Page 81 of My Broken Mate
Once we are in front of the counter and around the corner, Remy lets out a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” he says quietly.
“What is that between you and your brother?” I whisper.
“I don’t know,” he mutters. “It’s always been like that.”
“Did something happen? Is he bullying you? Because if yes, I will—”
In the safety of the currently empty corner, Remy kisses me before I can finish the sentence. “You would totally defend me,” he says softly. “But no, Gabriel doesn’t bully me. I don’t know, itseems like he wants me to be a certain way, but I am not sure if I can do it. He is very intelligent, you know.”
“I think Eve told me once,” I admit.
“Very, Kata. He is not just smart, I believe we are talking borderline genius here. That’s who he is. Plus, he is a perfectionist and a workaholic, and I don’t think I could ever fulfill his expectations or reach ‘my potential’ as he calls it.”
“And your other brother?”
“Sean?” He pauses. “Sean is strong, capable and smart,” he says. “You should see him with the pack. They love him!”
It’s clear on his face. He admires him, but— “Do you love him?”
“Yes, he is my brother.”
“And do you think he loves you?” I push.
Remy stays quiet. “I am broken,” he says. “You already know how much. Not even my wolf comes to the surface. Sean is an alpha, and we are from a lineage of one of the strongest and most influential families. I am like a stain on the image of our family, a disgrace.”
“Did they say that to you?” I ask, my heart sinking. Goddess, what the fuck? Remy is not a disgrace, and he isn’t tarnishing his family’s name. The fact that he thinks he is doing that by just existing makes my stomach twist and turn to a point where I begin to feel queasy.
“They don’t need to say it for me to know.”
*GABRIEL*
And it happened again. Remy made a run for it, and this time not even on his own. He had a friend helping him. Katalina must have sensed something and made sure to get him away. Away from me! I bet if it were Sean, it would have turned out differently.
Why is it like that between us?
“Goddess,” the young man at the table mutters. I don’t even know his name, although I remember Eve introducing us during the gala. One of Katalina’s friends, I believe. “You need all the help you can get. I have seen toddlers who can communicate better.”
“Wait, are you insane?” the girl exclaims.
My head whips around to look directly at him. “What did you say?”
“I said, you suck at communicating,” he says directly. “It’s obvious you just wanted to strike up a conversation, but boy, did it backfire!”
The girl, whom I know is from our pack, stays quiet. Her silence tells me more than words could. She is agreeing with… the guy.
“Do you even know my name?” the guy asks, before gesturing to the girl. “Or hers?”
“I think Evander told me yours,” I say with a frown. “And we did meet yesterday when you picked up Remy.”
“Okay, so first things first. You came here, saw your brother, approached our table and didn’t even introduce yourself,” the guy says. “I am Ayden, and this is Fiona.”
I frown. “I totally should have done that,” I finally say. “Introduce myself first. So, what else?”
The two youngsters look at me, clearly confused. “What do you mean?” Ayden asks.
“You said I am terrible at communicating, and that a toddler could do it better. And seeing how my brother took the firstchance to get away from my presence, I have to agree. So, what else do you have to say?”
I must have said something weird, because Fiona and Ayden just keep staring at me.
