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.”
“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.”