All of Vail’s senses were alive when he finally laid with Victoria. He relished the feeling of her hot skin pressed against his, the mingling smells of her blood and pheromones, and the sound of her breathy voice in his ear. Even the sensation of her lips and tongue on his neck drove him crazy, fueling his passion and primal desire to have his way with her. The combined stimulation was like nothing he’d ever experienced before. Even though he’d had his fun with a couple other vampires during his youthful years—well before the Hygraces had gone into hiding—sleeping with a human was far different. Being so close to her triggered his instincts as both a male and a predator, and he was nearly overwhelmed by the intensity of his lust for her.

He lost himself so completely in the heat of the moment that by the time it was over, he felt like he had to reorient himself to his surroundings. He laid by Victoria’s side, removing his weight from her body as he waited for his heartrate and breathing to regulate on their own. The lasting ecstasy left him feeling lightheaded, and he didn’t want to move from the bed, even though he knew he needed to return to his family’s manor before dawn as well as she did. His father could never know what he had done tonight. His relationship with the Crest heiress had already been taboo before. Now that he’d taken her in a way that was forbidden between vampires and humans, it all had to be buried in the dark. He couldn’t tell a soul about what had transpired between them without losing everything.

Regardless of the risk, he was surprised to find that he didn’t regret sleeping with Victoria at all. At least, not yet. Instead of a leaden weight of foreboding about the consequences, there was a sense of relief inside of him that radiated peace. He’d wanted to have more than just her blood for quite some time now—he would finally admit this to himself—and now that he had, the sexual tension he’d been suppressing around her was gone. His muscles relaxed, and even though he was still wary of what his actions would bring, he managed not to dwell on the issue to the point of anxiety. Right now, all he wanted to do was replay the night in his head, the writhing of their entangled bodies as they crossed the line that had doomed them.

Absently, he let his gaze travel down her naked figure. A mess of complex emotions accompanied the sight, and he was certain now that his earlier guess had been right: The nonromantic boundaries he’d tried to set before had been all that had stood in the way of him falling for Victoria Crest. Now that the door was open, there was nothing to stay his attachment to her. His addiction had bled over from more than just his taste for her blood; he wanted every part of her to himself without exception.

He understood now why his kind warned that this was such a dangerous place to be.

Taking a slow breath, Vail lifted one hand to touch the spot on his neck that she had sucked. He found it to be tender and though he couldn’t see it, he could tell she’d left a mark. He would have to be careful to hide it from his family in between the hours it took to disappear. “I think we need a new condition,” he said, meeting her gaze with a teasing glint in his eyes. “It’s hardly fair that you can bite me on the neck when I can’t do the same to you. For the sake of equality, it should be both or none.”

The Lady Victoria also lost herself in the heat of the moment. The pleasure Vail had given her was indescribable. Even though the Hygraces, The Order and Lord Spencer could never know what occurred between them here tonight, the ungodly noises that came out of her surely let the entirety of the inn and its residents know that Lady and Lord Griffiths had just made intense love. It was evident he had sent her to the heavens as she lay there panting and stared without blinking at the ceiling. With hair dishevelled and a few strands of curls over her eyes, she was hot and sweat dripped down her spine after her lover’s tango with her predator.

Her nerve endings were still tingling all over her body for quite some time after reaching peak pleasure courtesy of the vampire. Who could now constitute as her lover. Her throat felt sore from having screamed her lungs out. Her limbs trembled as the wave of euphoria had passed through them all. She never knew such a feeling even existed, being a reserved and respected lady of society and of a proper upbringing, she had never explored her own body for fear it was sinful and she would go to Hell. She was somewhat thankful she hadn’t done so as this encounter with Vail was so enlightening as if he had awoken her body to so many new sensations. All of which, she didn’t think we sinful to feel if it were between two people who actually cared about one another. She knew she cared about him quite a lot now. She could safely say that if Vail Hygrace were not in her life, she would sorely miss him. She didn’t think he was so much of a ‘Gal-Sneaker’ for a Lord such as he was, but at the same time she didn’t know exactly where she stood with him. Would she be his dirty little secret? A sordid affair of the flesh only?

He seemed to be left just as stunned as she when he removed himself from her torso. He seemed content enough to just lay there with her in post coital bliss. As he turned to her to speak, she caught his gaze with her blue orbs, she looked rather dreamily at him or perhaps she was just exhausted. She chuckled as he mentioned the mark he left on his neck, he could feel something tender there. She raised her eyebrows at him as if he had said something unbelievable. “For the sake of equality, I should be sucking your blood too!” She poked fun at him. “I hardly even bit you. I don’t even have fangs…” She teasingly responded before she absently minded trailed a fingertip across his bare chest in a circular motion as if toying with his body.

She turned on her side to face him fully and she rested her head gently on her upper arm and tucked it underneath the pillow. She sighed contentedly at Vail. “That was…truly amazing.” She smiled in her hazy sexually satisfied state. She still had a couple of hours yet before having to return to a state of imprisonment. She didn’t want to tear herself away from the vampire just yet. “You know…we still have time yet…you don’t have to go right away do you?” She fluttered those eyelashes his way, eyes full of innocence and shyness once more.

“I think you tried to,” Vail chuckled when Victoria spoke of sucking his blood. Really, he found it flattering that she had been so overwhelmed by him that she had felt the need to bite his neck. He could also feel scratches in the skin along his back where her nails had dug into his flesh. His eyes wandered to the spot above her collarbone where he had cut her as well, and he smiled amusedly to himself. They had both been quite rough with each other, but the sting of fingers and teeth breaking the skin in uncontrollable pleasure had just made the experience all the more thrilling. The smell of blood in the air certainly helped too—his own mixed faintly with hers from a particular scratch that had been just deep enough to trickle. He couldn’t think of another time when his senses had been so flooded with euphoria.

When Victoria trailed his fingers lightly over his chest, Vail reached up to rest his hand over hers, holding it down as he decided he liked it there. Her following words stroked his ego, and a toothy grin brightened his features. He had already known that she had enjoyed herself—the moans and screams that escaped her lips had been proof enough of that—but hearing her confirm it out loud made him puff up just a little more. It had been over a century since the last time he’d slept with a woman of his own kind, and he’d never been with a human before, so it pleased him to know that she thought he had been truly amazing. High praise indeed.

As she asked if he could stay longer, he considered her request. He had no place to be at the moment, since the rest of his family was operating on a daylight schedule, and it was unlikely they would notice he was still gone. He wasn’t concerned about shortchanging himself on sleep either, since he had reverted to waking at night recently. Even though he was tired from the haze of his lingering bliss, he just wanted a nap rather than full hours of rest. Plus, Lady Crest’s wide, endearing eyes were tempting all by themselves. As long as he returned before dawn, he could go on at the manor as if nothing had happened.

“I don’t,” he answered, absently running his hand down the curve of her side. He wanted to pull her closer to himself again, but now that the heat had died down, it was harder for him to work up the nerve. He found it strange how easily he had leapt to ravage her body in the most intimate way a man could have a woman, yet simple gestures were still difficult for him to initiate. Perhaps it was due to the motivation. When he had taken control to have his way with her, he’d been driven by primal, thoughtless urges and a need for physical satisfaction. On the contrary, the act of an embrace was much more tender and, in a way, vulnerable. To do so would be to admit to both himself and Victoria that he was developing feelings for her. The thought made him swallow nervously.

Still, it didn’t change the fact that she was what he wanted. So, forcing down his hesitation, he draped his arm across her middle, his hazel eyes dancing up from her body to meet her crystalline blue gaze. “I’m fine to stay, but what about you?” he queried. “It seems to me like you’re not going to get any sleep tonight if you don’t go home soon.”

