Page 61 of My Broken Mate (Healing Bonds #1)

Chapter forty-six

Moments Like These

*KAT*

S ummer is coming to an end, and we want to celebrate it with a barbecue. Joel told Eve and me to invite all our friends. Seeing how our circle of friends is beginning to overlap, it's not that many people who will come, but it’s the most important ones.

Quality over quantity, clearly.

“And you think they will like this special salad creation?” Ayden asks, eyeing the bowl of watermelon and cheese salad skeptically.

“It’s good,” I tell him.

“If you say so…”

He has graciously offered to help me. The coffee shop he is jobbing at is on a summer break, giving him more free time. He is still hanging out with Gabriel, too. My own circle was expanded by Remus’ friends and by KiZ, who sometimes joins us when she isn’t on tour.

I am getting along particularly well with Cora and Kiki, and I am so happy to finally have more girlfriends as well.

It’s something I lacked when I was a teen.

Now, Ayden obviously, will be my bestie forever, but there are things I prefer talking with girls about.

Sometimes, Fi and I join the other two for girls-only outings, and it’s just such a new experience for me.

“Kiki just called me,” Fi, who came earlier to help me, says.

“They are on their way already. She is coming with Cora and Lyle.”

“Great!”

“Pity that KiZ can’t make it,” she says.

“I know. But she is not in town.” I grab a bowl of fresh bread and place it on the table. “But she promised she would be here next time.”

Fi and I start setting the table, gossiping a little when Ayden joins us. “So, where is your hot man?” he asks me.

I laugh. “He is on his way.”

“I envy you so much, Kat,” Fi sighs. “I wish I could meet my mate soon.”

“You will,” I assure her. “I am sure you will.”

“What about me?” Ayden asks. “I could do with some Kat-positivity, as well.”

“I am convinced you will find your mate, too,” I say. “After all, I found mine. If I can do it, it’ll be easy-peasy for you.”

“You make it sound like you aren’t a catch,” Fi points out.

“Well, to me, I wasn’t,” I admit.

“Hm.” Ayden tilts his head. “I think I get what you are saying. No matter what kind of wolves we are, we deserve to be loved.”

“That’s the spirit.”

“Is Remus staying with you this week?” Fi asks. “Totally in love with your new loft, by the way!”

It still feels weird not to live with Joel and Eve anymore, but I am enjoying my own little place. It’s still in the packhouse, and I am only a couple of steps away from my brothers, but it was a huge step for me.

“Yes, it’s a great place, but I enjoy staying in Remus’ cottage more,” I admit. “However, he is staying here for the week. We have plans and want to do some short trips. You are absolutely invited to come along.”

“And be the fifth wheel?” Ayden chuckles.

“You wouldn’t be,” I inform him. “We want to go swimming, and we certainly won’t be having sex in a public place.”

“Oh, I would love that!” Fi exclaims.

“Having sex in a public place?” Ayden deadpans.

“No, you idiot,” she exclaims. “Swimming! They have opened a new area at the lake and have a lot of fun activities there.”

“Yes,” I beam. “That’s why we want to go. Are you coming?”

“Absolutely, if it’s okay with you!”

“And you?” I ask Ayden.

He scrunches his nose. “Outdoor activity, huh? Well, I guess I can tag along one day. Gabe will be making a short trip, too.”

“Really? Where to?”

“He said he wanted to go hiking with Alpha Sean for two or three days.”

I don’t say anything, well aware of where they want to go hiking.

I also know that Remus has told Sean, at least, about his past or part of it.

He isn’t sure yet how to open up to Gabe fully, but I know he will be ready soon.

He hasn’t shared a lot, and fortunately, Sean hasn’t pushed him to tell him more than he could.

Meanwhile, I haven’t talked to my brothers either.

I don’t think I am fully there yet. Part of my mind is still coming to terms with what happened to me in my past, but my mind is not fully ready to face it.

Joel asked me once, indicating he was aware that something was off, but he respected my wish to wait for me to be ready to tell him everything on my terms.

“I can’t believe classes will start again in two weeks,” Fi sighs. “I got so used to summer break.”

“Yes, but I am looking forward to the new term,” I say. “Though we won’t share many lectures anymore.”

“You really switched to biology, huh?”

“I did.” I feel giddy whenever I think about that decision.

I started with business because I wanted to prove my worth to the pack and my brothers, although I hated it.

The only good thing about it was that Remus tutored me.

But now, it feels like I am doing something I am interested in.

Eve and Joel supported the decision wholeheartedly.

Joel steps outside at this point, starting to prepare the grill. Eve has prepared meat and vegetables for an army-sized gathering, claiming there will be fewer leftovers than we think. Maybe he is right. The barbecue has an open end after all, and we are all pretty healthy eaters.

