Brandt nodded. Then he looked at Tempest, really looked at her. “You feeling okay? I know you used some of your strength to help Emmalyn.”
“I’m good. I promise. Is that why you’re staying near?”
“Aren’t I supposed to worry about my mate?”
She walked over and pecked his lips as she went by with both hands grasping platters of food. “I worry about you, too. But I promise, I’m okay.” She smiled at him and continued on into the living room where she set the food down before returning to the kitchen to finish cleaning up her mess.
“How’s your family, baby?” Brandt asked.
Tempest looked up from the counter top she was wiping down. “They’re good.”
“That doesn’t sound convincing.”
“Really, they are. They want me to bring you for a visit next time.”
“But?” he asked, knowing she was holding something back.
“Nothing about bringing you to visit. I’m just worried about Boon.”
“He’s your uncle, right?”
“Yes. But he’s more like my bestie.”
“Why are you worried?”
“He’s so lonely. He’s practically becoming a hermit. He won’t tell me that, but I can feel it.”
“Bring him here to visit for a while.”
“I can’t. He’s obviously not human.”
“Oh, the horns…”
“Yeah. I mean, I guess I could glamour them, but I’ve offered before and he’s flat out refused.”
“I know this is a crazy question, because I’m pretty sure you already know, doesn’t he have a mate?”
Tempest focused on Brandt, her attention almost making him uncomfortable because she hesitated so long before answering. “He does. But she’s not there. He’ll have to leave home to find her. He doesn’t want to leave home, he said if he was meant to have a mate, she’d be there because he doesn’t want to live anywhere else.”
“Where is she?”
“Here,” Tempest said hesitantly.
Brandt with a surprised expression on his face, opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.
“Is there any beer in there? I could really use a drink,” Kaid called out, as he headed toward the kitchen.
“Same!” Bane said, falling in behind Kaid as they wandered over to dig through the fridge.
“Who?” Brandt whispered to Tempest while Bane and Kaid raided the fridge.
She started to answer, but at that moment someone knocked on the door, and Avaleigh jumped up to answer it before anyone else had a chance to respond.
“Whoa, hold on, Aunt Avaleigh!” Brandt called from across the room at the same time Daniel reached out to intercept her. He glanced toward Tempest. “Later?
Tempest nodded.
“What?” Avaleigh asked. “They knocked. People coming to hurt you don’t knock politely.”