Victoria was pleasantly surprised by Vail’s reaction to her hand running along his chest by holding it down gently onto his bare skin. He must have liked the gesture. She had often overheard the noblewomen state that cuddling after intimate relations with their husbands was the best part. She had to agree it was very nice afterward but not the best part. For her it was that initial build up between them, the flirtatious gazes and teasing touches. That moment where sparks practically ignited the heat between them and causing Vail to ravage her in a way most women only dreamed of.

She then saw how he grinned at her comment of saying how amazing it was. How amazing he was. She was glad he was unattached, it meant she could have him all to herself. Until the Hygraces found out anyway. It would only be a matter of time. Then she wondered if they’d make him choose between his family and her. If it came to that, she didn’t expect him to forfeit his family for her. She knew his family came first. She wouldn’t ever make him choose between her and them.

She sighed contentedly as he remarked he didn’t have to go anywhere just yet. “Good, I can have you to myself a little bit longer.” When he draped his arm around her midriff she shuffled closer to him and snuggled against his body, resting her head on his chest, underneath his chin. Her hand kept where he held it down. It was even more enjoyable now. Still feeling the euphoric after effects from their intimate encounter and the higher body temperature, luckily not yet suffering the chill from the air she was able to lay naked alongside him. The position felt cosy enough for now.

As he enquired about her sleep, it was almost as if he were concerned for her wellbeing. It made her smile brightly. “Are you trying to get rid of me already, Vail?” She laughed lightly and she nuzzled her head against his chin. She was clearly being affectionate with him. She didn’t know if she’d have another chance to experience this so wanted to enjoy it as much as she could. She didn’t care what he made of it, she wasn’t nervous anymore. A new sense of bravery overcame her because she knew what she was facing. She had to live day by day even more so now. She needed to figure out what The Order was up to, what the Wynters were up to. The next challenge would be securing another secret rendezvous with Vail.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll just pretend I was up all night trying to sort out Father’s estate.” She sighed, this time it wasn’t one brought from content, but of dread. She still didn’t know how to go about his business affairs. She just wished she had been involved more closely with it, growing up but he wanted her to be safe above all else. Not financially well off or successful in life. Just safe and alive. She closed her eyes for a small rest. She would no doubt fall asleep but she was sure Vail would wake her up to get her to return home before dawn. She just felt too relaxed right now to move.

At least Victoria seemed to desire his touch as much as Vail craved hers. He relaxed into the mattress as she drew closer and nestled her head beneath his chin. Her lithe body fit comfortably against his, staving off the slight chill in the air with its warmth. He was glad he had ventured to put his arm around her. Their current position was quite comfortable, only adding to the bliss he already felt after achieving physical satisfaction with her. He was nearly tempted to fall asleep as he was, though he knew he needed to remain alert so they wouldn’t linger at the inn too long. They still had time left before dawn, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have a deadline to observe.

As she joked about him trying to get rid of her, he rolled his eyes but couldn’t help the faint smile that pulled at his lip. Like her mischievousness, he found her bold humor endearing. Her willingness to poke and tease a man she barely knew was something that separated her from the other human women who lived their lives in boring meekness. It wasn’t very respectful, but respect for social convention’s sake was overrated anyway. He much preferred when she spoke her mind without fear of how she would be perceived by him. Her honest personality was refreshing, and he knew he could expect her to tell him what was on her mind without any tricks or games.

He liked her unapologetic affection too. While he had been nervous to even wrap one arm around her midriff, she seemed to have no trouble cuddling up to his side and even nuzzling his chin with her head. Her obvious comfort helped him relax enough to stroke her back with his hand, less concerned about her opinion now that he could see that she enjoyed their closeness just as much as he did. It was funny how quickly they had gone from predator and prey to this. He never would have imagined there would come a day when he would call a human his lover. Yet, here they were, resting in each other’s embrace in the hazy euphoria of post coital felicity.

Despite his query about her sleep, Vail was glad that Victoria preferred to stay longer with him. He was content lying beside her until the minute they had to leave. As she settled down against him with the intent to rest, he closed his eyes as well. Of course, he wasn’t going to let himself drift off with her, since one of them had to keep track of the time, but he wanted to unwind a little too. As long as he made sure he didn’t grow too tired, he was confident he could last until close to dawn.

He passed the rest of the time by letting his mind wander to meaningless things and simply enjoying the feeling of Victoria’s body pressed warmly against his. Knowing she was probably more tired than she let on—he didn’t know any humans who operated nocturnally like his kind did—he let her sleep until about an hour before sunrise when he finally roused her with a gentle shake of her shoulder.

“We should get going,” he murmured, stifling a yawn as he sat up on the bed. Even though he was used to staying up all night, it was nearing the time when he would normally settle down to sleep for the day. His exhaustion was beginning to catch up with him, and he could feel it. “Will you contact me the same way next time?” he asked, attempting to keep his thoughts off his weariness by conversing with the Crest heiress.

Victoria had drifted off happily into a light slumber as she felt warm and relaxed by his side. His soothing stroking of her back helping her to feel so calm. As he shook her lightly awake, she stirred and didn’t want to move. At some point during their nap they had gotten underneath the bed covers. She slowly opened her eyes and realised she wasn’t actually dreaming, she was still here laying with Vail, naked beneath the covers. She hadn’t let go of him once throughout the night as if she were latching onto him for dear life. She protested at having to let him sit up on the bed. She remained laying down and even buried her head into the pillow. Alas, it was time to go. She sighed and pushed herself up weakly. She only needed to ride back to the manor and creep back into her bedroom before Gerald came back to discover her gone.

She leaned up as Vail enquired if she would contact him the same way next time. She really hadn’t thought about that. She didn’t know how she would be contacting him in future. “I…don’t know. I will try to if I can, but it may not be hat simple or easy being under such heavy watch. I’m sure I’ll think of something though. And if you don’t hear from me, stay away, it won’t be safe...” She could only imagine it would get harder to communicate with him. Maybe she could get some messenger pigeons somehow. She sighed thinking about it. She joined him sat at the edge of the bed. “I do want to see you again.” She reassured him she wasn’t backing out of their deal even now. “But I no longer hold you to your end of the bargain…about killing Spencer.” She revealed sadly as she stood up but not before planting a delicate kiss on his shoulder joint. “I don’t want to see you get hurt over me again.” She ventured toward the chair where her clothes sat neatly folded. She began to cover herself over little by little to Vail’s probably disappointment.

It seemed the dynamics of their affair kept evolving even now. She couldn’t see a way past killing Spencer without having the whole Wynter clan wreaking havoc on Vail’s family. It was too dangerous for him now. But that meant if he didn’t kill Spencer, she had to do it herself somehow. Maybe it meant letting him feed on her, catching him with his guard down. Yet she couldn’t know the extent of Vail’s jealousy of that plan. Gerald knew about Vail so if she did not return, he’d blame Vail and go after him. She still needed many answers from him about her father. “I don’t know when I’ll get to see you again…so just keep safe until then.” It was clear she cared deeply for him, she cared about his welfare and his safety. It was ironic that a human worried for a vampire’s safety. The clever thing about having removed all her clothes was no risk of getting them blood stained. All she had to do was keep her bite marks covered. With the last of her garments put on, she moved to slide her legs into her knee-high boots.

She had a feeling she would be thinking back to this night for a very long time. It was not only her first ever intimate encounter, it was an encounter with an intoxicating vampire she was beginning to fall for. Although she knew it best to keep that to herself for now. She knew it would be taboo for a vampire and a human to become a proper couple. She knew it could never happen that way for them. And she also knew that one day she may grow tired of just one nights with him here and there that it would be too much to be without him on the days she didn’t see him. She knew eventually she’d want more, a full-time relationship. If she survived the Order and Wynter ordeal that is. She turned to face Vail once more as she finished putting her boots on. She didn’t know if kissing him goodbye was a good idea. It would only leave her to crave more of him again. She already had trouble tearing herself away from him. Was it in fact she who had now grown addicted to him?

