Page 23 of Brandt's Rule

“Ronan? You gotta study tonight?” Brandt asked, stopping him before he got in his truck.

“No, but I’m heading home. Want to see what’s going on there.”

“Let me know if it’s anything I need to know,” Brandt said.

“You know it,” Ronan answered.

“Barron?” Brandt asked.

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Barron said. “Want me to send out a text to see if anybody else wants to come?”

“Yeah. If you don’t mind,” Brandt said.

“See you at home,” Barron answered as he climbed up into his truck and took a minute to type out a text in the group chat the clan members shared so everybody would know tonight was a grill night if they wanted to come.

Chapter 6

As Brandt drove he thought about the changes he’d felt in himself since the new female, Tempest, had arrived. He didn’t like it. He was known for always being in control, cool, collected and level-headed. Able to handle any situation well, and with a calm head. The idea that her very presence robbed him of that ability drove him to a point that he was not familiar with, not to mention his Bear was busy the whole time Brandt was struggling with control, trying to force him to throw himself at the female, then snatch her up and run away with her.

His confusion, and touchiness on the whole situation was what had him responding defensively. He didn’t know if he should warn everyone away from her so he didn’t have to kill any of his friends if they touched her, or if he should order her away from himself and his people forever and call it good. And that confusion is why he’d snapped at Barron and thrown his own issues with his mate into the foreground. He shouldn’t have done it. He’d known it the moment it came out of his mouth, but he’d been desperate to throw the attention far from himself. He’d not stopped to think how much of a sore subject Barron’s own mate was. It was a subject that everyone just pretended didn’t exist, even when she was home. Because when she was home, which wasn’t often, she and Barron both pretended there was nothing between them, and no big deal if there was. It killed Barron, but she seemed so untouched by it all no one really knew if she cared or not.

The one time Brandt had tried to wade into their business, Barron had respectfully informed him that it wasn’t his place, and his concern wasn’t needed. So, Brandt had stayed out of it since. Barron was his best friend, and if there was one person in the world he didn’t want to hurt in any way it was Barron. Barron had been by his side since they were kids. They were all strong shifters, and any of them could have been Brandt’s second, but it was Barron’s easy going demeanor and unquestioning loyalty that made him Brandt’s natural choice as second — always had been. Barron was easygoing, but ready to go beast-mode in a heartbeat if pushed too far or if the clan was threatened. He always looked to Brandt for the final say in whatever their next move was to be. It was a natural fit for them, and the rest of the clan felt the fit just like Brandt and Barron did.

Even on the compound they’d set up near their childhood homes, it had been Barron that had jumped in with both feet, no questions asked, and started helping Brandt prepare for the rest of their generation to take their places there when the time came. Their compound was a parcel of land of just under a hundred acres. It was mostly wooded — a former dairy farm bordered on one side by the Bogue Chitta River that had long ago gone back to nature when the original owner had passed away and none of his children wanted it. Brandt had found it, worked with Kaid to secure a loan, and bought it for himself and those he considered his clan, not too long after graduation. A healthy chunk of his salary went to paying Kaid back for the land, and he’d have it no other way.

In his free time, he and Barron, Remi, Hellen, Christian, and Ronan and Jonah when they had time off school, had worked along with their fathers and uncles to put in a road, then gradually clear just enough of the land to make it livable, being sure to leave enough tree growth between homes to leave each with an air of privacy between. In fact, they’d used a lot of the natural timber they’d cleared from the property to build the homes. The homes they were building were average-sized, efficient, Eco-friendly homes whose design Daisy had contributed to. Most of the materials, other than the lumber they’d harvested, were recycled materials. She’d designed each home to be self-sufficient with the option of using solar panels for power. There was power running to the compound from the local power company and to each house as well, but Daisy was all about sustainability, so when she’d offered to design the basic homes for their compound, Brandt let her have a free hand knowing that solar energy would be part of it and they’d be a little more self-sufficient if the need ever arose.

As Brandt’s sister, and Bane and Janie’s daughter, she was of course part of the clan, but after all she’d been through, she hadn’t found it in herself to venture too far in any sense of the word. Helping her family plan and execute affordable, Eco-friendly and sustainable homes was the first thing she’d shown an interest in in a while — almost had her shining like her old self again. So, Brandt didn’t really give a damn if she designed circus tents for them to live in, as long as they had shelter. They each had certain things they wanted in their homes, but his was easy. “Make it big enough that he didn’t have to move or rebuild when he met his mate.” And she’d accommodated him, making it three bedrooms and two baths. She designed everyone a home, and went with clean, generic lines for the most part. For his and Barron’s, she’d designed them up off the ground, on pilings. Brandt’s was literally within throwing distance of the river, and the river without fail overflowed its banks at least once a year, if not twice, making his home an island. That was actually his favorite time of the year. He loved sitting on his back porch, looking out at the water that surrounded him. Brandt’s home was straight down the main road, until you ran almost literally into the river and the road ended, then to the left. Barron’s home was at the end of that road too, but to the right. They were the equivalent of several city blocks of distance away from each other and the road itself on each given side, with enough trees and shrubbery growing in and around their individual lots that they had privacy. But they were both up off the ground in case of flooding since they lived almost on the river’s banks. Beneath their homes they had storage for whatever they wanted to store there. Their vehicles if it wasn’t flooding, four-wheelers, flatboats, whatever they didn’t store inside their homes was below them. If it was flood season, they moved them up closer to the highway to protect them from flood waters.

