“Why are you here so early?” Daniel asked when Avaleigh disappeared down the hallway and then into Angelle’s room.
“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.
