Page 142 of A Broody Mate for the Human

The ride to town doesn’t take long and soon I have parked the car, and Luca and I walk to the burger restaurant. Marcel is already waiting for us. He looks like he lost a bit of weight, but other than that he looks fantastic.

He squeezes Luca into his arms, grinning when Luca complains. Then he shakes my hand. “I’m glad it’s you,” he says simply. “Ever since Luca told me, I’ve felt so relieved.”

“I will try to be the mate he deserves,” I promise.

Luca sits down between Marcel and me. “Me too,” he says. “I will try to be the best mate for Jun.”

My heart clenches at how sweet and pure he is, and at the same time anger pools in my stomach for how his family treated him. They should have treasured him instead of trying to break him.

Marcel seems to think the same because for a second there is anger and pain flashing through his eyes, but he regains control fast and soon enlightens us with stories about the mission he and Lord Finn were on. I thought I’ve heard it all until now, especially coming from an abusive alpha and pack myself, but what he tells us about Blood Snow beats it all.

Luca and I listen to him with our mouths wide open, only occasionally stopping him for questions and to eat some bites of our burgers.

“Wow,” I mutter once he is finished. “And what are you going to do next?”

“Regroup, gather our forces, and attack,” Marcel says earnestly.

“Will you be part of the attack?” Luca whispers.

Marcel nods. “I will be in one of the teams,” he explains. “But don’t worry, Luca, I’m strong. I’m not going down just like that.”

I can see how Luca is still looking worried, but eventually he nods. “Just be careful,” he mutters.

Marcel tousles his hair. “Of course, little one, don’t worry.”

Luca glares and smooths out his hair. “I’m not little. I have a mate.”

Marcel grins while Akio and I swoon at how sweet he is whenever he claims me as his mate. During the last few days, I noticed both him and his wolf, Bennett, getting stronger.

Do you think we could give it a shot?I ask Akio.

What do you mean?

Have you met his wolf?I elaborate.Is he strong enough to shift?

He is,Akio says earnestly.He is just scared and thinks he can’t do it, but he should be able to shift.

I nod at his words, deciding to talk about this with Luca later. For now, I want to focus on our dinner. Marcel doesn’t have a lot of time, unfortunately, as he has to head back soon to attend a couple of meetings and prepare for the upcoming battle. When Luca excuses himself to go to the restroom, Marcel takes advantage of the moment to tell me what he really wants to say.

“Thank you, you took it slow with him,” he says earnestly. “Luca is too shy to tell me everything, but I’ve heard from others. Thank you for being so patient, but, Jun, he might need you to be patient for a while longer. His trauma won’t just go away. He’s gotten this motivational boost from being with you, but eventually the nightmares will catch up with him again.”

I nod. “I know,” I say. “And I’m prepared to catch him when necessary and be there for him.”

“Did you talk about your living situation?” he wants to know.

“No.” I shake my head. “I don’t want to put pressure on him, so for now we switch between staying in Red Claw and Moon Blood.”

“Is this really okay for you?” Marcel wants to know.

“It isn’t easy,” I admit. “But it is what Luca needs at the moment, and I’m willing to do everything at his pace.”

Marcel smiles brightly and nods. “That’s all I wanted to know.”

I feel relieved at his approval. “Thanks for being so supportive,” I say honestly. “You mean a lot to Luca, so I’m glad you approve of me.”

Marcel laughs. “You’re such a serious guy,” he snorts. “Who wouldn’t approve of a mate like you?”

I shrug. “I’m just a normal guy.”