¡ª" he began, but before he could make it sound even more awkward, I jumped in to defend myself.


    "Can you stop making everything sound so sexual? I¡¯m just worried about him!" I snapped, not understanding why he was so insistent on keeping me away from Emmet right now.


    "You don¡¯t need to be. Besides, he probably transitioned, came across some rogue, and got into a fight," he exined, offering his theory.


    I didn¡¯t find his exnation convincing at all, but since he kept demanding that I keep my distance, I decided to respect his wishes. I wouldn¡¯t want Emmet to feel ufortable.


    With a heavy sigh, I walked away and plopped down on the chair with a thud, annoyed beyond belief with Norman. He was like a man plucked straight from my worst nightmares.


    I watched him work on Emmet¡¯s wounds, knowing full well that Emmet would healpletely by morning. Until then, though, Norman was doing his part. Once he finished tending to the injuries and had even managed to get a shirt on Emmet, he went to the bathroom to wash his hands beforeing back to stand by the bed.


    "So, what exactly happened that brought my brother here?" Now that he was done with Emmet, he thought I¡¯d entertain his questions.


    I didn¡¯t respond and kept staring out the window. He couldn¡¯t control me. First, he wanted me to shut up, and now he wanted answers.


    "I believe I¡¯m asking you something," I could hear the frustration dripping from his voice.


    "Your brother already told you everything. Stop looking for excuses to talk to me," I replied, feeling oddly satisfied with how easily I got under his skin. Every time I hinted at him wanting my attention, it seemed to send him into full beast mode.


    "Huh? Me? You think I want to talk to you?" he hissed, but I held up my palm to silence him.


    "Don¡¯te asking for my help next time," he shot back. He was such a baby with anger issues. I didn¡¯t say anything else, and he, clearly irritated, stormed over and grabbed the chair I was nning to rest my feet on.


    With an annoyed huff, he yanked the chair away and sat on it with dramatic force. The poor chair didn¡¯t stand a chance¡ªunder his weight, it creaked and then suddenly gave out.


    The next thing I knew, Norman was falling to the ground in slow motion, right before my eyes.


    His expression was priceless. His eyes widened in shock, and a deep frown crept across his face as if he couldn¡¯tprehend that he was actually falling. Then, with a resounding thud, his backside hit the ground, and his eyes shut briefly in disbelief.


    A wave ofughter bubbled up from my stomach and burst out of me like a force I couldn¡¯t contain. Iughed harder than I had in years, so much that my eyes teared up and my vision blurred.


    I couldn¡¯t even see his reaction anymore because my eyes had practically shut fromughing so hard. My mouth was wide open, and I could barely catch my breath.


    "You have no shame," I faintly heard his voice through myughter, which began to fade as I struggled to regain control.


    When I finally managed to open my eyes, I found Norman leaning over me, his finger pointing in my face, his expression furious.


    "What¡ªdid I¡ªdo?" I tried to stifle myughter, but another uncontroble giggle escaped me. I identally spit on his finger in the process.


    "Ew!" he pulled his hand back and wiped his finger on his shirt to clean it.


    "You¡¯re acting like a child," he snapped, clearly pissed off. I could tell he wasn¡¯t used to experiencing something as humiliating as a fall.


    "Okay, okay¡ªI¡¯m sorry. Are you...hurt?" I asked, managing to straighten my face for a moment.


    He was breathing like a bull, his chest rising and falling as his eyes lingered on my face. After a moment, he scoffed, about to respond¡ªprobably to say he was fine¡ªbut then, unfortunately, I lost it again. Theughter bubbled out of me until tears were streaming down my cheeks.


    "You¡¯re so annoying, Hnie," I heard him mutter in frustration.


    He turned away, walked over to the small closet on the side, and grabbed a sheet. To my surprise, he spread it out on the floor next to the bed and sat down in the dark. That was...odd.


    I had expected him to demand the couch or something morefortable, but instead, he leaned his back against the wall and stretched his legs out as if it didn¡¯t bother him at all.


    The room fell silent, and myughter finally died down. Guilt crept in¡ªI did feel bad, but honestly, his fall had been so funny. For once, he had looked¡ªfunny.


    I noticed him shifting his legs slightly. One foot rested on top of the other, and every now and then, he¡¯d move one foot, shaking it a little.


    It went on for a while. I had my legs pulled up to my chest, dozing off here and there, but every time I woke up, he was still awake. His legs kept shaking throughout the night.


    And then I began to wonder¡ªwas he not sleepy? He had stormed into the motel like a man on a mission, so I figured he must have been exhausted, even for someone as strong as a werewolf.


    But sleep always won with me. After a few times of waking up, I eventually gave in and drifted offpletely.

 Chapter 264-The Lycan Killed Two People

    <h4>Chapter 264: 264-The Lycan Killed Two People</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I woke up to Norman constantly leaving anding back into the room. It happened a few times before I finally gave up and sat awake.


    It was around 7, so I was basically sleep-deprived. But who can sleep with someone as noisy as Norman staying in the same room?


    This time, when he came back inside, I got to see firsthand how he thought he was being careful about not making any noise. He was tiptoeing, but that was actually louder. Every time he took a step, his shoe made a cracking noise. Since I was sitting in the darker corner, I bet he didn¡¯t notice I was awake.


    He took another step and groaned when it made a sound. I noticed him looking down and then behind him, inspecting the floor.


    "There¡¯s paper stuck to your shoe," I finally spoke up, making him look shocked that I was awake. "You¡¯re so loud and annoying."


    I watched him groan and then straighten his posture. He was holding food items in his hands. I let a little light in by pulling the curtain aside, making sure the part of the bed where Emmet was sleeping stayed covered. That¡¯s when I noticed all the food wrappers scattered on the ground.


    My eyes went back to Norman, and he looked restless. He was holding so many bags of food and drinks.


    He followed my gaze to his hands and cleared his throat, probably to exin why he was on an eating spree.


    "Are you okay?" I asked before he could exin, and the sudden change in his facial expression was surprising.


    He seemed caught off guard that I had asked him that.


    "Huh?" he said, probably wanting me to repeat myself.


    "You couldn¡¯t sleep all night, and now you seem restless. Is everything okay? Is it because of the cold floor?" I got up, speaking to him in a softer tone this time.


    "Yeah, cold floor!" He quickly looked away and sat down on the sheet, putting the food in front of him.


    I felt like he couldn¡¯t eat properly now that I was standing in front of him.


    "You cane eat some. I didn¡¯t bring this just for myself. I thought maybe you two would be awake," he said, clearly lying as he avoided eye contact.


    "How is he?" Since watching him look so uneasy made me feel bad, I decided to act like I hadn¡¯t noticed his anxiety.


    "Oh, he¡¯s fine," Norman replied. His fingers kept fidgeting, like he wanted to grab the food and dive into it but was holding himself back because of me.


    "I¡¯ll go freshen up," I said quickly, rushing into the bathroom to give him some privacy.


    After I showered and came out, I realized he had cleaned up the room and left some food on the table. It was probably for me, since I was the only one awake. But where was Norman?


    I walked over to the bed to check on Emmet, and he seemed to be sleeping peacefully.


    However, his slightly pouty lips and calm face made me stop and stare at him for a few minutes without even blinking.


    He looked adorable.


    There was something very soothing about Emmet. Or maybe I was just drawn to him because of the mate bond I felt with him.


    I had to snap myself out of whatever daydream I¡¯d gotten lost in. I wanted to go look for Norman¡ªI didn¡¯t want another brother to disappear and thene back all bloody. And Norman, of all people... it would be hard to patch him up. Last time I tried to help him, he looked so disappointed in me.


    Luckily, I found him outside. He was pacing back and forth with something white in his hand. It was cold outside, and I could see his breath turning into mist. I carefully closed the door behind me and leaned against it, crossing my arms over my chest.


    "So you smoke, huh?" Imented, sessfully getting his attention. He turned toward me and held up what he was holding¡ªit was a lollipop. Then he opened his mouth and let out the fog, showing it was just from the cold.


    "So you smoke, huh? Go mind your own business, blondie," he mimicked my tone for the first half of the sentence, catching me off guard after proving he wasn¡¯t actually smoking.


    "Why are you so hostile?" I asked, watching him hold the lollipop in his mouth as he kept pacing from one end of the ground to the other.


    "I¡¯m just like that. Don¡¯t talk to me if I¡¯m too much for you," he replied coldly.


    I¡¯d had enough of his attitude. I turned around to go back inside but was suddenly hit by a strong scent of rosewood as my nose bumped into Emmet¡¯s chest.


    I quickly stepped back and looked up at his face.


    "Emmet!" I blurted out.


    "Hey, morning!" His voice was sofortingpared to his brother¡¯s. Emmet had a small smile on his lips as he watched me.


    "Hey, how are you feeling?" Norman yelled, hurrying over. I had to step away before he squashed me under his big foot.


    He ced his hands on Emmet¡¯s shoulder to check on him.


    "I¡¯m feeling much better," Emmet answered, giving his brother a hug and patting his back before he turned his head to me.


    "I must have scared her a lot," he pouted.


    "She was fine¡ª" As Norman kept being Norman, I jumped in.


    "I was worried about you," I answered for myself.


    "Let¡¯s go inside. I¡¯ll get you some food," Norman had to interrupt, almost like he was on a mission to stop Emmet and me from talking.


    We all went inside, and the first thing I did was check my phone since it kept beeping.


    While the two brothers stood near the bed, talking about what they could eat, I read the texts from Lamar.


    He had sent quite a few.


    Lamar: Where are you? Are you okay?


    Lamar: Hnie, turn on the news.


    Lamar: Right now!


    I frowned. Of course, Lamar didn¡¯t know I hadn¡¯t gone homest night.


    So, I checked my phone for the news.


    "What do you want for breakfast, Hnie?" Emmet asked me while I kept my eyes on my phone¡¯s screen.


    "Brain!" I heard Norman mutter under his breath, but by then, I was too shocked by the news to respond to them.


    The headline alone was a shocker.


    "Two dead bodies found near the mountains, one injured and taken to the hospital. Before passing out, he imed to have encountered a monster in the woods who attacked the three hikers."

 Chapter 265-Planning To Catch The Lycan

    <h4>Chapter 265: 265-nning To Catch The Lycan</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Why aren¡¯t you eating anything, Hnie?" Emmet noticed that I had been ying with the fork and knife for thest ten minutes we had sat in a caf¨¦ to have breakfast. We had left the motel ande to a caf¨¦ for a meal before we parted ways for home.


    But the news of the monster killing and injuring an individual stuck with me.


    "Did you guys hear about the news?" I couldn¡¯t hold it in and finally decided to ask them. It could be a coincidence, but it was a very hard one for me to swallow.


    The monster killed people, and then I found Emmet injured with a bike mark. But ever since he woke up, he had said nothing. He didn¡¯t even mention what happenedst night. I didn¡¯t ask either because I felt like if I did, Norman would say something to ruin the atmosphere or maybe make Emmet feel ufortable with my questioning about his whereabouts.


    But now I wanted to know if Emmet knew anything. Could it be that Emmet came across the same monster? But the monster was in the roguemunity. Why would Emmet go all the way to the mountains to transition?


    "What news?" Norman was quick to raise his head from his pancake te to question.


    "The news of the killings? Two dead bodies and one injured were found near the mountains. It is being said that the injured one confessed toing across what seemed to him like a monster," I finished, watching as the brothers steadily turned to each other and exchanged quick nces.


    "So? That happens all the time in the roguemunity; it¡¯s why it¡¯s called a roguemunity," Emmet remained silent, and Norman answered.


    "But why aren¡¯t you looking into it? It¡¯s a monster that did it¡ª" I was shut down by Norman¡¯s harsh re.


    "The entire rogue n is not our problem," Norman hissed back, "You should finish your food. We¡¯ll be leaving soon." The harshness in his voice grew, so I shifted my attention to Emmet.


    "Did the same monster attack you, Emmet?" I wanted to be careful with my words. But my curiosity grew as time passed. It was not nothing. He went missing, showed up all messed up andcking blood, as if he had bled a lot, and then woke up to exin nothing.


    As I kept staring at him, I noticed him slowing down with his food and clearing his throat. "Not really. There were some wolves." He quickly took a big bite of his sandwich, probably to avoid talking.


    "Hnie, finish your food," Norman groaned.


    "I will when I want to. I am talking to Emmet right now," I grew so impatient and annoyed with Norman that I raised my voice, and the caf¨¦ turned their attention to us.


    Norman looked around and then back at me, eyeing me to be quiet.


    "You better not disrespect me¡ª" he warned, but Emmet gently ced his hand on his brother¡¯s to make him lower the finger that was pointing at me in a threatening way.


    "I went out for a run and encountered some wolves. We had a fight. Don¡¯t worry, they were in much worse shape than I was," Emmet reassured me with a nod and finally answered my question.


    "You got your answers? Now eat," Norman grunted as he wiped his hands clean with a tissue.


    His eyes were so ready to set me on fire. The sheer intensity of his gaze was scary.


    "It¡¯s okay. She was just worried," Emmet noticed the way I was so unhappy with Norman¡¯s behavior and kindly dismissed his brother, snapping his fingers in front of Norman¡¯s face to make him stop staring at me.


    I didn¡¯t speak with Norman or Emmet after that. I could barely eat anything, so we were soon in the car, headed back home. Norman had left his car to be taken home by Emmet¡¯s driver, while he was now driving Emmet¡¯s car. I sat alone in the backseat.


    I received a message from Lamar that seemed to intrigue me.


    Lamar: If you are free, can youe to the ground in front of the academy? Our fellows are holding a meeting. That includes, the top seniors and Rayden.


    My heart skipped a beat at the thought of what it might be about.


    Me: What is it for?


    Lamar: About the lycan and the dead bodies that were found in the morning. The students want to take matters into their own hands and investigate. And Hnie! I have a n. It¡¯s time to strike Rayden again.


    It was interesting, but also worrisome. How did Rayden decide to show his face in public so soon?


    Me: Got it. I¡¯ll be there in time.


    I slid to the side, leaning over the window as I cleared my throat to speak with Emmet. "Can you please ask your brother to drop me off at the academy? The students have decided to have a meetup to catch up on each other¡¯s activities and connect with the juniors."


    I didn¡¯t want to tell the brothers what the meeting was about because I didn¡¯t trust Norman. He would probably crash the meeting since he was so nosy and overly controlling when it came to the students venturing out into the mountains. I mean, I think he wasn¡¯t wrong because any students getting injured by a monster would fall under his responsibility. But I still hated his guts.


    "Sure," Emmet turned to his brother next, who had already responded.


    "Okay, I heard it," he replied irritably, then muttered under his breath, "Why does she act like if she spoke to me, I will eat her alive?"


    I didn¡¯t respond, but I¡¯m sure if he sits down and thinks over his attitude, he¡¯ll figure out exactly why.


    The rest of the car ride passed in silence, and when we arrived at the academy, they dropped me off. Lamar was standing right on the road to pick me up. I sat on his bike just to get to the ground. It would also help everyone see I¡¯m not spending that much time with my trainers.


    Right off the bat, as we were at the ground and among the crowd, Sage stood in front with the other top seniors, including Arlo, Rudy, and Sumit.


    "Now that everyone is here," Sage started but let Rudy, the handsome hunk of the academy, finish.


    "We are going to catch that lycan," he dered.

 Chapter 266-Jenny Still Loves Rayden

    <h4>Chapter 266: 266-Jenny Still Loves Rayden</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You all heard us. We want volunteers who think they can join us to catch the lycan," Rudy announced in his powerful voice. "You have half an hour to decide." With that, he stepped away to talk to the other senior leaders.


    "This is crazy," I muttered to Lamar, who had been staring off to the side the entire time. I followed his gaze and saw he was looking at Jenny, who stood next to her brother.


    "What do you think they¡¯re trying to do? They don¡¯t even have a n," I continued, but Lamar kept his eyes on Jenny, whose gaze was searching through the crowd. Her search ended when her eyesnded on us.


    She smiled faintly and started walking toward us. Her brother noticed and began following her.


    "I think they will get someone in trouble with the lycan," Lamar responded with his eyes showing shine for Jenny.


    "Hi," Jenny greeted us, giving me a hug before turning to Lamar with a small nod.


    "How are you?" I asked. "Look, about what happened the other day¡ªI hope you¡¯ve found some peace."


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I expected, maybe for her to tell us she had rejected Rayden. Isn¡¯t that what she had wanted all along?


    "I have. He cheated, I cheated¡ªit¡¯s even now," she said. But the way she said it made me raise an eyebrow. I was sure Lamar noticed too because he shifted his weight onto one foot.


    "Have you guys seen Gavin?" Penn suddenly asked. We all turned, scanning the crowd with our eyes. Sure enough, just as Penn had mentioned, Gavin wasn¡¯t there.


    Even Sydney and Salem were standing in the corner. That was when I realized Salem had been watching us the entire time.


    "Where could he be?" Jenny asked.


    "Maybe he¡¯s too embarrassed to show up and thinks taking a one-month break will fix his reputation," Lamar scoffed, shaking his head at the events that had unfolded before Lucy¡¯s fall.


    Since Lamar brought up Gavin¡¯s actions, Jenny looked ufortable too. Deep down, all of us knew she had yed a big role in upsetting and manipting Lucy as well.


    "So, is anyone going to stand with the top seniors to catch the lycan?" Penn asked. He wasn¡¯t usually this talkative, but he seemed determined to spark a conversation now.


    "We¡¯re still thinking," Lamar replied, clearly showing how uneasy he felt.


    "Hnie," Penn finally revealed his true intentions by calling my name.


    "Can we talk?" he asked. I wasn¡¯t sure what it would be about, but ever since his parents had shown their toxicity and hatred toward me, I knew our friendship had be fragile andplicated.


    Even so, I decided to step aside to talk to him, partly because it gave Lamar and Jenny a chance to have their conversation. They had been silentlymunicating through their eyes, and I figured I should give them some space.


    "Sure!" I agreed. As I walked away with Penn, I saw Jenny and Lamar stepping closer to each other.


    "Um, I don¡¯t even know where to start," Penn began as we moved to a quieter spot. "I¡¯ll just be straightforward," he added, looking me in the eye. "My family sucks," he blurted out, his lips pressing into a frown.


    "Of all the mean things you could¡¯ve said about me, I didn¡¯t expect this," I replied dryly. "But you¡¯re right¡ªyou suck too," I added with a shrug, though I was surprised when he chuckled softly.


    "You¡¯re cute when you¡¯re mad," he said with a small smile. "But seriously, I¡¯m really sorry for how my parents acted. I never thought my mother would end up being like Sydney and Salem."


    Hearing that from an alpha was surprising. Alphas usually have a lot of love and pride for their families. But Penn seemed to see through their toxic behavior.


    It reminded me of Penn himself. His stories about wearing the blue jacket and partying with Rayden had seemed suspicious to me.


    "They treated me horribly just because I spoke up against Rayden¡¯s bullying," I told him, ncing to the side to look at Rayden, who was now standing with Sydney. The two of them together didn¡¯t seem like a goodbination at all.


    I wondered what they might be talking about.


    "Rayden¡ªI never thought he¡¯d do those things," Penn said. "For once, I even asked my sister to reject him. She had the perfect chance, but then again, she wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. It was her choice, and she cheated on him too. They wanted to settle things by being equal."


    As he mentioned Jenny¡¯sment about being "equal," it clicked for me¡ªJenny hadn¡¯t rejected Rayden yet.


    "She didn¡¯t ask for a rejection?" I asked in shock.


    "No," Penn revealed. "She didn¡¯t tell you? She told me she forgives him and wants to fix their rtionship."


    It felt like a punch to the gut.


    "Which isn¡¯t why I¡¯m here," Penn said with a small smile, clearly trying to shift the focus of the conversation. But I was so angry at Jenny that I couldn¡¯t hold it in.


    "Then why are you here? To manipte me so your parents cane and yell at me again, telling me not to be friends with you?" My anger boiled over, and I found myself hissing at him.


    "Hnie! I¡¯m here to tell you that Rayden won¡¯t bully you again. You have my word," he said firmly. "If he does, I¡¯ll be the first to stand against him. And as for my parents¡ªthey¡¯ll keep their distance from you too."


    Penn leaned closer and spoke softly, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to trust him. His whole family was just so messed up.


    My eyes wandered over to Jenny and Lamar. Of course, Lamar had already figured out that Jenny had truly forgiven Rayden, judging by the way he was ring at her. Jenny kept her eyes fixed on the ground while speaking to him, clearly ufortable.


    "I¡¯m going to sign up to catch that lycan with the top seniors," I said, my voice steady as I made my decision.

 Chapter 267-Rayden’s Apology

    <h4>Chapter 267: 267-Rayden¡¯s Apology</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Hnie, no! You don¡¯t even have a wolf," Penn said, stepping in my way as I tried to walk past him toward Rudy, who was sitting on the bench with the others.


    "I don¡¯t need you to tell me the obvious. I can take care of myself¡ªand that lycan," I hissed at Penn, taking out my anger on him, even though he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong to deserve it.


    Still, he wouldn¡¯t let me pass. However, my attention was quickly drawn to Jenny walking away from Lamar. She headed straight toward Rayden, who was now approaching Penn and me.


    "Hey," Rayden greeted us, a strained smile on his face. Lamar joined us quickly. "Hnie, I¡¯m really sorry for all the bullying and how things turned out," Rayden continued. He then casually wrapped an arm around Jenny¡¯s shoulders, and she meekly leaned into his chest.


    So after sleeping with Gavin and ruining his rtionship, then sleeping with Lamar and wrecking his reputation for being with an alpha¡¯s mate, she was now back with Rayden? Her abusive boyfriend and mate?


    "How about you just stay away from Hnie?" Lamar, clearly furious, stepped up and gestured for Rayden to back off.


    "I¡¯m not going to hurt her with my words," Rayden said, cing a hand on his chest theatrically and then gently running his fingers through Jenny¡¯s hair. It was obvious that, even though he¡¯d lost before, he thought he¡¯d won the ultimate prize by getting his mate back.


    "And I¡¯m not here to cause trouble either," Rayden continued. "I was going through a rough time. Seeing Jenny with you two and then finding out she¡¯d slept with Lamar left a bitter taste in my mouth about Hnie. I just assumed she must have convinced Jenny that I was a bad mate¡ªlike girl friends sometimes do, giving unnecessary advice. I¡¯m not saying Hnie was wrong, but I lost control."


    He paused, and Jenny lifted her head from his chest to look up at his face.


    "But today, I¡¯m making this promise to my beautiful mate that I¡¯ll change my ways," Rayden whispered, lowering his head to kiss Jenny on the lips. It was such an ufortable sight.


    Lamar even had to look away, closing his eyes. It wasn¡¯t fair. Jenny shouldn¡¯t have yed Lamar like that.


    "Anyway, that¡¯s all I wanted to say," Rayden added. I kept my eyes on him, then nced at Lamar, silently signaling him not to respond.


    "If that¡¯s what you¡¯remitting to, I¡¯ll appreciate it. I just want to finish this academy in peace," I said calmly, my tone much more rxed than I felt inside.


    "I will. In fact, I heard you don¡¯t have a wolf, so I¡¯ll give you as many tips as I can to help with that condition," Rayden offered.


    The mention of possibly awakening my wolf caught my attention, making my ears perk up.


    "Really?" I asked, quickly toning down my smile when I noticed Lamar narrowing his eyes at me.


    "Yeah, I promise," Rayden said, closing his eyes to sh a charming smile. "I¡¯m trying to be a better man now."


    He finished, and Jenny looked absolutely delighted to be in his presence.


    "What were you guys talking about before we got here?" Jenny asked, breaking the awkward silence that had settled after Rayden¡¯s apology. Lamar still looked upset, and nobody else was speaking.


    "I wanted to sign up to catch the lycan," I mumbled in response, not wanting to call Jenny out in front of everyone for going back to Rayden.


    "Wait, but¡ª" Jenny started, then stopped, probably realizing she didn¡¯t want to upset me by questioning my decision.


    "I was saying the same thing to her¡ªthat she shouldn¡¯t," Penn added, clearly still trying to make his point. Lamar lingered nearby, quiet but visibly ufortable.


    "But I want to do it. It¡¯ll help me find my strength," I said, keeping my tone calm but resolute.


    "I think Hnie is right," Rayden suddenly chimed in, surprising everyone. Even I was taken aback¡ªwas he serious about his apology?


    "Rayden, it¡¯s not safe for her, okay?" Lamar finally spoke, his frustration evident. I turned to him, giving him a look that clearly said I didn¡¯t want him interfering again. I had made up my mind.


    "What? I¡¯m saying this for your sake¡ªwhat¡¯s wrong with you?" Lamar muttered under his breath, though it was loud enough for everyone to hear.


    "It¡¯ll be safer for her. I¡¯ll sign up too," Rayden dered, catching us all off guard. "If anything happens, I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯s safe, okay?"


    "You¡¯d do that for me?" I asked, shocked. But out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jenny¡¯s expression shift.


    "Yes, just for Jenny¡¯s sake," Rayden rified, ncing at her. "You¡¯re her friend, and I want to do the right thing so that one day she can say, ¡¯Hey, my mate is a good guy.¡¯" He joked, clearly trying to reassure Jenny that his actions weren¡¯t about me.


    "See? He¡¯s not that bad," Jenny joked, making me snort a smallugh.


    "I¡¯ll sign up too, then," Penn and Lamar both said at the same time.


    It was gettingte, and people were either leaving or heading over to the top seniors to sign up. Since I¡¯d made it clear I wasn¡¯t going to back down, no one argued with me anymore. Besides, with all the guys vowing to protect me, I figured I¡¯d be fine.


    "Hey," Penn took the lead, addressing the top seniors. "We¡¯d like to sign up."


    As he spoke, I noticed Sage ncing at me briefly before looking back down at the page in her hands to write our names.


    "So, it¡¯s you guys, those two sisters, and the top seniors. Everyone else is a bunch of cowards," Sage said, rolling her eyes as she read off the names.


    I wasn¡¯t sure about Arlo, though. He¡¯d been ring at me the whole time, probably still angry that I got his friend Riri expelled. But that was her fault.


    Now I had to deal with Lamar, who seemed like he¡¯d been waiting for a chance to talk to me alone.

 Chapter 268-My Seductress Cousin

    <h4>Chapter 268: 268-My Seductress Cousin</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I can¡¯t believe you did that. Don¡¯t you know Rayden would rather kill you in the deep mountains than help you?" Lamar hissed, just as I had expected.


    "You think it will be that easy for him to kill me? Lamar, I will be fine. Besides, you and Penn will be there, and so will Sage," I said, but it seemed to upset Lamar even more.


    "Since when did you start trusting Penn? Don¡¯t you remember the ims he made about wearing the jacket¡ª" he could go on and on, so I had to interrupt.


    "Lamar, if we started using everyone, we¡¯d go nuts. As for Rayden, he already got his punishment. And yes, we¡¯ll punish him more, but right now, I want to strengthen my powers and wake up my wolf," I argued, feeling bad because I was worried somebody might hear us.


    "Huh? And Rayden will help you with it?" Lamar almost yelled before calming himself down. Then he added, "Ugh! You know, Jenny didn¡¯t reject Rayden? I¡¯m so confused why she didn¡¯t. Our whole purpose for that humiliation was to hit him with a rejection so his pain would double," heined, but I had already made it clear to Jenny that I wasn¡¯t going to question her choices.


    "I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s a mate thing. Put yourself in her shoes. She cheated too, so¡ª" I shut up when Lamar narrowed his eyes at me.


    "Hnie, you¡¯re speaking like a different person right now. I can¡¯t believe it was so easy for them to soften you," he sounded so disappointed in me, and that hurt.


    I didn¡¯t want our friendship to be ruined, but he needed to understand and trust me. "Lamar, I¡¯m not softening toward them. I just believe it would be much better if Rayden just left me alone. I don¡¯t want so many peopleing after me," I almost whispered, avoiding making eye contact with Lamar since he kept ring at me like I¡¯d said something outrageous.


    "Hnie¡ª" I finally took a deep breath and responded with a serious look.


    "They don¡¯te after you, Lamar. They¡¯re always after me. They try to take me down. And if I don¡¯t get them off my back, they¡¯ll go digging through the packs for my records. Then what? They¡¯ll find the truth, and I¡¯ll be in trouble. So please, don¡¯t push me into this crazy drama every day." I instantly regretted saying that to him because he looked so hurt.


    "Okay, got it. I won¡¯t push you into anything, but don¡¯t expect me to walk away from this mess you¡¯ve started. I¡¯ll still be on your side and make sure you don¡¯t mess up," he pointed his finger at my face and muttered through clenched teeth, "Now go say goodbye to your friends ande to where I parked my bike. I¡¯ll drop you home." He was so aggressive in his bodynguage. I wondered if he¡¯d even get back home safely.


    He walked away like he said he would, and I stayed in my spot, staring into space. That¡¯s when I pulled out my phone to send him a text.


    "Hey," Salem¡¯s voice startled me as she approached. I turned and gave her a disdainful look.


    "I¡¯ve been meaning to have a word with you," she said, sounding much more polite than usual, but I didn¡¯t have time for her.


    "Save whatever lie you¡¯re here to tell. I don¡¯t have the energy for it," I dismissed her with a wave of my hand and walked off after Lamar.


    I didn¡¯t go back to Penn and the others. I¡¯d meet them soon enough when we were on the hunt for the lycan.


    Once I sat behind Lamar, I noticed him put his phone in his pocket. He seemed more rxed now that some time had passed.


    He dropped me off at home and rode away. As I walked up to the porch, I raised my head, not really thinking about anything, and caught sight of something in the window by the front door. I had to squint to make sure I wasn¡¯t imagining it.


    It was my mother.


    She was watching me. The moment she noticed I had caught her, she quickly stepped back. I rushed to the door and got inside, but she was nowhere in sight. Was she checking on me to catch me making mistakes?


    "You seem weak now. Please, have some cookies," a voice called out, raspy and familiar. I knew it was Charlotte. She always spoke that way when she was trying to be extra persuasive.


    But who was she trying to convince to eat cookies? Out of curiosity, I crept toward the kitchen and peeked inside.


    There she was, standing in a blue gown, talking to none other than Maximus.


    "I¡¯m not really in the mood for anything sweet," Maximus said, leaning back from the cookie te she was holding so close to his face, it looked like she might smash it into him if he didn¡¯t take one.


    "Then I¡¯ll cook you something else. Tell me what you¡¯d like to eat," she insisted, putting the cookies down and stepping in his way as he tried to leave the kitchen.


    "I¡¯ll cook something for myself," he replied, his voice sounding tired and low. I wished she¡¯d take the hint, but Charlotte was known for making dumb decisions.


    "No! I¡¯ll cook for you. I¡¯ve been learning recipes online, but I have no one to try them on. Please, let me cook for you," she pleaded. She was probably lying. There was no way she only wanted to cook for him because she needed someone to test her dishes. She had her mom, my mom, and even Lord McQuoid. She could feed anyone her food. But no, she chose Maximus.


    Which reminded me of what Maximus had told me about her hitting on him and trying to sleep with him.


    "Charlotte, I don¡¯t really want to die. If you want a guinea pig¡ª" Maximus joked in a deadpan tone, but she startedughing and lightly pping his chest, pretending to be yful.


    "Oh my, you¡¯re so naughty," she giggled. Then, to my shock, she leaned forward and tried to reach for his lips.

 Chapter 269-His Flirting Isn’t Subtle

    <h4>Chapter 269: 269-His Flirting Isn¡¯t Subtle</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    My eyes widened, and a yelp escaped my lips, which I quickly covered to avoid making a sound. However, before her lips could crash against his, Maximus realized what she was up to. Swiftly, he ced his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back.


    "Charlotte, have you lost your mind?" he sounded irritated, but she just startedughing loudly, pointing a finger at him.


    "Oh my Goddess, look at you. It¡¯s so easy to tease you. Of course, I wasn¡¯t going to do anything. If I wanted to, I would have done it. Come on, now let me cook for you," she said. I was stunned to see how quickly she recovered from his rejection. It didn¡¯t even seem to faze her.


    She acted nonchnt, even more confident now.


    "Say it. What are you craving right now?" she demanded, stepping back into his path and leaning over him again. He was pressed against the counter, leaning back and away from her.


    "Tell me, what do you want to eat?" she practically yelled into his ear, making him close one eye and pull his head further away from her. As he did, he caught sight of me standing in the doorway with my arms folded across my chest.


    I wasn¡¯t jealous.


    I was just intrigued by what was happening right under everyone¡¯s noses. Did my mother know about Charlotte¡¯s obsession with Maximus? Did her mother know--or worse, support her daughter¡¯s actions?


    "What are you craving?" Charlotte asked again. That¡¯s when I noticed Maximus¡¯s mood shift.


    In a very low voice, he said, "Hnie!"


    My posture stiffened.


    I straightened my back as I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up.


    "Huh?" Charlotte stepped back, as confused as I was.


    "I¡¯m saying, how about Hnie cooks something for me today? She lives here too, but she never offers to help with anything," he said smoothly, recovering quickly.


    Charlotte turned fully around, following his gaze, and locked eyes with me.


    Her smile vanished instantly. The look of bitterness on her face was unmistakable as she narrowed her eyes at me.


    "She doesn¡¯t even know how to cook," she snapped, answering for me.


    "Is it true, Hnie? You don¡¯t know how to cook?" The Maximus who looked so tired and exhausted just moments ago was suddenly smirking, clearly taking an interest in the topic.


    Charlotte was giving me a look, silently warning me to go along with what she¡¯d said.


    "Actually, I¡¯m a great cook. I can bake better than anything you¡¯ve ever tried in a high-end bakery," I shrugged, purposely trying to annoy Charlotte.


    She had been getting on my nerves every time she tried to control some part of my life. If she thought her res would silence me, she was wrong.


    "See?" Maximus¡¯s smile widened. "She knows how to do everything perfectly."


    His eyes remained on me, even as he spoke to Charlotte, who was clearly displeased by his tone.


    "Tell me, what do you want me to cook for you?" I asked Maximus as I strolled inside and stood by the counter.


    "Hmm, should I start writing down the list?" he murmured sweetly, acting as if Charlotte didn¡¯t even exist.


    "Okay, you can write down the list. We¡¯ll cook together," Charlotte chimed in, eager to include herself somehow.


    "You want me to cook a whole meal?" I asked Maximus, who once again ignored Charlotte and kept his gaze fixed on me.


    "It doesn¡¯t sound like a bad idea. You could cook dinner tonight for all of us," he suggested.


    "That¡¯s a great idea. I¡¯m ready," Charlotte tried to add, but both of us seemed to brush her off.


    "Tell me if it¡¯s too much and you need my help," Maximus inquired, batting his eyshes and not even pretending to be subtle.


    Charlotte stood beside us, watching like an over-attentive observer.


    "I¡¯ll go tell my mom that we¡¯re the ones cooking tonight¡¯s dinner," she suddenly announced and rushed off, almost as if her tail were on fire. I was sure she¡¯d goin about me to her mother.


    As she disappeared, I sighed. "You know she¡¯s going to get me in trouble now, don¡¯t you?"


    "I¡¯ll stay here the whole time. Let¡¯s see who dares trouble you tonight," he whispered huskily. Then, leaning closer, he quickly nted a kiss on my shoulder.


    My body jolted, and I instinctively stepped back, putting some distance between us.


    "Hey, don¡¯t be so obnoxious," I warned him, though there was a hint of shyness in my tone.


    "Why not? I can be anything with you, and you won¡¯t judge me, right? Just like you can be anything with me--or anyone," he whispered, his dramatic words making me roll my eyes.


    "Okay! Give me the list so I can start cooking," I extended my hand. Instead of writing it down on a piece of paper, Maximus did something bold once again.


    He pulled out a pen and started writing on my hand. At first, I felt ufortable, even trying to pull my hand away because I was afraid someone might walk in on us. But when he held my hand steady in his, I felt a strange warmth from his touch.


    I frowned while he happily started jotting down on my palm. I wasn¡¯t supposed to feel his touch like that. But it wasforting, and it made me wonder about what he had imed to me about being mates.


    However, I quickly shut down those thoughts when I recalled that he felt nothing but my pheromones messing with him.


    I could have told him, but I wouldn¡¯t tell anyone about my weaknesses. The same way if I had told Jenny anything, she would have shared it with Rayden since she was back with him.


    "There," he double-pressed the pen, putting a period at the end. Once he put the pen away, he leaned down and kissed my palm.


    That¡¯s when I quickly pulled my hand back shyly and warned him with my eyes. But it was all just yful banter. He stepped back so I could take a look at his demands, but that¡¯s when Charlotte brought her mother, who didn¡¯t see Maximus standing behind the door with the wall.


    "Has this girl lost her mind?" Aunt Emma arrived, talking about me to her daughter.

 Chapter 270-Maximus Served Them With Spice

    <h4>Chapter 270: 270-Maximus Served Them With Spice</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You!" she stood before me, hands on her waist, and her eyes showing how angry she was. She was so negative, always like that towards me.


    Charlotte stood behind her, pouting and looking sad because she faced rejection right before my eyes.


    "What is it? Why do you look so mad?" I asked casually, looking down at my hand again. Maximus had made some requests.


    "What am I hearing?" Emma demanded my attention, using a harsh and loud tone.


    "How would I know? I¡¯m not your ears," I replied, looking up and giving her a smile that seemed to make her even angrier.


    The funny thing was that Maximus stood right behind them, leaning his back against the wall and tapping his foot so silently that they couldn¡¯t hear him.


    "Listen, don¡¯t be smart with me. And you¡¯re not cooking in our kitchen. Get the heck out of here and go tell Maximus that you¡¯re not cooking tonight," she was very stern, using her angriest look to try to scare me off.


    Well, it would have scared off the other Hnie, who everyone intimidated. I used to get so frightened when someone raised their voice at me or looked slightly upset with me. I would get teary-eyed and wouldn¡¯t even speak up for myself.


    Times have changed. I was no longer that Hnie and certainly not scared of any harsh res.


    "Why would I say that? You go ahead and tell him that you don¡¯t want me in the kitchen," I argued back, not wanting Maximus to jump in right now. I wanted to handle this myself. I was slowly getting annoyed with myself for always waiting for someone toe to my rescue.


    "So that¡¯s your behavior now? You think you can take charge of us? You think you can defy me?" Emma yelled, hoping I would back down, but I didn¡¯t. I stood my ground and kept watching her with a smile on my lips.


    "Remember when I came here for the first time, and you made me believe I should take breakfast for Kaye? You got me in trouble, and then you stepped back when I wanted you to tell them that it was you who had pushed me into Kaye¡¯s room. Do you think I¡¯m going to repeat the same mistakes and listen to you?" I spoke in a much calmer tone. I didn¡¯t want to waste my energy on someone like her.


    The issue with these people is that they think just because they aren¡¯t going to admit to the truth, they¡¯ll get to fool me over and over again.


    They can convince others they¡¯re innocent, but they won¡¯t be fooling me anymore.


    "Then let¡¯s see how you get to use my kitchen tonight. You need to get out¡ª" she suddenly lunged at me and grabbed my arm to try to kick me out of her kitchen. But she had only turned to head toward the door when she suddenly stopped.


    "Release her!" Maximus ordered, his jaw clenching.


    "Oh, Maximus, when did youe back?" Emma let go of my hand and smiled. "I was just telling her that there¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting her work in the kitchen. She¡¯s like a daughter to me, she shouldn¡¯t be working," she was so quick to change her tone and words.


    "Hmm, I see," Maximus nodded to himself. "Was it before you were yelling at her about how this is your kitchen and she shouldn¡¯t defy you, or after?" He looked her deep in the eye, making it clear to her that he had heard everything perfectly.


    Where Emma was a confident yer, Charlotte seemed to have lost herposure when she yelped and covered her mouth with her hands.


    "I¡ª" Emma stuttered, now that she was caught lying red-handed.


    "It¡¯s a shame that a woman your age is lying like this. Is this what you¡¯re teaching your daughter as well? And who told you this is your kitchen?" Maximus started to get more aggressive with every passing second. He walked over to tower over her, making Charlotte step away and not even stand beside her mother for support.


    "It¡¯s just that she¡¯s a messy girl. She¡¯ll cry tonight and tomorrow she¡¯ll im we made her work," there was no end to Emma¡¯s lies. She was the type to keep lying until she convinced others she didn¡¯t do anything wrong.


    "I heard what you said to her, and I also heard your tone. The fact that you keep going on makes me wonder if you have any shame at all?" As he started to get bitter with her, Emma¡¯s body began to shake visibly.


    "I¡¯m sorry, I won¡¯t advise her again¡ª" once again, she made a failed attempt to sound like a woman who was just looking out for me, but Maximus was stubborn. So stubborn, unlike what I had perceived of him before.


    "No! You¡¯re going to say clearly why you came here to yell at her. Say you were trying to control her because your daughter was upset that Hnie got to cook and she felt left out," he raised his voice, even making me squeeze away from them.


    Now it was getting too much to watch. I could feel the intensity of his gaze that he kept on Emma.


    "I¡ªI¡¯m sorry. I came here feeling all angry because I didn¡¯t want Hnie in my kitchen," Emma quickly admitted, making Maximus nod and then point at me.


    "You see, this is how you deal with bullies," his voice was so hostile before he forced a smile when talking to me.


    "Now, both of you get out of the kitchen. Hnie is cooking tonight," he pointed at the door, and the first one to run outside was Charlotte. She brought her mother into the kitchen and then left her to get yelled at. Emma seemed to have had a hard time finding herposure again.


    She forced herself to straighten her spine and then took very slow and steady steps to walk out of the kitchen.

 Chapter 271-Cooking With The Devils

    <h4>Chapter 271: 271-Cooking With The Devils</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    While I cooked, Maximus stayed beside me. He helped with chopping vegetables and tried to get his hands on the pans. Most of the time, he was kind of in my way. He would excitedly jump whenever he heard what I was doing next.


    I never thought of him as being so full of life¡ªfull of himself, yes!


    That¡¯s when Kaye walked by, saw us working, and decided to step in. His arrival froze us both. He stood tall, hands on his hips. My first thought was that he might disapprove of me cooking for them or call Norman to take over the "dirty" job. I guess my opinion of Kaye was low because, deep down, I was still upset about how things went between us. We were both at fault, though.


    "What is going on?" he asked, his eyes shifting between me, my apron, and Maximus¡ªwho was also wearing an apron, though in a way that made me feel sorry for him. He¡¯d tied it around his waist, leaving the straps hanging awkwardly, even after seeing me wear mine correctly.


    "Hnie is cooking for us tonight," Maximus responded with a huge smile on his lips. Kaye looked unimpressed at his apron.


    He stepped closer and nced around, his eyesnding on an apron hanging on the wall.


    "I¡¯m going to help, too," he muttered, grabbing the apron to put it on.


    I watched him struggle for a bit, holding the straps in the air, his arms stretched wide, his eyes darting around as he tried to figure it out.


    "Put these behind," I gestured, but Kaye still seemed clueless.


    "There are simpler ones in the shop. Why do you guys pick the mostplicated ones?" Kaye grumbled, trying to get it right.


    "It¡¯s not rocket science, Kaye. Just do it the way I did," Maximus shrugged, giving his brother a look forining about something so trivial. I nced at Maximus and stifled augh.


    "You¡¯re not wearing it correctly either, Maximus," I pointed out, cracking eggs into a bowl.


    "Huh?" Maximus sounded genuinely shocked, as if he hadn¡¯t realized it. "But we can wear it like this too. You don¡¯t know anything¡ªI do. Kaye, wear it like I did," he urged, passing his "expert" advice to his brother.


    Kaye quickly handed the apron to Maximus, who imed to know better. The two clowns stood to the side, arguing and "helping" each other, before eventuallying back to ruin my progress.


    "What is this white stuff?" Kaye asked, extending his hand over my head. I didn¡¯t see it until I lifted my head and identally hit his arm.


    The bowl he was holding slipped from his hands, and the flour spilled all over the floor.


    "Ugh!" I turned to him, scolding, "Can¡¯t you stand on that side like him?" I yelled, pointing at Maximus, who was quietly engrossed in cutting fruits into smaller, simr sizes. That task had worked because he was focused and silent.


    "I¡¯m sorry, but give me something to do," Kaye muttered, avoiding my eyes.


    "You¡¯ve got to clean the floor now," I pointed to the mess on the floor. Without any argument, he agreed.


    The kitchen¡¯s dynamic had shifted, and even the mood felt different now. I was enjoying cooking again. It reminded me of my childhood, though thankfully, the sadness didn¡¯t linger long because Kaye was now on a mission to clean everything.


    "Stop it! I¡¯m still using that," I heard Maximusin. I briefly turned to check on them. Kaye, holding a paper towel, was cleaning every little thing Maximus dropped.


    "Ugh! Get him off my table," Maximus cried out for help.


    "No way!" I stood straight again, refusing to redirect Kaye¡¯s attention. I didn¡¯t want him back at my station, so it was good that Maximus had his full focus.


    They bickered the entire time. Later, I assigned them both the task of cutting vegetables¡ªanything to keep them busy.


    I swear, they made me realize how hard it must be to cook with two kids. Especially ones as hyperactive as them.


    We cooked for some time, and finally, the food was ready. The two, who had done the least amount of work, looked the messiest. Kaye had flour in his hair and even on his face. Maximus wasn¡¯t any better. Because of them, I ended up with some flour in my hair too.


    I had to shower and get ready while the maids served the food.


    Wearing a pink dress¡ªanother one of Lamar¡¯s picks¡ªI walked out with my hair still wet. I had only towel-dried it before joining everyone for dinner because the maid had informed me that they were waiting for me.


    Everyone was already seated at the table when I arrived. Lord McQuoid gestured for everyone to begin eating.


    Maximus and Kaye had also changed into clean shirts. Norman, who was holding a file, set it aside once the food was served and turned his attention to his te.


    I watched as everyone started filling their tes.


    Charlotte and Emma hadn¡¯t joined us. I heard they made up an excuse about not feeling well. Lord McQuoid and my mother had just returned from a party, so they were probably unaware of what had happened.


    My mother gave me a quick nce, her mood souring the moment she saw me. Sometimes, it felt like she tried her best to forget I existed. So whenever I happened to catch her attention, she looked shocked at first, then exhausted.


    "How was your day, Hnie?" Lord McQuoid asked, tilting his head slightly toward my mother. I could feel the tension between them whenever he spoke to me.


    "It was great, thank you for asking," I replied, grateful that he always made an effort to include me in the conversations and even asked about my day.


    My eyes wandered to Emmet next, who was excitedly examining the food.


    Emmet was the first to fill his te. My heart started to race as I wondered if I still had what it took to impress him¡ªand everyone else¡ªwith my cooking.

 Chapter 272-The Other Side Of My Stepfather

    <h4>Chapter 272: 272-The Other Side Of My Stepfather</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I had cooked so much food, and probably that¡¯s why everyone was wondering what the asion might be. Butter chicken, lemon chicken pata, braised short ribs, and more dishes, along with sds, pavlova, and a creamy fruit bowl for dessert.


    Emmet tasted the filet mignon first, and the way he closed his eyes to savor the vor felt like a small victory to me.


    Then he took a bite of the aglio olio pasta, and once again, he closed his eyes and let out a louder-than-expected moan.


    "Mmmmmm!"


    Everyone turned their heads toward him.


    "This is so good," he said with his mouth full.


    Mr. McQuoid quickly grabbed some food and started nodding his head nonstop. My mother noticed their reactions and picked up a fork. Her response was even more surprising. She looked shocked.


    "Seems like the chef has finally learned how to cook," my mothermented, unable to hold back her praise.


    Maximus pointed to his lips, signaling me to stay quiet and not reveal the truth just yet.


    Maximus and Kaye obviously enjoyed the food since they were there when I was cooking. Slowly, their eyes turned toward Norman, who wasn¡¯t paying much attention to what he was eating.


    He had a file open right next to his te, and he was engrossed in it. His fork reached his mouth as he absentmindedly took a bite. It was almost as if he froze for a moment. He stared at the fork and then at the food on his te.


    He started chewing more carefully now. He took another bite, and his eyes slowly closed.


    "Ummm," he murmured, frowning slightly.


    He reached for the aglio olio next, then tried the other dishes. Soon, he filled his te with a little bit of everything.


    "Mrs. White cooked this food?" Norman asked, looking up at Maximus.


    "Yeah," Maximus lied.


    Mrs. White was an elderly maid who had been with the family for years. She was mostly assigned to work in the kitchen alongside the other chefs. She was probably in her mid-seventies and had a deep love for cooking.


    "Okay, someone should tell her this is amazing, so much so that I might end up eating her fingers too," Norman said. For someone terrible at givingpliments, he definitely meant it as praise.


    "That would be odd," Kaye remarked. "By the way, Mrs. White didn¡¯t cook."


    Norman looked up, waiting for his brother to exin. "Hnie did," Maximus revealed, and Norman¡¯s expression changed instantly.


    "Ahem!" Norman coughed, grabbing his ss of water. "Why did she cook?" he asked, directing the question to no one in particr.


    "Because I asked her to," Maximus replied casually, enjoying his meal.


    "Oh! Well, it¡¯s... umm... delicious," Norman said, not even ncing in my direction as heplimented the food. I couldn¡¯t help but think he saw me as an enemy, like a child would after an argument. He was so awkwardly weird. At least he was eating now.


    "How is it, Urs?" Lord McQuoid suddenly asked my mother.


    I had guessed my mother might have told Lord McQuoid that she didn¡¯t want to talk to me, which is probably why no one reacted to her ignoring me earlier. But this time, Lord McQuoid pulled her right into the conversation.


    She ufortably swallowed her food and gave a small nod. "It¡¯s good," she said quietly. Her voice was low, and her eyes stayed fixed on her te. "I didn¡¯t know she¡ªhmm," she started but stopped herself, focusing on her food. She still refused to look up.


    "Hnie, you keep impressing me with your skills. When you first came here, you seemed clueless. But watching you grow makes me proud of you," Lord McQuoid said.


    Those were the words my mother should have said, but instead, she just kept eating.


    "Thank you so much. Your sons helped a lot too," I replied, which made Emmet and Norman look up. I didn¡¯t want to put Maximus or Kaye in a tough spot, but I was just acknowledging the chaos they created while helping me in the kitchen.


    "They¡¯re not just my sons; they¡¯re your stepbrothers too. You¡¯re part of our family now," Lord McQuoid added warmly. Though he meant it kindly, somehow, that simple statement made us all feel a bit awkward.


    "Yeah, we did. I was so cool, Dad," Maximus joked, using a yful tone.


    "I was the one doing most of the work, though," Kayeined.


    "Really? These two?" Lord McQuoid teased, making everyoneugh. Emmet cracked a small smile, but Norman just kept chewing like a bull, ring at me.


    I looked at him and then quickly looked away, feeling just as awkward as he seemed.


    "You should tell Kesha this to impress him," Lord McQuoid said. The moment he mentioned her name, I noticed Kaye nce at me, almost panicking.


    "Umm, no! I was thinking about... umm... taking a break from that topic," Kaye stammered, and his response left everyone staring at him. His father looked personally offended.


    "What do you mean by that, Kaye? You¡¯re not suggesting something foolish, are you? You¡¯ve craved attention your whole life, and now that you¡¯re finally getting it, you want to throw it all away?"


    I hadn¡¯t expected Lord McQuoid to react so harshly. His sweet and understanding demeanor shifted the moment Kaye shared his thoughts.


    I was surprised and confused by Kaye¡¯s response too. Why? Did he not want to choose Kesha anymore? Had he used her like he once imed he would?


    If Kaye thought he could try with me again, he was wrong. I knew he was my mate, but I had vowed never to ept him until I had my revenge.


    "Dad, you didn¡¯t even let him finish," Norman said firmly, putting his fork down with a deliberate tter to divert their father¡¯s sharp re away from Kaye. Kaye looked deeply ufortable now.


    "Did you not hear what he was saying?" Lord McQuoid asked, his tone filled with disappointment.


    His behavior left me stunned. A few minutes ago, I had wished my mother would be more like him. Now, I realized it was better not to have someone who controlled your life to the point of airing your insecurities in front of everyone.


    Kaye¡¯s confidence seemed to sink entirely. I hadn¡¯t known that his father¡¯s attention only came after he chose Kesha. That reflected poorly on Lord McQuoid.


    "He¡¯s an adult. He can make decisions for himself. I¡¯d suggest you watch your tone next time," Norman said, casually scolding his father. I was taken aback by his boldness. Lord McQuoid clenched his fists, his anger evident, but my mother gently ced her hand over his to calm him down.


    "I was just joking," Kaye said softly, almost inaudibly.

 Chapter 273-Into The Woods

    <h4>Chapter 273: 273-Into The Woods</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    It was awkward finishing dinner after that. We all ate silently, and sadly, Kaye could barely swallow his food. I did notice something, though. Norman would never let anyone hurt or speak badly to his brothers whenever he was around. Maybe he wasn¡¯t entirely wrong when he imed he loved his brothers.


    I left for my room as soon as dinner was over. In fact, I was the first to leave because I didn¡¯t want another awkward situation to arise. Once in my room, I sat on my bed with my phone in hand.


    I had been texting Lamar nonstop and wondered if he had spoken with Jenny after their meeting today.


    Lamar: They¡¯ve made a n. They want us to join them tomorrow night to put it into action.


    I frowned because I had no idea how I would leave the mansion for an entire night. The brothers would never allow it, and it wasn¡¯t like I could sneak out with so many warriors stationed around the mansion.


    Me: How am I supposed to leave?


    Lamar: Talk to Lord McQuoid. Tell him you¡¯re going to stay at a hotel or Jenny¡¯s cabin. Say it¡¯s a friend¡¯s gathering.


    He was right. That idea might actually work because teens always had those kinds of gatherings.


    I guessed the senior members had done their research because they seemed pretty confident they could capture this monster.


    But was I ready to face that Lycan again? What about the fact that he was my mate? Why would the Moon Goddess pair me with a monster who was killing innocent people?


    I went to bed early that night so I could wake up and get to work. It was the weekend, and starting Monday, I nned to join Maximus for his job.


    It was the same as every other night this past week. There were too many howls and wolves around the mansion. I bet it was because of the Lycan, because after 2 a.m., everything would gopletely silent.


    I woke up early as nned and put on the same pink dress. I left my hair down and only applied some lip gloss. I¡¯d love to have a whole collection of skincare and makeup in the future. I enjoyed watching those beauty videos.


    Screw anyone who frowned upon makeup or judged girls for wearing too much of it. Life is so much better when you love yourself and try new things.


    I never judged any girl for wearing makeup or choosing certain types of clothes.


    "Good morning." I had barely stepped into Lord McQuoid¡¯s office on the third floor when regret washed over me. He wasn¡¯t alone. Someone else was in the office, his broad back facing the door.


    I already knew who it was from the size of his shoulders.


    It was Norman.


    "Oh, Hnie, what brings you to my office so early in the morning?" Lord McQuoid¡¯s face lit up when he saw me. I didn¡¯t want to step inside anymore, but I had to since I was already here.


    Norman tilted his head slightly, but I couldn¡¯t gauge much of his reaction because his face was turned away.


    "I wanted your permission for something," I spoke softly, walking until I was standing behind Norman¡¯s chair. I noticed him holding a pen, twirling it around his fingers.


    "Sure, what is it?" Lord McQuoid asked, his eyes bright and warm. But I hadn¡¯t forgotten how his attitude had shiftedst night.


    "My friends are hosting a small gathering¡ªa party or maybe more like a sleepover¡ªat Jenny¡¯s cabin tonight. I wanted to join them," I exined, swallowing hard, like I¡¯d just gulped down a rock.


    "Su¡ª" I was pleasantly surprised when Lord McQuoid didn¡¯t look upset by my request. But my hopes were immediately crushed when Norman cut him off to object.


    "No!" he said loudly and sharply. He ced his hand on the chair¡¯s armrest and turned to give me a quick re. "Don¡¯t you realize how dangerous things are these days? And you want to stay in a cabin in the woods?"


    He always seemed ready to argue with me.


    He could¡¯ve said it calmly first, and if I argued, then maybe gotten angry. But he went straight to being furious.


    "But we¡¯ll be fine. Jenny has her guards, and they¡¯ll be on watch," I argued, growing impatient. I moved my hands as I spoke, trying to emphasize my point.


    "No means no. I don¡¯t want anyone ming us if something happens to you. You¡¯re under our care now, our responsibility," Norman said harshly. Then, with a grunt and a dismissive wave of his hand, he added, "Now go. Let us work."


    "Norman!" Lord McQuoid waited until Norman finished before interrupting. "She¡¯s your little stepsister. Talk to her nicely. And as for you, Hnie, you have my permission. But make sure Jenny brings her warriors and that you all stay inside the cabin."


    I smiled, relieved, but Norman clearly wasn¡¯t giving up.


    "What happened to you, Dad? You¡¯re much nicer to her, but you lose your patience with Kaye so quickly?" I was surprised hepared the situations. So, he wanted to take his anger out on me?


    "Norman, I know you take care of everything, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re my father. I¡¯ll still make my own decisions, and you won¡¯t intervene," I said firmly.


    Lord McQuoid forced a smile at me, though I could tell he was deeply upset with Norman questioning him.


    "Hnie! Go ahead, you¡¯ve got my permission."


    I didn¡¯t want to stay and listen to them argue, so I quickly sprinted out of the office and went to my room to pack a small bag. I knew I¡¯d need some things.


    I quickly informed Lamar that I had permission, and he shoulde pick me up before Norman caused any problems.


    Lamar arrived, and before anyone else noticed or knew I was leaving for the night, I was already on the back of his bike, heading to Jenny¡¯s cabin. The woods were right next to the mountains, so we didn¡¯t take long to get there.


    We didn¡¯t speak during the ride since the weather was bad, and we didn¡¯t want to make any stops. We arrived at the cabin around 12 pm, just in time to discuss the n with the top seniors, who hadn¡¯t shown up yet. But Penn and Jenny were already on the front porch.


    "Best of luck," Lamar whispered to me, causing my heart to beat even faster. I knew he still wasn¡¯t okay with me going out in the woods to chase after the Lycan tonight.

 Chapter 274-A Trap For The Lycan

    <h4>Chapter 274: 274-A Trap For The Lycan</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    "Others will be arriving soon," Penn informed us while serving coffee. It was so cold in the cabin that Lamar and Penn had made ns to get some wood for the firece. I bet Jenny hadn¡¯t been to this cabin in a while, ever since her mate had shown up at the cabin, and I ran out in a hurry. Or, a better way to say it would be when shest had sex with Lamar. That would be awkward now.


    "We will be back shortly, okay? Hnie, do you need anything?" Penn asked, putting on his jacket.


    "Yeah, brother, go ahead, forget about me already," Jenny joked. However, no oneughed.


    "You want something?" Penn noticed the awkwardness, so he went over to support his sister, who smiled and waved her hand in response.


    "Okay, we will head out now," Penn said, as he was the one talking most of the time.


    Once those two left, the stress in the air grew thicker. We both sipped our coffee, avoiding eye contact.


    "This coffee is good," Iplimented, sipping again.


    "Penn really makes the best coffee," Jenny added with a soft smile, "by the way, I¡¯m so d things have gotten better between you and Rayden."


    She shouldn¡¯t have brought up Rayden at this moment. But since she did, I also had a question for her.


    "Yeah. Anyway, what about you and Lamar? I thought you two--" I left it unfinished on purpose.


    She immediately looked ufortable when I mentioned their rtionship. "It was a mistake."


    Her tone was calm, but the guilt in it didn¡¯t go unnoticed.


    "I didn¡¯t know you were also signing up for the lycan trap," I quickly changed the subject.


    "I¡¯ll be in the cabin, waiting for everyone. If anyone is injured, I¡¯ll help them," she said, pointing to the bag full of towels and medical supplies.


    "Oh, okay. That makes sense," I murmured.


    A knock on the door broke the awkward silence that hadsted for a few minutes. Jenny answered the door and weed the top seniors. Well, only two of them arrived: Rudy and Arlo.


    They had their bags tossed over their shoulders as they came inside and checked out the cabin.


    "Seems cozy," Rudymented, tossing his bag onto the table.


    "With a little dirt around the corner," Arlo muttered, his eyes briefly scanning me before he walked off to inspect the kitchen.


    "We have coffee," Jenny called after him, trying to make sure he didn¡¯t make a mess.


    "Hmm," Rudy stopped near the bed, but his eyes kept wandering around. Finally, though, they stopped examining the cabin andnded on me.


    I hadn¡¯t interacted one-on-one with him before, so it felt a bit strange to be under his gaze. I also knew Rudy had all the academy girls fawning over him.


    "Hnie!" Rudy said, "I¡¯ve been hearing things about you. From your friend Lucy to your ongoing mess with Rayden." He wasn¡¯t teasing, just mentioning something he had heard.


    "It¡¯s no longer ongoing. It¡¯s been dealt with," I corrected him softly.


    "Really?" He tapped his fingers on the backrest of an empty chair.


    "You¡¯re beautiful," his suddenpliment made my heart race.


    "Thank you!" I replied nervously, sure my cheeks had turned red.


    He casually pulled out his phone and held it in his hand, leaning down to rest his elbows on the backrest of the chair.


    "What¡¯s your number?" He was so charming andid-back that I didn¡¯t immediately grasp what he¡¯d asked. The next thing I knew, I was giving him my phone number.


    At that moment, Jenny and Arlo came out with Arlo holding two cups of coffee. Jenny seemed upset--looks like Arlo had made somements about the cabin that had bothered her.


    "Where are Sage and those two sisters?" Rudy asked, slipping his phone into his pocket. I¡¯d never had anyonee up to me and ask for my number.


    "They¡¯re on their way here. Rayden already met up with Penn in the woods. I guess in a few minutes, everyone will be here, and then we can talk about our n," Arlo exined, his eyes casually shifting to me before a tired look took over his face.


    And just like he had said, soon everyone started to arrive. Sydney and Salem being in the same cabin as us was really hard for me. Salem reminded me of Lucy, and it hurt to think that nothing had been done about her situation yet.


    Rayden hadn¡¯t said a word since he entered the cabin and helped Penn with the firece. Now we all sat down in a circle with a big map in the middle.


    "We need to bring the lycan to this spot," Sage tapped his finger on the red mark on the map.


    "We will all carry water mixed with wolfbane and rose water. Remember, rumors say that the lycan can only be vulnerable when these three things are mixed together," Arlo pointed to the bag they had unloaded from the car earlier.


    "We will first make him vulnerable and then attack him. We don¡¯t n to kill him, just capture him in a silver cage to present him to the council. We need to do this for ourmunity," Sage said with determination. I could tell she was really excited to catch this lycan for some reason.


    "Now for thest part. Everyone will y a role," Rudy took over. "Sage will be the bait to lure the lycan to the spot where we have our weapons and the cage. Lamar, Sydney, and Salem will hold the chains for the cage and drop it right when the lycan is under it. Penn, Arlo, and I will hold the weapons to attack him," he paused and frowned at the papers in his hand. It seemed like they let Arlo take on this role, because Rudy gave him a confused look before he told me what my role was.


    "Hnie and Rayden will be responsible for the water guns."

 Chapter 275-The Deception And My Monster Mate

    <h4>Chapter 275: 275-The Deception And My Monster Mate</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Lamar, don¡¯t worry, she¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m with her," Rayden said, noticing all the anxiety Lamar had shown ever since it was announced that I¡¯d be paired with Rayden for the task.


    We stood outside the cabin, ready to head out and take our ces. It had been a hectic day. I had this growing uneasiness that I couldn¡¯t share with anyone at the moment.


    I avoided everyone and stood silently with Lamar in the corner. Jenny had been very friendly and all smiles with Rayden the whole day. I noticed the way Lamar looked at her and then how his expression turned upset.


    "Let¡¯s trade spots," he sternly asked Rayden, who clearly hadn¡¯t expected it.


    Rayden quickly shook his head in response to Lamar¡¯s request. "We¡¯ve practiced all day and made ns. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to change the teams now."


    I knew Rayden wouldn¡¯t agree. By now, the others had started to gather around us, curious about what was happening.


    "I think it¡¯ll be fine. If she¡¯s notfortable, she can go with Lamar," Rudy said, stepping in and clearly annoying Sydney. Salem hadn¡¯t shown any reaction that made me think she disliked me since we arrived, but I still didn¡¯t trust the two sisters.


    "No! I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t want the n to change," I argued. I didn¡¯t want to switch teams.


    Everyone immediately looked at Lamar¡¯s face, as if waiting to see how he¡¯d react to me refusing his request.


    "Hnie! A minute!" Lamar groaned, cing his hand on my arm to gesture for me to step aside.


    I followed him, while the others likely started gossiping about us.


    "What¡¯s going on? Don¡¯t you realize Rayden isn¡¯t the best choice to stay with?" Lamar voiced his disapproval almost instantly.


    I fidgeted with my hands, locking my eyes with his as I firmly replied, "Lamar! Rayden is an alpha. I¡¯ll be safer with him."


    I didn¡¯t want to hurt Lamar¡¯s feelings, but he seemed to be struggling with my decisionstely.


    "There¡¯s no lie in that!" Sydney yelled, making it clear they had overheard us.


    "Just so you know, I don¡¯t agree with you," Lamar hissed before storming off.


    Finally, we headed into the woods to check out the spots. There was a huge tree with arge X marked under it. A silver cage hung above the X, and on the other side, there was a chain that Lamar, Sydney, and Salem would hold.


    They took their positions, none of them looking happy. Penn, Arlo, and Rudy armed themselves with swords and arrows, ready to attack the lycan once it arrived at the location. Sage was already marching up the mountains to search for the lycan and lure him down to the woods.


    Rayden and I paced along the road, holding water guns. Being alone with him felt strange, and I tried my best to act normal.


    "You know, I used to think you were stubborn and selfish. But recently, you¡¯ve changed my mind, especially after you forgave me. I¡¯m really impressed by your intelligence," he said after a long silence.


    I didn¡¯t feel like saying much, so I forced a smile and gave him a small nod to make my stance clear.


    He seemed to appreciate it¡ªI could tell.


    Suddenly, a loud howl echoed through the air, making my heart sink. I knew Sage had encountered the lycan. That was part of the n. Once she spotted the lycan, she was supposed to howl.


    "Hold the gun tight," Rayden ordered, squaring his shoulders. The monstrous howls and heavy grunts started getting closer. Sage appeared, running towards the road in her wolf form, then sped past us.


    Then the lycan came into sight. I nced up at the eclipse, and honestly, it was terrifying.


    My hands started shaking as I kept my eyes fixed on the lycan. Our job was to drive it off course by spraying it with the poisoned water.


    "Ready?" Rayden asked, his voice full of anxiety and tension.


    The lycan looked deadly and was rushing towards us at an unbelievable speed, almost like it was in fast-forward. Rayden stepped forward and aimed his gun at the creature. I followed his lead, staying slightly behind him.


    I watched him steady himself as the lycan bared its teeth and let out a howl so loud it froze us in ce. Then, it lunged at Rayden. But he was ready.


    My heart raced in my chest, and my eyes watered as I braced myself for what wasing. Rayden fired his gun, but the water spraying out had no effect on the lycan.


    "What the¡ª" Rayden yelled just as the lycan pounced on him.


    I stepped back in panic.


    "Ughhh!" Rayden cried out in pain.


    I watched in horror as the lycan attacked him. It shed his stomach with its ws, then grabbed him and mmed him into the ground over and over.


    Rayden tried to shift into his wolf form, but it didn¡¯t work.


    "Fire¡ªfire your gun!" Rayden cried out, begging for my help.


    "I broke my gun!" I shouted, running to the side and disappearing into the woods.


    "Hnie!" Rayden yelled for me, but I didn¡¯t turn back. Why would I?


    I had purposely reced the water in his gun with in water. Did he really think I would forgive him that easily? After all the horrible things he had done to me, did he believe a single apology would be enough to soften me?


    No. I wanted him to suffer¡ªbeaten down by the lycan, by my mate.


    I ran through the woods with my gun in hand, then mmed it to the ground, breaking part of it.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if the lycan would kill him, but soon I heard Sage and the others shouting, calling for everyone toe together to save Rayden.


    Lamar ran toward me and grabbed my arms, checking to see if I was okay.


    "So, you really did it. You¡¯re so stubborn. I was terrified andpletely against this n, but I guess I should¡¯ve known¡ªyou can be fierce too," he said, with relief and admiration in his voice.


    Thankfully, I had texted him my n the night before, right before Salem came to talk to me on the ground the other day.

 Chapter 276-Rayden Points At Me.

    <h4>Chapter 276: 276-Rayden Points At Me.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Lamar and I knew we had to join the others. They didn¡¯t deserve to be attacked by the lycan.


    "Everyone, back to the cabin!" yelled Rudy, causing Lamar and me to exchange a brief nce before the terror of the lycan heading our way hit us.


    Sage and the others were now running toward the cabin. They started to catch up with us. I saw Penn carrying Rayden on his back, making his way to the cabin.


    "Ahhhhh!" Sydney¡¯s scream made us all slow down. We all turned at once and saw Sydney on the ground with the lycan on top of her.


    It was snarling and howling.


    "Sydney!" Salem screamed, rushing to her sister¡¯s side.


    Penn kept running toward the cabin while Rudy squared up, gesturing for Sage to grab the weapons.


    "You two, behind the tree. Hold the chain," Rudy yelled at Lamar and me.


    We both realized we had reached the spot where we¡¯d nned to trap the lycan.


    "I don¡¯t think he¡¯s attacking!" I yelled to get Rudy¡¯s attention, but he didn¡¯t listen. He grabbed the arrow and shot at the lycan. As he fired, the lycan swiped its arm and deflected the arrow.


    Now that he was under attack, with Sage stabbing him in the back, he lost control.


    The lycan swung its arm and hurled Sage to the ground, far away.


    "Hold the chain!" Lamar said to me.


    I looked at the chain but didn¡¯t move a muscle.


    It was toote for us. Lamar took over and dropped the cage on the lycan.


    However, the moment the cagended on the lycan, the monster shoved it off.


    At that moment, we all exchanged a nce and realized we¡¯d underestimated its strength and power.


    The lycan must have been provoked by everyone attacking it, but now it wasshing out at anyone in its path.


    Even with Rudy firing an arrow at the lycan, it leaped at Rudy and knocked him to the ground.


    "Lamar, get away from the tree!" I yelled the moment I saw the lycan trying to move toward the side of the tree.


    I even ran to the front and grabbed a sword from the ground in case I needed to defend myself.


    I sprinted behind the lycan, positioning myself to stab him in the back, but my hands started to shake.


    All I could think about was the night I had felt the mate bond with him.


    As I hesitated, the lycan became aware of me standing behind him and turned to face me.


    He snarled even louder and charged at me. My hands trembled, my ears rang. I should have attacked¡ªjust enough to distract him¡ªbut I couldn¡¯t do it.


    Even though the lycan in front of me was a monster, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to hurt him because he was my mate.


    He growled, saliva dripping from his mouth with every step he took closer to me.


    I tripped onto my back and began crawling backward.


    The lycan stared at me but then got distracted by the noise behind him.


    "Hey, asshole! Why don¡¯t youe after us?" Rudy yelled, waving his hands in the air.


    "Or maybe me," Lamar added, standing behind Sage, who had blood all over her face.


    The three were busy calling out to the lycan. But there was a strange calmness that came over him as he stood in front of me.


    Instead of attacking anyone again, the lycan spun around and sprinted off. Just like that, he disappeared.


    We were all in shock. Our bodies hurt, and those who were wounded were too scared to shift, unsure if the lycan was still nearby.


    "You alright?" Rudy asked, walking toward me, breathing heavily and rubbing his head with his hands.


    "Yeah," I replied faintly. He had only just reached me when Lamar appeared, almost shoving him aside to hold out his hand to me.


    I took Lamar¡¯s hand and forced myself to stand.


    I was in excruciating pain. My knees felt like they could give out at any moment. Salem appeared with her sister by her side. They both looked scratched up too.


    "We should head back now," Sage said. Rudy had walked over to stand beside her.


    "Let¡¯s go," Rudy agreed but stopped suddenly, turning around to look for something.


    "What is it?" I asked, noticing his body tense up.


    "Where is Arlo?" Rudy questioned, worry clear on his face.


    "Shit! I haven¡¯t seen him in a while," Sage said, sounding worried. I could tell the top seniors were already feeling guilty about the n that hadpletely backfired.


    "Okay, listen. Everyone split into groups of three and look for him. We¡¯ll meet back here in an hour," Rudy decided, pairing Salem with Lamar and me.


    Thankfully, Salem didn¡¯t bother us much as we wandered around. Lamar and I weren¡¯t putting much effort into finding Arlo. I wasn¡¯t a fan of his.


    An hourter, we returned to the meeting spot and found Rudy and Sage emerging from the woods. Sydney followed behind them with none other than Arlo.


    "Where was he?" Lamar asked. Arlo quickly looked down, avoiding eye contact.


    "Climbed a tree to hide," Sage said, rolling her eyes, mocking Arlo because he never missed a chance to mock others.


    "I wasn¡¯t hiding. I was trying to get a better view," Arlo snapped, walking ahead of us so no one could see his face.


    "Of what? Your cowardice?" Sage retorted.


    I understood the dynamic of the top seniors¡ªthey weren¡¯t friends at all. And with Submit skipping the hunt, I wondered if they would tease him too for backing out.


    We made it to the cabin, where chaos had erupted. Jenny was tending to Rayden, who looked like aplete mess.


    I didn¡¯t expect to walk into so much blood all over the floor.


    "What the¡ª" Rudy muttered, shock evident in his voice.


    "Where have you all been?" Penn yelled, rushing to the bathroom to wet a towel. I also found out that Penn had passed out upon entering the cabin. Hence Jenny gave him aid first.


    "We got caught up. Let¡¯s grab more towels," Rudy said, joining Penn. Even though they were injured too, they wanted to help.


    I slowed down and made my way to Rayden on the bed. He was groaning in pain.


    As he opened his eyes, he grunted, "You! You didn¡¯t help me."


    He raised his hand to point at me, and fear gripped me. I stepped back and bumped straight into Salem, who had probably overheard what he just said.

 Chapter 277-I Made My Stepbro Angry

    <h4>Chapter 277: 277-I Made My Stepbro Angry</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I nervously paced on the front porch, rubbing my hands together. Rayden had passed out, but that didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t wake up and point a finger at me again.


    I guess I didn¡¯t think this through. My hatred for him had gone so far that, in that moment when I saw Jenny with him, I couldn¡¯t think of anything but getting his ass beaten up by the lycan.


    "We¡¯ve called the brothers. The others didn¡¯t pick up, but Trainer Norman did," Lamar said as he stepped outside to update us on Rayden¡¯s condition.


    My heart was racing in my chest, leaving my mind nk.


    "Norman is going to eat me alive," I muttered, noticing how Lamar always narrowed his eyes when I spoke so casually about the brothers.


    "This is why I didn¡¯t like this n. Or at least I should¡¯ve been the one to betray Rayden on the road," Lamar whispered in my ear, making sure no one else could hear.


    "No! It had to be me. He would¡¯ve never gone with you," I replied firmly.


    "He trusted me, and because he thought I was weak, he let his guard down. That¡¯s when I could stab him in the back with my n," I exined, though worry and anxiety were now eating me alive.


    "Trainer Norman will bring help," Lamar added. We were all on edge. Some of us had suffered serious injuries, while others had minor bruises.


    My back ached, and I could feel blood dripping down it. I must have scratched it or had something stuck in it when I fell fighting the lycan. But I didn¡¯t want to see a doctor. I wanted to feel this pain, so next time, I wouldn¡¯t make any mistakes.


    "Hnie, you should go inside. It¡¯s getting cold out here," Lamar urged again, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to move. It was around 4 a.m., and none of us had rested. Jenny had helped treat everyone else¡¯s injuries, but Rayden remained the main concern. He was bleeding heavily, and the fact that it had taken us so long to reach the cabin only made things worse.


    "I¡¯m fine," I said, waving him off. Still, Lamar stubbornly took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders, knowing I wasn¡¯t going inside. I didn¡¯t want anyone to look at me and start asking questions. I was afraid I wouldn¡¯t be able to lie convincingly.


    And then, as if things couldn¡¯t get any worse, I saw Norman appear with his men behind him. He was walking briskly toward the cabin, his tall and broad figure looking as intimidating as ever.


    He wore a wrinkled gray shirt and looked exhausted and tired, yet he still exuded authority.


    He raised his head and narrowed his eyes as he looked at me. Then, he sped up, racing onto the front porch and grabbing my arms.


    "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" he asked, his voice full of anxiety. For a second, I couldn¡¯t even respond.


    "Hnie, are you¡ªis she hurt?" he shifted his gaze from me to Lamar, asking him this time.


    "She¡¯s fine," Lamar replied just as someone else came outside. I didn¡¯t even turn around to see who it was because Norman was holding me so tightly.


    "Professor Norman, Rayden¡ªhis wounds are¡ªhe¡¯s bleeding a lot," Salem announced, causing Norman to gradually release me andpose himself.


    "Oh yes, you mentioned that on the call," Norman said, running a hand over his forehead.


    He shot me a quick nce before turning to Lamar. "Take care of her. I¡¯ll be back in a minute," he instructed, as though I might vanish if he didn¡¯t. Then, he walked inside, and I remained where I was, unable to go back in.


    His men followed him in, as they needed to carry Rayden to the hospital. Now, it was just me and Salem, as Lamar had gone inside to check on things and ensure no one med me for anything.


    "Look¡ª," I started, recalling what Rayden had said in front of Salem.


    "I didn¡¯t hear anything," Salem cut me off firmly. "It wasn¡¯t your fault. Rayden was stupid enough not to fill his water gun properly."


    Her words shocked me. She was taking my side? I didn¡¯t understand why. I didn¡¯t believe anyone could change so quickly. But for now, I was grateful.


    "Carry him carefully," Norman said as he came back out, prompting Salem and me to step aside to make room for his men.


    They carried Rayden out of the woods and to the hospital.


    "You go with them. Make sure they all get home safely," Norman instructed the rest of his warriors, ensuring the other students were taken care of.


    No one even said goodbye.


    "Hnie¡ªyou¡¯reing with me," Norman finally addressed me, though he avoided making direct eye contact.


    "Lamar! I don¡¯t want you to take your bike. It¡¯s not safe to ride alone in the roguemunity," I said, refusing to let Lamar drive by himself.


    Since the others had left with the warriors, it was now just the three of us.


    "Lamar, you¡¯reing with us. Stay at the mansion for the night. Don¡¯t worry about the bike; we¡¯ll load it into my car," Norman said, gesturing for us to move along.


    We went inside, grabbed our bags, and came back out so Norman could lock up the cabin before we left.


    What struck me as odd was when Norman took my hand and made me walk very close to him, as if he thought I¡¯d be snatched away if he let go.


    It felt strange holding hands with him. Once we got to the car, he loaded us in like we were pieces of luggage. None of us said a word.


    We arrived at the mansion, and Norman mmed the car door shut hard when he got out, as if he was venting his frustration.


    "We can put a pillow between us. I have a big bed," I told Lamar as we walked behind Norman, but I didn¡¯t expect my words to bother Norman so much.


    He suddenly stopped, spun around, and red at me with fiery intensity.


    "No! He will not stay in the same room as you," he said firmly.

 Chapter 278-Oh Norman! Why So Aggressive

    <h4>Chapter 278: 278-Oh Norman! Why So Aggressive</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You¡¯ll stay in the guestroom," Norman said to Lamar, who nodded like an obedient student.


    "Show him the guestroom," Norman told one of the maids as we entered the mansion. She had just woken up and was told to take Lamar to the second guestroom, which was actually on the third floor. Lamar gave me a quick nod of understanding before following her.


    Now it was just me. I tried hurrying to my room, not realizing that Norman was right behind me. Just as I was about to shut the door, he ced his hand on it and pushed it open.


    I had to step back, letting hime inside without much of a struggle. Not going to lie, I couldn¡¯t fight him even if I wanted to.


    "What exactly were you thinking?" he hissed, not turning around as he shut the door behind him.


    "We wanted to do something for the roguemunity," I mumbled under my breath, noticing how Norman kept ring at me. That was his way of demanding the full truth.


    "I..." I stopped instantly when I noticed blood stters on his shirt. It felt strange, but I took a deep breath and continued, "I left the cabin with my friends¡ª"


    I wanted to lie again, but Norman wasn¡¯t having it. He immediately raised a finger to silence me.


    "You¡¯ll only speak the truth now," he warned, his sharp gaze drilling into me.


    "Because, Hnie, if I find out the truth from someone else, I¡¯ll be furious!" He stepped closer, bending slightly with his hands on his knees, locking eyes with me in a way that made me feel cornered.


    He was right. If I didn¡¯t tell him the truth, someone else would, and it would just start another fight between us. I had to stay in this mansion for a while, and dealing with an angry, overbearing Norman every day would be a nightmare.


    "Actually..." I muttered, lowering my head even more. Having such a big guy looming over me in such a threatening way was overwhelming. "We were trying to catch the lycan."


    As soon as I said it, I knew he¡¯d lose it¡ªand he did. He let out the loudest gasp before straightening up. He started pacing back and forth, clearly trying to figure out how to deal with me.


    "You!" he hissed. "You wanted to catch the lycan?" he groaned, his eyes turning red. Even his face was starting to flush with anger.


    His muscles tensed, and I could see the veins popping in his neck, temples, and hands.


    "You wanted to¡ª" he repeated, cutting himself off as he bit his tongue. "Then why are you standing here? Go catch the lycan now!" He grabbed my arm and shoved me toward the door.


    "Go ahead, be the hero everyone needs," he demanded, trying to yank the door open to kick me out. But I darted to the other side of the room, avoiding his outburst. I had been wrong to think I¡¯d already seen the worst of him.


    It seemed like his anger had no limits. The way he clenched his jaw terrified me, and I quickly turned my back to him.


    I pressed my hands over my face and buried myself in the corner of the room. I didn¡¯t want him to see me cry, and I definitely didn¡¯t want to see his face when it was burning red with rage.


    He probably thought I enjoyed getting into trouble¡ªgoing out into the woods to face the most dangerous monster imaginable. But the truth was, I didn¡¯t have a choice.


    I couldn¡¯t just sit back and watch Rayden bask in his triumph. He needed to be taken down so he wouldn¡¯t get to enjoy the satisfaction of making amends with his mate.


    Suddenly, Norman¡¯s grunting and pacing stopped. The room fell silent. I realized he had gone quiet when I started sobbing into my hands.


    "Hnie, I¡¯m angry because you put yourself in danger," he finally said, his voice calmer but still firm. "Don¡¯t you understand? My father trusted your words and gave you permission. He would¡¯ve med himself if anything had happened to you."


    His tone had softened, but I spun around quickly to question his reasoning.


    He extended one hand, resting it on the wall beside me, while his other hand rested on his waist. He waited for me to respond.


    "Your father would¡¯ve been fine," I snapped. "No one would¡¯ve med him. Nobody questions anyone over me. So don¡¯t worry about that," I hissed, but my lips trembled, and I soon covered my face with my hands again.


    "That¡¯s not fair," he grumbled. "My brothers care about you."


    A heavy silence filled the room for a moment. Slowly, I lowered my hands, revealing his face.


    "It¡¯s true," he said softly. "My brothers would¡¯ve asked our father why he let you go. They would¡¯ve questioned everyone, and they would¡¯ve been angry with you too."


    His voice had lost its sharp edge, turning unexpectedly gentle.


    It was the perfect moment to apologize for my recklessness and end the conversation. But instead, my impulsive self asked a stupid question¡ªa question that didn¡¯t even matter to me.


    "Why were you so angry at me?" I asked in a quiet murmur.


    "I told you. Because my brothers would have been worried about you," he said, rolling his eyes, which only made me want to keep pressing him.


    "And you wouldn¡¯t have been worried?" I didn¡¯t know why those words slipped out, but the moment they did, his body visibly froze.


    He lowered his eyes and stared at me with pure bewilderment. It was like I had asked for one of his kidneys. I couldn¡¯t figure out why he was taking so long to say something rude¡ªsomething that would let me argue with him and feel better.


    "Is Rayden going to survive?" I asked, changing the subject. I was over it now. He hadn¡¯t given me the satisfaction of arguing back, probably because he pitied me in that moment.


    I walked to the side and picked up the ss of water.


    "Huh?" I pressed again as I took a sip.


    He stood frozen in ce, not moving an inch, before finally closing his eyes and letting out a heavy sigh.


    "Um, yeah. The doctors will do their best," he said, his tone much softer now.


    "You should rest. I¡¯ll let you know his condition when I get an update," he added. Then, like an eagle ready to take flight, he stormed out of the room.

 Chapter 279-The Mischievous One Named Helanie

    <h4>Chapter 279: 279-The Mischievous One Named Hnie</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    I made it to the exit, and once out of her room, I wondered what had just happened. She had such mood swings. One minute she was all sassy, and the next minute she was sobbing, then back to acting normal.


    That wasn¡¯t normal.


    She was stressed, maybe traumatized. Her forced attempts at acting normal were probably the reason she suddenly burst into tears.


    "That needs attention," I said to myself before walking back to my room and sitting on the couch in the dark. I hadn¡¯t slept in weeks. My body was always tense and restless. The only thing that hurt me the most tonight was that Hnie worked with the others to capture the lycan.


    Did she hate the lycan?


    Did she see the lycan as an enemy? That wouldn¡¯t be good.


    I sighed, checking my phone for updates on my brothers. They were headed to the hostel to stay the night there¡ªboth Kaye and Maximus.


    As for Emmet, the first thing I did after transitioning back to my human state was check on him. I had to carry him to his room andy him down after taking care of his wounds. He will wake up feeling disappointed and sad. Once he finds out that Hnie was part of the group that tried to capture the lycan, I bet he will feel even more betrayed.


    It was already morning, and I had a feeling Hnie would be anxious to know if their stupidity had led to Rayden dying.


    I joined my dad early in the morning while Hnie and the guests were still sleeping. I was sure they would stay asleep for a while.


    "Tell me what happened in the woods?" my father asked. He had heard about it from the doctors, and even the parents of the top seniors had reached out to apologize.


    "It was just kids being kids. You know how teenagers these days are¡ªcurious," I said, trying to avoid the topic.


    "But still¡ªI want to know. Did Hnie really go into the woods to catch the lycan?" There was a hint of sadness in my father¡¯s voice. Not quite sadness¡ªmore like disappointment.


    "I¡¯m beginning to wonder if her mother sees through her. How can someone¡ª" my father bit his tongue, trying to control his emotions.


    "That¡¯s not fair. To Hnie and everyone else, the lycan seems like a danger. Besides, it wasn¡¯t Hnie¡¯s idea to go into the woods." For the first time, I lied for her.


    I didn¡¯t know why or what had gotten over me, but I decided to take her side. This could have been the perfect moment to tell my father about her, make him emotional, and paint Hnie in a negative light.


    But why couldn¡¯t I?


    I could finally get rid of her.


    "And you wouldn¡¯t have been worried?"


    I recalled the way she had asked me that question, and my heart skipped a beat once again. Why did she ask me that?


    Was she expecting something more than just sympathy from me? Her little hands had covered her face, and when she pressed her face against the wall, didn¡¯t she look too adorable?


    Like an innocent bird, exuding nothing but purity?


    "No!" I shook my head to stop myself from thinking like that and turned my attention back to my father.


    "What happened to you?" Dad inquired, looking worried.


    "Oh! I mean, no! She didn¡¯t go into the woods to capture the lycan. The top seniors picked her because of her abilities. But, Dad¡ª" I closed my eyes, knowing what I was about to say next should not reach Hnie or anyone else¡¯s ears, or they might suspect something, "she had the chance to attack the lycan, but she didn¡¯t. She had the weapon in her hand, but she didn¡¯t strike."


    I couldn¡¯t believe myself right now.


    Were those few words spoken by Hnie enough to soften me?


    "And you wouldn¡¯t have been worried?"


    Why couldn¡¯t I stop thinking about those words and the way she said them? She wanted my attention. Was she feeling something for me? Why were her expectations so high? That question must have meant a lot to her for her to ask it. And then, as if to cover her emotions, she engrossed herself in the ss of water.


    "Dad, my point is, I was wrong about Hnie before. She¡¯s not wicked¡ªshe¡¯s just a teenager trying hard to be something on her own," I finished, my gaze shifting to the ones entering the room.


    Kaye and Maximus stood with their arms folded, making me roll my eyes at them. I knew what wasing¡ªthey were going to roast me for finally admitting I had misjudged Hnie.


    "We¡¯ve been saying that," Maximus said, walking with difficulty. Kaye had bandages on him as well.


    "Easy!" I held Maximus¡¯ hand and helped him sit down, while Kaye reassured me he was fine.


    "I¡¯m fine," Kaye said, but his tone was meant to silence my concern since I kept checking on him. He¡¯d gone wildst night, and I knew why.


    "Is she okay?" Kaye asked first, referring to Hnie.


    "She¡¯s fine, sleeping," I replied.


    "Are you sure? She had some action in the woods¡ªshe must¡¯ve hurt herself, too," Kaye muttered under his breath, though clearly loud enough for us to hear. He wanted reassurance that she was okay.


    "As far as I know, she¡¯s fine. Any news on Rayden?" I asked, ncing at Maximus, whose jaw clenched.


    "Yeah, sadly, he didn¡¯t die," Maximus uttered, his tone full of disdain. He¡¯d grown an open dislike for Rayden, and so had Kaye.


    "His death would¡¯ve been good news to us," Kayemented bluntly. "Anyway, he¡¯s fine, but he wants to speak with the council and his parents. He ims someone from the group betrayed him. So far, we haven¡¯t allowed anyone near him because he¡¯s still healing, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll reach him soon, and he¡¯ll give his statement." Kaye seemed just as disturbed as I was by Rayden¡¯s ims.


    "Yeah. You know what? You two rest. I¡¯ll go meet Rayden." I had a bad feeling about this. I needed to be the first to know who he was going to me for his condition.

 Chapter 280-Scared Like A Little Kitten

    <h4>Chapter 280: 280-Scared Like A Little Kitten</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    After speaking with my brothers, I was already on my way to the hospital in the nearest pack to check on Rayden before anyone else did. His family would already be on the way.


    I reached the hospital in time and joined him in his private room, where he had been resting ever since he woke up. He looked like a mess, but since he had woken up, once he gained some strength, he would be able to transition and heal perfectly.


    "He is doing much better. Being an Alpha really helps," the doctors said, and I gave them a dramatic nod.


    "I¡¯ll have a word with him," I gestured at the doctor to leave us alone. Once he left, I adjusted my cor and looked around for a chair.


    There was a chair on the side, but it reminded me of the one that broke the other night. I remembered falling and Hnie losing her mind,ughing shamelessly. She could be a bit too much at times.


    "How are you now?" I asked the question just for formality. It would be rude to immediately ask him what he was nning to tell the council.


    "I am... alive," he muttered, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. Of course, he looked traumatized. Coming across a Lycan and then getting his body torn to pieces must have been excruciating.


    "Hmm, Rayden, I heard what happened. I¡¯m upset that you students thought going into the woods and risking your lives for others was your responsibility. I¡¯m also disappointed that none of you came to me first to talk about your ns. The only reason we trainers make rules is for your own safety," I said, waiting for the right moment to ask the right question.


    "We might have seeded if my water gun hadn¡¯t been reced. Somebody sabotaged the n," he spoke with difficulty, closing his eyes tightly and sounding like he was chewing on needles.


    "I heard you¡¯ve made that im. May I know who did it? We¡¯ll need to punish that person," I said, leaning forward with my hands on the bed.


    "It was Hnie!" His voice didn¡¯t falter this time. The look of certainty on his face confirmed he knew exactly what he was talking about.


    "Hnie sabotaged the n? Why?" I was shocked, though I had a feeling I would hear that name. However, I thought he might say it just to get back at her for making him apologize to her. But the way he was talking, his eyes told the truth.


    "Hnie wanted revenge for... my bullying," there was a slight hesitation in his voice, and he even looked away when exining why Hnie might have done such a thing.


    "Are you sure? Because if you¡¯re using Hnie, it means you¡¯re saying she tried to get back at you by putting everyone else in danger," I pressed, wanting to hear his side clearly. Even so, I already doubted they could have defeated the Lycan.


    "I¡¯m not lying. She was with me at the time. Her job was to back me up. When I realized I had the wrong gun, she ran into the woods and imed hers was broken too," he exined, his eyes turning red with anger.


    I listened to him carefully, but I was growing impatient to confront Hnie. Could she really have done that and then acted so innocent back at home?


    "Ehm! I will investigate and make sure she is punished if she really did that. You rest now; I¡¯lle see you again in an hour or two," I assured him before walking out. I felt torn, unsure who to believe.


    Rayden was under heavy sedatives, so it was unlikely he was fabricating an exaggerated story. But it was also possible he had misunderstood and was using Hnie because he didn¡¯t want to admit that an Alpha like him had been so badly defeated.


    "Bring Hnie to me right now," I ordered my warrior. I needed to speak with her and see her reaction for myself.


    The next hour dragged on painfully. I paced around the garden next to the hospital, waiting for Hnie to arrive.


    Atst, she showed up. She stepped out of the car looking confused and lost, with the warrior escorting her straight to me.


    Her hair was in a messy braid, and she wore that purple sweater she couldn¡¯t seem to let go of, wrapping it snugly around her body.


    "Thank you. Go ahead, leave for home. I¡¯ll bring her back with me," I informed the warrior and waited for him topletely disappear. I knew these men loved to gossip, and once words spread, they turned into rumors.


    Now I stood before Hnie, hands on my waist and my eyes scrutinizing her intensely. She looked anxious, nervously fidgeting as I stared.


    "I spoke to Rayden, and he ims that it was you who¡ª" Before I could even finish, she took a deep breath and interrupted, saying,


    "I did. I reced the water in his gun and then broke my gun while I ran away from him," she confessed. It didn¡¯t even take me yelling or scolding her¡ªhere she was, telling the truth.


    "Hnie, are you saying this under someone¡¯s pressure?" I asked, and she lowered her eyes.


    "No!" she paused before adding, "If I hadn¡¯t, it would have been me in his ce."


    Her additional statement made me frown. "Rayden has been awful to me. He¡¯s been bullying me to the point that... he scared me into joining this n. I didn¡¯t want to be a part of it, but he said if I didn¡¯t go with him, he would keep making my life miserable." She didn¡¯t even raise her eyes as she exined what Rayden had been doing to her.


    "Why didn¡¯t you tell me or my brothers about it?" I asked, irritation creeping into my tone.


    "I didn¡¯t want you guys to constantly deal with it or have people asking why you were showing so much concern for a mere student. Besides, he already told me that¡ªhe¡¯d throw me to the Lycan. So... I panicked and did whatever I could to... save myself," she admitted, hesitantly ncing around, avoiding looking back at me.


    "I had to do it," she added, a subtle note of trauma slipping through her voice. The agitation she showed puzzled me.


    What was it? Why was she so scared of Rayden?

 Chapter 281-My Stepbrother Loves Holding Hands With Me

    <h4>Chapter 281: 281-My Stepbrother Loves Holding Hands With Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie</strong>


    He was silently watching my face. I had to tell him the truth but decided to be careful by adding a little lie of my own. I couldn¡¯t bepletely honest with him.


    There were still some of them out there that needed to be found and punished. I couldn¡¯t use all my strength on Rayden and not have anyone on my side when it was time to face the others.


    "Are you going to get me arrested now?" I asked with genuine curiosity.


    Norman looked upset with me, probably even wondering how smart I was to pull off this n so perfectly.


    "First things first, you¡¯reing with me to the hospital," he pointed a finger at my face, his jaw clenching as he spoke through gritted teeth. I was right¡ªhe was beyond furious.


    "Okay," I nodded and started walking with him. However, the way he suddenly held my hand to lead me to the hospital didn¡¯t go unnoticed. It always felt odd whenever he did that, but it gave me a small sense of security.


    We reached the hospital and now stood outside the room. His hand had shifted to my wrist, his fingers wrapped around it while mine hung loosely.


    "What is it?" he asked, turning to face me.


    "Nothing," I lied.


    It wasn¡¯t nothing. My heart was pounding wildly in my chest. I was terrified of facing Rayden and his wrath.


    "Alright then, let¡¯s go," he said, opening the door. We both stepped inside, and instantly my heart seemed to skip a beat. I swear I felt a cold shiver run down my spine that made me freeze in ce.


    "You!" As soon as Rayden¡¯s eyesnded on me, he hissed and tried to get up from the bed.


    "Easy! No need to go crazy on her," Norman immediately tightened his grip on my wrist, making me step behind him.


    I was trembling uncontrobly, so I grabbed onto his shirt while staying hidden behind him.


    "I spoke with her," Norman took a deep breath, still holding my hand. "She didn¡¯t do it."


    A sudden surge of relief went through me when Norman lied.


    "But¡ª" Rayden started to speak, but Norman cut him off.


    "Let me finish first. My men searched the area and found her broken gun. As for your water being tampered with, you guys used wolfsbane that was already diluted. Everything you got was cheap, so when it mixed with water, it didn¡¯t work at all. There¡¯s a way to do things, and let¡¯s admit it¡ªthe n sucked. Okay? Hnie was there without a wolf, so of course, she got scared. She admitted to me that she ran from you, but she¡¯s been feeling guilty ever since. Look at her," Norman pulled my hand and brought me forward, forcing Rayden to look at my face.


    "Does she look like someone who did anything on purpose?" Norman asked Rayden, and I noticed some doubt flicker across Rayden¡¯s face.


    "She didn¡¯t do it. You all messed up, and like anyone else, she ran to save her life. She probably thought an alpha like you would stand a chance against the lycan, but she wouldn¡¯t." Norman was sharp, using his words to convince Rayden and subtly manipte him.


    "And she wasn¡¯t wrong. Fighting the lycan and surviving¡ªthat¡¯s a huge aplishment. You¡¯ve earned new respect in my eyes," Norman¡¯s fingers tightened around my wrist, wriggling slightly. He gave me the impression that he didn¡¯t like praising Rayden but felt he had to since I had entangled myself in this messy situation with him.


    "What are you thinking?" Norman asked Rayden, who seemed lost in thought.


    "I guess you¡¯re right. I was just so angry that I thought I should me someone else," Rayden seemed convincingly manipted.


    "But thank you so much, sir, for acknowledging my strength. I was really good out there," his smile brightened at the praise he was hearing.


    "Of course. Everyone at the academy will praise you when they hear how you fought the lycan," I noticed Rayden was so thrilled with thepliments that he didn¡¯t notice Norman¡¯s jaw clenching. But I did.


    "Anyway, you rest now. I¡¯ll take Hnie home," Norman said.


    "Can I have a word with Hnie alone?" Rayden¡¯s request stopped my heart once more just as I was about to leave with Norman.


    I didn¡¯t want to be alone with him right now. I was scared of what he might say to me.


    "No!" Norman bluntly and shamelessly denied his request. "Your health is important. I¡¯m not going to let you talk and waste your energy, my best¡ªstudent," Norman gritted the words through his teeth and forced a smile onto his lips. Every time he mentioned Rayden being a good student or praised him for fighting the lycan, he sounded so sarcastic and angry.


    "Now then, we¡¯ll see you again. Goodbye," Norman said, spinning around quickly to drag me out of the room. Once we made it all the way outside and to the parking lot, Norman let go of my hand and blocked my path to the backseat of the car.


    "He¡¯s lying. He didn¡¯t fight the lycan. He just got beaten up," I started ranting instantly.


    "That¡¯s not why I stopped you," he interrupted. "Tell me something¡ªwhy does your heart lose its beat whenever you¡¯re around him?" Norman¡¯s question made me gently touch my wrist, and I realized why he always held my hand like that.


    He was checking my heart rate.


    "Oh! He¡¯s just too handsome, so my heart¡ª" I grimaced, unable to finish the sentence. I wasn¡¯t even capable of lying convincingly about something like that. Honestly, I wished I could stomp on Rayden¡¯s face with boots full of fresh mud. That¡¯s how much I despised him.


    "You find him attractive?" The man who could easily spot lies spoken by others took my words seriously and didn¡¯t notice the expression on my face.


    "Oh, I didn¡¯t mean¡ª"


    He finally understood the look on my face. "Anyway, next time, don¡¯t go around doing stuff like this. Come to me, and I¡¯ll handle it."


    I didn¡¯t know what it was about him, but sometimes he was arrogantly kind.


    "Okay," I agreed with a small nod.

 Chapter 282-Meet My Mother

    <h4>Chapter 282: 282-Meet My Mother</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "And now what?" Lamar asked. "What are we going to do now?" We were eating breakfast in the garden. It was lunchtime, but we had woken upte. And then I had to go visit Rayden at the hospital, so I had skipped breakfast.


    "Lamar! I want to¡ªmake Rayden¡¯s life miserable every day," I said. "And I¡ª" My words were cut off when I saw my mothere out of the mansion with Charlotte by her side. The two seemed to be holding baskets, probably to go pick some fruit. They were royals, and they definitely acted like it.


    "What happened?" Lamar asked as he turned to follow my gaze.


    "Oh, that is the new mate of the rogue king¡ªshe kind of looks like you, don¡¯t you think?" He scrunched his face and said, causing my heart to skip a beat.


    "And that girl next to her is¡ª" Lamar narrowed his eyes.


    "Charlotte, she is her¡ªfriend¡¯s daughter," I replied, shoving a whole spoonful of cereal in my mouth.


    "Huh," Lamar scratched his chin and kept examining them. However, the two seemed to have slowed down after noticing me and Lamar. I was hoping they wouldn¡¯te over.


    But they did.


    Charlotte was the first one to approach us, while my mother lingered around.


    "Hello, good morning," Charlotte wore the same fake smile she always used before starting drama.


    "Morning," Lamar replied, not knowing the girl he was talking to was nothing but trouble.


    "Have we met before?" Charlotte asked, using a sweet tone.


    "No! Why would we?" Lamar shrugged nonchntly.


    "Are you¡ªwait! Are you her boyfriend?" I could sense the disbelief in her voice. "Sorry to say this, but did she tell you she doesn¡¯t have an activewolf? Did she tell you about it?" It was so bold of her to think she was controlling something about me.


    "Charlotte," my mother strangely arrived when I least expected her. "We should go."


    It was the stern way she looked at Charlotte that made her walk away from me.


    "It¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t feel offended. Besides, I¡¯m just Hnie¡¯s friend, a family she never had," Lamar smiled at me, tapping the back of my hand.


    "Oh! She said that?" My mother¡¯s eyes shifted to me and then back to Lamar. "You seem like a great kid. Who are you? What is your rank?"


    I didn¡¯t like her asking him all these questions. She wasn¡¯t my mom, who should know anything about my friends.


    "I am Lamar from¡ª" I hushed him down when I interrupted him.


    "He doesn¡¯t concern anyone," I responded a bit rudely. I noticed Lamar giving me a dreadful look. Of course, to him, I was acting like this in front of my trainer and the rogue king¡¯s mate.


    "Huh! Well, Lamar, I¡¯m Charlotte. Her cousin, but of course, she doesn¡¯t consider us family," her words shocked Lamar. I could tell from the smile that disappeared from his lips. "I mean, you just saw how she treats her mother. Anyway, we¡¯ll leave, but here¡¯s some advice¡ªfind better friends."


    She scoffed and held my mother¡¯s hand, dragging her briskly after her. My mother was still watching us, even after they had walked away, unable to hear a word we were saying.


    "Hnie," Lamar turned to me after forcing himself back to reality, "what was that? She¡¯s your cousin¡ªwait, the rogue king¡¯s mate is your mother?"


    I wish I had told him myself. I just knew Norman didn¡¯t want me to tell anyone I was their stepsister since they never epted me as part of their family. Not to mention, I found it odd too. After feeling the mate bond with both of the brothers and Maximus iming he was my mate and flirting with me all the time, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell Lamar or anyone else what my rtionship was with my trainers.


    "It is¡ª" I bit my tongue, feeling so guilty.


    "Seriously? I tell you everything, and you hid such a huge thing from me? I wasn¡¯t going to judge you or say anything. Hnie¡ª" The disbelief and disappointment in his tone made me want to dig a hole and bury myself alive.


    I really wish I had told him first. But what about my mates? Would I be okay with just being known as the stepsister?


    "It wasplicated. My mother had kicked me¡ª" Before I could finish, Lamar stood up.


    "Actually, it¡¯s okay. Save it," he said, shaking his head at me in disapproval.


    "Lamar, please, let me talk. I¡¯ll tell you exactly why¡ª" I got up after him, but he pouted and shook his head.


    "I have to go. I¡¯ll contact you about the meeting the trainers held at the academy," Lamar seemed angry or maybe upset with me. I couldn¡¯t tell because he didn¡¯t stay for long. Before I knew it, he was already briskly walking to his bike. I chased after him, but it was toote; he had already left on his bike. I stood in my spot, my lips trembling.


    I hated Charlotte, but it wasn¡¯t her fault. It was my fault. I had be so insecure that I couldn¡¯t tell anyone a single thing about myself. Everything felt like a secret.


    "Hmm, trouble in paradise?" I jumped at the voice from behind me. It was Emmet, looking like he needed some good food. He looked tired, and despite being tall and muscr, he appeared weak.


    "There¡¯s no paradise. He¡¯s like a brother to me," I said. "Actually, he just found out that¡ªyou¡¯re my stepbrother, and I guess it upset him to find out from Charlotte." I kept my head down while talking and responding to Emmet.


    "Charlotte! Always causing trouble for you, isn¡¯t she?" Emmet asked, and I gently nodded my head. "Don¡¯t worry. Everything will be dealt with soon."


    He finished, causing me to frown in confusion.


    Emmet didn¡¯t stay behind and left. I wanted to go to my room to rx and contact Lamar, but I had other ns too.


    I had to visit Rayden when no one was watching. So, I left the mansion, and since it was daytime, nobody really questioned me.

 Chapter 283-He Won’t Stop Flirting.

    <h4>Chapter 283: 283-He Won¡¯t Stop Flirting.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Hnie? What are you doing here?" Rayden seemed shocked to see meing back to see him. I had heard from the nurse that his parents had just left and would be back in a few hours.


    I didn¡¯t really tell her my name or anything. I just knew everyone was allowed toe see him now, and since he was an alpha, he was getting many visitors.


    "I needed to speak with you," I said, trying to rush through my words. It was so hard to face him, not because I was guilty of being the reason behind the attack on him, but because I hated his face.


    Breathing in the same air as him was like inhaling charcoal.


    "Okay. What is it?" The fact that he was so casually talking to me after making me his victim surprised me.


    He never showed any guilt, though, and I wondered what kind of cold-hearted monster he was.


    "Umm, I wanted to tell you¡ªwho actually¡ªmade me do that to you," I noticed his expression instantly change.


    "What do you mean? You said you didn¡¯t do anything," Rayden almost hissed as he remembered the conversation he had with Norman.


    "That was a lie. The truth is that¡ª," I held my breath, "it was someone who ckmailed me into¡ªdoing this to you." I felt like the world under me was shaking. Every time I yed a game with him or spoke with him, I couldn¡¯t help but have shes of that night. Hisughter was still echoing through my ears.


    "Wait, someone made you do that to me? Who was it?" he asked, his eyes narrowing as he looked at my face.


    "It was¡ªArlo," I finished and watched him frown and shake his head.


    "Why would he want to do that to me? It doesn¡¯t make any sense," he was, of course, not going to believe me just like that.


    "That¡¯s because he is jealous of you. He wanted you to look like a fool and probably even wanted you out of his way," I said, noticing him zone out.


    "Anyway, I just thought I¡¯d tell you the truth because you didn¡¯t deserve what happened to you." I could already tell he was ready to throw hands.


    "That¡¯s why Arlo was hiding in the tree. He knew the n wouldn¡¯t work. He had sabotaged it, but can you please¡ªplease not tell anyone? I don¡¯t want to be under Arlo¡¯s radar?" I pleaded, showing him how genuinely scared I was of Arlo.


    "Hm, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t tell anyone," Rayden was zoned out when he said that, "but you shouldn¡¯t have betrayed me like that, Hnie." Now that he had finally regained his senses, he was ready to threaten me as well.


    "And for that, you won¡¯t be spared either," he hissed. It was a clear threat to me that once he got better, he would make sure I suffered as much as Arlo.


    "I am so sorry, I didn¡¯t mean---," I began to speak, but he shushed me, ring at me and wincing when his body probably hurt from trying too hard to get after me.


    "Just get out of here. I¡¯ll see you soon," he muttered, eyeing me angrily. I nodded repeatedly and ran out of the room.


    I knew what I had done. He would forgive me, but I¡¯m sure the risk would be worth it.


    I left for home after that, and nobody ever found out I had been to the hospital. Dinner time arrived, but I wasn¡¯t feeling like eating anything. My back was hurting, and only when I took a shower did I realize the injury on my back had gotten worse.


    "Who is it?" I answered the door to find Maximus standing outside my room.


    "Why didn¡¯t you attend dinner?" he inquired, his eyes narrowing as he looked at me.


    "I wasn¡¯t feeling well," I didn¡¯t lie or hide the truth. I was so ufortable that I couldn¡¯t help but need help.


    "Why? What happened?" he instantly stormed in, making me step back. Once he had entered the room, he shut the door behind us.


    "Maximus, I don¡¯t think¡ª," I didn¡¯t want anyone to find us in the room and have wrong ideas, but there was no winning in an argument with Maximus.


    He had already shushed me with his finger to his lips.


    "Tell me what happened to you?" he repeated his question and gently ced his hand on my forehead. "Why do you have a fever? Was it because ofst night¡¯s adventure in the woods?"


    Of course, Norman had told him. He looked so disappointed in me. That was the look I got from everyone today.


    "I guess," I muttered.


    "Did you sustain any injuries that you didn¡¯t treat?" Maximus was so soft-spoken whenever he wanted to be.


    I couldn¡¯t help but nod my head and tell him the truth.


    "Hmm, it¡¯s okay. I will treat them. Now tell me, where did you hurt yourself?" However, now that he wanted to treat my wounds, I realized it would be inappropriate for him to see my bare back.


    "Hnie," snapping his fingers in front of my face, he repeated to me once again.


    "It will be inappropriate. I will treat them myself," I excused, stepping back from him.


    "Okay, but where is the injury?" he asked again, this time in a much sterner tone.


    "You don¡¯t want to know." I felt so shy in front of him, especially now that we were in a locked room.


    "Why? Where is it?" he raised an eyebrow. "Did you¡ªget hurt on your¡ª," he squeezed his eyes shut as if he couldn¡¯t say the words.


    "No! Not anywhere there. It¡¯s on my back. I got my back scratched up, and I guess it was worse than I had imagined," I was quick to shut down his thoughts. But while revealing the truth, I noticed he had found something else to disagree with me over.


    "How are you going to treat your wounds on your back? Let me¡ªlet me help. Come on, take off your shirt and show me your injury," the change in his tone as he smirked just a little caused my cheeks to feel heat rush to them.

 Chapter 284-The Scars On My Back

    <h4>Chapter 284: 284-The Scars On My Back</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Why are you staring at me like that? Come on, take off your shirt and sit with your back facing me," he insisted, and the way he said those words made my stomach twist into a knot.


    "No!" I frowned, "No! That would be weird," I hissed.


    "Then let me get a doctor for you, but since it¡¯ste and in two hours, it will be midnight, I don¡¯t think anyone woulde here. How about I ask your mother for you? Do you want me to¡ª" he was so clever, he knew I would never ask for my mother¡¯s help. I¡¯d rather let the wounds get infected and die than ask her for help.


    "You know I¡¯ll never ask for her help, right?" I ced my hands on my waist, annoyed by his insensitivity.


    "Hey, don¡¯t be angry. I was just making a point. You have a fever, which already means you need to clean that wound. Let me do it. I¡¯m your trainer. I¡¯ve seen wounds before, and I know how to treat them," he was trying so hard to convince me, but he was missing just one point.


    "I¡¯ll have to take off my shirt, and I don¡¯t want to do that," I groaned, stomping my foot without realizing how obnoxious I sounded.


    "You¡¯re making it seem like if you took off your shirt, I wouldn¡¯t be able to control myself," he rolled his eyes as hemented.


    "You wouldn¡¯t be able to control yourself," I didn¡¯t mean to sound cocky, but I can understand why he thought I did.


    "That¡¯s some confidence you¡¯ve got there," he smirked, but soon his expression changed when he noticed I was ufortable.


    I wasn¡¯t being cocky. I just had this bad memory. The minute they had torn my clothes off, they made it clear that they weren¡¯t going to stop. I had worn my pendant long before they took off my clothes. They had all the time in the world to stop, but they didn¡¯t.


    "Hey, you don¡¯t have to go entirely naked. Just lift your shirt or turn your back to me," he whispered, using a much gentler tone and no longer smirking.


    "Hm, okay!" I don¡¯t know why I gave up, maybe because I felt itchy on my back again. I would not take off my bra and would only call for him after I¡¯d taken off my shirt, holding it in front of my body and sitting with only my back in his view.


    "You will have to turn around," I said, making a circr motion with my fingers. He was quick to follow my instructions and turned around.


    My body was so stiff as I took off my sweater and then my shirt, holding it in front of my body and sitting on the bed.


    "You can look now," I uttered. However, I could tell he didn¡¯t turn around. Instead, he walked straight to the light switch and turned the light off.


    I then heard his footsteps from farther away before he turned on themp in the other corner of the room. Now the room was dimly lit. He walked back and sat behind me, with the aid box right next to him.


    "I will never make you ufortable, Hnie," he whispered. A sudden touch of the cotton bud against my wound made me nearly jump.


    "Hnie, this should have been dealt with earlier. It¡¯s a huge wound. How did you take so long to feel it?" he continued talking, and somehow, it helped me rx.


    "I don¡¯t know. I guess I was really stressed out about other stuff," I replied, much calmer now.


    "Hmm, anyway¡ªyou should¡ª" I found him go silent and still. He didn¡¯t touch me with the cotton bud again.


    "What happened?" I asked, curious about why he was so quiet, "Is it that bad?" I asked.


    "Huh? Actually, I will need to turn on the light to examine it well. It might have caught an infection, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll treat it well," his voice grew heavy, and his breathing became erratic.


    What was going on?


    "Oh!" I must have sounded suspicious because he quickly started exining.


    "Actually, there have been some thorns digging deeper into your skin. How did you not notice it?" he almost raised his voice, his tone had shifted so much now.


    "I¡ª you can turn on the light," I grew so afraid of the sound of thorns being in my skin that I didn¡¯t care about the light. I had initially been okay with him looking at my back only, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal anyway.


    However, as he got up to leave for the light switch, I stayed seated. He returned, and this time, I found him paying more attention to my wounds. He was cleaning them, but he had gonepletely silent now.


    After he had applied some ointment and bandaged the wound so that I couldfortably put my shirt back on, he stepped away from the bed.


    His bodynguage had changed so much.


    I quickly put on my shirt so that I could ask him what had happened. Why did he look so lost and confused?


    "What happened?" I inquired again since he kept running his hands through his hair and pacing around.


    "I didn¡¯t want¡ªto¡ªask you that. I thought I¡¯d just act like I didn¡¯t see it," he uttered, sounding so ufortable.


    "See what?" I asked out of curiosity. What did he see that shocked him so much?


    "Hnie, what are those marks on your back? Those cigarette marks and other wounds¡ªwhat are they?" My body seemed to freeze, and this weird, tight feeling in my chest took over when he mentioned the marks on my body.


    It had been so long that I thought I was born with them. I had seen them so many times that I just forgot they weren¡¯t there before.


    "Ohhhh!" I pped my forehead, my body shaking as I tried toe up with a lie. "Those marks¡ª" I let out an ufortableugh. "I used to um¡ªmy father¡ª" I sniffled, unable to get the words out. They weren¡¯t by anyone else but those alphas.


    The next thing I knew, he rushed over and held my arms, pulling me into his chest. Despite being in a state where anyone touching me made me ufortable, I foundfort in his arms, to the point where I quickly rested my hands on his chest and started sobbing.

 Chapter 285-His Sweet Confession

    <h4>Chapter 285: 285-His Sweet Confession</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "He used to avoid me like I didn¡¯t even exist. There were times when he could just walk past me¡ªno! Walk through me," I uttered, still sobbing as I spilled my heart to him. Although I couldn¡¯t tell him about the Alphas, I did speak about my father and my stepmother.


    "Hnie, tell me where they are, and I will fucking kill them in the worst way possible," he said, gripping my hands again. He pulled me slightly away, just enough to make his point, though I was still close, my hands resting on his chest and my eyes locked with his.


    If only I could tell him everything. I just couldn¡¯t. If I told him about the Alphas and he went after them, I would be asked to provide evidence. Then I wouldn¡¯t be able to take my revenge. They¡¯d be vignt, and I couldn¡¯t risk that.


    They will never understand the lengths I am willing to go to make them bow to me.


    "It was a long time ago. I was very young when I left the pack. I¡¯m sure my dad and stepmother left that pack as well," I lied, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me.


    From what Charlotte and Emma told me, my mother never revealed anything about my father being in the same pack. I¡¯m certain she didn¡¯t know herself. Thest time she spoke with him, my dad told her he¡¯d take me and leave for another pack to start anew, ensuring she would never find us.


    My mother must have lived her life believing my father abandoned the pack.


    "I don¡¯t hold that anger in my heart for them. But I want to transition so these scars go away," I added, though I didn¡¯t mean it.


    Those scars were the only thing I was terrified of losing.


    I didn¡¯t want them to fade until I had exact my revenge. They were my motivation. I owed it to my body to keep them.


    "I¡¯m sure you will," he said softly. "You just need to keep believing and wanting your wolf. Show the desire to transition." He paused, cing a hand on his forehead, his expression tightening. He seemed so infuriated, but I could tell he was keeping his anger in check for me. That much I knew.


    But I was already regretting bringing up my father. I had no idea how far he was willing to go to find them. And if he did, it would only spell disaster for me.


    It was then that I realized something: I wanted my wolf, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I truly wanted to transition. Could that doubt be what had silenced my wolf again?


    "Promise me something," I said softly, reaching for his hand. The moment our hands touched, I noticed how warm his hand was. Not just warm¡ªit felt like fire.


    "Hmm?" He lifted his head from the ground, his red eyes glistening with unshed tears.


    "You will not do anything without my permission. I don¡¯t want you going after my father. Whatever he was, whatever he may be, he¡¯s still my father. I could never bear for you¡ªor anyone¡ªto hurt him," I uttered, though the words felt hollow.


    It was true that knowing someone hurt my father would devastate me, but it wasn¡¯t as though he didn¡¯t deserve it. Still, the thought of him being harmed was too much.


    "You really do have a heart of gold, don¡¯t you?" Maximus smiled softly, raising my hand to his lips and kissing the back of it. For the first time, I didn¡¯t pull away.


    "Maximus, why is your body so hot?" I asked after a moment, noticing the warmth radiating from him. Letting it all out while he hugged me had made me feel better.


    "I¡¯m fine. I just¡ªokay, hear me out," he said quickly, dragging me over to the bed and gently making me sit down. He knelt in front of me, his gaze steady but filled with emotion.


    "I get very possessive over you, okay? I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the mate bond or something else, but I just... I get so angry when someone hurts you, upsets you, flirts with you, talks to you, or even looks at you. I never thought I had this in me, Hnie. But ever since I started seeing you differently, I¡¯ve just felt like¡ªugh! I think I¡¯ve fallen in love with you."


    My heart thundered in my chest as his words sank in. His confession was raw, almost explosive, leaving me speechless.


    "You don¡¯t have to feel the same way," he added quickly, as though afraid I¡¯d reject him. "I just needed to get it off my chest. I¡¯ve been trying¡ªtrust me, I¡¯ve tried my best not to fall for you. But you¡¯re... you¡¯re incredible. Your scent, oh Goddess, your scent. Whenever I get too close to you, it hits me like the most expensive drug, and I can¡¯t help myself," he rambled, his words tumbling out in a flurry that left me blushing.


    It wasn¡¯t as though I hadn¡¯t noticed it too. But the difference with Maximus was that he wasn¡¯t my fated mate. I had made no promises about anyone who wasn¡¯t my mate.


    "And you blushing gives me hope," he said with a pout, his tone softer now but no less intense.


    "No! Don¡¯t get any wrong ideas. Remember, we¡¯re stepsiblings," I said sharply, grimacing at the thought.


    "And you are my trainer, and also¡ª" he pointed a finger at me, cutting me off mid-sentence.


    "Is there anything else left that makes this taboo? Don¡¯t add any more titles," he said with a smirk. "As for me being your trainer, there¡¯s no such rule. I¡¯ll deal with the rest."


    His confidence made me frown and raise an eyebrow at him. He sounded so self-assured, so certain about us.


    "Anyway, you should go before anyone sees you in my room," I said, freeing my hand from his and pointing toward the door. I reminded him of the others in the mansion who might be lurking around. If Charlotte saw him here with me, she¡¯d go absolutely nuts.


    "Okay," he said with a sigh, but then he hesitated. "At least let me kiss you on the cheek. Please¡ªa goodnight kiss."


    His request was so endearing that I almost gave in. Almost. I bit my lip, torn between saying yes and declining outright.


    He seemed to take my silence as a yes. Leaning in closer, he gently pressed his lips to my cheek. His touch was soft,forting, and respectful in a way that made my heart flutter. The fact that he¡¯d asked for my permission only deepened that feeling.

 Chapter 286-Stand For Me

    <h4>Chapter 286: 286-Stand For Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Maximus left that night, leaving my heart warm with the glow of his emotions.


    I had already gone to sleep but received a text from Maximus about what to expect in the morning.


    He reminded me about my first day at job with him. The n was simple: we¡¯d wake up, get ready, go to the garage to pick up some weapons, and then head to the woods down the mountains. Maximus would test the weapons while I wrote about them in detail.


    I woke up early but made sure to text Lamar.


    Me: Are you still upset with me?


    Lamar: No! I¡¯m fine. Sorry I acted childish yesterday. I should¡¯ve understood that as a victim, you have so many triggers, and one of them is sharing your life or secrets with anyone.


    Tears filled my eyes at how thoughtful he was.


    Me: Thank you, Lamar. Your understanding means so much to me.


    Lamar: Yeah! I just wish Jenny had understood that too.


    Me: It must be hard staying in the motel room where you and Jenny¡ª


    Lamar: I know. We had sex all night. On the bed¡ªon the floor¡ªon the balcony¡ªand even in the bathroom¡ª


    Me: Okay, stop it. Stop rubbing your amazing sex life in my face.


    Lamar: All I need to do is take Rayden down.


    Lamar: And I will. There¡¯s a meeting in two days where all the students will be gathered at the academy. I¡¯ll put a deadly viper in Rayden¡¯s locker. Just wait and watch what happens.


    I shook my head with a littleugh escaping my lips as I got out of bed to take a shower. After getting ready, I left the room for breakfast.


    Everyone was already gone for work, so it was just me at the table.


    Or so I thought.


    "Mom, I should have woken up earlier. One day I sleep in, and I have to share the table with a stranger," Charlotte walked into view, taking a seat and making sure to remind me I didn¡¯t belong in the house.


    I didn¡¯t even look up from my te to respond. It was so strange living with them and not interacting at all¡ªexcept when they threw jabs at me orughed when I walked past them.


    "Avoid her, she¡¯s a troublemaker. Eat well, and then get ready. I¡¯ll ask Maximus to take you out for shopping today," Emma said as she sat next to her daughter, filling her te and doting on her. What she said made me perk up.


    Maximus was going to be busy today? He must¡¯ve changed his ns.


    "Oh yes, I need some stuff," Charlotte giggled, probably lying. She didn¡¯t need anything¡ªshe just wanted Maximus and his attention.


    I kept eating, ignoring their chatter, though once in a while they threw snide remarks my way.


    "Morning," a voice startled me. Maybe because I didn¡¯t expect someone kind and sweet to sit in front of me. Charlotte and Emma¡¯s negativity had drained me.


    I looked up and smiled at Maximus, who was dressed in ck pants, a white shirt, and a ck leather jacket.


    "Excited for today?" Maximus asked, but Emma interrupted him by snatching his te to fill it.


    "Thanks, Emma, but I like to fill my te myself," he said, taking it back from her and rolling his eyes discreetly¡ªthough I noticed.


    "Maximus, Mom made banana pancakes today," Charlotte announced, as if they were some rare treat. Those pancakes were made every day, but I hadn¡¯t realized Emma cooked them today.


    Maximus didn¡¯t respond to her, but while taking a bite, he gestured at me with his fork. "All set for the first day?"


    It seemed like the question had been on his mind, and he was eager for an answer.


    "Yes," I replied shyly, partly because he was paying so much attention to me and partly because he was standing his ground against those two cruel people.


    "Excited for what? Did you two make a n?" Charlotte suddenly got up from her spot, quickly changing seats to sit right next to Maximus as she asked him.


    Emma immediately raised her gaze to re at me, as if I¡¯d caused her daughter to feel uneasy.


    "No!" Maximus shook his head, but as soon as Charlotte smiled in relief, he added, "A job isn¡¯t a n. She¡¯s starting to work with me today."


    Charlotte wasn¡¯t great at hiding her true feelings. Her jaw literally dropped, and she stared at me in disbelief.


    Emma, understanding her daughter¡¯s reaction, decided to help her by confronting me.


    "You¡¯re going to work with him? Do you even know the kind of work he does? Won¡¯t it be too much for you, standing in the woods and watching him shoot dangerous weapons?" Emma started bitterly. "You¡¯ll just end up crying after every shot and wasting his time. Why can¡¯t you do some work more suited to your skills?" She mmed her fist on the table, and my fists clenched in response.


    But I stayed quiet because it seemed like Maximus had something to say.


    "And what exactly do you suggest would be a better job for her?" Maximus asked, his voice calm and steady.


    I would¡¯ve taken it as a warning to back out, but the mother-daughter duo seemedpletely oblivious.


    With a strange smirk on her lips, Emma replied, "She could clean the mansion. We¡¯d pay her for it."


    Her daughter let out augh, quickly covering her mouth with her fist to make it look like she was trying not tough. But the joke was so funny to her that she couldn¡¯t hold back.


    What bothered me was that I couldn¡¯t understand the point of her remark.


    "Really?" Maximus grunted, closing his eyes briefly.


    "Yes, she¡ª" Charlotte began, but Maximus turned his head to re at her. The look he gave her wiped the smile off her face immediately.


    "Who are you two to suggest what Hnie should do in her home or with her life? Don¡¯t forget, you¡¯re living here as guests. You don¡¯t even have any real ties to anyone here. So next time you interfere, remember yourne," he groaned loudly, muttering every word through clenched teeth.

 Chapter 287-Kiss The Snake

    <h4>Chapter 287: 287-Kiss The Snake</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    "But I was just speaking for you. Now, see, you have to take Charlotte out for shopping--," as Emma continued to make her point clear, Maximus¡¯s confused expression not only caught my attention but also Emma¡¯s.


    "Oh, it¡¯s just that she needs a few things," Emmaughed like it was something funny.


    "I have to? That¡¯s quite a strong statement. Anyway, you can take her. Why should I? She¡¯s not my responsibility. As for Hnie and this job--," he stopped when I shifted in my seat, ready to speak for myself now that Maximus had already given them something embarrassing to think about.


    "I don¡¯t mind cleaning the mansion or cooking for money. Every type of work is work, and I respect hard workers. However, it was Lord McQuoid¡¯s wish that I work for Maximus, and it¡¯s also something right in my field. Don¡¯t worry, if I ever felt like crying, I¡¯d borrow your shoulder since this is where your daughter cries all the time too," I said with a smile, which instantly made Emma¡¯s face fall.


    She looked like she was about to cry. But more than that, she probably would have tackled me if Maximus hadn¡¯t been sitting right next to her.


    Charlotte pouted, biting the inside of her cheek to keep herself from crying in front of us.


    "See! You should learn from Hnie. Every job is respectable. So, I think Charlotte should start working at the mansion, right? Sitting at home doing nothing and picking on everyone is a bad habit," Maximus said with a wide grin, while Charlotte¡¯s one lonely tear slipped down her cheek.


    "Anyway. Hnie, if you¡¯re ready, we should head to my garage," Maximus wiped his mouth and stood up. I quickly got up after him, figuring Charlotte needed some alone time to collect her thoughts--or maybe cry on her mother¡¯s shoulder.


    "My daughter is always very hard-working--," Emma tried to defend Charlotte, but it was a little toote.


    Maximus and I were already out of sight, heading toward the exit. For the first time, he had me sit in the passenger seat with him.


    "What are these?" I asked, frowning as I noticed the adorable kawaii notebooks and pens on the dashboard, along with keychainsbeled "Hnie" hanging from them.


    "These are for you. You¡¯ll be writing down the progress on the weapons, so I thought you might like these," he shrugged, making me smile slightly.


    Did he really think I was a kid who would enjoy this kind of stationery?


    "You know I can write on anything--oh look! A poppit diary!" I suddenly eximed, bouncing in my seat as I pressed the poppit bubbles on the cover.


    "I knew it," hemented with augh.


    We made it to his garage and hurried inside to grab the weapons.


    "We¡¯ll only test two today," he muttered, gesturing for me to grab one of the boxes while he picked up another.


    I was d he was including me, though I wouldn¡¯t have minded if he thought I shouldn¡¯t carry anything. I wasn¡¯t the type to overanalyze every action. I hated being judged for small things, so I didn¡¯t want to do that to anyone else.


    He drove us to the woods, and soon we were walking deeper into them to examine the weapons.


    "So, what are these weapons?" I asked, holding the notebook he had given me.


    "It¡¯s called the Venom¡¯s Kiss dagger," Maximus exined, prompting me to start jotting down notes.


    "See these jagged edges? When the dagger is dipped in venom, the silver in these grooves holds the venom securely. When someone is stabbed, the venom causes their flesh to attack itself. Not only that, but with every passing hour, the victim starts hallucinating. They relive memories--some that traumatized them and others they¡¯re proud of--over and over again."


    His words sent shivers down my spine.


    These were some dangerous weapons. If they fell into the wrong hands, the werewolf world could very well be doomed.


    "Wow!" I eximed.


    "Impressed? Wait until you see the next one," he smirked. "Thanks to Kaye too. It¡¯s because of his knowledge of herbs that we¡¯re able to put together such weapons."


    "But where do you guys use them? I mean, do you use them in wars?" I asked, and he nodded.


    "Do you sell them to the packs too?" I continued writing.


    "No! That¡¯s the part that has upset many pack members. They want us to sell them these weapons. But we don¡¯t want just anyone having this kind of power. Whenever these weapons are needed, my brothers and I go personally to use them," Maximus said, giving me a sense of hope as he exined that they don¡¯t just give these weapons out to anyone in the pack.


    "Now this--," he brought out arge dagger that was shaped like a snake.


    "Hnie! This one is called snake¡¯s target. Once I drop this one--" he started, "it wille to life. In the next two minutes, it will search for its victim to bite," he exined, holding the snake-like arrow.


    My hands were shaking as I wrote about this one. I didn¡¯t like snakes. In fact, I was terrified of them.


    "How does it find a victim?" I asked, watching him smirk with pride.


    "The one who kisses its tail bes the master. Theyunch it in the direction of the enemy, and the snake kind of sees through its master¡¯s eyes," he said, looking so proud of himself. He stared at the tree for a moment before holding the dagger close to his lips, then turned to me and changed his mind.


    "You do it," he offered.


    I hesitated for a second, then, with trembling hands, I epted it. He watched as I kissed the dagger on its tail and thenunched it.


    As soon as it hit the ground, the dagger transformed into a silver snake.


    "No!" Maximus stepped behind me, knowing I would react in fear. He wrapped his arms around me to help me stay still and focus on my target.


    I wanted to aim for the tree, but somehow, Rayden¡¯s face kept shing before my eyes.


    The next thing I knew, the snake had sped way past the tree.


    "What the heck! Hnie, who did you imagine?" Maximus jumped in front of me to ask.


    "Rayden!" I muttered, my voice shaking.

 Chapter 288-The Guys Vs Me

    <h4>Chapter 288: 288-The Guys Vs Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    "He is at Benita¡¯s caf¨¦ right now," Maximus informed me as we rushed in his car to find him. The snake was headed towards Rayden, and if it bit him, Maximus would be in so much trouble for not being careful with his weapons.


    I¡¯m not gonna lie, I might even get expelled from the academy for using the weapon so recklessly.


    "Hey, don¡¯t feel so bad. It will be fine. Just keep looking at the road. It might have even changed back to its dagger form," Maximus must¡¯ve noticed how anxiously I had been rubbing my hands together. I was honestly terrified for both of us if the weapon was used recklessly.


    "You said two minutes, two minutes are up. So maybe--" I gulped when I remembered how it sprinted towards its target.


    "Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. We¡¯re fine," he didn¡¯t sound too reassuring himself. I guess because we were in parts of the woods that were close to the caf¨¦, and the snake was moving with magical speed.


    "He will be fine. The only issue is that somebody might grab the dagger if they find it lying around like that," Maximus exined again.


    That¡¯s why these kinds of weapons are supposed to be used with much care.


    "I guess Emma was right. It¡¯s a job of responsibility," I sighed, shaking my head and feeling bad about getting Maximus in trouble.


    "No! She wasn¡¯t right. Your real ce is right beside me. Hnie, you need to learn all these things better than the others. Because after our marriage, you¡¯ll be helping me a lot with my business. I¡¯ll need you to take control," he said the words so casually that it took me a minute before I realized what he was saying.


    But I was so anxious that I didn¡¯t want to argue or talk about anything else. I kept my eyes on the road, but I swear I could see a little tint of redness on my cheek through the mirror.


    "There," Maximus yelled as he spotted something on the road.


    "That is the dagger," I jumped up and sat up in excitement.


    "It¡¯s probably twenty minutes away from the caf¨¦." I got out, checking the time. Thankfully, it was a deserted road, so nobody saw the dagger and grabbed it. Maximus grabbed it and put it back in the box with a lock on it.


    "Now! Feeling better?" Maximus asked me, smiling as he leaned back in his chair, his face turned towards me.


    "Much better," I replied with a deep sigh.


    "Now that we¡¯re already here, how about we grab something to eat as well?" he suggested, sounding very concerned. He had expressed his worry about me not eating well throughout the day. I didn¡¯t even know he had been paying such close attention to me.


    "Yeah, sure," I said half absent-mindedly. I wasn¡¯t sure if I would be okay going to a caf¨¦ where Rayden would be. Did Maximus not remember he would be there? Why was he okay with being seen with me?


    "Actually, Rayden--" I shut up when Maximus raised his finger, as he understood what I was about to say.


    "Don¡¯t worry about that. You can tell them I have hired you," he quickly helped me with my concern. I gave him a nod, relying on him.


    Once we reached the caf¨¦ and got out, we were greeted by a sight we didn¡¯t expect to encounter right away.


    Outside the caf¨¦ stood Arlo and Rayden, hands on each other¡¯s cors and yelling at each other. They both had bloody noses and looked like a mess.


    "Just stop it!" Jenny screamed, pacing back and forth anxiously. Rayden had already healed, but his behavior remained the same--always troublesome.


    "Do you think I won¡¯t find out? You were scared I would take over your top senior badge since there are only a handful," Rayden was yelling, shaking Arlo¡¯s body.


    "Fucking let him go," Riri yelled from the other side, making me roll my eyes at her being present at the scene. She seemed much weaker now. Probably from the stress of being expelled.


    "No! Let me have a word with this bastard. There are only a handful of badges, and since Riri left, you could get hers. Why would I try to get you killed to secure my badge when my badge isn¡¯t even in danger?" Arlo punched Rayden in the face, and he tumbled down onto the road. But he was quick to get up again and throw a punch at Arlo, which made Arlo lose his bnce and go down with a thud.


    "Now that¡¯s messy," Maximus hissed, briskly walking towards them. He was so big and broad, and when he approached them, they seemed like ants before him.


    He rushed between the two and extended his arms, cing his hands on each of their chests as he pushed them far apart.


    "I will not let any of you ruin our academy¡¯s reputation!" Maximus yelled, ring at Rayden for wearing the red jacket while causing chaos.


    Benita was standing outside the caf¨¦, looking worried too.


    "Go inside and take care of your customers. I¡¯ll take care of these nuisances," Maximus yelled at Benita, who jumped to her feet and turned to leave. But not before she narrowed her eyes to acknowledge my presence.


    Now that it was only us, Maximus grunted and pped Rayden on his head, then hit Arlo.


    "Start talking now," Maximus yelled.


    In that moment, Jenny sneakily walked over to stand beside me. She gently pinched my sweater, but I shrugged her hand off and took a few steps away from her, maintaining my distance because I knew what wasing next.


    "He nned the whole lycan kill-me thing. It was his idea," Rayden began, causing a gulp to run down my throat.


    "What?" Maximus seemed shocked at the revtion.


    "That¡¯s a lie. Why would I do that? I was part of that n. It just doesn¡¯t make any sense," Arlo exined. He wasn¡¯t lying, though. I was the one who had made up that lie.


    "Really? Then why did you make Hnie rece my water and also tell her that you wanted me dead?" Rayden pointed at me, heads turning to me one by one. Jenny¡¯s gasp was why I didn¡¯t want to stand close to her.

 Chapter 289-Like An Innocent One

    <h4>Chapter 289: 289-Like An Innocent One</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Oh, she did." It was the way Riri rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest that made me realize she was already implying I was the cause of their fight.


    "Hnie, is it true? Did Arlo tell you to sabotage Rayden¡¯s n?" Maximus used a much softer and calmer tone when confronting me. Jenny¡¯s eyes were also fixed on me.


    "She did. Tell him, Hnie, what you told me," Rayden insisted. Just then, another car stopped behind us, distracting us for a moment.


    Norman stepped out of the car, looking intimidating as he approached us. He took off his sses, and the first thing he did was cast a quick nce at me before heading over to Rayden and Arlo.


    He must think I¡¯m always caught up in some mess.


    The next thing he did was grab both of them by their cors--one hand on each--and pull them closer. "Now fight. We¡¯ll watch you two fight to the death."


    He shook their bodies and yelled this time, "Do it! You love fighting, don¡¯t you? Your alpha egos are so inted, so let it out. Let¡¯s watch you fight and die."


    His voice was so deep and heavy that goosebumps quickly spread over my skin. I was terrified he¡¯d turn his attention to me in this state.


    His cheeks were flushed red with anger. The veins on his neck were bulging too. I could tell someone had called him and informed him about his students causing trouble in the pack. That¡¯s why he was so furious. He hated anyone tarnishing the academy¡¯s reputation; he had always spoken against it.


    "Sir, he attacked me while I was minding my own business," Arlo said, his usual loud and prideful attitude nowhere to be found as Norman gripped his cor.


    Norman shoved him back, making himnd on the road while Riri rushed to his aid. But now, Norman was giving Rayden his full attention.


    "What¡¯s your problem, huh? Can¡¯t control your alpha ego?" Norman kept holding him with one hand, lifting Rayden off the ground so they were eye level.


    "Sir, I--I was angry because of what he did to me in the woods," Rayden stuttered.


    It was almost amusing how their alpha egos crumbled whenever someone stronger confronted them.


    "Exin," Norman barked, pushing him back and standing in front of him with his arms crossed over his chest. His biceps were so big that it seemed hard for him to fold his armspletely.


    "Hnie told me everything about that night," Rayden began again, mentioning my name, and once more, all eyes turned to me.


    "Sir, Hnie told Rayden that it was Arlo who had ckmailed and threatened her to rece the water in Rayden¡¯s gun so he would get killed by the lycan." Of course, it was Riri stepping forward to exin what I did that was so terrible that the others were still dealing with the consequences.


    Norman raised his head and red at me. "Did you--" His voice was heavy and thick when he started speaking, but he suddenly stopped and cleared his throat. The next time he spoke, his tone was much softer. "Did you tell him that?"


    The change in his tone was surprising. I froze at his behavior before shaking my head.


    "No! I didn¡¯t. I told him exactly what I said in front of you," I reminded Norman about that day. He frowned, turning back to Rayden.


    "Huh? No! She said Arlo was the one behind the attack," Rayden imed loudly, pointing at me and then at Arlo.


    "I never did," I said firmly, defending myself.


    "Rayden! You know you¡¯re shamelessly lying in front of me, don¡¯t you?" Norman groaned, biting his tongue as if struggling to contain his anger.


    "Sir, she came to the hospital afterward and told me it was Arlo--" Rayden stopped abruptly when Norman shot him a harsh re.


    "She came with me, and she didn¡¯t even say anything. I was the one who exined to you that her gun had been left broken in the woods and that it was the senior students¡¯ fault for mixing the water, silver, and wolfsbane ratios wrong. She never mentioned Arlo once. And as far as I know, she didn¡¯t leave toe to the hospital again either," Norman said, staring him down.


    "Umm," Rayden gulped, rubbing his face with his hands, lookingpletely lost.


    "Maybe I was--under the influence of medicine and imagined it?" Rayden tried to make sense of why he thought he had seen me visit him. To him, it might¡¯ve been a hallucination, but it seemed like Norman and Maximus thought otherwise.


    "Yeah, it was the medicine," Norman grunted. "Now go back inside, apologize, and clean up the mess you made. And you will do it alone," Norman barked at Rayden, whose face turned pale at the thought of cleaning.


    I could tell it would feel like a punishment worse than death for him. But since Norman was already ring at him, he hurried inside toplete his task.


    Jenny lingered around but left after Riri and Arlo had gone, following Rayden shortly after.


    "It seems like he¡¯s using the excuse of medicine to lie about Hnie," Maximus said to his brother, who nodded.


    "I remember it vividly. He wasn¡¯t that intoxicated. He¡¯s obviously lying. He didn¡¯t think I woulde here to expose his lies," Norman muttered.


    I stood behind them like a fragile girl with no clue why this man was lying about me.


    "He¡¯s being reckless, Hnie. You will report to us if he tries anything else against you," Norman added. They had already uncovered several instances where Rayden had tried to harm me or cause trouble, so now they were paying close attention to his behavior toward me.


    "I¡¯ll tear apart every organ in his body if he says her name one more time. Enough is enough--he keeps lying about her," Maximus said without holding back his anger.


    Norman tilted his head toward us, his expression unreadable. It seemed like he was trying to figure out what was going on between Maximus and me.

 Chapter 290-I Take My Own Stand Now

    <h4>Chapter 290: 290-I Take My Own Stand Now</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "We were heading to the caf¨¦ to grab something to eat after work," Maximus exined to his brother, who was sitting in the passenger seat next to him. We were now on our way back home.


    I wondered what Jenny was thinking. But knowing she was on a date with Rayden when her mate spotted Arlo and picked up a fight. After all the chaos, we sat silently in the car, and Norman told the driver to take us home. I sat in the backseat, doodling in my notebook to avoid showing any expressions.


    Norman had adjusted the mirror in such a way that if I lifted my head, I swear our eyes would meet. I am sure he was examining my bodynguage after Rayden used me of telling him that it was Arlo, who wanted him dead. But thankfully, I seemed convincing enough to them.


    Once we arrived at the mansion, I handed Maximus the notebook containing the notes from today¡¯s work and rushed inside to avoid running into anyone else. I knew Rayden would confront me when no one was around.


    The minute I entered my room, I was shocked to see Charlotte sitting in the chair, reading a book that Emmet had given me when I first arrived at the mansion.


    "What are you doing here?" I asked sharply, sounding instantly irritated. Somehow, it made her scoff and roll her eyes at me.


    "This is my mansion; I can go wherever I want," she replied, pretending to be engrossed in the book. In reality, I knew she didn¡¯t like reading. I¡¯d heard the maids and even her mother scold her for not studying or doing anything useful with her life.


    "Well¡ª," I marched up to her and snatched the book out of her hands, shocking her, obviously. She didn¡¯t know I could stand up for myself. Just because I usually let Maximus stand up for me, she probably thought I was an easy target. That¡¯s why she hade to my room to bully me in private.


    "Hnie, you¡¯ve been losing your mindtely. This kind of behavior isn¡¯t eptable towards the owner of the house," she pointed to herself, her eyes already glistening with tears of anger.


    Every time someone gave her a harsh response, she would tear up like she was being treated unfairly.


    "Owner? Didn¡¯t Maximus tell you what you really are? Just a guest," I reminded her of the morning¡¯s incident, which made her clench her jaw even harder.


    "He only said that because he was upset with me. We have our own arguments and personal issues," she managed to steady her voice and cleared her throat. Her fingers reached for a strand of her hair, which she began twisting nervously.


    "Oh really? Funny how he¡¯s always arguing with you. Aren¡¯t you tired of trying too hard?" I said mockingly, folding my arms across my chest and tapping my foot on the floor.


    She looked flustered at my statement or maybe realized I knew a little too much about her and Maximus.


    "What do you mean?" she asked, swallowing hard, the motion of her throat clearly visible to me.


    "You know what I mean. Now get out!" I pointed at the door, and as I stepped aside to have a clear view of it, I saw Norman standing there.


    Charlotte noticed him too, so she immediately began her act of ying the victim, pretending I was mistreating her. I had expected this, so I turned to look directly at her face.


    "I just wanted to spend some time with you. But I guess¡ªyou hate everyone who cares about you because you¡¯re such a big shot now, being part of the academy," she said, her voice shaky and tears spilling from her eyes. Her acting was so convincing that if I had heard her use those lines on someone else, I might have believed her too. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Norman fell for it.


    "Charlotte!" he said her name firmly, and she yelped, pretending not to have noticed him earlier. She quickly stood up and lowered her head, sniffing to make it seem like she was trying to hide her tears.


    "Didn¡¯t your mother teach you not to enter someone¡¯s room without their permission?" Coming from Norman, it sounded even more cutting. He had a strange way of delivering harsh words that felt like a p to the face. Charlotte looked taken aback, possibly not expecting such a cold response, even with her impressive acting skills.


    "But I¡¯m her cousin¡ª," she started, only for Norman to cut her off.


    "Shush! Still¡ªnot allowed. Now leave. I need to speak with Hnie," he said sharply, a permanent frown on his face. He stepped aside to give her room to leave.


    Charlotte didn¡¯t raise her head as she rushed out of the room, her eyes brimming with fresh tears.


    This time, they were real.


    Once she was gone, I shifted my focus to Norman. I had a feeling he had something important to say.


    "Try to stay away from Rayden. If things aren¡¯t improving, you should avoid him at all costs," he advised, his hands in his pockets.


    I nodded and then asked, "There¡¯s a meetup at the academy. What¡¯s it about?"


    Norman shrugged, which only confused me more.


    So even he didn¡¯t know the reason for the meeting?


    "Emmet called for it. He says he has a good reason, so I¡¯m trusting him. Don¡¯t worry about it; he¡¯ll handle everything," Norman exined, sounding tired. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he was getting enough sleep.


    He always looked alert and healthy, thanks to his constant workouts, but there were times when his exhaustion was impossible to ignore.


    "Okay, thank you!" I replied, breaking the silence.


    Norman nced around my room without moving from his spot. There was something unsettling about his quietness, like a storm brewing beneath his calm exterior.


    "Anyway, make sure you attend lunch. Dad has an announcement to make," he added before turning and leaving the room like a bullet fired from a gun.

 Chapter 291-That Is A Disaster

    <h4>Chapter 291: 291-That Is A Disaster</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    My mom seemed to be in a very good mood. She sat with her hand extended on the table, and Lord McQuoid was holding it. Charlotte looked partially gloomy, but her eyes were glued to me. As for Emma, she had a huge, fake smile stered on her confused face, making me wonder if she even knew what was going on.


    The brothers, as usual, didn¡¯t show much enthusiasm. I had a feeling this had something to do with the business deal Lord McQuoid had been trying to make with the packs.


    "Now that everyone is here, I would like to make an announcement," Lord McQuoid cleared his throat, adjusting himself in his chair, but not once did he let go of my mother¡¯s hand.


    Maximus held a spoon and fork in his hands, his te piled with food. His hands trembled as if he couldn¡¯t wait to start eating, clearly uninterested in whatever his father had to say.


    Kaye looked upset, his head bowed but his eyes raised, fixed on his father. Emmet seemed physically present but mentally far away. Then there was Norman, his lips slightly pursed as he tapped his fingers against the ss of expensive wine meant for the asion.


    "It has been a long time since I introduced you all to my new mate. She is my charm, the light of my life. Without her, I can¡¯t imagine living another day. Truly. She has such an impact on my life that I feel obligated to love her endlessly. Whenever I¡¯m down, and there¡¯s no one to hear the cries of my heart, shees like a warm ray of sunlight and lifts my spirits," Lord McQuoid said, his words full of emotion.


    They were powerful words, especially about a woman who was theplete opposite of how she was as a mother.


    She might not have been a good mother, but as a mate, she seemed to be a perfect choice, judging by the way Lord McQuoid praised her.


    "So, it¡¯s time I hold this hand and slip a beautiful ring onto her finger," he announced.


    The moment he said it, I watched the brothers snap their gazes toward him. Maximus dropped his fork and spoon onto his te, ncing at his brothers to confirm that they were just as shocked and upset as he was. They were. None of them looked happy.


    Charlotte met my gaze, a smirk spreading across her face. She knew about my strained rtionship with my mother, so it must have been amusing for her to see me ignored by her now that she was officially bing the rogue king¡¯s wife and mate.


    As for Emma, she opened her mouth in shock, covering it with her hand before pping enthusiastically. It felt fake to me. But that¡¯s exactly who she and her mother were¡ªalways fake and phony.


    I didn¡¯t show much reaction but lowered my head. I wasn¡¯t too happy either. Somehow, this news felt devastating to me.


    I was mates with two of these brothers and attracted to the third, who was slowly proving that I could be loved and cherished too. But now, seeing them as my stepbrothers would make things incredibly hard¡ªand a taboo for most.


    "I am announcing a grand engagement ceremony, just as she deserves, for next week. I hope you all will be as happy for me as I¡¯ve been for your sesses," Lord McQuoid¡¯s voice wavered slightly as he nced at his sons, wanting them to share in his joy.


    Of course, they weren¡¯t happy. But as Lord McQuoid raised his ss to toast, Maximus abruptly got up to leave.


    However, Norman grabbed his arm and gestured for him to sit back down. The smile on my mother¡¯s face had disappeared.


    Lord McQuoid¡¯s eyes glistened with unshed tears. When Maximus reluctantly sat down, Emmet raised his ss steadily. Next was Norman, who followed suit. Then came Kaye and Maximus, but instead of toasting, Maximus started downing his wine like there was no tomorrow.


    Their father watched them with visible disappointment but quickly pretended it wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    "Cheers to the couple!" Charlotte shouted, raising her ss with exaggerated enthusiasm, making my mother and Lord McQuoid smile at her.


    "Now, shall we start dinner?" Emma giggled excessively, but there was something unsettling in herughter. She was showing her lower teeth too much, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it meant.


    Once dinner ended, I went straight to my room. I wasn¡¯t feeling well either.


    I sat on my bed, fingers grazing my pendant as I stared out the window. My revenge against Ryadan was progressing. So far, I had managed to weaken him. But I needed one decisive blow before facing him in battle.


    "I need to learn to fight," I said aloud, jumping up with renewed determination and nting my feet on the floor, fists clenched.


    "Okay, show me what I need to do," I muttered, setting up a video tutorial to teach me some moves. This wasn¡¯t the first time I was doing this.


    I had been learning from videos and practicing in my room, but I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Icked discipline.


    "Haiyyaa!" I yelled, aiming a kick at the pillow, which went flying across the room and knocked over themp.


    "Oops!" I yelled, and as I hurried to fix themp, I heard a knock on the door.


    "Wait a minute," I called out, quickly setting themp upright again before going to answer the door.


    Standing there was Maximus, and he looked like a mess.


    "Maximus, what happened to you?" I asked, ncing around to ensure nobody was watching us interact.


    "Hnie, I don¡¯t want to be your stepbrother," he said, his voice filled with urgency, his eyes looking at me with so much affection it made my heart skip a beat.


    "I know," I replied, feeling exhausted and helpless, unsure what could even be done at this point.


    "Tell me if you¡¯re ready to hold my hand. I¡¯ll crash this engagement ceremony," he said, his words catching me off guard.


    My jaw dropped at his bold demand.


    I swallowed hard, taking a step back from him as the weight of his words settled over me.

 Chapter 292-Giving My Stepbrother A Chance

    <h4>Chapter 292: 292-Giving My Stepbrother A Chance</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Maximus, what are you saying?" I wasn¡¯t sure if he was even in his right mind. He seemed drunk and probably didn¡¯t even know what he was talking about.


    "Tell me, Hnie. Can you give me a chance in your life? I¡¯m not asking you to ept me right away, but at least let me stop this engagement so we can figure out our own... rtionship," he pleaded, his eyes looking like they were about to overflow with tears.


    I was worried about him. Seeing him so upset wasn¡¯t something I was prepared for. And it confused me how deeply concerned I felt seeing him like this.


    "Tell me, what do you feel about me?" he insisted, stepping inside so he could enter my room. I had to step back to maintain some distance.


    "There¡¯s so much you don¡¯t even know about me¡ª," I started rambling, but he quickly hushed me.


    "First, tell me. Do you even feel anything for me?" he asked, bending down and resting his hands on his knees. "I want to date you. Let¡¯s see if you can fall for me. Tell me if you even like me, even a little," he demanded, his eyes shimmering with tears.


    I had never known he could be so broken because of me.


    "Tell me," he pressed again, his voice louder now. The reflexive answer slipped out of me instantly.


    "Yes!"


    That was all I said before his face lit up. He cupped my cheeks in his hands and pulled me closer. The moment his lips touched mine, the unease in my body started to fade.


    It felt strange. I thought I hated being touched by anyone now. Was my body healing? First Kaye, and now Maximus.


    But then, I remembered Lord McQuoid¡¯s announcement, and I gently pulled away from the kiss. I hadn¡¯t even had the chance to savor it properly before the thought hit me hard.


    "Hnie, just let me take care of everything," he said, suddenly sounding so reassured.


    "Maximus, I do have feelings for you, but that doesn¡¯t mean¡ª," I tried exining, but he seemed to already know where I was going with it.


    "I just want to date you first. I know where I stand, but it¡¯ll help you figure out where you stand and if you want to ept me as your mate and husband," he said with understanding in his voice.


    I knew I had answered his question and given him hope, but there was a part of me that couldn¡¯t stop worrying about so many things.


    About his brothers being my mates, about my mother being his stepsister, about my revenge, and even about my own mental health.


    "It¡¯s okay. Whatever it is that you think I don¡¯t know, you can share it with me. I won¡¯t judge. I¡¯m just so happy¡ª," he said, excitedly jumping up and down before forcing himself to act moreposed. "Hey, don¡¯t be too worried. I¡¯ll make sure to stop this engagement."


    But this was the moment I had to stop him. "You have to wait first. Don¡¯t do anything until I say so. Because, Maximus, I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m ready to date you yet. Let the engagement pass¡ªit¡¯s not like it¡¯s their mating ceremony."


    I didn¡¯t know why I felt so uneasy. I knew he wasn¡¯t my fated mate, so I didn¡¯t have to worry about the promise I made to the Moon Goddess about not epting anyone she chose for me. But still, there was something Kaye needed to do before I could move forward and date Maximus.


    Yes, I was enjoying Maximus¡¯pany. And it felt like it was about time I let someone into my life¡ªnot to mark me or fully ept me, but at least to show me that I could have a happy life, too. And Maximus was someone who had recently touched my heart.


    "But Hnie, that would be toote. This engagement will announce their rtionship to the world," he said, shaking his head in disapproval.


    "The world already knows, Maximus," I replied, and he let out a sigh.


    "I just need to do something, and then¡ª" I paused, but he smiled even brighter.


    "And then you¡¯ll date me, right? Damn it! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ll actually be mine," he said with a happy sigh, cing his hands on his waist.


    Was it really such a big deal for him to date me?


    He seemed so happy about it. I knew I¡¯d face harsh criticism from the academy students, from his brothers, and even from my mother, who mighte for my throat. But I would be happy.


    If I could fight for myself, I could fight for my love, too.


    "Maximus, just don¡¯t celebrate too soon. Once I¡¯ve taken care of this one thing, I¡¯ll need you to sit down and listen to me. There¡¯s a lot, like I said, that you need to know about me. And I¡¯m not sure if that will change how you see me. That¡¯s why I want you to make your decision after you¡¯ve heard everything," I said nervously, pacing back and forth, likely confusing him even more.


    "You don¡¯t even know anything about me yet. Not even that I couldn¡¯t get to celebrate my eighteenth birthday. There is so much," I suddenly stopped talking. That eighteenth birthday that I wanted to celebrate so bad got me in trouble.


    "There¡¯s nothing you could say that would make me love you any less. I¡¯ll be waiting," he said lovingly, his tone always so soft when he spoke to me.


    "But tell me, what were you doing before I got here?" he asked, raising a brow as his gaze fell on the pillow on the floor.


    Then his eyes moved to my phone, where a video was still ying. He tilted his head slightly, then nodded as if piecing together what I had been up to.


    "You want to learn to fight? Is it for Norman¡¯s sses?" he asked. Of course, he had no idea it was for something else entirely. But sure, it would help me with thebat ss as well.


    "How about this¡ªI¡¯ll ask Norman to give you lessons. I could teach you myself, but I¡¯m not a great teacher, just a good fighter. Norman, on the other hand, has proper lessons nned out. If he could tutor you before his sses officially start, you¡¯d be ready for them. What do you think?"


    His suggestion would have been perfect¡ªif only it had been about anyone other than Norman.


    But one has to bow before the buffoon in times of need.


    So, with a gentle nod of my head, I epted his offer. "That would be so helpful," I replied.

 Chapter 293-The Pregnancy Test

    <h4>Chapter 293: 293-The Pregnancy Test</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    I returned to my room with so many theories running through my head. I noticed that Hnie didn¡¯t look happy about her mother marrying our father. That was probably because her mother didn¡¯t want her around either, so celebrating her good news wasn¡¯t likely on her list.


    I didn¡¯t care about her mother. She could marry or not marry my father¡ªit didn¡¯t matter to me.


    But my brothers were upset; that much was obvious. Kaye and Maximus missed their childhood, hence there was something missing in their maturity. They med Urs too hard for ruining my parent¡¯s rtionship, but my parents weren¡¯t innocent either.


    "Emmet!" A knock on the door¡ªtwo quick taps followed by two louder ones¡ªalready told me who it was.


    "Come in, Norman," I called, ncing at the clock. He walked in but suddenly froze when he noticed what I was doing.


    "It¡¯ll be midnight soon. Are you okay?" Norman stood beside me, his eyes also fixed on the clock.


    "Yeah, I¡¯m always ready," I replied, my tone cold.


    "Emmet, don¡¯t you ever feel tired?" he asked, though he already knew my answer. He¡¯d asked me this many times before.


    "I don¡¯t. It is what it is," I said, turning to him and giving him a small smile. I didn¡¯t like seeing him worried about me.


    "I¡¯ll be fine. I alwayse back alive, don¡¯t I? You don¡¯t need to worry about me. I think you should be careful yourself. You¡¯re in a much tougher position than I am," I said, urging him to focus on himself.


    If he got caught at midnight, he¡¯d face a serious bacsh. He¡¯d worked incredibly hard to get where he was today, and it wouldn¡¯t be fair if he got into trouble just because of those two hours.


    "Anyway, I¡¯ve eaten plenty, so I¡¯ll be fine," I reassured him, walking away to grab the file I needed to work on.


    That¡¯s when I noticed the colorful, poppit notebook in his hands.


    "What¡¯s that you¡¯ve got there? Don¡¯t tell me you brought this as a gift for me," I joked, making him roll his eyes.


    "If this is your kind of thing, I¡¯ll get you one too," he shot back, joining in on the joke before walking to the table and setting the notebook down. "Maximus asked me to give this to you. Hnie wrote down the details of the weapons he tried today. He said you wanted the info for your book," Norman exined, leaning against the wall and sliding one hand into his pocket.


    "Hmm, Maximus couldn¡¯te himself?" I tried not to sound like a child craving his brother¡¯s attention. We were too old for that. But that didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t bother me.


    Maximus and Kaye were my younger brothers, and they meant the world to me. Sadly, I couldn¡¯t tell them how much I cared for them because that would mean we¡¯d have to start talking and being close again. And that would lead to them digging into my life. I couldn¡¯t let that happen.


    It was for their own good.


    "He was tired." I knew when Norman was lying. He would avoid eye contact whenever he was hiding the truth or feeling ufortable.


    "Got it, I understand," I nodded, grabbing the diary. "Thank you, though. I needed the details on his recent weapons. They¡¯re pretty deadly," Imented, trying to steer the conversation away from the awkward topic of my little brothers hating my guts.


    "All right then, make sure you¡¯ve rested a little before midnight," Norman said, patting my back and ruffling my hair, which made meugh. Even though I wanted to be seen as an adult, I was still his little brother in his eyes.


    Watching him carry so much pressure on his shoulders was always hard for me to ept. Everything he had been through, the pain he had endured¡ªit made me wonder how he managed to keep his anger for the world bottled up. And how he still found the strength to love and care for others. Not just anyone, though. He cared deeply for his brothers.


    "You too," I said softly as he waved his hand and walked out of the room.


    "Ah! Let¡¯s see these weapons," I sighed, leaning back in my chair and putting my legs up on the table. As I opened the notebook, a smile spread across my face.


    Hnie had such beautiful handwriting. She wrote in cursive, and she never missed a stroke. It was strange how everything about her seemed so perfect.


    Wherever she went, people noticed her. Even in every test, even as a wolfless girl, she managed to outshine others.


    It made me wonder what her wolf would be like when she finally awakened. Definitely not an omega. But could a powerful wolf reallye from two omegas?


    I continued reading the first page, then moved to the next. That¡¯s when I noticed her handwriting began to shake a little¡ªit seemed like she¡¯d been scared of the venom¡¯s effects.


    "She¡¯s so obvious," I mumbled, rolling my eyes at her fear. She must have looked so cute.


    But then something else caught my attention. It made me sit up straight in the chair, lower my legs from the table, and grip the notebook tightly.


    "The doodles," I whispered, standing up to grab something I had saved a few months ago.


    Holding that item, Ipared the doodles to the ones in the notebook. My heart started pounding in my chest as I realized they were exactly the same. Not a single difference.


    "This is Hnie¡¯s pregnancy test?" I muttered in shock, unable to believe what I was seeing.


    "How could it be? Was she really pregnant? Is that why she looked so worried when Sydney and the others found this test? But what about the baby?"


    Questions swirled in my mind. I remembered her looking pale and sick, and how she had stormed out of my ss like a whirlwind.


    Of course, she never showed any signs of pregnancy. So... did she¡ªdid she abort the baby?

 Chapter 294-Let’s Have A Fight Stepbro

    <h4>Chapter 294: 294-Let¡¯s Have A Fight Stepbro</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Are you going to skip thebat training just like you skipped the therapy sessions?" Normanmented with a scoff, briskly walking ahead of me and towards the deep woods.


    I knew what he was trying to imply. Ever since his brother told mest night that he would ask Norman to give me extra sses before thebat started, Norman had been giving me this look. And now that we were finally alone and headed to the woods for our first ss, he was sharing his thoughts with me.


    "I didn¡¯t think the therapy was working," I muttered under my breath, being unreasonable since I hadn¡¯t even given the therapy a fair chance.


    He suddenly stopped, and I bumped into his broad back. I stepped back and rubbed my nose,ining about it.


    "We¡¯re here," he muttered, of course, pretending his sudden stop was not because of my words.


    I looked around and then at him. He wore a white shirt with gray shorts and gray sneakers. His hair was fluffy but shiny, as if he had used gel. Yet, the strands were sticking out, with sharp pieces loose on his forehead.


    I wore my tracksuit, but with my purple sweater since it was so cold out here.


    "Now what?" I asked impatiently, my hands on my waist. Maybe because of our past history, I didn¡¯t expect much from Norman. When ites to helping me, he does it his own way, a messy way.


    "Now you shut up!" he snapped, pointing at me, and then added, "We¡¯ll focus on flexibility first."


    As soon as I heard that, I felt like he was just trying to waste my time. So, I shook my head and muttered, "I do it every day. I¡¯m flexible enough."


    I noticed his expression hardening, a sign that I needed to shut up and do as he said. So, I positioned myself in a way that didn¡¯t require words, but he knew I was ready.


    "Do jumping jacks," he said, and started doing them himself. He was so big and heavy that whenever hended on the ground, I swear I heard the ground beneath me shaking.


    I followed him and started doing what he was doing. In the next hour, we had done several exercises that already had me worn out.


    "You need to work on your stamina," he advised, watching me stop and kneel down.


    "Why¡ªwhat¡ªhappened¡ªto my stamina? You only¡ªwant¡ªto criticize¡ªme," I barely managed to say. That made him raise his brow and purse his lips.


    "Now! You need to understand the value of bnce inbat. Step with your leading foot first, followed by the rear foot, make sure the distance between your feet stays the same," he instructed, watching me try to bnce my weight.


    When he was describing it, I thought he was just making things up. But the minute I started following his instructions, I realized it wasn¡¯t just that. It was way harder than it seemed.


    We practiced backward and sideways bnce movements. However, every time I lost my bnce, Norman gave me a harsh look.


    "Ouch!" I almost tripped, which made me giggle. But I didn¡¯t know it also upset the big monster in front of me. When he walked so close to me, I had no clue. I felt something hit my head and grimaced, looking at him.


    He had rolled a file in his hands and hit me on the head with it.


    "This is not a joke. Take it seriously," he said. He wasn¡¯t wrong, but I just hated him, so I pouted and continued to practice.


    As the darkness started to take over, I realized the whole day had passed. I was tired and exhausted but still ready to take another step forward in thebat lessons.


    "That will be it for today," Norman announced, barely looking tired. In fact, it seemed like the fact that he hadn¡¯t worked out crazily made him annoyed. He had to match my pace. It wasn¡¯t just me doing these lessons; he was following through as well.


    "And tomorrow we will start learning the big moves, right?" I asked excitedly, but he wrinkled his nose and looked bothered.


    "We¡¯ll continue these for at least two more days," he said, and I straightened up to face him.


    "You¡¯re wasting my time. I already did these. And when I do these with the other students during the sses, I¡¯ll get even better at them," I insisted, wanting to start learning the mainbat lessons already. The reason was that I couldn¡¯t be certain when Rayden would strike me.


    To Norman, I might have sounded like a spoiled brat, but deep down, I was scared of Rayden and him repeating the events of that night. Not only that, I wanted to punish him so badly.


    "Hnie! You speak to me this way again, and I will leave you tied to a tree for the lycan toe and eat you alive," that was the first time he had spoken about the lycan like that. It was as if the lycan would listen to him.


    "How mean¡ª" I hissed, "and you can¡¯t tie me to the tree." I muttered.


    "Sure!" he said, with the most judgmental look, which irritated me.


    "I¡¯m serious. You can¡¯t tie me to the tree," I muttered. I had seen some videos on the inte about how to react when someone attacks you. And I was sure I could tackle someone down, if not that, at least save myself.


    "Okay!" he added in the same cold tone, which annoyed me even more.


    "Come on, try it," I nudged him as he walked past me. He raised an eyebrow, then grimaced, waving his hand to dismiss me.


    "What? Are you scared? Don¡¯t you want to prove to your student that you can tie her to a tree like you imed?" I was suddenly so angry at hisment that I wanted him to try. I knew I could pull off some moves and get away from the tree.


    "Come on," I pressed him further, watching as he tilted his head and looked at me tiredly.


    "You really want this?" he asked in a low, deep voice.


    "Yeah!" I hissed confidently.


    He nodded and began walking in slow circles, smirking slightly.

 Chapter 295-Hugging Norman

    <h4>Chapter 295: 295-Hugging Norman</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Don¡¯t cry if you get hurt in the process," he said, looking so happy, as if he already knew he would win.


    "I wo¡ª" I was about to confirm I wouldn¡¯t when he lunged at me. As soon as he grabbed my arm, I started scratching him.


    I know that wasn¡¯t part of the match, but I had learned to defend myself with whatever I could.


    "If that¡¯s how you want to y," he grunted, grabbing my wrists to stop me and shoving me against the tree.


    I didn¡¯t realize it would be so easy for him to overpower me.


    "Since we don¡¯t have anything to restrain you with, keeping you still for a minute should work just the same," he whispered in my face, leaning over me as he pinned me to the tree.


    Our eyes met for a brief moment, and I came up with my next n. I turned my face to the side and bit his left arm so hard that I swear I could taste his blood.


    "Let go!" I screamed, only to try biting him on the neck when he freed his hand. That¡¯s when he had to back away to avoid it, and I managed to free myself.


    I tried to run, but he reached out again. This time, he identally grabbed my sweater, and the next thing I knew, I heard a loud ripping sound.


    My body went numb. All thoughts of the fight left my mind as I stopped and stared at my sweater.


    "My sweater!" I uttered helplessly. He frozepletely and stepped back, raising his hands to show he was surrendering.


    "Why would you do that?!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. Even though I had a shirt on underneath, I felt so exposed.


    The ripping sound triggered something deep within me. I tried so hard to control my emotions and not let my trauma show, but I couldn¡¯t help it.


    "You said you wanted to fight¡ª" he said, sounding exhausted, using a tone that made it seem like I was overreacting.


    "You idiot¡ª" I shouted, pping his chest and then lunging at him in a full-blown catfight, iling my arms wildly to hit him wherever I could.


    "Okay, enough!" he said, putting his hand on my forehead and pushing me away. I kept swinging my arms, but his extended arm and firm hand on my forehead prevented me from reaching him.


    He stood effortlessly in his spot, watching me with a mix of exhaustion and disbelief.


    "You¡¯re so mean¡ªwhy would you do that? Don¡¯t you know it hurts? It¡¯s my freaking birthday, and you ruined it! You had no right to do that! When I say don¡¯t¡ªit means don¡¯t!" I yelled, my voice muffled against his palm as I kept iling my arms recklessly.


    Then, suddenly, he moved his hand, and the momentum I¡¯d been using to reach him made me stumble forward uncontrobly.


    Inded straight against his chest with a thud, my fists softly pounding on him. I kept sobbing and screaming into his chest, my eyes tightly shut because I didn¡¯t want to face reality.


    The reality of what my life had turned into.


    "I¡¯m sorry."


    His sudden apology stopped me in my tracks. I sniffled, slowly bing aware of my outburst. How I reacted was so wrong. He hadn¡¯t done anything malicious¡ªI was just overwhelmed by my own trauma.


    That sweater... it had been with me through everything. It was more than clothing¡ªit was like a hug, wrapping me in safety.


    I slowly lifted my head, noticing how he stood there with his hands raised in the air, careful not to touch me since I had been yelling at him for doing just that.


    "I¡¯m sorry," he said again.


    "Uh..." I cleared my throat, feeling utterly embarrassed. "It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s just... I really loved that sweater."


    The awkward silence between us felt unbearable, but thankfully, he broke it.


    "I can get it stitched for you," he offered, extending his hand toward the torn sweater.


    "No need. It was crocheted by my mother when she was young. She gave it to me when I was little, saying that one day, when I grew up, I could wear it. But... she¡¯s not my mother anymore. So there¡¯s no reason for me to keep it either," I said, each word trembling with emotion.


    "About your birthday¡ª," he mumbled.


    "I was wrong about that, got confused," I lied quickly.


    I turned my body slightly away from him, unable to look Norman in the eye. Slowly, I took off the sweater and threw it on the ground.


    "I¡¯m sorry for the bite and the scratches," I said, covering my face with my hands, feeling so stupid.


    "It¡¯s okay. You were pretty good," he replied.


    I¡¯d never heard Norman try tofort someone, and it only made me feel even more embarrassed about myself. I didn¡¯t want anyone¡¯s pity.


    "Don¡¯t lie. The only regret I have is that I couldn¡¯t kick you in the balls," I muttered, feeling bad for not using that move.


    "Huh? You were going to kick me where? Hnie! The fight was just about me tying you to a tree while you defended yourself¡ªnot ¡¯let¡¯s kill Norman in the worst way possible,¡¯" he said, his annoyed tone back. Somehow, it helped me rx.


    "Let me drop you home now. I have to be somewhere soon," Norman said, checking the time on his phone.


    We walked back to the car, and a few minutester, we were already at home.


    After stepping out of the car and watching Norman drive off for his important meeting, I noticed Maximusing out of the mansion.


    "Oh, he left. Did you want to speak with him?" I asked Maximus, looking like he¡¯d been in a hurry to catch his brother.


    "Nah, I know he has an important clienting over for dinner. Actually, I came out for you," Maximus said with a smile. That¡¯s when I noticed how freshly dressed he was.


    "What is it?" I asked.


    "I need to take you somewhere," he said so casually that I forgot to respond properly for a moment.


    Then, as I processed what he¡¯d said, I feltpelled to answer in a way that might¡¯ve hurt his feelings. "I don¡¯t want anyone questioning us, Maximus. I¡¯ll just go back inside and freshen up for the night."

 Chapter 296-Is It A Date?

    <h4>Chapter 296: 296-Is It A Date?</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I stormed into the mansion and straight to my room, avoiding Maximus¡¯s face. I knew I¡¯d ruined his mood¡ªI could tell.


    But I didn¡¯t know where he wanted me to go, and if anyone found out about it, they¡¯d start spreading rumors. My mother would lose it and probably kick me out of here.


    I needed this ce to stay. And after how I acted with Norman, I was sure he¡¯d want the crazy girl gone too.


    Staring at my reflection in the bathroom mirror after a shower, I couldn¡¯t stop the tears from welling up. There were moments when I¡¯d talk to myself about that night.


    So many scenarios yed in my head. In one, I never went out to celebrate my birthday with Altan. In another, I didn¡¯t befriend Altan or ept his proposal. And there was the one where my father arrived in time to fight off the bad alphas.


    So many possibilities¡ªbut none of them were real. The harsh truth was what I had to live with.


    After drying my hair and putting on a blue dress, I stepped out of the bathroom. The practice today had left me drained, and all I wanted was to eat a good meal and rest.


    I couldn¡¯t tell if Norman would be ready to train me tomorrow. I might¡¯ve pissed him off, or maybe he thought I was too much trouble.


    I sighed, flopping onto my bed and ncing at my phone. Just as I was about to text Lamar to remind him about the academy meeting tomorrow, Maximus¡¯s call lit up my screen.


    I answered, thinking I needed to exin more clearly why I couldn¡¯t go out with him earlier.


    "Hello¡ª" My words were cut short when I heard him breathing heavily on the other end.


    "Maximus, are you okay?" I asked, sitting up, my pulse quickening.


    "I got¡ªI got in trouble. Shit! I need you¡ªtoe outside, to the road at the first curve. Hnie, I¡ª" he stuttered, his words shaky and scattered.


    "Maximus, should I call Norman or Emmet¡ª" I started, but he cut me off with a groan of pain.


    "No! I don¡¯t want to be judged. It¡¯s okay if you can¡¯te. I¡¯ll manage something," he said, his voice trembling.


    Before I could respond, the call ended.


    He didn¡¯t want Norman to know, likely because his brother was at an important meeting. He didn¡¯t want the others to know either. That meant he was in a really bad situation.


    I couldn¡¯t sit here and let him handle it alone. He¡¯d done so much for me. Anytime I needed help, he was there. And even if he hadn¡¯t been, I couldn¡¯t stand the thought of him being in pain.


    I slipped on my shoes and sprinted out of the mansion.


    It was 6 p.m., and the darkness was setting in quickly, but I didn¡¯t care. The cold air bit at me, and I wasn¡¯t even wearing a sweater¡ªjust the knee-length dress from earlier. I walked briskly, holding my phone with the shlight on as the storm began to roll in.


    When I reached the curve he¡¯d mentioned, I saw something red on the road¡ªbut no sign of Maximus.


    Panic took over as my mind raced. I started dialing his number while following the red trail that led into the woods.


    Red handprints smeared on trees and branches guided me deeper into the forest. He must¡¯ve been hurt. But why hadn¡¯t hee to the mansion? Why had he gone into the woods?


    I didn¡¯t even notice when tears started spilling down my face. I sniffled, wiping them away with the back of my hand as I kept going, my heart pounding with worry.


    The roguemunity is terrifying when the sun goes down, but I fearlessly kept searching for Maximus.


    After some time, I reached a ce that made me frown. Fairy lights were strung across the trees, illuminating a table and two chairs in the middle. Lanterns and decorations added an enchanting charm to the scene. My brain warned me not to panic¡ªit was trying to tell me Maximus was fine, considering what I was seeing. But I still couldn¡¯t believe it until I saw him.


    And then I did.


    He stepped out from behind a tree with a cake in his hands, the candles on top flickering gently.


    "Happy birthday to you!" he sang, making me stop in my tracks, staring at him in disbelief.


    "Happy birthday to you," he continued in his beautiful voice.


    "Happy birthday, my Hnie! Happy birthday to you!"


    He finished the song with a smile, cing the cake on the table before walking toward me.


    I was frozen, unable to move a single muscle. He came closer, leaning in near my face.


    "Happiest birthday to you, Hnie," he whispered softly before kissing me lovingly on the cheek.


    "You freaking scared me!" I pushed him back but then moved closer to p his chest.


    He chuckled in response, hisughter making me pout even harder.


    "At least I found out you¡¯re ride-or-die. You silly thing, you came here following the red marks thinking they were my blood. Did it not cross your mind that some monster might¡¯ve attacked me and dragged me into the woods? You just recklessly followed?" He looked shocked as he exined what he thought of my actions.


    "You were in trouble¡ªI couldn¡¯t think of anything else," I replied, still teary-eyed. The thought of him being hurt had genuinely shaken me.


    "And you are so adorable," he said, pinching my cheeks.


    My attention shifted back to the table and the breathtaking setting. It looked like something out of a fairytale. The ambiance was magical, with a small fire burning nearby, casting a warm glow.


    "But it¡¯s not my birthday," I said, hating to break it to him that he had the date wrong.


    "I know, but you didn¡¯t get to celebrate your eighteenth birthday recently," he said softly.


    It was a sweet gesture, and I appreciated it deeply. But I couldn¡¯t help asking myself:


    Do I ever want to celebrate my birthday again?

 Chapter 297-A FuckBoy

    <h4>Chapter 297: 297-A FuckBoy</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What? You don¡¯t like it? I did it all by myself. No help from the warriors or any decorators," he said proudly, making me pout and then nod my head.


    Yes! I wanted to celebrate my birthday again. I would not let those alphas decide anything for me.


    "I love this," I said, and it brought a huge smile offort to his face.


    "So, shall we go eat your cake?" he winked, and I rolled my eyes at how he always made everything sound so dirty. We walked over to the table, and he pulled my chair for me like a gentleman.


    But I kept looking around in worry. We were in an open space, deep in the dangerous woods, with the night upon us. I was beyond terrified in my heart until I felt him reaching out for my hand and holding it across the table.


    "Hey, don¡¯t worry. When you¡¯re with me, no monster cane near you," he said, not realizing how much it meant to me.


    "What if it did?" I asked, and he, who was busy grabbing the knife, raised his head in confusion. "What if a monster dide here to attack me? What would you do? Let¡¯s say he is someone you cannot fight. He¡¯s more dangerous and powerful than you. Now it¡¯s up to you to either save yourself or stay and probably die?" That question popped into my head, and I asked it thoughtlessly.


    But his response was quick. "Then I¡¯m making sure you run away while I fight till myst breath."


    He looked sternly at me before adding, "This should not even be a question in your mind, Hnie. I am not afraid of losing my life for you. I know you might think it¡¯s too soon for me to be making such big ims, but I mean every word of it. Even if you don¡¯t ept me, even if you never want to be with me¡ªyou will always be my priority." His words and the intense look in his eyes warmed up my body.


    "Now, let¡¯s cut the cake because we have a whole night to enjoy ourselves," he rubbed his palms excitedly,ing out of his chair and standing behind me to hold the knife with me.


    I cut the cake, but there were tears still trying to force their way into my eyes. I had tried so hard to be an alpha¡¯s priority in the past¡ªto the point that I ignored all the red gs he waved in my face.


    And I saw how it ended. You can¡¯t force someone to love you.


    "Umm, I love a good cheesecake," I closed my eyes to enjoy the taste of it. I used to bake cakes myself to sell them back when my stepmother made me work. But it¡¯s a different kind of satisfaction when you don¡¯t put in any work and simply enjoy a treat.


    "True, I enjoy a good cheesecake too," he whispered from behind me, turning my face to the side with his hand and rubbing his lips over mine to taste the cream left on my lips.


    It filled my heart with butterflies and sparkles. I quickly looked ahead and shyly nced down.


    "I want to be with you so badly, you have no idea," Maximus expressed his feelings again.


    "I love you, Hnie!" His confession always sent goosebumps across my skin. The best part was that he didn¡¯t pressure me to respond or ept his love right away.


    He just wanted us to date without any taboo title, and I admired his efforts. While I was busy thinking about revenge, there was someone who was bringing happiness into my life, and I guess I could allow myself to enjoy it. I deserved it.


    "Now, how about we dance?" he asked, ying some music on his phone and holding his hand out to me. Smiling, I ced my hand in his. Soon, he pulled me close to his chest, making me giggle softly.


    I rested my hand on his chest, and we began to sway slowly.


    He taught me how to dance just by leading me to follow his steps. His eyes never left my face. There was so much emotion in them as he watched me.


    "You know, when we finally get married andmit to each other, I¡¯ll build a house for us near my garage," he said softly, his fingers gently brushing my cheek. Our bodies were still moving in rhythm.


    "Why near your garage?" I asked, confused.


    "Thatnd used to be an abandoned pack. I want to build our ownmunity there. Somewhere away from everyone. I¡¯ve noticed you don¡¯t really like crowds¡ªkind of an introvert, it seems. That¡¯ll be a good ce for you to have your own space and be the queen of your ownnd," he said while we danced. I didn¡¯t stop him because I loved hearing him talk.


    It was bittersweet, though, because this reminded me of how things used to be with Altan.


    "Have you ever been in love before, Hnie?" he asked out of the blue, and my heart skipped a beat. I had a bad feeling he noticed it since his hand was resting on my back, feeling my heartbeat.


    "It¡¯s not a crime to love someone before, Hnie. You don¡¯t need to be so guarded about your past with me," he said, sounding a little hurt by my reaction.


    "It¡¯s not that. It¡¯s just that it didn¡¯t really end well," I admitted, looking down and then gazing past him at the distance.


    "I just want to know about you. But if you¡¯re not ready to share, that¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll tell you about my life instead," he offered, continuing, "I was a yer¡ªa ¡¯fuck boy,¡¯ or whatever you want to call it. I had a different girl in my bed every night. My nights didn¡¯t feelplete unless I had someone with me."


    I didn¡¯t know why he said that, but it changed my moodpletely.


    "In fact, I have a confession to make. Back when I was first expressing my feelings for you, I picked someone up from the club and had a little... intimate encounter with her," he finished.


    I quietly ended the dance with him.

 Chapter 298-I Was So Naive Back Then

    <h4>Chapter 298: 298-I Was So Naive Back Then</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    <strong>shback:</strong>


    "You know, after our marriage, we will have three kids," I said excitedly, my arms folded over his knees as he sat and smoked his cigarette. We had ventured out into the woods to enjoy the weather and also spend some time together.


    I wanted to go out for a dinner date with him, but he said the pack members would see us together and his parents wouldn¡¯t like it.


    "Hmm, three will be too much," he replied very coldly.


    "Altan, I came here to spend time with you, and you¡¯re just focusing on that cigarette," I scoffed, pulling away from him.


    "Hnie, this is how I enjoy myself. By the way, what¡¯s in that basket?" he asked, pointing his cigarette at my basket.


    "Oh! Since we were going out on a pic, I brought us some home-cooked meals. It was so hard for me to save this stuff from my stepmother because--" I noticed the bored look on his face that he gives every time I talk about my personal life issues, and it was a cue that I needed to stop. "Anyway, I brought muffins, chicken bread, quesadis," I stopped talking when I noticed he had stopped listening to me.


    "Who are you texting?" The minute I felt like something was wrong, I grabbed his phone from his hands and quickly took a look.


    He was texting some girl, saying very sexual things. In fact, he was talking about meeting up with her because I had bored him.


    His exact texts were very demeaning.


    ¡¯I want you to suck my dick after I am done with this boring pic.¡¯


    ¡¯Send me a video of you pulling your panties down.¡¯


    "What the hell, Hnie!" he snatched the phone back from me and pushed me hard just to get away from me.


    "Why would you touch my phone??" he yelled, making me forget to stand up. And when I did, I started tearing up.


    "You¡¯re cheating on me?" I gasped.


    He looked so angry until he heard mein about catching him.


    "It--it¡¯s nothing serious, Hnie. It¡¯s something every alpha does, trust me. It¡¯s not like I would go and actually sleep with this girl. It¡¯s just how we talk--I was just flirting," he rolled his eyes and used a very harsh tone even when he was caught sending vulgar texts.


    "You think my pic is boring?" I sniffled, watching as he narrowed his eyes at me.


    "Because of this--yeah! I am a young man, and I need more than just some empty talk, Hnie. Anyway, you¡¯ve already spoiled my mood. If you can¡¯t trust me, then I¡¯m sorry, we have no future together," he pulled out the regr dismissal card. He would always do this to me, and somehow, I would always go back to him, begging him to forgive me.


    I knew deep down his excuses were nonsense. That was still cheating, but I convinced myself that he would change once we got married.


    End Of shback:


    "Hey! But after that night, I swear I haven¡¯t even thought about anyone else. I will change for you, I¡¯m changing for you. I don¡¯t even find anyone attractive anymore," he started talking nonstop while I ced a hand on my stomach, feeling sick, and stepped away from him to sit next to the fire.


    "Hnie," he said my name, reaching me and sitting in front of me.


    "Such habits never die. If you¡¯re built in a way that you can¡¯t stop having different women in your life, I think today or tomorrow, when you get bored of me, you would repeat your behavior again," Iined softly, keeping my tone respectful as I hated judging others.


    But I wasn¡¯t judging him. I was just trying to protect myself. To save myself from another heartbreak.


    "I understand. Whatever you said ispletely true and urate, but I am a changed man now. You know what, here," he pulled his phone out of his pocket and gave it to me.


    "Come on, do the research. Go through every app and every ce, and if you can find a single text from a girl, I will admit in front of everyone that I am a piece of shit," he insisted as he made me hold his phone in my hands.


    "Just give me a chance. People do change. The ones who have found their soulmate, they change," he finished, his eyes telling me that he wasn¡¯t lying.


    "Give me a chance, just one chance," he kept requesting, and at this point, I felt like I was being too harsh on him.


    I can always keep an eye out and then make a decision. Just because he had been a certain way in the past doesn¡¯t mean he would be again.


    Especially when looking at myself. I was such a desperate person. I would take all sorts of crap from everyone just to please them and make sure they were on my side.


    For me, it was trauma. What if for him, it is love that changes him?


    "It¡¯s okay. I want to believe you," my words brought a smile of relief to his lips.


    "Thank you, I will never break your trust," he uttered, leaning in and pressing his lips against mine.


    This time, there was no fear in my heart of anyone who could bother us. The gentleness of his lips made me suck his lower lip while he wrapped his arm around my body and pulled me closer, making me slide into hisp.


    The fire helped us get cozy, with him sucking my upper lip like he had been hungry for years. His lips moved in such a perfect motion.


    His fingers tangled in my hair as his mouth explored mine passionately, and little moans escaped my lips into his mouth. There was no space left between our bodies as I sat in hisp, tasting his lips.


    He ignited something in me that I never thought I had been missing for so long.


    My hands slid up to his neck, my fingers tangling in his hair as he pulled me even closer, as if there was any space left between us.


    After kissing each other hungrily for a while, I was the one who decided to slowly break the kiss. There were things I needed to take care of before going any further with him.


    "We should head back home now," I smiled against his lips, his thumb pressing on my bottom lip.


    "Do we really have to?" he pouted, giving my lips another quick peck. As I nodded, he tossed me onto the ground and came on top of me

 Chapter 299-Throwing My Friend Under The Bus

    <h4>Chapter 299: 299-Throwing My Friend Under The Bus</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Maximus," Iughed, feeling him smell my neck while nting small kisses all over my skin.


    "I can¡¯t get enough of you," he raised his face and said, his eyes locked on my lips.


    "Hey!" he suddenly pulled away from me as if he remembered something. The next thing I know, he¡¯s taking something out of his pocket.


    "I got you this," he held up a pink diamond, beautifully set in a gold chain.


    "This is a rare kind," I asked, and he shrugged.


    "You are a rare kind," he said quickly, moving behind me and shifting my hair to one side. I didn¡¯t want to ept such an expensive gift, so I ced my hand on his to stop him.


    "What? You can ept gifts from Emmet but not me?" Hisment hit hard. I turned to re at him, and he quickly bit his tongue.


    "Sorry! I thought it wouldnd well, and you¡¯d ept my gift," he said, looking down, trying to appear so sad that I couldn¡¯t help but feel touched.


    "Fine, but no more gifts," I warned as I sat upright.


    "That¡¯s not possible. I¡¯ll spoil you so much that the one night I don¡¯t give you anything, you¡¯ll beat me up," he joked, making meugh at how adorably sly he could be.


    The pendant did look amazing on me. However, as he sat in front of me and admired it, he frowned a little.


    "Take off your pendant. I want mine to shine on your neck right now," his request left me frozen for a moment. Every time someone asked me to take off my pendant, I felt like I was back in that subway again.


    "Maximus¡ª," I looked down, touching the pendant.


    "Okay, no worries. Mine still looks more beautiful on you," he said, not forcing me to remove it and sparing me from revisiting my trauma through my actions.


    "Shall we go now?" I asked again.


    "Yeah, I don¡¯t want my queen to freeze to death. Your cheeks are so red," he acknowledged that despite having the fire going, it was getting chillier. The wind wasn¡¯t helping the fire either.


    He put out the fire while calling someone to take care of the decorations. Then, he wrapped his arms around me and walked me out of the woods.


    "I still can¡¯t believe I have you in my arms," he whispered, once again showing how amazed he was, pulling me closer to his chest. Walking with him like that felt so safe andforting.


    We kept talking about different things, mainly him talking about how much he wanted us to get married or ept each other throughout the walk.


    He was never the shy type, but sometimes he could be a little too bold. For example, when he made ament about how he thinks I¡¯ll be blushing red the day I standpletely naked in front of him.


    Thatment alone made my cheeks turn red. Once inside the mansion, we went our separate ways. I had eaten too much cake, so I didn¡¯t have any room left in my stomach for dinner.


    Then, I was tired from the lessons, so I wanted to sleep early to make sure I could get up early and leave for the meetup.


    As nned, I woke up early, changed into my uniform, and headed out of the mansion to catch a car. Maximus had asked his driver to drop me off while he had to finish some things beforeing to the academy.


    I had even forgotten about the trouble I had to face from Rayden. Once I got out of the car and hadn¡¯t even entered the academy yet, Rayden caught me off guard. He stepped in my way and motioned for me to follow him to the side of the building where we could speak without anyone seeing us.


    "What is it? You can talk here. There isn¡¯t anyone around¡ª" I looked around and eximed. Some of the students were already inside the academy, while others were still on their way.


    Lamar was on his way, and I was hoping he woulde in time.


    "Just shut up and follow me," Rayden grabbed my arm and pulled me behind his car instead since I refused to go behind the building with him.


    He pushed my back against his car and ced his hands around me, trapping me.


    It wasn¡¯t good. Every time I was in close proximity with him, I felt my body getting cold and numb.


    "Now tell me, you visited me in the hospital, didn¡¯t you?" he pressed. Of course, he wasn¡¯t going to back down from his ims.


    "Tell me," he almost yelled before getting himself under control, probably out of fear that anyone would see us like this, with him scaring me.


    "You want to know the truth? The truth is that I didn¡¯t. I was home the whole time. Do you think the trainers wouldn¡¯t have asked the warriors if I had left? You were under heavy drugs and medication; you probably just thought I visited you," I said it so confidently that he zoned out again.


    Of course, the brothers didn¡¯t bother asking the warriors because I sounded so convincing to them. And me going with Norman to Rayden also proved that I wasn¡¯t lying.


    "Okay¡ª," he grunted, "is there anything you want to tell me now?" He raised his head again, warning me to finally admit if I was lying.


    "I¡¯m not hiding anything from you. If anything¡ªyou should¡ª" I paused and closed my eyes. I had to do this. I needed to divert his attention from me and make him angry. "But you should be asking that question to your mate."


    His facial expression changed as he narrowed his eyes at me at the mention of Jenny. "How dare you say her name."


    There was a threat in his tone, but I wasn¡¯t backing down. "I¡¯m not lying. I know she told you that she only slept with Lamar once, but that¡¯s not true. The two of them slept together again¡ª" I watched his face change colors.


    "You¡¯re lying," he hissed, ready to probably throw a fist at me, so I had to rush and show him the evidence.


    I pulled up Lamar¡¯s text and turned the screen to him. "She visited him in his pack, and the two of them slept together in his motel room."

 Chapter 300-Deadly Viper On The Loose

    <h4>Chapter 300: 300-Deadly Viper On The Loose</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I can¡¯t believe this, I¡¯m going to hurt someone," Rayden hissed, his fist touching his mouth as he bit it angrily.


    "I¡¯m not telling you all this to fight someone. I¡¯m just saying that--this whole situation is making Lamar do dumb things. Now he wants to put snakes in your locker. If you can just be careful and avoid the locker, it could save Lamar from making a mistake. Because if the deadly viper bites you and something happens, the investigation will start and Lamar will be in trouble. I don¡¯t want my friend to be in trouble," I said in a pleading tone. He was ring at the texts where Lamar had said he would put a deadly viper in his locker.


    "Go get out of here before I hurt you," Rayden pointed to the space, and I quickly got to my feet. I rushed away from him and entered the academy. Everyone was asked to go to the hall where Emmet woulde and talk to us.


    The brothers would arrive shortly. Jenny and our whole ss were there except for three people: Lucy, Lamar, and--Gavin!


    Where was Gavin? I hadn¡¯t seen him in a while. As I looked around, my eyesnded on Salem, who had been watching me. After our eye contact was made, she strolled over to me.


    "Have you seen Gavin? He hasn¡¯t been responding to my calls or texts ever since thest day of academy," she sounded so concerned as she kept fidgeting with her fingers andining.


    "I haven¡¯t spoken with him," I replied in a slightly guilty tone. I knew what he did to Lucy was wrong, and I was upset about how their rtionship had turned toxic. Butpletely ignoring him wasn¡¯t what a friend should do.


    "Is he okay? There¡¯s no sign of him. There¡¯s no activity on any of his ounts either," she looked so worried, unlike what I thought she would be like.


    Did she really like Gavin, or what?


    "I¡¯ll contact him to check on him," I gave her a nod, not showing much friendly behavior toward her.


    "Okay, thank you," she kept her voice low and her eyes on the ground as she walked away. I held my phone to my ear while dialing Gavin¡¯s number, but his phone was turned off.


    "Hm, that¡¯s weird," I frowned at the screen.


    "What is?" Jenny, arriving from the other corner of the hall, wasn¡¯t something I had expected. Her brother was nowhere in sight, so I¡¯m guessing he was with Ryaden.


    "Gavin hasn¡¯t responded to anyone or stayed in contact with anyone," I was so confused about where he might have gone. I hoped he didn¡¯t get himself into trouble after Lucy¡¯s fall. I could understand why he might have thought it was his fault.


    "I haven¡¯t spoken with him either. Did you ask Lamar? Maybe he had--" she stopped herself after realizing there was no way Lamar and Gavin would speak.


    "Hmm, I just hope and wish Gavin is okay," a sigh left my lips, but soon Lamar arrived, and I gestured for him to join us. He was all smiles until his eyesnded on Jenny, and his mood soured. I could guess why that might have happened.


    She had done him wrong. After giving him so many hopes, she just went back to her mate, who she had only talked badly about.


    "Hey," Lamar greeted me.


    "Hi Lamar, how are you?" Jenny jumped in with a bright smile covering her lips.


    "Good," he didn¡¯t even look her way and focused on me. "Sorry for the other day."


    He mouthed the words to me, and my smile for him was a sign that everything was cool between us.


    "You know, Gavin hasn¡¯t been responding to anyone," I understood what Jenny was trying to do. She wanted Lamar to rx with her and start talking to her like before. But I guess that wasn¡¯t something Lamar was interested in. He had been ditched by her, so he was avoiding herpletely.


    "Hnie, are you okay? I mean, Gavin not being in contact with anyone?" Lamar once again focused his attention on me and ignored Jenny, whose face started to fall.


    "I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll call him again and leave some texts too," I said to Lamar. I couldn¡¯t me him for not talking to Jenny. She messed up.


    While we waited for the trainers to arrive, there was somemotion outside the hall that kind of got everyone¡¯s attention. A few of them screamed in panic, as nobody knew what was going on. We rushed to check the noises, and it was just as I had expected.


    Rayden had his friends, including Penn, on a mission to find something.


    "Search everywhere!" Rayden yelled, a weapon in his hand. It was a gun with silver bullets.


    As everyone saw him shoot around the corners, they started to scream and scramble away.


    "Nobody panic, I¡¯ve got everything under control," Rayden shouted. Penn came out of one of the rooms with just a stick in his hand and grunted.


    "You do?" The uncertainty in his voice caused Rayden to re him down. "No, Rayden, I¡¯m serious. You¡¯ve lost your mind. And why the heck did you bring a weapon to the academy?" Penn was yelling at him, just as confused as everyone else.


    "I¡¯m telling you, the deadly viper is somewhere around. It escaped from my locker," the minute he announced that, gasps rippled through the air.


    The steps got louder as everyone started to rush out of the academy.


    "I will go check it on the second floor," Rayden yelled, but by that point, his friends and Penn seemed to have lost faith in him.


    "That¡¯s it!" Penn threw the stick to the ground. "Jenny, Hnie! Come with me," Penn saw us through the crowd, sticking to the wall with Lamar standing before us, his arms spread to make sure nobody hurt us while trying to push through. It was getting bad.

 Chapter 301-Getting Humiliated Again, Rayden?

    <h4>Chapter 301: 301-Getting Humiliated Again, Rayden?</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    There were screams, agonizing screams and yelps as some got hurt in the process. Many omegas fell to the ground, and the others just walked over them.


    "What the heck is going on?" Jenny started to cry almost instantly. I noticed Lamar looked so concerned before his eyes met mine, and he acted like he didn¡¯t care about her. Poor guy, it was obvious he had feelings for her.


    Penn arrived, and our group was thest one to reach the exit when we heard another shot from the second floor and then a loud scream.


    "What happened? Something happened," I turned to Penn, who was also looking toward the staircase.


    "That fool probably shot someone," Penn hissed, shaking his head.


    Guilt and sudden regret hit me. The next thing I knew, I was trying to go for the stairs when Lamar held my arm and dragged me out of the academy.


    "What are you doing?" Lamar asked, confused about why I had to go for the rescue of whoever got shot.


    "Lamar, it¡¯s--my fault," I muttered under my breath, biting my tongue.


    "What?" he questioned, but the air changed as four cars dashed past and parked in front of us.


    The trainers came out one by one, shocked looks stered on their faces.


    "What is happening here? Why are you all standing outside in the cold?" It was Norman who took the first step, wearing a gray suit and looking even broader than yesterday.


    Emmet was in an all-ck suit, Maximus wearing a ck coat and white shirt, with Kaye only wearing a ck shirt tucked neatly into his pants.


    "Sir, Rayden has lost his mind," one of the students yelled, making the brothers quickly look around and ease up until their eyesnded on me. It was as if they were already aware of the stress Rayden caused me.


    "I will go check," Norman said, but his brothers seemed all set to go behind him.


    "You guys stay here and check the injured students," Norman noticed some students were bleeding from their noses and elbows. Some had their heads split, all set to be treated.


    It wasn¡¯t too big, but Rayden had acted really stupidly.


    I should have known he would lose his mind.


    "You okay?" While passing by me to check on the students behind me, Kaye asked in a subtle tone. Only after I gave him a nod did he proceed to check on the others.


    After a few minutes, Norman came out holding Rayden by his cor, his legs dangling in the air. Norman had snatched the gun out of his hands by this point too. Rayden looked guilty, especially when Norman seemed so enraged.


    I noticed blood dripping down in streams from Rayden¡¯s arm.


    Norman threw Rayden to the ground and then stood in front of him with his hands on his waist.


    "Exin your behavior," Norman yelled.


    The others had alsoe back to stand next to Norman and re at Rayden, who now had to exin why he was running around chasing down a deadly viper.


    "I can exin," Rayden said through heavy breaths. He looked like a mess.


    "It seems like he shot himself," Lamar whispered in my ear, gesturing at his arm.


    "Then you better exin already," Kaye hissed, his arms folded over his chest.


    Rayden got up with difficulty, trying to stand straight, but I could tell the res from the brothers were affecting him. He then stood obediently, not even caring about the bullet in his arm.


    "There¡¯s a deadly viper in there that was put in my locker," Rayden¡¯s wild im brought silence. Norman cocked his head and closed his eyes, as if he wanted to seriously focus on what Rayden had just told him.


    "In your locker?" Norman asked for his brothers, who seemed to be as confused as everyone else around.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll start from the beginning. This guy over here," Rayden pointed at Lamar, who groaned, "this guy slept with my mate again."


    I closed my eyes because I didn¡¯t know he would say it like that. Jenny grunted, looking around embarrassingly at everyone watching her.


    "Yes, he slept with her at his motel. And then--it¡¯s not her fault though," he quickly added, watching her look so embarrassed.


    It seemed like he truly would have loved her if he hadn¡¯t been the kind of man that he was.


    "And then--Lamar got jealous because she is still with me, so he left a deadly viper in my locker. He wanted me to get bitten by it and suffer," Rayden pointed his whole arm at Lamar, throwing usations that once again caused gasps to ripple through the crowd.


    The brothers exchanged a nce, looked at Rayden, and then at Lamar.


    "And who shot you?" Norman asked.


    "Oh that--I saw something on the ground and thought it was the viper. I identally--" Rayden shut up once he realized he couldn¡¯t say in loud and clear words that he dropped the weapon out of fear and it fired on him.


    The deadly viper would have been nothing to an alpha like him. But the vipers from the roguemunity are said to grow up on the dead bodies of monsters. They can be very deadly and dangerous to anyone.


    "Lamar," Emmet uttered, asking my friend to speak for himself.


    "Sir, I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s talking about," Lamar stepped forward to exin himself. He must have been caught off guard.


    "Really? What if I tell you I have proof?" Rayden¡¯s confidence intrigued everyone. Even Jenny looked bewildered at the turn of events.


    "Okay, show us the proof," Norman cleared his throat, demanding evidence. If Rayden was able to prove he wasn¡¯t lying, Lamar would be in huge trouble.


    Rayden turned to me and smiled, signaling that he wanted us to work as a team.


    "Hnie, show them the text messages." As soon as he said that, Lamar turned to me with his eyes wide open.


    I gave Rayden a nod and started going through my phone.

 Chapter 302-The Alpha No One Believes

    <h4>Chapter 302: 302-The Alpha No One Believes</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You have some texts that prove Lamar nned an attack on Rayden?" Jenny asked me in a whisper. I raised my head and stared at the brothers one by one.


    "What?" I asked.


    "Show them the texts!" Rayden yelled this time, out of desperation.


    I cleared my throat and, with a very confused look on my face, asked, "Wait, what texts do you want me to show them?"


    The minute I asked that, Rayden¡¯s face started showing signs of anxiety.


    "Hnie, the texts you showed me between you and Lamar," he grunted as a warning to me. The urgency in his bodynguage was so intense, it was almost interesting to watch.


    I anxiously looked down and held my phone still, trying not to shake.


    "Okay," I said, feeling pressured.


    "I--I--know--what he¡¯s saying," I stuttered, looking down and swallowing hard.


    "You better show them now," Rayden hissed at me. Maximus stepped forward and pped him on the back of his head.


    "Why the hell are you scaring her?" he yelled at him.


    Rayden seemed more than just anxious. Now, it was clear that if he didn¡¯t prove the text messages, he would bebeled not just a liar, but a troublemaker.


    "Sir, I swear she showed me the texts between her and Lamar that proved my point. I mean, not my point--" he pped his head as he tried to find the right words, "It showed Lamar was nning to put the deadly viper in my locker. But when I arrived, the locker was open, so I thought--" he kept rambling until his eyesnded on me again.


    I could see the betrayal or the fear of being fooled in his eyes, written all over his face. But he still wanted to give me a chance, so this time, he stopped a little away from the brothers and started to move toward me. Emmet extended his arm and grabbed him by the back of his cor to stop him from getting closer.


    "Hnie, please! Show them the texts. My reputation is in your hands right now. I¡¯ll be ruined if you lie this time," he urged me, no--begged me. His hands were pressed together, as if asking me to confirm he hadn¡¯t gone insane.


    Did I hear him right? Did he really ask me to save his reputation?


    It was almostical to hear those wordsing from his mouth. It¡¯s not like I had forgotten what he had done to me, how he ruined my life when he and his friends took me by force and tried to kill me. And then he came here with a smirk on his lips, never feeling guilty about anything at all.


    "Rayden--," I uttered, anxiously looking around. The more I did that, the angrier he became.


    "You better show them those texts, Hnie, or else--" The minute he said that, Kaye grabbed his fingers around Rayden¡¯s neck from behind and pulled him over to him.


    "You¡¯ve got some nerve threatening her in front of us," he hissed at him. I knew it was the right time to speak up instead of acting like I was too scared.


    Norman was already watching me, and so were the other brothers, with intrigue on their faces.


    "You asked me to forge them, but I didn¡¯t want to," I said, and it dropped Rayden¡¯s jaw to the floor.


    "What did you say? What did he ask you to do?" Norman asked, stepping forward.


    "He asked me to steal Lamar¡¯s phone and forge some text messages--but I didn¡¯t want to do it," I almost broke down, and that made Maximus clench his jaw.


    "You asshole--" he kicked Rayden in the back, but since Kaye was holding him tight, Rayden¡¯s knees bent, but he was still held back.


    He barely managed to stand straight again to call me a liar. "She¡¯s lying. I never did that."


    "Wait a minute, when was it?" Norman questioned, pointing at me.


    "When I arrived today, he dragged me to the side behind his car and threatened me to forge the texts, or else--" I looked down and covered my face with my hands.


    "I saw it," Salem shocked me when she spoke out of the blue. I raised my head in surprise and noticed how angrily her sister was ring at her.


    "No, I¡¯m serious. I saw Rayden take Hnie behind the car by force," Salem wasn¡¯t lying to support me. She had actually seen the incident. But what shocked me was that she was willing toe forward and tell the brothers for me, instead of just letting me stay in trouble.


    "What do you have to say about that now?" Emmet asked Rayden, who was only shaking his head now until he recalled something. "Fine. Check her phone. The texts exist."


    At that point, everyone was eitherughing in their mouths at Rayden¡¯s condition, being kicked around by his trainers, or just in shock at how an alpha was getting degraded every other day.


    Norman took a few long strides and approached me, holding his hand out. I unlocked my phone and handed it to him.


    Thest text conversation was interesting, so Norman began to read it out loud.


    "Hnie has texted Lamar early this morning," he uttered.


    Me: He is threatening me to use you of putting a viper in his locker.


    Lamar: What? Why?


    Me: I don¡¯t know. He just loves to get me in trouble and make me do stuff I don¡¯t want to do.


    Lamar: Ugh! I willin to the trainers. We should not take matters into our own hands. We are not like him.


    Me: I know. I just hope he leaves me alone. He has made me suffer enough.


    Norman finished reading the texts, and now the brothers were ring at Rayden like they wanted to eat him alive.


    "What the heck! This is not the conversation! Read above," Rayden requested, but no matter how far up Norman scrolled, there were no such text messages.


    That was my final strike against Rayden, breaking his reputation and discrediting any future ims he might make.

 Chapter 303-I Am The Stepsister

    <h4>Chapter 303: 303-I Am The Stepsister</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Rayden¡ª" Emmet stretched his neck, holding back his anger by forcing a smile onto his lips. "Why would you do that? What issue do you have with Hnie?"


    There was a strange threat in his smile that even I didn¡¯t want to figure out.


    "I¡ªI don¡¯t have an issue. She has an issue with me. Ever since I¡ª" he suddenly went quiet. But during those words, my heart skipped a beat.


    I really thought I was going to get a confession out of him. But he was a monster who never really realized he had done something wrong. So getting a confession out of him was not something I could expect.


    "I have something to say¡ª" I added, "He also told me that he would hurt himself and we would me Lamar."


    I watched Rayden clench his jaw at me. At this point, if I had told everyone that Rayden was a clown, they would have believed me. Rayden had lost his credibility.


    "She¡¯s lying¡ª" he yelled, but a p from Maximus knocked him to the ground. Everyone was shocked to watch an alpha get beaten up and humiliated like this. It was no small thing.


    "So you like ying games, huh?" Norman now stepped forward, kneeling down to Rayden, who looked lost, probably trying to figure out how to prove to the trainers and everyone that he wasn¡¯t some crazy guy who had nothing better to do than bully me and lie, lie, lie.


    "We¡¯ll deal with you," Norman hissed, gesturing for him to step aside and stand with the other students.


    "What a jerk. What¡¯s your obsession with Hnie?" I heard Sage grunt at him, quickly walking away to make it clear she was disgusted to stand next to him.


    "It seems like a typical bully move. He attacked me under the excuse that Hnie told him I had messed up our lycan trap n," Arlo added. The top seniors clearly showed their dislike for Rayden now.


    I noticed Jenny looking over at Rayden. She had only taken one step toward him when Penn grabbed her arm and stopped her.


    "Enough is enough. He said some nasty things about you in front of everyone, he¡¯s constantly putting Hnie through stressful situations, and you want to go stand next to him?" For the first time, Penn stopped his sister from approaching Rayden in public. That was a huge win for us.


    But I wasn¡¯t happy with how blind Jenny had be.


    "Asshole, get away from us," Rudy pushed Rayden aside, making everyone go "ew" at him. He couldn¡¯t even lift his head.


    I swear, I saw a tear roll down his cheek from the public humiliation.


    "Everyone!" Emmet cleared his throat and stepped forward to address the students.


    Norman and the others moved away from Rayden, who would be dealt withter.


    "I guess we couldn¡¯t have a proper meeting in the hall since someone ruined it for all of us," Emmet continued while ring down at Rayden.


    I stood tall and proud. I wanted time to stop so I could keep watching Rayden cry.


    The brothers were also focused on Emmet, unsure of why he had called this meeting.


    "So we¡¯ll do it here," Emmet announced, acknowledging the injured students.


    It would have been too much to make them go back inside instead of just letting things move along faster once the meeting was done. It could be handled easily if they just stayed here and prevented the students from going in and out of the academy.


    "Some things have been happening for thest few weeks. It started on thest day of the academy when some students bullied and attacked one of the students near the lockers," Emmet pointed at me, and a chill ran up my spine. It took me back to the day Lucy had fallen.


    She was still in the hospital, and I wanted to get back to her as long as I could.


    "And then, after that incident with one of the students¡ªRayden¡ªstarted causing trouble for Hnie." His speech perfectly matched today¡¯s incident.


    Everyone stared at Rayden and rolled their eyes. It was like even they were tired of Rayden always being in trouble.


    "That¡¯s when Riri also got expelled. Now I¡¯m wondering if this bastard influenced her," of course, Arlo forgot they were happily bullying me and the others.


    "And then Rayden¡¯s parents and one of our other student¡¯s parents started chasing after Hnie to bother her, trying to force her to sign and ept Rayden¡¯s apology. Not only that, but they wanted Hnie arrested and thrown in front of the council for standing up for herself," Emmet continued, setting the stage for today¡¯s meeting.


    I¡¯ve never had someone stand up and exin to everyone what I¡¯ve been through. Emmet doing this was such a relief.


    "So¡ªI¡¯ve reached out to the council to exin why my brothers and I show extra care for Hnie¡ª" Emmet paused just to read his brothers¡¯ faces. Norman was looking at him like he was trying to understand what Emmet was about to say before he actually said it.


    "And today I¡¯m going to tell everyone why we care for Hnie and why she should be treated with respect here." He took a deep breath and then said what I hadn¡¯t expected him to say.


    "She is our stepsister!"


    It was those words that took Maximus¡¯s breath away, visibly. At least, visible to me. Kaye turned to Emmet with a look on his face that only I could understand. Even Norman rolled his eyes and turned slightly to the side so the others wouldn¡¯t see the disappointment on his face.


    "What?" Jenny gasped.


    "Her mother is getting engaged to my father very soon. Hnie is not only a student of the academy but also an owner of the academy. Yet she¡¯s been given all the tough tasks, passed them and earned her ce here. So, any bullying against her will result in severe punishment," Emmet finished.


    At this point, everyone was starting to realize what they¡¯d just heard.


    And of course, the brothers didn¡¯t look happy at all.

 Chapter 304-My Monster Mate Attacked My Friends.

    <h4>Chapter 304: 304-My Monster Mate Attacked My Friends.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Everyone went silent after hearing the announcement. And by everyone, I mean everyone¡ªincluding Maximus and Kaye.


    Maximus looked so restless that he avoided making eye contact with me. It seemed like his eyes kept filling with tears, but he was trying to distract himself by fiddling with the watch on his wrist, pretending to fix it nonstop.


    Kaye had a habit of going numb¡ªstaying still in his spot, clenching his jaw without much movement. Norman just wanted the speech to be over. That much was obvious.


    After Emmet announced it, he told everyone to say goodbye.


    "Now, Rayden! Come with us," Emmet pointed at Rayden, who looked like he had been struck by lightning.


    The brothers barely moved. Norman had to pat them on the back to get them to follow Emmet into the academy. He was the only one among the three who passed me a quick nce before turning around and leaving after his brother.


    I knew a huge confrontation was waiting.


    Rayden turned to me with horror on his face. It seemed like the announcement hit him harder than my betrayal.


    As he walked away, the others started looking at me.


    "You live with them?" one of the girls asked, her eyes wide open. I awkwardly nodded, and the others behind her gasped too.


    "Hey!" While Sage was all set to walk away with Rudy and Sumit by her side, she gave me a quick wink and a nod.


    She was pure ss.


    I had never seen her act strangely. In the beginning, I was fooled by her little jabs at the juniors or her smirks, but that was as harmless as she got.


    Salem and Sydney were looking my way, and Sydney was constantly muttering under her breath. Salem tried giving me a little smile, but I looked away from her.


    "Stepsister of the rogue kings, huh?" Penn wrapped his arm around Jenny tofort her. She looked slightly concerned for Rayden.


    "Why didn¡¯t you tell us before?" Penn asked in a joking tone.


    "She was waiting for the announcement of their engagement ceremony," Lamar quickly added to my rescue.


    Jenny remained quiet, her head down and eyes on the ground. Why was she so upset over Rayden? I just didn¡¯t understand.


    It really made me wonder if she was being mistreated by him too.


    "Yeah, sort of," I answered.


    "Anyway, I¡¯ll take her home. She doesn¡¯t seem to be feeling well," Penn said while tapping his fingers on his sister¡¯s shoulder.


    The two walked away, and now it was Arlo who hade to have a word with me.


    "Wow! How is the mansion? I heard it¡¯s really beautiful," he asked in the tone he usually used with the top senior students.


    Lamar and I frowned, exchanged a look, and then stared at Arlo in confusion.


    "It¡¯s good," I replied suspiciously.


    "Aha! You know what? If that bastard tries to bother you again,e straight to me. I¡¯ll show him a good time," the bully suddenly wanted to be my savior.


    "No thanks, she¡¯s got me and her stepbrothers," Lamar scoffed and turned me around by holding my elbow.


    The students started leaving¡ªsome going home, others heading to transition.


    Lamar and I sat near the small wooden bridge he had introduced me to, sandwiches in hand.


    "I wasughing so hard when texting you about the viper," Lamar said with his mouth full. I had brought the sandwiches when leaving the mansion.


    The maid had packed them for me at Maximus¡¯s request.


    The reminder of him also made me realize how critical things had be for us now.


    "I told you the n would work," I had to give it to Lamar. The way he acted clueless back there was amazing.


    "Yeah, but how did you know he¡¯d fall for it a second time?" Lamar asked, curious.


    "I¡¯ve been paying attention to Rayden. He¡¯s arrogant and too proud of himself. He doesn¡¯t see me as a threat, so he believes everything I say. He thinks I¡¯d be too afraid of him to mess with him. And as for him always acting on impulse, well, it¡¯s no surprise. He grew up spoiled. Never faced consequences for his actions. So he became careless. He doesn¡¯t bother acting right because no matter what he does, he always gets away with it," I exined, taking a big bite of my sandwich and smiling proudly.


    "It¡¯s like how serial killers get cocky," hemented, and I nodded in agreement.


    "Why didn¡¯t you talk to Jenny? I know you wanted to," I brought her up, and suddenly his mood changed.


    "Hnie!" Before he could say anything, I added,


    "She doesn¡¯t know about your sister, Lamar," I reminded him. If she didn¡¯t know, she couldn¡¯t be med for it.


    "But she knows he bullies you. Tell me something¡ªwhy don¡¯t you hold people ountable for what they do to you? You gotta start loving yourself," he shocked me with his statement.


    "I do love myself," I frowned in bewilderment.


    "She knows her mate has been making your life miserable, yet she shows concern for him and still wants to be friends with you. Did she evere to you to apologize for her mate¡¯s behavior? No! So how about we forget about her for now," he muttered aggressively before trying to calm himself down.


    "Let¡¯s forget about her¡ª" he hadn¡¯t finished talking when his phone rang. Holding it in his hand, he frowned at the screen.


    "It¡¯s Gavin!" he said, turning the phone toward me.


    "Why is he calling you?" I was confused. He hadn¡¯t been in contact with anyone, and the one person he called was the one he hated for sleeping with his ex.


    "Answer the call," I eyed Lamar, who put it on speaker.


    "Hey, dude! How are you? Me and Hnie are sitting together. You¡¯re on speaker," Lamar said in a fake cheerful tone.


    But Gavin was breathing heavily, gasping for air. "The lycan¡ªthe lycan¡ªI was attacked."


    And then the call was cut off again.


    Now both Lamar and I were staring at each other, worried and shocked.

 Chapter 305-The Devil Needs To Be Expelled

    <h4>Chapter 305: 305-The Devil Needs To Be Expelled</h4>


    <strong>Maximus:</strong>


    "But why expel me? I¡¯ve already left the Fellmoon Academy for RVS. If you expel me too, I¡¯ll be out of both academies," Rayden pleaded with us to let him stay, but the decision had already been made.


    After today¡¯s incident, there was no way Norman would allow him to stay. The academy¡¯s reputation and the students¡¯ well-being were his top priorities.


    "Last time was your final chance, Rayden. We¡¯ve warned you so many times, but you didn¡¯t listen. Today, you went too far. You even brought a weapon and shot yourself just to get Lamar and Hnie in trouble," Norman grumbled, adjusting his shirt a little too roughly. His shirts were getting tighter by the day. He needed to stop getting so buff or just get a whole new wardrobe.


    ¡¯Trying to distract yourself? Why not look at Emmet? He did a great job here today, didn¡¯t he?¡¯ my wolf snickered maniacally,ughing at me.


    ¡¯Okay, okay, I¡¯m sorry,¡¯ he sighed. It was always like that with him. When he lost control, even he didn¡¯t realize it. I had to remind him that I wasn¡¯t his enemy, someone he needed to hurt.


    ¡¯I knew Emmet would make me hate him one day,¡¯ I thought bitterly. I already had plenty of disagreements with how Emmet lived his life, but today, he had interfered with my mate¡ªmy rtionship with my mate.


    "But it wasn¡¯t my fault. Hnie tricked me," Rayden sobbed, realizing he was losing his ce in both prestigious academies.


    If someone from his pack joined the academies,pleted their training, and then challenged him, it would be tough for Rayden to win the Alpha title. The realization was written all over his face.


    He looked horrified at the thought, but it was something he had brought upon himself.


    "Rayden! We can¡¯t let you stay in our academy. Your actions today, your refusal to take responsibility, and your inability to stop ming Hnie just prove that this is the right decision. You scared and terrorized the entire academy. You even put their safety at risk and broke so many rules," Norman was the only one still talking.


    Kaye had been silent. I wondered why.


    Maybe, deep down, he still didn¡¯t like Hnie and didn¡¯t want her as his stepsister. He acted nice to her in front of me because I was nice to her. However, he had no idea that my reason for being unhappy about the announcement had more to do with the fact that I wanted her as my mate¡ªnot as my stepsister.


    Emmet was rocking slightly in his chair, probably just waiting for the meeting to be over so he could rush off to drink after ruining everything for me.


    "But sir! Hnie has this agenda against me. She wants revenge. She¡¯s going crazy trying to take me down," Rayden started rambling. As soon as he mentioned revenge, our eyes met. We brothers exchanged confused looks.


    Emmet stopped rocking his chair, not meeting our gaze at first, but then he slowly lifted his eyes¡ªhis head still down¡ªto re at Rayden through his eyebrows. It was clear Rayden had his attention.


    "What revenge, Rayden?" Emmet¡¯s voice was low, husky, and firm.


    "I mean... for the bullying in the beginning," Rayden mumbled, but it didn¡¯t sound like an honest confession.


    "Sir, give me onest chance. I will never even speak to Hnie or look at her. I will only focus on my training, I promise," he started begging again. But Emmet was already signing his expulsion letter and handed it over to Norman to sign as well.


    "Sir, please!" Rayden let out a desperate cry as he watched us all sign the papers.


    "No! This will ruin my life. My dad will kill me. Please! Just onest chance. I left Fellmoon for this academy," he kept rambling, but none of us felt bad for him.


    He had been following Hnie around as if the academy was only about how to chase after and bother her. He should have learned from his past mistakes, but instead, he kept going after Hnie like his life depended on it.


    "Rayden, we were happy to have you here. Sadly, it couldn¡¯tst long. We hope you¡¯ve learned a lot from your time here¡ªand from your departure. Have a great life ahead," Norman was already giving the farewell speech while Rayden sobbed into his hands.


    "Now please close the door when you leave," Norman pointed at the door, but Rayden shook his head.


    "I¡¯m admitting I was wrong¡ªHnie is right. I was lying. Can I stay now?" He acted like he was being expelled just because Hnie wanted him gone.


    He was getting expelled because of his own mistakes and actions. He should have just left her alone.


    "Rayden! Stop embarrassing yourself," Emmet sighed, rolling his eyes and stretching his neck.


    "No! I don¡¯t want to go¡ªI will beg Hnie for forgiveness. Will that do?" Rayden pressed his palms together in front of us.


    Emmet let out a grunt, got up, grabbed Rayden by the cor, and dragged him out of the chair and through the door. He shut it behind him while muttering, "Alright, fuck off."


    He turned back to us, giving us a weird look, as if he didn¡¯t understand why we were all staring at him.


    "Why did you do that?" I hissed, finally alone with him to confront him.


    "He wasn¡¯t leaving," Emmet shrugged.


    "No! I¡¯m talking about that announcement. Why did you make it? Don¡¯t you think we should have been involved in your decision? Or did you forget we even exist?" I yelled, shoving the files off the table as I stood up.


    "Maximus," Norman warned, his voice harsh and firm, but the threat was clear in his tone.


    "No! He¡¯s right. Who gave Emmet the right to make that announcement on our behalf? We don¡¯t want Hnie as our stepsister," Kaye stood by my side. Just as I had suspected, he didn¡¯t want Hnie as our stepsister because he hated her mother.


    "The world would know anyway in two weeks," Emmet¡¯s nonchnt attitude was exactly why we had grown apart from him. He never cared what his brothers were going through.


    "Why are you telling us to stop confronting him? We¡¯re getting tired of his crap now," Kaye spoke loudly, his frustration boiling over.


    "Maximus! I need to have a word with you," Norman suddenly turned to me, disappointing me even more. Instead of being angry at Emmet, he was going to confront me?

 Chapter 306-My Brother Loves Helanie

    <h4>Chapter 306: 306-My Brother Loves Hnie</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    The way Maximus was ring at Emmet and raising his voice didn¡¯t seem toe from just hating Hnie¡¯s mother. It was more than that. I wasn¡¯t blind¡ªI had been noticing it all too well.


    I stayed silent because I thought the announcement of the engagement ceremony would knock some sense into Maximus and make him realize that what he was going for couldn¡¯t be epted.


    But it seemed like he hadn¡¯t learned anything. I needed to confront him.


    And then there was Kaye, who had no idea where Kesha was these days but always knew what Hnie was doing¡ªwhat she was wearing, what she was eating, all the time.


    The fact that both of them were showing the same interest in Hnie could be dangerous. It could cause sibling rivalry, and I wondered how much Hnie was involved in it.


    Was she giving Maximus hope?


    She didn¡¯t seem like the type to do so. From what I knew about her, she was shy and very reserved.


    "Why? Why won¡¯t you ask him any questions?" Maximus refused my request, and that was the first sign that things were spiraling out of control.


    "I¡¯m asking you, and are you responding?" I mmed my hand on the desk when I had enough. Both Kaye and Maximus went silent.


    "I didn¡¯t know it would cause so much distress. I honestly thought you guys were getting along well with Hnie," Emmet finally responded to his brothers¡¯ usations.


    And who could me him?


    Kaye and Maximus had been hovering around Hnie constantly. It definitely made Emmet think things were fine.


    "You guys heard him. Now respond since you wanted to confront him so badly," I hissed at the two, who now looked down, unable to exin their behavior with Hnie.


    Yes, sometimes I sided with Emmet a little more, but I had my reasons. Emmet was more reserved when it came to expressing his feelings.


    I had to protect him¡ªit seemed like I always had to be the one to exin his side because he rarely did it himself. He was so broken inside that I wondered how he managed to get out of bed and keep going every day.


    "Now, Maximus!" I got up and pointed my thumb toward the door, briskly walking out of Emmet¡¯s office.


    Maximus followed shortly, his bodynguage tense because he knew damn well he had some exining to do.


    "What is going on?" I asked directly, wasting no time on anything else.


    "Emmet needs tomunicate better with us before making ns or decisions for us. We weren¡¯t ready to ept Hnie as our stepsister, but he still¡ª" Maximus¡¯s rambling could go on for hours. I knew that about him.


    "Cut the crap. What is going on between you and Hnie?" I muttered the words clearly so he would understand.


    As soon as I asked him that question directly, his face darkened. A gulp ran down his throat, and that alone was reason enough for me to believe I had asked the right question.


    "What do you mean?" He avoided my eyes, swallowing again.


    "Maximus, don¡¯t take me for a fool. What is going on between the two of you?" I grabbed his cor, forcing him to stand straight and look me in the eye.


    "We are mates¡ªyou know that. I¡¯ve told you everything," he muttered, looking away once again. But this time, he didn¡¯t sound as aggressive.


    The first time he told me he had felt the pull toward her, he had been furious about it.


    "And you¡¯re pursuing her?" I asked, watching as he restlessly rubbed his face with his hands.


    "I¡¯m in love with her," he whispered, making me lean in to hear him clearly.


    "Say that again," I demanded, worried I had heard him correctly.


    "I said, I¡¯m in love with her. I want her as my mate, not some freak from the woods," he hissed, standing his ground and making a loud, firm statement.


    "What about her? Did she¡ªdid she agree to it? Does she want you back?" I didn¡¯t know why it was so hard for me to get those words out. I had to push myself to even ask.


    "She showed interest in me but asked for some time," Maximus admitted, making my heart sink in my chest.


    "She knows you two are going to be stepsiblings¡ª" I stopped mid-sentence, realizing how unreasonable I was being. "I¡¯m such a fool for questioning her when she¡¯s just a young girl who only just turned eighteen. But you¡ª you work with weapons. How can it be so hard for you to understand that this could lead to trouble?"


    I didn¡¯t want to directly ask him if he had lost his mind.


    Not only that, but what about Kaye?


    I remembered how much he was interested in Hnie. What would happen if these two ended up together?


    "I just know we are mates. She is my only mate," Maximus groaned, and for a moment, I wished to tell him the truth¡ªbut then I stopped myself.


    "Okay, listen. Since Hnie asked for some time, give her that time. In the meantime, don¡¯t make any mistakes. I¡¯ll try to figure out what needs to be fixed before you two take a step forward," I said firmly.


    I wasn¡¯t going to argue with him about epting his mate.


    I knew he was recalling the pull of the mate bond for something else¡ªbut I also knew the truth.


    They were mates. That wasn¡¯t a lie.


    And I was no one to tell him not to pursue her.


    If anything, I would rather help him than stand against him.


    But somehow, a strange sadness had taken over me. I couldn¡¯t quite grasp it, but I felt drained, like all my energy had disappeared.


    "Thank you," Maximus beamed, jumping at me and wrapping me in a tight hug, bouncing up and down like an excited child.


    "I knew you would be on my side," he said, breaking the hug and speeding away.


    He was finally happy.


    And I should be happy for him.

 Chapter 307-The Missing Boyfriend Of My Friend.

    <h4>Chapter 307: 307-The Missing Boyfriend Of My Friend.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "So what are we doing again?" I asked Lamar as he kept texting someone.


    "I¡¯m asking around to see if anyone has seen Gavin recently," he said, making me walk briskly after him through the dark streets of the nearly abandoned pack area. This particr pack we hade to was near the ce where I had once gone to get a job with him.


    It wasn¡¯t light yet, but the dark clouds had filled the sky, making it seem darker. The atmosphere felt heavy. My eyes shifted to the mening in our direction. I was sure they were going to walk past us, but the way they were looking me up and down, I had a bad feeling they might do something mischievous as they passed by.


    "Hey, what? Haven¡¯t seen a girl before?" Just when I thought Lamar wasn¡¯t paying attention, the minute the men got close, he stretched his arm back to pull me to the other side and gave a grunt at them.


    "We were just looking," one of the drunk men shrugged, not wanting to get in trouble with Lamar, who looked ready to fight.


    "Then keep walking," Lamar yelled at them in annoyance. My posture straightened, confidence filling my veins now that I felt safe with Lamar.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not a spineless creature. I¡¯m not going to repeat my mistake of not protecting my sister this time," without turning to look at me, he made sure I knew he had my back.


    "I know," I pinched his elbow yfully, but our path was interrupted by a woman stepping forward.


    "You¡¯re Lamar?" she asked. She was an older woman, looking like she hadn¡¯t slept in days.


    "Yeah, I am. You¡¯re Gavin¡¯s mother?" Shock hit me when Lamar introduced her in a calm way.


    "Yes, yes! My son¡ªhe¡¯s gone missing," she started crying almost instantly, hugging Lamar, who looked taken aback for a moment.


    He had told me that he never had parental affection, so when someone older than him spoke kindly to him, he froze.


    "He was just trying to do the right thing¡ª" she kept going, making me look at Lamar to get him to snap out of his frozen state.


    "Hey, tell me what happened?" Lamar finally hugged her back. After she cried her eyes out on his chest, they broke the hug.


    Now we were sitting in a caf¨¦ talking about Gavin¡¯s mindset thest time he had spoken with his mother.


    "He has spoken so many good things about you. But I guess you¡¯re way prettier in person than in someone¡¯s words," she managed topliment me before she started talking about her son again, and tears welled up in her eyes. I get a lot ofpliments these days. And I feel like they¡¯re only saying it to be polite.


    "So, when we spoke on the phone, you mentioned that Gavin was distressed thest time?" Lamar continued to ask her questions, but they were important questions.


    "When his mate¡ªex-mate¡ªjumped off? He came home depressed. He was so heartbroken and feeling guilty about it," she recalled, while I noticed the details about her.


    Her hands were dry, and her nails were chipped. I had never heard Gavin talk about his pack or living conditions. But I do remember Sydney and Salem teasing Lucy and Gavin for being from small packs in the south when we first met.


    "You need to understand that he wasn¡¯t happy that he cheated. If I had known what he was doing, I would have pped him until the cheater in him was gone. I loved that girl. Lucy was the best for him, but my son¡ªhe messed it all up. And then she jumped..." she paused to cry. As I was about to rify to her that Lucy didn¡¯t jump, Lamar ced his hand on the back of mine to signal me to stay quiet.


    Of course, he was right. Right now, we needed to let her speak and not focus on the conspiracies.


    "And did Gavin say anything before leaving?" I asked.


    She rubbed her eyes and nodded. That was going to be a good lead.


    "He said he would find a way to wake up Lucy." My jaw dropped, and my eyes met Lamar¡¯s.


    "How¡ªhow did he n to do that?" Lamar asked, clearly curious. Even my heart was racing in my chest.


    "He said there¡¯s a herb¡ªor something like that¡ªthat would help him get her back," she stopped crying before adding, "and then he just vanished."


    That wasn¡¯t good.


    Lamar and I paid for her food when we saw her struggling to find coins in her old purse. It broke my heart to see her like that. Gavin didn¡¯t have a big family. He was an only child and lived alone with his mother. I¡¯m not sure why he never told us the truth. Did he think we would mock him?


    Gavin¡¯s mother left, while Lamar and I sat in his car, ready to head back to my home first.


    "So, Lamar, that means Gavin went to the mountains. Which would exin why he was saying he got hurt by the lycan. Do you think he¡¯s somewhere in hiding?" I asked him as I got off his bike and handed him back his helmet.


    "Yeah! That could be it. We¡¯ll start first thing in the morning, Hnie. But let¡¯s pray the lycan doesn¡¯t n to eat him tonight," he said. It shook me to my core to check the time.


    It was 8 PM now, and soon it would be midnight. The lycan would go crazy. What if it attacks Gavin when it finds him injured on the mountains?


    "I hope not. We should get to work early tomorrow. My job will start around 11 AM, so I¡¯ll have plenty of time," I told Lamar as we made ns to look for Gavin.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll let the others know to see if anyone wants to join us in looking for him," he said before speeding off.


    I had only entered the mansion when I walked in on Emmet and Norman talking seriously about something. The context of their conversation made me raise my brow.


    "I will eat plenty and leave before midnight."


    It was Emmet telling his brother about his night routine. But where was he nning to go around midnight?

 Chapter 308-The House Of The Lycan

    <h4>Chapter 308: 308-The House Of The Lycan</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "But be careful. Things are getting out of hand these days. Especially for¡ªyou know¡ªthe werewolfmunity. People are iming to have seen a new kind of threat in the area. I¡¯m doing my research on it, but in the meantime, make sure you¡¯re on alert," Norman patted Emmet¡¯s shoulder, and my eyes shifted to Emmet¡¯s jacket. I had never seen him wear a jacket before, so this one stood out to me.


    It was a beautiful ck jacket with his initials, E-M, near the pockets. It must have been a gift to him.


    "Okay¡ª" Emmet was in the middle of responding when he spotted me, and I saw the mood change. "Hey, you arrivedte. I hope you had fun with your friends," he started talking almost instantly, as if he was telling his brother we weren¡¯t alone.


    "Yeah, we were just checking out some ces," I lied, giving them both a closed-lip smile. I did notice Norman re at me up and down like I had done something wrong.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll go sleep now," I pointed my thumb over my shoulder toward my room.


    "You¡¯re not going to eat dinner?" Emmet asked while Norman stood with his head high, his eyes averted from me.


    He was suddenly acting so weird.


    "No! I¡¯ve eaten plenty," I said, though that was true. Lamar and I had a great dinner with Gavin¡¯s mother. I couldn¡¯t forget how Lamar was feeding her whenever she started crying. I couldn¡¯t believe a guy like Lamar was so sweet and humble.


    I guess first impressions and interactions aren¡¯t always urate. Or in simple terms, people do change for the better.


    "Okay then, hope you rest well," Emmet greeted, and with a nod of my head, I went to my room.


    I didn¡¯t think too much about anything because I needed to get plenty of sleep to wake up early and go after Gavin. I dozed off almost instantly and woke up around 4 AM.


    "Hello, I¡¯m heading out. Are you here yet?" I asked Lamar, quickly changing into a pair of baggy jeans and a white shirt. I had my long blonde hair in a messy braid, with my curtain bangs perfectly sitting on my forehead.


    "Yep! Almost here," he informed me, and I cut the call, rushing out to sit behind him.


    "The top seniors are alsoing. In fact, many have said they would join the search," Lamar told me, mentioning how the students were starting to stick together.


    When we first came to the academy, everyone was so against each other. It was likepetition within the group. But now, slowly as the negative people were leaving and the trainers were enforcing stricter punishments for those bullying too much, things were starting to get better.


    We reached the road where a group of students were waiting for us. Among them were Salem, Pen, and Jenny too.


    "Okay, guys, he called and told us he was attacked," I got off the bike and instantly started talking.


    "You said his signal is bad, so he must be somewhere near the mountains. What if he¡¯s not?" Sage questioned.


    "Then let¡¯s make some groups and cover a certain area in a set time. How about that?" Rudy adjusted his ck and orange jacket, probably his high school jock jacket. I should¡¯ve known he was a jock before.


    That was so written all over his face and in his bodynguage.


    "Okay, that sounds like a good idea," I nodded, agreeing with Lamar, "Me, Lamar, Salem, and Sumit will be in one team."


    I noticed Jenny looked shocked that I didn¡¯t include her in our group.


    "I want to be¡ª" she started, but her brother gave her a head shake. He was always there to stop her from embarrassing herself. It was just that I knew her presence would worry Lamar.


    The rest of the teams were made, and the reason I put Salem in our group was because I had noticed she was good at tracking and finding things.


    "Thank you for epting me in your group," Salem whispered. We were briskly moving through the mountain, not really knowing what we were doing, until Salem added, "How about we tie red ribbons around the trees where we¡¯ve already searched? Just so we¡¯re not going in circles?" She pulled out red ribbons and handed them to us. "I gave some to the others too."


    So she hade prepared. She gave me a small smile when she noticed I looked impressed.


    An hour in, and Salem started sniffing something. I noticed her doing it in her bag before her eyesnded on me, and she quickly hid it.


    "You guys go ahead," I told Lamar, who was genuinely doing his best to find Gavin for his mother.


    He went ahead with the others while I decided to confront Salem.


    "What was that?" I asked her, gesturing for her to show it to me.


    "It¡¯s Gavin¡¯s shirt. He had given it to me once with his scent on it," she replied, holding the shirt out for me.


    "Then why didn¡¯t you tell us before?" I ced my hands on my waist, questioning her.


    "I didn¡¯t want to remind you guys about¡ª" she lowered her head. She was never so shy or timid. What was going on with her?


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I was buying her whole "nice girl" act.


    "Anyway, go for it. Start looking for him." I knew if she could track his scent, it would be a lot easier for us to find him.


    We should have asked for something from Gavin¡¯s motherst night.


    "Lamar, she¡¯s tracking Gavin!" I yelled at the others, who nodded and started following her. I went after her myself, moving quickly. She was headed very determinedly, so we were sure she was picking up on the scent.


    And we weren¡¯t wrong.


    She went straight to a cave in the mountains. A hidden one.


    "This is it, I can smell him from inside," she gasped as she stood outside the cave.


    "Okay, we don¡¯t know if the lycan is sleeping inside¡ª" Sage was busy trying to make everyone understand what important steps should be taken when Salem bolted inside, calling for Gavin.


    We all shared a terrified look before going after her. And there it was¡ªour nightmare.


    A blood trail.

 Chapter 309-Maybe Him?

    <h4>Chapter 309: 309-Maybe Him?</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Hnie," Lamar extended his arm to hold my hand as he navigated us through the cave.


    "He¡¯s here! I found him!" Salem screamed from afar, calling for us and letting us know she had found Gavin.


    Our eyes were wide as we followed her voice and reached the small hidden area in the cave. It was Gavin hiding there, and he came out when he heard Salem calling for him.


    "Gavin!" I pushed everyone away to kneel before him. His foot was badly injured, and maybe that was why he couldn¡¯t leave the cave. I could tell he had lost a lot of blood too, which is why he hadn¡¯t been able to shift either.


    "Hnie!" he whispered, smiling through his bloody face.


    "What happened to you?" I wanted to give him a hug, but he looked in so much pain that I couldn¡¯t do anything for him.


    "Okay, we need to get him out of here first," Sage suggested for Rudy to carry Gavin on his back. It was hard to lift him without moving him too much. And every time he moved, he cried and screamed. It was terrifying.


    While Rudy carried him on his back and walked us toward the mountains, I realized Salem was probably really interested in Gavin. Or why else would she havee to a group of people who aren¡¯t fond of her to find someone she had a fling with?


    "Thank you," I said to Salem as I passed her.


    "I¡¯ll take him home and get him all stitched up before I help him with the transition. We can¡¯t take him to the hospital yet, because then everyone would find out that something happened to him on the mountains," Lamar suggested, making me frown at him.


    "Yeah, and it seems like we¡¯ve found the hidden cave of the Lycan. But where was he? I thought he would be there and hide until the full moon," Sage was trying to find out the truth about the Lycan.


    I could see it in her eyes that she was still very much interested in finding that Lycan and capturing him.


    "Rudy, take Gavin to Lamar¡¯s motel while the rest of us leave," Sage ordered. Rudy would take Gavin in his car while Lamar rode his bike to his pack, as he wouldn¡¯t leave his vehicle behind.


    "I¡¯ll be fine. Go," I told Lamar when he passed me a nce. It was morning, and I would be fine going by myself.


    "The Lycan is not just a monster," Gavin spoke, stumbling as Rudyid him down in the backseat of the car.


    "What do you mean by that?" I asked, leaning down to him. The others were standing all around him, worried for him.


    "He transitions only on the full moon into a Lycan," he exined through sleepy eyes. Sage had given him some medicine to help with his pain.


    "Thank you¡ªI didn¡¯t think you woulde¡ª" Gavin was in the middle of speaking, smiling at me, and then he closed his eyes and passed out.


    "Oh!" Once again, a look of strange determination took over Sage¡¯s face as she gathered more information about the Lycan.


    It was shocking to me as well. I thought the Lycan was a monster who stayed in that form as a curse. But I never thought it was someone who would transition back into their human form once the full moon was gone. It made my heart sink in my chest.


    Who could it be?


    Who could be my mate?


    Rudy and Lamar drove off while Sage seemed to have something to say to us.


    "Okay, everyone. This gives us hope," she pped her hands, rubbing them together. "So the Lycan is someone who lives among us but turns into a monster and terrorizes us on full moons. You know what we can do with this information?" she smirked,ing up with a n.


    "We can set up cameras all around the cave and find out who it is," she snapped her fingers, making everyone look at her a bit oddly. I¡¯m sure afterst time, not many were ready to go on a deadly mission to find and capture the Lycan again.


    "Come on, everyone, show some enthusiasm. This Lycan has been hurting our kind, and then it gets to live among us like a snake," she hissed, and the way she phrased it got others intrigued and agreeing with her.


    "And besides, you don¡¯t have to do anything. I¡¯ll set up some cameras around the cave and inside it, and then we¡¯ll go together in the morning to collect the footage. It¡¯s that simple," she shrugged while the others nodded.


    I wasn¡¯t too sure. It was dangerous to be in the Lycan¡¯s cave again.


    She said goodbye to us, and I began my journey back home. While hiking, my eyesnded on something very familiar and striking.


    I would have never paid attention to it if I hadn¡¯t seen it before. It was a ck, shiny material stuck to one of the trees as if it had been ripped during some wild encounter. I reached the tree, touching the material, and noticed all the blood on it.


    Not only that, as it was normal for blood to be in the roguemunity, but what was shocking to me was that I recognized the initials written on the torn piece of fabric.


    "E-M?" I frowned.


    I remembered him speaking to his brother about leaving to go somewhere. But I thought he would be going out for a meeting with a client. Some of their clients, no, many of their clients, visit them, and then they have parties and meetings with them after midnight.


    But this didn¡¯t seem like a party to me. I grabbed the fabric and held it tightly in my hand while briskly walking back to the mansion.


    It didn¡¯t make sense why his jacket was torn and all bloody. In my mind, I was hoping to go home andter hear the rumor that Emmet might have encountered something and got his jacket ripped. But when I arrived home for dinner, I was shocked to see nothing being mentioned.


    No one was talking about anything. Especially the brothers.


    I went to join them for dinner, my eyes on Emmet. He seemed just fine and had no story to share.

 Chapter 310-Found Out The Truth

    <h4>Chapter 310: 310-Found Out The Truth</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I heard you made an announcement about Hnie," Lord McQuoid asked Emmet, shifting his attention from his food to him during dinner.


    I had been watching Emmet to make sure he was okay, and he seemedpletely fine.


    "It was needed to be done." I noticed theck of confidencepared tost time in Emmet¡¯s words. He was so determined on the academy grounds when making that announcement. But tonight, he looked troubled as he kept ncing at Kaye and Maximus.


    It was then that I realized he might have gotten scolded by Maximus.


    "He announced Hnie as his stepsister?" My mother put her fork down, her tone sharp and shocked.


    "Yeah, Urs, it was important. She was getting bullied nonstop," Lord McQuoid seemed to have known this would upset my mother, so he quickly tried exining.


    However, the look on my mother¡¯s face didn¡¯t change.


    She looked unconvinced.


    "The rising student needs someone to defend herself," Of course, Charlotte had something to add. She let out a snicker and then lowered her head. Her mother gently elbowed her whileughing under her breath with her.


    "Charlotte!" Maximus yelled, causing her to suddenly stopughing and raise her head to look at him.


    "You think bullying is funny?" he asked her sternly, making me notice the anger in his eyes as he kept ring at her.


    "No¡ªI didn¡¯t mean tough," she stuttered while tearing up.


    "Don¡¯t speak if you can¡¯t say anything useful," Maximus hissed at her while Emma shared a nce with Lord McQuoid. She wanted him to see how his son was speaking to Charlotte, who now had tears streaming down her face. She lowered her head and started wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand.


    "Maximus, she has a mother for that. You don¡¯t need to scold her," Lord McQuoid understood the situation and stepped in to defend Charlotte, who sat right next to my mother.


    My mom looked visibly disturbed for Charlotte, so she wrapped her arm around Charlotte¡¯s shoulder tofort her.


    "And her mother is not doing a great job. She was snickering along, did you not see that?" Maximus was beginning to get louder and louder.


    I raised my head and noticed Emmet staring at me. He had his hand stretched out on the table while holding a fork in the other hand. His eyes seemed to hold secrets.


    I shook my gaze away from him to Maximus and Lord McQuoid.


    "Maximus, that is no way to speak about an elder," Lord McQuoid had made it clear that he was biased. He would go as far as to yell at his sons just for the sake of my mother¡¯s friend.


    "That is no way to speak to your son either. And please tell me, what did Maximus say wrong?" I guess at this point, we had all been waiting for Norman to speak up since he always did for his brothers.


    He usually waits for some time to hear the full debate and then strikes while the iron is hot.


    Lord McQuoid shifted his gaze to Norman. I could tell he was getting tired of Norman always speaking up for his brothers and going against him.


    "Norman!" Lord McQuoid said, giving up.


    I felt like I was responsible for this argument. I slowly pushed my chair back and got up. "I¡¯m full. Have a good night."


    The feeling of being the reason for arguments was horrible. Besides, the fact that my motherforted Charlotte, despite knowing Charlotte was wrong, hurt me even more.


    Everybody went silent as I walked past them toward the exit. I had just stepped out when I heard Kaye grunt.


    "Are you happy now, Dad? Taking Charlotte¡¯s side meant you didn¡¯t acknowledge her subtle bullying towards Hnie."


    "I didn¡¯t know she would get upset!" Lord McQuoid¡¯s response was thest thing I heard.


    I walked straight back to my room, sat on the couch, and turned off all the lights.


    I reread Sage¡¯s text about cing the cameras in the cave.


    Topsenior-Sage: The cameras are all set. By tomorrow morning, we will have our answers and the scumbag of a lycan.


    I fidgeted with my fingers nervously. He is my mate, and he is a human. What if¡ªit is someone I don¡¯t want as a mate? Or someone who instantly tells everyone that we are mated?


    I hated the fact that I had so many secrets. I needed to share them with Lamar. I called him many times, but he didn¡¯t pick up, so I assumed he was busy with Gavin.


    So I just sat there, my eyes on the passage between my window and Emmet¡¯s sanctuary.


    A few minutes before midnight, I watched Emmet step out onto the passage and stare at the sky. Then, he began heading toward the exit.


    I was more curious than ever now. It didn¡¯t make sense. Why was he sneaking out like that?


    I held the torn fabric in my hands, and the minute Emmet was out of sight, I heard a howl erupt through the air.


    My body shuddered at the familiarity of the howl. It wasn¡¯t just a wolf¡¯s howl¡ªit was a lycan¡¯s howl.


    I began to recall all the times I had seen Emmet in the corridor or the time when we were at a motel, and he had to leave so desperately. That same night, the lycan had attacked some werewolves and probably fought them. I remember Emmet having a bite mark on his neck.


    I knew what I was about to do was wrong, but I needed to know the truth. Since he had left, I jumped out of the window and headed straight through the corridor. It was so cold here at this time. The wind from both sides was turning me into an ice cube.


    Once I reached his room, I noticed he was sofortable that he hadn¡¯t even locked it. That made me feel guilty for some reason. Nobody should have to worry about someone sneaking into their room when they aren¡¯t around. But I had a reason to do so.


    I looked around and saw a piece of paper ced on the bed. It was a drawing of the cave.


    He knew about the lycan?


    Or was he the lycan?


    It had been right before my eyes all this time. How did I miss it?


    As my suspicions were confirmed, I yelped when I remembered the camera in the cave. Tomorrow morning, Sage and the others would find out it was Emmet.

 Chapter 311-Saving My Mate

    <h4>Chapter 311: 311-Saving My Mate</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I left Emmet¡¯s room in panic and stood in the corridor, staring at the sky while panicking. I was quickly trying to find a solution.


    There was only one solution to this problem...


    "Come on, pick up my calls," I hissed as I held my phone tightly against my ear, calling Norman.


    I had made up my mind. This was the exact reason I went into Emmet¡¯s room. I wanted to know if it was him or not. And now that I knew it was him, I had to alert Norman about what Sage and the others were nning for the Lycan.


    "Ugh!" Norman didn¡¯t respond, so I called Maximus and even Kaye. But none of them answered. I headed to my room and sat down, hearing the Lycan in the distance.


    "It was Emmet all this time," I cupped my face in my hands, wondering why I didn¡¯t realize it sooner.


    Of course, it was him.


    My mate!


    It made sense.


    But I wondered if Emmet, in his Lycan form, doesn¡¯t remember anything when he transitions back into his human form?


    And why the heck was he cursed?


    Why was the Moon Goddess so harsh on him? Could that be why he drinks so much? He¡¯s probably trying to hide his pain.


    So many thoughts and worries consumed me that I didn¡¯t realize when I had dozed off while sitting straight on the bed. I woke up just as I was about to lie down unconsciously.


    "Ah!" Gasping for air, I jolted awake, and another horror struck me when I looked at the light outside the window.


    "Shit!" Cursing at myself, I got out of bed and grabbed my shoes. I couldn¡¯t believe I dozed off. Sage had told me she would go fetch the cameras early in the morning.


    I began to type a text for Sage, trying to get a heads-up.


    Me: Did you already leave the house to go grab the cameras?


    I worriedly bit my bottom lip while sending the text. I knew the wise thing would be to wait a little for her text so that I don¡¯t go and get busted by her. What if she¡¯s at the caves too when I arrive?


    But I didn¡¯t care. I could make up a lieter. I left my room, nning to grab the camera myself. The darkness was still covering half the sky, but it would stay for a little while. I managed to get out of the gate fine after telling the guards I was going for an early jog. They only cared until it was two hours past midnight.


    As soon as I hit the road, I began to hear footsteps behind me. They were heavy and determinedly chasing after me.


    That was another issue with living in the roguemunity. You never know when a monster ising after you in the dark. I couldn¡¯t even wish for the sun toe out soon because that would mean Sage would have already obtained the cameras.


    As I sped up, the horror behind me increased its speed as well. Now, it was right behind me, definitelying for me.


    "Get away from me!" I screamed and tried to run when a hand grabbed my arm, stopping me from escaping. He was so strong that I swear he lifted me off my feet while pulling me back.


    "Ouch!" I groaned as I got to my feet and faced the so-called monster.


    "Norman!" I sighed, cing a hand on my chest when I realized it was just the monster from home.


    "What are you doing sneaking out like that?" He ced his hands on his waist, making me realize he was indeed angry about something.


    What have I done to upset him now?


    "I called you several times! Why didn¡¯t you pick up?" I groaned, angrily pointing at my phone. He cocked his head and closed his eyes as if trying to process what I was asking.


    "You are not¡ªI am not responsible for answering you," he muttered through his clenched jaw.


    I noticed his dress shirt and pants and grimaced. "You¡¯re always in a suit?"


    He let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "So what exactly is your problem? Me wearing a suit or not answering your calls?"


    With a very determined and loud voice, I yelled, "You!"


    Then I paused and corrected myself. "I meant the Lycan."


    His eyes shot wide. "Why are you talking about the Lycan again? Don¡¯t¡ªdon¡¯t tell me your reason for leaving the mansion so early is the Lycan." There was a threat in his tone. He had warned me about staying away from trouble.


    "It is, and you should definitely stop asking questions and start following me." I pointed at him and briskly started walking again.


    "Hnie, stop giving me orders and tell me what¡¯s going on. Where are we heading?" He came after me, huffing and puffing.


    "Okay, listen, don¡¯t get angry¡ª" I closed my eyes, giving up on walking for a moment.


    "What did you do?" he questioned in a low, ¡¯ready to kill¡¯ tone.


    "One of us might have put cameras in the cave," I admitted, and he narrowed his eyes, silently asking for details. "In the Lycan¡¯s cave."


    I finished, and the look on his face said it all. He looked petrified.


    "And I know who the Lycan is," I added, watching him take another blow from me like a champ.


    "Hnie¡ªwhat the fuck are you talking about?" he gasped, his breathing bing erratic.


    "You guys put cameras¡ªwhy? And what do you n to do with them?" he asked, now walking past me even faster than I was.


    "Nothing¡ªI don¡¯t n to do anything with them. I want to destroy the footage."


    As soon as I said that, he slowed down and turned to watch me with so many questions on his face.


    "Because I know it¡¯s Emmet. Emmet is the Lycan, isn¡¯t he?"


    That question alone thickened the tension in the air. I could see his eyes starting to get teary.


    "We need to get that camera out of that cave before somebody else does," he uttered in a very low and sad tone.

 Chapter 312-I Got It Wrong

    <h4>Chapter 312: 312-I Got It Wrong</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Are you still angry with me?" I kept walking behind him, and sometimes I wanted to take a break, but I didn¡¯t want to slow us down.


    He hadn¡¯t turned around to speak with me this whole time. But he made sure to grunt every now and then to let me know how angry he was at me.


    "Hnie, it would be better if you didn¡¯t talk," he hissed, still grunting.


    "Okay, but I want you to know that I would never do anything to hurt Emmet," I said, trying my best to keep up with his pace.


    "Huh, you couldn¡¯t even if you wanted to. Just because you passed some tests, you really think you¡¯re the shit?" He was still in the same mindset as before¡ªwanting to hurt me at any cost.


    "Okay, I deserve that. But I didn¡¯t know it was Emmet who was the Lycan," Iined, now breathing heavily.


    "Shut up," he hissed so loudly that I tripped and fell on my knees.


    He briefly stopped and turned around to let out a scoff. "You deserve this. I hope it hurt."


    That was it. He was being mean to me for no reason. If I hadn¡¯t been a part of that group, he would have never found out that we had cameras set up in the cave. I got up, gently rubbed my knees, while he had already marched far ahead.


    However, he stopped briefly and yelled, "Now don¡¯t slow down, you snail."


    Got it.


    I would do the same. He didn¡¯t deserve me to be kind to him. So I began walking briskly, and once I caught up with him, he started moving faster again.


    "You know, I would never hurt Emmet. But I do feel bad for him. He didn¡¯t deserve this curse¡ªyou, on the other hand¡ª" I paused when I noticed him shrugging his shoulders.


    I could only stare at his broad back, but I knew he was being affected.


    "I wouldn¡¯t have been so worried. I mean, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re not already a monster."


    I shrugged, feeling like a fool for thinking that would be enough to hurt his ego.


    He didn¡¯t respond, so he wasn¡¯t affected enough. But now we were at the caves, and I was worried we¡¯d go inside and find the cameras missing.


    "You stay out here," he pointed his finger at me and warned me.


    "Okay," I grunted but let him go inside. I didn¡¯t want to face Sage if she was actually in there. And what if she wasn¡¯t but was just arriving? She¡¯d see me with Norman and suspect me of sabotaging the n.


    It would make her believe maybe Rayden wasn¡¯t wrong about me getting in the way of their n before.


    She hadn¡¯t responded to me either. So I was wondering what was going on.


    I anxiously watched the cave¡¯s entrance, and finally, Norman came out.


    "Oh, thank goodness," I sighed, cing a hand on my chest as I saw Norman holding the cameras.


    He began looking through them but made sure he stood a little far away from me. The look on his face told me the camera had captured something he didn¡¯t want anyone to see because the next thing I knew, he was mming it on the ground and stomping on it.


    Seeing a big man like him jump up and down on a small object was finally off my bucket list.


    Once he was done, he did the same to the other cameras. I wanted to see the recordings, but I guess he wasn¡¯t in the mood.


    I don¡¯t know why he thought I would hurt Emmet. I never would.


    Once his little dance on the cameras was over, he threw the broken pieces around and then pointed at me to follow him back home.


    "Yeah, we should hurry up because what if Sagees¡ª" I stopped suddenly when he paused for a moment. He turned around in a very threatening way and pressed a finger to his lips to hush me.


    "For the rest of the way, I don¡¯t want to hear you rambling, you understand me?" The anger in his eyes and the redness in his cheeks made me faintly nod my head.


    Okay! I get it.


    He was truly upset.


    I guess I knew why. He deeply loved his brother, and even though I told him I wanted the footage gone, I was sure he was upset that I had found out the truth about the Lycan.


    For the next few minutes, we silently walked toward our destination. And once we were reaching home, he stopped again and pointed at me.


    "Today¡¯s training will be different. Be in the woods on time." That was all he said before walking ahead of me to enter the mansion.


    That was odd. I thought he wouldn¡¯t want to train me again afterst time.


    "Okay," I replied in confusion.


    And just as I entered the mansion, I noticed he had stopped in his tracks. His giant back was facing me. I fidgeted with my fingers for a while, wondering why he was frozen in ce like that.


    But soon, he answered my silent question as he turned around and locked eyes with me.


    "And you were wrong," he stated.


    "About what?" I asked, curious about which part he was talking about.


    "About the Lycan," he muttered, causing my heart to flip in my chest.


    And then, in a very creepy and hushed tone, he added, "It¡¯s not Emmet."


    That was all he said before he got moving again and left without stopping this time.


    I stayed put, frozen in silence, trying to process what he had just told me.


    It¡¯s not Emmet?


    Then who could it be?


    What did Norman see in the footage?


    And that¡¯s when Sage¡¯s message popped up on my phone¡¯s screen.


    Sage: No! I dozed off. Arrived at the caves, but I guess the Lycan destroyed the cameras.


    Something about her statement sent shivers down my spine as I recalled¡ªNorman isn¡¯t usually around when midnight strikes either.

 Chapter 313-The Way He Takes Off His Belt

    <h4>Chapter 313: 313-The Way He Takes Off His Belt</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Ever since Norman told me it wasn¡¯t Emmet, my mind had been racing like crazy. I was scared of Norman in some way now. Last time, when I had hit him with the vase, he was sneaking in all covered in mud and leaves.


    Could it be him?


    Why did he ask me toe to the woods today?


    "Ugh!" I washed my face for the fifth time to calm my nerves down.


    After lunch, I was supposed to be in the woods for training. I had such a messy day working with the weapons too. Maximus noticed I was out of it, and I guess that¡¯s why he let me leave early. I wanted to take my job seriously, but there had been so much going on that I couldn¡¯t focus because of the crazy lycan and everything else.


    "Hnie! I needed to speak with you." I sat down at the lunch table, and Lord McQuoid instantly started talking. My mother rolled her eyes and folded her arms over the table.


    Charlotte and Emma weren¡¯t around. It was only me, the couple, and Kaye, who I needed to speak with soon.


    "Sure, you know you don¡¯t need my permission," I joked, but I was serious. Even thoughst time he kind of took Charlotte¡¯s side, I guess it wasn¡¯t really me vs. Charlotte in that moment. He was upset with Maximus for interfering.


    "I am sorry if I hurt your feelingsst time. I actually wasn¡¯t sure if Maximus using that tone with her was the right thing. I wasn¡¯t taking her side¡ªI would have spoken up for you myself, but it was toote," he exined, making my mother open her mouth and let out a tired sigh.


    "I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine. You gave her shelter, food, and even asked your son to give her a job. Such little things don¡¯t need exining after you¡¯ve already been so generous to her," she said, her words stabbing me like a sharp dagger to the chest.


    But I nodded my head and replied to Lord McQuoid, "I am truly grateful for the shelter you¡¯ve provided me. Your kind words and understanding are new to me. It¡¯s something even real parents aren¡¯t always capable of." With that, I taunted my mother, who looked visibly bothered.


    "You think¡ª" she shut up when Kaye ced his spoon on his te a little too hard.


    "Shall we not make her ufortable by listing all the things we¡¯ve done for her? Because, Urs," Kaye didn¡¯t use any title for my mother as he responded, "we are already doing too much for Charlotte and her mother. Our parents did way too much for you when you arrived at our doorstep. So, I guess it¡¯s pretty hypocritical that now you¡¯re reminding Hnie of what my father is doing for her as if he hadn¡¯t done the same for you and your friends." He calmly pointed out that she was once in my position too.


    "Let¡¯s eat in peace." This time, Lord McQuoid didn¡¯t call out his son because he realized it would just go in circles.


    "Tell me, how are the engagement preparations going, my love? Did you get the gown you dreamed of?" Lord McQuoid was so gentle to my mother, who seemed way too happy whenever he spoke nicely to her.


    Everyone deserves someone who praises them,pliments them, and makes them blush. I was happy for my mother because she had endured a lot of abuse from my father back home.


    Now that I was older and out of that house, I was remembering things that had seemed normal¡ªuntil they weren¡¯t.


    That kind ofnguage and the pushes my father gave my mother were always categorized as something everyone does.


    I thought it was normal too because I was told so. My father wouldter get her flowers, and I would be like, "Wow, he is so caring."


    I began eating and finished my food quickly because I had to be somewhere. I left the table before Charlotte and her mother joined. I was sure they were aware that Lord McQuoid was talking about yesterday¡¯s situation, so they avoided the confrontation.


    Now, I was in the woods, waiting for Norman to arrive. Something just didn¡¯t feel right to me. My heart was pounding hard in my chest, and then he showed up, making me even more uneasy.


    He was still in his suit.


    "So! Ready for training?" he asked, making me nod my head slowly.


    "Warm-ups?" I asked, getting ready, but as he shook his head, he made me gulp in worry.


    "Nope! Today, we¡¯ll do something different," he said, walking around me in circles. "Remember when you said I couldn¡¯t tie you to the tree?" He reminded me, and I instantly regretted ever saying that to him.


    "I was just upset," I tried to make excuses, but he hade with a n.


    "No! No! It was the right thing. I did pin you to the tree, and you couldn¡¯t get out¡ªuntil you bit me and I let you go," he pointed a finger at his chest, sounding so cocky, but I didn¡¯t trigger him at the moment.


    "Because nobody would tie you to a tree and stand so close to you. They would tie you up and leave."


    As he said those words, I noticed him taking off his belt.


    "What are you doing?" I inquired, stepping away from him.


    "Stand next to the tree, please." Although he used a polite tone, he wasn¡¯t very subtle aboutmanding me.


    He snapped the belt, making me shake my head at him.


    "Hnie, your task today is to get out of the¡ªbelt," he spoke thest word so weirdly, sending chills down my spine.


    "Do you not want to train today?" he cocked his head.


    With a gentle nod, I started walking backward while he kept pacing toward me. My back met the tree, and he stopped when he was barely a foot away from me. He walked around to my back and tied my hands with his belt¡ªit was a tight knot.


    Then he came forward, leaned in, hunched down slightly, and whispered in my ear, "Nobody wille to untie your hands tonight. You wanted to meet the lycan, didn¡¯t you? Let the two of you have an introduction today."

 Chapter 314-The Pirate Song

    <h4>Chapter 314: 314-The Pirate Song</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I had been struggling to get out of the belt for the past hour, but he had tightened it so hard that I couldn¡¯t escape.


    "You¡¯re kidding me, right?" I asked as he showed up again with a burger in his hand and sat down next to the tree with a book in his other hand. He had left me here after saying that to me.


    After a few minutes, I gently thought he wouldn¡¯t evene back¡ªbut he did.


    "Norman," I yelled, and he squeezed one eye shut to show me my voice wasn¡¯t bothering him.


    "You¡¯re not serious, right?" I asked again, while moving my hands to somehow loosen the belt around my wrists.


    "You heard me. I said what I said," he took a bite from his burger and then acted like he was so busy reading that he couldn¡¯t bother responding to me.


    "I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re so evil," I hissed, sitting down on the ground in anger.


    "Firstly, ew! So unssy," hemented, "and secondly, didn¡¯t you say I¡¯m already a monster? Then what are you so shocked about?" He shrugged, as if his childish behavior had a good exnation.


    "Okay, you won. Now get me out of it," I screamed, tears starting to form in my eyes.


    "Not going to work on me. That waterworks can be saved for my brothers. Now either you get out of it, or you be the lycan¡¯s food for the night," he didn¡¯t shift his eyes from his book, his legs stretched out like he was sitting in his garden.


    "You know if the lycan killed me¡ªeverybody would point fingers at you," I spoke with difficulty, trying not to anger him but still wanting to be harsh.


    "How so?" he shrugged, finally raising his eyes from his book.


    "Because everybody knows I left the house to be in the woods for training," I reminded him what we were here for.


    "Nope! You left the house alone. Nobody saw youe here with me," he said in a cold tone, taking a bite from his burger while meeting my eyes.


    "You really want me dead?" I gulped.


    "Why? I wasn¡¯t going to use the footage against the lycan," I felt so bad for tearing up again because I knew he wouldn¡¯t be bothered, like he said.


    But how do I tell him this wasn¡¯t something simple to me?


    My anxiety came from deep within. Being held against my will was so triggering, but I was keeping my sanity intact.


    "Hnie, if you would stop running your mouth and focus on your strength, it would be much better. Nowe on, take that belt off your wrist. You¡¯re a werewolf, act like one," he hissed, then started humming as if he didn¡¯t just scare me.


    "Ugh!" I moved my wrists hard, closing my eyes to use all my strength.


    "You better get out of the belt before I finish this book. The minute I¡¯m done, I will go back home. Either with you or alone," he threatened, smirking a little when he watched me clench my jaw. My misery seemed so amusing to him.


    "I need to get out of here," I mumbled to myself, "I must." I had promised myself that next time I was in trouble, I would rely on myself, so why the heck was I asking Norman for help?


    I wanted to be a warrior who could take her revenge, right?


    I struggled for another few hours. Or how many hours? I have no idea. Norman stayed, reading the book. I had no clue he could patiently sit for hours and not move until he was done with the book.


    My anxiety spiked when he shut the book and pointed, "Well, it seems like I¡¯m going home alone." He got up, brushing his pants and shirt clean.


    "NO! Please wait. I can get out¡ªof this," I started to panic, even visibly now, as I moved around.


    "Don¡¯t go," I watched him shrug and walk away.


    "It¡¯s 11 PM. I better get home," he announced, making my jaw drop. So many hours had passed and I hadn¡¯t even gotten out of the restraints?


    What was I doing at the academy then? Always busy with drama and getting myself in trouble when I should have been focusing on my strength already. Tears sprung from my eyes as I noticed he wasn¡¯t slowing down.


    "Norman, don¡¯t be an asshole!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, but he was gone. He was out of my sight, and it was so dark now that I couldn¡¯t even see through the darkness ahead.


    "Shit, shit, shit," I cursed under my breath, casting quick nces around in fear and then hastily moving my arms, twisting my wrists.


    And then, after about another hour, I began to hear the howling. The big trees around me and above me blocked the sky from my vision. It was so dark now.


    I couldn¡¯t even focus on the howls properly, but I could tell they were probably getting closer and closer.


    "Please, if you are within, now would be the right time toe forward and help me out," I whispered, shaking and sobbing.


    I was frozen in my spot, unable to try and get out. Hours had passed, and I swear my hands were bloody. My skin hurt so badly from moving my wrists around so much in the belt.


    "Come on, please," I begged within myself. And then, the howls came from right behind me. The heavy breathing and grunting paralyzed me. My skin felt cold, almost like I had lost my soul.


    I dreaded dying without fulfilling any of my promises.


    The twigs snapped underneath the lycan¡¯s foot, and I closed my eyes.


    I knew it wouldn¡¯t leave me alive this time. As panic struck me, I began to move again.


    And this time, I heard something deep within me.


    "You wish for the downfall of those, and I will make your wishe true."


    It was the most angelic and melodic voice I¡¯d ever heard, and then she started to hum a melody that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.


    "There once was a ship that sailed to sea!"


    And with that, my eyes closed, and my legs began to itch.

 Chapter 315-She Is A Keeper

    <h4>Chapter 315: 315-She Is A Keeper</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    I stayed behind the tree, watching her close her eyes. I gestured at the warrior to y the recording of the lycan howling again. It may have been around 7 PM, but she didn¡¯t know. I had been noticing that she wanted to do great and learn to fight, but she was always busy with other stuff.


    She needed a push, at least that much I had learned. After what she did this morning, I felt really guilty for ever seeing her in the wrong light. I guess I was angry at her at first, but the minute she thought it was Emmet and decided not to use the footage, she had earned so much respect in my eyes.


    She was a ride or die, wasn¡¯t she?


    That innocent face was not just a symbol of beauty but courage, determination, and loyalty.


    "Maximus is lucky!" If somebody heard me say that, they would never believe their ears. I wasn¡¯t the type to usually praise a girl, especially Hnie.


    I wanted to be right about her, like I always had been about other people who came into our lives. But I was wrong this time. She had proven to me that she had so manyyers to her that needed to be discovered.


    And today, I had tried to give her a push. I noticed her opening her eyes and then suddenly pulling her arms apart. That¡¯s when the belt snapped, but Hnie closed her eyes, and I knew she was losing consciousness.


    I ran from behind the tree and approached her quickly, holding her to stop her from falling down. I had stayed close by all this time, making sure no harm or monster came near her.


    "She snapped the belt," the warrior looked shocked, "She has a wolf. There¡¯s no way¡ª" he was staring at the belt and then added, "Or maybe she¡¯s a superhuman."


    The way he was watching her made me uneasy. I knew he was just admiring her, but she had passed out, and him watching her sleep just didn¡¯t sit well with me.


    "Okay, thank you for your help. You may leave now," I said. I wouldn¡¯t let her be with anyone around when she wasn¡¯t conscious.


    I was a little hesitant to touch her to carry her. I hissed under my breath, my fists tight before I loosened my muscles and slid my arms under her body.


    As I carried her, I got up from the ground and started walking towards the road where my car was parked.


    She had indeed snapped the belt and gotten free. That was incredible. It proved she wasn¡¯t pushing her wolf enough.


    But I couldn¡¯t wait to ask her if she heard her wolf or what she felt the moment her strength surged.


    Iid her down in the backseat of my car and pulled a nket over her. I didn¡¯t stay in the car with her since she was unconscious, and I didn¡¯t want her to wake up feeling weird. But I did walk around the car, thinking about the students and everyone¡¯s attention on the lycan.


    "She thought it was Emmet. What if others start thinking that too? An innocent man¡¯s reputation will be ruined," I was worried for my brother.


    I stood outside, worrying about all these matters. And by the time the warrior returned with food, I saw Hnie move in the backseat as well.


    I opened the door and mmed it shut as I sat down, which made her fully wake up.


    "HUH?" she groaned, rubbing her eyes and stretching until she saw me in the front seat. I was watching her through the mirror.


    She jumped up, sitting straight, and then threw a punch at my back. Her fist hit my shoulder, and a loud cracking noise followed. She didn¡¯t fractured her hand, thankfully.


    "Ow!" she cried, holding her hand and whimpering, "Why would you do that?"


    I rolled my eyes at her for a while before turning in my seat and ring at her.


    "You hit me. I didn¡¯t ask you to do it," I muttered before holding the burger out to her.


    She looked up from her hand and grunted, "Seriously? After what you did in the woods? I¡¯m not sure if I can trust you with anything. Who knows, there could be poison in this¡ªburger." She hissed at me like a snake, but then her eyes moved to the burger, and I watched her gulp hungrily.


    "Fine, as you wish," I said, taking a big bite from it.


    "You are so shameless," she raised her fist again but didn¡¯t swing at me this time.


    "Does your brain wake upte? Why aren¡¯t you asking me any of the right questions?" I couldn¡¯t help but ask as she slid to the edge of the seat with a confused look on her face.


    I was so excited for her to wake up and tell me she remembered snapping the belt. And if not, at least ask me how she got out of the restraints.


    After a while, she remembered and nodded her head.


    "So?" I asked, enthusiasm in my voice. I was finally going to hear her say something useful.


    Or so I thought.


    "Why would I tell you? You tied me to that tree, and then the lycan came¡ªwait¡ªhow did I survive that? And¡ªwhat time is it?" She noticed the time and raised her fist again, imagining punching me. "You lied to me. Has a whole night and day passed?"


    I rolled my eyes at her.


    "Ugh! You annoying little creature. I just acted like¡ªI created a scene for you so that you¡¯d feel real danger and push your wolf out," I finished, watching her rx in the seat and lean back.


    "I¡¯m hungry," she said. Now that she knew I wasn¡¯t her enemy, she epted the burger I gave her while still holding mine.


    "Now, tell me, what happened?" I inquired, anticipating a good, detailed response. But instead, she took a bite and looked away.


    "Don¡¯t give me that sass," I warned her, feeling annoyed. But the more I frowned, the wider her smirk grew.


    She was such a nuisance!


    Sometimes I wondered why I was putting up with her so much.


    Like, really, why? Why was I so invested in her life?

 Chapter 316-I Want To Be Rejected

    <h4>Chapter 316: 316-I Want To Be Rejected</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Norman kept ring at me, barely turning in his seat.


    I knew he was watching me, waiting for me to say something.


    "I only heard a howl," I replied, curious about how I got out of the restraints. "Now tell me, what happened there?"


    He seemed to space out for a moment before sighing and answering my question. "You snapped the belt off your wrist."


    I did?


    I might have been suspicious if the other brothers had said that because they always tried to make me feel good. But Norman wouldn¡¯t do that.


    So I took it as the truth.


    "Oh!" I shrugged, acting like it was nothing¡ªonly because I wanted to hide what I had heard in my head.


    My wolf woke up. She spoke to me. And then she sang a song!


    That song really confused me. I was sure I had heard it before, but where?


    "Hnie! Are you sure you only heard a howl?" he asked, looking doubtful.


    "Yeah, I only heard a howl and then passed out. It¡¯s weird because I don¡¯t even remember getting myself out of that belt." That part wasn¡¯t a lie. I honestly didn¡¯t remember any of it.


    "Hm!" Norman still didn¡¯t seem convinced. "At least your annoying wolf isn¡¯t dead."


    I groaned and frowned at his back for taunting my wolf, who wasn¡¯t even fully awake yet. Norman seemed to have an issue with me for no reason.


    "Let¡¯s drop you home. You have work in the morning," he said as he sat up straight and started the engine. He handed me the food bag, and I couldn¡¯t help but keep munching on the nuggets.


    He kept extending his hand back without looking, wiggling his fingers impatiently. I rolled my eyes every time I ced a nugget or fries between his fingers.


    After he dropped me home, I ran straight to my room and called Lamar, asking about Gavin.


    "He¡¯s much better. I think he¡¯ll transition tomorrow. His mom came today¡ªshe was so happy and sent you her love too," Lamar said all in one breath. I could hear a movie ying in the background, so the boys were doing great together.


    The thing about Lamar was that he never really took things seriously, especially when it was about him. He always told me to stand up for myself, but he didn¡¯t really do it for himself. He was also a really good friend to everyone. When someone was in need¡ªand I don¡¯t just mean needing a dick¡ªhe would be there.


    "That¡¯s great. I¡¯m really d we found him in time," I sighed, sinking into my bed.


    "Hnie, Sage said the Lycan must have seen the cameras. Does that mean he knows we put them there? What if hees after us?" There was a hint of worry in Lamar¡¯s voice. And I knew why.


    He had been worried about me the whole day since I stayed in the roguemunity, and I was closer to the Lycan than anyone else.


    "Don¡¯t worry about it. The Lycan doesn¡¯t know. I¡¯m pretty sure some other monster did it," I said, but I could tell Lamar had groaned on the other side¡ªhe didn¡¯t believe me.


    "Are youing to meet Gavin tomorrow? We need to ask him what happened to him and what herb he thought was going to save Lucy," Lamar spoke carefully.


    I bet he didn¡¯t want to talk too much about Lucy in front of Gavin since it would only make him feel worse. Gavin was really hurting for what he had done to Lucy. At least he felt guilty.


    I know some people who don¡¯t even care after murdering someone.


    "Yeah, I¡¯ll definitely be there," I replied, hearing Kaye calling for the maid outside my room. He must have just arrived.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll talk to youter," I hung up on Lamar because I had to go speak with Kaye.


    As I rushed out, thinking he would be gone, I bumped into his back. He turned around, holding his phone and raising his eyebrow at me.


    "Hey, where were you going in such a hurry?" There was a specific tone he used whenever he talked to me. I bet he wanted to sound soft, but his deep and husky voice made him seem arrogant and cold at times.


    "You!" I blurted awkwardly.


    "Me?" He pointed a finger to his chest, a small smile ying on his lips as he asked with hope.


    "I wanted to speak with you about something," I suddenly felt anxious now that I was standing in front of him.


    "Really? You wanted to talk to me?" There was a shine in his eyes that made me want to look away.


    It looked like hope and longing.


    "Yeah, about us." As soon as I said that, I noticed his grin widening.


    "Are you ready for it? I mean, are you¡ªum¡ªready to take a step forward with me?" He couldn¡¯t even form a full sentence at this point.


    And the way he hoped I would tell him I was ready just made me look down and close my eyes to gather my thoughts for a moment.


    "You made your choice, Kaye," my voice cracked a little, and his sudden silence was enough for me to know I had made my point.


    I wasn¡¯t talking to him because I was ready to move forward with him.


    "Then? What is it that you want to talk about?" The sudden shift in his mood and tone should have been a hint to me.


    But I had to do this.


    "Listen, you already picked Kesha¡ª" I was justying the groundwork before hitting him with the real request when he cut me off.


    "And you know why!"


    It was my turn to interrupt him. "And that doesn¡¯t make it any better. You chose her because you couldn¡¯t wait, and I¡¯m not ming you. I wasn¡¯t ready for anything with you¡ªand I might not be for some time. So it¡¯s okay that you moved on."


    I put so much weight into my words because it wasn¡¯t easy to say this to someone I had felt attracted to.


    We were mates, for heaven¡¯s sake, and we had built such a strong bond together. All for it to be ruined.


    "I want you to reject me."


    As soon as I said that, I watched his face fill with horror.

 Chapter 317-Did Not Mean To Hurt You

    <h4>Chapter 317: 317-Did Not Mean To Hurt You</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "So you were never interested in me? Not even a little bit? Not even when we sat under the sky, shared a nket, and kissed?" The pain in his voice broke my heart.


    But I had a promise to keep.


    How could I ept anything¡ªor anyone¡ªthat the Moon Goddess had chosen for me when I had challenged her? I told her I wouldn¡¯t until I had my revenge.


    "No!" I spoke with confidence, and his face started to change color. He went from looking happy to turning red with anger.


    "I had feelings for you until you chose Kesha. I don¡¯t fall for men who are alreadymitted," I quickly added, realizing that what I was saying might make me look bad. And I couldn¡¯t risk looking bad when, in the future, I might be judged for my character.


    "Why are you asking for a rejection? Your wolf isn¡¯t awake, so even if I reject you, your side of the rejection won¡¯t beplete until your wolf wakes up," he questioned, making me anxious.


    I thought he would just do it.


    I didn¡¯t expect him to be so hesitant. Kesha was vibrant¡ªsomeone he could gain a lot from, including praise and everyone¡¯s appreciation, just like he wanted.


    "When my wolf wakes up, I¡¯ll do my part of the rejection¡ª" I had only gotten that far before he groaned and ran his hands through his hair.


    "But why? Did you find someone? Are you¡ªare you interested in someone else?" he asked after anxiously pacing around.


    He had turned the air so tense with his grunting and restless movements. The man who barely ever showed emotion was now using every gesture to express how upset he was.


    "No, I didn¡¯t." Since he was visibly getting worked up, I decided to take the gentler approach.


    "I just don¡¯t want to stay clinging¡ª" I hissed under my breath at how difficult this was for me to deal with.


    Even though I could have been mad at him for choosing Kesha and wanting to keep me on the side until he got everything he wanted from her, I couldn¡¯t be. Because I did tell him I wasn¡¯t ready to date him anytime soon.


    I didn¡¯t want to hold someone back for my revenge. And I didn¡¯t even know if they would believe me if six Alphas came together and said I had lied about them.


    And then there were my pack members¡ªthey always hated me. My stepmother had ruined my reputation, calling me a homewrecker. Whenever I walked down the road or went house to house to deliver food, the women would hide their husbands, thinking I would use my pheromones to seduce them.


    So many people woulde together to talk badly about me, and some of their voices would linger in the air.


    "Then? Then why?" Kaye hissed, clenching his hair in his fists.


    "Kaye! I¡ªI want to move on. And if I¡¯m going to date someone, I would want¡ª" I shut up when I noticed a tear roll down his cheek.


    "I can¡¯t be with you. You chose Kesha, and I chose my academy," I said, my hands shaking at the thought of the brothers hating me for hurting their brother.


    And once Maximus told everyone I had picked him, Kaye would think I was just buying time so I wouldn¡¯t have to choose him.


    It was getting messier. But Maximus wasn¡¯t my mate, so I had no promises to keep there.


    "No! You¡ªwant to move on from me? Why? I haven¡¯t been able to move on. I don¡¯t want to move on. I told you, if you pick me, I will pick you. But until then, I will build enough for us to live without any help from my parents," he argued, his voice getting louder.


    That made me look around in worry.


    "Kaye, we¡¯re at home. People will hear us," I whispered, stepping back to put some distance between us before he caused moremotion.


    "You care so much about your reputation, Hnie. And you care nothing¡ªnothing about me," he hissed, anger burning in his eyes for the first time.


    "And if you think I¡¯ll reject you, you¡¯re wrong," he muttered, pointing his finger in my face. "I will never reject you. You will always stay as mine and mine only."


    He grabbed the vase from the side and mmed it on the floor, the loud crash echoing through the hallway. Then, he stormed off, and I ran back into my room.


    "That went horribly wrong," I gasped for air, reaching for my ss of water when I heard more noise outside.


    With the ss in my hand, I exited my room again to see what themotion was.


    And sure enough, it was still Kaye.


    He was tossing and throwing things while storming upstairs to his room. Every maid had run to the corner, and my mother had stepped out of her room near the living room to check on him.


    "Kaye!" she called, her voice filled with concern.


    He briefly paused, turned to look at her, and grunted.


    "Fuck off!"


    With that, he stormed upstairs.


    Then, a vase came rolling down the stairs.


    I didn¡¯t expect it to reach this level.


    I returned to my room, and in the next few minutes, the situation got worse.


    Until it became unbearable.


    I left my room again but stayed standing in the doorway, watching the brotherse together to help Kaye. I saw them standing in the living room, the three of them talking.


    "He¡¯s losing it. What happened?" Maximus asked Norman, worry clear on his face.


    "I don¡¯t know. Emmet and I had to give him wolfsbane. He trashed his entire room and was ready to transition inside the mansion," Norman said with an unusual tone of concern when mentioning Kaye wanting to shift in the house.


    "Shit! That would have been terrifying," Maximus gave Norman an odd look.


    "He shaved his head," Emmet added, delivering the news to Maximus, who looked visibly distraught.


    I knew they all respected Norman, but Maximus and Kaye were like best friends most of the time. They fought like animals but then stuck together like bestfriends.


    So I could only imagine the pain Maximus was going through while watching his brother suffer.

 Chapter 318-Norman Always Finds The Way

    <h4>Chapter 318: 318-Norman Always Finds The Way</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    At this point, Norman had noticed me. I walked into the living room awkwardly and turned to the brothers.


    "Is Kaye okay?" I was so hurt with myself for hurting him. But there was no other way. I had to ask him for rejection.


    He couldn¡¯t wait for me and chose Kesha, but he wanted me to not even be able to make a decision for myself.


    "He is fine, probably going through some stress. Don¡¯t worry about it," Maximus spoke nicely to me, but he was trying to keep his emotions from showing too clearly.


    "It happens with the strongest of creatures," Emmet responded, making Maximus raise his brow at the subtle admiration for Kaye¡¯s strength.


    However, while these two were reassuring me that Kaye would be fine, Norman was watching my face with narrowed eyes.


    That look he was giving me made my stomach churn and twist.


    "Alright, you two go ahead with Kaye at the hotel room. I¡¯ll finish my work here and join you guys."


    I didn¡¯t know they had taken Kaye out of the mansion.


    Why couldn¡¯t he rest here?


    Why did he have to be away from everyone?


    Emmet and Maximus started walking away, and before leaving, Maximus gave me a smile that reassured me I didn¡¯t need to worry about anything.


    But how could I not worry when his brother was eyeing me up and down? And now that we were alone, he was going to confront me.


    "So, Hnie," Norman stretched his neck. "Why don¡¯t you show me what book you¡¯re reading these days?"


    What a subtle way to ask me to move my ass back to my room so he could confront mefortably.


    Charlotte, my mother and Emma were on the second floor, looking at the damage Kaye had caused. They had maids working for them while they bossed them around rudely¡ªat least Charlotte was.


    I walked back to my room with Norman following me, and once inside, Norman was the one who mmed the door shut.


    He stood tall and broad, hands on his waist, eyes fixed on me, demanding answers.


    "Start speaking," he ordered, looking intimidating.


    "About what?" I acted like I was unaware of what he was trying to ask me about.


    "I am asking you about Kaye. You and Kaye¡ªwhat is going on between the two of you? And before you think about lying to me, let me tell you something very clearly," he spoke so sternly that I didn¡¯t dare piss him off or interrupt him.


    "I saw you two kiss back when he took the students to the rooftop of our mother¡¯s pack."


    My eyes widened at his words, but he didn¡¯t seem angry about that kiss. Or was he?


    I thought that the day he found out there was anything going on between me and his brother, he would kill me.


    "Yeah, I saw it," he repeated, watching the shocked expression on my face.


    "So start talking," he hissed.


    I lowered my head and took a deep breath, wondering if there was still room left to lie. If he had seen me with Kaye, seeing me with Maximus would be even worse.


    "Yes! We had a moment¡ªmore than a moment," I paused as I recalled how I had opened up to Kaye.


    I really thought taking slow steps wouldn¡¯t be breaking the promise. But I forgot that everyone wants their mate to ept them so they can move forward.


    "Keep talking," he pressed, his hands still on his waist. He had barely moved.


    "I¡ªhave felt the mate bond with Kaye sometime ago, and he epted me."


    I watched his expression change suddenly and drastically. It wasn¡¯t just surprise on his face¡ªit was like he had been stabbed with something poisonous. He looked so worried.


    "You have felt a mate bond with him too?" he inquired, clearly very disturbed.


    "Yeah¡ª" I paused when I finally caught on to his question. "Too? What do you mean?"


    I noticed how he closed his eyes once he realized he had messed up.


    "Norman¡ªwhat do you mean by¡ª" I gulped as I watched him run his hand through his hair.


    Did he know about the Lycan?


    "Tell me something¡ªthis couldn¡¯t be why Kaye was losing his mind tonight. What did you say to him that made him so angry?"


    He was able to divert the subject, but this was also important for me to exin to him.


    "I asked him for rejection," I noticed a frown form on his forehead, "so that I could move on."


    It was getting messier.


    He kept pacing back and forth like this could turn into a big problem.


    "Hnie¡ªyou are choosing someone else over Kaye?"


    His question was thorough, but there was meaning behind it.


    He seemed very confident that was why I had asked Kaye for rejection and not because Kaye had chosen Kesha.


    "What do you know, Norman? You can¡¯t just keep bombarding me with questions and not tell me anything you know." I had enough of it. He had been interrogating me all this time.


    Every time we would meet, he had a bundle of questions for me, and I answered most of them¡ªsome with lies, and most with the truth.


    "I don¡¯t know anything, but Goddess, Kaye must be in so much pain," he uttered, pacing around the room and acting like he didn¡¯t hear me ask him something.


    "Tell me something, and this time, be honest," I muttered, because this time, I wouldn¡¯t be stepping back from him. He needed to answer me truthfully and correctly.


    He stopped moving and narrowed his eyes at me for my question.


    "Are you the Lycan?"


    As soon as I asked that question, the lines on his forehead disappeared as if he wasn¡¯t expecting that question to be thrown his way.


    "Hnie! You¡¯ve lost your mind," he groaned, rolling his eyes. "I will go take care of my brother."


    As he was heading toward the door, I voiced again, "I felt the mate bond with that Lycan."


    I wouldn¡¯t hide it from him. He wouldn¡¯t talk about the Lycan, so I knew he wouldn¡¯t be telling anyone about me and the Lycan.


    In a very cold and calm manner, he turned to me and replied, "I know."


    Then, he walked out of the room, leaving me stunned by his response.

 Chapter 319-Try Me, Bitch

    <h4>Chapter 319: 319-Try Me, Bitch</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I was so worried. After Norman told me he knew that I had felt the mate bond with the lycan and left, I couldn¡¯t rest.


    So, he knew the lycan, or was he the lycan? All the signs were pointing at him.


    Or---


    Could it be Kaye?


    Why didn¡¯t they want him to transition and had to use wolfbane in his body instead of letting him go out and transform?


    "Lamar!" I called out, waking him from his sleep. "So you think the lycan always transitions and turns into a lycan, or only on the full moon?"


    I sat in my bed, the curtains drawn so no lycan could watch me sit there and talk about him. I was so paranoid that Norman woulde through the door and attack me.


    Now that I had my suspicions about Norman, I felt unsafe. He didn¡¯t like me.


    The only reason he was putting up with me was because of his brothers. It all made sense. He knew about me and Kaye, which is why he had been much nicer to me, unlike at the beginning.


    "I don¡¯t know," Lamar sounded pretty sleepy on the other side. "Gavin! Move! We are not---lovers," I heard him grunt at Gavin, who he told me had a habit of cuddling when he sleeps. And that was annoying Lamar, because Gavin, in his sleep, didn¡¯t know who he was lying down with.


    "Hmm, I¡¯m so confused," I muttered.


    "What is it? Are you okay though? We¡¯re meeting tomorrow, right?" he asked.


    "Yeah, we will also visit Lucy. Maximus will be busy tomorrow, so I¡¯m free," I said. I¡¯d been doing really well with Maximus at work.


    We were spending time together and he was helping me learn a lot about the weapons.


    "That¡¯s cool then. We¡¯ll get some answers from Gavin too," he yawned, and I felt bad for waking him up from his sleep.


    "Okay. Let¡¯s meet tomorrow then. You can go back to sleep now," I said, tired and bored.


    The brothers were going to spend time with Kaye in the morning. And as much as I wanted to know and meet Kaye, I couldn¡¯t.


    I knew it would trigger him.


    After I ended the call with Lamar, I went to sleep.


    Only to wake up to loud knocking on the door. I dragged my feet out of bed and reached for the door, answering it.


    "You like cooking, don¡¯t you? Come make me breakfast," Charlotte stood outside my door, looking all fresh in a blue dress and full makeup. I turned and checked the time--it was 8 a.m.


    "Why would I cook for you?" I grunted under my breath, trying to close the door, but she forced it open again.


    "You live here for free and do nothing. Besides, remember how you were so happy to cook for the brothers, acting like such a hardworkingdy. So, what happened now? Was it all just for show?" she really thought she could get to me with her loud tone and taunting?


    "Yeah, maybe. Anything else?" I asked, watching her jaw drop at my audacity.


    I understood why she was bothering me so early in the morning.


    It was because none of the brothers or their father was at home.


    I could tell even the maids were being told off for the day after Kaye had made a mess and they had to clean it all night.


    "Get yourzy ass out of here and get to work, Hnie. Because today, we won¡¯t tolerate your sassy attitude," Emma appeared behind her daughter, her hand on her waist, and with the other, she was pointing at me.


    "Charlotte, get out of my way and let me sleep in peace," I tried to m the door shut again, but this time, her mother joined her and pushed me back into my room.


    She rushed inside with her fingers pointing at me, both hands ready to point at me.


    "What the heck is wrong with you?" I suddenly felt ambushed. Charlotte stormed in and looked around, her eyesnding on my phone. I had a very bad feeling about it.


    "Hey, get away from my stuff," I tried to get past Emma, but she grabbed my arm and twisted it behind my back.


    "Huh! A student or RVS," Emmaughed while Charlotte picked up my phone.


    Emma had both my hands tied behind my back, tightly held by hers.


    "Let me go," I was moving with my best ability, but she had a wolf¡¯s strength, and even with her weaker wolf, it had more power than I had.


    "Oh! Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve been doing on this phone," Charlotte strolled towards me and held my face for facial recognition. I heard my phone screen unlock when I was toote to turn my face to the side.


    I had a very bad feeling about this. If she started going through it, she would find things I didn¡¯t want her to know.


    So, anxiety and the need for quick action struck me.


    "I said--" I grunted, tightening my body before I put force on my hands and wrenched my wrists out of Emma¡¯s grasp. "Don¡¯t touch my stuff."


    With that, I lunged at Charlotte and snatched my phone out of her hands. Before her mom could react or Charlotte could fight back, I raised my hand and pped her to the ground.


    Shended on the floor, a hand to her cheek and tears forming in her eyes.


    "How dare--" her mother rushed in front of me, but I was so quick to grab her hand that even I was shocked, and then I twisted it behind her back with ease.


    This new energy in my body was so vibrant that I loved it.


    "Next time when you think you can overpower me, remember! I am a student of RVS!" I whispered in her ear from behind.


    I pushed her away, watching her tumble but bnce her body weight when her daughter got up to give her support.


    "Let¡¯s go, not right now," Emma whispered to her daughter, who was ready to bawl her eyes out.

 Chapter 320-A Promise To Keep

    <h4>Chapter 320: 320-A Promise To Keep</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I¡¯ve been so happy with my new strength that even while showering, I couldn¡¯t help but sing and dance a little. There¡¯s truth in the saying that once you get your wolf, you be the happiest.


    Although she wasn¡¯t fully awake enough to have a conversation with me, she was doing her best to show me her presence by giving me her strength.


    I put on the ck jeans and blue shirt, happily left my room, and locked it. Even though I didn¡¯t really have anything to worry about, except for the new clothes I bought with my pay from working daily hours for Maximus, I still preferred locking my room.


    Emmet should too.


    I felt so guilty whenever I remembered sneaking into his room.


    I left the mansion on foot and looked up from the road to nce back at the mansion. I saw Charlotte standing on the second floor terrace, ring down at me.


    With a wave of my hand, I teased her with a goodbye and then continued on my way.


    I didn¡¯t want to take a car or anything. I just wanted to enjoy my newfound strength. I¡¯d waited so long for it.


    Once I was nearing the woods and heading down the mountains, I saw Lamar standing with his bike, ying a game on his phone.


    "Hey!" I cheerfully waved my hand, making him slide his phone into his pocket and raise an eyebrow, judging me.


    "Someone looks happy as heck," hemented.


    "Guess I¡¯ve got good news," I said, dancing a little with my shoulders.


    "Rayden died?" he asked, looking shocked, and with a shake of my head, I corrected him.


    "I felt my wolf wake up," I whispered, and he began to smile widely before pulling me into a hug.


    "Congrattions! What¡¯s her name?" he asked happily.


    "Well, she isn¡¯t talking much. She only spoke once, but I¡¯m using a part of her strength right now," I replied, feeling a little sad about theck of conversation.


    "So, you mean to say, you got all the good perks and don¡¯t have to put up with your wolf¡¯s sass?" I bet his wolf growled at him for hisment, because he quickly stuck his tongue out and touched his ear to apologize.


    "And what do you mean by ¡¯a part of it¡¯?" he asked.


    "I feel like there¡¯s more to her, like more strength. I¡¯m so excited to finally have her with me," I said. That was definitely an aplishment. And I wasn¡¯t lying about the strength part.


    Ever since she had woken up in me, I¡¯ve been feeling very optimistic about her.


    "Anyway, where¡¯s Gavin?" I looked around and saw his clothes hanging from a tree.


    "He transitioned and went out for a run," Lamar answered.


    "Now tell me, why have you been asking me such weird questions about that lycan? And why aren¡¯t you worried that the lycan saw the cameras?" Of course, I couldn¡¯t avoid that question for too long. He¡¯d been waiting to ask me.


    With a deep, heavy breath, I opened my mouth to confess part of the truth to him.


    "Remember the first night we encountered the lycan?" I watched him nod.


    "Well, the reason he didn¡¯t attack me¡ªor I think he didn¡¯t that night¡ªwas because¡ª" I saw curiosity take over his face.


    "Ugh! Just tell me, is he your father or something?" he made me grimace and p his chest. "Then tell me," he insisted, and I answered.


    "He¡¯s my mate!"


    I watched him go silent, then cock his head before he startedughing out loud.


    "Hnie, you¡¯re so funny!" He put a hand to his stomach and threw his head back,ughing.


    "And Kaye is my mate!" I watched hisughter slowly fade away.


    "Wait, does that mean he¡¯s the lycan¡ª?" He had a shocked look on his face, but he was about to be hit with another big shock.


    "And Emmet is my mate too!"


    I watched him gopletely silent this time.


    "Hnie! Please don¡¯t tell me their father is also your mate." I don¡¯t know why he couldn¡¯t take me seriously as he startedughing again, but when I didn¡¯t join him, hisughter began to fade.


    "You¡¯re serious?" He now seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation. I nodded my head, and that made him cover his mouth with his hand.


    "What in the freaking world is going on?" hemented, causing my body to fill with goosebumps.


    "Don¡¯t be nasty," I hissed at him.


    "Oh shoot! Wait, why did Emmet happily introduce you as his mate then?" He had the same question I once asked myself because I didn¡¯t think Emmet would see me as his mate, only as his stepsister.


    I mean, I didn¡¯t want him to see me more than that because he didn¡¯t even remember the mate bond with me, but still¡ª


    "Umm, he was drunk when we first felt the mate bond. So, he doesn¡¯t know," I said, watching Lamar rub his temples. "But Kaye does, and I¡¯m pretty sure the lycan does too," I finished, remembering Norman¡¯s face whenever I mentioned the lycan.


    "This is, umm¡ªI don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a curse or a blessing, but it could get very messy. What are you nning on doing? I mean, which mate do you think you¡¯re going to ept?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest, his body hunched down as he stared at my face in anticipation.


    "None. I¡¯m going for¡ª" I bit my bottom lip. "Maximus."


    I watched him shake his head and close his eyes, counting something on his fingers.


    "You forgot to mention he¡¯s also your mate," of course, he would think I was losing my mind.


    "Because he¡¯s not, but we¡¯ve been¡ª" I shut up, afraid of getting judged.


    "Wait, so you don¡¯t want to be with your mates, but their brother?" he asked.


    "Lamar, I actually made a promise to the moon goddess that I wouldn¡¯t ept my fated mates until I take my revenge. My war isn¡¯t just against the Alphas; it¡¯s against the moon goddess too," I dered loudly, watching his eyes widen as I spoke my disdain for the one he worships.

 Chapter 321-The Purple Rose Is Dangerous

    <h4>Chapter 321: 321-The Purple Rose Is Dangerous</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You hate the moon goddess?" He looked slightly offended but also curious, as if he wanted to ask me more questions.


    "Can you me me?" I felt judged, so I quickly countered with a question.


    "Listen, I know what you went through was horrible and you didn¡¯t deserve it. But the moon goddess is not to be med for it. We make choices for ourselves, and then those Alphas too. They chose to be jerks. The moon goddess cannote to Earth and fight the bad guys. We have to do it ourselves," he exined, reaching for my hand, but I quickly pulled it back.


    I didn¡¯t want to hear any logic. I wanted to stick to my promise. I just couldn¡¯t get past the fact that the moon goddess didn¡¯t let anyone have a little empathy for me in their hearts. Not even my mother.


    So, yeah, I was ming her.


    "Okay, let¡¯s not argue about that. And you know what, I will never mention her again before you, all happy?" I could tell Lamar felt guilty for upsetting me.


    "It¡¯s okay. Not your fault though. I do act aggressively sometimes," I admitted, being wrong and apologized.


    "Of course you do. You¡¯ve got so many mates to kick my ass, and then your strength," he joked, making meugh.


    "But on a serious note though, why do you think you have so many mates? It¡¯s notmon. In fact, I¡¯ve never heard of any real case like that," he turned the conversation back to the real questions.


    "I¡¯m so clueless myself," I sighed.


    "And why just the two brothers and a lycan? It¡¯s like, when the mate bonds were connected, the lycan got tangled in just passing by the mixer," he joked again, making me roll my eyes at him.


    "Hey, but be careful. Choosing Maximus over your mates might cause some problems. We don¡¯t want any, right?" he made me nod in agreement while Gavin showed up in the meantime.


    "Hnie," he smiled after he put on his clothes and was walking toward me. He looked so happy to see me.


    "Hey, how are you feeling now?" I asked with a small smile on my face. He stopped next to Lamar¡¯s bike and gestured to his body, showing he had healed.


    "I am sadly on my feet again," the tone he used was so sad.


    It was also hard for me to watch him like this. He was the first one I had met and befriended along with Lucy. They were so nice to me. Watching them fall apart had really been difficult for me.


    "I know you hate me, Hnie. For what I did to Lucy and how I manipted her. I was honestly scared that¡ªif I confessed¡ªI would lose everyone." I started walking, and this time, he had genuine tears of shame in his eyes.


    "And I proved my point. You see, when Lucy cheated on me, nobody really said anything to her. You guys just believed she was ufortable and wanted to get back at me without even knowing if I had cheated on her or not. For her, it was justified, but you didn¡¯t know. Yet, you were on her side," he rubbed his face with his hands. "I¡¯m not defending my actions. I¡¯m just exining why I did what I did," there was so much agony in his voice as he once again tried to make a point that honestly seemed valid.


    Lucy was not wrong, but I was.


    "You held me ountable¡ªhard," heughed at himself. "But you didn¡¯t react like that when you found her cheating on me, twice. I know I did too, but I swear I was drunk beyond any knowledge of mine. To the point that Jenny and I didn¡¯t even know how far we went that night. We didn¡¯t feel anything because we were so wasted. And I didn¡¯t want to lose my mate or anyone because of that mistake. I¡¯ve been abandoned way too many times, Hnie. I didn¡¯t want to be left alone again." His eyes started to get red as he teared up.


    "Anyway, I hurt the most pure soul ever. I can only imagine how much disgust Lucy must have felt towards herself when she cheated on me because that wasn¡¯t what she wanted to begin with. That¡¯s why I wanted to get her out of thata at any cost," he said determinedly, clenching his fist.


    "I cannot live with myself until she¡¯s awake and living a good life," he sniffled, rubbing his eyes.


    "Buddy, we¡¯re with you. We also want her back," Lamar quickly patted him on the back and gave me a look.


    "What were you trying to do on the mountains? What herb could bring her back?" I asked, jumping straight to the main question.


    "Not an herb. It¡¯s a rose, the rose to dreand," he said excitedly. "It¡¯s a¡ª" Before he could finish, I did it for him.


    "The purple rose?" My hopes dropped at the mention of it.


    "Yes!" Gavin said, excited to share the knowledge with me. "When in aa, werewolves are usually stuck in dreams. So if I can enter her dream¡ª" I shook my head to already dismiss his n.


    "For the purple rose to work, she would need to sniff it herself, and she¡¯s not awake to do so," I said. As soon as I said that, I noticed Gavin¡¯s face turn blue from disappointment.


    "And even if you could, I¡¯d suggest you don¡¯t. It¡¯s not a dream world, but a dream prison. Whoever goes there stays stuck. Mister Rune wouldn¡¯t let them leave," the memory of it had faded from the other traumas I kept alive in me.


    But whenever I do get a chance to remember that prison, I feel shivers up and down my spine.


    If Kaye hadn¡¯t arrived in time, I would have been stuck in that prison forever.


    In that moment, I felt like I owed it to Kaye, and what did I do in return?


    I was going to break his heart in the most painful way by asking him for time while epting his brother.


    "How do you know that with so much certainty?" Lamar asked, bringing me back to reality.


    "Because I¡¯ve been there," I said, watching their jaws drop.

 Chapter 322-His Drunk Brother

    <h4>Chapter 322: 322-His Drunk Brother</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "That seems scary. I¡¯m so d Professor Kaye was there to help you out," Lamar said, throwing a stone away after I finished telling them part of what I went through in Rune¡¯s dream prison¡ªobviously leaving out the whole kiss and mate bond thing with Kaye.


    We sat on the ground in a circle, trying to think of a way to help Lucy.


    "But¡ªnow we know how to get out of it. All we need to do is find the rose in the dream prison, which is our way out, and just destroy it," Gavin still hoped this was the way to help Lucy out of hera because it was the only thing we knew of. Finding another way would take too much time.


    "That¡¯s the issue, Gavin. It¡¯s not that easy to find yourself, let alone that rose. And Rune will be even stricter now that Kaye and I escaped his grasp," I wanted him to understand how dangerous Rune could be.


    "Besides, didn¡¯t she tell you how it¡¯s done? Lucy can¡¯t sniff out the rose herself, and it doesn¡¯t work any other way," Lamar helped him understand why this n wouldn¡¯t work either.


    "I just can¡¯t believe she¡¯s lying in the hospital because of me, and I¡ª" Gavin broke down for the fifth time. Lamar had to hug him while giving me a sad look. He really felt Gavin¡¯s pain, and so did I.


    "Gavin," I slid closer to him and wrapped my arm around him. Lamar and I stayed with him, hugging him as he cried his heart out. After he was done, and they were ready to leave, I called out to Gavin onest time. The thing was, he became my friend before Lamar, and I could tell it was bothering him that he was now left outpletely.


    "Gavin, are you and Salem okay? I just know she has been trying to reach out to you," I wanted to rebuild our friendship, but it would take some time¡ªespecially after he manipted Lucy so much.


    But then again, he was guilty, and if Lucy wakes up and forgives him, we won¡¯t have any reason to keep distancing ourselves from him.


    "I know. I don¡¯t want to think about anyone else until I¡¯ve helped Lucy. I can¡¯t be happy if she¡¯s not happy," Gavin said softly, sitting on Lamar¡¯s bike.


    The two sped away, while I wanted to go meet Kaye at the hotel. But I didn¡¯t think going unannounced would be a good idea.


    So, I called Emmet first since he was easier to talk to.


    "Hello?" His voice was so raspy, and the cold tone he used made him sound even more intriguing.


    "Umm, I was thinking about meeting Kaye. Is he okay now?" I asked, guilt dripping from my voice.


    "He¡¯s still pretty much the same. But don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll be fine soon," he reassured me again, just like the other day.


    "And if you want to meet him, I¡¯m at home and heading to the hotel. I can take you with me," he offered while groaning a little, probably getting ready to leave.


    "Okay, thank you so much. I¡¯m on my way home¡ªor you can pick me up on the road¡ª" I didn¡¯t want to go home and then leave again. If he picked me up on the way, it would save us both time.


    "Sounds like a good idea to me," I heard him mumble, followed by the sound of fabric ripping.


    "Seriously?" heined. "I freaking ripped my new shirt." That was the first time he had talked to me about random things.


    "Never mind, I¡¯ll just wear this one." At this point, I realized he wasn¡¯t even talking to me. But since he stayed on the call, I did too. Don¡¯t ask me why. Walking alone on the empty road in the dark would have been really scary if he hadn¡¯t been on the phone with me.


    After a few minutes, he just hung up as if he forgot he was on the call in the first ce.


    I was strolling toward the mansion, not in a hurry, when Emmet¡¯s car pulled up. He opened the passenger-side door for me, and I slipped inside.


    "Where were you all day?" he asked, starting the car again.


    "I went out to meet my friends," I replied, adjusting my seatbelt.


    The rest of the car ride was mostly silent. Emmet hardly said anything, just kept nodding his head like he was lost in thought.


    After a while, we arrived at the hotel. We both got out, only to be met with news that even Emmet didn¡¯t expect.


    "What do you mean we can¡¯t meet him?" Emmet asked Maximus, who hade to speak with him. He raised a brow at me, probably surprised to see me with his brother, but then focused back on Emmet.


    "I don¡¯t know. By the time I arrived, Norman had already taken him away. He told me Kaye needs some time and that it¡¯s better if we leave him alone for now. The more he sees all of us, the more depressed he gets. I don¡¯t even know what that means," Maximus scoffed, clearly unhappy about Norman taking Kaye away.


    "I¡¯m sure Norman has a good reason for it." Emmet didn¡¯t seem happy either, but he always put his faith in Norman.


    I wasn¡¯t too sure. He did it after I told him about Emmet and Kaye. Was he doing it to keep me away from him?


    I wasn¡¯t going to ask Kaye for rejection¡ªnot after thest time when he got so upset. I wasn¡¯t that heartless. I came here just to check on him.


    "Of course, you would say that. It saves you time," Maximus taunted Emmet, who only gave him a stare before reaching into his pocket.


    "Hey, you¡¯re not going to drink when you came here with her, right?" Maximus quickly objected.


    "I was just looking for chewing gum," Emmet defended himself, his miserable tone unintentionally shifting the mood.


    "Well, you chew your gum, and I¡¯ll take Helena home," of course, Maximus wouldn¡¯t let this opportunity slip away.


    Emmet didn¡¯t argue, and since I didn¡¯t either, Maximus and I headed to his car. He had one big question for me.


    "So? Did you do what you needed time for?"

 Chapter 323-She Messed Me Up

    <h4>Chapter 323: 323-She Messed Me Up</h4>


    <strong>Kaye:</strong>


    I rushed into my room, mming the door hard and then opening it to m it shut again. I wanted to break every inch of the mansion and set it on fire.


    The anger inside me was unimaginable. I wanted to hurt someone so badly.


    "I have told you to stop going after her. She is not the one. She was ying you," Ye yelled in me, getting anxious as I threw my stuff around¡ªthe stuff that was once so dear to me that I had gotten Hnie kicked out of the mansion when she identally broke it.


    This stuff was once made for me by my mother. But why was it that I no longer cared about it?


    "That is because we didn¡¯t wait and chose that Kesha," I yelled back at Ye, getting angrier that he was still talking about Hnie like she was the one in the wrong.


    "Just admit it. She is asking for rejection so that she can ask someone else to ept her. And it is different for us. We told her we are pretending to choose Kesha, not epting her. We gave Hnie a chance, and she said she wanted to wait, so we had every right to move ahead and get ourselves a deal that suits us best. But she¡ªshe yed you. Now that she found someone else, she wants to ditch you," he was going on and on even when he knew I was losing it.


    "No! She will never do that to me. I will fucking kill whoever she chooses over me. She is my mate¡ª" I screamed in my head, pointing a finger at myself.


    "My own parents used to be so biased. They would pick others over me and look at me like I was the reason behind all their troubles. And now my mate¡ªmy mate is choosing someone else over me," somewhere, Ye¡¯s words had gotten to me. I was beginning to have this feeling that maybe he was right. Hnie must have fallen for someone else. Why?


    Why couldn¡¯t she wait for me?


    And who is it that she wants to date so badly that she doesn¡¯t want to wait anymore, while with me, she kept asking for time?


    I grasped my hair in my fist and started to pull it. Storming into the bathroom, I stared at my reflection in the mirror, and all I could do was let out augh at myself.


    "You are so pathetic," I said to myself, shaking my head in disapproval.


    "You couldn¡¯t even get your mate, and you talk about achieving anything," I hissed at my pathetic, lonely image.


    Defeated image.


    "You have done nothing but try to prove your worth. You wanted everyone to know you are worth saving¡ªthat you were worth all the trouble. But the truth is¡ªMom was always right. All this trouble for what? For a son like you. You don¡¯t even deserve to stand in the same line as your brothers," my eyes kept watching my face, and all I could think of was my childhood.


