“Nothing I can prove, which is part of the problem. Whereas she’s been led to believe that Tessa and I are cohabitating. She’s seen it with her own eyes. And I’m her sire. You know how that changes things.”

Elenora glanced toward the far wall, clearly upset and struggling to regain her composure. “I hate her.”

“I know.”

She sighed, took another sip of Scotch and seemed to calm again. “The wedding is tonight?”

“Yes, and no, you cannot attend.”

“Sebastian.” Her tone was pleading.

“If Evangeline sees you there, she will run. She knows you mean to do her mortal harm. Then I’ll never have my papers signed. And it’s not like this is a real wedding anyway. Tessa and I have already discussed it and as soon as it makes sense, we’re going to divorce.” Unless they didn’t. Which could happen.

Elenora’s artfully plucked brows knit together. “You’re going to divorce the woman you’re falling in love with? Why?”

“Because we’ve only just met each other. We need time to get to know each other, to see if we are truly meant to be a couple, without the weight of that marriage pressing down on us like a predestined future. She’s going to be living in my guest house and we’ll be seeing a lot of each other. But if it doesn’t work out, she deserves to be able to walk away free and clear, not be legally bound to me by a marriage that’s in name only.”

He shook his head as he realized how much he didn’t want to be married to Tessa under such contrived circumstances. “I had enough of that with Evangeline. You have to understand that.”

He could tell Didi didn’t like his reasoning. She put her cup down and gazed at him. “I guess I do. But if this goes wrong and Evangeline doesn’t sign the papers, I can assure you that I will personally see to it she never has the ability to contact the council. I will not allow her to bring that kind of trouble to you or this family.”

She leaned forward, displaying the sort of menace few ever got to see in her. It was a side he knew well, and was wise enough to fear. “I may be your grandmother, but I am also a powerful vampire with extremely powerful friends.”

“You mean Alard Desmarais.” The vampire who’d turned her and made Sebastian and his brothers’ turnings possible. The man was ancient beyond days. Sebastian had a brief memory of the Frenchman, enough to know that with that sort of age came gifts none in his family had yet achieved.

“Yes.”

“I didn’t think you still knew how to contact him. Are you sure he’s even still alive?”

“I do and he is.”

“How old is he now?”

“Over eight hundred.”

Sebastian shook his head at the idea of living another four hundred years. It seemed daunting and yet, he was halfway there. “Well, please don’t go to any lengths just yet.”

She nodded reluctantly. “I won’t. But I’ll be waiting to hear from you that everything’s gone as planned.”

He stood. “I promise to notify you as soon as it’s done.”

“And then you’re bringing this Tessa here. I want to meet her.”

“Why don’t we give her a few—”

“You’ll bring her here immediately. This is not open for discussion.”

He clenched his teeth together before answering her. He had too much to worry about to argue with her any more this evening. “I’ll do what I can.”

She “hmphed” at him and waved her hand in dismissal.

He kissed her cheek and left, passing Alice without a second glance. The drive home blurred into muscle memory and thoughts of the night yet to come. He knew it was a very real possibility that Evangeline would refuse to sign the papers unless one more demand was met. Maybe an outrageous lump sum paid. Or a small nation purchased and her installed as queen. Nothing would surprise Sebastian at this point.

If she tried any of that, he might actually let Didi have her way.

He walked into the house and went straight to the bedroom to get into his tux. He pushed the door open and nearly ran into Tessa.

“Oh,” she gasped. “You startled me.” She was in her wedding gown.

“I’m sorry, I…” The ability to form words abandoned him, replaced by the sense that he should just be still and admire her. His heart ached with how beautiful she was. He stood there, gaping at her, praying this wasn’t a dream he was about to wake up from, that this goddess of a woman wasn’t suddenly going to disappear. If there was anything good about Evangeline showing up again, it was the gift of having Tessa in his life.

“You’re not supposed to see the bride in her dress before the wedding, but I suppose that doesn’t matter since, you know, this isn’t that kind of wedding.” She gave him a little half-smile.

He nodded.

She bit her lip. “Do you like it?”

He nodded again, and made himself speak. “You look stunning. Too good to be marrying me.”

“I don’t think that’s true at all.” Her smile broadened and her cheeks went pink. “But that’s sweet of you to say, especially since I haven’t done my hair and makeup yet.”

He smiled back. It struck him that whatever happened, he was going to fight to keep Tessa. Whatever that meant. Whatever it required of him. Because life without her around would be bleak. Just like it had been before she’d shown up. “Let me see the whole thing.”