Vail nodded contemplatively when Victoria explained that it might be difficult for her to contact him again while she was being watched. To some degree, he understood that she was right, but it was difficult for him to imagine what would prevent her from reaching out to him. He hadn’t seen the measures the Order had taken for himself. He didn’t know how many guards were stationed at the Crest manor nor the kind of steps they had taken to keep Alexander’s daughter safe. All he could do was guess based on the way she had described her situation to him earlier, trapped in her room against her will.

As she added that he shouldn’t come to find her if he didn’t hear back, he said nothing. Even though she spoke wisdom in advising him to keep his distance, he knew it was too late for that. He hadn’t even been able to stay away from her for a week the first time he’d tasted her blood. Now that he had grown accustomed to feeding on it regularly, he had a feeling his cravings would only become worse if he lost access again.

Additionally, after tonight, he was invested in her even more than just through his physical addiction. He disliked the thought of abandoning her to the Saints and the Wynters. If either of those groups laid claim to her, he was sure he would be unable to see her again. He wouldn’t get to drink her blood, nor would he be able to touch her or even talk to her. The thought of suddenly losing all of that made him tense. He wanted her all to himself, even if it meant he would have to put in a little more effort to hold onto what they had.

As she sat next to him on the edge of the bed, he wrapped his arm around her waist, enjoying the feeling of her soft, bare skin beneath his fingertips for a moment longer. It was relieving to him that she seemed to want to see him again just as much as he longed to see her. At least he could be sure his new feelings weren’t one sided. He just wished their desire to reunite was enough to make it happen. Unfortunately, as long as the Order was determined to prevent them from closing the distance, he had a hunch that sneaking off to be with her again was going to be nothing short of a nightmare.

He nodded again when Victoria announced that she no longer held him to his end of the bargain. Though he had fought her on the decision last time, he was coming to the realization that there probably was no easy way for him to follow through with killing Spencer for her. The consequences to both himself and the rest of his family were too great to ignore. He would have liked to keep his word to her and help her anyway, but it was better for him to relinquish the deal and keep out of the Wynter’s affairs, as the Hygraces had done for the last century.

Her gentle lips warmed his shoulder before he felt her stand up beside him to get dressed. He followed her with his eyes, taking in his final view of her hypnotic figure until she was covered. “I would have done it for you if I could,” he assured her as he rose to put on his clothes as well. “Unfortunately, with so many Saints around, it doesn’t look like I’ll have the opportunity.” He truly did think it was unfortunate. He wanted Spencer out of her life perhaps even more than she did now that he had such a strong possessiveness over her body. The thought of backing down and letting a Wynter have his way made him taste bile. Even if he couldn’t murder the other vampire outright, he wasn’t done trying to think of other ways to steal the Crest heiress out from under Spencer’s nose if it was still possible.

“I could say the same to you,” Vail glanced up from buttoning his shirt as Victoria told him to stay safe. The members of the Order may have been claiming to protect her, but he didn’t trust that brood of vipers for one second. After Gerald had risked her life in the basement the other night, he was sure any one of them wouldn’t hesitate to put her life in danger if they thought they could benefit from doing so. She was a sacrificial lamb to them, to be used and thrown away the instant she was no longer valuable.

When they were both finished getting dressed, Vail lingered near the door. He wasn’t sure how to part from her now that their relationship was changing. Leaving with just a simple ‘goodbye’ would surely offend her, but he was hesitant to push for anything more, since he was still getting used to the idea of being so close to a human. He shifted his weight. Even though it was strange to him, this was the path he’d chosen to take. He would have been fooling himself if he believed otherwise. There was no reason to keep pushing back against where that path was leading them.

Having made up his mind, he stepped over to Victoria and rested one hand on her hip while using the other to coax her to lift her chin to him. He held her gaze for a brief moment before leaning in to press one more tender kiss to her lips, savoring the feeling of her mouth moving against his. “Goodnight, Victoria,” he breathed when he pulled back from her again. “I’ll be awaiting your correspondence.” With that, he turned and headed out the door, leaving her to return to her family manor alone.

Lady Crest felt heart warmed as Vail reciprocated her instruction to keep safe. Perhaps he did care about her to some degree more than just fearful for losing access to her blood. She smiled at him from across the room and gave him a small nod of acknowledgement. She understood his position on killing Spencer now was even more precarious. At least he opinionated he was still willing to do it if he could. It was the thought that counted. But what she liked even more was knowing his eyes were upon her, watching her like a voyeur was quite the guilty pleasure.

It seemed the vampire Lord was also slightly hesitant at how to leave after such a passionate encounter with a human. Victoria felt her heart skip as he came near her, not from fear but of excitement and apprehension of his next move. Everything he did, the way he moved, the way he looked simply allured her. She was the one who was obsessed with him, made him feel things for her, and made him do things to her by using her blood and her body as a way to entice him. She admitted she liked having this power over him. To think a human could have power over a vampire, a superior race in every way. She would be the envy of all Saints. She could even work this to her advantage and convince them she was the one they needed to bring down any and all vampires. Only on her terms, of course. She could pick and choose like a God. And keep up the bargain her father had with the Hygraces. For Vail’s sake of course.

She was pleasantly surprised that he advanced toward her and tested a hand on her curvaceous hip as his other hand gently lifted her chin to gaze into his hazel eyes. She became mesmerised by them yet again. She welcomed his lips onto hers by locked lips with him in return, her hands running up his arms slowly, enjoying the intimacy between them once more. Savouring the moment that was to be cut short by the impending sunrise. “Goodnight, Vail.” Came a softer hush tone from her ruby lips as her cheeks grew flush with blood rushing to them. She reluctantly let go of him with her hands as he pried himself away from her. She glimpsed at him rather sadly. As if she didn’t want him to go. Alas they must part ways.

As he expressed he would be waiting for the correspondence she nodded with a wince. She didn’t quite know how yet, but she’d find a way to contact him. As he left, she sighed. There was an emptiness when he wasn’t around. An emptiness only he could fill. Was this what love felt like? Missing someone when they were gone, craving their presence so soon? Or was it just infatuation? She wasn’t sure as she contemplated this as she wandered down the stairs and passed the bar. Nobody was awake save for the guard dog who looked up at her as she walked to the door to leave. The dog gave a low growl as Victoria opened the door. She turned back and smiled. “Don’t worry, I won’t leave the door open.” She whispered and closed it behind her. She walked to her horse and untied it from the post. “Hey Phillipe, did you have a nice feed?” She asked as she removed the feed bag from its mouth and set it down. “Good boy.” She stroked his mane before hopping back onto his saddle.

She clicked her heel and he set off galloping back to Crest Manor. Upon her arrival, the bedsheets had been retracted from her balcony, presumably by Ray. She set Phillipe back into the stables quietly and ventured toward a window. She could see Saints wandering inside. No was in through there, she sighed.

Luckily for her, Ray was on the lookout for her return and the bedsheet rope descended from the balcony. She grasped onto it and hurled herself up, Ray also helped to pull the sheets up. Once at the balcony, he offered her a hand to help her over. He helped her quickly untie the sheets as he whispered. “You’re cutting it fine, Crest.” She gave him a sideways glance and kept quiet as it wasn’t any of his business what she did and whom with and how long for. She didn’t even ask for his help. He offered it. She set the bedsheets down back on the bed, they needn’t be tucked in neatly as she was supposed to have slept in it all night anyway. Once the bed was semi made up she jumped in it telling Ray to skedaddle. She removed her jacket and trousers and remained in her shirt. She was quite tired so she fell asleep very quickly before Gerald came back and was none the wiser to her midnight escape to the country and let a vampire have his way with her.

