Chapter 3
“Hey! Where are you going?” Havoc called out as Brandt and Maverik walked toward Brandt’s truck.
“Just going for a ride,” Maverik said far too happily to be real.
“You’re going to confront Marie-Claire,” Havoc said, standing on the porch, his hands resting in the pockets of his jeans.
Brandt and Maverik shared a look.
“You can’t,” Havoc said.
“The hell we can’t! You don’t terrify a child, any child, and her ass needs to understand that,” Maverik snapped.
“She’s in police custody. Or the hospital,” Havoc said.
“How?” Brandt asked.
“Well, after Analise knocked her ass out, I might have dropped her on the ground or maybe bumped her head on the bricks outside a time or two, by accident when I took her outside. I’m pretty sure she was wasted and fell outside — after she spilled her hot coffee all over herself inside the coffee shop.”
Brandt grinned.
Maverik grumbled.
“I don’t know if they arrested her for public intoxication, or if they took her to the hospital. Either way, you can’t get to her without witnesses tonight. Not to mention, you’re supposed to be celebrating with your families tonight. Not out delivering your own brand of justice.”
“Some people need killing,” Maverik said plainly.
Havoc nodded slowly. “You ever heard that somethings are worse than death, Daddy?”
Maverik nodded. “Absolutely. But ain’t nothing better than delivering revenge personally. Sometimes Karma gets backed up.”
“She’s living a fallacious life. Ain't got nobody to blame but herself. Let it go,” Havoc said.
“She caused this family a lot of pain, son,” Maverik said.
“Yeah, but without it, I wouldn’t have Harley. Give her what she never did us. Give her some grace, and let her take herself out. It won’t be long.”
Brandt and Maverik looked at each other.
“I’m going back in to visit with my family, and show my daughter how unforgettable a Christmas here can be. Y’all come on in and be a part of it,” Havoc said. He left them standing in the yard and went back inside.
Maverik and Brandt were still looking at each other.
“What do you think?” Maverik asked.
“I think we let it lie for now, in a couple of days we’ll take a ride into town and see what we can find out.”
“All I want for Christmas is that bitch out of our lives,” Maverik said.
“Same,” Brandt agreed.
“You see them talking in there? It was tense, but they’re talking. Could be a new beginning if the shit of the past could be forgotten. She ain’t gonna let them forget it, though,” Maverik said.
“I don’t know if they’ll ever move past everything that happened, but they can at least be in the same room together. It’s better than before.”
“Sure is,” Maverik agreed, as they started for the stairs.
“I’d sure have liked to see Analise get her chance to knock that piece of trash on her ass,” Brandt said.
“I’m a tell you what… I been saying for years don’t underestimate that girl. I mean, Bam’s her daddy, and her momma’s Everly. I ever tell you the story of Everly standing over Bam firing two guns at anything that moved when she went in single-handedly to save his ass?”
“Yep. Many times,” Brandt said, opening the front door and ushering Maverik in ahead of him.
“It’s a good story, though!” Maverik insisted.
“I know. And Aunt Everly was the hottest thing you ever saw,” Brandt said, shaking his head with a grin.
“Hell, yeah! Protecting her man and all…” Mav said.
“Poppy! Look what I got!” Harley shouted happily from where she perched on Valerie’s lap. She held up a half-eaten Christmas tree cookie in one hand and a snowman cookie in the other.
“But what I need to know, is did you save one for me?” Maverik asked.
“I did!” She held out the snowman to him and he sat beside her, taking a bite of the offered cookie, making her laugh when he made funny noises while crunching it.
Across the room, Avaleigh and Analise laughed and talked as Tempest approached them.
“Mind if I join you?” Tempest asked.
“Not at all. Analise, have you met Tempest yet?” Avaleigh asked.
“Not officially,” Analise said, extending her hand to Tempest. “I’m Analise.”
“Hello, Analise. I’m Tempest. I’m Brandt’s mate.”
“I’m so sorry I’m late in offering my congratulations. I’ve been out in the field for a while now and not really had access to much communication.” She tapped her temple. “I tend to shut off everything while I’m working.”
