When Victoria took credit for the Wynter’s attack, Vail shook his head adamantly. “It isn’t you fault,” he insisted. “They’ve held a grudge against my family for over a century because we’ve stood in their way of dominating the human race. Even if the timing of this attack had something to do with you, it was only a matter of time before they came after us again. All they needed was an opportunity.” Because of his father’s unwillingness to see the danger, the result most likely would have been the same even if the rival clan had attacked them under different circumstances too.

“I’m sure you’ve heard a bit about the conflict between my family and theirs, but the hatred runs far deeper than just a feud over one woman,” he went on, deciding it was necessary for her to know the entire story now that she was so thoroughly entangled in the ongoing plot. “My uncle, Lord Reginald Hygrace, was the leader of our clan before my father. Under his rule, my family was revered as the most powerful dynasty of vampires in all of England. We were protectors of our kind as well as governors who kept them in check, operating under the idea that the best way to coexist with humans was to feed only as necessary and otherwise leave them be—the same rule we abide by today.

“We’ve always understood that even though we’re physically superior to human beings, starting a war with them would be to our deficit. They’re a resilient and vengeful people who will defend themselves at the expense of life and limb. It’s more practical for us to prey on them only as necessary rather than pick a fight that can only end badly for us in the long run; and because the other clans view us as the paradigm of how vampires ought to conduct themselves, they’ve adopted the mentality as well.

“That’s why the Wynters despise us. They’re warmongers who believe that we should rule over humans because we’re superior. Even though my father hasn’t actively stood in their way since he took over as the next leader of our clan, he’s continued to support my uncle’s dogma, which means every other clan has too. The Wynters can’t garner enough numbers to overpower the humans when none of the other families are willing to join them in their efforts. As long as we were still seen as the alpha clan, we were an obstacle in their path to domination.” He used past tense when he spoke because he was no longer sure where his clan stood now that the Wynters had managed to run them out of England. Because of the success of their last attack, it seemed like the rival clan had finally taken over as the new ruling dynasty. They had won.

“After that Wynter massacred my family, those who survived had to leave London for their own safety,” he explained with a nod when Victoria seemed confused about why the Hygraces had come to Scotland. “Coming here was the most practical choice.”

When she rested her forehead against his and inquired about how he and Katherine were doing, he leaned in to press a kiss to her lips. “My mother is coping,” he replied when he pulled back. “It isn’t easy for her, but she’s been taking care of my father in the summer house, making sure he drinks enough blood to stay alive.” He considered the second half of her question. “I suppose I’m mostly tired. It’s been difficult seeing my father reduced to this, but wondering whether you would come back to me was even harder. I haven’t visited my family very much while I was waiting for you to wake up, but now that I know you’re alright, I’d like to see them later to find out how they’ve been doing recently. Migrating to an entirely new hunting ground can be tricky.”

Victoria felt less guilty after hearing exactly how deep their feud ran with the Wynters. She just happened to be the opportunity they were waiting for to strike the Hygraces at the same time. Still, she felt somewhat responsible for providing that opportunity just because of her genetics making her blood irresistible to vampires. Now she was a vampire like he and his family, she supposed she had to adopt the same dogma, but she didn’t want to bite another human being, it just wasn’t nice, having experienced it by force. And she had no human lover to drink blood from like Vail did.

She had to wonder if the Moncourier clan adopted the Hygrace dogma or the Wynter dogma. Now was the ideal time to find out. She had a half-brother to connect with. She could see why the Wynters might think they were superior to humans, she felt this overwhelming power surging within her. Like she could reach up to touch the sun and crush it in her hand. She noted how he spoke in the past tense. Did he think the Wynters had taken over? Surely the Hygraces would have some loyalty in their allies.

Victoria received his tender kiss with a warm smile. She was so happy to be back with him, safe and sound. Her eyes fell melancholy when he explained how Katherine was coping. And for him seeing his father in such a way, a father he was used to seeing being strong. She stroked the back of his hair as he said he was tired but waiting for her to wake up was even harder. She felt a warmth spread in her chest for her vampire lover, knowing he was worried about her and didn’t even visit his family, it sounded like he had never left her side. She knew in that moment that she wanted to become his wife. He cared about her in a way a doting husband would.

“I’m sorry you had to go through all that alone, my love.” She squeezed his hand. “You will no longer be alone ever again. You’ve got me now and I am not going anywhere.” She vowed and kissed the back of his hand, trying to be very gentle with him as she was not used to this level of strength she now had. “Do you want me to go see your family with you? Or do I need to stay cooped up inside for a while?” She didn’t know what to expect to feel or experience in her transformation. She knew that she didn’t crave her mother’s human blood. Being around other vampires wouldn’t cause her to have a lust for their blood either. Maybe she hadn’t experienced the worst of the hunger yet…

The thought of never being alone again resonated strongly with Vail. Even though he’d always lived with the rest of his family, he spent most of his time by himself. Vampires were both familial and solitary creatures. It was an odd dichotomy of their kind. They banded together to form strength in their numbers, but when it came to day-to-day activities, they often preferred to engage in individual hobbies or hunt in seclusion. He was the same way, rarely seeking out the company of his parents or cousins unless he needed something from them. Every once in a while, he got his social fix from attending human events—as he had on the fateful night of her birthday party—but his interest in attending them stemmed from his fascination with their species rather than a need to spend his time in a group setting. He usually kept to himself and observed, only interacting with the partygoers when there was something to be learned, such as when he’d taken an interest in dancing.

However, his isolated past didn’t inhibit him from being drawn to a future with Victoria at his side. She was the only person he actively wanted to be near on a regular basis. He enjoyed his time with his family when they were together as well as with other vampires like Sylvia, with whom he was close enough to relax. However, he didn’t crave their attention and affection like he did with the woman who had just kissed his hand. The bond they were forging was different, stronger in a way that he’d never experienced before. Never being alone again sounded quite appealing when it meant spending the rest of his immortal life with her.

