Page 151 of A Broody Mate for the Human

“Excuse me, I want to look dashing for my mate.” I grin before turning towards the ladies. “Okay, what kind of underwear looks the best on a guy?” I ask them. “Be brutally honest.”

The girls exchange a mischievous gaze. “Well, I prefer none at all,” Annie says dryly. She grabs an atrocious piece of plasticy see-through shorts. “So, for the woman who enjoys the full view…”

They all burst into laughter.

“How about this?” Celine angles for a silly-looking string in glittery bright blue. “You think Marius would wear it?”

“Would look absolutely dashing in it. Though… I like that one.” Ella pulls forward some BDSM-looking garnet. “Think Dante would approve?”

“It comes with a matching collar,” Celine grins.

Annie wiggles her brows. “I bet Celine secretly wishes she could smack it around Marius’ neck sometimes.”

I snatch the item from Ella, eyeing it. “Black leather,” I muse with a grin and wiggle my brows. “I think Raffy might like that one me.”

“He’s a wild one?” Celine teases.

“Let’s say he has a hidden dark side to him,” I say dryly.

Annie grins shamelessly. “It’s hot when they have that.”

Esme groans at the revelation of her brother’s sex life while Ella grins at me. “Go get some, lover-boy!”

I smirk. “Oh, I will!”

We all burst into laughter as I make sure to buy a few items I think Raffy would like.

“Let’s grab something to eat here,” Annie muses. “We won’t make it home in time for dinner, I think.”

“You go ahead.” Celine nods. “I will head home, though. I have a Skype meeting to attend with an annoying alpha who thinks he can walk all over me because I’m a female alpha.”

Annie frowns. “Is he trouble?”

“Not yet, he’s just a misogynist asshole for now,” Celine explains. “I have it under control,” she says. “So, have a good night, everyone!” She waves us goodbye before hurrying away. Afterwards we decide to take Annie’s advice and look for a place to eat. There is a new Vietnamese place none of us knows, and when Esme tells us that she and Raffy never ate a lot of things from other cultures, we decide to make sure she gets that experience now.

“That chicken pho sounds mouth-watering,” she exclaims.

“I want one too.” Annie nods.

“I’ll take the beef one.” Ella frowns while checking the menu. “And how about some side dishes for all of us?”

We soon settle for crab spring rolls, lettuce wraps, and a variety of salads. It’s a rather small and comfy place, and we soon find ourselves enjoying the atmosphere and the delicious food. This reminds me of Ye-Joon’s bar and how Raffy hasn’t met him and my other friends yet.

I need to make sure that we go out with Ye-Joon and that he also meets Ozan and Elif. Jun told me they all already met Luca, so it’s about time we add Raffy to the bunch.

We are halfway through our food when Esme’s phone starts vibrating persistently. “That’s Hayden.” She smiles, her cheeks tinted in a light pink. “He always calls or texts on his break to ask how I’m doing. He’s so cute.” She clears her throat. “But I’ll let him know later that I was out and couldn’t answer his call and—”

“Why?” Annie smiles. “Go and talk to him if you want to.”

“Is that really okay?” she asks.

Annie laughs. “Of course, sweetie.”

Esme beams happily at her and grabs her phone. She answers it swiftly while I can see her disappearing through one of the side doors that leads her to the roof terrace.

“She is pretty young, isn’t she?” Ella wants to know.

I nod. “Raffy said that his alpha wanted to sell her off to that creepy beta the moment she’d turn eighteen. On her birthday she met Hayden.”