All Chapters of Claimed By My Stepbrother : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

By the time lunch rolled around, my stomach was growling like a caged animal. Tess and I made our way to the cafeteria, the noise level at a solid roar as students shouted over each other about everything from weekend plans to who was dating who. I barely paid attention, too focused on grabbing a quick bite before the chaos of the afternoon classes. We found our usual spot by the window, and Tess plopped down in her chair, dropping her tray with a dramatic flair. “God, I’m starving. I could eat a horse. No, scratch that—two horses.” I rolled my eyes, pulling out my bag to grab my wallet. “You say that every day, Tess. One of these days, you’re going to start neighing.” She smirked, taking a bite of her sandwich. “Better neighing than starving.” I rummaged through my bag, frowning when my wallet didn’t immediately appear. I checked the smaller pocket. Nothing. Then the larger one. Still nothing. My heart sank. “Tess,” I said slowly, my voice tinged with worry. “Wha

The next class rolled in, and as everyone began filing back into their seats, my eyes kept darting toward the door. Tess still hadn’t come back, and with each passing second, my stomach churned harder. Where was she? The teacher walked in, oblivious to my growing anxiety, and began writing something on the board. I barely registered what it was; all I could focus on was the empty seat next to me. Tess never missed class, no matter how mad she got. And yet, here I was, sitting alone with her bag still tucked under her desk where she’d left it. “Camila,” the teacher called out sharply, snapping me out of my thoughts. I blinked, realizing everyone was looking at me. “Uh, yeah?” I stammered, sitting up straighter. “I asked if you had the answer to the question on the board.” My face burned as I glanced at the board, only to realize I had no idea what the question even was. “Um… I don’t know,” I muttered. The teacher sighed, muttering something about paying attent

The fluorescent lights of the nurse’s office buzzed faintly, the sharp antiseptic smell making my nose wrinkle as I stepped inside. Tess was perched on one of the beds, her face pale and bruised but lit with her usual fiery stubbornness as she argued with the nurse over something I couldn’t catch. “Can you please sit still?” the nurse snapped, holding a small packet of gauze and clearly fighting the urge to strangle her patient. Tess groaned dramatically. “I am sitting still, but you’re poking at me like I’m some science experiment!” “Because you won’t let me clean the damn wound!” “God, fine. But stop stabbing me with whatever that is,” Tess shot back, throwing her head back with a groan before finally spotting me. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she gave a weak wave. “Cami, there you are! Took you long enough!” I ignored her usual theatrics and hurried over, my stomach twisting when I saw the full extent of her injuries up close. The bruises on her arms were alrea

“Complicated?” Jake repeated, his voice rising slightly. “What the hell does that even mean?” My jaw tightened as I tried to think of a way to deflect without outright lying. In truth, I didn’t even know what to say. Why did I let myself get dragged into this? Why couldn’t Tess have just let things go? In my head, I was going off on a mental tirade: This is your fault, Camila. You let her walk off after Vanessa and now look where you are—stuck in the middle of a sibling drama with bruises and secrets you can’t even talk about. But then a quieter, guiltier voice chimed in. And Tess—why couldn’t she just leave it alone? Why did she have to chase after trouble like it was some kind of adrenaline rush? Jake exhaled heavily, breaking me out of my thoughts. “Camila,” he said again, his voice softer this time but no less firm. “If you care about Tess, you’ll tell me what’s going on.” Tess scoffed. “I can’t,” I replied, shaking my head. “I can’t explain it. Just… it

I couldn’t breathe. Ethan’s presence seemed to swallow all the air in the room, leaving me gasping and pinned under the weight of something I couldn’t name. His golden eyes still glowed unnaturally, his pupils dilated as if he were teetering on the edge of something dangerous. I pressed my back harder into the wall, my palms flat against the cool surface. He stepped closer, slow and deliberate, his boots crunching against the broken door frame. The sound sent a jolt of panic through me. I thought I could handle fear—I had spent years pretending nothing could get to me. But this? This was different. My heart slammed against my ribcage, and my chest heaved as I struggled to steady my breathing. He tilted his head, studying me like I was some kind of prey he wasn’t sure how to devour just yet. The glow of his eyes flickered slightly, like fire catching in the wind, and his lips curled into something between a smirk and a snarl. I had to run. My body screamed for me to bo