When she questioned him about what she should do, he considered their options quietly. As a born vampire, he was just as clueless about what they should expect as she was in regard to her transformation. He’d read a bit about it in the tome, but there wasn’t very much information beyond the ritual itself, so he genuinely couldn’t say whether it was better for her to get up and adjust to her new life or rest for a while longer.

“If you feel strong enough, you can try to get up soon,” he mused, deciding Victoria would be the best judge of how she was doing. “It would probably be best to keep you away from humans for a while, but there are none in the summer house, so I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t come with me when I check on my family… I’d like you to be there.” Somewhat selfishly, he wanted the rest of his clan—particularly his father—to see that he was just as dedicated to his former human lover as he had been before. He also simply wanted to be next to her after he’d lacked the warmth of her company for the last week. So, if she was able to join him, then he would bring her along on the short trip to the Hygraces’ temporary shelter.

Victoria smiled softly at Vail as he suggested that she try to test her own strength and assess her on her own merits. He wasn’t certain what to do with her, the tome didn’t reveal too much when they had read it together. But she concurred with his suggestion to keep away from humans for now. Even her mother, to keep her safe. Before she could voice her agreement, what he said next actually came as a bit of a shock to her.

Her already bright eyes, widened even further to become even brighter, from hearing Vail say she’d like for her to be there when he went to check on his family. “Really? You don’t think my presence will upset your father further?” She wondered as she felt a surge of warmth and happiness growing for their flourishing relationship. She felt like Vail was ready to commit to their bond. Not only was she his lover but now his ward. His own blood flowed through her veins now, sustaining her life.

She smiled brightly though, despite her worry about Vail’s father’s reaction. Family was everything to her. To be finally accepted into Vail’s family as his potential wife and life mate would mean the world to her. She hadn’t really felt the loss of Vail’s company since she fell into her death coma. However, she had felt the crave of his presence when they were days apart due to his father’s disapproval of his son from seeing her. And she felt even closer to him now after she knew he saved her life. Not for the first time either. He had always been there for her when she needed help. Albeit it started out as a mutually beneficial contract in the beginning. She wanted o be by his side forever, be there for when he needed someone. He was now the Hygrace leader it seemed and faced many hard decisions in the future.

She squeezed his hand and nodded. “I’d like to go with you, show your family that I am here to support you as well. And prove that I’m not just a liability anymore.” As a human, she was considered so. As a vampire, she wouldn’t have the influence of any of the vampire’s bloodlust or cause a showdown between Vail and the other members like her presence did during her stay there whilst she recuperated from Spencer’s abuse.

“It might,” Vail admitted, though his uncaring tone revealed how little the potential issue bothered him. Like the rest of the clan, his father had been through a lot during the last week, so he tried to tread lightly around him. The leader of the Hygraces had been broken deeply after Mikael had massacred more than half of the vampires who had survived the first attack a century ago. Not wanting to wound him anymore than he already had been, the heir had been careful not to upset him too much, but he wasn’t going to pretend like Peter was made of glass. His feelings toward Victoria hadn’t changed, so his father was just going to have to accept that he’d chosen to be with her whether he liked it or not.

Honestly, he wasn’t sure how the rest of his family would react either, but none of them had the authority to discourage him from being with her. He hoped they would be more accepting of her now that she’d been turned into a fledgling, but he couldn’t predict what they would think since she was born from human roots. Turning humans into vampires was an ancient and taboo ritual that seemed to have been abandoned by most modern clans, after all. He wouldn’t have been surprised if none of the Hygraces approved of the way he’d saved her life or the fact that they were still intending to be together.

As she squeezed his hand, he felt a swell of fondness for her and nodded, pleased that she was just as eager to confront his family as he was. “I would appreciate that,” he said earnestly. Now that she was awake, he was going to have to start investing more of his time into helping the other members of his clan get back on their feet. Normally that task would have fallen on his father’s shoulders, but since Peter was practically in a vegetative state, it was now his responsibility to take over. He’d never stepped up to be a leader before, so having her support would give him the encouragement he needed to do the job.

Noticing the brightness in her eyes, he looked her over curiously as he wondered how much of her strength had come back to her since she’d first regained a heartbeat. “How are you feeling now?” he asked. “Do you think you need to lie down a while longer, or would you like to try getting up?”

Victoria could tell Vail was past caring about what his father thought of her and their relationship. Perhaps she could change his mind now she was one of them. Albeit not naturally born that way but she was a vampire nonetheless. Did that also mean Vail was now officially the Hygrace clan leader if his father was completely broken hearted to lead them with a clear head? Vail would be a capable leader and protector of his clan and she would support him best she could. Perhaps one day Victoria would become officially one of their clan members. It was all she could hope for.

She smiled as he revealed that he would appreciate her going with him. It suggested that he was still invested in her as a life mate, not just his personal squeeze but as someone he respected and valued the opinion of. This made her feel more appreciated by the vampire. He was not like any other man in society who did not feel the need for feminine support to take care of the matters of state. Perhaps in vampiric circles, females were seen just as strong and capable?

Victoria nodded lightly as Vail asked if she wanted to try to stand. She attempted to push herself toward the edge of the bed and swung her legs out to touch the ground. She had been changed into clean clothes by her mother, luckily. She wore a long lilac velvet dress befitting a Lady of nobility. She was a little shaky at first, planting her feet on the floor was slow and steady. She held onto Vail for support. She attempted to stand. Her leg muscles were still weak. As she slowly raised herself from the bed, she wobbled slightly. As she stood straight and thought she was stable enough, she took one step forward. And then her leg gave way and she fell into Vail's arms. She wasn't used to walking after her body was dead for a week. She sighed a little, she felt limited by her body. But she was determined to overcome this.

When Victoria confirmed with a nod that she wanted to try standing, Vail leaned away from her to give her some space. Though she had been dead for the last week, he was optimistic that she would make a swift recovery from all she had endured. His kind was known for their resilience to physical trauma. They could bounce back even after being shot or stabbed after they had some rest. Now that she was a vampire too, he was optimistic that she would recuperate without any trouble. Once she was well enough to feed on human blood, she would hopefully reach her full strength within a day or two as well.