    When I would stand in the corner with the nanny by my side and watch my mother ying with Maximus. She loved him so much.


    She never loved me the same. She would ignore me while I stood there and sobbed, asking her to y with me.


    I didn¡¯t ask her to do anything for me¡ªshe went above and beyond and then started to hate me.


    In the mirror, I could see that little boy staring back at me. He had the same kind of tears of defeat in his eyes.


    He never got his confidence, never got love and appreciation, and today, he lost his mate too.


    "People use you because you are so easy to bend and mess around with," I pointed my finger at the mirror and touched it.


    "You! You need to change. This pathetic version of you who wants love and eptance should die now," I tapped my finger on the mirror before my eyesnded on the shaver.


    With my body hunched down and my hand on the sink, I grabbed the shaver with my other hand.


    "I will be what everyone¡¯s worst side looks like. I will be what they have dreaded me to be," I hissed, running the shaver over my head. I watched my hair fall into the sink, and so did all my dreams, innocent wishes from my childhood.


    "Good people don¡¯t get to be happy," my mother¡¯s words rang in my head. "You need to watch the people around you. Observe them. The more toxic they are, the more loved they are. People try to please them hard since it is not easy to please them. You look at Emmet¡ªI want him to pay attention to me because otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t. You, on the other hand, you are just there. Whenever I turn my head, I see you standing there, looking at me. With those demanding and wishful eyes, you make me sick to my stomach. Why won¡¯t you disappear, Kaye, so that I can redo it all again?"


    Those words of hers had been engraved in my memory forever. But tonight, I truly understood what she meant.


    I was just there for Hnie. She took me for granted.


    I was never enough for her.


    Once I had shaved my head, I punched the mirror and shattered it into pieces. The broken reflection of mine stared back at me, and I found my eyes changing color.


    That¡¯s when I heard my brothers arrive in the room.


    It was Emmet and Norman.


    The beloved ones.


    Norman, who cares nothing about outsiders but somehow, everyone respects him and always mentions him before everyone else. Then there is Emmet, who doesn¡¯t even give two shits about his own brothers, but somehow, Maximus and I want his attention so badly.


    And then there is Maximus, my best friend. But I must say, he ys people all the time. He does them wrong, yet he is loved and always looked after.


    Sadly, even Kesha is someone whose first choice was Maximus. I remember being so jealous back then, but now I don¡¯t want her.


    I wanted Hnie, and she chose someone else too.


    The next thing I knew, my brothers were holding me down and injecting wolfsbane into my body while I smiled and teared up at how foolish I had been all this time.

 Chapter 324-Feels So Taboo

    <h4>Chapter 324: 324-Feels So Taboo</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Did you do it?" Maximus asked again, trying to make me focus on him. Of course, my focus was on him¡ªI was just buying some time to make up an excuse.


    "Actually¡ª," I shifted in my seat, getting ufortable, "I don¡¯t know."


    I looked away instantly to avoid his questioning stares.


    "Hnie, what is going on? Do you not want to¡ª be with me?" The hurt in his voice made me bite the inside of my cheek.


    "I am trying to resolve this issue, and then¡ªI will get back to you," I muttered under my breath because I had to say something at least.


    "Okay, I didn¡¯t mean to make you ufortable. I can wait, but I hope you do it before the ceremony. It will put my father and your mother in an awkward situation if we tell them afterward," he said softly, trying not to offend me or push me into making a rushed decision. And I appreciated him for that.


    As we arrived home, he made it clear that he wanted to have onest word with me before I walked out of his car, so I stayed around for a bit.


    "I didn¡¯t mean to pressure you into anything. I am ready to wait for you as long as you need me to. Okay? Even the date of their mating ceremony wouldn¡¯t stop me from causing a ruckus and marrying you," he smiled at thest phrase because it visibly made my cheeks turn red.


    His hand gently touched mine, his fingers hovering over my skin. We just sat in silence, looking into each other¡¯s eyes.


    I noticed him getting rxed in his chair, his head resting back, and his eyes blinking slowly.


    "You are my peace," he whispered, closing his eyes and finally holding my hand in his. He raised my hand to his mouth and rested it against his lips, pressing it and inhaling my scent.


    "Mmm, I really cannot wait for you to be mine," he finally ced a soft kiss on the back of my hand before he opened his eyes and let go.


    "I love you, Hnie," he spoke in a loving tone. I couldn¡¯t believe I once settled for so much less when I could have someone who looks at me in a way that I know he is going to express his feelings for me.


    "Thank you for showing me what true love is," I whispered back, and I guess I caught him by surprise. He wasn¡¯t expecting me to respond with something so sweet because I usually stayed quiet.


    "Ah! My night is made," he smiled through his eyes. "Thank you, my love, for giving me this little bit of affection that I will cherish the entire night and probably even please myself while thinking about¡ª" I guess he got too lost in his words until he saw my eyes grow wide. "I meant... um, it¡¯s a guy thing. What the fuck am I even saying? Please tell me I¡¯m not scaring you," he insisted, pping the back of his head to snap himself out of it.


    With a smile, I shook my head at him, and it gave him a sense of relief. His face was so easy to read.


    "I¡¯ll go make a quick call to my mom to inform her about Kaye," he said, sounding upset when mentioning his brother. That was the reason I felt like I needed to sort this mess out.


    "Okay, please be safe out there," I said and was about to get out of the car when he held my hand and stopped me.


    "Say that one more time," he demanded, his eyes hungrily moving to my lips and then visibly gulping, making it obvious what he wanted to do.


    "Please be safe, Maximus," I granted his wish. He leaned forward and pressed his lips very gently over mine. His lips tasted so sweet that I could stay like that forever.


    "Go and eat plenty," he joked, breaking the kiss because he could tell I was too conscious of someone walking out on us. We had be a bit too bold, getting so cozy in public ces.


    It could get us in trouble if we didn¡¯t do everything the right way. We should be the ones to tell everyone about us¡ªnot the other way around.


    However, I didn¡¯t know what his father¡¯s reaction would be. I could tell he was deeply in love with my mother, so there was no way he would just ept it as it was. He would probably even yell at me, and my mom¡ªoh, my mom would kill me.


    I pushed all these thoughts away for a while because right now, I even had his brother, who wasn¡¯t ready to reject me.


    It seemed like such a taboo to be in a rtionship with Maximus.


    As I stepped into the mansion and went to my room, I found Norman standing outside my door with something in a blue bag in his hand.


    "Hey," I frowned in confusion, quickly unlocking my door to enter.


    "Did you not see me, or are you just so stupid that you don¡¯t know if someone is standing right next to your door, it means they have something to talk about?" I had only just entered my room when Norman stormed in after me,ining and already being so hostile.


    "Who bit your ass today? Youe in and start arguing already?" I watched him groan at my choice of words.


    "It¡¯s just that¡ªI don¡¯t really care," he rolled his eyes and said it with so much sass that if I weren¡¯t looking at him, I would have thought he was snapping his fingers and moving his hips around.


    "Do that again. I actually found it funny," I raised both my eyebrows, shrugging as I used a teasing tone.


    "Whatever, you mean nothing to me¡ª" I didn¡¯t understand why he came to talk to me just to say he didn¡¯t care about me.


    And then he pulled the blue bag to the front, offering it to me. "Take it."


    He did it in a demanding tone, making me frown as I grabbed the bag and peeked inside. I was shocked to see what he had brought for me.


    Itpletely contradicted him saying he didn¡¯t care. Maybe that¡¯s why he kept saying it¡ªhe didn¡¯t want me to take his gesture too seriously.

 Chapter 325-It Was All A Lie

    <h4>Chapter 325: 325-It Was All A Lie</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What is this?" I asked, watching Norman¡¯s face. He looked arrogant even when he had brought me something that meant a lot to me.


    "You don¡¯t recognize the sweater you wore literally every day?" Of course, he had to ruin the moment with his rude tone.


    "I know, but this was¡ªtorn. I left it in the woods," I held the sweater in my hand, looking at it and asking Norman.


    "Is it still torn?" he asked.


    "No! But¡ªdid you get it fixed?" I was so shocked, seeing it look so new, as if it had never been worn before, but I knew it was my sweater because my mom crocheted it herself.


    "Thank you¡ª," I couldn¡¯t believe he was doing something nice for me.


    He awkwardly looked away and said, "I only got it fixed because I didn¡¯t want you to say I¡¯m the reason you don¡¯t have your sweater now," he scoffed.


    Although he always ruins the mood, this time, I was okay with his behavior. He did something so sweet for me.


    "Well, you¡¯re very right. I would¡¯ve med you," I joked, and he grunted like a tired old man.


    "Norman! Are you the lycan?" I had to ask him, as I couldn¡¯t live with this anxiety anymore.


    Every time I mentioned the lycan, he gave me the same look. The look of confusion and shock.


    "Why are you talking about him again?" he whispered while looking around at the warriors.


    "They¡¯re far away. They can¡¯t possibly hear us. But I need to know the truth," I insisted once again.


    "Because if you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll keep looking for answers. And I don¡¯t want to use someone innocent in the process," I watched him grunt at my words.


    I hadpletely pushed Emmet out of the suspicion because I remembered the first time in the mansion on the full moon night. He was pretty much human that night.


    I knew it was just midnight, so he could have been leaving for transition, but as much as I knew, the lycan transformation happens instantly. So whoever is the lycan leaves before midnight, not afterward.


    It urred to me a littlete, but at least it did, and now Emmet was safe from the usations.


    "Tell me," I stomped my foot in annoyance. Norman gave in and grunted out of reflex.


    "Yes, I¡¯m!"


    As he red me down with his response, another shock hit me, leaving me stunned.


    "Does that mean¡ªyou¡¯re my mate?" The minute I reminded him of what his confession meant, he gasped and stepped back.


    "Huh? No!" he stepped further back and then shook his head vigorously, but before he could react, I did.


    "Ew! No!" I let out a yelp beyond my control, and it kind of made him stop in his tracks and walk back up to me.


    "What do you mean by ew? Am I ew to you?" With his hands on his waist, he muttered, biting the words as he spoke them.


    "I mean¡ªit¡¯s you! You are not¡ªplease tell me you are not a lycan," I insisted, losing my mind.


    Anyone but him.


    I did not want him to be my mate at any cost. Even if it meant I had to go to war with the lycan.


    He pressed his lips tightly, his face turning red from anger, and then muttered, "Oh well, I¡¯m a lycan. And a very angry one. Make sure you lock your windows tight tonight because I wille and drag you by your ear and leave you somewhere far away so I don¡¯t have to see your face again." He pointed his finger at me, the tip actually touching my nose, and then he scoffed as loudly as he could.


    "And this¡ªyou need to pay for it. I didn¡¯t do it for free," now that I had upset him, he had lost his mind. He pointed at my sweater and then demanded money from me.


    "So I get you as a mate¡ª" I pretended to gag, "and now I have to pay for my own sweater too?"


    He was getting angrier and angrier at myments. And I couldn¡¯t help but keep pushing him.


    I was devastated too.


    "And you think I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re my mate? I have a perfectly fine girlfriend that I love desperately. It would be a downgrade to be fated to you!" He scowled while throwing his hands in the air and rubbing his temples.


    "Then let¡¯s reject each other, so we don¡¯t have to live with this feeling of filth from our mate bond." I thought he would be happy to get rid of me, but I guess I had touched his ego¡ªsomething I didn¡¯t want to do. I just wanted him to reject me, and that was all.


    "I will not do what you want me to do. I will do it my own way, and since you messed up with my head, bye!" He waved his hand, so angry that he could barely say anything properly.


    "Hey!" I called out to him, but he left. There was something weird about him confessing to be a lycan.


    He didn¡¯t seem too serious, like it was nothing. And I was trying to cope with the news in the most hrious andedic way.


    What would happen now?


    I didn¡¯t want him as a mate. And it made me realize how important it was that I finally came clean to Maximus about everything. He deserves to know about my past, those alphas, his brothers, and even the lycan being my mate.


    "Okay, I¡¯m going to do it tonight. I will be honest with him, and if he still wants to believe me and ept me, I¡¯ll be happy," I took a deep breath and then left my room.


    I knew while I was arguing with Norman, Maximus had left for his room.


    I strolled through the living room, avoiding eye contact, and made it to the second floor. I don¡¯t usuallye here a lot anymore, but once I was outside Maximus¡¯s door, I realized tonight was a special night.


    My instincts led me where I needed to be to know the whole truth.


    "Yes, mom, I was calling you, but your beta said you were in the bathroom," Maximus had his mother on speakerphone.


    I realized it was the wrong time until his mother spoke up.


    "Yeah, I was. Tell me, is Hnie buying your act of you being in love with her?"


    My heart sank in my chest¡ªnot just at her question but also at what he responded with.


    "Yeah, mom. I told you I¡¯d let you know when there¡¯s progress. But rest assured, she is in love with me and has fallen for my lies."

 Chapter 326-Not Trusting Men!

    <h4>Chapter 326: 326-Not Trusting Men!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    My fists clenched tightly, tears starting to itch my eyes, but I swore I wouldn¡¯t cry. I wouldn¡¯t cry for a boy.


    "Good. Just make sure she is crazy enough for you that she ruins the ceremony. I want that witch out of your father¡¯s life. And once she is defeated by her own daughter, you will throw Hnie out of the mansion just to impress your father and get back on his good side. Remember, we don¡¯t want to ruin your rtionship with your father. So when he gets devastated, you will say¡ª" She was cunningly trying to feed Maximus with ns, and he was happily obeying her.


    "I will say, ¡¯Dad, I thought I would be happy to have Hnie. But after seeing you sad, I have decided I don¡¯t want her here. The one who couldn¡¯t even watch her mother being happy can never make me happy.¡¯ Is that correct?" There was a weird exhaustion in his tone as if his mother had spoken far too many times about this n to him.


    "Yes, correct," she sounded relieved after her son confirmed he had made a perfect fool out of me.


    I stepped away from his door and then sprinted downstairs, so horrified by what I had heard that I didn¡¯t even realize I had bumped into none other than my mother.


    "What are you doing running around like that?" Emma appeared from behind her, already yelling at me under her breath. She would definitely take her anger out on me for thest day.


    "I am sorry," I kept my eyes down, so drained of energy and love that I couldn¡¯t fight back. This is why I never wanted to fall in love with anyone. I couldn¡¯t focus on my revenge when I was having a heartbreak.


    "Wait a minute," Emma quickly grasped my arm to stop me. Of course, she saw right through me. She realized I was hurting, and she had to get back at me when I was at my lowest.


    "Emma, where is Charlotte? I have to ask her for her size. I am nning on getting her a beautiful gown for the engagement ceremony." My mother didn¡¯t even notice me standing there, all broken and shattered. But her entire attention was on Charlotte. She wanted to get her a new gown while her own daughter was being yed, used as a weapon against her.


    "Really?" Emma let go of my arm since she received bigger news than confronting me.


    "Of course. I want her to look her best on my special day," my mother¡¯s voice faded as I walked past them, trying to escape before Emma¡¯s attention fell on me again.


    "Okay, keep an eye on him and make sure he is well-fed," Emmet was entering the mansion, busy on a call, when our eyes met unintentionally.


    I didn¡¯t want anyone to spot me like that. So the moment he looked at me and frowned, I knew he had noticed me. I quickly lowered my head, hid my eyes, and stormed into my room. I grabbed the sweater from my bed and threw it back onto the bed because I couldn¡¯t trash this ce. It wasn¡¯t even mine. I couldn¡¯t take my anger out on anything.


    I sat on the bed, fighting tears, then grabbed the sweater again and mmed it hard on the bed once more. I was losing my mind, thinking of myself as the biggest idiot for even telling Lamar that I had fallen for Maximus.


    I had asked my mate to reject me for this man.


    I was such an idiot to think I had finally found love and that Maximus had set the bar high. How did he manage to fool me so well, and I never even suspected he was ying me?


    I held the sweater again and brushed it hard against the bed once more.


    "That sweater must have really pissed you off," I was taken aback by Emmet¡¯s voice. He was standing at my door, arms folded, leaning against the doorframe.


    "I didn¡¯t know I¡ª" I gasped.


    "That you didn¡¯t lock the door. You mmed it, trying to shut it, but then¡ªthis boot." He looked down and eyed my shoe, the one I had kicked off in a hurry and frustration when I got inside.


    "Oh." I took a deep breath, forcing a smile, but nothing seemed to work.


    "Do you need anything?" I asked, too caught up in my feelings to find the right words tomunicate with him.


    "No! I should be asking you that question. Do you need anything? Are you okay?" He was so calm when speaking to me that I couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath and lower my head.


    The next thing I knew, I started crying.


    Of course, I couldn¡¯t hold back my tears after such a huge betrayal. Who can I trust now? Just imagine if I had been a few minuteste and had told Maximus all about my past and everything.


    I was asking to get myself into yet another messy situation.


    "Hey." The worry in his voice grew more intense as I broke down in front of him. I felt him sit on the bed beside me, the mattress shifting under his weight. He was a big guy; of course, his presence couldn¡¯t be ignored.


    "Who made you cry, Hnie?" he asked with such confidence that I unfolded my hands and stared at his face.


    "Tell me, who hurt you so badly that you came to this academy for revenge?" My heart started to race like crazy.


    I kept watching his face, and with every second that passed, my eyes grew wider and wider.


    "Tell me his name, and I will make sure¡ª" he leaned in, his eyes locked onto mine, devouring me, "he is never heard from again."


    He whispered the rest, sending chills down my spine and covering my skin in goosebumps.


    "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡ªI didn¡¯te for revenge," Iughed awkwardly, feeling my body go numb. I never thought someone would straight upe to me, ask who hurt me with such confidence, and then, without even asking for any proof, promise to help me take my revenge.


    "You were pregnant, and you lost your baby. Who was the father? Who hurt you, Hnie? Who did that to you?"


    The moment he mentioned my pregnancy and miscarriage, my head started to spin, and my jaw dropped as a wave of paranoia hit me.

 Chapter 327-Hello Professor!

    <h4>Chapter 327: 327-Hello Professor!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What do you mean¡ª?" I was stuttering because, just a minute ago, I was thinking about trusting his brother¡ªthat backfired¡ªand now he knew about my past?


    I just realized I should keep my secrets to myself, and yet, here I was, exposed.


    "Your boyfriend or someone got you pregnant and then didn¡¯t want to take responsibility because you were probably an omega or without a wolf¡ªor for some other stupid reason¡ªso you came to the academy to be something and show him what he lost, right?" As he exined further what he knew, I began to rx.


    "Oh! Yes!" I couldn¡¯t think of anything else in the moment and decided to agree with whatever assumptions he made.


    "Fascinating." He tilted his head as if he were listening to a story or had just solved a puzzle.


    "It is, isn¡¯t it?" I taunted, and he quickly straightened his posture.


    "I didn¡¯t mean to say that. It¡¯s just that¡ªyou were so scared, and then suddenly, you¡¯re not?" He was so observant. This little conversation we were having made me wonder if I even knew him at all.


    "I was just shocked that you found out about it. It¡¯s not every day someone talks to me about that," I lied through my teeth, and I didn¡¯t feel bad about it. I needed to protect my secrets now.


    "Hmm, what made you cry tonight? Was it your mother?" He looked away, his voice hinting at a little stress, but it could have been from anything.


    "Yeah, I don¡¯t wanna talk about it," I held my hands, scratching the flesh between my fingers.


    "Did you get yourself a gown?" he inquired.


    "No, not really. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll being to the ceremony," I excused, as it would be pointless for me to be there.


    Now that I knew the engagement was definitely happening since I wouldn¡¯t be interrupting it, I needed to find a ce to crash for the night.


    "Why not?" Emmet asked, holding my sweater and studying the details with curiosity.


    "My mother hates me, and I don¡¯t want to be at her engagement ceremony either," I shrugged.


    "That will be too bad. I¡¯ll be alone too. Why note and apany me?" This was the most Emmet had ever spoken to me.


    I never thought of him as talkative. He was usually quiet, focusing only on his own matters or the important stuff. So, this was a good change in him.


    "You wouldn¡¯t be lonely. You have so many people who love you and know you. You¡¯ll get busy with them, and then I¡¯ll be the lonely one." I guess we were both justpeting now over who was lonelier.


    "Okay, well, I give you my word. You¡¯ll be my girl that night, okay?" My heart twisted, and I hated that feeling. Just a minute ago, I had been betrayed, and now my heart was already skipping a beat.


    Talk about moving on quickly.


    But with Emmet, it was different. He was the first one I had felt a mate bond with. And then¡ªhe had always been so respectful toward me.


    "I¡¯ll take care of you," he exined when I went silent after hisment.


    "Promise?" I asked, and he pouted so cutely.


    "I¡¯ll take you shopping," he suggested out of the blue.


    I smiled as I shook my head. "No, no! That would be too much."


    "Actually, I was hoping you¡¯d offer me help too, but okay," he shrugged, making meugh.


    "Sure, we can go shopping together then."


    Wow. I never thought I would be smiling after such heartbreak.


    Kudos to Emmet for alwaysing to my rescue.


    "As for now, why don¡¯t you help me with, umm¡ªrearranging my research papers?" he suggested in such a sweet tone that I couldn¡¯t say no to him.


    Besides, it would really help me not think about Maximus, at least for a few minutes.


    "Sure, I would love to do that." I got up from the bed, and he did too.


    "You already know my room, don¡¯t you?" My eyes followed his back as he walked ahead of me. "I always forget to lock my doors."


    I felt so guilty because it seemed like he knew I had been in his room.


    We walked through the hallway, and once we got inside, he pointed at the open door.


    "See, that¡¯s what I was talking about."


    There was something so odd about the way he spoke. One would think he knew everything about a person, but then he would exin it in a way that made you unsure if he was certain or just guessing.


    We walked into his room, and he tossed the papers onto the ground right before my eyes. "I guess the wind blew them."


    At this point, it was obvious that he just wanted to distract me from whatever had upset me.


    "Must¡¯ve been a very powerful wind, professor," I joked, kneeling down to pick up the papers, but he waved his hand to stop me.


    "I¡¯ll do that. You sit on the bed and go through this book. I want you to tell me what you think about it."


    He handed me a new book that I guessed was written by him and gestured for me to sit on his bed.


    Someone like him¡ªwho didn¡¯t allow maids or anyone to clean his room¡ªI was expecting a messy bed. But his sheets were spotless and neatly tucked, his pillows were perfectly fluffed, and the nket looked so cozy.


    It felt a little weird sitting on his bed, but after being overly cautious with Maximus and still messing up, I decided to loosen up a bit. I needed to stop overanalyzing everything, taking every little thing as a romantic gesture, or considering it forbidden.


    Yeah, I was losing my mind.


    Still, I sat on his bed and held his book in my hands. He went ahead and rearranged his papers while I kept reading.


    After he was done, he pulled up a chair next to his bed and sat down to discuss the book with me. But before doing so, he peeled open a chocte bar and handed it to me.


    He was so caring and thoughtful toward me.

 Chapter 328-Jealousy Suits Him-Punishment Too

    <h4>Chapter 328: 328-Jealousy Suits Him-Punishment Too</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Good morning," I greeted everyone as I joined them for breakfast. Only Norman and my mother were at the table.


    I stayed uptest night reading Emmet¡¯s book with him. He was so talented. I didn¡¯t know he was writing his own book about different research topics and weapons. He even mentioned the findings of Purple Rose.


    Norman just scoffed while going through a file, and my mother rolled her eyes. I sat across from her awkwardly.


    The silence was so intense that if Norman¡¯s phone hadn¡¯t rung, we would have drowned in it.


    He got up, answered his call, and walked away from us. It was as if fate wanted me to suffer.


    Now that it was just my mom and me, anxiety started to rise in my body because I could tell she was getting ready to have a word with me.


    "What happened to you yesterday?" she asked in a cold tone, her eyes on the door to make sure nobody saw her talking to me.


    "You!" I replied with a sarcastic smile.


    "If you hate me so much, and if this ce is hurting you, why won¡¯t you leave?" She was so smart¡ªwanting me gone so badly that she was now directly pointing out reasons why I should go.


    "You think I wouldn¡¯t if I had an option?" I grunted, not breaking eye contact with her.


    She fixed her posture and then grunted, "That sick bastard hurt you, didn¡¯t he?"


    The sudden change in tone caught me off guard. But I figured it was because now I was her problem after my father kicked me out. Of course, she would hate him for leaving me to burden her now.


    "It isn¡¯t anything new," I replied, looking down to adjust the already perfectly ced silverware.


    "Hnie¡ªyou should¡ª" She suddenly shut up when Norman returned.


    He sat down, and the next people to join us were his father, Emma, and Charlotte. The two gave me a disdainful look before whispering to each other and then ncing at me. It was obvious they wanted me to know they were talking about me.


    To think they had been told never to bully me again, yet they were still at it, just proved how full of resentment they were.


    And then he arrived, wearing a gray shirt, his hair styled perfectly, and his eyes shining. Maximus tried to give me a smile, but before he could, I had already looked away.


    After a few minutes of an awkward breakfast, I had to go outside and wait for Maximus so we could head to his garage.


    It was going to be so hard for me to be around him and not tell him that I knew all about his game n.


    I slid into his passenger seat, and he sat in the driver¡¯s seat, all smiles.


    Once we hit the road, he started tapping his fingers yfully on the steering wheel.


    "You know, I kept remembering what you said to mest night¡ª" he spoke sweetly, but I countered immediately.


    "Which part?" I asked skeptically. Of course, he must have prepared this line in his head since morning, probably to fool me some more.


    "Please be careful out there," he reminded me, not realizing I was testing him.


    I don¡¯t know why, but now I felt like every time he opened his mouth, he was lying.


    "I missed you so much," he continued, but I had already averted my attention to my phone when it beeped in myp.


    "Aha," I replied absentmindedly, not paying much attention to him but also trying to hold in my emotions while reading a strange text from Rudy.


    Topsenior_Rudy: Okay! But then bring back my shoes.


    I frowned and texted him back.


    Me: Umm? Shoes?


    Topsenior_Rudy: Sorry! That was meant for someone else.


    Topsenior_Rudy: Damn, I feel so embarrassed. Trust me, I wasn¡¯t asking you to buy me shoes.


    I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling visibly.


    Me: Got it ??


    Topsenior_Rudy: Well, now that I¡¯m already in your DMs, might as well say hello!


    I smiled again at how smooth he was. It made me think back to my time in school when I used to be obsessed with reading romance books about jocks.


    I knew they had a certain way about them. Even when I was dating Altan, I never got to experience the flirting and perks of being a jock¡¯s girlfriend. I never felt that excitement.


    Our rtionship had been a mess¡ªI wasn¡¯t supposed to be around him unless he wanted to pull me closer and show me off.


    Now that I was spending more time around other people and receivingpliments, I realized I wasn¡¯t as bad-looking as Altan had made me feel. He always had some criticism ready for me.


    "Rudy!"


    I snapped back to reality when I heard Maximus say his name.


    "What?" I asked, watching him park the car as we arrived at our destination.


    "Why is he texting you so much?" I heard the jealousy in his voice.


    Wow, he was such a great actor. If I hadn¡¯t overheard him talking to his mom about his n to y mest night, I would have thought he was genuinely jealous.


    "He¡¯s my senior," I reminded him, and he unbuckled his seatbelt, turning in his seat to face me.


    "Don¡¯t tell me what I already know. I asked you why he¡¯s texting you and why you¡¯re giving him time that belongs to me," he asked more directly this time, making me bite my tongue to stop myself from saying too much.


    "I¡¯m not giving him your time. I¡¯m just texting him back while you¡¯re driving," I responded, and I could tell my tone had turned much harsher.


    Without waiting for him, I unbuckled my seatbelt and got out of his car, mming the door a bit harder than I intended.


    "Are you okay? You sound really angry today." He got out and asked while taking weapons from the trunk.


    "I¡¯m fine," I replied, purposely checking my phone just to annoy him.


    "Okay, leave your phone in the car, Hnie. I won¡¯t tolerate disrespect," he warned, his patience already wearing thin.


    Well, this was just the beginning.

 Chapter 329-His Gameplan

    <h4>Chapter 329: 329-His Gamen</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    My heart wasn¡¯t ready to ept any excuses from Maximus, so I didn¡¯t confront him. He had asked me to leave my phone in the car, and I did. He was my boss at work, and I needed this money. I was waiting for the right moment to tell him I couldn¡¯t be with him. I wouldn¡¯t give him a reason or the satisfaction of knowing he had hurt me.


    Not until the engagement ceremony was over.


    Now, I wanted my mother to get engaged to Lord McQuoid so that Maximus and his mother could taste defeat.


    "This was thest weapon for the day. From tomorrow, we¡¯ll test a few new ones and a few old ones, and then¡ªwe¡¯ll figure out a way for you to keep working even after the academy reopens." Not only was he distracted, but he had also been trying to make small talk with me all the time.


    I could tell he had noticed the change in my behavior. I was much colder to him.


    "Okay," I spoke without emotion, jotting down thest bits of the testing.


    "And with that¡ªwe¡¯re free to spend the rest of the day together." He came from behind and suddenly kissed my cheek. My reaction was wild this time. I quickly stepped away from him and grimaced.


    Oh, the look of shock on his face was worth watching. It wasn¡¯t just that he yed with my feelings but also that he tried to make me talk about my past. He asked if I had any boyfriends or anything.


    Was he trying to get me to name someone so he couldter use it against me and call me a slut as part of his n?


    "Hnie? What is your problem?" He didn¡¯t use a harsh tone, but his eyes clearly showed he wasn¡¯t happy with how disgusted I looked.


    "I¡¯m notfortable with you showing affection in public ces where anyone can see us and start asking questions," I said, shutting the notebook and handing it over to him.


    He stood before me with his hands on his waist and a very judgmental look on his face.


    "Okay," he said in a way that told me he didn¡¯t believe my excuse, but he had no other choice.


    "Did I make a mistake?" he asked again.


    "No! Why do you keep asking me that? Did you do something I should know about?" I used a softer tone this time since I couldn¡¯t afford to make him openly challenge me.


    I needed to handle this situation more carefully.


    "No! Of course, I didn¡¯t," he said confidently.


    "You know why you¡¯re feeling so low? It¡¯s because of the uing engagement ceremony, isn¡¯t it?" He finally looked relieved, as if he had just given himself an excuse.


    "Correct. I guess that¡¯s it." I gave him a closed-lip smile while walking back to the car with him.


    "Don¡¯t worry, everything will go fine. I¡¯ll take care of it," he reassured me while starting the car.


    I guess he wanted us to keep talking, but I wasn¡¯t in the mood. I really didn¡¯t feel like talking to him. He noticed it too after I ignored him a few times. The car ride was tense for me.


    Finally, when I could see the mansion in view, I put my phone down and straightened my back in the chair.


    I was so ready to get out of the car. Being with him was ufortable in a way¡ªbecause I had fallen for him. Basically, I was the only fool in love. And being betrayed again and again by men like him made me wonder if I always picked the wrong ones.


    They came for me because they wanted something from me. I should be the one choosing someone for myself.


    But I wasn¡¯t ready to do that anymore.


    I jumped out of the car and almost ran to the front porch when Maximus caught up with me.


    "Hey! What¡¯s the rush?" He slowed me down and eventually stopped me outside the door on the front porch.


    "I was just ufortable in these boots. I want to take them off," I had the lie prepared in my head just in case I wasn¡¯t quick enough to get away from him.


    "Then you should have told me. I would¡¯ve bought you a whole shoe store." A line like that would have made me blush if I hadn¡¯t overheard his conversation with his mother yesterday.


    For now, I faked a smile and nodded.


    "You¡¯re such a flirt." Myment was dry, but even if he noticed, he didn¡¯t mention it.


    Why would he?


    He only cared about getting his job done.


    And then there was my mate, who had lost his mind after I asked him for rejection.


    "I¡¯m yours," he still managed to say something sweet. "Anyway, I¡¯ve found the perfect solution to your worries."


    I was all ears, so I folded my arms over my chest and tilted my head in interest.


    "We should tell everyone that we want to be each other¡¯s mates. That we¡¯re in love," he said, making me scoff in my heart.


    Of course, he was such a yer. He was following his mother¡¯s orders so carefully and attentively.


    "I asked for some time, Maximus," I reminded him, but he immediately started shaking his head.


    "It¡¯s been a week already. How much more time, Hnie? In one week, the ceremony will happen, and then what? I want this to be said so that¡ª" he was talking when I cut him off.


    "And why do you think making this public would be good for us? Do you think your father would stop the engagement for us?" I asked in a sharp tone, tired of his persistence.


    At first, it seemed like he was just being affectionate, but now, it felt maniptive.


    "Then I¡¯ll take you and disown myself. I can live in the woods or on the mountains as long as I have you by my side." In a confident and determined tone, heid out another lie¡ªone that, despite being false, still made my heart skip a beat.

 Chapter 330-Mine Forever

    <h4>Chapter 330: 330-Mine Forever</h4>


    <strong>Charlotte:</strong>


    Tears sprung down my eyes, whimpers forcing to leave my lips.


    My heart seemed to stop beating as I heard them talk. Maximus had never spoken to me like that. He was so soft, so willing to submit to her.


    The fact that I had seen his car pull up in the driveway and ran to the door to wee him¡ªonly to hear him and Hnie talking outside¡ªblew my mind. Why wouldn¡¯t he notice me?


    He was begging her to ept him so he could take a step like stopping his father¡¯s engagement to Urs.


    That shocked me.


    "And what about my academy?" I heard the ungrateful, maniptive witch ask him.


    She wanted to continue her academy even after he told her he loved her?


    I would have left my whole world behind for him.


    That was the problem. Why couldn¡¯t Maximus see the difference between us?


    "You can continue the academy, just that I won¡¯t be the trainer here. But rest assured, you will continue your academy. Norman will make it happen for me," he said.


    I was losing my mind listening to them.


    It was basically just him begging her to be with him.


    I ran back to my room to avoid getting caught by them. Tears welled up in my eyes as I mmed the door shut and locked it.


    "Where have you been? I was waiting for you¡ª" My mom was sitting on my bed, cutting fruit for me when she saw me struggling to breathe.


    "It¡¯s over¡ª" I uttered with difficulty.


    It felt like the world had copsed on me.


    Nothing looked alive anymore.


    Just the memory of hearing Maximus talk so sweetly and profess his undying love for Hnie had scared me enough that I slid against the door and dropped to the floor with a thud.


    "Char! What¡¯s wrong?" The only person who truly cared about me jumped off the bed and rushed toward me.


    "Baby! What¡¯s wrong? Why are you crying? Did someone say something to you?" She started wiping my tears, but there was a whole sea ready to pour out, a volcano ready to erupt.


    "Mom! It¡¯s all over," I continued, sobbing and hupping.


    "Char, I can¡¯t see you like this. Please tell me what¡¯s wrong," my mother broke down just watching me cry.


    I didn¡¯t want to worry her, but I couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore.


    Hnie stole my Maximus from me.


    "She¡ªshe stole him from me," I broke down even louder this time, covering my face with my hands before I started pping and hitting myself.


    My mother¡¯s fingers tightly gripped my wrists as she did her best to stop me from hurting myself.


    But I was already hurting so badly. A few hits were nothingpared to losing Maximus.


    "Listen to me, look at me!" My mom finally got a hold of my face and forced me to meet her eyes.


    "Now tell me, what happened? Who stole whom?" she asked, her eyes already filled with tears before she even knew the full story.


    "That slut¡ªHnie¡ªshe and Maximus¡ª"


    I didn¡¯t even have to exin further. My mother already knew what I was going to say next.


    The widening of her eyes showed me her shock.


    "They are... having an affair?" she whispered, trying to keep the words from reaching the walls.


    I gave her a nod, enough for her to cover her mouth in utter disgust.


    I told her everything I had heard between hups, and she listened to my cries attentively.


    "I will fucking expose her to the council for this forbidden affair. I will make sure she dies a horrible death, a death like a pig¡¯s¡ª" My breathing was out of control. My emotions were all over the ce.


    With every word I spoke, I gasped and then hupped.


    "No! You won¡¯t do anything," my mother¡¯s stern voice pulled me out of my trauma, and I red at her.


    "You want me to sit and watch her have Maximus? Don¡¯t you know how much I love him?"


    I shouldn¡¯t have to tell my mother about my love for Maximus. She knew everything about it.


    "I grew up only loving one man, Mom. I never even wished to have anyone else in my life. I just wanted Maximus. I could go live in the woods with him, work hard, and even clean houses if that¡¯s what it takes. I just want Maximus. If I have him, I don¡¯t want anything else," I said.


    Saying those things out loud took me back to the moment I stood outside and heard Maximus convincing Hnie to ept him.


    Why did he need to beg her?


    Why?


    If he had asked me, I would have bowed at his feet.


    But he overlooked my love for him and went after the obvious seductress. Of course, he did.


    Women like her are so clever. And girls like me¡ªshy and innocent¡ªare always left behind in these situations.


    "You¡¯re not getting my point. It seems like the only reason they aren¡¯t together is because Hnie is afraid of everyone finding out. So if you expose them, Maximus will just take her and leave. Once the truth is out, Lord McQuoid will definitely tell them to go. Do you really want to help them? Let¡¯s keep it a secret for now," my mother argued.


    She wasn¡¯t getting it.


    Every passing second was dangerous for us. Maximus and Hnie could tell his father about them, and then it would all be over.


    "I can¡ªI can get her killed."


    I snapped out of my misery and looked back at my mother, hope shining in my eyes.


    "You¡¯ve gone mad. Just shut up and do as I say. I will make sure they never happen. I just need to pass the right information to Urs at the right time. Urs will take care of her messy daughter herself," my mom grunted, her eyes filled with tears as she watched me cry.


    I would go above and beyond to have Maximus.


    He is mine, and he will only be mine.

 Chapter 331-The Lycan Always Forgets

    <h4>Chapter 331: 331-The Lycan Always Forgets</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I was on the verge of breaking down after hearing Maximus express his fake love for me. It was truly heartbreaking.


    Just a few months ago, Kaye had said something simr to me.


    He had asked me to ept him, and he would leave with me. But he didn¡¯t want to wait.


    And then tonight, Maximus said the same thing¡ªbut he was lying.


    Altan used to make such crazy promises in the coldest tone as well.


    It was always like that.


    No one had ever fulfilled their promises to me.


    "Maybe I¡¯m really not that special for someone to be honest and loyal to me," I whispered, covering my face in my hands and sniffing as my tears soaked my palms.


    "What will I do after I reject Maximus and refuse to be in a rtionship with him? Will he openly try to hurt me? What will happen to my revenge when such a powerful man is after me, trying to take me down?"


    I was losing my mind, disgusted with myself for getting tangled up in yet another mess.


    If I had avoided this from the start, I would have been fine.


    No heartbreak.


    No pain.


    I would have just focused on myself.


    I had been so happy to have my wolf, but now, that happiness and small victory were overshadowed by Maximus¡¯s betrayal.


    That night, I went straight to bed because I had other ns for the morning.


    Lamar, Gavin, and I had talked about going to the library to find a way to help Lucy.


    However, we were going to tell Gavin about the tenth floor in the morning so our research would start in the right direction.


    I woke up before breakfast and even left the mansion early to avoid seeing anyone. I nned to meet up with my friends, and then Lamar would drop me off directly in the woods where Maximus would be waiting for me.


    That was another issue I needed to solve.


    After rejecting Maximus, I would need a new job. I didn¡¯t think working with him would be good for my mental health.


    He would make my life miserable¡ªI knew he was capable of it.


    I remembered how, in the beginning, he had hated me. I mean, he still did.


    But before he faked affection for me, he was clever and vindictive.


    I would need to stay far away from him.


    "Hey," I waved my hand, slowing down when I saw Sage and Rudy standing behind Lamar and Gavin near Benita¡¯s caf¨¦.


    "Sorry for crashing your meetup, but I was so curious that I couldn¡¯t sit still when I saw Lamar and Gavin show up on his bike," Sage mumbled in one breath,ughing awkwardly at herself.


    "Oh no, that¡¯s fine," I said, forcing a smile as I waved my hand.


    I had a bad feeling she was here to talk about the Lycan.


    She had a weird obsession with catching that Lycan.


    "I just wanted to ask Gavin a few questions, and I¡¯ll be quick," Sage said, shifting her attention to him.


    "Yeah, sure. What¡¯s it about?" Gavin asked, his expression matching the curiosity of the rest of us.


    "That Lycan¡ªyou saw him transition, right?" she asked, her excitement evident.


    "No!" he replied bluntly.


    "Oh! Then walk us through your time in the cave," she said, using hand gestures to show her eagerness.


    As Gavin began speaking, I noticed Rudy ncing at me, only to quickly look away when I caught him.


    Now that was something new.


    "I was on the mountain when night fell. I had been up there for days at that point, but that one night, things got out of hand. I was unable to defend myself because I had run out of shlight power, food, and basically everything I needed to survive. I felt something attack me from behind. The next thing I knew, my body was free-falling off the mountain. But then, the Lycan grabbed me and dragged me to his cave. He was so scary and¡ª" Gavin grimaced at the memory of being trapped with the Lycan.


    "So, he attacked you and then took you to his cave?" Sage rified as he nodded.


    "That¡¯s what I remember," he answered.


    "And what about, um¡ªyour time in the cave?" she asked, her fingers anxiously fidgeting.


    "He put me in there and left. I hid in his cave, and by the time he came back, he was covered in blood¡ªlike he had eaten something, or maybe someone. The smell of blood was rich and... powerful. It was like whoever he ate was a high-ranking werewolf or someone with immense power," Gavin¡¯s face paled as he recalled the details.


    It must have been horrifying for him.


    "Hmm... and he didn¡¯t eat you?" Sage asked directly this time.


    "Actually, no, he didn¡¯t. He just came and left. It was like he forgot he had put me in there. There were times when he would appear in the cave, looking lost¡ªlike he was trying to remember if he had been there before. That¡¯s when I started noticing that he doesn¡¯t remember what he did the night before."


    That was the key to our answers.


    A huge revtion.


    We all exchanged shocked looks before turning back to Gavin.


    "Great! So that means if he broke the cameras when trashing the cave, he wouldn¡¯t even remember doing it," Sage let out a deep sigh of relief and then smiled confidently.


    So this had been worrying her.


    Of course, it was something to be concerned about.


    But right when Gavin made that revtion, one of my biggest worries was answered as well.


    So the Lycan wouldn¡¯t remember that I was his mate?


    Is that why Norman wanted to ask me if I was in the woods?


    So¡ªhe¡¯s really a Lycan?


    Petrified, I began to sweat.


    All this time, I had convinced myself that he probably lied just to stop me from asking about the Lycan.


    But now I was certain.


    It has to be him.

 Chapter 332-I Know Your Truth

    <h4>Chapter 332: 332-I Know Your Truth</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Sage and Rudy were gone after that. Lamar and I told Gavin all about the tenth floor so that we could look at Lucy¡¯s case with a new motive and fresh ideas.


    "That is creepy¡ªso there is a survivor?" Gavin had been too shocked ever since he heard us tell him everything about the tenth floor.


    "Yep! Seems like there was one. Hnie seems to have a weird maic pull that attracts these entities," Lamar joked, but it stuck with me.


    He wasn¡¯t wrong.


    First Rune, and now the entity from the tenth floor.


    "But finding the survivor would be difficult. You said Professor Norman promised to help you. Has he found out anything yet?" Gavin inquired, and I rolled my eyes.


    "He is just full of talk. We will have to find out for ourselves. We¡¯ll go to the library and check everything about the abandoned building that is now an academy," I suggested, watching them nod in agreement.


    "But first, I want to go meet Lucy. I haven¡¯t been able to visit her because I feel like if she hears me talk, she will be so upset," Gavin muttered, quickly finishing his sandwich to make it seem like he wasn¡¯t crying.


    Lamar and I shared a nce as we agreed with him. Gavin took a cab while I went to the hospital with Lamar.


    "Lucy!" The minute Gavin entered her room, he broke down beside her bed. She was sleeping so peacefully, but she needed to wake up.


    "Please just forgive me. I am ready for any punishment you give me, just please¡ª," Gavin lowered his head, his tears wetting his palms.


    I guess we all make mistakes, but this kind of punishment is hard to watch.


    "You know, we grew up as friends. Her family was our neighbors. When my dad left me and my mom, her mother stepped up and did everything she could to help us out. And to think¡ªI am the reason her daughter is in this state today. You know, she hates me. When I went back home, she was at the door, and she cursed at me," he sniffled, constantly trying to wipe his eyes with the back of his hand. "She said I will never be happy, and she is not wrong. I can never be happy," he continued.


    "She said she wishes she hadn¡¯t helped us so that I would have starved to death in my childhood. And who can me her? She fed a monster, and then the monster grew up and fed on her daughter," Gavin was out of breath, hupping when Lamar patted his back and offered him a ss of water.


    "We will find a way to bring her back, Gavin. Remember, we are going to look for the survivor? I¡¯m pretty sure there will be some information in the library about it," I spoke gently, choosing my words carefully.


    "And then Professor Norman might have some information for us as well," Lamar gave me a look, reminding me not to dismiss Norman¡¯s help. At least it would help Gavin feel hopeful.


    He was really in despair, and we needed him in a sane mind to do proper research. Besides, we couldn¡¯t lose another friend.


    "You heard me, Luce! I will find a way for you to wake up and be on your feet again. After you left the academy, nothing has been the same¡ª" he was crying hysterically when my eyes moved to Lucy¡¯s face.


    "Is she¡ª" I noticed some expressions forming on her face.


    "Lamar¡ª" I held his hand and shook it, signaling him to look at Lucy.


    Lamar looked as shocked as I was.


    She was slowly shaking, her eyes moving, and then she gasped loudly as her eyes shot open.


    "Lucy!" I yelped, covering my mouth.


    "I¡¯ll go fetch the doctor," Lamar ran out after informing us. Gavin slowly raised his face, his eyes growing wide at the sight of Lucy waking up.


    "Lucy, oh my goodness," I pped, tearing up. Gavin got up and stared at me.


    "Come on, she is awake." I hugged him, jumping up and down.


    He started to smile slowly before turning to Lucy. "Hey!"


    She was breathing heavily at this point, but at least she was awake. The doctors arrived, and they practically kicked us out to do a thorough checkup on her.


    We waited outside the whole time, excited to have her back, when Lamar showed up with Maximus and Emmet beside him.


    "So, great news?" Norman asked the doctor the minute he came out, just as Norman reached the door.


    "That¡¯s a miracle. She just woke up," the doctor¡¯s words ran through my ears like a sweet melody.


    We were sitting on the bench, holding hands.


    I raised my head to Maximus, who gave me a smile, and mine started to fade away.


    "Can I see her?" Norman asked, and when the doctor allowed him, he walked into the room with Emmet.


    However, Maximus decided toe up to us first.


    "Are you all happy now?" He looked so happy to see me happy, as if I didn¡¯t know the truth.


    "Yes, she is back," Gavin, who didn¡¯t know that the man before him was a cunning maniptor, replied joyfully.


    "Well, I¡¯m d your friend is back. At least you guys will be less stressed now." Gavin didn¡¯t notice, but Lamar followed Maximus¡¯s eyes when he spoke directly to me.


    "Yeah," I replied but looked down. That¡¯s when Maximus went inside to join his brothers.


    "Someone is way too head over heels in love with you," Lamar whispered in my ear, but I elbowed him to make him keep his posture.


    How do I tell him, without sounding like a crybaby, that I got yed yet again?


    After the brothers left, we were told not to meet Lucy just yet. She needed rest, and they didn¡¯t want to exhaust her too soon.


    Meanwhile, I found a moment tofort Norman.


    He was on his phone outside the hospital when I arrived behind him and said, "You are a Lycan, and you forget what you did once you transition back into your human form."


    I swear his body tensed up, and in that moment, I knew I was right.

 Chapter 333-As A Mother Should

    <h4>Chapter 333: 333-As A Mother Should</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I cannot wait to see her again. When can we see her? Did they say anything?" I asked Lamar after I entered the mansion. Norman didn¡¯t stop and dashed away after I made a confession to knowing his truth.


    It was crazy that the minute he dropped me off, I called him again. I was genuinely happy. After suffering a bad heartbreak, I finally received good news.


    "The doctor said she first needs to heal and go back home. Since it¡¯s very rare, almost impossible, for a werewolf toe out of aa, they want to be careful with her," Lamar ryed the information. But the happiness in his tone was enough for me. Both Gavin and Lamar were overjoyed.


    Gavin still wanted to stay with Lamar because he knew Lucy would be going home soon, and he didn¡¯t want her to smell his scent and get emotional.


    "Okay, then we will meet her together," I said before we said our goodbyes.


    Part of the reason I suddenly cut the call was because Charlotte was standing in front of my bedroom door with her hands on her waist.


    "What is it now, Charlotte?" She should have gotten the hint of exhaustion in my voice and left me alone. But knowing Charlotte, that was not something she nned on doing.


    "Why did you ruin my dress?" she asked, making me frown and narrow my eyes at her.


    There were mixed emotions on her face that I couldn¡¯t understand. I knew she hated me and enjoyed bullying me. But that day, as she stood before my door and used me of something I hadn¡¯t done, she looked more determined than ever to get me in trouble.


    "What dress? I wasn¡¯t even home the entire day," I gestured for her to move away so I could get inside.


    But she refused and extended her arm to block my path.


    "Don¡¯t lie to me. You were jealous that your mother got that dress for me, and it hurt your feelings. Nowe on, apologize to me!" she suddenly started screaming out of nowhere, causing me to step away from her. That¡¯s when Lord McQuoid walked in from his office, watching Charlotte yell at me.


    "What is going on here?" He looked tired, as always, from watching us argue.


    "She is using me¡ª" Before I could exin that she was losing her mind, Charlotte started talking over me.


    "She ruined my dress¡ªthe dress your mate got for me!" Charlotte broke down so loudly that my eyes nearly jumped out of their sockets.


    Just a minute ago, she seemed fine. Angry and enraged, sure! But no way was she about to cry.


    "Hnie, is that true?" Lord McQuoid asked me.


    At that moment, I really wanted to ask him¡ªhow did he give birth to such cunning and maniptive kids? He wasn¡¯t very smart himself, was he?


    "No, I didn¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t even home the entire day," I quickly defended myself. "Besides, I didn¡¯t even go near her room or her dress. I haven¡¯t even seen it," I added in a desperate tone.


    "Okay, okay! I will fix this matter. Charlotte, you will go with my son and get yourself another gown¡ª" As Lord McQuoid suggested that, Charlotte was already on board.


    "Sure, please ask Maximus to take me. The others don¡¯t really like me," she pouted, acting as if Maximus liked her.


    But then again, I didn¡¯t know anymore. It could be that whatever Maximus told me was a lie. Maybe he did sleep with her.


    I didn¡¯t want to defend Maximus in my head anymore.


    "Okay, I will do that. Happy now?" Lord McQuoid asked her so nicely that I already felt like a guilty person.


    I lowered my head and walked past them while she was all smiles, and he was acting all fatherly toward her.


    Once in my room, I gave it some thought and decided to go speak with Lord McQuoid alone. I wanted him to know I really didn¡¯t do it.


    I left my room to go to Lord McQuoid¡¯s room, the one he shared with my mother¡ªthe same room that used to belong to his ex. I was near the door when I heard him talking with my mother.


    "Hnie ruined her dress." My heart sank in my chest.


    "Says who?" my mom asked.


    "Charlotte used Hnie of ruining her dress. She was crying so much, it broke my heart for the poor girl. She tries so hard to be liked by everyone. And then my sons¡ªand today, the dress too," he said, hinting that he believed Charlotte.


    Of course, she was his favorite. I was beginning to see it clearly now.


    I wanted to go back to my room, pack my stuff, and leave. I would go live anywhere in the roguemunity. Of course, I couldn¡¯t stay too long in a pack with Lamar since I didn¡¯t belong to any pack either.


    But my steps paused when I heard my mother¡¯s response to his usations.


    "Hnie didn¡¯t do it." Her tone was harsh but confident.


    "I¡¯m not saying she did. I¡¯m saying Charlotte thinks Hnie did it. But someone else surely did it to mess with her." I wasn¡¯t sure if Lord McQuoid was using his own sons. They wouldn¡¯t even walk past her.


    I mean, they weren¡¯t that childish.


    Norman could be.


    He was pretty annoying and childish. Yes! He seemed like the type who would steal a lollipop from a child.


    "I¡¯m not sure about your sons, but I know Hnie. She¡¯s not that type. I don¡¯t love her or anything, but at least I know her. Besides, she didn¡¯t even stay in the house today. Her friend woke up in the hospital, so she went straight there," my mother said.


    I was shocked to hear her defend me.


    It was a little thing, but it was something.


    And she knew about my whereabouts. How?


    She also said she knows me. Was that apliment?


    "I know. I¡¯m not saying Hnie did it. I¡¯m also happy her friend woke up. Are you happy now? She¡¯s doing fine. Hnie is a warrior."


    That conversation felt so out of ce to me.


    Why were they even talking about me in the first ce?


    I thought my mother didn¡¯t even acknowledge me.

 Chapter 334-His Empty Threats

    <h4>Chapter 334: 334-His Empty Threats</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I returned to my room, and at that moment, I saw a maid rushing out of it. I frowned and instantly entered to see what she had been doing in my room when I found a dress lying on the bed.


    It was the most beautiful purple gown in a stic cover. It was a beautiful one.


    "Maybe Emmet got me this dress." I quickly uncovered it, and a huge smile spread across my lips¡ªuntil I read the little note on the side.


    "This will look good on you, pumpkin!"


    Tears started to sting my eyes, my nose getting stuffy as I realized who the dress was from. It was not from Emmet.


    "Mom!" I hissed.


    Why was she suddenly doing this for me? There¡¯s no way she doesn¡¯t have a n in mind to get me in trouble. I know her well. And I also know she would never be kind enough to get anything for me.


    I put the dress in the closet forter. I¡¯ll see what to do.


    The rest of the day was quiet for me. I did some assignments and worked out until it was time for me to head out again for training.


    "Let¡¯s see. He¡¯ll have to open up eventually."


    Norman was standing with Emmet outside the mansion near his car. He had his arm folded over the roof of the car, his other hand running through his hair nonstop, while Emmet was casually drinking from a bottle.


    "Ready?" Norman saw me and asked with a quick jerk of his head.


    I only gave him a nod in response.


    Emmet subtly slipped his hand down and hid the bottle behind his back, as if he didn¡¯t want me to see him drinking. It could be because he was my professor. I also didn¡¯t look at him until I was sure he had hidden the bottle.


    I would hate to make him ufortable.


    "Going for training?" Emmet asked, clearing his throat.


    A huge smile spread across my face while watching him talk to me.


    He was so special and decent. His maturity always surprised me.


    "Yeah, I¡¯m trying to get ready before thebat sses," I replied, and he started nodding his head.


    "That¡¯s actually a very good idea. I see you¡¯re doing very well, but Hnie, you shouldn¡¯t tire yourself. Going to the hospital, then to the woods for your job, and then training¡ªdon¡¯t you think that¡¯s too much?" He continued to show concern, asking me in a worried tone.


    Standing next to him made me look so small. But it was Norman¡¯s scoff that pulled my attention away from Emmet.


    "She¡¯s a pretty annoying person. And such people never get tired," he remarked while getting in his car.


    I could tell the brothers were joking with each other, but why did Norman have to put me down tough?


    "Come on, blonde, we¡¯re gettingte," he said, snapping his fingers with his hand extending out of the car.


    "If you¡¯re free, I¡¯ll take you out shopping tomorrow." Emmet was strangely calm as he offered to shop with me.


    Training went well. Actually, pretty well. Norman taught me some moves for attacking and defending myself. And luckily enough, my wolf was still sharing her strength with me. That was the best part of her waking up.


    But I just couldn¡¯t wait to talk with her. Having someone to talk to would be so much better than being alone.


    "We¡¯ll work on your reflexes tomorrow," Norman said, getting in the car while I rushed after him to sit with him.


    "How is Kaye?" I asked the minute he started the car.


    "He¡¯s fine and none of your business," he replied coldly, fixing the mirror and then tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.


    "He¡¯s my mate, of course I care about him," I retorted, feeling judged.


    "Well, he¡¯s your mate that you don¡¯t want. So basically, you have no right over him," he continued to drive and talk without any emotion.


    "Still¡ªcan¡¯t I even ask how he is?" I got so defensive that I raised my voice.


    And obviously, he didn¡¯t like it.


    "Will you shut up? Or I¡¯ll drop you right here and make you walk¡ª" he threatened as he suddenly parked the car on the side of the road.


    That¡¯s when I pushed the door open and jumped out of the car.


    "Hnie¡ª" he grunted, getting anxious as I mmed the door and started walking.


    "Get back in the car," he yelled, leaning on the door.


    "No!" I yelled back.


    "Hnie, it¡¯s not safe out here after dark," he muttered through clenched teeth this time.


    "Then you shouldn¡¯t make threats," I yelled back, briskly walking away.


    But the minute he started walking, it was so obvious.


    His heavy steps and long strides made him catch up to me in no time. Even when I was doing my best to get away fast, he had already reached me.


    "I was just¡ªget in the car, Hnie," he spoke in his deep tone, standing tall and broad in front of me, blocking my path.


    "Then I¡¯ll drive," I hissed as he ced his hands on his waist, lowering his body a little to look me in the eye.


    "Do you even know how to drive?" he asked in a low tone.


    "No! But I want to so I can run into a tree and get you killed," I hissed, stomping my foot.


    He gets under my nerves every time.


    He¡¯s always so harsh to me.


    And about Kaye¡ªI didn¡¯t mean to hurt him. I asked for rejection because he had already made his choice over me. Why drag me with him?


    "Okay, you can do that some other time. Besides, a little ident won¡¯t hurt me," he said, walking back to his car.


    Reluctantly, I followed him.


    After I sat in the car, he silently drove us back home. And the minute I got out, I mmed the door shut on purpose.


    I could hear him grunt inint every time I did that.

 Chapter 335-A Hooker And Her Pimp

    <h4>Chapter 335: 335-A Hooker And Her Pimp</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I like this one," I said, touching a pink gown and smiling at Emmet. He looked so fresh wearing all ck. The girls around wouldn¡¯t stop eyeing him all the time. They looked at him as if he was some kind of meal.


    Of course, it was exhausting since he was my mate, and I knew I wouldn¡¯t ever be with him, and one of these girls would hold hands with him in the future.


    "I think it will look great on you," Emmet signaled to the helper nearby, and in the next few minutes, I had made up my mind to buy this dress.


    However, I didn¡¯t have enough credit for it. It was really expensive, and my budget was low.


    "From me," Emmet gently touched my bag to lower it after he noticed I had been struggling to tell him that I didn¡¯t want such an expensive gown.


    "But I don¡¯t want you to pay for anything. Every time you do it for me, I feel a brick of burden added to my back," I wasn¡¯t exaggerating one bit. It was indeed true.


    His help meant a lot, but that didn¡¯t mean I could keep asking for more and more.


    "You know I will still buy it, right?" Emmet gave a smooth stroke to the strands of hair that kept messing around his forehead and extended his arm out to the cashier with his card in his hand.


    I looked around awkwardly, noticing the girls elbowing each other while staring at Emmet. They kept giggling and seductively pushing their chests out or pulling their dresses down for a good view. And not going to lie, they were gorgeous. They had amazing bodies. How is it possible to walk out of the house, and everyone you see looks like a social media model?


    "And show us some beautiful ss slippers too." My heart flipped in my chest when Emmet asked for the ss slippers. A littleugh had just escaped my lips when I caught him looking at me. I didn¡¯t care about the others, but Emmet¡¯s eyes on me made me shyly exin to him.


    "When I was little, I was obsessed with ss slippers. I would always imagine going to my 18th birthday ball wearing ss slippers," I overshared, but since he listened very attentively, steadily blinking his eyes, I kept talking.


    "And, did you go to the ball wearing ss slippers?" he asked, tilting his head.


    "No! I was a rogue¡ª," I hid my ugly truth with a less painful lie. Being a rogue would have been wonderfulpared to being in that situation.


    "Hmm," Emmet lowered his head and then signaled for me to try on the slippers. They were beautiful. The minute I slipped them onto my feet, I smiled and nodded my head to buy these ones.


    "You really look like Cindere," hemented so softly that I forgot to thank him. But the stain from blushing too hard was still visible on my face.


    "But don¡¯t ever wait for a prince toe to your rescue," hemented, holding all the bags himself and not letting me carry anything. He also got himself a suit. Our shopping was done, and going with him was amazing. He was so mature and caring about little details that I never got bored of hispany.


    "Is it not good to have someone who loves you and protects you?" I asked, slipping into the passenger seat with him.


    "Not that it is bad or anything. It¡¯s just that you won¡¯t find someone like that, and it will break your heart. So be someone of your own first, and then look for love. But remember, don¡¯t be afraid to toss a person out of your life if they hurt you, and then don¡¯t shed a single tear for them. You got it?" He pointed his finger at me as he sat down, and in that moment, I don¡¯t know what happened¡ªmy heart skipped a beat.


    His eyes deepening into mine made me gulp and then nod my head weakly. He was so adorable.


    "Are we heading home now?" I questioned, and he gently shook his head.


    "Now we will eat something first and then head back home, if that¡¯s okay with you and if you don¡¯t have to be somewhere else," he asked, and I happily gave him a head nod.


    I had nowhere to be. But Maximus had been blowing up my phone¡ªto the point that I had put my phone on silent.


    We went to the same Benita¡¯s Caf¨¦ since her pack was the closest, and we had already shopped from the pack¡¯s mall.


    We entered the caf¨¦, and as always, Benita rolled her eyes at my arrival.


    Everyone was gawking at Emmet, but he was casually making his way past the tables to get us one at the very end.


    Once we two settled, Benita quickly took the menu card from the waitress toe speak with Emmet herself.


    "Emmet McQuoid, you finally showed up," she had a huge fake smile on her lips, her eyes shooting daggers at me whenever she could.


    "How are you, Benita?" he asked, clearing his throat.


    "I am great. But how are you? You stoppeding here a few years ago. I still remember when you and your brothers used toe y with Kedron," she mentioned her son, probably. He was the only one she spoke about whenever the brothers or Penn showed up. I had gathered from her that she had only one child, and he was in the Fellmoon Academy.


    "Right, how is he now?" Emmet inquired, his thick eyshes blinking before he caught Benita¡¯s eyes on me. "She is Hnie. A special student and also¡ªmy soon-to-be stepsister."


    It was amazing whenever he introduced me because he used my academy title first, but thetter part always drained my energy.


    For some reason, him calling me his stepsister just made me wonder if he really had no clue about the mate bond we shared or if he just didn¡¯t care.


    "Oh!" There was a clear sign of difort on her face, and in that moment of disappointment, she blurted out something that left me paralyzed.


    "Then you must take care of her. You know, I found her on the hooker¡¯s street with her pimp."

 Chapter 336-My Heart Skips A Beat Whenever He Speaks

    <h4>Chapter 336: 336-My Heart Skips A Beat Whenever He Speaks</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    My jaw had hit the floor, and Emmet seemed stunned too. I red at her, but she kept going.


    "I would have never said anything, but she is a young girl. And I was shocked why her family let her sell herself¡ª," she shut up when Emmet closed his eyes and raised a finger to ask for a minute.


    "You mean to say¡ª," Emmet opened his eyes and stretched his neck, but this time, his eyes had determination in them, "when I gave her a task to go do a little research on the people of Hooker¡¯s Street, you thought she was selling herself?"


    I was taken aback by his statement. She looked between us before shaking her head and awkwardly smiling.


    "She was with that guy Lamar¡ª," the way she threw Lamar into the mix made a knot form in my stomach. I hated her taking my friend¡¯s name. But before I could defend him, Emmet spoke up again.


    "Do you know who Lamar is?" he asked, his leg beginning to shake.


    "Yeah, he is the guy who¡ª" she was cut off as Emmet added.


    "He is her fellow, a great academy student, and was in the project with her. I wanted the two to prove to us they were capable of doing such a little task before they got the forms from us."


    Emmet was so confidently defending me that I began to wonder if that was indeed why I had gone to Hooker¡¯s Street in the first ce.


    "Oh!" The look of terror on her face as she held her hand to her face was worth watching. But that didn¡¯t mean she hadn¡¯t done any damage to me. She had caused me misery by telling Emmet about my rendezvous on the street with Lamar. Not to mention, Lamar got dragged into the mix for nothing.


    "I am so sorry. Why didn¡¯t you tell me all this time?" Benita asked me directly, and it made Emmet tap his fingers on the table.


    "All this time? Have you been running your mouth all this time? She is just eighteen years old. Why would you keep talking about it if you care so much about her well-being?" His tone suddenly turned harsh, making her look around as her servers started to notice themotion.


    "I am sorry. I was just worried for her," that was all she could say, obviously.


    "No! You weren¡¯t," I wouldn¡¯t let it slide. "You were taunting me. I remember how you made me cry when you name-called me in front of everyone and even told me that I wouldn¡¯t get the job because I am that kind of girl," I reminded her, watching her face change color as her eyes kept moving to Emmet for a response.


    "Get up, Hnie," he spoke, mming his hand on the table and scaring me. "We will not eat here."


    "Emmet! It is not like that. I may have said the wrong stuff, but that is because my son is bing an Alpha, and if someone had seen her here¡ªit would have been a problem for my son. He really works hard to keep his image clean¡ªjust give me one chance," she started to plead.


    Of course, she was begging before Emmet because of his status in the academy. I had heard her mention it to Penn before that she wanted the trainers from RVS to give her son private lessons and training.


    "Emmet, it is fine. I am very forgiving."


    I watched her jaw tighten before she forced a smile at me when I took her side. I didn¡¯t want to let go of this ce since everyone from the academyes here to eat. Lamar loves this ce too, as he says the nachos she makes remind him of his sister.


    I can forgive her for Lamar.


    "You serious?" Emmet questioned, and only after I gave him a reassuring look did he ept the menu out of her hands.


    "But be careful next time, Benita. It¡¯s not good to gossip. Those hookers work hard for themselves. They are better than those men or women who steal, hurt, and taunt others. They¡¯re minding their own business¡ªyou should mind your own," he advised her before dismissing her with a hand gesture.


    Once he ced the order and she left, I cleared my throat to exin myself to him.


    "Back when I was getting admission and had no money for supplies or food¡ªI did go to Hooker¡¯s Street. It wasn¡¯t Lamar¡¯s fault, though. I asked him to take me. I didn¡¯t do anything, though, because I realized I wasn¡¯t really good for it. I was useless." I smiled as Iid my truth before him.


    I knew he would raise some questions and probably not believe my words, but after I finished, he smiled calmly.


    His hand extended on the table, holding the ketchup bottle he kept ying with. In a deep and steady voice, he replied, "I know you didn¡¯t do anything. I trust your words. But Hnie, even if you did, you were a consenting adult. Look around and tell me if you think any of these people haven¡¯t had sex before. They all have¡ªso what makes a hooker different from them? You never know under what conditions they took that job. And even if they did it for money, at least they are working hard instead of stealing from people. Remember never to feel guilty over something that is no one¡¯s business but yours and as long as nows are broken."


    His words flowed perfectly from his lips, his eyes determinedly looking into mine.


    It was the second time today that he made my heart skip a beat. He was unlike anyone I had ever met.


    "And next time someone talks about hookers in a taunting way, take a stand for them," he finished, making me smile widely.


    "And keep smiling¡ªyou have a pretty smile."


    I don¡¯t know why he had to add apliment, but that was when my heart skipped a beat for the third time.

 Chapter 337-The Venue Full Of Gorgeous People

    <h4>Chapter 337: 337-The Venue Full Of Gorgeous People</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    We had a great time. Emmet was so thoughtful. He talked about so many interesting and engaging topics. His calm and deep voice was so captivating that I could listen to him for hours.


    Once we arrived home, we found Maximus taking a walk in the parking area. Of course, he looked anxious. And I knew why.


    He had been texting me, asking why I told him I couldn¡¯t go shopping with him but went with his brother instead.


    "You go ahead, I¡¯ll bring your bags to your room," Emmet said. He obviously didn¡¯t know Maximus was waiting to confront me and not him. But it worked for me, as it helped me escape quickly.


    I got out of the car, watching Maximus stop and re at me, and then rushed toward the main entrance.


    I could tell the brothers had talked.


    I was in my room when Emmet knocked on the door with my stuff.


    The door was slightly open, but he was a gentleman.


    After getting a nod from me, he came inside with the dress in the cover.


    "Have a great night, okay?" he said, stepping out. But that¡¯s when Maximus came into view, holding my shoebox and other small bags with the jewelry that Emmet had insisted on buying for me.


    I guess Maximus had asked Emmet to let him carry the other bags.


    Once he was inside, he put the box and the bags down and stood with his hands on his waist.


    His eyes told me he had a lot ofints about me.


    "What is going on with you? You¡¯re acting distant today. Even in the woods, you kept talking about others. Did I do something to upset you?" There was a hint of sadness in Maximus¡¯s voice. But I knew better than to believe him anymore.


    He had fooled me before. I wouldn¡¯t let him or anyone else y me again.


    "I¡¯m actually really tired these days."


    Theck of response from me made him m the door shut, startling me.


    "No, Hnie. You¡¯re lying to me. Something is going on, or else you wouldn¡¯t have gone out with Emmet, spent the entire day with him, and ignored all my texts," he hissed, stepping closer and leaning down to point his finger in my face.


    "Now, here¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen. You will tell me what¡¯s really going on with you. I¡¯ll be busy for the next three days, but I want to know the truth," he said in a harsh tone, as if he was genuinely hurt.


    Maybe he was truly worried and could see his n failing.


    "The engagement ceremony is in three days, Hnie. Three days! I want your answer before that. If it¡¯s too hard for you to tell me anything, or if you¡¯re too busy to respond, then give me your silence on our rtionship, and I¡¯ll take the hint and call off the engagement on the day itself. It will turn into their breakup ceremony," he shocked me with his ultimatum. He was making sure to ruin things for his father and my mother.


    And once he cancels the engagement in such a dramatic way, there will be no turning back.


    He wanted to do this so that everyone would find out, making it difficult for my mother and his father to recover from that embarrassment.


    I remained silent while Maximus walked out of my room, mming the door shut once again.


    At that moment, I started to wonder if I should just tell him that I wasn¡¯t ready for this. Because if I didn¡¯t say anything, he would take my silence as a sign. And he would go for it.


    After spending hours in my room, finally, when the clock struck 1 AM, I began to write a text for him.


    I had a really bad feeling about his reaction. Of course, his response wouldn¡¯t be anything like Kaye¡¯s because Kaye was genuinely hurt. But Maximus would be angry that I had ruined his game.


    Me: I have been thinking about it a lot, and I havee to the realization that I am not ready to be in a rtionship yet. I haven¡¯t found my fated mate. And it¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t like you¡ªI did. But remember, you asked me to give you a chance and then decide? I gave you a chance, and I have decided¡ªwe are notpatible. I would be grateful if you didn¡¯t hold it against me and let me live in peace.


    Of course, my message reeked of anger and fear that his reaction would be explosive. I wouldn¡¯t have been so harsh if I hadn¡¯t overheard his conversation with his mother and realized I had to walk away from him.


    But I was ready to be with him. And that part angered me.


    He didn¡¯t read my text until 3 AM, when I was jolted awake by the loud rattling of the windows and noticed that he had finally read it.


    However, he never responded to me.


    Worried and confused, I dozed off again. Staying awake would only make me stress out more.


    When I woke up, just as Maximus had said, he was gone¡ªalong with Norman. I heard that Norman had asked him to help with some errands and clean one of the second-floor rooms for a guest.


    "Good morning," I greeted as I joined the rest for breakfast. Only Emmet was present from the brothers.


    "Morning," Lord McQuoid greeted me back, while Emmet gave me a nod.


    Charlotte kept ring at me, her fingers tightly wrapped around her fork.


    I was shocked by her re. I hadn¡¯t even done anything this time.


    "I¡¯m sorry that Maximus couldn¡¯t go with you. But at least your mom helped you get a gown." It was then that Lord McQuoid exined the reason behind her anger. Every time one of the brothers scolded her or messed up, she would take her anger out on me.


    "Dad, Mom texted¡ªNorman is preparing the room for her. She has invited herself to your engagement ceremony."


    It seemed like the tough job of delivering that news to his father was left on Emmet¡¯s shoulders. And right off the bat, the air grew thick with tension.

 Chapter 338-The Awkward Ceremony

    <h4>Chapter 338: 338-The Awkward Ceremony</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "That is creepy. Why does she want toe to the ceremony?" The horrified look remained on my mother¡¯s face throughout breakfast until she finally spoke up while leaving the room with Lord McQuoid.


    I caught the gist of it, and it confused me a little. She was actually right. It was weird for an ex-mate to invite herself to her ex-mate¡¯s engagement ceremony.


    "Hnie!" Charlotte cleared her throat, her fork hitting the te hard. "You should start preparing for my engagement ceremony too. It will happen very soon." There was a strange mockery in her voice, though a smile remained on her lips.


    "Of course, I will be preparing it myself since I will be the happiest to watch you go," I rolled my eyes before getting up from the chair. Emmet and the others had already left.


    Charlotte grunted but didn¡¯t argue since there were many people around today. The mansion was being decorated for the beautiful ceremony, and the venue was the mansion¡¯s royal garden.


    I stayed in my room for the rest of the day. I would asionally check my phone to see if Maximus had responded. Nope! He had not.


    And then, after hours of not hearing from him, I heard hisughter from outside my room and couldn¡¯t help but peek out. He was now standing on the porch with Norman, holding a cup of coffee and sharing a goodugh with him.


    It was a clear reminder to me that he wasn¡¯t affected by my rejection. I just wished he had shown some resentment. But I guess it was true¡ªhe didn¡¯t care at all.


    So every word he had ever said to me was a lie.


    I was so upset that I went to my bed and didn¡¯t wake up for any meals. When I woke up, I found Lamar had left me so many texts.


    He told me that Gavin and he were invited to the ceremony and that they wanted to ask if they shoulde.


    I told them they should because I would be attending the ceremony too. The academy students had all been sent invitations.


    The next two days were kind of a blur, as everyone was only focused on the preparations. The brothers were barely around.


    While everyone was preparing for the ceremony, I was focusing on my training. Norman would manage to find some time to meet me in the woods, and after he left, I would practice with his guard. I was getting much better at the moves. And so far, my wolf strength hadn¡¯t left me, so I was very hopeful.


    My mother¡¯s engagement ceremony was on thest day of the lunar eclipse. And two dayster, the academy was reopening too.


    Of course, I knew I would finally have a talk with Maximus. I was just curious how it would go. Would he threaten me for ruining his n and reveal his true intentions to me, or would he simply discard me as a failed mission?


    Now, the day had arrived. My heart was pounding in my chest as I got ready in my pink gown.


    Lord McQuoid had hired makeup artists and hairstylists for all the women in his mansion, including me.


    With my hair styled like a princess, two braids reaching the back of my head and meeting there while the rest of my blonde curls were left loose, I was ready.


    "May I say you are the prettiest person I have ever done makeup on?" The makeup artist had said that quite a few times throughout the process.


    I gave her a shy smile, not knowing why she was iming that. Lately, I had been getting suchpliments a lot.


    I walked out of the room and noticed someone leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets.


    "Oh, Emmet!" cing a hand on my chest, I gestured that he had scared me. I had heard that everyone was already at the venue, so I thought I would be alone in the mansion.


    He looked so devilishly handsome that it took me a minute to blink myself out of his gorgeous sight.


    His ck suit fit perfectly over his muscles. Half of his hair was tied in a man bun while the other half was left open, with a few damp strands styled over his forehead and face.


    "Wow!" He was a man of few words, so when he examined me and uttered that one word, I felt my cheeks turn red.


    They got so warm as I looked down and blushed.


    "Thank you," I replied.


    "Why are you still in the mansion?" I asked after gathering myself to not act like a hopeless romantic.


    "Remember I told you," he pushed himself off the wall and strolled toward me, "you will be my girl for the day? I didn¡¯t want you to feel left out."


    That was so nice of him. But every time he called me his girl, I just felt so odd. I knew he meant he would apany me, but it just sounded wrong in my ears.


    Something a mate would expect from her mate.


    "Shall we?" He held out his arm for me, and without giving it a second thought, I wrapped my arm around his and walked out of the mansion.


    The minute we left the mansion and hadn¡¯t even stepped off the front porch, we bumped into Maximus. He seemed to have been rushing back into the mansion when we got in his way.


    A frown appeared on his forehead, and a look of shock and confusion covered his face. It was a bit strange because why would he care now?


    He hadn¡¯t cared for three days after receiving my texts.


    Emmet continued walking past him, and so did I, with my arm still wrapped around Emmet¡¯s.


    Maximus wore a royal blue suit and watched us move away from him. The way he had paused in his steps and then followed us made me feel like he had been heading inside for me.


    Was he going to argue with me? Bully me when he found me alone?


    I couldn¡¯t tell.


    We were now at the venue, where many people were waiting for Lord McQuoid and my mother to arrive.


    In the meantime, Emmet and I parted ways so that he could go stand with his brothers and I could be with my friends.

 Chapter 339-He Is Back With His New Mate

    <h4>Chapter 339: 339-He Is Back With His New Mate</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Lamar and Gavin wore gray suits, just different shades. The two had dressed up nicely, had their hair done, and stood close by. It was odd to see them talk so much until I approached them.


    "Hey!" I greeted, bowing down dramatically as I felt like a princess in this heavy gown.


    "Hello," both of them said in unison, offering their hands to me. I held both their hands before walking between them and standing in the corner with the decorations.


    "Are you finally relieved?" I asked Gavin, who nodded with a smile.


    It was nice that he had shown guilt. He had even stayed in the mountains and proved that he was willing to go above and beyond to fix the mistakes he made.


    I just couldn¡¯t wait to see Lucy again. I heard she was spending time with her family and wasn¡¯t allowed to meet anyone at the moment.


    But that was enough for now.


    Our eyes moved to Penn and Jenny arriving with their parents, and a knot formed in my stomach.


    "Speaking of them, I¡¯m so sorry for what they have been doing to you," I guessed Lamar had filled Gavin in on what had happened when he was gone, including Rayden being expelled and me being the trainer¡¯s stepsister.


    "Their sight makes me sick to my stomach," I grimaced, looking away from Penn¡¯s parents. But Lamar elbowed me, and I looked back at them, only to find Jenny and Penning our way.


    "Someone is going to outshine her mother," Pennplimented, his white suit making him look like a prince.


    "Thank you!" I said with a smile.


    Jenny rocked a gray gown, but her eyes kept moving to Lamar, who hadn¡¯t even looked her way once.


    "Hey," came Sage in a long fishtail green gown with Rudy behind her in a ck coat and white shirt.


    The two always came together. They were childhood best friends, and at first, I thought they were dating too.


    But I realizedter on that wasn¡¯t the case.


    "Hello, gorgeous people," Rudy greeted, but his eyes stayed on me. Whenever he was in view, the girls would start giving him heart eyes.


    Even Sydney had been watching Rudy and biting her bottom lip. I didn¡¯t get her obsession with every handsome man. And recently, she had been staring at Rudy every chance she got. Both Sydney and Salem had their eyes toward us, each looking at a man of their interest.


    The two hade wearing brown and ck satin corset dresses. They stayed with their family, whereas Salem kept her eyes on Gavin. I noticed he wanted to see her too, but I guess he was afraid of jeopardizing his friendship with us.


    "What is going on?" I asked Gavin since he kept looking over at Salem. Whenever she tried to smile at him, he would look away, and her smile would fade.


    "Nothing." Gavin smiled awkwardly.


    "Go talk to her, she has been really worried about you." The minute I suggested that, I watched Lamar and Jenny look at me with puzzled eyes.


    "No! I don¡¯t want to," Gavin retorted.


    "She is also your enemy," Jenny muttered, her eyes shifting to Lamar, who had told her repeatedly that he didn¡¯t want to befriend anyone who was friends with our so-called enemies.


    "It is different, Jenny," I shut her down. "Besides, Salem looks guilty to me. She has apologized too. And honestly speaking, I don¡¯t see why Gavin has to keep punishing himself." I was ready to forgive Salem for Gavin, as long as she behaved and redeemed herself. She didn¡¯t have to suck up to us or always praise us¡ªjust not mess with us or cause trouble.


    "Then why can¡¯t you be friends with me?" Jenny asked in a low voice.


    "You are our friend," I reminded her, but I noticed her eyes move to Lamar, who clearly thought otherwise.


    "Come on, go ahead, I am okay with it," I said to Gavin, who had briefly looked hopeful until he probably took Jenny¡¯s words too seriously.


    "No! Because of me and Salem¡ªLucy¡ªI don¡¯t want to do it." Sadly, Gavin was drowning in too much guilt to move on with his life. And I couldn¡¯t force him to.


    "You have a nice, forgiving heart," Penn whispered from behind me, right into my ear. My eyesnded on Maximus in the distance, his gaze narrowing at us.


    "Thank you," I replied.


    "Umm, but why am I not able to win this sweet heart of yours?" Penn continued, making my skin break out in goosebumps.


    "Well, your parents hate me," I reminded him yfully, getting my message across in the most casual way.


    "I am an Alpha, Hnie. I will make a decision, and they will have to respect it." He wasn¡¯t joking¡ªhe actually sounded offended that I didn¡¯t believe he had it in him to make them ept me.


    Well, I had heard many such ims before. One of them came from Maximus, who was looking at us like he waspletely shocked. Did he forget that we had broken up? That our fake rtionship was over?


    "Well, I am not ready for a rtionship yet," I gave him the same excuse as before, and he sighed.


    "If you keep making me wait, I might fly away," he joked, but he wasn¡¯t wrong. No man was ready to wait for me.


    Only I was the fool who had agreed to wait for Altan to confess to his parents about me. I guess only girls could be such fools.


    Sage had slid closer to Emmet, making small talk with him. Her bodynguage seemed interesting. She was all shy and bubbly in front of him. That was unlike her usual self.


    The brothers had a corner on the stage where they kept meeting up to talk about random stuff. It was indeed a busy day for them.


    And then¡ªsomething happened.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes moved to the side when someone arrived dramatically. Gasps erupted, and heads turned to the newly arrived couple.


    It was Kaye holding hands with Kesha.

 Chapter 340- She Owns Him Now

    <h4>Chapter 340: 340- She Owns Him Now</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Kaye had changed his appearance. There was a tattoo on the side of his neck. His hair was probably only an inch long, but it was all ck with one blonde streak running to the back of his head. He seemed broader but thinner at his waist. However, his muscles and visible veins told me he had been working out a lottely. His long ck coat, ck pants, and white shirt made him stand out even more. I always thought he had brown hair, I guess he had been dying his hair all this time.


    Kesha had a huge smile on her lips, wearing a short gray sequin dress with thin straps. Her high stilettos made her look even taller. Her hair was curled to perfection, and she wore heavy makeup. She looked like a goddess walking alongside a Greek god. She also made sure to have Kaye as close to her as she could.


    I felt something flip in my chest. Kaye walked past me and reached the stage where his mother was.


    She greeted him proudly with a hug and held his face in her hands, kissing his forehead. I just silently watched it all. Kaye then casually wrapped his arm around Kesha¡¯s tiny waist and pulled her closer for a picture with his family.


    It was a disaster. I felt tears rush to my eyes, but I blinked hard to get rid of them. Of course, he was involved with Kesha¡ªhe had picked her over me.


    He gave me a choice that was ridiculous. He wanted me to leave everything behind when he knew I couldn¡¯t ept him right away. It was like he wanted us to end but wanted me to be the one to make that decision.


    I was definitely bitter and unreasonable. We both let go of each other, so I shouldn¡¯t be worried about him moving on. I had hurt him so much that he had a meltdown.


    However, just because I didn¡¯t break down didn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t hurt enough when he gave me an ultimatum¡ªeither ept him or he would choose Kesha.


    "Lamar, you look great," Jennyplimented after he ignored her for a good ten minutes. He finally looked down at her and only gave her a nod.


    "Do I not look good?" she asked in a sad tone but kept a weak smile on her lips.


    "What do you want from me, Jenny? Because if you¡¯re looking forpliments, trust me, I find nothing interesting about you anymore." My head spun when I heard Lamar hiss at her and use such harsh words. Lamar wasn¡¯t the type to insult someone openly just to show he didn¡¯t like them. But if he was doing it now, that meant she had really hurt his feelings.


    "We can still be friends, right?" She should have realized that ying with him and then going back to someone like Rayden would cause problems in our friendship. Part of the issue was that she knew Rayden hated us and always caused trouble, yet she never confronted him.


    "NO! I cannot be friends with you. I hate your mate, and anyone who stands with him is my enemy," Lamar pointed a finger at his chest, trying to keep his voice low, but I was able to hear them just fine since Gavin and I were standing right behind them.


    "But I am not like him¡ª," she tried to speak when Lamar raised his finger to stop her.


    "Doesn¡¯t matter, just leave me alone." I understood where he wasing from. His anger was justified. I hated Rayden too. He was a cruel man who had wronged everyone.


    "Okay." With that, Jenny stepped aside, holding back her tears.


    "How are you all?" Our conversation was interrupted by Norman¡¯s arrival. I hated to admit it, but he looked good too. I even rolled my eyes and let out a deep breath I had been holding ever since I heard Jenny and Lamar speak.


    "We are fine, sir!" Gavin replied happily.


    "Good, good." Norman nced at everyone before his eyes lingered on me for a moment.


    I began to feel weird when he added, "Everyone looks good, except one." He mouthed thatst part while looking at me.


    I didn¡¯t know what was wrong with him, but he had to ruin my mood. The others didn¡¯t notice because they were too busyughing.


    He then walked away and started speaking to the council. The wind was harsh, so I had to keep fixing my hair with my hands.


    "Mom!" Maximus yelled, waving his hand to greet her.


    Thedy was a nuisance. I remembered having such a bad time with her. Her arrival had filled the air with negativity. She carried herself well, wearing a light purple gown with diamonds. Her hair was styled in short curls, and she wore red lipstick like the models from before.


    She had elegantly made her way through the crowd, responding to their bows with just a hand gesture before joining her sons. Norman had given her a side hug, while Maximus stood beside her like an excited child after he joinedst. Seeing the two together made my heart sink in my chest.


    And then there was Emmet. Lady Daphne turned to greet him, but he didn¡¯t even take his hands out of his pockets to shake hers.


    I watched as she tried to talk to him, but he was anxiously pacing back and forth, waiting for her to finish.


    The next few minutes passed with everyone talking to each other. I couldn¡¯t speak. I had this weird feeling in my body that no amount of jokes could lift. It came from the fact that I had thought this engagement wouldn¡¯t happen because Maximus was so madly in love with me.


    I raised my head and noticed Norman staring at me¡ªnot just staring, he wasn¡¯t even blinking while walking past me to his mother. His entire head was turned toward me, and the moment I caught him, he quickly tried to look ahead. But by that time, he had already walked straight into a tree.


    I wanted tough at him, but his mother arrived just as she noticed he had hit his head hard.


    "Where are you lost?" his mother asked with a smile. Of course, she didn¡¯t see me in the crowd.


    Why was he staring at me if I looked so bad?

 Chapter 341-The Crazy Guy Named Maximus

    <h4>Chapter 341: 341-The Crazy Guy Named Maximus</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    The girl arriving with her father was Jessica. She wore a ck dress that couldn¡¯t hide her beautiful long legs. Her pretty brown eyes shone even more with winged eyeliner and glittery eyeshadow.


    I was such a fool to think I was special. Thepliments directed at me were nothingpared to the ones given to thedies before me. They were gorgeous.


    Of course, the brothers would choose them any day over an average girl like me. Jessica had her brown hair straightened like a waterfall. She was all smiles with Norman, who was also constantly speaking with her. Whenever she had something to say to him, he would bend down to reach her level. He would casually pull his face near her ear and listen to her attentively.


    However, while Kesha looked too arrogant and full of herself, Jessica was the one who seemed friendly. She was going around checking on everyone. Even Kaye seemed to smile a lot for her.


    "I heard they had a breakup previously, but then¡ªwell¡ªher father convinced Norman that she would be a good choice." Rudy must have noticed how attentively I had been staring at her for him toe and tell me what was going on between the two of them.


    She must have a lot of patience to tolerate someone like Norman, who looked like a giant beast in a dark gray tweed suit. The brothers were busy greeting everyone and then taking pictures with them.


    Charlotte had a golden dress on. Her eyes kept looking over at Maximus, who seemed anxious. I saw her trying tomunicate with him here and there, but he was too distracted. It confused me to watch him look at me and then smile at me¡ªalmost as if nothing had happened. Nothing had gone wrong between us.


    Everyone began to p and wee my mother and Lord McQuoid and my mother, who had just arrived in their car.


    My mother looked stunning in a light blue high-low dress. Honestly speaking, I truly believed she deserved happiness. I couldn¡¯t believe I had been about to jeopardize her rtionship for my own. Since when had I be so selfish? My eyes darted to Daphne, who was ring at my mother with hatred. The brothers didn¡¯t look very pleased to see her either.


    But they kept fake smiles on their faces for the sake of their father and the guests. Even their plus ones were forcing smiles while standing beside Daphne to show whose side they were on.


    After my mom had met up with everyone, she looked through the crowd, and her eyes fell on me. She excused herself from the crowd and walked over to us. As she stopped before us, she directed her attention to Senior Rudy.


    "Wee to my ce. I am so d you students managed to take time out of your schedules to attend the ceremony." She was so gentle when talking with them. But whenever she was alone with me, she was so harsh.


    "Of course, we couldn¡¯t miss it. You look absolutely amazing," Penn rushed to respond before Rudy could.


    "You look stunning," Rudy said, side-eyeing Penn for stealing his chance.


    "You two are kind gentlemen," my mother blushed, shaking her head at them yfully.


    "I am Hnie¡¯s friend," Penn was quick to exin why he was being so nice to her. He wanted to be in her good books.


    Well, funny story¡ªnone of them knew my mother hated me. So that would just put them on her hate list.


    "Oh, you two are her friends?" she asked as she pointed at Rudy.


    "I am not trying to be just a friend."


    As soon as Rudy said that, I felt my jaw hit the ground. But my mother found it funny.


    "Two alphas?" She looked amazed.


    After they spoke with her, they excused themselves to go congratte and meet Lord McQuoid. That gave my mother some time to walk over to me.


    "You didn¡¯t wear the gown I got for you." She used a gentle tone, but her head remained high as if she wasn¡¯t even talking to me.


    "I don¡¯t want to be in your debt," I replied coldly.


    "Hmm, well, you look good," she said before turning around and leaving. Her mood was so dull with me.


    "You okay?" Lamar patted my back, and I gave him a reassuring nod.


    My mother and Lord McQuoid now stood face to face, Emmet holding a ring box for his father and Charlotte holding a ring for my mother.


    My mother kept tearing up as Lord McQuoid held her hands and spoke sweet nothings to her.


    That¡¯s when Maximus¡¯s message popped up on my screen. My eyes nearly jumped out of their sockets when I read the text.


    Maximus: Your silence gave me so much confidence. I am going for it.


    I started to panic, my blood running cold. Why was he lying? Maybe this was what he and his mother had nned after I said no to him.


    "I thought you said you and Maximus weren¡¯t going to stop the engagement ceremony?" Lamar whispered in my ear, probably as confused as I was.


    "I told him we wouldn¡¯t¡ª" I was in shock and panicking. I didn¡¯t want any part of this.


    "I don¡¯t think he understood that because it seems like..." Lamar pointed at my phone, my heart sinking in my chest.


    "Oh no," Lamar gasped, and so did I.


    Shit, that would be bad.


    They were going to go for it.


    Maximus reached his father and tapped his shoulder. All eyes shifted to him as he smiled and gestured for his father to step aside so he could have a word with him.


    Oh no!


    I began to hastily make my way towards the stage, but the crowd was hard to push through. They all wanted to take pictures and record the perfect moment when Lord McQuoid put a ring onto my mother¡¯s finger.


    I noticed Daphne smirk before her eyesnded on me. She seemed to be too conscious of my expression.


    I would not let Maximus y me so miserably and get me into trouble.

 Chapter 342-It Went South

    <h4>Chapter 342: 342-It Went South</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    With my shaky hands, I started to dial Maximus¡¯s number. I needed to stop him before he got us both in trouble. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be bad for him because he would get out of the messter on, but I wouldn¡¯t be able to move past it¡ªbecause of how they made the n.


    I watched him stop talking and lower his head, narrowing his eyes at his phone¡¯s screen. Then he raised his head and found me in the crowd, excusing himself from his father. At least he hadn¡¯t told his father anything yet.


    He didn¡¯t answer my call because he understood I wanted him to step aside so we could talk.


    We both snuck to the side, reaching the backyard where no one was.


    "Hnie, what is going on? Why did you call me? I was about to tell Dad¡ª" he was speaking casually, like he could fool me, when I interrupted him.


    "No!"


    I watched him close his eyes and shake his head, making sure he heard me right.


    "What do you mean, no?" he asked, wanting me to exin in better words.


    "I don¡¯t want to be with you anymore." I didn¡¯t know why he didn¡¯t understand from my text that I didn¡¯t want him to stop the ceremony.


    "What?" He almost raised his voice before holding in his anger and forcing an awkward smile. "Is this a prank? Or maybe seeing so many people has made you afraid¡ª"


    Before he could keep going, I added, "I have told you I don¡¯t want us to be together. You asked for a chance, and I gave you that chance. I just didn¡¯t feel like I was ready. I¡¯m not ready yet."


    I couldn¡¯t tell him outright that I knew about his mother and his n because that would expose them for being publicly evil to me. I didn¡¯t want to trigger them¡ªat least not yet.


    "What are you saying, Hnie? You told me you would give me a chance, and you did. We had a date, and you confessed you liked me, so¡ªwhat is this back and forth about?" He was now breathing heavily, sounding so aggressive.


    "And then now you¡¯re telling me? Now? All this time, you made me believe we were going to be together, but suddenly, Rudy shows interest in you, and you¡¯re backing down from me?" He yelled, causing me to step back and stare at him in horror.


    "Don¡¯t you dare turn this on me. I am not the one who¡ª"


    He hushed me down as he waved his finger in my face.


    "That¡¯s enough games. You¡¯reing with me, and we are stopping this ceremony. I will tell everyone we are mates, and you can¡¯t stop me," he yelled again, grabbing my arm to drag me back to the venue.


    "No!" I tried to free myself, but his grasp on my skin was so tight that I had to use my full strength. And I did.


    I was able to unwrap his fingers from around my arm and push him. Before my wolf¡¯s awakening, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to budge him, but today, he stumbled back a little and stared at me in shock.


    "Your wolf is awake, isn¡¯t she? Does she not like me? Does she want Rudy?"


    I didn¡¯t know why he kept saying his name.


    But that wasn¡¯t good. He was trying to make me look like the bad person here.


    "Maximus, I told you two nights ago that I wasn¡¯t ready. I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re acting so shocked when you were fine every other day," I yelled back at him, tired of him using me when he was the reason we weren¡¯t together right now.


    "Huh? You think I¡¯m some fool who was celebrating two days ago and then suddenly realized, ¡¯Oh shit, I¡¯m getting rejected?¡¯ You freaking yed me, Hnie," he yelled again, throwing a punch at the wall beside us.


    "I texted you¡ª" I shut up when he lunged at me and grabbed my hand tightly once again.


    "I don¡¯t care. You never did. And I never received your text. So we are going to stop this ceremony whether you like it or not. I will tell my father¡ªeverything. And then I won¡¯t even care if you want me or not. The truth should be out."


    He scared me when he started pulling me after him.


    At this point, I couldn¡¯t fight his strength, but before we could take a few steps, Norman briskly walked our way. He must have followed us.


    "What the hell is going on here?" he hissed, his eyesnding on Maximus¡¯s grip on my wrist.


    He quickly stepped toward us and freed me from Maximus¡¯s grasp.


    "She is rejecting me," Maximus gulped beforeining about me to his brother.


    Norman turned to me, his eyes suddenly filled with anger.


    What is going on? Norman knew?


    "I told her to tell me if she had changed her mind, and she didn¡¯t. But today, she is suddenly saying she doesn¡¯t want to be with me," Maximus was already in tears. His n was working.


    He had managed to make me look bad. So even if I confronted Maximus, he would never admit to his n.


    He wasn¡¯t a fool. He was calcted.


    So this is what he had nned to punish me with after I sent him that text?


    "Hnie, what the heck is he saying? You can¡¯t just¡ªlead him on¡ª" I knew why he seemed so angry.


    It wasn¡¯t just about Maximus, but also because I had told him about Kaye, too.


    "I¡¯m doing this because of Maximus and his m¡ªmother¡ª" I was about to say it when Maximus turned to me and yelled in my face.


    "You are a horrible person! How could you¡ªhow could you make such a fool out of me? Wait until thest moment to break my heart?" He kept using me, not even letting me exin my side.


    "Enough, both of you. This ceremony will go uninterrupted."


    As Norman made that decision, Maximus looked at him in defeat.


    He then red at me, then back at his brother, before marching toward the back exit of the mansion.


    "Maximus!" Norman attempted to call after him, but then he turned to confront me. "Go back to the ceremony. I will deal with youter."

 Chapter 343-So I Am The Bad One Now?

    <h4>Chapter 343: 343-So I Am The Bad One Now?</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I returned to the ceremony feeling confused and stressed. My mother and Lord McQuoid had already exchanged rings.


    I stood next to Lamar, feeling dizzy. All this time, I had tears in my eyes. I wanted to cry because of the turn of events. Maximus really broke my heart. At that point, I also realized I should have spoken my truth to Norman.


    "Are you okay? What happened between you and Maximus? He never came out from the backyard," Lamar whispered, trying to be discreet.


    "He used me of never texting him and purposely dying things to embarrass him at thest minute. He also imed... I¡¯m leaving him for Rudy," I forced the words out, my breath catching in my throat.


    "Wait, what the fuck!" Lamar hissed, shaking his head before pointing at my phone. "Give me that."


    I handed him my phone, and he opened my inbox, pointing at the text I had sent Maximus.


    "There, you go. Proof. You¡¯re worrying over nothing," he said with a reassuring smile. But it didn¡¯t change anything.


    Maximus had said I led him on and then backed out just to humiliate him.


    "I don¡¯t know... The way he made me look in front of his brother¡ªwhen one of his brothers has already been hurt because of me¡ªI think Norman is going to be really angry with me." I was panicking just thinking about Norman nning revenge for his brother.


    That would be bad. Really bad.


    "Don¡¯t stress out. He can¡¯t force you to love someone," Lamar said, but he wasn¡¯t getting my point.


    "Lamar, it makes me look bad. Almost like a troublemaker. My reputation will be ruined, and when I finally tell my side of the story, nobody will believe me. They¡¯ll think I have a habit of¡ª" I stopped talking as my breath caught again.


    "Hey, hey!" Lamar quickly started rubbing my back.


    Everyone was busy taking pictures with the newly engaged couple, but I stayed in the background, hyperventting.


    As I raised my head, I noticed the family staring at me in confusion.


    "Your face is so red," Lamar exined why everyone had their eyes on me. The guests hadn¡¯t noticed, but the family had.


    There was no interest on Norman¡¯s face, but Emmet quickly excused himself. Norman tried to raise a hand to get Emmet¡¯s attention¡ªprobably to stop him froming over¡ªbut Emmet had already stepped off the stage.


    "I¡¯ll head back inside. I don¡¯t want any attention on me, Lamar," I requested.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll walk you¡ª" Lamar cut himself off as another hand rested on my back, immediately warming my body. I looked up from the ground and met Emmet¡¯s concrete-filled eyes.


    "It¡¯s okay, nothing new. Some people get anxious in crowded ces," Emmetforted me almost instantly. "Let¡¯s go for a walk. What do you say?" he asked Lamar, who nodded because I couldn¡¯t get any words out.


    Within minutes, we were walking down the road. Night was starting to fall, and the weather had worsened as a storm rolled in.


    Lamar walked beside me while Emmet walked ahead.


    "Sir, may I ask you a question?" I spoke up, realizing that talking helped calm me down.


    "Sure, Lamar," Emmet said, rolling his shoulders as he moved.


    He was so tall. His presence was reallyforting. There was something about him¡ªhis aura was peaceful, like sitting by a firece wrapped in a warm nket.


    That¡¯s how I would describe him.


    "The roguemunity is interesting. There¡¯s almost a pattern of monstersing and going," Lamar paused when Emmet slowed down and eventually stopped. He turned his head slightly, as if to show interest in Lamar¡¯s statement.


    "How many monsters have youe across?" Emmet asked.


    "I mean, there are plenty that I¡¯ve heard of," Lamar answered.


    "Hmm, there¡¯s a reason for that. You see, there¡¯s always one big force behind these small monstersing out to attack the rogues. If you ever encounter one, you¡¯ll know," Emmet said, pouting slightly.


    His phone rang, and he excused himself but didn¡¯t walk away.


    "We¡¯re right outside the mansion, Norman." Of course, it was Norman calling him. He had already started showing his disapproval of my interactions with his brothers.


    "We¡¯ll eat in the mansion. All three of us aren¡¯t really party people anyway," Emmet said, already knowing I wouldn¡¯t be going back to the venue after what had happened earlier.


    Thankfully, he made the decision for us. We stayed in the mansion, where we were served food before the ceremony ended.


    "Come to the celebratory lunch tomorrow," Emmet told Lamar before heading outside to be with his brothers and say goodbye to the guests.


    "You¡¯ll be okay?" Lamar looked so concerned for me. Just a few days ago, I felt like I had everything. And today, after seeing the look in Norman¡¯s eyes¡ªthe disgust he had for me¡ªI hated it.


    It only proved my point. I should have stayed away from the brothers. I should have never gotten involved, and none of this would have happened.


    There¡¯s a reason it¡¯s called a forbidden rtionship.


    "I¡¯ll be fine. Please be safe out there," I said, walking with him to see him off. After giving me a side hug, he left the mansion, but I stayed standing outside my room.


    Before I could go inside, the mansion door opened, and someone walked in.


    "I¡¯ll be quick," Kesha told Kaye, rushing toward the staircase. "I¡¯ll be in the bathroom," she added before heading upstairs.


    I felt awkwardly out of ce when I came face-to-face with Kaye.


    He looked like a stranger, not even sparing me a second nce as he kept walking past me.


    "Okay!" he responded to her, dodging me and walking away.


    The fact that he was acting like I was the reason he got hurt and that we weren¡¯t together reminded me of Maximus.


    The brothers had yed a clever game¡ªsince they couldn¡¯t be with me, they used me instead. That way, none of the me or guilt fell on them.

 Chapter 344-Hello My Ex!

    <h4>Chapter 344: 344-Hello My Ex!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    That night was so hard for me to get through. I couldn¡¯t sleep well as I kept waking up at intervals. And when I eventually did fall asleep, I woke up to loud cheering outside.


    It took me a minute to remember that today was the celebratory lunch. The academy students had received invitations, but they knew this day was only for Lord McQuoid¡¯s close family friends.


    So, I guess they felt out of ceing here. I told Lamar he didn¡¯t have toe here either for me. I wanted to get out of the mansion and meet him and Gavin at Benita¡¯s Caf¨¦.


    But before I could do that, I realized I would have to pass through those who were very angry with me at the moment.


    I wore a red floral dress with long sleeves and red boots, rushing out of my room when I spotted the brothers walking toward the exit together.


    It was all four of them.


    But Emmet was the only one who stepped up to stop me. "You¡¯re headed somewhere?"


    I meekly nodded my head, avoiding direct eye contact with Maximus, who had Norman¡¯s arm around his shoulder.


    They were so lucky to have someone by their side. Even when Maximus yed a game, he was still treated like a victim of my poisonous ws. And Kaye had changed entirely¡ªnot just physically.


    He hadn¡¯t even looked my way once.


    Isn¡¯t that what I wanted?


    Rejection, so that I could be with his brother?


    "My friends and I have a meetup at the caf¨¦," I spoke with difficulty, as standing among them and feeling their disdain for me was making me ufortable.


    "There¡¯s lunch at home, and you¡¯re going out through the crowd?" Norman unwrapped his arm from Maximus¡¯ shoulder to intervene. This time, there was a clear hint of disgust in his voice when speaking to me.


    "He¡¯s right. It¡¯ll be hard for you to get past the cars and the guards since security is very tight today," Emmet scratched his eyebrow, speaking in a tone nice enough for Norman to roll his eyes at me.


    "Oh!" I felt so out of ce.


    "If you don¡¯t want toe out, you can stay in your room. The maids will check on you every few minutes," Emmet quickly added when he noticed I was at a loss for words.


    "Thank you," I said with a smile, and that¡¯s when a scoff left Maximus¡¯ mouth.


    "Of course," hemented, tilting his head but staring into space.


    What did he mean by that?


    Emmet¡¯s phone rang, and he excused himself, walking to the side. Now it was just an ufortable moment where I had to stand with the three who thought so little of me.


    "I will be in my room¡ª," I spoke to Norman, who shrugged, showing he couldn¡¯t care less.


    Kaye walked away after waiting for his brothers to join him, and then Maximus stepped up. Now that the others were gone, he was going to have a word.


    "Would you also like a princess treatment, your highness?" That taunting tone killed me. I frowned, stepping back from him and ncing at Norman behind him.


    "Don¡¯t spin this on me. I have proof that I did text you¡ª," I fidgeted while looking for my phone in my bag, but it seemed like they weren¡¯t looking for any evidence. They had already deemed me guilty.


    "It doesn¡¯t make a difference. You led me on just so you could go ahead and be with some alpha boy. And you know why?" Maximus startedughing under his breath, anger and betrayal shining in his eyes.


    "You knew my parents wouldn¡¯t agree to this marriage, and we would have to live in the woods until my business thrived. And that was something you didn¡¯t want. You wanted luxury and¡ª"


    I had to hush him harshly with my palm.


    "You have said enough. You know why I didn¡¯t go along with ¡¯your n¡¯?" I used a firm tone this time, not backing down as I red into his eyes.


    "Because you were ying me." As soon as I said that, I expected him to start defending himself.


    It wasn¡¯t something he didn¡¯t already know. He must have realized that I was onto him, but of course, he wouldn¡¯t admit it in front of his brother.


    "Goddess! Do you hear her? She has the nerve to use me when she¡¯s the one who yed the biggest game here. You wanted an alpha¡ªhow many other alphas have you been trying to trap in your love cage before finally picking one with the biggest pack so you could get the title of Luna?" His usations hit deep.


    I turned to his brother and muttered, "He was¡ª" but I shut up when Maximus squared up again.


    "I won¡¯t let you lie so bluntly. This conversation ends here. You fucking broke my trust and my heart, Hnie." He punched his chest, a tear rolling down his cheek before his brother stepped in.


    "Just go back to your room and spare my brothers," Norman patted Maximus¡¯ back to show his support while keeping his eyes on me, silently telling me to leave.


    As I was about to turn around, Emmet showed up again.


    "Hnie, how about meeting my father just once and congratting him? I know he¡¯ll notice." He was so sweet to think of my reputation, even when his brothers looked upset that he was speaking to me.


    I gave him a nod, unbothered by Norman¡¯s harsh re, and followed him outside. Maximus was beingforted by his big brother.


    But now I was in the fresh air, feeling much better.


    Much better¡ªuntil my steps halted abruptly when my gaze fell on the arriving guests.


    Arriving with his father was someone I thought I would never see again.


    I froze, my breath quickening and my heart pounding in my temples as I watched Altan step out of the car with his dad and head toward the garden.

 Chapter 345-Falling Apart

    <h4>Chapter 345: 345-Falling Apart</h4> He looked so happy, as if he hadn¡¯t spent a sleepless night after leaving me at the subway.


    He wore a fancy ck suit, all smiles andughter while being greeted by my mother and Lord McQuoid. I couldn¡¯t do it. His sight destroyed my mental health. The young alpha getting hugged by everyone had left me to die.


    I turned around and sped up, my ears blocking out every sound except for my heartbeat. As I stormed in, I bumped into the hard chest of Maximus, stepping back before pushing him aside with force to get away and hide in my room.


    "What¡¯s wrong with her now?" I heard Norman ask Maximus, but I didn¡¯t stay to listen and rushed inside.


    After everything that had happened, now I was someone who trapped Alphas. Seeing Altan reminded me of his usations when my father reached out to him for me.


    He told his father and the council that I was trying to trap him¡ªand the other Alphas too.


    And now that Maximus, Kaye, and Norman think the same, nobody will believe me.


    I sat on my bed, rubbing my eyes over and over to stop myself from crying. I even forgot to shut the door. I just knew I had to sit down before I copsed.


    There was some noise outside my door before Norman opened it and walked in with Emmet and Maximus by his side.


    Emmet took the lead, pushing past Norman and reaching the bed.


    "What happened?" His heavy breaths told me he was already worried something had happened to me. And, of course, it was probably because I had stopped following him and rushed back inside.


    I was fighting my tears, my fists tightly clenched around the bedsheet. I lifted my face and made direct eye contact with the three of them, but my lips couldn¡¯t utter a single word anymore.


    "What happened to you?" Norman asked, looking less concerned and more annoyed that Emmet was anxiously waiting for my response.


    I didn¡¯t say anything.


    Maximus rolled his eyes and then muttered, "I didn¡¯t even say anything that bad. I said it because I was hurt too."


    The way he exined himself made it seem like he was worried I had taken offense to his words.


    "Wait, you said something to her?" Emmet asked. My vision had turned blurry, and even though I was looking at them, I feltpletely zoned out.


    "It¡¯s between us," Maximus muttered back at Emmet.


    "No need to argue. She¡¯s fine," Norman gestured for Emmet to leave with him. "She just needs some time to calm down."


    He must have noticed I was holding my breath. I was struggling to hide my tears, waiting for them to leave so I could cry my heart out.


    "Let¡¯s give her some time," Norman suggested again.


    "Okay, but let me call her friends first. Maybe she¡¯ll feel better if they¡¯re around," Emmet offered, holding out his hand for me to pass him my phone since I couldn¡¯t even say a word.


    "Maybe call Rudy," Maximus said, his hands in his pockets and an angry look on his face when mentioning Rudy.


    "Maximus," Norman gave him a gentle shake of his head.


    "No, I¡¯m serious. I know what upset her¡ªme saying his name." Of course, Maximus didn¡¯t know what was truly upsetting me. But I was so overwhelmed with emotions that I didn¡¯t want to argue with him at all.


    "Wait, what is going on?" Emmet frowned, his hand clenched into a fist, resting on his thigh with his elbow raised slightly. He turned just enough to re at Maximus.


    "Call Lamar only," I managed to say, and the silent staring contest between the brothers ended.


    "You guys go ahead, I¡¯ll join you in a minute," Emmet told his brothers while dialing Lamar for me.


    "No! I will stay," Maximus responded stubbornly. I didn¡¯t understand why he insisted on staying when it was clear he didn¡¯t care about me or my well-being.


    "And give her some water, maybe," Maximus muttered, turning his face away as he spoke to Norman. Norman sighed before reaching my bedside table and pouring a ss of water for me. I took only a small sip, just to avoid any conversation or an argument over something as simple as a ss of water.


    After Emmet made the call, he seemed to realize I wasn¡¯tfortable with them being in the room with me.


    I would have been fine if it was just Emmet, since he never judged me. But with Maximus¡ªwho kept clenching his jaw and throwing subtle remarks about how I should calm down¡ªit didn¡¯t sit right with me.


    "Lamar will be here soon," Emmet said, standing up. "Let¡¯s leave now."


    He spoke directly to Maximus because he knew Maximus wouldn¡¯t leave unless they all did. Norman paced around with his hands in his pockets the entire time. He looked anxious, casually ying with his mustache and twirling it while keeping his head down.


    They finally left, and I switched off the lights in my room, quickly sliding under the nket.


    I had too much on my mind. What if Altan recognizes my mother?


    I mean, he had never met her before, and my mother never talks about her pack to anyone, but what if they do?


    I was drowning in worry.


    It broke my heart to see Altan so happy. After years of dragging me along with him and then abandoning me, he was back on his feet¡ªhappy and confident.


    I couldn¡¯t fall asleep, even though I thought it would help me feel better and pass the time. So I stayed awake for all the hours Lamar took to get here. Our mansion wasn¡¯t right by his pack.


    So when he finally arrived, he stormed into my room, turned on the lights, and locked the door instantly.


    I sat up, watching him with swollen eyes. The look of horror on his face told me I had called the right person.


    The person who couldn¡¯t stand to see me in distress and truly cared about me.

 Chapter 346-I Was A Fool Back Then

    <h4>Chapter 346: 346-I Was A Fool Back Then</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "That¡¯s the Alpha?" he asked, lookingpletely shocked.


    "Yeah, the one who left me," I repeated. I guess I hadn¡¯t focused much on Altan when telling Lamar about the incident before. I had only briefly mentioned him.


    "That¡¯s... crazy. He was in love with you? I mean, you two were dating back then?" Lamar was sitting on the bed with me, forcing me to eat the burger he had brought for me.


    "Hnie, I don¡¯t know if I should tell you this or not, but I have some information on him¡ªfrom before I even knew he was the asshole who left you with those animals that night," he said, looking down, closing his eyes, and taking deep breaths. That worried me.


    "Tell me everything you know," I said with confidence, even though I knew the truth would hurt.


    "Altan has been lying to you," he paused. "He found his fated mate the day he turned eighteen. They turned eighteen together. But... she was from another pack, so you never got the chance to know much about her. He was very protective of her, so he kept her a secret." He hesitated on the word *protective*.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it.


    I lost everything for someone who had been ying me?


    "But he never told me. He said he would ept me, and¡ªoh my God, I¡¯ve been such a fool," I covered my mouth with my hands, tearing up. He quickly hugged me while I sobbed my heart out like crazy.


    "Lamar¡ªhe used to be so draining, mentally and emotionally. He kept me hanging with false hopes. Of course, he didn¡¯t stay to fight for me. Of course, he didn¡¯t protect me¡ªhe chose his reputation over mine. He didn¡¯t want anyone to find out. He didn¡¯t want his mate to know he had been with me, so he would rather let me die there. Yeah!" I nodded, letting out a bitterugh at how stupid I had been.


    "Hey, he¡¯s an asshole. It¡¯s his loss¡ªhe lost a gem like you," Lamar patted my back. After a while, I broke the hug and wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand.


    "Tell me more," I needed to know. All this time, I thought he got cold feet, but now I finally understood why.


    He didn¡¯t want to protect me¡ªhe was already protecting his mate.


    I was just his side chick.


    He never really cared about me.


    "You know he¡¯s engaged?" Lamar asked, holding my hands tightly, trying tofort me.


    The question itself was heartbreaking.


    He moved on without any guilt.


    It confused me because, even if he never truly loved me, we had been friends since childhood. Did our friendship mean nothing to him at all?


    "Who?" I asked in a whisper, barely able to say the word.


    "Sydney Coombs. She¡¯s his fated mate."


    My heart sank at the revtion.


    "What?" I gulped, trying to wet my dry throat.


    "What are you saying, Lamar?" I tried to pull my hands from his, my voice breaking miserably.


    "He¡¯s been with her since they were fifteen. Sydney told me all about it one night when she was upset with him," he exined.


    Lamar wasn¡¯t the kind of guy to spill someone¡¯s secrets. He had never done it before¡ªuntil now. And that was because he knew I ¡¯needed¡¯ to hear this.


    "Of course," I remembered. "You slept with her that night because she was depressed about something."


    I finally understood why she had so desperately wanted me dead.


    "Yeah, she wanted to stay with her Alpha mate but didn¡¯t want rumors spreading that she had cheated on him. Their rtionship was already hanging by a thread, so she was ready to go as far as getting you thrown out of the academy tests just to save her reputation. And I wanted to stay in the academy because I wanted to find those asshole Alphas," he exined, watching me as I smiled to myself.


    "What happened?" he asked.


    "It¡¯s just so funny. I walked out of my house that night thinking I¡¯d be safer with an Alpha who loved me. Turns out, everything was a lie." My eyes burned with tears once again.


    We remained silent for some time, and that¡¯s when it hit me.


    "You know... it¡¯s so odd that the Alphas that night mentioned my pheromones. In the moment, it didn¡¯t faze me because I was so scared, but now that I think about it¡ªmy pheromones have been kept a secret in our pack. Why did I assume people from other packs knew about them?" I muttered under my breath, finally recalling the small details I had tried to forget about that night.


    Watching Lamar¡¯s confused expression, I added, "They even mentioned me wearing my pendant¡ª" I stopped mid-sentence when I realized my exnation wasn¡¯t helping Lamar¡ªit was only confusing him more.


    "Pheromones?" He squinted his eyes, and I gasped.


    Shit.


    I had never really told him much about that either.


    "You mean... the scent that disappears when you feel the mate bond¡ª?"


    I¡¯m so stupid. He must be wondering why I¡¯m still wearing the pendant when I¡¯ve already felt the mate bond with three Alphas.


    "Actually, um... it¡¯s not just a heat thing. It¡¯s a curse, and I have to wear it forever," I admitted, watching his eyes widen in shock.


    The next few minutes were difficult as I exined everything¡ªthe story of my pheromones, how the pack members perceived me as filthy, and why I was so afraid of anyone doing research on me. All of this could be used against me by the Alphas and their parents.


    "Look," Lamar said after hearing everything. He took my hand and gave me a gentle smile. "None of that matters. What happened, happened. We¡¯re on our journey to get revenge. As for Altan¡ªthere wille a time when you¡¯ll have to face those Alphas again. You must stay strong and remember¡ªI¡¯m always with you."


    His words gave me so muchfort that I instantly shed him a broken smile.

 Chapter 347-The Innocent People Killer

    <h4>Chapter 347: 347-The Innocent People Killer</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    After Lamar left, I fell asleep and woke up to the noises outside. I heard from the maid who brought me food that the guests had finally left. I also heard that the celebrations went well. So, I guess I was never brought up in any of the conversations. And of course, my mother would have never introduced me or asked about my absence.


    After I finished my dinner, I was about to walk out of my room with the dishes when I came face to face with Norman getting home.


    "I will call youter," he quickly hung up on the person and stepped in my way. "Whatever you did to Maximus and Kaye has really upset me. The only reason you are still staying here is because, in two days, you will be gone. And I don¡¯t ever want you back in our lives, in my mansion, or around my brothers again."


    He warned me, his finger pointing in my face while showing a clear hint of disgust for me.


    "What do you have to say about yourself?" I asked, not looking timid anymore. I spent the whole day crying¡ªI was exhausted now.


    "What did I do?" he frowned, his hands flying to his waist as he red at me, waiting for a response.


    "You are a lycan, and you are going around killing innocent people." As soon as I reminded him of his own actions, he looked around to make sure nobody had heard me and then grabbed my arm to pull me back into my room. He mmed the door shut and breathed heavily, his hand still on the door.


    "What happened? You can¡¯t take the truth?" I hissed.


    "You don¡¯t know anything, and don¡¯t you dare talk about that¡ª" he slid his hand down from the door just to point a finger at me.


    "Huh, what? What will you even do?" I provoked him, angry that these brothers could switch sides just like that. "Kill me like you kill other innocent people?" I scoffed.


    "So when you thought Emmet was the lycan, you saved him from getting exposed. But now that you think I am the lycan¡ªyou are suddenly remembering how wrong it is¡ª" he paused, biting the inside of his cheek.


    "I am not exposing you either. And is that what you are upset about? That I didn¡¯t warn Emmet?" I folded my arms over my chest, already realizing I had said the wrong thing.


    He cared deeply about his brothers, and it showed from his actions, bodynguage, and overall bias.


    "Don¡¯t you ever try to do that. I love my brother, and had you threatened Emmet like you are threatening me right now, I would have been the one to kill you with my own bare hands," he yelled, causing me to step back in fear.


    "Don¡¯t raise your voice at me, Norman. I have tolerated you and your brothers¡¯ usations for far too long now¡ª" I was trying to get my point across when his intimidating step toward me silenced me.


    "And you want to retaliate now as if we were the bad ones? We always stood by your side, only for you to hurt my brothers, y with their hearts, and then act like we are the worst people in the world?" he grunted, lowering his body over mine, looming over me threateningly.


    "Just because you all took my side or saved me when I was in the right doesn¡¯t give you¡ªor your brothers¡ªthe right to insult me," I hissed, biting my tongue when I felt like a whimper would escape my lips.


    "I don¡¯t care about your emotional drama, Hnie. I am not my brothers. And you better stay away from Emmet if he is your next target." His words stabbed me in the chest, but I wanted to have onest say before he left.


    "You stay away from innocent people, Norman." I watched him clench his jaw at my threatening voice before he walked out of the room and mmed the door hard after him.


    I was beyond angry now.


    They yed me well. I didn¡¯t dare leave the room again and went straight to bed.


    When I woke up, it was 5 a.m.


    In two days, I would be gone from here, and I wouldn¡¯t return to this ce either.


    "You slept okay?" Lamar asked as I hopped onto the back of his bike. We were going to meet Lucy, so I wanted to be in good spirits.


    Hearing that she had woken up gave me a little hope for happiness. She now meant the world to me.


    "Yeah, the thought of seeing Lucy helped me sleep better," I reassured him, but the low energying from my body betrayed me as I recalled Norman asking me to stay away from Emmet.


    I am not a bad person. So why did they make it seem like I was always the problem?


    It made me feel so out of ce. Like when you befriend twins, and whenever something goes wrong, they use you because they owe each other loyalty. So you be kind of a third wheel or an easy target.


    We arrived at her pack and then at her apartment in a few hours. I didn¡¯t want to eat on the way.


    "This is hers," Lamar pointed at the wooden door, my eyes traveling to the apartment next to hers. It was Gavin¡¯s apartment.


    They were so ashamed of their small pack and living conditions that they never mentioned anything about their packs at the academy.


    Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door, and her mother answered. The kind, sweet woman with dimples just like her daughter smiled at me.


    "You must be Hnie. And you¡ªyou young boy must be Lamar."


    She looked so happy to have her daughter back. I would die to have a mother whose happiness came from seeing me alive.


    But enough about me!


    I don¡¯t know why I always do that¡ªtalk about me and my miserable self.


    Today was Lucy¡¯s day.


    She took us straight to her room, walking us through the messy living room where Lucy¡¯s mother would usually be knitting clothes. She had her own small shop where she sold knitted goods.


    "She¡¯s inside," her mother said, opening the door, and quite a surprising sight awaited us.


    Lucy was getting ready, doing her makeup like she never used to before, and smiling at herself.


    It was such an amazing sight to see her looking so happy now.

 Chapter 348-The Missing Monster From The Tenth Floor

    <h4>Chapter 348: 348-The Missing Monster From The Tenth Floor</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Honestly, I feel like my best self ever."


    Lucy had darkened her eyes with eyeliner. She never used to wear such heavy and bright makeup. She looked good, though, but the sudden change in her seemed like denial to me.


    "What about¡ªthe mate bond¡ª" Lamar shut up when I eyed him for bringing it up.


    And the way her smile faded before she forced a wide grin just hinted at how she was doing her best to forget about it.


    "It happened. It is okay. I mean¡ªI guess¡ªhe wasn¡¯t meant to be with me," she looked away but then started running her hands through her hair to make it seem like it didn¡¯t affect her much.


    "Lucy!" I instantly hugged her, and she closed her eyes, sniffling silently.


    "Hnie, when I was in aa, I had this recurring feeling of being stuck in a long, empty, and dark tunnel. I tried so hard to get out of it. I did my best, but every time I thought I was getting closer to the light, it would get darker again. During all that time, I realized what I had done. My life didn¡¯t end with Gavin, Hnie. It didn¡¯t," she spoke determinedly, but little whimpers still left her lips.


    I broke the hug and watched her smile at me.


    "My life is beyond him. It is a precious thing to be able to wake up every day and have a family with you. I cannot imagine waking up having no one by my side. And I was giving that up for someone who didn¡¯t give two shits before cheating on me?" she hissed suddenly, making me realize she was angry with Gavin.


    And rightfully so.


    "Anyway," she rubbed her face with her hands, "I want to live my life to the fullest. I don¡¯t want to just be someone¡¯s mate. I tried to be a nice girl, but no! That wasn¡¯t me. I want to enjoy¡ªI want to be a free spirit," she shrugged her shoulders, and that¡¯s when Lamar and I shared a nce.


    We forgot to ask her the most important question until she mentioned the word ¡¯spirit.¡¯


    "What happened to you two?" she frowned when she noticed how we had been sharing looks.


    "Lucy, do you remember anything from that night?" I questioned worriedly.


    Because I remembered that night vividly. It left me broken. I remember being so petrified for her and losing my mind.


    "Umm yeah, I was on the rooftop and just¡ªlost my mind."


    The minute her mother stepped in, Lucy gave her a smile.


    I don¡¯t know why she was lying. I knew she was on the tenth floor.


    "Lucy! The tenth floor," I uttered, and she pouted.


    "What tenth floor?" she let out augh, making me look stupid.


    "I am so d my baby has friends like you guys," her mother was all smiles as she served us food.


    She had a pretty cute family.


    Her father was the regr, sweet kind of man, always holding the newspaper with his big sses on. Her siblings were twelve and eight.


    She was right¡ªshe had everything she could ever wish for.


    "But Lucy¡ªremember¡ª" I shifted my attention back to Lucy while she was giggling with her mother.


    That¡¯s when Lamar ced his hand on the back of my hand and eyed Lucy¡¯s mother. I shut up and let her mother walk out. The minute she did, Lucy adjusted her posture to face me properly in bed.


    "The entity got out," she spoke up in a whisper, making me realize she didn¡¯t want her mother to freak out, so she hadn¡¯t told anyone¡ªespecially her mother¡ªabout the entity.


    "What do you mean by it got out? Tell me from the beginning."


    Now that she wasn¡¯t lying and was openly talking about the entity¡ªand also admitting to knowing about her¡ªI started asking more questions.


    "I went to the tenth floor because my dumb ass liked speaking with that entity. It seemed like he or she¡ªwhoever it was¡ªknew me and was making me feel better. She convinced me to let her into my body. She said once she gave me power and made me feel better, she would move on," Lucy reminded me of my own conversation with that entity.


    "She promised, and I let her in¡ªbut the minute she entered my body, she started to control my mind. I got scared and decided to jump off so that she wouldn¡¯t get to take over me. However, right when I hit the ground, I heard her giggles. And Hnie¡ªthey didn¡¯te from inside me. She is out and about now¡ª"


    Her words sent chills down my spine.


    Lamar and I exchanged a terrified look as we understood just how scary this was going to get.


    "What do you mean by that? Did you see her?" Lamar asked, both of us really worried now.


    "No! I just¡ªheard her. And I knew she was free," Lucy confirmed.


    My mind began to race. What if it got into someone more powerful?


    "I feel guilty because I¡¯m the reason it got out. But what if¡ªwhat if it tries toe for me?" She instantly held my hands before forcing a smile. "It can¡¯t, right? I sort of became the reason she¡¯s free now. So she wouldn¡¯te for me?"


    I felt bad for her. She had only woken up a few days ago, and she was already stressed out. But honestly, I had no idea what the entity was nning to do.


    "Or maybe go after thest survivor?" Lamar recalled that there was someone who had escaped the entity¡¯s grasp but also managed to trap her¡ªunlike Lucy.


    "It¡¯s okay, Lucy. We will find a way to catch her, okay?" I reassured her, and she nodded meekly.


    "Tell me, what have I missed?" she asked in her usual soft and timid voice.


    She was trying hard to be cheerful, but I knew it would take her some time to get back to normal.


    "Oh, where to begin?" I sighed, remembering that I had to tell her about my rtionship with the trainers¡ªwho now hated me.

 Chapter 349-Am I A Monster?

    <h4>Chapter 349: 349-Am I A Monster?</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "She took it well," Lamar said as he mentioned Lucy. We only told her whatever the others knew and not what Lamar and I were up to.


    "Way too well," I reminded him how excited she got when she found out I am rted to the Trainers.


    "Yeah, she was hoping she would get some benefits," Lamarughed as he mentioned herments about how we will never get bullied again or get away with many messy things. As if she can do anything messy.


    "She didn¡¯t want to talk about Gavin, did she?" I pouted, feeling extremely guilty that now we will be stuck with two friends who can¡¯t be around each other.


    "She even asked me why I am letting Gavin live in my ce. To be honest, she shouldn¡¯t. Back when she knew I was awful to you, she was still pretty nice to me. Even when my presence would exhaust you, she would just throw herself at me. I understand she was doing it out of anger, but still¡ªwe should make a rule. If friends in the group are going to date, they should spare us from dragging us into it," Lamar exined, but I sighed and shook my head.


    "Lamar, it doesn¡¯t work that way. Lucy and I were friends, sure. But I am sure it is different now. If your friend is getting ditched and one of your friends is screwing them over, you will have to take a stand. Consequences are what make people not repeat the same mistakes," I wanted Lamar to know that when Lucy was being nice to him, that was when Lamar was actually showing remorse to me.


    In fact, he had shown remorse way before that. So it was a different thing.


    I was just confused and lost at this point.


    "Lamar, why don¡¯t you leave me near the mountain trail? I will walk my way up. I want to stretch my legs a little," I asked, and he nodded. The next thing I knew, he was dropping me off and heading back home.


    Me:Are we going to train anymore?


    I texted Norman with much reluctance. I didn¡¯t want to beg him either, but I wanted to learn. He read my text and then responded with a simple word.


    "No!"


    That itself was a hint that he was done giving me any favors for free. I was sure Maximus had kicked me out of the club too, and I didn¡¯t want to go work for him either.


    So I was back to zero again.


    I had been roaming around, taking slow and steady steps when I realized I wasn¡¯t alone. I started to look around in panic, and then someone jumped out from behind the tree so suddenly that he was able to grab my wrists and pin me against the tree.


    "Rayden!" I muttered, fear of being alone gnawing at me.


    "Officially the rogue king¡¯s stepsister, huh?" he referred to the engagement ceremony that he missed because they didn¡¯t let him in.


    "What the fuck, let me go," I hissed, struggling to free myself. The nasty smirk on his face terrified me.


    "Really? Why would I? I let you go thest time, and look what you did. You fucking ruined my reputation, my life¡ªand¡ª" As he attempted to bring his face closer, I headbutted him.


    He lost his bnce and went tumbling back onto the road. The hint of shock and pain while his nose bled was clear in my sight, and it was one satisfying sight.


    "And your credibility, you asshole," I muttered, straightening my posture and stretching my neck.


    "How¡ª" I watched his face change color, looking pale and shocked at my strength.


    "Ohh!" As reality hit him, he got up and started wiping his nose clean. He stared at the blood on his palm and then let out augh, shaking his head in disapproval.


    "You must think that awakening your wolf would save you," he smirked, his voice dripping with bitterness.


    "What makes you think it wouldn¡¯t?" As soon as I said that, I lunged at him to punch him. However, he dodged, and I almost lost my bnce.


    "Haha!" He let out augh, but that¡¯s when I spun around and backhanded him, knocking him down again.


    "Don¡¯tugh like a maniac in front of me. You never know when I¡¯m putting on an act and when I¡¯m actually being serious," I hissed, watching him grimace. I bet his ego was taking hits one after another. He was the type who thought he could do whatever he wanted, but the minute he got put in his ce, he started to lose it.


    And right now, he looked like he was losing his shit.


    I watched him grimace, not even trying to get up.


    "What happened? Gave up so soon?" I let out augh, then clicked my tongue while walking around him in circles.


    "Maybe you¡¯re forgetting something," he lowered his head and chuckled just a little before he got up quickly. The next thing I knew, he was blocking my hits and had pushed me up against the tree once again.


    "That I¡¯m an Alpha!" he yelled in my face.


    "You are¡ªand will always remain¡ªweaker than me." As he continued, I felt this bubble of energy rise within me.


    It reached my head, and then my vision started to blur¡ªalmost like it was turning bloody. He was just a bag of blood instead of skin.


    I watched his eyes widen, and a gasp escaped his lips before he let me go and stepped back. He looked anxious¡ªto the point that he tripped andnded on his butt.


    "What kind of monster are you?" His words snapped me back to reality. I watched him get to his feet, looking more frightened than ever, and then he ran off.


    I couldn¡¯t even utter another word after him because his panic had scared me as well.


    "Why the fuck did he call me a monster?" I asked myself,pletely lost in his shock.

 Chapter 350-The Wild Confrontation

    <h4>Chapter 350: 350-The Wild Confrontation</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Just when I decided to walk back home and think about Rayden¡¯smentster, a car passed by me. It suddenly stopped and then reversed, this time stopping right next to me.


    My mood instantly soured when I saw Maximus and Kaye in the car.


    "Why did you stop?" Kaye asked, rolling his eyes and refusing to look my way.


    "Look, that¡¯s our beloved stepsister. She must need a ride," Maximus stated in a taunting tone, and I had to shake my head at him.


    "Thank you, but I will walk back home," I replied, continuing my walk when Maximus drove up to me again and stopped abruptly.


    "Are you sure? Or maybe Rudy is on his way to pick you up?" Maximus mocked once again, this time using Rudy¡¯s name.


    I grunted, deepening my re at him while Kaye only stretched his neck, cracking his knuckles.


    "Dude, let¡¯s go. She doesn¡¯t need a ride from us," Kaye once again seemed disinterested.


    "Listen to your brother, he¡¯s spot on. I don¡¯t need a ride from you two," the minute I said that, Kaye turned his neck to me and stared at me with a weird look on his face.


    "Hear her, now that her wolf is waking up, she doesn¡¯t need our help," Maximus clenched his jaw, muttering the words through his teeth.


    "That¡¯s because I don¡¯t want you to remind me you did something for me for the hundredth time," I wasn¡¯t backing down. I had just scared off Rayden, so I felt like I had it in me to respond to someone¡¯s taunting the way they deserved.


    Especially Maximus.


    "Rudy?" Kaye nodded his head to himself.


    "Stop saying his name. We are only academy mates, not even that close of friends," I retorted before they could spread rumors and make it ufortable for Rudy and me to ever talk again.


    "Of course, she won¡¯t admit it. She does that a lot¡ªone must wonder when Rudy will get reced," Maximusmented, steadily opening the door to his car and stepping out to face me. He folded his muscr arms over his chest and smirked, but there was pain behind his smirk.


    Which was so fascinating to watch since I knew he lied about being in love with me.


    "I didn¡¯t y anyone, Maximus. I¡¯m not like you," I hissed back, trying to get past him when he sidestepped and blocked my path.


    "What exactly is going on between the two of you? And what¡¯s the deal with Rudy?" Kaye, who was never interested in anything rted to me, was suddenly getting out of the car and walking all the way around to face me.


    "She chose Rudy so quickly," Maximus hissed.


    "Quickly? Is that¡ªRudy is the reason?" Kaye muttered under his breath, and while his brother didn¡¯t notice, I did.


    "You two should be leads in Gossip Girl, you¡¯re making stuff up¡ª" I shut up when Maximus turned to his brother.


    "The way she yed me¡ª" As Maximus scoffed and rolled his eyes, I watched Kaye zone out before staring at his brother in shock.


    "What do you mean by that?" Kaye asked, pressing his brother now. I began to feel the heat of confrontationing, and before I knew it, Maximus was already blurting it out.


    "Let¡¯s just say she had someone else in her grasp before she dumped them for Rudy."


    I watched Kaye take steady breaths while his jaw kept clenching.


    "Do you know about us?" Kaye questioned, filling the air with tension. Silence hit Maximus before he shook his head, looking clueless.


    "Huh? I was talking about¡ª" He paused before finishing, "Me!"


    The two kept staring at each other, and then Kaye looked at me angrily. "Wait¡ªyou two were a thing?"


    "I don¡¯t want to talk about it. It¡¯s over." I wasn¡¯t a confrontational person, mainly because I knew they would side with each other and corner me.


    I didn¡¯t want to have this conversation here.


    "No, wait," Maximus grabbed my hand, pulling me back to stand between them. I felt the pressure, realizing how scary it could get once again to be caught between two powerful creatures.


    "I want to know why you chose Rudy over me," Maximus asked, knowing damn well he was just making stuff up to make me look guilty.


    "Because you were ying me!" I yelled and freed my arm.


    "What are you talking about?" Maximus took me seriously for once, reaching out gently to nudge my arm.


    "Wait, you two were together?" Kaye repeated the same question.


    "Huh!" He let out augh that stole Maximus¡¯ attention. I closed my eyes because, at this moment, I realized they wouldn¡¯t back off until we had this conversation.


    "So all that time when I was suffering, you were with my brother?" Kaye stopped pacing, standing tall and nodding his head.


    His re was so empty it was terrifying. The new tattoo of a sword and a fishtail on his neck was such an attention-grabbing addition to his presence.


    "What do you mean, Kaye?" Now it was Maximus¡¯ turn to be shocked.


    "Remember I had a breakdown? That was because she asked me to reject her, and I kept asking her who she had chosen over me," Kaye detailed the conversation, causing Maximus¡¯ eyes to go wide.


    "Huh? Reject her? But why would you reject her? She¡¯s my mate," Maximus stated, shocking Kaye into staring at him.


    The two kept looking into each other¡¯s eyes before they turned back to me.


    "You¡¯re mates with me, right?" Maximus questioned.


    I stood in front of them like a culprit and then steadily shook my head. "I¡¯m not."


    I watched Maximus close his eyes and then shake his head while smiling, as if he thought I was joking. "But I felt something with you."


    "You imed you did. I felt nothing, and I¡¯ve told you that before too. And yes, Kaye and I are mates, but we were done long ago, before you and I had anything¡ª" I exined quickly before one of them could cut me off.


    "So you decided to jump into my brother¡¯sp?" Kaye phrased the question in a way that made my breath hitch in my throat.

 Chapter 351-The Brothers And Their Miserable Stepsister

    <h4>Chapter 351: 351-The Brothers And Their Miserable Stepsister</h4>


    Hnie:


    "Kaye, watch yournguage," I hissed at him, and it angered him even more.


    "Shut up!" Kaye yelled, his finger pointing at me.


    "She didn¡¯t tell you we were mates?" Kaye let out a grunt, his eyes getting watery again.


    "I swear, no. She told me she would take care of some stuff before we both announce to our dad that she is my mate and we move out of the mansion," Maximus tried to exin to his brother so that he understood that he didn¡¯t betray him.


    Now that I realized what Kaye was saying, I was instantly guilt-ridden. If my ex or my mate had gone to date my sister next, I would be devastated too. And Maximus wasn¡¯t even my mate, so me feeling attracted to him was just so wrong.


    "She was going to ept you?" Kaye was now focused on asking his brother questions. It all just made me look worse, and I was aware of it.


    "Yeah. We were going to interrupt the engagement ceremony. We decided that if our parents didn¡¯t ept our rtionship, we would move out and cut ties with them so that our rtionship didn¡¯t look wrong," Maximus exined, and Kaye shot me a re.


    "But you said¡ªyou were not ready to be in a rtionship. You didn¡¯t¡ªyou told me to go ahead and date Kesha, but you wanted to be with Maximus? Did you not even like me¡ª," Kaye began to stutter, but Maximus was looking devastated too.


    "You gave me a tough choice. You wanted me to choose¡ª," I shut up when Kaye rushed at me with his finger pointing in my face.


    In that moment, I felt so scared at the two ring at me and yelling at me that I began to press the bracelet in my hand. I wanted Emmet toe here and at least get me out of here.


    "It was not a freaking hard choice when you chose Maximus. All this time, I thought maybe¡ªmaybe I was the one who pushed you by bringing up Kesha. But the way you effortlessly asked me to move on, you wanted me out of your life. Why? Because just like the others, you thought low of me too!" Kaye punched the car, and I stepped back, tripping in fear andnding on the ground.


    "And then you picked my brother¡ªfreaking broke me¡ª," Kaye ced his hand on his chest, having a hard time breathing.


    "Kaye, I couldn¡¯t choose you because you were my mate¡ª," I still managed to utter when I watched Maximus finally break free from the trance and stare at my wrist.


    "What the hell are you doing?" he screamed at me, quickly kneeling down and grabbing my wrist to show it to Kaye. "She is calling Emmet on us!"


    It was the shock on his face that killed me.


    "She wants all of us to freaking fight?" Maximus quickly stepped back from me, raising his hands to show that he wasn¡¯t touching me because he thought I would use it against them in some way.


    "I am just scared¡ªI didn¡¯t mean to," I stuttered, my throat getting drier.


    "Kaye, let¡¯s go. She is going to mess us up. This was all a freaking n," it was like Maximus had just learned something.


    "No! I need answers. Why did she lead me on, and what did she mean by saying she couldn¡¯t ept me but then chose to date you? Why? Why my brother¡ª?" Kaye was screaming at the top of his lungs while Maximus pushed him into the car.


    "Emmet will be on his way. We need to get out of here. He already doesn¡¯t care about her, and if she told him we were hurting her or doing something to her¡ªhe will hate us," the pain in Maximus¡¯s voice couldn¡¯t be fake. He sounded genuinely serious and hurt.


    The two got in the car and mmed the door shut. Maximus sped off while I could see Kaye having a meltdown once again.


    I got up, pulled myself together while still shaking. I looked around but couldn¡¯t move a step forward. I didn¡¯t know if I should go back to the mansion. I did look like a liar and someone who tried toe between the brothers. I could clearly see their points.


    Kaye was now certain I was in the wrong and wanted him to date Kesha so that he would be out of my way. But that wasn¡¯t the truth.


    And now Maximus¡ªhe was thinking I yed him too.


    "Hnie!" a familiar voice hit my ears, and without thinking twice, I turned around and rushed toward the guy stepping out of the car.


    Emmet must have been returning home when he got my signal, so he sped his car and stopped right behind me.


    Inded on his chest, my eyes closed, and my fists pressed against his hard chest.


    "I am not a bad person. I didn¡¯t mean to y anyone. I just¡ªcannot tell them the truth," I kept rambling, and the way he faintly wrapped his arms around me made me feel like home.


    "They hate me now, and now everyone will think I lied¡ª" I was sniffling ufortably, shaking like the life was being drained out of me.


    "I wasn¡¯t even¡ªying them¡ªeveryone yed me¡ªbut I am wrong because I am alone¡ª" I didn¡¯t make sense, but in my head, I was saying a lot. All my secrets were spilling even when they weren¡¯t.


    In a very gentle andforting tone, Emmet said, "I believe you."


    I suddenly stopped and raised my head to look into his eyes.


    "Was it Kaye or Maximus? Which one is using you of ying a game?" He looked so confident and calm when he asked me that.


    I began to step away from him because I immediately thought he would me me, but instead, he held my arms and stopped me.


    "I¡¯m sure you had your reasons, and I will not judge you. The way you cried, I can tell there is a huge secret you¡¯re holding in your heart, and you¡¯re afraid to let it out."

 Chapter 352-She Changed Faster Than A Weather

    <h4>Chapter 352: 352-She Changed Faster Than A Weather</h4>


    <strong>Maximus:</strong>


    I had told Hnie to take her time but to let me know when she made her decision. I was really excited to be with her. Every time I saw her through the crowd, I felt at home. She was so charming, beautiful, smart, and loyal.


    There was so much about her that I wanted to learn more about¡ªher smile, her eyes, her dreams, and wishes. I could sit and write a book about them, even though I don¡¯t like writing books.


    Iughed to myself and strolled into my room to change.


    I had called my mom to talk to her about Kaye, but her beta told me she was in the restroom. I didn¡¯t ask too many questions because she¡¯s an adult, but the fact that her beta was always by her side made me raise an eyebrow.


    Mainly because she alwaysined that Dad moved on and she didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t want to be involved in their drama anymore. Especially because Urs was Hnie¡¯s mother, and hurting her or saying anything bad about her would upset Hnie.


    "I heard you called," Mom said from the other side as I answered her call. I needed to change my clothes, and I couldn¡¯t tell where my AirPods were, so I just put my phone on speaker for a while.


    Now that I was in my room, I received another call from my mother.


    "Yes, Mom, I was calling you, but your beta said you were in the bathroom," I responded, taking off my shirt and throwing it on the bed.


    "Yeah, I was. Tell me, is Hnie buying your act of being in love with her?"


    The minute she asked me that question, my mood soured.


    I stopped dead in my tracks while reaching for the closet and ced a hand on my forehead, trying to figure out what to expect next.


    "Yeah, Mom. I told you I¡¯d let you know when there¡¯s progress. But rest assured, she is in love with me and has fallen for my lies."


    I knew I had to respond because Mom was waiting for me.


    But I didn¡¯t mean a single word. A few weeks ago, Mom had asked me to make Hnie fall for me so that she could stir up tension between my dad and Hnie¡¯s mother.


    I didn¡¯t ept her n¡ªuntil I started falling for Hnie myself.


    At first, I flirted with her just to see what would happen, but after the first time, I was already falling for her. She was so amazing. And then I told my mom I would do it.


    Just so she wouldn¡¯t find out from someone else that I was with Hnie and try to ruin it for me. So every time her trusted men told her they had seen me with Hnie, my mom would let it slide.


    My n was simple.


    Once I made a public announcement, there would be nothing my mom could do to separate us. I would not leave Hnie for anyone. I was ying a dirty game with my own mother, but she could be very dangerous and toxic. And I wouldn¡¯t let her toxic ws reach my Hnie.


    She was too innocent for all this. All I knew was that I only wanted Hnie and no one else.


    As my mom kept talking, I kept going along with the lies. I hated even thinking about ying with Hnie. But my mom needed to hold onto false hope. Otherwise¡ªI knew she would get rid of Hnie before anyone even knew about us.


    But once they did, no one would daree after Hnie.


    "Okay, Mom! I¡¯ll talk to youter," I hissed tiredly, not wanting to hear another bad word about Hnie. This was getting out of hand, and my mother was just waiting for the right moment to strike.


    But in the next few days, things changed. Or I should say, Hnie changed.


    Her behavior toward me became so cold. I guessed she was scared of how others would react. And I wanted to assure her that I would never let anyone hurt her. For that to happen, we needed to tell others about us.


    So, I had to give her an ultimatum. I hated putting pressure on her, but she wasn¡¯t understanding that we were getting closer to the engagement ceremony.


    That ceremony could get us in trouble. People wouldin if they saw us together after our parents got married. It would go against the rules of the Lycanmunity as well as the pack¡¯sws.


    And then I risked it all, telling her to give me her silence if she wanted us to move forward with our n. That night, I left the mansion to take care of my own things and returned exhausted.


    I was tired. My body ached. My eyes moved to the clock, watching as it struck 3 AM.


    My eyelids felt so heavy as Norman patted my back, bidding me goodnight.


    I dragged my body upstairs to my room but was shocked to see Charlotte standing outside my door.


    "I already told you, I wouldn¡¯t touch you with a ten-foot pole," I reminded her of ourst conversation when she had tried to sleep with me.


    It was after that night that I made up my mind to change my ways. I never really thought I was the type to be loyal to someone, but I guess that¡¯s what falling in love feels like.


    "I¡¯m not here to seduce you. I just needed a phone to text a friend. It¡¯s urgent, and mine isn¡¯t working," she requested, rubbing her palms anxiously.


    I sighed and entered my room, noticing that the door was already open. She must have walked in looking for me.


    I grabbed my phone and, without looking, unlocked it and handed it to her. She quickly typed something while I poured myself a ss of water, feeling incredibly thirsty.


    "All done, thank you!" she said, rushing out of the room.


    I checked my phone, but there was no notification from anywhere else.

 Chapter 353-She Belongs To Me

    <h4>Chapter 353: 353-She Belongs To Me</h4>


    <strong>Maximus:</strong>


    <strong>Current time:</strong>


    My mind was racing at this point, and I was trying my best to drive safely, even though my hands were shaking. I couldn¡¯t even look at my brother. I felt ashamed of myself. And Kaye was losing his mind.


    I couldn¡¯t really understand why Hnie would do this to me. The only thing I kepting back to was that maybe she got upset that Kaye had made Kesha an option, and she wanted to punish him by letting him know she left him for someone else.


    That could be a possible reason because that¡¯s why she suddenly left me too¡ªby using me of ying her. She used me to take revenge on Kaye and then dumped me.


    I kept my fingers wrapped around the steering wheel while tears forced their way into my eyes. The problem was that I had never felt like crying before, even in the toughest situations.


    But at that moment, I wanted to cry my heart out like a child. I had loved her a lot, so it wasn¡¯t easy for me to live with the fact that she had never loved me.


    What should I do now? How would I ever be in love with someone after this?


    My attention snapped back to Kaye, who was waving his hand at me to stop the car before I ran into the main gate.


    I hadn¡¯t even been paying attention this whole time. I felt guilty for unintentionally hurting my brother.


    I parked the car and got out, running over to the other side to hold the door open for him.


    "Let¡¯s just not tell anyone about this," I requested, and Kaye nodded.


    "Whatever she did was messed up, but¡ªI¡ªI don¡¯t want her to deal with angry res. I am helpless¡ªI am a damn coward who cannot stand up to her." I began to look away because my brother was staring at me. I could tell he wanted me to make eye contact with him.


    "And you think I could stand seeing her hurt? She yed me worse. She didn¡¯t even want to ept me, even though I¡¯m her mate. Do you think you love her more than I do?" I was surprised when Kaye put it that way.


    I gave him the eye contact he had been wanting and instantly felt my heart break. He liked me less.


    "I am sure¡ªshe didn¡¯t mean to. She must have been hurt that you made Kesha an option," I tried to make excuses for her when Kaye gently pushed me away.


    "Right! And the punishment for me was to use my brother against me. Well, I must say, it worked. I am hurt, brother¡ªand it doesn¡¯t help to look in your eyes and see love for my mate," he pointed a finger at his chest and yelled, "but of course, you are the winner. At least between us two."


    I wanted to hug him, but he kept pushing me away and trying to breathe. I was worried for him, even when my own body was in a lot of pain.


    "I don¡¯t want our brotherhood to be ruined because of this," I held his hand to plead with him, but he shrugged his arm free.


    "I don¡¯t know. It will only heal when the love in your eyes for her fades away. Because I am damn sure mine never will," he made it clear he would never stop loving her. Then, he stopped briefly, turned around, and gave me onest look. "As for her reputation, I would choose hers over mine any day."


    Instead of going back inside, he gestured at his driver toe get him. He slid into his car and sped away while I started dialing Norman¡¯s number.


    It wasn¡¯t a good thing for Kaye to be out there when he was so stressed.


    Me: Norman! I have been trying to contact you. Can you please check on Kaye? He was upset about something and left in a hurry.


    After I sent him the text, I rushed inside, went to my room, and locked the door so no one would bother me.


    I sat on the couch, holding my phone in my hands, scrolling through pictures of Hnie from academy projects and tests.


    "She is so pretty," I felt a weird pain in my chest.


    "But she is not yours. She is your brother¡¯s. Are you really going to choose her over him? Even after it was clear to you that the damn whore yed you? Do you even know how many other dicks she had in her mouth, pussy, or ass¡ª"


    That was it. I got up, grabbed the knife from the table next to the fruit, and stabbed it right into my chest.


    "Okay, okay, I¡¯m sorry!"


    My wolf understood that if he said one more word about Hnie in that way, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to put myself through so much pain that he would die crying.


    "I¡¯m sorry, okay? But how would you describe her actions?" Now that he knew I would do anything, he asked in a much gentler, more respectful way.


    "We will just say¡ªshe deserved someone better than both of us."


    I finished and narrowed my eyes when I saw one particr picture I took a long time ago. It was a picture of her pendant back when she was stuck in the dream prison.


    "Hmmm." I searched the picture and found some simr items in a rare online book posted several years ago.


    My heart started to beat faster when I read some of thements, but one particrment stood out to me.


    Random user: Although they are a pretty collection and rare to find, I can¡¯t look at them the same way after one of the girls started wearing them to hide her damn ugly pheromones. She¡¯s some girl I¡¯ve seen around whose pheromones make men go crazy for her. I believe the pendant is innocent, but whatever spell was cast on it to hide her pheromones just makes me dislike this piece of jewelry.


    She hadmented on the same pendant Hnie wore. And thement was from a few months ago.


    "Remember at the training ground? She took off the pendant in the middle of the fight. Oh heck! She yed you far worse than we imagined."

 Chapter 354-Before I Leave.

    <h4>Chapter 354: 354-Before I Leave.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Tell me what happened?" Emmet insisted, but I had shut down again. I couldn¡¯t seem to forget how I once trusted Maximus, and now he was against me.


    By the end of the day, Emmet was their brother. He would definitely lean toward them somehow.


    "I got myself tangled up with them, and now they¡¯re both angry with me because I didn¡¯t want to make it official with either of them," I muttered, watching outside the window.


    He was driving slowly, taking me back to his home. I would never call it my ce.


    "Hmm, that is messy. I guess I wouldn¡¯t know until I hear the whole story. But I¡¯ll suggest you let it be for a while. The more you try to exin yourself to them, the angrier they¡¯ll get," he advised, knowing his brothers too well.


    "Hnie, I want to suggest something, and I hope you take it just as advice from your stepbrother or your professor," he said softly, taking the longer route. It was better this way.


    I didn¡¯t want to sit directly across from him and look into his eyes while having this conversation.


    "Sometimes, you just have to be honest. If you keep hiding things, you¡¯ll look like the bad guy. People will use you of lying and betraying others because they don¡¯t know the whole truth. For instance¡ª" he paused, ncing at me to make sure I wasn¡¯t freaking out at his words. "In today¡¯s situation, they both deserve to know why you left them or picked them in the first ce. The truth is important. We have to put ourselves in someone else¡¯s shoes too.


    Think about it like this for a moment¡ªif Kaye had been with you and then left you for a reason that he no longer saw as valid when dating someone closer to you¡ªlet¡¯s say your cousin¡ªthen what? Wouldn¡¯t you be upset too?" he asked gently.


    With a heavy heart, I answered honestly, "Yes!"


    He went silent for a moment and then smiled a little. "This is what I like about you. You don¡¯t throw tantrums and try to understand your mistakes too. For now, just let them be, and don¡¯t worry about what I think of you. I¡¯ve known you for some time now, Hnie, and I know you¡¯re not a bad person at all. Just someone who is too afraid of sharing her secrets with others, and I can totally understand if that¡¯s because of a certain betrayal in the past.


    Take your time. The academy is starting¡ª" he stopped when I meekly added,


    "They will make it so hard for me to live there."


    "Nobody will let this affect your academy training. My brothers are not bad people. They¡¯ll be jealous¡ªthat I know¡ªbut things will be fine once you decide to open up and be honest with them. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll understand," Emmet said kindly.


    He was so sweet.


    I couldn¡¯t believe he never remembered that we had felt the mate bond. But now that my wolf was slowly waking up, I was feeling something odd.


    His words were so charming, and then his scent¡ªmmm! His scent.


    I quickly shook myself awake from whatever daydream I had drifted into and straightened my posture in the seat. That was inappropriate.


    But I could me it on the mate bond.


    "The home is here. Go inside, take a shower, and rest. I will send some choctes to your room. They will help lift your mood."


    I knew that even if I refused, Emmet would still send them to me.


    But the minute we stepped out of the car, his phone started ringing.


    "Yes?" he answered, a frown forming on his forehead.


    "Oh! Okay, I¡¯ll be there."


    It seemed urgent because Emmet suddenly looked so worried.


    He hung up the phone and gave me a mild smile. "Go back inside. You will get your choctes, and don¡¯t worry about anything, okay? Everything will work out."


    I didn¡¯t know why, but it seemed like he was slightly doubting himself, unsure if things could actually get better from here.


    He walked away on foot while I went inside, only to find my mother standing in the doorway, blocking my path to my room.


    "What is it?" I asked tiredly.


    "Take this and keep it with you." She seemed to be in a rush as she put something in my hand, looking around nervously.


    It was a stack of money, which I immediately tried returning to her.


    "No! Just keep it. When you leave for the academy tomorrow, I don¡¯t want you looking for cheapbor. I know nothing is cheap for you, but some jobs have serious safety risks¡ª" she looked so pale as she spoke, nervously fidgeting with her fingers.


    "Why do you care? Are you ying a game with me?"


    The moment I asked her that, her eyes widened in shock.


    "No! I would never¡ª" her eyes started to tear up. "It¡¯s just that... umm... don¡¯t ever show up here again."


    Her tone shifted in seconds as Emma showed up.


    "We were heading outside. Did you change your mind?" She shot me a judgmental re before asking my mother that question.


    "No! We¡¯re having dinner outside. McQuoid wants us to celebrate the opening of the new restaurant in the abandoned pack, where they¡¯re creating a roguemunity," my mom told her, holding her hand as they walked away.


    "Where is Charlotte, though?" my mom continued to ask.


    "She went to the salon. She needed some new acrylics," Emma replied as they disappeared.


    I held the money and wondered¡ªwhy did my mom give it to me?


    What if sheter used me of stealing it from her?


    I was scared of everyone around me now. They could always turn on me, ying games with me.


    I got a notification on my phone that the trainers had an emergency. Since Kaye and Maximus would be skipping, there would be an additional one-day holiday.


    That meant I would be leaving the day after tomorrow.


    I couldn¡¯t wait for the academy to start again.

 Chapter 355-It Was Just Her Pheromones.

    <h4>Chapter 355: 355-It Was Just Her Pheromones.</h4>


    <strong>Maximus:</strong>


    "No!" I had been running around the mountains since forever. My nose was bleeding, and my eyes wouldn¡¯t stop shedding tears.


    "All she had to do was tell me I was mistaking her pheromones for the mate bond¡ª" I let out a howl, sitting on my knees and feeling the agonizing pain of transition. But I didn¡¯t want to transform. Norman was headed my way, so I had to stop the transition. He rushed over and knelt down before me, with Emmeting into view.


    "She freaking lied to me," I let out a cry, feeling like a miserable and helpless person¡ªthe feeling I never wanted to have.


    I was a freaking powerful werewolf. Why the hell was I crying for a woman? But it wasn¡¯t just any random woman. It was Hnie.


    "Hey, it¡¯s okay. It happens. Breakups¡ª" Before Norman could start lecturing me, I turned my attention to Emmet.


    "Gave her a pendant to ask for help whenever she needs it, huh? What about your own brothers?" I wasn¡¯t asking Emmet not to take care of her.


    I was d he was there to give her a ride because I did want her to get home safely.


    But since we were on the subject of betrayal, I couldn¡¯t help but point it out to Emmet that all these years he had been distant from us had left us with broken hearts.


    "I came here for you too," Emmet knelt down, trying to caress my cheek, but I looked away, avoiding his touch.


    "You only came here so you could defend her if I ended up saying anything wrong about her," I yelled, tears rolling down my face like a waterfall.


    "Max! Such stress is not good for you," Norman warned, but I pushed his hands away too.


    "You two should go. Leave me alone. I don¡¯t want anyone¡¯s sympathy," I sniffled, trying to wipe my cheeks, but Emmet kept holding my hands.


    "You have no idea what you mean to me, brother," Emmet managed to cup my face in his hands, showing me the redness of anger he felt from seeing me in pain.


    "Well, I guess you¡¯re right. I have no idea," I clicked my tongue,ughing maniacally before tearing up the next moment.


    "I think I¡¯m gonna be alone for a while," I said in heavy breaths, my hand on my chest.


    The pain wouldn¡¯t seem to calm down. That was the weirdest part. If she wasn¡¯t even my mate, why the hell was I in so much pain?


    "I¡¯ll drop you home," Emmet suggested, but I was quick to reject his offer.


    "Not you! I¡¯m done wanting your attention," I said through my clenched jaw, and the pain on his face made me feel so proud of myself. After putting me through pain, he was finally going to suffer too.


    "It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll take him home," Norman gave Emmet a concerned look, but I wasn¡¯t ready to go with Norman either.


    "No! I can find a ce to crash myself. I just know I don¡¯t want to be under the same roof as her for the night." I watched Norman clench his jaw, probably getting angry that Hnie was staying with us, so I had to exin a bit more to him. "I don¡¯t want her out of the house. What I mean is¡ªI don¡¯t want her in the house and lose my control and beg her to ept me."


    I had to rify, even when it was so hard to make a full sentence. I didn¡¯t want Norman to kick her out.


    I was afraid if I stayed in the same house as her, I would end up begging her to stay and ept me¡ªand I didn¡¯t want that.


    I wanted to move on from her because of how she broke my heart.


    But love is a bit hard to forget. I just needed a moment to do so.


    "Let me¡ª" Norman insisted, but I got up with difficulty, my knees going weak.


    "I¡¯m headed over to Mom¡¯s ce."


    The minute I said that, I watched Norman¡¯s face contort.


    "No! She will take advantage of your miserable condition and make Hnie look like a monster," the moment those words left his lips, both Emmet and I stared at him in shock.


    Since when did he start to care about Hnie¡¯s reputation? And I guess he noticed our skeptical res because he immediately added, "Which she is, but Mom will only exaggerate it."


    There was a subtle lie in his tone, but I was too worried about myself to focus on that.


    I started to walk away, but I could tell Norman was still following me. He knew I wouldn¡¯t listen to him, and he wouldn¡¯t listen to me either. As for Emmet, he had rushed off, probably going home to drink.


    Our problems must have been too much for him.


    "What about Kaye? Why didn¡¯t you go after him?" I asked Norman, taking heavy steps toward the bus station. That was the n¡ªI would take a bus to my mom¡¯s pack.


    I wanted to be away from my family and brothers for a while, but I also didn¡¯t want to be alone.


    "Kesha found us on the way and insisted on taking Kaye with her. He seemed fine leaving with her. As for you, I think¡ªyou should take a car so that you get home before¡ª"


    Norman shut up when I let out augh of disbelief.


    "I¡¯ll be fine, you think I cannot take care of myself" I watched him look so upset that I taunted him over this.


    I didn¡¯t want to hurt anyone, but I was hurting too, and I wanted to be left alone for a while.


    Well, Norman was stubborn, so he did end up forcing me onto the private jet and dropping me off at my mother¡¯s ce.


    But he did stick around for a minute, probably warning Mom not to try to manipte me while I was hurting.


    Once he left, my mother came to my room.


    "Honey! Are you hurting because the n didn¡¯t work?" Of course, she didn¡¯t know the whole truth, so she thought it was because I couldn¡¯t make Hnie ruin the engagement. Well, she did ruin something¡ªnot the engagement, but me.


    "But don¡¯t worry. We will find another way for the engagement to be ruined. As for you¡ªI have a surprise," she ran her hand through my hair, sitting beside me while Iy on the bed with my arms spread out and my legs hanging down.


    "Look who¡¯s here," she smiled and pointed at the door, confusing me when it opened and she walked in.

 Chapter 356-I Tell His Brother

    <h4>Chapter 356: 356-I Tell His Brother</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Good morning," I heard my mother greet Lord McQuoid. I was asked to join breakfast so we could sit and eat before I headed off to the academy again.


    It was Norman and Emmet, Emma and my mother with Lord McQuoid. I hadn¡¯t seen Charlotte the whole of yesterday, and now she was missing breakfast too.


    Of course, she was.


    She wouldn¡¯t want to sit and celebrate me. Or anything rted to me.


    "Hnie! Honestly, it was so nice to have you here with us. We felt like a family. Even when there weren¡¯t many moments for us to celebrate as a family, you being around felt so good," Lord McQuoid gave me a warm smile, my mother ufortably shifting in her seat and then looking up just to check others¡¯ reactions.


    I did the same before responding to Lord McQuoid, "I am so d that I got to know you. You are a wonderful man, someone my mother truly deserves. You have given her the happiness that she never got in her past. I think that says a lot about your kindness and how much you appreciate her," I watched his smile grow with pride upon hearing mypliments.


    Emma rolled her eyes, silently mimicking me while making faces.


    I noticed Norman shaking his leg and staring at me from under his eyebrows. Emmet seemed just like every other day.


    He was always this way¡ªunpredictable. I couldn¡¯t really guess what was going through his head all this time.


    "By the way, I have prepared a celebratory lunch today," Emma quickly jumped in to have a say and get attention for herself.


    The way everyone turned to her made me believe even they didn¡¯t know what she was talking about. It was obviously not for me. So what celebration was she speaking of?


    "What is the asion?" Lord McQuoid asked, proving that even he knew better than to assume it would be for me.


    "You¡¯ll see. It¡¯s actually good news," Emma danced with her shoulders, looking so cringy.


    "How is Kaye? And where was hest night?" Lord McQuoid now turned to his sons but asked Norman instead because, of course, Emmet wouldn¡¯t be interested in any conversation since he had already started eating his cereal.


    "He spent the night at Kesha¡¯s ce," Norman said, his eyes darting to me immediately. I held my breath in.


    I was the one who chose my career over him, and even if I hadn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t be able to ept him until I had taken my revenge. But that didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t hurt. It hurt that he couldn¡¯t wait for me. He could have just stayed with me and made me believe I could rely on him. But that only happens in stories¡ªwhen your mate holds your hand and stands beside you while you take revenge on those who hurt you.


    "Oh! I¡¯m d that boy ising around. He is finally making all the right decisions. I heard Maximus stayed with his motherst night." I was able to get the information from their father. It did hurt me that they were suffering so much because of me.


    "He wanted to be away for a while. Nothing against anyone here, he just said he misses Mom." It felt like Norman was speaking directly to me or about me.


    His father nodded, and the rest of breakfast went by in silence. After everyone was done, they all began to leave. It was only Norman and me left when I finally said, "I didn¡¯t mean to hurt them."


    Even when Emmet had asked me to leave them alone for a while, I couldn¡¯t. I was responsible for their distress in a way that I couldn¡¯t exin my side to make them understand why I did what I did.


    Norman sighed, filling his cheeks with air and letting it out before responding, "But you did. Kaye doesn¡¯t even want to see his brother¡¯s face."


    I rushed to stand in front of him. "But Maximus was at no fault. He didn¡¯t even know about us." I hated that the brothers were fighting because of me.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s about a mate bond! Kaye is your mate, and mates are possessive, especially when he is powerful. He feels threatened." Norman looked so upset with me that his eyes held a darkness to them.


    The yful banter we used to have seemed nothing like whatever this was.


    "I heard Maximus talking with his mother about using me to ruin the engagement ceremony." I watched Norman¡¯s face twist in shock. He closed his eyes and shook his head, as if trying to confirm that he was hearing me right.


    "I¡¯m not some crazy person who would betray the people who took care of me. Do you think I don¡¯t realize how much your brothers have done for me? But to y me¡ªNorman¡ªI¡¯m a fucking person with feelings and emotions too! First, Kaye gave me a choice¡ªhe put Kesha in front of me and asked if I was going to ept him or not. And if I didn¡¯t, he would go ahead and ept Kesha. And even if I asked for time, he would be with Kesha until then. And then Maximus¡ªhe¡ª" I shut up when my voice started to break.


    "Why didn¡¯t you tell me that before?" He mmed his hand on the table, leaning down to my level.


    "How could I? None of you let me speak. And Maximus would never admit to it. But I swear, I heard them talk. They were making fun of how stupid I am and how they would throw me out of their lives after doing the same to my mother," I hissed, finally letting it all out.


    It felt amazing to say everything that had been in my heart. To finally be listened to.


    "I am going to¡ª" Norman clicked his tongue, but I interrupted him.


    "You are going to make my life miserable, I know. You¡¯re going to side with your brothers and see no wrong in their actions. I get it¡ªyou¡¯d rather have me as a toy for your brothers because only they matter¡ª" I shut up when he grabbed the ss from the side and spilled its contents on my face in one swift move.

 Chapter 357-Taking The Right Stand

    <h4>Chapter 357: 357-Taking The Right Stand</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    The moment she said that, I couldn¡¯t help but do something reckless. I grabbed the ss and spilled the water on her face to wake her up.


    Why the heck did she think I would want her, of all people, to be my brother¡¯s toy?


    She seemed shocked, her mouth open, water dripping down her face.


    Well, I regretted doing it, but it was a reflex.


    "For not freaking defending yourself when all the usations were being thrown your way," I told her, exining why I did it. "And then half of it¡ªfor thinking I see you as a toy. You need to wake up now. Why the hell would I be okay with it?" I yelled.


    She rubbed her face clean, and I couldn¡¯t help but bite my tongue awkwardly. Why did it affect me so much that she thought so low of me? I had never acted like this with anyone. Why was I so obsessed with what she thought of me, and why the hell was I so angry with my brother?


    I mean, she wasn¡¯t wrong. I had never interfered in Maximus¡¯ love life before. I never cared when a girl approached me, asking me to tell Maximus to return her calls and all. But Hnie... she wasn¡¯t just some girl. She was someone I knew.


    In a very calm way, she leaned down and grabbed a ss of water. I waited for her to respond to me after she drank the water, but instead, she threw it in my face.


    "Now we¡¯re even," she hissed.


    My suit was ruined, my hair was a mess, yet... I wanted to smile?


    I held it in tightly, not wanting to look amused, but her reaction gave me so much satisfaction. Whenever she stood up for herself, I felt relieved.


    "Why would you do that?" I had to act tough so she wouldn¡¯t think I was melting at the sight of her adorable pout.


    "You did it too. As for standing up for myself¡ªI just know people wouldn¡¯t believe me. But I didn¡¯t y your brother. He yed me," she finished in a confident tone.


    Of course, I believed her. Part of the reason was that my mom had first asked me to do something to ruin the engagement ceremony. But when I didn¡¯t do anything, she approached Maximus.


    What struck me as odd was that I thought I knew my brother too well. The pain in his eyes didn¡¯t seem like an act to me.


    So I was all set to do my own investigation, make them sit down together, and talk it out. There was a huge misunderstanding, and theck ofmunication between them had caused this mess.


    As for Kaye, I mean, he pretty much ruined it for himself when he put Kesha as an option. Did he not understand that it¡¯s a big turn-off for a woman to be put on a list of other women?


    I guess I somehow failed my brothers by always siding with them. I did it out of love, but now their behavior was not only hurting them but also Hnie.


    I mean, I never cared about other people before, but Hnie¡ªwhat was it about her that made me ready to call out my brothers for doing something wrong?


    She walked away while I remained glued to my spot.


    I instantly called Maximus to have a word with him. He picked up, but it seemed like he was around other people. I kept hearing voices in the background.


    At least he was fine. Was that why he wanted to go to Mom¡¯s ce yesterday?


    "Where are you right now?" I asked sternly, walking out of the breakfast room with my shirt and face still wet. I noticed the maids looking at me, gossiping with their eyes. They wouldn¡¯t dare say anything, not even in a whisper.


    "I¡¯m with Mom, why?" he inquired.


    "When are youing back home?" I asked, making my way to my room and unbuttoning my shirt with one hand.


    "I¡¯ll be home by lunch, why?" The way he kept questioning me just made me believe something was seriously wrong.


    "Okay,e soon because we¡¯re going to sit down and have a talk," I muttered, feeling bad that I had to confront my brother about this.


    He wasn¡¯t a child anymore. I was ready to support him, take care of him in any way possible. But it pissed me off that he was now ying games like this.


    "About what?" he insisted.


    "Juste home," I said before hanging up to change my shirt and get some work done until he returned.


    The day was so hard to get through, and I couldn¡¯t figure out why. I felt ufortable the whole time.


    And then finally, lunchtime arrived, and I got back home to meet Maximus. But the vibe today was different.


    Emma was dressed up really well, as if it was some big asion. She mentioned something about it, but I couldn¡¯t guess what it could be.


    "Kaye! Are you okay?" I was surprised to see Kaye sitting on the couch with Kesha next to him. She had her arm wrapped around his arm and her head on his shoulder. He looked much more at peace whenever he was with her.


    "I¡¯m good," he smiled, making me feel relieved for him.


    I looked around, noticing Urs wearing a fancy dress and the others looking confused.


    "By the way, Jessica ising over with Mom," Kaye said, sounding very rxed and casual, as if he didn¡¯t have a meltdown yesterday.


    "Okay, why?" Even though I had to give Jessica one more chance like she asked, I still felt weird being around her. The only reason I gave her a second chance was because of how caring she was towards my brothers.


    She was the only one who understood their pain and never judged them. In fact, there were times when she stayed beside me during a full moon night, not caring about the danger she might get herself into. It made me appreciate her.


    "Mom said they are going to make an announcement," Kaye shrugged, and it made me believe he didn¡¯t know what it was about either.

 Chapter 358-One Last Laugh

    <h4>Chapter 358: 358-One Last Laugh</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I was a bit confused about what the main event was. But I could tell it was rted to Emma. She had been running around making preparations while there was no sign of Charlotte. I had assumed she was onezy girl and wouldn¡¯t help out her mother with anything. But to be absent for that long was odd.


    Not to mention, on any other asion or rification, Charlotte is all around her mother, asking about her gown or when the hairstylist woulde. But today, she was just silent.


    What if she had convinced Lord McQuoid to get admission to the academy? I didn¡¯t want her toe and ruin things because I knew that¡¯s what she would do.


    I left my room again to see if the maids needed my help. I¡¯ve actually helped them with a few recipes since they asked for it.


    They were nice and hardworking people. I loved interacting with them.


    But as I was about to walk toward my room and briefly passed the living room, a disturbing sight awaited me that made me stop dead in my tracks.


    It was Kaye and Kesha. They had arrived earlier and had been sitting in the living room ever since then. The maids had to run around and do extra miles to please that princess.


    Kesha was pretty spoiled. She wouldn¡¯t even say hello to anyone else other than the brothers and their father.


    She would clearly avoid my mother and Emma too. That¡¯s how she was. But I noticed how she would stick her arm around Kaye¡¯s, as if trying to tell the world he belonged to her.


    But this particr sight was a bit hard for me to swallow since Kaye had made it seem like I yed him.


    But here he was, moved on, with her tongue down his throat. He sat with his arms spread on the back of the couch, his neck stretched back, leaningfortably, while Kesha sat beside him, her legs folded under her body and her hands tightly holding onto his face. She had her mouth all over his, kissing him passionately and getting all excited. He barely moved, not even a finger, but she was doing the most.


    She was constantly getting up and down in her spot, holding his face like she wanted to devour him. Her face was moving side to side, not letting him breathe either.


    "Hnie! Don¡¯t just stand there. If you want to be a part of it, just help," Emma yelled from the kitchen as she saw me standing outside the living room.


    That pulled the kissing couple apart. Kesha broke the kiss but didn¡¯t instantly turn her head around. She was breathing heavily while sitting still until she finally turned to re at me.


    I noticed her eyes changing color in a threatening way. I immediately stepped back and rushed away, while Kaye didn¡¯t even bother to notice that I had seen him.


    I mean, I wouldn¡¯t care because it was over. But the eptance from his side and the mate bond was the problem. However, the weird part was that I didn¡¯t feel the pain of cheating. Maybe a mere kiss doesn¡¯t cause such pain or maybe because my wolf isn¡¯t fully awake yet is why I hadn¡¯t felt the excruciating pain. It could be anything.


    "Are youing?" Emma yelled again.


    "No! Go do your own work," I yelled back, annoyed, watching her get shocked when she should have known I¡¯m no longer the nice one who does her errands.


    But the time had arrived when we had to gather for lunch. I wouldn¡¯t have been invited, but Lord McQuoid insisted I join them like family every day, so I did.


    Everyone looked all dressed up, with Norman in his office suit and Emmet in his ck suit. It appeared he had briefly left for a meeting and then returned to join us for lunch.


    Emma had a huge smile on her face as she stood in the living room, excitedly rubbing her palms together and giggling.


    Thankfully, the couple wasn¡¯t tangled in each other¡¯s tonsils anymore. Kaye seemed distant, but Kesha still had her arms wrapped around his and her body pressed tightly against his. She was giving off the vibe of an obsessive girlfriend.


    "What is it, Emma? You¡¯ve prepared everything so well. I¡¯m excited to know what the asion is," Lord McQuoid had his arm around my mother¡¯s back as he asked Emma to make the announcement already.


    She checked her phone and then nodded her head, taking deep breaths.


    "Okay!" she calmed herself, a hand to her chest. "This is a huge thing for me, so I wanted everything to be perfect. Without dy, I want to include you all in a happy moment of my life. Ever since I gave birth to my daughter and have been a single parent, I wanted nothing for myself but a mate for my daughter. She had been very lonely but never lost her faith in the Moon Goddess." As she continued, it all made sense.


    Charlotte found her mate.


    But where was she?


    "So, as you all already suspected, my baby has found her fated mate¡ª" She broke down in tears from immense happiness while my mother ran to give her a hug to support her in this joyful moment.


    The brothers shrugged and tiredly pped their hands, while Lord McQuoid seemed genuinely happy.


    "And¡ªtoday¡ªyou¡¯re going to meet him," she added, still hugged by my mother.


    That¡¯s when someone arrived in the living room. It was Charlotte, holding hands with her mate.


    My heart didn¡¯t just skip a beat; it fucking stopped when I saw Maximus standing beside her, all smiles and happy with his mother behind him.


    Emmet and Norman looked shocked as they stared at each other and then at me.


    I stood silent while Maximus and Charlotte joined the living room, asking for blessings from Lord McQuoid, who seemed too happy to utter a word.


    Things started to blur for me, but then someone¡¯s whisper brought me back to reality.


    "Good luck feeling that pain of betrayal. I didn¡¯t know karma would strike you so quickly. You left me for him, and now he left you for your cousin."


    It was Kaye, having onestugh in my ear.

 Chapter 359-Tell Me About Helanie

    <h4>Chapter 359: 359-Tell Me About Hnie</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    <strong>A few hours ago:</strong>


    "Where are you headed?" Norman asked me, snapping his fingers to get my attention while he didn¡¯t stop walking toward his car.


    "I have a meeting with a publisher," I replied, standing next to my car. Norman seemed slightly disturbed but also like he had just taken a shower.


    "You took a shower twice?" I remembered he had a different shirt on in the morning.


    "The cat spilled water on me," he hissed, and I could only suspect one person doing so that my brother wouldn¡¯t immediately kick them out of the house.


    Norman could lie to me all day, but I could tell he treated Hnie differently than other people. He showed empathy for her, and that was the first time I¡¯d ever seen him do that.


    "Anyway, good luck with the publisher," Norman said, looking very exhausted.


    "Is everything okay? Did the cat speak too?" I asked, raising an eyebrow when his eyes traveled to my face.


    We brothers looked visibly different¡ªdifferent hair colors and eyes too. But that was because of the powerful gics from our parents¡¯ side, and some other reasons involved.


    But Norman growing his blond beard suited him.


    "This Maximus and Kaye¡ªI can¡¯t believe them," Norman hissed. Now that he knew I also knew about their deal with Hnie, he wasn¡¯t being as secretive with me.


    "What did they do?" I was curious about the whole deal.


    I could tell Hnie wasn¡¯t in the wrong in this situation, but I thought maybe my brother messed up unintentionally.


    "They did her dirty. I need to get to the bottom of it, and then I¡¯m going to confront them," Norman looked all flustered.


    "You¡¯re going to confront your heartbeats for Hnie?" I chuckled, watching him notice the smirk on my face, "Come on, it¡¯s not a bad thing to do the right thing for someone like Hnie. She¡¯s our stepsister too," I shrugged once I noticed Norman was offended.


    "Ew!" he dramatically reacted, as if copying someone, "I would never care for her. Anyway, I must leave now," he sighed, rubbing his chest before walking away.


    I always felt bad for my brother. He was doing too much, and at this rate, he¡¯d only be a robot. But seeing him care for Hnie gave me some hope for him.


    After he left, I began my journey too. I had to take my private jet to reach my desired destination. As my jetnded and I got out, I smelled the air and stretched my arms.


    I took the car for the rest of the way and reached a particr neighborhood. As I parked in front of one house, I realized the neighbors hade out to look at me.


    This one was particrly the omega side of the pack.


    I fixed my coat and got out of the car, now standing outside the door before I gently knocked on it.


    "Who is it?" a very dramatic, high-pitched voice came from inside.


    "We¡¯re here to randomly pick houses for gifts and donations," my warrior yelled back, and the door immediately opened.


    She quickly started to fix her little curly brown hair. Her cigar had red lipstick on it, and her eyeliner was a little smudged.


    "Hello there," she pumped her chest out, making me look away in disgust.


    "I¡¯m Larissa Niles," she giggled, taking the cigar out of her mouth and holding it between her fingers.


    "Hi, I¡¯m Emmet," I said, watching her get all excited. Somehow, I understood thisdy was not a kind one.


    "Well,e on inside. You look rich," she said, oddly shameless. She didn¡¯t hide the fact that she was excited about a donation.


    I hadn¡¯te here for donations. It was just an excuse to be here. I¡¯d spoken to the pack¡¯s alpha, and he had agreed that I could make donations without disclosing my identity because I hated the press.


    "Oh my, you even smell rich," she led me inside to a messy home where cleanliness wasn¡¯t a priority.


    "Sullivan, get up and leave some room for the rich man here who¡¯se to give us a donation," she yelled at her son, who was sitting on the couch ying a video game.


    He quickly got up and shed me a smile.


    He was Hnie¡¯s stepbrother.


    I sat down on the side of the couch, looking around to see any signs of Hnie. There were no pictures of her.


    Did this family not remember her?


    What happened that she left them and decided to live like a rogue?


    "So, do you have other children?" I asked, my warriors scanning the house to make sure the family knew they were being observed.


    "Oh no! I only have two kids¡ªthis is Sullivan, and then there¡¯s Vani. She must be in her room, studying, as if that would get her anywhere," she rolled her eyes at her daughter¡¯s hard work. But she was fine with her adult son littering around the house and lying on the couch ying video games.


    "Hm, you had another daughter¡ªwhat was her name? Oh, Hnie!" I snapped my fingers, pretending to think of the name.


    The look on their faces told me they weren¡¯t happy to hear her name again. The two exchanged a very secretive nce before Larissa responded, "Oh, that poor girl died a few months ago."


    She shrugged and then added, "I¡¯ll bring you some snacks. Sullivan, wanna help?" she motioned for him to join her in the kitchen.


    "You look familiar." A voice from behind me made me briefly turn around and stare at the 15-year-old girl holding a book in her hands.


    It was my published book from a year ago.


    "Hello," I greeted.


    "Hi!" she smiled,ing over and sitting on the couch with me. "She didn¡¯t die, you know," she started out of the blue.


    "Huh?" I pretended as if I had no clue who she was talking about.


    "Of course you know that. She lives with you, doesn¡¯t she?" That little girl shocked me with her information. But I had a feeling that if I wanted to know more, she was the right person for it.

 Chapter 360-I Misread The Signs

    <h4>Chapter 360: 360-I Misread The Signs</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    My heart had crumbled into tiny pieces like a cookie. My eyes kept trying to hold back the tears, but there were times when it became too hard for me.


    Right before my eyes, Maximus chose Charlotte.


    I could only think back and remember when he was convincing me to share my past with him. Imagine if I had done that. We make mistakes when we are emotional and overshare. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t.


    But would that help?


    Right now, it wouldn¡¯t. Because I was devastated inside my heart. All I could think about was leaving this ce and going back to the academy. I couldn¡¯t wait to kick Rayden¡¯s ass.


    I began to think about other things to stop myself from crying and drawing attention to myself.


    "Hnie!" Emma calling my name turned heads to me, "Are you not going to congratte her? I know she¡¯s not your cousin, but you two have grown up like cousins. Come on, give her a hug," she stretched her arm out and wiggled her fingers, asking me to go hug Charlotte, who was looking at me with those eyes that said she had won a better position in this family.


    "Before that¡ª," Emmet cleared his throat, stepping in front of me, "I would want to congratte my brother."


    Thankfully, him stepping up ruined the moment for Charlotte. The brothers gathered around them, and I saw Norman gesturing at me to escape the living room now that no one was looking.


    As I was about to do so, Emma called me again.


    "Where are you going?" It was bing too much. If she was happy for her daughter, she should just stay happy and not drag others into the mess, using this moment to get back at them.


    "She has some pending work. She should submit it before the academy starts. Just because she¡¯s our stepsister doesn¡¯t mean she gets a pass," Norman excused, giving me a reason to hide in my room for the rest of the night.


    Even when we hated each other¡¯s guts, he somehow helped me out of the situation. I bet he did it so I wouldn¡¯t ruin his brother¡¯s happy moment.


    I nodded my head and went straight back to my room, and once I was in my room, I broke down.


    "Fucking idiot, Hnie. Why do you keep getting fooled?" I hissed under my breath, kneeling down on the cold floor and remembering Kaye¡¯s words.


    Today, right before my eyes, I saw the worst sights.


    Both the men that made me believe they loved me had someone else beside them, but that¡¯s how it was going to be.


    I was the one who chose revenge over my love life, so I shouldn¡¯t be crying and focusing on it so much. But then the pain was too much for me to ignore.


    I sniffled and cried for two hours before climbing into bed and falling asleep.


    I woke up to the maid knocking on the door a few times. She had brought me all the food from lunch and specifically told me that Emma sent it to my room.


    I did eat it. In fact, I ate it like a savage while tears streamed down my eyes. I wanted to be left alone, so when Emmet texted me to ask if I was okay, I just told him I was and that I was heading to bed again.


    I respected him for giving me the space I needed in that moment. I woke up again around midnight.


    "That¡¯s it," I grunted, getting out of bed to go outside and force my wolf to wake up and transition. I needed her desperately tonight. I wanted my mind off my pain, so I had decided to focus on my wolf instead.


    I grabbed my purple sweater and walked out to the garden, rushing to the back exit. Since I had been living here, I knew when the warriors would change shifts. Those two minutes were enough for me to get out of the mansion and get some fresh air.


    Once I was outside, I began to hear howls in the distance. I frowned, looking around. But I kept walking on the road until I heard a lycan¡¯s howl, and that¡¯s when panic struck me.


    I checked the calendar on my phone to see a full moon, not the eclipse. That¡¯s when it hit me. I was stupid enough to think that since the eclipse was over, the lycans would be gone and hiding. But Norman was out there, running around and howling.


    I understood it wasn¡¯t a good time for me to be out here. But then the howls were so painful that I couldn¡¯t move away.


    They were also from a pretty nearby ce, so I got kind of intrigued. It was a few minutes past midnight, so maybe he was still transitioning.


    Curiosity struck me, and without thinking twice, I rushed toward the sounds. I reached the deep wooded area in no time, and the howls grew louder. It was the right ce. I hid behind a tree when I realized there were other people around.


    I stuck my head out from behind the tree and saw Kaye standing in my view. Not only him, but Norman stood in front of him too.


    Huh? Norman seemed fine.


    Of course, he did.


    Because the one transitioning was right between them, howling in pain. The sight was too much for me. I wanted to turn around and run back, as far away from this ce as I could. But my steps were glued to the ground.


    Tears streamed down my face as it started to make sense to me. Of course, I caught feelings. I wasn¡¯t some jerk who decided to go after her mate¡¯s brother for no reason.


    The damn mate bond did it to me.


    "Maximus, just rx. Get your mind off all the depressing stuff so you can transition painlessly," Norman uttered to Maximus, who was howling as he was transitioning into a lycan.

 Chapter 361-Back To The Academy

    <h4>Chapter 361: 361-Back To The Academy</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    It was the most horrifying sight for me.


    I ran back to the mansion like my tail was on fire. Now I understood why things didn¡¯t go as nned between us as we wanted them to.


    My promise was kept without me knowing. As I returned to the mansion, I noticed Emmet in the hallway, getting ready for whatever he does out there in the woods.


    In that moment, it became clear to me that the brothers go out either to take care of Maximus and also make sure he doesn¡¯t go into the poption to cause chaos.


    It all made sense now.


    I¡¯m not the only one who is keeping secrets. So I was no longer ashamed of holding things in and not telling the brothers. I ran to my room and locked myself in until morning. I would avoid the brothers at any cost now.


    Before anyone could wake up, I had already packed my stuff and left the mansion.


    I didn¡¯t care about saying goodbye to anyone either.


    "Look who¡¯s here," Lamarmented, extending his hand for me to shake, which I did with a weak smile on my lips. He was standing next to Gavin, Jenny, and Penn.


    "Give me a hug," he stole my bags, tossing them at Penn and Gavin to carry, and pulled me into a brotherly hug.


    "Hey, you okay, right?" he whispered in my ear. I bet he noticed I looked a little down.


    "I will be now," I replied as he broke the hug.


    "You look very pale. Did you not eat anything?" he asked quietly while examining my face.


    "I ate too muchst night. It was a great asion, and there was so much food--" I kept talking when he hushed me for a moment.


    "What asion, Hnie?" Of course, he understood something had deeply upset me for talking so much about a supposed asion that turned me pale.


    "Remember Charlotte?" I watched him nod. "Well, she is a close friend of Maximus."


    I watched him gasp and cover his mouth. "Which is crazy because--" I shut up as I bit my tongue.


    "What? Tell me what is it?" he insisted, but Jenny and the others had grown tired of waiting for him to step aside so they coulde and greet me.


    "Groups within groups, not epted," Jenny pushed him away and hugged me. Her arms tightly wrapped around me, and she patted my back.


    "I love you, sister. I hope you know that," her tone was slightly different and odd. She broke the hug and stepped aside as Gavin gave me a side hug.


    "Hey," Penn waved from behind Jenny, a strange hesitation clear in his body. It was so weird to be back at the academy now.


    "How are you all?" I asked absentmindedly as I had to physically stop myself from telling Lamar that Maximus is a lycan.


    And also, how could Charlotte be his mate when I felt the mate bond with him too? Or has he got two mates?


    One for his human form and the other for his lycan form?


    I just didn¡¯t get it.


    But I wasn¡¯t ready to explore anything either. Maximus did it to hurt my feelings. He chose Charlotte at a time when he was ¡¯dying¡¯ to be with me. But I knew his truth. Hence, his mother arriving with Charlotte was another game they were trying to y, probably to push me into blurting out that Maximus cannot be with my ¡¯cousin.¡¯


    "We¡¯re good. And we would love a hug too, but I guess¨Cwe¡¯re not that lucky," Penn said, shrugging dramatically while his hands stayed in his pockets.


    "You mean to say lucky?" I corrected him with augh, but he gestured for me to look behind me. I slowly turned around to see Lucy standing in the crowd, probably having arrived while I was greeting everyone. Maybe that¡¯s why she didn¡¯te closer.


    "I¡¯ll move away," Gavin said, walking off, and as he did, Lucy started walking our way.


    "Hey," she suddenly had a bright smile on her face as she waved her hands and hugged me tightly.


    Her scent took me back to the time when we first met. Although now she was wearing makeup, acrylics, and a mini skirt, the rest was the same. Her behavior was cheerful, just like it used to be before she got caught up in the mess with her mate.


    "Hello, all of you," she then broke the hug to greet the others but particrly avoided Jenny when she tried to hug her.


    "We¡¯re good. We wanted toe and see you but--" Penn took the chance to speak and divert attention to himself.


    "Oh, I¡¯m d you didn¡¯te because if you had, you would have brought her with you," she boldly eyed Jenny, who looked around and then instantly looked down in embarrassment.


    "Come on, let¡¯s go, Jenny," Penn definitely couldn¡¯t handle the truth. I didn¡¯t hate Jenny, but she did hurt Lucy pretty bad. All that time when Lucy was losing her mind trying to tell everyone she wasn¡¯t just imagining things, Jenny stepping forward would¡¯ve saved Lucy so much stress.


    Penn walked away with his sister, and now it was just the three of us.


    "Are you going to be okay?" I asked Lucy, wondering if the sight of the fall would affect her, and I could tell it already was. She had big tears in her eyes but kept a smile on her lips.


    "YuP!" she popped the letter ¡¯p.¡¯


    "Let¡¯s go back inside and see our room, shall we?" Lamar suggested, and we all walked in. Other students were already heading to their rooms. The wallpaper had been reced, and some new decor had been added.


    "Are you not going to take the elevator?" Lucy asked, confused when I started to walk on foot with her, taking the stairs.


    "I¡¯m not so weak anymore," I joked and watched her eyes grow bigger before she held my hand and squeezed it to show how happy she was.


    That¡¯s when I received a text from someone I didn¡¯t expect to get.


    Trainer Norman: Not even a thank you and you left already?

 Chapter 362-Chaos Between Her Friends

    <h4>Chapter 362: 362-Chaos Between Her Friends</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Me: I didn¡¯t want to see anyone. Thank you for the hospitality, but I also learned that this ce is not for me anymore.


    I hit the send button and raised my head to stare at Lucy, who had been standing next to the window, looking outside for a while now.


    "Who found me first?" Lucy asked, making Lamar look up from his phone.


    "The nurse!" he said, making both Lucy and I frown at him in confusion.


    "That is basically who holds you when you¡¯re born. Why? Did you expect a dragon to deliver you?" His jokended t, and he understood because he immediately looked down and started ying a game on his phone.


    "I don¡¯t know. I was too traumatized to ask those questions. But why?" I inquired.


    I could tell she was suddenly remembering more, and it seemed important to her.


    "There was something that entity wanted me to do--I mean--she said that¡¯s what will free her," Lucy bit her tongue as Lamar put his phone down to stare at her almost in disbelief.


    "And you¡¯re telling us that now?" Of course, he didn¡¯t hesitate to voice what was on his mind.


    "I¡¯m just remembering," she rolled her eyes at him before adding, "The entity needs a new body to survive once it gets out. And the person who finds my body would have been the one to get caught in the mix," she replied.


    "I did," I pointed at my chest as I recalled the details of that night.


    "We watched her fall but we didn¡¯t find her body," Lamar snapped his fingers from afar to wake me up.


    "That means we can¡¯t sit silently," I sighed, but my eyes moved to Lamar when he started pointing at his phone. He wasn¡¯t very discreet because even Lucy saw him, and she folded her arms over her chest to show him she was onto him.


    "What¡¯s going on?" she tapped her foot on the ground, warning Lamar not to hide anything from her.


    "Gavin messaged me," Lamar exined.


    "Oh, what did he say?" she asked, her tone dripping with attitude when talking about him.


    "He wants us to join him for lunch at Benita¡¯s Caf¨¦. All the friends together to start fresh," Lamar sounded meek because of Lucy¡¯s hard re.


    "And you two are going to join those two snakes?" she mentioned Gavin and Jenny, her tone hissing.


    "Depends on you," I quickly added. She had just woken up a few days ago, and I wanted her to feel at ease.


    "Alright," she nodded her head, licking her bottom lip before she replied, "Sure! Let¡¯s do it."


    Both Lamar and I shared a shocked nce before looking at her.


    "Oh,e on, I¡¯m not that heartless. I was hurt, but it¡¯s time to grow up. I want to do better and enjoy my life, as lying in that hospital bed for a month and being in aa taught me a lot." Her tone shifted back to normal, sounding like an overly excited person.


    We all began to unpack and do whatever work was pending for the next day, while I headed out to grab some fresh air.


    My mind was filled with so much conflict and questions.


    But I let them rest and kept staring into the distance until I had to go back to see Lamar.


    "Ready for lunch?" Lamar asked, putting on his ck jacket and getting ready.


    "Yeah, where is Lucy?" I asked, noticing that the bathroom was empty too.


    "I don¡¯t know. She said she was heading downstairs to meet you. You didn¡¯t see her?" Lamar turned to me, frowning and narrowing his eyes.


    "I wouldn¡¯t be asking you if I did," I growled in annoyance. It felt like before, and it got me all freaked out.


    "Okay, let¡¯s not panic, she must be caught up--oh, look!" he stopped talking as his phone rang. "That¡¯s Lucy."


    He answered the call while I realized I needed to take my phone off silent mode. The two only spoke for a minute before Lamar hung up on her.


    "What did she say?" I asked, almost in panic.


    "Calm down. She¡¯s fine. She said she needed to get some stuff and will meet us at the cafe," he finished, giving me a reason to sigh in relief.


    I got in the back of Lamar¡¯s bike, while Jenny and Penn took their car, and Gavin was going to walk. Penn suggested we go in his car, but I knew that whening back to the academy, Lucy wouldn¡¯t want to be in the same car as Jenny and Gavin. So, she would ride with Lamar, and I would be in the car with the others, including Gavin. That was the n, unless Lucy made it clear she didn¡¯t want me associating with them.


    We arrived on time and entered the cafe, where, except for Lucy, everyone else was already there. We took our seats but didn¡¯t order, wanting to wait for her to arrive.


    "I hope she won¡¯t be upset--" Jenny meekly uttered, but her brother¡¯s grunt silenced her.


    "She made her own decision toe here. Nobody forced her, so she better watch her mouth when passing any unnecessaryments about my sister," he made us all stare at him in shock.


    "You do realize Lucy has a reason--she¡¯s hurt--" Gavin attempted to defend Lucy when Penn scoffed at him and silenced him.


    "And yet, she wanted to join, so she better behave. My sister isn¡¯t going to be hearing her brutal remarks about her life. It was a drunken mistake, and then it was up to you to tell your mate what happened. My sister got--" he was yammering aggressively when he shifted in his seat, stretched his neck out, and narrowed his eyes at someone.


    "Is that Lucy with Sydney?" he finished, making us all turn our heads to see what he meant.


    And yep, indeed, it was Lucying in with Sydney and Salem by her side.

 Chapter 363-Lesson Of The Day

    <h4>Chapter 363: 363-Lesson Of The Day</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I felt so ufortable when I saw Lucying over to join us with Sydney and Salem. She even had her arm wrapped around Sydney¡¯s as if they were best friends.


    "This is crazy," Lamar muttered before they reached us.


    "And now we know who the real toxic one is," Penn grumbled, shaking his head with a sly grin on his lips.


    "Hey everyone, I hope you don¡¯t mind me bringing my friends too," Lucy giggled as she reached us. Sydney scanned the crowd for me, and when her eyesnded on me, she smirked and winked.


    I mmed my hands on the table and stood up. "I have some assignments pending. I¡¯m heading back to my room."


    I wasn¡¯t going to stick around and deal with Sydney¡¯s remarks, which she instantly started making the minute she heard me say I wanted to leave.


    "Come on, Hnie, don¡¯t be a baby. I came here in peace." Sydney rolled her eyes, while Salem looked down after getting a re from Gavin.


    "I don¡¯t want to sit at the same table as you," I snapped at Sydney, who rolled her eyes again.


    It was as if she wasn¡¯t even trying to make anyone believe she had changed.


    "Really? But you¡¯re sharing a table with Lamar, Gavin, and¡ªJenny. Oh! So just because you decide you want to make amends, that¡¯s when people are allowed to sit next to you?" Sydney clicked her tongue, trying to call me out on my hypocrisy¡ªwhen there was none.


    "All these people know they¡¯ve messed up, and they¡¯re trying to be better," I shot back at her, noticing Lamar and Jenny had stood up to back me up.


    "And you¡ª" I hadn¡¯t even finished speaking when Jenny cut in.


    "Lucy had a choice, but you were brought here without Hnie¡¯s permission. And as for Lamar¡ªhe¡¯s been with her through thick and thin, so don¡¯tpare yourself to him." Her confidence was on a whole different level as she defended us this time.


    "Hush, snake!" Sydney held her hand up to stop Jenny.


    The whole time, my eyes were on Lucy, who kept her head down with an annoyed look on her face, as if we were the ones in the wrong.


    "You two thought you¡¯de here to make Hnie ufortable? Well, guess what, we won¡¯t be sitting here either." Gavin mmed his hands on the table as he spoke to Salem and Sydney.


    "I didn¡¯t do anything¡ª" Salem said softly but went quiet when Gavin shot her an angry re.


    "Then we¡¯ll sit and eat with Penn," Sydney said as she sat down, but that¡¯s when Penn stood up.


    "I¡¯ll show you another ce, Hnie," he said to me, avoiding her.


    "Seriously? You¡¯re going to leave with Jenny and Gavin?" Lucy asked, folding her arms over her chest.


    "How can you hate Jenny and Gavin but not Salem?" I didn¡¯t want to drag Salem into this mess, but since Lucy had been giving me a hard time for talking to those two while she herself went ahead and befriended Salem, I just couldn¡¯t hold it in.


    "Because I get to choose who I want to forgive. Isn¡¯t that what you did too? You wanted to forgive Lamar, so you did. You didn¡¯t want to forgive Sydney, so you didn¡¯t," she shrugged, making me stare at her in disbelief.


    It was a painful moment for me. You can¡¯t make someone understand you if they don¡¯t want to.


    "You expect me to fight your battles while you¡¯re making friends with your own enemies? And what part of someone apologizing do you not understand? Lamar has proven to me that he deserves my forgiveness. But Sydney¡ª" As I snapped at Sydney, I realized there was no point in arguing.


    What hurt the most was that Lucy made it all about me. Out of all the people who hurt her, she chose to take it out on me.


    "Let¡¯s go," I said to Lamar, walking ahead of him. I heard the others follow me while Lucy stayed behind.


    Once we were out of the caf¨¦, someone called out to Gavin.


    "I didn¡¯t do anything." It was Salem, hurrying after Gavin. He turned around and squared up to her.


    "Then why are you here?" Gavin yelled in her face, taking his anger out on the wrong sister.


    "I thought if you all got along¡ªI¡¯d get to be¡ªI mean, sit next to you," she said, sounding genuine. When that didn¡¯t satisfy Gavin, she added, "I even texted you that Lucy was bringing Sydney with her to warn you so you wouldn¡¯t be caught off guard."


    She quickly searched for her phone in her purse, but Gavin had already turned away and signaled us to leave.


    We left her behind and got into Penn¡¯s car, while Lamar and Gavin rode together on the bike.


    I noticed a slight change in Lamar¡¯s attitude toward Gavinpared to earlier. After Lucy showed up with Sydney and Salem, Lamar took it as a chance to openly dere his friendship with Gavin. After living together for a while, I had seen a strong bond form between the two.


    "So, Hnie, what lesson did you learn from today¡¯s incident?" Penn adjusted the mirror to look at me, while his sister side-eyed him from the passenger seat. I sat in the back, feeling pretty emotional.


    "If you can¡¯t say it out loud, I will. The lesson is: don¡¯t put all your faith in one person. Don¡¯t be too careful with everything you do. You can¡¯t always be right, and you definitely can¡¯t do justice to every rtionship. That doesn¡¯t make you a bad person. You have many people who want your attention and need your friendship, but you can¡¯t fulfill all their wishes," he spoke in a calming tone. But I guess Jenny noticed my teary eyes. I didn¡¯t want things to go south between me and Lucy.


    "Penn, hush!" she grunted at her brother.


    "I think I¡¯m also Hnie¡¯s friend, and honestly, I don¡¯t like it when someone tries to push her down," Penn shot back at his sister, making herment,


    "Is that why you refuse to sit and eat meals with our parents anymore?"


    I was shocked to hear he had taken a stand against his parents.

 Chapter 364-She Thinks I Am Evil

    <h4>Chapter 364: 364-She Thinks I Am Evil</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    We didn¡¯t go anywhere for lunch after that. I asked Penn to take us back to the academy, and he did. Once we arrived, I rushed straight to my floor and into my room. Lamar was already there with bags of food, and so was Gavin. He was leaning against the wall, watching me as I walked in.


    "Let¡¯s eat something," Lamar insisted, giving me a look that said I should sit down and not overthink things. But how could I not?


    Instead of things getting resolved in my life, they were only getting messier and messier. And now Lucy! I couldn¡¯t understand what her deal was. Every day, one of these people made me appreciate keeping my secrets to myself even more.


    "Please?" Gavin insisted, squinting his eyes a little. I nodded and sat on Lamar¡¯s bed while they started unwrapping the food.


    "I hope Lucy doesn¡¯t freak out when she sees me here," Gavin muttered, taking a big bite of his burger.


    "I told you, dude¡ªdon¡¯t worry about it. She lost her credibility when she not only showed up with Sydney but stood there and let her question Hnie. It was as if she brought Sydney along just to say the things Lucy couldn¡¯t say herself," Lamar said with his mouth full, immediately biting his tongue when he spat his food everywhere.


    "I think she¡¯s in a really vulnerable state right now. She needs proper guidance. We shouldn¡¯t hold it against her," Gavin sounded genuinely concerned. I guess he really wanted to fix what had gone wrong.


    I, however, didn¡¯t add anything to the conversation. I wanted to talk to Lucy alone and then decide what needed to be done.


    "Just because you messed up once doesn¡¯t mean you need to bow down all the time. Not to mention, I agree with us being harsh on you, but not on her when she was cheating on you. She just got lucky that she ended up being the victim. Otherwise, she would¡¯ve been in your ce right now," Lamar said, brutally honest as always.


    He wouldn¡¯t shut up until he had said whatever was on his mind. And I didn¡¯t stop him either.


    After we finished our meals, the door finally opened, and Lucy walked in. Before she arrived, we had been wondering how we would react or how she would react to seeing us here.


    But the moment she stepped in, we realized that wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    She waspletely drunk.


    Gavin quickly stood up, and so did I, ready to support her. But she rushed past us, pushing us out of her way to get to Lamar.


    "Hey!" She flopped onto his bed, and Lamar jumped like a startled cat. He quickly got up and turned away from her.


    "Come on, what¡¯s the matter? You don¡¯t want to fuck me now? You did before," Lucy smirked, licking her bottom lip and making all of us ufortable.


    "I feel very vited," Lamar whispered in my ear from behind, his arms dramatically wrapped around himself as if he were naked.


    "Lucy! You¡¯re drunk. Let¡¯s get you to your bed," Gavin said, his eyes darting to us to see how we¡¯d react.


    "Shut up, Gavin. Go screw someone like you always do and let me enjoy the best dick I¡¯ve ever had," Lucy shouted at him before turning to Lamar with a flirtatious look.


    "I don¡¯t think mine is better than Gavin¡¯s," Lamar tried to defuse the situation, maybe to make Gavin feel better or to avoid ruining their friendship. But hisment backfired when Lucy caught on.


    "Ohhh! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve slept with Gavin too. I mean, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised. Gavin is such a bottom, and you¡ªwell, you love cheering people up with your dick," she rambled, clearly out of her mind.


    "Okay, that¡¯s enough. You¡¯re going to bed." I grabbed Lucy¡¯s arm, pulling her up while Gavin stormed out of the room.


    "I¡¯m not liking this new version of hers," Lamarined, rushing after Gavin. Wow, they really were getting closer.


    "Ah, they¡¯re gonna hook up," Lucy muttered with a pout. But the minute I managed to get her on her feet, she turned to me and yanked her arm free.


    "You¡¯re not so innocent either," herment stunned me. I knew she was drunk, but sometimes drunk people say the truth.


    "Lucy, you¡¯re drunk," I said, trying to get her to bed before she said something even more hurtful.


    "No! Let me talk. Stop controlling me all the time. As if you¡¯re better than me," she rolled her eyes.


    "I¡¯ve never said I¡¯m better than you," I tried to exin, but she wagged her finger and moved it side to side in front of my face.


    "You always steal the attention. The way everyone listens to you and waits for Queen Hnie to make a decision¡ªit drives me crazy. You¡¯re the reason Gavin hurt me. If you had worked hard and found out the truth, I could have been spared all this pain. But instead, you let it happen because you wanted a sad, depressed Lucy by your side¡ªsomeone you could pity," her harsh tone cut deep, making me feel instantly attacked.


    Tears started to well up in my eyes, but I held them back.


    "No, that¡¯s not true, Lucy. I care about you. I don¡¯t know why you think I¡¯d do that to you," I began, but she walked away, threw herself onto her bed, and rolled under the covers.


    "Go cry in front of the boys. Your miserable act usually works on them," I couldn¡¯t believe I had hurt her so much that she was saying all this to me.


    The Lucy I knew before her rejection would never have said such things. But this new Lucy, broken by rejection, seemed to think all her friends had betrayed her.


    "Now go! You have no idea how I felt when I was in aa. I wish the entity had taken my body instead¡ªat least then, I¡¯d have been powerful. But of course, even a monster wouldn¡¯t want me. So you better watch out¡ªwho knows, maybe the entity will choose you like everyone else does," she kept muttering until she finally passed out.

 Chapter 365-They Want Revenge?

    <h4>Chapter 365: 365-They Want Revenge?</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    She had fallen asleep, and I had gotten under my nket to pretend to be sleeping when Lamar arrived.


    He called my name in whispered a few times to check on me, but I pretended to be asleep too.


    We had our first day at the academy in the morning, and we got the notification that it was going to be a running record. It¡¯s a kind of ss where the trainers make groups and then hold these matches where they want their team members to cover more miles before the others.


    I wanted to have good energy for the first ss. Thebat sses wereing up, and these were now physical exercises. I really wanted to do well and focus on my revenge now.


    I woke up still upset because I couldn¡¯t get over Lucy¡¯s words.


    "Morning!" Lamar said as he got ready in the red tracksuit. By the time I hade out of the bathroom, Lucy had already left for ss.


    "Morning," I gave him a faint smile, trying to keep the energy positive.


    "Don¡¯t be upset. She wille around. Let her go mess around with Sydney and find out for herself. She¡¯s in that phase where after a breakup, someone tries hard to be in a cool gang. But she¡¯s not made for that gang, and I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll realize it sooner." Lamar didn¡¯t know the extent of the disappointment Lucy had shown toward mest night, so he wouldn¡¯t understand for now. However, I gave him a head nod as if I agreed with him and decided to get ready instead.


    We all had our red tracksuits on as we walked out of the academy to meet the brothers. It felt so odd to be back attending sses. Honestly, I loved this academy now.


    Jenny and Penn stood together. Gavin wanted to stand separately, but Lamar pulled him closer to us. He kept checking our faces to see if we were allowing him to stand next to us. I had no problem with him standing with us, but I had a problem with Lucy standing next to Sydney and snickering just like how the mean girls used to do before.


    In fact, Lucy had reced Salem. And that shocked me. Sydney was avoiding her own sister, but she would also make sure her sister didn¡¯t go away from her and befriend someone else.


    I was worried for Lucy. Sydney was not a good influence.


    "Morning, everyone!" Maximus arrived in a stunning ck shirt, causing my heart to skip a beat. I now knew why my emotions had been so strong toward him. We were mates, and although it could change everything for Kaye¡ªiming I used his brother to get back at him¡ªit also didn¡¯t change much. Maximus yed me.


    He avoided looking my way, just like he had never known me, and stood before the students.


    Since Sydney and I were the ss monitors, we were standing right in the front. Yet Maximus was looking at Sydney but not at me.


    "Hello, everyone, wee back!" Out came Kaye from his ck Mercedes, wearing ck just like his brother.


    Kaye and Maximus passed each other a smile, looking happy and in good moods.


    "I¡¯m sure you all got our message and know what today¡¯s lesson is about. My brothers will arrive shortly, so how about we warm up a little before they get here?" Kaye stood tall, pping his hands once in front of his body and then behind, continuing to do that excitedly.


    "So! Monitors, step forward," Maximus yelled for me and Sydney, again avoiding looking my way.


    "Stand before your lines and give us a handstand."


    I was taken aback when they mentioned that out of the blue. I don¡¯t know if I have ever tried it, but it felt so random.


    In the sybus, they had mentioned push-ups, chin-ups, squats, and miles¡ªbut not a handstand.


    But Sydney was on a roll. She quickly got to action, flipping her body up, standing on her hands while maintaining good bnce.


    I looked through the students, making eye contact with Lamar, who looked so concerned.


    "Sir! It¡¯s easy for Sydney since she used to be a cheerleader. As for Hnie, this is new for her," Penn took a stand like the alpha he was, always voicing his opinions whenever he could.


    "Not talking to you, Penn," Kaye almost hissed, pointing at Penn.


    "Come on, Hnie. What¡¯s the matter?" Maximus said my name, but he chewed on it between his teeth. I don¡¯t know if others noticed it, but I did.


    "I cannot do it," I excused myself, my hands tied behind my back, feeling so low.


    "Huh?" Maximus walked closer, leaning down to bring his ear next to my face. "Say it again."


    It felt so strange to catch his scent now.


    "I have never done that before," I replied meekly, keeping my voice soft and my tone under control. This wasn¡¯t his mansion where I would argue with him.


    And they had made it clear that they didn¡¯te unprepared.


    "You can at least try. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re so fragile you¡¯ll break if you fall," Kaye scoffed, fixing his watch while keeping his head down and staring at me through his eyebrows.


    I felt so weird being watched by everyone. Sydney stood next to me, a triumphant smile on her lips.


    I nodded and tried to get down, attempting to carry my body on my hands, but I fell every time I tried. It got to the point where I just couldn¡¯t stop attempting, as theughter from the students grew louder.


    I noticed Jenny closing her eyes, Penn clenching his jaw, Lamar scoffing, and Gavin shaking his head. But what stuck with me was Lucy¡¯s reaction.


    She had her hand on her waist, her weight settled on one leg, and her face tilted. There was such a cocky grin on her lips that I felt like I was watching someone who looked exactly like Sydney¡ªnot Lucy.


    "That is enough. You have made enough of a joke out of this ss. Now go take a round of the mountains ande back in one hour," Kaye yelled, shocking me back to reality as he punished me harshly.

 Chapter 366-He Is Different!

    <h4>Chapter 366: 366-He Is Different!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Ugh!" I groaned in pain,ing to a halt after half an hour. Sure, I had some strength from my wolf, but it was nowhere near enough to cover the mountains in one hour.


    No one could¡ªunless it was obviously the brothers. They were strangely powerful, and I could understand why Maximus was, but the others were no ordinary ones either.


    I bent down with my hands on my knees, struggling for breath.


    I deserved this treatment. How the fuck did I let two brothers fool me?


    I should have stayed focused on my mission, but deep down inside, I was still that dumb, hopelessly romantic idiot.


    I sighed and straightened my back, taking one more step and grimacing in pain.


    "Take a rest and go back to your dorm room," I heard a voice from behind me, and I didn¡¯t have to turn around to see who it was.


    "No, thank you, Trainer Maximus. I was asked to finish my round, and I won¡¯t stop until I¡¯ve achieved that target," I groaned arrogantly, turning around to head back to the starting point.


    "This is the fifth time I¡¯ve told you that your punishment is over. You¡¯re free, and you¡¯re just being stubborn," Maximus said, his hands on his waist, looking angry.


    He had actually asked me to stop the first time I tried to reach my goal in one hour. Every time I realized I couldn¡¯t, I would return to my starting point and start over.


    I would quit running midway once I realized I had wasted too much time and covered very little ground. So, keeping on going wasn¡¯t benefiting me. I would return and restart.


    "If you want to be a bad guy, be a bad guy. I don¡¯t want your sympathy," I hissed at him, stretching my arms a bit.


    "Huh? You think I¡¯m the one in the wrong? You betrayed me and left me in the middle¡ª" As he began to hiss ande at me, I yelled back at him.


    "Why? Mommy wasn¡¯t helping you? How were you alone?"


    My words struck him¡ªI could tell because he stepped back and raised his brow at me.


    "What the fuck? Why are you dragging my mother into this mess?" He didn¡¯t sound too pleased.


    I guess it was time I told him the truth.


    His truth.


    I wouldn¡¯t let him act like a victim of my poisonous ws.


    But I must say, I was shocked that his mother agreed to him epting Charlotte. What was she nning now? She would have never epted anyone rted to my mother, so why Charlotte?


    "I heard you!" I hissed.


    "I never said you were deaf," he kept the same confused look on his face.


    "Maximus, I heard you speak with your mother," I muttered, and the minute I did, tears started to form in my eyes. I hated acting like he had seeded in hurting me.


    "About what? What did you hear?" The look on his face told me he was beginning to understand. He tried to approach me, but I stepped back.


    "I heard you talk about trapping me and using me against my mother. I fucking heard you say you thought of me as a dumb tool, something you were going to use to stop the engagement before you kicked me out too," I screamed, then covered my face with my hands, hiding the tears that had escaped my eyes.


    He looked shocked that I had found out about his n.


    "Fuck!" he cussed, his hands flying to his head. "That was just to y my mother!"


    I stepped back and rolled my eyes. His audacity was something else. I couldn¡¯t believe he was twisting the story so outrageously.


    "Of course, you¡¯re not going to admit it. I am such a fool," I shook my head, waving my hands to dismiss the topic. I didn¡¯t have a reason to keep talking to him.


    "No, wait!" As I tried to get past him, he stepped in my way and spread his arms to block my path. "I swear I¡¯m not lying. My mom asked me to fool you and all that, but I figured if I made her believe I was being honest, she would let me have you. And when it was time for me to kick you out of my life, I would backstab her and make you my queen," he exined, trying his best to sound genuine.


    But I didn¡¯t care anymore. I wasn¡¯t that much of a fool to believe his ridiculously unbelievable story.


    "Sure!" I scoffed and attempted to get away when something he said stopped me dead in my tracks.


    "You¡¯re the one who yed me, though," he continued flipping the script on me.


    "Sure!" I clicked my tongue. It was obvious he was grasping at straws to use me of something and make himself look innocent. But what he said next shook me to my core, and I turned to look at his face in shock.


    "You never told me that whatever I felt with you was because of your pheromones."


    "What? You¡¯re not going to say anything?" He had genuine tears in his eyes.


    I stared at his face, my breath quickening, but before I could respond, someone else had it out for me.


    "Why the fuck are you not running?" Kaye screamed from afar, and I visibly startled at his sudden arrival. The anger in his tone jolted me out of my own thoughts.


    "It¡¯s okay, Kaye. She¡¯s off the punishment," Maximus said in a very grumpy and angry tone.


    Kaye, who was walking toward us like he was about to kill an enemy, ignored his brotherpletely. He walked right past him and stopped face to face with me. I even had to step back to create some distance between us.


    "Get going. You are not getting spared until you¡¯re done," he hissed, his eyes ring daggers at me.


    I just felt a dark vibe from Kaye, almost like I didn¡¯t recognize him.

 Chapter 367-He Said In Every Position.

    <h4>Chapter 367: 367-He Said In Every Position.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You stay out of it, Maximus. This is our academy, and every student must do their best to be a part of it. She has been getting way too many favors. It¡¯s time she realizes it¡¯s not easy to be part of RVS," he never looked away from me. But the clenching of his jaw made me scared of him. And before I knew it, I was so scared that I turned to run and continue with the punishment, but I identally tripped on something, and the next thing I knew, I tasted blood in my mouth.


    "Dude!" Maximus grunted at his brother, rushing to help me. I got up but held my hand near my mouth. I might have a busted lip where I was bleeding from.


    "Every student goes through that. Stop acting like it¡¯s something unusual," Kaye surprised me with his reaction.


    Even when I had so many conflicts with Maximus, even when I doubted his overly sweet behavior toward me, I appreciated how quickly his expression changed to concern when he saw me in pain. But Kaye! He was so indifferent.


    He was acting as if I had killed him in a past life. Even his eyes seemedpletely empty when he looked at me.


    "Keep going," Kaye yelled again.


    "Wait a minute," Maximus used the same harsh tone when stopping me.


    "I said she is good to go. No need to make it about your ego, brother," he still managed to calm his tone when speaking to Kaye, but Kaye! He just looked so cold and distant.


    "Don¡¯te between us. She is not just my student but my¡ªmate too, and I can do whatever I want with her¡ª" he stopped real close to his brother, their noses almost touching as Kaye muttered, "and wherever I want, in whatever position."


    I swear, when I say my heart dropped, it dropped like never before.


    Maximus instantly stepped back and grunted at his brother, showing his displeasure at thement.


    "Do it," a voice came from behind Kaye. It was Norman, who had just arrived.


    "What are you saying¡ª" Maximusined to Norman, who held up a finger to stop him.


    "Do it, Kaye. Let me see how you n to do it." It wasn¡¯t Norman encouraging Kaye, but there was a threat in his voice.


    "I didn¡¯t mean to threaten her. It was just a way of letting Maximus know¡ª" Kaye no longer carried the same aggression now that he was being confronted by his older brother.


    "To let him know what? That you own her? You don¡¯t. She is her own person," Norman walked closer, now standing face to face with his brother while keeping me behind him.


    "Isn¡¯t the mate bond supposed to be like that?" Kaye finally gave his brother a deep stare.


    "Sure! When both people agree. You can¡¯t get engaged to someone else while forcing your mate to stay alone," Norman retorted harshly.


    "Didn¡¯t she reject Maximus as well? So suddenly, it¡¯s okay for everyone to y us, brother?" There was a moment of saddness in Kaye¡¯s voice now that Norman was standing against her and not blindly siding with him.


    "You know it¡¯s never okay for anyone to mess with my brothers. But I know her side, and without a shadow of a doubt, you two screwed her over. Sure, it could be argued that she shouldn¡¯t have dated Maximus, your brother, but who knows? What if he¡¯s also her mate¡ª" The way Norman said that sent chills down my spine.


    Both brothers grimaced in confusion, staring at Norman, waiting for him to exin hisment.


    "She already found me as her mate," Kaye rolled his eyes, not believing for a second that someone could have a second fated mate. Or at least, that I could have another mate.


    "Kaye! Maximus! You both have mates now, so stop talking about this and leave her alone. I will not ept anyone disturbing my academy¡¯s peace. I won¡¯t remind you two again that we need to keep things professional," Norman patted Kaye¡¯s shoulder, but Kaye only tilted his head to re at me from behind his brother.


    "Now! If I¡¯ve made myself clear, let¡¯s head back. She already missed half her ss, Kaye!" Norman¡¯s voice was full of disappointment, but Kaye¡¯s eyes told me he wasn¡¯t happy about his brother showing concern for me.


    Where Kaye looked furious, at least Maximus showed a little concern.


    "Hnie, go back to the grounds and continue your warm-up," this time, Maximus spoke to me.


    I nodded and walked past them, leaving them behind as I rushed back to the academy¡¯s training grounds. I rejoined the others in silence, and while waiting for the brothers to return, I had a word with Lamar and Gavin.


    "What is their problem? That was so unfair," Gavin kept grumbling under his breath, shaking his head.


    "Gavin got a lot of heat from Kaye after he objected when you left," Lamar filled me in on what happened after I was gone.


    "Wait, what happened?" I turned to Gavin, who gave me a look, telling me it was nothing.


    "He protested against your punishment, so Kaye asked everyone to vote on whether the punishment was unfair," Lamar exined.


    I could tell Gavin was constantly eyeing him, trying to stop him from saying more, but Lamar had to be honest with me. He knew I¡¯d want to know who was on my side.


    "And who in our group voted against me?" I asked curiously. He could tell I wanted to know who had supported me.


    "Our group favored you, and so did Salem!" Lamar added, making me turn to Gavin, who stared at Salem in the distance. She stood alone, her hands in her pockets, with a very stern expression on her face.


    She did stand right next to her sister, but her face clearly showed she wanted to be somewhere else.


    "What about Lucy?" I turned back to Lamar and asked.


    "She thinks... the punishment was justified," Lamar pointed out, giving me the news I dreaded to hear.


    So that¡¯s how it is now.

 Chapter 368-A Great Offer

    <h4>Chapter 368: 368-A Great Offer</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    After a few minutes, the ss was over, and the brothers had gathered in a corner.


    "Hey, Hnie," I heard Rudy call out to me, jogging toward me in his tracksuit. Their training session started after ours finished. We were preparing to head back to the academy when Rudy spotted me.


    I slowed down to fall behind the crowd and have a word with him. All the while, I was aware of the eyes on me¡ªthe brothers, standing together and talking, had turned their attention toward us when they heard Rudy yell.


    "Hi," I replied meekly, feeling awkward after everything that happened today.


    "Don¡¯t be too sad. Not everyone can do everything. Besides, you know yourself¡ªonce you get into something, youe out victorious," Rudy stopped near me, smiling and speaking in an encouraging tone. I realized he was referring to the earlier incident.


    "Yeah, butbat is the one thing everyone has told me I can¡¯t do," I muttered. Even though I had learned a lot with Norman, and he had done a great job waking my wolf, it was still difficult for me to ace every exercise¡ªespecially when they were outside the sybus.


    "You know what? How about I train you?" Rudy¡¯s sudden offer brought a small, broken smile to my lips. "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get my fee. You¡¯ll have to join me for dinner every night and listen to me ramble about nonsense."


    He spoke so charmingly that I felt like his training might actually help me.


    "Thank you so much. I¡¯ll owe you big time," I said. I wanted to train, so whatever help I could get, I took it.


    "Good, see you then." He looked down and blushed. "I¡¯ll, umm, head back to my own ss now." There was a subtle, flirtatious look in his eyes that he kept casting at me after I epted his offer.


    As he walked away, I noticed the brothers silently ring at me. I didn¡¯t care what they thought of me now. Kaye had proven he had it out for me, so I needed to learn how to defend myself against his attacks¡ªwhether verbal or... I just hoped they wouldn¡¯t sink to a new low where the strikes became physical.


    "Wait up!" I was on my way to the academy when Maximus caught up with me. I should have known the brothers weren¡¯t the type to let things go easily.


    "What was he saying?" Maximus stepped in my way, his hands on his waist.


    "Max! Come back," Norman yelled from afar, but Maximus ignored him, holding up a hand to signal him to wait.


    "He wants to train you?" Maximus repeated Rudy¡¯s words. So they had heard him.


    "Yeah," I replied, sidestepping to get past him, but he moved right back in my way.


    "Why? You¡¯ve already been trained by Norman. Why Rudy now?" His tone was so aggressive that I felt the need to remind him he wasn¡¯t my mate and had no right to question me.


    "Sir, you should focus on your own fianc¨¦e, not me. I will spend time with whoever I want. Please understand that every training session and ss will only strengthen my abilities," I spoke respectfully but in the coldest tone possible.


    He kept watching my face as if he couldn¡¯t believe how distant I was toward him.


    "Then let me¡ª" Before he could finish, I shook my head. He already knew I wasn¡¯t ready to ept his help.


    "No, thank you. I will stick with my friend and fellow," I finished, noticing the harsh look forming on his face.


    "Are you not guilty about hiding your pheromones from me and leading me on like a fool? You have no guilt at all?" He shocked me with his ignorance.


    "Hmm, don¡¯t we all have secrets, Maximus?" I gave him a smile, and from the way his own smile faded, I knew he remembered he had secrets too.


    I proceeded to walk away and head back to the hostel. Everyone had gone for lunch, but thankfully, Lamar had brought food to my room, with Gavin beside him. Lucy didn¡¯te to check on me¡ªnot even once. It hurt, but I tried to stop thinking about it.


    By the time I came out of the shower, Lamar and Gavin had already settled on my bed. We sat down to eat, focusing on our goal of training.


    "I wille with you," Lamar suggested, keeping his head down while talking about me training with Rudy.


    "I¡¯ll be fine," I reassured him, but he shook his head again.


    "With the brothers targeting you, I just don¡¯t want to leave you alone with anyone," he added, and Gavin pouted.


    "Is it because they didn¡¯t want your mother to marry their father?" Of course, Gavin was still in the dark.


    "A lot of things," I replied, avoiding the main truth.


    "Anyway, I was so upset today. I¡¯lle with you," Gavin added, offering to join.


    "Guys! I will be fine," I continued to reassure them, but they were stubborn, so I didn¡¯t have much choice.


    "Well then, we better finish our lunch, take an hour¡¯s nap, and then be on our way," Lamar told Gavin, not even letting me object. And since they also wanted to train, I thought it was a good idea for all of us to go together. I wasn¡¯t sure how Rudy would react to it, though.


    "Penn wouldn¡¯t be very happy," Gavin said under his breath, and I cocked my head at him in confusion.


    "Why not? He can join too if he wants training," I suggested, but the way Lamar and Gavin shared augh made me believe there was more to Gavin¡¯sment.


    "I¡¯m sure an Alpha being trained by a fellow Alpha wouldn¡¯t be a good idea. But that¡¯s not what I meant when I said he wouldn¡¯t be happy. Hnie, umm, Penn wouldn¡¯t like knowing you¡¯re spending time with, umm¡ª" Lamar shut up when I narrowed my eyes at him.


    "Umm, umm, what? Stop saying ummm so much," I frowned, urging him to finish his sentence.


    "Penn has confessed to us that he has feelings for you, and¡ªa little bird told me Rudy is interested in you," Lamar exined, making my mouth drop open in shock.

 Chapter 369-The Rise Of The Organization

    <h4>Chapter 369: 369-The Rise Of The Organization</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    "Emmet, calm down. I took care of everything," I told my brother, watching him anxiously pace around. It wasn¡¯t like Emmet to behave so nervously. He would usually take a sip of his wine and rx whenever he was stressed out. But this time, he refused to calm down.


    "Maximus filled me in on what happened in ss today. Why the heck did Kaye make thatment?" Emmet faced me again, asking me the same question.


    I knew¡ªI was disgusted too. My brother shouldn¡¯t have gone that far.


    "I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t mean it. He was just so angry that¡ª"


    "Norman, it must have hurt her so much. You don¡¯t know her¡ªthe trauma¡ªGoddess!" Emmet cut me off.


    "I know the words were harsh, but no real harm was done," I tried to reason.


    "How do you know? Those words weren¡¯t just nothing to her. They must have struck her hard." I didn¡¯t get what Emmet was implying.


    "Brother, is there anything I need to know?" I asked.


    Emmet scoffed and took small steps around me. "Forget it. It¡¯s not my story to tell." There was a subtle unease in his voice when he said the word ¡¯story.¡¯


    "What story?" I inquired, narrowing my eyes at him, but he refused to look back at me.


    He was hiding something. He must have known more about Hnie and why she was so secretive all the time. I knew it too. I mean, I learned from her bodynguage that she was hiding some trauma, but what it was¡ªI didn¡¯t know.


    I didn¡¯t explore because I realized she wasn¡¯tfortable with it. But I knew Emmet¡ªhe was the curious one. He liked knowing everyone¡¯s story, and somehow, she might have confessed something to him.


    I watched him look so worried for her.


    ¡¯And she never shared anything with us,¡¯ my wolf howled weakly. It was odd how he almost nevermunicated but suddenly had something to say when it was about Hnie.


    "I don¡¯t want to talk about it. I just hope she¡¯s feeling okay now," Emmet showed so much care and concern for Hnie. But then he paused and turned to me. "Are those two fools okay?"


    I was waiting for him to ask about his brothers.


    "It¡¯s Kaye!" I watched him narrow his eyes at my response. "He¡¯s acting odd. I stared into his eyes today, and I found emptiness. Emmet¡ª" I cleared my throat as I gently ced my hand on my chest. "One heartbeat is struggling way more than the others."


    Emmet almost yelped but then walked closer to me, cing his hand on my chest.


    "What are you feeling, brother?" he asked in a concerned tone.


    "That¡¯s the problem. There are times when I don¡¯t even feel his heartbeat in me anymore. That is concerning to me. I stood face to face with him, and even when he showed disappointment toward me, the heartbeat disagreed with his visible concern. It was almost like he was pretending to be upset and worried," I ryed my concern to him, anxiously rubbing my hands over my face. He pulled his hand back and frowned in confusion himself.


    "I didn¡¯t want to say it before, but¡ªI noticed it before you. I just thought it was a reaction to heartbreak, but hearing you say there¡¯s a confirmed change in the beat, I¡¯m certain something is going on," Emmet rushed to his table while speaking anxiously. His tone was heavy, his wordsing out with a mix of stress and anger.


    "Look at this." He showed me his recordings of weather changes and scents in the air. "Things have changed recently. It¡¯s almost like¡ªold times," he mentioned as he opened an old book about the organization.


    "When the organization was on the rise, such toxins in the air used to be verymon. And sudden weather changes, along with the appearance of so many monsters, suggest only one thing." Emmet looked me in the eye with extreme tension before Ipleted the words for him.


    "The Evil Organization is back in action?" I didn¡¯t even want to imagine it, but as Emmet lowered his head and sighed, I knew his answer.


    "You better start training our students hard now. If it¡¯s true, then more monsters are going toe out of the woodwork, and we¡¯ll need all the students, packs, and every single person who is sane to start defending theirnd against them," Emmet continued, his nervousness visible in his bodynguage.


    I had so many questions and concerns, but I decided to give him a break for now.


    "I¡¯ll make a new schedule and also keep my eye on Kaye. I¡¯m worried something is seriously wrong with him too." Even the thought of Kaye losing his mind was driving me crazy.


    If the organization was forming, that would mean Kaye was in a very sensitive situation. He would need a lot of attention to make sure he held onto his sanity.


    "I¡¯m afraid there might be only one person who can help him if he truly starts to lose himself," Emmet said out loud just as I was walking toward the door.


    My body flinched because I already knew who he was referring to. I turned to him and shook my head.


    "I don¡¯t want that either. She shouldn¡¯t be tangled in this mess. She has her own to deal with." Thankfully, Emmet seemed to be on the same page as me. But what did he mean by her own mess?


    "Emmet¡ª" I started, but he seemed to already know what I was going to ask, so he raised his palm.


    "Please don¡¯t ask any questions. Just tell me¡ªwill you be on her side if shees forward with a huge im, pointing fingers at some of the biggest alphas?" His question sent a chill down my spine.


    I wasn¡¯t afraid of any packs or their alphas, but what scared me was what could be so terrible that trauma and alphas were being mentioned in the same sentence when it came to Hnie¡¯s story.


    With a confident look on my face, I nodded. "I know her. I will believe her."


    It was crazy how my opinion of her had changed. But I wasn¡¯t some fool with poor judgment. Her character was crystal clear, and whenever she lied, it was only under extreme conditions¡ªwhen she had something big to hide.

 Chapter 370-The Sweet Apple And The Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 370: 370-The Sweet Apple And The Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I am d you came," Rudy was in the woods, finishing up when I showed up. He only gave me a smile when he noticed my two friends behind me, and his smile started to fade a little.


    "Hey guys, I didn¡¯t know I was getting lucky with so many students today," he managed to smile, despite looking visibly unhappy.


    "I hope it¡¯s okay," I confirmed with him, and he gave me a nod. His sudden shift back to a good mood was helpful because I was seeing this practice as just a way to train and not for other reasons.


    In the next few minutes, he helped us warm up and then began to reminisce about his own first sses. He brought out his old registers, which shocked me. He used to give himself daily tasks¡ªexercises he had to do, including very hard ones like taking rounds of mountains without much help from his wolf.


    He got us on our feet for a few rounds. Since they were also using a little strength, I didn¡¯t fall too far behind. In fact, there were times when I was running ahead of Rudy.


    I thought he was just slowing down on purpose to make me feel better about myself. But the others were also behind me. We finally arrived at our starting point after three hours of running and noticed how the boys were able to catch their breath.


    I guess I needed my wolf fully awake to be able to do that.


    "That was impressive," Rudy said, pping his hands. Since it was just my friends, no one was shy about celebrating my strength.


    I shyly looked down and then squared up for the next lesson. It was going great. Everything was going just like I expected when I¡¯m with my friends. Lamar and Gavin were pretty goofy during the breaks.


    The two seemed to have bonded well during their time together.


    "Okay now, we will rest," Rudy raised his hand to stop the exercises. Lamar and Gavin threw their bodies on the ground to rest.


    "I saw some apples on the trees, Hnie, do you minding with me to pick some?" Well, I guess I knew what Rudy was up to.


    He wanted to spend time with me, and he was going to do it, whether my friends were around or not.


    I turned to look at my friends and found them giggling andughing about something they were whispering about in secrecy.


    "They¡¯ll be fine," Rudyughed, noticing my concern. "Besides, we¡¯ll be getting them apples."


    He added, extending his hand to me. I didn¡¯t take his hand but quickly followed him to let him know I was joining him.


    "So, how do you feel being back at the academy?" he started talking softly, walking beside me and leading me into the deeper woods.


    "It¡¯s good. What helped the most is that Lucy has woken up," I wasn¡¯t lying about that part. Even though she had proven to me that our friendship didn¡¯t mean anything to her anymore, I was still d she woke up.


    "Yeah, that was crazy. We got a month of holidays for her, and then she woke up to join us," he joked, making me smile at his little attempt to cheer me up.


    "What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s upsetting you? You¡¯ve been so silent and sad ever since you returned to the academy," he said, very talkative, unlike Penn.


    That was the difference between them. Other than that, both of them were very respectful towards me.


    "It¡¯s just¡ªthe stress ofbat sses approaching," I lied, but hearing himugh made me raise my eyebrow at him.


    "Yeah, it¡¯s because Lucy is hanging out with those twins, isn¡¯t it?" he sighed, making me remember that the top seniors always had their eyes on us.


    "What do the seniors talk about us?" I asked out of curiosity.


    "They have a strong opinion of you. They don¡¯t really talk about the others," Rudy exined. "They talk about how you were a wolfless one, yet you¡¯re the most talked about now. They also think I¡¯m hitting on you because no top seniors hang around a junior like I do with you," he smoothly shifted the topic to his feelings.


    But I knew what my friends had told me about him and his confession about hitting on me.


    "That¡¯s a good thing. I hope I give them more to talk about me," I joked, attempting to move the topic away from the romantic side of it.


    I wasn¡¯t ready to talk about or move on from what happened between me and my two mates. It was also better for me to stay away from Rudy at the academy, or else Kaye would lose his mind. He most certainly did today.


    "Here we are," Rudy jumped ahead and quickly pushed the branches away to reveal the area he wanted me to see.


    It was a beautiful small river with so many fireflies that the whole ce seemed to be lit up. I gasped at the beautiful sight, my hands flying over to my mouth.


    "It¡¯s a beautiful sight, isn¡¯t it?" he asked from behind me, whispering right into my ear.


    "It is," I replied shyly, but quickly took some steps ahead and then turned to him to create some distance between us without making a fuss about it.


    "So, the apples, huh," I nodded my head, admiring the view. The tall tree had such red apples, as if someone had painted them red.


    "Yeah! I love apples," hemented, grabbing one and taking a huge bite from it. He wasn¡¯t lying when he closed his eyes and enjoyed the taste.


    The apples looked so tasty. He then grabbed one for me with a smirk on his lips. I epted it and took a bite, and when I said I was stunned, I was really stunned.


    The vor exploded in my mouth. It was such a tasty apple that I couldn¡¯t evenprehend what I was eating at the moment. It tasted as sweet as candy.


    "Let¡¯s grab some for them," I added, reaching for another when he did the same, and our hands touched in the air.


    He didn¡¯t pull his hand back but pulled his body closer to mine, staring at me with his head down.

 Chapter 371-Calm Before A Storm

    <h4>Chapter 371: 371-Calm Before A Storm</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I knew at that moment if I didn¡¯t back down, he would get the wrong idea. And I could not start another journey right away, especially when all I was feeling was just a fleeting sensation in my body and not deep feelings for him or Penn.


    "Oi! Why did you two leave us behind?" Thankfully, Lamar¡¯s loud voice andining tone gave me a reason to jump away from Rudy, who didn¡¯t look very happy at the interruption but formed a smile on his lips when weing Gavin and Lamar.


    "We came here to get you food," I said, pointing at the apple tree.


    "Where¡¯s the food?" Gavinined.


    "Is the food in the room with us?" Lamar continued, making me roll my eyes at him.


    "They¡¯re tasty, trust me," I told them, giving them a look to not act like kids.


    "Hnie, when somebody says food, I imagine pizza, burgers, and burritos," Lamar hissed, but then reluctantly reached the tree and grabbed an apple. As soon as he bit into it, his eyes widened, and a shocked look took over his face. Before I could tell him, ¡¯I told you so,¡¯ his expression went back to normal, and he added, "But it¡¯s definitely an apple."


    That guy!


    "You¡¯re so rude," I elbowed him gently in his ribs, and heughed. Gavin grabbed apples too¡ªactually, way too many¡ªand I knew what he was doing. He was getting them for our friends. Gavin was really a nice guy. He just made mistakes in the past and got everyone to look at him like he was forever a bad person.


    "Now, shall we go home? I can¡¯t work out another hour," Lamarined, gesturing for me to look at his phone screen. He had ordered a huge meal.


    I knew he wanted to get outside the academy to grab the food before the warden saw it.


    "Yeah, I think that will be it for today. We¡¯ll continue from tomorrow, okay?" Rudy said, his hands on his waist.


    Now I understood why an alpha wouldn¡¯t want to be trained by another alpha almost his age. Penn wouldn¡¯t like Rudy¡¯s tone when he¡¯s in trainer mode.


    The alpha had such a big ego that it sometimes made meugh at them.


    "Alright, goodnight," Gavin yelled, with Lamar¡¯s arm wrapped around his shoulder.


    "Thank you, Rudy!" Before leaving, I wanted to genuinely express my gratitude to him. It was truly amazing that while he could have spent that time resting or having fun, he decided to train us.


    "It¡¯s nothing, not for you. I can do much more," he bent down, his hands on his knees while flirtatiously staring at my lips.


    "Oh, okay! Thank you!" Nervously, I stepped back,ughing awkwardly.


    "You look so cute when youugh, you know that, right?" heplimented again, making my cheeks turn red. I noticed Lamar and Gavin stop and turn to look at us.


    "Are you twoing or not?" Lamar was really not okay with Rudy and me being alone. And I appreciated it. It wasn¡¯t like I wanted something to happen, but Rudy was so charming that I feared my clumsy and nervous shying away might give him the wrong idea.


    "Yeah, we¡¯reing," I said, speeding up and gesturing for Rudy toe along. Once again, Rudy didn¡¯t look too happy, but he silently followed us.


    This time, Lamar made sure he had me by his side so that Rudy wouldn¡¯t slow me down and walk beside me.


    Now, that might be too much, but I wouldn¡¯t judge Lamar until he told me what was going on. We arrived at the hostel, and Rudy stopped inside while we grabbed the food and decided to sit in our room.


    The minute we opened the door and got inside, my mood soured at the sight of Lucy, Sydney, and Salem sitting on her bed and having a meal.


    Lucy knew this is what me and my friends liked to do, so she brought them here to ruin the moment for us.


    Lucy gave me a very upsetting look when noticing Gavin behind me.


    Sydney turned briefly and smirked, "This is so yummy. We should do this every day," she said while still looking at me.


    Lamar gently nudged my arm and led us to the balcony instead. It was cold outside, but it was peaceful. But knowing Sydney now had open ess to our room, thanks to Lucy, I wasn¡¯t veryfortable.


    "What¡¯s going on with her? I thought it was a one-time thing," Lamarined, taking huge bites of his pizza.


    "Yeah, maybe don¡¯t take your anger out on the food. You already ate two slices, while Hnie and I are still on our first," Gavin pointed at the pizza slices,ining.


    "Yeah, well, I¡¯m angry. And¡ªit¡¯s a match. Whoever eats fast gets a good deal," Lamar argued back. They were such kids.


    "I¡¯m amazed by Lucy myself. What¡¯s going on with her? What¡¯s her n, and why is Sydney being friends with her?" I gave my input since it wasn¡¯t that shocking that Lucy wanted to be part of the cool group, but Sydney didn¡¯t even like people who were lower in rank than her.


    "She¡¯s pissing you off," Lamar exined, but that¡¯s when Gavin gently shook his head.


    "She¡¯s pissing off her sister," he finished, and our eyesnded on his face in shock.


    "She wants to create a wedge between me and Salem by causing distance between our group. Sydney knows the more she annoys you, the more I¡¯ll ignore Salem," he exined, finally giving us the insight, and I¡¯m sure he got it from Salem.


    We couldn¡¯t talk about the topic anymore, mainly because I had seen the urge in Gavin¡¯s eyes to go and talk with Salem, but I guess he was afraid of the mess it would cause with Lucy and Sydney.


    After we were done, we returned to our room, and Gavin left for his own. Sydney and Salem had left by then, so it was really just the three of us.


    Right before I was lying in my bed, I heard Lucy¡¯s whisper, "You surely chose him over me."

 Chapter 372-A Blast From My Past

    <h4>Chapter 372: 372-A st From My Past</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I wanted to tell her and remind her it was she who brought this upon herself when she befriended Sydney, but I didn¡¯t. I just gave her a simple reply that I thought would help her realize our friendship now had a huge dent.


    "I deserved the punishment, didn¡¯t I?" I lied down, but she bolted upright in a jolt.


    "Gavin told you that, didn¡¯t he? Don¡¯t you see he¡¯s doing that so our friendship gets ruined?" she spoke hastily, using a bitter tone and not caring about the volume to the point that she got the attention of Lamar.


    "No! I did, and let me tell you some breaking news: you¡¯re responsible for this mess. You wanted to befriend Sydney and then taunt and mock Hnie to stay on Sydney¡¯s good side. Dude, you are so done. So why not shut the heck up and sleep?" Lamar didn¡¯t y this time¡ªhe actually yelled at her.


    That was shocking. Lamar usually doesn¡¯t raise his voice at women, so for her to piss him off this much exined how wrong she was heading and how oblivious she was for putting the me on me instead.


    Lucy went silent and then slowly crawled under her nket. I heard her whimper, but I noticed Lamar sit up in his bed and make a huge cross with his arms, signaling me not to check on her. I agreed with him and went to sleep.


    Although I knew she was dealing with a lot aftering back from thata, I had to give her a nudge to wake up and get back on the right path.


    We woke up early and joined the brothers on the training ground. They all avoided me like I didn¡¯t exist.


    "Let¡¯s pick our teams, shall we?" Norman pped his hands, stepping forward to face the students.


    Emmet had his hair in a loose man bun, strands of his hair dancing around his face.


    "Hnie," before others could even agree that they were ready to pick, Emmet went ahead and said my name. I was taken aback by the sudden name call.


    Not just me, but everyone turned their heads toward me. It wasn¡¯tmon for the trainers to pick someone right away like that.


    "Wait, we have to first decide who will go first," Norman smiled, almost like he wasughing ufortably when reminding his brother to follow the rules.


    "We can do it now, but I already had a pick. So you guys can go ahead and decide who will go next," Emmet disagreed with him, making Maximus shake his head.


    "I think we should go from the start," he said.


    "Why? I only picked one person. Unless you want her on your team, I think it¡¯s okay for us to just move forward," Emmet sounded so aggressive as he refused to restart.


    "Okay!" That was the first time I watched Norman look so unhappy.


    I could tell it wasn¡¯t because his brother picked me. I mean, one of them would have picked me eventually, right?


    The others then started to do rock-paper-scissors, and in that moment, I watched them genuinelyugh and push each other back when they all selected paper.


    They were so close to each other, so it was going to be hard for me if one of them turned against me. Thankfully, Kaye hadn¡¯t bothered me today. But it could be because Norman and Emmet were at the ground today.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll go next," Norman said, but before he could continue, he turned to his brothers and gave them one look before saying, "Sydney."


    Wow!


    Why did he choose her? I had to shake my head to stop acting like he shouldn¡¯t when he had every right to. Why was I getting upset?


    "Lamar," Kaye stepped ahead and picked Lamar, and my face instantly lost its color.


    "I think we should pick friends in one team so they¡¯re more at ease with each other," Norman said to Kaye, making me believe he was actually showing concern.


    "Gavin!" And then Maximus called out to Gavin, almost like dismissing Norman¡¯s request and agreeing with Kaye.


    They were picking my friends only, so they were targeting me.


    I was so bothered that I instantly looked down.


    "Jenny," and the way Emmet also picked my friend confirmed the brothers¡¯ line was all about me at that moment.


    "Salem," Norman said, keeping the "bitchy" ones, or he thought they were, in his group.


    "Penn!" Kaye yelled, and I grimaced.


    "Lucy!" Maximus certainly didn¡¯t know she was no longer my friend, so he picked her.


    At this point, it was a shitshow, and I could tell Norman and Emmet were not happy about it. But the younger ones were on a mission to bother me.


    In the end, I was left with the strangers, except for Jenny and Hans Willerk. He was the one in Sydney and Salem¡¯s team back when we were doing the frogster cage task. I remembered him from there. He was a messy one. So messy that even Sydney and Salem had distanced themselves from him.


    After the whole team-up was done and we had already done some exercises, our sses were finished.


    I was seriously left with a sour taste in my mouth for the day. But as I was heading back to the academy with my friends catching up with me, I noticed a number pop up on my screen.


    Then I received a text from the unknown caller.


    Unknown: Pick up my call. You know me.


    I frowned, staring at my screen that kept lighting up with the call.


    "Hey, are you okay?" Lamar arrived, his hand on my shoulder.


    "Yeah, I¡¯m getting a call. But the unknown caller says I know them," I showed him my screen.


    "Then attend the call. Maybe it¡¯s someone from old school or someone you¡¯ve met before," Gavin didn¡¯t realize it wouldn¡¯t be that easy for me to attend a call from someone I had known beforeing to the academy.


    If it was indeed someone from my past, then I¡¯m freaking screwed.

 Chapter 373-The Final Call

    <h4>Chapter 373: 373-The Final Call</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    As the caller kept blowing up my phone, I was left with no option. I agreed with Gavin and answered the call. As soon as I put the phone to my ear, I was stunned to hear his voice.


    "So, it seems like I can¡¯t just let you live happily. I¡¯m going to tell your pack and father that you¡¯re alive. I¡¯ming for you."


    It was Rayden, making a final threat.


    My eyes widened at Lamar, who got the hint from the look on my face that it was someone who meant harm. I got so scared from his tone that I hung up on him.


    "What happened? Who was it?" Gavin asked, walking beside me on my left while Lamar walked beside me on my right. Jenny and Penn were behind us. But I guess Jenny wasn¡¯t sure if we would invite her for outings because of Lucy.


    "It was a wrong number," Iughed nervously, but Lamar got the hint. He knew it was not nothing, but he also knew he shouldn¡¯t bring attention to it.


    "Jenny, why don¡¯t youe have lunch with us?" Gavin suddenly turned to her, and both Lamar and I stopped. We weren¡¯t upset with her over anything, at least I wasn¡¯t. I was just ufortable since her mate was actively threatening me. But I must say, she looked abused by him. Verbal and mental abuse must¡¯ve made her dependent on him.


    Back when she used to try so hard to tell her parents and brother Rayden was in the wrong, they didn¡¯t believe her. And from what I¡¯ve been hearing, his parents still praised him. It was Penn who had cut ties with Rayden.


    I still had to figure out what to make of Penn. His close association with Rayden and his rendezvous wearing his jacket had left a mark on me.


    "I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯d want me..." Jenny mumbled.


    "You cane," I jumped in and offered her. I wasn¡¯t trying to get back at Lucy by inviting Jenny, but I realized Jenny shouldn¡¯t be held back when she was trying so hard to make herself a part of our group.


    "If¡ªif it¡¯s okay with you," I turned to Lamar and whispered.


    "It¡¯s fine," he replied. "I¡¯m really over her, so it¡¯s okay." Hisment really hurt because Jenny heard it, and her face fell.


    However, nothing could be done about it since she was still dating Rayden.


    We still went to our rooms and freshened up to join the hall for lunch. While I was in the room and showering, I couldn¡¯t forget Rayden¡¯s threat. My eyes kept moving to my phone, and I wondered if someone would just call me to tell me the council had found out I faked my death and that I needed toe back to be punished.


    It was the most stressful shower I¡¯d ever had to take. Once out and dressed, I watched Lamar stand by his bed. He had taken a shower before me.


    But he stayed behind in the room to have a word with me about the call before we headed out for lunch.


    "Who was it?" he asked, rubbing his palms anxiously.


    "It was Rayden. He was making a threat that he would tell my old pack¡¯s alpha and the council that I¡¯m alive." I sighed, steadily crouching down and sitting on his bed. He sat beside me, his hand on my shoulder, his body turned toward me.


    "You should have told him that if he did, you would tell everyone about that night," he made a good point. I should have made that threat. "And also remind him that his reputation is ruined. His credibility is in the mud, so nobody would really believe him anymore." I wished there hadn¡¯t been others around when Rayden called. I would have asked Lamar for help.


    "I s¡ª," I stopped when my phone rang again, and my eyes widened. "That¡¯s him."


    I pointed at the phone¡¯s screen in urgency, shaking at what he might be calling for. What if it was just to tell me that he¡¯d already informed my pack and the council?


    Lamar gestured for me to pick up the call and put it on speaker, so I did.


    "Hello!" I answered the call and put it on speaker.


    "You got some nerve cutting the call on my face, pretty face," heughed on the other side, making me clench my jaw and close my eyes in anger. He was such a bastard.


    There wasn¡¯t a single bone of guilt in his body. In fact, I could tell he was enraged that I was still alive and thriving while he got kicked out of the academy.


    "Go ahead, tell the council if that¡¯s what you¡¯re calling for. But remember, the minute they pursue me, I¡¯ll fight back. I¡¯ll let them know all about that night and your connection to another murder of a redhead girl. Isn¡¯t that who the hair belonged to?" I heard him go silent for a moment, but then he startedughing out of nowhere.


    "And you think anyone would believe you either? Your credibility is lost as well. Guess what I heard the other day when I left you on the road?" My body shuddered at the reminder of that day.


    He called me a monster and sped away¡ªso what else happened?


    "I came back for you when I found the two brothers confronting you about ying with them," my heart dropped in my chest, and I rose from my spot, gulping, as I looked at Lamar with teary eyes.


    "You bad, bad girl. You yed them both. You got one of them to ept you, then ditched him for his brother, and then ditched the brother for Rudy. What the f*ck! You turned out to be such a yer. Now I wonder if you enjoyed all those d*cks in all your holes that night..." His every word pierced through my skin like a needle.


    That kind of usation would ruin my credibility now.

 Chapter 374-Face Off

    <h4>Chapter 374: 374-Face Off</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Cut the call," Lamar mouthed to me because he could tell I was having a panic attack. The way he mimicked my condition from that night made me clench my fists and close my eyes to try and breathe properly. But I couldn¡¯t. I was enraged. I wanted to kill him. It had to happen now. He had no way to be guilty and get punished. His punishment would be death.


    "And I realized, hmm, it¡¯ll be much more believable if I say you tried to seduce two Alphas to pit them against each other, and when they caught on to your bullshit, you used them of rape and ran away when you couldn¡¯t prove the evidence." His words made it harder for me to breathe.


    All this would definitely make them believe I¡¯m in the wrong.


    "But¡ª" I gasped, "I am not that heartless."


    He suddenly changed his tone back to normal, no longer mocking me.


    "Oh,e on, don¡¯t cry," I bet he heard me sniffle. "Here¡¯s what should be done. You juste meet me alone in the deep woods, and we¡¯ll settle this out," he finished.


    I opened my eyes and saw Lamar shake his head at me. "Tell him no," Lamar mouthed.


    I kept watching Lamar¡¯s face before I closed my eyes again and replied, "Okay."


    I hung up the phone, and he texted me exactly where we were going to meet.


    "Hnie, what the heck did you do? Just wait a minute and think before you just go into the woods¡ª" Lamar started to follow after me as I grabbed my boots.


    "I don¡¯t care anymore. I need to see him. If you really want to help, get me a silver dagger." I was breathing heavily, trying to stay calm while there was fire burning inside me. How dare Rayden mock that night?


    "Hnie, let¡¯s think¡ª" Lamar insisted, but I stepped back from him.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll go alone then. You don¡¯t need to find me anything," I told him. He grabbed my hand to stop me.


    "I know you¡¯re angry, and I guess you¡¯re right. But you¡¯re not going alone. He killed my sister too, so I¡¯ming with you," he said, grabbing his bag from under the bed. "Don¡¯t worry, we have enough daggers in my bag for the both of us."


    With that, we held hands and started heading down the stairs to the ground floor. Our n to have lunch with our friends seemed pretty unrealistic. Given the circumstances and our mission, we shouldn¡¯t even be sitting on our asses and doing nothing.


    We walked out of the academy and were on the road when we started to hear calls from Jenny, Penn, and even Gavin. We avoided them all and continued on our journey. I was feeling very emotional because today I was going to confront him, and I could tell Lamar was in his feelings too.


    Although we couldn¡¯t get Rayden to lead us to his friends, we were still going to be upfront with him, and I would fight till myst breath.


    We arrived at the designated location, and sure enough, Rayden was leaning against the tree, waiting for us. But his mood soured when he saw Lamar with me.


    "Already breaking the rules," he hissed, narrowing his eyes at Lamar.


    "What did she tell you?" he asked Lamar, who narrowed his eyes in return, then stretched his neck, getting ready to hit him with the truth.


    "That you are a bastard. You can¡¯t keep it in your pants," Lamar finished, and somehow, Rayden found it hrious because he broke out inughter.


    "That¡¯s cute," Rayden finished. "I told you toe alone. But you broke the rules. Now I¡¯ll have to go tell the council everything about you. Everything about how you tricked the Alphas and fooled them," he quieted down when he saw Lamar square up to him.


    "You fucking wouldn¡¯t dare," Lamar yelled.


    Rayden squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, furrowing his eyebrows and pouting. "What¡¯s up with you? Why are you acting like I did something to you?"


    Of course, he didn¡¯t think Lamar¡¯s anger toward him was justifiable¡ªjust because it didn¡¯t happen to Lamar, but to me.


    Rayden was a cold man, an ignorant, heartless man.


    "You shouldn¡¯t believe her entirely, you know. Do you know she¡¯s been having an affair with her stepbrothers?" Rayden said it in a tone that he was certain would shock Lamar. He was expecting Lamar to turn to me in disbelief about why I hadn¡¯t told him about my affairs.


    "I know," Lamar replied, and it visibly bothered Rayden.


    "Huh! So you¡¯re on her side because you think the trainers will help you with the academy score? Let me tell you a funny story¡ªshe yed them so the trainers are against her now. I heard what happened at the training ground today as well, so you might want to reconsider the whole thing and whose side you want to believe in," Rayden spoke bitterly but kept a grin on his lips. "Hey, trust me, dude. She¡¯s lying about everything. She faked her death and left her pack. Do you know she was the one who caught me in that hooker lie?" Rayden was trying to turn Lamar against me, but he didn¡¯t know Lamar had already figured him out long ago.


    "She didn¡¯t," Lamar said confidently. "And you know why I¡¯m so certain she didn¡¯t? Because it was I who did it."


    That surely struck Rayden hard. He seemed taken aback before he shook his head. "Why¡ªwhy would you do that?" It was almost like Rayden didn¡¯t want anyone on my side. Even my own friends taking my side was hurting his ego.


    He wanted to corner me and win from me onest time after losing so many times.


    "Because," Lamar walked closer to him and uttered, "remember that redhead you and your friend raped and murdered? She was my sister, you fucking prick." With that, Lamar headbutted him so hard that Rayden fell on his butt, his eyes growing unnaturally wide in shock.

 Chapter 375-The Warriors Came To Arrest Me

    <h4>Chapter 375: 375-The Warriors Came To Arrest Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    The look on Rayden¡¯s face said it all. He was bleeding from his nose from Lamar¡¯s attack. He stumbled before getting back on his feet, but this time, I was already close by and gave him a closed fist punch. Hended again, grunting under his breath.


    This time, he didn¡¯t even get up but started chuckling. He had his head down and eyes on the ground as if he was deep in thought. Once he was done, he lifted his head to look Lamar straight in the eye.


    "So that bitch was your sister? Ah! I should¡¯ve guessed it, but how could I have? I didn¡¯t see her face properly, but I sure did see and explore every inch of her¡ª"


    Lamar growled and hit him with his knee, knocking him back.


    I was revolted with disgust¡ªthis man was a total scumbag.


    "So you couldn¡¯t do it yourself, so you brought in your bodyguard?" Rayden spat out blood, hissing, and before we knew it, he was back on his feet again.


    "But you two assholes forgot I am an Alpha."


    With that, he let his ws grow, spread his arms, and wed us both to the ground at once.


    His force and strength were honestly too much for us. I grimaced as his ws struck me hard in the stomach, leaving a trail of blood down my body.


    I turned to crawl away while he got on top of Lamar and started wing at him. My eyes widened, and I quickly rolled over, getting up and onto Rayden¡¯s back to pull him off Lamar.


    "Ahhhh!" I screamed, wrapping my arms around his neck and throwing my body back. I held onto my bicep tightly while my elbow pressed under his chin. My legs wrapped around his body to keep him still.


    However, he quickly ripped my arms apart, broke out of my hold, pushed me down, and got on top of me. The weight of his body pinned me in ce while he wrapped his fingers around my neck.


    "I should have made sure we did it right the first time," he muttered through heavy breaths, squeezing my neck too hard.


    I started running out of breath when Lamar got up and punched him from behind. However, Rayden didn¡¯t let me go.


    He was so enraged that he kept taking hit after hit but wouldn¡¯t release me. Just when I thought I was going to pass out, something flipped inside me, and I started staring deep into his eyes. As we locked in an intense stare, I began to hum. The sound came from deep within me.


    Within seconds, Rayden¡¯s grip loosened around my neck.


    I didn¡¯t know what I was humming or why I was humming, but it worked. Rayden stepped back and fell to the ground.


    He covered his ears, closed his eyes, and his nose started bleeding.


    "No! No, no!" he screamed while I got up on my feet again.


    "What the heck happened?" Lamar yelled from the side, making me turn my head to look at him. He was on the ground, on his knees, with his nose bleeding and his eyes bloodshot red.


    I got concerned and snapped out of whatever evil had grasped onto me. The next thing I did was kick Rayden in the chest and throw him back.


    "Ughh!" he let out a cry, but I got on top of him and punched him repeatedly.


    "You fucking asshole¡ªyou¡¯re a piece of shit," I hissed, not stopping. He attempted to get me off, but my power overtook him.


    It was as if I couldn¡¯t hear anything around me¡ªjust water bubbling and waves. My legs felt a little numb, but I kept going at him until I felt someone¡¯s arms wrap around my stomach.


    Lamar pulled me off Rayden, keeping me steady and in check.


    "We don¡¯t want him to die," Lamar yelled, and I started to stop fighting. My body went limp in Lamar¡¯s grasp. My knees felt weak and shaky, as if they could give out at any moment.


    "Ughh!" Rayden twisted and turned on the ground, crying hysterically. "How could you¡ªbe more powerful than me?"


    He was crying like a child, his entire face a mess.


    "Listen, you pimp," I struggled free from Lamar¡¯s grasp and made my way to Rayden, crouching down to have a word with him. "Now go ahead and tell the council and my pack that I¡¯m alive. I am prepared. I don¡¯t care if I can take down your friends or not¡ªyour defeat will be enough for now."


    His face showed just how scared he was of me.


    I watched him gulp and try to crawl away from me. "All I need is your DNA to match with the DNA found on Lamar¡¯s sister. And with the help of Norman, Emmet, or Rudy, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to do it easily." I put too much faith in the people in my life.


    I knew the brothers were upset with me, but I could tell they would take such a huge usation seriously.


    Besides, confidence is key. The way I spoke to Rayden made him believe I wasn¡¯t afraid to go public with my information.


    "You have the hair," he muttered, like he had doubted me when we spoke on the phone.


    "Aha! Do your part, and I¡¯ll do mine," I hissed, spitting at him.


    He remained on the ground, crying into his hands, while Lamar and I got to our feet.


    We were ready to be summoned by the council now. The DNA on Lamar¡¯s sister could help us a lot in throwing Rayden and his friend behind bars, and who knows¡ªI might even find out that his friend was one of the assants in my case as well.


    Lamar and I returned to our room in silence. It waste, and we knew that the next day, we would be bombarded with questions by our friends whom we had ditched today.


    Lucy was already sleeping, so we both went to bed as well. The silence between us was a sign that we had been through a lot the whole time.


    We were so shocked by what happened in the woods today that we couldn¡¯t muster the courage to recall it and have a talk about it.


    I fell asleep peacefully after remembering the crying face of Rayden. The fact that I had overpowered an Alpha made me wonder what my wolf actually was.


    I woke upte to the sound of heavy knocking in our dorm room.


    Getting out of bed, I noticed Lucy had already left, as her shoes were gone, while Lamar was in the bathroom.


    "What is it¡ª" I opened the door and instantly went silent upon seeing some warriors in uniform.


    "Miss Hnie! You are under arrest!"

 Chapter 376-He Is Dead

    <h4>Chapter 376: 376-He Is Dead</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What is going on?" My heart was pounding hard as the warriors from some pack grabbed my arms to drag me out of my dorm room. I had no clue if this was a nightmare or really happening.


    "Maybe you should wait for the trainers toe," Lamar yelled and jumped in the way, spreading his arms to stop the warriors from taking me away. They had me in handcuffs, and the minute we were off our floor, I was sure everyone would see and start gossiping.


    "Step aside, youngd. We are the warriors of the pack. We are here to arrest her for the murder of Rayden."


    The words didn¡¯t do me any favors. The way they said it, I felt my heart stop in my chest.


    "You must have a misunderstanding. He must be lying just to get her in trouble," Lamar realized. Rayden had hit another low¡ªfaking his death just to frame me.


    The warriors shared a nce and then looked back at us.


    "His dead body was found in the woods where you met him," one warrior turned to me, ring at me and making my blood run hot.


    "What? He is¡ªhe is dead?" I gasped, trying to get away from them because now I could tell this was real.


    "I didn¡¯t do anything, I swear!" I began to beg and plead for them to let me go. But that¡¯s when Rudy rushed upstairs and came into view.


    "Get your hands off her!" he yelled. Behind him stood Sage, a frown on her forehead.


    "How dare youe here and attack one of us without any warrant?" She folded her arms over her chest and steadily approached them, making them back down.


    "We were ordered by the council to bring her in for questioning," the warrior exined to Sage. They could tell the two in front of them were Alphas, which is why they weren¡¯t beingpletely ignorant like they had been with Lamar and me.


    "Questioning? But you have her in handcuffs," Sage hissed at him, pointing at my restraints. I was shaking so miserably that I thought I would pass out.


    I just didn¡¯t understand how Rayden ended up dead. Sure, I had injured him badly, but when I left, he seemed fine¡ªjust regretful.


    "We thought she would resist," the warrior stepped back, eyeing the other warrior to unlock my handcuffs. But it was decided that they would drag me to the council no matter what.


    "What is going on over here?"


    And then he came. Norman gracefully walked upstairs and yelled, filling the air with tension. But somehow, I felt relieved. Even though I knew Norman didn¡¯t like me, I felt a strange sense offort wash over me when he came into view.


    "Sir, she has been used of the murder of Rayden¡ª"


    As the warrior started talking, Norman raised his palm to silence him.


    "I spoke with the council, and I told them I would bring her in myself for questioning. Who the fuck told you that you coulde here and handcuff my student?" Norman yelled, towering over the warrior. He looked so massive and intimidating.


    "And exactly on what basis are you arresting her?" he then proceeded to question, his frown growing deeper and more intense.


    "She is thest person he met. In fact, his phone records show that the two were meeting at the same spot where he was found dead," the warrior mentioned, referring to the texts Rayden and I had exchanged. My heart sank in my chest.


    This wouldn¡¯t look good for me. How the heck would I get these usations off me now?


    Of course, once they started researching my past with Rayden, they would confirm that I was indeed the one who killed him.


    All these thoughts started to cage me when Norman walked over to me. The other warrior had now opened the handcuffs, but I couldn¡¯t move or notice anything else.


    "Is it true? Did you meet him in the woods?" Norman asked in a much more understanding and gentle voice.


    "He asked me toe," I uttered, gulping hard.


    "And? Did you go?" Norman continued, his eyes suggesting he wanted me to deny it so that I could be spared. But I was sure he wanted my denial to be the truth.


    As I lowered my head and closed my eyes, a helpless sniffle left my lips. I didn¡¯t know Rayden would die and then get me into trouble.


    That man was a problem, whether alive or dead.


    "Tell me, Hnie, did you meet him?"


    Norman probably wanted to know because he would investigate and try to find the truth about our meeting or who else could have a motive. But I knew the minute I said yes, I was done.


    "I was¡ª" Before I could finish, I heard someone else jump in.


    "She was busy doing her assignment, so she couldn¡¯t read his text, but I did," Lamar voiced, shocking everyone and turning all attention to himself. My eyes bugged out in shock while Emmet rushed upstairs and looked between us all.


    "I heard," he answered his brother¡¯s silent query about why he was here.


    "It was me who went to meet Rayden in the woods."


    Now that Lamar had taken the me, the warriors let me go and instantly reached for him.


    "That is not¡ª," I attempted to protest when Emmet got in my way, grabbing my arm and pulling me away from Lamar.


    "Wait! That is not true. I was also there¡ª," I told Emmet, but he hushed me, narrowing his eyes at me.


    "Let us deal with one of you first. If his name gets cleared, we will be in the good," Emmet muttered at me, making sure I didn¡¯t get to leave the room while the warriors took Lamar away.


    "Wait!" I screamed to get their attention. Emmet had locked the door after me until the warriors had left. Norman told the warriors I would cause issues and be a hindrance, so they had to lock me in while Lamar was taken away.


    Once the warriors had left, both brothers opened the door and came in. They didn¡¯t allow anyone else toe to my floor or eavesdrop, but I was pretty sure the news of Rayden¡¯s death had already spread.


    "What the fuck!" I yelled at them when Norman punched the wall, and I went radio silent.


    "Exactly, what the fuck!" he scoffed, and I realized I had some exining to do.

 Chapter 377-Arrested And Presented

    <h4>Chapter 377: 377-Arrested And Presented</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Why the heck did you go meet him in the woods?" Norman was grumbling, and although I could tell he wanted to yell at me, he was keeping his voice down for privacy. He had asked his own men to stand outside my room to make sure nobody got onto the floor. Even those with rooms there had been told to go take sses.


    Emmet had put Kaye and Max in charge of senior and junior sses to keep them busy and away from this matter.


    "He was¡ªckmailing me," I muttered, my throat scratchy from crying so much.


    "For what?" Norman yelled, quickly walking toward Lamar¡¯s bed, where I was sitting.


    "Norman!" Emmet rushed between us to block me from Norman¡¯s gaze and gently patted his brother¡¯s shoulder.


    "Let me talk to her. This is important. I need to know everything to be able to defend Lamar."


    Norman was right¡ªI had toe clean with him. Emmet slowly stepped aside after hearing Norman¡¯s reason for wanting the truth.


    However, once again, we were interrupted when Emmet¡¯s phone started ringing.


    "Wait a minute," he told us and stepped even farther away.


    Norman was anxiously running his hands through his hair when I had another breakdown.


    "I didn¡¯t mean to be loud with you. But this situation is frustrating and scary for Lamar," Norman cleared his throat and spoke to me much more gently this time.


    "You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t me you," I replied, pulling my sleeves forward to wipe my cheeks when Norman handed me his handkerchief.


    I stared at his hand for a second before epting it, gently dabbing it over my cheek. His cologne was all over it.


    Emmet spoke on the call for a while before returning with an exhausted, drained look on his face.


    "Lamar said Rayden had been ckmailing Hnie and Lamar," Emmet exined, making my heart pound in my chest.


    "Over what? Did he say why Rayden was doing that?" Norman asked anxiously, his frustration clear.


    I guess Lamar had told the warriors, and I was d he did. He shouldn¡¯t be in jail, taking the me all by himself.


    "Rayden found out that Hnie had been helping Lamar find his sister¡¯s rapist and killer."


    My jaw hit the floor at the shortened version of the truth.


    Lamar hadpletely left me out of any usations. He was taking all the me himself while keeping my secrets safe.


    "What?" Norman turned to me before looking back at his brother.


    "A few months ago¡ªRayden raped and¡ªmurdered his sister."


    Emmet had barely finished that sentence when I saw Norman lose his bnce.


    "What?" His voice turned hoarse, almost raspy and deep.


    "He killed someone, and then we gave him admission?"


    The way he tilted his head was terrifying. I couldn¡¯t believe he would react like this. His fists clenched so hard that I heard his bones crack.


    "Lamar says that happened. Now they are in The Pr Red Pack, and I think we should go there too. I got a call from someone who says they can prove Hnie and Lamar¡¯s innocence, but we need to let this person do their thing first," Emmet shocked me when he spoke about someone who might have seen thest moments of Rayden.


    "Whatever that means," Emmet added.


    "Let¡¯s go. We shouldn¡¯t leave Lamar alone there," Norman gestured at Emmet to hurry up.


    "Oh, he¡¯s not alone. Kaye and Maximus had already asked the seniors to train the juniors and had headed to the pack to be with Lamar and make sure no one forced him into a confession." Now that was helpful. I was slightly relieved that Lamar wasn¡¯t alone in Penn¡¯s pack. His father could be very meticulous and cunning when manipting someone out of a confession.


    Not to mention, the person who ims we are innocent might get us out of this mess.


    We left in Norman¡¯s car for the pack. I was so anxious and worried that I kept rubbing my hands together until they turned red.


    Emmet was in the passenger seat when he stretched his arm back, his muscr hand reaching mine and gently unfolding my hands from each other.


    "You¡¯ll give yourself a rash," hemented without even turning around, then pulled his arm back.


    I suddenly felt so looked after. Then Norman did something unthinkable¡ªhe opened the dashboard and pulled out a small juice bottle. He opened the cork with one hand and handed it to me.


    "Drink something. You woke up to this mess and didn¡¯t have a chance to eat or drink anything," he sounded so polite and focused in the moment.


    "Thank you," I epted the bottle and gulped it down my itchy throat in one go. I guess they both acknowledged it because they shared a nce.


    "Don¡¯t be anxious. When Emmet says he will take care of things, he does," Norman tried to joke, but I could tell he was putting a lot of faith in Emmet.


    And I wanted to do the same because Emmet had been very helpful every time, but I was still scared of what we would face once we got to the pack.


    The hour-long ride exhausted me even more. I just wanted to be with Lamar and help him with this matter, where he was innocent.


    Once we arrived at the pack and at the mansion, we were greeted by angry warriors. However, when I got out of the car and the brothers stood beside me, no one dared toe closer.


    They both led me inside where the whole issue was being discussed. They hadn¡¯t called the council yet, but they had Lamar standing behind the couch with handcuffs on.


    I instantly ran to stand beside him, quickly checking if he was okay, and thankfully, they hadn¡¯tid a finger on him.


    Maximus and Kaye were to be thanked for that.


    The two briefly looked my way, and I quickly looked down. I didn¡¯t want my gaze to change their minds about helping Lamar.


    Lord Mores and Lord Dewitt were sitting on the couch across from Lamar, staring at him. Penn, Jenny, and the others were standing across from them while Kaye and Maximus were by Lamar¡¯s side.

 Chapter 378-Another Victim

    <h4>Chapter 378: 378-Another Victim</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "There is no data of such a crime," Alpha Mores dered, his eyes swollen from crying a lot over his son¡¯s death. Of course, losing a child is painful. But he had no clue that his son was a monster. So he didn¡¯t lose a child, we were spared from a monster. We have told them about Rayden and Lamar¡¯s sister.


    Rayden¡¯s mother had a heart attack after hearing about their son. They were a mess.


    I stared at Jenny, who hadn¡¯t raised her eyes the whole time.


    "How is that possible? There is a record of that girl passing away," Norman argued, the two sitting facing each other with their men filling them in on the details of the crimes.


    "Yeah, but there¡¯s no record of the DNA found on her," something told me Mores knew about that crime and DNA. The way he looked so ignorant made me certain that when the news first got out and the council found a match to his son¡¯s DNA, he had done something to get rid of the records. Otherwise, how could Rayden be cleared?


    As for Lord Dewitt, he had been ring at me as if I was the reason behind all this.


    "I¡¯m telling you, these two had it out for my son-inw," Dewitt broke his silence, mming his hand on the table.


    "Dad, do you not hear what they¡¯re saying? Rayden was used of rape and murder, what the hell is so hard to digest about that?" Penn stepped up to yell at his father, but Jenny held his arm to pull him back.


    It made Lamar look down. Maybe it was still painful to watch her defend Rayden.


    "There¡¯s no record of that rape," Dewitt scoffed.


    "Besides, even if he had slept with her, it must have been consensual. That girl must have found him attractive, had a one-night thing with him, and then decided to go around and get killed by someone else." Mores shook his head when talking about Lamar¡¯s sister.


    "My sister was at no fault. She didn¡¯t go around sleeping with Alphas. She didn¡¯t care about your stupid son!" Lamar¡¯s outburst was full of justice but could be scrutinized by the two Alphas and their guards.


    "Just one girl came forward and they think¡ª" As Lord Dewitt was going to dismiss her story once again, I closed my eyes and hissed.


    "Rayden raped me," I finished, keeping my eyes closed.


    As the silence filled the air, I felt my body tighten. I wanted to take my words back, go back in time, and open my eyes to when I was a child.


    I wanted to relive my life, but this time with people who loved me and could take care of me.


    "Hnie!" As I heard Maximus¡¯ whisper, I realized it couldn¡¯t happen.


    There was no miracle that would take it all back and give me my sanity, and Lamar¡¯s sister her life back.


    So I slowly opened my eyes and big tears wet myshes. Thankfully, the blur from the tears helped me not see their reactions.


    "You heard me. I was raped by Rayden. He nned to kill me but¡ªhe underestimated my will to live, so I survived." It was so hard for me to speak and be in the same room as people who were going to defend Rayden.


    "What are you saying?" I heard Norman¡¯s voice and quickly turned my face to the other side, closing my eyes to avoid looking at him.


    I hated looking so weak before them.


    "There you go, another one woke up to use my son," Lord Dewitt tried to scoff at me, but I heard him getting choked. I opened my eyes to see Maximus with his fingers wrapped around his neck.


    "You f**ing dare not say another word," he threatened him. Chaos ensued. Penn came forward to free his son, but it was Norman who managed to set him free.


    "Am I wrong? These girls are all Omegas or worthless ones. Why are such low-rank girls the only ones using him? They wanted to get his attention, and when he didn¡¯t give it to them, they used him of rape. This is what these women are good at," Dewitt yelled. Now that Dewitt felt insulted in his own home, he was loudly calling me a liar.


    I turned around to hide somewhere when Lamar raised his hand and pulled me into them, putting them behind my back with the cuffs on. But it was the most protective hug ever.


    "Mister, you should think twice before running your mouth. She is not nobody, she is a prestigious student at my academy and my stepsister," I heard a growl from Emmet.


    "Your son got off easy, Mores!" Kaye finally added, "Because, oh, I would have had fun chopping off his dick." His words caused a shiver in my body. He even cursed upon his words as he threatened Mores.


    "You all have lost your minds," Dewittined.


    "Have we? You don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do when I lose my mind. Kaye is right, Rayden was lucky he died before we found out," Norman hissed, making his stance clear.


    "All that without evidence? Girls always lie. Especially girls from lower ranks¡ªtell me one girl from a good family who would use him of abuse?" Dewitt was trying so hard to defend his dead son-inw that it hurt my soul.


    He was a father himself, but he had nopassion for others. But then a littleughter silenced us all. I had to steadily turn around to see who wasughing.


    It was Jenny.


    She came forward and raised her hand, staring at her father while giving him a closed-lip smile.


    "What are you doing?" her mother hissed at her, but Jenny clicked her tongue to dismiss her.


    "Dad asked a question and I am responding," she smiled again, but the pain behind her smile hit hard that time. At least her family noticed.


    "Just curious though, I am a higher rank yet, for my words to be believed?" She made us keep watching her face with no clue until she exined, "They are not his only victims, Dad. I am too."

 Chapter 379-I Did It, Blame Me

    <h4>Chapter 379: 379-I Did It, me Me</h4>


    <strong>Jenny:</strong>


    <strong>shback:</strong>


    "Rayden, I don¡¯t feel right. I feel like I was forced into giving you my virginity," I said as I dressed and sat on his bed. He had called me to his pack yesterday to spend Valentine¡¯s Day with him. But then he started making advances that I didn¡¯t appreciate.


    I wasn¡¯t feeling it and told him over and over to stop, but he kept saying he knew I wanted it and that I was just being shy.


    "What?" Rayden growled, turning around while pulling up his pants. "You¡¯re stillining about that?"


    The look of disbelief on his face made me question my own concerns about the night.


    "We had fun. We both enjoyed it, so how about you stop freakingining now? You ruined the moment for us," he started yelling almost instantly, and I felt the urge to calm him down before he exploded.


    "I¡¯m not saying you raped me or anything¡ª" the moment I said that word, it was like I had stabbed him.


    "Are you dead in your head?" He lunged at me, pressing his finger so hard against my temple that I winced and crawled back on his bed. But before I knew it, he wasing onto me.


    He pushed me down, wrapped his fingers around my neck, and tightened them. "You better start behaving now, or else¡ª" the threat in his eyes scared me. "I didn¡¯t even use a condom, so you better behave because if you get pregnant, I won¡¯t be there for you. So change your attitude if you want your baby¡¯s father around."


    The threat terrified me.


    I didn¡¯t want to end up pregnant yet. But if I said that out loud, he would get even angrier, and his fingers would tighten around my neck even more.


    His anger and behavior caused tears to form in my eyes, and I bet he saw them because, suddenly, he startedughing and loosened his grip on my neck before leaning down to kiss me.


    I wanted so badly to push him off me, but deep down, I was relieved he was smiling. I didn¡¯t want him to be angry again.


    So I let him kiss me, even though I didn¡¯t move a single muscle. I just wanted to get out of here and go home.


    "You know I love you, right? And when a man has sex with a girl, it means he loves her and craves her. You should be happy that I crave you enough to make it happen even when you were hesitant," his words sounded like a rabid dog barking, but out of fear, I acted like they made sense.


    But this was just the beginning of his abuse and maniption.


    End of shback:


    "No! He¡ªdid that to my daughter?" Dad was struggling to find the right reaction.


    "It was the first time, but definitely not thest. I was too scared to speak up because I knew nobody would believe me," my voice was shaky, and my eyes spilled tears.


    "I would have believed you and fucking cut his dick off myself! Why didn¡¯t you tell me?" My dad got up to hug me, but I pulled away.


    If he couldn¡¯t show the same empathy for my friend, he had no right to show it for me.


    "Would you? Did you believe Hnie or Lamar when they spoke up? I get that you wanted evidence, but when there was proof of him cheating on me, you all told me I was being dramatic. So no! Don¡¯t use the evidence excuse on me. You all defended him outright. A girl died¡ªit wasn¡¯t just someone saying he harassed her. You all took his side!" I started yelling, hugging myself.


    "But¡ªahhh!" My dad screamed, dropping to his knees and crying.


    I could tell Penn was struggling too. But there was nothing they could do since I had already taken care of Rayden myself.


    "So I had to do whatever I could to stop that man." I watched my mom tear up, and then everyone stared at me in shock as I revealed the next part.


    "Yesterday, when Hnie beat his ass¡ªand he cried like a little bitch¡ªI arrived at the location," I started, unable to make eye contact with Hnie anymore.


    "He was, umm, talking to someone." I had to wait and see if Hnie would tell her side. Since she did, I decided toe clean about Rayden¡¯s actions and my involvement in his own downfall.


    "He was talking to his father about the murder of Evaline Baker. He was specifically telling him to get rid of the records and nt some dead pack members¡¯ DNA at the scene and in the files so that when Hnie told her side, she would seem like a liar." I finished, watching gasps fill the air as I put Mores on the stand.


    "Huh?" The man had gonepletely silent at my usations against his son. He knew his best friend wouldn¡¯t stand by him now, and with his son dead, all the heat would be on him alone.


    "Jenny, why are you lying, daughter? Did Hnie and Lamar put you up to this? Because I know you used to be so happy with him. If you weren¡¯t, wouldn¡¯t you have left?" Mores hit me with the same toxic nonsense they always throw at victims when theye forward.


    But this wasn¡¯t about Rayden looking at me weird or making rude remarks now and then. He put his hands on me, manipted me into thinking I wanted it, cheated on me, and hurt me in so many ways. Even if they tried to cover up his crimes with lies, I would still know the truth.


    They couldn¡¯t manipte me¡ªI was one of his victims.


    "Really? So happy that I killed him?" I watched his jaw hit the floor as I confessed. Their eyes started to grow wider and I knew at that moment that I had said the right thing.


    "I killed him. I did. And I should have done it a long time ago."

 Chapter 380-A Serial Offender

    <h4>Chapter 380: 380-A Serial Offender</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I stepped away from Lamar so he could be uncuffed. Jenny¡¯s confession had made my heart drop into my stomach. I felt Lamar¡¯s body heating up too. It wouldn¡¯t be easy for him to hear what Rayden had done to her.


    And it showed in his eyes.


    "Huh?" Mores had the nerve to get up and try to reach her when Penn stepped in his way and pped him.


    That p was so satisfying.


    "Your son escaped, but I won¡¯t let you put your hands on my sister," Penn yelled, his rageing from many reasons.


    I hadn¡¯t been able to look at anyone because I didn¡¯t want to see the pity in their eyes.


    But I was grateful they were standing up for me.


    "Why? Did I do something wrong?" Jenny smiled, but there was so much pain hidden behind her teary eyes. "I got rid of the biggest disease ever. The disease was spreading¡ªand I feel responsible for it. If I had stopped him earlier, my friend and Evaline wouldn¡¯t have be his victims. But I was such a coward¡ª" she was breathing with difficulty, so I rushed through the crowd and hugged her tight.


    It was as if her breath returned when my arms wrapped around her. I didn¡¯t know she wasn¡¯t expecting me toe for her like that.


    "I killed him so he couldn¡¯t hurt you anymore," she whispered, hugging me back.


    That truly meant so much to me.


    I broke the hug because she was still talking to Mores, and strangely enough, he had more to say.


    "Well¡ªI will make sure you rot in prison for your crime of murder because there is no proof against my son, but there is your confession against him." At this point, he was the only one on his side. I noticed the brothers had gone silent, almost like their energy had drained. But I was afraid of the silent storm brewing in them. Their veins were constantly popping, and the way Norman was cracking his knuckles was terrifying.


    "Oh! I forgot the evidence. I have a gift for you," Jenny shocked me even more when she made it clear that she had more to use against him.


    She began to y a video. And right off the bat, the video started with a terrifying sight. It was Rayden crying on the ground while I walked away. Jenny was hiding behind a tree and recording it.


    "Dad?" Rayden called his father, sniffling like a little brat. "Dad, she beat me up¡ªshe doesn¡¯t even have a wolf¡ªand she actually beat up an Alpha¡ª" his cries were so ignorant.


    He sounded like a spoiled child. After a few hits, his inner brat came to the surface, and he had no shame in showing it anymore.


    "It was Hnie and Lamar. Dad, they have the hair that was found on my coat. That stupid bitch mate of mine left it with her boy toy. Dad! You have to remove the data and records. Erase my DNA from the site and nt someone else¡¯s instead. Just use some dead guy who can¡¯t defend himself. As for these two, I¡¯ll take care of them myself," he got up from the ground, wiping tears from his cheeks.


    "Thank you, Dad," he started thanking his father, so whatever his father was saying must have been in his favor.


    "I¡¯ll fucking impregnate Jenny, don¡¯t worry about that slut. She¡¯s scared of me." Jenny¡¯s family red at Mores at the way he spoke about her. "Don¡¯t stress. They¡¯re stupid. They¡¯ll believe us. Her father would rather have her dead than without a mate."


    Those words hit hard. They made Dewitt break down, hiding his face in his hands as he cried louder before suddenly lunging at Mores. Both he and Penn started kicking and punching the shocked man, who now knew he was going down and would take all the me for his son¡ªwho was already dead.


    The video ended with Rayden noticing something and spotting Jenny behind the tree. He lunged at her with a knife in his hand when a gunshot rang out.


    I guess that¡¯s when he died because the video cut off, probably from Jenny panicking.


    As Emmet took Jenny¡¯s phone to preserve the evidence, the others focused on Mores, making sure he didn¡¯t die too. He needed to be punished for letting his son do all these things and covering for him.


    But by then, Jenny had turned to me while Lamar was still frozen in ce.


    "That night when Lucy fell, I couldn¡¯t sleep either. I decided to get some fresh air when I saw you heading toward the library. I followed you and heard everything. I was so shattered and angry at myself that I decided to be a part of it without involving you two. I knew you¡¯d both get detained and abuse, but¡ªhuh! My father¡ªhe would only show up if it was me on the receiving end of some punishment. I never chose Rayden because I loved him. I had to stay close to him to keep an eye on him and also... to avoid getting abused¡ª" she quickly lowered her head, but it all made sense to me.


    "I am so sorry. I could have stopped it sooner," she broke down, but I quickly pulled her into a hug.


    She wasn¡¯t at fault. She was a victim, and he had been ckmailing and threatening her the whole time.


    As we hugged, she whispered in my ear, "We¡¯ll find those other assholes together. You¡¯re not alone anymore."


    It made me feel so much better to have another friend who knew the truth and was on my side.


    "Jenny." Lamar stepped forward, finally snapping out of his frozen state. Without saying a word, he pulled her into a hug, holding her like he was shielding her from any harm.


    I stood beside them with a broken smile on my face until I raised my head and saw the brothers watching me, their eyes full of

 Chapter 381-One Gone, 5 More To Go

    <h4>Chapter 381: 381-One Gone, 5 More To Go</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "He will be in jail, and Jenny will face no consequences. That video she recorded helps her case. Not only was it self-defense, but Rayden was a scumbag too," Norman said as we stood on the road next to the woods and mountains.


    We had been silent throughout the car ride. It was like we were taking time to process everything before talking about it.


    "Emmet said Mores said to check your background¡ª" Norman said as he looked at his phone.


    I couldn¡¯t believe that guy was still on my back, even when his son was proven guilty.


    But the background check thing was scary. I had seen how much his father defended him¡ªimagine what the others¡¯ parents would do when they found out about me.


    "Emmet did his search and found out¡ªyou weren¡¯t part of the pack for long. There¡¯s no record because you left on your own," Norman shocked me. I frowned in confusion because I was sure that if they had searched properly, they would have found a whole lot of data on me.


    How the hell did my name and records get wiped clean?


    "You should have dropped me at the academy," I muttered softly, avoiding eye contact with Norman and Kaye.


    Emmet had left with Lamar to take care of the formalities and drop him home, while Maximus had stayed in Jenny¡¯s pack to handle the paperwork against Mores.


    "I shouldn¡¯t have," Norman replied gently, while Kaye was busy on his phone. I had noticed how emotional the others were, but Kaye¡ªhe reacted how someone would for a victim, but other than that, he seemed unfazed that it had happened to me.


    "Kesha, sorry, babe, I had some work today¡ª" Kaye excused himself to his brother and stepped aside to take a call, not sparing me a nce.


    I knew it was wrong of me to expect him to look at me, but sometimes, I still wondered¡ªwhat if I had agreed to stay as his side chick while he waited for me and dated Kesha?


    It didn¡¯t seem like he was only dating her for a while or for whatever reasons he had told me before. He seemed very much involved with her. If I had agreed back then, he would have dumped me along the way, and that pain would have been so much worse.


    Besides, I would have never been okay with Kaye ying Kesha.


    "Hnie." Norman pulled me out of my thoughts, his voice full ofpassion.


    "You don¡¯t need to say anything. It happened in the past, and I¡¯ve healed since then," I said.


    I had healed in a way, but the pain was still there. However, I didn¡¯t like people bringing it up.


    "I¡¯m d you did, but¡ªwhy didn¡¯t you tell us? If you had¡ªI would have¡ª" Norman clenched his jaw but quickly turned away, hiding his raw emotions from me.


    "Tell me something, when was it?" He then turned to face me again, his eyes full of rage and unspoken emotions.


    "Why do you¡ª" I tried to stop him, but he kept insisting.


    "Tell me, when was it?" he demanded, and I replied.


    "Back when I hade to the mansion. It was the day before¡ª" I shut up because he threw a punch in the air and briskly walked away from me.


    This is why I didn¡¯t want to talk about it. It would remind me of how everyone had treated me during that time.


    "I will go back to the academy. I cannot stay in the mansion," I finally decided as I watched Norman lose his mind. He turned to me and shook his head, but when I showed him my palm, he realized I didn¡¯t want to go back there.


    "And I would appreciate it if this whole mess isn¡¯t discussed in the mansion. Just keep my name out of it, please," I requested. Honestly, I didn¡¯t want my mother or anyone else to find out about it.


    My name getting dragged into this would open up all sorts of problems.


    "Then I will drop you off myself," Norman said, looking exhausted, his hands hanging by his sides. He kept stealing nces at me, and there were moments when I wondered if he was tearing up.


    That couldn¡¯t be. My misery wouldn¡¯t affect him this much... would it?


    "Don¡¯t worry, no one will attack me. I can fight now," I tried to lighten the situation and walk away, but he held my hand and said,


    "You¡¯re right. No one would darey a finger on you ever again."


    The intensity and determination in his voice stunned me.


    I gulped, giving him a nod of understanding before noticing him holding the car door open for me.


    "What about Maximus?" I asked, looking toward the woods.


    "He¡¯s transitioning to get the heat off his mind. He¡¯ll be fine," Norman didn¡¯t seem too worried about Maximus. I wondered if the Lycan transformation was only a full moon thing, and the rest of the time, he was just a normal wolf.


    "Okay," I nodded and got in the backseat of the car. That¡¯s when Kaye finished his call and returned.


    "I¡¯m dropping her at the academy," Norman informed his brother, who nodded casually.


    "Don¡¯t you think you shouldfort her too? You¡¯re her mate. She¡¯ll feel much better if it¡¯s her mate saying words offort," Norman suggested to Kaye.


    I didn¡¯t wantfort from my mate, but Norman was pushing for it.


    "Brother, I¡¯ll be honest with you. Yes, I¡¯m angry with Rayden¡ªbut not because Hnie was on the receiving end of it. I¡¯m angry because what happened was wrong. No woman should be treated that way. The rest...I don¡¯t know if I can ever forgive her. But rest assured, I¡¯ve moved on, and I will pray she findsfort."


    Those words from Kaye¡ªas if I was the one who had hurt him¡ªreally knocked me down.


    He hadpletely moved on, and it showed in his behavior. The only issue was that he was spinning it on me.

 Chapter 382-Hello Criminal

    <h4>Chapter 382: 382-Hello Criminal</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "This is to freedom and justice," Penn raised his ss of juice, making us allugh at him. It had been a week, and things had gotten better.


    Jenny didn¡¯t face any punishment because it was self-defense. The details of the case were kept under the rug at our request, from me and Jenny. But Evaline¡¯s name was mentioned because Lamar wanted it there and for his sister to get justice.


    We met up at the caf¨¦ today to enjoy our freedom. I mean, they didn¡¯t know yet that my journey had only just begun.


    "Lamar!" Benita arrived with a hand on her chest. "I¡¯m so happy your sister got justice. Not everyone has a brother like you who never lets it go and somehow puts the culprit in his ce."


    She had such a fake vibe to her. Or maybe it was because I didn¡¯t like her. So everything she did seemed fake to me.


    "Thank you," Lamar replied to her with a mild smile. He knew about this woman and how she always preached about being the purest and pointing out ws in others.


    "And Jenny!" Then she pouted, looking so fake. I remember when she told us Gavin hade here with his other girlfriend. I swear she purposely didn¡¯t say Jenny¡¯s name. She knew her name but acted like she didn¡¯t.


    "How are you feeling now? It¡¯s not easy to have your mate attack you to hide his truth," she made Jenny feel so ufortable.


    We wanted everyone to stoping up to us and reminding us of every single detail they heard in the news.


    "At least she gave him karma," I stood up for Jenny, who hadn¡¯t been able to say a word. Her brother smiled at me while Gavin and Lamar kept ring at Benita.


    "True," Benita¡¯s smile faded before she said, "Jenny, you must know the other two victims whose identities were kept safe?"


    I stared at her in disbelief. Was she really here to get inside information?


    "Their identities are protected for a reason. Some thoughtless people wille asking them about their experience despite the fact that it would make them ufortable," If she was a smart woman as she imed to be, she would have known Penn was teasing her.


    But she didn¡¯t.


    She sighed and nodded, "Some people just love gossip. But tell the girls, if they want someone to love them like a mother,e to me."


    I rolled my eyes and looked away while Gavin and Lamar elbowed each other.


    "A mommy love?" Lamarmented, and the look on Benita¡¯s face was hrious. She was offended, but Lamar was also too much.


    "I was just saying," he shrugged, while Benita left the table.


    "Hey, not even a woman with a child?" Jennyined to Lamar, whose mood changed into something entirely different when watching Jenny.


    Now that he knew Jenny wasn¡¯t ying us and she did help us behind our backs, Lamar was kind of waiting for the moment to make a move again.


    This was our first meetup after the case, so it would take time for the two to move forward with their rtionship. But I was happy for them.


    "What happened to your other friend?" Penn asked, rubbing his hands at the sight of the croissant.


    "Lucy is now Sydney 2.0," Lamar groaned while Gavin took a deep breath. Even when we criticized Lucy, Gavin would hardly say anything or share his opinions.


    I could tell he was ming himself for her change in behavior.


    "She¡¯lle around. Soon, Sydney will be done with her and then Lucy will have a great awakening," Imented with a clenched jaw. But how would I ever forget what she said about me?


    I kept wondering, is that what she thinks of me?


    "Jenny, how are your parents?" Gavin quickly changed the subject.


    "Dad wants to spend some time with me to redeem himself, but I just can¡¯t¡ªit¡¯s not just about me. He needs to open his mind and think about others too. And until then¡ªI don¡¯t think I can look at my father differently than before," she sighed, her wordsing out with deep breaths. Penn quickly wrapped his arm around his sister¡¯s shoulder and gave her a warm hug before they started eating again.


    Now that silence had settled in, I couldn¡¯t help but feel that today was different from thest seven days.


    The academy sses were continuing without any interruptions, except we were just getting ready for a big uing test.


    All the teams wouldpete against each other and I wanted my team to win at any cost. But then I was afraid¡ªwhat if any of my friends¡¯ teams lose?


    That was the biggest problem.


    "So, Hnie¡ª" Penn cleared his throat as the others got up to go to the restroom. Jenny felt much safer when Gavin and Lamar were on her side, so Penn could stay behind me.


    "How is your training with Rudy going?" Penn asked, looking down at his food.


    "We¡¯re having fun. You should see Lamar and Gavin get under Rudy¡¯s skin," Iughed but also made sure to let him know it wasn¡¯t just me and Rudy spending time alone. Even though I didn¡¯t have to exin to him who I was spending time with, I just didn¡¯t want any unnecessary rumors.


    "Hmmm, that¡¯s good," his response was cold, "When you win, he¡¯ll want a treat."


    He joked, even though I could tell he was in a bad mood about the whole training thing.


    "Yeah, Lamar and Gavin will have to take him to a club," I added, feeling like I was doing something wrong. Giving too many exnations might give Penn the wrong idea too.


    I swear, I was being so careful.


    "Okay, are you two done too?" Lamar arrived with Gavin and Jenny and asked us. We got up to leave while Penn stayed behind to pay.


    He had asked us all out for dinner as a treat for his sister¡¯s freedom.


    "You two are weird," Jennymented at Lamar and Gavin, who had their arms around each other¡¯s shoulders like childhood friends.


    We were leaving the caf¨¦,ughing and giggling when someone almost bumped into us whileing inside.


    "Oh, I¡¯m so sorry¡ª" The guy lifted his head to apologize with a smile when my blood ran cold.


    I could recognize his face very clearly. The way he hade on top of me that night¡ªhe was one of them.

 Chapter 383-My Past Kept Showing Up

    <h4>Chapter 383: 383-My Past Kept Showing Up</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Hnie! Let¡¯s go, what are you waiting for?" I couldn¡¯t believe I had stayed behind while the others had moved ahead.


    Even the guy had left. It was Lamar¡¯s voice that caught my attention. I ignored him and rushed back inside the caf¨¦ to confirm I hadn¡¯t just had a nightmare.


    "Hey, how are you?" Penn was standing at the counter talking with this guy. Yep! It was him. There was no doubt about it. The way his eyes had been red that night and the anxious cries he let out when he couldn¡¯t get it done the first time.


    The details of that night were startling, but right now, he was standing with Penn, talking about stuff, with the blue jacket tucked under his arm.


    "Your mom has been so worried about you, Kaiden," Penn said his name, giving identity to yet another one of those alphas.


    "Hnie, what¡¯s going on?" Lamar came from behind me, but my eyes stayed glued to Kaiden.


    "Mom is always worried. Things are just off now. The demise of Rayden¡ª" he sighed, making my head hurt.


    "Huh! You shouldn¡¯t be saying his name," Penn hushed him, causing my nerves to hit another level of anxiety.


    "Is it?" Lamar must have noticed. He gently held my hand and squeezed it while I nodded.


    "Penn¡ªI forgot to tell you, my boy is here," Benita walked out from the backroom, pointing at Kaiden.


    He was the alpha who was getting bullied?


    Oh no!


    He was Benita¡¯s son. The fact that this woman was always on everyone¡¯s back, calling them whores and sluts, but had a son who was a rapist didn¡¯t surprise me.


    "I came to meet Rayden¡¯s parents but found out¡ª" that guy was so weird, he was still talking about Rayden when his mother red him down.


    "Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not saying he wasn¡¯t a bad person¡ª" he must have noticed the look on Penn¡¯s face. He was talking about someone who Penn¡¯s sister had killed.


    Hearing his voice was so odd for me. My body kept getting filled with goosebumps, and my eyes were welling up.


    "He got what he deserved, but his mother was an innocent one who had no clue what her husband and son were doing. She had since cut ties with her husband and asked the council to reject all his pleas to ever be released," Kaiden exined, rubbing his hands together to warm them up.


    But every action from him caused my body to shudder.


    "I¡¯m d at least someone is taking the right stand," I couldn¡¯t tell if it was directed at Kaiden or not, but he made the mother and son share a nce.


    "Anyway, I came here with my¡ª" Penn continued, turning to the door when he found us there, "friends."


    As soon as he mentioned us, Kaiden turned to give us a quick nce before looking away. However, something struck him, and he did a double take. His eyes met mine directly, and the look of horror on his face even gave me goosebumps.


    Unlike Rayden, he seemed shocked.


    "Ummm¡ª" Kaiden turned away, his hands on the counter, "I just remembered¡ªI have a call to make¡ª" The anxiety and fear in his voice made Lamar wrap his arm around my waist tofort me.


    He didn¡¯t even wait and rushed behind the counter to push his mother out of the way and into the backroom.


    "He must have forgotten to tell his trainers he wasing here. What am I ever going to do with my naive son? He is still so innocent and pure," Benita¡¯s words hit me hard.


    I turned around and walked out of the caf¨¦ to get some fresh air.


    "Guys,e on, it¡¯s going to rain soon," Gavin yelled from inside Penn¡¯s car while Jenny followed his stare.


    Her eyes started to catch onto my anxiety, so she jumped out of the car to follow us.


    "Oh no, no, you too," Gavinined, annoyed by us dying.


    "What¡¯s going on?" Jenny stood in my way, blocking Gavin from looking directly at me.


    "Kaiden," I whispered under my breath, pressing my hand to my chest.


    "Is he one of them?" Jenny asked, and I nodded my head, trying to calm my rapid breathing.


    "Hey, everyone, let¡¯s go," Penn came out and snapped his fingers at us, having no idea what just happened.


    "I know some stuff about him. I¡¯ll tell youter, for now, let¡¯s go," Jenny whispered in my ear before taking my hand and making me walk back to the car.


    I was anxious all the way. It wasn¡¯t over for me. I realized I would be traumatized whenever I caught a nce of each of them. I had only taken care of one of them¡ªthere were 5 more to go.


    Freaking 5 more!


    "You guys go and change. I¡¯ll be in Hnie¡¯s room for a while," Once we reached the academy, Jenny yelled at her brother and Gavin and didn¡¯t even wait for their response, rushing into the elevator with me.


    I couldn¡¯t take all those stairs tonight. Even Lamar was inside the elevator with us. We silently reached our room and found Lucy absent. She must be in Sydney¡¯s room.


    We went to the balcony and sat down to talk.


    "I can¡¯t believe Kaiden was one of them. He¡¯s a coward¡ªa very scared one. In fact, whenever Rayden would have a party with them, he would scoff and roll his eyes at Kaiden. He didn¡¯t want him in the group because he said Kaiden was a little bitch. So it wasn¡¯t just the others bullying Kaiden¡ªhe gets bullied within the group too," she exined, making me take deep and heavy breaths.


    "Can you tell us who else you know from his group of friends?" Lamar asked, what I was too afraid to ask. I was scared some big names would be thrown my way.


    "The issue is that he hasn¡¯t shared his friends with me anymore. The only ones I knew were themon friends between him and Penn. Besides, Rayden befriends every powerful guy," she apologized and pouted, and I believed her.


    "Hmm, but¡ªthere¡¯s one issue. The way he looked seemed like Rayden hadn¡¯t told him about Hnie¡ªso does that mean Rayden hadn¡¯t told any of his friends about Hnie and her revenge? Also, would Kaiden do the same or is he going to tell his friends?" Jenny uttered the most scary and valid point in a gentle and mild tone.

 Chapter 384-Deserving Punishment

    <h4>Chapter 384: 384-Deserving Punishment</h4>


    <strong>Kaiden:</strong>


    My eyes met hers, and it felt like the sky had copsed on my head. My eyes couldn¡¯t believe what I was seeing. My body shuddered, everything falling apart.


    She was not some angel or my imagination.


    She was standing there, ring at me, her eyes showing she had been through a lot and that she recognized me.


    I had run into the kitchen where I couldn¡¯t find peace. The chefs were looking at me, and I had to constantly wipe my face to get rid of the sweat.


    "Kaiden, why did youe inside like that? You need to create a good alliance with Penn," Mom walked in, pping my back, and I visibly jumped.


    "Are you okay?" Mom noticed the panic in my body, so she asked.


    "I¡¯m fine, Mom. Why are you always on my back?" I knew I was taking my frustration out on the wrong person. She kept staring at my face in shock because this wasn¡¯t how I had ever talked to her.


    "Listen, you might be bing an alpha in the future, but don¡¯t pull that alpha attitude on me," my mom squared up, but she had no clue I wasn¡¯t ever going to be an alpha. Not after what I saw tonight.


    "I¡¯m sorry," I muttered miserably, scared and shaken up.


    "Sit down, I¡¯ll get you something to eat," she said. However, I gave her a headshake.


    "I need to go for a run," I lied. I was losing my mind, scared and terrified.


    "Oh, my alpha son." Her proud smile made me feel so bad for her. She had no clue who she was standing in front of.


    "So I¡¯ll go freshen up," I whispered, forcing a smile before going out the back door. I didn¡¯t even turn around to look at my mother because I was afraid she would notice that my bodynguage was too shaky. Our house was right behind the caf¨¦, so I was already in my living room, pacing and reaching for my bedroom.


    Once inside, I rushed into the bathroom and started throwing up.


    I had my hands on the edge of the sink and raised my head to stare at my image, and all I could see was a terrible and ugly man.


    "Why¡ª," I gasped, "why did it happen? How could I be such a monster in someone¡¯s life?" I let out a cry, watching my hideous face.


    I was disgusted with myself, angry, and losing my mind. It was reality and not some nightmare or dream.


    That¡¯s when I started to get a call from DID.


    My hands were shaking as I held the phone and pressed it hard against my ear. "Where are you?" He asked, almost like he was in my head and knew the turmoil inside me.


    "Home," I cleared my throat, "why?"


    "Hmm, you visited Rayden¡¯s mother. What else did she tell you?" At that moment, I knew what he was talking about.


    "You said it was an effect of the drug," I closed my eyes as I began to confront him. He went silent for a moment before he sighed.


    "Are you on drugs again?" I hated how every time I said something, they would just tell me it was drugs messing with my mind.


    "No! And I know it wasn¡¯t a nightmare. That girl was real¡ªI didn¡¯t dream about her or see her because of the drugs. She wasn¡¯t a figment of my imagination¡ªI fucking raped her!" I yelled and screamed, tears streaming down my face as I recalled that night. It was the worst night of my life.


    How I wish I hadn¡¯t gone out with them and done drugs. But I didn¡¯t know it would end up like that.


    "You¡¯ve gone crazy. Rayden got arrested for someone else. That victim¡¯s name was Evaline. Her body was found. She didn¡¯t have tinum blonde hair, but red hair. You¡¯re mixing it up. We¡¯ve never seen a tinum blonde, and we¡¯re not like Rayden either," the fact that his voice remained so calm even when lying was scary.


    I was shaking and constantly running my hand through my hair.


    "Alright, get your shit together. And don¡¯t go around saying weird stuff. You¡¯ll have the same ending as Rayden when you haven¡¯t even done anything. That girl didn¡¯t exist, she was in your head." He hung up after reminding me of my fate if I kept saying her name.


    That was the problem. I didn¡¯t know back then that they yed me.


    "I¡¯m a fucking rapist," I couldn¡¯t believe it.


    The pain in that girl¡¯s eyes was so horrifying. If she was real, it meant everything that happened that night was real too.


    Hence¡ªthe pain and agony she went through because of us must be real as well.


    "I don¡¯t deserve to be an alpha," I realized.


    "It had been so long that I had wondered about that night," I hissed under my breath.


    That night, they made me take drugs, and then I woke up in a hotel room. However, I started to get shes of doing something horrible to a girl. They allughed at me and told me nothing happened and that the minute I took the drugs, I passed out, so they all returned to the hotel room.


    They convinced me no such girl existed and that I had a wild dream. Until tonight, my world had been shaken up once I realized she was real.


    "We need to face her and surrender to her. We cannot be like those bastards," my wolf howled in pain.


    It was nowing clear to me that my friends were rapists, and not only on one asion. They were serial rapists. It didn¡¯t matter if I didn¡¯t remember the night well or that I was drugged up; I made the choice of taking drugs, and I fucking ruined an innocent girl¡¯s life.


    "I will go to the council with her and tell them who was involved in her rape and attempted murder," I decided, finally deciding not to be a coward and do something good for once.

 Chapter 385-My Comforting Mate

    <h4>Chapter 385: 385-My Comforting Mate</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    That night, I couldn¡¯t sleep properly. I kept waking up from the recurring nightmare of that night. I wondered if every time I faced one of them, I would feel the same way.


    I hated the idea of it. The next morning, we rushed to the training ground to start training.


    "Hnie! Watch this," Jenny yelled for my attention, showing me how many push-ups she could do now. We were getting really good. Usually, the teams would huddle together and discuss their tricks and techniques.


    Our team was having a problem because of Hans. Since he was an alpha, he wanted everyone to listen to him. And sadly, he was the only alpha in our team.


    "Jenny, stop ying around and focus on training," he had the nerve to bring her down by shouting at her.


    "She IS training," I yelled back at him, frowning.


    "You stay out of it, wolfless creature," Hans pointed his finger at me, warning me not to raise my voice at him.


    "I am the monitor. I will say whatever I want and to whoever I want. And I¡¯m telling you, fix your attitude or else¡ª" I watched him look down andugh at my threat before rushing over to face me. I guess he wanted me to back down and be afraid of him, but I didn¡¯t flinch and kept standing my ground.


    That seemed to upset him a little. So he ced his hands on his waist to look even more intimidating.


    "Don¡¯t test me. I am not Arlo or Rayden that you can get punished. I am Alpha Hans. I am nothing like that pervert Rayden, who you got kicked out. Losers like him are scared of women like you¡ªthe ones who are perfect¡ª" he pointed at his chest, making me cock my head before letting out a scoff.


    "Go do push-ups. Your speeches are boring," I hissed, turning around to my team when I felt something at my feet.


    I swear he did something, probably put his foot in front of mine, but the next thing I knew, Inded face-down.


    "Oops, you can¡¯t even take a few steps without hurting yourself," hemented, while I got to my feet to face him again. But I could tell I had scratched my chin a little.


    "Hans! Do you want me to remind you how to speak to your monitor?" Emmet¡¯s arrival was at the right time. Hans instantly stepped back and tied his hands behind his back, standing obediently in front of Emmet.


    That¡¯s where their confidence would shatter.


    "I was just reminding her that they shouldn¡¯t be ying around and wasting time," Hans replied.


    "I am here for that. Go take ap," Emmet yelled, looking very angry with him. "And you, Hnie,e to my office."


    He made Hans nod and leave so he wouldn¡¯t have to make eye contact with anyone or feel the embarrassment of not being able to talk back to Emmet¡ªespecially after iming to be different from Rayden and Arlo.


    "Jenny, please help others with the training," Emmet ordered, making Jenny smile for having a responsibility on her for once.


    I followed Emmet to the academy and to his office in silence. Once I entered his office, he locked the door. However, I never felt unsafe with any of his actions.


    Even when he was drunk, I just knew he wouldn¡¯t hurt me.


    "Sit here," he pointed at the chair, and I sat down, watching him grab a first-aid box and then drag his chair closer to mine.


    He sat down in front of me, crouching to my level, and then pulled my seat closer, my legs now between his widely spread legs.


    "What am I ever gonna do with you?" hemented while cleaning the wound on my chin. Seeing his face up close made my heart skip a beat.


    "He was purposely arguing with me," Iined and noticed Emmet smile the way someone does when watching a puppy do a trick.


    "You didn¡¯t remind him your stepbrother will punish him for messing with you?" The yfulness in his voice wasn¡¯t helping. He didn¡¯t realize it, but I was feeling extremely shy around him.


    Now that my wolf was waking up, I was feeling the mate bond much more intensely.


    "Here," he put a band-aid on my chin but then rested his hands on the armrests of my chair.


    "You wiped my data clean, didn¡¯t you?" It struck me just then¡ªit had to be him who helped erase my data.


    "Hmm, I wouldn¡¯t let you get caught, would I?" He smiled, making my heart sink in my chest.


    "Did you know¡ª" I started, feeling shy seeing him so close while talking about that night.


