Fated To My Lycan Stepbrothers
Chapter 49

With the defeated challengers slinking away with their tails tucked between their legs. The crowd had totally dispersed, leaving just me and the Storm brothers. A sense of relief washed over me. I turned to Zeke, bowing my head a little. When he called me his half sister, it made me warm inside. Although it won't be easy for me to admit it.

"Congratulations."

Zeke scoffed, grabbing the side of his ribs. They looked really sore. This time, his healing was fast. I eyed the injury, asking if it would be like before. "Elder Archer chose to heal you. I wonder why."

I clicked the roof of my tongue in annoyance. "He just left. You should run after him and ask why."

"Where is Marley?" Kyle asked suddenly, and my breath hitched. Kyle never asked about my mother. If anything, I feel he has some cold grudge against her. He asked me recently about the pack doctor. He must have found out the truth. About the knife. "I need to speak with her."

Zeke looked around. I was certain he did not notice anything suspicious about his brother asking for Marley. "She is somewhere." Kyle walked off before he could complete his sentence. Now, it was just the two of us. It wasn't surprising that Marley slipped away while we were all discussing whatnot. She was always the type to walk away from situations that weren't beneficial to her. Just like she walked away from Pa and me.

"Want me to clean that up for you?" I cleared my throat. It's not like I was insinuating the last incident should happen again.

We still weren't on good terms.

He raised an eyebrow. "I am a little suspicious of what you are asking."

Frankly, Kyle and Zeke claim to have found their mates. They have given me subtle hints in their conversations with me, and I am no fool to recognize when a wolf has found his mate. Deep down, I wanted to fool around with the both of them for the last time before they went to their mates forever. This was why I allowed myself to be open to their conversations, be bullied and humiliated by them many times, and still crawl back to them like the b***h I was. I licked my lower lips. We both knew what we wanted. I could see the longing in his eyes, no matter how he tried to hide it. It's been weeks since we've gone without touching each other. Sneaky touches here and there.

This was it, so I decided. Either I move forward or I do nothing. I moved to his side, putting his hands over my shoulders like the last time. "Let me take care of you." His hands dragged me back, eventually they moved alongside me, and I knew he was just trying to humor my strength.

"You try to gain attention everywhere you go." He started as we walked back to the packing house. He has managed to hold out his pain since, and I was impressed. I was glad he was chosen as the Alpha. No wolf would be able to hold out his pain in such a manner. "And you try to act strong." I said.

"You are annoying."

"And you are annoyingly handsome." I blunted out. Then the realization came over me. I just said Zeke was handsome. "Ignore me."

Zeke did not say anything afterwards. We both went into the pack house, and I wanted to die of embarrassment. "I am." He said.

"You are what?" I asked stupidly, like I didn't know what he was replying to.

"Handsome," he said. I purposely grazed my elbow around his injury, just below his ribs.

"Ah..." he groaned in pain. "I'll get you back for that."

I smirked. "That's a promise when you regain your strength." Soon we were at the foot of his room. This is it now. Go back or enter and get f****d. Which was it? "When." He said this, looking behind him. "I know I said so many things about personal space. We didn't even care the last time... so. Do you want to come in?"

Wow, here was Zeke acting like a civilized wolf. Being an official Alpha must have changed him, huh? "Yeah." The door was opened in an instant, and the next moment found me cleaning Zeke's wounds in his bathroom. Just like the last time. Only this time, our desires weren't in control, and we had our heads in the game. I was gentle with his wounds, which, with every dab of the antiseptic, were closing up.

"I just wish it didn't have to be this way. The fighting, the challenges... It's like we're all pawns in some grand scheme. Kyle was right." Zeke began to say. He made me look up at him. Kyle's fear of the unknown was beginning to get to him. I never knew the Storm twins had this much wisdom to think about things like this. I thought they were just bullies without a conscience. Well, time will tell. My gaze softened as I regarded him. It was obvious we were all pawns in the Blood Moon Pack's grand scheme. They killed the Alpha and have patiently waited for another Alpha to be crowned. It was just like he said. They wanted something. The Elders. They will never get them.

Although they could have Elder Freya if they wanted. She was an a*****e.

"It's natural to want peace and harmony. But sometimes, achieving that requires making difficult choices and facing challenges head-on." I said, trying to cheer him up. He just won a victory. That was the first step he took to protect the people he loved. Just like how I faced the challenges of my bully head-on. s**t, I almost forgot Naya took the fight for me. I was such a wimp.

Zeke's shoulders straightened as he absorbed my words. "You're right." My heart soared at his agreement with me.

"But.." The words were stuck in my throat. I didn't want to live like this forever. I knew everything was a fight for survival. I wished I could get it whenever I wanted. I wished I didn't have to fight for it. "Just... I can't help but hope for something different." This was me being truthful. I have had to fight for almost everything in my life. My father, my mother, my life, and now the twins, because some mate had gotten to her before I did.

Why was I so unlucky? Look at me, pathetically trying to stay by his side for the last time before he went to his mate.

Zeke leaned closer, his presence looming over me. "Hope is a powerful thing. It keeps us moving forward, even in the darkest of times. I have a dark time. You have a dark time too. But remember that hope alone won't make us see the light. It takes action, courage, and sometimes even sacrifices to pick up the touch." He finished coolly. We were silent for a while.

Then his words sank into my head. What? A snort escaped my lips. "To pick up the touch?" I wrapped a bandage around his wounds before proceeding to wash my hands of the blood. He was clean now. He quickly pulled his shirt off, dumping it in the laundry basket. "Shut up. You get what I mean." His annoyed voice cracked me up. Here we were having a normal conversation. It was enlightening.

"Zeke, you hardly say a word. Hearing you say these things makes things awkward." I said between laughs.

Zeke nodded, his gaze fixed on me. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Naya."

Wait, he wasn't appreciating me for telling him such an insulting word, right? My laugh slowly died. My gaze flickered to his strong abs. It was happening again, like the last time.

His hands reached out to gently brush against mine, sending a reassuring warmth through me. "Can I?"

"Can you what?" I asked knowingly.

"Can I kiss you?"

I guess the last conversation we had must have made him believe that I wasn't just a slut.

#

Zeke's POV

"Can I kiss you?" I asked, holding my breath a bit. I was nervous that she would accept me again. My side hurt, but I was ready to go if she would let me. I was the f*****g Alpha and could do whatever I wanted. With her consent, of course.

She gently gaped at my request. I have seen her eyeing my abs countless times. She had more self-control than I thought. She had been asking a lot about my mate recently. The fact was that she didn't know who she was. I was going to let her know tonight. Three weeks without her had been hell for me. I have tried to contain myself and give her space since I haven't been nice to her all these years in school. But it was tough for me. Now she was close to me. So close.

I didn't want her to reject me.