Page 105 of Shiny Things

Much too soon we were pulling up in front of the house. There was a valet there waiting for us. Elias got out and tossed him the keys then personally opened my door and helped me out.

Nerves surfaced once more, and my hand started to shake. He reached out and pressed his hand against my lower back possessively.

“Just breathe and smile. You’re a Davenport now. Hold your head high and stay by my side until you start to relax.”

“What if I never relax?”

“Even better because that means you’ll be with me all night long.”

“That was the plan, right?”

“Right.”

“Elias,” Ginny beamed. “Don’t you look ravishing tonight. You’re even wearing a white shirt. Your mother will be so thrilled.”

With all my nerves, I hadn’t even noticed, but she was right. He wasn’t in all black tonight.

“And you brought a date. This is certainly different. Hello, I’m Ginny Davenport.”

As our eyes met, I saw recognition flash in hers.

“Kim?”

“Hello Mrs. Davenport. It’s nice to see you again.”

“Mom really didn’t talk to you?”

“Now what fun would that be?” Helena said as she walked over and hugged me.

“What’s going on?”

“Elias has taken a mate at last, and I have a new daughter.”

I tried not to act surprised and just smile, but tears sprung to my eyes as I realized she was claiming me into the family.

“A new Davenport, huh?” Ginny asked suspiciously.

“Yes ma’am,” I responded proudly.

“Already bonded?”

“Last week,” Elias confirmed.

“A little warning next time, Helena.”

“Of course. We’ve all just been so busy this week it must have slipped my mind.”

“Well, come along. Introductions need to be made, and I do not want it to appear that I just learned about this. Are we clear? But we will approach this like anything else, in full unity. There’s no taking back a bond, so what’s done is done. No looking back, just straight ahead. Let’s do this.”

“Yes ma’am,” Elias said with a grin, giving me a quick wink.

True to his word, he never left my side. And that night I learned exactly why the Davenports always reign above the other Flocks—because no matter what was thrown their way, they faced it together with their heads held high. They were loyalto a fault and would go down on a sinking ship together before breaking that. And by mating, I was officially a Davenport now.

There had been no mention of my birth Flock. No one dared to put me down or even look down their noses at me. If they tried, Ginny and Helena shot them down quickly, putting up a false pretense that they were thrilled with having the little Grimes witch in the family.

I had been paraded around like a trophy they were proud of, and after a while, I let myself imagine they were. But more importantly, Elias truly was. He smiled more. He laughed a lot. And he didn’t hide away on the fringes of high society.

For the first time, I could see it. Elias running for a Council seat. Elias as the head of the Davenport Flock. And me by his side.

---