“I have in the past, but it’s been a while since the last time I’ve touched a board,” Vail replied when Victoria asked if he had played chess before. “I can’t say I’ve kept in practice lately.” It was the way most of his hobbies went. He often spent a few years at a time mastering this or that, only to move on to something else when his interest eventually faded. The only habits he had kept up with over most of his life were reading, since authors were always coming up with new and interesting books, and dancing, which also adapted with the times. It was difficult to get bored of either when he always seemed to learn something new whenever he practiced. He enjoyed the challenge and mental stimulation of being surprised.

“I see,” he looked her over again when she spoke of the tea. “Then I’m grateful… Although I don’t believe your blood needs much enhancement.” He hadn’t had any trouble drawing up a steady flow when he bit her the last two times, and there had been nothing wrong with the taste either. Still, part of him was curious to find out if her persistence in staying hydrated would affect her blood at all. If it did, he might enjoy feeding on it even more than he already did, though it was hard for him to imagine liking it even more. If there was ever a chance for him to avoid getting addicted to the drug in her veins, it had long since passed.

As Victoria said she was accommodating, Vail had to agree. He didn’t bother to hide his staring this time as she leaned forward, exposing the skin of her smooth shoulders to him. The scent of her blood still lingered faintly from the last time he had bitten her, mingling pleasantly with her perfume and tempting him with its sweetness. Combined with the bare flesh he could see, practically snowy in its fairness, he couldn’t wait any longer. He’d done his part by chatting with her. Now, he wanted to take what he’d come for.

At her mention that she could wear even less if he preferred it, he looked up again to meet her gaze, slightly surprised by the flippant way by which she suggested it. In the world they lived in, they were already crossing lines that most women wouldn’t dare to touch. He wondered again if she was challenging him. Even when she had asked him to hide the wounds he inflicted, he had been courteous enough to only lift her shirt where he wanted to bite her. It sounded like she didn’t much care for respect though. He studied her with intrigue. If she was willing to open that door, then he would gladly step through it.

“I just might,” he whispered to her, a feral grin crossing his features just before he rose from the lounge.

Stepping over to the table, he put out the lantern that had been glowing and silently circled back to where Victoria was seated. Though the gesture was partly for her sake—he doubted she would enjoy watching him pierce and bleed her delicate body—he honestly enjoyed the power that came with the darkness. Her human eyes couldn’t make out what he was doing until they adjusted, giving him a few minutes to have complete control over the encounter. It was an exciting sensation.

Kneeling on the edge of the chaise lounge, Vail rested his hands on the Lady’s shoulders and pushed her down onto her back so that he was hovering over her like he had the last time. Now that she had essentially given him a pass to prey on her in whichever way he pleased, he intended to have a little fun with it. She was a beautiful woman, after all. No sense in pretending like he wasn’t seduced by her physical charms.

He leaned down so his face was close to her neck, breathing in her stimulating pheromones as he trailed his fingers over her curvaceous figure. After a minute, he located the slit on the front of her dress, hidden within the fabric frills. It was easy enough to loosen, and he pulled it open to expose her soft flesh underneath, which he continued to explore as he searched for a tender spot to bite.

Though he was the predator and she was his prey, he found the heat of the moment exhilarating. He hadn’t been so close to a Lady in a long time. The feel of her skin and the aroma of her essence intoxicated him. He even felt slightly lightheaded, his heart was racing so quickly in his chest.

The prelude was exciting, but the prospect of tasting her blood was even more so. Shifting lower against her, Vail traced his tongue over the right side of her bare midriff, where he had decided he would feed from her this time. The left side had been a decent enough place to draw up a flow before, so he saw no reason to change it just yet. He took her by the wrists as he sank his fangs into her tender flesh, losing himself in the rich flavor of the blood that pooled against his teeth.

Lady Victoria smiled in Vail’s appreciation to the lengths she had gone to accommodate his needs. But she wanted to try and accommodate his other desires, he may be vampire, but he was still a red blood male. There was no denying that Victoria had begun to inadvertently flirt with the vampire. Whether she knew it herself or not remained to be seen. She was wary his eyes kept drifting over her. It was almost as if he were undressing her with his eyes already. His whispered hush tone to maybe take up her offer of wearing even less was welcomed. She couldn’t say she was at all surprised by this. He was a vampire and he would be able to get easier access to her flesh, without the foreplay. Unless he preferred to unwrap his present slowly rather than being handed to him on a plate.

His feral grin caused her heart to skip a beat as he stood up. She anticipated his next move, which was to turn the lantern off. She was already breathing faster as soon as the room went dark. All she could hear was his movements, his footsteps on the floorboards edging closer. She could smell his cologne get stronger as he kneeled by the chaise lounge. Not knowing exactly where he was or what he was doing, excited the woman as she wondered what she was going to feel next and where. Suddenly she felt his hands on her shoulders as they pushed her back. She laid back, exhaling heavily. His fingers on her bare shoulders, they felt so tender, so gentle. She could feel his hot breath on her neck. Why start there when he knew he couldn’t bite where it could be seen? Was he…having his fun with her? It made her close her eyes and draw in what body heat he had.

His fingers trailing down her curves, made her tingle but the moment he located her skirt slit and pulled it open, a small whimper escaped her lips. She tried her best to keep quiet but couldn’t stop the nervous giggle. She liked the idea of him removing her clothes inch by inch. She really enjoyed the prelude to his bites. Feeling the sound of his own breaths taking in her scent, her form, her blood when he drank it. He was enjoying it as much as she was, not just the blood drinking part of the hunt either, she could tell he wasn’t so eager to just bite and run, he savoured this moment.

Those fangs sinking into her waist wasn’t as painful as she’d expected as his saliva had numbed and primed the area. She wasn’t as frozen as before, she wanted to reach up and grip onto his shoulder. Those strong broad shoulders, that held such powerful arms and chest that defended her from another vampire. Alas, he had her wrists pinned, so her leg shifted upward and brushed against his side. She couldn’t help her rising hormones and attraction to this man. And she knew it was wrong…sinful to even lust for a vampire or any man she wasn’t betrothed to for that matter, she couldn’t control her desire. His intoxicating presence. Her lips quivered as she tried to keep as still as she could for his feed to be clean and swift.