Allowing her the room to get out of bed, he rose from his chair but remained close enough that she could use him for support as she touched her feet to the floor. He monitored her carefully with his hazel eyes, taking note of the shakiness in her movements. That was to be expected with the muscle atrophy that had taken place after he’d drained all her blood, but he remained attentive in case her legs weren’t stable enough to hold her weight yet. They didn’t need her ending up on the ground because she wasn’t ready to stand up right away.

Apparently his decision was a good one, because as soon as the Crest heiress attempted to take a step, he found her in his arms. Steadily, he braced himself and pulled her in to keep her from stumbling any further. She was weaker than he’d thought, but at least she had managed to hold herself upright for a few seconds. Seeing her struggle to walk was far better than keeping watch over her lifeless body, unsure if she would ever return to him.

“That’s it, my love,” he encouraged her gently, planting a kiss on her cheek while he held her up. Even if she could only handle taking a few steps at first, progress was progress. Her disused limbs would need practice to regain their former strength. “Try taking two steps if you can. I’ll be right here if you need help. I won’t let you fall.”

Victoria felt silly for stumbling on her first step. She was a fully grown adult learning how to walk again. Walking was as natural as breathing. 'Come on you can do this..' She told herself. She smiled up at Vail as he held her up in his arms. She still couldn't believe this man was her lover. Ever since he became obsessed with her blood and she had seduced him in the tavern. She never imagined him caring about her in the way that he did now. She thought he had only wanted her for her blood but that had clearly changed over time. She wasn't sure when their predator, victim relationship changed from purely physical to something deeper, felt by the heart, but she was glad it did.

The Hygrace heir now called her his 'love'. That made her heart swell with affection for Vail. She could really see him as her husband, the way he cared for her now. The way they had worked together as a team against the Wynters. They would be a strong couple with a strong bond. Maybe even stronger than Peter and Katherine. Now Victoria could live as long as Vail, they could potentially become the next clan power couple, maybe even over the entire country. The Hygraces had lost some credibility to losing against the Wynters recently. They needed to regain its influence over the other clans. But they were not alone, they now had the Moncourier clan as allies thanks to Victoria's blood relation to them with her half-brother. Without their aid, they might have all died in London that fateful night.

She took another step, feeling stronger with resolve now that she had Vail's support and she knew he'd never let her fall, not now and not ever again. Then another step. She was determined to walk on her own by the end of the day. She needed to get the muscles moving and her new blood pumping around her body to make it function. She was now doing it, her body started to react, refueling itself as fast as she used energy. She felt as though she had taken several cups of coffee at the same time. It was a strange feeling of adrenaline. She felt like she could even be running by tomorrow.

Victoria grasped Vail's hand and squeezed it, which was a lot harder than her human strength. She did not know her own strength right now and would have to adjust. She did not yet feel that bloodthirst hunger, which was a good thing for her blood phobia. She then took another step and another after quick succession. "I'm doing it, Vail!" She seemed excited to make progress, then took three more steps before collapsing into his arms again. But she laughed about it. Vail was her rock, he was still alive, she was still alive miraculously after the transformation. She had a lot to be thankful for and positive about even in their time of hiding.

No words were spoken, but Vail could sense a tangible shift in Victoria’s determination as she took first one step and then another. He watched her closely with his hands still resting loosely against her body, prepared to catch her if she stumbled but not holding her up while she tried to walk. Although he’d only told her to try taking two steps, he remained quiet as she pushed herself to take more. If she was strong enough to handle it, there was no reason to stop her from trying. He was impressed by her resolve to recover as quickly as she could, shuffling tentatively forward until she couldn’t hold herself upright any longer.

The excitement in her voice brought a smile to his lips, and he nodded. “I knew you could,” he responded confidently. Her firm squeeze of his hand had been reassuring too. Already, her grip was stronger than it had been when she was mortal, and it was exciting to think about how much more powerful she would become once she had fully recovered from the ordeal of being turned. She hadn’t even touched human blood yet. He shook his head faintly to himself, marveling over her potential. He never would have considered it before, but it was starting to seem like she was going to be a vampire to be feared once she came into her own as an immortal.

When she collapsed into his arms again, he caught her, true to his word. Her laugh was melodious, and it coaxed a chuckle out of him as well. Carefully, he brought he back to the bed, where he sat her down next to himself on the edge of the mattress to rest for a moment, wrapping one arm around her midriff to pull her into his side. He was still eternally relieved that she was awake and moving about again. Ever since the sound of her first heartbeat, all of his fears that he’d lost her forever were washed away. She was alive, and they were safe in Scotland, far away from the vampires who had tried to take her away from him before.

“Let’s break for now,” he decided, wanting to give her weakened body time to rest before she went at it again. It was still hard to tell if she would be able to make it all the way to the summer house before the end of the day. If worse came to worst, they could always borrow a walking cane to give her some support if she was determined to come with him to see his family though. And he didn’t mind carrying her if she became tired while they were out of the manor.

Turning his head toward her, he studied her fair-skinned face for a moment before cupping her cheek in his free hand to guide her into his lips in a kiss. He wanted to let her rest after trying to walk, but that didn’t mean they had to sit perfectly still until she was ready to try again. Having missed her dearly while she’d been a corpse, he would indulge himself in her familiar touch at least a little.

Victoria had no words. She was just so grateful to be alive and here with Vail. She feared she would never see him again when she woke up in the afterlife or even be reborn into the future without him in her life. She could sense Vail’s excitement of watching her progress, she could hear his heartbeat faster with her stronger hearing capability. Was he impressed by her? Was he a little turned on by her newfound power when she gripped him? She hoped that she did. His smile also displayed his pleasure of seeing her do well.

She liked having him pull her into his side, to become as close as possible. It showed the strength of their bond already. That this was not just a fling or short-lived passionate affair. That they really cared about each other. She leaned against his body and he no longer felt that cold compared to her own body. She was now the same temperature and felt no difference between them. It would make things easier when touching. She was very prone to the cold as a human. She enjoyed being close to Vail without being caught or having to hide their affair from anyone.

