Page 86 of My Big Fat Vampire Wedding

Some many times.

The issue was that they’d done it hundreds of years ago. When trends and customs were wildly different.

But she couldn’t tell him that.

“Yeah.” She nodded. “It’ll all work out.”

If there weren’t any more nasty surprises to worry about.

23

“What is going on here?” Pandora asked when she walked into the sitting room to find Vlad on his antique perch. With Elizabeth the cockatoo cozied up next to him. No, not only cozied up. She had her wing wrapped around him.

“Don’t judge,” Vlad said, stifling a yawn.

“But you can’t stand her,” Pandora said.

“She’s grown on me.”

“Grown on you, or worn you down?” Pandora asked as Elizabeth turned to start preening Vlad’s feathers.

“Both,” he replied. “But she makes that arrogant crow that’s always in the garden jealous. So there’s that.”

Pandora broke into a knowing smile just as the knocker sounded, making her brows scrunch. It was still morning. Her entire family was upstairs sleeping. Including, ofcourse, Henrietta’s dogs, who she’d somehow trained to be mostly nocturnal as well.

“Probably another package,” Pandora said, waving toward the tower about to topple over in the foyer.

Once Cody had introduced Ravenna and Reginald to the wonders of online shopping, it had been a steady stream of boxes showing up at the door.

Some contained things Ravenna insisted were “vital” to the wedding planning. Others had replicas of things that Reginald missed about the “old days”. Mostly, though, he liked to order costumes meant for Renaissance fairs or cosplay. Then spend hours telling everyone what was, and was not, historically accurate. From the design to the threads used in the stitching.

Pandora reached for the knob, expecting to just find a retreating parcel carrier and a box on the front steps.

Instead, Victor was standing there, backlit by the sun, making her notice flecks of gold and red in his dark hair that she’d never noticed before.

“Oh, hello,” she said, giving him a surprised smile.

“Sorry to just pop by. I figured it would be smarter to discuss things in person than try to answer …” He looked at his mobile. “Seventeen separate texts.”

“Sorry about that. My family has been a bit overbearing about some of the planning details,” Pandora said, moving back so he could step inside, glad for the opportun­ity to have him inside without worrying about her family saying or doing something absurd.

“I imagine they just want it to be nice for you.”

“For us,” she said. “Which is why they want me to consult you on all of these things. I am practically expecting Aunt Ravenna to require your actual signature on all these decisions.”

“I like Ravenna,” Victor said, taking off his backpack as they sat down at the dining table.

“She’s the best. OK, so, for the meal …” she said, ready to get down to business.

But it was right then she heard footsteps making their way down the staircase. Given that everyone else had just gone to bed, there was only one person it could be.

Dante.

Pandora put her finger to her lips.

Victor’s brows drew down but he didn’t say a peep as she slowly rose to her feet, making her way to the doorway to see, just as she’d expected, Dante making a beeline for the front door.

He paused, reaching to grab a coat from the hanger, pulling up the large hood, then reaching into the pockets to produce gloves.