Chapter 8 #2
“I don’t like that you put yourself down.
The fact that you are so unlike everyone else is what I love most about you.
You're exactly who you’re supposed to be.
Exactly who I need, and exactly like me.
There is nothing negative about you at all and I don’t want to hear anything that sounds like you deserve less than everything there is to be had. ”
Angelle stood quietly for a few minutes or so, her mind digesting everything that Boon had just said.
Boon took it as her still being unsure and started talking again.
“I’m sorry I missed breakfast. I know it would have been an opportunity for your parents to know me better, and I would have really appreciated that opportunity.
I would have told Maverik where I was going and why, but it was the middle of the night and I didn’t want to wake him.
He’s made it clear to me that communication is necessary — especially when you are leaving unexpectedly.
But last night, it couldn’t be helped. There was something I had to see to at home that couldn’t be put off, and it didn’t occur to me until I was lying in the bed, unable to sleep.
And once I realized it, I had to tend to it immediately. ”
“What was so important that it couldn’t wait until morning? Is your family well?” Avaleigh asked.
“Oh, yes, ma’am. They’re very well. I just, it was something I couldn’t ignore any longer.”
“And that would be?” Daniel demanded.
“It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t owe me an explanation,” Angelle said. She offered Boon a strained smile. “Thank you for coming to explain. I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” Boon said.
“I feel like I do. I appreciate you coming by to explain. I’m glad that I was wrong about you leaving for good. I know that Tempest loves having you visiting her as often as you do, and I’d hate to be the reason you’re not comfortable doing so anymore.”
Boon’s eyes narrowed as he thought about Angelle’s comment.
“I’ve got a lot to get done inside, so I’ll see you later. Thanks for coming by,” Angelle said, moving to close the door.
“Hold on! I’m not sure what’s happened, or why you think that I’m just going to calmly turn tail and run because you’ve decided I’m not the right person, but I think you’re wrong. I’m the right person.”
Daniel took a step forward, but Avaleigh grabbed his arm and kept him beside her.
Angelle stood her ground, her hand on the edge of the door, staring at a spot on his shirt rather than at his face.
There was no way to tell him other than to just say it, and she really didn’t want to just say it.
“Can’t you just realize that what we thought we might have had yesterday, isn’t what we thought it was? ”
“No. No, I cannot. You kissed me. A lot. And you spent the day laughing and telling me all about your life, and I told you about mine. It’s the best day I’ve ever had in my whole life.
And I’m sorry, but those kisses, they weren’t just kisses.
I don’t know what’s changed, but whatever it is, it has to be addressed because I’m still the same male I was yesterday.
And you’re still the same female you were yesterday.
And yesterday you believed we were mates and wanted to come to Whispers to see what life was like there.
You wanted to make this work. And today you’re acting like I’m a stranger. What did I do so wrong?”
“Nothing. You didn’t do anything wrong. But you inadvertently let me see what it would be like to have to live through losing you if you should change your mind.
And that was only after one day. Well, several days if you consider the other times we’ve spent a few hours talking here and there.
I just don’t want to feel that way ever.
Can you imagine how much pain would be involved if I let myself go and put everything I had into you, into us, and you decided, ‘nope, she’s weird. This isn’t for me’?”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“How can you know that?” Angelle asked.
“There’s never a guarantee, Angelle,” Avaleigh said quietly. “Never.”
“I don’t think I want to take the chance anymore,” Angelle said.
“I had Tempest take me home because I realized in the middle of the night that I couldn’t take you to Whispers and expect you to live in my hut.
Yes, I lived in a hut. I did little more than hunt, fish, live outside most of the time.
I had a hut that I kept all my belongings in.
Hunting gear. A few changes of clothes, weapons.
Not much. I didn’t need much. I had a room at my parents’ house that most of my things were still in, and my sister always said there was a room for me at her place if I wanted it.
But I didn’t. You know why? I always felt better alone.
I like my space, my way. I always wanted a mate but I never thought there would be one for me because what female will want to live a life with someone like me?
You. You’re that female. And though I know you’re perfectly okay with camping, in fact, you love it.
I’m not okay with not having more to offer you.
So I had Tempest take me home and we spent a little time making a home for you.
For us. In all honesty, it’s probably bigger than I should have made it, but I thought if I was building it I may as well take into consideration adding room for babies, and for anything else you might want one day.
So Tempest and I did that. And then we spent a couple of hours with her mom — my sister — before we came back.
Lily is planning a party for us in Whispers.
It’s so that your family can meet everyone there, and they can meet you and your family.
Because the simple truth is that I will not take no for an answer.
I will not walk away because the idea of losing you is too terrifying.
And let me tell you, it’s so very terrifying.
I never needed anybody. I wanted, sure. But I’d have been okay never speaking to anyone ever again, except for my family.
But now, now you’ve changed me. I love you.
You. Not anyone else. I don’t need anyone else.
But I need you. And I don’t know how you did it with just the kisses you asked for, but you put your mark on me.
I’m yours. I’m not going away. I’ll be here every single morning when you wake up, and every single evening when you go to bed, and eventually, hopefully, you’ll figure out that I’m not leaving — ever.
And you’ll give me a chance. Don’t let fear keep you from living our life.
Because that’s what it is now, it’s our life. Not mine, not yours, it’s ours.”
Avaleigh’s hand on Daniel’s arm tightened and he looked down at her. She smiled up at him, and he nodded, smiling at her before he quickly kissed her lips.
“Sounds like us,” Avaleigh whispered.
“Boon?” Daniel said.
“Yes, sir,” Boon said, though he didn’t look away from Angelle.
“Why don’t you come in and let’s start again,” Daniel said.
“Angelle?” Boon asked.
