Page 20 of My Broken Mate

I turn towards our driver, who remains in the background. “Why don’t you grab something to eat in the meantime?”

“Thank you, young Alpha,” he says with a smile.

As usual, Gabriel sent a bodyguard with me. Fortunately, he stays in the background and tries not to disturb us. I try to ignore his presence; the man is just doing his job after all. At the beginning of Gabriel and Sean assigning me a guard, Lyle and I tried to shake him off once. Beta Levi, Lyle’s brother, found us back then. Both of my brothers were pissed, but to my surprise, didn’t yell at me. They just said they know it’s annoying and that they hope we’ll find a solution with time.

I don’t want to give them any more trouble by acting up, so I never did it again.

Inside the shop, the shop assistant is already expecting us. She has coffee prepared and even some champagne. Kiki sits down on one of the comfortable chairs and makes a shooing gesture towards Lyle and me. “These two are your victims for now,” she says to the shop assistant.

The other woman laughs. “I see.”

She roams around a bit, taking a few suits out for us to try. Lyle seems to be drawn to a classic one with a radiant blue tie, while I like the bolder options more. It feels like style is the only thing I have a gift for.

The pants of the suit are a bit on the tighter side but of a thicker material, while the shirt has purple buttons and is in a silky white. The coat is the same color as the shirt’s buttons – a pretty, elegant darker purple. There is some black embroidery on the collar and the hem of the coat.

“What do you think?” I ask Kiki. “There are a few alterations that need to be done to the pants, but the overall image…”

“It looks sophisticated, yet fashionable and youthful,” she says, sounding impressed. “Okay, who am I kidding? You look absolutely hot.”

I try on a pair of wine-red trousers with a black velvet coat and a wine-red shirt next. It looks more casual, and if I wearthe pants with another shirt in a simple fabric or color, I could wear them on casual occasions. “I think I will take the second outfit, too,” I say. “Ties?” “A classic one would be too much,” the shop assistant says. “You are a young man. How about you try to wear a very short tie, or a double-string one. It’s still elegant but underlines your youth.”

“She is right,” Kiki agrees. “Maybe in the same color as the coat.”

“Sounds good to me. How about other accessories? Do you have male jewelry? I’m looking for a wristband and a ring that would fit the purple outfit. The ring should definitely be eccentric enough so that no one would take it for an engagement ring.”

Kiki grins when the shop assistant shuffles away to look for a few things. “You will be the most wanted bachelor there,” she grins.

“I doubt it,” I say. “Thank you for going with me, Kiki. With you there, I won’t get too many suggestive comments. I really appreciate your help.”

“Why do you sound so formal now?” she chuckles. “Of course, I won’t leave you hanging.”

Lyle steps out now and shows us his suit. Both of us approve of it, as he looks dazzling in it. While he goes back to change, Kiki and I continue our talk. “Mate or not, Remy, you are so serious all the time. How about you just go on a harmless date once?”

“I don’t know,” I say. “If I date, I want it to be with someone special.”

“That’s why the girls like you so much,” she chuckles. “Because you say serious stuff like that. But I mean it, it’s been so long since I saw you smile.”

“Is it?” I ask. “I wasn’t even aware.”

She looks at me thoughtfully. “Are you happy, Remy?” she asks quietly. “At least sometimes.”

I look at her for a while, swallowing thickly. “I don’t know,” I answer honestly.

Kiki doesn’t say anything further, she just squeezes my hand gently. The shop assistant returns with what I requested, and I choose a wristband from her selection. Lyle wraps up his shopping, as well, before Kiki stands up, stretching. “Now it’s my turn,” she grins.

“Do you want to color match your date?” the shop assistant asks while nodding towards me. “We have a few brand-new purple dresses.”

“I’m all ears,” Kiki beams.

The two women proceed to search through the dresses. Kiki tries a few on and shows them to us. Lyle and I pretty much approve of all of them, because she looks good in anything. Probably to tease us, she finally puts on a very short glittery one, making Lyle laugh, as both of them make jokes about what all the stuck-up lunas would say if they saw her like that.

I listen to their exchange, leaning my head against the window. We are on the first floor, and the shop assistant has opened the window a bit for fresh air to breeze in. The wind brings noises towards me, and I can hear faint laughter.

A group of young people, probably college students, is coming out of a store. A young woman with dark brown hair tied back into a ponytail is the center of their attention. She laughs, her smile bright like the sun. Something about her draws me in. For a moment, she halts, looking around as if something caught her attention, but her friends pull her along.

*KAT*

Ayden is panting so loudly I’m scared he might have a heart attack. Joel made it a rule a few weeks ago that all pack members should train in the basics. No one is obliged to become a warrior or do hardcore training, but he wants everyone to be prepared in case of an emergency.