Page 57 of Shiny Things

Forgetting my promise to stay at his apartment tonight, I got in my car and drove straight home. I needed a hot shower, comfortable pajamas, and maybe a gallon of ice cream.

So that’s exactly what I did.

While standing there letting the hot water soothe my aching body and hide my tears, I heard a strange sound. Unsure what exactly I’d heard, I turned off the water and listened.

The creak of a floorboard was the next sound I heard. My pulse raced and my heart pounded as I looked around for something to protect myself. I was naked and vulnerable. There was no way I hadn’t locked the door behind me . . . right?

I tried to think through my steps, but it didn’t matter because the next creak was just on the other side of the door.

Quickly, I shifted and flew up to perch on the top shelf of the stand I had over the toilet. I tried to shrink as low and inconspicuous as possible. I’d rather not be seen at all, but if I had to fight my way out of this, I knew that my bird was better than my naked human form.

I gulped hard.What if it was Joe?

The knob turned like it was in slow motion, and then suddenly, the door flew open. My raven freaked out, no doubt feeding off my own emotions. She flapped her wings and dove towards the entry, only to check up at the last minute, flying up and around the man before perching on his shoulder.

Mate.

Even physically touching Elias, it took me a few minutes to calm back down. Gratefully, he gave me that time before reaching up and gently taking me in his hands.

“You are the most beautiful raven I’ve ever seen.”

My bird chirped and cooed happily before I broke free of his grasp and shifted.

He watched me cautiously. “Are you okay?”

I nodded.

“You said you were coming over to my place tonight.”

His words were tense, but I didn’t quite sense anger from him.

“I forgot. I’m sorry.” And there was no way in hell I was going back there tonight after everything that had happened. But I didn’t tell him that part.

Elias

Chapter 16

Something was wrong. I wasn’t sure what, but I could feel it in my bones.

When Kim hadn’t shown up after work, I started to worry. I had tried calling her, but there was no answer. I’d seen her phone on the couch when I walked into her home, so I knew now that she had been in the shower and didn’t have it on her, but at the time I was about to lose my shit.

Before I’d run off like a madman to Kim’s, I had called Gia and was told she had left a few hours earlier. She also mentioned something about an altercation with Joe Montgomery but said she didn’t know all the details, just that she gathered he’d gotten drunk and said some inappropriate things.

Without thinking of anything but my mate, I’d immediately jumped on my bike and raced over to her house. Her car was out front, but the house was dark. My whole body shook with fear, thinking the worse.

I had just spent much of my day hearing about the Collectors and how they were coming to Ravenden, and my mate was missing. Combine that with the asshole Gia had mentioned, and I was about to lose my shit.

Wanting to yell and scream at the universe, and at her for not letting me know where she’d gone, wasn’t going to help anything.

She stood there quietly watching me. Something was wrong.

“What is it, babe?”

She shook her head, but then she grabbed a towel and walked around me to go into her bedroom.

I cautiously followed.

“I’m sorry if I overreacted,” I tried.

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