“Mr. Devlin Ross and Miss Blair Thornrose.”
Every set of eyes focuses on us. There’s surprise on many people’s faces. Some envy—of course you’re going to get that when Devlin’s involved. Most of the town has assumed, and rightly so, that he would never settle down.
Not that heissettling down, but you know what I mean.
This is the first time I’ve stepped into a ball with a man, and the feeling is powerful. Being with him makes a strong statement to the supernatural community—Blair Thornrose is officially taken.
He escorts me into the room, and I feel like a lightbulb, like I’ve been turned on, my wattage at one hundred thousand. It’s an amazing feeling, and one that I won’t soon forget.
I smile at the guests, ignoring the jealousy popping in their eyes. There is some surprise and even a little happiness for me, though that comes from my own family.
Devlin walks me to the center of the room as the music flares to life. I feel heat smear my cheeks.
“Now what’s got you blushing?”
I shrug. “Nothing. Everything. I don’t know. All of it.”
He grins, dimple shining. “Drink it up, Blair. This is your moment. All of this is yours. No one can take it away from you.” He pauses and looks around. “This is what you’ve wanted,isn’t it? Your whole family proud, society marveling at you, not looking at you as if you’re different from them, but that you’re one of them.” He pulls me closer and presses his lips to the top of my head. “You are one of them. You’re more than one of the people looking for a pound of flesh.”
As he sweeps me into a dance, I realize that he’s right. I am more than the gossipmongers and haters. I’ve survived them, outlasted them, and now here I am. I’ve arrived.
Devlin has claimed me publicly, and it’s not something that he would do carelessly. He knows the stakes.
We dance for so long that my feet begin to hurt. But I don’t want to stop. I want to keep on moving, continue being held by this man that I love. I want to drink up this moment as long as I can, being as happy as I can.
When the music finally stops, the dance floor begins to thin out, and I move to leave.
“Hold on a second, Blair.”
I turn to see that Devlin has dropped to one knee.
Oh, oh, oh.
My heart flutters. My pulse is pounding in my ears. I gaze over at my dad, who’s smiling. Oh, that weasel! They’re in on this.
A hush moves over the crowd like a lazy wave, and Devlin pulls a red velvet box from his pocket. He opens it and inside sits a ring.
Devlin’s staring up at me like I’m his north star, the one point in the sky that he knows will always be there for him.
“Blair Thornrose, I have spent a good part of my life denying how much I love you, but not anymore. I don’t want to waste another moment without you by my side.” He pauses, inhales deeply. “Will you marry me?”
My eyes are blurry because tears are spilling down my cheeks. I’m overcome with joy and love. My chest feels like it’s going to explode. “Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.”
He slips a gorgeous ring on my finger. At least, Ithinkit’s gorgeous. Not sure because I can’t see it properly through the tears blurring my vision. Devlin rises. He takes me by the waist and kisses me. We hug and the room erupts in applause.
I wipe tears from my eyes as he murmurs into my hair, “I love you so much, Bee.”
“I loveyou.”
He hands me a glass of champagne from a waiter, and we both drink in celebration as people clap.
As the applause begins to quiet, one very loud person clapping fills the ballroom. “Bravo! Bravo! A grand performance.”
The crowd parts for Storm Grayson, who slowly applauds as he swaggers toward us. “Bravo, Devlin. I see that you’ve stolen from me again, but this time it wasn’t an invention. This time it was a person.”
Devlin tenses. He stares at Storm for a beat before saying in a voice shining with all pleasantries imaginable, “And here I thought you were congratulating us.”
The crowd laughs nervously.