Traveling on foot, Vail knew he was cutting the time a bit close as he headed back through the streets that led to the Hygrace manor. He walked at a brisk pace to attempt to make up some of the distance without drawing too much attention to himself. He wasn’t sure how long the Saints patrolled the city at night, but he didn’t let his guard down, just in case there were still one or two stalking about. Tired with the approach of dawn, the last thing he wanted to do was fend off an attack. So, he proceeded cautiously and made a point not to hurry in any manner that might make him look suspicious.

Fortunately, the return journey was uneventful, and he arrived home just as the sun began to peek over the eastern horizon. He slipped quietly past the front gates and then into the manor, stretching his jaw in a yawn. To his relief, the parlor was still dark, which meant he had made it before anyone else had woken up. Good. His father had known he was visiting with the Crest heiress tonight, so he would likely have questioned him about his late return. He didn’t want to lie to Peter any more than he already had. As close as he had become to Victoria in the past few weeks, there was a bond of kinship between himself and his family that had grown strong over the course of centuries. He found it difficult not to align with their wishes and seek their approval—which was why he could never confess to any of them what he had done with Lady Crest.

Never before had he felt so conflicted. His loyalties had always laid with the Hygraces. Even when his personal interests hadn’t lined up with Peter’s, they would discuss the issue and come to a compromise. This was the first time he was intentionally keeping his family in the dark, knowing he had crossed a line he should never have even come close to and then burying it in the shadows. There was no undoing that intimate moment at the inn though. He had slept with a human, joined his body with hers in a way that was forbidden among his kind. Yet he wouldn’t have taken it back, even if he could. The only guilt he felt was for his family’s sake. There was nothing about the night that he regretted aside from the consequences they might face because of his actions.

Carefully, Vail snuck up the staircase and crept back to his room, making sure to avoid the floorboards he knew would creak beneath his weight in the corridor. On the way, he saw the glow of a lantern flickering beneath his parents’ door, so he made sure to stay well clear of that. He just hoped they were only waking up now.

When he made it back to the safety of his bedroom, the first thing he did was undress and give himself a sponge bath. For the sake of covering his tracks, he didn’t want to risk Peter’s equally sharp nose catching a hint of the remnant of Victoria’s scent on his body. That and the few marks she had left on his shoulders and neck were the only evidence that remained of their passionate encounter. With any luck, his father would notice neither.

Finished cleaning himself as well as he could, Vail put on a set of nightclothes to cover up the scratches she had dug into his back and laid down in bed. After such a busy night, he was exhausted, but it took some time for him to fall asleep. His thoughts continued to wander back to that sultry moment at the inn when they had crossed the line from predator and prey to something more. The imagining excited him, but he also wondered with some worry about what was going to happen next. Where could a vampire and a human go as lovers? Even if their relationship didn’t extend past physical lust, it was surely going to be dangerous. He shuddered to think what might happen if someone else caught them. They would have to tread carefully if they were going to continue to keep their deviant meetings a secret.

This was the last thought on his mind as he finally gave in to his weariness and drifted off into a deep slumber.

It was around 10am when Victoria finally arose from her deep slumber. Apparently Gerald had checked in on her whilst she slept. She woke up feeling a little sore. She had used muscles that previous evening that she’d not used before in the throes of passion. Her side also hurt from the bite, which was typical. She managed to score some numbing cream from the herbalists days earlier and proceeded to apply it to the skin. She hissed as the salve burned her slightly. There was a knock at her door.

“Who is it?” She asked as she quickly covered her bite mark.

“It’s only me, dear.” Her mother called from the other side. She sighed with relief. “Come in.” She told her as Diana opened the door and slipped through, glancing at the Saints outside the door. She shut the door promptly and rushed toward her daughter. “Make yourself presentable, Victoria. Lord Spencer is apparently on his way.”

Victoria sighed. “Great…” She made no attempt to rush as her mother helped her get into a corset and tighten it for her. She then picked out a nice velvety purple dress and laid it out for her on the bed. “You know he probably killed father, right?” She asked her mother with folded arms as she watched her locate a brush.

“We don’t know that…” Diana sighed.

“It’s obvious! He got rid of father so that he could marry me and get our family’s wealth! We may as well just hand it all over!” Victoria protested. Diana took her hands gently. “Listen…he said if we do as they say, no harm will come to us.”

Victoria blinked at her. “Are you really that naïve, mother?”

Diana shook her head. “If we give him what he wants, then maybe he’ll leave us alone.”

“I doubt that. Maybe he’ll leave you alone… but it’s my blood he wants…it’s all they ever want..” the Lady Crest gazed sadly at the floor as her mother ensued to brush her long brunette locks. Diana helped her put on her dress once her hair had been partially tied back in a bow.

Then she could hear the front door bell ring. It was opened by Sebastian, the head butler, as always but the Saints just let the Lord waltz in unannounced. “Here we go..” Victoria sighed as she followed her mother out of her room. They descended the stairs to the sight of Spencer sat on the sofa, making himself very at home as the maids poured him some tea, somewhat with shaky balance as they could hear the tea pot rattle against the cup. “Let me handle him…go find Gerald..” She whispered to Diana, although there want much point whispering in front of a vampire as they had superior hearing.

“Ah there she is. My future blushing bride. Have you reconsidered my proposal?” Spencer probed the Lady Crest as she came to sit opposite him. She held her hands neatly in her lap. She held her chin high. “Yes. I have reconsidered. I’ll sign it.”

‘Not that you’ll live long enough to enforce it…’

“Excellent! I knew you would come to your senses...” Lord Spencer presented her with the pre-nuptial agreement paper and a quill pen. She took the pen in hand but before she put pen to paper, he suddenly grabbed her wrist. She gasped as he was suddenly next to her looking rather angry. “Care to explain why I can smell that Hygrace scum all over you?” He growled.

She gulped, she hadn’t thought about how strong he would be able to smell Vail on her skin. With his unannounced arrival, she didn’t have time to bathe. Wat a rookie error. “I…bumped into him at the market yesterday.” She attempted to think of a legitimate reason that she would be close to him.

“The Saints reported that you did not leave the house yesterday…my dear.” He leaned into her slowly, she could feel his hot breath on her face. Obviously they were in league with him, they were giving him regular updates on her. She didn’t know how to get out of this. She clenched her other fist, reaching for the concealed silver dagger under her skirt. He suddenly ripped her dress from her collar. He saw the scar on her collar bone from Vail’s tooth. Spencer growled loudly. “He has fed on you!” He stood up and shouted in a rage as Victoria cringed. She could have pleaded that Vail put her under a trance, blamed it all on him. But it wasn’t true and she wasn’t going to throw him under the carriage. It would only make Spencer want to kill him and his entire family all the more.

“It’s not his fault! I made him do it! I wanted him.” Victoria stood and bravely told Spencer. He turned slowly toward her, some of his black strands of hair covering his brown eyes. “You…harlet!” He back handed her across the face so hard she fell back onto the floor. She reached for the dagger but he grabbed her by the neck and pulled her up, she kicked her legs and he threw her across the room, which she landed against the wall and slid down to the floor and lost consciousness. The Saints watched until Gerald stormed in and then shot at Spencer, which the vampire was hit in the arm, his blood red eyes shot toward him. “Control yourself demon!” Gerald boomed as Spencer panted.

“HOW DARE ANYONE FEED ON MY BRIDE! We had an agreement Alabaster!” Spencer shouted at Gerald. He nodded. “I know, I know. I didn’t know about him..”

“Victoria!” Diana screamed and ran to her daughter’s side. “You monster!” She shouted at Spencer.

The following evening, Vail awoke feeling as well as he always did after feeding on Lady Victoria’s blood. He was a bit more famished than usual though. He supposed he must have worked up an appetite after they’d given in to their passion the night before. It was past the time his family usually ate supper, but he got dressed and headed downstairs to see if he could find something to eat anyway. Perhaps one of the servants could prepare him a simple dish if there were any still in the kitchen.

