Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates
Chapter 589-He Is Losing It

Chapter 589: 589-He Is Losing It

Helanie:

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 accelerating 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 Helanie, she’s deeply involved in everything about her sons. I’m just really worried for Maximus, because what if it’s too late 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 balancing 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 us last 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 you come 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 can come 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 blank--no emotion at all.

Then, very slowly, I saw his expression change into shock... and then to realization.