Everything about the moment was like a drug to Vail. His senses were overwhelmed by Lady Victoria—the taste of her rich blood, the smell of her pheromones, the sound of her breathy voice, the touch of her soft skin, even the sight of her bare flesh. No matter which perception he relied on, he enjoyed the sensations that came with it, and he sank into all of it like a shot of cocaine. He could tell she was enjoying herself too, perhaps just as much as he was, judging by the rapid pounding of her heart that he could hear inside her supple chest. Somehow, knowing that pleased him. He liked being able to draw these strong reactions out of such a beautiful woman with just a stroke of his fingers, and he relished the control he had over how the encounter was to go at all.

As Victoria brushed her leg against his side, Vail shuddered excitedly. He wasn’t sure if she was toying with him or if the motion had been involuntary, but it was enough to get his own heartrate up. He let his hands fall away from her wrists—she seemed calm enough that he didn’t have to worry about any sudden outbursts—to instead grip her round hips as he drank the blood that seeped from her waist. Though he had made the deal with her to feed on her essence, he couldn’t help that he liked the other perks that came with it. Having such an attractive Lady at his mercy appealed to his primal side in a way that mere hunting couldn’t by itself.

If he was honest, he wanted even more of her, but he restrained himself from pushing. She had agreed to give him her blood, nothing more. Besides that, there was a part of him that was leery of getting attached to her beyond his draw to the drug in her veins. If he let her get closer to him outside of their predator-prey relationship, everything would just be unnecessarily complicated. She was a human, a mortal whom was destined to die when her brief life faded. He didn’t want to risk growing intimate with her and opening the door to any complex emotions that would make him more connected to her than he already was. It was better if he let his addiction to her remain solely with her blood, so their inevitable part would be easier to bear.

When the flow of her wound finally tapered off, Vail lifted his head, tracing his lips with his tongue to collect some of what hadn’t reached his mouth. Even though he had just fed on her three nights ago, her essence was just as satisfying to him as it had been the last time. He shifted on the lounge to sit upright, letting her slender legs rest across his lap. His gaze swept over her again as he followed the curves of her body, and he rested his hand on her midriff to help her slow the blood that still trickled from the puncture wounds he’d inflicted.

Despite his hesitation to get close to Victoria, he was letting her in more than he realized. The more time they spent together, the more comfortable he felt around her. There was even a bit of protectiveness that had begun to build up inside of him. As selfish as it was, he wanted her all to himself, both to feed on and talk to as he pleased. He didn’t yet realize the depth of his attachment to her though.

The Lady probably enjoyed his touch more than the Lord touched her. It was clear by the expression on her face, if one could see it in the darkness. The way she contorted her facial expressions, the way she bit her bottom lip as his hands shifted from her wrists to her hips. She flinched but only because she was so sensitive from unaccustomed to being touched there. It was the same thrill she felt when he first laid his hand on the small of her back during their dance. She remembered it fondly, the closeness, the dream like feeling when he twirled her, all came rushing back to make her heart pound even harder. Something about him drove her primal instincts wild as a woman and she couldn’t hide it as he loosened his grip from her wrists, she used that opportunity to move her right hand to his shoulder. She gripped it firmly as he lapped up her blood. Surely, Vail sensed her rising temperature, her pounding heart throughout the ordeal.

Victoria sensed he liked the power that he had over her in this predator-prey relationship. As he released his fangs from her waist and used his hand to cover the wound to stop the flow of blood, she breathed a sigh of relief that the pain was over. It felt like a scratch going in and a scratch being puled out but one the fangs were in and they were still, she didn’t feel any pain. Just as if she were placed on a drip. She just felt his tongue against her soft skin. She stared up at the ceiling breathing deeply in and out, trying not to focus on the blood element of their sordid little secret. She closed her eyes then and thought back to their dance. This calmed her more than anything. She could still hear the music echo in the back of her mind.

With a contented sigh she stayed still to let the wound heal over and clot. She didn’t need to ask if the man enjoyed his drink, she knew he did. Even though she needed to move onto business, she wished there was more pleasure mixed in. Alas, this was the only closeness they would share, every third night. Until she died. But it was better than being Spencer’s blood bag every day and bleeding her dry within a few months. The more she thought about it as she resumed staring into space, she realised, there wouldn’t be room for anyone else, what vampire would share his prey with anyone else? Even if they weren’t drinking her blood, they’d prevent her meeting with him at midnight. She’d have to keep it secret and lie to everyone. The only way out now was if he set her free of this blood pact. Which wasn’t likely since he seemed to enjoy her blood like a drug.

As a silence fell over the room, Vail wondered what was on Victoria’s mind that had caused her to go quiet. She looked complacent enough, laying on the chaise lounge. It was strange for him to see his prey in such a calm state, especially when she was still in her assailant’s midst. Her peaceful features made him relax as well, and he leaned into the cushioned backrest to get comfortable while he waited for her wound to begin healing from the bite. As much as he enjoyed conversing with her, he found the silence to be soothing and didn’t feel the need to interrupt it. Instead, he let his own mind wander as he cleaned her blood from his chin and jaw.

After his close call with Peter that evening, he was starting to ponder how long he would be able to keep his meetings with Victoria a secret from the rest of his family. He had no intention of breaking off their pact before she died, which probably gave him at least thirty more years to feed on her. That was a long time to hide the deal they had made, and his father had already almost discovered him within the first week of it. He winced at the thought of telling the Hygrace clan head that he had let himself become so addicted to Lady Crest’s blood. He would never understand… Although, really, Vail wasn’t sure if he would have supported it either if he stood in Peter’s shoes. He knew he was being reckless, but he couldn’t help himself. He’d already been ensnared. There was no undoing what had been done.

Such as my agreement to kill Spencer, he reminded himself, absently letting his gaze drift over Victoria’s smooth legs. His end of their deal was still unfinished, but he wasn’t sure how to go about completing it. He’d never gone after one of his own before. The only vampires who attacked other vampires were the Wynters. He tapped his index finger contemplatively against Lady Crest’s waist. If he wanted to do this right, he was going to have to get into the mindset of a group he disliked more than anyone else.

