Page 34 of My Broken Mate

After bringing the plate into my room, I silently make my way to the bathroom to freshen up and to take a swift shower, glad that our rooms are all so far apart that we barely notice each other during the day, let alone at night. Once I feel like myselfagain, I return to my room, switching on one of the smaller lights and grab my books. I might as well get some studying done.

*KAT*

I drag myself to breakfast, barely awake and certain that I look like a mummy, and not like the hot one from the movie.

Eve spots me, instantly switching on the coffee machine and grabbing a pan. “You look tired, Kata. Everything okay? I will make breakfast for you.”

“I couldn’t sleep,” I admit. “Something kept me awake. I don’t know what. It felt like my mind was racing.” I frown. “Felt totally weird.”

“Is there a lot on your mind?” Eve wants to know.

“I mean, sure, there is stuff I think about, but it just felt so weird, as if the thoughts weren’t mine, but they were. Does that make sense?”

“Not really,” Eve admits. “But that doesn’t make it less real. Keep an eye on it, okay? Are you well now?”

“Yep, much better,” I admit.

“Too well for my special breakfast?” Eve asks.

I make huge eyes at him. “On second thought, I feel terrible, so please, make your special breakfast.”

“Did I hear something about breakfast?” Joel calls out as he comes rushing to the kitchen. “Hah!” He exclaims when he sees us. “I knew you were talking about food!” He throws himself on the chair next to me in a dramatic gesture. “You always forget about me.”

“Are you serious?” Eve snarls. “You always make your presence known! There is no way anyone could forget about you.” When Joel makes huge puppy eyes at him, he caves, though. “Fine, you will get my special breakfast as well.” He shakes his head. “I can’t believe this strategy worked twice on me today.”

“Thank you, Eve,” Joel says before turning to me. “Now tell me about your tutor session with Remy. I am dying to know.”

At his question, I can almost see Eve’s ears perking up, the curiosity all too evident. Well, none of my brothers are particularly subtle, never have been. For a moment, I contemplate telling them what happened, namely that I met my mate, but he didn’t respond to my very existence or that things feel so off that neither Marise nor I is sure if it truly happened. But Joel and Evander are both peculiar about their own mate situation, and I feel like this is something I can’t really share with them.

Besides, I don’t want to add to my list of failures by admitting that my mate is ignoring me, or that my wolf and I can’t tell with certainty that he even is my mate. That would be a first. Mates usually can tell they are mates, but of course, I even fail at something so simple.

So, I focus on telling them about how the tutoring itself went. “He is polite,” I tell them. “But boy, he is so closed off! It’s so weird. He was asking questions, and I answered each of them, but when I asked something—”

“He didn’t answer?” Joel queries.

“No, he did, just, there was no meat to his answer. He did answer, but thinking back to it now, I can’t even properly remember what he said. It’s impossible to read him.”

“Yeah,” Joel mutters, the look in his eyes more distant all of a sudden. “I think I understand what you are talking about.”

“Hm,” Eve says before approaching Joel and me with two humongous plates, with ham, eggs and sausages on them, and pancakes and French toast on the side. He sits down with us. “He is very distant,” he explains. “At least from what I understood. Gabriel told me that he is quite shy.”

Is he? I try to think of my meeting with Remy, and I wonder ifshyis truly the right word. “More like introverted, maybe,” I say, but not feeling that word either. “I don’t know. I feel like it’s much more complicated than your friend thinks it is.”

“But he is Remy’s older brother,” Eve chuckles.

“So?” I ask. “There are things siblings don’t know of each other, and sometimes it’s hard to read someone, especially because they are so close to each other.”

At my words, Joel and Eve both stay silent for a moment. “Maybe you are right,” Joel says thoughtfully.

“All the more reason—” Eve starts just to get interrupted by Joel.

“KATA!” Joel exclaims, grabbing my arm and shaking it. “This boy clearly has a broken heart! You need to mend it! Save the damsel in distress! You are the charming princess on a white horse, riding to—”

“Have you lost your marbles?” Eve snaps and fortunately interrupts him, before Joel can finish spinning his cheesy head-movie. “Goddess, Joel, please, just eat your breakfast.”

“You two have no sense for romance,” Joel complains.

At his words, my heart seems to stop beating, but once again, Eve saves me. “Why are you talking romantics? Nowhere did Kata say she wants to date him, or vice versa.”