"Then you really need to stop talking because I need all the blood I can get in my brain right now," he said.
Yelena pressed her lips together to keep herself from giggling. Valentine muttered something under his breath, and the needles touched her skin again.
Yelena kept her outer eyes closed, her inner eyes open to try and focus on the magic building connections like artificial nerves. Her heart was beating too fast, her body flooding with endorphins, and the intimacy of having a part of Valentine moving about inside of her. Her body wasn't rejecting it. It was welcoming it, and her eyes pricked with tears because she knew what it meant.
My mate.The dragon had been right all along.
It was the only explanation for why his magic could live in harmony with hers. It was because he belonged there with her. Her other half in magic and heart. She sniffed back her tears, breath shuddering out of her.
"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.
"I'm fine. It's just... The magic is beautiful," she replied. It was the truth, but not the whole truth.
Valentine wiped her arm down with a damp cloth. "Open your eyes, Yelena. We are done."
Yelena wiped away a few unshed tears with the back of her other hand. She looked down at the tattoo covering the stump of her wrist. It was in red and black lines, and it was perfect.
"How does it feel?" Valentine asked, still looking worried.
"Good. Amazing. I can feel the magic running out of it and through me. Everything is flowing the way we thought it would," she reassured him. She smiled, anticipation building in her. "Go get the hand, Valentine."
Valentine did as she asked, stretching out his long back and shoulders. The back of his shirt rose to show off a patch of skin, and her mouth watered.
Magic first, magic first, she told her raging desire.
"It might be wise to let the tattoo settle..." he began, but then wisely shut his mouth. "Sorry."
"Apology accepted," Yelena said and smiled brightly at him. "If the hand works, then I can use magic to heal whatever hasn't already."
"Good point." Valentine crouched back down and held the hand out to her like a glove. "Ready when you are."
Yelena could already feel the hum of it before he slid the cool metal onto her arm. "It fits perfectly."
"I may have taken your measurements when you were still asleep," Valentine said, without an ounce of shame. "Now comes the binding part. It's probably going to hurt."
"I'm ready," she replied, lifting her chin.
Valentine began to move his hands. Yelena recognized the movements as a variation of the ones she had taught him. Thesilver around her wrist went warm, and the edges turned to liquid. They slid higher up her forearm like fine roots. Yelena's teeth clenched as the roots pierced her skin like a thousand needles.
"Keep going," she ground out, sweat picking her forehead. The roots of the hand connected to the threads of power already inside of her. Magic,hermagic, rushed through all the connections, and the engravings on the hand glowed with light.
Yelena laughed, high off the power, and wriggled her fingers. The hand responded, and pale silvery light danced at her fingertips.
"Holy shit, it's working," Valentine said and began to laugh with her. It wasn't bitter or flirtatious like his other laughs had been. This was pure delight infused with the love of magic. "Do something else?"
Blood and desire pounded through Yelena's body, and with the barest of thoughts, she raised her hands. Silvery chains burst free from her palms and wrapped about Valentine before he could react. Yelena got to her feet and raised her silver hand, the chains lifting Valentine to hover in front of her.
His smile was a dark and wicked thing. "What now, baby girl?"
Yelena's silver hand grabbed the front of his shirt, pulled him closer, and pressed her mouth to his.
Valentine's lips were soft and tasted sweet from the wine. Yelena moaned as his tongue flicked against hers and the taste of his magic filled her mouth. Her whole body was shaking as her lips brushed against his over and over. She could have spent the rest of the night just doing that, but there were other parts of her body demanding attention. She needed to touch him like she needed to breathe.
Yelena's hand slid up his neck and into his hair. She tugged, forcing his head back.
"Magic is over," she whispered against his lips, violent lust surging through her so hard it made her dizzy.
Valentine's eyes burned with scarlet fire. "I guess that makes it time for sex."
