“I pronounce you man and wife; you may kiss your bride.” Vasile smiled at the couple.

Costin cupped Sally’s face and pulled her to him. She stood on her tippy toes as he kissed her deeply. She wrapped her arms around him and sighed into his strong hold.

A throat clearing had them pulling a part. Costin grinned at her. “Wanted to make sure it sticks.”

Sally shook her head. “The kiss isn’t what makes us married.”

Costin’s eyebrows rose. “Oh, what does make us married?”

Decebel groaned. “Get a room already!”

Costin swept Sally up in his arms and she squealed. He strode quickly past the others while Jen yelled at his back. “Details Sally, I want details! Take notes if you have to!”

“Are you needing pointers?” Jacque asked her.

“Psht, girl, please. You think I got like this,” Jen pointed to the small hump in her belly, “if I needed pointers?”

Jacque raised a brow at her friend, as she stared at her stomach. “Too true, you have got the whole mating thing down to an art.”

“Oh and what a beautiful art form it is,” Jen grinned at her mate.

Decebel growled, he grabbed her hand, and waved to Fane and Jacque. “My female and I have art to make.” He tugged a giggling Jen after him.

Jacque looked over at Fane who had an amused look on his face. She smiled up at him and he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close.

“I suppose you want to talk,” he told her.

“I always knew you were a bright one,” Jacque took his hand and pulled him forward. “Night, Vasile and Alina,” she hollered over her shoulder.

“Do we at least get to make art first?” Fane asked. He turned those glowing eyes on her and it made it very difficult to hold her ground.

But she did. “Nope. You’ve been holding out on me.”

Fane groaned. “That means what I think it does, doesn’t it?”

“Like I said, I always knew you were a bright one.”

Q

Costin led Sally from the bathroom, into the bedroom, and then over to their bed. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She wore a black nightgown that barely came to the top of her thighs. It was cut low in the front and nearly non-existent in the back, which allowed him to see the marks on her soft skin that matched his own. He turned her to look at him and smiled when she blushed. She reached up and started unbuttoning his shirt with shaking fingers.

“Shh,” he murmured, as he slowed her hands down. “We have all night love and, personally, I plan to make the most of every minute.”

“You’re not helping calm me, if that was your plan,” she teased.

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead, breathing in her scent at the same time. Costin groaned as the desire of his mate hit his nose. His head fell back as he fought his own desire to keep from rushing her or worse, scaring her. He opened his eyes and pulled his head back down to look at her. She stared up at him with such love that it nearly drove him to his knees.

“Are you nervous?” Sally asked him.

Costin smiled at his mate, his wife. He took in her long, brown locks, her large expressive eyes, and her beautiful smile. She was amazing, and she was his.

“Of course, I think that’s normal,” he admitted.

“Why?” She asked.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, why are you nervous? I mean look at you, Costin. You have the physique of a freaking Calvin Klein model, you're more handsome than any man I have ever seen and you have a dimple that could give most girls ammunition for years of fantasies.”

Costin laughed and shook his head at her. “I’m nervous, because I have the most amazing woman as my mate and she deserves the best, the best of everything, even the best first experience making love. Can’t you see how that would make me nervous? If you wake up tomorrow and you regret tonight it will be because I didn’t give you what you need, and that is one of the scariest things for any man to face. The idea that he can’t be what his female wants and needs.”

Sally started to speak, but Costin stopped her with a finger to her lips. “This is important, I need you to hear.” She nodded and he took his finger away, but rested his hand on her neck. “There are so many things that are important in a mating, a marriage; communication, respect, love, and even the physical aspect of it. I need to know that I am doing everything I can in each of those areas to make you feel loved, cherished, and adored. You need to know that you are the only woman I want. You’re the only woman I desire, the only woman who makes me feel like the man I want to be. I’m nervous, because tonight is the first time of many that we will share in something so important and precious. I need you to feel all of these things by the way I love you tonight.”

Sally blushed. She didn’t know what to say to him. Her mind was reeling at all the things he had said and she just wanted to throw herself in his arms and scream do it already. She nearly laughed out loud at herself. She wondered what he would say if she did just that. She looked into his eyes and could see the earnest need for approval there. He truly wanted to please her, wanted her to know just how precious she was to him.

“If you aren’t ready, Sally, we can wait. I won’t rush you.” Sally knew that he meant every word. He would wait for her forever if she asked.

“Costin,” Sally huffed, “we did the Blood Rites. I wear your markings and your bite and now I’m your wife, what else am I waiting for?”

Costin grinned. “Those things are all true, but you are still young, and I am still the first guy you have ever been intimate with. I will completely understand if you want to move slowly.”

Sally tapped her lips with her finger and Costin could see the mischief dancing in her eyes. “Slow is good I’m sure, but according to Jen sometimes a little rough is just as necessary.”

Costin coughed, trying to swallow. Sally’s face turned bright red and she laughed. She couldn’t believe she had just said that. Well, that wasn’t entirely true, it didn’t totally surprise her. She had lived through a hellish evil spell, helped kill a witch, and fought an evil hoard of demons, saved a Warlock King, and brought a powerful Alpha back to life, so joking about sex with her mate and husband really was a piece of cake at this point.

“Sally mine,” Costin’s voice dropped low and caressed her skin. She shivered as she felt his fingers begin to skim across her calf and up to her thigh. He tapped her hip playfully as he grinned wickedly, “rough you say?” She squealed as he flipped her on her back. One second his hand was on her hip, teasing, and the next he was over her. Sally’s breathing increased, as she stared up into glowing, hazel eyes. Costin’s unique scent wrapped around her drawing, her closer to him. She growled at him and nipped his shoulder. He chuckled at the surprise and longing he saw on her face.