Page 34 of My Broken Mate (Healing Bonds #1)

Chapter twenty-two

Finally Together

*KAT*

R emy and I make it past the warrior who guards the club.

He just watches us for a moment, relief in his eyes when Remy tells him we are heading back inside.

Other than that, he doesn’t seem too interested in us or the fact that there is barely any distance between us.

While Remy did say he wanted to lay low and not tell anyone about our relationship yet, he doesn’t seem to go out of his way to keep it a secret either.

Once inside the club, he takes my hand again, and doesn’t let go, as if he wants everyone to know that I am his.

His words already suggested as much, but it’s obvious now that his real issue is just his brothers, not anyone else.

“Look who is coming!” Ayden yells towards us, his eyes flashing towards our hands. He grins. “Who would have thought that?”

“Shut up,” I chuckle.

Fi pops up next to us, squealing. “I knew it!” she exclaims.

“Don’t lie,” Ayden grins. “You had no idea.”

Remy doesn’t engage a lot in the talk, but this time I am not bothered by it. I am starting to realize that this is just how he is. When there are too many people around him, he just prefers to listen and keep his distance. Even more reason to make sure he gets to know Ayden and Fi properly.

“Are you Katalina?” A man, around thirty, approaches us, rather me. I can feel Remy’s stance getting more tense, as if he isn’t sure whether the guy means danger.

“Yes, why?”

“I am the manager of the band,” he says, showing me his ID. “KiZ sent me to talk to you.”

“But why?” I blink.

“She recognized you from a photo,” the man explains. “Your brother Evander is one of her friends.”

“Of course he is,” Ayden mutters. “The guy is just a whole fucking enigma.”

“KiZ offered for you and your friends to come backstage.”

“Please say yes,” Ayden begs. “I am done with this large crowd anyway.” He turns to Remy, shameless as he is. “I was just here to get you two going. It was painful to watch!”

“I apologize,” Remy says. “The fault lies solely with me.” The vulnerability from before, when it was just the two of us, is gone. Instead, he is his usual polite but slightly distanced self. It’s his coping mechanism, not arrogance. Step by step, we will work on it, because we are mates.

We are mates!

Marise is on cloud nine, basically in bliss that our mate accepted us. Can you reach out to his wolf? I ask her.

When we were outside before, I definitely was able to catch him for a brief moment, she says. But something is holding him back. We will overcome this, though! They both want us, that much is obvious now.

And that’s the most important, I add. Do you have any idea why his wolf is hiding?

I don’t know, Marise says. Maybe he got hurt. Wounds that are not easy to spot or to heal.

Her words oddly make sense because they pretty much describe Remy’s behavior, too. I don’t have time to dwell on this, though, because clearly KiZ’s manager is waiting for an answer. “If everyone is on board, I’d say let’s head backstage. I am curious to meet KiZ.”

“I am certainly on board,” Fi exclaims.

“Me, too,” Ayden says, looking relieved.

“It’s fine with me,” Remy says. “As long as you are there, I don’t mind.”

“Goddess,” Ayden groans. “How did we go from all broody and icy to this?”

Fi and I elbow him simultaneously. “How about you keep your comments to yourself?” Fi says, making Ayden grin.

“Would be more threatening if you didn’t look so cute,” Ayden teases her.

I am debating how to make Ayden shut up when Remy squeezes my hand. “I don’t mind,” he says. “He isn’t wrong. I am not really thin-skinned.”

“How come?” Fi asks curiously.

“You are from my pack. I am sure you have met my brothers,” Remy says, surprising me once more. His tone is dry, a bit sarcastic, almost like he is joking.

Fi indeed giggles, and Ayden grins. “Yeah, we all know your brothers, dude,” Ayden says.

“Then you must know what utter perfection looks like.”

“Alpha Sean certainly is the textbook example of an alpha,” Ayden muses.

“Right,” Remy furrows his brows, staring at Ayden with a serious expression. “This is not bad, Ayden, but didn’t you forget someone? I do believe you can still do better,” he says, mimicking Gabriel’s voice.

“Gabriel,” Fi giggles.

At that, Ayden loses it and bursts into laughter. “I didn’t know you could be funny,” he snorts.

“I am not,” Remy says.

“Maybe funny is not the right word,” Ayden muses when we finally make our way backstage. “But that dry humor is definitely something.”

“You really think that?” Remy blinks.

“You don’t?” Ayden asks. “You clearly have a sarcastic side to you. I had no idea.”

“Me neither,” I say. “But I love it!”

“Yeah, gives you some edge,” Fi agrees.

Remy looks confused for the whole walk backstage. Even when he puts his arm around my shoulders, making my stomach do backflips again, he still looks confused. “It’s surprisingly easy,” he mutters to me.

“What do you mean?” I look at him curiously.

“Talking to you and your friends,” he admits.

He still has this pondering expression on his face, his eyes zooming in and out on Fi and Ayden, who are walking ahead of us.

Remy never struck me as the type of person who was socially awkward.

That’s more Eve’s or Ayden’s thing. Ayden, despite coming off as a sarcastic prick sometimes and as a hilariously funny guy other times, actually hates social gatherings.

His prickly attitude is real. He is the type of person who only likes his friends and is happy with his personal circle of people.

As for Eve, he admits it himself that he lives and breathes awkwardness.

His only reason for taking the beta position was that there currently is no one better, and he made it clear it’s only until Joel has found his real second in command.

Other than that, he lives for his art, dozes off during gatherings and just has a sleepy face all around.