She agreed with him to take a break. She would recuperate quickly though, fortunately. As he turned to look at her face, she looked up at him with bright violet eyes that sparkled gently. She smiled softly as he cupped her face with his hand ever so gently. She closed her eyes when their lips touched, savouring the moment. She had the opportunity to take her time with her relationship with Vail right now and so he was all she focused on. She let her breath sweep across his face delicately as they broke their chaste kiss. Just as sensual and as meaningful as their earlier passion fuelled smooches.

She stared into his eyes with awe. He still managed to give her butterflies from when they first touched. She was still amazed by him and his gallant actions during the battle that she recalled in her mind. “I’m so grateful the transformation worked.” She revealed her relief as she stroked his cheek with the back of her delicate hand. “I’m so relieved to be here with you. I love you Vail.” She reminded him of her loyalty and devotion to the vampire who stole her heart and gave her life.

All things considered, this was one of the better outcomes they could have had after the Wynter clan had run them out of London. Vail exhaled softly when he and Victoria parted from their kiss. Both his clan and her family were in poor shape because of the losing battle, but at least they still had each other. In the time that had passed since he’d met her, she had slowly become his reason for standing up to the rival vampires and doing something with his life other than simply existing. She gave him purpose, and he didn’t know what he would have done if he’d lost her. He was relieved that he didn’t have to find out. Now that she was awake and starting to move around, they could work together to figure out what they needed to do next now that their families had been displaced to Scotland.

When she spoke about how relieved she was to be with him, his smile returned. “I love you too, Victoria,” he murmured, touching one more swift kiss to her forehead and reaching to take her hand in his. It was different, sitting beside her without the scent of her blood tempting him to sink his fangs into her neck, but so far it wasn’t a change he disliked. He’d ingested so much of her blood when he’d drained her completely that the pangs of withdrawal hadn’t hit him in the week since. It would most likely be at least a few more days or another week before he really missed the unique rush that only she brought to him when she was still human. By then, though, Victoria would need to feed too, so he could curb his cravings by going out with her while she learned to hunt. Other mortals couldn’t fully satisfy his thirst for the blood he’d lost access to, but they were better than nothing.

Relaxed in her presence, Vail leaned his head against hers and closed his eyes, enjoying the peaceful quiet and the gentle rhythm of her beating heart until he noticed belatedly that someone else was approaching the bedroom. He caught her scent first, followed a few seconds later by the sound of a soft knock on the door. In the next moment, a familiar face poked around the side of the panel and grinned at the sight of the couple on the bed.

“Sorry to intrude, but Lady Diana told me she was awake,” Sylvia apologized as she stepped inside. She was dressed in an azure gown that highlighted the color of her eyes, and her thick, black hair was pulled out of her face at the temples in two Dutch braids. “I don’t believe we’ve formally met,” she went on, fixing her inhumanly blue eyes on Victoria and showing her fangs in another friendly smile. “Sylvia Macey, at your service,” she curtseyed gracefully.

“Lady Macey has been keeping us informed on the Wynter clan’s activities since we left England,” Vail explained, eyeing the other vampire with a subtly questioning expression. Sylvia made it sound like she had shown up to introduce herself to Victoria properly, but he knew her well enough to suspect that she viewed the human-turned-vampire as a novelty. It was far more likely that she’d stopped by because she was fascinated with the Crest heiress in the same manner as one might be in discovering a new species of animal.

“Lady Macey?” Sylvia echoed the title with raised brows. “So formal, Vail. You can call me Sylvie, my lady. Everyone does.” She took a couple steps further into the room. “I promise I won’t interrupt you two for long. I just wanted to let Vail know I’m here for whenever he can bear the thought of parting with you long enough to hear what news I’ve brought of the Wynters since we last spoke—and to meet you, of course, Victoria.”

Victoria was happy. For the first time in a long time. Vail gave her reason to smile. She rarely smiled after her father’s death. Just hearing those three words brought joy to her soul. She liked it when Vail kissed her forehead, it made her feel precious to him. It also reminded her of her father and subsequently how Vail could be as a father to a future daughter. It all just felt right. Their bond and connection to one another through hard times, still stood strong. Even without the promise of tasting her unique blood to keep him satisfied, he still wanted her for her.

She had her eyes closed when Sylvia’s voice snapped her out of her relaxed state. Her eyes shot open and focused on the beautiful lady that just entered. Someone Victoria did not recognise, thus assumed she was part of Vail’s clan. She was friendly enough when she approached to introduce herself. Victoria stood up by herself, feeling stronger to meet this woman as an equal and not as a weaker subject. She did not want to show weakness to anyone except Vail. Victoria was smiling up until Sylvia revealed whom she really was. Lady Macey. The woman Peter had chosen his son to marry. She remembered Vail explaining this arrangement to her and that he assured Victoria that he didn’t want to marry Sylvia. Her smile faded to a slightly anxious frown, she had no idea how Sylvia felt about Vail rejecting her for a former human. For all she knew Sylvia could see Victoria as a threat to be rid of so she could get Vail back. It was pretty obvious Vail had feelings for Victoria, holding her hand, being close and being the one who brought her back to life. News of her transformation must have spread far and wide by now.

When Vail explained why Sylvia was here, it eased Victoria somewhat because it sounded like Sylvia had been working selflessly at risk for both clans. “I see.” Victoria commented briefly. As Sylvia called Vail out on using her formal title and told Victoria to call her Sylvie, she nodded in acknowledgement of this request. It was apparent that Sylvia had gotten the picture that her former fiancé was besotted with Victoria by her wording towards Vail’s actions of not even bearing to part with Victoria to speak about the Wynters activities. But it was pertinent to her as well.