On his way, he passed a few of his cousins who hadn’t retired to their bedrooms yet, but he didn’t bother stopping to speak with any of them. Conversations with his uncle’s children were usually dull, since they rarely left the manor. He could only take so many stories about who beat whom in a game of chess or what new hobbies they had accumulated to pass the time. Of course, he understood why they would be hesitant to venture into the city, especially with the recent rise in Saints nearby, but it didn’t change the fact that he thought them to be too sedentary for their own good.

Even before he had met Victoria, Vail had been the only Hygrace to bother spending any length of time outside apart from their shared endeavors to feed on human blood. He always kept his head down for safety’s sake, but he couldn’t stand being locked up in the manor as often as they were. In his opinion, there were better ways to stay hidden from the Order besides turning into total recluses. He had managed not to get himself killed so far, so it seemed his method was working just fine too.

Well, maybe not so much anymore.

Now that he was sneaking out to meet with Victoria, he was treading much more dangerous ground than he had been in the past. The fact that he’d nearly been killed twice in just a matter of weeks was proof enough of that. Perhaps there was wisdom in staying put in the manor like his cousins after all, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop seeing the Crest heiress—not after he’d let himself get addicted to her blood, and not after he’d enjoyed the rest of her body last night. Even though he knew it was likely to be his downfall, he craved to see her again and again until a silver bullet pierced his heart.

Imagining their intimate time together yet again, Vail was so lost in thought that he didn’t hear the voice calling his name until a sudden hand on his shoulder made him turn around in a daze. He blinked as he met his father’s gaze. Peter was studying him with a mixture of concern and bemusement.

“You’re certainly distracted today,” the older Hygrace observed. “Anything on your mind that I should know about?”

“No,” Vail shook his head, hating how easily the lie came out. Not wanting to dwell on it, he changed the subject. “I’m rather hungry. Did you need something from me?”

“Information,” Peter expressed. “I’ve been curious to know how your meeting with Lady Crest went.”

Vail wanted to groan. He’d forgotten that he had told his father he was seeing Victoria for the purpose of gaining intel on the Saints. Of course the leader of the Hygraces would want an immediate update on whether or not they were in danger. Unfortunately, he and Victoria had done very little talking at The Shire, so he didn’t have any real leads to offer.

So much for changing the subject.

“It was alright,” he shrugged, trying not to let his thoughts return to the picture of their intertwined bodies so he wouldn’t blush. “She didn’t have much to say this time.”

“Really?” Peter frowned. “Why would she reach out to you so late at night if it wasn’t urgent?”

“It’s beyond me,” Vail said haplessly.

“Hm,” his father grunted, narrowing his eyes. “Well, it sounds to me like she was just interested in your time. I had a feeling this would happen… which is why I’ve arranged precautions to save you from temptation.”

“What do you mean?” Vail could already feel his stomach turning.

“This morning, I wrote a letter to the Macey family,” Peter explained. “With the recent movement among both the Saints and the Wynters, I believe it is pertinent now for our family to start building stronger ties with other strong clans for our own protection. Edison’s daughter, Sylvia, is still unmarried, so I’ve gone ahead and asked if he would betroth her to you so that we might form an alliance.”

“You did what?” Vail’s eyes widened in shock. “Father, I have no interest in marrying! Can’t you arrange for one of uncle’s heirs to wed her instead of me?”

“This is for your sake as well as the family’s, Vail,” Peter sighed. “If you’re going to insist on continuing to see the Crest heiress, I’m going to make sure you have a reason not to let her seduce you. Besides, I would have thought you’d be happy with my choice. You’ve told me before that you fancy Sylvia. The last time our families communed, I remember the two of you got along famously.”

“We did…” Vail admitted. He recalled the meeting his father was referring to. At the time, he had found Sylvia to be a splendid person and might have even considered marrying her. However, after spending the night with Victoria, he couldn’t bring himself to think of giving himself to any other woman. Was it foolish? Perhaps. Lady Crest was a human whom he could never have in the way he truly desired, while Lady Macey was a vampire he could love without restraint. It only made sense for him to choose the latter, but he couldn’t force his sinful heart to agree.

“But this isn’t about who you chose,” he went on stubbornly. “I just don’t want to get married yet. Please, father, tell Edison to give her hand to someone else.”

“I’m surprised you feel so strongly about this,” Peter’s frown deepened. “But my decision stands. If Edison agrees to my proposal, you will begin courting Sylvia for marriage as soon as I receive word of his approval.” He held up his hand as his son opened his mouth to protest again. “This is final, Vail. I suggest you spend the next few days coming to terms with it.” With that, he turned and strode up the stairs to retire to his room for the night, leaving the younger Hygrace to stare at the ghost of where he had just been.

The following day, Victoria awoke slowly in her bed. She felt very dizzy and light headed. She had no idea where she was or what happened. One moment she was pleading with Lord Spencer, the next she was on the floor and then woke up here. She felt naked benath the covers. This alarmed her. What had he done to her? She attempted to lea up but felt too weak. She tried to move her arms, one was free to move, the other, tugged painfully on something sticking out of her elbow crease. She managed to lift her head a little to see her arm had been hooked up to a needle and coming out of that needle was a tube. A tube filled with her blood.

She was being drained slowly. She turned her head gently on the pillow and saw the tube was being poured into a jar. It looked like two pints or so full, she couldn’t really guess accurately. She sighed as she must have had more than the normal amount of blood donation, otherwise why would she be so energy less? Victoria had very dark circles under her eyes and a very pale complexion. All colour had drained from her face.

She tried to call out to her mother but only a croak came from her lips. She was too weak to even speak. Outside her room she could hear muffled voices talking to one another.

“How could you let him do this to her?” Ray’s voice sounded irritated.

“He only wants to take enough so she doesn’t die. She will recover in no time. And she is doing us all a service keeping us all alive by allowing this.” Gerald’s voice replied.

She couldn’t even clench her hand it felt so weak. She could only lay there and contemplate this predicament. All she could think about was Vail. Living if only to ever see him one more time. No doubt it was discovered that there were other bite scars on her abdomen and the fresher bite on her bust. She was surely in trouble and she had to think her way out of this. But why was so much blood being taken from her like this? She didn’t understand what was going on. She drifted in and out of consciousness now and then.

One moment she opened her eyes and her mother was sat over her, telling her to rest, that it was all okay. The next minute she opened her eyes to Ray looking over her with concern as he checked in on her, no doubt making sure she wasn’t dead. It was soon nightfall again. Candlelight filled her room as well as the fire. Then it was Spencer’s turn to sit at her bedside and watch her while she slept.

She opened her eyes and gasped as she saw him leering over her. She flinched but was still too weak to move much. She shifted underneath the covers. “..Wha…what did you-..”

“You mean why am I taking your blood?” He asked as she nodded. He sat back and crossed his suited legs. “You see my dear. You are mine. Not his. Your blood is for me and my family only. You see, instead of feasting on the flesh like a common animal like your Lord Hygrace…we prefer to enjoy the finer things in life. Your blood will be refined and added to each glass of wine, to be enjoyed like a fine wine, because your blood is so very fine indeed, it should not be spoiled. As for your body…” he leaned in to her. “That should be left unmarked, unscarred, unspoiled so that I may enjoy it. I did want to wait until our wedding night to savour you, but seeing as you can’t seem to stay away from that other ingrate, I will have to claim what is mine now.” He feigned a disappointed expression.

He removed the bedcover to reveal her body to him. She felt so cold without it, she shivered, but she was also scared of what he was going to do to her. His lips pressed against hers as she clenched her fist and shut her eyes, wishing for it to be over quickly. She wasn’t strong enough to fight him off. As he unlatched her mouth, she coughed as if she were going to be sick. “You..make….my skin..crawl.” She rasped at him with a deathly glare.