“It’s fine. It was all very sudden anyway. I was really just trying to track down Maverik. Brandt was kind of just in the middle of everything. I couldn’t look away no matter how hard I tried,” Tempest said with a laugh. “And I did try.”
Analise chuckled. “I know how that can be. I’m happy for the two of you, though. I’m glad he’s got you.”
“I’m the lucky one.”
Analise nodded and offered a smile but it was strained. “I know how that is.”
"Avaleigh! Is this ready?” Delilah called from the kitchen.
“I’m being paged,” Avaleigh said. “I’ll talk to you ladies later.” She kissed Analise’s cheek. “I’m really glad you’re home, baby,” she said before she hurried off in answer to Delilah’s call.
Tempest smiled at Analise and reached for her hand, holding it between both of hers. “I’m very happy to finally put a face to all the stories.”
Analise laughed. “I don’t have that many stories. I’m the one no one ever had to worry about. I follow all the rules.”
“Which is why I’m so happy to finally meet you. Another level head to commune with,” Tempest said, smoothing her right hand over the top of Analise’s as she cradled it in her left hand. Warmth suffused Analise’s hand and a soothing calm settled on her.
Analise regarded Tempest carefully. “I know what you’re doing here.”
Tempest looked innocently at her. “Enjoying the holidays with my new family?”
Analise gently pulled her hand from between Tempest’s and opened and closed her small fist a few times to show that she felt the changes Tempest was sending into her body. “Trying to ease my anxiousness.”
Tempest gave up the pretense of innocence. “Did it work?”
“Irritatingly enough, it did.”
Tempest laughed. “Why irritatingly?”
“It’s my armor. Keeps my walls reinforced.”
“You don’t need walls here. Everybody was so excited when they found out you were coming home.” Tempest thought about adding the rest of her thought, but didn’t.
“And?” Analise prodded, knowing there was more.
Tempest shrugged. “And what?”
“What aren’t you saying?”
“You’re far too intuitive for your own good,” Tempest said.
“It’s part of being the daughter of a healer. I’ve got way too much empathy. I can even pick up some emotional imprints on the antiquities I’m restoring from time to time if they were handled enough.”
“Really?”
“Oh, yeah. I’ve learned to brace myself anytime I pick something up, even with the gloves on.”
“That must be both a blessing and a curse.”
“It is. A lot of heartbreak, but a lot of happiness, too. Life really never changes that much. No matter the century, even thousands of years ago, people felt the same things they do now, experienced the same things they do now, just with a different backdrop. They worried for their families, struggled to feed them, protect them. Some fought for wealth and land and power, while others just wanted to be left alone and free to live what they thought was best. The only things that ever change are the inanimate things surrounding them.”
“And the people ruling them,” Tempest said.
“True, very true.”
“What were you a thousand years ago?” Tempest asked.
Analise looked closely at the woman, her new Alpha-ess so to speak, and was acutely aware that she’d not asked what she thought she’d been in the past, or would have been if given the choice, she asked what she’d been, which meant they were of a similar mind in the ways that our souls navigated the universe. “I was a priestess, I believe. Protecting the things that were important to our people and our leaders.”
“Or maybe a goddess of sorts,” Tempest said.
“Oh, I’m pretty sure that was you,” Analise said with a grin.
“No,” Tempest said doubtfully, shaking her head, “I was a warrior, leading my sisters into battle for the greater good!”
Analise laughed delightedly. “I can see that.”
“Me, too.”
They sipped their eggnog and relaxed in one another’s company as did the rest of the family. Everyone sat around, nibbling on whatever was nearest to them on the trays set out on the tabletops laden with appetizers, sipping their beverage of choice, just glad to all be together in one place again.
“You know, I think no matter what we’ve been before, a part of whatever power we’ve attained, whatever wisdom we’ve managed to understand, stays with us to strengthen us in the next,” Tempest said.
“I’d like to think so,” Analise agreed.
“I also think that no matter how hard we try, we’re always a part of something greater. There are just places, and souls, that we’re tied to. No matter where we wander, we’ll always be pulled toward home, no matter where, or even who, that may be.”
