“Thousands,” Valerius corrected.
Caden blinked. “Okay, thousands of years. Such a being is complaining about two days? Two measly days?”
Frowny-faced Valerius was unmoved by his argument. “You have made me relish every moment with you. So yes, two days is long.”
A smile tugged at Caden’s lips. “Two days where we are with our friends, sharing with them, our people and the world our joy? That sounds like a terrible fate.”
“Terrible.” The frown was wobbling.
“Yes, I’m sure. And we’ll be tortured tonight by being forced to drink good drinks and eat good food and dance--”
“If I have to dance with Illarion that is torture,” Valerius pointed out.
“I actually want a video of you dancing with Illarion if that happens. I’d pay to have that happen.” Caden stroked Valerius’ bare chest. His beloved only had on a pair of--what else?--leather pants, no boots even. His bare toes curled against the floor of their dressing area. Valerius was delaying getting dressed.
“You know that even with the media restricted to official photo and video shoots tonight that there will be plenty of people at the clubs that will record every second,” Valerius pointed out. “We will have no privacy.”
The Black Dragon King had said that they should confiscate everyone’s phones who were going into the clubs, or, better yet, to have no other people in the clubs at all while they were there. But Caden had nixed both those plans. They would be in a VIP area, and that would be private, but the club would be open to the general public and they could bring their phones. The reason why was something Tilly articulated.
“I want to go! I should be allowed to go to your bachelor party, Caden!” Tilly’s voice had gone into that range that only thirteen-year-old girl’s could. Piercing. But she didn’t move Rose.
“You’re going to be in the middle of the biggest party of the century tomorrow, Til,” Rose had pointed out.
“Yes, but you and Wally and Landry get to go!” Tilly protested with perfect logic.
“You really want to watch adults drink and be silly?” Wally lifted a tufted eyebrow.
“I watch you do that here all the time.” Tilly lifted an eyebrow at him.
“The places we’re going don’t allow for kids,” Caden reminded her gently.
“You don’t even know where Rose is taking you!” Tilly stomped her foot.
“I don’t, but I know that much,” he said. “Besides, who is going to take care of Mom and Dad while I’m out.”
“They’re going to drink and be silly,” Tilly deadpanned.
“I know it’s not fair, Til, but it’s just one night,” Caden said. “Soon, you’ll be old enough to come party with us all the time.”
“Yeah, and you guys won’t have aged a day so… I guess.” Her expression though was still sad. “Okay, since I can’t be there, make me feel like I am? Pictures and videos and everything. It’s such a big deal and I just want to be a part of it.”’
I just want to be a part of it.
Those words had stuck with Caden and he knew that Tilly wasn’t the only one who was feeling this way. Caden thought how much he would have wanted to see Valerius marrying someone. Well, okay, he would be weeping if Valerius was marrying someone else because they were meant to be together. But the idea was that he’d been as obsessed with the Dragon Shifters’ lives as Tilly, maybe more so. Yeah, it was living a little vicariously through others, but Caden wanted everyone to understand that they were their Dragons and this wedding was theirs as well. So Caden had stuck to his guns that people be allowed to record their experiences and share them.
“Fine, so when Illarion causes an international incident with his dogs, you will be the one explaining it all to the press,” Valerius had retorted.
“He’s not bringing his dogs, right? You’re joking, right?” Caden had blinked very hard.
“No, they are staying here with Tilly. Evidently, they adore her and she loves them. I can understand their affection, but hers?” Valerius had shaken himself.
Now as Caden gazed up at Valerius’ beloved face, he couldn’t help but smile and feel tears prick his eyes. Happy tears. Unbelieving tears. This was his life. Valerius was going to be his husband forever. He had the most incredible friends. They had defeated the Behemoth and they were working on the other monsters that were much harder to kill that were inequality and prejudice. But they had won before, he believed they would again.
“I love you, Valerius,” Caden said softly.
Valerius’ expression grew warm. “And I you, Caden.”
They kissed deeply, eyes fluttering shut, bodies swaying to music that only they could hear. If the knock on their chamber’s doors hadn’t come, Valerius might have gotten his wish that they remain inside, alone, in their castle that night. But Rose, Wally, and Landry didn’t even wait for one of them to yell, “Come in!” The three tumbled into the room.