Lady Crest placed a hand on her chest in announcement. “Please…call me Victoria, Sylvie. I would like to hear this news as well. And I am sure my brother and the Moncourier clan would also.” Victoria was now the head of the Crest household and now also part of the Moncourier clan. “It concerns all of us here.” She reminded them that it was a united alliance against the Wynters, taking an authoritarian stance, trying to prove herself that she was a capable woman and could be a formidable leader. A prospective future Hygrace clan leader alongside Vail even. She turned to Vail. “We should call a meeting, including your mother if she feels upto it.” She turned back to Sylvia. “We were just about to go and check on the other Hygraces should you wish to accompany us?” She offered an invitation to the Lady, showing that she bared no ill-will toward her for being Vail’s former fiancé. In her eyes, she’d won Vail’s heart fair and square. Vail did not disclose himself as a taken man when they had first met, he viewed himself single at that point by no showing up with Lady Sylvia. Yet the way Sylvia only wanted to talk to Vail made her think there were other things she wanted to discuss with her lover and she felt uneasy about it and she didn’t want to be kept in the dark anymore like she was prior, which prompted her to think Vail was courting this other woman.

Vail studied Sylvia in quiet contemplation as she spoke to Victoria. A day after he’d led his family to the safehouse in Scotland, his short-time fiancée had appeared at the manor doorstep, apparently having tracked them down from England. At first, she’d wanted answers to questions such as what had happened between the Hygraces and the Wynters and why the reigning clan had fled the country in disgrace. With his relatives still licking their wounds in the summer house, Vail had been the one to make her privy to the battle they had lost at the Crest estate and the ambush Mikael had sprung on his family members in their own home. It was at that time that he’d also revealed to her the identity of the woman he’d fallen in love with.

Expectedly, Sylvia had been dumbfounded when she’d learned that he was smitten with a human, and she was even more so when he’d confessed that he had turned Victoria in a desperate attempt to save her from dying. After the initial shock, she had wanted to see the Crest heiress’s body. He’d obliged her, and she’d spoken admiringly about the comatose woman’s beauty. Of course, she had also poked fun at him for falling for a mortal, but he’d expected nothing less of his tongue-in-cheek friend. Before she had left to return to England, he’d mentioned to her the timeframe when Victoria would be due to awaken, which was probably why the other vampire had returned now. Even though they weren’t in love, Sylvia was obviously interested in finding out more about the woman he’d chosen to be with over her. She was competitive enough not to let it go without doing some digging first.

So, when Victoria announced that she wanted to hear the news as well, an amused smile pulled at Lady Macey’s painted lips. “That would certainly save me the responsibility of repeating what I’ve learned to everyone who wants to hear it,” she said approvingly, pleasantly surprised that the other woman was eager to get involved with the battling clans when she had only just woken up from her week-long slumber.

At her comment, though, Vail rolled his eyes. “Oh, don’t, Sylvie. We both know you would pass that responsibility off to me the minute I walked out the door with you.” Not wanting to be the only one still seated, he rose to his full height from the bed to stand beside Victoria. The Crest heiress seemed stable on her feet, so he didn’t bother reaching out to help her stay steady this time. If she stumbled, he had quick enough reflexes to catch her before she could fall anyway.

“Vail,” Sylvia pouted. “You’re going to ruin the stellar first impression I was trying to make on your lover.”

“I’m not going to help you sound more noble than you really are,” he objected dryly.

She sighed exaggeratedly and fixed her crystalline eyes on Victoria, “I ought to thank you. Before you came along, his father wanted me to marry him. You’ve rescued me from a lifetime of putting up with rude comments like that.”

“You’ll learn to tune her out after a while,” Vail whispered to Victoria.

“I heard that, you arse,” Sylvia huffed indignantly and then strode up to the Crest heiress’s other side to link arms with her, flashing the other woman a bright smile. “I would be delighted to accompany you to visit the Hygraces, Victoria. It’s high time we got to know each other better anyway, since I’m sure I’ll be seeing quite a lot of you now that you’re one of us.”

Victoria listened to the banter between the former fiancée’s. It was clear they were good friends to tolerate such comments from one another. It eased her a little when Sylvie referred her to as Vail’s lover. It showed she had accepted that fact and she didn’t seem to regard Victoria in any sort of disdain since learning of Vail’s affections for her. She chortled as Vail softly insulted the woman at not being that noble a person. She had forgotten how dry Vail’s humour could be.

As Sylvie addressed Victoria at saving her from marrying Vail, she blinked. “You’re welcome?” She didn’t really do anything to help Sylvie out specifically but indirectly she had just by capturing Vail’s heart. Although it did not stop Peter from wanting his son to marry Sylvia Macey. Again their banter made her chuckle as Vail jested at Sylvie again for tuning her out and Sylvie called him an arse. “I like her.” Victoria smiled amusedly at Vail as she approached them and linked arms with her.

“Oh? I guess I am part of the vampire collective now… It is going to take some getting used to. And I have a lot of female vampire related questions, so I am glad to have one as a friend.” Victoria stated as she walked with them both out of the bedroom. She leaned a little on Sylvie’s arm to stabilise herself as she walked through her aunt’s house. She had yet to see her Aunt Gillian but it could wait since she was a human and at risk around vampires. “All the vampires I know seem to be male…except for Vail’s mother but I am not entirely sure I will be in her good books right now…” she was anxious to see what Katherine’s reaction to her was going to be. After all she could blame the Crest heiress for bringing the Wynter’s to their door and for what happened to Peter.

They made their way to the summer house where the Hygrace clan had taken refuge to lick their wounds. As soon as they entered, their eyes were upon Victoria, they knew instantly something different about her. She was shocked to see the state of Peter, a shell of his former self. Her eyes sparkled gently with sympathy as they gazed upon Vail’s family. She softly squeezed Vail’s arm she was linked around, showing no sign of backing away from her lover and showing her solidarity and loyalty to him.

“And I shall be happy to answer all the questions you have,” Sylvia chirped as they strode out of the bedroom together. She was eager to have her own questions answered too. Never in her long life had she encountered a human who had been turned into a vampire—at least, not to her knowledge. She was interested in observing Victoria’s transition from mortal to immortal as well as learn more about who she was as a person. Her initial reaction when she’d learned that her life-long friend had fallen for a human hadn’t been so dissimilar from Peter or Katherine’s, since she was afflicted with the same prejudice against their prey as the Hygrace leaders. However, she’d never known Vail to be a fool, so she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt that there was indeed something special about the Crest heiress that made her worthy of a vampire’s love.

