Page 107 of My Broken Mate

More silence.

“How was your evening?” I ask him in return. The poor guy has not done anything wrong to suffer through this whole drive back.

Levi looks a little relieved and starts telling me that he met some of the warriors. I let him talk, barely responding, but it doesn’t seem like he expects me to. Levi knows me well, and he is one of my very few friends and has always had my back. I lean back in my seat and let his words wash over me, hoping it will help me will my turmoil of emotions down.

It doesn’t help.

When Levi parks the car, Gabriel and Remy exit it first. Levi turns to look at me. “Sean, is—”

“No, it isn’t,” I say. “Thank you for trying to keep us sane during the drive back. See you tomorrow.”

Approaching the packhouse makes the usual squeezy feeling settle in my stomach, cold dread filling me like it always does. Some of my worst memories have roots in this place. I will thefeelings down, and walk upstairs on foot. Remy is a bit ahead of me, while Gabriel takes the elevator. He arrives shortly after Remy and I enter the Alpha Suite.

Once inside, Remy immediately targets his room, while I plan on going to my office, ready to shut myself in there to calm down. I have my hand on the doorknob when Gabriel throws the entrance door shut loudly, making me startle and turn to look at him.

“Can we just for once,” he blurts out. “Not fucking run away from each other?”

Remy halts in his step, turning to look at Gabriel as well. “What…”

“All of us live next to each other,” he argues. “This sucks! Fuck, we are family!”

8…7…6…

I let go of the doorknob and walk back. “And what are we supposed to talk about now?”

“Well,” Gabriel mutters, looking at Remy. “It’s good news, isn’t it?”

“Oh, it’s fantastic news!” I exclaim. “It would have been even better news had I known, instead of finding out like this.”

“I didn’t want to bother anyone,” Remy says evasively.

I don’t need to be the alpha of the pack to know it isn’t the full truth, and annoyance starts to push my eyebrow into slightly ticking again.

“It means you have a connection with your wolf,” Gabriel says. “That’s good.”

“It’s amazing, but I wouldn’t have talked to our experts daily to see what solutions we have to help with your connection to your wolf.”

“That’s how often you talk to them?” Remy gapes. He looks at Gabriel, who shrugs and nods. “Fuck, why didn’t you tell me? Obviously, I am not the only one here keeping secrets!”

7…6…5…

“Well…” Gabriel mutters.

“Damn it,” I groan. “It’s not always all our fault. The way we are right now is not just on me and Gabriel!”

Remy stays silent while Gabriel rubs his head. “It’s… yeah… but…” he mutters, scrambling for words.

I narrow my eyes, staring at him. Gabe tenses up immediately. I fucking knew it. It’s always the same.

7…6… The fuck with it! “What do you even want me to do?” I yell, slamming my hands down on the table in front of me. The effect is as expected, which is the reason I did it. Remy flinches while Gabriel takes a hurried step back. “No matter what I do, it doesn’t matter. I have two brothers, one terrified of me and the other barely able to look me in the eye.”

Gabriel pales, realization settling in him. He probably knows I just tested them now. “It’s a—”

“A trauma response, I know,” I huff. “I only have his face. I wish I could change it for something else. But I can’t. I look like him, but I am not him.”

“I know… fuck, I know,” Gabriel exclaims.

I rub my eyes, suddenly feeling exhausted. “Forget it,” I say. “It’s fine. Let’s talk tomorrow.”