Deciding he might as well tell her what he’d come up with since their last encounter, Vail cleared his throat. “I’ve been thinking,” he started, turning to meet her gaze, though he doubted she could see his eyes. “If I’m going to help you get rid of Lord Spencer, you’ll need to do something for me.” He kept his voice close to a whisper as he spoke. It was unlikely that anyone would have found them and eavesdropped on their conversation, but he couldn’t help being cautious when he voiced the murder of his own kind. His hushed tone had more to do with his guilt than his fear of being caught.

“Your fiancé has just as sensitive of a nose as I do. If I get even remotely close to him, he’ll know. So,” he shifted slightly on the lounge. “I’ll need you to bar his senses, so to speak. If you wear a strong enough perfume or even nick your finger so it bleeds, he should focus on you instead of me. Then I can get close enough to help you in whatever way you need me to.” He shrugged, using nonchalance to mask his discomfort with the plan. “Does that sound like something you can do?”

She too enjoyed the silence between them, it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was if enjoying post coital bliss in the state of euphoria. Victoria inhaled deeply just as Vail began to speak. She listened to him suggest his idea, to which she nodded. “I can certainly do that. I was thinking about distracting him with my blood so he wouldn’t smell the silver. But the question is just how much of my blood does he need to smell…? And if he tries to feed on me, will he drain me before you can even get to him?” She worriedly expressed, he would hear the concern in her voice. She’d never fought a vampire before either except when she slashed Vail’s leg to get him off her.

“Either way there is great risk to both of us, we need to plan this out carefully to the very last detail. We cannot fail on the first attempt otherwise, there will be no second chance. And we will both be hunted to the end of days.” Victoria sighed as she contemplated the consequences of their failure. She could see why he nearly whispered, who knows who lurked out in the dark. Surely Vail would have smelled them though and disposed of them or kept hidden or quiet. Especially if Spencer was lurking.

Feeling the confidence to move, she applied her hand to her wound, taking over from Vail’s hand. She pushed herself up from the chaise lounge, as she rose, her hair brushed against the side of his face. She cleared her throat and removed her legs from his lap and placed her feet on the floor. She now sat next to him on the cushioned seat, she covered her legs over with her long skirt so she wouldn’t feel cold. “We need to decide when to make our move…the timing must be right.” She explained. Time was always of the essence in these things. “You can always back out you know….we don’t have to continue the bargain.” She didn’t hold him to a contract, it was entirely his choice. “You can walk away at any time.” She turned her face to look at him, or what she could see in the dark. But she knew he was there, and he could see better in the dark than she could. He would see her melancholic eyes glinting in what little light there was reflected from them. Other than her blood, she couldn’t see him sticking around for anything more. It just depended on how addicted he was to it. Once her blood would be compromised in any way, she’d never see him again.

It seemed to Vail like Victoria was already on the same page he was. He nodded when she said she had already considered using her blood to distract Lord Spencer from her weapons. It was a good plan, since their noses were much more attuned to iron than silver when it came to metals. He did ponder her question though. At a guess, he would say she didn’t need very much to keep the Wynter’s attention on her. Just her small cut at her party had been enough to draw them both to her from different parts of the room. To be safe, it would have been wise to use more than the bare minimum though.

“Just a cut,” he answered, reaching out to trace his index finger across the width of her forearm in an absent demonstration. “But if you can, you should inflict it somewhere beneath your clothes. He’ll be captivated trying to figure out where the source of the smell is coming from.”

Her second question made him think as well. “No,” he mused. “Draining a person of enough blood to kill them is a slow process, and he would be vulnerable to attack if he tries. You shouldn’t have to worry about that as long as nothing happens to me before he bites you.” Now that she belonged to him, he had no intention of letting a Wynter take her away from him. Her blood was his, and his alone, and he was going to feed on it solely until she died. If Spencer wanted her, he was going to have to put up a fight.

As Victoria sat up on the chair, Vail caught another hint of her perfume on the air she stirred. Her thick hair tickled his jaw, and he was nearly tempted to lean into it. He took a slow breath, reminding himself that the feeding was already done this eve, and he had no more reason to get closer to her. Closing any more distance without an excuse would just complicate their already obscure deal, and that was the last thing he wanted.

When she suddenly spoke again, he turned to her in surprise. He hadn’t expected her to offer him an out. As much as he disliked the thought of murdering Spencer, he disliked the thought of giving up his right to her blood even more. “I know I can,” he agreed, meeting her gaze as she looked at him. “But I won’t.” A smile curved his lip. “I meant it when I said I think you’re worth it, My Lady. I’m not going anywhere until this whole thing is done.”

As Vail traced his finger along her forearm, she shuddered. In the darkness, she couldn’t see much less anticipate any of his movements or actions. The sudden touch was sensuous in itself to only be able to feel it. Without her sight, her other senses heightened, especially touch. If this was his way of torturing her, he was doing a fantastic job. Never had she felt such a tenderness upon her skin there. It wasn’t a customary thing in society to touch other than hands for handshakes, shoulders and hip touches for dances. And of course the back of the hand, where Vail had once himself kissed the Lady at the party. Some part of her thought he was enjoying teasing her.

Victoria felt a sigh of relief escape from her lips as Vail declined to get out of this bargain. He was so dedicated to finishing Spencer off just to get ensure he had a lifetime supply of her blood. As he met her gaze, she felt a tug at her chest. A dull ache even. Like there was something…missing. She wanted more. His touch ended too quickly for her liking and she missed it already. When Vail explained that she was worth it, she knew he only meant her blood. That was the only thing special about her.

“Very well. I shall plan a special cut for Spencer. I’ll store the weapons here for you to retrieve before the event. I shall write to him for a meeting next week. We shall reconvene here once more before the curtain rises on our plan.” Victoria declared with resolve, she even clenched her fist tightly. She stood up slowly, feeling her wound was fine enough to walk back home with and bandage over. She just hoped she wouldn’t trip over in the darkness outside. The last thing she’d want is to attract a random vampire here to the grounds.

“And how do you plan on dispatching our…friend?” The Lady asked Lord Hygrace outrightly. She needed to know his method of hunt, how he planned to kill a rival vampire. What would he do if he failed? What would she do if Spencer found out before they executed their plan? There would be no place to run, no place to hide. It was do or die.