As they made their way to the summer house, Sylvia enjoyed chatting with Victoria, content to let the new fledgling use her arm for support while they walked. “I’m not surprised,” she laughed melodically at the other woman’s observation. “Male vampires are drawn to beautiful women like bees to honey, so it makes perfect sense that you would have encountered more of them. Now that you smell more like a Hygrace than a human, you’ll probably start meeting more females like me.”

“She means to say that vampires who share my gender will be less inclined to approach you because you carry my scent,” Vail clarified. He’d kept out of the conversation for the most part to allow Sylvia and Victoria to get to know each other, but he recalled Victoria’s past worry that using his blood to turn her would make them relatives, so he wanted to make sure there was no misunderstanding. The blood that flowed through her veins now was still her own. It had just been cleansed of impurities and altered to carry a vampiric gene after she’d been exposed to his.

“Right, that’s what I said,” Sylvia shrugged dismissively. “And as for Lady Hygrace, we’ll find out when we see her, won’t we?”

They trekked the rest of the way to the summer house, and Vail braced himself to face his family for the first time with Victoria at his side. When they arrived, the rest of the Hygrace clan was sprawled about the room, lounging on furniture and on the floor since there wasn’t enough space for all of them to sit comfortably. By now, all of his cousins who had been injured had recovered fully, so none of them were wounded, but there was still an air of weariness about them. They were emotionally drained after being displaced from their home in London, and they weren’t exactly happy to be sharing a small space, hiding away from the Wynters who had chased them out of England.

It was a veritable den of wolves, and all eyes turned to the trio as they stepped through the door. Even Peter, who was reclining on a chaise lounge beside Katherine, lifted his dull gaze to acknowledge them. The leader of the clan was in obviously poor shape. His shoulders sagged listlessly, his features were expressionless and one leg of his trousers was folded around the stump of his amputated limb. The other members of the family had kept him alive with food and the blood of any wild animals they found around the estate, but there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that if they stopped caring for him, he would most likely let himself wither away to dust. His body had healed from its wounds, but his spirit had been broken by the shock and pain of losing so many members of their clan to Mikael, and that was an injury too deep to mend.

Vail glanced at his cousins, who all seemed to be studying Victoria with a mixture of curiosity, surprise and distrust, before he ventured further into the room toward his parents. As he did, Sylvia fell back slightly, allowing the couple to approach the clan leaders first while she took on the role of observer. Katherine broke the silence to speak first when they drew close.

“I see your human survived that experiment of yours,” she mused with the faintest hint of disappointment in her voice. Her son had been spending so much time at Victoria’s side while she had been dead that she had secretly been hoping the Crest heiress wouldn’t tolerate the transformation. She and the other Hygraces needed him now more than ever, so she was resentful that a mortal was taking up almost all of his time and energy.

“She isn’t a pet, mother, and you’re going to have to get used to her coming around,” Vail replied patiently. “Victoria is one of us now. She isn’t a human, so there is no reason for you to continue treating her like an inferior.”

Katherine parted her lips to respond and then seemed to think better of it. Instead, she turned to her husband and squeezed his hand supportively. “Peter, look,” she said to him gently. “Vail, Sylvia and Victoria are here for a visit.”

Victoria was at least glad to have Sylvia on side. She understood more the fact male vampires would have been drawn to her like Spencer but her half-brother was purely coincidental. She smiled at Vail as he told her that she carried his scent. “Is that how vampire partnerships work? The pairs smell of each other?” She asked him curiously. She knew his scent would be on her when he first bit her but now he wasn’t going to be biting her going forward his scent would come from their intimacy she assumed. She had so many questions surrounding female vampires and their biology, such as breeding cycles that would be awkward asking Vail’s mother about. Particularly when said mother was not very welcoming to the former mortal.

Did Katherine forget that it was humans that fought the Wynters in London to keep the majority of the clan away from the Hygraces and stayed behind to help her family to escape with the Crests? Humans were not inferior at all and now that Victoria was no longer human, she would still not treat them as inferior. She could understand if Katherine was frustrated with her for taking Vail’s attention away from his family but seeing them in such a sorry state made her really question what Vail could have actually done to help them.

Victoria let Vail defend her honour and silently thanked him by squeezing his hand lightly. Her amethyst eyes sparkled radiantly as they gazed upon his parents. She could have quipped back at Katherine for her remarks but she decided to let it slide, Katherine was hurting, suffering. It by no means meant that Victoria would be a pushover in dealing with her lover’s mother but she didn’t wish to argue the toss in front of the entire clan she was trying to become part of. Instead, Katherine should be grateful that her transformation worked so that she did not also have a grieving son to worry about on top of Peter. Vail now had a source of support and sucker from his lover.

Instead Victoria bowed to Lord Peter when Katherine informed him of their arrival. “Lord Hygrace. I am truly sorry for what the Wynters did to you and your family. Rest assured, I will not stop until vengeance has been sought.” Her tone of voice showed she was deadly serious about her resolve and determination to fight not only for herself but for Vail’s family. “You have the allegiance of both the Order of Saints and the Moncourier Clan.” Hopefully that was enough to secure some persuasion from their former alliances to re-join their cause after losing faith in their strength to lead them against the Wynters.

“And Lady Hygrace. Please be assured that I care very deeply for your son. I will do everything in my power to support provide for him.” She looked up at Vail’s taller position. “If he lets me.” She smiled faintly, knowing he was independent enough to take care of himself but giving him that option of wanting her as a significant other, or wife even.

“It’s only one small facet of a relationship, but I suppose you could say that,” Vail shrugged when Victoria asked him about vampire partnerships. “It just happens when you spend a lot of time around someone. Family clans have distinguishing scents and so do intimate couples because of their proximity to one another. I’m sure you’ll start to notice it as you adjust to your new senses.” As a vampire who had lived for over two centuries, he tended to process such details quickly and subconsciously. He didn’t have to wrack his brain to figure out which clan another vampire belonged to or focus hard to figure out which couples were married to each other. The information came to him instinctively, so he didn’t know how long it would take for Lady Crest, as a turned fledgling, to pick up the ability. He assumed she would have to learn how to use her other senses, since he knew humans relied predominantly on their eyesight, and there was no telling how much time that would take.

