Page 204 of Arrow

“That’s not a tradition,” Arrow said flatly. “You just made that up.”

Orion laughed, already making himself comfortable on one of the leather couches. “All traditions start somewhere. We’re starting this one right now.”

I sighed, glancing longingly back toward the bedroom where just moments ago Arrow and I had been wrapped in something that felt dangerously close to intimacy. “I need to get dressed.”

“Please do,” Atlas said with a smirk. “You and my wife will be spending the night in our penthouse. Oh, and no phones. Don’t want you two lovebirds breaking tradition.”

“We’re having a sleepover,” Luna said, linking her arm through mine. “A proper girls’ night before you become a Romanov.”

I looked at Arrow, who was clearly torn between amusement and irritation. “Is this really necessary?”

“Apparently,” he replied, his eyes holding a promise that made my skin tingle despite our audience. “Though the timing leaves something to be desired.”

Luna tugged gently at my arm. “Come on. Let’s get you dressed. I brought champagne for you—the good stuff, not that swill they were serving at the rehearsal dinner.”

I sighed dramatically but allowed myself to be led back toward the bedroom. Before we disappeared down the hallway, I glanced back at Arrow. His eyes met mine across the room, and he winked at me before Luna pushed me into the bedroom.

Once in the bedroom, I quickly dressed in jeans and a sweater, not bothering with anything fancy. Luna perched on the edge of the bed, one hand resting on her belly.

“I’m sorry for the interruption,” she said, watching me gather my things. “But Atlas was insistent. Said it was important for Arrow to have this night.”

I pulled my hair into a messy bun, studying Luna’s reflection in the mirror. “Important how?”

She smiled, a knowing look in her eyes. “The night before a man like Arrow marries the only woman in the world that can handle him, he needs his brothers with him. To remind him of who he was before you,” she said, shifting to find a more comfortable position for her pregnant belly.

“And who was he before me?” I scoffed.

“Dangerous. Controlled. Utterly devoted to his empire, like Atlas.” She looked up at me. “But never vulnerable. Not until you.”

I snorted, zipping up my overnight bag. “Arrow Romanov, vulnerable? That’s not the word I’d use.”

“That’s because you don’t see how he watches you when you’re not looking,” Luna said, rising from the bed with the careful movements of a woman in her third trimester. “Like a man who’s found something he never knew he was searching for. Plus, their bachelor rituals are older than the city itself. Arrow might not admit it, but he needs this—one last night with his brothers before everything changes.”

I considered her words. “We’ve been living together for weeks. It’s not like tomorrow is some grand transformation.”

Luna’s laugh was gentle. “It is, though. You’ll see.” She stood, smoothing her dress over her belly. “Marriage changes things, even arranged ones. Especially in our world.”

I followed Luna out of the bedroom, my overnight bag slung over my shoulder. The men had already opened the vodka, three glasses lined up on the coffee table. Arrow looked up as we entered, his eyes finding mine immediately.

“Don’t let them get you too drunk,” I warned, crossing to where he stood. “I expect you to be functional tomorrow.”

His mouth quirked into that half-smile that made my stomach flip. “Worried I won’t be able to perform my husbandly duties?”

“Worried you’ll pass out at the altar, and I’ll be left explaining to two crime families why the groom couldn’t stand upright,” I retorted, though my tone lacked any real bite.

Arrow reached out, his fingers brushing against my cheek. “I’ll be there,” he promised, his voice dropping to that intimate register that made my skin prickle. “Nothing could keep me away.”

I leaned into his touch despite our audience, something shifting inside me at the certainty in his voice. This man—this dangerous, complicated man—would be my husband tomorrow, and I felt a strange calm settle over me.

“Ready to go?” Luna asked.

I nodded, though my eyes remained locked with Arrow’s. “Try not to die of alcohol poisoning before the ceremony,” I said, including Atlas and Orion in my warning glance.

“No promises,” Orion replied with a grin, already pouring another round of vodka.

Arrow walked us to the door, his hand at the small of my back. At the threshold, he pulled me close, his lips brushing against my ear. “Tomorrow,” he murmured, the word both promise and claim.

“Tomorrow,” I echoed, allowing myself one last moment in his arms before following Luna to the elevator.