I gave a short bark of laughter. "No, all she knows is you're a vampire. What did Bones tell you about her?"

Annette shrugged. "Practically nothing."

I stared at her. "He didn't warn you? You're right. He is still pissed at you, and not just a little."

The sound of a car pulling up tightened my gut with trepidation. She was here.

My mother swept into the room with none of Annette's gliding grace. Instead, she had a stomping, angry gait that was punctuated by her slamming the front door behind her.

"So this is the latest bloodsucking murderer you've befriended, Catherine."

No "hello, how ya doing, nice to see you." Not her. Just straight to the throat and tear. She and vampires had a lot in common.

"Mom, are you going to say hi to Denise and Randy? You like them, remember? They both have pulses." Dryly.

"Barely, and thanks to that one"-a stiff finger pointed at Randy-"who had your evil ex-lover in his wedding party, you left a wonderful man who was devoted to you. Each day I cry when I think of Noah. Isn't there any chance you would reconsider...?"

"Don't go there, Mom." Now I was upset. Didn't she know it was tacky to discuss reconciling with one's ex-fiance before shopping for a wedding dress to marry the new one? "Noah is so much better off without me, I can't even articulate. I thought I'd throw that in, since the fact that I never loved him seems unimportant to you."

Annette rose from the couch and extended her hand. "Hello. I am Annette De Witt, charmed to meet you. I'm afraid Cat never told me your name."

My mother stared at her hand with more revulsion than if it had been a snake. "My alias is Justina Russell, and if you think I'm dumb enough to touch one of your vile, iniquitous paws when you've probably killed more people than the plague, you're very mistaken."

Denise handed me the gin bottle without bothering to include a glass. I ripped the top off and took a long, deep pull and then another. And another.

Annette withdrew her hand and gave me a look of growing awareness.

"I see now what you mean, Cat. Crispin is clever in his omissions, is he not? Very well. She's not the first outraged mortal I've encountered. Justina." Back to my mother. "You say you bear the name Russell? How appropriate, since it's what your daughter's married name will be. I hear Crispin's marrying her under his birth name-how sentimental."

My mother gazed between us in momentary confusion. "Who the hell is Crispin, Catherine?"

"That's Bones," I supplied. She had this coming. "His real name is Crispin Russell. But he called himself Bones after he became a vampire. Something about being raised in an ancient graveyard."

She looked aghast. "You called yourself by his name when we left Ohio? And let me use it as well? God, Catherine, were you never free of that scum!"

I could tell Annette wanted to smack her for how she was talking about Bones. She knew, however, that any misstep with my mother wouldn't be overlooked, even if it was in his defense. Wisely, she pursed her lips and didn't comment.

"Mom, there isn't enough gin on the market for me to be able to handle you. I let you unleash some steam since you just can't help yourself, but that's enough. I am marrying that vampire whether you like it or loathe it. Don't bother; I know, I know, you loathe it. But if you call him even one more insulting name, I'm going to throw you out. That goes for in the car too. Or the dress shop. Or anywhere else we may be. You'll walk home, because I won't listen to your poison about him. Can you behave long enough to be my mother? Or am I saying good-bye to you now?"

There was silence as she considered this. Time enough for me to take another drink.

Finally she settled for a muttered curse on all things undead and straightened her shoulders. "I'm going with you. Someone has to make certain you look presentable when you go to the altar like a lamb to slaughter."

"Right," I said wearily. "Let's go."

We took my car since it was the only one with bulletproof glass. Behind us I saw Dave and Cooper following at a discreet distance. Bones had flatly refused to let me drive around without some kind of escort, and they'd chosen to remain unseen. Smart men. After all, they'd met my mother before.

We went to Magdalena's, a lovely dress shop that specialized in handmade wedding gowns. I would have just shopped at a regular store and gotten it adjusted, but Bones had looked at me as though I'd lost my mind when I suggested that. The miser in me protested at spending all the extra money just for personal fittings and fabric selection. Still, it made him happy, so I was here.

The owner's name was Elise, despite the shop name, and she greeted us warmly as we walked in.

"Come in, please, you must be Cat. How beautiful you are, what coloring!"

Oh shit, bad way to start out. My mother's lips twitched with a thousand stinging comments, but she managed not to do more than grunt. My looks came from my father, down to my luminescent skin that was just a shade too creamy to be human.

Elise went on, heedless. "Which one of you lovely ladies is the mother? From your pale skin and strawberry hair, I'd guess it was you!" she gaily said to Annette.

Denise laughed and then began to cough to cover it.

My mother bristled. "I am her mother," she snapped.

Elise attempted to cover the slip and instead made it worse.

