Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates
Chapter 637-The Ex Needs My Help

Chapter 637: 637-The Ex Needs My Help

Helanie:

"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 bonnet as I tried to calm myself. Norman and the others were wrapping things up, since Salem’s father had collapsed after hearing the truth. Sydney had to be escorted home while she cried uncontrollably.

Maximus stood next to his car, leaning over the bonnet 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– a bit more vocal when it comes 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—" 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.

"Helanie, 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 black 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 glance 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 playing 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 Helanie who had been wronged by her pack, who had suffered her entire childhood, was resurfacing. That Helanie only ever wanted someone to see her pain.

"Of course not. I want you to help me find the cause behind the thefts," he clarified, 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.

"Helanie, 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 can come to my pack, I’ll explain everything in more detail. I know you’ll manage some time, Helanie. 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.