Page 47 of My Broken Mate (Healing Bonds #1)

Chapter thirty-five

The Monster’s Lair

*SEAN*

E verything was going so well, I should have expected the rug to be pulled from beneath our feet.

The dinner with Joel and his family went smoothly, so much so that we agreed to make this a regular thing.

There are not a lot of people whose company I enjoy, but these three are truly a pleasure to have around.

And Katalina and Remy definitely didn’t hold back on their affection for each other.

As a brother, watching someone basically undress your sibling with their eyes isn’t the most comfortable view, yet I am beyond thankful to the goddess for having paired these two together.

Katalina is both lovable and loving, and accepts Remy the way he is, and vice versa.

It's soothing to know that, finally, one of us got lucky with love.

A couple of days later, though, I don’t feel that soothing joy anymore, as I find myself standing in front of a dark, wooden door, not able to move, or worse, open it and step inside.

I try to cling to the feeling of the last couple of days, of seeing Gabriel and Remy laugh, and of having Joel blow me much later that evening.

Happiness is a fleeting feeling.

“Thank you for joining me,” I say when I hear footsteps behind me, Levi’s scent announcing him before he enters my vision. “This is not necessarily a task you would need to do as my beta, but I appreciate your help.”

Levi looks at me. “I am not just your beta, I am also your friend. Please don’t think you are bothering me.” He pauses. “May I ask a question?”

“Of course.”

“Why me and not Gabriel?”

I put my hand on the doorknob of the wooden door, finally opening it.

It’s my father’s old office – not the one he had at home, but his main office in our business headquarters.

“Gabriel has the worst memories of this place,” I say.

“He is slowly doing better and letting loose on his control issues, but I don’t want to push him back on his road of recovery. ”

Levi doesn’t say anything, but I know what he is telling me without voicing it. It’s too evident in his eyes.

What about you? What about your recovery?

It doesn’t matter, I link him. He startles, staring at me in surprise. It’s all over your face. I add. I am fine.

I apologize, Alpha, he mutters. I didn’t want to overstep.

You didn’t. But I can cope with it. Remy and Gabriel are slowly getting better. They deserve the moment of peace. I can handle it.

With that, we both step into the room. It’s like time has stopped for a moment, something flashing in front of my eyes when I see myself bending over his desk to get beaten for something I did or something I didn’t do.

It didn’t matter, it never did. He just needed an excuse to whip me.

At least he only left scars and didn’t always break bones, unlike with Gabriel.

I blink the memory away, stealing my heart, as I close the door behind us.

My father had a shit ton of stuff he left behind when he passed.

For two years, Gabriel, Levi and I have been going through everything.

His documents concerning the pack and business were easy to find.

Despite his cruelty, he was very diligent with his work, but everything concerning his private life and our more personal heritage was scattered, hidden and a pain to go through. As if he knew.

As if he wanted to torture us even after his death.

“Are you sure—” Levi starts.

“Levi,” I snap. “Stop questioning me.”

He lets his head hang for a moment, but at least doesn’t flinch at my tone. “I apologize,” he says.

“No, don’t.” I hand him a folder, remembering what Remy and Gabriel asked of me.

To just let my guard down a little. “It’s on me.

I hate this place, but Gabriel hates it more.

Whenever he was in here, he had to be sent to the infirmary afterwards.

He is strong and a great help with all the other things we had to do after the asshole’s death, and if I find anything of importance, I will obviously share it with him, but I can’t subject him to this place. Please respect that.”

Levi nods. “I understand. Let’s go to work.”

For two hours, we work together silently, only talking when we find something that is hard to identify and categorize.

It’s not an uncomfortable silence, though, instead, it gives me the chance to let my thoughts flow.

It’s a draining and tiring task, and I really want to get it done with as fast as possible.

An incoming message disrupts me. It’s from Joel, asking me what I am up to.

I answer him swiftly, just to receive a reply offering his help.

He is going to come anyway, no matter what I say, so I agree.

“Alpha Joel will be coming to help, too,” I tell Levi.

“Awesome.” Levi nods. “We’ll need the help.”