Christopher didn’t like what he heard and he grabbed both her wrists and pinned them down, not that he needed to. “I will have you and you will like it!”

“No!” She managed to scrape a scream together. She desperately tried to fend him off with as little strength she could but could only scream.

Vail paced the edge of his room with restless energy, still reeling from what his father had told him. Another day had passed, but he was still just as upset as before. There was nothing wrong with Sylvia, she was probably the most suitable fiancée Peter could have chosen for him, but he had just made the decision to let Victoria in. Their night together at the inn was still fresh in his mind, from the intimate moments to the quiet conversations they’d had. Even though he had initially planned to use her for her blood, he had come to genuinely like every part of their encounters. He wasn’t ready to let them go yet. He wasn’t even sure if he could.

Feelings aside, he had developed a taste for her blood that needed satisfying. It would be difficult for him to cut himself off from the source of his addiction so abruptly. Of course, Peter couldn’t know this. His father still thought he was just meeting with the Crest heiress for the sake of keeping the Hygrace clan safe. He had no idea just how far Vail had fallen in his pit of sin—nor that he had laid with a human in a way that should have only been reserved for another vampire.

If he was honest, he could see why Peter was taking precautions. He was fully aware of the dangers of falling for a human. Perhaps if the clan leader had arranged his marriage sooner, he wouldn’t have let things go so far with Victoria. Unfortunately, as it was, the effort might be too little too late. He was already attached to her like a horse to its rider, and the thought of never seeing her again made him tense.

Frustrated, he fell back on his bed with a groan. He had no idea what to do. On one hand, he wanted to keep meeting with Victoria out of his own selfish desire to have her to himself, but on the other hand, his loyalty to his family told him to obey his father’s order to marry Lady Macey. The choice should have been simple, and perhaps it would have been just three days ago, but now that he had crossed past the line of predator and prey with Victoria, he couldn’t let go of whatever was going on between them.

To say that he didn’t care about her would have been a lie. He knew he was smitten with Lady Crest beyond just his physical draw to her body. He had accepted it. The mischief in her smile and the sound of her melodic voice always coaxed him to relax when he was around her. She was a unique woman, even if she was a human, and he couldn’t help the fact that he found everything about her attractive. He wished he could express the weight of his emotions to his father, but he knew Peter would never understand. The clan leader was paranoid to a fault. He would only see Victoria as a threat. There was no way for Vail to have her and keep his family’s approval.

Maybe I’ll find Sylvia attractive when I get to know her better, he thought with a discouraged exhale, resting his forearms over his face. Right now, he couldn’t think about any other woman the way he thought of Victoria, but perhaps that was just because he hadn’t been around any others recently. He still despised the thought of giving the Crest heiress up, but did he even have a choice? Peter had made his decision. If he disobeyed the order to court and marry Lady Macey, he had no idea what would happen. He had never directly gone against his father’s wishes before. There was safety in listening to the leader of the Hygraces, who offered protection against anyone who wished do him harm, but what if he was exiled from the manor for his incompliance? The thought made him shiver apprehensively.

Overwhelmed by the weight of both choices, he crawled under the blankets on his bed and pulled them over his head, hoping a nap might help him clear his mind. He certainly needed one after mulling the dilemma over for hours. Maybe when he woke again, he would finally have an answer.

Ray heard the screams coming from Lady Crest’s room. He practically kicked down the door to get to her. He had his guns drawn and as he entered, he saw Lord Spencer about to take advantage of the weakened woman. “Spencer stop it!” He aimed his gun at the vampire, his glare meant business, he wasn’t afraid to pull the trigger and end the Lord right here, spurring the fury of the Wynter clan.

Spencer looked over at Ray with blood red eyes, Victoria was frozen in fear beneath him, eyes wide and staring at the ceiling. Spencer looked like he was about to leap at the Saint, Ray squeezed lightly on the trigger button of the pistol. If Gerald found this, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill him now. He had put up with him far too long, throwing his weight around. Spencer growled in a feral rage, fangs fully extended and bared at the Saint ready to strike. A human had gotten in the way of his pray. He was not pleased. Spencer could rip the entire Order to shreds right now but he knew they could whisk Victoria away somewhere he’d never find her.

He contemplated the risk versus the cost. Ray also had a silver bullet that could pierce his heart no matter how fast he was. He slowly let go of the heiress and calmed himself. He refused to believe he was lowlife vampire feral scum who gave into their emotions. He was smarter than that. He retracted his fangs and got off the girl. He wiped the saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth and glanced at his prey. She shakily grabbed the cover and pulled it over herself to hide her naked form from sight. The adrenaline helped her to gain some energy.

Spencer straightened his jacket. He knew this wasn’t the way to seduce her. Not with anger. He would have to paralyse her with his pheromones when she was a little stronger to hold herself up otherwise she’d only be like a floppy puppet. He sighed and nodded to Ray, composing himself. He didn’t apologise for what he tried to do, he merely stormed out of the room. As he left, Ray kept his gun on him at all times until he left the landing entirely. He then rushed to Victoria’s side. “Are you hurt?” He asked her, she managed to shake her head. She whimpered as her lip quivered. It wasn’t the fact Spencer hit her and threw her across the room, nor that he was draining her blood. It was the fact he had tried to force himself upon her. It was the most unpleasant experience.

Ray shushed her from whimpering, which turned into sobbing. He sighed and looked around, he didn’t know how to handle the emotional woman and so gingerly took her in his arms and cradled her. She cried into his chest as he rocked her gently. She only wished it were Vail comforting her instead.

Two more days passed, and Vail became certain he couldn’t obey Peter’s wishes even if he wanted to. After going over half a week without seeing Victoria, all he could think about was tasting her blood again. He longed to have just a drop to stave off his incessant cravings, but he still hadn’t heard a whisper from her. No letters had come in nor any other form of communication to tell him when and where to meet her next. He was beginning to wonder if he would hear from her at all.

Of course, Peter was quite pleased with the lack of word from the Crest heiress. The Hygrace leader seemed to think it meant she had given up on “seducing him,” as he believed was her intention. Since Vail had come home with no news of the Order after their last encounter, it only made sense for him to suspect something else was going on. He still didn’t know the extent of his son’s transgresses though. As far as he was aware, their meetings had been harmless; just talk and nothing more. Vail was careful to keep him from realizing just how far they had actually gone.

Despite the silence from Victoria, Peter had not wavered on his decision to make Vail marry Sylvia. In fact, Edison had just written back with his approval for the arrangement earlier that day. His haste made it clear that he was excited about giving his daughter’s hand to the heir of the Hygraces and forming an alliance with the most powerful clan in the nation.

Peter insisted that the two should begin courting right away.

Vail argued that he needed to readjust to a daylight schedule before he could court anyone.

With the new development, he was beginning to feel trapped between his responsibility to his family and his insatiable desire for Lady Crest. He felt tense with apprehension, knowing which path he wanted to take but unsure if it was still possible to follow. It had been quite a while since he’d heard anything from Victoria, and he didn’t know if he ever would again. She had told him not to go after her too; said it was too dangerous. Perhaps she had decided not to reach out to him anymore? He doubted that. Everything she had said and done the last time they’d met suggested otherwise. She probably just hadn’t had an opportunity to sneak out again.

He tried to distract himself from his thoughts about her by playing a game of chess against himself—after learning it was a pastime she enjoyed, he had decided to start practicing again—but found that it wasn’t easy to stop imagining feeding on her blood. His mouth watered just thinking about it. Though he wasn’t having the physical withdrawals he usually suffered from when he went too long without satisfying his bloodlust, the mental cravings were nearly worse. They consumed his mind, leaving little room for anything else. It was hard for him to focus on the game.

