Night's Pleasure (31 page)

It was late afternoon when Savanah awoke. Sitting up, she glanced around the guest room. Rane's mother had quite a knack for decorating; the room, done in shades of gray and blue with red accents, looked like it had been taken from the pages of
House and Home
magazine.

Savanah glanced at her watch. Since staying here with Rane's parents, she found herself waking later and later each day. She supposed she would have to adjust her hours to Rane's, though now that he could come and go as he pleased during the day, finding time to be together was no longer a problem.

She wondered if he was awake yet, and if he was as nervous as she was.

Today was their wedding day. She had always dreamed of a big wedding, always imagined herself walking down a flower-strewn aisle on her father's arm, but that wasn't possible now.

“Oh, Daddy,” she murmured, “I wish you were here.”

Rising, she ran her hand over the gown hanging on the back of the closet door. The dress made her feel beautiful. Would Rane think the same when he saw her?

After showering, she pulled on a pair of shorts and a shirt and went into the kitchen. The house was quiet, leading her to believe that everyone else was still asleep. She poured herself a glass of orange juice, then stood at the sink, staring out the window. She had avenged her father's death. Tonight, she would ask Mara if she knew the name of the Vampire who had destroyed her mother. Strange thoughts for a bride-to-be, she mused, yet these days her life was nothing if not strange.

 

Rane and his parents rose just before sunset. Since Savanah had decided to get dressed at the house, Cara shooed the men away, insisting it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her gown before the wedding. That simple little superstition somehow set Savanah's mind at ease. Rane's family might be Vampires, but they had managed to retain their humanity.

It wasn't until she was dressed and realized there were no mirrors in the house that Savanah regretted her decision to get dressed at home instead of at the church.

“You look lovely,” Cara said, arranging the folds of Savanah's veil. “Rane is a lucky man.”

Clad in a tea-length dress of mauve silk with her hair piled artfully atop her head, Rane's mother looked pretty enough to be a bride herself.

“You've been so good for him,” Cara said, taking Savanah's hands in hers. “You do love him, don't you?” she asked, her gaze searching Savanah's. “If you're not sure, if you're having any doubts, tell him now, before it's too late.”

“I love him more than anything. I've had my doubts,” Savanah admitted, “but I can't imagine my life without him.”

“What about children? You do know that Rane can't give you any?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Adoption is always an alternative,” Cara said with a wink. “I don't know if Rane told you, but I was adopted.”

Savanah nodded. She and Rane had talked about it one night. She was tempted to ask his mother what it had been like, having Vampires for parents, but she didn't quite have the nerve. Perhaps another time, when she knew Rane's mother better.

Cara squeezed her hand. “Welcome to the family, daughter. I hope you and Rane will be as happy as his father and I have been.”

“Thank you.” Savanah accepted her mother-in-law's embrace.

“Do you have everything?” Cara asked. “Something old?”

“My future husband?” Savanah said, grinning.

Cara laughed. “Something new?”

“Everything I have on.”

“Something borrowed?”

“You've got me there.”

“Here.” Removing her pearl necklace, Cara fastened it around Savanah's neck. “Something blue?”

“My garter.”

“Perfect!” Cara exclaimed.

“Thank you for everything.”

“You're more than welcome. Shall we go? Our chariot awaits.”

The chariot turned out to be a white stretch limo. Feeling like Cinderella going to the ball, Savanah gathered her skirts around her and ducked inside.

“Well, isn't this nice?” Cara asked, sitting across from Savanah.

“Very. Thank you.”

“It was Rane's idea,” Cara said, her expression softening.

“You must have missed him very much.”

“You can't imagine! It's wonderful to have them both home again. Sometimes I can't help wishing they were still my little boys. They grow up so fast,” she said with a wistful smile. “Too fast.”

Not knowing what to say, Savanah stared out the window. Not for the first time, she wished her father was there beside her.

It was late when the limo turned down a long, winding road lined by ancient oaks and pines. Savanah hadn't known quite what to expect from a church frequented by Vampires. Something dark and gloomy, decorated with leering gargoyles and fallen angels. Her expectations couldn't have been farther from the truth. Tall trees and lush greenery surrounded the old church, which looked almost ghostly in the light of the full moon. The air was filled with the fragrant scent of evergreens and dew-dampened earth. The sweet song of a night bird blended with the cheerful chirp of crickets and the croaking bass of a bullfrog, their evening songs combining in a moonlight serenade.

“It's lovely,” Savanah murmured as she followed Cara up the walkway to the entrance.

“It is, isn't it? It's pretty during the day, but it's even more beautiful in the moonlight.”

Savanah clutched her bouquet, her heart skipping a beat when Rafe opened the door leading into the vestibule. Once again, Savanah was taken aback by how much Rane and his brother looked alike. She wasn't sure how she knew it was Rafe. She would have to ask Rane about that later. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that not only did she love Rane, but she had shared her blood with him.

After telling his mother how nice she looked, Rafe took her by the hand and escorted her down the aisle to her seat, and then came back for Savanah.

With a wink and a smile, he placed her hand on his forearm. “Ready?”

Savanah nodded. She had a brief glimpse of the chapel as Rafe walked her down the aisle. The altar and the pews were carved from burnished oak. Moonlight streamed through the red, blue, and gold stained-glass window above the altar. The carpet was a deep blue. A sad-faced Madonna stood in one corner, her arm outstretched.