    "Hmm," he nodded.


    "How much of it?" I was really forcing myself to keep going and ask him more questions.


    "What are you so afraid of?" he asked.


    "Nothing anymore. Rayden is dead, so my revenge is done." I didn¡¯t know why I couldn¡¯t share more with him, but it came from experience. I had trusted Kaye and Maximus once too.


    "Hmm, right!" However, he seemed to be holding back information himself.


    "Anyway, now go out there and train. And if anyone argues with you or tries to bully you¡ªtell them," he gently pinched my cheeks, "that my stepbrother would get very angry if he found out."


    I didn¡¯t know why he was being so nice to me, but his actions were making my heart skip beat after beat.


    "I will," I replied, and the minute he strolled away and I tried to reach the door, I felt him grab my hand and pull me back. Inded straight on his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around me.


    "I am here with you. I will fucking kill anyone who hurts you," the pain in his voice scared me. It was then that I realized my confession that day had really made him feel bad for me. I didn¡¯t break the hug because it was thefort I needed the most.


    "I just wish I was there that night," he muttered, his body tensing up.


    "I wish too," I finished.

 Chapter 386-The Mist In Her Eyes

    <h4>Chapter 386: 386-The Mist In Her Eyes</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    After Emmet hugged me for at least five minutes, my mood got better. The way these brothers behaved after finding out about my past¡ªeven just a glimpse of it¡ªand the way they showed care made me feel blessed and much more confident abouting forward with my story when needed.


    "It was a hectic day," Lamar rolled his eyes, making me smile at him.


    "Everyone is doing well except Trainer Kaye," Lamar whispered in my ear because he knew Kaye was once involved with me, so he would always hold back his genuine frustration out of respect for me.


    "I know. He¡¯s been acting weird," I replied, holding my hand out for Jenny. She rushed over and held my hand happily, and we walked like children, all holding hands. Gavin arrived, holding hands with Lamar, and Penn with his sister.


    It looked cute.


    But we didn¡¯t realize there was someone who probably didn¡¯t like seeing us happy.


    "So, you¡¯re hanging around with a bastard¡¯s mate now?" Sydney yelled, causing all of us to stop and stare at her. Every time she made suchments, Salem would physically distance herself from her sister. Lucy stood with her arms folded, her foot tapping impatiently.


    I had been trying to avoid Lucy and Sydney for a while¡ªSydney because every time I saw her now, I was reminded of Altan.


    He went ahead and chased someone like Sydney, who would instantly cheat on him and do cruel things to others. That just proved I survived him. He attracted toxicity, and I could never be Sydney.


    "Mind your fuckingnguage," Lamar yelled, making Sydney turn and nce at Lucy, probably to show her how we were defending Jenny.


    "See how they¡¯re defending someone who was the reason you jumped?" Sydney said to Lucy, who seemed genuinely angry¡ªas if she really did jump.


    Why did it seem like she was changing her story now?


    "Let¡¯s go," I tightened my fingers around Jenny¡¯s hand to make her keep walking.


    "What is wrong with you?" That¡¯s when Lucy stepped forward, blocking Jenny and confronting her.


    "Nothing is wrong with me. You just had it out for me," Jenny muttered, her hands starting to sweat in mine. I could tell she wasn¡¯t the type who liked confrontation or drama.


    She was scared of reactions and people judging her. Maybe that¡¯s why she didn¡¯t say anything about her one-night stand with Gavin¡ªbecause she wanted Gavin to do it.


    "Really? And was I wrong?" The moment Lucy put her hands on Jenny to push her, Penn stepped forward and pushed her back.


    The look of shock on Lucy¡¯s face saddened me.


    And I couldn¡¯t agree with Penn more. He had every right to defend and protect his sister. Jenny had a phobia of being touched aggressively, and I could tell exactly where that fear came from.


    It was the same for me, but in the beginning, I had to ignore it and keep living because no one around me was gentle.


    But for Jenny, we were trying our best to help her heal from the trauma. Then Lamar stepped forward and squared up to Lucy, giving her a look that said, stay away from Jenny.


    The more everyone stood up for Jenny, the angrier Lucy became.


    "Wow, so she stole all my friends?" Lucy had genuine hurt in her eyes, but that¡¯s when I had to step up.


    "You lost all your friends because of your association with people who visibly hate us," I hissed, watching her ce a hand on her heart before quicklyposing herself and gritting her teeth.


    "Well then, if you think I¡¯ll be afraid to fight for myself, you¡¯re wrong," she snapped.


    I noticed her nce behind Jenny, and in a swift move, Sydney grabbed Jenny by the hair and yanked her away from us.


    "Let her fucking go!" I screamed, rushing forward along with Penn and the others to defend Jenny.


    But Sydney had already started forming a group around Jenny¡ªa group of our ssmates who were just as toxic as her.


    "Let go!" I yelled, pushing past some of the girls, while Penn was able to knock down a few guys. Gavin and Lamar were doing the same, fighting through the crowd. Finally, we found Jenny sitting in the middle of the group with her hands covering her face. Sydney had already slipped away through the other side.


    "Hey," I knelt beside Jenny and hugged her before checking on her.


    "What did they do?" I asked, and she sniffled.


    "They put something in my eye," sheined, rubbing them over and over.


    "Everyone back the fuck off!" Penn yelled, ring at them and scaring them off.


    I raised my head and gave Lucy a look. She had tears in her eyes as she watched me take care of Jenny. Jenny¡¯s brother had knelt beside her, hugging her, while Lamar was gently cleaning Jenny¡¯s eyes.


    The bullies had started running away, and Lucy slowly walked off, giving me a look filled with sadness and disbelief.


    "Are you okay? Can you see properly?" I asked Jenny, worried about what they might have put in her eyes.


    "Yeah, I feel fine. But... they wouldn¡¯t put anything too dangerous in my eyes, right?" Jenny asked hesitantly, clearly shaken but trying not to cry.


    "I will gouge their eyes out if they try to hurt my sister," Penn growled. He knew they did something but still tried to give them the benefit of the doubt.


    "Let¡¯s take her to the dorm room so she can rest," Lamar said, holding her hand and helping her up. But then, instead of letting her walk, he picked her up.


    Penn let him, and I could tell it was because he didn¡¯t mind their rtionship.


    "I¡¯ll make Lucy regret this," Penn muttered.


    While Gavin and Lamar left with Jenny, I noticed Penn change direction. Realizing what he was about to do, I decided to go with him and stop him from making a reckless mistake.

 Chapter 387-The Pigeon Eyes

    <h4>Chapter 387: 387-The Pigeon Eyes</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Penn, you are going to get yourself in trouble," I quickly followed him, shaking my head at him in disapproval.


    "What about it? I don¡¯t even know what they put in my sister¡¯s eyes. It can¡¯t be nothing, so I am going to find Sydney and Lucy and do the worst imaginable things to them." He pointed his finger in the air, not even knowing where they could be right now.


    "And get expelled from the academy?" I yelled, and he stopped, turning around and biting the inside of his cheek.


    "It will be justified," he hissed.


    "And what if that is what they wanted? They might have put something harmless in her eyes just to throw us off. What then?" I raised a question that he probably hadn¡¯t thought of.


    He turned again but then quickly spun back to face me.


    "What if it is something dangerous?" he asked, worry visible in his eyes. "Hnie, it was after so long that I saw my sister genuinely happy and out of restraints. They are so wrong for this." He was right.


    Jenny didn¡¯t deserve that.


    "Then we will go to Professor Emmet in the morning and tell him everything. He will take care of the matter." The minute I mentioned the trainer, Penn seemed to rx a bit.


    Everyone was kind of relying on Emmet too much now. I knew it would be a lot of pressure on him, but I could also tell that Emmet wouldn¡¯t mind taking care of everyone. He was genuinely a good man.


    And every time he tied his hair in a loose bun, he looked so handsome and attractive.


    "Oh shit," I bit my tongue at my inappropriate thoughts and caught Penn¡¯s attention.


    "What happened?" he quickly made his way toward me and stood face-to-face with me.


    "Umm, nothing," I shook my head, my cheeks probably turning red.


    "Are you blushing? What did you¡ªdid you think about something?" His mood had changed suddenly after confirming that Emmet would help.


    However, I had a feeling he took my reaction the wrong way.


    "Everything is fine. Let¡¯s go check on Jenny. She must be so worried about you." Not wanting to get into anything romantic, I turned around and made him follow me back to the academy.


    But somehow, I caught the attention of someone else as well. Rudy was outside with Sumit and Arlo, but the minute we came into his sight, he frowned and narrowed his eyes at us, as if he was surprised we wereing back together from somewhere.


    Before I could greet Rudy or be greeted by them, Penn held my hand tightly and practically pulled me forward, making me keep walking.


    "What happened to checking on Jenny? She is waiting for us," Penn muttered urgently, taking me along with him and leaving Rudy staring at us.


    We went upstairs and found Jenny in her room. Lamar and Gavin were trying to figure out what could have been thrown into her eyes.


    "How are you feeling?" I asked Jenny, and she shrugged.


    "I feel fine." That was the scary part¡ªthat she felt fine. If there were any symptoms, we could have figured out what was thrown into her eyes and why.


    "Umm, was it white powder?" Gavin asked Jenny, sitting on the bed with her, holding his phone and reading from online threads.


    Jenny gave it a brief thought and then shook her head.


    "Okay." Gavin scratched his head, reading more.


    Lamar suddenly rushed to the bed, jumping onto it with force and pulling his phone up to his face. "It has to be the pink powder. Was it pink?"


    He asked with so much excitement that we all narrowed our eyes at Jenny, waiting for a response. Since Lamar seemed so hooked on the pink one, I wondered if it was a good thing or a bad thing.


    "No!" Jenny confidently shook her head, and Lamar calmed down, his excitement fading.


    "What is the pink powder?" I asked him, giving Jenny a look of understanding.


    "Oh, nothing. It¡¯s just for people who are beautiful. There¡¯s a pack that throws pink powder on people they consider attractive," he replied, making us all roll our eyes at him for being so cringy.


    "So what could it be?" Now that we had calmed down and Jenny told us the powder didn¡¯t even have a color, we were getting worried.


    "It was Pigeon eyes." Suddenly, Salem appeared out of nowhere, telling us what it was.


    We all looked at her and then at each other before I walked over to confront her.


    "What is that?" I asked, and she lowered her head, biting her tongue.


    "There isn¡¯t much information on it anywhere. I just know the name because I heard Sydney speaking with someone on a call. It has to be a warrior from our pack." Salem seemed timid whenever she was in front of us. But that wasn¡¯t her true personality. She was very bold and arrogant¡ªhow most people would describe her.


    But she always tried her best to act decently around us.


    "Then fucking find out for me," Penn yelled, getting in her face. I had to physically push him back and give him an angry look.


    I noticed Gavin getting up from the bed too, probably to defend Salem.


    "I will. I¡¯ll try to find as much as I can," she replied softly.


    "Okay, you can go. But make sure you tell your sister¡ªif anything happens to mine, she¡¯s done for," Penn hissed, pointing at Salem, who nodded in understanding. But just as she was about to leave, Gavin got up and stood next to the door with her.


    "Thank you." The moment he said that, her faded smile returned.


    "I¡¯ll find out what that herb is for," she reassured him, then left the room.


    "Can we trust her?" It was Lamar who pulled us out of our thoughts, making us stare at the empty path she had left behind.


    Can we really, though?

 Chapter 388-I Can Kill For Her

    <h4>Chapter 388: 388-I Can Kill For Her</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    I had been restless. Even when I looked calm on the outside, there was a storm brewing inside me. I wanted to bring Rayden back to life just so I could be the one to kill him with my own hands.


    I was annoyed to the point where I felt like losing my mind and unleashing what I had been keeping inside. But I had to stay calm, or I would freak Hnie out.


    shback:


    "So, what can you tell me about Hnie?" I asked Vani, who sat with a book in her hand, her eyes on the kitchen to make sure her brother and mother didn¡¯te out and hear her talking to me about Hnie.


    "She went through a lot," Vani started. "She¡¯s always been through a lot. Everyone knew her and hated her because of how my mother used to make her look like a disgusting person because of her pheromones."


    She confused me, a frown forming on my forehead.


    "You need to find out about them yourself. Anyway, it was her eighteenth birthday, and she had left the house to go meet her boyfriend at the time¡ªthe secret one, though. But sadly, her pheromones attracted some bad people. I just remember her returning home the next morning. She was badly abused and¡ª"


    It was definitely a lot for a child to recall such a disturbing event. But she was all I had for information.


    And the only one who showed empathy for Hnie.


    "There were a total of six alphas." The minute she said that, I frowned and shook my head.


    "Six alphas? What do you mean?" I guess I just didn¡¯t want to outright admit what she meant because that would break my sanity.


    And then she told me what I was dreading.


    "Six alphas gang-raped her and tried to kill her. They thought she had died¡ª"


    Her words faded as my head started to spin.


    Hnie¡¯s innocent eyes shed before me. Her little hands begged for help and support from her mother too.


    "And then my dad started beating her up, saying she¡ªdid it to herself. I mean, that she brought it upon herself by messing around. She tried to exin that she was there with her boyfriend, but he ditched her and left her there with those bastard alphas."


    Vani¡¯s eyes started filling with tears as she brought me back to reality with more information.


    I was having a hard time absorbing it all, but for the sake of the child¡¯s safety, I acted like I was fine and just focused on the information.


    If her mother came out, she would be upset with Vani. And if she dared say anything bad about Hnie, I would lose my mind.


    "Dad went to her boyfriend¡¯s father, but they outright lied and said Hnie was a liar who trapped men. Then my father was paid a heavy amount to kill Hnie before she could go to the hospital and get a rape kit done. I had to help her run before she was caught and killed."


    Vani stopped and turned her face away to wipe her tears.


    "Are you a good guy, Emmet?" She turned back to me, batting her eyshes sweetly.


    She was such a nice kid. And the fact that she was dear to Hnie and cared for her made me almost instantly see her as a child I wanted to protect.


    "I try to be," I replied, holding in my rage. But tears kept forming in my eyes. That little Hnie had gone through so much, but kudos to her spirit and strength¡ªshe kept fighting.


    If only I had been there. If only I had been in ce of her boyfriend that night¡ªI would have torn those alphas apart and kept her safe.


    Who in his right mind would have Hnie as his girlfriend and not fight for her? Who in his right mind wouldn¡¯t fight for their girlfriend, or any girl, woman, or person in trouble?


    "Good. She really deserves good people in her life. Please take care of her and never let those people find her¡ªthey will kill her," Vani showed me the fear in her eyes, and I quickly nodded my head.


    "Kiddo, she¡¯s a fighter. Not only will I keep her safe, but she has stepbrothers who would die for her. But¡ªshe¡¯s not that timid, scared girl anymore. When you finally meet her, you¡¯ll see what a courageous woman she has be."


    My words brought a smile to Vani¡¯s face.


    End of shback:


    "So none of his friends came to the funeral?" my wolf muttered. "The five alphas have to be Rayden¡¯s friends. Crimes like this are usuallymitted when¡ª"


    My wolf was finally speaking in a normal tone when he suddenly lost it again.


    "Are you okay?" I asked in concern.


    "I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m losing my mind," he admitted.


    "Then let¡¯s find the culprits before wepletely lose it," I said, sitting on my bed with a whole list of alphas in front of me.


    "If we could speak with Hnie, it would help," my wolf suggested, and he was probably right¡ªbut I didn¡¯t want that.


    Knowing she had shared her secrets with me in such depth, only to see me act as if I didn¡¯t care, would hurt her. So I wanted to be discreet and help her behind the scenes.


    "There was one alpha who visited Rayden¡¯s parents. The others might have distanced themselves from him for obvious reasons."


    I rubbed my chin as I stared at the name in front of me.


    "And that woman was calling Hnie names," my wolf scoffed, reminding me of Benita¡¯s audacity.


    "I hope she doesn¡¯t fall victim to my darkness. You know I can get very messy," I muttered.


    I tried to keep such thoughts to myself, but there were times when the evil in me broke free, and I would think of sadistic ways to torture someone.


    And that¡¯s when my phone beeped.


    I rolled my eyes hard.


    ¡¯Twins calling!¡¯


    That¡¯s how their names were saved in my phone.


    "Hmm?" I answered the call, not paying much attention because I didn¡¯t want to attach myself to more people.


    "Pleasee take us away."


    It was my little sister, crying for help.


    And my body instantly heated u

 Chapter 389-EveryOne Is Moving On

    <h4>Chapter 389: 389-EveryOne Is Moving On</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "After three days, we will have our biggestbat test." I was sitting on the balcony with Lamar, whispering while Lucy wasn¡¯t even in the dorm room. After what happened at the training ground today, I didn¡¯t even want to see her face again for a while.


    But there wasn¡¯t much we could do because we were in the same room together.


    "I hope the team that wins is ours," Lamar pouted, since there would be three winners, and one team would lose.


    "It¡¯s Norman¡¯s team. He trains them like beasts," I reminded him of the methods Norman used to train them.


    "But he trained you too," Lamar added.


    "True, but that doesn¡¯t mean my team will win. We don¡¯t even know what kind of test it will be." I sighed. "And it¡¯s so hard to work with Hans. He has his own training going on," I hissed at the memory of that asshole. I hated that guy so much.


    "May I ask you a question?" I should have guessed it. Lamar had been shifting around and sneaking nces at me for a while ever since we sat on the balcony. I had a feeling he wanted to talk about something, but he was holding it in.


    "Sure, go ahead," I said, and he cleared his throat.


    "Tell me something. Do you remember that humming you did when you overpowered Rayden?" I had almost forgotten about it. But of course, he didn¡¯t.


    "I do now," I replied.


    "What was that?" he asked, and I cocked my head to stare at his face.


    "Can you tell me what you heard? Because I don¡¯t remember hearing any noise or sound. I just knew I was humming." That was the truth. I couldn¡¯t remember what song I was humming.


    "It was something like I¡¯ve never heard before. The voice¡ªthe¡ªI don¡¯t know how to exin it. But I can tell you that, despite you having a beautiful voice, you made my head hurt and my nose bleed," heined, though he had a smile on his face.


    "That is so weird. I have no memory of it." I watched Lamar zone out before his eyes widened in astonishment.


    "Maybe it was your wolf? What if she was waking up and showing her presence?" He snapped his fingers excitedly as if he had cracked a code, but he was still forgetting something.


    "Then why did your nose bleed?" I questioned, and his excitement died down.


    "Do you think we should speak with the trainers? Maybe they know what¡¯s up with you?" Lamar suggested, but he noticed me shaking my head aggressively to dismiss the idea.


    "Kaye hates me right now. I¡¯d say let¡¯s keep my stuff a secret and not¡ª" I shut up as I narrowed my eyes to look down. Far away, near the entrance, I could see a couple taking a stroll.


    "Who is that?" I pointed at them because I wanted to make sure I wasn¡¯t seeing things. Lamar got up and rushed to the edge, staring in the same direction. Then he started scoffing and grunting.


    "Why the fuck is Gavin out with Lucy?" Lamar hissed, attempting to turn and leave to catch the two when I had to physically hold his arm to stop him.


    "Maybe they¡¯re finally having ¡¯the¡¯ talk?" I guessed. "Maybe things will go back to normal after this?"


    I turned to check on Lamar, and seeing him standing with his hands on his waist told me he was really not happy to see them together.


    "They¡¯re going to fight, and then it¡¯ll be the same mess all over again," Lamar rolled his eyes, making sure I knew I shouldn¡¯t put too much faith in those two.


    "Well, we¡¯ll see. Let¡¯s think positive for now," I told him, giving him a pat on the shoulder to go inside and rest.


    At least they were talking, so I was pretty hopeful they would end things nicely this time, have the closure they both needed, and finally move on with their lives.


    Lamar and I fell asleep, and Lucy probably arrived after her talk with Gavin. We woke up to get ready for training, as the test was right around the corner. We didn¡¯t want to lose this one.


    When we arrived at the training ground, Kaye was already instructing his team, so Lamar sped up to join him. He only raised his head once to re at me before looking away again.


    As I was walking past Mianxu¡¯s team, he saw me and raised his hand, snapping his fingers to get my attention. I walked over to him, confused. I didn¡¯t want him to bully me today. I was tired of the taunts and mocking they always threw my way.


    "How are you feeling now?" he asked, without any funny expressions.


    "I¡¯m doing well, thanks for asking," I replied, shifting slightly in my spot.


    "Hmm, I¡¯m sorry for whatever you¡¯ve been through. If I had known, I would¡¯ve let you heal before I made a move. But nheless, I¡¯m d you¡¯re here, and I hope you get over the trauma soon. The reason I called you over is that I wanted to tell you¡ªI¡¯ve decided to move on from you."


    His voice was calm, but his words made me shudder secretly.


    "I don¡¯t want to keep hurting you, and I don¡¯t want to keep hurting myself. You¡¯ve made your decision, and too much has gone wrong between us. I don¡¯t think we should continue anything¡ªbut I wanted to end this on good terms. No taunts, no bullying¡ªnothing harmful. And you can alwayse to me whenever you need help."


    He forced a smile onto his lips, but his eyes told me he was hiding something. Maybe pain?


    Although there wasn¡¯t much that could be done, I was still upset that he went over to Charlotte. He deserved better, in my opinion.


    But what could I say? It was his choice.


    "Thank you." I didn¡¯t argue or continue the topic. I just nodded my head and walked away.

 Chapter 390-When One Takes A Stand

    <h4>Chapter 390: 390-When One Takes A Stand</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Good job," Emmet pped for Jenny, who had just tossed a warrior to the ground during training. We had been working extremely hard because we wanted Emmet¡¯s team to win.


    He looked so muscr in his t-shirt, his bulging biceps and tattoos making him look even hotter than usual.


    I had to look away multiple times to stop myself from staring at him. I guess the mate bond was making me go crazy. And sadly, sometimes my body would even heat up at the sight of Kaye and Maximus as well¡ªboth of whom had already made it clear they had moved on from me.


    That¡¯s why rejection was important for me. They were powerful, so I didn¡¯t know if that helped their wolves stay in control of their body heat.


    "Everyone,e here!" Norman yelled, and all the teams started gathering on the main ground for the announcement.


    "You were amazing today," Jenny patted my back, recalling how I had gone all out on the ground. I used all the moves Norman had taught me, along with the tricks and techniques Rudy had been helping me with.


    I was surprised when I knocked down a big warrior. I could have never done that if I hadn¡¯t enrolled in this academy.


    We all stood together, teams lined up in front of their trainers. My ears were ringing, and my body was still heating up from the intense workout. I looked around and noticed the others looking red and flustered too.


    So it was fine. Everyone else was exhausted too.


    I probably wasn¡¯t the only one checking on others,paring my strength with theirs.


    "So, training has been going well. I¡¯m sure everyone is prepared for the test and will do their best to make their trainers proud. Now, moving on to the test details and date," Norman said, rubbing his hands together and speaking in his husky voice. He then ran his hands over his beard and mustache, his eyes shining under the sunlight.


    "The test will be conducted this Friday."


    I bet it wasn¡¯t just my heart that skipped a beat.


    We all took deep breaths, holding hands to give each other confidence.


    "The test is called the battle of the set of beasts. You will pick one of the members from your team as a treasure. Your main goal will be to find a magical object and hand it over to the treasure. Now you all will surround your treasure and make sure they arrive at the finish point before the other teams. Any kind of strength used to stop the team member will be allowed. But any foreign object used will disqualify the team and the rest of the three teams will be dered as winners. Remember, all the team members must reach the finishing point."


    After Norman gave us the details, we were even more anxious. It was a team challenge, and unfortunately, Hans didn¡¯t understand what that meant.


    He stood tall with his shoulders broad and his hands on his waist, looking so arrogantly stupid.


    "Hans, can we please have a word?" one of the girls from our team reached out to him, and he responded as if he were the trainer.


    I had noticed him sometimes copying Norman. He would literally watch Norman¡¯s habits, andter that day, Hans would be seen doing the exact same thing¡ªwith exaggerated confidence and overly dramatic movements.


    "Sure, go ahead. Tell me what¡¯s going on?" he turned to her, rubbing his hand over his little beard.


    "We want to discuss the test so that we know what role everyone will be ying," the girl continued hesitantly. It was the same for everyone¡ªthey were so cautious about what to say to him because he would lose his temper quickly.


    "Sure!" Hans pped his hands and turned to us.


    "Listen up! I will only repeat it once," he stood like he was our leader.


    "Actually¡ª," one of the quieter ones spoke up, looking around for confirmation from the others.


    "Yes?" Hans asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "We want Hnie to be the team leader. She understands us and really pays attention to our strengths."


    That was where the poor girl messed up. Hans¡¯s eyes shifted to me, and a frown appeared on his forehead¡ªthe kind that was threatening enough for me to step up in front of her.


    "I don¡¯t pay attention? Is that what you¡¯re trying to say?" he yelled. Thankfully, she was behind me.


    "Hey! Back off!"


    As Hans got in my face, Penn somehow saw it from afar. He had been busy guiding his team until his eyesnded on us.


    "You stay out of it, dawg. This is my team. I¡¯ll deal with them my way," Hans yelled back, making me roll my eyes and let out a deep sigh. He was so difficult to deal with.


    "Really? How about we settle this right now?" Penn briskly made his way toward our team, catching the attention of others around us.


    The trainers had already left since it waste evening, and everyone was exhausted¡ªat least the students were.


    "All that for a girl?" Hans scoffed, making some students from other teamsugh at Penn. But Penn kept walking toward him. However, the moment Penn got close, Hans took the first swing¡ªbut Penn sidestepped and caught him in a guillotine chokehold.


    Everyone booed Hans as he struggled but couldn¡¯t break free from Penn¡¯s grip.


    "Penn, let him go," I whispered, hurrying over and gently tapping his arm.


    He pushed Hans away, making him stumble to the ground. The crowd erupted intoughter and cheers as Hans red at them.


    "This isn¡¯t over. I¡¯ll hurt you where it¡¯ll hurt the most," Hans muttered, his eyes dark with anger.


    Sydney and Lucy shared a nce as if they were getting ideas. The fact that I could barely recognize Lucy anymore broke my heart.


    Hans got up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and stormed away.


    "If he ever raises his voice at you again¡ªI¡¯ll cut his tongue out," Penn turned to me, openly admitting why he had lost his temper.


    Everyone went silent. Then, someone spoke up.


    "Trying so hard to impress her?"


    It was none other than Rudy.


    I hadn¡¯t even noticed that the top seniors had arrived at the ground just to check on the juniors¡¯ training.

 Chapter 391-Like A True Leader

    <h4>Chapter 391: 391-Like A True Leader</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Penn looked at me and then at Rudy, who had his hands in his red jacket, looking fresher than the rest of us. It was their day off, so he had been out and about until now.


    "Back off, Rudy!" Penn hissed at him.


    I felt ufortable being the center of attention. Whenever eyes were on me, I was reminded of the day I had to walk home after that torturous night. They had examined me the same way back then, and I could never forget those eyes.


    "Hnie, he didn¡¯t really do it for you, get that," Rudy stated, with Sage and Summit behind him while Arlo scanned the crowd.


    I watched as his eyesnded on Lucy, then shifted to our group, as if noticing how we had fallen apart.


    "Rudy! Penn is my friend, let¡¯s not poke at him," I stepped forward to defend Penn, who tilted his head at Rudy, probably smirking because I was standing up for him.


    "You¡¯re so innocent, Hnie. He did it to cause a rift between your team. Every move counts, and he has already started a war within your group," Rudy¡¯s words caught me off guard.


    Even Penn tried stepping forward to face him, but Lamar and Gavin rushed to hold him back.


    "Whoa! Easy there, Alpha boy. You might be training today, but we¡¯ve been doing this for years," Sage warned Penn.


    I hated this war between us. It was unnecessary and uncalled for.


    "He didn¡¯t. Okay? I know Penn, and I know he would never sabotage my test or anyone else¡¯s," I argued, refusing to let them attack Penn, who had genuinely stepped in to defend me but was now being painted as a team breaker.


    "Yet he yed Riri so well. He¡¯s capable of ying games¡ªit¡¯s just that you¡¯re too good of a friend to hold any of yours ountable. They¡¯ve been sabotaging your reputation since day one, Hnie. Every time you won a test or were praised, they would mess up your happiness, and instead of celebrating, your group would be caught up in drama," Rudy continued, making my anger re.


    "Oi! That¡¯s enough," Lamar finally spoke up, stepping in front of me.


    "Why? Are we lying, though? One of you has probably realized how toxic the group is. And trust me, she¡¯s doing much better now," Arlo added, turning his gaze to Lucy, who was rocking her body sideways just like Sydney.


    "Thanks for your guidance, but I don¡¯t need it. This is what friends do. And you lost your argument the moment you brought up Riri and tried to make Lucy look like a lesser mess," I shot back.


    The second I said that, I saw Rudy¡¯s confidence waver, and Lucy¡¯s bodynguage changed.


    Her hands dropped from her waist in shock, disbelief written all over her face. Then there was Rudy, swallowing hard.


    "And next time, don¡¯te between me and my friends," I warned him, feeling bad that he had chosen this route.


    "I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you. I was just worried they¡¯d ruin your progress," Rudy muttered, reaching for my hand, but I stepped back.


    "Let her be. Look at how she made me look bad¡ªthat¡¯s what she does. She¡¯s not the naive one; in fact, she¡¯s the messiest in the group. She loves ying the victim and is the biggest ¡¯pick-me¡¯ ever."


    My heart crumbled at Lucy¡¯s words, but I had expected them. She had been holding them in for a long time.


    "Nobody is talking to you," Sage turned to re at her, but Sydney had her back.


    "Why? She can¡¯t have a say in a royal conversation?" Sydney hissed at Sage.


    "My friends were there for me when I was lonely. There were times when I couldn¡¯t believe anyone could cheer me up or support me, but they did. They all yed their parts¡ªexcept for Lucy! Who thinks I¡¯m just an attention seeker," I said loudly, watching Lamar and Gavin step forward in shock.


    "At least Sydney gave her some confidence to say it to my face and not just whisper it when I¡¯m alone," I added, recalling all the times I had been in pain while Lucy only reminded me how imperfect my life was.


    "I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª" Rudy¡¯s expression shifted as he realized how much he had hurt me. He had beenpeting with Penn, but in the process, he had genuinely wounded me.


    But I was done with the conversation.


    "Come on, let¡¯s go, guys," I told my friends, who looked upset at the way Rudy and the others had tried to paint them.


    They had no idea how much my friends had helped me. All of them had been there for me. Back when I didn¡¯t have clothes, Gavin had offered me Lucy¡¯s tracksuit. And though I had been grateful to Lucy for that, I couldn¡¯t say it anymore¡ªnot after how she had let me down.


    Every day, she stood with Sydney and made snide remarks about me whenever I passed by.


    Just yesterday, as I walked past her, she had said, "I bet some girls are going to sell their million-dor virginity."


    The fact that mine had been taken from me by force made herment strike deep into my heart.


    Our group walked away as the other students continued their open arguments.


    "Thank you," Penn¡¯s voice broke through my thoughts as we reached the academy.


    "Thank you for standing up for me."


    There was a proud shine in his eyes as he looked at me.


    "No! Thank you for standing up for me back there. I didn¡¯t know how to face Hans¡ªhe seemed intimidating," I admitted, genuinely grateful.


    And despite Rudy¡¯s im that Penn had only caused trouble by breaking our team apart, I knew that Hans would never have worked as a team yer anyway.


    "So what are you going to do about Hans?" Lamar asked, draping one arm over my shoulder and the other over Gavin¡¯s, peeking at me from between them.


    "I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to give him power. People like him only function when they¡¯re given responsibility," I said.


    I had no intention of bing a leader¡ªI just wanted to win the test. And for that, I was willing to take whatever necessary steps.


    "Indeed, someone who knows everyone¡¯s strengths and how to use them," Jenny recalled my words, and everyone smiled proudly.

 Chapter 392-Wanting Maximus

    <h4>Chapter 392: 392-Wanting Maximus</h4>


    <strong>Charlotte:</strong>


    "What are you doing?" My mother pped my arm a little too hard this time to get my attention.


    "Ouch?" I winced, throwing a puzzled look at her. I wanted to look my best tonight.


    "Why are you wasting your time here? Maximus will be arriving any minute now. Go stand at the door and greet him with the freshly bakedsagna," my mother motioned for me to get up as she held the bakedsagna in her hands, still wearing oven mitts.


    "Umm, I need to look perfect too. Just onest touch-up." I put on some lip gloss and a little glitter on my neck and chest before getting up.


    "I hope he doesn¡¯t ask for the recipe," I sighed. My mom would bake stuff, and I would take credit for it.


    It was all to impress Maximus. I had been putting in so much effort since I was just a teen. We lived in the same mansion, but he hardly noticed me. I wanted him to be my high school boyfriend too, but that didn¡¯t work out either.


    He never even looked at me, even though he would check out anything with boobs. It hurt whenever I watched him go out on dates and have fun with other girls.


    But I stayed patient because I had manifested ¡¯us,¡¯ and it finally came true. I was so d I had asked for his phone that night. I remember vividly how tired he was when he got home, and I asked to use his phone. I had been in his room the entire time he was gone. That¡¯s when I saw Hnie¡¯s message pop up in the notifications.


    I quickly asked for his phone, and he gave it to me without checking. I bet he didn¡¯t think I would be crazy enough to go through his messages. I deleted her text, making it look like she yed him at thest minute.


    He went on with his life, thinking she was going to make their rtionship public.


    I didn¡¯t like seeing him in pain either because I cared about him a lot, but it had to be done. Otherwise, he would never hate Hnie.


    And then I yed the master game.


    shback:


    "What are you doing in my home? Don¡¯t you know anyone rted to that Urs isn¡¯t wee here?" Lady Darcy had such a dark look on her face that I considered turning around and running back home.


    Even when I didn¡¯t want to, sometimes humiliation was worth it¡ªespecially when it was about Maximus. I could get insulted all day, every day, for him.


    "I am not rted to that woman. I know I can¡¯t say it out loud because my mother and I have nowhere else to go. But¡ªI promise you, I don¡¯t like homewreckers either." My confidence and words made her raise an eyebrow. That¡¯s when I knew I had her attention.


    "What have youe here for? Definitely not to tell me you hate the hand that¡¯s feeding you. So tell me, what do you want from me?" She sat down, crossed one leg over the other, and gestured for the man beside her to pour her a ss of wine. She didn¡¯t even ask me to sit.


    "I¡¯vee to talk to you about your son." It was so hard to say it without triggering her. She was way too protective and controlling of her sons. Living in the mansion, I had figured that out a long time ago.


    "You better have a very good reason for saying my son¡¯s name," she scoffed, already threatening me with her harsh re.


    "I know Maximus¡¯ secret."


    The moment I said that, she mmed the ss she had just been handed onto the side table, unfolded her legs, straightened her posture, and shot daggers at me with her eyes.


    "I am not threatening or ckmailing you. I just want to tell you another secret of ours too." I was shaking; having her eyes on me wasn¡¯t easy to handle.


    "You better start talking then," she warned, and I nodded my head anxiously.


    "I am his fated mate."


    I watched her face twist in shock before her mouth opened.


    "One night¡ªI was in the woods when he came out in his form¡ª" I purposely didn¡¯t say the word ¡¯lycan.¡¯ I didn¡¯t want the walls to hear. If anyone found out, he could be in danger.


    "What are you saying?" Her expression said it all. I knew Maximus must have confided in her, just like he did with his older brother.


    Being around him like a buzzing bee worked for me when I eavesdropped on him and Norman¡¯s conversation. One day, Maximus was telling Norman that he thought he had felt a mate bond with someone in the woods. But of course, being a lycan, he couldn¡¯t remember exactly what happened. It seemed like Norman wanted to find out who was in the woods that night.


    But since Maximus didn¡¯t remember, I was sure nobody found out. I couldn¡¯t care less. Whoever it was, Maximus might have even killed her and forgotten about it since no onees across a lycan and survives.


    "I am not lying. My mother knows about it, and she has been pushing me to talk to Lord McQuoid. However, I didn¡¯t want to. I told her that if anyone deserves to make a decision for her son, it is Lady Darcy."


    I knew she would never want me to be her daughter-inw. She had her own ways. She wanted her son¡¯s wife to be from a powerful pack and have a high rank.


    "I will take care of him and always obey you." The moment I noticed the dy in her response, I started to panic.


    "You are not the one I want for my son," she leaned back and hissed, scoffing at me.


    I felt a surge of anger at her words.


    There would only be one and only one for Maximus, and that was me.

 Chapter 393-I Will Be The New Helanie

    <h4>Chapter 393: 393-I Will Be The New Hnie</h4>


    <strong>Charlotte:</strong>


    <strong>shback:</strong>


    "But I am his mate, I am chosen by the Moon Goddess," I kept my frustration inside and continued to speak softly, giving the hint of being gentle and timid.


    Darcy sized me up and then scoffed, turning her head to the man on her side before the two startedughing at me.


    "You really wish to be a lycan¡¯s mate?" she hissed. The smile on her face was fake, and I could tell why. She didn¡¯t like the fact that I knew Maximus¡¯ truth. That also made me vulnerable to her anger.


    If she suddenly realized I could be a threat, she might want to get rid of me. The only thing that would hold her back is that she had no idea who else I had told. So if she gets rid of me, and my mother knew about Maximus, she woulde forward and tell everyone.


    Well, my mother did know everything. I never hide anything from her.


    "I am," I replied.


    "Hm, do you know the risks of being his mate?" she folded her arms and started to stare at her nails.


    "I believe so, but I am not afraid of him. I am ready to do anything for him," I noticed her raising her eyes from her nails and watching me.


    "Okay, since you put it that way," she nodded her head, causing my heart to fill with hope. She got up and walked over to me, fixing my hair and then giving me a good look, even walking around me and examining me.


    "Okay then, I will put my faith in you. But you will have to please my son in any way you are asked to," she stopped before me and agreed, causing a huge smile to form on my lips.


    I quickly began to nod my head.


    I would do anything for him. Literally, anything.


    End Of shback:


    The others had gone to his room, and Maximus arrivedte. He looked so tired. I was right at the entrance with thesagna te.


    "Maximus," I uttered to get his attention since I was afraid he was so lost in his thoughts that he might have walked through me at this point.


    He stopped and looked at thesagna te. "I am not hungry."


    The minute he began to walk past me, I felt my heart stop. I turned and gulped, watching him go.


    It was at this moment that I realized I wasn¡¯t special. There was nothing interesting about me for him to pay attention to.


    I hated that feeling.


    If only I were special, he would be spending time with me, focusing on me, and even trying to solve my mystery.


    Enraged, I went back to my room and threw the te on the table. My mother rushed out from the bathroom to check on me and realized Maximus had ignored me yet again.


    "It is okay, he wille around," my mother¡¯s reassurance didn¡¯t help. She had been saying this for a while, and nothing had been fixed.


    "He must still miss Hnie. And why not? He gets to see her every day, train, and be a better version of herself. And look at me, I¡¯m still the same annoying little she-wolf who can¡¯t even cook," I hissed, stamping my feet while tears started to form in my eyes.


    "Is that all? Do you think if you became something, he would notice you?" The slight excitement in my mother¡¯s voice made me turn my head to her and watch her without blinking.


    "Do you have something in mind?" I inquired.


    "I believe so," she pouted. "Why don¡¯t you ask them to hire you as a receptionist at the academy or Maximus¡¯ secretary?"


    I was excited for it until I realized there was nothing interesting about it.


    "That would do," I lied, pretending excitement for my mother, but deep down, I knew this wasn¡¯t what I wanted to do to get his attention.


    "Then don¡¯t worry and go to bed. I will speak with McQuoid in the morning," she smiled, giving me a kiss on the forehead before leaving for her room. However, I stayed awake. After I had taken a shower and was in my nightgown, I called Darcy.


    "Do you know what time it is?" she hissed from the other side, sounding sleepy and groggy.


    "Your son is ignoring me," I said, lying in my bed and staring at the ceiling.


    "And? You want me to beg him to notice you? You¡¯re not very attractive, what can I do with that?" Her words stung. But I had to swallow her insults. Once I get Maximus on my side and make him fall hard in love with me, I¡¯ll show her what insults really are.


    "He is in love with Hnie," that was all I needed to say to wake her up.


    I swear I could hear her breath catch, and then I added more salt to the wound, "if you see his face, you will know. He is dying to be with her, all he thinks about is her. And I bet if given a choice, he would choose her over everything and everyone."


    I stopped to take a deep breath after making her lose hers.


    "What are you willing to do in order to be special to him?" That¡¯s what I wanted to hear. She had briefly mentioned it before, asking what I could do for her son.


    My answer remained the same.


    "Anything," I closed my eyes as the tears threatened to fall.


    "Good. Then I will send you the instructions. You better not let him go to that bitch¡¯s daughter," her disdain for Hnie and her mother was going to work in my favor.


    "Okay, see you then," I hung up on her since she was already gone. I bet she had thrown her phone away and was busy breaking stuff.


    "I will show you, Hnie, that I am more special than you. I will take back everything. The brothers will take care of me, and Maximus will love me. I will be the new Hnie, the better version," I determinedly promised myself that I would win this war.

 Chapter 394-My Stepbrother Wants Me To Take Care Of His Kids?

    <h4>Chapter 394: 394-My Stepbrother Wants Me To Take Care Of His Kids?</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Is she okay?" I asked, watching Emmet shine light into Jenny¡¯s eyes.


    "Is she going to lose the memory of us?" I continued, rubbing my palms anxiously. If I could, I would trade eyes with her.


    Lamar and Gavin stood beside Emmet in his office, while Penn was pacing around, hands on his head, looking anxious.


    "Is she going to be possessed by the demon of the powder?" The minute those words left my lips, Emmet raised his head and stared at me in silence.


    "What? Is she going to?" My breath hitched. Even Jenny started smiling. What was so funny about it?


    Emmet then turned to one side, staring at Gavin, who instantly swallowed hisugh and tried to keep his posture straight, then looked to the other side where Lamar was standing. Lamar had the same reaction, but he hid hisugh by biting the inside of his cheek.


    "Alright, tell me, which one of you told her that?" Emmet sighed, rolling in his chair. They both pointed at each other.


    "Lamar did," I frowned.


    "There is no such thing as that," Emmet turned to me and shook his head. He looked so serious most of the time, but the minute he looked at me, his eyes would shine so brightly that my heart would start beating loudly.


    "Is she okay?" Penn definitely wasn¡¯t part of any jokes. While I gave deadly res to Lamar, Penn intervened to ask Emmet.


    "I know what was put in her eyes," Emmet said, "but I won¡¯t tell any of you. Let the test pass, and then we¡¯ll see." We stared at each other in shock. "Trust me, it will be worth the wait."


    Of course, I would trust Emmet in a heartbeat, but Penn couldn¡¯t agree with him, and I understood why. He was concerned about his sister¡¯s health.


    "What if it gives her any side effects?" Penn anxiously rubbed his palms, hunching over the table to question Emmet.


    "It won¡¯t. However, it will make her act up. So I¡¯ll suggest you guys keep an eye on her during the test," Emmet imed, obviously upsetting Penn.


    "I can¡¯t let her go out for the test when I know something¡¯s been put in her eyes," the moment he mmed his fist on the table, we all stepped away because Emmet steadily stretched his neck and then gave him dead-eye contact.


    "There¡¯s nothing you can do about this powder. It fades away in a few days. So, either you make a fuss now and dy the test, or let her go out for the test and pass the test," Emmet¡¯s words were convincing. Even Jenny gently held her brother¡¯s arm to stop him from resisting anymore.


    "So the decision is yours," Emmet said.


    "I will go for the test," Jenny exined, getting up from her seat and making a decision for herself. I could tell Penn wasn¡¯t too satisfied, but as Emmet said, there was nothing we could do, so he had to bow down to the decision.


    "Now go ahead and keep training," Emmet dismissed us, and everyone started leaving. But just as I was about to leave, he said my name softly, "Hnie."


    I stopped and turned around to see him leaned back in his chair, rolling it slightly, watching me with such dreamy eyes that my heart skipped a beat.


    "Come have a seat," he uttered, looking so rxed. With a gulp, I closed the door again and sat across from him.


    While I sat there, I watched him just move his chair and keep staring at me. I suddenly felt so shy under his gaze.


    "How good are you with children?"


    His question was vague, and I couldn¡¯t understand the reason behind it.


    "I used to take care of my¡ª" I instantly shut up when I recalled what I had told them about myself. But it was true that when Vani was little, I used to take care of her. Even when I was only four years older than her, I took care of her like a mother would. Of course, I couldn¡¯t tell him all that since I had told him I left my pack when I was just a kid myself.


    "I used to take care of kids of the rogues in the woods," I made up a lie, and I noticed him closing his eyes andughing a little.


    "Why are you asking?" I asked, feeling curious.


    "Just wanted to know. Say, if you have to take care of kids, can you?" My heart was beating so loudly now.


    I knew these were normal questions, but somehow, my brain was processing them wrong.


    "Will you have my children?"


    That¡¯s what I was hearing, even though he wasn¡¯t saying it. I could me it on my body¡¯s heat, which was rising in the moment.


    "Yes," I replied shortly, taking deep breaths to calm myself down. I guess I needed a shower to get the heat off my mind. I wasn¡¯t even sure how I would react to someone getting intimate with me at this point. My body might even reject the touch, just like it did with the first kiss after that incident.


    "Okay, you may leave now," he softly blinked his eyes and gestured at the door.


    "Thank you, sir," I quickly got up without wasting any time and rushed toward the door when I heard him say something one more time, but this time, his statement was very informative.


    "It is pigeon eyes."


    I turned to him and raised my eyebrow.


    "They put pigeon eyes in her eyes. You can research it yourself," he replied, smiling at me, "but I would suggest you don¡¯t tell anyone yet. Let the test pass, y mind games with your enemies, Hnie. Besides, there are only three teams that can win. If one gets disqualified, the others automatically win. Now I hope you¡¯ll use this information wisely," Emmet said in the most understanding voice.


    I swear I could hear him talk for hours and never get bored.

 Chapter 395-And It Is Game Time

    <h4>Chapter 395: 395-And It Is Game Time</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    It was finally Friday. The seniors had been given a day off to rest and prepare for their own test, but ours was first. We all woke up to set rms, warmed up, got ready, and some even had breakfast. I couldn¡¯t eat anything.


    This was the thing about me: I can eat a lot when I¡¯m upset or angry, but when I¡¯m anxious, I lose my appetite.


    "I will never be rude to anyone ever again," Jenny was praying when I found her on the ground, making meugh.


    "You¡¯re never rude to anyone anyway," I said. When ites to being rude, Jenny could never do that.


    "Well, I am messy. I do make a lot of mistakes," she pouted before quickly looking up at the sky again. "I will never hurt anyone."


    She quickly changed her prayer. Then, she opened her eyes and watched Hanse over. "And I promise I will never cuss at Hans in my heart either."


    Hans scoffed, stopping dead in his tracks with his hands on his waist. They had been butting heads a lot throughout the training. It was all Hans¡¯s fault, obviously. He would always try to piss Jenny off. I didn¡¯t get why, but I noticed it.


    "Okay, team, listen," Hans gathered our team to the side to have onest word with us. We had let him take over the leader duties. Honestly speaking, despite being a pain in the ass, once he was given responsibility, he did an amazing job. There were some of the academy students who weren¡¯t eating much and losing weight. He even took care of them and made a diet chart to help them with their nutrients.


    He took his team leader duties very seriously.


    "Remember the roles," he said. "Jenny is a treasure." The way he said that and smirked, I found it odd. "Hnie and I will go with her to find the magical item and hand it over to her. After that, we¡¯ll gather around her in a certain radius. Make sure we have covered a lot of ground around her and don¡¯t let anybodye near her, got it?" he voiced, and everyone nodded their heads.


    My heart was jumping up and down the whole time. I wanted to win this match, but I also wanted my friends to win it too.


    "Now, let¡¯s go and stand with the others. Don¡¯t let anyments affect your strength or mental ability to deal with hurdles," he kept going, boosting everyone up. Once we stood with the others, I felt a little nudge to the back of my hand from Gavin.


    "Best of luck," he whispered, making me smile. Lucy was standing in front of him, so when she heard a little whispering from us, she turned around and gazed at us directly before looking ahead again.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it had been days since we¡¯dst talked. We just avoided each other most of the time, or she would throw ament here and there whenever she was around Sydney.


    The trainers finally arrived and stood before us, all wearing ck. Emmet had on a ck suit, Kaye wore a ck high turtleneck sweater and ck pants, Maximus was in a long ck coat, and Norman wore a ck shirt without a coat.


    "I wish you all the best of luck and remember, this isn¡¯t the end of the world. But give your best," Norman pped his hands for the teams before he blew the whistle.


    My heart skipped a beat at the loud noise of the whistle. We all began to sprint with the papers given to us.


    Our teammates were following Hans¡¯ instructions and staying close on all sides.


    "It states that ¡¯It spins with purpose, sharp and true, leading the lost ones when skies are blue¡¯" Hans said as he opened the paper once we were near the trail.


    "What could that be?" Jenny rubbed her temples, and I kept an eye on her behavior. I remembered she was still under the effect of the powder, so I was worried for her.


    "It could be¡ª" I paused as I closed my eyes to focus on the item.


    Suddenly, ticking sounds started to echo in my head. My mind raced, and I saw a sh of something round with needles. "It¡¯s apass."


    I opened my eyes and stared at them as they got it.


    "Yes, she¡¯s right," Hans pointed at me excitedly, "but where could it be?"


    We were back to square one. I could see other teammates pass us,ughing like they had figured out theirs.


    "Hmm¡ªwhere can apass be¡ª" I then reread the written riddle again and it hit me, "Maybe a closed space?"


    ¡¯What is this guide, where waters creep, in hidden halls, where silence sleeps?¡¯


    "Or a cave maybe?" Jenny smirked, making us stare at her with amusement.


    "Exactly, but how many caves are there?" I jumped happily until I remembered we didn¡¯t know how many caves there were.


    "See¡ªit says the cave is near the water, so there¡¯s one cave I know that¡¯s right beside the waterfall," Hans made it so easy for us. I mean, there could be other ones, but none of our teammates had heard about them, so we decided to visit this one first.


    We began to sprint again, and just like Hans had told us, we acted like we were cluelessly running around and arguing. That was Hans¡¯ n to keep us from being anyone¡¯s target.


    But right when we were headed to the other mountain where the fountain was, I felt someoneing after me.


    I turned my head and saw Sydneying at me. She elbowed me right in the eye while jumping as high as she could, knocking me to the ground.


    I didn¡¯t expect her to do that, so I was defenseless.


    "You fucking bitch!" Hans grabbed her by the hair before she could get away and gave her a good spin, tossing her around like a monster tossing his prey. She yelped and hit the tree, falling down and bleeding from her mouth.


    "You idiot, how dare you hit me?" she yelled. "This fucking loser hit a woman!"


    She kept yelling, and where I expected Hans to take her words and be afraid of them, he avoided her and quickly approached me to check up on me.

 Chapter 396-The Barbarians

    <h4>Chapter 396: 396-The Barbarians</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Take this," Hans quickly opened the bag he carried with some food and water in it and ced an ice pack over my eye.


    "You can still run?" he asked me. Sydney had run away to join her team.


    "What the fuck happened?" While Lamar¡¯s team was passing us, he slowed down to check on me.


    "Dude, go!" I yelled at him, eyeing him with my one eye so he wouldn¡¯t lose the test because of me. He reluctantly ran away. Many people passed us. We even got to find out that Penn¡¯s team got the riddle wrong on the first attempt.


    "I can, let¡¯s go." Without wasting another minute, I was up on my feet again. Now we knew they could attack us from all directions, so we were cautious.


    We began to sprint as fast as we could, and I realized I still needed more strength from my wolf. While running, I got so anxious and hyper that I started calling for my wolf.


    ¡¯Listen, I know you don¡¯t want to be my wolf¡ªhence you don¡¯t want toe out. But please, give me a chance. I won¡¯t put all the work on you.¡¯ I just had a feeling that maybe my wolf found out that she belonged to a loser like me and decided to fucking dip.


    ¡¯Please¡ªhelp me¡ª¡¯ I begged as I felt my legs giving up.


    However, I felt a tingling sensation in my legs as if they were giving me a hint. I followed them and turned toward the water passing by.


    "What are you doing?" Hans yelled after me when I jumped into the water. I had never even seen or taken a single lesson on swimming. So the minute I was in the water, I started to fucking drown.


    "Oh no," I heard Hans yell and jump after me. In the next few minutes, he had dragged me out and was ring me down.


    "I will not ask you to exin yourself. But maybe your body caught the heat from your wolf trying to put pressure to help," he just made up an excuse and then gestured for us to keep running.


    I didn¡¯t understand. If I was devastated before, this act of deception from my wolf¡ªor whatever caused me to jump in the water¡ªreally kicked me down. I could not even ask my wolf toe out for help anymore. She almost drowned me.


    So I kept going and reached the other mountain. We took a little break to drink some water and hand food over to the other teammates.


    "All the teams have gone barbarian. They are attacking us and hitting us. Why aren¡¯t we doing anything?" One of the guys from our team raised a concern, and Hans looked over at me.


    "I have told you guys, we cannot divert our attention away from the main goal. Our goal is to find the item and reach the finish line," I reminded them again, but I could tell they were not satisfied.


    "But there is also a part where the trainers said we could dy others," one of the girls spoke up this time.


    "I guess you can, but have you not seen the other teams yet? They are so busy attacking each other¡¯s teammates that they keep getting their riddles wrong. Remember what Trainer Norman said? This is not the end of the world. We must not fight¡ªwe are defenders." I watched Hans nod his head and then turn to the team.


    "You heard her. We are saving our energy for the main goal. And also,y low. Don¡¯t be someone¡¯s target by attacking them." Thankfully, he was really good at this stuff. I had expected him to mess up, but I guess it was because of the messy cage fight with the Frogster. I could now tell that it was Sydney and Salem who made him lose that fight.


    "Okay now, let¡¯s go," I said as I gestured at everyone. We spread out again, and this time, we reached the main area of the waterfall.


    "Careful, everyone. I heard there are many traps here," Hans said as he raised his hands to stop everyone.


    "There is a mine!" a girl yelled, pointing at something hiding in the dirt.


    "These are wolfsbane mines. You should not step on them!" Hans yelled for everyone, and they listened to him. But I could see the fear in everyone¡¯s eyes now. The wind was so strong here that every whooshing sound scared us.


    "Yikes!" We heard a loud scream from one of the members of Penn¡¯s team as they pushed one of the girls onto the mine and ran away.


    The mine exploded, and it hit our member. She screamed in pain and then writhed.


    We all ran to her and saw the burn rashes all over her skin.


    "It fucking hurts!" She was crying so much that I began to panic.


    "Should we take her back?" I asked Hans, worried for her.


    "It wouldn¡¯t do anything. One of you stay with her and calm her down. We will go find the item and then meet you here. We will then proceed to head back, but I will need one of you to carry her," Hans said, his eyes searching through the crowd andnding on a guy who was a fast runner.


    "You! You will carry her," he decided, and the guy nodded his head.


    "Hnie and I will start moving forward¡ª" Hans suddenly stopped and then turned to me. "Actually, Hnie will go and take the first steps to clear out the mines. She doesn¡¯t have an active wolf, so she won¡¯t be affected by the wolfsbane like we would."


    He made a good observation, and I was all set for it. Except¡ª I did have a little wolf power, and I was using it to run beside them.


    But I had a desire to sound and look powerful, so I didn¡¯t deny it and took the lead. I would let my foot hover over the grass and mud and then clear them gently before I took a step forward. It took most of our time, but we were finally here¡ªat the cave near the waterfall.

 Chapter 397-Our Treasure Has Gone Crazy

    <h4>Chapter 397: 397-Our Treasure Has Gone Crazy</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I entered the cave, and right off the bat, I knew we were at the right location. There was something shining in the middle of the cave. I reached it slowly and noticed the beautifulpass sitting there, its shineing from the ss.


    "I found thepass," I announced, looking around the cave at my team members. There were only a handful of us inside, but the others had to stay outside to keep an eye on our teammates and make sure no one else came for us.


    "Give it to Jenny," Hans ran toward me, staring at the item with wide eyes full of amusement.


    "It¡¯s pretty," I muttered, and he steadily nodded in agreement,pletely zoned out as he admired the antique Whisper Compass.


    The arrows on thepass started spinning wildly, and for a brief moment, I was scared I had messed it up.


    "Let¡¯s go," Hans elbowed me, snapping me back to reality. When I came to my senses and looked around, I frowned in confusion.


    "Where is Jenny?" I asked, bewildered.


    Hans followed my gaze and then looked around too, realizing she was gone.


    He turned back to me before rushing outside. I followed him, only to find the areapletely silent.


    That¡¯s when my anklet started to beep.


    "I can¡¯t hold it for too long. It has to be Jenny," I muttered in frustration. "Jenny!" I yelled.


    I knew that the moment I put it down, someone from the other teams would pop up and steal it. If they hid it somewhere else, it would take us hours to find it again.


    "No! We won¡¯t let that happen. You stay here with thepass, I¡¯ll go find Jenny," Hans said before dashing off to look for her.


    I sat down on the ground, staring up at the walls of the cave when I suddenly felt thepass heating up in my palm.


    "Shit, this has to be part of the test," I realized. I wasn¡¯t supposed to hold onto it for too long. In the test, the treasure is supposed to carry the gift.


    I set it down in front of me and looked away, worrying where Jenny might have gone. However, something pulled my attention back to thepass¡ªI felt like it was moving.


    And it was.


    The needle spun around wildly before slowlying to a stop. Both points were aimed directly at me. I frowned, resisting the urge to pick it up as curiosity started to build inside me.


    "Don¡¯t worry, your treasure will be here soon," I said to thepass,ughing at myself like an idiot. I was extremely happy that we had done it. But I wasn¡¯t sure how far the other teams hade by now.


    For all I knew, they already had their items and were heading back to the finish line.


    "Hnie, you need toe outside for this," one of the girls yelled as she entered the cave. I didn¡¯t like the sound of her shaky voice¡ªit meant something had gone wrong.


    I got up, held thepass, and followed her outside, only to find Jenny sitting in the middle of the crowd with her eyes closed and her hands covering her face.


    "I don¡¯t want to look at the scary world," she was chanting nonstop, making Hans anxious as he paced around her.


    "Jenny, look at me," he knelt down, trying to calm her.


    "No, no, no!" she screamed, kicking him and thrashing around.


    "Pigeon eyes," I suddenly remembered, and my heart skipped a beat.


    "Hans!" I ran up to him, wanting to tell him quietly so the others wouldn¡¯t freak out¡ªthey already looked terrified.


    "What?" he turned to me, his face pale with worry as he tried to understand me.


    "She has pigeon eyes," I whispered. I didn¡¯t expect him to know what that meant, but the way his eyes widened told me he did.


    "Okay, no need to panic," he said, clearly panicking. "We¡¯ll have to drag her with us¡ª" He stopped mid-sentence when Jenny suddenly got up and bolted.


    "Jenny!" I ran after her, grabbing her just as she was about to step on a mine.


    "Let me go! You¡¯re a monster¡ªyou all are!" she screamed in terror, struggling like a frightened bird. She elbowed me,nding hard hits on my jaw and chest.


    "Jenny!" Hans arrived just in time to grab her, but she was uncontroble.


    And then the worst happened.


    The moment Hans pulled her away from the mines, someone jumped out from the bushes and attacked him.


    Hans hit the ground, and so did Jenny. He quickly got back up, stopping Sydney¡¯s teammate from attacking Jenny, but they had alreadynded some hard punches on her.


    I jumped in, kicking the attacker from behind before pinning them down and hitting them until I was sure they couldn¡¯t fight back.


    "Okay, here¡¯s the thing¡ª" Hans said, rubbing his wounds to stop the bleeding.


    "One of us has to carry her, and that has to be you. I¡¯ll be right beside you, stopping attackers. She¡¯ll only keep running away from the finish line, making it harder for us to get there in time. So, you have to make sure you take her to the finish line¡ª" He paused briefly, his face tightening with concern. "But how do we make her carry thepass?"


    That was our biggest problem. She kept throwing anything that touched her hands. I was growing worried for her. Once she gains her senses, she will be devastated if we didn¡¯t finish the line before others.


    "Can we tape it to her hands?" one of the girls suggested. Hans quickly grabbed duct tape from his bag and tried taping it to Jenny¡¯s hand.


    But the moment the tape touched her skin, she screamed like she was on fire.


    Her agonizing cries made it impossible for me to even think about carrying her. She would cry and fight the whole way to the finish line. Her panic would kill me.


    There was only one option left.


    "We¡¯ll have to knock her out," I said reluctantly.

 Chapter 398-The Victory Is Right There

    <h4>Chapter 398: 398-The Victory Is Right There</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Okay, you hit her," Hans said, rubbing his palms anxiously. I frowned at him and growled.


    "What made you think I could knock her out?" I asked, shaking my head.


    "Hans should do it. He is already very ruthless," a timid girl from our team suggested, and Hans¡¯ eyes narrowed at all of us.


    "You all should be thankful I am in your team, and when ites to being ruthless¡ªdo you find Professor Norman ruthless? No! He does whatever he can to help us grow and be better versions of ourselves," he stated with so much pride that even Jenny startedughing.


    We all turned to her, and she quickly hugged herself, closing her eyes and probably thinking she was hiding perfectly.


    "Your obsession with Professor Norman is scary¡ª," I rolled my eyes, "you have to do it. We are gettingte. Just do it very gently," I told him again, as her condition was worsening, and she needed to be knocked out so she wouldn¡¯t run away and get herself hurt by something deadlier.


    "I¡ªI can knock out anyone else¡ªbut not her," Hans looked away, shocking me with his shaky tone.


    "Well, right now, we need your help for her, so¡ª," I ced my hands on my waist, staring at him and speaking very confidently. It had to be him.


    However, we were so engrossed in the debate that someone from another team had jumped out to attack us.


    At this point, our team was the only one that wasn¡¯t attacking anyone. I was sure Lamar¡¯s and Gavin¡¯s teammates were just attacking randomly and had made mini groups within the big group. Since they let the treasure and the one finding the gift do their thing, their teammates were just messing around to dy the others.


    As this person threw a punch at Hans, he dodged, and¡ªwell¡ªthe punchnded on Jenny¡¯s face. And the next thing I knew, she was knocked out cold.


    Hans and I shared a nce as our work had been made easier, but that didn¡¯t mean I wouldn¡¯t take revenge on the person who hurt her. Before Hans could do anything, I grabbed the person by the hair and pulled him away.


    "Uh! I can fight this one easily," the guy got up and stretched his neck, shaking his hands urgently, ready to get them on me.


    "Try it," I said and ran toward him, hitting his stomach with my shoulder. He tried to grab my head and put me in a chokehold, but he missed as if he had hurt himself.


    "What the fuck¡ªwhy the fuck is your skin so hot¡ª," he hissed, making weird, painful noises while I hadnded on top of him.


    I was now sitting on him and punching him. Hans had toe and grab me from the back, pulling me away from the guy, who sped into the deep bushes.


    "No wonder you jumped in the water, your body is heating up. Rx! We will win. Fever is going to slow you down," Hans stood face to face with me and grunted, correcting my priorities.


    "Now, let¡¯s tape thepass to her hands after you carry her," Hans advised, carrying Jenny very gently and putting her on my back. He then brought her arms forward and pressed her palms together, cing thepass between them and taping them together in front of my body.


    She was out cold, but at least she wasn¡¯t crying and throwing her arms around. I had seen her scratch her own body for thest few minutes, and it hurt my soul so bad.


    Then I had to carry her all the way to the finish line. It wouldn¡¯t have been much harder if I had my wolf, but still¡ªwe were all injured and bleeding, so our performance was getting affected. There were times when I almost tripped and rolled down the mountain, and Hans had toe to my rescue.


    Our team was doing incredibly well. We avoided the clear roads and trails, making sure we stayed in stealth mode as we reached the mountain where our academy stood.


    "It is right there," Hans said as he mentioned it would take another hour to reach the finish line if I sprinted.


    But I couldn¡¯t sprint anymore. I was breathing with so much difficulty. My legs had gone numb, and my throat was dry.


    "Wait a minute," Hans noticed my steps were wobbly, so he rushed toward me and stopped me. "I¡¯m sure we can spare a few minutes."


    He suggested it while the others looked unhappy with the idea.


    "Drink some of this," Hans made me sit down while Jenny was still on my back. He first took her arms from around me andid her down, then held a water bottle to my mouth. I drank some water and then ate a protein bar that he force-fed me. I guess doing this task without any food in my stomach made things worse. I should have listened to my friends and eaten something full of energy.


    "Can we continue? We¡¯re going to lose if we keep taking breaks," one of the girls, who had no idea how much I was suffering,ined, looking unhappy with our performance.


    "Are you going to carry Jenny next?" Hans asked her as he turned to her. The way that girl quickly stepped back and lowered her head was answer enough.


    "Then shut the fuck up," Hans yelled at her.


    Throughout the time I had carried Jenny, the other teams had tested us. They had attacked us nonstop. Hans was bleeding from his head, and even his clothes were wet from the bloodstains.


    So he had to protect and defend me while I carried Jenny. After another ten seconds, I got up and gestured for him to put her on my back.


    He did, and we continued our journey.


    "I saw all the other team members heading toward the finish line," I heard one of the girls say to another, and it wore down my confidence.


    What if everyone else had already made it to the finish line and we were thest ones?


    "Keep going and hope for the best," Hans noticed the tears in my eyes and gave me a reassuring nod.


    And finally, we arrived at the finish line, but we realized the other team members weren¡¯t here to cross it¡ªthey were here to stop whoever came first.

 Chapter 399-What An Actress

    <h4>Chapter 399: 399-What An Actress</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Okay, everyone, it¡¯s time!" Hans yelled, making everyone rush ahead of me and start attacking whoever was trying to stop them.


    I was so focused that everything around me was a blur.


    I couldn¡¯t see the reaction of the trainers or anyone at that moment. Many attempted toe at me, but my teammates pushed them out of my way. At the same time, they had to make sure they weren¡¯t left too far behind either. Finally, as I reached the finish line and someone jumped in my way, I instinctively lifted my hand and punched them, knocking them out of my path as I crossed the finish line.


    The feeling of crossing that line hit differently. Suddenly, everything went silent¡ªuntil Emmet¡¯s loud p broke me out of my daze.


    I lifted my head and saw Hans making sure everyone was crossing the border without getting held back by the other teammates.


    Once everyone had crossed, Hans also came to our side and rushed my way.


    "We did it!" he screamed with his hands up,ing in for a hug. The moment he hugged me and we both started jumping up and down, I think we woke Jenny up on my back.


    "Ow! Why is my bed moving so much?" sheined, making us stop and then share a nce beforeughing out loud.


    "Come here, princess," Hans said, helping her down, but her hands were still tightly taped in front of her body with thepass between them. I finally raised my head and saw the trainers watching me while talking to each other.


    And then, Emmet smiled proudly, raising his hand to give me a thumbs-up.


    He began walking our way with Norman and the others to get the item from us.


    "That was a brilliant idea," Emmetmented as he pointed at the taped hands.


    "Why are her hands taped?" Maximus asked, confused.


    "If Sydney hadn¡¯t acted up, Jenny would have enjoyed this test so much," I muttered under my breath to Hans, who grunted while peeling the tape off Jenny¡¯s hands and handing thepass to the brothers.


    "That¡¯s right. We have our first winner," Norman dered after examining the item, making our eyes go wide. We were the first ones to cross.


    I was the happiest. Jenny was still pretty out of it, so she sat on the ground while we waited for the other teams to arrive.


    The second team to show up was Penn and Lamar. They were rushing toward the finish line, and I could tell they had been through a rough time too. They were badly injured, blood dripping down their faces.


    The minute they crossed the finish line, their entire team copsed on the ground. But Kaye approached them and grabbed the item out of their hands to inspect it.


    "My team is second," he announced, quickly kneeling down to help Lamar with water from his own bottle. He then did the same and took care of his other teammates.


    "Gosh! Of course, you were first," Lamarughed as he came toward me. One of his legs was badly wounded, so he was hopping half the way until Penn gave him support.


    "Is she okay?" Lamar let go of Penn¡¯s support to sit down with Jenny. And I could tell she immediately started telling her brother and Lamar what had happened earlier.


    Sydney was in huge trouble after this. Lamar and Penn would make her life a living hell, and I think she deserved it. We had enough of her.


    "Which team is leading next?" Lamar asked, his face flushing red with anger.


    "You will not attack or say anything to Sydney right now. You just made it to the finish line¡ªlet¡¯s not ruin your victory," I had to remind the two that they would get in trouble if they attacked Sydney in front of the trainers.


    We were now anticipating Gavin¡¯s team to arrive next, and just as we expected, they did. Gavin was running happily, smiling from ear to ear with Lucy by his side. She was the treasure in his team.


    Seeing them run together reminded me of old times when they were dating and always did everything together. Those were the days.


    Just when they were a few feet away from the finish line, Sydney¡¯s team appeared. Now the tension grew as they all sprinted toward the finish line.


    However, I noticed a slight dy in Lucy¡¯s movements. She seemed fine and was doing well until suddenly, she began to slow down and then dropped in the most exaggerated way¡ªalmost like she did it on purpose.


    "Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s doing it on purpose?" Lamar hissed, getting up from the ground as Jenny did too. We were anxiously watching the two teamspete.


    Lucy had thrown the item into the bush¡ªpretty obvious she did it on purpose.


    "Lucy! Where did it go?" Gavin yelled, and she shrugged, acting all confused.


    "She saw the item go behind that bush," I said to Lamar, who nodded.


    "It¡¯s behind that bush!" I jumped up and down to get Gavin¡¯s attention, and once he heard me, he sprinted toward the bush and retrieved the item. By now, Sydney¡¯s team was right next to them.


    "Take this," Gavin had to give it to Lucy and hold her arm to make her stand up. I could only imagine how frustrated he must have been with the way she was dying.


    She dragged her body up and began to slowly make her way toward the finish line. The two teams were right beside each other, with Lucy and Gavin at the end of their teams. However, sadly, Sydney¡¯s team started reaching the finish line first. And even though Gavin¡¯s team had finished the line before Sydney¡¯s, it didn¡¯t make them the winners since Lucy was still yet to cross.


    "Please, Lucy¡ª," I uttered under my breath, hoping she would just cross the line before Sydney¡¯sst teammate.


    But that didn¡¯t happen.


    Right when Lucy was about to step in, she stopped and acted like she had a leg cramp. The other girl crossed before her, and once Lucy made sure the other team had won, she straightened her back and crossed the line.

 Chapter 400-Professor Norman Is Impressed

    <h4>Chapter 400: 400-Professor Norman Is Impressed</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I could tell Gavin wasn¡¯t very happy, and I couldn¡¯t me him. They had arrived a few secondste to Kaye¡¯s team. Sydney was all smiles, happily hugging her sister, who barely showed any excitement.


    Lucy looked like she couldn¡¯t be bothered to be here, but since she had to, she stopped rolling her eyes.


    Now that the teams had all made it to the finish line, my friends started to gather together. We had already celebrated our victory, but now we were upset for Gavin¡ªhe was bummed out.


    "What happened, dude? You guys were doing so well," Lamar whispered to him as we stood in a circle.


    "I don¡¯t know. Lucy startedining about leg pain at the end. We all offered to carry her, but she was being so¡ª" Gavin looked down and bit his tongue to stop himself from saying more.


    "Do you think she did it on purpose so Sydney would win?" I suggested, and they all turned to look at Lucy, who seemed way too happy for Sydney instead of being upset for herself.


    I was surprised that she had gotten so close to Sydney.


    "Whatever it was, I lost," Gavin sighed, shaking his head.


    "Take this," I quickly untied the scarf from around my hair and wrapped it around his bloody palm. We were all injured, and while others would heal quickly, I would have to rely on my own strength.


    "Hniee here, please." However, we were interrupted by Norman calling out for me and snapping his fingers to get my attention.


    I looked around at my friends, who seemed concerned too, and then walked out of the crowd to go stand with the brothers.


    "Sydney¡ªyou too." Norman then raised his hand and snapped his fingers again, this time calling for Sydney.


    I felt so awkward standing among Kaye, Maximus, Emmet, and Norman.


    I got there first and noticed how they stood around me in a circle. There were times when I wanted to tell these brothers that standing around their students like that was intimidating. But they always did their meetings that way.


    "You said something out there," Emmet recalled, referring to the earlier event.


    "About what?" I asked, slightly confused about which moment he was talking about.


    "Wait, why did you carry Jenny on your back?" Maximus interrupted, making Emmet sigh at being cut off.


    "She was injured." I didn¡¯t see why it was a problem since others were carrying their injured teammates as well.


    "Others did it too," I quickly added when I felt like maybe I had broken a rule.


    "But you had way more injuries, and it seems like Jenny was the one who gave them to you. You two even had a sort of battle," Emmet reminded me, and that¡¯s when I realized whatments he was talking about.


    "Oh, I said¡ªhad it not been for Sydney, Jenny wouldn¡¯t have missed the opportunity topletely enjoy the task," I said and noticed the brothers sharing a nce.


    "What did Sydney do?" Norman asked, hands on his waist.


    "I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a matter of concern. Everyone was trying to dy their revival team¡¯s arrival. That was basically what the task was about," Sydney had arrived and instantly jumped in to defend herself.


    "But you did it before the task. I¡¯m not talking about the rules," I corrected her and noticed her frowning in displeasure.


    If she really thought she could lie to the trainers and I would let her, she was wrong about me.


    "Wait¡ªHnie, you will talk now, and Sydney, you will not interrupt her. Now tell us, Hnie, what happened to Jenny," Emmet pointed his finger at Sydney to silence her, and at that moment, she knew that if she didn¡¯t keep quiet, she would be in trouble.


    "It happened a few days before the test when Sydney and her friends attacked Jenny. They put some powder in her eyes¡ªthe pigeon eyes¡ªand it made Jenny act up on the ground today," I exined, watching as the brothers suddenly looked so serious.


    "Hell nah! And how do you know she didn¡¯t just freak out or something on the ground today?" I knew Sydney would never admit it, but I could handle this matter.


    "She showed signs of pigeon eyes." I had barely said it when Sydney folded her arms over her chest and asked me,


    "And what signs are those?"


    I bet she didn¡¯t expect me to have my research done so well.


    "She was hiding in in sight, thinking she was safe. A scared person would actually hide and let others help them, not attack everyone helping them. Jenny kept covering her face and eyes, thinking that would protect her. Her body also gave off weird energy¡ª" I stopped talking because Norman narrowed his eyes at Emmet as if the two were speaking silently and had caught onto something I said.


    "That¡ª" Sydney had to shut up when Kaye spoke up.


    "Okay, both of you go back to your ces and stand beside your team," Norman stepped away to break the circle and let us go.


    Sydney scoffed at me and turned around, flipping her hair. I followed after her, and right before she could join her team and we parted ways, she muttered, "Go cry about it."


    I was so annoyed with her. She was so calcted. She tried to sabotage my team by poisoning Jenny and then influencing Lucy into dying so her own team could win.


    "What a coward," I hissed, standing with Jenny and Hans.


    "Okay, everyone," Emmet said, gesturing for everyone to make space between themselves and the other teams.


    "So, everyone did an amazing job today. I expected just this much enthusiasm and hard work from everyone," Norman stated, his hands on his waist, standing broad and tall before us.


    "But of course, there will only be three winners today," he said loudly. "The first team that won the test was pretty obvious to me. It isn¡¯t possible that Hnie is in a team and it doesn¡¯te first."


    It was a shock to hear that from him.

 Chapter 401-Love Triangles Everywhere

    <h4>Chapter 401: 401-Love Triangles Everywhere</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Everyone cheered while Sydney rolled her eyes, but the real surprise was when Lucy pped. Although her cheeringcked enthusiasm, she still joined the others in praising me.


    "And Hans, I¡¯m proud of you for not letting your ego get in the way," Emmet pointed out, making Hans lower his head proudly and blush.


    "Now, the second team to arrive was Kaye¡¯s team," Norman turned to Kaye and gave him a nod.


    "I think Lamar and Penn¡¯s coordination was amazing," Kaye pped for the two, making me wonder if he was even fully present here. Sometimes, I would look at him and notice him just standing in his spot like a statue, barely breathing and not blinking once.


    "Now¡ª," as soon as Norman moved on to the third team, Sydney straightened her posture and looked around to make sure everyone knew they had to cheer for her.


    "Two teams were in closepetition. They were headed to the finish line with only a few seconds¡¯ difference. But as I said, there will only be three winners," Norman paused to nce at Maximus¡¯ team, and Gavin quickly looked down as if hiding his eyes.


    I could only imagine how he was feeling. He had expressed his fear of letting down Maximus, and I guess he was feeling it hard now.


    "So¡ªmy team arrived a few seconds sooner," Norman dered, not even looking upset that his team didn¡¯t perform as exceptionally as the other semesters used to.


    He really had a sportsman¡¯s spirit.


    "Yay!!" Sydney raised her arms and started doing her cheerleading moves until Norman pointed at her, and everyone stopped cheering.


    "Stop this," his harsh tone confused everyone. Sydney bit the inside of her cheek, but no one could bring her down that day.


    No one but Norman.


    "However, since Sydney harmed one of the students outside the testing ground with a foreign substance, her team¡ªmy team is disqualified," his announcement made everyone¡¯s jaws hang low, and they started looking at each other.


    "So, Maximus¡ªyour team is the third winner," Norman¡¯s words pulled Gavin out of his misery. He raised his head, clenched his fists, and lifted them in triumph.


    "Gavin!" I turned and gave him a hug, jumping up and down happily. He then went on to celebrate with Lamar, Penn, and Jenny, while my eyesnded on Emmet, and I recalled his words.


    ¡¯Use this information wisely.¡¯


    He knew that if we hadined first, the trainers would have waited for Jenny to heal and then conducted the test. But he wanted to punish Sydney in the worst way¡ªto make her realize she lost because of her own actions.


    "Fucking bitch," one of the girls from Sydney¡¯s team cursed at her, making her stare at Norman.


    "Sir, may I please know why I am getting disqualified?" she asked, making everyone go silent. She was already in tears, ready to let out sobs.


    "Didn¡¯t you put pigeon eye powder in Jenny¡¯s eyes? That¡¯s what made Jenny act up on the ground today. You didn¡¯t care about the test; otherwise, you would have been focusing on your training instead of using cheap tricks to secure victory. And since you didn¡¯t care, we don¡¯t care either," Norman was no longer speaking nicely. He growled as he pointed at her.


    "Sir¡ªgive me a chance," she broke down, hands on her face, sobbing.


    "Your chances keep running out, but you never learn," Emmet shook his head at her.


    Maximus was happy watching his team celebrate. Lucy still stood silently and still, not even celebrating with her own team until she heard about the surprise gift.


    "Now, onto the gift. As I promised¡ªit¡¯s going to be special. At the beginning of summer, all the winning teams will go on a luxury cruise and party for seven days," Norman¡¯s announcement made us lose our minds.


    We all stared at him, then started jumping up and down. I kept my hands sped near my chest, imagining the night I had escaped my pack¡ªto finally raise my head and live a life of revenge, power, and happiness.


    Fighting till myst breath had been worth it.


    "No! Sir, please¡ª" Sydney was crying loudly when someone threw a dirt ball at her. She stopped, turned, and cursed under her breath before breaking into sobs again.


    "Hey, no bullying," Norman yelled while walking away, warning whoever had thrown it.


    Once the trainers left, I turned to look at my friends.


    "We¡¯ll all be together!" I excitedly pped my hands, noticing Jenny smile at me.


    "Thank you for carrying me," she said softly.


    "It wasn¡¯t just me, Hans really helped us today," I admitted, but I could tell she already knew that.


    "Hans, thank you!" Jenny turned to him, and at that moment, I witnessed something surprising.


    Hans was blushing while nodding at Jenny. But his smile faded the moment Lamar wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in for a hug and a quick kiss on the lips.


    "Oh!" Hans frowned. "I didn¡¯t know you two were¡ª" He said it so softly that only I heard him because I had been watching him.


    The sudden change in his mood didn¡¯t sit well with me.


    Was he interested in Jenny?


    I recalled how he had acted when Jenny was attacked during the test. He hadn¡¯t even cared that much for Sydney and Salem when they were in the cage test with the Frogster.


    "Ready for party week?" Penn whispered in my ear, and I smiled, but before I could turn around and respond, I heard Rudy yell in the distance.


    "Told you¡ªyour friends would prevent you from winning."


    I stared off and frowned, not liking thatpetitive side of Rudy.


    But it was Arlo who said something that soured my mood even more. "If Rudy hadn¡¯t trained you, you would have lost because of that burden on your shoulders."


    "Watch your fucking tone," Penn yelled, but Arlo onlyughed with Sumit. Sage and Rudy kept staring at me as they walked away.

 Chapter 402-The Ex Who Wants To Play Games

    <h4>Chapter 402: 402-The Ex Who Wants To y Games</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Don¡¯t focus on what they said. I wouldn¡¯t have been here without you guys," I told Jenny, who had been feeling so guilty that she had been bawling her eyes out the entire time.


    "Jenny¡ª" Hans appeared out of nowhere, rushing toward us with something in his hand. "Don¡¯t cry, look what I did!" he smiled. "I busted all their tires."


    "Good job," Penn patted his shoulder while Lamar gave him a nod, but I guess those small gestures of appreciation didn¡¯t matter much to Hans. He was waiting for a response from Jenny, who gave him a small smile. The moment she did, Hans looked relieved.


    "I can¡¯t wait to¡ª" Gavin kept having these bursts of happiness every few minutes, where he would remember the trip and p his hands excitedly. But this time, Lamar nned to ruin it.


    "To wear a bikini?" Lamar teased, and Gavin pouted, pping his chest.


    We were still sitting on the ground even as the night arrived. Sydney¡¯s team had reacted aggressively to their loss. They cursed at Sydney, had an argument, and then left her on the ground, heading back to the academy without her.


    Lucy had jumped in tofort her best friend, while Salem kept staring at Gavin in silence.


    "She¡¯s texting you, isn¡¯t she?" I asked Gavin, noticing Salem typing something, then looking at him. His phone would beep, but he kept ignoring her messages.


    "We¡¯re headed to dinner, are you guysing?" Penn wrapped his arm around his sister¡¯s shoulders and called out to me and Gavin.


    "We¡¯ll be there in a minute, you guys go ahead," I gestured for them to go. I wanted to have a word with Gavin.


    "She¡¯s worried that since Lucy and I will be on the boat¡ª" he sighed, shaking his head.


    "Do you not like Salem at all? I mean, if you don¡¯t, then you have every right to avoid her texts, but if you do¡ªI think you¡¯re being too harsh on her," I wanted to know where he really stood in all this. If he wasn¡¯t interested, then it was her fault for chasing after him.


    But I felt like there was something from his side too.


    "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like her. I just feel like our rtionship would cause more arguments and problems," he admitted, sighing constantly and stealing nces at Lucy.


    "Gavin, do you want to go back to Lucy?" I didn¡¯t know what made me ask that question, but I had a feeling she was the reason he wasn¡¯t moving forward.


    In response to my question, he only took a deep breath.


    "No! Answer me, because I¡¯ll take your silence however I want to. Do you want me to do that?" I warned him as we sat on the ground.


    He uttered, "She wants to."


    I couldn¡¯t believe my ears. "Lucy wants to get back with you?" I asked in shock.


    He gave me a gentle nod.


    "And what about you? What do you want?" I noticed him looking away.


    "I don¡¯t want that Chapter to open again. So much happened, and the way we both cheated on each other, the way I ruined the purity of our rtionship¡ªI realized it had be so toxic that we shouldn¡¯t be together," he replied.


    "And you have no feelings for her?" I just wanted to be certain he had no feelings left and that he wasn¡¯t stuck between having feelings for both of them.


    "I care about her as a friend, but I don¡¯t love her¡ª" He then bit his tongue and added, "Salem is my second chance mate."


    My jaw dropped while he covered his face in his hands.


    "I know friends shouldn¡¯t keep secrets, but I¡¯m such an asshole¡ªI can¡¯t share my truth with anyone. It¡¯s been like that since I was a child. I saw my mother confide in her friend about my uncle¡¯s abuse after my father passed away. And that friend¡ªshe told my uncle. And then¡ª" He was pouring his heart out until he suddenly stopped, recalling something. "It made my uncle abuse her¡ªin other ways too."


    I could only imagine how he was feeling at that moment.


    "I¡¯m so sorry. I really am. I met your mother, and she¡¯s such a nice person," I said, unable to believe she had been through so much.


    "Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Her abuser got away. He ran off with that friend of hers, and they got married. Thest time she tried to go after them, she realized he had be a warrior in some pack, so an omega like her didn¡¯t stand a chance. His pack¡¯s alpha also protected him."


    Now I understood why Gavin couldn¡¯t tell us anything, why he was always afraid of telling the truth. He was scared of the consequences.


    "I shouldn¡¯t have hurt others because of my own trauma. Lucy was innocent," he added.


    "And that¡¯s why you decided to join this academy," I murmured. It made sense now. I was shocked to realize how many of these students had their own painful stories.


    "One day, one day, Hnie, I will be the royal Gamma of my pack and then go after that man," he smiled weakly, and I couldn¡¯t help but give him a hug.


    "Go for Salem," I said, breaking the hug.


    "What?" he asked.


    "You feel guilty for hurting Lucy, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t move on with your life. Try to understand Lucy¡¯s point of view as well, but ask yourself¡ªwhat can be done?" I wasn¡¯t sure if I would piss Lucy off even more if she found out I was the one in Gavin¡¯s ear, pushing him to ept his second-chance mate.


    "I¡¯ll see," he said. "Now, let¡¯s go enjoy our victory."


    He smiled and got up, holding out his hand for me to take. I epted, letting him pull me up, and we rushed away together,ughing and giggling as we tossed stones at each other.


    We might have won today and passed a test, but there were still many things I needed to do before this trip.


    And one of them was to go see Kaidon.

 Chapter 403-I Need A Babysitter

    <h4>Chapter 403: 403-I Need A Babysitter</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    "You¡¯ve been acting weird. Is there anything I should be concerned about?" Norman appeared out of nowhere, tapping his hand on my shoulder. I jumped noticeably, which only made my brother even more curious about my well-being.


    I wasn¡¯t a very jumpy person. Nothing really scared me except for the well-being of my loved ones.


    Buttely, I have been very, very jumpy. I didn¡¯t know what was going on, but I had written down what was making me startled. Mostly, whenever I saw someone, I would visibly shudder because my brain took some time to process who the person in front of me was.


    "Earth to Emmet," Norman snapped his fingers in front of my face to pull me back to reality.


    "Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m fine," I joked, waving my hand to dismiss his concerns. I walked out of my room and into the passage. He followed me, realizing it was time for our usual walk around the corridor.


    "You don¡¯t look fine. You keep forgetting to do simple tasks. Tell me, please, what¡¯s going on with you so I can find a way to¡ª" Before he could finish, I did it for him.


    "To fix it?" Iughed at how much time he spent worrying about his brothers all day.


    "The twins called me a week ago," I recalled the conversation I had with them.


    "What did they say?" he asked.


    "They want me toe pick them up." I hadn¡¯t been very close to them, and there was a reason I kept my distance. But those kids wouldn¡¯t understand.


    "And you¡¯re telling me this now, why?" Norman asked, questioning the dy.


    "Because I still have a few days before I have to pick them up. They said they¡¯re getting holidays from boarding school and don¡¯t want to stay there for vacation," I said as I turned to stare at my brother. He had the same confused look on his face as I did.


    "Why would they stay in the boarding school after the holidays?" Norman questioned.


    "Well, ording to them,dy Darcy told them that this time, they¡¯d be staying with the tutors since she¡¯s hosting some parties and has business to handle. She thinks they might ruin things with their usual running around the mansion," I recalled the exact words of my little sister.


    "Mom said that? Mom has so many rooms and babysitters. She can afford a whole hotel for her meetings¡ªwhy would she¡ª" Norman grunted under his breath.


    "As if it isn¡¯t bad enough that Mom introduces them as our step-siblings to everyone," Norman finally said it. Our mom had forbidden us from ever calling the little ones our siblings until recently.


    Suddenly, she was telling everyone they were our siblings. I didn¡¯t understand her much, but I could tell she was always ready to ruin someone¡¯s life, and I didn¡¯t like her for that.


    Which is why I didn¡¯t hate Urs when she stole her mate from her. It¡¯s always Karma whoes in different ways.


    "You see why they contacted you and not anyone else?" It was Norman once again, trying to y with the strings of my heart.


    "I don¡¯t want to focus on that, Norman," I told him, but he shook his head at me.


    "You should. Maybe that will help you in the long run. Surround yourself with people who will keep you sane," he advised, patting my shoulder.


    "Or maybe they¡¯ll be broken once I go insane," I reminded him. That¡¯s not how it works. I can¡¯t bring people close just to watch them lose me.


    "Anyway, call Lady Darcy and tell her to arrange babysitters for them and let them stay at home." I was done talking about myself. This issue needed to be solved, and I was hoping Norman would handle it.


    "How about no? You know Mom won¡¯t like the fact that they called you. Even if she lets them stay, they¡¯ll get punished and put in timeout. So how about we step up and take care of them this time?" Norman had a cheeky grin on his face, like he had caught me in the perfect trap this time.


    "Go ahead, then. You can be their babysitter," I waved my hand at him while looking for my pocket hip sk in my coat.


    "No! This time, it¡¯s you," he said, pointing his finger at me. "You¡¯ll be taking care of your siblings this time, and I won¡¯t hear any excuses." With that, Norman started walking away. I couldn¡¯t believe he wasn¡¯t helping me out this time.


    "You¡¯ll regret this," I yelled. He gave me the middle finger without even turning around.


    "Ugh, this asshole," I muttered. I loved him, but sometimes he could be really annoying, and this was one of those times.


    However, I had a backup n ready.


    While taking a sip from my wine, I called her.


    "Hello?" I said.


    "Emmet, hey!" Hnie¡¯s voice was so gentle¡ªit always gave mefort. I knew I could rely on her just as much as she could rely on me.


    "Hnie, I¡¯m in deep shit, and I need your help." I heard her gasp at my tone andnguage. I had never used such words in front of her before. The truth was, I was changing, and I was sure others were noticing it too.


    "Tell me, how can I help?" Just as I expected, she was already willing to assist me.


    "I need a babysitter to take care of my little twin siblings. Can you do that for me? And it won¡¯t be free¡ªyou¡¯ll get paid for your services, so we both get something out of it." I knew she might not like me bringing up money, but it was the right thing to do. After breaking things off with Maximus, she had stopped working for him. Soon, she¡¯d be looking for a job, and my offer mighte in handy.


    "You know I don¡¯t need money to help you," she said, sounding upset.


    "Please, it¡¯s a job offer," I corrected myself. "So? Are you able to do it?"


    I heard her breathe peacefully before responding.


    "Sure, I can do that."

 Chapter 404-They Want Their Big Brother

    <h4>Chapter 404: 404-They Want Their Big Brother</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    After Emmet called me and asked for help, I wasn¡¯t left with much choice but to return to that ce to help him out.


    The mansion didn¡¯t scare me anymore, except for the presence of Kaye. He had changed¡ªalmost like someone I couldn¡¯t recognize. Or maybe that was how he was before he warmed up to me.


    "I¡¯lle pick you up, say¡ª8 p.m.?" Lamar dropped me off at the gate, not ready toe inside.


    "Sure, thank you!" I gave him a gentle hug before taking a deep breath and walking into the mansion. Now that Charlotte was going to marry Maximus, I could only imagine her attitude had gotten worse.


    Holding my side bag¡¯s strap tightly, I stepped into the mansion to find Emmet leaning against the wall, waiting for me.


    Thankfully, he was very alert to everything around him. He knew that since he had asked me toe, he needed to be at the door to make sure nobody else spotted me before him.


    "Thank you for showing up," he sighed in relief, looking like a mess with his hair all over his face and shoulders.


    "You okay?" Iughed a little, noticing how he rolled his eyes.


    "Brother Emmete find us," I heard a childlike voice from inside and instantly realized why he was in such a bad mood.


    "They¡¯re giving you a hard time?" I asked, and he nodded, pouting so cutely that my heart skipped a beat.


    "Where is everybody else?" I inquired, and he rolled his eyes again.


    "They went to some event in another pack," he said, clearly uninterested. "I feel like they did it on purpose. Like, ¡¯Leave these five-year-olds with me so I can suffer,¡¯" he scoffed tiredly.


    "Well, I¡¯m here now." I gave him a fake but full bow to present myself, and in return, he sighed in relief.


    "Let me introduce you to the things we call children these days," he said seriously as he led me inside.


    "They¡¯ve always been called children, Professor Emmet," I corrected him, but he just shrugged.


    Once we were in the living room, I realized why he was so exhausted. The kids had made a castle out of pillows, thrown decorations around, and were holding water guns.


    "Now, do I look like someone who would be ying with these things?" he pointed at them, and I smiled.


    "It¡¯s okay. Water guns are cool," I said, and once again, he shook his head.


    "I¡¯m talking about the ones holding the water guns," he said with pure exhaustion in his voice.


    "Kids," he pped his hands to get their attention.


    They were two little, adorable kids with green eyes and ck hair. Their cute matching outfits made me smile widely.


    "She¡¯s your stepsister, so go bother her now," he gestured toward me, standing so tall among us like a giant.


    "And Hnie¡ªthis is Demi, and he is Davon," that was all he said before he quickly slipped away, making me wonder if he really wasn¡¯t a kid person.


    But now I was alone with the hyperactive children. Or so I thought. It wasn¡¯t at all what I had expected.


    The minute Emmet left, the kids put their toys down and started to clean up the mess they had made.


    "So you both were purposely annoying him?" I asked after noticing the change in their bodynguage.


    "Not really," the girl turned around and said. "We weren¡¯t annoying him. We just wanted him to pay attention to us."


    The sadness in her voice crushed my heart.


    So that was what was going on.


    "You can have that seat while we clear this out," she continued, sounding so mature for her age.


    "It¡¯s okay. You two sit down, I¡¯ll fix everything," I gestured gently and began cleaning the living room. However, they continued to help.


    I didn¡¯t realize kids could be so mature and calm. But what hurt me the most was that they wanted to act like children in front of Emmet, and it probably freaked him out.


    "Now," once I finished setting the area up, I turned to give them a smile, but their smiles never returned.


    "Maybe if you acted like this in front of him¡ª," I paused. "See, Emmet is a different kind of person. He doesn¡¯t really like loud noises or people." I had gathered that much. And I assumed maybe that was the reason he was keeping a distance from these two.


    "That¡¯s not true. He doesn¡¯t like us¡ªnot because of any reason," Devon finally spoke up. "He hates everyone."


    I had to shake my head and tell him no.


    "That¡¯s not true. Your brother is a wonderful person. He holds concern in his heart for everyone and takes care of his loved ones without asking for any praise."


    I didn¡¯t realize how widely I smiled when talking about Emmet. There was something about him that made my heart jump up and down at the thought of him.


    "But you can¡¯t be in love with him. He¡¯s your brother."


    I didn¡¯t know these kids were so sharp until Devi spoke with a pout on her lips.


    "Huh?" I stared at her, dreading what she was about to say next.


    "You seem like you have a crush on him." She put her hands on her waist and pointed at me.


    "Crush? No! He¡¯s my¡ªstepbrother." I didn¡¯t know why I was blushing so hard in front of these kids.


    Besides, he was my mate.


    Oops! I meant my stepbrother.


    "Hmm, if you say so." Devi raised her brow, walking closer to examine my face more attentively.


    "You¡¯re very pretty. I want to have your hair when I grow up," she whispered, looking sad as she touched her beautiful hair.


    "But yours is more beautiful than mine." I touched her ponytail and noticed a sly smile appearing on her lips.


    "You¡¯re not Mommy¡¯s daughter, right? You¡¯re only Daddy¡¯s daughter?" I understood what she meant.


    "I¡¯m not his daughter either. I mean, not technically, since my mother isn¡¯t in the picture," I corrected her with a gentle touch to the tip of her nose.


    "Then why is your mother in the picture?" Devon¡¯s slow murmur shocked me.


    So they didn¡¯t like my mother?

 Chapter 405-Catching The Alpha In The Woods

    <h4>Chapter 405: 405-Catching The Alpha In The Woods</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "So, how were they?" Emmet asked as I left the mansion. Thankfully, I had to leave before Charlotte and her mother started bothering me. The family had returned a few minutes ago, so I was all set to go.


    They did question Emmet about what I was doing there, and he confidently told them to never interfere in his business. Well, everybody knew not to mess with Emmet¡¯s guests, so I guess I was fine for now.


    "They are so adorable, but they did tell me that you don¡¯t like them. Why is that?" I asked as we took a short walk toward the road.


    "They aren¡¯t wrong."


    It hurt me when I heard Emmet respond like that.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll head home now." I didn¡¯t know why I expected somepassion from him.


    "Hey, did I upset you?" I heard him call for me, quickly catching up when I attempted to speed away.


    I turned to him and only gave him a look, and he understood. "I don¡¯t hate them. I¡¯m just not really good with kids."


    The way he quickly corrected himself brought a smile to my lips. "You can always try. Having a family is a blessing."


    He nodded his head, looking around with his hands in his pockets. "I¡¯ll pick you up from the academy tomorrow. Would that be okay?" he asked, making me nod.


    "Sure," I replied.


    "You can finish your work or whatever gathering you have with your friends by five. I¡¯ll be staying at the academy until then anyway," he added.


    Even though I knew why he was trying to dy going home, I kept my lips sealed.


    It was pretty obvious that he didn¡¯t want to be at home with the kids. But why?


    "Okay, Lamar is here," I checked my phone and informed him.


    "Sure. Goodnight," he nodded, handing me a brown envelope¡ªmy first sry from him.


    I reluctantly epted it. Though, when grabbing the envelope from his hands, our fingers brushed. It might not have fazed him, but it definitely fazed me. His touch was soforting and gentle, even when his hands and fingers looked like they had their own separate gym.


    "Goodbye," I uttered shyly, walking away from him.


    Back in school, my teachers used to be the most annoying creatures. Having such a handsome professor and actually getting his attention was something I had never experienced before.


    "So, how were they?" Lamar asked, sitting on his bike and waiting for me to reach him.


    "The cutest kids ever, and they were so nice to me," I replied, hopping onto the back of his bike.


    "Where to now?" He already knew what I had in mind.


    "To Benita¡¯s."


    It was time to have a little chat with Kaidon. I chose this time because there wouldn¡¯t be much of an audience around, and I would get to confront him easily. Lamar started his bike, and soon we were headed to the pack¡¯s border.


    I was anxious about how he would react to me. Would he attempt to kill me or just mock me like Rayden used to?


    He must be even harder to deal with since we were the reason his friend died a horrible death.


    I could expect all sorts of crazy shit from him.


    We arrived at Benita¡¯s caf¨¦ at just the right time. The veryst customers were leaving, so we headed inside before they closed.


    Benita was standing behind the counter, saying goodbye to her employees.


    "Goodnight," thest server said as she headed to the door.


    "Sorry, you two arrivedte." Now that no one else was around, Benita wasn¡¯t all smiles with us.


    "I¡¯m not here for food. I¡¯m here to see your son," I said, my tone steady.


    "Huh?" Her face contorted like I had shoved my hand down her throat and grabbed her heart in my fist.


    "Did your stepbrothers send something for him?" She convinced herself that I had a good reason to mention her son¡¯s name.


    "Yeah, sure," Lamar held my hand, stopping me from telling her the truth.


    Benita wasn¡¯t a fool¡ªshe noticed the hesitation in our bodynguage.


    "What is it? You can give it to me." She held out her hand, expecting me to hand something over.


    We knew Kaidon was home because Lamar had spied on him earlier today while I was busy with the twins.


    "I was only asked to deliver the news to him," I said, cocking my head and using a more confident tone this time.


    "Well then, I¡¯m sorry. Either theye here to deliver it themselves, or you say it in front of me." She folded her arms over her chest, her tone harsher now. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t argue the same way if they were around. This was how she acted when it was just me and Lamar.


    "Is he home?" Lamar took over, gently pushing me out of her line of sight.


    "No! He went out. But why are you two looking for him?" She sounded more hostile now as she threw that question at us.


    "Are you trying to¡ªbefriend my son or something?" That slipped out of her mouth, probably without much thought.


    All because she thought her son was some big deal. She had no idea he was in deep shit.


    "Let¡¯s go," I turned to Lamar, making it clear that if she didn¡¯t have any information for us, she was useless.


    "Hey! You better stay away from my son, you blonde. He¡¯s a good kid, and he¡¯s trying to do something for himself. He will only ept fated mates."


    She had the nerve to say it without finding anything suspicious about us asking for him. She didn¡¯t even consider that I wasn¡¯t hitting on her son.


    I turned to her and grunted, sizing her up and down with the most disgusted look I could muster.


    She was instantly offended, but Lamar grabbed my hand and dragged me out to avoid any arguments. I jumped onto the back of his bike, feeling frustrated that this whole visit had turned out to be meaningless.


    He started his bike, and just a few minutes in, we noticed another bike take the road ahead of us.


    It came out of nowhere, but I quickly recognized the person riding it.


    It was Kaidon.

 Chapter 406-Lured Us Into The Woods

    <h4>Chapter 406: 406-Lured Us Into The Woods</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "That¡¯s him," I patted Lamar¡¯s shoulder hastily, pointing at the bike that drove towards the woods.


    "What is he doing?" I asked myself, wondering why he would turn into the woods. And I guess Lamar was thinking the same thing because he instantly spoke up.


    "He wants us to follow him?" Lamar said, making my heart skip a beat.


    So many questions popped into my head.


    Why?


    Why would he want us to follow him? Is there someone waiting for us in the woods? Did his mother tell him we were at the caf¨¦, or did he see us himself?


    "Well, then go ahead and follow him." I just wanted to get it over with tonight. He could be leading us somewhere dangerous for all I knew, but at the moment, I had to confront him, or we would lose him again.


    "Are you sure?" Lamar spoke through the heavy wind and his helmet.


    I pulled my hand forward and gave him a thumbs-up to respond. Then, I held onto him tightly as he sped into the woods.


    I was very aware that we were taking a huge risk. Kaidon was a mess¡ªhe was dodging branches and speeding up until the woods started getting wilder. Suddenly, he parked his bike, dropped it, and started running forward.


    "Stop, stop, stop!" I yelled, tapping Lamar¡¯s shoulder many times to get my point across. He stopped his bike, and the two of us started following Kaidon through the bushes and trees.


    For a brief moment, I¡¯m sure we both reconsidered our n.


    Either Kaidon realized we were on the bike behind him and lost his mind, or he purposely led us here¡ªto somewhere dangerous where others might be waiting.


    "Are you sure this is a good idea? The others might be waiting for us deep in the woods," Lamar held my hand to stop me in my tracks. I looked at his face and sighed.


    "I don¡¯t think dying here is worth it."


    I knew my wolf wasn¡¯t fully awake, and Lamar wasn¡¯t an Alpha either. Besides, taking down five Alphas wouldn¡¯t be easy for us.


    We both turned around in defeat, still curious about what this whole chase was about, until we heard someonee out behind us.


    We both instantly turned, Lamar holding his knife up in defense as we watched Kaidon raise his hands to show he didn¡¯t have any weapons.


    Seeing him standing before me sent chills down my spine. I wanted to throw up. The way he was staring at me was making me lose my mind. What might he be thinking?


    Is he like Rayden and thinking about that night?


    "Oh, shit!" he muttered, stepping back. "You¡¯re really real, huh?"


    His voice didn¡¯t hold the same aggression as Rayden¡¯s. He looked panicked as he rubbed his palms together.


    "Why the fuck did you bring us here?" Lamar was quick to jump at him, grabbing him by his cor.


    "I was... trying to get your attention," he uttered, shaking and not resisting Lamar¡¯s aggression.


    "Why?" I yelled, and he quickly shut his eyes.


    "Because... I wanted to talk to you," he turned his face to the side and murmured.


    "What is wrong with you? Why can¡¯t you look at her? Can¡¯t watch her alive?" Lamar punched him, and hended on the grass with a split lip.


    I had to step forward and hold Lamar back from beating the hell out of him. But what shocked me was that he wasn¡¯t even trying to fight back.


    He was an Alpha¡ªhe could definitely push us back if he wanted to. But he wasn¡¯t even doing that much.


    "No, that¡¯s not why... I¡¯m just guilty," he muttered, not even getting up. But the way he broke down and buried his face in his hands made me take a step back from him.


    Lamar turned to check on me, his bodynguage easing up a little.


    "You¡¯re guilty?" I guess after facing Rayden and watching him treat me with no regard for my emotions, I didn¡¯t expect any of them to say that word or even understand that it exists for a reason.


    "I didn¡¯t know... I thought you were in my head," he started rambling.


    "Why did you bring us here? If you wanted to talk, you should have done it when we visited your caf¨¦," Lamar took over since I was having a hard time listening to this Alpha.


    He wasn¡¯t showing signs of mockery or arrogance. He seemed remorseful. Or was it just an act?


    "I couldn¡¯t. My mom shouldn¡¯t know. She wouldn¡¯t let me speak with you guys if she found out the truth." That was expected of her. So he knew his mother would still be on his side if the truth came out. "And I was too scared to talk on the road either. I don¡¯t want anyone to see me talking to her."


    The way he wouldn¡¯t even look at me was odd.


    Was he genuinely regretting his actions?


    But that wouldn¡¯t help. He hadmitted a crime, and regret was just what he should feel¡ªit wouldn¡¯t erase his punishment.


    "Why?" I whispered, tears welling in my eyes.


    "I was not myself. I was given drugs mixed with some lust herb," he sniffled, making Lamar turn and watch my face in astonishment.


    "The me of lust mixed with any drug could make a man a monster," Lamar exined to me.


    It was another revtion that made my head spin. So one of them didn¡¯t even know what he was doing?


    "You don¡¯t... remember anything after that night?" I asked, shaking miserably. Lamar came and held my hand to calm me down.


    "No! I didn¡¯t. I was told... It was just my nightmare. I swear I tried to ask them for answers, and they would alwaysugh at me, tell me it was just the effect of the drug," his voice was hard to keep steady as he kept sobbing and speaking through hups.

 Chapter 407-So He Is Innocent?

    <h4>Chapter 407: 407-So He Is Innocent?</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I can¡¯t even say I¡¯m innocent in all this because the only person who was truly innocent that night was you." He was still sitting on the ground, recalling that night and how he ended up bing an aplice to those alphas.


    "Hnie, are you okay?" Lamar gently nudged me since I hadn¡¯t spoken in thest few minutes.


    "Oh, what?" I asked Lamar. "He ims he was drugged, so that makes him not so guilty. What do I do now?" I stomped my foot on the ground, annoyed by this new revtion. If that makes him innocent, then who will I take my anger out on?


    "I am not innocent. I chose to do drugs," Kaidon muttered, and I turned my face to the other side, disgusted by his voice, so he quickly shut up.


    "Listen, I¡¯m not asking you to forgive me¡ª" As Kaidon started speaking again, Lamar rushed over to him and grabbed him by the cor.


    "How do we know you¡¯re not lying? Who can tell if you were actually drugged? And how are we supposed to believe you didn¡¯t know your sick alpha friends mixed something else into your drugs?" Lamar shouted at him while I kept hugging myself and looking away.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to look this man in the eye and not remember how they had seen me that night. The miserable state they had caught me in that night.


    "I want to help you." As soon as those words left his lips, my head snapped toward him.


    I watched Lamar slowly turn his neck to see if I had caught what Kaidon just said.


    "How?" I asked.


    "I will¡ª" He shut up as he looked behind us. For a second, it felt like my whole existence froze. My mind raced, wondering who might be behind us.


    "I should have known you would being after my son for trouble." It was Benita, holding her phone in her hand with a tracker device on.


    She had a tracker on her son¡¯s phone?


    "Mom! What are you doing here?" Kaidon quickly freed his cor from Lamar¡¯s grasp to make it seem like we weren¡¯t threatening him and raised his voice. However, the fear in his voice was still obvious.


    "What are they making you do?" she screamed, rushing past me and elbowing me on the way to the side. She then shoved Lamar away to reach her son.


    "Nothing. They are my friends," Kaidon argued, but she pped him, making my hands fly to my mouth.


    "Liar! I heard it. They¡¯re convincing you of some nonsense, and you¡¯re falling for it." She was so aggressive, shoving her son away from us.


    "I am not convincing him of anything!" I screamed back at her. The way she clenched her fists gave me the idea that she was trying to warn me not to raise my voice at her.


    "If I see you hovering around my son again, I will call the council and get you kicked out of your damn academy. Stay away from my son! He doesn¡¯t want to sleep with you," she screamed at the top of her lungs, making me clench my jaw at her words.


    "You are such a vile woman," Lamar hissed at her.


    "Mom! Stop this. She doesn¡¯t want anything to do with me. I am the one who¡ª" Kaidon was cut off by a harsh p from his mother.


    "You are going home with me right now." She grabbed his hand and started dragging him away.


    I started feeling anxious because Kaidon had just said he wanted to help. I could get him to confess to his crimes and his friends¡¯ involvement before the council.


    "Meet me¡ªagain," Kaidon mouthed the words as he was pulled away by his mother.


    I was overwhelmed with emotions as I watched her take him away. Lamar approached me and pulled me into a hug tofort me. I cried into his chest for a good ten minutes before deciding to head home.


    "At least we know he¡¯s not like Rayden," Lamar patted my back, walking me through the woods and leading me to the road.


    "But can we trust him? Can we trust his mother?" I was shocked that a woman could be so blind to another woman¡¯s pain.


    "She could be a trouble to us. I mean, now it makes sense why she was always so quick to judge others. People who are always criticizing others aren¡¯t exactly pure themselves," he recalled how she used to treat us, assuming I was a hooker.


    A hooker is a better person than her. At least they would stand up for a woman in need instead of trashing them like these so-called ¡¯pure¡¯ women.


    "Let¡¯s go home." Lamar helped me onto the back of the bike, and the whole ride, I just rested my head on his back, tears still in my eyes. I was afraid the helmet was hurting him, but he stayed silent.


    Once we arrived at the hostel, I got off while Jenny and Penn caught Lamar.


    "I want ice cream right now," she was arguing with her brother as she approached Lamar, who quickly pulled her in for a hug. I had wiped my tears, but my mood was still sour.


    "What happened to you? Do you want ice cream too? I can take you guys out for a good ride and get some ice cream too," Penn spoke directly to me, making Jenny dramatically scoff.


    "So now you¡¯re ready to take us out? You know, Hnie, I¡¯ve been asking him for the past ten minutes, and he kept making up excuses. But now he suddenly wants to take us out," she said in a yful tone while I forced a smile.


    "That¡¯s sweet," I said, though I didn¡¯t even know what I meant. Even Penn and Jenny frowned in confusion. I was just trying to wrap up the conversation so I could go back to my room and rest for a while.


    "How about I take you out tonight?" Lamar suggested to Jenny, realizing I needed some alone time while he wanted to spend time with her.


    "Sure, that would be great," Jenny excitedly agreed.


    "I¡¯m going to take a shower. I¡¯m so tired." Not even letting Penn suggest anything for us, I quickly walked away toward the entrance. I swear I heard Jenny and Penn ask Lamar what was wrong with me.


    I rushed to my room, taking the elevator this time, and once I opened the door, I realized it would never be easy for me to have one peaceful moment.


    There she was, making out with someone.

 Chapter 408-Dating Her To Earn Her Forgiveness

    <h4>Chapter 408: 408-Dating Her To Earn Her Forgiveness</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I was stunned. It was new for Lucy to have a guy in her room, but I guess that was one of the changes she had made about herself.


    "Sorry! I didn¡¯t know you had a guy over¡ª" I bit my tongue, realizing I was probably interrupting Lucy¡¯s private moment.


    However, as the guy broke the kiss and turned around, I froze in my tracks and did a double take. One foot was already out the door when I realized who it was.


    "Gavin?" I gasped, looking at the two of them making out. Lucy ran her thumb over her bottom lip and smirked, while Gavin stood up to face me.


    "You know what¡ªforget it," I hissed, waving my hand dismissively. I was so done with them.


    "Hnie, please listen to me," Gavin tried to step in my way, wanting to talk, but I dodged him and rushed to the bathroom.


    "Gavin! You don¡¯t have to exin your rtionship to her or anyone. Why is she trying to control your life?" I had expected Lucy to say something like that.


    I mmed the bathroom door shut and leaned against it.


    "Lucy! What have I told you about my friends? You will not talk badly about them," Gavin yelled at Lucy, and then I heard murmurs¡ªmostly Lucy trying to keep her voice down while talking to Gavin.


    But my mind was busy thinking about Benita. She had no morals.


    I stayed in the bathroom for a good ten minutes, and by then, everything outside had gone silent. When I walked out with my hair still wet, I noticed Gavin was the only one who had stayed behind.


    "Gavin, please, I am not ready for a conversation." I knew he had waited to talk to me about the little scene I had just witnessed.


    "But I want to talk to you," he said, getting up from Lamar¡¯s bed. I didn¡¯t want to talk to him, but I couldn¡¯t shut him down when he wanted to exin himself.


    "Okay, why?" I asked, facing him and sounding exhausted.


    "I had a reason," he said. "This is my redemption."


    I had a feeling his words had a deeper meaning, so I kept watching his face as he exined.


    "I asked her what I could do to earn her forgiveness, and she said¡ª" he paused before finishing, "I have to date her until she decides to break up."


    I was shocked and couldn¡¯t believe he had agreed to something like that.


    "Have you lost your mind?" I asked, flicking his forehead with my fingers to snap him out of it.


    "I don¡¯t have another choice. Look at her¡ªshe¡¯s lost and distracted. She didn¡¯t even want to finish the test. Her only priority is making Sydney happy. Does that seem okay to you?" He sighed. "Look, I know it¡¯ll hurt, watching her cheat on me while I have to stay loyal, but once she gets all her frustration out¡ªshe¡¯ll be free."


    I was stunned to hear Gavin trying to justify it.


    "This is a disaster waiting to happen, and it¡¯s trauma for you too. The problem isn¡¯t your breakup with her¡ªthe issue is that something is wrong with her. She only wants attention through negativity, and by epting her so-called punishment, you¡¯re just feeding her belief that her behavior is working." I tried to reason with him because I felt bad for him. But when he lowered his head and avoided my eyes, it was clear how guilty he felt. He was taking full responsibility for his mistakes, while Lucy was taking none.


    If I¡¯m being honest, if Gavin cheated, so did Lucy.


    The only difference was how they both dealt with it afterward.


    "I¡¯ll just give it a try," he muttered, probably hoping we would still support him. I would support him because, at the end of the day, it was his decision. He wanted peace in his heart and confirmation that he did the right thing¡ªeven if I didn¡¯t agree with this whole punishment idea.


    "Hey, we brought food for everyone," Lamar said as he opened the door, with Jenny beside him holding bags of food.


    "Let¡¯s eat something." Patting Gavin¡¯s shoulder, I shed him a smile to help ease his guilt.


    We sat together and ate in silence while Lamar seemed to notice Gavin¡¯s awkwardness. Although he didn¡¯t call him out directly, I could tell he was waiting to be alone with him to ask what was going on.


    After we finished eating, Lamar took Gavin by the hand and led him to the balcony. The two talked for a few minutes.


    "Is something wrong with Gavin? They don¡¯t look like they¡¯re having a normal conversation," Jenny finally addressed the elephant in the room, ncing toward the balcony.


    "He¡¯ll tell you himself. But you¡¯re right, it¡¯s definitely not a normal conversation," I sighed, feeling bad for Gavin. He was stuck between wanting to be with his second-chance mate and the guilt that was weighing him down.


    After Gavin and Lamar finished talking, Gavin came back into the room while Lamar stayed outside for a smoke break. Gavin and Jenny went to their rooms, while I waited for Lamar to return.


    He seemed anxious and stressed. Lucying in thiste had be normal, but usually, I¡¯d be asleep by then, so we never got to talk. But tonight, as she walked in, she spotted me standing beside my bed and smirked.


    "So, how are you, Hnie?" She sat on the bed, her legs swinging yfully.


    "What are you doing?" I asked. She shrugged, but we both knew what I was referring to.


    "Leave Gavin alone," I hissed, and she raised a brow, looking surprised.


    "Wow, you¡¯re so quick to defend him. What about my side?" she pouted, making me roll my eyes.


    But Lamar stepped in, and this time, he wasn¡¯t ying.


    "We did everything we could for you. But you¡¯ve chosen to be cruel, so don¡¯t expect anything from us. You¡¯re not our friend anymore, Lucy. And I¡¯ll make sure I free Gavin from whatever guilt trap you¡¯ve set for him." He pointed at her, making her eyes fill with tears and her jaw clench.

 Chapter 409-My Wounded Mate In The Woods

    <h4>Chapter 409: 409-My Wounded Mate In The Woods</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "So, you are telling me that you will ruin my rtionship with my mate¡ª" Before Lucy could start her yapping, Lamar silenced her with his scoff.


    "Ex-mates," he reminded her.


    "Ohhh, but it never says anywhere that an ex-mate cannot be a mate again," she shrugged, but the tears in her eyes told me she was probably genuinely thinking she was a victim in this situation as well.


    But she wasn¡¯t. What she was asking for was diabolical. This wouldn¡¯t help her move on, and if they kept doing this, Gavin would lose his second-chance mate too. Salem had changed a lot, at least towards us. I hadn¡¯t seen her interact with the others, but I could tell she had been trying to be a better version of herself for Gavin, and since Gavin confided in me that he wanted her too, it was really unfair what was going on here.


    "Stop ying these games, Lucy," I advised her, feeling so distant from her that I couldn¡¯t even reach her heart anymore.


    "I am not the one ying games with you guys. And if you really hate games, ask Jenny why she didn¡¯t tell you she was the one who saw me first after my fall." Her sudden implication made me frown, and Lamar shook his head at her.


    "Nah! You¡¯re not doing that. Jenny has been through a lottely, and I won¡¯t let you put some crazy usation on her." I agreed with Lamar, and Lucy just shrugged.


    "Well, I am not going to answer you two, but if Gavin pulls away from me, I will me you two. Especially you." She pointed her finger at me, causing me to narrow my eyes at her.


    "You still have expectations from me?" I asked in a shocked tone.


    "No! I don¡¯t have any expectations from you. I know you would never do anything for anyone else. But who are you to tell me to stop ying games when you¡¯re entertaining two guys at the same time and starting this rivalry between seniors and juniors?" The way she referred to my friendship with both Rudy and Penn was just outright outrageous.


    She knew I hadn¡¯t even responded to their flirting properly, so her im hit me hard.


    "Bitch¡ª" As I attempted to rush at her, Lamar held me back.


    "What happened? Truth sucks? I know it does." She giggled, getting up and walking away to the bathroom.


    "I am going to p the arrogance out of her," I turned to Lamar and hissed under my breath while he gave me a nod.


    "Yeah, we both will, but please calm down," he said softly with a smile, trying to calm me down.


    "I will be in the bathroom on the first floor," I sighed and didn¡¯t even wait for him to ask me to wait before I sped out.


    I wanted to be alone, so the bathroom was just an excuse.


    After reaching the first floor, I decided to sneak out of the hostel. I was tired of being stuck within these walls and needed some alone time.


    Once I was on the trail, hugging myself and staring at the sky, I noticed the moon and realized what night it was.


    It was a full moon.


    "Shit," I cussed under my breath, quickly turning around to go back inside when I heard a strange grunting noise in the distance.


    It wasn¡¯t a Lycan¡¯s howl or a werewolf¡¯s, but a wolf struggling to transition, perhaps.


    "Who could be out in the woods at this time?" Worry crept in as I thought that maybe someone didn¡¯t know the dangers of being outside on a full moon.


    My weak self thought I could save someone. But going back inside and leaving this person alone when I knew they could disappear in just a few seconds didn¡¯t sit well with me.


    So, I decided to do whatever I could to help.


    I followed the sound, rushing forward with my heart pounding in my chest, and once I hid behind a tree, I was met with a shock.


    And instantly, I was d I had listened to my gut and stayed.


    "Emmet!" I called out, looking around in confusion.


    He was in his suit, sitting alone and staring at his hands. I could tell he had tried to transition but then stopped.


    And then I remembered how he used to sneak out on full moons, which made me believe he was going out to transition, but it turns out he wasn¡¯t a Lycan.


    But then¡ªwhat was he? And why would he leave the mansion on a full moon¡¯s night?


    It wasn¡¯t until I stepped closer that I spotted blood on his cor.


    "Emmet!" The intensity in my voice changed this time. However, he seemed unfazed, as if he couldn¡¯t hear me. He was sitting against a tree, his legs bent and spread, his elbows resting on his knees, and his palms facing his face.


    "You¡¯re bleeding," I knelt down between his legs, not caring about anything else at the moment. I had to hold his hands to pull them down so I could examine his wound.


    "Emmet? What are you doing here? And what is this¡ªoh my¡ªyou¡¯ve been bitten," I gasped, my jaw nearly hitting the floor.


    "I wasn¡¯t in my wolf form¡ªand¡ªwas I?" he muttered, looking dazed.


    "Okay, listen, we need to take care of the wound." I unwrapped the scarf from around my neck and dabbed at his wound, but he aggressively grabbed my hand, narrowing his eyes at my face¡ª


    Almost like he was trying to recognize me.


    Then, he let go, so I began cleaning his wound. It was a bite mark, just like the ones I had seen before on him.


    He looked so lost that it broke my heart. But the biggest shock was yet toe when he started shaking his head as if he had something to say.


    He stared at my face and then uttered, "I have to feed him blood. He will die if he doesn¡¯t get fresh and powerful blood."

 Chapter 410-The Brother Who Silently Loves Everyone

    <h4>Chapter 410: 410-The Brother Who Silently Loves Everyone</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What? Who do you need to feed blood to?" I watched him look around and frown in confusion. His behavior was concerning.


    "My brother¡ªhe is, um, special. He needs blood to stop himself from attacking people... to stop him from going into the¡ªpoption," he was speaking incoherently,pletely unlike how he had acted back at the motel room.


    This time, he seemedpletely lost.


    "He needs me," Emmet suddenly tried to get up, but I pushed him back, making him sit down. I had to cup his face in my tiny hands and make him look me in the eye.


    "You need to focus on your own health. You¡¯re all messed up right now. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe for you to go back into the woods," I refused to let him go.


    He suddenly froze when he felt my hands on his cheeks. The way his eyes lingered on my face sent shivers down my spine.


    "Emmet, are you listening to me?" I asked, and he nodded timidly. For a man as big as him, he seemed almost... delicate when he wasn¡¯t in his usual powerful state.


    I kept staring at his face before something itchy in my heart, and my focus shifted to his lips.


    He wasn¡¯t moving or doing anything, and even though he said he was listening to me, I could tell he wasn¡¯tpletely aware of his surroundings.


    And that stopped me from being foolish and making a mistake.


    I pulled back and closed my eyes for a moment, thinking how stupid I was for almost leaning in for a kiss. But I wouldn¡¯t do it¡ªnot when he didn¡¯t even remember where he was.


    "Hnie?" His tone sounded more like shock¡ªmaybe disbelief. I raised my head and watched him touch the scarf around his neck.


    "Oh, you woke up," I joked.


    "What are you doing here? It¡¯s a full moon¡¯s night." He checked the sky, then quickly unwrapped the scarf to confirm something. The moment he saw he was bleeding, he sighed in relief.


    That gave me my answer.


    "Umm, something attacked me in the woods," he said, but I knew he was lying.


    "Hmm, something very brotherly," I nodded, noticing the shocked look on his face.


    "I¡¯ve seen him transition in the woods once, so¡ª" I said, getting up and sitting beside him. He turned to me quickly before his bodynguage calmed down.


    "Well, it¡¯s you, so I know he¡¯s safe." The fact that Emmet had so much faith in me¡ªthat I wouldn¡¯t tell anyone about Maximus¡ªmade me feel warm inside.


    It¡¯s always nice to have someone who trusts you this much.


    "You must have been so scared," he asked, and I shook my head.


    "I had a feeling it was one of you. I just didn¡¯t know it was Maximus. He was thest one on my suspicion list," Iughed as I recalled those days. I suspected everyone but him.


    "Who was the first one you suspected of being a Lycan?" Emmet asked, his voice softer and more at ease.


    "Ummm..." I didn¡¯t say his name, but I side-eyed him, raising my brow.


    He pointed a finger at his chest, narrowing his eyes at me. "Me?"


    "Yeah. I remember telling Norman that Sage had hidden a camera in the caves to catch the Lycan, so he should go and quickly take it down before she spotted you¡ª" I shut up when I saw Emmet cock his head so sweetly and smile with his eyes.


    "You¡¯re a really nice person," Imented awkwardly, shyly fidgeting with my fingers to avoid staring into his eyes.


    "Who was the second one? And who was the final one?" He seemed so intrigued by everything I said. I had always noticed how much attention he paid to the people around him¡ªwhat they were going through, what they were saying. He always had tons of questions, making people feel like they were celebrities giving interviews.


    "Kaye. I suspected him once or twice because I saw himing out of the woods. But my final guess was Norman¡ªand he admitted to being a Lycan, of course, to save his brothers from suspicion. He was so quiet, which threw me off," Iughed, thinking about Norman.


    I used to hate him. Now, I just think he¡¯s stupid¡ªand I still hate him.


    "That¡¯s typical of Norman. He loves his brothers a lot. He¡¯d do anything for us," Emmet sighed, resting his head back against the tree.


    "You¡¯re one too. I know why you¡¯ve been in the woods all this time on full moons," I watched his body flinch.


    "You¡¯ve been feeding Maximus your blood. So while everyone thinks Emmet is drowning himself in wine and alcohol, he¡¯s actually being used as a blood bag for his brother."


    And suddenly, I realized why I had suspected all of them¡ªexcept Maximus. Because all the brothers were doing their best to protect him. They were exhausted, while he was the only one who always seemed fine¡ªsince he had their blood.


    Emmet looked so shocked that I had figured it out.


    "How did you put two and two together?" he asked, and instead of remembering what he had told me just minutes ago. It took me a little by surprise. He looked genuinely clueless though.


    He touched the wound on his neck and nodded, as if he finally understood.


    "That¡¯s a good guess. But I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m being used¡ªthey don¡¯t know. Maximus doesn¡¯t remember anything after he transitions back into his human form. And I give him blood because... I can¡¯t stand to see my brother in pain. He needs it after his transformation. If he doesn¡¯t get it and ends up in the poption as a Lycan, hurting someone¡ª" he paused, his voice soft with concern. "I know he¡¯d never forgive himself for it."


    "Do you always get this lost after giving him blood?" I asked, and he closed his eyes, looking down.


    I was right. This wasn¡¯t just normal. Something had happened tonight, something to him.

 Chapter 411-Backing Down

    <h4>Chapter 411: 411-Backing Down</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You should head back to your hostel now. It¡¯s not safe to be out there," he gave a quick nce around and sighed.


    "And will you be going back to your brother?" I was worried he was giving too much blood to his brother. If he kept doing that, he would grow weak.


    "Always," he smiled, getting up. Before I could follow him, he had already offered me his hand.


    He probably didn¡¯t realize it, but every sweet thing he did left me in awe.


    Holding his hand, I felt the warmth of his touch and stood up.


    "Please eat a lot in the morning," I said softly, noticing him walking right beside me.


    "You care a lot about everyone, don¡¯t you?" he spoke in a low tone, sending shivers down my spine.


    "Take care of yourself, you need it more. You¡¯re always surrounded by dangerous people," he said, continuing to walk with me. At this point, I didn¡¯t even have to ask him why¡ªI knew he was walking me back to make sure I reached the hostel safely.


    "It¡¯s life, everyone has toxic people around them," I muttered.


    "Umm, true," he nodded. "What about your feelings for Maximus and Kaye? I know I¡¯m asking a lot, but¡ªI¡¯m just curious." His hands were in his pockets, my scarf still around his neck.


    "They¡¯ve moved on," I replied.


    "What about you?" He slowed down, almost like he was ncing at me to see my reaction.


    "I have to, but I¡¯m tied to Kaye with a mate bond," I sighed at the thought of daring to ask him to reject me again.


    "Hmm," he suddenly went quiet.


    "What was our item in the test?" That question had been at the back of my mind the whole time.


    "The Whisper Compass?" he asked, and I nodded.


    "It¡¯s a powerful item. A very magical one. You see, when the needles are mostly still, it means the creatures around it are just basic, normal magical beings. But when they point at something, it means¡ª" He paused, making my breath hitch at his exnation.


    "It means what?" I tried not to sound too curious, but I couldn¡¯t help it.


    "Why? Did you see it move?" He stopped abruptly and turned to look at my face.


    "Umm, it didn¡¯t, it¡¯s just that I really liked it," I lied because I didn¡¯t know what it would point at someone for.


    "Okay, then all is good." The way he sighed in relief made me wonder if it was really a good thing that they didn¡¯t move.


    "Do you know why they would move?" I pressed a little. He might have been relieved, but I wasn¡¯t. They moved and pointed at me.


    "Not really. There you go¡ªrest well." I could tell he was hiding something from me. He gestured at the hostel, and I reluctantly stepped ahead of him, thepass still on my mind.


    "And Hnie¡ª" I heard him call my name in the gentlest way, and I turned around to look at his face onest time.


    "Thank you," he smiled, touching the scarf. In response, I gave him a nod and stepped into the hostel¡ªonly to bump into something.


    "And what makes you think you can leave the hostel whenever you want?" It was the warden.


    I hadn¡¯t had a real encounter with her in so long that I forgot how scary she was.


    "I went out for fresh air," I swallowed nervously as I answered her.


    "It was a full moon," she hissed, reminding me that I wasn¡¯t allowed to leave the hostel during one.


    "I forgot," I mumbled with my head down.


    "Well, a punishment will help you remember next time," she sneered and pointed at the door, gesturing at me to leave at once.


    "But it¡¯s a full moon," I realized she was actually kicking me out and started to argue.


    "See, you remember already," she mocked, stepping toward me. I kept backing up until I found myself outside.


    But then my back hit something¡ªI was trapped.


    "Let her go. She was with me," I heard Emmet say from behind, and a wave of relief washed over me.


    "But she broke the rule and left the hostel on a full moon," the warden¡¯s voice was sharp, but she was forcing a smile, clearly trying to keep Emmet from getting mad.


    "Doesn¡¯t matter. She was with me¡ªshe was safe. Now let her go. Don¡¯t you know who she is?" The way he spoke to her sent shivers down my spine. He could be rude to everyone else at times. I often wondered why he was so kind to me. Was it because... he remembered that we were mates?


    "Sure, go inside," the warden stepped back. I quickly stepped in, turning around to smile before blushing and hurrying away from Emmet. I rushed back to my room, and nothing else happened for the rest of the night.


    Except, in the morning, we woke up to a bad storm.


    "Hnie¡ªwe should go," Lamar whispered in my ear as I stepped out of the bathroom, wearing ck jeans and a purple shirt. Lucy was painting her nails, humming a song she¡¯d been singing since early morning.


    I knew what Lamar meant. We had to go meet Kaidon. He had promised to help us, and we were expecting some big names to be thrown our way.


    I was d Lamar was on my side. I was sure he would take care of me if I had a breakdown. We avoided Lucy and hurried outside, rushing toward the exit. I was ready to face Kaidon.


    "Guys, my car!" Jenny called after us, catching up at the front porch.


    "She wanted toe," Lamar said. Giving him a nod, I slid into her car while Lamar took the passenger seat.


    "Is it okay to say I¡¯m really nervous?" I heard Jenny whisper to Lamar, admitting she was just as anxious as we were.


    We arrived at the meeting spot in the woods pretty quickly because Jenny had been speeding the whole way. But as soon as we entered the woods, we found the ce empty¡ªwith a note stuck to a tree.


    "I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve changed my mind."


    Lamar hissed as he read it out loud, staring at me sadly.

 Chapter 412-My Mate Is On A Date?

    <h4>Chapter 412: 412-My Mate Is On A Date?</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I should have killed him when he was standing there crying in front of us," Lamar had been throwing a tantrum for the past few minutes while I just sat there, sighing tiredly. His anger was justified. The exhaustion was real, the desperation was clear. Jenny triedforting Lamar for a while but he wouldn¡¯t listen.


    I was truly upset that I got so close to finding out about the others and finally doing something about them¡ªonly to lose the chance.


    "Guys, you said his mother dragged him away from youst time. Do you think his mother has anything to do with this note?" Jenny, being the only fresh pair of eyes in this situation, waved the note in front of us. I frowned at the handwriting.


    "This is how Benita writes in her register," I recalled seeing her write things down while organizing her customers.


    "But what if her son writes the same way?" Lamar still didn¡¯t believe in Kaidon¡¯s tears. I was skeptical too, but I wanted to believe that someone felt guilty.


    "I know Benita because of her son and Penn¡¯s past friendship. She is extremely controlling. In fact, she¡¯s the one who forced her son to take back the Alpha throne. Do you really think she would let him give it all away just like that?" Jenny made sense, and I could tell Lamar was starting to see her reasoning too.


    "Then how do we contact him?" Lamar asked Jenny.


    "I asked Penn for his number, but Penn told me his phone is switched off. So, there¡¯s only one thing we can do now¡ªwe have to visit him," Jenny said determinedly. Then, after a brief pause, she corrected herself, "I have to visit him."


    She had triggered Lamar instantly.


    "His mother likes me. She has always wanted her son to be with someone as powerful as me and my family," Jenny admitted, avoiding Lamar¡¯s gaze.


    "So you¡¯re suggesting you go there and seduce a confession out of him? And you think I¡¯ll let you do that to a rapist?" Lamar smirked angrily, making it clear he wasn¡¯t joking.


    "He¡¯s right," I sided with Lamar. Jenny didn¡¯t have to put herself in danger again.


    "Please, I want to help. Lamar, this is for Hnie. She deserves to at least know who the assholes were who¡ª" she clenched her fists and punched her palm, frustration all over her face.


    "Fine, let¡¯s do it then. But you will only show interest in him in front of Benita so she¡¯ll let you talk to her son," Lamar warned, making it clear he wasn¡¯t agreeing to anything more.


    "Deal," Jenny nodded firmly.


    "Let¡¯s go then," I said, getting up from the ground and following the two.


    We arrived at the caf¨¦, but only Jenny got out. She went inside while Lamar and I sat in the car, growing more worried with every passing minute.


    After a while, she walked back out alone, lookingpletely defeated.


    "What happened?" The moment she got inside, I asked her.


    "That woman knows we¡¯re friends. She kept making excuses for her son¡¯s absence and wouldn¡¯t even give me his new number," she pouted.


    "We should have known," Lamar sighed.


    Of course, we should have known Benita would be extremely careful. But where was she hiding her son?


    That¡¯s when my phone beeped, and I frowned at the caller ID.


    Unknown: It¡¯s Salem here.


    "Why is Salem texting me?" I asked the two, who immediately turned around and shoved their heads toward my phone screen.


    "I saw her inside with Sydney," Kenny said.


    Salem: The number I am sending you is Kaidon¡¯s new number.


    My jaw dropped, shock creeping across my skin in the form of goosebumps. We all exchanged nces before Jenny spoke up.


    "She must have seen me asking for his number and decided to help," Jenny muttered, still unsure why Salem would assist us.


    "That¡¯s the power of Gavick," Lamar smirked, making us roll our eyes at him for using his ship name for Gavin and Gavin¡¯s Dick.


    "I¡¯m calling him now," I said, dialing the number. My heart pounded louder than anything else. I put my phone on speaker so my friends could catch anything I might miss.


    We waited and waited, but he didn¡¯t pick up.


    "We¡¯ll tryter. Let¡¯s head back now¡ªthe storm is getting worse," Lamar suggested, patting the back of Jenny¡¯s hand to signal her to start the car.


    I leaned back in my seat and sighed.


    While we were driving, a message popped up on my screen, making me slide to the edge of my seat and tap Lamar¡¯s shoulder.


    "He¡¯s texting me," I whispered, letting Jenny focus on the road as the sky darkened sooner than expected due to the thick storm clouds.


    Kaidon: Sorry! With our academy trainers. Who is this?


    "Tell him," Lamar urged.


    Me: It¡¯s me, Hnie.


    I gulped before hitting send.


    His reply came almost immediately.


    Kaidon: Oh, I¡¯m so d you were able to get my number. I tried to reach out myself, but I couldn¡¯t find any way to contact you.


    Hope filled my chest. So Jenny was right¡ªit was his mother controlling everything.


    Me: So when can we meet? When can you give me names of the others?


    I stared at my screen intensely, my eyes glued to the messages. But as I raised my head, I noticed something that had caught Lamar¡¯s attention too.


    "Isn¡¯t that Professor Emmet?"


    I turned to look at the small shop we were passing and spotted Emmet standing inside. But he wasn¡¯t alone.


    My anxiety spiked, and I scooted closer to the window, trying to get a clearer view of the person with him. But it wasn¡¯t difficult¡ªshe had a very distinct appearance.


    "Why is he with Sage?" Jennyined, slowing down briefly to observe them inside the vintage shop.


    I stared at them. No¡ªI red at them. She was all giggles and blushing, while he seemed to be in an unusually good mood talking to her.

 Chapter 413-Maybe He Has A Crush On Me

    <h4>Chapter 413: 413-Maybe He Has A Crush On Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I came back to the hostel feeling all grumpy and jealous. I couldn¡¯t understand why Emmet had to stand thereughing with Sage. He doesn¡¯t usuallyugh with anyone. Even when he¡¯s with me, he barely cracks a smile.


    "So, what else did he say?" I was brought back to my senses by Lamar, who sat on his bed and yelled for me.


    I realized he had been watching me throw a tantrum by kicking my shoes around the room. Lucy wasn¡¯t around, so I was able to let out my frustration without someonementing on everything I was doing.


    "Nothing more," I replied, checking my phone.


    "What¡¯s got you all worked up?" Lamar asked, making me grunt and groan.


    "Ohhhh," he nodded his head.


    I frowned at him.


    "I remember," he waved his finger at me, almost like he had caught me.


    "What? Huh? What do you remember?" I asked, pretty much getting in his face and bending down to his level.


    "Whoa! Threatening me¡ªare you jealous? Oh my goddess, Hnie is jealous?" he teased, making me straighten my spine and fold my arms over my chest.


    "I am not jealous. It¡¯s just¡ªlisten, he¡¯s my mate, and whether he remembers or not, I do, so yeah¡ªI am annoyed," I groaned, stomping my foot. I didn¡¯t know why I was so worked up.


    "What happened to not wanting to be with your mate to defy the Moon Goddess?" Lamar brought it up, calling out my hypocrisy.


    "Hey, that¡¯s different. I¡¯m not talking about dating him. I mean, not yet¡ª" I stuttered, feeling so embarrassed for even considering it. "But I¡¯ll be done with my revenge soon, right?" I was hopeful this would be over soon.


    "And then there will be no promise to keep." I was so embarrassed to say that out loud that I couldn¡¯t raise my head to make eye contact with Lamar.


    "I understand that, but Hnie, what makes you think he¡¯ll wait?" Lamar was now talking seriously once he noticed how much the whole scene from earlier had bothered me.


    "You¡¯re right. He wouldn¡¯t," I sighed, giving up on the idea.


    "But it hurts, you know?" I lowered my head, my face in my hands.


    "Hey, for what it¡¯s worth, the way Professor Emmet looks at you is way different from how he was looking at Sage," Lamar said, making me uncover my face and stare at him.


    "How does he looks at me?" I guess I wanted to hear from someone that they had noticed it too¡ªthat Emmet does make me feel special.


    "Hnie, I am a guy, and when I say he looks at you like he fancies you, I mean it. A guy only looks at a woman that way when he has feelings for her. Even during sses, when you¡¯re too busy, I catch him staring at you in silence. Whenever your head is down, his eyes are on you. The minute you look up, he looks away," Lamar said.


    I didn¡¯t know Lamar had been noticing it, and I definitely didn¡¯t know Emmet had been staring at me.


    "Really?" I felt a little flutter in my heart.


    Emmet was a different kind of man. He was like a gentle giant, and I couldn¡¯t help but grow feelings for him.


    "Yeah, so whatever that was, it was nothing. I¡¯m sure they met by ident and just had a conversation," Lamar assured me.


    I badly wanted to believe him.


    "How are you so sure?" I inquired.


    "Because they had their cars parked outside the shop. If they were on a date or something, they would¡¯ve been at a caf¨¦ or a restaurant with their cars parked outside. But when visiting a shop, why would they go there separately?" he concluded, and I began to smile to myself.


    He was right. I was reading too much into it.


    "Unless they were stopping at the shop before or after going out on a date," I blurted out, then yelped when I realized what I had just said. Lamar pped his forehead, like I was my own worst enemy, creating scenarios in my head just to stress myself out.


    "Anyway, I¡¯ll go get ready for my job," I sighed, giving up on thinking about that interaction between Sage and Emmet again.


    The sses were canceled because of the bad weather, but I still had to go to work. I changed into a ck shirt with a white flower pattern and ck jeans, then hopped on Lamar¡¯s bike.


    He dropped me off at the mansion, where the kids were standing at the door, waiting for my arrival. It was the cutest thing ever.


    "Hey!" Demi yelled excitedly, running over to hug my legs. When Davon did the same, I found myself giggling and almost falling.


    "Kids, don¡¯t yell," Emma snapped,ing after them with an angry look on her face. The kids instantly pulled away and lowered their heads.


    Demi had told me that Lord McQuoid didn¡¯t love them the way he loved his sons, and it broke my heart. At that moment, I realized that while I had appreciated Lord McQuoid for treating me well, he was treating his own kids poorly.


    It was almost like my mother and him were a perfect match in the sense that they were both irresponsible parents.


    "Don¡¯t shout at them. They were just weing me," I stood up for them, watching her face contort.


    "It¡¯s enough that we let youe here and babysit them. You shouldn¡¯t get toofortable," Emma warned me, her eyes sizing me up and down. "And that money you¡¯re getting? You should be saving it instead of buying yourself new clothes all the time."


    Of course, she didn¡¯t like the fact that I was doing much better now.


    "You should focus on yourself. I¡¯ll do whatever the hell I want with my money."


    The minute I said that, the kids started giggling secretly, and Emma¡¯s eyes shifted to them. She was able to scare them off with just a re, and that disturbed me.


    She shouldn¡¯t be staying in their home and treating them like that. Not when I was the one taking care of them.

 Chapter 414-Too Scared To Go Against Her

    <h4>Chapter 414: 414-Too Scared To Go Against Her</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "How dare youe to my home and tell me how I should deal with the members of the mansion," Emma grunted, her eyes shooting daggers at me as she walked closer.


    I noticed the kids shifting behind my back as if they were afraid of her.


    That stirred strong emotions within me. I remembered my own childhood and how I used to be afraid of my stepmother to the point that I would hide under my bed the whole day.


    "I am their babysitter and their stepsister," I didn¡¯t care who agreed or not. The truth was, I was part of the family now.


    They cannot expect me to follow the rules of the forbidden rtionship while not epting me as a stepsister. If I was forced to keep my hands off my mates because I am their stepsister, they better give me that title of the stepsister too.


    "Oh! So your mother was right about you. You wanted to¡ª" Emma reached over, standing face to face with me.


    "I don¡¯t care what you or your friend thinks of me. I will not exin myself to any of you, but I will drag you through the mud if you dare raise your voice at my stepsiblings," I hissed, warning her, until someone arrived, and we had to step away from each other.


    "What is going on here?" Norman asked, rolling his eyes at me the minute he saw me.


    The feeling was mutual.


    "You again¡ª" he expressed his exhaustion visibly. I was so d he wasn¡¯t looking at me with pity anymore. After that whole confession I made, his attitude softened towards me, and that would remind me of that night even more.


    I didn¡¯t like being seen as just a victim, and thankfully, he noticed and went back to his usual ways. It made me feel normal and okay.


    "That is what I asked her¡ªwho hired her¡ªand she just started saying so many mean things to me in front of the kids." She used a much more dramatic tone while shaking her head in disbelief.


    "She was scaring the kids," I frowned at her, exining what was really going on.


    "Really? Why don¡¯t we ask the children then?" Emma ced her hands on her waist and asked me, then turned her head, bending down with her hands on her knees for the kids to respond to her. "Did I say anything rude to you?"


    I had a very bad feeling about this.


    I turned to the kids as they started to step out from behind me.


    "No!" And then Demi shook her head. I didn¡¯t me her for denying it. I had been in her ce once, and I remembered how scared I used to be to tell even my own father what my stepmother used to do to me all day.


    Norman tilted his head and raised his eyebrow at me, probably calling me a liar.


    "See? She¡¯s causing trouble," Emma straightened her back and folded her arms over her chest.


    "No need to be all cocky. And why were you asking Hnie who hired her? Don¡¯t you know already?" Norman turned to her and used a much firmer tone. I never caught him talking nicely to Emma or her daughter.


    "I was just trying to start a conversation so that she feels wee," Emma uttered, trying to sound sweet and vulnerable, as if she was being nice and getting attacked in return.


    "You don¡¯t need to make small talk with her. She is not a guest; she is a part of this mansion. She cane and go whenever she wants, so if you want to be nice, go bake some cookies and make tea for her and the kids," Norman¡¯s orders had to be met with immediate execution, even when Emma seemed shocked that nothing was done about me supposedly lying to Norman about her mistreating the kids.


    She lingered in her spot for a minute before finally leaving.


    "Kids, go wait for her in the garden. She¡¯ll be there in a minute," Norman said, sending chills down my spine.


    Why did he ask me to stay behind? What could he possibly want to talk about?


    "Argona called me and told me you were out in the full moon¡¯s light. What are you nning this time?" he asked, his fingers tangled around his cufflinks. For some reason, he had gotten them stuck in his sleeve the wrong way.


    "I was wondering when you¡¯d start spying on me again," I taunted but noticed his souring mood and quickly added, "I just wanted to get some fresh air. And you must already know I found Emmet in the woods."


    I noticed his expression hardening, so I added, "And I¡¯m sure you know why all your brothers go into the woods at night during a full moon."


    I watched Norman narrow his eyes at me as if asking me to exin myself further.


    "I know about Maximus."


    I watched his nostrils re, and his fingers left the cufflinks alone.


    "And I haven¡¯t told anyone," I added.


    "What about Emmet? What do you know about him?" he quickly questioned, as if, at this point, he already knew I had found out about Maximus.


    "Whatever you know." Not sure if Norman knew exactly why Emmet used to be out in the woods on full moons, I yed a little trick.


    "Don¡¯t be vague," he warned me.


    "Go ask him. If he tells you, he tells you. I¡¯m not telling you any of his secrets," I folded my arms over my chest, clicking my tongue, which I knew bothered him so much.


    "I will definitely ask him, and I¡¯m warning you to stay away from my brothers," he was back to treating them like kids who couldn¡¯t make decisions for themselves.


    "How long do you n to keep them sheltered?" I asked, frowning.


    "As long as I can. And if I find out you¡¯ve been going around telling anyone about Maximus¡ª" he warned me, pointing a finger in my face, when we suddenly heard someone behind him.


    That one voice changed Norman¡¯s expression to worry.


    "What about me?" It was Maximus, wearing a confused look on his face.

 Chapter 415-With The Devil For The Night

    <h4>Chapter 415: 415-With The Devil For The Night</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Norman forced the worry off his face and turned around to respond to his brother.


    "I was just mentioning you, nothing specific," he said, quickly changing his tone. It impressed me how smoothly he did that.


    "No, you were telling her not to go around talking about me. What is she saying about me?" My body shuddered at the realization that he had taken it the wrong way.


    "I am not going around talking about you with anyone," I jumped to exin myself. It doesn¡¯t feel good when someone breaks your trust, and I definitely didn¡¯t want to do that to Maximus.


    Even though there was no real trust between us after I found out he had yed a game with me, I still refused to be the kind of person who attracts negativity and ys games behind someone¡¯s back.


    "I am asking my brother," Maximus raised his finger as if telling me not to interrupt.


    "She¡¯s not lying. She wasn¡¯t talking about you to anyone," Norman jumped in, exining it to him, but Maximus seemed weirdly upset.


    Even though it didn¡¯t seem like a big deal¡ªat least not to me¡ªhe was acting like he had caught me talking about him to others.


    Or maybe it was just his fear of getting exposed as a Lycan.


    "So now you¡¯re going to cover for her games?" Maximus said to Norman, giving him a betrayed look before hastily walking past us to leave the mansion.


    I didn¡¯t understand what had just happened. Norman turned to me and gave me a look, making me scowl back at him.


    "You are the problem," I mouthed at him before he med me for upsetting his brother.


    Norman left after Maximus while I went outside where the kids were ying. The minute I approached them, they lowered their heads in guilt.


    "We are sorry," Demi apologized, while Davon remained silent behind her.


    "It¡¯s alright, but you have to stand up for yourself. You know if you let her bully you, she will only get worse." I ran my hand through her hair, and somehow itforted her so much that she hugged my legs and closed her eyes.


    After she calmed down, we sat on the grass to y with her Legos. We were building the Lego set while they talked about their life and what they did at boarding school.


    It was so upsetting that these kids had such powerful parents, yet they were mostly at boarding school. They could have been given private lessons and stayed home to join a regr school.


    "But don¡¯t feel bad for us," Davon said. "It¡¯s for our own good. We have a hyperactive wolf."


    His words made me narrow my eyes at him in even more confusion.


    "Silly, she wouldn¡¯t know that," Demi was very helpful and observant. She noticed the bewildered look on my face and quickly shut her brother down to exin in simpler words.


    "They say we are too young to be hearing our wolf talk to us," she shocked me with how young they were and yet their wolves were already awake.


    "Your wolf is awake?" I asked Demi, who nodded with a proud smile on her lips.


    "But it¡¯s too soon," she pouted sadly.


    "However, it also means we are very powerful," Davon shrugged, showing me his teeth as he smiled.


    Hmm, that was odd. I never really asked myself the right questions because I was so drowned in my own life troubles, but the kids talking about their wolves turned my attention to something crazy.


    What was it about this family that each of them had something weird going on? These kids had their wolves wake up earlier than anyone else, Emmet was wandering around the woods acting strange the other day, and then there was Maximus¡ªwhy was he the Lycan?


    We yed the rest of the day before it was time for me to head home.


    "What¡¯s going on?" I asked Lamar as he called me, breathing heavily.


    "Jenny is feeling sick, so I have to take her to the hospital. Can you wait just half an hour before Ie pick you up?" he asked, sounding so worried.


    "Yeah, that¡¯s not an issue. Just tell me what¡¯s going on with Jenny. Is she alright?" I was concerned for her. She was a good friend, and I had grown closer to her over time. I could only imagine how Lamar was feeling, watching her sick.


    "I don¡¯t know what happened to her exactly. She was waiting for me in our dorm room, and when I came in, I found her passed out."


    That wasn¡¯t good news. I grew impatient to find out what had caused her to lose consciousness.


    "Okay, go with her and stay by her side. I¡¯m sure it will be nothing," I wasn¡¯t sure myself but tried tofort Lamar.


    As he hung up, I stared up at the sky and groaned. It was going to rain soon, and I had to get back to the academy before Charlotte returned from her salon appointment. I was not in the mood to face her and hear her taunt me.


    "Child, why are you standing here?" I didn¡¯t realize Lord McQuoid was going somewhere with my mother by his side.


    She hadn¡¯t crossed my path even once in the past two days. She avoided me like I didn¡¯t exist, and I guess that was the right way for us to deal with each other.


    "I¡¯m waiting for a friend to pick me up. He will be here in half an hour," I gave him a smile, thinking that would be enough to finish the conversation.


    My mother lookedfortable too, so I expected Lord McQuoid to just leave it at that.


    "That will be toote then. If you can¡¯t stay here for the night, let me ask someone to drop you home. The kids have gone to bed, and the others are out. Only Emma will be left, so you will feel lonely."


    I guess this was his way of telling me I¡¯d have to share a roof with Emma if he didn¡¯t find anyone to take me home.


    "Kaye is in his room. Let me ask him to drop you home," without waiting for me to object, Lord McQuoid stepped aside to call the one person who hated my guts more than anyone else now.

 Chapter 416-My Stepbrother Thinks I Sleep Around

    <h4>Chapter 416: 416-My Stepbrother Thinks I Sleep Around</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Lord McQuoid, not Kaye¡ª," my words were left dry in my mouth because he had already walked away. I groaned and threw my hands down before realizing my mother was watching me.


    "I heard you passed a big test," she said, making me look away and nod.


    However, she looked around quickly and then almost shoved something in my hands before pulling back.


    I looked down to see an envelope in my hand, and when I looked up, she was just nkly staring at me.


    "Is this money again?" I was shocked she was giving me money like that.


    "I don¡¯t need your money. I¡¯m earning for myself now," I guess I made a mistake when I epted her money thest time. Because she probably thinks this is why I keep showing up.


    "Isn¡¯t this why you are doing this job? Take this money, it¡¯s more than this job can offer you," and I was right. Her tone suggested what she was going to say next.


    "And what do you want from me in return?" I asked curiously, tapping my foot on the ground.


    "Leave this job. You don¡¯t need toe here and babysit some brats for little money. Don¡¯t you realize these brothers are taking advantage of you? Asking you to do their chores for them?" she grunted, hissing bitterly but keeping a very straight look on her face. I guess if someone was to look at us from afar, they wouldn¡¯t even see her talk. This is how much she wanted to avoid me.


    "Thank you for your charity, but give it to someone who really needs it and cannot work," I shoved the money back into her hands, and the way she looked so shocked just hurt my feelings. It was like she was certain I wanted her money.


    "And don¡¯t you ever think Ie here to take advantage of your status for money. Ie here because I get offered work. Earning money is essential for living, so don¡¯t act like I¡¯m a gold digger when all I¡¯m doing is working hard for every penny," I hissed at her, stepping back when Lord McQuoid came back.


    "Kaye will take you to the academy," he announced.


    "I really don¡¯t want to bother him. My friend will be here soon, so I¡¯ll be fine," I insisted, not ready to sit in the same car as Kaye after what we¡¯ve been through.


    He had me disappointed in him. Especially after he acted like a child and separated my friends from me.


    "It is okay. He wasn¡¯t doing anything anyway, and he had to pick up some stuff from the academy as well," Lord McQuoid exined, but I shook my head once again.


    "Is there a problem?" he noticed how much I was against the idea of Kaye giving me a lift.


    "It¡¯s just that¡ªKaye is rude to me¡ªhe is, umm¡ªhe makes remarks andments on¡ª," I had to be honest to avoid going with him when I heard a twig snap behind me.


    "And? I am a horrible, disgusting person," it was Kaye.


    "Kaye! Is it true?" Lord McQuoid asked his son, and of course, my mother jumped in to defend her stepson.


    "They are siblings, siblings tease each other. Hnie is just too sensitive," my mother said with a fake smile, trying to get Kaye¡¯s approval, who rolled his eyes at her to show her ce.


    "Then, he will drop you to the hostel. It will help you bond. What do you say, Kaye?" his father asked him instead of asking me. I would have said no again, but the way Kaye responded made me stay quiet, or else I would seem like trouble.


    "Sure, that will be good."


    "Okay then, goodnight kids," Lord McQuoid wrapped his arms around my mother¡¯s waist, and the two walked away to their car.


    I had only a few options. Either I stay in the mansion and get bullied by both Kaye and Emma, I walk to the academy alone in the night and storm, making me vulnerable to the monsters around, or I let Kaye take me to the academy.


    "Let¡¯s go?" Kaye raised his brow, pointing toward his car.


    With a heavy heart, I nodded and walked over to his car. He didn¡¯t open the door for me like a gentleman, but he didn¡¯t have to. I had my own hands. The issue was that he opened the door and mmed it shut when I was about to step in.


    Rolling my eyes at his childish ways, I tried to get in the backseat when he cleared his throat.


    "In the passenger seat."


    I sighed and stepped into the front seat.


    Once I sat down, he suddenly leaned over me and started grabbing the seatbelt for me.


    It was unnecessary, as I could do it myself too. However, I didn¡¯tin and let him buckle me up properly.


    I was avoiding confrontation with him. You can only argue with someone you know, in your heart, wouldn¡¯t hurt you.


    That was the case with Norman. I knew no matter what I said to him, he wouldn¡¯t cross the line to hurt me or my friends. But Kaye could fail my friends just to get back at me.


    I wondered when I grew to have such a negative opinion of him.


    "So, who are you seeing these days?" My body caught fire at his question. My head turned to him with my eyes wide open.


    "What? I¡¯m your brother, I have the right to know who my sister is sleeping with," his tone felt so sharp. It was like he had poured gasoline on me.


    "Stop the car right now," I demanded, clenching my fists and taking deep, heavy breaths.


    "No! You won¡¯t order me around. And as for my question, didn¡¯t you leave me for Maximus and then Maximus for Rudy? And¡ªdon¡¯t even get me started on you going around with Penn these days." He shocked me even more when I realized he was still keeping tabs on me.


    "What about you?" Before I could say another word, he got even more angry.


    "I¡¯m loyal to Kesha," he finished.

 Chapter 417-My Mate Says She Is Better Than Me

    <h4>Chapter 417: 417-My Mate Says She Is Better Than Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Really?" I was hurt but masked the frustration with a shocked look on my face.


    "Then reject me and be happy with her."


    I expected him to reject me out of anger and free me from this pain of jealousy, even though I didn¡¯t want to be jealous of him.


    "You would think it would be that easy?" heughed to himself, clicking his tongue. We both went silent before he continued, "I didn¡¯t mean to say those words."


    That was unexpected, but maybe he would add something to insult me more, like a surprise humiliation.


    "That¡¯s nothing new with you," I groaned.


    "I¡¯m serious. I don¡¯t know what it is about you¡ª," he paused, and I wondered what he was going to say next, "that gets under my skin."


    "All I can think about is hurting you and strangling¡ª" he shut up before he could panic me more.


    What the heck was he talking about?


    I had no words to speak after what he said.


    "That is why I believe you should just stay away from me," it didn¡¯t make sense. In one breath, he was talking about me staying away from him, while in the other, he offered to drop me home.


    "You should have told your father that you couldn¡¯t drop me off," I hissed.


    "I know. I just don¡¯t know why I epted the offer. I guess I just want to¡ªI want to live happily with Kesha," his tone changed, and my jaw clenched.


    "She is so sweet and humble, unlike you," the straightforwardness from him was affecting me. He was happy with her, good for him. But he didn¡¯t have to put me down to raise her up.


    "She doesn¡¯t go around falling in love with others or lying to them¡ª" he closed his eyes and then cleared his throat, looking around in confusion.


    "Just shut up," he said, causing me to frown because I wasn¡¯t even talking. It was the most odd drive I¡¯ve ever had to share with anyone.


    Thankfully, we didn¡¯t speak for the rest of the ride. But when we arrived at the hostel, I saw Rudy and his group sitting on the front porch, enjoying the rain from afar.


    "You said you were headed over to the academy to grab something? I have to get my notebook from my locker too," even when I didn¡¯t want to speak another word to Kaye, it was also true that I wanted to avoid Rudy and the other top seniors. I wasn¡¯t very happy with how he had been actingtely.


    "Okay," Kaye said, turning towards the academy¡¯s driveway.


    Once he parked, I jumped out and rushed towards the entrance, standing there and waiting for Kaye. He took his sweet time, strolling while the rain fell on him.


    He arrived and opened the door for me.


    I had already informed Lamar that I would bete so that he wouldn¡¯t go picking me up from the mansion.


    I rushed ahead of Kaye and sighed at the dark hallways.


    He didn¡¯t stop to ask me any more questions and went straight ahead to his office. I lit my shlight and walked toward the lockers. During the daytime, this ce is so crowded that it seemed like a ghost town now that it was dark and empty. The thunderps would asionally shake the windows, and my body would get startled.


    I reached the lockers and stood next to them before picking up a register that I could use as an excuse to be here.


    But then, I began to feel a certain way towards Emmet¡¯s office. There were weird noisesing from inside.


    I felt as if it was the sound of needles clicking.


    I looked around to make sure there was no one nearby and tried to open the door. Of course, it was locked. Grabbing a stool from the side, I climbed on it and stared inside through the window.


    I swear I¡¯ve heard such clicking before. Then it came back to me. It was the noise from thepass.


    Thepass we had used in the test.


    I sat down on the floor and opened my phone¡¯s browser, typing,


    "Whisperpass."


    There were many results that popped up. Thepass had been found washed ashore by some rogues.


    There were pictures of thepass, but no other details were avable online. Sometimes I wondered if these things were truly magic. How did anyone find it and conclude it was magic?


    That sounded absurd.


    After spending a few more minutes, I got up to leave when I heard someone walking in the direction of the office. Panic struck me, and I ran to the side, trying to hide somewhere. It didn¡¯t seem to be Kaye. Or if it was, I would be doomed. He would ask me what I was doing next to Emmet¡¯s office.


    I hid behind the wall and stayed there, hearing the footsteps stop.


    "Whoever you are,e out," the voice was thick and heavy but not threatening. The minute I realized it was Emmet, I came out from behind the wall and caught him staring at me in shock.


    "Hnie?" he asked, worried.


    "I came here to look for my register when I heard some noise from inside," I uttered softly, noticing him keep staring at me.


    "What noise?" he inquired, slipping his hand in his pocket while holding a door in his other hand. I remembered watching him with Sage earlier. Did she give him that piece?


    "I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll leave now," I hissed, my mood souring. But when I was passing him, he grabbed my hand, and my steps came to a halt.


    "What is going on?" he asked.


    "Nothing. By the way, I took care of Demi and Davon tonight. But thanks for not showing up," I don¡¯t know why I embarrassed myself by acting like that, but I surely caught his attention as he forced me to turn around by holding my hand.


    He made me stare into his eyes, almost like asking for an exnation for myment.


    "You told me you would drop me home. I had to ask Lamar, and he was also busy, so¡ª" I stopped talking, realizing how much I had been expecting from him that one time he didn¡¯t remember keeping his promise, and I was so hurt.

 Chapter 418-My Stepbrother Is So Hot

    <h4>Chapter 418: 418-My Stepbrother Is So Hot</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Huh?" he asked.


    "Nothing. I¡¯ll go back to the hostel now," I said, freeing my hand, but he wasn¡¯t letting me go. He was holding me so effortlessly in ce that he confused me with his strength.


    "Come inside, we¡¯ll talk first, and then you can leave," hismanding voice stirred something inside me.


    I reluctantly followed him inside and entered his room. He locked the door behind us, causing my heart to miss a beat.


    Then, he lit a candle, making me realize there was no electricity tonight due to the heavy rain and storm.


    "Have a seat," he pulled a chair for me near his, then sat down on his chair himself. I took my seat and watched him put the decor on the table. It was an antique paperweight.


    "So, what were you saying? I asked you that I would drop you to the hostel?" It wasn¡¯t a threat or anything, more like him trying to recall ever saying that.


    "You did," I said, and he cocked his head in bewilderment.


    "I don¡¯t remember." It almost came like a horror, the way he uttered it and looked around.


    "I really don¡¯t remember. I¡¯m so sorry," he was genuine in his apology, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that he might have not remembered.


    "It¡¯s okay, of course, you forgot. You had a busy day," I scoffed, feeling like a fool and too controlling of a person to be upset over something that I had no business in.


    "Umm, something else. You have something on your mind that you¡¯re unwilling toe clean about. Tell me, what do you mean by that?" He pulled my seat even closer by dragging it from the side of my legs and ced his hands on my seat¡¯s armrests.


    "It¡¯s nothing really. It¡¯s your life, and I have no business in it. I¡¯m just upset that you didn¡¯t remember your promise to me," I could only act like this in front of him. Whenever he would take care of me or do his little concerned gestures to convince me that I meant something to him, I would feel so much better.


    "Hnie, tell me," he insisted, and in a miserable moment, I confessed.


    "You were out and about with Sage on a date." The minute I said that, I shocked myself¡ªand him too.


    "I¡¯m not intervening in your life, but you could have at least told me to arrange my own ride back home," I said, quickly trying to do damage control.


    "Hmmm, so me dating Sage isn¡¯t the problem then?" he shocked me when he bobbed his head.


    I could be reading him wrong, but it appeared as though he wanted to know my reaction to him dating her.


    "I mean, if you like her," I shrugged, looking away and biting my tongue. I should have just remained silent. It was getting so awkward talking about his personal life and acting like a jealous girlfriend.


    "Yeah, you¡¯re right. Anyway, I¡¯m sorry for not remembering my promise. I¡¯ll keep track of any promise I make to you next time," he mumbled while leaning back in his chair. He then continued to lean to the side, resting his elbow over the armrest and supporting his face with his fingers on his temples.


    I didn¡¯t like that he didn¡¯t deny dating or liking Sage. Maybe that was the truth?


    So did he really like her, and what next? Were they going to get married and have babies?


    "Okay, I should go. You might be staying to spend time with your girlfriend, which, by the way, is a very weird thing," the petty side of me jumped out after he refused to deny the usations. I was being too much, I realizedter, but in the moment, it felt like I was doing everything right.


    "Okay, but why is it weird?" he asked.


    "Because¡ª" I almost hissed while he was watching me, smirking through his eyes. So what? Now he was enjoying turning into his brothers who loved watching me in pain?


    "She is your student," I hissed at him.


    "Oh, really? But I thought you two were on good terms and friends, always helping each other with their boyfriends?" Now he straight-up called himself her boyfriend, and I was devastated.


    "So, you are admitting to dating her?" I asked out of confusion. He shrugged, making me clench my jaw.


    "Okay, go ahead, date her. I¡¯m just warning you that¡ª" I didn¡¯t have anything to say to him. This interaction should have never happened. I don¡¯t know why I decided to ask him all this and get myself hurt. But the minute I was about to get up, he leaned forward and ced his hand on my chair, stopping me from leaving.


    "What is it now? Why are you not letting me go?" I asked in an irritated voice.


    He kept staring at my face beforeing even closer.


    "So it has nothing to do with the fact that you¡¯re jealous?" he asked in a husky voice. The deepness in his voice made me skip a heartbeat.


    "Huh, why would I be jealous?" I scoffed, trying to act cool.


    "So you won¡¯t get jealous if I touch her?" he tilted his head and lowered it to get a better view of my eyes.


    "No, I wouldn¡¯t," I hissed, not raising my eyes to meet him.


    "Not even if I do this?" His voice turned even huskier as he pinched my chin to raise my head and leaned in closer to my face.


    He got even closer with every passing second and very gently brushed his lips over mine. A spark ran through my body, and goosebumps took over my skin. It was a different kind of pleasure.


    He pulled a few inches back, still holding my chin, and asked, "Now, even if I do this?"


    With that, he pressed his lips harder than before and kissed me so hard that the loud sound of the smooch echoed in the room. It was only a few seconds, but it left me paralyzed.

 Chapter 419-The Kiss I Rejected For The Kiss I Enjoyed

    <h4>Chapter 419: 419-The Kiss I Rejected For The Kiss I Enjoyed</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I froze at his unexpected behavior. But I wasn¡¯t offended. I was just too shocked to respond.


    "So? Do you want me to exin more?" he let out a smallugh when I stayed silent, and I snapped out of my daze.


    Still unable to respond properly.


    "What happened?" he snapped his fingers in front of my face.


    "I... am not jealous," I tried topose myself, leaving the questions forter.


    I was confused about what had just happened.


    "Really? Do you want me to call her¡ª" As soon as he said that and grabbed his phone, I jumped in my seat and stopped his hand.


    "No! Don¡¯t. And yes! I don¡¯t want you to date her. I mean, I don¡¯t want you to date anyone," I muttered under my breath, and he leaned backfortably once again.


    "It¡¯s because I believe you deserve someone... very special," I said, still unable to think properly.


    "I¡¯ll go now," I hastily got up when I felt like it was toote for me to bring up the kiss.


    I couldn¡¯t gather my thoughts properly. He didn¡¯t stop me this time, but his words did.


    "She asked me to help her with a gift when she identally bumped into me at the shop. I didn¡¯t even realize you thought she and I were dating over that one encounter."


    I turned and sighed, swallowing hard.


    "Okay," I replied, but as I turned my head again, he spoke.


    "I have something for you."


    I stopped again and turned to him. He rolled his chair behind his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled something out.


    He ced thepass on the desk, nearly taking my breath away.


    "You¡¯ve been very interested in this. You can have it," he tapped his fingers on thepass. I kept staring at it, wondering if it would be rude to ept a magical item that had once been disyed in the academy library.


    "Go on, take it. It¡¯s all yours," he leaned back again, this time rubbing his fingertip over his bottom lip. But it wasn¡¯t done in a creepy or suggestive way. He was unconsciously touching his lips, while I was the one captivated by his every little move.


    I walked over to him and the minute I tried picking it up, he snatched it back, his eyes suggesting a yful tease. I gulped shyly, praying he stops or else I will lose my control.


    "Am I not going to get anything in return for it?" he asked, his eyebrow raising high on his forehead.


    "What do you want?" I asked, sounding so obedient.


    He gently touched his lips, and before I could get any ideas, he said, "A smile."


    That was it?


    I gave him an awkward smile, and heughed at it before putting it down again.


    I carefully picked it up, watching the needles go crazy. Before he could notice the way they were moving, I shoved it into my pocket.


    "Thank you," I murmured, and he just blinked once in response.


    I walked out of the room, all the while hoping he would stop me one more time. I wanted to stay in that room and listen to him talk. But it was only after I left his office that I touched my lips.


    "Wait... he kissed me," I uttered, shocked, still ncing back at the door even as I kept walking forward.


    "Does that mean all the things he does for me aren¡¯t just for his stepsister?" I asked myself, a small smile creeping onto my lips.


    "Ah, shit. I should have told him that I made a promise to the Moon Goddess and that I would wait¡ªbut then I¡¯d have to tell him about our mate bond. And what if he doesn¡¯t remember and gets frustrated?" I kept rambling under my breath, wondering what the right step should have been.


    Avoiding it all, I walked out of the academy and headed toward the hostel. The seniors were gone¡ªat least all except one.


    The one I was desperately trying to avoid was pacing back and forth in front of the main gate, his phone pressed to his ear. He was whispering¡ªor more like listening in a bad mood¡ªwhen his eyesnded on me.


    "I¡¯ll talk to youter, Dad," he muttered before hanging up and rushing to block my path.


    "I¡¯m not in the mood, Rudy," I said, trying to walk past him, but he kept stepping in my way.


    "At least let me apologize," he insisted.


    I stopped resisting and gave him a long stare.


    "Nobody is stopping you. Go ahead and apologize to Jenny, Lamar, and Penn¡ªthe ones you actually belittled," I folded my arms across my chest, making it clear that an apology to me didn¡¯t make sense.


    "You want an alpha to bow down before another alpha?" he asked in an offended tone.


    "An alpha apologizing to a she-wolf without a wolf¡ªwithout even doing anything to her in particr?" I called him out on his hypocrisy, but he already had a response ready.


    "And I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t have to remind you why an alpha can bow before a she-wolf but not another alpha. It¡¯s about the heart. When my entire existence is ready to bow for you, my ego means nothing. And if it means that much to you, I¡¯ll apologize to them too. I¡¯m ready to do anything to... have a chance with you."


    I wish he had stopped before that.


    I suddenly felt ufortable. I had just shared a small kiss with someone I had a crush on, and nothing could top that moment¡ªnot even Rudy.


    His eyes narrowed on my lips, and in a burst of emotion, he leaned forward to kiss me.


    I quickly ced my hands on his chest and pulled away, shocking him¡ªand myself.


    "I¡¯m so sorry¡ªI¡ª" he stammered, looking hurt, especially when someone else came to witness the scene.


    "Maybe a rejection would make your brain work again," Penn taunted, standing with Lamar and Jenny behind him.


    "Penn," I shot him a look¡ªa warning not to hurt the already wounded.


    "Rudy, I¡ª" I murmured, but he was already prepared to leave.


    He bolted past us like he had somewhere urgent to be.

 Chapter 420-Something Is Changing Jenny

    <h4>Chapter 420: 420-Something Is Changing Jenny</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Jenny," I reached for her, but she waspletely exhausted. Lamar quickly carried her when he realized that, despite wanting to stay on her feet, she was too weak to move.


    "I¡¯lly her down in her room," Lamar told me before rushing inside with Jenny. They had juste back from the hospital when they found me and Rudy on the front porch.


    "I can¡¯t believe that asshole thought he could steal a kiss from you," Penn grunted, his hands flying to his waist as he shook his head in disbelief.


    "Penn, why did you do that? Why did you make thatment? You have no idea how awkward you made things," I argued, my voice shaky as I started feeling cold.


    "So what? Doesn¡¯t he always do that? Don¡¯t you think he would have stayed silent if you had rejected my kiss?" Penn pointed a finger at his chest, revealing a desire I wanted to stay hidden. My cheeks burned at the realization that he had wanted to do the same thing.


    "And you thought¡ªyou know¡ª" I was slightly lost in my words but quickly regained myposure. "This would make him vicious?"


    I hated that while I was dealing with my own mess, my friends were creating more enemies for me.


    "I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ll deal with it. If anyone dares toe near you, I¡¯ll handle them myself," he said with an alpha attitude, tapping his finger against his chest and then at me.


    "Anyway, let¡¯s go inside. It¡¯s getting colder."


    He was so cold toward others at times. I sighed and rushed ahead of him to show I was still upset about hisment.


    After entering my room, I sat on my bed and stared at the rain outside my window. The whole time, I couldn¡¯t help but smile and touch my lips.


    Emmet kissed me.


    Fucking Emmet A. McQuoid kissed me.


    That had to mean something.


    "You¡¯re oddly happy," Lucy¡¯s voice startled me¡ªI had forgotten she was in the bathroom.


    I didn¡¯t respond, so she sat on her bed, watching me.


    "Aren¡¯t you happy that maybe Gavin dating me will make me reconsider my life?"


    The fact that she knew exactly what she was doing made me believe there was more going on with her than just a hurt she-wolf trying to let out her frustration.


    "I don¡¯t care if you go back to your old ways or change even more. We can never be friends again," I said, looking down at my phone.


    Another five minutes passed, and she kept watching me before adding, "So you can forgive everyone but me."


    I had enough of this assumption.


    Everyone always used that as an excuse to hurt me.


    "There aren¡¯t two lifelines to hurt me and then be my friend again. Just because I forgave someone once doesn¡¯t mean everyone gets two chances with me," I muttered, reminding her that Lamar had redeemed himself. And it wasn¡¯t just because I gave him a chance¡ªhe had shown real remorse and did everything he could to earn forgiveness.


    Just like how Salem was doing now. She had changed a lot and was trying to stay out of trouble, especially since she had a sister who was probably already giving her a hard time for not bullying us.


    Lucy didn¡¯t say anything after that and continued with her skincare routine while I scrolled through Emmet¡¯s pictures online.


    He was such a hot man.


    I mean, just the way he moved and talked¡ªeverything about him was charming and addicting.


    Near midnight, the door opened, and Lamar came in, sitting down on his bed tiredly.


    "Where is Jenny?" I asked him.


    "She¡¯s sleeping in her room," Lamar said, standing beside my bed.


    "I¡¯m telling you two, the entity resides in her. You guys are wasting your time instead of getting to work," Lucy called out from her bed, putting curlers in her hair.


    "Do you ever shut up? Or do you want me to do that for you?" Lamar warned her from his bed, looking so charged.


    "Ignore her," I said, getting up to sit with him on his bed.


    "What happened? What did the doctor say?" I questioned as he steadily slid closer and rested his head in myp.


    "It¡¯s a rare condition. They said her body is reacting weirdly toward her organs, and it very rarely happens to werewolves," the sadness in his voice told me it was a serious matter.


    "They¡¯re running some tests, so I¡¯m hopeful," he paused and closed his eyes. I could tell he did it to hide his tears.


    "Don¡¯t be a fool."


    Somehow, Lucy had still heard us. She had been keeping her ears on us the whole time.


    "Lucy¡ª" I shot her a look, warning her not to upset him.


    "I¡¯m serious. Don¡¯t be a fool and let them do these tests. What will you do when the resultse back and show that her body ispletely different? That her DNA has changed too?"


    She made Lamar sit up straight, his eyes narrowing at her.


    "Do what you want. I¡¯m just letting you know that the entity is changing her body. And if anyone figures out there¡¯s been a change¡ªand that an entity is inside her¡ªthey¡¯ll hold her and subject her to tests."


    She sent chills down our spines.


    "And how the fuck do you know about it?" Lamar asked her. Even though he didn¡¯t believe her, the way he was waiting for her response made me wonder if there was a small part of him that was curious¡ªif that might actually be the case.


    "I can speak with her¡ªI can speak with the entity," she said, making us exchange a nce.


    "How?" I asked.


    "And let me guess, you¡¯re going to say the entity inside Jenny speaks with you through her, right?" Lamar lost interest until she added¡ª


    "No! Whenever I¡¯m in a crowd, I hear the entity speak to me. It¡¯s as if it wants me to be confused about who it¡¯s residing in. The voice is sometimes male, sometimes female, but I¡¯m sure ites from someone¡¯s mind. And every time it happens, it¡¯s only Jenny looking at me."


    She finished, leaving us in stunned silence.

 Chapter 421-The Alpha Names

    <h4>Chapter 421: 421-The Alpha Names</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Lucy said what she had to say, but then her phone rang, and she left the room to stand on the balcony and enjoy the phone call.


    "Don¡¯t focus on her. She has been saying weird things all along. We both know how much she hates Jenny and holds her responsible for her breakup with Gavin," I tried dismissing Lucy¡¯s theories, but Lamar had been zoned out for a little too long at this point.


    "Lamar, tell me, what are you thinking?" I gently touched his arm, and he got so startled that it worried me.


    "Hnie, what if she is telling the truth and the test results get Jenny in trouble? You know the hospital will inform the council right away, right?" His voice was low, as if he was afraid of someone overhearing.


    "But the tests are important too. She needs medical care," I reminded Lamar that it wasn¡¯t that simple. If she was fine, we could have avoided it, but she wasn¡¯t. The fact that she passed out today was a huge red g and a serious concern.


    "I don¡¯t know. Maybe she was just feeling weak. But I am afraid of what Lucy is saying. Her statements match what the doctors were saying today," Lamar seemed so restless. I hated that we couldn¡¯t trust Lucy anymore. For all we know, she could just be messing with our heads.


    "We can ask Gavin to get the truth out of her and see if she genuinely thinks the entity is in Jenny or if she¡¯s just stirring things up," I suggested, rubbing my palms anxiously.


    "I will kill that entity now. Why the fuck did we forget about her?" Lamar hissed, walking toward the door and mming it shut after leaving. I guess he needed some time to cool down.


    I was worried about him, so I texted Gavin to go after him.


    Me: Can you please catch Lamar before he leaves the academy? He¡¯s worried about Jenny, and Lucy told him some stuff about her and the entity. Just talk to him¡ªhe¡¯ll fill you in.


    While typing the text, my mind kept getting distracted by the notification I had just received. It was a message from Kaidon.


    With my fingers shaking, I opened his message.


    Kaidon: I am so sorry for my mom¡¯s behavior. She knows if the allegations are proven true, she will lose the only family she has left.


    It felt like a crime to respond to his text without any cuss words or angry statements.


    Me: It¡¯s okay. So, are you going to help me?


    I bit my bottom lip, feeling anxiety spread through my veins.


    Kaidon: I will. I stand by my word.


    I sighed in relief, gettingfortable under my nket.


    Kaidon: You know, before knowing you were truly real, I used to have dreams about you. After that night, I saw you in my dreams many times. And whenever I mentioned it to my friends, they told me it was because you were always just a dream.


    I clenched my fists at the mention of his friends.


    Me: What about Rayden? And was Penn involved in such things?


    Kaidon: What about Rayden? Penn wasn¡¯t there that night, I am not sure he was involved in other things.


    Me: Did he tell his friends about me? That I¡¯m alive and all?


    That was the question that had been bothering me a lottely. I wanted to know if he had informed his friends and if they were already one step ahead of me.


    Kaidon: Not really. After his own issues started to surface, everyone cut ties with him. He was also keeping secrets.


    Me: Can you tell me more about your friends and who they are?


    Now that was the question that would make my heart skip a beat. He started typing, and my anxiety began to grow.


    Kaidon: Let me send you their names.


    My eyes widened, and my body started to shake. I was worried about who would be involved. He then sent me a few names, and reading through them made my head hurt.


    Kaidon: Alpha Velsh, Alpha Ronnie, Alpha Jerome, Alpha Rayn.


    Me: Thank you.


    I quickly typed the names in my notepad on my phone, just in case he deleted the message.


    Kaidon: But be careful when searching for them online. There¡¯s a protection bot on every site that alerts their pack whenever someone looks them up.


    I was so d he told me in time before I had stupidly searched for them.


    Me: Then how would I get information on them? Can you tell me more?


    Kaidon: Their information is in the library. Not just any library, but the V. Lec one near the border of the roguemunity and the abandoned ind.


    I knew exactly whichnd he was talking about. It was mostly water. There was a sea and several inds in that area, but no one really had any interest in exploring them.


    Kaidon: You will find a library there. You can get their information from that library, but please don¡¯t tell the librarian why you¡¯re there.


    Kaidon: Also, don¡¯t text me until I do.


    Me: Why?


    Kaidon: Because I¡¯m at the same academy as them. And there are times when they¡¯re around me. If they notice I¡¯m texting someone they thought was dead, they¡¯ll make sure your death actually happens before you can find anything about them.


    Kaidon: I¡¯m putting my phone away now. Bye.


    I kept staring at the names. I would visit the library and find out about their families and packs. I wished I had asked Kaidon for their pack names, but I could tell he was afraid to talk about them before we had a solid n to take them down.


    "Lucy, I hope you¡¯re not lying about Jenny." As Lucy walked back in from the balcony, I told her.


    She stared at me before smiling. "The entity is out there, looking for an innocent and pure person. I¡¯m d I¡¯m not one anymore."


    Her words made my body shudder. Her sudden change and the way she always surrounded herself with negative people made me wonder if she was running from the entity at this point.

 Chapter 422-I Met Another One Of Them

    <h4>Chapter 422: 422-I Met Another One Of Them</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Lamar had taken Jenny to her pack after asking for leave from the professors. He actually told Penn about Lucy¡¯s statement, and together they decided to drop the idea of taking her tests. I guess they were putting too much faith in Lucy¡¯s words. But honestly, I wouldn¡¯t take any risks either.


    However, I had to go to the library to research the alphas whose names I had acquiredst night.


    I was walking when I heard someone approaching from behind. It was a car. I turned and looked straight ahead, avoiding Salem.


    "You¡¯re going somewhere?" she asked, rolling down the window and driving slowly beside me.


    "Yes, the library," I responded, hoping she¡¯d get the hint to keep driving.


    She continued driving next to me at a slow pace, making me feel a little ufortable.


    "Which library? I can drop you there," she offered, making me nce inside the car briefly. She was alone. But could she be trusted?


    I needed a ride, and V. Lec was quite far.


    I looked around, debating whether to ept her help, and then finally gave up on overthinking. I walked around the car and sat in the passenger seat with her.


    Her car smelled like roses. She started the car, and silence filled the space before she finally spoke.


    "I¡¯m sorry," she uttered, keeping her eyes on the road.


    "For what?" I asked.


    "For everything I did wrong to you," she admitted. "For thinking the world revolved around me and my sister. For believing our actions only affected us and not others. I was a bitch, and I know it would be hard to believe that I¡¯ve changed¡ª" she paused. "But I won¡¯t lie to you. When the consequences of my actions made my second-chance mate refuse to even give me a chance, that¡¯s when I realized¡ªwow! So this is what it feels like to be hurt. I mean, it still sounds selfish that I only figured this out after I was hurt, but I¡¯m trying to be a better person."


    She was pouring her heart out, and I listened in silence.


    "I know you are Gavin¡¯s second-chance mate," I said, shifting in my seat to start a conversation about them.


    "I knew he told you. I could tell," she replied.


    "Is he¡ªI mean¡ªI¡¯ve seen his name pop up on Lucy¡¯s phone a few times. Is he talking to her¡ª" That must have been so hard for her to ask me. She danced around the words for a while before finally forming a full sentence.


    "He doesn¡¯t respond to your texts?" I felt guilty for not telling her the truth about Lucy and Gavin¡¯s messed-up new rtionship. And that kind of put me in the same situation Jenny was in when she was supposed to tell Lucy what was going on with Gavin. But I guess the only difference was that I wasn¡¯t directly involved.


    "We talk a little, but I¡¯m kind of scared to ask him that question." She made me turn my head toward her.


    "Why are you scared?" I asked.


    "He gets angry a little too easily," she admitted.


    "Ask him that question, and if he gets angry, let me know. Lamar and I will kick his ass," I said. I just didn¡¯t like Gavin doing the same thing to her that he had done to Lucy. When will he learn?


    But somehow, my open statement cheered her up. She turned her head to me once again.


    "No wonder people befriend you and are afraid to lose you," she said. It sounded like apliment, which was nice because Sydney and Salem were usually their own biggest fans.


    "I¡¯m being honest. I don¡¯t think you should be afraid of asking any questions. A mate should be able to tell her mate everything," I said as I leaned back in my seat, recalling the kiss I had shared with Emmet.


    If that was the case, why haven¡¯t I told him anything yet?


    "Just drop me here. I¡¯ll stretch my legs a little," I told her, making her stop a little before the library so she wouldn¡¯t insist oning with me. I had to do this research alone.


    "Have a good day. If you want me to pick you up, just text me. I¡¯ll be around," she waved her hand, saying goodbye.


    I wouldn¡¯t bother her again. I walked all the way to the end of the road, took a left, and finally, the library came into view. It was arge, vintage-style building withnterns hanging from the front porch. It felt like I had stepped back in time.


    I entered the library, got a card, gave a small nod to the silent librarian behind the desk, and then made my way straight to the packs and information section. I had my phone in hand with the names of the alphas Kaidon had given me.


    I sat down after grabbing a thick book on alphas and packs and started skimming through it. My heart pounded in my chest.


    I looked for Alpha Velsh first¡ªthere were quite a few with that name, but none of them looked like someone from that night.


    I closed my eyes, trying to remember their faces. Some were blurry, but I knew the moment I saw them again, I would recognize them. This is how I knew Penn wasn¡¯t one of them. And my heart told me Penn wasn¡¯t involved in Lamar¡¯s sister¡¯s case either.


    However, none of the names Kaidon gave me matched the faces from that night. I was shocked. But there were also a lot of pages missing, including records on Kaidon, Rayden, Altan, and even more young alphas. I guessed the book would be updated after the new alpha battle was over.


    Then my eyesnded on one picture. It was ced separately, and instantly, my heart sank in my chest.


    "That was¡ª," I gasped, but someone else finished the sentence for me.


    "Me? That was me that night. You still remember me, don¡¯t you?"

 Chapter 423-They Came To Kill Me

    <h4>Chapter 423: 423-They Came To Kill Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I shakily turned my head and saw him. I recognized him¡ªhis gray eyes, almost bald head with just an inch of two-toned blue and blonde hair. His tall build with a hunched posture, as if he were always ready to fight.


    That disgusting face returned to my memory, and my body shuddered. But the moment he started briskly making his way toward me, I realized he was different from both Kaidan and Rayden. Rayden was more secretive, but this man¡ªhe was not.


    "Name¡¯s Zellu. I believe you¡¯ve been looking for me," he said, breathing heavily as he reached me. He grabbed my hair in his fist, yanking me from over the table to the ground. I yelped, trying to get up, but someone kicked me from behind, and I dropped to my knees again.


    I clutched my head, struggling to free my hair, but he dragged me toward the exit.


    "He¡ª" My lips were forced open when someone, who had been in the back the whole time, shoved something down my throat. I couldn¡¯t tell what it was, but it had to be an herb.


    I coughed on it while he pressed his hand over my mouth to stop me from yelling again.


    When he finally let go, no matter how loudly I screamed, nobody came to help.


    "HELLLPPPP!" My voice slowed when I saw the librarian slumped over her desk. I understood at that moment that these assholes must have done something to her.


    "Let me go!" I finally managed to kick the guy in the knee after barely getting up, and he let go of my hair. We were outside the library.


    That¡¯s when the one in the back kicked me again, making me fall face-first. I quickly turned around, thinking I would see Kaidon¡ªbut I was wrong.


    It was a guy with long ck hair. The guy from that night.


    These two were there that night, and they had done just as much damage as the others.


    I started crawling backward, coughing nonstop. Whatever they gave me, it made me feel weird. It made me feel like¡ªthe time I had taken the me of Lust. But this was raw and in a heavy dose.


    The ck-haired guy walked up to me and knelt down, hissing, "Get started, because we¡¯ll be recording you going around getting fucked. You know this will make everything clear about you?"


    No. This cannot be true. They cannot win against me again.


    I turned to the ground, cing my hands on the rough, cold surface to crawl away. But he got on top of me, each leg around my waist as he hunched down, grasping my hair in his fist and forcing my head up. My neck ached.


    "We are not Rayden. You fooled him easily, hurt him, but we are nothing like him. It was a miracle you survived that night. You must be the Moon Goddess¡¯ favorite. But you should have taken that opportunity and disappeared. But no! You decided toe back so we could finish what we left that night." His every word was filled with hatred and anger, hissing nonstop in my ear.


    "This bitch should have died that night. Why did she have toe back, Romeo?" Zellu said to his friend, revealing the identity of another rapist.


    I was fighting hard to crawl away before the herb made me lose control. It was already affecting me too much. All I could think of was to have my body heat be released.


    However, it was crazy how, despite being on such a powerful herb, I couldn¡¯t even imagine myself with either of these two. But my reaction was more aggressive now. The moment I felt him touching me, even if it was just by hitting me, I had the urge to throw up.


    "She¡¯s gagging," Zelluined.


    "Oh really? No way," Romeo scoffed. He turned me around forcefully and pinched my cheeks harder. "Let me look at that pretty face of yours."


    He wasughing too. I tried to reach for the bracelet on my wrist, but I couldn¡¯t feel it on my skin. That¡¯s when I realized¡ªI must have dropped it while struggling to free myself.


    As my eyes met his, I spat on his face. He tumbled back as if I had spit poison on him.


    "This bitch," Romeo hissed.


    "Let¡¯s leave her naked near the Gamma Bar. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll appreciate a good meal. Then, we can raid the ce with some reporters, and she¡¯ll be caught there," Zellu suggested, making Romeough while staring at me.


    "Her reputation will be ruined. And when she talks about us, nobody will believe her," Romeo nodded, grabbing my feet to drag me across the rough ground toward his car. I clung to the ground, screaming, but my voice was already gone at this point.


    "Let her go!" A loud scream echoed through the air before someone bolted toward us with fists up.


    Romeo tumbled back, hitting his car after being thrown aside, while Zellu was kicked to the ground.


    "Oh! So you think you cane and save this slut?" Romeo hissed as Zellu stretched his neck and squared up.


    "It¡¯s two against one. Do you really wanna do that?" Zelluughed, mocking the person who hade to save me.


    "Two? Ha! You don¡¯t even count as a full individual. Scumbags like you are easy for me to deal with," Salem stepped up, fists clenched, and then let out a howl.


    I watched her attack them. It was a messy fight. She was beating them up pretty badly, but they were powerful too.


    They were able to bite her, throw her around, and then¡ªI saw someone else arrive.


    "Touching my girls?" Gavin appeared with a makeshift bow and arrow,unching an arrow at Romeo.


    Romeo dropped to the ground, hissing, the arrow sticking out of his arm.


    "Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s getting crowded," Zellu said to Romeo, who shot me a deadly re.


    Before walking away, he yelled in front of my friends, "You tell the council we raped you, and this time, we¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t live to tell the story."

 Chapter 424-All My Friends Know

    <h4>Chapter 424: 424-All My Friends Know</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    I had been in the backseat of Salem¡¯s car. She was injured herself but didn¡¯t transition because she was scared they woulde back for me. However, she made sure I was safe in the car and kept making Gavin run around to get me medicine or anti-me-of-lust medication¡ªbasically, sleeping pills.


    I had fallen asleep, but I would force my eyes open once in a while out of fear. Whenever I saw Salem and Gavin taking turns watching over the car, I would go back to sleep.


    Now it was almost 6 PM when I woke up again, and this time, I felt fine.


    "Ugh!" I sat up, groaning from the headache.


    Seeing me wake up made the two immediately get in the car to check on me.


    "How are you feeling now?" Salem asked, sitting in the backseat with me, the door behind her open.


    "Much better," I replied, touching my forehead. She had bandaged me up, but the pain hadn¡¯t gone away.


    "Hnie," Gavin, who was sitting in the passenger seat, tried speaking up, but Salem shot him a re.


    "Hm?" I turned to Gavin, ready to listen to what he had to say.


    "Nothing," after getting another deadly re from Salem, he shut up.


    "You two are wondering about what those guys said, aren¡¯t you?" I wasn¡¯t a kid. I knew they had heard Romeo¡¯sment loud and clear.


    "No! Why, what did they say?" Gavin attempted to lie, trying not to trigger me. I shook my head at him.


    I leaned back in the seat and turned my face to look at the sky through the window. "I was gang-raped by six alphas from the Fellmoon Academy beforeing here," I stated, feeling so light after saying it out loud without being forced to stay quiet.


    Silence engulfed them. Then I added, "I was left at the location by my boyfriend, and then¡ªthe alpha of the pack demanded my death sentence. My father nned to kill me, but my little sister helped me escape that night. When I showed up at the back hostels, it was probably a week after the rape."


    The silence was so loud, so shattering.


    "I took admission because I wanted to be skilled enough to fight them. And then¡ªtoday, when they were in front of me¡ª" I clenched my fists, muttering under my breath angrily.


    "I will fucking kill them," Gavin yelled, but before he could get out of the car, I grabbed his arm, leaning over the front seat almost.


    "Do you believe me?"


    I was a bit surprised, but what Salem said next shocked me even more.


    "Who are the rest? Tell us," she demanded, not questioning my ims.


    "It was Rayden¡ª" I hadn¡¯t even finished when Gavin rolled out of the car and started hyperventting. I had to get out while Salem began pacing around angrily.


    "That¡¯s why that asshole used to linger around you?" Salem hissed, facing me.


    "There¡¯s Kaidon¡ªand then there¡¯s probably two more," I sighed, feeling so light.


    "Oh, we are going to kill them," Salem said, smiling through her clenched jaw while her eyes glistened with tears.


    "No! I want them to be convicted of their crime. I want them to admit that they did it so that all the usations against me are cleared. I don¡¯t want them to die as heroes. I don¡¯t want the¡ª" I shut up when Gavin gave a head nod to Salem, not even listening to me.


    "When can we start?" he asked Salem.


    "I¡¯ll get their information in a few hours. We can make their lives hell," she continued.


    "Guys, do you even hear what I said?" I jumped between them, pushing them apart.


    "We heard you, but we¡¯ll do what¡¯s right. Did you not see what they were doing today? They¡¯re beyond redemption. Another day of them breathing means another day of them nning something for you," Salem shouted at me, tears streaming down her face. "And fuck me, I was¡ªugh! I was so blindly ignorant and such a bitch."


    I sighed, hugging myself.


    "Please, calm down," I requested, my eyesnding on my bracelet on the ground. I quickly put it on. I didn¡¯t even know how it came off.


    "Calm down? You want us to calm down? Oh, you don¡¯t," Gavin hissed, showing me his fist and then pointing in the air as if gesturing toward those two alphas. Salem was already on her phone, gathering as much information as she could.


    "Guys, what¡¯s going on? I got Gavin¡¯s text that Helena had been under attack," we didn¡¯t realize Lamar and Jenny had arrived until we heard their bike. Lamar dropped his bike and rushed to pull me into his embrace.


    "Are you okay?" Jenny asked, rubbing my back.


    "You two knew about the rape?" Salem confronted them. "How the hell did you two let her walk around without any supervision?"


    "It¡¯s okay. Lamar has been there for me," I told Salem, trying to calm her down.


    "Wait, they know?" Lamar asked me, breaking the hug.


    "Those two alphas said it out loud," I sighed, feeling exhausted.


    "Two alphas? Which ones?" Jenny asked.


    "Alpha Zellu and Alpha Romeo." The minute I said that, Jenny covered her mouth with her hands as if she had seen a ghost.


    "Please tell me it¡¯s not more bad news," I asked her.


    "I know about Alpha Zellu. He¡¯s unhinged and had been used of murdering his little sister before, but nothing was done about it. Somehow, he just survived, and then there were so many other cases, but he never got sentenced for any of them. Somehow, he alwayses out victorious."


    My heart sank at the injustice going around. But there had to be something he was doing to keep surviving.


    "And whenever he gets used, somehow, his entire pack takes it upon themselves to save him. They either end up killing the victim or taking the me for his crimes," Salem sighed as she read more information from her phone.

 Chapter 425-They Have A Bastard In Their Family

    <h4>Chapter 425: 425-They Have A Bastard In Their Family</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    After our discussion, Lamar took his bike to follow us while Jenny drove the car since Salem and Gavin sat in the backseat to talk privately.


    "Do you think they¡¯re going to kiss?" Jenny whispered to me, making me smile through the pain. It was nice to have my friends with me¡ªthey cheered me up so quickly.


    "I hope they do¡ª" I had only said that much when I suddenly heard them moan and kiss passionately in the backseat.


    "Well," Jennyughed, and I joined her.


    "Are you okay, though? It must have been hard for you to face them again," Jenny uttered, her voice sad as she recalled the events from earlier.


    "You know¡ªthe shock onlysts a few seconds now," I replied.


    "Do you think Iado betrayed you? Those names were wrong, and these two knew exactly where to find you," she continued, and I kept looking outside the window in confusion.


    "I think I¡¯m going to tell Professor Emmet about my past." The decision just came to me naturally. Since my secret was already spreading, it was better to tell him myself.


    But I was afraid of his reaction. Somehow, I believed he wouldn¡¯t disappoint me, but I worried about how well he would take it. Would he be able to control his anger?


    I knew he cared about me, but what if¡ªwhat if he lost control and took whatever steps he thought were necessary?


    "Are you sure about that?" Jenny asked, and I nodded.


    "What do you want me to do, then?" she asked, and with a very heavy heart, I responded.


    "Drop me off at the trail. I¡¯m texting Emmet to meet me in the woods," I said, realizing that talking to him in a private ce would be a good idea.


    However, before I could contact him, I received a call from Lord McQuoid.


    "Helena, where are you?" He sounded cheerful¡ªalmost happy.


    "I¡¯m heading to my hostel. Why? Is everything okay?" I asked, noticing the weather turning bad. It was such a mess every night. The weather could never stay consistent.


    "We¡¯re having a family dinner tonight, and I wanted to invite you over. Pleasee. I would really like it, and I¡¯m sure your stepbrothers will too," he insisted, sounding so sweet and excited.


    "I¡ª" I sighed, not really feeling up for any family events.


    "Please? Don¡¯t make an old man beg for you," he let out augh, and I reluctantly agreed. The kids would be there, so maybe I would feel a little better. Besides, seeing Emmet might help, too.


    "Okay, you don¡¯t have to do that. I respect you a lot. I¡¯lle," I said, noticing Gavin stopping the whole makeout session and Jenny slightly turning her head toward me.


    "Where are you going?" Jenny questioned once I hung up the call.


    "Lord McQuoid invited me to a family dinner tonight, and he wasn¡¯t taking no for an answer," I pouted sadly, but I could tell Jenny and the others thought it was a good idea.


    "That will help with your mood. You shouldn¡¯t be alone right now," Jenny said.


    "I¡¯m not alone. I have all of you," I corrected her.


    "These two? Don¡¯t think so. They¡¯re so horny right now that I bet they¡¯ll start fucking the minute they get out of the car," Jenny joked, and Salem elbowed Gavin, who shyly looked away.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll do that," I agreed because they kept pushing me to.


    We got out of the car, and Jenny insisted that I wear her beautiful white dress for the dinner. She did my hair so perfectly and even did my makeup.


    Once I was all set, she and Lamar dropped me off at the mansion. They promised to pick me upter. They were so nice¡ªalways driving me around. They were doing so much for me.


    I felt nauseous for some reason while standing at the gate. Maybe because inside were people with mixed emotions about me. Seeing their reactions could ruin my mood even more.


    However, the moment I opened the gate, I saw Emmet in a casual ck shirt, checking his wristwatch. He lifted his head and sighed in relief as if he had been waiting for me this whole time.


    "What took you so long?" heined before his eyes scanned me. I felt so shy under his gaze. A slight smirk covered his lips, and I felt like he liked what he was seeing.


    "Don¡¯t answer. I already know what took so long," he strolled closer, narrowing his eyes at me. Then, very gently, he wrapped an arm around my back and leaned in to kiss my cheek.


    His lips were so soft, and he was so bold for this.


    "Wee back home, little sister," he pulled back and winked, making it obvious that the title was just a joke to him.


    It was a joke to me too.


    I didn¡¯t want to be his stepsister.


    "Thank you." After his action, I could barely stay standing. My knees were giving out.


    "Now, we¡¯re heading to the living room, where you¡¯ll meet a lot of people you might not like," he said, folding his arm so I could hold it.


    "As long as you¡¯re by my side, I think I¡¯ll be fine." It was so hard to respond the same way he was flirting with me.


    "Really?" He raised an eyebrow, looking so cocky that I had to look away. He was making me blush hard.


    We walked into the living room, and right away, I could hear Lady Darcy from inside.


    "My sons are so lucky¡ªthey have me as their mother," she was yapping loudly, who knows talking to whom.


    Emmet opened the door and walked in. "Hey, this is Hnie, our stepsister."


    He quickly introduced me while my eyes scanned the family. I recognized everyone¡ªuntil my gazended on someone in the corner.


    "Oh, that¡¯s the girl."


    It was an old man, dressed like he was made of money, but it wasn¡¯t him who shocked me.


    "Hnie, you¡¯ve already met everyone. But you have yet to meet me and your cousin," he joked as he stepped aside and patted his son¡¯s shoulder.


    "This is my pride, Alpha Romeo¡ªyour stepbrothers¡¯ cousin."

 Chapter 426-Shattered And Left With No One

    <h4>Chapter 426: 426-Shattered And Left With No One</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Ah! Hnie," Romeo smirked, his eyes widening as he stepped in front of his father. "It is so nice to meet you. But it seems like you havepetition. You know, I am their favorite." He pointed at my stepbrothers and then at his chest.


    It was so hard for me to keep smiling and act like nothing was wrong, but I was failing to do so.


    This demon was their cousin?


    "But¡ªthey are rogues," I barely spoke, making everyone go silent and focus on what I was saying.


    "Yeah, we weren¡¯t before. So when we left, our families stayed in packs," Emmet said, reaching over to Romeo and ruffling his hair. Emmet was taller and much broader than him.


    And Romeo acted like a puppy in front of him.


    Norman was busy on his phone while Kaye sat on the couch, his eyes narrowed at me as if he would eat me alive. Maximus was leaning back against the wall with Charlotte clinging to him.


    I was focusing on everyone else so that I could feel better.


    "But she would win," Demi said, making heads turn to her. "She is much cuter than you."


    "Really? Well then, in that case, I might have to beat her¡ª" My body shuddered, and Romeo noticed. He quickly added, "Beat her in thispetition so that I win."


    Everyoneughed as they didn¡¯t know the meaning behind his double-meaning talk.


    "Let¡¯s get to the dining room. The dinner is being served," my mother said, looking very ufortable with the presence of the unwanted people around her, including me and Lady Darcy.


    "If it is okay, may I leave?" However, it wasn¡¯t possible for me to stay here now. It was like these devils had their vines everywhere.


    How would I get to Romeo when he had such powerful people behind him?


    "But you came here for dinner," Lord McQuoid asked, the others looking confused too.


    "I think she didn¡¯t like having another favorite," Romeo continued to pout and make jokes.


    "That is rubbish. You are blood," Darcymented with a scoff, and it was in that moment I realized he was their first cousin.


    Both Darcy and McQuoid doted on him.


    "Umm, I only came to kind of mark my presence, but I was having a stomach ache, so I don¡¯t think I can stay and eat," I excused, hoping Lord McQuoid would just let me go. And I guess he noticed how seriously sick I looked.


    "It is alright, I will drop her home," Emmet offered, but his mother quickly grabbed his hand.


    "It is a family dinner. Why would you skip it? She can go with the driver or call whoever she came here with," she hissed, not even hiding the disdain in her voice.


    "I mean, it will be saddening that Emmet will lose the chance to be with the family. She came here to mark her presence, not to cause my son to lose a chance to be with his family, right, Hnie?" Darcy changed her tone, sounding much sweeter¡ªa fake sweetness meant to manipte me.


    "Yeah, she is right. I don¡¯t want to be a bother." I quickly agreed with her. I just wanted to get out of here.


    However, Emmet gently held his mother¡¯s wrist, making her unwrap her fingers from his arm, and said, "I cane back for dessert. I will not let Hnie go out with the guards."


    I noticed Romeo¡¯s smile fading, and he had to step forward to put his thoughts to the test. "Maybe her friends cane? I really wanted to have dinner with you, big brother." He pouted, using his sweet bodynguage to get Emmet to choose him.


    "We will catch upter," but Emmet was firm. He disagreed with Romeo¡¯s suggestion and turned to gently tap my elbow. "Let¡¯s go."


    I didn¡¯t argue and followed him outside.


    "Ahh!" The minute I was in the open air, I started breathing heavily. I had been holding my breath for thest few minutes.


    "Now tell me what¡¯s up. You were in a good mood until you were in the living room. Tell me what happened?" he insisted while we walked over to his car.


    I sat down and put on my seatbelt without saying anything.


    He slid inside and turned to me. "Tell me."


    "How much do you care for Romeo?" I asked and noticed him frowning.


    "That¡¯s it? You took that idiot¡¯s words seriously? You think you won¡¯t be my favorite anymore?" He smiled like it wasn¡¯t a big deal, but when I didn¡¯t smile back, he answered. "More than my life. I can kill for him, Hnie."


    That broke me deep inside. I sighed and leaned back in the seat, staring outside. He had started the car by now, and my silence caught his attention.


    "But that doesn¡¯t mean I care any less about you," he muttered.


    "Can you please stop the car?" I requested, catching him off guard.


    "Huh? Here, next to the woods?" he asked in confusion.


    "The hostel is not so far away. I will walk," I said, tapping my hands on the window to make him agree.


    "I don¡¯t get it. Did I say something wrong?" He did stop the car but didn¡¯t let me out. The minute I took off my seatbelt to leave, he held my arm and stopped me.


    "Hnie, what mistake did I make?" He kept leaning forward, trying to make me look at him.


    "Sadly, we have to go our separate ways now." As soon as I said that, I felt his grip tighten over my arm as if he wouldn¡¯t let go.


    "No!" he said sternly.


    "It¡¯s true." I finally gave up and turned to him, freeing my hand with a much more aggressive attempt.


    I could tell he was shocked to see me hiss at him. "Because while you can die for him, I can kill him."


    The look on his face told me he had just received the biggest shock of his life.


    "I hate that man, and I¡¯m telling you right now, I will kill him in the worst way possible," I hissed, noticing his veins pop.


    "And if you want to be his shield¡ªthen let¡¯s do it." I closed my eyes because saying that took every ounce of strength I had.

 Chapter 427-He Loves His Cousin

    <h4>Chapter 427: 427-He Loves His Cousin</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I had never seen Emmet look so intense before, so I decided to leave his car. We were going to be at odds now. Given how much his family loved Romeo, I realized I would be going against so many people.


    "No!" He grabbed my hand and prevented me from leaving. "You are not leaving just like that."


    For a moment, I felt like he would be one of those people who get angry at me and then try to silence me.


    "Let me go," I hissed, and the moment the look on my face changed to worry, he let me go. I stormed out of his car but didn¡¯t realize he hade out after me.


    "Hnie, I only let go of your hand because I didn¡¯t want you to think I was holding you in my car against your will. But that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t want answers," he demanded as he stepped in my way.


    "You will find out soon," I said, attempting to sidestep him.


    "No, I want to know now. Hnie, what did he do to you?" However, the way he asked his question already made me feel like he wouldn¡¯t be one of those people.


    "Tell me¡ªis he¡ª" He suddenly shut up, but my frown deepened.


    "Hnie, is he one of those Alphas¡ª" His question became clearer, and my heart sank in my chest.


    "What do you mean¡ªwhat do you know?" It finally clicked. All this time, he was always around me, protecting me, showing mepassion. Was it sympathy?


    But how could he have known?


    "Tell me, how do you know?" I yelled, stepping back from him. I wanted to tell him myself, but realizing he had known all along, while I had no clue, filled my heart with so much agony.


    "Hnie," he attempted toe closer, but I stepped back. I wanted answers first.


    "Before I tell you anything, I want you to sit down first," he said as he held my arm. Despite wanting to pull away, I tried to calm myself and listen to him. I knew I was taking my anger out on probably the wrong person, but I just didn¡¯t want him to know and not talk to me about it.


    All these weeks and days, I was terrified of the brothers finding out and thinking I was lying. If only he had told me he knew, I would have been at peace and wouldn¡¯t have constantly lied to him.


    I sat down in the backseat, my legs out, and he knelt down on the road before me. He was so big that he still towered over me even while I was in the car.


    "I paid a visit to your sister a few weeks ago, and she told me everything," he confirmed, making my heart sink in my chest. I quickly closed my eyes, and my lips began to quiver.


    Hearing about my sister again felt like I hadn¡¯t seen her in ages.


    "Hey, don¡¯t hide from me. I will never look at you any differently. In fact, I admire your strength," he said, but I didn¡¯t raise my eyes and silently started to sob.


    Everything started to sh before my eyes¡ªthe way I begged them to let me go, the way I had expected someone to hug me andfort me at that moment. If my father had been a little empathetic toward me, he would have taken me straight to the hospital to get the rape kit, and all this pain could have been avoided.


    "I believe you," he said, and I shot my eyes open.


    "I want to go home," I said. "To my dorm room." I made it clear that the only ce I called home was my dorm room.


    "Okay, but we will talk about it," he said and got up to sit in the driver¡¯s seat. I shut the door after pulling my legs back in. I was so tired that I didn¡¯t want to change seats, and he noticed it too.


    While driving, I noticed him constantly stretching his neck and breathing out through his nostrils, as if he was getting irritated.


    I didn¡¯t ask him any questions, and he didn¡¯t say anything either.


    After we arrived at the hostel, I stormed out without turning around to make eye contact with him.


    I went straight to my room andy down on my bed, realizing everyone else was already asleep. I had told Lamar and Jenny that I wasing back with Emmet, so they had gone to bed already.


    I had to tell my friends in the morning that Romeo had a strong background too, but before I could think further, a knock on the door confused me even more.


    I got out of bed and quickly answered the door so the others wouldn¡¯t be disturbed.


    Before me stood the warden. I didn¡¯t expect her toe straight to my room to scold me.


    "I got a request from your stepbrother Emmet to send you to the academy," she said. Her tone was cocky, almost as if she was judging the timing of the meeting.


    "Okay," I replied, confused as to why he would want to meet me at the academy at this time.


    I grabbed my purple sweater, pulled it over my pajamas, and rushed out of the hostel. All the while, Argona had been staring at me like she had some questions.


    Once outside, I realized that spring in this part of roguend was as cold as winter.


    Entering the dark academy, I looked around in confusion before continuing toward Emmet¡¯s office.


    He was inside, and the door was left open. I entered, only to find him missing¡ªuntil he suddenly shut the door behind me, startling me.


    Before I could turn around, he grabbed my arms, holding me in ce while he stood behind me.


    Then, he leaned over me, his lips near my ear, and said in a harsh, determined tone,


    "I will cut Romeo limb by limb and present it to you on a tter myself."

 Chapter 428-I Deserve Happiness Too

    <h4>Chapter 428: 428-I Deserve Happiness Too</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I had turned around and hugged him the minute I heard those words. I stayed hugging him while he kept his arms tightly wrapped around me for a few minutes before I began to pull away.


    "I don¡¯t want you to kill him. I want him to confess," I said and noticed Emmet frowning in confusion.


    "You know he would never do that," he uttered.


    "Rayden did it," I replied, and he nodded.


    "I¡ªcannot believe one of my¡ª" he ced his hand on his chest almost like he was still in pain. "I want to go strangle someone. It has to be anyone," he continued to rub his chest and wander around the office, huffing and puffing.


    "You know it helps when someone listens to you," I murmured softly, and he stopped to look at me. "But I want the world to know I am not just saying it because I am some slut who¡ª" I couldn¡¯t finish when he pointed his finger at me.


    "If I¡¯m not going to let anyone say that about you, I will warn you too¡ªnever say anything like that about yourself either," he sounded angry, and that made me smile a bit.


    "I didn¡¯t go back to attend that dinner with that disgusting creature," he hissed, his fists clenched. "I was afraid I would make a mistake and probably kill him right then and there."


    Hearing him talk with me about that night of torture and being on my side was helping me with my anxiety.


    "You came to our ce, and my brothers¡ªthey¡ª" I noticed Emmet always had a hard time talking when he was angry or upset.


    "It is okay. Nobody knew. But I was afraid how they would react when they found out," I watched him shake his head at my words.


    "If they are my brothers and I know them, they wouldn¡¯t question you. We know you. Only a fool would say you¡¯re the type to wrongfully use someone. Besides, I want you to give me names," he said as he sat down with a piece of paper.


    "I don¡¯t want you to do anything. I want justice in a way that the other girls who had been abused by them could get justice too," I refused to let him take matters into his own hands. "I just want you to be there for me when I need you, when I am under questioning."


    "That is it? That¡¯s the bare minimum? I got an idea," I watched him snap his fingers, his eyes welling up. "I can abduct them¡ªwe can torture the truth out of them and¡ªthen break their limbs," he shook his head, looking down at his own thoughts.


    "The truthing out would do that. I don¡¯t want them to say we forced them into a false confession. As for the names, I only know Romeo, Zellu, and Kaidon so far," I watched him tilt his head and then scoff.


    "That Benita¡¯s son, Kaidon?" He had an amused look on his face, as if he wanted to pay him a visit just now.


    "Yes, but he says he was drugged by his friends with a mixture of drugs and me of Lust," I watched him shake his head.


    "I don¡¯t care. Then he shouldn¡¯t be around such people. Hnie, the crime has beenmitted. His sentence might be low, but he will be punished," Emmet¡¯s eyes suddenly shed a different color, and I gasped.


    "Emmet," I reached over and sat down, holding his hand. His one hand was so big and heavy that I had to smile and shake my head.


    "What?" he asked.


    I didn¡¯t know why, but he made me feel so much better.


    "Listen, I don¡¯t want you to tell anyone yet," I was talking when he narrowed his eyes at my face and slowly reached over, cing his hand on my forehead and running it above to slightly lift my bangs.


    "What is that?" he asked, pointing out the injury I got from Romeo and Zellu¡¯s attack.


    "Oh, I was ambushed earlier by Romeo and Zellu," I had only said that much when Emmet leaned back in his chair and started shaking his legs. He seemed to be filled with so much rage that his face started turning red.


    "But Gavin and Salem arrived in time. I¡¯m okay now. I¡¯m just worried about where Kaidon is. He promised to help me, but then he just disappeared. He texted me and led me to the library where his friends ambushed me," I was rambling when I realized Emmet might not even be listening at this point.


    "I will find out about Kaidon," he uttered, straightening his back ufortably. "You should go back and rest now."


    I understood he wanted to cool down.


    I got up and gave him a little bow, but as soon as I turned around to leave, I felt him grab my hand and spin me around.


    Inded on his chest, my face tilted up, and my eyes meeting his.


    "I am going to do a very forbidden act now," he whispered, his eyes dropping to my lips. I guess it was his way of asking for consent.


    "How can it be a taboo when it is you?" It just slipped from my lips, and the next thing I knew, he had cupped my face and crashed his lips against mine.


    The taste of his lips drove me crazy. He was sucking and biting on my lips, his hands reaching my back, grabbing it, massaging all the way up and down before reaching my ass. He wasn¡¯t just talking about a kiss.


    With his hands on my butt, he lifted me without breaking the kiss and then freed one hand, tossing the things off the table and cing me on it. His hand parted my legs so that he could adjust his body between them.


    I got to taste his bottom lip while he clung to my upper lip before licking my lips with his tongue and asking for entry. I didn¡¯t want to hold back either.


    I was hungry for love, for my mate¡¯s love, for Emmet¡¯s love. The man I had seen and admired from afar until now.


    As soon as I parted my lips, he shoved his tongue down my throat.

 Chapter 429-It’s The Monsters That Are Testing Us

    <h4>Chapter 429: 429-It¡¯s The Monsters That Are Testing Us</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    We had been in his office for two hours now, just kissing and grabbing each other. His body was so hot that I wanted to taste more of it. He had me sitting in hisp while he was on his chair, kissing my neck.


    "Hmm, I should head back," I suddenly felt heat rushing to my cheeks when I felt his hand finally slide under my shirt, touching my bare stomach.


    "I don¡¯t want you to go," he uttered, stretching his neck up to reach my face again. He kissed my lips and then nuzzled into my neck. However, he quickly pulled his hand back, probably realizing I got too shy about him touching my bare skin.


    I shivered when he kissed behind my ear, his arm wrapped around my body tightly. I could feel his cock getting harder in his pants when I first sat in hisp. I could tell his soldier was just like him¡ªhuge and excited.


    As he held my chin to bring my lips back to his, we suddenly heard a loud scream echo through the air. My body jumped so much that he had to quickly hug me to make sure I didn¡¯t fall out of hisp.


    "What was that?" I asked, breathing heavily, while I watched him fix my sweater and run his fingers through my hair to smooth it down.


    "It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll walk you back to the hostel and then go check out the area," he finally let me go after making sure I had calmed down. The way he took care of me made me not even want to use 1% of my brain and just let him take over my life. He was so calming and careful with me that I felt special.


    "No, I won¡¯t let you go out there by yourself," I instantly shook my head and noticed him smile to himself before quickly forcing a serious look on his face.


    "You¡¯re not wrong, though. I need a strong one beside me as well," he pinched my cheek, making me pout.


    Just when I thought he was joking, he looked at me and snapped his fingers in front of my face. "Let¡¯s go, but before that, grab a weapon of your choice."


    He pointed at a chest next to his table on the other side of the room. I frowned and reached for the chest, opening it and finding so many cool weapons. But what shocked me more was that he was letting me pick and be on his side. I thought he would start reminding me how dangerous it is for me¡ªh, h.


    I grabbed the crossbow and followed him to the door. He turned halfway just to see what I picked and smiled in satisfaction.


    "Nice pick," hemented, making me blush and walk closer to him.


    We rushed towards the exit, and what we saw outside made our hearts drop into our stomachs.


    "Did someone order a plot twist? Because it looks like the snowman¡¯s making aeback!"


    Emmet¡¯sment made me look around in shock and even more worry. He wasn¡¯t wrong.


    What the fuck was going on? Why the heck was it snowing?


    However, soon, my senses started picking up some unusual activity in the trees.


    "There¡¯s someone out there," I said, walking toward the open ground. It was suddenly so cold. Did summer decide to skip?


    Emmet followed me, and soon we were among the big trees, hearing them move like something was living in them.


    "What is that?" I pointed my finger at a bushy figure on top of a tree and growled, but before I could focus on it, something jumped on top of Emmet.


    "What the fuck?!" I screamed at the sight.


    They were unusual furry little things clinging to Emmet. They were probably four feet in height, but there were so many of them.


    Emmet began to push and shove them away, even kicking one off.


    "Hey, you! Get off him!" I grabbed one of them by the back of its head, and it turned to me, making me notice its resemnce to a monkey. However, before I could examine it more, it spat on the back of my hand.


    It felt like my skin had been in icy water for days.


    "Fuck you!" That was it.


    Both Emmet and I had been super sweet to these things. Not to mention, the more Emmet got rid of them, the more they came after him like bees swarming honey.


    I started kicking and throwing them off in the most brutal way.


    Soon, they began to rush away but stood in a group, hissing at me. Then, they let out cries¡ªalmost like a baby crying¡ªbut these were monsters, something entirely different.


    "Hnie, we should run back," Emmet gently held my elbow, pulling me closer, his eyes locked on the distance.


    "What is going on? What is that?" I pointed at the sky, just behind those creatures, and saw the fog shifting into the shape of a much bigger version of them. But it was so white and furry that it blended into the snow.


    "No time to stay and examine it."


    With that, Emmet tossed me over his shoulder and started running back to the academy. He could have let me run with him, but I believed he was afraid I¡¯d fall too far behind.


    While he was running, I got a clear view of what was happening behind us.


    The monster started charging at us, making my heart drop into my chest.


    From Emmet¡¯s shoulder, Iunched a crossbow arrow, and it went straight through the thing. But for a moment, it dissolved into the air before reforming again.


    The tiny creatures were jumping from the trees, chasing after us. Some even got so close that I had to shoot them down to stop them from getting a hold of us.


    Instead of heading straight to the academy, Emmet took me directly to the hostel and put me down on the front porch.


    "Open the door!" Emmet yelled at the guard, who had probably run inside to shut the gates for safety.


    He opened the door for us, and we both rushed inside. Emmet mmed the door shut while I stood there, trying to catch my breath¡ªuntil I straightened up and realized every student in the hallway was staring at us.

 Chapter 430-The Brothers Vs Me

    <h4>Chapter 430: 430-The Brothers Vs Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "So, what exactly were you two doing outside at that time?" Norman asked in a much hushed tone, his hands on his waist. The night had passed with great difficulty.


    The initial loud screams had woken up the entire academy, and everyone gathered inside, ready to fight back if anything came at them. I then found out how hard it was for others to hold my friends down once they realized I wasn¡¯t in the academy. I¡¯m so d they didn¡¯t leave to look for me and were instead chained in the basement. Staying inside was a much safer option for them.


    However, after I arrived, they were let go, and everyone had one question in their eyes: ¡¯What was I doing with Emmet at that hour of the night?¡¯


    "I sensed something in the air and remembered how Hnie had told me the same thing, so I asked Argona to bring her to me. It was an urgent matter, it couldn¡¯t wait until morning. And guess what? I was right," Emmet shrugged, casually lying. But the way Norman squeezed his eyes shut was enough to tell me he didn¡¯t believe a single word that came out of his brother¡¯s mouth.


    The others, however, wouldn¡¯t question it. Since they all knew I was his stepsister, they got over it as easily as they had gotten excited about it.


    Norman gestured for us to move to the side so we could talk about more serious matters without rming the students.


    Morning had arrived, but the snow hadn¡¯t gone away. It was like winter had returned.


    The students had been asked to return to their rooms, but they refused a few times. They wanted answers.


    "Okay, everyone, here¡¯s the deal: We will meet again in the dining hall, where a special treat will be waiting for you. Also, no more sses for now, and you can enjoy a few days off until further notice," Maximus took it upon himself to scatter them off.


    Some of the students were relieved to hear about the great feast they would get, while others began whispering about wanting to go home until then.


    "We will make a decision and let you know how long before you return for sses. Which means--yes! If it¡¯s too many days, you can go back home," Kaye added, helping Maximus out.


    The students seemed somewhat relieved and decided to leave for their dorm rooms.


    "Again?" I asked, not realizing the brothers had turned to me in disapproval.


    "What? I¡¯m serious. It¡¯s like every time something happens, you send the students away so that the ugly truth of how dangerous the roguend is stays a secret." I shook my head, not realizing they weren¡¯t used to hearing me voice my opinion so directly.


    But after some encouragement from Emmet, I began to realize I could speak up too.


    "A word outside, ma¡¯am?" Norman taunted, gesturing for me to follow the brothers outside.


    Well, at least they were including me in their discussion.


    I followed them out and sighed at the snow.


    "Now, tell us everything without skipping any details. What happenedst night?" Norman asked sternly.


    Kaye and Maximus stepped closer, forming a circle around me, but something was different that day. Emmet didn¡¯t let them close the circle, and instead of standing with them, he stood beside me, shoulder to shoulder--if only I were a little taller.


    Emmet began exining the events while I waited for my turn.


    "And then, when he tossed me on his shoulder, I got to see the scene behind his back. They wereing at us with the big one--" I shut up instantly when I saw them exchanging nces, as if they had something interesting to share.


    "What? Do you know what it means? Or what that monster and its little minions are?" I asked, hope filling my eyes.


    "He tossed you on his shoulder?" Maximus--who had told me he had moved on--suddenly turned red. But his attention to that specific detail made me roll my eyes.


    "He was protecting me," I stated, folding my arms over my chest as if daring them to say another word.


    "That¡¯s right, tell them," Emmet shrugged, causing Kaye and Maximus to exchange another nce before facing him.


    "Since when did you develop hero syndrome? It wasn¡¯t in you when your brothers needed you," Kaye scoffed.


    "Hey, he does everything for you guys. And I hate to admit it, but Hnie is right--the important issue is that there¡¯s a new monster unlocked, and we haven¡¯t even leveled up yet," Norman sighed, staring into the distance.


    "Can you guys tell me what¡¯s going on?" I questioned.


    The way Maximus and Kaye squared up, I had a feeling they were about to say ¡¯no.¡¯ But Emmet was their brother, and he was quick to respond before they could.


    "The monsters of the roguend are connected to the evil organization."


    I was stunned, watching his face and then shifting my gaze to his brothers, who were ring at him for spilling their secrets.


    "And why do they look so constipated? Are they secretly part of those things too?" As soon as I said that, Kaye turned to face me.


    "That¡¯s enough sass. I don¡¯t know who¡¯s making you lose your manners, but I¡¯d suggest you stop being an asshole," he pointed a finger at me, causing me to feel secretly intimidated--but I refused to show it.


    "That would be her own strength," Emmet stepped between us, casually pushing his brother¡¯s finger down with the weight of his own, "and don¡¯t ever tell her to shut up. She finally found her voice--let her speak."


    It meant the world to me. But of course, his brothers didn¡¯t take it well.


    Especially Norman.


    While the others looked hurt, Norman continued to direct his anger toward me.


    "I suggest you let the students who want to help with the monster stay behind," I finally decided. I wasn¡¯t going back to anyone¡¯s home for these holidays.

 Chapter 431-Back Off

    <h4>Chapter 431: 431-Back Off</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "We will think about it," Norman scoffed, obviously not going to agree with my decision.


    I could tell even Emmet wasn¡¯t sure about it.


    "I understand you want to give the impression that the roguend is a safemunity and that a border isn¡¯t needed for a werewolf to survive. But let¡¯s be honest, that¡¯s not the case. The roguews only apply to academy members and the mansion residents. Other than that, the rogues are pretty much homeless creatures. And these pack members, when they go back to their packs after taking a day or two off out of nowhere, they gossip. The more rumors spread, the more dangerous it will be for the academy¡¯s reputation. I think being transparent would be much more helpful," I continued, trying to change their minds.


    "Let me do my research and see if we need the help of our top students," Norman finally gave in, agreeing with me. He was like a brick wall, so if he was slowly melting, that meant I had a chance.


    However, of course, Kaye had something to add.


    "But that wouldn¡¯t benefit Hnie. I mean, she¡¯s a top student by ident. She¡¯s not a very strong one," he almost said it just so Emmet would defend me and he could argue with him.


    So I gently elbowed Emmet, and somehow he understood that I wanted him to stay quiet.


    "I think if the others stay, Hnie should too. We¡¯ll need someone level-headed to keep the peace and make sure things run smoothly in the hostel," Norman said before visibly biting his tongue and hissing at himself. Was it that hard for him to praise me?


    "Okay, go inside, take care of everything, and rest while we decide what needs to be done, okay?" Emmet turned to me, avoiding his brothers¡¯ watchful eyes.


    The way he spoke so sweetly to me made me nod like a timid kitten, while his brothers visibly rolled their eyes, scoffing at our interaction at the same time. Leaving them behind, I rushed back inside to check on my friends. They had been worried about what had happened.


    Once I entered the hostel, my phone beeped with a text from Gavin.


    Gavin: I¡¯ve been thinking about everything, and I¡¯vee to a decision. I will no longer let Lucy manipte me. I regret what I did to her, but I won¡¯t date her. I will choose my second-chance mate so that my life is on the right track, and I want to help you with> your mission.


    That meant the world to me, but I also didn¡¯t want them to stop living their lives just to help me. They didn¡¯t deserve to lose such important years of their lives for my sake. However, Gavin finally realizing how toxic the game Lucy was ying made me feel so relieved.


    "Smiling at a text? Who could it possibly be?" I heard Lucyment from behind me, making me turn around and give her a look.


    "What is your problem now?" I asked her, shoving my phone into my pocket.


    "Why don¡¯t you tell me what¡¯s wrong with you? I¡¯m pretty sure Gavin breaking up with me was your decision. You convinced him to leave me, didn¡¯t you?" She came at me, pushing me back until I stopped and squared up, standing my ground. She quickly stopped when she realized I wasn¡¯t backing down.


    "I think he realized how toxic it was. You don¡¯t need to put him through so much just to earn your forgiveness," I hissed at her, remembering how she had also cheated on him and wasn¡¯t even that apologetic¡ªuntil she found out he cheated first, and the whole game changed. Their situation was messy, but the path she wanted to take now was even messier.


    "It¡¯s always this way with her, Lucy. She only thinks about herself. She makes her friends run around for her like errand boys," Sydney added, fueling the fire.


    But I stood my ground, arms crossed over my chest.


    "You¡¯re the one describing my character now?" I said, recalling how she had cheated on her mate. My mind instantly went to Altan.


    He picked someone who was supposed to be perfect for him. I would love to watch their world crumble together.


    "What do you mean by that?" she grimaced, stepping toward me quickly.


    That¡¯s when I put my hand around her neck and pushed her back, causing her head to hit the wall. Her eyes widened in shock.


    Even I didn¡¯t know I had it in me. The pressure I put on her neck was unmatched. I knew that because the moment she tried to free herself, she started gasping in disbelief.


    "Let her go!" Lucy rushed to my side, but before she could put her hands on me, she stepped back.


    "That¡¯s right. What were you saying? That I make my friends dance around me? How about that little dance you were doing in the kitchen while you had a mate back home?" I leaned in, whispering in her ear and hearing her let out a yelp. That was enough satisfaction for me. I knew I had messed with her mind with that little statement. Knowing her, she probably took it as a threat.


    "Now, be a good little girl and f*** off," I yelled so loud that I bet a few spitsnded on her face. I then let her go, and while walking past Lucy, I shot her a deadly re too.


    Once I was in my dorm room, I saw my friends sitting and talking. Jenny had been in her pack on sick leave, and I had been sick with worry for her. The others¡ª and Salem¡ªwere waiting for me.


    "What¡¯s going on? What did you see out there?" Penn was the first to ask, while Gavin and Lamar quickly checked me over to make sure I was okay.


    "Who among you knows about the evil organization?" I asked, arms crossed.


    The way Salem looked around and then slowly raised her hand in the air was so

 Chapter 432-Ready To Fight? I Am!

    <h4>Chapter 432: 432-Ready To Fight? I Am!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What is that?" she asked, and I rolled my eyes tiredly.


    "I thought you were raising your hand to let me know what you know about this," Iined, and she mouthed an apology.


    "I wish I did, but¡ªwhat is that?" she continued, the others nodding their heads.


    "I saw a monster outsidest night, and it wasn¡¯t alone. It had some smaller versions of itself jumping around it too. I don¡¯t know what other powers they have, but when they spit on you, it feels like getting drowned in cold, icy water," Iid out the information as quickly as possible.


    They all immediately started searching for answers while I sat down with Salem to see what she was finding out from her pack officials. Of course, she couldn¡¯t ask them directly because the pack members barely ever knew anything, but she told me what I had basically told the brothers.


    That the pack alphas always gossiped about the rogues hiding something. And now she was realizing what it was.


    Soon, our research was interrupted¡ªwhich usually didn¡¯t lead us anywhere¡ªby an announcement on the speaker.


    Argona told us to gather in one of the academy¡¯s ssrooms. She specifically told all of us toe because the brothers wanted to discuss some things with us.


    "You think they will decide if they want to shed some light on what the rogues have been hiding or not?" I said to Salem, who was walking right beside me.


    The minute we joined the groups of students walking toward the exit, I noticed Sydney ring at her sister. Even Lucy was watching us.


    We all made our way to the academy and then to the dining hall. I stood with my friends when Norman pointed at me and then at the space between him and Emmet. It was a clear invitation for me to stand between them.


    I steadily looked around at the eyes on me and then went ahead to stand with them. Now I got to see everyone from the front. Of course, some were not happy to see me¡ªArlo, Sydney, and Lucy were the ones with frowns on their foreheads.


    "Good afternoon, students," Norman stated, taking a deep breath. The way he started off, I had a feeling he had chosen to finally let them in on the secrets.


    "I know you all need answers, so here we are, finally being honest with you," he proved me right.


    Everyone was listening anxiously.


    "As you all know, and as the rumors have been circting, there is a secret that we have been keeping from all of you," he continued. "It is actually true, and it was for your own good.


    The roguemunity is not a safe ce¡ªit never has been. There was an organization that once ruled the world. It was led by a powerful man, but he started to fall apart when the alphas joined forces and began hunting these monsters. Then, an agreement was made many, many years ago where the alphas took half thend and created packs out of it, while the organization and the monsters thrived on the other half.


    But then, some of the rogues started a war with the monsters, and that led to where we are today. The rogues won, and the monsters went into hiding. They were believed to have gone extinct, but recently, their return is making us believe the organization is slowly rising again."


    I knew their hearts were racing at Norman¡¯s words because mine was.


    I didn¡¯t know the history of the rogues. I thought the packs had existed since the beginning of werewolves.


    But at least now I know.


    "Now, we will be letting you go back to your packs to take a few days off while we deal with this mess. But¡ªif anyone wants to stay¡ªthey can. We will tell you what these monsters are and how to fight them," he stated, watching everyone exchange nces.


    Many started whispering to each other. Some girls wanted to step forward, but the fear on their faces killed their confidence.


    Some of the guys, as soon as they lifted their heads, had their girlfriends hold their hands and silently tell them no. However, I already knew who would step forward.


    My friends knew I would stay, and I knew they would too.


    "Sir, we would like to stay behind," Penn stepped up, pointing at himself, Lamar, and Gavin.


    "I would like to stay as well," said Salem, while Sydney immediately started shaking her head.


    "You cannot stay," Sydney hissed at her.


    "Why not? I am my own person, and I want to stay and help our academy trainers," she said loud and clear, making Hans step forward and join the others who were staying.


    "Salem, you don¡¯t have to stay. It¡¯s okay, you can go with your sister," Maximus told her, realizing that his pack might cause problems if anything happened to her.


    "See? No one will judge you. Juste stand with me," Sydney grunted at her, but Salem gave her a nk look.


    "No, thank you. I will stay," she refused to be her sister¡¯s twin anymore. I saw the fighter in her eyes at that moment.


    "Salem¡ª" Sydney called her name, almost like she wanted to make eye contact and silently tell her why she couldn¡¯t stay.


    "She just wants to stay so she can shove her tongue down Gavin¡¯s throat. I¡¯m sure she doesn¡¯t give a damn about the monsters or the trainers," Lucy suddenly said.


    Sydney turned to her and hissed in front of everyone, "Shut up!"


    That was the first time the two seemed to be against each other. I bet Lucy showed signs of shock. Did she really expect to bully Salem and have Sydney side with her?


    "I will stay too," Lucy muttered, shocking Sydney this time.


    "No! You will pack your bag and go home. We don¡¯t want drama," Norman made everyone snicker when he straight-up called Lucy out for being a mess.


    "Sir, please, I will not cause any issues. I want to stay," she insisted. "You said whoever wants to stay can stay."


    "I will stay too," said Sydney, and I guess at this point, they had to let Lucy stay so the three of them could look out for each other.


    "I will stay along with my top senior friends," Rudy raised his hand, and I noticed how the brothers seemed happy to have such powerful seniors on board.


    Of course, they had high hopes for them.

 Chapter 433-A Friend Or A Foe

    <h4>Chapter 433: 433-A Friend Or A Foe</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Okay then, it is decided. You guys will stay while the others leave. However, those who are staying will have a quick meeting with us," Norman informed, and the others started to walk out of the hall.


    "Thank you for listening to my suggestion," I turned to Norman, whispering so only he could hear.


    "Say that again? It¡¯s not every day that Hnie decides to be nice to me," Norman hunched down dramatically, bringing his ear close to me to hear me clearly.


    "I said¡ªthank you for not being a douchebag for a minute."


    I knew I was crossing a line, but somehow, it made Normanugh?


    Even I regretted saying it the very next moment, but hisughter made me believe maybe he wasn¡¯t so offended after all.


    We went back to our rooms and waited for the hostel to finally empty.


    After everyone had left and it was just the few of us, the hostel felt so silent. Soon, the guard came and informed us to pack our bags and move to the dining hall, which had been cleared for our stay for the next few days.


    "We will all be sleeping in the hall?" I asked Emmet, who was guiding the guards as theyid down the mattresses.


    "Yeah, it¡¯s important that you all keep an eye on each other. We brothers will take turns staying here with you guys so that none of you leave the hostel alone. But at the same time, we also want you all to look out for each other," he made it clear that it was for our own safety.


    "Emmet¡ªwhat happened to your car?" Norman came from behind, interrupting us.


    The big hall now had mattresses for the boys on one side and the girls on the other. There was also a big window that was being boarded shut.


    "It was in an ident, but fear not, Maximus has taken care of it," Emmet spoke without making eye contact with his brother. Even I found it odd because Emmet doesn¡¯t usually act suspicious like that.


    "Emmet¡ªplease tell me it wasn¡¯t you."


    The pain on Norman¡¯s face made me curious.


    "Hnie, can you please give us a minute?" Norman requested, making me nod and step away¡ªuntil Emmet grabbed my hand and pulled me back beside him.


    Outside, the students were saying goodbye to their friends and looking around the area. The snow was slowly covering thend bit by bit now.


    "You can speak in front of her," Emmet clearly pissed off Norman.


    "Is it because of her?¡ªWhy? Emmet¡ª" Norman bit the inside of his cheek, his hands on his waist as he took a few steps back and forth, looking agitated. "Why would you do that? Did you ask him to run over Romeo? Our baby cousin?"


    He narrowed his eyes at me, and the ground shifted beneath my feet.


    Emmet ran Romeo over?


    "Emmet, what have I told you?" I turned to him, questioning him.


    "What? I don¡¯t remember¡ªI just know¡ªI did it," he waved his hand before his fingers rested on his temples as if he was in pain.


    "Okay, it¡¯s okay," I quickly stepped back, not wanting to put him through more pain. But I was in shock.


    "What is going on? Emmet, why would you attack your cousin for her? Are we next?" It hurt me to hear his brother ask him that question.


    "No! I know you would never be Romeo," Emmet finally gave his brother the eye contact he had been waiting for, and Norman was shocked.


    "What is that supposed to mean?" Norman questioned.


    "Anyway, I need to go home. I need to rx." As soon as Emmet started searching for something in his pockets, I realized what he meant by rxing.


    "But it¡¯s not over. I would¡ª" Norman shut up and gestured for his brother to go home at once.


    Even in this stressful moment, Emmet being so lost didn¡¯t escape my attention. Did he forget our conversation?


    "Hnie, tell me what is going on. Why did he hurt Romeo?" he asked me this time, facing me.


    "I don¡¯t know," I lied.


    "Hnie¡ªtell me. You saw him, right? He is not okay. You need to tell me what¡¯s going on." His voice didn¡¯t carry anger this time, only worry for his brother.


    "Fine, keep it a secret. It wille out sooner orter," he scoffed, stepping away before stopping to turn and have onest say. "And don¡¯t think you can hide anything from me for too long. I know why he¡¯s out in the woods on full moons. He doesn¡¯t want to tell Maximus, so I respect his decision¡ªI don¡¯t tell him either."


    I guess Norman felt the need to remind me that no matter how close I was with Emmet today, the brothers would always be closer.


    He walked away, and we started packing our bags in the hall. The brothers had left, leaving Kaye behind for the night.


    The instructions were simple and clear: stay away from the snow-covered areas, especially at night.


    It was a full moon¡¯s night, so I understood why the others had to leave¡ªthe night must be even trickier for them. I was worried too.


    "I¡¯ll go get my charger from my room," I said to Lamar, who was gettingfortable on his mattress. The top seniors weren¡¯t around since they had left to buy groceries with Penn and the others. Hans, Lamar, and I were the only ones at the academy.


    I rushed upstairs to my room to grab my charger, entering my room when I saw Lucy sitting on her bed.


    "You¡¯re not supposed to be here," I said, wondering why they would leave the biggest troublemaker behind.


    "Well, I had to find myself someone since you stole my mate from me," she said, making me roll my eyes at her delusions.


    "Sure," was all I said as I walked toward the closet¡ªuntil I heard the bathroom door open.


    "See, I got my boyfriend with me now," she giggled, making me sigh. I turned around, ready to tell her she could date whoever she wanted, that Gavin had moved on. But the moment I saw who it was, my jaw hit the floor.


    "I got my very own jacket holder. Meet Romeo."

 Chapter 434-Left For The Monsters To Feed On

    <h4>Chapter 434: 434-Left For The Monsters To Feed On</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You¡¯ve got to be kidding me," I hissed at her, but she just smirked, chewing her gum and swinging her legs.


    "What happened, cousin?" Romeo asked, tilting his head. He was covered in bandages and could barely walk properly, yet here he was, trying to rile me up.


    "Ahhh! You¡¯re wondering what happened to me. That¡¯s what I¡¯m worried about. Who could have run me over? Who might have wanted to attack me? Did you send someone?" He started limping toward me, but I didn¡¯t step back.


    "Really? I¡¯m so worried. Who attacked you?" Lucy jumped off the bed, walking toward him and cing a hand on his shoulder.


    "Don¡¯t worry, hun, I¡¯m fine," Romeo said to her, pouting before he looked back at me.


    "And you¡ª" As soon as he took one step closer to me, I raised my knee and hit him in the crotch. His face turned pale.


    "What the f¡ª" he groaned, dropping to his knees. Lucy was shocked, but when she tried toe at me to question my actions, I put my hand on her neck and shoved her back. Once she was out of the way, I knelt down to Romeo.


    "You survived that little attack. You wouldn¡¯t survive what I have in store for you next."


    With that, I spat on him while he grunted angrily. Thanks to Emmet, Romeo had been weakened. He couldn¡¯t shift and heal properly and was told to give his body a rest for a few hours before trying. I was lucky enough to get my hands on him during those hours.


    I straightened my back and flicked my hair. "I¡¯ll be out of here now."


    With that, I walked away steadily, an arrogant smile on my face. Once outside the room, I mmed the door shut and let out the breath I had been holding in.


    I was traumatized, scared, and overwhelmed with emotions. The only reason I forced a confident look was to intimidate Romeo and let him know I wouldn¡¯t stay silent if he tried anything. But deep down, I was terrified.


    I went downstairs to the living room, but at the same time, the others had arrived and were busy unloading groceries.


    "Hnie, do you mind helping me?" I was about to go into the hall to tell Lamar and the others about Romeo when Rudy caught me midway, his hands full of grocery bags.


    "Sure." Reluctantly, I grabbed some bags from his hands and followed him into the kitchen.


    "So, it¡¯s going to be a wild week. I just hope we can deal with everything in a week, or we¡¯ll be stuck with each other for a month," Rudy said, slowly loading stuff into the kitchen. I normally helped people with things, but I was too distracted.


    Lucy dating Romeo had broken my heartpletely. I wondered why she picked him. And how. I noticed Romeo walk past the kitchen, probably leaving the hostel. Of course, he could get ess to the academy and the hostel because he was rted to the McQuoids.


    Did he contact her, or does she know about my past? What if now that they¡¯re dating, he told her about me and made her believe I¡¯m this crazy girl who traps Alphas?


    "Earth to Hnie." Snapping his fingers in front of my face, Rudy sessfully stole my attention back to him.


    "Sorry, what?" I asked. He slowed down on his chore and turned to face me.


    "If you don¡¯t want to stand next to me, it¡¯s fine. You can go ahead and be with your friends," he said, his face falling, making me feel guilty immediately.


    "It¡¯s not that. I was just distracted. But don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t hear you," I quickly returned to my senses.


    "I think we¡¯ll be able to fight these things once the trainers figure out how to get rid of these monsters. Heck, we don¡¯t even know what they¡¯re called," Iughed awkwardly, helping him load the stuff onto the shelves. We didn¡¯t know how bad it would get, so we had stocked up on supplies.


    Once thend is covered in snow, these things will go crazy and multiply.


    "Well, my mom used to tell me that whenever something scares me and I don¡¯t know the name for it, I should call it¡ªZephois!" He made me frown.


    "What does that mean?" I asked.


    "It means nothing!" he shrugged.


    "Okay, so maybe we¡¯ll be able to kill these Zephois soon," Iughed before pulling a straight face.


    "Hey, I¡¯m really sorry for my remarks to your friends. I was in my feelings and got jealous," he said, looking away while apologizing. "I¡¯ll apologize to them myself."


    "I¡¯d appreciate it," I gave him a head nod. After we were done, I went back to my friends, and we all sat on one mattress¡ªmine, next to the window.


    "Lucy is a bitch," Lamar shrugged, hissing at her.


    "Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be there for you," Gavin reassured me, instantly shutting up when Penn arrived with a tray of food for us. We ate together and went to bed early. The night would be horrifying because of the cries of those little things, so we wanted to get good sleep before being woken up again.


    And I was right. I woke up to the sound of the windows rattling on the second floor.


    Everyone was deep in sleep, cuddling up to avoid the cold. The big window in the hall was boarded up, but small holes were left for us to keep an eye outside. As for the other windows, they were only closed. The things would only be alive under the snow.


    I realized it was a snowstorm causing the windows upstairs to make noise. I cussed under my breath, wondering which one of us hadn¡¯t done their job of shutting the windows. Dragging my body up, I quickly started going upstairs to shut the window before the snow came in.


    As soon as I reached the second floor, I spotted the open window and briskly moved toward it. I had just managed to close it when I felt something hit the back of my head. I swear I felt blood trickling down my neck, my vision darkening as I copsed into someone¡¯s arms.


    I was on the verge of fainting when I heard a whisper,


    "I think the monsters outside need a good meal tonight."


    It was Romeo.

 Chapter 435-My Mate Is Ready To Die For Me

    <h4>Chapter 435: 435-My Mate Is Ready To Die For Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I was slowly waking up, feeling cold. The hair on the back of my neck was standing up. The goosebumps were popping out of my skin.


    "Lamar!!!" I screamed. "Gavin!!! Penn!" I called for my friends. "Salem!" I yelled as loud as I could, but nobody could hear me. Of course, they couldn¡¯t.


    I was far away, deep in the mountains.


    And then, I started hearing the same cries I had heard the other night.


    I understood what was happening now. Those crazy little creatures wereing out of their hiding spots, and the big monster was waiting to take shape again and swallow me.


    "Ah!" I gasped, trying to catch my breath as I struggled again.


    I moved my feet over and over, pushing my body forward, hoping my hands would somehow gain the strength to break free from the restraints, but nothing was working.


    When I breathed, my nostrils felt almost blocked. With every breath I took or let out, I felt my skin freezing. I frantically tried to wake up, opening my eyes. But half of my body was already frozen from the cold, my legs feeling even worse.


    It didn¡¯t take long before I fully regained consciousness and realized I was out in the open, buried under the snow.


    "No!" I muttered, shaking from both cold and fear. I tried to move, but my arms were tied to a tree in a way that my fingers couldn¡¯t even touch each other.


    "Hey! Help!" I screamed, breathing heavily through my open mouth. I was sure my skin was ice-cold, but that didn¡¯t matter. The real horror was that I was tied up outside.


    The creatures started jumping from the trees. One of them came straight toward me.


    "Get away from me!" I yelled as it sniffed the ground, then crept closer to my foot. I angled my foot silently and then kicked it hard.


    As it flew through the air, the others started attacking me.


    "Arghhh!" I screamed, kicking a few away while some of them managed to bite my legs. Their bites were painful, like frostbite.


    I felt one of them climb onto my body, all the way up to my chest. Its face was so close that I could see every little detail of its skin.


    Then it hissed, opening its mouth wide to bite my neck. Its sharp teeth made me realize that if it bit me, I would die from blood loss.


    "Arhhh!" I screamed before it could bite me, squeezing my eyes shut. But suddenly, I felt its weight lift off my chest.


    Something shot past me like a sh of lightning and tackled the creature. Right before my eyes, the huge beastnded on the small thing and tore its limbs apart, making the others scream and rush toward him.


    Right in front of me stood a hungry lycan, and my blood was freezing cold.


    He was massive and terrifying in person. I had encountered him before, but that night, he looked even wilder.


    "Maximus," I uttered, noticing the lycan stop swinging his arms around and temporarily turn toward me. I knew from the brothers that when he was in his lycan form, he didn¡¯t understand anything. He was barely Maximus at that time.


    But the way he looked at me and groaned softly, I felt soforted. And then, the moment he noticed the little creatureing toward me, he let out a howl, his face turning beastly once again, no longer looking innocent. He jumped at the creature, and just as he was about to rip its head off, he focused on me, as if he was worried about me watching him do that.


    I turned my head away and heard him continue ripping its head off. I then watched him eat the creature, but it felt like there was no end to these things. They kepting at me or at him.


    And then¡ªthe big creature started to form in the air. The lycan turned around and howled again, his howl louder than anything I¡¯d ever heard. As the big creature formed, it began throwing the icicle in my direction. My eyes widened, and I shut them, expecting a painful hit, but it never came.


    Instead, I felt a warm touch. The cold breeze stopped hitting my skin directly. I opened my eyes to see Maximus with his arms spread out, wrapped around the tree, just covering my arms with his beastly arms and his body shielding mine. The lycan had shielded me, taking hit after hit.


    He was howling in pain while the creatures attacked him, and the big one threw ice daggers at him.


    "You will get hurt," I muttered. I couldn¡¯t believe I was talking to a lycan and was so worried for him.


    But at that moment, he wasn¡¯t just a lycan; he was my savior. I wondered how much he had to care about me to recognize me in his lycan state.


    He didn¡¯t let go, taking the pain like a mate¡ªa mate I thought had lied about loving me. At that moment, I remembered what he had told me. He said he lied to his mother just so he could throw her off.


    Was it the truth?


    But then why did he choose Charlotte?


    "Maximus!" I screamed when my thoughts were interrupted by a sharp ice spear piercing through his back anding out of his stomach, making him quickly look up to make sure it didn¡¯t touch me.


    "No! Maximus, please, get off me!" I pleaded, but the lycan only closed his eyes, as if he was ready to go as far as to die for me.


    Worry and love overwhelmed me, taking over every inch of my body. "Please, baby, let me go," I begged, but he nuzzled his face into my neck, his big, giant shoulder covering my head and face from any harming my way.


    Then I heard him scream in my ear when the creatures did too much damage to him.

 Chapter 436-They Took My Mate From Me

    <h4>Chapter 436: 436-They Took My Mate From Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Maximus, somebody help him¡ª" I yelled in desperation for the first time after Maximus covered me with his body. Having a lycan give up his life for me was something I had never imagined. That¡¯s when I heard another loud growl. I watched Maximus slowly step back, being dragged away from me. It was a big ck wolf, almost unlike a werewolf. He looked more like a monster than just a normal werewolf. He had long limbs and a tiny head, but spikes all over his body.


    I was so confused about who it was because I had never seen the other brothers in full werewolf form on full moon nights. Which one could it be?


    He swung his arms around, trying to get the creatures off him. His body was tall, and his shoulders were broad. It seemed like he had some sort of wings on his back too, but they were more like a bat¡¯s wings.


    His screeches made the creatures scurry away, retreat, ande back to attack again, but they would be killed again.


    Then another werewolf came. He was just as big and snarling as the first, but his spikes were gray. The two fought until dawn. They would defend me whenever those creatures targeted me, but for the most part, nobody really attacked me.


    However, as a bystander, I got to see the battle firsthand and up close.


    Although I was scared and worried for the ones in front of me, I was able to examine the creatures very well. Their main focus seemed to be the one with the ck spikes. And somehow, I just had a feeling the one with the ck spikes and scales was Emmet. The other could be Kaye or Norman.


    I lifted my head and saw the morning arriving. I had lost blood too, from the bites on my legs, and the cold had made me dizzy. But I stayed awake somehow, bothered like I should have been.


    Then, I watched the brothers transitioning back. It would be crazy if they transitioned back and the creatures kepting.


    The big one started to head away, in a form of a cloud, and the others began to follow, but not before they did onest bit of damage. Right before my eyes, the big creature gathered around Emmet, who was indeed the one with the ck scales. As he finished his transition, the creatures snatched him away. The fog made him dizzy, I could tell. And they attacked him during his transition back, catching him off guard.


    "EMMET, watch out!" I yelled as the big creature carried him away, dragging him like the wind.


    "Shit!" The other one was Kaye. He screamed, but then he had to tend to Maximus, who had passed out and was losing blood while being on the cold ground in his human form.


    When all was done, the creatures started rushing toward me because that¡¯s where they were leaving from. I guess they decided to take a bite or two while they were at it.


    "EMMET!" I screamed again, fully realizing that my shouts were gathering their attention. I wanted to present myself as bait so that the big creature would return, but it was leaving, dragging the unconscious Emmet with it.


    A howl erupted, and Norman arrived in his half-human, half-werewolf form. His eyes were red, ws out, and his canines were visible as he swept the tiny creatures away from me. He sat on them, wing their guts out before turning his attention to me. I could tell he was having a hard time checking on his brothers whileing to help me.


    He reached me and untied my hands. As soon as I was free, I pushed him away when he tried to hold my arms to check on me.


    "They took Emmet!" I screamed, almost falling to my knees. Moving my limbs after being tied in the snow for so long was difficult, but I knew I had to go after that monster to save Emmet.


    "Noooo!" I screamed so loud that I nearly deafened myself.


    "You need to go back. I¡¯ll go find him," Norman yelled in my ear from behind, picking me up off the ground to take me away.


    "No! Let me go!" I elbowed him, but his hard body didn¡¯t even bruise. He kept walking briskly through the snow.


    "You better put me down, or I¡¯ll eat everyone in the hostel where you¡¯re taking me," I growled, my voice so deep and demonic that he instantly put me down.


    I yanked my sweater and red into his eyes before huffing and puffing, moving forward.


    I started briskly walking toward the trail. The snow would soon cover their tracks.


    "Kaye, take care of Maximus. I¡¯ll return with Emmet and Hnie," I heard Norman tell his brother while he followed me.


    Soon, he caught up with me, and the next thing I knew, he was putting his long ck coat over me.


    "I don¡¯t need this," I hissed, taking it off and handing it back to him.


    "Where were you?" I yelled as I turned to face him. I was just so lost, I wanted to yell at someone, and right now, he was the one in front of me.


    "I was at the mansion. The creatures attacked, and some of the broken windows let them inside and carry the ones in sight," he exined, but I showed him my palm.


    "I¡¯m going after him¡ª" I said and noticed him frown.


    "What? You think I¡¯m the reason he¡¯s gone because he came to save me?" I yelled, tears streaming down my face.


    "We¡¯ll talk about itter," he hissed, pointing toward the hostel.


    "Go back, I¡¯ll take care of that," he demanded, causing me to clench my fists.


    "Why? Because you think I¡¯m the reason¡ª" I yelled again, but he came at me, grabbing my arms harshly and shaking my body.


    That day, I saw the angry Norman that everyone was afraid of.

 Chapter 437-The Pain In His Eyes

    <h4>Chapter 437: 437-The Pain In His Eyes</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I tried to free myself, but he kept holding me tightly and wouldn¡¯t let me go. I guess he was waiting for me to stop fighting because once I did, he finally started talking, and I could tell he had a lot to say.


    "Not everything is about you, Hnie. Right now, my brother is in the hands of the Glims! And my priority is him¡ªour priority is him," he hissed, finally letting me go and rubbing his hands over his face. I realized those monsters had a name.


    "But he came to¡ª" I started, but Norman sighed again, exhausted.


    "He didn¡¯te for you," he finished, watching me closely. "He came for Maximus. He didn¡¯t know you would be there, so don¡¯t believe it was your fault. He was already on the run to take care of his brother. But then suddenly, he lost track of Maximus. I let Kaye follow Maximus and Emmet while I stayed in the mansion to help the ones getting caught in open spaces by the Glims." He was much calmer while exining now.


    I went silent almost instantly after he exined. But I still felt like if I had been more careful, Maximus wouldn¡¯t havee to save me, and Emmet wouldn¡¯t have had to follow him straight into his abduction.


    "Now wear this because we have a long road ahead," he said, shoving his coat into my hands. And the moment our bodies touched again¡ªwithout him being aggressive¡ªI felt something twist inside me.


    "Ugh!" I coughed, dropping to my knees.


    "What is going on with you?" he asked, putting the coat over my shoulders. But it wasn¡¯t the cold that I was feeling. My legs were hurting so badly.


    "I¡¯m in pain¡ª" I let out a cry, feeling my bones breaking. My ankles twisted so visibly that Norman gasped and sat down, grabbing them to rub them.


    "Maybe it¡¯s the cold," he muttered, confused.


    "No¡ªcold¡ªwouldn¡¯t¡ª" I screamed as my lower body started going numb. Was it the cold? Or was it something else entirely? And then, the world around me went silent.


    I could only hear water.


    "Water¡ª" I said.


    "You want water?" he asked, but I couldn¡¯t respond properly. I started crawling forward, even as he tried to stop me.


    I pointed in the direction of the frozen river. "Water¡ªfollow¡ª" I said, feeling my vision blur for just a few seconds. And in those few seconds, I saw the Glims taking Emmet along the river trail.


    When my vision cleared, the pain was gone.


    "They took him that way," I pointed toward the river and then felt something deep inside me. "They¡¯re taking him to the waterfall."


    I realized everything was basically ice now, so them taking him there was terrifying. Why? Why did they want Emmet so badly?


    "Are you sure?" Norman asked as I started to get up. I saw his eyes widen when he realized my legs were suddenly fine.


    "What the fuck," he mouthed, but he instantly corrected himself when he saw me reading his lips.


    "Let¡¯s go then." This time, he didn¡¯t ask me to turn back because he could tell I wouldn¡¯t listen.


    We rushed forward, faster than we should have. I had been out in the cold the whole night, and my body was feverish too. But Emmet was my only priority at that moment. I had worn Norman¡¯s coat because every few seconds, he wouldin about me not listening and being stubborn. So, I epted his coat just to shut him up. I understood he was worried, but I couldn¡¯t fully process it at that moment. I was just annoyed.


    We finally arrived at the spot¡ªthe frozen water, the waterfall, and the cave beside it.


    "Are you sure they¡¯re there?" he asked.


    "I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to find glims there. It stopped snowing, so I believe they¡¯re gone. They will return when it starts snowing again," I recalled my own observations from two nights in a row outside.


    "Got it, then let¡¯s go," Norman said, rushing toward the cave.


    I had a feeling he would be there, and guess what? I was right. We saw him outside the cave, lying on his back. Norman took off his shirt and ran toward his brother before me. He covered him and then lifted him over his shoulder, signaling for me to follow. I didn¡¯t get a chance to check on him, but Emmet¡¯s safety was the priority right now. And getting away from this ce was just as important. Whatever reason the Glims brought him here was still a mystery.


    While Norman carried him away, I stayed around for a few seconds, ncing quickly at the surroundings and inside the cave. That¡¯s when I spotted something that made me step inside to grab it.


    It was a pink pearl bracelet.


    I picked it up and put it in my sweater pocket before making my way out, handing Norman his coat back so he could use it to cover Emmet properly.


    I could tell he was curious about why I had gone inside, but we had to hurry and get Emmet home before the snow started again. It would be hard enough to fight those things while keeping Emmet safe.


    Instead of going to the hostel, we arrived at the academy because we knew the other brothers were there. Normanid Emmet down in the nurse¡¯s room, and Kaye rushed to check his pulse and blood pressure.


    At the same time, I turned to look at Norman checking on Maximus, who was covered in blood, injured, and wrapped in bandages.


    He would have to transition again to heal. That went for everyone who was wounded.


    "Maximus, are you okay?" I walked over to him steadily, feeling bad for him. But I could never forget how his lycan had risked its own life for me.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if Maximus would remember, but when he lifted his head and looked at me, I was shocked to see that he did.


    "Well, I guess I¡¯m not your priority anymore."


    I didn¡¯t know what made him say that, but the way he spoke shattered me.

 Chapter 438-An Awkward Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 438: 438-An Awkward Meeting</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Maximus never said anything to me afterward. Norman had asked me to give him some time. They requested that I go back to the hostel and calm down my friends before they ventured out to look for me again.


    I guess Norman told them I was fine and that they didn¡¯t have toe to the academy. Of course, the brothers didn¡¯t want them to meet the trainers and freak out about how dangerous things outside were. But my friends refused to believe them until they saw me for themselves.


    I heard from Norman that my friends had also left the hostelst night to look for me, and it became a big deal because Kaye had to leave Maximus at the academy, then go with Argona to fetch them all and lock them inside.


    I went back to the hostel and met my friends. They were all so worried about me¡ªat least, most of them were.


    Sydney never stopped taunting me, and I still had an issue to settle with Lucy, but I decided to deal with it another time.


    I was wounded and had a fever, so I spent the rest of the day and the next one being taken care of by my friends. Rudy mostly cooked for me, while Sage tended to my wounds.


    Salem stayed by my side even though her sister didn¡¯t like it.


    "They¡¯re called Glims, and they usuallye when someone summons them to fetch something, the big one is called Glimard" Norman said as I nodded, listening to him talk to me over the phone.


    "What are you doing right now? Are you outside?" he asked.


    I finally felt better, but I wouldn¡¯t truly be okay until I met up with Emmet and Maximus. I needed to thank Maximus.


    "I¡¯m on my way to the mansion," I said, sitting in Salem¡¯s car. She was driving me there and had made me promise toe back with her.


    The snow had stopped after a few hours, so we knew we had about two more hours before it started again. I figured I¡¯d let it fall, wait for it to die down again, and then take the journey back to the hostel.


    "Hnie, everyone is here. You know they¡¯ll have things to say about you," Norman sounded against the idea. But I knew the longer I waited, the more I¡¯d look like someone who lets others fight for her and doesn¡¯t even check on them.


    "It¡¯s okay. I can handle everyone," I murmured, hearing him chuckle a little on the other end.


    "Oh, I know. Trust me, I know you¡¯re feisty," he said, and the way he said it made me feel something¡ªsomething odd, but not in a bad way.


    "Okay, then. I¡¯ll be waiting and will escort you to their rooms myself," he offered, probably taking over Emmet¡¯s role.


    "Got it," I replied, agreeing with him.


    I would love to avoid his mother¡ªand mine too. Norman told me that his mom and everyone else found out I had been outside the hostel, so the brothers hade looking for me.


    I¡¯m sure his mother knew about Maximus¡¯s lycan too.


    There¡¯s no way a mother wouldn¡¯t know.


    Salem dropped me off at the entrance, and I met up with Norman, who was wearing a gray suit and looking at the stock market on his phone.


    "Seriously? You¡¯re not even going to the office. Why are you still in a suit?"


    I don¡¯t know why Imented on his outfit. I guess, with him, I just acted like him. He would always makements, so it had be my first instinct to do the same whenever I saw him.


    "And one might think that at least one of those bites would have made that old machinery in your head work," he shot back, shoving his phone into his pocket.


    "My brain works fine," I replied with a scoff, my heart beating at a slow pace at the thought of meeting both Emmet and Maximus.


    "At least you know it¡¯s called a brain," he rolled his eyes. "How are you?" he asked.


    "Do I not look fine?" I bit my tongue the moment I spread my arms to show him I was okay. He quickly took the chance to scan me before realizing it was a weird thing to do.


    "Let¡¯s go before you turn me into someone like you," hemented again, as if he were any better.


    I followed him, avoiding the people in the living room having tea and noticing my arrival.


    I rushed upstairs to speak with Maximus first because Norman told me Emmet was showering.


    Norman knocked on the door and then opened it for me. He let me go inside alone.


    "Yes? What¡¯s up, Norman¡ª" I guess Maximus didn¡¯t expect me toe. He looked shocked and quickly sat up in his bed, the nket covering his lower body. Even though he was only in shorts, I could tell.


    "Hey!" I awkwardly walked toward him. "How are you now?" I asked.


    "I was fine the minute I transitioned," he replied.


    "Then why have you been so down?" I asked. I had heard from Norman that Maximus hadn¡¯t been himself.


    "I don¡¯t know," he lied, obviously.


    "It¡¯s just¡ª" he started again. "I expected you to at least turn and look at me¡ªto ask Kaye if I was even breathing. But you left me there and ran after my brother."


    He stopped talking when the thought seemed to burden him.


    I realized my mistake.


    "It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t care about you. I just knew you were fine," I replied, but his scoff and sarcastic smile told me he didn¡¯t believe me.


    "This is what we say to people whose absence wouldn¡¯t affect our lives," he said in a heartbreaking tone. "It¡¯s alright. I understand. I told you we should move on. Sadly, I couldn¡¯t¡ªbut you did. You really are an obedient one."


    Heughed to himself and turned his face to the other side, secretly wiping his tears off his cheeks.


    "Maximus¡ªI¡ªI¡¯ll never forget how you saved my life. A lycan¡ª"


    The moment I reminded him that I knew his identity, I watched him close his eyes.


    "And maybe that¡¯s too much for you," he smiled, looking back directly at me, implying that being with a lycan might be too scary for me¡ªhence, I had moved on.


    "And why are you in my fianc¨¦¡¯s room?"


    Of course, I should have remembered that bitch would arrive soon.

 Chapter 439-The Truth Comes Out And Momma Bear Is Angry

    <h4>Chapter 439: 439-The Truth Comes Out And Momma Bear Is Angry</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Charlotte, she came here to meet me¡ªwho the heck told you to yell at her?" Maximus lost it out of the blue, yelling so loud that it made her face turn pale.


    "Maximus, please calm down," The minute I turned to look at him, he checked his behavior.


    "I¡¯m sorry," he mumbled like a lost puppy, lowering his head sadly.


    "Are you serious? You¡¯re way too nice to her," Charlotteined, and Maximus gritted his teeth at her.


    "I¡¯ll go check if Emmet is done showering. I wanted to check on him anyway," I quickly added, hoping Charlotte wouldn¡¯t think I came here only for her fianc¨¦. But before I could leave, I turned to Maximus and smiled at him. "You can¡¯t me me for everything. Her standing here should remind you of something."


    It was my way of telling him that he can¡¯t expect me to still be crazy in love with him after he decided to ept my abusive cousin.


    I briskly made my way past her, intentionally hitting her with my shoulder because I had so much anger inside me at that moment.


    Once I was at the stairs, I saw Normaning back up, frowning as if trying to understand what happened.


    "You¡¯re a good guard, huh? cking off on your duties?" I teased, noticing he was supposed to stay outside the door to make sure his mother or anyone else didn¡¯te shouting at me.


    "I had to go to the restroom," heined, briskly walking after me. I was making my way through the passage to see Emmet when he kept following me.


    "You can take a break from here. I¡¯ll be fine when I¡¯m talking with Emmet," I turned around, not realizing how close he was until he stopped when my nose brushed against his chest. I awkwardly stepped back and gestured at him to leave me alone with Emmet.


    "How about no? What is it that you have to talk to him about that you can¡¯t do in front of me?" he ced his hands on his waist, making me narrow my eyes a little.


    "No! You can squeeze those big buttons all you want, but I won¡¯t leave you alone with him," he said, knowing that was bound to happen. He had probably noticed something between me and Emmet from the way I reacted when Emmet was taken and how Emmet and I always seem to get in trouble together at odd times.


    "Fine," I shrugged, trying to convince him nothing was going on. I wasn¡¯t ready to give up everything for a love story yet. I had deep feelings for Emmet, but I was sure my revenge woulde first, and my love story with him could wait.


    I just hoped he would understand and not act like his brothers.


    We made it to his room, and that¡¯s when Emmet came out too. He almost bumped into me before stepping back and flicking my forehead.


    "Little birdie," the way he cheerfully greeted me, while tilting his head, made me smile. He was so present and cheerful. The sadness I had been feeling after the attack that night was all gone from just a look at his face.


    He probably had no idea how important he had be to me now.


    "How are you?" I asked, acting all shy when I was really trying my best not to be because Norman had been watching my every move.


    "How do I look?" he questioned, taking a step back so I could get a good view of him.


    I should have just said "fine," but instead, I began to blush.


    "All done? She has to go back to hostel," Norman snapped his fingers between us, causing me to turn my head to him and hiss at him.


    "I¡¯m sure she can stay for a while," Emmet added. "Right?" I bet he knew that by talking like this to me, he was making me blush hard, and he still didn¡¯t stop.


    "Why would she stop? Why don¡¯t you ask her why she was out of the hostel that night?" And then, the evil queen arrived.


    I watched Lady Darcy briskly make her way through the passage with Charlotte behind her. So, she had told her mother-inw about me.


    "When have you ever cared about your sons so much?" Emmetughed, teasingly pinching my ck shirt to pull me behind him.


    As he did, his mother grimaced harder.


    "I always did. Ask her¡ªask her why she was outside the hostel," she kept yelling as she approached us.


    "She almost made my sons lose their lives!" she yelled, making sure I could hear her screams.


    "She¡¯s family, mother. We would have done that for each other too, so why is it a big deal that we did it for her?" Norman spoke up, stepping steadily to the side, standing next to his brother, shielding me.


    "Oh right, and wouldn¡¯t you have asked your brother why he was outside?" It seemed like she was certain I did it on purpose, and what she said next confirmed it.


    "She¡¯s like her mother, she wants to get rid of all of you so that only her mother and she are sitting and enjoying the luxuries!" she screamed, causing me to hug myself and then step forward. The brothers didn¡¯t need to defend me all the time, especially when I had a surprise for her.


    The brothers were shocked that I hade to the front when I faced their mother.


    "Oh, you!" she groaned, clenching her jaw at my sight. "Why were you outside, huh?" she asked me directly.


    "You really think you can handle the truth?" I asked, watching her frown. Charlotte had her eyes narrowed at me.


    "Tell me, I can swallow any of your absurd excuses for being outside that night that almost ruined my sons¡¯ lives," she said, mimicking me, hissing and grunting.


    "Well, why don¡¯t you ask your sweet nephew?" I folded my arms over my chest, while she looked at her son, who was also facing me to hear me out now.


    "Romeo? Why do you have his name in your mouth? Don¡¯t tell me you left the hostel to meet him¡ª" she had no idea what the truth was, so I decided to give that to her.


    "Romeo hit me unconscious and then left me tied to a tree," I announced, feeling so proud of myself for finally being able to tell them what I had been going through.

 Chapter 440-I Forgot About The Videos

    <h4>Chapter 440: 440-I Forgot About The Videos</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    They had gone silent for a solid few seconds before Norman gestured at his mother not to interrupt him when he saw her opening her mouth wide, about to yell at me.


    "Why would he tie you outside?" he asked, his eyes quickly moving to Emmet to see if he knew anything. I noticed Emmet rubbing his temples as if he was trying to remember something.


    But he knew. I know he knew¡ªwe had talked about it.


    "He wanted me dead so that I wouldn¡¯t speak about his ugly truth," I hissed, watching his mothere at me. She pushed Norman aside¡ªbarely¡ªso she could squeeze past him, reach me, and shove me in the back. If Emmet hadn¡¯t been quick enough to catch me, I would havended on the ground.


    "Cut this nonsense. You are trying to cause trouble between that poor boy and my son," Lady Darcy shouted, thinking that the louder she got, the more believable she would sound.


    "Mom, we are not using our hands on her, do you understand me?" Norman turned to his mother, pointing his finger at her.


    "You¡¯re arguing with me for her?" Darcy yelled, throwing a fit. It got to the point where she started pushing her son back and crying loudly. Just one finger pointed at her from Norman, and she made such a big fuss about it.


    "I will go back to the hostel now," I announced, quickly sidestepping them. I would talk with the brothers once we were alone. Since I had already blurted it out, I had a feeling I would need to confess way more than just that.


    As I rushed past them, I heard Normanforting his mother, or else she would pass out. I didn¡¯t want to stop for anyone until I saw little Demi step in my way right at the exit.


    "You weren¡¯t even going to meet us?" she pouted, looking adorable in her two ponytails.


    "Of course not. I was looking for you," I lied, swallowing my tears.


    "Hnie, Davon is sick. We had to stay here because of the cold and snow, and so did our mother," she said, looking down, disappointed. It was clear as day that they didn¡¯t like her either.


    "What happened to Davon?" I asked, slowly approaching her while she stood meekly, her hands tied behind her back.


    "I don¡¯t know. Mom says it was inevitable, that she¡¯s lucky she didn¡¯t have to pick," Demi said, not making sense.


    Could it be that she misheard her mother¡¯s words? Because what she was telling me didn¡¯t make sense in terms of Davon¡¯s condition.


    "Hey, he¡¯ll be fine," I knelt down, cing my hands on her arms and rubbing her shoulders.


    "Will you stay here and take care of him with me?" Her request was the purest thing ever. And even though I wanted to be there for her, I couldn¡¯t. I had to go back. Romeo had ess to the academy and hostel, and I did not trust that man one bit.


    "I wille by, but you know I have to fight the Gims," I said, caressing her cheek. My phone started beeping, but I ignored it, focusing on Demi. She needed my attention at that moment.


    "Those monsters?" she asked.


    "Aha!" I nodded.


    The moment I did, she held my hands and hugged them. "Please be careful out there. I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you."


    Such love from an innocent and pure soul filled my heart with ecstasy.


    I never realized how much these kids cared for me.


    "I will," I replied with a smile, ignoring my phone beeping again.


    "I¡¯ll go now and return soon." Since Davon was sleeping, I decided I should leave before Darcy caused more trouble.


    "Take care." Demi gave me a hug¡ªa hug that was much needed.


    I got up to leave when I noticed Demi looking behind me.


    I turned slightly to see Emma standing in her spot with a grim expression. But it wasn¡¯t just her that caught my attention¡ªit was Norman, guiding Darcy to the living room with his arm wrapped around her.


    He gave me a very empathetic smile, and after giving him a small nod, I began to leave.


    I couldn¡¯t stay in the mansion while Darcy was here. She would make it so hard for me after I used her nephew. The brothers have asked me about the whole tree tie thing and I had asked Norman to respect the time I am asking for. So I had finally told them why I was tied outside, or at least who had tied me.


    As soon as I stepped outside, I grabbed my phone to call Salem and ask if she was nearby. I didn¡¯t want her toe here and get stuck in the snow. I believed the snowfall would start in twenty minutes, but the hostel wasn¡¯t too far, so we would be able to make it.


    But as I unlocked my phone, I frowned at the unknown number sending me messages.


    So this is where the notifications wereing from?


    I had a feeling it was either Zellu or Romeo. They were probably mocking me or taunting me about the other night when they had tied me to the tree.


    I never got to confront Lucy about her boyfriend¡¯s actions.


    The moment I opened the messages, my heart sank into my chest.


    It was the worst feeling ever.


    I started shaking as I scrolled through the images¡ªeach one making my body feel numb. A cold wave of sadness and horror struck me hard. My thumb trembled as it pressed against the screen. It was as if I have pressed a button to my death.


    "No!" I gasped, still standing on the porch, but mentally losing my grip on reality.


    The images were screenshots from videos.


    In one screenshot, I waspletely naked with one of them between my legs. His back hid his identity, but my whole body was on disy.


    shbacks from that night hit me, and soon, I realized how foolish I had been to forget about the countless videos they had recorded.


    They documented the whole thing, and without context, it looked awful.


    And even with context, I would never want those videos of me out there.

 Chapter 441-RIP!

    <h4>Chapter 441: 441-RIP!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    And in the other picture, my face was in focus, with a d*** forced into my mouth. But it wouldn¡¯t look forced in a picture if they tried to twist the contrast. Even when I am visibly crying and are devastated, I would still not want my pictures out.


    And then there were so many with my whole body and privates on disy while their identities were sessfully hidden. There were a few short videos too¡ªmore like gifs that failed to show the forced coercion, but they were enough to ruin me.


    Lastly, a text message that would make me look even worse. And I wouldn¡¯t be able to show the text to anyone without them thinking I was a part of it.


    Unknown: We had fun that night. We can book you again, right? Have your rates gone up, or are they still the same?


    I kept staring at the images. There were too many of them. Seeing myself like that in those pictures took me back to that ce, to that station.


    I remembered how I got up from the ground after thinking I had died and went home. That long walk, while my whole body ached and with almost no clothes on, was humiliating¡ªespecially when the neighbors saw me.


    Not a single person had the decency to cover me.


    They all stared, ogled at my body, and passedments.


    If these images go out, if these clips go viral, everyone will look at me with those same eyes.


    I stared into the distance and then startedughing at myself. Did I really think I could live a different life?


    That I could go after such powerful people and they wouldn¡¯t fight back?


    And then, when my phone beeped, little whimpers escaped my lips. I answered the call, slowly bringing my phone to my ear.


    "Please delete¡ª" I begged, breaking down on the call.


    "Tsk, tsk, tsk... why are you crying? I don¡¯t like to see pretty girls cry. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you, I was just admiring your beauty. And guess what? My friends and I just finished watching those videos and sharing them," Zellu said on the phone.


    I closed my eyes and clenched my jaw, shaking and struggling to breathe.


    "What happened? No sass for us today?" he mocked, but his fake sympathy was clear in his tone.


    "What do you want¡ª" I asked, stuttering. My heart hadn¡¯t recovered ever since I saw the images. I felt so vulnerable and weak again. It was like I had lived through that night all over again.


    "Just leave¡ªYou were supposed to die. So why don¡¯t you just turn off your phone, leave no trace, and disappear?" he muttered in a husky tone, purposely using the same voice he had whispered in my ear that night.


    "We want you gone, or else¡ªwe¡¯ll release these pictures. They¡¯ll reach your little sister¡¯s school, your academy, and every f***ing ce. Do you want that? Because without the full video, it pretty much looks like you were just a naughty girl in the past. And with your stepmother, stepbrother, father, and others backing it up, it¡¯ll be confirmed that you are lying about the rape."


    When he mentioned my father, it felt like a hard p across my face.


    Did he meet him?


    Or does he know that my father would immediately go against me? I mean, my stepmother always made me out to be a slut, and my father believed him. So I¡¯m sure once the news gets out, my father will bow down before them for money.


    "So?" he waited for my answer.


    There was nothing else I could do. I didn¡¯t want everyone to see me like that¡ªit wasn¡¯t my choice.


    "I will leave," I said.


    "No, you will die," he replied, and I started nodding and sniffling.


    "Say it. You will go outside when it¡¯s snowing and be food for the monsters. Guess what? You will die a hero," he pressed on, making me take a deep breath and stare into space.


    "So?" he asked again.


    "I will do as you want me to," I replied, feeling like the same Hnie from that night.


    "Good girl. Now you can finally rest in peace," heughed, making the others behind himugh too.


    I heard some familiar voices¡ªvoices I hadn¡¯t met in person again.


    But it didn¡¯t matter anymore.


    I cut the call and started walking in the snow.


    Everything slowed down.


    "So this is it," I uttered with a broken smile on my lips.


    As I slowly moved forward, I dropped my phone, then my bag.


    A few steps in, and I was headed nowhere.


    "I tried my best. I did," I sniffled. "But they won, and you know why?" I asked as snow started to fall.


    The thick mist from the snowstorm clouded my vision. It was as if every tear froze before it could fall down my cheek.


    "Because you were on their side," I uttered, raising my head and clenching my jaw. "You won."


    The cold started eating at my skin. Time passed, night arrived. My brain had stopped working¡ªI could no longer estimate where I was or where I was going. I just knew I had to keep walking until I was consumed by either the monsters or the snow.


    And then, just as I felt my breath stopping, I saw a woman in a white dress standing in the snowstorm.


    Her hair flowed freely, and no matter how hard I tried to focus on her feet, I couldn¡¯t see them. She seemed to be hovering in the air.


    Before long, she came toward me, and as I was passing out, I felt her wrap her fragile yet strong arms around me, lifting me into her embrace.


    "You think I¡¯m on their side? I¡¯ve only ever had one side¡ªand it¡¯s yours," I heard the woman say, her voice making it hard for me to understand who she was and what she was talking about.


    "I¡¯m not going to let you die after watching you struggle so much to live," she whispered.


    And suddenly, I could no longer feel the cold.

 Chapter 442-The Missing Lover

    <h4>Chapter 442: 442-The Missing Lover</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    "Mom shouldn¡¯t have touched Hnie," I hissed repeatedly, pacing from one corner of the room to the other.


    "Why did she do that? Does it suit Mom to be putting her hands on a teenager?" Maximus agreed with me, shaking his head vigorously.


    We were upset about the incident. I ran outside to check on her, but she had already left for the hostel. I was a littlete because I had to give Davon his medicine. The kid didn¡¯t want to take it from anyone else.


    "You guys are acting like Mom killed her," Kaye said as soon as he stood by Mom¡¯s side. Maximus and I shared a nce before turning to look at him.


    "I¡¯m just saying that Hnie used our cousin of a crime. Of course, Mom took offense. And then this Hnie¡ªshe always opens her mouth toin," he hissed, folding his arms over his chest.


    "A minute?" Norman came in, knocking on the open door and asking Kaye to join him. "Since you¡¯re the only one on Mom¡¯s side, why don¡¯t you go stay with her and calm her down for a bit? Because her drama isn¡¯t over yet."


    I loved how openly Norman called Mom out for being dramatic.


    "Drama? Why are you all being so disrespectful toward her?" Kaye retaliated, not liking that we were talking about Lady Darcy in that tone.


    "Kaye, there was only one victim here today, and it was Hnie. Romeo tied her up in the snow. How the heck Mom somehow turned out to be the one who needsfort right now is beyond me," I yelled, frustrated.


    My eyesnded behind Norman, and he followed my stare to see our mom standing outside my room with the most dramatic look on her face.


    With a hand over her mouth, she ran through the passage, probably expecting us to follow her. Instead, only Kaye ran out.


    Norman sighed and walked after them to make sure Mom didn¡¯t manipte Kaye too much with her tears.


    "How are you, Maximus?" I turned my attention to him. It had been a whole week since west talked. He had been keeping to himself mostly.


    "I¡¯m great, don¡¯t worry about me."


    The way he avoided looking at me made my heart ache. If only I could tell him what he meant to me, he would realize I was never drowning myself in alcohol because I cared less¡ªbut because I wanted them to forget about me before I forgot about them.


    But sometimes, my emotions would rise to the surface, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to hold them in anymore.


    "I care, Maximus¡ª" As soon as I reached out to put my hand on his shoulder, he turned around angrily and pushed me back.


    "No, you f***ing don¡¯t. You never cared. All you do is drink and drink. Even when you knew your drinking would make you miss so much of our childhood, or that whenever we needed you, we found you missing because you had passed out¡ªyou still chose to drink," he yelled, tears welling in his eyes.


    "Maximus¡ªI¡ª" I stuttered, fighting the urge to tell him what he meant to me.


    "No, don¡¯t even try to say anything. Because every time you say something, your coldness hurts me more. You f***ing came for Hnie¡ªnot once have you evere for me. I¡¯ve always been left out¡ªalways suffering and in pain¡ª" he stopped, biting onto his fist to silence himself.


    It had gotten to the point that he didn¡¯t even want toin anymore because of the differences between us.


    "I didn¡¯te for Hnie that night," it was time to be honest with him.


    He scoffed, waving his hand to dismiss me.


    "I came for you. I didn¡¯t even know Hnie was outside. I didn¡¯t even see her when you had her cornered. All I could see was my brother¡ªand I did everything I could for you."


    My words made him turn and look at me.


    "You came for me?" he asked, as if he couldn¡¯t believe it.


    "I always did," I uttered. "Even when¡ª" I shut up, but he rushed at me, pushing me back until my back hit the wall.


    "Tell me, even what?" he shouted, still pushing me.


    "Even when¡ª" I was about to tell him when my phone rang, and I quickly sidestepped away from him.


    "Yes?" I asked, rubbing my hands over my face.


    "Hi, Professor Emmet, it¡¯s me, Salem. Is Hnieing home or not? I¡¯ve been trying to contact her. I was hurried back to the hostel, but I haven¡¯t heard from her. So I was wondering if she had nned to stay there?"


    It was like she had thrown a brick of ice over my head. My head suddenly started pounding, my ears ringing. For a moment, the world around me froze, and all I could focus on was¡ª


    ¡¯Hnie left¡ªif she hasn¡¯t reached the hostel, where the heck is she?¡¯


    My wolf howled in worry, getting agitated.


    "Umm, yeah. She¡¯s staying here, but her phone died," I lied, realizing that if the students left the hostel and started looking for her themselves, they could get in danger. I didn¡¯t want to divert my energy or forces into saving them when all hands should be on deck to look for Hnie.


    "Oh, alright. Tell her we said to take care of herself," Salem sounded relieved, but I wasn¡¯t.


    Meanwhile, Maximus had a frown on his forehead after listening to my response. I bet he could already tell something was wrong and that I was talking about Hnie.


    Once I hung up the phone, I stared into Maximus¡¯ eyes and announced,


    "Hnie didn¡¯t reach the hostel, and nobody came to pick her up."


    "What?" Maximus gulped, shock in his eyes mirroring mine.


    "She¡¯s out there¡ªand it¡¯s f***ing snowing," I grunted, quickly reaching for my drawer to grab a weapon.


    "I¡¯m telling Norman too," Maximus yelled as he rushed out of my room to start a search for Hnie.

 Chapter 443-The Insane Brothers

    <h4>Chapter 443: 443-The Insane Brothers</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    "It had been two days¡ªtwo fricking days." Maximus sat on the front porch, his eyes empty as if he had no soul left in his body. We had turned the entire roguemunity upside down, but obviously, we couldn¡¯t go through every area. Snow covered the trees, rocks, and Goddess knows what else.


    "How is Emmet?" Maximus asked, turning his head to me. I sat down on the stairs with him and sighed.


    "Not good. Sometimes, he acts super worried, and then the next minute, he acts like he doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on." I was worried about Emmet. Those symptoms weren¡¯t good.


    And then there was Davon¡ªhe had been so weak, too.


    "What do you think happened to her?" I watched Maximus¡¯s eyes sh with a hint of disaster if I said one wrong word.


    "I am sure she is fine." All four of my heartbeats skipped when thinking about Hnie.


    Her innocent little face shed before my eyes¡ªher pity, her sass. It had been two days, but it felt like months.


    I guess I had gotten used to hearing herin, putting me in my ce, and arguing whenever she felt something was wrong.


    She had grown into such a sassy and confident person that I couldn¡¯t help but be proud of her, even when I was at the receiving end of her savage remarks most of the time.


    I couldn¡¯t imagine anything happening to her. And even though I had been keeping myself together for my brothers, I was extremely worried and breaking apart deep inside for my stepsister.


    It was true¡ªI had decided to ept her as my stepsister after I realized how much I cared for her. I guess my wolf, too, wanted her as our family.


    "If so, then where is she?" Maximus hissed.


    Our eyes shifted to Kaye, who had returned after a run. I grabbed his shirt from the side and threw it at him, along with his pants from the other side.


    "I¡¯m afraid I have bad news," Kaye said through heavy breaths. He had been looking for Hnie along with us. Even though he didn¡¯t show desperation, he was doing his duty better than us. Probably because he wasn¡¯t too emotionally invested, so his energy was on another level, while we were afraid at every step we took for Hnie.


    "What do you mean?" I asked him. As he put on his clothes, he threw a stic bag toward us. I caught it, and Maximus kept staring at it. I guess he was too afraid to even look inside.


    I hastily opened the bag and looked inside to find something familiar.


    "I believe that¡¯s Hnie¡¯s phone and bag," Kaye heaved, rubbing his cheek, which had turned red from the cold at this point.


    "What does that mean?" Maximus rose from his spot. "This can¡¯t mean¡ªit¡ª" he started stammering. Hnie¡¯s phone was ruined so we couldn¡¯t even get a clue from it.


    "Kaye," I looked at him, gulping, as I knew what needed to be done.


    "I am going there, and you will tell me where you found this stuff. She has to be somewhere around¡ªoh! Maybe she was upset with Mom, so she decided to just run away," Maximus smiled, cing a hand on his chest, and I already knew this wasn¡¯t looking good for him.


    Kaye steadily moved to the side, extending his arm to the warrior who handed him an injection.


    I had prepared these for us, for Emmet and Maximus. I was afraid that if any bad news arrived, we would need it for them.


    I was stunned too, but not as much. I just didn¡¯t believe Hnie was gone. She must have dropped these, or someone had kidnapped her¡ªthat could be the exnation. And I would find her. I just didn¡¯t want to believe the other possibility.


    In a very subtle movement, Kaye reached Maximus and wrapped his arms around his brother. "Shhh! Everything will be okay." With that, Kaye injected him with a heavy dose of wolfsbane.


    "What? I was supposed to go out there and look for her!" Maximus screamed, pushing Kaye away, but Kaye kept his arms tightly wrapped around him. Maximus started scratching Kaye¡¯s back with his ws¡ªor whatever strength was left in his wolf¡ªto attack him.


    Good thing Maximus was just a werewolf when it wasn¡¯t a full moon.


    And soon, Maximus started to fall asleep.


    "You go check on Emmet," Kaye said, putting Maximus over his shoulder and taking him inside.


    Emmet would be a hard one to control. I took a deep breath and started walking toward the passage. The snow would start again, and life would go on. But where the heck would I find Hnie?


    We should have focused on interrogating her about the night when she was tied to the tree. Whoever tied her must be behind this too. What if that person kidnapped her?


    I briskly made my way to Emmet¡¯s room. I didn¡¯t have to knock because the door was open, and he was standing with his back facing me.


    "Emmet, I don¡¯t know what it means, but Kaye found Hnie¡¯s phone and bag in the snow," I said in a steady tone, ready tofort him if it came to that.


    He slowly turned around and squeezed his eyes a little.


    "Who?" he asked, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up.


    "Emmet, Hnie," I repeated her name, and Emmet shook his head.


    "Who is that?" he questioned again, looking so genuinely confused that it shook my heart deep inside my chest.


    "She is¡ªone of our students. Would you pleasee with me to find her?" Despite the craziness of him forgetting her, I had to keep it together and find her first. Of course, something was wrong with Emmet too, but I was sure I¡¯d be able to help himter.


    For now, Hnie was out there, probably all alone.


    "Sure, wait outside. I¡¯ll change and join you," he offered, concerned but only as much as he would be for any student.


    I left him in the room and stopped in the passage, taking a deep breath while waiting for him.


    "Where have you gone, Miss Troublemaker?" I looked at the sky and asked when my phone beeped, and a text popped up.


    Unknown: I am one of the culprits, and I wanted to help her. But they didn¡¯t let me. However, she left because they threatened her, ckmailed her.

 Chapter 444-The Ugly Truth And The Brother’s Rage

    <h4>Chapter 444: 444-The Ugly Truth And The Brother¡¯s Rage</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    I couldn¡¯t understand what that text meant. What culprit? And who threatened her? What ckmail material did they have on her to make her run away?


    So I was right¡ªshe left on her own.


    "And you guys thought putting me to sleep was the right decision?" Maximus threw another vase at Kaye, who dodged it and rolled his eyes.


    "Now who¡¯s wasting time?" Kayemented with a shrug.


    I didn¡¯t like his behavior. I had been noticing my brothers acting weirdtely, but only now was I realizing that it had gone too far.


    When looking into Kaye¡¯s eyes, I could barely see my brother. It felt like an imposter was trying hard to look empathetic toward us and others.


    "It¡¯s Emmet who¡¯s wasting time," I reminded them that we had another brother who didn¡¯t even remember who Hnie was.


    "Let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t care who¡¯s wasting time¡ªI¡¯m leaving to look for her." Maximus put on his shoes, still a little wobbly.


    After I received that text message, I tried to track it down, but then the snow got so bad that we had to retreat our warriors. We brothers stayed outside while Maximus slept on wolfsbane. But that search turned into a fight with glims. So our time was wasted.


    "I¡¯m ready, let¡¯s head out," Emmet arrived, and we started our journey together.


    Our attention was no longer on the monsters¡ªwe were focused on Hnie.


    Now it was the third day, and the hostel fellows had been blowing up our phones, asking about Hnie. The bad signals helped us keep the secret for a while, but before long, they would start showing up at the mansion in groups.


    Not that they hadn¡¯t already.


    But we always lied about her being out getting groceries or something.


    We were on edge about going around without any idea where to look for her. What confused us the most was that even when we got a lead, it didn¡¯t help us at all.


    And Emmet being so clueless wasn¡¯t helping either.


    "Emmet, you know we¡¯re looking for a blonde chick, right?" I groaned at Kaye, and I bet I heard Maximus growl at him as well.


    How did he find a moment to joke?


    Wasn¡¯t he her mate? And if I¡¯m not wrong, he had epted her.


    Unless... something was very wrong with him.


    But we continued our journey.


    "She must be hiding somewhere then. Whoever was scaring her must have made her run away," Maximus suggested.


    We didn¡¯t even want to think about the possibility that something had happened to her.


    The monsters had attacked many rogues in the woods, and their bodies were never found because they would eat everyst bone. But I disagreed when a warrior suggested that something simr might have happened to Hnie.


    "You do realize there aren¡¯t many ces in the roguemunity where one can hide from the snow? She either went to a pack¡ªwhich is very unlikely¡ªor she¡¯s hiding in a mansion, a hostel, or the academy. All ces we¡¯ve already searched, and she¡¯s not there," Kaye took a realistic approach, but I wished he had stayed quiet.


    "So what are you saying? That we just go back and act like it¡¯s fine that she¡¯s gone?" Maximus yelled again.


    I felt bad for him. He had been so emotional.


    And while I watched them argue, something suddenly clicked in my head.


    "Or maybe a cave!"


    As soon as I said that, the three of them turned to me.


    "And I know a cave she recently took an interest in."


    My heart started pounding at my words, almost like it was thanking me for noticing.


    "Which cave?" Emmet asked.


    "There¡¯s one cave she knows."


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t the Lycan¡¯s Cave. It was the same cave where we had found Emmet before.


    I started leading them straight to the cave where I thought she might be. After an hour, just as the snow was about to start again, we reached it.


    "She¡¯s in here," Maximus yelled, rushing past all of us into the cave.


    We all hurried in after him¡ªand what we saw tore us apart.


    At least, it did for me.


    There she was, finally found.


    She sat behind a big rock, dark circles under her eyes, the bags beneath them showing she had been crying ever since she left.


    But it was the way she sat, with her knees pulled to her chest and her arms wrapped around them, that truly shook us.


    "Hnie..."


    And just as expected, the sight of her made Emmet remember her.


    He said her name, but his steps were heavy, like he was struggling to walk.


    "It¡¯s over," she whispered, her eyes on us.


    I could tell she was shocked that we had arrived, but her condition was so bad that she couldn¡¯t properly show her emotions.


    "Hnie," I said her name, taking off my coat to approach her¡ª


    But then she let out a scream so terrifying that I backed away instantly.


    "Don¡¯te any closer," she screamed, and I nodded, surrendering.


    "I won¡¯t," I assured her that I wasn¡¯t going to approach her again.


    But something about her reaction was so frightening that even Kaye looked disturbed.


    "Nothing is over. We¡¯ll take care of everything," Maximus knelt down at a little distance, careful not to trigger her.


    Whatever she was going through was terrifying.


    "It is over. They will leak it," she uttered, tears still falling from her eyes.


    Her once rosy, smooth cheeks looked rough.


    "What? What will they leak?" Maximus asked, his voice softer now.


    My eyes briefly shifted to Emmet, who had his hands over his head, like he was trying to keep himself from losing it.


    "The videos," she replied.


    "Hnie, nobody can do shit to you, okay?"


    I was scared of what she would say next.


    But what she did say was something I could have never imagined in a million years.


    In a very sad, broken voice, she whispered¡ª


    "But they will. They took so many videos that night."


    "What videos?" Maximus asked.


    Hnie zoned out for a moment¡ª


    Then she spoke.


    And her words shattered the ground beneath our feet.


    "When they gang-raped me."

 Chapter 445-The Traumatic Life Of Our Stepsister

    <h4>Chapter 445: 445-The Traumatic Life Of Our Stepsister</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    For a good few seconds, I forgot to move a muscle. It was as if she was speaking anothernguage. My mind went numb, and I could tell my brothers were too stunned too. But someone had to wake up so that Hnie could be saved.


    She was shaking so miserably, looking so innocently broken.


    "Hnie, let¡¯s go home first." I knelt down at her side, holding my hand out, but she shook her head.


    "Don¡¯t touch me," she warned me, gripping my heart in her fist.


    "I will scream and fight this time," she added, her eyes widening. Three whole days with so much trauma, with no food and no warm clothes. I could only imagine how she must have felt.


    "What is she talking about? Could it be that she hallucinated everything due to the cold and stress?" Maximus asked Emmet and Kaye and then knelt down beside me again. His words didn¡¯t sound like a question, more like a request. He was waiting for any of us to tell him it was just a nightmare.


    "I remember," Emmet suddenly shook his head and then pushed me out of his way, making me sit on my ass on the ground while he took over.


    "Hnie, did one of them tie outside?" he asked her, sounding like himself again.


    I began to share eye contact with my other brothers as if they were also catching on to something important. Emmet knew about everything. But what exactly? Does that mean¡ªHnie had a secret, and this is what it was?


    "Don¡¯t touch me," Hnie warned him, and his body tensed up. I could tell he was not taking her rejection well. He looked so worried that his body was emitting an aura of tension.


    "Okay, everyone, we have to do this," I said to my brothers, making eye contact with Kaye, who was staring at Hnie.


    "Kaye," I snapped my fingers and found him shaking his head to bring himself back to reality.


    "Huh?" He ced his hand on his chest and rubbed it. "What do you want?"


    He wasn¡¯t even looking at me. Almost like he was waking up from a slumber and trying to gather what his feelings were.


    "Kaye, that thing¡ª" I eyed him, mouthing the words so that Hnie wouldn¡¯t see it. She looked traumatized and ready to fight. I didn¡¯t think she was able to differentiate between past and present right now. She was stuck in whatever trauma she was talking about.


    "The intoxication," I eyed him.


    "Hmm, take it." He looked through his pockets and handed me the needle, not even focusing on anything.


    "Kaye, you¡¯re supposed to help me with this. The other two can¡¯t focus on anything; they¡¯re too caught up in why Hnie is reacting this way to them," I tried to get Kaye¡¯s attention, even standing up and walking closer to him.


    "I want names," Kaye looked at me, shaking his head. "I want names, brother. I will hang their bodies out in the open." His lips quivered, breaking my heart at his condition. He was clearly affected, but he kept going in and out of self-awareness. And it was concerning.


    "I understand. We will do it together. But look at her, she needsfort and a little sleep, right?" I didn¡¯t even turn to look at Hnie. I was so used to her being a sassy ass that seeing her broken like this was breaking me.


    "You do it." Kaye ced his hand on my shoulder and pushed me very gently. He turned away and started rubbing his face in his hands.


    I sighed, feeling the pressure on me. So I had to do it myself now. I strolled closer and then knelt down. Hnie squeezed herself together, ring at me in fear and ready to fight back.


    "I¡¯m sorry." As soon as I said that and her eyes widened, I stabbed her with the needle in her arm.


    She let out a screech and pushed me, her hand so hot that I felt my chest burning.


    "Fuck!" I grimaced, cing a hand on my chest where she had touched.


    "What have you done¡ªwhy did you¡ª?" she started to scream, but Maximus and Emmet took over. They held her arms to prevent her from hurting herself. She started to lose consciousness and fell into a deep slumber right before our eyes.


    I got up and reached the cave¡¯s exit, staring outside.


    "We have to wait. It¡¯s snowing," I reminded them that it wasn¡¯t a good time to leave yet.


    However, I did peer inside my shirt to find her handprint on the side of my chest. She had burned my skin, but how?


    I didn¡¯t say it out loud, but it would need attentionter. A mere werewolf is not supposed to have such a power.


    After the snow stopped, Emmet carried Hnie, and we left for home. We decided to go back home instead of taking her to the academy.


    I suggested my bedroom for her, even when Emmet was persistent about taking her to his room. His room was pretty much out in the open, with a passage that got snow very often. If Hnie acted aggressive again and left the room, she would immediately be in a dangerous spot, facing the creatures.


    Whereas in my room, she would have to pass the stairs and the living room to run out. Maximus¡¯¡¯ room was out of the question as well. Charlotte and the others will not like it and we didn¡¯t want any new drama.


    "What is going on?" As soon as we reached the mansion and got inside, our dad questioned us. Hnie¡¯s mother covered her mouth with her hands, showing a more concerned expression than she usually did.


    "We found her¡ª" I said, watching Emmet take her upstairs.


    "But what happened to her? Where had she been?" Dad asked, making me take a deep breath before I told him the truth.


    Or at least half of it¡ªthe part Hnie told us. I was curious about the details because there was a vige full of culprits I had to set fire to.


    "Her rapists threatened her into leaving everyone and ending her life."


    I could tell my father¡¯s brain might have gone frozen. He took a step back and then turned to look at Hnie¡¯s mother, who shuddered visibly before falling to the ground.

 Chapter 446-I Am Ready To Tell The World

    <h4>Chapter 446: 446-I Am Ready To Tell The World</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    The darkness of the room reminded me of my empty dreams. The silence was equivalent to my screams from that night. I didn¡¯t realize I would have such an intense copse. But sadly, even the sight of any man, regardless of his rtionship with me, was sending me to hell and back.


    I sat on the bed, my arms wrapped around my body, staring at the wall in front of me. There was a picture frame of the brothers together hanging there.


    I twisted my neck a little and noticed the big frame behind the bed¡¯s wall. It was Norman¡¯s pictures.


    So this has to be Norman¡¯s bedroom.


    I sighed, trying to recall happy thoughts. There were none. Everything was tainted with sadness and violence in my mind.


    The door opened for the fifth time, and this time Norman walked in alone. In thest 13 hours, I had scrambled at everyone who had trieding to speak with me. I remember closing my eyes to hide from Emmet while asking him to leave me alone. I did the same with Maximus, Lamar, and even Gavin.


    Norman told me that my friends hade to see me, and I threw a fit. I didn¡¯t want to see a man anywhere around me.


    "Why are you here?" I hissed, turning my face to the other side to avoid looking at his face.


    "We cannot sit silently after the usations you have made," Norman said, keeping his voice very low and calm.


    "Get out of here," I hissed at him, warning him to leave and not try toe near me.


    "I will. But I need to speak with you," he requested again, this time walking closer to the bed and sitting down on it. I immediately pulled my legs closer to my body while hiding half of myself under the nket.


    "When I was only a kid¡ªI had been in a situation where I couldn¡¯t find a way out," he started, making me narrow my eyes at him.


    What was he trying to do?


    "I was attacked by a monster," he sighed. "That monster was a vile thing." He scoffed,ughing at the memory of it.


    "What did it do?" I inquired, and it was as if my question brought him some relief.


    "It took my heart from my chest."


    My body shuddered, my eyes widening a little more than before.


    "It stopped my heartbeat, Hnie."


    I shook my head in confusion.


    "Remember that night¡ªyou had the me of Lust in the guesthouse? You touched my heart¡ªmy chest¡ªand you felt it. You asked me a question," he started to remind me of that night, and I began to have shbacks of it.


    "You¡¯re probably able to remember it now. That¡¯s how it works. If someone reminds you exactly what you did during the me of Lust period¡ªyou will have the full memory of it," he added.


    "What did you say when I asked you?" I didn¡¯t even know what he had asked me.


    "You asked why I have four heartbeats," he smiled, and it felt like a current ran through my body.


    "Ohhh!" I gasped, cing my hand over my mouth.


    That was a wild night. How did I forget those interactions with him? We had a deep conversation, almost like heart to heart.


    "Why are you telling me this now?" I questioned, unable to focus on one thing at a time when my mind was still stuck on the memory of my own trauma.


    "Emmet didn¡¯t tell us much because he wants you to tell us. But he did tell us that Kaidon is involved, and he ims to have been under the me of Lust, so he thought it was a dream or a nightmare. We can get his memory back," he kept his voice low, making it sound moreforting.


    "What else did Emmet tell you?" I questioned again.


    "Honestly, just Kaidon¡¯s name. He said we should wait for you to talk. Kaidon¡¯s name was brought up because he wanted to find him," he exined.


    "I don¡¯t know what happened¡ªbut I want to know. You have my word that justice will be served," he looked determined, causing my body to rx a little.


    "It is okay to feel this way," he started again.


    "But I am back to zero. I learned to fight, defend myself, and even became a good student. Only for all of it to copse," I stuttered, and tears started spilling down my eyes again.


    "You are not back to zero. This is you! This is proof that it was your final straw. You are finally out of that ce where you were too afraid to even think about it. The reason you had a meltdown was because the emotions finally surfaced. Hnie, you forced yourself to move on from the trauma. It doesn¡¯t work like that. You are back and better. This Hnie is the one I want you to be¡ªwith a mix of your crazy, sassy side," he smiled at his own words, making me crack a smile too.


    "So tell me, what do you want to do?" he questioned, extending his hand for mine, but he quickly retrieved it. I was staring at his hand too.


    "They will leak those videos," I uttered meekly.


    "Over my dead body," he said, his voice harsher this time.


    "Those videos will be gone. The pictures will never be seen again. Have some trust, will you?" He finally extended his hand again, making me stare at my small hand.


    "Just take the first stand, we will always be there for you. You are not alone in this fight, you have us, and our priority remains you, no matter what," he said even more determinedly this time.


    I kept watching him and then his hand before I shakily extended mine and ced it in his. His hand was warm and big but firm and strong.


    He tightened his fingers around mine and asked me again, "So take a moment and then tell me, what do you want to do?"


    "I want to tell the truth to the world now. I want to take a stand and finally punish them," I hissed with determination while he smiled at my confidence.

 Chapter 447-The Bad Daughter

    <h4>Chapter 447: 447-The Bad Daughter</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    After I had a talk with Norman, he let me rest. I was putting together all the details in my head so that I¡¯d know what to say when I talked to everyone.


    "So, you have finallye home?" Emma stormed in, making me jump and crawl away in bed.


    "Look at you, acting all scared and traumatized. How are you traumatized now? You were fine then. How can someone suddenly feel so frightened and full of sadness after months have passed?" The look of disbelief on her face was what had bothered me all this time. This was what I had been so afraid of when thinking about telling someone about that night. The questions they would ask would be hard for me to answer. Because they weren¡¯t calcted responses; they were my emotions, my feelings.


    "You lied about rape, didn¡¯t you? How can so many men have fucked you, and you still survived? You must have liked it," she ced her hands on her waist and yelled, almost like she wasughing at me.


    "And now you are here to capitalize on that freaky night to make it even more beneficial for yourself. You think a group of alphas would have nothing better to do than to find a wolf-less girl to fuck? They can have any girl they want, so why would they force you?" She was asking all the questions that I had been afraid of hearing.


    "Don¡¯t look at me all sad. I am not one of those people who don¡¯t know the truth. I am a woman too, and I know how a woman can lie. You were here, and sure, you had some bruises and marks, but that was just a fun time and your own kink. How could a raped girl travel so much and then get admitted into an academy? Like, make it make sense. Weren¡¯t you supposed to be too scarred to do anything? And then I saw you smile andugh and enjoy life¡ªhow could a dignified woman do that? A woman with self-respect would have ended her life," she hissed, stepping toward me. I was silent. I couldn¡¯t even say a word.


    "Thank goodness my daughter is nothing like you. My Charlotte is innocent. She would never do anything this disgusting to cause her mother stress and shame. I am proud of my girl, and I wish nobody ever has a daughter like you," she hunched down and hissed in my face, pinching my chin to make me raise my head to her level.


    "But I¡ª" I uttered, and she hissed at me.


    "No! You are a bad daughter. You have caused so much shame to your family. You have hurt your mother with your words. Look at Charlotte. Don¡¯t you think you would be jealous of her? My daughter has never done a single thing to make me cry. She wouldn¡¯t even say a word that would hurt me," as she kept yapping, I felt her being pulled away from me by force.


    "So what do you want Hnie to do? Marry your daughter?" Salem pushed her back, shocking her.


    "And who the fuck are you?" Emma yelled, but Salem squared up.


    "If youe to her and say one more word¡ª" Salem grabbed her hair in her fist, shocking her.


    "Go away. Find pleasure somewhere else, you desperate, horny woman," Salem was quick to understand what kind of things would make Emma feel humiliated.


    "What the heck¡ª" Emma freed herself and ran toward the door, too frightened to say another word.


    "I will tell Lord McQuoid now," she yelled from the door, rushing out. I heard a little argument outside, and I could tell maybe Norman had spotted her. He then opened the door fully and brought her back in, his hand around her arm as he pushed her toward the bed.


    Emma looked like she had been harassed by a mob. The woman who had just told me I was being dramatic now lookedpletely shaken up by just a few harsh res and a rough grab from Salem and Norman.


    "So, what do you say to people when you¡¯re being an ass?" Norman asked her, slipping his hands into his pockets.


    "I am sorry," Emma said to me before sprinting out of the room as soon as she was done. Salem gave me a smile and sat down on the bed with me.


    "Hold my hands," Salem requested, stretching her hands out for me to hold. I hesitantly ced mine in hers. Every touch made my body startle visibly. There were times when I thought I should stop being so scared or jumpy. I didn¡¯t want people to think I was being dramatic. But when I forced myself, and the rpse happened, it was even messier.


    They would never truly understand my feelings. The brutality of someone taking another person¡¯s body without permission. People wouldn¡¯t even let someone taste their food without permission. Ask these men if they would let anyone drive their car without their permission. A body is an even more sacred possession of one¡¯s soul.


    But people who didn¡¯t understand would never understand.


    "Everyone is here. They want to hear what you have to say," her voice softened, her wolf helping herfort me. And honestly, I didn¡¯t know her wolf was a symbol of healing. Her voice made me feel so rxed that my body felt light.


    "Don¡¯t be surprised. My wolf¡¯s specialty is healing," she uttered when she noticed I was examining her a little too deeply.


    "Are you ready?" she asked, and I gave her a nod. Norman stepped out of the way as I got out of bed and walked downstairs with Salem holding my hand.


    We entered the living room, and sure enough, every single person was there¡ªeven Penn and my friends.


    I sat down on a chair ced near the firece while others stood or sat in front of me. It was time for a big confession, the secret to be told so that I could finally fight for myself openly.


    "I took admission for revenge," I started.

 Chapter 448-All Together And Standing Beside Me.

    <h4>Chapter 448: 448-All Together And Standing Beside Me.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I kept my head down while telling my story from start to finish.


    "It was also then that I promised the Moon Goddess I would not ept my mate until I had my revenge," I said, steadily raising my eyes to look at Kaye. His mouth opened in shock, but he kept his reaction subtle.


    "One of them was Rayden, the other is Kaidon. Then there¡¯s Zellu and Romeo¡ªI haven¡¯t met the others," I added.


    Everyone was silently watching me, while Penn took deep, heavy breaths. He hadn¡¯t lifted his eyes from the ground this whole time. And when he did briefly, I saw the tears in his eyes.


    "And you all trust¡ª" Emma, who had been standing in the corner, opened her mouth, but Norman hissed.


    "Stay out of it," he muttered.


    My mother sat in the corner, keeping her head down. Charlotte shed a smirk here and there every time she heard me talk about that night. It was like she was happy I went through it.


    "You¡¯re hearing this? You think our nephew would do something like that?" Darcy asked Lord McQuoid, who refused to look me in the eye.


    "I didn¡¯t know our cousin was born with only pureness," Maximus scoffed at his mother.


    "But he is born with our blood. We would never do something like that," Lord McQuoid hissed at his son. I watched my mother stretch her neck before staring at her fianc¨¦.


    Her eyes shifted to mine, and for a brief moment, we looked at each other before we both looked away.


    "I will speak now, and I request everyone to let me finish," Lord McQuoid sighed, straightening his back in his seat. "I am not questioning your story. But this is a serious usation. I have seen women lie every day. I am not saying it didn¡¯t happen¡ªit did. And the one who did it got his punishment of death. Rayden was responsible, there was proof of it. But there is literally no proof to go against such powerful alphas. And it would be wrong to use innocent people," Lord McQuoid said, causing Emmet to scoff and roll his eyes.


    "We could give them some of those herbs or use those weapons to make them tell the truth," Maximus sighed, shaking his head as he mentioned the deadly weapons that forced people to confess.


