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The frat house was a memory. It had burned to the ground without so much as a timber left. Whatever portals to the underground bunkers there were had been cleanly sealed so that the fire department never even suspected they were there. And though there were questions—How had the fire raged so hot it consumed every speck of bone and flesh?—the answers were scarce, and the case would go down as unsolved.
Chase had viewed the tapes. He knew what we’d been up against. And he wasn’t asking any questions. Vanzir was good to his word. Whatever they’d done had left a very clean path leading directly down a dead-end road.
As we sauntered toward the chairs that lined the wide, neatly trimmed lawn, I looped my arm through Camille’s. She was wearing a plum-colored floral halter dress that barely contained her boobs, but she looked perfectly attired for a summer wedding where there would be a drag queen revue for entertainment—a gift from Tim’s old colleagues. She’d draped a silver and black lace shawl around her shoulders and was wearing stilettos with laces that wound up her ankles.
“How do I look?” I asked, nervous. This was the first time that I’d worn something that publicly showed my scars, and I felt mildly queasy.
“I’ve told you five times. You look gorgeous. What does Nerissa think?”
Nerissa had been pushing me to quit being so self-conscious, so I’d chosen a pretty green dress that skimmed my knees. While it had a bolero jacket, and I was wearing knee-high boots, the dress still showed more than I was used to.
“Nerissa thinks she looks lovely,” the werepuma said, sweeping in from behind me to plant a long, leisurely kiss on my lips. I settled into her embrace, welcoming the warmth and safety it offered. “Camille, Delilah, you both look gorgeous. Now, I’m going to steal Menolly for a moment, if I may.” She pulled me to one side. “I miss you,” she said.
“I miss you, too,” I said. After a moment, I added, “I slept with Roz.” We’d promised—no secrets.
“I know,” she said. “He told me. He wanted me to know he wasn’t trying to horn in on my territory. He any good?”
I grinned then. “Yeah. You should try him out sometime. He’s fun,” I said, but then hesitantly added, “but he’s not you.”
Nerissa’s eyes glowed. “Nah, he’s not my type. Too flashy. But baby, you are.” In a rush, she said, “I need you so much, Menolly. I want to make love to you all night long. Can I stay with you tonight? I brought some new toys I know you’ll like.”
“Of course you can.” A shiver of anticipation raced up my spine. “All night—just you and me.”
Thoughts of her golden skin under my fingers sent me reeling, and all I wanted to do was strip off her clothes and sink my tongue into that golden core of hers that I knew so well. I stared at her breasts as they swelled under the thin summer shift, and my fingers itched to reach out and caress her.
“I can hardly wait till this is over,” I muttered. “I’m happy for Jason and Tim, but you just don’t know the things you do to me, woman.”
“Good.” She smiled, arching her back lightly. “Now we’re even. I can’t even look at you without wanting to tear off your clothes. Come on, let’s get to our seats before they start the ceremony.”
As we headed up the aisle, looking for the others, I said, “I’m thinking of changing my hairstyle. At least for special occasions.”
I didn’t mention that the thought made me nervous. I’d braided my hair the day after I returned home from the OIA therapy center, one year after I’d been turned. The locks had never been out of the their braids since then.
“I’d love to see your hair down,” Nerissa said. “A cloud of burnished copper . . . yes, it would be lovely.”
We scooted in beside Delilah and Chase. Delilah grinned at us. She was done up in a rose-colored silk tank top, a pair of pale pink linen trousers, and she’d traded her clodhopper boots for a pair of ivory flats. Chase gave me a little wave, still looking subdued. He was dressed in Armani. Camille, Smoky, and Morio were one row up, along with Iris and Maggie.
The rest of the seats were filled with FBHs, although I saw Sassy and Erin sitting on the other side. A niggle of guilt washed over me. I should be over there with them, but then again, the less Erin depended on me over the coming months, the sooner she’d be able to function on her own. Learning the life from another vampire was one thing. Living with your sire could create an unhealthy bond if it went on too long.
A buzz ran through the audience as Jason took his place at the altar. He was dressed in an exquisite tux with a pink vest, and he looked stunning. To his right stood another man, as dark as Jason but a few years younger, and I guessed it might be his brother.
The officiate took her place at the podium. As the music started, Jim Croce belted out “Time in a Bottle,” and Tim began to walk down the aisle. He wore a black tux, and his shirt was as blue as his eyes. He was followed by three brides-maids—it was hard to tell whether they were women or men in drag—but they wore tasteful silver dresses and carried bouquets of red roses and white carnations.
As Tim joined Jason at the altar, I thought about love. I thought about the possible pairings in the world and how rare and wonderful it was to find someone you could share your innermost self with. While I didn’t know if I’d ever have that, for now Nerissa was my companion. And for now, what we had was enough.
I turned my attention back to the ceremony. The officiate was speaking.
“. . . love—it’s all about love. We come together, we create our families, we choose our mates out of the desire to form a life together. Love takes many forms, wears many faces, but when it’s real, when it touches your heart, you will know it and—with hope—embrace it. Love is stronger than hate, love is stronger than anger. Love is stronger than all artificial divisions that exist in our world. But love must be nurtured and carefully tended . . .”
My thoughts turned inward again. Harish had loved Sabele, and she’d been stripped away from him. I’d held his hand when we told him we found her remains and he cried. Rozurial had loved and seen that love tragically ripped out of his life. Mother had crossed to another world for love. Camille’s love encompassed three men—her heart was so open and embracing. Delilah was caught between lovers.
Was love permanent? Perhaps. Love could be killed, love could be torn asunder. But the one thing that couldn’t happen to love was for the essential will to love to be destroyed. And no matter what evils lurked in the world, that would forever be true.
As Jason kissed Tim, we rose to our feet cheering, and I felt bloody tears well up in my eyes. I dashed them away using the crimson handkerchief that Sassy had loaned me and turned to Nerissa. She leaned down and kissed me.
“A kiss for love,” she whispered. “Now let’s go congratulate the grooms.”
CHAPTER 29
