Chapter 15 Bachelor Party
Bachelor Party
The next night…
Caden regarded himself in the mirror. Faded, ripped jeans that hugged his ass?
Check! Untucked, button-down shirt in a dark purple with flecks of shiny stuff that skimmed his chest?
Check! Leather boots with said jeans half tucked in?
Check and check! Finish it off with a buttery-soft leather motorcycle jacket? Priceless!
“You look ready for the clubs,” Valerius murmured as he wound his arms around Caden’s chest and kissed his cheek. “And you smell as delicious as you look.”
“It’s your cologne! I wanted to feel close to you even when we’re apart,” Caden spoke to Valerius and his reflections in the full length mirror. He also snuggled against the bigger man, relishing the natural warmth of Raziel’s fire that seeped into Valerius’ beautiful body.
Iolaire was currently enjoying that warmth, too. Both Dragon Spirits were rather bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, so to speak. They were excited for all these “human mating rituals” as Raziel had described them dryly.
Valerius’ expression dimmed a little at the “when we’re apart” bit. “Yes, I don’t know why we can’t spend the whole night together.”
“Kaila and Illarion. They are insisting we do traditional bachelor parties where we’re just with our friends and then we meet up at the final club, which is not traditional.” Caden shrugged. “But they knew we wouldn’t agree to not seeing each other before the wedding.
“That would never happen!” Valerius growled. “I must see you and have you near me no matter what at all times and--what? Why are you smiling so broadly?”
“I was just thinking about when we first met and how you were ordering me out of your territory. Do you remember that? I was the ‘dratted boy’ and ‘innocent’ and ‘trouble’,” Caden laughed.
“You are still trouble. Tons of trouble.” Valerius tickled his sides.
“Hey! Hey! You’re mussing the outfit!” Caden complained.
Valerius sighed and straightened it for him. “You look very handsome. As always. I am jealous that anyone else gets to see you, though Raziel wants you to preen.”
Our mate is the most beautiful. Let the others see him and weep! Raziel proclaimed with a shake of its massive head.
Iolaire twittered, going back to being mostly non-verbal, but its intent still got across as it looked proudly up at Raziel and sent a spout of snowflakes into the air.
“Iolaire is pretty chuffed by you, too, Valerius.” Caden grinned so wide his cheeks hurt.
“Did you know the press is making up supposed traditions for us? Most of them are based upon those Alpha Werewolf films.” Valerius was frowning.
“I actually saw some author who writes a ton of those saying that she’s starting a Dragon Mates series!” Caden beamed. “And she’ll be using our wedding for inspiration.”
Valerius’ head fell back as he groaned. “Chione showed me a fanart of us naked and making love. Now it was quite good, but I did wonder if it showed the proper respect.”
“It is incredibly respectful if anyone takes the time to make art of us,” Caden assured him. “They’ve put their hearts on paper or the internet. And we should be honored by that.”
“I would view 1000 fan arts, even of questionable respectfulness, rather than going club-hopping as Illarion plans,” Valerius groused. “If you were by my side the entire time, I could endure it, but Rose has something special planned for you.”
Caden turned around in his arms. “I know. And I get it that you just want it to be you and me--”
“Preferably in High Reach, cuddled by the fire, and eating roast meat,” Valerius said. “No one else! And it would be quiet except for the snapping and popping of the fire.”
“And that sounds really good.” Caden let out a laugh and looked at his soon-to-be husband. “And in two days, we’ll get that for a really long time until we start traveling to the other territories. Just you and me.”
“That is two days from now.” Frowny-faced Valerius was an adorable Valerius.
“Says the Dragon Shifter who has lived hundreds--”
“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.
Seeing them kissing, Landry proclaimed, “I was right! See! If we hadn’t barged in, the night would already be over!”
Landry was dressed in a tuxedo shirt and black and white checkered pants. Her hair was drawn back in a bun, but somehow, she still had hair covering her eyes. She was also carrying an open bottle of Veuve Clicquot that she took a swig from.
“You were right! DRINK!” Wally cried as he drank from a bottle of Guinness in hand.
He nearly hit the balloon-animal hat that he had on to top off what could only be called a 1970s disco outfit in mismatched stripes and plaids with bell bottoms so wide that one couldn’t see his feet.
“You’ve got to remember that Landry’s human, Wally, we can’t get her too drunk yet. It’s just the beginning of the night!” Rose laughed.