Page 37 of Brandt's Rule

“Go!” Tempest shouted.

Bailey tossed her the keys. “Lock the front door when you’re done. You can go up to your apartment by the main staircase in here. Just be sure to lock your door after you do.”

Tempest nodded and shooed her out of the door.

As soon as Bailey was driving away, Tempest went into the kitchen and looked around. Not quite sure what was needed other than cleaning it up and straightening whatever looked out of place, she lifted a hand and waved her fingers gracefully from left to right as though she was a product model displaying a new appliance for customers. By the time the wisps of purple had faded away, the kitchen was as clean as it had been on its first day in existence with everything in its place.

Chapter 9

“It’s been two hours,” Brandt said, his voice level and controlled rather than shouting irrationally as his Bear thought would be best. “She said an hour.”

“Yeah, I know. Women are never on time. It’s not a big deal,” Remi said.

Brandt blinked slowly as he let his options filter through his psyche. “Call her. Make sure she’s not splattered on the highway somewhere.”

“Can’t,” Ronan said with a shrug.

“Why not?” Brandt asked.

“No phone,” Ronan said with a shrug.

“What?” Brandt asked.

“She doesn’t have a phone. Made Dad angry, too, but she said she doesn’t need one.”

“How can a female in a new place, with no connections, not have a phone?!” Brandt shouted.

Ronan and Remi both watched Brandt with surprised expressions on their faces.

Barron outright snickered.

“There is nothing about this entire situation that is funny,” Brandt snapped. “Females shouldn’t be on their own without a way to call for help if they need it.”

“I’m pretty sure that anybody that attempts something she doesn’t like is going to be the party in trouble. Not her,” Ronan said.

Brandt looked at Ronan ready to ask what he meant by that, but at that moment the door to Vince’s Place opened and Bailey stepped inside followed by Tempest.

Brandt was facing the door and all the breath was sucked out of his lungs when he got a good look at Tempest. She was wearing a tight pair of jeans with fashion styled western boots that hit just above her knee. The green shirt she wore was sheer, allowing all to see the black camisole she wore underneath. Her silver hair practically glowed swooshing around her shoulders as she looked in his direction, her eyes meeting his, drawing him into a momentary battle of wills.

Brandt couldn’t help himself. As he looked into her eyes he forced his thoughts at her like he would one of his own clan. When you say you’ll be somewhere at a certain time, be there! Do not make me have to come to find you.

Tempest raised her brows and smirked as she approached the group, greeting them like she’d not heard Brandt’s thoughts. “Sorry we’re late. I didn’t have a thing to wear,” she said, smiling just a little too brightly.

“You look great,” Barron said, giving Brandt a bit of side-eye.

“Thank you. Bailey helped me pick something out,” Tempest said.

“You look beautiful, Bailey,” Remi said, doing his best to look at her without looking directly at her so she wouldn’t see his Dragon peeking from behind his eyes.

“Thank you,” Bailey said awkwardly.

“You’re late,” Brandt said.

“Sorry about that. So, this is it, huh? I’ve never been out to a bar before,” Tempest said, and though it was the truth, she was not actually sorry, which completely confused Brandt because he scented both truth and lie at the same time.

“Hold on, you’ve never been out before?” Barron asked. “Why not?”

“Because in my community people don’t do things like this. We don’t even have a bar or a place to go ‘out’. If we celebrate or crave company, we just have a gathering. Some of us do, anyway. It’s very old fashioned, family oriented.”

---