    "Maybe you¡¯re forgetting that we signed an agreement stating those weapons will only be used during war and never on any pack¡¯s alpha," Lord McQuoid reminded his sons.


    "Besides, an alpha carries a lot of his pack¡¯s secrets. You want him to reveal those? That¡¯s why these weapons are never used on alphas," Lady Darcy quickly jumped in to defend them.


    "So what do you think I should do?" I lifted my head and asked Lord McQuoid, who seemed pretty upset about the recent events. Theck of eye contact made me see the doubt in his eyes.


    "I am sure there were others involved, like you im, but how can you be so certain it was Romeo? Maybe it was someone like him. Did he tell you his name that night?" he asked, keeping his tone neutral.


    "Yeah, he gave her his address and submitted his CV too," Maximusmented, taunting his father for his question.


    "Son, these questions¡ªand even harsher ones¡ªwill be askedter," Lord McQuoid turned to nce at Maximus, who was hunched down with his elbows on his thighs, his eyes shooting daggers. He was constantly shaking his left, showing anxiety.


    At that moment, I could tell that apart from Darcy, Emma, Charlotte, Lord McQuoid, and possibly my mother too, everyone else believed me. Kaye was another story. I could no longer recognize him, despite him showing a little concern.


    "That is right. Hnie has no proof to go after them," Lady Darcy sighed. In fact, she seemed to smile a little toofortably.


    "And then she¡¯s saying they have videos of her. Do you want to go public with the usations with no proof? The real culprits will release your videos¡ªwhat would you do then? And you said they are not visible in the videos, so it will be just bad for you," Darcy shrugged, making me close my eyes and take shallow breaths. She was trying to scare me away because, deep down, I was sure she had little fear that Romeo might be guilty.


    "Don¡¯t worry about those videos. The inte will be shut down for a while," Norman hissed.


    "And how will you do that? You¡¯re just a rogue¡ªmaybe a future rogue king¡ªbut you cannot control the alpha kings and if they will allow the shut down of the inte," Darcy was quick to use a stern voice with Norman the moment he triedforting me.


    "Our brother said it¡¯s taken care of," shock hit Darcy when it was Kaye who supported his brother. She gave him a look, almost like she was asking if he knew where he stood in this matter.


    "The inte connections have been destroyed somehow¡ªmaybe due to snow," Kaye shrugged, making it clear that he had done something.


    "Well, sharing videos is still possible, isn¡¯t it?" Lady Darcy folded her arms over her chest, making Emmet let out augh, which caused her to check her posture.


    "I was just talking to the council¡ªand there has been an issue. Since we haven¡¯t taken care of the Gims, the snow is spreading to the packs now. So¡ªI don¡¯t think we can work until they provide us ess to their packs and manually conduct a checkup on everyone¡¯s phones," Emmet added, making Darcy¡¯s jaw drop.


    My mother had been sitting still, rubbing her palms anxiously and taking slow, steady breaths. She hadn¡¯t moved a muscle or spoken a word. After some time, I thought she was a statue.


    "You will let those monsters attack innocent people for her crazy story?" As Darcy mmed her hand on the table and yelled, Norman turned to her and mmed his hand down even harder, breaking the ss. Then, in the same aggressive tone¡ªonly more powerful¡ªhe responded:


    "Short answer? Yes!"

 Chapter 449-The Culprit In My Feet

    <h4>Chapter 449: 449-The Culprit In My Feet</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I can¡¯t believe our trainer¡¯s mother is so evil," Salem whispered in my ear as she sat with me on the chair. The trainers and their parents had stepped out to have a conversation. Only Charlotte was left behind with my group of friends. She looked like she was now getting bored since no one was entertaining her. I had never known she would grow up to be so evil. He was a spitting image of her mother. People who benefit from people and find pleasure in other¡¯s misery. My mother had acted weird throughout the time. She barely raised her eyes, almost like she wasn¡¯t even breathing.


    "So, you¡¯re all students of Vortex?" Charlotte asked after finally putting her phone down in herp.


    Penn hadn¡¯t been able to raise his head while leaning back against the wall.


    "Yeah, that¡¯s all you have to say? I thought you¡¯d at least have the decency to say a word or two offort to your cousin," Salem taunted, crossing one leg over the other.


    "I¡¯m sorry that happened to you," Charlotte said to me, her eyes empty of any sympathy.


    "Now, can you please leave? You see, it¡¯s just us friends left." Well, of course, it¡¯s Salem. She hasn¡¯t changed much, but now she was directing her mean energy toward the people who actually deserved it.


    "Maybe you should watch yourself. You¡¯re standing in my mansion," Charlotte hissed at Salem, who scoffed, making Charlotte clench her jaw.


    "Can somebody please make her go away?" Penn finally snapped, making Charlotte shoot a harsh re at everyone before stomping out of the living room.


    Now that it was just my friends, Penn started pacing around. "None of you thought I should know?" he yelled, making Lamar look away.


    "At least you should have told me, Lamar. I would have done something about it. If not now, back when Rayden was hurting her. You guys hid so much from me." He was yelling at the others, but when he turned to me, he looked defeated and sniffled. "I¡¯m so sorry¡ªI had no clue¡ªGoddess! You went through so much, and you didn¡¯t tell anyone. How did you keep going with so much pain in your heart?" he asked, barely making eye contact with me. I didn¡¯t even know why he felt so guilty¡ªhe hadn¡¯t done anything wrong.


    "Hnie! I believe you. I believe every single person you¡¯re pointing at is guilty. We¡¯ll get the truth out," he said, walking over and kneeling in front of me, holding my hands.


    "You don¡¯t need proof?" I asked.


    "No! We know you. It¡¯s one thing for someone who¡¯s always lied and gotten people in trouble to make such ims. Even then, a proper investigation is what Alphas should do. But in your case, sadly, I know everything you said is true," he said again, his eyes full of tears as the brothers walked in.


    They were talking to each other when they suddenly stopped and watched my interaction with Penn.


    "Penn! We¡¯d like to speak with her," Emmet cleared his throat, gesturing for Penn to step aside. One by one, my friends started leaving the living room. But I caught Emmet sizing Penn up as he walked away.


    "It¡¯s always the thirsty ones who jump in to look good," Maximusmented, making me roll my eyes.


    Penn wasn¡¯t doing it to get in my good books¡ªhe was already in them.


    "They¡¯ve called Romeo in. Do you want to face him?" Norman asked, watching me give him a nod.


    "Bring him in," Norman said to Kaye, who walked out without looking my way.


    A few secondster, everyone else returned¡ªand so did Kaye, with Romeo. But the way he brought him in left everyone gasping. Kaye had Romeo in a tight grip, holding him by the back of his neck.


    "Kaye, he¡¯s your cousin," Darcy quickly jumped in to free her nephew, but Kaye didn¡¯t let him go just like that. Instead, he shoved him so hard that Romeonded at my feet.


    "Nope! He¡¯s not. I¡¯m not rted to him," Kaye shook his head, wrinkling his nose in disgust.


    My eyes stayed on Romeo as he lifted his head and met my gaze. I recalled the threats from days ago, and my body started to heat up.


    I can¡¯t believe they put me through this stress all over again.


    "I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s talking about. I didn¡¯t do anything," Romeo hissed, looking deep into my eyes. But the minute he turned to the others, I noticed the shift in his tone.


    "I¡¯m innocent. I don¡¯t know what made her lie about me," he said, sounding so sincere and naive that even Darcy looked sad for him.


    "You didn¡¯t tie her to the tree?" Emmet yelled, held back by his father when he tried to attack Romeo. At least the brothers believed me¡ªI knew that much.


    "No! I didn¡¯t!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "What makes you believe her and not me?" He jabbed his finger into his own chest.


    "Whatever grudge she has against Alphas is making her point fingers at everyone. Literally every Alpha ever¡ª" he continued.


    "You¡¯re all crazy for believing her over your own blood," Darcy snapped, and Lord McQuoid averted his gaze from me.


    "Maybe she doesn¡¯t remember the faces correctly?" Lord McQuoid suggested, making his sons look at him in shock.


    "The student who aces every exam? Whose memory is so sharp that we teach her one thing in passing, and she remembers it perfectly? You¡¯re saying she has memory issues?" Kaye stepped forward, calmly questioning his father.


    "And not to mention¡ªshe¡¯s not even lying."


    That voice was new. Someone had just joined in.


    "Oops, am Ite?" Lucy peeked in, making us all stare at each other before turning to her.


    Even Romeo looked slightly confused by herment.


    "What the¡ªLucy," Gavin mouthed, looking worried about her arrival.


    "Somebody ordered the truth," she smirked.


    Everyone silently watched as she posed like she was standing in front of cameras.


    "And I deliver," she added, a creepy grin spreading across her face as she locked eyes with Romeo.

 Chapter 450-A Help From Her!

    <h4>Chapter 450: 450-A Help From Her!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Umm, so! I was dating this asshole because I didn¡¯t know he was a creepy person," she stated, her voice high-pitched, her hands doing all the drama.


    "Huh! And you think we¡¯ll listen to someone who looks and acts like a whore?" Darcy judged Lucy from her tiny skirt and top.


    Lucy gasped dramatically before pouting and pulling her phone out of her pocket.


    "She¡¯s mad because I dumped her," Romeo called out before she could say anything.


    She looked up from her phone and faked another gasp of shock. "No! I dumped you! Your fucking dick stinks. Ew."


    Her words made everyone look away as she quickly bit her tongue and mouthed the word "sorry."


    I didn¡¯t know what she was doing. I thought she would be enjoying all of this.


    And why did she evene here?


    "Get out of here right now. This is a serious issue. We don¡¯t need someone who doesn¡¯t even know how to talk or act," Darcy yelled in her direction, but Lucy just rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at her. Even the trainers were watching her in shock.


    Emma and Charlotte were clinging to each other in the corner as if they were afraid of being under Lucy¡¯s scrutinizing gaze.


    "Anyway, so as I was saying¡ªI have proof that Hnie isn¡¯t lying, but this fuckhead is a liar," she shrugged, waving her phone casually with a smirk on her lips.


    "There¡¯s no way you have proof because it¡¯s all a lie," Romeo quickly jumped in to defend himself, ring at her the whole time.


    "Don¡¯t fucking look at me like that. I survived a fatal fall. I¡¯m not afraid of little boys like you," she pointed a finger at him, making him clench his fists.


    I could only imagine how angry he was, knowing he couldn¡¯t put his hands on her at that moment.


    It was scary how hard he was trying to silence her. So whatever she had, it could help me.


    "Who even let this thinge here?" Emma thought her voice was low enough, but since everyone had gone silent, herment ended up being a little louder than intended.


    It reached Lucy¡¯s ears, and she turned to re at Emma. "You¡¯re one to talk? You live off your friend¡¯s rtionship with the Lucan King. You¡¯re a leech. And so is your¡ªew¡ªdaughter, who has no sense of fashion, by the way," Lucy rolled her eyes, snapping her fingers sassily.


    "Lucy!" Norman hissed, and Lucy quickly straightened her back. I noticed the way her eyes lingered on Norman for a moment before she gently bit her bottom lip.


    "Yes, professor, am I being a bad girl?" she replied in a sultry tone.


    Even in such a stressful situation, I got to see Norman lookpletely awkward. He turned tomato red. He wasn¡¯t veryfortable with people flirting with him.


    "Behave. Say what you have to say," Maximus interrupted, saving his older brother from the awkwardness.


    "I have proof," she repeated.


    "We heard you the first time. What is it?" Darcy folded her arms over her chest.


    "No! I won¡¯t talk to you because you¡¯re so rude. A girl was gang-raped, and instead of showing kindness, you¡¯re being mean to her. You¡¯re not a girl¡¯s girl," Lucy continued until she noticed the brothers ring her down.


    "Okay, okay, I won¡¯t get distracted again," she added and held out her phone to Norman.


    However, as Norman reached for it, trying to take the phone from her hands, she pulled it back¡ªonly so she could say something.


    "I¡¯m not a bad person," she uttered to him, tilting her shoulder slightly up to touch her ear. "I¡¯m a good, good girl, sir!"


    That tone was so weird.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll give you an award for it," Norman muttered, but before she could pull any more stunts, he quickly snatched the phone from her hand, this time with little to no reaction to her antics, and started staring at the screen.


    "What am I looking at¡ªwhat the¡ª" he hissed, grinding his teeth.


    Lucy jumped beside him and bit her tongue again. "Oh! I¡¯m so sorry. Those are just some bikini pictures I took. That¡¯s not what I wanted to show you."


    She had set him up on purpose. He looked so disturbed¡ªalmost like he had seen a ghost.


    "Here, this!" she finally yed something, and I could tell exactly what it was.


    Norman watched it, his expression turning dark, and then turned the phone to the audience. His eyes locked onto Romeo, his jaw clenched tight.


    It was the CCTV footage from the hallway¡ªwhere Romeo had hit me on the back of the head to carry me outside. He had ropes slung over his shoulders too, the same ones that were used to tie me to the tree.


    "See, he had asked me earlier to turn off the cameras because he didn¡¯t want the battery to die or something. I don¡¯t know, he was doing a bunch of convincing, but I didn¡¯t. I just thought it was weird that he wanted the cameras off," she shrugged, turning heads toward Romeo, who had lied so well when questioned about that night.


    "I¡ª" he stuttered, stepping back. The minute the brothers rushed at him, he ran and hid behind Darcy.


    "Mom, step aside," Maximus yelled, his eyes locked on his mother.


    "Over my dead body," she hissed, spreading her arms to protect her nephew.


    "I swear it was just a joke. I wanted to see how the top students of the academy would react. I messed up when I couldn¡¯t untie her because I was so drunk¡ª" Romeo was lying again, yelling from behind Darcy¡¯s back.


    "You¡¯ve lied so well before that I¡¯m wondering how much worse the truth is," Emmet growled, grabbing his mother¡¯s arm.


    Darcy¡¯s face twisted in shock¡ªshe thought Emmet wouldn¡¯t dare touch Romeo as long as she stood in front of him. But Emmet pushed her aside, making her stumble into Lord McQuoid¡¯s arms, and then punched Romeo straight to the ground.


    "Enough!" their father yelled as the brothers, one by one, joined in, kicking and punching Romeo. They all froze at hismand.

 Chapter 451-Let The Monster Eat The Culprits

    <h4>Chapter 451: 451-Let The Monster Eat The Culprits</h4>


    <strong>Maximus:</strong>


    "Fine, he admitted to one mistake. But that doesn¡¯t prove anything else," Dad had disappointed me greatly.


    But I understood he was looking at it from the perspective of the council. They would ask for solid proof because we were going after some top students from their academy and also big alphas.


    "We will still need proof," Dad hissed, warning us not to make thingsplicated by doing something reckless when we didn¡¯t have enough evidence.


    "Sir, if everything has been said and done, can we take her back to the hostel? She needs rest and to be away from toxic people," Lamar requested, his eyes on Hnie. Then he looked at our mother, Emma, Charlotte, and finally at Romeo.


    I was surprised to see Lamar¡¯s growth. The only reason I was allowing him near Hnie again was because he meant well¡ªhe was genuinely always there for her.


    "Sure, take her home," Norman gave him a nod, letting them take Hnie away. I desperately wanted to spend time with her, to hold her in my arms.


    But I knew she would never let me. As soon as Hnie walked away, I noticed Charlotte staring at me.


    Dammit!


    Why did the Moon Goddess make her my mate?


    I didn¡¯t want her. And after what Hnie told us, I would die before epting Charlotte. I wanted Hnie. Just her and nobody else¡ªnow more than ever.


    Even if I have to make my brother, Kaye, reject her, I will do it. I will not stop until Hnie is mine.


    But we weren¡¯t done yet. Norman grabbed Romeo and started taking him to his study, with us brothers following after him.


    "Now, tell us, where is your phone?" Norman pushed Romeo onto the chair while I locked the door behind us. Kaye had a knife in his hand, while Emmet stood awfully still, not even moving a muscle, ring at Romeo.


    "This is my phone," Romeo looked at all of us before handing his phone to Norman after unlocking it. I couldn¡¯t even breathe the same air as him. To think my cousin had hurt my mate was making me go insane.


    To think he had touched her against her will, or that he saw women¡¯s bodies as objects, made me want to puke.


    Letting him breathe another second was making me hate myself.


    "This is a new phone, Romeo. Do you want me to spell my demand out to you?" Norman yelled in his face, hunching down over him.


    We let Norman do the talking. He could make Romeo pee his pants within minutes.


    "I changed my phone. My old phone broke," Romeo exined, but his body was shaking so badly that his words wereing out all wrong.


    "You take me for a fool?" Norman ced his hands on the chair¡¯s armrest and leaned toward his face.


    "Brothers¡ªwhy are you doing this to me? She doesn¡¯t like me because I am dating her ex-best friend," Romeo let out a cry. I could tell he was shocked that we weren¡¯t immediately believing him.


    "The best friend who came out and said a lot of negative stuff about you?" Kaye hissed at him, while Emmet silently watched. I was beginning to wonder if Emmet was holding back, charging himself up for a more brutal attack on Romeo.


    I wouldn¡¯t mind. I would happily join him.


    He was lucky Hnie wanted her culprits to admit to their crimes. Otherwise, my fist would have been down Romeo¡¯s throat already by now.


    I kept feeling this rage in me, this disgust for my own blood.


    The things they did to Hnie, the things Hnie recalled¡ªI felt like the world should have ended that night. Nobody deserved to live when her right to live her life on her own terms was taken away from her.


    "I need your old phone."


    This is why we let Norman interrogate him. We would lose our temper, but Norman kept his priorities straight.


    He was going to get the phone to find the videos. If we could find them¡ªeven if there was no face¡ªwe could prove Romeo was there because he was recording.


    "I threw it away," Romeo stammered again. Of course, he was lying.


    "If you think you can get away with it just because you won¡¯t admit it, you¡¯re wrong," I stepped forward, towering over him in warning.


    "Every day you live after today will be worse than your death," Kaye stepped beside me, standing shoulder to shoulder.


    "A woman is not your property. You made a grave mistake, and on top of that, it turned out to be Hnie," I hissed.


    "Either you confess, or¡ªyour every inch will go through hell every single day," Norman joined us, standing in line with us.


    "So pray that deathes to you sooner, Romeo. It¡¯s going to be a hell of a ride for you and those bastard friends of yours," Emmet finally snapped out of his trance and stood in line with us.


    "Brothers¡ª" Romeo couldn¡¯t evene up with another word.


    That¡¯s when our mother barged in¡ªthe woman who couldn¡¯t stand with another woman even when it was clear Romeo had attacked her.


    "Huh! For heaven¡¯s sake, he made a childish mistake. He didn¡¯t want to leave her out there; he just didn¡¯t realize how tightly he had tied her," Mother was quite a piece of work. She was tantly believing him, even though I was sure she knew she sounded ridiculous. But her hatred for Hnie, because of her mother, was overshadowing everything else.


    "Go ahead, take him away. He is not rted to us anymore," Norman said to Mother, who looked quite shocked before hiding Romeo behind her once again.


    "I will not allow this," she looked Norman dead in the eye.


    "Nobody cares what you allow. We have made our decision. We will find the others and make them all confess," Emmet was always vocal about his disagreement with our mother¡¯s actions.


    But it was decided. The Glimards would stay. We wouldn¡¯t fight them. We would let them invade the packs and kill every one of them.


    This is what they deserved for hurting my mate.

 Chapter 452-Let’s Kill The Snowman

    <h4>Chapter 452: 452-Let¡¯s Kill The Snowman</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Nobody else knows," Lamar whispered in my ear as soon as we entered the hall again. Rudy and Sage were busy chatting with their other friends, but when they saw me, they quickly rushed toward me.


    "Where have you been?" Sage held my hand, giving me a quick once-over from head to toe before stepping back so Rudy could approach me.


    "Are you okay?" he asked, his eyes scanning me.


    I didn¡¯t know how long my truth could stay hidden, but since the culprits would remain silent for the sake of their reputations, I would stay silent too¡ªpreparing a better n this time.


    "She was tied outside by the bad guys."


    Just when I thought Lucy would behave, she walked in and said it in the sassiest tone. "And we¡¯re going to make sure the bad guys don¡¯te near her again, okay?"


    I rolled my eyes at her.


    "What? Who the fuck tied you outside?" Rudy¡¯s muscles tensed, his eyes turning red with anger.


    "It¡¯s alright. The trainers have taken care of it," I reassured them, but Sage and Rudy exchanged a look and shook their heads.


    "No! We will not allow some outsider toe and hurt one of our own," Sage announced louder than ever.


    "Give us the name."


    Sage demanded it, and just as I saw Lucy open her mouth, I shot her a look. I didn¡¯t think she would listen, but weirdly enough, she did.


    "We¡¯ll let you know. Right now, the trainers are handling it," Lamar convinced them to let it go for now.


    "Okay, but listen, everyone! From now on, we will keep an eye out for each other. You hear me?" Sage yelled, grabbing the attention of the others present.


    Sydney rolled her eyes and kept filing her nails.


    Rudy had been extremely upset ever since he found out I had been snatched from the hostel right under their noses.


    Later, we all sat together for a huge meal for once.


    "Argona was gone for two days and left me in charge of the CCTV. That¡¯s why that asshole wanted me to delete the clips. I found out about them a dayter, but I kept them in case you didn¡¯t want to talk about it yet," Lucy sat down beside me, a slice of pizza in her hand.


    I could already tell Sydney wasn¡¯t happy to see Lucy talking to me.


    "Why did you help me?" I asked.


    My friends had gone crazy, dancing and celebrating as if we had achieved something huge. It was just a small victory for now.


    "Well, I¡¯m not a bad person, Hnie. I¡¯m just... different now," she said, not using her usual high-pitched voice.


    "Did you know about Jenny?" I asked.


    "No! I¡¯m not a hundred percent sure, but I have a feeling it¡¯s her. But if it¡¯s not her, then the entity is in someone¡¯s body¡ªsomeone very cunning, hiding it perfectly," she sounded so creeped out whenever she talked about that entity.


    What happened between her and the entity during herst encounter on the tenth floor? She never told us. She refused to tell us.


    We all fell asleep after eating a lot. Emmet was staying at the academy for the night. It must have been around midnight when I heard murmurs around me. I have be a little more cautious of noises now.


    As I sat up on the mattress, I noticed the top seniors peeking through the small hole in the window.


    "What¡¯s going on?" The moment I asked that question, the windows started shaking again.


    "This," Sage mentioned, talking about the snowstorm causing the windows to rattle.


    "I think the Glimard have a different n," Rudy said, stepping away from the peephole.


    I instantly took over and looked outside through the small opening. The sight outside was scarier than ever.


    "Wake everyone up!" I heard Sage yell at Sumit.


    I kept watching, my eyes locked on the massive thing right outside the window. If they broke the ss and the snowstorm got in, they would get in too. Then, the entire building started shaking. Of course, we never thought it would get this bad.


    "Arghhh!" Sydney screamed from outside.


    We didn¡¯t even know she was on the second floor. She came rushing in, huffing and puffing.


    "The windows are all broken on the second floor! That fucking Glimard is going to take off the roof and attack us all!" she screamed, causing others to gasp and scramble up.


    "What do we do? We don¡¯t even know how to kill them," Salemined.


    "Of course we don¡¯t, because instead of finding a solution to these monsters, the trainers were busy catering to their spoiled stepsister," Sydney grunted, throwing a re at me.


    "Oh, shut the fuck up, Sydney." I walked past her, grunting as I brushed my shoulder against hers before standing at the door to make an announcement.


    "Guys, we have to fight back," I stated firmly.


    "And how do you suggest we do that? Or are you expecting us all to risk our lives just to save your ass?" she scoffed, making me hiss under my breath.


    "We could also throw this one out to distract the Glimard," Penn suggested, and others quickly nodded.


    "Yes, please," Lamar added, making Sydney look around at them one by one in shock.


    "You¡¯re not serious, right?" she asked.


    "Actually, we are. We need to get to Professor Emmet, and for that, we need a distraction," Rudy joined in.


    However, I didn¡¯t have time to joke. My mind was racing, and I could onlye up with one solution.


    "We need fire," I said, watching them all frown in silence.


    "Yeah, set Sydney on fire and then throw her at the Glimard," Gavin agreed, while Salem looked down. Of course, Sydney was her sister. She didn¡¯t defend her messy actions, but that didn¡¯t mean she would let anyone hurt her.


    "No! Get your crossbows, arrows, or whatever you want to attack with. We are killing these little snowmen tonight," I hissed, determinedly walking away.


    I heard all of them follow me to the basement where the weapons were.

 Chapter 453-The Snow Monster Glimard

    <h4>Chapter 453: 453-The Snow Monster Glimard</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I think this is dumb," Sydney keptining while the others grabbed their weapons.


    The ones with swords would go after the glims, and the ones with crossbows and bows would attack the glimard. That meant Sage, Rudy, and I would be on the rooftop.


    "Will this be enough?" Gavin ran toward us, putting down the alcohol on the stairs. We were hiding behind the rooftop door.


    "Yeah, I hope so," Sage sighed before she started to tighten a piece of cloth and wrap it around her arrow.


    We had three people helping us prepare bows. I had my crossbow with me.


    On the count of three, I jumped in front of the door andunched a fire arrow at the glimard.


    The wind howled around me, cold and sharp like a thousand knives. The arrow cut through the icy wind and struck the monster¡¯s arm. The mes hissed against the ice, melting part of it. The monster roared, shaking off the fire, but I was alreadyunching another arrow.


    "It¡¯s working," I heard Sage say.


    Iunched another, and it hit the glimard in the neck. It had such a weird high-pitched cry whenever it got hurt. Instead of blood, water flowed from the wounds.


    My skin started to turn raw so quickly.


    I quickly backed away because now I had to get my arrows ready while Sage stepped up.


    As soon as sheunched an arrow, the glimard threw sharp ice at her.


    "Ahhh!" It came at such high speed that it struck Sage across her thigh, and blood sttered around.


    Rudy¡¯s eyes widened. He threw his arrow down to hold her and stop her from falling. I was also worried about her, as well as my friends outside the hostel, out in the open, distracting the glims.


    "Give me that." I grabbed the alcohol bottle from Gavin, took some arrows, and ran out onto the rooftop. I had to do it. We couldn¡¯t let the glimard rest and heal.


    The moment it saw me running, it started shooting ice at me. A few small ones struck me, making me hiss and bite my tongue, but soon I ran behind the small rooftop wall on the side.


    I fired again. And again. Each shot hit its mark, sending bursts of me across the monster¡¯s frozen body. It howled in pain, the storm around it raging even stronger. Snow and ice whirled in every direction, but I held my ground. I couldn¡¯t stop now.


    The only thing I noticed in that moment about my body was that in situations like these, I felt outwardly confident and bold. I could barely be scared of that monster.


    The snow monster stood tall, its glowing eyes locking onto me. Its body was made of ice and swirling snow, its ws long and sharp. It let out a deep, rumbling growl that shook the ground beneath me.


    I had run out of arrows. So it was time to run back, but that¡¯s when I saw Emmete out. He must have run all the way from the academy to the rooftop of the hostel. He wasing in with a sword on fire.


    The minute the glimard extended its sharp paw to grab him, Emmet swung his sword and cut its ws off.


    The creature howled. But I also noticed how it didn¡¯t try to hurt Emmet. It was onlying for him as if it wanted to snatch him again. I remembered what I had been told about the glimard.


    It onlyes when it¡¯s summoned to deliver someone. Could it be that it was sent to take Emmet to someone? Because the only person the glimard didn¡¯t try to kill was him.


    "Hnie!" Emmet yelled, reaching me and handing me more arrows.


    "You okay?" he asked. "You shouldn¡¯t havee out alone. You know you make it so difficult for me to be at peace. I need to put you in my pocket so nothing happens to you." The fact that he was saying all that while helping me with the sword made me smile a little.


    "After we¡¯re done with this, I¡¯m taking you away and leaving this world," he joked before he jumped out again.


    "Look at that," he said, as I pointed at the glimard. I shot an arrow, but at the same time, I noticed the glimard didn¡¯t shoot ice at me because I was standing too close to Emmet. It was definitely protecting him because it was summoned for him.


    I was sure Emmet didn¡¯t notice it.


    "Look at that, Hnie," Emmet said again, this time extending his arm and pointing between the glimard¡¯s eyebrows.


    "That part is way brighter than the rest of its body. We need to aim for it," he said.


    I nodded andunched an arrow, but I missed because the freaking glimard swung its arm and knocked the arrow away.


    "Ugh!" I screamed in frustration when my arrow would go straight toward the target, but that damn thing would defend itself.


    "That¡¯s it," Emmet said, giving up¡ªor so I thought. Until I realized what he meant. He started running toward the glimard.


    "No!" I ran after him, but he was faster. He jumped on the wall and then at the glimard, dodging its swinging arms and reaching its chest with a big leap.


    I heard everyone yell and scream in shock and terror from under the hostel and behind me. Rudy hade out, shooting arrows at the glimard, which distracted it enough for Emmet to stay still and light his sword. Even Sage and I were now shooting arrows. It was all happening in a matter of split seconds.


    And then¡ªEmmet did it.


    Emmet raised his sword and stabbed it between the glimard¡¯s eyebrows. The cold wind blew out of the wounded area, knocking Emmet down its body.


    "NOOO!" I screamed, running toward the wall when I saw Emmet fall from the crazy height of the rooftop.


    The scary part was that the moment he hit the glimard, the snow started disappearing. There were silver bars down there, and if Emmetnded on them, I was afraid he would get seriously injured.


    The moment I looked over the wall, Emmet crawled back up, causing our lips to almost meet before I stepped back to let him jump around.

 Chapter 454-Forget-Me-Not

    <h4>Chapter 454: 454-Forget-Me-Not</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I¡¯m sorry, we were about to¡ª" I uttered, shyly tucking my hair behind my ear.


    "Kiss? I wish we had," Emmet replied shamelessly, standing outside the hostel with me.


    The glimard disappeared, and so did its glims and the snow. The temperature was back to how it should have been. The snow on the ground vanished like magic, too.


    The others were so tired that they fell asleep after they transitioned to heal. It was just Emmet and me who stayed awake.


    "How are you now?" he asked as I started walking beside him, strolling toward the ground.


    The morning was arriving, and so were the brothers. They had informed Emmet that they would be over in some time.


    "I¡¯m good. I hate how I acted," I mentioned, remembering the time I ran away because of the threats. But that was a scary day.


    "Don¡¯t ever do that again," he warned me. As we walked side by side, I felt his hand brush against mine a few times before he tangled his pinky finger around mine.


    "I won¡¯t," I replied, not sure if I was being honest.


    "You have us now. We¡¯ll make sure nothing happens to you," he reassured me, his tone soforting.


    "How were you when I was gone?" I asked, noticing him steadily hold my entire hand in his.


    "I¡¯ll be honest with you¡ªI was gone. I was lost. Norman told me... I almost didn¡¯t even remember you."


    I knew he was being honest and sharing his side with me, but that part hurt me. I slipped my hand out of his. He noticed and stopped walking, turning to face me.


    "I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with me, Hnie. I¡¯m forgetting things now¡ªeven you! And that¡¯s what scares me the most."


    The sheer horror and sadness in his eyes sent goosebumps over my skin. I never wanted to see him so down. But the way he was talking made it seem like it was a serious matter. Even I had noticed it before, so I knew he wasn¡¯t lying.


    "Does your brother not know what¡¯s going on?" I asked, worried about what would happen if hepletely forgot about me.


    "Come with me," he said, holding my hand and quickly leading me away¡ªaway from the sight of the hostel¡¯s building.


    Once we were behind the big trees, he pulled me closer and spun me around, pressing my back against the tree. He cupped my face in his hands and crashed his lips against mine.


    My heart started skipping beats as he recklessly sucked my lips, almost like he had been hungry for years.


    "I thought you wanted to say something," I managed toment between heavy breaths when we broke the kiss for a moment.


    Instead of answering, he crashed his lips against mine again, shoving his tongue into my mouth.


    I instantly sucked on his lips hungrily, like a starving tigress.


    "I am speaking... just to your soul," he mumbled, breaking the kiss only slightly before sucking on my upper lip again.


    I pulled on his bottom lip, letting him pull me even closer.


    This time, he turned us around so he could lean back and pull me onto his chest, my entire body weight resting on him. He spread his legs so I could fit perfectly between them.


    His hands were holding my back before slowly moving down to grope my ass. That was new to me.


    I hadn¡¯t had such interactions with anyone before. I had only shared a kiss with Kaye and made out a little with Maximus. But Emmet was different. His usual calm bodynguage would shift into something more aggressive¡ªlike a beast who wanted to touch me everywhere.


    We stayed like that, kissing and exploring each other. I mostly focused on his upper body, but his hands had slipped into my pants a long time ago. He had been massaging my ass for a while before I finally broke the kiss.


    "I want to take you away from here for a while, even if it¡¯s just for a day," he said, his forehead resting against mine. He wouldn¡¯t stop giving me sweet, gentle pecks on my lips the whole time.


    "I would love that too," I agreed, and he instantly smiled.


    However, my eyes caught something on the side, and I pulled away from his arms. He looked offended, even pouting a little.


    But I walked over to the side, plucked a flower, and returned to him while he watched me with those sexy eyes and a smirk that made my heart race.


    "This is for you," I said shyly, extending my hand with the flower.


    His eyes stayed on my face, making me lower my gaze even more. Then, he gently epted the flower, brushing his fingers against mine.


    "Forget-me-not?" he smiled at the flower, staring at it.


    "I don¡¯t want you to ever forget me," I mumbled, realizing just how far gone I was in love with him.


    I hadn¡¯t even realized I had such a crush on him until I pushed past my trauma and epted that I deserved happiness, too.


    "What if... some crazy twist of events makes me forget about you?" His question hit me hard, my chest tightening at the thought of not seeing myself reflected in Emmet¡¯s eyes.


    "Then I¡¯ll make you remember me," I said confidently. His smile widened.


    "I will spend the rest of my life doing my best to stay by your side and make sure you never forget me."


    He kept watching my face, but slowly, his smile started to fade.


    "What happened? Did I say something wrong?"


    Honestly, I had grown up in a way that sudden changes in mood and expression meant trouble. So, it was instinct to ask.


    "No, you did nothing wrong. It just reminded me of something," he muttered.


    "Someone once gave me a forget-me-not, but hers had a lot of thorns. I remember how they pricked my skin¡ª" he lowered his head and stared at his fingers before sighing and looking up. "I¡¯m sorry! So, what were we saying?" he asked, trying to move past it.


    But I had heard it.


    Someone had given him a flower. Who?


    And was she that important that he still remembered her?

 Chapter 455-His Missing Love

    <h4>Chapter 455: 455-His Missing Love</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Who gave you that flower?" I watched him hold the little blue flower tightly and listened to me ask him a question.


    "Emmet! I want you to be honest with me. Do you love someone? I mean¡ªhas there been someone else before¡ª" I bit my tongue when I couldn¡¯t bring myself to ask if he even loved me.


    With a very gentle nod, he confirmed it.


    "There was someone. Someone whose departure made me the way I am," he said, referring to his addiction to alcohol.


    "Oh! Do you still love her?" I questioned.


    "Hnie! She is... dead. Her love will always be in my heart. I hope you won¡¯t have a problem with it. I will never mention her in front of you," he held my hand and spoke lovingly.


    "I understand," I replied with a smile. It made me feel so alive that the man before me was so wonderful¡ªhe knew the difference between past and present instead of disrespecting past rtionships.


    Things didn¡¯t go well between them because she passed away, which exins why she will always be a part of him.


    "Well, I was meaning to show you something. Remember when Glimard took you away? We found you in front of the cave, and that¡¯s when I also found this inside the cave," I pulled the pink bracelet out and held it up for him.


    However, his face changed the minute he saw it.


    "You found it in the cave?" he asked, holding it and staring at it. There was a weird look on his face that made me understand that he knew who it belonged to.


    "Yeah, the cave those things were taking you to, Emmet!" I felt so lost watching him examine it.


    "What is going on? Do you know this bracelet? Have you seen it before?" I started bombarding him with questions. He was just staring at it in silence before he shook his head and looked at me.


    "Umm, it belonged to her," he said, making my body flinch.


    "Who? Your¡ª" I paused when he added himself.


    "Azura! She used to wear it all the time," he frowned, looking around as if he was searching for answers on the ground.


    "Oh! That is odd. I heard those things are summoned to take something or someone to their master¡ªwhoever summons them," I recalled, watching him look up from the bracelet at me.


    "Hnie, if I ever forget you, you will move on. You will not ruin your lifeing after me," as soon as that slipped from his mouth, my muscles tensed up.


    "That is not possible. Would you do the same if I forgot about you?" I asked, watching him sigh.


    "I would want you to move on and be happy," he added, this time more firmly.


    "Would you do that?" I repeated my question, annoyed that he thought that was an option.


    "Tell me," as I put pressure on him, he finally spoke up, and what he said wasn¡¯t really what I wanted to hear.


    "I will move on. I moved on from Azura too, didn¡¯t I?"


    I stepped back from him and red at his face.


    "If this is your way of making me move on, then you are wrong. And very rude," I stomped my foot, angry that he had just told me a few minutes ago that he would never bring her up¡ªyet he did. And just because he had moved on from her, he thought it would be possible to move on from me too.


    However, he was lying. He hadn¡¯t moved on from her.


    I turned around to leave, but he grabbed my hand, pulling me back.


    "I just want you to be happy. You have been through a lot," he continued, wrapping his legs around my lower body when I tried to get away from him. He was still leaning back, making me lean over his body.


    "Let me go. I don¡¯t even want to see your face right now," I lost it with him. Everything was going so well, but his onement deeply upset me.


    "Hey, I only said it so that you¡¯d move on," he cupped my face, but I turned it to the side, refusing to look at him.


    "Hnie, fine!" he scoffed. "I think I love you more than I ever loved her."


    This was the first time he confessed.


    My heart sank in my chest, and my face turned to him, my eyes wide open.


    His confession of love threw me off guard. I didn¡¯t even expect him to say that, but he didn¡¯t stop there.


    "I was shocked myself when I started falling for you. For a very long time, I convinced myself that I would see you as my stepsister, but this feeling of wanting you only grew. It was the way you talked and the way you didn¡¯t. The way you walked and the way you stopped. How you got angry and how you smiled. Everything about you made me go crazy. I couldn¡¯t help but love you more and more every day. It felt like a taboo because not only were you my stepsister, but my brother¡¯s mate too. Two of my brothers were fighting over you, and here I was, falling for you. And then I realized I was losing my memory. Hnie, I felt like I had been punished. The Moon Goddess showed me she could give me someone better than Azura¡ªand take her away from me at the same time."


    I let him speak, his words ringing through my heart like the strings of a guitar.


    "I love you," he confessed again. This time, his hands rested on my back, just above my bra strap, holding me like his most prized possession.


    "What does a man have to do to make his lover say something sweet in return?" heined, and I finally cracked a smile.


    "A lover?" It was about time. "Emmet! We are mates."


    I watched his forehead crease slightly in a frown.


    "The first night in your mansion, I felt a mate bond with you in the passage."

 Chapter 456-Fucking My Boobs

    <h4>Chapter 456: 456-Fucking My Boobs</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What?" he asked, his hands tightening behind my back, "why didn¡¯t you tell me," he seemed to zone out for a while.


    "Shit!" he cursed under his breath.


    "I thought I had a dream¡ªthe other day I was thinking about that random night when I had a dream that I felt a mate bond with someone. Hnie! Are you telling me you are my fated mate?" He was confusing me with his reaction until a huge smile stered on his lips and I realized he was actually happy about it.


    "We are," I have only said that part that he ran his hands down my ass and picked me up, dropping me on the ground anding on top of me.


    I watched him stand on his knees, his eyes watching me hungrily while he unbuttoned his shorts with one hand. His other free hand roamed over my body, reaching my shirt and lifting it up.


    I felt so shy but excited at the same time.


    The way his eyes lingered on my body gave me confidence. It was like he liked what he was seeing. His fingers gently pulled my shirt up. He had left his shirt open, his abs before my eyes. I lifted my hand and touched his abs, my fingers trailing down his muscles.


    He was breathing so elegantly that I was getting wet between my legs. He then lowered his body after he had lifted my shirt till my red bra was visible.


    "I deserve some treat, don¡¯t I?" he leaned into my ear and whispered in a husky tone, then raised his face, keeping it inches away from mine so that we were looking into each other¡¯s eyes when I felt his finger pulling my bra up and exposing my breasts. I shyly closed my eyes and heard him snicker a little.


    "Why are your nipples so hard?" he whispered, purposely saying stuff that made me bite onto my bottom lip. His fingers shamelessly trailed around my ares. My right boob was still in the bra cup.


    "Look at them, they are so big and juicy," he uttered, trying to fit my boob in his one hand. I knew what he meant. My boob was squeezing out from the space between his fingers as he gripped it as hard as he could.


    His touch was so unique. I wanted him to keep ying with my boob and he did. He kissed my cheek before going down. I felt his lips circle around my nipples and then gently suck them.


    The next thing I knew, he pulled his hand behind my back and unzipped my bra, freeing my chest for his eyes to enjoy.


    He cupped them both in his hands, making me stare at him shyly. He kept kissing and sucking my tits, pulling them out and kissing all over my soft breasts.


    His naked chest pressed hard against my stomach, and my body shuddered as hey on top of me to suck my tits. I felt something getting hard against my thigh.


    "Ah! Do you mind if my warrior tastes your milk?" he uttered, getting up and taking off his belt. The way he sat on his knees and did that, all the while ogling at my breasts, made it so hard for me to not pull him over me and beg him to give me his all.


    He pulled his belt out and snapped it, throwing it away before unzipping his pants. I got to see his giant dick for the first time. I quickly hid my eyes in my hand.


    "Hey! Hnie," heughed, while I turned my face down, not looking at him. I did get to see it for a few seconds, and damn, it was so wide and huge. It was also the cleanest one ever.


    "Hnie!" he called out my name again,ughing even louder. Hisugh was masculine and deep that I squeezed my body closer even more. I found him leaning over my back and kissing my naked back all the way up and down before getting rid of my shirt entirely.


    I looked back at him again, and this time, he didn¡¯t waste a minute before shoving his cock between my boobs and massaging it. His firm grip over my boobs brought them together, swallowing his cock while he went in and out, groaning.


    "Fuck! I could live in your body," he whispered, his jaw clenching, and his groans hitting the air even louder than ever.


    He was so loud and aggressive as he rubbed his cock over my boobs, in between them, and then finally brought it near my face.


    I was hesitant at first, but then I touched his dick, noticing how hard it was throbbing. I could barely fit it in my grasp. He was a tall and big guy, but I never thought he would have such a big member. And he was excited too.


    I slid my hand closer to his dick, and he rested the head of his cock on my lips, rubbing it all over my lips before shoving it in my mouth.


    My back was all wet from the cold and wet grass under me. I held his cock in both my hands, feeling his dick in my mouth. Emmet was running his hand through my hair while moving his hips in a rhythm toe in and out of my mouth. His dick vited my tongue, rubbing hard against it while going deep in my mouth, almost down my throat.


    I didn¡¯t gag, though.


    I kept my fingers tightly wrapped around his cock, sucking it so hard that he started to groan. I then caged his cock in my mouth, keeping it inside and sucking it, using my tongue all around it while he breathed loudly.


    After a while, I let go, and his movements quickened. He was going in and out of my mouth like a machine until I felt him explode in my mouth.


    "Ah!" he grunted, biting his tongue to stop himself from making even louder noise than he had been making.

 Chapter 457-He Makes Me Feel Alive

    <h4>Chapter 457: 457-He Makes Me Feel Alive</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You are so cute," Emmet whispered, caressing my cheeks nonstop. This was the fifth time he had woken me up because he couldn¡¯t stop touching me. He had carried me to his car and parked it far away so that we could sleep together in the backseat. It was a bit difficult for him, even though it was his ck V-ss. He was too big for this kind of setup. Maybe that¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t fall asleep.


    I could not thank him enough. My body had been going in and out of heat and I was so confused how to deal with it. I couldn¡¯t ask him for intimacy, I was too shy for it.


    As he kissed me again, I smiled and uttered while opening my eyes, "how did you know?"


    I heard him chuckle a little from behind me, "I felt it."


    I think I will never forget this moment. It sort of charged my body. For a long time, I had been caged in my own sorrows. I had no clue how I would ever get out of it and ept my body again. Bht Emmet¡¯s extreme desire to be with me made me feel alive, love myself again.


    "Hmmm," I snuggled onto his chest, closing my eyes again. He was holding me tight, his shirt slightly open but buttoned at the bottom. We had put our clothes back on after our little session.


    I was happy.


    No! I was ecstatic.


    It was an amazing time. My body had finally moved past that trauma¡ªat least to the point that it didn¡¯t freak out at my mate¡¯s touch.


    "You know¡ªafter you take your revenge, we¡¯ll have the best wedding."


    This time, his words made me wake up on my own. I lifted my face from his chest and looked into his eyes. He was really thinking about marrying me? About marking and epting me? I was the happiest in that moment.


    He was smiling, pleased with himself for breaking my sleep once again.


    "You will wait for me?" I asked, and he frowned.


    "It¡¯s the bare minimum, Hnie. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re asking me to stay away from you, and even if you were, I¡¯d still wait," he replied, looking surprised that I had even asked.


    "Thank you," I uttered, still feeling shy because I had always seen him as my professor. Lying on top of my professor¡¯s chest in the backseat of his car made me feel so naughty.


    The fact that he seemed more alive again made me wonder if he did tell the truth when he said he loves me more than he loved Azura.


    I shyly leaned over and kissed him on the lips before hiding my face in his chest again. He snickered.


    "I want to devour you¡ªlike bite you!" he hissed, hugging me so tight I felt my bones crack a little.


    "Be careful, you¡¯re a little stronger than me," I muttered.


    "A little, you say?" he joked, making me lift my head and stare at his face.


    He was so damn good-looking. From living a life of loneliness and desperation to lying on top of the most handsome, sexiest guy ever¡ªit was really a good start.


    However, while we were on the topic of fate, I couldn¡¯t help but remember something.


    "What happened?" he noticed the change in my expression immediately.


    "When I ventured out into the snow, I thought I was dying until¡ª" I was so shocked that I hadn¡¯t thought about it again.


    "Until?" His way of always being so attentive when listening to me gave me a warm feeling.


    "I saw a woman in the snow." I zoned out.


    He gently touched my cheek, bringing me back to reality.


    "It was a woman¡ªI remember her clearly now. She was wearing a white dress and was floating in the air." I sighed, shaking my head.


    "Maybe I was hallucinating," I shrugged but noticed him zoning out.


    "What did she do after you saw her?" he asked, showing more interest. I had a feeling he might have some insight on it.


    "She, umm¡ªcame closer, held me in her arms, actually lifted me," I was shocked when I recalled that detail. "And she said¡ªshe wouldn¡¯t let me die. That she had kept me alive, that she had been looking out for me... something like that."


    "And I think she was the one who took me to the cave," I finished and noticed how shocked he looked.


    "Hnie, what you encountered was a divine being," he sat up, making me sit up with him.


    "You met the Moon Goddess."


    My heart skipped a beat¡ªthen several more. Goosebumps prickled my skin at the mention of that name.


    "There¡¯s no way. Why would the Moon Goddess be on ournd, and why help me? She hates me," I hissed as I recalled how she and I didn¡¯t exactly get along.


    "Well, she certainly doesn¡¯t hate you, Hnie," he started again, pinching my cheek very deliberately. "And I don¡¯t me her. Nobody can hate you. And¡ªshe came for you. She saved you."


    I shook my head. He was being sweet, but I would never believe him when it came to the Moon Goddess. She hated me, so there was no way it was her.


    "Why are you shaking your head like a jellybean?" he asked, pinching my chin before caressing my cheeks again.


    He couldn¡¯t keep his hands to himself, I noticed.


    "Emmet, she hates me," I repeated, this time with a sad sigh.


    "Sure, she hates you but still gave you two mates¡ªthat doesn¡¯t tell you there¡¯s something going on with you?"


    Now that he mentioned the mate bond, I noticed he had turned serious.


    "Hnie, you are special. But why are you mates with Kaye and me? I¡¯m trying to understand," he mumbled, looking lost.


    Then I remembered something.


    I had another mate¡ªone I hadn¡¯t even told him or Kaye about.


    "I, umm... also Maximus," I added, biting my tongue.


    He did a double take and then sighed loudly.


    "Something is definitely going on. The Moon Goddess wouldn¡¯te down to save someone herself," hemented, sending another round of goosebumps over my skin.


    "Who are you, Hnie Niles?"


    This time, he looked me straight in the eye and asked seriously.


    However, his phone rang, and we both knew exactly who was calling.


    His brothers.


    "They¡¯re here. Let¡¯s go meet them. But before we go¡ª" He was about to get up when he nuzzled his face into my neck from behind and kissed me hard enough to make my whole body tense up.


    After giving me a deep kiss on my skin¡ªprobably leaving a hickey¡ªhe got out of the car and moved to the front seat.


    "They¡¯ll see it," Iined, touching my neck.


    "Okay?" he shrugged, starting the car engine. "At least they¡¯ll know you¡¯re mine."


    My body shuddered as I blushed.


    He was so aggressive... and I kind of liked it.

 Chapter 458-The Power Of Hickey

    <h4>Chapter 458: 458-The Power Of Hickey</h4>


    Hnie:


    "So basically, once again, Hnie saves the day?" Norman asked, narrowing his eyes at me.


    It looked more forced than anything because I could tell he was actually happy I came up with the idea of fire arrows.


    "I did," I shrugged, making him roll his eyes before his gazended on my neck.


    I watched as he squinted and bent down slightly to get a better view before I quickly moved my hair to the side where the hickey was.


    We were standing outside the hostel with all the students behind me. They had all woken up by now.


    "That was crazy, but Hnie, I¡¯m impressed with your ability to do anything¡ª"


    Maximus started to speak, but then he frowned and shook his head. I quickly looked down to make sure my hair was still covering the hickey, but the wind was blowing it away.


    "What is that?"


    Instead of waiting until we were alone, since he was apparently that desperate to ask, he did it in front of everyone.


    Thankfully, they were all behind me so they couldn¡¯t see where he was looking at.


    "I got hurtst night. Anyway, I think those things came for Professor Emmet," I said, trying to change the subject.


    As I turned to point at Emmet, I caught him smirking. I swear, this man¡ª


    "Yeah, and Hnie wouldn¡¯t let them take away her favorite professor," he stated loud and clear.


    I felt so shy that I instantly looked down. He was bored all the time, didn¡¯t even pay attention until it was about me and then, his energy was different. He made sure I knew from his actions that he felt alive with me.


    "True, we would never let that happen. But why would they want to take you away, sir?"


    Sage jumped in, taking over the conversation.


    The way she kept sliding closer and closer to Emmet made me ufortable.


    "Maybe they were running out of snowmen," Emmetmented in a cold tone, but somehow, Sage found it hrious.


    She startedughing so hard that everyone fell silent, just staring at her until herughter finally died down.


    "Okay, everyone, I appreciate your help. It made me realize we¡¯re really building good warriors, Alphas, and Betas," Norman said, taking charge. "Since the rest of the staff has taken time off, I¡¯m giving you all two days off as well. You can go enjoy your time with your packs and return to the academy to continue sses. The seniors will resume training, and the test will be conducted on the scheduled date."


    Everyone cheered and began heading back inside to pack their belongings while I sighed.


    "I am not going back to the mansion."


    "She is not going back to the mansion."


    Emmet and I said it in unison.


    The three brothers exchanged nces before looking over at Emmet.


    "Why not? It¡¯s her mansion too," Maximus argued, his face showing clear frustration.


    "I¡¯m notfortable there," I spoke up since it was about me.


    "Why? We¡¯ll be there," Maximus groaned, looking disappointed.


    "It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll get her a suite. She and her friends can stay there and take a break from all the trouble at the same time," Norman suggested, making Maximus turn to look at him.


    "Maximus, leave it to me," Norman shut him down before he could argue.


    Kaye kept watching my face in silence.


    "Thank you," Emmet responded, and Norman narrowed his eyes at him.


    "I mean, she¡¯ll be grateful," he added quickly.


    "I am, thanks!" I said to Norman, though he kept staring at my neck, making me incredibly ufortable.


    However, since he wasn¡¯t saying anything about it, I figured I was safe. But not from Maximus.


    He wasn¡¯t the type to sit in silence and ignore something.


    "Is that a hickey?"


    Before I could react, he reached over and flicked my hair back, fully exposing my neck.


    "Hey!" I protested, quickly pulling my hair to the front again.


    "That is?" Kaye asked, raising an eyebrow, though he looked more amused than anything.


    "Who¡ªyou know what, never mind. It¡¯s not my business," Norman muttered but then bit his tongue to stop himself from saying more.


    "No, I want to know," Maximus ced his hands on his waist, making me nce at all of them one by one.


    "It is indeed a hickey," Emmet spoke up.


    I had expected him to save me somehow. I just didn¡¯t think he¡¯d take such a direct approach.


    "Okay, and how do you know?" Maximus turned to face him now.


    "Guys, behave. It¡¯s her personal life. Let¡¯s not make her feel pressured to answer," Norman cut in, shooting a look at Maximus.


    He wasn¡¯t very good at whispering, though.


    "Maybe go make an announcement over the speaker. I don¡¯t think the ghosts of our ancestors heard you, brother," Kayemented with an eye roll, making Norman step back, looking embarrassed.


    "It¡¯s not just that. She¡¯s not just hooking up or dating someone¡ªnot that it would be an issue if she was. But I¡¯m saying this because... I know who gave her that hickey," Emmet continued, making my heart twist in my chest.


    "Who?" Maximus turned to his brothers.


    In a subtle movement, Emmet turned his gaze toward me, smiling before he finally said¡ª


    "I gave her that hickey."


    I heard a sharp inhale but didn¡¯t dare lift my head until I saw Maximus move in a sh of lightning and push Emmet back. He put all his strength into it, making Emmet actually budge quite a bit.


    "Maximus," Norman grabbed him from behind and shoved him to the side, his towering figure stepping between his brothers.


    "Why would you do that? You¡¯re my brother, and you know she¡¯s¡ªmy mate and my ex¡ª" Maximus had tears in his eyes as he questioned his brother for breaking the so-called bro code.


    Really?


    "As if you didn¡¯t get engaged to Charlotte," I scoffed at his hypocrisy.


    "That makes three of us. You might be next, Norman. Congrattions," Kaye turned to Norman and patted his back, making him shift ufortably.


    "Don¡¯t be a jerk," Norman hissed, pping Kaye¡¯s hand off.


    "Fine, I can expect you to take revenge on me, even though Charlotte is my mate, so things are different. But why did my own brother do this?" Maximus didn¡¯t care if anyone heard him.


    However, Norman was freaking out, ncing toward the hostel to make sure nobody wasing outside to witness themotion.


    "I didn¡¯t do anything, and neither did she. Just like Charlotte is your mate¡ªshe is mine."


    Emmet squared up, his voice harsher than I¡¯d ever heard before. I had never seen him respond to Maximus in that tone.


    He was beyond pissed this time but he had also announced to his brothers that we are mates.

 Chapter 459-One Missing?

    <h4>Chapter 459: 459-One Missing?</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    The brothers had gone silent for a while before Maximus came at me and grabbed my arm, pulling me away from them. The minute I resisted, he stopped and turned to look at me.


    "Please, I just need to talk," he said.


    His request made me turn my head and look at Emmet, who had his eyes narrowed at us before he stepped up to have a word.


    "Then I will be there too," Emmet added.


    "Let¡¯s go. We all need to have a chat," Norman announced once he gestured at Kaye, who had been staring at me with his mouth slightly open as if he had received the shock of his life.


    We all went ahead and sat in Norman¡¯s seven-seater while he drove us away from the hostel. I felt so odd sitting among them because the brothers kept huffing and puffing, blowing out air from their noses.


    "Please breathe more loudly, all of you," I turned to them, briefly looking away from the window.


    Maximus looked at Kaye and then at Emmet before he said, "I will obey you and behave."


    "Sure, you¡¯re an obedient one," Emmet quickly caught on to what Maximus was trying to do.


    "How is she mated to all of us?" Kayeined, finally breaking the silence.


    "Not me!" Norman fixed his mirror to nce at us. "And we will talk once we are in a safe ce." He sounded way more annoyed than the others. Of course, he was angry because his brothers were now going to argue about yet another thing.


    And arguing about a mate is even more stressful.


    Norman stopped his car next to the woods and gestured for all of us to get out. We did as he asked.


    "She is not mated to me," Norman reminded Kaye.


    "And not me," Maximus said, making me roll my eyes. I wanted to tell him that I am mated to him, but I felt like if I did now, it would be even messier.


    Norman shared a nce with Emmet because he knew that wasn¡¯t the truth and that I had felt the mate bond with Maximus too. However, even he knew telling Maximus would make him go crazy.


    "How is it possible for an omega, like she ims to be, to have multiple mates?" Norman started, making Emmet sigh.


    "And she was carried in a bridal style by the Moon Goddess herself." As soon as he said that, everyone turned to me and gasped.


    "The Moon Goddess?" Kaye raised his brow, his lips turning into a straight line.


    "Yep," Emmet confirmed.


    "And her body heats up when she is stressed," Norman added, making Emmet frown. It does?


    I remember Hansining during our test, but I didn¡¯t know it was a real thing and not just a figure of speech.


    "So what are you guys suggesting? That I¡¯m a witch or something?" I sighed at the topic of conversation.


    "No! What we will do is¡ªno one will ept you since it will cause issues between brothers," Maximus turned heads with his statement.


    "Um, brother, with due respect, I don¡¯t think you can make decisions for mates." In a very nice yet firm tone, Emmet shut him down.


    "Well, with a very humble request, it¡¯s either we all stay away from her, or I will not let any of you have her," Maximus was taking bold steps, so I had to remind him of something that would stop him froming after me.


    "You had your chance, and you screwed it up¡ª" I shut up when he grunted.


    "I didn¡¯t. I never intended to go along with my mother¡¯s n, and you know how I will prove it?" he hissed, pulling out his phone to show me something. It was a text message he had sent to Kaye before he pursued me. In that text, he had confessed to Kaye that their mother wanted him to y me, and he told Kaye that he wouldn¡¯t. That he would befriend me, but not y with me.


    "I wasn¡¯t lying," he hissed.


    I felt shock hit me. And the way he came to save me made me believe he truly cared for me. But what could be done now?


    I noticed Emmet looking at me, his face showing he didn¡¯t like where this was going.


    "But you have a mate now, so calm down," Kaye put his hand on his brother¡¯s shoulder to ease him up.


    "You don¡¯t get to say anything. You¡¯re just mad because she chose me over you," Maximus shrugged, causing Kaye to hiss at him.


    "She didn¡¯t. Did you guys not catch when she said she had promised not to ept a mate until her revenge was done?" Emmet came to clear my name so that Kaye would stop using me.


    "Oh!" Kaye might have remembered because his face rxed before a smirk formed on his lips. "Then that means¡ªI can still im her. She didn¡¯t want to ept me because of her promise to the Moon Goddess. Same as you. You are her mate, so you two have to wait," Kaye smirked, his eyes shining.


    "Enough!" Norman yelled. Having to listen to his brothers for too long had exhausted him.


    "And besides¡ªI don¡¯t understand why you are iming Charlotte is your mate. Did you do it to hurt Hnie?" Norman finally snapped. I knew Norman didn¡¯t like Charlotte, but I was worried that bringing up this topic might reopen some doors that should stay closed.


    "I felt the mate bond with her in the woods. Remember I told you about it? That I could tell I had felt a mate bond with someone in the woods," Maximus sighed, making me cover my mouth in shock.


    Is this what Charlotte told him?


    Because the incident he was mentioning to Norman was the one where I was in the woods.


    Norman stared at me and then mouthed, ¡¯I have to tell him now. This is not looking good.¡¯


    I didn¡¯t want to stop him anymore. I had previously thought we were only hiding the fact that I was also his mate, but now we realized he had been lied to.


    "Maximus¡ªwhat I am going to tell you will break your trust in many people," Norman¡¯s words turned the air silent, "but you deserve to know the truth."


    "That girl in the woods was not Charlotte."


    Norman¡¯s statement shocked Maximus. He looked at all of us and then back at Norman, who very calmly added,


    "It was Hnie."

 Chapter 460-Everyone Betrayed Me

    <h4>Chapter 460: 460-Everyone Betrayed Me</h4>


    <strong>Maximus:</strong>


    "Maximus," Norman snapped his fingers before my face to add again, "it was Hnie that night. She was out with Jenny to save Lucy when you were there. And that¡¯s when you felt the mate bond with her. You even dragged her with you for a while before her friends secured her from you."


    His words were falling upon my ears like daggers. I didn¡¯t want to believe I had been fooled for this long.


    "I don¡¯t know why you thought it was Charlotte, though," Norman muttered.


    I turned to Emmet first, who looked like he had just been informed about an earthquake that would destroy the world. Then, I looked over at Kaye, who didn¡¯t seem pleased with the news either.


    Hnie was thest one I looked at because I couldn¡¯t meet her eyes anymore. The fact that she knew she was my mate but didn¡¯t say it, and let her evil cousin exploit me, froze me in ce.


    Even when I used her of not telling me about the pheromones, she didn¡¯t think she should tell me my feelings weren¡¯t just because of some pheromones?


    The fact that they all kept it from me broke me. And then there was my big brother, the one who was only a few years older than me, yet I always saw him as a father figure.


    "Mom told me," I said only that much before I smiled, a big tear rolling down my face. "And you didn¡¯t tell me either, brother. It seems like we all have our favorites, and I am no one¡¯s."


    The fact that they had no clue what I had been dealing with all these months, thinking Charlotte was my mate, just shattered me.


    "Maximus, I thought you had felt the mate bond with Charlotte too¡ª" Norman attempted toe and hold my hand, but I shrugged him away.


    "Really? When Hnie is mated to more than one person, there is a special meeting for it. But you all thought I had two mates¡ªokay, so?" Iughed, shaking my head.


    "And of course, I don¡¯t me her for hiding. She had too much going on, and she didn¡¯t want a lycan added to her grief because she had already found the better version of the brother for herself. But I at least deserved to know the truth. That Charlotte¡ªwell, we are all screwed now."


    I let out augh because I thought, since they didn¡¯t care about me, maybe they would care when they found out what a mess had been created now.


    "What did she do?" Emmet asked, showing fake concern for me. I couldn¡¯t believe I fell for his lie when he said¡ª *¡¯I was there for you that night, brother.¡¯*


    "Maximus, I get it, we were wrong. But I thought Lycans could have two mates," Hnie¡¯s voice fell into my ears like a sweet melody. And even though I wanted to yell at her, toin about her cold-heartedness and unfair treatment, I couldn¡¯t do that to her.


    The fact that those alphas had attacked her must have made her sensitive to men acting aggressively around her.


    I contained my posture and turned to face her, shing her the weakest and sweetest smile I could find within me. "I understand."


    The way she sighed while watching me rx made me wonder if she still had feelings for me.


    "Maximus, we all love you. We would never do anything to harm you," Norman came and hugged me, and I let him. All because I couldn¡¯t take my anger out in front of Hnie at the moment.


    Emmet arrived and hugged me too, with Kaye joining in for a group hug. To them, it must have felt like we were brothers again, back to being close. But I couldn¡¯t bring myself to ept them as they were now.


    They didn¡¯t care about me. They only felt guilty because I had to say out loud that I felt betrayed.


    "Anyway, back to the main issue¡ª" I attempted to divert the subject so they would feel like everything was fine. "Oh, sorry, there is no issue. Anyway, what do you want to do about the Alphas? I was thinking about finding Kaidon. They are probably hiding him in some pack."


    "I will get my spy ready too," Emmet said, giving me a nod.


    I wasn¡¯t lying when I said there was no issue. Hnie was just special and had three mates¡ªwhat else was there to discuss now?


    "Yeah, do that. It won¡¯t be long before those Alphas try something to cover it up," Norman agreed with my suggestion.


    "So, you should get them the suite. I will go speak with Mom," I gave them a smile, not even staying behind to have another word with them.


    I sped away on foot when Norman started blowing up my phone.


    "Hm? I¡¯m still on the way," I replied to him.


    "You think you can fool everyone with your fake smile?" he said from the other side, making me scoff. Since Hnie wasn¡¯t around, I could act the way I wanted.


    "I mean, you all fooled me too. What¡¯s wrong with me faking a smile?" Iughed at him, taunting him through clenched teeth.


    "Maximus, I didn¡¯t know anything either. I thought a Lycan could have two mates because a Lycan is different from us," he gave me the same excuse the others did.


    "Sure," I replied. "I¡¯m busy right now. I¡¯ll talk to youter." I hissed, cutting the call and speeding up.


    Mom was still home since the flights had been dyed due to the storms and turbulence. But she would be leaving soon, and I would make sure to confront her when she was at the mansion.


    As I reached the mansion, I watched Hnie¡¯s mother pacing in the garden, and curiosity struck me. That woman had always been against her daughter¡ªI wondered how she felt about her now.


    Entering the mansion, I sped to the guestroom on the second floor when I halted outside, listening to my mother having a conversation with none other than Charlotte.


    "My son will fall in love with you if you listen to me. But you will have to make sacrifices and change yourself for him."


    Oh! So my mother wasn¡¯t fooled by Charlotte. The two of them had nned this against me.


    Well then, I guess since my mother wanted to y a game with Hnie, it¡¯s only fair that I y a game with these two and show them who the best yer among us is.

 Chapter 461-The Ritual To Make Him Mine

    <h4>Chapter 461: 461-The Ritual To Make Him Mine</h4>


    <strong>Charlotte:</strong>


    I hid outside the door while his mother greeted him. My heart pounded louder whenever I heard him speak.


    Then she asked me to join them. I noticed Maximus looking very uneasy with my presence.


    "What is she doing here?" It was as if he ignored whatever his mother had said and asked for an exnation again.


    "She is your mate," Lady Darcy announced, causing Maximus to not even look surprised. Instead, he looked disgusted by the idea.


    My smile started to fade. Seeing disgust in the eyes of someone you love dearly is heartbreaking. Maximus¡¯ love was all I had ever wanted. But he avoided me like I was a disease. Even when he used to date around, he never chose me. I wasn¡¯t even worth flirting with.


    "Mom, I¡¯m not here to be part of some joke," he hissed, waving his hand at me, silently telling me to leave.


    "We are not joking. Charlotte will fill you in on the truth," Lady Darcy nced at me, signaling for me to step forward and speak for myself. It wasn¡¯t easy to look into Maximus¡¯ angry eyes and talk to him about being mated to him.


    I could tell he wouldn¡¯t want to hear it.


    "It¡¯s true. I felt the mate bond with you in the woods," I tried to sound like Hnie, even copying her bodynguage. Maybe if he saw Hnie in me, he would date me to get over her.


    "Bullshit," Maximus hissed.


    "Well then, how do you exin her knowing you felt the mate bond with someone in the woods?" Lady Darcy folded her arms over her chest, making Maximus look slightly uncertain. He was already hurting, so he didn¡¯t realize his mother could have filled me in.


    "I can¡¯t ept her," he said softly but firmly.


    "Don¡¯t you want to be free from this curse? Just ept her and be free¡ªyou know you can¡¯t love like this forever," his mother used the same excuse about his curse and stepped closer to him. "Your mate isn¡¯t even afraid of you. Can you imagine that? If someone else found out their mate was a lycan, they would have quickly dumped you and moved on."


    Lady Darcy knew exactly what she was doing. We had to nt seeds of doubt in his heart about Hnie.


    "Besides, I¡¯m not asking you to marry her forever. You need to break the curse, remember? Or else¡ªyou will be a danger to your brothers. Do you want that?" I watched Maximus¡¯ face pale.


    Everyone knew the brothers meant everything to each other. And Maximus, no matter how hard he tried to act carefree, wasn¡¯t as detached as he pretended to be. He loved his brothers and took pride in the fact that they loved him too.


    "Or do you have someone in mind who would ept you? Someone who is your fated mate? There is only one, and that is her," she continued.


    I could tell Maximus was struggling with the thought of epting me because it would upset Hnie.


    "I mean, even Hnie¡ªyou see how she once lived as a rogue, but now she¡¯s dating better people," I didn¡¯t know why I slid that in, but it was my way of reminding him that Hnie wasn¡¯t in love with him. Given the chance, Hnie would go after anyone and date them without thinking about how it would make Maximus feel.


    For Maximus, he had an excuse to ept me. I was his fated mate.


    "And my son cares about his brothers. How long can they keep looking after him?" Lady Darcy asked Maximus.


    "Kane and Norman have put their lives on hold for you. You owe them this much. You don¡¯t want to be a danger to them, do you?" she continued. With careful thought, Maximus finally nodded.


    "It¡¯s not like I have someone else who loves me," he muttered.


    Thankfully, this was exactly what I wanted to hear from Maximus.


    Now he had a reason to ept me without feeling guilty about betraying Hnie.


    After nodding his head, he rushed out, probably to go for a run. He didn¡¯t even say out loud that he would ept me¡ªjust gave us a hint.


    "Now, it¡¯s up to you to make him fall in love with you," Darcy turned to me, giving me a sharp look, as if telling me to be ready for whatever challenges came my way.


    "What about Hnie?" I asked, still wondering how we could get rid of her.


    "Ugh! That slut, I¡¯ll take care of her and her mother," Darcy punched her palm, probably remembering how Hnie¡¯s mother once stole her mate.


    "But your work isn¡¯t done yet. We¡¯ll need to perform some rituals to show Maximus that epting you will truly break his curse," Darcy added.


    She had already told me that Maximus would have to take part in some strange rituals with his mate to be freed from the curse.


    In this case, Maximus would have to give arge amount of his blood to his mother for her to perform a ritual. That scared me.


    I didn¡¯t know Darcy could do something like that. Did she have a witch on her side? That was terrifying.


    "Do I need to give my blood too?" I asked.


    "No! We¡¯re not actually doing any ritual. Your blood is insignificant. We¡¯ll just make it look like we took your blood. Since you aren¡¯t needed at the start, I¡¯ll take the blood ande back saying we¡¯ve started the ritual," she exined.


    She was talking in a way I didn¡¯t fully understand, but I trusted her. Especially because I didn¡¯t care about anything else as long as I got Maximus.


    However, I couldn¡¯t wait to tell Hnie that Maximus was mine now.


    Oh, sweet goddess, she was just his girlfriend, while I would be his mate.


    And thanks to his mother, who somehow found out that he had felt a mate bond in the woods¡ªwith some random girl he probably killed and ate.

 Chapter 462-A Secret Santa

    <h4>Chapter 462: 462-A Secret Santa</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I felt so bad for Maximus. After hearing everything, I realized we broke up because of a misunderstanding.


    "He¡¯ll be fine," Emmet elbowed me as we walked together. I was kind of perplexed myself, why be mated to more than one? And why to the three brothers?


    I was supposed to be at the hotel soon, but I couldn¡¯t get Maximus¡¯ face out of my mind.


    "Did Charlotte do something?" I stopped and turned to look at Emmet.


    "He said something, but it was so vague that I couldn¡¯t make much sense of it. But I¡¯ll talk to him, don¡¯t worry," Emmet reassured me, his fingers brushing against mine as we strolled together.


    "Thank you for everything, Emmet," I spoke softly, letting him intertwine his fingers with mine.


    "Thank you for letting me walk beside you," he tightened his grip on my hand, holding it firmly. "Let me drop you at the hotel. You should get some rest. There¡¯s a big ceremonying up, and I want you to attend it."


    Our fingers slowly untangled as he walked toward his car to open the passenger-side door for me.


    "What ceremony?" I asked.


    "Remember that woman from one of the family functions?" Emmet asked, almost zoning out as if he was struggling to remember which event he was referring to.


    "Kesha?" I guessed, but he shook his head.


    "Jessica. She¡¯s been Norman¡¯s fianc¨¦e for a long time, but now they¡¯re finally nning to tie the knot in two weeks," he exined, smiling as he helped me put on my seatbelt.


    "Oh, that¡¯s great news! Sad for the woman, though. How is she able to put up with someone like Norman?" I hissed, pouting as I recalled what an asshole he was most of the time.


    "Ehh!" Emmetughed. "He¡¯s not that bad. And as for Jessica, she knows how to handle him. She keeps him calm, and well¡ªeven though Norman isn¡¯t your typical boyfriend type, she understands him and rarelyins. I guess that¡¯s why he stays with her," Emmet spoke so softly, his deep voice so soothing that I could listen to him for hours.


    "Maybe that¡¯s why I¡¯ve never actually seen him with her," I muttered, trying hard to recall any moment when Norman had gone on a date with Jessica.


    "That¡¯s Norman for you. Heid out his terms, and she agreed. They almost broke up once, but one night¡ªwhen we were struggling to control Maximus and I had given too much blood to my brother to the point where Norman had to drag me away¡ªJessica stepped up and gave Maximus her own blood."


    It seemed like Jessica was truly a good person.


    "She had always been there for us. In fact, she was always there to support Kane whenever Mom would ignore him. And I guess that¡¯s why my brother chose her. He always wanted someone who would love his brothers the way he does," Emmet sighed, and I instantly realized he wasn¡¯t okay with the idea of it.


    "You don¡¯t like her?" I noticed his reaction, so I asked. But he was quick to shake his head.


    "That¡¯s not true. We¡¯ve all been friends since we were kids, and I respect her a lot. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t like how my brother thinks his wife or mate has to be just as devoted to his brothers as he is. Don¡¯t get me wrong, it¡¯s great if she wants to be there for his brothers, but¡ªI think choosing her just for that makes me wonder if Jessica is purposely working so hard just to be epted by him. She needs to understand that she deserves someone who will love her, take her out on dates, and not expect her to be just another brother to Norman¡¯s brothers," he spoke in a sad tone, with a hint of disappointment.


    "You said Normanid out the terms, and she chose to ept them," I shrugged, not understanding why she would agree to that.


    Why would anyone want to marry someone who shows nopassion for them? But then I shook my head and smiled, remembering my own stupidity¡ªhow I used to go out of my way to please Altan just because I wanted to marry him.


    We wrapped up the conversation on a much lighter note before Emmet dropped me off at the hotel where my friends were staying. They were already in the suite, I had heard.


    "Goodbye," Emmet puckered his lips, making me blush as I shyly nced at him¡ªonly to see Salem stepping out of the hotel, looking upset.


    "Now go," I mouthed, and he gave me a look as if leaving was the most painful thing he had to do.


    Once he drove off, I walked over to Salem, who probably hadn¡¯t even noticed me. She was on a call with someone, pacing around anxiously.


    "Dad, she is my friend. I don¡¯t care what Sydney says¡ªHnie didn¡¯t do anything. Hnie was with us the whole day, so back off," she muttered, hissing angrily.


    But it was the mention of her father that caught my attention.


    Her father was talking about me? What did I do now?


    "I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m telling you, Hnie was with us." She hung up and sighed, staring at the sky.


    "What happened?" I didn¡¯t want to startle her, but she was so lost in thought that she almost yelped. Her hand flew to her chest before she smiled.


    "You scared me," sheined, but then she hugged me and cupped my face in her hands. "You okay?" she asked softly.


    It made me feel so good. Her hands were warm, and her touch was so soothing.


    "Salem, tell me what¡¯s going on. Is your dad mad at you for staying over with me?" I noticed her body flinch a little at my question.


    "That¡¯s not it. I didn¡¯t want to tell you, but¡ª" she sighed, biting her bottom lip.


    "Tell me, please," I insisted.


    She finally opened her mouth, but what she said next left me in shock.


    "Zellu has gone missing."

 Chapter 463-She Is My Daughter!

    <h4>Chapter 463: 463-She Is My Daughter!</h4>


    Urs:


    "Why didn¡¯t you believe my daughter?" I asked McQuoid, holding back the storm that had been building inside me.


    I had enough. I stayed quiet, followed all the rules, only to find out that my daughter had been tortured over and over again.


    "Urs, it¡¯s not about trusting her words. I can¡¯t do anything in this case without evidence. The council will ask for proof. There¡¯s no DNA test, no witness, no one, and nothing to support her ims. How can you expect us to file aint and win? They will tear Hnie and her character apart in this case," he argued, pacing from one corner of the room to the other.


    I couldn¡¯t sit in front of him and keep my emotions in check. I jumped up and walked into the bathroom, mming the door shut.


    Once in front of the mirror, with my hands on the sink, I broke down.


    "I can¡¯t take it anymore," I cried out, tightening my grip on the basin.


    My reflection looked terrifying.


    "Our daughter went through so much¡ªand we¡ª" my wolf whimpered with the same pain.


    "And we thought we were doing everything right," I whispered.


    "What are you doing?" she asked when she noticed me grabbing the makeup.


    "I have to go pay someone a visit," I said, aggressively putting on red lipstick.


    "What? You think I shouldn¡¯t go?" I stopped briefly to ask. Not that I would change my mind. I was going to do it no matter what.


    After getting ready, I checked my phone for the details. I knew what I was doing would get me in trouble, but I needed to do it.


    There was no "my life" for me anymore.


    I knew Lord McQuoid would be busy at this time. He was holding a meeting with his sons to talk about recent matters¡ªones that revolved around my daughter.


    I couldn¡¯t rely on these men anymore.


    Thankfully, Darcy had left with her two children, who I didn¡¯t even want to see around anymore. Her little son was sick, yet this woman was still going around causing problems in other people¡¯s lives. Talk about being a witch.


    "Just drive straight¡ªI¡¯ll give you directions," I told the driver, not giving him the exact location.


    "Now stop here." After a few minutes, I made him pull over. When he did, I got out of the car and gestured for him to step out.


    "You wait for me here. I¡¯ll be back in a while," I informed him, and he nodded, walking toward the woods¡ªprobably to take a run until I returned.


    Now, I sat behind the wheel, my eyes on the road, determination burning in my gaze.


    My daughter¡¯s face kept shing before my eyes, and I had to work hard not to crash into a tree.


    After a while, I arrived at the street best known for prostitution.


    "Is he in there?" I gestured for my man toe and fill me in on the information.


    "He just got there. He¡¯s waiting for his toy for the night," my man informed me, leaning down to peer inside the car window.


    "Wait for my call, then burst inside to grab him," I said, getting out of the car and putting on a face mask.


    There¡¯s no such thing as good luck or bad luck. It¡¯s just the people around you whose choices turn your life good or bad.


    But I had a differentint. I didn¡¯t agree that anyone had the right to make choices for my daughter.


    For a very long time, I tried my best to keep her safe. To make everyone believe I hated her¡ªthat she wasn¡¯t my weakness. I thought if I stayed away from her, if she didn¡¯t call me Mommy, she would be safer.


    But sadly, all my sacrifices went in vain when I heard what they did to my daughter. That¡¯s when I realized she had more than one enemy.


    Unfortunately, her journey wouldn¡¯t be over just because these messed-up Alphas got punished. If she wants to survive, she must get away from the rogue brothers, their mother, and the organization.


    But I¡¯ll do it all on my own¡ªwithout involving her. My little girl doesn¡¯t have to fight. I¡¯ll do it for her.


    I entered the dark room and saw the man sitting on the couch.


    "Umm, honey, take off your mask. I want to see that pretty face of yours," he smirked, speaking in his disgusting tone.


    "Oh, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take off so much," Iughed, walking closer to him.


    "Ohh, you¡¯re a MILF," he joked.


    "Sure, but tell me something¡ªwhy did you hurt her?" I asked, stepping closer until I was right in front of him. I bent down, hovering so that he could look me in the eye.


    The mask hid my identity, but I wasn¡¯t trying to hide from him.


    "What?" he groaned, leaning back, trying to act tough.


    "Don¡¯t give me that look, little boy. I¡¯m not afraid of weak little things like you." As soon as I said that, he straightened up, reaching for me.


    But that¡¯s when I put my hand on his chest and pushed him back, stopping him from moving. He looked at my hand and then at my face, fear clear in his eyes.


    "I¡¯m only half as strong as my daughter, but you get the idea¡ªI¡¯ll wait for her to fully grow and show you all what you messed with," my gaze darkened as I looked into his eyes, feeling his body tremble with fear.


    "Who are you? What do you want from me?" The Alpha didn¡¯t seem so confident anymore. There was no one who had the right over my daughter. Years ago, I had promised myself I will take care of my daughter even if I have to never show her love again. My priority remained keeping her safe, that was all my life was for. And revenge! I had to avenge the death of my daughter¡¯s siblings.


    "I¡¯m Hnie¡¯s mother¡ªand you¡¯ll be in my care from now on, Zellu," I hissed, raising my hand and stabbing him in the neck with wolfsbane.

 Chapter 464-Endgame!

    <h4>Chapter 464: 464-Endgame!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I am so d that asshole is gone. I hope someone is torturing him right now," Lamar said, lying on the couch after we had a big meal.


    The suite was perfect for us. We had an indoor pool, and our whole floor was booked just for us.


    I wasn¡¯t upset that Zellu was kidnapped, but I would have appreciated it if he had confessed to his crime.


    I didn¡¯t want people to feel bad for him¡ªwhich I had read about online. Some people were actually upset and worried for him.


    "Anyway, are you going to the mansion for Professor Norman¡¯s rehearsal dinner?" Salem asked, with Gavin resting his head in herp as she ran her fingers through his hair.


    Penn wanted to stay, but he left to check up on his sister. I could tell Lamar desperately wanted to go and be with her, but he was giving her space. Besides, her parents were having some trouble in the pack. Ever since Rayden¡¯s death, I heard Jenny¡¯s father had been acting up.


    He was constantly on medication because he would wake up and go around looking for Rayden¡ªto punish him.


    "Yeah, I will. I don¡¯t want to hide. I¡¯m not the one who did anything wrong," I shrugged, even though I was slightly worried about being around those people again.


    "Romeo will be there," Gavin reminded me, his eyes suggesting I skip the rehearsal dinner.


    "It¡¯s okay. I can deal with him. Besides, the more he¡¯s around me, the more he will show his true colors," I said, but the way they went silent made me believe they were against the idea.


    Also, since they wouldn¡¯t be there, I would be by myself.


    But as soon as that thought crossed my mind, I received a message from Emmet, and I felt like smiling from ear to ear.


    Did he hear me?


    Emmet: Pleasee to the rehearsal dinner. I will be with you every second of the evening.


    I smiled, lying down on the bed. Salem and I were sharing a bed while the boys were sleeping in the living room. There were other rooms booked, but we decided to stick together.


    "Can I ask you a question?" Salem asked, whispering while wey in the dark, staring outside the big window at the starry night.


    "Sure, what is it about?" I inquired.


    "Is there¡ªugh! I don¡¯t want to upset you, but I have to ask. I¡¯ve been itching to¡ª" She shut up when I turned to her, lying on my side and giving her a look.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll ask you," she braced herself and finally spoke.


    "Is there anything going on between you and¡ªProfessor Emmet?"


    Her question made my soul leave my body.


    "Hey, I won¡¯t judge you. I just noticed the way he behaves around you. And then, when he was climbing that wall and you two almost¡ªwell, we all noticed. While others might not have thought too much about it¡ªI saw Emmet staring at your lips. He even puckered his lips, probably thinking you two would kiss¡ª"


    After talking way too much, she instantly bit her tongue and turned her back to me.


    "Okay, goodnight."


    I guess she was feeling embarrassed for asking me that question.


    "He is my fated mate¡ª," I muttered, noticing her body shudder.


    She then very dramatically turned around to look at me. "And so are Maximus and Kaye."


    I watched her jump up and stare at me. "They are all your mates?"


    She asked so loudly and clearly that the door mmed open, and Gavin barged in.


    "What is going on?" he asked, but it was Lamar who came from behind him and grabbed him by force.


    "You kill her, and I¡¯ll get rid of his body¡ª," Lamar yelled, causing me to p my forehead while Gavin struggled to break free.


    "I was just talking about my mates¡ª," I red at Lamar, signaling him to let Gavin go.


    "What? You¡¯re telling them about your mates?" Lamar shook his head at me.


    "Dude, let her speak. We¡¯re her friends," Gavin elbowed Lamar, finally breaking free.


    I sat them down and told them everything. They were shocked the entire time.


    "Wow, you must be very special then," Salem said after I finished talking.


    "I think I knew," Gavin shrugged, scratching his head.


    "Anyway¡ªtell me¡ªwho are you picking?" Salem grabbed my hands and scooted closer, looking excited.


    "Yes, tell us," Lamar did the same¡ªthe same guy who was ready to kill the two, or at least joked about it when he thought Salem was just finding out about my mates. Now he was all in for the gossip.


    "I¡¯ve already broken up with the other two. I¡¯m kind of dating¡ªor, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on between me and Emmet," I admitted, feeling like a teenager.


    My youth had been stolen from me once¡ªfirst by my stepmother and father, and then by the Alphas who thought I was nothing but their toy.


    But now, I got to live the years I had missed out on, and I was all about it.


    "But¡ªokay, hear me out¡ªit¡¯s cute and all, but what about Kaye and Maximus? I mean, Professor Kaye and Professor Maximus," Gavinughed slyly, making it obvious that now that they knew my trainers were my mates, my friends were free to use their names without any titles.


    "Maximus wasn¡¯t at fault. You two had a misunderstanding. And as for Kaye¡ªI think he got hurt too," Salem exined, but I shook my head.


    "I understand, but a breakup is a breakup. Besides, I can¡¯t cheat on Emmet," I wanted them to understand that I had to be loyal to Emmet. But I guess they saw it differently.


    "Emmet is a perfect choice, but the other two might make things messy. A mate¡¯s eptance is very important. The rivalry among lovers is a big deal¡ªso imaginepeting for the attention of their fated mate," Lamar was probably right.


    I had already experienced a little of that today, and it was so unpleasant.


    "Anyway, I hope you and Professor Emmet are endgame. You deserve someone like him," Salem held my hand and gave me a reassuring look, and I appreciated it a lot.

 Chapter 465-My Stepbrother Is Getting Married

    <h4>Chapter 465: 465-My Stepbrother Is Getting Married</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "This looks good," Salem said, checking my hair.


    "You guys are going to see Jenny. How is she?" I pouted, feeling bad that I couldn¡¯t meet her. Today was Norman¡¯s rehearsal dinner, so I had to be there. Lord McQuoid had called me and requested that I forget how everyone had reacted to the previous incident and attend the dinner because my stepbrothers wanted me there.


    It was funny how they used to be against the idea of me stepping into the mansion, and now they were the ones who wanted me there.


    "Salem will beforting her, but other than that, she¡¯s fine now," Penn exined, sitting on the couch in the back and watching me get ready. He had been doing this for some time, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel shy.


    Not in a romantic way. But more in a way that I wasn¡¯t veryfortable with someone staring at me.


    "Tie her hair in the back with that ribbon," Penn said, pointing at the box he had gifted me earlier. There was a beautiful blush-pink ribbon to go with my pink dress.


    Salem was so good at hairstyling and makeup. I looked so much better tonight after she had gotten me ready. She had curled my long blonde hair to perfection and applied beautiful pink-toned makeup.


    She even gifted me a pair of stilettos from her own collection. I refused too many times, but when she wouldn¡¯t listen, I paid her back.


    I had saved a lot, and with me working non-stop here and there, I had a good amount saved.


    "All set," Salem stepped back and pped her hands, smiling at me.


    "Wow¡ª," Penn said, his eyes checking me out shamelessly.


    "You look gorgeous," Gavinplimented me, while Lamar, who had been on a call with Jenny, lifted his head from the ground and gasped.


    He was a little over-the-top dramatic kind of guy.


    "I am speechless," Lamar said. "Jenny, hey! I¡¯ll send you Hnie¡¯s picture. She looks so gorgeous." He excitedly jumped off the bed and hung up on Jenny to take my photo.


    I had spoken to Jenny a few hours ago, but I wanted to check on her every few seconds.


    "Why don¡¯t you all stand beside me?" I asked my friends, and they all got closer. Even Lamar joined in and held his arm up to take a group selfie.


    Penn made sure he was standing on my right as the picture was taken. Without these idiots¡¯ support, I could never have had these happy moments.


    After I said goodbye, it was Salem who drove me to the mansion. Penn tried his best to get me to ept his offer, but I kept dodging, and thankfully, Salem understood. So she insisted on taking me to the mansion.


    "Do you think you¡¯ll feel the mate bond with Norman soon?" The drive was so silent and peaceful until Salem decided to ruin my peace.


    I almost threw up in my mouth.


    "No! He is my stepbrother," I quickly argued against the idea.


    "Umm, they¡¯re all your stepbrothers," sheughed, making me pout and shake my head.


    "Please don¡¯t give any ideas to the Moon Goddess. She will dlytch onto it just to hurt me," I rolled my eyes, looking outside the window.


    I always use a bitter tone for the Moon Goddess.


    "Even when she herself came to save you? Come on now, forgive her already. It¡¯s not her doing, but her people¡¯s," Salem argued. She was always on the Moon Goddess¡¯s side. I never thought she was the type to be so thoughtful and all.


    I had told them about the whole Moon Goddess thing as well. Penn still had no clue about my mates, so there was that. I didn¡¯t know how he would react to the fact that I was mated to my stepbrothers.


    "But I¡¯m serious. Why only three brothers?" Salem continued, and I shook my head once again. I didn¡¯t even want to think about it.


    That would be crazy.


    "Well, then Professor Norman will get rejected the very next minute," I scoffed, folding my arms over my chest.


    "You mean on the same full moon night? You do know for a better and less painful rejection, one must mark or reject only on a full moon," she reminded me¡ªsomething I had already learned in thest few hours.


    But I knew there was no way Norman was my mate. There was no chemistry, no feelings, and no connection there.


    "Ahh! By the way, the top seniors¡ªSage and Rudy¡¯s group¡ªwon the test today. I¡¯m guessing they¡¯ll be on the cruise with us."


    "That¡¯s great. What about Arlo¡¯s team?" I hated the thought of him being on the same cruise as us. He was a messy person through and through, no matter what.


    "Yeah, I didn¡¯t say his name because I knew you¡¯d be annoyed. But don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll have us," she sighed at the mention of Arlo being on the cruise with us before she parked the car in the long driveway and gestured, "There you go, princess. All your mates must be waiting to get a glimpse of you."


    She made me roll my eyes at her before getting out of the car. "Please drive safely. I might stay in for the night."


    I didn¡¯t want to, but I made that decision so that Salem wouldn¡¯t have to drive all the way back to the pack¡¯s hotel where we were staying.


    "Alright, have fun," Salem waved her hand, assuming I wanted to stay in for the night, and then drove off.


    I walked down the long path, my hands sped together. The number of cars in the driveway and parking lot told me there were a lot of guests here tonight.


    "Hnie!"


    I raised my head from the ground to see Emmet standing on the porch, waiting for me. He wore a ck shirt and ck khakis. His long hair was tied in a messy man bun. His eyes shone so beautifully as he stared at me.


    "I¡¯ve been waiting for you," he said, stepping forward and extending his hand to offer me support.


    Without any hesitation, I held his hand and joined the rehearsal dinner with him.

 Chapter 466-Hunt For Peace

    <h4>Chapter 466: 466-Hunt For Peace</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Everything has been prepared so well, especially the dinner," one of thedies from Darcy¡¯s side of the familyplimented, making her proudly shrug her shoulders.


    "Your sons look so handsome. I can¡¯t wait to see Norman," she added, making Darcy smirk in pride.


    Thedy had been everywhere. She had already checked out the menu and was now insisting on hearing speeches from everyone.


    She seemed messy to me.


    "But where is your cousin? Is she and her family not invited? Isn¡¯t she married to your ex husband¡¯s brother?" As soon as thedy asked Darcy, I saw Darcy¡¯s eyes turn to me. Sadly, I had been standing right next to her. Actually, I was by the TV, sittingfortably when she arrived and sat right on the couch beside thisdy.


    "Isn¡¯t Romeo doted on by your sons?" thedy added, giving me a hint about who she was referring to. The hair on the back of my neck stood at the thought of Romeo attending the rehearsal dinner. I would have nevere here if he wasing.


    But the brothers had promised me that Romeo wouldn¡¯t be seen on the property, and they kept their promises.


    However, I was still hoping Romeo wouldn¡¯t show up just to be messy.


    "Some slut has stepped into my sons¡¯ minds. But don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be long before they realize Romeo is their true blood and the others are just opportunists," her tone turned so bitter, and I noticed her side-eyeing me, which made the other woman look at me and then nod as if she understood exactly who Lady Darcy was talking about.


    "I¡¯ve heard rumors that the missing Alpha had an ongoing feud with her. The Alphas don¡¯t want their children to be associated with this girl. Yet, you havee home and be part of the family. Not only is she probably behind Alpha Zellu¡¯s abduction, but she is also a wolfless creature," thedy continued, scoffing at me.


    "I¡¯m sorry, but are you talking about me?" I snapped my fingers, watching the horror spread across their faces as if I had just stolen their kidneys.


    "If so, then you need to use better words. You can¡¯t just call me a wolfless creature and then use me of abducting an Alpha. Make it make sense," I hissed at her, grabbing the orange juice out of her hands¡ªthe one she hadn¡¯t sipped from¡ªand taking a sip right in front of her.


    "You can have it. It lost its taste after you touched it."


    With that, I shoved the ss back into her hand, spilling some of it on her dress.


    She looked so shocked and disgusted, yet she couldn¡¯t make a sound because she could tell Emmet and Maximus were standing just at a distance, watching the interaction like hawks.


    After a few seconds of me staring them dead in the eyes, I decided to walk away. That¡¯s when I saw Emmet and Maximus give me a proud smirk for standing up for myself. I also caught a glimpse of Darcy walking over to her sons toin, but they simply watched her throw a tantrum silently¡ªwith those same smirks still on their faces¡ªlikely pissing off their mother even more.


    I did make a very victorious exit, but once in the hallway, I stared around in confusion.


    I had left the living room like a hero, but... what now?


    I was supposed to sit there and wait for the rehearsal to start. Since Jessica hadn¡¯t arrived yet, everyone was pretty much just walking around and drinking casually. I hadn¡¯t seen Norman around either.


    However, as I ventured to the second floor, I heard some noisesing from Kaye¡¯s room¡ªit was the first one at the top of the stairs.


    I hesitated. Should I stick around or leave? Kaye hated anyone outside his door.


    Then, I saw Emma downstairs and made up my mind to stay.


    Still, I began walking away from Kaye¡¯s room to avoid getting caught. I would hate for him to think I was eavesdropping on his conversation.


    But what if they were being loud? Would it be my fault if I identally overheard something?


    "It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s normal to feel this way," I heard Keshaforting Kaye inside his bedroom.


    I frowned. What was going on with him?


    Even with all theints I had about his recent change in behavior, I still cared about him. Deep down, I was grateful for the time he had helped me heal and taken care of me. He was the first one to show interest in me.


    I didn¡¯t stand too close to the door, yet I could still hear them from afar.


    "You don¡¯t get it. I feel suffocated¡ª" Kayeined, his voice rough as he coughed several times, trying to clear his throat.


    "Kaye, baby! It¡¯s normal sometimes. Your basic instincts are kicking in. You just need to go hunting soon," Kesha responded casually, as if it was nothing to worry about.


    Maybe that was just her personality. I wasn¡¯t one to judge.


    "Hunting? That¡¯s the solution to my problem?" He grunted at her. Even from outside, I could feel the tension in the room.


    "What else can be done? Do you want to starve it until it unleashes and hurts the people you love? You need to ept the truth of who you are. That¡¯s the only way you¡¯ll ever be happy and not want to die," her tone turned sharper¡ªbitter and sassy, probably exhausted with hisints.


    But I was lost.


    What exactly were they talking about?


    Who did Kaye need to go hunting for?


    Werewolves didn¡¯t just feel the urge to go out and hunt randomly.


    "Ugh! Tonight is your brother¡¯s night, let¡¯s just focus on what drinks we¡¯ll enjoy. And by the way, keep your feelings to yourself, remember! It¡¯s Norman¡¯s night," she dismissed his concerns, shifting the conversation to something else.


    But something didn¡¯t sit right with me.


    I didn¡¯t know why, but it felt like Kaye was crying for help.


    And sadly, she wasn¡¯t the one who could save him.

 Chapter 467-His Mate Isn’t Fond Of Me

    <h4>Chapter 467: 467-His Mate Isn¡¯t Fond Of Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I rushed downstairs before they could get out and see me outside the room. Kesha was thest person I would want to mess up with. Kaye loved her and really cared for her, so he would definitely take her side, and that would hurt.


    Not that he would be wrong. He had every right to defend his chosen mate.


    "Where were you?" Emmet saw me and quickly walked over, a drink in his hand.


    As soon as I tried taking that drink away, he pulled his hand behind his back.


    "What are you doing?" He raised his brow, smiling as he asked me.


    "You need to quit drinking," I said in a firm tone. I wanted to be there for them and help them out just like they had been helping me.


    "Um, what?" He smiled as if he couldn¡¯t believe what I had just said.


    "Why? Is that too much to ask?" I ced my hands on my hips, Kaye¡¯s concerns still in my mind.


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to smile when I was so lost in the thoughts of the conversation I had just overheard.


    "No! You have every right, but I¡¯m impressed by the boldness," he said as he slowly brought his hand forward and gave me the drink. The minute I grabbed it, I tried to down it in one go.


    Or at least I thought I could. The moment it started running down my throat, I coughed, and the whole drink sttered on my face.


    "Hey," Emmet grabbed the ss and started rubbing my back in concern. "Let¡¯s take you to the side," he suggested, helping me to the kitchen. He handed me a napkin and even helped me clean my face and hands.


    "Now, tell me, what was that?" He ced one hand on his waist and the other on the counter before lifting me by my waist and setting me on top of it.


    "I was outside Kaye¡¯s room, and I heard some things," I admitted, afraid he would judge me. But instead, he seemed genuinely interested in what I had heard, so I continued. "Something is going on with Kaye, Emmet. He and Kesha were talking, and Kaye was telling her how he feels suffocated. She was telling him that he should go hunting."


    I didn¡¯t want to hide anything from Emmet. It was about time we all paid attention to what was happening with Kaye. He had been struggling for a while, and we had only been avoiding it.


    "Hmm, that¡¯s odd. Why would he go hunting to calm his nerves?" Emmet questioned, thankfully looking as confused as I was.


    "I thought I was overreacting. But Kesha sounded like¡ªshe didn¡¯t¡ª" I stopped talking because I knew I wasn¡¯t in a ce to judge them. But I just couldn¡¯t help giving my opinion.


    "You are being dramatic."


    The low-pitched voice speaking directly to me sent a shiver down my spine. Emmet only turned his head to look at the personing in and then stepped aside, his posture still the same with his hand resting on the counter beside me. But we didn¡¯t look too close or anything.


    "And what about my behavior? I know how to calm my baby, and I was doing that. If I started to freak out, he would freak out. You are in no ce to judge me. In fact, who even are you?" Kesha¡¯s voice was so stern that I felt like I was being scolded by a teacher.


    She wore a ck dress with sequins. Her short hair was curled, and chandelier earrings dangled from her ears.


    "I was¡ª" Before I could finish, I watched Emmet stand straight with his arms folded over his chest.


    "She is family¡ªdon¡¯t you even know that much?" he asked Kesha, whose grip on the ss she was holding tightened, but she forced a smile on her lips.


    "But that doesn¡¯t mean she should interfere in my business with my mate," she continued, not even using her bitter tone with Emmet.


    "I have known you brothers since I was a kid, and even you know that Kaye is sort of an attention seeker."


    The moment she said that, I felt a burning sensation in my chest.


    "Every time something big is happening, he somehow wants attention on himself. And I realized he was doing the same tonight, so I nicely tried to help him out and also reminded him that it¡¯s Norman¡¯s night," she argued, making me clench my jaw.


    Thankfully, even Emmet didn¡¯t like how she described Kaye.


    "My brother is not an attention seeker. When he seeks attention, it is his right. But when has he ever wanted attention for himself when it was someone else¡¯s big day? You have no right to make it sound like your business when it¡¯s just my brother¡¯s business. It is not something between the two of you," Emmet used a much sterner tone with her, and I hated how she was ring at him. She didn¡¯t even blink or take another breath.


    For a moment, I wondered if she had gone frozen.


    "He wasining about being suffocated, and you told him to go hunting when you didn¡¯t even believe in hisint? How is that sensible? You fooled him into thinking that would help when you don¡¯t even think there¡¯s a problem?" I continued as I jumped off the counter to stand straight.


    She was way too tall, and with her high heels, she easily towered over me. But the tallest one beside me among us made me feel safe.


    "Hnie, is it?" She cracked her neck as she stretched, making me wince at the sound of it.


    She was trying to act tough in front of me. "Oh, you¡¯re the one who always makes the ceremonies about herself. May I ask what you¡¯ve been doing in the kitchen with your stepbrother?"


    It was almost as if she was trying to threaten me into backing down¡ªor she could spread rumors.

 Chapter 468-The Groom-To-Be

    <h4>Chapter 468: 468-The Groom-To-Be</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    As soon as I saw Emmet square up, I gestured at him with my hand. I got this.


    "I was talking to him. Why? Have you never seen two people talk before? Or did you think that just because I¡¯m their stepsister, we can¡¯t even have a conversation? Exactly how dirty is your mind?" Since she was gaslighting me, I decided to do the same.


    "As for Kaye, it doesn¡¯t matter what ceremony heins about his difort at¡ªhe deserves all the attention. We will continue to focus on his health first, and I¡¯m sure Norman would do the same." I used Norman¡¯s name since she had manipted Kaye into staying quiet for Norman¡¯s sake.


    I hated Kesha. At least Charlotte would show some emotions and reactions, but Kesha wouldn¡¯t. She would instantly re people down as if she was nning something big in her head. That was what made me so ufortable.


    "Anyway, you should head back to the party," Emmet waved his hand at Kesha, who stared at his hand and then at his face¡ªalmost like she was absorbing the insult.


    She was so odd and crazy.


    As soon as she stepped aside and turned around, I heard her let out a small yelp¡ªfrom nearly bumping into someone.


    She stepped back and then turned to us, making us see Kaye standing in the doorway.


    His eyesnded on me, then moved to his brother before settling on Kesha.


    "It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t get insulted so easily," Kesha hissed, but I could hear the lie in her tone. She was definitely offended.


    She grabbed Kaye¡¯s arm and dragged him behind her. I wondered¡ªwhat really happened here?


    "It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll speak with him," Emmet gave me a look of understanding.


    "But we didn¡¯t say anything wrong, did we?" I thought about my conversation with Kesha. Not once did I say anything that would insult Kaye.


    Maybe he was upset about us talking back to Kesha.


    We both walked out of the kitchen, but as soon as we were in the living room, Maximus stepped between us. There was definitely space between us, but I knew what he was doing. However, I was distracted by Kaye and Kesha.


    I saw Kaye standing next to his brother, who was introducing him to somedy, while Kesha stood in the corner of the living room by the bar. The moment her eyesnded on Kaye, I noticed Kaye start to touch his cor a lot¡ªalmost like he was undoing the buttons of his shirt. He was even sweating.


    Winter was over, but there was no way he should be sweating like that when summer hadn¡¯t even arrived yet. Besides, they had air conditioning in every room and space.


    "Baby!"


    Just when I thought I could focus more on the weird couple, I heard Charlottee up beside us.


    I could see her through my peripheral vision, but I acted like I was oblivious to her.


    "Charlotte, my dear," Maximus¡¯s tone shocked me. That was when I couldn¡¯t help but turn my neck toward the couple. Even Emmet was watching them in confusion.


    Charlotte wore a blue dress with light makeup and curly hair. She was smiling from ear to ear as she stared at Maximus.


    "What are you wearing?" Maximus pouted, and I could see the huge grin on Charlotte¡¯s face.


    "You don¡¯t like it?" she asked, giving her dress a good swirl.


    What was going on? What lie had she told him to convince him she didn¡¯t lie about being mated to him in the woods?


    I noticed Emma standing in the corner by the bar as well, her eyes on her daughter and a huge smirk stered on her lips. She definitely wanted a rich man for her daughter, which I don¡¯t me her for. She could have a choice, but going above and beyond to deceive someone just to make them her daughter¡¯s mate was pretty wrong.


    "No! I want you to wear what I left in your room for you. Go¡ªchange and let the hairstylist style you," Maximus smiled, using an overly flirtatious tone that seemedpletely fake at this point.


    "You got me a dress?" I saw her eyes widen, and a huge smirk formed on her lips when her eyes shifted to me.


    "Of course, why not? You are my fated mate, after all."


    As soon as he referred to her as his fated mate, I began to wonder if he was onto something. I saw Emmet shake his head as well.


    "I¡¯ll just go and change," she snapped her fingers and ran out of the living room, making her mother frown in bewilderment.


    My eyes went back to Kaye and Kesha, and Kaye was dripping with sweat, constantly rubbing his face with a tissue, itching the tattoo on his neck, and pulling at his cor as if he was having a hard time breathing.


    "Hey."


    But our attention was diverted when the groom-to-be arrived.


    Norman wore a white shirt with ck pants, his wet hair falling over his forehead.


    He looked good, even though he had decided to keep it casual.


    "Brother! Congrattions," Emmet reached over and hugged him first, congratting him on his wedding in a week.


    They nned the rehearsal dinner a week before because the rest of the week was going to be Norman¡¯s week. His brothers had nned multiple bachelor parties for him.


    "Hey brother, you¡¯re about to step into the new stage of your life. Now focus on yourself," Maximus gave him a hug, but I could still see the sadness in his eyes. Had they not made up after the argument?


    "Thank you. But that¡¯s something I can¡¯t do. I will never put you after someone," Norman patted Maximus¡¯s cheeks, and I saw Maximus¡¯s eyes shine with hope.


    Kaye excused himself and arrived too, giving his brother a very long hug as if he was going somewhere.


    "Dude, what happened to you? Let¡¯s help you with this sweat," Maximus said to Kaye, and Emmet, who had already heard my concerns, gave me a head nod that he would take care of Kaye.


    As the brothers walked away, Norman straightened his back to face me.


    "How do I look?" he asked, looking so happy.

 Chapter 469-And There He Was–The Leader

    <h4>Chapter 469: 469-And There He Was¨CThe Leader</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You could do better," I joked, and he rolled his eyes.


    "How do I look?" I asked and noticed him instantly looking away.


    "I wasn¡¯t staring," he rolled his eyes.


    "Never said you did," I grunted, confused why he thought that is what I was insinuating.


    "So, how are you, mated to all my brothers?" He rolled his eyes like a sassy guy when he mentioned the fact that I was mated to all his brothers.


    "I¡¯m happy as long as I¡¯m not mated to all of the brothers," Imented, making him narrow his eyes at me.


    "Ohe on, I don¡¯t ever want that either. I¡¯m already watching my brothers suffer¡ªthat¡¯s enough," he scoffed, looking like a spoiled brat.


    "Are you going to spend your evening arguing with me? It¡¯s your night. Stay positive," I shrugged, watching him nod his head.


    "Anyway, I¡¯m happy you came," he changed his tone and sounded serious now that he was talking about something more important.


    "I couldn¡¯t skip it. And I¡¯m d Romeo isn¡¯t here tonight," I replied.


    "Of course, Hnie. He¡¯s never going to be around us again. I don¡¯t care how closely he¡¯s rted¡ªeven if my own brother had done it¡ªI would¡¯ve kicked him out of my life," his words felt heavy but also refreshing.


    The fact that he wouldn¡¯t even spare his own brothers for that crime and sin made me see him in a new light. A light of respect.


    "You¡¯re still not my favorite stepbrother," I joked, not wanting to make the night about myself.


    He let out a deep breath and then muttered, "Nothing can be done about a mischievous one like you."


    However, our conversation ended when a hand was ced on his shoulder. He turned, revealing his mother to me. Even though she wanted her son¡¯s attention, she was staring straight at me.


    "Son, when a groom arrives, he¡¯s supposed to meet his mother first. But sadly, others have been keeping you busy," she said with a bitter tone, clearly upset that he had been talking to me for too long.


    "Hello, Mother. How are you? Had a few too many drinks already?" Norman sighed and replied in a much more sarcastic tone.


    "No, I¡¯m sober," she replied. "The kids are fine. Davon is doing better now, but I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯llst before he gets sick again."


    It was odd how she randomly brought that up, then hugged her son and started crying on his chest.


    I wanted to look for Kesha and tell her, ¡¯The only dramatic person here is Darcy.¡¯


    I gave Norman a nod and walked away from the two of them. I didn¡¯t want to be around his mother¡ªor any toxic person¡ªfor too long. As soon as I was outside the living room, I came face-to-face with Kaye again.


    "You okay?" slipped out of my mouth before I could even catch my breath.


    "I¡¯m fine, thanks for caring and standing up for me earlier." I didn¡¯t expect him to actually thank me.


    "That was nothing," I told him.


    "It was everything to me," he used a gentle tone, making me smile at him.


    "Just let us know how you¡¯re feeling, Kaye. Sometimes, powerful creatures have a hard time adjusting to their powers. Needing guidance and support doesn¡¯t make them weak. Sometimes, a little help is all it takes to put a leash on a powerful beast," I ended with a yful touch, and I could tell he liked what he heard.


    "You think I¡¯m powerful?" he asked with a smile. I had learned to move on from my past and stay calm, no matter what had happened between us.


    "And I called you a beast¡ªdid you miss that part?" I kept the joke going, and somehow, his face brightened again. He looked rxed, and the shine in his eyes hade back too.


    "You¡¯re amazing. I don¡¯t know how you do it¡ªbut you¡¯re just a wonder," he tilted his head, his eyes focused on my face, andplimented me in the nicest way.


    But if my life were really that simple¡ªwhere I could just be praised and that would be the end of it¡ªI would¡¯ve never had to worry. But that¡¯s not how my life works.


    As soon as my eyes shifted behind him, I saw Jessica walk in. Even though she looked beautiful in her pastel dress and light makeup, I couldn¡¯t shake off the uneasy feeling. Kaye followed my gaze, then excused himself, rushing over to greet her. She had her father with her and a bunch of wealthy alphas and council members.


    She looked happy and confident, but for some reason, her smile made me ufortable.


    I didn¡¯t understand it. I wasn¡¯t jealous of her¡ªnot at all. In fact, I was happy for her and Norman. But then why was my heart racing? I could hear waves in my ears, and it wasn¡¯t a good feeling.


    I looked down to take a deep breath, then looked up again. This time, I saw all the brothers rushing in to greet the bride. Emmet and Maximus were full of smiles. Their mother hade out with Norman, but it was someone else slipping through the crowd that caught my eye.


    A brown-haired guy with hazel eyes and a body covered in tattoos stayed locked in my sight. Then, my ears went silent¡ªonly to hear the words he had once said to me as he towered next to me.


    "If we had met under different circumstances, I might have courted you. But I have to kill you, or else you¡¯ll go around ruining my reputation."


    "Ahhh!" I gasped, stepping back and covering my mouth as I recognized him¡ªthe leader of the group from that night.


    It was the most disgusting feeling, watching him smile and then stand right next to Jessica. Then I noticed how much they looked alike.


    I saw Norman walk forward and hug ¡¯my rapist¡¯, and then Jessica smiled at him and stared up at him. They all adored him¡ªor at least respected him.


    "Brother, tell them about your training," Jessica said, helping me realize what their rtionship was.


    He was Jessica¡¯s baby brother.

 Chapter 470-Piece Of Shit

    <h4>Chapter 470: 470-Piece Of Shit</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I was shaking, my body overwhelmed with so many thoughts racing through my mind. Every time I told myself I wouldn¡¯t react like a scared kitten when seeing one of my rapists, I ended up reacting the exact same way. He was so tall and I recalled how I had thought he would crush Altan if he wanted. Never thought I would see him around my mates. But they were still taller than him.


    Soon, I knew I¡¯d have to face him, and the brothers would try to introduce me to him. I couldn¡¯t let that happen. I had to leave before it got to that point. I began taking slow, steady steps away from the crowd, carefully slipping out of sight and hiding behind a wall. As the crowd moved and the brothers started looking around, I was sure the search in their eyes was for me.


    They had told me they¡¯d introduce me to everyone¡ªthey weren¡¯t ashamed of me being part of their family. It was partly because of the recent rumors about Zellu having some kind of issue with me before he went missing. That¡¯s why Salem had been told by his father to keep his distance from me.


    Once the crowd headed toward the backyard where the rehearsal dinner was being held, I slipped out through the front door.


    Out in the open air, I gasped and clutched my hair in both fists. I was beyond enraged but helpless. So all those alphas were rted to powerful people.


    "I can¡¯t stay here."


    That was my n now. It wasn¡¯t just Romeo anymore¡ªthis family had another one of them, someone else I didn¡¯t want to be near. I grabbed my phone and dialed Lamar¡¯s number, my fingers trembling.


    "Hey, are you calling to rub in all the amazing food you¡¯re having without me?" he joked, sounding chill and happy. He had no idea he was about to hear something that would ruin his mood. I hated being the reason my friends felt sad.


    "I saw him," I said softly, and I heard him grunt.


    "Is Romeo there?" he asked.


    "No. Um... another one of them." It was so hard to keep searching through all those faces in the crowd from that night.


    I just wanted a normal life. When I had that steamy moment with Emmet, I really thought my life had restarted. I thought I¡¯d finally have moments like that¡ªsome yful, some sweet, some that made me blush. But that was just a lie. The misery wasn¡¯t over, and now I had to face another big blow. I wanted to be ready for what¡¯s toe next.


    "Did you tell the brothers?" Lamar asked, sounding deeply worried for me.


    "Nope, not yet. I don¡¯t think now¡¯s the right time. There are so many people here... if I say anything, I¡¯ll be in trouble," I said, remembering how everyone was bowing to Jessica¡¯s father. His son was about to be the Alpha King of North¡ªit meant he had more power than the rest of them. It was a huge deal.


    "Okay, but wait somewhere safe¡ªwe¡¯reing to get you," Lamar said. It sounded like he was already on the move. I could hear him struggling with his shirt and everything.


    "Aren¡¯t you going to ask me who it is?" The minute I asked that question, I heard the sounds of him getting readye to a stop. Silence. It was like he already feared the answer.


    "The bride-to-be¡¯s baby brother. The soon-to-be Alpha King," I announced, clenching my jaw at the thought of that monster being chosen as a leader.


    "That¡¯s horrible. How could that happen?" Lamar asked.


    "Rich and powerful people get away with almost everything," I hissed. If I hadn¡¯t recognized him¡ªor if I hadn¡¯t survived that night¡ªhe would¡¯ve gone on to be Alpha King, walking around freely and targeting more innocent people. And what makes me think he¡¯d ever stop?


    For all I knew, going against him would be dangerous and almost impossible.


    "Just forget about it for now. We¡¯ll deal with it. Right now, we need to get you home. One thing at a time," Lamar said, and he was right. I gave a small nod, even though he couldn¡¯t see it.


    "I¡¯ll be waiting," I said before hanging up the call. I wrapped my arms around myself when I heard movement behind me, and my heart sank into my chest. From the moment I heard the sound to the second I turned around, it was just a few seconds¡ªbut my mind flooded with fear.


    What if it was him? What if he had spotted me ande out here to finish the job¡ªto silence me for good?


    But when I finally turned around, I came face-to-face with none other than a very angry Lady Darcy.


    "So now it¡¯s one of my son¡¯s brothers-inw?" she snapped. She must¡¯ve heard everything. Her jaw was clenched tight, her eyes red with the kind of rage that onlyes from tears and fury. I swear, if her sons didn¡¯t care about me, she would¡¯ve strangled me right here with her bare hands.


    "Please leave me alone," I said, still visibly shaken.


    "Trust me, nobody wants to be around you. Isn¡¯t that what¡¯s making you so upset? Huh?" she spat. "You¡¯re mad because none of the alphas wanted you. And now that my sons gave you a bit of attention, you think you own them. One of them¡¯s getting married, and suddenly you¡¯re making usations against his brother-inw to stop the wedding? Is that your n?"


    She was hissing the words at me, her fists clenched so tightly, probably just stopping herself from yelling and drawing attention. But her voice still carried all the venom.


    I felt sick. Disgusted by a woman like her.


    "Your imagination is wild. Not everyone¡¯s a cunning piece of shit like you," I muttered, letting my anger loose on her because she pushed me there.


    "What did you just call me?" she gasped. Once she managed to rein in her emotions, she raised her hand¡ªto hit me.

 Chapter 471-It Is All Getting Messy Now

    <h4>Chapter 471: 471-It Is All Getting Messy Now</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    And she would have been sessful, due to my emotions making me lose control over my body, had someone else not arrived in time.


    "What makes you think you can abuse her, Mother?" Kaye hissed at her, his hand holding her. She looked like she had seen a ghost.


    I¡¯m pretty sure Kaye, always wanting her attention, had never raised his voice at her like that before.


    "She called me a piece of shit," she quicklyined, and Kaye looked up from her face to me. It was the kind of look that didn¡¯t need an exnation.


    "What happened here?" he asked me that time as he stepped between me and his mother.


    "Nothing. I just want to go back to my hotel room," I said in a quiet voice.


    I didn¡¯t have a home, so I always had to exin what I was calling "home."


    "Sure, you should go back to where you came from. You shouldn¡¯t havee here in the first ce," she hissed at me. "And don¡¯t look at my son like that. He¡¯s not leaving his brother¡¯s rehearsal dinner for your messy self."


    She kept hissing and almost spit in my face until Kaye moved and blocked me from her sight.


    "And then you wonder why she called you something a little offensive," Kaye hissed back at his mother, who grunted.


    I saw her step to the side so she could see her son¡¯s face, staring at him with a confused look on her own.


    "Now, tell me what¡¯s going on?" Kaye changed his tone, crouching down as he ced his hands on his knees to reach my eye level.


    "I just want to¡ª" I stopped when he refused to ept that excuse.


    "Is there someone else you spotted in the crowd?" he shocked me by guessing the exact reason I wanted to leave. I stared at his face with wide eyes and my mouth slightly open.


    "So I¡¯m right. Who is it? If you don¡¯t know him,e with me and point him out," he said in his rough and aggressive voice, his jaw silently clenching a little too many times.


    "Really? You want her to go in there and ruin your brother¡¯s moment?" his mother jumped in, shocked to see her son interact with me like that.


    "A moment, when there¡¯s a rapist among the people we¡¯re supposed to sit and eat with?" Kaye straightened his back and turned to his mother, his eyes shooting daggers at her.


    "Look at you, you¡¯re actingpletely different. Is that what she¡¯s teaching you? To disrespect your mother?" sheined, barely ncing at me.


    "She¡¯s not teaching me anything. In fact, she always stands up for me, worries about me even when I don¡¯t deserve her worry," his words made his mother gasp.


    I don¡¯t know what she was so shocked about.


    "You wanted to be my favorite son, and now that you have my attention, you want it to die down because of her?" she slid in the idea of him being her favorite just to make him listen.


    But Kaye shook his head. "Took me so long, didn¡¯t it? But Hnie never asked for anything from me. She always stood up for me, no matter what. I never had to be a hero for her to defend me."


    His words didn¡¯t just make his mother cover her mouth¡ªthey touched my heart too.


    "As for the moment, I¡¯m sure Norman¡ª" Kaye stopped mid-sentence when he saw his brotherse out of the mansion. Emmet and Maximus seemed to have been looking for me.


    The minute they saw us all together, the smiles disappeared from their faces. Emmet rushed to my side, turning me toward him and cupping my face in his hands.


    "You¡¯ve been crying?" he asked, and from the corner of my eye, I saw his mother¡¯s reaction.


    She looked horrified. That¡¯s why she rushed between us and pushed us apart.


    "Have you gone crazy? What was that?" she yelled at Emmet for how he was behaving with me.


    "Hnie recognized one of the rapists inside," Kaye jumped in to shift the subject, because the way Emmet was ring at his mother made me believe he was about to do something reckless.


    Maximus and Emmet turned to me, empathy clear in their eyes.


    I hated being in this situation over and over again. That awful feeling of "what if they don¡¯t believe me this time?" hung in the air.


    "Who is it?" Emmet asked, while Maximus took slow, steady breaths.


    "It¡¯s no one. She¡¯s ruining Norman¡¯s moment," Darcy hissed, shooting me a look that told me to keep quiet. I wasn¡¯t nning to say anything right then, but her trying to control my life pushed me too far, and I blurted it out.


    "Jessica¡¯s brother."


    They went silent before Emmet grabbed my hand, ready to drag me back inside.


    "He¡¯s not getting out of here alive tonight," Maximus agreed with his brother, and even Kaye started pacing right beside me.


    "No, I won¡¯t let you all ruin your brother¡¯s moment!" Darcy yelled, running to block our path. She stood in our way with her arms stretched wide.


    "Your brother has done so much for you all. All his life, he¡¯s spent every second thinking about you. And now, for once¡ªon the one night that¡¯s supposed to be his¡ªyou¡¯re going to ruin it for him? Do you have no shame? No love for him?" she was hissing, tears forming in her eyes.


    "So you want us to go inside and share a meal with the guy who hurt Hnie?" Emmet yelled back at her.


    "I used to think you were selfish, that you only loved yourself. But I also thought maybe it was because you were naive¡ªbecause you were desperate for affirmation, for proof that you were powerful and loved. But I was wrong. You¡¯re just a cruel woman."


    Emmet¡¯s words were harsh. They pulled a sharp gasp from her.


    But I didn¡¯t want to start a scene here, not among these rich people who would likely take that guy¡¯s side right from the start.


    "I don¡¯t want to confront anyone right now," I said, and they all turned to look at me.

 Chapter 472-A Kiss Of Goodbye For The Night

    <h4>Chapter 472: 472-A Kiss Of Goodbye For The Night</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    After I told them I wanted to wait for the dinner to end before we tell Norman, the brothers decided to drop me home. Emmet called Lamar and asked him not to leave the suite.


    "I don¡¯t think all of you should be missing out on the rehearsal dinner. Your mother is right about one thing¡ªsince it¡¯s Norman¡¯s dinner, we should handle this in a way that doesn¡¯t bring him shame," I said, sitting in the backseat with Kaye on one side, while Maximus and Emmet sat in the front. Emmet was driving.


    He¡¯d been taking his anger out on the poor steering wheel for a while now¡ªhitting it and honking at invisible obstacles.


    "My brother will not be happy after he finds out what is going on. He will not be focusing on the dinner or anything," Emmet uttered, his eyes showing emptiness but his deep sighs proved he was distraught and worried how Norman would feel about marrying in the family of my rapist.


    "I¡¯m sure Norman would¡¯ve done the same if he found out about this," Kaye muttered, his fist pressed to his mouth, biting himself every few minutes.


    "What¡¯s going to happen next? He¡¯s a powerful one," I said, feeling unsatisfied with everything. The rogues had left the packs years ago. They were strong, but they had no authority over pack matters. If the packs decided to start a war¡ªeven if the brothers survived¡ªtheir people, the handful of them from the mansions, wouldn¡¯t be able to fight back. They¡¯d be outnumbered.


    I knew that much.


    "Don¡¯t worry about anything. It¡¯ll be taken care of. We¡¯ll find a way," Emmet said through gritted teeth, adjusting the rearview mirror to nce at me¡ªuntil Maximus reached up and tried to tilt it for his own view.


    "You two do realize she¡¯s stressed out, right? No need to fight just to catch a glimpse of her," Kaye muttered under his breath.


    My phone beeped, and I checked the text with a frown on my forehead.


    Professor Dick: Where are you?


    I change his name every once in a while. It was Norman texting me.


    "Who is it?" Kaye leaned in and grunted.


    "He didn¡¯t text any of us¡ª" he started, but as if on cue, his phone started ringing.


    "The first message was for her. My brother is weird," Kaye added before epting the call and putting it on speaker.


    "Where are you all? That¡¯s not fair," I heard Normanin for the first time, but there was a yful tone to it.


    I quickly gave Kaye a look, silently asking him not to tell Norman anything yet. We¡¯d need to talk about this in private, not in front of a wholemunity of Alphas who already hated me. They didn¡¯t even know my name properly and had a habit of using me of always causing trouble with the Alphas.


    "We had to drop Hnie home. She wasn¡¯t feeling well," Kaye said casually.


    As soon as he said that, I heard Norman briskly walking on the other end of the call until he reached a quieter area. His footsteps were so heavy.


    "Why? What happened? Did someone say something to her? Damn it, we should¡¯ve asked someone to keep an eye on her so nobody bothered her," the concern in Norman¡¯s voice shocked me.


    Sure, he had been there for me many times, but I always thought that was because of his brothers¡ªor his sense of duty to do the right thing.


    "Yeah, it¡¯s not that. We¡¯ll let you know soon. Hey, by any chance... is Darius staying for dinner?"


    I noticed Maximus nod at Kaye, like that was the right question to ask. They didn¡¯t want to share a meal with him.


    "Yeah, why? That¡¯s a weird question," Norman replied from the other end.


    "Nothing. It¡¯s just that ever since he got into Fellmoon, all he talks about is how great he is and h h," Kaye said, clearly running out of excuses.


    Norman was quiet for a few seconds before he added, "Listen, I don¡¯t like him either. But let¡¯s just tolerate him for Jessica¡¯s sake. She¡¯s been looking for all of you."


    That made me realize¡ªeven he didn¡¯t like him.


    Kaye nodded at Emmet, as if asking what they should do now. I could tell none of them were okay with sharing a meal with the rapist.


    "It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll use it to our advantage," Emmet said, and Kaye agreed.


    "We¡¯ll be there in a minute," Kaye told Norman.


    "Wait¡ªwhat did Emmet say?" Norman asked, but Kaye had already ended the call.


    They dropped me off, and Emmet wanted to say onest thing before leaving.


    "Don¡¯t stress over anything. We won¡¯t let anyone get away, okay?"


    He cupped my face in his hands, standing behind the car while his brothers watched from a distance.


    As Emmet leaned down and brushed his lips against mine, Maximus grunted, and Kaye started clicking his tongue in mock annoyance.


    "Goodnight," Emmet said, breaking the kiss and rolling his eyes at his brothers.


    "Drive safe," I said, pulling away from him and giving a nod to his brothers. They gave me small, half-hearted smiles and straightened up.


    As I walked past them, I noticed how they tried¡ªalmost hesitated¡ªto have another word with me. But that Chapter of my life was over. I couldn¡¯t get close to them again.


    "That¡¯s not fair. Howe he gets a kiss and we don¡¯t get anything?" Maximus muttered, still not ready to ept that we had broken up.


    "Because we messed up," Kaye admitted.


    I was already in the elevator, staring at the buttons and expecting to see the tenth floor. It would be so weird to see it again. Because tonight, I felt broken all over again.


    Once I entered the suite, I was weed by my friends. I ran into Lamar¡¯s arms and cried my heart out. The others joined in while Penn kept grunting, saying we should ambush Darius and get rid of him.


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve broken down like that in a long time.


    But I had a feeling¡ªthings were only going to get worse from here.

 Chapter 473-Humiliating The Nuisance

    <h4>Chapter 473: 473-Humiliating The Nuisance</h4>


    <strong>Maximus:</strong>


    "So here¡¯s the n: get Darius¡¯s phone," Emmet said, driving the car. Kaye and I had been staring at him, probably wondering the same thing.


    Women hate alcoholic men... why the hell was Hnie looking past that? Or maybe she thought he¡¯d stopped drinking.


    "So, you¡¯re going to sabotage him?" my wolf grunted at me.


    "I¡¯ll do whatever I want to make sure Hnie is okay. As for you, I know you don¡¯t want her, so I won¡¯t need your help in this case."


    I never understood why my wolf was so against the idea of me and Hnie being together.


    "Well, that¡¯s because only one of us knows it all. She¡¯s not good for us, and we¡¯re not good for her. Besides, it¡¯s not like you can ever mark her. Remember, to mark her, it needs to be done on a full moon night? How do you n to do that in your lycan form? And how will she mark you?"


    He raised a valid point, and I hated him for that.


    It¡¯s not that I wasn¡¯t aware that my rtionship with Hnie had been ruined for so many reasons. I sighed, realizing Emmet might have told her that he would wait for her. I could tell even Kaye felt like a fool for rushing things with her.


    "Aren¡¯t you two even listening to me?" Emmet raised his voice, and both Kaye and I exchanged a nce, making sure we both knew what we were thinking.


    "Why do you get so intimate with her in front of us? Is that your way of rubbing your rtionship with her in our faces?"


    I couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. Hnie was my mate too. I didn¡¯t like how they all just ignored the fact that I hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, yet she broke things off with me over a misconception.


    "Maximus, you know I would never do anything to hurt you, right?" Emmet asked, but I refused to believe that.


    "Sure, you were always there for us," I rolled my eyes hard.


    "I am. And I will always be. You and Kaye are like my little babies, you know I love you two the most," the sadness in his voice made me feel just a little guilty before I remembered Hnie and I stopped believing Emmet¡¯s words again. If he cared and loved me so much, he would ditch Hnie and leave her for me.


    "Tell me something¡ªhow would you take care of her when you¡¯re in the middle of your binge nights? She¡¯ll be waiting for you, while you¡¯ll be drunk and passed out in the hallway. That¡¯s what you used to do for us," Kaye intervened, bringing up the right kind of questions to hit him with the fact that we hadn¡¯t forgotten about his past habits.


    And just like that, now that it was about us, he went silent.


    "You used to act so cold and distant, but whenever you¡¯re around her, you¡¯re smiling more. You make stupid jokes and evenugh. Why? Why didn¡¯t you do that for us? Did you hold some anger or resentment towards us?" I grunted, looking outside the window as I recalled those times when he¡¯d act like he wasn¡¯t even there with us.


    "That¡¯s not true. I didn¡¯t want to get too close to you just to¡ª" he shut up when Kaye finished his sentence for him.


    "When we needed you, you were passed out somewhere. Aren¡¯t you going to do the same for Hnie? You just proved you never tried for us," Kaye finished with a sigh, adjusting in his seat with difficulty.


    "So that you two aren¡¯t looking for me when I¡¯m already there," Emmet uttered, and it made no sense.


    We arrived at the mansion again, and the moment we got inside, we were told that Dariushad to leave the dinner because of an emergency call from his trainers. It was odd. My brothers and I exchanged nces, then looked at our mother. Did she make him leave so we wouldn¡¯t confront him? Did that mean he knew Hnie had seen him? But he must¡¯ve known beforeing here; he¡¯s friends with Zellu and Romeo.


    It only meant we needed to be more careful with him.


    Then came the next part of the evening: the rehearsal dinner. But before we went in, Norman came over to ask each of us individually what had happened. We all told him to wait until morning.


    At the same time, eyes turned to Charlotte as she walked down the stairs, heading to the venue with the rest of us.


    Gasps and secretughter erupted at her outfit. She managed a wide smile, thinking that even if she looked ridiculous, it was something I liked.


    She was wearing a ck tuxedo with her front hair in spikes and the rest in a messy, oversized bun¡ªbigger than her head. She also had dark blue and purple makeup on her face. And of course, she was wearing the craziest, highest heels she could barely walk in.


    "Oh no, why would she do that?" I heard Jessicain. I didn¡¯t want to ruin their night, but I guess this would be a memory tough at for years. Emma rushed over to her to help when she tumbled in the heels for a little too long. I could tell Charlotte was aware of the eyes on her, but she was looking through the crowd for me.


    Once she spotted me, she hastily grabbed her mother¡¯s hand and walked over to me. I noticed my brothers looking at me in disbelief.


    But it was my mess to deal with. She wanted to be my mate, huh? Then she should be able to take all the blows from me.


    Once she approached me, she smiled, but when I asked her a simple question, her face fell.


    "What are you wearing? I left the dress for you under my suit that you just wore."


    The way her face fell, and the embarrassment that took over her, caused everyone to burst outughing. I hadn¡¯t left another dress for her, but now the maid would leave it there to confuse her.

 Chapter 474-In Court, Facing My Family

    <h4>Chapter 474: 474-In Court, Facing My Family</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I could barely go to sleep that night. Salem being there for me helped me calm down and stop crying after a while. I didn¡¯t even change and fell asleep in bed. I could tell Salem took off my shoes and fixed the nket over me. I was too scared of waking up to face the harsh reality, so I kept my eyes shut tightly for the rest of the night.


    But I woke up to some noise outside our suite. As I sat up in bed, I saw my friends waking up as well. Gavin and Lamar rushed into the room, looking confused.


    Penn followed, quickly buttoning up his shirt and fixing his hair to answer the door. Salem rushed out behind him. The two were from powerful packs, so they decided to be the ones to check what was going on first.


    We just had bad feelings. I thought Darcy hade with Jessica to bombard me with insults. I dragged my body out of bed and tiredly reached the door of the room, watching Penn open it.


    But it wasn¡¯t Darcy, and it wasn¡¯t Jessica.


    "We are here to arrest Hnie Niles for faking her death in her pack and running away from her punishment," the warrior outside announced, causing my lips to part and a hopeless gasp to escape. It was like hearing a story that had the worst ending.


    The warrior¡¯s eyes traveled behind Penn, and the look on their faces grew harsher.


    "We have her here," he announced, pushing past Penn, but he could barely budge him.


    "Hey!" Salem shouted, pushing the other guard back when he tried to get inside.


    "Your Highness, we respect your rank and father, but please do not stand between us and justice. Thew demands her arrest and arrival at the council center. She will be asked to present her side. So, let¡¯s do things the right way. You stopping us won¡¯t help; it will only anger the council," the warrior said in a stern tone, speaking to Penn. But Penn shook his head. Gavin and Lamar had stepped in front of me to block their view.


    But I walked out from behind them and walked over to the warriors, presenting my hands.


    My friends were shocked and didn¡¯t even like the idea, but I knew what the warrior said was right.


    I couldn¡¯t run; I wouldn¡¯t run. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.


    As soon as they pped the silver handcuffs around my wrists, I took a deep breath and then exhaled.


    Now was the time. No more hiding.


    They didn¡¯t drag me or anything but let me walk out and walk among them. I didn¡¯t lower my head and kept walking with determination. I knew the minute I saw the council, I might feel differently. But it was natural.


    They made me sit in the back of a car with other cop cars driving around me as if I were some dangerous serial killer. Throughout the time, I kept looking outside the window. It¡¯s not that I wasn¡¯t scared or sad, I just refused to beg before anyone.


    Then four cars joined us, surrounding us from every side. I recognized them.


    It was the brothers.


    My posture changed, my back straightened, and my eyes brightened with a little smile cracking across my lips as well. I never realized how relieved I felt whenever they were there. Now that they were driving right beside the cops¡¯ car, I rxed. I would have their support once we arrived at the council center.


    I also spotted Salem and Penn¡¯s car behind us.


    All my friends and mates were going to be there. But I wondered what happened. Did Darcyin once finding out I was going to point at him next?


    Even his name brought shivers down my spine. I remembered him from that night, and he was the worst. He was the one who had demanded that all his friends move away for some time because he wanted to be alone with me. He even demanded that I tell him he was the best among the others and that I wished it was only him that night.


    I didn¡¯t.


    They had done worse to me that night, so I wasn¡¯t afraid of them killing me. I didn¡¯t submit to any of their demands, but they forced me into many anyway, with me fighting back the whole time.


    The moment had arrived when the cars parked in front of a huge white building, and the door to my side opened.


    Before the warrior could drag me out, I watched him get pushed away, and Emmet came into my view. He gently wrapped his fingers around my arm and helped me out.


    Norman had a huge frown on his forehead, but his eyes were hidden behind the sunsses. He approached, his white coat flying as the wind grew stronger. Maximus and Kaye were following after him.


    "Why is she in handcuffs?" Norman asked the warrior, his finger pointing at the handcuffs and why my hands were tied behind my back.


    "That is protocol," the warrior replied, using a much-respected tone.


    "Cut the crap. You wouldn¡¯t follow the protocol when big names are involved in any case. Free her from these things," he hissed at the warrior, who looked over at the royal gamma. Once the gamma nodded for him to follow Norman¡¯s words, the warrior stepped forward to uncuff me, but Emmet snatched the keys from his hands and uncuffed me.


    Everyone was watching us.


    I began to walk with the brothers beside me, friends behind me, and Norman and Kaye in front of me.


    Once inside, I could feel my body shake. It was a huge hall, and then there were elevators going up.


    They took me to the back side of the building where a huge wall had some warriors outside with many people inside. This was where they were going to question me.


    I entered the hall, and my heart dropped into my stomach.


    It was my parents, my so-called family in my view.

 Chapter 475-I Left Her Behind.

    <h4>Chapter 475: 475-I Left Her Behind.</h4>


    <strong>Altan:</strong>


    "Why did you leave me behind?"


    I saw him in the shadows, standing there¡ªsomeone I had betrayed.


    "Everyone is right about you. You¡¯re a coward."


    I grimaced in my sleep, the finger pointing at me making me turn over in bed.


    "You¡¯re such a coward."


    "I didn¡¯t want to leave you¡ªbehind¡ª," I gulped, trying to wake up. I knew I was in deep sleep, paralyzed. And I needed to wake up.


    But just when I thought I could, I saw her behind him.


    Now both of them were pointing their fingers at me.


    "Hnie¡ª" I wasn¡¯t shocked. She always came to my dreams to haunt me.


    What I did that night would stay with me. She didn¡¯t deserve it.


    The way she asked me to stay with her, begged for them to leave her alone¡ªI would never forget that.


    "He¡¯s always like this. He leaves the people who love him behind," he said to Hnie. My heart trembled and tears welled up in my eyes.


    "No! I didn¡¯t leave you behind¡ª" I screamed, and that¡¯s when I finally forced myself to wake up.


    Life had be such a weight on my shoulders. Nothing felt interesting enough to keep me going. I had no goal, none at all¡ªexcept finding a way to do something about a crime that had beenmitted.


    That night, those Alphas... they all did her wrong. But how could I get justice for her when she was no longer here to speak up? When there was no record of any crime?


    I dragged myself out of bed and took a shower, getting ready for breakfast with my so-called righteous family.


    As I held my phone and looked at the notifications, I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes.


    Sydney: where are you?


    Sydney: The seniors are done with their test so the academy is giving us all some days off before we start a new semester.


    Sydney: I was hoping we could spend some time together?


    I didn¡¯t reply to her. There was a time I was fond of her, maybe even loved her. But not enough to stop seeing other people. I dated many, and one of them was Hnie.


    I was only infatuated with Hnie and thought of her as a friend. She was so beautiful that I wanted to keep her around like a trophy. But after that night, I couldn¡¯t forget her.


    The injustice she faced was all my fault.


    And then I couldn¡¯t bring myself to love anyone again¡ªeven my love for Sydney faded.


    "Morning," my dad grunted, clearly taunting me for not greeting him first.


    "Good morning," I said as I sat at the table with him and my mother, who was too busy on her phone to even lift her head.


    "Altan! I want you to go to training," Dad said. The mention of that intense training¡ªmeant to disconnect me from the world¡ªmade me raise an eyebrow.


    I had wanted to go for that training after Hnie¡¯s death, but Dad refused. Now, him suddenly asking me to go? That was suspicious.


    "What is it this time? What are you trying to stop me from?" I asked, watching him re at me.


    "Are you suggesting I¡¯m ying some kind of game with you?" he hissed. "I¡¯ve already prepared everything for your journey. Finish your food and get going."


    That wasn¡¯t normal. I looked over at my mother, who finally put her phone down and stared at us like she was trying to snap out of whatever world she¡¯d been lost in.


    Mother had always been that way, but one bad incident had left her even more traumatized.


    "What¡¯s the rush?" I asked, confused.


    Suddenly, Dad got up and tried to snatch the phone from my hands. I pulled back and got out of my seat.


    "What is going on?" There was no way he wasn¡¯t freaking out about something.


    "There¡¯s been an issue, and I want you gone before you get dragged into it," he hissed, trying to get behind me and take my phone again. He was sending me away to training¡ªwhere I¡¯d have no phone, no contact, and no way of knowing what was going on.


    "Dad, what is it? What issue? Why would I be dragged into it?" I asked, keeping my tone firm. But I already had a feeling what wasing. My dad was a control freak. He hadn¡¯t even given me his crown, while most Alphas had already passed theirs to their sons.


    My dad loved power and control.


    "It¡¯s just some pack tax stuff," he waved it off, holding out his hand for my phone.


    "And how does that concern me? I¡¯m not even a crowned Alpha yet. You should be the one going into hiding¡ªwhich means you haven¡¯t paid the taxes. Why wouldn¡¯t you?"


    I watched his face change color, but a notification on my phone distracted me.


    I pulled my hand forward and unlocked my phone, stepping behind the table to put space between us.


    It was a message from one of my high school friends, and it grabbed all of my attention.


    David: Hey, did you guys know that girl Hnie who died months ago? She¡¯s been resurrected somehow. They caught her alive and are now presenting her to court for a trial¡ªapparently for running away from her punishment.


    The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and my eyes locked onto my father¡¯s face. He groaned, shaking his head at me.


    "Is that what you¡¯ve been hiding from me?" I couldn¡¯t even form a full sentence as a whimper slipped from my lips.


    "Ugh! I didn¡¯t want you to go all crazy. I haven¡¯t paid so much for your therapy just for it all to go to waste the minute you read the news," Dad waved his hand to dismiss me.


    "Huh? You think I don¡¯t deserve to know? That guilt has been killing me¡ª" I yelled, tears streaming down my face.


    My mother rushed over, hugging me, sobbing as she watched me break down.


    "Nothing has changed. She should have stayed dead¡ªand if not, I¡¯ll make sure it happens," my father¡¯s eyes glinted with something dark, his finger pointing straight at me. "And if I have to kill you too, I will."


    His reputation and ego won once again.

 Chapter 476-Seeing All The Old Fellas

    <h4>Chapter 476: 476-Seeing All The Old Fes</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I watched Sullivan re at me, his eyes wide and bulging as if he were seeing a ghost. I could tell he was shocked that I was alive. He had his brown hair styled to the side with a lot of gel in it. Nothing seemed to have changed about him.


    Next to him was Larissa, my stepmother, looking angry. She had red lipstick on, with a lot of gloss, and a golden dress. It looked like she hade for a Halloween party.


    Then, my eyesnded on my father. The man who couldn¡¯t protect me. He didn¡¯t seem to have any emotions in his eyes. He was watching me with cold eyes and a bored expression on his face. But there was some emotion he was hiding¡ªprobably fear of having to return money to the alpha of the pack, whom he had tricked with the lie of my death.


    It was so hard to sit here and witness everything.


    My stepmother¡¯s eyes narrowed at Emmet, and I watched her zone out before she gasped and covered her mouth. Emmet had told me he had visited my family, so I guess this was her realizing it.


    "Hnie Niles," the council¡¯s head spoke up. The old man adjusted his sses and then looked at the papers in his hands. My eyes moved to his side, where the four jury members were watching me with great attention. They sat on either side of the council head.


    "It hase to our attention that you faked your own death and ran away without the consent of the alpha of your pack. Not only did you insult Alpha Diaz by doing so, but you also escaped your punishment," the man with a bald head, big sses, and a white beard said, putting the papers down and staring at me.


    I then turned a little to the side and watched Alpha Diaz sit with his Luna. The memories of his son dating me flooded back, and tears started to form in my eyes.


    Being back among the people who had abused me my entire life was definitely going to be hard on me.


    "What punishment?" I asked. "Did you ask them what they were punishing me for?" I continued to stand up for myself.


    Alpha Diaz shifted in his seat, looking disgusted by my voice.


    "You¡¯ve been involved with more than one alphamitting adultery and then using everyone else around you. You were also found walking in public inappropriately," the man added, reminding me of the day when I had to walk my way back home with barely any clothes on my body.


    "You also faked your death. However, we will have a trial for it. All the usations will be presented, and you will be asked to give your side. Until then, you are ordered to return to your pack and home."


    My heart sank at the orders. I looked around at the brothers, and they immediately sprang into action.


    "She cannot be forced to go back to that pack," Norman said, his hand turning into a fist.


    "Norman Arrow McQuoid, I have heard a lot about you. You are a control freak, and even after you left the packs, you still seem to hold power over everyone. However, that won¡¯t work on me. There are certain rules set by the packs and their alphas that cannot be changed. Hnie must return to her pack. The only way she can leave her pack is with her alpha¡¯s permission," Mr. Vonstan said, seeming intimidated by Norman.


    "I¡¯m d you know so much about me, but I¡¯m sad that I know a little about you. The thing is, you¡¯re sending her back to the ce where she was abused, and an attempt was even made on her life. That¡¯s why she ran away," Norman didn¡¯t budge, but I could tell he wasn¡¯t happy that he was reminded he had left the pack many years ago with his parents.


    "Norman, you should have stayed in a pack and be an alpha king. Maybe you would have been respected then. But you can¡¯t leave your pack and then demand the same treatment as an alpha and alpha king. Anyway, I hear your concern, and I¡¯m giving you my word that she will be safe there. However, for any rogues toe by and meet her, you will need the alpha¡¯s permission. I hope you won¡¯t be a problem because the packs will be ready to answer and defend their rules," that seemed like a threat.


    As I watched Norman straighten his back, along with his brothers standing up, I saw the old man take off his sses.


    It would get messy if I didn¡¯t stop it.


    "It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m ready for it," I uttered softly, and the brothers turned to look at me in disbelief. "I¡¯m truly okay with it. I¡¯m no longer that Hnie who can be abused."


    I reassured them, even though deep down, I didn¡¯t want to go and stay in the same house as my father or stepmother.


    "Young girl, I admire your patience and willingness to obey the orders. You have my word, no harm wille to you. And if you are in the right, justice will be served," Mr. Vonstan said, giving me a nod.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how much justice he would be able to serve, but I was ready to take that stand. As Mr. Vonstan hit the bell to dismiss the court, I turned around to leave with the brothers. That¡¯s when the main door to the hall opened, and I saw a very disheveled man appear before me. It seemed like he had been running for a while.


    Right before my eyes stood Altan. His eyes were as big as balls, and his mouth agape.


    "You¡¯re alive," he whispered, but I was able to read his lips. As a smile started to cover his lips, I narrowed my eyes at him, and I watched his smile fade away.

 Chapter 477-Not Deserving To Be An Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 477: 477-Not Deserving To Be An Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Altan: </strong>


    <strong>Months Ago:</strong>


    I was shaking as I sat on the seat and the train started. My vision was blurry as I scrolled through the numbers on my phone.


    "Hello, warrior¡ªI need you at a location, I¡¯ll tag you¡ª," I stuttered. "Get as many warriors as you can and do it quickly."


    I hung up and lowered my head, remembering her misty eyes.


    "You did it again." I was shocked when I raised my head and saw him sitting across from me.


    "I couldn¡¯t outnumber them," I said, making excuses again like a damn coward.


    "Hmm, so you didn¡¯t even try? That girl came all the way to that abandoned ce on her birthday for you, and this is what she gets?" He clicked his tongue and shook his head, reminding me what a loser I was.


    "I should go back," I said as it hit me that by the time the warriors arrived at the location, it would already be ten minutes after the attack.


    "You should¡¯ve called the warriors right next to her, all the while making sure she was safe," he disagreed with the way I had run away.


    "I get it, I messed up. But I¡¯m going back there. Everything will be fine. And about calling the warriors¡ªI couldn¡¯t do it in front of them," I said, rushing hesitantly to the side to pull the chain, but the train didn¡¯t stop. I even ran to the front and demanded they stop the train, but they didn¡¯t. They only stopped it at the station.


    Still, only fifteen minutes had passed by then.


    "One minute is enough to kill someone," he said from behind me, getting off the train with me. But right in front of me¡ªthere was hope.


    My warriors were heading straight toward me.


    "What are you doing here? You were supposed to be at the location!" I yelled at them, grabbing the royal gamma¡¯s arm to drag him toward the path so we could go save Hnie.


    "We came here for you, young lord."


    However, the way the warrior pulled his arm free from me made me frown at him.


    "Well, I don¡¯t need your help. She does. Let¡¯s go," I said, panicking. With every minute passing, I was getting more anxious.


    "We¡¯re sorry, but it¡¯s the alpha¡¯s orders," he whispered.


    And just as I turned around to ask him what he was talking about, I felt a warrior behind me stick a needle into the back of my neck.


    "What the¡ªwhat did you do?" I instantly rubbed the back of my neck and red at him.


    "We¡¯re really sorry. Your father asked us to bring you back to the mansion," the warrior said.


    And in that moment, my heart nearly stopped.


    "No! I cannot go home¡ªshe is all alone there!" Tears streamed down my face as I tried to fight them off, ready to run to the location. I should¡¯ve stayed and defended her. Trusting anyone else when she trusted me was my mistake.


    "We are sorry," the warrior said again, holding my arms.


    I yelled and screamed, kicked and fought, but the wolfbane in my system had started to wear me down.


    "Your highness, you should have never taken her there," one of the warriors muttered, confusing me. But I had no time to argue with him. I passed out.


    I woke up, tied in chains. I couldn¡¯t tell how long it had been, but the weakness in my body told me I was still under a heavy dose of wolfbane.


    I looked around through the darkness and realized where I was. I was in the basement, chained like an animal.


    "Father¡ª" I screamed as loud as I could. "She needs my help."


    I screamed again and then sobbed, lowering my head in guilt.


    "Tsk tsk tsk," then he appeared again, standing before me with his arms crossed and his eyes showing that I had let him down once more.


    "First me, and now her. Did you not learn anything at all?" he asked, and I clenched my jaw.


    "I should have stayed there. What happened to her? Did they hurt her?" I asked, and he shrugged.


    "How do I know?"


    However, the door to the basement opened, and I watched my mother walk in with a few guards. She had tears in her eyes as she approached me and lovingly wiped my face.


    "Mother, what happened to her? Why am I chained?" I asked, and her lips quivered.


    "You are chained because you are a prisoner, just like me, my son. And as for that girl... her father demanded to know if you had an affair with her. They wanted you to ept her¡ª" she paused as I started nodding.


    "I will. It was my fault what happened to her. I will ept her and give her respect¡ªtell Dad to tell the council about it, please," I begged her, but she turned her face away, crushing my heart once more.


    "It¡¯s toote for that. Your father told them you denied ever having anything with her. And that... your father, he demanded her life¡ªfrom her father." My world shook beneath me, but I couldn¡¯t fall to the ground. The cruel chains kept me in ce.


    "No! We must stop it!" I begged her again.


    Dad didn¡¯t realize he was once again letting me fall into deep regret.


    "I told you, it¡¯s toote. She¡¯s gone. She has been for a week now."


    A week? I¡¯ve been tied up for a week and couldn¡¯t do anything for her?


    Present time:


    Dad had tied me up again, trying to stop me from seeing Hnie, but things were different this time. My mother untied me, and I ran like a madman, escaping the warriors to reach the council center.


    Once I opened the gate, I came face-to-face with the girl I had betrayed. She was standing there, her eyes filled with grudges. I wanted to hug her, but the way she narrowed her eyes at me made me realize¡ª I was one of her enemies.

 Chapter 478-My Family Never Saw Me Smile

    <h4>Chapter 478: 478-My Family Never Saw Me Smile</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine," I finally arrived at the pack. The brothers didn¡¯t want to let me go. They tried calling everyone, but sadly, the decision couldn¡¯t be changed. It was only after the court hearing that I realized why someone would prefer being a rogue. But to be a rogue, they need permission¡ªthat was one of the crazy and outrageous rules the alphas havee up with.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll stay around," Penn said as he was driving the car.


    Salem stayed beside me, and so did Gavin and Lamar. They coulde and go since they weren¡¯t rogues. For Penn and Salem, it would be much easier to visit me as Alpha Diaz wouldn¡¯t want to upset their parents. But Lamar and Gavin could be forced to leave.


    And I knew Alpha Diaz would do something like that just to put pressure on me.


    "Keep this with you," Lamar steadily slipped a dagger into my bag, but Gavin shook his head.


    "Don¡¯t get her in trouble. They¡¯ll check her bags and stuff," Gavin pulled the dagger out, refusing to let me carry anything that could make me seem like a threat.


    "Guys, I¡¯ll be fine," I said, reassuring them since they kept freaking out.


    "How? Are you taking that old man¡¯s words seriously?" Lamar hissed, cracking his knuckles.


    "Nope, I¡¯m taking my training seriously. Guys, I¡¯m not that timid Hnie, trust me," I rolled my eyes yfully, just tofort them.


    I didn¡¯t know what would be waiting for me at home.


    "Just a question, Alpha Diaz¡¯s son¡ª" Penn started, and Salem quickly added,


    "Oh, Altan? He¡¯s my sister¡¯s fianc¨¦ and mate."


    Her answer shut down Penn, who adjusted the mirror to stare at me.


    I understood he had some questions about my face-off with Altan. We didn¡¯t speak. I wouldn¡¯t. I hated his face, and the way he had the nerve to look upset and relieved at the same time angered me.


    I wouldn¡¯t be fooled by any little alpha anymore.


    But it was time for me to get out of the car and face the people who had tortured me throughout my childhood. It was crazy to stand before the same house and in the same neighborhood again.


    As soon as I got out of the car, I noticed the neighborsing out, some peeking through the windows, looking so disgusted with me.


    Penn and Lamar grabbed my bags while Salem and Gavin made sure to stay with me.


    "Hey! You¡¯re from a bigger pack, right? You¡¯re a royal beta¡¯s daughter, what are you doing with her?" one of the old neighbordies yelled. I remembered her so well. She used to always use me of seducing her husband, the bald, big guy who would catcall any woman he saw on the road.


    "You are an omega, hush! You¡¯re not allowed to speak to me," Salem waved her hand at her, causing the woman to be filled with shock at the disrespect.


    "Please take care of yourself, okay? And call us if you need anything," Salem held my hand as Lamar and Penn stood outside the door, noticing it had been left open but no one came out to wee me. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t.


    "Sure, and you guys don¡¯t worry too much about me. No one can harm me anymore," I hugged her back, speaking in a loud voice so I wasn¡¯t afraid of anyone hearing me talk now.


    I stepped into the house with the others and found it empty. But just then, someone rushed inside with fresh flowers in her hands.


    "Vani!" I screamed happily, feeling the warmth of her embrace as she hugged me.


    "I¡¯ve missed you so much," she started tearing up, making me cry with her.


    "I collected these for you," she handed me the flowers, then looked at my friends. "Are they your friends?" she asked.


    "Hey, I¡¯m Salem, he¡¯s Gavin, my boyfriend," Salem stepped forward, introducing herself.


    "I¡¯m Lamar, Hnie¡¯s brother," Lamar smiled, and Vani looked so happy.


    "I¡¯m Alpha Penn," of course, Penn had to use his rank to show I was friends with someone strong and powerful.


    "I would have loved to be happy that she has an alpha friend, but they¡¯re sucky¡ªyou know, the previous alpha¡ª" As Vani continued to be herself, I had to give her a look to stop her from talking. I noticed Salem looking at us. She was the one I was hiding this conversation from. Being associated with Altan was thest thing I wanted to do.


    "Anyway, you guys should stay. I baked some cookies for Hnie," Vani pped her hands as she was ready to head towards the kitchen when her mother bolted out of her bedroom.


    "Don¡¯t you dare waste our money on her or her friends!" Well, there you go. Larissa was probably dying after seeing me alive.


    "Are you all staying?" she asked my friends, who instantly shared a nce and then red back at her.


    "You guys should head back home now. I¡¯ll be resting too." It was true that I was tired. I suggested my friends leave before my stepmother insults them, and the issues end up at the council and Alpha Diaz.


    I wasn¡¯t ready for another mess.


    "Where are you taking those bags? That is my daughter¡¯s room now!" Larissa yelled at Lamar and Penn.


    "Which I can happily share with my sister," Vani put her hands on her hips, giving it back to her mother.


    "Well, I guess we¡¯re leaving you in safe hands," Salem joked, and Iughed, watching Larissa¡¯s jaw drop.


    Oh, I forgot¡ª they had never seen meugh before because they hated when I smiled.


    "Wow, it¡¯s almost like she¡¯s never seen you happy before," Gavin said to me, his eyes on Larissa, who was staring at my friends like they were ghosts.


    "Well, things have changed. Show them all your fifty shades now," Salem winked at me, giving me a pat on the back.


    She was right. While I was at it, I was going to take some sweet revenge.

 Chapter 479-Farting In Fear

    <h4>Chapter 479: 479-Farting In Fear</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "How did you do it? How did you manage to stay alive and make so many friends?"


    After a while, my stepmother couldn¡¯t take it anymore and rushed into the room to have a word with me.


    She wasn¡¯t even letting Vani stay in the same room as me. My friends had left some time ago, so I was pretty lonely in the house that once used to be my torture house.


    "Did nobody tell you to knock before entering someone¡¯s room?" I asked, shaking my head at her while holding the book in my hand. This was the book Emmet had once given me about an omega who turned out to be the most powerful man ever.


    I hadn¡¯t read this book, so since I was here, I decided to give it a try.


    "What did you say to me? Sorry, I guess I heard you talk back to me," that was her way of warning me.


    "Then go clean your ears. I¡¯m not sitting here repeating myself to you," I hissed, sighing.


    She stood in the doorway, looking so shocked.


    "You think¡ªyou can talk back to me?" she yelled. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t let it go. And I could see her point. I had been so silent my entire life that the idea of me talking back to her¡ªor even talking to her at all¡ªseemed outrageous to her.


    "Sullivan!" she screamed, making me realize the others were home too. And of course she had to call her crazy son to back her up.


    "Niles! Come here, look what she is doing," she had her fists clenched, screaming as loud as she could to the point that the veins in her neck were popping out.


    My heart did skip a beat but I kept my expression intact. I remembered the way Dad and Sullivan used to beat me up for hours until I passed out.


    Tears tried to show up in my eyes, to grieve the poor old Hnie, but I swallowed them back quickly. Now was not the time to cry about what happened in the past.


    "What is going on here?"


    My dad arrived first, a look of disgust and so much anger on his face that I had to put my book down. I was sitting on the chair with my legs up on the table when they decided to interrupt my peace.


    "She is talking back. She¡¯s saying so many disrespectful things¡ª"


    Larissa had her hands in her hair, seemingly going crazy that I grew a tongue.


    "Oh really?" my father hissed, grunting at me as he started to take off his belt.


    That belt.


    The way he used to take it off before would always make me beg and try to get away from him.


    But this time, I got up from the chair and fixed my dress, ready to fight back.


    "Oh, you! You think some academy can change your roots? You are still that pathetic little girl who used to beg me for mercy," my father yelled and raised the belt to strike me¡ªwhen I held it.


    The look on their faces would stay with me. Larissa had her hands covering her mouth, her eyes wide open.


    But it was my father who won the best expression award. His lips were trembling, his eyes moving from my hand to the belt.


    "Don¡¯t you ever raise your hand at me again. I won¡¯t just defend myself¡ªI¡¯ll fight back, and you¡¯ll wish I didn¡¯t," I hissed, looking him straight in the eye as I almost spat in his face.


    I quickly twisted his hand and pulled the belt out of his grip.


    "What is going on?" Larissained, and the moment I turned my attention to her with the belt in my hand, she ran and hid behind my father.


    "This is¡ªdisrespectful. You¡¯re a brat¡ªeven if you can¡ªyou shouldn¡¯t¡ªbe threatening your father,"


    My father¡ªwho had never looked so scared before, who had never looked even slightly affected by my pain¡ªwas suddenly shaking?


    "Get out of my room. I¡¯m done pretending to be weak or whatever you wanted me to be," I yelled, whipping the belt in the air.


    The two of them jumped like scared cats and ran toward the door.


    As I whipped again, Larissa farted and then yelped.


    "Ugh, I hate her," she cried, running out with her husband.


    That part, I didn¡¯t expect from her¡ªbut I guess crazy people get scared easily.


    I turned around to throw the belt away when my eyesnded on the mirror. The big mirror I was never allowed to look into.


    I was never proud enough of myself to look at my reflection¡ªbut today, I looked like I had actually achieved something.


    I could finally look into my reflection and feel proud.


    I sat down to read my book again before I got hungry and left the room. I saw Larissa and my father sitting in the lounge, looking worried and upset. And when they saw me, they looked even angrier.


    "Where are you going?" Larissa got to her feet, calling out for me.


    "To get something to eat, since you weren¡¯t decent enough to make dinner," I said. I bet my words felt like daggers to her.


    They were so shocked they just sat there on the couch, staring at each other¡¯s faces.


    "Huh, people here hate you. And since when did I be your maid?"


    She made meugh a little. I used to do all that for her.


    It was fun watching her get so riled up.


    I ignored her and reached the door when it opened¡ªand the personing in blocked my path.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll teach her a lesson. That attitude she brought here is something only I can handle," he said, eyes narrowed at me.


    I knew I¡¯d have to face him eventually.


    But this time, I wasn¡¯t backing down.


    "Sweet stepbrother. If you don¡¯t want to fart like your mother out of fear, step aside," I warned him, my words making him even angrier.


    "Try me. I¡¯m not my mother," he growled, cing his hand on my shoulder, his fingers digging into my skin.

 Chapter 480-The Alpha’s Regret

    <h4>Chapter 480: 480-The Alpha¡¯s Regret</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Seeing Sullivan again like that, squaring up to me, made my heart sink. I gulped but tried to do it discreetly.


    "Step out of my way," I hissed, clenching my jaw. I wanted to stay focused and use everything I had learned at the academy¡ªall the skills the brothers had taught me, especially in thebat sses.


    But it was normal to feel shaken in my body when facing old enemies.


    "So, what was going on?" he asked, chewing bubble gum like he didn¡¯t care, taking slow steps toward me.


    "I won¡¯t repeat myself. Get out of my way."


    I remembered him as someone with a lot of strength. But now that I thought about it, I¡¯d never seen him train or do anything rted tobat.


    "Ohh, so what if you repeat yourself? Gonna cry?" he pouted, faking a crying face and mimicking a child¡¯s voice, "Or will you call your friends toe save your ass?"


    But the second he grabbed my arm, I reacted.


    It was pure reflex. Norman and Rudy had drilled it into me to act fast the moment I felt threatened by someone¡¯s touch.


    As soon as Sullivan hit the floor, I realized why he always seemed so powerful before. It was because I never fought back.


    I had made them monsters in my mind, given them so much power that even when they were just as weak as me, they looked like beasts.


    My confidence shot through the roof, and a smile of pride and self-worth spread across my lips.


    "She¡¯s possessed by a demon!" Larissa screamed, running over to her son¡ªwho didn¡¯t lift his head.


    He justy there, staring at the ceiling.


    I could tell that it wasn¡¯t from pain, but from the fact that a girl had kicked his ass.


    I knew Sullivan inside and out. He was a misogynistic little bitch.


    I sighed and walked out the door. Maybe I¡¯d get lucky and find a cafe.


    I remembered there used to be so many cafes and restaurants in my pack, but I never got to visit any of them.


    While walking down the road, I could feel eyes on me¡ªheads peeking out of windows, people grunting.


    These people had hardwired hatred for me, and that wasn¡¯t going to change.


    But a few things had changed¡ªenough that they didn¡¯t daree out and say anything to me now.


    I reached a cafe just a few houses down and stepped into the empty ce.


    There was absolutely no one else around at this hour.


    I sat down, and the waitress came out, raising her eyebrow at me.


    The hostile reactions from everyone used to bother me so much.


    I used topliment them nonstop, thinking maybe that would make them stop being mean to me.


    But now I don¡¯t care.


    I gave her my order without throwing in anypliments, and I bet she noticed¡ªbecause she asked:


    "Is that it? You¡¯re not going to say something about my hair?"


    There was a mocking tone in her voice.


    "Yeah... you actually need to find a new stylist," I said, pouting as I used my fingers to show her where things were going wrong.


    The look ofplete disappointment on her face was amazing.


    She scoffed and turned around, heading back to the kitchen, while I stayed seated and checked my phone. I had some texts I needed to reply to.


    Top Senior_Rudy: Hey, heard about everything. Let me know if you need my help.


    Top Senior_Sage: Just when I think there¡¯s no more mystery around you, you surprise me. Full support from me and my pack.


    There were simr encouraging messages from all my friends and packmates. It was fulfilling... until I came across Sydney¡¯s message.


    That Bitch: So you¡¯re from my mate¡¯s pack? Lol. I¡¯m gonna have so much fun with you now.


    I rolled my eyes and responded to everyone except her.


    "Hnie!"


    That¡¯s when a familiar voice broke my peace.


    My whole body tensed, and my eyes started to water¡ªnot from misery, but from the old me who used to rely so much on this person.


    I looked up, and our eyes met. But the love in my eyes had faded away now.


    He looked like a mess¡ªhair all over the ce, bags under his eyes.


    Why? Did he cry because I wasn¡¯t dead?


    That¡¯s when the waitress returned and ced my order on the table, her attitude changing instantly when she noticed Altan in the room.


    "Your Highness," she said, quickly bowing, clearly thrilled that an alpha hade into her little caf¨¦. She¡¯d be bragging about this for weeks.


    "Can you please give us a minute?" Altan asked her, surprising her even more by showing interest in speaking with me. My body would jolt every time he opened his mouth and I heard his voice.


    "There¡¯s nothing to talk about. And actually¡ªnever mind. I¡¯m not hungry anymore. Bring me my check, please."


    I told the waitress, who looked very ufortable, that a mere omega was speaking to an alpha like that.


    "Do you know who he is?" she hissed, mming her hands on the table and leaning in, clearly trying to win brownie points.


    "She knows. Now leave us alone," Altan snapped, causing her to nce at him, then back at me.


    She looked confused¡ªsome people are just too ignorant.


    As she turned to leave, I heard her mutter under her breath,


    "Look what you did¡ªyou got him so angry."


    "Hnie!" he said again, sitting down just as I got up. Of course, he followed.


    "Please, just listen to me. I want to apologize."


    I was already walking toward the counter to avoid him, but those words stopped me cold.


    He wanted to apologize?


    I turned around and stared him straight in the eye, my frown deepening with every second.


    "Sure! What are you going to apologize for? For leaving me in that abandoned subway like a coward? Or¡ªfor ying with me while you were engaged the whole damn time?"


    I yelled so loud the waitress gasped from behind the counter.

 Chapter 481-My Mate Is Cursed.

    <h4>Chapter 481: 481-My Mate Is Cursed.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I was ready to hear him deny it and gaslight me. He must havee here to try and convince me not to bring up his name. I knew he was a coward, and I wasn¡¯t going to use his name anyway. He was not someone I could ever count on. I had made a fool out of myself once, but not again.


    "Like you said, I was a coward," he said quietly, not instantly brushing off the truth. "It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t like you. You were pretty, and I liked having you around¡ª" he stopped himself, trying to be honest.


    "You kept me around¡ªand I got ruined for it¡ª" Of course, he yed me big time. He didn¡¯t even like me; he just liked having me there.


    I shook my head in disbelief, sighing andughing at my own stupidity.


    "I know it¡¯s pathetic. I know I¡¯m a bastard for it, but trust me, I haven¡¯t slept peacefully even for one night since that night," he said, letting out a cry, his hands pressed together like he was begging for forgiveness.


    "No! You don¡¯t get to act like the victim who can¡¯t sleep. You ran away¡ªyou knew what they would do to me," I shouted, pushing him back and instantly brushing my hands over my dress like I was wiping them clean.


    "I¡¯m not acting like a victim¡ªI called my warriors the minute I got on that train. I even tried toe back, but my father¡ªhe injected me with wolfsbane and tied me up in chains. I was even ready to admit everything and stand with you when you sent your father to my mansion to tell mine that we were dating. I was chained up all that time, asleep until you were gone," he was crying, but still managing to speak clearly.


    I stared at his face in shock. Was he telling the truth? Did he really call the warriors? Did he really try toe back?


    "And that excuses you? You fucking ran away¡ªit doesn¡¯t matter if you ¡¯tried¡¯ toe back¡ªyou didn¡¯t," I screamed, watching him step back and cry silently this time. Did he really think I¡¯d be thankful just because he wanted toe back for me?


    "I don¡¯t want to see your face ever again. I don¡¯t want to hear your excuses," I shouted again, putting money on the counter without caring how much it was. I just wanted to get away from him and every toxic person in my life.


    I pushed him aside as I walked out of the caf¨¦. The fresh air really hit different. I don¡¯t know what I would have done if he had threatened me like the rest. At least he was sorry.


    See! I have such low standards. But that didn¡¯t mean I would ever forgive him. He left me there when he was supposed to be protecting me that night. The only reason I was in that abandoned subway was because he promised he¡¯d take care of me if anything ever happened.


    Once I was nearing home, I got a notification of an iing call popping up on my screen. My spoiled mood instantly started to lift when I saw who it was.


    "Hello, Professor Emmet," I teased, just trying to hype myself up for a happy conversation.


    "Keep talking, I just want to hear your voice," I heard his deep voice, and the way he breathed made it clear¡ªhe was drunk.


    "Have you been drinking?" I asked, disappointed, but since he called for help, I didn¡¯t want to lecture him too much.


    "I am. How can I not? This is how I cope with loss," he said softly. "I miss you."


    Even though I was worried for him¡ªand it wasn¡¯t really something to blush over¡ªI felt relieved knowing he was still with me.


    "I miss you too," I whispered shyly, not going inside my house yet and deciding to take a walk. I wasn¡¯t that girl anymore who was too cautious about her reputation. I could take a call and talk to anyone I wanted. I didn¡¯t care who judged me.


    "Hnie, what if I forget you? How will you remind me of you?" he asked, this time honestly opening up about what he was dealing with.


    "I¡¯ll do anything¡ªbut you need to talk to someone about it. Please. Why is this happening? Is it because of the alcohol?" I asked, worried.


    I would hate for him to forget about me.


    "It¡¯s supposed to happen, Hnie. That¡¯s what curses do," he whispered, making me stop in my tracks.


    "Curse? You¡¯re cursed?" I didn¡¯t know that. How the hell had he kept this from me for so long?


    "Do you really think I was born this way? But when I¡¯m with you, I¡¯m a different person. I feel more alive, happier, and I can feel emotions. But when you¡¯re away¡ªI feel dead," he said. "And now¡ªmy two little brothers are certain I don¡¯t love them. What should I do? How do I fix myself? How do I show that I care, because I do," he said, his voice shaking, and it broke my heart.


    Of all people, Emmet was thest one who deserved that kind of pain.


    "Emmet, we need to talk about this curse. No more secrets," I said, and I heard him fall silent. "And Maximus will know you love him. He¡¯s just caught up in his own feelings right now."


    The fact that Emmet¡¯s whole world revolved around his brothers and me made him even more precious. I guess his only real problem was that he kept so much hidden that everyone assumed he didn¡¯t care.


    He needs to open up to his brothers like he does with me.


    We talked about random things after that because I wanted tofort him. He told me amazing stories, and I noticed how his voice started sounding more alive as we went on.


    But then I had to say goodbye, all because I had a trial tomorrow, and Norman was getting ready to defend me. Even when he wouldn¡¯t be allowed to speak too much, he can still get some words in.

 Chapter 482-Time For My Trial

    <h4>Chapter 482: 482-Time For My Trial</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Keep your calm and make sure you answer every question after giving it some thought. Watch your word choice too," Norman said to me as we stood together, watching Alpha Diaze in with his warriors. He was going to be questioning me, and I¡¯d have to defend myself¡ªwith Norman¡¯s help.


    Maximus, Emmet, and Kaye were sitting in the front row, and behind them were my friends. Rudy and Sage had also shown up for support.


    I knew they were going to be shocked when they found out the whole truth about me.


    "Shall we begin?" Mr. Vonston asked, gesturing for me to sit behind the witness stand. My heart was pounding so hard. I had never been to a werewolf court before. I didn¡¯t know what kind of questions would be asked.


    My character might be torn apart even more. And what was worse¡ªmy so-called family was sitting in the row with the people who hated me. Right behind Alpha Diaz, supporting his decision to punish me.


    "This girl here was caught in an immoral act with several alphas. And then she turned around and imed she had been gang-raped," Alpha Diaz stated, loud and clear.


    "And if my father had done a simple test, he would have confirmed¡ª" I was in the middle of speaking when Alpha Diaz cut in.


    "That you had sex with alphas? Consensual, rough sex?" Alpha Diaz yelled, making my fists clench.


    "Say it even louder and then see my fist up your ass," Maximus shouted, causing Mr. Vonston to shoot him a sharp look.


    "Please, keep your rogue behavior out of my court. As for you, please remain calm," he said, clearly being much gentler when speaking to Vonston. But Maximus wasn¡¯t looking for support either. He knew Vonston would side with an alpha from a pack.


    "I wasn¡¯t having fun with anyone or trying to trap someone. I was gang-raped, and the people who did it tried to kill me. I survived¡ªand returned home to a father who never had an ounce of sympathy in his heart for me. They took one look at me and decided I was the problem. No one asked me what I had been through. I had to force the words out, and even that didn¡¯t help. I was thrown into the pantry, andter I had no choice but to run away to save my life," I shouted at the top of my lungs.


    Everyone went quiet for a moment.


    I noticed Emmet closing his eyes, his jaw clenched tightly.


    "Why did you fake your death and run away if you were honest? You should¡¯ve stayed and let the truthe out," Alpha Diaz smirked, trying to earn a round of apuse from his supporters, who nodded proudly at him.


    "I didn¡¯t fake my death," I hissed at Alpha Diaz, who looked at me like speaking out loud was some huge inconvenience for him.


    "Then? What was it? You went on vacation while telling everyone you were dead?" He looked like a fool, making all those gestures.


    "You think I told everyone I was dead?" I asked, my arms casually resting over the table before me. I was on the witness stand with Alpha Diaz questioning me. That¡¯s how it worked in a werewolf court.


    He looked lost and even nced around at the people whoughed at his stupidity before quickly pulling a straight face.


    "Miss Hnie, do you mind telling us why it was perceived that you died?" the council head, Mr. Vonston, asked.


    "I ran away, but it was my father who faked my death." I tilted my head toward my father, who timidly squeezed behind his wife when eyes fell on him.


    "And why did you run away from your punishment?" Alpha Diaz asked, a smirk on his lips like he had just won something.


    "Because I was going to be murdered by my father. He was paid a heavy price to kill me," I spoke loudly, causing the audience to gasp and the jury¡ªa group of new councilors¡ªto exchange a nce.


    The brothers were intensely watching everything, my friends sharing the same look as them.


    "Who would pay your father to kill you and why?" Lord Vonston asked.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter. She has no proof, she¡¯s making outrageous ims. That¡¯s what she does," Alpha Diaz scoffed, shaking his head at me.


    "He is the one who paid my father, and one might ask him why," I knew my words wouldn¡¯t be believed, but I had to speak my truth.


    "See, this is what I¡¯m talking about," Alpha Diaz pointed at me, and the rest of the people in the room stared at me with disgust on their faces.


    "Why were you running away from your punishment?" Lord Vonston asked again.


    "What punishment? Can you please ask them what crime I¡¯vemitted?" It was crazy how they were going around in circles without telling me what I had supposedly done wrong.


    "Youmitted adultery with six alphas and then used the alphas of rape and even dragged my son¡¯s name through the mud," Alpha Diaz said.


    I closed my eyes when he mentioned his son. However, he had already made a deal with the council that his son must never be called for questioning, since his involvement couldn¡¯t be proven. Just because he had spoken to me once or twice didn¡¯t link him to the crime.


    He was a witness that night, but of course, that wouldn¡¯t be used in my favor.


    I watched Emmet and Norman speak in whispers before Norman walked over and said, "You want to punish Hnie for having¡ªintimate rtions with many alphas. But where are the alphas? Which alphas are you talking about?" Norman said, and everyone¡¯s heads turned to Alpha Diaz.


    "You¡¯re saying a crime wasmitted, but why is Hnie asked to provide proof while you get to make usations without any? Bring us those six alphas, and then you can justify your demand for punishment."


    The look on Diaz¡¯s face was priceless. Norman knew he had him.

 Chapter 483-I See My Culprits

    <h4>Chapter 483: 483-I See My Culprits</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Well, then why did she im she was raped? Why won¡¯t she give the names?" Alpha Diaz countered, but nobody seemed too impressed.


    "I was raped," I said loudly, not trying to hide the truth.


    "Really? And do you have any proof? You didn¡¯t even get a test done," Alpha Diaz asked, scoffing as if he was mocking me for lying.


    "You didn¡¯t let me, you made my father¡ª" I shut up when he interrupted.


    "Do you have proof of that?" he asked, and everyoneughed until Norman started shaking his head. Attention turned to him, and then he pointed at the door.


    "There was a witness that night¡ªwho would love to tell you what happened." As he said that, the door opened, and in came Altan.


    Not only did I gasp and narrow my eyes in confusion, but Alpha Diaz looked so lost and anxious.


    "Lord Vonston, I was promised my son wouldn¡¯t be dragged into this," heined.


    "I volunteered," Altan said, taking the stand. "It¡¯s true. I was there that night. I was¡ª with her."


    He closed his eyes when theynded on me. The guilt was written all over his face.


    "Why?" Lord Vonston asked.


    "Because I was dating her," the words from his mouth made heads turn. The brothers looked down and clenched their jaws at his confession. Took him too long toe forward.


    "I saw the alphase at her and harass her," he continued. "And before you ask me why I didn¡¯t stick around to fight for her, I never do. I am a coward¡ªit¡¯s a known fact. But what she¡¯s saying is true. I can name the alphas that I recognized." Altan made my jaw drop.


    Alpha Diaz seemed to be having a hard time epting the truth.


    "Bring in Romeo, Kaidon, and Darius. The rest... I don¡¯t know any of them, but I do know Rayden is dead and Zellu is abducted, probably hiding and pretending to be abducted," Altan red at his father, who had been nonstop saying I faked my death just to run and hide.


    "Rayden¡ªthat one admitted to raping her," Lord Vonston quickly checked his files and nodded his head.


    Now that Norman had brought Altan in, everyone was slightly shifting from taking Diaz¡¯s side.


    I don¡¯t know how Norman managed to do it because Alpha Diaz would have never allowed his son toe forward.


    "And you don¡¯t even need to do any of that. I made your work easy," Norman added, hinting towards the door again.


    The door opened, and in came Kaidon, Romeo, and Darius. I don¡¯t know where they were found.


    I thought Kaidon had been hiding somewhere. Behind them were their parents.


    My eyes brieflynded on Maximus, and he mouthed, "We found them."


    He pointed at himself, then at Kaye and himself, so that Norman wouldn¡¯t take all the credit.


    All the men came and stood in a line. Darcy started tearing up when he saw Romeo in the lineup. He was doing his best to look innocent with tears in his eyes. Kaidon looked genuinely guilty, but I couldn¡¯t be sure what he would say.


    But Darius, he stood tall with no emotion on his face. Or so I thought. The minute he knew nobody was watching him, he winked at me.


    My body shuddered in disgust, and I quickly looked away.


    "So, why don¡¯t we bring in Romeo first?" Norman asked, making Darcy look down in disappointment. I wasn¡¯t surprised my mother didn¡¯t show up.


    She didn¡¯t care, so she wouldn¡¯t waste her time. If anything, she might be angry that I caused so much drama.


    Romeo walked over to the witness stand on the other side and sat down, sniffling as if he had been wrongly used.


    "You have been used of raping Hnie Niles in the abandoned subway. Do you plead guilty?" Alpha Diaz asked, and Romeo quickly started shaking his head.


    Well, I knew this would happen.


    The others had to go sit with him in a line, too.


    "It¡¯s a lie. I would never do anything so horrible," he scoffed, clenching my jaw.


    "What about you? What do you have to say?" Norman asked Kaidon, who adjusted his posture in his seat and briefly exchanged a nce with his mother.


    I knew what would happen. Let me guess, he would lie just for the sake of his mother.


    But he surprised me when he started breaking down and confessed the heartbreaking truth before everyone.


    "It¡¯s true. We¡ªraped her."


    Everyone gasped, hands covering their mouths. Lord Vonston closed his eyes and shuddered in shock.


    "I was drunk¡ªand drugged¡ªbut that doesn¡¯t exempt me from punishment. She was begging us to stop¡ª" he continued, causing me to break down. I saw Emmet get up, but then Kaye put his hand on his shoulder and stopped him, eyeing Norman to look over at me.


    Norman steadily walked toward my stand and slid the ss of water closer to my hand. They were doing everything perfectly to avoid diverting attention from the main issue and starting any other rumors that would further stain my character.


    "Wait a minute¡ªyou were drunk and drugged¡ªbut you remember everything? Why didn¡¯t youe out before?" Alpha Diaz, however, found a way to question Kaidon.


    "Because I was told by them that I had dreamed about it," Kaidon admitted. He was doing his best to confess to his crime, but others had been convincing him that no crime had beenmitted that night.


    "So you were so passed out and out of it that you didn¡¯t remember anything? You even relied on what your friends told you. What made you think it happened now?" Alpha Diaz smirked as he cornered Kaidon.


    "When the me of lust is mixed with any alcohol¡ªit acts as a crazy instigator. A person might forget the event temporarily, but when reminded of it, they remember," Norman said as he presented the research done on the me of lust.


    "But it still doesn¡¯t prove anything. He¡¯s confessing to being drunk¡ªcould it be that he¡¯s lying now?" Alpha Diaz asked, and the crowd started nodding their heads once again. But it was Darius who diverted attention to himself when he cleared his throat.


    We all watched his face, thinking maybe he would confess or deny, but he took a different approach that left me paralyzed.


    "We had consensual sex with her that night. The one where she¡ªforced us, and it was not the other way around."

 Chapter 484-My Pheromones

    <h4>Chapter 484: 484-My Pheromones</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "He¡¯s lying. What makes you think I would ever want to do anything with a disgusting man like you?" I screamed, the weight of the lie making everyone look at me with disgust again.


    "Please stay seated. You had your time to tell your side. Let him speak now," Lord Vonston stated, his tone harsh.


    I sat down again, taking deep breaths, but the calmness on Darius¡¯ face was making me angrier.


    "So, what were you saying?" Alpha Diaz smirked while secretly ncing at me before he turned his attention back to Darius.


    "I¡¯m not sure why Kaidon remembers it differently. But there¡¯s no proof that we ever told him it was a nightmare or anything. In fact, it¡¯s crazy how Kaidon discarded his phone and all. I guess his memories were all messed up, and sadly¡ªHnie¡¯s words got to him. You see, she¡¯s really good at learning about basically everything. You can check her record; she¡¯s defeated monsters and everything with her knowledge of herbs and weapons. She probably used that knowledge to convince Kaidon she was gang-raped. And Kaidon, he stupidly listened to her. He destroyed our phones and his too," Darius was such a jerk.


    So this is what he¡¯d been doing ever since his friends told him I was alive? Clearing his tracks?


    "And you said she forced you all? One might ask how an alpha could get forced by a worthless creature, especially six alphas," Alpha Diaz asked.


    Norman was anxiously staring at Darius, but he kept calm because he knew our case would get weak if we argue too much.


    "Ahh! Didn¡¯t she tell anyone about her pheromones?" As soon as Darius mentioned my secret, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.


    "And she keeps them hidden by wearing a pendant," Norman quickly jumped to defend me. I realized the brothers had been sharing everything they knew about me to protect me.


    "The pendant she didn¡¯t have on her when she seduced us," Darius added calmly.


    I hated his face. He had such a smug look that I wanted to punch him.


    "Is that true?" Alpha Diaz turned to Altan, who gulped.


    "I wore it when Altan boarded the train and left," I quickly jumped in to dismiss such a ridiculous im, but I noticed Darius smile and shake his head.


    "Once again, nobody saw it, right? Altan left and didn¡¯t see it. Kaidon doesn¡¯t remember. But she just confessed that she took it off," Darius said loudly.


    "I didn¡¯t¡ªI mean¡ªAltan did when¡ªm..." I shut up because it looked bad for me.


    "Please ask her to take off her pendant so that you know what I¡¯m talking about. Her pheromones made us go crazy for her. The fact that she had it off¡ªand didn¡¯t wear it while enticing us¡ªjust makes us victims," Dariusmented confidently, and Romeo quickly nodded.


    "She was begging them to let her go," Altan added.


    "Take off your pendant and then let us ask Lord Vonston and everyone here if they can control themselves. Helena knew what she was doing. She wanted us, not Altan, because she realized Altan was engaged and wouldn¡¯t ept her," Darius kept going, making me realize why he was so calm. He knew it could get very messy if he wanted it to.


    "Take off your pendant," Lord Vonston ordered, but I shook my head.


    "Is it true? Is it true that the pendant makes people around youmit¡ªadultery?" he asked, and I lowered my head.


    I was doomed.


    "She has been going around using everyone when she¡¯s the only one to me for it. She had fun that night and thought she could ckmail one of them into epting her, but sadly, it didn¡¯t happen. So, she decided to use them," Alpha Diaz hissed, his entire arm raised and hand pointing in my direction.


    "Well, then why not take the herb and see who is telling the truth?" I thought maybe the brothers would be skeptical of my truth after Darius made such a strong im, but Norman seemed convinced of my side.


    "Hnie will take it too," he added, and I began to nod.


    "An alpha taking a truth potion to reveal his secrets?" Alpha Diaz shook his head.


    "It will be a private session. Only the things rted to Hnie and that night will be shown as evidence," Norman argued.


    "There are certain rules we have agreed upon. We cannot just bend them. An alpha, or alpha kings, cannot be injected with those weapons or herbs," Lord Vonston stated loudly, sighing as the jury started whispering together.


    They seemed bored, almost like they no longer cared about justice because they probably thought I was lying.


    "Rayden¡ªhe was your friend and he confessed to raping her," Norman yelled at Darius, who calmly straightened his back.


    "And you must check from our data that we hadn¡¯t even been seen with him for some time. We don¡¯t know if Hnie and him met up again and Hnie said something¡ªto anger him. I¡¯m not saying what Rayden did to her was right, but you see, what she¡¯s doing to us isn¡¯t right either. I cannot have sympathy for someone who seduced me into sex and now is ruining my reputation," he replied calmly, leaning back again and briefly eyeing me.


    "Enough! This only makes sense. There is a fault of no one¡ªbut one¡ªm," Lord Vonston stated, making me sit straight and anxiously look around.


    He was wrapping it up?


    "Her pheromones!" he added, and the world from under my feet was stolen once again.


    "That is ridiculous. He¡¯s admitting to have done that," Norman pointed at Kaidon, who still seemed pretty adamant in his confession. He nodded, staring at Vonston.


    "Well then, I guess we have a solution. The pheromones could be a problem, and she can use them on any alpha. Since the others are not guilty, and there is literally no proof but her own confession that she didn¡¯t have her pendant on to control those evil pheromones that she hid from all of us and deceived us, we think there is only one way to control them. If she has a husband and he mates with her, marks her, probably her pheromones will go away, or whenever she is in heat, she will have him by her side. And who else could be a better candidate than the one who is confessing to raping her? Kaidon!" Vonston shocked us all, but Diaz and his minions had smirks on their faces.

 Chapter 485-My Brother Will Risk It All For His Mate

    <h4>Chapter 485: 485-My Brother Will Risk It All For His Mate</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    "No!" Hnie shook her head and stood up, mming her hands on the desk. "I refuse such punishment."


    I couldn¡¯t believe they were using it against her. But at this point, I had figured out that the only way these alphas could get punished is if we somehow make them confess.


    "But why? So that you can keep using those pheromones?" Vonston yelled at her, but that was all we could tolerate. We had wasted our time here.


    "That is enough. We gave you time and trust, but you proved you cannot do justice. We will be taking her back¡ªshe is our stepsister, and we get to decide where she lives," I added as I threw the papers away. It was about time I lost myposure.


    My brothers got up to go stand beside Hnie. She looked so timid but had the courage to stand up for herself.


    They didn¡¯t let me do the talking either. And sadly, Darius hade in strong, using her.


    "I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s not how it works. If you remember the rules, only an alpha can decide if a pack member can leave the pack and live as a rogue. By leaving the pack and living with you, it would make Hnie a rogue, and only Alpha Diaz gets to make that choice. So Alpha Diaz, what do you suggest for your pack member?" Vonston turned to the evil man, who looked so happy with the victory.


    "I will follow the rules. When a she-wolfmits adultery, we get her married to the man she slept with. In this case, since the others were drugged by her pheromones, I¡¯ve decided to get her married to Kaidon. But if he disagrees, then there¡¯s a man whose two mates died and has kids¡ªhe needs a wife to help raise them. I¡¯d ask you to request Hnie to marry him and take care of his children," it was as if Diaz wasn¡¯t speaking¡ªhe was shooting fire arrows straight at my body.


    I wanted to grab him and kill him, but that would be too rash of a decision. Hnie wouldn¡¯t get justice that way.


    And we would be outnumbered.


    "Marrying a teenager to an old man? Why is it her responsibility to take care of that man¡¯s children?" Maximus yelled, Kaye stepping forward to support his reasoning.


    "Fine, then she¡¯ll get married to Kaidon¡ªdon¡¯t you want to fix what you did wrong?" Alpha Diaz was so clever. He turned to Kaidon, who stared at Hnie. He was targeting the right person. Kaidon was too emotional and guilty and probably wanted to fix things.


    "I¡¯ll marry her." His mother wasn¡¯t the only one who let out a sigh and threw her head back¡ªwe were exhausted with him as well.


    "Okay, that¡¯s fine. I think Hnie¡¯s marriage will be a good idea for now," Emmet spoke up, and the hall went silent. He hadn¡¯t said a word in a while, so when he did speak up, everyone listened.


    I saw Hnie stare at him with teary eyes.


    It¡¯s not like we had a choice. If Hnie didn¡¯te to court to get married at the full moon, the warriors would arrest her, and a war would break out. We would fight for her without caring what we¡¯d lose in the process. But in the end, we might lose Hnie, because we¡¯d be outnumbered. Even though Sage, Rudy, and Penn were on Hnie¡¯s side, their pack would be too scared to go against the council and so many other packs.


    "Good, you prevented a whole war," Lord Vonston folded the file, gesturing to the warrior to bring him food.


    Hnie looked so defeated that we couldn¡¯t even look at her. She began to pace in front of us, briskly walking ahead.


    "Hnie!" Emmet called after her, but as she stopped, she didn¡¯t get to speak with him. Instead, her eyes traveled to our mother.


    "Huh! Did you all have fun bringing shame to our family name? Turns out, she¡¯s the problem. Hey girl! Did you ever take off your pendant around the men in my life? That would be incredibly disgusting." Mother had no lock on her mouth.


    She never thought before speaking.


    "You¡¯re a woman yourself¡ªhave some sense of decency," I spat in anger, watching her shake her head and walk past us.


    "Oh no! We¡¯ll be living with her until the next full moon?" I heard Hnie¡¯s stepmotherin.


    It felt like we had lost everything. As Romeo and the others walked past her, I noticed Hnie lowering her head.


    "You think me getting married is the right thing?" I watched her finally face Emmet once the road had emptied. There was no one left behind but us.


    "Hnie, that¡¯s because if we didn¡¯t, they would arrest you and throw you somewhere in the dungeon. And by the time we found you, they¡¯d have you married to someone," Emmet exined why he agreed.


    "Which they¡¯ll do anyway. I don¡¯t know what you were thinking, Emmet!" The disappointment in her eyes broke my heart, so I could only imagine how her mates must be feeling.


    Kaye was looking around, pacing to avoid showing that he cared. And then there was Maximus, who looked so dull, yet ready to go to war.


    "I know what was going through my mind," Emmet said quietly. "You will get married on this full moon, Hnie."


    Doubling down on his words was not what I expected from him.


    Hnie looked at him with disbelief in her eyes when he added, "With me."


    "What? But what about the forbidden... tag and Kaidon?" Hnie was shocked¡ªand so were the rest of us.


    "Our parents aren¡¯t married yet. And as for Kaidon, when he goes missing on the day of the wedding, they¡¯ll have no choice but to marry you to whoever ims to be your fated mate. But we¡¯ll wait until thest moment so no one has time toe up with a n to stop our wedding. Hnie, they yed games. Now we will y. But our first step is to make you an official rogue, while marrying a rogue will make you one and you will need no permission from your alpha in that case."


    I was shocked and had disagreed with them marrying in such a haste, but it seemed like Emmet had thought through this n carefully. And maybe this would be the reason Hnie escapes marrying Kaidon¡ªor anyone else.

 Chapter 486-What About The Promise To The Moon Goddess

    <h4>Chapter 486: 486-What About The Promise To The Moon Goddess</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What?" I couldn¡¯t believe Emmet was saying this. I thought he would want to first take care of his father and make sure he doesn¡¯t lose his mind about Emmet marrying me. But Emmet was willing to risk it all for me.


    I guess I never had anyone who was willing to risk everything for me. So I was stunned, just standing in my spot and watching him.


    "She¡ªshe made a promise to the moon goddess that she will not ept her mates," Maximus spoke up, breaking my attention from Emmet.


    "In order for her to take revenge and get justice, she will need to at least get freed from this pack," Norman supported Emmet with his idea. But Maximus had managed to cast some shadow of doubt over my promise.


    "Hnie, I can wait for you. You know that. But marrying Kaidon would be way more traumatizing for you," Emmet quickly held my hands when he saw me zone out.


    "And who knows what he will do? His mother is toxic, his friends will walk all over the home. And even if you demand a rejection, it will only happen at the next full moon¡ªso you¡¯ll have to stay with him for a while. And I don¡¯t know if I¡ªwe¡ªare okay with that," Norman raised his voice, making sure he was heard among the others.


    I was silently watching them put forward their arguments.


    "Kaidon is out of the question," Maximus grunted. "That¡¯s not what I meant."


    He exined, but his words had already made their way into my head.


    "Excuse me, what¡¯s going on here?" I hadn¡¯t even realized another car had pulled up. Penn had returned after letting his parents drive away. "Is it about the marriage issue?" he approached us.


    I was so relieved to see him¡ªand my friends behind him.


    "If it¡¯s okay, and if she¡¯s ready, I can marry her. I¡¯ll take care of her and even reject her if she asks for it at the next full moon after our marriage," Penn said, and my ears perked up.


    He had my full attention, and it made Emmet slowly pull his hands back from mine.


    "Marriage is not a joke," Kaye grunted from behind his brother, already showing he wasn¡¯t okay with the ns we were making.


    "But apparently, it is to the councils," Lamar groaned, his face red with anger.


    "I think she shouldn¡¯t make a rushed decision. Let her rest and then think about it. She still has days left, and they did say it has to be Kaidon, so we need to be careful with every step we take now," Gavin suggested, his eyes telling me he knew I was struggling to make a decision.


    "But there is no way she¡¯s marrying Kaidon," Penn added, and everyone else nodded with him.


    "But let¡¯s take her home to rest for now. She¡¯s been through a lot, and seeing those alphas walk out free must have been so hard on her," Sage said, agreeing with my despair.


    "Sure, but can we have a word with her before you take her away?" Emmet said it in a way that made everyone share a nce. They weren¡¯t stealing me from him, but I guess Penn¡¯s suggestion¡ªand my silence¡ªhad made it seem that way.


    "We¡¯ll wait in the car for her," Lamar patted Penn¡¯s back to make him walk away and leave me alone with my mates so we could have a personal conversation.


    Since Penn didn¡¯t know, but the rest of my friends did know about my mates, they also understood that today had been an incredibly hard day for all of us.


    "Hnie, don¡¯t think about anything else right now. I know you hate the moon goddess, but don¡¯t let her be the reason you choose someone else over me, please," Emmet said, making me feel so bad for him. I had never seen Emmet beg anyone before, so I felt his misery¡ªand I guess he felt mine too.


    "Let her rest for now," Norman gently held his brother¡¯s arm to pull him away from me.


    "I¡¯ll wait for your decision. Please be wise," Emmet said before stepping aside. If I could, I would¡¯ve kissed him goodbye. But I couldn¡¯t.


    We had to be more careful than ever now, because my character was under a microscope. I was on their radar, and they would do anything to keep me in prison so I couldn¡¯t escape the wedding at the full moon.


    So I needed to look like I was going to ept the marriage with Kaidon. As I walked away, I turned and saw the brothers looking at me.


    They all looked so sad and defeated that it broke my heart.


    "Don¡¯t worry, we still have days," Lamar said to me once I sat down.


    "I thought we had days before the trial, too. You have no idea how I felt when my pheromones were brought up. That¡¯s what I ran away from. I knew the council would never believe me because of theck of evidence. And it makes me hate my father so much. If only he had let me take those tests and show them the bruises," I sighed, going silent¡ªbecause that wouldn¡¯t have helped either.


    "I guess... nothing could have helped me. Look how they separated Rayden¡¯s case from the others. They want confessions from their mouths, which they will never give," I sighed again, resting my head on Lamar¡¯s shoulder and closing my eyes.


    This car ride was the only time I could let myself be upset¡ªbecause once I got home, I would need to build up my confidence and strength like a wall, so that no harasser or stranger could see through it.


    My friends insisted we stop and eat at a caf¨¦, but I couldn¡¯t swallow anything. I just asked them to drive around while I slept in the car.


    I felt safe with them around me. For the next few days, peace would be thest thing I¡¯d worry about. My wedding day would probably go down as the second worst day of my life¡ªwhere my future would be decided against my will.

 Chapter 487-Want Her Dead

    <h4>Chapter 487: 487-Want Her Dead</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    "Maximus¡ª," I ran after him as he rushed into the woods. I couldn¡¯t watch him look so sad and angry with me. I loved my baby brothers so much.


    "No! You will stay away from me from now on. I¡¯m done begging for your love and care. You¡¯ve shown again and again that you don¡¯t care about me," he yelled, turning around to show me his teary eyes.


    Seeing the tears in his eyes felt like walking on fire. The heat rushed from my feet to my head.


    I would do anything to make him feel better. But what could I do? I was in love with Hnie¡ªthe only person I could love after losing my first love.


    Hnie came into my life and became so important that the thought of losing her makes me want to stop living. And she loves me back.


    If it were someone else, I might have left her for my brother. But it¡¯s Hnie, and her love is meant for me. I can¡¯t treat her like an object and leave her for my brother as if her own will doesn¡¯t matter.


    "You say you care about me¡ªdo you really?" Maximus yelled, the strong wind blowing his tears away.


    "I do," I said, trying to reach him, but he kept stepping back.


    "Then reject her¡ªleave her," his words made me freeze and take a step back.


    "What happened? You don¡¯t want to prove your love to me? The minute I ask you to give something up, you¡¯re scared?" Maximus yelled, stepping even further away.


    "That¡¯s not fair," Norman¡¯s voice cut into our stare-down.


    "You don¡¯t know what he has done for you," he snapped at Maximus, who shook his head in disapproval.


    "Of course you¡¯d say that. That¡¯s what you always do. You try so hard to make us like each other, to make us care about each other, when there¡¯s no real love or care between us," Maximus scoffed at Norman, waving his hand at him.


    "This time I¡¯ll tell you what you should¡¯ve known from the beginning."


    As Norman stood beside me, I turned to him, gave Maximus my back, and shook my head at Norman, silently asking him not to tell him.


    "Why? Why don¡¯t you want to tell him? Why let him hate you when it hurts you so much?" Norman yelled at me, raising his voice past his usual level with me for the first time.


    "What is it that you have to tell me?" Maximus asked, but there was bitterness in his tone.


    "Something you should have known a long time ago," Norman continued, even as I kept pushing him away, trying to take him with me.


    "Let¡¯s go," I insisted, grabbing his arm, but he shrugged me off. I saw Kaye arriving, his eyes showing he could sense some drama unfolding.


    "Tell me," Maximus shouted.


    In a brief moment of weakness, Norman said it all.


    "Where do you think you were getting the blood from all those years? How do you think your strong and powerful brother kept ending up passed out in the hallway? You think it was just the alcohol?"


    When silence fell, I slowly turned to look at Maximus. Norman shouldn¡¯t have said anything. Maximus almost lost his bnce, but Kaye rushed to hold him up.


    "It¡¯s true. While we were busy taking care of Maximus, there was one person who let you bite him and drink his blood¡ªhe never even stopped you. So no, he wasn¡¯t passed out drunk when you needed him. He was there for you, and he passed out because you were drunk on his blood," Norman continued.


    The look on my little brothers¡¯ faces scared me.


    That look of guilt¡ªsomething I hated seeing on them¡ªwas there.


    "Why didn¡¯t you tell us?" Kaye whispered, big tears rolling down his cheeks.


    "You¡ª," Maximus reached out and gently pushed Kaye aside, struggling to stay on his feet.


    "Why didn¡¯t you¡ªwhy didn¡¯t you tell me? Do you know how small that makes me feel?" Maximus sniffled, tearing up instantly before he ran into my arms. He held onto me like a child would cling to his mother.


    "You¡¯re a bad brother, why would you do that?" he cried, stomping like a kid.


    "Why?" Kaye asked the same question as he stepped forward and wrapped his long arms around us, pulling us into a group hug.


    "Because it¡¯s happening to me," I muttered, and the two of them broke the hug. "I¡¯m forgetting things. And having episodes now."


    "What?" Norman grabbed my arm to turn me around. "How bad is it?"


    I knew he was upset because I had told him it wasn¡¯t that serious.


    "I even forgot about Hnie for a while," I admitted. I guess that was enough for them to know it was pretty bad.


    "What about us?" Maximus asked in a soft, careful voice.


    "I haven¡¯t forgotten you guys much¡ªmostly because you¡¯re always around me. But I¡¯m scared... I¡¯m losing my mind. I¡¯m turning into something else¡ªa creature, an animal," I continued, watching their concerned faces. This was what I had avoided admitting for so long.


    "There should be something we can do, right?" Maximus asked Norman, who sighed, looked down, and tried hard to think of a way to stop it.


    "It¡¯s a curse," I reminded them.


    "And every curse can be broken," Norman reminded me, looking hopeful again¡ªuntil Kaye spoke up.


    "I... I think I¡¯m losing my mind too."


    We all stared at him in confusion.


    "I¡ªumm¡ªit¡¯s strange because I never really thought about what my curse might be... until I looked at Hnie."


    He wasn¡¯t making much sense.


    "What do you mean? Just say it clearly," Norman pressed. We all knew if there was anyone we could count on, it was Norman.


    "What does Hnie have to do with your curse?" Maximus asked Kaye. We were all even more interested¡ªand worried¡ªnow that Hnie¡¯s name was involved.


    "Because when I look at her¡ªdespite how much I love her¡ªI want to kill her. Maybe that¡¯s my curse. I¡¯ll either want to kill my mate... or I¡¯ll go crazy trying not to."

 Chapter 488-Choosing My Mate

    <h4>Chapter 488: 488-Choosing My Mate</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "She ruined our name. We can¡¯t even go out anymore," I heard my stepmother yelling from outside the room, clearly making sure I could hear her.


    "I can¡¯t even go y games with my friends," Sullivan added, using his harsh and loud voice.


    I was lying on the couch in the room, reading a book and rolling my eyes every time I heard them.


    "It¡¯s not like you have any friends," Vani yelled back from inside the room, sitting on the bed doing her homework.


    I heard loud footsteps approaching the room, and then Sullivan stood in the doorway.


    "You shouldn¡¯t be sharing a room with her. She¡¯ll make you just like herself," Sullivan muttered, his eyes full of disgust when he mentioned me.


    I calmly pulled the book to the side and raised my eyebrow at him.


    "That would make me the happiest. Who wouldn¡¯t want to get into the RVs and then be their top student?" Vani said with a bright smile, making me nce over at her and smile back.


    "Really? I¡¯m pretty sure she fucked her way up," Sullivan grimaced, arms folded across his chest.


    I sat up on the couch, then rested my hands behind my back, leaning on them casually. I crossed one leg over the other and began to gently shake it.


    "Then you should try it too. If you¡¯re so sure that¡¯s how it works, go ahead¡ªgive it a try," I said with a shrug. He let out a loud grunt in response.


    There was a difference now¡ªthey didn¡¯t dare hit me anymore. I¡¯m pretty sure they knew I would hit back... and a lot harder than they could.


    "Don¡¯t waste your time on her. She¡¯s only going to be staying with us for a few more weeks before we get rid of her. And then¡ªthat poor Alpha will have this trash on his shoulders," Larissa appeared behind her son, her lips curling upward and her upper lip wrinkling toward her nose in pure disgust.


    "He¡¯s not even an Alpha. I¡¯m not sure he¡¯ll ever win the Alpha title. He¡¯s screwed. His luck is gone," Sullivan added.


    As the two walked away, I kept thinking about their words.


    I¡¯m definitely not going to marry Kaidon.


    Even though Kaidon had shown remorse and tried his best to be honest on the stand, I still couldn¡¯t look at him without being reminded¡ªtraumatized¡ªby that night.


    And then there was Penn. The offer he made sounded a lot better than marrying Kaidon... or that old man.


    "You¡¯re going to marry Kaidon?" Vani asked, lifting her head from her books. Even the question in itself was so weird to me. I would never marry any of those losers for any punishment.


    "No," I answered honestly.


    "You shouldn¡¯t. What those Alphas did was wrong. They deserve punishment, not a mate like you. That would be a gift."


    The fact that Vani didn¡¯t care what the trial said or what her mother thought¡ªand that she believed me¡ªmade me feel something I hadn¡¯t felt in a long time: a sense of peace.


    "Thank you," I said to her, and she lit up, getting out of bed toe sit beside me.


    "Of course. We¡¯re sisters," she frowned, then sighed. "Please choose that man who came to our house asking about you. I know it might be wrong, but... could it be that you two might fall in love?" she pouted, surprising me. She didn¡¯t even know Emmet was my mate, but she thought we looked good together.


    "He¡¯s my stepbrother," I reminded her, raising a brow.


    "No, he isn¡¯t¡ªat least not yet. Anyway¡ªwhat are you reading?" she asked, peering into the book. I gave her a small nod, and she picked it up, flipping through the pages.


    "It¡¯s a book on Soren Vaughn. The man who never had a wolf. Everyone used to say he was an omega or something. It¡¯s crazy¡ªhis adventures are all in here, but there¡¯s no detail about what kind of wolf he ended up having to go on those adventures," I exined, and she stared at the drawings of his tattoos.


    She stopped at a ck-and-white hand-drawn picture of him.


    "Look, the gray pattern in his eyes¡ªit looks just like yours," sheughed, pointing at the meticulously drawn pattern.


    "And those tattoos look like the moles behind your neck," she added, quickly brushing my hair aside and holding the book next to my neck topare.


    "Damn, they really do look the same," she gasped.


    "Yeah, well, I guess all werewolves without active wolves look the same and have simr moles," I said,ughing and gently taking the book from her hands.


    Sheughed with me for a while. We talked about her school before she went out to grab a tray of food for both of us. Her mother was getting angry about her eating with me, but Vani didn¡¯t care.


    She was more confident and stronger than I was at her age. Maybe it was because, no matter how loud her mother yelled, Vani knew they wouldn¡¯t hurt her physically the way they hurt me.


    Meanwhile, I held my phone in my hands and stared at Emmet¡¯s number. I had been told to be careful and not write anything in a text that could be used against meter.


    If anyone found out I was having an affair with my stepbrother, they¡¯d tell Alpha Diaz, and he¡¯d lock me up to make sure I had no chance of stopping the marriage with Kaidon.


    So I had toe up with a gentle and sneaky way to tell Emmet about my decision.


    Me: Hey, I¡¯ve been thinking about everything, and I think I¡¯ve made my decision.


    It was like he¡¯d been holding his phone, waiting¡ªbecause he read the message almost the second I sent it.


    Professor Emmet: Please tell me it¡¯s good news.


    I smiled while typing.


    Me: I¡¯ll attend your sses¡ªonly yours.


    His response told me he understood exactly what I meant.


    Professor Emmet: Thank you so much. I¡¯ll prepare all the notes and make sure you¡¯re satisfied with my lessons ;)

 Chapter 489-The Distraught Fiancé

    <h4>Chapter 489: 489-The Distraught Fianc¨¦</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    <i>Jessica:</i> I can¡¯t believe you trusted that girl¡¯s words and went against my baby brother.


    <i>Jessica:</i> Look what happened. She was proven to be a liar.


    <i>Jessica:</i> I am deeply hurt, and I want an apology.


    <i>Jessica:</i> I saw your brothers as my own, but you never cared about my family.


    "Isn¡¯t your phone buzzing a little too much these days?" Kaye yfully pped my back as he sat down on the patio with me.


    "She could go on and on. Someone needs to take her phone away," I groaned under my breath, putting my phone down on the table.


    "She must be really upset. She¡¯s been blowing up my phone too. And I get where she¡¯sing from. She¡¯s his sister and has been there for us. I¡¯m sure she doesn¡¯t know what an evil monster her ¡¯baby brother¡¯ is," Kaye mocked the way Jessica always referred to that grown man as a baby.


    "I can¡¯t deal with her right now. Even when her name pops into my head, all I can think about is Hnie and what Jessica¡¯s brother did to her," I sighed, taking a sip of my coffee.


    "You guys didn¡¯t question me further," I knew Kaye was desperate to know how we felt about his little confession the other day.


    "We just didn¡¯t know what to say. If your curse is to kill your mate, and your mate is Hnie, that means¡ª" I stopped talking, unable to say it out loud.


    "War between brothers. Because she¡¯s their mate too?" Kaye sighed, smiling as he nodded in understanding.


    "I will never go to war with you, and neither will the others. They love you. But¡ªwe¡¯ll keep Hnie safe too," I confirmed. There¡¯s no way we¡¯d think about hurting him. But we will defend her from his attacks.


    "I don¡¯t know why this happened to me. Why me¡ª and maybe it was fate when Hnie asked for time and we broke up. Maybe it was the Moon Goddess looking out for her. Because she does seem to have some fascination with Hnie," although Kaye was trying to make light of the situation, I noticed the tears in his eyes. The brothers had shown their love for Hnie for a while, so I could only imagine how Kaye must be feeling now¡ªtorn between loving her and feeling the urge to kill her.


    "I¡¯ll find some way. I just need to get into Mom¡¯s head," I said, watching Kaye lean back in his seat and stare at the sky.


    "Is Emmet marrying Hnie?" he asked.


    Emme told us that Hnie had made up her mind. Thankfully, she had stopped with the whole "promise to the Moon Goddess" thing. One must not be blinded by anger to the point that they make their own life miserable.


    Marrying Penn would have been a good option for her if Emmet wasn¡¯t in the picture. But she has someone who loves her, and that someone is her mate, so why not?


    "I guess it¡¯s also helping me not freak out about the fact that Emmet will be marrying her. But then Maximus¡ª I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be able to stay calm for too long," Kaye wasn¡¯t wrong. After I told Maximus and Kaye about the sacrifices Emmet had made for them, Maximus had stoppedining or hurting Emmet with his words. But seeing Hnie marry Emmet will be hard for him.


    "But it¡¯s not like he can do anything about it. The council will be marrying Hnie off on the full moon night. At midnight, to be exact. And with the way the used¡¯s Alpha King fathers have been doing everything they can to fix this by getting her married, they won¡¯t dy the wedding," I reminded Kaye that we don¡¯t have time. We need to get Hnie out of there.


    "Hmm, what exactly is the n?" Kaye asked.


    "So, you¡¯ll be taking care of Kaidon. Make sure he doesn¡¯t arrive in time. When the clock strikes twelve and the desperate council is looking for Hnie¡¯s groom, I¡¯ll show up with Emmet. Emmet will volunteer, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll just marry her off without a second thought. They want her married and settled so she¡¯ll forget about the revenge stuff. Besides, Alpha Diaz won¡¯t be there that night to object. The council will go by his earlier words¡ª he said Hnie should be married to anyone as punishment on the next full moon," I repeated my n.


    "What about Dad and Hnie¡¯s mother?" Kaye mentioned the elephant in the room, and I sighed under my breath.


    That part was worrying me too. My dad deserved happiness as well. But right now, Hnie¡¯s safety was way more important. Besides, Hnie was my brother¡¯s fated mate, so it was a risky situation.


    "We¡¯ll deal with itter. You just keep an eye on Maximus. Emmet is worried about him," I sighed as I rubbed my face in my hands.


    I wasn¡¯t thinking that we would marry Hnie off to Emmet and everything would magically be fixed. We still have my brother¡¯s curses to deal with, the fact that they are mated to Hnie, and then there¡¯s my mother¡¯s anger¡ªalong with the biggest issue: justice for Hnie.


    "We¡¯ll take care of it all. How about we pay her a visit?" Kaye suggested, making me nod my head. I didn¡¯t trust Hnie¡¯s pack members or the family she lived with.


    "We must. Call Emmet and Maximus," I said as I stretched my neck, and that¡¯s when a text popped up on my phone again:


    <i>Jessica:</i> Tell me what I should do? My brother says he didn¡¯t do anything. Why am I the one getting punished? What did I do wrong? If he¡¯s found guilty, I¡¯ll punish him myself. But if there¡¯s anything I can do¡ªany way I can get the truth out of him¡ªI¡¯ll do it.


    I was surprised she said that. I¡¯ve known her to love her brother a lot. I appreciated that she wanted to help, but I was more impressed by the fact that she thought I would believe she would actually hand her brother over to the council if he was found guilty.

 Chapter 490-The Alphas Keep Proposing

    <h4>Chapter 490: 490-The Alphas Keep Proposing</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn¡¯t take off her pendant around your mate," an old woman advised a newly married couple who had just shifted into the house two doors down from ours. I held my sister¡¯s hand and her bag in the other, rolling my eyes at them.


    "You think my sister will hit on her husband?" My sister freed her hand, turned, and red at the old woman.


    "Watch your manners, little one. If you turn out like her, you¡¯ll end up like her," the woman groaned. The other woman quickly pushed her husband behind her back, as if I would steal him right then and there. I grabbed the chocte out of my pocket, unwrapped it, and took a bite.


    I saw the way the two women were shocked, as if they had never seen someone eat before.


    "Why would you talk about my husband like that?" the newly married bride, Maya, yelled at Vani.


    "Don¡¯t you know your husband doesn¡¯t even do any work? My sister is friends with Alphas and rogue kings. Why would she hit on your husband of all the men?" Vani hissed, causing the two women to grind their teeth at her.


    "We should tell your mother you¡¯re bing just like her," the old woman hissed at Vani, her eyes filled with anger when theynded on me.


    "And you think she¡¯s a good role model?" I scoffed at the mention of my stepmother.


    "What¡¯s going on? Is there a problem here?" I heard a familiar voice, and my eyes rolled back in my head, just like all the other times he had shown up. Which was many times.


    He shows up wherever I go, and I just look away from him, hoping he¡¯ll get the hint¡ªbut he doesn¡¯t.


    "Alpha Altan, we are so sorry. We didn¡¯t mean to speak to this filthy creature, but sometimes we have to look after our men," the old woman hissed while ring at me but quickly bowed to Alpha Altan.


    He wasn¡¯t crowned yet, but of course, he was still the alpha in line.


    "Did you just call her filthy?" Altan stepped forward, making me puff air into my cheeks and let it out in frustration.


    The women shared nces, silently asking one another if he was angry or if he would double down on their words.


    "She is Hnie Niles, the only one from our pack who has aced her academic career. She¡¯s from RVs that barely anyone can get into, and most importantly, she is my friend. She¡¯s nothing like how you¡¯re trying to make her out to be," he yelled at them, and that¡¯s when I felt the need to intervene.


    "You are not my friend, so don¡¯t even try to act like you are. As for these women, I can defend myself against such crazydies," I hissed at him, watching the women¡¯s jaws drop in shock at the fact that I was speaking so badly to their Alpha.


    "But I want to be here for you, Hnie," Altan said, sounding genuine and sweet. How funny!


    I used to beg him to be nice to me. Before, he would lose his mind over small things, and then I¡¯d have to act like a clown just to make him smile. I don¡¯t know why I put up with that before.


    "No, Altan. You don¡¯t need to be here for me. You weren¡¯t there for me when I needed you, so no! Don¡¯t try to be a hero now," I shrugged, shaking my head, feeling proud of myself for not worrying about how bad he might feel or how he would look at me.


    The fear of losing him had turned me into such a clingy and spineless girl. Looking back at myself, I don¡¯t even feel angry at him, but at myself.


    "Yep! My sister has better Alphas now," Vani held my hand and started walking me away. But I could tell Altan was still following us.


    "I hate him and his father," Vani almost seemed to read my mind and said it out loud.


    "Hnie, please hear me out," the minute Vani and I were inside my house, Altan followed in. My brother, who had been lounging around, doing nothing but ying games, immediately sat up and stood straight, bowing down to the Alpha who didn¡¯t deserve that much respect.


    "What is it, Altan?" I almost yelled at him. He had been following me for a week, and I was getting annoyed with the fact that no matter where I looked, he¡¯d be there.


    Just yesterday, when my friends came over, he was standing at a distance, trying to join us. And then his father banned my friends froming here too.


    Life wasn¡¯t easy here, but I didn¡¯t think it was that difficult. I had been through worse. Some taunts andments couldn¡¯t affect my sanity now.


    "Hey, watch your tone," Sullivan, the pro Alpha ass-kisser, yelled, a wide smirk on his face as he looked over at Altan for approval.


    "Shut up," I yelled, and then Altan grunted at him before looking back at me.


    "Just hear me out once," Altan said again, and I sighed.


    "What is it?" I asked, folding my arms over my chest. My sister did the same, both of us tapping our feet as we watched him.


    I was expecting him to apologize and all, but what he said wasn¡¯t what I wanted to hear.


    "Marry me!"


    "What?" Sullivan gasped, and I heard him even drop his phone.


    "Marry me, Hnie! I will be the best Alpha for you. I will love you and take care of you. I will never let any harme your way, and this time, I will even sacrifice my own life for you. Please, ept my proposal and don¡¯t marry Kaidon. Being with him will be a victory for the rapists. Next time someone wants a gorgeous mate, they¡¯ll just rape her and then ask to marry her to fix her life," he continued, making me stare at his face with bottled-up rage.

 Chapter 491-The Stained Blood

    <h4>Chapter 491: 491-The Stained Blood</h4>


    <strong>Jessica:</strong>


    I kept staring at my phone while breathing heavily. How could this have happened? Just a week before my wedding and all this mess came to light. I closed my eyes and thought about the girl in question.


    "Hnie Niles, the innocent-looking blonde," my wolf recalled her face, and my heart skipped a beat.


    "They¡¯ve postponed our wedding because of all the issues going on," I hissed and got up, grabbing a bat from my closet and heading to my brother¡¯s room.


    "What are you doing?" my wolf asked as I stormed into Darius¡¯ room, the bat in my hand. I lifted it and started beating the crap out of my brother.


    He woke up and started crawling away from me, reaching up to grab the bat.


    "How could you do that to someone?" I was screaming in tears, losing my mind.


    How the heck did I not see it before? My baby brother had turned into a little monster and had been hurting people.


    "What the hell is wrong with you?" he shouted back after jumping off the other side of the bed.


    "Did you do it?" I asked, ring at him with my fists clenched. He held the bat so I couldn¡¯t grab it and start hitting him again.


    "You¡¯re crazy," he yelled, and that¡¯s when my father barged in.


    "Ask him! Ask your son what he did to that girl!" I couldn¡¯t believe I was standing in front of a rapist.


    I felt disgusted and wanted to get out of there. How could my brother have done all that and thene home to eat dinner with us? He shouldn¡¯t be around any woman.


    "Oh," Father scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief.


    "Jessica, my daughter, you¡¯re using your brother? Didn¡¯t you hear what happened in court? It was proven that she used her pheromones to trap and force your brother," my father exined, gently patting my shoulder.


    "If there¡¯s anyone I thought would trust me, I thought it was you," Darius sniffled, holding back tears.


    "Oh, cut the crap. Those pheromones might have excited you, but they didn¡¯t make you hurt her. Her own boyfriend ran away, didn¡¯t he? If her pheromones were so dangerous, he would¡¯ve stayed and joined you too, right? Since they apparently turn people into monsters," I screamed in tears, watching him shake his head again.


    "That was because we were already drunk. Mixed with that¡ª"


    I held up my hand and silenced him.


    "And then you said you never saw her after Lady Darcy told us Hnie was using you of rape," I remembered the night of my engagement ceremony when my brother suddenly disappeared. It was onlyter that I found out what was going on.


    "I think I¡¯vee at the right time," Lady Darcy¡¯s arrival while I was in tears and losing my mind made me grunt and look away from her.


    "May I please have a word?" She asked my father to excuse us, and he did. He always listened to her because he wanted me to marry Norman. I loved him too, but thinking about what he must think of me after this situation with my brother made my stomach turn.


    I left the room and went to sit in the living room while Lady Darcy stayed in the room with my brother. She came out with him.


    "Jessica, why are you hurting this poor boy? Hasn¡¯t he suffered enough?" She sat down and held my hand.


    "Not enough to make up for what he did to that girl," I sobbed, closing my eyes at the thought of being rted to a monster.


    "I didn¡¯t do anything. I swear," he cried out in front of me, but I wouldn¡¯t even look at his face anymore.


    "Really? Then take the truth weapon. Tell everyone the truth." I just had a really bad feeling. No girl would go out and tell such a horrific story just for fun.


    "They¡¯ll expose his secrets. Even if it wasn¡¯t rape, he does sleep around. He¡¯ll look bad, and the council can use those private tapes against himter. Why would you want that for your brother? That girl and her mother are known for doing things like that," Lady Darcy was clearly on my brother¡¯s side, and that made me even more suspicious.


    Why was she so desperate to defend him? I mean, I knew she hated Hnie, but still...


    "Really? That girl wanted to trap alphas ¡ª that¡¯s the excuse, right? But she never asked to marry any of them, and she never even came forward with her story. She was silently staying in her room until you called the council and told them the missing pack member was alive. So I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m having a hard time wrapping my head around the ¡¯truth,¡¯" I scoffed, watching them both look at me.


    "She wanted to marry an alpha, but her pack¡¯s alpha had figured out her tricks. That¡¯s why she ran away and started over ¡ª she realized her old ways wouldn¡¯t work on a real alpha," Lady Darcy said, finishing her point.


    "Hnie is good at making people feel sorry for her. No wonder Norman is always defending her so fiercely," she said ¡ª and then she covered her mouth, but it was toote. I caught it.


    "It¡¯s true, Jessica. That man who never thinks about anyone except his brothers now cares so much about Hnie, you have no idea. Even before he found out she was a ¡¯victim,¡¯" Lady Darcy rolled her eyes at the word, "he was all about her. Just try saying something against her, and you¡¯ll see what he does. That girl has my son wrapped around her little finger. Not just him ¡ª she even fooled Maximus into falling for her and then ditched him in the worst way. She¡¯s trouble, and none of you will see it until it¡¯s toote."


    My energy drained, and I leaned back in my seat. My brother seemed genuinely hurt and upset too. I was so lost at that moment. But there was some truth in Hnie¡¯s eyes that I cannot avoid. I must not believe what these people are feeding me. I will hand my brother over to the council if I found out he trulymitted such a disgusting crime against someone.

 Chapter 492-Letting Them Know

    <h4>Chapter 492: 492-Letting Them Know</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "So, will you marry me, please?" he asked this time, since I took a little longer to answer than he must have expected. The fact that a smile spread across his lips made me chuckle sarcastically.


    Did he really think I was still the Hnie who would start celebrating just because he finally proposed?


    That used to be all I cared about. I¡¯d wait for him to pop the question ¡ª and he knew it. There were times he even hinted at it just to get me excited and then crush my hopes. He used to enjoy ying with my feelings.


    I raised an eyebrow and stepped back to get a good look at his whole body.


    "Oh my goddess!" Larissa screamed from behind me. My stepbrother gasped, and my father ¡ª who had just entered the house ¡ª looked so proud and happy.


    What the hell!


    "No!" I hissed, and immediately heard more gasps and some people swearing under their breath.


    "Please, I want you to be my mate. Hnie, let me make things right for what I did wrong," Altan continued. My father rushed to my side and grabbed my arm, but I pulled away quickly.


    "Say yes ¡ª he¡¯ll help you fix your reputation," my father whispered to me, and I turned away from him with a disgusted look.


    "Really? What reputation? I never lost any. As long as I can look at myself in the mirror and be proud of who I am, I don¡¯t see anything wrong with my reputation," I muttered angrily. I was surprised at how stunned my father looked every time I responded to him with even a bit of firmness.


    "As for you," I turned to Altan, "I¡¯m not something you can fix. I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t need an alpha to live my life, and marriage is definitely not the solution to my problems. Justice is," I hissed, reminding him not to sink any lower than he already had.


    "Ahhh! Stupidity stays with you no matter how many academies you attend," my father said with a dismissive wave of his hand. My stepmother came closer to Altan, staring at his face.


    "I just want to know why you want to marry her. Is beauty all that men care about? I¡¯ve seen her friendse around, and that Alpha Penn ¡ª he¡¯s such a handsome boy, and he looked at her with those dreamy eyes¡ª"


    As my stepmother kept rambling about the men in my life treating me well, I noticed Altan react a little differently at the mention of Penn.


    "Alpha Penn? Didn¡¯t he used to be friends with those rapists? I don¡¯t think you should be hanging around him,"


    The audacity of Altan to try and tell me who I should or shouldn¡¯t be around made meugh out loud. The whole room went silent, and my stepmother grimaced.


    "Why does everyone want her, while I had to marry an omega ¡ª and a useless one too?" sheined, as if she wasn¡¯t the one who¡¯d been sleeping with a married man for years.


    "Altan. Kindly leave," I said, pointing at the door.


    "Hnie, think about my proposal. It will give you everything you¡¯ve ever wanted," he added again, and as much as I wanted him out of my sight, my greedy family stood around him, staring at his face like they¡¯d never seen an alpha ask someone to be their mate.


    "Everything I wanted in the past was barely anything ¡ª I was settling. Now I have bigger dreams, and you ¡ª and your pack¡¯s status ¡ª don¡¯t evene close. So please, get out."


    As I raised my voice at him, my stepmother raised her hand like she was going to p my arm. But she stopped.


    She wouldn¡¯t dare ¡ª not afterst time.


    She knew I wouldn¡¯t hold back anymore.


    "I¡¯ll be there on the full moon, Hnie," he said onest time before walking out of the house.


    After he left, my family turned to me with questioning looks.


    "Why didn¡¯t you ept his proposal? Didn¡¯t you do all that just to marry an alpha?" my stepmother asked, scratching her scalp like she was truly confused ¡ª when it should¡¯ve been obvious that I did none of what I was used of.


    "I mean, she got Alpha Penn. I guess she did do all that and got what she wanted. But then she¡¯s marrying Alpha Kaidon, oh my! I haven¡¯t found one good mate, and she¡¯s drowning in alphas,"


    Freaking Sullivan hissed, flopping back onto the couch again to waste more hours of his life doing absolutely nothing.


    "You could have said yes and gone on to live a better life. Now you¡¯ll have to marry the guy you said raped you ¡ª and he isn¡¯t even an alpha yet. Goddess knows if he¡¯ll even win the crown, even after getting into Fell Moon Academy for the title," my stepmother sighed, rolling her eyes and pping her forehead.


    "Why don¡¯t you all find something else to do? Doesn¡¯t it get exhausting hating on me?" I snapped at them, raising my voice and letting the harshness cut through the room.


    The three of them exchanged nces before my father stepped forward.


    "What happened to being obedient and well-mannered?"


    He had the nerve to me my misery on my "good manners."


    "And yet, I never made you proud. The only time I saw you proud of me was when Altan proposed today. You know what? Now that I think about it ¡ª the three of you have always acted like the things I¡¯m being used of. You wanted me to marry an alpha. And you¡ª" I pointed directly at my father. His eyes widened like he sensed the threat in my voice ¡ª a warning to think twice before ever speaking over me again.


    "You were so happy when you heard I¡¯d gone to meet Alpha Altan that night. You didn¡¯t even ask if I needed to go to the hospital. Your greed knows no limits. Now I know why my mother left you. She¡¯s living her best life without you."


    I let it out ¡ª all the anger, all the pain I¡¯d been carrying in my chest for years.


    There was more, but this much was enough.


    I needed him to feel it first.

 Chapter 493-Welcome To My Home Stepbrothers

    <h4>Chapter 493: 493-Wee To My Home Stepbrothers</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Huh? You think it was my fault?" he screamed, raising his hand, trying to scare me. But he knew better than to touch my cheek again.


    "Why? Weren¡¯t you the one who brought in this trash and ruined your own marriage? Besides, let¡¯s not even talk about it now. My mother now lives a life of luxury, fully supported by her fianc¨¦. He loves her the way she deserves to be loved." Oh, the look on their faces when I talked about my mother living a better life than them was priceless.


    Larissa instantly teared up as the idea of my mother doing well, after she ruined her marriage, seemed too unrealistic to her. She wanted to win, no matter what the prize was.


    I returned to my room, tired of hearingints and taunts all day long. The only difference was that not many dared to say those things to my face, and if they did, I would give them back so well that their jaws would drop.


    I could hear them argue outside, probably upset that I ruined their chance to be part of the royal family. I had always had a bad feeling about my father. But I used to force myself to forgive him, even when he never apologized or did anything to show me he cared.


    But for the sake of the memories from before my parents got divorced, I loved my father. Until now.


    Now that I have grown up, I am starting to realize I don¡¯t have to love someone just because they¡¯re family or just because we shared amazing memories together. The minute they start hurting you is the exact moment you can stop caring for them and loving them. It¡¯s important to remove toxic people from your life in order to move on.


    I was in the room, scoffing and grunting, while my sister offered me chocte.


    She was adorable. How the heck was she different from the rest of them? Guess it¡¯s never about blood; it¡¯s about the mind.


    "I¡¯ll go get you some juice," she snapped her fingers while watching me hyperventte and rushed out of the room.


    I don¡¯t know why I was getting so worked up, but I guess it just happens when you finally wake up from a long nightmare and realize the people around you are actually that evil.


    However, she returned breathless, a huge smile on her lips.


    "What happened?" I was confused about what might have happened.


    "They¡¯re here," she leaned to the side, smiling at me.


    "Your stepbrothers are here! They¡¯re so tall and nicely dressed!" she jumped up and down, shocking me with the news of their arrival.


    "Wait, what? They¡¯re here? You¡¯re joking with me, right?" I asked in bewilderment, thinking maybe she thought that would cheer me up.


    "No! Really! They are¡ª," she stopped when someone appeared behind her, and there went my heart. Emmet stood tall in a ck suit, his head tilted and a smile on his lips. He had his hands in his pockets and looked so gorgeous. I had not seen a handsome man like him in my pack or in my house, so I guess the house got blessed with handsomeness because of his arrival.


    "Emmet," I got up and stopped myself from rushing over andnding in his arms. That would expose us. We¡¯d have to wait just a little while.


    "Hnie," he said my name as well, much more warmly.


    "Oh, I didn¡¯t know you woulde." I was suddenly blushing so hard. But I was d it was just Vani in the room with me. She wouldn¡¯t judge me no matter what, so I was fine.


    "Why not? Although¡ª," he started walking inside, not even looking around but making sure he had taken enough of my view. "We had to wiggle in because your alpha Diaz is a sucker, isn¡¯t he, Vani?" he turned to her, who nodded happily.


    I bet she was happy to have someone she could call an older brother, and he would genuinely care for her. Unlike Sullivan.


    "And this is her room?" Before I could spend more time with Emmet alone, Maximus walked in wearing a gray suit. Oh my! He looked handsome too.


    "Oh, Hnie, how are you?" His tone changed so much when talking to me. His eyes were shining as if tears were about to appear, before he looked away and changed his mood.


    "This must be our little sister?" Maximus frowned at Vani, giving her a head nod.


    "Yes, I am," Vani nodded.


    "Vani, we have a lot of gifts for you outside," Maximus added, and she quickly rushed outside. Now it was just the three of us. I could tell Emmet wanted to hold me, but his eyes kept moving to Maximus, who was staring at us like a couple of cops.


    "We should go outside. The others are here too," Maximus announced, pointing his thumb toward the door.


    "Hello, Maximus. How are you?" Since he kept changing the topic and acting restless, I decided to take the first step.


    The anxiety in his body faded, and a soft,forting smile appeared on his lips. "I¡¯m good. How are you?"


    "I¡¯m good," I replied.


    "We¡¯re aware of that whole mess, and trust me, we¡¯ll have another round with those alphas soon. And that time, we¡¯ll get them good," Maximus added, mentioning the trial I lost.


    "I hope so, Maximus," I gave him a pout. I had my eyes on Emmet too.


    I could tell he was noticing us.


    "Okay, let¡¯s go outside," Maximus turned around and walked out of the room quickly.


    Emmet and I started to walk together when I felt Emmet lean over me from behind and nt a kiss on my shoulder, then another on my neck, and finally one on my cheek. His breath was so fresh that I wanted him to keep his face next to mine forever.


    "I haven¡¯t forgotten about you. I will never," I heard him whisper as he walked past me and exited the room but waited outside for me to step behind him.


    And when I came out, I saw Kaye in a ck long coat, ck shirt, and ck pants, and then Norman, who also wore a ck suit.


    It was the first time my family was going to meet them.

 Chapter 494-Feeling Jealous? My stepbrothers Are Amazing

    <h4>Chapter 494: 494-Feeling Jealous? My stepbrothers Are Amazing</h4> "So, this is your home?" Maximus sighed as he looked around. I could tell what he was trying to do. Larissa was staring at them with her eyes big and wide. The four of them in a small house looked really big¡ªalmost like they were taking up all the space. They were big and tall too, and their personalities were what made this home seem smaller. My stepbrother stood beside them looking like a feather. He didn¡¯t dare pass ament either.


    "This your stepbrother? The other one?" Kaye smirked, pointing at Sullivan whileparing him to himself. "What do you do, boy?" Even though there wasn¡¯t much of an age difference, Kaye said it to insult Sullivan for doing nothing and always being on the couch, or bullying me.


    "I am not doing anything currently. But I am looking for work," Sullivan lied obviously. I had never heard him talk about his interests in work at all.


    Emmet was casually walking around, acting like he was checking things out, all while gently brushing the back of his hand against mine repeatedly. I felt so shy and special when he paid attention to me like that.


    "It will be amazing if you can help him with the academy. The academy will help him with discipline," Larissa was so quick to ask for help.


    The brothers shared a nce and then chuckled.


    "What do you think the academy is for?" Norman stretched his neck, making me crack a little smile because I knew he took so much pride in his academy that he must have been offended that she even suggested the academy for her son.


    "I was just thinking, if Hnie could do that, my son can do it too," she shrugged, embarrassing herself even more. Norman looked at me when she mentioned my name, then at Sullivan.


    "There is a huge difference between Hnie and your son. Hnie is born to do greater things. She ispassionate, passionate, and also very well disciplined. She is hardworking and very brave. Your son should continue being brave in video games. I don¡¯t think our academy will take someone like him," as expected from Norman, he didn¡¯t just stop there.


    Not only was I watching him with a smirk, but his own brothers were sharing nces and eyeing each other, silently observing Norman.


    "Norman, but I guess he can try," Maximus teased him. Norman took a deep breath and red at Maximus before he added,


    "No! The academy is only for capable people, okay?" That was such a childish way for him to argue, but weughed at the expense of Sullivan.


    "I don¡¯t think I can do the academy either. It¡¯s too tough for me," Sullivan hissed at his mother for getting him rejected and walked out of the house.


    "I was just trying to help," Larissa rushed after him, and now it was just us. Not just us, though¡ªVani was checking her gifts, whereas my father was watching them from the kitchen.


    "I hope they¡¯re not bothering you. If they do, just give us a call," Kaye didn¡¯t hold back and said it right in front of my father, who steadily lowered his gaze.


    "I¡¯m a hardworking student?" I raised my brow, and Norman quickly looked away. "You¡¯re still you. So much pride," I joked, and his brothersughed at him. But I noticed Norman didn¡¯t react the way he used to.


    "Hey,e on, she was just joking," Maximus pped his back, and Norman finally looked up again.


    "I am disappointed. I don¡¯t know if I can look you in the eye after the trial. But trust me, I haven¡¯t rested since that day. I will do whatever I can¡ªwhatever! To bring you justice," the serious tone in his voice made me sigh and nod my head.


    "It wasn¡¯t your fault. The system is rigged. Of course, the council favors packs," I didn¡¯t want to stay with that guilt.


    And it was enough for me that they weren¡¯t giving up on me.


    "May I ask¡ªif what you said about my daughter is true?" Finally, my father walked out of the kitchen and asked Norman.


    "The fact that you have to ask someone else how capable your daughter is makes me pity you," Norman was harsh that way, but it was justified. "And for what I said, it was not at all exaggerated. That snowstorm that everyone was afraid of, reaching the pack, she dealt with it and those monsters."


    The look on my father¡¯s face was worth watching. He never thought I could do anything great.


    My stepmother had juste into the room when she heard about it, and her face fell. She looked so angry about it.


    "And her mother¡ªis she happy there? Is she¡ªon good terms with Hnie?" he asked, but there was hidden pain in his voice. Or maybe deceit, I couldn¡¯t tell.


    "She¡¯s happy," Kaye answered with a sour mood.


    However, I had to ask the rest of the question myself. "She is just as good to me as you are. Guess I had bad luck when it came to parents." I taunted, and my father looked down.


    "It¡¯s just that¡ªit¡¯s not easy to juggle between¡ª" my father had no excuse, and he knew that too.


    "Well, Hnie doesn¡¯t make it very easy for anyone to like her," Larissa took over, helping her husband in a way that she wanted to.


    "Well, I must say, you have a big heart," however, it was Emmet¡¯sment that made Larissa and my father happy for a brief moment before Emmet added, "Otherwise, who would marry a woman who is outright evil and good for nothing?"


    Thatment towards Larissa made her jaw drop.


    She grunted and sprinted to her bedroom, with my father rushing after her. Now we could talk. I sat down with them while Vani promised she would make them tea.


    "We¡¯ll meet again on the day of the full moon," Emmet said, his eyes sparkling at the thought of us marrying.


    Maximus looked away, while Kaye kept his eyes on the ground. Norman was watching us all.


    <i>"I will wait for your arrival,"</i> I said to Emmet, as that was the n. Just before midnight, he woulde to my rescue so that the council would have no choice but to ept him as my mate.

 Chapter 495-The Bride Without A Groom

    <h4>Chapter 495: 495-The Bride Without A Groom</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    It was odd. Wearing a white dress for my wedding. I chose a in 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 toe 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, stillining.


    "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 n.


    "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¡ª


    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 knowter 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 toe 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¡ªand 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 augh.


    "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 ring 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¡ªand my fears wereing 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 Diazmented 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¡ªbut 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¡ª" 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¡ªmarried yet? I mean¡ªhave you and Emmet¡ª"


    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 ording to n¡ªuntil 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¡¯ming over," he said, and my heart skipped a beat. I didn¡¯t know what he could do bying 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¡¯ming, Hnie," he reassured before hanging up.

 Chapter 496-The Unexpected Groom

    <h4>Chapter 496: 496-The Unexpected Groom</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Okay, listen up," Vonston arrived shortly after I ended my call with Kaye.


    "We have a groom on the way. It¡¯s an old man¡ª" he began, but I already knew who the groom was.


    "I¡¯m not marrying that old man," I hissed at him.


    "Well, you are getting married tonight."


    He shrugged and walked away, making me turn toward my family¡ªwho weren¡¯t doing anything to help me.


    "What am I going to do now?" I asked myself, rubbing my palms anxiously.


    "What are you looking at me for? I¡¯m not fighting anyone for you. The council gave us instructions¡ªyou have to get married or be exiled. And by exiled, they mean punished," my dad said, emotionless as ever.


    Of course, he¡¯d never stand up for me.


    Even after I returned and achieved so much, he still wasn¡¯t proud of me.


    Sometimes, I wondered if he had ever loved me at all.


    "But you can fight them. Why won¡¯t you?"


    My stepmother smirked, making my stepbrotherugh at her words.


    "And Hnie, what was all that academy training even for? It¡¯s not like you can fight everyone," my stepmother mocked, clicking her tongue at my misery.


    "But I can!"


    A loud, thunderous voice echoed through the hall as he walked in.


    His presence filled the air, thick with tension. His bodynguage screamed confidence.


    "Norman!" I called out, running straight toward him and into his arms.


    I¡¯d been so stressed out and anxious, I didn¡¯t even realize what I was doing. But seeing him gave me a sudden sense of calm.


    He paused for a moment before gently cing his hand on the back of my head tofort me.


    "Where have you been?" I pulled back from the hug and asked, voice shaky. But before he could answer, my attention was already shifting. I was looking behind him¡ªfor Emmet.


    "Norman, where is Emmet?" I asked again, my eyes widening by the second.


    Norman looked like he had been through something.


    "I¡ª" he cleared his throat and then looked past me, toward my family, who seemed to have been watching us closely.


    "Come here," Norman gently held my arm and led me toward the exit so we could talk without anyone overhearing.


    The clouds were quickly filling up the sky, and I knew the council would rush to get me married.


    The punishment had to happen on the exact day.


    "Why is your cellphone switched off?" I hissed at him.


    "It ran out of battery. I¡¯ve been in the woods¡ªlooking everywhere for¡ª"


    He paused, and that¡¯s when I finished the thought for him.


    "Emmet? Did Emmet go missing?"


    I watched as his face filled with sadness.


    "I don¡¯t know..."


    He was definitely hiding something from me at this point.


    "Norman, please tell me the whole truth."


    As I insisted, Norman finally opened his mouth¡ªand what he said shocked me.


    "Emmet texted me that he wanted to drink a little. After that, I tried to call him, but he kept cutting my calls. Andter, he just stopped answeringpletely. Before my phone died, I looked around for him... because I¡¯m not even sure if he¡¯s okay or¡ª"


    He paused again, one hand on his forehead and the other on his waist.


    "Or passed out somewhere," I finished for him, feeling a wave of disappointment hit me hard.


    "Don¡¯t think like that. He probably just forgot or something. I¡¯ll find him soon," he tried to reassure me, but I was already shaking my head. As if forgetting about his marriage with me was a kind excuse.


    "Kaye ising over. He said he¡¯d offer himself... until the next full moon."


    I couldn¡¯t believe Emmet had done that.


    To go drink¡ªon the one day he knew he got messy¡ªwas beyond me.


    Why was he so anxious to drink and not even trying to be there for me?


    I could feel my voice getting heavier as I held back tears in front of Norman. I feel like such a burden now.


    "Kaye? No. That is not happening,"


    And then the way Norman took a stand for his brother¡ªlike an older brother should¡ªmade me feel even guiltier.


    "Of course I¡¯m not so selfish as to ruin his life and chances with Kesha," I muttered, changing my mind.


    Before, I was so scared I thought I¡¯d marry Kaye just until the next full moon, but now¡ªafter seeing Norman¡¯s reaction, the way he shook his head so firmly¡ªI knew I wasn¡¯t going to marry Kaye.


    Or anyone.


    "That¡¯s not what I meant," Norman sighed.


    "I¡¯m calling Penn," I said, nodding my head. That was it. He was the only one who had proposed to me genuinely.


    I was just so hurt that night.


    All the people who imed to stand by me were suddenly... gone.


    "By the time he gets here, Alpha Diaz will already be here with a new groom of his own choosing," Norman announced, and I hissed.


    "Then what do you suggest we do, huh? I¡¯m doomed. I¡¯m so stupid¡ªI always trust people with my whole heart and¡ª"


    I hissed again, and out of sheer frustration and hurt, I pped myself.


    That¡¯s when I heard Norman grunt and grab my hand.


    The pressure he put on my wrist made me look him in the eye, shocked.


    "If you ever touch yourself like that again¡ª"


    There was a warning in his voice. It wasn¡¯t anger. It was desperation. Protective.


    "I¡¯m tired, Norman. I don¡¯t want to fight anymore," I whispered, barely recognizing my own voice.


    I couldn¡¯t believe I was saying this¡ªbut too much had happened.


    The injustice, the public humiliation, and now this.


    I had to admit it... I had lost.


    I should¡¯ve listened when my parents said I couldn¡¯t go against the alphas.


    "Come with me. I know what we should do," Norman said softly.


    He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before gently pulling me toward the council room¡ªthe ce where the wedding was supposed to start.


    "I don¡¯t want to go in there," I resisted, pulling back.


    He stopped walking and turned to look at me.


    Then he said something that shook the ground beneath me.


    "I¡¯ll marry you."

 Chapter 497-Married My Brother’s Mate

    <h4>Chapter 497: 497-Married My Brother¡¯s Mate</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    "I, the future rogue king Norman A. McQuoid, ept the top student of RVs and the best of the best, Hnie Niles, as my mate and my wife," I said firmly, my hands holding her fragile hands.


    It wasn¡¯t easy for me to do this. But we only had a few minutes before Alpha Diaz would barge in and bring in a groom. And they would tie her to that man¡ªor even an animal¡ªbecause the full moon was already being covered by clouds.


    "I, Hnie Niles, ept Norman as my mate and my husband," she uttered with great difficulty, very unhappy with how things were going. I could tell she wanted to break down so badly that she kept blinking over and over to stop the tears.


    I saw the looks on everyone¡¯s faces when the council brought them to the small office where Hnie and I were standing. It was just her family, but they were shocked. Of course, it seemed strange to them¡ªher mother was going to marry my father soon.


    Sadly, we were left with no choice and no way out.


    I told the council head that I had felt the mate bond with Hnie tonight when I arrived. And that Hnie¡¯s wolf had been slowly waking up. I could tell Lord Vonston wanted her gone just like the others did. But Alpha Diaz wanted her to suffer.


    So, for the sake of his alliance with the rogues, Vonston said it was okay for me to marry her, since at least that would settle her pheromones.


    It seemed believable to him and exined why her pheromones wouldn¡¯t stop. He med it on her body¡¯s desperate need for a mate.


    "Thank you for your cooperation. You may mark each other now," Vonston said, stepping back.


    My head was hurting so much. Of course she couldn¡¯t mark me, but I would. Her eptance of me was more for the court¡¯s paperwork.


    It seemed as if we hadn¡¯t fully thought through the whole wedding process. I watched her stare at my throat move as I gulped, then I turned to the small crowd of my family. I scratched my scalp and stepped closer, but she quickly stepped back, so I stopped.


    "What is going on? She can be with others¡ªwhy is she not letting you mark her?" Vonston changed his tone once my sharp gazended on him. Now that Vonston was standing right next to me, I bet he could feel what damage I could do to him if he didn¡¯t stop disrespecting her.


    "You have to understand, it¡¯s not easy for her to stand here with a man she just felt a mate bond with. The idea of marrying someone after men have hurt and betrayed her must be hard for her," I snapped, shutting down any rumors before they could start.


    "Okay, well, she must let you mark her," Council Head Vonston said with a sigh.


    I stepped toward her again, and this time, she didn¡¯t move back¡ªbecause she knew it would cause problems. We would be used of lying. And if Alpha Diaz came before I had marked her, he¡¯d start asking questions about the mate bond. So we had to get it done before he showed up.


    It wasn¡¯t easy for me either. I leaned down and swallowed hard as I waited for her to flick her hair off her neck. She did¡ªvery unwillingly.


    I was watching her eyes shoot daggers at me. I didn¡¯t marry her because I wanted to. I just wanted to save her. And I knew the consequences of my decision too. My brothers were going to be so upset with me.


    I closed my eyes and buried my face in her neck, and her scent hit me. It hit me like I had never been hit by anything before. She smelled like fresh cherries. Her skin was soft and clean.


    I opened my mouth, and just as my canines touched her skin, I felt a strange sensation in my body.


    At that moment, I realized if I didn¡¯t do it quickly and pull away, she¡¯d probably call me a pervert. And honestly, it would be normal. Any man would feel something while marking a woman¡ªright?


    I quickly pierced her skin with my canines, but didn¡¯t go all the way because I could tell she was in pain.


    And then, once she calmed down a little, I dug in just a bit deeper to leave the mark. My hands were awkwardly moving¡ªtrying to hold her but then instantly pulling back. I had never been this nervous around anyone before.


    Then I felt her handnd on my chest. For a second, I thought maybe she was letting me rest my hand on her back... until I felt a push and realized¡ªnope! She wanted me to back off.


    So I did.


    I quickly stepped away and looked away.


    "Umm, let¡¯s sign so I can take her home," I said to Vonston, who nodded and motioned for Hnie to sit down and sign the wedding papers.


    I stepped aside and saw that her family had the exact same look on all their faces¡ªwide eyes and mouths hanging open.


    I ignored them and quickly walked toward the exit, standing at the door as I called for my warriors. I needed to know how the search for Emmet was going¡ªand to have the car ready so we could get out of there as soon as possible.


    That¡¯s when my eyes moved up, and I saw Kaye rushing toward me.


    "Why are you here? Where¡¯s Maximus?" I asked him, worried about who was watching over Maximus now.


    "I left some animals for him in the cave and watched him go in. He¡¯ll stay there for a while, and once I¡¯m done here, I¡¯ll go back to check on him," Kaye said, breathing heavily, peeking into the room to catch a glimpse of Hnie.


    "She¡¯s in a bridal dress..." he uttered, fixing his hair.


    "Let¡¯s do it," he said, and as soon as he tried to step into the room, I grabbed his arm.


    I didn¡¯t expect him to be so excited about it.


    What was I supposed to say to him now?

 Chapter 498-Everyone Hates Me Now

    <h4>Chapter 498: 498-Everyone Hates Me Now</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    "Kaye, it¡¯s done already," I said, struggling to find the words to exin what I had just done.


    "What do you mean, brother?" Kaye asked, frowning. As he narrowed his eyes toward the room and saw Hnie signing the papers, he turned to look at me.


    "Don¡¯t tell me you let Alpha Diaz marry her off to someone," he said, his tone almost threatening.


    Usually, I would¡¯ve felt disrespected¡ªbut not this time. His concern was real.


    "I didn¡¯t," I said with a heavy groan.


    "Then? Did Emmete? Where is he?" Kaye nced around in panic before locking eyes with me. "I don¡¯t understand."


    Of course he didn¡¯t. It was like he was seeing right through me.


    "There¡¯s no one here. So, who did she marry?" he asked again, this time making my chest tighten.


    "Kaye¡ª" I didn¡¯t get how he could ask that when I was standing right here.


    "Mister Norman, if you may pleasee and sign the marriage papers so we can all head back home before the storms settle," Lord Vonston¡¯s voice cut through the tension, snapping Kaye out of it.


    He looked at me, pointed a finger at Vonston, then back at me.


    "What?" he mouthed. "What the fuck?" he added under his breath.


    "Did you¡ªNorman, please tell me you didn¡¯t do that. How could you step on all of your brothers?" he hissed, grabbing my shoulders and shoving me hard in the chest.


    I stood still. I didn¡¯t move. I hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. We didn¡¯t have a choice. Kaye came toote.


    "I didn¡¯t have a choice. It was either I marry her, or the man who showed up seconds after I epted her," I said, remembering the old man Alpha Diaz¡¯s warriors brought in. He probably went off toin to Diaz, but there was nothing that could be done now.


    "Did you secretly want her or what?"


    That hit me like a p. I narrowed my eyes at him in warning, silently daring him to not say anything else like that.


    He chuckled bitterly, shaking his head as he stepped back.


    "Well done. You yed us all."


    No matter what I said now, the sadness in my brother¡¯s eyes would drown it out.


    "Let¡¯s leave this behind for now and take her back home¡ª" I tried stepping toward him.


    But he turned around with a grunt.


    "I¡¯m sure you can do that yourself. You won anyway."


    His words cut deep, each step he took away from me carving them further into my chest. I couldn¡¯t call him back. I had to go inside and face Hnie¡ªwho clearly wasn¡¯t happy with me either.


    I was starting to feel like a creep who forced his way in. But I knew my heart. I did it because she needed someone at that moment.


    I walked back into the office and sat down beside Hnie, who still hadn¡¯t looked up from the floor. I could tell she was crushed¡ªand it hurt me.


    I didn¡¯t mean to bring pain to any of them. I really didn¡¯t have another way.


    I signed the papers and turned to Hnie.


    "We should head back home."


    It was definitely strange for me too. There had been moments when I told myself I¡¯d be fine marrying Jessica¡ªshe understood me. But then, I¡¯d slip right back into that mindset where I couldn¡¯t see myself loving anyone or caring for any woman except my brothers.


    And now, I am married.


    Also, I had a fianc¨¦e... who I was going to have to face eventually.


    "Hmm," Hnie nodded and got up from her seat. Her family started swarming her like ants.


    "I¡¯m so d you got married to someone outside the pack," her father said, while I was busy wrapping things up with Vonston. Still, I kept one ear on them.


    "Does that mean her mother can¡¯t marry that man anymore?" her stepmotherughed, making me feel sorry for people who sit around rooting for someone else¡¯s misery.


    "Stay close," I whispered to Hnie, keeping one eye on her.


    "Hnie, you proved what kind of daughter you are¡ªstealing your mother¡¯s happiness," the woman added with a cruel smile.


    That was enough. I didn¡¯t even know why Hnie was still standing there listening to this woman.


    "Excuse me," I said to Vonston, turning toward Hnie.


    "At least she didn¡¯t steal someone else¡¯s entire marriage," I added sharply.


    My words shut them up instantly.


    Larissa groaned and nced at her husband¡ªa useless excuse for a man¡ªprobably expecting him to defend her.


    "Say one more word, and I¡¯ll make sure you regret it. Stay away from my wife," I hissed, leaning toward Larissa and pointing a finger at my own chest.


    She swallowed hard, and only then did I straighten my back and turn to Vonston, grabbing the final documents from him.


    "And for everyone who¡¯s ever talked about Hnie¡ªstay out of her business," I said loud enough for the whole room to hear.


    That¡¯s when Alpha Diaz walked in, fury written all over his face.


    "Toote," I muttered under my breath as I held Hnie¡¯s hand.


    "She survived your trap."


    As we walked past him, I didn¡¯t even care to hide the disgust in my voice.


    We left the office, and as we neared my car, Hnie pulled her hand away and stormed into the backseat. I didn¡¯t mind her attitude¡ªshe had every right to be upset.


    A girl whose body had already been vited... now married off without her will.


    She must¡¯ve had so many dreams, and they were all crushed.


    The silence in the car was so thick that when I cleared my throat, she actually jumped.


    "You haven¡¯t eaten anything. We should stop and¡ª"


    I shut up when I heard her sigh and saw her clutch her hands together tightly.


    I knew why she wasn¡¯t talking.


    The second she opened her mouth, all those tears she was fighting to hold back would pour out.


    This was just another loss for her.


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder where Emmet was.


    Then I got a message from one of my warriors, and what they told me was shocking:


    Warrior: We found Emmet in a bar, drinking himself to the point where we had to carry him back to the

 Chapter 499-The Angry Bride

    <h4>Chapter 499: 499-The Angry Bride</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I was in a different kind of zone all this time. I just wanted to blink and have time pass.


    The next thing I knew, I was sitting in his car, looking out the window. I had been let down again. And this time, by the man who was my mate, the love I thought was all I needed to forget about my challenge to the Moon Goddess.


    "Hnie, let¡¯s eat something," I heard his voice again, and I clenched my jaw. My anger wasn¡¯t directed at him, but the person I was really mad at wasn¡¯t around at the moment.


    So, I was kind of annoyed with all the brothers.


    And then there was Norman¡¯s fianc¨¦e, Jessica.


    How would she feel about all this? I can¡¯t be the kind of woman who takes someone else¡¯s man.


    "Tell me something," I turned to him and saw him sit up straighter.


    "Sure," he replied, half-distracted, like he was worried about what I might ask.


    "Did you hear from him?" I asked, my eyes silently warning him about what would happen if he didn¡¯t answer honestly.


    "I haven¡¯t. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a good reason he couldn¡¯te," Norman said, his tone t. I hated how he could hide everything without giving anything away.


    "You¡¯re such a liar," I hissed and turned my back to him again.


    "Okay, listen, I don¡¯t want to do this right now, but don¡¯t tell anyone that we lied about the mate bond¡ª" he started, but I turned to him and groaned. His eyebrows drew together, and then his eyes narrowed at me.


    "What are you mad at me for?" he mumbled. "I¡¯m just saying, if anyone finds out and theyin¡ª"


    As he kept talking, I looked him up and down, then scoffed.


    He followed my gaze and then shook his head at my reaction.


    "I¡¯m surprised your throat still works after all that scoffing," he groaned.


    "Just make sure¡ª" he continued with the same lecture, and I rolled my eyes, throwing myself back in the seat, arms crossed.


    "I heard you for the first time. You know what? If you were this annoying to your brothers¡ªalways reminding them what to do and what not to do¡ªmaybe this wouldn¡¯t have happened," I said, gesturing between us, meaning the whole wedding mess.


    He sighed and looked out the window.


    "Emmet is not irresponsible," he said.


    "Yeah, sure. Emmet, say thanks to your brother for backing you up¡ªoh wait, Emmet¡¯s not here," I snapped, throwing a small fit in the car and kicking the driver¡¯s seat.


    "Sorry," I quickly realized I was making things harder for the poor driver and sat up straight to avoid doing it again.


    "You¡¯ll get to reject me at the next full moon. Just calm down now. That part was important," Norman said in a calm and respectful tone.


    "And by then, Jessica will have cursed me with maggots on my grave," I sighed.


    "Is that what this is about?" I heard his tone shift, and I turned to him again.


    "Norman, there are certain things I really hate people for. One of them is stealing someone else¡¯s mate or fianc¨¦," I groaned.


    "That¡¯s a good quality, but weren¡¯t you going to marry Kaye if I hadn¡¯t stepped in?"


    I don¡¯t know why he thought that was the right time to point out my hypocrisy, but sure enough, it made me even more mad.


    You see, Emmet would never do that. He knew when I was too annoyed and just saying dumb things. He¡¯d let me vent without interrupting.


    But this big oaf in front of me¡ªjust looking at his face was making my anxiety worse.


    "And now I¡¯m his wife," I said my thoughts out loud, and Norman groaned loudly.


    "I wouldn¡¯t have been stealing Kesha¡¯s mate because he was my mate in the first ce," I hissed at Norman, now sitting on the seat with my legs folded under me, towering over him.


    "And that makes it okay to break the promise you made to the Moon Goddess¡ª"


    He stopped when I gasped, and that finally shut him up.


    "Oh Norman, if you don¡¯t shut up¡ªI will literally murder you," I screamed, waving my hands at his neck like I was about to strangle him. He didn¡¯t move but just looked at my hands with raised eyebrows.


    After he didn¡¯t say a word, I calmed down and sank back into my seat.


    "I was just pointing out that you broke the promise because it was Emmet, who you loved. So marrying that mate would¡¯ve been justified¡ª"


    As he went on, I turned and gave him a tired look, and he finally stopped talking.


    Does he not know when to quit? Does he always have to be right?


    After a while, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I buried my face in my hands and started crying. Even if this was meant to be a punishment, Emmet had made me believe this day would be a blessing for our love. All the days I had waited for this night, I¡¯d prepared so much in my head to say to Emmet.


    I was so happy. Even when everyone else thought I had lost, I believed I¡¯d actually win¡ªI¡¯d gain my love, and together we¡¯d fight for justice for me.


    I felt a small nudge on my arm and looked up to see Norman holding out a handkerchief, nudging me gently with the back of his hand to get my attention. He was looking the other way. I quickly grabbed the handkerchief and started wiping my cheeks.


    Thankfully, he didn¡¯t say another word for the rest of the car ride.


    After hours and hours, we finally arrived¡ªjust as the sun was starting to rise.


    I didn¡¯t want to face anyone, but what else could I do?


    I got out and stared at the mansion. Tears welled up in my eyes again.


    I was suddenly so emotional that day.


    The mark hurt so much, too.


    "Let¡¯s go," Norman said, walking me quietly toward his bedroom.


    His bedroom!


    Crap, all this chaos made me forget...


    Now we¡¯d be sharing a bedroom?

 Chapter 500-He Chose Her Memories Over Me

    <h4>Chapter 500: 500-He Chose Her Memories Over Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Since no one was awake, it was easy for us to sneak into his bedroom. He turned on the lights, and I took a deep breath.


    His room was squeaky clean and smelled like fresh roses. It was a spacious room, and he had clearly changed the furniture and everything for his wife¡¯s arrival.


    I could tell most of it was designed for Jessica¡¯sfort. Even that soft cloud-like sofa by the window screamed Jessica¡¯s style.


    I felt disgusted with myself. I had ruined someone else¡¯s happiness.


    But then, a part of me reminded me who her brother was, and I tried tofort myself with the idea that maybe I was hurting him back¡ªby taking his sister¡¯s mate.


    me is a powerful thing. If we try hard enough, we can ease our guilt by convincing ourselves we did nothing wrong.


    But for me, the guilt always came back.


    "You should get some rest," he muttered and started fixing the soft mattress.


    I was tired, but not in a rush to sleep. We needed to set some boundaries.


    "There¡¯s a perfectly good couch over there," I pointed at the other couch facing the TV on the wall.


    "No, I don¡¯t think you should be sleeping on the couch," he said quickly, then stared at me like he was waiting for praise.


    "I meant you sleep on the couch," I snapped, and he frowned.


    "I won¡¯t fit," he muttered. "You know what, you sleep on the¡ª"


    Before he could finish, I grabbed a pillow and started walking toward the couch.


    "No, don¡¯t. It¡¯ll be ufortable for you. Why can¡¯t we¡ª"


    He trailed off when I turned around and narrowed my eyes at him.


    "It¡¯s a big bed. We could make a wall in between."


    He looked away the second I gave him that look.


    "Don¡¯t tell me you want to share a bed with me," I said, just to get under his skin.


    Sure enough, he turned bright red.


    "No! Why would you say that? Sleep wherever you want. I¡¯ll¡ªsleep on the ground," he grumbled, grabbing a nket from his closet. He rolled it out on the floor, then grabbed his pillow and settled in.


    "You can use the restroom first," he added quietly.


    The moment he mentioned the restroom, tears started to fill my eyes again.


    How was I supposed to live like this?


    Using his bathroom... having him around all the time...


    Why the hell did Emmet do this to me?


    I watched Norman take off his coat, and somehow, even that felt inappropriate now. I rushed into the bathroom to avoid any more awkward moments.


    His bathroom was all white, with a small jacuzzi. I sighed and looked around some more. The girly skincare stuff must have already arrived from Jessica¡¯s ce.


    Wait¡ªwhen was their wedding?


    The thought hit me hard.


    Was it supposed to be this full moon, and they dyed it because I was being punished?


    It had to be this full moon¡ªwhy else would they send her stuff here so early?


    She was practically everywhere in his room.


    After washing my face, I came out of the bathroom still wearing the same dress. All my stuff was back at the academy, and Emmet had probably forgotten¡ªjust like he forgot about me¡ªto bring my bags like he said he would.


    "Ugh," I groaned, kicking the ground in frustration. I looked around and sighed when I realized the room was empty.


    Norman wasn¡¯t in the room. Where did he go?


    That made my heart pound. Maybe he had found out something about Emmet.


    I left the room and started walking toward Emmet¡¯s forbidden passage¡ªhis haven.


    My heart was racing in my chest. What if someone saw me?


    I was wearing a white knee-length dress, my hair still curled, looking like I was eithering back from a prom date or still ready for one.


    And since everyone knew today was my wedding, seeing me here would definitely raise questions.


    But at that moment, only one thing mattered¡ªI had to find out what was going on. Where was Emmet?


    Crossing the passage made me feel like I was headed the right way. I spotted a few warriors entering his room. I sped up, needing to know if Emmet was okay.


    He had to be, or else Norman would¡¯ve freaked out in the car.


    The fact that he stayed calm and didn¡¯t even leave the driver¡¯s seat made me believe he already knew Emmet was safe.


    Once I reached the room, I stopped. I could hear Norman talking to the warriors inside.


    "He¡¯s fine. Just drunk and passed out," one of the warriors said to Norman. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths.


    "I don¡¯t understand. Why would he leave and get drunk at a bar?" I heard Norman say¡ªit sounded more like he was talking to himself.


    "Sir, we also found a bunch of pictures in his pockets. And a bracelet too. He had this photo on the counter, and his face was resting on it," the warrior added.


    My heart skipped a beat.


    A bracelet.


    "What is this bracelet?" Norman asked.


    "Listen... you will not tell anyone about this. We¡¯ll talk to Emmet first and thene up with an excuse for him."


    Typical Norman¡ªalways trying to save his brother from looking bad.


    "Show me the pictures," he added, and the warrior handed them over.


    As Norman held the pictures and the bracelet in his hands, I stepped into the room.


    The warriors exchanged a quick nce and then stepped back, making Norman look up from what he was holding.


    His back had been facing me.


    "This bracelet belongs to Azura," I said calmly, "and I¡¯m guessing these pictures are hers too."


    Norman turned around quickly, eyes wide,pletely caught off guard.


    "So it¡¯s true, then. He got cold feet because he remembered his ex," Iughed bitterly, my gaze drifting past Norman¡ª


    ¡ªto the bed where Emmety sleeping like he didn¡¯t have a single care in the world.

 Chapter 501-Shame Is A Huge Word

    <h4>Chapter 501: 501-Shame Is A Huge Word</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Hnie, what are you doing here?" Norman asked, slowly pulling his hands behind his back.


    "He forgot about me because he decided missing Azura was more important than being there for me," I stated, my voice breaking. Why would he do that to me?


    "He must have forgotten, you know what he¡¯s going through," Norman tried to exin, but I shook my head¡ªI wasn¡¯t going to be fooled by that reason.


    "And he only remembered Azura? He told me he forgets about people when they¡¯re not around him. Azura hadn¡¯t been around for years, yet he remembered her?" I was feeling so drained and useless.


    "Hnie, we should wait for him to wake up and then let him tell us what happened. Don¡¯t assume the worst," Norman was, of course, taking his brother¡¯s side.


    "Let me see," I held my hand up for him to give me the pictures, and he shook his head.


    "You¡¯re not doing that to yourself," he mumbled, not handing over the pictures.


    "Norman, give me the pictures," I said, using a firmer tone, and he stood tall, like a statue.


    "I¡¯m ordering you to give me the pictures," I screamed, stomping my feet like a child¡ªso worked up that I didn¡¯t care if I¡¯d be punished for my behavior.


    "Norman¡ª" I warned him, but he didn¡¯t listen.


    "I should¡¯ve known you¡¯d always take their side," I hissed and turned around, crying hysterically and loudly as I ran out of Emmet¡¯s room. I hated Emmet, I hated Norman, and everyone else.


    While crying, I kept running toward the exit¡ªbecause screw them, now I was free. Once I got to the gate, I saw the warriors closing it.


    "Open the fucking gate," I hissed, realizing Norman had already called them to stop me from leaving.


    "We¡¯re sorry, but the young rogue king told us not to let you go. He said you¡¯re too angry and the outside isn¡¯t safe for someone who¡¯s upset," the warrior said, stealing nces as he noticed how furious I¡¯d be.


    "Ugh," I screamed under my breath.


    That¡¯s when I saw one of the warriors whisper into the other¡¯s ear, and they opened the door just a little¡ªfor someone¡¯s arrival. It was Kaye, holding Maximus.


    Maximus had his arm resting over Kaye¡¯s shoulders as he carried him. The two stopped, and their eyes met mine.


    Maximus lifted his head from where it had been hanging and slowly removed his arm from his brother¡¯s shoulders to straighten his back. His eyes briefly scanned me, noticing my dress, and then¡ªit was like the realization hit him.


    He suddenly looked so down.


    But Kaye, on the other hand¡ªI noticed something cold in his eyes.


    "Is there a problem?" Kaye asked his warriors.


    "Why is she crying?" Maximus managed to say quietly. It seemed like Emmet hadn¡¯t just let me downst night¡ªhe even forgot that if he didn¡¯t want to marry me, he should¡¯ve been with Maximus, giving him blood.


    So Maximus seemed weak. I could see a mark on Kaye¡¯s neck and could tell he had given his brother blood. But Emmet? He¡¯d probably give so much that he¡¯d pass out. Even thinking about his name made me angry.


    "She wants to leave," the warrior told Kaye, who stared at my face, frowning.


    I had a feeling Maximus didn¡¯t know the whole truth. Or maybe he did, but right now, he was just focused on why I was crying.


    "Let her go," Kaye ordered, signaling the warriors to open the gate for me.


    "Sir, she¡¯s not ready to leave," the warrior tried to stop him. "Norman, sir, said¡ª"


    That was all he got out before Kaye hissed at him to be quiet.


    "I¡¯ll go with her. But don¡¯t stop her," Kaye added.


    "I¡¯ll join you two," Maximus said, even though he could barely stand.


    "You need to rest," Kaye turned to his brother. And even though I knew they were trying to help me, I had to interrupt.


    "Can I please leave?" I stomped my foot, and they both looked at me.


    "Okay. Let¡¯s go," Kaye gave in and grabbed Maximus¡¯s arm, patting his back for support.


    The minute the gate opened, I ran out like crazy. I was crying, speeding up while they followed behind me.


    I was sniffling so loudly, I bet they could hear me. After a few minutes, they were walking beside me, with Maximus grunting in pain.


    I slowed down when I realized he was trying to keep up and putting too much pressure on his body.


    I eventually came to a stop, sitting on the side of the trail, out of breath. Kaye and Maximus sat down on either side of me.


    "Did you not want to marry Emmet?" Maximus asked softly.


    "She didn¡¯t marry Emmet," Kaye said before I could respond.


    I turned to him sharply. "Norman must¡¯ve told you, didn¡¯t he?" I raised an eyebrow at Kaye.


    "No, I arrived," he finished¡ªand my jaw dropped.


    "I came, but Norman¡ªhe had already married you. I don¡¯t understand why he was in such a rush to do it, like he was scared someone would show up and ruin his n," Kaye started talking, and I watched Maximus get up and face us.


    "What do you mean by ¡¯Norman married her¡¯?" he yelled¡ªwell, almost yelled. He tried to raise his voice, but the exhaustion in his body probably held him back. He sounded grumpy.


    "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Our dear older brother, who knew we were both mated to her, went ahead and married her. It¡¯s like he¡¯d been waiting for that day. A perfect betrayal. He knew all our secrets, our curse, and still attacked us the moment he got the chance," Kaye punched the air while Maximus started pacing around anxiously.


    "He didn¡¯t betray anyone. He only helped me," my voice cut through their scoffs and grunts, and they both looked at me.


    "He had his eyes on his brother¡¯s mate. Shame on him," Maximus hissed, not even bothering to hear me out.

 Chapter 502-Big Hero

    <h4>Chapter 502: 502-Big Hero</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You two are ming the wrong person," I sighed, after hours of crying in front of them, wailing like an idiot.


    "Why! Why is my life like this? I want to skin those Alphas alive. Why did Emmet decide to drink and abandon me... Why¡ª" I had said all that for hours.


    I was finally back to my senses. The fact that the two gave background noise¡ªKaye grunting and Maximus scoffing¡ªmade me feel like I wasn¡¯t alone after all.


    "Norman was getting married yesterday, but he dyed it. He knew what he was going to do. Or else, he could¡¯ve just said¡ªoh, I¡¯ll get married, and so will Hnie and Emmet," Kaye rambled, shaking his head in disbelief.


    "And how are we all so sure that Norman didn¡¯t encourage Emmet to drink¡ª" Kaye finally went quiet, probably realizing he was being too harsh on Norman. He was taking it too far.


    "Do you all ever realize you put way too much pressure on Norman? And because everyone relies on him, he ends up upsetting a few," my words made them fall silent.


    "You just got married to him and you¡¯re already taking his side?" That littleint came from Maximus.


    "I¡¯m just saying. I was really harsh to him at the council¡¯s office¡ªeven when it wasn¡¯t his fault. If anything, he was my saviorst night. He knew how much everyone would hate him, yet he epted me. Do you think he wanted this? Kaye, Maximus, go to his room and see for yourselves how he had been preparing for his wedding. I freaking stole his chance at happiness. I became his burden, so I¡¯m asking you two not to do or say anything that would hurt him more," I said it all in a very calm and steady voice. I had cried my heart out, but now I had to get back on my feet.


    "What about that picture? You said he didn¡¯t even let you hold those photos," Kaye hissed, reminding me of the moment when my mate was drunk with his ex¡¯s pictures.


    "I shouldn¡¯t have put Norman in that position. I can¡¯t ask him to betray his brother and invade his privacy." I want to grow up now. using and ming the wrong people wasn¡¯t something an adult should do.


    The two were staring at me with teary eyes before Maximus tapped the back of his hand against his brother¡¯s to get his attention.


    "You¡¯re also with Kesha¡ªwhy were you standing up to marry Hnie?"


    Now that the target had changed, Kaye scoffed and shrugged.


    "I¡¯m not going to answer you," he hissed, while I shook my head and smiled at the two bickering. A lonely tear slipped down the corner of my eye, and I sighed at the thought of going back to the mansion and facing Emmet again.


    "I¡¯ll head back now. My head is spinning, and I think I really need sleep. You two should rest too," I said while getting up, identally losing my bnce. That¡¯s when I felt two arms steady me.


    I looked up and met the beautiful eyes of Kaye. His fingers moved gently against my skin, almost twitching while he held me still, mid-air.


    "Kaye!" Maximus groaned, smacking him on the back to break our eye contact. "Let¡¯s go home."


    Kaye let go once he was sure I had my bnce again.


    I walked ahead of them while the two followed me like I wasn¡¯t their student anymore¡ªthey were mine.


    Once we were back home, I saw Norman at the gate, hands on his hips and eyes narrowed¡ªnot at me, but at his brothers behind me.


    "Go to your room, Hnie," Norman said as he walked past me.


    "What the heck were you two thinking? Not only are you low on energy, but having her out right after what happenedst night¡ªshe would became a target. I have to be there for her first public appearance¡ª" I heard Norman yelling at his brothers. The way the two started to shrink under his tone reminded me of how they used to treat Emmet before.


    "And you think we wouldn¡¯t be able to handle anythinging at her?" It was Kaye now, standing face to face with his brother.


    "I don¡¯t need anybody standing up for me," I said, and Norman turned, his eyes locked on me.


    "I said go to your room. I¡¯m talking to my brothers. Don¡¯t worry¡ªyou¡¯ll have your moment to exin yourself too," he said in that cold, professor-like voice that really got on my nerves.


    "Oh really? What about you? You couldn¡¯t even show me those pictures. You¡¯re a hypocrite. You even hid the truth from me and told the warriors to do the same¡ªabout Emmet being drunk and passed out in a bar!" I yelled, avoiding Kaye¡¯s eyes because I had told him it was okay of him to not show me the pictures.


    Honestly, I was just mad and looking for something to scold Norman for.


    And it was crazy how the man I used to have so many reasons to argue with... now I couldn¡¯t evene up with a real one.


    "Okay, I hear you. Now go back to your room. Everyone else is waking up," he said, pointing his whole arm toward the main gate. I stomped my foot in frustration.


    "Don¡¯t control her," Kaye groaned.


    "Yeah, don¡¯t act like you own her now," Maximus added with a grunt. That¡¯s when I realized I was just being stubborn. Norman hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, and he was getting all the heat.


    "I¡¯m going inside," I cut in quickly, and they all went quiet.


    But just as I was walking away, Norman¡ªwho couldn¡¯t whisper to save his life¡ªsaid something that made me stop in my tracks.


    "We have to make sure she¡¯s safe when she sees the news."


    "What news now? Didn¡¯t you save her, big hero?" Kaye hissed.


    I turned at that point, but Norman had his back to me.


    "A video of Zellu has gone viral. He¡¯s admitting to his part in the crime."


    Norman had no idea what he¡¯d just told me.


    I rushed toward him, catching him off guard as I shoved my hand into his pants pocket to pull out his phone. He practically jumped like I¡¯d dropped a bomb in his pants. But I had to see that video with my own eyes.

 Chapter 503-My Dear Husband.

    <h4>Chapter 503: 503-My Dear Husband.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I promise to show you the video, but you need to go back inside first," Norman kept repeating while not unlocking his phone screen for me. At the same time, I saw a lot of notifications from Jessica on his number. That¡¯s when I started to realize he was in a tough spot because of me too. He had to run around and make sure everything and everyone was okay. And in return, no one even cared to listen to him.


    "Okay," I obeyed once again, just because he had saved me from a huge messst night.


    We walked together, with me a little ahead of them, toward Norman¡¯s bedroom. My heart was pounding and my mind was racing with different scenarios ying in it.


    But Norman saying Zellu confessed to the crime was kind of a spoiler¡ªbut it was still news I wanted to hear.


    Once in his bedroom, I held out my hand and asked him to show me the video he was talking about.


    My phone had no charge, and I was pretty sure Maximus had left his phone at home after leaving for his transitionst night.


    As for Kaye, I watched him quickly scroll through his phone. Not everything had to be apetition, but it seemed like it was for him.


    With a sigh, before Kaye could find the video, Norman unlocked his phone for me and then yed the video, handing it to me.


    Everyone went quiet and their attention shifted to the phone in my hand.


    It was Zellu in the frame, tied to a chair and all bloodied.


    However, the way his skin was turning blue made me wonder if he had been poisoned or something.


    "Ahh, it was me that night. I had cornered that girl, Hnie. She was begging and crying for me to stop. A demon had taken over my mind and I didn¡¯t want to stop... I didn¡¯t stop. I remember nibbling on her skin and biting it. Her flesh tasted so good that I wanted to consume her like a cannibal." I quickly looked away and paused the video.


    The graphic details had been blocked from my mind, but every once in a while, I still had nightmares¡ªsharp pain in the same areas that were hurt that night.


    I took a deep breath and yed the video again.


    "I did it. She had her pendant on, but I didn¡¯t care. I wasn¡¯t there by ident¡ª"


    As he let out a chuckle, my frown deepened.


    What did he mean by that?


    "I was told I would find the most perfect, gorgeous woman there that night. So I made my way to the ce where that girl was. I was offered a lot for it¡ªto ruin her and kill her¡ª"


    I gasped, even shoving the phone into Norman¡¯s hand, but the video kept ying even after I sat down on the couch with my head in my hands.


    "The mission was to get rid of her, and I¡¯d be freed from the recent mess-ups in my academy. Fellmoon was about to expel me, but this night¡ªthis one mission¡ªundid all the damage for me. I was back with zero bad records. And yes, I did kill my little sister. I didn¡¯t like women thinking they could be something."


    He talked about his sister for the rest of the video, and after it ended, silence filled the room¡ªuntil Maximus finally spoke.


    "Saw that dagger in his arm? It has many names, and one of them is the Venom¡¯s Kiss¡ªthe one that makes the victim hallucinate or remember things like they¡¯re living through them again," Maximus exined, making me lift my head from my hands.


    "Somebody stabbed him with a weapon that Alphas aren¡¯t supposed to be stabbed with?" Norman asked.


    "And the blue on his skin exins the poison used in the dagger," Kaye added.


    "But who would have nned this? Someone went out of their way to hire those Alphas to do that to Hnie?" Maximus said, bringing up the one thing none of us could ignore.


    Their eyes turned to me, and I looked away. Great. So it was a nned attack.


    "The only person I know who knew I¡¯d be there is Altan. He was the one who begged me to meet him there that night," I added, clenching my fists tightly.


    "Then we better get our hands on him," Norman hissed.


    "Wait, but who could¡¯ve stabbed Zellu?" I asked, watching them all lookpletely lost. I was too.


    That¡¯s when the knocking on the door reminded us that the others had probably seen the video by now.


    Norman opened the door to a maid, who peeked in secretly, and her eyes widened when she saw me.


    "Lord McQuoid wants to see you and the others¡ªand maybe her too," she pointed at me awkwardly, clearly confused about what I was doing there.


    "Tell him we¡¯ll be there in a second," Norman sighed, waving his hand for her to leave so he could talk to us first.


    Once she left, he shut the door again and sighed, "Okay, listen everyone¡ªlet¡¯s just keep our hatred aside for now and please cooperate?"


    The fact that he wasn¡¯t just talking to his brothers, but looked at me too, honestly broke my heart.


    He thought I hated him for marrying me?


    I guess he had no reason to think otherwise, since that¡¯s basically how I treated him.


    The two brothers nodded and walked out, while I stayed behind with Norman. As they were leaving the room, I whispered,


    "I don¡¯t hate you."


    I noticed his body shudder. He could be so weirdly obvious sometimes.


    We began walking toward the staircase when Norman cleared his throat¡ªand his brothers stopped too. The look on Norman¡¯s face told me he was annoyed that his brothers didn¡¯t realize he only wanted to get my attention.


    "We can take the elevator," he muttered, avoiding my eyes.


    "Why? Because you think she¡¯s too weak¡ª" Kaye started questioning him, but Maximus gave him a nod.


    "Not now," Maximus told him, and Kaye went silent.


    "I¡¯m just saying, we¡¯re all tired," Norman added.


    I remembered how he used to shame me for taking the elevator.


    But I was tired¡ªso I went and took the elevator with my dear husband.

 Chapter 504-My Mystery Mate And His Shocked Mother

    <h4>Chapter 504: 504-My Mystery Mate And His Shocked Mother</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I don¡¯t understand anything. Why is she here?" Emma was the first to let out a scoff and question my presence. Everyone was gathered in the living room, but Norman had made me sit on a chair alone, his body blocking me as he stood in front of me with his giant self.


    "You do realize we won¡¯t eat her alive, right?" That was Lord McQuoid, pointing out how Norman wouldn¡¯t let anyone even see me.


    Norman stepped away slowly but stood tall, arms folded over his chest like he was ready to fight.


    "May I speak with her?" Lord McQuoid asked his son, clearly taunting him for being so overprotective.


    "Ask her. She¡¯s her own person," Norman told him, making Lord McQuoid grunt in annoyance.


    My mother was standing behind Lord McQuoid¡¯s couch, eyes down, nervously rubbing her palms.


    She had been sniffling a lot.


    Emma and Charlotte stood together, both with the biggest frowns on their faces.


    "I¡¯m here. What the hell is going on? Who stabbed Alpha Zellu?" Darcy had just arrived¡ªperfect timing.


    Great. I¡¯d get a weird wee after marrying their dearest and most capable son.


    But the living room felt empty.


    I knew why.


    Emmet was probably sleeping.


    Every time I thought of him, my heart cried tears of blood.


    "What is she doing here? Why isn¡¯t she with Kaidon?" she grimaced, and I watched my mother lift her head and re at Darcy. That was the first time I ever saw my mother react to someone speaking to me¡ªor about me. Mostly because Norman would handle others so I didn¡¯t have to stay on alert anymore.


    It¡¯s not that Emmet and the others didn¡¯t do the same.


    With Emmet, I knew I was safe.


    I used to love being defended by him. But now his heroics were soaked in betrayal and abandonment.


    Because in the end, he didn¡¯te to rescue me.


    He didn¡¯te to make me his.


    "That¡¯s because her husband is here," Norman said loudly.


    Everyone gasped¡ªexcept for Lord McQuoid and my mother.


    I had a feeling they already knew something.


    But how much? I couldn¡¯t tell.


    "What are you saying? Kaidon is here?" Darcy lookedpletely clueless, not even entertaining the idea that someone else might be my husband.


    "No," Norman sighed.


    "Then¡ª" As she looked around and her eyesnded on Maximus, she gasped and covered her mouth. Charlotte noticed too, and her eyes widened. She quickly turned to look at her mother and grabbed her hands to calm her down.


    "Maximus, what have you done?" Darcy asked.


    My mother gulped, her eyes locked on the unfolding scene.


    "Maximus, did you really marry her?" Charlotte didn¡¯t let Darcy have a word with her son alone. She ran to stand between them. "Is it because I couldn¡¯t dress nicely, like you wanted?" sheined, already crying.


    "Step away, you fool. That¡¯s not the only reason a man would never love you," Darcy, distraught, couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. She pushed Charlotte out of the way, causing Emma to run and hold her daughter while ring Darcy down, before Darcy turned back to face her son.


    "Why? Was she the only one left? Did she manipte you, gaslight you¡ª" she started screaming and crying, hitting her son¡¯s chest. Kaye and Norman exchanged a nce, and Kaye mouthed to his brother, "That should be you."


    My mother had grabbed a ss of wine and kept taking sips from it.


    Norman rolled his eyes and then shook his head a little. I didn¡¯t think Norman was scared of his mother being upset with him.


    "It isn¡¯t Maximus." As soon as Norman said that, Darcy let out a big sigh, while Charlotte smiled, hugging her mother.


    "Although I wish it was me," Maximus¡¯s boldment hit the room like a shockwave.


    "What?" Lord McQuoid seemedpletely clueless. But Charlotte¡¯s jaw clenched. The main question still hung in the air:


    Who was my husband?


    "Kaye," Darcy then turned to focus on Kaye. "I gave you Kesha. Oh no! Why would you throw it all away? You were so desperate to do the right thing and be the best. That¡¯s why I gave you Kesha, my prized possession, the best of the best, and this is how you cherished her? You reced her with this skunk?"


    As Darcy yelled, Norman groaned and stepped forward, but it was the ss in my mother¡¯s hand shattering that turned everyone¡¯s attention to her.


    "Kaye," Darcy looked back at her son after silently staring at my mother.


    "Please tell me you didn¡¯t do that. Kesha is perfect for you¡ªwhat am I going to do now?" Somehow, she looked more scared than Kaye would have been if he¡¯d left Kesha.


    "You¡¯re lucky it¡¯s not me either. But I¡¯m unlucky because I couldn¡¯t be there in time," Kaye didn¡¯t hold back either, making Charlotte look at her mother, then at me. The way they stared at me told me they were already calling me names in their heads.


    "Oh, I¡¯m so d it¡¯s not you," Darcy sighed, a hand to her chest. She started breathing heavily, then sighed and pped her forehead.


    "Is it Emmet? Did he do this to mess with me?" she asked Norman, who steadily shook his head.


    "It¡¯s not Emmet either, Mother," now all eyes were on Norman as he squared up, almost like he was ready to fight if anyone said anything wrong. "I felt a mate bond with Hniest night, so I married her."


    I watched everyone¡¯s faces show mixed emotions. Lord McQuoid pped his forehead and looked down. Charlotte looked angry because the big brother who had everything under control married me, giving me some kind of authority, maybe. Emma looked disgusted, while my mother dropped to her knees and started crying. I should¡¯ve known she¡¯d be devastated when she found out she couldn¡¯t marry Lord McQuoid because I had married her stepson.


    "Oh, Norman..." Darcy stepped back from him, her hand to her heart. She looked petrified.

 Chapter 505-My In Laws Are A Mess

    <h4>Chapter 505: 505-My In Laws Are A Mess</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    After Norman told them he married me, everyone just went silent. My mother cried on her knees while Lord McQuoid took care of her. Darcy had no idea who to be angry at or who to be jealous of. Emma and Charlotte looked deeply upset as well. I just sat in my seat with the brothers surrounding me.


    Kaye had filled us a ss of wine, and I epted one because I needed something to keep me calm.


    "Let me order you some pizza," Norman whispered in the loudest voice, and his offer was followed by Darcy scoffing and finally breaking the silence.


    "She is not a child. Why do you have to baby her?" she screamed from her couch, her fists clenched.


    "Neither are you, Mom, so calm down," Norman muttered, stepping up and breaking the protective circle they had formed around me.


    "You¡¯ve lost your mind! After years of hard work and achieving so much, you went out and chose her?" she wrinkled her nose hard, pretending to gag at the thought of me and her son being together.


    "What¡¯s wrong with her?" Maximus folded his arms, reaching his mother¡¯s couch almost like challenging her.


    "She¡¯s the one who¡¯s pointed at every alpha she¡¯s met for sex," her choice of words was so bad that I felt like chugging down the whole ss, so I did.


    "The word you¡¯re looking for is gang-raped," Kaye corrected her, keeping his voice down.


    "Huh, hasn¡¯t it been proven that she¡ª" she shut up, and I had a feeling she knew something too. "Well, some did. Others, she enjoyed it with. She¡¯s been through so many guys, yet my most cherished son thought she was the best for him? Oh, goddess, what are we going to say to Jessica?"


    "You don¡¯t have to say anything to her. I¡¯ll speak with her," Norman grunted, but she kept shaking her head. Lord McQuoid helped my mother up and then gestured at Emma, who probably didn¡¯t like that she had to leave and miss the drama, and then in the direction of where their bedroom was.


    Emma reluctantly walked over to take my mother away, but she refused to move and stood up to listen to everything.


    "Why did you do that, Norman?" Now, this time, Lord McQuoid asked. He even avoided looking my way.


    "I felt the mate bond with her," Norman said out loud for his mother to lift her head and stare at him.


    She was no longer crying, and it was a sudden change.


    "That is not possible," she said in a very confident and creepy tone, challenging Norman, who smiled.


    The interaction screamed that there was more to the story.


    "And why would that be, mother?" he cocked his head, and as his eyes moved to Darcy, she straightened her spine and shrugged.


    "I don¡¯t know, but why would the Moon Goddess make her anyone¡¯s mate?" she changed her tone, sounding very low, but not crying or screaming anymore.


    "Well, the Moon Goddess surely doesn¡¯t listen to you. So the truth is, I felt the mate bond with her and married her. I would not leave my mate at the mercy of some old man with children or her rapist, which should have been the main topic of conversation¡ª" Norman sighed after the questions and yelling ended.


    "Have you watched the video, Father?" As soon as Norman mentioned Zellu, Darcy started silently whimpering again.


    "We did," Lord McQuoid pointed to himself and then looked at my mother. Weirdly enough, my mother had been giving me a direct stare. She had been looking my way with a sad look in her eyes.


    "And what do you have to say about that, Father? Do you still believe she¡¯s lying? There¡¯s truth everywhere. Every alpha that she useses out and admits being wrong. Then why is it that she is still not believed?" Norman stood face to face with his father, his head down to match his father¡¯s level.


    "The council called," Lord McQuoid said and sat down, gesturing at Kaye to fill him a ss of wine as well.


    "They want Hnie back in the court, but they also have questions for you, brothers. That weapon that was used on him was under the terms of not being used on the alphas and Norman, you were supposed to keep them in your lockers," he exined, and I started to wonder if that would cause the brothers trouble.


    "Why all of them? Why not interrogate Norman only? He is the one who keeps these things safe," that was none other than my mother speaking up for the first time.


    Her eyes were on Norman, a very new hatred bubbling in her eyes. But what shocked everyone was that, for the first time, she was not trying to butter up her stepson.


    "Well, he was with me the whole time," I hissed in response.


    "He could have hired someone to do it. Zellu had been missing for over a month now," she argued, making me stare at her in disbelief.


    So, this was her taking her anger out on Norman?


    "I mean, it makes sense, right? Norman had liked Hnie and waited for the perfect moment to stab Zellu to show Hnie why he is the best for her," she just made up a whole story, while others watched her in silence.


    "Oh no, you¡¯re not pointing a finger at my son. Your daughter is the problem here, how dare you try to put my son in trouble?" Darcy got up in haste to p my mother.


    Her hand raised and her breathing erratic, but the minute she faced my mother, she froze for a second.


    My mother had held her hand and was ring right into her eyes. "You will not touch me."


    The way my mother screamed and suddenly the lights went out filled the room with gasps, and goosebumps formed on my skin.


    Then the lights were back on and my mother had freed Darcy. My mother was ring at her in the eyes while Darcy had stepped back from her.


    "Okay, we don¡¯t need this right now," Kaye stepped up and hugged his mother to the side while Norman and Maximus faced my mother.


    I didn¡¯t like this kind of energy.


    So I got up and stated, "I¡¯m going to rest now. The rest of you can fight or argue, whatever you want to do."


    I walked out of the living room, only to see someone in the passageway through the window. It was Emmet.


    He had finally woken up.

 Chapter 506-Breaking His Heart

    <h4>Chapter 506: 506-Breaking His Heart</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I knew I should have just gone to my room¡ªNorman¡¯s room¡ªbut I had to confront Emmet. He had not only broken his promises, but also my heart.


    I went straight to the passage and stood in my spot, watching him like a hawk. He was scratching his scalp and looking around, fixing his shirt when he raised his head and our eyes met.


    I watched him lower his hand and then quickly start walking toward me.


    "Shit, shit, shit. The night passed?" he asked as he reached me. "But you¡¯re here, so... did we do it?" he asked with a smile, but his smile slowly faded¡ªprobably because he couldn¡¯t find the memory of us getting marriedst night.


    "I¡¯m here," I replied. I heard footsteps behind me and had a feeling it was the brothers.


    But thankfully, no one interfered.


    "I¡ª" he scratched the back of his head again, once more looking around,pletely clueless.


    I had imagined screaming and hitting him when he woke up. But once I was in front of him, I couldn¡¯t do any of that.


    I had so much respect for him, and the bond we shared was so pure, that I couldn¡¯t even disrespect him. Even after he disrespected our love and bond by abandoning me when I needed him the most.


    "You didn¡¯test night, Emmet," my voice broke, but I managed to sniffle back the tears with much difficulty.


    "Huh? I didn¡¯t¡ªthen¡ª" he paused, his eyes staring into mine. I bet he noticed the tears appearing in my eyes and the hurt look forming on my face.


    "Please tell me what happened." As he tried to walk closer, I stepped back to create distance between us¡ªand he noticed it. He frowned and looked up from my feet to my face, his mouth slightly open, surprised that I had stopped him froming near me.


    "You were passed out drunkst night while I waited for you at the court," I said, a tear rolling down my cheek, followed by others.


    "I abandoned you?" The look of shock on his face was exactly how I had imagined he¡¯d react. Maybe this would finally give him the reality check that he wasn¡¯t over his ex. That he chose her over me. That he only remembered her, even though she hadn¡¯t even been with him for a while.


    "You were missing Azura," I said, and he stepped back. The guilt in his eyes made me frown.


    "You had pictures of her with you¡ªher bracelet in your hand¡ªwhile you drank yourself out of your mind, sir," I added respectfully.


    "No, no! I did that?" he began pacing back and forth, looking so guilty.


    "You did. And I waited¡ª" I stopped talking because I broke down.


    "Hnie, I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m such an asshole. I just didn¡¯t know she was still in my mind like that. I¡¯m really sorry, please forgive me," he said, starting to drop to his knees while crying¡ªwhich I¡¯d never seen him do before.


    Norman rushed in to support him and keep him standing.


    "Mistakes happen. And because you¡¯re forgetting your memories¡ªit¡¯s understandable why you forgot Hnie, right Hnie? It¡¯s okay, right?" Norman turned to me, tears in his eyes as he asked me to set his brother free from the guilt.


    "No!" I shook my head and watched the two of them stare at me, with Emmet closing his eyes and silently sobbing. "It¡¯s not okay, and I don¡¯t understand either."


    I knew I was being selfish for putting Emmet through such heartbreak. But if I didn¡¯t, he would think I was fine¡ªand that after rejecting Norman, I would go back into his arms. But that¡¯s not what I wanted anymore.


    I just couldn¡¯t be in that position again.


    "Hnie, after you reject Norman¡ªyou¡¯re okay to go back with Emmet, right?" Maximus stepped forward, trying to get the inside scoop.


    "Nope," I said loud and clear.


    Norman was staring at me like he wasn¡¯t happy with me. But I had to say it, so my words wouldn¡¯t be used against meter.


    That¡¯s how Kaye twisted our breakup when he used me of being the reason. And then Maximus did the same thing. He didn¡¯t believe our breakup was valid because there was a misunderstanding.


    "We had a chance, and you blew it, Emmet. And although¡ªI¡¯ll never be able to hate you for it, I can¡¯t love you after that. You left me when I needed you the most. And if you think about it¡ªif your brother hadn¡¯t been there, I might¡¯ve been married off to my rapist or one of the men Alpha Diaz had picked for me. What then?"


    I started crying hysterically because I hated the fact that his brothers thought it would be that easy for me to give Emmet a second chance.


    "I¡¯m sorry our love ended like this. But I really am sorry that it did," I managed to say with difficulty as I turned around and started walking away. I heard the brothersforting Emmet, and then I saw them give each other a big hug while I walked into the mansion alone.


    "You finally got what you wanted¡ª" Charlotte and her mother were probably waiting for this moment. When I pushed Charlotte while continuing to walk, she gasped.


    "Mom, she pushed me!" she cried out.


    Imented without turning to her, "Well go cry about it, bitch."


    I went to the room and crawled into bed for a good sleep. I just knew Norman wouldn¡¯t get in the same bed as me, because I knew he would respect my privacy.


    I was under the nket and had slept peacefully. When I woke up, I realized it was already evening.


    I yawned and sat up, rubbing my eyes, which only smeared my mascara down my cheeks even more.


    The smell of freshly baked pizza turned my head toward the table. Norman was sleeping on the couch in a sitting position, his neck stretched back and head resting against the back of the couch.

 Chapter 507-Better Put Norman Away

    <h4>Chapter 507: 507-Better Put Norman Away</h4>


    <strong>Urs:</strong>


    "I am so sorry. If I had even the slightest idea my son would ruin our rtionship, I would have done everything to stop it," McQuoid had been trying tofort me for a while, but no amount offort could change the fact that my daughter was in the very hell I had tried so hard to keep her away from.


    "Ahh," I sighed, turning my head to the side and looking out the window. I was sitting in my armchair with McQuoid on the floor beside me, his head in myp.


    "If you want, I can make them reject each other on the next full moon. I¡¯m sure once I talk to Hnie and remind her that you deserve happiness too¡ª" He woke me up from my thoughts when he mentioned my daughter.


    "Hnie? She¡¯s naive. She hasn¡¯t done anything wrong. Norman must have convinced her that marrying him was the right thing to do," I spoke in a calm tone, unlike the way I had outside, in front of everyone. I had broken down so badly I even surprised myself.


    "Yeah, and I¡¯ll have a word with Norman," he continued, but my sigh cut him off again.


    "McQuoid, if it hadn¡¯t been one of your sons, it would¡¯ve been that Kaidon," I clenched my jaw at the mention of that good-for-nothing alpha.


    The minute I get my hands on him, I¡¯ll skin him alive. His confession means nothing to me. I don¡¯t care if he was drunk or drugged¡ªhe hurt my daughter. That¡¯s all I need to know to decide someone is my enemy.


    "I know. But we thought... Altan would step up and stop her from marrying Kaidon," McQuoid lifted his head, probably to look into my eyes and see my reaction.


    I let out a scoff, shaking my head.


    "I really thought that Alpha would redeem himself. My daughter used to love him, you know? The fact that she went to that subway for him broke me. She must¡¯ve trusted him so much to go there with him," I sighed again, feeling like someone had ripped my heart out.


    "Alpha Diaz attacked the men I sent to free Altanst night. He killed them because they wouldn¡¯t tell him who sent them," McQuoid and I had nned to free Altan so he could marry my daughter.


    I¡¯ll do anything to get my daughter married to him and make her the Luna of the pack she once desperately wanted to live in. I want her to find happiness somewhere far away from these rogue king brothers.


    And Norman!


    He¡¯s the worst. He only cares about his brothers. When the timees, he¡¯ll dly sacrifice my Hnie to save his useless brothers.


    "McQuoid, I¡¯ll ask just one thing of you," I knew that my dear boyfriend understood by now that I didn¡¯t hate Hnie.


    That he needed to let me handle it my way¡ªand he did.


    "What is it, my love?" he looked into my eyes and asked.


    "You will not make my daughter feel guilty for getting married. No one will. This is her first marriage¡ªI want her to cherish it, to feel like a bride, for once, and to feel free, like the world isn¡¯t out to get her. As for us, we can stay as lovers," I felt bad as I said those words to McQuoid. I knew how much our marriage meant to him.


    But sadly, it meant little to me.


    The only thing I cared about was my daughter. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve died when they took away the love of my life.


    When they fed me to the animals, day in and day out, to get me pregnant. The torture of those days still lives inside me.


    Sadly, my daughter went through something simr¡ªbut thankfully, not every night like her mother.


    But my daughter is a warrior. She is special, born out of love.


    She¡¯s stronger, and she knows how to stand up for herself.


    However, even though my whole existence is about my daughter, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll let her stay with Norman.


    My daughter should enjoy the happiness of marriage¡ªbut after that, she will be married off to someone with no ties to the rogues.


    That might break her heart, but I can already see she has no real feelings for Norman.


    She married him to save herself, so let¡¯s just say she¡¯ll be respected even more if something were to happen to her husband.


    She¡¯d live a better life as a widow than spend the rest of it with Norman.


    And if what I was told is true, the others want her too.


    To be mated to all the rogue brothers? I can¡¯t let that happen.


    After McQuoid promised to make Hnie feel at home, he walked away to wash his face and take a shower. That¡¯s when I made the call.


    There were only a few people I trustedpletely. And nobody knew about them.


    Theye out once in a while from the sea to help me.


    This time, I had something very important to ask of them.


    "I¡¯ve sent you the DNA of someone. I want it all over Zellu and the weapon after you¡¯re done killing him. That bastard has no reason to stay alive anymore. He coulde back, make up stories, and point his dirty finger at my daughter. So please, can you ce the evidence I¡¯m sending you?" I asked, using a t tone.


    "Sure, we¡¯ll do that," he replied and hung up.


    I nodded and began to hum, smiling as I listened to the sound of the waves in my ears.


    I can¡¯t wait for Norman to be gone. And then I¡¯ll need to figure out how to get rid of Maximus and Kaye.


    The two of them openly said they wanted to be with Hnie.


    As for Emmet, he was foolish enough to choose booze over my daughterst night.


    But at least it saved him from the fate waiting for Norman.


    "I worked really hard to steal the weapon from Norman¡¯s care. I won¡¯t let that go to waste," I smirked.


    There are perks to living with your enemies¡ªyou get to strike when they least expect it.

 Chapter 508-Facing His Fiancé

    <h4>Chapter 508: 508-Facing His Fianc¨¦</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "If you want, we can go out for a while," Norman said after he came out of the shower. His ck shirt was all wet¡ªhe hadn¡¯t dried himself properly. I could tell he wasn¡¯t used to putting on clothes right after a shower.


    But I appreciated that he didn¡¯te out in just a towel.


    Just the thought made me bury my face.


    I had devoured the pizza like I hadn¡¯t eaten in days¡ªwhich, to be honest, wasn¡¯t a lie. Everything I ate while staying with my parents back home felt like it came with a side of taunts and scoffs.


    Living there wasn¡¯t as hard as it used to be, but that was only because their words didn¡¯t hurt me anymore¡ªand they wouldn¡¯t darey a hand on me now.


    "Okay, I¡¯m sorry," Norman sighed and slowly walked over to the couch, sitting beside me. His whole body turned toward me, one leg bent with the foot resting on the other thigh.


    "For what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "For... asking you to give Emmet a second chance. It was really selfish of me. You have every reason to be hurt and not forgive someone who broke your heart," he said, his tone honest, and I was a bit surprised.


    "It must be so hard," I turned to him, watching the way his brow furrowed.


    It felt strange sitting face-to-face with him like this, in his bedroom, on the same couch, with the door locked.


    "What is?" he asked, looking like he genuinely wanted to fix whatever it was I found difficult.


    "To only focus on other people¡¯s happiness. To try so hard to fix everyone else¡¯s problems," I mumbled. I was surprised it took him a moment to realize I was talking about him.


    "Umm, no! It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s nothing," he said, clearly confused by the way I had put it.


    "You do realize your only reason for living isn¡¯t just to serve others, right? You have your own priorities. Things you love. A life you want for yourself," I said. I didn¡¯t even know what made me say all that, but I could tell it shocked him.


    "This is what older siblings do. You¡¯d do the same for Vani," he said with a shrug, like I expected.


    "I wanted to ask you something," he said quietly, shifting to face forward, looking away from me.


    I couldn¡¯t believe he was acting shy while I was just staring at him.


    "Go ahead," I replied.


    "What do you want to do about those Alphas? Do you still want to go with the n¡ªmake them confess somehow¡ªor... if you want, they can be taken care of," he said without looking at me once.


    I shook my head at him, kind of in disbelief.


    Such a big, tough guy¡ªhaving soft, shy moments like this¡ªit was actually kind of cute.


    "If I punished them, everyone would see them as martyrs. They don¡¯t deserve that. And all the Hnies out there¡ªthe ones who didn¡¯t speak up or couldn¡¯t¡ªwill never get justice either. I want¡ª" I stopped talking as it suddenly hit me. The answer had been right in front of me all along, and I had overlooked it.


    I jumped up from the couch, and even Norman looked surprised, adjusting how he was sitting.


    "I want to fight DID¡ª I mean, Darius," I said. I didn¡¯t know how many people even knew him by that name, but I wanted to fight him.


    "Fight him?" Norman tilted his head.


    "He¡¯s one of the cadets in line to be the Alpha King of the North, right? So if I challenge him, I can fight for the throne by the end of this year," I said. I knew it was a long shot, but deep down, something told me I could do it.


    Of course, Norman looked stunned.


    "Umm¡ªHnie, the fight only ends two ways. Either someone gives up or they die," he exined, but it didn¡¯t shake me at all.


    "Okay?" I shrugged.


    "Can¡¯t we do it some other way?" he asked, and I shook my head.


    "No. There¡¯s no other way. Darius would never confess. I want to take his throne, that¡¯s it," I said firmly, stomping my foot. Norman pped his forehead in disbelief.


    "Let¡¯s do it," I said, standing tall. He spread his arms wide, his eyes narrowing like he was silently asking ¡¯What are you doing?¡¯


    "You want to fight him now?" he asked as he got up and put his hands on his waist. That¡¯s when I noticed how small I looked standing next to him.


    "I want to train now, you dummy," I said, making him blink in surprise.


    "Don¡¯t look so shocked. You know I think you¡¯re a dumbass," I added, watching his jaw nearly drop as he bent down a little to look me in the eye.


    "You are going to obey what I say. I¡¯m doing this¡ªand you¡¯re helping me train," I said with confidence and turned toward the door. I didn¡¯t really n to start training right this second¡ªI just needed a moment away from being in the same room. I wanted to go out and get some fresh air like he suggested before.


    "Okay, now you¡¯re ordering me?" I heard him scoff behind me.


    "Of course. I¡¯m your wife," I replied as I opened the door, then turned around just in time to catch his face turning red. His ears always went bright red anytime I said something slightly bold. This time wasn¡¯t even that bad.


    But I hadn¡¯t realized someone was standing right outside the door¡ªand she had heard me call her fianc¨¦ my husband.


    As Norman¡¯s eyes shifted behind me, I slowly turned around and faced Jessica.


    Her eyes were puffy, her nose red. She had clearly been crying for hours.


    "You¡¯re his wife?" she repeated my words, and a big tear rolled down her cheek.


    "You¡ª" she gasped, then raised her hand to p me across the face.


    To be honest, I deserved it.


    The pain in her eyes was so deep, I didn¡¯t even try to stop her.

 Chapter 509-I Am Not A Homewrecker.

    <h4>Chapter 509: 509-I Am Not A Homewrecker.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I half expected her hand tond hard on my cheek and knock me down. But when that didn¡¯t happen and I found Norman standing beside me, I thought he might have stopped her from hitting me. But that wasn¡¯t the truth either. He had indeed arrived to prevent the p, but it was Jessica herself who had stopped her hand.


    "I can¡¯t even hit you," she muttered, tears falling down her face.


    "Jessica, it¡¯s not her fault," Norman stepped between us and gently held my hand to pull me behind him. I saw Jessica watching his hand over mine and I instantly pulled away from his grip.


    She was noticing every single move so closely that it started to worry me.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t hurt her, Norman. I¡¯m hurt and sad, but I know it¡¯s not her fault," she exined, as if justifying why she had stopped herself from hitting me.


    "Can Ie inside? I feel even more humiliated not being allowed into a room filled with things I chose," she asked me directly, making Norman scoff.


    "You don¡¯t need to say anything to her," he said in a defensive tone. I realized that whenever he spoke up for me, more tears would fall from her eyes.


    "Come in, please," I said¡ªI needed to talk to her. I didn¡¯t find her threatening for some reason.


    Which was strange, because I thought she would be angry and might yell or hit me.


    I stepped aside, and so did Norman, and Jessica walked in. The way she looked around and took a deep breath made me feel incredibly guilty.


    She then went ahead and sat on the couch. I rushed to grab the empty pizza boxes off the table before her, when Norman grabbed my arm and stopped me.


    "I don¡¯t want you to clean up in front of her or anyone," he said. I didn¡¯t know why he thought that was a bad thing, but he began picking up the boxes himself.


    And once again, Jessica noticed.


    I sat with Jessica on the couch, but when Norman was about to sit beside me, Jessica cleared her throat and held my hand.


    "Can it please be just the two of us?" Her request made me look at Norman, who frowned and shook his head.


    "Say what you have to say in front of me," he told her.


    "I just want a moment alone with her," she insisted again.


    "Jessica, I¡¯m the one who hurt you. I¡¯ll talk to you¡ªplease don¡¯t involve her," he said. He sounded so sweet and gentle, even though it wasn¡¯t his mistake.


    He must be in so much pain, sitting across from her and not being able to hold her. He must have loved her in his own twisted way to marry her. I knew Norman¡ªeven when he was cold-hearted, the people he kept close were the ones he was willing to do anything for.


    "But I just want to have a heart-to-heart with her," she added, almost pleading. I felt bad for her. The way she looked at Norman, even after he had betrayed her, made me wonder if her love was really that pure¡ªthat even after her fianc¨¦ had cheated on her, she still couldn¡¯t look at him with disgust.


    I remembered myself.


    I didn¡¯t look at Emmet with disgust, but I was angry at him.


    "It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll speak with her," I said, and as soon as I did, Norman rolled his eyes and scoffed.


    "Fine, you two talk," he finally agreed, only to lean back on his sofa and hold his phone in his hand. "Just imagine I¡¯m not here."


    The way Jessica smiled at his action made me feel even more guilty.


    "Norman, we want privacy," I had to be firm so he¡¯d listen without making me argue. All while Jessica watched us. I had a bad feeling she was noticing every bit of our interaction¡ªand probably getting hurt.


    And she had every right to. I remembered seeing Emmet with Sage once in a shop, and I hadpletely lost it.


    "Fine," Norman finally grunted and walked out of the room.


    But before he waspletely out of sight, he mouthed to me, "Text me if things get out of hand."


    "He acts so differently around you," she said, more to herself than to me.


    "We argue a lot. We are just two different personalities," I replied quickly, making it clear our banter wasn¡¯t some kind of secret lovenguage.


    "I¡¯m sorry," she said, and my heart jumped into my throat.


    "What are you apologizing for?" I asked, confused¡ªand feeling worse because I had taken her mate, yet she was the one apologizing. It didn¡¯t make any sense.


    "For being rted to that man¡ª" her jaw clenched at the mention of her brother. That surprised me.


    "He¡¯s denying everything and swearing on his life. But every time I look into your eyes, I feel like I¡¯m drowning in guilt. My brother... I raised him like a mother. I don¡¯t know when I failed to teach him about consent. I feel so responsible," she said, covering her face with her hands as she broke down.


    I was stunned to hear one of the Alpha¡¯s family members sound this remorseful.


    I thought she¡¯d be angry that I dared to use her brother.


    But I guess I was wrong about her. No wonder Norman had chosen her.


    "You being here and saying all this means a lot to me. I¡¯ve only heard people mock me or look at me with doubt¡ªuntil the Alphas finally admitted what they did," I said, still holding her hands.


    "I know it¡¯s not enough. But it¡¯s all I can do right now," she sighed. "Can I ask you something? Please answer honestly. Did you two¡ªcheat on me during all those months you¡¯ve known Norman?" The way her eyes filled with tears made me feel sick with guilt.


    She didn¡¯t deserve any of this.


    And I was definitely not a homewrecker.


    The difference between Kesha and Jessica was that Jessica and Norman had been together for years. But Kesha came after Kaye and I had already developed feelings for each other¡ªwe had even felt the mate bond.


    But now, I had to answer Jessica.


    And whatever I said next would either fix things or destroy them.

 Chapter 510-Making A New Friend.

    <h4>Chapter 510: 510-Making A New Friend.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I just want to know the truth so I can decide whether to feel upset or insecure," she said with augh, but it was such an ufortable whimper that I had to look away.


    I couldn¡¯t watch her be this hurt anymore.


    "Please tell me, because I know that mate bond thing is a lie. That, I know for a fact. His mother told me he can never feel the mate bond with anyone. So please, just tell me," she started pleading, and her words about Norman never being able to feel a mate bond caught me off guard.


    "Why? I mean, did she tell you the reason?" I asked, watching her shake her head. But she quickly came back to her main question.


    "Please tell me he married you just to stop you from marrying someone else," the moment she said that, my eyes widened in surprise.


    I guess, deep down, others had sensed it too.


    "You¡¯re right. I was never going to marry him, but we were left with no other choice," I said. The moment those words left my mouth, she sighed in relief, pressing a hand to her chest and smiling softly.


    "Thank you so much. Thank you for freeing me from this burden of rejection. Does that mean¡ªyou two will be rejecting each other at the next full moon?" Her lips were trembling, her eyes filled with tears as she looked at me.


