Aweek to the day, Valentine finished knotting his tie and tried to mentally prepare himself for the noise of the family that was about to bombard him. Slender hands came around him to feel over his waistcoat.
"That's very distracting," he chastised and had to start the knot all over again.
Yelena's beautiful face appeared in the mirror. "So are you dressed like that. I know we promised we would have a party, but you are really asking for it in that suit."
Valentine turned to sass her, and his eyes took in the halter dress of dark scarlet she was wearing. His hand went to his chest, where his mating tattoo pulsed. Her long hair was done up in an elegant style, and a long hairpin of a black three-headed dragon with ruby eyes was skewered through it. She was beyond stunning.
"You…aren't wearing pale colors," he said, and then wanted to smack himself in the face.
Yelena's lips, painted the same shade of red, lifted into a smile. "I don't have need of them anymore. Why? Would you prefer me to go back?"
"No! I mean, no, you look good. Not pale. Fuck," Valentine babbled. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry. All the blood is now in my dick, and words are hard."
"As well as your dick," Yelena said, laughing softly.
"Not helping." Valentine glared at her, but it was playful. It was a side only she could bring out in him. "Oh, gods, a week wasn't enough."
Yelena finished doing up his tie and tucked it in behind his waistcoat. "We have lifetimes. We can give them a night."
"I don't know if I can," he admitted. He was already thinking of ways he could lock them all out of his tower. He had felt his family come home in the past few days, but none had tried to approach him. Food appeared on a table in his study, and he didn't know if it was the house or Bas's magic providing for them.
Yelena went up on her toes. "Don't you want to introduce the new Mrs. Valentine Greatdrakes to the world?" she purred, her eyes turning dragon on him.
"That's not fair," he growled.
Yelena only pinched his chin. "Get used to married life, sorcerer." She sashayed toward the door, the satin of her dress swishing about her hips.
"Fuckkkkk, wait for me," he said and hurried to open the door for her.
They made it downstairs without Valentine grabbing her and carrying her back into his tower, but it was a near thing. He didn't know how he was going to get through the night without staring at her like a dumb idiot the whole time.
As Valentine had expected, Cosimo was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs, a glass of scotch in his hand.
"If you still need to have a good yell, can it wait until tomorrow?" Valentine said before Cosimo could get the first word in.
Cosimo took Yelena's hand and kissed it. "You look lovely. Welcome to the family, daughter."
Yelena pulled on his hand, yanking him toward her and into a hug. "Thank you, Cosimo. Your son makes me very happy, and I promise I will stop him from doing anything stupid again."
"Have you met any of my sons? They love to do stupid things so much," Cosimo said, but he was smiling as he said it. "Everyone is out in the garden. It's the only place in the mansion big enough to hold everyone."
"Maybe we need to build a feasting hall like Kian," Yelena replied with a bright grin.
Cosimo laughed. "No, no, we don't. Valentine is the last one of my sons to be mated, and that means no more mating parties."
"Except for yours, maybe one day," Valentine commented.
Cosimo's eyes narrowed. "I'm trying not to yell at you for endangering yourself to a mind sucking maniac. Don't make it harder."
"Yes, Dad," Valentine said, unable to hold in his smile. Cosimo muttered something in Italian about asshole sons, and it only made Valentine's grin wider. He hugged Cosimo before he could get too worked up. "I love you, Dad."
"That's not fair," Cosimo said, his arms holding him tight. He sighed. "I love you, too, Valentine."
Valentine held onto Yelena's hand as they made it outside, where someone had decorated heavily in scarlet, black, and silver. Cheers went up as soon as they were spotted, and their sprawling family crushed them into hugs and congratulations.
Valentine accepted it all with as much grace as he could muster. It was only one night, and he didn’t hate being hugged quite as much as he used to.
When it started to get too much, Yelena was there, subtly moving in to protect him from getting too overwhelmed. He had never loved her more.
