A Beast Among Gods (The Mac Tire Chronicles) Garnet Davenport (books to read for 12 year olds .TXT) 📖

sorry. That was rude.” She held out her hand and took mine. “Lucy.”

“Lucy,” I repeated. “I like it. It suits you.”

She snorted again, and with that, she had my heart in her hand, and then she said, “Is your name really Striker?”

I chuckled. “Everyone calls me Striker. But William is printed on my birth certificate.”

I happened to know that specifically. Jean had helped me obtain it after I had turned eighteen so that I could get a driver’s license without the state taking me away from them. I hadn’t wanted to be found by anyone in my clan or any mac tires. I wanted to be normal, even though I was everything but.

“I like Striker. I think it fits you quite nicely,” she said.

“Thanks. I think Lucy works for you too.” I cleared my throat and went for it. “Would you want to get dinner sometime… with me?”

She giggled. “I’d really like that.”

***

Within that year, she had agreed to marry me. We hadn’t spent a day apart from each other. My heart pulled toward her when she was not near me, and I could feel when she needed me. Jean and Jefferies threw us a wedding in their backyard, and then we had a reception at the bar.

I didn’t think I could be more in love with a woman than the way I felt about Lucy. We spent our honeymoon at Nigra Falls, and when we got back, we moved into a little one bedroom apartment near Jefferies and Jean. Lucy was finishing up her degree to become a social worker and help the kids that had pasts like mine. She inspired me to do more.

Two years into our marriage, Lucy found out that she was pregnant. I was over the moon. But scared. I’d never thought about what would happen if Lucy and I had a child. Would they be ogre or mac tire? Or could they get lucky and be completely human?

My wolf hadn’t come back or urged me to let it run since Jamie. My wolf was gone, and with my ogre temper, I wasn’t put into any kind of situation where I’d let that side of me out for anyone to see. Nobody knew the real me, and I was going to do everything in my power to keep it that way.

“Striker, what are we going to do about this place? We’re going to need at least another bedroom,” Lucy said to me one night when she was doing all her pregnancy cleaning and reorganizing.

I moved toward her and gathered her in my arms. As I swayed with her back and forth, I said, “I promise we will get anything and everything your heart ever desires.”

She placed her hands on my arms and tilted her head back into my chest and said, “All I ever want is this right here.”

“Me too. You and that little bean.”

“That little bean is more like a watermelon now.” She laughed.

“She is,” I said.

She turned around in my arms and gasped.

“Oh, shit. Babe, I’m sorry,” I said, covering my mouth.

“I thought we were going to wait to find out the gender. When did you find out?”

“I saw on the paperwork at the last ultrasound.”

“You mean you peeked?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said, sounding ashamed.

She laughed. “Fine, I guess Taylor will work either way.”

“Taylor?” I responded.

“Yeah, do you like it?” she asked, looking up at me with those big ocean blue eyes.

“I love it,” I replied and leaned down to kiss her.

➣ Chapter 18

What You Once Had Is Now Gone

“Daddy, come watch me,” Taylor called out from the driveway where she was sitting on her bike, ready to ride without the training wheels.

She’d been practicing for months and begging me longer to take them off of her Barbie bike Grandpa Jefferies and Grandma Jean had gotten her for her fifth birthday a couple of months ago.

“I’ll be right there,” I called out as I finished draining the oil out of Lucy’s car for her oil change.

I wiped my hands on an old rag and walked out of the carport to watch Taylor on her bike as she rode without her training wheels.

I clapped and hooted as she rode around in circles like a pro. Lucy came out to see what all of the commotion was and smiled with pride at seeing our little girl accomplish what she had been trying so hard to do.

“Great job, Baby!” Lucy called out to Taylor.

Taylor looked up from her bike with the biggest smile on her face. We were so proud of her.

“T, honey, do you want to come with me to the grocery store?” Lucy asked her.

“YES!” she shouted and jumped off of her bike as it dropped to the side of the driveway and partially in the grass.

“Take my truck,” I said, reaching into my jeans pocket and pulling out the keys and placing them in her outstretched hand.

“Is there anything you want?” she asked, taking the keys.

“Some chocolate chip cookies,” I said, snuggling against her.

“No, stop, you’re all greasy.” She squirmed against me as I kissed her cheek and she giggled.

“Never. I’ll never stop loving you.”

She relaxed into my arms and kissed me straight on the lips. When she pulled back from me, she put her hand over my heart and said, “I’ll never stop loving you.”

“Mommy, I’m ready,” Taylor called out and went running for my truck.

I buckled Taylor into her booster seat and then closed the door. I watched them as they pulled off of the driveway and down the street.

I went back to Lucy’s car and finished up the oil change. When I went inside to wash up, I felt a bolt of panic hit me directly in my heart. I was knocked off my feet and couldn’t breathe.

“Lucy,” I breathed out.

My heart beat harder, and my blood was boiling. I felt the change happen before I saw it, but I took off on foot, knowing I would be able to get there faster