Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates novel Chapter 51

Chapter 51: 51-In The Backseat Of My Car

Norman:

"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 Helanie. 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 success we have today. I’m not risking it for anyone—especially 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 flaws.

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—" 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 eyelashes 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—refusing 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 placed 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?