“I just want you to know—your taking responsibility tonight shows . . . that I trained you really well.”

I mostly bit back a smile. “That’s what you’re going with?”

He smiled. “Yeah. I think, tonight, we probably need it.”

They disappeared, and I’d only managed to move a step closer to Ethan when another figure stepped into the doorway.

The man had tan skin, dark hair, and dreamily wide brown eyes. He wore jeans and a cotton tunic of deep saffron on his tall and lean frame, and a cheeky grin on his face. “Isn’t it bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the wedding?”

The smile traveled through the crisp accent that edged his warm voice.

He and Ethan walked toward each other, met in the middle, and shared a manly, back-slapping hug. “It’s good to see you, Amit.”

Amit put a hand on Ethan’s shoulder, squeezed it. “And you as well, my friend.”

The most powerful vampire in the world—and Ethan’s best man—glanced at me and held out his hands, a silver ring glinting on his right thumb. I walked to him, offered my hands. He raised them to his lips, pressed kisses as a frisson of magic passed between us.

“Amit. It’s so good to see you!”

He grinned. “Have you changed your mind about marrying this reprobate yet?”

“I have not,” I said, glancing at Ethan. “And I don’t think I will.”

Amit nodded gravely. “You’re a brave woman.”

“She is,” Ethan agreed, eyes gleaming with pleasure. “That’s why I named her Sentinel.” He glanced back at Amit. “Did you just get in? Can we get you settled?”

Amit held up his hands. “I’m fine. Helen has seen to my luggage and accommodations. And speaking of which, what’s happened?”

Ethan and I exchanged a glance.

“I’m Very Strong Psych,” Amit said, a reference to the vampire ranking system. “There is an unusual energy in the House, and not just because of the wedding.”

“Merit was attacked here last night.”

“I wasn’t attacked,” I said, putting a supportive hand on Ethan’s arm. “An unbalanced supplicant holed up in a closet, made his way in here. I was the unlucky vampire who found him, and he wasn’t happy about it.”

Amit’s eyes widened with alarm, and he glanced at Ethan.

“Isolated incident,” Ethan said, repeating the party line. “The Ombudsman’s office is investigating, and the individual was apprehended after Merit beaned him with my Greenwich Presidium service award.”

Amit nodded approvingly. “That’s the way to do it.”

“I’d have preferred not to bean him with an award or otherwise. But a Sentinel’s gotta Sentinel.”

“Put that on a T-shirt,” Ethan said.

There was a polite throat-clearing in the doorway. We looked back, found Lindsey in jeans and a pink BRIDE’S CREW T-shirt, my dress bag in hand.

“Sire, Sentinel.” She smiled at Amit, nodded, held the bag a little higher. “It’s time to go.”

The pre-wedding nerves hadn’t sparked yet, but seeing her standing there with the dress she hadn’t yet seen made everything suddenly real. We’d reached the point where there was no more time to guard the House, investigate threats, plan for security.

I was getting married today.

I was getting married today.

I was getting married today.

“Merit,” Amit said, laughter in his voice. “You’ve gone a bit pale.”

I swallowed hard, looked back at him and then Ethan. “I feel like I’m about to give my ninth-grade history speech.”

Ethan smiled. “You made it through ninth grade, or so I assume, since you’ve got a master’s degree and a half. I feel like U of C, among the others, would be particular about that kind of thing.”

I blew out a breath through pursed lips. “Everything will be fine.” But I grabbed his lapels, pitched forward. “What if my mother got doves? What if the DJ only plays the chicken dance? What if Amit messes up the toast?”

“I have no plan to mess up the toast,” Amit said crisply. “I will bring the crowd to the cusp of tears, then amuse them with stories of your groom’s wilder days.”

Actually, that did sound entertaining.

Ethan kissed my forehead. “Steady on, brave Sentinel. You deferred the wedding planning, and now you must face the music—and possibly the doves.” But he looked down at me, skimmed a finger over the House necklace at my throat.

Regardless of the rest of it, he said silently, there will be you and me. That will be enough, and that will be perfect. This night, and all of its dark beauty, is ours.

Who needed Lord Byron anyway?

CHAPTER FIVE

WHEN DOVES CRY

They stood in the foyer like a posse come to collect their due.

And that “due” was me.

Helen and my mother, Meredith Merit, looked like business partners. Both wore trim suits and pearls, their hair perfectly coiffed, makeup precisely elegant. There was something very Stepford Wives about it. Or the Oak Park and Hyde Park versions, anyway.

Mallory stood with them in jeans and another BRIDE’S CREW shirt. She stood beside a pile of suitcases and what looked like black tackle boxes.

They turned together, glanced at me with the same assessing gaze.

“Merit,” my mother said, walking forward and pressing her hands to my cheeks. Her palms were soft and cold, and she smelled like powdery perfume. “How are you feeling, darling? Are you nervous? Excited?”

My mother and I weren’t especially close. As my father focused on business, my mother focused on socializing—leading charitable guilds, hosting socials, arranging donations that got “Merit Properties” on buildings or plaques or benches. Things that Charlotte dealt with better than I did. But given that she’d coordinated my wedding, this wasn’t the time to be ungrateful.

“Both, I guess.” As she turned to slip an arm around my waist, I glanced at Helen. “Before things get too chaotic, I wanted to say thank you for everything that you’ve done to get this wedding off the ground. Without you, we’d probably be eloping at a Waffle House.”

“Perish the thought,” my mother said with a smile. “It has been a great pleasure working with Helen.” She reached out and squeezed Helen’s hand like they were old friends, which disturbed me more than it should have. Helen already wasn’t a fan of mine; I didn’t think her having my mother’s ear would improve the tension.

“The wedding will be beautiful,” Helen said. “As befits a Master of Cadogan House.”

Not as befit a Sentinel, or two vampires in love, but as befit the Master.

I would be the bigger vampire. “Of course,” I said simply, and saw the surprise in her eyes that I’d agreed instead of arguing. Or maybe because I hadn’t let her see that the arrow had found its home.

My mother glanced around at the group. “I think we’re all here. Let’s get started!”

She opened the door, and the group began to funnel into the night.

Mallory slipped an arm through mine. “That was well done, Merit. Saying thank you.”

“If it’s all doves and chicken dances, I’m retracting it.”

“I’m not sure what that means, but I’ve noted it for the record.”

That would have to do.

• • •

Another night, another limo. But while last night’s mood was light and a little sassy, tonight’s was much more serious. Led by Helen and my mother, we were serious people heading off for serious events. Prestigious events. Socially important events.

But I kept smiling as I watched the dark city pass as we drove toward the Loop.

I was getting married today. And I was feeling pretty damned good about it.

Mallory, who sat beside me, chuckled. “If you keep smiling, you’re going to wear out your cheek muscles before things even get started. You’re going to be asked to smile a lot in the next few hours.” She cast a considering glance at my mother and Helen, whispered, “How many people at this shindig?”