As Victoria rose from the lounge, Vail did as well. He stretched his back, which was slightly uncomfortable from the way he had been leaning over her during the feed. Still, a little soreness was nothing compared to the high he had felt while he’d drank her unique blood. He could still feel the phantom of her delicate fingers on his shoulder and smell the remnants of iron that lingered in the room, both of which just made him more excited about the next time he would return to prey on her again.

At her description of the plan, he murmured his agreement. One week from now wasn’t very far away, but he supposed it was better to get the more disturbing part of their pact over with sooner rather than later. Once Spencer was dead, he could focus entirely on the pleasure of meeting every three days to taste her blood. He quite looked forward to that.

“Just make sure the weapons are wrapped in a cloth or something else that will keep them covered,” Vail added. “Otherwise I won’t be able to touch them.” Silver wasn’t just off putting to him because of its pungent smell. Even the gentlest brush of the metal burned his skin. Though he was fully capable of handling a pistol, he couldn’t use one made with silver unless he had something to put between his hand and the weapon. It was inconvenient, but it was what he had to do if he was to manipulate a gun like that.

“I could help you in one of two ways,” he answered when Victoria asked how he planned to dispatch her fiancé. “Either you will distract him long enough for me to get a clear shot at his heart, or I will restrain him while you shoot.” Both options seemed viable in his opinion. In either case, they would have to catch the Wynter by surprise, which meant the Lady would have to keep him distracted. As long as Spencer didn’t catch on to what was happening before they had an opportunity to kill him, the murder would go smoothly.

“How confident are you with a gun?” Vail queried, deciding that was probably the biggest factor in determining which of them would shoot her fiancé.

It may have been not very much time to plan the murder of Lord Spencer, but time was of the essence. The longer they waited, the riskier it was for him to find out and thwart their plan. She felt somewhat guilty at having to resort to using Vail to dispatch her enemy. However, she could not do it alone and she was rewarding him her entire lifetime of blood as recompense. As Vail explained to her to wrap the silver in cloth, she nodded at his request. “Do not worry, I will ensure you can handle the merchandise. Just make sure to wear gloves.” She assured him confidently. “I know how…disgusted you are by it.” She almost chuckled thinking back to how she teased him with the box of ammo on their walk home last time. How he jumped, he couldn’t get far enough away, like a phobia. Seeing an all-powerful vampire succumb to something as simple as a piece of metal.

She listened to his proposal of dispatching the Lord Spencer. Both were plausible. Yet her shot was not accurate enough with a pistol. “I have only just began training with a pistol. I have a much better shot with a bow and arrow or crossbow with silver bolts. But those items are harder to conceal on my persons.” She would have to be ready to point blank shoot Spencer in the heart should Vail’s shot miss, however. “I will be the one to distract Spencer long enough for you to pull the trigger, I’m not confident with the gun yet, I could easily harm you in the process. But I shall be prepared to shoot nonetheless.” She turned on her heel to leave. “One more thing though, Lord Hygrace….should he have to feed on me, I will let him, try not to get jealous….as it will cloud your judgement…” She instructed the Lord firmly. She didn’t want anything to compromise her mission.

Although she wondered if he would only get jealous if another vampire fed on her blood when it was promised to him. He certainly didn’t like that other vampire trying to feed on her. She had an inkling that he already had a possessive nature toward her that came with addiction. She was his drug and he wanted exclusive access….yet he did not stipulate that others could not have her blood. Or in other ways. Would another vampire’s touch ire Vail if Victoria reacted in that same pleasurable way that was not by his hand? She could be wonder…

“Until we next meet…” She bowed lightly before departing from the summer house with hand firmly on her wound as she walked out of the door.

When Victoria told him to wear gloves, Vail smiled amusedly. Of course he was going to protect his hands. How else would he pull the trigger? He just disliked the thought of getting closer to touching a silver gun than he had to. Any extra padding for the grip was welcomed and necessary in his opinion. He wished there was a way to get rid of the acrid stench of the metal as well, but alas, that was something he was probably just going to have to put up with until the deed was done.

As the Lady confirmed his suspicion that she was new to using weaponry like this, Vail nodded in mutual understanding that he would have to be the one to shoot Lord Spencer in the heart. It was a disturbing image, so he replaced it with a more pleasant one of Victoria’s writhing body as he primed her skin for feasting. The echoes of her sounds of pleasure sent a lustful shiver down his spine. Getting to relive that for the next thirty years was well worth one night of brutality. He couldn’t wait until she was only his for the rest of her mortal life.

As if she could read his mind, Victoria’s next words made him waver. He hadn’t realized his possessiveness had been so obvious to her, but then again, he’d never felt this way about anyone before. He didn’t know how to hide the newfound attachment he had to her, and honestly, he wasn’t sure if he even wanted to. It didn’t make a difference if she knew he wanted her to be solely his prey. She had already agreed to it when she’d made the pact. There was no reason to pretend like he wasn’t tied to her just as much as she was to him.

With that, he supposed she had a point when she warned him not to get jealous of Spencer if he fed on her. Just the thought of a Wynter sinking his fangs into her supple flesh make his blood boil. He didn’t want any other vampire to lay so much as a finger on her, but he knew he would have to relinquish his hold to keep the Lord from becoming suspicious. If Spencer’s attention was on draining the Lady of her essence, he wouldn’t notice his rival’s presence until it was too late either.

Perhaps it would feel better than he thought to send that silver bullet through the Wynter’s heart.

“’Til then, My Lady,” Vail returned her bow with one of his own before heading out of the lodge to return to his family’s manor. It seemed he had some more planning to do.

The day after tomorrow, the Lady was out prowling the taverns once again that evening. She still needed to track Gerald down. She was actually in the hopes of trying to find anyone in The Order for that matter! Even the obnoxious one that hit her across the face, called her a vampire sympathiser and nearly shot Vail dead. It still bothered her that she didn’t know his name, yet he seemed to know exactly who she was. The daughter of his colleague or rival perhaps within the organisation? It mattered not how, she needed to know what he knew. And why did he help her with the gun and silver bullets the other week?