“Perfect weather for this,” Joel beams. “It’s not as warm as in July, but the days are still long and it’s sunny.”

“How come I barely see you out, Joel? When I visit your regular bars, you are hardly there.” Ayden asks before he gapes in mock-surprise. “Don’t tell me you have a secret boyfriend.”

“I don’t have a secret boyfriend,” Joel says, rolling his eyes.

“But you must be getting some action somewhere.” Ayden grins. “Goddess, it’s true, isn’t it?”

“I have just been very busy recently.”

Is it just me, or does Joel sound surprisingly evasive? I try to get a look at his expression. He is smiling as usual, but I swear he is hiding something.

“He is right, we are incredibly busy,” Eve backs him up while putting some freshly cut vegetables on the table. “We’ve had plenty of contracts to draft.”

“I still don’t believe that’s all,” Aiden mutters.

“Leave it,” Fi says. “Don’t argue with an alpha.”

“Yeah, maybe you are right.”

Joel just shakes his head, amused, but doesn’t say anymore.

I don’t know if he is telling the truth or if he actually is seeing someone.

It’s certainly none of my business, but I do hope for my brothers to find their happiness soon.

They are both still very reserved whenever the topic of mates comes up, unless it’s about my mate.

“Here they are,” Eve says, and raises his hand to wave.

Slowly, our friends pool in, bringing more salads and dessert.

Seeing how it’s Sean who organized the dessert, I bet it’s some fancy high-class stuff that will be amazing.

The air in our garden is buzzing with voices.

Sean follows Eve inside to put the desserts into the fridge before he joins Joel at the grill.

They talk quietly, and I can see Joel’s eyes lighting up here and there.

Sean respects Joel so much, though his admiration of him has turned into something else over the last couple of months.

Meanwhile, Gabriel and Eve are chatting with Ayden and Cora, and Fi and Kiki giggle about something Lyle is telling them.

I get this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach again.

This here, is close to perfect, but at the same time, it makes me realize I never had it when growing up.

And I am still scared someone will snatch this happiness away.

Instinctively, my hand moves to my neck, touching my mark. It’s there! Remus marked me. I am officially mated to my fated mate. No one can take that away from me just like that. Thinking of Remus and his mark immediately makes me feel more at ease.

“Are you happy?” Remus asks me, hugging me from behind, his whole presence filling me up in a way that makes it feel like I am floating.

“Yes, but also a bit sad.”

“How come?”

“I wish life could always be like this. I wish I could freeze this moment and keep it forever.”

He rests his chin on top of my head. “I get it,” he admits. “Moments like these make me feel melancholic, too.”

“That’s the better word for it,” I admit.

“But is it a bad thing?” he asks. “I think it’s because we can finally appreciate who we are and our lives. And this moment is proof of it. It’s going to be one day of many.”

“You honestly believe that?” I ask hopefully.

“I do, and for a fact, I know that we have a lot of parties and dates ahead of us. We have our trip to the lake next week. We have plans for our study groups, we have my birthday party coming up, and another family dinner in two weeks.” He pauses. “Actually, it’s almost too much socializing.”

I elbow him, making him laugh. The moment of ‘melancholy’ passes, and I can feel it being replaced with joy. I guess I will need to learn how to handle my fears and these spikes of anxiety. I think everyone has them occasionally, albeit some more often than others.

But Remus is right. I have a lot to look forward to. A whole life with him. Maybe in the future we will have our own little family. And I know for a fact that we will treat our children with so much more love than our parents did with us.

For now, I want to build as many core memories as possible with my friends, family and my mate, so that one day, there will be a lot more happy moments to look back on than bad ones.

“Let’s take a picture,” Eve says all of a sudden.

“Oh, by the goddess, do we have to?” Ayden groans.

Eve ignores all the moaning and complaints, and instead shuffles everyone around the table. He turns to look at us. “What’s taking you two so long? You can flirt later! Come here for the picture.”

Remus lets go of me and takes my hand, kissing me briefly. “We are coming.” He kisses the side of my head softly. “Let’s imprint this onto our memories.”

He is right.

When he leads me to the rest of the group, my heart makes a few leaps of joy.

This is my life now. I have friends and family in my corner, and I have a mate who will always have my back, who trusts me enough to share his darkest secrets with.

Someone I feel so safe with, I can tell him anything, even my own darkest secrets and fears.

This is the love and life I was always longing for.

Now that I have it, it might be scary sometimes, but instead of freaking out at what could be, I will cherish every single moment with them.

Remus and I have the power to shape our futures and build the life we want to.

That thought alone makes my head spin in the best way possible.

We have so many options, and we are finally in the place where we have the power to make our own decisions.

I am positive that we’ll be moving forward from now on. I know that if I am with Remus, I am alright.

We are alright.