Rane's parents and grandparents sat in the first pew on one side of the aisle; Kathy sat behind Rane's parents, along with a man and a woman Savanah didn't recognize. Mara and Kyle sat holding hands in the front row on the other side of the aisle. Mara looked resplendent in a silver gown that shimmered in the candlelight. Her hair, as black as ink, stood out in sharp contrast to her gown.

And then Savanah saw Rane waiting for her at the altar, and everything else faded into the background. He had always been the most handsome of men, but now, dressed in a black tux, his hair shining like ebony, he fairly took her breath away.

Rafe gave his brother a wink, then placed Savanah's hand in Rane's, and took his seat. Turning, Rane and Savanah faced the priest.

Father Lanzoni was of medium height. His hair was black and wavy, laced with silver at his temples. He smiled down at the two of them, his hazel eyes filled with warmth. “Welcome, my children.” His gaze moved over Rane's family. “It gives me great pleasure to see you all again, and to share this sacred moment with your family.”

The priest focused his attention on Rane and Savanah. “Marriage is a holy institution ordained by God for the blessing of His children. If you wish to have a happy marriage, one that will last, you have only to put the happiness and welfare of your spouse above your own. It is something easily said and yet not always easy to do. As you look into each other's eyes, as you repeat your vows, I urge you to remember how you feel this night, and to hold the memory close in times of struggle and sacrifice.

“I will say the words that bind the two of you together, but it takes more than words to bind one soul to another. The true marriage between you must take place within each of your hearts.

“Savanah Gentry, do you promise to love and cherish Rane Cordova, here present, for as long as you shall live?”

Savanah squeezed Rane's hand. “I do.”

“Rane, do you promise to love and cherish Savanah Gentry, here present, for as long as you both shall live?”

Rane gazed deep into Savanah's eyes. “I do.”

“Then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” He smiled at Rane. “You may kiss your bride.”

Rane gazed at Savanah for stretched seconds, wanting to imprint the beauty of this moment in his mind and heart, to always remember the radiance of her smile, the love and trust shining like a bright blue flame in her eyes.

Drawing her into his arms, he murmured, “I will love you forever,” and then he kissed her.

Savanah leaned into him, her eyelids fluttering down as he deepened the kiss. Heat flowed through her, threatening to melt her very bones, and she clung to him, afraid her legs might give way beneath her. He had kissed her before, and often, but never like this. It was a kiss of love, of possession, branding her heart and mind and soul. She was his now, forever his.

When he took his lips from hers, it took her a moment to regain her equilibrium.

And then the priest was saying, “I give you Mr. and Mrs. Rane Cordova,” and Rane's family was crowding around them.

Later, back at the house, Rane introduced Savanah to Susie and Cagin, who were close friends of the family, and who were also a Vampire and a Were-tiger, respectively.

It was a gathering unlike anything Savanah had ever attended. She could only wonder what Kyle Bowden thought of it, since as far as she knew, he was still unaware of the fact that he and Savanah were the only two mortals in the house.

Several bottles of vintage red wine stood on a cloth-covered table, alongside a platter of tiny sandwiches and a small cake. Savanah eyed the cake curiously. She had just decided it was simply for decoration, since the majority of the people present couldn't eat it, when Rane's mother gathered everyone together to watch the bride and groom cut the cake.

Savanah looked at Rane, a silent question in her eyes.

“As most of you know, Rane is allergic to sugar and flour,” Cara said, a mischievous twinkle in her eye, “so he won't be eating any cake. But we didn't want Savanah to miss out on such a delightful tradition. So…” She handed a knife to Rane with a smile. “You're on.”

Rane cut a narrow slice of cake, speared a piece with a fork, and offered it to Savanah.

Feeling a little self-conscious, she accepted his offering.

“And now, please join me in a toast,” Vince said. “Rafe, if you please.”

Rafe opened a bottle of wine and after everyone had been given a glass, Vince lifted his. “To Rane and Savanah. May they enjoy a long and healthy life together.”

Rane grinned at his father as echoes of “Here, here” rose in the air. “Thanks, Dad.”

Vince set his glass aside and slipped his arm around his son's shoulders. “Take good care of her, son.”

Rane winked at Savanah. “That's my plan.”

Vince wrapped his other arm around Savanah. “If he doesn't treat you right, daughter, you come to me, and I'll set him straight.”

“I'll do that,” Savanah said with a smile.

Later, when the initial excitement had worn off and Rane's family sat in the living room, reminiscing about other weddings, Savanah managed to get Mara alone.

“I've been wanting to ask you something,” Savanah said, keeping her voice low. “I was wondering…that is, Rane said you might know the name of the Vampire who killed my mother.”

“What makes you think she was killed by one of us?” Mara asked with some asperity.

“My father told me,” Savanah replied, somewhat taken aback by Mara's sharp tone.

“A young Vampire named Tarkan brought your mother across, but he's not the one who destroyed her.”

Savanah stared at Mara. “If he didn't do it, then who did?”

“Are you sure you want to know?”

“Of course,” Savanah said, frowning. “Why wouldn't I?”

“Sometimes ignorance is, indeed, bliss.”

Savanah glanced at Rane, who was standing across the room, talking to his brother, and felt a sudden iciness creep into her heart. What if Rane had lied to her? What if he had killed her mother? She told herself it was impossible, but what if it was true? She could forgive him a lot of things, but not that. Never that.

“Yes,” she said, her voice little more than a whisper. “I want to know.”

“It was your father who destroyed your mother.”

The words pierced Savanah's heart like shards of glass. “No.” She shook her head. “No! I don't believe you.”