“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, placing 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 one last, warm look. “Helanie, 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’d come 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-let 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 blanket 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 glancing 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 claimed to be perfect,” he replied with a shrug.
“No, seriously-why 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 playfully to tease me made me gasp, and I quickly turned my head to the side.
He laughed, 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-how are you going to survive that?”
Norman:
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-he’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 Helanie. She was coming 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 plate of cookies.
“I made these for you!” she said, raising the plate up, even getting on her tiptoes to reach Maximus.
My brother shot me an awkward side-eye before sighing and accepting 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 brother lately, 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 glances 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 the commotion, 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 plate as I walked past the two of them. They were not good people-they 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 accept 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 accepting 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 Ursula had no place 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 play 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-though by force-so 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-and, 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 Helanie’s condition,” Maximus’s voice softened a bit when he mentioned her.
I had noticed something strange about that girl-whoever 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.
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