    "Yes, we will. Jessica, he¡¯s still yours. I never meant to take him away from you. I¡¯m so sorry. I was pushed against the wall and he was the only one who could save me at that moment," I started exining, and thankfully, she looked a lot calmer now.


    "Oh my¡ªI¡¯ve been so worried," she said, and then started crying. "You know what¡ªI¡¯ll be your friend, and I¡¯ll help you with everything. In fact, that one missing Alpha¡ªI know about him. He goes by Rhiz or Riz among his friends, but he¡¯s actually the Alpha of a broken pack from the East West. The minute you used the others, he ran off. But from what I¡¯ve gathered, he might still have his phone on him. I¡¯ll try to get more info and keep you updated. Especially about those videos you said they made of you."


    It felt like a huge relief to see her being so supportive.


    "Thank you, that would mean so much," I said. It was surprisingly easy to talk with her.


    "I know you¡¯re a lot younger than me, but I¡¯d love to hang out sometime. Hnie, just be careful around Darcy. She¡¯s not someone to mess with. If there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve learned about them, it¡¯s that Darcy always gets her way," she said softly, wiping her cheeks as she spoke.


    "You¡¯ll have your groom back by the next full moon," I told her onest time.


    "I trust you. And now that we¡¯re friends, and I¡¯m getting to know you, I feel much more at peace," she said, clearly more rxed.


    "I¡¯m so grateful you came here to talk to me. I was sick with worry about facing you. I thought you¡¯de at me full force," I smiled through my tears as she held my hands.


    "I couldn¡¯t. The moment I raised my hand, I realized I was bing my brother. Hnie, it¡¯s not easy for me to say this because the brother I¡¯m talking about isn¡¯t just my brother¡ªhe¡¯s someone I¡¯ve always seen as my child. He grew up calling me his mother. So when I say this, I truly mean it: if you can prove his guilt, I¡¯ll make sure he gets punished," Jessica continued to surprise me. "I loved my brother, but believe me, I hate him now even more deeply. The idea of himing home after what he did to you¡ª" she clenched her jaw and wiped her tears before taking a deep breath to calm herself again.


    After we finished talking, we called Norman in. I stepped outside for a walk to give them some privacy. That¡¯s when I came across Kaye and Maximus sitting in the garden, while Emmet was about to leave.


    He had just stood up when he saw me, and his steps froze.


    "Hnie," he whispered, his eyes lingering on my face a little too long¡ªlonger than they used to.


    "Umm, may I have a word with you brothers?" I asked softly, rubbing my hands together nervously.


    "What is it about?" Emmet asked, sounding so worried¡ªas if I was about to ask him for rejection, which I still didn¡¯t fully understand why I hadn¡¯t done yet.


    "Sure," Maximus replied, giving a quick nce at Emmet, who sat down again. The way Emmet looked at me reminded me of when he used to stare at me with love in his eyes. We used to get lost in each other¡¯s gaze.


    I sat down, keeping my eyes on my hands because all three of them were staring at me like I was about to announce something huge.


    Now that I knew all of them wanted to marry me, I couldn¡¯t help but feel shy around them.


    "Umm... I¡¯ve decided to fight Darius," I said while taking deep breaths, "for his crown."


    I looked up and saw the confusion all over their faces.


    "Hnie¡ªI don¡¯t doubt you¡ªbut it¡¯ll be hard," Kaye spoke first, shifting nervously in his seat.


    "You¡¯re worried I won¡¯t surrender? That I¡¯ll fight to the death? I want to do this. If none of you doubt me, then help me train. I want to take his throne. I want to strip him of every bit of happiness. I want the council to remember that I never wanted to marry an Alpha¡ªI am an Alpha now," I said, feeling something rise inside me.


    Maybe it was what Zellu¡¯s confession had sparked in me, but I suddenly realized how powerful the title of Alpha¡ªor Alpha King¡ªreally was. When they speak, others listen and obey.


    "I¡¯m with you," Emmet was the first to speak.


    Then Maximus and Kaye nodded.


    So it was decided: I would fight Darius.


    But there was a twist¡ªa twist I would only reveal on the day of our match.

 Chapter 511-Want To Be Her Hero

    <h4>Chapter 511: 511-Want To Be Her Hero</h4>


    <strong>Darius:</strong>


    We had been sitting together in my room, drinking and talking about the trial and Hnie. If I needed to get Hnie away from her protectors, I had to separate her from those rogue brothers.


    She was their stepsister for only a year¡ªI¡¯m sure they can¡¯t be that attached to her.


    But why the heck did Norman marry her? There¡¯s no way he felt the mate bond with her that night specifically. They nned it.


    "We can manipte Emmet against Hnie," I suggested, watching Romeo shake his head almost instantly.


    "That will be nearly impossible. Emmet doesn¡¯t really let others influence him. He only believes what he sees and his own judgment. I lived with the brothers for a while when I was little. My mother used to leave me with them during vacations. If anything, Emmet was the hardest one to fool. He wouldn¡¯t believe a wording from someone else."


    That was frustrating.


    "What about Maximus and Kaye?" I watched him zone out, like he was trying to remember what they were like.


    "Maximus can be manipted. But you¡¯d have to use love against him. And we don¡¯t even know who the love of his life is right now."


    He sounded so annoyed when talking about Maximus. I¡¯d noticed it in his bodynguage¡ªhe always got superpetitive whenever it came to Maximus.


    "But he has a mate now¡ªCharlotte," I reminded him, and only then did he nod, though something told me he already knew about her.


    "That innocent one? I wonder what she saw in him," he scoffed.


    "Umm, the mate bond?" I raised my eyebrow, then my ss to toast with him.


    "Ugh, why would the Moon Goddess give her to him as a mate? She¡¯s too good for him. Besides, I know his secrets. There¡¯s no way he could¡¯ve felt a mate bond with her or anyone on full moon night."


    Romeo was a little too talkative today, so I tried to get as much info out of him as possible.


    Usually, he would hide all the gossip about his family from me, and it always bothered me.


    We were friends. Friends who hadmitted crimes together. Why couldn¡¯t he share his cousin¡¯s secrets with me?


    "Hmm, what about Kaye?" I watched him nod.


    "Only his mother can manipte him. He¡¯s got mommy issues," heughed, and Iughed with him.


    "Okay, here¡¯s the thing¡ªmy sister is hurting. She¡¯s not even talking to me, and you know that¡¯s the only thing that really gets to me. I can make anyone cry, but not Jessica. So I need to fix this somehow."


    I¡¯d been in pain ever since my sweet sister decided she wouldn¡¯t even look at me.


    No matter how many times Darcy told her that Hnie was the problem, my sister wouldn¡¯t believe her. She said none of it made sense. Hnie didn¡¯t ask to marry any alpha, nor did shee forward iming we gang-raped her for fame or to ruin our names. My sister didn¡¯t find any logical motive behind her usation.


    So I had to tell her that Hnie loved having sex and was getting money in exchange for it, but she got caught¡ªand then had to lie about the rape just to save herself from punishment.


    However, I didn¡¯t know if my sister believed me or not, because she hadn¡¯t spoken to me since then.


    "I would¡¯ve asked you to convince her to find someone else, but leaving Norman¡ªeven I would¡¯ve been devastated if someone like him broke my heart. I think she could¡¯ve had a perfect life with him. No fear of cheating¡ªnothing," Romeo was actually praising his cousin, and I had to remind him that Norman wasn¡¯t some kind of saint.


    "Except he did. He married someone else. So much for being a saint. And now my sister¡¯s gonna marry three burdens along with him. But she doesn¡¯t see it that way. So I need to find a way for her to win Norman back. She deserves to be happy," I said honestly.


    She meant the whole world to me. But I noticed Romeo narrowing his eyes at me like he was trying to figure out what I was nning.


    "And you definitely have a n," he nodded when I did.


    "I¡¯ll marry Hnie next full moon," I shrugged, but my mood dipped when Romeo startedughing like crazy¡ªso much that he spilled his wine.


    "I¡¯m so sorry. I just need to confirm I heard you right¡ªyou¡¯ll marry her?" He put his ss down and slid to the edge of his seat.


    "What¡¯s so funny about it? Norman will reject her, and I¡¯ll say, ¡¯We can meet in the middle, I¡¯ll marry her.¡¯ The Council will see me as a hero, stepping up to give a lustful woman a home," I added.


    "No, you don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. Hnie would die before marrying any of us. Anyone who has ever wronged her is dead. Zellu died. Have you even looked her in the eyes? She holds so much hate for us. It¡¯s better to keep her at arm¡¯s length. And besides, Norman wouldn¡¯t let you marry her," Romeo was really pushing my buttons with this.


    "And why not? Hnie had more of a connection with me than anyone else. The minute I get her, I know she¡¯ll fall in love with me. Then she¡¯ll be all about serving her husband," I scoffed, a little too sharply, making Romeo tilt his head at me.


    "Ah, do you like her or what? I remember that night too¡ªyou were so fixated on spending time alone with her. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve fallen for her?" The way he looked so shocked and drained actually made my chest ache.


    Here I was, trying to fix everything¡ªand he was just brushing off my ideas.


    "I haven¡¯t. I¡¯m just thinking¡ªhow would it feel to have her under me again? I just want to sleep with her one more time to understand what I really feel," I replied, keeping my tone calm and steady. But Romeo looked terrified at the thought.


    "You¡¯re crazy. I¡¯m already regretting thest time, and you want to sleep with her again?" he hissed, then lowered his voice.


    "I am. In fact, I will marry her next full moon¡ªyou¡¯ll see."


    Romeo knew that when I made a deal, I followed through.

 Chapter 512-Slut Shaming Much?

    <h4>Chapter 512: 512-Slut Shaming Much?</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "But that wouldn¡¯t change anything. She won¡¯t receive any special treatment. It¡¯s not even my decision¡ªHnie wants to stay in the hostel during weekdays and finish her academy like everyone else, under the same rules," Norman had given a whole speech about the mistrial and how he felt the mate bond with me.


    I could tell the students were shocked and in disbelief. It¡¯s not every day that a student marries their professor¡ªespecially an RVS professor. But he said it was important to be open about it, because it wasn¡¯t something taboo.


    "Now, just because she won¡¯t be receiving any extra favors doesn¡¯t mean any of you get to pick on her," Maximus added, his eyesnding on Sydney.


    I hadn¡¯t looked her way since I arrived. I knew she was looking for a moment alone with me.


    "Now, please head back to your sses. Emmet will be taking the juniors, and I¡¯ll meet the seniors at the training ground in a minute," Norman then announced the schedule for the day, and everyone started to scatter.


    My friends and I had briefly met before we were called to the ground. Penn had been awfully quiet¡ªand he was actually the one I hadn¡¯t seen since morning. But now we were all heading to the breakfast hall together.


    "So, you married Norman¡ªthe one who wasn¡¯t your mate?" Lamar elbowed me,ughing a little while I pouted.


    "Norman¡ªhe¡¯s so big and like, beastly. How was the first night?" Salem joined in from the other side, walking beside me and giggling until she told me what she imagined our rtionship was like.


    "Umm, no¡ªwe¡¯re not married like that," I turned to her and whispered. The other students walked ahead while our group stayed behind.


    "You must¡¯ve nned this before the wedding day. Is that why you were so chill about marrying Kaidon? Because you knew you wouldn¡¯t actually end up with him?"


    Penn gently pushed Lamar and Gavin aside toe stand right in front of me.


    Oh shoot!


    I forgot I had told them I had a n.


    "No, we had... someone else in mind. But then that someone just ghosted," I shut up quickly, feeling weird talking about Emmet like he was some stranger.


    But I couldn¡¯t tell Penn about me being mated to all the rogue brothers¡ªnot yet.


    Or maybe I will. But the others shouldn¡¯t know. I can¡¯t deal with Charlotte and Kesha right now.


    "But Norman was supposed to marry Jessica. I heard she took pills the moment she found out he married you, and they had to pump her stomach," Penn said, and my jaw hit the floor.


    I couldn¡¯t believe she tried to end her life¡ªand the moment she was okay, she ran to check on us and didn¡¯t even tell us what she¡¯d been through.


    "That¡¯s not a problem. I had a talk with her¡ªshe¡¯s cool. She understands I had no other choice. Besides, I told her I¡¯ll reject her groom next full moon," I shrugged, feeling way more rxed knowing I¡¯d cleared things up with Jessica.


    Thank goodness I told her the truth¡ªthat the marriage was only to keep me safe.


    "So, you and Norman are not¡ª" Penn continued to bombard me with questions, but Lamar finally caught on and realized he was making me ufortable.


    "Hey, let¡¯s not interrogate her. We¡¯re her friends¡ªwe should try to understand why she made that choice. Anyway, let¡¯s go have breakfast. We¡¯ve got our Hnie back," Lamar said, hugging me from the side. Gavin joined in from the other side, and Salem wrapped her arms around all of us with difficulty. Penn finally gave in and hugged us too.


    As we entered the caf¨¦ together, I knew right away that the troublemaker was waiting for me.


    Not everyone¡ªjust Sydney.


    She stood with her arms folded, and the moment she saw me, she sprinted in my direction. Her sister stepped ahead to block her, but Sydney pointed at her, signaling for her to move.


    "Not today, Salem. And it¡¯s really sad that you¡¯re standing with her when your sister is heartbroken," she pointed at her chest, tears starting to build in her eyes.


    Salem slowly stepped to the side, but I still had Gavin and Lamar by my side¡ªand Penn looked ready to jump in if Sydney tried anything.


    But I would defend myself.


    Even if I didn¡¯t have my wolf, I could still fight. I¡¯ve takenbat sses, and with more training¡ªand maybe if I force my wolf to awaken¡ªI might just get lucky and beat Darius.


    I have to.


    "Is it true? Did you and my mate¡ª?" Her voice trembled, tears brimming in her eyes.


    "Yeah. I didn¡¯t know you were dating him or that you were mates," I replied honestly, and the look on her face was intense¡ªanger, betrayal, her breathing all over the ce.


    "Did you two... fuck?" she asked, and I stared her down.


    "No. Your coward of an alpha mate left me at the subway for those beast alphas to steal my first time," I snapped, and a crowd began to gather around us.


    "Oh please¡ªdon¡¯t give me that bullshit. I know about your pheromones. You must¡¯ve used them to seduce my Altan. And if not him, how many mates are you nning to steal before you settle down?"


    She had those wild eyes¡ªthe kind that told me she wouldn¡¯t rest until she hurt me in a way I couldn¡¯t recover from.


    "Everyone¡ª" she stepped back, spreading her arms to get everyone¡¯s attention, "this slut Hnie right here not only tried to steal my mate, but she¡¯s the reason Professor Norman¡¯s wedding got canceled. I bet she used her pheromones¡ªor begged him to save her¡ªbut at the end of the day, she ruined someone else¡¯s perfect day."


    As she hissed her words, the crowd gasped, hands flying to mouths in shock.


    That¡¯s when Lamar took a deep breath and stepped forward.


    "Does your alpha mate know you¡¯ve been fucking me and the others behind his back? So, who exactly is the slut here?"

 Chapter 513-Nobody Hates Her

    <h4>Chapter 513: 513-Nobody Hates Her</h4>


    <strong>Sydney:</strong>


    My heart stopped beating when Lamar exposed our secret affair. That was something that happened in the beginning. Iter stopped seeing him because every time I approached him, he would push me away, so I changed my mind about him. Andter, I was d I did because he had started this journey of trying to get close to Hnie.


    "He is lying¡ª" I tried to keep my posture intact, but his confidence was making everyone look at me differently.


    "Really? Why else do you guys think we tried to kill Hnie?" I noticed the way Lamar looked so guilty.


    What the heck!


    I looked around and saw everyone ring at me with anger and disgust.


    "That is disgusting, and the fact that you are going toe at Hnie instead of apologizing to her for giving her such a rough time when she was going through so much just proves which side you¡¯re on," Hans, who had a good influence on the whole ss, was suddenly going against me.


    This is not what I imagined my confrontation with Hnie going like.


    I turned to look at everyone and found them nodding their heads.


    "As for your alpha mate¡ªhe tricked Hnie. Why not go ask him instead of hurting Hnie?" one of the other girls spoke up, making me turn to her and re at her. But she stood her ground, not even looking scared from my harsh stare.


    "That¡¯s not true. Hnie loves attention¡ªlook how she stole the professor!" I yelled, hoping they would listen if I raised my voice.


    "Really? Is it her fault that every man wants her? As for Professor Norman, he¡¯s a grown man, he stepped up and chose her. She didn¡¯t ask him to do so, and even if she did, it was his choice in the end. Did you not hear the ¡¯he gave¡¯?" Hans was turning everyone to Hnie¡¯s side. I knew why.


    He was buttering her up because he had a little crush on Jenny.


    That good-for-nothing, sick she-wolf.


    "Fine, you all are not listening to me today, but one day¡ªyou¡¯ll realize I was right. Hnie is evil¡ª" I didn¡¯t finish my sentence because everyone stepped toward me, the threat clear in their eyes.


    I couldn¡¯t stay among them and not feel suffocated.


    I ran out of the hall and straight toward the exit. I kept tearing up and feeling lonely.


    "Hey, you okay?" The only one who followed me was Lucy.


    But she looked so casual that it irked me.


    "Why didn¡¯t you step up to say something about Hnie¡¯s character?" I yelled at her, and she slumped down, stopping a little farther away from where I was.


    "And embarrass myself just like you did? Come on, Sydney, let¡¯s just admit you were wrong. Your alpha mate was a cheater, not Hnie. I mean, somewhere, we all want attention. We¡¯re just angry because Hnie is getting it," the audacity of her to shrug and side with Hnie when all these months, I¡¯ve tolerated her poor attitude, angered me even more.


    "Oh, is that so? I would love to see how you survive without me," I didn¡¯t even respond to her statement and changed the subject, threatening her with a steady stare.


    "Huh? How did you go from talking about Hnie to threatening me? Is it because you want me to follow you blindly? Well, in that case, you¡¯re wrong. I¡¯m not going to let anyone control me. I¡¯ve survived a fatal fall, I¡¯m sure I can survive living without you. You¡¯re messy these days anyway," she shrugged again and turned around, walking away.


    That¡¯s when my eyes moved to the groups of seniors. But there were a few in sight that I kept staring at.


    "Rudy! Wasn¡¯t he interested in Hnie as well? I want to see what he will do now," I began to plot already.


    I¡¯m not going to let Hnie win.


    Me: Altan, do you know what happened today? Hnie is so happy that she married her professor. It seems like the woman you cheated on me with had other options too. Let me tell you about them: Penn, Rudy, Lamar, Gavin, and Hans. She¡¯s sleeping with everyone in the academy.


    I sent the message and groaned, watching him read it and start typing. Wow, so he wanted to ignore me all these days, but the minute I mention Hnie, he wants to respond.


    But his response only angered me.


    Altan: Do you ever feel shame? Spreading rumors as if I don¡¯t know Hnie. I¡¯ve known her all my life, and I¡¯m sorry, but you can¡¯t even be half as decent as her. I messed up, Sydney. use me, spread rumors about me. Leave her alone. We¡¯ve all done enough damage to her already.


    If there was the slightest hope I¡¯d get someone¡¯s support, it was now gone too.


    Everyone was under Hnie¡¯s pheromone-like seduction. Everyone but me. I will find a way to dig her grave andy her to rest in it.


    I put my phone back and sighed. I¡¯ve only met disappointment when contacting everyone I thought could side with me.


    Jessica¡¯s message to me was already fresh in my memory.


    Jessica: Mind your own business. If you can¡¯t sympathize with Hnie, at least don¡¯t spread rumors about her. Don¡¯t feel sorry for me, I¡¯m not mad at Hnie, and I surely have no problem with her. And if you text me again or I hear you¡¯re texting others about Hnie marrying Norman and all, I will show you what not minding your own business can lead to.


    I shook my head before calling the ones I knew would listen.


    "Sydney Coombs, what¡¯s the special asion that you¡¯re calling me?" he asked, a slight mockery in his tone.


    "I know you have feelings for Hnie, but she will never ept you until you do something heroic. I want to extend my hand for a handshake," at this point, I was even wondering if he would shut me down too and side with Hnie.


    But of course, the chances of that were slim.


    "You have my full attention." he uttered, showing immediate interest.

 Chapter 514-Everybody Wants A Piece Of Helanie Niles

    <h4>Chapter 514: 514-Everybody Wants A Piece Of Hnie Niles</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "That will be it for today. Thank you for taking my ss," Emmet announced, sounding drained. He had been so distant all day that I couldn¡¯t help but worry about him.


    But then, every time our eyes met¡ªwhich was quite a few times¡ªI remembered how my eyes had been glued to the door that night, and he never came.


    Emmet grabbed his stuff but didn¡¯t walk out. Instead, he stayed behind, one arm stretched over the podium, watching everyone leave.


    "Hnie, a word!" As my friends and I were nearing the door, he called for me.


    I stopped while my friends walked ahead, leaving us alone. Now, it was just the two of us in the big, empty ssroom.


    "Is there a chance we can¡ªever work things out?" he asked, his eyes not breaking the eye contact. He had put his stuff back onto the podium again.


    "Emmet¡ªyou have no idea what you did. You left me¡ªghosted me¡ªI could¡¯ve been married to any one of those men I was afraid of being in a room with. What then?" Iined, getting frustrated every time I thought about that night.


    "I get it. And I¡¯m not trying to put me on my memory issues¡ªbut trust me, I don¡¯t remember anything. I¡¯m just sorry that somehow I forgot about you¡ª," he couldn¡¯t finish because I started talking.


    "And remembered Azura. Aren¡¯t you supposed to forget about people when they¡¯re not in front of you or around you? But she hasn¡¯t been around you for years, Emmet. There¡¯s still love¡ªin your heart for her. And I know it¡¯s logical that you still do, but you¡¯re not ready to ept someone else even when you think you are," I said, my emotions showing in my eyes with tears.


    "That¡¯s not true. I know my heart, and I know I¡¯m ready to ept you. I have no clue what might have happened for me to think about her that night¡ª" he put a lot of pressure on himself, struggling to say her name in front of me, but the damage had already been done.


    "I don¡¯t know. It doesn¡¯t seem like that. The truth is, you ghosted me when I needed you the most. Just because you forget doesn¡¯t mean it can exin or excuse anything. What makes sense is that you remembered Azura. It helped me realize you will always choose her memories over me," I put a hand to my chest, and tears started spilling down my face again.


    "No, don¡¯t cry¡ª" He came from behind the podium, but I stepped back to create some distance between us.


    "Emmet¡ªI¡¯m so sorry, but I don¡¯t think I can do that again. To be in love with you¡ª" As I was talking, I heard him gasp, and my words faded from my mouth.


    "You don¡¯t love me anymore?" The way he asked that question made me regret it.


    If I didn¡¯t love him, I wouldn¡¯t be hurting so much. But he doesn¡¯t love me, and no matter how many times I say that to him, he refuses to ept it. Even when his actions made it clear that even his dead ex is his priority over me.


    "I will stop loving you, I¡¯ve made up my mind," I cleared my throat and saw him look away.


    "Okay, well, I have nothing else to say then," he started rubbing his face with his hands as I turned and walked past him, then out of the room.


    After I left, I couldn¡¯t focus on anything anymore. I had been consumed by memories of Emmet until we were supposed to go home.


    It was the weekend, so I¡¯d be returning to the mansion since that was the deal for the married ones.


    But I still had some time before I went home because I had to train. Norman was finishing hisbat ss with the others, so I was sitting next to the trail with Maximus and Kaye. I heard Emmet had left for home already.


    Maximus was standing a little farther from me, with one leg on a big rock and holding some grass that he kept shedding.


    And then there was Kaye, walking back and forth.


    "Hey, sir, may I have a minute with her?" That¡¯s when surprise hit us as Sage and Rudy ran straight to us.


    Now that they knew I had married Norman, I didn¡¯t think they would be weirded out by me spending more time alone with the brothers.


    "Sure," Maximus raised his brow, saying it in a very casual way.


    I got up and walked away because I didn¡¯t want the brothers to hear us. I had a feeling Rudy would also express his disappointment, and he did.


    "Hey," he said, a soft smile on his lips.


    "Hi," I replied awkwardly. It was my first time meeting them after my whole truth had been made public.


    "I¡¯m so sorry for what you went through. You should have told us, we would have always been on your side," Sage said, and I gave her a nod.


    I didn¡¯t doubt them ever. They were always very straightforward and kind to me. But telling my secret to them was not something I had ever thought about.


    "Anyway, I heard about your marriage. Hnie¡ªthere¡¯s no way you felt the mate bond with Professor Norman that night specifically. You¡¯ve lived with the brothers, so there¡¯s no way that full moon was the only time you felt the mate bond." However, the minute Rudy started talking about the mate bond issue, my body began to feel goosebumps.


    Why the heck was everyone so busy trying to prove the mate bond story wrong?


    "But I did¡ª" I tried to argue in the softest tone, but neither of them looked convinced.


    "Hnie, the mate bond is not something that is createdter. You are born with your mate already decided. So whenever you get in touch with your mate on a full moon, you feel the mate bond. So please, tell him the truth. He has been so restless ever since he found out you¡¯re married. There¡¯s no way you don¡¯t know that he has feelings for you." Safe stepped forward to defend her friend with the confession of love that he found hard to make now that I was married.


    Another one who wanted to marry me?


    Was Sydney right that I was just a horrible person trying to steal everyone? Was it some hidden effect of my pheromones?

 Chapter 515-My Husband Is A Jerk

    <h4>Chapter 515: 515-My Husband Is A Jerk</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "It happened, I¡¯m just not sure why," I felt so cornered that I regretted walking away with them. If I had stayed with the brothers, Rudy would have been more careful with his words.


    "Okay, let¡¯s just give her some space," finally, Sage noticed how ufortable I looked.


    "Oh yeah, no, I didn¡¯t mean to make you uneasy," Rudy stepped back as well. "I¡¯m so stupid. I don¡¯t know what got into me and why I acted like this¡ª" he startedughing and then added, "anyway, the point is, it won¡¯t change our friendship, right? You¡¯re not going to cut me off, right?"


    I never thought Rudy would be so interested in me. I mean, I knew he was, but not to the point that he¡¯d look so miserable. That was new.


    "Of course not," I gave him an understanding smile.


    "You know, our session is ending soon. We¡¯ll be done with the academy this fall. I¡¯ll be going back home to be the Alpha of the pack soon and before that¡ªwe¡¯re having a feast¡ªmore like a carnival, but I want to invite you to it. Pleasee with all your friends, it¡¯ll be a fun getaway," he seemed genuinely excited for me to be there at his pack. He even pulled out the tickets and handed them to me.


    "Your friends are wee. Special seats and special treatment, my word," Rudy smiled, looking so bright and happy when I epted the tickets.


    "Thank you," he smiled again, stepping back and paying so little attention to his steps that he almost tripped on a rock.


    "Be careful," I called out, and he nodded.


    I guess me not being able to confidently tell him that I had felt the mate bond with Norman gave him the idea that he was right. That we lied just to save me from marrying someone else.


    I mean, the council wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it even if someone told them that we lied about the mate bond.


    They can¡¯t prove it.


    "Pleasee, it starts next Thursday," he smiled, still stepping back until Sage hit him on the back of his head and the two started pushing each other yfully. I had no clue he¡¯d be so devastated that a simple response from me would lift his mood. And then I heard his true intentions.


    "I need to stop sulking and step up my game if I don¡¯t want to lose her to anyone else."


    He was talking with Sage as the two walked away.


    I went back to where the brothers were and found Norman waiting with them for me this time.


    "What did they say?" Maximus asked, while Norman narrowed his eyes at my hands.


    "What is that?" he asked, stepping closer and reaching his hand out.


    "Tickets to the carnival," I replied, handing him the tickets. "You want to go? Are you sure? I mean, the culprits are still out and not under any restraints."


    Norman was pouting while checking the tickets, and then he handed them back to me.


    "If you want, we can apany you," he said while looking around, almost like he wasn¡¯t trying to be too concerned for me.


    "No, it¡¯ll be fine. Actually, I¡¯ll have my friends with me," as soon as I said that, Maximus scoffed.


    "As if they could match my strength," there was a little jealous tone he used.


    "Well, we better get started with the training. We¡¯ll leave that to when it¡¯s time," Norman pointed at the tickets before he turned and started walking away, and I followed him along with the others.


    For the next few hours, we trained¡ªand when I say we trained, Norman was going all beast mode on me. He would toss me around whenever I tried attacking him.


    On the other hand, Maximus and Kaye let me beat the crap out of them. Not really!


    But I didnd some good punches and kicks on them.


    They praised me a lot while Norman sat on the side with his knees up and bent, elbows resting on them, and a very dissatisfied look on his face.


    "Wow, she¡¯s good," Kaye said as he stepped out of the red circle Norman had drawn. Whenever one of them entered the circle, we¡¯d battle.


    "I can¡¯t keep up," Maximus sighed heavily, taking a deep breath as he ced his hand on his chest.


    "Yayy," I jumped up and down, celebrating my victory until I saw Norman get up again. He was grunting and huffing as he strode toward the circle again.


    The minute he stepped in and I tried throwing a punch, he very casually held my hand, bent down, and then tossed me over his shoulder to the ground.


    Inded on my back, staring up at him standing next to my head with his hands on his waist.


    "Get up," he ordered, then stepped away.


    Maximus ran into the circle and gave me his hand, helping me up.


    "What was that for?" I hissed,ining because I thought I¡¯d already won.


    "Let¡¯s go home, it¡¯s gettingte," Norman groaned, not even turning to us.


    As we walked toward the car, Maximus kept showing me how I could give a better punch, and Kaye agreed with him. Norman was walking ahead of us, his big back facing us.


    Once in the car, as expected, he stayed silent until he spotted a caf¨¦.


    "Kaye, go inside and get her some food," he stopped the car and told his little brother, who rushed out in a hurry.


    "My regr for me!" Maximus yelled after him.


    After he returned, we ate in the car. I noticed Norman didn¡¯t eat anything, even when his brothers offered.


    I was sitting in the back with Maximus, and Norman had adjusted the rearview mirror so he could keep an eye on me.


    Once we got home, Maximus and Kaye left for their rooms while I followed Norman to his.


    Walking past Emma and Charlotte, as they watched me bitterly, was such a treat to my eyes.


    Every time they were annoyed, I celebrated.


    "How did I do at the training ground?" Once we had walked into his room and he had locked the door, I asked him.


    He turned around with a look of disappointment on his face, and I knew it wasn¡¯t going to be good news.


    "You¡¯re going to get beat up so bad at the battle."


    His words rang through my head like a curse.

 Chapter 516-Kiss Or Slap?

    <h4>Chapter 516: 516-Kiss Or p?</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Hnie, please open the door," he had been calling out for me while I cried in the bathroom.


    Ever since he told me I would lose, I had locked myself in¡ªbut not before I cried loudly in front of him. I don¡¯t do that in front of anyone.


    But I don¡¯t know why I get sofortable with him. Or maybe... I love showing him that he¡¯s the reason I¡¯m so hurt.


    But a person would only do that when they know the person they¡¯re crying in front of would care.


    Did I, deep down, know Norman cared?


    I mean¡ªmore than what he showed?


    "Hnie, I just meant¡ªlook¡ª"


    He shut up when I opened the door and faced him. He instantly stepped back, fixing his white shirt.


    "What? What do I need to look at? Show me," I said with my whole chest, challenging him¡ªand as I kept moving forward, he kept stepping back from me with a weird look on his face.


    "I meant¡ªyou couldn¡¯t evennd a punch on my face today," he muttered, trying to look away because I kept ring at him.


    "Exactly. Why? Because you didn¡¯t let me," I yelled, and he sighed, cing his hands inside his gray pants¡¯ pockets.


    "Because that would not be realistic?" heined.


    "Huh, look at Maximus and Kaye¡ªthey let me beat them up. And you¡ªyou didn¡¯t even let me p you," I stomped my foot, and he narrowed his eyes at me like he was in disbelief over what I was saying.


    "You wanted to p me?" he asked.


    I nodded aggressively.


    "But you¡¯re such a bad person. You only think about yourself and your face¡ª" I scoffed, turning away and folding my arms over my chest.


    "Okay. p me."


    I heard him say it, and my posture shattered.


    My arms slowly started to unfold and drop down from my body, and when I turned around, I found him standing behind me¡ªbody hunched slightly, his face turned to the side, ready for a p.


    "You¡¯re allowing me to p you?" I asked in a low voice.


    "Yeah, since you so badly wanted to do it," he said, hands still in his pockets.


    ¡¯Norman is asking me to p him?¡¯


    Since when did Norman start to bow before someone?


    "Come on. If that¡¯s what will make you stop crying, do it," he insisted.


    I tied my hands behind my back.


    I remembered how he came to save me when I was being married off. I remembered how he defended me every time I was in trouble.


    The man who used to hate my guts was now taking care of me.


    Did he really deserve a p?


    I stared at his face, and my body started to feel this weird kind of itch. I gulped as I looked at his cheek next.


    An urge to get on my tiptoes and kiss him on the cheek rose in my chest. He had done a lot for me. I mean... I could thank him, right?


    So I did get on my tiptoes and was just about to kiss him¡ªwhen his phone beeped.


    He quickly turned his face, probably to check if I was going to p him, and that¡¯s when our faces met.


    Not met, but... almost.


    We breathed on each other¡¯s lips briefly before I stepped back in a panic.


    "What were you doing¡ª?" he asked, eyes wide.


    "Nothing," I groaned, yelling like I just got caught doing something I shouldn¡¯t.


    "No, you were doing something. You were on your tippy toes," he pointed at my feet. "What were you doing?" he asked again.


    He was so annoying. Why was he like that?


    "You said I could p you," I said, nting my fists on my waist, ring at him.


    "You were pping me with your face?" he said¡ªthen paused, probably realizing how dumb that sounded, and looked down at his phone to avoid eye contact.


    I was so embarrassed.


    And this giant didn¡¯t help either. He wasn¡¯t the type to let something go. He¡¯d dig and poke until the other person admitted it and fully drowned in shame.


    What a beast.


    I should¡¯ve just pped him instead.


    He stared at his screen and sighed.


    I instantly knew who it was.


    "Jessica, what is it?"


    As he answered her call, I remembered what I¡¯d found out about Jessica. She had tried to end her life.


    "Shit, shit, shit. I¡¯m such an idiot. I shouldn¡¯t even be doing¡ª"


    I shut myself up. I didn¡¯t even know what I did.


    I was just d I didn¡¯t go through with the kiss on the cheek.


    I¡¯ll keep my distance from him¡ªfor Jessica¡¯s sake.


    After Norman returned, I had changed my whole mood and behavior.


    "She was just asking about the deal we¡¯ve been working on together. The files are over there, you can take a look," Norman said, cing his phone on the stand¡ªwith their chat still open.


    "Take a look."


    I shook my head.


    "You don¡¯t need to show me anything. I¡¯m your wife until next full moon. I¡¯m not going to call you out or anything. You can continue your rtionship with Jessica, no need to act all loyal," I said with a dryugh, trying to y it off.


    "I¡¯ll go change and then rest," I added, and quickly ran into the bathroom again.


    After I showered and came out, I found Norman sitting on the couch in ck shorts and a gray shirt.


    "You can sleep in the bed," I offered, and he shook his head.


    "Norman, I don¡¯t move much in my sleep. And you don¡¯t either, since you can literally sleep while sitting, so it¡¯ll be fine. We can make a barrier in the middle," I said, starting to ce pillows down.


    "It¡¯s okay though. I don¡¯t really sleep like that," he mumbled, making me nce at him from the bed.


    But then, he slowly got up and came to the bed.


    "But thanks," he added quietly.


    Then hey down on his side, back facing me.


    I wanted to ask him so many things... but he seemed so down, I let it go.


    Within minutes, I was asleep.


    ---


    I woke up to my hand hurting and someone groaning loudly.


    Rubbing my eyes, I saw Norman standing tall next to his side of the bed, holding a pillow.


    As soon as he noticed I was awake, he startedining,


    "So much for ¡¯I don¡¯t move in my sleep¡¯¡ªyou freaking went allmando on me! You punched me, kicked me¡ª"

 Chapter 517-Somebody’s Watching Me

    <h4>Chapter 517: 517-Somebody¡¯s Watching Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Ugh, I did? I am so sorry," I said sleepily, grabbing my ankle and then trying to massage my body. I was in so much pain.


    "You okay?" he asked, and I started kicking the air while sitting straight up in bed.


    "Thatbat lesson¡ªmy body hurts," I whimpered,ining like a child. I had no idea what made me act so careless in front of him.


    I couldn¡¯t even handle body aches in front of him.


    "Oh, shoot, why didn¡¯t I think about it? Of course your body would ache. You haven¡¯t worked out in a while," he muttered under his breath and then put his pillow down, slowly reaching for an oil bottle.


    "Lie down, I¡¯ll massage your feet," he offered. As soon as he said that, I pulled my legs back into my body and pouted.


    "No," the way I said it was enough for him to roll his eyes.


    "Hnie, it¡¯s just a foot massage. Nothing weird about it. I¡¯ll be decent," he mumbled, even when he didn¡¯t have to.


    I could be naked in front of him and he wouldn¡¯t do anything. In fact, a thousand women could be naked in front of him and he would stille out untouched.


    "Fine," I lied down, watching him sit by my feet and then rub the oil between his palms before cing them on my foot.


    I must say, he should be a masseuse. The way he massaged my feet and then my legs up to the knees, I felt like I was in heaven.


    "You are so good at it," Iplimented, and he groaned.


    "You know, I was meaning to ask you, how did Jessica ever convince you to have sex with her?" I asked and noticed him stopping his hands.


    "That is so inappropriate," he said right away, and I bit my tongue. Then he added, "Don¡¯t feel bad. It¡¯s not that inappropriate. But I won¡¯t answer that question. Besides, I don¡¯t do that stuff."


    I sat up straight, pulling my legs back from him again and staring into his eyes.


    "Please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re a virgin," I gasped, and he frowned.


    "Hnie, do you want me to help you with the pain or not?" he grunted loudly, his eyes showing I needed to shut up now.


    I gave him my arm and stubbornly demanded, "My arms ache too."


    He was so cute when he was massaging my arm. He made sure his hands stayed in ce, not touching anything other than just my arms.


    He even avoided looking into my eyes.


    After about an hour, I began to feel sleepy again. But Norman got up from the bed and snapped his fingers in front of my face to get my attention.


    "Not yet. I¡¯ll bring you some warm milk and something to eat. You have to take medicine too. You¡¯re having a light fever from the workout, so let¡¯s deal with it first, okay?"


    He fixed the sheet over my body and then fluffed the pillow behind me as I sat in the bed.


    "Till then¡ª," he looked around and then picked up hisptop, doing something on it, "watch a movie."


    He ced theptop on a soft pillow in myp before he left the room. For a moment, I sat frozen.


    How the hell did a man who looked so evil in the beginning turn out to be so caring?


    There were moments when I wondered if he was being nice to me only because of his brothers.


    But now, only a fool would believe that.


    I had a feeling that he genuinely saw me as family.


    After he left, I put theptop away and got out of the bed to follow him to the kitchen.


    While walking downstairs, I began to notice something through the windows of the staircase.


    Someone was outside in the passage. Not just anyone¡ªI knew exactly who it was.


    I started staring at the path that followed the kitchen and the way that led to the passage.


    As much as I wanted to go to the passage, I kept remembering the way things had ended between us.


    I did tell him that I would be getting him out of my head and heart.


    As I stood next to the window and kept watching him drink himself into oblivion, I didn¡¯t realize someone else had joined me.


    "You can go check up on him," I turned my head to Norman, who was carrying a tray in his hands.


    "It¡¯s okay," I said, turning to leave when he said something that made me stop and rethink my decision.


    "I know he hurt you. But it was unintentional. And now he¡¯s hurting.


    He has stopped showing up at family dinners or gatherings. He¡¯s drowning himself in alcohol again.


    If you can just check up on him¡ªgive him closure in a way that it doesn¡¯t hurt him. But at the end of the day, it¡¯s your choice only," Norman said in the calmest tone and walked past me.


    I stayed standing in my spot, staring at Emmet without thinking about anything else, when I heard a little voice that confused me.


    ¡¯That is not fair.¡¯


    Huh?


    I jumped, looking around in panic. "Who are you?"


    I called out, turning my head repeatedly to make sure no outsider had broken in.


    ¡¯You should go check on him.¡¯


    I heard it again. It was the most gentle and soft voice ever, almost like someone was humming a melody.


    "Who is it?" I groaned, my breathing turning erratic and the pain in my body increasing.


    "Ugh!"


    And then¡ªI could no longer think about Emmet or anyone.


    My body was in so much pain that I knelt down and wrapped my arms around my stomach.


    "Norman¡ª," I let out a cry, looking up at the stairs.


    It would be a hassle to walk up all these stairs when I couldn¡¯t even get up from the ground.


    "Emmet¡ª," and then I cried again, looking outside the window while my body was shaking.


    Emmet, who had his bottle up to his mouth, suddenly dropped it and looked around until his eyesnded on the window.


    And all I could do was mouth the words to him: "Help me."

 Chapter 518-A Really Good One

    <h4>Chapter 518: 518-A Really Good One</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    He had soon arrived, and I was in his arms in the next few minutes. He was carrying me upstairs to my bedroom.


    He stormed inside to find Norman sitting on the couch with the tray on the table.


    "Hnie? What happened to her?" Norman jumped to his feet, reaching Emmet, but he didn¡¯t hand me over to him.


    "I found her sitting on the stairs and crying in pain. What is going on with her? Her body is heating up," Emmet told his brother, sounding slightly drunk, but he was able to form a full sentence and even navigate me to the bedroom without tripping once.


    But I was in bad shape.


    "It hurts so much," I cried loudly, shaking in pain. Every inch of my body seemed to be on fire. No amount of massage or medicine would help.


    "We should take her to the doctor¡ª" Norman was about to suggest when something suddenly silenced both of them.


    They froze for a brief moment.


    That something was none other than the crack of my elbow joint.


    And then¡ªright before my eyes, and theirs too¡ªmy bones started breaking and shifting.


    "Ughhhh¡ª" I bit my bottom lip to stop myself from screaming, but I still heard Emmet loud and clear when he said,


    "She is transitioning."


    That was all I heard before Norman tried to carry me again.


    However, Emmet jumped in his way and took me from him, leading the way.


    The two of them were now rushing me downstairs while I whimpered against Emmet¡¯s chest.


    "Take her to the woods," Norman suggested, and Emmet rushed faster.


    The next few minutes were so painful for me.


    I was hearing all sorts of weird noises¡ªeverything from far away as well.


    More specifically, the sounds of animals.


    There were times when I thought I would pass out, but I didn¡¯t.


    Because shes of all the torture I had faced and all the pain I had been through in my life started rushing back to me.


    It felt like a walk down memoryne.


    All the things¡ªfrom when I was a child to when I became an adult¡ªevery happy and sad moment came rushing back, making the pain even worse.


    And then¡ªwe reached a safe ce.


    It had only been a few minutes of running for Emmet as he tried his best to cover as much distance as possible in a little time, but it felt like hours to me.


    Once he put me down, Norman stationed himself opposite from his brother.


    The two now stood in front of me and behind me, ready to help in whatever way they could.


    "Okay, now listen to my voice. The pain is just a hint of something bigger. Let your wolf take over. Let your body rx," Norman started saying, and I dropped on my knees.


    "Hnie, let your wolf take over your body," Emmet repeated the same thing.


    But I didn¡¯t know how to do that.


    "Your wolf is not your enemy. She won¡¯t hurt your body like others. Your body will be safer in her hands. Trust her," Norman said, and as he spoke, I realized what had been stopping me from transitioning all this time.


    My control over my body after I had been raped was so strong that even when my wolf tried waking up, I would shut her down without even meaning to.


    I had grown so defensive of my body that I didn¡¯t even let my wolf take over.


    As I rxed and started breathingfortably, not focusing on my body and letting myself loosen up, I heard my wolf speak.


    ¡¯I will never hurt you.¡¯


    With that, I watched my hands start to change. Norman and Emmet shared a nce before they turned their backs to me.


    I was finally transitioning.


    I cried as my wolf took over.


    And soon, I was no longer in control of my body¡ªjust a sense in the background.


    We didn¡¯tmunicate with words during that time. We just changed and ran around,ughing together.


    Norman and Emmet stayed running around me in their human forms to keep a check on me.


    My wolf was pretty smart and full of energy.


    I thought she would be weak like I was.


    But the way she covered miles in minutes and howled the loudest, I felt powerful.


    Soon, it hade to an end¡ªlike every good thing.


    I began to transition back again.


    My body was tired from running the whole night.


    I arrived at the ce where I had first changed and found clothes left for me.


    After I changed, I slowlyy down on the ground and closed my eyes.


    I wanted to drift off to sleep, and I knew I would be safe because the two who had been guarding me were still nearby.


    I knew they would carry me back home, safe and sound.


    It was then that I realized¡ªbeing mates or lovers shouldn¡¯t be such a hassle.


    One should be able to close their eyes during a war because they know their mate is there to protect them.


    That amount of safety... that is what true love is.


    And just like I had expected, soon I was in Emmet¡¯s arms.


    They were taking me back home.


    Although I wasn¡¯t fully awake, I wasn¡¯t fully asleep either.


    So, I got to hear them talking about my wolf.


    "What are we going to do now?" Norman asked Emmet.


    "I always had a feeling there was something special about her wolf. But to this extent..." Emmet responded.


    "Hmm. Is it odd that I¡¯m beginning to wonder if it was her wolf forcing her to fight Darius? Her wolf must know how different she is. I¡¯m starting to believe... there is hope that Hnie will win."


    Those words brought a smile to my lips, and I felt Emmet give me a little shake in his arms.


    My body jumped slightly andnded back in his arms.


    "She¡¯s happy to hear us talk about her being strong and powerful," Emmet said very coldly, but I could tell he was trying to be yful.


    "She¡¯s awake?" Norman questioned, and I believed Emmet nodded.


    "Well, Hnie, you got yourself a really good wolf," Norman said as he walked ahead of us.


    Was it true?


    Was my wolf truly that different?

 Chapter 519-It’s Getting Good.

    <h4>Chapter 519: 519-It¡¯s Getting Good.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Can I see it again?" I asked for the fifth time after watching the same clip with a huge smile on my lips. Kaye nodded and handed Emmet¡¯s phone to me.


    I held it in my hands and smiled once more. Watching my beautiful wolf run was the confidence I needed.


    The fact that it had two powerful eye colors ¡ª pink and blue ¡ª and had dual-toned fur... I was seeing what others had been telling me.


    "Why is her wolf so different from the others?" Maximus asked, shifting in the bed. The two hade after Norman informed them about my transition.


    We had ordered so much food to celebrate my wolf.


    Although everyone was here, all four of them, Emmet remained slightly distant. He barely spoke, only answered with small head nods.


    The spark he used to show before was fading, and I was getting worried for him.


    "Because she isn¡¯t like the others. There is definitely some story behind her two-toned colors. We have different wolves, but they are nothing like hers," Norman exined, holding a book in his hand.


    Emmet sat on the chair far away from the bed, his foot tapping on the ground anxiously, and his eyes fixated on the wall ahead.


    "And why didn¡¯t you two call us when she started transitioning? We would have loved to run beside her," Maximusined.


    Since it wasn¡¯t a full moon, Maximus¡¯ wolf would have been just a normal one ¡ª powerful but not a lycan.


    "We didn¡¯t think about you two, sorry," Normanined as he continued to check my wolf¡¯s condition.


    "Well, Emmet, was it crazy? Did you at any point want to shift and run beside her?" Maximus, who had been keeping one eye on his big brother, finally said his name to involve him in the conversation.


    Even Kaye seemed worried about Emmet too.


    "Ah?" Emmet shook himself back from whatever thoughts he was lost in and turned his attention to us.


    "You know Emmet was a big help. If he hadn¡¯t seen her on the stairs¡ª" As Norman started to praise him, Emmet cleared his throat, which cut the sentence short.


    "Then Norman would have. I¡¯m sure when she hadn¡¯t returned to the room, Norman would have gone out to look for her," Emmet intervened, refusing to take the credit.


    "Anyway kids, I¡¯ll be heading back to my room now," he got up and, without sparing me a nce, started walking out of the room.


    "Brother, stay a little longer, can you?" Maximus¡¯ voice was filled with so much worry as he requested his brother to stay.


    Silence lingered for a few seconds before Emmet turned around and his gaze finally fell on me.


    "It iste," he said while looking straight into my eyes, and then walked away.


    "Umm, he¡¯s not wrong though. Hnie hadn¡¯t rested the whole night. How about we let her rest and thenter we can try thebat sses?" Kaye got out of the bed as well, fixing his pants.


    "And this time ¡ª be serious. I know you two want to impress her, but brothers, Darius wouldn¡¯t be lenient on her. We need to perfect her every move ¡ª every attack," Norman reminded them about thest day, and the two scratched the back of their necks, looking guilty for giving me the idea that I was beating them up.


    Well, I kind of knew they were letting me kick their asses.


    After they too walked out, I smiled andid down on the bed.


    "I am so happy," I muttered to myself and then slowly closed my eyes to rest.


    While I slept through, Norman silently tried looking for answers. When I woke up, he told me there was nothing helpful in the books.


    So maybe I was a rare case?


    Could be.


    But my attention shifted to Lord McQuoid, who had asked me toe for lunch. I assumed he would remind me what a horrible person I am for ruining their chance at happiness and all that. But to my surprise, there seemed to be a lot of dishes in honor of my marriage to his son, decorated on the table.


    Emma and Charlotte had a sour look on their faces. They hadn¡¯t filled their tes like they used to.


    So, every time they sat at the table, they wouldn¡¯t wait for others to arrive and would start eating.


    This time, they seemed to have been asked to wait. I joined the table, sitting between Lord McQuoid and Norman, wearing a ck shirt and blue jeans.


    "I know I¡¯ve been missing out on the traditions because of the shock factor. But let me make it up to you," Lord McQuoid started by pouring me a ss of drink and then to his son.


    "Happy marriage ¡ª I hope you two grow old together and achieve all that you have in mind." His sweetness was overflowing, but it was my mother who I had my eyes glued to.


    She looked so red, almost like blushing. There was also a smile she seemed to be holding back.


    Was she happy?


    How the hell did she allow Lord McQuoid to throw us a lunch?


    "Thank you," I said to Lord McQuoid, avoiding the eyes of Kaye and Maximus, who seemed to disagree with me and Norman growing old together. Well, I did too.


    I looked around to get a full nce at the table, my eyes searching for a specific someone when Norman whispered in my ear, "He¡¯s sleeping."


    I nodded, hiding a sigh. I didn¡¯t want Emmet to lose touch with everyone once again. It was like how he was when I first arrived at the mansion.


    He would always keep to himself, yet help me whenever he could. And even though I was grateful to that Emmet, I was still not happy that he was acting that way.


    "Let us have a feast, and then we can go to the council together." As soon as Lord McQuoid said that, my smile faded away.


    "Why?" I asked in a whisper.


    "Because of the Zellu thing. You know they are saying Zellu is dead but since his body isn¡¯t found yet, the rest of the investigation will be conductedter. For now, the reason is the confessional video. They want to meet you," he said. "I think they will ask you about the case. If you want to reopen it or not."


    That was a big sess after having sess with my wolfst night. Things were finally falling into ce where they should be.

 Chapter 520-He Is Not So Scary, Just A Delusional Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 520: 520-He Is Not So Scary, Just A Delusional Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Norman and the others had to walk away to have a word with the council¡¯s head before I joined them.


    I was sitting outside the court on the bench, staring at the pleasant weather when a few cars started pulling up.


    I knew who they were.


    Romeo and Darius walked out of their cars in suits as if they were headed to their weddings. That¡¯s when their eyesnded on me, and Darius stopped dead in his tracks.


    I tried avoiding direct eye contact, but it seemed like he was beginning to walk in my direction. I squeezed my legs together, turning my face to the other side, yet he kepting.


    "Dude, no," I heard Romeo call after him and stop him, but Darius kept going until he came straight to me. Now I couldn¡¯t avoid him.


    "How are you, Hnie? Are you doing okay? Getting married to the man who¡¯s been seen as your stepbrother must have been such a blow to your dreams," Darius said, sitting down on the bench beside me. I quickly slid away from him, keeping my head straight, but I kept my eyes to the side, ready if he dared try closing the distance between us.


    "Anyway, I am really upset for you. That whole nightmare you¡¯ve made up in your mind about that night ¡ª I do believe it¡¯s a psychological issue. You must have dreamed about it," he angered me with the calmness in his voice.


    And the fact that he was saying this when we were alone made me wonder if he thought it would be that easy for him to manipte me.


    "Really? Let me guess, you¡¯re some saint, and I¡¯m the monster?" I turned to him, and as I hissed at him, a smile started to form on his lips.


    Almost like he found himself victorious for getting a reaction out of me.


    "You look so adorable even when you¡¯re angry. But that¡¯s not what I¡¯m trying to say. I¡¯m not a saint. I¡¯ve done many wrong things in my life. The biggest ¡ª one being not being able to help a wounded soul. I should have paid attention to your mental health and done something about it," his tone was sharp but with a hint of sincerity.


    The fact that he was saying all that with his chest out was giving off arrogant vibes. That¡¯s what it was. No wonder he had no regard for my freedom and stole everything from me that night. In his head, he can twist the words and narratives, and he will be heard.


    "Anyway, I haven¡¯te here to call you names or anything. I¡¯m going to make a huge decision for you today," he confused me. He ced a hand to his heart and sighed when saying those words.


    That didn¡¯t make sense to me.


    Why would he think so highly of himself when he knew I had seen the evil in him that night?


    "People call me DID, the devil in disguise, for a reason, Hnie." It was then that he whispered under his breath, so low that others could not have heard him no matter what.


    But I did.


    "Oh, well, Darius, you¡¯re not as charming as you think," Imented, and then I started nodding and smiling.


    The look on his face when watching me smile was worth watching. It was almost like a shock had hit him.


    I bet he had imagined me to bepletely broken.


    "Don¡¯t be like that. You¡¯ll think I¡¯m charming too when I save you," he continued, causing me to raise an eyebrow.


    He had definitelye here with a n.


    "A beautiful she-wolf like you doesn¡¯t have to deal with so much alone. I¡¯ll be there for you," he continued, "No more cries. I¡¯ll give you your life back. You¡¯ll get to live again,ugh again and even¡ª" As he continued with his fake calm and soft tone, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and let out a loudugh.


    The way his face fell and he turned his neck to the side to look up at Romeo said it all.


    He was lost on how I couldugh.


    "You¡¯ll give me my life back? I¡¯ve been living my life for a year. You thought just because you all traumatized me, I stopped living? You thought, after what you all did to me, I would need a man to make me learn tough or live again?" I scoffed at him, using a tone that would hurt his ego in a way that he wouldn¡¯t be able to recover from.


    "Of course I lived my life and continued to live it way better than before. It wasn¡¯t because of a man, but there were men who made me understand that not everyone is a horrible son of a bitch like you guys," my words caused his cheeks to turn red. It was that easy for a woman to bruise his ego.


    "I¡¯ll see how you speak to me after our marriage," it was then that his big n escaped his lips.


    "Huh? You really thought that would happen?" I let out a sigh, getting up from the bench and covering my mouth with my hand to express shock.


    Romeo instantly stepped away as if I were some devil he didn¡¯t want to cross.


    "Well, you can say all you want. But marriage with me will guarantee you your lost image, respect, and love. You¡¯ll be able to live the life of dreams you once had. And I¡¯ll forgive you then for speaking like this with me," he smiled, getting up to face me.


    "Oh Darius, you¡¯re so naive and stupid that I feel pity for you. Let¡¯s go and share the ideas we have in our minds in regard to each other in front of the council, shall we?" I gave him a closed-lip smile as I started to walk away.


    That¡¯s when Kaye hade out to look for me. He swiftly made his way towards us, ready to charge at Darius, but I ced my hand on Kaye¡¯s chest to stop him.


    "It¡¯s okay. He cannot harm me again," I said loudly, causing Romeo and Darius to share a nce of

 Chapter 521-I Challenge You

    <h4>Chapter 521: 521-I Challenge You</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "We saw the video clip, and we are really sorry¡ªreally sorry for what happened to you. Or what Zellu did to you," Vonston, who had previously looked at me like I was some liar, had his eyes down.


    "That doesn¡¯t prove anything. She must have taken off her pendant for Zellu to¡ª," As Alpha Diaz spoke up, I realized he wouldn¡¯t ever give up.


    "Please, Alpha Diaz¡ªI wouldn¡¯t want you to speak like that about a victim anymore. As for Zellu, he exined the whole story to us. Although, since he had been stabbed, he only experienced his own actions and talked about them. But they are enough for us to know Zellu is guilty," Vonston spoke bitterly to Alpha Diaz, shutting him down.


    "But someone stabbed him. That is also illegal and a crime," Alpha Diaz hissed under his breath.


    "That we are looking into. Only when we find his body can we proceed with that case. For now, I want everyone here to apologize to Hnie for not believing her when she imed Zellu had caused her trauma," he continued, shocking Alpha Diaz.


    "Sure, however, it doesn¡¯t prove the crimes of the others. They stand still. If anything, we now know that Hnie had rtionships with multiple men. She is just mixing them all into one night when they happened on different nights. Some Alphas took advantage of her, probably after she took advantage of them using her pheromones, or maybe she used pheromones on some while on the others she used her beauty on them," Alpha Diaz wouldn¡¯t rest, and it had been made clear to me.


    "I would suggest you not say such things. It is indeed true that only Zellu¡¯s crime has been proven. Romeo and Darius are still pretty much guilt-free¡ªwhich is why he brought Hnie here," Vonston shifted in his seat, looking so low in energy.


    "Since Zellu¡¯s case changed the whole narrative and even my little daughter looked me in the eye and asked me, ¡¯Daddy, is she never going to be believed even when so many are iming they hurt her?¡¯ I have to ask Hnie for a retrial. If she wants, she can continue with the case," Vonston left my mouth open when he mentioned his own daughter.


    That¡¯s when I realized why he had been so low in energy. His own daughter questioned his way of bringing justice to the victims.


    It¡¯s crazy how people only see things differently once it is their own loved ones showing them the mirror.


    "May I have a say in it?" Darius raised his hand, clicking his tongue like a psycho.


    "Sure, what do you want to say?" Vonston asked him. That¡¯s when the four standing beside me turned to him, almost in a threatening way. Lord McQuoid was sitting next to Alpha Diaz, giving him side-eye the whole time. He didn¡¯t even ept his greetings this time.


    "I know Hnie will be rejecting Norman this full moon because they lied about the mate bond," he was so bold to predict that.


    "What?" Vonston stared at me, and I shrugged.


    "What is going on?" he asked.


    "I find it bizarre that she did that, but it¡¯s okay. She is a young woman with so much happening in her life that she has been making wrong decisions through and through. I think it¡¯s safe to say that the only way she can rest with the usations, after the criminals have already admitted it, is that she wants to marry me. That¡¯s the only thing I cane up with. She liked me, and she¡ªshe used her pheromones to trap me." It was a huge revtion, but also so stupid.


    As the brothers startedughing, I could tell it became a problem for Darius.


    "Darius, what makes you make such a big im?" Vonston asked him, kind of giving him the same look others were giving him.


    Even I had no clue what made hime up with such an outrageous statement.


    "You will find out next full moon when Norman rejects her and I offer to marry her. Once we get married¡ªyou will see the positive change in her," he continued to make a fool out of himself. I saw Romeo physically distancing himself from his friend, ring at him.


    "You want to marry him next full moon?" Vonston asked me directly.


    It was so funny that nobody was taking him seriously except for Alpha Diaz, who was giving such phony expressions of shock to make it look real.


    "I¡¯m d you asked me¡ªI have also made up some ns¡ªa decision," I straightened my back and faced Darius and Romeo.


    Romeo quickly stepped further away so that only Darius was in my line of sight.


    "I am challenging you for your throne in a battle of Alpha Kings." As soon as those words left my lips, gasps erupted in the air.


    Alpha Diaz was staring at his sons for never filling them in on the news.


    "Really? Come on now, you don¡¯t even have a wolf. And I wouldn¡¯t want to fight a fragile girl whose only desire is to be a Luna or a Luna queen," Darius used a sarcastic, sympathetic tone, "It will be an unfair fight. Usually, it¡¯s powerful Alphas who think they can take the Alpha King crown, but she¡ª" he pouted, clicking his tongue.


    "Are you sure about that?" I asked, and this time, I watched his eyes widen as the two-toned color of my eyes shed, hinting at my wolf¡¯s presence.


    Darius stared at his friend, who then narrowed his eyes at me.


    "Wow, Hnie, what is that?" Vonston questioned, Lord McQuoid getting up from his chair too.


    "Her wolf has woken up. So when she was talking about challenging Darius, she¡¯s serious. That is the only way she wants to resolve this matter," Norman stated loudly, watching everyone¡¯s face for reactions.


    Alpha Diaz looked so bothered and lost, his eyes kept moving side to side on the ground, as if he was trying to understand something.


    And then there was Darius, who had quickly recovered from the initial shock.


    "Sure, I ept it, but there are my terms as well," he dered, and everyone was suddenly all ears.

 Chapter 522-My Life Is A Joke

    <h4>Chapter 522: 522-My Life Is A Joke</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "If she kills me or gets me to surrender¡ªwhich I doubt will happen¡ªbut if it did, she would get the throne. But I¡¯m not heartless, I won¡¯t let her die. So when she surrenders, she will marry me. I¡¯ll give her the life she has always dreamed of," Darius made everyone watch his face, even with a puzzled look, while the brothers shared a nce before grunting in sync.


    "You want to marry her?" Maximus hissed, stepping forward to attack him when Emmet gently tapped his stomach to stop him.


    "She can handle him. He¡¯s a mouse in front of her," he whispered, and Darius started cackling, shaking his head.


    "Alpha Darius, the way you keep talking about marrying her makes me wonder if it¡¯s you who dreamed about it," Lord McQuoid let out a scoff, and Vonston sighed as he probably agreed too.


    "I just want this drama to stop," Darius probably realized how ridiculous he sounded. So he started changing his tone.


    ¡¯Do it,¡¯ Afterst night, I hadn¡¯t heard my wolf until now. And she did catch me off guard.


    ¡¯What if we lose?¡¯ I asked her in worry. That would be a very dangerous game we were ying.


    ¡¯Trust me, we won¡¯t. Even with half our powers, we will win. Or¡ªwe would rather die.¡¯


    I took a deep breath and nodded my head. "I ept it."


    Once again, the whole ce went silent, and then Vonston gave a head nod.


    "So it¡¯s decided. On 16 August, the battle between Alpha Darius and Hnie for the title of Alpha King or Queen will be determined," Vonston announced, causing everyone to stand up in support and respect.


    Now I realized why others barely ever challenged someone. The chances of them dying would scare them off.


    That¡¯s why they desired admission into the best academies¡ªto at least learn how to twist the battle in a way that it leads to surrender.


    We walked out, with the brothers surrounding me to make sure the crazy ones didn¡¯t get near me.


    "I¡¯m sorry," I heard Lord McQuoid say before I got into the car. "They all lied about you. It was one night full of horror that they are now making out to be a lifelong habit¡ªor actions. There¡¯s no way a man being wrongfully used of such a heinous crime would want to marry the girl. It proves what a scum he is and that he is not innocent. Your usations are right, and we stand with you." He gave me a smile, patting my back.


    "Thank you so much, I¡¯m really d people are slowlying around. But I will not rest until I have exposed every single one of them," I said to Lord McQuoid before I got in the car with Norman.


    Once we settled in, we started driving back home.


    "I think you will do it," Norman stated, his tone hinting he was certain I would be able to defeat that man.


    "Hmm, what about Romeo?" I shifted in my seat, watching him, resting my head back, my face touching the seat¡¯s leather.


    "We need to n something big for him," he confirmed.


    After that, I started zoning out a lot. Even when Norman stopped midway so that Kaye and Maximus could hop into the back seats, I didn¡¯t utter a word.


    "Emmet is taking Dad home," Maximus told his brother, clearing his throat before speaking to me. "You okay?"


    His voice was filled with concern. But there was nothing he could do about me feeling down. The events of that night couldn¡¯t be changed.


    "16 August is in 45 days," I spoke up, smiling while a tear started to leave my eye. I don¡¯t know how Norman spotted it, but when he did, he hurriedly parked the car on the side of the road.


    "What happened?" Kaye asked from behind.


    "Hnie, why are you crying?" Norman asked me. Kaye jumped out of the car to open the door to my side and bend down to check on me. Maximus was trying his best to get a good look at me from the back as well.


    "It¡¯s just that¡ªmy life is funny," Even when I tried to snort augh, tears spilled down my cheeks. Suddenly, I was so vulnerable.


    "But what is going on?" Maximus inquired. I bet Emmet saw our car parked in the middle of the road and followed. He gestured at his father something before quickly heading our way.


    "She¡¯s so upset," Kayeined to his brother, who gestured for him to step aside. Once he was the one standing by the door for me, he ran his fingertips onto my cheek to push my hair off my face.


    "16 August is her birthday. That is the night when¡ªand now that day, she will be fighting him," Emmet spoke up, causing gasps from his brothers to hit my ears. I closed my eyes because I wanted the world to disappear to hide myself from everyone.


    It was then I felt a hand turn me in the seat, his hard chest pressing against my face. I knew who it was.


    Emmet.


    "It¡¯s alright. Maybe it happened because you have to win that night. You¡¯re going to rece the memories of that night with something victorious. You have no idea what it means if you win. You¡¯ll be an Alpha Queen, the first one to challenge someone and win. You can have a say in werewolf court and even suggest rules that will help out victims," his soft andforting tone made me take a deep breath and finally open my eyes. He broke the hug and cupped my face in his hands.


    "All I know is that you will win. That the night of 16 August is not the night of your destruction, that night will be remembered as the biggest fall of an Alpha King," he said confidently, his brothers nodding and giving me support. When I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to cheer up, he proved me wrong. I was suddenly smiling through tears. I will do it, and I will win.

 Chapter 523-The Fool Is At It Again

    <h4>Chapter 523: 523-The Fool Is At It Again</h4>


    <strong>Darius:</strong>


    "Huh! You want to marry that woman?" Dad had been yelling at me ever since I arrived home.


    I sat on the couch with my body hunched over, elbows resting on my thighs, and my eyes squeezed shut at theint my father was making.


    Ever since I had spoken to Hnie, I had been feeling so angry that I couldn¡¯t think straight.


    "You know Vonston called me. He said I need to help you and that he thinks you might be obsessed with that girl. Do you have any idea what your statements today caused for us? Everyone who used to think Hnie was the desperate one who wanted to marry an alpha is now suspicious of you," he kept going on and on.


    My sister sat on a separate sofa, her eyes nk as if they no longer recognized me. I didn¡¯t get what I had done so wrong that my family wasn¡¯t believing me.


    "It wasn¡¯t because of me. It was because of that loser, Zellu. He hurt Hnie and now we all seem like bad people. I just wish his death is a lie so I can get my hands on him and kill him myself for torturing an innocent she-wolf," I used as much anger as I could to show I would never do something like that.


    However, a scoff from my sister silenced me.


    "Do you really think you sound believable?" Her calm face but cold tone cut deep.


    "You still don¡¯t believe me, do you?" I asked her, tears forming in my eyes.


    "Still? You¡¯re speaking as if you¡¯ve proven yourself to be innocent. Almost all of your friends have confessed, Darius. Do you think I¡¯m an idiot? The fact that you have a sister and still did this to another woman¡ªdid you not think about what would happen if someone did the same to your sister?" Her eyes started to water and that¡¯s when my fists clenched.


    "If anyone¡ªanyone harmed you¡ªI will burn¡ª" I pointed a finger at her, but she started chuckling.


    "Oh please, I¡¯d rather have no one fight for me than ask you for revenge. That girl went through hell, her life was turned upside down because I failed to raise you. I just don¡¯t understand where I went wrong," she broke down and my father red at me.


    There was no lie in the fact that Jessica was our whole world. My father would bury me alive if I didn¡¯t prove myself innocent.


    "And Dad, you¡ª" I was shocked when she mentioned Dad too.


    "The fact that even his friends admitted to being trash and still you¡¯re calling Hnie disgusting or acting like the idea of anyone marrying her is gross makes me wonder¡ªMom must be happier dying than seeing this version of you. That would¡¯ve been hell for her," my sister was losing her mind, but I knew she was just hurt because of Norman.


    I didn¡¯t want to believe she was choosing Hnie over me. But there were some rumors¡ªI heard someone say¡ªmy sister had been digging up info about my friends.


    Was she nning something against us?


    "For thest time, I didn¡¯t do it. The others might have¡ªbut I¡¯m innocent. Hnie is just taking her anger out on everyone who ever crossed paths with her. That¡¯s all I¡¯ll say," I got up and started to leave because my father had begun to yell at me after he saw my sister cry.


    "We should have killed her when we had the chance. All of this could¡¯ve been avoided," my wolf suggested.


    "No! We made a mistake when we didn¡¯t check the area properly. If I had known she was alive, I would¡¯ve caught her while she was still alone and forced her to marry me," I grunted as I walked out of the mansion and headed into the woods to shift.


    "I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll marry us. Didn¡¯t you see the look on her face? The light in her eyes? I think we should focus more on getting better atbat instead of thinking about marrying her," my wolf groaned, trying to reason with me¡ªbut I didn¡¯t care. I had my own ns.


    The only reason I was going to win was so I could make her marry me¡ªand then I¡¯d break all that stubbornness out of her.


    "What about Rhiz?" he asked as I started to take off my clothes.


    "Hmm, he¡¯s in hiding. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s trying to avoid contact with anyone. But if I¡¯m going down, baby, I¡¯m taking everyone down with me," I let out augh as I noticed a notification on my phone.


    Seeing Kaidon¡¯s name made me a little nervous.


    I tapped the livestream and saw how many people were joining. Since he was also involved in the case, people were keeping a close eye on him.


    "I know you all know me from the case. That¡¯s a terrible way to be known, but I want you to see me differently from now on," Kaidon said. "You need to know me as a coward. The one who gets abducted, restrained, and drugged so easily. I was given so many chances to do the right thing, to get her justice. Did I do it? Absolutely not. I made one wrong decision after another and that poor girl paid the price for it. I was drugged, so my words aren¡¯t taken seriously, but there¡¯s this memory that recently came back to me. My friends showed me videos of the man who used to bully me while pressuring me to take my anger out on the victim. During that time, I vaguely remember looking at her face while they pinned her down, and I noticed the pendant around her neck. That¡¯s all I remember. You know what that means? She didn¡¯t take her pendant off to seduce us. Her alpha boyfriend admitted he was the one who took it off¡ªbut she had it back on so quickly after we showed up. Otherwise, how did her scent drive us crazy but not affect her boyfriend? He was able to run away. In all these statements, there are holes. But one thing¡¯s clear¡ªshe was gangraped, and it was all our fault."


    That fool kept going and I had to call his mother to get him off the live stream. We¡¯ve been keeping him from going outside, almost chaining him inside his house.


    I won¡¯t let him ruin this fight for me. I must marry Hnie.

 Chapter 524-Taking A Road With My Husband

    <h4>Chapter 524: 524-Taking A Road With My Husband</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You seem very excited to stay at the hostel," Normanmented, watching me load some of my new stuff into the car to head to the academy for the weekdays. After I came home from the council meeting, I got a few calls from ssmates who showed their support.


    I didn¡¯t talk to them¡ªor anyone¡ªabout the council meeting again. I needed some time before speaking about it. There was something that had stuck with me since the battle day was decided.


    "Yeah, Jenny ising today," I grinned, trying to open the back door of the car when Norman quietly opened the passenger side door for me.


    I didn¡¯t argue and slid into the passenger seat. We argued a lot¡ªlike Tom and Jerry.


    "And I¡¯m so excited to see her," I babbled while he stood outside my door, fixing the seatbelt for me.


    "She said she has some good news for me. I wonder what it is," I shrugged, gettingfortable as Norman handed me a water bottle.


    He then walked over to his side, sat in the driver¡¯s seat, buckled up, and hit the road.


    "So... what exactly happened to Jenny?" Norman asked, showing interest in the gossip for the first time.


    Usually, he only paid attention to what the leave application said. But maybe because I was talking so much, he decided to join the conversation.


    "Do you ever listen to me?" Iined, folding my arms across my chest and grunting at him.


    "This is the problem with people who talk a lot. You didn¡¯t tell me anything¡ªprobably told someone else," he groaned.


    I tilted my head, thinking back, and realized... I hadn¡¯t told him.


    He was right¡ªand I hated that.


    "Fine," I groaned and looked out the window.


    "Now tell me. What happened to her? I¡¯m all ears," his voice softened a little, so I turned back to him.


    "Lucy says the entity from the tenth floor went inside Jenny."


    As soon as I said that, Norman lost control of the car and almost ran into a tree.


    Almost!


    Thankfully.


    "Norman, are you okay?" I shouted as he mmed the brakes, both hands tight on the steering wheel, eyes wide.


    "What made her say that?" he asked, not even mentioning his near-death driving.


    "She says she hears the entity speaking in crowds but can¡¯t tell where the voice ising from. But every time it happens, Jenny is always the one making eye contact with her," I exined, noticing how lost he looked. The way he was staring at my face really scared me.


    "Then you shouldn¡¯t be staying at the hostel," he said suddenly, starting the car again to make a turn.


    I quickly grabbed the steering wheel to stop him.


    "Norman, I have to go. I know the entity is not in Jenny. I know Lucy might¡¯ve confused Lamar and Penn somewhere, but I just know her observation is wrong," I protested, not wanting to head back to the mansion. I didn¡¯t want to be that person who runs away when her friends need help.


    "Trust me, I¡¯ll be fine," I reassured him, but he groaned again.


    "Okay, but you¡¯ll call me the minute you get a chance. Or¡ªuse that bracelet. It¡¯s not just a piece of jewelry," he muttered under his breath, pointing at my bracelet.


    "Oh, yes, I can use it..." I looked down at my wrist and frowned, suddenly realizing something was missing.


    "There¡¯s no button¡ªthere was a button I used to press to inform Emmet. The button is missing!" I started rambling in confusion, showing Norman the bracelet. But I was so shocked and lost that I identally shoved my hand toward his face.


    "Yeah, it¡¯s broken," he said, touching my wrist. In fact, he held my wrist gently between his two fingers, and somehow, that simple touch made me shyly pull my hand back from him.


    "You know I won¡¯t steal the bracelet. It¡¯s just a diamond bracelet now," he shrugged, pointing out that the main piece was gone.


    "That¡¯s so odd," I muttered, feeling an unsettling sadness.


    It was as if I was losing something I once had from Emmet. Almost like he was erasing himself from my life.


    Not just mine.


    I had heard Kaye and Maximus say the same thing earlier.


    "Don¡¯t be sad. I can order a new one," Norman said, probably not understanding how I felt at that moment. But since he was always ready to fix things, I didn¡¯t want to argue with him.


    His intentions were never wrong.


    On another note, I hadn¡¯t married my mate like I had promised the Moon Goddess. I just felt like it happened for a reason.


    "Okay, listen to me," Norman said as we arrived, leaning over my body to hold the door when I was about to step out, wanting to have onest word with him.


    "Gosh, you could¡¯ve told me not to get out. No need to jump in myp," I leaned back, shylyining.


    He instantly pulled away, fixing his gray coat.


    "I didn¡¯t lean into yourp. Think before you speak," he sounded so childish before he fixed his posture to take a step again.


    "If you notice Jenny acting weird, you¡¯ll text me. Promise?" He grabbed my water bottle from me, making sure he had my full attention.


    I was already giving him my full attention, but he kept doing things like that when he was talking to me¡ªtaking away whatever I was holding so I could focus only on him.


    "I will. Now let me go, or I¡¯ll think you¡¯re getting addicted to me," I teased. As soon as I said that, he quickly handed the water bottle back to me and scoffed loudly.


    He was so adorable when he tried to act tough.


    Getting out of the car, with Norman following behind me to grab my bag, I looked all the way up at the academy building and muttered,


    "After I¡¯m done with my mess, you¡¯re next, tenth floor. You¡¯ve been out and about for way too long now."

 Chapter 525-Catching Up

    <h4>Chapter 525: 525-Catching Up</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Congrattions on your wedding. I know it wasn¡¯t what you must have been expecting¡ªbut I¡¯m so happy that someone stepped up to save you that night," Jenny kept murmuring while holding my hands, smiling from ear to ear.


    "You need to tell me about the good news first," I puckered my lips yfully, trying to get the news out of her.


    She looked so healthy and fit now. Thest time I saw her, she was in a really bad state. She was so sick and throwing up. She could barely keep any food down.


    Lamar sat on the bed, watching her face with so much love and care that it pulled at my heartstrings. The two were perfect for each other.


    "I went to the hospital and got my test done, and the results came in," she giggled, squeezing her shoulders together to show her excitement.


    My eyes widened and my mouth opened as far as it could, but I stayed quiet to let her say it herself.


    Of course¡ªotherwise she wouldn¡¯t be calling it good news.


    "And I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t have any evil in me," she let out augh and I followed, hugging her.


    "And you¡¯re married," she then pulled away with a pout on her lips and tears in her eyes.


    "Temporarily," Penn, who had been sitting on Lamar¡¯s bed, leaned back and grunted.


    "Yeah but¡ª" Jenny stopped when she got a sharp re from her brother.


    Sometimes the tension in the room when all of us were together would grow.


    "Anyway, I¡¯m just worried how you¡¯re feeling about Emmet. Is he okay?" Jenny whispered in my ear as she hugged me. I guess Lamar had filled her in on the failed n Emmet and I made about marrying each other. I had told him everything.


    "I¡¯m worried for him," I said to her, and she pouted, breaking the hug. That¡¯s when she looked around and groaned, "They¡¯re still making out on the terrace," sheughed at Gavin and Salem.


    "Oh by the way, if the entity is not in me, it¡¯s definitely in someone else," she shrugged, staring at her brother and then Lamar¡¯s face, who both looked away because they had kind of believed that the entity might have been in her.


    But Jenny was much calmer and more understanding than us. She understood that they were just worried for her.


    That¡¯s when the door opened and in came Lucy, who raised her head, saw Jenny, and then put two and two together.


    "Oh well, so the bitch is out there somewhere," she pped her forehead hard.


    But Jenny seemed to have more to add.


    "Did you leave the muffin there that night?" Jenny folded her arms, questioning Lucy firmly.


    "No, but you might want to ask Salem," she shrugged, rushing into the bathroom.


    The look of realization on Jenny¡¯s face confused me.


    "What¡¯s the story with the muffin? Are we getting a treat or something?" I asked Jenny, my eyes drifting behind Penn, who had been staring at me until he got caught.


    "Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s the kind of sweet you don¡¯t eat from strangers," she said. It was as if her brother had been waiting for a signal. He jumped off the bed along with Lamar and headed to the terrace, knocking on the ss door to get the attention of the two lovebirds.


    "Can you twoe over here?" Penn yelled, steadily clenching his fist.


    "Please guys, whatever this is, I want you all to be nice and kind to Salem. Let her speak, and nobody should disrespect her," I reminded them, starting to worry that this might be about something serious.


    Lamar gave me a nod while Penn sighed, probably agreeing.


    Finally, Salem and Gavin came in, all smiles¡ªuntil they noticed everyone staring at them.


    "What¡¯s going on? Did my sister do something again?" The fact that she always felt everyone looked at her differently whenever her sister messed up made my heart ache for her.


    "No! But¡ªI have a question for you," Jenny cleared her throat, speaking very gently to her. "That night when I got sick, there was a muffin in the room. I probably should¡¯ve avoided it, but since it was on Lamar¡¯s bed, I ate it. You know the rest," she exined, and my jaw nearly dropped to the floor.


    Is that why she got sick? Someone left a drugged muffin on Lamar¡¯s bed?


    "You want me to investigate who might¡¯ve done it?" Salem asked.


    "No, we¡¯re asking if you had anything to do with it," Penn said, stepping in¡ªand ruining everything. He came off so harsh that she suddenly looked teary-eyed.


    "No, I would never. I swear to the Moon Goddess," she said, clearly upset.


    "Guys, why are you even asking her that? I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no way she would betray us like that," Gavin spoke up, not raising his voice but calmly standing up for her.


    "We¡¯re not¡ª" Jenny instantly started exining, but I guess the damage had already been done.


    "Lucy told us to ask you. So I thought maybe¡ª" Penn muttered, his hands in his pockets.


    "Dude, chill¡ª" Lamar pped his stomach lightly, giving him a look to stop talking.


    "Oh, she told you guys I did it and you believed her?" The sad look on Salem¡¯s face wasn¡¯t what I wanted to see.


    "Anyway, I didn¡¯t do it. In fact, it would make more sense if my sister did it and Lucy tried to stop it from getting reported by dying Jenny¡¯s hospital visit," Salem said, her tone shifting in a way that didn¡¯t feel good.


    "We already knew you were innocent," I added, sounding like a hypocrite, because we had let Penn say otherwise with full confidence.


    "By the way, I just remembered I had to be somewhere. I¡¯ll see you guyster," that little voice crack made me step forward and hold her hand to stop her. Then¡ªI pulled her into a tight hug.


    "You¡¯re special to us," I whispered, and she gasped.


    As we broke the hug, she smiled widely, "Guys, it seems like our Hnie got her wolf."

 Chapter 526-The Missing Bastard

    <h4>Chapter 526: 526-The Missing Bastard</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Yeah, she has double-colored eyes and fur," I giggled like a teenager¡ªwhich I was, but I¡¯d forgotten about it.


    "Tell her¡ªtell her about the battle," Lamar pointed at Salem and then at Jenny, asking me to share the news.


    "Oh, I¡¯ve challenged Darius to a battle for his crown, and before you guys worry, I¡¯m ready for it," I spoke up quickly, trying to stop any concerns before they came.


    They looked concerned, but then they all wished me good luck and said they¡¯d love to be there when I train¡ªwhich I was doing every day with the brothers.


    "Guys, did you see Kaidon¡¯s live a few hours ago?" Gavin asked.


    "Yeah, it was traumatic to listen to, but it probably exined a lot to the council," Penn spoke up, feeling guilty and trying to talk more with Gavin and Salem after wrongly using Salem under pressure.


    "I heard Kaidon is trying to stay safe and away from the culprits¡ªeven though he¡¯s one of them too, but still¡ª" Jenny exined. That¡¯s when Lucy walked out of the bathroom after taking a shower.


    She looked at all of us sitting together on the floor and sighed.


    "Why did you lie and say I had something to do with the muffin?" Salem asked her, not letting the lie slide.


    "I didn¡¯t. I asked them to ask you¡ªI didn¡¯t me you. Maybe it¡¯s in *their* hearts that they don¡¯t trust you," she shrugged, making all of us clench our jaws.


    "Anyway, the entity is out there. Don¡¯t expect me to be nice. And if I were to give some advice, I¡¯d say¡ªbe bad," Lucy was trying to convince us she was helping, but I had to stop her.


    "You didn¡¯t think the entity was in Jenny, did you?" I folded my arms over my chest. It must¡¯ve been the confidence in my voice, because suddenly everyone was staring at me.


    "What makes you say that?" Lucy asked.


    "Because you knew Sydney drugged that muffin. And the reason you didn¡¯t let Jenny go to the hospital was because you were afraid Sydney would get caught. So stop acting like we trust anything you say," I hissed at her, watching her tilt her head and smile.


    "I guess I need therapy," was all she said before walking past me.


    It left us all stunned. Was that an admission to drugging Jenny?


    "Anyway, we¡¯re headed to the carnival, aren¡¯t we?" Jenny pped, talking about Rudy¡¯s pack¡¯s carnival.


    "Great, he¡¯ll have plenty of time to flirt with someone else¡¯s wife," Penn muttered under his breath. He never hid the fact that he hated how Rudy always acted perfect around me.


    "Are youing, Penn?" I asked, and he tiredly nodded.


    "I have to. Someone has to make sure Rudy stays in hisne."


    That wasn¡¯t good. I didn¡¯t want Penn to ruin the carnival with his bitterness toward Rudy. That would only make Penn look bad too.


    The next few days leading up to the carnival were amazing. I would take sses, then train with the brothers, return to my room to eat a lot, and then go to bed. Sydney was unusually quiet after everyone told her to back off from me. There were times when other ssmates would stare at her too long, silently reminding her to either be nice to me or not talk to me at all.


    Although she wasn¡¯t the type to let anyone control her actions, this time I was giving her the benefit of the doubt. But that didn¡¯t mean I believed she wasn¡¯t plotting something behind my back.


    And then, it was the day of the carnival.


    "I¡¯ll be fine. You take care of Emmet¡ªmake sure he doesn¡¯t forget everyone," I said to Norman over the phone. He had been blowing up my phone, asking me to share my location and all that. He was never really the overprotective type¡ªor should I say, the clingy husband type¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t a bad kind of clingy.


    His concern for me would sometimes fill my heart with so much peace. It felt like I¡¯d achieved something. After all, this was Norman I was talking about.


    "Okay, eat well, and try to train with Penn whenever you have time," he warned me gently on the phone. I¡¯m guessing the brothers were extremely worried about me fighting Darius. Of course, Darius wouldn¡¯t be sitting around doing nothing either.


    "I will. Take care," I said, hanging up after we¡¯d talked for another fifteen minutes.


    As I turned around, I saw Jenny and Salem standing by Penn¡¯s car, smirking.


    "Oh, I miss you, wifey," Jenny said in a deep voice, mimicking Norman.


    "I miss you too, baby. Even though I say I hate you, deep down inside¡ªvery deep down inside¡ªI miss you," Salem added dramatically. My cheeks turned red. I¡¯d never thought about Norman in that way, so them joking about it made me yfully re at them.


    "She¡¯sing with us," Sage snapped her fingers in the air as she arrived, just when everyone started piling into Penn¡¯s car.


    I was fine with it. Penn¡¯s car was going to be packed anyway with Lamar, Gavin, Penn, Jenny, and Salem. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to fit in.


    I waved at my friends before getting into the car with Sage and Rudy.


    The way Penn rolled his eyes made Gavin and Lamar chuckle. I could tell the vibe in their car would be way more fun than ours.


    The journey was great. As expected, Rudy was in a good mood. He made me sit in the passenger seat as he drove. We sang, ate food, and after many hours, we finally arrived at his pack. My friends were a littlete, but Rudy had already asked Sage and Arlo to stand at the entrance and wee them to their guest rooms.


    "The one upstairs is your room," Rudy said, walking away since he had to go see his father.


    It waste, so I didn¡¯t have time to meet his parents. I rushed upstairs to the room where my bags had been ced to freshen up. Once inside, I cleaned up in the bathroom and changed into grey sweatpants and a white shirt.


    But when I stepped out of the bathroom, I saw something I didn¡¯t expect.


    The eyes¡ªthe hair¡ªthe way he smirked.


    It was him.


    "Rhiz!"


    The missing piece of the puzzle in the portrait of that bastard.

 Chapter 527-Missing My Wife But Too Embarrassed To Admit It

    <h4>Chapter 527: 527-Missing My Wife But Too Embarrassed To Admit It</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    I looked around the room and sighed. I didn¡¯t know what had gotten over me. Even though she didn¡¯t stay here for long, she had left her scent behind. The room seemed so empty. I can¡¯t believe I was missing her annoying voice. When Iy down on the pillow, it was soaked in her scent. And I felt ashamed to admit it¡ªshe smelled so good.


    I shook my head and sat up in bed, grabbing a book from the side table to focus on something else. I hated how my mind kept going back to thoughts of her.


    "Remember, I hate her," I reminded myself¡ªsomething I¡¯d said in the early days of meeting her.


    "Liar. You had a fucking boner just by seeing her naked."


    That¡¯s why I preferred my wolf staying silent. He was inappropriate and never sided with me.


    "Shut the fuck up!" I grunted at him, rolling my eyes. I walked over to the side table and grabbed the ss of wine I had poured for myself some minutes ago but hadn¡¯t taken a sip of.


    "Is it because your dear wife doesn¡¯t like it when someone drinks too much? Because she remembers the way our brother forgot about her after drinking so much?"


    He didn¡¯t care what I was thinking about him¡ªhe just kept going.


    "I swear, you need to shut up," I hissed at him, "and watch me drink it all. I¡¯m not afraid of anyone," I said through clenched teeth and downed the whole ss in one go.


    "Hnie¡¯s calling¡ª"


    As soon as my wolf said that¡ªwithout realizing that if she really was, I¡¯d get a notification¡ªI spat the drink out in reflex and started frantically looking for a ce to hide the ss, as if she could somehow see it.


    "And someone said they¡¯re not afraid of their wife," he teased. "Besides, I understand. Not everyone gets lucky to have a wife like her. Have you looked at her face? She¡¯s so pretty, and she has a body of¡ª"


    He shut up.


    And I thought maybe his daily vocabry was done for. But nope. Ever since I got married and marked Hnie, he hadn¡¯t stopped yapping¡ªas if he had woken up from a long slumber.


    "Of course you saw it. What am I even talking about? You saw more than just her face once," he continued, reminding me again why I felt so at peace when he was asleep.


    "You¡¯ve lost your mind. I was marrying Jessica, and I will¡ªafter Hnie rejects me."


    But saying that made me suddenly feel so low.


    So, I poured myself another ss of wine¡ªjust to prove to my wolf that I wasn¡¯t changing for Hnie.


    She was my brother¡¯s mate. And someone who annoyed me so much.


    "Aha, and then you took online sses to learn how to crochet so you could fix her torn sweater. Did you tell her you didn¡¯t get it mended outside, but sat in your room like a grandma and fixed it yourself?"


    I had a fear that memory would be brought up.


    I hissed at him for reminding me of that time. "You¡¯re nasty. I did it because I didn¡¯t want anyone to know I paid to fix a sweater for any woman. You know I don¡¯t like anyone thinking¡ª"


    My exnation was cut short when my wolf startedughing loudly.


    Oh, I hated him. He made my blood boil.


    "Yeah, right. I mean, you could¡¯ve just left her sweater in the woods," he mumbled.


    "I tore it, so I had to fix it," I groaned, sitting back in the chair, already worried he¡¯d bring up other stuff I really didn¡¯t want to talk about.


    "And what about the tattoos¡ª"


    That was it. I had to shut him down.


    "Hush, before I put you to sleep by force.¡¯


    That threat always silenced him.


    "You¡¯re so mean. Let our wifee back¡ªI¡¯m gonnain to her, and she¡¯ll beat you up."


    Of course he had to get in onest hit before going quiet.


    That¡¯s when my phone started ringing. It was Jessica calling.


    "You know what? Watch me flirt with the one I will marry," I said as I picked up the phone.


    "What is it, Jessica?" I asked, then groaned. Why couldn¡¯t I sound normal?


    "Where¡¯s Hnie? I¡¯ve been trying her phone, but she¡¯s not responding," she asked, and I shot up from my seat, panic already settling in my chest.


    "She went to the carnival. Rudy¡¯s pack¡ªthe Hollow Mist pack," I said, more to remind myself that it was fine. It¡¯s fine. Maybe she¡¯s just busy.


    "Norman... Did you just say the Hollow Mist pack? As in Rudy¡¯s¡ª"


    She paused, swore, then shouted.


    "Fucking hell, no! Do you know who he is?"


    The panic in her voice told me Rudy wasn¡¯t just some academy student.


    "Tell me. Now." I gulped, already grabbing my keys.


    "Norman¡ªRudy is the stepbrother of Rhiz. They barely ever talk about each other because of their differences, but Rhiz stays in that pack."


    She grunted, and I swear my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.


    "We better hurry. I have a really bad feeling about this."


    I hung up and immediately tried calling Hnie, but just like Jessica had said, her phone was out of reach. I guessed¡ªfor the safety of the guests and the pack¡ªthey had disabled all connections, even the inte.


    "Maximus! Kaye! Emmet!" I ran out of my room, yelling their names.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Maximus was the first to emerge, looking disheveled, like he was going through something of his own. He looked... drunk.


    "Hnie is in¡ª"


    I didn¡¯t even finish when Maximus rushed downstairs.


    "Danger? Trouble? Stress? What?" he asked, not wasting time, like he already knew we¡¯d be hitting the road soon.


    "Rudy has a stepbrother¡ªhow the hell was that not disclosed in his documents?" I snapped, ring at Kaye, who was already hurrying toward me to follow.


    Emmet came out wearing a shirt he was still buttoning up.


    "What about him? Tell me!" Kaye insisted as we headed for the cars.


    He¡¯s Rhiz.

 Chapter 528-Under Arrest And Hopefully Tortured

    <h4>Chapter 528: 528-Under Arrest And Hopefully Tortured</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    That fear I used to feel whenever I faced one of them after that night¡ªI would start shaking, freeze for a few seconds, and tears would fill my eyes, it was no longer there.


    But this time, I stood tall. Confident.


    I didn¡¯t know why, but it felt as if I had been waiting for this moment to arrive.


    Rhiz clicked his tongue as he locked the door behind him. He was trying his best to look intimidating. And I say this with the utmost respect¡ªbut I wasn¡¯t scared of him.


    I calmly folded my arms across my chest and raised a brow. This confidence, this calm¡ªit had to being from the one who had finally awakened inside me.


    "I see you¡¯re not crying for help anymore," he said, turning around and leaning back against the door. His hands slipped into his pockets.


    "I used to think of you as a monster. The big bad wolf who got me that night," I said quietly. "I thought when I saw you again, I¡¯d shatter all over again. I used to picture your face and wonder¡ªwill I be able to look at it without falling apart?"


    I met his eyes, kept my voice low, calm.


    "But now that I¡¯m seeing you, standing right in front of me... I realize you were only scary because I made you scary. You were only ¡¯manly¡¯ because you attacked a vulnerable woman without an active wolf."


    The way his smirk faltered just because I wasn¡¯t afraid¡ªthat told me everything I needed to know.


    "Ohh, confidence," he sneered. "Well, will it hurt your feelings to know I already knew you¡¯ve grown confident? I¡¯ve been hearing all sorts of nonsense¡ªcourt cases, trials, challenges¡ª"


    He kept talking, but I startedughing. The sound of it silenced him.


    "That¡¯s why you were hiding," I said simply.


    His smirk vanishedpletely.


    "You know what," he growled, stepping toward me, "you looked even more gorgeous when you had my cock down your throat and couldn¡¯t speak. Remember how you cried? Begged us to let you go. Your pendant in your neck but it was so easy for us to tell everyone that it was off."


    He hissed, expecting me to flinch.


    "You shouldn¡¯t havee here alone," he said, getting closer.


    I didn¡¯t move. I didn¡¯t need to.


    "I¡¯m not the same girl you remember," I said, my voice calm and sure. Even with him towering over me, I didn¡¯t fear him. I was ready.


    Heughed.


    "You? What can you do?"


    He bent down to level his face with mine, trying to emphasize the height difference.


    Was that his move? To remind me he was taller? Bigger?


    Before he could blink, I punched him in the stomach. Hard.


    He doubled over, gasping for air.


    Before he could straighten up, I kicked his legs out from under him. He crashed to the floor with a loud thud.


    I stepped back, breathing steady.


    He looked up at me, eyes wide, shock written across his face.


    "You trained," he said, coughing.


    I nodded. "Every day. For people like you."


    He got up, slower this time, and swung his fist at me. I ducked easily and grabbed his arm. Twisting it behind his back, I shoved him against the wall.


    "Next time," I whispered in his ear, "think twice before you lock me in a room. Because trust me¡ªit¡¯ll be deadlier for you."


    He looked like he¡¯d just met the biggest shock of his life.


    I kept him pinned, my fingers wrapped tightly around his neck. Every time he tried to grab my arm or retaliate, I blocked him with my free hand¡ªcalm, precise.


    "You feel it now, don¡¯t you?" I said, cold and low. "I¡¯m not scared anymore."


    I held him there a few seconds longer before letting go. I wanted him to feel it¡ªthat he¡¯d already lost.


    But he was stubborn. Of course he was. There was no way he¡¯d admit defeat to me.


    The second I stepped back, he roared and charged, throwing a punch straight at my face.


    Too slow.


    I ducked, caught his arm, and twisted it sharply. He cried out in pain. I yanked him forward and drove my knee into his stomach. He copsed to his knees, coughing violently.


    Still not done, he lunged at my legs. I jumped back, spun around, and kicked him across the face.


    He hit the ground hard, groaning, blood trickling from his mouth. Watching him struggle only solidified my belief in my power. And I began to wonder¡ªwould it feel this satisfying to fight Darius too?


    "I shouldn¡¯t have drunk so much before facing you," he muttered, coughing and trying to me the alcohol in his system.


    I had noticed it too¡ªhis slower reactions, his sloppier moves. When he brought it up, I started to wonder if that was why.


    "I¡¯ll see you in court," I said coldly. Now that I knew where to find him, I would drag him to face justice.


    But just as I turned to leave, his voice made me stop dead in my tracks.


    "But did you enjoy it?" he sneered. "My cock in you? When you¡¯re facing me in court, just remember¡ªI fucked over your friend¡¯s little sister and killed her too."


    Rage snapped through me. I turned too fast, blinded by fury¡ªexactly what he wanted.


    Before I realized it, he was behind me. He caught my fist mid-air, spun me around, and threw me onto the bed. He scrambled on top of me, trying to trap me beneath him.


    "Anger isn¡¯t your biggest power," he smirked.


    But before I could strike back, the door burst open¡ªand in walked Rudy, with people behind him.


    Not just anyone.


    His mother. And Vontson.


    "Alpha Rhiz," Vontson hissed, his tone cold and sharp. "You are under arrest for attacking Hnie."


    Rhiz¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of his skull as the warriors stormed in, grabbing him and dragging him off the bed like a ragdoll.


    "Wait! Let me exin¡ªI¡¯ve been framed!" he shouted.


    Rudy reached over to help me off the bed, then turned to Rhiz, expression unreadable.


    He looked at Rhiz, then at me, and finally said, "You did him pretty dirty. I¡¯m proud of you."

 Chapter 529-Let’s Punish The Asshole

    <h4>Chapter 529: 529-Let¡¯s Punish The Asshole</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You¡¯re shameless enough to approach her again? And even corner her?" Vontson yelled, his eyes bloodshot with rage.


    "I didn¡¯t do anything!" Rhiz snapped, his voice rising. "I didn¡¯t know she wasing here. I was looking for a restroom when I found her in the room. I had juste out of the bathroom when she was standing by the door, locking it. Then she took off her pendant¡ªand seduced me! But when I started fighting it¡ªshe hit me. She attacked me."


    "The only reason I gave in to her pheromones before was because I thought she wanted me too. I didn¡¯t know she¡¯d turn around and call it rape. But this time, I was fighting hard¡ª"


    Rhiz had been rambling since he got caught. I had a feeling he was going to me everything on my pheromones.


    "But you need to understand," he added, grasping at straws. "Her pheromones make youmit a crime."


    Gavin¡¯s expression hardened. He¡¯d clearly been waiting for that excuse.


    "Take it off," Gavin ordered, his gaze shifting to me.


    "What?" Rhiz blurted, thinking Gavin was speaking to him.


    "I said take off that pendant," Gavin rified, looking straight at me. "Let¡¯s see if anyone in here loses their mind."


    I nodded and stood up from the sofa, unfastening the pendant. I knew it might get awkward, but I had to show them my pheromones weren¡¯t as dangerous as Rhiz imed.


    As I stood tall, everyone exchanged uncertain nces before turning their eyes to me.


    "I¡¯m sensing something... but it¡¯s very mild. Like a faint scent," Lamar said, turning to Penn for confirmation.


    "Yeah. I smell something faint, but it¡¯s not seductive," Penn agreed.


    "I don¡¯t even sense anything," Vontson added with a shrug.


    Rhiz looked like he¡¯d just lost a major battle.


    "It¡ªit didn¡¯t use to be like that. She¡ªshe got marked by her mate, right? That¡¯s why¡ªlisten¡ª" Rhiz started to stammer, his words growing more suspicious with each pause.


    "But didn¡¯t you just say her pheromones made you lose control?" Rudy said with a smirk, his tone dripping with disbelief.


    "You stay out of it! You¡¯re the problem. Why would you bring her here?" Rhiz snapped, pointing usingly at Rudy.


    "Because I wanted to expose you," Rudy replied coolly.


    Everyone turned as an omega entered the room, carrying aptop. With all eyes on him, he set it on the table and pressed y.


    The room filled with silence as a video began to y¡ªa recording of my earlier interaction with Rhiz in the bedroom, where he confessed to everything.


    It was a moment of undeniable relief. The truth was finally out.


    Rudy¡¯s mother stared at his face in shock¡ªand so did everyone else.


    "You set the camera up to catch him?" she asked, a huge smile forming as she patted her son¡¯s back.


    "I wasn¡¯t going to let him get away with it," Rudy said, smiling at me.


    The rest of the room slowly broke into relieved, proud smiles, but Rhiz looked like he wasing undone. That is when Lamar broke free from the grasp of Gavin and attacked Rhiz. However, being an alpha, Rhiz was going to retaliate when both Penn and Gavin started beating him up as well.


    "My sister was just so innocent¨Cshe wasn¡¯t born to pleasure you," Lamar was yelling and crying, kicking him along with the others. I saw Vonston gesture at his warriors to not stop them.


    After they gave him a good beating, we all gathered around Lamar to give him a hug.


    "And to think my husband married his mother and brought her in¡ªthinking her son could one day be Alpha¡ªit just blows my mind," Rudy¡¯s mother hissed, eyeing Rhiz from head to toe with disdain. He had been back on his feet, all bloody.


    As they spoke, Salem and Jenny rushed over to stand beside me, quickly filling me in on the real history between Rudy and Rhiz.


    Apparently, the reason Rudy had enrolled in the academy was to battle Rhiz. The two were meant to fight for the crown¡ªa decision made by their parents. But instead of agreeing to a fair surrender rule, both sides had wanted the other to die. That¡¯s how deep their hatred ran.


    The battle was supposed to happen soon. But now... it wouldn¡¯t.


    "Alpha Rhiz," Vontson said coldly, stepping forward. "I¡¯ve already informed your mother toe here¡ªto stand by as your dethronement is finalized. And not just that¡ªyou¡¯ll be punished for your crimes against Hine. At this point, I don¡¯t trust a word from any of you. I¡¯m just waiting for the battle between Hine and Darius to see any truth."


    With a snarl, Vontson hurled his ss across the room. It hit Rhiz squarely in the chest, and Rhiz groaned.


    Then Rudy¡¯s father arrived, and it turned into a chaotic family reunion.


    He walked straight up to Rudy¡¯s mother and apologized¡ªdeeply¡ªfor ever choosing a woman who failed to raise her son right, who made Rhiz into a monster.


    Rhiz¡¯s mother came in shortly after, only to p her own forehead in shame when she watched the video. Both mothers apologized to me and Lamar. Rudy¡¯s father embraced me gently, assuring me he would ept any punishment I wanted to give his son. Whereas they knew no amount of apologies couldfort Lamar at the moment.


    It was aplete mess. A whirlwind of emotion and truth.


    But deep inside me, I couldn¡¯t fully react. I felt... numb.


    After everything was done, Lamar and I chose the punishment ourselves: eternal damnation. Rhiz was sentenced to be thrown into the underground prison¡ªforever. There, he would serve as a ve to the other prisoners, stripped of his rank and pride.


    As we walked out of the mansion, the brothers arrived.


    Norman was already fuming. He rushed out of his car, grabbed Rhiz¡ªwho was going to receive 200shes and was being escorted to the prison transport¡ªand began beating him mercilessly.


    Kaye, Maximus and Emmet followed close behind, ripping off their jackets, ready to join in.


    I witnessed firsthand what it meant to be attacked by warrior-blooded brothers. They could tear someone apart.


    It took several warriors to hold them back and exin what had already happened¡ªthat Rhiz had been exposed by his own words.


    Finally, the brothers stepped back.


    Rhiz was thrown into the prison bus. He never apologized. Even when the council offered to reduce hisshes by 100 if he simply said sorry¡ªhe refused.


    The only thing he muttered before being taken away was:


    "I regret not killing her that night."

 Chapter 530-Not A Hero I Wanted

    <h4>Chapter 530: 530-Not A Hero I Wanted</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Congrattions, you¡¯re now the only Alpha of the pack," Sage said, hugging Rudy while others crowded around him with congrattions.


    His parents had already left, and so had the council heads¡ªretiring to the guest rooms, now able to enjoy the uing carnival with peace of mind. The culprit had been caught, and they didn¡¯t have to witness a battle for control of the pack after all.


    "I heard you beat him up pretty badly," Norman said, pulling my attention as he and the brothers returned from their conversation with Vontson about my battle with Darius.


    "He was drunk," I recalled quietly.


    "Still¡ªgive yourself some praise for your achievements," Kaye uttered, oddly avoiding my eyes.


    "Vontson mentioned something," Maximus added. "He said Rhiz will be punished with 200shes every week for the murder of Lamar¡¯s sister.?"


    The room grew tense. Our eyes drifted toward Lamar, whose face had paled. I felt awful for him. Watching that video must have been traumatizing. Jenny was at his side, gently hugging him and keeping him grounded.


    I wanted to do the same... but something else had been burning inside me.


    Everyone had been calling Rudy a savior, a hero. But I had something to say about that.


    As I began walking toward him, people around us stepped aside, making space, expecting me to thank him¡ªmaybe even call him my hero.


    Even Rudy straightened his posture, a smug smirk on his lips as he extended a hand toward me.


    Did he really think I was going to hug him?


    I raised my hand¡ªbut not to shake his.


    I pped him.


    Hard enough that the sound echoed in the air.


    Gasps rang out. Whispers started rippling through the air. Everyone looked shocked.


    "Hine¡ªwhat...?" Rudy asked, rubbing his cheek in disbelief. Even Sage looked displeased.


    "He helped you, Hine," she protested.


    "He helped himself," I hissed back. She turned to re at Rudy, as if demanding an exnation.


    "I was just trying to help you... by getting a confession out of him," Rudy said, trying to exin, but I kept shaking my head. The brothers quickly rushed to my side.


    There was no way he could fool me like he had others fooled.


    "You did it because you didn¡¯t want to risk battling him. You think I¡¯m a fool?" I snapped. "You didn¡¯t even tell me your big n. You literally pushed me into a room with someone who traumatized me¡ªagain."


    My voice cracked with the fury and pain I had held back.


    "The right thing should have been you telling me about the whole n and asking me if I will be ready to be alone in a room with him," I screamed at him.


    "It took you time to show up with the warriors. What if I had been too shocked to defend myself? What if he had done something terrible before you arrived? You didn¡¯t care about what seeing him again would do to me. A little warning could¡¯ve saved me so much pain."


    I took a breath, steadying myself before continuing.


    "Thankfully, I had my wolf to help me stay grounded. Otherwise, your quest for a crown would have broken me. And now you want credit?"


    I stared him down.


    "You killed two birds with one stone¡ªso don¡¯t act like you did it just for me. You had a camera set up, and all that time in the car you didn¡¯t say one word about what you were nning. That wasn¡¯t protection. That was calction."


    "And the fact that he knew his stepbrother could be dangerous¡ªhe didn¡¯t even mention Rhiz when applying to the academy," Maximus hissed, his fists clenched tight.


    "You did it for selfish reasons. Really a dick move," Sage added, pping Rudy on the back of the head. He lowered his head, ashamed.


    So... he understood the weight of what he¡¯d done.


    "I just... didn¡¯t want to lose any battle," Rudy muttered. "And I wanted toe off as a hero to Hine. I wanted her to choose me."


    His words meant nothing. His actions had already screamed the truth.


    "You used Hine to secure your crown," Penn spat. "You¡¯re no better than Sydney."


    I could already hear the echoes of, ¡¯I told you guys¡ªthere¡¯s something off about Rudy,¡¯ing from nearly everyone now.


    "Sydney¡ª" Rudy suddenly perked up as if finding an excuse. "She called me... and kind of convinced me it would be a good idea¡ª"


    "The fact that a junior, who publicly hurt Hine, was able to manipte you like that?" Emmet scoffed, shaking his head. "Maybe we need tighter screening before letting anyone enroll in our academy."


    He turned to grab his coat, probably in search of a drink, but when our eyes met¡ªhe saw the look on my face. The hurt. The exhaustion.


    He stopped.


    "Well," Norman said with a heavy sigh, "I know it doesn¡¯t matter much now, not after all the training we gave you... but you¡¯re expelled, Rudy."


    Of course, expulsion wouldn¡¯t really matter to him now. He¡¯d found a shortcut to power. He didn¡¯t care who he hurt to get it.


    If only he had told me about his n. I would have helped¡ªdly. We could have taken safety measures. But he never considered that. He never considered me.


    "Hine, please¡ªlisten to me¡ª" Rudy¡¯s voice cracked as he reached for me, but Kaye pped his hand away.


    "We¡¯re leaving. You enjoy your carnival," Kaye snapped, signaling Maximus to help gather my things from the mansion. I wasn¡¯t going back in there.


    "We¡¯re leaving too," my friends said as they passed Rudy, each one hissing their disappointment at him.


    If it weren¡¯t for my wolf grounding me through Rudy¡¯s betrayal, I might have believed him. Might have thanked him, like everyone else had nned to.


    Everyone had been so busy celebrating Rhiz¡¯s downfall, they didn¡¯t notice the deeper betrayal ying out in the background.


    "I¡¯ming too," Sage finally muttered. She gave Rudy onest shake of her head before turning to join us.


    And just like that, it was decided.


    We were leaving.

 Chapter 531-His Naughty Wife

    <h4>Chapter 531: 531-His Naughty Wife</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    It had been a few days since we returned from that carnival. We hadn¡¯t enjoyed it, and even though I had been angry with Rudy and never wanted to see his face again, I was still relieved that Rhiz was taken away.


    "Ahhh!" I sighed as Inded on my feet again.


    "Impressive," Normanmented, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.


    Since he wasn¡¯t the type to let me win or even allow a single punch through without defending with everything he had, I found it fun to tell others that I did beat Norman in training.


    "Thank you," I smiled, giving him a small bow. Kaye and Maximus had done their parts too.


    We fought, and I was able to knock them out of the circle a few times, but they were still very soft on me. I noticed they would hesitate before throwing a punch at me.


    As for Norman, he mostly defended himself.


    With Emmet, though, things were even more different. He would only teach me strength and tips for different techniques. He refused to fight me at all.


    "How does Chinese sound for dinner?" Maximus asked, rushing to my side while Norman walked ahead. Emmet would first take my sses and teach me techniques, but he usually didn¡¯t stay for my fights with my three brothers.


    "Perfect," Kaye said, clearing his throat. He had been acting a little strange. In fact, now that I think about it, there were a few moments when he was a bit too rough with me today.


    In the circle, he was growling and grunting a lot. But in the end, he came over to apologize for being too harsh.


    I liked it.


    It would help me fight better.


    Once we got home, everyone went straight to their rooms while Norman and I sat outside to eat dinner.


    After we were done, Norman grabbed the dishes to take them to the kitchen.


    I would¡¯ve loved to help him with the chores, but my body was aching a lot after training. Although it wasn¡¯t as bad as before, it still left me feeling rough.


    "So, you¡¯re making the eldest one wash dishes for you?"


    It was Charlotte. I rolled my eyes and crossed one leg over the other.


    "Wait till you see him give me foot massages," I said, watching her face turn red.


    "Do you enjoy men¡¯s attention?" she hissed, her fingers wrapped around the back of the chair.


    Even the nice weather didn¡¯t help her bad mood. That¡¯s why I sat in the garden¡ªto avoid seeing her or talking to her inside. But she was such a problem, she came outside just to annoy me.


    "Umm, my husband¡¯s attention? Of course! Who doesn¡¯t like that? Ohhhh! But some of us can¡¯t get any," I pouted, watching her clench her jaw at my words.


    I knew how much I could hurt her with just my words. That was the problem with her¡ªshe could say all she wanted, but the minute someone gave her the same energy back, she¡¯d lose her mind and cry about it to Lord McQuoid and her mother.


    "Besides, when did you switch sides?" I noticed her frown a little.


    "I thought you¡¯d be on my mother¡¯s side, but hanging around with Darcy¡ªtsk tsk tsk. Such an opportunist you are. And all that for a man? Who doesn¡¯t even want you," I puckered my lips, acting like I was feeling bad for her.


    But in reality, I wanted a reaction out of her¡ªand it seemed like I had gotten one.


    She was trying hard to hold back her tears before she started rambling.


    "When did you see me¡ªhang around with Lady Darcy?"


    That was her concern?


    Oh, yes. She didn¡¯t know that we knew she and Darcy had lied about her being mates with Maximus. So she must be scared and worried we¡¯d seen her with him.


    "Didn¡¯t she introduce you to everyone that day as her son¡¯s mate?" I tilted my head, watching relief sh across her face, but she quickly covered it with a grunt.


    "What are you doing here, Charlotte?"


    Norman hade out, and the second I saw him notice Charlotte standing with me, he quickened his pace to approach us.


    "I was just catching up with my cousin. Heard she¡¯ll be battling Alpha Darius. I¡¯m worried for her," she said in a much sweeter tone, making Norman stare at her with a bored look.


    "You don¡¯t need to worry about that. She¡¯ll do fine. As for you standing here trying to annoy her¡ªquit these habits. If sheins..."


    He pulled one hand out of his pants pocket to point at her while the other stayed in¡ªso intimidating.


    "But I wasn¡¯t annoying her," she pouted¡ªbut it was genuine. Her concern for her image was always real.


    "Oh, she¡¯s not annoying. It¡¯s just that she has a very annoying face," I shrugged, getting up to wrap my arm around Norman¡¯s.


    The way I did it¡ªshe looked furious.


    Instead of going to her fianc¨¦ and trying to win him over, she was getting mad that Norman was giving me attention.


    And then there was Norman¡ªhe shuddered the moment I did that.


    "I¡¯ll go into my bedroom with my husband now. A woman has some needs, you know?" I mumbled in a seductive tone, turning to walk away with Norman after I left Charlotte outside¡ªwith tears in her eyes.


    Norman didn¡¯t say anything until we were inside the room.


    That¡¯s when I unwrapped my arm from around his and crawled into bed, taking off my purple sweater. I¡¯d already showered and changed before dinner, so I was just ready for a good sleep.


    But my dear innocent husband shocked me when he made me realize he had taken my words a little too seriously.


    "About the needs part¡ª"


    He got my attention as he scratched the back of his neck and cleared his throat, "I don¡¯t know how to... do it with you because¡ªit... is..."


    Somehow, I had a wild thought and just wanted to tease him.


    "It¡¯s okay. I can guide you if you¡¯re a beginner," I said.


    The way his head snapped toward me was pure gold.


    "I know how it¡¯s done, okay? And my stamina can be unmatchable. I can do it with you without any breaks for two days straight. And trust me¡ª"


    That¡¯s all he said before he suddenly stopped and realized something.


    "You are a very... naughty girl, Hnie."

 Chapter 532-My Husband Never Sleeps

    <h4>Chapter 532: 532-My Husband Never Sleeps</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Norman didn¡¯t say another word after that and rushed into the bathroom to shower and get ready for bed.


    I guess he finally realized I was only saying that to get under Charlotte¡¯s skin.


    "Was he really ready to do it with us?" my wolf asked, making me lie in bed, wondering what Norman¡¯s next move would have been if he hadn¡¯t figured out I said that just to annoy Charlotte.


    "I don¡¯t know. I can never understand him."


    Of course, she had seen my thoughts and everything from my memories, but still, we hadn¡¯t talked about our mates like that yet.


    "But you tell me about yourself. What name do you want?" I asked her.


    I had never been given any wolf connection sses before. Since I didn¡¯t get a wolf at the usual age, they kicked me out of those sses.


    "I have a name. And I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like it," she said. She was such a tease.


    But honestly, she had be one of my best friends.


    "What is it?" I asked, and she giggled.


    "Cora," she said sweetly.


    "That¡¯s a perfect name for you," I replied, genuinely happy to be talking with my wolf.


    We spoke for a few minutes before I passed out. I was so tired I was already asleep even before Norman came out of the bathroom.


    But I was woken up by strange noises in the bedroom.


    I sat up with my fists clenched, body ready to fight, until I figured out where the sounds wereing from.


    Norman, for some reason, hadid out a mattress for himself and was groaning in his sleep.


    Usually, he isn¡¯t a very deep sleeper. It always seems like he¡¯s just resting or lightly napping.


    But that night, he was really asleep¡ªdeeply.


    I reached over to themp on the side table and turned it on, focusing on Norman. He looked so restless on the mattress.


    I wondered if it was because he felt guilty about the earlierments and decided to sleep on the floor.


    "Norman," I said softly, getting out of bed to reach for him.


    He had a frown on his forehead and one hand over his chest, clutching it like he was holding his heart.


    "Don¡¯t, I heard him say in his sleep." He was probably having a nightmare.


    "The pain¡ªit¡¯s too much¡ªjust let me go."


    The way he was muttering, shaking his head from side to side, made my heart ache.


    "Are you okay?" I asked him, but he was in such a deep sleep that I couldn¡¯t get through to him.


    "I would rather die."


    He was breathing heavily now, and that¡¯s when I reached out and touched his arm, trying to wake him up.


    "Norman¡ªNorman, wake up. It¡¯s just a nightmare."


    At first, my attempts were futile. I grabbed his arm and gave him a firm shake.


    Not only did I wake him up, but I must¡¯ve startled him too, because he suddenly grabbed me by my arms, flipped me onto the mattress, and pinned my hands down.


    "Norman."


    I whispered his name, shocked. His eyes were red, his face twisted in a look of rage.


    "What are you trying to do?"


    He hissed through gritted teeth, demanding an answer. But within seconds, his expression shifted as he realized it was me¡ªnot an intruder or a threat.


    "Hnie?"


    He frowned, squinting through the dim light to get a clearer view of my face. The moment his eyes adjusted, he looked down at his hands holding me and quickly let go, moving off me.


    I sat up slowly, cheeks flushed, my body stiff with awkwardness. That shouldn¡¯t have happened.


    "I¡¯m so sorry. I thought you were an intruder."


    He kept his gaze down, sitting on his knees with his arms resting on his legs, scratching at his scalp nervously¡ªhoping I wouldn¡¯t question him further.


    "You were having a nightmare," I spoke after a few moments of silence.


    "Oh."


    He didn¡¯t seem too surprised.


    "I guess I fell asleep," he uttered.


    Now that was odd.


    "Hmm? Why are you saying it like that? You sleep every night, don¡¯t you?" I kept my tone gentle, even though I was clearly taken aback.


    The way he avoided my eyes told me there was something strange behind that simple statement.


    "Norman, you do sleep every night, right?" I asked again, this time more directly. I got on my knees, leaning closer as I waited for his answer.


    "I don¡¯t sleep¡ªnot like everyone else does. I always keep one eye open." He shrugged as if it wasn¡¯t the craziest thing in the world to say.


    "Huh? How can someone not sleep and still function properly?" I stared at him, trying to make sense of it.


    "Maybe that¡¯s why you don¡¯t function right at all." I nodded to myself, watching him narrow his eyes at me.


    "No seriously. I think that¡¯s why you¡¯re always so grumpy. Why don¡¯t you sleep?" But his frown deepened at the question.


    "I¡¯m not grumpy. You¡¯re just too annoying," He said it like it was a punchline, but it wasn¡¯t anything new¡ªI already knew he thought that.


    "Is that why you were still ready to do me?" I don¡¯t know why I said it. The moment the words left my mouth, both of us turned our heads in opposite directions, embarrassed.


    "I wasn¡¯t ready to¡ª"


    He grimaced, stopping himself. That¡¯s when I noticed the sweat on his neck. I reached for a tissue and leaned forward to wipe it away, but he caught my wrist before I could.


    "What? I¡¯m not doing anything," I said quietly, my wrist still held in his grip.


    "Just change your shirt. You¡¯re all sweaty." I mumbled. He let go, and I pulled back, a little confused by how weirdly he was acting.


    I stood up and started walking toward the bed. Halfway there, I paused and nced over my shoulder to check on him.


    That¡¯s when I saw him pulling his shirt off to change into a clean one¡ªand something on his arm caught my eye.


    A bite mark. On his left arm.


    It wasn¡¯t just a mark. It looked... strange. And for some reason, it gave me the weirdest feeling.

 Chapter 533-He Has Her Bite Mark Tattooed On His Arm

    <h4>Chapter 533: 533-He Has Her Bite Mark Tattooed On His Arm</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What is that?"


    I didn¡¯t know why I was so shocked and freaked out for him that I didn¡¯t even wait for him to put on a new shirt. Also, once it was hidden, he would never tell me what it was.


    As he turned around, surprised, I saw another strange thing in the middle of his chest.


    "And what is that?" I pointed at the handprint on his chest.


    "Hnie, would you like it if I saw you without a shirt on?" That was his way of trying to teach me not to stare, but it came off very weird.


    "I want to know what these are. And in return¡ªyou can watch mepletely naked," I snapped at him because of his reaction.


    He would go shirtless around others when he was shifting, but he acted all moody around me?


    He quickly put on a white shirt, then ced his hands on his waist and looked at me with aining expression.


    "Nice abs though," Coramented, and my eyes moved down to his stomach, even though he was now fully dressed.


    "Later," I said to her, copying Norman¡¯s pose and putting my hands on my waist too.


    "What was that? Are you going to tell me or not?" I demanded. He knew everything about me and my life, so I should know about him too.


    "That¡¯s none of your business," he said in a bitter, bratty tone, trying to shut me down.


    "It wasn¡¯t a bite mark¡ªit was a tattoo, that¡¯s what it was. Why would you get a handprint and a bite mark tattooed on your body?" Iined, realizing he was getting angrier by the second.


    "You¡¯re being very nosy, Hnie," he said, pointing his finger at me. Before I could snap back, my eyesnded on my purple sweater¡ªand then a memory hit me.


    As it did, I gasped and covered my mouth with both hands.


    "What? What do you remember?" Even the way Norman asked made me wonder if I had caught it right.


    He suddenly looked so interested, even stepping towards me to ask what I had realized.


    "Don¡¯t," I warned him froming closer. Not because I was mad at him, but because I was so shocked.


    "Tell me," he almost jumped up and down like a child when demanding the answer.


    "That is¡ªthat is where I bit you that day when my sweater¡ªoh, is that my bite mark?" It was a huge reach, but it had to be.


    I remembered feeling so guilty for biting him for too long.


    "No¡ªthat¡¯s not your bite mark," he refused straight up, but the way he stepped back and looked so upset wasn¡¯t helping.


    But I did feel bad for him. He looked so upset when getting confronted. But why the heck would he have my bite mark tattoed on his arm?


    "Whose handprint is that?" I asked him, not remembering if it came from me. But at least the bite mark¡ªI was certain that¡¯s where I bit him.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll be honest with you," after a few minutes of him walking back and forth, looking so agitated, he finally decided to give me a clear answer. "After you bit me, I went to see Jessica because I was angry with you. I told her to bite me in the same spot because I only want one woman to be biting me¡ªand then I tattooed her bite mark on my arm," he stated, and now I felt like a dumbass.


    "Oh," my energy wasn¡¯t the same anymore. The fact that I had assumed so much was so embarrassing for me. I shouldn¡¯t have assumed that big. Of course, there¡¯s no way he would tattoo my bite mark on his arm.


    "And this handprint, it¡¯s also Jessica¡¯s," he answered, and now he looked confident, and I was avoiding eye contact with him.


    "Oh," was all I could say.


    "No, I could embarrass you just like you were trying to embarrass me, but I won¡¯t do that because I¡¯m not you. I¡¯m not Hnie, who wants to embarrass me all the time by asking me such hard questions," he was using a much sterner tone, and I realized I had been ying him a little too hard.


    "Who said I was trying to embarrass you? I was just curious," I muttered under my breath before letting out a sigh and facing him again.


    "So you don¡¯t sleep at all?" I asked again, changing the subject now that I was the one who had ended up being embarrassed.


    "I don¡¯t," he replied.


    "Hmm. When my parents were divorcing, I had a really hard time sleeping. So my mother would sing a this luby to me, and somehow, I would always fall asleep so peacefully. I¡¯m not sure if it will help you¡ª" I stopped myself because of the way he was still staring at me with his eyebrow raised.


    I shouldn¡¯t have assumed he had my bite mark tattooed on his arm. Now he¡¯ll think I¡¯m interested in him and wanted it to be my bite mark so badly.


    "It will help," however, he suddenly shocked me with his response.


    "Okay," I cleared my throat, giving little head nods.


    "Umm, get in the bed," I pointed at the bed, and he walked over very steadily to lie down.


    I got in the bed, and after gathering much courage, I tapped my hand in myp. I shouldn¡¯t have, but I just remembered my mother doing it that way.


    "What?" He looked shocked but changed his tone to sound casual.


    "My mother used to do that. She would always make me rest my head in herp and run her fingers through my hair¡ª" I was trying to convince him that I wasn¡¯t trying to do anything weird and thought it would take some time before he even listened when he shocked me more by suddenly lying down and cing his head in myp.


    Oh my!


    My heart stopped. I didn¡¯t think it would be such a huge deal for a man to only ce his head in myp, and my heart would go crazy.

 Chapter 534-Singing Him A Lullaby

    <h4>Chapter 534: 534-Singing Him A Luby</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    It waste, and the weather had turned even more pleasant when it started raining. The rain tapped softly on the window, and the room was quiet. Only the smallmp beside the bed was on, giving a warm, soft light.


    I was feeling strange in my heart; his hair smelled so good that even though his head was only in myp, I could smell the amazing scent of his shampoo.


    Hey across the bed, his head in myp. His eyes were closed, but I knew he wasn¡¯t asleep. His face looked calm now, but I had seen how tired and lost he seemed all day, every day.


    Especially now that I had been spending nights in his room, I realized he was always awake.


    I slowly ran my fingers through his hair. It felt natural, even though everything between us still felt strange. There was something we weren¡¯t saying. Something heavy in the silence.


    I looked down at him. He looked peaceful like this. Safe. Like he could finally sleep well.


    The luby just came out, soft and quiet, almost like a whisper.


    "Sleep now, love, the night is near,


    The stars are out, the sky is clear,


    As the ships on sees gets near,


    Sleep now, love, the peace is real,


    No more worries, no more cries,


    Just close your eyes and hear my sighs..."


    He didn¡¯t say anything. He didn¡¯t move. But I felt his body slowly rx. His breathing became slower, deeper. He was letting go, little by little.


    I kept singing.


    It was the oddest thing I had done with him. But somehow, I did it, and not only did he sound at peace, but I was at peace too. I liked the way he was breathing so calmly now.


    There were moments when my mind drifted to his statement. He didn¡¯t want any other woman¡¯s bite on his body but Jessica¡¯s. It made me feel so guilty.


    I had stolen his chance to be happy. I had married him when he could have been with the woman he wanted. And all this time, I hadn¡¯t thanked him properly.


    ¡¯Asshole!¡¯


    I grunted at him, and my wolf huffed.


    ¡¯I thought you wanted to thank him,¡¯ she sounded so confused.


    ¡¯I will¡ªI am thanking him. Resting him to sleep is my way to thank him,¡¯ I muttered.


    ¡¯But he is such an idiot¡ªasshole¡ªa rascal¡ªIugh, I want to pull his hair,¡¯ although I felt that way, my fingers never did anything to hurt his hair.


    It was so silky smooth.


    ¡¯Then what are you so mad about?¡¯ Cora questioned.


    ¡¯It¡¯s just that he¡ª¡¯ I paused and then added, ¡¯never told me he was having trouble sleeping,¡¯ I let out a deep breath as I realized I had been looking for an excuse and finally found one.


    ¡¯Ohhh¡ªplease! Fool someone else. I live inside you. You¡¯re jealous,¡¯ the minute she said that, I frowned and almost stopped singing.


    ¡¯You¡¯re funny. Why would I be jealous that he made Jessica leave a bite mark over my bite mark?¡¯ As soon as I said that, my wolf started snickering, and I knew she was onto something.


    "I never said you were jealous of the bite mark," she replied, as if she had done something. It wasn¡¯t impressive at all.


    "Maybe you don¡¯t remember that you live inside me, and no, I¡¯m not jealous of Jessica. If anything, I should be ashamed of myself that I stole her mate¡ªeven if only until the next full moon, but I did."


    I remembered the way he avoided my eyes when talking about the tattoos. He must miss her a lot.


    I ruined their happy ending. And I should be careful around him because now I was friends with Jessica, and she didn¡¯t deserve to get betrayed by me.


    After that, even I fell asleep, after I made sure Norman was asleep too. I mean, he fell asleep fifteen minutes before I did.


    I was in a sitting position the whole night, but somehow, I was fine. I didn¡¯t feel any body aches throughout the night. However, we both jumped awake at the hard knocking on the bedroom door.


    Norman raised his head from myp, his eyes swollen and lips all red. I could tell he had a restful night. His hair was messy, and his eyes could barely open.


    "You¡ªwere sitting the whole night?" was the first thing he said, even when there was someone outside who had to be in desperate need.


    "I was fine. At least you rested well," I smiled and noticed how lost he looked, like he had actually slept well.


    "That is so odd," he pulled away, running his hand through his hair in confusion.


    "Norman, someone is at the door," I pointed at the door, and he realized there was indeed somemotion outside the room.


    "I¡¯ll check it," he said, getting up while still being so sleepy. I think if nobody had knocked, he would have stayed sleeping. How long had it been since he¡¯d slept well?


    He reached for the door while I stayed sitting, thinking maybe we could go for round two.


    ¡¯Round two!¡¯ my wolf let out augh, making me roll my eyes at her. It was a little too early¡ªnot really¡ªbut I had just woken up, and she was taking my words as dirty talk.


    Norman opened the door and stepped back when the warriors sent by the council stepped inside.


    ¡¯Back off, my wife is in bed still,¡¯ Norman snapped, suddenly pushing them out of the room.


    I grabbed my sweater and put it on, jumping off the bed to see what was going on. Once Norman was certain I was ready to face them, he snapped his fingers at them to hurry up.


    "Is it about the battle? Are there any more requests from that loser?" Norman started grunting, his arms stretched out to make sure no one coulde inside the room.


    However, it was when I saw his brotherse through with the warriors that I had a feeling something bad had happened.


    Before his brothers could say something, one of the warriors spoke up. "Norman Arrow McQuoid, you are under arrest for the murder of Alpha Zellu."

 Chapter 535-My Husband Got Arrested

    <h4>Chapter 535: 535-My Husband Got Arrested</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "The weapon found had Norman¡¯s fingerprints on it, and his DNA was all over the crime scene as well," Lord McQuoid exined to me while his sons stayed on the call with the council heads. Emmet was standing among the warriors with Norman in our bedroom.


    I was asked to wait for Norman outside in the living room while they discussed the issues in there.


    My mother stood beside Lord McQuoid, always silent, like a shadow.


    "So? They¡¯re going to arrest him for it? Let¡¯s just say, even if Norman did do it, why would they arrest him for killing a scumbag like him? Zellu confessed to murdering his sister. Doesn¡¯t that count as guilty and worthy of the death penalty?" I was rambling, but also listening to my faint heartbeat.


    "But I know Norman didn¡¯t do it," I added quickly. Charlotte had a weird look on her face as she stood in the corner with her arms folded over her chest. Her mother, as always, stood with her like a statue.


    "They won¡¯t punish him for the murder since Zellu confessed to murder and rape. But they will punish Norman for using the forbidden weapon on an alpha. We had a deal with the council and the packs that we won¡¯t use weapons, especially that one, on any alpha," Lord McQuoid said, and it was then that I began to realize Norman was in trouble.


    However, I was certain Norman didn¡¯t kidnap Zellu. At least one of his brothers would have found out.


    "What punishment will he get?" I inquired, watching their faces as my heartbeat slowed.


    "They will stab him with the same dagger and make him confess his dirty secrets in front of everyone and then put him in prison for ten years," Lord McQuoid sighed, looking so tense and exhausted.


    "No!" I muttered to myself before starting to scream. "NOOO!" I stomped my feet, getting irritated at the injustice.


    "Hnie, it¡¯s not up to us to do anything. We can either hand him over or start a war," Lord McQuoid said, gesturing at Charlotte to get me water, and I saw how she rolled her eyes before dragging her feet to get it.


    "No, no, no! This is not fair. Then let¡¯s do the war," I said. As soon as I said that, Charlotte almost dropped the ss.


    "Are you crazy? We¡¯ll be outnumbered," Charlotteined with a hiss.


    "So what? You want my son to get punished?" It was Darcy, who had arrived after probably hearing about the arrest of her son.


    "But I¡¯m just saying¡ª," Charlotte bit her tongue before stepping away.


    "Don¡¯t speak when it¡¯s about my son," Darcy hissed at her, and Charlotte quickly ran to stand beside her mother.


    "Darcy, why are you here?" Lord McQuoid turned to her, his tone harsher than ever.


    "Huh? My son is getting arrested, and you¡¯re asking me why I¡¯m here?" she yelled, looking over his shoulder at me.


    "You! You¡¯re the reason he¡¯s getting arrested. All your dirts are being thrown at my sons, don¡¯t you feel guilty?" she screamed at me, and my mother slowly started to walk to the side, where she could see us all properly.


    "I will not let him get arrested," I said confidently.


    "Prove it, then." As soon as she said that, I started to head back to the room.


    Somehow, Lord McQuoid started chasing after me.


    "Hnie, there¡¯s nothing you can do," he let out a cry, trying to hold my hand. It was the first time I had seen my mother move. She ran out of the living room, probably to see why her mate was so determined to stop me from whatever mistake they thought I was going to make.


    "I¡¯m not going to let him get arrested," I let out a cry, freeing my hand and rushing upstairs. But Norman and Emmet were already walking downstairs with the warriors. He saw me and frowned, gesturing for his father to back off from stopping me.


    "What¡¯s going on?" he asked, taking quick strides to reach me where I was now.


    "You are not getting arrested," I stomped my feet again, sobbing.


    "Hnie¡ªdon¡¯t cry, it will be fine," Norman uttered, looking around until his eyesnded on his mother. She rushed past me, almost pushing me out of the way to hug her son.


    "I¡¯ll bail you out, don¡¯t worry," she started to cry, but I watched Norman stare at me as I cried behind her.


    "Hnie¡ªcalm down. Nothing will happen," Emmet walked over to my side forfort.


    "Hnie never shows us this side of her," Even through all this worry, I heard Maximusin to Kaye, who shrugged with his hands in his pant pockets.


    "You¡¯re not arresting our brother," Kaye raised his voice, and Maximus nodded. I quickly agreed with them by bobbing my head.


    "It¡¯s alright, I don¡¯t want to go against anyw," Norman took more strides downstairs after breaking the hug with his mother.


    "Why not?" his mother asked, her eyes quickly moving to me.


    "Because me not obeying can ruin Hnie¡¯s battle. We don¡¯t want a war, we want justice," Norman hissed under his breath, trying to make everyone understand.


    "She wants justice. You are all just fools ying along," Darcy hissed before she noticed Norman ring at her.


    "And while I¡¯m gone, you are not allowed here. No one who will make things difficult for Hnie will be allowed here," he raised his voice so that his brothers could hear and make it happen.


    "You¡¯re not going anywhere," I yelled, and everyone turned their attention to me once again.


    "You know what¡ªI was the one who abducted him and then stabbed him," I said with my chest held high, getting gasps from around me.


    "Hnie," Norman grunted, an angry look on his face that made my lips quiver.


    "And you¡¯re angry at me now?" I covered my face in my hands as I sobbed some more.


    "Don¡¯t you dare¡ª," Emmet warned Norman, who I could hear protesting.


    "Anyway, we found his DNA at the scene, so we¡¯ll be taking him with us. Are youing?" the warrior asked Norman, just to know if Norman was ready to listen or protest.


    "I¡¯ming," with that, Norman started to follow after them.

 Chapter 536-Has She Fallen For Him?

    <h4>Chapter 536: 536-Has She Fallen For Him?</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    "She¡¯s a mess. It¡¯s only been a few hours, and she hasn¡¯t stopped crying, passed out twice, and hasn¡¯t even let a single drop of water go down her throat," Maximus grunted, shaking his head as he fisted his palm.


    I heard him, and I had seen her too.


    It was like someone had reached down my throat and grabbed my heart in their fist. It wasn¡¯t easy to see Hnie show so much love and concern for my brother. I was worried for him myself and would do absolutely everything to get him out, but the way she showed it, it was different.


    "She had done something simr for us. Even more. Remember when we were taken by the Glimard? She chased us in the snow to rescue us and found us," my wolf shocked me when he took her side. I always thought he didn¡¯t want me to ept her.


    But I also knew why.


    epting her means making her go through the pain I carry. My wolf would rather see us suffer alone than make our mate feel it too.


    "So what, Maximus?" I took a stand for her, because I always would, no matter what. "That only shows what a ride or die she is. Our brother has done everything for her in return for nothing. I¡¯m d she took that stand, because what you didn¡¯t see, I did," I nodded, forcing myself to smile even when it wasn¡¯t easy for me to cope with that information.


    "What did you see?" Kaye questioned.


    We were having a meeting in the garden, away from everyone, trying to figure out how to help Norman out. But it was a little confusing that they had found his DNA everywhere at the crime scene.


    But I trusted my brother when he looked me in the eye and told me that he had nothing to do with it. There is no amount of evidence that could outweigh my brother¡¯s words for me.


    "Norman looked slightly at ease. I guess he was surprised Hnie took such a bold step for him. So we should be thanking her for giving him some peace before he was taken away," I stated, watching them nod reluctantly.


    "Now what do we do? If he stays in jail for another day, Hnie will lose her eyesight from crying. Which is a bit odd¡ªand I¡¯m not judging orining¡ªjust pointing it out," Maximus quickly exined so I wouldn¡¯t lecture him again.


    "She acts so mature and stubborn around me¡ª," he stopped when Kaye had to add something.


    "Distant and aloof with me," he grunted, almost pitying.


    "Decent and very obedient with Emmet." Since I didn¡¯t say anything from my side, Maximus shared his own observation.


    "But she acts like a spoiled brat¡ªa cute one, in front of Norman," Maximus was right. It made me feel a little jealous too.


    "Not little. If we can use the heat inside you, we can light the world up in mes," my wolf groaned at me.


    "Anyway, let¡¯s see what could be done¡ª" I stopped talking when I saw a maid running towards us.


    "Hnie Niles is crashing out," his words made us exchange a nce before rushing out of our seats to check on her. And just like the maid had said, she had locked herself in the room and was throwing things around.


    "Step back," I gestured at my brothers before I shouldered the door open. The inside of the room was a mess. She had broken every vase in Norman¡¯s room, every chair was thrown against the wall, and every door was in pieces.


    "Norman wouldn¡¯t be very happy," Charlotte sang in her mocking tone, causing me to turn and give her a harsh re.


    She quickly straightened her back and looked down. I also noticed Hnie¡¯s mother standing among us. She was trying her best to look like she was only here for the drama, but she couldn¡¯t fool me. I could see right through her. The way she was biting the inside of her cheek and blinking constantly was a hint that she was worried for her daughter.


    "Hnie," I stepped into the room, making sure she didn¡¯t step on the broken pieces of ss.


    She threw her body into my arms and began to sob again.


    "Get her out of the second floor. Don¡¯t leave anyone behind," I whispered to Maximus, gesturing at Charlotte. I knew she didn¡¯t care at all about Hnie, so she shouldn¡¯t be standing there watching her suffer.


    Maximus walked out, pointing at Charlotte to follow him, while Kaye started to leave to get the maids and other servants out for a few minutes.


    "Hnie, it will be alright," it felt likemitting a crime when I hugged her back. But at the same time, it was the type of crime I wouldn¡¯t mind being punished for. I never thought I¡¯d be able to hold her in my arms again.


    "It¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have dragged you brothers into this mess. Now he will be in prison¡ª" She broke the hug and stomped her feet, one after another like a child throwing a tantrum.


    Her eyes were swollen shut at this point. The idea of my brother being in prison for even a minute was killing her.


    Her mother quietly stepped into the room, the only one with us at that moment.


    "It¡¯s not your fault. And my brother will be out in no time. We will offer a huge deal and free weapons¡ªwe¡¯ll do anything to make them release Norman. It¡¯s not like Zellu¡¯s life means more to them than some good weapons," I said, though I wasn¡¯t sure it would work. Not that they cared about Zellu after hemitted his crimes. But the other Alphas were scared of the weapons being used on them, so they wanted to make a statement by punishing Norman.


    But my words were enough to make Hnie stare at me with hopeful eyes.


    "They will free him?" she asked, her big eyes wide open and teary.


    "They will release him," I said. It wasn¡¯t me who said it, but the woman watching her silently.


    Her mother.

 Chapter 537-She Is The Queen

    <h4>Chapter 537: 537-She Is The Queen</h4>


    <strong>Urs:</strong>


    Watching my daughter have a breakdown was not something I had expected. I didn¡¯t think she would care that much. She would be worried, sure! But to cry like that over a man who had been so harsh to her before, and only agreed to marry her just to reject her on the next full moon, shocked me.


    I knew there was nothing going on between her and that man. It was just his way of saving her that night.


    But the way my daughter was crying left me worried.


    "I said, I have a feeling they will release him," I corrected myself since Emmet had been staring at me.


    Watching my daughter hug and cry on this man¡¯s chest was so hard for me.


    I didn¡¯t want anyone to touch or be close to my daughter. She deserved someone better. She should have lived her life away from the mess of this ce and these people.


    "Give her some water¡ª" I said, breaking my cold attitude.


    I always walk away when she cries. It kills me inside to see her in pain.


    "They will punish him," my innocent, beautiful Hnie said as she broke the hug with Emmet and looked into his eyes whileining.


    She was so naive and beautiful.


    I turned around and quickly walked out of the room, dialing a number.


    "Change the n. Is there anyone who can take the me?" I asked my man.


    "There is one. He¡¯s very sick and dying anyway. I bet he would love to serve you, Queen. What do you need us to do?" he asked.


    "Tell him to confess to killing and stabbing Alpha Zellu. Say he stole the weapon from¡ª" I paused when I remembered that girl, Sydney.


    I had heard about her bullying my daughter. "Say he stole the dagger from Beta Coombs. As for the motive, tell him to say he wanted Norman to take the me because he wanted to be a part of the rogue academy, and Norman didn¡¯t let him in."


    I knew what this would do. The proud and mighty Sydney would feel the shame of her father not being able to protect such a dangerous weapon¡ªone he had recently bought to protect the border from a deadly monster they had faced.


    After I hung up the call, I desperately wanted to go back inside, but Darcy hade back to the mansion and I had to stay away from Hnie.


    As I was walking downstairs, I found Emma and her daughter waiting for me on the first floor.


    "We aren¡¯t even allowed on the second floor now?" Emmained.


    "That¡¯s right. That Hnie is such a bitch," Charlotte grimaced, and I had to force myself to nod even though I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what Charlotte would look like with all her teeth knocked out.


    "Anyway, she brings bad luck. Her husband got arrested because of her," Emma kept talking even as I tried to walk away from them.


    I hated the way they talked about my daughter. The day I stop hiding my love for her, they¡¯ll see what I¡¯ll do to them.


    "And did you look at her face¡ª"


    That was it. My daughter was crying upstairs, and this Charlotte was making fun of her?


    "Charlotte, have you done something to your skin? Why is there so much breakout?" I turned to her and asked. She instantly stopped talking about my daughter and touched her face with her hands.


    Her mother looked at her skin too, but seemed confused.


    "It looks fine to me," Emma said.


    "Really? Look at that¡ªit makes her look unkempt," I pointed at the corner of her mouth, pressing my nail in on purpose, and she winced in pain.


    "Her hair is also looking really dry. What¡¯s going on, Charlotte? Maximus already doesn¡¯t pay attention to you. If you keep looking like this, he might not want to ept you at all."


    I watched Charlotte¡¯s eyes fill with tears¡ªand it was such a satisfying sight.


    Uh-huh! She wanted tough at my daughter?


    "I¡¯ll go get a salon appointment," Charlotte rushed out of the room while Emma followed her.


    I sat in the chair and stared outside the window.


    ¡¯What is going on with our daughter? How will we help her get away from these men¡ª¡¯ my wolf groaned, letting out a small cry.


    ¡¯I¡¯ll need to figure something out,¡¯ I said as tears glistened in my eyes.


    ¡¯What if they truly love her and won¡¯t agree to sacrifice her just to save themselves?¡¯ I knew my wolf would ask that question sooner orter.


    She wanted our daughter to be happy and safe¡ªand who could be better protectors than Norman or any of the three brothers? But I wasn¡¯t just looking at one side of the situation. The other side was much darker.


    ¡¯They are their mother¡¯s sons. They¡¯ll hurt her and break her. My daughter doesn¡¯t deserve that. I¡¯ve faced too much, lost the love of my life and my children. I won¡¯t let them use my daughter for their own gain too. Sometimes I even wonder if she¡¯ll ever be able to have children¡ªthe pain of that loss is too much,¡¯ I sighed as tears began to form in my eyes.


    In a distant memory, I was holding hands with my mate¡ªthe one who was nothing like the others. He brought me to his ship and promised to show me the world. We both forgot that people weren¡¯t as clueless as we were.


    ¡¯Our daughter is much more powerful than us. Urs, I was wondering if it¡¯s time¡ª¡¯ she went quiet when I straightened up in my chair and gently touched the chain around my neck.


    ¡¯She doesn¡¯t need that pendant to hide her pheromones anymore. They¡¯re fading, I heard. And now that she¡¯s challenged that jerk¡ªshouldn¡¯t we help her find her full potential?¡¯


    I understood my wolf¡¯s point clearly, but she didn¡¯t fully understand the dangers of doing that.


    ¡¯And let them call her a monster? That would be too risky. We must protect our daughter and find a way to help her leave this ce and reunite with her people. That¡¯s the only way,¡¯ I decided I would take my daughter away from all these people¡ªafter she gets her revenge.

 Chapter 538-He Came Back And I Lost My Control

    <h4>Chapter 538: 538-He Came Back And I Lost My Control</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I don¡¯t know what had gotten into me, but I had lost my mind. I wanted to throw things and go find Norman.


    "And do what?" my wolf asked, a hint of cheekiness in her voice.


    "And beat him up for giving up. He should have fought and refused to go," I cried again, stomping my feet as I paced the hallway outside Emmet¡¯s room.


    He had made mee out of the room so he could get it cleaned before I hurt myself.


    I was getting annoyed with them making me their priority and not putting themselves first.


    I had walked all the way to Emmet¡¯s room, and when I turned around to head the other way, I saw Emmeting toward me.


    "He¡¯s back," he said from a distance, pointing his thumb over his shoulder.


    "What?" I stopped dead in my tracks, eyes wide.


    "They set him free," he repeated, still walking.


    And sure enough, right behind him, I saw Norman standing at the end of the hallway. For a moment, I thought about pinching myself. Maybe I had fainted and this was some kind of twisted dream where the Moon Goddess wanted to mock me.


    But no! He was real. And he hade straight to where I was, to show me he was back.


    I ran like crazy, smiling wide and crying tears of joy.


    However, I didn¡¯t notice¡ªor realize¡ªthat Emmet might have misunderstood until I passed him.


    He had stopped and was staring at me as I crossed him.


    At that moment, I could have stopped, but I don¡¯t know why I couldn¡¯t. I ran until I jumped into Norman¡¯s arms and hugged him.


    He caught me as I wrapped my legs around his waist and held him tight.


    "You idiot¡ª" I started to mumble, still holding on.


    His hands were in the air until he ced them on my butt when he probably noticed I was slipping.


    That¡¯s when I raised my face from his neck and smiled at him.


    "You¡¯re back!" I said. That brief moment of eye contact meant everything.


    I thought he¡¯d be upset when he came back. Norman had a huge ego, so being taken to the prison must have hurt his pride.


    But no!


    The way his eyes were glowing as he held me tight didn¡¯t show even a hint of hurt pride.


    I buried my face back into his neck¡ªuntil I heard Jessica¡¯s voice.


    "Norman?" her soft whisper made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It was as if I hadpletely forgotten about her existence.


    I quickly unwrapped my legs from around his waist and slipped down.


    But Norman¡¯s smile faded, and I had to pull his arms off me myself and step away from him.


    Jessica, who looked shocked at the way I had hugged her fianc¨¦, now came rushing into his arms.


    I noticed Kaye and Maximus standing behind her as well.


    "You are here," Norman uttered like he was in disbelief. He must be so worried that his lover had caught him carrying another woman. And it wasn¡¯t even his fault.


    It hit me all of a sudden that I had been such a fool to forget¡ªhe wasn¡¯t my husband at all.


    And the fact that I did that... it just didn¡¯t make sense. His hug had felt so natural. The way I held him¡ªit hadn¡¯t felt wrong at all.


    "Norman! I¡¯ve been so worried," Jessica said, still holding onto him tightly.


    I realized I shouldn¡¯t be standing between them¡ªor even around them. So, I decided to walk away.


    But then I felt a hand holding mine.


    It was a gentle touch, but one that screamed: I want you here.


    I turned my head and saw Norman holding my hand.


    As Jessica let go of the hug and smiled at him, I quickly twisted my wrist free from his grip.


    I felt like such a homewrecker.


    Not only had I taken her fianc¨¦, but now I didn¡¯t even seem to understand boundaries.


    Thinking back to my history with Norman, anyone would think I¡¯d be careful¡ªnot even a mistake, not even if I were drunk and alone with him.


    Then why was it so hard now to stay within limits?


    Why couldn¡¯t I stop messing up around him?


    First, I had made him lie with his head in myp¡ªand now this.


    "You know I¡¯ve been so worried. I called everyone and even started an investigation. If they hadn¡¯t set you free, I would have offered to take your ce," Jessica said, smiling brightly at Norman.


    The way her hands rested on his chest, the way her eyes locked with his¡ªit was magical.


    I should have nevere between them.


    "They said someone took the me. Some guy who stole the weapon from Royal Beta Coombs," Norman said, stepping back just enough that Jessica¡¯s hands dropped from his chest.


    "Hnie, you must know him, right? He¡¯s Sydney and Salem¡¯s father," he added, turning to me with a lighter tone.


    I only nodded.


    I didn¡¯t want to stay there, but the way Norman kept talking to me¡ªlike he didn¡¯t want me to leave¡ªmade it hard for me to walk away.


    I was desperate for a reason to leave.


    "Wee back home, brother," Emmet¡¯s voice came from behind me. I hadn¡¯t even noticed he¡¯d walked down so quietly.


    "Thank you," Norman replied, though his expression told me he saw something I should see too.


    So I turned around¡ªand saw Emmet staring at me.


    His eyes held disappointment.


    Shit.


    He had seen me jump into Norman¡¯s arms... along with my other mates.


    And Norman¡¯s fianc¨¦e.


    I was the problem.


    I felt like the reason everyone was getting hurt.


    "I¡¯ll take a walk. I was too worried about you, Norman" Emmet said, turning away and walking off quickly, not meeting anyone¡¯s eyes.


    "Emmet¡ª" Norman tried to call after him, but Emmet didn¡¯t stop.


    I saw Kaye and Maximus share a look¡ªlike they were silently talking, trying to decide what to do next.

 Chapter 539-The Guilty Mate

    <h4>Chapter 539: 539-The Guilty Mate</h4>


    <strong>Maximus:</strong>


    I have never seen Emmet lose his calm like this before.


    He didn¡¯t even listen to us and grabbed his wine bottle to head out of the mansion.


    "I¡¯ll go after him," Kaye gave me a hand gesture to stay behind. Since Kaye had been going through his own messed-up phase of the curse, he didn¡¯t want to be around Hnie for too long. It would be a disaster if he attacked her.


    As for Emmet, he needed someone with him in case he forgot everything and went missing.


    As Kaye and Emmet left the mansion, my attention went back to Hnie. She was standing alone in the hallway while Jessica was all over Norman.


    The awkward look on Hnie¡¯s face was no mystery. She had probably realized that she acted on her feelings.


    Now what kind of feelings¡ªthat¡¯s what concerned me.


    And then there was Norman. He was holding her hand, not letting her walk away, and staring at her, while Jessica was clearly more interested in talking to him than letting him get distracted.


    But I was bothered.


    Deeply bothered.


    I had never seen my brother let a woman jump at him like that. It was such a terrible sight for me.


    "Hnie," I had to step in and get her out of that awkward moment. And to also remind her that Jessica was my brother¡¯s fianc¨¦e, and it should be her with Norman.


    She finally snapped out of it and walked toward me, walking past Norman and Jessica¡ªbut a bit too slowly.


    She approached me and gave me a head nod so that we could walk away.


    I followed her outside, straight to the garden.


    "I must say I am disappointed with you," I started, watching her lower her head even more. "Jessica is a nice girl. You should have thought of her before¡ª" I wanted to make her realize she needed to keep her distance from Norman, but when I saw her lower her head even further, I stopped.


    "But then again¡ªit¡¯s not like you did something unforgivable," I changed my tone, but it didn¡¯t affect her. She had her hands in herp, rubbing them together and blinking nonstop. She probably wanted to hold back the tears. Was she hurt that Jessica caught her with Norman, or was it something else?


    Could it be that she was jealous?


    No!


    I shook my head to dismiss the idea. Norman isn¡¯t even her mate.


    "Hnie! Come on, it wasn¡¯t a big deal. You were just feeling guilty that Norman got arrested because of your case, so when you saw him free, you got emotional. It¡¯s not that big of a deal. I¡¯m sure Jessica didn¡¯t mind it either," I wanted to keep talking until she felt better.


    "I will go rest in¡ª" she finally looked up from the ground but instantly went silent. I narrowed my eyes at her, waiting for her to finish what she meant to say.


    After a careful moment, she added, "If you don¡¯t mind, can I sleep in the guest room?"


    I felt like her words pped me. I guess she first wanted to ask for my bedroom, but then she must have remembered Charlotte. These women in our lives were bing such a hurdle to being with Hnie¡ªit was starting to really annoy me.


    I wished Hnie would rest in my room.


    "Of course, Hnie. This is your mansion¡ªgo ahead, take any room you want," I whispered with a smile, hoping she¡¯d at least feel a little better. But simple words couldn¡¯t bring back the smile she had lost.


    As I watched her walk away, I didn¡¯t care if she was jealous or feeling something for Norman. I would still put her happiness first.


    ¡¯And do what?¡¯ my wolf groaned inside me.


    ¡¯I¡¯ll gift her something amazing,¡¯ I smiled as I got up from my seat. I had a n in mind¡ªa perfect one.


    "Make sure you stand outside her room, and no woman in the mansion goes in to disturb her," I warned a guard to stay outside the guest room and stop anyone who might cause trouble.


    As for me, I had somewhere to be. After taking a ride with my rather grumpy wolf, I arrived at Benita¡¯s caf¨¦.


    "Hello," I said as I walked into the caf¨¦, raising my hand to wave at the customers. Benita ran out from behind the counter.


    "Maximus, what business do you have here?" her tone was harsh this time.


    "Aw, Aunty, don¡¯t be like that. That¡¯s rude, isn¡¯t it? Aren¡¯t you supposed to wee your customers with a smile?" I pinched her chin yfully while looking around to spot her loser of a son.


    "She forgets her job, doesn¡¯t she," said the voice I had been waiting to hear.


    It was Byron, who had been summoned by Lamar.


    The moment he walked in, the look on Benita¡¯s face said she wasn¡¯t happy. Of course she wasn¡¯t. Byron was the one who had been challenged by Kaidon for the alpha title.


    Byron was also the person she always imed had bullied Kaidon.


    "Alpha Byron!" Now that it was the alpha of her pack, she had to bow down out of respect.


    "What would you like to have?" she finally asked, pointing to the table while signaling one of her servers to help us out.


    "Let¡¯s see... what do we want?" Byron clicked his tongue, strolling between the chairs before turning around with a dramatic look. "Your son. Where is he?"


    The yful smirk on his face disappeared as he got down to business.


    "My son? Alpha, why would you want to see my son?" Her eyes lingered on me¡ªshe had probably realized I had something to do with this.


    "Is she supposed to question an alpha?" Byron muttered, asking me.


    "I haven¡¯t been in a pack since I was a kid but¡ªno!" I replied with a sharp tone. I had developed a strange dislike for the woman standing in front of me because of how badly she treated Hnie, even after learning her son had been part of that horrific night.


    "He¡¯s in the house," she finally replied, now that she didn¡¯t have a choice.

 Chapter 540-The Weird Crush Of Romeo

    <h4>Chapter 540: 540-The Weird Crush Of Romeo</h4>


    <strong>Maximus:</strong>


    "What are we going to do there?" Lamar asked us.


    I had been speaking with Lamar for two days. I realized that if I wanted to win Hnie back, I might as well befriend her friends. Even if it would be a little awkward since I¡¯m their professor, I didn¡¯t care anymore.


    "So¡ªByron needs to talk to him," I pointed at Byron, who nodded.


    "I feel kind of guilty for him ending up like this. And it¡¯s not like I bullied him just to be a bully," he added quickly, not wanting to seem like the bad guy. "I just didn¡¯t like that he was hanging around those guys."


    He finished just as we arrived at the house. But when we turned around, we saw Benita rushing toward the house like a headless chicken.


    "I¡¯m sorry, don¡¯t you have a caf¨¦ to take care of?" Byron asked as he watched her open the main door for us.


    "No, not really. The waitresses will handle it. I have something to do at home anyway," she said, hurrying in before us, clearly trying to make sure her son wasn¡¯t alone when we got there.


    "Benita, my dear," Byron gave her a smirk and turned to her. "Why don¡¯t you go wait in the caf¨¦? You cane back and finish your business hereter. It¡¯s your pack alpha¡¯s order."


    The way Byron red at her while keeping his voice cheerful must¡¯ve been enough for her to realize her time was up.


    Did she really think she could hide her son and the problem would just go away?


    Especially when her son didn¡¯t even want to stay hidden?


    "Then let me speak with him first," she said, her bodynguage full of hesitation and nerves¡ªenough to make us eager to know what was really going on.


    "Sure," Byron replied, giving her the space. She rushed straight downstairs.


    "Are we going to wait for her toe back up?" Lamar asked, and I exchanged a nce with Byron before starting to chuckle.


    "Of course not. Let¡¯s go catch her red-handed," I said, and we followed her down to find her quickly trying to unchain her son. She had him tied to a bed, with wolfsbane needles all around the room.


    "What a heartless mother," Byron muttered, making her jump and step in front of her son like she could block our view.


    "Step aside,dy," Byron gestured with his hand. I let him do most of the talking¡ªI wanted to save my energy for now.


    "But he¡¯s my son and he wants me in the room," she stuttered, clearly panicking.


    "Or maybe not," I added, stepping forward and walking up to Kaidon.


    I guessed that after hisst outburst, she had chained him up and drugged him so much he couldn¡¯t even fight back. As if he even could escape those chains.


    It was just so heartbreaking.


    "Kaidon! Do you want thisdy in the room?" I asked as I crouched down next to the boy in distress.


    "No! I want justice¡ªagainst myself and the others¡ªfor that girl whose life we ruined," he said without even taking a breath, then broke into tears.


    "There you go, witch! He doesn¡¯t want you around," I stood up straight and gave her a harsh look, though my voice stayed fake and sweet.


    "But he¡¯s my son, I know him¡ª" she began her rambling, but Lamar stepped in, wrapped his arms around her, and led her to the door, then up the stairs.


    "Your son is not your problem anymore."


    With that, he let her go, came back, and shut the door behind us. We unchained Kaidon and offered him some water. However, we noticed Byron staying unusually quiet throughout the process. He wasn¡¯t as talkative as he usually was.


    There was a hint of guilt in his posture as he leaned against the wall, silently watching us prepare Kaidon.


    Once Kaidon was settled in a chair, Byron cleared his throat and said, "Hi."


    The way Kaidon raised his eyes to look at him gave us the sense that the two had once been best friends.


    Before we came here, Lamar wanted to talk to Byron about that night in question. Byron had promised he wasn¡¯t there.


    But then we remembered the live stream, and it made sense¡ªHnie hadn¡¯t seen Byron that night in person. She had seen the videos Romeo and the others yed on their phones, using Byron¡¯s clips to mock and provoke Kaidon.


    That¡¯s where she recognized Byron from.


    "I guess I should thank you¡ª for always trying to pull me away from that group. But I was so dumb, lost in the fame that came with hanging around them, that I ignored how shady they really were," Kaidon started speaking again, once more showing his guilt.


    I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to feel sorry for him. He had been part of the reason Hnie suffered, and my emotions were¡ªplicated.


    "Well, you got what you craved so badly¡ªfame and attention. But I guess my way of helping you wasn¡¯t right either. I started bullying you, pushing you to leave them instead of staying close and making sure you didn¡¯t mess up," Byron admitted, slouched over, head down.


    "You being nice wouldn¡¯t have changed anything. My mother would never have let us stay friends anyway. She wanted me to fight you and take the alpha title," Kaidon probably realized how toxic his mother had really been.


    "Anyway-¡ªI want to ask if you¡¯re ready to help us. To help the victim," Byron straightened his back and looked Kaidon in the eyes.


    Kaidon nodded right away. But the moment he nced at me, I looked away.


    It just wasn¡¯t easy for me to see his face and not want to punch it.


    "Tell us anything that might help. It¡¯s just Darius and Romeo left now," Byron asked. Without hesitation, Kaidon started talking.


    "Romeo was the one who came here and helped my mother tie me up. And during that time, we¡¯ve been talking. He¡¯s shared some stuff about himself. One of those things... is his interest in Charlotte¡ªhe¡¯s liked her since they were really young."


    My ears perked up the second I heard her name.


    ¡¯I guess she¡¯s going to make herself useful after all,¡¯ I muttered to myself.

 Chapter 541-Suddenly So Shy

    <h4>Chapter 541: 541-Suddenly So Shy</h4> I woke up in the guest room, feeling fresh as I hadn¡¯t thought about everything for hours. At times, I just wish I could sleep a lot so I wouldn¡¯t have to face the harsh world.


    However, I thought I was waking up alone¡ªbut nope!


    In the corner of the room, thefortable chair where I used to sit and read was upied by a big figure. I didn¡¯t have to look too hard to recognize him.


    It was Norman.


    "What are you doing here?" I asked, rubbing my eyes and keeping my tone sharp with him.


    He raised his head from the back of the chair and then groaned, stretching while getting up. I looked away. I just did.


    ¡¯He is just stretching. If you were a man, you¡¯d have a big boner right now,¡¯ my wolf made me roll my eyes at her.


    She was making everything sound sexual just to annoy me.


    "You were sleeping here," he replied as he walked over to the switchboard but waited so I could give him the go-ahead before he turned on the light.


    I fixed my shirt and then gave him a nod, so he switched the light on.


    "Why are you sleeping here?" he asked, slowly sitting at the edge of the bed.


    "Oh, I thought you and Jessica would want to spend time together so I¡ªdid you two spend time together?" I asked, feeling like such a sneaky bitch.


    Why would it matter to me if he was talking with her or not?


    "Yeah, we did," he looked down and scratched the back of his neck.


    "Hmm," I didn¡¯t have anything else to say to him but this, "then why did youe here? You should have stayed in your room."


    I didn¡¯t try to sound too harsh or¡ª


    ¡¯Jealous?¡¯ Cora snickered.


    ¡¯No! That¡¯s weird.¡¯


    "But you were here," Norman got up from the bed to walk behind me.


    "You don¡¯t have to follow me like an obedient child, you know," I grunted at him, not knowing why I was being so annoyed with him.


    I didn¡¯t want to see his face, but if he walked away, I would¡¯ve been angry too.


    "I¡¯m heading to the bedroom," he replied as he kept following me. We reached his bedroom and I was hit with another awkward situation.


    The whole furniture and decor were reced because I freaking broke the old stuff.


    "I¡¯m so sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have¡ª," I instantly turned around, thinking he would be upset.


    Norman was known to be very aggressive and always grumpy. However, the way he shrugged and walked over to his closet made me wonder if he even cared.


    "It was just furniture anyway. Emmet has good taste," he praised his brother while I kept staring at his face.


    I didn¡¯t want to remind him since it wasn¡¯t my ce, but the furniture he didn¡¯t care about was Jessica¡¯s choice.


    "Anyway, I have a few questions to ask you," he changed the topic while picking up a shirt from the closet.


    "What is it?" I asked.


    "Why not take off the pendant already? Your pheromones are gone," he said, making me look down at the pendant on my neck.


    "I keep thinking about it myself. All it needed was for someone to mark me? Could it have been anyone?" I asked him, but more like to myself.


    "Well, maybe," Norman shrugged.


    "What about you?" I asked and raised my head again to watch him frown at me.


    "What about me?" he pouted, watching my face to figure out what I was trying to ask.


    "Why can¡¯t you feel a mate bond?" My question was definitely not what he expected. He looked slightly caught off guard. But then he straightened up and walked over to sit down on the couch in front of me.


    "You know about my heart¡ªI have four heartbeats¡ªit¡¯s not easy for my heart to feel anything. It just doesn¡¯t work normally," he said under his breath, not able to hold eye contact with me.


    "And not many people know about it. But your mother does¡ª" I realized why she instantly knew we were lying about the mate bond thing.


    "Yeah," he shrugged.


    "Why?" I asked, and he smiled.


    "She¡¯s my mother, she knows about me," he answered with augh.


    "No, I mean, why do you have four heartbeats? I don¡¯t remember you telling me what exactly happened. How did you end up with¡ªfour heartbeats?" It sounded crazy to even say it out loud.


    I was genuinely curious to know the story behind his heart.


    "I was born this way," he said, which made me frown and shake my head.


    "If you don¡¯t want to tell me the truth, you can just say so. You don¡¯t have to lie about it," I snapped, cing my hands on my waist.


    In a very calm and annoying tone, Norman replied, "Fine."


    I sat up straight, thinking he¡¯d finally share it with me, when he let me down with what he said next.


    "I don¡¯t want to tell you."


    I narrowed my eyes and raised my hand to p his chest, but I stopped halfway. He didn¡¯t flinch at all. But that¡¯s not why I stopped. My eyes were on his chest.


    Instead of pping him, I gently ced my hand on his chest to listen to his heartbeats.


    He lowered his head to stare at my hand and then looked up to meet my eyes.


    Our eye contact held as I kept listening to his heartbeats¡ªit was kind of scary.


    Somehow, from hearing his heartbeat to feeling his chest, my hand slowly moved toward the opening of his shirt.


    I was struggling inside, trying to pull my hand back, but I didn¡¯t. Instead, I slid my hand under his shirt and toward his heart. My body felt the heat from his skin.


    His jaw clenched, but he didn¡¯t seem angry at me. His hand rose and gently held my arm, rubbing it until his hand reached my shoulder.


    He then moved it back to where my hand was on his chest and started to unbutton his shirt.


    As soon as I saw him do that, I snapped out of it and pulled back.


    "Umm¡ªyeah, four heartbeats," I looked away as I spoke. He got up quickly too.


    "I¡¯m unbuttoning my shirt so I can change," he exined in an awkward tone.

 Chapter 542-My Dirty Desires And My Wife

    <h4>Chapter 542: 542-My Dirty Desires And My Wife</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    "I¡¯ll go shower. I didn¡¯t even clean up when I got home. You chose to go and sleep in the guest room," I mumbled, annoyed that she didn¡¯t want to spend time with me but would rather have me sit with Jessica.


    ¡¯And before you say anything, I¡¯m not jealous that she didn¡¯t want to. I just wanted tofort her since I heard she¡¯d been pretty devastated after my arrest.¡¯


    I told my wolf to shut up before he started rambling again.


    ¡¯I didn¡¯t even say anything,¡¯ he chuckled, and I grunted.


    "By the way¡ªI didn¡¯t think you¡¯d cry for me," I said, turning to watch her grimace at me.


    "I didn¡¯t. I was just pretending to make others think ¡¯oh, she¡¯s crying for her mate,¡¯" she was such a terrible liar.


    "In fact, I was like ¡¯maybe this arrest will make him decent,¡¯" she added with an eye roll, somehow really starting to get under my skin.


    "So you didn¡¯t care? Then why did you¡ªhug me?" I asked, my eyes narrowing at her. If only she were smarter, she¡¯d notice the look on my face.


    "To make¡ªEmmet jealous," she said, and the way my heart dropped, I felt like a criminal.


    "Oh," I nodded.


    "So you broke all the stuff and everything just so you could make him jealous?" I asked, my tone serious.


    "Yeah," she shrugged.


    I just kept staring at her, feeling that weird fire rise inside me.


    "Hmm, well, I was missing Jessica a lot too. Her touch¡ªher kiss," I sighed as I ced my hand on my chest.


    "Good, as you should," the force she put behind her words made me nod in understanding.


    I didn¡¯t know what was going on with me. I wasn¡¯t jealous. Just disappointed. But why? I didn¡¯t know.


    ¡¯You don¡¯t want to admit it,¡¯ my wolf spoke up.


    "Anyway, I¡¯ll shower and change¡ªand then we can discuss if we should reject each other before or after your battle with Dariius, since the full moon is on the same day," I reminded her that we were going to reject each other¡ªjust in case she thought I was catching feelings or something.


    ¡¯I don¡¯t think she even thinks you¡¯re catching feelings.¡¯ Of course, my wolf wasn¡¯t on my side. ¡¯But are you?¡¯


    I ignored him again and watched Hnie¡¯s face for a reaction.


    "Oh, I want to say after, but that would mean I¡¯m being too cocky about winning," she sighed as she dropped down into the chair.


    I noticed her neck¡ªI don¡¯t know why¡ªbut she had such a perfect neck. I remembered how good she smelled when I marked her.


    ¡¯Be careful, our sleeping soldier might wake up,¡¯ my wolf warned, and I instantly looked down to check on my pants before grunting at him.


    ¡¯I¡¯m not a pervert. And she¡¯s not even that attractive,¡¯ I hissed at him.


    ¡¯Is she not?¡¯ he asked, and my eyes sneakily lingered on her face again.


    She had such a beautiful and perfectly sculpted face with gorgeous eyes that I couldn¡¯t lie again.


    But I was annoyed. She had hurt me so much.


    ¡¯A she-wolf is able to hurt the stone-cold Norman? That is news,¡¯ my wolf kept going but I had a n in mind.


    Norman never loses.


    I would not let her get away with her lies or phony ¡¯I didn¡¯t care¡¯ attitude.


    ¡¯Way to win a woman¡¯s heart,¡¯ my wolfmented but I didn¡¯t argue with him. I wasn¡¯t winning her heart.


    I was just trying to get the truth out of her.


    I suddenly held my phone to my ear and started pretending to talk to someone,


    "Oh? They areing to arrest me again?"


    As soon as I said that, Hnie¡¯s attention was driven back to me. The way her eyes jumped out of her sockets was such a pleasure to watch.


    She got up from her seat and kept watching my face.


    Suddenly, a wave offort struck me again.


    "Hmm, it is okay. Just stop fighting, I will ept the punishment. It is only ten years," I said and instantly ran toward the bathroom with a shirt wrapped around my arm.


    I heard here after me but I had locked myself in as if I didn¡¯t see her.


    I opened the shower so that she knows I am not even going to share it with her since she doesn¡¯t care that I got arrested.


    ¡¯You are so evil,¡¯ my wolf scoffed.


    I put my phone down and then smiled when I heard her knock on the door.


    She must have a cute pout on her lips, her soft gentle hands knocking.


    I reached the sink and took off my shirt, my eyes drifting to my waist where she had wrapped her legs around my body.


    ¡¯Are you going to tattoo her legs too?¡¯ that was it. My wolf was losing his mind.


    He was going way too hard on me now.


    ¡¯Do you ever shut up?¡¯ I was confused how he was so talkative and active now.


    ¡¯What were you doing unbuttoning your shirt?¡¯ I knew that question would arrive soon.


    I closed my eyes and sighed until I heard a little knock on the bathroom door.


    A smile crept over my lips knowing who it was.


    ¡¯And she said she doesn¡¯t care,¡¯


    I might be an evil person to be so happy after causing stress to someone. But I was honestly so happy.


    I couldn¡¯t understand why getting her attention suddenly meant so much to me.


    ¡¯Suddenly? You have been tattooing her touch on your body, crocheting her sweater, being all jealous¡ª¡¯


    He shut up finally when I grunted at him.


    After a few seconds of silence, I grimaced.


    ¡¯I don¡¯t know what is going on with me. She makes me want to lose myself. I¡ªknow it is so wrong and forbidden for so many reasons¡ª¡¯


    Finally, I was able to utter those words to at least my wolf,


    ¡¯I am embarrassed and everyone will hate me. But you are right. I want her attention. I want her¡ªto let me touch her.¡¯


    That was it, I had said it.


    After avoiding it, avoiding talking about it with my own self, I had finally said the truth.

 Chapter 543-Angry Or Hungry?

    <h4>Chapter 543: 543-Angry Or Hungry?</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    With teary eyes, I gently knocked again.


    "They¡¯re going to take him away again," Iined to Cora, who was giving me attitude now.


    "And? I thought you told him you didn¡¯t care. You only cried so you could get Emmet¡¯s attention."


    That¡¯s the moment she picked to call me out on my lie?


    "I was lying, okay? If I tell him the truth, he¡¯ll give me that smug face. This man is so arrogant, sometimes I just want to w him¡ªhit him¡ª" I clenched my fists tightly, not understanding what kind of emotions these were, or why I was so frustrated with him.


    "Can I be honest with you?" she asked, and I quickly nodded my head. I would love some honesty right now.


    "I think you want to be under him."


    Her words didn¡¯t make sense, so I tilted my head as if asking her to exin herself.


    "You want rough, wild sex with this handsome beast of a man. That¡¯s all I cane up with. You want to w him¡ªkiss him until he bleeds¡ª"


    My cheeks flushed red while listening to her.


    "No! Shut up. Why would you say that? That is so¡ª" I hugged myself and squeezed my legs closer.


    "Come on, you act so stubborn and bratty in front of him. You know he punishes people when they annoy him. And you want a different kind of punishment from him. It would be great to see the master tame his wild tigress."


    She was so shameless, saying stuff like that¡ªbut why the hell was my body reacting weirdly?


    I swear I felt my nipples getting hard, and it bothered me so much.


    "Now can I make my own confession?" she asked. And honestly, even if I had told her not to say a word, she wouldn¡¯t have listened.


    "I want us to be f*cked by the three mates so bad¡ª"


    I shut her up after that.


    "Norman."


    Now that she had angered me, I punched the door harder. I wasn¡¯t acting bratty with him because I wanted to be punished by him. I was just toofortable with him.


    I¡¯ve never had someone take care of me like that. To see me in my annoying self and still be kind to me. To put up with my tantrums. So I just liked it when a big, bad wolf was so gentle with me.


    After a while, he came out all wet, his shirt turning see-through. Even though I was so worried, the first thought that came to my mind was to ask him if he didn¡¯t know how to use a towel. But then I held it in.


    "I have to go¡ªthey¡¯reing for me," he said with a straight face.


    I stood in front of him, barely moving, suddenly feeling down. I thought the pressure was over¡ªno more stress about him getting arrested again.


    "Please don¡¯t go."


    As soon as I said those words, a big tear rolled down my cheek, and he stepped back to hunch down and look at my face.


    "I am not," he said and lifted my head instantly.


    "But you said¡ª"


    However, it took me a whole minute to realize what this asshole did.


    "I just wanted to prove a point. ¡¯Please don¡¯t go,¡¯" he mimicked me with a pout on his lips and in a soft tone, and I lost it.


    "You think this is a joke? Just to prove me wrong for lying about not caring when you were going, you decided to break my heart again?" I yelled. That¡¯s when I saw the look of guilt on his face.


    "I¡ªI..." he scratched the back of his neck. But I already got it. He was a walking asshole without a soul.


    "You¡¯re a bad person. Why would you hurt me?"


    I pped his chest once, then again, and then again¡ªuntil he suddenly grabbed my wrists and spun me around, pinning me against the wall.


    He did it so fast and out of character that I just stood there like a statue.


    He leaned over me, his face barely inches away, staring into my eyes.


    "Why won¡¯t you stop?" he whispered on my face, causing me to frown in confusion.


    "What did I do?" I whispered under my breath, lost.


    "Just stop!" he hissed. Then he shook himself out of whatever hell he had lost himself in and stepped back, letting go of my wrists.


    "I¡¯m sorry," he muttered, not meeting my eyes.


    "I¡¯ll go prepare for the training. Come downstairs when you¡¯re ready."


    He didn¡¯t look me in the eye when he told me the n. Then he walked out of the room quickly.


    ¡¯I think I angered him. I should not forget Norman doesn¡¯t like stupid actions¡ªand of course, me hitting his chest was such a disrespect.¡¯


    I felt so guilty. Why did I do that?


    ¡¯Umm! Honey, with utmost respect, he wasn¡¯t angry¡ªhe was horny as hell. He didn¡¯t want to hit you, he wanted to fuck you,¡¯


    Cora¡¯s take on the whole situation left me with flushed cheeks.


    There was no way¡ªno way he was horny for me.


    That¡¯s Norman. Norman doesn¡¯t like me like that. He only feels sorry for me.


    And why the hell am I so interested in what he thinks of me instead of being mad at Cora for making everything so sexual between us?


    As I walked out of the room for training, I still had Cora¡¯s words in the back of my mind.


    I heard Emmet had gone for a run with Kaye, so that would mean it was only Norman and me at the training ground.


    That would be a bad, ¡¯bad¡¯ idea.


    But thankfully, I spotted Maximus entering the mansion.


    "Maximus! I¡¯m d you¡¯re home. We were just heading to the training ground," I stepped in his way and saw his eyes light up.


    However, the minute I brought up training, his face fell.


    "Ah, about that¡ªI¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think I can be at the training ground today. I have some important work to do," he said, making me nervous.


    Being alone with Norman? No!


    "Could that work¡ª"


    Before I could ask him to join, I saw the ¡¯important work¡¯ appear from behind me, walking up to him.


    "I¡¯m ready! Thank you for taking me out on a date,"


    It was fucking Charlotte in a red, gorgeous, sultry dress.


    So he was ditching training with me¡ªfor someone who had lied about being mates with him?

 Chapter 544-So Hard In His Shorts

    <h4>Chapter 544: 544-So Hard In His Shorts</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Oh, umm." Maximus probably realized I had caught him because he tried to open his mouth, but I held up my palm.


    ¡¯Asshole. He could¡¯ve fucked us, but no¡ªhe¡¯d rather go for that raggedy-ass bitch instead,¡¯ Cora made me look away ufortably.


    What the hell is wrong with my wolf? Why is she always so horny for our mates?


    "Oh, Hnie, I hope you don¡¯t mind me taking away my mate for a while. You can go ahead and train with Norman¡ªor whichever brother you can emotionally attack today," Charlotte said with such a victorious smile on her lips that I unintentionally red at Maximus for it.


    He awkwardly looked away before grabbing her hand to walk her out of the mansion.


    ¡¯Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll only be getting a handjob while the others hit the major holes,¡¯ Cora hissed, and I had to correct her.


    ¡¯What the hell is wrong with you? You¡¯re making this weird. Stop saying stuff like that. I¡¯m not going to have¡ªsex with all of them,¡¯ I muttered while walking toward the exit.


    ¡¯We¡¯ll see,¡¯ she replied, way too smug. Sometimes I wanted to tell her to shut up and go back to sleep. But I loved her too much to imagine losing her again.


    In no time, I was in the car with Norman. Weirdly enough, he had opened the passenger seat door for me, as if he didn¡¯t want me sitting in the back.


    ¡¯I told you, he¡¯s angry,¡¯ I reminded Cora. He wasn¡¯t horny or anything¡ªhe didn¡¯t like me disrespecting him.


    She didn¡¯t respond, probably because she hated when anyone challenged the little story she had made up in her head. I got that she was in heat for her mates most of the time, but why Norman? He had marked us. We hadn¡¯t marked him. And he wasn¡¯t even our mate.


    Once at the training ground, Norman started taking off his wristwatch. He was wearing a white shirt and gray shorts.


    His leg muscles were so big and strong that I¡ª


    ¡¯You want to be crushed between his thighs?¡¯ I hissed at my wolf before getting into position.


    The silence made everything worse between us. We started, and I tried my best to stay focused.


    The forest was quiet. Only the sound of birds and my fists hitting Norman¡¯s hands filled the air. We were training in a small open space. Trees all around us. Sunlight came through the leaves and made soft shadows on the ground.


    I was tired, but I didn¡¯t stop. Norman watched me closely. It almost felt like he was waiting to criticize me at any second. His narrowed eyes didn¡¯t help either.


    "Again," he said.


    I hit his hands¡ªone, two¡ªthen stepped back. My heart was beating fast. Not just from the training. It was something else. Something strange. Something warm in my chest when I looked at him.


    Maybe Cora¡¯s words were making me act up?


    My eyes kept drifting to his shorts to check if he was hard.


    He wasn¡¯t.


    She was freaking wrong.


    "You¡¯re still holding back," he said.


    "I¡¯m not," I replied in a grumpy tone. He had chosen striking drills for today¡¯s training. He wore pads on his hands, and I was punching them.


    He stepped closer. His voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp.


    "Then prove it."


    I tried to punch again, but he caught my wrist. Before I could react, he turned me and gently pushed me against a tree. I froze.


    He didn¡¯t hold me tightly¡ªjust enough so I couldn¡¯t walk away.


    And once again, I started wondering if what Cora said was true.


    His body was close. Too close. I could feel his breath on my cheek. My back was against the tree. My chest nearly touched his. His hands were still on my shoulders, but it didn¡¯t feel like a fight anymore. We looked at each other for a brief moment before my eyes dropped to his lips. They were soft and pink. When I looked up at his eyes again, I found him staring at my lips too. There was a seriousness in his eyes, a frown on his face¡ªhis gaze gave me tingles.


    My heart felt like it would explode. Then he let go. Stepped back quickly, like the tree had shocked him.


    "You need to learn how to break a hold," he said. His voice sounded strange now. Lower.


    "Okay," I said. My voice came out small¡ªI was torn up with mixed emotions. Why was I so focused on him and how he felt? I had no clue.


    He moved behind me, tossed the pads on the ground, and wrapped one arm around me. He showed me a move.


    "If someone grabs you like this," he said, "don¡¯t pull away. Drop your weight. Twist. Then elbow."


    But I did it wrong. I moved too fast and identally hit his leg. We both fell.


    Inded on top of him. My hands on his chest. His face right below mine. Our legs tangled together. We didn¡¯t move¡ªI just couldn¡¯t. And I didn¡¯t understand why he wasn¡¯t moving either. I looked down at him. His eyes met mine. Then flicked to my lips.


    Again.


    It was the same cycle. We just couldn¡¯t stop looking at each other¡¯s lips. I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    "This is... training," I whispered awkwardly.


    "Yeah," he said quietly. But he didn¡¯t move either.


    That¡¯s when I felt it. His shorts getting hard against my thigh. I bit my bottom lip, wondering whether I should get up and check to confirm it¡ªor stay like this because I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the truth.


    ¡¯Isn¡¯t he so handsome?¡¯ Cora asked, and I tilted my head, studying his features.


    "Yeah, he is so handsome."


    But my dumbass didn¡¯t say it in my head¡ªI freaking said it out loud. And Norman heard it.


    The way his lips curled into a smirk made me instantly jump up and back¡ªonly to lose my bnce.


    But he moved fast, caught my hand, and pulled me forward so I wouldn¡¯t fall on my back.


    Which meant¡ªI fell straight into his chest.


    He wrapped an arm around my back to keep me steady.


    Now our bodies were pressed together, my face tilted up, our eyes locked.


    ¡¯Just fuck already. I can¡¯t take it anymore,¡¯ Cora begged in my head.


    I gently pushed Norman away, tucking my face into my shoulder.


    "We should head back home now," I whispered, not even looking at him.


    Something weird was happening. And I felt¡ª- guilty.

 Chapter 545-Not Going To Kiss Another Woman

    <h4>Chapter 545: 545-Not Going To Kiss Another Woman</h4>


    <strong>Maximus:</strong>


    I swear, if Charlotte didn¡¯t help me, I would¡¯ve lost my mind. Hnie saw me leave with Charlotte, so this mission needed to be done in a nicer and more perfect way.


    "So, where are we going?" she asked me, pping her hands happily and sitting up in her seat.


    I stopped the car after we arrived at the hotel¡¯s parking lot, where I had booked a room.


    "Maximus, what¡¯s wrong?" The moment I let out a sigh, she started questioning me.


    "I¡¯m in a hot mess," I sighed, leaning back in my chair.


    "What kind of mess? I¡¯m sure whatever it is, you can handle it," she gently ced her hand on the back of mine, and I felt a rush of emotions inside me. I never imagined her touch could do that to me. I used to have so many girlfriends and one-night stands. But falling for Hnie changed everything for me.


    And now, Hnie¡¯s effect was so strong that Charlotte¡¯s touch was making me feel sick. It felt like I was being touched by something poisonous. I couldn¡¯t feel anything romantic.


    "I can¡¯t do this alone. It¡¯s about Romeo," I turned to look at her reaction when I mentioned Romeo¡¯s name. She looked slightly bitter, though.


    "Is it about Hnie¡¯s case?" she sat up straight, folding her arms over her chest.


    "No! It¡¯s about him knowing my secret," I said, and she quickly turned to me again.


    "Of course he knows¡ªhe must have found out when he used to stay over. But he¡¯d never tell anyone," she tried to hold my hand, but I identally dodged it. I had to be quick and hold her hand back since I wanted this n to work so badly.


    "How do you know that? He¡¯s been ckmailing metely. I need to do something about it¡ªor maybe just leave everything¡ªand everyone¡ªbehind and run away," I noticed the way she narrowed her eyes at me and then asked with interest,


    "Even me?" she asked softly.


    I turned to her and gave her a very sad look.


    "Even you. Especially you. I can¡¯t let my secret hurt you. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t bring myself to get closer to you. I was scared of that secret¡ªgetting exposed one day. And then I¡¯d have to move away, heartbroken. So I was trying not to fall for you¡ªbut this heart¡ª" I ced her hand on my chest to let her feel my heartbeat, and I could tell she lost it.


    "You¡¯ve fallen for me?" Her tone was cheerful even though she tried to sound worried because I was upset.


    "The day you told me we were mates¡ªI started to see you differently," I lied shamelessly while looking into her eyes.


    She smiled to herself and leaned back in the seat until my words sank in.


    "But now I have to leave." I sighed, and she held my hand when she noticed I was trying to pull it away.


    "No! Can¡¯t we do anything about it?" she jumped up in her seat in worry.


    "What can we do? Romeo¡¯s not going anywhere," I scoffed, feeling like she was falling for it.


    "What if¡ªwhat if we get him arrested in Hnie¡¯s case? He¡¯ll no longer have the power to say anything. He¡¯ll be seen as a liar," she was heading exactly where I wanted her to go.


    "But how would we do that?" I asked, letting here up with a n.


    "That I¡¯m not sure about. What if he admits to the crimes from his own mouth?" she sighed.


    "Again, how? We can¡¯t force him¡ªand we definitely can¡¯t just ask him to confess," I said, and when she zoned out, I decided to throw my final card.


    "Unless," I mumbled, and noticed her ears perk up.


    "Unless what?" she asked.


    "Unless the woman he loves gets the truth out of him," I snapped my fingers like I just came up with the idea, and her face lit up.


    "That¡¯s amazing. Men always confess to their loved ones," she giggled, probably thinking I was talking about her.


    "Do you know his mate?" she asked.


    "Not his mate¡ªbut someone he has a crush on," I gave her a side nce, but she didn¡¯t get the hint. Of course she didn¡¯t. She knew very well that no one in their right mind would have a crush on a liar and a bitter person like her.


    "Great, let¡¯s go and get her on our side," she put her hand on the door when my next words stopped her, and she froze.


    "Actually¡ªshe¡¯s already on my side," I held her hand and lifted it to my lips, kissing the back of it. That was the first time I showed affection, so she was so stunned that she didn¡¯t process what I was saying until I had to spell it out.


    "He has a crush on you, Charlotte," I confessed, and her jaw dropped. However, she wasn¡¯t entirely upset. She liked attention¡ªI knew that.


    "Huh?" she asked while trying hard to hide her smile.


    "All he talks about is you¡ªand that drives me crazy," I faked anger, and that made her bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from smiling in triumph.


    "You know what, tell me what I need to do. I¡¯ll do it for you. I just didn¡¯t know men were so attracted to me. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m only yours, so please don¡¯t be jealous of him." Wow. She was truly delusional as she held my hand and pouted, trying tofort me.


    I gave her a fake nod and noticed she was leaning in for a kiss.


    ¡¯Do it and lose Hnie. Finally, there will be no fighting for Hnie,¡¯ my wolf hissed, reminding me how he didn¡¯t want Hnie to suffer with us¡ªso he would rather lose her and ept this toxic mess.


    "Charlotte, let¡¯s go home and make a good n," I turned away, fixing my seatbelt to head home. No way was I going to kiss her and make a mistake that would cost me Hnie.

 Chapter 546-The Long Creature—And Not Talking About My Husband’s Dick

    <h4>Chapter 546: 546-The Long Creature¡ªAnd Not Talking About My Husband¡¯s Dick</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I had been so confused that I sat with my head turned to the other side, and Norman kept grunting throughout the car ride.


    "When are you going back to stay at the academy?" he asked, finally breaking the silence as we neared the woods.


    "I should go today if you¡¯re so bothered," I hissed, and he groaned again.


    "Why do you take my words the wrong way all the time?" Norman grunted, stopping the car.


    "Because you say the wrong things all the time," I yelled back at him, and he started to unbuckle his seatbelt.


    "Don¡¯t you freaking show me this aggression¡ªI can do it five times better than you!" I raised my voice even more when I saw him acting aggressively.


    However, he suddenly stopped and turned to look at me in the backseat.


    "I wasn¡¯t showing you aggression." Even when he was grunting, he tried to lower the irritation in his voice.


    "Then why the hell are you taking off your seatbelt like that?" I hissed at him, giving him direct eye contact.


    Goddess.


    Staring into his eyes made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. He was so manly and¡ª


    ¡¯Sexy?¡¯


    ¡¯Handsome?¡¯


    ¡¯Horny?¡¯


    ¡¯Edible?¡¯


    My wolf groaned, clearly expecting me to join her in her weird fantasies.


    ¡¯Arrogant!¡¯ I confirmed.


    "I was taking off the seatbelt to get out of the car and take this call," he said in a calm and firm tone, raising his phone to show me the screen.


    It was Kaye calling.


    "You can take his call here," I folded my arms over my chest and muttered.


    "The reception keeps dropping, and he¡¯s been gone without a word for a while, so I¡¯m worried," he replied, and this time his voice showed he wasn¡¯t joking when it came to his brother.


    The road ahead might have a choppy connection, so he got out of the car and started walking back the way we hade.


    ¡¯I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with him, Iined again.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like I wasn¡¯t aware of myself. Something was wrong with me too. I was suddenly so toxic toward him, like I was pretending to be annoyed with him, and that annoyed me even more.


    She didn¡¯t respond, but soon I began to smell something. It was a weird, earthy smelling from outside. My window was rolled down, so I caught it easily.


    ¡¯Is it going to rain or what?¡¯ I looked outside, hoping it would rain because of how hot it was getting.


    ¡¯Hnie, we are not alone,¡¯ Cora scared me when she spoke in such an alert tone. I was so used to her being flirty and mischievous all the time that I didn¡¯t realize how scary she could sound when she was serious.


    ¡¯What are you feeling?¡¯ I asked her, noticing how dry my throat suddenly became.


    "Ahem!" I let out a cough, rushing for the door and stepping outside to look around and see what was going on.


    The humidity seemed to have gotten much worse in a matter of minutes.


    The sudden heat attack was on a whole different level too. The mansion was all air-conditioned, so I never experienced such heat until I was outside. But it wasn¡¯t as bad as this.


    I began to itch my skin, and that¡¯s when I noticed it was suddenly turning dry.


    "Watch out!" Cora yelled. I was so focused on the heat and dryness that I didn¡¯t notice her warning. She forced my body to the side. That¡¯s when a weird, tall, brownish creaturended on the ground. It had been trying to attack me, but since I got out of the way, it crashed onto the ground instead.


    Its face looked like a lizard. Its eyes were yellow and cold. Its body was long and thin, like a tall human, but its skin was rough and brown, like tree bark. It even had a long tail that moved like a snake. It looked like a nightmare.


    I couldn¡¯t speak. My heart was beating so loud, I could hear it in my ears. It hissed and rushed at me.


    "Norman!" I screamed for him, but noticed he had walked all the way to the end of the road. I couldn¡¯t see him, so I had to fight this thing myself. Pushing past the shock, I started toe up with a n.


    I had no weapon. Nothing. My hands were empty.


    I jumped to the side, just missing its ws. My foot slipped on the leaves, but I kept my bnce. My eyes searched the ground¡ªrocks, a broken branch, anything.


    There. A sharp piece of wood near a big tree on the side of the road. I grabbed it just before the creature turned back.


    It came at me again, faster this time. I ducked low and shoved the stick up into its belly. It screamed, a sound that hurt my ears. ck blood spilled out.


    It hit me with its tail. I flew back and hit the dirt hard. My ribs burned. But I got up. I had to. This thing was fast and creepy. It kept hissing, and that was another reason I kept getting distracted.


    The stick was broken now, but I still held the sharp end. I waited. I let it charge again.


    At thest second, I jumped to the side and pushed the stick deep into its neck. This time, it didn¡¯t scream. It just shook once, then fell.


    It twitched, then stopped.


    I dropped the broken wood. My hands were shaking. My clothes were dirty, my body sore.


    I looked at the creature. I still couldn¡¯t believe what I saw.


    "What are you?" I whispered. No answer, of course.


    "Hnie." That¡¯s when I heard Norman finallying into view.


    "Are you okay?" he ran straight to me and pulled me closer to his chest, shocking me with his reaction.


    However, he suddenly pulled away and looked down at the creature. "You killed it?" It was as if he was shocked too.


    But why?


    What was this thing?


    "It¡¯s one of the most deadly creatures that the organization releases when they¡¯re ready to take over the world. It¡¯s their army," Norman didn¡¯t need to inspect it too hard when he told me what it was.

 Chapter 547-The Recorded Date

    <h4>Chapter 547: 547-The Recorded Date</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Does that mean there will be a war soon?" I asked Norman as his warriors loaded that thing into the trunk of their car.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter. Our focus stays on your fight with Darius," Norman replied without looking at me.


    "What about the organization?" I asked, almost knocking him over when I stood too close and he was about to turn around. He stepped on his own foot but avoided falling. I bit my tongue and stepped back, wondering if I had annoyed him. And clearly, I had.


    "Why don¡¯t you just jump into my pocket then?" he grumbled, fixing his shirt.


    "You¡¯re such a grumpy olddy. You didn¡¯t even praise me for fighting that thing so easily," Iined, but my mood shifted when I noticed the warriors share a look and nce at me.


    ¡¯Yeah, read the room. Even the warriors know that ever since they got here, Norman has only praised you and talked about how much he admires your fighting skills,¡¯ Cora chimed in.


    "This is Hnie, she¡¯s the one who bravely fought this thing," Norman pointed at me and said, but he sounded a bit sarcastic this time since it was the fifth time he¡¯d said the same thing to them.


    "You are so mean¡ª" I stopped talking when my phone rang and Maximus¡¯s name popped up on the screen. I was annoyed and didn¡¯t even want to answer his call, but I had to since I needed updates on important things.


    "What is it? Why are you bothering me while on a date with Charlotte?" I answered the call with a bitter tone. Norman narrowed his eyes because he probably figured out who I was talking to.


    "I need you toe to a hotel room. I¡¯ve sent my driver to get you. He¡¯ll be arriving at home soon, if that¡¯s where you are," Maximus¡¯s voice told me something was wrong. He sounded like he really needed to see me.


    "Are you okay?" I asked, and his older brother looked more alert.


    "Yeah, juste." As soon as Maximus hung up, I saw a car pull up and the driver step out to look around.


    "I was supposed to get you from the mansion¡ªbut since I saw you here, can you pleasee with me?" The driver kept ncing at Norman, probably because he knew Norman liked to know everything about everyone.


    "Why? What¡¯s going on? What was Maximus saying? Is he alright?" Norman stepped between us with his hands on his waist and asked all in one breath.


    "He called me toe to a hotel room," I told him, and Norman zoned out.


    "Why? Is he not okay?" He repeated the same question, and I narrowed my eyes at his face.


    "Why don¡¯t youe and see for yourself? I know just as much as I told you," I said softly, really hoping he woulde too. Also, because I was worried Maximus might be in trouble, and maybe his brother could help him better than I could.


    Charlotte would cause a scene if she saw me.


    "Okay," Norman nodded, instantly ready to go see his brother.


    "It¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll take my car," Norman told the driver before he held the door open for me. I noticed a clear tension in his bodynguage after hearing my call with Maximus. Once we sat in the car and he hit the road, I noticed Norman fidgeting around the steering wheel a lot.


    "I¡¯m sure he¡¯s fine," I broke the silence, and it seemed like he wanted me to say something.


    "What if he¡¯s not? Has he done that before and it turned out to be nothing?" His voice lit up at the idea of it not being serious.


    "He did. He actually told me he was attacked once but had nned a beautiful evening for me in the woods." I smiled as I recalled the evening. Wow! It feels like such a long time ago.


    "Hmm," Norman grunted before adding, "Then what if it¡¯s a date and you¡¯re taking me with you?"


    Oh shit!


    "I didn¡¯t even think of that. You need to drop me here, I¡¯ll take a cab," I pointed at the side of the road, annoying him with my response.


    "You¡¯re never serious," I heard him mumble under his breath before asking me in a very polite tone, "Would you go if he or... the others asked you out on a date?" He didn¡¯t make eye contact through the rearview mirror like he usually did when asking that question.


    I didn¡¯t answer him. I didn¡¯t want to say it out loud, but I just didn¡¯t know. My wolf wanted her mates, and some things between me and my mates had ended because of misunderstandings or the messy situation.


    We arrived at the hotel and were rushed through the back door. That part was so confusing. Then we were taken to a room on the tenth floor, where I was shocked to see Maximus sitting behind aptop.


    "Asshole, you scared me," Norman instantly cursed him out, and it made me realize how much he loves his brothers.


    "I¡¯m d you came too," Maximus said, smiling at me. I looked around him, probably expecting to see naked Charlotte lying somewhere.


    "Come see this, you¡¯ll understand everything," Maximus said as he tapped the two spots beside him for us. We sat down, and my eyes were instantly glued to the screen.


    There were two people on the camera¡ªone was Charlotte and the other was Romeo.


    "I don¡¯t like her either," Charlotte said.


    "Hmm, well, I don¡¯t like her after she falsely used me," Romeo was still lying. But what was going on? Why were the two of them sitting in a room with wine bottles and so much food, with Maximus watching everything through a spy camera?


    "You said it was all her pheromones?" Charlotte kept questioning him, and that liar nodded his head.


    "Hmm, was she good?" she asked. My fists clenched.


    "She was¡ª" as soon as he said that, she started to get up, so he held her hand and stopped her.


    I was so confused until Maximus said,


    "Charlotte is in on it. We¡¯re getting a confession out of Romeo today."

 Chapter 548-Too Cocky And An Asshole

    <h4>Chapter 548: 548-Too Cocky And An Asshole</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Maximus had filled us in on everything. Norman seemed a bit ufortable at first with the idea of letting Charlotte be in a room alone with a rapist like him, but then Maximus assured him he was watching closely and Charlotte had agreed to it.


    Charlotte was trying her best to sound seductive on the tape.


    "She was beautiful but didn¡¯t partake in anything, but it was a mistake. She got us in trouble by lying," Romeo was still sticking to his story.


    "Oh! What about the others? The ones who confessed?" Her questions were deep, but her actions seemed to be distracting him.


    "They must have met her on a different asion," Romeo was clearly having a hard time focusing on the conversation.


    "Can I use the restroom?" Charlotte suddenly asked, and Romeo nodded. As she walked away to speak to Maximus through the wire she was wearing, I narrowed my eyes at Romeo.


    "He¡¯s putting something in her drink," I pointed at the screen, tapping it quickly in rm.


    "That is me of Lust," Norman stood up, but Maximus grabbed his hand and made him sit down.


    "Charlotte, your ss has the me of Lust. Avoid the drink at any cost. Don¡¯t worry, my men are right outside the door," Maximus wasn¡¯t lying. The entire hotel was in on it at this point.


    Romeo had been called to the hotel by Charlotte, who told him she¡¯d found out that he had a crush on her. And he had quickly agreed toe.


    "Good," Maximus sighed as Charlotte appeared in the scene again.


    "So, we were talking about the night¡ªdid you and her used to meet a lot?" she asked, gently tapping the back of his hand. Every time she did something like that, he visibly lit up.


    I hated seeing him so absorbed in her. It reminded me of his disgusting behavior that night.


    "Once, twice¡ªtwo times only. One was consensual, and the next time she had taken her pendant off to force me," he said while sliding the ss closer to her.


    "Oh, but it¡¯s strange¡ªyou and your friend imed she did it the first time with both of you. And there was no other time?" I saw what she was doing. She was confusing him.


    "We said that?" As Romeo spaced out, Charlotte lightly touched the ss.


    "Wait a minute," he turned around to grab his phone, probably to text and ask Darius. At that moment, she switched the sses.


    Wow! I hated to admit it, but she was good¡ªand confident. That made her scary.


    "I think he¡¯s training," Romeo smiled awkwardly, putting his phone down. His eyes were stuck on Charlotte as she finished the drink.


    "Oh, the training¡ªshe¡¯s working hard too. What if she wins?" she asked, and he startedughing.


    "She¡¯s either going to be dead meat or his wife on that day. She was dumb enough toe back and use us. I mean, she should¡¯ve just epted the others¡¯ apologies and dropped the case. But no¡ªshe wants an apology from every single one of us," he suddenly got way too cocky, and that¡¯s when we understood why.


    He knew that after drinking me of Lust, Charlotte would only remember what he said if he reminded her¡ªsomething he would never do.


    And Charlotte started to act right away. Maximus guided her well on how to behave to look like she was drugged.


    "Let me tell you a secret," that¡¯s when my heart started to pound faster and harder.


    "What?" she used a drunken tone.


    "You see¡ªHnie¡ªnever lied," he held her hand and said the words loud and clear.


    "She never did?" Charlotte cleared her throat, running her hand over her neck to show she was feeling the effects.


    "Nope! We arrived at the station that night especially for her. She was there with that Alpha Altan. He was so horny for her," hemented with augh.


    Tears started to blur my vision. I didn¡¯t want any attention at that moment, and thankfully, both Norman and Maximus kept watching the screen. Even though I could tell they noticed I was crying, they were kind enough not to point it out.


    I wanted to go through this alone.


    "Oh, because of her pheromones?" she asked, and he startedughing again.


    "No, silly. Those pheromones could only make someone want her¡ªget aroused. They wouldn¡¯t make someone rape her. And by the way, she had worn her pendant instantly," Romeo¡¯s voice was getting cockier by the minute, and it was getting harder for me to breathe.


    "Then why did you do it?" she suddenly sounded serious, but he was so proud of what he¡¯d done that he didn¡¯t notice the change in her tone.


    "Because we were asked to do it. Someone needed help getting rid of her, and we helped. By the way¡ªit was just one night and she was a virgin. Oh, we fucked her like animals¡ªbit her¡ªbeat her up¡ªand still, that bitch survived."


    I closed my eyes. Finally, I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders.


    Maximus pulled me into his chest and I hugged him tightly.


    "She was crying¡ª¡¯please, no! Please, it hurts¡ª¡¯" Romeo wasughing as he remembered my cries.


    "That¡¯s awful. You¡¯re such an asshole," Charlotte¡¯s steady tone made him suddenly stopughing and stare at her.


    "You¡¯re not... drugged?" he asked, and she shook her head.


    "I didn¡¯t drink from that ss," she hissed, then got up. "If I knew you were such an asshole, I¡¯d have nevere here."


    I guess this was the part where she was supposed to walk out, but Romeo panicked. He suddenly grabbed her hand, and I let go of Maximus. He would need to alert his warriors.


    "What are you doing? Let me go," the panic in Charlotte¡¯s voice reminded me of myself.


    "Well, since you made me say so much nonsense, you¡¯ll have to pay. How about I show you what I did to Hnie? And you won¡¯t even be able to make a fuss because I could say you brought me here to seduce me. And then, bye-bye, Maximus."


    That evil monster¡ªhe was openly threatening her and pushed her over the table. The whole thing crashed down.


    Panic settled in as the three of us rushed out of the room to save Charlotte.

 Chapter 549-Not A Heroic Death

    <h4>Chapter 549: 549-Not A Heroic Death</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    They opened the door to the room, but I was the only one who had stepped inside. It had to be me. The warriors were ready to step in but they were held back after I showed interest in entering first. I watched Romeo¡¯s expression change when his eyes met mine. He let go of Charlotte almost instantly and started backing away.


    "What is she doing here¡ª?" he pointed at me, asking Charlotte, who was gently rubbing her arm where he had grabbed her.


    "You still don¡¯t get it, do you?" I asked, clicking my tongue.


    I was a little scared to get too close to him since I had no idea how powerful he could be.


    "It was a game¡ªyou trapped me?" He looked at Charlotte as if they had been in a rtionship for years. That¡¯s how delusional he was.


    "I don¡¯t owe you anything. You¡¯re a weirdo and a fucking rapist," she scoffed at him.


    "Oh, then how about I take both of you down¡ª" With that, he made it clear he still didn¡¯t know he was being recorded. He lunged at me with his fist clenched, and as soon as he attacked, I ducked, letting him fall over me to the ground.


    I then got on top of him and started punching him.


    I had no idea how far I was going¡ªI just remember hitting him, with blood sttering everywhere.


    I heard Charlotte scream in shock, but I didn¡¯t stop until Norman had his arms around me and pulled me away from him.


    "You asshole¡ªit¡¯s men like you who make the world a dirty ce!" I was screaming at the top of my lungs, kicking and trying to get out of Norman¡¯s hold.


    Maximus had walked in with the warriors. They were right at the door and had only let me in because I wanted to let out my anger somehow.


    "She¡¯s crazy¡ª" As soon as Vonston entered the room, Romeo changed his tone and pointed at me.


    "She attacked an alpha," he imed, hissing at me.


    I could see betrayal in his eyes. He wasn¡¯t happy that his cousins were there defending me.


    "Oh shut up, we saw your confessional tape," Vonston revealed that he had been sitting in a room with the other council members and had been watching the whole thing live too.


    Oh, the look of realization on Romeo¡¯s face made me so happy.


    Romeo started to visibly panic, his eyes turning red.


    "They¡ªthey¡ª" he was panting, unable to finish a full sentence.


    "And we also saw you spike her drink," Vonston pointed at Charlotte, who had been staring at me the whole time. I guess she didn¡¯t think Maximus was doing it for me.


    However, Maximus did walk over to her to ask if she was okay. I watched her nod her head but not use that moment as an excuse to grab him.


    She usually did that. But something was different about her bodynguage that day. She seemed dull and worn out.


    "Huh!" Romeo let out a grunt. "I was drunk¡ª"


    "Oh, cut it out. Every single one of you uses this excuse once she beats you up," Vonston shut him down the minute he tried to use the same excuse as Rhiz.


    "So what now? You¡¯ll throw me in jail for sleeping with one omega bitch? Why is her body more important than my crown? Why is raping just one woman so horrible that you want to dethrone an alpha? What can she ever do for all of you?" He took it too far when he asked that question. Norman looked around, gesturing at Vonston as if asking him if he should answer.


    "I¡¯ll tell you why¡ª" With that, Norman punched him so hard that he fell to the ground. "Even with your logic, she¡¯s more powerful and smarter than you could ever be. So, with your own logic, we¡¯ll choose someone powerful like her over a loser like you."


    The look of shock and defeat on Romeo¡¯s face looked so satisfying.


    I could tell he was getting ready to say something else when Vonston gestured to his warriors to arrest him.


    "Put him in chains. We¡¯ll present him to the court so we can humiliate him in the best way possible," he yelled, rubbing his face with his hands.


    As the warriors took him away, I slipped closer to Charlotte.


    "Thank you," I said to Charlotte, who sighed and let the air out of her mouth.


    "I did it for Maximus. Romeo was ckmailing him about something," she muttered under her breath, walking away after saying just that. I looked over at Maximus, and when he winked, I realized he had lied to her.


    We all sat together in the car, driving to the council court. Romeo would be presented there. But there was nothing he could say that would change anything for him now.


    However, in the middle of the ride, the big van that carried Romeo stopped. All the other cars stopped behind it.


    I got out in confusion along with the others and saw Romeo holding a gun in his hand. He must have fought or tricked the warrior into stealing the gun from him.


    "I¡¯d rather go rogue than be punished for what I did to her. It wasn¡¯t that big of a crime. She survived, so why the fuck are we being hunted like monsters?" Romeo screamed, pointing the gun at me.


    Norman kept trying to push me behind him, but I wouldn¡¯t let him take over.


    "How do you feel now?" I asked, watching him frown. "How do you feel being vited?" My smirk made him clench his jaw.


    "Oh, I¡¯ll show you when this bullet enters your body¡ª" he screamed, pressure on his finger.


    But before he could fire¡ªa big brown thing jumped out from the woods and attacked him.


    Screams erupted through the air as the thing chopped off his head in one swift move and ran away. It all happened so suddenly, and the only thing left behind was his body from the neck down.

 Chapter 550-People Are Finding Out The Truth

    <h4>Chapter 550: 550-People Are Finding Out The Truth</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Are you okay?" Norman asked, wrapping a towel around my shoulders tofort me.


    Charlotte and I had sat down next to the vehicles with cold drinks offered to us.


    The warriors were taking Romeo¡¯s body away while his parents had arrived at the location.


    They didn¡¯t speak to me, but I could tell they were hostile.


    Darcy had shown up and cried the loudest, but her sons didn¡¯t let here near me. That¡¯s why we were sitting a little farther from the scene.


    "Hnie... are you okay?" a loud voice called out, and I turned to see Jessica getting out of her car and running toward me.


    "She doesn¡¯t hate you?" Charlotteined softly.


    I got up from my seat and stepped forward to show Jessica I was also happy to see her. She ran straight into my arms and pulled me into a tight hug.


    "Oh my Goddess, I heard the news. He confessed," she chirped, jumping up and down while still hugging me.


    Iughed, and when we broke the hug, I noticed she was holding back tears. Her smile looked so fake.


    Her lips kept twitching downward, almost like she wanted to break down.


    "I heard his confession¡ª" she sniffled, "almost all of them were part of horrible things. Just tell me... my brother... did he too?" She closed her eyes and clenched her jaw. Her nostrils red when I gave a small nod.


    "Jessica, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just d justice is being served," I said quickly, holding her hand and rubbing it between mine. I noticed how badly shaken she was.


    "It¡¯s so hard living in the same house and seeing him... every day. He¡¯s training hard, Hnie. Please focus more on your own training from now on. The battle is in a week. Forget everything else and focus on your mission," she said in a broken voice before forcing a smile for me.


    "She¡¯s right," Vonston chimed in.


    "I don¡¯t know what to say. At this point, I can¡¯t look at Alpha Darius and say he¡¯s innocent. But he¡¯ll never confess," he groaned, clearly feeling guilty.


    "His loss will be my victory. His crown on my head will be my justice. I¡¯ll do my best for this battle," I reassured both of them, all while noticing Jessica getting distracted by Norman.


    "Hnie! I heard you fought the Zharn? Was it easy to beat him?" Vonston asked, referring to the ongoing threat against the packs and roguemunity.


    "It was pretty easy, to be honest," I admitted. I remembered killing that thing in just a few minutes.


    "Hmm, that¡¯s strange. They¡¯re supposed to be the best fighters from the evil organization," he mumbled, looking down at the ground as if searching for answers.


    "What is this organization?" I asked.


    "Hnie! Focus on the battle first. Our warriors will deal with the Zharns. When you¡¯re done getting justice for yourself, you¡¯ll most likely wear the crown of Alpha Queen. Then you¡¯ll learn all about the organization. You¡¯ll find out everything soon enough," Jessica said firmly, reminding me of what really mattered.


    With a nod, I agreed with her.


    "I¡¯ll go say hello to Norman," her face lit up as she whispered her next step to me. I guess meeting Norman was what she had been waiting for.


    Her entire mood shifted from sadness to happiness as she began walking toward Norman.


    Weirdly enough, Emmet and Kaye hadn¡¯t shown up. Maximus was busy with the warriors, checking security against the Zharns.


    "She¡¯s going to steal Norman from you," Charlotte¡¯s voice pulled me back to reality. I turned to her, studying her bodynguage. She didn¡¯t seem too threatening at that moment.


    "I trust her. Besides, Norman is her friend too," I lied, avoiding the truth that she was still his fianc¨¦e and Norman had only married me until the next full moon.


    "Hmm, it was disgusting," Charlotte said, folding her arms across her chest as she stepped closer to me, "his confession."


    She bit her tongue and quickly looked away. "I used to think you were making stuff up. But then, one after another, alpha came out. I was still so arrogant that I didn¡¯t care much. I was able to separate you from your trauma and still see you as my enemy. But then¡ªthen I was alone in the room with Romeo," her eyes drifted off, lost in thought, "it was just a brief moment that he held my hand before you showed up. But those few seconds made me fear for my life." She paused, and I immediately grew concerned.


    She didn¡¯t deserve to be alone in a room with that rapist.


    "I¡¯ll be honest with you. Maximus told me we had to go in there for another reason. It was only after you barged into that room that I realized how Maximus sees me. The fact that he thought I wouldn¡¯t help get justice for a victim¡ªthat was a reality I had to face sooner orter." I had never seen her speak so calmly and sincerely.


    "That¡¯s because you never sympathized with me," I said softly. Maybe it would help her realize that Maximus didn¡¯t assume things about her because of anything I said¡ªhe had seen her for who she was. He had lived with her, known her. And after all that, he decided Charlotte was a liar.


    "You¡¯re right. Hnie, that man woke something inside me. In those few seconds he held my hand and I looked into his eyes, I lived a nightmare. I saw my whole future sh in his eyes if I didn¡¯t get away. My future looked like yours. A victim, all alone and hated," she sniffled, then took a deep breath and straightened up, her voice turning firm.


    "I want to make things right. And I want to start by telling a certain someone the truth about something very important." Her tone was full of determination.


    I followed her gaze¡ªand saw her looking at Maximus.


    Wait... was she going to tell Maximus that she had lied about being mates with him?

 Chapter 551-Last Day

    <h4>Chapter 551: 551-Last Day</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Good, good!" Norman pped his hands, appreciating my effort. My eyes kept drifting to Emmet, who had been so quiet these days.


    After Romeo¡¯s confession, Kaye and Emmet returned home. Kaye said Emmet didn¡¯t want toe back and just kept running.


    Emmet, Kaye, and Maximus were now sitting next to a tree, watching me finish my training.


    "That will be enough. You have to get home and rest a lot," Norman announced, checking the time.


    It was early in the day, around 10 a.m. The brothers had decided yesterday that I would start training early and finish early so I¡¯d have time to rest for the rest of the day.


    "Tomorrow is a big day," Cora said.


    I didn¡¯t say it out loud, but now that it was so close, I was slightly worried.


    "Take a breather and then we can go home," Maximus said, his eyes wandering behind me at someone. I followed his gaze and turned around to see Charlotteing toward us with the same big basket of food.


    She had been doing that for a week. She would bring us food during training.


    At first, I thought she might have added some drugs or even poison in it, so Norman went ahead and got it checked.


    Since he always humored my suspicions, I was satisfied with him doing that. The food turned out to be fine.


    But I still couldn¡¯t tell if the change in Charlotte could be trusted.


    She could be ying a game.


    "Can I speak with you?" As soon as she handed the basket over to Maximus, she asked him.


    He turned to me, then to Norman, finally walking away with Charlotte, leaving the basket on the ground.


    "Guys, you start eating," he yelled, making Kaye get up to take out the food. We all sat down to eat, and after a while, Maximus returned.


    "She left?" Kaye asked, and Maximus gave him a head nod.


    "She is weird. I don¡¯t know if I can trust what she says," Maximus groaned, shaking his head repeatedly.


    I noticed Emmet sitting away from us with his knees up and his back resting against the tree. He held a sandwich in his hand, his elbows resting casually on his knees.


    It was bothering me how distant he had be from all of us now. Norman probably noticed the same thing and grabbed his food to go sit with him.


    "What did she say?" It was Kaye asking Maximus that brought my attention back to the subject at hand.


    "She said she wants to tell me about the mate bond," Maximus took a big bite from the sandwich in his hand, but his eyes stayed on my face. I watched Kaye follow his gaze to me and then look away.


    "What about it?" I couldn¡¯t keep the curiosity inside and finally asked him. I didn¡¯t want to be part of his personal matters, but I couldn¡¯t help it. He was taking too much time.


    "That it was a lie, and that she¡¯s sorry. She doesn¡¯t expect anything from me except to ask that I don¡¯t tell my mother she told me the truth," Maximus deepened his stare into my eyes and blurted it all out with a clenched jaw. I was shocked.


    Totally dumbfounded that Charlotte decided to speak the truth.


    "Oh, that is unlike her," Kaye grunted along with his brother.


    "I¡¯m happy she told me the truth because I would have made her life miserable. However, I¡¯m still angry that our mother nned this," Maximus took another big bite, and I could tell he was taking his anger and frustration out on the food.


    "So what will you do now?" Kaye asked, his eyes flicking to my face before looking back at Maximus.


    "I¡¯ll keep this a secret for now. We should only focus on this battle." Maximus was right. I didn¡¯t want to get distracted either. Still, it had been a good week with good news from all around.


    After we were done eating, we gathered our stuff to leave. It was basically them lifting all the bags while I was on my phone.


    "We¡¯lle to support you tomorrow," Lamar said on the phone.


    "I really miss you guys. I wanted to spend time with you all, but please understand every second was important for me to train," I apologized for myck ofmunication with them over the past few days. They had been preparing for finals too. So we were all kind of busy.


    "It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll steal you back after tomorrow," Salem yelled on the phone, Jenny giggling as she agreed with her.


    "If only I win this battle," I muttered under my breath, and their cheerful voices quieted down.


    "You will win, Hnie. You must win," Lamar said.


    "Hey, how are you holding up? You know you¡¯ve been on my mind all these days," I said with a guilty tone. I wished I had been there with him. Hearing Rhiz¡¯s confession must have been so hard. He must have relived that night. But at least his pack members had apologized to him.


    He was respected in his pack again, but I¡¯m sure that wasn¡¯t enough to help him with the pain he¡¯d endured after losing his sister.


    "I¡¯m fine. Thanks to you, justice was served for my sister, Hnie. Without you, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get my dignity back either. And as for how I¡¯m holding up¡ªthese idiots are taking care of me, so don¡¯t worry," heughed when someone hit him on the back. Had to be either Gavin or Penn.


    "I¡¯m d you guys are okay. So I¡¯ll see you all tomorrow," I said, forcing a gulp down my throat. I didn¡¯t say it out loud this time, but I could only meet them if I won.


    The chances seemed slim, especially after I heard Darius had been training hard too. In fact, there were reports that during training, a group of Zharns attacked him, and he tore them apart in minutes. I was suddenly so worried.

 Chapter 552-Last Night In His Arms.

    <h4>Chapter 552: 552-Last Night In His Arms.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    As the clock struck 12, I began to move around in my bed even more. I had requested everyone not to make a fuss about my birthday. I didn¡¯t want to celebrate this day¡ªat least not until I had defeated Darius. And the chances of that seemed pretty low.


    I had made the mistake of checking social media. Some of Darius¡¯s die-hard fans were praising how beastly he had performed in training this week.


    There was also a statement from Darius that had trended for a few days:


    Darius: I am aware of the gravity of my friends taking the me. Of them admitting to the heinous crime theymitted. However, I stand firm in my innocence. I was not involved. And winning this battle is now an even bigger mission for me, since I have to continue speaking out about my innocence. I am not guilty. I didn¡¯tmit a crime. I sympathize with the victim and I am ready to give her a good life. That is why I have chosen not to kill her. I will fight until myst breath, but I will not kill her. I will marry her to give her a good life, since it is not easy for rape victims to live a normal life. Hnie is traumatized and angry¡ªshe wants to punish all men. I am sure I can change her mind and show her that not all men are animals.


    "Asshole," I hissed under my breath, recalling his statement. It boiled my blood to see young girls supporting him. Even some young alphas believed him, since he had made me seem like a man-hater.


    "Hnie, why aren¡¯t you asleep already?" Norman almost scared me into screaming. I was so deep in thought that his voice startled me.


    As always, he was sitting on the couch, staring at the ceiling. He must have realized I was tossing and turning.


    "I can¡¯t sleep," I groaned.


    He got up and walked over to my side of the bed. I sat up so he could sit down too. In a white shirt and shorts, he looked like he had just stepped out of heaven.


    ¡¯He does seem¡ªspicy¨C¡¯


    Before Cora could turn this moment into something awkward, I shut her down by speaking to Norman.


    "I don¡¯t know what to do. I¡¯m just so restless," I rubbed my face with my hands. "You know, I first joined the academy for this very battle. But then I began to wonder if they¡¯d just admit to their crime and I wouldn¡¯t need to fight anyone. However, thest one, ugh!" I pped my forehead a little too hard, so Norman held my hand and gave me a look not to do that again.


    Somehow, I¡¯d been so scared and restless that him holding my hand felt like an open invitation. Without a second thought, I scooted closer and rested my face on his chest.


    "Hug me," I groaned when he sat there stiffly.


    "Are you sure?" There was hesitation in his voice.


    "Norman!" I raised my face and grunted at him. "Don¡¯t take it as something sexual. I just wantfort. If you can¡¯t give it to me, I can go ask my mates." I didn¡¯t know what was wrong with me. I was just so scared for tomorrow.


    All eyes would be on me. And if I lost, Darius woulde out victorious¡ªand would marry me.


    Ugh!


    That was the agreement, and I had foolishly epted it because I was too cocky at the moment.


    However, when Norman quickly wrapped his arms around me to stop me from going after my mates, it changed my mind.


    Maybe I can win.


    "What if I lose and he marries me?" I whispered against his chest. His natural scent was incredibly intoxicating. Intoxicating in a way that could easily lead to arousal.


    I nestled deeper against his chest and closed my eyes. His four heartbeats sounded like a melodic rhythm.


    "You won¡¯t. Which is why¡ªI was thinking we shouldn¡¯t reject each other tonight, or tomorrow. Rejection can cause pain, and you don¡¯t need to be dealing with pain before your battle," he said in a low voice.


    "What about after the battle?" I don¡¯t know why I asked that question, but the moment it left my mouth, I bit my tongue.


    "Oh," he uttered, and I raised my head from his chest.


    "What about then?" I asked again, this time looking straight into his eyes.


    "I mean¡ªyou¡¯ll be celebrating. Do you think we¡¯ll even have time to reject each other? And then you¡¯ll be in pain during the celebration. I think you deserve a day without pain tomorrow. Maybe next full moon," he said, avoiding my gaze.


    "Right. I was thinking the same thing," I replied. I didn¡¯t smile too much, but something about that n feltforting. I leaned back into his chest and closed my eyes.


    It was wild that I was hugging Norman. That he was the one providing mefort.


    Later, he got into bed, leaning back on the pillows while still holding me, and I slept with my face against his chest.


    The anxiety and fear about the battle kept me from focusing on anything else¡ªnot even the fact that I was lying on top of Norman.


    "Hnie?" Soft whispers tickled my ears, slowly pulling me from sleep.


    "Hmm?" I burrowed deeper into the firm surface, even lifting one leg to rest on what I thought was a pillow. But the "pillow" was so hard¡ªit felt like I¡¯d ced my leg on a rock.


    "Hnie, it¡¯s time. You don¡¯t want to bete," I felt a slight nudge and slowly began to wake up.


    cing my hands down, I lifted myself and looked straight into Norman¡¯s eyes.


    "Ahh!" I screamed when I realized my leg had been resting on his thigh, my knee bent and touching the very obvious bulge in his shorts¡ªand my hands were on his chest.


    "It¡¯s okay," Norman said, watching me scramble off him.


    "Ugh, is it morning already?" I checked the time and felt my heart race like a drum.


    "Come on, let¡¯s get ready," he said.


    It reminded me of those school days when I didn¡¯t want to go take an exam because I was afraid I¡¯d fail.


    But this¡ªthis was so much bigger than that.

 Chapter 553-The Battle Begins Now.

    <h4>Chapter 553: 553-The Battle Begins Now.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I showered and got ready in ck shorts and a ck top for the battle. On top of that, I wore a long white shirt until I reached the battle ring. I was so anxious, constantly licking my lips to moisten them. I had braided my hair to make sure I did not get distracted during the battle.


    My heart was pounding hard in my chest. I didn¡¯t eat anything¡ªjust had a few slices of freshly cut watermelon.


    Nothing could go down my throat in this state.


    "Are you mad?" my mother stormed in just as I was about to leave my room to sit in the car with my friends and my husband.


    "It¡¯s not a good day for an argument. I don¡¯t want to do this," I said, trying to step away from her, but she came in my way and blocked my path.


    "Are you really going to fight him?" she asked, her face twisted with strong emotions of worry.


    "Why do you care?" Her facial expression confused me.


    "Because you are my¡ªdaughter," she said, a very confused look on her face like she didn¡¯t even know what she was saying.


    "Oh please, you¡¯re just using this moment to mess with me. I don¡¯t want this today. Nothing you do will break my spirit," I hissed at her, and she calmly ced her hand on her heart.


    "You think I would hurt you?" I didn¡¯t know why she was acting so strange all of a sudden.


    Maybe she was feeling sorry for me. Or maybe she just wanted to make herself look like a great mother so she could cry and act like a victim when I die today. Because I¡¯ve decided to fight until I¡¯m dead and not surrender.


    Surrendering would mean marrying Darius.


    "Anyway," she sniffled back the tears and then suddenly jumped at me. I wish I had known she was capable of that. She pressed something against my chest for a moment before I pushed her back.


    "What did you do?" I asked her, opening my white shirt and then pulling down the ck top to check my skin.


    There was something red on my chest, right over my heart.


    "What was it?" I asked, quickly focusing on her hand. She was holding something in her palm¡ªa pendant, maybe?


    "Best of luck! You¡¯lle back victorious." As if she hadn¡¯t confused me enough, now she wished me luck and suddenly looked so confident.


    "What the hell¡ª" I started, but she had quickly walked out of the room.


    "Did you see what she did? Did you feel anything?" I asked Cora.


    "Don¡¯t be dramatic. She didn¡¯t kill us. Just go."


    However, I found it odd that Cora didn¡¯t want to say anything bad about our mother for all the wrong things she¡¯s done to us. I¡¯d noticed it ever since she woke up, but never got the chance to talk to her since I wanted to finish the battle first¡ªand then deal with our differences.


    Taking a deep and heavy breath, I walked out of my room. Outside, the brothers were waiting for me.


    "Hnie," Maximus stepped forward, "give it your all."


    I gave him a nod, not even able to force a weak smile.


    "Focus on his weak spots," Kaye said.


    I turned to look at Emmet, and my heart ached. He had his hands in his coat pockets, his eyes silently staring at me.


    "Let¡¯s go," Norman said, breaking my eye contact with Emmet.


    The ride was hard to sit through. I kept rubbing my palms together and swallowing hard.


    "Try not to be stubborn. If ites to the point where you have to surrender¡ªjust do it. We¡¯ll take care of the rest. You won¡¯t be forced to marry that jerk," Norman repeated what everyone¡¯s been telling me this whole time. But I only gave him a nod, not really meaning it. I will fight till myst breath. Either he dies, or I do.


    The ring was huge, a circle of dirt and stone. The ground was hard, worn down from all the fights that had taken ce here. The crowd sat all around the edge, rising inyers like steps, higher and higher the farther they got.


    I took a deep breath and felt someone pat my back, a small push to boost my confidence.


    "Victory is just one step away," Norman whispered.


    I nodded, taking slow, deep breaths while looking around at the people arriving.


    It felt like the whole world was watching¡ªevery eye on me, waiting to see who would win. The stands were packed with pack members, shouting, cheering, or silently waiting for blood.


    I spotted my family in the crowd.


    My stepmother held an umbre over her head to block the sun¡ªa small fan in her hand to stop the heat from melting her makeup. She wore a yellow dress with red lipstick.


    Then there was my stepbrother sitting among his friends, pointing at me andughing. I knew they didn¡¯t believe I could win this battle.


    My father looked indifferent too. No worry on his face, just difort from the heat bothering him.


    "Hey, make sure you give it your all," Emmet said, making me look into his eyes.


    "I want to see you win this battle¡ªfor every Hnie who was never able to find justice for herself," he whispered, his hand reaching toward my face, his finger gently touching the tip of my nose.


    Even that small touch was enough to melt me. But my attention kept drifting to the crowd.


    They were here to watch one of us die.


    Then there was Alpha Diaz sitting with Altan, who had his eyes fixed on me like he had onlye to see me.


    "I don¡¯t want to lose in front of all these people," I murmured, my throat going dry.


    "Who said you would lose?" Kaye clearly disapproved of my crazy thoughts.


    "You just need to step in. You have no idea how strong your wolf really is," Maximus reassured me, and I started nodding again.


    And then... he arrived.


    DID ¨C Devil In Disguise.

 Chapter 554-Lost Everything But I Will Win

    <h4>Chapter 554: 554-Lost Everything But I Will Win</h4>


    <strong>Darius:</strong>


    <strong>A week ago:</strong>


    "Asshole, dumb fucker," I groaned, kicking a rock after hearing the news about Romeo¡¯s death. Why the heck did he go to meet that Charlotte? What was so special about that basic bitch anyway? He got killed for someone like Charlotte?


    "It seems like she¡¯s doing really well. I heard from someone that before Romeo was arrested, Hnie beat his ass."


    Of course, my wolf had toe out and try to scare me.


    "Oh, fuck her. I¡¯ll take care of her. As for all that strength talk¡ªit sounds like PR nonsense. She can never beat me," I groaned, clenching my jaw hard.


    "You need to give it your all on the battlefield. Don¡¯t show mercy just because you like her," my wolf advised.


    "You really think I won¡¯t fight her because I want to marry her? Huh," Iughed and clicked my tongue.


    "I¡¯ll give it my best to win, and once I marry her, I¡¯ll fuck her every day and night until she realizes that even after all the training and big speeches, she¡¯s just my cum dumpster. I¡¯ll fuck the revenge right out of her," I grunted, feeling irritated.


    One by one, all my friends died because of her.


    That one night of pleasure caused all this.


    "If only we hadn¡¯t taken that mission," my wolf cried out, reminding me who had sent us to that station that night.


    "I don¡¯t regret fucking her. I just regret not doing something to deal with her earlier. If only I had offered to marry her right after that gang rape, I¡¯m sure she would¡¯ve miserably epted it," I hissed.


    "I don¡¯t think she would have. Those days are gone¡ªwhen victims thought marrying their abuser would fix everything. People are awake now, or so they say. That whole stupid equality thing¡ªand this idea that women can do anything¡ªthat¡¯s the reason why these weak women are raising their heads, fighting back, and even killing alphas," my wolf was right.


    Hnie would¡¯ve never agreed to marry me.


    But I¡¯ll show her my strength when she loses the battle and is forced to marry me.


    As soon as I heard snarling and hissing nearby, I became alert. It had to be those Zharns. I heard Hnie had fought one¡ªwhat a lie.


    I ran with my bag to get back home and, while doing so, uploaded a statement saying I had fought some too.


    Once I got home, I sat on my bed and stared at the bottle of blue liquid in my bag. Before dying, Romeo had gotten it for me.


    It was something that would help me during the battle.


    I¡¯d paid some people to spread rumors that I was training like a beast, that I¡¯d fought Zharns and won.


    It would give me a boost on the battlefield.


    "Do you have a minute?"


    A knock on the door made me aware of my sister¡¯s arrival. It had been so long since she came to talk to me, so when she did, I was d she came over.


    "Jessica,e in, please," I said with a weak smile. My sister meant the whole world to me. We used to be so close. And she used to be so proud of me, but Hnie ruined it for us.


    "I just wanted toe and see you," she sat down on the bed, and I instantly rested my head in herp like I used to before.


    "I didn¡¯t do it," I lied again. She should have believed me¡ªbut instead, she believed Hnie.


    "Shhhh," she ran her fingers through my hair and hushed me gently.


    "You know¡ªI love Norman a lot. I¡¯d do anything for him. But there was someone I loved even more than Norman, and that someone used to be you. I loved you so much¡ªI took care of you like I was your mother. I just don¡¯t understand... When did I lose you? When did you be so evil that you couldn¡¯t tell right from wrong? I¡¯m just... mad at myself because¡ªI let you be this monster who hurt innocent women," her voice cracked, and I closed my eyes, swallowing back tears.


    "Darius, what would you have done if someone had done the same to me?"


    The thought of her in that situation made me bite the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood.


    "I would burn them all alive¡ªbut I didn¡¯t do it," I lifted my head and looked into her eyes, tears blurring my vision. "I didn¡¯t. She¡¯s lying¡ªshe¡¯s mistaken that I was there that night."


    Jessica turned her head away and started sobbing.


    "I know when you¡¯re lying. It¡¯s a shame that you don¡¯t even feel guilty. I¡¯ve looked into her eyes, Darius. It¡¯s been so hard for her to prove she was innocent and to get justice. She had to make every single one of you confess to what you did. Before that, everyone was just as sure as you that they ¡¯didn¡¯t do it.¡¯ You know... when someone gets raped or assaulted, it doesn¡¯t end there. That¡¯s when the pain really begins."


    Jessica took a deep breath and slowly wiped her hand on her dress¡ªthe same hand that had just touched my hair. Seeing her feel that disgust for me... it only made my anger toward Hnie burn hotter.


    Why couldn¡¯t she let it go?


    It was just one night.


    Just one!


    "I¡¯ll prove to you that I¡¯m innocent," I said. But Jessica stood up and walked toward the door.


    "As much as I wish you¡¯re telling the truth... I¡¯m scared you¡¯re not. Don¡¯t expect me to cheer for you on the battlefield."


    She didn¡¯t even turn around to look at me as she said those words and walked out, closing the door behind her.


    ¡¯I¡¯m going to avenge all my friends¡¯ deaths. I¡¯ll make this Hnie feel real pain¡ªthe kind that makes her beg me to stop, but I won¡¯t. She couldn¡¯t forgive us for one night¡ªI won¡¯t forgive her for my friends¡¯ murders either.¡¯


    That was final.


    I would take the blue strength potion and beat her.

 Chapter 555-The Final Battle For Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 555: 555-The Final Battle For Revenge</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Darius had his father and other senior pack members with him. They never said out loud who they supported, but they had probablye with him because they thought he would win. And they didn¡¯t want to lose such a strong alliance once he did.


    I stepped into the arena, and the brothers went ahead to sit with their father. My mother hadn¡¯te.


    Darcy and Emma were treating this battle like entertainment, with popcorn and drinks in their hands. Charlotte sat with them, but she didn¡¯t look as mean as before. She even mouthed *¡¯Best of luck¡¯* to me.


    The noise was deafening, but I didn¡¯t hear it. All I could focus on was the space between me and Darius.


    The arena was wide open. No walls to hide behind, no way out. Just me, him, and the eyes of everyone around us.


    The heat of the sun beat down on us, making the dirt feel even hotter under my shoes.


    "Darius, we believe in you!" one of the girls screamed, making me clench my jaw when his smirk showed that, even after treating women like crap, he was still being supported by them.


    The crowd was huge. Some wereughing, others whispering¡ªeveryone thought I was weak.


    Darius was big, his muscles flexing as he shifted into a half-transitioned state, his ws scraping the ground. The crowd seemed to hold its breath, waiting for him to make the first move.


    He looked at me with a smirk, his voice full of mockery. "Ready to lose and go home as my wife?"


    I wanted to scream at him, to show him how much I hated him, but I couldn¡¯t. Not yet.


    The signal to start came, and without thinking, Darius lunged at me. His ws swiped through the air so fast I barely had time to dodge. The crowd gasped. I felt the air rush past my face as I just managed to get out of the way.


    I wasn¡¯t fast enough. I could feel the weight of his power as he turned toe at me again. The anger in his eyes burned brighter. But this time, I wasn¡¯t scared.


    I took a deep breath, closing my eyes for just a second. This was it. There was no going back now.


    I shifted. It hurt, but I didn¡¯t care. My bones twisted, my body changing, and I was no longer just me¡ªI was something else. Something stronger.


    He took a step back, his eyes narrowing. He seemed confused, almost like what he was seeing came straight out of a horror movie.


    The audience suddenly went silent before gasping. Their reactions showed they had never seen a wolf like mine before.


    With a growl, I lunged at him, ws outstretched. The force of my move hit him harder than I thought it would, and for a second, everything went quiet. The crowd was frozen.


    Then, chaos...


    Charlotte got up and yelled, "Hnie! We are with you."


    I noticed her mother ring at her with her jaw wide open.


    "Yes, Hnie, show that jerk what you are capable of!" Lamar yelled, getting up, and my other friends joined him. The brothers looked so proud at that moment.


    For a moment, I thought I had him. My ws connected with his chest, and I could see the shock in his eyes. But then, before I couldnd another hit, he recovered. He mmed into me, sending me flying back.


    I hit the ground hard, the air knocked out of my lungs. For a second, everything went ck. The roar of the crowd faded into a dull hum. My body was aching, but it was more than that¡ªsomething deep inside me was unraveling.


    I scrambled to my feet, my muscles shaking. Darius was grinning, enjoying every second of this. But that grin... it reminded me of everything.


    Of the year he¡¯d hunted me, tormented me. Of the nights I¡¯d spent hiding, terrified of his touch, his damn grin. The memories flooded back in an instant¡ªevery cruel word, every painful strike, and that night.


    Hisugh echoed in my ears, and for a brief moment, I wasn¡¯t in the ring anymore. I was back there, in the dark, scared and alone.


    My heart raced, my breathing in short gasps. I could feel the old fear creeping back in, just like it had so many times before. The fear I¡¯d buried deep inside me. The fear I thought I¡¯d gotten rid of.


    Darius was closing in, and I couldn¡¯t focus. I was frozen. Stuck in the past.


    "Still weak. Of course, you could never train enough to fight me," he sneered, stepping closer. "I knew it."


    I blinked, shaking my head, trying to push the memories away. But it was like I couldn¡¯t escape them. Every scar he¡¯d left on me¡ªmentally, emotionally, physically¡ªwas alive again.


    Darius saw the fear in my eyes, and his grin only grew wider. He knew he had me.


    But then, something inside me shifted.


    I was not that eighteen-year-old who he had cornered in that underground station.


    Darius moved in, shing with his ws, but this time I didn¡¯t freeze. I moved.


    I dodged, faster than I thought I could, and I felt the sting as his ws scraped my arm. But that wasn¡¯t enough to stop me. I was angry now, not scared.


    With a loud growl, I charged at him, my ws hitting his chest. He staggered back, surprised by the force. I didn¡¯t give him a second to recover. I was on him again, my ws striking, my teeth snapping at him.


    I threw him to the ground, not letting up. His eyes widened in shock, and I could feel him start to lose his confidence.


    "You¡¯re not the one in control anymore," I snarled, pushing him down harder. The crowd was roaring around us, but I barely heard it. All I could hear was my heartbeat, steady and strong.


    Darius tried to fight back, but I was faster. I grabbed his arm, twisting it behind his back. He gasped in pain, trying to get away, but I was too strong.


    "How the hell¡ªare you so fast¡ª?" he yelled, almost like crying.


    "How is she so strong?" That was my stepmother screaming at my father. "She is not your daughter. You¡¯re such a loser, and look at her!"


    For a moment, everyone shut up to hear her, and then Salem yelled, "Oh, shut the hell up, wench!"


    The crowdughed before their attention shifted back to me.


    He looked up at me, eyes wide with fear. For the first time, I saw it. He was scared.


    With onest push, I threw him to the ground, pinning him there, breathless and defeated.


    "What are you?" he barely whispered, gulping, with tears running down his cheeks.


    And in a very overpowering tone, I hissed, "I am your karma, bitch."

 Chapter 556-The New Alpha In North

    <h4>Chapter 556: 556-The New Alpha In North</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    He used his strength to push me back and get on his feet when Cora suddenly started to howl louder than ever. In seconds, clouds started to fill the sky, roaring and lightning shing through them.


    The crowd looked up and gasped.


    With a roar that shook the air, Darius lunged at me. His ws shed, but I was faster¡ªmuch faster. I darted to the side, my body moving like liquid. The crowd screamed in awe, their eyes wide as they watched the two of us sh in a whirlwind.


    We circled each other, growling, eyes locked. He tried to get the upper hand, snapping at me with deadly intent, but I could feel the power in every strike I made, every move I took. My body was made for this fight, made to dominate.


    He swiped at my throat, but I ducked, mming my body into his with a force that knocked him off bnce.


    Darius was struggling now, his moves slow, unsure. His pride had always been his strength, but it was slipping. I was breaking through his defenses, one strike at a time.


    He staggered back, growling in frustration. The fight had been going on for what felt like hours, the ground beneath us soaked with rain, and so were we.


    I charged, my ws cutting through the air faster than I had before.


    He barely had time to react as I mmed into him with a force that sent him tumbling backward. He hit the ground hard, a shocked gasp escaping his lips.


    I stabbed him in the chest with my ws and saw his eyes widen. The crowd wentpletely silent at the brutality.


    He began to gulp and sputter blood out of his mouth. He tried to move his ws around to sh my skin, but his ws could barely do any damage. My skin had turned into something solid.


    "Please," he wheezed, struggling to lift his head, blood staining his fur. His eyes were wide with something I had never seen before¡ªfear. Real fear. "Please... don¡¯t... don¡¯t do this."


    We both transitioned back, only wearing shorts and a top, and he was only in ck shorts.


    I stood over him, my chest rising and falling with each breath, my ws growing and disappearing like it was that easy. He was on his knees now, his once strong posture broken, the cocky smile that used to haunt my nightmares nowhere to be seen.


    I knelt down and wed his thigh, my fingers digging into his skin, my ws going deeper and deeper.


    "Ahhhh!" he screamed in agony. "Stop¡ªyour ws are¡ªburning my insides!"


    He began to wiggle like a worm on the ground.


    "Have mercy on thed," his father got up from the crowd and started crying.


    "Please, son, surrender!" he cried even more.


    At this point, no one was making a noise.


    "Remember how you tortured me that night?" I hissed at him, blocking his father¡¯s pleas.


    "I promised I would kill you with my own hands or I would never find peace," I muttered, watching his face turn red.


    But even in that state of agony, he decided to use hisst strike to break my happiness.


    "Thanks for letting me know what you wish for," he stuttered before yelling, "I surrender!"


    I frowned in disbelief when he broke into a smirk, barely able to hold it before he began to cry out in pain again.


    "I wouldn¡¯t let yourst wishe true. You will never be able to kill me," he let out a chuckle when the warriors arrived and forced me back from him.


    "Ahhh!" He had his arm wrapped around his stomach as he stumbled and barely got up from the ground.


    "You might have won¡ªbut you failed to prove me guilty," he mouthed, his father rushing over to support his body.


    Vonston walked into the ground and stood beside me. "The battle was the most intense fight ever. Even the sky cried and joined these true. However, as promised¡ªwe will choose the winner who will be crowned as the alpha king or queen. And without any shadow of a doubt, Hnie Niles is the new alpha queen of the North."


    Those words and that title almost stopped my heart in my chest.


    "Alpha queen?" I asked, turning my head to him.


    "We wanted to bring in the crown too, but look at this rain," Vonston smiled, his tears hiding behind the rain.


    "I am the alpha queen," I pointed at my chest and faced the crowd. Emmet, Norman, Maximus, and Kate started to walk towards me while the others were not allowed to overwhelm me.


    But they were all pping for me and crying happily.


    As soon as the brothers circled around me for a group hug, I heard a littleint from Darius¡¯s father.


    "That doesn¡¯t prove my son¡¯s guilt. It¡¯s just that he is not an alpha king or an alpha anymore. However, the stress everyone has put on his shoulders by iming hemitted crimes made him lose today," the brothers stepped away to watch Seon Louise save his son¡¯s face.


    "It is true, it doesn¡¯t prove anything. You might have won today, congrattions¡ªbut I am still innocent. Someone who was tortured to the point that he couldn¡¯t train," Darius hissed, and the crowd went silent.


    "Ah?" I raised my brow.


    "What? Am I not telling the truth?" The eye contact Darius gave me was enough for me to understand what he was trying to do.


    "When I told you I wanted to kill you¡ªyou thought that was my wish?" I mumbled, but loud enough so that everyone could hear us.


    "You said it," he sputtered, spitting blood out and then straightening his back.


    "Hmmm! What if I tell you¡ªit was my way of getting you to choose to surrender instead of dying by my hands?" I watched him frown and shrug. I knew he wasn¡¯t going to give up, even if I had killed him.


    "You didn¡¯t want me to die?" he smirked, even when everyone was watching him.


    "No! Or else¡ªhow would I have made you confess to your crimes?" I smirked, and his smirk faded.


    "Now that you are not an alpha king¡ªnor an alpha¡ªI kick you out of my pack and make you a rogue," I hissed loudly, watching him frown for a moment and then shrug as if it didn¡¯t bother him much, until I added, "And as a rogue¡ªImand the weapon of truth to be used on you."

 Chapter 557-The Fallen Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 557: 557-The Fallen Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You really thought stealing the crown from you was my end goal? You¡¯ve been hiding behind the alpha crown for way too long. Your cockiness defeated you," I hissed, then gave him a pressed-lip smile.


    "No! What is she saying? I¡¯m already injured¡ªshe wants to beat me to a pulp now?" Darius held his father¡¯s arm and shook it, trying to get his attention.


    His father¡¯s eyes were wide open, and all I could see was fear in them. I began to wonder if his father knew he had been lying.


    "Darius¡ªyou really didn¡¯t think this wasing your way?" Emmet asked, stepping forward. I hadn¡¯t told anyone this, but there were times when Emmet would look me deep in the eye and smile like he knew what my end goal had been.


    And him stepping forward, signaling his warrior to bring in the weapon of truth, confirmed my suspicion that he knew.


    "Stop this¡ªyou¡¯re not allowed to stab me with that," Darius pointed at Emmet, warning him not to get any closer.


    He held the dagger in his hand, making my heart beat louder. In the next few minutes, Darius was going to confess everything.


    "Actually¡ªyes, he can. He can do that," Vonston added, "Hnie has proven that not only is she physically stronger than you, but her mental ability is far ahead of yours. She is the true alpha queen North has always deserved." It was shocking to hear those words from him.


    He had shown growth after the first trial. And after that, he didn¡¯t act blindly at all. I watched Alpha Diaz get up and grab Altan¡¯s hand, dragging him out with his warriors and pack members following. They didn¡¯t even sit down to hear the truth, but the big cameras would be broadcasting it for months.


    My so-called family stayed though. My brother kept pointing at me, then at his chest, telling everyone I was his sister.


    "Stop it!" Darius yelled when Maximus snuck up behind him and grabbed his hands behind his back. Kaye wrapped his arms around his father¡¯s shoulders and kind of dragged him aside to avoid intervening.


    In front of everyone, Emmet stabbed Darius right in the stomach and let him fall to his knees.


    "What have you done?" Darius screamed, his hands on the wounded area. He started to squeeze it as if that would help the poisone out.


    Jessica had walked out of the crowd and approached us, her eyes filled with tears as she watched Darius.


    "Now, tell me Darius¡ªwhat do you remember when you look at me?" I stepped forward to ask him. It was so hard to do.


    He lifted his head and growled, "Oh! You really want to relive that night, don¡¯t you?" The smirk on his lips appeared without him knowing. I could tell he was trying hard not to say it all.


    But the dagger was pulling the truth from within him.


    "You weren¡¯t that confident that night. Remember when you begged while quickly putting on the pendant as if that would make us stop? All of us stared at you before we attacked. How was it losing your virginity that night?" he startedughing loudly.


    He kept going until I decided I didn¡¯t want to hear any more. I just wanted the truth and an admission of guilt¡ªand he had done that.


    But there was one more thing I wanted to know from him.


    "Who sent you there that night?" As soon as I asked, Darius smirked.


    Seeing him still alive in front of me was so hard. But I had to leave him alive so he could get the shame he deserves.


    "Why? Why were you sent there that night?" I added.


    "Hmm, maybe someone¡¯s father didn¡¯t like you hanging around his son," he watched me gasp.


    "It was your boyfriend¡¯s father. Who didn¡¯t know his son was just fooling around with you. He was afraid his son was serious, so¡ªhe sent us there. And in return, he helped us with our reports at the academy. He wanted you out of his son¡¯s life," Darius cleared up all the questions in my mind.


    I was stunned, and tears sprang down my cheeks. I got this punishment for love that wasn¡¯t even serious?


    "Ugh, but you know what¡ªI regret one thing now," he straightened his back and suddenly grabbed a sword from the warrior¡¯s hand and hissed as he lunged at me.


    It was a sudden attack since nobody thought he was capable of fighting the poison in his body and taking this step.


    But that¡¯s when Jessica grabbed the dagger from the ground and rushed in, attacking her brother from the side and stabbing the dagger into the side of his neck so hard that it came out from his temple.


    Screams filled the air, and everybody began to run away from their seats.


    As soon as Darius¡¯s body fell to the ground, Jessica sat down with him. She held his head in herp and started crying.


    "It¡¯s okay, baby brother. Everything is fine now," she began to speak, smiling through the pain.


    We were all so shocked.


    "You will be at peace now. This world is no longer for you. You have¡ªbroken the biggest rule. You havemitted a crime against another innocent individual. But¡ªbut it will be fine now. You can rest. You don¡¯t need to see everyone hate you, right? I did it to help you, right?" she was sobbing and gently caressing his cheeks.


    "Oh, my little brother. Let me sing for you," she sniffled, "I see your spirit, brave and strong,


    Where you belong, where you belong. And as you grow, and make your way,


    I¡¯ll be your anchor,e what may."


    She had such an angelic voice that the rain suddenly stopped. The birds started to gather around her as she cried, holding her dead brother in her arms.


    "In the next world, you wille back as my son, and my dear, this time, I will make you a better one."

 Chapter 558-My Husband’s Nudes

    <h4>Chapter 558: 558-My Husband¡¯s Nudes</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Congrattions," Salem hugged me again while Lamar, Penn, and Gavin danced around me. They had been jumping up and down like little kids this whole time. Jenny kept mimicking how I would look once I got crowned.


    "So, you¡¯reing to the hostel tomorrow?" Penn asked, giving me a look that said I needed to stop making excuses and just join them already.


    They had made ns that included hopping from bar to bar and doing everything I couldn¡¯t do because my life had been so hard.


    "Yeah," I nodded, my eyes shifting to the brothers in the distance.


    After Jessica killed her brother, she wasn¡¯t well. Her father and Norman took her home after managing to convince her to let go of Darius¡¯s body. Darcy and Emma rushed back home, grabbing Charlotte with them. But Charlotte seemed genuinely happy for me.


    Now it was just me, my friends, and the brothers.


    "Okay, so you go enjoy your victory with them today, tomorrow is ours," Lamar warned me, pointing his finger at me to make sure I didn¡¯t forget the ns.


    I nodded, smiling from ear to ear, then walked away to join the brothers. As soon as they saw me walking towards them, they broke the circle and smiled at me.


    "So, Alpha Queen of North¡ªhow do you feel?" Maximus pretended to hold a mic with his clenched fist and interviewed me.


    "I am the happiest today," I uttered, tears still forming in my eyes. But these were tears of happiness.


    "So, how are we going to celebrate your birthday today? Don¡¯t say no, you¡¯ve earned the right to live a happy life. Let¡¯s make this day the day you yed the monster and became the Alpha Queen," Kaye added with a cheerful gleam in his tone. Every time someone called me Alpha Queen, my chest swelled with happiness.


    I never thought I could be anyone, let alone an Alpha Queen. Just the thought of my crowning made me smile until I turned tomato red.


    "Congrattions. I always knew you were special," Emmet uttered, then cleared his throat to remind me of something, "Are you and Norman rejecting each other today then?"


    I watched eyes stare at my face and my throat began to get dry. Of course, I was going to reject Norman, but then I felt like I should stay with my friends tonight.


    They had waited so long for me to be with them.


    "Ohhhh! Wouldn¡¯t it pain? Actually, I¡¯m spending the night with my friends. I want to be full of energy and enjoy my neenth birthday, unlike my eighteenth. I want to get over that phase and be happy for once," I noticed the way they silently stared at my face, no heads nodding to show they agreed.


    "Will it be okay if I do it next month? I mean, waiting for him toe back when he should be with Jessica, and then making my friends wait¡ª" I yapped and yapped with an awkward smile on my lips. I felt so ufortable at that moment.


    "No! Trap will be the right word."


    "Of course, that will do as well," since nobody was helping me out, thankfully Kaye stepped forward to defend me.


    I suddenly felt at ease when his brothers reluctantly nodded their heads.


    "So I will go and stay with them," I waved at them, turning around in an awkward, no-goodbye kind of way, and started walking after my friends.


    "Hmm, what an excuse to not reject Norman," Cora uttered.


    "I thought you would rest a little longer after that battle," I groaned.


    "How could I miss the awkward interaction of you with your mates where you try to not only convince them but yourself too that you have so much to do, which is why you can¡¯t reject him tonight," Cora continued to snicker, making me clench my jaw.


    "I mean, I didn¡¯t have time to annoy Norman before, so I was thinking about irritating him for a month before I reject him," I shrugged.


    "Whatever you say, Alpha Queen," she taunted, and I rolled my eyes, joining my friends.


    "Wait, you¡¯reing with us?" Penn got out of the driver¡¯s seat when he spotted me.


    "Yeah, I thought I¡¯d celebrate this day with you guys. You¡¯ve been there for me all this time; I really want to share my sess with you," I said to them all, watching them grin happily.


    "Come on, hop in then," Jenny wrapped her arm around my shoulder and let me walk into the car first.


    We all shared the car to the hostel where the students had been informed beforehand, and Hans had helped prepare a celebratory dinner for me.


    "Wow," I covered my mouth happily, watching all the red balloons flying around with LED candles everywhere.


    "I did it all myself," Hans shrugged, hands on his waist in pride.


    But he wasn¡¯t asking for my praise; his eyes kept moving to Jenny, who was busy making out with Lamar every few seconds.


    After we all ate and danced for about two hours, I began to walk upstairs to my dorm room. Lucy hadn¡¯t been around and Sydney was back in her pack, I heard. Of course, she couldn¡¯t see me being all happy.


    My phone rang, and my husband¡¯s name popped up on the screen with an iing text, making me grin. I couldn¡¯t wait to give him a hard time.


    Husband: What are you doing? Did you eat and rest well? Don¡¯t waste all your energy for tonight. We brothers are preparing something special for you as well.


    I smiled, sitting down on the bed and reading his text a few times before typing back.


    Me: Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be a surprise? Are you sure you didn¡¯t ruin it?


    Husband: Don¡¯t y me. It¡¯s alright, my brothers wouldn¡¯t get mad, and you don¡¯t know what kind of surprise it is.


    I giggled.


    Husband: Okay, ask for any gift. It was a big victory.


    I wasn¡¯t going to ask him anything, but Cora started to fill my mind with nasty thoughts.


    "Ask for a nude pic."


    "What the heck, no Cora," I groaned at her.


    "Come on, you said you wanted to annoy him. Just do it, tease him¡ªannoy him," she pressured, and while biting my bottom lip, I texted him.


    Me: Okay, send me your nudes.

 Chapter 559-Beautiful Wife’s Innocent Request

    <h4>Chapter 559: 559-Beautiful Wife¡¯s Innocent Request</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    I had juste back to my room after discussing a n to celebrate Hnie¡¯s birthday and make it special.


    "Missing her?" My wolf was saying that just to annoy me. He knew there was no truth to what he was saying. He just wanted to get a reaction out of me.


    "No, I¡¯m very much at peace that she isn¡¯t around andining. You know I like my room to be mine only," I reminded him, standing in front of the mirror to take off my shirt.


    "Really? Didn¡¯t you just ask her for a gift?" he teased, and I mimicked him under my breath, taking off my shirt and throwing it on the couch.


    "She would have killed you if she saw you do that. How many times has she reminded you to hang your damn shirt?" As soon as Rome said that, I grabbed the shirt to hang it properly.


    Not because I was scared of Hnie, but because I didn¡¯t want this topic to be the reason I argued with Rome.


    "I asked her what she wanted as a gift because she did a great job and defeated an alpha who had been getting ready for this battle since he was a kid. Not only that, she has raised our academy¡¯s name to new heights." I was honestly impressed with Hnie and how she fought.


    And then her message popped up. I knew she would say she didn¡¯t want anything.


    That¡¯s how she was¡ªnot interested in anything at all.


    "And you used to call her a gold digger," Rome didn¡¯t need to remind me of what I used to think.


    I didn¡¯t know her back then, only her mother. And her mom really gave off big gold digger vibes.


    I ignored Rome and focused on the text. I had just put on my shorts when I opened her message and my body tensed up.


    "Oooooh baby! Ohhh yummy. Seems like she couldn¡¯t resist and finally asked for our great Norman mountain."


    I wanted to strangle Rome with my own hands. My cheeks started to itch as I threw the phone away.


    "That is so inappropriate. Why would she¡ª I¡¯m so disappointed in her," I groaned, starting to pace from one corner of the room to the other.


    "Scold her then and make her stop once and for all," Rome gave me a slightly different suggestion. I thought he would tell me to just go along with it, h h h.


    "What do you mean by ¡¯once and for all¡¯?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowed.


    "It seems like she¡¯s getting toofortable. Imagine if she was here¡ªshe would¡¯ve just grabbed you and slipped her hand into your shorts. You have to stop her before she gets thisfortable. That bold woman," Rome made me swallow hard.


    Why did he have to exin it in so much detail?


    The thought of it all was a horror. My eyes filled with tears¡ªthat¡¯s how intense just imagining it was.


    "Yeah, I would love to scold her but then again¡ªit¡¯s her night. I don¡¯t want to ruin it for her by getting angry. And to think¡ªshe might not have realized it was inappropriate. She¡¯s just very innocent," I held my phone again, wondering if she was waiting for my message or if she forgot about it after casually asking.


    "Oh really? Or just admit you don¡¯t want to stop her. You want her to grab you and take control,"


    I knew it. Rome was just trying to trap me.


    "Huh!" I scoffed. "What do I say to her now?"


    Now that was the biggest problem. What could I say?


    "Say no!" Rome replied.


    "Rome, something that won¡¯t upset her," I didn¡¯t want her to feel like she asked for something wrong.


    I mean¡ªI didn¡¯t know.


    It was the kind of situation that felt worse than picking a weapon for war.


    "Okay, let me take over. I¡¯ll type something good," he insisted, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I could trust him.


    "Please, trust me. You never do," he sounded a little down, so I let him. It had been years since we talked like that. And him waking up after marking Hnie just meant a lot to me. I needed him to talk to me, and now he finally was.


    So he began to type quickly.


    Me: Can¡¯t send any right now.


    I nodded as he hit the send button, but then he quickly typed something else that left my jaw wide open¡ªand before I could take control back, he had already sent it.


    Me: Because my cock is so hard for you, I feel embarrassed.


    "What the fuck!" I yelled loudly, hitting all the buttons to delete the message¡ªand instead of deleting it from both chats, I only deleted it from mine.


    "Fuck!" It was like one mistake after another.


    "Just so you know, I¡¯m not jerking off¡ªI¡¯m justughing so hard," Rome made me sit and watch the screen.


    There was nothing I could do anymore but wait for her toe online, read the text, and then...I¡¯d just kill myself.


    "Norman! Dude, listen¡ªimagine she shows it to our brothers," Rome wasughing his ass off with zero concern for my reputation or feelings.


    "Why¡ªw-why would she do that?" I started typing in panic, making yet another mistake.


    Me: Please don¡¯t tell my brothers.


    As soon as I sent it, I realized what Rome made me do.


    I looked like a desperate, sneaky pervert.


    So when I grabbed my phone to delete that one, I managed to do it sessfully.


    But then her reply came¡ªand my heart dropped.


    Alpha Queen Wife: I read it.


    Fuck!


    I grabbed my hair in my fist and then read her next message, tears running down my face this time.


    Alpha Queen Wife: I¡¯m going to share it with everyone. You¡¯re so thirsty.


    "Okay, I¡¯m gonna go meet her right now and delete that text from her phone."


    That would be yet another mistake I made that night.


    How I wish I had been thinking with a clear mind.


    Because going to see her turned out really dangerously upsetting.

 Chapter 560-His Ego Won

    <h4>Chapter 560: 560-His Ego Won</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Whoa!" Cora said.


    I had been staring at the screen in shock. And then he told me not to tell anyone. That made me feel so shy.


    However, I tried to y it off and annoy him, so I told him I¡¯d tell everyone. But honestly, that was what Cora suggested. She wanted to mess with him a little more.


    "You know what? I shouldn¡¯t have listened to you. Ugh! He must be so embarrassed right now, Cora. He¡¯s not like others. He gets shy and then he¡ªoh my¡ªhe¡¯ll be so embarrassed that he¡¯ll stay awake the whole night. He barely sleeps," I started shouting at Cora even though it was my responsibility not to do that to him.


    "It¡¯s not our fault he responded that way. At least it proves he¡¯s into you," she said, making me clench my jaw and shut my eyes angrily.


    "I¡¯m sure he was just trying to tease me back and since his humor sucks¡ªhe ended up embarrassing himself," I defended him, feeling bad.


    I called him to say it was okay and that I knew he was joking¡ªjust so he wouldn¡¯t overthink it. But he didn¡¯t answer any of my calls.


    And that made me worry so much about him.


    "Okay, I¡¯m going to check on him, Cora." That was it. I couldn¡¯t enjoy myself or rest knowing Norman might be so stressed.


    I knew him really well. Just that one text would have ruined his mood. And I wasn¡¯t even there to sing him a luby so he could sleep.


    "Are you sure? I mean, he¡¯s hard. What if he wasn¡¯t just ying and actually got in his feelings? What if you go there and he¡ª" She stopped when my body shuddered.


    "Cora, that¡¯s Norman. He¡¯s my big stepbrother¡ª" I bit my tongue at the weak excuse. But that¡¯s how I used to see him. I never thought we¡¯d ever get... close like that.


    "Hnie, the tension was always there. Just admit it. You were just sure he didn¡¯t see you that way, so you kept forcing yourself to keep him off the list of guys you could ever¡ª" she went quiet when I grabbed my shoes to go see him.


    "The pce will be packed with Zhorns," she reminded me, and I remembered how they hiss to cause distractions.


    Their frequencies can give people headaches¡ªbut not me. I¡¯d be fine.


    "I don¡¯t care, Cora. He¡¯ll be up all night," I said, wanting to p myself for that message.


    "He¡¯s not a child. You¡¯re worrying too much," she finally stopped using that teasing tone.


    I rushed downstairs to find the hallway almost empty. A few couples were making out in the corners, and I knew Lamar and Jenny were probably looking for a room to hook up in¡ªsame with Gavin and Salem. Penn must¡¯ve already hit the bed.


    So I was able to sneak out without anyone spotting me. Not that they¡¯d stop me, but they¡¯d insist oning with me.


    It was after midnight, so the full moon had passed too. That meant Norman didn¡¯t need to worry about Maximus. He was kind enough to stay with me on the night of the full moon. But sadly, I was the one who caused him stress.


    However, I was only a few steps onto the road when I saw a vehicleing toward me. It was Norman¡¯s monster car.


    He stopped in the middle of the road and stepped out of the driver¡¯s seat while I ran to sit in the passenger seat.


    I was surprised he came. But then I remembered how awkward he must have felt after sending that message. Of course he came to clear his name.


    Poor thing¡ªall because I messed with him.


    However, even after I sat down in the car, he remained outside. He was running his hand through his hair. He only wore a white sleeveless T-shirt and ck shorts.


    After a few minutes of gathering his courage, he finally got in the car but kept his face straight, not looking toward me at all.


    "Where were you going?" he asked, clearing his throat mid-sentence while staring straight ahead.


    "I wasing to see you," I said, and he instantly looked down. "I wanted to tell you I was just joking. But why are you here?" I asked, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks.


    He must¡¯vee to ease my mind too. Maybe he thought his message made things weird for me.


    But I was wrong.


    "Umm... to make you delete that text. Where¡¯s your phone?" he turned to me and asked in a stern tone, the annoyance on his face obvious.


    "You came here for that?" I asked, and he nodded.


    I didn¡¯t know what I¡¯d been thinking. I guess I was flying too high.


    "I wasn¡¯t even the one who sent that message. I was angry that you¡¯d even think about sending something like that to someone alreadymitted to another woman¡ªwho just got home after taking care of that same woman¡ªbut my wolf told me not to offend you and let him handle it. Turns out¡ªhe¡¯s a big joker as well and¡ª" he kept rambling until he finally looked up and our eyes met.


    "You were angry?" I asked, nodding my head.


    "I mean¡ª" he couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. He had already put me in my ce.


    "Umm, I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re right. I should¡¯ve been more considerate of Jessica." I gave him a blunt look, and he looked away.


    "I feel horrible right now," I admitted. Tears were forming in my eyes, but I was taking deep breaths, trying not to cry in front of him. He was arrogant¡ªbut also right.


    "In fact¡ªit was Cora who decided to tease you, and then I thought¡ªforget it, it doesn¡¯t matter what I thought." I clenched my jaw and handed him my phone.


    I still had some hope that he would exin his harsh words and tell me he was just feeling awkward, but he didn¡¯t.


    He was right.


    It made sense that he was angry.


    Fuck. I¡¯m such a horny bitch.

 Chapter 561-The Accidental Kiss

    <h4>Chapter 561: 561-The idental Kiss</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    He grabbed the phone out of my hands and slowly deleted the conversation while I sat and watched him do it.


    "Let¡¯s forget about it and never give our wolves the authority to speak," heughed, finally looking so relieved.


    So he was only worried that Jessica would see those texts? The texts that he didn¡¯t even send me¡ªit was his wolf messing with me.


    "So, how did you spend your evening?" he acted like everything was fine. But I was not fine. Even when it wasn¡¯t his fault. He had every right to shut me down for being a nuisance.


    And that¡¯s what angered me. Why the hell would I do anything like that? Or have any kind of feelings for the man who had made it clear so many times that he only wanted Jessica?


    "I had fun. Goodnight." I had enough of my foolishness. I¡¯ll keep my distance from him.


    "Hey, what¡¯s the rush? Wait, you wereing to the mansion because you thought I would be stressed out?" He finally realized what I was going to say.


    "Actually¡ªforget it, Norman. I¡¯ll head back now," I clenched my jaw as I said his name.


    "Why are you¡ªhey, did I offend you?" Hearing his voice was making me lose my mind. I wanted to turn around and punch him in the face.


    To kick him and scratch his face for making me foolishly grow feelings for him.


    ¡¯And herees the confession,¡¯ Cora sighed.


    It was such a messed up way to admit to myself that I was indeed falling for him.


    "No! I¡¯m just sad we didn¡¯t meet a few hours ago. We could have rejected each other¡ªugh! Now I have to wait another month. Poor Jessica, she¡¯ll have to wait another month to be in your arms," I spoke bitterly, arms crossed over my chest.


    I was the one in the wrong here.


    "It¡¯s not that bad. You¡¯re upset because I said¡ªlisten¡ªI wasn¡¯t angry angry¡ª" He was now making excuses because he finally realized he was too blunt when shutting me down.


    "Oh, please¡ª" finally, I snapped like a loser who couldn¡¯t take rejection. "I wasn¡¯t really interested in your nudes either, Norman. If I want to see someone, I¡¯ll text Emmet, Maximus, or Kaye¡ª" I was now waving my hands as I stared directly into his eyes.


    "But Maximus and Kaye also have¡ª" he shut up because I interrupted.


    "Oh, shut the hell up, always reminding me who¡¯s with whom," I didn¡¯t know what got over me, but the rejection embarrassed me.


    "Hey,nguage!" Norman hissed, but I clenched my jaw and gave him the middle finger, watching his eyes widen.


    "I had so much respect for you until now," he hissed again as I jumped out of his car.


    "Well, nobody forced you. So go back home, coward!" I yelled as I started walking back into the hostel.


    "Really? Why am I a coward? I¡¯m not! I didn¡¯te here because I was scared¡ªit was something my wolf did¡ª" he came out of the car, trying to exin.


    "And because I would never want my brothers to think I¡¯m going behind their backs¡ªflirting with you."


    I stopped to face him, and he ced his hands on his waist.


    "Ohhh! I get it," I nodded my head.


    "No, you don¡¯t. Don¡¯t make me seem desperate," he hissed back, not realizing I wasn¡¯t trying to make him feel bad. I felt bad myself.


    "I¡¯m not dating your brothers¡ªI have plenty of options, Norman. And I¡¯ll pick from them instead of wasting time on you or your brothers from now on. I¡¯m not anyone¡¯s property, so don¡¯t act like you all have to exin things to each other whenever someone spends time with me."


    I didn¡¯t even know what I was rambling about. But his words were now stuck in my head.


    I wished he had focused on the fact that I was worried about him, and in return, used a gentler tone when reminding me he loves Jessica and thinks it¡¯s inappropriate when I joke about sensitive stuff.


    Or maybe I had pushed him so far that he had no choice but to be rude to me.


    "Don¡¯t take your anger out on my brothers. And what do you mean by ¡¯my property¡¯? I never imed you were," I wished Norman knew when to shut up. His need to always get thest word always left me hurting.


    "Because I¡¯m not your property, so you can¡¯t im me," I argued like a child.


    "I never said you were. How many times do I have to remind you, huh? Are you upset that it wasn¡¯t me who sent you that text?"


    He suddenly stepped back and watched me with his eyes wide open. I felt so judged. He must¡¯ve beenughing at me inside.


    "Tell me¡ªyou wanted it to be me, didn¡¯t you? And you were disappointed because I told you I wasn¡¯t the one who texted you? That I¡¯m not... horny for you?"


    He said the word under his breath, almost like a whisper¡ªprobably because the thought of me like that disgusted him.


    "No! I¡¯m angry because you sent me that stupid text and I had to¡ª" I paused, trying to think of a good reason to convince him I wasn¡¯t thirsty for him, "leave Penn behind ande see you."


    I watched a frown appear on his face and I knew it was working. "I¡¯ll go back and enjoy my time with Penn since I¡¯m single and don¡¯t owe any loyalty to any of your brothers," I hissed, dragging them since he used them to shut me off.


    "Fine, go ahead. I just came here to delete that text," he hissed.


    Just a few minutes ago, I thought I was falling for him. It wasn¡¯t true. I would never fall for an arrogant, taken man.


    What a desperate bitch I am. Only angry because he wasn¡¯t horny for me. He wasn¡¯t wrong.


    I began to quickly walk towards the hostel, and once inside, I mmed the door and grabbed the whole bottle of wine.


    This was the first time I was going to drink so much. I gulped it down in one big swallow.


    "Easy," I didn¡¯t even know Penn was still awake. But my head was spinning, and I was seeing two of him.


    "Hey," he held me just as I was about to fall.


    "Are you okay?" he whispered, holding me with one arm wrapped around me and brushing the strands of hair from my face. I tried to stare into his eyes but everything was moving, and all I could think about was moving on.


    Call it a drunken mistake, but I slipped and fell straight into Penn. Our faces crashed together, and our lips met in one big mistake. It was just a brief moment¡ªonly a second¡¯s touch.

 Chapter 562-My Wife And Her Stupid Love Interest

    <h4>Chapter 562: 562-My Wife And Her Stupid Love Interest</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    "Bravo! Way to break a woman¡¯s heart," my wolf grunted, scolding me again after being silent for just a minute.


    "How is it my fault? I asked her if she was disappointed¡ªI would¡¯ve told her the truth too if she said otherwise. But she told me it was her wolf. So why would I say something else? Wouldn¡¯t I seem desperate? Besides, it¡¯s the truth. You were the one who texted her," I hissed, feeling rage building inside me.


    "And you were angry that she sent you that text? Answer me, seriously. Because what you did tonight pushed her so far away that I¡¯m afraid she wouldn¡¯t even want to see your face again."


    I don¡¯t know why my wolf was scaring me. I¡¯ve argued with Hnie before. We usually get back to normal soon.


    "Rome, I was¡ª" I shut up.


    "You truly are a coward. You think falling for someone will make you look less like a loving brother?" he yelled. I closed my eyes, gripping the steering wheel tightly but not driving.


    "Fine! Yes, I felt something when I saw that text. But you know why I was angry? Because she doesn¡¯t feel the same. She¡¯s only teasing me, trying to prank me. And it makes me look like a pervert for having my eyes on¡ªmy brother¡¯s mate," I finally let it all out. It had been happening for some time.


    Back when she bit me and I tattooed her mark on my shoulder, when she pushed me and I tattooed her hand on my chest¡ªit was all happening, and I had no clue why.


    I wasn¡¯t supposed to feel this way for anyone.


    "Then why did you break her heart? So what if you confessed and she told you it was a prank. Isn¡¯t she worth losing to?" The way Rome said it made my heart skip four beats at once.


    "Tell me, how much is she worth?" he asked again, and tears started filling my eyes for the first time.


    "You know what she means to me. It¡¯s not every day that Norman learns to crochet just to fix someone¡¯s sweater. But she scares me."


    It felt strange to be honest with anyone about my feelings.


    "That woman scares you? How?" Rome asked.


    "I¡¯m not supposed to fall in love, Rome. I can¡¯t. It¡¯s not physically possible for me to get aroused by anyone. I¡¯m just a robot¡ªa vessel who carries the heartbeats of his brothers with mine. There¡¯s no chance¡ªno heartbeat for anyone else. Then how? How is it possible that my heart beats louder for her than it would out of concern for my brothers? How am I supposed toy my head in herp and sleep so peacefully?"


    I started punching the dashboard as I lost my mind.


    It was such a mystery, and I was getting desperate.


    The more I watched her with my brothers, the more I felt like losing my mind.


    "Then maybe¡ªmaybe she is our mate?" Rome¡¯s gentle whisper shook me awake from the tantrum I was throwing.


    "I hope not," I wished.


    "Norman, it¡¯s only feasible. Think about it, she is mated to the others¡ª"


    I had to shut him down. If Hnie was the one, that would mean¡ªthe prophecy is real.


    "I¡¯ll go speak with her. I don¡¯t feel right ending the night with tears in her eyes. I should¡¯ve just let her have a victory andugh at me," I felt so low.


    I have lived my life where nothing was mine. No happiness, no struggles. I did everything for my brothers. So when, for the first time, I found someone for myself, I just didn¡¯t know how to hold onto it.


    That¡¯s when a message popped up on my screen:


    Jessica: Can you pleasee? I feel like this night won¡¯t pass.


    I had her in my mind¡ªsympathy was what I felt for her. But then there was Hnie, and I couldn¡¯t go home or to Jessica knowing I had hurt Hnie so much.


    I put my phone down and got out of the car, making my way toward the hostel.


    "What are you going to say to her?" Rome asked.


    "Apologize and¡ªtell her¡ªshe is right. I was fucking horny for her. She can p me in return, hate me, or call me a pervert. I don¡¯t care. I¡¯d rather be embarrassed than upset her."


    I reached the door and entered, making my way through the hallway when I saw her.


    She wasn¡¯t alone.


    Like she said, she had Penn with her.


    It was a sight that crumbled my heart like paper. I watched the two copse on the ground, probably caught up in the moment, their lips meeting.


    I quickly turned around, not able to watch the crazy makeout.


    "Norman, we should¡ª" Rome started to talk again, but I grunted at him and ran out of the hostel like a headless chicken.


    "I really thought¡ª you know, when I said she would p me, I didn¡¯t mean it. In my head, I had a feeling¡ªmaybe, just maybe¡ªshe would blush and show some signs that she was interested. But all of that is gone. She was right. She has so many suitors. Why would she choose a faulty man with fucking four heartbeats?"


    I let out augh at myself. My wolf really got me fooled.


    Thank goodness I didn¡¯t do anything stupid. She was happily enjoying her life. If I had met up with her and said that stuff, I would¡¯ve ruined her mood.


    I sat in the car, my chest tightening and my mind going numb. The sight of her on top of Penn made me shudder.


    "Ugh! I¡¯m going to lose my mind."


    I grabbed my hair in my fists, staring at the dark road.


    "How could she do that? She was just here with me. How could she¡ªbetray¡ªmy brothers?"


    I corrected myself, punching the window on my side so hard that my skin broke.


    "You know what¡ªthe right thing would be to go check on Jessica. She¡¯s the only one who epts me for who the fuck I am."


    I started the engine to go console Jessica and be there for her.

 Chapter 563-Night After Heartbreak

    <h4>Chapter 563: 563-Night After Heartbreak</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Sorry, sorry," I quickly lifted my head, letting the kissst only a few seconds. And that too because I was too shocked and drunk to move quickly.


    "It¡¯s okay," Penn smiled under me.


    "Help me up, I want to go to my room," I rolled over andy on my back, staring at the ceiling. He got up first and then I raised my hand for support. He grabbed my hand and pulled me up, putting me on his back and taking the stairs.


    "You men are so cheesy," Imented, feeling so sleepy yet excited to do something mischievous. Not sexual, just mischievous.


    "What did I do?" he asked. There was yfulness in his voice. And I knew why.


    "You¡¯re taking the stairs to impress me. You¡¯re even happy because we kissed. Don¡¯t take it as a kiss, it was just two mouths falling together," I continued, not understanding why I was talking so much. Some things I was saying didn¡¯t even make sense to me.


    "You¡¯re right about that. I am very happy," he didn¡¯t deny it, which made me bump my chin against the back of his head, only yfully.


    "But I¡¯m so sad tonight," I groaned, kicking my feet.


    "Umm, well, I can tell. You¡¯re kicking me pretty hard," it was only when he pointed it out that I stopped and bit my tongue.


    "I¡¯m sorry, I forgot I was on your back. No wonder I was confused about how I was moving without using my legs," I frowned.


    "There, there," he took me to my dorm room and carefully put me down on my bed.


    "Now tell me, what made you upset when it should¡¯ve been your happiest night?" Penn asked, taking off my shoes and helping me getfortable in bed.


    "My stupid husband broke my heart," I started tearing up, my lips curling downward as I lost control of my emotions.


    "What do you mean?" Somehow, he looked way too serious.


    "I¡ªI thought he would care. I thought he might have some feelings for me. But I was so wrong. He¡¯s heartless even when he has four heartbeats," I sniffled, not having control over my words.


    I had never been wasted before, so it was such a weird feeling.


    "He has four heartbeats? What do you mean by that?" he asked, and I shrugged.


    "I don¡¯t know. I just know none of it is for me," I covered my face with my hands and began to sob.


    "Hnie, do you have feelings for Professor Norman?" he snapped me out of my crying session and I zoned out.


    What did he ask me?


    "Why else do you think I¡¯m crying?" I pouted, "I hate that I have feelings for him. Every time I see him¡ªI feel like telling everyone, ¡¯Look, that¡¯s my husband.¡¯ I want him to show me the same affection and give me the same attention. But he loves Jessica¡ª" I started crying even louder until my ears went silent.


    "Have you ever loved someone so much, but they loved someone else?" I asked, lying down in the bed. My tears went straight into my ears this time.


    "I did. Actually, I¡¯ve been in love for so long that I don¡¯t even know if I can ever love anyone else," Penn continued, but I had begun to doze off.


    I didn¡¯t sleeppletely because I kept waking up and throwing up. Near sunrise, I woke up to throw up again, and this time, I felt like my head would burst open.


    "Ugh," Iined, getting out of the bathroom.


    I was no longer drunk, but I had no freaking memory of what exactly went downst night. All I remembered was that Norman broke my heart, and then I drank a lot.


    Of course, I knew Penn must have brought me to my room since he was sleeping in Lamar¡¯s bed.


    I took a shower and sat on my bed, my phone in my hand. Norman had deleted the conversation earlier, so there was nothing I could read. I wasn¡¯t obsessed or crazy¡ªI just wanted to re-read the texts to see if there had been some signs.


    "What signs?" Cora questioned.


    "That I was taking it too far and he was getting annoyed with me. Now that I think about it, he did seem pretty offended whenever I yfully teased him. Ugh! It brings me so much pain to think I ignored all the warnings," I kicked the pillow off the bed before reaching for it and picking it up again.


    As I did so, my body weight somehow made my phone act up. After pulling the pillow back up, I looked at my phone and gasped at the ongoing call.


    I had pocket-dialed Norman¡¯s number.


    Before I could hang up, I saw the call being picked up.


    ¡¯It¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll just say it was a mistake,¡¯ I muttered under my breath, sticking the phone to my ear and opening my mouth¡ªonly to stop when I heard a feminine voice on the other side.


    "Hello?"


    It was a sleepy voice. And it was none other than Jessica.


    I pulled the phone away just to double-check if I had dialed the wrong number¡ªbut no. It was Norman¡¯s ID on the screen.


    Why was Jessica picking up his phone?


    "Umm, hello. I was calling Norman to ask if there will be any sses. We students had such a tiring night, so they wanted to know," I quickly came up with an excuse, since hanging up would have made me look suspicious.


    "Oh, umm, he¡¯s sleeping right now. Should I wake him up?" she asked, and my heart sank in my chest.


    He was sleeping in bed with her?


    So after he broke my heart, he went to be with her?


    Did I seriously make him horny for herst night?


    "Oh, okay. How are you?" Holding back tears, I asked her.


    "I would¡¯ve been worse. But thanks to Norman, him arriving changed a lot for me." She sounded genuinely at peace. And I hated that I wasn¡¯t.


    She had done so much for me. And look at me¡ªhaving tears in my eyes because she possibly slept with Normanst night.

 Chapter 564-A Blast From The Past

    <h4>Chapter 564: 564-A st From The Past</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Do you want me to wake him up?" she asked again, and I shook my head before answering her.


    "No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll ask someone else. I hope you feel better soon. I didn¡¯t get a chance to talk to you earlier, but thank you, Jessica, for taking a stand for me," I said softly, feeling defeated but also... wrong.


    The way I acted around her mate made me feel shameless. A homewrecker who gets upset when a taken man rejects her advances.


    "Sleep well," I added, then ended the call, tears forming in my eyes as I stared at the screen.


    "Eh?" Penn waking up made me quickly rub my face with my hands, pretending I hadn¡¯t been crying.


    "Hnie? What time is it?" he asked, sitting up in bed and rubbing his eyes.


    "It¡¯s still dark outside," I responded, feeling so low.


    "Oh, why are you up? Are you feeling okay?" he asked as he got out of bed. He looked so sleepy with his one eye still closed.


    I wasn¡¯t okay, honestly, but I had to pretend like I was.


    "What happenedst night?" I asked, trying to retrace my steps.


    "You were drunk and made me carry you to your room," he said,ughing at the memory.


    "I made you carry me?" I asked, surprised, and he nodded with a fake pout.


    "On my back," he added, and we bothughed¡ªbefore my smile faded once again. I was so low, I didn¡¯t even know how to keep the conversation going.


    "Hnie, what made you so upset that you drank so much? All I know is that you left the hostel briefly and came back to drink yourself into not being able to stand," he said, sitting next to me on the bed, making me think back on the night.


    "It was nothing. I just wanted to clear my head. Being free of the burden of revenge made me look around and focus on my life. And, well... I realized I married a man who isn¡¯t my mate. The man who could¡¯ve been happily married by now. I was so lost in revenge, I didn¡¯t focus on anything else until now," I rambled, rubbing my hands nervously.


    "Hm. It¡¯s okay. You have until the next moon to reject him. Although it would¡¯ve been easier for Jessica to deal with the grief if she were married right now. But you didn¡¯t do it on purpose. And you¡¯re so respectful to them¡ªyou don¡¯t even stay around Norman much," Penn said gently, having no idea what he was really talking about.


    If he knew the truth, he would hate me. That thought made me lower my head in guilt even more. All of them thought so highly of me...And I was busy dreaming about the forbidden man.


    "So don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure Jessica understands, and she respects you for keeping your distance from her man," he continued, and I couldn¡¯t help but recallst night¡¯s events.


    Penn was so right. He reminded me that I should be grateful Norman shut me downst night.


    That¡¯s when my phone rang again¡ªand without checking the screen, I answered it instantly.


    "What is it, Norman?" I asked, shocking not only myself but Penn too. I answered like I had been waiting for the call. Jessica must have told him. He barely sleeps anyway.


    Wait. She said he was sleeping.


    Did her touchfort him too?


    I bit my bottom lip, frustrated that I was angry about him sleeping¡ªwhen I should¡¯ve been happy that he got some rest.


    "It¡¯s Altan,"


    My body froze, and chills ran through me when I heard his voice. I tried to pull the phone away, but he quickly added,


    "Please don¡¯t hang up. I just want to talk to you."


    I closed my eyes and sighed under my breath, Penn still watching me like he thought I was talking to Norman.


    "What do you want to say?" I asked, jaw clenched. "What¡¯s even left to say?"


    "I¡¯m sorry for what I did," he started, but I began shaking my head aggressively.


    "No! You don¡¯t understand, Altan¡ª" It was when I said his name that Penn tilted his head and frowned in confusion.


    "Do you know who was behind everything that happened that night?" I wanted to scream at him, but I didn¡¯t want to wake the other students.


    "What? Who?"


    It became obvious that his father had hidden the truth from him. Alpha Diaz would get his karma. Vonston said he was pretending to take the usations lightly just so he could do his own digging¡ªand catch Alpha Diaz with proof. The thought that Alpha Diaz had done this to me just to control his son¡¯s life made me sick. An old man paid others to gang rape a woman instead of just dealing with his own damn son?


    "Your father," I hissed.


    "What?" Altan sounded shocked¡ªlike he¡¯d stay in that shock for a while. That¡¯s when Penn snatched the phone out of my hand and growled into the speaker.


    "You need to leave her alone like you did that night. It was all because of you¡ªand your father¡ªthat she suffered. Being with you¡ªif we can even call it that¡ªmade her suffer when she shouldn¡¯t have. You and your father should¡¯ve sorted out your problems instead of dragging her into the middle and turning her into a victim."


    He shouted, his voice rising.


    "Who am I to her? Why do you care? You¡¯re not her boyfriend¡ªso stop calling her!"


    He ended the call and handed the phone back to me, staring into my face with rage.


    "He had the nerve to be upset that I was with you right now. How the hell did you even like this manLook at yourself¡ªyou¡¯re a porcin doll, and that man¡ª I swear, I¡¯ll kill him if he contacts you again."


    Penn got up from the bed and stormed toward the door.


    I guess it was for the best that I was alone.


    I had to cry¡ª


    And I didn¡¯t even know why.

 Chapter 565-Planning A Romantic Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 565: 565-nning A Romantic Encounter</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    "How is she?" I asked Jessica¡¯s father, whose swollen eyes showed he was grieving the loss of his son.


    I didn¡¯t care.


    But I couldn¡¯t tell them not to cry. Parents cry even when their kid is wrong. Tears can mean many things. Sometimes, theye from guilt¡ªfor not helping shape their kids into better people.


    "She is a mess," her father replied. "Now that you¡¯re here, give her some medicine. I can¡¯t look at her face right now." He had been distant from her ever since she saved Hnie¡¯s life by killing her own brother.


    She didn¡¯t have to do it, we knew that. We were going to protect Hnie anyway, but Jessica taking that step still meant a lot.


    I went into Jessica¡¯s room, where everything was in chaos. She was sitting on the floor, covered in her own blood.


    "Jessica, what have you done?" I rushed over and knelt down, holding her hands. Thankfully, the blood came from scratches, not a serious injury.


    She had thrown around the vases and decorations, which caused the bleeding.


    "Bring the first-aid kit!" I shouted at the maid, helping Jessica up.


    After tending to her wounds, I told the maids to get her some food. She had been sobbing nonstop the whole time.


    "I¡¯ve lost everything, Norman. Look at my hands¡ªthey¡¯re empty," she whispered, sitting on the bed, but mentally still on the ground where she had killed her brother.


    "I lost you... killed my brother... and now my father can¡¯t even look at me," she cried hysterically, patting her chest like she was trying tofort herself.


    "Things will get better, Jessica. I¡¯ll be there for you, Hnie will be there for you. As for your father, he¡¯ll understand your side too. Just give him some time," I said, cupping her face, feeling sorry for her.


    She had been my friend for a long time and had stood by me through everything.


    "You¡¯ll stay with me?" she asked, sniffling. I nodded. The maid brought in the food, and I had to feed her. It was something I had never done before, but I was doing it out of frustration.


    Every time Hnie¡¯s face shed in my mind, the way she was on top of Penn¡ªI wanted to do something reckless too.


    Jessicay down and held my hand. Her eyes showed she wanted me tonight.


    I kept staring at her face, then at her hand over mine, and then I remembered how Hnie and Penn had kissed.


    I nodded to Jessica and sat down¡ªbut on the chair next to her bed.


    There was no way I would make a mistake that would cost me even more damage.


    ¡¯Finally, you didn¡¯t do something stupid,¡¯ my wolf said. He had been silent because he wanted to see what decision I¡¯d make¡ªso he could scold me if I agreed to get in bed with Jessica.


    "No! Nothing can make me do that. My anger toward Hnie is one thing, but I won¡¯t sleep with Jessica and Jessica false hope. And even if I wanted to, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to feel anything with Jessica."


    Shey down and finally fell asleep while I sat in the chair, my head resting back, eyes on the ceiling. But there was only one person on my mind.


    "She was trying to get a rise out of you," Rome said, making me scrunch my eyebrows.


    "What do you mean?" I asked. Not being very experienced in this area, I had to rely on Rome. It¡¯s not like he was some expert either, but he gave decent suggestions and advice.


    "She must have known you¡¯de back. Who even starts making out in the hallway? And Hnie¡ªshe never even kissed your brothers in front of you, let alone made out with random Penny in the hallway," Rome hissed.


    "Penn," I corrected him.


    "I don¡¯t care. He can go to hell," Rome snapped, and he was right.


    "I will make this Penn run so many rounds around the mountain tomorrow, he¡¯ll forget what it¡¯s like to kiss Hnie," I said, clenching my jaw as my anger slowly rose likeva.


    "That¡¯s the Norman I know. Look¡ªhe¡¯s trying to steal her. Or maybe she did it to get a reaction out of you or out of anger. It doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is, she¡¯s not with our brothers now. So you¡¯re not stealing her from them¡ªyou¡¯re stealing her from Penn. That¡¯s fair game," Rome said, making me close my eyes and take a deep breath.


    "What are you trying to get out of me?" I hissed at him.


    "A confession. You can tell me how you feel about her," he whispered, trying to sound innocent¡ªeven though he was the reason everything got messed up tonight.


    "So you can cause more trouble? I was doing just fine¡ª" I was in the middle of the conversation when Rome¡¯sughter cut me off.


    "Those baby steps will result in someone stealing her from you. I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s the only way. Steal her from Penn. It will be hard¡ª" Rome¡¯s words made me open my eyes, and he knew he had gotten under my skin.


    "He knows how to reach a woman¡¯s heart, and you? You only know how to lead a woman to the battleground. You need to step up your game. Look! Women like bad boys. Someone who acts sexy. You need to act sexy in front of Hnie," Rome suggested.


    And for a moment, I wondered if that was it.


    Maybe Penn was acting more sexy? I mean, I don¡¯t know how to be sexy or hot. So that makes sense.


    "You¡¯re not setting me up for disaster again?" I asked.


    "No! I just know that even if you¡¯re too shy to admit your feelings, you want her. And I want to be the first person who only puts you and your happiness first."


    I quickly closed my eyes when tears started to itch at the corner of them.


    "Hnie worries about you too. You deserve love and care, Norman," he said. And he was right.


    "That¡¯s it. I don¡¯t want her care¡ªor her worries¡ªI want more."


    Finally, I had made up my mind. I would do what my wolf was telling me to do.


    "Just do everything right. Be sexy¡ªand make her feel jealous. Women love when they are pinned against the wall. Be aggressive but also romantic," Rome said. I nodded and closed my eyes. That is what I will do. I will show her I can be that too.


    I don¡¯t sleep much¡ªjust a few minutes at a time. But that night, in those few moments, I saw Hnie in my dream.


    That was the first time I ever had a dream like that. She looked radiant, beautiful¡ªlike someone who should be mine.

 Chapter 566-My Sexy Husband Got Eyes On Him

    <h4>Chapter 566: 566-My Sexy Husband Got Eyes On Him</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You look grumpy. You shouldn¡¯t have drunk so much," Jenny elbowed me as we walked out of the hostel toward training ss.


    I didn¡¯t even know why the academy was open today. I¡¯d heard the trainers say we needed to prepare hard because of the threat from the Zharns.


    "Alpha Queen," I heard Sage say as she winked at me before walking away with her group. Every section stood in line¡ªeven the seniors joined us this time.


    "Last night was amazing," Lamar whispered into Jenny¡¯s ear, and she giggled. I looked to my side and saw Hans staring at them before he realized I caught him¡ªand quickly looked away.


    "Oh, Professor Norman is here," Lucy announced from behind me, and only then did I realize she had returned to the academy.


    I turned toward her and she smirked. "Congrattions. What a victory!"


    I rolled my eyes and looked straight ahead. I didn¡¯t know why, but I was in a really bad mood.


    "Huh, what victory? Got the poor guy all messed up just so she could win," Sydney, of course. It had to be her.


    My friends turned back to re at her, but I ignored it. My eyes were focused on the car that parked in front of us¡ªand out came Norman, dressed in all ck.


    "Fuck, he is so hot," Lucy said, making me frown.


    What hot?


    He was just tall with decent features. Deep down, he was still an asshole.


    "And he left his buttons open today," Lucy added, and my skin broke out in goosebumps.


    He had left half of his shirt unbuttoned, a chain hanging down his chest.


    I clenched my fists tightly, trying not to look at his chest. What kind of outfit was that? Did he lose his sense of decency too?


    "Hello, everyone," Norman said, and I stared at the girls. I¡¯d always known they looked at the brothers a little too eagerly¡ªbut this was ridiculous.


    Then two more vehicles pulled up and out jumped Kaye and Maximus.


    Emmet didn¡¯te. That hurt.


    "I wish I could have group sex with those handsome monsters one day," Lucy went on.


    Honestly, at one point, I felt like she was saying all this just to mess with me.


    "Shut up, Lucy!" I snapped, and everyone went quiet.


    As I looked ahead, I noticed the brothers looking at my face.


    "As you all know, a special battle was arranged for one of our students. We brothers would like Norman to give you a brief history and the reason behind the battle," Maximus said, stepping aside to let Norman take over.


    His eyesnded on me for a brief second before looking away.


    He really didn¡¯t care. He just felt sorry for me.


    And look at him¡ªhe looked so smug today. He got to have sex while I cried myself to sleep with a headache.


    "I¡¯ve trained many warriors in my time, but none like Hnie," Norman began.


    "She didn¡¯t just fight battles on the field¡ªshe fought her rapists in the shadows, where justice is often denied. She stood alone against a world that tried to break her. They used her, silenced her, doubted her. But she never backed down."


    My frown started to soften.


    I hadn¡¯t had the chance¡ªor maybe I never let myself¡ªthink about how I feel now.


    Finally, I was free from the usations.


    Finally, I knew my rapists were where they deserved to be.


    "She battled against injustice with the fire of truth in her eyes. She proved her innocence not through words, but through unwavering courage. She exposed the lies, stood face-to-face with her rapists, and forced them to confess¡ªnot with vengeance, but with the strength thates from knowing you¡¯re right. And then, she didn¡¯t stop there. She rose. She took that pain and turned it into power. She fought her way to the top¡ªnot just as a survivor, but as a leader. She earned her ce. And today, she stands as the Alpha Queen of the North. Not because it was handed to her¡ªbut because she took it, and she earned every step of the way. I don¡¯t just call her a student anymore. I call her a legend. Let¡¯s have a big round of apuse for the best student in Vortex history," Norman pointed at me, and everyone started pping.


    Everyone except Sydney, who rolled her eyes and kept her arms folded across her chest.


    "It can never be enough to praise Hnie. But we need to shift our attention for a moment. There¡¯s another serious matter that we¡¯ve decided to deal with today," Kaye ced a hand on his chest and tilted his head slightly, smiling eerily at Sydney.


    We all turned to look at her face. She looked like she¡¯d seen a ghost.


    "What? What did I do¡ª?" she started rambling, but Kaye gestured at Jenny and Sage to grab Sydney and drag her to the front.


    While that was happening, I saw Norman stretch his neck and then point at Penn.


    "Penn! We¡¯re starting training for the fighters who¡¯ll head into the woods to face the Zharns. Come with me¡ªI think you¡¯ve got a little too much heat in your body... I mean, potential. Let¡¯s have you be the first to face a Zharn. How about that?"


    The way Norman said it¡ªand how even his brothers looked shocked¡ªgave me chills down my spine. Even Penn seemed unsure whether Norman was praising him or setting him up for failure.


    "Come on, wouldn¡¯t you volunteer?" Norman added, then looked at me while wagging two fingers at Penn to follow.


    There was something strange in his eyes¡ªanger and vengeance.


    "Oh Hnie, your husband is jealous," Cora woke up the second the drama turned spicy.


    But why would he be angry with Penn?


    What had Penn done?


    And more importantly, why would Norman be jealous... when he¡¯d just spent the night with Jessica?


    "No! I won¡¯t let him drag Penn into the woods. I will volunteer," although being alone with him will be odd and awkward but I will do it for a friend.

 Chapter 567-Pinned Me Against The Tree Trunk

    <h4>Chapter 567: 567-Pinned Me Against The Tree Trunk</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Sydney, you are expelled with the ¡¯worst student ever¡¯ certificate," Maximus announced, while my eyes were on Penn, who was grabbing a weapon from the table on the side to follow Norman.


    "Did we make a mistake? Why is your husband angry with us?" Jenny whispered in my ear, her anxiety peaking as she watched her brother with teary eyes.


    "Let me deal with it," I grunted, giving Norman a look¡ªbut he didn¡¯t even want to acknowledge me. It had to be something else.


    I wanted to stand here and enjoy Sydney crying, but this husband of mine¡ªthe cheater, the liar, the heartbreaker¡ªruined it for me.


    I began to quickly make my way towards Norman, causing Maximus to stop and look at me. Kaye snatched the ck ink out of his hands and pped it over Sydney¡¯s face with a sharp jerk of his hand.


    "This is what you deserve for hurting Hnie," Kaye hissed, not even caring that the students were watching him.


    "But¡ªwhy? Why am I being insulted?" Sydney cried, her face ckened. That kind of treatment was rarely given to any student¡ªonly when they had done something really bad.


    But my steps stopped when Maximus exined her actions.


    "I found your personal diary. Not a very good secret keeper, huh? You wrote about how you wanted Rhiz to do the same thing to Hnie that she says he did before. You wanted Hnie to get in trouble when he confronted her in a locked room. You just didn¡¯t expect Hnie to survive."


    I stared at Sydney, who was now avoiding my eyes.


    "But I was just saying¡ª" she mumbled into her hands, not even lifting her face.


    "Well, screw you, Sydney," I pped the back of her head, and she moved her hands from her face to stare at me, shocked.


    I had hoped no one would mess with me today¡ªbut of course, that wasn¡¯t possible. So now I was angry and taking it out on everyone who messed with me.


    "Come on. We¡¯ll sign your resignation letters and then talk to your father. He¡¯sing over. Let¡¯s tell him what a psycho his daughter is," Kaye said, signaling Sage to grab Sydney by the arm and take her to the office. Maximus followed but gave me a quick nce before leaving.


    Maximus walked past me a little too close, close enough that his scent made me lose my mind. He smelled so damn good.


    Now that everyone was out of sight and the students were dismissed, I was staring at Norman.


    "Come on, Penn! What¡¯s going on, didn¡¯t you pick a weapon yet?" Norman looked over my shoulder to call for Penn, then scoffed, "I¡¯ve never seen an alpha so weak."


    I was standing right in front of him, and he was looking everywhere but at me, acting like I didn¡¯t exist. I wished I hadn¡¯t acted like an idiotst night. Now he wouldn¡¯t even look at me. He probably won¡¯t ever respect me again.


    Screw it.


    "Stop it. Why are you making Penn suffer?" I snapped at him, and he finally looked down, a look of disbelief on his face.


    "You¡¯re still a student here, Hnie. Watch your tone and definitely don¡¯t stand here defending your boyfriend in front of your trainer," he hissed, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up.


    "Penn, you can go. I think I know what Professor Norman¡¯s problem is," I turned and called out to Penn, who stopped checking a weapon and looked at me, then at Norman.


    "What are you doing? You can¡¯t make him go against my orders!" Norman¡¯s body looked so massive when he stepped toward me.


    "Penn, go back to the hostel!" I shouted again, this time looking straight into Norman¡¯s eyes. I wasn¡¯t going to let him take out his anger on Penn. I can date whoever I want. He doesn¡¯t have to fight for his brothers.


    "And you!" I hissed, taking a step toward Norman, who stepped back like he was actually scared of me. What an actor.


    I grabbed his arm as I walked past him and kept dragging him along. I was so angry I could have hit him just to knock the arrogance out of him.


    "What is this behavior? Where are you taking me? Won¡¯t your boyfriend be jealous that you¡¯re¡ª" I didn¡¯t know what was wrong with Norman. He wasn¡¯t acting like himself.


    He shut up when I stopped in the middle of the woods and turned to re at him.


    "What are you punishing Penn for?" I yelled, pushing him and surprising him. "And why the hell are your buttons open?" I shouted and made a face.


    He looked down and then scoffed, "Why? Is it too sexy?"


    I frowned,pletely lost. What the heck was wrong with him?


    "Look¡ªI don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to do, but it¡¯s none of your business. Your brothers and I are not together," I started exining, just because I felt like I needed to make that clear.


    Not that I didn¡¯t feel anything for them, but I didn¡¯t want them thinking I cheated in any way when we weren¡¯t even together right now.


    "Oh, so that¡¯s why you think you can go and kiss Penn," he nodded, making my jaw drop.


    "What?" I nearly yelled, and he put a finger in his ear.


    "What the hell did you just use me of?" I was in shock at his audacity to lie about me. It didn¡¯t sit well with such a big man to start rumors. As I screamed louder, Norman started gesturing for me to lower my voice.


    "No! Don¡¯t tell me to lower my voice when you¡¯re using me of making out with Penn!" I shouted even louder, and he looked around, his cheeks turning red.


    "What? Say something!" As I tried to p his chest again, he reacted differently this time and let me bewildered.


    He suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me closer, then mmed my back against a tree and came at me. It all happened so fast, I was left inplete shock.

 Chapter 568-Countless Kisses

    <h4>Chapter 568: 568-Countless Kisses</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    The way he pinned my hands above my head and stared into my eyes was a rude awakening¡ªI needed to stop treating him the way I treat Maximus. Maximus would tolerate anything I said, but Norman¡ªhe was too royal for me.


    "Fucking let me go or I¡¯ll fight back," I warned him, letting my wolf sh through my eyes.


    "Do it. You think I¡¯m afraid of you?" he hissed back and let his wolf shine through his eyes. I didn¡¯t know why I was being such a hypocrite. I showed him my wolf but couldn¡¯t handle seeing him show me his.


    My eyes started to sting with tears, and my lips trembled without me realizing it.


    "Now you¡¯re going to listen to me carefully," he continued, making me wonder how badly he was about to scold me or try to put me in my ce.


    "You¡¯ll stay away from Penn if you don¡¯t want me to hurt him."


    His threat surprised me. I expected him to call me names, to be angry that I didn¡¯t treat him with respect. But to threaten me just to keep me away from Penn¡ªwhy?


    Was he doing this for his brothers?


    That suspicion shattered when he added, "Because, Hnie¡ªI¡¯m not Emmet, Maximus, or Kaye who will let you walk away."


    That whole sentence left me frozen. I swallowed hard, trying to ask him to exin himself.


    But the way he was breathing on my face and staring at my lips only confused me more. He was sending mixed signals now.


    "You understand?" he demanded, growling under his breath. He slowly started to let me go and stepped back. I was so stunned I couldn¡¯t think of a proper reaction, so I decided to y clueless.


    "You¡¯re just trying to show your strength over me?" I hissed, trying to walk past him quickly, but he grabbed my hair from the back of my head in one sudden move. It was so fast that he managed to pull me back against his chest before I could even react.


    "I wasn¡¯t, until now. But since you insist," he groaned, lowering his face toward mine. And then, what he did left me frozen.


    He wrapped one strong arm around my back, pulling me close so that his firm hand held me tightly. Then he pushed my head down to meet his.


    Within seconds, he had crashed his lips against mine so hard I couldn¡¯t breathe. I didn¡¯t fight it. I just stood there while he gave me the biggest kiss I could ever imagine.


    He pulled back but kept me pressed against his chest. He watched me breathe heavily, like I¡¯d been deprived of air.


    After a few seconds, once I was finally catching my breath and no longer gasping like I had asthma, he leaned in again and kissed me¡ªthis time even more aggressively.


    He put so much pressure into it that our bodies moved with the force¡ªmine pressing back, hising forward. With my back tightly pinned against the tree, I had nowhere to go. But was I even trying to move?


    At that moment, I couldn¡¯t focus on anything except the feel of his lips. His mouth met mine with a force that left me dizzy, his tongue demanding entrance. I moaned¡ªa sound of pure, raw desire¡ªas I felt his tongue explore every part of my mouth. His kiss was a storm of passion, a wild, consuming rhythm that left me breathless and craving more.


    I could feel the rough bark of the tree against my back, a sharp contrast to the softness of Norman¡¯s lips. His hands moved over my body, tracing the curves of my waist, the swell of my breasts, before finally tangling in my hair. He pulled me closer, his body pressing against mine, the hardness of his desire clear even through our clothes.


    I never thought Norman would be so aggressive¡ªand I was shy to admit, I liked it. The way he kissed me like he wanted to devour my lips chased away the shadows of sadness I had feltst night.


    I even forgot that he had gone ahead and slept with Jessica. I forgot Jessica in that moment. He finally pulled back, but kept my bottom lip between his for a second, tugging it gently before letting go. I was breathing like a bull, watching him stare into my eyes¡ªand then at the rise and fall of my chest.


    He moved his hands away from my body, only to rest the tip of his finger on my neck and trace it down, following the neckline of my shirt to touch my skin.


    "You will listen to me," he said, pointing at my chest, "you are not getting intimate with anyone else. If I find you¡ªwith Penn, Hnie¡ªI¡¯ll be very dangerous for him."


    He only stopped to ce his hand on my stomach, adding slight pressure as he asked me to focus on his words. I couldn¡¯t believe he was saying all that.


    And yet, I wanted him to keep talking. His words were lifting my spirits, giving me hope that might make me a homewrecker¡ªbut in that moment, I was drowning in the beauty of his eyes.


    "You understand me? Hnie, do you understand me?" he leaned down toward my face and kissed me hard. "Huh?" he asked again, breaking the kiss only briefly before pressing his lips to mine again.


    "You can¡¯te this far with me only to stop and hold someone else¡¯s hand. I won¡¯t allow it," he kept saying things that left me speechless. The Hnie who always had something to say was now silently letting her husband take control¡ªand even I was shocked at myself.


    "Stay away from Penn," he added, his tone softening. Then he gently, almost sweetly, pinched my chin between his big fingers, guiding a nod from me before leaning in and giving me one more kiss on the lips.


    Everything had gone silentpletely silent¡ªand all I could think was:


    I am in love.

 Chapter 569-Me, Myself And Her

    <h4>Chapter 569: 569-Me, Myself And Her</h4>


    Emmet:


    "She got upsetst time, so now you¡¯re writing her name to make sure you don¡¯t forget about her?" Meretughed, watching me write her name in my diary repeatedly. Page after page, I would write Hnie¡¯s name, thinking it could help with the curse.


    "Emmet, this is why I didn¡¯t want you to fall for her." My wolf stoppedughing when he probably realized I wasn¡¯t in the mood for jokes. I hadn¡¯t been in the mood for jokes ever since I couldn¡¯t marry Hnie in time.


    "I am losing my mind. Just yesterday, I was staring at the sky in the woods, wondering why I was there in the middle of the night. Then I saw Maximus in his lycan form, and my first instinct was to defend myself and kill the beast. Meret, if you weren¡¯t there and remembered more than I did, I would have transformed and attacked my own brother. It¡¯s not about who would have gotten more injuries, it¡¯s about betrayal. Maximus is still a child at heart; he would never forget that his brother attacked him in his miserable state," I said, my eyes filling with tears.


    "And you¡¯re afraid you¡¯ll hurt your mate too?" he asked.


    "I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll hurt everyone. With power like mine, I¡¯m a danger to the world if I lose my memory," I whispered, closing the diary.


    They must have taken care of that student today. I refused to go because after I retrieved her diary and read the disturbing stuff she wrote about Hnie, I felt inhuman. I had a feeling I might lose my calm and attack her then and there. My human side was breaking down, forgetting it even existed. The animal side would take over because a human without consciousness is nothing but an animal, and the animal inside me still remains an animal.


    When I reached the academy, I heard from Lamar and Gavin that Norman had asked Penn to join him in the woods. Which was odd because I didn¡¯t remember who Penn was until he appeared in front of me.


    I didn¡¯t have any memory of my interactions with him, but his face seemed familiar. He told me that Hnie took Norman¡¯s hand and dragged him into the woods, probably volunteering to fight the Zharns out of anger that Norman targeted her friend.


    "I¡¯ll go look," I said, seeing Mr. Coombs and his pack¡¯s warriors standing outside the office. I guess Kaye and Maximus were handling the situation with Sydney and her father.


    There was only one thing on my mind ¡ª Hnie! I needed to go save her.


    "What are you talking about?" my wolf snapped me out of my thoughts, and I gulped.


    "Shit," I cursed under my breath when I realized I was wrong to think Norman would hurt her. Part of the reason was that I didn¡¯t even remember who Norman was until my wolf spoke up.


    I reached the woods, heard some noises, and immediately ran to check. But the sight left me stunned for a moment. I couldn¡¯t understand what I was watching.


    Norman had Hnie pinned hard against a tree trunk and was kissing her. She didn¡¯t seem to mind his actions either. She was taking part well enough to tilt her face and then kiss him back.


    I saw it. I saw it all.


    The heat¡ªthe passion¡ªand then Norman started speaking. She obediently listened to him, her eyes shining with undying love. I closed my eyes and shook my head, trying to think clearly, but it was as clear as day that Norman was forbidding her from being with anyone else, and she was silently agreeing.


    I turned around, quietly walking away.


    It was too much for me. I was jealous, burning inside out, and I couldn¡¯t even me them. Norman had always done so much for us, and Hnie¡ªshe was too special not to have someone love her.


    "Emmet¡ª," my wolf spoke softly, knowing my state at that moment.


    "I am deeply broken. I wish I had forgotten about her before this day came," I said, not knowing where I was walking. I just found myself deep inside the woods.


    "We need to get back to our vehicle," my wolf let out a small cry, warning me of danger, but I kept going forward, my head in my hands and eyes down.


    "I love my brother, but why would he¡ªdo that without telling me? But then again¡ªHnie and I are over¡ªI can¡¯t make a fuss. Maximus didn¡¯t make a fuss when I took Hnie from him," I didn¡¯t realize I was speaking out loud to myself.


    "But then again¡ªwe are fated mates. We can¡¯t be med¡ªbut he never cared about himself. He always kept us as his priority. The way he kissed her¡ªMeret¡ªmy brother is in love for the first time. But the woman he is in love with¡ª," I started rubbing my chest, feeling suffocated.


    "Emmet¡ªwhere the fuck are we?" The minute Meret yelled that, I raised my head and noticed only trees, just tall trees.


    "I don¡¯t know," I said, not worried since we would just run around until we found a way back home. It didn¡¯t matter how many days it took.


    But the real problem was something else. The problem was that we weren¡¯t alone. Hissing started interrupting my conversation with Meret. I held my head again in my hands as the hissing got too distracting. I grabbed the dagger from my shoe while looking around.


    "You out there!" I yelled. "Who¡¯s there? Show yourself!"


    I turned to the side where the bushes moved and saw something strangee out from behind them. I narrowed my eyes at it, ready to fight at first, until I forced myself to remember what happened the other night when I encountered Maximus and that he was a monster.


    This thing in front of me had a lizard-like face and weird textured skin. But what if it¡¯s my loved one? So I dropped the weapon and smiled at it.


