Page 27

“Heyyyyy,” Brandt called out, dragging out the word playfully.

Seconds later, Daisy’s head peeked around the corner of the open front door. “What are you doing here?”

“Came to see what extras you’re deciding to add, and then going to buy some yummies from Bailey.”

Daisy grinned at her brother. “Since you’re here, I was wondering if…”

“Yeah, unhuh, I told y’all, didn’t I?” Brandt asked, looking at Shaun and Lucien who were standing to his right. He continued to grin as he shook his head and started toward his sister, who just smiled exaggeratedly at him and disappeared back inside the small building she’d ‘just had to have’.

Brandt followed her inside and dutifully listened to all her ideas about where she wanted to add to the small building, and then separate the addition into two rooms. He listened to where she wanted to add shelves for storage, and place an elevated surface at the front of the main room so that even the students in the back could easily see her easel or base if she was in the front giving examples of whatever it was she was teaching.

Then she took him back outside to show him the spaces she wanted to remain cemented over so that if her students wanted to take their easels outside to work in natural light, they could.

“Alright, I can do all of that. You want the front and sides to have the cement taken up, though, right?”

“I do. It’s just too much. But the area in the back, I’d like to leave, just a smooth slab of concrete we can keep clear of grass and dirt and bugs, and they can comfortably create on.”

“Yes, because Lord forbid there’d be a bug outside,” he snarked.

Daisy scowled at him and gave him an “I’m still your big sister and can kick your ass” glare.

“What about extra buildings. Don’t you need a kiln? Maybe somewhere for sculpting?”

“I’d love that. But I don’t want to ask for too much.”

“Daisy, if you need it, just say you need it. I’d rather get it all done at once.”

“I’d really like that.”

Brandt laughed. “Done. Now that we’ve got all that straight, I want to talk about something else.”

“Okay. What’s up?” Daisy asked.

“I’ve given you space to handle your own. I’ve waited patiently for you to trust me enough to tell me about what caused you to come running home so suddenly — but you haven’t. I’m running low on patience, Daisy.”

“I know you think you have to oversee everything in your Alpha-Dom…” she started.

“No. Bullshit. Do not even try to go there. This has nothing to do with anything other than my sister came home, suddenly. And hasn’t been the same since.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that something happened.

I want to know what the hell happened. Or do you not trust me as your brother enough to tell me?

Not as your Alpha, because honestly, to hell with that.

Throw that out of the window, because I will always be your brother first and foremost. I can’t protect you from something if I can’t see it. ”

“I don’t need protection, Brandt. I really don’t. I just need time to heal.”

“From what?”

She shook her head as she crossed her arms and stared at the ground.

“Really hurts that you won’t trust me. I thought we were close,” Brandt said.

“We are close! This has nothing to do with trust.”

“Then what does it have to do with?”

She sighed and lifted her head to look into the sky.

Brandt thought she was done and wasn’t going to answer. Just when he was ready to walk away, she finally spoke. “Embarrassment. Humiliation. Trying to find whatever pieces I may still have of any kind of self-respect.”

“Daisy…” he said, taking a step closer and reaching out toward her.

Daisy shook her head and moved out of reach. “I’m fine. I’ve spoken to Analise. I’ve spoken to Emmalyn. And they’ve both spoken to me. I’m handling it, and they are helping when I need it.”

“What makes them any different than me?” Brandt asked, truly offended.

“Brandt, they’re females. They get it. You’re a male. All you will want to do is run out and beat everybody.”

“Everybody?! There’s more than one?!” Brandt demanded.

“Yes! No! Not exactly! Just let me handle my stuff my way, okay? I’m healing. Allow me that.” Daisy didn’t wait for him to reply, she headed back into the small building through the temporary back door they’d put in.

Instead of following her, Brandt walked around the building, but hesitated when he got to the front.

His mother stood speaking quietly with Lucien.

Lucien’s hand rested on her shoulder. Brandt slowed his heartbeat to better hear what they were saying, and stood perfectly still as he began to pick up quietly whispered words.

“She’s never confided in me, but I know whatever it was, it almost took her down for good. She just started getting out a little more when Analise came back home. She’s made really good progress lately, but still won’t discuss it with me.”

“Was it a male?” Lucien asked.

“I can only assume. Daisy has always been my gentle, trusting child. For her to refuse to speak of what happened, and keep it buried deep inside, I would almost think it has to have been a male, or a man. But what I can tell you is that this is no usual break up. Whatever it was shattered her, and there are times she’s still hesitant to leave home for anything.