Angelle took a deep breath, before letting it out slowly. She finally raised her gaze to his, then stepped back, opening the door wide so he could enter.
Boon stepped inside, but stopped just past Angelle.
Angelle closed the door and turned to see what her parents had in mind.
“Are you hungry?” Avaleigh asked.
“No, thank you. I ate at Lily’s house before we returned.”
“Come in and have a seat. Tell us about your home. The people there, the way things are,” Daniel said.
Boon nodded. “I will. But what I’d really like to do is to take you there so you can see for yourself.
Things are a little different there, very old fashioned.
But it’s a good different. There’s a respect that we all have for each other, and despite the fact that I prefer not to socialize with them all the time, they’re all my neighbors and if they were in need of anything at all, I’d be the first in line to help. It’s just how we do things.”
“It sounds nice,” Avaleigh said.
“It is,” Boon said, taking the seat Avaleigh indicated on the sofa beside her.
Daniel sat in his recliner and Angelle wandered over to a chair sitting on the opposite side of the room, where Avaleigh pointed her to.
“I have to admit, though, I’m a little worried about bringing you there,” he said, looking back and forth between Avaleigh and Daniel.
“Why is that?” Daniel asked.
“While it’s a community, kind of like you’ve built here, we’re not just shifters. There are so many different species there. I’m not sure how you’ll react to seeing them all.”
“All I care about is that they’re kind and good people,” Avaleigh said.
“They are. But some are, more blunt, I guess is the word. And some are very… I don’t know the word for it. A lot like Maverik, but a lot more refined.”
“Flamboyant,” Avaleigh said.
Daniel laughed. “It seems to me that it’s an interesting place to be.”
“It is. And it’s safe. Angelle has never been safer than she will be when she’s there. We keep it glamored so that no human can stumble across it by accident.”
“Is there a problem with humans there?” Avaleigh asked.
“Not now. But in the beginning, Whispers was created to offer sanctuary to any paranormal who needed it. Most of the original people who settled there were running from persecution. Their species had been hunted almost to extinction. There was once a rule that no human was allowed — ever. Then my father found my mother running through the swamps to get away from some men who meant her harm. He knew she was his mate and refused to give her up. Enthrall had to grant permission for her to stay to keep my father from leaving the community. Eventually he came to realize that all humans are not bad. In fact, his mate was human before he had to turn her to save her life.”
“Turn her?” Daniel asked.
Boon smiled as he nodded. “He’s a Vampire. If you can imagine a paranormal species, it probably lives in Whispers.”
“And Enthrall is the Alpha?” Avaleigh asked.
“We don’t really have an Alpha so to speak.
But Whispers was Lore’s, and he entrusted it to Enthrall.
So, Enthrall makes all the rules and makes sure that everyone is safe, happy, and has all they need.
Enthrall is very educated and remembers being human.
He has no problem with them. He only made the no humans rule to keep all the others safe. ”
“I understand. It’s like us not being able to let most humans know who we are because they’d try to kill us, or at the very least run us out, burn our homes, things like that,” Daniel said.
“Exactly. That’s what a lot of our people ran from, and why Enthrall was so strict about the rules, and still is to a point.
You have to have a connection to be there, and now that he travels a lot, Lily, my sister keeps the glamour in place rather than Enthrall, though he still holds the most authority.
She didn’t want to be bothered with the day-to-day issues that may arise though, so Destroy handles that part.
If there are any problems or if someone needs something, they go to Destroy.
If someone needs from the outside, then Lily will help if Enthrall isn’t there. ”
“It sounds like you’re very involved in each others’ lives in Whispers,” Avaleigh said.
“We are to a point, but we are also private. Some more than others. It’s a good place to live.”
“What I want to know about is the house you’ve prepared,” Avaleigh said.
Boon’s face lit up and he looked toward Angelle. “It’s your house. It’s for you. But Tempest said that if there’s anything you want changed, it only takes a thought and she can change it for you.”
“Why did you wait to have her make you a house?” Angelle asked.
“She tried. But I didn’t want anything I hadn’t built myself.
I was stubborn and kept saying that anybody that wanted to be with me would have no problem living with me the way I lived.
I kept saying I had time to make whatever I wanted.
But I never got around to it. And then when I met you, I realized just how wrong I’d been.
When you want to be with someone, you want the best for them.
You want them to have every comfort available, every safety measure imaginable, you want them warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
You want them to never have to worry about anything at all, because they have you and they know that you’ll always take care of them.
And while I didn’t actually build the house with my own hands, it is on my land and it’s what my heart envisioned.
It’s what I felt I needed to provide for you. ”
Angelle smiled, but didn’t quite meet his eyes. “I didn’t want you to have to change anything for me.”
“I just made it better. I think you’re going to really like it.”
Angelle flashed a brief smile again.
“So, you’ll come to Whispers?”
Angelle nodded as she looked at her parents. “I did say that I would. And he’s gone to so much trouble.”
“I didn’t go to any trouble. Please come.”
Angelle thought about it for a minute, then nodded. “I’ll go.”
“I guess we’re going to Whispers,” Daniel said.
“When are we leaving?” Avaleigh asked.
“This evening? Tomorrow?” Boon said excitedly.
“Oh, wow! That’s fast!” Avaleigh said. “Where did you plan for us to stay?”
“My sister and her mate said with them, but I don’t see why when Angelle and I have three bedrooms. You can stay with us.”
“It’s yours,” Angelle said.
“Make no mistake about it, Angelle, it was made for you and me both. It’s ours.”
“Maybe it would be better to stay with Lily and her mate. It would give you two time alone to make sure you’re compatible,” Avaleigh said.
“Either way, we better get packed,” Daniel said, getting to his feet.