    "It¡¯s okay, I won¡¯t hurt you," I said as it starteding toward me.

 Chapter 570-Tastier Than Fruits

    <h4>Chapter 570: 570-Tastier Than Fruits</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    I couldn¡¯t stop. She was like a forbidden fruit, but the tastiest one ever. Her scent was intoxicating and her skin tasted so good that I wanted to take bites of her.


    Once I started kissing her, I couldn¡¯t pull myself away. Her lips tasted like strawberry candy. And strawberries are my favorite fruit. I could kiss her until her lips were swollen and still never get enough of them.


    The way she let me kiss her, touch her, it lifted my hopes once again. I had pinned her against the tree trunk, and at that moment, I just wanted us to stay like that.


    "Now let¡¯s go," I pulled back and held her hand, her skin so soft that my fingers slipped a little. This was the problem with me. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to start something. I knew the minute that door opened, I¡¯d be visiting it more often.


    She walked beside me like a doll, without a singleint.


    "This is a ssic way to shut up a beauty like her," Rome said. I smiled, unable to keep a straight face. Even when we reached the hostel and she freed her hand to step toward her friends, I couldn¡¯t stop smiling.


    My chest felt so full of happiness. Even though one beat was a bit slow, I chalked it up to my heart responding to the joy.


    "We¡¯ve dealt with Sydney. Her father dragged her away, but she kept crying and begging to stay," Kaye arrived, taking a deep sigh and then stretching his neck.


    "Yeah, good. She deserved it," I replied, showing my teeth.


    "Are you okay?" It was when Maximus asked that I forced my mouth shut. Hnie was still in my sight, talking with her friends, but her cheeks were so red. She was shy, and oh, I enjoyed giving her tinted cheeks.


    "I¡¯m good. We¡¯re taking her home right now to celebrate her birthday. Is everything ready?" I asked Kaye, who had his head buried in his phone.


    "Yeah, Emmet was supposed to take care of it all. He texted me half an hour ago that he was headed to the hostel¡ª" Kaye paused to look around, "but I haven¡¯t seen hime through."


    We all looked around and then at each other. Ever since he had been forgetting things, we had grown really concerned for him.


    "Call his driver and ask where he dropped him off," I grew impatient, patting my chest when I realized the slow heartbeat was from something else entirely.


    For a moment, I felt so guilty for being so wrapped up that I didn¡¯t pay attention to my heartbeat. Isn¡¯t this why I was given the heartbeats? To protect my brothers.


    "It¡¯s not your fault," Rome said, but I clenched my jaw.


    "Then whose fault is it? Not only did I make out with his mate but¡ªI forgot about¡ªm," I was busy scolding myself when Maximus¡¯s cheerful tone and words made me stop.


    "There he is."


    I turned around, watching Emmete in. He walked into the hostel with a big smile on his lips.


    "Where have you been?" I asked, reaching out to him. "And what¡¯s that?" I noticed blood stains on his shirt.


    "Zharns attacked. Don¡¯t worry, I took care of them," he said, his tone surprisingly calm. It had been days since I¡¯d heard him sound so alive.


    "Are you okay?" Kaye reached out and quickly tried to check him.


    "I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m Emmet¡ªI can fight those things," Emmet gently pushed him away, stopping him from looking closer.


    "We were just talking about¡ª" Maximus stepped in to change the subject, but Emmet ignored uspletely and walked past to somewhere else.


    I turned with the others, watching where he was going. When he reached Hnie, my heart skipped a beat.


    He went ahead and tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. Even she looked shocked when she turned around and saw him standing behind her.


    "Excuse me, everyone," he told her friends, taking her away.


    Hnie gave me a quick nce, then awkwardly looked at Maximus and Kaye before she started walking outside with Emmet.


    "What¡¯s up with him?" Maximus asked.


    "I thought they were ignoring each other," Kaye added.


    "Norman!" my wolf asked. "Hello? Where are you lost at?"


    I sighed and clenched my jaw. "What do you think they¡¯re talking about?"


    I instantly bit my tongue, but before I coulde up with an excuse, my wolfforted me. "You¡¯re jealous, not curious. And that¡¯s fine. You know, when you always call her your brother¡¯s mate, you¡¯re actually hiding your true feelings for her. So I think it¡¯s better if you just stop chasing after her."


    I didn¡¯t expect him to be so blunt.


    But I guess he took offense to my earlier rant.


    "And you won¡¯t force me to go after her?" I asked.


    "Force you? You think I¡¯m the reason you went after her? Fine, I won¡¯t say a word from now on. You¡¯ll take responsibility for your own actions instead of pushing me to exin your feelings," Rome said, sounding even madder. But I knew he¡¯d go back to his usual self the minute Hnie was in sight.


    After a few minutes, I started to get anxious when they didn¡¯te back.


    "Should I go see what they¡¯re talking about? They might have some misunderstanding, and I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll argue," I added quickly, staring impatiently at the door. Maximus and Kaye seemed just as worried.


    "No! I think you should let them spend time together," Rome said, making me scrunch my eyebrows. "Look, after rejection, she¡¯ll ept any of these three, so I suggest you stay away from her."


    I clenched my fists. I knew what he was trying to do. Deep down, I felt angry with myself for making him so mad at me.


    Then she finally returned, her eyes scanning around and her neck twisting to keep checking on Emmet, who entered the hostel after her with the same smile as before.


    "Let¡¯s head home," Emmet announced, looking satisfied.

 Chapter 571-The Healing Well

    <h4>Chapter 571: 571-The Healing Well</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    The way Emmet gently tapped on my shoulder to get my attention and then boldly asked me to follow him made my heart flutter. I was so annoyed by the fact that I felt drawn towards all of them. And at the moment, I was actually not doing okay. After Norman did all that, I was in a different zone. Even the thought of standing in front of Norman again made me blush and bite the inside of my cheek. I hoped he understood how his one move had excited me so much.


    But now I followed Emmet outside, worried about what had happened.


    "Firstly, congrattions," he stated, fixing his coat and looking around with his eyebrows scrunched.


    "Emmet, what is that?" I pointed at the blood on his shirt instead of responding to his congrattions. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from being worried about him when I saw the stains.


    "Oh, these¡ª," he looked down and touched them with his fingertips, "killed some Zharns on the way here."


    He replied coldly before he shrugged and looked up again. "I needed to ask you for something."


    He started again, sounding much more present in the moment than he usually did these days. I was happy to see him shine and look okay.


    "Sure, you can ask me anything," I was instantly ready to respond to any of his questions.


    "I¡¯m asking for help," he added, and my spine straightened.


    "Emmet, I would always be there for you. Tell me, what is it?" I asked, and he took a deep breath. It was true that even though I had so manyints about him, I couldn¡¯t be rude to him. My respect for him always stayed strong.


    "Hnie, you know I¡¯m losing my memory, and soon enough I won¡¯t remember anyone. I¡¯ll be an animal¡ªmaybe even worse¡ª," he sighed, rubbing one hand over his face while keeping the other in his pocket.


    Whenever they talked about him forgetting everyone, I fell into sadness.


    "How can I help with that, Emmet? I really want to help you not forget," I stepped forward before I recalled what had happened between us, and I instantly stepped back.


    "Hmm, there is a way for me to remember my memories when I gopletely insane," he said in a calm tone. The way he smiled when he talked about it made it clear even he was hopeful.


    So that was a good thing.


    "Really? What is it? We should tell everyone¡ª," I was in the middle of talking when he held my arm to silence me. His touch was so special, always giving me gentle flutters.


    "Not yet. I don¡¯t want anyone to find out. Hnie¡ªit¡¯s just a hunch. I know what I mean to my brothers. But I¡¯m also afraid- - What if this doesn¡¯t work out? Giving them hope only to have it taken away¡ªI don¡¯t want that to happen. But I also need someone strong beside me, strong enough to stir emotions in me," he continued exining, yet not exining much.


    "Promise me, promise on our mate bond you won¡¯t share it with anyone," he held my hand between his, and emotions stirred inside me. My feelings were all over the ce. His hands were so big yet so warm andforting.


    His touch reminded me of our love, and I felt so bad that it ended.


    "I promise, you can trust me," I gave him a warm smile and noticed how relieved he looked.


    "So, I was in the woods today¡ªand¡ª," as soon as he started exining and freed my hands, my heart skipped a beat.


    "The woods? Where?" I asked, feeling like a culprit for wanting to know the details, since I knew I was in the woods too.


    "Sorry¡ªMontane Forest," he let out augh, then cleared his throat, "and some Zharns attacked me. At first, I was lost because I couldn¡¯t remember, but then I did¡ªand I killed them. That¡¯s when I found a well¡ªan ancient well." He sounded so excited bringing it up.


    "A well?" I repeated, and he nodded.


    "On my way here, I stopped at the academy first to check the writings on the well, and guess what it said¡ª" he asked excitedly.


    "What did it say?" I wanted to be as excited as him, but I was still trying to keep up. I really hoped it was a solution to his problem.


    "Water from the well, in the presence of your mate, can cure any illness or curse."


    My eyes widened in shock when he said that. It was like hearing really good news.


    "Ohh, is it true?" I asked.


    "Yep. I read about that well. It was hiding in the forest and only revealed when blood was shed around it. Hnie, I think this could be it. I really want to try it," he smiled, looking so hopeful.


    "Then you should drink it. When should I go there with you?" I waspletely on board. It seemed like such an easy way out of his problem.


    "This full moon," he said, and I sank into myself.


    Does that mean I won¡¯t be able to reject Norman again on this full moon since we¡¯ll be too happy celebrating Emmet¡¯s miraculous recovery?


    "Done," I didn¡¯t even waste a minute and agreed¡ªand it showed on his face that I made him happy.


    "Thank you so much. But please don¡¯t tell anyone. I want to confirm it first. Anyway, you¡¯reing home with us, right? Tonight will be a st for you," he smiled again, talking so happily.


    I hadn¡¯t seen him this alive in weeks, and here he was, looking so hopeful. We talked a little more before we went back in.


    I noticed the way Norman had been staring at me before he finally walked over.


    "Okay, it¡¯s time to head home now. We¡¯ve nned something, so let¡¯s get to it," Norman snapped his fingers in front of my face, trying to get my attention. I groaned at him for being so rude but followed him to his car anyway.


    But the minute I stepped into the passenger seat, Norman hit me with the hard question.


    "What did Emmet say to you?"

 Chapter 572-Her Fiance Is Team Helanie

    <h4>Chapter 572: 572-Her Fiance Is Team Hnie</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Tell me, what did you two talk about?" he asked again, making me fold my arms around my chest and lean backfortably. I was too happy for Emmet at that moment, so I was much more rxed.


    "It¡¯s between us," I replied and noticed how he reluctantly nodded. Why was he so interested in what we talked about?


    "Hmm," he replied.


    The others had their cars following us. I was told they had prepared something for me, so I was really excited to find out what it was.


    "By the way, don¡¯t think I¡¯ll forget what you did¡ªyou¡¯ll have to exin yourself to meter," I said. I didn¡¯t even know what kind of exnation I expected from him for kissing me like a hungry beast in the woods.


    It was so random and out of his character. I thought he loved Jessica. And oh! I was so shaken by the kiss and his touch that I forgot he had slept with Jessica. He can¡¯t sleep with her and then cheat on her with me.


    "Good. I didn¡¯t do it for you to forget about it either. And sure, I¡¯ll exin further in the bedroom tonight," he said in a very grumpy and casually bossy tone. The words were so bold that my heart sank in my chest. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying hard not to show my irritation.


    "You¡¯re saying mean things," Imented, having no idea how else to respond to him.


    "Wait till I do mean things," he muttered under his breath as we reached the mansion.


    He got out quickly before I could, just so he could open the door for me. I had no clue what he was doing. Once I stepped out of the car, my attention shifted from him and his mischief to the setting.


    Red roses were all I could see. The garden was filled with red balloons¡ªguests present and so much else done.


    "All that for me?" I asked Norman in tears, and he smiled, nodding his head.


    I was so excited as I walked the red carpet to reach the tform. The brothers quickly joined me¡ªEmma, Charlotte, my mother, and Lord McQuoid were all present.


    There were other pack officials as well as Vonston. And then there were royal warriors on the side. One of them had a big red cushion in his hand with a shining diamond crown ced on top.


    "We prepared a new one for you on the request of the rogue king brothers," Vonston announced, gesturing for the man to hand over the crown to Lord McQuoid.


    My eyesnded on the crowd and I saw Charlotte looking happy, and her mother ring at her in shock. I was so happy that I couldn¡¯t focus on anyone else¡ªthere were many familiar faces in the crowd. Even Darcy was there, looking bored.


    "We crown you¡ª," as Lord McQuoid held the crown and was about to raise it, he stopped and turned to look at my mother in the crowd. I followed his gaze and noticed my mother in tears, with a smile on her lips.


    It was odd. The two exchanged a look, and my mother gestured for him to do it. What was going on? Did she want to crown me herself? But if she did, she would havee up to the stage already.


    "I crown you as the Alpha Queen of the North," Lord McQuoid continued and gently ced the crown on my head, making everyone cheer loudly. Fireworks lit up the sky, and I couldn¡¯t help but cry softly. A big cake with my face on it was brought in to celebrate my birthday next.


    Like the brothers had said, I had decided to spend this day as a reminder of victory over wrong instead of that traumatic night.


    The air erupted with loud ps when I cut the cake. I fed it to Norman, Emmet, Maximus, and Kaye, happily epting it back when they fed me in return.


    All this time, I had been smiling so much that my cheeks actually hurt. The rest of the evening was perfect. I didn¡¯t get a chance to speak with everyone from the crowd, including Darcy, until I found myself in the kitchen, pouring a ss of juice.


    I had eaten plenty, but I still craved some fresh juice to clear my throat. The cheering and music had been so loud that I had to speak over it constantly, and my throat had gotten dry.


    "Hey," I almost spat my drink out when Kaye rushed in, waving at me before grabbing a napkin.


    "What happened to you?" I asked, trying not tough. He had cake smudged all over his face.


    "My stupid brothers happened," he growled yfully. "I suggested we smudge cake on your face, so they did it to me instead."


    He rolled his eyes, and I burst outughing.


    "Well, you should know by now¡ªyour brothers are Team Hnie," I said with a shrug, stating it out loud and confidently.


    "I am too," he whispered under his breath while wiping his face.


    "You¡¯re Team Hnie?" It was Kesha, entering the kitchen and gently patting his back. "Let me clean it for you."


    Her arrival was strange. She was so quiet¡ªher steps were so soft you could barely hear her walk. But whenever she was around, I always felt a weird sense of unease.


    ¡¯Probably because she¡¯s rubbing your mate¡¯s back?¡¯ Cora muttered inside me. I hushed her to silence.


    "So, Hnie, I would¡¯ve congratted you¡ªbut you won against a rapist. Those are the weakest of men," she began, her voice calm and collected. "Please don¡¯t take this as an insult, but that victory was more about justice than strength. All these people cheering for you, crowning you¡ªthey have high hopes. But do you know, only the strongest can stand against real monsters, the kind true Alpha Kings and Queens face."


    Her delivery was smooth. Even though her words were full of jealousy and hidden jabs, her tone and graceful hand movements distracted from the toxicity of it.


    "And Hnie can fight any real monster too," Kaye snapped, still dabbing his face with a napkin. He didn¡¯t even bother exining the ¡¯Team Hnie¡¯ment. One look at Kesha¡¯s face told me she didn¡¯t like that response.

 Chapter 573-Hubby Drags Me To Bedroom

    <h4>Chapter 573: 573-Hubby Drags Me To Bedroom</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Sorry, what did you say?" She had a fake smile on her face, but her words sounded like a final warning to Kaye.


    He probably had a minute to take his words back and not interrupt when she was talking to me. Like I said, her whole vibe was off most of the time.


    "I said¡ªHnie has fought monsters before," Kaye repeated himself, his shoulders broad with pride as he praised me for my strength. "And Hnie¡¯s wolf is unlike anything we¡¯ve ever seen. So let¡¯s just say, it¡¯s not that she fought a weak beast and won. She showed her wolf, which people are still talking about for a reason."


    I watched her not lose her smile even once. It must have been so hard for her to hear Kayepliment me. But I was surprised to see her expression stay the same as before.


    "Alright," she replied, "but fighting monsters onnd or even the flying ones is easy." She shrugged. "You see, this is your territory. You¡¯ll always win."


    She made me scrunch my nose because I had no idea what she meant.


    "How is fighting a flying monster easy?" I asked, thinking of dragons and other creatures that could fly.


    "Because to kill you, they have toe down to yournd. Once again, that¡¯s your territory," she said while pouring herself a ss of wine. She looked stiff but calm andposed.


    "Have you ever fought a sea monster, Hnie?" She then brought the ss to her lips but asked me that question in a very gentle and soothing voice just before taking a sip.


    "Not that I can recall," I muttered.


    "Hmm, that¡¯s because you haven¡¯t. You see, when a dragon gets tired, hees back tond. But a sea monster? You have to go into the sea for your mission. You have to pass through their territory, and even to kill them or protect yourself, you have to enter where they live. Sea monsters are the real threat, Hnie. The day you can kill one,e and get praise from me. Until then¡ª"


    She drank the whole ss and set it aside, then walked over to Kaye and grabbed his hand.


    "I¡¯ll be busy with my mate."


    With that, she pulled him after her. I noticed Kaye always went stiff around her.


    "At least he talked a little today. Before this, he used to gopletely quiet around her," Cora said.


    "Well, after tonight, he¡¯ll behave again. She seems like the type who¡¯ll fight and argue in private and act like everything¡¯s fine in public so no one gets a chance to suspect what her rtionship is really like," Imented, feeling very ufortable.


    "Bitch with her sea monsters. Write this down, Hnie¡ªwhoever brags too much about something, that thing bes their death. I have a feeling she¡¯ll die in the sea one day," Cora made me groan.


    I didn¡¯t want her to die. That was too much. I get that Cora felt jealous, probably because Kesha took Kaye away from us, but I was still in my senses. I wouldn¡¯t wish death on anyone just because they¡¯re bitter or mean.


    It was alreadyte, and the guests had left. The brothers had gone to their rooms as they were tired too. I was still lingering around, looking for an excuse to stay out because I was worried about what would happen once I was alone in the bedroom with Norman.


    What if he acted like before? Who would stop us from crossing all the limits?


    "Hmm, crossing all the limits. So your concern is that you won¡¯t be able to stop yourself from touching¡ªgroping and sucking¡ª" Cora shut up when I groaned again.


    I was walking past Charlotte¡¯s room when I heard a loud yelp that made me stop in my tracks. The door was open, and upon peeking inside, I realized why.


    Lady Darcy had barged in and pped Charlotte across the face. Charlotte still had a hand pressed against her cheek while her mother now stood between the two.


    "Can you please tell me what she did wrong?" Emma asked, making sure her daughter was at a safe distance from Lady Darcy, who was breathing like a bull.


    "Ask her what she¡¯s doing cheering for Hnie? Don¡¯t tell me, like the others, she¡¯s impressed by her little achievements too," Darcy didn¡¯t hesitate to show her dislike for me. The idea of someone being happy for me clearly didn¡¯t sit well with her.


    She was acting like a first grader who demands their friends not talk to the one student they don¡¯t like.


    This is how kids fight and argue.


    "She was just acting¡ª" Emma quickly exined, hesitation clear in her voice.


    "Except I wasn¡¯t," Charlotte muttered, removing her hand from her cheek. "I¡¯m scared of her eyes. She¡¯s a victim, and the Moon Goddess punishes anyone who wrongs the victim," Charlotte exined, sounding very genuine and sweet for the first time.


    But the look on Darcy¡¯s face told me she hated hearing that about me. Her eyes widened as if Charlotte had just told her a dirty joke.


    "She was a victim. Now she¡¯s an Alpha Queen who¡¯s stealing hearts. If you want to be her shoe, go ahead¡ªfit her feet well. But don¡¯t expect my son to like you after that," Darcy warned her. And as soon as Charlotte opened her mouth to argue back, Emma turned around and pped her into silence.


    "Don¡¯t upset your future mother-inw," it was the way Emma looked at her to shut her up that made me want to step in.


    Darcy couldn¡¯t mistreat someone just because they didn¡¯t want to be part of her twisted games.


    But as soon as I took one step to enter the room, a big, muscr arm wrapped around my stomach and then a firm hand covered my mouth to stop the yelp I was about to let out.


    He lifted me off my feet, carrying me with one arm like I was a doll. And then, in his deep, heavy voice, he said, "It¡¯s bedtime. Do I have toe collect you every night now?"


    All I could think was¡ªmy husband had lost his mind. I had been angry the other night that he didn¡¯t feel anything for me, and now I couldn¡¯t handle this side of him.

 Chapter 574-Call Him Daddy

    <h4>Chapter 574: 574-Call Him Daddy</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Once he took me to our bedroom and ced me next to the door like a statue, he locked the door while I stood there, ring at him with my hands on my waist.


    "What?" he asked, shrugging.


    "What is going on with you? I was trying to help Charlotte," I argued, watching him act like he didn¡¯t care. He began taking off his wristwatch, all the while staring at his reflection in the mirror.


    "Did she ask for your help?" he asked.


    "Huh? Your mother hit her," I added.


    "Okay? Let them deal with it. You¡¯re supposed to be in your bedroom past ten," he stated¡ªno, he ordered and my breath hitched.


    "Why is that? Are you my father now?" I questioned in a sharp tone. Maybe I wanted the old Norman back¡ªthe one who didn¡¯t make me feel so shy. I used to be yful with him because I knew Norman didn¡¯t have the courage or interest to make me blush or embarrass me.


    But this new version of him was leaving me speechless. I might have liked it¡ªif he hadn¡¯t slept with Jessica or told me he loved her.


    "Is that the word your generation uses these days?" he mumbled, either zoning out or pretending to. He was acting like he was some old man.


    "Don¡¯t you guys use the word ¡¯daddy¡¯?" As soon as he said that, his smirk widened, and his eyes moved from his own face to mine in the mirror.


    "If you think you¡¯re helping me out because I was embarrassedst night or hurt that you weren¡¯t... turned on, you¡¯re wrong. It was my wolf who texted you, so I don¡¯t even care how you responded or what you¡ª"


    My rambling faded as he turned around and began walking toward me.


    "I don¡¯t do charity work, Hnie. I don¡¯t care if someone is embarrassed. I do what I feel like doing," he said. It was his way of telling me that he wasn¡¯t acting strange tofort me about the other night. But the way he kept walking toward me made me start stepping back.


    "I ¡ªI don¡¯t know what you mean," I muttered, shyly looking down. When I looked up again, I saw him unbuttoning the rest of his shirt. A gulp got stuck in my throat when I saw his abs. The tattoos on his chest reminded me of Jessica, but he didn¡¯t let me break out of his trance.


    "What are you doing?" I asked, backing away without looking where I was going.


    "What does it look like?" He tossed his shirt aside and unbuckled his belt. That¡¯s when my steps reached the edge of the bed and I tumbled backward onto it. As soon as Inded, I saw him smirk and stop at my feet.


    "Norman¡ª-I don¡¯t know about this. You haven¡¯t told me. I mean¡ªJessica and you," I began to feel so shy,pletely unable to speak, especially as he pulled off his belt and unzipped his pants. He slid them down, revealing ck shorts underneath.


    Then he climbed onto the bed. Over me¡ªmaking me lie down t while I stared up at his handsome face. He continued crawling across me until he reached his side of the bed.


    I instantly sat up, frowning, turning around to re at him as he adjusted his pillow and curled under the nket.


    "I don¡¯t know what you wanted me to do," he said, a hint of yfulness in his tone as hey there and closed his eyes.


    What an asshole. He purposely did it. Who crawls over someone just to get to the other side of the bed? He knew what he was doing. I wish I had been stern and told him no.


    "Huh, you have some wild delusions," I mumbled, trying to save face and headed to the bathroom.


    While showering, I kept thinking about his stupid face and abs as he crawled over me. I realized I didn¡¯t say the right words. The way I reacted¡ªit was like I was ready to sleep with him if he just exined why he slept with Jessica.


    "I¡¯m so stupid," I hissed, slipping into a silk top and matching silk shorts.


    By the time I came out of the bathroom, the room was dark. He must¡¯ve been resting. He does fall asleep for a few minutes here and there.


    I got into bed, my back facing him, and sighed. But the minute I gotfortable, I felt pressure on my body from behind. He slid closer and suddenly wrapped his arms around me, his leg bent and draped over mine.


    I was too shocked to move. Even my breathing slowed. He was breathing on my neck, and that¡¯s when reality hit me¡ªhe had mepletely covered with his body.


    "What are you doing?" I asked.


    The silence was so thick, my gulp sounded like water being poured into a ss.


    "Sleeping," he whispered. My shoulders tensed, unintentionally sinking his face deeper into my neck. The way he effortlessly slid one hand under my body to hold me by the waist, while the other handy over my arm¡ªhis fingers locking onto mine so I couldn¡¯t move¡ªit made sleep impossible.


    I was too frozen to react. On one hand, his embrace felt like the heaven I¡¯d been waiting for. His actions were no longer empty hints¡ªit was obvious now. He wanted me.


    But on the other hand, I remembered the night he rejected me¨Cthe night he said he loved Jessica... the night he slept with her.


    So I had to stop this. I couldn¡¯t let him give me hope that would only end in heartbreak.


    "Why? You don¡¯t want to sleep with Jessica tonight?"


    The moment I said it, I noticed his breath vanish from my neck.


    "What?" he asked, immediately removing his arms from me and sitting up¡ªlegs folded under him, fists resting on his thighs.


    "You slept with Jessicast night," I hissed, watching him narrow his eyes before staring at the wall behind me¡ªand then, he started chuckling.


    "Ohhhh!"


    I had no clue what was so funny about this, but his reaction pushed me into my stubborn mode. He wasn¡¯t getting away from this conversation tonight.

 Chapter 575-It Had Always Been Me

    <h4>Chapter 575: 575-It Had Always Been Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I kept staring at his face, trying to understand why his response was tough out loud. I shook my head in disbelief.


    "So you take pride in making a fool out of me?" The moment my voice turned serious and a small hup escaped my lips, his smile disappeared.


    "Listen¡ªI didn¡¯t sleep with her," he said in a much more serious tone this time. But I ced my hand on his chest to push him away, just to show how annoyed I was with him. The moment I did that, my hand touched his bare skin, my fingers fitting perfectly over his tattoo, and for a second, I couldn¡¯t focus on anything else.


    Like some weirdo, I had my hand on his chest, staring at the way he breathed. His phone ringing was what made me pull my hand back.


    I watched him check the screen and then sneak a quick nce at me. I knew right then that whoever was calling him was someone he was too scared to answer in front of me.


    "Who is it?" I asked.


    "Jessica," he replied, and I nodded, smiling faintly, trying to look understanding. The timing was always just right¡ªlike something was always there to stop me from making a mistake.


    "Hnie, I didn¡¯t sleep with her. I stayed in her room, sitting in a chair. That¡¯s all," he said before answering the call and getting off the bed.


    He was talking to her, pacing around nervously, clearly worried. Maybe something bad had happened.


    As soon as he hung up, he started looking through his closet for a shirt and pants.


    "Are you going somewhere?" I asked, watching him dress in a hurry.


    "Yeah¡ªJessica¡¯s in trouble," he replied quickly, but stopped buttoning his shirt when he saw me staring at him without blinking.


    "No! I didn¡¯t sleep with her. You need to let that go," he repeated, picking up his shoes. He put them on quickly, stood up, adjusted his pants, then walked over and grabbed my hand.


    "Throw on some pants and a shirt¡ªwe¡¯re runningte," he said, guiding me toward the closet and ordering me gently.


    "Where am I going?" I asked.


    "Hnie, wherever I¡¯m going. Why would you go anywhere else?" He looked tired and impatient as he grabbed a shirt¡ªhis own, in a rush.


    "No, it¡¯s okay," I said, picking out my own shirt, not wanting to make things messier for Jessica. As I got dressed, I waited for Norman to answer.


    "Why are you taking me with you?" Once ready, I found my hand in his again as he pulled me out of the room. I repeated the question.


    "I don¡¯t want to be alone with Jessica just for you toe back and use me of things. I don¡¯t like drama, Hnie. So it¡¯s better if you¡¯re there whenever I¡¯m around her. That way, we can avoid unnecessary rumors or someone trying to twist things and lie to you," he said as he dragged me along with him.


    Once we were in his car, he told me that the pack members were attacking Jessica and her father because of Darius¡¯s mistakes.


    That was scary, but also upsetting. Once again, a woman had to pay for the crimes of a man.


    We arrived at her ce and found itpletely trashed. Norman asked me to go inside and get Jessica while he spoke to her father. He told him that some pack members wanted the house and were angry that they had let Darius stay there until he died.


    It was a mess. Jessica was hysterical when I found her. She cried, hugging me for an hour before I grabbed her bags and made her leave the room with me.


    "Take her to your ce. By the time shees back, things will be settled. She¡¯ll be Hnie¡¯s royal beta, so they¡¯ll have to listen," her father said, barely even looking at her.


    It wasn¡¯t fair. I didn¡¯t respond to her father¡ªI didn¡¯t like that man. There didn¡¯t seem to be any reason to believe he would¡¯ve let Darius face any punishment.


    Once we were in the car, I sat in the backseat with Jessica. She was feeling much better and had even stopped crying.


    "Jessica, did you pick up my phone the other day?" Our attention turned to Norman, who adjusted the rearview mirror so he could look straight at me.


    "Yeah, I¡¯m so sorry¡ªI forgot to tell you," she replied, her head leaning back, dried tears still on her cheeks.


    "Oh. Where was I?" he asked, acting like he was confused about why she had answered his phone.


    "You were in the chair. I thought you were sleeping. Your phone was on silent, but the light kept blinking," she answered, and suddenly I felt much better.


    "Okay," Norman said, raising both eyebrows at me in the mirror. I looked away, sitting beside Jessica, feeling like the attention from her fianc¨¦ made me look like some kind of flirt. I was sure of it.


    "He cares for you," I started to say, and Norman frowned.


    "He does?" A smile spread across Jessica¡¯s face as I nodded.


    "If he didn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t have tattooed your handprint and bite mark on his body." The moment I said that, Norman almost crashed into oing traffic.


    After we settled back into our seats, Jessica spoke again.


    "Oh, that¡¯s not my handprint. He told me it was an idea he got from a magazine. The bite mark looks so real, but praise the tattoo artist¡ªit wasn¡¯t mine either. Where did you see the tattoos?" After giving me the answer I wanted, she followed it up with a question.


    Norman was now clearly restless in his seat.


    "The other day, when he was training me," I replied, leaning back. Why did he lie?


    And if it wasn¡¯t her handprint or bite mark, it had to be mine. I was the only one who bit him in that exact spot. But when did I put my hand on his chest?

 Chapter 576-Norman Is In Love

    <h4>Chapter 576: 576-Norman Is In Love</h4>


    Hnie:


    "She¡¯s sleeping," I told Norman as I walked into the room with him. She was so tired¡ªI gave her some medication and let her rest in the guesthouse.


    "Why did you ask her those questions?" he asked, stopping me from heading to the restroom with a gentle tap on my arm after locking the bedroom door.


    "Why did you lie?" I asked, cing my hands on my waist.


    "Norman¡ª" I cut myself off, showing him my palm and sighing. "I need to know something from you. Why are you doing this? You keep giving me signals, but that night¡ªyou confessed to being in love with her. You said you were angry, and yet you¡¯ve kept acting differently with me since then. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with you, but I want honest answers."


    I wasn¡¯t smiling, and I wasn¡¯t frowning. I was serious, and I just wanted the truth.


    We had been ying hide and seek for too long. He looked embarrassed standing in front of me, his head lowered.


    "Tell me¡ªwhat is the truth?" I yelled, and finally, he whispered something.


    "I love you."


    It was so quiet I had to look at him with one raised eyebrow, almost demanding he say it again.


    "What did you say?" I asked, watching him scratch the back of his neck.


    "I said, it¡¯ste. Let¡¯s rest," he replied, but this time his voice was loud and clear.


    I hated when he did that. I kept staring at his face while he avoided my eyes, his cheeks turning red.


    "You called me a bitch," I said. The moment I used him, he stopped looking around and met my gaze.


    "What? No," he said, clearly offended. His whole body tensed up so fast.


    "No, I heard it. You said, ¡¯shut up, bitch,¡¯" I continued, and he started shaking his head.


    "I would be dead before saying something like that to you," he said, reaching for my arm. But I pulled away, narrowing my eyes at him.


    "Don¡¯t fucking touch me. How dare you¡ª" I covered my mouth, hiding my face from him.


    "That¡¯s not what I said!" he raised his voice.


    I lowered my hand from my face and red at him. "Then what *did* you say?" I yelled back¡ªand that¡¯s when he walked right into the trap.


    "I love you!"


    No shying away, no stealing nces. He looked me straight in the eyes and confessed¡ªlouder this time.


    "Then why didn¡¯t you want to admit it before?" The moment I said that, he realized I had tricked him. I had heard it the first time too, but I wanted him to say it from his whole heart.


    "Hnie¡ª" he closed his eyes now that there was no turning back, "I was scared of rejection that night. I didn¡¯t know what to do. I¡¯ve never done anything like this before, and with you¡ªit was even scarier. I didn¡¯t want to push you away."


    Finally hearing his thoughts and feelings made me feel like I¡¯d won a crown. I had finally won a crown.


    "What about Jessica? Wouldn¡¯t she use me of stealing you?" I asked softly, and he quickly took my hands.


    "I never loved her. I never kissed her, Hnie. Never! Before our engagement, I broke up with her because I didn¡¯t want to marry her, but she always caused a fuss¡ªtrying to end her life, and everyone kept asking me to take her back. I had to, because I never thought I¡¯d fall in love with anyone. So I thought, why not?" He rambled until he had to close his eyes and added, "Then I saw you kiss Penn."


    I instantly pulled my hands away. He had said that before, and I still didn¡¯t understand why.


    "When?" I asked, and he opened his eyes, silently questioning me.


    "That night of the crazy text incident," he answered.


    "Huh? Norman, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. All I remember is drinking too much, then falling down, and Penn carrying me to my room. The rest is blurry. Did he kiss me when I was drunk?" I was starting to worry if Norman had seen something I wasn¡¯t conscious of.


    "Wait, you were drunk?" he asked, zoning out. "Oh, did he kiss you? But you were on top of him¡ªoh fuck! Did you say you fell?" He finally realized something, and after watching his face for a moment, so did I.


    "There was no kiss. Maybe idental touch, but no kiss," I confirmed, shaking my head firmly.


    "Oh," Norman smiled widely. "Well," he suddenly looked so happy I had to roll my eyes to bring him back to reality.


    "Anyway, I¡¯m sleepy," I said, about to walk away when he grabbed my hand.


    "Confess it," he demanded, standing behind me.


    "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about," I kept the yfulness in my voice, knowing Norman might take my jokes seriously.


    "I can make you confess, Hnie." Whenever he said something that sexy in his serious tone, I felt a little spark of excitement.


    "Really? How?" I turned to him. "I don¡¯t think you have it in you."


    As I pointed my finger at his chest, he lowered his head, staring down, then grabbed my wrist and spun me around.


    His hand held my neck while my back pressed against his chest. I felt his arousal.


    "You want to see what I¡¯ve got, don¡¯t you?" he whispered in my ear, gently kissing me. My body shuddered as his arm moved over me and reached for my breasts. That was the first time Norman had touched my breasts like that.


    "You¡¯re not winning this battle, wife," he added before turning me around and pushing me onto the bed.


    Once on the bed, I watched him take off his shirt and crawl toward me. My hand reached for his tattoo, my eyes seeing how perfectly it matched my hand.


    "In the cave, when we found you after you¡¯d been missing for days, you didn¡¯t just burn my chest with your touch¡ªyou ignited so many desires inside me," he said before grabbing both my hands, pinning them above my head with one hand, and kissing me.

 Chapter 577-Best Night Ever

    <h4>Chapter 577: 577-Best Night Ever</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    His kiss was so passionate. His tongue explored the inside of my mouth like he had been hungry for ages.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it was finally happening. But us keeping our desires hidden was the reason we had attacked each other¡¯s lips like hungry beasts. He released my hands, and I wasted no time pulling him in with my hand on the back of his head. His body dry humped me for a while before we broke the kiss.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" he noticed. Our faces were only inches apart, but my silence pushed him away. He stepped to the side while I got off the bed, rubbing my face in my hands.


    "You were marrying Jessica," I said.


    "I wasn¡¯t," he replied, turning me around and holding out his phone. It was a note dated way back before our wedding.


    "I wrote this for her. She knew I wasn¡¯t going to go through with the marriage. I gave it to her, but she didn¡¯t stop it. I gave her days to tell her father, but she didn¡¯t. I wrote this for her but ended up calling her to say it to her face," he said, making me read it quickly.


    He had admitted to never loving her. He told her he tried to give her a chance like she asked, but he couldn¡¯t fall in love with her. In the note, he also mentioned that she pressured him into getting engaged. She was sure he would fall for her, but he told her he didn¡¯t. So, she should keep her end of the deal and let him go.


    He took the phone out of my hands and put it aside, pulling me closer while he stayed sitting on the bed.


    His hands moved along my back and then cupped my butt, making me close my eyes.


    "This is the happiest I¡¯ve ever been, and I really want to keep going with you¡ªthis time for real. I never want the word ¡¯rejection¡¯ toe between us again," he said softly before kissing my lips again.


    His hands traveled around my body, exploring my curves.


    While still kissing, his hands slid up my dress and found their way to my breasts. The way he touched my lips made me shudder and jump, but he didn¡¯t let me break the kiss.


    A gasp escaped into his mouth when he pinched my nipples. His hands were so big, cupping both my breasts and massaging them firmly. The feeling of his touch sent jolts of pleasure to my pussy, and I slowly raised my leg to the bed. He finally broke the kiss, but only to grab my dress and lift it, tossing it over my head and revealing mycy bra. I watched his eyes widen hungrily at my breasts before he took off my bra. Now my breasts were fully in his view.


    With his hand on my back, he pulled me closer and very sexily opened his mouth. While still locking deep eye contact with me, he took my breast in his mouth.


    He sucked the life out of me through my nipples. My body started to grind in the air, my breathing got faster, and my whole body felt like it was on fire.


    He didn¡¯t take my breast out of his mouth but began tugging off my panties with his hands. I felt shy being naked in front of him for some reason. And he noticed it. He pulled away, gently letting go of my breast with his lips and softly pinched my chin.


    He got off the bed, and I stepped back, covering my pussy with my hand.


    He bent down and kissed my lips again, and this time, he started to take off his pants.


    Once he broke the kiss again, I saw his cock. It was big, thick, and so hard.


    Its head was swollen and purple, ready to explore my insides.


    "I love you so much, Hnie!"


    Hearing those words from Norman felt like a song that was never meant to be sung. My emotions were all over the ce. I wanted us to keep going, but at the same time, I was scared it was just a dream¡ªa beautiful dream.


    His hands traced my curves, then moved to my ass. He cupped it firmly this time and pulled me closer, lifting me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me back to the bed. His hard cock pressed tightly against my pussy.


    Heid me down and crawled on top of me, nting kisses all over my body before his tongue circled around my ares.


    "Umm," I moaned, closing my eyes and running my fingers through his hair. His head moved to my other breast while his hand slipped between my legs to cup my pussy.


    I shyly bit my bottom lip. His fingers rubbed circles around my clit. After a few minutes of teasing me, he slid one finger inside me, and my body rose off the bed. My back arched while he watched my face. I threw my head back and closed my eyes, feeling my pussy tighten around his finger.


    He twisted his finger around a few times before pulling it out. I came down from that high and opened my eyes, watching him suck his finger while still keeping eye contact with me.


    My hands gripped his shoulders as he spread my legs and positioned himself between them. He rubbed his dick over my pussy, making my nipples go even harder. Our naked bodies were tangled together, heat rising between us. He was on top of me, his face close to mine, breathing on me.


    "You are where my heaven is," he whispered as he gently pushed the head inside.


    His cock being big and wide was going to be a challenge¡ªI knew it.


    I let out a yelp, and he stopped immediately.


    He lowered his face again and kissed me softly.


    "You¡¯re so pretty. You probably don¡¯t remember, but once you identally shed me, Hnie¡ªand ever since then, I would lose my mind just thinking about your body. I love you so much, more than anyone could ever love or want you," he said.


    His words made me smile, and I closed my eyes.


    He pushed his cock in¡ªand finally, all of it was inside me.

 Chapter 578-Our Union Caused Chaos

    <h4>Chapter 578: 578-Our Union Caused Chaos</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Norman!" I moaned his name, feeling his shaft go deep inside me, stretching my pussy open before pulling out again. He was gentle at first, his face buried in my breasts, his lips sucking on my nipples, with wet smooching sounds filling my ears.


    My toes curled and my hands gripped the sheets. Every time he thrust into me, my breasts bounced, but his lips kept at least one of them in ce.


    He fucked me slowly at first, his dick rubbing against my G-spot with every thrust, making wild moans escape from my lips.


    He lifted his face from my breasts and threw my legs over his shoulders, our eyes locking in intense contact. His fingers dug into my ass as he started pounding into me harder.


    His hands held my legs tight against his shoulders. I could feel the orgasm building inside me, but Norman wasn¡¯t even close yet. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling them off his shoulders as we moved even closer together.


    "Mmm," moans spilled from my lips, my hands grabbing my boobs as he picked up the pace.


    He was fucking me with wild speed, not even giving me time to breathe.


    All I could hear were the loud smacks of his big balls hitting my skin. My breasts bounced up and down like crazy, my hands clutching the bedsheets like they could save me.


    He thrust into me again, filling mepletely after a few more minutes of nonstop fucking. He could go on for hours¡ªI knew that now. Perks of being so strong and powerful. I cried out in pleasure, my back arching off the bed as he hit my G-spot perfectly.


    My pussy clenched tightly around his shaft, and he was hard again within seconds. He pulled out, flipped me onto my stomach, and pulled me up onto all fours. He got behind me, rubbed his dick against my pussy, and then pushed inside with a deep, wild thrust.


    I gasped.


    His hand slid to my clit, fingers rubbing in sync with his thrusts. The rhythm was so perfect, my eyes started rolling back.


    "FUCK, NORMAN!" I screamed as his speed picked up, "Ahhhh!" I screamed loudly. He groaned, his cock twitching inside me as he came.


    "Arghhhh!" His grunt was so loud, my body shuddered.


    His cock softened in my pussy before he pulled out and copsed on top of me while Iy on my stomach.


    "I love you too, Norman" I whispered into the mattress, eyes full of tears from pain and pleasure.


    He did me so well, I was scared I already wanted more.


    He wrapped his arm around my waist and spun me around again, this time bringing our faces close.


    After nting a big smooch on my lips, he broke the kiss and stared into my eyes with pure love.


    Seeing his face so close while our naked bodies were tangled made me blush and bite my bottom lip.


    He smiled at my reaction and kissed my cheek.


    "You made me feel alive again, Hnie. I thought I didn¡¯t deserve happiness. You made my life so beautiful," he whispered, happiness shining in his eyes.


    "You don¡¯t hate the moon goddess anymore, do you?" he asked, and I zoned out. Wow! I¡¯d been so busy, I¡¯d forgotten about her.


    "I guess I was too harsh on her. I took the anger of her people out on her," I added and felt my wolf settle better inside me. In the beginning, nothing was going right for me. So obviously, I¡¯d been a mess.


    "Mark me, my love," he said softly, making my heart skip a beat.


    "I want to be yours only, mark me," he asked again.


    When I think back on our time together, the spark had always been there, but our arrogance always got in the way. We were busy trying to be superior to each other,peting and arguing until one of us melting first felt like a defeat.


    But now that wey together, I could see why it took so long. Desire had brought us so close that no one could pull us apart. No one could ever separate me from him. And the only thing that could make our rtionship even stronger was one mark. When I smiled, he rolled us over, and I came on top of him, giggling andughing. My hair fell onto his shoulders from both sides of my face, our eyes locked in deep contact.


    He longed to be marked by me¡ªI could see it in his eyes. His fingers lovinglybed through my hair, brushing it off my face as I buried my face in his neck. His scent was driving me crazy.


    My canines came out as I dug my teeth into his skin. His hands reached my bare back, then my ass, squeezing my cheeks so hard I tasted his blood.


    His hands roamed in circles around my ass, touching my vagina and then moving all the way back to my asshole. Every time he did that, my body jumped.


    I finally raised my face and gave the mark a good lick, getting the blood off the skin.


    But as soon as the marking was done, a loud, agonizing scream erupted throughout the mansion, and our eyes met in confusion.


    "Ahhh!"


    Then another scream, which made us untangle and get off the bed. The third scream was what made us look for our clothes.


    The noise outside made my heart pound louder than ever. Few words were spoken between us, but the way we stole nces at each other while rushing to dress to see what was happening outside made it clear something big had happened.


    Once I slipped into a white dress, I was the first to make my way out the door.


    I saw maids running downstairs in panic, bloody towels in their hands.


    "Rogue King Kaye is badly wounded, he needs assistance," one maid told the other, and cold chills ran down my body.


    Kaye Is wounded?

 Chapter 579-The Monster Took My Lover

    <h4>Chapter 579: 579-The Monster Took My Lover</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    I have been sitting in my room ever since the event ended. All this time, I couldn¡¯t forget about the betrayal from my family.


    My wolf had gonepletely silent for a few hours, but I could feel him twist and swirl inside me here and there.


    My fingers tapped on the table in front of me, especially on a bunch of pictures.


    "She is the love of our life," said my wolf, finally waking up.


    "I was so lost without you," I said, staring at the woman in the pictures.


    "I needed rest. But I¡¯m sure you were lonely. It¡¯s not like anyone cares for you. They cast you aside as if you¡¯re not even a member of this family," he let out a growl, feeling my pain too.


    "But she cared for me," my fingers gently touched the images before me. Her smile was so bright.


    She was my life, the one who kept me as her priority.


    "But they killed her¡ª" my wolf reminded me of the heartbreaking incident that happened years ago. Something I hadpletely forgotten about as if it never happened. But it did happen, and it stole the love of my life from me.


    "Azura!" I said her name with love, and all the emotions rushed back to me.


    "Remember that night¡ªthe night when she was killed," my wolf said, and I closed my eyes to recall that incident. It was a painful one.


    It changed so much for me. Heck! It changed me.


    "Your brothers tortured her¡ªthe lycan attacked her," my wolf howled inside me, "you were worried for her but then Norman came, the savior, and told you to go after the lycan while he took care of your Azura. Remember what happened after that?"


    I closed my eyes and began to see the whole scene in a new way.


    "Just go after the lycan!" I saw Norman yell at me. Azura was badly injured on the ground.


    "But her¡ª" I cried, trying to reach her again.


    "Emmet, you have been fed upon. You are weak right now. I will take her to the hospital and make sure she is okay," Norman reassured me. I knew he would take care of her. That is what he was known for.


    Norman would never hurt us brothers and he knew how much Azura meant to me.


    "I promise, I¡¯ll take her to the hospital," he said, with aforting look on his face.


    I started to run away but halfway through, I decided to go back. However, they were gone, so I assumed my brother kept his word and took her to the hospital.


    "But then where did you find her blood trail?" my wolf cried out, making my heart break.


    "Let¡¯s be honest. Norman didn¡¯t help her that night, he betrayed us and her. He killed her and got rid of her body, and you know that too because we found her blood trail leading into the woods and Norman had no answer to our burning questions," it was a memory that I had silenced deep inside me.


    "I don¡¯t want you to feel the pain again, but we are lonely tonight because Azura has been stolen from us. And then our brother went ahead and married the alpha queen. Isn¡¯t it ironic that of all of us, he was the one who used to say he didn¡¯t want a mate or a wife and that he wanted to spend his life taking care of us, but then turned around and married the alpha queen? He was so happy the whole day. He didn¡¯t even want to look at our faces, he probably hates us because we are such a burden," my wolf uttered, and slowly, I started to feel a headache.


    "The woods today exined everything. You saw it all, and the betrayal¡ª," my wolf reminded me of the awful thing I found out in the woods today. I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. How could I go back to normal after this?


    But that¡¯s when pain struck me and I let out a howling scream without my knowledge. But before I could even realize what it was, I heard loud screams start to erupt throughout the mansion. It was an odd night, I had felt it. But now the creepiness of the night wasing out in the form of cries and screams.


    I got up in a rush and went out of my room, but right when I was at the passage, my head snapped toward the mountains far ahead.


    "Something is happening in the deep forests," I whispered. The clouds had turned dusty, almost like they were filled with dirt. Something big must have happened tonight. But what?


    I rushed to the main mansion and saw maids running around hysterically. None of them could talk but their bodies were shaking.


    "What happened here?" I asked one of them, my eyesnding on the blood trail on the shiny floor.


    "There was a monster¡ªin the mansion. It took Sally," one of the maids spoke up, making me scrunch my eyebrows at the mention of Sally.


    Who is Sally?


    "The maid hade to the screams to attend to the person in pain but it was a monster and it¡ª," she cupped her face in her hands and started crying.


    "What monster?" I asked. I gathered from her that some monster had snuck into the mansion and had taken one of the maids.


    "It looked like¡ª," she stuttered, sniffling through the tears.


    "What? What did it look like?" I asked, my fists clenched and ready to take care of the monster to save the people around me.


    "It looked like a lycan," she finished, and my muscles tensed.


    A lycan!


    "It must be the same lycan who attacked Azura," my wolf grunted, the intensity in his voice making me narrow my eyes.


    "Where did it go?" I asked the crying maid.


    "He passed out of the mansion that way," she pointed at the door, her hands visibly shaking.


    "I will deal with this monster once and for all," I hissed, rushing toward the main door to chase after that monster, who should have been dealt with years ago.

 Chapter 580-Fallen Apart

    <h4>Chapter 580: 580-Fallen Apart</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I had run out and looked around to see where the mess started. It was all so scary and exhausting. I ran toward the first floor after I heard the maids telling each other Kaye needed help.


    "Where is Rogue King Kaye?" I asked a maid, my hands shaking as I held her hand. For some reason, the blood in the living room didn¡¯t smell like my mate¡¯s blood. This belonged to someone else.


    "What the heck is even going on here?" I asked my wolf, worried.


    "He is in the backyard," she pointed at the back side of the mansion. I gave her a nod before sprinting toward the back. Norman hade with me by now, including their father and Emma, who couldn¡¯t keep herself from finding out what was happening.


    As I pushed the door open to the back, the strong wind hit my face. The weather had been so bad; it wasn¡¯t like that a few hours before.


    But my eyes looked for Kaye.


    "He is over there," Lord McQuoid yelled, making us follow him to the end of the backyard. Kaye was on all fours, bleeding and breathing heavily.


    We all reached him, but Norman stepped ahead and knelt down first.


    "What is wrong with him, Norman?" I asked, anxiously rubbing my palms. He had a huge w mark on his chest which was actively bleeding.


    "He was attacked," Norman announced, "this can¡¯t be¡ªhow did it happen? It¡¯s not even a full moon."


    The way Norman started to panic made me worry for him. I didn¡¯t understand him.


    "What is going on? Who attacked him?" I sat down, my hand on Norman¡¯s shoulder. He turned to me and showed his tearful eyes.


    "He was attacked by a lycan," Norman uttered, twisting my heart in my chest.


    "What? Maximus? No! It¡¯s not a full moon night and Maximus never attacks them, right?" It didn¡¯t make any more sense. I was as confused as they were.


    "Let¡¯s take him inside. Where is Emmet?" Norman said as he wrapped his brother¡¯s arm over his shoulder and helped him get up.


    "I will go look for him," I said and ran ahead of them to find Emmet.


    My heart was pounding in my temples as I sped back into the mansion ahead of them. I looked around and my eyes once again fell on the ground¡ªthe blood trail making my skin crawl. But no! It couldn¡¯t be Emmet¡¯s. If the blood belonged to Emmet, I would have smelled it.


    I ran to the passage to Emmet¡¯s room, but once I stepped in and found it empty, I turned around instantly. I could not waste my time. But this time, back in the mansion, I grabbed a maid to ask her questions.


    "Have you¡ªseen Emmet?" I asked, taking heavy breaths. I wasn¡¯t exhausted from running around, but from the stress in my body. Everything was a mess and it all happened so out of the blue.


    "Yeah, Rogue King Emmet heard what happened and went after the monster to y him," she smiled through tears, looking hopeful that they would finally be saved. But I couldn¡¯t smile at her words.


    Not when they fell into my ears like a haunting warning.


    "What?" It was Norman who was able to say a word. I watched Lord McQuoid tear up whileying Kaye down on the couch.


    "Umm, I will go after him," Norman shook himself back to reality, probably hurt from hearing the sequence of events.


    "I wille," I said in a broken voice, but Norman held my hand and made me face him.


    "Please take care of his wounds. I wille back with both of them, I promise," he whispered, making sure the maid didn¡¯t hear the whole sentence. I watched my hand slip out of Norman¡¯s as he ran toward the exit.


    Monster!


    The maid called Maximus a lycan. What we had feared the most all this time was finally happening, and we were caught off guard so badly that we couldn¡¯t even take proper precautions.


    "Kaye," I turned to check on him, but he was bleeding so much he could barely lift his body. It would have been a lot easier if he could transform and heal, but that wasn¡¯t an option with so much happening around.


    "He fed on him," Lord McQuoid, who was in tears, said, checking Kaye¡¯s neck. "He fed too much."


    He stepped back from his son and buried his face in his hands. My mother finally arrived at the scene, staring at Kaye and then at me.


    "I heard what happened here," she uttered, "are you okay?" Then, instead of checking on Kaye, who I thought she cared more for instead of me, she ran past him and came straight to me.


    "I¡¯m fine. He is the one who was attacked," the minute she held my hands, I freed them from her grasp and pointed at Kaye. She looked indifferent to Kaye¡¯s pain.


    I walked past her and knelt down with Kaye. "Let me call a doctor for you. He will take care of your wounds," I murmured softly. The minute I got up from the floor, he held my hand and pushed me down again.


    "I will not let¡ªanyone treat me unless¡ªit is you, or I would rather die," the strong tone from Kaye and his determination made my eyes widen.


    "He is in pain, please help him," said his father from behind me. But it was my wolf who made the most sense.


    "He is losing consciousness, and in that state, his mate is the only one who canfort him."


    She was right. I gave a gesture to the warrior to take Kaye to his bedroom while I grabbed the aid kit.


    "Don¡¯t worry, he will be fine by morning," I promised his father, who was so scared for his son that he couldn¡¯t even hold himself up.


    With so much worry for Maximus, Kaye, and Norman, I ran upstairs to stay with Kaye for the night.

 Chapter 581-Going After My Mates

    <h4>Chapter 581: 581-Going After My Mates</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Just sit down here," I helped him get settled in his bedroom, quickly turned to grab the medicine, and when I turned around, I saw him staring at me.


    "You must be in pain," I said, trying to make small talk so the silence wouldn¡¯t get awkward¡ªespecially with him watching my face like that.


    "I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m feeling," he started, sounding rough.


    "It¡¯s not that I think he betrayed me. But I am worried for him," he said, beginning to take off his shirt so I could tend to his wounds properly. I had a herb that Kaye had told me about in his ss. The herb was very rare and mixed with some special ingredients, it could help with healing. But it wouldn¡¯t work as fast as when a person transforms and heals instantly.


    Kaye was too weak to transform. It seemed like he had lost a lot of blood, which was why he couldn¡¯t even get up from the ground earlier.


    "What exactly happened out there?" I asked, curious. Of course, they had the herb with them. They could afford it, especially since Kaye was the one making it.


    "We were both outside, taking a walk like brothers used to do. He was so happy for your sess. I was so happy. One of us¡ªI don¡¯t know which one¡ªsuggested we take a run around the mountains to let our wolves celebrate it too. We started transforming, but then suddenly Maximus¡¯s transformation began to happen differently. You know how he only bes a lycan on a full moon and the rest of the time he¡¯s like us, a werewolf? But tonight, his lycan transformation began and I started to get worried. I had to stop mine halfway to help him," he recalled, throwing his head back as he tossed his shirt away, and I got to see the big mark all over his chest.


    It didn¡¯t seem like Maximus had any sympathy when hurting his brother. He seemed to have used all his strength to attack him.


    "That was in the backyard?" I asked, and Kaye nodded.


    "I freaked out but I couldn¡¯t leave him behind. In my head, I was sure he must be hungry and that he somehow never attacked us before. So I offered him my blood this time. But when he started to drink from me¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t stop. I had to push him off and that angered him. He attacked me, Hnie. My brother¡ªmy best friend¡ªattacked me," he closed his eyes and grunted under his breath.


    As soon as I touched his wound with a cotton swab, his body rxed instead of tensing up, and his eyes shot open. He looked me deep in the eye as if he wanted more.


    I had to constantly and awkwardly keep looking down to avoid making things weird between us.


    I was mentally and physically with his brother now. I wouldn¡¯t ever do anything to upset or hurt Norman, and the sad part was that even if I did, Norman would never let me know.


    Which is why I have to be very careful. He had given himself to me after years of hunger; his trust in me must not break. I will not let him down.


    "And then he came in and attacked a maid. His hunger isn¡¯t dying down, and that¡¯s not good," I said, applying the ointment on his chest. I was trying to keep myself together, but the agitation in my body from being so close to him felt like it was because our mate bond was still very much alive.


    In that brief moment, I realized that this full moon, I wouldn¡¯t be rejecting Norman¡ªbut his brothers. It would be the right thing to do so my wolf wouldn¡¯t flip-flop between the brothers. That would be disrespectful.


    "He attacked a maid?" Kaye asked, and I looked up at him. All I saw was guilt.


    "But it wasn¡¯t your fault. You tried to stop him. You practically offered yourself to him," I reminded him because I knew how seriously Kaye took failures. Somehow, he always made everything his fault¡ªeven when it wasn¡¯t.


    "Yeah, right," he scoffed, not trusting my words.


    "Anyway, don¡¯t worry. Norman has gone after Emmet and Maximus¡ª" As soon as I said that, Kaye frowned a little.


    "Emmet was home? Ah! He¡¯s been so quiet¡ªwait, why would Norman go after Emmet? Does he think Maximus would hurt Emmet too?" It was as if he wanted to know how far Maximus was willing to go.


    "Actually¡ªI heard Emmet say something that made Norman believe¡ªEmmet might be a danger to Maximus, not the other way around," I said, keeping my head down. I had bandaged his chest by now, but he suddenly grabbed my hand to make me look up.


    "What do you mean?" he demanded.


    "Kaye, I think Emmet forgot who Maximus is. He sees him as a monster who entered his mansion and attacked an innocent person. Emmet has gone after him to y him," those words were so painful to say out loud.


    They did not deserve that fate.


    Now that everything felt so unfair, I began to wonder why? Why were they like this? How could privileged, strong kids turn out so broken?


    "Hnie¡ªif Norman is going after Emmet to stop him¡ªwho will look after Maximus?" His question brought me back to reality, and I watched his face in silence for a moment before it struck me.


    "Shit, howe I didn¡¯t think about that?" I jumped to my feet in a hurry. What if Emmet and Maximus attack Norman?


    He would let them shred him into pieces because that¡¯s who he is. But that¡¯s not something I can swallow. His pain would kill me.


    "I¡¯ming with you," Kaye said, but I held his hand and shook my head, not letting him leave his bed.


    "Please, they¡¯re my brothers," he insisted, barely holding it together.


    "Okay, at one cost," I said, and he sat down to hear me out. I grabbed the needle from the aid box, holding it in my fist before I stuck him with it.


    "I¡¯m sorry. The cost is that you just rest."


    With that, I watched him stare at me with his big eyes before he started to pass out. I had to go alone¡ªhe was too sick and would only cause distractions.

 Chapter 582-My Brothers

    <h4>Chapter 582: 582-My Brothers</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    My mind had been a mess. On one hand, I had been so happy to have been epted by Hnie. It felt like a fear of mine had finallye to an end. Ever since I started to have feelings for her, I was afraid she would reject me. Our history had been so bad that I thought she wouldn¡¯t even consider the idea of ever letting me be near her. But tonight, she gave me hope that I could be happy too.


    But then, on the other hand, I found out things had gotten much worse for my brothers. I was now running around looking for my two brothers, who probably wouldn¡¯t even remember each other.


    "We will find them, we always do," I could feel Rome torn up inside. He wanted to enjoy the moment with Hnie, but now he was shaking with fear of losing his brothers to each other¡¯s ws.


    A loud roar erupted in the distance, and I didn¡¯t even have to ask myself what it was¡ªbecause I knew it was Maximus.


    I could recognize his howls from miles away. And I could also tell he was in distress. I ran in that direction, and the moment I reached him, I saw a sight that made my heart skip all its four beats.


    "Emmet¡ª" I yelled to get his attention. He stood tall, shirt torn and w marks all over him. But at least he was still standing. Right in front of him was Maximus on the ground, wounded.


    Emmet had a dagger in his hand, and it was covered in blood.


    "Step back, I can handle this monster," Emmet roared, waving his hand at me.


    "What the hell are you doing?" I screamed at him, looking around and spotting the maid lying on the ground, passed out.


    "What do you mean? I¡¯m killing the damn monster," he hissed, charging at Maximus again. But this time, Maximus got up and put his w to Emmet¡¯s neck.


    He howled in Emmet¡¯s face before throwing him far away. The moment Emmet hit the tree trunk, he started to get up again. He would use his mid transition to attack Maximus.


    "Enough!" I shouted, rushing over to stand between them. Maximus was on his way to get back at Emmet when I pushed him away. He wed at my arms and then my back, making me turn around and try to push him off me.


    His teeth sank into my neck, and while I could push him off, I didn¡¯t want to. He must be hungry¡ªhe can drink a little from me.


    "Get away from him!" Emmet came from behind and stabbed Maximus in the neck. The painful whimpers of Maximus blurred my vision with tears. He let go of my neck and fell down. I quickly rushed between them, wrapped my arms around Emmet, and threw him over my head to the ground. Then I grabbed the dagger and pulled it out, watching Maximus whimper and howl.


    "What are you doing? Are you on his side?" Emmet got up and faced me, even putting his hands on me as he pushed me back.


    Maximus was now on all fours, trying to crawl away while falling and twitching. He was in there¡ªI knew my brother was somewhere deep down inside the lycan¡¯s body.


    "What is wrong with you, Emmet? How could you want to kill your brother?" I yelled, watching him clench his jaw.


    "That thing is not my brother. He¡¯s a monster," Emmet growled, his fists clenched.


    There was more than just anger toward Maximus in his eyes. The way he was looking at me felt different from how he used to. I couldn¡¯t quite put a finger on it, but something was off about his behavior and the way he looked at me.


    "He is Maximus!" I yelled, and that¡¯s when I saw somethinge out of the bushes¡ªnot just anything, but a Zharn.


    I turned to it and noticed it had its eyes on Maximus. It was crawling on the ground like a lizard.


    I rushed at Emmet to grab the dagger from him. I hade out in such a hurry that I didn¡¯t bring any weapons with me.


    "Let it go!" I yelled at Emmet, who wasn¡¯t letting me get the dagger from him.


    "Why? Let that thing fight it. They¡¯re both monsters," Emmet hissed, pulling his hand back every time I tried to grab the dagger.


    Maximus was in a bad state¡ªhe was in more pain than usual. And if he were pushed to the edge, he would lose his mind. Then he¡¯d be dangerous. Once he reached the poption and drank a lot of blood¡ªit would be easy for him since he could take down as many werewolves as he wanted. Just not his brothers, because we were as messed up as him. But the blood of others would be enough to make Maximus more powerful¡ªand unstoppable.


    The Zharn crawled on top of Maximus and bit his back, trying to eat his flesh. Maximus got up and swung his arms around, grabbing the Zharn from the back. He pulled it off and howled, holding the Zharn¡¯s upper jaw in one hand and the lower in the other. He pulled it apart until he ripped the Zharn into two, killing it instantly. But that¡¯s when more of them started toe out.


    That was it.


    "Rome, you¡¯re in," I said, turning away from Emmet. I didn¡¯t need a damn dagger anymore. My ws extended, and my eyes changed vision. All I could see now was blood.


    I ran and jumped,nding on one of the Zharn, crushing it with one stomp. Then I swung my arm at another one, grabbing it by the neck. I swung it around and hit the other Zharn with it before digging my nails deep into its skin until my hand came out from the back of its neck.


    It was all bloody in there¡ªMaximus and I were fighting the Zharns. Soon, Emmet joined us. He wasn¡¯t doing it for us¡ªhe was fighting for himself, since they thought they could attack him too. In the next few minutes, the Zharns had either been killed or ran away.


    That¡¯s when Emmet started pping for me.


    "Amazing. You proved once again you just want to be a hero," he said. His words almost made me lose all my strength. What the Zharns couldn¡¯t do, Emmet did with just his words.

 Chapter 583-My Husband Is Accused Of Murder

    <h4>Chapter 583: 583-My Husband Is used Of Murder</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I had been looking for them, but the weather had gotten so bad that I had to keep covering my eyes to avoid getting dust in them. I was starting to wonder if I¡¯d be wandering around all night until I heard amotion to my right. I instantly started sprinting without wasting a second. It was howling mixed with hissing, reminding me of the Zharns roaming around freely. They seemed like sneaky creatures. They would definitely take advantage of the brothers¡¯ messy state.


    I took a deep breath before stepping into the scene of destruction. And just like I had guessed, the air was thick with worry¡ªand for the first time, the brothers didn¡¯t seem to have things under control.


    Norman was standing, facing Emmet, while Maximus was behind him, bleeding and howling.


    "What is going on with you, Emmet? Is there something you want to tell me?" Norman asked in a soft, defeated tone. At that point, I realized the two of them were having trouble. But how did the argument between them even start?


    Was Emmet upset that Norman was not attacking the lycan, not realizing it wasn¡¯t just a lycan¡ªbut his own brother?


    And then Emmet answered my silent questions himself.


    "Why did you kill her that night?" My body shivered at the way Emmet¡¯s eyes glistened.


    "Emmet, what are you saying?" Norman asked.


    "You¡ªit was you who was supposed to take care of her. You were supposed to take Azura to the hospital. But instead¡ªyou killed her," Emmet hissed, pain shing through his eyes and loud groans.


    My body froze for a second before I snapped back to reality. I didn¡¯t believe it. Even if Norman told me he had killed someone, I wouldn¡¯t believe it.


    And from the looks of it, even Norman didn¡¯t agree with the usation.


    "I didn¡¯t kill her, Emmet. Why would I do that¡ªand hurt you?" He tried to take a step closer to Emmet, who held up his hand to stop him.


    "You killed her. You knew what she meant to me, but you still killed her. All because¡ªyou wanted to hide the secret that you were hiding a lycan," Emmet screamed, covering his head with his hands, pacing back and forth.


    "Emmet¡ª" As soon as his name left my lips in a soft whisper, Emmet stopped and turned to me. His hair was blowing with the wind, his eyes shining with tears.


    "Hnie¡ª" His whisper made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. He looked around for a moment and then stared at Norman, stepping back.


    I wasn¡¯t an expert in reading bodynguage, but he looked shaken¡ªalmost guilty. Maybe he realized what he had just used his brother of.


    But before any more words could be spoken, Maximus jumped at Norman from behind.


    "Norman!" I screamed, watching him not defend himself properly as Maximus bit him on the back.


    I knew it.


    I rushed forward¡ªand so did Emmet¡ªbut since I reached first, he stepped back. I grabbed the lycan and threw him off Norman, but before Maximus could get back on his feet, I ran closer and mmed him against a tree, standing right in front of him.


    "Maximus¡ªstop!" I whimpered. "Please, stop!" I repeated myself, my elbow pressing against his neck to keep him still. "What is going on with you? Why are you attacking the people you love? The people who love you?"


    As I started to break down, I noticed him beginning to rx a bit. I never thought I¡¯d be standing this close to a lycan and not be scared¡ªbut just feel sorry for him.


    "What is it? Are you in that much pain? Please, Maximus, take control of your body again. We need you," I kept talking in soft whispers.


    He was staring at my face with those big eyes. And then I saw them fill with tears. He was crying too.


    "What is it? Where does it hurt?" I asked gently, loosening my hold on his neck.


    Maximus kept looking at me, then slowly ced his paw on his chest and let out a howl. Suddenly, he looked more like a lost puppy¡ªa sweet one that couldn¡¯t hurt anyone.


    "Hnie, you¡¯re doing good. If only we could take him home¡ª" Norman said,ing up behind me. I saw Maximus¡¯s eyes shift to him.


    It was like he squinted to focus on something, and then everything fell apart.


    Maximus let out a loud howl and pushed me back¡ªthankfully, Norman was right behind me. He wrapped his arms around me and caught me, keeping me from falling.


    Maximus howled again, even louder this time. It was the most terrifying and wild one yet.


    I didn¡¯t understand what made him so angry¡ªuntil I noticed his eyes locked onto the mark on Norman¡¯s neck. Then, without warning, he took off running.


    "I¡¯ll go after him¡ª" Norman said, but I grabbed his hand to stop him.


    "No, he hates you right now. He saw the mark on your neck, Norman. Let me go," I insisted, cupping Norman¡¯s face in my hands and standing on my tiptoes in a hurry.


    "What if he hurts you?" Norman sounded so desperately worried that I couldn¡¯t help but smile a little.


    "I¡¯ll be fine," I reassured him.


    "Please go take care of Emmet¡ª" I turned to look at Emmet and realized what he had just witnessed. He stood there, staring at us.


    "Ohh," Emmet muttered under his breath. "You two go home. I¡¯ll go... bring my brother back." He looked away, trying to hide his tears. His voice was shaking too.


    "Emmet¡ªyou¡¯re bleeding too," I said, but he shook his head without even looking at me.


    "I¡¯m fine. And yes, in case you¡¯re wondering¡ªI remember. I¡¯m not going after him to kill him," he said with a bitterugh, as if hinting that we might be judging him already.


    "Hnie, go back home. Let us go after him," Norman said then, and the look in his eyes told me this wasn¡¯t a suggestion¡ªI had no choice but to listen.

 Chapter 584-Another Brother Is Missing

    <h4>Chapter 584: 584-Another Brother Is Missing</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I am really fine," Sally repeated herself when I checked her fever once more. When I brought her home and started cleaning her wounds, I realized there was no injury that could have taken her life, but she still bled a lot.


    She also had a fever, and I knew it was from fear. But now that hours had passed and she had woken up, she looked much better.


    "He didn¡¯t want to kill me," she muttered with a smile on her lips. I was a little confused by her behavior. Ever since she woke up, she had been very calm instead of freaking out. Even her other friends, who had freaked out for her, were confused.


    "How do you know that?" I asked, making sure I gave her medicine and she drank plenty of liquids with it.


    She swallowed the medicine, and after steadying herself, she said, "Because it didn¡¯t want to kill me. He wasn¡¯t trying to take me away to feed on me. He was¡ªI don¡¯t know how it¡¯s possible as we all know a lycan can¡¯t speak¡ªbut he was murmuring something. Almost like trying to say it," she recalled the night, her eyebrows scrunched while trying to exin what she felt about the lycanst night.


    "What do you mean? Did you figure out what he was trying to say?" My heart ached at the thought of Maximus trying his best to speak but no one being able to understand him.


    "Yeah, I did," she replied.


    "What was it?" I asked again, looking at her face with interest.


    "He was saying the word ¡¯mate¡¯ over and over again," the little pout she made with her lips made me sit back and stare at her face.


    "I¡¯m not making it up. But it seems like that poor thing was looking for his mate," she said with a very sympathetic look on her face.


    It made me wonder why he picked her of all the others. He saw the purity in Sally, and this is what she believed in too.


    "His mate must be very loving and understanding of him. I just hope Rogue King Norman and Rogue King Emmet don¡¯t kill him," she sighed, having no idea they didn¡¯t go after him to y him but to find him.


    But hours had passed by now, and there were no signs of any of them. I had been growing impatient and tired of waiting. I was this close to leaving the mansion to go after them, but Nortman had trusted me with the job of taking care of the mansion and everyone else in here.


    "Hey," just as I walked out of the maid¡¯s room, I bumped into Jessica. She hadn¡¯t woken up through the whole chaosst night because she had slept after taking heavy medications to rx herself. Now that she was awake, she heard all sorts of news and hade to see me.


    "Tell me they¡¯re not going after Maximus too¡ª," she whispered, looking around to make sure nobody was listening to us.


    "No. Of course they¡¯re not," I eyed her for even thinking they would do something like that.


    "He must be so scared out there," Jessica replied, her hands on her waist.


    "I¡¯m just lost at why it happened. It wasn¡¯t even a full moon night," Iined, touching my forehead.


    "There is one person who could solve that mystery for us, but I¡¯m afraid if we tell her, she will cause chaos here," Jessica was walking beside me to the main mansion, huffing and puffing.


    "Darcy? Oh yeah, we shouldn¡¯t tell her anything," I agreed with her.


    "What¡¯s up with that girl Charlotte?" she asked, then sighed, walking upstairs to check on Kaye.


    "Charlotte likes Maximus. She wanted to go after him, but her mother drugged her and locked her in. I think she did the right thing. Charlotte isn¡¯t ready to be out in the woods when Zharns are getting so bold, attacking people in groups now," I said, stopping before Kaye¡¯s bedroom.


    I was afraid to face him again. He would be so upset. As soon as I opened the door, I was met with another shock.


    "Where is he?" I asked loudly, rushing into the room and then toward the bathroom. Jessica went straight to the window and pulled the curtain away. She gasped.


    "He escaped through the window," she announced, making my heart sink.


    "Wait, no!" I yelled worriedly, quickly moving toward the window and seeing it was open.


    "We should go look for him," Jessica suggested.


    "You should stay here. You¡¯ve been through a lot, too," I said. I didn¡¯t want to drag her with me when she needed to rest herself.


    "Hnie, I can¡¯t hide from the truth that I killed my brother, who deserved it. Let¡¯s just say, this whole mess needs more hands on deck, and I¡¯ve been preparing to be a royal beta of my pack for a long time. I have skills, trust me," she reassured me with a straight-lipped smile.


    She was right. We had to go.


    However, we had only run downstairs and were in the living room when we watched two peoplee in, looking defeated.


    "Norman! Emmet!" I called out, ready to run to Norman when Jessica rushed past me first andnded on Norman¡¯s chest.


    "I¡¯ve been so worried," she started saying, hugging him tightly while his eyes stayed on me. I couldn¡¯t run to him after that.


    "Jessica, you shouldn¡¯t have. I can take care of myself," he then unwrapped his arms from around her and walked past her to me.


    "Where is Maximus?" Not wanting to continue any drama rted to us, I focused on Maximus for the moment.


    Emmet had his head down the whole time. He looked so disturbed.


    "Where is he?" I asked Emmet this time, trying to include him so he wouldn¡¯t feel left out.


    "We don¡¯t know. We couldn¡¯t find him," those words felt like a dagger in my chest, and Emmet looked just as devastated saying them out loud.

 Chapter 585-His Toxic Mother Strikes Again

    <h4>Chapter 585: 585-His Toxic Mother Strikes Again</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Why didn¡¯t anyone tell me about the monster?" Darcy yelled, making me roll my eyes tiredly. She found out somehow, or probably Emma told her, and came flying in on a jet with the two little kids dragged along with her. The poor kids were locked in the guestroom so that nobody gets to interact with them.


    I had been so upset ever since Emmet told me he couldn¡¯t find Maximus. It just didn¡¯t make any sense. How could he go missing like he never even existed?


    When Emmet told us Maximus had run away, Jessica told them about Kaye. Norman decided to go after Kaye while Emmet went to his room. He looked unwell too.


    Everything was a mess.


    "What¡¯s going on downstairs?" I asked the maid who had brought me some fruit. I had been lying down for a few minutes so I could join the search once Norman got back.


    "Lady Darcy is yelling at everyone. She¡¯s making it so hard for us to do any of the work. She keeps saying the monster took her son away. Which¡ªeven though we¡¯re worried about where Rogue King Maximus went¡ªisn¡¯t true. Did the lycan really do something to him?" I knew for sure the maid was curious, and Lady Darcy was making things worse.


    "No! That¡¯s not true. Maximus has been on a trip with the academy students. I¡¯lle downstairs to help you all," I lied, just to keep Maximus¡¯s truth a secret.


    "Okay, that would be very helpful," the maid sighed, clearly exhausted from dealing with Lady Darcy too.


    I went downstairs to watch Lady Darcy yell at the maids and Emma nonstop until her eyesnded on me.


    "Everyone step aside, the real culprit is here," she grunted, walking toward me, grabbing my arm, and dragging me to the guest room. I could have freed myself easily, but even I wanted to talk to her alone.


    "Hey," Jessica jumped out of bed when she saw Lady Darcye into the room with me and close the door behind us.


    "What did you do?" Lady Darcy yelled at me, not even giving me a minute to gather my thoughts.


    "I did everything I could to bring Maximus home, that¡¯s what I did," I snapped at her, shrugging her hand off my arm.


    "Don¡¯t talk to me like that. I¡¯m not my foolish sons who cherish you. Tell me, what did you do? You were with Normanst night? What did you do?" she screamed, causing Jessica to jump between us.


    Her words stuck in my mind. The way she asked aboutst night and linked it to me being in Norman¡¯s room seemed odd.


    "Please don¡¯t yell at her. She¡¯s been up the whole night trying to fix this. Thest thing she needs is someone yelling at her just because they don¡¯t know who else to me," Jessica hissed back at Lady Darcy, whose eyebrows rose all the way to her hairline, showing amusement at Jessica¡¯s sudden change in attitude.


    "Jessica, do you realize you¡¯re defending a woman who is stealing your boyfriend from you, right?" Lady Darcy changed her tone, using a nasty hiss to try to turn us against each other.


    "That¡¯s not true. Hnie is my friend, and I trust her. You can kindly start looking for your son without causing trouble for others," Jessica said loudly and confidently.


    "Oh really? That¡¯s funny. When I wasing here, I found our warriors around and even got to see Norman for a second. It didn¡¯t seem like Norman was the same man who was marrying you," Lady Darcy¡¯s words were delivered maniacally.


    "What do you mean?" Jessica¡¯s quiet whisper was drowned out when I decided to jump in.


    "You saw Norman? Was Kaye with him?" I asked curiously. I had been so worried about the brothers.


    "Huh? No! He wasn¡¯t with him," she replied bitterly to me. "But let me answer Jessica¡¯s question."


    She looked so evil smirking in a situation like this. She knew her sons were out there fighting, seeing each other as monsters. And now two of her sons were missing, and she still thought it was the perfect time to mock me?


    "What¡¯s going on?" Jessica asked, slowly stepping aside so she could see my face as well.


    "Ask your best friend if she is keeping her distance from your fianc¨¦. Ask her if she¡¯s going to reject him this full moon," Lady Darcy made Jessica turn to look at me.


    "She will reject him. She told me," Jessica didn¡¯t ask me but answered for me. I felt so suffocated standing among them.


    But it had to be done. I had made a mistake. We should have told Jessica first before doing anything.


    "Don¡¯t answer for her. Why don¡¯t you ask her and let her answer you?" Lady Darcy¡¯s voice grew even calmer as she watched me with amusement in her eyes.


    "No, I won¡¯t confront her because of you¡ª," Jessica yelled, and it made me feel like dying of guilt.


    "It¡¯s true, Jessica," I said, and she turned to give her back to Lady Darcy and face me.


    "It¡¯s true. We are not rejecting each other this full moon," I announced, watching tears start to fill her eyes.


    "And that¡¯s because there¡¯s so much going on, right?" She had a weak smile on her lips as she asked me for a reason.


    "No! That¡¯s because I¡¯ve already marked him and we¡ªwe are in love," the moment I said that, Jessica stepped back and raised her hand.


    She pped me hard and then broke down. "What the fuck have you done, Hnie? He was the only one left with me. Why¡ª"


    She cried out, and when Darcy ced her hands on her shoulders, Jessica shrugged her off. She opened the door and passed out while Darcy stayed behind, faking concern.


    "So you¡¯re the reason your sons are in so much pain today," as soon as I finished, the smirk ready to form on her lips to mock me faded away.

 Chapter 586-His Possession

    <h4>Chapter 586: 586-His Possession</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Norman is here," I heard someone yelling from outside, breaking the tense eye contact Darcy and I were sharing. Darcy rushed ahead of me¡ªobviously trying to act like she cared. I¡¯m not saying she didn¡¯t, but she was so cruel she forgot about her own sons while trying to put me down.


    We both left the room to speak with Norman. I also needed to tell him about Jessica. Darcy reached him first while I slowed down and then stoppedpletely behind everyone.


    "Where are Kaye and Maximus?" his mother asked after hugging him first. Her hands were on his chest, her fingers lightly wrapped over his jacket.


    "I couldn¡¯t find them," Norman replied, not even looking down at her. His eyes hovered around until theynded on me. Then he gently removed his mother¡¯s hands from his chest and pushed everyone aside toe to me.


    "Are you okay?" he asked, and everyone went quiet. I heard some whispers¡ªsome confused about why he cared about me when I was the one who had stayed home, safe and sound.


    "I told her," I said, my hands clenched tightly in front of my stomach. He quickly held them tofort me.


    "I know. I saw her run out," he replied, his hand reaching for my cheek to touch it, but I winced in pain.


    "Should we go after her?" I asked. His eyes stayed on my face like he was trying to read something there.


    "No. I sent the warriors after her," Norman¡¯s tone had turned harsher as he kept pressing his thumb gently over something on my cheek. "Who did this?" he finally asked, sounding more upset.


    "Did what?" I asked.


    The maids and others began to walk away, but Darcy came right up to us and pped his hand off my face.


    Norman closed his eyes like he was trying to calm his anger before gently holding my face and turning it toward her.


    "Did you do this?" he asked his mother, his tone firm.


    "Oh, no! But someone else did, and it¡¯s not like Hnie didn¡¯t deserve it," Darcy hissed, a mocking smirk on her lips.


    "Jessica hit you?" Norman asked, turning me toward him by holding my arms.


    "It¡¯s okay. She was just angry," I said. As soon as my handsnded on his chest, his mother¡¯s eyes narrowed at me.


    "It¡¯s not okay. How the heck did she think she could hurt you, Hnie? Why didn¡¯t you p her right back?" he yelled, even shocking me.


    "Norman, you¡¯re asking her to hit your childhood friend?" Darcy kept interfering, ruining the moment. Her constant talking was just making him more frustrated.


    "A childhood friend is not more important than my wife. The fact that Jessica found out I marked Hnie¡ªdid it not ur to her that Hnie must mean a lot to me?" Norman was now yelling at his mother, whose jaw was hanging low.


    "Norman, you¡¯re not saying¡ª" she had to stop when Norman cut her off.


    "That I love Hnie. And Jessica¡ªshe¡¯s not allowed near our mansion ever again. Tell her to get ready to have her royal beta status questioned," I didn¡¯t expect Norman to lose it like that.


    "And I¡¯m calling my warriors to return home. If you feel so sorry for her, go search for her," Norman added, saying it to his mother, whose eyes kept widening in shock.


    "Norman¡ª," I tried to get him to understand that Jessica was hurt, but he was such a stubborn man.


    "I will not listen to you. She shouldn¡¯t have hurt you. She crossed the line, and I don¡¯t give a damn if she felt betrayed. She was forcing her friendship on you so she could use it like chains around your feet. She did this to herself. She knew from the beginning I didn¡¯t like her¡ªI didn¡¯t want to marry her. So let¡¯s not talk about all that betrayal nonsense," Norman was yelling so loud, I started to get scared of him.


    His face was red, the veins in his neck bulging, and his fists clenched.


    "Calm down. Don¡¯t forget how much Jessica has done for us. You¡¯re taking it too far¡ªlike you were waiting for an excuse to push her away for this blonde," his mother hissed, giving me a look full of disgust from head to toe.


    "Good. That¡¯s exactly what I wanted. Happy now? Because if you think I¡¯m going to exin myself to her, you¡¯re wrong. I¡¯ve been trapped with her for years. I had to pretend to be happy, and she knew it. But now that I¡¯m happy¡ªreally happy¡ªeveryone around me is upset. Why is that? Why can¡¯t Norman be happy?"


    The little crack in his voice made me hug his arm, and the tension in his body started to ease.


    "Norman¡ª" Lady Darcy started again, but Norman raised his hand to silence her.


    "I¡¯ll be in my bedroom with my wife. I¡¯ll start research again, but in the meantime, the warriors are looking for Maximus," Norman said, trying to walk away when he added, "I got in touch with Kaye earlier. He told me he¡¯s doing fine and will keep searching for Maximus. If you really care about your sons, go check on Emmet."


    Norman didn¡¯t even look at her as he let her know what a mess the brothers¡¯ lives had be. Then he held my hand and pulled me with him upstairs.


    Once we were in his bedroom, he sat me on the bed to put medicine on my cheek.


    "Norman, it didn¡¯t even hurt that bad," I sighed. He had been pressing his lips together tightly the whole time.


    But suddenly, he lowered his head and sighed. "I¡¯m so sorry. It¡¯s not even about the pain, Hnie. It¡¯s about disrespect. She had no right putting her hands on you. I don¡¯t want her around you again. She needs to learn to respect others. Ugh! I want to drag her here so you can p her... I want it so badly."


    He made me smile with how childishly he wanted to make things fair. But at the same time, I was smiling because the way he used to care for his brothers before¡ªthat¡¯s the same way he was now possessive about me.


    And I liked it.

 Chapter 587-The Painful Side Of Mate Bond

    <h4>Chapter 587: 587-The Painful Side Of Mate Bond</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "It was such a tiring day, Hnie. 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 hisp, my legs spread and wrapped around his waist.


    He was leaning back against the pillows on the headboard, findingfort in my embrace¡ªas 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.


    "Hnie, it doesn¡¯t matter. I love you¡ªthat¡¯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, Hnie. Besides, don¡¯t worry about her¡ªthe warriors told me they found her sitting in a caf¨¦. They¡¯ll take her back to her pack once she feels better," Norman said, and I sighed in relief.


    "Hnie," 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 ofing 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.


    "Hnie, 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¡ªremember that. Now tell me, did you feel pain?" he yfully bit my corbone 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.


    "Hnie, 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¡¯ming 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¡ªfrom my heart all the way down to my toes, making them curl in agony.


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


    "O¡ª" 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.


    "Hnie, 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.


    "Hnie, I¡¯m going to get you help," Norman said urgently, stepping away from me. I heard him open a cab, then rush back to the bed in seconds.


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

 Chapter 588-Mark My Mates

    <h4>Chapter 588: 588-Mark My Mates</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Mmmhmmm!" I broke the kiss with Kaye and watched him close his eyes and sumb to sleep. On my lefty Norman, on his stomach, naked in bed. And then there was Emmet, sleeping on top of me, our naked bodies touching.


    I was still tired and wanted to sleep some more, but there was something missing.


    Someone missing.


    "Where is Maximus?" I asked myself, raising my head and finding the red ribbon attached to him stretched far away.


    I realized I was bound to everyone with a red ribbon.


    Carefully, getting out from under Emmet, I made my way to the balcony, where the red ribbon led.


    We¡¯d had a wild night, it seemed.


    "Maximus, what are you doing out here?" I asked Maximus, sitting beside him.


    "I had a nightmare. I saw you cut the red ribbon between us," he said, sitting shirtless in the cold wind.


    "Maximus, it¡¯s bound to happen. I will have to cut the ribbon. I can¡¯t be with all four of you," I gave him a smile, but the look on his face told me he wasn¡¯t very happy to hear it.


    "And you think that¡¯s the right thing to do? To hurt three of us while choosing one?" Suddenly, he wasn¡¯t so calm anymore.


    "Have you stopped loving the rest of us?" he asked, his eyes full of deep emotions.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter. We have to end it someday," I repeated in an even calmer tone, but he seemed so upset that he got up and grabbed the ribbon.


    "Then how about I show you what will happen when you reject one of us?" With that, he held the ribbon even tighter and then, in a split second, he tore it.


    The minute our bond broke, I watched Maximus¡¯s eyes turn white.


    And the next thing I knew, he was falling to the ground.


    "Maximus¡ª" I yelled, reaching him when I heard someone shout from inside.


    "Something is happening to Norman! I can¡¯t hear his heartbeat!" Kaye yelled, making my heart sink in my chest.


    "Noooo! Nooo! My mates¡ª" I screamed, and that¡¯s when I woke myself up. I was breathing heavily, my eyes wide open and staring at Norman, who was leaning over me.


    "Hey, hey! It¡¯s all okay," he said, checking my temperature while I struggled to breathe. He quickly sat me up and started rubbing my back.


    "What happened to you? You were suddenly in so much pain, and I got so scared¡ª" Norman murmured softly, checking on me, while I couldn¡¯t help but think about what had just happened.


    "I had the weirdest dream," I whispered, and he stopped rubbing my back to sit in front of me.


    "I saw red ribbons connecting me to all my mates," I started. Obviously, Norman was now my mate since we had marked each other.


    "And¡ªbut then Maximus cut his and¡ªchaos erupted. I watched Maximus die¡ª"


    Before I could finish, Norman ced his finger on my lips to silence me.


    "Don¡¯t say that word."


    I could see in his eyes how much just the thought of it affected him.


    "And then I heard you¡ªyou had one missing heartbeat," I stopped talking and leaned on his chest, sobbing softly.


    "Hey, it must¡¯ve just been a nightmare."


    The pain in his voice was proof that anything rted to his brothers wasn¡¯t easy for him either.


    "The thing is¡ªI¡¯ve had dreams like this before. Not many of them came true, but they still scare me so much," I sniffled on his chest.


    "Hnie, I¡¯ll talk to someone about this nightmare, but trust me¡ªwe¡¯ll find Kaye and bring him home," Norman said while holding me close.


    "I¡¯m not even sure what¡¯s going on with Emmet," I added, turning my attention to him.


    My love for him never faded. It was true.


    The moments we spent together, the warmth of his hug¡ªit was all still fresh in my memory.


    "He isn¡¯t even eating¡ª"


    As I continued to talk, Norman let go of the hug and gently held my face in his hands.


    "Do you want to take food to his room?"


    It felt like my chest opened and Norman carved his name on my heart when he figured out what I had been too scared to ask.


    "Yeah," I whispered softly.


    How did he know?


    "Then go make something for him. He won¡¯t listen to me right now, but he respects you a lot," Norman said with such kindness.


    I was so shocked that he somehow knew exactly what I wanted to do.


    "Thank you so much."


    With that, I cupped his face in my hands and kissed his lips.


    I noticed how his cheeks turned red, and it made me chuckle a little.


    He was still my big, bad professor.


    I walked out of the room to grab something for Emmet to eat when Charlotte stepped in my way. She looked like a mess. Her swollen eyes made me feel bad for her.


    "Did they find Maximus?" she asked, her teary eyes scaring me.


    "No, but after Emmet eats something, we¡¯ll go look for him," I told her.


    "Hnie¡ªI don¡¯t know if I should be telling you this, but I¡¯ve been hearing some things..."


    The way she rubbed her hands while looking around made me nervous.


    "What is it?" I asked, watching her shift ufortably and nce around to make sure no one was listening.


    "That you marked Norman? That tells me you two are serious about each other. So I feel really weird saying this¡ª"


    She bit her lip, making my anxiety worse.


    "Tell me, Charlotte. Is it rted to the problems we¡¯re having right now?"


    Of course they¡¯d heard about me marking Norman.


    "It is. It¡¯s something I heard Lady Darcy say to my mother. She said... she¡¯s afraid this whole mess might lead to a solution she never wanted to happen," she whispered so low I could barely hear her.


    "What solution?"


    My heart was pounding loudly by then.


    "That the only way the brothers can be saved now is by being marked by their mates."


    As soon as she said that, I almost lost my bnce.

 Chapter 589-He Is Losing It

    <h4>Chapter 589: 589-He Is Losing It</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I let her words sink in for a while before I gathered courage to dissect her statement.


    "Charlotte--what does she mean by that?" I asked, my voice shaking. I was not dumb to not know what she meant, but what would it do?


    "You probably know by now that the brothers are cursed. Their pain will start elerating with time. And how long can someone live a normal life in such extreme pain? There¡¯s a way to stop their pain from getting worse--if they find their fated mates and get marked. They must be marked before they--" she stopped, rubbing her palms nervously.


    "But I¡¯m so worried now. What if Maximus killed his mate in the woods? That¡¯s why nobody came forward to tell the rogue brothers they saw a lycan in the woods and felt the mate bond with him," she rambled, rubbing her face with her hands anxiously.


    "Umm, you heard her say that? She knows what could help her sons but she¡¯s not telling them?" I scoffed, angry and also unsure how true this really was. Could Darcy be wrong and only saying this because she didn¡¯t have another answer?


    "I don¡¯t know. But Hnie, she¡¯s deeply involved in everything about her sons. I¡¯m just really worried for Maximus, because what if it¡¯s toote now? What if Maximus can¡¯t even mark someone anymore? I¡¯ve been losing sleep over this," she said, covering her face and breaking down again.


    Even though we didn¡¯t start off well, now that she wasn¡¯t bothering me, her tears felt real. She did love Maximus a lot.


    "It¡¯ll be okay. I won¡¯t let anything happen to Maximus," I told her. The way she stared at me in silence felt strange--like she was silently begging me to act quickly.


    "I¡¯ll go check on Emmet." Giving her arm a small pat, I walked off to see him. The sooner he ate, the sooner we could go out and search for Maximus again. So far, there was no news from any packs about spotting a monster. That was a good sign.


    "It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll take that to him," I said to the maid, smiling as I took the food tray for Emmet. I knew he was upset with everyone--and maybe even with himself--after what had happened.


    I hated how fast things were falling apart. It was terrifying. I didn¡¯t want any of them to suffer or argue, especially not because of me.


    "May I ask something?" the maid said just as I was about to leave the kitchen. I stopped.


    "Yes?" I replied.


    "Did you ask Norman before going to Emmet¡¯s room? I don¡¯t mean to interfere, but Norman is a very possessive man. I watched him grow up, and I know he shares everything with his brothers--but you¡¯re different. You¡¯re special to him."


    The old maid had never been known for causing trouble. She¡¯d always looked after them with care, so I truly believed she meant well. And the fact that she noticed something between me, Emmet, and the others was a mystery in itself.


    "Thank you for caring so much for the brothers. Actually, I did speak to Norman and he said he is fine with it," I gave her a reassuring smile before walking out of the kitchen with the tray in my hands.


    I reached Emmet¡¯s room and knocked while bncing the tray in one hand.


    "Yes?" he said, and I opened the door, revealing him sitting on the bed with his face in his hands.


    He looked visibly distressed, like he had been running for miles before he sat down. But I knew that wasn¡¯t the case.


    "Emmet!" As soon as I called out for him, he stopped rubbing his face and slowly--very creepily--raised his head from his hands.


    Our eyes met, and that¡¯s when I realized he wasn¡¯t just stressed.


    No.


    He was more than just stressed. He was broken. I have never seen Emmet go through so many emotions in such a short time. He went from being silent to being in love and then being lost to being so angry. And then I remembered the way he had stared at all of usst night.


    "You are not real," he hissed. "Get out!" he yelled, making me jump and almost drop the tray.


    "Emmet, what is going on? Are you okay?" I asked with worry, stepping back when I noticed he got up almost aggressively.


    "You think you can fool me?" he chuckled, getting closer. I had to keep walking backwards to stop him from getting too close. He looked hostile at that moment.


    "Emmet, I¡¯m not fooling you. I only came with food. I heard you haven¡¯t eaten," I said carefully, using a soft voice and gentle words. Something didn¡¯t feel right, and it broke my heart to see him like this.


    There was one thing about Emmet that made him different than everyone else--


    I had never been scared of him.


    He was always my shield, even when no one else was.


    "Really? Or did youe here to hurt me?" he screamed and hit the tray out of my hand, throwing it across the room and shattering the dishes.


    "Emmet, why would I try to hurt you?" That cry escaped my lips just as he grabbed me by the arms and pushed me against the wall, his eyes red with rage and his breaths rough.


    "You think you cane and kill me?" he hissed, shaking my body so hard I hit my elbow on the wall and grimaced in pain.


    "What is going on with you? I would never hurt you!" I yelled, but he kept shaking me, making it hard for me to even look into his eyes anymore.


    That¡¯s when I felt his nails dig deeper into my arms, and I knew I had to do something--I couldn¡¯t take the pain anymore.


    "EMMET!"


    It was only when I screamed that the look on his face started to change. First, he looked nk--no emotion at all.


    Then, very slowly, I saw his expression change into shock... and then to realization.

 Chapter 590-Ruined Me

    <h4>Chapter 590: 590-Ruined Me</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    "Come on, Emmet, we can¡¯t just keep lying here," my wolf hissed, trying to wake me up to a world that had nothing left for me.


    "Meret, let me rest. I don¡¯t want to hear another word from you," I warned him, folding my arm over my eyes and trying to shut everything out.


    "Emmet?"


    A gentle voice from outside my door made me move my arm as quickly as I could.


    "Don¡¯t trust the voice," my wolf muttered.


    "Hnie?"


    I ignored my wolf and focused on the voice. It was really her. How I suddenly recognized her from just her voice was beyond me. I only focused on the fact that she was outside the door.


    I got up and reached the door, answering it without dy or fear of her leaving if I didn¡¯t respond immediately.


    And just like I thought, she was standing outside with a bright smile on her face and a food tray in her hands.


    "What are you doing here?" I asked, watching her smile sweetly.


    "I came to see you," she replied, walking into the room. I stepped aside to let her pass. She sat down on the bed and ced the tray to the side, smiling so warmly that I couldn¡¯t help but walk closer and sit beside her.


    She suddenly turned around and held my face in her hands.


    "Have you forgiven me for the mess earlier--" I began, but before I could exin which of the screw-ups I meant, she leaned in for a kiss. I quickly went quiet to let our lips meet. But before they could, I felt a sharp pain in my neck.


    I opened my eyes in shock and saw her holding a dagger--she had stabbed me.


    "I told you, do not trust this Hnie," my wolf shouted.


    "I will not rest until I finish you," her voice began to change into a weird monster-like creature.


    I jolted awake, sitting up in bed. I noticed someone in the bathroom.


    "There¡¯s someone showering in my bathroom?" It didn¡¯t make any sense. I had been in my room the whole time. Usually, no onees in like that, so someone using the bathroom was a big deal.


    "Is anyone in there?" I called out, getting up from the bed and knocking on the door.


    "Hey!" I knocked again, louder and clearer. The water stopped, and I took a step back from the door.


    The door unlocked and slowly started to open, but only partway.


    "Yes?"


    Through the small gap, Hnie stepped into view. I could tell she waspletely naked.


    I quickly looked away and awkwardly cleared my throat. "I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t know you were using my bathroom."


    "It¡¯s alright. But I need your help. Why don¡¯t youe inside and help me shower?"


    Her words made the hairs on my skin stand up. I looked up and saw her smiling at me.


    "Do not trust this Hnie," my wolf muttered.


    "Emmet, I know you are out there. Why won¡¯t youe inside and help me? Do you not care about me anymore?" it was Hnie¡¯s voice and she needed my help.


    "She is Hnie. This one is real. The other one was just a nightmare," I replied, quickly taking her hand as she reached it out through the crack.


    The moment she held my hand, she let out a howl and started peeling off my skin. Panic rushed through me, and I pushed her back, trying to get away--then I woke myself up.


    "Ugh!" I hissed, tired of this back and forth. It had happened for the twentieth time in one night.


    At this point, I didn¡¯t even know what was real and what wasn¡¯t.


    Then I heard a knock on the door again.


    "Yes?" I called out, not really believing it.


    "Do not trust this Hnie," my wolf muttered, warning me to be careful.


    I started walking toward the door, and when I opened it--just like before--it was Hnie holding a tray of food. But this time, I knew it wasn¡¯t Hnie. I wasn¡¯t going to let her trick me again.


    So, I pushed the tray aside and pulled her inside, pinning her against the wall.


    But then she said my name--and I realized it wasn¡¯t a nightmare this time.


    Her mother rushed in, pushing me off her daughter and dragging Hnie away.


    For a second, I couldn¡¯t understand what had just happened--or what the hell I¡¯d done.


    "You told me not to trust her!" I yelled at my wolf, quickly grabbing my shoes to run after them and exin that I didn¡¯t do anything on purpose. Or at least tell them why I messed up.


    "Hnie!"


    I left my room, running after them down the hall, but they were already at the main mansion.


    Once I got to the living room, I saw everyone standing there, staring at me.


    "What is going on?" my father stepped forward, questioning me.


    There was Emma, her daughter, Hnie¡¯s mother, and my father. Hnie had probably already gone to her room.


    "Nothing. It was just one big misunderstanding--" I tried to walk past my father, but he put his hand on my chest to stop me.


    "You are disgusting for doing that," he hissed.


    "He must have been drinking to act like that. He¡¯s always drunk--some drunk guy wandering around a house full of women," Emma said, her nose wrinkling, until her daughter shot her a re to make her stop.


    "I didn¡¯t do anything--and no, I wasn¡¯t drinking. I just--"


    I rubbed my temples, unable to exin what was happening to me.


    My wolf had lost it. I had lost it.


    I was supposed to lose my memories, but hallucinations? That had never been a part of it. If it had, I would¡¯ve ended myself a long time ago.


    "I was there, and I saw it," Emma said. "He had pinned Hnie to the bed and was trying to--rape her. After everything she¡¯s been through, he tried to do that too."


    Her words made my heart drop. Something so awful shook my whole existence.

 Chapter 591-Not A Pervert

    <h4>Chapter 591: 591-Not A Pervert</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I¡¯m fine. It was nothing," I told Norman when he saw mee into the bedroom, panting and scared.


    I wasn¡¯t scared of Emmet--I was scared of what was happening to him. Even with so much going on, I noticed a few things.


    His words, "You are not real," made me confused.


    He was having a hard time not only recognizing me but also thinking I was someone else? Why would he say that?


    That¡¯s why I rushed back to my room, avoiding Emma and my mother who was following me, asking what had happened.


    "Hnie, please tell me what happened," Norman insisted, holding my hands.


    "It wasn¡¯t a big deal, trust me," I gave him a reassuring look, but deep down, I was so sad for Emmet.


    I nned to go back with Norman to check on him again after he calmed down. But then, I heard screams from downstairs that made Norman and me share a look of horror before rushing down.


    "What could it be about?" I asked Norman as we ran.


    "Hopefully Maximus is back," Norman suggested, and I hoped that too. But it wasn¡¯t.


    We were way off in guessing. When we got downstairs, we saw guards holding Emmet while my mother had lost her mind.


    "You scumbag!" she was screaming, held back by Lord McQuoid.


    "What the fuck is going on here?" Norman lost it. He stepped between them and told the guards to step away from Emmet. Emmet wasn¡¯t even trying to fight back, but they were treating him like a criminal.


    "Ask your pervert brother. I arrived in time but I did not know he had done something prior to my arrival. Ask him, why the fuck did he drag my daughter to his bed?" my mother yelled. My heart sank. What the heck was my mother talking about?


    "I did not. I would never. I thought she was a creature¨C," Emmet said it in such an undertone that nobody else heard it. But I did. He looked so embarrassed when being called a pervert and I was angry at my mother.


    "What?" Before Norman could react, I did. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to me, and Emmet looked so hurt that he didn¡¯t even look at me.


    "Enough! I won¡¯t hear you say anything about my brother," Norman shouted at my mother, and rightly so. It was messed up that they were using Emmet of such nonsense without any proof.


    "Who told you that?" I asked my mother. Her angry face confused me. Was she using this as an excuse to show her hatred for the brothers too?


    If she could hate her own daughter, she could hate her mate¡¯s sons as well.


    "Emma did. She saw it," my mother said, looking at Emma. Suddenly, it all made sense. Since I hadn¡¯t told her exactly what happened, she made up her own story.


    "That¡¯s a lie. That never happened," I yelled as Norman stared at me, waiting to hear my side.


    "I didn¡¯t lie--it was something Hnie told me before she ran upstairs," Emma said, pointing at me.


    Charlotte sighed and lowered her head, embarrassed by her mother¡¯s behavior.


    "What a bitch! When did I tell you that? Nothing like that happened in there!" I was so ready to hit that woman for lying.


    "But something did happen. You screamed and came out, and you were the one who told me he tried to rape you once your mother was left far behind," Emma kept yapping, confusing everyone.


    I watched Norman stare at my face before turning to Emmet, who was now looking at me. He looked so hurt.


    "Emmet--I swear I didn¡¯t say that. She¡¯s lying," I pointed at Emma again, but Emmet closed his eyes and covered his ears with his hands.


    "Hnie is right--she didn¡¯t lie--she can¡¯t. I did try to attack her, but not to rape her. I was just--taken off guard when she arrived," Emmet said quietly, not looking up or lowering his hands.


    "Emmet, you attacked Hnie? But why?" Norman¡¯s fist clenched, but he kept his tone calm.


    "I don¡¯t know--I didn¡¯t think she was real," Emmet mumbled, shaking his head repeatedly.


    "What do you mean by that?" I asked.


    He turned his face toward me, looking so hurt he didn¡¯t continue.


    "I¡¯m sorry," he said.


    "Emma! Why would you lie about my son?" Lord McQuoid now turned to Emma. It was a total mess.


    "I didn¡¯t. It was Hnie--she told me he dragged her to his bed and all," she kept lying, making me clench my jaw.


    "Norman--Emmet--"


    But someone¡¯s arrival changed the subject. A warrior came in, panting and sweating heavily.


    "What is it?" Norman asked urgently.


    But when he noticed Emmet slipping away silently, Norman held out his hand to stop his brother.


    I felt so guilty, even though I wasn¡¯t the one using him.


    And I was right.


    Emmet had said he couldn¡¯t tell if I was real.


    "Kaye found the lycan. He told me to inform you all," the warrior said, and my heart started pounding harder.


    We shared a nce, and I stepped forward to hold Norman¡¯s hand.


    "Let¡¯s go."


    I reached out my hand for Emmet to hold. I had a bad feeling this incident would push him away even more if nothing was done soon. I didn¡¯t want to ignore Emmet anymore.


    He stared at my hand, then shakily reached out, but seemed to hesitate and almost pulled back. I closed the distance and held his hand firmly.


    "I¡¯m not afraid of you. You didn¡¯t hurt me, and I know you¡¯ll never hurt me," I said.


    Those words made the frown on his forehead start to fade.


    That¡¯s what I wanted--


    I wanted him to know we weren¡¯t judging him.


    As for Emma, that woman really screwed us over in seconds.


    But I didn¡¯t realize Norman had noticed something. As soon as we left the mansion, he said it to me.


    "And you didn¡¯t tell me he attacked you."


    "I didn¡¯t want to ambush him with questions for no reason. It wasn¡¯t an attack--it seemed like self-defense, like he was scared of me," I exined.


    Norman just nodded slowly without a word being said.

 Chapter 592-War Between The Brothers

    <h4>Chapter 592: 592-War Between The Brothers</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    We had arrived at the deeper parts of the forest where many other creatures had been caught previously. The sight was frightening. It wasn¡¯t just Kaye and Maximus, but a pile of Zharns that Maximus had killed and eaten.


    "What the heck," I muttered. The smell in the area was terrible too. Maximus must havee here to stack them up.


    "Maximus," as soon as I said his name, he snarled and turned to me. Kaye had been keeping him in ce until we arrived. Kaye looked very low on energy too, but his eyes showed he wasn¡¯t going to leave without his brother.


    "What do we do?" I asked Norman, who was watching his brothers with teary eyes.


    It made me feel really bad for him.


    "We have to take him home somehow," Emmet suggested, but I noticed Kaye swallow hard, like he wanted to say something.


    "Are you sure he¡¯ll be fine there? I mean¡ª" Kaye stopped talking when I began to speak.


    "He meant lycans among werewolves can be dangerous. What if Maximus attacks others?" I watched Emmet smile to himself.


    "This is not what Kaye meant. He meant if Maximus would be safer there... because who knows, I might lose my mind and try to kill him again." Emmet kept that sad smile on his lips while watching us. "It¡¯s alright though. You all don¡¯t have to pretend it¡¯s not happening. I tried attacking Hnie today¡ªtomorrow it could be someone else. Maybe I should be locked up too, alongside Maximus." Emmet didn¡¯t even hesitate when suggesting that.


    "Wait a minute, you attacked Hnie?" Kaye clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned red.


    "Kaye, she¡¯s fine. She can take care of herself, and if there¡¯s anyone who¡¯ll stand up for her, it¡¯s me. You need to stop acting like that with your brother for her," Norman shocked us when he yelled.


    Maximus tried to use that moment to run past Kaye, grabbing our attention, but Norman and Emmet joined Kaye in getting their hands on Maximus and pinning him down. I had carried a bag of weapons but mostly sedatives.


    "Why are you telling me this?" Kaye yelled at Norman, struggling on the ground with his brothers while trying to stop Maximus from moving too much. I quickly filled the needle with the wolfbane and silver powder and hoped it would work on Maximus.


    "What is going on?" Kaye shouted at us while I reached Norman and gave him the needle. He began injecting Maximus, while Kaye reached out to his cor and then gasped.


    "She marked you," as soon as Kaye said that, Emmet turned to look at the mark too.


    "Holy fuck! no," Kaye suddenly let go of Maximus and got to his feet, shaking his head angrily.


    "I can¡¯t believe this. So you two yed us all? The whole act of ¡¯oh, we married to save Hnie¡¯ was a lie?" Kaye shocked me with his reaction.


    "It was the truth. We were seriously¡ªkeeping our feelings," I started to speak when Kaye snapped at me.


    "When? When were you hiding your feelings? When you were with Emmet? F*cking hell, Hnie. First me, then you jumped to Maximus, and then to Emmet... I understand we were all your mates, so it was bound to happen. I can¡¯t even be mad about that. But Norman¡ªhe¡¯s not even your mate. How the hell did you even think about it, and not once did you think to discuss it with your mates? You looked at us with so much disgust when we brought in other women, but you epted our brother without hesitation. You didn¡¯t just take our mate bonds for granted¡ªyou stole our brother from us," Kaye was screaming and yelling so hard that his veins started to pop out. At that moment, I kept my eyes on the tattoo on his neck. It looked like it was breathing on its own.


    "Back off," Norman jumped between us and ced his hands on his brother¡¯s shoulders.


    "She didn¡¯t steal me from you. I¡¯m still your brother," Norman tried to make him understand, but Kaye pped his hand away. Emmet got up from the ground and lowered his head. I could tell he was deep in thought.


    "It¡¯s funny, brother¡ªit¡¯s funny you think I was talking about you leaving us. Let me tell you something: you lost us. I will never ept you as my brother after what you did to me," he pointed a finger at his own chest and then at Maximus. "This is all because of you. And him too," he then pointed at Emmet.


    "All this time, poor Emmet was feeling guilty, thinking he couldn¡¯t make it in time. Maybe you didn¡¯t try hard enough to reach him that night. You happily epted Hnie¡ªnot even once did you talk to us. All you had to do was sit down with her mates and say, ¡¯Hey, how about you all get rejected first before she marks me?¡¯"


    Kaye was breathing so loudly I could hear a hissing sounding from his mouth.


    "Fine, I¡¯m a scumbag. I couldn¡¯t be with her, and I chose Kesha because Hnie literally told me she couldn¡¯t be with me. But what about Maximus? He didn¡¯t do anything wrong. He went against our mother for her, and she just threw him away. And then¡ªEmmet¡ªthat motherfucker was always there for her. Even when he was losing his memory, he did everything for her. She couldn¡¯t reject you to ept him on the first full moon? She moved on so quickly from her mates to you, but Emmet forgetting her was unforgivable? Wow."


    I guess what nobody else could say, Kaye did.


    And he was right.


    I felt so disgusted at that moment. Almost like I had yed them all.


    "Just because I love you Kaye doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll let you disrespect my wife. She means a lot to me, so I suggest you stop this narrative right here," Norman said steadily, cing his hand on Kaye¡¯s neck but fixing his cor in a threatening way.


    ¡¯We started all this,¡¯ Cora said quietly, and I agreed with her.

 Chapter 593-Divided We Fall

    <h4>Chapter 593: 593-Divided We Fall</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Norman, please," I whispered from behind him, breaking their attention from each other. I felt so guilty that I wanted to run far away from all of them.


    "Amazing. Threatening your brother¡ªthe one you imed to love. Is it too much to ask you to at least let us know?" Kaye pped his hand away again. "Fine, we¡¯ll never speak of you or your mate again." Kaye¡¯s eyes shifted to me, and he hissed, making a decision that would hurt his brother.


    "But let me tell you a secret¡ªwe will not reject her either. Let us all y with fire," Kaye finished, shocking me with how angry he was.


    "Hnie," Norman reached back and took my hand to show Kaye that none of these things about me bothered him and that he stood by the decision that he could love his brothers and me at the same time, "let¡¯s go take Maximus home."


    He said it to Kaye, but the minute we took a step toward Maximus, Kaye stepped in our way.


    "No! You two will stay away from my brother. Emmet and I will take care of him. You two should go home, n your honeymoon or whatever crap you want to do behind our backs," Kaye yelled, using his finger to gesture for us to move away.


    "We can do it, Emmet? Right?" Kaye didn¡¯t turn to Emmet but waited for his response.


    In a calm and casual way, Emmet stepped toward Kaye and then bent down to pick up Maximus from the ground and put him on his back. It was his way of showing he was siding with Kaye.


    "But he is my brother too," I felt Norman¡¯s body shake as he asked Kaye to let him carry Maximus. The lycan was heavy, so they would need to take turns carrying him, and Norman wanted to be part of it.


    "We were just your subjects of interest. Broken brothers you wanted to fix, and in return, you took a heavy price from us," Kaye hissed, his eyesnding on me once again before he turned to walk away with Emmet.


    "Norman, are you okay?" I felt so guilty that even speaking a word was hard for me at that moment.


    "Did you hear him? How could he do this to me? How could they¡ªI cared for them for years, Hnie. I would have told them everything, but it all happened so fast. And you guys were all broken up," he started exining himself to me, and it brought tears to my eyes.


    I never thought Norman would be so devastated.


    "All my life, I¡¯ve put them above myself, and I don¡¯t regret it, but they¡ªthey won¡¯t even let me see Maximus anymore. He is my brother¡ªthey are my baby brothers¡ªI¡¯m not selfish," as his voice broke, I got to see a side of him I don¡¯t ever want to see again. I want Norman to shine like the arrogant one¡ªthat suits him.


    This one was too broken and it broke me.


    He kept rubbing his chest constantly, and it was scary. I kept thinking about the nightmare I had earlier.


    "I love them a lot," he whispered.


    I was confused and guilty for breaking these brothers apart. If I hadn¡¯t jumped from one brother to the other, none of this would have happened. Kaye was right.


    I was a whore.


    I put a wedge between them. It was okay as long as it was my fated mates, but Norman¡ªhe wasn¡¯t my fated mate. And I couldn¡¯t control myself around him either.


    "Maybe we should have just¡ªnot done it. I hate that I¡¯m the reason your brothers are doing this to you," but the minute those words left my lips, the tension in Norman¡¯s body stopped. He stopped moving around and turned to me.


    "Hnie, don¡¯t ever say that," his voice was firm this time. "How could you regret giving me the mostfort and amazing moments of my life? Don¡¯t ever look at us and feel guilty. I love you¡ªand it hurts to say, but I love you a little more than my brothers." He tilted his head and a big tear rolled down his cheek.


    Before he could wipe it away, I rushed toward him and started rubbing my hand all over his face.


    "I don¡¯t regret it either. I just wish I had done it in a better way. It wasn¡¯t your fault, it was mine. I just don¡¯t understand why fate brought us together if we¡¯re not even fated mates. How could I have fallen for you when I have a mate bond with others?" I whispered, feeling so lost in that moment.


    We stayed like that for a while before we held hands and walked behind the brothers. We stayed at a distance because getting closer wasn¡¯t an option anymore. Kaye and Emmet kept switching Maximus from one shoulder to the other.


    "Yeah, make sure the mansion is empty for a few hours," I heard Norman speaking on the phone. He had already arranged a ce for Maximus in the basement.


    "Sure, soundproof it and do the other necessary changes I sent you," I had to step in and make the arrangements. Kaye was emotional, but he hadn¡¯t thought about where he would keep Maximus. For that, Norman had to step in and silently prepare everything.


    After we arrived at the mansion, just like Norman had told his warriors, the household members had been settled at the hostel for the day.


    "Where is everyone?" Right at the door, Kaye started to remember he couldn¡¯t just bring Maximus in like that.


    "I took care of them," Norman replied as he walked past him and got inside before him. Norman didn¡¯t turn around, but I saw the look of guilt on Kaye¡¯s face before he looked at me¡ªand that guilt washed away.


    However, not everyone had left. There was someone who had refused to go.


    "What did you do to my son?" Lady Darcy had been sitting and waiting for our arrival, and the minute we stepped in, she started screaming at me.

 Chapter 594-I Am Their Mate

    <h4>Chapter 594: 594-I Am Their Mate</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    As soon as Lady Darcy starteding at me, Emmet raised his hand to stop hers from hitting me. He did it without looking up from the ground.


    "We don¡¯t assault anyone here," he hissed at her, pushing her back and then fixing his coat. He didn¡¯t even look at her and walked between us, with Kaye carrying Maximus on his back.


    "My son," she started breaking down at the sight of Maximus.


    "Hnie, don¡¯t just stand there and wait for her to throw a tantrum at you. You are not responsible for this, so you shouldn¡¯t be shouted at," Norman¡¯s yelling brought her attention back to us. She was trying to walk after Kaye, but Emmet shook his head and spread his arms out to stop her.


    "This girl did this, do you not see it?" She didn¡¯t yell this time but used a softer tone to use me.


    "We don¡¯t have time for this. Maximus could be waking up any moment. We need to get him ready for his awakening," Emmet said under his breath, checking his pockets for his small alcohol bottle.


    "Norman and Hnie, why don¡¯t you two help us?" he asked, not even looking at us. He was so out of it that, while his words made sense, his bodynguage didn¡¯t match at all.


    And the fact that he asked us to join made us realize he had only agreed with Kaye earlier to stop the argument and quickly get Maximus home.


    I left Darcy behind, who was fuming, and followed Emmet and Norman into the basement. Unbeknownst to me, Darcy was sneakily walking right behind me.


    Once we were in the basement, my heart skipped a beat at the sight of the cage and chains. Norman and Emmet got inside the cage to help Kaye chain up Maximus. While they were doing that, Darcy stepped forward to stand right beside me and get my attention.


    "Only you can help him with the pain," she whispered, making me give her a side-eye. I didn¡¯t trust this woman.


    "My sons are cursed. They have been. All my life I prayed either they wouldn¡¯t find their mates, or if they did, their mates would be brave enough to help them with their curses. Sadly, they didn¡¯t find their mates before this disaster happened¡ªwhen you marked my son. You see, Norman was the strongest of the brothers. He was meant to carry their pain for them. That¡¯s why he wasn¡¯t supposed to have a mate. But then you marked him, and my sons¡¯ curse got worse," she said.


    I turned to her because I noticed some holes in her story.


    "So you mean to say, it¡¯s because Norman was marked that now the others must find their mates, or else they¡¯ll be in pain?" I asked, and she didn¡¯t waste a second before nodding.


    However, I started chuckling a bit¡ªnot because I found the situation funny, but because how could she look me in the eye and lie like that?


    "Then why were you getting him married and marked to Jessica?" I tilted my head, folded my arms over my chest, and asked her politely.


    Her face hardened, her eyebrows pulling together as she bobbed her head in small movements.


    "You think you¡¯re so smart, Hnie? But even powerful people like you have their dumb moments. Did you ever wonder why everything started when you marked my son?" she stepped closer to face me, pressing her hand to her chest when she called Norman her son, this time with more force and confidence.


    "Any random mate marking Norman wasn¡¯t supposed to hurt the others. Only his fated mate could cause that. Now think about what I¡¯m saying," she tilted her head, her eyes staring straight through mine.


    "What are you suggesting? Are you saying... I might be Norman¡¯s fated mate?" I asked, gasping, my head snapping toward Norman, who was still trying to chain up Maximus. But Maximus was moving a lot, even in his unconscious state, so the brothers were struggling.


    "You are his fated mate. But there¡¯s nothing to celebrate, because you¡¯re the reason the others are in pain. Maximus turned into a lycan after you marked Norman. They¡¯re connected, Hnie. They¡¯re tied together. Your marking sped up Maximus¡¯s pain. And now my son is in this state." Her voice cracked a little before she closed her eyes and forced herself to stay serious.


    "Is there nothing we can do to help him?" I asked Lady Darcy, my eyes silently begging her to give us anything that might help.


    "He¡¯ll fully turn into a lycan¡ªforever. The human part¡ªour Maximus¡ªwill be gone for good after a few months," she gave me the worst part first, then added, "but there is a way. I told you already. His fated mate marking him is the only way. But how will we find her? He felt the mate bond with her in the woods once, and then she disappeared. We don¡¯t even know if he ate her and doesn¡¯t remember," she shrugged. "So thank you for marking Norman. You¡¯ve ruined my sons." She gave me a fake smile full of sarcasm.


    But little did she know, she was standing in front of all her sons¡¯ mate.


    "Even if we find his mate now, how will they mark each other? He doesn¡¯t even understand what marking means," my voice came out quietly, because I was honestly ready to do anything to help Maximus get out of this pain.


    "There are ways it could be done. But it¡¯s also true my sons will have to figure that out themselves¡ªand I¡¯m sure they will. The real problem is, there¡¯s just too much going on, and we can¡¯t focus on one thing. I¡¯ve asked my warriors to look around for anyone who ever imed they saw a lycan or felt something around him, but it¡¯s like finding a needle in a haystack," she turned away from me, clearly tired and frustrated she couldn¡¯t help her son.


    I must tell the brothers, so they can move on to the next step and start looking for real answers.

 Chapter 595-One Night Of Passion

    <h4>Chapter 595: 595-One Night Of Passion</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "He¡¯ll be fine. He¡¯s just a little weak, but we¡¯re getting blood for him to drink. Emmet and I are nning to start working on a way to help Maximus. In the meantime, Kaye is searching the woods and forests to find any trace of a witch," Norman said, changing into a white shirt and white shorts for the night.


    "You must be wondering why we¡¯ve turned to a witch. Luckily for us, we¡¯re not living in packs, so the rules about not talking to witches don¡¯t apply to us," Norman continued, then turned around and looked at me. I heard everything he said. But it was also true that I was so baffled in my mind that I could not respond to him correctly.


    I had been watching his face in silence ever since we returned from the basement. Maximus was still asleep, so everything was calm.


    Things might get messy in the morning when the housemates return, but Emmet had ced warriors all around the basement area so nobody could sneak in.


    And of course, Emma still had to be dealt with too.


    "Hnie. Don¡¯t let whatever my mother said get to you," he sighed, walking over and kneeling in front of me.


    He held my hands and kissed the backs of them.


    "How do you know we talked?" I asked.


    "I had one eye on my wife to make sure her mother-inw wasn¡¯t shouting at her again," he said jokingly,ying his head in myp.


    "Do you know what she told me?" I said softly, and he raised his head again just to give me aforting look.


    "Don¡¯t believe whatever she said¡ª" he was trying to reassure me without even asking first what she had said, but I cut him off.


    "She said we¡¯re fated mates," I ced my hand under his cheek and whispered. That made him stare at my face in silence at first, before reacting.


    "What? She said that?" he asked, amusement showing clearly on his face.


    "Yeah. She said that might be the only reason your brothers are in pain," I told him the whole conversation, and he drifted into thought.


    "Hnie¡ªif that¡¯s true, I¡¯d be the happiest man alive¡ª"


    Sadly, his joysted only a few seconds before reality hit, and his smile slowly faded.


    "That means your brothers will be in even more pain now because of the marking," I said, watching him clench his jaw and lower his head.


    "So I¡¯m the problem?" he said,ughing bitterly with tears in his eyes.


    "I can¡¯t even enjoy finding my fated mate now?" he added, though it sounded more like a statement than a question.


    I wasn¡¯t used to seeing Norman in tears. It broke something deep inside me every time he even had a mist of tears in his eyes.


    "Norman, we will find a way to get your brothers help. I will be there with you," I reassured him, cupping his face in my hands. I watched his eyes stare at my face with so much love. Then his eyes dropped to my lips, and he tilted his head, leaning in to nt an affectionate kiss on them.


    My hands held his head, my fingers tangled in his hair as I swallowed his tongue. My body felt excited the minute he got up and I wrapped my arms around his waist. His crotch came in contact with mine and my body began to shudder.


    I moved beneath him as he came on top of me, kissing me passionately. Without breaking the hug, his hand slipped between our bodies to open his shorts.


    His hard cock came out like a soldier, ready to invade my territory. In a quick motion, he tore apart my panties and threw them away, still not breaking the kiss.


    His mouth moved all over mine, sucking my lips and then my tongue while he rubbed the head of his cock against my pussy. I was hungry for his love.


    Every inch of my body was craving this sex more than ever before. His first thrust inside me made my tongue dive into his mouth. He would suck it so deep that I would forget if my tongue belonged to me or him.


    "Mmmmm," I moaned into his mouth as his dick slid in and out of me. He wasn¡¯t trying to be aggressive this time, just gentle, steady pushes while never breaking the kiss.


    With the heat building inside us, we fucked for hours. Norman never got tired. Of course he never did. He would barely sleep, so once he started, he kept getting hard again every time he finished inside me.


    "Aghhh!" I screamed with my face against the pillow as he prated me from behind. His hands grabbed my ass cheeks, massaging them and pulling them apart as he drilled inside me.


    "Ah, ah!" I moaned louder as he picked up speed with each thrust. After hours of nonstop sex, he finallyid on top of me and released in me again.


    This time, I felt the heavy load in my pussy and my eyes rolled back for a few seconds. Ever since we started having sex, whenever we were alone, we would do it.


    My body craved him so much. The way his heavy bodyy on top of mine, and the way he kissed all over the back of my neck¡ªit was a treat.


    He made me giggle as he trailed kisses across my back and neck. After we yed around for a few minutes, we dozed off in each other¡¯s arms. I woke up around 3 a.m. to check on Norman, and to my surprise, he was actually deep in sleep. He had told me a few times already that ever since he began cuddling with me, he slept like a baby.


    And I was happy that he was happier with me. But our happy moments were about to be challenged by my mates very soon.


    I wish I had known that that night¡ªand lived it to my fullest.

 Chapter 596-The Cunning Bitch

    <h4>Chapter 596: 596-The Cunning Bitch</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What is going on?" Emma was the first one to ask, shamelessly forgetting the fact that she had done something extremely terrible the other day.


    We had been gathered in the living room ever since the family returned. Nobody had said a word. Actually, Norman and Lord McQuoid had talked before the rest of the family arrived.


    "There has been some work going on in the basement. We are preparing weapons and poisons there, so it is advised that nobody goes downstairs until further notice," Lord McQuoid took the hold of the situation to make the announcement.


    But I could tell my mother already knew about Maximus being down there. Even Charlotte must have known. I was just confused whether Emma was aware of Maximus¡¯s condition or not.


    I knew that Charlotte used to wander around the mansion all these years¡ªsince she was a part of the family¡ªand during one of her such investigations on a faithful night, she had found out that Maximus is a lycan.


    The maids nodded in agreement, along with the other helpers, and walked away. But now that it was just the family members, Norman started walking toward Emmet, who nowadays only stood in the corner.


    "An incident happened the other day that left me deeply bothered," Norman leaned back against the table with his hands in his pockets, his broad shoulders giving him the look of a giant.


    Everyone exchanged confused nces, trying to remember which incident he was referring to¡ªsince a lot had been happeningtely.


    "You used my brother of a lie. Let¡¯s talk about that," Norman¡¯s eyes narrowed at Emma, who instantly began looking around in confusion.


    "I didn¡¯t use¡ª" she tried to exin but I raised my palm to hush her.


    "I was there, and I know what happened. My mother arrived and saw that I wasn¡¯t in bed with Emmet at all. But you imed that I told you he had attacked me," I began, and noticed Emmet only raising his eyes to look at me while keeping his head down.


    "You said it," Emma repeated herself.


    "Well then, in that case, we have no choice left but to look at it with witnesses. Urs, you were right beside your daughter¡ªmaybe a few feet away or behind¡ªbut you must have heard something. There is no way Hnie told Emma such a story in the few seconds it took you to walk from the passage to the living room, and you didn¡¯t hear it. So tell me¡ªwhat did you hear?" Norman asked my mother, who was probably not expecting to be called out.


    She straightened her spine, but her eyes remained on Emma. I watched Emma grow more confident. They had been friends forever, and my mother had made it painfully clear that she would always pick her over me.


    As Emma¡¯s chest swelled with confidence, my mother responded, "I did not hear Hnie make such a im. In fact, Hnie told us that Emmet didn¡¯t hurt her¡ªand that we should not make a deal out of a simple argument."


    My jaw was hanging so low that one could see my tonsils if they tried.


    Everyone exchanged nces before their angry gazesnded on Emma, who had been watching my mother¡¯s face in shock.


    "Urs," she uttered, almost as if upset that my mother didn¡¯t lie.


    "I will not let anyone lie in my home and ruining the peace. I am so sorry, Emmet, for yelling at you. Her words got to me in the moment and I failed to act properly," my mother said, taking a deep breath. But when her eyesnded on me, I watched a strange longing there.


    I didn¡¯t get why she suddenly felt emotional for me. It was like I had been noticing it here and there, but I didn¡¯t believe her.


    "I think I heard her¡ª" Now that Emma was being called out for a lie, she changed her statement again.


    "It is very shameful that you used my son of such a thing. Do you not know how sensitive that topic is around here? Hnie had suffered real abuse, and you thought you could lie like that?" Lord McQuoid finally took a step forward, yelling at her and putting her in her ce. She had been saying so much weird stuff, and nobody calling her out had me in shock.


    "I think I heard it wrong. Oh my Goddess, I feel so terrible, and now everyone thinks I am such a bad person," she began to dramatically sigh and cry. Even her own daughter looked so done with her.


    Charlotte stood beside her with her arms folded over her chest.


    "Maybe apologize to Emmet, then?" Norman hissed, and Emma raised her head, bobbing it repeatedly.


    "Of course. Emmet¡ªyou are like a son to me. Please forgive me," she tried to reach him, but Kaye stretched his arm out to stop her.


    "Are they going to live with us for the rest of their lives? I mean, get them a new ce or something?" Kaye shocked everyone with his blunt approach toward Emma and Charlotte. Charlotte, who had been silent this whole time, moved for the first time. She looked worried and made eye contact with me, almost like asking for help.


    "That¡¯ll be too harsh a punishment, don¡¯t you think? Rogues don¡¯t have homes. They live in the woods unless it is this mansion. You want us to move out and live in some cabin or house far away from you guys so that the Zharns could get to us?" Emma was now yapping quickly, fearing they¡¯d be thrown out of the mansion.


    "There will be no need to kick anyone out of the mansion. She apologized, and I epted her apology. I don¡¯t want anyone talking about this matter again," Emmet spoke up in hismanding, loud voice, causing everyone to fall silent and listen.


    Emma smiled with tears in her eyes. "He is such a nice man. And I am such a horrible woman to think so wrong about him." She broke down again, but this time, nobody came forward tofort her. We all started to leave for our rooms; even Charlotte left before her.


    Norman held my hand and made me walk behind him to our bedroom, leaving Emma alone in the living room.

 Chapter 597-I Must Mark Them All

    <h4>Chapter 597: 597-I Must Mark Them All</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I have not been able to sleep this whole time. After Norman and I made out, he had gone to work on finding a solution with Emmet. He was probably in Emmet¡¯s room, and that made me feel even lonelier.


    "Hey!" I said, carefully walking up to the cage. He was badly wounded from his time out with the Zharns.


    He snarled, not raising his head from the ground.


    "Maximus!" I said his name. He got up and lunged at me. I didn¡¯t back down even when he was trying to reach out with his ws through the bars.


    "You want to w me?" I asked in a softer, lighter tone. I reached out to his hand but only brushed the tip of our fingers, and he suddenly backed down.


    He stared at my hand and then lifted his head. I swear I wasn¡¯t seeing things, but I spotted tears in his eyes.


    "Maximus! It¡¯s me, Hnie!" I reached the bar so close this time, not even fearing that he might attack me. I knew he would never harm me.


    He kept staring at his hand before he strolled closer again, this time reaching with his finger and my balled fingers against the bar. I was staring at his finger as he touched me and then let out a little whimper.


    "We are looking for a way to bring you back," I said, cing my hand on his w. The way he even snarled under his breath as if he was shocked at the sensation of touch broke my heart.


    To others, he might be a monster, but to me, he was my mate.


    "He needs us," Cora uttered.


    I took a deep breath, rolled up my sleeve, and pushed my hand inside.


    "You can drink my blood," I offered, and he instantly wed his hand to my arm. I winced but forced a smile. Tears sprung down my eyes when I watched him lick my arm.


    His touch never scared me for some reason.


    "It¡¯s okay, you can drink a little," I sniffled, even though I was told once he starts drinking, he is unable to keep control and does not know when to stop.


    He licked my hand and then opened his mouth wide before he pulled away again.


    "What happened?" I asked as I watched him walk away and sit on the ground looking like a gori. He looked so adorable for being such a monster in shape.


    He turned his back to me, refusing to hurt me.


    "You can¡¯t even hurt me," I uttered, "and I am here unable to do anything for you." It was a wide awakening. That was it. I would get him help.


    "Hnie!" however, Norman suddenly arrived and pulled me back from the cage, worried his brother might have attacked me or might attack me.


    "It¡¯s fine. He didn¡¯t do anything," I told Norman and then my eyes moved behind to Emmet. He was in his oversized coat and pants, his hands in his pockets even at nighttime.


    "Did you two find something?" I asked, watching their faces one by one.


    "I will go rest now," Emmet said, excusing himself without answering me. Once he was gone, Norman and I sat down on the ground because we didn¡¯t want to leave Maximus alone. He didn¡¯t turn around this whole time.


    "Your mother said something else to me about the mate bonds and¡ªhow Maximus could be saved," I started, realizing I should have told him that way earlier.


    "Really? She knows and isn¡¯t telling us?" Norman frowned.


    "Norman, I want you guys to be honest with me now. I want to know what¡¯s going on. Why do you have four heartbeats? Why is Maximus a lycan? Why is Emmet losing his memory? What is this curse and why is it affecting your brothers?" I asked, unable to just sit and watch them hide it from me. If they expected me to believe they have epted me as part of their family and that they trust me, they must tell me the truth about their past and their curses.


    "Hnie¡ª" Norman took a deep breath before starting, "We are cursed because we were born against the will of the moon goddess. She didn¡¯t want our mother to have children, but here we are. So we were cursed for an eternity of pain and misery."


    I was so shocked when I heard that. Just a few days ago I had started to feel a little better towards the moon goddess, only for my rage toe back.


    "Why would she do that?" I asked angrily.


    "I¡¯m not sure. My mother knows the whole truth and never tells us. For all I know, we brothers are cursed, and with time¡ªour curses will consume us," he looked so broken when mentioning that part.


    I was scared for it to ever happen. I had fallen deeply in love with my husband and had feelings for my mates; I wouldn¡¯t be able to watch them fade away.


    "We will never let that happen," I held his hand almost like I was scared if I didn¡¯t, I would lose him.


    "I didn¡¯t know my mother knew the solution to Maximus¡¯s pain. For all I knew, I would never have a mate, and if I did, I must not get epted and marked by her. But now that Maximus is in pain after our marking¡ªeven I wonder¡ª," he uttered, the tip of his finger roaming around the back of my hand.


    "The only way to save the brothers from the pain is for them to be epted and marked by their fated mate. In our case, it will be me," I didn¡¯t hold back and told him the entirety of the truth.


    I watched his eyes widen, and his body leaned back, creating a distance between us.


    "What if it is true? It started with me marking you¡ªwhat if it ends with me marking them all?" I asked, even having goosebumps on my skin just by mentioning it.

 Chapter 598-Forever Toxic

    <h4>Chapter 598: 598-Forever Toxic</h4>


    <strong>Charlotte:</strong>


    "Stop crying now," I rolled my eyes at my mother, who had been sitting on my bed and tearing up ever since she walked into my room.


    "Mom, just calm down. So what if you apologized? You were wrong too for using Emmet. Just tell me something ¡ª-did you really think Hnie said Emmet was assaulting her?" I asked, because I didn¡¯t get to speak to my mother about the whole mess that she became a part of.


    She sniffled and cleaned her nose, her hands rubbed together in herp, and I knew instantly she had lied.


    "That was a wrong move," I said, finishing up my makeup, more specifically, finishing up my eye makeup to hide the swollen eyes and the bags under them.


    I haven¡¯t been able to rest ever since Maximus transitioned. I know he¡¯s in the basement, and my heart ached that they weren¡¯t letting me walk downstairs to see him.


    However, even if I couldn¡¯t see him, I would give him my blood to help him somehow. I¡¯ve told Norman to let me know when to do that. Since Maximus was now in his beastly transition, he wouldn¡¯t be drinking directly from someone. So we¡¯ll have to give him blood in a bowl or something.


    "Mother, calm down," I sat down with her and rested my head on her shoulder.


    "How could I? You are also Team Hnie now. All you do is defend her, even when she¡¯s stealing the brothers¡¯ attention left and right," my mother tried to shrug my head off, but I wrapped my arm around her shoulders even tighter.


    "You¡¯re not wrong though." As soon as I said that, she turned to me and I had to lift my head from her shoulder to look her in the eyes.


    "You know?" my mother scoffed. "You act like you¡¯re unaware."


    I sighed and held her hand between my hands, "That¡¯s because I thought that would help. That day when Romeo died, I watched Jessicae and meet Hnie like they were friends. I realized if I needed to guilt-trip Hnie, I had to befriend her first. At this point, isn¡¯t it obvious that we can¡¯t hurt her directly? We have to act like we¡¯re her friends."


    My mother¡¯s eyes started to widen in shock when she heard me finally tell her my true ns.


    It was true. I didn¡¯t even sleep overnight and felt so guilty for treating Hnie wrong. I learned from Jessica¡¯s situation. I wanted to make Hnie feel bad for getting close to Maximus, but things were different for me and Jessica. With Jessica, Norman had an engagement ¡ª yet it didn¡¯t stop Hnie from stealing him.


    "So that¡¯s what it was. No wonder I couldn¡¯t help but see you stare at Hnie with that strange look of anger whenever nobody was looking."


    Of course, she was my mother. She knew me well.


    "Mother, we just have to change our ns. Be nice for now. And yes, I¡¯m aware my n didn¡¯t work either. Jessica got her mate stolen. Hnie is no one¡¯s friend. There¡¯s no amount of guilt that would make her choose others¡¯ happiness over hers. But I¡¯m nning something big ¡ª something so big that it will change our lives forever," I smirked as I stared into the distance.


    "You must tell Lady Darcy this. She was so upset with youst time," my mother excitedly sat up in the bed, finally smiling now that she knew she wasn¡¯t alone in fighting against Hnie.


    "Mom, she knew. That whole yelling back and forth was her idea. We knew Hnie would hear us or someone else would and tell Hnie about it. That¡¯s why we kept the door open," I leaned in to smile teasingly at my mother¡¯s face before pulling back.


    "All the while we were nning something else." I had hit rock bottom when I found out Hnie had been epted by Norman. At that time, I realized she had bagged the big fish.


    The guy who controlled everything and I knew at that moment she would ruin it for me too. Maximus was still head over heels in love with her.


    I sometimes had a bad feeling about Maximus¡¯ mate in the woods as well. What if she shows up? So Darcy and I nned something epic. We wanted Jessica to get on board with our n, but it was hard.


    She was too righteous.


    She loved Norman, but not enough to fight for him, to take drastic steps for him.


    "I will go see Emmet for a moment," the minute I said that and got up from the bed, my mother held my hand and gave me a look, warning me not to go see him.


    "That asshole is the reason I was ashamed," my mother hissed.


    "And he is the reason you stayed in the mansion. Don¡¯t forget, he forgave you. And I¡¯m not meeting him because I trust him or anything. I just need to find out where he stands with Hnie. The two haven¡¯t been talking much, so maybe he doesn¡¯t like her either. I just have to snoop around a bit," I freed my hand from my mother¡¯s grasp and then carried my bag over my shoulder before leaving for Emmet¡¯s room.


    Walking through the passage was hard. I could get caught.


    But thankfully, no one was focusing on this area anymore. The brothers were usually in Norman¡¯s room or office, cooking something.


    I gently pushed the door open and walked in, finding books and research papers scattered around.


    I stayed there for a while but didn¡¯t find anything useful. While walking back to my room, I got a call from Darcy.


    "So? How¡¯s it going?" she asked me, sounding curious.


    "Well so far. The brothers are having a meeting," I said.


    "Yeah, I know. If my calctions are right, I know who Maximus¡¯s mate is. I¡¯ve started the fire and the mate wille out from the smoke herself."


    There was a wickedugh she always let out that made my heart beat faster. But I never told her that.


    "Great. My job here is done too." I smirked, remembering how I fooled Hnie into thinking that just like Jessica I¡¯m also on her side.

 Chapter 599-The Rune’s Dream Prison

    <h4>Chapter 599: 599-The Rune¡¯s Dream Prison</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Why didn¡¯t you tell us this before?" Norman had been so shocked that he was unable to make anyments and had called his mother in for an emergency meeting. I had kept the news to myself too. I just wasn¡¯t sure how to tell Norman this. I understood what he might be going through. He finally found a mate, maybe, but just like his heartbeats, his mate wasn¡¯t his only either.


    I was silent too. My body was almost numb, just going with the flow at this point.


    "What¡¯s going on? What is this emergency meeting for?" Kaye hadn¡¯t acted the same way since that day. Maybe he had been too emotional in the moment back then.


    He came and sat with us in Norman¡¯s office, still avoiding meeting my gaze.


    "And everyone¡¯s already here," Emmet entered next, looking sleepless and rubbing his temples as he sat down.


    "Are you doing okay? You¡¯ve really been keeping to yourself these days," Kaye said to Emmet, who sighed.


    "I¡¯m fine. Just busy dealing with the situation with the Zharns so the students can enjoy their promised cruise trip soon," he reminded us of the trip we had wonst time.


    I had almost forgotten about it.


    I didn¡¯t feel wee among them, so I sat in silence with my head down.


    "You need toe here," Norman finished the call and turned around to face us all.


    He passed a quick nce over all of us and probably even noticed how silently I sat on the side because his face twisted with concern.


    "What¡¯s up?" Kaye cleared his throat, gently shifting in his seat while following his brother¡¯s gaze toward me. I saw Kaye look at me for the first time since he arrived. But it was a quick nce just to see where Norman had been looking.


    "We¡¯ve figured out a way to help Maximus," Norman started, his mouth filling with air before exhaling to show his exhaustion.


    I knew it wasn¡¯t easy for him to talk to his brothers about me. We had formed a connection where loyalty and affection meant a lot to us.


    "So, tell us," Emmet insisted, sounding more enthusiastic.


    "Hnie has to mark Maximus in order to help him with his pain," Norman announced, and silence filled the room for a full minute.


    "What?" Kaye was the first one to break the silence. Norman had decided not to tell them that I had to mark all of them to ease their pains because we still weren¡¯t sure how much of that was true.


    So we wanted to test it with Maximus first.


    "I spoke with Mom," Norman began, but Kaye had some harsh questions, rightfully so.


    "And? Mom told you that? How did she know about it and didn¡¯t tell us earlier?" I watched him clench his jaw. I remembered how he wanted to be her favorite and got that position just to blow it off.


    Nowadays, he didn¡¯t care much about what his mother thought of him. But that child who craved her attention was still deep down there.


    Which is why it bothered him that his mother didn¡¯t include him when she told Norman this information.


    "Kaye, she only told Hnie. I believe her seer told her that a long time ago," Norman exined, but it caused Emmet to speak up this time.


    "Right. Why didn¡¯t we ask her to hook us up with her seer? Where did that witchdy go?" Emmet had such a casual tone. He didn¡¯t even react too harshly to the fact that I would be marking Maximus.


    Even when Kaye looked so ufortable with the idea.


    "Mom said the seer died a long time ago," Norman shrugged, probably not wanting to talk about it.


    "And you¡¯re okay with your wife getting marked by your brother? How the hell did that happen? I thought you were being too greedy about Hnie," Kaye muttered under his breath, and I turned to give him a look. I saw him nce at me from the corner of his eye, but then he didn¡¯t say anything else.


    "It¡¯s Hnie¡¯s choice. And I¡¯ll stand by her because it¡¯s just a marking¡ª-a sign of eptance. Besides, Hnie is linked to him. She¡¯ll feel the pain too. She already had moments where she passed out after Maximus transitioned," Norman mmed his hands on the table and leaned forward while telling his brother why it was so important.


    "So now she remembers we can feel each other¡¯s pain?" Kaye said quietly. I remembered he had epted me before, but I hadn¡¯t marked or epted him back.


    "She passed out? When and how¡ª," Emmet stopped talking the second his eyes met mine.


    He was still in there, the Emmet who cared, but I could tell he was pretending not to.


    "A few times since Maximus transitioned. She seems to be in extreme pain. That¡¯s why it¡¯s important we handle this carefully. We¡¯re hoping she¡¯ll do it this full moon. But the issue is¡ªhow? If he marks her, he could kill her. His bite on her neck, in this panicked state, would be deadly. And then how is she supposed to mark him?" Norman sat down, his eyes starting to shine at the thought of me being in pain.


    Even I was worried, but I kept faking a bold, confident face so they wouldn¡¯t back out out of fear for my safety.


    "So for her to mark Maximus, he must be in his human form, right?" Kaye asked, rubbing his chin and frowning.


    Emmet started rolling his chair sideways, his head down and eyes on the ground, but once in a while, he would raise his head to look at me, only to quickly look away again.


    "That won¡¯t be a problem," Kaye suddenly sat up in his chair with excitement, and all of our eyesnded on him.


    We were intrigued now. He looked hopeful.


    "There¡¯s a ce where the wolf doesn¡¯t exist. I mean, it does, but it¡¯s the most submissive," he announced, a hopeful smile spreading in his eyes.


    We all stared at his face before I said, "The Rune¡¯s Dream Prison."

 Chapter 600-Back To Rune’s World

    <h4>Chapter 600: 600-Back To Rune¡¯s World</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "How is everything going?" Norman asked as he walked beside me. "Are you nervous?" he added, and I sighed, reluctantly nodding my head. I could always tell him my fears. He was the type I could put my stress and worries on and know he would find a way.


    With him, I wasn¡¯t the powerful Hnie who was the Alpha Queen of the North. Beside him, I was just a teen who only had lla¡¯ going on in her head.


    "Maximus seems healthy. Everyone has been volunteering their blood to him. Tonight will decide most of it," I said with a deep, heavy breath, walking toward the basement with him.


    "The whole house has been asked to evacuate for the night," Norman added, and I nodded in appreciation. He had been working nonstop to find a way to avoid me marking Maximus. He didn¡¯t say it out loud, but I knew it.


    "Norman, are you scared of me marking him? Would it be trouble for our rtionship?"


    I finally stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned to him, holding his hand.


    "I¡¯m scared of you getting trapped in Rune¡¯s world. The rest, I trust you," he smiled, gently pinching my chin.


    "I¡¯ll be fine. I remember we had to destroy the roses we sniffed from in order to get out of it. Now the real issue is, how are we going to get him to sniff the rose?" I turned to Maximus, who had been extremely anxious the whole day.


    The full moon was tonight, so he was growing impatient and violent. There were nights when he would bang against the walls and I woulde downstairs to stay beside him forfort.


    And weirdly enough, he would calm down.


    Which made my belief in marking him even stronger.


    "Empty the basement, kids. We¡¯re nning to take him for a ride," Kaye walked downstairs, purposely stepping between me and Norman as he made his way to the cage.


    He was holding some flowers in his hands. Behind him was Emmet, who reluctantly walked between us, but we had already stepped aside to leave the path clear for them.


    Kaye and Emmet had been bringing him different kinds of flowers every day. They would sit and sniff those flowers in front of him most of the time. I had no clue if it was working or not, since I didn¡¯t spend time with the two. But here I was, to see the result of their hard work.


    As soon as Kaye reached the cage, Maximus lunged at him, snatching the bouquet out of his hands and sniffing it.


    "See that, kids? This is how you save your brother. Not by stealing his mate," Kaye whispered under his breath, but made sure we all heard it.


    "Kaye, behave yourself," Emmet warned him before stepping to the side, checking something on his phone.


    Norman didn¡¯t look bothered by Kaye¡¯s remarks, as he was usually very rock-solid, but I didn¡¯t like it.


    "The beds will be here by tonight. That¡¯s when we¡¯ll start the process. Hopefully, it will be over soon," Emmet added as he put his phone in his pocket, then raised his head to the ceiling, closed his eyes, and sighed before looking down and stretching his neck.


    I knew what he might be thinking.


    He was in pain too.


    His memory had gotten a lot worse. There were days when he woulde downstairs and be so shocked to see a lycan in the cage. But Kaye was beside him all the time. However, what wasn¡¯t supposed to happen were the delusions he was getting. He didn¡¯t speak of them out loud, but I noticed him sometimes widening his eyes behind us as if he was seeing someone.


    I was heavily concerned for him, so I told Norman about it, and he had decided to help Emmet out next.


    "Great, I¡¯ll go grab the purple rose from the royal lockers then," Norman said, giving me onest nod before heading upstairs. Kaye was busy giving Maximus blood when I reached over to Emmet.


    "You probably forgot, but I remember," I started talking, and he turned to look at me. His hands were in his pants¡¯ pockets.


    "I remember the well. I¡¯ll do my best to wake up in a few hours so we can help you too," I reassured him, just in case he was wondering if I had forgotten. I didn¡¯t think he had time until the next full moon.


    "You don¡¯t have to worry so much about me," he said, trying tofort me.


    "I do. I do care about you, and I¡¯ll be there for you tonight," I said it with much more confidence this time. He was staring at me oddly, as if he maybe didn¡¯t remember who I was.


    "Don¡¯t just don¡¯te to the well for me," he muttered in a grumpy undertone, and my eyebrows scrunched. "I don¡¯t want to see you there. If you¡¯ve ever respected me, you¡¯ll leave me alone and note to the¡ªwell," it was like he had to force the words out.


    It hurt my heart. He didn¡¯t even want my help anymore. But he was wrong if he thought I¡¯d forget about him.


    A few hourster, the beds were delivered and set up. One inside the cage, the other just outside it, at a safe distance.


    Norman came back with the ribbons and purple roses, and Emmet returned after spending some time alone.


    "Get ready for a ride to Rune¡¯s dream prison. But remember¡ªif he recognizes you, he¡¯ll make it extra hard for you to get out of there," Kaye said, not even looking me in the eye as I sat down on the bed.


    "You don¡¯t have to say that out loud in front of Norman. He¡¯ll panic," I reminded him, and he finally raised his head to re at me.


    "We¡¯ll panic too. So don¡¯t act like he¡¯s the only one who cares. Just admit he¡¯s the only one you fucking acknowledge," he muttered under his breath but pulled away quickly as Norman and Emmet came over to the bed.


    "Best of luck. I¡¯lle into Rune¡¯s dream prison if you¡¯re dyed longer than what we agreed on," Norman said, kissing my forehead and reminding me of what I already knew. Then he walked with Kaye to help Maximus sniff, which he started doing immediately. I held the rose and sniffed it as Emmet came to me for onest word.


    "You have toe back. Remember¡ªyou¡¯ll be there at the well to help me out tonight. I don¡¯t have time," those were thest words I heard from him, and they made me feel so confident. Hearing Emmet put his trust in me again was a good way to start this mission.

 Chapter 601-A New Life

    <h4>Chapter 601: 601-A New Life</h4>


    <strong>Hnie: </strong>


    "Good morning," I felt wet kisses all over my cheeks, and my giggles escaped before I could even open my eyes.


    "Aren¡¯t you up a little too early today?" I asked my husband, who was watching my face with so much love.


    "I go to sleep thinking about you and wake up thinking about you, my wife," he said, nting a soft kiss on my lips. It stirred a familiar desire in me, making my sleepy body start to wake up in ways I knew too well. He lifted the nket and stared at my breasts, barely covered by a thin satin top.


    "And they¡¯re awake too," he teased, lowering his head to kiss my nipples over the fabric.


    "You¡¯re always horny," I pushed him gently and sat up in bed.


    "Always for you," he smiled from where hey. "Come on. We¡¯ve got time to spare. Why can¡¯t we bete for just two hours?" heined. As if two hours would ever be enough for him¡ªonce he started, he never stopped, even after twelve.


    "That¡¯s because if the president finds out we¡¯rete again, he¡¯ll fire us. And you know prices to everything are skyrocketing¡ªwe haven¡¯t even bought groceries this week," I sighed, and just like that, his mood shifted.


    "I know I¡¯m not able to give you everything. You deserve someone who can give you whatever you want. And here I am... just a worker at the mines," he stared at his hands, and my heart ached for him.


    It¡¯s not like I came from a rich family. I grew up working as a maid, and now I worked in the president¡¯s house, still as a maid. But my husband didn¡¯t like it.


    I knew him too well. He was working himself to the bone trying to get me luxuries, when all I ever wanted was him.


    "I¡¯m happy with you, Maximus," I said before crawling back into bed to nt a soft kiss on his lips. I didn¡¯t want him going to work in a bad mood.


    "Now get up," I said, getting off the bed and tugging on his arm to pull him up.


    "Ouch. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me¡ªmy bones are always cracking," he joked, getting up and following me into the shower.


    "We¡¯re going to bete," I giggled when he started kissing all over my shoulder, trying to lure me into sex.


    "Nope," I shook my finger and pushed him out of the bathroom before stripping down and stepping under the water. After he showered too, we grabbed our share of bread and ate together while walking toward our jobs. Saying goodbye to him was always the hardest part of my day.


    "Ugh," I groaned as I reached the mansion and ced a hand on my stomach, feeling a wave of nausea.


    "That¡¯s because you¡¯re not eating properly," an older maid said, joining me.


    "We¡¯re saving up to finally start a family," I told her with a soft smile.


    "Okay, listen. The president¡¯s in a bad mood. Someone who stole from him before hase back to hisnd, and he¡¯s thinking of how to punish her."


    "So, better get his breakfast to his bed. Winnie isn¡¯t around today," she said as she led me to the kitchen and filled me in on my duties for the day. Normally, I¡¯d just clean the mansion and never see the president. But today, because the one who usually worked closely with him was absent, I had to fill in.


    "Take this, thankfully I prepared the food on time," Mrs. Prissy said with a smile, handing me the tray. I took a deep breath, checked my ck and red uniform, then walked toward the second floor where the president¡¯s room was.


    I didn¡¯t have to knock¡ªthe guard was already there, his hand on the door handle.


    "Good morning," I greeted, stepping into his luxurious room. Something I had only dreamed of. He was still in bed, lying naked on his stomach with a thin sheet covering his backside.


    I quickly averted my eyes and focused on cing the tray on the table.


    "Put it here," he said gruffly and sleepily as he pushed his body up and tastefully covered his crotch with the sheet. I caught a glimpse of his perfectly jet-ck hair and blue eyes staring at me as I set the tray down by the bed before rushing to the side to grab the bed table.


    While I served him food, he kept staring at me.


    "Hnie Niles," he said my name, and my body flinched. I raised my head as I sat across the small table, buttering the toast for him.


    "Yes, Mister Rune?" I asked in a soft, obedient voice.


    "I¡¯ve seen you around many times. I must say, you¡¯re really gorgeous," he said, licking the rim of his coffee cup before taking a sip.


    "Thank you. You must have seen me walking around with my husband," I quickly added, then focused on the toast. I heard he was angry, but he seemed to be in a pretty good mood.


    "Right, the mine worker. How is life with him? Or should I ask¡ªhow is life with one husband?" My heart sank in my chest for some reason at his words.


    "I don¡¯t understand. What do you mean?" I asked, confused.


    "I¡¯ve heard about you. Growing up, you had desires to be shared among at least four husbands. Your body is highly active¡ªyou can¡¯t be satisfied with just one husband. How did you decide to settle down with only one?" The way he said it, I felt hypnotized. Almost like I suddenly remembered my dreams of being shared by many husbands.


    "This is why I don¡¯t like men like Maximus. They steal away gorgeous women¡¯s desires and dreams by being selfish. But Hnie, I¡¯m nothing like him," he whispered, slowly closing the distance between us as he pushed the table aside.


    "What are you offering?" The words left my lips without me noticing.


    "I¡¯m offering you a wonderful night with me and your husband. A good threesome¡ª" He smiled, then his eyesnded on my stomach, and he gently ced a hand on it. "Before you start showing."

 Chapter 602-A Desired Threesome

    <h4>Chapter 602: 602-A Desired Threesome</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "It was such a hard day today. They¡¯re making us do overtime with minimum pay. Can you believe that?" Maximus got home and yelled in exhaustion while I stood in the bathroom with the pregnancy test in my hand.


    I was pregnant.


    Tears were brimming in my eyes, tears of happiness. But there was also a little sadness in me that I couldn¡¯t understand, and I didn¡¯t know where it wasing from.


    "Hnie, I¡¯m making lunch today," Maximus called from outside, and I took a deep breath before hiding the test in my purse and walking out of the bathroom.


    "Hey, my beautiful wife," Maximus gave me a quick kiss before rushing into the bathroom to freshen up and start preparing lunch. After a while, he was cutting vegetables and I was sitting on a chair, watching him.


    "You¡¯ve been awfully quiet. I want to know what¡¯s going on in that pretty little head of yours." Maximus was so sweet that even thinking about having other husbands made me feel guilty.


    But ever since Rune mentioned it, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it. It was something I wanted, but I had buried that desire deep inside so I wouldn¡¯t upset my husband.


    "Nothing," I sighed, clenching my hands together tightly.


    "Hnie, now you¡¯re worrying me. You don¡¯t stay quiet for this long. What¡¯s going on? Tell me," he insisted, and with another big sigh, I decided to be honest with him.


    "I was in Mister Rune¡¯s bedroom today, serving him food," I started and saw him put the knife down and walk over to me.


    "Did he misbehave with you? I swear I will¡ª" he knelt down and started muttering when I held his hands to stop him.


    "He reminded me of something I¡¯ve always wanted," I said quietly.


    "What is it?" Maximus looked confused.


    "My body is very sexual. I¡¯ve always wanted to be shared," the moment I said that, he pulled his hands away from mine.


    "I knew you¡¯d be upset, that¡¯s why I¡¯ve hidden my wishes from you for so long." I stood up as he started pacing angrily.


    "What kind of husband would be happy to hear that? And why are you saying this now? Am I not enough for you?" he shouted in my face, and my eyes shut instinctively.


    "Mister Rune offered a threesome. With you, me, and him," those words of boldness just slipped out of my mouth.


    "What?" Maximus gasped, and I lowered my head in shame.


    "Are you actually considering it?" Of course, he figured out why I was being so quiet.


    "It would just be one time. I want to feel it. I want to feel what it¡¯s like to be shared and¡ª" I stopped when I saw tears in his eyes. "Maybe¡ª as a gift for my pregnancy?"


    I hated myself for trading such good news for something like that. He looked even more lost this time.


    "Huh? You¡¯re pregnant and you want to mess around?" he yelled, making my body tremble.


    "Just once and you¡¯ll be there," I started, but he showed me his palm and silenced me. That¡¯s when the doorbell rang, making us both turn away from each other.


    There was this strange feeling like we both already knew who was outside that door.


    Maximus rushed over and opened it, revealing Mister Rune standing outside with his guards beside him.


    "Great," Maximus scoffed, not even afraid of upsetting the president.


    "Mister President, why are you here?" I asked in a sly tone, my eyes already filled with the longing to be used by many men.


    It was strange, but the second Mister Rune came into view, my body craved being taken by many, all at once, with even more desperation.


    "I had a feeling you wouldn¡¯t be able to convince him," Rune said as he stepped inside, his guards following him to keep Maximus in check.


    Poverty had tied my husband¡¯s hands otherwise, I knew he would¡¯ve punched Rune in the face.


    "And you think you can convince me?" Maximus yelled, standing up to this powerful man with no weapon and no support. I was getting anxious for his safety now.


    "Why not? Would you rather lose herpletely or share her for one night and have her for the rest of your life?" Rune asked, and Maximus¡¯s head turned sharply toward me.


    "What is he saying? If I don¡¯t agree¨C you¡¯ll leave me?" he asked, trying toe closer, but Rune¡¯s guards stepped in, already forming a wall between us.


    Maximus looked so hurt that I turned my face away in guilt. I didn¡¯t want to hurt him, but my desire to be shared was stronger than ever now.


    "Hnie, what if I don¡¯t agree?" Maximus said in a low, defeated voice.


    "She will leave you and move in with me. But if you agree, we¡¯ll have one night full of pleasure and before you leave the next morning, you¡¯ll be gifted a house, a car, and even a top position in mypany. Your baby will never suffer like you two did," Rune said.


    The moment those words left his mouth, my desire grew even more.


    I turned to look at Maximus. He was about to shake his head when Rune ced a hand on his shoulder, making him look up and meet his eyes.


    "You want this too. You want to see her taken by other men by me," Rune said calmly.


    And the way he spoke, almost like he was teaching Maximus to ept it, made me feel like the dream might reallye true.


    In a strange, almost eerie way, Maximus smiled and finally nodded.


    "We¡¯ll do it tonight."


    "Great. Once you do it, you two will be part of my family forever," Rune said.


    But chills ran down my spine when I heard that word: forever. It felt like I had heard him talk about keeping me before too.


    Still, I found myself smiling again because the thought of my desires finally being fulfilled made everything else fade away.

 Chapter 603-Purple Is Not A Color Here

    <h4>Chapter 603: 603-Purple Is Not A Color Here</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Don¡¯t be nervous. Once we do it, we¡¯ll get used to it," Maximus had suddenly changed so much. The same husband who once hated the idea of sharing me was now holding my hand and practically dragging me toward the mansion.


    It was 5 p.m., and we were supposed to meet Rune for a fancy dinner before our session.


    But I was suddenly hesitant.


    I didn¡¯t know what that feeling was, but something felt off. Like I was being suffocated.


    "Maximus¨C this is not your child."


    I don¡¯t know what made me say it. I wasn¡¯t even thinking about it when the words slipped out of my mouth.He let go of my hand and turned to face me.


    "Are you suggesting you cheated on me?" he asked, a frown quickly forming on his forehead.


    "I don¡¯t know why I said that. Maybe we should just go back home," I said, trying to pull him back with me, but he stood firm, resisting me.


    "We can¡¯t. Mister Rune is waiting for us. We have to be part of his family," Maximus said, looking like apletely different person. He was forcing me now.


    "No! I don¡¯t want to do this," I said, shaking my head. Someone¡¯s voice echoed in my mind.


    "I trust you."


    He looked so confident in me. And here I was-- walking into that monster¡¯s mansion for a threesome.


    "Maximus, something isn¡¯t right," I tried to pull my hand free to clutch my head as pain started pounding in my skull, but Maximus wouldn¡¯t let go.


    "Don¡¯t make up excuses. You¡¯re fine. And once you do it, you¡¯ll feel better," he said again, trying to drag me forward. I resisted, pulling away from him and from the mansion.


    "I¡¯m telling you I don¡¯t feel well, and you¡¯re still dragging me to get fucked by another man?" I finally snapped and yelled at him.


    He lunged at me again, grabbed my hand, and pulled me against his chest.


    "We can¡¯t back out now. He gave his orders. You¡¯ll enjoy it," he whispered in a creepy tone, and I had enough.


    "Have you lost your damn mind or grown a spine made of slime?" I shoved him back and pped him hard across the face.


    He let me go, stunned, holding his cheek.


    "I¡¯m your brother¡¯s wife! And you want me to sleep with some maniptive psychopath¡ª"


    As soon as the words left my mouth, I gasped and covered my mouth with both hands.


    A wave of guilt and realization crashed over me.


    "What?" Maximus lookedpletely lost.


    "Shit," I whispered, looking around and then back at him and suddenly a huge smile broke across my face.


    "You¡¯re back," I cried out, throwing myself at him, cupping his face in my hands as tears welled up.


    Seeing him stuck in his lycan form for a whole month had been so hard.


    But then it hit me,


    Shit.


    I had almost given in to Rune¡¯s maniption.


    "What are you talking about? I don¡¯t have a brother. You¡¯re my wife. You¡¯re the mother of my child," Maximus pulled his face from my hands and grabbed both of mine, holding them behind my back. "And you know what? I¡¯m not going to share you with anyone anymore."


    His demeanor suddenly turned aggressive. He spun me around and started walking me back home. I followed him quietly, thinking of my next move.


    "Wait, wait," I finally found my voice. "Maximus, this ce isn¡¯t real." I hoped it would be that simple, but he started shaking his head, refusing to listen.


    "No. You¡¯re losing your mind. You¡¯re saying weird things. First, you wanted me to share you. Then you said the baby isn¡¯t mine, then you said you¡¯re my brother¡¯s wife and now you¡¯re saying this ce isn¡¯t real?" he muttered in frustration, grabbing my wrist tighter to pull me along.


    "I¡¯m not going back to that house. You don¡¯t get it. This is Rune¡¯s dream prison. We came here to save you," I said in a rush, realizing he wasn¡¯t even trying to understand what I was saying.


    And I had a feeling why. Before, when I was miserable in real life, I wanted to stay here in this perfect illusion. But now... now I am happy in the real world. I wanted to go back. Still, something about this ce had kept me here for a few hours. And I had to ask myself why.


    What had this world given me that made me stay, even briefly? I remembered how, in the past, Kaye wasn¡¯t even affected when he wasn¡¯t that unhappy in his life. He had hopes and ns to win his mother¡¯s love. My eyes shifted to Maximus, and a gasp escaped my lips.


    I wanted to mark him. I wanted him as my husband too. The realization struck me like a p. Guilt bubbled up instantly. I quickly shoved the thought aside and grabbed his hand.


    "We have to go back," I said, aware now that my wolf had always wanted all her mates, she¡¯d said it out loud more than once.


    "We¡¯re going back home," he insisted, gripping my hand firmly. But at this point, I didn¡¯t know what to do anymore.


    I looked around, searching for the purple roses and then it hit me. I hadn¡¯t seen any.


    Not a single one. In fact, there hadn¡¯t been anything purple anywhere.


    "Maximus, where¡¯s the purple rose?" I asked, panicking as he tried to drag me home.


    I realized then Rune didn¡¯t shape this prison like a werewolf world. We were just humans here, and the color purple... wasn¡¯t allowed.


    "What¡¯s purple?" Maximus stopped in his tracks and turned to look at me, eyes narrowed.


    "The purple rose. The color purple," I exined, watching his face twist with concern.


    "There¡¯s no such color as purple. You¡¯re not well. You need to go home and rest," he said firmly.


    That was it.


    Panic fully took hold of me. I had no idea how long this world¡¯s time tranted to the real world, but I¡¯d been here for at least a day. I needed to get back to help Emmet too.


    Without another thought, I broke into a sprint, rushing into the woods to lure Maximus away from the house, away from Rune¡¯s men, who were probably waiting for us there.


    Because deep down, I knew we had underestimated Rune.

 Chapter 604-We Are Stuck Forever

    <h4>Chapter 604: 604-We Are Stuck Forever</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What the fuck are you doing?" Maximus yelled after he caught up with me. He held my arm and made me stop, facing me.


    "We can¡¯t go back home. It¡¯s too dangerous for us. That Rune¡ªhe¡¯s not a president. He¡¯s a monster. He is a monster who runs this ce. This is not reality, the real world is our there and everyone is waiting for us there," I said through heavy breaths, my hands on my knees and my mouth dry. I needed water so badly. Being human was so hard. I was just starting to realize that.


    "I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯ve changed my mind. I don¡¯t know what happened to us earlier but we¡¯re not doing that," Maximus scratched his scalp, confused that he even agreed to letting me have a threesome. Even I was disgusted to think about it now.


    I¡¯d rather die than let Rune touch me.


    "Let¡¯s go home." He held my hand, but I shook my head.


    "This isn¡¯t home. This is a dream prison," I freed my hand from his and stepped back, refusing to go anywhere with him because he wasn¡¯t thinking clearly.


    "Hnie, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re feeling okay. Do you have a fever?" He came closer to check my temperature, and I pped his hand away.


    "Okay, that¡¯s it. I¡¯m taking you home. You¡¯re acting weird." Of course he wouldn¡¯t believe me. He¡¯d been so unhappy in his real life that he was happily epting this dream prison.


    I wondered if he was so happy being married to me that he didn¡¯t even want to go back. My heart ached when he held my hand to drag me back ¡¯home.¡¯


    "I¡¯ll prove it to you that we¡¯re not in the real world and that we need to get out," I yelled, and suddenly the weather started getting worse. I pulled Maximus closer and tried to bite him on the neck when he stepped back quickly.


    "What the heck are you doing? Have you lost your mind? Were you going to bite me?" he yelled, looking scared of what I was doing.


    "Trust me, just let me bite you. It¡¯ll be my mark on you, and then you can bite me to mark me," I was running out of time. And it was just likest time. I hated this feeling. But back then, it was Kaye freaking out and now it was me.


    However, being in the same ce reminded me of Kaye and my other mates¡¯ sacrifices. I started to feel connected to them, to miss them. I was scared to even admit it to myself because I didn¡¯t want to hurt Norman. He would judge me if he found out I still had feelings for my mates. But didn¡¯t he already know? When he married me, he knew I loved Emmet.


    "Ugh," I shook my head because I could never hurt Norman.


    "You¡¯re going crazy. I need to take you to the hospital," Maximus tried to reach for my hand again, but I slipped my hand away and stepped back.


    "No! If you trust me, you¡¯ll let me mark you. I¡¯m telling you, it won¡¯t hurt like it would for a human. Trust me," I started rambling when I heard noises from far away.


    "What?" He looked lost and worried. He did notice there were peopleing our way.


    "They¡¯reing for us," I helped him realize he wasn¡¯t just going to meet some people looking for something as they were looking for us. And it was serious.


    "Do you love me?" I held his hand again and asked him. His focus turned back to me.


    "You know I do. More than myself," he whispered, and for the first time in this dream prison, he didn¡¯t sound delusional or hypnotized.


    "Then bite me," I said, "and let me bite you."


    I knew what I was asking sounded crazy in this world where we were made to believe we weren¡¯t werewolves. He sighed and shook his head slightly, almost like he couldn¡¯t believe he was really going to do it.


    And then he held my hand and pulled me closer. Our eyes met, and I could see how handsome he was. My hands gently rested on his chest, my face tilted up to look into his eyes. He leaned into my neck and opened his mouth to bite me softly.


    I guess he just wanted to make me happy, so he was going to do it lightly¡ª until he tasted my skin. I felt his arm tighten around my back. His face pressed deeper into my neck, and this time his teeth bit harder.


    I felt a sharp pain when he finally broke through my skin. I closed my eyes and smiled through tears. That pain I¡¯d been feeling for so long was suddenly gone.


    It was true.


    The mark of a mate could cure any poison.


    He finally pulled back with a look of confusion on his face. His eyes were watery, and his lips kept trembling like he wanted to say something.


    Without wasting another second, I grabbed his cor and made him lower his head so I could bite his neck. His skin tasted like vani. I dug my teeth in deeper until I could taste his blood ¡ª that¡¯s when I knew I¡¯d done it.


    When he held me up and lifted me into the air to help me reach his neck better, I got a stronger taste of his blood.


    "There they are!" The loud voice broke us apart. I pulled back from Maximus and smiled through teary eyes. He was watching me with the same love and affection.


    There was no way it didn¡¯t work. The way he smiled and gently ced his hand under my cheek. I knew he had remembered we weren¡¯t in the real world.


    Or so I thought.


    "I got her!" Maximus suddenly yelled, his hand slipping to my neck and wrapping tightly around it. I couldn¡¯t even describe the shock I felt but I can say I was terrified of what was going to happen next.

 Chapter 605-Melting Away

    <h4>Chapter 605: 605-Melting Away</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You¡¯ve gone crazy. Even if you don¡¯t believe me, you said you didn¡¯t want to do it anymore," I kept yapping nonstop while Maximus dragged me back to Rune¡¯s mansion with him. Rune¡¯s guards said they wanted us in his bed before he lost his mind, but since Maximus was clearly on board, they let him handle me.


    But I was in shock and panicking. Maximus was supposed to remember everything ¡ª why didn¡¯t he?


    "Maximus, I¡¯d rather kill myself or Rune, than do it," I yelled as he dragged me into Rune¡¯s bedroom where everything was set up for the night. By everything, I mean candles lit, wine, and sex toys on the table.


    The guards didn¡¯te inside with us. As Maximus made me sit down on the bed, he bent down and cupped my face hard in his hand.


    "That¡¯s what we have to do to get out of here," he whispered into my face, and my body started to rx.


    "You¡ª," I began, and he blinked his eyes tightly.


    "I¡¯ll chew his hands off if he touches you. But we have to pretend," he muttered before pulling away. "Our child can have a good life if we do it. He¡¯s offering us a lot, baby."


    He kept up the fake tone to sound convincing.


    "I don¡¯t want to do it anymore," I yelled, continuing with my fake anger.


    "Baby, try to understand. We can live such a happy life. It¡¯ll be just one night," he came closer and held my hands. I noticed the longing in his eyes. "I want to have a family with you. I¡¯ve waited so long for us to be together and happy." Those weren¡¯t fake statements¡ªhe gently touched the mark on his neck and smiled.


    "I knew you¡¯d be able to convince her. A woman always listens to her baby daddy," Rune walked in, looking fresh as if he¡¯d just taken a shower. His sight and presence were so full of negativity that I had to take a deep breath and exhale to feel normal.


    "She was just scared," Maximus replied before looking down and then at my stomach. I knew where his attention went.


    "We should get started before she gets distracted again," Rune smirked, his eyes hungrily scanning my body from head to toe.


    I squeezed closer while gulping. He was probably thinking Maximus had made me lose myself instead of me waking him up.


    "Sure," Maximus said, getting into the bed. "Wait, I want you to use the toy of my choice on her." The way Maximus paused showed that even thinking about letting Rune touch me was too much for him.


    "Sure, whichever one you pick," Rune said, taking off his shirt while his eyes stayed on me. I felt so ufortable.


    "You look even more gorgeous when you¡¯re annoyed. But I have to say, you¡¯re a good wife. At least you listen to your husband," Runemented, showing off his abs as he tossed his shirt aside. To be honest, I¡¯d seen my mates naked here and there, and they were the most gorgeous men ever. Rune could nevere close to their level, even in a million dream prisons.


    I acted like I wasn¡¯t going to kill him if I got the chance and slowly raised my legs onto the bed and crawled back.


    "That¡¯s my good girl," he whispered, getting on the bed on his knees.


    He leaned in while unbuckling his pants to kiss me, and I kept leaning back on the bed in fear. I had no clue what we could do now. All I knew was that Maximus had woken up. But how long are we supposed to linger it?


    What was the n?


    As soon as he got too close, I felt a belt wrap around his neck from behind. His eyes widened in surprise as his body flew back with force. Maximus had grabbed him and was trying to stop him from calling his guards.


    I could tell Rune was caught off guard and couldn¡¯t use his power to quickly transform into a wrecking ball likest time.


    I was gulping, watching Maximus put all his strength into holding him down. I began to notice changes in Rune and knew I had to act fast. I ran to the table, grabbed a bottle, and shattered it before returning to the bed.


    I got on top of him, watching his eyes grow wide. But his head was also changing, so before he could reach his full power, I started stabbing him¡ªtwo stabs in each eye. Blood sttered everywhere, and his screams escaped. Maximus let him go to fight the guards who were now trying to get inside. Meanwhile, I stayed on top of Rune, stabbing him nonstop.


    His eyes locked onto mine, shock clear in them. As soon as I stabbed his heart, I watched purple blood pour out. All that red blood was just an illusion. He let out a painful howl while I watched him, then he started to chuckle. Maximus wrapped his arms around me, pulled me off Rune, and dragged me to the side of the bed.


    He held me from behind as we watched Rune have a seizure on the bed. His guards had gotten inside but were melting, turning into purple liquid.


    "I¡¯m feeling dizzy," I told Maximus, who spun me around and hugged me tightly. Resting my forehead on his chest felt so amazing. I was at peace.


    "Me too. I think this is it," Maximus said.


    "You¡ªfreed¡ªme," Rune mumbled through static. I closed my eyes tightly because the noises and purple blood were making me nauseous.


    I felt Maximus¡¯s body rock, and that¡¯s when I knew the dream prison was copsing. Everything started melting, and I had no idea if we had done it or if we would melt too.


    Soon, my legs felt liquid too, and I raised my head from Maximus¡¯s chest to look into his eyes in horror.


    "It¡¯s okay, we¡¯re going home," he whispered quickly before everything turned purple and my eyes closed.

 Chapter 606-Down The Well Or Maybe Hell.

    <h4>Chapter 606: 606-Down The Well Or Maybe Hell.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "He is still weak. We need to give him proper attention," Norman announced as he stood beside Maximus, who was throwing up blood in bed. But he was awake. We had done it.


    "Hnie!" Norman ran over to my bed. I was sitting and watching my mates. Kaye was rubbing Maximus¡¯s back, but the smile and tears of happiness on his face showed he was satisfied with the results of his suggestion.


    "Hey, how are you?" Norman asked, cupping my face in his hands.


    "I¡¯m fine. I missed you," my lips quivered, but before I could tear up, Norman pulled me into his chest and hugged me.


    "We killed that Rune. That dream prison is gone," I added, making Norman break the hug and stare into my eyes.


    "My little fighter," he was smiling so wide that I couldn¡¯t help but give him the good news.


    "Norman!" His name came out in a soft whisper, so he pulled back again to watch my face with interest. Holding his hand, I ced it on my stomach.


    I had been feeling nauseous all this time, but I couldn¡¯t tell if I was really pregnant. However, when Rune said I was, I knew it was the truth.


    "You¡¯re going to be a dad," I was so happy I couldn¡¯t even speak the words, just mouthed the words, and he gasped.


    "Hnie! Really?" he asked, his eyes turning red almost instantly as tears of happiness formed.


    "Yes, I¡¯m pregnant," I said confidently this time, and he pulled me in for another hug. But this hug¡ªthis hug was unlike anything. The way he kept his arms wrapped around my body and breathed deeply was the reaction I had hoped for.


    "You¡¯re gonna squeeze the baby out of me," Iughed, and he quickly let me go, looking worried.


    "I won¡¯t let anything happen to you or my baby," he cupped my face in his hands, both of us smiling as he kissed my lips.


    "Hey! You didn¡¯t even hug me once," Maximus called him out, getting out of the bed and leaving the cage. He touched the bars, almost like remembering his time being trapped in there or maybe just realizing he had been here all this time.


    "Did you hear what she just said?" Norman turned to his brothers, both Kaye and Maximus watching his face like he¡¯d lost his mind. I¡¯d never seen Norman this excited and happy before. His voice kept breaking.


    "What?" Kaye asked, looking confused.


    "I¡¯m... I¡¯m going to be a dad." As soon as Norman said that, his brothers looked at me.


    I half expected them to freak out, and I immediately thought how much that would upset Norman. But they surprised me when Maximus grabbed Norman by the back of the neck to pull him up from the bed and turn to him. Without another second¡¯s dy, he hugged his brother.


    "Congrattions, grandpa! I never thought you could get it up," he teased, crying while the two hugged each other. I could hear Norman sobbing happily too.


    The minute they broke the hug, Kaye stepped into view, and Norman stopped crying. The two stared in silence, probably wondering what would happen next, when Kaye joined his palms together in front of his brother and said,


    "I¡¯m so sorry for giving you such a hard time. I¡¯m really, really happy for you."


    With that, Kaye started crying, and Norman hugged him. The brothers looked so happy together that it made me tear up too.


    "Come on! Get in!" Maximus broke the hug just so he could ask me to join them, and I instantly did.


    I shyly got on my knees on the bed, and Norman hugged me while my mates wrapped their arms around us for a group hug. After a while, we broke the hug when Maximus started coughing again.


    "Where is Emmet?" Norman looked around, and so did I. We were only one hour past midnight, so we still had plenty of time.


    "He wasn¡¯t feeling well, so he left to take a walk outside the mansion," Kaye told us, his eyes on Maximus as he helped him wrap an arm around his shoulders and supported him as he walked.


    "Let me help him," Norman ran to the other side to carry Maximus¡¯s weight.


    "Hnie, you need rest too. Please go to your bedroom. We¡¯ll return in an hour after we figure out how tofort Maximus. I guess all the blood he consumed in his lycan form ising out," Norman exined. "And it¡¯s still a full moon night, so, he¡¯s struggling not to shift."


    This was the first full moon that Maximus stayed in his human form. I wished it would stay that way, but I could tell it wouldn¡¯t, because Maximus¡¯s bones kept breaking.


    "Okay," I said to Norman, who rushed Maximus outside, probably to help him with the full moon transition.


    I didn¡¯t want to bother them but I wasn¡¯t going to my bedroom either. I had promised to help Emmet, and I knew this was where he had gone. He had asked me to meet him at the well tonight. He must be there alone.


    I tried to call him, but his phone was switched off. I ran to his bedroom and opened the door to find it empty as well. I was sure he was at the well.


    "We must go there and help him out," I whispered, touching my stomach as a smile crept over my lips. I was finally the happiest I¡¯d ever been in my life.


    When I ran out of the mansion, I noticed the bad weather. Emmet must be alone, probably thinking I wouldn¡¯te. But here I was, rushing over.


    I ran until I reached the area where Emmet had mentioned seeing a well. However, it was so stormy that I could barely make out what was in front of me.


    Finally, I could see a well, but I couldn¡¯t see Emmet around. I reached the wall of the well, ced my hand on it, and looked over and then around. Emmet wasn¡¯t there.


    I didn¡¯t look down the well, something just told me not to. I had the sudden urge to step back quickly, but it was toote.


    I felt the pressure of hands on my back, and the next thing I knew, I was falling down the well.

 Chapter 607-The Lost Mates

    <h4>Chapter 607: 607-The Lost Mates</h4>


    <strong>Maximus:</strong>


    "I¡¯m feeling much better now," I reassured both Norman and Kaye as I sat on the ground after shifting back to my human form. After returning from the dream prison, I went through the transition again. It was exhausting, but at least I was able to be human once more.


    I could tell my brothers had been scared and worried that the whole mission might not work out.


    "Kaye, you keep an eye on him. I¡¯ll go home and check on Hnie. She must¡¯ve been asleep all night," Norman said, checking his phone as he got ready to leave.


    "We¡¯ll celebrate the good news once we get back home," Kaye replied, and once again, Norman¡¯s face lit up.


    "He¡¯s so happy," Kayemented as we watched him walk away. Norman would flinch every now and then from excitement and smile to himself.


    Even when I was in my lycan form and wasn¡¯t supposed to remember anything, I still remembered catching glimpses of him throughout the night¡ªcreeped out by the wide smile on his face.


    He looked kind of creepy.


    But he was so happy.


    "I can¡¯t believe she agreed to go into the prison to free you, especially when she might¡¯ve already known she was pregnant," Kaye said as he sat down beside me, head lowered, his voice heavy with guilt.


    "I was shocked too. She¡¯s so selfless, like you," I reminded him that he had once gone into the prison world for her too.


    "That was different. Hnie did it out of pure concern for you, and nothing else. And here I was, giving her such a hard time for marking Norman," Kaye said, looking more defeated than I¡¯d ever seen him. Not even when he used to try to impress our parents and failed.


    "You were giving her a hard time? Man! I get that you were upset, but it¡¯s not her fault. We all let her down. Norman was the only one who stayed by her side. Of course she was going to fall for him," I said. Then, almost without thinking, I touched the mark on my neck and a smile crossed my lips.


    "You know, that constant pain we used to feel? It¡¯s gone," I said, remembering how her touch had felt.


    "But what are you going to do now? You¡¯ll hurt even more when she rejects you," Kaye reminded me, grounding me again and my smile began to fade.


    "They told you that? I mean, what was decide-? I thought they agreed to¡ª" I paused, remembering what had happened in Rune¡¯s world and what he¡¯d said.


    I knew most of that world was based on dreams, but those dreams came from deep within¡ªa part of someone they couldn¡¯t speak out loud or make real.


    "You thought Norman agreed to share Hnie with you? Dude, no!" Kaye let out a scoff, almostughing at me.


    "I don¡¯t mean share-share. I just thought maybe they¡¯d let us stay as mates and see where it goes," I said quietly.


    But I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell Kaye about the Rune¡¯s dream prison. At least not yet.


    Hnie had just given my brother good news, and I found it selfish of me to make it about myself.


    "We¡¯ll let them be happy. I don¡¯t want to force her into anything," I said. I had finally made peace with epting her choices. But that didn¡¯t mean I would move on from her. I would live my life as an uncle and take care of her, her children, and my brothers.


    "Emmet wasn¡¯t there. Did he forget about me?" I asked Kaye, who sighed and looked up at the sky.


    "I don¡¯t know, man. He stayed by your side, wiped your sweat, took care of Hnie... and then suddenly, he just up and left. Last thing I heard him say was that he needed some fresh air," Kaye replied to my concern. "He¡¯lle back. Probably needed a drink."


    That was true about Emmet. Nothing was more precious to him than his alcohol. That¡¯s how he lost Hnie in the first ce.


    "Let¡¯s go home," I said, getting up from the ground now that I felt much better.


    We talked as we walked back home, but then we saw Norman frantically running out of the mansion. Right off the bat, I had a bad feeling.


    He was supposed to be happy. He should¡¯ve been inside with Hnie. If I were him, I would¡¯ve stayed in that room with her for a week straight.


    So for him to be leaving in such a rush and panic, something serious must¡¯ve happened.


    "Norman! What¡¯s going on? Are you okay? Is everything alright?" Kaye stepped forward to ask. I looked beside Norman. He was alone.


    "Hnie¡¯s not in her room. And Emmet isn¡¯t at home either," Norman exined the reason behind his panic, and in that moment, it felt like we all stopped breathing at once.


    "Did you check the whole mansion? Or Emmet¡¯s bedroom?" I had to ask, even though the thought of Hnie being in Emmet¡¯s room was hard for any of us to stomach.


    "No! Emmet¡¯s not in his room," Norman said firmly. He didn¡¯t even want to entertain the idea.


    "Then let¡¯s go look around," I said, truly starting to panic. Where could they have gone?


    We spent the rest of the afternoon running around the woods, calling their names over and over. Emmet¡¯s phone was still switched off, and Hnie¡¯s phone had been found on silent in the mansion. She had left it behind when she left.


    Finally, Kaye and I arrived at a bar and that¡¯s where we found Emmet.


    "That¡¯s Emmet, right?" I asked Kaye, pointing at thest chair where a guy sat with his head down on the table. That thick, long hair was unmistakable. His build was clearly recognizable.


    "That¡¯s him¡ªpassed out drunk," Kaye said, the disappointment in his voice echoing exactly how I felt at that moment.


    "Let¡¯s go collect him," I said, walking toward thest booth.


    The fact that he had left me suffering just toe here and drink had already been upsetting but then he took it too far. When I touched him, he raised his head and said,


    "Get your hands off me."

 Chapter 608-My World Is Falling Apart

    <h4>Chapter 608: 608-My World Is Falling Apart</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    "What is going on? Tell me in detail," I asked Kaye on the phone, running around to find Hnie like a headless chicken. She had left before, but that was when she was under a lot of stress. Butst night after I left her at home, she seemed fine. In fact, she was happy about how her life was turning out. I didn¡¯t see her being upset or stressing over her pregnancy.


    "Emmet has lost his mind. He is attacking everyone at the bar. We came here to collect him but¡ª" Kaye¡¯s voice cut off when I heard something hit him. Then there were just sounds of a struggle.


    "What is happening?" I asked myself before speeding to the bar. At this point, I had no clue where Hnie might have gone, but I knew where my brother was. And him acting out after Hnie had gone missing gave me an ick. It gave me a feeling that something had happened after we, their brothers, left. Maybe Hnie and Emmet had a confrontation about the pregnancy?


    But Emmet wasn¡¯t the type to upset her so much that she¡¯d leave. I ran straight to the bar, where I was met with disappointment.


    "Ah, he used to be such a gentleman before. But look what he has done to my bar," the owner was crying, standing among the broken furniture. So many customers were huddled on the side, wounded and scared.


    "He was so viciously attacking his own brothers," one of the customers said to her partner, still shaken by the violent scene.


    "Take their statements and pay double the damage," I told my warrior while leaving the bar to call Maximus this time.


    "Yeah? We left after Emmet. He ran out of the bar, so we were worried he might hurt others on the way. Norman, he has lost his mind. It doesn¡¯t seem like he remembers anything at all. And you know what¡¯s the scariest part? He started to lose his connection to his human side right before our eyes. He kind of lost his ability to speak and was only making noises like growls and howls," Maximus¡¯s words shook me to the core. This is what I¡¯ve feared all my life, and now it was happening.


    "Tell me, where are you guys? I¡¯ll be there," I asked Maximus, who started giving me directions to where they had seen him go.


    "Keep following him. I¡¯ll be there in a few minutes," I hung up and let my wolf take over to run faster. We could smell the tension in the air and could tell they had been anxious. The entire air was thick with stress.


    Finally, I arrived at the top of the mountains, where I joined Maximus and Kaye running after Emmet.


    "He¡¯s headed towards the nearest pack¡¯s border. If he gets inside, they¡¯ll attack him to protect their people," Kaye told me while breathing heavily.


    "We should stop him before that happens," I said, leaning forward and speeding up after Emmet. "Maximus, you take that cut and catch him from the side. Kaye, go up there ande down the slope to confront him from the front," I gave the instructions to trap him while I followed him on the same path.


    After a while, our n worked, and as soon as Kaye ran down the slope and came in front of him, Emmet stopped.


    He tried to turn to his left, but Maximus was already there. Behind him was I.


    "Emmet, we are your brothers," I said to him, my hands aching to hold him.


    Seeing him so anxious and lost crushed my soul. He was panicking, looking around while his fingers were all spread, ready to attack. The worst part was that he was in his mid-shift, so his bones were cracking and breaking but still staying in human form. However, only his animal side was awake.


    He howled and tried to attack Kaye to get him out of the way when Maximus jumped on him, rolling him over to the side. Once on the ground, Emmet kicked Maximus off so easily.


    But now the three of us were watching him.


    "We¡¯re sorry," I said as I lunged at him. I quickly put him in a chokehold while the others started to freeze his legs and arms.


    Since he didn¡¯t remember us, he was using all his strength to fight us. We were struggling, but I needed to make him pass out.


    After a while, and many struggles, he passed out but I knew it would only be for a short time.


    "Quickly, get the restraints," I said to Kaye, still keeping Emmet in a chokehold because I was afraid he¡¯d wake up any second.


    "We¡¯vee way too far into the woods. It¡¯ll take us some time. Why don¡¯t we use something from around here and try to take him home first?" Kaye suggested, making me nod in agreement.


    "Then make a rope from the vines and whatever we have around us," I said to the two, but Maximus had an even better idea.


    "Kaye, why not use some herb to get him to pass out? You know the herbs so get to work," Maximus suggested, and Kaye got to his feet.


    The next ten minutes were hard to bear. I had Hnie on my mind while I was holding my brother in such a painful grip.


    After a while, Kaye returned with a lot of wolfsbane.


    "How did you manage to get that in these woods?" I asked Kaye.


    "I have my ways of spotting the hidden locations of herbs," he replied, forcing Emmet¡¯s mouth open to shove the herb in. He groaned in pain and probably burned his tongue.


    After that, I carried Emmet home to leave him behind so I could go find Hnie. But I still had no idea where she could be.


    However, after leaving Emmet in the basement, I ran to his bedroom to find some new clothes for him when my eyesnded on the papers scattered around.


    I picked one up and my heart started to beat faster.


    "In order to have Azura back, I have to sacrifice Hnie in the well. It is a life for a life."


    My heart missed all its four beats when I realized what it was.

 Chapter 609-A Sacrifice

    <h4>Chapter 609: 609-A Sacrifice</h4>


    <strong>Kaye:</strong>


    "We¡¯ve put him in the same cage we built for Maximus. And, umm, Maximus informed everyone not to return. Also, do we need to change his clothes? What if he wakes up in the middle, and since he doesn¡¯t remember us, the animal in him thinks¡ª" I was yapping from a distance before I even entered Emmet¡¯s room to see Norman.


    However, I found Norman on his knees, going through paper after paper.


    "What are you doing? And what is all this mess?" I asked Norman, who slowly turned to me with red eyes. I could see tears.


    This was serious because Norman was usually the one who kept himself together.


    "Norman! What you got in your hand? What is that?" I knelt down and grabbed a paper from his hand. My eyes widened in slow motion when I read the words written.


    "What the fuck is this?" I gasped, grabbing more papers from the ground. The writing was frantic, something Emmet would¡¯ve written after he forgot everything.


    But the words were clear. It asked for Hnie¡¯s sacrifice to bring back Azura.


    "Maybe Emmet didn¡¯t write it," I ced my hand on Norman¡¯s shoulder tofort him, though I was freaking out too.


    "She is pregnant with my child," Norman muttered, and a helpless tear rolled down his cheek.


    "Norman," I couldn¡¯t bring myself to lie to him and say Emmet didn¡¯t write it. It wouldn¡¯t make sense. Azura was Emmet¡¯s girlfriend, who else could have wanted her back?


    The fact that Emmet wrote about a well, and that the same night Hnie went missing Emmet wasn¡¯t around either, just made it all make sense.


    "He probably didn¡¯t even remember Hnie when he wrote that," I tried to reason, and Norman nodded, sniffling.


    "I know. I know he forgot, and that¡¯s why this happened. But either way, Hnie didn¡¯t deserve this. She shouldn¡¯t have been caught up in this mess, suffering because of our curses," Norman finally said the words we hadn¡¯t been able to speak out loud.


    "I¡¯m sure Emmet didn¡¯t do it. He might¡¯ve written it all down, but I don¡¯t think¡ª" I couldn¡¯t lie anymore. He very possibly could have done it because he forgot about Hnie.


    He even attacked us and many innocent people at the bar. To him, Hnie might be no one¡ªjust a way to get back his lost love.


    "Wait! this well. We need to find it. Maybe Hnie is there? Hiding from him? Maybe she¡¯s fine. The baby has to be fine too. We must not waste any more time," I patted Norman¡¯s back, and only then did he get to his feet.


    He had always been there for us, and to see him so broken made me feel guilty. As he kept rubbing his chest, I knew one of his heartbeats was struggling.


    "Is it because of Emmet?" I asked, and he nodded his head.


    "The pain I felt for Maximus was nothingpared to this. Not only is my brother in pain, but he might be the reason my mate is missing," Norman said through clenched teeth but not from anger. It was because he was hurting and wanted to keep his voice steady.


    "Where are we heading?" I asked as I followed him to the basement, wondering what he was up to.


    "I have to ask Emmet where this well is. The one he keeps mentioning," Norman said, making me scratch the back of my neck.


    "I don¡¯t think he can talk. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll remember," I pouted behind him but still followed. He needed this.


    He needed someone to believe in him that he¡¯d be able to find Hnie soon. However, how much of that could really be trusted was up for debate.


    We reached the cage, and Emmet was passed out on the bed like he was just sleeping. His hands were tied in chains.


    My eyes lingered on him for a moment before shifting to Maximus. He had the same look on his face as I did while watching Emmet lie there.


    It had been Maximus first, then Emmet, and soon, it would be me. We shared a very sad nce before looking at Norman.


    But when Norman ends up in that bed, he won¡¯t be chained. He won¡¯t be forced. We¡¯ll be crying, wondering why he won¡¯t get up, instead of trying to keep him in bed.


    "He found something in Emmet¡¯s room that could lead us to where Hnie might be," I started, since Norman was just staring at Emmet, unable to move a muscle.


    "What is it?" Maximus already looked concerned. It was strange to find any clue about Hnie in Emmet¡¯s room.


    "This," I held the paper out and showed it to Maximus, who had the same reaction as I did. His eyes widened, and a gulp went down his throat.


    "You mean Emmet?" he whispered, and I closed my eyes slowly, giving him a silent answer. He closed his eyes too and clenched his fists.


    "How are we going to get him to talk?" I asked, and Maximus replied.


    "What do we need him for? I mean, we know he only did something because he forgot," Maximus seemed confused.


    "We have to find out where this well is, or it¡¯ll be toote," I told Maximus, who started shaking his head. His look said he didn¡¯t want us talking to Emmet.


    "You don¡¯t need to speak with him for that. I know the well and where it is. But I don¡¯t know why we are talking about it. It¡¯s a dry well, nothing special about it," Maximus said.


    As soon as he did, Norman turned to him.


    "Take me there," Norman demanded, rushing ahead.


    "How do you know?" I whispered to Maximus, asking him in a low voice.


    "In the days when Emmet started acting strange, I followed him to this well once. I didn¡¯t think much of it at the time," Maximus said.


    His words confirmed that Emmet had nned something involving Hnie. But did he really, if he didn¡¯t even remember who we were?

 Chapter 610-The Well From My Nightmare

    <h4>Chapter 610: 610-The Well From My Nightmare</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Ugh!" A hopeless groan escaped my lips as I tried to move. But every inch of my body was so sore that I could barely move a muscle.


    I had not been in a war, but why did it feel like I had fought in one for hours without a break? Even raising my neck seemed impossible. I knew I had been sleeping or had passed out. So while I forced my eyelids to open, I focused on the main question.


    "Where am I?"


    I could barely get a word out of my mouth as my throat started to itch. I coughed and then struggled to lift my hand. I could only raise it until I ced it on my stomach. This is where I was feeling most of the pain.


    "Uggghhh!" I groaned again, staring upward, but all I could see was darkness. Not entirely. Light was able to seep in through the smallest cracks of the cover. That¡¯s when I began to remember where I could be and how I ended up here.


    "The well." Panic took hold of me when I remembered thest time I was on my feet. I was near the well. I hade here to help Emmet out, but someone pushed me in instead.


    "Someone pushed me," I repeated my thoughts to confirm I remembered exactly what had happened.


    "But who¡ªand how will I get out?" I let out a whimper when I couldn¡¯t raise my headpletely.


    ¡¯We will have to get up and help ourselves out.¡¯ I was so frightened and sick that, when hearing Cora, I almost panicked before calming myself down at the fact that it wasn¡¯t someone else, but my wolf speaking to me.


    ¡¯I am so d you are here with me¡ªwait, how are you here with me? Isn¡¯t it that wolves go silent when a woman is pregnant?¡¯ I asked, worried about what was going on.


    ¡¯Me being here should be the answer to that question,¡¯ she uttered softly, but in a broken voice.


    And that¡¯s when my body started to shake as I realized something was wet between my legs. I had not peed myself.


    I knew that much. So what was wet between my legs?


    ¡¯Hnie, maybe it was not meant to be,¡¯ Cora said gently, and as soon as she did, I started screaming at the top of my lungs.


    "No. You¡¯re lying. This cannot happen. I just got the good news. I was going to be a mother¡ªno!" Iid there crying for hours while Cora tried her best tofort me.


    It was like stepping into a pit of fire. I was stuck in a well of sorrows.


    After many hours passed, I had to calm down. My throat had gone dry. It was so odd that I didn¡¯t have anyone else tofort me. I had to calm myself down.


    ¡¯This water is a healer, isn¡¯t that what Emmet told us? If we can drink it, we will heal, and then we¡¯ll be able to climb the walls,¡¯ Cora insisted that I get up. Only if I got up would I be able to get out. As for Cora, we had just lost our baby, so she wasn¡¯t in her full power yet.


    I nodded my head through tears and ran my hand under me. That was when another shock struck me.


    "This is a dry well," I spoke out loud, and my voice echoed through.


    ¡¯Cora, there is no water in this well. What are we going to do now?¡¯ I grew anxious, but that¡¯s when I knew I had to get up no matter what.


    I put my hands down and forced my body up, only for my bones to crack and my body tond on my back again.


    "Ugh!" I let out a scream of agony and then closed my eyes while tears ran down my cheeks. Why did this happen to me? Who could have followed me to kill me? After so long, my life was finally on track, but someone couldn¡¯t stand to see me happy.


    While I stayed on the cold, dry ground, I watched the light through the cracks. I remembered seeing this well before. It wasn¡¯t in real life, but in a dream once.


    I remembered that dream so clearly.


    That¡¯s when I heard some noise, and my eyes opened again. This time, there was no darkness, but a face I had longed to see. Even though it hadn¡¯t been that long.


    Norman had his hands on the cover as he pushed it away. It reminded me of that dream I once had. I thought Norman was the one who had thrown me in the well and locked me in.


    "Hnie!" he screamed¡ªpanic was clear in his voice.


    "Hnie, I¡¯m here," he said again. "Kaye, lower me down."


    I watched him wrap a rope around his waist and get lowered down. The closer he got, the clearer his face became and the faster the tears fell from my eyes.


    I watched him reach the bottom and stare at me. I could tell the realization had hit him that I had lost our baby.


    "Norman." I instantly broke down while he carefully knelt beside me to help me up. My body felt like jelly; my neck would have hung low if he hadn¡¯t held me so gently. He made sure my head rested on his chest and his arm supported my neck.


    "We lost our baby," I cried before he could be pulled up.


    "Shhh, you¡¯re okay. That¡¯s all we should focus on right now," his voice cracked, and I knew he was suffering too.


    But I was slowly starting to lose myself again. I wanted to scream and cry, but he kept me in his arms as his brothers pulled us up¡ªall the way up. I heard his heartbeat and sobbed against his chest.


    Finally, once we were out, Kaye stepped back with wide eyes, clearly in shock, while Maximus put his jacket over my body.


    "I know. Just don¡¯t say anything right now," Norman looked at Kaye and warned him from showing a big reaction.


    I didn¡¯t need anything else to make me cry more. The pain was already enough to remind me of what I had lost.

 Chapter 611-Sadly, Emmet!

    <h4>Chapter 611: 611-Sadly, Emmet!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Please eat something. You¡¯re still very weak," Norman insisted, sitting in front of me on the bed and holding a bowl of soup.


    I had woken up a few hours ago after another big nap and had managed to shift and begin healing. But the inner wounds would take a lot longer. I would still break down now and then when I thought about my child.


    It had only been three days and I kept waking up and passing out.


    "I went there to help Emmet out," I started speaking again, not about my baby this time, but about why I was there in the first ce. Norman deserved to know.


    My baby was his baby too. I was supposed to be resting, or at the very least, I should have told him where I was going. That¡¯s why I needed to tell him everything that happened that night. I wanted him to understand why I didn¡¯t tell him, and why I was even there.


    "He was in so much pain, and he didn¡¯t have much time. He told me about the well and how it heals when the sick drink from it in the presence of their mate. I wanted to be there for him, but the well was dry."


    Even thinking about that night made it hard to speak. It had only been a few days, but it felt like I had suffered for ages stuck in that well.


    "Why didn¡¯t you tell me? Did you think I would stop you?" Norman caressed my cheek, his eyes filling with tears.


    "No. Emmet made me promise not to tell anyone. He didn¡¯t want to give anyone false hope. And he was right. The well was dry. He couldn¡¯t have healed. I don¡¯t even know how he¡¯ll feel when he finds out that the well he was relying on is¡ª- gone."


    My heart broke again, and tears poured from my eyes likeva at the thought of watching Emmet lose his mind, his memories¡ª everything.


    "Are you mad at me?" I asked, wondering how badly I had hurt him by not taking better care of myself.


    "Of course not. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong." He set the bowl aside so he could hold my hand between his.


    "Norman, I know what happened. Somebody pushed me into the well," I said, and he raised his head from my hand, staring straight at my face.


    "It was really windy that night, so it might have felt like I slipped, but I didn¡¯t. I was pushed. I was forced to go down." I repeated myself, and I saw Norman¡¯s expression slowly harden.


    "Where is Emmet? Is he okay?" I suddenly remembered that he was supposed to be there that night too. Had someone attacked him as well?


    After I woke up, Kaye and Maximus hade to check on me andfort me. But I never got to see Emmet.


    "He¡¯s not okay. He¡¯s lost his memory. He caused chaos the very day you were missing, so we chained him in the basement. But when we brought you home, we took him to Mom¡¯s ce. She wanted to look after him until we figure out how to help him get his memory back," Norman exined, but his voice was dry, like there was more going on in his head than he was letting on.


    "Why did you let her take him away?" I asked, slowly straightening up against the pillow.


    "I wanted to take care of you here," Norman replied, stealing his eyes away from me.


    "Norman, what¡¯s going on? Why did you send him away? We can take care of him. He shouldn¡¯t feel like he¡¯s a burden," I said. I didn¡¯t like the fact that they sent Emmet away when he needed us the most.


    "It¡¯s alright. He¡¯ll be much better there. She¡¯s his mother. If she wants him, she can have him. I¡¯ll be checking on him and helping in every way I can," his subtle way of avoiding eye contact threw me off.


    "Can¡¯t we go see him? I want to see him, and I¡¯m sure seeing me will remind him of us," I insisted, not even sure why I was trying so hard. But I felt like we had let Emmet down.


    He had been losing his memory little by little, and we hadn¡¯t done anything to stop it. We let him slip away and what hurt the most was that I was the one who promised to help him remember.


    "I don¡¯t want you to meet him," Norman said in a very stern and cold voice.


    "What? Norman, I¡¯m not meeting him to cheat on you," my mind instantly went there, but Norman quickly shut down those thoughts.


    "I¡¯m not jealous. He doesn¡¯t remember you. He¡¯s been attacking everyone. What if he attacks you?" he asked harshly, getting up from the bed and staring at me.


    "Then you¡¯ll defend me, and I¡¯ll defend myself. Haven¡¯t we done that for Maximus too? Norman, what¡¯s going on with you? If you¡¯re not jealous and your only concern is my safety, let me reassure you I won¡¯t me you or him if any harmes my way."


    "You don¡¯t get it," he said, pacing with his hands on his waist. "Would you seriously forgive him if he hurt you?" He then stopped and looked at me.


    "If he forgot everyone, would you me him for attacking us? He must be scared, lost, and think we¡¯re attacking him. He doesn¡¯t know us," I tried to exin, and that¡¯s when Norman nodded his head.


    "But you won¡¯t get too close to him. He¡¯s my brother too, and I love him, but there are some things I just can¡¯t get ready for." He stopped talking and waved his hand to show he was ready to take me to his mother¡¯s pack.


    We didn¡¯t need permission anymore. I was the Luna Queen of the North¡ªa duty I hadn¡¯t even started to take on yet.


    I quickly got dressed to meet Emmet. I had lost so much, so I wanted to do something right to feel happy again.

 Chapter 612-He Wouldn’t Share Me

    <h4>Chapter 612: 612-He Wouldn¡¯t Share Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I think she should be resting," I heard Kaye murmur from the backseat. Norman had been super grumpy, and I didn¡¯t understand what was wrong with him.


    "She looks fine. I think it¡¯s the other one who needs rest," Maximus argued, causing Norman to fix his mirror so he could re at his brothers.


    "Norman, you don¡¯t need to drive like a maniac," I said. I¡¯d had enough of him going crazy on the road. When I called him out, he just grunted at me.


    "You want me to drive like a snail?" he hissed back, making me roll my eyes.


    "You¡¯re like that kid who doesn¡¯t want to go to school but gets forced anyway," Imented. "If you didn¡¯t want toe, you should have told me." I folded my arms over my chest as I argued.


    "Huh? I told you we shouldn¡¯t go. You were going to convince me until I said yes," Norman snapped, back to being his idiotically arrogant self. And while I didn¡¯t mind because it distracted me from the loss of my child, I was still confused why he was acting this way.


    Could it be that he was secretly ming me for the loss of our baby?


    "Well, since you agreed, I think you should just drive without crashing the car into iing traffic," I hissed.


    "I¡¯m driving," he groaned. I rolled my eyes again and turned in my seat to look at Kaye and Maximus, who were both surprisingly quiet.


    "So, does anyone want to drive?" I asked, and Norman started grunting.


    "I can take over," Kaye offered, and I looked at Norman, giving him a subtle look to move to the back if he was having trouble driving.


    "I can drive too," Maximus added.


    "Good. See that truck? Go drive it," Norman pointed at a random truck on the road as he hissed at his brothers.


    "If you want, we can force him into the backseat and tie him up," Kaye gently patted my shoulder, offering what seemed like a good solution.


    "Anyone touches me¡ª" Norman started to threaten, but I poked my finger into his arm. He gently turned his head to look at his arm, then at me.


    "You¡¯re allowed to touch," he muttered almost under his breath.


    I sat back in silence before cing my hand on his arm and leaning over to nt a kiss on his bicep. I noticed how he cleared his throat and forced himself to hide a smile until I hugged his arm.


    "Anyone want to take over? We¡¯ll sit in the back," Norman asked meekly, making me smile at how soft he sounded.


    "I¡¯m busy buying a truck," Maximus grunted.


    "And I¡¯ll ride with Maximus in his truck, you keep driving and harassing that steering wheel," Kaye added, groaning at Norman, who now realized his brothers were not going to give us some time alone. At least not so easily.


    Norman muttered something under his breath before he freed his arm from my embrace, only to wrap it around me and pull me closer. He kissed my forehead before letting go but made sure to hold my hand.


    "I love you so much," he uttered.


    "I love you more," I replied, and from there, the rest of the ride was so fulfilling. We made a few stops to eat and switch ces before we finally got there.


    I had been there before. Back when Kaye had brought us here for a ss trip. The front garden was even more lush this time.


    Two kids were ying there.


    Demi and Davon saw us and ran straight toward us. The brothers opened their arms, smiling at them, but the kids ran past them to me and hugged my feet.


    "Kids are always such grifters," Kaye hissed, shaking his head.


    "We¡¯re so d we got to see you before our mom saw us. She doesn¡¯t want us to ever speak of you or see you," Demi quickly babbled before their mother came out. The brothers looked so awkward when their sister talked about their mother¡¯s dislike for me.


    "I¡¯m d you two are doing fine. How are you, Davon?" I knelt down to check on him. He looked weaker than before.


    "Are you okay?" I ced my hand on his forehead to check his fever when Darcy came out of the mansion, briskly making her way toward me like she was on a mission.


    "Demi, Davon! Your tutor is here. Go grab your books, don¡¯t make him wait around," her tone was so harsh with the poor little kids.


    While walking away, the kids turned to look at me onest time, and I saw the desire to speak with me in their eyes.


    "What made the Luna Queene here?" The way she folded her arms over her chest made me roll my eyes. She knew why I was here.


    "Emmet is here," I replied coldly before anyone else could.


    "Surrounding yourself with my sons like they are your guards. I must say, you¡¯re living a great life. Anyway, did youe here to mark him?" She made me step back and frown at her.


    "Ugh, as if you don¡¯t know he lost his memory because you marked Maximus."


    The minute she said that, we all exchanged nces.


    "Wait, you never said the others would start suffering right after each other," Norman stepped forward, confronting his mother.


    "Even a dumb person would figure it out. After she marks Emmet, Kaye will lose his mind, so she will have to mark him too," Darcy shrugged, looking so nonchnt.


    She had already started a chain reaction that could have been prevented if she had told her sons what would happen if they got marked in the first ce.


    "If that¡¯s not what you¡¯re here for¡ª," she sighed, but before she could turn around, I spoke.


    "I am ready to mark him."


    It only made sense if I marked them all. I had some responsibilities as their mate too. But Norman¡¯s objection was not something I had expected.


    "Wait, you¨C you cannot mark Emmet,"

 Chapter 613-The Gangbang Is A Requirement

    <h4>Chapter 613: 613-The Gangbang Is A Requirement</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Everyone had been shocked ever since they heard Norman tell me not to mark Emmet.


    "Norman! We understand you¡¯re her husband now, but going into this marriage, you knew she would eventually have to face her mates. She hasn¡¯t cut ties with us," Kaye argued, standing next to the car while Norman sat in the passenger seat with the door open and his legs hanging out.


    He had his hands sped together and elbows resting on his thighs.


    Honestly, I didn¡¯t understand why Norman wouldn¡¯t want me to help Emmet. There was no way it was jealousy. If it were, he would have stopped me from helping Maximus too.


    "Especially with Emmet. Things were even different. You were supposed to reject her so that she could marry Emmet. Do you think feelings for mates die that easily?" Maximus spoke up, watching Norman not move at all. I didn¡¯t want them to scold him, but I was still thinking about what the reason could possibly be.


    "Emmet has silently done a lot for me. He never asked for anything in return. Norman! Why don¡¯t you want her to mark Emmet?" Maximus¡¯s voice turned softer as Norman slowly raised his head to meet my eyes.


    "It¡¯s not like I can mark Emmet today. I will have to wait for the next fullmoon. Lady Darcy was just saying whatever to bring up the topic of me marking my mates. We shouldn¡¯t question Norman. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll tell me why he doesn¡¯t want¡ª" I stopped when Norman spoke up.


    "If she marks Emmet, Kaye¡¯s curse will make him agitated. And don¡¯t you two remember what he wants to do when his curse takes over him?" Norman looked at his brothers, his voice full of concern.


    As Kaye ufortably shifted away, he caught my attention. I looked at him while he ran his hands through his hair and grunted under his breath a lot.


    "What is his curse?" I finally spoke up, since silently waiting for any of them to exin didn¡¯t work.


    Maximus shared a nce with Norman while Kaye turned his back to us. How bad could the curse be? They were clearly waiting for him, and then finally Kaye turned to me.


    "I want to kill my mate," he whispered, and I went numb for a moment.


    "In my curse, I have this constant feeling of wanting to kill you." He said it in simple words, and my jaw dropped to the floor. I kept looking between the brothers, from one to the other.


    "Is it true?" I asked, and Norman nodded.


    "Oh." I turned my back to them this time because I was honestly shocked and hurt too. Why the hell were their curses so brutal?


    "Okay," I turned back again, "it¡¯s a curse. We know they¡¯re crazy curses. Our focus should be on helping Emmet and Kaye. How about I mark Kaye on this full moon first before he even has the desire to kill me?" I suggested, full of hope.


    But it looked like none of them were impressed.


    "That¡¯s not how it works. I think it needs to happen in order. The one whose curse gets worse is the next one you should mark. In that case, only after marking Emmet can you mark Kaye," Norman corrected me, and I sighed, my shoulders slouching.


    "If we can tie Kaye up before Emmet is even marked, then when Kaye wants to rip Hnie¡¯s head off, he can¡¯t," Maximus was quite helpful with ns, but it was obvious his brothers didn¡¯t like something about his tone.


    "Maximus, words," Norman warned, and Maximus shrugged.


    "But it¡¯s true. He wants to kill her. I mean, not everyone¡¯s curse made them want her like mine did," he grunted in an undertone, and I noticed Norman staring at him without any enthusiasm.


    "Okay, let¡¯s go home and take Emmet with us. I don¡¯t trust¡ª" I shut up when I realized I was making such a big im in front of her sons.


    "Our mother," Norman pouted, giving me a wink with both eyes. "We get it. You¡¯re right. We¡¯ll take him home," he agreed, and I was d he did. He was sounding more like himself now.


    Maximus and Kaye took an SUV from their mother¡¯s collection, where they tied Emmet in the backseat. However, I really wanted to see him and speak to him once. They told me he wasn¡¯t understanding anything, so I let it be until we got home.


    Norman was driving behind their car to keep an eye on them. I had my head resting in my hand and tilted to the side as I watched the road.


    "You¡¯re thinking about something. Tell me, what is it?" Norman asked, keeping his eyes on the road.


    "I was thinking about the curses. I mean, after the marks, what¡¯s next? Do we just get tied together or reject each other?" I had that question in my mind ever since I agreed to mark Maximus.


    "Of course you¡¯ll get to reject them," Norman answered.


    "Norman, if it were that simple, I don¡¯t think it would be called a curse. Haven¡¯t you asked your mother any of this at all?" I groaned at him, and he rolled his eyes.


    "Get her on a call and put her on speaker. I¡¯ll ask her right away. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll say the same thing that you can reject them," Norman said, and I entered the password to his phone. He had force-fed me all his passwords even when I knew I could trust Norman with my eyes closed.


    "Wow, my son is missing me, it seems," that was the first thing she said. Norman rolled his eyes so hard that I could only see the whites.


    "Tell me something. Howe you haven¡¯t told us what will happen after everyone is marked? How long till Hnie can reject them?" I was shocked at how consistent he was with the idea of me rejecting them.


    He really wanted me to reject them.


    "Who said anything about rejection? Norman! Oh, my poor boy. After everyone is marked, you all have to mate with her. What do you guys call it? Oh yes, a gangbang."


    It was the way she said it that made my hand slip off my head and my spine straighten up.

 Chapter 614-The X Codex

    <h4>Chapter 614: 614-The X Codex</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Mom, you¡¯re talking about my wife. What makes you think you will suggest something like that and I will agree to it?" Norman¡¯s hands gripped the steering wheel even harder as he hissed at her. I could see the veins popping in his arms. He was really angry at that moment.


    I was honestly too shocked to even utter a word. I just sat with my spine erect, goosebumps all over my skin and my throat dry.


    "She¡¯s not only your wife, she¡¯s also everyone¡¯s mate. Your brothers¡¯ mate. Howe you¡¯re gatekeeping her? What happened to my selfless son? Saw a gorgeous blonde and became selfish?" It was the way she was speaking, as if she were taunting him.


    I was taking heavy, long breaths. My mind had gone numb.


    "Do you ever want to see us again? You better start treating Hnie as my wife and the Luna Queen of the North. I don¡¯t believe a word you¡¯re saying¡ª" he was angrily muttering, but it seemed like he was struggling to form a proper response for her.


    "Son, I¡¯m not trying to hurt you. Mating alone with her will cause her immense pain especially to her body. Just think about my words."


    Norman snatched the phone out of my hand and cut the call.


    Then, silence took over. After a while, Norman started shifting and fidgeting in his seat. His agitation was visible.


    And I didn¡¯t me him. Even I was confused. What the heck did she mean it would be harmful for my body?


    "Don¡¯t focus on what she said," he grunted, finally breaking the silence.


    The problem wasn¡¯t whether I believed her or not. It was the fact that I was having shbacks from a year ago.


    It was when I had those crazy nightmares. I remembered being thrown in the well and then the one where I saw myself with all the brothers.


    I quickly opened the water bottle to take a few sips because my throat had gone dry so fast.


    "She says the wildest things sometimes," Norman kept murmuring while driving us back home. Neither of us spoke about it again, except when Norman had to show anger toward his mother.


    "All set. He¡¯s in the basement!" Kaye yelled as we were getting out of the car. Norman had been so angry that he took several wrong turns one after another.


    But at least we had finally made it home. Maximus had been staring at us with curiosity, and I was worried he¡¯d pick up on the anxiety in our bodynguage.


    "Anyway, the Zharns are going crazy. It¡¯s about time we do something about this damn organization," Maximus pped his hands to get Norman¡¯s attention, but the way he was watching us with his little judging eyes made me ufortable. I did not want to talk about what their mother had told us.


    "What is that organization?" I sighed tiredly, having heard about it so many times by now.


    "Come with us," Maximus turned around after waving his hand for me to follow. "I¡¯ve been doing some of my own research, but our monster of a sweet brother in the basement is the real hero behind putting all the information together," he added, weirdly praising Emmet.


    But I could tell they were missing him.


    I began to walk behind them while Norman reluctantly followed. I didn¡¯t know Maximus had been working on the organization all this time too.


    "Pardon the condition of my room. The whole transition thing over the past month turned it into a mess. But I had things sorted before that," he said, leading us into his room full of files and two whiteboards covered in writing.


    "Sit down, darling," Maximus was in full swing, clearly too excited to have an audience for his findings.


    "Don¡¯t act like you did this whole thing. Most of it is Emmet¡¯s work," Kaye immediately spoke up while Maximus cleared a spot for me on the bed.


    However, Norman stepped in and motioned for me to sit on the couch instead, so I did.


    "Anyway, ignoring Kaye, let¡¯s get started," Maximus waved his hand in Kaye¡¯s direction before continuing.


    "The evil organization is called X Codex, which we brothers already know," he began. "It was started by a man who lived in the Free Land until the rogues took it over. The man must be around 200 years old now, and it seems he¡¯s slowly releasing monsters, what he calls his children, to take over the entire world, not just the Free Land."


    "And how do we get rid of this man? Otherwise, he¡¯ll keep unleashing his monsters and torturing us," I asked, worried what might happen if he released them all at once.


    "Now, that¡¯s the issue. It¡¯s said he has four kids that are his biological babies. And in order for us to kill him, we must kill all four of his children," Maximus exined. Norman tilted his head, clearly thinking. It seemed like this was a new piece of information Emmet had been working on.


    "And where are his children?" Norman asked.


    "Brother¨Cit¡¯s going to hurt but¡ª-we¡¯ve already encountered them. At least one of them mentioned here," Maximus¡¯s eyes made me nervous. The way he was sharing the info was almost chilling.


    "Just say it. He¡¯s doing it to impress someone," Kaye grunted, pointing at Maximus like a child.


    "Ignoring Kaye again, the one we¡¯ve met is *Rune*. He was the eldest," Maximus said, and as soon as he said his name, my heart dropped.


    "And we killed him, right? So that¡¯s a win. One down!" I said quickly, getting excited for a second¨Ceven though three were still left. But then Maximus corrected me, and I felt like dying.


    "Actually¡ª we freed him. He had been kept in a prison by my ancestors. And we probably reunited him with his father," he admitted.


    The look on his face while telling us that Rune might now be roaming free in our world made me p my forehead and let out a deep sigh.


    "In simple words, we might meet him again¨C-soon," he added with a straight face.

 Chapter 615-Emmet’s Fall From Grace.

    <h4>Chapter 615: 615-Emmet¡¯s Fall From Grace.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I am so bummed. I should have known what Rune meant when he said, ¡¯you have set me free,¡¯" I mimicked Rune¡¯s heavy tone while mocking him in front of Norman.


    "It¡¯s okay. He definitely doesn¡¯t have that much power here. We¡¯ll soon figure out what he¡¯s up to and what powers he has," Norman said, pulling me back into his arms again.


    "Norman, what were you doing earlier talking to your mother?" I finally asked after I had kept it a secret for a while. In thest two days, we had only talked about the organization while waiting for the full moon.


    "I was asking her for her witch. I knew she used to have a seer by her side, but now suddenly she ims the seer is dead," he replied with his eyes closed, my chin resting on the back of my hands while they rested on his chest.


    "Why do you want to look for a witch?" I asked, and he shifted ufortably, pulling me under him. He started kissing me all over my neck, dodging the topic. We didn¡¯t have sex again, but we did make out a lot in thest two days. The idea of sex after I had suffered a miscarriage was harsh for both of us, and he wanted my body to heal first.


    "Uggh! Okay, love, I must say goodbye. There is someone who ims to know there are witches all around us. I¡¯m going to meet him today," he got off me and started walking toward the closet.


    "I hope he¡¯s not a scam," I muttered, and he shrugged.


    "We¡¯ll find out. Please stay away from trouble, okay?" he turned only slightly to say that to me. I didn¡¯t ask him to exin himself because I could tell he wasn¡¯tfortable calling the curses ¡¯trouble.¡¯


    After he got dressed and left, I went to the kitchen to prepare a meal for Emmet. The family hasn¡¯t returned, and I guess that was the safest way. Thankfully, Lord McQuoid had been able to handle the mess Emma had been causing, wanting toe back.


    I don¡¯t know how long we have to bear her. Sometimes I wonder if I made a mistake for not getting her kicked out when Kaye suggested it. I was too emotional at the time. But then thinking about Charlotte surviving in the wild, I agreed I made the right decision anyway.


    "You¡¯re headed to the basement? Can Ie?" Maximus almost startled me when he appeared out of nowhere.


    It had been two days, and we had all been keeping ourselves busy. That being said, Darcy¡¯s words had affected Norman a little.


    He had been so agitated and was trying to find a witch himself. I had received a few calls from my mother, but since our rtionship had been strained, I didn¡¯t speak with her.


    "Sure," I said to Maximus, holding the tray of food for Emmet. He wasn¡¯t himself, and most of the times I went to check on him, he was passed out.


    So I was going to see him awake for the first time today. Both Kaye and Norman were not at the mansion.


    I had a whole rotisserie chicken for Emmet in a tray. We were refusing to feed him uncooked meat.


    He needed to keep the human in him alive by other means since his curse had gotten worse.


    Maximus and I went downstairs, and the way Emmet started howling in the cage made my heart beat faster. He looked so pale. I was on thest step when I finally saw Emmet act up. I had only seen him lying down and passed out so far, so it was a heartbreaking sight. His clothes were all messy, no coat on. His shirt was torn in ces. He ran to the corner of the cage, howling and grunting under his breath.


    Every step I took toward him made my heart ache. His hair was a mess. There were scratches all over his body from his own attempts to escape the cage. He didn¡¯t deserve this fate. Even when he used to drink, he still kept himself decent. But now he was grunting and throwing himself around, trying to break out of the cage. I finally reached the bars and noticed how he instantly lunged at me. Maximus had to grab me from behind and pull me back.


    "He doesn¡¯t remember anyone," Maximus reminded me, telling me to be careful.


    It was just the sight of Emmet being so lost that hurt me. I remembered promising him I¡¯d always be there for him.


    "He¡¯ll be back on his feet soon," Maximus said, making a pun to lighten the mood. I then pushed the tray inside and stepped back. But just before he touched the tray, I noticed Emmet stare at me for too long.


    "It¡¯s me," I said softly and noticed Emmet tilt his head.


    "He¡ªn," he could only say that much before his attention went back to the food. I gasped and turned to Maximus, who was just as shocked as I was.


    "Did he just say your name?" he asked, and I nodded, smiling widely.


    "Wow, even he remembers you. Not too surprising though, you¡¯re hard to forget," he teased while I rolled my eyes. I was d Maximus could make it an even more special moment for me.


    "Are you jealous?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.


    "Jealous that he remembers you and not his brothers? Or that he might make you think he loves you more than the rest of us?" His voice turned husky, and my smile faded. I swear I blushed at the way he said it while bending down to my level.


    "I¡¯m just d you were able to smile. I used to be stubborn, but after being away from you, I realized all I want is you. Even if I have to¡ª"


    I had to shut him down because I was afraid he was heading toward a conversation I wasn¡¯t ready to have out loud.


    "He likes the chicken," I cut him off and pointed at Emmet, who was tearing it up.


    "Of course he does. Hnie cooked it. He can taste your food even when he can¡¯t taste your body, just like the rest of us," he said, and I rolled my eyes again. Maximus was always the shameless flirt type. He never got tired of using cheesy pick-up lines either.

 Chapter 616-The Mate Eclipse

    <h4>Chapter 616: 616-The Mate Eclipse</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    We both walked over to the wall to sit and watch him. It¡¯s not like we had anything else to do.


    "So?" Maximus asked, making me shrug.


    "So what?" I replied. We sat together against the wall, watching Emmet eat from the tray, taking big bites from the chicken like a lion. Watching the emptiness in his eyes wasn¡¯t easy for me.


    I missed him.


    "Aren¡¯t we going to talk about what happened in the dream prison?"


    My body shuddered a little, but showing any reaction would mean I¡¯d thought about it. So I kept still on the outside.


    But deep down, I was shaking at the thought of being shared by all four of them.


    "There¡¯s nothing to talk about. It¡¯s called a dream prison for a reason. Nothing is real there," I shrugged casually, trying to act strong otherwise, he¡¯d notice how tense I was.


    "It¡¯s someone¡¯s dream. And let me tell you something, my dream was to be married to you, so whatever happened next was your¡ª"


    He shut up when I cleared my throat loudly.


    "Let¡¯s not talk about it," I said, realizing how close we were sitting. I straightened my back and quietly slid a little farther away from him.


    He noticed andughed.


    "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to grab you and kiss you. I won¡¯t. Not until you give me permission," he said, and his words made me close my eyes and scoot even farther.


    "Will you do me a favor if I ask for one?" I opened my eyes again after calming myself.


    "Only one favor? Ask for my life," he said confidently, and in that deep, flirty voice.


    "I don¡¯t need your life," I teased to lighten the mood.


    "Can you please try to ask your mother for a witch? There¡¯s no way she doesn¡¯t have one hidden somewhere. The way she knows things... I just feel like she¡¯s not telling us about the help she¡¯s getting," I said. I hated that his mother could be so blind to her son¡¯s suffering.


    Not once did she offer help, but she¡¯d cry louder than anyone else when they were in pain.


    We had to drag answers out of her when she should¡¯ve been the first to tell us everything.


    "You want me to follow my mother around until I find her witch? Because she won¡¯t tell anyone willingly," he asked, rubbing his fingers against his chin.


    "Would that be too much?" I asked, and he smiled, shaking his head.


    "For you? Not at all. I could follow someone for years if it makes you happy," he replied flirtatiously.


    I shook my head at him, silently asking him not to. I didn¡¯t want any trouble between the brothers, or between me and Norman because of this.


    "Okay, okay, I won¡¯t flirt. But you be careful tonight," he warned with a very naughty look on his face.


    "What is tonight?" I frowned in confusion.


    "Tonight is the Mate¡¯s Eclipse. It¡¯s a new month in the werewolf calendar when mates get super heated, if you know what I mean," he said in a cheeky tone.


    The first day of the Mate¡¯s Eclipse is tough, when bodies go into heat, then there are a few in the middle where pain is extreme but thest day is the hardest when it bes unbearable to stay away from your mate.


    "Oh," I looked away shyly, feeling too embarrassed to meet his eyes.


    "I don¡¯t know about you, Hnie, but I¡¯m very single. You might get pleasure from your husband, but your lonely mates will be suffering," he said while gently scratching his chest, trying to be yful. I kept turning my face until I was lookingpletely away from him.


    "You¡¯re being despicable," I muttered and got up, brushing the dirt off my clothes.


    "I¡¯m just being honest," he called out as I walked toward the stairs.


    "Then you¡¯ll have to rely on your hand tonight," I said without thinking. It was the first time I¡¯d made a sexual joke to anyone other than Norman and I instantly regretted it.


    Norman was always the one who got shy away. But not Maximus. The way Maximus licked his bottom lip with his hands in his pants¡¯ pockets made me bolt up the stairs, mentally kicking myself.


    The rest of the day passed as usual. I cooked dinner for the brothers, but the real challenge was sitting down to eat with them.


    There was an awkward silence in the dining room that night. Kaye kept sneaking nces at me, while Maximus shamelessly smirked the entire time.


    Norman looked disturbed, his eyes kept darting between his brothers, and I felt bad for him. He didn¡¯t deserve to feel this way in a rtionship.


    "Try not toe out of your rooms tonight," Norman finally said, addressing his brothers, who both looked up at him.


    "That¡¯s not fair," Maximus spoke up, while Kaye remained quiet.


    "What¡¯s not fair?" Norman mmed his spoon on the te, startling me. He quickly lowered his head, then turned to check on me before Maximus pulled his attention back again.


    "Why do we have to suffer? She¡¯s our mate, and she was never going to reject us. Going into this marriage, you knew she was in love with Emmet. So how could you expect her to just stop loving him and be exclusive to only you?" Maximus said, making my eyes widen.


    "Wait," I raised my voice before Norman could defend himself. "Our marriage might have started as a deal, but we truly fell in love. We became exclusive. It¡¯s not just Norman who wants to keep it that way. I don¡¯t want to be shared either."


    I looked between Maximus and Kaye, who exchanged a nce before smirks crept onto their faces. Their expressions bothered me more than I wanted to admit.


    "Really? Then why note out of your bedroom tonight to see what your wolf and your body truly desire?" Kaye finally spoke up. His serious and gruff voice shocked all of us with that bold suggestion.

 Chapter 617-Sharing Is Caring

    <h4>Chapter 617: 617-Sharing Is Caring</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "She doesn¡¯t need to prove anything," Norman defended me while I had been staring at Kaye in shock. "Of course she does. We are her marked mates. And yes, we¡¯re grateful that she saved us from the pain, but our curse is not over. It¡¯s not like she can reject us. So does that mean we will be suffering every night and day? And not to mention, she will be in pain too. Has she told you what her body goes through when she is not able to be with her mates?" Maximus shocked me with how much he had noticed. He had been watching me way too closely these days.


    "I¡¯m fine. I can tolerate any kind of pain. You don¡¯t have to make it about the mark," I hissed, trying to hold back my tears. It was true. Sometimes the pain was so bad that my body would shudder for a few seconds before I pulled myself together.


    "Anyway, I am done with my food," I said and got up, walking out of the dining room. While doing so, I couldn¡¯t help but nce out the window and saw the red clouds starting to cover the moon, making it look red too. I sighed, not wanting to imagine the pain I would feel tonight.


    ¡¯It will be a lot,¡¯ Cora muttered as I entered my bedroom.


    ¡¯Well, good thing I have my husband. He is also my fated mate,¡¯ I shrugged, reaching the closet to grab my nightdress.


    ¡¯Allegedly. We don¡¯t know that for sure,¡¯ she said, making me clench my jaw.


    ¡¯Isn¡¯t this why the whole curse started? Because his fated mate marked him?¡¯ I was tired of her sounding like Maximus. I knew the idea hurt Norman deeply, so every time they brought it up, it made me feel worse.


    ¡¯Hnie, there¡¯s a part of us that is more connected to our mates than to Norman. That¡¯s because we haven¡¯t felt the mate bond with him yet. Even when the signs say he is our fated mate, do you feel the pain when you¡¯re not able to mate with him?¡¯ she said what I had been trying to hide. I shook my head at her, trying to silence her, but I knew she would speak up again once night hit.


    I had showered and changed into my nightdress, soft silk blush pink shorts and a matching top. The thin straps kept slipping off my shoulders, and the fabric felt cool against my skin. It was the kind of thing you wear when you feel safe, when you¡¯re not expecting to run or fight. And I didn¡¯t n to do either tonight. I wasn¡¯t even going to leave my bedroom.


    By midnight, Norman hade into the room as well. "Mmmhmm," he kissed my lips as his dick slid in and out of me. We finally had sex after I lost the baby. I needed it tonight.


    "Ahhh," I enjoyed the moment with him, but my body kept shuddering more than usual. I could barely keep myself together.


    "You okay?" he suddenly stopped, his dick still inside me.


    "Yeah," I lied to him with much difficulty. I wasn¡¯t okay. I was feeling so cold. This was our second session. The first one had been so fulfilling, but during the second one, my body started showing desires I would never speak out loud to him.


    ¡¯We want our other mates too,¡¯ Cora uttered. ¡¯And even when Emmet is unwell, the two others will help a lot.¡¯ She let out a cry, clearly trying to hold herself together this whole time.


    ¡¯No! I¡¯m not hurting Norman for sex,¡¯ I grunted at her.


    I hadn¡¯t noticed Norman was staring at me inplete silence that whole time.


    "What is Cora saying?" he snapped me back to reality, and I smiled through the pain for him.


    "Nothing," I lied again. He nodded his head, but instead of continuing, he slowly stepped back and pulled out. A sharp pain struck through my body, but what hit harder was the pain in his eyes.


    "What happened? Did I do something wrong?" I asked him and tried to sit up, but my body shuddered again and this time so violently I had to close my eyes and hug myself.


    "No! You never do anything wrong," he whispered and wrapped his arms around me. "Just know that I will never love you less, no matter what. But I can¡¯t see you in pain." He began speaking in soft whispers, still hugging me tightly.


    I didn¡¯t understand what he was trying to do, too consumed by the pain to think clearly. Norman eventually broke the hug and got up from the bed, slipping his shorts back on.


    "Norman, are you going somewhere? Please don¡¯t go, I need you with me." I bit my tongue as a shooting pain ran from my heart to every part of my body.


    "I¡¯ll be just outside, my love. I can¡¯t be selfish. I can¡¯t watch you suffer," he whispered, not looking back as he reached for the door.


    "Norman, then stay with me! Why are you leaving?" I wanted to go after him, but my bones had started to crack. This wasn¡¯t a transition, just another level of unbearable pain.


    "I¡¯ll be back with the cure," he replied and didn¡¯t turn around again.


    This time, I had no idea what was wrong with him. Part of me was angry with him for walking away, and the other part kept wondering how long I¡¯d have to stay in this pain. Maximus¡¯s words echoed in my mind. ¡¯Till the sunes up.¡¯


    Ughhh! I groaned and shifted in bed, feelingpletely alone.


    ¡¯How could he leave us in pain?¡¯ I didn¡¯t understand until the door opened again.


    But this time, it wasn¡¯t Norman who walked in. Maximus and Kaye stepped through, their eyes carrying the hunger of a predator. Their shirts were half open. While Maximus locked the door behind him, Kaye began unbuttoning the rest of his shirt.

 Chapter 618-Two Fingers In

    <h4>Chapter 618: 618-Two Fingers In</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Kaye had taken off his shirt and crawled onto the bed. "Your husband agreed to share you with us for the night," he whispered, sitting beside me. My wolf was excited. And the pain was a different kind of pain¡ªpain from lust and desire.


    The moment Kaye pressed his lips against my cheek, my body shuddered. Maximus was in my sight when he approached the bed, ripping off his shirt and throwing it away. He sat on my right, his hand on my thigh, caressing it while giving me small kisses on my cheek.


    My body felt a different kind of arousal, like a thirsty person drinking from a well. My body was sandwiched between them as they kept kissing both of my cheeks.


    "Where is Norman?" I managed to ask.


    "He said¡ªhe¡ªwill¡ªbe out for a¡ªrun," Maximus muttered, continuing to kiss my cheek but now moving to my neck. Kaye¡¯s lips reached my earlobe, and my eyes started to close. That kind of pleasure, even though we hadn¡¯t really started yet, was strange.


    The strap of my top slipped off my shoulder, and Kaye quickly started kissing it while moving his hand up and grabbing my breast.


    He fit my breast in his hand and pressed it gently, then began to massage it. I had never been this intimate with Kaye before. I almost forgot how amazing his touch used to feel.


    As he kept ying with my breast, my top started to slide down.


    Maximus had nted little kisses all over my cheeks and neck before his hand moved up under my shirt and reached my bare boob. My eyes rolled back in my head when my nipple pressed hard against his palm. I found my legs rubbing together on their own.


    Kaye had pulled down my top while Maximus had his hand under it. Kaye lowered his face and sucked my entire breast in, almost like he wanted to swallow it.


    Maximus removed his hand and quickly pulled the top down, bringing my breast out before he, too, started sucking on it.


    My body moved excitedly, and their hands met at my shorts. Maximus slipped his hand inside, followed by Kaye¡¯s.


    Their fingers reached my pussy, and that¡¯s when I began to lose control.


    The way their fingers parted mybia and fought to enter me made my body start to shudder.


    They kept my pussy lips spread with their fingers while adjusting their middle fingers at the entrance. And then, in one go, they both pushed their fingers inside me.


    "Ahhhh!" I screamed so loud that I woke myself up from the well of my own lust. I suddenly remembered Norman, and guilt hit me.


    This pleasure was so overwhelming that if I let them keep touching me for another minute, I would lose myself. Norman only allowed this because he wanted us to be free from pain. But what about his pain? I didn¡¯t want him to force himself to share me.


    "No, no, no!" I started moving around. "Stop!" Thankfully, the minute I let out that word, the two pulled their fingers out of me. I hastily managed to crawl out of bed, fixing my top before I turned to face them.


    "This is wrong," I said, rubbing my face in my hands.


    "What? He allowed it," Kaye argued.


    "Because he can¡¯t stand to see me in pain, Kaye. I can¡¯t force him into this kind of lifestyle," I shook my head, barely able to look at them. I couldn¡¯t believe they were touching me like that, kissing my breasts and fingering me.


    "But¡ª" Kaye started to argue, but Maximus patted his shoulder.


    "Let¡¯s go," he said, not even looking my way.


    "I don¡¯t want to disappoint you two¡ª" I mumbled, watching them walk out of the room. I could tell they weren¡¯t just disappointed, they were angry. I noticed the way they were grunting. Especially Maximus.


    "Wait, why are you two so angry with me?" I asked Maximus, clenching my jaw as the pain in my body began to return. It had felt so rxing just a few minutes ago.


    "Do you not want this?" Maximus turned to me, questioning me.


    "Norman¡ª" I started to speak again, but Maximus came at me, grabbing me by the arms and shaking me slightly.


    "I¡¯m talking about you. Do you not feel anything for us?" he asked, this time looking directly into my eyes, his tone stern and intense.


    I gulped hard, wanting to lie and say I didn¡¯t feel anything for them. But that would be a lie. And the pain in my body would only grow if I hurt them or pushed them away.


    "Tell me. Do you not want this?" he insisted again, and I started to look away.


    "She¡¯s not answering. She feels something for us. She wants this," Kaye said, pointing at me, looking so sad and disturbed. I could tell they were back in pain again.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter. If my husband isn¡¯t ready, then I¡¯m not either. And I¡¯m not talking about just letting you two touch me. He allowed this because he couldn¡¯t stand to see me in pain," I argued, and Maximus suddenly let go of me with a small push.


    He kept stepping back, shaking his head at me in disappointment. I felt so judged, but also lost.


    I wanted them.


    And I hated myself for it.


    "We should really go now," Maximus said to Kaye, who looked so upset with me that he kept trying to walk toward me, only to stop himself.


    "How could she do this to us? Did she stop loving us without even giving us a fair chance to be with her?" Kaye keptining while Maximus dragged him out.


    "She doesn¡¯t fucking care. We shouldn¡¯t either, from now on," Maximus hissed as he pulled his brother with him.


    "Maximus, Kaye! It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t care. I have obligations¡ª a duty of loyalty¡ª," I called out after them, but they mmed the door shut behind them.


    And that¡¯s when the pain hit me hard.


    I heard one of them growl in pain outside, too.


    I had never been so confused in my life.

 Chapter 619-Without Me

    <h4>Chapter 619: 619-Without Me</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    Watching her in pain made me feel guilty. I had asked her many times if she was okay, but she lied. She told me there was nothing wrong. It made me realize she really is a ride or die.


    She would rather die than tell me she was in pain because she couldn¡¯t be with her mates. So when I walked out of that room, I couldn¡¯t even look at her. I didn¡¯t want to share her. I couldn¡¯t bear seeing her with anyone else. But sometimes, great sacrifices are made when there¡¯s no other option.


    I walked over to Kaye¡¯s room and heard him grunting in pain inside. He must have been suffering from the same kind of pain Hnie was going through because of my stubbornness.


    I knocked on the door and noticed that Kaye had gone silent. He slowly opened the door, just halfway, so I couldn¡¯t peek inside.


    "Are you okay?" I asked, concern growing in me as I looked at his face. He looked like he was going through hell. Not just Hnie, but my brothers were suffering too, because of me.


    "How¡¯s Hnie?" Kaye asked, and his eyes twitched. He looked down and shook his head slightly, as if trying to focus on his question instead of me.


    "She¡¯s not well," I replied, and my brother lifted his head instantly. He looked so concerned. That¡¯s when Maximus came from downstairs, panting and disheveled. It seemed like he had gone out for a run to help himself deal with the torment, but I could tell it hadn¡¯t worked.


    "Do you want to try some wolfsbane on her?" Kaye suggested, drawing my attention back to him.


    "It¡¯ll burn her from the inside. It¡¯s no pic," I sighed. Just the thought of her being in even a little pain was too much for me.


    "Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t know what the real cure is," Maximus chimed in, leaning against the wall with his arms folded over his chest.


    I didn¡¯t say anything, but I could tell Kaye was giving him a look, silently begging him not to say it in front of me.


    "Don¡¯t look at me like that. You¡¯re in pain too," Maximus said sharply, stepping forward and pushing the door open, revealing Kaye¡¯s room.


    "What the heck is all this?" I stepped inside, scanning the room, then noticed the stab wounds all over his body.


    "He¡¯s hurting himself to distract himself from the other pain," Maximus exined, his eyes scanning Kaye¡¯s bloodied shirt with concern. His entire white shirt was now red. That¡¯s why he had only peeked his head out earlier.


    "Kaye, you know I can¡¯t stand to see you in pain. Why would you do that?" I looked away, clenching my jaw.


    "Honestly? To some extent, it works," Kaye replied.


    "That¡¯s why I came back too. The run didn¡¯t help much," Maximus added as I stood beside them, grinding my teeth.


    "There¡¯s a better way. The one the Moon Goddess created," I said, and my words silenced them both. "She¡¯s in the bedroom. I¡¯ll go out for a run."


    I didn¡¯t need to exin further, they knew exactly what I meant by that.


    "Are you sure? We don¡¯t want to hurt you either," Kaye said gently.


    I only nodded, then turned and sped away.


    I couldn¡¯t bear to see it.


    "All this pain because we aren¡¯t part of it," I had a feeling Rome would speak up soon. I had already felt him stirring inside me.


    I rushed out of the mansion and only stopped once I hit the trail.


    "I can¡¯t be part of it. If she¡¯s going to be shared, that means my brothers will be involved too. Seeing her with them, it¡¯ll never be easy for me," I said aloud, my hands on my waist, my head tilted toward the sky.


    "Don¡¯t you fear she might fall harder for them?" my wolf pushed, refusing to let me find peace. "They¡¯re the mates she has the bond with. And she once dated them too. What if we¡¯re the ones left out?"


    He wasn¡¯t helping.


    I grunted and rubbed my face in my hands. Why does it have to be this way?


    Earlier, I had gone to meet the man who imed to know about the witches. He turned out to be a clueless liar.


    "It seems like the Moon Goddess has set these rules in a way that they can¡¯t be broken. We wolves always look for loopholes. Our mother did too when she was told she¡¯d never carry her mate¡¯s children. She found a way to go against the Moon Goddess¡¯s decision, and in return, the Goddess nned our fates. This time, she made sure we knew: if she wills it, we can never defy her," Rome said with conviction.


    He was right! The Moon Goddess was making an example out of us. Our mother¡¯s reckless defiance and stubbornness had left us with the consequences.


    I wandered the mountains in pain for hours. The thought of my brothers being intimate with my wife haunted me the entire time. By the time the sky started to lighten, I had crossed the mountains more times than I could count.


    Finally, I came to a stop and stared at the brightening horizon.


    "They must be done by now," I muttered under my breath.


    Rome didn¡¯t respond, but I could sense he wasn¡¯t in much pain. Maybe because she was with her marked mates and not us. But my three heartbeast were irregr.


    I made my way back home, and as the mansion came into view, I started taking deeper breaths. But just as I was about to enter, someone stormed past me, heading inside.


    "Maximus?" I asked, confused. What was he doing outside the mansion?


    He slowed down and turned toward me, lookingpletely worn out.


    "What happened? When did you leave?" I asked, though it was more like I was punishing myself. I wanted to know, when did they finish?


    "After just a few minutes in the bedroom," he replied, sounding exhausted. "She kicked us outst night. Said she couldn¡¯t hurt you."


    It was when I realized why the heartbeats were so irregr because my brothers spent the night in pain.


    Those words filled my heart with a rush of joy, just for a moment. Until I thought about the pain she must have gone through--all night.

 Chapter 620-My Husband’s Painful Nights.

    <h4>Chapter 620: 620-My Husband¡¯s Painful Nights.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "How was your night?" Norman walked in, looking sleepless. Of course, he stayed awake. He could not get an hour of sleep without cuddling with me.


    "You left me. I was worried for you," I hid the fact that I spent the night in pain, throwing up the whole time.


    "I had to take a run," he stole eyes from me when heading toward the bathroom.


    "I had a talk with Kaye and Maximusst night. I believe you let theme to our room," I whispered, and he stopped in his steps.


    "We didn¡¯t do it." The minute I said that, he turned around and sighed tiredly, looking so defeated. "What made you think I will sleep with my mates even when I know how much it pains you to think of me with your brothers?" I added.


    "Didn¡¯t it hurt you to not be with them, Hnie?" he uttered with a soft look on his face. He was not judging me for it. He walked over to the bed and sat down, a weird look on his face. "Although I was shocked that you thought of me even through so much pain," he uttered. "But now I want to know what you went through after you made them leave the roomst night, and I want you to be honest with me." He held my hand when asking me the question that he could not bear to hear about.


    I don¡¯t know why he wanted to know so bad.


    "It wasn¡¯t that bad," as soon as I lied, he put my hand on his head and warned me through his eyes not to lie anymore.


    "No, Norman. I saw what you didst night against your will just for me. I am not talking about this," I had enough of his questions. I did not want him to force himself into agreeing to this craziness.


    "Not even for me?" he inquired, and my eyebrows furrowed.


    "We are marked mates too. And your pain was my painst night. I went through extreme pain, feeling yours and my brothers¡¯ pain too since they are a part of me," he ced his hand on his chest when telling me he had been in pain too.


    "Hnie, it is not a crime to be with your mates. Especially when the Moon Goddess wants it. I cannot take that pain¡ªit was too much," he looked so awkward, probably even embarrassed that he couldn¡¯t take that pain.


    "Norman¡ª," I didn¡¯t understand how to respond anymore.


    "I don¡¯t want to force you, but if I am the reason you were not able to do it, then I am sorry. But¡ª-I shouldn¡¯t be the reason anymore. I am okay! they are your mates too," he uttered, looking so disturbed as he couldn¡¯t directly tell me that he was ready to share me with his brothers.


    "You are just saying it because you think I am in pain," I snapped at him, freeing my hand from his hands.


    "I am in as much pain. I don¡¯t think there is another option. And then my brothers, they were in pain too. Kaye was stabbing himself with a silver dagger to get himself distracted, while Maximus ran miles nonstop," Norman sighed. "If the pain starts again tonight, I don¡¯t know how we all will tolerate it."


    I felt like I had no response. I had no idea Kaye had been doing that. I just nodded my head and got out of the bed. We were all pretty busy with painst night. A good meal might help us recover our energy.


    However, no one came to the dining room. Kaye took his food to his bedroom, while Maximus didn¡¯t even want to eat anything. I had a feeling they were upset with me. So I waited for Kaye toe to the kitchen to leave the dirty dishes, and once he did, I stepped in his way.


    "Move!" he demanded in a stern tone.


    "Why are you angry with me?" I asked worriedly.


    "You wanna know why? Because you fucking moved on. Last night when I left your room, I couldn¡¯t help but remember our past together. Sure, I was an asshole that I wanted you tomit to me. I was rushing you, but you didn¡¯t even want to be in a rtionship with me at that time. Unlike how you did with Maximus. You were ready to tell everyone until you thought he was ying you. Same with Emmet, you were honest with him on why you didn¡¯t want to rush. For me, you wanted me to just listen while you told me you didn¡¯t want to be in a rtionship with me, without any proper exnation. That¡¯s what it is," he muttered, his eyes narrowing at my face and showing so much anger.


    "You¡¯re probably forgetting you brought Kesha next to me. You basically gave me an ultimatum, making me realize you¡¯d have no objection epting Kesha, and that you had two options," I hissed back at him, and he suddenly put his hand on my neck, grabbing it and pulling me closer.


    "I don¡¯t give a damn about Kesha. I told you I would only ept her for a while. I told you the truth. You hid everything from me," he grunted, his eyes showing aggression.


    "Let me go," I hissed and tried to push him off.


    However, I got to see realisation strike him before my eyes and he removed his hand from my neck.


    "You should note in my way," he grunted, warning me when walking past me.


    "Or else what?" I demanded.


    He stopped in his steps, and in a very grumpy and stern voice responded, "Or else I will not be able to control myself and touch you¡ªkiss you¡ª," I heard his loud gulp while my body got covered in goosebumps.


    "You only thought about your rtionshipst night, not about the fact that we were in pain," he added before he stormed out of the kitchen.


    I walked outside after him when Maximus came home. The minute our eyes met, he quickly looked down and ran as fast as he could to avoid getting in contact with me.


    ¡¯Hnie! It is meant to be. Even Norman wants us to do it so that he can be freed from the pain,¡¯ Cora uttered softly, and I began to sigh, wondering if I had made a mistake pushing them out of the roomst night.


    We were all silent that day, and then the night arrived.


    "I will be out in the woods," I could tell Norman had sensed the tension in the air once again. I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d feel the pain so soon again.


    But this time, I gave him a head nod as I aimed to help him and the others with their pain.

 Chapter 621-No Affection

    <h4>Chapter 621: 621-No Affection</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I walked over to their bedrooms in pain and waited outside awkwardly. I didn¡¯t know how to talk to them. And I didn¡¯t even know where they were.


    "Last night was such a chance, but you screwed it up. You don¡¯t value it when someonees to help. You have to beg for it or you won¡¯t be satisfied," Cora taunted me, and I rolled my eyes at her.


    "I didn¡¯t know Norman was in painst night," I hissed.


    "But you knew your mates were in pain," she reminded me, and I started shaking my head.


    "What if Norman had two mates? Would it have been okay for him to go sleep with her if she was in pain?" Now that I flipped the situation, she didn¡¯t have an answer or so I thought.


    "Yes, if you had allowed it like Norman allowed," she said, making me grumpily scoff at her.


    I heard some noises from downstairs, so I knew someone was watching TV. Norman had made it clear he¡¯d be out in the woods, so it had to be one of my mates. Once I reached the living room, I saw Maximus with the TV on in the background while he held his phone.


    "What?" Maximus asked in a loud and annoyed tone, shrugging his shoulders while lying on the couch. He had one leg bent over the other, shaking it while watching a video on his phone.


    I didn¡¯t know how to ask him if he was in pain. It didn¡¯t seem like he was. He looked so rxed. And then there was me, feeling excruciating pain.


    "Where is Kaye?" I asked, deciding I¡¯d rather talk to him since Maximus was acting up.


    "He¡¯ll be around somewhere. Go find him. I¡¯m not his assistant, I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing on a quiet night," he said, making my ears perk up.


    So he really wasn¡¯t in pain?


    Before I could walk past him to look for Kaye, I saw Kaye walk in with food bags.


    "I asked you to order¡ªwhat took you so long?" Maximus asked him, sitting up and rubbing his hands. However, I noticed his veins were literally ready to pop out.


    Kaye seemed to be clenching his jaw a lot too.


    "Didn¡¯t want the delivery driver to get ambushed by the Zharns, so I went out to get the food myself," Kaye answered before slowly turning to acknowledge me.


    "You want some?" he asked, then looked down again.


    They started to unpack the food, lookingpletely unbothered.


    "Am I the only one in pain tonight?" I¡¯d had enough, so I asked in a loud voice.


    "Seems like karma to me," Maximus muttered, holding a chicken wing and examining it like he¡¯d never seen one before.


    "Or you need our help?" Kaye asked, sounding cocky.


    "Stop talking nonsense," I hissed, clenching my fists.


    "Oh, so what are you here for?" Maximus asked. The two of them looked so smug that they were driving me crazy.


    "Norman feels our pain too. He feels my pain and yours¡ª," I started to say, when Maximus grunted and mmed his hand on the table.


    "Oh! So you¡¯re here because your husband is suffering, and now suddenly you¡¯re in front of us," Maximus bitterly grunted, his narrowed eyes scaring me for a brief moment.


    "Well, we would¡¯ve done it for our brother, but since it¡¯s you, we¡¯re not really feeling it," Kaye added, and I closed my eyes, grunting inwardly.


    How dare they!


    "I¡¯m not here to ask you to sleep with me. I was just wondering if you guys are also in pain," I spoke softly but firmly. I was lying. I *was* here for something else, but I guess they were right. They had every right to show me attitude.


    "Nope! Luckily, we¡¯re fine," Maximus frowned in confusion for a moment before shrugging happily.


    "The Moon Goddess knew our intentions were pure and eptingst night. But you defied her," Kayemented with a shrug, licking his spoon while locking eyes with me in a deadly stare.


    I suddenly felt a strange urge to get closer to them. To lick something else, but I looked away and started breathing heavily.


    "I¡¯ll be in my room then," I managed to say, even though it was hard to speak as I watched Maximus unbutton his shirt while still eating.


    "Stop it!" I yelled once I couldn¡¯t take their teasing anymore. The two shared a nce and then startedughing.


    "We¡¯re not doing anything, darling. I was just feeling hot, so I thought¡ª," Maximus got up and took off his shirt, tossing it over my head before sitting down again, "why not?" he added in a husky tone.


    "I know you two are angry with me, and I¡¯m not saying I don¡¯t deserve it. Yesterday, I was being selfish, but I didn¡¯t want to hurt Norman, who couldn¡¯t bear to see me with you two," I stomped my foot, my lips trembling as the two made it so difficult for me.


    "Okay! We understand. Now what?" Maximus continued, making my jaw drop. They were being so cruel.


    "Nothing!" I said, turning around to leave when I heard them whisper something.


    "We¡¯ll do it for the sake of our brother," Kaye spoke up. I turned around and watched Maximus nod his head.


    "I guess now we all have a shared interest, helping Norman with his pain," Maximus agreed. I don¡¯t know why it hurt so much that they seemed to be over me when I had been giving them zero attention.


    I was breathing heavily now as the two got up from the couch. Kaye cleared the table in a second while Maximus kept staring at me.


    "But as we do this, we¡¯ll make some rules," Maximus said, walking over to me. I suddenly felt small when he approached me with confidence.


    "No kisses, no love, and no affection," Maximus leaned down, bringing his face close to mine, whispering while his fresh breath fanned my lips. Then I heard Kaye whisper from behind, into my ear:


    "And you won¡¯t beg for more because we¡¯re sure you will."

 Chapter 622-Strictly Sex

    <h4>Chapter 622: 622-Strictly Sex</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "It will be strictly sex," Maximus said while taking off his shirt. I stayed put, watching him get prepared, and my heart was going through hell.


    "Just sex!" Kaye whispered from behind, and my body squeezed together. I couldn¡¯t even turn around to look at him, especially when he stretched his arm out, threw his shirt on the ground, and then his pants came off and onto the ground. I held my breath when I found him standing too close to me.


    His body was pressed against mine, and I could feel something big and hard touching my ass.


    "Which hole would you take, brother?" asked Kaye in a loud voice, startling me.


    I watched Maximus unbuckle his pants and then step out of them, smirking as he made eye contact with me. I quickly closed my eyes for a brief moment.


    "Let me take her sweet pussy," I held my breath when I heard Maximus whisper those words on my lips. My eyes shot open and I was right. He was right in my face, while Kaye was behind me, sandwiching me between them.


    "So it¡¯s the ass for me then," Kayemented in a seductive tone. And as if that wasn¡¯t already giving me goosebumps, he pped my ass but didn¡¯t remove his hand, groping my ass cheek in a way that made my mouth open, little yelps of shock escaping my lips.


    "Be gentle then. I don¡¯t think she can take us both," Maximus hunched down and touched my thighs from over my knee-length silk white nightdress.


    He ran his hand up and grabbed my panties, and then, while maintaining deep eye contact, he ripped them and pulled them off, holding them up to my face level to show me.


    I turned my face to the side as he tossed them away.


    Kaye now had his hands on my bare ass as he massaged them, pulling them apart and breathing on my neck.


    I thought they said no affection.


    "I feel like ying with the clouds," Kaye whispered in my ear. "Why do you have to be so stubborn, my love?"


    I took a deep breath when Maximus stepped back and I saw his cock. I swear I stopped breathing for a hot minute. His dick was so big and erect that I started imagining the pain I¡¯d feel if he decided to take the backdoor.


    But I was still unaware of the monster behind me. Maximus sat down on the couch like a king, one hand holding his dick, rubbing it, while Kaye grabbed me by the back of the neck and started bending me down onto Maximus¡¯s crotch.


    My handsnded on Maximus¡¯s thighs for support as I felt something like a big ball of a head touching my asshole.


    I held my breath and closed my eyes when I heard a little whisper.


    "Be careful. Don¡¯t hurt her," it was Maximus, warning his brother in a serious yet hushed tone.


    I knew in that moment their anger would fade away¡ªor even if they were telling the truth about being over me, they would still never hurt me.


    Kaye gently pushed his dick in my hole, and my eyes shot open, meeting Maximus¡¯s.


    "Gentle!" Maximus yelled this time.


    "I¡¯m," Kaye grunted. I heard him spit on his fingers and then touch my hole. My body jolted with his touch, but it was nothingpared to when his cock touched my entry once again.


    I closed my eyes this time while Maximus started to take off my dress. My dress fell on his thighs, stopped by my hands when I felt a push from the back.


    "Fuck!" I yelped loudly, feeling only the head enter my hole.


    Maximus touched my cheek gently, then moved my hair to one side. His hands held my arms as Kaye pushed deeper into me, sliding the entirety of his length in me.


    The pain was unbearable, but there was some pleasure to it. After a few seconds of calming down, Kaye began to thrust in and out of me. By this time, I only felt pleasure.


    "Ohhh!" moans escaped my lips as my boobs moved up and down, hanging over Maximus¡¯s thigh. My tits grazed over his skin, getting even more erect.


    After a few minutes of his cock fucking my asshole, he pulled his cock out, and I swear I felt my hole expanding and squeezing closed.


    Maximus held my hands and made me move closer, throwing away my dress and making me crawl onto him. He quickly wore a condom as if he knew I woulde tonight or any day by now.


    He adjusted his cock on my pussy, my hands on his shoulders, and while we maintained eye contact, he pushed the entire length of his cock in me.


    "Aghhhh!" I screamed as he started moving his dick in and out of me like an animal.


    My boobs pped his face, burying him in the softness of my breasts. Kaye¡¯s hand roamed all over my back before he pushed me lower again, and this time, he came on top of me from the back, his one leg on the couch while the other on the ground still.


    As soon as his dick joined me, I felt my heart stopping for a moment. The two then began to fuck me like they were on some kind of steroids. Their speeds made me close my eyes, and at times, I felt like I would pass out.


    The pleasure was so much that I did not want the night to end.


    Maximus¡¯s cock slipped into me, exploring my pussy while Kaye¡¯s dick tore open my asshole. They did me for hours in the same position before they finally started to release. They could go on and on, I had realized that. Just like their brother Norman.


    As their cocks swelled, my pussy and asshole tightened around their shafts, and then in unison, the two came. I felt loads in both my holes, Kaye¡¯s cock pumping inside me while Maximus¡¯ in the condom before they were empty.


    "Arghhh1" their moans and grunts were even louder, scaring me together.


    "There will be more ways, but that will be it for the night," Maximus quickly started to get up, so I moved away. I was tired. And even when I had fun, my body was throbbing now. I held my dress and ced it on my body, barely covering myself, and lied down on the couch.


    I closed my eyes for a while and only opened them when I felt a pair of arms wrapped around me from the back and a white sheet covering our bodies. I was too tired to question anything. So I dozed off in the living room, only to wake up when someone returned home.


    Someone who was not supposed to see me like this.

 Chapter 623-The Evil Twin And Her Evil Games

    <h4>Chapter 623: 623-The Evil Twin And Her Evil Games</h4>


    <strong>Salem:</strong>


    "Mmmhmm, I¡¯ll miss you so much," Gavin kissed me again, attempting to drag me back into his arms while I giggled and got up from the bed ¡¯his bed¡¯.


    Lately, his bedroom has been my haven. Ever since the Mate Eclipse started, I had been craving him desperately.


    "Do you have to leave?" he held my hand, pouting and refusing to get out of bed. I had dressed up with difficulty because every few seconds he would drag me back to bed with him. I had no objection, but there was someone who was bothered.


    "Sydney will kill me. She said she wants me to be there for her tonight," I recalled how she had been calling me throughout the night to remind me that the minute I was done with Gavin, I must be ready to leave. She had told me she wasing over to pick me up.


    It was still 4:45 a.m., and I wanted to be with Gavin. Of course, my sister didn¡¯t like him. She didn¡¯t even want to visit his ce. She said it was too shabby and small. But I liked it. It felt like home.


    I had learned to cook with his mother too. She was a sweetheart, just the perfect kind of family I had always craved. But then there were my father and my sister, who thought I was wasting my time.


    "Why does she so desperately want to beg Altan to give her a chance?" Gavin asked, lying on his stomach, naked, with the sheet covering his torso.


    "Every mate wants their mate these nights. She¡¯s been in pain and wants Altan to have mercy on both of them and at least have an intimate rtionship for these days," I exined, and Gavin pouted because he too understood what it would feel like to not be with your fated mate during these nights of torture.


    "So you guys are visiting his father to make him convince Altan?" Gavin asked, and I shrugged.


    "I have no clue what they¡¯re nning. I just know Altan won¡¯t agree. He thinks this is the perfect kind of pain he deserves for what happened to Hnie. He¡¯s still guilt-ridden about that night," I sighed.


    "As he should," Gavin grunted before he got up and started kissing my shoulder again. Iughed because I knew he couldn¡¯t stay apart from me for a minute. I was his second-chance mate, so it was a simr case with us. We¡¯d feel pain if we didn¡¯t do it, and honestly speaking, we were already doing it every night, so it was just perfect for us.


    "I have to go now. She¡¯s at the apartment¡¯s entrance," I noticed her text and instantly got into my shoes before she started screaming and woke up everyone.


    "And of course she won¡¯te upstairs. You know, I promise to work hard and get you a ce that¡¯ll be suitable for you and your worth," he whispered, cupped my face in his hands, and nted a kiss on my lips.


    "My sweet Gavin, you¡¯ve already given me that ce," I ced my hand on his naked chest and uttered with a smile of affection.


    However, I really didn¡¯t want to leave him. I was sofortable here. With Sydney, it was all negativity and herining about everything. Gavin was so positive¡ªwe barely ever had problems, apart from the times when he would seduce me while I was sitting with his mother, unable to do anything.


    But I liked those times as well.


    "Ah, I¡¯m going to miss you so much," he let out a cry before getting out of bed to put on his clothes.


    "You don¡¯t have toe with me. I¡¯ll be fine," I instantly stopped him. He didn¡¯t have to change just to walk me downstairs.


    "But I want to," he protested with a little pout forming on his lips.


    "Gavin, please! I don¡¯t want to bother you. I¡¯ll be fine."


    At this point, I bet even he knew I didn¡¯t want him to face Sydney, who would once again say mean and hurtful things to him. I didn¡¯t like her humiliating him.


    "Okay... but pleasee back soon." He held my hands and gave me the weakest smile.


    At that moment, my gut told me to tell my sister to fuck off and stay here with him. I was happiest with him. But then again, I didn¡¯t want to be selfish.


    It was hard saying goodbye to Gavin. But I had to do it. In thest five minutes before my sister arrived, she had blown up my phone more than a toxic ex would.


    I left Gavin¡¯s apartment, took the elevator to the ground floor, and then got into the passenger seat with her.


    "You even smell like them now," was the first thing Sydney said, spraying some freshener just to make me feel low about dating Gavin.


    "Still better than your perfumes and refreshers," I grunted, checking my phone.


    As always, Hnie had wished me good night and good morning before everyone else. She had told me she was dealing with the pain, and I knew why. I had told her to speak to her mates, to be with them. But after she blew them offst night, they¡¯d been distancing themselves from her.


    But I¡¯m sure it was just an act.


    "Are you seriously reading her texts while being in my car?" she grunted, peeking at my screen.


    "Mind your own business, Sydney. Focus on the road." I put my phone in myp and folded my arms across my chest.


    "Why do you even hang out with her? She took everything from me. I¡¯m expelled, with no hope for my future. I don¡¯t even have my mate with me because he¡¯s too busy grieving losing that slut."


    That was it. I hated whenever she used that word for Hnie.


    "Or maybe you¡¯re the problem! Why do you think nobody wants to hang out with you?" I yelled in desperation. Every time I was with her, she repeated the same things over and over until she exhausted me.


    "You know what, you have to make a choice today," she snapped. "You either choose her or help me take revenge. Together, we can take her down. So tell me, what is it? Because you will lose me forever if you choose her."


    She shocked me when she bluntly asked me to choose between them.

 Chapter 624-Maybe I Am Guilty

    <h4>Chapter 624: 624-Maybe I Am Guilty</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I forced my eyelids open when a sweet sight stood in my way. But he wasn¡¯t looking at me with the same eyes he used to. Something was bothering him. And by the time I realized what it was, he had already spun around to avoid looking at me.


    I gasped and sat up, holding the sheet up to my chest, but it wasn¡¯t my naked body that had caused that reaction from him.


    "Norman," I gasped, feeling awful that he had seen me share a couch with his brother. It was only Kaye hugging me from behind while we slept naked under one sheet. Maximus was gone, just like he said he would be.


    "I¡¯ll go check on Emmet," I heard Norman say, not really looking back again. The way he rushed off made me cover my face in my hands and curse at myself.


    "Hmm," Kaye started to wake up, so I got off the couch and rushed upstairs. I couldn¡¯t face another pair of eyes staring at me strangely.


    And of course, things were going to be awkward between us afterst night. Once in the bedroom, I ran under the shower and sat still. I felt like if I made a sound, everyone would see me naked. I took an hour to get out of the bathroom. I had no idea how I was going to face them all. At this point, I just wanted to go and sit in the basement with Emmet.


    I got dressed and left my room to find the whole mansion empty. I had a feeling where at least Norman might be. So I headed to the basement. But my bad, just as I was stepping onto the ground floor, I heard Kaye talking to Maximus.


    "We shouldn¡¯t loosen the chains. His body is still human and he might be in pain," said Kaye, sounding concerned.


    "Kaye, I know you get emotional every time you see him, but trust me, the rashes are the least of his pain," Maximus replied, and then the two suddenly went silent. I noticed Norman sitting next to the room-sized cage, fixing some bars that Emmet had bentst night.


    The sudden silence from the two made Norman turn his head to acknowledge my arrival, but then he went back to working on the bars.


    "How is he?" I cleared my throat and asked, trying to lighten the mood. The feeling of being seen as taboo is a horrible thing. And I was feeling like one now, the way they were acting around me.


    "He¡¯s right there," Maximus scoffed, pointing at Emmet, while Kaye turned his face away as well.


    "Norman! Do you want me to cook something for lunch or dinner?" I took careful steps to reach him and whispered in the softest tone. I wanted him to look at me and talk to me.


    "No, thanks. Ask them if they want something," Norman replied, not mocking or anything, just genuinely avoiding looking at me.


    I stood in my spot and watched them act like I was invisible.


    ¡¯This isn¡¯t fair,¡¯ Cora groaned, and I swallowed my tears, forcing a smile onto my lips while stepping closer to the cage.


    "Don¡¯t you see the door is open?" Kaye suddenly yelled so loud that I jumped in my skin and stepped back as he mmed the door shut. Emmet was still in chains, so I would¡¯ve been fine.


    "Kaye," Norman groaned at him. "Tone and volume!" he warned.


    But was that enough?


    "Do you guys want my help?" I spoke up again, watching all three of them one by one. Norman only shook his head while Maximus rolled his eyes. And then there was Kaye, he ignored my wordspletely.


    I felt so outcast.


    "Norman! Mom keeps calling me, asking me to let here here and see Emmet," Kayeined to Norman, who didn¡¯t hesitate to raise his head and give his brother full, confident eye contact.


    "Tell her he¡¯s very aggressive these days. She¡¯lle here and then start her usual talking, it¡¯ll be too much stress," I was shocked when Norman spoke so casually with his brother, the same one he had caught me cuddling with in the morning.


    So he was only ignoring me, then.


    "What about Dad?" Maximus asked, and Norman sighed.


    "We can¡¯t have guests over. He¡¯s not an animal in a zoo for them toe and look at," Norman replied, in that same casual tone.


    Tears started to push their way out, but I blinked them back hard. That¡¯s when my eyesnded on Emmet, and I noticed he had been watching me with his beautiful eyes. Then he raised his hand and pointed at me, and everyone went quiet.


    "Nooo," he uttered, barely forming the word, then touched his eyes and shook his head.


    It was clear as day,he was asking me not to cry.


    And the moment he did that, I turned around and ran upstairs.


    Honestly, I half expected someone toe after me. To at least check on me. But all I saw was Normane to the stairs, and the minute his eyes met mine, he closed them and turned around.


    "You¡¯re disgusted by me?" I asked, but I must¡¯ve been too slow, because he had already started walking back downstairs.


    I stayed frozen in ce, staring at the empty space.


    ¡¯You see what happened? I let them sleep with me, and now they¡¯re all acting like I¡¯m the problem,¡¯ I reminded Cora why I¡¯d been so against the idea of getting involved with his brothers.


    ¡¯I¡¯m so sorry. I feel your pain in me,¡¯ she let out a howl, making me take a deep breath and start walking toward my bedroom, when I heard my phone ring.


    At least I had friends.


    "Hey Salem, how are you?" I asked, happy that she called. But I couldn¡¯t hear her voice clearly, it was just rustling and weird noises.


    "Did you butt-dial me?" I asked, sitting down on my bed and rubbing my hand over my face.


    And then, in the softest and creepiest tone, someone spoke from the other end.


    "Hello, sweet Hnie. Missed me?"


    The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I checked my screen again to make sure it was Salem. It was Salem¡¯s caller ID. But it wasn¡¯t her.


    "You don¡¯t sound too happy. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here now. I¡¯ll make your dreamse true.


    It¡¯s my promise. Rune never breaks his promise."

 Chapter 625-Too Late

    <h4>Chapter 625: 625-Too Late</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I had been staring at the screen, numb and afraid. Did he steal her phone? Did he hurt her? There were so many questions running through my mind, and I was panicking for answers.


    I was so lost in thought that I didn¡¯t even realize someone hade into the room, until I felt Norman wrap his arm around my shoulders and kiss my temple.


    "I brought you some fresh fruit," he whispered, holding a bowl in his hand. A few minutes ago, this gesture would have meant a lot. But now, I was anxiously staring at the screen.


    "Babe, are you mad at me? I¡¯m so sorry. I was burning with jealousy," he whispered again, resting his forehead against mine, his lips brushing close to my ear.


    "Norman!" I said and pulled away from him. He noticed my expression and frowned, instantly setting the bowl down.


    "What is it?" he asked, as if he instantly sensed something bigger was wrong.


    "I got a call from Salem. But¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t her. It was Rune¡ª!"


    The tears I had been holding back finally found their excuse. The moment they spilled, Norman snatched the phone from my hand and tried calling her back.


    "No one¡¯s answering," Norman said. "Let me call Gavin."


    He pulled out his phone and quickly dialed Gavin¡¯s number. I covered my mouth with my hands and began to sob.


    "Maximus! Kaye! Drop whatever you¡¯re doing and get in here!" Norman shouted, rushing to the door with the phone still to his ear.


    "Gavin! Where are you right now?" Norman asked as he stepped out. I saw Maximus and Kaye walk up to the doorway until Norman pointed sharply inside, almost aggressively.


    "What happened? Is she okay?" Maximus rushed in as soon as he realized something was wrong.


    "Hnie," he let out a sigh of relief, "you scared us. We thought something¡ª"


    Kaye groaned, cing a hand on his chest, until his expression hardened again.


    "Are you okay? Is it because of him?" Kaye asked, pointing at Maximus, who smacked his chest in annoyance.


    I ignored the two of them and followed Norman. They both came after me. Norman was still on the phone with Gavin.


    "Since what time?" he asked, holding my arm and pulling me closer. But this time, I gently pulled away and put some space between us.


    "Call her sister again. I¡¯m sending my warriors to check on her," Norman said, ending the conversation.


    The way he closed the call told me that Gavin didn¡¯t know where she was, either.


    "What did he say?" I asked.


    "He said she left his ce earlier when her sister came to pick her up," Norman told me, and I knew right then, Salem wasn¡¯t with my friends.


    "And?" I asked, rubbing my hands together anxiously.


    "Gavin said he couldn¡¯t get in touch with her. He¡¯s been trying Sydney as well, but we all know her, there¡¯s no way she¡¯d answer anyone¡¯s call. I¡¯ll contact her father and let you know," Norman said. While holding his phone to reach her father, he tried to touch my cheek, but I stepped back and avoided his hand.


    I turned around to call Lamar and my other friends too.


    "What¡¯s going on?" Kaye asked Maximus, but both of them looked just as confused. I heard them run after Norman while I called everyone I could think of and asked about Salem. No one had been able to reach her.


    After a while, I went back to the living room and met up with Norman again. He told me Sydney¡¯s father wasn¡¯t answering either, and that they weren¡¯t even in their pack territory at the moment.


    "Maybe that¡¯s why she¡¯s not picking up her phone either?" Kaye suggested, but Norman shook his head.


    "But Hnie said she heard Rune speaking from her phone," Norman reminded them, and Kaye closed his eyes, visibly disturbed by the thought that it really might¡¯ve been Rune.


    "What did he say to you?" Maximus asked, but I didn¡¯t turn to look at him directly.


    "He said he¡¯s here, and that he¡¯ll make my dreamse true, and that he always keeps his promises," I muttered. The three of them silently watched my face.


    "Does that bastard have a death wish or what?" Maximus shouted, throwing the ss of water in his hand across the room.


    "He can¡¯t do anything. I won¡¯t even let him get close to her," Norman growled, and Kaye nodded.


    "I¡¯ll start researching right now, and this time, I¡¯ll trap him in a damn cactus," Kaye added.


    I took a deep breath but didn¡¯t respond to any of their dramatic reactions.


    "Where are you going, Hnie?" Norman was the first to call out when I started walking away.


    "I¡¯m going to look for her," I said without turning around.


    I went to my room and changed into a pair of jeans and a white tank top, throwing on a side bag with some weapons and a water bottle inside. Since there were no leads to go on, I knew I¡¯d need to wander around for a while.


    "You can¡¯t go alone. We¡¯lle with you," Norman said, waiting at the exit of the bedroom with Maximus and Kaye beside him.


    "One of you should stay here and keep an eye on Emmet. The other two can do whatever you want, but I¡¯m going alone," I snapped, storming past them with a sharp tone unlike any I¡¯d used before.


    "Is something wrong? Are you upset with me because of how I acted earlier?" Norman asked, chasing after me. The other two followed behind him but kept their eyes averted because they knew damn well it wasn¡¯t just him. It was all three of them.


    "No, Norman. It¡¯s no one¡¯s fault," I said, stopping briefly. "I just want to be alone¡ª like I was in the damn basement, where you three made me feel like I¡¯d done something horrible to all of you."


    I finally snapped. Then I turned and sprinted out of the mansion before they could catch up.


    But, of course, they still did.

 Chapter 626-I Will Tell The Good News

    <h4>Chapter 626: 626-I Will Tell The Good News</h4>


    <strong>Salem:</strong>


    "Tell me," she insisted, driving fast. We had hours before we¡¯d reach our pack, and just thinking about having to deal with her the whole time was already driving me crazy.


    "Why do you want to hurt your own feelings?" I asked, turning to look out the window. The sun was slowly rising, and I was so sleepy. Usually, Gavin and I would be passed out by now and wake up around noon to the smell of his mom cooking. She always had amazing food ready for us.


    "So, you¡¯re picking her?" she grunted angrily, ring her nostrils. I looked away again.


    "You¡¯re so dumb," she muttered, clearly annoyed. "She¡¯s gonna go on to live her best life, and she left you stuck with that broke-ass guy."


    I closed my eyes and clenched my jaw. I didn¡¯t want to waste my energy on her, not now, especially when I had so much else to stress about. I rested a hand on my stomach, and a small smile crept onto my lips. I couldn¡¯t wait to tell Gavin the news, I was just waiting for the right moment.


    "What is that?" she suddenly shouted, pointing at something on me. I turned to see what she was talking about.


    "Did he mark you?" Her eyes went wide,pletely freaked out by the mark on my neck.


    "Yeah, we epted and marked each other," I groaned. I¡¯d already told Hnie, and she said she¡¯d n our mating ceremony herself, even pay for it. She also said Gavin would get a good job soon and everything would work out. But I hadn¡¯t told anyone yet that I was pregnant.


    "Ugh! Why would you do that? You stupid, dumb bitch! Do you have any idea what Dad will think of you now?"


    I didn¡¯t expect her to care this much about my life. She suddenly started screaming, and honestly, I was done.


    "Why don¡¯t you mind your own damn business? Did you ever listen to me when I told you not to be a horrible person? Did you ever listen when I said to leave Altan alone because he doesn¡¯t want you and you¡¯re just making yourself look desperate? Then why the hell do you think I should listen to you? At least my mate wants me. At least he loves me."


    I couldn¡¯t believe I even had to exin something that basic.


    "Oh really? Is that what Hnie told you? Did she ask you to convince me to move on from Altan? Does sheugh at me?" Sydney was getting more and more hostile.


    I had no idea why she even came to pick me up. I could¡¯ve just driven my own car. I was seriously regretting it now. But she had insisted, said she wanted to spend some time together as sisters.


    Clearly, I should never take her seriously.


    "Hnie doesn¡¯t talk about anyone. She¡¯s happy with her life. You should stop dragging her into everything," I said calmly.


    The second those words left my mouth, she mmed on the brakes.


    "Get out," she demanded.


    "What?" I panicked. She looked dead serious.


    "I said get the fuck out! Go call Hnie and ask her toe give you a lift!" she screamed, making me look around the area in rising panic.


    "You¡¯re leaving me in the middle of the woods?" I asked, ncing at the thick forest on both sides of the road. The trees were tall, too tall,blocking out even the morning sun. This ce was known for being dangerous.


    "Salem," she snapped, and before I could react, she grabbed my phone from myp and hurled it out the window with all her strength.


    "What the fuck!" I shouted.


    "Now go fetch your phone. You¡¯ll have to leave the car anyway," she hissed, leaning over to yank my door open and shove it wide. Then she pushed my shoulder hard, trying to force me out.


    "Have you lost your mind? I don¡¯t even know where my phonended! Don¡¯t you know how dangerous this ce is?" I yelled, but I still stepped out, because she was starting to throw punches, and right now, I had to protect myself. More than ever.


    "Go ask your pathetic boyfriend or that slut Hnie toe save you!" she sneered, mming the door shut and starting the engine.


    "Sydney! I don¡¯t even know where it is!" I screamed, but she was already speeding off, leaving me behind.


    I stood frozen for a second, staring around at the shifting trees, the strange soundsing from the woods. Dread wed at my throat.


    "Fuck it," I hissed under my breath. I didn¡¯t even have my wolf to protect me, pregnancy took that away. I couldn¡¯t believe she really did this.


    "Let me just find my phone. I¡¯ll call Hnie. Shame a twin can¡¯t trust her sister more than her best friend," I muttered to myself, trying not to panic as I walked toward where I thought the phone hadnded.


    "Ugh, Hnie will be here in no time once I call her. And then I¡¯m cutting Sydney off for good. She fucking put me in danger¡ª"


    I kept talking to myself just to stay calm, to drown out the strange hissing sounds in the woods. I crouched down and started brushing aside leaves and rocks, eyes scanning for any sign of my phone.


    And then¡ª I saw feet. Not just one pair. Several.


    I slowly straightened, my breath caught in my throat. I realized, toote, I had wandered into somewhere I was never supposed to be.


    Zharns. All around me. Hissing, their skin gross. I couldn¡¯t move, my limbs frozen in terror, as I turned my eyes left. More of them. Right. Even more. Panic exploded in my head.


    I tried to turn and run, but the moment I did, I came face to face with one. It was inches away. I could see everything: its lizard-like face, the grotesque texture of its skin, the ck slime dripping from its jaw.


    "No!" I screamed as it lunged.


    The pain came instantly. Its fangs sank into my cheek, tearing through skin. I hit the ground hard, screaming as I felt flesh being ripped from my face.


    More of them swarmed. They were on me. Tearing. Biting. Ripping open my stomach.


    "No! Please¡ªI¡¯m with a baby!" I screamed, fighting back, punching, kicking. But there were too many. I could barely move under the weight of them.


    They were eating me alive.


    They were eating my baby.


    I wish I had stayed with Gavin.


    I wish I had told him I was pregnant.


    I wish¡ª,


    Oh, Goddess, I wish.

 Chapter 627-No Dreams

    <h4>Chapter 627: 627-No Dreams</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    ¡¯Huh, they thought they could show me attitude? Last night I went along with it because I didn¡¯t want Norman to suffer, because I felt bad that they had suffered. So I killed my self-esteem, and then they killed my dignity.¡¯ I had been rambling while turning around like crazy.


    I had no clue which direction was the right one. I just wanted to find Salem.


    ¡¯You¡¯ll see, when I find Salem, she¡¯ll agree with me. She¡¯ll be there to support me and cheer me on for ignoring these idiots,¡¯ I hissed, almost missing a step but quickly catching myself.


    ¡¯And that husband of mine, how did I forget that just because we¡¯re in love doesn¡¯t change the fact that he¡¯s still a jerk?¡¯ I continued, and this time, I almost ran into a tree.


    ¡¯Ouch! Salem would be so mad,¡¯ I added, until I stopped and took a deep breath when I heard my wolf finally react to my rambling, for almost two hours now.


    ¡¯You¡¯re worried about her.¡¯


    She was right. I was worried about her. Rune! how the hell did Rune get ess to her phone? I had a theory, and I waspletely sure it was true.


    ¡¯But I¡¯m sure she¡¯s fine. She lost her phone, or Rune somehow stole it. If not, wouldn¡¯t her sister and father be looking for her everywhere with us? They¡¯re just rxing, attending the dinner with Alpha Diaz.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know who I was trying tofort at this point, myself or my wolf.


    ¡¯But Gavin told me her sister came to pick her up. Then there¡¯s no way Salem would be in the woods. She must have lost her phone,¡¯ that was the only logical exnation for her phone being with Rune.


    "You¡¯re even prettier in the real world."


    My body jumped, and I turned around to see the man himself. I didn¡¯t expect to see him so soon. But he was real. He was in the real world, and I had no idea what kind of powers he had.


    "Rune," I muttered, clenching my fists.


    "I thought the world was under our army, your people are running around scared. Most of them don¡¯t even leave their homes or go near the woods. But here you are, the Alpha Queen, walking around without any guards or warriors. You must really feel powerful enough to take such risks."


    He was wearing a ck suit and a round ck hat.


    I remembered him so clearly, and I hated the fact that he had been freed now.


    "What? This remind you of my world? That wasn¡¯t my world. I was trapped in a purple flower¡ªah! It hurt when I woke up here and found out that the other victims who had been trapped in my world had finally woken up too. It felt like a defeat."


    He ced his hand on his chest and rubbed it, acting like he was actually capable of feeling anything.


    "Why do you have my friend¡¯s phone?" I avoided his rambling. I didn¡¯t have time for it. He was not that important to me. My friend was.


    "Oh, you mean this?" He slipped his hand into his pocket, and I noticed how bony and long his fingers were. He pulled out her phone, holding it up, and my jaw clenched harder.


    "Where did you get this?" I demanded.


    "On the ground. She must have dropped it." The moment he said that with a shrug, I felt like my theory was right.


    But why would she have dropped it? Wasn¡¯t she in the car with her sister?


    "Oh, my army, the Zharns, you¡¯ve met them and even killed them," he paused, rolling his eyes to show his disapproval of me killing his ugly Zharns, "they told me that her sister tossed it out of the car."


    That was it.


    The missing piece of the puzzle. The sisters had an argument, and Sydney tossed her phone out. Salem isn¡¯t a fool. She wouldn¡¯t leave the car to look for her phone, not when she knows how dangerous the woods are now for someone walking alone.


    "Let¡¯s talk about you," he continued. And now that I wasforted by the fact that Salem was fine, I began to wonder what he had nned for me.


    "You look so beautiful but so sad here. I bet if you had arrived a few dayster, you would¡¯ve wanted to stay there with me. These rogue king brothers don¡¯t deserve you," he said in a hushed tone, walking toward me.


    That¡¯s when I heard snarling and hissing from behind me. My hand slipped into my bag, and I pulled out a dagger. In a swift move, I spun around and cut the throats of the Zharns ganging up behind me. Their heads dropped and rolled onto the ground as I faced Rune again. He was about to lunge at me when I pressed the knife against his throat.


    "Wee to my world, Rune. As you may already know, I¡¯m no ordinary werewolf either. As for being happy in your world, it wasn¡¯t yours either. You were a prisoner, just like the rest of the people who were trapped there."


    I could tell he hated the tone I used with him. But then he forced a smile onto his lips.


    "Do you even know what I¡¯m capable of doing here?"


    That¡¯s what I wanted to know. But before I could threaten him, he suddenly put his fingers to my temples. Those bony long fingers had turned into even longer ws, and each index finger pressed into my temples.


    Within seconds, I pushed him back and started rubbing them.


    "What the fuck did you do to me?" I yelled.


    What felt like seconds might¡¯ve actually been minutes, time had blurred.


    "I took away your dreams, so now you can live happily and aimlessly," he smirked. When I lunged at him to stab him, he dodged to the side. Inded on my knees in a pile of leaves.


    Not just a pile of leaves,there was something underneath. His words numbed me as he said,


    "Oh, I forgot to tell you, the phone wasn¡¯t the only thing tossed out of the car. Your friend came out looking for it, and, well, these Zharns, my naughty boys, got her."

 Chapter 628-Losing A Friend And Moving On Instantly

    <h4>Chapter 628: 628-Losing A Friend And Moving On Instantly</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I panicked and started digging into the leaves, and there she was, lying there, blue, as if all the blood had been drained out of her body.


    "Whoops! Am I supposed to apologize on their behalf? How was I supposed to know she was your friend?" Rune kept taunting and mocking while I began to shudder. I was on my knees, my heart crashing in my chest like thunder.


    "No, no, no," I whispered, pulling the leaves away with shaking hands until I saw her face cold, still, and too quiet. She wasn¡¯t smiling or talking anymore. Those beautiful eyes she rolled whenever someone teased her. Those lips that said sweet things whenever I was down. And that smile she had carried ever since she found her mate in Gavin. It was all gone.


    My breath caught. I grabbed her shoulders, shaking her gently, then harder.


    "Wake up. Please wake up, Salem! We can fight him. We¡¯ll take down all the Zharns together, what have they done to you?" I begged, tears spilling down my cheeks.


    She didn¡¯t move. Her skin felt wrong. I knew¡ª I knew¡ªshe was gone. But I couldn¡¯t stop.


    "Don¡¯t do this,e on," I cried, rocking back and forth, holding her like maybe that would bring her back. My stomach twisted, my chest ached like something deep inside me had broken. The world felt too quiet. Too empty. I felt like a part of me had been stolen, and I could never truly be happy again.


    "Tsk tsk tsk, you must need a hug. Especially now that you don¡¯t have any dreams¡ªand dreams spark hope. But good thing, I took away your crazy thoughts. Now you¡¯ll just live in the moment and try to get better. Am I not helpful?" he whispered from behind me, leaning over.


    "Ahhh!" I screamed and turned around, punching him in the face and knocking him far away.


    "Fuck, you¡¯re powerful," he gently touched his cheek, and his eyes widened in shock when he saw the blooding from his mouth.


    "You have no idea," I screamed, running at a speed he couldn¡¯t escape from. I jumped in the air, crashing down with my knee into his chest. He spluttered blood and howled, but that asshole was like rubber. No matter how many bones I tried to break, they only bent, then went back into ce.


    "Ahhh! It¡¯s so much fun," he said, coughing blood.


    It didn¡¯t even seem like he was suffering, he was enjoying the pain, getting pleasure from the wounds and injuries. While I sat on top of him and punched him over and over, I didn¡¯t even realize the Zharns hade out from everywhere and started to attack me.


    One of them bit me in the back, and I realized this is the pain Salem must have felt from their bites. I didn¡¯t care to stop them. I kept hitting Rune, who onlyughed louder and louder with every hit.


    "Arghh!" That¡¯s when I realized someone had ripped the Zharns off my back. I caught a glimpse of three big, beastly wolves attacking the Zharns from my peripheral vision, but I stayed on top of Rune, throwing the softest punches because I had lost the will to fight him or fight back.


    After a while, I slowly stepped off Rune and started crawling back to Salem. I held her head in my arms and then hugged her. She was in a state that told me she didn¡¯t die a peaceful death either.


    I closed my eyes. I didn¡¯t want to see the world where she wasn¡¯t a part of it anymore.


    After some time, probably an hour, I felt someone touching my shoulder. I opened my eyes and saw the brothers had transitioned back. There were dead bodies all around me. Rune must have run away. That¡¯s what he was good at.


    "Hnie, please let us help her," Norman said, touching my shoulder.


    "Huh?" I looked at him and then at the others. They had tears in their eyes.


    Of course, she was their student. They would cry.


    "She¡¯s gone," I uttered softly.


    "Let us hold her. You need to get away from here," Kaye said, and I frowned at him.


    "She¡¯s my friend. I will not leave her here. I¡¯ll be the one to take her to¡ª" I paused. "I don¡¯t know where. Where would she go now?" I asked, feeling pressure on my temples.


    Something had messed me up.


    I was crying hysterically, but suddenly I felt like life would move on. That I *needed* to move on. Or else, what¡¯s the point of me living anymore?


    "I¡¯ll take care of her. You guys, take care of Salem and inform her mate," Norman said, wrapping his arms around my shoulders to pull me away from her.


    I watched them slip her out of my arms, and then Maximus walked away to call his warriors to get an ambnce. She had all her guts out, so they had to be careful moving her.


    I could stare at her face and tell she didn¡¯t want to die.


    Not yet.


    Unlike me, she had dreams and hopes. But her eyes looked so empty now. Kaye gently ced his hand over her eyes and closed them. I didn¡¯t want to see all that. I had no strength left in my body. So I closed my eyes and let Norman carry me for a while.


    However, a few minutester, I started to pull away, trying to get out of his arms and stand on my feet. He set me down the instant he felt the resistance.


    "I can walk on my own," I said, holding up my hand.


    "Hnie, what happened back there?" Norman asked, walking beside me.


    "Rune happened. He told me it was the Zharns who got to Salem," I replied, though I couldn¡¯t remember what else we talked about.


    "And?" Norman pressed.


    I stopped walking and looked at his confused face before I muttered,


    "Is Emmet alone in the mansion? We need to go back before Rune or the X Codex members get to him first."

 Chapter 629-The Clever Cora

    <h4>Chapter 629: 629-The Clever Cora</h4> After saying that much, I briskly made my way back to the mansion. Norman followed in silence. Once we got home, I saw the warriors outside and sighed in relief. But I still rushed past them to the basement to check on Emmet. He had been sleeping all this time¡ªor was probably drugged by the brothers before they came after me.


    "He¡¯s fine, Hnie. Soon he will be with us, our Emmet will be back," Norman said as he gently wrapped his arms around me.


    I had a feeling that I wouldn¡¯t have let him do that, but I just didn¡¯t stop him.


    So what if we¡¯d had an argument? We should forgive each other and move on.


    "I hope so too. It seems like years have passed since I heard his voice," I mumbled.


    "I¡¯m sorry about my reaction," Norman whispered, his face resting against my neck. "I know you¡¯re probably too upset to talk about us right now, but I just wanted to let you know I¡¯m guilty, and truly sorry for how I acted earlier."


    His breath felt soforting against my skin.


    "It¡¯s okay. I understand your feelings. It was the first time, so it¡¯ll take time to adjust," I said softly.


    As soon as I said that, I felt his arms unwrap from around me.


    "Who¡¯s going to tell Gavin though?" I asked, turning to him, shifting the subject, not on purpose, it just felt like there wasn¡¯t anything more to say.


    "I¡¯ll do it. But he¡¯s going to need his friends with him," Norman replied, holding his phone in his hand.


    "Yeah, you do it. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to handle his sadness. And about him needing us, I think I can ask Lamar and the others to stay with him. What do you think?" I scratched my scalp as tears rushed into my eyes.


    I wanted to remember Salem, but the state I found her in was fading from my memory. Maybe that was helping me keep myself together.


    "Sure," Norman said, still staring at my face.


    As he was about to walk away, he paused and gave me a quick nce.


    "Hnie! did the Zharns drink your blood? Like two Zharns drinking from your neck at the same time?" he asked. I shook my head.


    "I would¡¯ve remembered if they did. There¡¯d be marks too," I said, touching my neck, but there was nothing.


    Still, he didn¡¯t seem convinced and moved closer to check my neck himself.


    After examining it carefully, he finally looked satisfied and stepped back.


    "Why? What¡¯s the significance of that? Why¡¯d they drink blood like that?" I asked, because the question had struck me as weird.


    "It¡¯s said that when two Zharns drink your blood at the same time, for too long, they can enter your mind. They can distract you, even nt thoughts in your head," he exined while I slowly nodded, absorbing the weight of it.


    "Well, why haven¡¯t we informed everyone else about this? When are we going to stop hiding the fact that the X Codex is real and they keep attacking us? I know it¡¯ll cause panic, but at least people will take it seriously," I muttered sternly. Everyone knew about the Zharns, but they didn¡¯t know these monsters were part of an organized group. Most people, especially those from the packs, thought these creatures just showed up randomly, not that someone was leading them.


    "We¡¯ll hold a meeting," Norman agreed, sounding tired.


    "Don¡¯t worry. They didn¡¯t drink my blood. I¡¯m not distracted," I said, rolling my eyes. Why would he even think that? If they had, I¡¯d remember. They didn¡¯t.


    I left him standing there and walked closer to Emmet¡¯s cage.


    "Do you think he feels the urge to mate with me as well?" I asked, genuinely curious.


    Norman grunted. "Hnie! Even if he does, you can¡¯t help him. He¡¯s in an animal state, he doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s right or wrong. He doesn¡¯t understand consent."


    "Norman, don¡¯t tell me what I already know. I understand consent and I respect it. Don¡¯t get jumpy just because I mention my mates," I snapped. His face fell.


    "You¡¯re the one who wanted me to sleep with your brothers. Then you judged me. Talk about, ¡¯I will not love you less,¡¯" I said, mocking his tone while staring at Emmet.


    I could still feel Norman behind me, worried and watching.


    "And I do, I never loved you less. I¡¯ll go speak with Gavin," he said, then walked out of the basement.


    "Cora!" I called out, but she was too silent.


    "What¡¯s going on?" I asked again.


    "Why didn¡¯t you tell him what Rune did to us?" she finally answered, and her voice startled me.


    "Why didn¡¯t you tell him that Rune stole your dreams?" She added.


    "I don¡¯t remember him doing that," I said, already feeling drained by her. She always had a way of making everything about her.


    "Okay, if you say so. Can you please deliver a message to Norman for me?" she asked, and I frowned.


    "I¡¯m not feeling well and I don¡¯t know what it is. Can you please type a message for me?" she said, sounding tired.


    I nodded and pulled out my phone.


    "Write, Dear Norman, it¡¯s Cora. I think I¡¯ve lost my mind. You see, I feel like Rune put his fingers in our temple and said he had stolen our dreams."


    I paused and stopped typing. Thank God I didn¡¯t let her take control.


    "Why are you freaking them out over nothing? That never happened," I snapped at her.


    "I want help. Because I think it happened. Can you please let me take over and message him? Hnie, trust me, I¡¯m only trying to help. I don¡¯t think you can say it because you¡¯re not allowed for some reason."


    Her words gave me chills.


    "No!" I refused but then I began to hear her cough which made me worry about her.


    "Please Hnie, I will also mention that It is in my head. But since you cannot tell them what I am feeling, I have to write it myself," I did not want her to suffer so with a headnod, I gave her the control over my body.

 Chapter 630-Dreaming Of Her Dreams

    <h4>Chapter 630: 630-Dreaming Of Her Dreams</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    "Don¡¯t leave him alone for one second," I told Lamar and Penn, who had their eyes red and swollen. Of course, they had all lost a good friend, and we had lost a good student.


    Ever since we called Gavin and he arrived at the morgue where her dead body had been taken, Gavin had been sitting with her and crying. I didn¡¯t even want to be there anymore. The loss of a mate was something I couldn¡¯t even imagine.


    I had to wipe my tears in secrecy every few minutes. Sydney and Alpha Diaz had been informed, and from what I heard, Sydney had a mental breakdown too.


    "I can¡¯t see this anymore," Kaye walked up to me and whispered, turning his face away. I couldn¡¯t imagine how Gavin¡¯s friends must be feeling since they would have to do their best to take care of him.


    "Maximus is off too," Kaye mentioned, and I noticed Maximus rubbing his face in his hands. His eyes were glistening with tears while he was listening to the warriors.


    "How was Hnie when you left her at the mansion?" Kaye questioned, and my skin tightened. I recalled her behavior, and it was so odd.


    "Odd," I said in one word. "Something was not right with her."


    "Maybe the trauma of finding her friend did that to her?" Kaye uttered, and I began to shrug. I had no clue what had gotten into her.


    As Maximus started to walk toward us to get ready to leave, I received a text from Hnie, and my whole attention was drawn to my phone¡¯s screen.


    "Dear Norman," the way the text started made my heart skip four beats, "I am Cora, Hnie¡¯s wolf."


    I narrowed my eyes, which made my brothers notice me. The way I was glued to my cellphone must have been the reason they realized something was wrong.


    "What is it?" Kaye asked, and I started reading the text out loud to them.


    "Dear Norman, I am Cora, Hnie¡¯s wolf. Earlier today, when Hnie and Rune were having a face-off, he put his fingers into her temples and stole her dreams¨Cher hopes¡ªfrom her. She cannot talk about it, so I am taking over. She will be angry when I add thisst sentence. It isn¡¯t in my head. I am not losing my mind. It happened, but Hnie is not ready to admi¡ª"


    The text cut off as if Hnie had tried to take control back, so Cora hit the send button before she lost control. I saw the text getting deleted, but I had already read it.


    "What is that supposed to mean?" Kaye panicked, and I was panicking too.


    I knew it.


    The way she was behaving, I knew something was wrong. He had done something to her.


    "What are we going to do now? You said you noticed the change too," Kaye was the only one talking while Maximus looked like he was thinking hard about something.


    "We need to go home first. Make sure none of you talk about Cora¡¯s text to Hnie, just act like we¡¯re clueless," I informed my brothers as we briskly made our way back to our cars. I was extremely worried about Hnie being left alone with Emmet.


    What if she opens his cage and he attacks her? Or he runs away again?


    With so many thoughts swirling around in my head, we finally arrived home after hours. However, the minute we entered the mansion, I found Hnie sleeping on the couch in the living room. She had brought out her pillow and nket too.


    "I¡¯ll go check on Emmet," Kaye said, his eyes suggesting he wanted tofort her. So did I.


    The fact that we were expecting a neen-year-old, traumatized mate to do a better job than us when it came to emotions proved how idiotic we were. Not to mention, I was the one who kind of pushed her into itst night.


    I lied to her about being in pain because I knew damn well she would never do anything for herself. And just like I had expected, she didn¡¯t care about her own pain but cared about mine.


    ¡¯Yet you broke her innocent little heart,¡¯ Rome groaned at me.


    "She¡¯ll be fine," Maximus brought my attention back to him.


    "What do you know about helping her get her dreams back?" I asked Maximus as I turned to him. He and Kaye had studied Rune a lot, so I had good hopes they¡¯d be able to help me out somehow.


    "He¡¯s sleeping peacefully," Kaye informed. "What were you two talking about? You guys looked lost," he noticed, his eyes moving to Hnie, and the same sad look took over his face again.


    "He wanted me to tell him how we can help Hnie get her dreams back," Maximus told Kaye, and I found it odd that he did. It was as if he was asking Kaye to tell me. And I was right, because Kaye started to respond to me.


    "We will have to make her dreame true and give her hope," Kaye responded, now staring back at Maximus.


    "And how will we know what her dream is if she doesn¡¯t even have one anymore?" I shrugged, fearing what would happen now. I wouldn¡¯t let Rune y with Hnie¡¯s mind. She had just gotten the power of her life. No way I would let anyone steal that away from her.


    "I mean, ask someone who was in the dream prison with her. He would know what her dreams are," Maximus stated in an understanding tone, making me and Kaye both turn to look at him. Why was he referring to himself in the third person?


    "Tell us, what is her dream?" I demanded to know, confused why he was ying word games with us when we needed to hurry up and help her out.


    "Well, to be shared by her mates," as soon as he said that, my face hardened, "and her husband should be there too," he added to help us understand why her dream didn¡¯te truest night.


    I was just numb at the thought of her really wanting that all this time.

 Chapter 631-The Art Of Seduction

    <h4>Chapter 631: 631-The Art Of Seduction</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    "It is the perfect moment for you to have her back. Instead of being an outcast and then losing her to the others, we should be a part of it. We must be there so that we get her love as well," Rome uttered inside me while my brothers watched my face.


    "How do we do it? Will she allow it?" I asked, and they looked at me in shock. I guess they didn¡¯t expect me to agree to it so soon. But they had no clue how desperate I had been ever since I saw her cuddle with Kaye.


    I wanted to be with her, be in her, and try so much new stuff with her. And more than anything, I wanted her to dream again.


    "Oh, umm, I didn¡¯t know we¡¯d be thinking about it so soon. I was busy nning to convince¡ª" Maximus shut up once he realized there was no need to keep talking.


    "So," Kaye rubbed his hands while he watched Hnie.


    "Behave," I pped his chest, and he shook his head as if trying to get himself out of a trance.


    "We will have to seduce her," Maximus said with a pout. "There¡¯s no other way. The way we behaved with her¡ªI mean, ugh! I hurt her so badly. But I was just trying to make her understand it hurts when you reject your mate¡ª" Maximus shut up again when I narrowed my eyes at his face.


    "You hurt her?" I had no clue what had happenedst night.


    "He made her feel like a w¡ª" Kaye shut up when Maximus groaned.


    "Don¡¯t ever say that. It was more like a friends-with-benefits kind of feeling and nothing else." When Maximus tried to exin himself, I agreed instantly because even the thought of them treating her like anything other than our beloved princess was not justifiable in my head.


    "That won¡¯t be hard. She lost her dreams, not her love for me," I shrugged, stretching my arms as if I was getting ready for war. I noticed my brothers running their hands through their hair and unbuttoning their shirts just a little.


    *Yep! Act sexy, not threatening,* Rome advised.


    We waited around after lighting some candles and serving the food. It was time for Hnie to face us. She had woken up and gone upstairs to shower. She came back in white shorts and a white top, her hair wet.


    "How are you feeling?" I asked her, watching her fill her te. We brothers had been sharing nces, acting so sneaky, but she waspletely clueless about her surroundings.


    "Yeah!" she replied, more intrigued by the meat on her te than the meat in my pants.


    "By the way, the funeral is in two days," Kaye started to introduce himself to her, since she was barely passing us any nces.


    "Will you guyse?" she asked, not showing much emotion.


    "Of course. But isn¡¯t it sad that a young life was lost? She had so much potential and probably so many dreams," Maximus slid in the word *dream* toy the foundation for our main subject.


    "True, but that is what life is. We all have to die one day though." For a moment, I wanted her to stay that way, to be ignorant of the loss, because once she recalls it again, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll go through hell. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ll watch her go through so much pain.


    "What about your dreams? Why would anyone want to die without their dreams being fulfilled?" Kaye took the direct approach, and the way Hnie turned to look at him with empty eyes even gave me chills down my spine.


    "I have no dreams," she bluntly replied and then grabbed her te to go eat somewhere else.


    "This is not okay. What if they start doing this to everyone? Our world, as we know it, runs on hopes and dreams. Hopes of finding a mate and dreams of living with their mate," Maximus voiced his concern, and I began to nod my head.


    "Screw this food. She¡¯s not grieving like a normal person. I think we should start our seduction," Kaye got up and gestured at us. I was a bit hesitant. I was scared of her rejection.


    I nodded my head and followed them to the living room. She acknowledged us and then rolled her eyes. However, my sucker brothers took my spot. One sat on her left on the couch, and the other on her right, while I had to sit and watch on a separate sofa, like a cuckold chair. I did not want to sit and watch.


    "Don¡¯t you guys have somewhere else to sit?" Hnieined when Maximus leaned in too close. I watched him ce his hand on his crotch to adjust his pants, but I also noticed Hnie¡¯s eyes moving to his hand movement.


    "Why? You don¡¯t like us sitting next to you? Are you afraid we might spark some dreams in you?" Kaye knew a lot about Rune and his maniptions, and so did Maximus. They had been to his world, so they had an advantage.


    "Spark from getting touched? You guys are crazy. Dreams don¡¯t just miraculously form," she scoffed, which gave Kaye a chance to ce his hand on her bare thigh as if he had no clue what he was doing.


    She was sitting in the padmasana position, legs crossed with each foot resting on the opposite thigh, the traditional pose used in meditation.


    "Isn¡¯t it too hot today?" Maximus started unbuttoning his shirt until it waspletely open. Kaye then took off his shirt and tossed it to the ground. Hnie looked at it and then briefly turned her head to nce at him. He was leaning all the way back casually, his hand on his bulge.


    "Yeah, you are so right," Kaye agreed, bending his arm to take off his shirt. But while doing so, his elbow pressed hard against Hnie¡¯s breast, and my heart sank in my chest. Prior to this, such an action would have caused an uproar in me. But now that I knew sharing was decided by the Moon Goddess, I began to wonder when I would get a chance to touch her.


    The way Hnie didn¡¯t move away while Kaye¡¯s elbow pressed hard and even smudged her breast made me hungrily stare at her body.


    I had to get in. She must know her husband is the hottest.

 Chapter 632-All The Cocks And My Holes

    <h4>Chapter 632: 632-All The Cocks And My Holes</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I had no clue what had gotten into them. They¡¯d been following me around like lost chicks all morning. And then Maximus, he had to take off his shirt and lean back, right next to me.


    But Kaye was the onepletely out of control. His elbow kept brushing against my tit over my shirt. However, I could tell he had no idea what he was doing.


    "It really is hot today," my dear husbandmented. He grabbed some ice from the bucket at the side and, right before my eyes, slipped his hand into his pants, apparently trying to cool down his dick.


    A chill ran down my spine at the sight. It was strange. A little awkward. Weirdly tempting. I could see his hand shift slightly, probably holding his shaft and rubbing it.


    I straightened up and focused on the TV. That¡¯s when Maximus leaned all the way over me, his arms and elbows pressing onto my boobs as he reached across, supposedly looking for the remote.


    "She has it," Kaye said casually. Without hesitation, Maximus started feeling around in myp.


    I should¡¯ve stopped him, but what for? He was just looking for the remote, right?


    His hand tapped around my thigh until it reached my pussy, and I yelped.


    "Just ask, and I¡¯ll give you the remote," I said, holding it out to him. His face was so close to mine, I forgot I was even mad at them before.


    "Then what¡¯s this?" he whispered, his hand turned into a fist on my pussy as he gave it a gentle shake. My entire body reacted, and my throat suddenly felt dry.


    "This is not a remote control," I said, trying to sound confident.


    "Come on, dude, she¡¯s heating up. When we touch her, she starts dreaming about us," Kaye said, clearly enjoying the moment. That part annoyed me. He kept bringing up dreams I knew I hadn¡¯t had.


    How was I supposed to prove him wrong?


    "Seriously? That¡¯s just your misunderstanding. You can touch me all you want, it won¡¯t trigger any dreams about you," I challenged.


    The moment I said it, Kaye slid in closer behind me, wrapping his arms around my torso to fix my position, one hand resting on each side of my breast.


    "Then prove it," he whispered into my ear. "No matter how much we touch you, you shouldn¡¯t react, right?"


    My eyes darted to Norman, half-expecting him to be angry, but instead, he was calmly unbuckling his belt. He¡¯d already unbuttoned his shirt, his broad frame on full disy. There was something strange about being watched while all of this was happening. Intimate. Exposed.


    Maximus shook my pussy in his fist, his touch more intentional now. My breath caught as I looked away from Norman, trying to hold it together. Maximus had managed to push his fingers into my shorts, pulling it all the way up. His fingers reached my pussy and he began to caress my vaginal lips with his finger tips.


    Kaye kissed the side of my neck, while his hands massaging my breasts.


    "What¡¯s the point of hiding these juicy tits? Come on, show them to us," Kaye murmured. And before I could react, he pulled my top upward, revealing my breasts. My boobs bounced out. I felt the cool air and their eyes all at once.


    My cheeks flushed, but I tried to act unfazed even when I began to feel stretch in my skin.


    "Her nipples are telling me, she is excited," Kaye said to Maximus, who had his eyes on my tits while his brother pinched my tits and pointed out the erection. They were sticking out so much that I felt embarrassed.


    And then there was Norman sitting on the sofa, his dick out. He was staring at me, his eyes hungrily watching my tits. He then steadily got up and walked up to me, standing in my face. His pants came off, his fingers pinched my tits, pulling them towards him. My body moved by force because Kaye was cupping my breasts from the sides, pressing them together.


    Norman started to caress my cheek, his thumb touched my bottom lip.


    "You are not going to use that pretty mouth of yours?" he whispered, holding my chin and moving my face towards his cock. He adjusted his cock¡¯s head over my lips, rubbing it all over my mouth and causing me to feel wet down there.


