Page 134 of My Broken Mate

“It really is,” Gabriel agrees. “You were here in person back then, right, Sean?”

“Dad had me come to help him retrieve the body,” I say bitterly. Sadness fills me when I remember how distraught my little brother was when we picked him up, and when I saw his mom for the last time. Dad always kept her away from us, and she even stayed in her own house on pack grounds, so we didn’t mingle much with her, but she was always kind when we did meet her. I don’t know what my father did to her. He must have controlled her every move.

“This is where they stayed back then,” I say, walking towards the large building, surrounded by a lush garden. It’s as if time stops when I step inside and look at an elderly nurse. My breath hitches at the sight of her. She has aged a bit, but I can still recognize her.

She was there when I arrived to pick up Remus. She was the one who comforted him and made sure he was alright and cared for.

She was that ray of kindness in an otherwise dark and devastating situation.

“Sean…” she exclaims. “You are Sean, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” I smile and shake her hand. “You still remember.”

“Who wouldn’t?” she says sadly. “But my, how grown up and handsome you have become. Just like little Remus. I can’t believe he is a man now. He told me you might be coming, so I prepared some rooms for you.”

“Thank you so much. Please don’t go out of your way to accommodate us. I have been here before; I can show the others around.”

“Is Remus around?” Gabriel asks carefully.

“No,” she says. “He and his lovely girlfriend left a couple of hours ago. They just put their bags in their room and then left immediately.”

“Where did they leave for?” I ask.

She points at one of the mountains behind us. “They went up there.”

“They went hiking?” Evander asks in disbelief.

She chuckles, her wise face lighting up in amusement. “Not any hike, lovely. It’s a meditative hike. A lot of our patients take it when they feel enough strength to do so. There is just something about it that makes one relax.”

And probably face their demons, I add in my mind.

“How long do you think it will take for them to return?”

“It depends. They might want to spend the night up in the hut, at the top,” she says. “They will most likely return tomorrow morning.”

“Well then.” I grab my bag. “I will put this in my room, and then would love to check out the spa. Is it still open for regular guests?”

“Of course, dear.”

“You… you want to take a bath?” Gabriel asks, perplexed.

“Well, I am certainly not going up that mountain,” I say. “You just heard where Remus and Katalina are. They are fine. Let them do their hike in peace.”

“Yeah, I am starting to think it’s already embarrassing enough that all four of us made this trip,” Joel mutters. “We might have acted a bit unhinged.”

The nurse laughs. “The sweet, young woman said the same. Remus thought not all of you would come, but she said, ‘They will. They are insane enough.’”

Joel and I exchange a glance and hide our amusement.

“They have a large library here, too,” I say. “And a popular cave you can walk through. A two-hour walk to see the beauty of nature.”

“Okay, I got it,” Evander says with a chuckle. “We are insane. I will take the chance to check out the cave.”

“Library, it is for me,” Gabriel also gives in.

Joel elbows me. “And I will obviously join you in the spa.”

Obviously!