Her wounds had scabbed over and there was no risk of blood leakage unless she moved her torso sharply and ripped the scabs off. She had no intention of fighting anyone, though she kept her weaponry on her persons at all times just in case. There were still human threats on these streets of Whitechapel, such as rapists and murderers. In just a few short years there would be one notorious serial killer on the prowl who would come to be known as Jack the Ripper.

Victoria sighed as she wondered the streets, suddenly she heard a rush behind her and then felt a heavy thwap on the back of her head. All went black…

---

Victoria awoken with a groan several hours after losing consciousness. She didn’t know where she was or what had happened. Her head was clouded and it took her time to come around. When she did so, she found herself restrained, tied to a chair. She scoured the room and it was merely a basic room in a basement of an unknown house. No windows and barely lit with candle light. There was nothing in the room except for a bucket, another chair and a table that housed various…of what she could only describe as torturing tools. She gulped as she had been captured. But by who knows what?

After a time, falling in and out of consciousness, possibly suffering concussion, Victoria heard the door latch from the other side being opened. She lifted her head slowly, her long hair tied back as it usually was in her nightly outings, the long strands cascaded over her left shoulder. As the door opened, a man stepped through it. One she hadn’t met before, but he was most certainly with The Order. As he stepped into what little light there was provided by a candle. She gasped. “..Gerald…?” She recognised him from the painting of him out of her father’s journals. At least, the man she had been trying to track down, had tracked her down instead.

He pulled up another chair opposite to her and sat on it backwards, resting his arms on the top. He looked her over. “I don’t know how Alex coped with you. You are a nightmare.”

She looked back at him in shock. “Excuse me?!” She was overcome with slight anger in her eyes.

“Don’t act all surprised Princess. I know what you’ve been getting up to with that…thing…” He couldn’t even say the word vampire. “Allowed yourself to become a vampire’s prey? You are suicidal!” He protested her actions as she stared at him. She suddenly panicked, her breathing became erratic. He knew. He knew about her pact with Vail. And now she was tied up in his custody. “Why am I restrained? Let me go!” She demanded.

Gerald stood up. “Trust me, this is for your own protection. I promised Al I would keep you safe.” He didn’t trust her to attempt an escape if she were unrestrained..

“If he knows I am missing, he will come looking for me.” She warned him. Gerald grinned and unholstered his silver gun. “And I’ll be waiting for him.” He left her alone in the room and locked the door behind him.

The next three days went by as well as Vail could have hoped. Peter still believed he had gone out to hunt during his last meeting with Victoria. It was a normal enough excuse, so he didn’t have to suffer through any questioning outside of one inquiry about whether he had run into any Saints while he’d been out. It seemed the sudden rise in the Order’s numbers lately had the head of the Hygraces spooked. Vail didn’t share in his worries though. While other members of their family might have been more at risk, he was completely safe. As long as he had Victoria to use as his prey every third night, he wouldn’t have to face the hunters again for a long time.

He was more concerned about being caught by someone in the manor.

When the time came for him to leave for the next rendezvous, Vail was especially cautious. After his father had nearly caught him sneaking out, he had learned that he needed to be more careful while he was still in the mansion. So, he prepared for the trip as quickly and quietly as he could, trying to minimize the sound of his footsteps on the floorboards so no one would hear him getting ready to leave.

As soon as he was dressed against the cold, he stepped over to the door, poking his head out to check if anyone was still awake. The halls were silent, and he couldn’t see any lights on behind the other bedroom doors. It looked like the coast was clear.

Gingerly, Vail slipped out of his own room and closed the door behind him before he headed down the stairs. He’d put out all the lights, so his family would think he was sleeping if any of them woke up while he was gone. With any luck, they wouldn’t bother checking inside to make sure.

Once he made it out of the manor, he relaxed a little more. The stroll to and from the Crest estate had become familiar to him by now, and it wasn’t difficult to keep watch for members of the Order in the alleys he passed. He doubted anyone would confront him when he wasn’t threatening anyone too. In his experience, Saints only attacked when they caught a vampire in the middle of preying on another human. Since his feedings happened in secret now, they wouldn’t realize that he wasn’t just an ordinary man exploring the city’s night life.

As expected, he made it to the woods around the Crests’ summer house without any trouble. However, as he grew closer to the lodge he realized something was off. He couldn’t detect Victoria’s scent anywhere. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, slowing to a stop a few yards from the door. It was already past midnight. She should have been here by now.

Suddenly, her words from the other night rang inside his head. At the time, he had assumed she had offered to let him out of their contract for his sake, but maybe she had been trying to break it for hers. He glanced back over his shoulder. Did she decide to run? It was quite a taxing pact they had formed, so he wouldn’t have been surprised if she was having second thoughts about continuing to uphold her end of the deal. Still, just because she was uncertain didn’t mean he was going to let her run away.

If she wants to do this the hard way, we’ll do it the hard way, Vail thought scathingly. He would just have to teach her there was no escaping a vampire whom had made her his target. No matter how far she had gotten, he would easily track her down and drink her blood by force if he had to—though, if he was honest, he would have preferred to avoid taking such measures. Unfortunately, it was too late to avoid that conflict now.

Turning away from the house, he lifted his nose to the air as he made his way back into the city, determined to have his due taste of Victoria’s blood before the sun rose in the morning.

And track her down he would. Victoria knew it was only a matter of time before Vail would find her, even if it took him all night. She knew he was going to be livid with her for bailing him on their agreed night, but she didn’t bail on him or run away, she was taken. She was a woman of her word. She made a bargain with Vail and she intended to keep it, not only did she enjoy their closeness, she enjoyed his company. And she couldn’t wait for his hands to touch her again. She shuddered at the thought.

It was past midnight, though she couldn’t tell the time due to no window, no sundial or pocket watch. During the day Gerald had come in to relieve her of her bonds so she could toilet and to give her water and food. But as soon as it was over, back to her restraints it was. He didn’t trust this rebellious daughter of Al’s. If Gerald was her father, he would be a lot stricter with her like he was now doing, taking it upon himself to become her Guardian.

She pleaded with him each time he came in. “Please you know not what I am risking!” She couldn’t exactly tell him her plan of dispatching Spencer, in case it got back to him somehow. “You don’t understand, I need Hygrace!” She pleaded all day long. Gerald laughed at her. “You are just taken in by his charm. Like all predators. They lure you in with false pretence and then BANG, you’re dead!” He was having none of it.

