But none of that mattered now. The important thing was to make sure that everything went smoothly on Saturday, and that her parents had no reason to suspect their daughter, her husband, and her new in-laws were all vampires.
Sheree was a bundle of nerves as they drove to the Marchand to pick up her parents.
“Stop worrying,” Derek said. “We’ll all be on our best behavior, I promise.”
“How am I going to explain the fact that nobody eats?”
“You won’t have to. The family will fill plates and cast a glamour on your folks that will make them think we’re eating.”
“You can do that?”
“Easy as dissolving into mist.”
“Might be easy for you,” she replied sourly. “Ohmygosh!”
“What’s wrong?” Derek glanced around, wondering what had put such a stricken expression on her face.
“My father!”
“What about him?”
“He’s a camera bug. He’s going to want pictures. Tons of pictures.”
“What’s the problem? I promise to smile.”
“But . . . we don’t have reflections. Will we show up in the photos?”
Derek laughed softly. “Not to worry, love. Capturing our likeness was a problem in the old days, when film had silver in it, but with digital cameras, it’s no longer an issue.”
Relieved, Sheree slumped in her seat, only to bolt upright when the motel came into view. “Look! There they are!”
Derek pulled up to the curb and put the car in park.
Smiling, Sheree jumped out of the car and hugged her father and then her mother.
“Good to see you again, sir,” Derek said, shaking Mr. Westerbrooke’s hand. He complimented her mother on the dress she wore, and they were on their way.
“How far is it to the church?” Meredith asked.
“Not far,” Derek replied. “How was your flight?”
“A little bumpy,” Brian said. “Gave Mother quite a scare.”
“I can’t help it,” Meredith said, glancing out the window. “You know I don’t like to fly. How did you happen to pick this church, Sheree? It seems rather out of the way.”
“It’s a Cordova/Blackwood family tradition,” Sheree said. “They’ve been marrying here for years.”
“I was hoping you’d get married at St. Timothy’s, surrounded by our family and friends,” Meredith said, a hint of reproach in her voice.
“We can have a reception at home, if you like,” Sheree said.
Ever the diplomat, Brian said, “Of course. That’s a great idea.” He made small talk with Derek during the rest of the drive.
“Oh, my,” Meredith murmured, gazing out at the church and grounds as Derek parked the car. “It is lovely, isn’t it?”
Sheree nodded. Located in a secluded glade well off the main highway, surrounded by tall trees and shrubs, the building might have been transplanted from some medieval setting. Moonlight danced across the stained glass windows on either side of the door. The air was filled with the fragrant scent of evergreens; night birds and crickets serenaded them as Derek dropped Sheree and her mother off at a side door so Sheree could change into her wedding gown.
After escorting Sheree’s father into the vestibule, Derek walked toward the front of the church. His family was already there, half of them seated on the groom’s side, half on the bride’s. He frowned when he saw Edna and Pearl sitting in the back row. Damn, those two always meant trouble.
His mother smiled at him from the front row. Clad in a long green gown, she looked as beautiful as always. He paused to give her a hug before joining the priest and Logan, who were waiting for him in front of the altar.
Father Lanzoni was of medium height, with warm hazel eyes and wavy black hair going gray at the temples. He was one of the oldest vampires in existence, but, like the other vampires in the room, he was shielding his true nature from Sheree’s parents.
The priest smiled fondly at Derek. “Good evening, my son.”
“Father.” Derek shook the priest’s hand, and then Logan’s.
“Thank you for allowing me to officiate at your marriage,” the priest said.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice.”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” he said, smiling. “It’s always a happy time when I can join two people in love.”
Derek looked toward the vestibule as Vince escorted Sheree’s mother to her seat.
And then Sheree was there, looking more beautiful than he had ever seen her as she walked down the aisle at her father’s side.
Heart pounding with excitement, Sheree glanced quickly at her surroundings. As Mara had promised, it was a beautiful old church. The altar and the pews were carved from oak. Moonlight shone through the stained glass window above the altar. Candlelight filled the chapel with a warm golden glow, lighting the faces of the wooden statues, but it was Derek who drew her gaze and held it. The man had been born to wear a tux. It emphasized his broad shoulders and long legs, complemented the color of his hair and eyes.
Father Lanzoni smiled at Sheree and Derek, then lifted his gaze to their guests. “We are here tonight to celebrate the joining together of these young people. Who gives this woman in marriage?”
“Her mother and I do,” Brian said. Squeezing his daughter’s hand, he kissed her cheek, then placed her hand in Derek’s.
“My children,” the priest said, his voice low and yet filled with authority. “You have come here this night to exchange your vows in the presence of this company. The secret of a long and happy marriage rests with the two of you. You have only to remember to put your loved one first and your own desires second. Treat your loved one as you would be treated. Never forget the way you feel this night and I promise that the love and devotion you have for one another will grow stronger with each passing day.
“I will pronounce the words that bind you together legally, but the true joining must take place in your own hearts, your own souls.
