Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates
Chapter 629-The Clever Cora

Chapter 629: 629-The Clever Cora

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—or was probably drugged by the brothers before they came after me.

"He’s fine, Helanie. 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 so comforting 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 glance.

"Helanie! 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 plant thoughts in your head," he explained 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. "Helanie! 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? Helanie, 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 Helanie, 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.