A few more hours in, she attempted to jump in the chair toward the door but only managed to topple herself over and she had to lay on the floor until his next visit…but it had gotten late, and she was beginning to tire. She drifted in and out of sleep. But she didn’t want Vail to kill Gerald either, he held valuable knowledge. She was caught between two enemies, in the midst of their underworld war.

It took quite some time for Vail to pick up Victoria’s scent, but eventually, he caught a trace of her perfume among the streets of Whitechapel. A few small droplets of her blood on the ground was all it took for him to track her down. He smiled to himself as he followed the faint trail of pheromones that still lingered in the air. Careless of her to let herself get injured when she was trying to flee from a predator who hunted by smell. Now that he had a concrete lead, it wouldn’t be much longer before he figured out where she was hiding. Then he would have her all to himself. He licked his lips in anticipation.

Closer to her now, he proceeded with a bit more caution than before. As eager as he was to catch the Lady, he also remembered that he had found her consorting with Saints before. It wasn’t a far stretch to say that she might have run to them for help. He didn’t want to assume she had planned her escape alone and wind up with a bullet through the heart as a reward for his carelessness. He’d lived long enough to know better than that.

Eventually, the pheromone trail took him to a house he’d never been to before. Vail hesitated outside of it. His guess that she’d sought aid seemed to have been right. However, he was still unsure if she had found refuge with a member of the Order or just a friend. He inhaled deeply, taking in the scents both in and around the building. He was certain now that this was where she was—the aroma of her perfume and blood were easy for him to pick up—but he could also detect a hint of silver on the breeze. She was with the Saints after all.

He clicked his tongue, staying put where he was as he debated how to proceed. If she had told the Saints about him, they would be expecting him to come after her. However, the thought of turning back now irked him. He didn’t want to let her go after all the work he’d put in to keeping her around. She was his prey. If he had to get past a barrier or two to get her back, then so be it.

With renewed determination, Vail trespassed on the property, following Victoria’s smell to a cellar door around the back. Her fragrance was strong, but it was the only one he picked up. He swept his tongue across his teeth. It seemed he’d arrived at the perfect time, because she was alone. Got you.

Not wanting to wait around for her Order friends to realize he was here, he performed a quick sweep of the area and descended into the basement. When he neared the bottom, he faltered. Instead of finding Victoria in hiding as he’d thought, she was face down on the floor with her limbs tied to a chair. He eyed the scene warily, red flags raising in the back of his head. It was hard to tell if she had been taken against her will or if this was all just some elaborate trap. Whatever was going on, he wasn’t about to let any Saints get the best of him.

“What happened to you?” he asked, taking a few cautious steps into the basement. He stuck close to the wall, angling his head to keep the stairs in his sight. Just because they were alone now didn’t mean they would be for long. He intended to be prepared if he needed to run.

Victoria heard the sound of the door being opened, she lifted her head slightly with a groan. She expected Gerald again but it was indeed her predator. She gasped as she realised, he was walking into his trap. “Vail get out of here!” Her eyes were filled with worry as she was helpless to stop Gerald from attacking the vampire. Even though Vail was on the defensive, she didn’t know what Gerald had planned for him. Until the cellar door locked shut behind him. Too late to run now.

Victoria’s bonds were made of silver. He couldn’t touch them to release her. Not without great discomfort. They could hear footsteps running up stairs and overhead. A small hole was unplugged from above and a silver shotgun barrel poked through it. “You’ve had the last of her fair blood, vampire scum!” A voice growled through the ceiling hole. The gun went off and caused the Lady Crest to scream in terror, she could only shut her eyes tight and hope Vail dodged the silver bullet. She heard the sound of the gun cocking and another round exploding from the gun a second time. Her ears rang as her ear drums nearly burst from the sound. He could have shot her in his attempts to kill the vampire, she wasn’t best pleased.

Once she heard Vail’s footsteps once more, knowing he was alive. She felt relieved. The ringing in her ears dissipated slowly as Gerald reloaded the shotgun shells in the gun overhead. “Gerald stop! Please! I need him alive!” She kicked at the metal chair but she was well restrained to it and it was unbending.

“Nobody needs a vampire!” Gerald mumbled as he took aim again. “Please don’t kill him, I need him to kill Spencer!” That seemed to stop the shotgun from firing. The gun barrel disappeared from the hole. It seemed the Saint was contemplating the situation. She knew nothing about Gerald, but she had a feeling she wouldn’t let Vail continue to prey upon her. She almost cursed herself from revealing her plan to the Saint but it stopped him long enough for Vail to make his escape.

As soon as Victoria opened her mouth, Vail was certain the basement was a trap. He took a step back toward the stairs, intending to leave before the Saint returned, but didn’t get any further before the cellar door slammed shut, locking him in. He cursed under his breath, pressing his back against the wall. The Saint’s plan confused him though. What was he going to do, fill the room with gas? Smoke, perhaps? The Crest heiress was still in here with him. No matter what the hunter did, he would hurt her too.

The Saint’s plan became more clear when the sound of footsteps thudded overhead.

Vail bristled as the hole in the ceiling opened and the shotgun nose poked through. He barely had time to react before the blast ensued, sending a silver bullet hurtling his way. Fortunately, since he had already been tensed to move, he managed to scramble out of the way of both shots without taking any injuries. It also helped that the size of the hole blocked off most of the hunter’s line of sight into the basement. His aim was poor.

As he backtracked to the staircase, Vail wondered if the man was mad. He’d never seen such a sloppy trap before. The Saint was relying almost entirely on luck to shoot his target, and he’d locked another human in the room with him. He could easily harm her in his attempt to kill the vampire he was after.

To his good fortune, the madman seemed to get distracted by Victoria’s shouting. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Vail bolted up the stairs and rammed the closed door with his shoulder. It groaned but didn’t break, and he recoiled, baring his fangs in a snarl as he clutched at his burnt skin. The Saint was insane, but it seemed he’d had enough sense to reinforce the trap with threads of silver.

With no time to let the metal deter him, he bent his knees and drove his shoulder into the door two more times. On the third attempt, the lock gave way, and he shot out of the cellar, running away from the house before the Saint could fire at him again.