"Oh, of course. Are you two ladies sisters, then?" She indicated Annette with an inclination of the head. Denise lost it again.

"Look, Mom, gloves!" I yanked my mother safely away from the shopkeeper and ground out a warning between clenched teeth. "Don't even. Long walk back, remember?"

It wasn't really Elise's fault for her gross misidentification. Come to think of it, I probably did resemble Annette more than my mother. Of course, Annette was four inches shorter and far more voluptuous, but still. Our skin and hair similarities were there. The sister remark hadn't been without reason, either. Annette and my mother looked about the same age, even though in human years Annette was younger. Since they were shopping with the bride, it had been an honest mistake.

"They're not related," Denise hastily murmured to Elise when she ceased giggling. "Um, this is a friend of the groom's. Cat's mother is a little disapproving of him, so ignore any obscenities."

"Ah." Knowing smile. Apparently she'd dealt with this kind of thing before, but on a much lower scale, I'd bet. "Well, ladies," she continued, coming over and taking my arm. "Let's look at the fabrics, shall we? Are you interested in white, ecru, cream, eggshell, mother-of-pearl, alabaster, or another color?"

"I have no idea." I sighed. "Let's see them all."

Who had any idea dresses came in such a multitude of materials? I'd grown up on a farm where denim was the staple of my wardrobe, and the clothes I wore on jobs were mainly of the sleazy variety. I felt lost in a sea of silk, satin, velvet, brocade, and lace. We hadn't even gotten to style yet, and it had been over an hour.

"What about this one?" Denise fingered a bolt of delicate-looking lace and held it up.

I obediently uncurled myself from underneath a pile of cloth and went to her.

"It's so soft, Cat. Feel it," she urged.

She was right, it was soft. Holding it felt like holding spiderwebs, and the stitching was as intricate as one.

Elise beamed. "Our most luxurious lace, straight from Italy. Against your skin it would look magnificent."

Annette reached for it just as my mother did, and dear old mom snatched her hand back to avoid their fingers grazing.

"How much is it?" my mother bluntly asked.

Elise carelessly rattled off a number that had me dropping the fabric like it had burned me.

"On to the next one," I said.

Annette took the lace swath and held it next to my arm, ignoring me.

"It's perfect." Her tone was brusque. "You'll look radiant. Crispin means too much to me for me to watch him marry someone that looks like a peasant. His closest friends will be there-don't you want to look your best on your wedding day?"

I smiled tightly and spoke so low no one but she could hear me. "It costs more than half the cars on the fucking road. Are you out of your mind?"

She didn't bother with the same subtlety. "Cat, you must be the most ignorant person alive."

My brows shot up.

"Do you have any idea how much bloody money Crispin has? What do you think he's been doing with it after all those jobs over the centuries?"

Elise backed away a foot. Denise pulled my mother out of harm's way, anticipating a bloodbath at any moment.

"You know, Annette." Acidly. "In the time I've spent with Bones, a total of just under a year combined, we never got around to discussing his portfolio. Maybe it's because I was too busy either fucking him or trying not to get killed, I don't know which!"

That put a perplexed look on Elise's face.

Annette advanced a step and pointed emphatically at my hand. "That stone on your finger is worth more than seven million dollars, you blithering ingrate. Do you know how many red diamonds there are in the world today of similar size and color? Only one, and it's smaller. The cost of your dress and this wedding won't even put a dent in Crispin's funds, so will you stop acting like a child and think about him for a moment? What he would want? You could at minimum concern yourself with his wishes."

"You are the biggest bitch I have ever met," I burst out. "God, if you hadn't saved his life two hundred years ago, I'd stake you and wear your blood for a week!"

Elise looked alarmed now. She backed away farther.

"Do it, Catherine!" My mother played the cheerleader. It was the first thing she'd agreed with me on in months.

"But," I continued in clenched tones, "you did save his life. More than that, according to him, you've stood by him loyally through the years. I think he more than thanked you by fucking you up one side down the other, but that's just me."

A horrified gasp came from my mother. She wasn't as enthused now.

"However, Bones has put up with so much shit from me, I can stand to deal with you. You're absolutely right, Annette, the lace is gorgeous. Elise, get back over here. We're taking this one. Now let's pick a frigging style and then get the hell out of here."

"Catherine!" My mother pulled on my arm, shocked. "This creature and that animal together, what is wrong with you? How can you tolerate that?"

I was in no mood. "Mom, probably every female who will be at my wedding except for you and Denise has at one point in time fucked the groom."

Annette gave a shrug in concurrence.

"I'm not wild about it, but there you are. What can I say? He was busy in his years, but as long as he keeps his cock away from anyone but me from now on, we're square."

That was the last straw for Elise. She turned and sprinted for the phone, presumably to call 911.