His eyes wandered to the window as he considered disregarding her warning and coming to find her in spite of the danger. He knew it was a bad idea. According to Victoria, the Crest manor was crawling with Saints. However, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could go without feeding on her again. He ran his tongue across his fangs, weighing his options. Perhaps he could go to the taverns and find someone else to prey on until he heard back from Victoria. It was a decent idea, but he knew it wouldn’t stop him from craving what he was really after: her blood. No one else’s could compare.

He leaned back in his chair with a sigh. Was he really going to risk his life to have her yet again? He was starting to question his sanity. There was no reason for a vampire to get so attached to a human. Yet he still found himself putting on a coat.

I’ll just stop by quickly, he reasoned as he crept silently down the stairs. As long as he didn’t linger, it was unlikely for the Saints to realize he was even there, right? It was a good enough excuse to convince him to venture into the night, giving in to his addiction as he sought out Lady Crest.

Over those two days, Lady Crest had been laid up in bed recovering from her severe blood drain. She had been so weak that her whole body pretty much filled with pins and needles. She was managing to hobble around the mansion this time. Gerald had ordered the vampire Lord off the premises while she recovered. He had taken four pints of her blood, half of her energy, with him to the Wynter clan to distribute freely like a fine wine. The thought made her sick.

Victoria had been so grateful to Ray for thwarting Spencer’s evil doings. She was beginning to think he wasn’t so bad after all. For a Saint. It didn’t mean she forgave him for bruising her cheek when he butted her with the handle of his pistol. She ventured down the stairs in search of food. She was hungrier than ever trying to make up for the loss of nutrients. She was thirstier due to the dehydration. She was still pale and weak. She shakily took each step slowly and grasped onto the hand rails. She noticed there was a lack of Saints this evening. She looked around as she reached the foot of the stairwell.

“Where’s everyone?” Even Spencer and his cronies had departed. “There has been no Hygrace activity for over a week so the high alert has been reduced to medium for now.” Ray explained as he was sat at the chess table. “Care for a game?” He offered to her as she shook her head. “Maybe later...” Her priority was ravishing a whole roast chicken at this rate. She wandered into the kitchen and asked for some supper. The maidens agreed even though they were due to finish up now and go home, a couple stayed behind to fulfil their Lady’s wishes. The Crest’s had always treated staff well, paid them well above what they were owed and treated them as part of the family. Thankful, Victoria took a seat at the table and waited whilst sipping on water. She avoided any alcohol for the time being and focused on getting healthier and fast so that next time, she will be prepared for the blood drain and to lure Spencer into a false sense of security and finaly finish him off. She’d need to start gathering provisions and an escape plan to run as soon as it was done. She’d take Phillipe far, far, away before the Wynters would ever know that Spencer was dead. Not after making sure Ray and Gerald stayed and protected her mother from their wrath. With any luck, she’ll be long gone with a cold trail.

She pondered where she could go. Then it dawned on her, nowhere on the British Isles were safe. She’d board a ferry at Dover and make her way into mainland Europe for a start. Perhaps she could travel the world. She did want to see more of it. She contemplated this dream. She just didn’t like the idea of going through it all alone. Vail did warn her that there was nowhere she could go he would not hunt her down if she went back on her deal with him. But she couldn’t see him willingly leaving his family behind all for her. Not a chance in hell.

She practically devoured her food and made her way back to the living room. She sat down on the sofa in the living room to join Gerald and Diana’s conversation. They were laughing about some of Alex’s antics, the stories he could tell. Victoria was eager to listen to more all evening long. For hours they reminisced of her father. She began to feel like a part of her was starting to heal.

“Actually, Gerald, there was something I wanted to ask you. I seem to be missing my father’s last journal. It may have been on him the night he was killed. Would you happen to know of its whereabouts? Was it ever recovered by The Order?”

Gerald shook his head. “I don’t believe so. I assume his murderer made off with it.”

“You think Spencer has it?” She leaned in and narrowed her eyes. He shrugged. “Perhaps. If he is indeed the killer.”

“He has to be, it’s all too convenient...” Victoria sighed and folded her arms. “I’ll help you locate it, don’t worry. We will find his killer and make him pay.” Gerald gave her a reassuring nod. She smiled. Good. She believed him. Lady Crest slowly and shakily rose from the chair. “I think I shall retire.” She was sleeping more than fifteen hours each day due to the lack of energy. She couldn’t even leave the house let alone meet Vail anywhere outside.

As she walked to the stairs, something from the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned her head fully to look over at the coat hanger by the door. Gerald’s coat hung from it and sticking out one of the pockets was a red leather-bound journal with flecks of gold. It looked very similar to Alex’s journals. She couldn’t help but wonder…it was wrong to go looking on a person’s possessions…yet…she had to know. She gently crept over to it and reached into the pocket. She quickly snatched it out and hid it underneath her skirt before taking a while to ascend the stairs. Diana offered her some help half way up which Victoria declined, she was determined to regain her strength on her own.

Closing her bedroom door behind her and locking it. She set the journal on her dresser and sat down to read it underneath a flickering candle. She opened the first page and to her horror, she discovered her father’s writing. As she read on it became clear it was her father’s last journal. She could feel her anger boiling beneath the surface. Gerald had lied to her. Why? It soon became clear when Alex began to write about his suspicions of Gerald’s involvement with the Wynters and Lord Spencer. It stopped half way through with the last entry about going to confront Gerald about it, he just had to find out and would have to turn him into the authorities. She guessed that discussion didn’t end in his favour. Tears dropped from her eyes as she realised Gerald probably killed him, he had his journal, and for good reason. To keep his secret. This deal he made with the Wynter clan that she was now caught up in.

She didn’t know what to do. Her whole world was falling apart. She couldn’t trust anyone. Nobody was who they seemed. Not even Vail had offered her sanctuary because she was a human. She couldn’t rely on anyone to get her out of this mess. Except herself. She gazed up into the mirror. She had found her father’s murderer. And she was going to make him pay dearly. Not only that, he had used her to gain favour of Spencer so The Order would be spared the Wynter Wrath. She waited until everyone had gone to sleep. There was only one Saint remaining on nightwatch and he was falling asleep.

She took this chance to creep down the stairs and to the back door. She needed her weapons from the summer house. She slipped out quietly and didn’t alert anyone. She contemplated taking the horse to the summer house, but she wouldn’t be able to pull herself up onto him. So, she walked slowly into the forest grounds. It was so cold, colder than normal for her. She wasn’t able to keep warm even by the fireplace. With such lack of blood, she couldn’t retain any heat. She shivered as she tried to walk as fast as she could, but her legs were so weak. She pushed herself too hard and she eventually collapsed just short of the lodge. Landing in a soft pile of red and brown leaves of approaching winter. Some had stuck into her hair as she lifted her head weakly. She reached out with one hand to grasp at the floor and drag herself up. Her grip was barely strong enough to grab anything and her arm muscles were even thinner than they were before. With very little strength she struggled and growled in frustration. She started to weep as she felt entirely helpless and hopeless. “God! Why do you forsake me!?” She shouted out in fury and agony. “Was I not a good person?! Do I not try to do the right thing…why do you hate me so….? Please…just…end it all now. I can’t…take anymore…” She gasped for breath as she let her head rest in the leaves as she wept. If she ever made it to her weaponry she might as well do it herself. But no, Gerald needed to die first. Then Spencer. Then she could kill herself if she still wanted.

The walk to the Crest manor had become more familiar to Vail than it should ever have been. He might have been able to make the trip with his eyes closed. Despite knowing how terrible his judgment was in growing so fond of a human, he was surprised how little regret he felt. He was still concerned that his secret visits with Victoria might lead to his death, but the worry was miniscule compared with his desire to see her again. Even though he knew he couldn’t stay long—he couldn’t risk being discovered by a Saint—he hoped they would have some time to speak. He wanted to know why she hadn’t contacted him in four days.