The Lady Crest felt relieved as Vail managed to break through the cellar door and escaped the house. He was safe, most assuredly angry with her, but alive. Not long after, giving her time to calm down she heard Gerald’s footsteps coming down the stairs. She lifted her head to see him wander into the room. “Are you INSANE?!” She shouted at him, evidently perturbed.

“Are YOU?!” Gerald retorted back to her and set his shotgun on the table. “You are using a vampire to kill your fiancé? Who I know is a Wynter, by the way. Do you know the repercussions of such an act? If you kill Spencer, the entire Wynter clan will descend upon us like a plague!” He walked over and with only one arm, he grabbed the silver chair and hurled her back up to a seating position. He unrestrained her metal bonds and grabbed her hand and puller her to a standing position. “I know where this leads. With you dead!” Gerald pulled her with him to the doorway.

He was much stronger than she, as much as she tried to pry herself out of his grasp, she could not. And he had removed her weapons. She was practically dragged with her feet dug into the floor. “Where are you taking me?!”

“I am taking you home.” Gerald growled as he geared himself up. “And then I am going to pay Peter Hygrace as a visit….”

Victoria gasped. “Please don’t kill him, he has nothing to do with this bargain!” Victoria pleaded as Gerald pushed her up the stairs gently.

“His son broke their truce with Alex. There will be no stopping the Saints from hunting them now. They messed with the Crest family.” Gerald explained. It was then she realised, she had inadvertently sent Vail to his and his entire family’s death. She had doomed them all. Not only did she feel incredibly guilty, she felt her heart shatter at the thought Vail could be killed. He may have been addicted to her blood, but she had become addicted to his charm.

Past the cellar door, out of the unknown house and all the way to her manor, she pleaded with the Saint. “Please Gerald, you must know Spencer killed my father. He wants his entire estate. I won’t let him. I needed help to kill him. They didn’t break the deal, I did! So please, please spare them!” Victoria was practically in tears by this point a Gerald sighed and opened the manor gate. Already she spotted an army of Saints outside her manor, keeping guard. “Oh God, what have you done?!” She asked him.

“I’ve sent them to protect you from that thing. No doubt he’ll be back for more…” Gerald explained as he pulled her up the driveway. “I can’t believe you let him feed on you….” He sighed with disappointment as he got to the front door. As they went inside, her mother was up and waiting for her return. She stood from her lounge chair. “Victoria, how could you? Using yourself as bait for that monster?”

“He is NOT a monster, Mother! He’s a person like everyone else, with thoughts and feelings! Likes and dislikes.” Victoria protested as Lady Diana rolled her eyes in disbelief. “You think that man will love you?! All he wants is your BLOOD! They only ever want your blood. Vampires do not care about humans. He will never care about you..”Diana had grasped her daughter by the shoulders and nearly shook sense into her. Victoria’s eyes welled up with tears before she ran off up to her room and slammed the door behind her. She threw herself on the bed and cried into the pillow. On some level, she knew her mother was right. As much as she wanted Vail to care about her, he only cared about her blood.

“I told you. He’s already captivated her…” Said the Saint who had been watching over Diana. The same Saint that shot Vail and helped Victoria at the black market. Ray Pierce. Diana sighed. “What am I going to do with her, Ray?”

“You can only keep her from reuniting with him.” Ray suggested. “She thinks she is in love with him. That is how their pheromones work. It changes the chemical imbalance in their victim, making them more agreeable to feed on. Then the paralysis sets in and that’s when the vampire feeds.” Only there was no paralysis that overcame the Lady Crest when Vail fed on her, she was fully aware of her surroundings, she felt every sensation. And she liked it…

Vail’s mind was reeling as he made his way back through the dark city streets. Just a few hours ago, he had thought he would be spending his night out at the Crest family’s summer house, feeding on Victoria’s blood and returning to the Hygrace manor with his cravings fully satisfied. He hadn’t expected to be led far from her home into the basement of a crazed Saint and nearly shot. He pinched the bridge of his nose in bewilderment. What had happened since their last meeting to cause this? Who was the man who’d arranged it? Where had he even come from? As far as he knew, they had been completely alone every time they visited the lodge. He’d never caught so much as a whiff of anyone else near the property.

With his guard still raised, Vail’s eyes flicked between the alleys he passed by. As confusing as it was, he had a hard time believing it was just a fluke that the Saint had used Victoria to bait him into that trap. The timing was too precise to have been a coincidence too. Somehow, the hunter must have found out about their little arrangement and decided to use it to his advantage. The only question that remained was how much he knew.

Vail was fairly certain the Saint had discovered when and why they were meeting, but it was still unclear as to whether the man knew who he was. He was aware of the gray area his deal with Victoria fell in. On one hand, he hadn’t killed her or caused her any serious harm—he’d even agreed to help free her from her Wynter fiancé—but on the other, he had technically broken the truce between the Hygraces and the Crests by touching her at all. The ceasefire had already been hanging by a thread since Lord Alexander’s death. If the surviving members of their family found out, he was sure that what remained of their contract would be terminated, and his clan would no longer receive special treatment from the members of the Order who had still been honoring it.

He sighed. It was too late to change what had happened now. The most he could hope for was that the man who’d tried to trap him didn’t realize he was a Hygrace, and that Victoria wouldn’t tell him.

Thinking about Lady Crest again, he wondered how involved she had been in the Saint’s scheme. It was hard to tell, since she looked like she had been held against her will. He didn’t know many women who would agree to be tied to a chair and lie face down on the filthy floor of a basement. However, Victoria wasn’t like most women. He’d caught her talking with members of the Order before, and she even claimed that she wanted to find out more about her father’s life. Perhaps tonight was just an example of the person she was trying to become, following in her father’s footsteps as a vampire slayer.

He clenched his jaw. If she really had been deceiving him this whole time, she’d been doing a good job of it, but he didn’t want to believe it. Every time he replayed the memory of their nights alone in the summer house, all he could think about were the sound of her girlish giggles and the smell of her heightened pheromones. No matter which way he looked at it, she seemed to have enjoyed his touch. The Saint must have forced her to participate in his brutal plans.

