Page 26 of My Broken Mate (Healing Bonds #1)

Chapter seventeen

It’s All Business

*JOEL*

I am certainly not a quiet person. I can talk, and chat, and gossip like crazy, but the amount these alphas and their betas can talk is mind-boggling!

Do they all own the same coaching handbooks for small talk, or how come they don’t run out of “unimportant” topics to discuss?

Why the fuck don’t they take a break? Does no one ever need to hit the restroom?

Because I, for one, need to pee! I swear, if I don’t get to the bathroom within the next ten minutes, an accident might happen.

Apparently, most of these alphas have bladders of steel.

Seriously, is this their superpower? A secret club or something?

I successfully manage to weasel myself out of the conversation I am in and move towards the restrooms. Hopefully, no one will catch me and try to pull me into another conversation.

“Hey, Joel,” one of the younger, newer alphas I am well acquainted with calls out to me. I am not friends with many of them, but he is one of the very few I know well and occasionally go for a beer with.

Fortunately, not someone I need to watch my tone with!

“Seriously, Jasper,” I huff. “Can’t a guy go to the restroom in peace?”

“Sorry, man,” he laughs. “I didn’t know.”

With that, I finally manage to make a beeline towards the restroom, targeting the one furthest away so that I won’t bump into anyone and have to make any more small talk, successfully ignoring anyone who wants to approach me on my way.

One could say I am a dodging master by now!

I finally make it into the restroom and into one of the toilet stalls, completely ignoring anyone around me, not one minute too soon, finally able to relieve myself!

Feeling much more relaxed, I can finally take in the whole restroom cabin.

These are nice, each one with its own basin, almost too fancy for a toilet!

Once I am done and have washed my hands, I walk out of my cabin again, my eyes instantly catching a very well-known figure.

He is leaning against the wall now, and even in such a weird surrounding, he looks so elegant and hot.

“How come nothing ever embarrasses you?” Sean asks me. “You basically rushed in here, almost knocked me over, and didn’t care who was in your way.”

“Would be a waste of time to be embarrassed by something so minor.”

Sean’s lips tug, and I could swear it’s an almost smile. Man, he is hard to crack, but I love the challenge. I gaze around, making sure that no one else is around. Another perk of having chosen the most hidden restrooms. “So, how turned on by my boldness are you?” I ask.

Sean looks at me for a moment, then gazes at his watch. I don’t ask any more, just curious as to what he is planning. He suddenly grabs me and pushes me into the toilet stall furthest from the door.

Getting any kind of interaction with my favorite alpha wasn’t on my list for today, but well, life is full of surprises!

Grabbing his face, I pull him into a kiss while his fingers drive through my hair and grip some of it, our teeth almost clashing against each other.

The last – and actually only time – we had any kind of action together, he let me take over control, but it’s obvious that’s not going to be as easily achieved from here on.

He very much likes to be in control. Just like me.

That’s hot! But also very challenging… and fun.

Neither of us barely makes a sound, although there is a low grumble I can hear deep inside Sean’s throat, but other than that… silence. Should be eerie, but it’s just fucking hot. My fingers have moved to his shirt, tugging at it to be able to slip a hand beneath it and feel some of his warm skin.

I wish we could have an actual quickie. But with the place being so crowded, this is already a risk. Still, the best part of the evening, clearly. Though I guess it was not difficult to win against the random, boring small-talk and the constant networking.

“Meet later?” I mutter against his lips.

“Now we obviously have to,” he says.

I grin. “You started it.”

“I’m not sure. Did I?”

I shrug. “Hard to tell.”

“Joel,” Sean asks, while straightening his tie. “What are you getting out of this?”

I look at him for a moment, trying to gauge what he expects me to say or do now.

He is difficult to read. Very stoic and controlled, serious, but he has a kind side to him.

I saw him talking to Remy before, and he looked sincerely worried.

He is a guy who has his values and his priorities set. “You hate being lied to, don’t you?”

Sean raises his brows. “I wasn’t expecting a question to my question, but I am willing to humor you. So, yes, I hate being lied to.”

“You are attractive,” I say. “I was not lucky with my own mate-situation, so it’s not like I am waiting for someone.”

“And I am the next best thing?”

“No, you are interesting,” I say. “Sean, I hate to be cheesy and say this now, but I am a wolf.”

“And wolves love the chase,” Sean adds with a hint of amusement. “And alpha wolves want business deals.”

“I am not fucking with you because I want a deal. These two things aren’t exclusively tied to each other. I would still do you if we don’t have a deal.”

Sean snorts. “Goddess, you have a lot of confidence. It’s been a while since I have seen that in another person.”

“You believe me?”

“I do. Nothing about you tells me that you are taking advantage of me. If anything, I get as much from this as you.”

“You think my pack would be a strong ally?”

“Not necessarily in physical strength, but you as the alpha would be a loyal ally,” he says to my surprise. “And loyalty is something rare to find in our world. However, I don’t want you to sleep with me because you feel you need this to be transactional.”

I snort. “I swear, be lucky you are talking to me. Another guy might have hit you.”

He raises his eyebrows, giving him his infamous scary look.

