Page 107 of Feral

“You have a whole trunk of wedding heirlooms?”

“Och, aye!”

She lifted a delicate crown of dried flowers out, the veil attached to it yellow with age.

“This is the crown I wore when I wedded my beloved Gerald. It was my mother’s, and her mother’s before her.”

Next she lifted a beautifully carved box of onyx.

“Every bride that marries a clan leader writes down a hope for her future as a clan leader’s mate, and then puts it into this box. It was a gift to our clan from one of the last true Druids. It’s said that if the bride’s heart is true, her hope will come to pass, even if it is not in her lifetime.”

I ran my fingers over the Druidic symbols, a zing of power running up my arm.

Gran gave me a knowing look when I gasped and pulled my hand away.

“I knew ya were sensitive to the power. I could sense that about ya.”

I fought back a grimace. She had no ideawhyI was sensitive, and with each passing moment I felt like a horrible liar keeping this from her. She was welcoming me into the family, revealing secrets and special heirlooms to me because she trusted me.

And I will honor that trust by helping to protect her clan. I have to remember that.

“Now,” Gran said with a smile, “this is what I really wanted to show ya. If you and Fraser agree, I would like ya both to have a proper handfasting and usethisto bind yerselves.”

Just the thought that Gran would evenwantus to remain mated thrilled me, but my worry about what Fraser might want put a bit of a damper on it.

I took the long box she gave me. It was made of a reddish-brown wood, carved with roses and moons. The sense of love and devotion from the box alone was enough to make my heart skip. Whatever was in here, was possibly one of the most powerful things in the trunk.

Gran opened it and withdrew a long, red strip of cloth. The ends were embroidered with more roses and a full moon, while at the center was the Celtic word for love.

“This,” Gran said, holding it out, “has tied the hands of every one of our family’s marriages for the past three hundred years. It’s what Angus and Imogen will use tomorrow.”

I was held breathless by the gentle thrum of power coming from the ribbon. It was warm, kind, without a single malevolent thread.

“It’s incredible,” I finally whispered.

“It’s brought happiness to every couple, even ones like Angus and Imogen who might not exactly like each other at first.”

“So, Angus and Imogen aren’t an anomaly then?”

“Sadly, naw. There have been many a time when marriages had to bridge the divide between clans. But each of those couples found happiness, even if they didn’t find true love. It’s why I’m insisting they use it tomorrow.”

I ran my finger over the soft fabric and smiled at the peace that rippled through me.

“Daphne?” Fraser asked from the doorway. “Breakfast, lass.”

“Go on and eat,” Gran said. “I’ll rope you into helping me later.”

Before I could stop myself, I threw my arm around Gran and pulled her into a hug.

“Thank you for showing me these things.”

“Of course, dear. It’s all yer history now too.”

Tears burned my eyes. I wanted that to be true, more than I realized before this moment. I had barely been here two days and already they were treating me with more respect and acceptance than my own family had in my entire lifetime. The thought of giving that up made me want to beg Fraser on my knees to keep me as his mate.

When I looked up at him, there was a flash of longing on his face but it was gone again so fast that I couldn’t latch onto it. I wanted to ask him about it as he escorted me into the dining room, but this wasn’t the time or place. After the artifact, after the handfasting, then we’d have time to explore this.

I just have to be patient and hold onto my hope.

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