Chapter 1
Boon opened the front door of Maverik’s house and stepped out onto the raised porch in the early morning sunlight. He stretched his body, arching his back before shaking out his wings and lifting his arms over his head. He bent first to his left, then to his right at the waist, taking deep calming breaths of the fresh morning air.
“You gonna stab somebody with them damn horns,” Maverik said, slipping past him and putting down a platter of scrambled eggs and breakfast sausage on the white wrought-iron, outdoor table.
Boon smirked. “I’m more aware of them than you might think. I’ve only ever stabbed anyone with them when I meant to.”
Maverik stopped, rested his hands on his own hips, and pinned Boon with a thoughtful stare. Finally, he shook his head and sighed. “Must be nice to have built in swords for when you get to feeling all stabby and shit.”
Boon laughed, which hardly ever happened.
“Come on in here and get a pitcher of orange juice to put on the table,” Maverik said, trying not to smile at his own joke as he went back into the house.
“Are you eating outside this morning?” Boon asked.
“We’re not. You are,” Maverik answered.
“I don’t understand,” Boon said.
“Baby, tell him,” Maverik said, as he slipped oven mitts onto his hands and reached into the oven.
“Daniel is not in the least impressed with you trying to spend time with his daughter. He will have a fit if you invite her into our house to have breakfast and don’t invite him. So,we planned a breakfast for you and Angelle on the front porch, within plain sight of anybody that happens to look in this direction. While you’ll be alone and can talk about whatever you want, because we’ll be in here, you’ll still be where Daniel can watch from a window. And you better believe he will,” Valerie said.
“Now, Avaleigh… she ain’t your problem. At least not really. She don’t want her daughter moving to what may as well be a foreign country because y’all so damn secluded, but she does want Angelle happy. So, she likes the little smiles and giggles from Angelle when you come around. Daniel, you gonna have to play into his over-protectiveness to win him over,” Maverik said.
“I don’t understand why he is so suspicious of me. I’d never hurt her,” Boon said.
“It ain’t you. Well, it’s a little you. You’re a Goyle, and that to him is a dangerous bloodline, but, the real problem is that he and Avaleigh have been Angelle’s only real companions for all of her life. And they ain't tried to keep her separate from everything else, she just came into this world preferring to be alone. I wouldn’t say she’s afraid of everything except her family, but too much unnerves her. She’s gets overwhelmed. She’s a sweet girl…”
“Woman,” Boon corrected.
“Yeah, you’re right. I just still see her as that little girl. Anyway, she’s sweet, and smart as a whip, and don’t let her shy demeanor fool you, Daniel and Avaleigh both as strong as they come, and I’m sure if push came to shove, Angelle would surprise you with the amount of push back she could give if she had to. But my point is… what was my point?” Maverik asked, looking over at Valerie. “Oh, yeah, I got it again… Daniel is a wonderful father, and if his little girl needs him to run interference for her to keep the outside world out, he’ll do it and do it well. But the other side of that coin is that he’ll kill forAvaleigh. And Angelle is Avaleigh’s last baby at home — Remi just moved to Missouri. Avaleigh thought she’d never have kids, then she was blessed with two, and now there’s a real possibility that she’ll lose both of them to their mates at about the same time. So, you got a wall you’re gonna have to break down before Daniel will even consider you taking his daughter anywhere else but here.”
“Surely he wants her happy.”
“Oh, yeah. But he wants Avaleigh happy, too, even more so. My advice to you, Boon, win Avaleigh over, and then Daniel will follow. Reluctantly, but he’ll follow. His whole life is Avaleigh and them kids.”
“Thank you, Maverik.”
“You welcome. Now, grab some juice and take it outside.”
“She prefers apple juice,” Boon said.
“We got apple juice?” Maverik asked.
“We do, look in the pantry. We’ll just put it over ice to chill it real quick,” Valerie said.
“I’m gonna take these biscuits and gravy outside, too. Then you need to get yourself over to Avaleigh and Daniel’s before Angelle has breakfast with them and don’t want none of this.”
“I’m going,” Boon said, turning back toward the door.
“Boy, put your shirt on! Daniel ain’t gonna let her come if you half nekkid,” Maverik said.
“Sorry, forgot,” Boon said, rushing back to the room he’d spent the night in and grabbing one of the shirts his mother made especially for him that allowed for his wings to be hidden beneath. His wings were more compact than his father’s — which were impossible to hide — but Boon’s were only about half the size of his fathers and could easily be folded tightly against his back and hidden under an over-sized shirt.
“That shit just ain’t fair,” Maverik said as Boon walked back through the living room on his way to the front door.
“What’s not fair?” Valerie asked.