When they arrived at the summer house and conversed with his mother, Vail appreciated that Victoria didn’t speak out against Katherine for her unnecessary comments. He was well aware that his newly-immortal lover could defend herself—he’d been on the receiving end of her sharp tongue before—but the matriarch of the Hygraces wasn’t thinking clearly. Ever since their clan had been displaced, it had been apparent to him that his mother was suffering just as much as the rest of his family. To lose their home and sense of security was draining even to the leaders, and the fact that not all of them had made it out alive certainly didn’t help either. Katherine had never approved of his love for Victoria, but he suspected she was aiming her grief at the Crest heiress as a misguided outlet.

Softly, he traced his thumb over the back of Victoria’s hand in wordless gratitude as she told his father that she wanted vengeance for what had been done to them. Once again, he was glad that she was standing by his side. After everything the Wynters had done, he was going to need her support as he stepped in to fill his father’s shoes as the acting patriarch of the Hygraces. Katherine wasn’t quite as enthusiastic though. His mother studied the former human quietly for a moment, seeming to decide silently what she thought of her bold assertions before she voiced her opinions out loud.

“Of course I’ll let you,” Vail met Victoria’s gaze as he assured her of her importance to him. However, the moment wasn’t as tender as it could have been as Peter interrupted with a scoff.

“None of that matters,” Lord Hygrace grumbled. “There is nothing any of us can do to stop the Wynters. They’ve already won, so we might as well accept our fate.”

Vail sighed wearily. His father’s morale had reached an all-time low since Mikael had attacked. Every time the subject of the rival clan came up in conversation, the older vampire fell into the same disheartening speeches about how they were doomed to be subjected to the Wynters’ new world order. At first, Vail had tried to encourage him to have hope, but after a while, he’d given up on changing Peter’s mind. It seemed like a fruitless endeavor when the clan leader was so determined to surrender.

“I’m not done fighting until I have nothing left to give,” the Hygrace heir said stubbornly, glancing over his shoulder to beckon Sylvia to come closer. “Lady Macey is here with new word of the Wynters and what they’ve been doing in London since we left. Her family is prepared to help us stop them as well. Between them, the Moncouriers and the Order, we have more than enough support to push back against their tyranny. We only need to gather as much information as we can to determine the best time and place to strike.”

Katherine, who hadn’t lost her spirits like her husband, brightened faintly at that. “What do you have for us, Lady Macey?” she asked, turning to the other female vampire.

“Not as much as I’d like, admittedly, but you may find it useful regardless,” Sylvia confessed with a half-smile. However, instead of launching into her report, she first glanced at Victoria. “Lady Crest had the idea of calling a meeting to inform everyone at once, and I think it’s a fine plan. We need as many heads working together on this as we can get. Would you like someone to fetch your brother?”

Victoria would need time to learn about her other vampire senses. She was looking forwards to Vail teaching her. It would strengthen their bond to even greater depths than a normal human or vampire couple. They had a unique bond now in that Vail quite literally saved her life and transformed her into the beautiful creature she now was. And now it was up to Vail to teach her how to be a vampire. He could mould and shape her into whatever vampire he wanted as a wife. Not that her brother would let him completely take control of her either, he was also there to teach her and bond with her.

She always appreciated any affection Vail gave to her, so his soft touch of his thumb over the back of her hand, was well received with a small glance and a smile. She had no intention of upsetting his parents any more than they were already. She was there for him and his clan. He was her world and would do everything to become part of his world. When Peter interrupted their moment of commitment, Victoria could feel the tension creep into the room between he and his son as Vail sighed at him.

Victoria’s heart sank for Peter. She had been in his position, so downhearted with no hope at all. She never thought she’d smile again after her father’s death. And then Vail gate crashed her birthday party and into her life. She was grateful that he did. As Vail countered his father’s downtrodden statement with one of tenacity. She hadn’t seen this side of Vail very often. She liked that fighting spirit he had within him. It made her admire him even more. She let Vail talk about Sylvie’s involvement and she noticed that Katherine treated her much nicer than her, but that was to be expected since they chose Lady Macey in the first instance but Vail didn’t want that.

Victoria welcomed Sylvie’s offer of retrieving her brother. “Yes please and his father Francois, he’s the head of their clan.” She requested of Sylvie. When that someone was sent to fetch the missing allies. She felt bad for not involving her mother but she didn’t want to bring her into a crowd of vampires. Whilst she waited for James and his father to turn up, she took this opportunity to try to get through to Peter. “Lord Hygrace…” She gently stepped forward toward him. “All is not lost. I thought that nothing mattered once…when I lost my father. I thought my heart would never mend. But your son gave me reason to live. And when the Wynters rendered me so weak and fragile, you offered me sanctuary when I could have perished. You and your family gave me hope. And now I’m here to give you and your family hope.” She knew it would fall on deaf ears, the words of a former mortal would not mean too much to the clan patriarch but she had to try to get through to him as he was likely going to be her future father in law. And she missed her father so much, she wanted a relationship with a father in law.

When James and Francois arrived, they bowed gracefully to the Hygraces. James addressed Lady Macey directly with a kiss to the back of her hand, laying on the charm. “Enchante ma chere. Je suis James.” He introduced himself to the lovely maiden as Victoria noticed her brother’s charming behaviour. It looked like she would have to battle for his attention as he would have to battle Vail for hers. Francois introduced himself with the same level of charm to Sylvie and to Lady Katherine alike.

James approached Victoria and sighed contently at seeing her alive and well. “My dear sister…how relieved I am to see you still live. Being immortal certainly becomes you. Vail must think he is the luckiest man in the world to have you on his arm.” He made her smile coyly.