“Sheree Westerbrooke, do you take Derek Blackwood, here present, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and to cherish, for now and ever more?”
For now and for ever more, not until death do you part. “I do.”
“Derek Blackwood, do you take Sheree Westerbrooke, here present, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and to cherish, for now and ever more?”
“I do.”
“Then, by the power vested in me, I pronounce you, Derek and Sheree, husband and wife, lawfully and legally wed. Derek, you may kiss your bride.”
Very carefully, Derek lifted her veil, then drew her into his arms. “I love you, wife,” he murmured. “Are you still angry with me?”
“Not as much as I was. Kiss me.”
He kissed her gently at first, and then with greater passion, until the guests burst into applause.
Leaning forward, Father Lanzoni whispered, “Save some for later, my son.”
“Yes, later,” Derek promised, catching his bride’s gaze with his own.
Mara had laid out a feast fit for a king. In addition to salmon and lobster and all the trimmings, there was a beautiful cake and a champagne fountain, as well as several bottles of red wine. Sheree couldn’t help thinking all that food was a terrible extravagance, since only her parents and Abbey Marie were able to enjoy it.
The lights were low. Soft music played in the background.
Brian Westerbrooke mingled with the other guests, obviously impressed by Mara’s home in Northern California and the many expensive paintings and antiques, yet completely at ease with those around him.
Her mother was polite and friendly, if a little standoffish. Sheree wondered if, somehow, her mother sensed that the people she was mingling with weren’t people at all.
The Cordova men all toasted the bride and groom.
Edna and Pearl wished them well.
Kathy, Savannah, and Abbey welcomed her into the family.
Sheree spoke to everyone present, biding her time until Derek was dee
p in conversation with Roshan and Logan before she took Pearl aside.
“What is it, dear?” Pearl asked.
“I don’t want to be a vampire,” Sheree said, glancing left and right to make sure they were still alone. “Can you make more of your serum for me? Not the one you made for Derek, but the other one. The one you said worked on newly turned vampires.”
“Yes, of course, but are you sure that’s what you want?”
“I’m sure. Will you make me some?”
“Have you discussed this with Derek?”
“No, and I don’t want you to mention it to him or anyone else. Not even Edna.”
“I’ll have to think it over, dear. Derek . . .”
“He turned me without asking if it was what I wanted,” Sheree said. “I don’t need his permission to undo it.”
“It will take me a week or so,” Pearl said. “I’ll be in touch. Thank you for inviting us, but I think we’ll be going now.”
A week or two, Sheree thought. All she had to do now was keep Derek from finding out.
The party lasted until well past midnight. After changing out of her wedding gown, Sheree thanked Mara for everything, and then she and Derek drove her parents back to the Marchand. Her father had a meeting late the next afternoon and they were flying home in the morning.
“Don’t be strangers, you two,” her father said, giving her a hug.
“We won’t.”
Shaking Derek’s hand, her father said, “Take good care of my little girl.”
“Yes, sir.”
Sheree hugged her mother. “If you ever need to come home,” Meredith whispered, “don’t be too proud to do so.”
“Thanks, Mom. I love you, too.”
A last hug for her father and Sheree got into the car. She hated to see her parents leave but she was glad the evening was over. She’d been stressed out all night, afraid someone would do or say something that would arouse her parents’ suspicion.
“Stop worrying,” Derek said as he pulled away from the curb. “They didn’t suspect a thing.”
“I know, but I was worried when Mom remarked that everyone looked as if they’d stepped out of a fashion magazine. I could see her checking Kathy’s skin, looking for signs of a facelift. And I almost slipped up and introduced Vince as Rafe’s father instead of his brother. It would have been hard to explain they’re father and son, but look the same age.”
“All’s well that ends well,” Derek said, chuckling. “Are you ready to go home?”
“Yours or mine?”
He ran his hand along her thigh. “Mine is closer,” he purred, “and we are on our honeymoon.”
It was hard to remember she was angry with him when he was so near, when his scent, the mere touch of his hand, stirred her desire. Not willing to let that anger go, she thought about all she had lost when he turned her into a vampire. His being a vampire hadn’t been a problem. She had been willing to make adjustments in her own lifestyle to accommodate his. He preferred the night. He drank blood. She could accept those things. But, even though she was perfectly happy to have a husband who was a vampire, that didn’t mean she wanted to be one, too.
Jerking his hand from her thigh, he growled, “Would you rather I had let you die?”
“Stop reading my mind! And for your information, I wanted to find a vampire. I never wanted to be one!”
When he braked for a red light, she jumped out of the car and dashed into the darkness, running away from a decision she hadn’t made. Like a petulant child, she blamed Derek for her unhappiness, for turning her without asking her permission. She was being irrational and she knew it; even if he had asked her, she had been incapable of a response. What would her answer have been?
Derek swore a vile oath as Sheree disappeared from sight. He swerved in front of the car beside him, pulled over to the curb, killed the engine, and went after her.
Sheree ran effortlessly, jumping over block walls without even thinking about it. And all the while, in the back of her mind, she heard his voice asking if she would rather be dead.