Moving as briskly as he could manage without looking too out of place among the other people on the streets that night, he made quick work of the trip to the Crest estate. As he neared the iron gates, he slowed his step, keeping watch for movement on the other side. He could still smell the metallic stink of silver coming from somewhere within the private grounds, but it wasn’t as strong as he would have expected for a group of hunters as large as Victoria had described. Regardless, he kept his guard up and proceeded with caution as he slipped inside. He didn’t know all the traps the Saints used to kill his kind, so he wasn’t going to let them catch him unaware.

Now came the challenging part: getting inside the manor. Having only visited the Crest’s grand ballroom, he had no idea how the rest of the building was laid out nor where Victoria’s room was. It wasn’t like he could simply waltz inside and explore the manor with trial and error either. If he wanted to find her, he was going to have to be clever about it.

Trying to come up with another plan, he snuck closer to the massive house, hoping an idea would come to him if he looked it over more thoroughly. However, as he did, a passing breeze made him pause. It carried Victoria’s scent, but it certainly wasn’t coming from the inside of the building. He turned toward the woods. It seemed like her smell was coming from the summer house where they had met before. He must have gotten lucky this time.

Changing course, he skirted around the edge of the manor to head into the trees, hastening his pace as soon as he was out of sight from the windows. Though he traveled faster, he still kept alert for any unusual scents or movements just in case there were any members of the Order guarding this part of the estate. Fortunately, he didn’t notice anything strange. He wondered if that meant the Lady was alone. There didn’t seemed to be any other humans around from what he could tell.

Eventually, he could see the lodge up ahead but something seemed off about it. There were no lights on in the windows. He slowed to a stop, confused by the scene before him. He was certain that this was where Victoria’s scent was coming from, but it looked like no one was inside. His eyes darted over the grounds with new caution. Was it a trap arranged by the Saints? Perhaps they had taken an article of her clothing to lure him away from the manor, where they could kill him in secret.

Unnerved, he took a step back, ready to turn around and go back the way he’d came, but then wavered as something else caught his attention. Looking a little closer, he thought he could see someone laying in the grass. A chill shot up his spine as he realized it was Victoria. Was she injured? He couldn’t smell blood, but perhaps she’d fallen and twisted her ankle.

Without giving it another thought, he hurried over to her side and knelt down in the leaves. “Victoria, are you alright?” he asked in a quiet voice, resting his hand on her shoulders. He could feel her tremble in the cold. Her body felt cooler than usual too, and he wondered how long she had been lying there. Worried she might be hypothermic, he lifted her off the ground and carefully swept her up into his arms to carry her into the summer house, where she might be able to warm up.

All Victoria could do was murmur in her dazed state of drifting in and out of consciousness. She should not be out in the cold in this condition. She had no idea what was going on by the time Vail had got to her. His voice sounded distant and foggy. She could barely open her eyes. Her body shook constantly in attempts to warm itself. She was now in the danger zone of acquiring hypothermia.

She felt limp in Vail’s arms. As he’d set her down on the chaise lounge seat, she would remain mumbling to herself as if fighting it. Nothing seemed to make sense as she put random words together. “Ger………kill…….blood…..no…….stop…….” She was trying to fight the effects of the cold. Her mind hadn’t given up as much as her frail body had. Vail would need to light the fire, keep candles near her and cover her up with anything he could find, even if that were his own clothing. She needed him now more than she ever did before.

It would take some time for her to come around to any decent state of consciousness. As she did, her vision remained somewhat blurry until she blinked a good few times. She slowly moved a hand up to her pounding head. She looked around slowly and would see Vail was in the room with her. Then she noticed she was in the summer house. She didn’t have the energy to gasp. She didn’t remember getting here. Or sending for him.

“Am I….dreaming…?” She managed to piece a coherent sentence together as she felt the warmth spreading throughout her pale body. She looked over at Vail with her darkened eyes, she really didn’t look healthy like the last time he had seen her. “Did you…come for me?” the last thing she remembered was asking why God had forsaken her. Did he send Vail to her rescue? If he hadn’t gotten to her in time, then perhaps she wouldn’t have made it.

Vail was glad he’d come looking for Victoria when he had. Who knew what might have happened to her if he’d even thought to wait one more night to seek her out? He was still bewildered about why had found her on the ground outside the summer house when she had told him she was being constantly watched and guarded by Saints. It seemed strange to him that they would have let her go out on her own like this. Unfortunately, he wasn’t going to get any answers from her chilled and listless form at the moment.

Taking care not to make her more uncomfortable than she probably already was, he carried her inside the summer house and laid her down on the chaise lounge near the fireplace. It was still unclear if she was suffering from hypothermia—judging by the stammer in her weak voice, she seemed close to it—so his goal was to warm her up as fast as possible, just in case there was time left to save her frail heart from stopping. He took off his coat to drape over her shivering body and knelt by the hearth to light a hot fire. As soon as that was done, he located a few candles to light as well, placing them on the tables near to where the Lady was lying.

Having done everything he could to help raise her temperature, Vail sat on the end of the lounge and stroked her side with his hand, hoping the friction of the movement might give her a little more warmth. If he had been human, he might have laid beside her to use his own body heat to bring her comfort, but being what he was, he knew his cooler skin wouldn’t do much to change anything. So, he sat with his shoulders pressed comfortably against the backrest while he waited for Victoria to warm up via the fire and his coat.

It took some time, but eventually, he felt her stir beside him. He removed his hand from her side and watched patiently as she awoke and oriented herself to the situation. When she spoke to inquire if she was dreaming, he gave a gentle shake of his head. “No,” he answered quietly. Her sickly complexion didn’t slip past his gaze but, not knowing any better, he attributed it to the state he had found her in.

“I did,” he admitted when she asked if he had come for her. Placing his hand on her arm, he rubbed her still-warming skin again. “Although I had no idea I would find you in this condition. Why were you going to your summer house in the middle of the night?”

Victoria shivered under his coat but as soon as his hand had touched her side, she seemed to stop as it brought her some comfort. As he said she wasn’t dreaming, she sighed and almost shed tears but she refrained and shut her eyes tight. Figures. She was still in this hell. She pushed herself up as Vail explained he in fact did come to find her. No doubt he had those cravings for her blood. If that was what he came for he would be sorely disappointed that her blood would not be as easily drawn from lack of it.

He quizzed her why she was out here in the middle of the night. She suddenly remembered everything. She tried to push herself off the seat. “Have to…find weapons…” She dizzily stood up and looked around the lodge. She spotted the crossbow in the corner. Claiming she’d used it for hunting out in the grounds was a good enough story but her mother never came out here anymore anyway. Only she used this space recently. She panted and hobbled to the crossbow. She bent down but it was a lot heavier than usual and she couldn’t even pick it up. “Not safe…” She rambled on then ventured to the box under the table to get her new gun out. She opened the box to reveal the silver bullet arsenal.

She trembled as she picked up the gun, then shut the box so it wouldn’t sting Vail’s senses. She held the gun shakily as she panted for energy. “It’s not safe…for you…here. He’ll be…back soon..” She fell to her knees trying to get the gun barrel open without much grip in her cold fingers. “He knows….Spencer knows about us!” She couldn’t help the tears fall from her eyes and they trickled down her soft cheeks. “He’ll kill you…I won’t…let him….” She sniffled. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing Vail. Not seeing his face, not hearing his voice. He even brought her out from the cold and warmed her up. She hated to admit it, but he was her weakness.

Despite her weakness and the fact she was mere mortal, here she was vowing to protect Vail, a strong vampire capable of protecting himself, because she wanted to. She had to.