Chapter 1 #2
“Maverik suggested I come early to invite her before she had breakfast with you, so she’d still be hungry.”
“Remind me to thank him,” Daniel said. “The girl eats like a bird anyway. Only likes a few things.”
“I have scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage patties, biscuits and gravy, and waffles.”
“She only likes scrambled eggs with cheese melted on top.”
“It’s melting on top of the eggs as we speak.”
“Why are you so hellbent on spending time with Angelle? Isn’t there somebody else that’s better suited to you?” Daniel blurted out.
Boon’s smile never left his face, and he even managed to keep the growl he wanted to release, buried down deep inside him.
“No, sir. There is no one better suited. In fact, there is no one that I’m interested in at all other than Angelle.
She is my mate. I will take every opportunity I’m provided to give her a chance to get to know me.
If she chooses me, I’ll never stop valuing spending time with her over anything else in life. ”
“And if she doesn’t?” Daniel asked.
“Then I’ll leave her in peace, but I’ll make sure that my sister, or my niece, covers her in protections so that she’ll always be safe without me at her side.”
“What do you think gives you the right?” Daniel asked. “And have you forgotten that she’s always safe?”
“The same thing that gave you the right to pursue Ms. Avaleigh though she wanted nothing to do with you. And no one, not even a parent can keep someone as safe as a mate can. I’d happily kill anyone that needed to be killed to keep her safe and happy.”
“You think I wouldn’t?” Daniel demanded.
“No more than you think I wouldn’t,” Boon said calmly.
“This is never going to work,” Daniel said.
“Why is that?” Boon asked.
“Because you’re a… I mean, look at you!”
Boon looked down at his body, fully clothed. But it was a nice body, even if he did say so himself. Muscular. Horned. Winged. He didn’t understand what the problem was.
“You have wings, Boon! And horns,” Daniel pointed out. “There’s no way you can pass for human.”
“Why would I want to?”
“So you can live in our world with Angelle. You can’t do it.”
Boon smiled again, slowly, slyly. “Oh, I see where the confusion is. You think I want to live here. No, that’s not even a consideration. I’m taking Angelle with me to my world and my people.”
Daniel couldn’t stop the rumble in his chest as he started through the open door at Boon.
Boon’s smile widened as he backed up just far enough to give himself room to defend himself against Daniel if he had to. He spread his arms at his sides, the stance doing all but actually saying, ‘Bring it’.
Daniel was only two steps away from Boon when Maverik’s voice cut through the morning and reached both of them. “Hey! She coming?” he called out from his own porch as he watched the confrontation between Daniel and Boon.
“Ms. Avaleigh is waking her,” Boon called back without taking his eyes off Daniel, or shifting his position at all.
“Good. We got some good food waiting,” Maverik called out. “You want to come, too, Daniel?”
Daniel’s eye twitched as he struggled to get his temper under control. “No,” he finally said.
“Plenty if you change your mind,” Maverik said.
“Thanks,” Daniel said, turned his back on Boon and walked back in the house.
Boon smirked as he finally turned his head to look over at Maverik standing on his porch, watching.
Maverik shook his head, then went over and took a seat on one of the chairs near the stairs that led down off his porch.
He wasn’t going to get involved unless he had to, but he had no problem making sure Daniel knew he was there, just in case.
“That male is way too possessive over that girl,” he said aloud, but keeping his voice low.
He was surprised when Boon nodded enthusiastically. He didn’t think even one of his clan members could have heard him he’d kept his voice so low.
~~~
“Angelle? Are you awake?” Avaleigh asked quietly.
“Kinda,” Angelle answered groggily.
“I think maybe you should get up and get dressed, quickly.”
“Why?” Angelle asked, burrowing more deeply into her covers.
“Boon’s at the front door. He’s come to escort you to breakfast.”
Angelle shot straight up, sending her pillows flying. “What?!” she asked nervously.
“He’s at the front door, he’s got breakfast set out on Maverik’s porch.”
“Maverik’s?” Angelle asked, slightly confused.
“That’s what I’m told.”
“Why Maverik’s?” Angelle asked.
“I don’t know. It’s something you two can talk about. Until then he’s talking with your father.”
Angelle’s eyes widened as she started trying to unwrap herself from her sheets and comforter. “You left him with Daddy? You can’t leave him with Daddy!”
“Daddy's not that bad,” Avaleigh said.
“He hates Boon!”
“No, he doesn’t. He just isn’t sure he’s good enough,” Avaleigh called after her as Angelle darted out of her room and into the bathroom across the hallway.
“Tell him I’ll be right out,” Angelle said as she closed the door and Avaleigh heard the water in the bathroom sink start running.
“I wouldn’t take too long. And remember, when a male loves you, you’re never more beautiful than when you first wake up in the morning.”
Avaleigh didn’t hear Angelle answer, but she did hear her groan a little.
Avaleigh went back into the living room and found Daniel standing in the living room, looking at the closed door.
“She’s sleeping, isn’t she?” Daniel asked.
“Nope. She’s getting dressed.” Avaleigh went over and opened the door. “Do you mind waiting for a few minutes?” Avaleigh asked Boon.
“Not at all. Please, don’t let me keep you. Go about whatever you were doing. I’ll just wait out here.”
“Okay, bye,” Daniel said, and closed the door again.
“Daniel!” Avaleigh exclaimed.
“What? He said not to allow him to keep us and he’d wait outside,” Daniel said.
“Let me tell you one thing, and make sure you remember it,” Avaleigh said, lowering her voice because she knew both Daniel and Boon could easily hear her, even with Boon standing outside.
“I hated you. I wanted nothing to do with you, but my clan forcibly exposed me to you. And that is how I realized that you were actually what I needed. Our daughter likes this boy. She’s interested in him.
She gets nervous — in a good way — whenever he comes around.
If you and your asshole ways make her feel like she has to choose between us and this boy, you might lose her. ”
“She’d never walk away from us, Avaleigh.”
“I didn’t say she’d walk away, but she may never forgive you for keeping her from the one male that’s ever sparked any interest from her.
She might stay here, but she also might resent you for the rest of her life.
You need to stop treating her like she’s fifteen.
She’s a young woman, Daniel. She’s almost twenty-one years old.
She loves nothing but spending time alone.
People unsettle her. Then Boon wanders in, and he prefers being alone, too.
But he likes Angelle, and Angelle likes him.
Funny how fate brought them together and they’re the only two people we know who prefer to live quiet lives away from everything and everyone.
It’s almost like fate has a plan — kinda like when fate had a plan for us,” Avaleigh snapped.
Daniel nodded. “He just told me that she’s his mate.”
“He said that?!” Avaleigh exclaimed happily.
“Yes!”
Avaleigh grinned and lightly clapped her hands together right below her chin.
“And that is why I’m not letting her go,” Daniel said.
“Even if I’m sad at the possibility of her leaving. I’m happy if he’s really her mate. I want her to have what we do. Don’t you?”
Daniel sputtered a few times before he finally found his words. “Of course, I do! But what if she doesn’t want to leave? What if she ends up regretting it?!”
“I’m sure that if he’s any kind of mate, he’ll do whatever she wants him to do.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“You are stronger than your Alpha, but you swore your allegiance because this is where I am. I didn’t ask you to.”
“And you think he’d do the same?”
“You need to trust your daughter. She’ll let us all know what she wants as soon as she knows what she wants. You can’t make this decision for her. She’ll resent you if you do.”
“What if she needs me?” Daniel asked.
“She’ll let you know that, too.”