Page 49 of My Broken Mate

I elbow him. “You idiot, you need these galas and meetings to network.”

“Well, at least Alpha Sean will be there,” he says, for once not saying anything with a weird innuendo when he talks about him.He always acts like he has the hots for Remy’s oldest brother, but he also knows when to say or do something silly, and when not. “There is an older alpha. Alexander, I think. He seems like a decent guy, too.” He takes a deep breath. “No time for being nervous now.” He looks at me, a smirk curling his lips. “Fake it till you make it, right? Let’s go and network like crazy.”

“I won’t let you down,” I promise. “I will try to mingle a bit with the younger ones there. Maybe there is an alpha’s daughter I can get to know a little.”

“You don’t have to force yourself,” he reassures me. “Just have fun. The whole networking issue is truly something Eve and I need to figure out.”

As if on cue, I can hear Eve approaching. “Are you two coming? We are all waiting.”

“Sorry,” I call back, grabbing Joel’s arm and pulling him along. “We are here.”

“Why again did I agree to come along?” I whisper.

We successfully made it to the gala, and Joel has his entrance, hopefully without any fails from my side. He, Eve and I have to enter from the main entrance and will be officially introduced. Ayden and Fi, as our guests, will be guided to a separate entrance that leads the guests to the hall directly, without having to take the lengthy walk downstairs.

Only the alpha families and their official mates get the special introduction. In a way, it’s completely over the top and weird, almost like an old-fashioned high-society event with an eyes-on-you moment when we walk down the staircase and all the other important families look at us. Briefly, I feel truly important, almost like a princess. An uncomfortable and anxious princess, but a princess.

My heart is beating so loudly, I am scared it will jump out of my chest any second. I am just so focused on walking downstairs without tripping and not embarrassing my family.

Relax,Eve links me.You almost made it down the stairs in one piece.

Thank the goddess.

The second we are downstairs, Joel is greeted by some fellow alphas and leaves us to mingle with the crowd.

Eve’s and my moment is over. There are no eyes on us anymore, and I, for one, feel more than a little relieved about that. “I couldn’t do that every day,” I mutter.

“Same,” Eve admits. “To imagine having your every step judged and followed always would be a nightmare. I am glad I can stay in my bubble most of the time.”

“You did it,” Ayden exclaims when he and Fi join us. “And you looked great.”

“Absolutely fantastic,” Fi agrees. “Oh look, there is Clara with her mate!” She waves at her friend, who happily waves back at her. She is here in her official position as the beta female and definitely looks the part.

“She looks fabulous,” I say.

“She was so nervous,” Fi explains. “It’s the first time she’s had to accompany her mate to such an official event. And it’s not just her mate, they are immediate guests of their alpha and his family.”

“She looks happy, though,” I say. “I bet she aced it, and the next time will be so much easier for her.”

“I agree.”

“Let’s make sure to catch up with her later when the official part is over,” I say.

We fall silent again when more and more families enter. The more important the family, the later they come in, probably to make sure they have all the audience to greet them. Joelis standing next to two alphas, with whom he seems to be on friendly terms, while they watch one alpha family after another being introduced and walking down the stairs.

“It almost feels like one of these events for debutantes,” Fi whispers.

“You have a point,” Eve mutters. “I can’t believe I took this walk just half an hour ago. Looking at it now, it feels like an out-of-body experience.”

“We did it for Joel,” I say.

“True, that made it worth it.”

The next twenty minutes seem to stretch endlessly. I don’t know most of these alphas and their families, and I doubt it will ever truly be my world. It’s intriguing to watch the fuss and the way the audience reacts to certain names, but I am hoping for the official part to be over soon so that we can finally let loose a little and eat.

I gaze through the crowd, noticing once more that one person is missing. I am sure Remy is going to attend. He has to. I battle the wish to just ask Eve when he thinks Remy will appear. I just don’t trust my voice not to give away how nervous I am. The harder I try not to think about him, the more difficult it gets. At this gala, I can meet him in a different surrounding. No books, no schedule, no tests, instead a hopefully fun atmosphere – at least I hope it will be fun once this official part is over. I am just hoping I will be able to talk to him and get to know him better. Thinking about him just makes my heart stutter nervously.

Why the fuck am I so nervous?