Thank the gods her cousins all started coming home.

They’re the only reason she’s begun to venture out again. ”

“Do you know where she was living while she was away?” Lucien asked.

“Yes, she was living in the dorms at the university in New Orleans. She only had a couple of hours of classes to finish and get her degree, but she abandoned all of it.”

Lucien smiled. “Well, she’s home now. And it sounds like her cousins have rallied around her, and are helping her find herself again. I’m sure it will be fine.”

Janie nodded.

“Thanks for talking with me,” Lucien said. “I’m not anything near a healer, but I know pain when I see it. I just felt like I needed to help, though I know it’s not my place.” Lucien walked away, only making it five or six steps before Janie called him.

“Lucien?”

He stopped and looked back at her. “Yeah?” he asked.

“When you find him, them or whatever it is that you find… kill them as slowly and painfully as you can. I want them terrified, horrified, as they slowly die. And make sure they know it’s because of what they did to my baby.”

Lucien smiled coldly. “I never planned on anything other than that.”

“Where’s Shaun?” Brandt called out, finally making himself known as he walked out into the open.

“He’s inside measuring for shelves,” Lucien answered.

“Ma, you want some stuff from Bailey’s? We’re headed there next.”

“No, thank you, baby. I’d just eat it all because I have no self-control,” Janie said with a laugh.

“Same, but I don’t care. I’m going to get some anyway,” Brandt said. He put two fingers in his mouth and let out a sharp whistle. Few seconds later Shaun appeared in the doorway, tucking a pencil behind his ear.

“You about done?” Brandt asked.

“Two minutes,” he said.

“Alright.”

Brandt and Lucien got in Brandt’s truck and waved back to Janie as she paused to wave at them as she was going back inside Daisy’s little art studio. While still waving and smiling, Brandt said, “You get any information?”

“Found out she lived in a dorm in New Orleans. Seems like a good place to start.”

“I should have thought of that. I knew she was in a dorm down there somewhere. My mom tell you which one?”

“Nope. But that don’t mean we can’t find out,” Lucien said.

“I’ll ask my mom.”

“Alright. And if she doesn’t know, I’m sure it won’t take long to figure it out,” Lucien said. “A picture of your sister and a couple of well placed smiles and winks, they’ll happily tell us all they know.”

“Who’s they?” Brandt asked.

“The women,” Lucien said, waggling his eyebrows.

~~~

Brandt parked the truck a few spots down from Bailey’s coffee shop, and the three of them got out and started toward the place.

Lucien lifted his nose into the air. “I don’t know what I’m smelling, but I need about ten of them.”

Shaun laughed. “I’m gonna tell you what…

ain’t nobody bakes like Bailey. She’s amazing, man.

She’s pretty and sweet, and kind, and the best damn baker.

You got to try her turnovers, dude. I like the apple ones, but she makes cherry and blueberry and you just don’t know how good they are. She’s something special, I tell you.”

Brandt and Lucien shared a knowing look.

Then Brandt spotted a familiar car the same time Shaun did.

“When is he going to leave her alone?!” Shaun bit out irritatedly.

“Damn it,” Brandt grumbled.

“Can’t you tell him to leave her alone?” Shaun demanded.

“They’ve been together a while, Shaun. You know that. Let them end their shit before you try to rush her into something new.”

“I’m not rushing her. I’m just trying to be there for her, because nobody else is.

They’re all about poor Remi, fate sucks.

Want to know what sucks? Realizing someone else has your fated mate all wrapped up and they’re in your brand new damn clan so you have to bite your fucking tongue and just pray she figures it out before it’s too late. ”

Brandt and Lucien stood there looking at Shaun, then at each other.

Lucien grinned and quickly adopted a fierce look, draping his arm around Shaun’s shoulders. “Yeah! What he said!”

Brandt shook his head and threw in a bit of eye rolling. “So you’re standing here telling me that Bailey is yours?”

“If she wants to be. If she doesn’t want to be, I won’t force her. But I’ll damn sure make certain that she’s okay from all this Remi shit anyway.”

“Why hadn’t you said anything?”

“Why would I? She’s been happy. I don’t want to ruin that. Thankfully Remi ruined it by not being able to stop fawning all over Cristie, which for the record is pure bullshit. At least wait until your girlfriend isn’t standing there before you lose your shit over another female.”