Page 25 of Brandt's Rule

Tempest laughed.

“Tempest?” Valerie said.

“Yes, ma’am, that’s right.”

“Tell me all the things. How did you find us? How have you been? How long are you going to be in town? Oh! You should stay with us! I’ll make up Hellen’s room and you sleep in there.”

“Oh, no, I couldn’t impose. Besides, I’ve already got a place. I’m staying in the apartment above the coffee shop in town.”

“That is a nice little place. Some friends of ours used to own it, but they retired and sold it to the family that owns it now years ago. They had the upstairs apartment finished and lived in it themselves while they ran the shop. They’ve been gone for a while now. Sure do miss them.”

“It’s hard to let go of people you love when they move on.”

“It is. You’re exactly right. That’s why I never completely let go of anybody I love. I just hold on a little tighter to make sure I never let the memories fade.”

“Got the laundry going,” Maverik announced, walking back into the room.

“How many loads are there?” Valerie asked.

“Three! I got the first one going now.”

“Thank you, my love,” Valerie said, happily accepting the kiss he dropped on her lips as he went to the fridge and helped himself to a beer.

“Did Tempest tell you how she found me?” Maverik asked.

“Not yet,” Valerie said.

“Get this… she thought of me, found a direction and followed it. She just followed the feeling and it brought her here. She didn’t know exactly where, but I was nearby, and that’s all she needed until she could ask around and find me. Ain’t that something?”

Valerie smiled as she nodded, not fully understanding but not wanting to offend Tempest.

“She’s powerful, Valerie. Maybe more powerful than anybody I ever met.”

“More powerful than Delilah?” Valerie asked.

Maverik nodded sedately his expression one of absolute surety. Then he turned to look at Tempest. “Show her.”

Tempest opened her mouth, but rather than words, she simply shook her head. It wasn’t that she had anything in particular to hide from Maverik or his mate, it was just that most people feared her when they realized how powerful she was, and she didn’t want Valerie to fear her. She really liked the woman.

“No, go on ahead, show her. Let her feel the full force like I did,” Maverik encouraged, obviously proud of Tempest’s strengths.

Tempest shrugged slightly. “You only felt a little bit.”

Maverik’s brows raised. “A little bit?”

“A very little bit,” Tempest explained.

“Wow,” Maverik said, truly impressed.

“What are we talking about? I want to know,” Valerie said.

Tempest looked down at her glass, turning it slowly in her hands as she thought about it. Finally she decided to confess the truth. “I don’t want you to be afraid of me. I’m so tired of never fitting in because people fear me.”

Valerie looked over at Maverik and he could tell it was at that very moment that Valerie let the woman into her heart. Valerie walked around the edge of the bar and took Tempest’s hand in her own. “Don’t you worry about that. You’re with us now. And we’ve got all kinds of powerful people in our family. You’ll fit right in. Maverik’s told us all about the little silver-haired girl and he always wanted to go back and see how she was. He said your loneliness broke him, and he hoped the things he’d said to you gave you some hope at least.”

“They did. That’s why I’m here. I had to make a fresh start and I couldn’t think of a better place to start than by thanking him, and by letting him know how much of a difference he made.”

“And settling nearby, too,” Maverik said.

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