Analise looked Tempest directly in the eyes.
“Sometimes we have to go through a lot of pain in order to find ourselves, to remember our places at one another’s sides and remember what’s really important.”
Analise watched Tempest quietly for a moment more before she decided to answer her. “And sometimes that call toward the ‘home’ you speak of, shatters every belief we ever had of belonging somewhere in particular. And that pain teaches us that no matter what level of love may have existed, may still exist, the soul-sucking, life-altering, heart-stopping pain it once caused, isn’t worth the risk again.”
“But it can only hurt that deeply if the love was true.”
“Maybe. But one can only survive that kind of pain once in a lifetime. I’ve already hit my limit.”
“Dinner’s ready!” Delilah called out.
Everyone started moving toward the dining room, past ready to eat.
“It smells wonderful,” Tempest said conversationally to Analise.
“It really does. Food is always a big part of all our celebrations. It’s a common love language among us all.”
“I like the fact that when it’s ready, it calls everyone together, and we all go willingly, needing to share not only the sustenance, but the bonding it gives, too.”
“Tempest?” Analise said.
Tempest smiled as she looked at Analise, knowing maybe she’d pressed too hard.
“That’s enough. Please. I’m not home to reconcile with Havoc. I’m not even home to interact with Havoc. I’m just here to spend the first Christmas in years with my family. He happens to be here, too. That’s all it is.”
Tempest opened her mouth to speak, but Analise cut her off.
“I’m well aware of what we are, and were, and will never be again. Sometimes you only get one chance, and we’ve had ours. I wish him happiness, love and laughter — just not with me. Can we just leave it at that?”
Tempest gave Analise a single nod. “Of course. I’m sorry I overstepped. I just want everyone to have what I’ve found. And you’re both part of my new life.”
“Respectfully, I’ve had enough of everyone trying ‘fix’ us. We can’t be fixed. Better yet, there is nothing to fix. Why don’t you focus on Barron and Emmalyn instead.”
“I don’t feel the same need coming from them.”
Analise hugged Tempest and smiled at her. “Thank you for caring, but it’s done.” She walked around to her usual spot next to her sister and sat down as Tempest found her own seat next to Brandt.
“What does she mean she doesn’t feel the same need coming from me and Barron? We have need!” Emmalyn rushed out in a whisper.
“Ask her. Not me,” Analise answered.
Havoc leaned over and caught Brandt’s eye. “Can I say something?”
Brandt raised an eyebrow.
“Nicely,” Havoc added.
“Sure,” Brandt answered.
Havoc stood up and cleared his throat. Everyone quieted down and waited for him to speak. “I just feel the need to address the elephant in the room. Everybody is so damn worried about what Analise and I might or might not say to each other that they’re falling over themselves to try to make things right between us, and give us whatever it is they think that we need. What we need, more than anything, is for y’all to just stop. Let us be. We just want to forget anything except being with our families for now. We’re managing to do that. Can y’all just leave it alone, please? Leave her alone.”
“It’s just that we know how things…”
“Should have been? Nobody knows what should have been. The only thing we know for sure is how things are. Can’t go back in the past, can only go forward. Let’s do that, please,” Havoc said, his irritation beginning to show.
“Sounds like a great plan to me,” Brandt said.
“Same,” Kaid said.
“Who wants a corner piece?” Goldy asked, having cut up one of the lasagnas laid out in the middle of the table.
“I do!” Barron said.
“It looks and smells so good,” Tempest said.
“Wait until tomorrow. Everybody brings their special holiday dish and you eat until you can’t anymore, then you rest and eat again,” Analise said with a wide smile, making sure everyone saw she and Tempest making nice so they’d all relax and enjoy their night.
“Looking forward to that,” Brandt said.
“Them slimy peas…” Kaid said. “They still the best.”
Havoc was taking his time cutting up Harley’s lasagna. When he finished and looked up, he made eye contact with Analise briefly.
She smiled at him and mouthed ‘thank you’.
He smiled back and took the first easy breath he’d taken since he’d run into her at the coffee shop. Maybe he’d finally done something right, at least in her eyes. And truly, hers were the only ones that mattered.