"Get her, Annette, and make her happier," I instructed needlessly.

She had already grabbed Elise and bared her fangs. This caused my mother to charge forward, but I held her back.

"You are not my daughter if you stand by and let her murder that woman!" she railed.

Even Denise gave me an inquiring blink.

"Watch, Mom."

Annette bit into Elise's neck. Her eyes were now emerald green. They'd changed the instant she touched the shop owner. My mother screamed. Thank God we'd chosen to be the last appointment of the day and the store was empty. I watched as Annette took a few pulls and then daintily scratched her thumb, pressing it to the punctures on Elise's neck. The wounds closed almost as fast as the cut in Annette's thumb. One vampire bite, erased from sight.

Annette stared into Elise's dazed face. "Your customers have decided on a fabric. Your last recollection since giving the price is that the bride accepted it. Now you're going to help them choose the style. That is all."

There wasn't a drop of blood on anything, even Annette's lips. After centuries, you could be neat if you wanted to. Denise was openly fascinated by the exchange. She'd never seen a vampire feed before, except the one who'd tried to kill her when we met and I saved her life. Elise nodded once and smiled, a contented expression on her face.

Annette's eyes bled back to their normal color. Once free of their entrapping glow, Elise shook her head and then brightly announced she would begin showing the styles.

"Perfect," I stated. "You all go on, we'll be just a second."

The three of them left us and went to the other side of the shop.

"Do you see now, Mom? That's how easily a vampire can control someone's mind. Hell, Master vampires can do it without even taking blood, and Bones is a Master vampire. He could have changed your attitude problem with him countless times before, but he hasn't. If he were a low-life scum like you say he is, why wouldn't he?"

"Is that why you can't leave him? God, Catherine, is this how he keeps you under this thrall?"

I sniffed in annoyance. "He doesn't have me in any thrall. That stuff doesn't work on me, Mom, because I'm half-vampire. Believe me, many of them have tried over the years. I wanted you to see this... so you'd know that what happened with you and my father could have been orchestrated. He could have tranced you into doing whatever he wanted, and you would have believed anything he told you..."

If I'd punched her, she would have looked less stunned. My father was an asshole, no doubt about that, but the two of them had different versions about the night I was conceived. My mother called it rape. Max said it was consensual and that she'd only cried foul after she saw his glowing eyes and realized he wasn't human. She had no idea I'd ever met him, let alone heard his side of that story, and I wasn't trying to say who was right. My motivation was to show that she would have been compelled to believe whatever he'd said. Especially his laughing assertion that all vampires were demons. I'd heard that since I was sixteen, and it had been a hard thing to bear, thinking half of me had roots in the pit of hell. Max said he told her that because he thought it was funny. Yeah, real funny. Made a laugh riot out of my childhood. Maybe this scene with Elise wouldn't make a dent in my mother's beliefs, but she deserved to know this much at least.

Elise was musing over selections with Denise and Annette, oblivious that she had just been a blood donor to the undead. It was how vampires managed to remain undetected by the rest of the world. As far as ghouls, well... Dead men told no tales, as the saying went, and there was no shortage of natural deaths for them to choose their meals from. My mother would faint if she knew most funeral homes were owned by ghouls. Both species had that in common: they didn't need to kill to eat, they only killed if they wanted to.

Then again, the same could be said for humans. I guess in that regard, all species were equal.

"Come on," I said softly. "Let's go see the styles."

She gave me a sharp look but pursed her lips and didn't say anything else.

Bones came out of the front door before we came to a complete stop in Denise's driveway. How he got there, I didn't know. Randy could have picked him up, or he could have flown from the compound, I suppose.

Annette straightened in her seat and smoothed a hand across her hair. My mother, who hadn't seen him in about two months, mumbled something about vultures.

Bones just gave her a merry smirk and tapped on her window. "Justina, don't you look fetching? If you weren't about to be my mother-in-law, I'd be tempted to steal a kiss."

"I just bet you would, you depraved whoreson!" she replied, incensed. With her car available, she wasn't concerned about walking home anymore. "And here I thought you only preyed on young girls, but clearly your debauchery runs the full gamut of feminine ages!"

Bones arched a brow as he opened my car door. "Didn't you ladies have an interesting chat? Annette, you haven't been entertaining your companions with tales of me again, have you?"

There was thinly veiled menace in his tone. Even though a shallow part of me enjoyed his displeasure with her, I spoke up in her defense.

"She didn't spill it, I did. Along with a few other points of interest regarding your past love life. I might have lowered my mother's opinion of you, I'm afraid."

"That wouldn't be possible," she growled and stomped off toward her car.

"Lovely to meet you," Annette called out after her.