Chapter 22
Still running his hands through his hair, Brandt paced back and forth near the hallway the bedroom was off of.
It wasn’t long before his anxiety got the better of him.
He came to a stop right outside the hallway staring toward the closed bedroom door.
“I’m going in!” he finally said, then looked back to see if anyone was going to stop him.
“It’s your mate, your child, your house, your clan. I don’t think anyone is going to tell you you can’t,” Kaid said.
“I hate this. I feel so helpless,” Brandt said. “But I don’t want to get in the way while she’s trying to give birth to our child. If she wanted me, she’d call for me, right?”
“In childbirth, you are helpless,” Carrik said. “But I’ll tell you this, if you get in the way, Lily will just send you right back out here.”
“He’s right,” Daisy said. “And, Tempest already told you to go away. I’m sure if there was a problem, we’d know already.”
“There is! The baby’s turned,” Brandt said.
“And Lily said she’s fixing it,” Daisy said.
Brandt clamped his jaws shut and went over to sit near Barron and Emmalyn. “I fucking hate this,” he whispered. “What if she needs me?”
“Didn’t Daisy say that she already told you to go away?” Emmalyn asked. “Sometimes we just want all of you to go away so we can do what we need to do.”
“You’re not making me feel any better,” Brandt snapped.
“I’m not trying to make you feel better,” Emmalyn snapped back.
“What’s wrong with you?” Brandt asked.
“She’s pregnant,” Barron reminded him. “Hey, did you notice the way that Boon dude went on alert when Angelle came in?”
“I think he likes her,” Emmalyn said. “I hope he does. And I hope she likes him. She deserves to be happy, too.”
Brandt growled irritatedly, then got up and wandered around the room a few times before settling beside Remi, who immediately started trying to soothe him, while at the same time keeping an eye on the guy who was staring at his sister.
“Take it easy. She’ll be fine,” Remi said.
“I hope so. I’ll make your meltdown look like an afternoon at happy hour if something happens to Tempest. I’m sorry I wasn’t more tolerant,” Brandt said.
“Should have kicked my ass at the first indication,” Remi said.
“We are not doing this again. No more kids. I can’t take this chance again,” Brandt grumbled.
Remi had been watching Boon watching his sister and didn’t even hear Brandt’s claim to have no more kids. “What do you know about Boon?” he asked, without looking away from Boon.
“He’s Tempest’s Uncle. She adores him. He hates people, loves the woods,” Brandt said. “Hey, do you think she’s going to be alright?”
“Who, Angelle?” Remi asked.
“No! Tempest!”
“I’m sure she’ll be fine, Brandt. She’s strong, and she’s determined, and she’s got some shit inside her that could scare the hell out of anybody that she doesn’t like.
And her mother’s here. And look at her dad, he’s laid back, not showing the least bit of worry. So, this guy Boon, he’s a Gargoyle?”
“Yes. How long does it take to have a baby?”
“Could be hours, could be a day or two.”
“Oh, fuck. I’m going to have a stroke out here waiting. I’m going to die before I ever meet my kid,” Brandt said.
“No, you’ll be good. You just need to calm down. How long does it take to get to where these people live?” Remi asked.
“A while. Less than a whole day. Why?”
“Because if Angelle goes off with him, then we need to be able to reach her.”
“They glamour the place so nobody can find it,” Brandt said absent-mindedly.
“I’m not too sure about this. I mean, they can’t actually have anything in common, can they?” Remi asked.
“Can we talk about my problem today?” Brandt demanded.
Though Boon was near Brandt and Remi, he didn’t hear any of the exchange taking place between them.
He was focused fully on Angelle. She was a pretty girl, with dark brown hair and big blue eyes.
She was so quiet, almost afraid it seemed, and he wanted nothing but to make her feel safe.
Her father, though had been staring him down almost constantly since they’d arrived.
Knowing he’d have to get past her father to be able to talk to her, he took a deep breath and walked over to Daniel.
“Hello, sir. I’m Boon,” he said, extending his hand.
Daniel looked at him suspiciously, but held out his hand and shook Boon’s. “Daniel.”
“I’m Tempest’s uncle.”
“You don’t look old enough to be her uncle. Her brother maybe,” Avaleigh said.
Boon smiled at Avaleigh. “No, ma’am. I’m her uncle. Gargoyle’s age very, very slowly,” he explained.
“Oh, I see,” Avaleigh said. “How fascinating.”
“I was wondering if Angelle might accompany me over to the kitchen to enjoy a snack,” Boon said.
“No,” Daniel said.
“Yes,” Angelle and Avaleigh both said at the same time Daniel said no.
Angelle looked up at her father, shocked that he said no.