“Or tried to,” I say. “Or at least been offended.”

“But you are not?”

“I am just a little offended, but not much. Did you miss the part when I said that you are hot, and I just feel drawn to you? If you don’t want us to have anything sexual, I would still be friends with you.”

“Friends,” he muses.

“Aren’t we?” I ask. “Or at least, isn’t that where we are heading? I told you before I like you, you are interesting, and there is a lot below your surface that I feel drawn to. You are kind to your siblings, and that’s something I appreciate. I just want to get to know you better. No harm there.”

“Hm.” He straightens his blazer and redoes his tie. “I am not fully convinced,” he admits. “But enough to know that I want a deal with you, as we already discussed. And I wouldn’t mind seeing you here and there when our time allows it.”

“But?” I ask.

He looks at me thoughtfully.

“I just felt there is something you aren’t saying.”

“You are very perceptive,” he says. “A good trait for an alpha.” He sighs.

“But I can only tell you what I once told you: You don’t bore me, you are attractive, and I don’t mind this friends-with-benefits situation.

But I am not looking for a mate, I am not looking for a partner. I want this to be very clear to you.”

I shrug. “You were very clear the first time. Fine with me.”

“Then we have a deal.”

“More than one actually,” I add with a grin.

Sean snorts. “You really are a piece of work.”

“You are not the first to tell me,” I chuckle.

“So, did you make any new business contacts?” he asks me while we make our way back to the gala. We haven’t been gone for more than half an hour, so nobody really seems to have missed us, except for Sean’s brother Gabriel, who walks towards us now.

“Sean,” he says. “I was looking for you.”

“Joel and I had a short meeting,” he says with his usual straight face.

“Sorry, it took too long,” I say, with an equally straight face.

“Did something happen?”

“No,” Gabriel says. “I just didn’t know where to look for you.”

“I believe both of you aren’t acquainted yet,” Sean says. “This is Alpha Joel, one of our new allies and”—he pauses, as if he still isn’t sure, but then just continues—“a friend.” He pats Gabriel’s shoulder. “And that’s one of my younger brothers, Gabriel.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Gabriel says, shaking my hand.

“Now I know all three of you,” I say.

“And what’s your verdict?” Gabriel asks with a serious expression. Man, no one has ever asked me something like this with such a serious face. He really wants to have an answer.

“Well, you are all very different,” I say. “But equally likeable.”

“You haven’t even talked to Gabe for more than a minute,” Sean points out.

“Some things you just know,” I say. Before either of them can oppose further, I wave towards my own brother. “Eve, come here!”

When my brother joins us, I make sure to introduce him as well. He and Gabe already know each other well, and Sean met him during the one meeting we already had, but I want him to know my family on a more personal level. “Did Kata already go home?”

“Yes, she, Ayden and Fiona left half an hour ago,” Eve says. “Most of the younger ones have already left.”

“Just us boring ones remaining,” I chuckle. “I can see why this would bore them to death.”

“Remy went home, too, didn’t he?” Gabriel asks.

Sean nods. “Yes, he wasn’t feeling very well. I made sure he got home the moment he could.”

Gabriel instantly looks worried, more so than I expected. Someone feeling a bit unwell usually isn’t something of too much concern for wolves, but by the look Gabriel and Sean exchange, there is probably something I am not quite aware of. Well, it’s not my place to pry.

“So, did you?” Sean asks me, successfully changing the topic back to what he originally wanted to know. “Make any important contacts?”

“I talked to some alphas,” I say. “Networking isn’t easy when you are from a pack with a bad reputation.”

“We have a bad reputation, as well,” Gabriel says.

“Man,” Eve chuckles. “Sometimes you are really tone-deaf, Gabe. Your pack has the right bad reputation, ours doesn’t.”

“Hm,” Sean hums. “Then how about we add another person with a bad reputation to our group?” he suggests.

“Who are you talking about?” Gabriel wants to know.

Sean gestures towards a group of wolves who are sitting separate from the others. They haven’t mingled with anyone at all. “Remy’s best friend and the brother of our beta just found his mate from their pack. They have a bit of a reputation, but not the kind that makes you feel grossed out.”

“Who is that arrogant guy in the corner?” I ask. “That has to be their alpha by the look of it.”

“That’s Alpha Rhodes. He barely talks to anyone,” Sean says.

“He talked to you, though.”

“Yeah, we briefly met a couple of months ago, and as I said, today we found out that his cousin is mated to one of my pack members. He isn’t on good terms with anyone, but he is on neutral ground with me at least.”

“I will go and say hello to his bodyguard and beta. I know him,” Eve says.

Sean, Gabriel and I stare at him. “You know that scary-looking dude?” I ask. “The one with the scars?”

“Yeah, I met Sky a while ago, and we had a good chat. Nice guy. I will say hello.”

With that, Eve just trots away, not minding anyone else who is trying to strike up a conversation with him. He is really in his own world and reality sometimes.

“Why am I not surprised?” Gabriel mutters.

“Me neither,” I add.

“Well,” Sean tilts his head. “This might have just turned a lot more interesting.” He and I exchange a look before following Eve to the small group. Time to strike an actual deal.