Brandt opened the door and closed it behind himself, giving them a second to themselves.
“Don’t let him make you overdo it,” Hellen said.
“I won’t. He probably just wants to talk now that we’re official, make sure that I’m all in and shit like that.”
“Or he wants you along to ride shotgun because nobody else is willing today.”
“Either way. I got this.” He hurried off to find his shoes and came back up the hall minutes later wearing them. “I’ll see you soon. If you need me, call me,” he said, tapping his temple.
“Yeah, how is that so strong already?” she asked.
“Mates, cher. That’s how it works.” He hesitated long enough to kiss her again, but this time he placed the kiss on the mating mark clearly seen above the rounded scoop neck of her teeshirt.
“I’m going to have to see if I can block you or not. I don’t like being spied on all the time.”
“Mmhmm,” was the only reply he gave her as he grinned at her and closed the door behind himself.
She heard Brandt’s truck start, and listened as it backed out of her driveway and went back up the road to the exit of their land and onto the highway. She smiled to herself as she turned back to her bowl and rinsed it out before putting it in the dishwasher. She glanced around the kitchen for only a second or two before she remembered she had cherry toaster pastries in the pantry. “Yep. That’s next,” she said, taking a packet out of the box, pouring herself a second cup of coffee, and going back into the living room to finish finding something to watch while she devoured her second breakfast of the day.
~~~
Brandt pulled up in front of Kaid’s house and turned off the engine. “We’re here.”
“The whole damn clan again?” Lucien asked.
“No, just the guys. Except for Riley. He and his family went into town for a while, not that he wouldn’t be one of the first to jump in to help if we needed it. But as far as the guys, Maverik talked to everybody about what you told him and we all agree that we got to address this before we find it on our door.”
“Agreed,” Lucien said, opening the door and getting out. “I kind of wish I’d gotten the chance to tell you myself, though, before Maverik brought it to you. He’d mentioned talking to the guys, but I assumed he meant his guys.”
Brandt laughed. “First thing to learn is that don’t tell Maverik, or Delilah for that matter, anything you don’t want everybody to know. And for the record, if it’s life-threatening or could paint you in a bad light, Maverik is the one you want to tell. He’ll keep that shit to himself until he dies and longer.It’s confusing how his loyalty works. He either tells every damn body because he thinks he’s helping, or he’ll never tell a soul but stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you while you face the gates of hell. Anyway, second thing is I get it — the inlaw thing. You were confiding in your mate’s father. Every damn body around here has inlaws in the clan, or near to it. It can get sticky. No worries, though. The good thing about it is that we all have each others’ backs, regardless of the whos and the whys.”
Lucien nodded as he followed Brandt around the side of the house.
“Hey, I want you to know that I give Hellen a hard time, but I’m really happy for the two of you. I don’t think anybody else could handle her. She’s got a soft heart, but her exterior is so damn thorny.”
“It’s a defense mechanism. She doesn’t want to let people see how vulnerable she is. And while she doesn’t have to worry about it anymore — because I’ll kill whoever I have to kill to keep her happy and safe, you can also bet that I’ll help her keep whatever image it is she wants to keep.”
Brandt grinned and clapped a hand on Lucien’s upper back as a show of support.
“So, then it’s official?” Maverik asked, hearing the tail end of their conversation as they got nearer. “You claimed her and lived to tell of it.”
Lucien laughed. “I am honored to say it is official, and she didn’t kill me.”
“Glad to hear it, boy,” Maverik said, giving Lucien a full-on hug, rather than the usual side-bro-hug males usually offered. “Just one thing needs to be said, though…”
“I know already… I hurt her, you kill me.”
Maverik laughed. “Naw, you hurt her, I’ll hunt you down and hold you steady while she kills you,” he said with a grin.
Lucien shook his head and laughed. “Well, then it’s a good thing that nobody’s going to hurt her. I will not allow it.” His smile dropped and his expression became stony. “Not anybody will cause her a moment’s distress of any type.”
“I saw him with her yesterday. He’s got this. How you doing, Lucien?” Vince asked.
“Better than I ever expected,” Lucien said, extending his hand to shake Vince’s as Vince approached.
Maverik smiled. “Where you belong I’m thinking,” Maverik said, his smile genuine as he hugged Lucien again.
“No doubt,” Lucien said.
