Page 97 of Brandt's Rule
“My grandmother has some very special ones, too. And my mother. I’m really going to miss them this year. We don’t have nearly the size of family you do, but we’ve got extended, too. I’ve never not been with my parents and grandparents for Christmas.”
“I’ve just been planning to spend the holidays with my family, not even considering the option of being with yours. I’m sorry for that. I should have considered that you’d want to be with them.”
“It’s alright. I’m sure they’d say my place is with my mate. Well, except for my grandfather. He’d say I’m supposed to be home and you might be allowed to come.”
Brandt laughed, but he was watching Tempest a little more closely and realizing she was a feeling a little homesick. Whether it was in general, or because of the holidays didn’t really matter. What mattered was that his Tempest was wanting, and he didn’t like that. He’d have to do something about it.
“Look! There’s the corndogs! Let’s get some and get started on our way around the festival!” Brandt said excitedly. He proudly presented her with her first corn dog slathered in ketchup and mustard, and spent the better part of the evening making sure she didn’t miss a single experience to be had.
They were a couple of hours into the festivities, and on the ferris wheel when Brandt suddenly stiffened and seemed to laser focus on something below them.
“What’s wrong?” Tempest asked.
“Nothing,” he answered. His words were under-scored with a slight rumble and his answer clipped. As the ferris wheel went around again, giving them a perfect view of the entire festival every time their seat was at its highest point, he strained to look over the side, almost like he was searching for someone, or something.
Tempest followed his gaze each time, trying to determine what it was or who it was that he was focused on, but there were so many people around it was hard to determine what exactly had his attention.
Finally the time came for them to get off the ferris wheel. As the man working their ride released the safety bar keeping them securely in place, Brandt fairly bolted out of his seat, only remembering Tempest was there at the last moment. He turned back to her and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the way of the people behind them getting off the ferris wheel. “Stay here. Stay right here, and I’ll be back.”
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes. Just… stay here.” He turned and disappeared, expertly weaving his way through the crowd, until she couldn’t see him anymore. Not sure what was going on, but feeling awkward standing there, she decided strolling the midway was better than standing still while the crowd passed her by. So, she went to the nearest vendor’s cart and bought a cup of hot chocolate, then strolled back and forth, stopping and browsing at several of the displays of Christmas ornaments and holiday gifts, even buying a few while she waited for Brandt to return. Moving on to the next display and the next until something completely unexpected caught her eye.
Tempest stopped and blinked, focusing her attention in the darkened alley between two vendors’ stalls. Her head tilted just slightly to the right as she took in what she was seeing. Brandt, standing in the shadows — with a woman. The woman’s back was against the exterior wall of one of the stalls, her hand was lying intimately against Brandt’s chest as she gazed up into his eyes.
Brandt’s arms were on either side of her head, his hands planted firmly on the same wall she was leaning against. His head angled down, leaning toward the woman.
Focusing on them, it took very little effort for Tempest to pick up their conversation…
“I’m not getting any answers I want from you. Stop being evasive. I want to know how long you’ve been back and didn’t bother to tell me,” Brandt said.
“I didn’t think you’d need to know anymore,” the woman answered.
“You thought wrong. Every single thing you do is something I need to know.”
“Just can’t get me out of your head, can you?” the woman asked snidely.
“And you know why!” he said, his voice deep and resonant.
Tempest’s stomach dropped, the blood in her ears started rushing, and she was sure she was going to throw up. Mates didn’t cheat. They didn’t have multiple females. Did they? Deciding that she didn’t want to see any more. And she didn’t want to be there any longer, she simply disappeared, causing more than a few people to freeze in their tracks, look at the alcoholic drink they’d been sipping, and suddenly toss it in the nearest garbage can.
~~~
An hour later Tempest sat on the sofa in their living room, alone. She’d been trying to decide what to do since she’d fled the Christmas Festival. She’d considered several options, the most appealing of which was remove the female from the surface of the planet. But then she realized the woman owed her nothing. Brandt did. And while she could have just as easily removed Brandt from the planet, she couldn’t help but remember the words she’d grown up with. Maverik had spoken them, and her entire family had reinforced them in one way or another.
If people didn’t want to be your friend, then they weren’t the best people for you to be around anyway.
She sat thinking about all she’d experienced with Brandt, all she’d thought she’d found with Brandt, and the fact that Brandt — regardless of some very admirable qualities — obviously saw their relationship differently than she did. “If you don’t need me, or want me, like I do you, than I don’t need you,” she said aloud.
Decision made, she stood up and took a second to look around. Then she heard footsteps on the stairs outside. The door opened and Brandt rushed into the living room.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you! I’ve been calling and calling and you didn’t answer!” he half-shouted. “Why’d you leave the festival without telling me?”
“I wanted to come home,” she said, putting on a brave face. There was no way she’d let him know he’d hurt her.
“Why didn’t you answer me? I’ve been worried half-sick!” he said as he tapped his head to indicate he’d been trying to reach her telepathically.
“I’m going home,” she said.