    "Ah, she is beginning to get wet," Maximus chuckled, his finger moving in and creating a weird itch in my body. In order to prove to them I had no dreams about them, I was going to get fucked. I could tell.


    Norman held my head from the back and pushed his cock¡¯s head into my mouth. He moved his dick to the side, fucking my left cheek first.


    "Take off her panties, she is hiding her pussy from us," hearing such words from Norman was making me go crazy. I did not expect him to be this horny.


    Maximus agreed and started pulling my shorts, causing my body to move forward and up, they were not being gentle too.


    While Maximus was taking off my shorts, Kaye adjusted himself under me sneakily. Next time when I sat back down again, I was not on the couch, but in Kaye¡¯sp. I instantly yelped with Norman¡¯s dick in my mouth when I felt Kaye¡¯s dick sticking against my back.


    "Kaye, spread her legs," Maximus ordered and Kaye spread my left leg wide apart until my foot was on the couch. Maximus dragged my other leg onto the right side and now I waspletely exposed.


    Kaye started to pinch and pull my nipples as hard as he could while Maximus shoved his two fingers inside me this time.


    "Uahmmmm," I groaned in pleasure, closing my eyes while enjoying the taste of Norman¡¯s cock. His cock had a big head, something I wanted to gag me. He pushed it to the other cheek, fucking it like an animal while holding my head in his hand tightly.


    "Raise her hips a little for me," Kaye asked Maximus, who instantly put his hands under me to lift me up. Norman now aimed to go deep down my throat.


    I almost gagged at one point because he blocked my throat entirely. Maximus spread my ass cheeks and adjusted the opening for Kaye¡¯s dick, who was groaning behind me.


    "Push her down with force," as soon as Kaye said that, my eyes widened. But I couldn¡¯t even scream in pain as Norman¡¯s dick silenced me. Maximus pulled me down with all the force and the entire length of Kaye¡¯s cock went into my asshole.


    Tears left my eyes but it was far from over. I ¡¯hoped¡¯ at that moment, that it wasn¡¯t over soon.

 Chapter 633-Keep Fucking

    <h4>Chapter 633: 633-Keep Fucking</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Kaye had his hands under my hips, pushing me up and down on his cock, while Norman slid his cock in and out of my mouth, his hands holding my breasts. He then pulled his cock out, and precum dripped from the side of my mouth. Pressing my breasts together, he came on top of me, making my backy against Kaye¡¯s chest. Norman had his knees bent, resting on the side of my body on the couch.


    He slipped his cock between my breasts and continued to tit fuck.


    Meanwhile, Maximus inserted his three fingers inside me, twisting them in circles while his thumb stimted my clit. I felt his fourth finger enter me, causing a mix of pain and pleasure. "Ahhh, fuck!" I moaned. Kaye¡¯s dick slowly explored my ass, Norman aggressively fucked my tits, and Maximus pushed his entire fist inside me. The sensation of his fist inside me made me close my eyes and bite my bottom lip.


    "Oh yeah!" I screamed louder this time.


    Norman finally got off, and Maximus pulled his hand out with a naughty smirk on his lips. Kaye put me down and got up, the three of them standing next to me while I sat on the couch, watching them like a hungry tigress.


    The three naked men looked like something out of a fantasy. I had no clue how it will feel when Emmet will join them.


    "You love running your mouth, don¡¯t you?" Norman started, putting his hand around my neck, igniting strange desires in my body.


    "That is because I am alpha queen," I replied, just to get a rise out of him. So that when he fucks me this time, he is even rougher.


    Norman pushed me up and then sat down. Maximus grabbed my ass, while Kaye had his hand over my boob, pressing and massaging it.


    We were all naked, our bodies touching, their hands constantly gripping every part of me they could reach. Norman tossed me over hisp, my face down and legs up.


    "You¡¯re supposed to know that even as an alpha queen, you¡¯re still supposed to be obedient to your rogue king husband," Norman hissed and pped my ass.


    "Ouch!" I yelped in pain, my breasts pressed against his thighs. The way Norman groped my asscheeks before he pped them would send shock waves throughout my body. Maximus came on top of the couch by my head¡¯s side, raising my face by holding my chin. Kaye sat and held my feet in hisp, licking my toes and fingers. He licked my toes and ran his tongue between all my fingers. Maximus teased me by pping my cheek with his cock whenever I tried to take it in my mouth. Norman yed with my ass, pping it a few times before massaging it and slipping his fingers into my ass and pussy.


    I loved how they were touching and gripping me without any breaks. Norman¡¯s fingers explored both of my holes before he held my tiny waist in his big hands and lifted me up.


    He made me sit in hisp, pressing my breasts against his face as he leaned down slightly. He lifted my body and guided me to sit on his cock, entering my pussy before pulling out and pushing into my ass, causing me to close my eyes in pain.


    "Fuck," I groaned as Maximus wrapped his hands around my waist from behind to assist his brother in the hole-switching game. Kaye positioned himself behind the couch, extending his arms to hold my breasts in a way that helped move my body up and down, with all hands working together to support Norman.


    Their coordinated movements involved Norman¡¯s cock entering and leaving my pussy before switching to my ass. It was their unique way of showing support to each other. After some time, Norman stood up, and Maximus took his ce. I sat on hisp, taking his entire length into my pussy while one of my breasts was in his mouth, and my body leaned over his shoulder to suck Kaye¡¯s dick from behind.


    Norman spread my ass cheeks and thrust his cock into my ass in one swift motion, causing me to scream internally as their pace quickened. All my holes were filled, their loud groans driving me wild as I struggled to focus on one source of pleasure. It was impossible; my entire body was in ecstasy.


    I gripped the backrest of the couch with my hands, locking eyes with Kaye as his cock reached my throat. Maximus nibbled on my nipple, but I was so overwhelmed with sensation that I barely felt any pain. Every touch brought pleasure and nothing else.


    Eventually, Norman lifted me off Maximus as if I were a doll and carried me to Kaye¡¯s bedroom, the brothers following closely behind. They threw me onto the bed, crawling on top of me and pushing my back against the pillow as they knelt with their hard, erect cocks once again.


    "Are you going to show your professors what you¡¯ve been hiding?" Norman teased, his hands caressing my thigh and parting my legs. I felt a sudden wave of shyness wash over me under their intense gaze.


    "Look at what our top student has been keeping from us. A sweet, fragrant pussy that tastes like flowers and fresh strawberries," Norman leaned in, taking a whiff of my scent before giving me a teasing lick. I shyly bit my nail, my shoulders hunching together.


    "And she¡¯s blushing," Maximus smirked, his hand stroking his shaft.


    "We¡¯ve let you handle our weapons, so why not let your professors y with your sweet pussy, Hnie?" Norman¡¯s dirty talk was driving me wild. I had to admit, it suited him perfectly. Norman was the horny devil in disguise. The way he smirked and touched my pussy with his fingers made my nipples harden.


    "Come on, Hnie¡¯s mates, let¡¯s see if she¡¯s hiding something inside her pussy. Let¡¯s explore this naughty side of Hnie," Norman urged his brothers to lean in, and together, they inserted their fingers inside me.

 Chapter 634-They Fuck Me Everywhere

    <h4>Chapter 634: 634-They Fuck Me Everywhere</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Ohhhhhhhhh!" My lips let out a surprising sound of pleasure as their fingers explored inside me. They shamelessly teased me, ying with my clit and vaginal lips for about twenty minutes now.


    I knew I was going to wake up sore. Then they took it a step further. Maximus and Kaye pulled back, lying on my left and right, sucking my breasts, while Norman began to insert three fingers inside me. He started to vigorously pleasure me, pushing his fingers deep inside, causing my eyes to roll back in ecstasy.


    The moment he withdrew his fingers, I climaxed like a waterfall. My body trembled with pleasure. The most intense part was when Kaye and Maximus sat up and all three of them watched me shudder in ecstasy, moaning and reaching climax repeatedly.


    After a while, my breaths began to normalize. I was tired, drained of energy. I had no strength to get up and clean myself, but they weren¡¯t finished yet.


    "Bring her to the bathroom. It¡¯s not over yet, honey," Normanmanded, and Maximus quickly carried me in his arms to the shower.


    I had a sense that if they all shared me, Norman would be the one giving orders. He couldn¡¯t resist being the leader.


    Under the warm water, I stood naked and vulnerable as Norman¡¯s hands explored my body. His touch was firm yet gentle, igniting a desire within me that only he could satisfy. I could feel his hardness pressing against me, a silent promise of the pleasure toe.


    They opened the shower and watched me get wet. The part that made me most shy was when they all stood around me, admiring my body. Norman reached for the soap,thering it between his hands. His soapy hands caressed my breasts, and I shyly bit my bottom lip. Our eyes locked, his hands massaging and fondling my breasts, spreading the soap all over them.


    Maximus knelt down and spread my buttocks wide. When the tip of his tongue touched my anus, I gasped and moaned. Norman leaned in and kissed my lips.


    "Do you enjoy it when someone touches your ass?" he whispered on my lips, his lips brushing against mine, making me feel naughty yet aroused at the same time.


    "I love it when you make those sounds," he whispered, gently kissing my lips.


    Kaye knelt beside me,thering soap in his hands before massaging my pussy with care. He skillfully explored every corner of my body, his fingers moving sensually, spreading the soap.


    Norman¡¯s hands caressed my curves with tenderness as our tongues danced in a passionate sync. Maximus continued to fuck my asshole with his tongue, while Kaye¡¯s fingers expertly stimted me, gently opening and closing mybia lips, focusing on my pleasure.


    I gasped as Kaye slid a finger inside me, feeling the wetness that had already formed. His movements were deliberate, his touch sending waves of pleasure through my body. I moaned in response, my body reacting to his every touch, my muscles tightening around his finger.


    As Kaye withdrew his fingers, Maximus stood up, and Norman broke the kiss. Norman guided my hands to rest on Kaye¡¯s chest, providing me with support as he positioned himself behind me. I could feel his hard cock pressing against me. With a swift motion, he started to take it a step further.


    He parted my cheeks, teasing my back entrance with his throbbing cock. I gasped as he entered me, the sensation of fullness overwhelming me. His thrusts were fast, each thrust hitting the perfect spot, sending waves of pleasure through my body. I moaned in pleasure, my body responding to his every movement.


    Norman withdrew, his penis glistening with my wetness. Maximus turned me around, his eyes filled with desire as he eagerly scanned my body. He lifted me up, my legs wrapping around his waist. He entered me, his dick filling mepletely. I gasped, my body arching towards him.


    Norman and Kaye were stroking their erected cocks, their free hands caressing my buttocks and breasts.


    Maximus started to move, his thrusts strong and rapid. I could feel my climax approaching, my body trembling once more. Maximus¡¯s movements became more urgent, his penis hitting my g-spot with each thrust. I cried out as I reached orgasm, my body convulsing with pleasure.


    He then passed me over to Kaye, who held me and began thrusting harder and faster into my pussy. I could sense another climax building, my body yearning for release. His thrusts grew more erratic, his cock twitching inside me. My body quivered, my eyes shut tight, unfamiliar and loud sounds escaping my lips.


    With a final thrust, he ejacted, his penis pulsating inside me. I could feel his warm semen filling me up.


    Kaye then set me down, and this time, Norman stood behind me. The two entered my openings while Maximus lifted my leg to the side. My body leaned to the other side, and my hand rested on the wall for bnce, with Maximus holding my leg from the other side.


    His brothers began to fuck me, causing me to ce one hand on Kaye¡¯s chest.


    "This is what you should dream about. Tell us, what else do you dream of?" Kaye inquired, his gaze intense. He looked so focused while going in and out of my pussy. My back was now in pain, but Norman was mercilessly thrusting deeper and deeper with more speed and passion.


    "Tell us, what other desires do you have?" Norman whispered in my ear from behind.


    I was breathing heavily, my body aching, but I never wanted them to stop.


    "I want you all to fuck me every night like wild animals. I want all of you to love me, fill my openings. I want to wake up being fucked tomorrow," I confessed without realizing it, and they increased their pace. I closed my eyes as pleasure washed over me, leaving the fluid from my body on the floor and my thighs. Maximus lowered my leg, and the three of them drew closer to me, making me feel vulnerable as they loomed over me.


    Then, Norman leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Wish granted. You will wake up with your desires fulfilled and holes filled."

 Chapter 635-A Morning Fuck

    <h4>Chapter 635: 635-A Morning Fuck</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    It was one wild night. I was so exhausted that I fell asleep the moment they helped me shower and put me in Kaye¡¯s bed. Maximus slept on top of me, while Kaye was on my right and Norman on my left.


    Just as the birds started chirping, I began to wake up to Norman kissing my cheek. I groaned and smiled, but I had no idea what else he had nned for me. He sat up and gently nudged Maximus off me, making him roll over and then get up to sleep at my feet. Norman turned me to the side andy behind my back.


    "Good morning, my naughty queen," his voice was deep as he whispered into my ear. I felt his hands trace all my curves and then firmly grasp my breast from underneath, raising it to Kaye¡¯s mouth.


    He tapped his fingers on Kaye¡¯s forehead to wake him up. The moment he opened his eyes and saw my breast, he knew what he was being asked to do. Norman directed my nipple into Kaye¡¯s mouth, who moved closer and started sucking my breast with his eyes closed.


    "Uhmmm," I shyly moaned as Norman touched my ass, spreading my cheeks and pushing his penis into my vagina from behind.


    "You wanted penises in you, we have plenty to start with," he continued to whisper and kiss my ear, giving kisses that were so loud that I began to lose my breath. Kaye continued to suck my breast, devouring it while Norman wrapped his arm from under me, between my neck and shoulder, and ced his hand on my other breast, his other hand running between my legs and over to my clit. His penis going in and out of me felt like a hot iron rod, tearing open my insides. He vibrated my clit harder and faster, waking up Maximus, who had one eye closed as he started stroking his penis while sitting on his knees.


    "Don¡¯t start without me," heined sleepily, touching my leg with his hand. Norman fucked me from behind for a few minutes before rolling me onto his body, my back pressing against his chest.


    Kaye got up and spread my legs to the side while Norman held my other leg to my left. I was now spread wide in front of Maximus, who positioned himself between my legs and pushed his cock inside me. His hand groped my breast while Kaye fondled my other boob. Norman reached over and yed with my clit while his cock started to enter my ass once again.


    Kaye crawled on his knees to my head side and held my chin, making me turn my head to him as he pushed his cock into my mouth.


    The three started to have sex with me in sync, my holes throbbing and my boobs massaged by their hands. Norman stimted my clit with such speed that it made my eyes roll back in my head.


    "Oh fuck, she is so hot," Maximus screamed as he moaned in pleasure, receiving a grunt of agreement from Norman.


    Their speeds increased, their rods prating my skin and burning my insides before I began to feel their cocks swell up. As Norman released in my ass, Maximus released in my pussy, and Kaye ejacted all over in my mouth. He held my head tight for me to swallow everyst drop of the cum before he finally let go.


    I had squirted everywhere at this point too. My body was so tired that I could no longer take it, but the thought of being with them again was exciting me once more.


    Once they set me down, Maximus left to take a shower while Kaye put on his shorts to take a walk on the balcony before they got aroused again. They knew I had enough for the night.


    Now it was just me and Norman, my face against his chest, facing each other on our sides. He had his arms wrapped around my body as if he would never let me go.


    "I never thought I would enjoy it so much. You are like a drug; I cannot get enough of you," Norman whispered, pulling me even closer to his chest.


    "I cannot believe I was living a sexless life. Sex is amazing when it¡¯s you I¡¯m having it with," he continued, making me smile.


    "I was upset with you when you were giving me that attitude. Butst night, you surprised me," I said, breaking the hug and sitting up to watch his face. We were still naked, and he couldn¡¯t keep his hands off my breasts.


    While I was talking, he unintentionally yed with my nipples, pinching, twisting, even pressing them like a button.


    "Hnie, there will be more. Because one of us wasn¡¯t therest night. One of your mates has no idea he will get to be with you once he feels like himself," he teased, pinching my nipple too hard. I had to p his hand and give him a look.


    "You want to continue this even after the Mate Eclipse?" I asked, noticing how he drifted into thought.


    "I think this is how it¡¯s supposed to be. We can¡¯t fight it, or we¡¯ll anger the Moon Goddess." The moment he said that, it was like something flipped inside me. A dreaming true. But I never dared say it out loud that I wanted to be with all of my mates.


    "I never thought we¡¯d do it again. Afterst time, I was in a really bad mood. I thought¡ª" I stopped, suddenly feeling like something was missing. Or maybe, like something wasing back. A hope.


    "Norman, yesterday, when I cked out, and Rune pushed his fingers into my temples¡ª" I stopped again, a strange pain swelling in my chest.


    "Salem," I whispered, covering my mouth with my hands. "Oh my Goddess, Salem. She¡¯s gone and I am fucking my mates," I started sobbing, the pain rushing back to me.


    "Shit," I heard Norman curse. "Guys! She¡¯s back. But now¡ª she remembers losing a friend. A hope."

 Chapter 636-The Final Goodbye

    <h4>Chapter 636: 636-The Final Goodbye</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You will be missed," Sydney wrapped up her eulogy, crying the entire time. Her father was a mess. Everyone was deeply upset at the loss of someone like Salem. I hadn¡¯t been able toe to terms with losing her. It had only been two days, far too soon to move on anyway.


    Gavin stood in a ck suit, wearing ck sunsses to hide the bags under his eyes. After I started getting my dreams and hopes back, I visited Gavin. He never said a word, just stared out the window the whole time. All of his friends stayed in his apartment. We tried our best to make him feel better, but it wasn¡¯t possible. All of us understood that.


    "Why are you here?" After Salem wasid to rest, Sydney turned to question me. I hade with my mates, all dressed in ck, grief heavy in our hearts.


    "Not today," Norman hissed at her, holding up his palm.


    "Why not? She is the reason my sister is gone today!" she screamed, turning heads toward us.


    We were in the open air, the wind blowing into our faces. We had just been preparing to leave the graveyard when Sydney started yelling and screaming.


    "Maybe you should ask yourself that question. Why was she out of the car when she should have been riding in yours?" I asked, tears welling in my eyes every time I recalled seeing Salem¡¯s body.


    Sydney looked around and hesitated for a moment before hissing, "Because it was supposed to be a free and safe world. An adult like her had the choice to decide whether she wanted to be in the car or not. She made a choice to leave, but then Rune happened. That cursed creature you set free!" she screamed, and my fists clenched.


    However, my grief was so overwhelming that, even with so many questions for her, I began to wonder if she was right, if it really had happened because I set Rune free. But a light pat from Kaye on my back brought me back to reality.


    Everyone had been informed about Rune and the danger he posed after Salem¡¯s death. But they had all known about Zharns long before that.


    "Maybe you should tell us why you tossed her phone out of the car?" I noticed her face twitch slightly. She turned to her father, as if asking for help, but he looked lost too.


    "What kind of lies are you spinning against me? Is it not enough that I lost my sister because of you?" she screamed, stepping forward and back, as if ready to fight me.


    "Lies? That¡¯s not a lie. I¡¯ve been waiting to show you something," Jenny stepped in with her cellphone. We had nned to talk to Sydney after the funeral, but she was so impatient she brought it upon herself. Now, the whole audience was listening to what she had done to her sister.


    "What the fuck are you talking about, you bitch?" Sydney had no care in the world. She hadpletely lost her mind.


    I stepped ahead, taking Jenny¡¯s phone and ying the audio. It was a voice message sent while Sydney was demanding Salem to leave. Then came the sound of their voices when the phone was tossed out. The sad part was, once the phone was thrown, their voices were lost. But after Salem got out and started talking to herself while searching for her phone, everything was recorded. There were the sounds of her cries and screams.


    I¡¯m guessing Salem had a bad feeling about her sister, which is why she began recording a voice note for Jenny. And I believe Rune was the one who picked up the phone and hit the send button.


    Jenny said she received the message muchter because Rune didn¡¯t send it immediately. He sent it after Salem¡¯s body was found. Throughout the yback of the voice note, everyone cried, listening to a sister leaving her own twin alone in the woods. Sydney¡¯s father stared at her, eyes wide in shock, while Sydney stood frozen, numb.


    "I didn¡¯t know. I thought she¡¯d find her phone and call you," her tone shifted as she broke down. "Please believe me. We fought a lot, but I loved her, I swear," she begged, turning to face her father.


    "Father, I was just angry and jealous, you understand me, right? I would never hurt her. She was a part of me, my twin. I made a rash decision because of my anger issues and then she was gone. Please!I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t kill her," she sobbed, shaking, while her father kept looking away. "I went back for her. I called her, and when she didn¡¯t pick up, I swear I went back, but I was too afraid to step into the woods. I thought she must have been picked up and was too angry to respond to my calls," she continued, while Kaye held my arm and gently turned me around.


    Lamar and Penn tried to take Gavin away, but he wanted to have onest word. He stepped forward and, after days of silence, finally spoke.


    "You¡¯re sorry? You should be. You made her life so difficult. She wasn¡¯t happy with you in her final days. Do you even know what you¡¯ve done? You left my pregnant mate¡ª" his voice cracked, and Sydney covered her mouth, sobbing louder, "You left that innocent girl out in the woods just because she didn¡¯t want to be as cruel as you. Just because she wanted to do good, to be a better person."


    His broken voice shattered my heart. Norman wrapped his arm around me forfort, but all I could think about was Salem¡¯s cries in her final moments.


    "You stole my mate¡ª my everything¡ªfrom me. Don¡¯t me it on your anger issues. You were the problem all along. You weren¡¯t going to stop until you caused a major loss. And now you have. Sadly, my sweet mate became the victim of your toxicity. So no, apology denied," Gavin hissed, walking away with Penn and Lamar, while Sydney copsed to her knees in sobs.

 Chapter 637-The Ex Needs My Help

    <h4>Chapter 637: 637-The Ex Needs My Help</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I¡¯m not saying her cries are fake, but if only she¡¯d had that realization when her sister was still alive," I grunted, my hands pressed against the car¡¯s bo as I tried to calm myself. Norman and the others were wrapping things up, since Salem¡¯s father had copsed after hearing the truth. Sydney had to be escorted home while she cried uncontrobly.


    Maximus stood next to his car, leaning over the bo with one arm folded and his other hand under his chin, watching me non-stop.


    "What?" I finally snapped at him.


    "Can I call you mine now?" The way his mind went there shocked me. I groaned and looked away.


    "No," I hissed.


    "Can Kaye call you his?" he asked, and I shrugged in response.


    "Wait, so he can call you his, but I can¡¯t call you mine?" he continued, sounding like a child fighting over a toy.


    "Because even when he was hurt, he wasn¡¯t as rude as you were. You made me feel so low that night, Maximus," I scoffed, straightening up and folding my arms across my chest.


    "That¡¯s not fair. I was hurt too. I¡¯m just¨C a bit more vocal when ites to showing my emotions," he insisted, trying to reach for my chin to hold it between his fingers. But I kept turning my face away, shrugging him off and stepping back.


    "When all this is over, I¡¯ll stay with the others, but you¡¯ll be excluded," I said firmly. I heard him gasp dramatically. When I turned to look at his face in disbelief, I found him holding his hand over his mouth, pretending to look hurt. But it was all an act.


    "Yeah, you can¡¯t do that. You can try to avoid me, but the minute I stand behind you¡ª" his voice turned low and seductive as he moved to stand behind me, but I stepped away.


    To be honest, I wasn¡¯t in the mood for any of this. I was still hurting from Salem¡¯s passing. I didn¡¯t even know how to feel happy anymore. But for the sake of everyone else, I was holding it together.


    "Hnie, may I have a word with you?" Our banter was cut short when someone else arrived. We both turned around to see Altan standing by his car, dressed in a ck suit, his eyes watching me with a look that carried a silent desire.


    "No, you cannot," Maximus responded for me before I could say anything, while I just stared at Altan. Every time I looked at him, I was reminded of the times when I was a stupid, innocent teenager. I still am, but at least I¡¯m not stupid anymore.


    The way he had dragged me into his world, the way I was punished just because his father thought he was serious about me, it was so unfair. I hadn¡¯t done anything to deserve any of that.


    "I was actually talking to her. I didn¡¯t know she can¡¯t make her own decisions anymore," Altan said, having the nerve to awaken the monster inside Maximus. I watched Maximus straighten his back and immediately square up.


    "What is it that you want to talk about?" I asked in a bitter tone.


    "It¡¯s a pack matter, Alpha Queen. May we discuss it somewhere alone?" The way Altan addressed my title to control the situation left me with no choice but to nce at Maximus to excuse myself. I had no idea Altan would be this clever.


    "Maximus, I¡¯ll be back in a minute," I said to the furious lycan, who honestly looked like nothing but a beast at that moment. If he could, he would have torn the alpha in front of him apart.


    "And next time you wish to speak with the Alpha Queen, schedule an appointment," Maximus grunted, adjusting his coat with a sharp tug before walking away. Of course, he didn¡¯t go far. Though at a distance, I could still see him watching us while standing beneath a tree.


    "What is it?" I asked Altan.


    "There have been thefts in my pack," he began, stepping closer. Every step he took toward me made my breath hitch. It wasn¡¯t easy to face him again. I was so different from the girl I used to be. There was a time when I would stay close to him, yearning for his attention, and he wouldn¡¯t even acknowledge me.


    But that was fine now. He had been a spoiled young alpha back then. I could have forgiven him for ying with my heart. But that night, those few moments when he stepped away, changed everything for me.


    "And you want me to find the thieves? Do you think that¡¯s what an Alpha Queen does?" I asked, not unfolding my arms from my chest.


    My posture was solid; confident, unwavering. But deep down, the Hnie who had been wronged by her pack, who had suffered her entire childhood, was resurfacing. That Hnie only ever wanted someone to see her pain.


    "Of course not. I want you to help me find the cause behind the thefts," he rified, and I frowned.


    "You mean to say, a thief," I scoffed. He was just trying to make it sound more noble, but it was exactly what I had just said. He wanted me to find the thief, or thieves.


    "Hnie, it¡¯s children. Kids under eighteen are the ones being taken," he said.


    The moment those words left his mouth, my expression hardened.


    The indifference I¡¯d been carrying vanished, and I became fully attentive.


    "If you cane to my pack, I¡¯ll exin everything in more detail. I know you¡¯ll manage some time, Hnie. We may not be from the North, but your help would mean a lot. You live with the brothers, you studied in the VS, you have far more knowledge than others. I want the pack to be safe for the children. And I know you do too. You wouldn¡¯t want the same fate for your sister, she¡¯s been hiding in her home, missing school ever since the thefts began."


    It was his subtle way of updating me on my sister¡¯s condition, and honestly, he had managed to steal my attention.


    "Tell me when, and I¡¯ll be there," I said, without a second thought this time.

 Chapter 638-Rune And His Minions

    <h4>Chapter 638: 638-Rune And His Minions</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    ¡¯We must go check on Vani,¡¯ Cora said, so worried that she had already started anticipating some kind of war breaking out.


    ¡¯I will go crazy if she hasn¡¯t been taken care of,¡¯ I hissed, clenching my palm while Altan was writing something on a piece of paper. How could I not go for Vani? I will do anything for my little sister who is the sole reason I am alive today.


    "I will book a hotel room for you," he said, not raising his head from the paper.


    "No need, I will stay at home," I noticed a little flinch in his body. I will go back home because I want to be close to Vani and also to get back at my so-called family.


    "I know I¡¯m not the one you¡¯d ever want to speak with, but this is my number. I would really wish for you to give me a call. I could call you, I have your number, but I¡¯m not sure if you would pick up. Please, Hnie, this is an important matter. I¡¯m afraid the X Codex is behind it," he stated.


    I nodded roughly. However, the moment he pulled his hand out to give me the paper, an arrow shot through the space between us and snatched the paper from his hand.


    "Hnie!" Altan yelled and leapt in my direction, pushing me to the ground while covering me with his body.


    A line of arrows flew through the air andnded far away. They had been in my direct path. If he hadn¡¯t pushed me, I would have been struck by one, or maybe two.


    We were both stunned and frozen for a moment, looking around until our eyes met, and then we broke apart. I pushed him off, but he was already moving to get off me. Once we were on our feet, Maximus came and held me from behind.


    "We are under attack," Maximus announced, pointing toward the road and then to the distant mountains. An army of Zharns was sprinting from all directions toward the graveyard.


    "We must inform everyone," I said. As the three of us started running toward the graveyard gate, I paused to turn and look at the person who had shot the arrow.


    Because it was odd.


    Even though the Zharns were approaching, and they were pretty brutal, they couldn¡¯t have used bows to attack us.


    And I was right.


    "Rune!" I hissed under my breath, watching him smirk and wave his fingers at me while the bow was slung over his shoulder.


    "Of course," Maximus hissed.


    "Let¡¯s go," Altan reminded us that we still needed to get inside the graveyard with the others. We rushed in, and Altan locked therge main door with silver bars.


    "Everyone, we are under attack!" I shouted as loud as I could. Norman and Kaye, who had beenforting Mr. Coombs, looked up and nced around with concern.


    "What?" ady cried out, hugging her child.


    We didn¡¯t have many warriors here because it was just a funeral. Most of the people who hade were either rtives, friends, or pack members. The warriors had stayed behind to protect the pack while the Alpha grieved his daughter¡¯s death.


    We had only a few with us, and some of them had taken Sydney back to her pack, so now that was the problem.


    "We¡¯re facing the risk of more casualties than any victory," one of the warriors arrived to inform us.


    "It¡¯s alright. As long as we fight," I began, but my eyes caught Rune approaching the gate with a smirk.


    "You think this can stop me?" heughed maniacally, shaking his head. "Come here, my buddies. We have a meal to feast upon," he said to the Zharns, then opened the gate.


    "Shit," I cursed, grabbing a sword from a warrior and running toward the Zharns.


    "Take control of the Zharns. I know how to stop them," I shouted to Norman, who was rushing beside me. The moment he tore off his shirt and jumped, hended in his massive beast form. I watched him m his chest like an angry gori before wing through three Zharns at once. His ws and canines were enormous. The way his jaw opened so wide, I could feel the terror ripple through his enemies¡¯ bones.


    "Time to have some fun!" Maximus yelled to his wolf before lowering his body. When he rose again, he was in wolf form. The giant beast was nearly as powerful as a Lycan. But since it wasn¡¯t a full moon, he wasn¡¯t in his Lycan form. Still, he grabbed a few Zharns in his jaws, one after another. With a single bite, he tore them apart and let out a howl.


    Altan howled and shifted into his Alpha wolf form,unching himself at the iing Zharns.


    I pushed through the chaos because my target was someone else.


    Rune.


    He knew I wasing for him. He smirked and turned his palm upward, curling his fingers in a taunting gesture, daring me toe at him.


    He moved first, fast, and swung the bow in his hand to strike me. I ducked just in time, saving myself, but also swung my sword to slice a Zharn attacking me from the side. I had to stay alert on all fronts. My mates and Altan were busy protecting the pack members and guests.


    When I tried to strike Rune with my sword, he hit me with his bow, and both our weapons fell to the ground. With the Zharns rushing in full force and in groups, the weapons were kicked and pushed farther away. We didn¡¯t have time to search for them.


    Rune¡¯s fist swung over my head like a hammer. If he hadnded that hit, it would¡¯ve knocked me to the ground. I rolled to the side and grabbed a metal pipe from the ground, swinging it at his head. The whole damn pipe bent, but he didn¡¯t even flinch.


    Then I remembered, his bones were like jelly.


    I dropped the pipe. Ran low. mmed my elbow into his ribs. It felt like punching a pillow, soft and yielding. This was going to be tough.


    Then he grabbed me by the back, threw me to the ground, and drove his fingers into my stomach.


    And that¡¯s when I felt it.

 Chapter 639-Snap!

    <h4>Chapter 639: 639-Snap!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Pain shot through my stomach, but I slid behind him and kicked the back of his knee. But it seemed like nothing pained him. He turned. I jumped back just in time.


    I noticed the Zharns crowding around the fighters. My attention began to drift toward my mates, I wanted to be with them, but Rune! I had to defeat him. He was the real threat.


    As the Zharns began attacking my mates, someone else arrived, just in time, after securing the guests inside the building where the funeral service had been held.


    "Ahhh!" Kaye¡¯s scream tore through the air as he transitioned, his long arms swinging, ws extending. But I noticed something else, the way he shifted mid-transition. He smirked as hended on the ground, head down, eyes up. Then he moved faster, much faster than usual. Even his brothers looked stunned.


    "Blood!" Kaye screamed, mming his hands against a Zharn¡¯s head, crushing it and sttering blood everywhere.


    He wasn¡¯t just fighting like an animal, he was fighting like someone who ¡¯enjoyed¡¯ inflicting pain.


    Rune saw that I¡¯d gotten distracted. He used the moment to charge. As he came at me, I ducked and moved fast, raising my fist to his face. His head snapped back, too far, like rubber, then whipped forward again. No damage.


    I jumped back.


    He lunged and I ducked again. His leg stretched mid-kick, whipping around like a rope. It caught my arm, and agonizing pain rippled through my body. He was nearly impossible to defeat.


    But there¡¯s always a way to bring down a monster.


    I rolled, stood quickly, and rushed him again. I hit his ribs, stomach, shoulder, everything just bent. Nothing broke. He kept chuckling, mocking me with that twisted grin.


    Then he spun, his whole body twisting, arms iling like whips. One struck my side. I slid across the ground, the breath knocked out of me.


    I coughed and stood slowly.


    His fist came at my face, but this time, I rolled, and my sword was right beside me.


    I saw Rune charging. I grabbed the sword in time, raised it, and stood.


    The de went straight through his eye. Blood dripped down his face. He screamed, and I knew in that moment what had to be done.


    "He thrives on watching people suffer, people with no hope, no dreams," my wolf growled from within.


    I drove the sword into his other eye before he could retaliate. His cries were worse than a doomsday siren; raw, filled with animalistic horror.


    "You enjoyed watching my friend scream and beg for her life," I hissed, my voice low with rage, the memory clear as ss, herst words, her pleas as she begged his monsters to spare her because she was pregnant, all recorded in the voice note.


    Rune could no longer see. He whimpered, lost and on his knees.


    I spotted a thick, rusted chain on the ground. I grabbed it. I rushed and wrapped it around his neck. Tight.


    He twisted and writhed, but I held on. His rubbery neck stretched unnaturally as he fought the pull, but I wasn¡¯t letting go.


    I ran to the nearest tall, sturdy tree and tossed the chain over a thick branch. The metal nked, slid, caught. I knew it was strong enough to hold a loser like him.


    "Whatever you¡¯re doing will cost you dearly! My siblings will take my revenge!" he screamed, thrashing on the ground, arms iling.


    I grabbed the end of the chain and pulled. His body lifted into the air. His feet dragged through the dirt, then left the ground entirely. He rose higher. His neck stretched unnaturally. His arms wed at the chain. His legs kicked at nothing.


    His scream tore through the trees.


    The Zharns stopped in their tracks. The ones still approaching the graveyard hissed, then began to retreat. Others froze, too stunned to fight, while my mates finished them off.


    Now, everyone was watching Rune¡¯s fate. No matter how many threats he hurled at me, I didn¡¯t stop.


    "My siblings will never forgive you for this¡ª" his voice turned sharp and high, almost a screech. "Zharns! Imand thee to finish this Alpha Queen and her mates!" he shouted louder and louder, desperate.


    But his Zharns stayed away. They turned their backs on him.


    "Where are you?!" he shrieked, listening for the hiss of their loyalty, but only silence answered. "Damn you pathetic creatures!" he roared.


    He was panicking. This monster, this murderer of an innocent girl, was now terrified of his own death.


    "My siblings will start a war!" he warned again. This time, I clenched my jaw.


    "Bring it on!" I shouted back.


    He went silent, almost as if he hadn¡¯t expected me to stand my ground. I nted my feet. Gripped the chain with both hands and pulled harder. The metal bit into my palms. My back screamed in pain. But I didn¡¯t stop.


    "This is for Salem. And her child," I said, my voice cracking as tears spilled down my face.


    I pulled harder. He rose higher. His neck stretched longer and longer, until it shook. Then, I bent my knees and dropped my weight and yanked with full force.


    Snap!


    A sick, wet sound echoed through the air. His head tore free. His body crashed to the ground. The head swung from the chain, lifeless, eyes wide, mouth still frozen in that final scream. I stood there, panting. Blood, dirt, pain clinging to me. But it was done.


    I had won.


    But at what cost?


    I had lost my friend. That motherfucker got to her before we could get to him.


    Gasps rippled through the crowd. Mothers shielded their children¡¯s eyes from the horror. Warriors and royals stared, some in shock, some in awe. My mates had transitioned back. They watched me with amazement in their eyes.


    I was still gripping the chain. Then I let it go. The head dropped behind me with a dull, sickening


    Thud!


    I closed my eyes and fell to my knees. I broke down. If only we had done this sooner.


    "Hnie!" all three of my mates called my name at once. They knelt beside me, wrapping me in a tight embrace, holding me as I sobbed.


    The sky cried with us. The downpour began.


    And I mourned Salem but at least I killed her killer.

 Chapter 640-A Rather Nasty Threat

    <h4>Chapter 640: 640-A Rather Nasty Threat</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I¡¯ll be fine here," I sighed as I reassured Norman again.


    "The council head heard what Rune said about your mates, and not just one mate," Kaye reminded us as he stood with us, hands in his pants¡¯ pockets, leaning back against the car.


    "I¡¯m not afraid of anyone finding out I have four mates anymore, Kaye. I¡¯ve faced real Masters. So what if I have four mates? Such threats are nothing to be afraid of," I tried to joke so they could return home with eased minds. But I could tell from the way they¡¯d been watching my face that they were worried about how I was really doing inside. I could act all tough and powerful, but at the end of the day, I had lost a friend too.


    "I really need to stay here tonight. Gavin needs me," I reminded them why it was important for me to stay.


    "Just text us if anything happens, or if you need us, okay?" Norman looked so pale I wondered what was going on with him.


    "Yeah, umm¨C" I cleared my throat but felt like an idiot bringing up Altan with them. Maximus was sent home to stay with Emmet himself. After Rune made that threat, we were on high alert. We also made public announcements about X Codex this time, hiding nothing about the evil organization.


    "What is it?" As always, Norman knew I was about to say something I was struggling to exin, so he asked me directly.


    "Altan asked me to visit his pack. They¡¯ve been dealing with something unusual, and they haven¡¯t been able to fight it," I exined what he had told me over the next five minutes, and they listened attentively.


    "You want to go?" Norman asked, and the moment I nodded, he bobbed his head with me.


    "Then you don¡¯t need to think twice. One of us will apany you," he added,ying out a condition I already knew he would. I didn¡¯t mind either. Instead of going alone, getting into trouble, and putting them through hell, it was smarter to take one of them with me.


    "I¡¯ll n it after two days. The full moon is in two days, so I¡¯ll mark Emmet first and then you," I turned to Kaye, who had his arms crossed over his chest now. He had his sleeves rolled up, making him look really muscr.


    "Also," Kaye scratched his temple, "I wanted to know¡ªwhat are we?" he asked, and both Norman and I turned to look at him.


    "I mean, me and Maximus¨C" before he could add Emmet, I decided to respond, or tease him a little.


    "Assholes?" I offered, and as soon as I said that, Norman smirked, looking all giggly.


    "Very funny. Or maybe assfuckers? What do you have to say about that?" he taunted back, and my smile faded. I felt so shy I turned my head away to avoid his gaze.


    "One piece of advice, brother," Norman ced his arm around his brother¡¯s shoulder and hunched down since Kaye was leaning too.


    "Never talk about intimate details after sex. And goddess forbid, never even joke about it."


    He was so right that I gave a big nod, silently urging Kaye to learn from his brother.


    "Okay, but seriously, after the mate eclipse, are we back to begging for her attention?" Kaye was so direct. I expected Maximus to bring up this confrontation, but it turned out Kaye was just as desperate to find out.


    "Don¡¯t you have a fianc¨¦e?" I asked, and he rolled his eyes.


    "I don¡¯t want to be with her. I want this," he said, motioning from himself to his brother, then to me, and finally back to himself. "I want this to keep going."


    I knew what he meant.


    "I¡¯m no longer guarding her. She¡¯s your mate too. And I¡¯ve worked really hard to stop myself from going there again. You and Maximus need to sort out your affairs before you even think about being with her."


    The moment Norman gave him the green light, Kaye unfolded his arms and straightened his back.


    "You mean to say¨C she¡¯s mine?" Kaye asked, and I watched Norman narrow his eyes at him.


    "How about you let it flow naturally, instead of reminding me that we¡¯re sharing her? With time, we¡¯ll adjust. But that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s an open rtionship. It¡¯ll be just us, and her," Norman said firmly.


    I was d he was the oneying down the rules. Well, I was kind of right about him being the one to lead. He liked guiding everyone.


    "Okay, but we can¡ª" Kaye immediately shut up when Norman gave him a look.


    "Wow." The way Kaye suddenly jumped and pumped his fist in the air looked so childish.


    "I¡¯m seriously reconsidering my decision," Norman groaned, ncing at me as if toin about his brother.


    "Nope! You¡¯re no longer in charge. You can¡¯t give us the go-ahead and then say you¡¯ve changed your mind. What¡¯s done is done," Kaye warned him, and I raised my hand to object.


    "Only if I agree. I haven¡¯t agreed to anything yet, especially since you and Maximus areplete idiots," I hissed, stomping my foot as I got closer to Norman.


    "I¡¯ll be heading into the apartment now. Please eat and rest well. You look a little pale to me."


    I cupped Norman¡¯s face in my hands and stood on my tiptoes, but I still couldn¡¯t reach his height. He had to bend down to make it easier for me.


    "I¡¯ll be fine. Please take care of yourself. I¡¯ll miss you, wifey," he whispered, leaning in and gently taking my bottom lip into his mouth.


    I threw Kaye a side-eye before wrapping my arms around Norman to deepen the kiss.


    "Seriously? Just wait and watch how I make you wet in public next time," Kaye¡¯s threat sent a shudder through me, but I didn¡¯t pay it much attention.


    He had to be joking. Who would even do such a thing, right?


    "I mean it," Kaye mumbled as he sat down in the car.

 Chapter 641-The Dirty Talk

    <h4>Chapter 641: 641-The Dirty Talk</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "How are you holding up?" I asked Gavin, my eyes constantly getting filled with tears. I never want to be in his position ever. Losing the person you love the most can be the end of someone¡¯s life, dreams and hopes.


    "I don¡¯t know. You know how when you close your eyes you see the fact of the person you love? Except it is whenever I blink for me," he uttered, his eyes moving towards the sky and a single tear rolled down the corner of his eye.


    "Just a few days ago, she was with me, Hnie. We were closer than ever. We marked each other and were just happy. I wish I hadn¡¯t let her go that night. I wish!" he sighed as his voice broke and I swallowed my tears.


    "I want to work for you," Gavin whispered.


    We sat out on the balcony after everyone else had fallen asleep. Jenny and Lamar kept their distance from each other. I could tell they didn¡¯t want Gavin to be reminded of his mate. But he would only remember if he ever forgot. For now, he couldn¡¯t think about anything or anyone else.


    "What do you mean?" I asked Gavin gently.


    "I can¡¯t be a part of this pack anymore. I want to go rogue, and I want you to help me out. I want to be a warrior for the rogue king Brothers. Since I¡¯m already part of the academy, I¡¯m halfway there in terms of knowledge and strength. I want to fight the X Codex, Hnie. I need to do it. That¡¯s my only mission in life now," he said, swallowing back his tears.


    I couldn¡¯t hide mine.


    "I know I¡¯m asking for a lot. Going rogue isn¡¯t easy," he sniffled.


    We were sitting on the ground, knees pulled up to our chests, feeling cozy in the confined balcony. But the view from there was beautiful. After a heavy downpour, the sky had cleared. The starry night looked so lonely, now that his mate, and my friend, was gone.


    Salem had truly redeemed herself and be our favorite. She was recently so happy to be finally called as an alpha¡¯s daughter, but she didn¡¯t get to enjoy the perks of it. All that, and then her life was lost. She was practically betrayed by her own sister. Salem must have been so happy, marked and carrying a baby. I bet she was even thinking of doing something fun for our senior year transfer.


    But now, it is all gone.


    "It¡¯s not difficult, and you¡¯re not asking for much. I want you to know, whatever you ask, I¡¯ll do my best to make it happen. As for the rogue application, I am Alpha Queen, and I have a say. I¡¯ll help you go rogue. But Gavin¨C" I looked at him softly, "what about your mother? I know you miss Salem, but your mother loves you too."


    I reminded him, just because he lost his mate doesn¡¯t mean he should stop caring about those who still love him deeply. He was her only son, and she had lived her whole life for him.


    "I have something in my mind for her. Of course, I will always love my mother," Gavin reassured and I gave him a headnod.


    "We are nning to find their headquarters because we must get to them before they get to us this time. However, there is no lead, and we are kind of lost about the siblings," I began to exin everything to him so that he is aware of what he might be getting into.


    "Okay, so first thing first, you will need to change your batch. To be a warrior for the Rogue Brothers, you will be taking a different kind of ss from now on. We will see each other every day, don¡¯t worry," I gave his head a pet, "and at the same time, we will discuss matters with you. Like what we are nning on doing to the X Codex and all. But Gavin, you will have to promise me that you will not do anything without running it by us. I know you are emotional, but I cannot lose another friend," I warned him, and he gave me a confirming head nod, reassuring me he doesn¡¯t n to go out on a suicide mission either.


    "Lucy wasn¡¯t at the funeral," I asked Gavin, who shrugged.


    "I don¡¯t know," he replied, sounding not very interested in anyone else. "Do you miss her?" he asked, and I sighed.


    "Salem, yes! Lucy, not so much. I miss the old her, but once she changed, I lost that connection with her that we shared once," I remembered the days we were friends.


    Wow! Those were the days.


    "Hmm, Jenny wants to take my mother with her. That is how I am able to go rogue. I think it will be a good idea. Jenny¡¯s mother and my mother would be together while Jenny and her family help their father get mental health help. I think my mother will be much happier there," Gavin spoke up in one breath before he sighed and got up.


    "I will go inside. Are youing?" he asked, and I said yes with my eyes. I followed him and got in the bed with Jenny.


    I had only lied down when I received a text from Maximus. The timing was odd. I wondered what he could be texting me for.


    Maximus: You must be sleeping since you were all tired. But I cannot sleep, even when I am so exhausted.


    I cleared my throat, my fingers hovering over the screen, contemting whether to respond or not.


    Me: Why, what happened to you?


    I was upset with him, but I didn¡¯t hate him.


    Maximus: I am missing you. Your body. Are you missing me? Are you feeling that itch and desire between your legs that only my dick can help with?


    I gasped when he sent me an attachment with his text. It was a picture of his naked torso, his belt unbuckled and pants pulled down, revealing the base of his cock and I could tell he was ready for a standing ovation.

 Chapter 642-The Horny One

    <h4>Chapter 642: 642-The Horny One</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I rolled my eyes, wrapping my body perfectly in the nket while holding my phone in my hand under the nket.


    Me: Not really.


    I saw him calling me the very next moment, so I silently got up and went to the balcony once again. I sat down on the floor and noticed the sky. Winter wasing. I remembered how longst winter wasst time. But sadly, when it came back, Salem wasn¡¯t with us.


    "What is it?" I asked in a whisper, trying not to wake anyone else with the call.


    "Ahhh!" he suddenly let out a sigh, and my body visibly shuddered. Thankfully, he couldn¡¯t see me.


    "Kaye told me what has been decided." He was either sleepy or was trying to seduce me. His voice was so fucking husky, and my mind kept reminding me of the whispers from him in my ears on the night of the crazy night.


    "And did he not tell you that I have not decided yet what I need to do with the two of you?" I used a sassy tone because I was still angry with him over that night¡¯s issue. And even if not, I wanted to give him a hard time like he was giving me that other night.


    "Ah, I don¡¯t care about that. I know you will be in my arms soon," he mumbled confidently, almost like he was tired but wanted to keep talking to me.


    "That is the mistake you are making. You know I am very stubborn, Maximus," I said with a shrug to my shoulders, feeling good about myself for keeping a stern stance with him.


    However, the minute I said that, he started switching to a video call, and my heart missed a beat. What was he trying to show me?


    "What are you video calling me for?" I questioned, trying to sound annoyed.


    "Why? Too afraid I might show you something you cannot touch tonight? Are you feeling bad? Jealous?" His voice was deeper due to being sleepy, but that¡¯s when he sounded more cocky, and I grunted under my breath angrily.


    So, in anger, as always, I switched to the video call, and a loud yelp escaped my lips. He had his phone ced on a phone holder on the bedside table while he was lying shirtless in his bed. I could see his ck shorts and muscr legs. His muscr back looked so yummy that I visibly looked thirsty for a moment. He had his face against the pillow, only his eyes showing as he watched me through the phone while he stayed lying down on his stomach.


    My yelp made himugh a little before taking a deep breath and silently staring at me.


    "Why don¡¯t you sleep already? You look very tired," I said, trying to sound normal.


    "No! I am at peace like this." He extended his arm and grabbed the phone, rolling onto his back and lying down straight while holding his phone. My eyes hungrily watched his chest and abs before I gulped.


    "I miss you, Hnie," he said, no smirking, no teasing.


    "I don¡¯t," I shrugged.


    "Don¡¯t tease me right now. Be a good girl and say it back," he demanded, his eyes staring without blinking.


    "Well, I don¡¯t," I continued.


    He started nodding his head while clicking his tongue. He suddenly sat up, and my frown became visible.


    "What are you doing?" I asked when I noticed he had put on his shirt but didn¡¯t button it up and grabbed his car keys.


    "What are you doing?" I asked again, but he didn¡¯t respond.


    "What time is it?" he asked, but more like to himself. He narrowed his eyes on his phone and nodded his head more aggressively.


    "It¡¯s 9:30 p.m., Maximus. Go back to bed," I warned him not to do anything stupid, but he didn¡¯t respond, not until he was in his car and already driving.


    "Can you at least tell me what you¡¯re doing?" I asked after getting too annoyed with his silence. He was driving while half asleep. I was worried for him. Did he forget some important chore that made him leave so suddenly?


    "I¡¯ll be there by 2-something," he whispered, the phone sitting on his dashboard.


    "What? Maximus, have you lost your mind? Don¡¯t you know how dangerous it is to be out and about after we killed Rune?" I panicked for him. He was always like that, cared less about anything and did whatever he thought was right in the moment.


    "You wanted me to say it. I will say it." I instantly started to yap, but he smirked, not even stopping.


    "I¡¯ming over there whether you say it or not. Keep that attitude, I¡¯ll see how you fold when I¡¯m in front of you," he said confidently, making me groan in frustration.


    "Why are you so stubborn?" I hissed at him.


    "Because of you, my love. You made me stubborn and shameless." He winked before looking back at the road. "Now sleep and rest well. It¡¯ll be some time before I get there."


    "No! You¡¯re staying on video call with me," I demanded, and he sighed, grinning like a fool.


    "No! I¡¯m not keeping you awake with me. I mean, you¡¯ll be awake the rest of the night once I get there. So go ahead and rest. Let me drive. Your face is a distraction. I don¡¯t want to park my car on the side of the road to beat my meat." He was honestly so shameless, saying things with no filter.


    My body would shudder whenever he acted that way.


    "But¡ª" before I could protest, he hung up on me. I grunted in annoyance. The outside world was scary these days, and he was thinking about ying a game.


    I tried calling him a few times, but he told me he would get into an ident if I didn¡¯t leave him alone, so I let him be. However, I was worried. Iy down in bed, wondering if maybe he would realize how stupid it was and go back home. While staring at the clock on my phone, I dozed off and only woke up to my phone vibrating in my hand.


    The amount of sleep I had gotten made me wonder if hours had passed and I was right.


    The Horny One: Come outside. I am waiting for you.

 Chapter 643-Tie Me Up!

    <h4>Chapter 643: 643-Tie Me Up!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I did not expect him to arrive. I checked the time, it was 12:45. That meant he must have driven fast to arrive so early. I looked around and found everybody else sound asleep. I got up and, before leaving, checked my hair and applied lip gloss after brushing my teeth. I had brushed them before bed, but I was a little worried about what he was here for, and since I had fallen asleep, I was worried about my appearance too.


    ¡¯Oh, much so for someone who was giving him attitude,¡¯ Cora chuckled while I groaned at her. I began to enter the elevator while holding my phone closer to my chest, worried about how I would feel seeing him. Last time when we had sex, he acted in such a douchy way that I didn¡¯t get to feel the aftermath of our closeness. And then the other time, the one where the brothers practically railed me, I regained my dreams and couldn¡¯t stop crying about Salem. And then, in the next few hours, I was at Gavin¡¯s ce. So I didn¡¯t get to face the brothers like that. But now that confrontation was going to happen, and I was suddenly feeling so shy.


    ¡¯Give me confidence, not blush,¡¯ I hissed at her, checking my reflection in therge mirror in the elevator.


    The minute the elevator stopped and the door opened, I had only taken one step toward the exit when the sight before my eyes made me step back. Maximus was already waiting for me, with one hand on the side up against the wall and his head tilted. His eyes were observing me, and a very slight smirk was disyed on his lips.


    He let out a deep breath before stepping into the elevator, and the door closed behind us. He pressed the top floor button and then many other buttons without even looking around.


    He came straight at me, making me step back and my back hit the elevator wall.


    "Why did you¡ª" I hushed up when his finger pressed against my lips, shushing me down.


    "You are such a yapper, Hnie," he whispered,ing closer and leaning into my ear. His hand ced on my stomach, traveling up and under my shirt.


    "We are in a public elevator," I whispered back, and he chuckled into my ear.


    "Just pray nobody decides to use it tonight or they will be traumatized for the rest of their lives," he continued to run his hand up to my breast and push my bra up. I still had my shirt on, but his hand had ess to my skin now.


    "What happened to your attitude now?" he asked, his fingers gently pinching my nipples and making me bite my lower lip.


    "It is just the beginning, Hnie. The road we are going down is full of sex, raw, rough sex," he whispered into my ear, giving my earlobe a good long lick.


    "Maximus¡ª" his name escaped my lips in a weird moan-like sound, and I felt so embarrassed of myself.


    "What? What do you have to say for your bad behavior?" he grunted, spinning me round in such an effortless way that I questioned if I even held any power against him.


    His hands ran down my shoulders to my arms and then to my wrists before he started running my hands up, resting them above my head against the wall. He pinned them in his one hand and pped my ass as hard as he could.


    "Ouch!" I yelped in pain.


    "Ouch? Now it is an ouch?" he teased into my ear, taking off his belt and tying my wrists together with it after he got rid of my clothes.


    He held the belt up, causing my hands to stretch up while he adjusted his cock at my hole.


    "Maximus!" his name left my lips in a loud gasp when he slipped his cock into my hole.


    His little wet kisses down my neck were like treats. He took his time taking out his cock before giving it another push inside me.


    "You are mine," he whispered into my ears in heavy breaths, his cock slowly picking up speed.


    His one hand was holding my breast, massaging it hard and turning my whole skin red.


    "I fucking love you," he grunted, kissing the back of my neck and then my bare back. I rested my forehead, feeling his thirst withpassion. Midway, I started to free my hand, so he slipped the tie loose. Once my hands were free, I turned to him, staring at him naked. His cock was hard, erect, and ready to find its hole.


    "I am yours, Hnie. I have waited forever to have you back," he said through heavy breaths, not breaking eye contact. His hand touched my thigh and then slid up, gliding over my stomach, reaching my breast, and finally wrapping around my neck. His fingers tangled around my neck, and I raised my chin, staring back at him.


    "I don¡¯t know how you feel about me anymore, but honestly, I love you very much. I never stopped loving you. The fact that your love changed me so much, that I became a better man, just shows that I can only be with you. I can only love you," his eyes were red from the tears forming in them. He didn¡¯t just say those words, he felt them.


    Now he was staring back into my eyes, waiting for me to confess.


    "Do you¡ª" he didn¡¯t even finish.


    ¡¯What are you going to say now?¡¯ Cora asked.


    "I cannot live without you. When you are angry with me, I go crazy. When you reject me¨C" he pulled closer, pressing his lips against mine before creating a little space to speak, "I feel like burning the world down to dust," he finished and kissed my lips so passionately that I couldn¡¯t hold back my love for him as well.


    As soon as he broke the kiss, I uttered, "I love you, Maximus. I love you a lot."

 Chapter 644-The Professor Among My Friends

    <h4>Chapter 644: 644-The Professor Among My Friends</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    The smile on his face looked so effortless that it filled my heart with ecstasy.


    "I loved you back then too, but I had to suppress my feelings because it seemed like you had moved on. So I did too. But I never realized that my love for you was still dormant, waiting to be awakened," I confessed. A sweet smile broke through on his lips and he embraced me eagerly. Our arms wrapped around each other, our lips meeting in a passionate kiss.


    Our tongues intertwined as he lifted me off the ground. My legs wrapped around his waist as he supported my body against the wall. His erection slid into my already wet pussy, reaching deep inside me. He began to thrust in and out, each movement filled with love. Our kisses created soft, smacking sounds, intensifying my heartbeat.


    As he increased his pace, I started to lose control of my body. I ced my hands near his neck and then sped them behind his neck. Our eyes locked in a gaze of adoration. His cock filled my eager pussy until his balls pped against my skin. I moaned and groaned, my breasts brushing against his chest with each thrust. I felt his cock swelling inside me, my eyes closed and my shoulders tensed, my nails digging into his skin as he let out a loud groan and came inside me with force.


    "Fuck!" he grunted, pressing me against the wall and eagerly kissing me as his cock released thest of his cum inside me.


    Just then, the elevator door opened with a ding, and we broke the kiss. Still naked, his dick still pulsating with thest remnants of cum.


    "Ah!" an old woman screamed as she saw us in that state. She quickly turned around and hurried out. Maximus smirked, hastily pressing the elevator button. He gently set me down after giving me a peck on the lips.


    We grabbed our clothes and went to Maximus¡¯ car instead,ughing and giggling.


    "That olddy might have never seen a view like that before," Maximus smirked, talking about his perfectly shaped ass. I couldn¡¯t believe we had left our toxic past behind and were able to enjoy time together.


    "Is that why she screamed?" I joked, sitting in the passenger seat.


    "She wasn¡¯t the only one who screamed," he smirked, and I rolled my eyes, hitting his chest.


    "Let¡¯s see if there¡¯s any caf¨¦ open for breakfast," Maximus said, driving around the pack. I had no idea we¡¯d been in the elevator for hours.


    He finally found a caf¨¦ where we had breakfast together. It was nice for a change.


    "We¡¯ll pack some for our friends too," Maximus said, and I suddenly stopped drinking from my coffee mug.


    "Our friends?" I raised my eyebrow.


    "Your friends are now my friends too," he pouted, giving a shrug.


    "You¡¯re their professor. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll even be able to speak in front of you," I reminded him that the academy was still open and they were still his students.


    "We¡¯ll see. They¡¯ll have to. Or else, I¡¯ll give them a tough time at the academy," Maximus grunted, making me narrow my eyes at him as a warning not to mess with my friends.


    While he was finishing his breakfast, I was already done. My phone was in my hand and my eyes were on Norman¡¯s inbox.


    Me: Good morning.


    I put my phone down and stared at the road, wondering if we were making a mistake. I didn¡¯t want Norman to feel pushed away.


    My Husband: Hello, my beautiful wife.


    I smiled when I saw his message, but now I prepared myself to tell him about Maximusing overst night.


    Me: Maximus came overst night.


    I anxiously stared at the screen, wondering what he would say now.


    My Husband: I know, I found out from the warrior. You don¡¯t have to tell me every detail, I don¡¯t want you to feel guilty about it.


    I knew he would never tell me what he was really feeling. But that¡¯s when his next messageforted me:


    My Husband: You know, after that night, I feel like the Moon Goddess gave me some peace of mind. But I¡¯m sure I will burn from deep inside if it¡¯s not your mate you¡¯re with.


    I understood what he meant. That made me feel much better.


    "Okay, shall we go now? Gavin will be so happy to see me," Maximus rubbed his palms together as he grabbed the food bags and started walking ahead of me.


    "I don¡¯t think so," I muttered under my breath.


    We went back to the apartment, and Maximus got a reality check.


    Silence!


    Utter silence.


    Eyes looking around, only hand signs and mouthed words. Everyone sat up straight, trying to look like good students.


    And then there was Maximus, leaning back on the couch with his arms spread. Even I sat on the edge of the couch with him.


    It was awkward for the students to have a trainer sit so casually with them.


    "By the way, thedy upstairs said she saw some Zharns fucking in the elevator early this morning," the moment Lamar tried to lighten the mood, I almost spat out the water I had just gulped down.


    "Wait, really?" Jenny asked in a worried tone.


    "Of course not. She has bad eyesight. Might¡¯ve seen someone and thought it was Zharns and they were fucking¡ª" Lamar instantly went quiet when his eyesnded on Maximus, who didn¡¯t look too pleased. "I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t be saying that in front of you, Professor Maximus," he fixed his posture.


    "Don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s not why he¡¯s upset," I helped Lamar rx, but I had a smile on my lips.


    She thought we were Zharns? Do naked bodies look like Zharns to her?


    "That¡¯s unbelievable. If she has bad vision, she should wear sses all the time," Maximus hissed under his breath, making me almost choke on my own saliva, until my eyesnded on Gavin. He was trying to be present among us, but his pain must have been unbearable.

 Chapter 645-Kaye Needs My Attention

    <h4>Chapter 645: 645-Kaye Needs My Attention</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I¡¯ll spend some time and then they¡¯ll drop me at the mansion before they go back to the academy," I said to Maximus, trying to keep my hands to myself while he kept staring at my face like he had never seen it before. "And stop staring."


    I looked at my friends and gave them an awkward smile before hissing at Maximus.


    "I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re finally together. I don¡¯t ever want to mess it up," he muttered, his voice full of emotion.


    "You won¡¯t. Now go." I badly wanted to push him away yfully, but my friends were watching, and I felt shy around them.


    "Okay, kids, drop her at the mansion safely," Maximus told my friends, calling them kids when he wasn¡¯t that much older himself. But they all nodded politely, and the minute I shut the door, I heard my friends start to chuckle.


    "Zharns! I wonder who that was," Lamar teased, while Penn was the only one who walked away. And yes, I had finally told them about my mates and what we were doing. Penn was very surprised because he wasn¡¯t usually part of these kinds of conversations, so it came as a shock to him.


    He hadn¡¯t spoken to me the whole time, though. But I caught him staring at me several times.


    After spending some time together, we all got into two cars and hit the road. I was in the car with Jenny and Lamar, who were going to drop me off at the mansion, while Penn was driving Gavin to the academy to change his sses. We even talked about Kaidon, who was arrested when Darius finally confessed. Kaidon wanted a maximum punishment but since he was drugged that night, he wasn¡¯t given as hard time as the others.


    We were halfway there when Jenny suddenly hit the brakes, making us all look at her.


    "Guys, isn¡¯t that Sage? And who¡¯s the woman beside her?" It was strange the way Jenny almost gasped when she saw Sage and the woman I clearly recognized.


    "Lady Darcy," I hissed under my breath. It didn¡¯t make any sense, though. The two had no connection and no rtionship. They shouldn¡¯t be sitting together.


    "You know what I heard from a little bird? Sage has a huge crush on Professor Emmet. She used to text him and call him a lot since the beginning of her admission into the academy," Lamar said, making my breath hitch with the information. I kept staring at the two, remembering when I had seen her with Emmet once.


    She had always been around; I just didn¡¯t pay much attention. But it seemed like now she was much closer.


    Closer than ever.


    "Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll be marking Emmet tonight anyway," I said, barely able to look away from the two.


    I was not jealous. Not at all. Ughh!


    "We¡¯ll need a n to get Sage eliminated," Lamar whispered to Jenny, who gave him a small nod, and after a second, I started smiling.


    After they dropped me off, I took a deep breath and entered the mansion again. Soon everyone would be back. I would mark Emmet and Kaye tonight and finally be free from the pain of the curses.


    ¡¯Until next time. Don¡¯t forget, this only helps them with their pain. What if a new phasees where they¡¯re in pain again? Let¡¯s say, because you slept with one of them more? Or you got pregnant by one of them?¡¯


    Cora wasn¡¯t wrong, though. This wasn¡¯t over yet.


    "At least let me enjoy the peace for now," I whispered softly.


    "Hnie," Norman seemed to have been waiting for my arrival. The minute I was in his sight, he rushed over, lifted me up, and gave me a good spin before lowering me until our faces were aligned. He took my bottom lip between his lips and sucked it, letting me suck his upper lip in return.


    His big, firm hands held my back tightly and lovingly. I didn¡¯t want to leave his embrace ever again.


    "You¡¯re not staying anywhere else again," Norman whispered breathlessly, breaking the kiss, though our lips stayed pressed.


    "I missed you too," I whispered back, going in for another kiss. Our lips moved in sync, our bodies pressing together as he carried me to the couch and came on top of me without breaking the kiss.


    I could already feel the bulge in his pants. But the moment he adjusted his body between my legs, loud screams came from the basement. Our bodies pulled apart and we jumped to our feet, running toward the basement. I was also fixing my shirt by the time we got down there.


    Norman grunted, arms folded across his chest, ring at his troublemaking brother.


    "I heard here," Kaye shrugged.


    It was Kaye, screaming just to get our attention. I noticed he was already tied in chains, ready for the night when I¡¯d mark Emmet. We had already decided to tie him up so we wouldn¡¯t have to go through the whole process of waiting for the next full moon.


    "I knew you¡¯d keep her upied. Now¡¯s not the time to steal her from us," Kaye seemed pretty upset, even though he tried to say it in a light tone.


    "He didn¡¯t steal me. I missed him," I corrected Kaye, and he finally shut up, turning his face the other way with a scoff escaping his lips.


    "Hey, are you okay?" I asked as I approached him, keeping my distance because I could tell he didn¡¯t want me getting too close either. I guessed he was afraid he was already getting worse with the full moon approaching.


    "No! I need your attention and time," he nearly hissed, sounding angry that I hadn¡¯te to him first.


    "I¡¯m here now, Kaye," I said, and I noticed Norman beginning to walk away. I reached my hand back and held Norman¡¯s, stopping him while Kaye was busy taking deep breaths.


    "We¡¯re all in this together," I said, slightly turning to look at Norman, who smiled when he felt my hand holding his.


    "Everything will be over tonight," I reassured Kaye as I watched Emmet pass out. After Kaye calmed down, we all sat together and talked about life after everything was settled. I shared Gavin¡¯s wish with them and got mixed reactions. As for Maximus, he had arrived by the time the full moon night came.


    "He¡¯s sedated. You can mark him now. By the time he wakes up and is marked, his madness will be somewhat under control, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll understand and mark you back," Norman said, opening Emmet¡¯s cage for me.

 Chapter 646-The One Who Wants To Kill Me

    <h4>Chapter 646: 646-The One Who Wants To Kill Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I stood before Emmet, my heart pounding hard. He looked so peaceful, even when he wasn¡¯t. The minute he wakes up, it will be a storm. Norman and Maximus stood right next to their brother.


    I leaned down and buried my face in his neck. Even though it had been so long since he could take care of himself and his needs, he still smelled amazing. His gentle breaths, his long eyshes, his beautiful lips, everything about him was perfect. I opened my mouth and my lips touched his skin, tasting him before I pushed my canines into his neck. I felt a movement in his body, but it wasn¡¯t very aggressive this time. He gently raised his hand and ced it on my back, still half asleep, and groaned softly.


    I pierced deeper into his skin, feeling all the emotions from the time I thought I was going to marry him. I was so madly in love with him.


    I closed my eyes and left a deeper mark on his neck before finally pulling out my canines. While still in his sleepy state, with his eyes closed, I watched him smile and whisper, "Hnie."


    I just watched his face before gently touching his cheek. But I had no clue someone else had already started to suffer.


    A scream from outside the cage and the rattling of chains made my heart sink in my chest. I turned my head to the side and saw Kaye ring at me.


    He looked so scary with his eyes narrowed at me. Even though he stayed in his human form, I could tell something was different by the way he was looking at me.


    "Kaye, calm down," Maximus said while Norman stayed alert.


    "Hnie, wake Emmet up so you can finish the marking," Norman said, and I saw Kaye turn to his brother before looking down. The next second, he raised his head again, but this time, he was looking at me with so much love.


    "I feel fine. Don¡¯t be scared of me," Kaye said, and Maximus started smiling. Even Norman looked a little relieved.


    "Yeah, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine," Kaye said again, and I smiled at him, until he added, "So now that I¡¯m fine, why don¡¯t you guys let me out?"


    There was a slight change in his tone that made me realize he was faking it.


    "No! He¡¯s lying," I yelled from inside the cage, and Kaye¡¯s expression changed instantly.


    "She¡¯s manipting you guys. She knows I¡¯m fine. She just wants to see me in pain," he grunted,pletely different from how he would treat me if it wasn¡¯t the curse speaking for him.


    "Hnie, focus on Emmet¡ª" Norman stopped talking as his body tensed up, staring behind me. I followed his gaze to Emmet and found him awake. His eyes were open, staring at me for a while.


    He didn¡¯t look hostile¡ªuntil he started gulping hard and clenching his fists over and over again.


    "Are you okay, Emmet?" I asked, stepping back to create some space between us. He raised his head and looked at me again, and I saw something familiar in his eyes.


    "You marked me?" he asked with difficulty, touching his neck. "Come on, let me mark you." He looked out of it, but he still managed to say that much, just as he saw Kaye rattling the chains trying to break free.


    I rushed over to Emmet, and when he wrapped his arm around my back and ced one hand behind my head, my heart skipped a beat.


    I could stare into his eyes for years. I could feel his touch forever, if only that touch was really meant for me. He leaned in, and my eyes closed as his breath touched my skin. It was a sign he was closer than ever. His teeth began to pierce my skin, and as I winced a little, I felt his hand on the back of my head, gently petting me like he was trying tofort me.


    "Fucking let me go! You guys don¡¯t get it. She¡¯s a traitor! She shouldn¡¯t be left alive!" Kaye yelled, his voice loud and angry. Every time he mmed the chains against the ground, my body shuddered in Emmet¡¯s arms. The feeling of ecstasy started to rush through me as Emmet¡¯s canines went deeper and deeper.


    After a while, he finally marked me and pulled his head back from my neck. He stared into my eyes and then gently touched my cheek, making me look down shyly.


    "I must mark him now." I could never raise my voice in front of him.


    Emmet let go, and I stepped away, not really wanting to leave the cage yet. But I had to. However, the moment I turned around to face the door, his hand suddenly came from behind me and mmed it shut in my face with force.


    "Ahh!" a gasp escaped my lips while I stared at Norman and Maximus. Even they looked shocked. Norman rushed over to the door to open it, while Maximus grabbed the sedatives, just in case. But the moment I turned back to Emmet, I saw that his eyes were focused on something else entirely.


    "The chains," he said, pulling me back and away from the bars in one swift move. He spun me around and hugged me from behind, holding me tightly, either to keep me from leaving or to stop someone from getting close.


    Now that I was facing outside the cage again, I saw what had made him pull me away. Kaye had nearly broken free from the chains and was ready toe after me.


    Norman and Maximus followed his gaze and turned to see Kaye, who had nowpletely freed himself. He lunged at the cage, but Norman got in the way, pushing him back and making him crash onto the ground. But it didn¡¯t stop him. He came back with even more strength, but this time, something else happened. Something we hoped we wouldn¡¯t have to deal with, at least not tonight. Or maybe we had thought we¡¯d have more time.


    Maximus started shifting into his lycan form.


    We thought we had time. But Kaye breaking free from his chains ruined everything.

 Chapter 647-A Gentle Reminder, I Am Married

    <h4>Chapter 647: 647-A Gentle Reminder, I Am Married</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Maximus had been in pain the minute the clock struck midnight. But he was holding back the transition, for our sake. I could only imagine the pain he must¡¯ve been in the whole time. But we only took two minutes to mark Emmet. In the next two minutes, I would have marked Kaye, and then we were going to lock Maximus in the cage for the rest of the night, while we stayed in the basement with him this time.


    This was our way of showing the Moon Goddess that her curse could never separate us. But now it was all ruined.


    "I must take him out," Norman said, holding Maximus, letting us know the n had changed. If he transformed here, he would attack us.


    "I¡¯m here with her," I heard Emmet say from behind me, reassuring his brothers who were concerned at the turn of events. Kaye had acted so quickly that we weren¡¯t left with the choice but to change our ns. And the fact that he got himself out of those chains surprised me the most. He really wanted me dead, didn¡¯t he?


    The need in Norman¡¯s eyes to stay with me, and the guilt in Maximus¡¯s eyes for not being able to because of the curse, crushed my heart.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine. There are two of us here. You need to take care of him," I told Norman, almost yelling, while Kaye started chuckling. Norman nodded and ran out with Maximus, while Kaye began to steady himself again.


    "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Look at you," Kaye kept chuckling while grabbing the sedatives from the bag we had saved for emergencies. "Hiding with my brother." He pointed at his chest, stressing the word ¡¯my¡¯.


    "Kaye, you don¡¯t want to hurt her," Emmet said. He was fully himself again, stepping out from behind me and putting his body between us. I could fight Kaye, I just didn¡¯t want to.


    But if it came down to just the two of us, I would defend myself with everything I had.


    "Brother, what do you even know about what I want? Do you even know why she has to die? She¡¯s not one of us. She¡¯s a traitor," Kaye said that word again, making my brows knit together. I didn¡¯t understand what he was trying to say, or what the curse was doing to him.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter who she is," Emmet shrugged. "You could tell me she¡¯s anti-werewolf, I¡¯d still protect her." Emmet reached for the cage, and I held his arm. I saw Kaye nce at my hand, then groan.


    "Step away from my brother!" he screamed, charging at the cage and grabbing the bars, shaking the entire thing. It was a huge cage, designed like a birdcage but big enough to fit all of us inside.


    "I¡¯ll be fine. All I need to do is pin him down so you can mark him," Emmet whispered to me, gently holding my hand and then pulling his arm free to leave the cage. I let him go, because we couldn¡¯t stay in the cage forever.


    The moment Emmet took the key from me and opened the cage, Kaye rushed forward but got pushed back by Emmet.


    In the next few seconds, the two started throwing each other around. Kaye seemed unstoppable, and Emmet had been in this cage too long, unable to connect with his wolf. He wasn¡¯t weak, but I could tell every move he made was careful, not meant to actually hurt his brother.


    "Kaye," Emmet hissed, grabbing his cor, "you¡¯ll regret it once you break free from the curse and realize who you hurt." Emmet began using his words to get through to him. I noticed him slowly move one of his hands down, trying to grab the sedatives from Kaye.


    "Or maybe I¡¯ll celebrate getting rid of this traitor from our world," Kaye hissed back, yanking his arm away, making it clear he knew what Emmet was trying to do.


    "But I won¡¯t let you do that," Emmet yelled, this time shoving him hard enough to knock the sedative out of his hand. Emmet snatched it up, but the next time Kaye got up, he rushed past Emmet and toward the stairs.


    "I¡¯lle back, Blondie. You¡¯re dying by my hands," I heard Kaye snicker before disappearing upstairs. Emmet chased after him while I stayed behind.


    "I need to go see what¡¯s going on," I told my wolf, who was already standing with me, just in case Kaye was hiding somewhere in the mansion, ready to attack.


    ¡¯Not going to lie, every time our mates didn¡¯t recognize us, it hurt. But Kaye wanting to kill me, that hits different. It feels like I don¡¯t matter at all,¡¯ Cora told me how she felt as I ran upstairs.


    ¡¯That¡¯s his curse. You know Kaye would never hurt us,¡¯ I reminded her. The real Kaye would die for us, not kill us. But when we got upstairs, reality hit. Kaye was gone, and who knew when he woulde back¨C or how he¡¯d try to kill me.


    Emmet came back after a few hours, looking defeated. He was a mess, covered in blood and scratches.


    "Kaye did that?" I was in shock. The curse had taken over so badly that he actually hurt his brother. And that¡¯s why Emmet couldn¡¯t stop him, he wasn¡¯t even trying to fight back. When one person refuses to attack, the chances of winning are low. That¡¯s how I knew¨C our Emmet was truly back.


    "Are you okay¡ª" he barely got the words out before I rushed forward, wrapped my arms around his neck, and hugged him tightly, surprising him.


    "I missed you so much," I cried, refusing to let him go. Slowly, gently, he wrapped his arms around me and hugged me back.


    "I never thought you¡¯d miss me," he said softly. I started to slide my hands from his neck to his chest, resting my face there.


    The soft silence while he held me tightly started to stir strange feelings inside me, so I knew I had to break the hug and step away from him.

 Chapter 648-Caught Kissing His Brother

    <h4>Chapter 648: 648-Caught Kissing His Brother</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "So I was basically an animal for a month," Emmet and I had sat down in the living room, waiting for the others to arrive while I decided to help him with his wounds since he didn¡¯t want to transition.


    "I wouldn¡¯t call it that. You just had your wolf take over," I tried to make him feel less guilty.


    "No wonder my wolf doesn¡¯t want to shift for another few hours," he hissed, almost like he was talking to his wolf too.


    "Let me clean the wounds for you," Iughed awkwardly as I sat down on the couch with him. He looked tired and kept moving his arms around to stretch and get his limbs back in ce.


    He spread his arms and leaned his head back on the couch, closing his eyes, then noticed that I had been sitting on the edge, waiting for him to help me a little with the task at hand.


    He tiredly moved forward just enough to take off his shirt. I watched him unbutton it while keeping his eyes shut from how exhausted he was. Then, in one quick motion, he took it off and threw it onto the empty sofa beside us.


    I held my breath seeing him shirtless again. He leaned back once more, resting his head with his eyes still closed. I started to clean his wounds, feeling shy and awkward too.


    I kept thinking about the day he¡¯d find out about the brothers and me. That my mates had decided to share me. But of course, I wouldn¡¯t be the one to tell Emmet. I felt too shy around him.


    "What is it?" I hadn¡¯t realized he noticed I¡¯d been staring at him for a little too long. The moment he opened his eyes, I looked away, folding my hands in myp now that he was bandaged up.


    "Are you unhappy? Did something happen while I was gone?" he asked, his hand reaching toward my cheek before he stopped himself and let it fall back down.


    "No, it¡¯s not like that," I replied, taking a deep breath before saying, "Rune got Salem killed."


    The moment those words left my mouth, Emmet shot up on the couch, his eyes demanding eye contact, his full attention on me.


    "Hnie, what are you saying? Salem is¡ª?" I heard the emotion pour out of his mouth in the form of words.


    "She was marked and pregnant when the Zharns ate her alive. She felt all the pain," I stopped talking when a hup caught in my throat.


    "I¡ª," Emmet seemed like he was having a hard time swallowing the information, "are you okay?"


    His warm hands cupped my face, and I couldn¡¯t hold back my tears anymore.


    "I¡¯m not. Every time I try to act like I forgot about it, I remember her screams. Herst moments were recorded¡ªshe begged those monsters to set her free for the sake of her child¡ª" I stopped, but Emmet pulled me closer, wrapping me in his arms tofort me.


    I cried on his chest for a solid half hour and told him everything about Rune and Sydney too, in broken hups.


    After a while, we just silently hugged each other before I noticed he started to pull away from the embrace.


    "Norman is lucky to have you," he said, like a reminder that we couldn¡¯t get too close because of his brother.


    "No, I¡¯m lucky to have him. He¡¯s been there for me through all of this," I smiled to myself, remembering how concerned he had been for me. Norman was extremely supportive too.


    "I¡¯m d you two are happy. You both deserve happiness," I noticed Emmet creating more space between us.


    "I¡¯m really tired, but I don¡¯t want to sleep until Maximus and Norman return because of Kaye. We don¡¯t know when he¡¯ll strike again," he said. "You go ahead and sleep in your bedroom. I¡¯ll stay here, keeping an eye on the door," he advised, and I nodded, not telling him that Norman wouldn¡¯t mind.


    But I didn¡¯t want to just sit in Emmet¡¯sp and act on anything. I was still deep in my feelings, and I wasn¡¯t even sure if both of us wanted this.


    I went to my bedroom and fell asleep for the rest of the night. I woke up to Norman kissing my forehead and saying goodbye as he left with the warriors to find Kaye.


    I showered and changed, then headed to the living room to rest a bit before I started preparing lunch. It seemed like while I slept, Maximus, Emmet, and Norman had made breakfast and spent time together.


    "Did you eat breakfast?" I was startled when Maximus came up behind me and whispered in my ear, leaning down from behind the sofa.


    "No! I¡¯ll eat lunch now," I replied after giving him a look for scaring me. He jumped from behind andnded on the couch, making my body bounce into the air before settling again.


    "I heard Kaye ran awayst night," he said, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me closer, his lips brushing my chin and moving up to mine. "But don¡¯t worry, nothing will happen to you. I¡¯d rather die than let you get hurt," he whispered, then gently pressed his lips to mine.


    "I didn¡¯t want to leavest night. Curse you¡ªmy curse," he said, breaking the kiss just to grunt in frustration before kissing me again.


    His fingers wrapped gently around my neck. His lips puckered on my lower lip, sucking it like it held something sweet. I kissed his upper lip in return, moaning into his mouth.


    "What the heck is going on here?" A loud, confident voice broke us apart. I pulled away from the kiss and stood up, staring at Emmet, who didn¡¯t look very happy. He seemed unsure if what he saw was real or if he was dreaming. I watched him shake his head nonstop, trying to confirm that he was actually there.


    "You¡¯re kissing your brother¡¯s wife?" Emmet growled at Maximus, and I knew, we should¡¯ve talked to him first.

 Chapter 649-He Likes To Stand Behind Me

    <h4>Chapter 649: 649-He Likes To Stand Behind Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "It is not like that. She is my mate and everything is okay," Maximus said with a smile on his lips, wrapping his arm around my shoulder but I knew at that moment that he was making a mistake from the way Emmet looked so enraged.


    "Maximus, behave yourself," Emmet¡¯s voice was sharp and loud, and Maximus instantly stopped, looking between us. Even I felt guilty under the weight of Emmet¡¯s re.


    "You two are cheating on Norman?" He clenched his jaw, his chest rising and falling as he breathed heavily.


    "No!" Maximus quickly started exining before Emmet could say something that might hurt me.


    "Then exin this?" he demanded. He was mostly speaking to his brother now, but I still felt awkwardly guilty.


    "This was decided by Norman himself," Maximus said, giving me a quick nce to check on me.


    Emmet didn¡¯t look like he believed his brother. He shook his head, his hands on his hips, continuing to re at Maximus as if urging him to exin the vaguement.


    "It was the Mate Eclipse¡ª" Maximus went quiet when I cleared my throat.


    "I¡¯ll go check if all the doors are locked," I excused myself, quickly leaving the living room so Maximus could be the one to exin everything. I knew I¡¯d feel too awkward facing Emmet right now.


    I rushed out, still feeling like I was being watched. Emmet¡¯s harsh re, even when it wasn¡¯t directed at me, left goosebumps on my skin. How did Maximus handle his brother¡¯s stares so calmly?


    I took a deep breath, but it didn¡¯t help. I was still worried about what Emmet would think of me. Would he think I was a bad woman? Or worse¡ªa slut?


    ¡¯As if you don¡¯t know him by now,¡¯ Cora groaned, clearly annoyed by my anxiety.


    ¡¯I know him, but what he thinks about me still matters the most,¡¯ I admitted. I had always realized that I act a little too reserved and shy around Emmet. Not because I thought he liked me that way, but because I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to act bold in front of him.


    ¡¯Maximus will exin everything. We don¡¯t need to stress out,¡¯ Cora reassured me, and I nodded.


    I began checking all the doors and windows. It was strange how we were doing all this because one of the owners of the house wasn¡¯t wee anymore. It wasn¡¯t even about the next full moon, this time, we didn¡¯t even know where Kaye had gone. That made it scarier. He could be nning to attack me any day.


    After I was done with the windows, I lingered near the stairs, nervously rubbing my palms together. I wondered if now was the right time to go back to the living room. Then I quickly decided against it.


    I couldn¡¯t face Emmet just yet. So instead, I went straight to the kitchen and started preparing dinner for all of us.


    That¡¯s when I heard footsteps approaching the kitchen, and I knew instantly who it was.


    My body tensed. I straightened up and focused on chopping the vegetables. Just as I suspected, it was Emmet.


    He walked in without saying anything at first and wandered around for a minute. I nced at him from the corner of my eyes, then quickly looked down and focused on the cutting board.


    "Need my help?" he finally asked, stopping on the other side of the counter. He leaned forward, resting his hands on the surface, watching my face from under his thick eyebrows.


    I felt so shy I couldn¡¯t raise my head. I just shook it to say no.


    "Did anybody force you into it?"


    The moment his question didn¡¯t sound rted to cooking, I looked up, and our eyes met.


    "No," I almost whispered.


    He gave a small nod, barely noticeable.


    "Where do I stand?" he asked, making me grip the knife a little too tightly, trying my best to look confident.


    "Where do you want to stand?" I managed to get the words out.


    He stared into my eyes for a few seconds before stepping around the counter. Then he stood behind me.


    "Here," he whispered, cing his hands on the counter beside the cutting board. He leaned in close, his breath brushing against my ear.


    "I don¡¯t know what you think of me now," I admitted. I¡¯d been scared he would judge me, even though Cora had faith in him.


    "Hnie, all you need to do is look into my eyes, and you¡¯ll know what I think of you," he said, slowly moving to the side and leaning against the counter, arms folded across his chest.


    "I¡¯m not judging you for what it¡¯s supposed to be. And obviously, I wouldn¡¯t judge you when I think¡ªI might finally have a chance," he said in his usual serious tone.


    His chest muscles looked more defined now, maybe from all the food andck of activity over the past month.


    "But Hnie, I¡¯ve made mistakes in the past. I had a chance to be with you once, and I lost it. You told me you couldn¡¯t be with me, that you were over me. So if we do anything now, it¡¯ll seem like we were lying to ourselves back then."


    He paused.


    "It couldn¡¯t have been that easy for you to move on from something you hadn¡¯t truly moved on from until the Mate Eclipse. As for me, I¡¯m still living with the guilt of losing you. So, I suggest we take some time before making any quick decisions," he said, making me nod in agreement.


    Honestly, I liked his suggestion even more.


    I cleared my throat, feeling a little awkward now. I just hoped he didn¡¯t think I was desperately waiting to start having sex like animals.


    "By the way, that well was dry. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be any help," I said, remembering the night we lost Emmet and my baby.


    Emmet furrowed his brows, then gave a casual shrug and asked, "What well?"

 Chapter 650-Having Issues With My Mate

    <h4>Chapter 650: 650-Having Issues With My Mate</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You told me about a well that will help you heal," I said, slightly concerned by the way he was staring at me with a nk look on his face.


    "I don¡¯t understand," he shook his head. "I mentioned a well?" He then looked rather unsettled.


    "You don¡¯t remember?" I asked, and he kept looking down, as if he was genuinely trying hard to either remember or figure out why he had told me about the well.


    "No," he replied, half absentmindedly.


    "Do you know any well you could be talking about?" I asked, and noticed him taking a deep breath. He must have forgotten about the well. It¡¯s not like he doesn¡¯t forget, his memory was still a problem because the curse hadn¡¯t been fully broken.


    "Anyway, do you know Sage?" I asked, trying to act casual about his answer.


    "Sage Mn? Is this a test? If I remember, are you going to get mad at me?" He sounded so cute, looking genuinely worried after remembering her.


    "No, that¡¯s not why I asked. I actually saw her with your mother the other day. I¡¯m not saying your mother shouldn¡¯t hang out with other people, that¡¯s fine. But Sage, the one who has a crush on you¡ª" I shut up when I saw him snap his head up and stare at my face.


    "Who told you that?" he asked, and I started chopping the vegetables.


    "I heard people talking about it," I said quietly.


    "She¡¯s told me how she feels a few times, and I¡¯ve told her every time that I¡¯m not into her. There¡¯s nothing going on between us. And even if my mother is nning something with her, she¡¯s going to be disappointed," he replied firmly, making me chop the vegetables more roughly.


    "So she has told you how she feels," I didn¡¯t say it out loud, just kept chopping the vegetables until I suddenly felt the urge to argue with him. "Does she not know that even when you forget everyone, you still only remember your lost love?" I instantly bit my tongue and froze, watching his face with wide eyes after realizing I had messed up.


    "Right," he said, nodding slowly.


    "I didn¡¯t mean to," I felt so guilty for my outburst. Even though I didn¡¯t raise my voice, my words were harsh.


    "No, it¡¯s okay. You have every right to be upset. I did mess up. As for Sage, she doesn¡¯t need to know anything. She¡¯s not important. The one who is important is giving me attitude," he mumbled. "Hnie, I want to know, when did you get sofortable showing me that it bothers you when someone flirts with me or tries to get close to me? I remember before I was in the cage and the whole mate-eclipse thing, you didn¡¯t want to be with me. Was it because you didn¡¯t want to hurt my brother, or what?"


    It was the way he talked and brought up every little conversation we¡¯d had to ask me questions, it was so hard for me.


    The problem with Emmet was, he did have memory issues, but he was also very sharp, and he always wanted answers.


    "Emmet, if you have issues with me talking to you, I¡¯ll ignore you for the rest of my life. You don¡¯t need to make it seem like I¡¯m suddenly desperate just because I now have the ability to be with multiple mates. Don¡¯t make me feel dirty or gross," I finally snapped, but kept my voice respectful. He looked slightly taken aback, but the way he had been speaking to me honestly made me feel like he was questioning my feelings.


    Back when I told him we could never be together, it was because I was hurt. The wounds were fresh, and after that, I fell for Norman. Then I couldn¡¯t even show my feelings for Emmet or anyone. I wouldn¡¯t have liked it if Norman had done it.


    "I didn¡¯t mean to sound like that," his tone softened even more this time.


    "It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t care what you meant. I¡¯m just letting you know that even if I get to be with the rest, I¡¯ll never be with you. So don¡¯t worry, my feelings haven¡¯t changed for you, and even if they did for a brief moment, you reminded me why I should stand my ground." I gave him a harsh smile before walking away to start cooking.


    "That¡¯s harsh," he whispered, but I had no strength to respond. I had given him chances, and he kept acting like I was suddenly showing feelings. Even a fool wouldn¡¯t show concern for someone if they weren¡¯tmitted.


    "You know you can¡¯t stay mad at me for too long¡ªwhy try?" Suddenly, his voice sounded much raspier.


    "Oh really? Maybe it¡¯s because I got permission and I¡¯m suddenly thirsty, right?" I smirked, taunting him back.


    "Okay, I was wrong for that. I¡¯ll think before I speak next time," I heard his footstepsing toward me from behind while I was washing dishes, and my heart skipped a beat.


    "I¡¯m sorry," he whispered, his hands on either side of the sink, his body leaning over me.


    "Okay," I replied sternly.


    "You trying to hold power over me will end badly for both of us, Hnie," he whispered, suddenly turning off the tap.


    "I have to cook," I said quickly, ducking under his arms to get out of the little cage he had built around me.


    I went back to the stove, hearing him follow me again.


    "I¡¯m really sorry. I wasn¡¯t trying to use you of anything. I was just wondering if it was Norman who didn¡¯t like you showing feelings because if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m worried he might not be okay with it," he exined honestly, and I turned to face him.


    However, what I said next came out too fast, and I regretted it the second I saw his eyes light up.


    "He¡¯s fine with it. He was there that night, guiding Kaye and Maximus when we were in bed¡ª" I shut my mouth and gulped, watching Emmet smirk just a little.

 Chapter 651-Finger Deep In Me

    <h4>Chapter 651: 651-Finger Deep In Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Right," Emmet nodded. "Anyway, I don¡¯t need guidance."


    Hisment made me bite the inside of my cheek. He lingered for a few seconds, rubbing his bottom lip with his thumb before finally deciding to leave. I felt odd, shy and embarrassed.


    We ate lunch, and then Norman stayed behind while Emmet and Maximus left to look for Kaye.


    "Norman?" I noticed he had been staring at the empty wall for a little too long. When I called his name, he finally gave me his attention.


    "What¡¯s going on?" I asked, watching him give me a faint smile.


    "Nothing, everything is fine," he replied, clearing his throat but clearly looking ufortable.


    "Tell me," I insisted, and he began to turn on the couch to face me.


    "It¡¯s about Emmet," he said, his arm reaching out and his fingers gently touching my cheek. "Back when Maximus was under the pressure of his curse and Emmet had gone after him, I remember Emmet using me of killing Azura. He never brought it up again, but it stayed in the back of my mind. I didn¡¯t realize he had med me for her death all this time."


    He sounded so upset and worried. And to be honest, even I had been feeling uneasy about something Emmet had been saying or doingtely. But I had a feeling it was all because of his curse.


    "Maybe he didn¡¯t bring it up again because he forgot? He forgets, you know," I said softly, sliding closer, my legs tucked under me and fitting perfectly in the little space in front of Norman.


    "That¡¯s not it. I know he forgets, but this feels different. This is something he never talked about, not even when Azura died. So how did he suddenly start using me?"


    He rubbed his temples, and I quickly reached over to rub them for him. That¡¯s when I felt his fingers gently tug at my shirt, pulling it all the way down to expose my bra. I continued massaging his temples while he focused on my bra.


    The way he gripped it in the middle with both hands, pressing my breasts together, he was able to tear it open with ease. Then he slidfortably down onto the couch, resting his face against my chest, and began sucking on my breast.


    One of my arms wrapped around his back while the other ran through his hair. I closed my eyes as his lips gently sucked on my tit, leaving behind a trail of goosebumps.


    He stayed there for a few minutes before lifting his head and looking me in the eye.


    "I love you," he uttered, "the whole day, I had been thinking about you." He lowered his face and ran his finger up, rolling up my shirt and then doing the same to my shorts.


    "I missed you too," I breathed, a wave of heat rushing through me as his touch dipped lower, sliding just inside the edge of my shorts.


    "Liar," he murmured in a husky tone. "If you really missed me¡ª why aren¡¯t you wet?"


    His voice turned so deep that I started to lose my breath. His finger grazed over my tightly closed pussy lips as he teased me.


    "I did," I didn¡¯t even know what to say, I was feeling emotions down there.


    "Prove it to me," he raised his eyes only, a smirk disying on his lips. His finger pushed through my tightly closed pussy with much force, entering my vagina in such a hurry that I yelped loudly.


    "NORMAN!" I covered my mouth the minute I sounded too desperate.


    "What? What is it? Do you want to say something?" he looked so mischievous as he kept his finger inside me and started to roll and twist it around.The sensation from inside my pussy traveled through my body, reaching my breasts and every sensitive area.


    "Your pussy is so thirsty for my touch, Hnie. It squeezes so hard when I insert anything inside it," he uttered, giving a few quick thrusts to his finger inside me, making me bite my bottom lip and hold onto the couch¡¯s backrest with one hand. My other hand unconsciously reached my breast and before I knew it, I was rubbing my boob, pinching my nipple while breathing heavily.


    "Do you wish for me to fuck you with two fingers?" he asked and without waiting for my answer, he pushed his second finger inside me.


    "Ummm," I gulped hard, my shoulder raising up as his fingers went deep inside, even hitting my g-spot.


    "Ohhhh!" I gasped, raising a little from my spot and spreading my legs without my knowledge. I sat on my knees, making sure my pussy remained in the air so that Norman could fuck me.


    He adjusted his body in excitement, taking his fingers out and then shoving them back in me before twisting and rolling them and taking them out again.


    Every time he shoved them deep within me, I would yelp and almost jump beforeing down and feeling the same kind of movement from my body once again.


    Norman suddenly pulled his fingers out and grabbed my thighs, pulling them forward and making mend on my back.


    He took off my shorts and threw them away, lowering his face between my legs and giving my pussy a good lick. His hands made sure my legs were wide apart, one leg over the couch and the other opened so far to be resting on the table on the side.


    Once he had a full good view, he started to open my vaginal lips with his fingers, the tip of his tongue flicking my clit.


    I held my hands on my breasts, arching my back when his tongue slithered between my pussy lips, making its way toward the entrance. My body felt sensations from everywhere, his tongue pushing through the opening.


    His lips caught onto my vaginal lips and sucked them, pulling them away and then taking them back into his mouth. He kissed and sucked my pussy lips for a while before his finger slipped inside my vagina once again, his tongue licking my clit repeatedly.


    I was out of breath, my ass moving on its own. The minute he noticed I was losing my mind, he inserted one finger in my ass and I lost it.

 Chapter 652-The Passionate Thrusts

    <h4>Chapter 652: 652-The Passionate Thrusts</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I reached climax with his finger in my pussy and his tongue teasing my clit. He waited just a few seconds before getting on one knee on the couch and cing his other foot on the ground.


    He pushed his dick into my pussy andid on top of me, our bodies pressed tightly together as he started to kiss me on the lips. His thrusts were more passionate and slow, our bodies rocking in sync and our tongues in each other¡¯s mouths.


    Every time his dick went deep inside me, I dug my nails into his shoulders but didn¡¯t break the kiss. My body felt every push from him, and after hours of him doing my pussy, he finally came. I was tired but still wanted to clean myself before heading to bed. He carried me to our bedroom andid in bed while I took a shower and then returned. He hugged me from behind, and soon we dozed off. His scent was always soforting and soothing.


    And weirdly enough, he told me he found my scent had the same effect on him. After a few hours, his phone started ringing, and we both began to wake up.


    "Oh, any news?" Norman asked on the phone, sneaking a kiss onto my shoulder silently.


    "Hm, it¡¯s okay. The warriors are also looking for him. The issue is that Kaye¡¯s case is different from the rest of yours. He can talk and trick the warriors, so we need to keep a close eye on them too," he said sleepily on the phone, one eye still closed.


    "Okay, goodnight to you too," Norman hung up and sighed, breaking the hug and pulling away from me.


    "It was Maximus. They failed to find any trace of Kaye so they returned to rest," he informed.


    "You¡¯re going out? Why can¡¯t Ie with you?" I asked, pouting as he sleepily shook his head.


    "I used to work without any sleep. Now that I¡¯m getting rest and love, of course I can work better alone too. Besides, taking you with me means taking the treasure we¡¯re trying so hard to protect with us and exposing it to danger," he replied in a husky, sleepy voice. He got off the bed and walked to the bathroom as I also got out.


    "I¡¯ll go prepare something to eat. At least I can do that much," I rushed out of bed to the kitchen and heard himugh.


    "My cute little rabbit." I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around to raise my eyebrow at him. After he blew me a flying kiss, he entered the bathroom while I left the room.


    "Isn¡¯t our husband the cutest?" I asked Cora, who giggled in agreement. But soon my mood changed when my eyesnded on the passage while walking downstairs.


    Emmet and Maximus had returned home after they couldn¡¯t find Kaye. Maximus had just called Norman to tell him he was headed to bed. But someone couldn¡¯t sleep.


    I slowly walked over to the passage, feeling nervous. I saw a tall figure pacing from one corner to the other. I knew who it was.


    I watched Emmet raise his bottle and take a small chug before continuing his walk again.


    "Are you okay?" My whisper was so soft, I thought he might not have heard me.


    He stopped dead in his tracks, not turning around for a few seconds. And when he did, his eyes narrowed at my face. He looked so disheveled, just like old times.


    "Emmet¡ª" I took a step forward tofort him, but he stepped back, and I knew he didn¡¯t want me to get any closer.


    "How about you mind your own business now?" he said, but kept his voice soft. I knew he had forgotten some things from his memory.


    "You¡¯re happy now, and you should be. My brother is the best one in the world," he said through clenched teeth, but it didn¡¯t sound like mockery. I understood he had been drinking and didn¡¯t remember the whole sharing thing.


    I looked away and swallowed hard, feeling frustrated that I didn¡¯t have a proper answer for him.


    "I didn¡¯t want to get married at first, but then¨Cthere was always a little spark. It¡¯s not that I had feelings for him before. But I knew I adored him, and then those two months of being married to him changed everything. Emmet, we¡¯ve talked about sharing too¡ª"


    My voice came out shaky. But his scoff made me look up at him again.


    "I know about that. I¡¯m just hurt that you didn¡¯t forgive me. Sure, I messed up when I forgot about you that day. But I¡¯m cursed, Hnie. And screw me for somehow remembering the dead one. But it¡¯s not like I could control my mind. I knew, when I was in my right mind, that I loved you. So I don¡¯t know what guilt made me remember her. But then¨C you broke me again, Hnie. One mistake, and you were gone forever. I knew it would be too much for you to handle¡ªmy pain and my curse," he said, his arms hanging, fingers barely holding the bottle by the top.


    "I didn¡¯t mean to break you," I replied, realizing he remembered everything in that moment. It was just the drink making him let his emotions out.


    "Hm. It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. I think you should go back to your room. Your husband must be waiting for you," Emmet grunted, not even looking at me again. He raised the bottle again and took a bigger sip this time.


    "I miss Emmet who¡ª" I sniffled, "I miss the Emmet I knew. The one who was cheerful, active, very straightforward, and lived in the moment," I broke down in the softest voice ever. The pain was too much for me. Even when the others had moved on from our past, Emmet seemed to hold on to it for some reason.


    "You killed that Emmet, don¡¯t you remember?" His words made me yelp, and I looked up to see him staring back at me.


    No emotion in his eyes.

 Chapter 653-His Lost Love And The Stolen Embrace.

    <h4>Chapter 653: 653-His Lost Love And The Stolen Embrace.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You brought me back to life just so you could kill me in the worst way possible. And now you¡¯reining that I¡¯ve changed?" The cold tone he used broke my heart into a million pieces.


    "Go back to your husband, Hnie. I¡¯m fine," he said, turning around and walking away while drinking from the bottle he held so gently in his hand.


    "I loved you," I said, and he stopped.


    "But things happened," I added, and he turned around and let out augh.


    "You¡¯ve moved on, that¡¯s what happened. I don¡¯t agree with what Kaye said about you epting Norman back then. But it¡¯s also true that it hurt me a lot. It hurt knowing I was forcing my curse on you. But Hnie, I told you once to move on if I ever forgot you. To live a good life if I lost my memories. But you were the one who gave me hope. You said you would stay with me and help me remember you. I guess, a curse really is a toxic burden. Anyway, I¡¯m happy for you," he said and lifted the bottle to his mouth when I interrupted him.


    "So it was all my fault then?" I asked, and he lowered the bottle.


    "No," he replied.


    "Then why does it feel like you¡¯re still angry with me? I was dealing with a lot at the time. And when I heard you had chosen to spend the night thinking about your lost love I realized maybe you weren¡¯t ready for me," my voice broke again, and I noticed his fists clench.


    "You need to understand that I was hurt too. I was angry too. I was relying on you, and I was ready to let it go until I¡ªuntil I found out it was Azura you chose over me that night. That hurt me too," I said, pointing at my chest. I noticed him turning to face me again.


    "I know¨C" he looked guilty now that I was pouring my heart out.


    "No, you don¡¯t. Or else you wouldn¡¯t keep ming me for that night over and over.


    The reason we parted ways was because I realized you were in two boats at once, and my boat was already sinking. I needed someone who could steady it," I mumbled, big tears running down my cheeks.


    "And I failed you," he said, closing his eyes, then quickly stepping toward me.


    "But I continued to love you, even when I couldn¡¯t ever show it¡ª"


    I stopped talking the moment he put his hand on the back of my head and pulled me in for a kiss.


    Our lips met with force, and he took my breath away just like that. He ced both hands under my cheeks and tilted his head, his lips sucking my bottom lip while I sucked on his upper lip. My hands clung to his coat in tight fists, my eyes closed just like his.


    He tasted so good, his tongue was so delicious that the moment it entered my mouth, I started sucking on it deeply.


    "Mmmm," I moaned when he sucked my tongue. As our bodies started to heat up, loud screams erupted in the air and both of us paused for a moment¡ª


    Our tongues still in each other¡¯s mouths.


    "HELP ME!"


    It was the strongest and loudest scream I had ever heard. We quickly pulled away, now certain someone was really calling for help. The screams sounded like someone in deep distress, and they wereing from the mountain forest.


    Emmet and I shared a nce before he grabbed the bottle and smashed it to use as a weapon. As he began running toward the exit, I followed close behind.


    Someone was probably getting attacked by the Zharns and needed help. Around this time of night, no one ever went out because of the Zhrans. It had to be some lost rogue who got caught.


    The wind rushed past my face, cold and fast, making my eyes water.


    The scream came again¡ª"HELP!"


    This time, it was deadlier. The kind of scream only someone desperate to survive could let out.


    I noticed that Emmet looked shaken when he heard the voice. It was a woman in distress.


    I was worried too, but he looked disturbed.


    Branches scratched at my arms as I pushed through them, some snapping, some clinging to my clothes. Emmet kept moving forward without a second thought.


    He hadn¡¯t said a word to me, but I remembered the way his eyes had widened when he first heard the scream.


    The ground was rough and rocky under my feet, but I didn¡¯t stop running. And soon, we arrived at the scene.


    There was a woman in the distance, screaming and stumbling while Zharns came after her from all directions. She lifted her head and looked straight at Emmet, whose jaw dropped open. Right at that moment, I knew: They knew each other.


    I stopped dead in my tracks when I watched Emmet get into action. The way she was now running into him seemed like two lost souls meeting again. Emmet rushed forward in panic, shing at the Zharns appearing near the girl.


    The moment shended in his arms, he started killing the Zharns attacking her from behind with one hand, while the other arm held her close; tight and secure.


    I couldn¡¯t move for a moment. The way he held her, the way she clung to him and didn¡¯t let go¡ªI felt rejection sink deep into my core. Then I heard the girl speak softly, lifting her face from his chest.


    "Emmet," she said in the sweetest and most gentle tone anyone could use.


    He looked down at her, distracted, his eyes scanning her face with a longing that had clearly been buried with time. In the calmest and most amazed voice, Emmet said:


    "Azura."


    My heart skipped many beats. My body froze. My eyes locked on the two of them.


    How was this possible?


    She was dead.

 Chapter 654-Back From The Dead To Claim Her Lover

    <h4>Chapter 654: 654-Back From The Dead To im Her Lover</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    It was the shrieks of a Zharn that made me break out of the trance and run toward the monsters. I kept my fists clenched, punching the zharn in the stomach and making its guts spill out from its mouth.


    All the anger in me from watching Emmet with Azura poured out on the ugly creatures. I tossed them around, punched them, wed at them while I screamed as loud as I could.


    I howled mid-transition and then shed the iing zharn¡¯s stomach. My body itched and stretched, my breathing grew faster as I fought the creatures to quiet the shattering of my heart. I did my best to keep my focus on the zharns, closing my eyes at times to let the tears fall, tears that kept blurring my vision.


    I fought until there was no one left. And once I was done, I stopped, breathing heavily, and slowly turned around to see the awful sight.


    She was in Emmet¡¯s arms, shaking while he knelt on the ground with her, but his head was up, his eyes locked on me. There was a strange silence between us, but even after all I did to avoid hearing my heart break, I heard it.


    The cracking of my heart, my dreams, and my hopes. The pain was unbearable, something I had never imagined feeling this deeply. It was so strong that for a moment, Rune stealing my hopes didn¡¯t sound too bad. At least I wouldn¡¯t be in pain if they had just been taken from me.


    "What is going on?" Finally, someone else arrived, breaking the stare between Emmet and me. I sniffled quickly and rubbed my eyes while turning my back to everyone. After I hadposed myself, I faced them again.


    "Hnie, are you okay?" Maximus ran past his brother and cupped my face in his hands before following my gaze to look at Emmet.


    "Is that Azura?" he gasped, and I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.


    "Yeah, I think so," I managed to say, my voice cracking just a little.


    "We should take her home. She doesn¡¯t look well," Emmet said once he could no longer look me in the eyes. I watched her hand slowly slide down Emmet¡¯s chest as she passed out.


    "But how the heck is she¡ª" I held Maximus¡¯s hand to silence him.


    "Let¡¯s take her home first. The zharns know we¡¯re here," I told Maximus, who let out a deep breath before finally agreeing with me. Emmet gently carried her in his arms, carefully like she was a ss doll.


    I was so damn jealous that I couldn¡¯t think straight. I didn¡¯t even want to follow them, but as soon as Maximus held my hand, I found a little courage to keep moving forward.


    We followed Emmet closely from behind just in case the zharns tried to attack him, and there we were, back at home.


    Emmet took her straight to his room, his haven. The ce where he had spent sleepless nights thinking about her, drinking after she left. I knew how much he loved her. Of course I knew. The way he had always forgotten about me whenever he thought of her was a clear sign that he loved her more.


    "Are you alright?" Maximus asked, and I forced myself to nod.


    "I¡¯m sure he¡¯s happy," I muttered, my eyes not ready to even nce toward the passage.


    "Happy to have a dead woman in his arms? Come on, Hnie. That¡¯s crazy. How the hell is she alive?" I didn¡¯t expect Maximus to be so worked up about it. I thought he¡¯d be happy too for his brother.


    "I mean, weird things happen in our world every day. I don¡¯t remember any of you mentioning actually seeing her dead body," I mumbled, and he started scoffing.


    "That¡¯s not true. Maybe you weren¡¯t paying attention then. But the truth is, her body was found in the well," he finished, and a frown formed on my forehead.


    "What?" I asked, watching him nod his head over and over.


    "I¡¯m not sure which well, but Emmet was the one who found her body. He never told us which one, but now that she¡¯s back, I can only make a wild guess," he hissed, his fists clenching. "Hnie, I don¡¯t think that thing with Emmet even is Azura."


    My body shivered, chills crawling over my skin at his words.


    "Huh?"


    "Who¡¯s Azura?" Norman seemed to have just returned home. He looked at me first because he knew how her return would make me feel.


    "She¡¯s back," I replied in a t tone, and he stretched his neck forward, raised his eyebrows, and squinted his eyes.


    "A dead woman is back?" Norman asked, making Maximus and me both nod.


    "Exactly," Maximus added, "and she¡¯s in Emmet¡¯s bedroom."


    He ced his hands on his waist and started pacing back and forth, clearly anxious.


    "What are you two talking about? How is that even possible?" Norman asked, speeding toward the passage. I thought I wouldn¡¯t go back there again, but since Norman was rushing, I had to follow. Maximus came right behind me.


    Once outside Emmet¡¯s bedroom, Norman started knocking, because this was the first time Emmet had ever locked the door.


    He finally answered, streams of tears on his cheeks and a soft smile in his eyes like I¡¯d never seen before.


    "She¡¯s back," Emmet said, rushing forward for a hug. He embraced Norman, whose body went stiff. I watched him swallow hard and close his eyes.


    "Emmet," he broke the hug to get his brother¡¯s attention, "we sent her body into the ocean, remember?" he asked, and Emmet nodded.


    "I know, I know it sounds crazy, but she¡¯s back," Emmet repeated, his happiness making me feel guilty for not being happy for him.


    "But¡ª" Norman went silent when Emmet pulled him into another hug. I watched Norman nce at me and then finally hug his brother back.


    Of course the brothers had to ept it now. Emmet was way too happy for anyone¡ª any of us¨Cto break his heart.

 Chapter 655-Already Having Sex With Her

    <h4>Chapter 655: 655-Already Having Sex With Her</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Every person makes a wish for how they want their body to be treated once they¡¯re gone. Azura always wanted to be sent to the ocean after her death. So when her body was found in a well¡ªthe one Emmet had retrieved her from¡ªwe gave her a warrior¡¯s farewell. Weid her body in a boat, surrounded it with flowers, and let the tide carry her out to sea," Norman exined as we all sat in the living room among the other housemates. They had returned as well.


    "So you¡¯re telling us that she woke up in the sea and then took years toe back?" Emma asked, while I stayed quiet.


    "No! That¡¯s what¡¯s confusing us. It¡¯s not possible. She was dead for days before her body was sent out," Norman argued, and his father rubbed his face with both hands. I noticed my mother¡¯s eyes on me, she looked worried.


    "So how is she alive now?" Charlotte asked, her eyes flicking to me. At this point, I wondered if everyone knew the situation between me and my mates.


    So every time someone asked anything about Azura, they¡¯d nce at me with eyes full of sympathy, and I hated it.


    "Because the Moon Goddess sent her back."


    We all fell silent when Emmet showed up. He didn¡¯t seem too pleased that everyone was questioning her return instead of being happy for him. I sighed again, rubbing my hands on my jeans.


    "Emmet, we would have celebrated if it were possible. When has anyone evere back from the dead?" Norman said, and Maximus looked visibly upset too.


    "It¡¯s always the start of something. Don¡¯t tell me you think it¡¯s impossible when we live in a world where strange things happen all the time," Emmet stood tall, his fists clenched, but he looked more alive than he had in days.


    "Okay, let her wake up and we¡¯ll ask her how she came back," Lord McQuoid suggested, and Emma started nodding.


    "We should make sure she isn¡¯t some creature just wearing Azura¡¯s skin¡ª" Emma was in the middle of speaking when Emmet¡¯s sharp re shut her up.


    "I hugged her, I knew her scent. She is Azura. But sure, she¡¯ll tell you all herself," Emmet said defensively before turning and walking back to his room.


    "Yep. Not Azura at all," Maximus muttered, clearly still suspicious. His eyes thennded on me, and he just stared in silence.


    "Anyway, the list of new people showing up just keeps growing," Emma said with an eye roll, before everyone started heading off to their rooms. Now it was just Maximus, Norman, and me, sitting awkwardly.


    "Are you okay?" Maximus finally broke the silence, leaning forward with his elbows on his thighs.


    "I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m happy for him," I said, though it took effort to get the words out because I wasn¡¯t fine.


    But telling them wouldn¡¯t change anything. I didn¡¯t want to seem like the desperate one who wanted all her mates.


    The mate eclipse was over, so there would be no reason for us to get intimate by force anymore.


    "Why are you so quiet, Norman?" Maximus asked, making me turn to look at Norman, who was leaning back on the couch with the tip of his index finger on his temple and his thumb under his chin, forming a V shape.


    "How is she alive again?" Norman repeated his question.


    "I think Emmet would know if something was wrong," I said gently, patting Norman¡¯s thigh. I got up, but he held my hand and sat me back down.


    The families had arrived early that morning, which made things feel even weirder.


    "If it hurts you, we can talk to Emmet about it," Norman said, but I quickly shook my head.


    "If he wants her, he wants her. I won¡¯t ruin his happiness," I said firmly, reminding them not to do anything that would make me look bad.


    I excused myself and went to the kitchen, but realized almost immediately that I shouldn¡¯t have. It wasn¡¯t the same mansion anymore. The peace had vanished the minute Emma returned. She was busy yelling at the maids, ordering them around.


    "Oh, you," she sighed when she saw me, straightening her posture, her eyebrows raised high with fakeposure. The attitude she showed me was ridiculous.


    "So? Isn¡¯t it my mansion? I should be the one shocked to see you here," I snapped back. I was already annoyed, and her attitude was only pushing me closer to losing it.


    "You know, Hnie," she said, her tone full of fake pity, "seeing all the problems in your life makes me realize how blessed I am to have a daughter like Charlotte. She¡¯s sweet and thoughtful. She makes me hold my head high with pride. And you? Now I understand why your parents don¡¯t want anything to do with you. You¡¯re just a troublemaker."


    She kept praising her daughter while I stood there, arms crossed, my face nk with boredom.


    "I¡¯m proud of my Charlotte," she repeated again, like a broken record.


    I sighed. "Go tell that to the wall. I don¡¯t have time for you." I pointed toward the door and walked past her to check the dinner menu. A whole day had passed, and I hadn¡¯t eaten anything.


    "Hmm, so we¡¯ll cook something for the new she-wolf? Azura? Yeah, let¡¯s wee her with a great feast. What do you say?"


    The smug way Emma got thest word in made me wonder if she knew more about my mates than she let on.


    I ignored her and went on giving instructions to the maids.


    Eventually, I left the kitchen and found out Azura had woken up. I had no energy to go see her, but I had to. We needed to make sure everything was truly okay.


    I walked with Norman and Maximus through the hallway toward Emmet¡¯s room. He had left the door wide open.


    When we entered, I saw Azura sitting on his bed, her hair wet and wearing a white dress, something I assumed Emmet had picked out for her.


    "Hello," she said quietly, giving us a weak smile.


    Just then, Emmet walked out of the bathroom, also fresh from a shower and that¡¯s when I began to wonder why. Has something happened between them?


    Then I saw it: his shirt and pants on the floor, right next to her clothes.


    Yep.


    No wonder they had to take a shower.

 Chapter 656-She Looks Pure

    <h4>Chapter 656: 656-She Looks Pure</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Do you remember us?" Norman asked, looking around the room. Emmet ran his fingers through his wet hair before quickly grabbing a chair and cing it in front of me, gently tapping on it while looking at me.


    I didn¡¯t take it and turned my attention to Azura. Standing in the room with his lost love, I felt small. This was the same reason he had forgotten about me when I needed him the most. So he didn¡¯t have to act like he now remembered me.


    "I never forget the people I call family," she said. Her voice was so soft and raspy that even I got goosebumps.


    "Honey, sit here," Maximus grabbed another chair and ced it next to me, whispering in my ear. I gave him a nod and sat down while Norman took the seat Emmet had ced for me.


    "I see a new face too. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met before," she smiled, looking right at me, and I felt a chill run down my spine.


    "She¡¯s my mate," the voice came from behind me. Emmet introduced me and wiped the smile off her face.


    "You found your fated mate?" she asked him, sounding really sad.


    "Yeah," Emmet replied. The awkward silencested for a few minutes before Emmet added, "and she¡¯s also a North Queen. And a bit of an attitude queen."


    Norman and Maximusughed and nodded, like they agreed, but I felt like Azura didn¡¯t enjoy hearing Emmet talk about me.


    "So you two are together now?" she asked, her face looking a little pale.


    "No," Emmet replied again, "but I¡¯m working on it. One step at a time. I¡¯ll probably win her heart back." I was shocked that he was talking about me with her like that.


    I thought he would wish I had disappeared so he could enjoy his moment with his true love.


    "He¡¯ll have to take big steps or jump because she¡¯s married to Norman." I don¡¯t know what kind of bug bites Maximus sometimes, but he does some really questionable things. The moment he said that, Azura seemed to rx a bit, but also looked confused. Meanwhile, Norman and Emmet both stared at Maximus, who was smirking just a little. He leaned over to me and whispered, "Watch them argue after this."


    I rolled my eyes at Maximus before sliding to the edge of my seat.


    "Azura! I heard you died. Can you tell us anything about what happened?" I noticed her expression had changed after my introduction. She wasn¡¯t trying to give a weak smile anymore, she was trying to hold back tears.


    "I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m alive either. I remember being swallowed by darkness and then waking up in the middle of the woods, like someone had brought me back. I don¡¯t remember much, just a faint memory of someone whispering in my ear," she spoke softly, her eyes fixed on the wall and her brows furrowed as she tried hard to recall the details of her awakening.


    "What whisper?" Maximus asked.


    "That I¡¯ve been given a second chance at life. That someone sacrificed a lot to bring me back," she looked slightly confused, even though she nced at Emmet a few times.


    Her response made both Maximus and Norman look over at Emmet, who stood still with his hands on his hips. Maybe it was the sacrifice of his tears? He had mourned her for years.


    "Are there any other details about the voice you can share?" Maximus broke the awkward silence.


    "It felt very pure, but very divine," she said, tilting her head.


    "Maybe a moon goddess?" She didn¡¯t sound sure, but she could be right. The moon goddess had once helped me too.


    "Okay, well, that¡¯s nothing helpful," Maximus muttered and stood up, turning his back to her and signaling for me to leave with him.


    "You should rest then. We¡¯ll see you at dinner. But in the meantime, if you remember more, do let us know," Norman said, not sounding very excited to see her again. I wondered if they didn¡¯t like her before.


    As we walked out, I heard Emmet call after us.


    "Guys, can you please ask the maid to prepare a guest room for her? I want her to have her own space and feelfortable too," Emmet said, making us exchange a quick look. Then Maximus said what we were both thinking.


    "She¡¯s your girlfriend, Emmet. Why isn¡¯t she staying in your room?"


    Emmet shook his head, slipped one hand into his pocket, and gave me a quick nce. Then he said firmly, "That was before she died. Things are different now. I have a mate, and I don¡¯t want to do anything that would create distance between me and her."


    Emmet didn¡¯t say my name, but we all knew who he meant. And when I say we were all shocked, I mean it. Even his brothers looked surprised that he was putting me above her.


    "You don¡¯t have to do all that to prove anything. I know how much you love her," I said as I folded my arms across my chest.


    "You don¡¯t know my heart then," Emmet replied.


    "Right. Well, next time don¡¯t leave clothes scattered around if you¡¯re going to act like you two aren¡¯t dating anymore," I snapped, throwing out a quick jab, which nearly made Maximus burst outughing.


    But Emmet looked a bit confused. His eyes narrowed at me before he let out a sigh and shook his head. "Hnie, that¡¯s not what happened. I was out of my room and came back to find her grabbing my clothes. I told her I had new ones for her. I didn¡¯t want her wearing mine because I knew what you¡¯d think if you saw her in my shirt. She left my clothes on the floor while she went to shower, then came out and dropped hers too. I¡¯m not going to sleep with someone after I¡¯ve kissed you."


    His words made my whole body tense, and Maximus¡¯s eyes went wide.


    I knew he¡¯d ask me a million questions now. But at the same time, I knew Emmet wasn¡¯t lying. He never lies, and somehow, that gave me so much peace.

 Chapter 657-Only Helanie Matters

    <h4>Chapter 657: 657-Only Hnie Matters</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    The look Hnie gave me broke my heart. I understood her feelings. It¡¯s not easy to watch your mate¡¯s first love return, especially the same person because of whom your mate missed his wedding.


    But the truth ran deeper than that.


    I was happy Azura was back. I still had many feelings for her, but the moment I hugged Azura and looked at Hnie at the same time, I realized my feelings for Azura were more like the care friends have for each other. But with Hnie¡ª I was deeply in love with her.


    Part of the reason I felt so relieved was because I got to kiss Hnie before Azura returned, the one I had med myself for losing, the one whose death I thought was on my hands.


    Obviously, no one would understand me right now. To them, I must seem thrilled that I finally got to be with Azura again but I was finally free of the guilt of her death.


    I returned to my room and picked my clothes up from the floor, setting hers aside as well.


    "So you¡¯ve moved on?" she asked. I knew this woulde up.


    "Azura, you were gone. Even then, you knew I would. And Hnie is my fated mate. It¡¯s not just the bond, we¡¯ve made a connection, and it¡¯s true that I fell deeply in love with her," I said honestly. I didn¡¯t want to give Azura the wrong idea, because I still cared about her.


    "Really? Back then, you told me you would love me forever. Was that a lie?" she asked, repeating the same argument again, tilting her head, her eyes filling with tears. "I came back for you, Emmet. I went through life and death for you, only to return and find you in love with someone who¡¯s married to your brother?"


    Her words made me clench my jaw and close my eyes, though she couldn¡¯t see that, because I still had my back turned to her.


    "And you know it was you who brought me back. So what is all this now? You¡¯re going to just throw me out of your life? It¡¯s been years, Emmet. I don¡¯t even know how to start living if I can¡¯t depend on you," she cried, and when her voice broke, I finally turned to look at her.


    "Azura, why are you thinking so far ahead? You¡¯re here now, and I¡¯m here too. Please stop worrying," I said, going to sit beside her on the bed tofort her.


    But she immediately rested her head on my chest and started sobbing uncontrobly.


    "After I was brought back, I was captured by the Zharns. I don¡¯t know why they didn¡¯t eat me, but they took me to their father," her voice broke several times, hups making it hard for her to finish a sentence.


    "Father? As in Rune?" I asked. She lifted her head from my chest, looking confused.


    "No! The old man," she whispered, and my eyes narrowed as I stared at her.


    "What old man, Azura? And why didn¡¯t you tell my brother about this?" Ever since we lost Salem, we had be much more careful about the safety of pack members and rogue werewolves.


    But it wasn¡¯t always easy to keep track of the rogues. The ones who got epted into the academy stayed protected. But the ones who were kicked out for crimes¨C they could be living anywhere without shelter or food.


    "Because I only wanted to talk to you," she said, not hesitating this time.


    "Okay, talk to me now. I¡¯m listening," I said, getting up and grabbing my diary. I always write things down that I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll forget.


    "The old man imed to be the father of the Zharns," she began, and I instantly remembered who that could be.


    The father with four sons.


    "He was a strange man. Always stiff and cold. He chained me up. Didn¡¯t let the Zharns eat me, but they used to lick my skin all the time, and I felt like I should¡¯ve just stayed dead. The ce was weird too, almost like an underground world. I never saw the sky. It was always dark above. Even thenterns couldn¡¯t shine high enough to show what was up there¡ª or if there was even a sky at all. Emmet, he talked about his four children and how they¡¯re out there doing their jobs to take the world back under their control. He said he didn¡¯t kill me because he nned to use me to lure you or the others into his home," she said shakily, clearly disturbed.


    It made me furious, knowing he held her captive and tortured her both mentally and physically.


    She rolled up her sleeves and showed me the burn marks on her arms, then pointed to her feet. He made her stand on silver and wolfsbane for hours without food or water.


    "I¡¯ll get my hands on him, Azura. I promise," I hissed through clenched teeth. "Why don¡¯t you rest now while I go check if dinner¡¯s being served?"


    Of course, that wasn¡¯t really why I was leaving. I needed to find Hnie and talk to her. The longer I stayed in this room with Azura, the more Hnie¡¯s mind would twist it into something it wasn¡¯t.


    "Okay," she nodded before lying down on the bed. As I tucked the nket around her, I realized just how messy this was going to get. My prayers from years ago had worked, she was back, but now she had to watch me fall for my fated mate.


    How cruel could life be, truly?


    I left the room and had just made it to the living room when I heard Hnie already fuming.


    "I don¡¯t want to talk about Emmet right now," she hissed at Maximus, arms crossed over her chest, looking so adorably stubborn.


    "What if Emmet wants to talk to you?" I asked, and noticed her body flinch just a little before she straightened her spine.


    "Azura was being held captive by the father of the evil organization," I said. As soon as the words left my mouth, Hnie¡¯s posture softened. She turned to me and gave me a quiet, gentle look.


    "There¡¯s more information about the X Codex. But I¡¯ll only share it with Hnie ¨Calone. So the choice is hers now: does she want to know the details, or not?" I asked, watching her frown and shift in ce while Maximus looked between the two of us.

 Chapter 658-The Demanding Mate

    <h4>Chapter 658: 658-The Demanding Mate</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Lord McQuoid, you still love tofu so much?" Azura said, smiling at Lord McQuoid, who had filled his te with grilled tofu skewers. After Emmet gave me an option, he left to bring Azura for dinner.


    "You remember that?" Lord McQuoid looked so amazed. She had been very talkative with him and others too. She even knew my mother, but my mother barely spoke with her.


    Emmet sat in the seat next to hers, while I was right across the table from him.


    "When are you two getting married?" she asked my mother, who shrugged.


    "Actually, they can only date now. Because her daughter has married Lord McQuoid¡¯s son," Emma jumped in to tell her I had ruined my mother¡¯s happily ever after.


    Azura looked shocked for a moment and then looked at me, her finger pointing at me and then back at my mother.


    "She is your daughter?" she asked, looking very confused.


    "Yeah, she is my daughter," my mother spoke up for the first time in thest few minutes. She looked so proud when admitting I was her daughter. She hadn¡¯t done that before. Even Emma did a double take at my mother because she had been reminding me nonstop how I am not a good daughter to my mother.


    "Yeah, sadly. I¡¯m not saying Hnie is a bad daughter or anything. But sometimes some kids are born with too much burden," Emma muttered under her breath, and I noticed my mates straightening their backs at her.


    "My daughter is the best. Even when I wasn¡¯t with her, she grew up to be a perfect woman. The fact that she is the Alpha Queen of the North should tell you how amazing she is," my mother responded, shocking me once again.


    I didn¡¯t understand her sometimes. In the beginning, she acted like she hated me, and then slowly, over time, she changed her behavior toward me. I failed to understand herpletely.


    "Oh, that is amazing. I feel like I have missed a whole world," Azura let out a littleugh, but her eyes betrayed the smile on her lips. She had tears in her eyes.


    "So what are you going to do now? I mean, you previously told us you had no home," Charlotte asked, making Azura look down and sigh.


    "I don¡¯t know," she replied before Lord McQuoid gave a hand gesture to Charlotte, politely telling her not to ask Azura any more questions.


    The dinner went by in silence afterward, and soon everyone was off to their bedrooms. Everyone except me, Norman, and Maximus.


    "That¡¯s crazy. He is kind of forcing her to listen to him," Maximusined to Norman, who looked extremely ufortable when he found out what terms Emmet hadid out.


    "I will go speak with him." As soon as Norman attempted to march toward the passage, I held his hand and stopped him.


    "It is not a crazy thing. I will speak with him," I said, reassuring the two that Emmet wasn¡¯t asking for something unreasonable.


    "Are you sure?" Norman didn¡¯t lookpletely satisfied.


    "I am sure," I said, taking a deep breath and walking towards the passage. In the next few seconds, Emmet walked out of his room with his hands in his pockets and his shirt all messy. His coat was pushed back from his hands finding their way into his pockets.


    "So, you said she told you something about the X Codex," I started talking immediately, giving the impression that I wasn¡¯t too stunned to speak with him.


    "Why don¡¯t youe ask Azura yourself?" he uttered, slightly turning to the side to leave the way to his room. I took a deep breath but shook my head.


    "Why can¡¯t you tell me?" I replied, and a smirk started to y on his lips. The issue with Emmet was that I couldn¡¯t really scold him. Our rtionship had always been one where we spoke to each other respectfully, where I always felt like his student, the one who had a crush on her teacher.


    "Why, are you afraid of her?" The minute he said that, I straightened my back and began to walk past him.


    "I am not afraid of anyone. I will go ask her myself," I muttered. Even though I wanted to growl at him, I didn¡¯t. He chuckled and started following me.


    "She wants to speak with you about the organization herself," he added, and my steps slowed down. That was odd. Why would she specifically want to speak with me?


    He took a few steps forward and held the door open for me. With much hesitation, I had only just entered his room when I realized Azura wasn¡¯t there. The minute I turned around, I saw Emmet locking the door behind us.


    With my heart skipping a beat, I asked him, "Where is she?"


    I knew something was off. He didn¡¯t bring me here to speak with her.


    "In the guest room," he said in a husky voice, taking steps toward me.


    "Oh, but you said¡ªwell, then we should go speak with her there," I was trying to sound casual, but my breath was picking up in my chest as he kept walking toward me.


    My back met the wall and finally, my journey ended, and so did his when he leaned down and folded one arm over my head on the wall. His other hand extended and rested on the wall next to my waist, caging me with his presence.


    "What do you want to speak with her about? Ask me, I will answer your questions, Hnie," he uttered, almost like he was breathing the words out. His hand next to my waist moved and gently touched my side, making me jump.


    "She is my past, Hnie. You are my present and future. It¡¯s true that I once loved her, but I was very young. Now that you¡¯re both in front of me, I¡¯ve realized the Moon Goddess chose the right one for me, someone better than the one I once thought I wanted," he shocked me with his words, but I didn¡¯t show it yet. I wanted him to make a decision, and I didn¡¯t want to be the one to manipte or convince him into making it.

 Chapter 659-Two Fingers In And I Am Going Crazy

    <h4>Chapter 659: 659-Two Fingers In And I Am Going Crazy</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What¡¯s crazy is that after I got her, I was so happy. So happy that I lost my mind. But in reality, I was so damn happy because you had kissed me back. You forgave me, and now we have a chance," he whispered, making my heart sink in my chest while his thumb touched my bottom lip.


    "But what about Azura?" I asked in a soft murmur.


    He leaned down and pointed at his ear, asking me to whisper into it.


    "What abo¨C" I got on my tiptoes to ask him in his ear, foolishly thinking he really didn¡¯t hear me, when he suddenly turned his face and kissed me on the lips.


    I dropped back down from my tiptoes and bit the inside of my cheek shyly.


    "What are you doing, Hnie? We¡¯re discussing something very important here¡ª" he paused as his hand ran up to my neck and gently wrapped his fingers around it. He massaged it slowly, causing my body to shudder before he continued speaking in a whisper into my ear, "very important¨C and you¡¯re being very naughty."


    I gulped, and I bet he heard it too. His hand ran down and rested on my breast, "Azura will make a decision for herself. I can get her a pack pass too. Any pack. She will get full support from me, but you are the only one who will get my full love," his voice turned husky once again at the end of the sentence, and he pressed my boob in his hand.


    "Wouldn¡¯t she get¡ªmad?" It was not easy to have an ¡¯important talk¡¯ while he was touching me like that.


    "She will be fine," he replied, "you will not face her wrath, I can assure you of that much. Nobody will¡ªdisrespect you¡ªno one, Hine," he was taking deep breaths once he pulled my strap down from my shoulder and touched my warm skin with his cold hand. His hand rubbed my shoulder for a while, his ear touching my earlobe, while he continued to talk, "as for the X Codex, she was taken by the father."


    I wanted to focus on it so badly, but it was getting difficult. He bit on my earlobe and pulled it outward, very gently biting that made my nipple hard.


    His hand then moved down and entered my dress from the top, cupping my breast and gently circling his hand around it to expose it. My dress slipped down, and my breast was now out for his eyes.


    "And the father kept her chained, he wanted to lure me into hisnd," he was crazy for staying on the track while he brushed the back of his fingers against my nipple, trying to see how erect they were.


    "His ce?" I asked, trying to clear my throat when my voice came out all raspy.


    "Aha, she said it was somece like the underworld because she couldn¡¯t see the sky," Emmet whispered, kissing my ear and my shoulder squeezed up, trapping his face between my shoulder and neck. He parted his fingers a little and then trapped my nipple between the back of his fingers, pulling them and then releasing them.


    "Ow," I gasped when I yelped unintentionally. He raised his face from my neck and clicked his tongue.


    "What now?" he asked seriously, now groping my boob in his hard hand, "huh? Is that how a good student listens to her teacher?" heined, his hand mercilessly assaulting my boob.


    "You know when you piss off your teacher, you will get punished too," he removed his hand from above my head and ran it under my dress, reaching for my panties¡¯ waistband.


    "Sorry!" I uttered with much difficulty.


    "What? Say it again?" he demanded, his eyes narrowed and looking so sexy.


    "Sorry!" I tried to say it a little louder this time, but my confidence broke when his hand went straight into panties. He moved the panties down, wiggling his hand to make a space for himself.


    "What are you doing?" I hesitantly asked, my eyes blinking rapidly. There was something about Emmet that when he touched me, I got extremely shy. Something like that I felt with Norman too. Maybe because they were not usually very flirtatious, so whenever they did touch me or flirted with me, it was like a shocker to me.


    "What do you think I am doing?" he raised his eyebrow, his finger grazing my pussy lips and my mouth hung low. He watched my reaction and the corner of his mouth went upward to form a smirk.


    "We were talking about¡ª" I shut up when he began to move his finger in circles, opening and closing my pussy lips.


    "Emmet," I mumbled, my mouth getting drier with his every little mischievous act.


    "What?" he demanded I tell him but I couldn¡¯t. I was just shocked he was doing that. It felt so weirdly pleasurable even when he hadn¡¯t prated me yet.


    "Say it, say what you have to say," he demanded again, acting like he wasn¡¯t the reason I was not able to make a full sentence.


    His finger reached my entrance and he started to circle it around. My head rested back, my breathing slowed down as he finally shoved what seemed to be his middle finger inside me.


    "Ummm," I moaned and closed my eyes, my fists clenching tight.


    "Hold it for me," he whispered, holding my hand and making me hold the hem of my dress to raise it up.


    He pulled his finger out only so that he could pull my panties down, all the while he stared into my eyes.


    "I wouldn¡¯t let you keep it hidden from me anymore," he whispered on my lips, pulling back again but letting his finger prate me again.


    I started to lose my breath when his finger went deep within me, so much so that I wondered how far he nned to take his hand up me.


    When he inserted his second finger inside me, I started to gulp to moisten my throat. His fingers moved around, bending and then twisting them inside me.


    However, he suddenly pulled them both out and gently gave me a peck on my cheek as he whispered, "It will be a long day every day from now on, my love."

 Chapter 660-But He Wants Me

    <h4>Chapter 660: 660-But He Wants Me</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "So what did he say?" I had walked out of the room after he turned me on. It was the weirdest moment I had shared with him. I liked it because his full attention was on me. But I wasn¡¯t sure what he meant by ¡¯it was going to be a long day.¡¯


    "I told her what Azura told me." I didn¡¯t know Emmet hade out as well. I had fixed my dress, but the awkwardness stayed.


    "What did you tell her?" Norman stepped forward to get the info from him.


    We were still in the hallway when Norman and Maximus stopped me midway to question me. I was kind of hoping they had gone to bed, because I was so hornying out of Emmet¡¯s room that I felt weird having a normal conversation with them.


    "Azura said that the evil father captured her and kept her in a ce that looked more like underground," Emmet stopped right beside me, probably on purpose, because now I could smell his cologne so clearly.


    I sniffled hard and let out a breath when he pulled his hands out of his pockets, but his right hand hit my butt. I jumped, and he added, "Sorry, by ident." It was a lie. He knew exactly what he was doing.


    Norman and Maximus looked confused, more focused on the info they were getting.


    "So the organization is underground?" Maximus asked, rubbing his chin.


    "What if they get their hands on Kaye¡ª" I almost yelped when I felt a hand on my ass. It was much darker in the hallway this time. And with Maximus holding a big file between us where he was adding details, and Norman focused on the papers, Emmet had found a way to mess with me.


    His hand gently squeezed my ass and I bit my tongue.


    His hand yed around more, then he went a step further by lifting my dress. I quickly turned my head to look at him, we would get caught if he didn¡¯t stop. I know the others wouldn¡¯t call me a cheater or anything, but I¡¯d be so embarrassed doing all that while we were talking about something serious.


    "That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been thinking too. Not that they¡¯ll get their hands on Kaye," Norman stepped back from the file and came over to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder as Emmet stepped away.


    "But what if Kayees over? I brought the family in so he knows there are others around who can fight too, but then I wonder what if he still gets to you?" Norman said carefully, not meeting Emmet¡¯s eyes. I noticed he hadn¡¯t really spoken to Emmet since his first talk with Azura. I¡¯m guessing it was because Emmet once used him of killing Azura.


    "So I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve alreadye up with a n for that too?" Maximus asked, and Norman nodded.


    "A lot has been happening. It¡¯s been one full moon after another, and Hnie is suffering. She¡¯s working hard to free us from our curse and pain, so I believe she deserves some rest too," Norman gave me a smile while wrapping his arm around my shoulder and pulling me closer.


    "And how are we going to do that?" Maximus asked with interest.


    "Wait," I knew he was saying it all for me, but I had something else I wanted to bring up. The three of them turned their attention to me, watching me get ready to shake their world a bit.


    "There have been children going missing in The Vicious Banes Pack, and I¡¯m scared for Vani," I reminded them about my talk with Altan, and I noticed none of them looked too happy about it.


    "How about we bring Vani here or move her to another pack, then?" Maximus suggested. Norman nodded in agreement, but Emmet seemed a little out of it.


    "And what makes you think that will stop the kidnappings? Sure, we¡¯ll keep our family safe, but what about the other kids?" Emmet asked. I expected that from him. That¡¯s exactly how I felt too.


    "And? Altan should take care of his pack and his problems. His father pretended to have mental issues the second they tried to question him. Now he¡¯s sitting in a white jacket. Altan is the Alpha, why can¡¯t he do something about it?" Maximus argued while I remembered Alpha Diaz. He faked mental illness, but thankfully no one believed him. Still, after looking into it, they did say he needed help, so they sent him to a mental hospital where he gets shocks every day. I heard he always screams and cries, he swears he¡¯s fine, but he¡¯s not getting out of there and still gets shocks and other medications that he says are going to kill him.


    "He can¡¯t help his pack right now, which is why he asked for my help," I reminded Maximus. How could he forget?


    "Bullshit. He just wants you in the pack so he can shoot his shot with you. That¡¯s typical of him. Now he wants you to see the ¡¯new¡¯ Altan¡ªthe better version of himself," Maximus grumbled while I turned to look at Norman.


    "I¡¯ll send our warriors to help him then. You don¡¯t need to go, Hnie," Norman almost hissed at the idea of Altan wanting my help.


    "But I have to. You know Vani, even if she hates her parents, would never leave them. I have to do this for her," now even I was arguing.


    "Okay, fine. Then I¡¯ll go myself. But you¡¯re not going," Norman frowned at me, giving me that look that told me to stop arguing.


    That was so typical of him. I remembered how he always used to argue with me, thinking I¡¯d get myself into danger.


    "How about I go?" Emmet¡¯s offer surprised me a little. I didn¡¯t expect him to volunteer.


    And I was d his brothers picked up on it too. They turned to him, shared a look with each other, then looked back at him.


    "Don¡¯t you have someone who just came back from the dead to take care of? She¡¯s new to this world now. Aren¡¯t you going to help her figure it out?" Maximus asked, not in a teasing way, but I noticed how Emmet strangely closed his eyes and took a deep breath before answering:


    "I don¡¯t think she understands anything I say."

 Chapter 661: 661-My Crazy And Fishy Mates

    <h4>Chapter 661: 661-My Crazy And Fishy Mates</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Emmet is running away from his responsibilities," Maximusined as he followed Norman and me outside. We needed some fresh air, and I still hadn¡¯t decided what to do about Altan needing my help.


    "Or maybe it¡¯s something else entirely," I said, and the two of them stopped to give me a look.


    "He told me he¡¯s not in love with her anymore," I stated, the two of them now standing in front of me, shoulder to shoulder, watching me with such intense expressions that for a moment, I forgot what I was going to say.


    "When did he tell you that?" Maximus asked, instantly folding his arms across his chest.


    "When I was in his room," I replied. "He told me he wants me, not her."


    Norman immediately started shaking his head in disagreement, which surprised me a bit since they had told me I could be with all my mates.


    For someone who¡¯s never felt a mate bond with more than one person, it might look like I¡¯m just being greedy, but it¡¯s more than that. It¡¯s the feeling of being iplete that made me realize I need to be with all my mates.


    "Azura is back for him. He should focus on her now," Norman grunted, almost oddly. I had never seen him so grouchy with his brothers before.


    "Norman, how do you know she came back for him? Maybe the Moon Goddess gave her a second chance just for herself. Her life isn¡¯t only about Emmet," I argued. But the more I did, the more aggressive Norman became, shaking his head.


    "Besides, I don¡¯t think we should force him to be with her. And I¡¯m not saying this just because I want to be with him. He shouldn¡¯t be reminded every two seconds that she¡¯s back for him. That¡¯ll make him stay with her out of pressure, and that wouldn¡¯t be right," I continued, while Maximus looked away and Norman narrowed his eyes at me. They were not understanding my point.


    "He¡¯s a grown man. He can make those choices himself. But I¡¯m telling you to stay away from him. I don¡¯t want you near his room again, Hnie," my heart skipped a beat at Norman¡¯s sternmand.


    "Wait a minute, you¡¯re asking me to stay away from my mate after you all agreed I should be shared?" I had to ask because I was genuinely confused.


    "You marked him, helped him. But that¡¯s it. I think it¡¯s getting too crowded now," Normanined, and my jaw nearly hit the floor.


    "A marked mate staying away from her mate is painful in itself, but the fact that you guys are deciding which mate I should be with and which I shouldn¡¯t be with is surprising to me," I retorted. While Norman looked away, Maximus stepped in to lead the conversation.


    "Hnie, Emmet has his lover back. Whether he says you¡¯re the one he wants or not, we all know how much he loved her. He must be feeling guilty, or maybe it¡¯s the mark on his neck that¡¯s making him believe he wants you more. I¡¯d suggest you don¡¯te between them," he said.


    I had no idea they were hiding all of this in their hearts.


    Now I was lost.


    Were they right? Was it the mark that was affecting him? Was I really stealing him from Azura?


    "Don¡¯t think too much. I think you should join the academy again so your mind can focus on something else," Norman said.


    I took a deep breath to make a decision for myself.


    "I¡¯ll go help out Altan. Those kids don¡¯t deserve a life full of fear and hesitation," I said, and as I made the decision, I saw the disappointed looks on my mates¡¯ faces.


    "You know Emmet is going too, right?" Maximus asked, like he was judging me.


    "I know, Maximus. And I don¡¯t think he¡¯s off-limits anymore," I replied firmly, not wanting to keep going with this conversation.


    "Where are you going? I thought we were heading out to watch the sunrise," Norman called after me. But I waved my hand to let him know I wouldn¡¯t be joining them, especially now that I understood why they were taking me out in the first ce. They wanted me away from Emmet. And their reason? They didn¡¯t want me to ¡¯steal¡¯ him from someone who had literally returned from the dead for him.


    I heard theming after me as I faced Emmet again in the living room. He was sitting on the couch with his arms stretched out and his head resting back when he suddenly jolted awake.


    His eyesnded on me, and he sat up straighter.


    "I¡¯ve marked my leave from the academy for the visit to the Vicious Banes Pack. I¡¯ll take care of things, don¡¯t worry," he said, informing me directly. I kept watching his face, remembering what his brothers had said about him.


    "What about Azura? Who will take care of her?" I asked. I didn¡¯t understand if a mate mark was supposed to make someone forget everyone else.


    There¡¯s no way that could be true. So why were Norman and Maximus so against the idea of Emmet and me being together?


    "Can you please mark my leave too? I¡¯ll be going with you to the pack myself," I said, making my decision. And just then, the brothers arrived behind me.


    "Really? You want toe too?" Emmet asked, with a strange look of curiosity in his eyes.


    "I wille along," Norman added, and I turned to stare him down.


    "But didn¡¯t you say Altan should handle things on his own?" I asked, and he sighed. It was as if he was only trying toe so that he could keep an eye on me.


    "Someone has to stay here and handle the academy sses. It¡¯s better if just Emmet and I go," he said.


    But I knew exactly what I was doing. I needed to figure out for myself what was really going on between Azura and Emmet. And for that, I needed to hear it from Emmet, without a third party in my ear.

 Chapter 662-The Mates That Are Left Behind

    <h4>Chapter 662: 662-The Mates That Are Left Behind</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "If I knew you would definitely go, I would¡¯ve taken off and not let Emmet do it," Norman grunted while sitting on the bed, watching me pack my bag.


    "You¡¯re against the idea of me spending time with Emmet? Isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re so against me leaving for the Vicious Bane pack?" Now that he said he would¡¯ve gone with me if Emmet wasn¡¯t, I was sure something had happened between the brothers, and they were trying to stop me from spending time with Emmet.


    "Well, since you asked, I¡¯ll be direct too," he said firmly. "We¡¯ve decided¡ªme and Maximus¡ªthat we don¡¯t want too much sharing. It can be you, me, Maximus and Kaye." He finished, making my eyes go wide.


    "When did you two decide that, and why wasn¡¯t I part of that conversation?" I felt annoyed that they were making decisions for me. They were happy to have their mate, but now they were trying to make exceptions.


    "We did sometime yesterday. That¡¯s not the point. The point is, we¡¯ve made a decision," Norman grunted, getting up from the bed. "And we¡¯re also nning to ask Emmet to stay behind and let us go with you."


    "That¡¯s not my ce to get involved in. You two can talk to your brother and decide who cane with me. But as for the mate thing, Emmet and I will decide what we want to do," I said firmly, realizing it would be unfair to both me and Emmet to be controlled while the others got to enjoy being fated mates.


    "How would you feel if I went out and spent time with someone you didn¡¯t want me to be around?" Norman had to throw that in my face, and my jaw clenched.


    "He¡¯s not just someone, he¡¯s my mate. And if you had a problem with me being with my mates, you should¡¯ve told me earlier. You were the one who made me believe you were okay with it. I asked you so many times, Norman. So many times. You can¡¯t throw that in my face like I¡¯m cheating on you when you¡¯re the one asking me to do something," I grunted, because they had started something I never wanted to be part of in the first ce. I didn¡¯t want fingers pointed at me.


    "Oh, I¡¯m not saying I have a problem with you and your mates. I just have an issue with Emmet. His lover is back. Why are you two making a mess now?" he groaned, but stood towering over me.


    "Then let him make a decision," I grunted, feeling a deep anger inside me.


    "You are seriously making me crazy! Can you ever just listen to me?" he threw a fist in the air, causing me to stare him down. "Sorry. I¡¯m just annoyed with you." With that, he left the room, mming the door behind him.


    He was always like this. But this time, I didn¡¯t understand his rivalry with his brother. There¡¯s no way this is how Norman would usually react. He was stern and stubborn, that much I knew about him. But I also knew he isn¡¯t someone who would do something unfair.


    Then why only with Emmet?


    I had to find out what was going on. I packed my bags and went downstairs. I had already told him to discuss it with his brother. Whoever decided to take leave from the academy coulde with me.


    Emmet was sitting on the couch with his arms spread, his bags near his feet, while Norman and Maximus looked upset.


    "Why can¡¯t you let one of us go?" Norman asked again, and I realized they were arguing. I had never seen Norman argue with his brothers before, so it was new to me. And I hated the sight of it. I would have stayed back, but Vani needed me, and I knew she wouldn¡¯t leave her pack at any cost.


    "Because I¡¯ve made up my mind. I think I know what¡¯s going on in the pack, I might be of help. My knowledge ca¡ª" Emmet was speaking calmly, trying to make his brothers understand, when Maximus¡¯s grunt cut him off.


    "Then give us your knowledge and let us go. Don¡¯t use that as an excuse to spend time with her," he snapped.


    It was the timing for me. The moment Maximus said that, Azura walked into the living room and heard it. She stopped in her tracks, and all of us turned to look at her. Emmet straightened his back and blinked very casually.


    "You¡¯re leaving?" she asked in a soft murmur.


    "I have to. My brothers are kind of busy, so someone has to go," Emmet lied, making me narrow my eyes at him, then look at Azura.


    "Actually, we¡ª" Maximus was about to step in, probably to call out Emmet¡¯s bluff, when I stepped in.


    "They have to prepare the students for the finals, and then many students are changing sses, so they have that work. And then the whole uing trip¡ªthere¡¯s a lot, and they need to be there," I said.


    I watched Norman clench his jaw and look away, probably upset that I didn¡¯t let them catch Emmet in a lie. At the same time, Maximus pressed his lips into a tight line since he couldn¡¯t go against me anymore either.


    "When will you return?" Azura asked softly.


    "Soon. I can¡¯t leave my mate alone there and return alone," Emmet said, slipping the word mate in again, almost like a gentle reminder to her that I was his mate.


    I had noticed Emmet since the beginning. He was a quiet guy, but once he started talking, he would rarely hold back.


    "Oh, I¡¯ll wait for you then," she said, ignoring everything else he had said. Shepletely avoided responding to me and gave Emmet a weak smile.


    "Pleasee back soon. Know that someone has fought death for you," she added again, more quietly than ever.


    Once she walked away, I noticed Norman and Maximus shared a disappointed nce with me. I didn¡¯t like the dynamic between the brothers now. If it was because of me, then maybe I deserve to be punished for it.


    I thought they were okay with the sharing thing. I didn¡¯t know there would be rules in a game full of rules.

 Chapter 663-Too Crowded

    <h4>Chapter 663: 663-Too Crowded</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Bye," I said softly to Norman, hoping for a hug, but he remained uptight. Typical him, but I still loved him.


    Maximus was so angry that he didn¡¯t even stay to say goodbye. He said if he did, he would ride the back of the car or cling to the tires just toe with us. As for Norman, he finally broke his cold stance and wrapped one arm around me in a hug. But it was a very sad little hug. Still, I clung to his chest, my face pressed against it, breathing in his scent.


    "You¡¯re so rude," I said, pulling away from the hug and hitting him lightly on the chest, annoyed.


    "You are too," he said, pushing me gently toward the car, still looking annoyed.


    "Bye, asshole," I stuck my tongue out before getting in the car, and he groaned at me.


    Emmet had already run into the car like he was scared someone might stop him. Once I was in the back seat with Emmet, I raised my head and saw Azura standing by the living room window, watching us leave. I didn¡¯t even know if Emmet had given her a hug or anything.


    Soon the car started, and we hit the road. I couldn¡¯t forget Norman¡¯s angry face, it felt strange.


    "What¡¯s going on between you and your brothers?" I asked Emmet, who had one arm resting against the window and the other extended behind my back.


    He looked rxed until I asked that question.


    "I don¡¯t know. But you noticed it too, huh?" he asked, removing his hand from behind my back so he could turn a little in his seat.


    "I thought you guys had decided that your fated mates would be with you," he reminded me of the conversation he had with Maximus, where his brother had exined the deal.


    "Which is why I want to know what¡¯s going on," I nodded.


    "I have no clue. There hasn¡¯t been any argument that would make me think something happened. I would¡¯ve thought it wasn¡¯t serious if it was just Maximus, but Norman being involved makes me wonder if I did something really messed up. He¡¯s not the type to be unfair, especially not with his brothers."


    There was a small, sad sigh that slipped from Emmet¡¯s lips, and it made me realize how much his brothers¡¯ coldness was affecting him.


    "We¡¯ll figure it out soon," I reassured him, even though I wasn¡¯t sure myself what it could be. Every time I tried asking Norman or Maximus, they¡¯d just say the same thing that it was getting crowded. I didn¡¯t believe that excuse one bit.


    Halfway through the ride, Emmet turned around fully, giving me his back and thenying down, almost making me jump when his headnded in myp. Thankfully, it was an SUV, but even then, his legs didn¡¯t fit. He bent one leg on the seat and stretched the other out of the window. It was a deserted road anyway. But his head in myp, that¡¯s what made me shy away.


    "So they got to be with you," he started, almost whispering the words to himself.


    "What?" I heard it, but I was so surprised by his sudden action that I couldn¡¯t find the right words to say.


    "But you shouldn¡¯t think about it. You have someone waiting for you at home," I said in almost one breath before he got intimate with me and then had to stop midway. That would¡¯ve been awkward.


    Well, I guess it wasn¡¯t less awkward when I said that, because he stopped, his face clearly showing he didn¡¯t like hearing it.


    He slowly got up from myp and fixed his hair, looking out the window again.


    "You know, I don¡¯t want to keep hearing that. She¡¯s a whole person. She was given a second chance for herself, not for me."


    The way he said it was a hint in itself that he really didn¡¯t like me bringing her up.


    "But it¡¯s true that she¡¯s here for you. At least that¡¯s what she says. Don¡¯t you think your attention toward me is just because you¡¯re marked to me now? Because the Emmet I remember, the one I first met, he used to get drunk, missing and wanting Azura, while he walked around the passage," I reminded him.


    I had to. I didn¡¯t want him escting things with me, only toter remember that he actually loved her and not me. That would break me.


    "Sure, that¡¯s what I told everyone. I used to drink because I was guilty. I felt guilty."


    He turned to me, and this time, he wasn¡¯t as calm as he usually was.


    "Guilty for what? I thought you med Norman for her murder?"


    The minute I said that, he jerked his head so fast, like he was trying to make sure he heard me right.


    "I med Norman? Who told you that?" he narrowed his eyes, his voice sharp.


    "It was when you forgot about us," I remembered. "Back when you forgot and were attacking Maximus."


    The more I spoke, the more confused he looked. Not just confused but shocked, and maybe even disgusted.


    "I attacked Maximus? Okay, sure, maybe because I forgot, and when I forget, I usually don¡¯t know who¡¯s a friend or who¡¯s out to get me. But what did I use Norman of?" he asked, looking so impatient to know the whole thing.


    "Emmet, you said it was Norman who murdered her," I said the exact line. "You said Maximus attacked her, and Norman was supposed to take her to the hospital. But instead, he dumped her in the well."


    I remembered that part and then I put two and two together. It was something Norman had told me about the night Emmet had used him.


    But from the way Emmet looked now, he didn¡¯t believe it.


    "It¡¯s probably because you didn¡¯t remember¡ª" I stopped talking when he let out a sharp grunt.


    "I forgot everything and everyone, but I remembered an incident from years ago and used my brother of something I¡¯ve never even thought about in my life? Something¡¯s not right."


    He clenched his jaw and turned his face away. And I agreed with him until I said something out loud and reminded myself of the truth.


    "Isn¡¯t it obvious that you only remember Azura when you forget everyone else?"


    Myment made him clench his fists, but he didn¡¯t turn around to look at me once after that.

 Chapter 664-Anything For My Stepsister

    <h4>Chapter 664: 664-Anything For My Stepsister</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Oh, Hnie!" Vani yelled and ran into my arms the minute I entered the house. I immediately hugged her back while Emmet walked in, guiding the warriors to ce our bags in the corner and the gifts for Vani up front.


    "Hey, have you lost weight?" I noticed it immediately, and my heart broke for her. She was basically just bones.


    "Oh, that¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m fine," she lied, avoiding my eyes before turning to look at Emmet. "I knew you wereing, and I prayed you brought Emmet with you," she added, making her bias very clear.


    Emmet responded with a smirk and a gentle pat on her head.


    "And I came bearing gifts," he replied, making her p her hands excitedly.


    Honestly speaking, that was all him. I¡¯d been so stressed after Azura¡¯s arrival that bringing gifts didn¡¯t even cross my mind. But Emmet had it all covered. From fruits and groceries to school supplies and even clothes. He brought everything.


    "No wonder you¡¯re my favorite," Vani shrugged, stepping back and undoing her hair to show off her haircut. But then, just as quickly, she tied it back into a bun, like she was afraid someone might see her.


    "What happened?" I asked, curious.


    "Mom says not to leave my hair open or I might get the attention of the kidnappers," she whispered. My heart shattered the moment she said it.


    "But you¡¯re in the safety of your home," I said, walking around the living room. Even the windows were boarded up.


    "They abduct children from their homes, even from their bedrooms," she replied, a sad pout forming on her lips.


    I felt terrible for her, and for all the children in the pack.


    This is supposed to be the age when they¡¯re carefree, enjoying their childhood before life dumps responsibilities on them. But here they were: scared, anxious, and living in constant fear.


    "Fear not, little Vani. I¡¯m here now. Nothing can get past me to hurt you," Emmet said, settling onto the couch with a warm smile. A smile so bright andforting, even I couldn¡¯t help but smile back at him.


    "You¡¯re cute," Vani giggled.


    She was still just a baby in so many ways. Girls her age usually thought they were adults already. I never had the chance to be a child myself, but I was d Vani wasn¡¯t in a hurry to grow up. And to make sure she gets to live her best childhood, I was now even more determined to find that kidnapper.


    "How many times do I have to remind you to fucking lock the door?! Do you want to get abducted or what?"


    As expected of Larissa. She stormed in with shopping bags, yelling at Vani without even looking around until her eyesnded on us.


    She took off her sunsses, dropped the bags on the side table, and rushed straight back outside again.


    "The Queen of the North is here with the Rogue King," Larissa announced to the people, making me roll my eyes as she alerted the neighbors, who began pouring out of their homes like ants to sugar.


    I sat next to Emmet in a bad mood, still annoyed.


    "Did you see how she used the whole kidnapping thing to control Vani? Isn¡¯t that so messed up?" I whispered, making a face.


    "Yeah, and I¡¯m also noticing how cute you look while making those faces," Emmet replied casually, loungingfortably with one leg over the other. Hispliment made my cheeks turn red.


    "Do you have to make suchments?" I asked, though internally I was d he was here, helping me lighten up.


    "I have to mark my territory," he said smoothly, turning his head toward me with one of his signature smirks.


    "Hnie!" an older woman from the neighborhood called out, rushing over with a young girl behind her, probably her granddaughter, no older than her early twenties.


    "I wonder how much you¡¯ll actually be able to help us," she began, her voice cutting. "You were once a victim of a heinous crime yourself and couldn¡¯t do anything at the time." Typical. Just like old times, her bitterness hadn¡¯t aged a day.


    "I think you missed the whole episode where she fought back against her rapist and won. That¡¯s why she¡¯s the Alpha Queen now. By the way," Emmet added, "I didn¡¯t see you bow to her."


    The look she usually reserved for me wasn¡¯t the one she gave Emmet, even when he was being blunt. She still smiled for him.


    "The Rogue King," she said, eyes gleaming. "After yourst visit here with your brothers, I started looking you up. Emmet McQuoid¡ªyou¡¯re quite the charming bachelor. How is it that you haven¡¯t found your fated mate yet?" she asked, gently nudging her granddaughter forward, who immediately smiled at Emmet.


    "Who said I haven¡¯t found my fated mate?" Emmet said coolly, and just like that, the girl¡¯s smile vanished. She nced at her grandmother, then back at Emmet.


    I instantly straightened up in my seat. I had a bad feeling about what he was going to say next. He does that¡ªblurts out the truth like consequences don¡¯t exist. Sometimes I wonder if the concept of keeping things to himself ever crossed his mind.


    "Has a child gone missing in thest two days?" I interrupted, changing the subject quickly. I looked to Vani, who squeezed her way past the old woman and her granddaughter.


    "Justst night, a boy went missing," Vani said quietly. Her whole demeanor dropped. The fact that these kidnappings were happening without any signs of forced entry was what made it all the more disturbing. Something wasn¡¯t right.


    "Now that we¡¯re here, we¡¯ll take care of everything," I reassured her.


    The olddy grabbed her granddaughter¡¯s hand and walked off, clearly irritated that Emmet wasn¡¯t falling for their setup.


    In the corner, Larissa stood texting someone. I wondered who she was informing, maybe her husband or son?


    That¡¯s when Vani excused herself to grab us refreshments from the kitchen, and after a long pause, Emmet finally broke the silence.


    "You¡¯re embarrassed or afraid of being called my fated mate?"


    His question hit me like a rock. I sat up straighter, staring off into the distance.


    How could I tell him what his brothers really felt about us?

 Chapter 665-The Alpha Switches

    <h4>Chapter 665: 665-The Alpha Switches</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "It¡¯s not that I¡¯m embarrassed. I just don¡¯t think people are ready yet. We¡¯re dealing with monsters and the X Codex. We can¡¯t handle all sorts of other rumors at the same time," I tried to exin to Emmet once we stepped into the guest room.


    My old room that I used to share with Vani. I noticed two single beds ced side by side, each against a wall.


    "Rumors can¡¯t kill us. There¡¯s some other reason you¡¯re too scared to talk about," Emmet said calmly as he took off his coat and folded it neatly. He then grabbed my bag to ce it in the closet too.


    "How are you so sure I have another reason?" I asked, watching him smile and shake his head.


    "I know you, Hnie. Just because I drank a lot, you all think I¡¯m just a drunk guy who doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on around him."


    I felt hurt by hisment. It wasn¡¯t insulting to me, but it made me wonder if he still carried pain from long ago.


    I knew Emmet almost neverined, so it was possible he had a lot of unspoken frustration with the people around him.


    "Well, we¡¯re not sharing a room. That would be weird," I said, changing the subject when I realized the two beds were for us.


    "No problem, I can sleep somewhere else," Emmet said without looking at me, and it made me feel guilty again.


    "No! Wait. There are two beds, we¡¯ll be fine," I quickly added, and he turned to give me a puzzled look.


    "Don¡¯t look at me like that," I muttered awkwardly.


    That¡¯s when a knock on the door broke his stare from my face. I was d someone had interrupted.


    Emmet opened the door for Vani, who always had a bright smile whenever she saw us.


    "Alpha Altan sent his warriors to pick you up. I was thinking of making dinner for you, but the warriors said you two will be eating with Alpha Altan. So, my n is canceled," she pouted, folding her arms.


    I didn¡¯t want her to stand in the kitchen and make a whole dinner for us. Since her mother never cooked for us, I knew that job would fall on Vani¡¯s fragile shoulders.


    "It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll bring pizza on my way back. You don¡¯t have to cook for anyone tonight," I said. Of course, I wasn¡¯t going to let it go. I nned to talk to Larissa and remind her of her responsibilities.


    Vani was losing weight because there was no food at home. Larissa and my so-called dad would eat out with their friends every day. My stepbrother would feast with his own group. That left Vani, who didn¡¯t even have groceries to make herself a meal. I wondered when would they ever learn?


    Emmet and I grabbed our bags full of weapons and files and were about to leave the house when Vani spoke up.


    "Thank you foring here."


    My heart broke seeing her like that. She didn¡¯t deserve this kind of life.


    "Stay outside and keep an eye on everyone, especially anyone who looks suspicious," Emmet warned the warrior, stopping him from walking away from the house. He had brought his own warriors to protect Vani. That was the only reason we felt okay leaving her alone with Larissa, who barely ever cared for anyone.


    When we arrived, we were weed by Altan¡¯s royal beta and gamma. These two young men used to be Altan¡¯s high school best friends, the same ones who used to make my life hard. Now, they stood in front of me with their heads lowered, offering a full bow.


    "Alpha Altan is waiting for you," said Beta Rocky, motioning for me to follow him. "Rogue King Emmet, why don¡¯t youe with us and choose a drink of your choice for yourself and the Alpha Queen?"


    It was Rocky¡¯s subtle way of letting Emmet know the Alpha wanted to speak to me alone first. I gave Emmet a reassuring nod, and although he didn¡¯t seem thrilled, he followed the gamma while I walked into Altan¡¯s study.


    He was standing by the window, rubbing his palms together. When he saw me, he quickly walked over to shake hands, but I acted like I didn¡¯t notice.


    "Everyone¡¯s pretty shaken by the kidnappings. I heard a child was taken just yesterday too?" I asked, looking away and focusing on the table where I ced my bag.


    "Yeah, it was chaos. We looked everywhere for any sign of forced entry or for anyone who looked suspicious but there was nothing that we could find." he took a pause before uttering again, "By the way¡ªhi, wee back to the Vicious Banes Pack," he greeted me formally, taking his seat across from me while I sat next to the empty chair meant for Emmet.


    "I suppose you wanted to talk about something before we get to the main issue?" I asked, crossing one leg over the other. I had changed into ck jeans and a ck top after a shower, matching with Emmet, though it wasn¡¯t intentional. He mostly wore ck suits anyway.


    "I¡¯m not someone to tell you how to do your job, but there have been some things happening, and I wondered if you even knew about them," Altan said, slowly rolling his chair closer to me as he opened a file on the desk.


    "What kind of things?" I asked, leaning backfortably. I didn¡¯t react to him moving closer. If he thought I¡¯d respond the way I used to, he was wrong. His closeness didn¡¯t matter to me. It didn¡¯t affect me at all. I was here for business¡ªto help, save the children, and protect my little sister from the monster hiding in the shadows.


    "The North has been doing Alpha switches," he started, and I frowned in confusion.


    "The Alpha of the Blood Hunters Pack suddenly stepped down and handed his title to his royal beta, making Coombs the new Alpha. Didn¡¯t that bother you? Did they not even inform you?" he asked, clearly disturbed.


    My body tensed at the mention of Salem¡¯s father.

 Chapter 666-Between My Ex And My Next

    <h4>Chapter 666: 666-Between My Ex And My Next</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I had previously let so many things slide because of Salem. She was a great person and a good friend. But now that she was gone, I had no reason to be lenient with her father and sister.


    "I mean, if the Alpha himself thinks he shouldn¡¯t be the Alpha, I don¡¯t see a reason why there should be a problem," I replied with a shrug. But deep down, even I was beginning to wonder if the proper process had been followed.


    I just remembered hearing they switched, but now that I was thinking about it, I am the Alpha Queen of the North, shouldn¡¯t they have spoken to me first?


    "Hnie, don¡¯t you really see the problem with it?" he asked, and although I did see the issue, I didn¡¯t show it to him.


    "The others are even ready to fight and battle against the alphas to be an alpha, but this alpha stepped down so easily?" Altan wasn¡¯t wrong. It was indeed sketchy. But I am sure Salem didn¡¯t know anything either because she had been living out of her pack for thest few months she was alive.


    "What is happening with Sydney? Last time, when her truth came out at the funeral, I saw her father get hit with the realization that she is a problem," I remembered the whole scene and how the funeral was interrupted by Rune attacking us with the Zharns.


    "Oh, you know nothing then." The way Altan scoffed made my skin break out in goosebumps. So, more messy stuff was happening around then?


    "What do you mean? I don¡¯t know what?" I asked.


    "Alpha Coombs has forgiven his daughter, it seems. I mean, he can¡¯t cry for the one he lost forever. And I¡¯m hearing that she might be the new alpha of her pack." The minute he said that, I almost choked on my own saliva. To think a father could forget his daughter¡¯s murder so quickly was just killing me. But then again, who was I to talk about how parents should love their children when my own parents never loved me?


    "She can¡¯t be an alpha. She freaking killed her sister, sort of. Why is she being given a crown for her cruelty?" I hissed, watching Altan take a deep breath.


    "That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about. Doesn¡¯t it all look a bit staged? Alpha Coombs took the crown just to pass it on to his favorite daughter. Salem getting killed just dyed their ns for a few weeks." Altan didn¡¯t seem to like his fated mate. That was a shocker. But then again, who would even like Sydney? She wasn¡¯t very charming. In fact, she did messed-up stuff to almost everyone. Sometimes I wondered if the Moon Goddess was letting these bad people live so that they can remind us everyday why it is important that we work together and be stronger versions of ourselves.


    "I will speak with your father-inw." The moment I said that, I saw his face harden.


    "He¡¯s not my father-inw," he reminded me, showing me his bare finger.


    "s! It would have been such a perfect couple, all the toxic people under one roof," I smirked,ughing at him even though he lookedpletely serious.


    "I know you¡¯re still mad at me, and I don¡¯t me you for it. But I want to fix it. Even just so we can work together and make ourmunity safer. There are much worse dangers out there, and if we keep holding onto grudges, we won¡¯t be able to focus on the real threats," he said gently.


    I couldn¡¯t help but groan under my breath. He wasn¡¯t wrong. Ever since I found out the whole truth about that night, I kind of understood he was just a coward. That was his only real fault. But because of his games, his father thought I was the problem and tried to get rid of me.


    All that for a fling.


    And I faced the worst of it.


    "Then you don¡¯t need to keep bringing it up over and over again. It¡¯s my choice to keep a distance from you. Don¡¯t expect me to be all nice and friendly. We can still work on things together, but that¡¯s all," I said firmly.


    "Anyone want a drink?" Emmet burst in with two sses and a bottle. Of course, he excluded Altan. Or so I thought.


    He ced the sses in front of Altan and me and filled them, while drinking from the bottle himself.


    I gave him a look, and he lowered the bottle awkwardly.


    "It was already half full, and then I poured yours and his, so there¡¯s not much left anyway," he exined in a very cute and soft tone that didn¡¯t just make me go "aww," but even made Altan narrow his eyes.


    Emmet sat down with a thud in the chair and leaned back, stretching one arm out to reach for the paperweight while holding the bottle in the other.


    "Has there been any simrities or any connection between the children that have been taken so far?" Emmet asked, already getting down to business.


    "No. The only thing they have inmon is that they are pack members," Altan exined, steadilyying out images of the victims who had been abducted so far.


    "I¡¯ll need to go meet the parents of the children myself," Emmet said, not very satisfied with the little information he was getting.


    "Sure, we can start a meetup tomorrow," Altan suggested. But Emmet shook his head.


    "I don¡¯t want to waste a minute," he replied, and I agreed with him. Altan gave us a nod and called for the omega to serve dinner.


    We finished dinner discussing the whole abduction situation. But there was something else I nned to do. `i wanted to meet Diaz.


    I had to have onest talk with him. Look him in the eye and remind him that his punishment was his own doing.


    "I¡¯ll take a walk back home," I told the driver, even confusing Altan, who rushed to walk with me ¡ª until Emmet joined.


    "Go sleep tight. I¡¯m taking her home," Emmet said in a calm and steady tone, gesturing for Altan to back off.


    Emmet wrapped his coat over my shoulders and began walking with me, slow steps, one at a time. The weather was so pleasant, but as we walked down the dark road, I couldn¡¯t help but tear up a little. The distant memory of the brutality of these pack members hit me at once.


    "My man took pizzas and other stuff home¡ª" Emmet stopped mid-sentence the moment he turned his head and noticed my tears.


    "Hmm. Memories," he nodded to himself, gently nudging me with his elbow. "You can talk about your feelings. Just because justice was done doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t bring up your past. You can, any day, for as many days as you want, and I¡¯ll still listen. I¡¯ll always be there for you."


    It meant a lot to me. Sometimes when people talk too much about their trauma, they get hate for it. Or others act like they are exhausted.


    I did not want that kind of attention after dealing so well with it. But Emmet was different, all my mates were different. I never felt like I was burdening them with my worries.


    "I walked this very road after that night, Emmet. Not one person came out to offer me clothes, a coat maybe. No one. I heard them talk and question me. They were gossiping a lot, but no one had the decency to ask a badly wounded girl what had happened to her. They just immediately dered me guilty," I sighed, feeling a sudden rush of tears.


    "And then I came home, and my father tossed me in that small pantry you saw earlier today. The very one that my stepmother said suffocates her. She doesn¡¯t even have to stay there for a long time, just pick up the stuff she wants and leave. But they locked me in there, with no food, water orforting words," I forced a smile onto my lips, but it was actually my tears burning in my eyes.


    "Then let¡¯s run away and let those bastard pack members live in horror for the rest of their lives," Emmet suggested, and I startedughing.


    Hearing him say that was funny. He had a weird way of using a deep tone even when joking.


    "Thank you for making me smile," I teased softly, elbowing him, and he elbowed me back.


    But then he suddenly said something that stopped me in my tracks, and also stopped my heartbeat for a second.


    "I love you."


    I looked at his face and noticed how honest he seemed. My body felt warm, and my wolf purred inside me, ready for me to confess too.


    She was urging me to say it, and we could figure out the restter.


    But that¡¯s when the air erupted with loud screams.

 Chapter 667-The Vanishing Hour

    <h4>Chapter 667: 667-The Vanishing Hour</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Our eyes widened together before we sped in the direction of the screams. Emmet was faster, so he reached the house before I did. It was a small house near a toy shop, where the screams hade from.


    While Emmet started knocking on the door, I began walking around the house to look for any signs of an intruder.


    All the windows were boarded up, and no doors were open. There was literally no one around.


    By the time I returned to the front of the house, the family had opened the door and let Emmet in. I rushed past them as well, taking in a few things at first nce. We both ran around and checked every window, they were all locked. By the time we returned to the first floor, we had checked every corner and every closet in the house.


    Emmet ran outside to look around while I stayed with the family. There were four people living there: a husband and a wife, along with their three children. Two were under eighteen, and only the daughter was neen years old.


    After Emmet informed Altan of yet another abduction, he returned to investigate.


    "Who was the first one to realize he was missing?" I asked, while Emmet held his diary and wrote everything down.


    The parents were a mess. They had been crying nonstop, while the neen-year-old was in shock, probably scared. The way she was holding onto her fifteen-year-old sister¡¯s hand was heartbreaking.


    The one who had gone missing was a thirteen-year-old boy.


    "I did," the mother sniffled, raising her hand before her husband gently ced his hand on her thigh tofort her. She broke down again. They were all sitting close together on the couch, squeezed in as if they were afraid of losing another member of the family.


    Emmet and I sat in chairs across the table, both of us worried for the boy.


    "I was doing my regr check-ins on the kids. You see, Beau had this habit of using his phone to y games whenever everyone fell asleep. I¡¯ve stopped him many times, because then he can¡¯t wake up for school, but he never listens. And recently, he¡¯d grown annoyed with us, so I started checking on him more often at night. That¡¯s when¡ª" her voice broke "¡ªthat¡¯s when I found him gone. Only dust was left on his bed." She buried her face in her hands.


    I¡¯d never had a family that would cry for me like that. So Beau was lucky. And because of that, I was going to do anything to find him and bring him back.


    "Let¡¯s take a walk around the house one more time," Emmet suggested, leaning over and whispering in my ear. I had already checked every corner, but I trusted Emmet, he had an eye for details.


    He always seemed to want to know more and more. We got up and excused ourselves from the family, walking upstairs again to where Beau¡¯s room was.


    "He had a separate room while the sisters slept together," I told Emmet. "His mother said he was growing very impatient with them. He wanted privacy, wanted to lock doors and all that."


    We reached his room, and Emmet checked the dust. There was nothing particrly special or significant about it, so we didn¡¯t look too deeply into it. However, of course, Emmet still collected a sample.


    "Hmm, interesting," Emmet said the moment he reached the window and knelt down, a small smile creeping across his face.


    "What is it?" I asked, rushing over to him.


    "Look at this, darling. The window isn¡¯t shut from the inside, it¡¯s locked from the outside." He touched thetch, and my eyes widened. I hadn¡¯t even noticed it earlier.


    "Does that mean someone definitely came in through the window and abducted Beau?" I asked, but Emmet began to pout slightly, lost in thought.


    "No. It doesn¡¯t seem like that," he finally said. "His mother mentioned that Beau doesn¡¯t sleep early. It¡¯s only ten, darling, he must have been awake. If someone came in and abducted him, he would¡¯ve put up some kind of fight. But it doesn¡¯t look like there was any struggle. And look at the shoe rack."


    He turned toward it. It was empty.


    "There were wet slippers underneath it before, but no shoes. His mother said they all take a bath before bed, so Beau must¡¯ve taken off his slippers and put on his shoes, that his mother mentioned, before leaving," Emmet exined, making my heart thump louder in my chest this time.


    "You¡¯re saying Beau left on his own? So¡ªthis is a runaway case?" I asked.


    Emmet turned back toward the bed.


    "The sand on the bed is like the other cases. Let¡¯s visit the houses where other children went missing. Only by looking at the details will we know what¡¯s really going on," he said, heading out of the room with me following.


    After saying goodbye to the family and promising we¡¯d do everything we could to find their son, Emmet led me to the back of the house.


    "Look at the structure of the house and Beau¡¯s window," he pointed out. "There doesn¡¯t seem to be an easy way for him to climb down. For him to leave without making any noise and still manage to get down by himself, it¡¯s sketchy."


    I was so d I had brought Emmet with me. His observations were sharp. I guess everyone had been too quick to point fingers at some unknown danger without paying attention to the small things.


    "So¡ªwhat are we going to do now?" I asked.


    Emmet gently touched my elbow, guiding me to follow him. His sleeves were rolled up, even though the night was cold. I asked if he wanted his coat back, but he shook his head.


    "We¡¯ll go home. You¡¯ll eat some pizza and rest," he said with a smile, "and then we¡¯ll continue our investigation in the morning."


    He sneakily wrapped his arm around my waist as we walked back home. I felt shy at the casual touch, but I didn¡¯t pull away.

 Chapter 668-My Bolder Mate

    <h4>Chapter 668: 668-My Bolder Mate</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    We arrived home, and while Emmet went to the room, I spent some time with Vani. We ate pizza, and I asked her about school. She was a good student, always working hard. She told me a boy in her ss had a crush on her. Since she was fifteen, I decided to tell her a little bit about boys.


    I even reminded her of my own story of how I became desperate when Altan started paying attention to me as more than just a friend.


    She promised she would wait until her eighteenth birthday, and even then, she would never settle for less or put anyone¡¯s desires above her own safety andfort. I liked that about her. Still, it saddened me that she now slept on a mattress in her parents¡¯ room, afraid of being snatched away.


    When I returned to the room, I found Emmet resting. I took the shower first and let him go after.


    "Thank you foring here with me," I said when he stepped out of the bathroom, his long hair damp and open, scattered across his shoulders.


    He wore only ck shorts, and I had never seen him like that before. Being alone in a closed room, watching hime out of the shower, it was all new to me.


    "Of course. Did you think I¡¯d let anyone else steal the chance to spend time with you?" he said casually. As expected of him, his voice was calm, but that¡¯s exactly what gave me goosebumps.


    "Do you think it¡¯s weird if I say that¡ª" I stopped mid-sentence, feeling a little awkward.


    But he was all ears, waiting. I looked around, stalling. Why was it so hard to confess it?


    He came over and sat beside me on the same single bed, his eyes already smiling.


    As he kept watching my face, I finally said it: "I love you too."


    I noticed the way his face lit up, his eyes shining with the most beautiful light.


    "I want to marry you, Hnie," he said, and my heart skipped a beat at his confession. "It¡¯s possible. If someone has two fated mates, they can both marry her. I don¡¯t want to just be marked, I want to marry you."


    I always knew Emmet wouldn¡¯t settle for less, but hearing him be so upfront made him even sexier.


    "How about we go back and talk to the others about it?" I asked shyly, trying to hide my smile.


    "No! It will be your decision alone. And I¡¯ll neverin, even if you just want to stay marked. But just know, I¡¯ll always hover around and make you feel¡ª" he leaned in, gently brushing his lips against my cheek, "shy!"


    A wave of shock rushed through my body. He leaned back, then got up and stretched his arms.


    "Move to the side. Leave some space for me."


    My eyes widened at his request.


    I stared at the door, a silent reminder that at any moment someone could walk in and see us sharing a bed. That would be¨Cbad.


    Emmet turned around and followed my gaze. He reached the door and locked it from the inside.


    "There¡¯s always a solution to everything, Hnie. These are just excuses," he said, walking back toward me. His eyes held mine for a moment before he gestured firmly with his hand. "Now move."


    His tone was somanding that I shyly bit my bottom lip andy down in the corner of the bed, facing away from him.


    He got into bed and settled behind me.


    "They¡¯ll wonder why we locked the door," I whispered, breaking the silence.


    I wasn¡¯t really worried. I just wanted to hear him speak. He was full of wisdom.


    "Do you still think you need to exin yourself?" he said quietly. "To people who never made this ce feel safe for you?"


    He shifted closer, now fully facing my back. That¡¯s when I felt his hand gently brush my waist.


    I closed my eyes tightly.


    What else is he nning to do...?


    But this was Emmet, and I knew exactly how different he could be when he was turned on.


    He would always turn bold and wild during his intimate encounters with me.


    The room was so quiet, I could hear him breathing behind me.


    We were close, so close, his physique was so big, touching my gentle and delicate body.


    "You always get this quiet when I¡¯m this close," he murmured, his voice low and smooth against my ear. "No yapping. No arguments."


    His lips brushed my ear as he spoke, and his body pressed a little tighter against mine.


    That¡¯s when I felt it.


    Something hard pressing against my ass. I knew exactly what it was. He was already so hard.


    I bit my lip again, this time to keep the sound in.


    Emmet pulled the nket over us. I could feel him listening to my heartbeat very attentively.


    Then, his hand moved.


    Slowly.


    Tracing small circles on my stomach, just above the waistband of my shirt. It tickled, but not in a funny way. It sent waves of heat through me.


    His breath brushed against my cheek. "Tell me to stop, and I will."


    But I didn¡¯t say a word. I did not want him to stop.


    His fingers slid higher, brushing just beneath my ribs. I didn¡¯t mean to, but I pressed back into him, just a little. Just enough to feel him again.


    "I love how shy you get, Hnie," he whispered. "But I think you like it when I touch you like this."


    I gasped quietly. His hand didn¡¯t stop. It moved around my body like he was iming it.


    Every time he let out a low groan against me, I pressed my legs tightly together.


    "Your body is so soft," he whispered again, kissing my ear, my neck. Small, teasing pecks that made my skin burn.


    I wasn¡¯t even sure what was happening to me, but I started to move, slowly grinding my hips in a slow circle against him.


    He slid his other hand underneath me and wrapped his arm across my chest, pulling me tighter. His forearm pressed against my breasts, and I couldn¡¯t help it, I pushed back harder against him.


    The way our bodies moved, the way we breathed, I could already tell...


    This was going to be a very long night.

 Chapter 669-Amazing Sex

    <h4>Chapter 669: 669-Amazing Sex</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    His hand touched my curves so gently. He knew where to touch and where to kiss. When his lips kissed my ear with his breath causing my heart to stop, my body moved in a circr motion back on his crotch.


    His hand ran forward, touching my pussy over my fabric for a second before he began to pull down my pajamas.


    I closed my eyes and let him touch my bare pussy once he had left me naked down there.


    He had tossed my pajamas out from under the nket and onto the ground. His other hand moved up from under my top and touched my boob, grabbing it and massaging it gently.


    I synchronized my move with his movements, my body reacting on its own as he kept grinding on him while lying on the side.


    His fingers reached my clit and I let out the breath I had been holding back.


    The tip of his fingers vibrated my clit, causing my whole body to feel the shock waves. My skin had goosebumps on it.


    His fingers yed around my nipple, his head moving under my arm and reaching for my other boob. His touch tickled my erected tits, his hand forcing its way between my legs. I caught onto it and closed my legs on his hand, not wanting him out.


    I was so hot at that moment that I did not want any interruption. He pushed my legs open again and gently slipped his finger inside me, causing my back to arch onto his chest.


    With every push of his finger inside me, I moaned under my breath. His hand massaged my breast so lovingly. His lips sucked my tit passionately. His finger fucked my vagina aggressively.


    His hand would almost fist me down there when he would shove his finger up so hard.


    After a few more thrusts from his finger, he realized he wanted to do more.


    He adjusted my one leg forward and then his cock on my pussy from the back.


    I yelped loudly this time when he shoved the entire length in me in one big thrust. His shaft was so hot and wide, making my eyes pop out every time he went deep in me.


    His thrusts were gentle in the beginning, syncing with his hand touching my boob and lips on my tit. But then they picked up speed, causing me to tear up a little from the aggressiveness.


    I liked it though.


    I bit onto my bottom lip when he would suddenly change the speed and fuck me passionately.


    Just knowing that it was Emmet was making me hotter.


    I felt his shaft tear inside me and then go out with heat rushing from my pussy to my nipples that he sucked off.


    After minutes of thrusting from behind, he adjusted his body and let me lie down on my back. He came on top of me, and this time, our eyes met deeply.


    He ced his arm over my head, his lips leaning in to kiss my legs as he positioned himself between my legs and pushed his dick inside me once again.


    This time, his movements were much slower. Each time he entered me, he would give me a passionate kiss on the lips, breaking the kiss as he withdrew.


    "If I have to stay like this for the rest of my life, I won¡¯tin," he whispered on my lips, causing my back to arch with each thrust.


    "I love you so much, Emmet," I could only manage to respond. My mind was overwhelmed with pleasure as my body experienced intense sensations.


    He kissed my lips again before burying his face in my neck, licking and sucking my skin. His pace quickened, his movements bing more forceful, and his thrusts speeding up like a machine. He began moving in and out of me rapidly, eliciting loud moans from me as he continued to kiss my neck. His shaft started to swell, and I felt a knot building inside me. I gasped loudly as he lifted his face from my neck and gazed at me, my eyes struggling to stay open. His cock remained knotted inside me as I heard him groan loudly.


    "Fuckkk!" he eximed as he released his warm liquid inside me, filling my vagina. I finally exhaled, my breathing still erratic. He copsed on top of me before we both got up for a shower and returned to bed together.


    It was a passionate moment that we chose not to spoil with words. However, morning arrived as it always does, and we had to part ways. He was sleeping, holding me from behind when a loud knock on the door startled me awake. I opened my eyes to the voices outside, a reminder of my childhood here, where arguments would often start early in the morning.


    "Emmet, somebody¡¯s at the door," I whispered, trying to unwrap his arms from around my body.


    "Hm?" Emmet groaned, finally letting go and rolling to the side.


    "There¡¯s no space behind¡ª" Before I could react or stop him, he identally rolled off the bed. He hit the floor with a soft thud, and his eyes flew open.


    "What happened?" he asked innocently, his eyes still half-closed.


    "Are you okay?" I asked, caught in awe as I stared at his pouty lips.


    "Yeah?" he mumbled, looking lost as he reached up, grabbed a pillow from the bed, and tucked it under his head like he didn¡¯t care he was lying on the floor.


    I smiled watching him, then got out of bed and practically begged him to get off the ground. I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to leave for the bathroom until I was sure he wasfortable. He finally got up and copsed onto his own bed this time, drifting back to sleep while I slipped away to get ready for the day.


    ¡¯Last night was amazing. He feels even better when he¡¯s inside us,¡¯ my wolf snickered, and so did I.


    But then, I remembered Norman. Would he be so angry with me that things would start falling apart between us?

 Chapter 670-Tale Of Pied Piper

    <h4>Chapter 670: 670-Tale Of Pied Piper</h4>


    <strong>Altan:</strong>


    "Let¡¯s go over there," he pointed at the wires that separated the pack from the roguend, the border.


    "I don¡¯t think we should go there," I suggested, with my tiny hands being rubbed together constantly.


    "Why not? Don¡¯t be a coward. It will be fine. Besides, we need to see what is out there," he insisted, and I kept shaking my head, not sure what had gotten into himtely.


    "Didn¡¯t Father say many times we shouldn¡¯t go over the border?" I asked in a hesitant tone. My body would shake every time he would suggest we do something reckless. As a nine-year-old, we should not be crossing borders. But he was so fierce. Everyone knew him as the little fierce prince who would grow up to be the best alpha ever.


    "Don¡¯t be a chicken. I will be with you. We¡¯ll take a quick peek and return. Nobody will find out, and even if they did, they will only praise us. They will praise you, for the first time ever. Don¡¯t you want that approval so badly?" He walked over and ced his hands on my shoulders, his eyes looking into mine.


    How could I say no to my twin brother?


    "Altan? Alpha Altan?"


    I jolted awake at my beta shaking my arm. I must have fallen asleep on the chair. It had been happening a lottely. I had been having dreams about my childhood more frequently now. And in those dreams, all I see is my brother watching me and judging me. It was like I was reliving that incident over and over again.


    "What is it?" I asked my beta.


    "Hnie and the Rogue King have started their investigation already. They are going from house to house and interviewing the victim¡¯s parents. Don¡¯t you think you should be there too? Our people won¡¯t be happy that their alpha is not participating at all." Rocky had been just as disturbed as I had been.


    Not because of my dreams, he didn¡¯t know. But ever since he saw Hnie again, I guess he too realized how messed up we were back in the day.


    "Yeah, you are right. Prepare my car. I will meet them at the house," I said as I tried to get up, but the headache made me sit down again.


    "I¡¯ll get you coffee first," Rocky patted my shoulder before walking away.


    I was now living practically on my own. My mother didn¡¯t like the fact that I went against my own father. I guess she truly believed my father¡¯s words, that he was innocent in Hnie¡¯s case, hiding her eyes from the evidence against him.


    And then there was this burden of guilt. The guilt of being a coward.


    After I had showered and grabbed my coffee, I reached the house Hnie and Emmet had been at.


    I entered the living room to pass a first quick nce at Hnie. The girl I used to y with, the girl I never thought I could ever end up with, was now in front of me. She had be a perfect woman, someone I could never have anymore.


    She looked so pretty in brown pants and a beige shirt. Her golden long hair was in a high ponytail, with strands running loose over her cheeks like a waterfall. She was intently listening to the father who had lost his son to the abduction.


    And then there was the man beside her. Confident in all ck, his shoulders broad and his eyes narrowed at the father.


    I had seen some spark between them, but I couldn¡¯t fathom Hnie would ever cheat on her husband. She was not the type.


    But then what was going on between her and Emmet?


    "Hmmm, okay, thank you so much," Hnie said to the father and got up.


    "You will find my son, right?" the father let out a cry to Hnie, who gave him aforting look.


    The fact that these people used to be so nasty towards her, yet she was so deeply focused on helping them find their children, showed why she was the Alpha Queen today.


    "How did it go?" I asked Hnie as she was reaching the door, where I had been standing too.


    "We¡¯ll have to ask Emmet, he¡¯s been noticing stuff," she replied, once again relying on the maning behind her. When he walked past me, I realized how broad and tall he was. He had a very impactful presence.


    And somehow, I just felt so jealous of him. He got to speak with her, spend time with her, and it appeared she respected him a lot too.


    I just didn¡¯t like him with her. And that Norman too. Or any of his brothers.


    I followed them outside and met up in the park where the two had nned to set up this meeting. I could tell it was Emmet¡¯s idea. He was all over her, making decisions, and she followed his lead.


    I sat down across the pic table while she sat with him. He set the papers on the table but kept his eyes on the sky, as if checking the weather.


    "You know, I¡¯ve been wondering what kind of entity it could be from the evil Organization. I was trying really hard beforeing here to find its name, until I met the victims¡¯ parents. There have been indications that this entity isn¡¯t just some old monster unleashed by the X Codex. It feels personal," Emmet started, and I watched Hnie look at him with so much adoration in her eyes. She was impressed by him.


    "What do you mean?" Hnie asked. Not once did she spare me a nce. At times, I got worried she would walk right through me.


    "All the kids had one thing inmon before they went missing. They were upset, depressed, or not ready to ept reality. It reminds me of a popr tale from my childhood. Ever heard of the Pied Piper?" Emmet said slowly, even taking my full attention.


    I must admit, that man knew how to hold an audience.

 Chapter 671-My Detective Mate

    <h4>Chapter 671: 671-My Detective Mate</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Sitting with Emmet and listening to him made me blush so hard now.


    But it was a serious matter, so I had topose myself.


    "Pied Piper? As in that tale where the piper yed the flute and made the children follow him?" Altan asked. Emmet only nodded once, then blinked his eyes to confirm that¡¯s exactly what he was talking about.


    "I don¡¯t understand. How is that tale rted to these cases?" Altan said aloud, echoing the question I¡¯d been silently wondering. But since Emmet brought it up, he must know what he was talking about.


    "Those children weren¡¯t kidnapped. They left on their own," Emmet¡¯s statement made my eyes go wide.


    "But where would they go? And how has no one heard about them all these days?" I asked, confused. If they left on their own, they must have had somewhere to go. They hadn¡¯t left the pack¡ª otherwise, the warriors would have noticed something.


    But then again, the warriors hadn¡¯t been doing a great job at the borders. I remembered how easy it had been for a wounded and disturbed me to run away from the pack back then.


    "They¡¯re not alone. All I¡¯m saying is that they¡¯re the ones summoning whatever this demon is. And that demon helps them escape their homes," Emmet said with confidence, making me keep staring at his face.


    "They¡¯re summoning the demon? Why? And who is this demon?" Altan almost leaned forward like he was ready to climb into Emmet¡¯s mouth to get the answers directly.


    "Sadness. They were all depressed and had talked about running away at one point or another.


    As for the ¡¯thing¡¯¡ªthat¡¯s what we have to find out," Emmet said. His insight made me feel proud of him. At least he¡¯d figured out what was leading to the disappearances.


    But it was still very confusing.


    "How?" Altan questioned.


    "Time will tell. For now, I have something of the demon¡¯s we can test. Maybe that¡¯ll help us figure out what we¡¯re dealing with," Emmet suggested, and I began nodding.


    However, the moment he stretched his arms, I had a feeling he was going to do something reckless, like put his arm around my shoulder and pull me closer.


    Thankfully, he noticed the scared look on my face and pulled his arm back.


    I wasn¡¯t afraid of being seen with him, we just needed to be the first to exin things ourselves, instead of letting others start a rumor that we¡¯d end up confirming.


    "But when can we expect the results?" I asked Emmet. He turned to me and stared straight at my lips, making me self-conscious. I gulped.


    "In a day or two," he said.


    "What do you n to do for the rest of the day?" he asked,pletely ignoring Altan, as if he wasn¡¯t even sitting with us.


    I swear even Altan noticed, because he cleared his throat.


    "If you two aren¡¯t investigating anymore, I wanted to host a lunch in your honor, Hnie," Altan stated, his tone very steady.


    "Let the pack members know you¡¯vee back to help them."


    But his fingers intertwined anxiously, as if he wasn¡¯t sure whether his invitation would receive a positive response.


    "Actually, I have something else to do today," I replied to both.


    Emmet gave me a nod before we both got up to leave. I told him where he needed to drop me off.


    Straight to the mental asylum where they were keeping Diaz.


    "You don¡¯t want me toe with you?" Emmet asked, walking beside me until the entrance.


    "I¡¯ll be fine. I need to do this alone," I reassured him with a soft smile, hoping it was enough to show I¡¯d be okay.


    The building looked cold and quiet from the outside. Tall beige walls, small windows with thick bars, and a heavy door that groaned when it opened as I stepped in.


    My heart was pounding in my chest, even as I tried to convince myself I was ready.


    But how could anyone ever really be ready for a meetup like this?


    The air smelled like old medicine and something sour.


    I stepped inside slowly, my boots echoing on the floor.


    The lights above flickered, and the hallway stretched on, lined with closed doors. Behind one of them, he was waiting.


    The man who ruined me.


    The man who thought he had every right over my body.


    He never cared when I was being tortured in his pack.


    But he was there to end the only happiness I had ever known.


    My mental peace, despite all the fucked-up people around me.


    But he stole that too.


    They kept him in a quiet part of the building, far down the left hallway because he was an ex alpha.


    I had to walk past an old metal gate that let out a loud buzzing sound as it unlocked.


    His room was small. The walls were padded so he couldn¡¯t hurt himself.


    There was only a bed, a toilet, and one buzzing ceiling light that sounded like a trapped insect.


    A camera sat in the corner, watching everything. Probably his outbursts too.


    No sharp objects. No mirrors. Just him, the soft walls. I wondered if he ever thought about his actions and felt ashamed of himself now that he was here.


    He looked weak and fragile, almost as he shifted in bed and stared at me.


    He instantly tried to get up ande toward me, but he was chained to the bed.


    He could only get up and move so far.


    "All hail the Alpha Queen," Diaz snickered, giving me a full bow, knees to the ground, forehead touching the floor.


    "I knew you woulde. You wouldn¡¯t miss the chance to meet the man who made you a queen," he said, snickering like a madman.


    But it was his words that made me clench my fists.


    "And I knew you would return to win my son again. But don¡¯t think you¡¯ve won. There is a bigger enemy waiting for you," he chuckled, speaking without me saying a single word.


    But I wasn¡¯t going to walk away and let him win.


    I was here to fuck with his mind.

 Chapter 672-My Sons Are Special Too.

    <h4>Chapter 672: 672-My Sons Are Special Too.</h4>


    <strong>Darcy:</strong>


    "Tell me exactly what¡¯s going on there," I hissed, feeling irritated with everything happening. That Hnie had already ruined so much for me.


    And then her mother, that bitch, yed me for years. Made me believe her when she said Hnie wasn¡¯t her daughter with her mate, which is why she didn¡¯t even care for her.


    Turned out, she lied. She acted that way so I wouldn¡¯t go looking for Hnie myself.


    If only I had been a little wiser.


    But then again, how would I have proven Hnie was her mate¡¯s daughter? I¡¯d need a DNA test, and that wasn¡¯t possible.


    "That girl Azura¡ª she¡¯s back. Back from the dead."


    As if I hadn¡¯t been suffering enough already, now I had to deal with a fucking zombie?


    I¡¯d been struggling to keep control of all the girls on the list I¡¯d created, and now this?


    "Charlotte, have you lost your mind? That¡¯s not possible. She cannote back," I grunted, sitting up straighter in my chair.


    "It¡¯s true. She¡¯s here. Living with us in the guest room," Charlotte said, clearly stressed, and rightfully so.


    I began breathing heavily, a cold sweat forming on my skin.


    "Where¡¯s Emmet? Please tell me my sons didn¡¯t instantly wee her. They need to investigate her," I snapped, starting to panic.


    Why was she back? Can anyone evene back from the dead?


    "They asked her a few questions and then nothing. As for Emmet, he¡¯s out for a few days with Hnie, working on a case in the Vicious Banes pack," she added, making me sigh and lean back in my chair.


    "Keep an eye on that Azura girl. If she tries anything, let me know. I¡¯ll have no trouble having her killed again," I hissed, hanging up the call.


    "I got rid of her once, why the fuck is she back now?" I groaned, just as my beta walked in and leaned over to kiss me on the cheek.


    "You look worried," he said, ncing around to make sure no one was watching us. That¡¯s when he slipped his hand into my dress and started massaging my breast.


    "That dead girl is back. That Azura bitch," I hissed.


    He froze, pulled his hand out of my dress, and sat down across from me with a stunned look on his face.


    "But how?" he asked, wearing the same confusion I felt inside.


    "Do you think the Moon Goddess is meddling again?" he whispered.


    "I have the same fear," I grunted, clenching and releasing my fists.


    "By the way, I came here to tell you Sage came by to meet you. What do you want to do with her now? She thinks you¡¯re genuinely infatuated with her and want her to read to you," he said, making me sigh and shake my head.


    I had been doing so well until Azura came back.


    Sage was a good candidate for Emmet.


    She had secretly loved my son for a while. And I¡¯m sure she believed we approved of her for him. And I thought maybe it could be her, I was wrong.


    But now we¡¯d have to say goodbye.


    With Azura even in the picture, I don¡¯t think anyone else can stay in my son¡¯s life.


    "Tell Sage I¡¯ve found someone else to read for me," I muttered.


    It was time wasted on her, and I did feel a little bad. She would have been good for my son.


    Once my beta left, likely to send Sage away for good, I straightened in my seat and began to wonder,


    How much does Azura remember from herst day alive?


    What if she remembers it was me who killed her?


    If she tells Emmet, he¡¯ll realize that all his guilt was my doing. It was my n to weaken him. To make him rely on me.


    Well, it didn¡¯t work.


    Instead of drowning in alcohol and clinging to his mommy, he took the alcohol and cut me off.


    Larry walked back after blowing her off and sat down with me again, his hand clearly itching to be in my panties once more.


    I was single, but that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t have fun.


    Sadly, the one person I had the most fun with was now in a mental asylum.


    I used to visit his pack for meetings, but once his wife and son were sound asleep, he and I would sneak into the guest room or anywhere we could find and fuck.


    It continued for years until he was recently arrested.


    And then there was Salem¡¯ father.


    Mister Coomb was good too, but because he was only a royal beta until recently, I didn¡¯t enjoy him as much.


    But Larry was different.


    I loved the fact that everyone suspected something was going on between us. That¡¯s what made sex with him exciting. I liked the thrill.


    "Was she crying when you sent her away?" I asked, a smile ying on my lips.


    Even when my n failed, I still wanted to know someone suffered because I shunned them.


    "She looked like she was about to," Larry said, giving me the good news. Then he shifted on the edge of the seat, and I knew it was something important he was about to bring up.


    "What are we going to do now? With Azura being back, what¡¯s next?" he asked.


    I tapped my fingers on the armrest of the chair.


    "Kesha is already in Kaye¡¯s life. Maximus needs to be with Charlotte soon. And then there¡¯s Azura, we¡¯ll need to see what can be done about her. And my son, Norman I need to speak with Jessica," I said with determination.


    "She¡¯s mostly at her brother¡¯s grave these days. We better hurry before she loses her mind," Larry suggested, and I couldn¡¯t agree more.


    "Don¡¯t worry. I have good news for her," I mumbled, noticing the way his eyes stayed on me.


    "A special someone told me my sons are going to have good news soon. Turns out, Hnie is receable. I¡¯d love to see what she does when my sons stop giving her their full attention," I said, rubbing my hands together excitedly.


    Just when others thought I had lost, I¡¯d been granted a win.


    "For now, prepare my ride. I¡¯m going to meet Jessica," I decided, getting up to go change.


    But before walking away, I gestured at Larry to meet me in my bedroom.


    Nobody said we couldn¡¯t have a little fun while I changed.

 Chapter 673-Watching His Fall From Grace

    <h4>Chapter 673: 673-Watching His Fall From Grace</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You are right," I smiled, and that¡¯s when his smile started to fade away. He narrowed his eyes, probably waiting for me to finish what I was here for.


    "I came back and marked your son. In fact, we will be having a baby soon," I gave him a wide smile, watching the horror fill his eyes.


    "No," he uttered, shaking his head.


    "You cannot win. You didn¡¯t¡ª" It was a harsh reality hitting him hard. He did so much and even lost his crown, all for me toe back and take the son he so desperately wanted to hide from me.


    "Tell me it is a lie!" he screamed, while I began tough.


    "Why would I lie? I¡¯m just happy I got so much more now. So in a sense, you are right. You made me a marked mate of your son, not an Alpha Queen." I was hitting him back with the same kind of torture he thought he was giving me.


    "That cannot happen. I fucking lost everything trying to keep him away from you¡ªno!"


    He dropped to his knees and began sobbing.


    "I fucking hate everyone. Why am I facing so much pain when you are doing just fine?" he kept screaming, hitting his forehead on the floor repeatedly.


    "But why are you worried? Didn¡¯t you say I have another monster awaiting me?" I asked, watching him slow down and raise his face again.


    "Yeah! hahaha," he let out augh, but when I smirked, he began to lose his confidence again.


    "I took care of that monster as well," I bluffed, and he started to hyperventte.


    "No, you cannot defeat her. Darcy is way more powerful than me, and she will never lose."


    The minute he said her name, I realized who was behind his hatred for me.


    It made me wonder, how long had Diaz and Darcy known they both hated me?


    "Well, you¡¯re wrong about that. Besides, Altan said he would give his life before mine. So if Darcy tries attacking me, your son will die first. And he will die for me."


    I watched him take deeper breaths and then start hitting himself again, this time more violently.


    "No! My son can never be such a loser. He cannot be a ve to your love. Not after I ruined my life getting rid of you! Darcy was right about you¡ªyou¡¯re a leech. You shouldn¡¯t have been born. You were always going to ruin lives one day," he was crying hysterically, yelling and screaming.


    All the while, I was shocked that Darcy had so much hatred for me.


    I watched him go crazy, and then the nurses appeared, trying to calm him down.


    He was screaming and doing all sorts of craziness, so they had to decide to give him more shocks.


    I watched him suffer, then finally walked out of the asylum.


    Emmet had been leaning back against the car, using his phone by the time I arrived.


    "Talking to Azura?" I reached him and said as I peered over his shoulder.


    "Why would you say that?" he asked, showing me the screen himself.


    "It¡¯s my mom. She found out Azura is back, and she¡¯s flipping out," he stated calmly, making me nod as I stood next to him.


    "How did it go?" he questioned.


    "Just like I had nned," I replied. "Watching him suffer made my day."


    It wasn¡¯t a lie. I wasn¡¯t going to have empathy for someone like him. He did wrong and was getting punished for it. His brain was so faulty that even if he was set free again, he¡¯d repeat his actions until I was dead.


    "What is your mother saying?" I didn¡¯t outright tell him what Diaz had revealed to me, because I understood that Darcy was their mother. Even when they knew she was a toxic woman, I don¡¯t think they could ever fully wrap their minds around the idea that Diaz might know she hated me, might even see herself as my biggest enemy.


    "She¡¯s asking me if I¡¯m certain it¡¯s Azura," Emmet replied, steadily stepping away from the car and opening the passenger door for me.


    After sitting down, I watched him take the driver¡¯s seat and start the engine.


    "Actually, I¡¯m confused myself. How could someonee back from the dead? Could it be that it¡¯s someone else?" I inquired, turning my head to him.


    "That is her," he replied confidently.


    "May I know how you can be so certain?" I noticed he went silent, just focusing on the road. I straightened my back in the seat and, after a few minutes of silence, turned to him again.


    "You never told me about the night of her death."


    I looked away again because I had a feeling he wouldn¡¯t share it with me. I didn¡¯t me him. Some events are pretty depressing.


    But he shocked me when he started talking, actually recalling that night.


    "It was just like every other night, but slightly different. The same arguments, the same me trying to escape, but it was a full moon night. So me leaving seemed like running away to her."


    I was fully blown away by his confession.


    Running away?


    Arguments?


    Were they going through a rough patch?


    I knew they weren¡¯t even eighteen, so arguments about who their fated mates were couldn¡¯t have been the issue.


    So what could they have been arguing over?


    All I knew was that the two of them loved each other desperately, and were ready to be each other¡¯s chosen mates.


    "Did shee after you and get attacked by Maximus?" I asked, and Emmet steadily nodded.


    "I warned her not to leave. I told her to stay back and wait for me toe back. But one thing about Azura that hasn¡¯t changed, she¡¯s stubborn, Hnie. She doesn¡¯t take no for an answer," he uttered, almost like reminiscing on their time together. Even his voice was deeper now.


    "What were you two arguing over?" I asked out of curiosity. And he began to tell me exactly what went wrong between them.


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 674-Her Last Words

    <h4>Chapter 674: 674-Her Last Words</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    <strong>Years Ago:</strong>


    "We should talk about it," she came into my view, arms spread wide, eyes locked onto mine.


    "Azura, not tonight. I have to be somewhere," I said, trying to walk past her.


    "Are you seriously running away from this conversation, thinking that would be the perfect response to your desperate girlfriend?" she held onto my hoodie and stopped me from walking away.


    I felt embarrassed every time she behaved that way. Sometimes she¡¯d even act like this in front of my parents and siblings, even when she knew I wasn¡¯tfortable with it.


    Especially when I had told her things were changing rapidly. But she didn¡¯t care. If she got upset about something, she would hit me right in front of everyone. And I hated the idea of violence against someone you im to love.


    "I¡¯m not running away. I¡¯m going out there for my brother," I held her hand to free my hoodie when she let out a yelp and pulled back, stepping away from me with tears in her eyes.


    Honestly speaking, I didn¡¯t even hold her hand that tightly.


    "You hurt me," she whimpered.


    "I didn¡¯t. I only freed my hoodie," I replied sternly this time. She had been doing this to me for thest couple of months.


    Every time I tried to get past her, she¡¯d either im she got pushed or that I hit her.


    I knew it wasn¡¯t true, but she¡¯d be so stubborn about it that I¡¯d eventually have to give up and bow down to her.


    "We¡¯ll talkter," I replied to herint, seriously so done that I didn¡¯t even want to stand near her anymore.


    "No," she blocked my way again, making me stop and grunt at her.


    "Kaye and Noirman are there with your brother. Do you even understand what¡¯s going on? Maximus doesn¡¯t want us together, so he¡¯s making up some shit about his wolfing early. That¡¯s a lie. He just doesn¡¯t want us to have this conversation."


    Every time she spoke about Maximus like that, I felt anger run through my veins.


    She had no clue what my brother was going through. Of course, we kept it from her for a reason.


    My brothers didn¡¯t want any outsider to find out what had been happening to Maximus for some time.


    And even when I told Azura the outside wasn¡¯t safe during the full moon, she wouldn¡¯t listen to me.


    Lately, she had be so stubborn that I was honestly beginning to wonder if she¡¯d follow me outside one day and see Maximus herself.


    "I said we¡¯ll talk about itter. If you respect me and believe me, you¡¯ll wait for morning in your bedroom. I promise we¡¯ll have this talk," I reassured her in a much calmer tone since she made it clear she wouldn¡¯t listen to me otherwise.


    "Remember, Emmet! I¡¯ll die if you stop loving me."


    Her words made my heart shake.


    She gave me a blunt look while I started walking away.


    The fact that the conversation she wanted to have had already happened nonstop for the past forty days was exhausting.


    It was always the same thing said and done by her.


    I left the mansion to join Kaye and Norman at the entrance.


    "Kaye! You will stick with us, okay?" Being the youngest among us, we cared for him, but he wanted to be there for Maximus too.


    "I spoke with Mom. She said Maximus will only get worse from here," Norman whispered, trying to keep Kaye from hearing us.


    "Did she tell you what¡¯s happening to him? Why has he been in pain for years, and at such a young age?" I asked Norman, my eyes on Kaye, who stood next to us in tears, watching Maximus groan on the ground in the middle of the woods.


    "She said it¡¯s a curse. She¡¯ll tell us about it."


    My skin broke out in goosebumps the second I heard the word curse. A young teen is cursed for what?


    I watched Maximus go through the most painful transition, and then it became the same cycle as always. We¡¯d make him run around and offer him our blood from time to time to keep him from attacking others. Until something else happened.


    That night wasn¡¯t like the others. Especially because there was someone who never took no for an answer.


    "Emmet?" I felt shivers run down my spine. Maximus was drinking blood from Kaye, who had insisted on being part of the help for his brother. Maximus wasn¡¯t fully a beast yet, so the blood from his brothers would calm him down.


    "Azura!" I gulped, my eyes widening. Even Norman looked shocked.


    "What is that? Why aren¡¯t you doing anything about that monster attacking your brother?" she screamed, throwing a rock at Maximus in panic.


    Norman and I rushed toward her to stop her, but she wasn¡¯t the type to listen to instructions.


    "Somebody help! There¡¯s a monster here!" And just like that¡ªShe had stolen the attention of the angry lycan.


    Maximus let go of Kaye and turned, hissing at her.


    "Azura, run!" I yelled, loud and clear.


    But she didn¡¯t listen. While Norman and I tried to reach her, Maximus got to her first. All I saw was blood sttering around as he wed her. Her screams filled the air, echoing like a mncholic melody.


    I instantly began pulling Maximus away. He attacked her, but never us. He would drink from us, but somehow was never triggered by us.


    It was Kaye who managed to steal Maximus¡¯s attention again by running in wide circles. Maximus¡¯s focus shifted. It was like a game to him, Kaye had be his distraction. Even as a lycan, his heart still ached for entertainment, for y¨C especially with his brothers.


    Once Kaye made Maximus follow him, I reached Azura.


    She was losing blood¡ªfast.


    "I don¡¯t think he can transition to heal. We need to take her to the hospital," I said, tears running down my face.


    Since ourst conversation hadn¡¯t ended well, guilt was already crushing me.


    She was in my arms and I was running away, when I felt her teeth sinking into my neck before she said something to me. I couldn¡¯t help but remember herst words to me.

 Chapter 675-The Broken Heart Curse

    <h4>Chapter 675: 675-The Broken Heart Curse</h4><subtxt> "What happened afterward?" I was shocked to hear that they hadn¡¯t been living a very loving life before her demise.


    I could tell why. Emmet was a teenager himself, and he had been burdened with responsibilities. Of course, it couldn¡¯t have been easy for the brothers to watch their little brother go through a painful transformation every full moon. And then there was Azura, she wasn¡¯t helping him either.


    What he told me made me feel like she was really being difficult.


    "Norman asked me to look after Kaye and Maximus because I wasn¡¯t in the state to carry Azura to the hospital. He took her there, and that¡¯s how the night ended," he paused before softly adding, "The morning I returned home, I also found out she had gone missing from the hospital."


    That¡¯s when I began to remember that Emmet had once used Norman of being behind Azura¡¯s murder.


    "Do you think Norman didn¡¯t take her to the hospital?" I asked, not believing it myself. I knew Norman. I knew he would never do something like that. Even when, in the beginning, he hated me and wanted to shun me away, he never did. So why would he do that to Azura and cause his brother such pain?


    "No! Absolutely not. I know Norman took her to the hospital," he said, sounding genuinely firm in his response.


    But then why did he use Norman? His memory couldn¡¯t be med for it. There¡¯s a difference between having no memory and having a false one.


    "Then how did she end up in the well?" I inquired.


    "Ah, that¡¯s a mystery. But I always had a theory. Maybe she woke up and left for transition, and because she was weak, she tripped and fell into the well? She was stubborn, though, so I could imagine her going out on her own," he muttered, not once ming Norman for it.


    I leaned back in the seat before uttering, "What were you two arguing about?" It was the same question I had asked him before. I had a good visual of the night, but never the answer to that exact question.


    "Hnie, I told her that I couldn¡¯t feel the same way toward her as I did during the first two years after she arrived. It was young love, maybe just attraction. But over time, I realized it was more so forced upon me. She was the one who guided my feelings most of the time. She was the one who would tell me how I felt about her, that she saw it in my eyes. I was a young whippersnapper, so I believed her and got into a very immature rtionship with her. The kind where even holding hands seemed naughty. But the haze of that phase faded with time. I began to realize I was more curious to find my fated mate than to choose her, and I told her exactly that. She didn¡¯t like it. She began to question my character and even said I was being misled. She imed I had hurt her so much with that thought that one day, she would die because of me. And guess what? Right before Norman carried her away, she whispered onest thing into my ear," Emmet paused, making me watch his face in worry.


    "If you hadn¡¯t broken my heart, I wouldn¡¯t have followed you. My blood is on your hands, and I curse you to always remember me," he uttered, then gently touched his neck.


    I frowned in confusion, trying to see what he was touching when he said, "And she marked me."


    "Emmet, what do you mean by ¡¯she marked you¡¯?" I asked, curious about his words. It was a bizarre confession to make.


    "When a werewolf is dying with a broken heart, she or he can bite you and curse you with their memory," he said softly.


    Before I could even react to his statement, I watched him frown and stop the car with a jolt.


    I followed his gaze to something, or rather, someone deeply disturbing in front of us. It was a group of pack members on the road.


    "What is going on?" I asked him, even though he was just as clueless as I was. That¡¯s when we began to read the signs they were holding. They were protesting against Altan.


    Emmet and I rushed out of the car to approach these people, wondering what hadpelled such a reaction out of them.


    "What is going on?" I asked onedy, who stopped screaming slurs and looked at me.


    "Our Alpha is ipetent, that¡¯s what¡¯s happening! What has he done for us? Our children are going missing, and all he does is show up and apologize. There has been no development in the mysterious disappearances of our children. And then today, he imed they¡¯re leaving on their own. Is that the best he coulde up with?" she screamed in my face.


    Emmet quickly pulled me away from her, stepping between us.


    "Is Altan okay in his head?" Emmet asked, turning to me.


    The crowd was getting crazier. They had alcohol bottles in their hands, and we could only guess where they were headed. They were going to set the pack mansion on fire.


    "Why did he have to inform them about the discoveries like that? And he didn¡¯t even exin anything properly to them," I grunted, agreeing with Emmet, Altan hadpletely lost his mind.


    "Everyone," Emmet gave me a reassuring nod, silently promising he would take care of it, then turned to face the crowd.


    "Listen to me!" he shouted, climbing onto the hood of his car. The crowd fell nearly silent.


    "Your Alpha is not wrong about the children leaving on their own¡ª"


    As soon as he repeated Altan¡¯s words, the crowd erupted again.


    "Fucking shut up and let him finish!" I screamed. Some people gasped, but it was enough to quiet them down.


    "But it¡¯s also true that someone has been manipting them into leaving," Emmet continued. "And that someone will be in front of you soon. I give you my word."


    His way of delivering the information made the crowd lower their signs and nce at one another. Of course, they didn¡¯t want to believe their children had left willingly. And it wasn¡¯t entirely true either. So, they clung to Emmet¡¯s promise that someone convincing their children to leave would be found.</subtxt>

 Chapter 676-I Want Her Back

    <h4>Chapter 676: 676-I Want Her Back</h4>


    <strong>Altan:</strong>


    "See, it isn¡¯t that bad. I told you, we shouldn¡¯t be scared of anything. This is our world. The world of werewolves. All the other creatures are just tiny monsters here, the ones we¡¯re supposed to y," my twin said, grinning like he had just achieved a lifelong goal. He¡¯d always wanted to cross the border on his own, no warriors, no parental figures to intervene. He believed as alphas, we shouldn¡¯t be surrounded by warriors to protect us.


    "Yeah, we did it. But we should go back home now," I suggested, and the look on his face told me he was disappointed in me.


    "Come on, let¡¯s stay a little," he said, tossing the ball in the air and catching it, carefree. Meanwhile, I was focused on paying attention to our surroundings. I was skeptical of the ce. Father had told us that, every now and then, some monsters would appear out of nowhere.


    I was scared, what if we¡¯d made a mistake? But I didn¡¯t tell my brother that. He¡¯d just call me a coward again, and I didn¡¯t want that tag.


    "Children, please help me," a gentle, soft, old voice made me jump in fear. I looked at my brother immediately. He didn¡¯t seem bothered, just curious.


    "Where are you going?" I asked him as he kept staring at the bushes.


    "There¡¯s someone behind these bushes who needs our help," he said, making me hold his hand.


    "Help me," the old man called again, but I held my brother¡¯s hand tightly.


    "It could be anything. Someone trying to lure us behind the bushes," I said, shaking my head, silently begging him not to follow the voice.


    "Don¡¯t you hear the distress in his voice?" my brother hissed at me, and I took a deep breath, gently letting go of his hand. The way he red into my eyes scared me. I knew if I didn¡¯t let him do what he wanted now, he wouldn¡¯t speak to me for the rest of the week.


    I watched my brother walk toward the bushes. I stayed behind, unable to bring myself to see what was behind them.


    "I¡¯m badly wounded¡ª I need help," the man whimpered again.


    My brother quickened his steps. He followed the sound with more determination now. The faster he moved, the more scared I became. My heart started to pound, faster than ever, and something in me screamed that I should¡¯ve been more stubborn and stopped him.


    He reached the bushes and leaned in for a closer look. That¡¯s when a hand shot out and suddenly grabbed him.


    "Let him go!" I yelled, running toward the bushes when another w appeared and attacked my brother.


    I was not a hero. Never a hero.


    I had grown up afraid of every shadow I saw. There was even a time I was scared of my own shadow, so watching my brother get attacked by something so inhumane was not easy for me. My little body was shaking.


    I started to rush toward the bushes when the thing yanked my brother behind them. I was too afraid to look. That¡¯s when I stepped back. My brother was still screaming. His body crawled out partway, and he made dead eye contact with me, almost like he was asking why I wasn¡¯ting to help him.


    I turned and ran, speeding in the opposite direction to get help. There was no way I could save him from whatever was behind that bush.


    Sadly, it only takes a few minutes for someone to be harmed.


    "Those few minutes you wasted should¡¯ve been spent convincing the pack members that we¡¯re going to find the entity stealing their children."


    I jolted awake at the sound of themanding voice.


    I looked up to see Emmet standing in front of me, furious. Hnie stood next to him, watching me quietly.


    I wished he wasn¡¯t here. I wished she hade alone and hugged me. She was the type who would¡¯veforted me through these nightmares. And what¡¯s worse? I was now having nightmares without even falling asleep.


    I was sleeping with my eyes open.


    "What?" Emmet grunted. "I had to calm them down for now. But be careful what you say to the pack members. That¡¯s exactly why we never talked about the X-Codex until things got bad. These people have lived sheltered lives. They don¡¯t understand when someone tells them something is happening beyond theirprehension."


    Emmet was so wise. At that moment, I even felt envious of him.


    Sometimes, I understood why Hnie was always around these brothers. They were strong and level-headed, not cowards like me.


    "I¡¯m so sorry," I muttered. "They were asking me for new information, and I didn¡¯t have any of my own. I¡¯m just sitting here daydreaming..."


    I groaned, trying my best not to sound like the ipetent Alpha my people now believed me to be.


    Soon, they¡¯ll see the real me. The coward. And then I¡¯ll no longer be the hero of this pack. I¡¯ll witness my own downfall, and maybe that will finally let my brother rest in peace.


    "Anyway, we¡¯ll head home now. We¡¯ll start the investigation tomorrow morning," Hnie said, briefly ncing at Emmet again.


    "I was thinking¡ª if you two don¡¯t mind, you could stay at the mansion tonight," I offered. Once again, I noticed Hnie shaking her head. I knew she wouldn¡¯te with me.


    But I needed her. Whenever she was around, I felt at ease.


    "Umm, we still have to stay with Vani. She¡¯ll be waiting for us," Emmet responded instead of Hnie. I noticed he always took the lead, and of course, that¡¯s why Hnie looked at him with those soft, loving eyes.


    She had chosen a man who would lead her, even when she didn¡¯t need leading.


    That¡¯s what I couldn¡¯t do for her.


    "Okay," I replied with a weak smile. Still, I walked them to their car. I kept staring at Hnie even as she got inside and they drove away.


    ¡¯We deserve her, Altan. We deserve someone like her,¡¯ my wolf howled from within, and I couldn¡¯t agree more.


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 677-His Sexy Aggression

    <h4>Chapter 677: 677-His Sexy Aggression</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    We had confronted Altan about a bad decision, but I noticed a few things. When we went into his home, he was sitting silently, almost too silently. As if he were sleeping.


    "Did you want to scold him as well?" Emmet joked in a serious tone.


    "No, but I¡¯ve been wondering what¡¯s going on with Altan. He didn¡¯t seem okay. Almost like he was absent until midway through, and then he finally responded to you," I uttered, remembering Altan¡¯s face. He had no expression when he saw us arrive.


    "Asshole must¡¯ve been thinking he lost a great one when he saw you." Emmet was so nonchnt and carefree at times that he made me roll my eyes yfully at him.


    Once we arrived home, it was Vani who had cooked food for us and the rest of the house members.


    "Come have a seat with us," Larissa offered, gesturing for us to sit down with them. They were eating so messily, probably because Emmet brought the groceries. Otherwise, they would¡¯ve rather gone out and eaten with others.


    "No thank you, we¡¯ll eat in our room," Emmet said, excusing us.


    My father hadn¡¯t looked at me directly ever since I arrived. But my brother was all smiles whenever I looked at him. I had a feeling he wanted to show me off to his friends to get stuff from them.


    It was crazy that I was younger than him, yet I had grown up so fast while he remained the same nonsensical dude.


    "Vani, take their food to them," Larissa hissed at my little sister, who didn¡¯t mind serving us. But I didn¡¯t like how my stepmother was making her leave the table midway through her dinner.


    "Kiddo, no need. I can fill a tray for myself and Hnie," Emmet gestured at Vani to stay seated, reaching the table and filling our tes.


    "You are such a nice man. I didn¡¯t know men can do chores as well," Vani expressed her gratitude to Emmet. I had noticed many times that she liked him a lot.


    "Men must do all the chores. This is nothing," Emmet said. "I can do a lot. I can cook and bake."


    He was all smiles, like he was talking to a toddler whenever he spoke with her. It made me wonder why he never spoke the same way with his twin siblings, they were way younger than Vani.


    "I didn¡¯t know men could do all that," Vani repeated, this time more sadly.


    "That¡¯s because the men you¡¯ve surrounded yourself with arezy as fuck," Emmet¡¯sment made my father close his eyes and clench his jaw.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t like thement, but he couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    "Sullivan," Emmet said. Once the tray was filled, he turned his attention to Sullivan. I reached him and grabbed the tray out of his hands.


    "Why don¡¯t you do anything? When I was investigating the case, I found out some stuff about you as well," Emmet ced one hand on the back of Sullivan¡¯s seat and the other in his pants pocket, confronting Sullivan with a stern look on his face.


    "I¡ª" Sullivan looked up from his te and stared at his parents.


    "Actually, we don¡¯t like strangers intervening in our personal matters. My son has me. His father is alive. I can take care of things," my father snapped at Emmet. I knew he would. The way he had been ring at Emmet gave me that feeling.


    And that¡¯s where he messed up. Emmet wasn¡¯t going to back down with such little threats.


    "Mister¨Cwhatever your name is¡ªthe only reason I didn¡¯t do anything about theint is because Hnie is your daughter. Otherwise, theints against your son are not a personal matter. Stealing from pack members, deceiving them, ying with the hearts of young women. Do you want me to lose my temper and demand the Alpha take action against him?" Emmet started speaking softly, but by the end, he was muttering under his breath, clearly threatening my father to behave.


    "And as for being a father, since when did you realize you are one? When your daughter was bullied? When she was attacked by bastard Alphas? Or was it when you were paid to kill her?" I noticed the fire in Emmet¡¯s eyes, and I began to wonder if he¡¯d be able to calm down at all.


    "And if I lose my mind, I¡¯ll punish you in the worst way for epting money to strangle Hnie." That¡¯s when Emmet suddenly grabbed my father by the neck.


    Larissa screamed. She jumped from her seat and ran to the side. Even Sullivan didn¡¯t step in to help his father.


    I worried that Vani would be scared, but to my surprise, she had more fire in her eyes against our father than even Emmet did.


    My father was no longer arguing. He had gonepletely still under Emmet¡¯s grip.


    "Emmet," I called out, and he instantly let him go.


    He took a deep breath while my father fixed his cor, awkwardly getting up and heading to his room in silence.


    "Let¡¯s go," I said, motioning for Emmet toe with me to the room. He nodded, following me after terrifying both my father and Sullivan. I bet Sullivan realized he¡¯d be next if he didn¡¯t mend his ways.


    Once in the room, I ced the tray on the bed and turned to ask Emmet if he was okay, but he cupped my face in his hands and crashed his lips onto mine.


    A wave offort rushed through me as his lips danced around mine in perfect sync.


    His tongue smoothly slipped into my mouth, tangling with mine, leaving behind the taste of his love. My body began to heat up, every curve of me yearning for his touch.


    He let go of my face and ran his hands down to my ass, groping and massaging my cheeks in his firm, big hands. As he deepened the kiss, my phone suddenly started to ring loud and sharp, like it was an emergency.

 Chapter 678-He Is The Pied Piper?

    <h4>Chapter 678: 678-He Is The Pied Piper?</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I just knew it was my husband calling me. It was like an intuition. In thest few days, whenever Emmet and I got closer, especially after that night, somehow Norman would find out. He¡¯d start blowing up my phone like clockwork.


    Emmet pulled away, but he looked much calmer now.


    "Hey, babe," I answered the call, walking steadily toward the window and staring out at the backyard. There wasn¡¯t much to see, just a small yard we never really used.


    "I hope everything went well today," Norman said, sounding exhausted.


    "Yeah, it did. Diaz is suffering, and that made my day," I replied with a deep breath. "How are you? You sound exhausted."


    "That¡¯s because I am. Sleeping with you helps, you know."


    I knew exactly what he meant. I nodded to myself, biting my bottom lip awkwardly. And here I was, thinking about how to tell him that Emmet and I had escted our intimacy the other night.


    "How¡¯s the academy?" I asked, watching as Emmet walked toward the bathroom. I took a deep breath and tried to rx my muscles. For some reason, whenever I talked to Norman while Emmet was in the room, or even nearby, I felt this weird guilt. Even when I shouldn¡¯t.


    "It¡¯s good. Actually, I¡¯m calling to ask you something," he said, and I immediately knew where this conversation was headed.


    "Sure, speak your mind," I said, half-teasing, but with a knot of fear forming in my chest.


    "If it were someone other than your mate, I would¡¯ve felt it. But because it¡¯s Emmet¨C I can¡¯t sense the¡ªyou know." He paused, unable to finish the sentence. I could tell it wasn¡¯t easy for him to say the words.


    And that alone made me feel some kind of way.


    There was no way I could lie to him, not now. He had asked directly, and avoiding the question would only hurt him more. So I had to tell the truth.


    If he were in front of me right now, I was sure he¡¯d be staring straight into my eyes, silently urging me to confess. I was breathing steadily, not wanting to lose my breaths. I needed strength to confess to him. Even when I have told him already that it would be my and Emmet¡¯s decisions, I was somewhat still ashamed of going against his desires.


    "Norman, do you really want to know?" I asked, shaking my head slightly, uncertain how this would end.


    "Yeah, Hnie. I want to know. And something tells me there¡¯s something I should know, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t be asking me if I¡¯m sure of my question." Suddenly, he didn¡¯t sound tired anymore. He sounded upset. Maybe even hurt.


    "I just want to understand what¡¯s going on between you brothers. Since when did you start thinking differently about Emmet? You¡¯ve never had an issue sharing me with Maximus and Kaye," I asked seriously. I needed to understand.


    Because if this was about jealousy, or things being too crowded, it didn¡¯t make sense.


    Why kick out just one of them?


    "Hnie, did you two or not?" he asked more sternly this time, clearly determined to get an answer and not talk about anything else.


    Taking a deep breath, I understood the severity of the situation, but I had to be honest with him.


    "We did have sex the other night¡ª" I stopped mid-sentence when I heard him grunt.


    "Norman, he¡¯s also my mate. I just think it¡¯s not fair, because Maximus already told him that we had made this decision¡ª" I started rambling, trying to exin, when he interrupted me.


    "I understand," he said.


    His voice had changed so much that I began to worry.


    "Do you really?" I asked, uncertain if he meant it.


    "I need to rest," he replied, and I closed my eyes to swallow the tears welling up. I felt like such a bitch trying to do the right thing but somehow still hurting someone I loved. They were the ones who wanted to share me, and now it felt like they were drawing boundaries on my body.


    I would never sleep with anyone outside of the mate bond. But being restricted within a mate bond, after everything, felt unfair. And I couldn¡¯t even express that properly right now.


    I was feeling really terrible. It felt like I had broken Norman¡¯s heart. He had never truly received love in his life, and I always wanted to be the one who gave him that love, someone he could trust. And now, it felt like I had broken that trust.


    "Hnie, I understand. Trust me. It¡¯s not your fault, okay? I¡¯m just honestly tired. But I¡¯ll talk to you soon," he said, his tone shifting again after realizing I had gone silent.


    "Okay! please rest well," I whispered.


    "Hey? Don¡¯t be sad. Eat something and go to bed. Very soon, you¡¯ll be back in my arms," he added, trying hard to sound like he wasn¡¯t bothered, and that irked me. He had every right to be upset. I felt like such a brat.


    A very guilty one.


    "Okay! love you," I mumbled, closing my eyes when the silence lingered.


    "I love you too," he finally said, and then the call ended.


    I stared at my phone screen. I had been starving before the call, but now I wasn¡¯t sure I could even stomach anything. I missed him more than ever.


    That¡¯s when Emmet walked out of the bathroom, wearing only a pair of shorts, a towel in one hand as he dried his hair. But what caught my attention was the phone in his other hand, and the stunned, confused expression on his face. He had stopped drying altogether.


    "What is it?" I asked, already getting a sinking feeling. That look on his face¡ªsomething had happened.


    "Remember that dust we sent out for testing?" he asked slowly, his voice distant and careful as he raised his eyes from the phone screen.


    "Theb ran STR profiling and cross-referenced it with known DNA databases. It came back with a 99.98% match to¡ª" he paused dramatically, and I gulped.


    "Altan."

 Chapter 679-A Twin Must Die

    <h4>Chapter 679: 679-A Twin Must Die</h4>


    <strong>Altan:</strong>


    "You are a stupid little boy!" my father yelled, pping me again and again. My mother sat on the ground, bawling next to my brother¡¯s dead body. It was toote. Nobody could save him now. He was attacked and I couldn¡¯t do anything. I felt worthless and my father yelling at me didn¡¯t help either.


    "I was trying¡ªtrying toe to you," I huped, sadness flooding my chest. It hadn¡¯t been easy to run back to the warriors and lead them to where my brother had been. I cried endlessly after they told me my brother had been brutally killed. Half of his limbs had been eaten. He would have survived had it not been for a loser like me to dy getting help for him.


    "Why did they do that? Why? Why my innocent little son?" my mother let out another cry, and my body trembled. Every time she cried, I squeezed my shoulders up and sniffled hard. I had a feeling she would hate me too now.


    "Why did you let him walk out of the border?" my father shouted, grabbing my arm and shaking me. "Why didn¡¯t you stop him? And what took you so long toe seek help?"


    He was yelling when my mother suddenly snatched me away from him, hugging me tightly.


    "Leave him alone!" she screamed at my father.


    "He must answer! Why did it take him so long?" he shouted again.


    "I was¡ªtrying to reach the bushes first¡ª then I realized I couldn¡¯t save him from whatever monster was hiding there¡ª" I whispered through sobs, shaken and mourning my brother¡¯s death.


    "Now what? What are we going to do now? How are we going to bring him back to life?" my mother asked, her voice trembling. The question made my father¡¯s face pale.


    "Baby, we¡¯re not going to bring him back. It¡¯s not possible. We have to bury him¨Csomewhere close," my father said, his voice cold. His words made my skin crawl.


    That¡¯s when Rocky jolted me awake by mming the door shut. I guess I had cked out again.


    "Altan," he said, walking toward me. "Are you okay? Where have you been?"


    "I was here the whole time," I replied, watching him fill a ss of water for me. He looked at me like he didn¡¯t believe me.


    "I don¡¯t think you were. I¡¯ve been calling for you," he said, handing me the ss.


    "Forget about that. What is it? Why were you looking for me?" I asked, watching him stare at my face for a little too long before shaking himself back to the crisis at hand.


    "Remember how you wanted to invite Hnie and Emmet for a stay-over? Guess what¡ªthey¡¯vee. Unannounced." For a moment, I didn¡¯t even understand what he was talking about or why he was upset.


    "They showed up and said they¡¯ve decided to stay here for a while. And guess what, they¡¯re acting mad suspicious," Rocky said, as I stood up and walked over to the mirror to fix my hair.


    "Altan, she¡¯s not here for you. You know what? Just don¡¯t focus on her. Focus on why they¡¯re really here. After what she did to her rapists, don¡¯t you think she might be nning your downfall for not helping her that night? What if they¡¯re up to something?"


    He was panicking over nothing, spinning paranoia out of thin air.


    "What makes you say that?" I asked, doubtful. Hnie wasn¡¯t the type to strike from behind, she attacked head-on.


    "They¡¯ve been asking around about your whereabouts," Rocky informed me, and I suddenly began to sweat. That was odd. Why would they be investigating me when they were here for a different case?


    "Where are they right now?" I asked.


    Rocky gestured toward the door. "Literally in the living room."


    I nodded and walked with him toward the door. And just like he said, they were there¡ªHnie and Emmet¡ªsittingfortably with some files in theirps. The moment they saw me, they exchanged a look.


    "Where have you been, Altan?" Emmet asked, his tone making me immediately wary of their intentions.


    "What do you mean? I¡¯ve been here all along," I replied, trying to calm my nerves.


    "Well, then sit down. We have something important to speak with you about," Emmet continued, while Hnie just stared at me like she knew something I didn¡¯t.


    "What is it that brought you two here?" I asked as I sat on the sofa opposite the table.


    "I¡¯ll be upfront with you, Altan," Emmet began. "The other day, when I was interviewing everyone, some things came to my attention. At first, I didn¡¯t pay them much mind, but I remained cautious."


    As usual, he had a way of dragging things out, building suspense before finally hitting you with the truth like a bullet.


    "I collected dust from the missing child¡¯s bed. That same dust has been found at every scene of a child abduction," he said, crossing one leg over the other. The way he stared at me, unblinking, that made my stomach drop.


    "I have no idea what you¡¯re getting at," I said, ncing at Rocky, who looked just as confused. Then at Hnie, who clearly already knew where this was headed.


    "The results came in this morning," Emmet continued, leaning forward. "It¡¯s an exact DNA match to you, Altan."


    My breath caught in my throat.


    It felt like someone had mmed a hammer into my skull. I couldn¡¯t speak. For a moment, everything went silent. The room dimmed, the air thickened, and cold shivers rippled through my body. Before I could slip too far into the darkness, Rocky¡¯s voice snapped me back.


    "That¡¯s not possible," Rocky objected.


    "The results say otherwise," Emmet replied tly. "So, we¡¯d like to know¨C why was your DNA found on a missing child¡¯s bed?"


    My heart was pounding violently in my chest.


    "Someone¡¯s beening in," Emmet muttered, narrowing his eyes, "giving these kids hope before snatching them away."


    He paused, then asked firmly, locking eyes with me.


    "What¡¯s going on, Altan?"

 Chapter 680-Next To The Tree

    <h4>Chapter 680: 680-Next To The Tree</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    In all honesty, I¡¯ve been confused myself. If it really was Altan, wouldn¡¯t someone have seen him? Besides, why would he do that and get his pack in trouble. Not to mention, his pack members were now questioning his ability to lead the pack. So all this didn¡¯t really benefit him. But then again, people are twisted. His father was.


    Ever since Emmet told us the DNA matched Altan¡¯s, he had kept his thoughts to himself, waiting until morning to bring us to his mansion. And now, here we were, questioning Altan, who lookedpletely out of it again. He kept zoning out, and strangely enough, I found myself fascinated by the change in him.


    I had spent time with him before. He had never cked out like this. But these days, he sat still, lost, as if asleep with his eyes open. Back when we were friends, our friendship actually started at a very early age. He was different. Bolder and had courage. He was always into adventures at the young age of 8 and 9. But after that, everything changed.


    "I don¡¯t know. It shouldn¡¯t be me. I have nothing to do with the children going missing," Altan muttered, his voice shaky but strangely calm.


    "Then why aren¡¯t you saying it with confidence?" Emmet pressed him further.


    "Our Alpha would like you to leave. That¡¯s it. You can¡¯t barge in here and use him like this," Rocky cut in angrily. "He¡¯s been worried sick about these kids himself. So I would like you to¡ª"


    But Altan raised his palm, silencing Rocky.


    "I¡¯d like to be left alone with them," Altan said quietly.


    Rocky¡¯s eyes went wide. We were all surprised. Was this a moment of realization? Was he finally ready to confess?


    So many thoughts raced through my head. If he was behind the abductions? what had he done to those children?


    "Alpha Altan, you¡¯re not thinking clearly," Rocky warned. "Anything you say can and will be used against you. Are you sure you want to be alone with them?"


    As his Royal Beta, it was Rocky¡¯s duty to protect him. But why was he so worried? Did he believe that maybe Altan had done something?


    "You heard your Alpha," Emmet said, gesturing at Rocky. "Go on. Lock the door behind you."


    Rocky clenched his jaw. "Alpha Altan¡ª" he tried once more.


    But Altan simply nodded at him, firmly. He wanted him to leave. I felt a knot tighten in my chest. If he confessed now, what would he say? What had he done to those missing children?


    Once we were alone, Altan rubbed his face with his hands and said calmly, "I have no hand in this."


    "Then why else would your DNA be in that dust?" Emmet asked.


    "The sand mixed in with the DNA was also from your backyard. Why?" Emmet leaned forward. "Why would your DNA and the sand from your backyard be found in a child¡¯s bed?"


    Altan¡¯s face changed color at the mention of the backyard.


    "You said¡ªmy backyard?" he repeated, eyes narrowing.


    Emmet nodded slowly.


    "That¡ªthat can¡¯t be." Altan smiled, awkwardly. But it wasn¡¯t a real smile. It was the kind of smile that begged us to tell him we were joking.


    "Why are you so shocked about the backyard?" Emmet asked, almost as if he had been waiting for this exact reaction.


    "No, no, no..." Altan started repeating, shaking his head with his face buried in his hands.


    Emmet and I exchanged a quick, concerned nce before I stood up and rushed toward Altan. Emmet followed, standing just behind me in case something went wrong.


    "Altan, what is it?" I asked.


    Very slowly, and almost eerily, Altan removed his hands from his face and looked me dead in the eye.


    "I know who it is," he whispered.


    A single tear rolled down his cheek, followed by another, and then another, until he was silently sobbing.


    I nced at Emmet, confused and unnerved. Altan¡¯s words didn¡¯t make sense. We already knew whose DNA it was¡ªit was his. Why was he speaking like it belonged to someone else?


    "What do you mean you know whose DNA it is?" I asked cautiously. "We do too. It¡¯s yours."


    But Altan shook his head furiously. "It¡¯s not mine. It¡¯s his. It¡¯s his!"


    Without another word, he sprang to his feet and bolted toward the back door of the mansion.


    Emmet and I ran after him, unsure if he was about to show us something, or trying to flee.


    Outside, the backyard was calm and shaded under the early sun. Arge tree stood tall at the far end. Altan ran straight to it and dropped to his knees at its base, crying harder than before, his face hidden in his hands again.


    We approached him carefully.


    "Altan," I said, kneeling next to him. "What do you mean it¡¯s his DNA? Whose?"


    Altan didn¡¯t respond. He just lifted a shaking hand and pointed to the tree in front of him. I looked at Emmet in confusion.


    "What? What does that mean?" I asked. Emmet¡¯s voice came in low and unsettling.


    "Who is buried here?"


    My entire body froze.


    Emmet turned to Altan, his tone sharpened with rity. "Your twin," he said. "He died when you were nine, didn¡¯t he? Is he buried here?"


    I had almost forgotten. Altan had a twin brother. The pack used to whisper about it, but never out loud. I remembered now. The boy had died during a monster attack, and Altan had always carried a strange guilt. People called his brother ¡¯the coward one,¡¯ the boy who ran from the pack in fear. And Altan, he had never truly mourned him, at least not publicly. It was a quiet wound.


    Now that I thought about it, Altan often referred to himself as the coward. Maybe not just because he missed his brother, but because he felt like he had be him.


    Altan finally nodded, slow and weak.


    "My father buried him here," he said, his voice nearly a whisper. "So he would always be close to us."

 Chapter 681-His Name

    <h4>Chapter 681: 681-His Name</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Emmet, it only makes him more suspicious in my eyes," I whispered to Emmet while Altan was crying by the tree.


    "What are you thinking? Walk me through it," Emmet turned to me, gently pinching my chin between his fingers as he asked.


    He had a way of speaking, and sometimes, he would touch me so gently just to show I had his attention. But after doing that, he would expect me not to get swayed, even for a brief moment.


    I shyly held myself together and responded, "What if Altan is really behind all this? He misses his brother, so he¡¯s abducting these children. And then he leaves the soil from his backyard in his victim¡¯s bed?" I whispered, or so I thought.


    Altan heard me and got up from the ground to respond. He turned to us with his eyes swollen. He looked like a mess. The fact that Diaz brought his son¡¯s body to his backyard was wild.


    "But I¡¯m really innocent. I don¡¯t know how the soil from my backyard is appearing in the beds, but I¡¯m not doing anything," he said, with fresh tears still in his eyes.


    "Did anything happen recently that made you think of your twin?" Emmet continued to ask him, while I wasn¡¯t sure if he could be trusted.


    Altan stared at Emmet but looked lost. Then, he began to nod repeatedly.


    "Yeah, recently I¡¯ve been having ckouts. And during those ckouts, all I think about is myst hour¡ªmyst moments¡ªwith my brother."


    "What kind of ckouts? What was yourst time together?" Emmet asked curiously.


    As we stood talking next to the tree, the wind began blowing through its branches. Oddly, it was just that tree, not the whole garden, showing signs of wind.


    We all stopped talking and looked around, checking the weather. There was no storm setting in. It was just that tree. Then it started to shake, as if someone were holding onto it and shaking it, not like a natural gust.


    "Okay, I see what¡¯s going on," Emmet said, while Altan turned to face the tree.


    "Is it you, brother?" Altan asked, his voice full of sadness, but also happiness.


    I had no clue what was going on. I turned to look at Emmet and found him staring intensely at the tree.


    "What¡¯s going on?" I slipped closer to Emmet, gently shaking his arm. He quickly held my hand between his own forfort.


    "I think I understand what¡¯s happening. But there are still missing pieces, and they¡¯re making all of this very confusing," Emmet uttered, his eyes fixed on the tree, watching Altan yell and cry for his brother to show up.


    "Please, brother¡ªshow me your face. Talk to me, what are you trying to say?" Altan let out another cry before Emmet gently pushed me behind his back and walked toward Altan.


    "Ask him if he is behind all these abductions," Emmet said, and Altan nodded.


    "Are you¡ªare you behind the abductions? Are you taking the kids of our pack with you?" he asked, and the tree started shaking even more violently. It felt like something straight out of a horror movie.


    "But why?" Altan questioned, and the tree suddenly went still. No movement at all.


    "What just happened? Did he leave, or what?" I had no clue what I was asking. How could he just leave?


    "Okay, so one thing is for sure, whatever this is, it¡¯s for Altan," Emmet said, gently patting Altan¡¯s back as he dropped to his knees and started crying.


    "I should have known he woulde back to haunt us all," Altan whispered, breaking down as he began to speak from the heart.


    "What do you mean by that? Why would hee to haunt you? It¡¯s not like you killed him," Emmet said, his tone sharper now, asking pointed questions. But I think Altan wanted to speak. He seemed almost too anxious to tell us what he knew.


    "We didn¡¯t kill him, that¡¯s true. But we never gave him a proper burial either. My father dug a grave by himself and threw his body in there. There was no prayer. No pack funeral for him. Father didn¡¯t want to acknowledge that it had seriously happened. For his own mental peace, he damned my brother to eternal pain and loneliness."


    It all made sense. As Altan exined what happened with his brother, I remembered there had been no funeral. It was as if one minute he was here, and the next¡ªgone. They had wiped his name from everywhere. Nobody was allowed to speak of him, to even gossip. And so, everyone simply forgot.


    No prayers. No blessings. And to think his body dposed in the backyard, the backyard they never visited anymore, was painfully cruel.


    Now I remembered why Diaz made that rule about the backyard never being used. He wanted to normalize it. He wanted everyone to think it wasn¡¯t just his backyard that was off-limits.


    "But if it¡¯s Daltan, why would the DNA results show such an exact match with you?" I asked Altan. He suddenly went silent. Not because he was hiding something, it seemed like he was genuinely trying to understand it himself.


    "It is definitely Daltan, but how could he alter the tests?" Emmet asked. That¡¯s when Altan stood up and straightened his body. His arms hung lifeless by his sides, and he stretched his neck back, staring at the sky for a long moment.


    We knew he was about to hit us with something big, something that would change everything.


    "I know exactly how," Altan sighed, pping his forehead before breaking down again, this time even louder.


    "We fucking took everything from him," he wailed.


    "Altan, what did you take from him?" I asked, my heartbeat slowing. Emmet quickly wrapped his arm around my back andforted me. Even when it wasn¡¯t about me, when I didn¡¯t needforting, Emmet still cared.


    And then, in a slow andposed tone, Altan told us the secret none of us had considered in so long,


    "His name. His identity."

 Chapter 682-The Real Altan

    <h4>Chapter 682: 682-The Real Altan</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You took his what?" Emmet asked, trying to understand his statement. My jaw hung low, it just clicked.


    "It wasn¡¯t Daltan who died that day," Altan began, sniffling slowly. "It was the brave one. The one the entire pack adored. The one who was supposed to do greater things, like a seer once told our pack. It was Altan. The real Altan." He covered his face in his hands and started sobbing.


    It all made so much sense now.


    The one I was with until the age of nine was different. That was the real Altan, the one who would stand up for me without caring what others said about a golden alpha taking the side of an omega.


    Even when we were just kids, he used toe to my house to bring me my stationery, books, and supplies. He would tell my parents to be nice to me in his cute, childlike aggression.


    He was the one who had promised that when we grew up, we would be mates.


    The one who wasn¡¯t a coward.


    "You must be thinking I fooled you when I continued my friendship with you," Altan raised his face, tears streaming down his cheeks.


    "It was my father who wanted me to act just like Altan, so that nobody would suspect the truth. He even let me befriend you, just so it would look like the cowardly one died. But then he grew wary of me. He knew I was weak. He knew that, at any point, you would make me fall for you¡ªtruly fall¡ªand that you would steal me from him, from everyone. He knew I would crack before you and tell you my secret. So he tried to get rid of you. He wanted bigger things for me. He forced the fate of the real Altan onto me by making me marry an alpha¡¯s daughter. That¡¯s why Sydney¡¯s father did all that to be an alpha too. It was all one big n. They were all trying to control destiny, my parents, Sydney¡¯s parents, and your parents," Altan said, then pointed at Emmet, whose eyes narrowed.


    "Lady Darcy hates Hnie. She¡¯ll do anything and everything to get rid of her," he added, what I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell Emmet, Altan just did.


    "My mother is nning to take her down?" I heard Emmet¡¯s jaw clench.


    "She¡¯s been having an affair with my father, with Beta Coombs, and many others. She knew how to use her charms to make them follow her lead. It¡¯s all one big scheme," Altan continued. Then he took a deep breath and turned to stare at the tree.


    "I know what you want," he yelled, but it wasn¡¯t angry. It was full of love, as if he wanted his brother to hear him.


    "You want your identity back. You want prayers. You want a respected burial," Altan said softly. As he spoke, the tree began to grow silent once again. And then, he did something that woke it up.


    "My apologies, Alpha Altan. It was you who passed away. You deserved the acknowledgment," he said, bowing his head.


    As soon as he spoke those words, a light began to form beneath the tree. Emmet instinctively pulled me close, his body tense, ready to protect.


    "Brother," a voice echoed. We turned toward the light. A child-like figure appeared, more like a hologram.


    "Daltan?" the child said, his voice faint. His face was pale, his form tinged in a glowing blue. "I¡¯ve been waiting for someone to say my name."


    My heart broke at the sight. How had I never realized they had been switched?


    "I¡¯m so sorry," the real Daltan said, his voice cracking. "I should have spoken up. But you can¡¯t me me. After all, I was the coward nobody wanted alive."


    I felt my chest tighten. I felt bad for Daltan too¡ªthe real Daltan, the one who had lived in silence.


    "I didn¡¯t care about the others," the child said. "I cared about you. I thought you¡¯d tell everyone it was Altan who died. I was so lonely here. I wanted to be buried among my pack members so we could meet again. But Father put me here¨C all alone, in the darkness."


    He paused, looking down.


    "I had toe and collect children, those who were courageous enough to want to leave and y with me," he added gently. The way he mispronounced certain words made me smile, just a little. That was indeed Altan.


    "I want you to live your life as Daltan now. That¡¯s who you are," the boy said kindly. "Don¡¯t be ashamed of yourself. And don¡¯t ever let Father tell you what to do." His tone darkened at the mention of their father.


    "I will. I miss you so much, every day," Daltan whispered, beginning to break down.


    I noticed Altan¡¯s eyes shift toward me.


    "I wish I were there that night, my best friend Hnie," he said, his voice trembling. "I would¡¯ve killed them all¡ªor died there."


    A tear slipped down his cheek.


    "But the man beside you¡ªhim, I approve of," he added with a small smile, ncing at Emmet. "But look at you¡ªyou grew up, while I stopped growing."


    I started to sniffle, taking slow steps toward him.


    "I used to wonder what happened, how my friend forgot the little promises he made to me," I said, huping softly.


    "Oh, I remember all of those," Altan said. "Maybe in some other life, we¡¯ll meet again, and I¡¯ll be able to fulfill those promises."


    I began to nod slowly.


    "Please forgive my brother too," he added gently. "He wasn¡¯t the one who made those promises, help him, please."


    I couldn¡¯t say no to him. I began to nod more vigorously, tears welling up.


    "Can I say goodbye to him?" Daltan asked, barely able to stand on his feet. Emmet and I quietly walked away, giving them the space to say their final goodbye.


    ---


    Later, we sat in the living Room, waiting for Daltan to return.


    "Did you see that?" Emmet asked.


    "Yeah! it was so weird seeing him again," I replied, slouching down on the sofa.


    "No! I mean, even the ghost approved of me."


    As soon as Emmet made the joke, I started tough, but only tears came out instead.


    Emmet rushed over and sat beside me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and pulling me closer to his chest.


    "If it weren¡¯t for you, we would have never found out what had been cursing this pack," I said, closing my eyes and listening to Emmet¡¯s heartbeat.


    And then a memory of Norman¡¯s four heartbeats hit me hard.


    I was hoping he would have forgiven me by now.

 Chapter 683-Owned By Someone Else.

    <h4>Chapter 683: 683-Owned By Someone Else.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You will always be remembered, Alpha Altan," Daltan said his final goodbye to his brother, finally giving him the burial he deserved.


    He had recovered his brother¡¯s remains and buried him in the royal garden, where the pack members and previous Alphas now rest.


    His pack had finally learned the truth and came to hate Diaz for what he had done to everyone, including his own children. That man reminded me of Darcy, I will not be surprised if she ends up in the same situation.


    "Mommy!"


    And just like Altan had promised, all the children returned. We turned to watch the kids run into the royal graveyard toward their parents. Everyone was in tears, rushing to hug their babies.


    Emmet gently patted my back for support. Finally, the pack was free of the curse. They all prayed for Altan and weed Daltan for who he truly is.


    After the prayers, Emmet and I began heading back to my parents¡¯ home to collect our things and leave for our mansion. I did not have time to speak with Daltan for now. He was too emotional in the moment.


    As we walked the same road we had taken before, I began to notice the neighbors standing outside their homes, watching me. I stopped, it was making me ufortable.


    Then, the same old woman who hade the other day with her granddaughter stepped forward, holding a bouquet of red roses in her hands. She offered them to me.


    "We are sorry. We were so wrong about you," she began, and I instantly felt my chest tighten with emotion.


    "That day you came home, all wounded¡ªwe all knew in our hearts that you were a victim. We all knew something bad had happened to you, and that there was no way it was your fault. But we also knew the pack hated you¡ªthat even your own parents didn¡¯t treat you well. So we became numb to your pain and chose to believe the rumors and gossip. It was an easier way to avoid facing reality. We acted like everything was fine and that you were to me. That was wrong. Instead of stepping forward to help you, we stood here and cursed you. No wonder we were cursed ourselves. Yet again, you came back as our savior, when you could have left us to suffer. We are wholeheartedly sorry. And I know it won¡¯t undo the past, but we will always remain grateful to you, and guilty before you," she sobbed as she finished her heartfelt speech.


    She was right, it wouldn¡¯t change much. But it was also true that I needed to hear it.


    I needed them to realize and apologize, so they wouldn¡¯t do this to someone else in the future.


    "We are all grateful to you, Alpha Queen," another man stepped forward and suddenly knelt, bowing to the ground. The others followed.


    "All hail Alpha Queen Hnie Norman McQuoid!"


    As soon as they chanted that, I noticed Emmet slowly pulling away from me. I guess the realization of who I now belonged to in the eyes of everyone hit him hard.


    Everyone stepped forward and apologized for the next twenty minutes before we were finally able to get back home.


    "How do you feel?" Emmet asked the minute we were inside the house.


    "Much lighter," I responded.


    "Good. We should pack our bags and start our journey. There will be a storm setting in the next few hours, so we must leave before that," he added in a rather dull tone.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what was bothering him, but I could tell he was deep in thoughts about something.


    I watched Emmet walk back to the room when my brother stepped into my path to have a word with me.


    "I¡¯ve been thinking¨Cand I¡¯ve decided to mend my ways. I¡¯m not sure when you¡¯ll be ready to forgive me, because my sins are huge. I was supposed to be your elder brother, not your bully. But kids learn from parents. They try to follow their footsteps, hoping not to end up in their bad books like the other child. I mean, there¡¯s no lie in the fact that I enjoyed it too. I enjoyed the horrible things I did. It was an easy life¡ªno guilt, no responsibility, no sense of right or wrong," heughed to himself, but it sounded more like a sad whimper.


    "Anyway, I¡¯ll make things right. And the next time I apologize, I hope you¡¯ll be ready to forgive me," he said, making me stare at his face in disbelief.


    If only he had been supportive when I first returned home. But then, I wouldn¡¯t have met the amazing mates I now have by my side.


    "I hope you¡¯ll be a better brother to Vani. She has a golden heart, she deserves the best," I reminded him that he still had a sister he could treat right.


    He gave me a heartfelt nod, and next came my father and stepmother. The two of them didn¡¯t look the least bit guilty. It¡¯s true, some people never change.


    Vani came in next, hugging me tightly and sobbing at the thought of our departure. I wished she could leave with me, but she wanted to stay here in the pack with her friends, and I understood her feelings. I promised to check on her more often. She was grateful that Emmet hade here to help the pack. She was also happy the pack members had finally apologized.


    "Anyway, take care," I said after a long hug. Emmet had already loaded our bags into the car, so we were ready to leave.


    "I¡¯ll miss you," Vani said.


    "I will too," I replied, getting into the car.


    That¡¯s when I noticed my father stepping forward as if to say something, so I rolled the window down. The car had just started and was about to leave when he said onest thing,


    "Tell your mother, Niles said hi."


    It was the creepiest smirk he gave. I frowned and stared at his face in silence. The car sped off, hitting the road, but I kept watching him with my back turned. He slowly raised his hand and waved at me¡ª eerily.

 Chapter 684-I Will.

    <h4>Chapter 684: 684-I Will.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "That was so weird," I finallymented after a few minutes of silent riding, still pondering my father¡¯s message to my mother, breaking the quiet.


    It wasn¡¯t like he gave some crazy message. But that simple "hi" meant something.


    "Your father?" Emmet asked, and I nodded, still looking out the window.


    "That¡¯s nothingpared to the information Daltan gave me about my mother," Emmet added, making me turn to look at him¡ªto check on him.


    "Maybe it¡¯s just a rumor," I tried to help ease his emotions, but he smiled, shaking his head.


    "There¡¯s something going on. We need to keep a close eye on these parents of ours. Starting with Mr. Coombs, and how he became Alpha."


    He was right. And the fact that he was already thinking about the next case we were going to work on, it was amazing.


    It proved either his ability to tackle problems, or maybe, his attempt to run from whatever is waiting for him at the mansion. Or whoever is waiting for him.


    "What about Azura, Emmet? I¡¯m not sure she gets it. She still acts like you two are together," I brought her up, because we couldn¡¯t keep pretending she wasn¡¯t an issue.


    "Driver, take a left from here," Emmet suddenly instructed, changing the route.


    "Umm¡ª I¡¯m pretty sure the left doesn¡¯t take us home," I said, eyeing the road a little anxiously.


    "That¡¯s because it¡¯s not," he confirmed. I turned in my seat to face him fully.


    "Where are we going, then?" I asked, adjusting my posture.


    "Why? Are you afraid I¡¯m abducting you? Are you scared to go anywhere with me?" His tone was calm, but there was a secretced in it. As if he was definitely up to something, but stalling on giving me the full answer.


    We had no reception here. The weather was already getting worse, so I figured maybe he just wanted to take a quicker route home without wasting time.


    "I¡¯m not scared, but I would like to know where we¡¯re going," I tried to keep my voice calm. Not because I thought he was taking me somewhere dangerous. I could trust Emmet with my life, even if he were drunk out of his mind. But I was curious.


    "We¡¯re going to the Council¡¯s building."


    His response made me narrow my eyes at him.


    "We¡¯re getting married today, Hnie."


    My heart almost stopped beating when I heard his ns. In fact, they were so insane that I startedughing, thinking he was just pulling a prank on me.


    "Come on, tell me. Is it a caf¨¦? Are we stopping for a meal?" I asked, watching him lean backfortably, open his coat a little, then rest his head back on the seat, turning it toward me while breathing calmly.


    "I¡¯ll be your meal tonight," his voice turned sexier, and my head snapped toward the window. Avoiding eye contact with him might help me rx my muscles first.


    "We¡¯re getting married, Hnie. I can¡¯t take this anymore," he repeated the same thing as before, but this time, with more passion and stubbornness in his voice.


    "Emmet, I¡¯m already married," I smiled a little, trying to ease the tense atmosphere.


    "You have four mates. That makes a whole difference. Besides, you can tell me if you don¡¯t want to marry me, and I¡¯ll tell the driver to turn back right now. But let me just say this, I really want to marry you. Tonight. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll ever be able to do it again. So, it¡¯s either tonight or sadly, never."


    The urgency in his voice, the deep and dark tone, and the way his eyes zoned out made me sit back and take deeper breaths to make the right decision.


    "What do you mean? What will the others say?" I asked, starting to worry. His tone and behavior were making me want to hold his hand and never let go. But then, what about the others?


    "We can tell themter. Or you can leave a message. They¡¯ll receive it once we get reception at the courthouse," he said.


    "Emmet, what will we say was the urgency to get married like this?" I asked, sliding a little closer to be able to look into his eyes.


    "Hm. You¡¯ve done it before. Norman got lucky that night and married you when no one was around either," he mumbled, his voice still dark and hollow.


    "That¡¯s because he was saving me that night," I whispered, my eyes beginning to tear up.


    "Then think of it as you saving me tonight," he said softly, raising his hand and gently touching my cheek.


    "Are you in danger, Emmet? Is it Azura?" I asked, and he started smiling. A tear welled in his eye before slipping down.


    "You can say no, by the way," he whispered, still smiling.


    "What if I don¡¯t want to say no?" I hit him back with the same soft tone he was using and gently ced my hand on his chest. I knew the others would be angry, but at that moment, I couldn¡¯t stop myself.


    It had been my dream for a while to marry Emmet. And tonight felt like the perfect night.


    I just couldn¡¯t say no.


    I leaned in closer, resting against his chest. His arm wrapped around my body, holding me in a tight embrace.


    "Like a river flows. Surely to the sea. Darling, so it goes¨C"


    Emmet softly hummed the melody. I closed my eyes, listening to the song ying in the car, his voice blending into it perfectly.


    ¡¯Some things, you know, are meant to be. Take my hand. Take my whole life too. For I can¡¯t help falling in love with you¡¯


    The soft music wasn¡¯t better than listening to Emmet¡¯s heartbeat. We stayed like that for the rest of the ride until we arrived at the courthouse.


    Emmet got out first and held his hand out for me. I stared at his hand, smiling through the emotion, and just as a tear rolled down my cheek, I ced my hand in his, and walked out with him.

 Chapter 685-Like A Mother, A Better One

    <h4>Chapter 685: 685-Like A Mother, A Better One</h4>


    <strong>Darcy:</strong>


    "I have no home," I sat next to my brother¡¯s grave, my eyes dry from all the tears I had already shed.


    "Why did you do that? Did you not think about me once? Did you not think how I would have felt if someone had taken me against my will too? How could you say you loved me but then turn around and do another woman wrong?"


    I sighed, repeating the same words over and over again, but I never found the answers.


    How could my brother have turned out to be this cruel?


    "Ever since you left, I¡¯ve been very lonely," I uttered, my hand grazing the dry sand on his grave. He wasn¡¯t given the royal funeral an Alpha deserves, he didn¡¯t do anything great to earn it anyway.


    If I hadn¡¯t stopped him, he would have kept repeating his mistakes and making innocent people suffer.


    "You know, I acted like you¨Cand Norman kicked me out for hurting her. She means a lot to him. I should have known. You know, she still checks up on me every two days, but I haven¡¯t responded. I¡¯m ashamed of my actions," I sniffled.


    "I don¡¯t want to burden her with my responsibilities," I added, looking up at the dark clouds overtaking the sky.


    "Ah, look! I¡¯ll be getting soaked again." A silent tear rolled down my cheek as I realized I would have to return home, where my father looks at me like I¡¯m going to kill him.


    "Ahhh! I miss you. Wish we could meet again," I said, slowly getting up from the ground. I turned around and saw someone standing in the distance, watching me.


    She hade with her warriors, and flowers.


    As she walked toward the grave, she gave me only a small smile before cing the flowers down and praying for my brother.


    "Hello, Jessica," said Lady Darcy, looking straight at the grave.


    "I contacted you so many times, but you never responded," she said, finally turning to look at me.


    "My child, why are you punishing yourself?" Her voice carried such a motherly tone. Her gentle touch on my cheek broke myposure, and I started sobbing in front of her.


    "I don¡¯t want to be a burden. Norman¡ªNorman kicked me out of his home when I needed a roof so badly. I must be a terrible person, just like my brother, to be shunned by everyone¡ª" I could no longer hold in my emotions. I needed someone toe check on me, and she was here.


    "Oh, my child. My son is under a spell of love. He doesn¡¯t know who he¡¯s pushing away." She ced her hand behind my head and pulled me into a motherly embrace. I clung to her like my life depended on it.


    "He hates me now," I uttered, sniffling.


    "He does not. He cannot," she replied gently. "Come with me."


    I broke the hug and shook my head. I appreciated that she hade to pray for my brother¡¯s forgiveness, and to check on me. But I couldn¡¯t go back to Norman¡¯s home. I couldn¡¯t bear the burden of rejection again.


    "I¡¯m not taking you to his home. At least not now. I just want to sit with you, tofort you. After all, I¡¯m your mother too, Jessica," she said kindly, rubbing my elbow. "You know I¡¯ve always seen you as my daughter."


    There was no lie in that.


    She had been so loving toward me all this time, so I understood where she wasing from. She must havee here for me, she was* here for me.


    She held my hand and walked me to her car, helping me get inside and sit in the backseat with her. Once in the car, she opened a water bottle and made me drink some.


    "I made these for you," she said, pulling a huge smile to my lips when she opened the lunch box and showed me sushi rolls. They were my favorite.


    "This is my old lunch box!" I eximed, excitedly snatching it out of her hands, smiling with gratefulness.


    "You are so kind," I said, tearing up.


    "I saved it all these years," she uttered softly.


    "Jessica, remember I told you about the dream I had?" she continued, stroking my hair as I tasted the sushi rolls and closed my eyes to enjoy the vor.


    Tears rolled down my cheeks as I remembered my childhood and my friendship with Norman. Those were good times.


    I wished I could go back to my childhood and have those moments again¡ªwith Norman, my brother, and my father. The three most important people who once cared for me.


    I hated growing up so badly.


    But there was someone who still cared for me, just as much.


    "Yes, Lady Darcy," I responded, looking at her face with adoration in my eyes. She was a mother to me, and she truly lived up to that role.


    "And you know I have a seer who tells me about the future and what to expect?" she asked. I nodded once again.


    "She told me she has good news for my sons. She has good news for you. While dealing with Hnie and everything she¡¯s taken over, we forgot my sons are special too. She¡¯s not the only one who will be blessed with good mates. Even if the Moon Goddess might be upset with me, she couldn¡¯t be unjust to my children by making them anything less than special. They are special. And my son will need you now." She cupped my face in her hands and kissed my forehead.


    I didn¡¯t fully understand what was going on, but she said she had seen me in a dream. And I couldn¡¯t say no, not after all the reassurance she gave me, not after all her love.


    "So, pleasee home with me," she insisted.


    With a deep breath and a wide smile on my lips, I nodded.


    "I cannot say no to you," I replied. Even if she had asked for my life, I would¡¯ve given it to her.


    Her kindness, in a time when I had been leftpletely alone, and her motherly presence throughout my childhood, had earned my deepest respect. I was ready to go anywhere with her.

 Chapter 686-Marry Me, Marry Me Not

    <h4>Chapter 686: 686-Marry Me, Marry Me Not</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Please pick up my call." I had been impatiently waiting for Norman to answer for thest half an hour.


    "Ugh!" I grunted. "Neither of them are picking up."


    Iined just as Emmet returned, holding two coffee mugs.


    "He isn¡¯t responding?" Emmet asked. When I gave him a nod, he sat down and started pulling out his phone as I epted the coffee.


    "Try his office number. He doesn¡¯t always take his phone with him to the warehouse when he¡¯s checking the weapons," Emmet suggested, giving me Norman¡¯s office number. I almost pped my forehead for never saving it.


    Norman had stored all his numbers in my phone over time, but with my phone always breaking or other issuesing up, I had lost them more than once.


    I called the number this time, and just like Emmet predicted, Norman picked up.


    "Hmm?" he answered, sounding like he was too busy to talk.


    "Norman," I said, feeling my heartbeat rise in my chest.


    "Hnie? Wait¡ªoh, shit. You must¡¯ve been calling my phone. I left it outside," he started exining almost instantly, but then paused, probably realizing I wouldn¡¯t be calling like this unless it was serious.


    "Is everything alright?" he asked, worried now.


    "You¡¯reing home tonight, right?" he added, making me bite my bottom lip as I turned slightly to look at Emmet. The way he leaned back in his chair, narrowing his eyes as he watched my face, made me nervous.


    I felt like I was trapped between my two mates.


    "Yeah¡ªabout that," I said softly, standing up and strolling a few steps away from Emmet.


    It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t want him to hear, but I felt awkward talking to Norman, especially knowing how upset he was about to be.


    "What¡¯s going on? Is Emmet there? Are you okay?" Norman¡¯s rising agitation made me anxiously swallow, my throat suddenly dry.


    "We¡¯re at the council building¡ªthe courthouse, specifically," I muttered, trying to control my breathing.


    "What? What for?" The anxiety in his voice was unmistakable, and I hated how it made me feel.


    So I decided to stop stalling and say it outright, to save both of us from more stress.


    "Emmet wants to marry me¡ªtonight," I said finally.


    He wentpletely silent.


    "What¡¯s going on?" I heard Maximus say from behind him.


    "Maximus should know, too," I said quickly.


    As soon as I did, I heard Norman grunt in frustration.


    "Emmet wants to marry you and you went to the courthouse with him? You¡¯ve already made up your mind, so why are you calling me? Just to tell me? Or do I actually get a say in this?"


    Norman¡¯s voice was sharp and harsh, and I immediately closed my eyes, like that would somehow shield me from the sting of his words.


    "Wait¡ªwhat? What do you mean Emmet wants to marry her?" I heard Maximus yell, and then his voice came through more clearly. I could tell they had put the call on speaker.


    "Look," I began, "he said something about needing to be saved. Whatever he¡¯s going through is stopping him from telling me the whole truth."


    I stopped talking as Maximus began to argue.


    "He¡¯s using that as an excuse to marry you. Does that not strike you as suspicious?" he grunted, and I bit the inside of my cheek.


    "I just want to know, Norman, what if Maximus wants to marry me in the future?" I asked, genuinely trying to understand why they were so opposed to Emmet.


    "That will be between you and Maximus. But we¡¯ll all sit down and talk about it first," Norman said, making me wrinkle my nose at his hypocrisy.


    "So I¡¯m calling you to talk about it," I muttered. It¡¯s not like Emmet and I got married, we were waiting for them to pick up our calls.


    "Okay, so it¡¯s discussed, and it¡¯s decided. You will not marry him," Maximus dered from the other side.


    I closed my eyes again.


    "May I know the reason why?" I asked, hoping one of them would finally exin.


    "Because we don¡¯t want it. Is that not enough of a reason?" Norman groaned.


    I started biting my nails.


    What was I supposed to do now?


    But I hadn¡¯t realized that Emmet had been watching me the entire time. He came over like a gust of wind, snatching the phone from my hands. When I reached out to get it back, he raised a finger, signaling me not to interfere.


    I didn¡¯t want the brothers to argue again, so I stepped back.


    "Hey," Emmet said into the phone, his voice unnaturally cheerful, "it was just a joke. We were bored and decided to pull a little prank. We¡¯re actually stopping by a caf¨¦ to grab something to eat and then we¡¯ll be on our way."


    I felt my heart shrink in my chest.


    "Yeah, don¡¯t worry. Your wife will be back to you in no time," he added through gritted teeth, then hung up and handed the phone back to me. Without even ncing at me, he turned and stormed off.


    "Emmet¡ª!" I called after him, briskly following, but he didn¡¯t stop. He kept walking until he slipped inside the car.


    ¡¯Did we do something wrong?¡¯ I asked my wolf.


    ¡¯Maybe we should have just told our mates without listening to their arguments. I don¡¯t know, Hnie. It¡¯s like they have issues and we¡¯re the ones paying for it,¡¯ my wolf replied.


    She was right. I didn¡¯t understand why I was being made to suffer through this. At least one of them should¡¯ve exined why they were so strongly against the idea of me being with Emmet now.


    I got inside the car and stared out the window as we hit the road again.


    "Emmet, we shouldn¡¯t have left like that. You said it was important for you to get married tonight or else it¡¯d be toote. I want to save you from whatever danger you¡¯re running from," I said, turning to look at him, feeling my heart ache. I didn¡¯t say it to my mates, out of fear of their scolding, but I wanted to marry Emmet because I loved him.


    "Yeah, I guess that was my mistake," he replied. "I put my burden on you. Now, I don¡¯t want to marry you anymore, Hnie."


    Those words hit me like a stone to the chest.


    I was left speechless.

 Chapter 687-Her Last Love

    <h4>Chapter 687: 687-Her Last Love</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    ¡¯Take a deep breath, Emmet, and try tofort Hnie. Or else she will feel guilty for not being able to help you,¡¯ my wolf uttered amidst the storm within me.


    I cleared my throat and turned to her, watching her squeeze into the other side of the seat and look out the window.


    I had a bad feeling she was tearing up. I wished I had thought about my words before speaking them.


    "Hey," I stretched my arm out and gently nudged her elbow to get her attention. She only shook her head, letting me know she wasn¡¯t going to listen.


    ¡¯She is so adorable. We will miss her the most,¡¯ my wolf made me smile through the tears.


    Everything about her had always been special. I guess I was thinking too far ahead.


    Marrying her would have been just an easy way out.


    Of course, the forces are way stronger than my will to change my future¡ªour future.


    "I was honestly just bbering out of my mind. There¡¯s no issue. We¡¯re cool. Probably in the future, I¡¯ll have a talk with my brothers and understand what is bothering them about me," I mumbled, and she slowly turned to me.


    And just like I had suspected, her eyshes were still wet from the tears she had shed.


    "You said you needed saving tonight," she uttered, rubbing the back of her hand over her eyes.


    It broke me, the realization that now we can never be together. Some wishes just nevere true.


    "My wolf was just anxious. I mistook his anxiety and thought we were running out of time. You know, the whole memory thing," I lied with a straight face. Telling her the truth would mean nothing now.


    The time had passed.


    The minutes she waited for my brothers to respond to her, the time spent during the arguments, and the way she looked so guilty while speaking to them¡ª


    That¡¯s when I changed my mind. If not in this life, maybe in the next. I will get to have my Hnie.


    For now, I will make sure she stays with her mates, that their love grows and doesn¡¯t getplicated because of me.


    "You¡¯re losing your memory again?" she asked, looking so concerned.


    "Not really, for a minute I thought I was," I said, trying to get out of the conversation with any excuse.


    I just wanted to stare at her face deeply. At the same time, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why?


    What was it that made my brothers so upset with me?


    "Now, keep up with the lie that I spoke to my brothers. We were just pranking them."


    Even when I wanted to tell her again that we would never be together, that the idea of our marriage was long gone¡ªI wouldn¡¯t. She would feel guilty when it wasn¡¯t even her fault.


    "But I want to be honest with them." As expected, she couldn¡¯t even lie for herself.


    "Hnie, let¡¯s not upset them." How do I tell her not to upset her mates for someone who wouldn¡¯t even be around her anymore?


    While she kept watching my face, I closed my eyes, giving her the notion that the conversation had ended. In the silence, I pondered my brothers¡¯ behavior. I tried to recall every interaction we¡¯d had before I went insane and was locked in the cage.


    But I couldn¡¯t figure out what I had done so wrong for my brothers to make an exception out of me.


    In fact, they had stopped reading my texts. Norman did respond, but his replies were always cold and short.


    ¡¯It¡¯s just that if I said something wrong, they should let me know. Maybe I forgot, so telling me again would help me understand my mistake,¡¯ Iined to my wolf, who was just as clueless.


    And now that we were marked mates with Hnie, the pain in my chest from not being able to have her was so intense.


    The journey passed in silence. Neither Hnie said anything, nor could I manage to say a word. My heart was aching. Every now and then, a flicker of hope would rise in my heart¡ªif only there were a way. But then I¡¯d feel, once again, that nothing could be done now.


    Too much time had passed. And then we reached our mansion. I took a deep breath when I saw my brothers waiting ahead. They were eagerly waiting for Hnie.


    As soon as the car stopped, Maximus was the first to quickly open the door for her.


    Norman just kept watching. His eyes were fixed on me. For the first time, I couldn¡¯t tell whether he was looking at me with anger, or with hatred.


    As soon as Hnie stepped out of the car, Maximus pulled her into a tight hug. Norman finally looked away from me and hugged Hnie next.


    He never had an issue with Maximus. The problem was only with me. He didn¡¯t want me around his wife.


    For the first time, I wished I could lose my memory, just to forget this moment. That using look Norman had given me, I never wanted to remember it again.


    Maximus didn¡¯t even nce at me, and Norman just gave me a head nod. I felt like asking what was going on, but by now I had already asked a dozen times, and every time I¡¯d gotten the same answer:


    "It¡¯s getting too crowded."


    Then I saw hering outside. My body stiffened for a moment. She stopped and smiled at me, there was a strange sparkle in her eyes.


    I puffed out my chest too, seeing her walking toward me. She ran toward me. I took a step forward and let here into my arms.


    They say, if you can¡¯t escape trouble¡ª then hug it.


    Now the n has changed. I was on a suicide mission. My eyes stopped on Hnie, and I made a promise¡ª


    ¡¯No matter what happens, I won¡¯t let her happiness be ruined.¡¯

 Chapter 688-Luring Me In

    <h4>Chapter 688: 688-Luring Me In</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    My heart skipped a beat watching Emmet hug Azura back. That was a shocker. But I had a bad feeling it stemmed from the fact that his brothers had objections to our rtionship. I felt like he had given up¡ªon us, for us.


    There¡¯s no way I¡¯d believe he was ying me while also being ready to take things further with Azura.


    "I heard you guys did an amazing job with the case," Norman said proudly.


    "Yeah, it was mostly Emmet," I interrupted. "I was kind of going through a hard time in there until they all apologized. It was a nice feeling to know they¡¯ve finally understood their mistakes," I uttered while still in Norman¡¯s arms.


    Emmet and Azura headed inside the mansion, while we stayed outside.


    "You saw that?" Maximus said, pointing at the door, but Emmet was already gone. "He was ying with you."


    I closed my eyes and clenched my jaw. "Maximus, can we not talk about it?" I didn¡¯t like how they were demonizing him.


    "He¡¯s ying you both¡ª" Maximus stopped mid-sentence, and I followed his gaze to Norman.


    "He¡¯s our brother," Norman reminded him, making me wonder if he even remembered himself.


    "He is not," I said, pulling away from Norman. "He told me she cursed him."


    Sometimes I hated how we kept things from each other while sharing a bed. It was like we were the most open about intimate stuff, yet the moment it came to something important, we kept secrets.


    "Cursed?" Maximus¡¯s expression suddenly shifted.


    "He recalled the whole event from that night. He doesn¡¯t believe you did anything wrong," I said to Norman, before beginning to recall every detail Emmet had told me, including the heartbroken curse.


    Norman and Maximus exchanged a look, then stepped away.


    "Hello? You two need to tell me your thoughts!" I snapped, frustrated. "It¡¯s time we shared everything. What if I know something that could change your perception? Or you know something that could help my own investigation?"


    They exchanged heavier, deeper breaths, clearly needing time together first.


    "I need to figure something out," Norman said just as his phone began ringing.


    "Hello? Yeah? Are you sure? Okay, we¡¯re on our way." He hung up, and the urgency on his face told me it was serious.


    "The warriors are certain they saw Kaye near our mother¡¯s pack," Norman exined.


    Maximus nodded and turned to enter the mansion, but then paused, ncing back at us.


    "It¡¯s the full moon tonight. We need to get our hands on Kaye and bring him to Hnie," Maximus said firmly. Then he added, "In that case, Hnie muste with us. We¡¯ll book a hotel room for her in the pack. If we leave her here and catch Kaye there, it¡¯ll be morning before we even get him back to her."


    Norman began nodding at his brother¡¯s suggestion.


    "Wait, but you¡¯ll be transitioning, Maximus. It would be dangerous for you to be in a pack and go through a transition while I¡¯m also busy," Norman said, making my skin prickle with goosebumps.


    We¡¯d almost forgotten about Maximus. Pack members would lose their minds if they found out a Lycan was in their territory.


    "But I want toe with you. Someone will have to stay with Hnie in the hotel room," Maximus argued, genuine concerncing his words.


    "Maximus, I can take care of myself. You need rest too, and privacy. We¡¯ll be fine, don¡¯t worry," I said, holding his hand and gently patting the back of it.


    Then Norman said something that made me feel a little ufortable.


    "But then Maximus will be here alone."


    Maximus nodded in agreement.


    "Guys, Emmet is still here. He¡¯s been letting Maximus feed on him," I reminded them, watching their faces cloud with guilt. But Norman quickly exined why he hadn¡¯t considered that option.


    "He sometimes forgets¡ª"


    While Norman had a valid point, Maximus was already spiraling.


    "And what if he doesn¡¯t want to help me now, after I showed resistance to your rtionship with him?" Maximus challenged.


    I red at him, and I noticed Norman doing the same.


    "He would never do that. You know that, right? The only time he makes mistakes is when he forgets things," Norman said softly, so softly I wasn¡¯t even sure Maximus could hear him.


    But I wished someone else had.


    Someone who might have also heard his brothers questioning if they could even trust him with a responsibility anymore.


    "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯d rather die than let anything happen to you, brother. I¡¯m in a good state of mind. I¡¯m not forgetful today," Emmet¡¯s voice broke through the air, filled with a hint of sadness. He made steady, deep eye contact with Maximus.


    But Maximus turned his back on him. His head hung low, and I saw his eyes begin to well up.


    "Anyway, let¡¯s pack our bags. I¡¯m sure Emmet will take care of things here," I said quickly, brushing past the brothers to head upstairs.


    Everything felt off. I was weirded out by the heaviness around us.


    The journey had been long and draining, we¡¯d been traveling non-stop. At least I had.


    By the time we arrived at the Red Crown Pack, I waspletely exhausted. I left for the hotel while Norman got to work almost immediately.


    All I needed was two hours of rest before meeting Kaye. Or at least I hoped I¡¯d get that.


    I didn¡¯t want to wait for another full moon to see him. I was expecting the call toe sooner, but it didn¡¯t arrive until around midnight.


    Still half-asleep, I answered the call without checking the caller ID, assuming it was Norman.


    But the voice on the other end wasn¡¯t his.


    "Emma? Why are you calling me?" I grunted, climbing out of bed, stifling a yawn.


    "Did you meet your mother?" she asked, concern heavy in her tone. "She left after you, heading for the Darcys¡¯ pack to confront Darcy about something. I thought you¡¯d already met her."


    Her words made my heart drop. I needed to hurry before a confrontation between my mother and Darcy went too far.

 Chapter 689-Please Let Me Mark You

    <h4>Chapter 689: 689-Please Let Me Mark You</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I had rushed to Darcy¡¯s mansion to diffuse the situation. Darcy could be dangerous. But once I was at the mansion, I began to look around and felt awkward to find it empty. That¡¯s when I had a feeling I¡¯d been fooled.


    "Mom?" I called out again, confused why Emma had called me and told me my mother wasing here.


    "Did she fucking lie to me?" I grunted, checking my phone again to call her back.


    "Hello? There is nobody here." I didn¡¯t even let her start talking and began toin to her about her misinformation.


    "What?" she asked, sounding genuinely confused, and I hated how good she was at acting.


    "My mother is not here, and neither is Darcy. Did you lie to me?" I hissed, looking around the empty mansion. Where could they have gone?


    "Wait, why would I lie to you? Maybe your mother isn¡¯t there yet. And as for Darcy, how am I supposed to know if she¡¯s there or not? I just know your mother left in anger to confront Darcy. That¡¯s all I know," she replied in a stern tone, clearly not liking me questioning her.


    "I should have not listened to you," I grunted. The only reason I couldn¡¯t contact my mother was because her phone was switched off, and I didn¡¯t know who else could have been with her.


    I could tell my mother never came here. I was fooled.


    And that¡¯s when I began to feel like I was being watched.


    Cold sweat started to break out as I turned around to look at him. It felt like all the strength had left my hands and feet. I had wished that tonight I would face him because I could not wait for another full moon, but not like this. Not so soon, and not so alone. I had never imagined it this way. I wasn¡¯t mentally prepared at all.


    In my mind, I had convinced myself that Norman would bring him, and I would just mark him. But the way he was standing there, looking at me, it felt like he hade here with a purpose.


    Darcy knew I was going to mark Kaye and must have told Emma. I guess she just wanted me to suffer first.


    What if he kills me?


    Does she not worry about her sons at all?


    His eyes didn¡¯t look like his anymore. They were dark, full of hate. Or maybe¡ªdetermination. Determination to kill me, like his curse wanted him to.


    He stood on the other side of the living room, breathing hard, holding a sharp silver knife. He kept touching the tattoo on his neck, causing my heart to beat harder than ever.


    I had no idea why his curse wanted me dead so badly. Was there another secret aspect of his curse? Of all their curses?


    "Kaye," I said his name in a gentle whisper, hoping to spark some emotion.


    "Oh, Hnie." But the way he said my name was inplete contrast to my emotions.


    He was not feeling it.


    The mate bond.


    "Kaye! I am not here to hurt you," I said, stepping back slowly. My heart was beating so fast I could hear it in my ears. "I am here to mark you. I¡¯m here to save you."


    "Save me?" he snickered, taking slow, steady steps, almost like a predator circling its prey. "What could you possibly save me from?"


    "From the curse," I replied, steadily correcting my posture in case of an iing attack. It was sad to think I was afraid he would hurt me.


    "Oh, what curse? You really think it¡¯s the curse that makes me want to shed your blood? I want to kill you," he muttered determinedly, making my heart crumble.


    Even though I knew that, at that moment, he was saying all of this for a reason, whether he admitted it or not, my heart was still hurting somewhere deep inside. I think I had built up so many expectations from him that any kind of love, any flicker of his true feelings for me that seemed to fade, would still hurt. I waspletely attached to him, so seeing hatred in his eyes was slowly chipping away at my confidence, even though this was the very moment I should have been standing strong. He could attack me at any time.


    "No. You didn¡¯t want to kill me. You want to be marked. You don¡¯t want to hurt me. You never did. You asked me to find you and mark you," I said, swallowing hard as I delivered the words to a man who no longer recognized his mate.


    "Marked by you? That must be a fun story to tell my kids in the future. By the way, I¡¯ve already chosen my mate. Kesha. My queen. Why would I have asked you to mark me?"


    His shrug and the mention of Kesha, who was already in our lives, made me close my eyes and swallow hard. It was so painful to be there in that moment, hearing him praise someone else.


    "Now, now, you can¡¯t make me hold back for too long. Your words don¡¯t intrigue me," he growled low, like an animal, and rushed toward me. I grabbed amp from the table and threw it with full force. It hit his shoulder, but he barely flinched.


    I turned and ran behind the couch, trying to put space between us. He jumped over it like it was nothing. I didn¡¯t want to fight him, I only meant to defend myself.


    His hand grabbed my wrist, tight and shaking. I kicked him in the stomach. He fell back for just a second, but it gave me time to pull free.


    "Kaye, please hold it together. I¡¯m not your enemy!" I shouted. Tears filled my eyes, but I wiped them away. I had to stay focused. Seeing my mates go through so much pain had already been hard enough. Their eyes carrying hatred for me was a death of its own.


    "You¡¯re worse than that," he hissed, causing me to look around for my phone. I must have dropped it when he attacked me.


    "What? Looking for this?" he smirked, holding up my phone in his hand.


    How did he get it?

 Chapter 690-My Baby Was Sacrificed

    <h4>Chapter 690: 690-My Baby Was Sacrificed</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I wished I had been quick and called Norman. But the minute I looked down at my phone, he would have attacked me. The only reason he had retained the conversation for this long was because he knew I wasn¡¯t nning any backup at the moment.


    "Aww, what do you n to do with that, huh? Call my brothers toe fight me for you?" he sneered. "Such a nasty one you are, huh? I knew you were dangerous. A beautiful creature who lures men and makes them follow her orders."


    The way he described me was horrible. That wasn¡¯t who I was. His words triggered some past trauma.


    "You know that¡¯s not me," I uttered shakily.


    "I don¡¯t care," he replied, and came at me again, swinging the knife.


    I ducked, the de slicing the air just above my head. I grabbed a chair and shoved it at him. It hit his chest and knocked him back into the bookshelf. Books fell all around him.


    I ran to the door and tried to open it. Then I remembered, I couldn¡¯t leave. I wouldn¡¯t leave and let him suffer in pain.


    I turned around and watched him getting up. Tears blurred my vision for a moment, emotions taking over me as I recalled our first meetings. He was the first one who had fallen for me. The first one who had sparked feelings of love in me after I had been betrayed by love before.


    He looked wild. Sweating. Growling. But something in his eyes flickered for just for a second when I said his name in a very soft, loving whisper.


    "Kaye."


    The harshness on his face faded, his eyes narrowing at me, reminding me of the man who had once loved me deeply.


    Someone who had lost me, and shown that he had suffered.


    But sadly, the emotion vanished as quickly as it came. He came at me again, his arm raised, the knife aiming straight at me, but I grabbed his hand.


    "You tried to kill me at the well?" I asked softly, though pain colored every word.


    I had this feeling ever since I heard about his cravings, that sometimes, he had to fight the urge to kill me.


    Maybe it was him.


    Maybe he had been the one to push me down the well that night.


    The thought had lived in the back of my mind all this time. But I never wanted revenge.


    The pain was already enough. I lost my baby.


    That I cannot lie about.


    He freed his hand and pushed me back,ughter escaping his lips.


    "You really think it was me? Your husband didn¡¯t tell you?"


    There was mockery in his voice when he mentioned Norman, and it froze me for a moment. He came at me again and I dodged.


    "What do you mean?" I asked quickly.


    He swung his arm back, but I ducked, grabbed his arm, twisted it, and reached for the knife, yanking it out of his hand.


    Now I had the knife, and he was weaponless, but the determination in his eyes was still there.


    "Your husband didn¡¯t tell you who tried to kill you? Well, since he couldn¡¯t hurt you, I¡¯ll dly do it," he snickered. "It was Emmet. You were his sacrifice that night."


    All the strength I had been using to fight him vanished. Suddenly, I didn¡¯t even feel like defending myself.


    "You¡¯re lying," I yelled, my grip tightening around the knife.


    "Hmm, then ask your husband what we found in Emmet¡¯s room," Kaye said, his voice low and dark, so deep thatbined with the shock of his words, it sent a chill down my spine.


    "Ask him if Emmet had written down one thing not to forget and that he must sacrifice you in the well to bring Azura back. You were his big sacrifice. A life for a life."


    I began to shake my head as tears blurred my vision, and that¡¯s when Kaye took advantage.


    He rushed at me and pushed me, making me fall back onto the table. I groaned in pain as he came to stand beside me and leaned down, clicking his tongue.


    "Tsk tsk tsk¡ª how do you think Azura came back?" His deep, velvety voice sent me into action, I jolted up and elbowed him. He fell, and I got on top of him.


    "Liar! I¡¯m still alive!" I screamed, digging my face into his neck, trying to mark him.


    He struggled, then threw me back before I could do it.


    "Just let me mark you!" I shouted, trying hard not to let his words affect me. He was probably saying all of that just to get to me, and he had, briefly. That was how he managed to push me back. But now I was on the right track. I wasn¡¯t losing my mind anymore.


    As soon as I lunged at Kaye again, his back met the wall. I managed to cage him against it.


    I could tell, from the way he closed his eyes and pursed his lips, that somewhere deep down he was struggling too. He didn¡¯t want to kill me. But his curse did.


    "Kaye, let me mark you!" I yelled, reaching for his neck, but he started to push me away.


    "You¡¯re alive¡ª but is your baby alive? A life for a life, Hnie"


    Those were thest words he said before I forced my face into his neck and bit down hard.


    "NOOOO!" he screamed, until his struggles started to weaken. The hands he had been using to push me away were now wrapped around me. He ran them up and down my back as I finished marking him.


    My mind felt a little numb. When I finally pulled back, still in his arms, he suddenly cupped my face, his eyes full of tears and relief. Then, he crushed his lips against mine.


    That¡¯s when I was pulled back to reality. But it was toote. Because I heard the loud,manding voice of Norman behind me.


    "Hnie?"

 Chapter 691-Broken And Alone.

    <h4>Chapter 691: 691-Broken And Alone.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "What is going on here?" Norman asked, his eyes full of tears.


    I was still not able to process how to react to the information Kaye had given me. He had broken the kiss almost instantly when he noticed I wasn¡¯t participating, but then he had to mark me. He still had to mark me.


    "I need to mark her before it¡¯s toote again," Kaye uttered awkwardly, while I stood still. I could hearmotion around me, as if the others had arrived too. By others, I meant Darcy and her royal beta.


    Kaye gently pushed my hair off my shoulder and buried his face in my neck. Norman and the others were in my line of sight, but my teary eyes remained on Norman, who looked hurt.


    He was the one who was hurt? Did I do him wrong? Did I hide the truth from him? I left the idea of being with my mate for him, and he hid such a big truth from me?


    Norman looked away when Kaye¡¯s teeth pierced through my skin, and I closed my eyes. The mark of a mate was able to console me for a bit. The burning feeling of setting the world on fire had calmed down by then. But it will rise again. Of course it will. There is no way anyone would hear what happened to their baby and not be traumatized.


    After Kaye was done marking me and pulled back, Norman walked over to reach me, "you were really at the courthouse that night?" I am guessing he had called people around and found out the truth about that night.


    "And what about you?" My question made him slowly turn around to me.


    "What did I do? What are you on about? How could you lie to us, Hnie?" Him looking hurt in the moment was driving me crazy. He had no right to hide such a truth from me. What was he trying to do? Obviously securing his brother¡¯s reputation.


    "What are you angry with me for?" I tilted my head, and he frowned.


    "You went there and were ready to marry Emmet," He bobbed his head to the words he spoke. Kaye snapped his head at me, showing shock while his mother covered her mouth to control the yelp that might have wanted to escape her lips.


    "But I didn¡¯t. I thought you and Maximus were genuinely not ready for me to ept Emmet until¨C" I nodded my head repeatedly as well, my voice giving away the pain I was feeling.


    "Shit," I heard Kaye curse. He probably remembered why I was so lost.


    "Do you know what is going on?" Darcy asked Kaye in a whisper, but I was able to hear it. At that moment, I didn¡¯t pay too much attention to it, but they were quiet and at a distance, yet I was still able to hear them.


    "Hnie, are you okay?" Norman¡¯s body softened and he reached out for my hand, but I tilted my body to the side to avoid his touch.


    "How do you think Azura is back?" I asked Norman, and he looked so lost.


    "Wasn¡¯t there a sacrifice done? A life for a life?" I hissed, my fists clenched. How dare he even think sacrificing my baby would be worth bringing his lost love back? She was dead for a reason. Her time was up. But my baby. What was my baby¡¯s fault in her demise? Why was my baby¡¯s life stolen?


    "Oh," Norman uttered.


    "Emmet was the one who pushed me, wasn¡¯t he?" I asked him bluntly, and he closed his eyes.


    "It¡¯s true that I found such notes in his room, but I don¡¯t believe them. My brother would never do that." He got me all worked up, still shamelessly siding with his brother.


    "Did you even ask him? Or did you just assume? Because, Norman, the sacrifice he wrote about is the reason Azura is back today. I didn¡¯t die, but I did lose a life. My baby¡ª" I touched my empty stomach, and only then did Norman¡¯s eyes begin to widen.


    "You¡¯re so blinded by your brother¡¯s love that you didn¡¯t even ask him but started stopping me from being with him. So somewhere along the line, even you didn¡¯t believe him entirely," I hissed, feeling so suddenly betrayed.


    Even when they were my mates, they were closer to each other than they ever were to me.


    "You think if it had crossed my mind, I wouldn¡¯t have¡ª I did think about Emmet pushing you, and that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want you to mark him. That day, when I said you cannot mark him, it was because I thought it was unfair. He pushed you down, and you were going to mark him to save his life. I wanted to find another way to save him, but baby! Baby, you said you¡¯d forgive him because he had forgotten everyone," Norman tried to hold my hands again, but I kept shaking my head and creating distance between us.


    "But he didn¡¯t forget everyone. He fucking remembered Azura. And not only that, he thought it was the right thing to do to kill me for her. He had not lost his mind entirely at that point. He knew what he was doing. He made a choice. Even if he didn¡¯t know who I was, he knew he was doing wrong to his brother¡¯s mate," I yelled and closed my eyes as a stream of tears rolled down my cheeks.


    "It¡¯s like¡ªevery fucking time I trust him¡ªhe fucking chooses her. And I don¡¯t fucking care who you all choose now, but why did my baby have to suffer?" I screamed, my hands over my chest as I felt that burning pain of losing my baby.


    "Hnie, I didn¡¯t think of it like that," Norman said, now clearly feeling guilty.


    "I¡¯ve had enough of being the forgiving one. I¡¯m done. You all just do whatever you want to do, and then me it on your curse, and I suffer¡ª" I almost lost my voice as I knelt down to cry.


    "Hnie¡ª" the two of them said in unison when I heard someone elsee in.


    "You all fucking stay away from my daughter," it was my mother storming in, pushing past Darcy to reach me.

 Chapter 692-Oh My Mother, Glad To Have You Back

    <h4>Chapter 692: 692-Oh My Mother, d To Have You Back</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Mom," I don¡¯t know what came over me, but seeing my mother, after knowing I couldn¡¯t be a mom because their brother had taken that chance from me, made me vulnerable and craving her attention all over again.


    And strangely enough, this time¡ª she was ready to give me that love. She rushed over and knelt in front of me, hugging me tightly.


    Her hug was so soothing at that moment that I broke down crying into her chest.


    "Oh, so now you care about her?" Darcy¡¯s voice cut through the air with a weird disbelief as she questioned my mother¡¯s love for me.


    "I always did."


    As soon as my mother said that, I broke the hug and looked at her face, then turned to Darcy, watching for her reaction. She looked like she had seen a ghost.


    "Oh, you fucking fooled us all," Darcy snapped. The way she clenched her fists and shook them toward my mother gave me goosebumps.


    The two of them locked eyes in a fierce stare-off, and surprisingly, it was my mother who was smirking through her tears.


    "I had to do whatever it took to keep her away from you," my mother growled.


    But the shock on Darcy¡¯s face was quickly reced by a nasty smirk.


    "But were you able to do it? From what I see, it¡¯s only gotten worse. Your daughter is back exactly where I wanted her. She¡¯s so close to me¡ªto my sons. Ah! In case you didn¡¯t know, your daughter has marked all my sons. She¡¯s their marked mate," Darcy said, her tone dripping with poison.


    Her words stunned not just me, but the brothers too. We all exchanged uneasy nces. So Emma didn¡¯t lie when she said my mother wasing here to confront Darcy,


    "What?" My mother lookedpletely lost. "Don¡¯t tell me¡ª"


    She pushed my hair off my shoulder, and when she saw the mark, she closed her eyes in pain.


    "I¡¯ve failed again."


    I didn¡¯t understand what was happening. They were talking in code, and I couldn¡¯t make sense of it.


    "What is going on? Did you lie to us about the curse?" Norman yelled at his mother.


    Of course he had tosh out somewhere because he knew I couldn¡¯t trust him again.


    "Ask me about the curse," my mother said as she stood, helping me to my feet as well.


    "Oh please. What do you know?" Darcy hissed, arms stubbornly crossed, eyes zing as if daring my mother to speak.


    "I know what you told me. That one day, you would kill my daughter, and if you couldn¡¯t, your sons would. The daughter I love the most." My mother¡¯s simple words revealed so much.


    For a moment, I think everyone was stunned because hearing my mother talk about the curse was something Darcy had never told us.


    "What do you mean?" Norman asked, his voice low, while Kaye clenched his jaw tightly.


    "What I mean," my mother hissed, "is that for the curse to end, the price is the death of my daughter."


    Everyone gasped. I instinctively ced my hands on my chest, struggling to breathe.


    It made sense now why she showed hatred toward me, why she had to pretend I didn¡¯t matter to her. She didn¡¯t want Darcy to know I was the one she loved.


    But what did she mean ¡¯her sons would kill me?¡¯


    "Well, they were going to kill her, but she¡¯s still alive," Darcy said. "You see, my sons¡¯ curses were tragic. Each of them would be the reason their mate would die. Maximus had to mark her in his Lycan form, which would¡¯ve killed her. But they found a way and stopped it. Then Emmett had to forget about everyone, but instead, he decided to kill her to get his love back when he lost his mind. Her baby paid the price."


    My body shuddered at her words.


    "And then there¡¯s Kaye. He had to kill her because she isn¡¯t a true werewolf."


    She said thatst part carefully, like she was still hiding something.


    But my mother stepped forward, shaking her head firmly.


    "You¡¯re wrong. She is a pure werewolf. The only one with a psychotic mind here is you," my mother groaned.


    "And if you think I¡¯ll back down and just believe your lies, that your sons marked her and the curses are over, you¡¯re wrong. I¡¯ll be watching you, Darcy. I¡¯ll find out what other tricks you¡¯re hiding up your sleeves."


    She held my hand tightly and led me through the brothers.


    "You can¡¯t take my wife away!" Norman shouted, but my mother raised her palm to silence him.


    "You were supposed to tell her the truth. She deserved to know. And you know what? Knowing my daughter¡ªshe still would¡¯ve marked Emmet to save his life. All she ever asks for is loyalty."


    Her words stunned me. She had said exactly what I hadn¡¯t been able to scream myself.


    And I didn¡¯t stop her from taking me away.


    We left the mansion, and I sat quietly in the car beside my mother.


    "Take us to the hotel where I¡¯m staying," she told the driver. He gave a quick nod and started the car.


    I saw Norman and the others rush outside, hurrying to get into their own cars to follow us. My mother must have booked herself a hotel here for a stay until she had confronted Darcy.


    "You never hated me? Never med me for choosing my father over you?" I asked softly, and my mother shook her head, her warm hand gently cupping my cheek.


    "My daughter! You were only six. You seriously believed that I was bitter over the fact that a six year old was scared of the world outside? if only you knew the worst things I had to protect you from, you wouldn¡¯t be asking me that question." Her eyes shimmered with tears as she gave me a weak smile.


    "Tell me everything. I want to know why I had to suffer alone through my childhood and teenage years," I pleaded, a single tear rolling down my cheek.


    "There will be a time for it, and it¡¯s soon. Just know this: you¡¯ve done nothing wrong. Neither have your siblings. It¡¯s just¨Cyour blood was too precious¡ªand some vile people found out about it."


    My body froze at her words.


    My siblings? I have siblings?

 Chapter 693-Bed And Men

    <h4>Chapter 693: 693-Bed And Men</h4>


    <strong>Urs:</strong>


    <strong>Many Years Ago:</strong>


    "Where are we going, Thomas Niles?" I joked nervously, using his full name. I was trying to sound confident, even though my heart felt deeply unsettled.


    We had been married for two months now, and I¡¯d seen Thomas go from cheerful to creepy in mere minutes. I knew I shouldn¡¯t be saying that about my mate, but it was the truth. There was another bitter truth behind our marriage: I never found my fated mate. I had to settle for a chosen one.


    But it wasn¡¯t all bad. At least, it shouldn¡¯t have been.


    Thomas had found me in the woods one day. He brought me home. He gave me love. He told me I needed a mate to be ranked and allowed to live in the pack. So I married him.


    I was happy for a week. Then, he began to grow distant. He started to seem more secretive every day.


    "We¡¯re at a royal party," he said, leading me into a room full of men, royal men.


    Probably Alphas and Betas.


    "Umm... okay, but what are we doing among them?" I didn¡¯t like the environment one bit.


    As soon as I entered that ce, my heart began to sink. I had never been to a royal house before. But even then, I knew enough to understand that there is never such arge bed in a living room. And then all those men were sitting there, wearing masks. I couldn¡¯t see the face of a single one of them, and none of them were apanied by their wives or mates, only men. And then there was me, the only woman standing there with my husband.


    And the dress he had brought for me, which I had thought was a gift because he was feeling guilty for treating me badlyst week, that too now seemed less like a gift and more like a purpose.


    "Come on, Urs, keep a smile on your face," Niles said to me. He did keep a smile on his own face, but the way he clenched the words between his teeth made it clear to me that he wasn¡¯t happy about my sudden change in mood.


    "Niles, take me home. I don¡¯t want to stay here. I don¡¯t want to be part of this party. What kind of party is this?" I looked around nervously andined.


    I wasn¡¯t feeling good at all. First, he didn¡¯t even tell me where we were going. Then suddenly, he brought me to this ce among so many royal people. I couldn¡¯t understand what right we Omegas had to even be here.


    "Oh, just stop it already, you always have a habit of making a scene," Niles said. "The moment someone gives you even slightly better treatment, you start acting up. Look around¡ªwe¡¯re among so many royal people, and you¡¯re still creating problems here."


    Suddenly, Niles pulled his hand away from mine and started confronting me.


    Being surrounded by so many men made me feel ufortable. They were just sitting there, watching me, as if we were some kind of entertainment for them.


    "Okay, fine. But what kind of ce is this? Why is there such a big bed here? What is it for?"


    I asked my man, looking him straight in the eyes.


    "What do you mean, ¡¯for whom¡¯? It¡¯s for both of us," Niles said with a smile.


    But even my fake smile vanished.


    "What do you mean it¡¯s for both of us? Why is there a bed ced here for us, among so many men? Niles, what is going on here?"


    Now I waspletely anxious. I couldn¡¯t understand anything anymore. My heartbeat was getting faster.


    "Niles, tell me what¡¯s going on?" I asked him again, locking eyes with him.


    "Come on, Urs," he said, "You¡¯re not going to embarrass me in front of all these people.


    If you say no to me here, they¡¯llugh at me tomorrow. It¡¯s just one night, what¡¯s the big deal? All we have to do is act like we don¡¯t see them while we do it, and then we¡¯ll go home with a lot of money. It¡¯s not like they¡¯ll even recognize us tomorrow. We¡¯re just Omegas. Who¡¯s going to talk about this?"


    It felt like my eyes were about to pop out in shock. I kept staring at Niles¡¯s face, searching for even a trace of shame, but there was none. What he was asking me to do in front of all those people¡ªit waspletely inappropriate. And I just couldn¡¯t understand how he had agreed to something like this.


    No matter how much money was being offered, how could he expose his wife like that in front of everyone?


    I was truly stunned.


    Until now, I had always thought Niles was just a rude and arrogant man. But today I realized¡ªhe could do anything for money. He was utterly shameless.


    And I waspletely, horribly trapped. No matter how many times I said no, he kept trying to convince me.


    He would gently stroke my hair, sometimes doing one thing, sometimes another¡ªtrying to coax me.


    He even started making promises, "this will be thest time, everything will be okay."


    In the end, it started to feel like I had no choice but to give up. Otherwise, there would be a huge scene when we got home. I had nowhere else to go.


    I couldn¡¯t even return to the woods¡ªI wouldn¡¯t survive there either. Even back then, when he had found and rescued me in the woods, I was already in a terrible state.


    Now I was even more scared. And I didn¡¯t think they would let me leave this ce unless I gave in.


    So I just closed my eyee, and agreed. After all, it was just one night.


    And he was my mate.


    I just had to make sure not to look at anyone else¡ªso I wouldn¡¯t see if they were looking at me.


    But I was so innocent. I had no understanding of their world. I had no idea that the truth of that night was far deeper than I realized. He hadn¡¯t brought me there just to show me off.


    He had meticulously trapped me here. And by the time I began to realize that the men around had started to crawl into the bed with us,


    It was already toote.

 Chapter 694-You Broke My Heart, Dear Husband

    <h4>Chapter 694: 694-You Broke My Heart, Dear Husband</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I had stayed in a hotel room for the night with my mother. And I felt really weird doing so. It had been such a long time since I felt like I actually had a mother. From the little she told me, I had a feeling there was more to why she had acted so cold toward me in the past. Now she had fallen asleep afterforting me, but I couldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t sleep at all.


    I left the room and started wandering around the lobby before heading outside to take a stroll. It was within the pack, so it was definitely safe. There weren¡¯t going to be many Zharns around, if any had even managed to sneak in. Pack security had tightened around the borders after the Zharn had shown up.


    I had my arms folded over my chest, my eyes on the moon, as I wondered how it all ended up like this, if I would ever be able to forgive Emmet. I was so angry. Still so angry. And it wasn¡¯t only because I believed Emmet had done this to me. I had been willing to forgive Kaye before. But it was different with Kaye and Emmet. Because while Emmet forgot everyone else, he remembered that he had Azura.


    That¡¯s when I began to recall some of the other things Emmet had told me. He said she had cursed him. So what if he really had lost his memory, and the only reason he remembered Azura was because of the curse? Because that was another curse. So maybe it wasn¡¯t that he missed her. I tried to argue with myself, my head hurting.


    ¡¯And what if he said all that about the broken curse because he knew he had pushed us into the well and he was trying toe up with an exnation forter, when we found out?¡¯ My wolf didn¡¯t help at all.


    Thinking that made me take a deep breath and let it out. ¡¯I guess it¡¯s up to me who I choose to trust.¡¯


    ¡¯So, who do you trust?¡¯ Cora asked.


    "Cora, I believe what Emmet said. She cursed him. When he pushed me, he¡ª" I trailed off.


    "He only remembered Azura. So whatever it was, it made him sacrifice me and my baby. It told him that the only person he knew¨CAzura¡ªwoulde back if he got rid of me," I mumbled, continuing my thoughts.


    However, Cora had a different take on it.


    "Who is ¡¯it¡¯? It is himself. Doesn¡¯t that make him a bad person? Let¡¯s just say he forgot everything. He wasn¡¯t in his animal state. He was still very much alive in human form. So if he chose to hurt another being just to bring back his lover, doesn¡¯t that make him awful? Because the curse didn¡¯t ask him to kill you. Neither curse required him to get rid of you. That was his choice. One curse made him forget everyone. The other made him remember Azura."


    ¡¯Oh my God, I¡¯m losing my mind.¡¯ I groaned.


    Cora was right. And once again, she confused me. I don¡¯t know what to do. I¡¯m just so upset. My baby was lost¡ªso that one psycho, clingy ex coulde back.


    I grunted, "and then there is my husband," I hissed. I almost said it out loud.


    That¡¯s when I felt someone behind me.


    "Hnie, I¡¯m so sorry."


    I turned to see Norman standing there, looking so defeated.


    "It should have been you telling me the truth, Norman. I thought we had that kind of connection." I didn¡¯t have the strength left in my body to yell or scream at him again. I had already done that. Now, I just wanted to make my point. I wanted him to understand how I was feeling.


    He lowered his head and closed his eyes, his index fingers subtly scratched by the thumb of both hands. I watched him take a deep breath, then raise his head and tilt his face.


