Page 50 of Brandt's Rule

“About what?” Bane asked.

Kaid winked at Bane. “Says he’s met his mate, and she’s changing things up on him.”

“He met his mate?” Bane asked. “Why hasn’t he told me and Janie?” Bane walked away, leaving Kaid and Maverik to handle Kaid’s tree. He headed straight for the back door to Kaid’s house and didn’t even pause to see if Kaid and Maverik were going to follow him or not.

As he stepped into the house and closed the door behind himself, Kaid and Maverik looked at each other.

“Grab that stand, will you? Let’s get this finished,” Kaid said.

Maverik held the stand steady and while Kaid fit the tree into it. He trimmed off a few more of the lower branches to help it better fit, then straightened up. “That’ll do it. Let’s get it inside.”

They walked around the front of the house and took the tree in through the front door. Maverik put it in its place beside the front windows, while Kaid put the branches he’d trimmed beside the fireplace for Delilah to arrange the way she wanted them later. “I’m gonna grab some water for the tree,” Mav said, heading into the kitchen.

“Alright,” Kaid said, from where he was adjusting the tree again.

“Wait, what?!” Maverik exclaimed a few seconds later from the kitchen.

“Well, crap,” Kaid muttered, heading into the kitchen right away to see what was going on.

“You're serious?” Maverik demanded.

Brandt nodded. “We haven’t exactly acknowledged it, but yeah.”

“Is there a problem? If this girl is his mate, he should do whatever he can to win her over,” Bane said.

“Not exactly a problem, but you have to be sure, Brandt. She’s not just your average female,” Maverik said.

“I know that,” Brandt said defensively.

“No, you don’t,” Maverik snapped. He turned and looked at Kaid. “You remember me telling you about that little silver-haired girl I met while I was on the road to get here?”

Kaid thought about it for a second. “Yeah, I do. You said she was so powerful you could practically feel her vibrating. The only thing you’d ever felt that was more powerful was her momma.”

“Yep. That’d be Tempest,” Maverik said.

“Little girl… I knew you knew her, I mean, she came here looking for you,” Brandt said.

“Yes, she did. When I met her she was four or five, and it was a long, long time ago. Before I’d ever been here before.” Maverik thought about Tempest shoving caramels into her mouth fast as she could so the shopkeeper wouldn’t catch her. He smiled at the memory. “Cute little thing. So damn strong. And she’s even stronger now.”

“Yeah, I’m figuring that out,” Brandt said.

“I’m telling you right now, do not play with this female. If you’re sure, so be it, but do not play with her. She will fuck you up,” Maverik said matter-of-factly.

“Is she a threat?” Kaid asked.

“No, she’s not, not directly. But she’s not to be played with. And if you hurt her, even if she just walks away in response, I will fuck you up. And if that means I drive a wedge between your dad and me, well, then that’s just the way it has to be,” Maverik said.

“Hold on, you knew this girl when she was a baby, before you found this clan. How old is she?” Bane asked.

“I don’t know. I know she said it’s in the genes. And I know she said her bloodline ages really slowly. So, I’m not sure you can compare her age to ours. I mean, hell, even we age slower than humans…” Maverik said, implying that none of them was exactly predictable in their aging process.

Brandt was sitting in the same spot he’d been in when Delilah had given him his slice of pie, turning the fork over and over and over as he listened to them all talking.

“Brandt?” Delilah said, speaking for the first time since they’d all come into the kitchen.

Brandt looked up at her.

“This girl, Tempest, is she your mate?”

---