Gingerly, Vail lifted his hand to his injured shoulder to check the severity of his wound. Luckily, it was minor. With the protection of his coat between his skin and the silver he’d rammed his body against, he just had a few small burns. He supposed the pain he’d felt initially had just been worsened because it had taken him by surprise. With plenty of rest, he would recover within a day or two.

Hearing a noise off to his left, Vail tensed, ready to break into a sprint if he found that he’d been followed. Instead, a mouse scurried across the cobblestone in a nearby alley, and he relaxed again. He was already close to the front gate of the Hygrace manor. The hunter wouldn’t have followed him this far. The man had probably stayed behind with Victoria.

Deciding he was safe, he finally let his guard drop as he passed through the wrought iron barrier. After such a stressful night, he was ready to get some much needed sleep. He would decide how to handle this unexpected turn of events tomorrow.

With Saints crawling the manor house, it was hard for Victoria to do anything without being watched. It was impossible for her to leave the house, as she wasn’t allowed. Someone would go out for her errands if needed. Someone from Crest Industries brought the various work documents to the house for her to peruse. She could not spend time training; thus she spent her time figuring out how they ran the family business. It appeared someone else ran the day to day business for Alex. She found it incredibly tedious and difficult to follow. She needed a business advisor, someone impartial and smart. Someone she could trust. Especially when she wasn’t going to just hand it all over to Spencer to look after. But that was the least of her priorities. First, she needed him gone from her family’s life. Without Vail that would be a lot harder to do.

Sunset fell over the estate as Victoria pondered at her father’s desk in the study. She gazed out of the window with a sigh. She suddenly gasped. ‘Wait….Gerald knows Spencer is a Wynter. So why hasn’t he done anything about him?’

‘If you kill Spencer, the entire Wynter clan will descend on us like a plague.’ His words rang in her mind. Something did not smell right. It seemed The Order was allowing the Wynters to take over the Crest family wealth. So soon after Alex’s death, coincidentally. She felt a cold sense of dread wash over her. She needed help. The only ones she could turn to were the Hygrace clan for refuge. Perhaps if she kept up her bargain Vail would protect her from the Order and Wynters however necessary. Although she couldn’t imagine his family would agree to him keeping her as his prey, even with her consent.

She got up from her desk and walked to her bedroom. A Saint was always stood guard outside it whenever she went in. She closed the door behind her, knowing a Saint as right outside. She had to do something. She looked around her room for inspiration. She eyed the bedsheets and went to the balcony doors. She opened them to the cold night’s air and peered over the ledge. Could she perhaps make a climbing rope of some kind from the bedding? She got to work quickly and quietly. She was a little afraid of heights, but she couldn’t afford to think about that now.

As she made ready a bedsheet rope and began to climb over the balcony in readiness to descend, she tugged at the knot tied on the balcony door handle. It seemed firm enough. She leaned back and held firmly onto the bedsheets when suddenly her bedroom door opened. She jumped in shock and almost let go. Ray entered and closed the door behind him then rushed to the balcony. He grabbed her arm to prevent her from falling but he didn’t pull her up. “Let me help you down.” He offered as she looked at him confusedly.

“Why would you help me escape..?” The Lady asked.

“Because you’re not safe here. Something is definitely not right in The Order. You need to get word to that Hygrace heir. He may be the only one who can protect you now. I will cover your absence but you must be back by dawn when Gerald returns.” Ray explained as he had his doubts within his own company. He instructed her to slowly lower herself foot by foot. He then climbed over and started to climb down after her but only using the structure of the building itself. If she lost footing or grip, he would be able to grab her. She managed to abseil down it without much of a hitch except half way when she grazed her knee against the stone.

Once both on the ground, Ray handed her a map. “Take your horse. Go to this countryside inn two miles northwest of here. I’ll send a letter to the Hygrace estate with a letter for Lord Vail’s attention to meet you there at midnight.” He whispered his instructions as she nodded. She turned to run to the stables, but before she did, she turned back to him. “Ray...I….” She felt a little sheepish. “Thank you. Make sure it says Vail Griffiths on it though...” She told him with a weak smile. He nodded and climbed back up.

Victoria ran to the stables and prepared Phillipe for the ride. She made haste as the horse galloped out of the Crest Manor grounds. Ray stood guard outside her bedroom all evening, when questioned he informed them the Lady was bathing and not to be disturbed. And then she was sleeping after 10pm or so. But she had to be back in her room by dawn or her cover would be well and truly blown.

---

She made it to the countryside inn, aptly named The Shire. She jumped down from Phillipe and tied him up. She ventured inside and it was relatively quiet. She walked up to the bar and presented them with a few coins. “Please may I have a room for the night?”

The barmaid nodded. “Of course. Under what name?

Victoria blinked. “Lady Griffiths.” She used Vail’s fake surname from their first meeting. How ironic. The maid wrote it in the book and took the coin. It was well over a hundred pounds, she actually gasped at how much she gave her. Money was no object to her. “Would you mind sending up some tea to my room?” The maid nodded “Y-yes My Lady of course.”

“Oh and…I am expecting my husband to meet me here later. Lord Vail Griffiths.” She informed the maid who nodded. “I will be sure to send him up.” This way it would not look as scandalous. Though the maid wasn’t sure if she was just using a fake name as many call girls did when they met their clients here at this country inn. The only difference was, she looked like a Lady and had the wealth that went with it.

“Thank you kindly.” She bowed her head politely and took the key to the room from her. Room 2. She ventured up to the room, once inside she removed her long purple velvet cloak. She sighed and looked around the basic room with a bed, nightstand, two chairs and a table at the window. She didn’t know how angry Vail would be with her when he arrived. He must have thought the worst of her. That she betrayed him and went back on her word. Even if she ran away, the Wynters and The Order would both find her. She was under their hawkeye watch from now on, which would make their bargain all the harder to continue. She had to think of a way to make it up to Vail.

She decided to remove all of her clothing. Corset and all beneath the dress. That way he could have his pick of a spot to fed on. It was the only way to satiate him and prove to him she didn’t betray their pact. But she did cover herself over with her cloak until he would arrive. She sipped her tea with a shaky hand from the stress of it all. This situation was getting more and more complicated. Twice now she had endangered Vail’s life. But as he did once say to her, he thought she was worth it. She only wondered how much as she stared at the flickering flames of the fireplace.