Lahat ng Kabanata ng Claimed By My Stepbrother : Kabanata 71 - Kabanata 80

I couldn’t really remember making it back to my room that night. Couldn’t remember when exactly I had collapsed into bed, still dazed, shaken, lost in the echo of Ethan’s words. All I remembered was staring up at the ceiling, my heart still pounding, my body still burning with the ghost of his touch. And then, somewhere in between the tangled mess of thoughts, exhaustion must have pulled me under because the next thing I knew— I was dreaming. It was a dream of my mother walking toward a altar in her wedding dress, the lace was delicate, white as fresh snow, glowing under the soft golden light of the temple. She looked beautiful. And then— The dream shattered. I woke up with a sharp inhale, my chest rising and falling rapidly as I blinked up at the faint glow of the morning light filtering through my curtains. I didn’t even need to check the time to know it was early. Earlier than usual. A rare thing for me. I swallowed, pressing the heels of my palms into m

"Don't worry, he’s about to leave." I shot Ethan a sharp glare, practically daring him to argue. Aunt Anya, however, just chuckled, completely ignoring the tension crackling in the air. "There’s no need for that, Camila. He’s welcome to stay." My stomach dropped. I gaped at her, but she was already turning away, completely oblivious to the silent war happening between me and the uninvited guest standing across from me. Welcome to stay? Had she lost her damn mind? She started toward the hallway, stretching her arms lazily above her head. "It’s been a long night, and I need sleep. You two don’t burn the house down while I’m out." I was too stunned to even argue. Anya disappeared into her room, the door clicking shut behind her, leaving behind a silence so heavy it felt suffocating. I spun on Ethan, marching toward him with pure fury burning in my chest. "How the hell are you even thinking of staying over," I hissed, keeping my voice low so Anya wouldn’t

The morning air was crisp, cool, brushing against my skin as I walked down the sidewalk. Leaves crunched under my sneakers, the sky a soft gray, hinting at the possibility of rain later in the day. And right beside me—Ethan. If someone had told me a few weeks ago that I would be walking to school with him, I would have told them to shove it up their ass. Yet here we were. I scowled at the universe. What kind of sick joke was this? I snuck a glance at him, at the way he walked—composed, confident, effortless. He had that annoying grace, the kind that made it look like he didn’t have to try at anything, like he just existed beautifully without effort. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his black hoodie, his jacket unzipped, revealing a plain white shirt underneath. The wind ruffled his hair slightly, but his expression stayed calm and relaxed. I turned my head away, staring straight ahead. I was not about to sit here and admire his profile like some ho

The hallway was nearly empty, quiet in the way that only came when school was winding down and everyone had either bolted for the exits or lingered in classrooms pretending to care about clubs they didn’t even like. My shoes scuffed the floor with every tired step, the fluorescent lights above buzzing softly, casting this cold, washed-out glow over the lockers and cracked tiles. Where the hell was Tanny? I’d been texting her for the past twenty minutes, hoping we could walk out together, maybe grab coffee or just sit in her car and avoid the world for a while. But she hadn’t replied. Radio silence. Totally unlike her. My eyes swept over the nearly deserted hallway, and for a moment I thought maybe she’d already left without me. That stung more than I wanted to admit. I wrapped my arms around myself, hugging my hoodie tighter like it could patch up the tiny ache in my chest. Maybe I should just leave— A hand wrapped around mine. Before I could even think to scream or pull

He glanced toward the stairwell door, then walked us deeper into the hallway, toward one of the old unused classrooms near the back. The kind of room that still smelled like dust and old test papers and someone’s half-eaten lunch from three years ago. He pushed the door open and motioned for me to go inside. I hesitated. “Why do I feel like this is where you reveal I’m part alien or something?” “You’re not an alien.” “Oh, thank God,” I breathed out sarcastically. “But you are something,” he added throwing me off I blinked. “That's less comforting.” The door shut behind us with a soft click, and suddenly it was just me, Ethan, and about a thousand questions I needed answers to. He turned to face me, serious now. Like... serious serious. “When someone gets mated to a werewolf,” he began, “there’s a bond that forms. It’s not just emotional or mental—it’s physical too. Your scent changes.” I raised a brow. “My scent?” He nodded. “Werewolves can smell the bond. It’