Yet, he knows the weirdest people like that scary-looking beta we saw during the gala, or KiZ.

But Remy? Despite being distanced, he always is polite to everyone around him. Our peers love him and secretly admire him.

“Do you normally have trouble talking to people?” I ask him, deciding to voice my questions out loud.

Remy looks at me again, surprise in his eyes. “How are you doing that? Asking so honestly, and not even sounding like you are being pushy. I’ve never met someone so genuine.”

“That’s a compliment, isn’t it?”

“Of course,” he says. “I admired that about you on the first day we met, although it pissed me off, too, because it showed my own shortcomings.”

“So?”

“I wouldn’t say I have trouble talking to people, I just don’t like it, and it doesn’t come naturally to me,” he admits. “I prefer to keep to myself or talk to the people I know.”

He is probably talking about his two friends. Fi said they are childhood friends.

Something about the way he voiced it makes me feel sad. I don’t know why, but it’s his eyes again. Those large, beautiful eyes that always carry a hint of sadness. Now that he has me, though, I will make sure to chase the demons away! I have a new mission now that Mission: Get-Remy was successful!

It’s time for Mission: Make Remy Become Happy!

“Are you two coming?” Fi calls out to us.

“I really appreciate that she is not scared of me,” Remy admits to me. “Most pack members are still wary around my brothers and me. Not that I can blame them.”

“She grew up in a different pack,” I whisper towards him. “I don’t think she experienced your father’s reign.”

He nods. “It makes sense.”

With that, we both follow my two friends into the backstage area.

It’s small but cozy, and KiZ’s manager tells us this is KiZ’s private area, and we can just hang out here.

If we want to listen to her music and watch the show, there is a corridor leading us to the side of the stage where we can watch without being seen by the audience.

The first thing Ayden does once we are on our own is drop onto the couch and take out his handheld console. “You brought it along?” I ask in disbelief.

“Yes, just in case.” He looks at Remy. “Are you playing, too?”

“Not really,” he says. “I wasn’t allowed to as a kid, and then never thought about it.”

“We need to set up a gaming evening,” Ayden tells me.

“Oh, we could do that,” I agree. “It could be fun. Right, Fi?”

“Yes,” she says, giving us the thumbs up.

When I look at Remy, he nods. “I don’t see a reason not to try it.”

“How about we also invite your friends?” Ayden says while dabbling on his console. It’s his special ability to just not care to tread carefully around people. What others don’t dare to ask or offer, he definitely will. Just like how he set us up with this concert evening.

“Lyle and Kiki?” Remy blinks.

“Kiki is so nice!” Fi exclaims. “I would love to get to know her better. Did you know she is a model?” she asks Ayden.

“She is?” Ayden blinks.

“You really live behind the moon,” I sigh.

Remy, however, seems to be weirdly content with Ayden’s words. “Kiki is a social butterfly,” he says. “I am sure she will love to get to know you.”

“And Lyle?” I ask.

“He is a bit more reserved around new people,” Remy says. “Comes with his father’s job, and his brother’s rank.”

“Is his brother the beta?” I ask.

“Yes, Levi is his brother,” Remy explains. “But I am sure he will come and join us in whatever you are planning. He is curious like that.”

“Then let’s set this up,” Ayden says. “Fi, how about you organize it?”

“Why me?” she asks with a frown. “It was your idea!”

“First of all, I already did the heavy thinking,” he says. “Then, Kata is busy, clearly.” He throws me a sly grin. “Plus, you know Lyle and Kiki.”

“Knowing is an overstatement,” she points out.

“I will ask them,” Remy says, stopping the argument immediately. “Just tell me the place and time.”

With him taking over the most worrying task, neither Fi nor Ayden has anything to complain about. “How about we watch some of the concert from that secret space?” I ask, just wanting to be alone with him.

Remy nods. “Let’s go.”

To my relief, Ayden and Fi don’t offer to accompany us and instead stay behind. Once out of the door, I can hear their excited whisper, though. “They are talking,” I say, blushing furiously.

“Let them,” Remy says. “I don’t mind.”

“Really? I thought you would,” I admit.

Remy chuckles. “Again, honest to your core. Do I look that stuck-up?”

I look him over. Even in his ripped jeans tonight, and as handsome as he is, he still looks serious. “Hm,” I say.

“You don’t even need to answer that,” he says. “Just tell me when I am becoming as serious as my brothers.”

He is not as serious as they, not as stern, but more distanced.

I don’t tell him, though. This is the type of wasp’s nest I can’t poke at yet.

It will need more time. Instead, I wait for us to reach the spot the manager showed us before, from where we can watch the band.

KiZ spots us and winks at us before turning back to the audience.

Once safe, I wrap my arms around Remy, surprised when I feel him stiffen.

“Is something wrong?” I draw back to look at him.

“I didn’t mean to inquire about your personal space,” I say. “If you don’t like to, I—”

“No, I like it,” he hurries to reassure me. “Just not used to it.”

Not used to being hugged?

“When was the last time someone hugged you?” I ask quietly. It’s like he doesn’t even know how it feels to be hugged.

“I can’t remember.”

I feel a lump in my throat at his words, but don’t know quite why I feel like my heart is torn to pieces.

It’s what he said, but also how he said it.

Instead of an answer, I hug him tighter, relieved when I feel his arms against my back.

Eventually, he cups my cheek and makes me look up, lowering his face until he almost touches my lips.

“How about we give Ayden and Fiona something to talk about?”