Sylvia nodded and turned away to make the request of one of the Hygrace cousins, and Vail glanced over his shoulder as Audrey left the room to fetch James and Francois. He was grateful that his former fiancée was being so supportive of Victoria. Even though he wouldn’t let his family’s disapproval persuade him to stop being with her, it was draining to constantly be on the defense around people who thought they were mad. He knew Sylvia probably wasn’t as wholeheartedly pleased that he’d chosen to be with a woman who’d been mortal when they’d met, but at least she was trying not to let her prejudice influence her opinion of the Crest heiress. It was nice to have one voice on their side in a room full of vampires who believed he was making a mistake.

He turned back to Victoria as she spoke to his father. It was unlikely that she would get through to Peter—he and his mother had tried for a week to no avail—but it still warmed him to see that she cared enough to try to reignite his hope. He leaned his shoulder gently into hers when his father didn’t respond to her heartfelt words. Despite her valiant effort, the clan leader was unmoved. His grief and guilt had consumed him, and it would take far more than seven days to repair the damage the emotions had done to him internally. “He’ll come back to us eventually,” he assured her in a hushed tone and squeezed her hand. He had no idea how long it could take, but he felt confident that his father was strong enough to get through this trying time; and now that Victoria was a vampire too, she would live long enough to see it.

When the Moncouriers arrived, Vail turned away from his parents to watch as they greeted his family with all the grace and charisma of the French. Sylvia seemed especially pleased when James kissed her hand. Her features lit up, and her lips curled upward in a pleased smile. “Sylvia Macey. Charmed,” she introduced herself in return. As soon as James had turned away from her to approach Victoria, she turned to Vail with a grin and pointed at the other vampire, mouthing silently: ‘I like him.’

Vail rolled his eyes at his friend’s antics. Sylvia had always had a weakness for Frenchmen, finding their accents and romantic overtures enchanting. He wouldn’t have been surprised if she spent the rest of her visit showering James with questions about himself interjected with coy compliments and flirtatious touches to the arm. He had no stake in who she chose to be with, though, so he didn’t comment on it as James spoke to his half-sister. Instead, a soft smile alighted on his lips as the other vampire flattered his lover. “I don’t think; I know I am,” he looked down at her fondly. She was undeniably the most beautiful woman in the room, and she brought out qualities in him that he hadn’t even known he’d had. He wouldn’t want anyone else on his arm for as long as he lived.

“Right, now that everyone is here, I ought to give my sorry speech,” Sylvia announced, looking a little pink after Francois greeted her in the same charming manner as his son had. She could have had either one of the Moncouriers and been perfectly happy, since the father was equally as handsome as his son. Stepping closer to the others, she cleared her throat and relayed her news, “I only know what I’ve seen around the city, but I can tell you all that the Wynters are taking full advantage of their recent triumph over the Hygrace clan. They’re parading about, declaring themselves the new head dynasty in England and demanding the loyalty of every other clan in the country. Anyone who opposes them is to be considered an enemy and is threatened violently until they submit to the ‘new order’—that’s what they’re calling it. I’ve already seen it twice. Vampires who belong to clans that still side with the Hygraces are attacked in the streets while they’re out to hunt. The Wynters bludgeon them cruelly, but they don’t kill them, so they can crawl back to their families as a message to the rest. A few more clans have joined them because they’re afraid of what the Wynters will do if they continue to stand in their way.

“They didn’t have to bully everyone though. Quite a few clans knelt at their feet as soon as they announced that they’d run the Hygraces out of England. I’m certain that they’re gathering forces to wage war against the humans. The Wynters have always believed that vampires deserve to reign over them, since they are our prey, and now that they’ve won the authority to lead the rest of the clan in the country, they’re making strides toward building their utopia. If those warmongers have their way, things are only going to get bloodier from here.”

Lady Crest knew full well that Peter was devastated and that only time could heal his wounded heart. She knew Vail appreciated her efforts when he leaned into her shoulder. She nodded when Vail told her he would come back to them eventually and returned the squeeze of his hand. Their bond was true and could be seen by all of his family that Victoria was here to stay for him despite being looked at as a freak and outsider. “Time is a healer.” She replied to Vail’s statement.

Victoria chuckled at Sylvie’s reaction to her half-brother’s charms. Indeed, he was very charming. But he was also genuinely caring toward his family and was accepting of Vail as his sister’s chosen lover. James was used to women throwing themselves at his feet. And although single, he wasn’t actively looking for a long-term mate yet as he was only a young vampire himself at the age of twenty four. Easily two hundred years Sylvie’s junior and as such, he was considered out of her league. Lady Macey was also a noble and James was not considered a Lord because his father was not, although he was the son of Lady Diana Crest.

James grinned as Vail countered his remarks of his sister’s loveliness. “Ah touche!” He chuckled as Victoria smiled modestly up at Vail as he looked upon her with that warmth in his eyes that she had brought out in him. At first, she did not think she could charm the vampire into feeling such a way for her and it wasn’t her original intention until the first moment his tongue touched her fair skin in his first attempt to drink her blood. That very intimate act in itself awoken something within her, a primal desire for a male partner.

She listened intently to Sylvie’s information report and digested it carefully. “So they are amassing an army ready for total dominance over humanity. This is what the Saints were afraid of.” She sighed and pondered the situation. “What news is there from the Order?” She looked around at them all. Nobody had heard anything from them. “Has no-one heard from them at all?” She asked as James and Francois both shook their heads. She felt a swelling despair, her heart leaped into her throat. Were Ray and Gerald dead?

“Perhaps they are in hiding. Risking any communication with us may lure the Wynters here or back to them.” James tried to inject some positivity into his sister. She nodded slowly but it did not stop her eyes well up with tears of sadness. “Maybe…” She murmoured. “Then I’m going back to find them. The Wynters will not know my new scent. They won’t know the Moncouriers scent very well either." It sounded like Victoria had made up her mind on what she wanted to do next, regardless of the danger or Vail’s permission to let her. She’d always been brave from the outset, as Vail knew from the moment she distracted him from his prey the second night they had met.