Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates novel Chapter 73

Chapter 73: 73-Not A Weakness Anymore

Helanie:

My heart raced as I felt Maximus step up right behind me, taunting me with a sneer. My grip tightened around my pendant. It was like a quick decision that I took it off. I am not even sure what I would get from it. My mind ordered and I did it.

"Come on, I’m right here! You can’t even hit me once?" His voice cracked slightly, and a frown appeared on my forehead. I slowly stood up, turning to meet his gaze.

I had just taken off my pendant, but he was way too close now. I bet he could sense the shift in my scent, the faint trace of pheromones. It would take some time before the others noticed, but I was exuding such intense anxiety that I wondered how long I could keep it hidden.

And that’s when I saw Maximus falter. He tried to keep smirking, but his confidence was clearly wavering. His attempt at mocking me was crumbling. At moments, he even narrowed his eyes at me, as if trying to understand what had changed. But it was too late for him.

I could feel it now—my courage.

I lunged at him.

This time, he dodged, but when I retreated and struck again, he wasn’t quick enough. My delicate, seemingly fragile knuckles connected with his strong jaw, drawing a gasp from the crowd. My punch barely moved him, but when I landed a second blow, the shock on his face was unmistakable. The crowd went silent.

Maximus was just as stunned as everyone else. I was amazed that I hit such a scary trainer.

His eyes were wide, and his mouth gaped as he stumbled back, pushing me away. I tripped over my own feet and landed squarely on my butt. But the test was over.

I have done it. I won!

"Maximus!" Norman stepped between us, shoving his brother back, murmuring something in his ear.

"You can’t just give her a chance to win by being easy on her and then act upset," Norman said, managing the situation. The crowd nodded in agreement, as if convinced the only reason I landed a punch was because Maximus had gone easy on me.

But I could tell that beneath the surface, they were all a bit shocked, maybe even starting to believe that Maximus hadn’t expected me to hit him at all.

Maximus’s face flushed with anger at the humiliation. His fists clenched, and I saw a similar expression on Norman’s face, though he struggled to maintain control of both the situation and his wounded brother, whose pride had taken a serious hit.

"Step aside, I’m going to kill her right here, right now!" I heard Maximus growl as he tried to approach me.

The other students were murmuring among themselves, but we were the only ones inside the white circle.

"Do you want everyone to remember this and blow it out of proportion?" Norman muttered to him. "It’s nothing. You let her win, unintentionally, because you felt sorry for her."

I was in shock as I listened to Norman’s words. Was he gaslighting Maximus...or me?

However, I shifted my attention to my pendant and quickly snatched it back, fastening it around my neck while Norman worked on calming Maximus.

In that moment, I realized: my pheromones aren’t my weakness. I won’t let them be my weakness ever again.

They distracted Maximus long enough for me to land a punch. Oddly, I had forgotten to even get up from the ground. My mind was in a strange, dazed state, and I couldn’t tell if I should celebrate or just process how this so-called curse had actually helped me today.

Eventually, Norman managed to pacify Maximus. The two of them faced the crowd again, and this time, Norman gave a diplomatic smile.

"We appreciate her hard work. This is why my brother has decided to give her a chance. She never gave up, even when time had almost run out." I could only imagine how difficult it must have been for Norman to say that aloud.

"I agree. It’s...nice to see someone fight so hard to join our academy," Maximus muttered, forcing a faint smile as he walked over and offered me his hand. His eyes were red with anger, and his smile was tight.

I accepted his hand and got to my feet, a smile beginning to form on my own lips.

"Welcome to the Red Vortex Sanctum Academy," he said, his handshake forceful and strained.