The turnoff from the highway onto their property was a red-dirt road with a steel bar stretched across it with a chain and lock to keep anybody out that shouldn’t be there. The whole clan had keys to it even if they didn’t live there full-time yet — it was still their home base. After the turn off you followed the road for about three quarters of a mile before it branched off to the left, and right, or you could continue straight forward. If you continued straight on, you’d eventually find the river and Brandt’s and Barron’s homes. If you took the left branch, you’d first come across several lots cleared along that branch, an as of yet unclaimed home that was used for holidays or visits home by whoever needed it, and Hellen’s home was at the end of that road. If you turned on the right branch, you’d find Remi’s home first, then another unassigned home, then beyond it was Christian’s home, then a couple of cleared lots for future building.

The road was laid out so that additional branches could be made easily without inconveniencing anyone already living on the property if additional homes were required. Of course, not everyone of the clan would live there, but there was plenty of room for all who chose to, even if everyone eventually chose to. In the generation of Brandt’s clan there were 20 shifters, with varying beasts and humans included as well. Of those twenty, two of them, Jobe and his wife Maggie, kind of fit in with both Kaid’s clan and Brandt’s, and lived on Kaid’s compound, though spent time with Brandt’s generation from time to time as well. Kaid was semi-retired, and had actually nudged part of his own Alpha duties Brandt’s way, but was still there and prepared to be the Ultra-Alpha if required. It was no secret though that at any time Kaid could and was expected to say, ‘Brandt, it’s yours. Run the whole damn thing, I’m done’, which would increase Brandt’s responsibilities with the older generation looking to him for leadership as well. But of Brandt’s immediate clan, two more, Havoc and his daughter Harley, were currently living in Missouri with Havoc’s older sister, Maia. Brandt’s cousins by blood, Analise and Emmalyn had gone off to university and started their careers. They only came home to visit now. Emmalyn did anyway, Analise had only been home a couple of times since she’d graduated high school. Her mom and dad, Bam and Everly, usually went to visit her because she was always so busy in her work to come back home for very long. Angelle, though she was 20, would most likely never move out of Avaleigh and Daniel’s house. She was very, painfully shy, and suffered from agoraphobia. Tessa at 13 years old, Jenn at 12, Jobie at 11, Raeann at 15 and Jonah at 17 were too young to have moved onto the compound on their own. Daisy was still living with Bane and Janie, overcoming her heartbreak, Ronan at 19 was in college but anxious to move out on his own as soon as his parents would allow it.

That left five — Remi, Barron, Hellen, Brandt, and Christian living on the new compound Brandt had purchased and was building for his own generation of Kaid’s clan, or as the elders of the clan jokingly called themselves, Avaleigh’s Boys. At some point all the others would have homes there whether they lived in them full-time or just when they came home to visit. And the younger members would be able to move out of their parents’ homes and into the homes they chose for themselves when the time came.

Brandt’s rule was unique to Avaleigh’s Boys’ way of life. He oversaw several generations of his clan. He was the kind of Alpha that could adjust his demeanor depending on what was best for the clan member he was dealing with at any given time. He was a strong Alpha, a capable Alpha and a fair one. Everyone from both generations and the in-between had faith in him, as did Kaid, from whom he’d eventually take the reins. The fact that the younger generation was choosing to live their lives and explore their careers away from home was no big deal to Brandt. He knew, as did they, if the time ever came that they were needed, they’d be hopping the first flight home. No matter where they were, or what they were doing, they were still part of the same clan of shifters. They were family. And that was all that mattered.

This thing with Tempest would not be allowed to change any of it. It was no more than a distraction that needed to quickly be averted. Very quickly in his opinion. It did not fit into his plans, and was unsettling to say the least.

~~~

Maverik grinned to himself all the way home. He couldn’t believe the little silver-haired girl had tracked him down. He’d often wondered about her, and now he had his answer. He’d had as much of an effect on her as she’d had on him. She’d never forgotten either. As he turned off the highway onto a white gravel road, he signaled to Tempest, who he knew was riding just a few feet behind him to slow down. He led the way up the gravel drive through the trees for almost a mile before he turned to the right at a fork in the road and Tempest followed. He drove past a large, classic farmhouse with a wraparound porch, then a smaller craftsman style home on the left before coming to a stop in front of a mobile home with an extravagant front deck attached to it.

Maverik turned off his bike, kicked his kickstand into place and swung his leg over the bike to get off. He balanced his helmet on the seat as he turned to smile at Tempest as she mimicked his behavior.

“Are you sure this is okay? Your wife doesn’t know I’m here. She didn’t exactly have any warning,” Tempest said, not wanting to start off on the wrong foot with Maverik’s family.

“Trust me. You’ll see,” he said, extending his arm toward her to indicate she should join him and enter the house beside him.

Biting back her apprehension, Tempest went to Maverik who escorted her up the steps and onto the front deck with a hand at the small of her back before leading the way inside. “Valerie!” he shouted the second his foot crossed the threshold.

When Valerie didn’t answer right away, he let out a sharp whistle.

“Damn. Where is that woman?” he asked.

“What? Why are you shouting and whistling for me like that? You know I don’t like that whistling crap,” Valerie said walking down the hallway toward them with two full baskets of laundry stacked one on top of the other.

“Valerie, baby. Look who it is!” Maverik said excitedly.

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