Page 40 of Worthy Promises
“As in Oliver Toivonen Galleries?” Jeremiah asked with a grimace.
Cold dread slid along Worth’s spine, followed by a wave of heat as jealousy filled him. His dragon roared with disapproval, and Worth had to wrestle with a sudden urge to shift. “Shit. I’ve just discovered I’m not mature enough to handle anyone else with my mate. If you’ve slept with him, well, I can’t ask you to leave your family, so I’ll have to kill you. Sorry, it’s nothing personal.”
Jeremiah glowered. “I didn’t sleep with him, although Kitchi wasn’t lying about how hot he is. He’s been asking me for a few years to put my artwork in his galleries. I haven’t always been nice about refusing. Now I feel really shitty about it. I didn’t know he was your mate.”
“It’s business,” Worth replied pragmatically as relief coursed through him, and he gave Jeremiah’s shoulder a squeeze. Thankfully, Worth’s dragon cooled immediately too. No one they knew had touched Oliver. “You’ve worked with one curator since you launched your career; I understand your loyalty. At least we know Oliver has a wonderful eye for art.”
Jeremiah put a hand over his mouth, and his glittery gaze filled with humor as his cheeks turned nearly as pink as the streaks Dra’Kaedan had permanently put in his hair.
“What’s so funny?” Worth asked.
“He’s an owl,” Jeremiah muttered into his palm.
“I was getting to that,” Worth retorted, wondering how he’d missed getting to tell everyone about his mate’s beauty and his beast. “I call him Owliver.”
“At least your weird-ass obsession with owls makes sense now,” Aleksander remarked. “How many times did you ask for random objects in owl shapes?”
“I’ve hunted down so many owl fabrics to make him pajamas,” Larissa chimed in, her orange gaze gleaming with excitement. “I guess my adventure today will be finding some new ones.”
“Yes!” Renny exclaimed. “Our D’Vaire collection grows; now we’ve got an owl.”
“Two of them, actually,” Worth said. “Owliver has a seven-year-old brother named Orion that he’s raising. Their family is just the two of them.”
“That’s close to my age,” Zarasha enthused. “I can’t wait to play with him. When can he come over?”
“I’ve invited them both to the house on Saturday,” Worth replied. “Orion’s been reading a book on dragons and wants to watch some fly. I thought we could oblige them, then they’ll eat with us.”
“I can think of some pretty exciting dragons in our family that would love to fly for him who don’t live here,” Rafe said.
“You’re right,” Worth responded. “I’ll make some calls. Orion should get to see all the beautiful and rare dragons in our family.”
“Aren’t you glad I made you go to the party, Your Grace?” Killian asked. “If you’d stayed here and kept traipsing to the porch to find your other half, you’d still be without Oliver.”
“Indeed. But unlike you, I won’t sit in a tree for a few years now that I’ve met my other half. How many sorcerers did it take to drag you here?” Worth asked, one eyebrow lifted.
“Your cousin is annoying,” Killian remarked to Dravyn.
“Yeah, but he’s also right,” Dravyn said, grinning with delight as Killian leaned over to give him a smacking kiss. Worth was damn well going to have a matebond as happy as the ones surrounding him.
“Do I have to ask if you’re going to convince Oliver and Orion to move here?” Aleksander inquired.
“No, this place is perfect for them. You know I cannot leave. Not even for my mate,” Worth replied honestly.
“Tell him,” High Arcanist Delaney Volkov-D’Vaire advised, his black gaze sincere. “I was worried after I met Grigori that I’d have to make a choice between his home in Vegas and here. But we discussed it, and it was such a relief to know my mate wanted to come to D’Vaire. It could’ve been something that sat between us, but I think it brought us closer instead.”
Vampyr Lord Grigori Volkov-D’Vaire grinned and kissed Delaney’s cheek. “You worried for nothing, Delsaurus. I couldn’t wait to be a Volkov-D’Vaire.”
“I may give him another day or two to adjust to meeting me, but I won’t allow it to fester,” Worth promised. “D’Vaire isn’t just a place, it’s what keeps my heart fulfilled. I want that kind of peace and joy surrounding my mate and his brother. I will accept nothing less than the best for them.”
“This is so great,” Lex enthused, giving Worth’s neck an affectionate squeeze. “I can’t wait to meet him.”
Like Lex, Worth was excited for Oliver and Orion’s upcoming visit. He hoped Oliver would fall in love with both him and High Court D’Vaire quickly.
Chapter 14
Oliver rarely thought about what he wore, but he was meeting his mate’s family and wanted to make a good impression. For an hour, he rummaged through his closet and changed outfits. Eventually, he decided on a pair of casual slacks and a shirt in the rich pink of Worthington’s dragon. Torn between amusement and irritation at his uncharacteristic indecision, Oliver went downstairs to find his brother already waiting for him.
“Are you ready to go?” Orion asked. The little boy was dressed in jeans and sneakers. If there was anything printed on his T-shirt it was impossible to see since Orion was clutching his dragon book to his chest.