She vaulted over a parked car. Of course she didn’t want to be dead, but she didn’t want to be a vampire, either. All she wanted was her old life back, and she would have it in two weeks.
Slowing, she glanced around. She had no idea where she was. Old buildings hemmed her in on both sides. Most had boarded-up windows. Many were spray painted with gang signs and symbols.
She stopped at the sound of voices. Drunken voices. Coming from the building across the street.
With her preternatural vision, she could see three young men crouched in the doorway, passing a bottle back and forth between them.
One of the men looked up, his eyes widening when he saw her.
Muttering, “Oh, crap!” Sheree tried to dissolve into mist, and when that failed, she whirled around and ran back the way she’d come.
And slammed into Derek.
His arms went around her. “Where the hell did you think you were going?”
“Away from you.” She glanced over her shoulder.
“Don’t worry, they’re too drunk to come after you.”
“Just take me home.”
“Dammit, Sheree, I’m sorry you’re so unhappy, but I’m not sorry for what I did.”
She stared up at him, mute.
Blowing out a sigh, he transported the two of them back to his car, drove her to his house. And left her there without a word.
Alone in his bed, she cried herself to sleep, wishing she had never left Philadelphia.
Chapter Forty-Four
The next two weeks were the most miserable of Sheree’s life. She never saw Derek, though she sometimes sensed his presence. She thought about going to her own house, but something kept her in Sacramento.
She slept through the days, hunted in the evening, and tried not to think about Pearl, afraid that Derek would read her thoughts and try to stop her.
Where was Derek staying? Was he spending his days at Mara’s? Would he come back here if she left? She glanced at the gaily wrapped gifts stacked in the corner. They hadn’t opened the presents the night of the wedding; at some point, Derek had dropped them off at the house. She had no interest in any of them.
She had no interest in anything except being human again.
She was curled up on the sofa, trying to watch one of the old Iron Man movies, when someone knocked on the door.
When she opened it, a young man dressed all in black stood on the porch.
“Are you Sheree Blackwood?” he asked.
“Yes. Who are you?”
“Here.” He thrust an envelope into her hand, and disappeared from sight.
After closing the door, Sheree opened the envelope and removed a sheet of paper. All it said was, “Meet me tomorrow night at Maxie’s Dress Shop in the mall on 7th Street. 8 P.M. Tell no one.”
After reading the note, she burned it in the fireplace.
Sheree took a cab to the mall, glancing over her shoulder all the way, but there was no sign of Derek. She checked again before entering the mall, then hurried up to the second floor. It took her a moment to find Pearl. Instead of her usual flamboyant attire, the woman was wearing blue jeans, a gray windbreaker, and a blond wig.
Talk about cloak-and-dagger, Sheree thought.
“Here it is.” Pearl glanced around, assuring herself they were alone before pressing a small bottle filled with dark red liquid into Sheree’s hand. “Drink it before you go to bed tonight. When you wake up tomorrow night, you should be mortal again.”
“Should be?”
“There’s no guarantee. Edna and I tested it on three newly made vampires. All reverted back to their humanity.”
“That’s great!”
“So it would seem. But Edna and I turned the three, and our blood isn’t as powerful as Derek’s. And they hadn’t been vampires for more than a few days. And, well, there are lots of variables in something like this. I just want you to be aware of the danger, and of the fact t
hat it might not work.”
Sheree nodded. “I understand. What do I owe you for this?”
“Nothing, dear. I just hope it works,” Pearl said, and vanished from sight.
Tucking the bottle inside her handbag, Sheree strolled through the mall, her heart pounding with excitement and trepidation. If she had the nerve to take Pearl’s formula, she might wake up her old self tomorrow. Did she have the courage?
She paused in front of a candy store and inhaled the myriad scents emanating from inside. It was unfair that she could now detect even the most delectable smells and could no longer enjoy the taste of her favorite chocolates. She could smell fresh popcorn wafting up from the first floor, and pizza, and pretzels.
She felt a sharp pang when she saw a mother and child emerge from one of the shops. She would never have a child of her own. She told herself that lots of women were unable to bear children, that there was always adoption, though she didn’t see how that could possibly work, given her circumstances.
Lost in thought, she stood there until a recorded voice announced the mall would be closing in ten minutes.
Sheree was outside, waiting for a cab, when Derek appeared beside her. “Need a ride home?” he asked.
She stared at him, her heart pounding. Did he know what she’d done?
“Of course I know, you little fool.” Grasping her forearm, he propelled her down the street to where his car was parked and practically shoved her inside.
His face was a mask of anger when he slid behind the wheel.
“Have you been spying on me?” she asked angrily.
“Damn right!”
Sheree hugged her handbag to her chest. The proverbial shit was about to hit the fan. “So, why did you let me meet with Pearl?”
“I wanted to see how far you would go.” He shook his head. “You’re willing to risk your life on something that’s been tested on three young vampires? I gave you credit for being smarter than that.”
“Well, I guess you were wrong.”