“Oh, Daniel, let her go. It’s just right there on the other side of the room,” Avaleigh said.
“Sir, I have only the best of intentions. I will not disrespect her, you, or her mother in any way. I have the utmost regard for Angelle,” Boon said.
“You don’t know Angelle, how could you have any regard for her?” Daniel asked defensively.
“I’d like to get to know her,” Boon said. “Under your watchful eye, of course,” he quickly added.
“Please, Daddy,” Angelle said.
Daniel raised his eyebrows in surprise. His daughter hardly spent time with her cousins, much less strangers. “Do not leave that kitchen,” Daniel said harshly.
Avaleigh shot him a scolding look.
“Please,” he added.
“Sir, I would give my life for hers. There is no need to fear for her safety.”
Angelle grinned up at Daniel, then Avaleigh as she placed her hand in Boon’s extended one and allowed him to lead her to the kitchen island.
He held the stool steady as she sat, then nudged the plates of snacks closer for Angelle to better reach them, before he took a seat next to her.
He’d known the moment she walked into the room that she was his.
Surely, Angelle was the reason Tempest had insisted he come when she gave birth to her child.
“Thank you for sharing a few moments with me.”
Angelle blushed. “Thank you for asking.”
“Daniel, look at them!” Avaleigh said, watching from across the room. “She’s so happy.”
“Yes, I see,” Daniel said begrudgingly.
“Be nice! She likes him!” Avaleigh said.
Suddenly Daniel was slapped on the back so hard he stumbled forward several steps and had the breath knocked out of him. He turned around ready to strike someone and found Carnage standing there grinning like a loon, with his wife standing beside him. “Did you just hit me?” Daniel demanded.
“It was more like a pat on the back,” Avaleigh said hurriedly. “A really, really hard pat on the back.”
“Yes. Sorry. He doesn’t know his own strength sometimes,” Carolena said.
Carnage scowled for a moment at Carolena.
He knew exactly how strong he was, and he’d shoved Daniel on purpose.
He didn’t like anybody glaring at Boon. Boon was a good male.
And Boon liked his daughter and this male would just have to get over it because if Boon wanted her, he’d help Boon take her just like he had Carolena.
Daniel looked at Carnage, then at Carolena, but he wasn’t fully convinced it was an innocent shove.
“Booon maate,” Carnage said, pointing at Boon and Angelle across the room at the kitchen island, as he nodded enthusiastically.
“How do you know?” Daniel asked.
“Booon lone. Now, Booon no lone,” Carnage said.
“Boon has never been one for crowds. He much prefers the quiet of the woods, hunting, fishing, camping to all the small talk required at a social gathering. He wouldn’t have come today if it hadn’t been for Tempest. He and Tempest are very, very close.
She told Boon that when she went into labor, he had to be here.
He’d regret it for all of his life if he didn’t come.
The way he’s taken to your daughter, I wonder if Tempest knew they were meant for each other.
Look how happy he is,” Carolena exclaimed.
“Pest know,” Carnage insisted, crossing his arms over his chest defiantly.
Daniel looked over at Angelle speaking animatedly to Boon, and Boon hanging on her every word, smiling at her and nodding as she spoke.
Avaleigh laid her hand on Daniel’s arm. “Look at her coming alive talking to him. And she’s just like him. She doesn’t like crowds and people she doesn’t know, and she loves fishing and camping. It’s like it was meant to be.”
Daniel continued staring at his daughter and the Gargoyle who might be her mate. “Can’t be,” he mumbled. “Just can’t be.”
A baby’s weak cry brought all conversation in the room to an immediate standstill, as everyone in the house waited for another cry. Finally, after what seemed like an unbearably long time, a stronger wail filled their ears, followed immediately by another and another.
“You’re a daddy!” Remi said, hugging Brandt.
Brandt was grinning, but was still scared. Nobody had said a word about Tempest yet. He stood, his hands clasping and unclasping as he stared in the direction of the bedroom, waiting to be called.
They all heard the bedroom door opening, and Lily walked into the living room. “Brandt? Tempest is asking for you.”
Brandt almost ran across the room as he rushed past Lily on his way to the bedroom.
“Mother and baby are both fine,” Lily said, smiling at everyone with tears in her eyes.
Brandt rushed into the bedroom and came to a sudden stop when he found Tempest lying in bed, reclining on a stack of pillows, with a bundled baby held gently in her arms.
“Tempest, are you alright?” he asked, hurrying around the bed to kneel right beside where she lay.
Tempest smiled tiredly. “I am. I’m just tired. But Momma made sure that I didn’t have much pain, and she managed to turn him so that he could pass through the birth canal. We’re both fine.”