Another thirty minutes pass by without either of us saying anything. I am going through some old documents of my father’s early years of his reign, when Levi interrupts the silence. “Sean,” he says. “I mean… Alpha Sean.”

“We are alone, you can stick to my first name,” I reassure him. “What’s wrong?”

“I found something weird.”

I step closer to him, noticing he is kneeling on the ground and fishing for something in the lowest row of the bookshelf.

“It feels like there is a small door, right behind the bookshelf.”

“Weird. We already found the safe. Another secret storage?” I get down on my knees as well. “Let me take a look.”

Lying flat on my stomach, I gaze into the darkness, using my phone for light. Levi is right, there is a weird opening. “Let’s get the shelf away.”

The bookshelf is made of wood, heavy and old, creaking dangerously while Levi and I move it to the side. Now that we have a free view of the wall, my eyes catch the hint of a bulge in the wall.

“It’s closed.” Levi blinks. “Like it was bricked up.”

“Knife.”

“Here.” Levi hands me his clasp knife.

It takes a while, but eventually I free the small door from the plasterwork and open it. In it, there is a folder filled with letters and pictures.

“What is this?” Levi mutters his question.

I take the folder into my hands, opening the first envelope containing pictures, and my stomach sinks to new depths.

“No way,” I mutter. “Hold it for a moment.” I hand Levi the envelope and get up, walking to the other side of the room.

Suddenly, I feel an anger that’s different from usual. THIS, is the anger I’ve been afraid of!

I don’t feel this around my brothers or other people, no matter what they say or do.

But I do feel it with this.

This anger feels blinding and suffocating, and ready to bubble out of me like a pot that’s boiling over on the stove.

My breath hitches. It’s like my body is controlled by an outside force.

With silent fury, I punch the wall in front of me, hard enough to hear the bones of my hand break.

The pain is blinding and enough to bring me down from the rage I have felt.

“Sean?” Levi yells.

“What the fuck, dude!” Joel blurts out as well. I didn’t even realize that he’d arrived. Both of them are at my side instantly. “What were you thinking?” Joel gapes, grabbing a towel from Goddess knows where and wraps it around my hand.

“It’ll heal,” I say, my voice flat to my own ears.

“That’s not…” Joel brushes through his hair in exasperation. “That’s not the problem.”

“Right.” I turn around and take the folder out of Levi’s hand again. “This is the problem.”

I toss it towards Joel, who just blinks. He skims through it, taking out the same envelope I looked at before. “Pictures,” he says. “Is this Remy? It has to be. The kid in the photo has the same eyes. Who is this woman next to him?”

“His mother,” I say.

“What?” Levi gapes. “But most of her pictures and possessions were destroyed or lost. Wasn’t there a fire?”

“Apparently, there wasn’t,” I say shortly. “That asshole just hid it. He hid it from Remy, so he would have nothing left of his mother.”

“Goddess,” Joel mutters.

He spreads the content of the folder on the now-empty table. There are pictures, some documents, and pieces of intricate jewelry. There is also something that looks like a small key, probably leading to a bank safe. Then there is another envelope. Joel shows it to me.

“It’s her handwriting,” I say, clasping my hand, slowly feeling the pain now that the adrenaline rush is gone. “What does it say?”

“To Remus,” Joel recites. “Remus?”

“That’s Remy’s actual name,” I explain. Funny, sometimes I forget that this is how he was named. I got so used to calling him Remy.

“It’s dated,” Joel says, showing me the date that’s written on the corner of the envelope.

My heart sinks further. The other two men remain eerily quiet.

“That was the day before she died. I don’t know the details, I just know that she committed suicide.

It must be her goodbye letter to her only child. ”

“By the goddess,” Levi says sadly. “Remy never received it!”

The pain in my hand makes my head spin, forcing me to sit down. I am not sure if I feel sick because of the pain or because of what we just found. “I might need to see a doctor after all,” I say.

Joel nods at Levi, and the latter dashes out of the room, probably to fetch one of the doctors who work during company hours. Joel stays, sitting next to me without saying anything. He briefly squeezes my knee, but keeps his hand there.

I am eternally grateful for his silent company.