    "I guess I just didn¡¯t want you to judge my brother. I was torn between my love for you and for him, Hnie. When I didn¡¯t want you to marry him, it was because of the fact that¡ª."


    Now that I knew why they were so reluctant to let me be with Emmet, I felt like a fool.


    "You had all the time in the world to tell me why," I hissed, losing my calm again.


    No matter how hard I tried to stayposed, the memories always came flooding back, and with them, the sense of betrayal. They could have told me. They should have told me.


    And then another thought rushed to the back of my mind was that Emmet had been so desperate to marry me. Was it because he was afraid the truth woulde out, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to marry me if it did?


    I was dying to see Emmet, to look him in the eyes and scream in his face. But I wasn¡¯t even sure if I could do it. Because every time he stood in front of me, I just felt this deep respect for him.


    So maybe this time it would be different.


    I didn¡¯t know and I wasn¡¯t sure.


    "I was trying to stop you from marrying Emmet because I knew that when you found out he was the one who pushed you, you¡¯d question me for not stopping you!" Norman yelled, feeling like he had some unspoken feelings he needed to air out as well.


    "Oh really? What a philosophy," I snapped. "Then you should have fucking told me! How the heck was I supposed to know? You weren¡¯t telling me, and neither was Maximus. So how would I know? Instead of telling me the truth, you let me think I was this disloyal mate who wanted to be with her husband¡¯s brother. You made me feel so guilty. I asked and I asked. It¡¯s fucking funny that the whole time I was the one suffering because I couldn¡¯t tell Emmet why I couldn¡¯t marry him, while at the same time, you wouldn¡¯t tell me why I shouldn¡¯t. Both you and he were upset with me, when in reality, I was the victim." I yelled, tears rolling down my cheeks.


    "If you cared so much, then instead of making me feel guilty, you should¡¯ve told me what your brother was guilty of, and let me make my own decision!" I screamed, furious at how much they had tried to control my life while making me feel like a guilty one at the same time.

 Chapter 695-It Went South

    <h4>Chapter 695: 695-It Went South</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "You were supposed to tell me everything, Norman," I hissed again, "and now that you are here, do ask your mother about the curse and why she kept most of it from us," I grunted, leaving for the hotel when he tried to hold my hand.


    "I never asked you to hit or hurt your brother, Norman. I expected you to tell me the truth so that I can decide when I want to have a talk with Emmet. So that I wouldn¡¯t have to feel guilty about everything," I repeated myself and at this point, I felt like I was just a broken record.


    "Now let me go, I can¡¯t stand you or anyone at the moment," I uttered, freeing my hand and walking away. I heard him still follow after me even after I was in front of my hotel room.


    I stayed with my mom for the rest of the night. The next morning, we decided to head back home.


    "What are you going to do now?" my mother asked, gently cing her hand over mine.


    "I¡¯ll just go and maybe confront Emmet. I¡¯m not sure yet," I said, looking out the window. Every time I thought about it, tears welled up in my eyes.


    "Are you sure? you can stay anywhere, I¡¯lle with you," my mother asked, but I started shaking my head.


    "I don¡¯t want to exaggerate it too much. I¡¯ll confront Emmet alone, and then I¡¯ll just return to the Academy. There¡¯s an uing trip, and we all agreed we need to be our happy selves for Gavin. It¡¯ll be his first time out since he lost his mate," I mumbled, trying to hold back my tears.


    This trip wasn¡¯t going to be about me. It was going to be about Gavin. He needed to know his friends were with him.


    "Oh, I understand. How is he now?" she asked.


    "He¡¯s doing great. Mostly just focused on getting revenge for it."


    Even though I had no idea who he nned to take revenge on. I guessed his main goal was to help take down X-codex with us.


    "Okay, but please be careful out there," my mother said as she gently squeezed my hand.


    It was strange seeing her care so much after everything that had happened. But I think I liked it. I really needed her by my side now, and she had promised to tell me everything.


    "Mom," I uttered, and she smiled.


    It was probably just as strange for her to hear me say it as it was for me to call her that.


    "You didn¡¯t tell me something. There was a moment when Darcy mentioned a ¡¯pure werewolf.¡¯ What does that mean?" I asked.


    I watched my mother¡¯s smile fade.


    "Honey, once youe back, I¡¯ll tell you. For now, just know that you¡¯re special," she said, and I nodded.


    I wanted to ask again, but I let it go for now. I was too tired, and there was already too much on my mind.


    The rest of the car ride went fine. We made a few stops to eat, and every time we did, Norman and Kaye¡¯s car would stop right behind us. They never got out, but they kept watching us, and every time I saw their car, I felt like I was losing my mind.


    Our car arrived first at the mansion because Norman was purposely driving slowly to keep an eye on us. The moment the car stopped, I jumped out. But I couldn¡¯t get past the main entrance, as Maximus was standing there.


    The second he saw me, he opened his arms to hug me, but when he noticed the look on my face, he slowly lowered them.


    "I heard you marked Kaye," he said, confused as to why I looked so furious.


    I stopped, gave him a look, then turned and walked away.


    "Hey, what happened?" he called out, following behind me. But I didn¡¯t say a word.


    I thought about going to my bedroom to rest, but I knew Norman woulde there, and I didn¡¯t want to talk to him either. The guest room was already taken by Azura, so I was kind of lost about where to go.


    That¡¯s when I saw Emmet walking toward me. I guess he had figured out that I was back.


    "Hey. I heard you did it," he said, hands in his pants pockets, wearing the same loose suit he always wore.


    I stopped in my tracks and stared at him. That¡¯s when the others came up behind me.


    "Oh, you guys are back," Emma said, stepping toward us with Charlotte beside her.


    "We should have dinner together," Charlotte suggested. She was always so cheerful, with no problems, no weight on her shoulders.


    It wasn¡¯t that I wished anything bad on her, she was kind and had redeemed herself. She was much nicer to me now. But still, I couldn¡¯t help wondering why my life was so messed up.


    "Can I speak with you?" I said to Emmet. He raised his head slightly, probably ncing at his brothers behind me.


    "Yeah, sure," he replied.


    I left the others behind, especially Emma, who looked suspicious, probably wondering why I came straight to Emmet, or why I was pulling him aside into the hallway.


    We went into the passage and stopped once we were in the middle of it.


    "Are you okay?" he asked.


    I kept my hands on the railing, taking deep breaths before I turned to face him.


    "You were the one who pushed me down the well that night," I uttered.


    He froze. He didn¡¯t respond, just stared at my face before his mouth twitched in confusion.


    "What?" That was the most confused I had ever seen him. "You think I hurt you? Tell me."


    He fell silent the moment I started speaking.


    "They found me that night. You know how? Because of the traces you left behind in your bedroom. You were scribbling your n, the sacrifice to bring Azura back. Emmet, my child paid the price to bring back your psycho lover."


    My voice cracked as I began to recall that night.


    I watched Emmet nce behind me, and I turned to follow his gaze, Norman was rushing toward us.


    He stormed past me and grabbed Emmet by the cor.


    This had never happened before. The way he did it, so sudden, so raw, Emmet lowered his head, looked down at Norman¡¯s grip on his shirt, then looked up at his brother again.


    Tears filled his eyes instantly.


    "It was my son, you asshole. My baby. How could you sacrifice him for her?" Norman shouted, his voice cracking.


    "How could you?" Then he screamed, Maximus and Kaye came running from behind, grabbing Norman to pull him away from Emmet.


    I never imagined our confrontation would go this way.

 Chapter 696-Sacrifice

    <h4>Chapter 696: 696-Sacrifice</h4>


    <strong>Urs:</strong>


    Ever since we got back home, I couldn¡¯t stop crying. I didn¡¯t stop for even a single minute. So many times, it felt like I would stop breathing¡ª like I might just break. And so many times, I just kept ring at Niles in anger. But it didn¡¯t affect him at all. When we got home, he casually sat down on the sofa and started counting the moneypletely unbothered.


    "You are a bastard" I screamed after he ignored my cries for a while. He lifted his head from the cash in his hand and red at me before he began to smile again.


    "I am going to forgive you for now since you are the reason I have so much money in my hands," heughed, waving the cash for me.


    I couldn¡¯t believe he turned out to be this way. All this time we were together, granted, it wasn¡¯t that long, but still, those were some good months. Was he faking it? Was he faking being in love with me? Because how could he be so okay with men crawling into the bed and forcing themselves on me?


    I looked at him, then looked down, covering my face in my hands as I cried.


    "Oh,e on, it wasn¡¯t that bad," he grunted.


    "It wasn¡¯t that bad? It wasn¡¯t bad? How can you say that?" I was screaming. "I was trying to get them off me. You were standing thereughing. How could you let them do this to me?" I sobbed through my words.


    "Don¡¯t you fucking raise your voice at me," he snapped. "You¡¯re in a pack, not in some woods. Besides, they¡¯ve all emptied in you. I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯ll have good news soon. So let me know before you make any stupid decision. Got it?"


    I was stunned. I stood from the couch and looked him in the eye.


    "What do you mean by that? You want me to¡ª you want me to expect a baby? From them?"


    It didn¡¯t even hit me until he said it.


    "Of course," he said. "But don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll get paid for it."


    I was in shambles. The second he said that, I rushed past him toward the door. I had decided, I was going to leave and report this to Alpha Diaz.


    That¡¯s when he grabbed my wrist and yanked me back, throwing me onto the sofa again.


    "One word," he said, low and cold. "You say one word, and I¡¯ll tell them your truth."


    The moment he said that, my throat went dry.


    "Do you want that? Because once I do, I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯ll do the same thing I¡¯m doing to you." That¡¯s when I finally understood. Niles was never in love with me.


    He was using me.


    After that, just like he said, I did end up expecting a baby, and it happened pretty quickly. I found out sooner than I thought I would. But when I gave birth, it was painful, agonizing. And before I could even fully wake up, the baby was gone.


    I remember crying endlessly, begging him to tell me where my baby went. All he said was that the baby was where it should be, that it had been sacrificed.


    I didn¡¯t understand. Sacrificed? What did he mean?


    I cried and cried. It was the worst time of my life.


    But the pain wasn¡¯t over. Not even close.


    One night, I woke up to some man in my room. That¡¯s when I realized I had been tied down. He did it again. And again. Every time a child was born, he would say it was sacrificed. And every time, he would follow with the same line: that the sacrifice didn¡¯t work. That the baby was a waste.


    I couldn¡¯t understand how my life hade to this.


    I was no longer in the main house with him. At some point, he had moved me into a dungeon. I don¡¯t even remember when or how it happened, he had been drugging me so heavily that everything from that period is a blur.


    I would wake up with men on me. Then, for months, he¡¯d feed me while Iy tied to a bed. Then I¡¯d give birth, and my baby would be gone.


    At some point, I went numb. I stopped screaming. I stopped questioning. I simply survived.


    But then one night, I woke up and realized, I wasn¡¯t chained.


    I had just lost another baby, maybe just hours ago. Or maybe he had taken it again, for a ¡¯sacrifice.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t sure. But when I opened my eyes and saw no restraints on me, I knew, it was my time. My only chance.


    He must have left in a hurry. The new chains were right beside the bed, so he was clearly in the middle of binding me again. Something must have interrupted him or some emergency.


    I got out of the bed slowly, hand over my belly, tears streaming down my cheeks. I made my way toward the stairs, toward any possible way out. I didn¡¯t even know where I was anymore.


    When I finally reached the top of the stairs, my heart sank. I froze.


    I quickly ducked behind a wall when I saw her, the very royal-looking woman standing in front of Niles.


    I didn¡¯t understand why she was there. A small part of me hoped, maybe she had discovered something. Maybe she knew someone was being abused here. Maybe she hade to save me.


    Oh, how wrong I was.


    Because then I heard her say it. Her voice was cold,manding.


    "Niles, all the babies are a waste. I want that one child."


    Her tone was clear. Her orders, even clearer.


    And that¡¯s when it hit me.


    It wasn¡¯t Niles who wanted the babies.


    It was her.


    The Luna Queen Darcy, the woman who had just given birth to her son. Why did she want my baby? What for?


    I began to hyperventte and look for an escape. All this time, they had killed innocent babies and the one behind such cruelty turned out to be a woman herself.

 Chapter 697-Only She Defends Him

    <h4>Chapter 697: 697-Only She Defends Him</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "I don¡¯t know what you all are using me of. Can somebody tell me what the fuck I did?" Emmet yelled as he finally grabbed his brother¡¯s hands and pulled them off his cor, pushing him away.


    That was when Maximus and Kaye decided to hold on to Norman so he wouldn¡¯t attack Emmet again.


    I didn¡¯t know the confrontation would go this badly.


    "You sacrificed my child for someone who was already dead because she didn¡¯t listen to you that night and went out," Norman yelled, his eyes red with rage.


    "Enough, just stop," I tried to stop Norman.


    That was when Emmet gestured for me to step aside.


    "No. Let me talk to my brother. Let him say what he has to say," Emmet warned me before looking back at Norman.


    "Do you seriously think I would ever do anything to hurt you, to harm you, brother?" There was pain in Emmet¡¯s voice, pain I was sure everyone could hear.


    "It¡¯s not about you hurting me. You didn¡¯t even remember that time that I am your brother and she is Hnie," Norman grunted, finally freeing himself from his brothers, though he didn¡¯t attack Emmet again. He began covering his face with his forearm, maybe even wiping away tears.


    "Do you think I sacrificed your baby for her?" Emmet asked, pointing toward what was likely the guest room.


    "We found the traces in your room, Emmet!" Norman yelled as he recalled the pages he had found, the ones with the scribbles.


    "The pages?" Emmet screamed back.


    "The pages where you said you had to sacrifice Hnie so Azura coulde back¡ªlife for a life," Norman said word for word, and my body shook again.


    At that point, I didn¡¯t want to intervene. Norman had every right to be upset. It was his child too.


    "Really? Is that why you were all acting weird around me? Why didn¡¯t any of you tell me? Why did you guys let me walk around thinking, oh, maybe I did something wrong, maybe not. But all this time you were looking at me like I¡¯m some fucking murderer!" Emmet screamed, pointing at his chest.


    This was the first time I had seen Emmet lose his mind so badly, but then again, what he did was extremely wrong too.


    "We¡¯re not saying you did it in your right mind. We¡¯re just saying you forgot about everyone. You only remembered Azura and the fact that you had to bring her back." Kaye hissed Emmet scanned all our faces.


    "I think I would¡¯ve remembered something like that," Emmet said, shaking his head.


    "But you do forget. The only person you remember is Azura."


    As soon as Kaye said that, I muttered, "And that¡¯s because she cursed you, with a broken heart curse when she was dying,." I looked at Emmet, who now turned all his attention to me.


    "Tell me, you really think I did it?" I felt my heart stop for a moment.


    "Say it," he demanded.


    That was when Norman stepped between us.


    "No. You will not put her through this. We saw the evidence. You did it. You fucking sacrificed my baby."


    Norman¡¯s voice was stern, and rightfully so, but there was something else in Emmet¡¯s voice. A certainty in how he said those words. And that made me believe there was probably more to the story.


    "But I don¡¯t remember ever writing those things," Emmet yelled in frustration.


    Norman nodded, running a hand through his hair as he paced back and forth, until he finally faced Emmet again, hands on his waist.


    "Did that thought ever cross your mind?" Norman asked in a soft and gentle voice. But the question carried a lot of weight.


    Emmet suddenly went silent.


    "Tell me, did it ever cross your mind? Did you know you had to kill Hnie in order to bring Azura back?" Norman said every word with rity.


    Kaye and Maximus squared up, their shoulders broad, their eyes on Emmet.


    I was looking down when I suddenly tilted my head, then to the side, to look at Emmet. He avoided looking at any of us and just kept staring into Norman¡¯s eyes.


    "I mean, the thought did cross my mind. I don¡¯t know how, but it was in the back of my head¡ªlike, repeatedly." But as Emmet said that, I guess there was nothing else left to say.


    "And then, you wrote it down because you always forget," Norman understood. He had put two and two together.


    Emmet started to shake his head. "I don¡¯t know. I cannot do that." He began to shake¡ªbreak.


    That was when we all understood. He wasn¡¯t even certain if he had done it or not. But it was true: the idea had been in his head, and all the evidence pointed at him.


    "And you were the one who had told Hnie toe to the well," Norman reminded him, and Emmet started shaking his head aggressively.


    "I did not say that to her."


    I watched his face in disbelief.


    "I remember you did. We had a conversation, Emmet."


    That was so confusing to me. I understood that he forgot, because he forgets, but the way he was opposing the idea of asking me toe to the well made me believe that is how he forgot about the other things and was so confidently saying he did not remember.


    "What do you have to say about that now?" Maximus hissed at Emmet. Even he was judging him.


    I would have hated for anyone to pile up on someone, but it was the truth. Emmet was in denial.


    "Why are you all ganging up on Emmet? I understand that a life was lost in order to bring me back, but I don¡¯t think Emmet did it while knowing what he was doing. He had forgotten everything. He had lost his memory of people. The part of him that held love for everyone was gone at that time," Azura said, speaking in her soft, gentle voice.


    Everyone turned to her, including Norman.

 Chapter 698-His Fated Mates.

    <h4>Chapter 698: 698-His Fated Mates.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Azura, even if he did not remember who everyone else was, he knew he was killing someone to bring someone back, didn¡¯t he?" Norman grunted, his fist clenched. This was something I had told him.


    "No. The part of him that was human was gone¡ªor almost gone. He was scared of everyone. He thought everyone was out to get him. And because I had angrily cursed him when dying, he only remembered me. So for him, it was like finding someone, or bringing back the only person he could feel a connection with. It was like an animal killing all the other animals just to bring back its own pair. He didn¡¯t understand. He had nopassion, nothing. And he brought me back out of misery, out of the curse, not because he wanted to. He was probably losing his mind being alone. And since he only remembered me, that was the only thing he could do," she argued. Her fists clenched as she walked past Kaye and Maximus to reach Norman.


    "And what did you say? It was my fault that I went out? Sure, it was my fault. But your brother attacked me. How are you going to stand here and act so righteous, talking about, ¡¯Oh, Emmet was going to kill a human. Emmet was going to kill someone,¡¯ when you are the one who defends and protects his monster of a brother who killed me?" Azura pointed at her chest and screamed, "You¡¯re a hypocrite, Norman. Just a hypocrite."


    That was when I shoved her hand off Norman¡¯s chest, her hand that she was pointing with, and stormed between them.


    "Don¡¯t you dare tell my husband that he is not allowed to grieve," I grunted. "As for Maximus, he didn¡¯t know either. He attacked you, just like you said. Emmet had no memory. Maximus has no memory. He attacked you because you came out. And then you survived. You were in the hospital. Nobody knows how you got out and went into that well. So don¡¯t say Maximus killed you. You were killed because you left the hospital out of your own stubbornness. It¡¯s all about you¡ªyour stubbornness."


    This was the first time we were having a face-off, and I was screaming in her face, pointing at her. She looked at me like she would rip my head off. But I was sure she wouldn¡¯t dare.


    "Well then, let¡¯s just admit, the world we live in is a murky one. If Maximus cannot be held ountable for his actions, neither should Emmet be. Or is it only because the one receiving the pain, on the other end of the pole, was you this time?" She looked me in the eye and raised her brow.


    "And if it¡¯s still such a problem, and you all cannot see Emmet here, then it¡¯s better that we leave." I was stunned when she said that.


    "No, Azura, you will not make a decision for our brother," Maximus came in front and warned her, pointing a finger at her.


    She was just watching us all, breathing so hard that her beauty bones were bing prominent in her neck.


    "It is between us brothers. We fight, we argue, but we don¡¯t leave each other." Norman said. He looked her in the eye, hunching down.


    "Really? You call this fighting? You¡¯re using him of murder. I¡¯ve seen how you all were looking at him. Do you still believe he should stay among you guys?" she retorted, once again putting forward the idea that Emmet should leave.


    "You have no right to talk about what he should and shouldn¡¯t do. I am his mate. I will make the decision. And they are his brothers. They will too," I screamed, getting annoyed that she was stepping in between.


    Then my eyes moved to Emmet, because I was confused why he wasn¡¯t talking, he seemed zoned out. I could tell from his face that the realization had probably dawned on him: that he might have done it, and forgotten about it, after Norman practically proved that he had the evidence, and that he was the one who had told me to go to the well.


    "Fine then. How about Emmet makes this decision?" Azura stepped back and then looked at Emmet. "Emmet, do you still want to stay here where they see you as a threat?"


    She phrased it in a way that I was afraid he would make the wrong decision.


    "Emmet, tell her you will stay here," Norman demanded, pointing at Azura.


    I was watching Emmet¡¯s face, hoping he wouldn¡¯t make some stupid, rash decision. Even though I was angry with him, I still wouldn¡¯t want him gone. Because I know we all have demons we¡¯re fighting. And if he did do it while he had no memory, that gives him at least a little bit of an upper hand.


    "If you think I am such a threatening person to you, your mate, your child, why would you want me to stay here?"


    That¡¯s when Emmet broke the silence by uttering those words. It felt like he was slowly bending toward Azura¡¯s decision.


    And then I remembered how he didn¡¯t want to be with her, but now, he was making the stupid decision of going alone with her, where she would be able to manipte him.


    "Emmet, I am the one who was hurt. And I¡¯m telling you, you can stay here," I uttered so softly that he shook his head very gently.


    "Wait, you cannot force him. You used him of killing your child, you will not make him stay here. If he¡¯s a threat, then he should go!" Azura stormed in, almost in a haste, making sure I didn¡¯t convince Emmet.


    I did not want punishment for Emmet. I wanted an apology, an acknowledgment, and help for him. But I guess all that didn¡¯t matter anymore, because she just looked at me as if I was the user, not the victim.


    I suddenly felt bad, and that part sucked, because I had every right to be upset. But now it seemed like I was the one being punished. Because if he left and she manipted him, I¡¯d be used of that too.


    "Emmet, as your mate, I¡¯m asking you to stay." I finally yed the mate card.


    But that¡¯s when a scoff from Azura turned all our attention to her.


    "Well then, if that is the term, then he wille with me. Because, Hnie, you¡¯re not the only one who has multiple mates. I am Emmet¡¯s fated mate as well."


    She was able to pull the ground from under my feet with that one simple statement.

 Chapter 699-Only I Love Him

    <h4>Chapter 699: 699-Only I Love Him</h4>


    <strong>Azura:</strong>


    I was so d I came out at the right time to support Emmet. The sad part was that Norman, who loved his brother so much, was suddenly acting up.


    I didn¡¯t understand how they could excuse Kaye trying to kill Hnie because of the curse, or that Maximus tried to attack her, and everybody else, even his own brother, but they were still against Emmet just because he did it for someone else.


    I guess the real problem was that Hnie and her big ego didn¡¯t like the fact that, for once, she wasn¡¯t the one being prioritized. She didn¡¯t care if the baby died or anything. The only thing that mattered to her was that he did it for me, for someone else. So basically, he chose me over her. Even if it was during the curse, she wouldn¡¯t care.


    I had seen right through her the first time I met her. She was an opportunist, dramatic and full of herself. She wanted all the mates for herself. She wanted to be with all of them, but couldn¡¯t even tolerate the thought of her mates thinking about someone else.


    In thest few days, I found out how she had somehow convinced Norman to kick out Jessica, the one they had betrayed. They were master maniptors, the two of them, Norman and Hnie.


    At that moment, I realized I needed to take Emmet away from these two. And from the others, too. They were just Norman¡¯s tail. They would follow him wherever he went, in whatever direction he picked. So really, they weren¡¯t that important.


    But it did sadden me that Hnie tried to spin it like I had just gone to the hospital, and h h h¡ªjust making up a story to convince everyone that it was my fault. I didn¡¯t like that woman. And I was so right about her.


    And suddenly, when I said Emmet should leave, she jumped back into the whole act, like, oh, now I don¡¯t want to punish Emmet? Then why the hell did she make such a fuss about it? Why did she bring in three of his brothers, all active and ready to attack him?


    She was such a hypocrite. She wanted someone else to do her bidding while she kept her hands clean. And now that one of her mates was about to escape her maniption trap, she was all riled up. So I gave her one more piece of truth.


    She looked at me with those eyes that showed she had lost. That¡¯s what it was for her, just about winning.


    "It¡¯s true. We felt the mate bondst night," I said determinedly, not lying.


    I felt it. I felt every connectionst night with Emmet. And I couldn¡¯t thank the Moon Goddess enough for it. I guess it was bound to happen. Hnie couldn¡¯t just have four mates and enjoy the fun. Now let¡¯s see how she epts their fated mates.


    But the look on her face told me she wasn¡¯t happy about it either. She lookedpletely destroyed, because just like I said¨CShe wasn¡¯t going to be prioritized anymore.


    "Brother, what is she saying?" Maximus stepped forward to speak, because of course, Norman had nothing left to say. How could he ask Emmet to stay when he had been all up in his face, grabbing his cor and shaking him like that? Disrespecting him?


    Emmett looked down, then slowly nodded.


    "It¡¯s true. I felt it," he uttered. And Hnie let out a gasp, stepping back from me.


    "Are you sure? Or did you forget?" Kaye started to mutter. The words clearly offended Emmet.


    Forgetting is one thing. But now they were basically using him of making it all up?


    "Come on now," I snapped, my voice rising. "How far are you guys going to go disrespecting him? Every time¡ªevery time¡ªhe says something, you all ask: did he make it up? Did he forget?" I shook my head. "There¡¯s a fine line between forgetting and going crazy. He forgets, but he¡¯s not crazy. He¡¯s not delusional. He wouldn¡¯t make up stories. But you all, you¡¯re taking advantage of his memory."


    As I screamed, Norman stepped forward again, fists clenched. That¡¯s when Emmet moved, stepping between us, facing his brother, blocking his path.


    Finally! Emmet saw that he needed to take a stand for his other mate, too. It was just a silent battle of res.


    "She¡¯s only defending you because she wants you on her side," Maximus said, pointing at me. The same guy who should have been on his knees, apologizing for killing me, for attacking me that day, was now demonizing me. Again. If it had been Hnie, he wouldn¡¯t have done that.


    "Enough," Emmet said sharply, raising his palm to silence Maximus.


    Of course Emmet wasn¡¯t a child. He knew who was standing beside him. He realized who had defended him all along.


    Did his brothers really think that after using him of murder, after painting him like some monster, he would go against me, the only one who believed he wasn¡¯t to me?


    "So, you¡¯re going to leave with her?" Kaye asked, eyeing Emmet.


    These brothers didn¡¯t care for him. I had heard stories. Emma told me everything over thest few days. And now they were suddenly concerned?


    No. They were just panicking. Because finally, someone was prioritizing Emmet. Someone was about to take him away from all these toxic people. From those who never truly understood him. From those who judged him.


    Now, once again, everyone was staring at Emmet, waiting for him to make a decision. He turned toward me, and slowly stretched out his hand.


    "You know the roguemunity isn¡¯t a safe ce," he said, his voice low, steady.


    It wasn¡¯t a warning, it was a reminder. A soft echo of what life outside this so-called ¡¯safe ce¡¯ could be.


    I looked at his hand, then at him, and took it.


    "I¡¯m not afraid of danger if you¡¯re with me, Emmet," I said. "I¡¯ve died before, I can die again. But I won¡¯t leave you behind. And I won¡¯t ask or expect you to stay here for the sake offort, not when you¡¯re being treated like you¡¯re a danger."


    He nodded.


    And I knew, he finally understood what I had been trying to say all along. They were all watching him like he was some unpredictable beast. Like he might snap at any moment.


    So then why? Why did they want him to stay?


    Was it to keep him close, so that if something ever happened again, Goddess forbid, they¡¯d have a convenient monster to point at?


    Someone easy to me?

 Chapter 700-After He Left

    <h4>Chapter 700: 700-After He Left</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I had no words to speak after she told me about the mate bond. It was as if something so impossible had happened that I could not even react to it. I just watched her face, and then Emmet¡¯s.


    What had happened? Why would the Moon Goddess pair me up with them, but then give them mates, and make another mate in a person that is so vile?


    Or maybe she wasn¡¯t. The way she came to his defense, she really loved him. But that didn¡¯t mean she was a nice person, or did it?


    She admitted that when she was dying, she cursed him out of anger and frustration and heartbreak. So what else was left?


    I cannot call her a maniptor when she was just taking a stand for her mate. My heart broke at the thought of him having other mates. And I guess that is when I realized how they must have felt too when I did not want to be with one of them.


    Now could Iin about them? Could I even say that they should not be with their mates? I wasn¡¯t too sure. It just didn¡¯t make any sense to me at the moment.


    I guess the only difference was that when I came into Emmet¡¯s life, there was no one alive in his life. So I thought I was the only one.


    But now that she came into his life as a mate, we had already built that connection. So it was like inviting someone else entirely.


    But then again, could I me him for holding her hand and deciding to leave with her?


    I didn¡¯t marry him when he asked me to. So I couldn¡¯t expect him to keep chasing after me.


    Besides, after I found out that he was the reason my baby died, I could only feel sympathy for him, but no love.


    "You¡¯re not seriously telling us that you¡¯re leaving with her to go and live in the wild. Do you not know how fucking dangerous the wild has be? What if you forget?"


    Maximus was yammering, and I understood his pain. They still loved their brother. Fights and arguments happened, but Azura put the nail in the coffin when she gave Emmet the option to just leave.


    "I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m not a child, besides¡ª" Before he could finish, Azura spoke up.


    "Besides, I will be with him," she said. The brothers just red her down.


    I had no courage left to ask Emmet to stay. She was his mate. Fated mate. I took a deep breath and stormed away, back to my bedroom. Once I sat down and turned my face into my hands, I started sobbing a little.


    ¡¯I think we should not let him go with her,¡¯ Cora said.


    ¡¯Cora, did you not hear what Emmet said? He said he had the idea of killing me in the back of his head. Do you not know what that means?¡¯ I said.


    ¡¯It means he was fully aware, he remembered everything, when that idea came into his mind. The only time he acted upon it was when he forgot about me. The fact that that idea even came into his mind and he didn¡¯t immediately shut it down, but it stayed, just shows that even when broken, cursed¡ª he chose her. He wanted her back. And even if we debate that it was because she had cursed him¡ª he was supposed to miss her, remember her,¡ª not take someone¡¯s life for her. I don¡¯t want to talk about it anymore.¡¯


    I yammered and yammered, and then I just shut down. I was honestly tired. Exhausted.


    Tomorrow was the big trip, and I had to go for Gavin. He had specifically asked me toe, asked all of us toe. He wanted to feel alive again. So we were going to give him that. That¡¯s when Norman walked in after a few minutes, looking defeated.


    "He¡¯s gone," Norman said.


    I took a deep breath and looked away. I had no right to stop him. Not after he killed my baby. Not after I didn¡¯t marry him. We had just be too toxic at this point.


    "I don¡¯t know how he found another fated mate," Norman uttered, and I just gave him a head nod.


    "He¡¯ll be there on the trip tomorrow. Of course he¡¯s not going to leave the academy and students hanging," Norman continued.


    "It¡¯s okay. I mean, he has every right to be there. I¡¯m not afraid of him. He¡¯s not a monster," I uttered, biting my tongue because he did kill my baby.


    "I understand. If you want, I can drop you off at the academy in the morning with me," Norman suggested. But I shook my head once again.


    "It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll take my mom¡¯s car."


    The minute I mentioned my mom, I noticed Norman didn¡¯t look very happy. I knew he hated my mother because of what had gone down between his mother and mine. But there was no way I would judge my mother for stealing his mother¡¯s mate.


    I did not want to believe that his mother was a victim. She was a very cunning and maniptive person, and I was all ready to hear what my mother had to tell me about myself, her past, and Darcy¡¯s.


    We were both tired at this point. I got up and slowly walked over to him.


    "I¡¯ll need some time before things go back to normal, Norman," I said, looking him in the eye. "I¡¯m not mad at you. I¡¯m not ming you for anything. But if you had told me why you didn¡¯t want me to marry him, you would have spared me a lot of guilt. I thought I was fighting between two mates. I thought I was in the middle of a ce where I had to make a decision. Anyway, I¡¯ll just go to bed now," I uttered, feeling numb to the pain.


    He just watched me while I crawled into bed and hugged my pillow, closing my eyes, hoping sleep would make time pass quickly.

 Chapter 701-One Of Them Is Gone

    <h4>Chapter 701: 701-One Of Them Is Gone</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Wait, Are you going on a ship?" my mother asked on the phone call, sounding so confused. I realized I hadn¡¯t told her what kind of trip it was.


    "Oh! Sorry, did I forget to tell you? Yeah, it¡¯s a cruise party," I said, sounding defeated because since the morning I¡¯d arrived at the academy, everyone had just been talking and talking, and I was, like, really drained of energy.


    I was showing my full support to my friends, and I was truly very happy to be here. But then, in the back of my mind, I did remember yesterday¡¯s incident, and that saddened me.


    "Wait, Hnie, you¡ª"


    Suddenly, Penn came and snatched the phone out of my hand.


    "Uh! Dear Lady Urs, your daughter will speak to you once shees back. We have to go because we¡¯re gettingte. Bye," he said, cutting the call and handing my phone back.


    "That was so rude," I groaned at him, noticing my phone already had low battery.


    "Come on. We promised Gavin we¡¯d spend this time with him. There will be no cell phones, nothing there. So put it back in your bag and save the battery, so when you get off the cruise ship, you can contact your mother again," he demanded, pointing at me to turn it off.


    "No, I¡¯m going to talk to my mom. She was saying something," I uttered, but before I could do anything about it, Jenny came from the other side and stole my phone, turning it off.


    "There you go. I did it for you," she smiled, rushing over to hug Lamar, who wasughing at them.


    "Oh my God, you guys are so unbelievable. Where is Gavin?" I looked around for him.


    "He was just here," Jenny replied.


    "Oh, there he is," Lamar said, as we watched Gavine out from the main academy. I guess he had finally submitted thest papers to switch his sses.


    "Hey, everyone. All set to go?" he said, trying to act normal.


    "Yeah, let¡¯s go. We¡¯re gettingte," Penn said, eyeing me to make sure I didn¡¯t touch my phone again.


    As I began to walk toward the car, I noticed the brothers standing outside the academy. They were watching someone.


    It was Emmett. He was slowlying over with a suitcase. I heard the brothers talking to each other in the morning that Emmett had taken Azura to the roguemunity they were building.


    But since everything was still under construction, Emmett had informed his people to build the walls around themunity first, so that it would be a safe ce for them to stay.


    Obviously, they were building shops, malls, and homes, so Emmett had decided to stay in one of the finished ones.


    I didn¡¯t know how I felt about it.


    There was a part of me that kept whispering that leaving Emmett alone with Azura wasn¡¯t a good idea. But ever since he told me they were fated mates, and then personally picked her up, it just didn¡¯t sit right with me to go and fight him about it.


    Besides, I was still upset about the fact that he chose to hurt me, just so he could bring her back.


    And if you really look at it. He brought her back, and he felt the mate bond with her. It felt like everything else he¡¯d said about not wanting her, about not choosing her, had just been excuses to save face.


    Because if he really didn¡¯t want her, he would¡¯ve stayed at the mansion.


    And then there was Lucy. She suddenly came out of nowhere, blocking my way.


    Since I had my head turnedpletely to look at the brothers, I almost bumped into her.


    "Ouch!" Iined.


    "Hi, Luna Queen. How are you?" she asked, looking even crazier than usual. She had cut her hair again and looked thinner than before.


    "I¡¯m great. Where have you been?" I asked.


    "At my home," she replied with a shrug. "I just don¡¯t fuck around a lot, you know. Not after my best friend got kicked out of the academy. Oh. I¡¯m so sorry. I remember, she was your enemy, right?" she said tly.


    It was typical of Lucy to act like a bitch.


    "Then why don¡¯t you go talk to your best friend?" I hissed. "Step out of my way, I have my friends to go with." I walked past her in haste.


    At this point, I had even forgotten the time when we were friends. It was such a short period anyway. After she took a fall, shepletely changed her life around.


    "Well, tell Gavin I feel bad for him," she called after me.


    I clenched my fist.


    But Penn gestured for me to get inside the car, not to argue with her. Because if I did, she¡¯d say something that would really hurt Gavin.


    We took the car to the docks and then we got on the ship. It was huge. And they had prepared it so beautifully. After the whole chaos, the trainers decided all the students were going to be on the ship.


    The ship was massive, way bigger than I imagined. It looked like a floating pce, with shiny white walls, golden lights, and even a pool right in the middle of the upper deck. Everything about it screamed luxury, and for a second, I forgot all my problems.


    After a few minutes, the brothers arrived too, and soon everyone had boarded the ship. The mood was already set, everyone was excited and full of energy.


    We went to our separate rooms, Jenny and I shared one, while the boys stayed together in a big shared bedroom.


    We unpacked our things, then changed into our swimwear. I wore a three-piece bikini set, a soft pink crop-style top that covered my stomach, matching bikini bottoms, and a sheer mesh sarong tied loosely around my waist.


    As we stepped out, I saw everyone already having fun,ughing and cheering all around the deck.


    There was a food court, there was everything, literally anything you could want was avable on that ship.


    We spent the entire day having so much fun, while the trainers stayed up on the top deck, just watching us.


    I tried not to think about them for once I just wanted to be present, to enjoy this day with my friends.


    But even then, I couldn¡¯t help noticing Hans acting a little off. He was being very nice, and I definitely caught him checking out Jenny more than once.


    Somewhere around evening time, when we were heading toward the food corner, the deck where the food was being served, I noticed something. We were missing someone.


    "Where¡¯s Lamar?" I asked Jenny, who stopped and looked behind us.


    "He was going back to the room to grab something," she replied.


    Just as she said that, we suddenly heard a loud scream followed by a ssh. Someone had fallen into the water.


    We all shared a panicked nce, and it was Penn who broke the silence. "That¡ª that sounded like Lamar," he said.

 Chapter 702-Not A Pure Werewolf

    <h4>Chapter 702: 702-Not A Pure Werewolf</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I heard Jenny scream and run toward the edge of the deck. I followed her and all the other students did too. The trainers, at this point, were in their rooms, so it would take a while before they came.


    "I¡¯ll go and tell them," Gavin said, rushing back toward where our professors¡¯ rooms were.


    At the same time, I began to notice something.


    "Oh no," I uttered. The water was already pulling, but then ck circles started forming around him.


    "Those are sharks!" one of the girls screamed.


    "Oh my Goddess! one of us is going to be eaten by a shark!" Lucy yelled very dramatically. I grunted at her but couldn¡¯t shut her down because we did not have time to focus on some crazy one.


    Even though Lamar could swim, I could tell he was struggling. That¡¯s when I had to make a tough decision. I couldn¡¯t let my friend die.


    "Hnie, no!" I heard Norman scream as he rushed down the stairs. I shook my head, ran to the edge, and climbed over. I felt Penn grab my hand, but I pulled free and jumped straight into the water, right where Lamar was.


    Momentster, I heard more sshes, that¡¯s when I knew others had jumped in too. Norman, Emmet, Kaye, and Maximus, all four of them were now in the water with me. I looked around and saw Lamar. He was trying to swim, but the current was so strong it made it hard for any of us to move.


    Norman, Emmet, Kaye, and Maximus were stronger than the rest of us, so they managed to swim toward him. That¡¯s when a shark swam past the rest, grazing Norman¡¯s arm. I almost screamed. Then I watched another sharke to Emmet.


    Something surged in me. There were too many sharks. There was no way any of us were getting out alive. None of us could shift or use our wolf powers in the water.


    And that¡¯s when I remembered something Kesha had said,


    "Are you powerful enough to fight a water monster?"


    Something flipped inside me. I felt my body move, almost without my knowledge or my permission. My muscles started to ache. Time seemed to stop.


    At first, I thought the pain would tear me apart. My legs burned, twisted, and shimmered under the water. I gasped, but no sound came out, only bubbles. It felt like the ocean was wrapping around me, pulling me close, like it had been waiting for me all along.


    And then something changed.


    The pain melted into warmth. A strange, glowing energy filled my body. My skin tingled. My legs weren¡¯t legs anymore. They were one, reced with smooth, strong tail with shining scales that glowed silver and red.


    I felt lighter. Freer. My hair floated around me like silk, and I could hear the water singing a melody I knew


    My heart wasn¡¯t racing in fear anymore. It was steady and calm. I was no longer fighting the water. I was part of it. I looked down and saw the tail, my tail, swaying gently behind me.


    I wasn¡¯t drowning.


    I was transforming.


    I was bing who I truly was.


    A mermaid.


    And for the first time in my life, I felt strong.There was no time for shock. I had to act quickly.


    I swam through the water, moving between my mates and Lamar, and then I stopped. As I pulled my arms apart, the water responded. Waves formed and surged outward, crashing into the sharks. They backed off.


    Then I noticed something strange, they were listening to me. I locked eyes with one of them, then moved my hands slowly, motioning for them to swim away. And they did. Almost like they were obeying me.


    As the sharks disappeared into the deep, I turned to look at my mates. The look in their eyes was pure shock. My scales were so bright they reflected shimmering lights across their faces, almost three different colors, dancing across the water. I could feel it too, my whole body was glowing, radiating light like the ocean had lit a fire inside me.


    But that¡¯s thest thing I remember before my vision blurred and I started to lose my consciousness.


    And just before everything went dark, I saw all four of my mates, and Lamar swimming toward me, calling out, trying to reach me.


    "All hail the Queen of Arthendel."


    I heard the chanting over and over again, echoing around me.


    When I opened my eyes, I found myself sitting on a beach, surrounded by unfamiliar faces. Their features were blurred, but deep down, I knew who they were.


    I tried to stand, but I couldn¡¯t. My body felt heavy, and I could only sit.


    That¡¯s when I noticed my mermaid tail. Long, elegant, covered in glistening scales. My hair was tinum blonde but they were so long that I could not see the end of them, and even my hands shimmered with light.


    I looked up at the sun shining directly on me, almost like it was weing me back.


    "Our Queen is back. Our Queen is finally here," one of the men said, bowing low.


    "I don¡¯t understand," I whispered, watching the crowd gather around me and lower themselves to the ground.


    Then, through the foggy air, a massive ship emerged on the horizon, weathered sails billowing like something out of another time.


    "See? Our Queen is back. We will once again be and, amunity, a people who deserve to live," one of them said.


    "Hnie, are you okay? Hnie, wake up."


    Suddenly, the dream began to fade? Or was it a dream?


    I slowly opened my eyes to find myself soaking wet. I wasn¡¯t in my room. I saw Norman¡¯s bag by the wall, and that¡¯s when I realized he had brought me to his room.


    My friends were nearby, checking on me with worry in their eyes. The brothers stood off in the corner, pale and shaken, like they¡¯d seen a ghost but were trying to hold it together. Lamar was quiet too, his lips pressed tightly like he was hiding something from me.


    And then it all came back to me.


    Everything.


    I was a fucking werewolf.


    And a fucking mermaid.

 Chapter 703-The Great Pirate Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 703: 703-The Great Pirate Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Urs:</strong>


    I waited in the corner for the two of them to walk away, but as I stood there, I could hear them talking, and every word shattered my heart.


    "Your Highness, I¡¯m trying," Nilesined. "But she¡¯s just one person. It takes her so long to get pregnant and give birth and all that¨C"


    At this point, I didn¡¯t even think of him as my husband anymore, just someone who had yed me.


    "So didn¡¯t I give you the medicine to give to her?" she hissed. "Those herbs will help her go intobor soon. And we don¡¯t even need to wait forbor, anyway."


    "Yeah, but then¡ªthe baby won¡¯t be fully formed, right?" Niles said, uncertain.


    "Who cares?" she snapped. "It doesn¡¯t matter if the baby is premature. All I want is the baby." She paused. "And listen, did you keep the list? Make sure she gets pregnant by all of these men. I want that special child at any cost."


    She grunted and red at him. I didn¡¯t understand why she was doing this to me, but I did understand why she believed I could give her that child.


    Because when Niles found me in the woods, he didn¡¯t just find me wandering around, he found me near the waterfall.


    Somehow, I had ended up there after trying to escape from mynd. That¡¯s why Niles had seen my truth. My mermaid tale.


    I came from a farawaynd. And more beautiful than any other, Arthendel.


    I still don¡¯t know why or how I swam so far into a werewolf-popted region. Maybe the current pulled me in. Or maybe it was the pain in my heart that made me want to swim as far as possible?


    When he saved me, I thought he was my savior. I thought I had found a new life. Safety. Maybe even love. But I was wrong. He knew everything. And he told Urs all of my secrets.


    When he found me, he exined the world of werewolves to me. And even though I was from a different ce, a different people, I already knew a little about them too.


    "I¡¯m also afraid of her peopleing to find me. I mean, I know I¡¯ll never go out into the water, but what if the mermaidse looking for her? They¡¯ll fucking kill me," Niles said.


    He expressed the right concern, but for the wrong person. They were so upset with me, there was no way they¡¯d evere looking for me. They probably believed I had run away. And honestly, they wouldn¡¯t be wrong. It had always been in the back of their minds that I wanted to escape. But I had one friend back home. A prince. The one I truly loved.


    The reason I swam to the edge in the first ce was because I had heard that his father, the king, wanted him to marry someone else. And that shattered my heart so I swam away. But now I miss him. I wished I had stayed, but there was no way a mermaid could ever marry a pirate Alpha.


    "As for the medicine, I didn¡¯t know. If I had, I would¡¯ve just given her a lot more of it," Niles added. But that¡¯s when Darcy shook her head.


    "No, you fool. At least let the baby grow a little. Make sure you give her the medicine in her fifth month. Then bring me whatever there is for the sacrifice. All I need is the flesh and blood to pour into the Well of Sacrifice," she hissed.


    Her words made me clench my jaw. For whatever reason, she thought my child¡¯s life meant nothing. I waited for them to step aside to talk about the list. That¡¯s when I slowly started dragging my body out of whatever this ce was. Once outside, I realized I was near the water. And then I remembered when he was drugging me, I had been in the water for a few minutes. I guess they were keeping the mermaid side of me alive by bringing me to the water in chains and then dragging me back.


    That¡¯s when I threw myself into the water to escape. But theck of strength and the heavy dose of drugs in my body stopped me from transitioning.But I was able to swim just far enough to get away from where they were keeping me.


    After a few hours, my body began to give out. I was tired. So I got out of the water and slipped into the deep woods, trying to find my way home.


    That¡¯s when I heard the most creepiest voice again.


    "There you are!"


    <sub>f|ree(w)ebn\o.vel</sub>


    It was Niles. It felt like my heart stoppedpletely when I saw him. I was on the ground, crawling backward, my eyes wide with panic.


    "You seriously thought you could escape us, huh?" he hissed. "You¡¯re going to ruin my chances at a happy life."


    That¡¯s when he lunged toward me, but someone attacked him. They crashed to the ground, rolling through the leaves. And then I saw who it was.


    Him!


    The man I had loved so deeply. The man who was the reason I left my home. Soren Vaughan hade to save me.


    The great werewolf pirate. The adventurer. The legend.


    Soren Vaughan, the same man who once escaped the monstrous world of Rune. The same man written about in countless books. The same man people said was only a myth. But he was real. And I had loved him, still did.


    He began to punch Niles over and over again, all the while shouting his loudest.


    "You dare think you could hurt my future wife?"


    And those words, when they escaped his lips, made my heart flutter. All this time, I thought he had only seen me as a friend.


    "Soren¨C" I whispered.


    When he finally knocked Niles out, he turned to me, his eyes full of pain and tears. He dropped to his knees and cupped my face gently in his hands.


    "What have they done to you?" he said, his voice trembling.


    "You are here," I uttered softly, reaching up to touch him, still not sure if this was real.


    "I am. Of course I am. How could I not?" he replied, and a smile slowly began to form on my face. Then he said the words that melted everything inside me.


    "How could I note to save my mate?"

 Chapter 704-Ready To Kill His Rival

    <h4>Chapter 704: 704-Ready To Kill His Rival</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I had passed out once again, but probably only for five minutes. Maybe it was my body trying to readjust to the previous environment after being in the water for who knows how long. Maybe it was two minutes, maybe five, but it felt like an eternity. It felt like I belonged there.


    Now I had woken up again, and everything felt pretty awkward. I could tell that most of my friends had already found out the truth, the truth about my identity that even I hadn¡¯t known until now. I¡¯m not sure how, but they told me that students outside had seen my mermaid tail. They saw something glowing, so they started asking a lot of questions.


    Now I sat on the bed, watching everyone¡¯s faces.


    "That was so cool," Jenny whispered, showing her excitement until she noticed eyes on her. Then she quickly fixed her posture.


    "Do you know it¡¯s not that cool? Because if the news gets out, she could be in danger," Gavin said tly, eyeing her with a very displeased expression.


    He had lost his cool ever since he lost his mate. He wasn¡¯t the same guy who used to findedy in tense situations. Now, he was someone who took everything extremely seriously. I guess it came from the fact that he had already lost both a mate and a friend. The idea of his loved ones being in danger again was probably too much, and we all understood that.


    "No, she won¡¯t be in trouble," Maximus retorted, stepping in among my friends, those who were sitting either on chairs or on the edge of the bed with me.


    "We won¡¯t let anything happen to her," he added.


    Kaye, who was leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest, only nodded, his eyes fixed on the floor as if he were deep in thought. That¡¯s when Norman stepped forward.


    "Actually, Jenny¡¯s right. It was pretty cool."


    I looked at him, and a smile spread across my lips.


    "I¡¯m not just saying this because it was you," he continued. "The way you jumped into the water, the way you transformed, it was like watching a beautiful anime transition. You have these gorgeous golden scales with hints of silver and red. Your golden hair was shining like it had fairy lights in it. Your eyes were sparkling. It was unreal. Your skin had golden lightning freckles. And the way you were able to control the sharks, just one movement, and they obeyed you. You might not have noticed all of it, but we did."


    Norman concluded, and I began to feel truly satisfied with myself.


    My eyes traveled to Emmet because I did want to know what he thought about it. But instead of finding him looking at me, I found him checking on his brother, Kaye, who hadn¡¯t said a word or moved in a while.


    "What about the students? What if the news gets out?" I asked, scanning all their faces one by one.


    "I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯ll be fine. All the alphas are on your side. The rogue kings are on your side," Penn spoke up, offering his input.


    "Yeah, but you know it takes them only a second to demonize someone. And I don¡¯t know how many alphas who¡¯ve shifted to my side still secretly hate me," I exined anxiously.


    "You don¡¯t have to worry about it. Everything will be dealt with," Norman said, giving me a reassuring nod.


    "Anyway, she should rest now," he added.


    The first to leave was Gavin, but not before giving me a look that told me he would be watching out for me. He was followed by Jenny, Lamar, and Pen. Lamar, who had thanked me nonstop for saving his life, now looked weighed down with guilt. I could tell he felt responsible because my truth hade out, and now I could be a target of the council. They could call me a monster.


    But just as Jenny opened the door, we all received another shock.


    Lucy was standing right outside, almost as if she had been eavesdropping.


    "Lucy!" Jenny said sharply, her frustration in in her voice.


    "I was just waiting for you guys to finish talking so I coulde in and say what I saw," Lucy said quickly, shifting her tone to something more confident.


    "What do you mean, what you saw?" Norman asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.


    Of course, we were all worried she was about to threaten us with the truth about my identity.


    But instead, she said, "Actually, I saw who pushed Lamar in."


    She didn¡¯t mention me. She talked about what we should have been focusing on from the start. They had all been so busy acknowledging me, they¡¯d forgotten the incident with Lamar.


    "You saw who pushed Lamar in?" Norman asked, after exchanging a nce with Maximus and Emmet.


    "Yeah. Do you really think an adult man just fell off the railing?" she said, rolling her eyes.


    But this time, she was looking directly at Jenny, even though Jenny hadn¡¯t been the one to ask the question.


    "Yeah, actually, it¡¯s true. I was indeed pushed in," Lamar nodded, raising his hand dramatically to speak and get everyone¡¯s attention.


    "Why didn¡¯t you say that before?" I gave him a look.


    He shrugged. I mean, we already knew why, they were too busy talking about me.


    "Anyway, is anybody gonna listen to me now?" Lucy rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed that Lamar and I were chatting instead of paying attention to what she had to say.


    "Yeah, Lucy. So tell us, who pushed Lamar in?" Norman asked, stepping forward.


    I noticed the way she stared at him with those hungry eyes. Or maybe I was wrong. Maybe that¡¯s just how she was now, unpredictable. She wasn¡¯t the same Lucy I used to know, the shy, innocent, emotional one. She had changed a lot. Ever since she became friends with Sydney, she had kind of be like her. No emotional attachment to anyone, just herself.


    "The one who pushed Lamar in is someone who wanted him gone for a reason," she began, clearly enjoying the fact that all eyes were now on her.


    "And who is that?" Lamar asked. She groaned, clearly irritated by the interruption.


    "The one and only¡ªHans Willerk. The alpha who has a crush on your girlfriend," she said, dramatically snapping her fingers as she spoke.


    The revtion hit us hard, it was genuinely shocking. And I could tell Jenny instantly felt guilty, even though it wasn¡¯t her fault.

 Chapter 705-My Land Arthendel

    <h4>Chapter 705: 705-My Land Arthendel</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    After Lucy told us about Hans, it was Lamar who suggested, and almost pleaded, that no action be taken against Hans for now. He didn¡¯t want the cruise trip to turn into a punishment center for anyone. He wanted to enjoy it. Even though it didn¡¯t sit right with me, what if something like this happened again?, it was his request, and he was the victim, so it was agreed that Hans would be questioned once we returned home, and that¡¯s when the incident would be officially addressed.


    The rest of the trip was amazing. I spent most of my time with my friends, and I was grateful that none of my mates tried to bring up their own issues, or our issues, throughout the trip. They let me be myself.


    However, I did notice them shifting their focus toward Emmet. Norman kept his distance, but Maximus, always a beloved brother, kept trying to get Emmet¡¯s attention. And every time Emmet zoned out or didn¡¯t respond, the look on Maximus¡¯s face screamed that he didn¡¯t like it. I guess they missed their brother, but at the same time, they were all aware that a life had been lost.


    I wasn¡¯t totally sure how I felt about it. Because at the end of the day, everything pointed to one truth, and one only: my baby died at Emmet¡¯s hands. Even he had stopped using the excuse that he forgot, especially after I reminded him he had once told me about the well he imed not to remember.


    And finally, the week was over.


    It was amazing. I had so much fun, and for the first time, I actually saw Gavin smile. It was in the middle of the night, when we snuck down to thest deck and I jumped in the water to control the sharks. That was my second transition, and I did it secretly, without telling my mates, because I knew they¡¯d be angry. They didn¡¯t yet know how well I could manage my transition, or what if I drowned? It was all still new to me. I didn¡¯t even know what other powers I had. I was just experimenting. But my friends had the time of their lives.


    Eventually, I had toe out because after a while, I would pass out. I still didn¡¯t know why that happened, but I enjoyed it regardless. My legs would tingle afterward, but that was only in the beginning. Then we were back home.


    I rushed through the main door, eager to speak to my mother. Everything was starting to make sense. Darcy¡¯sment, the pure werewolf, came back to me and stuck in my mind. I needed answers. I needed to know the truth about my identity.


    "Mom" I called out to my mother, rushing towards her.


    "Hnie¡ªwhy did you shut off your phone?" my mother asked. She already looked anxious. And now that I had some idea why, I felt slightly more at ease.


    I was pretty sure my mother knew. That was likely why she never wanted me going near the water.


    "I need to speak with you," I said, holding her hand.


    Emma grunted. Charlotte gave her a look. Charlotte had really changed herself into a better person. But her mother? Not so much.


    "Is everything okay?" my mother asked. The look on her face said she already suspected something had happened.


    "Yeah, everything¡¯s fine. I just want to talk to you about the trip," I said, forcing a smile so I could fool Emma, who set her cup down and folded her arms over her chest.


    "You can talk in front of us too. It¡¯s not like we¡¯ll cast the evil eye on your happiness," she said. Of course. That was expected of her.


    "Emma, when my daughter says she wants to talk alone, she wants to talk alone," my mother snapped.


    She¡¯d done aplete 180. She never used to take a stand for me. Now she wouldn¡¯t even let me speak for myself. She¡¯d turned into this overprotective mother who had to scold anyone that looked at me the wrong way.


    And I could tell Emma didn¡¯t like that change. She wanted my mother to mistreat me, that much was clear.


    So I took my mother¡¯s hand and led her out to the Royal Garden. We sat in the center, where I could see clearly and make sure no one was eavesdropping from behind the walls or doors.


    "I know my truth," I started and my mother¡¯s face went pale.


    "Did you¡ª?" My mother couldn¡¯t even finish her sentence, and that¡¯s how I knew how scared she was.


    "Yeah. I transitioned for the first time. It was epic," I said with a wide smile. And even though a smile tried to find its way to her lips, I saw it falter. Crack a little. She was scared, just like everyone else.


    "Hnie, please tell me others didn¡¯t see it," she said, grabbing my hand almost instantly, like she was holding on to hope.


    "My friends did. And so did my mates," I uttered. "Some of the students might have too. I¡¯m not sure. They didn¡¯t say anything. I think they were afraid of the trainers. But¡ªam I going to be punished for it?" I asked, searching her eyes. She looked like she¡¯d just seen a ghost.


    "Oh, Hnie," she whispered, gently cupping my face. "I think it was about time," she said, and I felt a small wave of relief until she added, "But you need to know the whole truth."


    She paused.


    "You don¡¯t belong to this world. Neither do I. We were never from here. We¡¯re from and called Arthandel."


    It hit me like a bolt of lightning.I leaned back, frowning.


    "What do you mean, you and don¡¯t belong here?" I asked in confusion.


    She gave me a soft pout as if she was trying to gather courage before she shocked me with the whole truth.


    "How do you think you got the genes of a mermaid?"


    I gasped, covering my mouth with my hands.


    "You are too?" I asked and she gave a small nod.


    "When mermaids are born, they¡¯re part werewolf, but it¡¯s very subtle. A very small part. We can¡¯t fully transition. That¡¯s why I never have. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve always been helpless, and why I needed the support of powerful people."


    "I don¡¯t understand," I said, staring at her.


    "You will¡ªonce you¡¯re back in yournd," she replied, smiling again. And just like that, my smile began to fade.


    "Back in mynd again? What do you mean?" I asked.


    "Hnie," she said softly, "it¡¯s time we go back home." Tears of happiness filled her eyes while my heart sank in my chest.

 Chapter 706-Pregnant From My Mate

    <h4>Chapter 706: 706-Pregnant From My Mate</h4>


    <strong>Urs:</strong>


    "What do you mean by mate?" I asked him, longing and desire clearly visible in my eyes. I had been desperate to hear him call me his lover, but today, he was calling me his mate. That was something huge for me.


    "Remember that night we were watching the stars?" he asked, his beautiful blue eyes shining at me. I nodded, and he continued.


    "I felt the mate bond with you that night."


    I gasped and covered my mouth. I was, unfortunately, not a very strong mermaid, my wolf side had been killed when I was born. That was rare, but when it did happen, even a powerful mermaid would lose much of her strength. Still, I was always told I was special. They said that mating with my true mate would give me a very powerful child.


    But how was I supposed to find a mate when I didn¡¯t even have my wolf¡¯s voice in my head?


    "Why didn¡¯t you tell me?" I asked my alpha pirate.


    "Remember the next day, my father introduced me to a princess?" he said and I nodded again.


    "That¡¯s when I ran away," I said quietly.


    "Yeah. Unfortunately, you did. Because right after that, I went inside and told my father: I will not marry anyone else but you. I wish you had stayed to hear that," he said softly.


    "But my love, I¡¯m here now. All these years I searched for you." I started crying, I hadn¡¯t known how much he truly loved me. All this time, while I was craving love, he had been loving me back. But sadly, that cursed man named Niles had gotten his hands on me.


    "They ruined me," I whispered, the shame creeping into my voice. I wasn¡¯t a virgin anymore.


    He narrowed his eyes at me gently and leaned in to kiss my forehead.


    "Nobody can ruin you. You know that, right? It doesn¡¯t matter what happened. What matters is that you¡¯re alive, and you¡¯re safe. And I¡¯ll help you heal. And I¡¯ll take revenge on everyone who ever hurt you," he said, his eyes burning with determination. He leaned in and kissed my lips.


    We were so lost in our emotions that we didn¡¯t realize someone had crept up behind him. Suddenly, he flinched, his kiss broke, and his eyes filled with confusion.


    I looked up. Darcy was standing there, holding an injection in her hand. She had drugged him. He tried to get up and push her away, but her warriors rushed in and grabbed him.


    "No! No!" I screamed, just as others grabbed my arms and yanked me away from him.


    "You can¡¯t do this! Let him go!" I screamed and screamed, but one of them struck me on the back of my head. Everything turned red and blurry.


    By the time I came to, I was tied in chains again in a basement. But this time, it wasn¡¯t just a bed. The chains were longer, allowing me to move around.


    Across the room, I saw Soren. He was tied up too, starting to wake. I rushed to him and wrapped my arms around him. At least they had loosened the chains enough to let us be together now.


    "Are you okay?" I asked, my heart pounding hard from the fear of our future. He shook his head faintly, still under the drug, but his eyes met mine.


    "I¡¯m fine. Are you okay?" he asked. There was nothing but love in his eyes.


    "I¡¯ll help you. I¡¯ll get you out of here, my queen. I won¡¯t let you stay here." His lips trembled, but I knew he meant every word. He would do everything in his power to get us out.


    And once again, when we return to Arthendel, we will live our best lives.


    Every few hours, they would release some gas in the basement and we would pass out. By the time we woke up, which would be around 30 minutester, we would have food, fresh clothes, and things we needed. That was odd. They had never done that before with me. But this time, it was like we could live a normal life here, but it wasn¡¯t normal.


    After three days, it became very difficult for us to get out of there. We tried everything. We couldn¡¯t find a window. We couldn¡¯t even dig through the ground. Every time we tried, we failed.


    So then one night, we got a little toofortable, not caring about anyone. Our bodies needed heat too. And then the love we had, the mate bond, everything was at its peak that night. It was a full moon. That¡¯s when we started to make out. One thing led to another, and we were in the bed, doing it.


    It was the most beautiful night ever. I was finally happy. After being forced so many times, this was the one time it actually felt like I enjoyed it. But sadly, we had fallen right into their trap. The bed being ced there, it was for a very specific reason.


    After we fell asleep and woke up again, we were not together. Soren was gone, and I was tied to the bed once again. For a moment, I couldn¡¯t even fathom if I had dreamed about seeing Soren or if it had really happened, because everything was just back to how it used to be.


    That¡¯s when Niles came in, finally, after so many days.


    "What are you doing here?" I yelled, not happy to see him again.


    "Oh, I was asked to take care of you," he replied with a smile.


    "No. Where is Soren? Where is Soren?" I screamed.


    He looked at me, then grunted.


    "You shameless slut. How can you talk about another man in front of your husband?" he screamed, pping me across the face. I gathered all the courage and spat on him.


    "I¡¯m not your wife. You¡¯re not my husband. Soren is my everything. I want him. Where is he?" I screamed and cried.


    "Oh, that mythical man? The one that has books written on him? Well, we took him out. We didn¡¯t need him anymore."


    My face drained of all color.


    "No. That can¡¯t be," I said, my body shaking.


    "Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s not dead¡ª-not yet. He¡¯s just in a separate cage." he smirked.


    After that, he didn¡¯t respond to any of my cries. I cried for Soren for days. That¡¯s when he told me that if I cried any more, Soren would be punished. So it was like they were controlling my emotions too. And then, after some time, he gave me the news after doing a pregnancy test.


    "Great. You¡¯re pregnant. I really hope this child is perfect," he said, a smirk forming on his lips as he did.

 Chapter 707-The Lost Father

    <h4>Chapter 707: 707-The Lost Father</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Mom, Niles is not my father?" I asked, my eyes filled with tears. The things my mother had gone through made my heart shrink in my chest. I had no clue she had endured so much pain, and even afterward, she couldn¡¯t be with me because she had to protect me.


    My mother was in tears, her hands resting in herp, one over the other, gently tapping the back of one hand with her fingers.


    "No, you are Soren¡¯s daughter," she said softly. "But there is one more truth that I¡¯ve been hiding from everyone. That night when I slept with Soren, they took him away. And Niles came in. He told me they had taken Soren, and in that moment, I realized what they were doing. They were going to use my child again, and this time it would be a special, powerful child. I wasn¡¯t an idiot, I put two and two together. Everything was falling into ce, and I was terrified for my child¡¯s life. So I yed onest trick. I seduced Niles. And just like that, he fell right into my trap. He was a corrupt man, he still is. Even though he had another woman in his life, your stepmother, Larissa, she knew everything. She was part of it. Even before he captured me, she let him do this to me. The two of them nned everything. She helped him figure out what to say to fool me. And he did it. So after I seduced him, he slept with me. Once I was pregnant, I told them the truth about the child, I told them it was his. That you were Nile¡¯s daughter." My mother paused as I kept staring at her face.


    "How do you know I was not?" I questioned. My mother gently held my hand and rolled up my sleeves to show me a birth mark.


    "Soren had the same leaf like birth mark in the same spot." she smiled through tears.


    "Niles was furious because Darcy was enraged with him. She even beat him up. They would have killed you, they didn¡¯t want that baby. But then I offered a deal. I told Darcy I¡¯d willingly sleep with Soren again for another powerful baby if they let you live. And Darcy! she actually gave it a thought. She asked me why I would want a child with Niles to live. And I said, ¡¯Because I know you wouldn¡¯t let other children live. I just want someone. She agreed. I don¡¯t know why, maybe she was just desperate. She didn¡¯t want you anyway, so she saw no point in killing you. You were delivered prematurely because they didn¡¯t want to waste another minute. After that, I was ordered to go back to Soren to sleep with him again."


    My mother hupped, emotions building inside her.


    "Then what happened to Father? Is he okay? Is he alive? Did you do it? Do I have more siblings?"


    I couldn¡¯t believe I had lost so many siblings because some bitch thought their lives meant nothing. It was all too much. I could only imagine what my mother had endured.


    "I went to him, Hnie," she sniffled. "He had heard about me and Niles, about us sleeping together. And, of course, he knew I had given birth to you. He understood my reasoning." She took a breath to clear her throat.


    "He knew you were his daughter but kept his mouth shut. We had sex again. Afterward, Darcy told him they were sacrificing the babies. He was furious. He said, ¡¯How could you get pregnant? How could you let them do this to our babies?¡¯ He didn¡¯t understand¡ªI had no choice. But he said he had a choice. He said he¡¯d put an end to this. That after this baby, there would be no more children. I didn¡¯t understand what he meant. I thought maybe he wouldn¡¯t want to sleep with me again. Back in my cage, in the basement, I was exhausted again. This time, I was beyond distraught, I knew another one of my babies would be taken. But I had hope. I believed Soren would find a way."


    She paused.


    "They didn¡¯t tell me what happened to Soren, not until I was four months pregnant. That¡¯s when they broke the news. Soren had finally ended this long, painful journey. He took his own life."


    She finished, and I gasped, covering my mouth with my hand.


    "My dad?" I started sobbing. My mother gently ran her fingers through my hair.


    "He ended his life because he didn¡¯t want another baby to suffer, something I should have done. But I was a fucking coward. He wasn¡¯t. The pirate Soren, the famous adventurer who was never caught by any monster, finally ended his life for the sake of his children. To stop his mate from going through the pain of giving birth and losing more babies. He died. Darcy was so angry she chopped him up. Then she threw the pieces in front of me after she forced me to give birth. She took my child away. I cried and cried, but somehow, I still felt responsible. I really thought that this time, I¡¯d be able to convince Niles to help me escape. After I gave birth to you, I believed he would soften toward me. At that point, I didn¡¯t know Larissa was in his life. I was nning to y games with them. But after Soren died, I kind of lost all hope. Then Darcy realized I was trying to harm my child, because I didn¡¯t want my baby to be her sacrifice. I know what I was doing was wrong, but I was frustrated. I had lost my mind. I had lost my children. Niles had taken you away from me, and I didn¡¯t even know he had handed you to Larissa, or how she was treating you. You were just a baby."


    She cried. I raised my head to look at her. She neededfort. Sadly, she had gone through the worst shit I had. Lucky for me, I had taken revenge but she was still stuck among people who had wronged her.


    "You did nothing wrong. You were just a victim, abused for years, Mother." I reassured her that I didn¡¯t me her for anything. It wasn¡¯t her choice. They forced her into it.


    "My daughter," she whispered.


    "Once they found out I was trying to harm my baby, they took her away by force. And then¡ª they sacrificed her."


    I looked at her. And I began to break down again.


    "What happened then?" I asked.


    "Then one day, after I had given birth, Niles returned.He told me I had done a great job. That it was over for me. Darcy was extremely happy with me.I didn¡¯t know what it meant, until she came in. Holding her own child with a smile on her lips. She looked so fucking happy while my arms were empty." My mother let out another cry and I figured this is where her journey to revenge began.

 Chapter 708-It Is Revenge Time Baby

    <h4>Chapter 708: 708-It Is Revenge Time Baby</h4>


    <strong>Urs:</strong>


    "You¡¯ve done it," she said, smiling widely.


    "My sons are fine now," she said. "One of the sacrifices finally worked," she added, still smiling. Even though I had no clue what the fuck she was on about.


    "What?" I asked.


    "All my children are fine now. Thanks to you," she continued. "Ask me anything. Anything you want."


    I stared at her in disbelief. Did she really think I would ask her for a hug? Money? Jewels? A good life? After what she had done to me? She stole my fucking mate, my children, m freedom to say no. My body wasn¡¯t even mine for two years. Two whole years. And then my daughter was somewhere out there.


    "Ask me anything," she demanded again.


    While I wanted to scream and yell at her, I decided to y. And this time, not lose. While they were watching my face, I began to nod.


    "I want to return to my pack," I said, "and live a normal life with my daughter."


    She blinked hard, probably confused because she thought I would ask for more.


    "With Niles¡¯ daughter? Why do you even like her?" she asked.


    "I don¡¯t like her. I just want to go back and live there. A normal life. As a wife of Niles," I said again, and noticed Nile¡¯s face contort. He looked at Darcy with pleading eyes. He didn¡¯t want me anymore.


    "But this wasn¡¯t decided," Niles said. "We decided that once she gives what you want, we end her life."


    He looked disappointed. But Darcy seemed more on my side this time. She was watching my face, giving it some thought.


    "Well. Wish granted." The minute she said that, Niles threw his hands behind his head and groaned.


    "You will take her back and keep her as your wife, Niles. That is my order. You have pleased me a lot. And now, I¡¯ll return to my home¨C live a happy life," Darcy said that as she took her son away. I clenched my jaw while grunting at her. Once she was gone, I looked at Niles.


    "Are you going to open my hands now, husband?" I asked, noticing his face shift.


    Things changed after that. I changed. I stopped crying because now others would cry. He unchained me, and I left the basement with him.


    I knew I could go to someone, report everything. But it woulde back to me.


    They would question me for being a mermaid. I would be put on a stake and killed for the monster I am. So there wasn¡¯t much I could do at the moment.


    Eventually, I met some people from Arthendel. And when I told them what had happened to their prince, they all promised they would keep me, and my baby safe.


    He took me back home and gave me my baby. The minute I held Hnie in my arms, it was like everything was back to normal. I gave her the name Hnie


    "Are you sure it is not Soren¡¯s baby?" Niles said, sitting on the couch, staring at me with disdain in his eyes.


    That was when I had a feeling that if I didn¡¯t act wisely, things could be dangerous and sketchy for me.


    "You should have asked me that before you assumed he had finished in me. That night, he did not finish in me. But you did, the very next morning, and then there had been no one else in my life at that time."


    So I gave him a look, and he rolled his eyes.


    "Oh, now I have to take care of this child that I did not even want," he groaned and grunted.


    "I mean, I¡¯m not surprised. You didn¡¯t want any child in our life," I taunted, and he narrowed his eyes at me.


    It was so difficult to live life as his wife then, but for my daughter¡¯s sake, I kept a smile on my lips. I did not sleep with him once after that, even though there were nights when he asked me to do so, but I did not. I kept my child close to me. Hnie was a very innocent child, and I knew I had to protect her.


    At the same time, I had to take revenge for my mate and my children too.


    After a while, when she was six years old or less, I had begun to suspect that he had another woman in his life. That was going to be a perfect excuse, a natural reason for me to leave. So I clung to it.


    The minute he brought Larissa and his son into our lives, I was so happy to leave. I packed my bags and my child and left. I had to reach Lord McQuoid¡¯s house somehow. I had found out that at this point they had gone rogue. So I began to make a n.


    First, I started dating someone, and I did not know he was scaring my daughter. He was an aggressive man. That is when my baby decided to go back.


    For a moment, I thought about fighting extremely hard, but then I realized, the more I keep Hnie with me, the council would want a DNA test. Because at this point, Niles was already threatening to use me of cheating on him with multiple men, the men that he brought in.


    So I was kind of stuck. If the DNA test had been done, he would have found out Hine was Soren¡¯s daughter, and Darcy would have gotten her hands on my child once again. So I needed to be careful.


    Hence, I let my daughter go, thinking this man, no matter how much of a monster he is, will take care of his daughter. Because for six years, even though he was rude to me, he was very kind to his daughter. So I thought maybe he cared for her.


    But it was a lie. The minute Larissa arrived, she changed his heart for his daughter as well.


    And then, after all my endless efforts and hard work, I ended up in the roguemunity as a live-in nanny for Darcy¡¯s children.

 Chapter 709-At Odds With My Mates

    <h4>Chapter 709: 709-At Odds With My Mates</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Say that again," Maximus said. I¡¯ve told them everything my mother told me. In response, I just watched their faces change color.


    "I belong to Arthendel." I repeated myself exactly the way my mother did.


    "No. You belong to your mates," Maximus hissed, and Norman gave him a look, warning him not to pressure me.


    "Hnie, it¡¯s all fine and good," Norman said. "Like, we support that. And we sympathize with your mother. But we¡¯re not going to let you go away." Norman had finally made up his mind, and I sighed. Things had been so rough between me and my mates. After everything that happened, I hadn¡¯t had time alone with Maximus, Norman, or Kaye, or any of them.


    "You sympathize with my mother? There should be more than just sympathy," I said, looking at Norman.


    "Your mother also did a lot of shit to our mother," Kaye said. It was the first time he had spoken since the cruise ship. His words were pretty harsh, even Norman gave him a look.


    "No, it¡¯s okay. Let him speak. I want to know what he thinks," I said, gesturing at Norman to not stop him.


    "All I¡¯m saying is, we don¡¯t know who¡¯s telling the truth. But we do know what we saw. And we saw your mother torture our mother every single day. My mother was losing babies. She went through countless abortions in front of us," Kaye hissed, pointing at me, then at the door, as if he were pointing at my mother.


    "It¡¯s true. I was once hiding under the table, and I heard your mother threaten mine, and almost admit that she might be the reason my mother was having miscarriages," Norman corrected gently. I began to gulp and take shallow breaths.


    "So what? Your mother doesn¡¯t deserve to have babies," I hissed. They all looked at me in shock.


    "Don¡¯t look at me like that. Didn¡¯t you hear what she did to my mother? After that, I¡¯m not surprised my mother wanted revenge." I knew I was being cruel and cold-hearted, but what they did to my mother wasn¡¯t nice either. His mother couldn¡¯t just go on living a normal life and expect mine not to retaliate.


    "So you¡¯re justifying your mother killing babies?" Kaye hissed.


    "All I¡¯m saying is that my mother did all that because she was emotionally disturbed. She went through so much!" I yelled.


    Kaye added, "Do you have proof?"


    And my jaw dropped.


    "I know my mother isn¡¯t lying," I said.


    "How? Your mother didn¡¯t even want you for years?" Kaye uttered, almost under his breath.


    "Well, we know our mother could be a liar," Kaye replied, "but we also know what your mother is capable of." Kaye was the only one speaking much. The others kept a little distance from the topic.


    "Isn¡¯t your mother the one who wanted me dead because of your curses? Doesn¡¯t that make you think, maybe there were other curses she was fighting when she was sacrificing babies?" I retaliated, getting out of bed in anger.


    "Okay, okay. Everyone calm down," Norman said, stepping in to deescte, while Kaye red directly into my eyes.


    "So what are you suggesting?" Maximus asked. "That we punish our mother? There¡¯s no proof. No witnesses. Hnie, I know¡ªI know how you¡¯re feeling. But for our mother to be imprisoned, or even questioned, we need to build a case. We need to prove it to the council."


    He stopped talking when I cut in.


    "Not when there¡¯s a war," I hissed. They all exchanged nces.


    "What are you talking about?" Norman asked, stepping toward me urgently, trying to understand what I meant.


    "Nothing," I said, folding my arms over my chest and looking away.


    Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted our tense meeting. Maximus answered it. and in came Charlotte.


    "Lady Darcy is here," she said. "Since it is Mate Moon, she wants to follow the tradition and n a grand dinner here."


    She spoke awkwardly, ncing at each of us, clearly trying to figure out why the room felt so heavy.


    "Great," I scoffed.


    "Um! So are you guysing downstairs to talk with her about the grand dinner?" Charlotte asked, again noticing the awkwardness between us.


    "Yeah, sure. We¡¯ll be there," Norman said, giving her a small nod and gesturing for her to close the door and leave. She followed the cue and left.


    "So now she¡¯s back here. Do you really think it¡¯s easy for my mother to face her?" I hissed at Kaye, looking him straight in the eye.


    "I don¡¯t know about that, Hnie. All I know is we saw your mother torture ours. So your mother could be lying. And what if our mother using you is her retaliation for your mother¡¯s crimes or her revenge? We don¡¯t know who¡¯s right. We don¡¯t know for sure. So it¡¯s pretty wrong of you to use our mother outright, when she could be a victim too. She could be the one who lost her mind because your mother mistreated her so much. Who knows? What if the things you¡¯re using my mother of are actually your mother¡¯s doing? What if the roles are reversed, and my mother is mentally unstable because she was tortured?" The way he was arguing with me made me feel deeply ufortable. I hadn¡¯t expected them to defend their mother so hard, but I should have known Kaye would.


    "How about we put these arguments to the side? Not every disagreement needs to be explosive. Let¡¯s go downstairs, talk about this mate full moon dinner, and then start our own investigation," Norman said, trying to keep the peace.


    But I was already enraged. I had seen it in my mother¡¯s eyes, she had been through so much. But of course, they wouldn¡¯t believe it. To them, their mother was the victim. Even if she had done wrong, they saw it as bnced by the wrongs my mother hadmitted too.


    She had been rude to me for a very long time, so they didn¡¯t believe she did it to protect me. They imed she was now making up stories, as if I were using their mother of doing the same.


    I felt like my mother was going through the same pain I once did. Except, for me, it was just one night. For my mother, it had been two years of endless suffering. And the worst part? She had no proof.


    I hated the fact that I had to go downstairs and speak with Darcy. That¡¯s when tears started to fill my eyes.


    "Hey," Maximus said, noticing. "We¡¯re asking you to attend the dinner tomorrow not because we want you to just keep the peace, we just don¡¯t want this issue spreading to everyone¡¯s ears. If we¡¯re going to investigate, we need to make sure no one knows, so no one can cover their tracks."


    He stepped closer, gently trying to calm me down. I finally nodded.


    "Sure. Let¡¯s do it, then. Let¡¯s find out the truth," I hissed, locking eyes with Kaye.

 Chapter 710-The Great Emmet McQuoid

    <h4>Chapter 710: 710-The Great Emmet McQuoid</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "So, tomorrow night, we will prepare the grand feast." Darcy had been talking for the past ten minutes, acting like she was the mastermind behind this Mate-full-moon-thing dinner party. I kept my silence, sticking to the edge of the sofa. One of my hands was stretched out on the armrest, while the other rested in myp, my leg crossed over the other. I kept my head down and my eyes fixed on the ground.


    My mother had decided to skip the arrangement talk because, obviously, it wasn¡¯t easy for her to face Darcy. I couldn¡¯t even look at her. The brothers had been acting weird, too.


    "Okay, we will do that," Norman said, sounding stunned by his mother.


    "What is it? You guys have been pretty awkward with me tonight." Darcy finally pointed it out.


    While Kaye had defended her, he hadn¡¯t said a single word to her since we came downstairs. I noticed him checking me out several times, and his gaze confused me. Was he angry with me? Was he guilty for upsetting me? Did he have something to say? But then I would always look away, so I never knew what his gaze meant.


    "Nothing," Norman said.


    "Norman, can¡¯t you forgive Emmet? Bring him back home." She started again, reaching for Norman¡¯s hand, and I only side-eyed the action.


    But Norman instinctively pulled his hand away, as if reaching for a vine, seemingly unaware that his mother had been reaching out to him. She pressed her fingers together and pulled back again, leaning into the chair.


    Lord McQuoid didn¡¯t look fully present either. I guess he wished my mother were here instead of Darcy.


    "Mom, it¡¯s not about forgiving him. He hasn¡¯t apologized, but I never asked him to leave. This is his home too, and I still love him. But there¡¯s this scratch in my heart. Just because Hnie isn¡¯t our blood doesn¡¯t mean any of you should treat her any less. Her pain, her sacrifices, they should be respected."


    I wanted to roll my eyes so badly at Norman¡¯s words. I guess I was just angry. I knew he was saying all this to make me feel better after he and his brothers had practically refused to believe in my mother¡¯s innocence.


    And once again, I understood why. They had an excuse, that their mother had been tortured in their childhood, which exined why she was so unstable now.


    But to me, it was the other way around. She had only been tortured because she had tortured my mother.


    "I¡¯m so worried for him. I mean, I¡¯m d he found his fated mate, even if it¡¯s with a girl I didn¡¯t approve of. But still, I¡¯m just upset that he has to go live there all by himself, when he should be here, living in his home."


    The way she said it, while making direct eye contact with me, made me scoff and turn my head away. I knew exactly what she was trying to do. She was trying to make it seem like it was because of me that her son had left.


    "Anyway, my guest room is ready. I¡¯ll go and take a rest now," she said, dramatically getting up and leaving for the guest room where the twins were sleeping.


    She would always bring them around but kept them behind closed doors, with nannies and guards. After she left, I got up to leave too.


    "Can we talk?" Kaye said, in his softest tone.


    I turned to look at him and then shook my head.


    "No, Kaye. We¡¯ll talk once we have evidence," I said, because I knew what he wanted to talk about, and I didn¡¯t want to revisit that topic again. I briskly walked away and went to my room.


    That night, I was extremely agitated. And even though I was still upset with my mates, the minute Normany down in the bed, I began to crave his touch. I guess we both did.


    So, convincing myself I was only doing it for Norman, which wasn¡¯t entirely true, because I wanted his touch too, I slowly rolled over to him and hugged him.


    He was quick to wrap his arms around me and pull me closer to his chest, as if he¡¯d been waiting for it. I knew he hadn¡¯t been sleeping well these past few days because we hadn¡¯t been cuddling. But the moment we did, I noticed how his body rxed and he began to fall asleep again.


    The next morning arrived, and we left for the academy because we had some issues to address.


    "Wait, what? You think I pushed him?"


    We had summoned Hans into Norman¡¯s office to talk about the usations against him. It wasn¡¯t a small matter. It needed to be addressed, and since we had an eyewitness.


    "You have a crush on my girlfriend, and that¡¯s why you pushed me into the shark-infested water," Lamar said, loud and clear.


    We were all present in the office, me, the brothers, and my friends, except for Emmet.


    "Wait¨C yeah, it¡¯s true. I do like Jenny," Hans admitted, shakily looking away from Jenny, who probably had no idea this was the case. And I could tell Lamar wasn¡¯t very happy to hear that either.


    "But I would never push him into the water! What am I, a murderer?" heined, pointing a finger at his chest.


    For some reason, I could tell he wasn¡¯t lying. But then Lucy saw him. That¡¯s when Emmet walked in. He was holding a tablet in one hand, and with the other, he had Lucy by the arm, dragging her into the office.


    We were all shocked when he arrived. And then, he dropped the final bomb on us.


    "It wasn¡¯t Hans who pushed him in," he said, pushing Lucy into the room. She awkwardly rubbed her arm. We all watched Emmet¡¯s face, waiting for him to continue, and he did.


    "It was Lucy. I saw the footage from the camera."


    He made us all stare at each other in shock. We didn¡¯t even know he had cameras everywhere.

 Chapter 711-Planning A Proposal

    <h4>Chapter 711: 711-nning A Proposal</h4>


    <strong>Maximus:</strong>


    Of course, Emmet came in like a hero. I should have known, he had nned the whole trip. He had taken everything into consideration. He had ced cameras near the edges of the decks so that he could monitor any unfortunate activity, or at least have evidence if something like this ever happened. And in this case, it worked.


    "Wait, you pushed me?" Lamar stepped in, pointing at Lucy.


    My eyes kept drifting toward Hnie. I knew she wasn¡¯t very happy with us. We had all let her down, especially after she found out I had hidden the truth about Emmet from her. I could tell she wasn¡¯t pleased. She didn¡¯tin again, but I knew she was still upset.


    I didn¡¯t really have an excuse for myself, except that I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say something like that about my brother. Even though I always argue with Emmet, it¡¯s mostly one-sided. Because I want his attention. Because I want my brother to care. I want us to be close again.


    But that doesn¡¯t mean I would ever believe my brother became a murderer and killed a baby. There had to be something else affecting him that day. And I had already started my own research. I was beginning to uncover things that didn¡¯t sit right with me.


    "I mean, it was idental," Lucy muttered, making all of us re at her. She was such trouble now. I don¡¯t know what happened to that sweet, innocent girl who first joined our academy. I guess when she fell, she hit her head so hard she became someone entirely different.


    It was also strange that she and Gavin were ever mates. But now, Gavin just seemed broken. I could see it in his eyes, because I would feel the same. When my mate gets upset with me, it feels like my whole world starts to fall apart. So I could only imagine how he must be feeling.


    "No, it wasn¡¯t. She literally pushed me. I felt the pressure on my back," Lamar argued.


    "Lucy, we¡¯ve had enough of your nonsense." Norman stood up, mming his hand on the table, startling everyone.


    Well, I kind of knew my brother would be looking for ways to let his anger out. And now he had found one.


    "You will no longer be a part of our academy," he yelled. It seemed like everyone else agreed, until Lucy started breaking down.


    "I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m really sorry. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with me. It¡¯s been happening a lot¡ª," she began to stammer, finally breaking down after being caught in a lie.


    Not only had she pushed Lamar, an innocent person, into the water, she had also lied about Hans. So it felt premeditated. She did it just so she could use Hans. But why?


    She had no beef with him, at least as far as I knew. I mean, I only knew what Hnie had told me, so there might be something more.


    "What do you mean by ¡¯it had been happening a lot¡¯?" Norman asked.


    I noticed Kaye had been unusually silent ever since Hnie used our mother of some truly harsh things.


    It was hard for her to believe that her mother wasn¡¯tpletely innocent. I mean, we loved Hnie. But we had also been there, watching our mother suffer. We never saw her retaliate. Not until now.


    So we couldn¡¯t be sure her mother was innocent either.


    For us, this wasn¡¯t just a he said, she said situation. Her mother was the one making ims no one had witnessed. Our mother, on the other hand, had clearly endured abuse, and we had seen it. There were witnesses. Many of them. On one side, there was evidence. On the other¡ªnothing.


    But of course, every time we brought that up to Hnie, she would lose her mind.


    So we made a decision, we wouldn¡¯t defend our mother too aggressively, so Hnie wouldn¡¯t feel like we were rejecting or distrusting hers.


    But we would still look for evidence. We would try to find the truth. So that, one day, we could finally tell her, the truth may not be what her mother had told her.


    "I have been scared of the entity." The minute Lucy uttered that, I watched her look into Norman¡¯s eyes, and I could tell my brother was already affected, or maybe intrigued. "I need therapy," she then added. "I want help." I guess it was something she should have been provided when she took a fall. So, the responsibility for her condition kind of fell on us. We were her trainers, we were supposed to take care of her. After such a tragic fall and being in aa for days, we just let her wander around with her issues. We saw the changes, and we did nothing. I guess we were wrong. It was time we took our duty seriously.


    "Fine, I¡¯ll be the one providing you therapy." And suddenly, Norman decided. He didn¡¯t even look at us or ask for anyone¡¯s suggestion. And I guess that was the right thing to do. He was also a rogue king. He had every right to make decisions on his own. The conversation was wrapped up, and we left for home early for dinner.


    Hnie had been silent this whole time. It was killing me. I wanted to be close to her, to have a word with her. But she went straight to Norman¡¯s room and stayed there. That was when I made up my mind. I didn¡¯t want it this way. I want to marry her. so that I wouldn¡¯t have to feel like I¡¯m hitting on my brother¡¯s wife. She needs to be in our bedroom too. She¡¯s our mate as well. My mate as well.


    With that thought in my mind, I had nned to speak with my father.


    But once we were at home, we realized there was another big issue. Charlotte had been crying non-stop.


    "What is going on?" I asked, approaching her and my father, who was sitting with her, trying tofort her.


    "I don¡¯t know. Mom left early in the morning, and she hasn¡¯te home yet," she sniffled through tears.


    "I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯ll be back soon," I said to her, looking at my father. "Where did you say she left for?" I asked, worried.


    "She said she wanted to go meet a friend. She always goes there, and then she stays a few days there, but this time, she didn¡¯t talk about staying," Charlotte said, looking so helpless.


    I admired the fact that she had corrected her mistakes, and we had practically told everyone that the engagement was over.


    "I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯ll be back. Maybe the Mate full moon is a bit hard for her," my father said, as we all knew how strongly Emma reacted to mates and mate bond issues since she hadn¡¯t been able to find her mate after she lost one.


    "I hope so," Charlotte uttered.


    "You get emotional too soon," Urs said to her, giving her a smile.


    My eyes brieflynded on Urs, and I began to remember everything Hnie had told me. What if there was an inkling, a very small truth, to the whole thing? Wouldn¡¯t that make us all guilty for staying here and not realizing that our mother was a monster?


    I shook the thought away. Tonight, I wanted to talk to my father about my marriage with Hnie, and that was the only thing I wanted to keep my focus on.

 Chapter 712-Why Now?

    <h4>Chapter 712: 712-Why Now?</h4>


    <strong>Maximus:</strong>


    "I¡¯m sure it will all be fine. I will be able to put my word through, and my brother will understand." I stared at myself in the mirror, trying to hype myself up for this big step. I knew why Norman didn¡¯t want Hnie to marry Emmet, and that was because he thought if she did marry him andter found out that he was the one who pushed her into the well, she would be angry with herself and with us. Because she wouldn¡¯t want to marry someone who had done that to her. But I was wondering, what if Norman wouldn¡¯t be okay with me marrying her either? Then what? I had supported him against Emmet. So what if he did the same to me?


    Would I be able to defend myself? And then there was this issue, what if Hnie didn¡¯t want to marry me? She did seem like she was kind of done with all of us. Or maybe it was just because she was going through a lot, with her new identity and everything.


    "She¡¯s a mermaid," my wolf excitedly uttered.


    "Yeah, yeah, I know what you¡¯re thinking," I groaned at him. He had been telling me how eagerly he was waiting for our next intimate session because he wanted to do it with a mermaid. That was so disgusting of him, but also so intriguing. I knew there were so manyyers to Hnie, but I didn¡¯t know there were this many.


    I fixed my hair onest time, shrugged on my jacket, and put on my perfume. I decided to leave the room. That was when I saw Hnie alsoing out of the bedroom. She was all ready for the dinner. And honestly speaking, it looked like she was the meal for the night, in a beautiful golden silk dress thatnded above her knees, with her tinum blonde hair flowing in big curls.


    She looked like she had walked straight out of heaven. She started walking toward the staircase while I watched her like a hungry beast. As she walked past me, she snapped her fingers in front of my face without even looking at me. It was her subtle way of reminding me I was staring too hard. I wanted to say something, but then I held back, because even though her action was yful, she did look like she wasn¡¯t ready to talk about anything with me or anyone. So I let her walk ahead of me.


    "Hnie." I couldn¡¯t stop myself. I said her name. She was at the end of the staircase at this point. She stopped and briefly turned around, looking at me.


    "Did you call my name?" she asked. Of course she had good hearing now. That was another power I noticed she¡¯d gained from her being a mermaid.


    "Yeah, actually, I wanted to speak with you about something," I said, taking slow and steady steps toward her.


    "What is it?" she asked, her beautiful big eyes staring at me.


    I was holding my breath, I didn¡¯t want her to say no. I was really, really hoping that wouldn¡¯t happen. I hated the idea of her going to Norman¡¯s bedroom every night. It was as if I was just a side object.


    "It¡¯s about¡ª" I cleared my throat, stopping mid-sentence.


    "What if it¡¯s about¡ª" she began, but I shook my head, and she went silent.


    "It¡¯s not about that issue," I said, hinting that I knew exactly what she didn¡¯t want to talk about yet, not until the evidence was out.


    "It¡¯s about us."


    She frowned slightly. "What about us?"


    But thankfully, before I could say anything more, she added, "It¡¯s alright, Maximus. Everything is alright between us. I just need a little time to be myself again. But I understand everything, and I don¡¯t want to hold on to any grudge for too long."


    That was what I admired most about her. She didn¡¯t drag things on. She wouldn¡¯t keep reminding someone of what they had done to her or what they had said. She would get upset, I would apologize, and then she would move on after deciding if she wanted to ept the apology or not. It was just that simple with her.


    "I¡¯m d you said that," I mumbled, "because what I¡¯m going to say next might be a little too much for you," I knew she might be upset that we hadn¡¯t let her marry Emmet, or at least that we made her feel ashamed for wanting to, and now here I was, asking for the same thing. Still, I hoped she would understand why we made that decision.


    Before I could say more, she continued watching me with an anxious look, and Charlotte appeared behind me. I figured she had been upstairs preparing for the evening, I¡¯d seen her lighting candles and setting up for the grand dinner.


    Suddenly, she twisted her ankle and stumbled. Hnie stepped forward to help, but since I was right beside her, I reacted first. I caught Charlotte, my hand steady at her waist.


    She was suspended in the air as I held her, and that¡¯s when our eyes met.


    And then I heard it.


    The haunting voice I didn¡¯t want to hear.


    At that moment, I wondered if I should have let her fall. That would¡¯ve been cruel, but not as cruel as hearing my wolf say:


    Mate.


    I gulped and helped her up, giving her back her bnce, though I also shot her a re. She looked just as surprised, while Hnie stood at the bottom of the staircase, watching us.


    "I felt it," the moment Charlotte said it, I showed her my palm, trying to stop her.


    "No, that can¡¯t be," I thought, staring at her with frustration.


    "I know it¡¯s strange, but I felt it," she repeated.


    That¡¯s when Hnie began walking up the stairs. She was no longer just watching, she wanted answers.


    "You felt what, Charlotte?" she asked firmly.


    "Nothing. She¡¯s just in pain. She felt it in her ankle," I blurted out, pointing toward Charlotte¡¯s foot, fumbling to defuse the situation. I knew I was making a mistake, hiding the truth from Hnie. Hadn¡¯t I learned by now that she hated when people kept things from her?


    But then Charlotte spoke anyway.


    "I felt a mate bond with him."


    And just like that, it felt like the end of everything I had hoped for.

 Chapter 713-Their Fated Mates

    <h4>Chapter 713: 713-Their Fated Mates</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    The way Charlotte said that, and the way Maximus awkwardly looked away with his eyes closed and fists clenched, I realized she was telling the truth. And even she looked like she had seen a ghost. The anxious bodynguage, the blinking of her eyes, and the way she was nervously fidgeting with her fingers while watching Maximus¡¯s face to say something, it said it all. She felt it, and he did too. And I guess she wanted him to confirm.


    "Maximus, what is she saying?" I asked very softly, not trying to judge him. It wouldn¡¯t be their fault.


    After Emmet found his mate, somewhere in the back of my mind, I had grown suspicious of what was to be next of my other mates. But then there was this feeling that maybe I was not physically involved with Emmet anymore, that the Moon Goddess decided to give him another mate. But that would not make any sense either, because we haven¡¯t rejected each other yet, so why would she already give him a mate out of pity? That would have been a second chance mate. He is her fated mate for a reason.


    "I don¡¯t know, there has to be, it has to be a mistake. There is no way." Maximus started shaking his head, and I watched the look of sheer sadness on Charlotte¡¯s face. And I understood her pain. It sucks when you feel a mate bond with your mate and he tells you he doesn¡¯t want you. Isn¡¯t that how it first started with my mates? Some of them were pretty hateful towards me in the beginning. But only after months did they change.


    "It has to be a mistake. There is no fucking way." Maximus groaned, and the minute he did, Charlotte slowly lowered her hands and her head. I could only imagine she was holding back her tears. Of course, it is not easy for someone to finally find her mate and then be rejected by them in the same minute. And him saying that was nothing better than a rejection.


    "Yeah, I¡¯m sure I¡¯m just a mistake," she said, finally, starting to walk away.


    She walked past me in tears, and I felt so guilty. That is when Maximus rushed to hold my hands.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter what she is. I don¡¯t want a second chance mate. I will reject her," he started saying, trying tofort me, when I slipped my hands out of his.


    "She is not your second chance mate. She is your fated mate, just like I have four, you now have two," I corrected him so that he understands that she wasn¡¯t his second chance mate. A fated mate means a lot.


    "Well, then good. I don¡¯t want a fucking fated mate either. I already have one," Maximus said, his voice stunned.


    "How about we just go and join the others for dinner? I don¡¯t want to focus on this right now," I said, as my heart was losing its beats.


    I did not want to acknowledge the fact that the others would find fated mates as well. It was like a slow-burn horror movie, and the ending was not so happy.


    "Hnie," Maximus held my face in his hands. "Look at me, you¡¯re the only one I want," he said.


    The difference between them having mates and me having mates was that they did not want the woman they were fated to. For Emmet, he had once loved her, so I couldn¡¯t really say. But Maximus never liked Charlotte, so him finding a mate in her was maybe that¡¯s why he was not very interested in her.


    There were just minor changes in situations, emotions, in times, in ces. Other than that, the situations were bing pretty simr. Now my mates have other mates.


    As soon as I slid his hands off my face to turn around and leave, I watched Norman and Kaye walk in from the main entrance, staring at me, looking defeated.


    "What happened?" I asked them, already dreading the news.


    "We actually found our fated mates," it was Kaye who started, while Norman kept watching my face.


    I held my breath in while Maximus rushed past me to his brothers.


    "I found my fated mate in Charlotte. How is that even possible?" As he startedining, the two brothers stared at each other and then at him. Now they looked extremely worried.


    "You felt the mate bond with Charlotte?" Kaye asked him, and Maximus started nodding his head.


    "Who did you feel the mate bond with?" Maximus asked Kaye.


    They seemed like teenagers trying to figure out a very exciting story. And I felt like the life had left my body. It would be mean of me to be upset that they have two mates when I have four. So with that being in my mind, I wanted to be supportive. I did not want to force them into leaving their mates, because that would be so hypocritical of me. But to be honest, I was not happy.


    I had fallen in love with my mates gradually, one after another. So it was a different thing for me. They did not like these women, but now they have to if they wanted to. And I will have no say in it. And I will not show it to them that I am that bothered, even when I am. I felt so weird at the moment.


    And then Kaye responded, "Kesha."


    I let out a deep breath and looked down. Of course, it was Kesha. It was like the Moon Goddess had brought these women into their lives and was waiting for the right moment to make them feel the mate bond with them.


    That made me wonder if the mate bond they felt with me was out of pity. Did the Moon Goddess do it? Just to fix what their mother had done wrong.


    And then I looked at Norman, because now it was his time to tell us who he had felt the mate bond with.


    And then, in a very defeated tone, Norman said, "Jessica Seon Louise."

 Chapter 714-My Brothers Are In My Shoes Now.

    <h4>Chapter 714: 714-My Brothers Are In My Shoes Now.</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    "You are back home," Azura said excitedly, standing at the door for me.


    "Yeah, of course I have to return. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be staying on the ship for the rest of my life," I said, watching her grab my bag and try to pull it with her tiny body.


    "It¡¯s okay, Azura." I grabbed it back from her and walked towards my bedroom.


    We were building thismunity because, back in the day, we had realized how dangerous the world outside was. And many of the students who were rogue were joining our academy at that time. So when the vacations woulde, they would have to go back into the woods. So we decided to start amunity, and slowly, after some time, we might even turn it into a pack, a pack for rogues. But here I was today, living in one of those houses. It was unfinished, but it was still a home.


    "How long are we going to stay in separate bedrooms?" she asked, reaching my bedroom again.


    I had always told her not toe inside my room, but she would never listen. That was Azura for you.


    "Can we not talk about it right now? I just want to heal from my past rtionship," I said, using my broken heart as leverage to stay away from her.


    "Sure," she added. "By the way, your mother sent you an invitation for the mate full moon event dinner," she voiced, walking away only to return with the green envelope.


    "Throw it in the bin," I said.


    "But why? Your mother was so adamant. She even called and asked me toe. That is so sweet of her. Remember how she used to hate me so much? I guess the minute she found out I¡¯m your fated maid, she had grown to like me," Azura said, pping her hands happily.


    "Sure," I said, as if I didn¡¯t know my mother.


    "Come on, please, let¡¯s go. I¡¯m getting tired of living here all by myself. The warriorse in to build the houses here, but it¡¯s not like I can talk with them. Please, let¡¯s have some normal time for a day."


    She insisted again and again, and I finally gave in.


    It was a full moon night, but not a full night, it would be a full moon for only a few hours, which meant Maximus would not transition, but he would be in pain. And I was worried for him, and for so many other things.


    My mother¡¯s infatuation with this full moon meant it was indeed very special. And just the minute I was thinking about it, my mother¡¯s number popped up on my screen. So I attended her call. We spoke for a while, and for the first time, I did not hang up on her.


    And then, once I ended the call, I turned to look at Azura."I¡¯m sure you have a beautiful dress for the dinner, right?"


    The minute I asked that, I watched a huge smile creep over her lips because she knew I was going to the dinner and taking her with me.


    Azura got ready in a beautiful pink dress, and I must say, she looked pretty gorgeous. But I was not attracted to her. Not anymore, not after I had fallen in love with Hnie. But somewhere deep down, I felt this weird darkness seep into me, or maybe it was anger from the fact that I couldn¡¯t be with her. Of course, the frustration was about to set in, while others got to be around her. I was suffering, and all because of my own fate.


    We arrived in time when everybody else was also there, and right off the bat, I was gestured by my mother to join her at her table. They had arranged the seating areas in the garden, in the royal garden, with beautiful fairy lights and dinner being served by the maids. I got to see the council members, many other alphas with their lunas, and then there was Dalton with his royal beta. I knew he would have fun staring at the beautiful Hnie for the night.


    "So, I am so d you are here," my mother said, probably shocked that I even listened to her.


    "Yeah, I couldn¡¯t say no to you," I lied. And the way her eyes widened was such aical thing to see.


    "Hello," Azura uttered, greeting her.


    I noticed my mother¡¯s face hardened a little, but then she forced a smile onto her lips.


    "Hey, I¡¯m d you¡¯re back."


    It was the way my mother said it, I almost let out a chuckle. She was so messy.


    And then our attention went back to my brothers walking out of the mansion, all buffed, looking like they had just received bad news. I wondered what it was.


    My eyes briefly moved around to check who else was there. I could see Jessica sitting at a distance with her father. The conversation must have been so awkward between the two. And then I looked ahead and saw Kesha with her father and her uncle. And as always, they looked cheery. There was nothing wrong happening in their family. Or so they made it seem.


    I was always confused by Kesha. She was creeping in the dark, always there, always sucking my mother¡¯s toes. She was such a cunning woman, to make my mother love her so much without even doing anything for her.


    But then my attention went back to my brothers because I quickly checked on Maximus silently. Even if he was in pain, he would never tell me. And I could tell whatever had bothered them intoing towards their mother, it was more painful than any pain Maximus must have been feeling in his body.


    The three stopped, passed me a brief nce, before looking back at their mother.


    "What happened?" Mother asked, almost like she was scared it was something she had done wrong.


    But then they started speaking, and I understood. It was even more messed up.


    "How the heck did we feel a mate bond with Kesha, Jessica, and Charlotte just now?"


    It was Maximus who spilled the beans, while my mother¡¯s eyes started to grow wider.

 Chapter 715-Withdrawn

    <h4>Chapter 715: 715-Withdrawn</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    "You also have more mates?" I asked my brothers, and they stopped focusing on my mother just to give me a head nod.


    "And it¡¯s fucked up because we don¡¯t want many," Kaye snapped, clutching his fists.


    "Aren¡¯t you engaged to Kesha?" I asked, cracking my knuckles as I tried hard to act like I was thinking too hard to remember such a crucial detail.


    "Yeah, I don¡¯t want to stay engaged to her anymore," Kaye said, making me pout and nod my head.


    "Wait, what are you saying? It is not a joke. You all seem to think everyone else is at your service, that you can use and discard anytime you want. You all got engaged to Charlotte, Jessica, and Kesha, and now you want to leave her? After you felt the mate bond with them?" My mother started panicking, and honestly speaking, I would be too if I were in her shoes. What my brothers were saying was pretty messed up.


    I watched Hniee out of the mansion looking so defeated. Her beautiful face looked so saddened that it broke my heart for her. But sadly, this is the world we live in. There are rivals, and Hnie has to understand that some good newses with bad consequences. And this was one of them.


    Once I felt the mate bond with Azura, I had a feeling my brothers would too. And it had be reality.


    "Well, then instead of keep repeating our mistakes, we want to finish it. I will reject Jessica tonight," Norman said, looking deeper into my mother¡¯s eyes.


    "Well, the full moon is over. It¡¯s just the dinner that is left. Are you confusing the dinner with the full moon?" my mother asked very dramatically, pointing at the sky.


    "Well, then I will reject her next full moon," Norman argued.


    "Why?" However, my subtle disagreement caught their attention. "Doesn¡¯t Hnie have four mates? So what if you have two as well? Don¡¯t get me wrong, but I think it is even better this way."


    I watched my brothers re at me, as if wondering what I was on about.


    "Think about it this way, you cannot just share her with everyone staying in the same room as her. You will have to n days. And while she is with one of you, the others will suffer. So if you have your other mates with you at that time, I mean, the time will pass pretty quickly."


    My suggestion definitely angered them because they did not seem to agree with me.


    "Emmet, we would like you to not intervene. You made up your mind. You chose your fated mate. As for us, we will make our own decisions," Maximus hissed at me, looking upset that I even suggested they ept their other fated mates.


    "Sure," I shrugged to Maximus.


    "I will never let you speak to your brother like that. He¡¯s older than you. Don¡¯t forget," Mother snapped at him, probably because she liked my idea more.


    And honestly speaking, even when it was going to hurt Hnie, I was going to do my best to make sure my brothers ept and mark their other mates.


    That was when Norman stepped to the side, and we watched Hnie approach us.


    "I hope you all had a great night. Did you all eat well?" she asked, her eyes nkly staring at me and Azura before looking back at our mother.


    "Oh yeah, we didn¡¯t eat yet," my mother said.


    And the way Hnie was staring at her, I was just confused. Did something else happen here? It was like she could jump at my mother anytime and hurt her.


    Once Hnie walked away, my mother shifted in her seat.


    "Azura, can you please leave us alone?" she asked her, but Azura clung to me, refusing to leave.


    "Azura, please."


    I gave her a look, wanting her gone, because it seemed like whatever my mother wanted to talk about was important, and I wanted to listen. So Azura gave in, almost like she wouldter fight with me over it, and walked away.


    Now my mother started to talk.


    "I was not very well liked by the Moon Goddess. She wanted me to sacrifice my children, you four, but I didn¡¯t want to. So I fought it. I turned my back on her and went rogue. I took her favorite Alpha King, your father with me to live as a rogue. I was defiant. I was angry with the Moon Goddess. I stopped praying to her. I stopped thanking her. And I guess it angered her a lot. So she sent in another woman to show me that she could steal her favorite Alpha back from me. And that happened. And I felt like if I went back into the pack, it would be fine again. But it was never fine. The Moon Goddess holds grudges. I lost many children at that point. The record is right in the hospital. I kept losing babies. And then I decided to rely on my sons. But the Moon Goddess had to give me one final blow. She brought in the same woman¡¯s daughter to show me that she could steal my children from me as well. So the mate bond you felt with her was just her being angry and showing me that she can do worse things to me. This is where the whole curse alsoes from. I was not supposed to have children. She had asked me not to sleep with my mate on certain nights, but we did. And I had babies during those nights. And she was so angry. It was like she saw me as someone who never listened to her. So I was cursed. My children were cursed, you four. And the only one who can break the curse is the woman that she brought in, giving her importance to Urs¡¯s daughter."


    My mother clenched her fists, tears streaming down her eyes.


    "It was like the Moon Goddess crushed me because I tried to raise my head. And that woman, she loves the Moon Goddess a lot. She always prays to her. So she¡¯s her favorite."


    My mother was hissing a lot.


    "But then your fated mates had to reappear, because by the end of the day, we are all born with our fate, with the fated mates tied to us. Jessica, Charlotte, Azura, and Kesha, those were the unfortunate women who got tangled in our messy world. And now they have mates that don¡¯t even want them.So go ahead, reject them. I will not stop you. But remember, it will make you feel a lot of pain. And the Moon Goddess might get angry, because she doesn¡¯t like anyone going against her."


    My mother exined, making me nod my head, while the others looked extremely devastated.


    "I think Mom is right," I said. "You guys should ept the other mates. They deserve it too. And I¡¯m pretty sure Hnie will be fine with it. I mean, she has three mates herself. So it will be a lot better for you to have other mates. At least it will also take some pressure off of Hnie. She won¡¯t have to go around running errands, trying to save everyone, when there are other mates who will also take the responsibility to help you guys, and us, with our curses."


    I tried to make sense of the situation, to help them understand that they had to ept their other mates. They had to bring them home. Because that would be the right thing to do. There was no right and wrong, no disloyalty or loyalty anymore. It would just be helpful for all of us.


    "Emmet is right. If you want the load off of Hnie, ept your other mates. So when Hnie is taking care of one mate with his curse, the others have their own mates. Do it for yourself. Do it for Hnie."


    Mother agreed with me.


    "No," Maximus shook his head. "I will not."


    As he made his decision, Norman also nodded.


    "I won¡¯t ept my mate either," Norman agreed with Maximus.


    However, the silence from Kaye made me wonder if he was convinced.


    "Fine, I will ept Kesha."


    And just like that, one of them cracked. Now I had to crack the other two and make them ept the mates. At one point, they might think I was sabotaging their rtionship with Hnie because they didn¡¯t let me marry her.


    Well, I guess we all are evil in someone¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 716-Mansion Full Of Mates

    <h4>Chapter 716: 716-Mansion Full Of Mates</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Seeing Emmet again stirred up some emotions in me, and seeing him with Azura specifically stirred up many. But I kept my calm, because in the back of my mind, I kept reminding myself, ¡¯now my other mates have mates too.¡¯ I¡¯ll get to see all of them with others, so I need to adapt to it.


    Charlotte had left for her room after Maximus told her he didn¡¯t want to ept her. I guess she had briefly left the mansion and then gone back to her room, and she hadn¡¯te out since.


    Meanwhile, I checked on everyone, going from table to table to make sure they were doing fine, that they had food, and now, I was at Jessica¡¯s table. I already knew she had felt a mate bond with Norman, but she looked so lost, sitting there in silence with her father.


    "Did you guys have food?" I asked the two, trying to hold a smile on my lips to seem weing.


    "Yeah," Jessica said in the softest tone, but her father snapped.


    "Of course she had. She can stomach food even after killing her brother."


    It was the tone he used, and the reminder of the criminal she eliminated for me, that broke my heart for her.


    She looked thinner than before. She had dark circles under her eyes. Her lips were dry. Even though she was wearing a new gown, it looked loose on her, probably an old one. I wondered if her father was even letting her use any luxuries anymore.


    She just gave me a small nod to assure me that she had eaten. I had been contacting her, checking on her for a while, but she never responded, and I knew why. Things had grown really awkward between us. And now, they were going to get even more awkward.


    I turned around, and my eyesnded on Kesha. I didn¡¯t want to go to her table. She, her uncle, and her father looked very mean and proud. The way they held their chins up and sipped their drinks made it seem like peasants shouldn¡¯t even get close to them. So I walked away, and reached Dalton¡¯s table.


    It had been a while since I¡¯dst seen him, not since I had returned from his pack. He seemed to be doing very well now.


    "Hi, Hnie," he said, almost getting up from his seat before his beta touched his hand to remind him to stay calm. He sat back down.


    "Did you have food?" I asked him, and he smiled.


    "Wow. Yeah. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t think you would talk nicely to me again."


    I could tell he was anxious, he was stuttering, skipping words, missing a few here and there.


    "I hope you had a great time," I said to Dalton. He just kept staring at my face as if he had never seen me before.


    After finding out that his brother had tragically passed away, the only best friend I had when I was a kid, I kind of felt bad for Dalton.


    It wasn¡¯t that he left me there on purpose. Sure, he was a bad boy, but that could be overlooked after he had redeemed himself.


    "I really hope we can talk about the pack matters soon," he said, and I gave him a nod, even though I had no clue what he was talking about.


    But in the corner of my eye, I kept checking out my mates with their mother. I did not like that woman, and I did not trust her.


    But with this new fated mate bond thing, I could tell she must be feeling victorious. I mean, she did not like me at all in the beginning, and still doesn¡¯t, so I could only imagine how happy she must be feeling.


    "Yeah, definitely. We need to talk about that," I said as I moved a little to look at my mates once again. This time, I found Maximus with his hand up, gesturing at me, probably asking me to follow them into the mansion.


    "Um, I hope you had a great time, Dalton. We will speak again," I said, excusing myself and walking away from him.


    I heard him call my name, but then his royal beta sort of asked him to let me go. I heard it all. I¡¯m pretty sure he didn¡¯t know yet that I could hear everything.


    I went into the mansion to find all four of my mates present. I already knew what this conversation was going to be about.


    Although walking into the living room with Emmet sitting on the couch with his arms spread, being the only one who looked rxed, I felt a bit nervous around him.


    "Yeah, what is it?" I asked all four of them, passing them a quick nce, but a bit too quickly at Emmet. I didn¡¯t know he was the one who was going to do most of the talking.


    "You already know your mates found their fated mates, right?" he asked.


    I took a deep breath before giving him a nod.


    "So are you going to let them ept their other mates?"


    The question came like a bullet. There was no build-up, no excuses, no warm-up. But before I could respond, Norman cut in.


    "Hold up, Emmet. It¡¯s not only her who has to decide if you want a mate or not."


    As he said that, I began to feel very self-conscious. For a single split second, I thought maybe they wanted to ept their mates. But then he cleared that up for me very quickly.


    "We don¡¯t want our mates either. So it doesn¡¯t matter if she wants it or not. If I don¡¯t want someone, nobody can make me ept them." Norman was pretty stern when he said that.


    "Got it. I understand," Emmet said, nodding his head.


    "But Kaye has already decided to ept Kesha." And then in a very low and unsettling tone, he exposed his brother¡¯s ns.


    I looked up from the ground at Kaye and found him looking at me. There wasn¡¯t guilt in his eyes, but he looked determined. That would be the right word.


    I couldn¡¯t understand what he was so determined to do, but he had been giving me that look for a while now, probably since the cruise ship.

 Chapter 717-He Knows Something

    <h4>Chapter 717: 717-He Knows Something</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I never got to ask all of them one-on-one, but they had already expressed their approval of me being a mermaid. Except for Kaye. He was the only one who didn¡¯tment on my new powers, or my new identity. He kept his emotions to himself, and that made me wonder what was going on with him.


    Did he not like the fact that I was a mermaid? Because, like my mom told me, many werewolves don¡¯t really mess around with mermaids.


    "Okay," I said, giving my head a small nod.


    "You¡¯re not going to yell at him?" Maximus asked, pointing at Kaye, who only gave him an eye roll.


    "No, Maximus. I have no right to," I said, keeping my emotions to myself and my voice gentle.


    "What do you mean by that?" Maximus asked. He was always the curious type, asking too many questions.


    "I have four mates. What gives me the right to question my mate if he has two and wants to ept them?"


    I watched Maximus¡¯ face lose color.


    "That¡¯s not it, Helene. You have every right, at least over my life. I would never ask you to be fair or let me choose someone because you have someone else. That is not how it will work for my life. You know that. You are the owner of my life."


    The way he held my hands and gently touched them, the pain started to go away. Maximus¡¯ words made me feel so important that I couldn¡¯t even respond. If I did, I would break down.


    So much had been happening around me. I just found out that my father was killed in the worst way possible. I just found out that I had siblings who were snatched away from me, and that they were sacrificed so these four brothers could live.


    There was so much going on. I would look at my mother, and when she smiled at me, I would feel my heart shrink. Where did she get the courage to still smile?


    "Maximus is right."


    And then Norman spoke up.


    "It was never decided that we would ept our mates too. You never made the decision that you wanted four mates. It was us who decided that. So we kind of made you agree to the terms that you should have four mates. So why would we ask you to be fair and let us have two. It was never your choice in the beginning, Hnie. You did it for us. So there is no way we¡¯ll ask you to let us ept our mates too."


    Norman made me turn and look at him. The man who once hated me so much was now so sweet to me, so kind to me. I didn¡¯t need him to say it, but I could tell he loved me the most, maybe even more than his brothers.


    ¡¯Are you forgiving him for not telling us about Emmet being the one who killed your baby?¡¯ Cora asked, reminding me that it¡¯s not possible he would love us more than his brothers.


    ¡¯Cora, that was a situation where he had to take that step in order to keep the peace. I know he did it wrong, but that one incident can¡¯t make me turn my face away from him. I was angry for a while, but there is no way I would think otherwise. He doesn¡¯t have to walk on eggshells, always proving himself to me. Because he never asked me to prove myself to him. There are things I do without his permission, without his acknowledgment. So does that make me less affectionate towards him? No. So then I will not hold him ountable for something for so long. It was an incident. It happened. That¡¯s it. There is no prolonged punishment for it.¡¯


    I reminded her that Norman had always been there for us, or at least, after some time, he began to be there for us.


    ¡¯What about Emmet then?¡¯ she asked. And the moment I raised my head, I watched Emmet look at me and tilt his head.


    ¡¯I don¡¯t know. He chose to leave. Otherwise, we might have figured things out,¡¯ I uttered.


    But then, the recent events and my mother¡¯s truth made me feel a little uneasy. It was just the trauma of it all.


    First, some women believed my mother¡¯s children didn¡¯t have enough worth to live over her own children. And then, Emmet did the same thing, whether unconsciously, when he chose his ex-lover over my baby.


    It was just a lot happening.


    "You know what? I think they should ept their mates," However, of course, Emmet has to give his input. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with him. I do not hate him, but he was keeping things to himself, which made him seem very strange to me. I didn¡¯t know if he was on my side at this point. I mean, he looked fine living with Azura.


    "Emmet, please don¡¯t intervene," Norman said, turning to him and giving him a look.


    But I noticed the way the two of them looked at each other. It was like that old bond wanted to be reformed again. But it was Emmet who was keeping himself away, I noticed that.


    "Fine then. It¡¯s just that once our curse intensifies, she won¡¯t be able to help us all. So she must remember that one of us will die." As soon as he said that, my eyes widened.


    Maximus intervened, waving his hands between us.


    "No, no, no. So listen, we will reject our mates next full moon." Maximus turned to give him a very stern look, as if he knew what he was doing. But it was just his way of trying to divert attention from Emmet.


    "Wait, what did you say about one of you dying?" I turned to ask Emmet while Norman began to roll his eyes and scoff.


    "Why did you have to open your mouth?" he asked Emmet, overly dramatic in his tone.


    "Emmet, tell me. What is it? What are you guys hiding from me?" I asked again and again. I was so irritated. Every time, I had to beg them to tell me things, information they should give me without needing to be asked.


    "Mom just told us the rest of the curse," he said, removing his hands from the back of the couch, only to crack his knuckles.


    Norman and Maximus looked extremely distraught. Kaye remained silent. His bodynguage was always minimalistic, but now it just felt eerie.


    "In the future, our curses will worsen. This time, you were able to save us because it was one at a time. The next time, it will be all of us. And I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to help us all," Emmet exined.


    I turned to look at Norman.


    "Why do you guys always hide things from me? And wait a minute, how do you even know if that¡¯s real?" I asked Emmet.


    "I mean, we could take chances. Butst time, our mother told us something and it really happened. And this time, I¡¯m doing my own research, and I think my mom is not lying," Emmet said, shaking his leg as he rested it over the other and then cleared his throat.


    "The thing is, Hnie, you can¡¯t take care of all of them. I¡¯ve already figured out that I need someone else so I¡¯ll be saved." The way he said it made my heart crumble.


    "You¡¯re making it sound like I didn¡¯t help youst time," I said. He gave his head one big nod while blinking his eyes forcefully.


    "I¡¯m not saying that. I¡¯m very grateful you helped mest time. But after that, I figured nobody would want to help me. So instead of begging you all to take care of me, I found someone. Or the Moon Goddess did." His words hurt me so much. But at the same time, I could tell he believed he was hurting himself too. That¡¯s why he was saying things that would hurt us. Those things were very sad, and we were just listening. He was feeling them.


    I could only think about the night when he had almost asked me to marry him. Maybe that night, he realized ¡¯it was getting too crowded.¡¯

 Chapter 718-One Quickie Before The Disaster

    <h4>Chapter 718: 718-One Quickie Before The Disaster</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I began to realize he wasn¡¯t wrong, though. What if something like this happens? The Moon Goddess must have given them more mates for a reason. I knew the brothers were special.


    "No, no, no. I don¡¯t want anyone. If you guys want, you can have other mates to help you. I¡¯ll stay with Hnie," Maximus said.


    It was expected of him, but then Emmet started shaking his head.


    "No, you can¡¯t, Maximus. You cannot have all the luxury to yourself."


    Hisment brought a slight blush to my cheeks. He got up, walked over to me, and stood face to face, hunching down.


    "And I will suggest to you, Hnie, please convince them to ept their mates. You don¡¯t want to be on the receiving end of the curse that¡¯s going to hit us all. Let them have other mates. Let the mates do their job. Let everyone see how hard it is to be our mate," he said, his voice very soft.


    I forgot to look away from his eyes for a few seconds. I guess sometimes I wondered if he knew how much impact he had on me. So with that being said, I stepped back and turned to look at Norman.


    "He is right. You should ept your mate." As soon as I said that, Norman¡¯s face hardened.


    "And I¡¯m not saying this because I¡¯m scared of taking care of you all. But I won¡¯t be enough. So if one of you is going to ept their mate, then all should. I don¡¯t want any unfairness or any messy stuff going on. There¡¯s already a lot on my mind. So please, I¡¯m asking you to ept your mate." I was in the middle of talking when Norman interrupted me out of anger.


    "I will ept them," he said, his voice full of anger.


    "You¡¯re not getting it, Norman. I¡¯m not saying this because¡ª"


    I was cut off again when he showed his disapproval even more.


    "No, no, no. It¡¯s fine. We will ept them. But you know they¡¯ll have to be there with us. Are you ready for that? Are you ready to let them be in our bedrooms? Are you ready to see Jessica in the room with me?" he asked, snapping his fingers so I would look at him.


    And honestly speaking, no, I was not ready for it.


    And since he had already left the decision on me, I spoke up.


    "It¡¯s okay. You can ept her."


    The minute I said it, I saw Norman look so sad. Even I was sad, but I had no other choice. Sadly, I would have to let them mark and bring their mates home, and share a bedroom with them.


    They kept watching my face as I began to walk away, back to my bedroom, which was going to be a guest room from now on. I knew what I was doing.


    Ever since Emmet spoke to me, it felt like there were too manyyers to that man. He knew so much that we didn¡¯t. And I wanted him to know I was ready to be a part of whatever n he had, which, in this case, was to save the brothers.


    I didn¡¯t want to be mean and selfish and only think about myself.


    I heard footsteps behind me, and I knew from the pressure in the steps that it was Norman. I turned around to tell him I wasn¡¯t going to be upset about it, when he grabbed my face in his hands and crashed his lips against mine.


    He sucked my lips hungrily while mming the door open behind me and pulling me into the guest room with him.


    He began to hungrily kiss my lips, his hands exploring my curves. I knew the urgency in his body was from the desperation to remind me that we loved each other, and that I should not ask them to ept their mates. I didn¡¯t. I let him shove his tongue down my throat, while he unbuckled his pants.


    He spun me around and shoved me against the wall, my hands resting on the wall and my body feeling goosebumps. After a chaotic discussion, I needed this so bad.


    As his cock prated my pussy from the back, I began to moan and close my eyes. His hand ran forward to my neck, holding me tight while he began to kiss my cheek.


    "Ah Norman!" I moaned in pleasure, feeling him thrust inside me with more passion and aggression than ever.


    With his every thrust, I would groan and moan louder than before.


    His sweet kisses filled my body with ecstasy. My insides swell and tightly held onto Norman¡¯s shaft, making it stay in me as it tied knot inside me.


    "Nobody will ever rece you," Norman grunted in pleasure, his hand holding me by the neck. As he finished inside me, I rested my forehead against the wall and wondered if he would finally give in and do it with Jessica someday as well.


    I was really keeping my hopes up, convincing myself that I was making the right decision and not getting into yet another problem.


    "Don¡¯t worry too much. I will forever and always love you, and you only," Norman said, kissing my cheek again before fixing my dress and his pants.


    He then left the room while I went into the bathroom to freshen up.


    When I came out, I saw the room door open and watched Maximus walk in.


    "Are you okay?" he asked, leaning in to nt a kiss on my lips.


    "I am fine," I said with a forced smile. It meant a lot that they cared enough toe and check on me.


    "Just remember one thing, I am not touching Charlotte. Even if I ept her, I¡¯ll let her help me with the curse, and then I will reject her," he said confidently while walking toward the exit.


    He turned briefly to look at me and added, "And I will let her know in advance."

 Chapter 719-The Kiss And Kesha Unns

    <h4>Chapter 719: 719-The Kiss And Kesha Unns</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I had to go outside and meet everyone, as they had finished their dinner. They were still sticking around for drinks, the royals sharing a toast to celebrate finding their fated mates.


    I didn¡¯t expect any leniency from my mates, since I was the one who had pushed them toward epting theirs. But Norman and Maximus told me they wouldn¡¯t ept their mates tonight. They wanted to take it slow, at least for now.


    However, the full moon wasing in a few days, so they would have to do it eventually. They just didn¡¯t want to announce it tonight. Even though I could tell Kesha was pressuring Kaye, he also told his brothers he wouldn¡¯t do it right away. I had seen him check his phone, her name popping up on the screen quite often.


    My mates had already gone to speak with the royals and spend time with them. I walked out of the guest room, fixing my hair, when I spotted Kaye. He had his hands in his pants pockets, his body leaned back casually.


    "So, I¡¯m not going to get any kisses?" he asked, making me clench my fists.


    "Kaye, you should first work on yourmunication skills. You can¡¯t just keep staring at me and doing things that make me question your feelings, your honesty, your loyalty, and then expect me toe give you a kiss and treat you the way I treat Maximus and Norman. They¡¯re very honest with me," I said.


    Kaye started to lick his teeth andugh.


    "Yeah, so honest that the two people who were supposed to tell you the truth about your child¡¯s passing were the ones who kept it. But sure, I¡¯m the bad guy," he said, his eyes moving a little too fast.


    I noticed some changes in him, but I was keeping it to myself for now. I would definitely bring it up to Maximus and Normanter.


    "What is it, Kaye? What are you angry at me for?" I asked, watching him raise his hand to scratch his neck, or more specifically, the tattoo he had gotten sometimest year.


    I began to focus on the details of the tattoo, and something about it gave me the heebie-jeebies. It wasn¡¯t just a simple design. It was a mermaid tail with a sword, or maybe a dagger, piercing straight through it.


    "What?" he asked with a smirk.


    I stepped back and shook my head.


    "You like it?" he asked. I looked up.


    "The tattoo," he said, pointing and tapping his fingers against it. It was as if he knew it had unsettled me. But it made no sense. He hadn¡¯t even known I was a mermaid before. Yet the design, a mermaid tail stabbed through the middle, was making my head hurt.


    "Anyway, I don¡¯t hate you. You know that," he said as he finally stood straight and came to stand in front of me, or rather, tower over me.


    "I¡¯m just saying that the things you said about my mother and your mother, they¡¯ve definitely built a wedge between us. And not because of me, but because you¡¯re ready to take your mother¡¯s side. But you get upset when I take mine."


    He finished, and I began to hug myself ufortably.


    "My mother never tried to kill you, okay? But your mother has done way more to me," I said, staring him dead in the eyes, my head tilted back to meet his gaze.


    "Fair enough," he said. "That I can be angry at her for. But I¡¯ll never be mad at her for not liking your mother. I¡¯m sorry, but I still don¡¯t believe my mother did all that while yours ispletely innocent."


    As he finished, I clenched my jaw.


    "You know what, Kaye? I don¡¯t fucking care what you think. I know my mother didn¡¯t lie to me. I know your mother is messed up." As soon as I said that, I saw him clench his jaw.


    "You can hit me if you want." His face immediately softened when I said that after I watched him clench his jaw.


    "Now you¡¯re taking it too far. You know I¡¯d never hit you. Don¡¯t say such things," he said, starting to grow more agitated.


    I began shaking my head.


    "No, I don¡¯t care. You know this is my weak point. I get extremely agitated whenever you talk about your mother. She¡¯s not a saint. She almost got me in trouble with the curses when she didn¡¯t tell me the full truth. She hides things, even from you, Kaye."


    I pointed at his chest. He looked down at my finger, then quickly grabbed it and pulled me closer, wrapping one arm around my back and the other behind my head.


    He lowered his face and brushed his lips over mine, sending a strange wave offort through my body.


    "You know, if you asked me to, I would even leave my mother for you."


    The way he said it, and then the way he pressed his lips tightly to mine, made my body shudder in his arms. It felt like he was trying to escape something. His words came out in the heat of the moment,pletely contradicting his earlier behavior.


    "What is going on here?"


    And then came the voice, the high-pitched, confident, and full of determination. Kesha Unns.


    She rushed between us, cing one hand on my shoulder and the other on Kaye¡¯s, pushing us apart.


    "Kesha?" Kaye grunted, pping away the hand that had touched me. She looked like she had seen a ghost, the way she stared at his face.


    "I just fucking caught you cheating on me with your brother¡¯s wife. How do you exin that?" she screamed. It was the first time I had seen Kesha in her full fury. Kaye narrowed his eyes at her as she continued.


    "This bitch. Does she even know we¡¯re fated mates? Why the fuck did she kiss you?" she shouted, grabbing his cor.


    I hadn¡¯t realized she was so aggressive. But Kaye grabbed her wrists and pried them apart with enough force that she winced in pain.


    "First of all, don¡¯t you fucking disrespect her again. Second, I was the one who kissed her. And yes! It felt amazing. And before you spew any more hate, you¡¯re my fated mate from tonight, but I¡¯ve felt the mate bond with her long before you. So don¡¯t fucking call her just my brother¡¯s wife."


    The way Kaye suddenly flipped and started revealing what we had nned to keep quiet shocked me. Goosebumps spread across my skin.

 Chapter 720-The Water Brings Out My Tail

    <h4>Chapter 720: 720-The Water Brings Out My Tail</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Kesha had a look on her face like she wanted to kill me, and for a split second, I noticed her features change. It made me close my eyes and blink repeatedly, just to make sure I was seeing it right.


    But when I looked at her again, she looked normal. My mind was definitely ying tricks on me. Or maybe I was just spooked, first by her catching us, and then by Kaye introducing me as his mate. The council needed to hear that a certain way, that we were going to be together. Some of them already suspected something was happening between us, but they didn¡¯t know to what extent.


    "She can¡¯t be your fated mate! She already felt the mate bond with Norman fucking McQuoid, so he married her! How could she have two mates?" she screamed. She had such a bony structure that, every time she yelled, her bones visibly moved. Kaye kept one arm stretched out fully to block her froming at me.


    "Just like I have two mates," Kaye said casually.


    "Huh? There¡¯s no way the Moon Goddess is fucking blessing you all with two mates," she grunted.


    I didn¡¯t understand what exactly she was mad about, whether it was that she caught her boyfriend with me, or that she didn¡¯t have two mates. Either way, the look on her face was twisted with something close to envy. And then, as she pointed her finger at me, someone stepped in between us. It was Emmet.


    His back was to me, and I could smell his coat, it smelled amazing.


    "Kaye, take your bitch, put a leash on her, and get her out of here," Emmet said.


    Her eyes widened. Her jaw dropped.


    "Did he just call me a bitch?" she asked, pointing at her chest and looking at Kaye. "And you¡¯re not going to do anything?" she added, trying to pit the brothers against each other.


    "No," Kaye said, shaking his head.


    "Why did you call her a bitch?" Kaye asked her instead.


    She narrowed her eyes. "Why the fuck do you guys care?"


    "Oh my goddess," she muttered, cing her hands on her head. "Are you all fucking her?" she asked in a judgmental tone that made me step back.


    "Kaye, are you going to do it, or should I?" Emmet asked. "I don¡¯t like hitting women, but when she¡¯s acting like one, I stop seeing her as one."


    Kaye took a deep breath and stared Kesha in the eyes. I noticed his body rx slightly. Then he turned to his brother.


    "Just because we¡¯re defending Hnie doesn¡¯t mean you can disrespect my mate." And just like that, he switched.


    No. Something was going on.


    Either he was afraid of her, or he was ying a double game with us.


    "Anyway, Kesha, let¡¯s go," Kaye said, turning to her and holding her hand. I could tell she had more to say, but because Emmet was getting aggressive, she chose to walk out with Kaye. I could only imagine the hard time she would give himter. But just like that, the two of them were gone, and now it was just Emmet and me.


    "You should p her next time if she disrespects you like that," Emmet said, making me frown.


    "No, it¡¯s okay. I mean, it was valid for her to freak out. She saw me kiss her mate," I said.


    Emmet started nodding. "Yeah, that¡¯s the perk of not pushing someone into the well. Even when you¡¯re upset with them, they still get to kiss you."


    I tilted my head and stared at him with nothing but sadness.


    "No, I¡¯m serious. What I did was wrong. I don¡¯t understand why it happened, why I did it. I honestly have no recollection of it. But it was horrible. I don¡¯t expect you to treat me kindly," he said, "or kiss me."


    Emmet smiled, one hand in his pocket, the other scratching the bridge of his nose.


    "And that¡¯s why you¡¯re punishing yourself by staying with Azura?" I asked.


    The minute I said it, he lowered his hand and looked at me, his eyes full of emotion. Then he smiled.


    "I thought you¡¯d suspect me of double-crossing you," he said.


    I shook my head. "No, Emmet. Even though so much has happened between us, I still can¡¯t wrap my head around the idea that you love her more than you love me." I needed to say it, for both our peace of mind.


    I watched his face brighten. And then, just like with Kaye, Azura walked in.


    "Emmet, can we go? I¡¯m getting a headache. I don¡¯t know why, but I¡¯m not feeling well," she said as she walked over and fit herself into his arms, even though he didn¡¯t hug her back. She ced her hands on his chest and rested her head there.


    I looked at her, then at Emmet.


    "Excuse me," I said, walking away.


    The happy moments neversted more than a few seconds. Like Norman always said, it was getting really crowded.


    Once I was outside the mansion, I walked toward the pool area. I needed to calm down. The pool was right next to the garden, so I could still see everyone.


    "Just because Emmet came over doesn¡¯t mean you didn¡¯t screw up by kissing my boyfriend." I didn¡¯t expect Kesha toe back for round two.


    I turned to her and gave her a look.


    "Why don¡¯t you go and talk it out with your boyfriend?" I asked, my arms folded tightly across my chest.


    She looked hyped up, practically vibrating with rage. In the distance, I noticed her father and uncle staring at me, she must¡¯ve already told them what she caught us doing.


    "You have no shame," she grunted. "Even if you are his fated mate, he¡¯s my boyfriend."


    "I understand, Kesha. But he¡¯s my marked mate. I hope he told you that."


    I kept ring at her, but I understood, when you find your mate, your boyfriend, with someone else, you¡¯re bound to get angry. Still, her anger was directed at the wrong person. He was my fated mate too, and I didn¡¯t know what else I could possibly do.


    "Oh, you know what? You don¡¯t even deserve my attention."


    The moment she said that, I didn¡¯t expect what came next, something that would change everything for me. She shoved me into the pool.


    I hit the water with a loud ssh. Waves burst outward, and for a second, I stayed under in disbelief. But the worst part hadn¡¯t even happened yet. I started to transition into a mermaid.


    Right there. In front of everyone gathered in the garden,ing over to watch me.

 Chapter 721-Emmet Didn’t Choose Me.

    <h4>Chapter 721: 721-Emmet Didn¡¯t Choose Me.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    The minute my tail began to p around in the water, showing its glowing color and probably capturing guests¡¯ attention, someone yelled,


    "Oh my Goddess, that is a mermaid!"


    My heart started to sink in my chest, but there was so much going on that I couldn¡¯t focus on one thing.


    And then somebody jumped in.


    Swimming toward me was Norman. He came like a bullet, wrapped his arm around my back, and pulled me up with him. He helped me out of the water and then ced me down. His brothers were already standing behind me, all three of them, to block the view, but I could hear the chattering andints in the distance. The council members were expressing their shock and disgust too. Everyone was worried about what I was, what kind of monster they had sheltered.


    I closed my eyes while Norman hugged me. He then carried me inside the mansion.


    "You¡¯re not going to take that thing into the house, are you?"


    That was Kesha¡¯s uncle. I knew it because he had a certain way of pronouncing some words.


    "Back off! Not your home, not your rules." I heard Maximus yell at the man.


    "Did you just tell me to shut up?" It was like they had such big egos, all three of them: Kesha, her father, her uncle, that every time they were told to do something, they would lose their minds. But they were all okay with disrespecting others.


    "Uncle, if you don¡¯t want to lose respect, stay quiet." That was Kaye warning him, but I couldn¡¯t see what else was going on because Norman had already taken me into the house.


    Then I heard the gentle voice of my mother calling for me.


    "Step aside. I want to see Hnie."


    She rushed into the living room, where Norman had ced me on the sofa, and hugged me.


    "They know now," I said to her, breaking the hug and looking into her eyes.


    "It¡¯s all right. It¡¯spletely fine. You will be fine," my mother said, cupping my face in her hands.


    "What if they do the same to me as they did to you?" I asked my mother, watching the look of sheer panic on her face.


    "No, Hnie, I will never let anyone harm you. You will not have the same fate as me," she said determinedly. Then she took off her pearl ne to give it to me.


    "What is this?" I asked her, watching her smile very weakly.


    "When I lost my tail, it turned into a pearl. This is what happens when a mermaid loses her tail. I want to gift it to you. Keep it with you. It will help you realize that you are not something to be ashamed of. You should be proud of yourself," she said firmly and lovingly.


    "Wait, you lost your tail?" I asked, bewildered.


    "Yeah. There were a few details I couldn¡¯t tell you because I didn¡¯t want to freak you out, but one of those times when they were torturing me, they cut off my tail." My mother¡¯s words shook me to my core. I instantly hugged her, crying hysterically.


    "Nothing will happen to you, Hnie. We will not let anyone harm you." That was Maximus, reassuring me. I broke the hug and looked at all four of them.


    "What is going on? How the heck did she turn into a mermaid?" Darcy walked in, sounding dramatic and hysterical.


    My mother turned to give her a re. As she tried to get up, I held her hand, shaking my head at her. I didn¡¯t want her to confront this woman right now. There were too many people outside who were against mermaids, so it would get us in a lot of trouble. But then my mother gave me a reassuring nce as she got up again.


    "As if you didn¡¯t know she was a mermaid¡¯s daughter," my mother hissed at her.


    Darcy covered her mouth with both hands dramatically. "What? You¡¯re a mermaid?"


    The look of anger on my mother¡¯s face matched mine. She had the nerve to still act so well at an age where she should be showing grace.


    "I had no clue. Children, does your father know that he has been sharing the bed with a fucking mermaid?" she asked her sons.


    Kaye stepped forward with his fists clenched.


    "Stop it."


    The look she gave him was so scary that even I felt like I would have melted if I were Kaye.


    "You, out of all people, should know how ugly mermaids are. Don¡¯t you know? They¡¯re not supposed to be our friends," she said, speaking directly to Kaye.


    While I was hysterically confused, I noticed Emmet snapping his head at Kaye and then looking back at their mother. He did it so visibly that everybody caught on to it. They all looked at Emmet for a brief moment, as if wondering what he was doing.


    "We are not your enemies, but you are our enemies, because every time you see a fucking mermaid, you want to kill her, y her, or use her in your fucking curses." My mother was finally venting it out.


    Darcy looked like she could kill her right then and there, but she wouldn¡¯t dare. Not when I wiped the tears from my eyes and stood up. I was over the trauma, and now I was standing right beside my mother.


    "Ah, look at her. She had the nerve to face me after she lied to all of us about her identity," Darcy hissed, yapping everything in one breath.


    "That will be enough, Mother."


    Norman stepped ahead, pointing his finger at his mother, whose eyes bugged out in shock.


    "Just because we are silent doesn¡¯t mean we are not on her side," Maximus added.


    "What the heck are you three on about? What about you, Emmet? Do you also think that this is not deceptive?" She turned to her final son, who had been silently watching us, and all eyes turned to Emmet.


    He stepped forward, scratched the back of his neck, and then, while avoiding eye contact, he uttered,


    "It would have been deceptive, but I guess even Hnie didn¡¯t know the truth either. However, it was pretty fucked up that her mother didn¡¯t tell anyone about her identity."


    And right then and there, I lost all my respect for Emmet.

 Chapter 722-Leaving!

    <h4>Chapter 722: 722-Leaving!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I hoped it was because Emmet didn¡¯t know the story of my mother. Then maybe, in his eyes, it was deceptive. So I helped him understand why my mother didn¡¯t tell anyone her identity.


    "When your mother found out about my mother¡¯s identity, she used her as a baby machine to sacrifice her children, my siblings," as I screamed, tears rushed down my eyes.


    I watched his eyes slowly grow wide. He then zoned out, and I hated it. I wanted him to take action immediately, but he was silent. So I continued.


    "Do you have any idea what she has done to my mother? That man, Niles, is not even my father. They killed my father. Soren, don¡¯t you remember? You told me about him. You gave me a book to read about him. He was my father. And do you know why nobody has heard of him in so long? Because he is fucking dead, your mother killed him. And she was going to kill me. Sacrifice me too. But my mother lied. She told your mother that I was the daughter of Niles, and not of her fated mate¡¯s. Otherwise, I would have been sacrificed¡ªfor you. For all of you."


    I was crying as I told him what his mother had done to mine. Although we had agreed not to speak of it until after the investigation, I didn¡¯t give a fuck. There was no investigation going on. How could someone go back in time and investigate when there was no evidence left? Because it all happened in a fucking basement that their mother had likely wiped clean by now.


    "What is she using me of, son?" his mother dramatically stepped in, pushing me away.


    Kaye stepped ahead and gently ced his hand on my back to support me, but I turned slightly and pped his hand off. I was so done with their support. My mother seemed so fragile in that moment, probably remembering when she had been through when she was too young to fight back. But now, even older, with her daughter standing beside her, we were still screaming for justice.


    "Emmet, please tell her you do not believe this fuckery. You were there when she used to torture me. So tell your mate that whatever they are using me of is one of her mother¡¯s ns. Tell her!" she screamed at Emmet, who held her hand and gently pressed her elbow to steady her.


    And that was when I knew he was on her side.


    "Do you have any proof?" he asked me in a very stern tone.


    "How can I find evidence for it?" I asked quietly.


    "Exactly. If there is no evidence, you can¡¯t expect us to believe that. Because, Hnie, your mother has done fucking shit to my mother. And I was there. So either we believe your mother¡¯s version of the story, the woman we never liked, the woman we saw as an abuser, or we trust our own eyes. How can you go back and trust your mother after she never evenid a motherly hand on you? And now you expect us to do the same? Just because she is your mother?"


    I think what Kaye didn¡¯t say loud enough, Emmet did. And he was really pretty loud. I watched his face, my mouth hanging open.


    "As for you being a mermaid nobody has a problem with that. But we have a problem with your mother. If she is going to spew lies like that, it will be a problem. You know our mother has been through a lot. She was cursed. So I think it¡¯s really insensitive that¡ª" He suddenly shut up when tears started to well up in my eyes.


    "Oh Goddess, please don¡¯t cry now," he groaned, stretching his neck upward.


    "No, keep talking. Tell her!" Darcy insisted, shaking him.


    He gave her a look, then turned back to me. It didn¡¯t matter if he gave me a soft look. He had already said enough.


    "Of course you wouldn¡¯t understand, Emmet. Didn¡¯t you do the same thing your mother did? You two thought our babies were nothing. Our bodies were just machines to create babies, to help you with your purposes."


    That was when I said it to his face, to hurt him. And I was right. I was hurting too. He can¡¯t expect me to understand him when he doesn¡¯t fucking understand me at all.


    As I said that, I watched him go numb. And then everyone around him stood silently. My mother took a deep breath and then held my hand to pull me back.


    "No, Mom. Let me speak. They all found their fated mates. And they¡¯ve all decided to ept and mark them. And yes, the decision was on my shoulders. And I¡¯m so d I told them it was okay to ept them. Because you know why?" I said, shaking, my body filled with anger.


    "Because I am going to leave this ce. I am done being a savior. I will go and save mynd. I will go and be with my people. I belong to Arthendel," I said, voice hard with fury.


    "Hnie, what are you saying?" Norman stepped ahead, gently tapping his two fingers on my forearm to get my attention.


    "I¡¯m saying that I¡¯m going back to mynd," I said, turning to give him a look, and I noticed all three of them standing behind me were shocked.


    "You¡¯re leaving us because Emmet didn¡¯t believe you?" Maximus pointed at Emmet. "You always treat him differently. Why is it that every time we support you, it gets outweighed by the fact that Emmet doesn¡¯t support you?" heined.


    I watched my mother look at me with sad eyes.


    "You seriously got that out of it? This is about me, my identity, my mother, and her story. Maximus, if he doesn¡¯t believe it, your mother doesn¡¯t believe it, others won¡¯t believe it either. And if your mother isn¡¯t guilty, what do you think will happen now? People out there are already chanting that you bring the mermaid out so they can kill us. Do you think they¡¯ll want justice for my mother, the creature they hate so much? So I have to leave. It¡¯s for me and my mother. You all have your mates. Stay happy with them."


    I was hurting so much that I knew once I left them, I would be in pain too. But it was much needed. Arthendel needed me.


    "So your solution is to leave? Run away?" Norman said, his hands in his hair and his eyes closed. I could tell he was holding in the pressure of his anger.


    "Yes! I think that is the only solution for now," I announced determinedly.

 Chapter 723-Last Words

    <h4>Chapter 723: 723-Last Words</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "No, Hnie, that¡¯s not only your decision to make. You¡¯re our mate, we will make this decision together," Norman said as he watched me rush toward my bedroom, the one I used to share with him, to grab my bags.


    That was decided. I could not stay here and get justice for my mother when all the creatures around me were on Darcy¡¯s side. They hated mermaids. Of course they would take Darcy¡¯s side.


    "Norman, it¡¯s not about us anymore. It¡¯s not about love anymore. I cannot look away from my duties, just like you cannot look away from yours," I said, watching him shake his head.


    "You don¡¯t get it. You cannot do this to us. How do you suppose we would live after?" He then paused, closed his eyes, and clenched his fists. "I cannot live without you."


    I guessed he was done talking about everyone¡¯s rtionship with me. He wanted a one-on-one confrontation. He wanted to know why I was not thinking about us anymore.


    "Norman, people outside are angry, and I don¡¯t want to go through another trial for these people. I will not stand in a box trying to exin why I am a mermaid as if it¡¯s a crime. It is not. As for us¨C if things went well, if life gives us a chance¡ª" I stopped talking because it was not easy for me to say that.


    "Then stay here. I will get justice for your mother," he said, and I started to smile.


    "Let me talk to everyone. I don¡¯t fucking care. This is a roguemunity. Nobody gets to decide who can be a rogue and who cannot be," he tried to exin, but he still failed to understand.


    "That is, sadly, not how it works now. Rogues, werewolves, they would never let anyone wander even in the roguemunity if they aren¡¯t werewolves. They treat them as monsters. All the other creatures are monsters to them," I delivered, feeling my heart break little by little.


    Then I watched Maximus and Kaye walk toward us, and I stepped away from them. It wasn¡¯t that I was angry with Maximus. Through all this time, Maximus and Norman had stood beside me. They didn¡¯t care what others were saying. Not once did they make me feel like I might be in the wrong.


    "Please, Maximus. It¡¯s already hard for me to prepare myself to leave you. Don¡¯t make it harder by saying anything. Please," I said, with nothing but love in my voice for him.


    "Listen, if you¡¯re angry with me¡ª" Kaye began, but I held up a finger.


    "You will stay away from me," I said to him.


    "I am going through a lot too. You need to understand. We all are," he added, pointing toward Emmet, who was walking toward us.


    "Oh please, tell him to stay away from me," I said, grunting angrily.


    "Emmet, please," Norman said, stepping ahead and warning him with his eyes.


    "I just need one moment alone with her," Emmet said.


    "Why? Why do you want to talk to me now? What could you possibly say now?" I screamed at him.


    That was when his mother rushed upstairs. I hated how she treated these grown-ass men like they were children in diapers who couldn¡¯t do anything for themselves.


    "I don¡¯t care what this woman is to you guys, but I¡¯m going to call everyone here and make a decision about her. She cannot stay. She¡¯s a monster!" Darcy started screaming, pointing her finger in my direction from afar.


    I gave Norman a look, reminding him that this is what he wanted me to deal with by staying here.


    "And once McQuoid is back, he¡¯ll hate Urs too," she added, pointing downward, toward where my mother was.


    That¡¯s when I began to worry. My mother was all alone. What if they snuck in someone to hurt her? Darcy had done it before. She could do it again.


    "Mom, you need to just stop it," Norman said, stepping forward to confront her.


    I began to feel bad for him as I turned toward the stairs again, leaving my bags behind. I didn¡¯t fucking care about the stuff anymore. I just needed to get my mother and leave.


    "Hnie, listen¡ª" Emmet called, while the others tried to stop their mother from calling the guards inside.


    Emmet began to follow me.


    "I just need a moment with you," he whispered. But I pulled my hand free from him the minute he tried to hold it.


    "You¡¯ve done enough, Emmet. All this time, I loved you more than everyone else. And it¡¯s true, all theirints are true. I felt more drawn to you than to anyone else. That¡¯s because I fucking loved you more than anybody else. From the beginning, we had a different kind of connection, starting with you saving me, then bing friends, then teacher and student who could trust each other, and then lovers. All of that. And you still turned out this way."


    I expressed my heartbreak while watching his mother break free from the others and move to the top of the stairs.


    "Stop her, Emmet! We have to make the others confront her. She cannot just leave after she stayed in ournd. Goddess knows what if they were traitors. Goddess knows if they were feeding information back to the mermaids!" she screamed.


    I gave Emmet onest look, maybe because I wanted him to see exactly who he defended against my mother.


    "We cannot stay," I said.


    "If you just let me¡ª-I can¡¯t speak here. She¡¯ll know," he tried to utter, without even opening his mouth.


    And that¡¯s when I realized he was such a coward. He couldn¡¯t even defend me in front of his mother. He only wanted to pull me aside and lie, say something tofort me.


    "No, Emmet. I can¡¯t take that risk. You and your brothers have your mates now. I hope they¡¯ll help you with your curse. But I have to help my mother get justice now. I cannot stay here," I said, stepping away from him and rushing downstairs.


    Kaye and Maximus started toe after me while Norman argued with their mother again. So much was happening, I was losing my mind.


    "Please don¡¯te after me. I won¡¯t be staying. And I guess the timing is right, the Moon Goddess gave you all your mates so you could say goodbye to me," I said in a loud, stern voice so they would understand and stop following me.


    They were making it so hard for me to leave, even when leaving was the one thing I absolutely had to do.

 Chapter 724-Goodbye Sweet Mates

    <h4>Chapter 724: 724-Goodbye Sweet Mates</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I ran to my mother¡¯s room, the one near the garden side. From there, I could hear people chattering outside.


    "Where is McQuoid? How could he let a mermaid stay among us for so long?" someoneined, probably Jessica¡¯s father.


    "And that same mermaid is the reason my son is dead," he added, justifying his son¡¯s actions against me because I was a mermaid now.


    "Mom, we can¡¯t grab our stuff," I said to my mother, watching her stare out the window with tears in her eyes. She was peeking through the curtains, silently watching people hate us.


    "If you want, we can hide somewhere until Mr. McQuoid is back, so you can have onest word with him," I said to my mother, holding her hand tofort her.


    But she began to shake her head.


    "We don¡¯t have time for this. I don¡¯t want to put him through all this. These people will question him if he takes my side. And at his age, I don¡¯t want him to deal with more shit. He is a nice man, Hnie. A very kind and gentle man. And although I will miss him forever, it¡¯s also true that we cannot stay here. I won¡¯t jeopardize your life anymore just because I¡¯m selfish enough to want onest word with him. If he truly loves me, if he¡¯s on my side, he¡¯ll understand."


    She gave me a look, confident and bold. Iughed softly for her, but the fact that she was once again losing the love of her life because I was exposed for who I truly was made me feel incredibly guilty.


    "Now let¡¯s go," she said.


    She held my hand and started to run toward the door, just as Maximus barged in.


    "Son, I have been very nice to you," she said to Maximus, showing him her palm. "But please, don¡¯t make me and my daughter wait here. I don¡¯t want her to die," she said, looking him straight in the eyes.


    "But we¡¯ll take care of her," Maximus tried to reason, but my mother began shaking her head.


    "No. You cannot do this. You cannot fight everyone. I saw what happened when I was caught, and that was just a few people. Now the entire werewolfmunity knows, and they¡¯ll be after her," she said.


    While she was speaking to Maximus, I began to hear a voice from outside.


    "Everybody just calm the fuck down!" Dalton shouted.


    "Why are you shouting at us? Aren¡¯t you angry too? You were crucified as a coward for a mermaid!" someone yelled from the crowd.


    "A mermaid? She¡¯s a fucking being. She has her own identity. Why does it matter who she is? She has been kinder to us, even after what we¡¯ve done. That should have been us. She is not a monster. She¡¯s a creature like us with her own identity. She¡¯s part werewolf. You don¡¯t understand that? She¡¯s the most powerful one among us. With her on our side, don¡¯t you see it¡¯s more beneficial than harmful?" Dalton shouted.


    I was stunned that he was standing up for me.


    "Come on, alpha boy, she rejected you. We all know how you tail around her and she ignores you," said Jessica¡¯s father.


    "Really? You¡¯re going to talk now? Just because she turned out to be a mermaid, suddenly your son is the victim? No. He was a fucking monster, and he¡¯ll stay a monster," Dalton screamed. "And no, I won¡¯t let anyone go in there. And if you must, then you must fight me," he hissed.


    That¡¯s when my attention shifted back to Maximus.


    "We will not let anything happen to her, but you cannot take our mate from us," he said.


    My mother stepped aside to give them space. At the same time, Emmet, Kaye, and Norman were at the door, while their mother screamed from the back, trying to call the warriors to stop us. I guessed Dalton was still blocking the door outside, but how long could he keep it that way?


    "You want bloodshed to happen? This is not how I want my daughter to survive here. Always in constant fear of someone attacking her," my mother said.


    "But I will let her make the decision," my mother said, looking at me. Now all eyes were on me.


    "I don¡¯t want to stay here. Not like this. And it¡¯s not like I¡¯m leaving the world. I¡¯ll be in mynd. I will see you all again. But at the same time, please, please don¡¯t stop me. Don¡¯t make me stay here. I don¡¯t want to," I said in the most broken voice.


    I watched my mates lookpletely defeated.


    "That is your decision?" Maximus asked, tears in his eyes.


    "Yes," I uttered, unable to even look him in the eye.


    Then they started to make way for me, because they realized there was no stopping me anymore. It broke my heart, because I truly wanted to stay with them. I was so happy with them. But my life was not all rainbows andughter. I had to take this step for my mother, and even for myself, right now. I needed to be a little away from them to get my thoughts together.


    My mother held my hand and started to walk me through them.


    "We need to go and stop them froming inside," Maximus said to his brothers, who reluctantly walked away. I guessed they probably wanted to stay and watch me change my mind, but that was not happening.


    And just like that, my mother and I ran out from the back door. However, just when I was outside, I heard someonee after me.


    "Hnie, please give me a chance," I heard Emmet say. But it was toote. The decision had been made.


    We were leaving, and I knew wherever he went, his mother would follow. So it wouldn¡¯t be long before she came and caught us, so we did not stop.


    Eventually, he stopped because his brother started to call for help. They were buying us time, so I was not going to stand there and talk to Emmet while the others were fighting for my escape. Even when they were upset, they helped me, buying me time.


    And then the mansion started to look smaller and smaller. We were rushing forward. It was winter, so with the clothes we had on, our bodies were getting cold.


    But it didn¡¯t matter. We had to escape, or else they would catch us.


    My mother held my hand tightly while I had tears in my eyes, thinking I was leaving my mates with their mates, and that they would probably form a connection. That was so hard for me.

 Chapter 725-My Brother’s Tattoo

    <h4>Chapter 725: 725-My Brother¡¯s Tattoo</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    "Do you want toe home?" Maximus asked on the call.


    It had been a few hours since Hnie left with her mother. I hadn¡¯t been able to fullye to terms with the fact that I blew it all up. I hade home afterst night, locked myself in my room, and started drinking.


    Azura knocked on the door a few times, but I didn¡¯t respond. Just the thought of Azura being happy that Hnie was out of the way angered me. I didn¡¯t want to see her face. I didn¡¯t want her to have the satisfaction that just because Hnie was gone, she got to be with me now.


    "No, I cannot," I said, holding a bottle in my hand, "It¡¯s okay, Maximus. You can me me for her leaving," I said, taking steady breaths.


    "I¡¯m not ming you. I¡¯m not using anyone. But I just want to remind you that the sole reason behind Hnie leaving is our mother. I know, I know, you always want to look into factual things. You always want solid facts. But let¡¯s not forget, our mother isn¡¯tpletely innocent either. And I know Hnie¡¯s mother has done some fucked-up things, but that was only to our mother. And the way she did it¨C I don¡¯t know. If Hnie trusts her, I trust her."


    I smiled at my brother. He was all grown up now, he was so confident, and now it seemed like he was also independent. He was making decisions without being influenced, and that was admirable.


    But sadly, I could not be given the same luxury.


    "I appreciate it, Maximus. You standing on her side, you giving me a chance to return. But there are some things that you will not understand. There are some things that I don¡¯t understand about myself. So I need a moment to rx and understand what I¡¯m doing. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll stay in contact," I said, reassuring him that just because Hnie was gone didn¡¯t mean I would cut my ties with him.


    "You¡¯re my little brother, and I love you a lot," I reminded him.


    I heard him crack a littleugh, more like augh of relief. But I knew we were all dying inside. Hnie leaving us had left us in such a daze that we couldn¡¯t heal from it.


    "How is Norman?" I asked.


    "I don¡¯t know, man. He¡¯s a mess. He won¡¯t talk to any of us. He¡¯s just standing in the backyard, probably thinking she¡¯ll return," I heard Maximus¡¯s voice crack a little, and it cracked my heart too.


    It was all because of me. Even if he didn¡¯t believe it, it was all because of me.


    "Anyway, I¡¯ll go take care of Dad. He¡¯s not holding up well either. He¡¯s not saying anything. So I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s upset that she didn¡¯t tell him the truth or if he¡¯s upset that she didn¡¯t wait for him and left. I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s just like everyone is broken. And then there¡¯s Charlotte¡¯s mother. She¡¯s missing. So that¡¯s another issue. We need you here, brother. We really need you," Maximus said.


    The tiredness in his voice made me wonder if Norman had not been able to be fully present for them. And I understood. I didn¡¯t me him.


    "Okay. I¡¯ll being back. Just give me a few days," I said, giving up on my ego and deciding to return.


    I couldn¡¯t just sit in the chair and expect everyone to believe that there were loose ends I needed to tie before epting any me. I needed to go back and put in the work, now more than ever.


    "Thank you so much," Maximus said as he ended the call.


    And that was when Azura knocked on the door again.


    "What is it, Azura? I told you to leave me alone for some time," I yelled, annoyed.


    I never lose my patience, but sometimes she really pushes my buttons. It was strange that I used to feel so guilty about her dying, and missed her so much, to the point that now that she¡¯s alive, I feel like I cannot breathe in her presence.


    And then there is Hnie. She is in my head, in my heart, in my vision. Everywhere I look, it¡¯s just Hnie and Hnie.


    "I just wanted to say that your brother is here to see you," she voiced meekly from the other side, and I grew attentive.


    "What? Let him in." I got up quickly, put the bottles aside, and rushed to the door.


    "Norman¡ª" As soon as I opened the door and said that, I stopped speaking. It was Kaye. He rushed in while Azura tried to sneak a look at us.


    Kaye did not look like he hade for a rendezvous. His face was sweaty in winter, even though he was wearing a thin ck shirt.


    "Kaye, what¡¯s going on?" I asked him, trying to close the door when Azura stepped in.


    "Is everything okay? Does he need something?" she asked, her eyes moving too quickly, as if she were trying to gather as much information about Kaye¡¯s situation as she could.


    "Azura, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll deal with him," I said, cing my hand on the door frame, subtly blocking her way in.


    She noticed my hand, then raised her eyes to me. There were so many questions andints.


    "Please," I said, trying to sound gentler.


    "Okay," she said, stepping back so I could close the door.


    I closed the door quickly so she wouldn¡¯t see what we were doing, then turned to Kaye. I already knew he was here for something urgent from his bodynguage. Kaye is usually still and stiff, so the way he was anxiously rubbing his palms, his neck, and then his face told me it was very serious.


    "What is it?" I asked, and he began to point at his neck.


    "This thing, this tattoo," he said, stuttering, leaving space in every sentence, in every word he spoke.


    "Yeah, you got itst year," I said, and he began to shake his head.


    "No, I did not." I felt the weight of his words right into my heart from the way he spoke up.

 Chapter 726-Playing My Mother

    <h4>Chapter 726: 726-ying My Mother</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    "What do you mean you did not?" I asked, steadily approaching him.


    "Emmet, I don¡¯t remember getting it. It just appeared out of nowhere. I was convinced it was a tattoo, but it isn¡¯t. I went to a tattoo artist today, asking how I could remove it, because I didn¡¯t like it. The more I looked at it, the more I felt like it was telling me something. It was whispering in my ears. And you know what the tattoo artist told me?" he asked, panicking.


    His body was shaking. His hands were so red, as if they were on fire.


    "What?" I asked, showing concern.


    "That it¡¯s not a tattoo," he said, making me stare at his face, my heart beating slowly.


    I briskly walked closer to him and checked his neck. I traced my fingers around the mermaid tail, then the dagger, and it felt like my whole world copsed.


    "Okay, what the fuck," I said, stepping back from him.


    The way he was looking at me with his eyes wide open, it was like he wanted me to tell him everything was fine. But how could I, when I recognized the symbol?


    How did I never notice it before?


    "What is it? Tell me," he asked again, reaching for me. I checked his neck once more.


    The details on the mermaid tail had always escaped our notice. It was only now, after seeing Hnie have this tail, that I realized it was a mermaid tail.


    "Wait a minute," I said, gesturing for him to sit down so I could grab one of my research books.


    I grabbed it and started shuffling through the pages. Then I came across the same sign.


    "Emmet, please tell me what it is. I¡¯m getting scared," he said, shaking.


    I walked over to him and flipped the page so he could see what I was seeing. It was the exact same tattoo.


    "What does it mean?"


    Even though the next page exined it all, he¡¯d relied on me, so I had to ry the deadly information to him. But before I could respond, he asked me,


    "Am I a hunter?" he asked in a low voice.


    "I am a mermaid hunter, aren¡¯t I?" he asked again. His eyes showed me how damaged he would be if this turned out to be true.


    "Okay, there is one more thing that I need to confirm before we jump to any conclusions," I said, trying to calm him down, but he began to get up from the chair as if he were losing his patience.


    "Wait, wait."


    I put my hands on his shoulders to make him sit down.


    "What is left to say? I just saw the sign, and it literally says right here that I¡¯m a mermaid hunter." He pointed at the text whileining.


    "Okay, there is another sign just like this," I said, and I watched his body rx a bit.


    "What do you mean?" he asked.


    He looked like such a lost puppy that I felt bad for him.


    "There are two kinds of tattoos like this, with very minimalistic changes," I said as I turned the page around. And just like I had said, there was another page with the same tattoo but with slight differences, and those slight differences looked exactly like his tattoo.


    "And this one says you are a siren hunter," I confirmed, pointing at the text. I watched his body rx a bit. He held the book in his hand to keep examining it.


    "But Hnie is a mermaid."


    As soon as he said that, I smiled because I knew that was what was bothering him. We have heard our mother telling us about the curses. That we each will be a danger to our mates somehow but Kaye¡¯s was the deadliest because his attack on his mate will not be idental. He would want to get it done.


    "Exactly!" I confirmed but the peace on his face stayed only for a few seconds before concern started taking over his body once again.


    "Then why do I always want to hurt her? Why did I want to kill her? Even my curse says that I would want to kill my mate, and that was because of the curse, because of the tattoo, because I am a fucking hunter."


    He was right. It did not make any sense. Why would everything point toward Hnie?


    "But Kaye, you don¡¯t have one mate," I reminded him, and his eyebrows started to lower.


    "You mean to say Kesha? But she¡¯s not a mermaid. She¡¯s a werewolf. I know that," he said, staring at my face.


    "There is so much that we don¡¯t know about the people around us, Kaye. I think it is time that we explore Kesha¡¯s history a little," I said, watching Kaye not even nod or react. He was just focusing on what I was saying.


    "Last night, Kesha was the one who pushed Hnie into the water. That was a very strategic and specific move on her behalf. Unless she knew something was up. Unless she knew this would be the oue." I said, and Kaye started to zone out.


    "You mean to say she knew and purposely did it so that Hnie gets kicked out? But that does not exin why I would want to kill Kesha. Because I don¡¯t feel the same desire to hurt her as I feel toward Hnie, even when I love her so much. But still, for a split second, I want to kill her," He exined what he was feeling, and I began to nod.


    "And then why did you convince everyone to ept their mates?" Kaye brought it up, watching me with eyes full ofint.


    "And also, why did you have to say so many hurtful things to Hnie in front of our mother?" he continued.


    And since he was here, I decided I would be honest with him.


    "You¡¯re right in everything you¡¯re saying, but I have a reason for everything I said, Kaye," I said, sitting down on the bed with my hands in myp.


    "Then tell me. You can share it with me."


    He pointed at his chest.


    "You answered it yourself. You said I said all those hurtful things in front of my mother. Exactly. I wanted our mother to think I was on her side so she would start confiding in me. I want to get to the root of what she¡¯s up to. And for that, someone has to convince her that they¡¯re just as evil and fully on her side," I kept my voice soft, even when I was saying things that might shock my brother.


    I watched Kaye¡¯s eyes widen.


    "So you believe Mother was wrong?" he asked.


    I shrugged.


    "What do you believe, Kaye?" I asked with interest in my eyes.


    I watched him lower his head and start fidgeting with his fingers.


    "Hnie never lies. And I can tell her mother never does either. Our mother fucked her up. But like I said, there¡¯s this split second when I feel like I don¡¯t like Hnie. And I feel the same toward her mother. So that¡¯s why I¡¯m confused. How am I a siren hunter when I¡¯m hating mermaids?" He expressed his emotions and conflict openly this time.


    "Listen, Kaye. When Mom asked me to take her side in front of Hnie, I had to do it. I couldn¡¯t ask Mom to give me a second so I could pull Hnie aside and exin my n, that I was only pretending to take Mom¡¯s side. I was put on the spot, and I had to go along with her. I thought I would exin it to Hnieter. But then Mom didn¡¯t let me be alone with her, not even for a second. And I couldn¡¯t try too hard, or it would look like I was lying when I said I trusted her and not Hnie¡¯s mother," I exined all that had been so heavy on my chest.


    "So that means you also don¡¯t believe our mom?" Kaye questioned. I began to only nod, not use my words. I was still not sure what was wrong with Kaye, so I needed to be careful around him as well.


    I started taking deep breaths.


    "Emmet, did Mom open up to you?" Kaye asked the final question. He looked so excited to have good news.


    I straightened my posture and looked back at him with confidence.


    "She had always wanted me on her side, Kaye. So yeah, she was more than happy to open up in front of me. And let me tell you something, I was right about so much. But now it¡¯s up to us to make sure we mark our other mates on this full moon and not dy it."


    I said, no other exnation needed. That was supposed to be our first goal if we wanted to save Hnie from the death our mother had nned for her.


    My brother¡¯s face showed hope. The hope we all had been waiting for.

 Chapter 727-Someone Is A Siren

    <h4>Chapter 727: 727-Someone Is A Siren</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    "So, tell me more," Kaye said, moving his hands.


    "I want to, but part of me is scared of your condition," I said, and he began to frown at me.


    "Look, don¡¯t get me wrong. I know you care about all of us. I know you would never betray us. But Kaye, there is something wrong with you. For you to want to kill Hnie, even when she isn¡¯t a siren, makes me think something is wrong. Something has been done to you to make you feel like Hnie is the one you need to kill. Which makes me wonder if you have two mates, and you¡¯re supposed to kill the one who is a siren. Hnie isn¡¯t a siren."


    I watched him stare at me, not moving a muscle.


    "Okay, you know what, let¡¯s forget that. I don¡¯t want to put ideas in your head and get you into trouble. We¡¯ll go through all of that slowly. For now, just know that all the things Mother has told us about the curses are lies. Okay? I know the real curse," I said, and I watched Kaye¡¯s eyes begin to widen.


    "How do you know that? Did Mom tell you?" he asked excitedly.


    "No. She opened up to me about stuff. A clever person never tells their ns. Remember that, You have to get whatever information you get out of them to do your own investigation," I reminded him what our mother was capable of with a seer on her side.


    I couldn¡¯t tell him how I found out about the curse because I was afraid that whoever was nting these ideas in Kaye¡¯s mind might get my n out of him as well. If they managed to make Kaye tell them that I knew about the real curse and that I was trying to stop something, then I could lose. So I needed to be careful.


    For now, we need to find Hnie.


    I couldn¡¯t believe she didn¡¯t let me speak to her, but then again, she was in a state, we were all in a state where we couldn¡¯t do much. I was so frustrated with myself at the time, but I had no choice. I was put on the spot by my mother.


    My mother was clever. Even though she believed I was on her side, she also made sure I wasn¡¯t double-crossing her by never leaving me alone with Hnie.


    "You know what? Get up. Let¡¯s pack my bags. I¡¯m going back home," I said, shaking my head.


    There were times when I would hear strange whispers in my ears, but they were starting to fade away. I still didn¡¯t understand where they came from. I was fine. I forgot things sometimes, but hearing whispers was another level of delusion.


    I didn¡¯t tell Kaye because I could see he was already stressed about his mark.


    "What about Kesha and Jessica and Charlotte, damn it?" Kaye said, sounding exhausted as he mentioned the three women who would now be staying with us, taking Hnie¡¯s ce.


    I groaned.


    "Brother, it¡¯s important. You have to bring Kesha home," I said, watching him shake his head.


    "Afterst night? Even after she pushed Hnie into the pool," he said, and I frowned.


    When the whole thing happened, I was already in the car with Azura. I heard yelling and screaming, so I got out. That¡¯s when I found Hnie in the water. Norman had already saved her, but I rushed to stand in front of her to shield her from the crowd.


    "Interesting," I uttered, my focus shifting to Kesha.


    "Kaye, listen to me. You have to convince her you¡¯re on her side. Don¡¯t tell anyone. Go ept her and mark her. Bring her home."


    The more I spoke about the other mates, the more my brothers got angry with me.


    "Why? I just told you she pushed Hnie into the pool!" Kaye almost shouted, like an irritated child who wasn¡¯t getting his way.


    "Yeah, but they were arguing. You have to understand your other mate also deserves your attention. If Hnie had done that, you would¡¯ve been happy that she was jealous enough to take that step. So why are the rules different? You know you don¡¯t want to upset the Moon Goddess. Just do what I¡¯m saying."


    I was trying to be very cunning because if someone was controlling Kaye, they might get Kaye to talk about what he knows. So I had to make it sound like I wanted him to bring Kesha home because I felt bad for her.


    The more we talked, the more I realized I shouldn¡¯t have told Kaye anything. But he needed to have some truth in the back of his mind so that if he ever came out of whatever trance he was in, he would remember my words and focus on them.


    He kept staring at my face, and then I pulled the elder brother card.


    "Do you believe me, Kaye?" I asked and he nodded.


    "Always," he said.


    "Then do it." I gave him a warm look, and he nodded again.


    "Fine, but you have toe home too, with your mate, so you can get tortured watching her instead of Hnie," he said.


    I began tough. The fact that we all knew we didn¡¯t want other mates was funny. At least we were on the same page.


    And with that, we started packing my bags. I had to go and tell Azura to pack hers too.


    Azura was smiling at me, and I could tell she was ecstatic. Although she left with me because she had to act like she was on my side, I knew she truly wanted to go back. The only reason I didn¡¯t say anything to her back then was because I wanted to y along. I wanted her to know I was grateful that she took my side.


    And while doing all that, I knew I had hurt Hnie deeply. I thought I would have enough time to speak with her, but I guess I was wrong.


    Kaye was right beside me, holding my bags, when we stepped into the mansion and found devastating news.


    In the living room, Charlotte was sobbing on her knees, her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes red and swollen. Everyone else stood around her, and I guessed they were all wondering who woulde forward tofort her.


    "What is going on?" Kaye asked, reaching for Maximus.


    Maximus looked at me, then at the bags, probably confused about what I was doing there.


    Then he replied, "Her mother died."


    It was so sudden,pletely out of the blue, but it was devastating.

 Chapter 728-Someone Is Messing With My Brother

    <h4>Chapter 728: 728-Someone Is Messing With My Brother</h4>


    <strong>Maximus:</strong>


    "You know you can speak with me, brother," I said to Norman, who was standing in the backyard with me.


    I had seen hime out and stand there, looking at the empty area where Hnie had once run away with her mother. It was just empty now. Everyone was, all of us, our hearts, our emotions. There were no dreams left. But we had to remind ourselves that she coulde back any day. We could go and see her.


    Last night, even though I was upset that she had decided to leave, I realized it was necessary for her to go for her own safety. I could not be selfish enough to ask her to stay somewhere she no longer wanted to be.


    "What if Emmet was on her side? What if Kaye believed that her mother was the victim? Would she have stayed then?" Norman asked, pouting and frowning.


    I had not thought of it that way.


    "I¡¯m pretty sure she left because they were pretty much under attack, and everyone wanted them dead," I said, staring at my brother, who probably had deeper thoughts than I did.


    "Why do I feel like my two brothers not standing beside her made her feel weak? Maybe she was wondering if we would also turn on her one day," he asked, turning to me. His eyes were red. He was restless, just like the rest of us.


    But it was also true that I was extremely angry with Kaye and Emmet. Then again, I wasn¡¯t sure if they were truly to me.


    "Norman, I¡¯ve been meaning to talk with you, but I never got the time for it," I said, gesturing at the benches in the backyard so we could talk in peace.


    "What is it?" he asked, steadily walking to the bench and sitting down.


    I joined him, sitting across the table.


    "I¡¯ve been noticing Emmet¡¯s behavior, and some things don¡¯t make sense to me. There are too many inconsistencies in the stories being told about him."


    I watched Norman slowly straighten up in his seat. I knew he loved all of us deeply, but he had always had a stronger connection with Emmet than with the rest of us younger siblings. That was also because we were a mess, and Emmet had always been his support and shoulder to rely on.


    "Tell me more," Norman insisted.


    "So Emmet is supposed to forget things, but he remembers Azura. Fine. That¡¯s okay. It¡¯s a curse, I understand, and she also cursed him on top of it. But the way he flip-flops, it seems like there¡¯s more. And why didn¡¯t he remember that he pushed Hnie in the well?" I asked.


    "And before you say that was guilt, I don¡¯t believe it. I heard when Hnie told him he was the one who had asked her to meet him at the well. But Emmet looked so clueless. I know others thought he was lying, that he forgot. But to me, it sounded like he was genuinely confused. He was supposed to forget and then remember once his memories came back. But that part never came back." As I kept talking, I could tell Norman was losing interest. I wasn¡¯t saying anything meaningful anymore. I was repeating myself. I wasn¡¯t good like the rest of them. It was hard for me to exin myself to anyone.


    "Okay, please hear me out. I went back to the timeline, step by step. I thought about our interactions with Emmet and tried to focus on when he started to change, when he began abandoning Hnie, which began on the wedding night. But before that, there was one incident we had all forgotten," I picked up my phone to read from the notes I had written.


    "That one day when Emmet came to the academy and he had bloodstains on his shirt, he said he had fought the Zharns in the woods. Do you remember that day?" I asked Norman and watched him zone out before nodding his head.


    "Oh yeah, that same day¡ª" He suddenly paused, and his eyes widened.


    "What?" I asked, watching his face with interest.


    "He was in the woods, right?" he asked and I nodded to confirm.


    "Oh no," he uttered. "Hnie and I¡ª we were in the woods together," He said quietly, and I stared at his face, remembering how her touch felt. I got distracted for a moment, afraid I might never be able to touch her again.


    "Right. No, but I¡¯m not sure if he saw you or not. But he did have an encounter with the Zharns. So I checked the camera footage, and I¡¯m downloading the material to see if I can spot anything from that day, when he came out of the woods with the bloodstains towards the academy. So while I am getting the footage of the front camera of the academy¡¯s building, I tried to do something esle as well. Do you remember the times he was found in the bar, both times after abandoning Hnie. Do you remember that?" I asked.


    Norman nodded again.


    "So I went to the bar to ask for the footage from those two specific nights, and guess what they told me?" I could already tell Norman was expecting me to say I didn¡¯t get them.


    "They told me they identally deleted those footage. All the other nights were still there. I asked for one more night, just to make sure I wasn¡¯t imagining things. And guess what? The night before those two, the nights after, even the ones in between, they were all there, except for those two. Do you not see that there¡¯s something else going on? Someone else is involved in whatever is happening to Emmet," I concluded.


    I saw a kind of relief wash over Norman, probably because he wanted to believe someone else was interfering rather than believe that Emmet was bing something truly evil.


    "One of the nights you¡¯re mentioning is the night Hnie was pushed into the well, isn¡¯t it?" Norman asked, watching me nod and tap at my phone.


    "Exactly. One of those nights¡ªWait, wait, wait¡ª" I groaned when I noticed him losing the path again.


    "Maximus¡ªwe saw the scribbling on the papers in his bedroom," Norman said, cutting in before I could respond.


    That was when I decided to share my thoughts on those scribbles as well.

 Chapter 729-The Unloved Mate.

    <h4>Chapter 729: 729-The Unloved Mate.</h4>


    <strong>Maximus:</strong>


    "Norman, when Emmet loses his mind, he does forget everyone, but there¡¯s a pattern. He doesn¡¯t write things hastily. He usually records everything in his books. Even when he¡¯s not well, he writes in his diaries in a very professional and organized way. And let¡¯s not forget¡ªhis bedroom is never locked. Anyone can get ess to it."


    I watched Norman¡¯s eyes widen.


    "Did you check the footage across the passageway?" he asked.


    Now he was finally getting to where I was.


    "I did. And guess what? It¡¯s gone."


    Norman¡¯s eyes widened even more. At this point, it was almost certain that someone had tampered with Emmet, and because of the curse that made him forget, he couldn¡¯t defend himself.


    "Emmet didn¡¯t push Hnie," Norman said, almost dering it before waiting for any more proof.


    "I¡¯m d you concluded that on your own. I didn¡¯t want to say it and upset you myself. But now that you¡¯ve said it, that¡¯s what I think too. And since everybody has ess to his room, I¡¯m pretty sure someone messed with him. But who? We need to find that person," I said, watching Norman finally look alive.


    After everything that had happened, he had seemed defeated. This was the first time I saw hime back to life.


    Since Norman had always been there for us and had helped us whenever we were low, I decided to take it upon myself to help my brothers this time. They had done too much for me to not to be there when they were in trouble. It was my time to take care of them.


    "I¡¯m waiting for the footage."


    As soon as I spoke again, we heard screaming from inside the mansion. Our eyes met, and his heart probably skipped a beat just like mine. The way we jumped up and rushed inside showed that we both knew something bad had happened.


    Once inside, we came face to face with a broken daughter. Charlotte was devastated. Her hands gripped her hair while she looked around the living room.


    "No, no, no, no, no, this is not true!" she screamed, crying hysterically, while my father stood beside her, watching her spiral.


    "Did you hear what he said?" she asked, turning to me and pointing at my father. "They¡¯re saying the Zharns attacked my mother and killed her."


    She started to speak again, a small smile on her lips, as if trying to convince herself it was a bad joke.


    "But that can¡¯t be. My mother always goes to stay with her friend and thenes back. She never goes away forever."


    I could tell she was struggling to keep herself together. I didn¡¯t me her. It was devastating news, and none of us could say a word.


    "Charlotte, unfortunately, your mother died two days ago," Father said.


    She dropped to her knees, crying and hugging herself.


    As if the shocks we were already receiving weren¡¯t intense enough, Kayd arrived with Emmet and Azura. Kaye was carrying the bags, at least his own, and I could tell that Emmet was carrying Azura¡¯s.


    Although I wanted to go and hug Emmet, to let him know that I knew something was wrong with him, something he couldn¡¯t control, something that made him seem evil, I couldn¡¯t. My attention went back to Charlotte, who was devastated, crying hysterically. My wolf also started to feel a little sad for her.


    That was when I announced to everyone who had juste in that Emma had passed away.


    "But how?" Emmet asked, stepping forward.


    "She was killed by the Zharns two days ago. Nobody knew she had been lying dead in the woods for that long," I exined.


    I could understand why Charlotte was so broken. I had known the two of them for a while, and I knew how much her mother had wanted her to be with me. I knew she had felt the mate bond with me, and she was going to be epted and marked too.


    Her mother was gone. And the fact that we had sat and enjoyed a dinner while her body was rotting alone in the woods, that was probably what was hurting Charlotte the most.


    "Maximus, go help your mate," Emmet said.


    Everyone turned to look at me, except for Charlotte, who was crying non-stop. And then I remembered, I hadn¡¯t told my father that I had felt the mate-bond with Charlotte.


    "Wait, I thought you told me that the bond you felt was a lie," my father said.


    Then he seemed to realize it was the wrong moment to bring that up while Charlotte was crying so much.


    I stepped forward and knelt down. She instantly jumped on me, hugging me. She probably just wanted tofort herself, and a mate¡¯s embrace is the greatestfort. With some hesitation, I wrapped my arms around her. I did feel bad for her.


    At the same time, I saw my father walk behind me, probably to speak to Emmet.


    "I¡¯m d you¡¯re back," he said in a dry tone.


    "I had toe back. It¡¯s my home, Dad," Emmet replied.


    "So much has happened. I¡¯m left alone. She left me without even saying a word to me."


    I knew my father was hurting too. Ever since he returned and found out that she had left without him, I had seen him cry so many times. He never once said she had deceived him by hiding his identity. I guessed we got that from our father. He was madly in love with her. He didn¡¯t care. She could have been a crow, and he still would have loved her. But the circumstances were too harsh. They had to leave.


    "My mom is gone. What am I going to do now?" she cried.


    While I gently patted her back, I realized it was the right moment to let her know that she wouldn¡¯t be left alone. We had already decided to ept our mates. Even though it made me feel like I was betraying Hnie, I knew Hnie had agreed to it.


    "Charlotte, you¡¯re not going anywhere," I said, taking a deep breath.


    "I¡¯m going to ept you. I¡¯m going to mark you."


    As soon as I said that, she broke the hug and pulled away from me.


    "I don¡¯t want your sympathy. I don¡¯t want a pity mark," she said, crying.


    "No, it¡¯s not a pity mark. We decidedst night, before we got this news." The moment I confirmed to her that I wasn¡¯t doing it just because her mother died, she lunged at me again and hugged me. This time, her arms were wrapped around me even more tightly.

 Chapter 730-The Toxic Mother-In-Law Of My Mate

    <h4>Chapter 730: 730-The Toxic Mother-In-Law Of My Mate</h4>


    <strong>Norman:</strong>


    "Oh my God, I cannot believe going out in the woods without warriors on my side anymore," My mother had beenining ever since we returned from the funeral. It had been three days since Emma died, and four days since Hnie left. Every night was so hard for me to get through. My body would ache, and her memories would drive me crazy.


    Every time I left my room to grab a bottle of wine, I saw my brothers doing the same. I think it was at this point that we began to realize how Emmet must have dealt with his pain all these years. We had used him of drinking too much. Now that we were in the same position, we were doing the same thing.


    Even when Emmet did not want to drink, he had to, because she cursed him with a broken heart.


    "Mom, please."


    I gave her a look, gesturing with my hand for her to be quiet. She had been talking for so long that I started to feel like my ears were losing their ability to hear.


    "Anyway, that woman was a problem. I don¡¯t understand how you all are acting so sad when you know she never wanted peace in the house," My mother hissed, rolling her eyes at a woman who died so brutally and so alone. I could not believe my mother was doing that, but then I remembered what Hnie had told me about her cruelty toward her own mother. There must have been a lot of truth in what her mother was saying, because my mother was indeed capable of terrible things.


    "Weird how you hate Emma so much, but you desperately wanted Charlotte to be your daughter-inw,¡¯ Imented, watching her roll her eyes.


    "I did not want her. She was the only option since Maximus felt a mate bond with her," she replied, grabbing her wine ss and gulping it all down her throat.


    I could already tell she felt very proud of herself ever since Urs and Hnie left. But every time I looked at her, I remembered the chaos she created that night.


    "Anyway, the full moon ising. How are you guys going to ept them? Did you n anything? I have been looking at venues for the mating ceremony." The way she started yapping, I had to give her a hand gesture.


    "We are not doing it in a public ceremony, Mother. We will mark our mates and bring them home. That is it. There will be no mating ceremony," I said in a very stern and angry voice.


    "Don¡¯t tell me you are just going to bring them home and not take care of them," she said, putting one leg over the other.


    That was when Charlotte came to sit with us, her head down. Maximus arrived at the same time. Emmet kept his distance from us, but I remembered what Maximus had told me about him. As for Kaye, he had been sticking close to Emmettely. Everybody else hade over to pray for Emma, even though no one really liked her.


    "You know, I was just telling Norman that he cannot bring a mate and not expect us to have a ceremony."


    I did not know my mother was that toxic. She started yapping just so Charlotte could hear it. And she did. She looked at Maximus in confusion.


    "Mom," Maximus groaned, then turned to Charlotte. "I will need some time because, let¡¯s be honest, we are only epting you all because you¡¯re fated mates and we need our mates to heal."


    As he started exining himself, I could already see it going wrong. How would he exin it to her? How could he tell her in the nicest way that he was going to use her?


    "It¡¯s okay." Charlotte shocked me when she started talking.


    "I understand, and I have no problem helping you with your pain. Even if you don¡¯t ever touch me, I¡¯m fine with it," she said in a defeated tone.


    That was a next-level change. Even my mother looked concerned and confused. I guess losing a mother really made her realize life is short and unpredictable. Charlotte had been trying her best to stay out of messy things for a while.


    Well, at least Maximus had it easy. As for me, Jessica had faced a lot. She was traumatized by her father, by everyone, for doing the right thing. They all crucified her. Her name had been scarred. She could not go anywhere without people asking how she felt after killing her brother. Even though they knew he was wrong, they still imed she must have gotten the craziness from him. And it made me feel bad for her.


    She was my friend, so I could not stomach telling her I was only going to use her. That was why I was so annoyed that Hnie left.


    "And I do believe they are right. At least, I don¡¯t want a public ceremony. I cannot imagine having an event while my mother¡ª" She stopped talking because she started sobbing again.


    I gave Maximus a look, and he reluctantly got up and sat next to her, pulling his arm over her shoulder so she could rest her head on his chest and cry.


    "Well, fine, do whatever you guys want to do. You¡¯re all adults here. I¡¯m just happy that the toxic, poisonous snake is out of my son¡¯s life," My mother spoke every word so bitterly that I started to feel a rise in my body. Maximus gave me a look, gesturing with his hand for me not to retaliate, at least not for now.


    The full moon was in two days. So, sadly, after two days, I would go through another torturous phase of watching someone else take Hnie¡¯s ce. But I would definitely speak with Jessica¡¯s father and let her know that she was getting marked and epted by me.


    As for Kesha¡¯s father, he was very happy. Although she had told him that she caught Kaye making out with Hnie, but now that Hnie was gone, I guessed they would be fine.


    The rest, Charlotte and Azura, were already here.


    "It isn¡¯t like they have big families who woulde bearing gifts after hearing that their daughters had been epted," My mother never held back. The fact that she had enough money to buy herself gifts, and was still upset that others weren¡¯t bringing her any, said a lot. That was the toxicity in her speaking. But sadly, that was going to be our life now, at least for a little while, until Hnie came back.


    And I was certain she woulde back.


    But that was when my mother said something that made both Maximus and me look at her.


    "And look, the minute she was in trouble, she left you all behind, while you were crying and begging her to stay. Sea creatures are never loyal or attached to anyone in heart. They only use people¡ªpeople like you. Innocent handsome men."

 Chapter 731-Can’t Live Without My Mates.

    <h4>Chapter 731: 731-Can¡¯t Live Without My Mates.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    The desert went on forever, full of sand and heat. The sun was high above us, and the wind blew soft but dry, making my eyes sting. Every step was hard, our feet sank into the sand, and it felt like we were walking in a dream that never ended. Our camel walked beside us, calm and slow, like it didn¡¯t feel tired at all. I looked back once. The ce we came from was far behind now, almost gone in the hot air. It had been days that we left the mansion behind. My chest hurt, but I didn¡¯t say anything. I knew we had to keep going. Ahead of us was a new ce, a new life. I didn¡¯t know what it would be like, but I kept walking, holding onto the hope that it would be better.


    But every time I convinced myself I was happy, I was reminded of the faces of my mates.


    "Are you okay? We can take a rest," my mother ced her hand on my shoulder to check on me after I sniffled a little too loud when cleaning my cheek with the back of my hand.


    "I am fine," I lied. I wasn¡¯t fine. I was missing them already. Every step I took away from them felt like walking on sharp knives.


    My heart was in a constant battle of whether to beat or sink. My mind filled with the memories of us together. We hade a long way, me and my mates.


    We started off as enemies and then turned into friends, bing obsessed with each other. All that and so many memories created, only for me to walk away?


    "No, you don¡¯t look fine." After a while, my mother looked at me and slowed down. She didn¡¯t say anything, but I knew she could see how tired I was and probably crying silently as well. She led the camel toward a small patch of shade where some rocks stood, half-covered by a dry, thorny bush. We weren¡¯t going to find a motel here, no way. We sat down on the warm ground, the sun still strong above us, but at least the rocks gave us a little cover. Every little help was a lot here. I quickly grabbed my water bottle and drank from it. The camel knelt beside us and made a soft sound, then began chewingzily on something it found in the sand, so my mother had to quickly give him food. I didn¡¯t want the poor animal to suffer with us. But when we started this journey, we needed someone with us. Even when the ones I left far behind would always make me feel lonely, now I have a hole in my heart from their absence. I leaned back against a rock, breathing slowly, my legs aching. My mother ced her hand on mine.


    "It is okay to miss them," my mother uttered, and my eyes started getting heavy with tears once again.


    "I feel like I made a mistake," I uttered softly, staring at my hands that used to look so good being in my mate¡¯s hands.


    "You didn¡¯t leave them behind for any other reason but to save our lives," my mother stated, and I swallowed my tears, licking my lips to moisten them, "and they must have epted their other mates by now."


    "They epted me with my mates," I watched her turn her head down.


    "But you don¡¯t have to do it. It was their choice," she lifted her face again and gave me a broken smile. "You are a queen of Arethendal. You don¡¯t need to bow down to any conditions," she added.


    "You know they had to ept the conditions because of their curse. But Mother, I convinced them to ept their Mates. But isn¡¯t it wrong that I left them afterwards? How can I leave them when they still don¡¯t have a choice?" Prior to the break we took, I did not n on going back. But the moment I started speaking with my mother, I couldn¡¯t help but say what was in my heart.


    "You want to go back and watch them with other women?" my mother almost looked like she was going to lose her mind if I said ¡¯yes.¡¯


    "I just know I will die if I am not with them," I watched her close her eyes and start sobbing.


    "Mother, please," I hugged her, feeling bad for her.


    "I cannot let you do this to yourself. There is so much to the curse that crazy psychody is hiding. How can I watch you walk right back into her trap again when you can lead your people as a queen? And then what about the others? They will kill you for being different from them," She was not wrong. Darcy was way crazier than I had imagined her to be.


    But that¡¯s why I needed to go back even more passionately. I did not want my mates to suffer because of her or rely on her for help with their curses.


    "Mother," I cupped her face in my hands and smiled through teary eyes. "Wouldn¡¯t you have done the same for my dad?" I watched her stop crying at the mention of his name.


    "I would have crossed seas of fire for him," she smiled, and a broken smile shed across her lips. "You are right. You should go back to them. We should go back but make sure you protect yourself from the crazy council and other alphas," she cleared her tears and decided, but I held her to stop her from getting up as I wasn¡¯t done yet.


    "I will go. You will go back to Arethendal, Mother. You have been misced for years. And our people, they didn¡¯t have a home because their queens weren¡¯t returning either. Go home and start our pack once again. Bring all the pirates back home, bring every pack member who wanted to be in Arethendal, and give them hope. Lead them. Their ships have been sailing for way too long now, Mother. Let theme home. I will join soon, but with my mates," I watched her break down at the thought of leading her army without me, of going back home where my father had initially wanted us to be.


    "They will ask about you," my mother said.


    "Then let them know their queen is taking care of her mates and that I want them to see you as their queen until I am home," I watched her nod her head, then pull me into a tight embrace. We both cried our hearts out. My mother needed rest, and her ce, her respect, and it was time she moved on because now her daughter was going to carry on with the revenge n.

 Chapter 732-The Queen Is Back

    <h4>Chapter 732: 732-The Queen Is Back</h4>


    <strong>Kaye:</strong>


    "The mark looks so good on me," Kesha said as she rolled her eyes while touching it. However, she rolled her eyes because she had looked to her right and seen the other three women too. I could tell she felt like they didn¡¯t deserve to be standing next to her and receiving a mark. She wanted us to hold a huge ceremony for her. But of course we wouldn¡¯t, because none of us was doing it because we wanted our mates.


    I was conflicted. Whenever she stood in front of me, I wanted to be with her. There was a voice inside me telling me that I genuinely liked her, but the moment she was out of sight, something flipped back to normal. And then there was this missing piece of my heart, which made me wonder what the truth might be.


    How could it be that I wanted to kill Hnie, but then I missed her? That didn¡¯t make any sense.


    "Okay, look, it looks so good on me, right?" She asked again, and I clenched my jaw. I didn¡¯t want to keep talking to her, but she wouldn¡¯t leave me alone. Ever since we marked each other, I¡¯ve been so bothered. I was constantly looking around and watching everyone, trying to see their reactions. It wasn¡¯t the first time Kesha had marked me. She would always bite my neck, trying to leave a mark, but this time she got lucky. It stayed, because we felt a mate bond.


    Emmet marked Azura, and when she marked him, he pushed her away. I guess that wasted everyone¡¯s time, because it created a whole scene. Azura started crying and screaming, and then Emmet¡ªI had to remind him of his own n. He said it was just a reflex, that he pushed her off, and then he let her mark him. However, he asked her to stay in the guest room. So she went back there, while he stayed in his room.


    As for us, we had prepared our rooms for our mates, only because Hnie told us to. I am so fed up with this night.


    Norman sat down, opening a few buttons, probably to feel a little less suffocated.


    "Are we really going to let them stay in our rooms?" I asked Norman, pointing at Kesha.


    "No, of course not. Actually, when the maids were preparing our rooms, I also asked them to prepare the other side of the mansion with guest rooms for them. I¡¯m sure Jessica knows I¡¯ll never ept her like that. She knows I¡¯m only doing it for the curse. I told her everything, and she agreed. Charlotte did too. Azura is clingy, she never would. As for Kesha, I mean, you know her better," Norman said it all in one breath, looking very agitated. I noticed he was losing weight too. He had stopped eating.


    "You know she¡¯lle back," I said, trying tofort him.


    Suddenly my mom heard it and appeared out of nowhere like a ghost.


    "Don¡¯t give him false hopes. She ran away. She took advantage of you all, caused a lot of trouble in the werewolfmunity with her justice for herself, and then she ran away."


    My mother hissed, her hands on her waist. We were sitting on the couches near the entrance, with Kesha standing next to a foyer mirror, staring at herself and the mark for I don¡¯t know how long.


    "Let¡¯s not forget you were the reason she left," Norman said to our mother. He had been very blunt with hertely, but Emmet was trying to be nicer, and I knew why.


    "Everybodye, let¡¯s share a toast," Azura yelled.


    She had probablye out of the guest room afterforting herself or maybe fixing her makeup. She was high in spirits now. She held the ss, gently tapping one with a knife as she got everyone¡¯s attention. Reluctantly, everyone began walking back into the living room. We had to feed into this stupid game of theirs because Hnie had asked us to do it. I guess there were moments when all of us, except for Emmet, started to feel like we would reject them very soon. Like we wouldn¡¯t even care about the curse anymore. They were unbearable.


    But Emmet kept reminding me to stay quiet and not talk about rejection. So I was putting a lot of faith in him. Emmet finally came out of his passage as well, his hands in his pants pockets.


    "Let¡¯s cheer to the new bond," Azura announced.


    Azura held her ss up, waiting for everyone to grab theirs. Everyone did except for us brothers.


    "Come on, you guys need to show happiness. Don¡¯t cry over someone who left you behind just to go and rule some Arthendel," our mother said.


    As she dramatically moved her hands around, I noticed my father grimace at her. If she thought father would ept her, he never would. He was done with her a long time ago. And so were we now.


    "I¡¯m so d that bitch ran away," Kesha said."She was only here to gain something out from the brothers. She never cared, or else she would have stayed for the sake of them. The minute she found out they had other mates who she could toss their burden upon, she ditched. Look, that¡¯s why it is important to be mated to your own kind and not some bitch who thinks she¡¯s superior to everyone," she added, making me clench my fist.


    Although Emmet was red with anger, he gave me a nod not to say anything. At this point, we were not supposed to initiate anything that would lead to rejection, so we were holding back our anger. Emmet once told me that these women will regret saying anything bad about Hnie in future.


    The minute she said that, we heard the door m open and someone walk in. Our heads turned to the side. Even before I looked, I caught her scent and my heart suddenly revived. As I watched her walk through the entrance toward the living room, a smile started to form on my face. I wasn¡¯t the only one feeling this way. All three of my brothers were just as shocked. And so was our mother.


    "Behold, kids, the queen is here. Aren¡¯t you going to offer me a wine?" Hnie walked in, a smirk so confident on her face that it wiped away all the sadness from our lives.

 Chapter 733-My Helanie Is Back.

    <h4>Chapter 733: 733-My Hnie Is Back.</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    The way Hnie came in, I couldn¡¯t even stop myself from smiling at her, even though I knew my mother was watching me. It seemed like she never made it to Arthendel, but the confidence she had shocked us all, and I could only imagine what Norman was going through inside. I bet he wanted to get on the table and twerk, but he was holding it in.


    "What are you doing here?"


    As soon as my mother yelled and tried to step forward, Norman extended his hand and gave her a silent head nod. It was a stern warning.


    "I hope you realize that youing back changes nothing. In fact, you¡¯re going tond yourself in trouble if you don¡¯t leave right now. I will call the council," Kesha started to speak, and I noticed Kaye began to scratch the tattoo on his neck. I had been keeping a close eye on Kesha. There were moments when her face would twitch. I had noticed it before too, and I thought maybe it was some kind of illness, so I never mentioned it because it would be rude. But now I was starting to see it happen more often, and it felt creepy.


    "Then go ahead, give them a call," Hnie said, walking past everyone very slowly, giving each of us a full nce before sitting on the couch with her arms spread and one leg over the other.


    "Anyway, don¡¯t stop your celebrations because of me. Carry on. I¡¯m just part of the family. Treat me like one," she said, smiling, then removed her hands from the backrest just to fold them over her thigh while shaking her leg.


    "Hnie," my father finally snapped out of his thoughts and rushed over to sit with her.


    I noticed the worried look on Hnie¡¯s face. This was what I loved about her. She was rude to those who deserved it, but to the ones she cared about, she always looked so concerned.


    "Lord McQuoid, I know you have a lot of questions."


    As she began to speak, my father shook his head, tearing up while smiling widely. He held her hand and patted it between his.


    "I have no questions. Just one."


    And now everybody was listening to my father to see what he was going to say, especially my mother. I could almost see my mother crying.


    "Sweet Daughter-Inw. How is she? Is she okay?" my father asked, mentioning Urs. Hnie¡¯s smile told me she had expected that from him.


    "She is back in hernd," she replied.


    "And you didn¡¯t go?" I couldn¡¯t stay silent. The words slipped out of my mouth, and she very slowly turned her head to look at me, her eyes half open as she blinked them carefully, almost like judging me.


    "I would run for the hills if I were you," Maximus whispered in my ear.


    Suddenly, my brothers were so alive. They were making jokes, smiling a lot, looking around. Except for Norman. He was just staring at her.


    "No, I did not want to run away. This is mynd too. I am a part of it," she stated, loud and clear.


    Even though other mermaids had a small hint of werewolf in them, Hnie was a big part of it because she was the daughter of a purebred pirate werewolf.


    Then she got up, walking toward me, I corrected my posture, afraid of her eyes.


    "May I have a minute with you all?" she said, snapping her fingers.


    "Yeah, definitely you take that minute, because after that, the council will be here." Kesha spoke from behind, and I could tell from the way Kaye¡¯s jaw was twitching that he wanted to retaliate, but something was stopping him.


    "Go ahead, don¡¯t waste your time." Hnie hissed at her again. I was taking mental notes. Kesha was going to receive the worst because of her hatred for Hnie.


    "Nobody is calling the council. You call anyone, and you¡¯re out of this ce." Even though I had told my brothers not to mention rejection, Norman couldn¡¯t help but yell at Kesha, who was suddenly taken aback. Her Royal Highness couldn¡¯t tolerate anyone raising their voice at her.


    "And you think others won¡¯t find out she¡¯s back just because you¡¯re silencing me?" Kesha pointed at her chest.


    "I think we should not tell anyone," Jessica spoke up in her meek tone. "And isn¡¯t it great that Hnie is back?" she added.


    Everyone watched her face. She was genuinely sweet, just like we remembered her. But sometimes, I had a little inkling that maybe she was too sweet. But that could just be me. I wasn¡¯t a very sweet person either.


    "Nobody will call anyone." Then my father spoke up, warning everyone not to call, inform, or talk about Hnie to anyone for now.


    Kesha looked annoyed. She folded her arms across her chest and started tapping her foot on the ground.


    We were d Hnie was back. That was kind of shocking too. The way she left, I was almost scared she was done with us.


    "I¡¯ll go get her some food," Charlotte said, quickly getting to her feet. But before she could rush away, Hnie held her hand.


    "I heard about Emma," Hnie said, tears forming in her eyes. She didn¡¯t need to feel bad for Emma, but my Hnie was different than everyone.


    "There had been some news when we were running away. We heard people talk. We heard announcements on speakers that another woman had been attacked by the Zharns. So there were a lot of safety measures and talk about it. That¡¯s how I knew it was our Emma¡ªyour mother, Emma." Hnie held her hand, gently patting it. Charlotte started to tear up before hugging her and beginning to cry.


    "I have needed you so much, Hnie. I was so lonely. I felt like I had lost all my family," Charlotte broke down, expressing her grief


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m back here, and I will help you. I will grieve with you." Hnie gave her a reassuring head nod after they broke the hug.


    "Thank you so much. I¡¯ll go get you food," Charlotte said, speeding away into the kitchen.


    Even Jessica didn¡¯t look too hostile, except for Azura and Kesha, of course. The two didn¡¯t even try to hide the fact that they hated Hnie.

 Chapter 734-The Lies Of Our Mother

    <h4>Chapter 734: 734-The Lies Of Our Mother</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    We began to walk behind Hnie like lost puppies, all four in a line. Once we were in the room, she mmed the door of Kaye¡¯s room shut and locked it. As she turned around, I saw Maximus look at her excitedly.


    "No, Maximus, we¡¯re not here for that," she snapped at him, and he calmed down as he was unbuttoning his shirt.


    But under our gazes, he muttered, "I was just joking."


    I guess he was trying to lighten the mood. He was way too happy not to make a sexual joke.


    "You," Hnie pointed at me. "I¡¯ll give you five minutes to start talking, because after that, you¡¯re out of the room and will never be part of this conversation."


    She stated it loud and clear, warning me to tell her why I did what I did. But the fact that she believed I had a reason gave me hope.


    "I would love to, but¡ª" I paused and made eye contact with Kaye.


    "I¡¯ll be waiting outside," Kaye said, and Hnie started to frown.


    "No. You were against my mother too, so I would like to have this conversation with you as well," she said stubbornly, not letting him pass.


    "Hnie," Kaye uttered. He only turned his neck once toward me for a nce before looking back at her.


    "Just trust the process, please." He gently touched her chin, rubbing it while speaking in a soft, slow voice.


    I watched Hnie¡¯s body rx.


    "Please," he insisted again.


    With a frown on her forehead, she stepped aside, letting him walk out.


    "What is going on? Why does he have to leave?" Maximus asked.


    "In case you haven¡¯t noticed¡ª" I started, but Hnie showed me her palm.


    "Professor Emmet, you¡¯re not taking the lead. I¡¯ll ask you a question, then you¡¯ll answer," As she said that, I stepped back, lowering my hands in surrender.


    "Exin yourself," she said, folding her arms across her chest.


    She was so adorable when she was angry.


    "I¡¯m trying to get the information out of my mother," I said, and she shrugged.


    "Emmet, you couldn¡¯t tell me that?" She clicked her tongue.


    "I didn¡¯t have time. I had no clue about the whole Urs thing. I had no clue about anything." As I began to exin again, she started to wag her finger sideways.


    "I want to know from the time you left with Azura. I know you were upset that we used you of something, but you didn¡¯t try to understand what I was going through," she hissed, making perfect sense.


    "I had to leave with Azura because I honestly had no answer to your questions. I felt responsible but also lost. I wanted to apologize but I didn¡¯t even know why I hurt you. I did not remember. Besides, I wanted her to lead the way," As soon as I said that, Hnie pped her hands and pointed at the door.


    "Now get out."


    I had never seen her so stern and angry with me. I knew I had messed up badly.


    "Wait. I did it because there is something wrong with her," aa soon as I said that, she folded her arms across her chest again, rolling her eyes. I guess we were making usations with no real answers, which is why she kept getting annoyed.


    "And everything your mother has told you all about the curse is a lie. It¡¯s a made-up story." Then finally, something worthy of her attention was brought up by me. Hnie¡¯s body suddenly rxed.


    "How do you know that?" Norman asked.


    "Life has a funny way of reminding you about the importance of something before it snatches it away from you. Lately, I had been having shbacks of when we were children, and a few things kept hitting me hard. I guess it is the Moon Goddess¡¯ way of giving me back all my memory before it is taken away. Memories from a very long time ago. And that¡¯s how I knew something was wrong with my mother. So I started to get closer to her," I stated, watching them finally take interest and listen to me.


    "That night, when I took my mother¡¯s side, I got to spend a little time with her afterward. She began repeating the same nonsense to me, the same ¡¯cursed by Moon Goddess because she wasn¡¯t the favorite,¡¯ h, h, h. I took a few snippets, a few hints from her here and there, and I began to make pointers. Then I did my research," I started, my hand still moving toward my pocket, like how a professor would give a lecture. The minute I noticed Hnie was staring at me, I pulled it out again. I was trying really hard to not make it seem like I was a professor giving a lecture.


    "What did you find out?" Hnie asked me.


    "That all the things she¡¯d been saying about the curse didn¡¯t make any sense. There was some reality behind them, but the rest of the time, she was just trying to fill in the gaps," I said.


    Norman began to move around a little, snubbing something down with the tip of his shoe as he looked down.


    "And what was it?" Norman asked.


    "Remember when we were children? Kaye used to cry a lot. And there was one thing that kepting up in our household, it was the mate full moon. And until that mate full moon, I didn¡¯t remember how much our parents fought about that day. So I started digging. And guess what I found out?" I uttered, watching them look at me with horrifying looks on their faces.


    "What?" Maximus asked.


    "If anyone wants to mate and conceive on the night of the full moon with their fated mate or chosen mate, their child will bring misfortune. They¡¯ll all be messed up. The Moon Goddess will turn her face away from them. And there were a few examples I read in old history books. One of them was forgetting their own existence, wanting to kill their mate, and turning into a lycan, and the list goes on." As I finished, I watched Maximus¡¯ eyes widen at the fact that his curse was from something that might have been done wrong by our parents.

 Chapter 735-Mating Was A Sin On Mate Full Moon Night

    <h4>Chapter 735: 735-Mating Was A Sin On Mate Full Moon Night</h4>


    <strong>Author¡¯s POV:</strong>


    "Darcy, what¡¯s wrong?" Her husband, Lord McQuoid, entered the room. They had gotten married just a few months ago. Although wars were happening outside their packs, they still managed to keep their rtionship strong. The two had been fated mates for a very long time. They were also high school sweethearts too.


    Darcy came from arge pack. Her father was an alpha king, whereas Lord McQuoid had only been the alpha of a much smaller pack on the verge of copse. Though thend was rich, it bordered the most dangerous part of the roguemunity. Whatever monsters lurked there were bound to destroy it eventually. They had already gathered the remaining pack members and moved them to Darcy¡¯s father¡¯s territory. Her father had since transferred his crown to Lord McQuoid, making him the new alpha king.


    "You¡¯ve been quiet for a while," Lord McQuoid said as he reached her, gently cing a hand on her shoulder. And he wasn¡¯t wrong. She had been unusually silent.


    But Lord McQuoid didn¡¯t have to wait for an answer. He nced over her shoulder and saw what she was holding. It was a pregnancy test.


    She slowly lifted her head, eyes brimming with tears.


    "Darcy, no," he whispered, already looking devastated by the news.


    "But why not? We were trying so hard. Look¡ªit finally happened," she said, standing up quickly to hold his hands. She could sense the panic in his eyes.


    "But Darcy, we¡¯re not supposed to conceive on the mate full moon night. You know it¡¯s cursed. It¡¯s not something to celebrate," Lord McQuoid warned her, reminding her that one mistake could bring great consequences.


    "Who says it¡¯s a cursed night?" she asked.


    "The Moon Goddess. Don¡¯t we know that?"


    "But people celebrate this night with dinners and parties," Darcy argued, trying to reassure him. To her, it felt like a blessed night. They had tried to conceive before without sess. But the moment he climaxed inside her on the mate full moon night, she got pregnant. To her, it was a divine sign.


    "Darcy, people celebrate it so they don¡¯t have time to mate. It¡¯s only a few hours, and we couldn¡¯t even control ourselves during that short window," Lord McQuoid hissed, stepping away from her and pacing the room.


    He didn¡¯t want to bring up how she had gotten him drunk that night just so they could sleep together. If he had been sober, he wouldn¡¯t have gone through with it. But he also knew that reminding her of this would only make her cry again like she always did when confronted. She had been spoiled all her life, a daddy¡¯s princess, and always got her way.


    "You¡¯re not getting it. How can it be a cursed night if it gave us a child? Every doctor said I could never conceive. They said it would be nearly impossible, but look, that night made it happen. Doesn¡¯t that mean something?" she argued, her voice sharper now.


    He stared at her, his heart aching. The child growing inside her was his, and calling it a curse over and over was tearing him apart.


    "Darcy, I will speak to the Holy Mother and see what she says," he replied, watching her expression harden.


    "The Holy Mother? Where did shee from?" she scoffed.


    The Holy Mother had been a revered figure for generations. She was one of the purest women, someone who never married, was never touched, and had dedicated her life to praying to the Moon Goddess. After one Holy Mother passed, the Moon Goddess would choose another. The current Holy Mother was a 65-year-old woman who had held her position since she was 19 and was deeply respected by every pack.


    "No, I don¡¯t want you to talk to some old woman who¡¯s lost her mind and lives in a cave in the roguemunity. How do you expect me to trust anything she says? And what¡¯s there to even talk about? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re giving up our baby!" she hissed, watching him shake his head.


    "The Holy Mother lives in the rogue territory for a reason. Even the monsters don¡¯t harm her. Doesn¡¯t that tell you how sacred she is?" he argued.


    Lord McQuoid was deeply spiritual, far more connected to the Moon Goddess than Darcy. She only believed in herself. When she wanted something, she made sure she got it.


    Lord McQuoid arranged a car for the journey. Although Darcy didn¡¯t want to go, she insisted on apanying him just so she could hear for herself what the cunning woman would say.


    They traveled with several warriors to protect them. The roguemunity was a dangerous ce. When they arrived, the Holy Mother was already waiting. She had lit candles and ced two cushions on the cave floor. She had no luxuries and refused any offers to her, even when pack alphas wanted her to live in luxury.


    "It seems like you already knew we wereing," Lord McQuoid joked. He used to visit her often before marrying Darcy, but Darcy had since refused to let him go alone.


    "Yes, my child, I knew," she said. Her hair was entirely gray. She was small and frail, wrapped in a brown cloth. When she looked at Darcy, the smile faded from her face. She didn¡¯t want to upset Lord McQuoid, but she could already sense the negativity in his mate.


    "Please, have a seat," she said.


    Darcy looked around. "Where¡¯s the damn seat?" she muttered under her breath, earning a sharp re from Lord McQuoid. She finally sat on the cushion, acting as if it were beneath her.


    "We¡¯vee to speak with you," Lord McQuoid began.


    "I know, my child. I know your mate is pregnant, and it is a child conceived on the mate full moon night."


    Darcy¡¯s eyes widened in shock. No one else knew. They had only discovered it a few hours earlier. There was no way the Holy Mother could have known.


    And then she said the words that made their blood run cold.


    "You have brought upon yourselves a lifetime of misfortune. Not only you, but everyone connected to you will suffer. Every time you think you¡¯ve found happiness, it will be taken from you."

 Chapter 736-Once A Sinner

    <h4>Chapter 736: 736-Once A Sinner</h4>


    <strong>Author¡¯s POV:</strong>


    "Holy Mother, there has to be a way to break this misfortune because she¡¯s pregnant now and we cannot discard the baby," Lord McQuoid argued. Although he knew they had made a mistake, aborting a baby was never an option for him. He absolutely loved Darcy and wanted a baby with her, and this was their baby.


    "Of course, it¡¯s not an option," Darcy hissed almost instantly before the Holy Mother could respond to his request.


    "Nobody is asking you to discard the baby. That won¡¯t change anything. You have already conceived. You have already slept with her and knotted in her on the mate full moon night. That¡¯s why it is important that you follow the rules of the Moon Goddess," she said, watching Darcy hiss and raise her eyebrow high enough to show she did not like this woman or what she was saying.


    "So you¡¯re telling me there is no way? I have been a very obedient follower of the Moon Goddess for so many years. From the point I could even say ¡¯Mommy,¡¯ I have loved the Moon Goddess. Even my first words were the Moon Goddess. How could she not have sympathy for her child?" Lord McQuoid argued, his hand on his chest as tears started to form in his eyes.


    The Holy Mother took a deep breath and then nodded her head. "There is a way," she said, and the two were suddenly all ears.


    "If it will be the only child you can have and you promise to never have any other children," she suggested, and Darcy was already not up for it.


    "That will be fine by us. If we have our one baby, that will be enough. He will be our whole world," Lord McQuoid said, happily agreeing to the terms.


    As for Lady Darcy, she kept her mouth tightly sealed. She did not understand why they had to sacrifice so much just to please the Moon Goddess, who could not look past their one mistake. She thought it was pretty hypocritical of the Moon Goddess to ban one night of mating just for the sake of fun or to test how many of her followers would obey her. But did she say it to the Holy Mother? No, she kept her silence.


    "You know why the night is a forbidden night?" the Holy Mother asked, almost as if she could hear Darcy speaking these concerns in her mind. "Because many, many years ago, a lot of she-wolves were raped, forced, and knotted inside on this particr night. It was a mate full moon night, and many she-wolves had gathered to enjoy and celebrate it. It wasn¡¯t forbidden back then. In fact, it was a very cherished night. And that is when some of the evil men lured these women into the celebration, just to use it as an excuse to bring them to one ce. Once they were there, the men attacked them. They forced themselves in order to have babies with them. They wanted them to carry their children. That is how brutal they were. That is when the Moon Goddess came to the earth herself to curse those men with misfortune."


    She finished, and Darcy started to scoff as if she did not believe the story.


    "What is so funny?" the Holy Mother asked her.


    "It¡¯s just that she punished the poor women as well?" Darcy questioned.


    The Holy Mother kept staring at her before she added, "The women were killed after they gave birth. The men only wanted the children, because they wanted to create wealth, because they wanted their heritage to go on. And that is why the Moon Goddess had to take this harsh step, so that anyone who disobeys her, anyone who thinks they can find loopholes and torture other souls, will not live happily. Their entire heritage, their entire bloodline, will be cursed too. Sometimes harsh punishments are important," she stated, staring directly into Darcy¡¯s eyes.


    But Darcy was unbothered.


    Lord McQuoid and Darcy left that day for home. Lord McQuoid was happy. He thought they would pass the curse because they would never have more babies anyway. Darcy could not conceive on regr nights, and he would strictly stay away from her on mate full moon.


    However, Darcy was bothered because, after a few days of this meeting, there was bad news for her.


    "No, no, no, no, not my father!" she was screaming and crying, sitting on her knees beside her father¡¯s corpse. He had died fighting the monsters in the roguemunity.


    "Why did he have to die?" she screamed again and again.


    There were other alpha kings who had apanied him, but they had their brothers with them, all powerful siblings. However, her father was an only sibling, the only man powerful enough in his family. His sisters had died, so he was the only one.


    And Darcy realized at that moment that her baby would need siblings.


    "Where was everyone when they were attacking him?" Lord McQuoid yelled at the warriors, pointing at the corpse of his father-inw.


    "We were right there. But the other alphas had their brothers. They were all very strong. We tried to be there, but we are notparable to their strength," the warriors exined, showing how having many strong siblings on the battleground nowadays was important. Once the monsters attacked, the warriors either got killed or scared away. But the bond between siblings¡ªthat would stand.


    One of the alphas had his strongest sister with him, and she would do anything to save her brother. Even when her warriors ran away, she stepped forward and fought alongside him, and they were able to save her brother.


    But sadly, Darcy¡¯s father didn¡¯t have any siblings. So nobody stayed to protect him.


    Darcy looked up from her father¡¯s dead body and stared directly into Lord McQuade¡¯s eyes.


    "And you don¡¯t want us to have other siblings, other babies?" she yelled at him.


    He was taken aback because they had already decided on it. He didn¡¯t understand why she was bringing it up again. But then he chalked it up to her being extremely emotional.


    Her first pregnancy had been nothing but a stressful journey. She would remember her father and cry. Then she would think of all the other scary thoughts. What if the war breaks out in the packs too? What if the monsters are never controlled? What will happen then?


    Although they were desperately trying to capture the monsters like before, many had been trapped inside objects. One was inside a flower. Others were sealed in abandoned buildings.


    While all this was happening, Darcy was going through a hard time. She knew in her heart that there was no way she would stop with one baby.


    "Even if it means I have to sleep with him on the mate full moon, I will do it again and again. Until I have babies that will grow up together and support each other. I will not let a fucking Holy Mother decide it for me," she hissed under her breath, gently rubbing her big belly. She was due any day now.


    "Your Highness, you asked for me?" Larry Taboida, the man who had always had a crush on her, was now always by her side as her husband¡¯s royal beta.


    "I want you to do something for me, Larry," she said, a smirk appearing on her lips. She knew if there was someone who wouldmit a crime, it would be Larry.


    "Book me a ride. I want to go and meet this Holy Mother again. As her death angel," she hissed, nning a surprise attack on the poor, helpless woman.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 737-Framed And Misunderstood.

    <h4>Chapter 737: 737-Framed And Misunderstood.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    After I heard Emmet speak, I began to realize the only issue he had was that he did notmunicate it with me, or that he didn¡¯t have time to. I guess after what happenedst time, when he asked me toe to a well to help him but ended up pushing me down, it made him not want to drag me into his ns this time. Because Goddess forbid if anything happened, I¡¯m sure none of us would be able to recover from that.


    "Okay," I said, still trying to look very mad at him.


    "Okay," Emmet repeated my words, looking at Norman and then at Maximus.


    "I¡¯ll go now," Emmet added, and I gave him a head nod, stepping out of the way so he could leave. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve ended up hugging him, so it was better if he left.


    As he was walking past me, he uttered very slowly, but very sexily, "And the queen is indeed back."


    As he left, I fought to hide the smile, and then I was facing Norman and Maximus.


    "I have something to say as well," Maximus said.


    "What is it?" I asked him.


    He looked at Norman for his approval first, then stepped ahead to hold my hands.


    "Yeah, I didn¡¯t need to hold your hands for this, but you know, I¡¯m stealing opportunities now," Maximus added, making a joke and making me roll my eyes.


    "I don¡¯t think you should think of Emmet as someone who killed your baby."


    As soon as he said that, my mind started to run a mile. Was he asking me to forgive Emmet and never mention it? Or was there more to his statement?


    Then he began to exin himself.


    "I¡¯ve been doing some research, Hnie, and everything points to the fact that Emmet was clueless. Somebody framed him, from the point he didn¡¯t show up to the marriage to the point where you were pushed into the well."


    Maximus looked so confident that I was all ears, and honestly, my skin was covered in goosebumps. Because if it was true, we fucking used Emmet, taking advantage of his habit of forgetting. Even though there were signs he had done it, we were also aware he was going through stuff, and it was so easy to frame him.


    "Don¡¯t look too worried. I¡¯ll find the footage in a day or two and show it to you. It will confirm everything," Maximus said.


    "Okay. I need to go. I need to check on Father."


    I could tell Maximus didn¡¯t want to go, but he kept getting messages from his father, and I understood why. I was surprised Lord McQuoid wasn¡¯t angry with us. I guess his sons took after him.


    "Okay," I said, and as Maximus was walking away, he turned briefly to say, "Uh, you guys are not supposed to have sex. Just know, because you can¡¯t always get a good deal."


    He told Norman, giving him a harsh look before walking out of the room. Now I was facing Norman, who slipped his hands into his pants pockets and started nodding his head.


    "What made youe back?" he asked, and I guess he was the only one who sounded very upset.


    "Norman, I had to leave," I said, and he started smiling.


    "Sure. Anyway, we¡¯ve epted our mates," he said, looking at me.


    "I heard," I said. "When I wasing in, I heard the celebratory toast Azura was trying to make."


    He began to nod his head once again.


    "And you wanted us to keep them in our bedrooms? So sure." He was speaking in a way that gave me the idea he was still very upset with me. I wanted to fix it, but I was also very tired. My mom and I had been on the run for a while, and I needed a shower.


    "I¡¯ll freshen up first. I¡¯m sure the council will find out anyway, and they¡¯ll be on their way here. I need to prepare myself for a good confrontation," I said, hoping that would change Norman¡¯s mood, but he only gave me a head nod.


    "Sure. You can freshen up in my bedroom," he stated, looking away.


    "Didn¡¯t you say Jessica will be staying in your bedroom?" I was trying to irk him. I love teasing him, even now.


    "It¡¯s my decision who gets to be in my bedroom and when," he hissed, his leg shaking, almost too anxiously, like he was trying so hard to be stern with me.


    "Well, okay then. I will obey your orders, your highness," I said in a yful, taunting tone.


    He walked past me to open the door for me. I went out, and then he followed after me.


    I ended up in his room and then in the bathroom. I was showering and had just finished when I heard the noises from outside.


    "I¡¯m so d she¡¯s fine." It was Jessica speaking.


    I didn¡¯t see her give me any hostile looks. That was odd. Honestly, that girl was all about give and give.


    "Yeah, Jessica, I know it will hurt you, but¡ª" Before Norman could even finish, Jessica spoke up herself.


    "It¡¯s fine. I can stay in the guest room, Norman. I know you love her, and she will always be your first choice. I have no objection to that. You don¡¯t have to feel guilty or try to exin yourself to me. You made it very clear what my position here would be, and I epted it. So don¡¯t feel guilty. It¡¯s fine."


    She sounded so sweet that I began to feel like a bad person. I made them ept their mates, and now they were going to use them. Just the thought of them being with their mates would kill me, but it was also true that I couldn¡¯t be selfish. I couldn¡¯t let them use these women because I told them to ept them.


    So I walked out of the bathroom, acting natural while drying my hair, wearing a blue nightgown.


    "Oh, Jessica," I said, and she instantly smiled.


    I noticed she was in the process of grabbing her phone and charger. I didn¡¯t see her stuff around, so I guessed Norman had already prepared a guest room for her.


    "It¡¯s okay, Hnie. I was just leaving."


    As soon as she said that, I clenched my fists. Then in a very, very heartbreaking tone, I uttered, "You can stay here. I¡¯ll stay in the guest room."


    The minute I said that, Norman snapped his head at me, ring like he would eat me alive.

 Chapter 738-My Mates Are Lying

    <h4>Chapter 738: 738-My Mates Are Lying</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "No, Hnie, it¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t want to misce you," Jessica said, making me secretly nce at Norman, who was ring at me with his fists clenched.


    "No, Jessica, it¡¯s fine. I cane back to my room tomorrow. Actually, it¡¯s quitete and I don¡¯t want you to go through the trouble of walking to the other wing. I¡¯ll just stay in any other room," I stated, almost too afraid of Norman¡¯s eyes.


    "Yeah, it¡¯s okay, Jessica. You should stay." And then Norman spoke up. His tone was so harsh that Jessica looked terrified of him.


    "No, Norman, I did not want to stay here. I swear," she began to stutter in so much fear that even I was shocked.


    I wanted to step in and let her know it was fine, she could go and sleep anywhere. But at this point, I guess I had pissed Norman off so much that he was retaliating.


    "No, please, you are going to stay here. You are my marked mate now. And you know what¡ª" Then he turned to look at me while still speaking to Jessica.


    "We are going to mate tonight, right?" he said to Jessica, but his eyes were on me. Jessica wasn¡¯t the only one whose eyes widened, even I was in shock.


    "And I am pretty sure Hnie wouldn¡¯t mind. Why would she? She has too many mates to care for. So what if one of them sleeps with someone else, right?" I did not expect him to lose his temper like that. And I guess even Jessica noticed. But now she was just staying silent.


    "So please stay. And Hnie, please close the door when you leave," he asked. And I guess I deserved it. I should not have intervened. It was his business. And it¡¯s not that I would be okay. I¡¯d be going crazy now if he slept with her,


    "Norman," I tried to speak, when he showed me his finger.


    "It¡¯s my time with my other mate, Hnie. Please leave." He said it so sternly, but I was not offended. I was feeling guilty because I knew why he was doing this. It was all my fault.


    Jessica didn¡¯t say anything while I walked between them.


    "Actually," as I tried to speak again, Norman pointed with his whole hand toward the door. And at this point, I knew I could not say anything to make him let me stay.


    I awkwardly walked out of the room, and then I heard Norman m the door shut so loud behind me that I almost squeezed myself closer. Then it was just silence. I stood outside the door with my back facing it. I hadn¡¯t moved, and I guess at this point five minutes had passed. Then I began to slowly walk away. I came across Maximus¡¯s room, and I knew that Charlotte was not staying there. She was in her own room. But when I was passing Kaye¡¯s room, I heard some whispering from inside.


    It definitely did not sound like Kaye. So I realized that Kesha was probably the one in his room, but why?


    It honestly made me clench my fists. I know I wanted to give them a chance, but if he had been man enough to tell me to my face what he was going to do, I would have appreciated it. He made me believe that he wouldn¡¯t touch her, that he wouldn¡¯t share a room with her. But here he was, doing goddess knows what with her.


    So I decided to have a peek. I know I was being petty, but it was my mansion. I could do whatever I wanted. I convinced myself. I walked over to the staircase and opened one of the windows. I climbed out, and there was a very narrow pipe going all the way to the back of the mansion. I started to climb that pipe, reaching over to Kaye¡¯s bedroom window in the back. I was honestly scared. I¡¯d never done something like that, but I wanted to be sure of what I was using him of. Most of the time, when men get caught cheating, they just lie to your face. So I wanted to be certain before I made any usations or even decided whether Kaye wanted to be with both of his mates. So I started to go through the window, and like I had expected from the voices, it was her with him. I watched him sit on his couch with his arms spread, his body rxed and leaning all the way back.


    Kesha was sitting beside him, her legs bent under her hips, her hand stretched out and holding on to his left hand. Then her tongue was so deep in his throat that I swear I could see his throat moving. His big neck was in my view because he had his head stretched all the way back. My body started to warm up, and I began to walk back toward the staircase.


    I don¡¯t know if I was hurt, if I was angry that he lied, or if I was just expecting him to be decent enough to give me a heads-up. They had made me believe they wouldn¡¯t do anything with the mates, that they were only keeping them because of the curse.


    I began to pace downstairs angrily, but once I was in the garden and had taken a lot of fresh air in, I decided I needed to do more research. I knew Emmet was alone in his room. Azura was said to be sleeping in the same guest room where I had stayed when I first arrived at the mansion. Now it was Jessica and Norman. Norman had already told me what he was going to do. So he gave me a heads-up, and I knew Norman was a very angry man.


    So what if he did something in a fit of rage? Would he be responsible for it, or would it be my fault for pushing him too far?


    I started to climb the wall just to see what was going on. Norman and Kaye¡¯s rooms were on opposite sides of the mansion, both in the corners. Once I began to climb the wall, I reached Norman¡¯s window. I was too scared to peek inside, but I still did. And I was surprised, to say the least.

 Chapter 739-The Holy Mother’s Murder

    <h4>Chapter 739: 739-The Holy Mother¡¯s Murder</h4>


    <strong>Author¡¯s POV:</strong>


    "How are you now?" Lord McQuoid asked, running his hand through his wife¡¯s hair. She smiled at him softly and sadly.


    "I was so scared when the monster attacked," she said with a pout.


    "What was a Zharn doing in the cave? I thought the monsters would not attack the Holy Mother," Lord McQuoid asked, still confused after hearing that his wife had gone to meet the Holy Mother to apologize for her behavior the other day and to promise to change. Then they were attacked and the Holy Mother was killed in a brutal frenzy. He had been very disturbed.


    "Honey, she told me a few things before she passed away," she uttered, tears running down her cheeks. The truth was different from what she told her husband and others. Once she arrived at the cave, she killed the woman. Then the two, Larry and Darcy, opened her body together, mimicking something a Zharn would do. They dragged her body out so it seemed like a Zharn did it. Then they left the body parts in the surroundings. However, while doing all thebor, Darcy went into earlybor. She was notified that she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. She was ecstatic.


    "What did she say to you?" Lord McQuoid asked.


    "She said she spoke to the moon goddess for us and it is okay for us to have children on the mate full moon," she said, smiling and blinking.


    "What?" Lord McQuoid was a little lost, but Darcy had no reason to lie. She would not want a curse upon herself and her babies and all their generations just to have many babies, so he was certain she wasn¡¯t lying.


    "And you know what? what the moon goddess wanted in return from her?" Darcy continued, because she knew there would still be a moment where Lord McQuoid would question her story.


    "She asked the moon goddess to take away the immunity from her, just to give us our right to have babies. And that happened. The moon goddess took away the immunity and that is when the Zharn attacked her. Doesn¡¯t that make sense?"


    As she spoke carefully, her husband began to nod his head. It did make sense, because how was she suddenly attacked when the Zharns were not attacking her before?


    "See, I used to tell you, she is an amazing woman. She sacrificed herself for us."


    Lord McQuoid was now in tears. He had always seen the Holy Mother as his second mother, so he was deeply affected. To find out that she died while giving them a chance to have a happy life struck him even harder.


    "It¡¯s okay, you can share your sadness and sorrows with me. She blessed us with a chance to have children and I think we should take advantage of that," she said to Lord McQuoid, who began to nod his head happily.


    "I will never let her down," he imed.


    "By the way, did you have a name for our baby boy?" he asked, smiling.


    "Yes," she replied. "How about Norman?"


    The two smiled widely.


    "And then the next one will be Emmet, then Maximus, then Kaye, and then Harry," she started speaking in one breath, and he began tough.


    "Okay, you already thought it through," his tone was cheerful as he questioned and she gave him a nod.


    However, there was another thing that she was hiding from her man. All these months when she was pregnant after the Holy Mother told her they should not conceive other children, Lady Darcy had visited another woman living in the woods of the roguemunity. The woman was a cursed one, a bad influence. She was said to be rted to the monsters. When Darcy approached her, she believed the woman would reject her.


    However, a part of her told her that would never happen, only because this woman was not born evil. She chose the path of evil and magic. So she was seen as a monster like the others. She was Darcy¡¯s old school teacher. When Darcy was in high school, there was a young teacher who arrived and connected well with Darcy because of their simr thoughts. But after the woman was found practicing magic, she was kicked out. She imed she was a seer, but nobody believed her.


    The werewolves said if the moon goddess did not allow a seer to use magic to see the future, then it was not allowed. So they kicked her out. That same woman told Darcy that the only way she could have what she wanted was by eliminating the Holy Mother.


    "I will let you rest now," Lord McQuoid said, walking out of the room.


    Darcy quickly held her phone to call the woman.


    "I¡¯m so happy it worked," she said to the woman, who started tough on the other side.


    "There is another good news. I saw your future. There is a way to escape this curse," she told Darcy, and Darcy already knew she had picked the right side. The Holy Mother was giving her an option that wasn¡¯t really an option to discard the curse. This woman, the seer herself who was called the Grey Woman, had actuallye up with a great idea.


    "How can I do it? How can I divert the misfortune away from us?" Darcy asked, not realizing that the misfortune had already started working on her. It had taken her father away from her.


    "There will be a special woman who will show up in thend after all the monsters are gone. She¡¯s very dear to the moon goddess. She had a hard life, a childhood that was full of neglect and torture. She still never stopped praying and praising the moon goddess, so she¡¯s her favorite," the woman said, making Darcy sit up and roll her eyes. She hated hearing someone else was the moon goddess¡¯ favorite. Darcy thought it should be her. She was the most beautiful and rich woman.


    "Where will this woman show up from?" Darcy asked.


    "From the sea. She will be a special mermaid. Her wolf side doesn¡¯t work, so she will be a pure breed at this point. A pure mermaid," the Grey Woman replied.


    "Okay, and what am I supposed to do with her?" Darcy asked.


    "You have to use her womb. Every child that she bears with her fated mate will be the child that should be sacrificed for the sake of keeping the misfortune away from your family," the woman said, and Darcy began to chew on her nails. Every time she heard about the misfortune, she became very scared. She did not want to die.


    "And what else?" Darcy asked.


    "One baby from her, and your children will be able to live past the age of 10."

 Chapter 740-Life Of Pain

    <h4>Chapter 740: 740-Life Of Pain</h4>


    <strong>Author¡¯s POV:</strong>


    "If you did not do it while they are ten, after they touch ten, they will start dying."


    The Grey woman made Darcy¡¯s eyes widen.


    "I don¡¯t want my children to die. I will do it. But then, after I sacrifice her one child, will I be fine?" Darcy asked. She was curious how it would work and how she would know that it worked.


    "You will have to throw her children into the well of sacrifice. And for you to know it worked, the well will start drying up after bloodes out of its water. That¡¯s when you will know that it has worked. However, after some time, the water will fill up again. And then you will have to make another sacrifice," the woman exined.


    "How will the water fill up again? And why?" she asked, worried how long before she would finally have her happiness.


    "Because you know, if it was that easy, everybody would have tried that special mermaid and her mate. It¡¯s going to be risky, bearing so many children when you¡¯re not supposed to. Some difficulties mighte," the Grey Woman said, making Darcy sob silently.


    "Then what will happen next?" Darcy asked, confused, because she could not kidnap a woman and then keep her for so long without her dying or taking her own life.


    "Then what? The next time, it will be her special daughter," the Grey Woman said.


    Darcy frowned.


    "The offspring of the special daughter could be sacrificed to finally break the curse that your sons will suffer because of your disobedience. The misfortune will finally go away and your sons will live happily with their fated mates. But remember, this woman¡¯s child must have a baby with her fated mate, and only that child should be sacrificed." The Grey Woman told Darcy, and she began to tap her finger on her chin.


    The moon goddess watched everything, and that was when she nned something of her own. She decided to make that special child her own son¡¯s fated mate, and not just one, but all of them. However, the moon goddess did not know that the special child would fall in love with the mates and even want to save them. But that wasn¡¯t the problem. Her anger was toward Darcy, the woman who thought she could be the next moon goddess and change the rules around. She thought she was deserving enough to decide who should live and who should die.


    Darcy was happy. After Norman, she slept with her mate again on the next mate mateful moon. They had Emmet, then Maximus. But then she began to worry about the curses. What if she could not find that woman?


    But she did. She had her men all around the roguemunity. That was when one of her men, Niles in specific, informed her that he had found a mermaid, just like the Grey Woman had said. He trapped her in his love, took her to his pack, and then he sold her to Darcy. They made the sacrifices and finally they were able to dry the well that was going to fill up very soon. She saw the bloode out of the corners of the well, and then it just dried down.


    But she knew she could not stay happy for too long. Sadly, Urs¡¯s fated mate passed away, and she could not have another child with him. So she decided to wait for Urs to have a chosen mate. The Grey Woman had told her that a chosen mate wouldn¡¯t do it, but she didn¡¯t care.


    ¡¯I am so d I was able to break the misfortune. I mean, it is only temporary, but once she finds her chosen mate¡ª" Darcy was excitedly speaking to the Grey Woman on the call when her husband arrived and heard that she had lied about the misfortune being gone. Darcy put her phone down and straightened her back.


    "Why would you lie about such a thing?" he screamed at her, confused how a mother could bring offspring into the world knowing they would be punished for her sins.


    "I am fixing everything so you don¡¯t have to intervene," she yelled at Lord McQuoid.


    "Tell me something. Did you do something to get her killed?" Lord McQuoid mentioned the Holy Mother, and Darcy started to shake her head.


    "No, I did not. I only lied about the things that she said. That is it. I don¡¯t know why the Zharns came and attacked her. I have no clue. But the rest of it is the truth. I only hid the part from you. And I am telling you I¡¯ll fix it. I found a seer and she told me that the misfortune will be gone in some time."


    She obviously was now yapping, and she would never tell her mate what sacrifices she was making.


    "You know what? We are leaving," Lord McQuoid said, and her eyes widened.


    "What?" she asked, confused.


    "As you know, the monsters have been taken care of. I no longer want to be an Alpha King of a pack." As soon as he said that, Darcy¡¯s face started to fade.


    "Why? I did it so that we could stay as the most powerful people in the world. We have four children, and they are all fine. Look at them now." She had just arrived after she sacrificed Urs¡¯s baby, and Kaye was fine now. Although he used to be in a lot of pain, because the more babies she was going to have, the more theter ones would show signs of being affected because of being conceived on that night.


    "No, and that is why we have to leave. It is your punishment from my side, for lying to me. You will no longer get what you wanted. You wanted them to have a strong world where they could rule. So if you want to stay with me, you will leave this world behind," he stated, watching her gasp and get up.


    "You want to leave the luxuries behind? Why are you punishing your babies?" she screamed. All this she had done for power, and so her sons couldter take the North, South, West, and East. And now he wanted to intervene and ruin her dreams, which had made hermit so many crimes.


    "You heard me, Darcy. If you want me on your side," he warned her.


    And then she had to give in. They left the pack life. Although she was not happy, she did not want to leave her husband either. She even loved her husband more than her children. Her children were just a staircase to the path to power, to secure the crown over her head. But her husband was the love of her life.


    So she sadly walked out, and there was only one ce they could live in. It was an old abandoned building that they started to fix. Then her husband nned to start an academy so their sons could help others fight and learn to defend themselves at the same time. Do something good, and maybe the moon goddess would forgive the sin and help them out of the misfortune.

 Chapter 741-Following Emmet

    <h4>Chapter 741: 741-Following Emmet</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I kept staring and staring. Although Norman had already given me a heads-up, I was surprised to see that he didn¡¯t act on his threat. He was lying on the couch while Jessica was all alone in the bed, and I could see him. He had ced a lot of pillows on the side of the bed where I used to sleep, so he probably wasn¡¯t even allowing her on my side.


    I pouted, feeling bad because Norman was in pain because of me. I felt so angry with myself that I decided to punch the wall. However, I forgot I needed both my hands to hold on to the pipe. And when I freed my hand to punch the wall, I slipped and fell. The next thing I knew, I was falling.


    And it was such a silent fall because I knew the moment I screamed, I would announce to almost everyone in the mansion that I was a jealous and controlling mate who was going around peeking through windows. I didn¡¯t want a few of the people inside to have the satisfaction of watching me act out in jealousy.


    I closed my eyes, waving my arms around. My hair and clothes were flying with the wind. I wasing down pretty fast, and then I was met with two strong pirs. It was such a strangending that I didn¡¯t feel any pain. In fact, I instantly got a whiff of a beautiful sandalwood smell. I quickly ced my hand on the chest of this handsome man and opened my eyes to look into his.


    He tilted his head and then smirked.


    "I didn¡¯t know the goddess was throwing angels down from heaven, but I¡¯m d I caught one," Emmetmented, making me shyly look away, but my fingers were still holding on to his shirt.


    "You can put me down now. I¡¯m safe," I said, not trying to be rude but not trying to be overly sweet either.


    "Are you sure?" he uttered, but there was a yfulness in his voice.


    I nodded, and then he let me down.


    I began to bnce my body and fix my clothes and hair, all the while avoiding eye contact with Emmet. I could tell he was watching me, waiting for me to exin myself and my actions.


    "By the way, how did Maximus end up marking Charlotte, even when it¡¯s a full moon? And how is he not out there, turning into a lycan?" I uttered, quickly looking away from him.


    "Oh, you know, since he found two fated mates, Mom said it kind of helped him with the curse. Same with the rest of us. We¡¯re not in as much pain as before, but she said it¡¯s temporary. So he will be turning on another full moon night or maybe next," Emmetmented, and I began to nod.


    "Are you going to talk about what you were doing up there?" He then leaned down to my level, his eyebrows straight, his eyes narrowed.


    "What? I was just checking the pipes to see if they were working fine," I said, annoyed that I was caught by him of all people.


    If it was Maximus, I could hush him down. It was easy. With Kaye, I could just be angry with him and he wouldn¡¯t utter a word. With Norman, I¡¯d just give him a kiss and he would forget. But with Emmet, I couldn¡¯t get too angry. I couldn¡¯t boss him around for long, especially not when we were alone. I definitely couldn¡¯t kiss him just like that. I felt shy around him.


    "Hnie, Norman wouldn¡¯t do it. He¡¯s much more rxed, and I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯ll even fall asleep now that you¡¯re back," Emmet said, and I nodded.


    "Well, not everybody thinks like you, or Norman, or Maximus," I uttered, fidgeting with my fingers.


    "Yeah, well, Maximus¡ªhe¡¯s not even sleeping in his bedroom tonight. He¡¯s in the basement because, you know, it¡¯s unpredictable. We don¡¯t know when our curses will be active again," Emmet said, his hands slipping into his pants pockets.


    "Well, this one full moon¡ª"


    As I tried to speak again, Emmet put his hand out and showed me his finger, wagging it as if to say no.


    "You skipped Kaye," he said, and I pouted, folding my arms across my chest.


    "Well, he¡¯s an asshole cheater," I hissed. The yfulness escaped from Emmet¡¯s face. I felt like maybe I had upset him by saying that about his brother, but then he started to speak.


    "What did he do?" he asked.


    "Well, remember how you all told me that you didn¡¯t want your mate, and even when I asked you to, only so that you could get help with the curses¡ªKaye lied. I just caught him kissing and making out with Kesha in his room," I muttered with my teeth grinding every word out.


    I was so angry I was hissing like a snake, but more than I was angry, Emmet seemed lost.


    "She is in the bedroom with him?" Emmet asked, surprising me with how shocked he looked.


    "And not just in his bedroom. They were making out. So yeah, Kaye is a fucking cheater," I repeated my words, but Emmet began to shake his head.


    "Of course you¡¯ll defend him," I added, and I didn¡¯t even realize how soft my tone had turned.


    "No, Hnie. Fuck," he groaned and stepped back, his hand on his waist. With the other, he scratched his forehead.


    "Why is it so shocking to you?" I asked him, wondering if maybe Kaye had said the same to him, or maybe they had talked about not touching their other mates.


    "Hnie, there¡¯s something going on with Kaye and Kesha." As Emmet removed his hand from his forehead and ced it on his waist, just like the other, he looked at me and said those words.


    "I know. There¡¯s an affair going on between them," I said, pointing upward in the direction of his bedroom on the other side of the mansion.


    "No, no, no. That¡¯s not it. Come to my room," Emmet said, and as he took only one step forward, he stopped and turned to look at me with a very tired expression on his face.


    "You think if I have to fuck you, I can¡¯t do it here?" The minute he said that, a chill ran up my spine.


    "Why are you saying stuff like that? It doesn¡¯t suit you," I uttered, even though I knew exactly how Emmet became very bold with me. But I guess it had been so long that I didn¡¯t expect him to do it again.


    In response, he only smirked before his smile started to fade away.


    "Right. I won¡¯t talk like that. Come on. I need to show you something."


    The sudden change in his mood made me realize that he didn¡¯t know I had started to slightly doubt myself for ever thinking he had pushed me, because of what Maximus had told me. But right now, I needed to know what he was trying to show me, so I began to follow him to his room.


    However, as I raised my head while walking toward the main gate again, I saw Kesha standing in the window of Kaye¡¯s room with a cigarette between her fingers and a smirk on her lips. She fucking looked so scary that all my gills, my fangs and my fur shook.

 Chapter 742-The Child And The Tenth Floor.

    <h4>Chapter 742: 742-The Child And The Tenth Floor.</h4>


    <strong>Author¡¯s POV:</strong>


    Life had be a little hectic for them. She was not used to living without several warriors and servants at her service. However, her husband was so good at creating a new world and academy that she had high hopes for.


    "Norman, go and fucking y outside," she screamed at Norman. She had once seen him try to run around to cheer up Kaye, who had been crying for the past ten minutes.


    "And, ugh, tell the nanny to take him away as well. He¡¯s so fucking annoying, always screaming and crying like a little bitch," she screamed in Kaye¡¯s face, who suddenly went silent.


    "Why the fuck are you shouting at our babies?" Lord McQuoid came out of the bedroom after taking a shower in the bathroom. He had heard that Darcy was once again screaming at Kaye.


    "I just look at his face and I want to p him. Why the fuck is he always crying? Why is he so weak?" she screamed. "We are supposed to have strong babies. We are two powerful people tied in a knot of marriage and fated bond."


    She was screaming non-stop, saying all the hurtful things in front of her children. Even though the kids were still very little, they could still understand what she was saying about him.


    "You wanted the children as if they were just toys that you would turn off and put to the side when you don¡¯t want them. That is not how it works," he hissed at her, ring her down while she rolled her eyes and painted her nails.


    They were sitting in the living room at this point. She would barely go into her bedroom because she hated how empty it looked.


    "Well, it is easy for you to say. You get to go out and stand by the beautiful view just to watch the workers do all the hard work renovating the hostel and the academy while I am stuck here with these crying ass faces," she hissed.


    All four of them had gonepletely silent. None of them were ying anymore, as they were afraid their mother would lose her temperament.


    "Darcy, you have a nanny to take care of the babies. You don¡¯t do anything at home. You don¡¯t cook. You don¡¯t take care of our babies. I have to walk all the way back just to cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner for them. What do you do the whole day? You just sit andin, and then you have the nerve to even traumatize my children?" As Lord McQuoid yelled, Norman started to push the other brothers out of the living room so they wouldn¡¯t hear them screaming.


    "So what? It¡¯s only one nanny. I want four. There are four of them, for heaven¡¯s sake," she screamed back.


    "Four that you wanted. Four that¡ª" he shut up when he noticed Norman turning his head around to look at them.


    "Listen, Darcy, I cannot afford anything right now. This nanny, I¡¯m affording it after cutting down my own expenses. I have to travel by foot. I have to do double shifts just to pay the warriors who are helping me with the renovation. And you think I¡¯m just standing there doing nothing? I am helping the warriors renovate," Lord McQuoid screamed back at her, tears forming in his eyes as he noticed she did not give a fuck.


    "You¡¯re anyway leaving right now. Take the kids with you."


    She then waved her hand for them to be taken away for a while. She wanted the peaceful environment intact in her old, rusty mansion. He did not have a choice because he knew if he did not listen, she would do what she had done before. She would beat them so hard that when the father came around, they would beg him to take them with him.


    "And why is Sean Louise noting back anymore?" she asked about Jessica¡¯s father, who had left the pack just to be close to his friend.


    "He had decided to go back and be a part of the pack again," Lord McQuoid said.


    "Exactly," she hissed back at him. "He is so clever. He understands that this is not how one should live."


    "Hey, you cannot just walk out on me!" she screamed midway when her husband left to grab his children and head to the construction site.


    She was huffing and puffing out of anger. Lord McQuoid had taken his sons to the construction site and warned them to stay close. They were ying catch and drop with the ball.


    But Norman kept noticing something odd about the tenth floor. His eyes would constantly look up and see a woman standing behind one of the pirs. He would then look down and be very confused.


    And then, Maximus threw the ball for Emmet to grab, but somehow the ball just kept going up and up until itnded on one of the floors of the hostel. Maximus instantly started crying. He was always a crier on the full moons, but once in a while he would start crying on regr days and would not stop until he had dried his eyes out.


    "Calm down, I¡¯ll go and fetch it for you, okay?" Norman gently caressed his brother¡¯s cheek.


    "Emmet, can you please keep an eye on Kaye?" Norman said as he made his way into the hostel.


    There were only a few warriors working on the renovation, and they were in the academy right now. Norman was able to walk into the old hostel that was only broken walls and nothing more than that. He took the stairs and kept going from floor to floor, trying to see where the ball went when he heard a little whisper.


    "Psst,e here. I have your ball."


    He heard a voice from one of the top floors and began to wonder what it was. Then he realized he was standing right under the tenth floor.


    "Who are you?" he asked, bending his neck upward just to take a glimpse of who this woman was.


    "We are your friends," said a man, and Norman was instantly taken aback. He did not know there was a man too.


    "I¡¯m not your friend. I don¡¯t even know you. You two are strangers to me," Norman hissed back. Even though he was just a child, he had learned a lot from his life. Ever since they had left the pack life, all these years, the mother would just leave all the responsibilities on Norman¡¯s shoulders. She would even remind himself that he should be ready to sacrifice if it came to that for his brothers.


    "Okay, fine, we are strangers. But we have your ball," said the woman again. They had a weird echoey voice.

 Chapter 743-Losing A Son

    <h4>Chapter 743: 743-Losing A Son</h4>


    <strong>Author¡¯s POV:</strong>


    "Can you please throw it down?" Norman requested, not taking the stairs up.


    "Why don¡¯t youe and take it? I have an injury on my arm, so I cannot throw it," the woman said, and Norman began to contemte. His father was right in the next building, so if these people tried something, he could always scream.


    "Even besides, Norman, we know how alone you are. They are making you act like a grown-up, but you are just a child."


    The way the man said it, Norman¡¯s eyes bugged out.


    "How do you know my name?" Norman asked, confused.


    "Oh, we know everything about you, Norman. We also know that your mother screams at you. She always hits your brothers. She even wishes Kaye was never born."


    Norman was getting lost hearing these two strangers know so much about their lives. Had they been spying on them? Their mansion was pretty broken. It was an old mansion. They could be peering into the windows and getting all the information on them.


    "Don¡¯t worry. Don¡¯t be afraid of us. We are not bad people."


    Then the woman tried to use a much more soothing voice.


    "Norman, we can help your brother with all the pain," she said in a gentle tone.


    The minute she said that, Norman¡¯s ears started to perk up. He had no clue how deceptive people could be when they wanted something from you.


    "How can you help Kaye?" Norman asked.


    "Well, it is easy. You just have toe upstairs. Look, we have a medicine for it," she said, sounding very deceptive. But little Norman would not understand it. He had no knowledge of people being brutal. He just knew his mother was.


    So he started to climb the stairs. And once he was on the tenth floor, he realized he had made a big mistake. There stood a man and a woman, very identical as if they were twins, with the creepiest smiles on their lips.


    "Oh, there you are, little Norman. We knew you woulde to see us."


    The minute the woman said that, she lunged at Norman. Before he could even try to resist, she tried to get into his mouth to be part of him. The more she tried to fit inside his tiny body with her brother beside her, the more Norman started to suffocate. He could not even scream. His body fell down on his back, having a seizure, while a fog full of ck air was trying to enter his mouth.


    However, it was soon clear that it was not possible. They could not fit in him, but they had done the damage. His body could not take such a shock. His mouth was left open while his eyes rolled back in his head. His seizures began to stop, and his mouth slowly started to close.


    The evil siblings realized they could not push his soul out and take over his body. They wanted to take over so they could be free. But they learned that day they must do it with someone allowing them, not by forcefully taking what does not belong to them.


    Meanwhile, Emmet had grown impatient. He began to hold Maximus and Kaye¡¯s hand and walk. He walked into the academy to let his father know that Norman had gone upstairs.


    "Father, Norman has gone into the hostel and hasn¡¯te downstairs in a while," he said to his father, whose eyes widened. He began to rush toward the academy and the hostel. Lord MQuoid knew that the building was very old, so he was afraid that Norman must have taken a fall or something.


    And just when he was on the eighth floor, he had already sensed it. Norman was ced on the stairs as if he had fallen down from the ninth floor.


    He grabbed his son, crying, and started to sprint back home. He was hysterical. One of the warriors had taken Emmet and the others into his own wing, bringing them home.


    Once he arrived, Darcy saw her son¡¯s pale body in her husband¡¯s arms.


    "What is going on?" she screamed.


    "Give me your phone," he said to her. He did not even have a phone. At this point, he had given the luxuries only to his wife and children.


    "I need to call the ambnce," he said, panicking. His hands were going numb. His heart was stopping. He wanted to run with his son to the nearest base, but he knew he could not do it. An ambnce or a cab or anything had toe and take them, or else it would be toote.


    "What the fuck? Why did you bring him here? Why didn¡¯t you take him directly to the hospital?" she screamed at him.


    "I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know. I did not have a phone. Nobody had. Please, please call the ambnce." He started to beg before her while she was crying too.


    "My son. My eldest son. My pride."


    She began to kneel down and cry once she touched his face and realized he was cold, and that it would be toote by the time they reached the hospital.


    "That can¡¯t be." Lord McQuoid looked at his wife once he also realized what she was staring at.


    "No, no, no, no, no. He will live. There is no way." She began to panic, snatching her son out of Lord McQuoid¡¯s arms.


    Emmet and the others had arrived, but they had no clue what was going on. They were rushed into a side room and locked inside with a warrior, who was trying his best to divert their attention. But the kids were crying now, because they knew something had happened to their brother.


    Lord McQuoid was losing his mind, and that was when he passed out. He had grown so weak after Darcy had put him through so much stress, that losing his son seemed like the end for him.


    However, Darcy would not give up. She picked up her phone and started to call the only one who she knew could help him, the grey woman.

 Chapter 744-One Of Us Is A Siren

    <h4>Chapter 744: 744-One Of Us Is A Siren</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "Come on in," Emmet said as he stood at the main gate of his mansion.


    I lowered my head, and when I looked up again, Kesha was gone.


    I followed after Emmet, walking all the way through his passage. It was a silent walk. No words were spoken.


    Then, I was outside his bedroom. My hands were tied in front of me, under my abdomen, like an obedient student. He stood to the side, weing me in.


    I stepped inside, and he walked in after me.


    The minute he turned on the light, I was stunned to see the research he had been doing all this time. There were papers and sticky notes across the wall. There were files and so much scattered around that it reminded me of something Kaye and Norman had told me before. They had found scribbles in Emmet¡¯s room, showing he wanted to sacrifice me.


    Of course, I was slightly disturbed because the trauma kepting back. But then I remembered what Maximus had told me. There was so much conspiracy around Emmet and his drunken sessions, where he would make mistakes, that I started to feel like someone was messing with him.


    But who? And how would Emmet ever recover once he found out that someone had taken advantage of his curse, to the point that he almost lost everything?


    He lost the chance to marry me. He lost his credibility. He almost lost his brother¡¯s love. Then he was used of me losing my baby.


    Emmet snapped his fingers in front of my face to get my attention.


    "Yeah, right. What were you saying?" I asked and found him just staring at me before he looked away.


    "Yeah, so," he said as he started to take off his coat and throw it onto the bed.


    However, the minute he looked at me, he rushed to grab his coat and neatly put it back in the closet.


    "I actually do like to take care of my stuff. It¡¯s just that I was too excited to show you what I found out," Emmet exined.


    It was strange to see him so conscious around me. But I liked it.


    "Yeah, you were going to say something about Kaye and Kesha," I said.


    He walked over to the wall and pointed at one of the sticky notes. It was a 3D printer image of a tattoo.


    "I¡¯ve seen this one," I said.


    There were two side by side. I didn¡¯t understand why he would print two of the same tattoo.


    "This is Kaye¡¯s tattoo," I said, pointing at one. "And this is also..." I pointed at the other one, touching the sticky note before pulling back to get a better look.


    "No, this one is slightly different," I said. "Exactly." he replied.


    "Can you tell me which one you think is Kaye¡¯s?" he asked, probably to see if I could spot the difference.


    "Yeah, this one." I pointed at the first one. "There are no bloody dots on the tail of this mermaid," I said, and my heart stopped in my chest.


    "Go on, exin the tattoo to me," Emmet insisted.


    His arms were folded across his chest, his body leaning back against the wall full of sticky notes.


    "It¡¯s a... it¡¯s a mermaid tail wrapped around a dagger," I uttered.


    "Yep. It¡¯s a hunter¡¯s tattoo, Hnie." As soon as he said that, my heart dropped.


    "What do you mean?" I asked him. "Is Kaye a hunter? Is he a mermaid hunter?" I began to panic, but Emmet quickly shook his head. He stretched one arm out and gently held my elbow, pulling me closer.


    The moment he did that, my handsnded gently on his biceps while his hands were holding my arms.


    "He¡¯s not a mermaid hunter. He¡¯s a siren hunter," Emmet exined.


    "But I remember his curse is that he wants to kill me. Is it because I¡¯m a mermaid?" I started panicking.


    That would exin why he was suddenly interested in his other mate. He probably didn¡¯t want me because I was a mermaid.


    "He¡¯s a siren hunter. You¡¯re not a siren. And he¡¯s supposed to kill his mate. Do you not put two and two together?" he asked, pulling me even closer, until my elbows were pressed against the sides of his stomach and my hands reached his shoulders.


    "What do you mean?" I uttered.


    I was slightly lost because of his touch, but I tried hard to focus on the wall and the tattoo.


    "You¡¯re not a siren. Then who else could be?" he asked, looking straight into my eyes.


    And I gasped.


    "Kesha?"


    As soon as I said that, Emmet nodded.


    "But then why wouldn¡¯t he want to kill her?" I asked, gently raising my hand from his chest to point anywhere, just to reference her.


    "You know sirens are good at trapping men with their voices?" he asked and I began to nod.


    "She¡¯s manipting his mind. There¡¯s very little difference between a siren and a mermaid. And she¡¯s using that to confuse him," As he concluded, I was even lost.


    No wonder she pushed me into the water. She knew my truth. She knew I would turn into a mermaid.


    It was all making sense now. And I was honestly scared. But then again, it could all be just a conspiracy.


    Justst week, just a few days ago, I was just a werewolf. Now a mermaid. And now I had an enemy.


    Wow. It was going to get very dirty from here.


    "What are we going to do now? How will we even know if your conspiracy is true?" I asked Emmet


    While I was focusing on his face, I watched him gently raise his hand and softly touch my cheek, then brush my hair behind my ear. As he removed his hand, he rubbed his finger down my jawline before reaching for my chin.


    "We will do something," he uttered, his eyes on my lips, his fingers gently pinching my chin.


    He looked so distracted that it gave me goosebumps.


    "Sorry," he said, as if he had just realized he had no right to touch me after being used of pushing me down the well.


    But the moment he was about to remove his hand from my chin, I held it. I noticed how warm his body was.


    "I¡¯m still not sure why I pushed you down there. And it kills me that I became the reason," he said.


    As soon as he started speaking, I cupped his face and crashed my lips against his. I could tell he didn¡¯t expect it, because my forearm was resting on his chest, and I felt his heart skip a beat.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


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 Chapter 745-Heart With Four Heartbeats

    <h4>Chapter 745: 745-Heart With Four Heartbeats</h4>


    <strong>Author¡¯s POV:</strong>


    "My son is dead. My son is dead," she was crying on the call.


    "Calm down. He¡¯s not dead," the woman said.


    "But he¡¯s getting cold," Darcy yelled in tears. She had to blink her eyes nonstop in order to get rid of the tears.


    "Bring him to me, right now. I¡¯m right close to your home," the gray woman said, instructing her to leave everything behind and bring Norman to her.


    Darcy did as the woman told her. She carried her son and rushed out of the mansion, leaving behind her passed-out husband and her crying children.


    Once she had taken only a few steps into the woods, the woman came to her. She took Norman out of her hands and forcefully made him stand, shaking his body. Norman started to open his eyes, but it was almost like his soul was leaving his body.


    "What I¡¯m going to tell you will be hard for you, but you must do it," she said to Darcy.


    And Darcy, the way she was nodding her head, was in itself a gesture that she was ready to do whatever it takes.


    "I want you to bring pieces of your children¡¯s hearts." As soon as she said that, Darcy¡¯s eyes grew double in size.


    "We will make Normane to life. However, his heart will be connected to his brother¡¯s," the grey woman told Darcy, excluding the fact that the misfortune would not wait for them to tend to the well to start filling again.


    Darcy had only escaped her children¡¯s deaths past the age of ten. The misfortune was still lingering. And it was part of the misfortune that Norman would die, thene back, and live a life full of pain.


    However, it was also one more chance for Darcy to let it be, to let the natural process work. But she would not give up. She nodded her head and rushed back into the house to grab pieces of her children¡¯s hearts after thedy had poured her own blood on Darcy¡¯s hand. That blood would help prevent the children from dying when she took the pieces of their hearts.


    She first gave her children sedatives so they wouldn¡¯t see what she was doing to them. Then, with a very scary look on her face, she started to push her hand through their chests. She was shocked how easy it was. But she guessed it was the blood of the witch that helped her hand pierce into the chest of her sons.


    She stole pieces of their hearts and then ran out of the mansion again.


    "Darcy," Lord McQuoid voiced as he started to get up from the floor. "Where is our son?" he cried, but she didn¡¯t listen to him.


    She was disheveled. Her hair was a mess. She would not let her son die. The sons were supposed to grow old together. They were supposed to be the rogue kings of the North, South, East, and West. That was her next n. After her initial n failed, she wanted to be a proud mother of powerful sons, sons who would learn to grow and stick together and take care of each other and fight side by side.


    Once she was in the woods, she saw the witch carrying Norman.


    "Did you do it?" she asked and Darcy nodded.


    "Then do it quickly. He doesn¡¯t have much time. His body is getting cold," the witch said.


    She forcefully held Norman up, trying to make him stand. As Norman began to open his eyes slowly before taking what would have been hisst breath, he watched his mother¡¯s face get closer. Then her w entered his chest.


    "Your life is mine!" she said those words after remembering how much she had done for her kids.


    Sadly, he saw it all. Then she started to push the hearts against his heart.


    He screamed for the first few seconds, but the witch covered his mouth. Now he could only see his mother¡¯s face, the look she wore like an evil viin as she pushed one heart after another into his chest.


    He did not want this life. He did not want to stay connected to someone by stealing their hearts and then feel all their pain at once. But Darcy decided it wasn¡¯t his decision whether he wanted to live or die. She believed she should be the one making decisions for everyone.


    And just like that, once she was done, Norman¡¯s little body copsed on the ground.


    "What happened? It was supposed to work," she screamed at the witch.


    "Don¡¯t worry. Take him back home," the witch said.


    "He is dead," Darcy argued.


    "Just touch him. Hold him. See how warm he is now," the witch said with a smile on her lips.


    Darcy quickly held Norman in her arms. And just like the witch imed, he was indeed very warm. She began to smile uncontrobly when she noticed how regr his breathing had be too.


    "My son is alive. You alwayse through to help me," she said to the woman, who gave her a nod. Then Darcy left for her home to give the good news to her husband.


    When she arrived, she found her husband hugging their children. They had woken up and said something had happened to them in their sleep. Darcy didn¡¯t care. She had good news.


    "Norman is alive. He is fine," she said.


    Lord McQuoid instantly got up from his couch and rushed over to snatch Norman out of her hands. He noticed his son was fine. He was just sleeping peacefully.


    "How did it happen?" he asked her. She gave him a proud smile.


    "I told you. The seer I know is very kind. She is better than the holy mother," she said.


    And for the first time, Lord McQuoid felt scared of his wife, even though she hade back with their son alive.


    Darcy then very lovingly took Norman back in her arms and began to walk away toy him down in his bedroom. The minute she did, Norman woke up gasping for air.


    "It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay, you are fine," she said, sitting down beside him and cupping his face in her hands.


    Lord McQuoid had chased after her, wanting to know how Norman hade back to life. He was certain Norman had been dying. His organs had shut down too. But when he arrived, he saw his son sitting up and looking at his mother.


    That sight was such a treasure for Lord McQuoid that he decided to stay silent for a while. He just wanted to feel happy.


    But then Norman said something that made both parents stare at each other and share a look.


    "There are monsters on the 10th floor," he cried, holding his mother¡¯s hands. Darcy turned to look at her husband, her eyes filled with rage.


    "Who hurt him?" she asked. "How the hell did you not kill those people?"


    "Honey, there is no 10th floor," Lord McQuoid said, looking at Darcy¡¯s confused expression.


    Norman began to feel deeply unsettled. He was certain he had walked onto the 10th floor. He had not fallen from the 9th to the 8th. He knew what he had seen.

 Chapter 746-Fallen Out Of Love

    <h4>Chapter 746: 746-Fallen Out Of Love</h4>


    <strong>Author¡¯s pov:</strong>


    Norman eventually stopped talking about the 10th floor because he felt like others were judging him. Even in his own mind, he was confused about whether he had actually fallen down or dreamed it. So he stopped talking about it altogether, and the days began to pass.


    However, Lord McQuoid began to fall out of love with Darcy. He started to notice how self-centered and evil she was. She spent all her time on phone calls with Larry, asking him what was going on in the packs. He realized Darcy loved only herself more than anyone else.


    That was when a woman arrived, offering him help. Lord McQuoid came home with her and was waiting for Darcy toe out of the bathroom so she could tell her they finally had a live-in nanny¡ªsomeone who had specifically said she didn¡¯t need money, just a ce to stay, and she would eat whatever they were cooking. That would be her pay. It was a great deal. Besides, she was charming, and the way she approached Lord McQuoid in the academy, smiling at the kids, made him feel she was the right choice.


    She stayed with them the whole day and took care of the kids. McQuoid realized this was the best option, so he brought her home that night.


    "Yes, honey? Are you here? Why did youe sote? Who will cook dinner now?" Darcy came out annoyed. She had just woken up and attended the bathroom after a six-hour nap and realized there was nothing to eat. She had told McQuoid toe home early so he could cook dinner.


    "I don¡¯t need to cook dinner anymore. She will do it." As soon as he stepped aside, Urs came into view, both hands stretched out, hugging Darcy¡¯s children. Darcy began to lose her mind. She stepped back, almost falling, before holding onto the couch to steady herself.


    "No, I mean, who is this woman? How could you bring in some woman?" she gulped.


    "She is a live-in nanny." McQuoid hissed at her for questioning him. She knew he was looking for a nanny. How could she suddenly be so against it?


    "No, I don¡¯t need a nanny. I¡¯ll take care of my kids myself." She started speaking in haste, her words rushed with fear. She had no idea Urs would show up in her life again. It was a disaster she thought she had left far behind. In her mind, she was furious with Niles. But she realized that since she didn¡¯t hold the title of Luna Queen, Niles probably just did whatever he wanted.


    "I don¡¯t care what you say, and I know you¡¯re not capable of taking care of anything. So Urs will stay here and take care of our kids and us." He warned Darcy not to go against him.


    "Fine then. Let¡¯s see how much she can work." Darcy hissed at Urs, who was smirking. She didn¡¯t understand how a fucking mermaid could just show up and smirk like that. But there was a twist. She couldn¡¯t tell anyone Urs was a mermaid, since they had cut off her tail. So she was stuck in her own traps.


    "You don¡¯t need to worry about anything. She will prepare breakfast and lunch together. Leave your servings behind while she takes the rest with me to my workce. She can take care of the kids there. We have a room ready, and the kids can take a nap and even use the restroom there. I am not leaving her or my children with you."


    At this point, Lord McQuoid could not trust Darcy anymore. She had not taken care of her kids or him a single day. While they were busy working hard to secure their futures, Darcy was paralyzed with fear. The arrival of Urs was not a small thing. She knew Urs hade back for revenge, and after that, Darcy tried everything. She even went as far as to poison the food one day, then told McQuoid that Urs had tried to poison her.


    However, she was caught in a lie when she realized he had footage from the CCTV camera in the house. She was furious that he never told her there was a camera facing the exit, which also caught her sneaking into the kitchen with a poison bottle in her hand. But it didn¡¯t help her.


    Lord McQuoid was slowly beginning to distance himself from her and growing closer to Urs, becausepared to Darcy, Urs was a breath of fresh air.


    Then Darcy started lying about being pregnant. She told McQuoid she got pregnant often, but every time it turned out to be a lie. Then she would scream and cry and im Urs had killed her babies. Although Urs did torture her mentally, none of the miscarriages came from Urs, because there were no babies to begin with.


    But Urs yed along. Whenever Darcy said she was pregnant, Urs happily took care of her, showing Lord McQuoid how different she was from Darcy.


    That was when one day, Lord McQuoid sat Darcy down to finally break the news.


    "I¡¯m going to ept and mark Urs," he said.


    Darcy¡¯s jaw hit the floor. It was karma catching up to her, the misfortune she had brought upon herself, her children, and even Lord McQuoid.


    "No, you will not bring that fucking no-wolf she-wolf into our home," Darcy hissed, warning him through her eyes.


    "How dare you cheat on me!" she screamed, getting up from her bed when he warned her to sit down. He was no longer going to tolerate her tantrums.


    "I am done with you. In case you haven¡¯t realized, our love is gone. We have fallen out of love. When was thest time you did anything for me, thest time you loved me? You only love yourself. You don¡¯t even love our children anymore," he yelled at her, and she was shocked that he raised his voice at her. If he had done that earlier, she might not have turned out the way she did.


    "And I did not cheat on you. I grew feelings for her, and I am telling you before I even act on them," he said.


    Her eyes slowly moved to the corner of the door. She could see Urs standing there, just peeking through the crack with a smirk on her lips. That was when it became clear that Urs was going to be a disaster for her life, if she didn¡¯t do something quickly.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


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 Chapter 747-The Rejection Of The Evil Luna

    <h4>Chapter 747: 747-The Rejection Of The Evil Luna</h4>


    <strong>Author¡¯s POV:</strong>


    "So I have to wait for Urs to get a second chance mate? But she¡¯s marrying my husband. She¡¯s going to date him. Now what?" Darcy almost yelled on the phone, losing her temper.


    "There is another way, but it will be the hard way for you to get rid of the misfortune and surpass the death of your children," thedy said, making Darcy roll her eyes and sit down tiredly.


    "I¡¯m so tired of all these rituals and everything, and now my entire world is falling apart," Darcyined. "But tell me, do tell me what it is. Now that I¡¯m already losing my husband, I don¡¯t want to lose my children," Darcy added.


    "If Urs cannot carry another child for the sacrifice, then you will have to either sacrifice all your sons¡¯ mates or their first children. But they must be born and not taken out by force from the womb," the grey woman said, making Darcy nod.


    "All my sons¡¯ mates or their firstborn babies," she repeated. "That will be so hard," Darcy said.


    "It will be. But I am seeing something in the future. A mistake the Moon Goddess thought she was making just to punish you. That same mistake cane in handy for you. There will be one mutual mate of all your sons. So it will be a lot easier for you to kill that one mate after she gives birth to her first children, or kill her baby. But the baby has to be from all of your sons," the gray woman said, pronouncing every word slowly and carefully so that Darcy engraves it in her memory.


    "Got it. But that will take too long. I will have to wait so long for that to happen. What will be of my children and me?" she asked the grave woman.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Darcy, but until then your children will suffer. I will let you know, piece by piece, whenever their curse bes intense, how to slow it down. But in the end, they will die if you don¡¯t do what I¡¯m telling you." The gray woman warned her of going against her.


    "Correct. I will just do it." Darcy nodded her head tiredly.


    "Also, Darcy, there¡¯s one big problem," the gray woman added.


    "Now what?" Darcy asked, sounding exhausted.


    "One of your sons will start to forget, and he will eventually turn into an animal in human skin. But the curse won¡¯t stop there. His memory will fade so badly that one day he will forget he needs to breathe to live. And that one in particr, I don¡¯t see him in the future with you standing tall when the curse is finally over. He is not in the future,"


    The woman¡¯s words stunned Darcy. She began to frantically pace around the room.


    "Which one is it? And why? Why would that happen?" she began to chew on her nails anxiously.


    "I cannot tell you this right now, but you will find out soon. That one in particr has very bad energy attached to him. A very evil soul. And that soul is sucking the life out of him. So once the curse intensifies for thest time, even though the others will survive, he might not. Not in this world. This world and everything in it will start to be poison for him for a few hours when the curse will be released in the air," she finished.


    Darcy sat on the bed, her body still, tears forming in her eyes.


    "I don¡¯t want to lose any of my children," she uttered.


    "I just hope we will find a way by then," the woman said.


    After they ended the call, Darcy picked up her phone to call Larry and let him know what was going on.


    "I can¡¯t believe he is cheating on you," Larry said.


    Darcy began to sniffle and wipe her tears.


    "That bitch came back just to punish me. I¡¯m suffering so much because of her. But I will stay here. I¡¯ll make sure I ruin their every happiness. And even if I have to kill her, I will kill her," Darcy said determinedly.


    "Remember, Larry, how I killed the holy mother? I want to do the same to Urs. I want to get her out of the way," she stated, not realizing someone else had arrived and heard her talk about how she had killed the poor woman.


    "You killed the holy mother?" Lord McQuoid gasped, and Darcy got up from the bed, terror visible in her eyes.


    "How could you have done that? She was like a mother to me," Lord McQuoid started to scream.


    Larry heard it and began preparing his warriors and a car to fetch Darcy before Lord McQuoid hurt her for killing someone.


    "She was bing a problem. She was filling your ears with nonsense, and you were listening to her like every word she said was the word of the Moon Goddess."


    Darcy began to panic. Her husband had already fallen out of love with her. But he was still going to stay with her out of the goodness of his heart and because she was the mother of his children. But this truth would change everything. This truth made him see that she was too scary to be around Urs, his children, or anybody else.


    "You know what, Darcy? You¡¯re evil. I don¡¯t want you around me and my children anymore," Lord McQuoid yelled. Darcy began to shake her head.


    "Well, you cannot punish me for it. She was a rogue. There is no rule about rogues getting killed," Darcy hissed, making Lord McQuoid shake his head. He realized how messed up she was.


    "Well then, I¡¯ll punish you in my own way," he stated. "I, McQuoid, Arrow McQuoid, reject you as my mate and my wife, and I forbid you from ever seeing my children again."


    He yelled at her, making her gasp and cover her mouth.


    "No, no, no, you cannot reject me," she began to cry almost instantly.


    But McQuoid had made up his mind. He was done with her. No matter how much she cried and yelled that day, he did not listen to her.


    Eventually, he locked Urs and the children inside one room until Darcy was fetched by Larry.


    She told him she woulde for her children, and she did with the council.


    The council sat the children down, and they did not even want to go with their mother. Even the thought of being alone with her made them freak out.


    Maximus Kaye would start crying and panicking. Emmet waspletely distant from his mother. And Norman, being the oldest, was able to confidently tell the council how their mother had been torturing them and how bad of a woman she was.


    With that being said, the council demanded Darcy ept the rejection and leave.


    So she returned to her pack and regained her crown.

 Chapter 748-Helanie Became Her Target

    <h4>Chapter 748: 748-Hnie Became Her Target</h4>


    <strong>Author¡¯s POV:</strong>


    "Darcy, it¡¯s been years that you have begged McQuoid to take you back. He has moved on. He is happy with his new chosen mate, Urs, and God knows when they will n to get married," Larry told Darcy, who had been sitting in her bedroom alone.


    "I have done something," she said, holding the reports in her hand.


    "What have you done now?" Larry asked, sitting down with her.


    "You know how people say that once you have a child with someone, things change?"


    As soon as she started speaking, Larry already knew where she was headed with the conversation, so he began to move his hand around to stop her from saying anything more and embarrassing herself.


    "Haven¡¯t you done that already? It is not going to work anymore. You already have children with him," Larry said. "And it will be odd for you to beg him to give you another child. Not only will he not ept it, but he will even upset you with his rejection," Larry uttered, not understanding how far Darcy was going to go just to make her ns work.


    But she thought she had already done so much for her children, so why couldn¡¯t she have more? She was already sacrificing a lot for them.


    "I didn¡¯t have to beg him," she said, showing Larry the report she had just received.


    He squinted his eyes, and then they started to widen as shock began to hit him at once.


    "What is this, Darcy?" he asked, going through the reports, trying to understand if they were real or if she had forged them.


    "Faking reports won¡¯t work. He is not a child. He knows you two haven¡¯t slept together in years," he said, trying to make her understand that what she was doing sounded so wrong that she could embarrass herself even more and even get herself in trouble with the others, with the council, for lying so bluntly.


    "You don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s not a lie. It is the truth, and I don¡¯t have to sleep with him," she said in one breath before getting up from the bed.


    "You know, back when we were trying to have children, after our babies died, we had preserved our eggs together," she said, smiling deeply as tears welled in her eyes. "Even before that, we hoped that someday we could use those eggs to..." She stopped when she saw the confused look on his face. "About two months ago, during one of the mate full moons, I went through IVF and had an embryo transferred. And now, I¡¯m pregnant. I¡¯m so happy," she whispered.


    But Larry thought it was a bad idea. Just because she had tricked McQuoid many times before didn¡¯t mean it would work again. He used to overlook her actions because he was madly in love with her, but things had changed. He hated her after discovering how brutally she killed an innocent woman, just because she refused to stop sinning.


    "And I have messaged McQuoid," she said, staring at the phone screen.


    However, the text that arrived was not what she had expected. Her smile started to fade as she began to read. Then Larry had to snatch it out of her hands so he could help her read it. She stared at him with her eyes full of tears.


    "Why is he saying all that?" she said.


    "Darcy, if I knew you were going to be such scum of the earth, I would have never married you. I would have rejected you at first sight. It is said that you tricked me into getting pregnant before. And now you have used my eggs without my permission. And now you¡¯re acting like we can be together and that I should be happy. You are bringing these children into our lives for your own selfish gain. I will no longer be part of their life. You will have to take care of the baby yourself, because I am not going to let you use this moment to spend time in my house or with me. So goodbye."


    Larry read it all, and Darcy began to blink her eyes to clear the tears.


    "That can¡¯t be. Once the baby is born, he will definitely feel love for them, right?" she asked Larry, tearing up, while he began to shrug.


    "It seems like he is very determined to never let you be a part of his life anymore, Darcy. You have made a big mistake," he stated.


    But Darcy did not believe it.


    Eventually, she gave birth to twins, Demi and Devon. However, they had the same fate as their brothers. They were suffering. And before they turned ten, they would die if a sacrifice was not done for them in the initial phase.


    So Darcy hadnded herself in a huge mess.


    And then time started to move. It was fast, but it was very slow for Darcy. Every time she heard from her sons how happy their father was with Urs, she would get angry. And then her anger started to extend back to Hnie.


    She found out that Urs¡¯s daughter was still alive. Although she knew that Urs did not like it because the daughter was from Niles, she still wanted to punish her just to get the happiness and satisfaction because she could not harm Urs. So she started to fill Alpha Diaz¡¯s ears with poison.


    "I am telling you, she is the daughter of the woman who had stolen my husband. She will steal your son from you and then she¡¯ll kick you out like I¡¯m kicked out of my sons and my husband¡¯s life," Darcy said as shey naked under the nket with Diaz.


    They had been together for three days at this point. They had a steamy vacation right after she had a vacation with the royal beta, Mr. Combs and the alpha of the pack. She loved a good threesome. And whenever a beta and the alpha were involved, she would enjoy it more.


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 Chapter 749-One Wild Night With The Four Of Them

    <h4>Chapter 749: 749-One Wild Night With The Four Of Them</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    Emmet had his tongue down my throat, his hand holding my chin, and his body lying behind me in his bed. We were naked, his cock entirely in my pussy from the back as I held my leg up to create easy ess for his monster dick. He was kissing me passionately, fucking me with his tongue while going in and out of me. His hand would grope my breasts, massage them, and then pinch my nipples before releasing them.


    However, we had no clue that the night had been so wild that my other mates had been feeling it too.


    They must have been looking everywhere for me because the minute they barged into his room, I saw the look on their faces. It was like their search had finally ended.


    Their eyes were hungrily watching me. Their arrival didn¡¯t stop Emmet. He continued to fuck me like we weren¡¯t being watched. I instinctively tried to close my legs, but they seemed ready to take me. Even when there were so many things we had to speak about, we could care less in the moment. Maximus and Norman were looking at me with hunger-filled eyes, Kaye breathing like a bull.


    I was in such heat that I did not want to argue with Kaye anymore.


    While Emmet was sucking my nipples, the others began to take off their clothes and walk towards the bed.


    Norman pinched my tit and kissed my lips, handing me his cock to hold. I held it but winced in pain when Emmet¡¯s dick hit my G-spot hard. My eyes closed momentarily before Maximus¡¯s hand joined Norman¡¯s in groping and massaging my breasts.


    Kaye had grabbed a bottle of oil, sticking his finger in it. I knew what he was up to. He knelt down on the bed, Maximus helping him lift my ass while Emmet never stopped thrusting his cock in and out of me.


    I almost yelled when Kaye inserted his oil-filled finger inside my hole.


    The minute I opened my mouth to scream, Norman shoved his cock down my throat. After fingering my ass for a while, Kaye got up and pulled my ass cheeks up, adjusting his cock at the entrance. He didn¡¯t give me a chance and thrust his entire length in me, making tearse out of my eyes. But I still couldn¡¯t scream a word since Norman¡¯s cock was blocking my words.


    Maximus roamed his hands around my breasts for a while before Norman pulled back, and now Maximus¡¯s cock entered my mouth.


    "Ahhhh!!! Umm.!" I moaned with the cock still in me, and Emmet and Kaye switched ces.


    Emmet rolled me over on top of Kaye while he stood behind me. As soon as I sat on Kaye¡¯s dick, Emmet shoved his entire length in my ass, and I began to scream.


    "Fuck! Be gentle!" Iined teasingly but also filled with pleasure. Norman and Maximus stood to the left and right, Norman giving me his cock to hold while I grabbed Maximus¡¯s cock myself in a hurry. As I started to suck one cock and gave Maximus a hand job, Emmet and Kaye began to fuck me wildly.


    For the next half-hour, I was switching between Norman and Maximus¡¯s cock while the two fucked my holes with no mercy.


    After they were done and my pussy and ass were covered in their cum, they stepped away, letting Norman and Maximus take my holes next.


    Norman started to stroke in and out of my pussy while I was on top of Maximus with my back facing him.


    He was hitting my ass from the down, making me sit on his entire length before moving up.


    And then he started to help me with the movement. Emmet and Kaye were holding my each leg wide apart while I was holding their cocks and asionally sucking them.


    Norman had his hand around my neck while he probed his cock into my pussy.


    "Ah! You are ours only," Norman grunted, making sure his cock hit me deep within.


    My holes were throbbing with pain at this point, but the brothers were far from over. After they were done, I was moved onto the bed to get on my fours next to Emmet¡¯s cock while Norman started to fuck my ass from the back in a doggy style.


    I sucked Emmet¡¯s cock until it was dry before Maximus took over his spot. His cock went deep within my mouth. At the same time, Kaye began to finger my pussy with Emmet joining him.


    It was never too crowded with them.


    Once we all had been emptied, wey around. Me in the bed with Emmet before we began to get up to clean up.


    We weren¡¯t the only people in the mansion anymore, so we needed to be careful.


    "I am sorry for everything said and done in the past," Emmet whispered into my ear once I walked out of the bathroom after taking a shower. His brothers had left even when I could tell they wanted to stick around.


    "You said you were only acting, so then you don¡¯t need to apologize," I told Emmet, crawling into the bed with him. He covered us with a nket and hugged me tightly.


    "Still, it wasn¡¯t easy for me to hurt you. I have never done that intentionally," he continued, gently running his hand through my hair. I began to fall asleep while listening to his heartbeat.


    "Just know that I love you a lot," he confessed while I was falling into slumber.


    "I love you too, Emmet. I have always cared for you, and deep down, I believed you wouldn¡¯t hurt me. But the proof made me act up¡ª" I hesitated as he hugged me tightly, almost as if to say we didn¡¯t need to talk about the past.


    "I know, and that¡¯s why I want to say I¡¯m really sorry, even if I was only pretending," he said, then he began to breathe calmly. I saw he was drifting off too, so I stopped fighting sleep.

 Chapter 750-Playing The Bitch

    <h4>Chapter 750: 750-ying The Bitch</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "The council is here," one of the maids informed us.


    Afterst night, everybody went to our rooms while I stayed in Emmet¡¯s. When I woke up, I was told the council wasing, so we were now dressed to face them. I had a bad feeling that the encounter would be wild and frightening.


    As soon as I entered the living room, where everyone was already gathered, including Azura and Kesha, who hated me, and even Kesha¡¯s uncle and father, I felt all eyes on me. My mates stood beside me, they had walked in with me.


    "So, you¡¯re a mermaid," Vonston asked as he stood up. He hadn¡¯t been there the night I transformed. "And you¡¯re also the daughter of Soren Vaughn," he added, and I nodded. I could tell Darcy wasn¡¯t happy that the man wasn¡¯t calling for my execution right away.


    "Well, then let me tell you something, daughter," Vonston said as he stepped forward and held my hands. "You didn¡¯t have to run away, but I¡¯m sorry you did. Our people can be hostile. But forgive them, they didn¡¯t know you were the daughter of the great adventurer and pirate, Alpha Soren Vaughn."


    The way he said it, and the way everyone who came with him started to bow, made my heart skip a beat.


    "We don¡¯t hate mermaids. We never have. We¡¯ve just never crossed paths with them," someone behind Vonston said.


    I felt foolish for running away that night, but with the crowd yelling so aggressively, it had seemed like my only option.


    "What is going on? Why are you all treating her like she¡¯s some big deal?" Darcy asked, of course.


    Even though Kesha¡¯s father and uncle looked unhappy, but they stayed silent.


    "Lady Darcy, we respect your work in themunity, but that¡¯s where it ends. We make decisions on our own. No one will harm our guest, the special hybrid she-wolf. In fact, we wee her kind to swim across our seas. There will be strict rules against anyone who tries to harm the mermaids," Vonston said and Lord McQuoid looked so proud of Vonston


    "I told you they¡¯d respect you. Our ancestors made mistakes, and now we think we¡¯re enemies," Maximus said, elbowing me gently.


    My eyes shifted to Charlotte, who looked lifeless. I felt terrible for her. But then I saw Azura, head down, eyes ring up at me through her eyebrows. She looked monstrous at that moment.


    "If Holy Mother were here today, she would¡¯ve been so happy to finally see a mermaid. She always told us about them in bedtime stories," Vonston said. But I was confused, who was Holy Mother? And why did Lord McQuoid seem so affected by her name? So much so that he looked Darcy straight in the eyes. She only straightened her back and pretended not to notice him ring.


    "So, does that mean she gets to stay here among us?" Darcy asked.


    Everyone stared at her face before Vonston said, "I promised to keep this child safe. And after what we did to her, it¡¯s the werewolves who should be apologizing to the mermaids. So no, there will be no action taken against her. In fact, we wee her into ournd. Besides, she¡¯s part werewolf. And right now, we definitely want to rebuild our alliances with those who never meant us harm."


    I was so happy hearing Vonston. Last night, I had been worried they would arrive and I¡¯d have to face another trial or more hatred.


    "Anyway, I hope we¡¯ll be offered breakfast. We arrived so early in the morning," Vonston joked, and I nodded.


    "I¡¯ll prepare everything for you myself. And thank you so much for making me feel at home," I said, as he patted my head like a father would his daughter.


    In the kitchen, I began preparing breakfast. My mates came in to help, and Charlotte was there too, she was always so helpful. Jessica was chopping vegetables and handling the rest. The only ones who hadn¡¯t shown up were Kesha and Azura. Azura did pass by the kitchen a few times, and it made me feel ufortable. She kept lurking around so creepily.


    Finally, the council members and others had left. I was heading upstairs to grab clothes from Norman¡¯s closet when I suddenly got a strange headache. I felt like I was going to throw up. I rushed into the nearest bedroom and then into the bathroom, where I threw up.


    I didn¡¯t know what had suddenly happened, but I¡¯d been feeling slight headaches and mild nausea for a while. Today, it just exploded. After washing my face, I turned to the open bathroom door, I¡¯d left it ajar in my rush, and came face to face with Darcy. She was staring at me with wide eyes, as if she had just heard shocking news, or as if she had seen a ghost in me.


    "What?" I groaned at her, gently rubbing my temples.


    "Nothing," she muttered, then walked into the bathroom. I was already on alert. For all I knew, she could be trying to kill me.


    "I¡¯ve been meaning to talk with you. We don¡¯t have to be so hostile to each other," she said, her hands sped under her abdomen, looking obedient.


    "You¡¯re saying this after asking the council to punish me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, judging her sudden change in behavior.


    "Well, let¡¯s be honest. I don¡¯t know how dangerous mermaids can be." She gave me a look, almost like she was daring me to bring up what she did to my mother. But I didn¡¯t. I knew that would only satisfy her.


    "Sure, we don¡¯t have to fight," I said, and she started to smile.


    "Well, I heard you¡¯re going back to the academy tomorrow. It¡¯s mostly just action work now, right? So you¡¯ll be fighting the Zharns and handling the X-Codex?" she asked. I only nodded, giving her a judgmental look.


    "Then I rmend you remember to be very careful. You know, having too many abortions can be dangerous."


    The moment she said that, the look on my face changed from judgment to concern.


    "What do you mean by that?" I asked, but she only patted my head and walked out of the bathroom.


    Wait¡ªwas I pregnant?


    No. I didn¡¯t want to be pregnant, because every time I did get pregnant, I lost the baby.


    I started to panic.


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 Chapter 751-Starting A War But Cannot Fight

    <h4>Chapter 751: 751-Starting A War But Cannot Fight</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I had been extremely anxious, but I didn¡¯t talk to anyone about it. I guess in my head I thought that if I didn¡¯t say anything, it didn¡¯t really happen. That night, I slept in Norman¡¯s room, but he took the couch. I think he was still really angry with me. And since their curses seemed a little milder, I could tell he had managed to sleep for a few hours. That was a relief, but I still wondered how long before their curse red up again.


    We woke up the next morning, ready to head to the academy. It was finally time to deal with the Zharns and do something about it. When I arrived, my friends jumped up and down around me. They always acted like they were seeing an alien.


    "Everyone, you all know that the Zharns have started killing a lot of innocent people. It¡¯s time we put what we¡¯ve learned to use and protect our people from those filthy monsters. I¡¯ve already printed out notes about the X-codex, what to expect from them, and who the old man is. He¡¯s called the Father of the X-codex, and he has four children. One of them was Rune, so he¡¯s no longer with us. That leaves three children to focus on. I hope we can move fast, because time is slipping away and we need to kill them before they kill more of us."


    Norman took the lead, exining what everyone should expect. Even though I was now an Alpha Queen, I still wanted to stand in line with the other students.


    Thankfully, since I was still too young, I was told to take my time and finish my education before fully taking over the role of Alpha Queen.


    "So, what are we going to do?" Hans asked. He¡¯d been keeping his distance ever since he was used of hurting Lamar. I think he realized that this one-sided love would only bring him more pain than anything else, especially since Lamar and Jenny seemed stronger than ever. They had marked each other in thest few days, so they were in a good mood.


    As for Penn, I always caught him watching me, and it broke my heart. Gavin had shifted into his warrior role, so he stood next to the trainers.


    "We¡¯ll start by finding as many Zharns as we can and killing them to send a message to force the Father toe forward," Norman said. "Also, keep an eye out for anything suspicious, especially when tracking the siblings. Now, everyone, go back into the hall, grab whatever weapon you want, and get to work. Don¡¯t go alone. Stay in groups, and cover your ears. You don¡¯t want the Zharns whispering into them and misleading you."


    Everyone began to walk away while I stood still, staring at Emmet. The moment Norman mentioned the Zharns whispering, Emmet started zoning out. I walked toward the trainers again, with Gavin still standing near us.


    "I also want to go into the woods and fight the Zharns," I said.


    "Of course you do," Normanmented, knowing I was too stubborn to stay behind.


    "Yeah, but be careful," Maximus said, and I gave him a look.


    "What? I just said to be careful." He¡¯d been acting awkward all morning. Even Norman and Kaye were doing the same. As for Emmet, he seemed normal.


    I started walking away with Gavin when I noticed Emmet talking to the brothers about something. Then Norman began walking toward me, and I already knew he didn¡¯t want me to leave.


    "Emmet wants to speak with you about something," he said.


    I was confused why he didn¡¯t say it himself, whatever this thing was. Then Maximus and Kaye slowly walked past me.


    "Gavin, go ahead and grab yourself a weapon. I¡¯lle join you in a second. Just find a crossbow for me," I said before turning back toward Emmet.


    He stood there with his hands in his pockets and his head tilted.


    "You wanted to speak with me about something?" I asked, and he began looking around anxiously.


    "I heard you¡¯re not feeling well," he said quietly.


    "Where did you hear that from?" I asked, confused.


    "Your mates," he replied, and I suddenly understood why they¡¯d been acting so weird around me all morning, especially when I was throwing up again.


    "What is it, Hnie? I¡¯m pretty sure you know that when women feel like this, there¡¯s a way to find out if it¡¯s for one specific reason." He was being very careful with his words.


    "You mean to say I¡¯m pregnant?" I asked bluntly.


    "Could be," he replied.


    "No. I don¡¯t want to be pregnant." The moment I said it harshly, I saw his eyebrows furrow.


    "You don¡¯t want to be pregnant from your mates?" he asked, his voice heavy. "Why, do you think I¡¯ll harm your baby again?"


    I could tell he wasn¡¯t trying to be weird about it. He was just worried about me.


    "No, it has nothing to do with you. It¡¯s just that¨C" I bit down on my lip. "Every time I get pregnant, I lose the baby." I was trying to help him understand that it wasn¡¯t just about him because, let¡¯s be honest, there was still a chance he¡¯d been innocent.


    "Right. But Hnie, not taking the test doesn¡¯t make the truth go away. Remember I told you I was doing my research? I found something, and I think it¡¯ll help you." He leaned down so his face was level with mine. His tone softened so much, my whole body tensed up.


    "What did you find out?" I asked gently.


    "You losing the baby had nothing to do with your body. It was the curse. You¡¯ll only get pregnant from all your mates or none."


    It was like one shock after another. First, he tells me he thinks I¡¯m pregnant. Then, he tells me I¡¯m pregnant from all of them? That made no sense. I smiled awkwardly.


    "Hey, it¡¯s okay." He quickly took my hand tofort me.


    "I don¡¯t understand how it would work," I said softly.


    "That¡¯s not your problem. You¡¯ll conceive the babies and give birth. If it¡¯s one baby with a shared DNA, we all take care of the baby. If it¡¯s more, we take care of them too. You won¡¯t be the one doing it alone."


    It was like he¡¯d read my mind. I¡¯d been freaking out, imagining myself trying to care for so many babies on my own.


    "And what do you mean by ¡¯if it¡¯s one baby¡¯?" I asked.


    "One baby who has all our DNA," he replied.


    And honestly, I was scared. They¡¯d fight over who gets to spend more time with the baby.


    "What if I lose my baby again?" I asked him.


    He cupped my face in his hands. "You won¡¯t this time," he said gently. "Because we¡¯re doing everything the right way."


    Then he leaned in and kissed me softly.

 Chapter 752-Emmet Was Framed Terribly

    <h4>Chapter 752: 752-Emmet Was Framed Terribly</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I was so nervous. I sat anxiously in their shared office after cing the pregnancy test on the table.


    "I¡¯m so excited," Maximus said, but after getting a harsh look from Kaye and Emmet, he settled down.


    "As long as she¡¯s okay with it, we¡¯ll be happy. If she¡¯s not, then remember, it¡¯s her body, not ours," Emmet said firmly, staring into Maximus¡¯s eyes.


    I had overheard them once before, while I was in the bathroom. Norman, Emmet, and Kaye were actually scolding Maximus for being too excited. They said it might pressure me into feeling like I had to be happy just for their sake, especially Maximus¡¯s.


    "But fine. You know what? I¡¯ll tell you why I¡¯m so happy. Because there¡¯s good news, or maybe not," Maximus said, cing his hands on his waist.


    "Remember I had been researching Emmet." As soon as Maximus said that, I looked at Emmet, who frowned and narrowed his eyes.


    "I didn¡¯t know you were so impressed with me," he said.


    "Actually, yeah. You¡¯re my brother, the jerk who always helped me but stayed in the shadows, making it seem like you didn¡¯t care." It was nice to see the brothers being more open with each other than before.


    "What did you find out?" I asked Maximus. Since he said it was good news, I wanted to know quickly.


    "Remember I said I was collecting footage from the bars where Emmet was found?" Maximus started pulling out his phone.


    "Wait, what are you talking about? You were researching me? Investigating me?" Emmet asked, still confused.


    Norman gestured for him to stand back.


    "It¡¯s for your own good. We thought maybe you were innocent, that maybe your curse didn¡¯t cause everything," ss Norman said, I saw Emmet look even more lost. He ran his hands through his hair, clearly confused.


    "What is this?" I asked Maximus as he turned the footage toward me.


    And then we saw it. Two warriors were dragging an unconscious Emmet into the bar. They ced him in the exact seat where he waster found and poured alcohol around him. They even forced him to drink a few sips before leaving, making it look like he had been drinking the whole time.


    And not just that, they left Azura¡¯s pictures around him, along with her bracelet and everything. I felt like my whole world had copsed.


    "Wait! I didn¡¯t do that?" Emmet said, pointing at the footage.


    "Well, there¡¯s more. This was from the night you were supposed to marry Hnie. I don¡¯t know how they found you, but this is why you didn¡¯t make it to the wedding," Kaye said.


    Emmet started to tear up.


    "So I didn¡¯t miss the wedding? Fuck it," he groaned, stepping away.


    I felt horrible. He had been punished for something he never did. Someone had been manipting him all along. And all he got from me were angry stares. None of us stepped up to defend him.


    "And that¡¯s not all. Remember the night you supposedly pushed Hnie into the well?" Maximus said. At that, we all stared at him even more intensely.


    Emmet sighed, cing his hands on his waist, his neck stretched upward and eyes closed.


    "Please tell me I didn¡¯t do that," he almost pleaded.


    "You didn¡¯t," Maximus said, making Emmet snap his head toward him. He held up more footage.


    It was the same two guards, again dragging Emmet.


    "You didn¡¯t just push her and go off to drink," Maximus exined, shocking all of us again.


    "But then why did I write those things?" Emmet asked. I could tell this was the first time he was relying on someone else¡¯s information. Usually, he was the one who did the research, acted like the professor, gave lectures, but I guess this topic was too sensitive.


    I slowly looked down, feeling embarrassed. Even though he was still processing everything and had just found out he was innocent, he gently pulled me closer, wrapped his arm around me, and rested my head on his chest. I instantly hugged him, hiding my face in his coat.


    "Tell me," he insisted, but his voice was much softer now.


    "Because you heard the Zharns whispering in your ears." As soon as Maximus exined that, I lifted my head slightly and looked into Emmet¡¯s eyes. He quickly nced down, then looked back at me. He lowered his face and kissed my forehead before turning his attention back to his brothers.


    "Zharns? How do you know that?" he asked.


    "Look at this," Maximus said.


    I turned and watched the footage. Emmet was walking out of the woods, stepping from behind the trees toward the academy. We could see several Zharns surrounding him in a circle, and he looked like he was sleepwalking.


    Emmet stared at it for a few seconds. At the same time, I let go of the hug. I watched the clip too, feeling like we had all let Emmet down. He was always there for us. Whenever something happened, we knew Emmet would show up and help, even before we asked. But when he was in trouble, we didn¡¯t even notice. We just let it happen. Even though he told us so many times that he didn¡¯t remember. Instead of realizing something might be wrong, since he was only supposed to forget temporarily, we didn¡¯t help him.


    "I¡¯m so sorry, Emmet," I said quickly. "I had no idea."


    "I wish we hadn¡¯t been going through so much and had focused on you," Maximus said, reminding us that things were so overwhelming, there was no way we could¡¯ve thought through everything.


    "It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not ming anyone, except the person who literally nned it all against me," Emmet added, confirming it again and again. But I guess the guilt was so heavy on my chest, I couldn¡¯t do anything but apologize again.


    "Emmet, I remember I hurt you so much when I used you. But then Azura came through and took your side. You must hate me so much for it, don¡¯t you?" I said, feeling so low right now.


    And I was so d that while we were doing nothing for Emmet, Maximus went ahead and did his own research, the kind that actually turned out to be useful. As I watched Emmet¡¯s face, I noticed he pouted just a little and nodded.


    "Well, that¡¯s true. Azura did take my side."


    The moment he said that, confirming what I had feared, my lips started to quiver.


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 Chapter 753-Pregnant And Expecting Four Babies.

    <h4>Chapter 753: 753-Pregnant And Expecting Four Babies.</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    "So you¡¯re going to love her more now?" I asked, tears forming in my eyes.


    As soon as Emmet nodded and a tear started to fall from my eye, he rushed over and hugged me.


    "No, silly. She took my side because she wanted me to think she was the only one I could trust. It was all a n. She wanted to iste me," he said, hugging me tightly.


    His scent was soforting. No wonder I never felt strange around it, even after all the usations we had put him through.


    "I mean, we were the reason you were alone. And then you picked her, and you ended up isted with her," I pouted, almost like I wasining.


    "Well¨C" He scratched the back of his neck. "I had to do it without dragging you all with me. Because in my head, I thought, every time I make a n, I end up hurting you. First, when I nned to marry you. Then the well n¡ªI didn¡¯t even think it through. Hnie. I didn¡¯t know about the well and everything. It was a n made by Zharns when they whispered it into my ear, so I was confused about why you were saying I asked you toe to the well. I decided that next time I¡¯m doing something, I won¡¯t include any of you because I don¡¯t want to upset or disappoint you all again. I¡¯m making a n but not acting on it, just like the marriage n." Emmet exined, even though there was no need to exin anything anymore.


    Before I could continue, he held my face in his hands and kissed me.


    "It¡¯s not your fault. You didn¡¯t know. In fact, I¡¯m sorry. Because of me, directly or indirectly, or someone used me to hurt you twice. First, with the marriage, and second, when they made it seem like I betrayed you. You¡¯re the only one who lost everything in the process. So, I¡¯m sorry."


    Of course, Emmet would never believe he was the victim. He always found a reason to apologize. I ran into his chest and hugged him tightly.


    Then I heard a small gasp from Norman. I guess it took him a moment to realize what we had just discovered.


    I let go of the hug because I wanted the brothers to talk, but not before I told Emmet about Norman.


    "You know, he never believed it. He never thought you did anything. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t even want to tell me. He never stopped believing in you," I said, pointing at Norman.


    I didn¡¯t want the brothers to feel like they couldn¡¯t trust each other, especially Norman. He trusted Emmet with all his heart.


    "None of your brothers actually hated you," I added, so Emmet would know they truly cared about him.


    "I know. After all, they¡¯re my brothers first," he said, sticking his tongue out at me to tease and lighten the mood. But Norman was quietly crying, hiding his eyes from us, and it made me feel awful.


    "Come on, you¡¯re a big guy. You¡¯re crying? Seriously?" Emmet joked, reaching over to his brother and pulling him into a hug.


    The others joined in, all four of them hugging together before breaking apart to turn and look at me.


    "Get in here, little one," Norman said.


    I rushed between them, feeling all of them hug me at once. After a while, we broke the hug so that I could ask him a few more questions.


    "Emmet, remember when you wanted to marry me? What was that for?" I asked, and I noticed his face begin to change color.


    "Yes, Emmet, please tell us, what was it?" Kaye asked.


    "The mark ties me to you. But marriage names you my wife. The world knows it. Thew knows it. The spirits might know it too even if I forget my existence. I wanted something to be remembered. It was¡ª it was something I found out about myself. I¡¯m supposed to gopletely crazy, and my curse is the type that¡¯s a bit deadlier than the others," he said under his breath. We all nced at each other, then looked back at him.


    "Exin it to us," Maximus demanded.


    "In the end, I¡¯ll forget to breathe. That¡¯s all I can say." Emmet sighed. It felt like I had just received a shock like no other.


    "What do you mean? Does that mean you¡¯re going to die?" I began to panic, tears already forming again.


    "But it¡¯s okay. I mean, they will die too," Emmet tried to joke, pointing at his brothers, who were in tears. Maximus suddenly lunged at Emmet and hugged him, crying into his chest like a baby. I started to step back and away from them.


    That shouldn¡¯t happen. We need to find a way to break the curse. It was all I could think about when my eyesnded on the pregnancy test.


    Although I had been so scared before, I wasn¡¯t anymore, only because I wanted to be there for my mates.


    "Guys, you¡¯re all bing fathers," I announced, the happiest smile on my face, because I wanted my mates to know there was still hope.


    They broke the hug and turned to look at me, their eyes wide.


    "Look, I¡¯m pregnant." I grabbed the pregnancy test and waved it in the air.


    They rushed toward me again, and Norman was the one who picked me up, while the others stood around us, happily hugging each other.


    "So I could finally show my happiness?" Maximus asked, and Kaye gave him a nod. He began to dance and jump up and down. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t want to be pregnant by them, I was just scared. What if I lost the baby again? I didn¡¯t want to go through that pain again. But right now, this was the positivity we needed in our lives.


    Even though we were so happy at that moment, we were still trying to look away from the fact that what Emmet had told us might be the end of us.

 Chapter 754-The Creepy Stalker

    <h4>Chapter 754: 754-The Creepy Stalker</h4>


    <strong>Emmet:</strong>


    Nothing made sense anymore. After I saw those clips, I realized there wasn¡¯t something wrong with me, someone had nned it against me. But who could it be? I started thinking about everyone who lived in the mansion or had ess to it.


    After Hnie announced the good news, I didn¡¯t want them to focus on me. I didn¡¯t want to be selfish and ruin their happy moment. So I acted happy, even though I was falling apart inside.


    I made an excuse and went home, saying I needed some files and books. But once I was home, especially in my corner, I started working through a list. I sat down and wrote out the names of people who could¡¯ve been involved in the scribbling at least.


    I checked the names one by one. I crossed out Norman, then Maximus, Hnie, and my father. But a few names were harder to cross off.


    Kaye.


    The reason was simple: Kaye was cursed to kill Hnie. But also, I knew someone had been whispering in his ear. I didn¡¯t want to believe he pushed her, but I had a gut feeling someone might¡¯ve used his body to leave those scribbles. Still, as I stared at his name, I remembered how others had once thought the same about me. So in the end, I crossed his name too.


    Then there were only a few left. My mother, who had been visiting often. Urs, Hnie¡¯s mother, I didn¡¯t believe she could¡¯ve done it, so I crossed her out too.


    That left three names. And one of them was already dead.


    Emma, Charlotte and my mother.


    "Didn¡¯t Charlotte try to mend her ways?" my wolf reminded me.


    "Tried to. There¡¯s a thing called deceptive," I replied in my head. "Azura acts like she¡¯s perfect. Like my interests are her best interests. But can we trust her? How do we know she¡¯s not ying a game? The same goes for Charlotte. Just because her mother died and she¡¯s grieving doesn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t going around ying games with us."


    And then there was thest one, my mother.


    I pped my forehead. "She¡¯s such an obvious name. And she¡¯s definitely someone who¡¯d do something like that."


    I paused. My mother being involved, that would be seriously messed up. Because if she had done this to me, I didn¡¯t know how I¡¯d be able to live with that.


    "But how are we going to find out if it was one of the two of them, or the one who¡¯s already dead?" my wolf asked.


    "My mother wouldn¡¯t want Azura back, that much I know. Charlotte didn¡¯t like her when she was alive. And if Charlotte didn¡¯t like her, neither would Emma," I said, rubbing my temples, confused.


    "Do you know what I¡¯ve been thinking about?" I spoke to my wolf.


    "What is it?" the wolf asked.


    "Azura died. She stopped existing. Then after so many years, she came back to life." I paused, needing a moment before saying it out loud. "Why has she aged?"


    The moment I said that, my wolf groaned. "It¡¯s not like she was sent to another life where she stayed alive. She was literally dead. Her body was in the ocean. How the hell did shee back aged up?"


    I groaned, tapping my pen against the page.


    "Maybe she rapidly aged until she caught up to how old she should be," my wolf suggested.


    I shook my head. "No. That still doesn¡¯t make sense. Her body was out there. She should have rotted, Merit. Something¡¯s wrong," I muttered, feeling myself lose itpletely.


    "What if the father found her a long time ago, and she was being tortured all this time?" Merit said.


    "No, Merit. The sacrifice happened just now, this year. How would she havee back years ago?" I stopped, my heart sinking in my chest.


    "What is it?" Merit asked.


    "It¡¯s almost as if she was never dead," I mumbled. The thought hit me so hard I got goosebumps.


    "And how are we going to find out if that¡¯s true?" my wolf asked, clearly as worried as I was.


    Something was off with Azura, how she appeared out of nowhere, then died, then came back, even though I never made the sacrifice. How the hell was she back?


    "How about we find the scribbles and match the handwriting?" my wolf said. "I know they tried to copy our writing, but they must have made a mistake."


    "We can also check for fingerprints," I added.


    "Yeah, but so many people have touched them. The prints might be gone," Merit said.


    "No, Merit. If Norman got ahold of them, trust me, half of it will still be preserved," I replied as I stood and picked up my phone.


    "Norman, do you remember those scribbles you told me about? Do you still have them?" I asked, even though I was already sure he did.


    "Yeah, I have them. I put them in a stic bag after collecting them." He paused, and I could tell he was thinking the same thing. "Emmet. There were a few pages I didn¡¯t even let anyone touch. I grabbed them exactly the way they were and sealed them in a bag," Norman said. That was all we needed. It could finally expose who left them.


    "Great, Norman. I¡¯ll need to run a DNA test on the fingerprints." I hung up, feeling hopeful, and left my room, this time locking it behind me. This could¡¯ve all been prevented if I had just locked it before and had cameras under my control, not the general security¡¯s.


    As I walked down the hallway, I suddenly felt like someone was watching me. I turned and saw Azura peeking from behind a pir, then quickly hiding.


    This was exactly the kind of thing I hated, her creeping around again. She¡¯d started acting like her old self, hiding under beds, behind walls, behind trees, always watching me. Until I felt like I could never be alone.


    "This is thest time she¡¯s looking at us like that," my wolf growled. I nodded and walked away.


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