When Victoria argued with him about his injury, Vail rolled his eyes. Though it was a nuisance to get shot, the bullets were never fatal unless they touched the heart. He understood that to a human, it would have been shocking, but he had survived plenty worse than a hit to the shoulder. Besides that, he was already far along in the healing process from what he could tell. The constant ache in his shoulder had subsided, and it no longer pained him to move his arm. While a part of that was probably because he had just fed, he was certain he was recovering at a rapid pace. In a week, it would be as if he had never been shot to begin with.

As the Lady suggested that he should try to control his frenzy, he couldn’t stop the short laugh that escaped his lips. “It’s not that simple,” he expressed, folding his arms over his chest. “A frenzy is a [i]loss[/i] of control. If I could prevent it, I would, but unfortunately, that’s not how it works.” He flashed her an amused smile. “You came across me when I hadn’t fed recently enough to stay in control. I’m sure Spencer is hunting regularly if he’s able to remain as calm as you say, otherwise he would be even more dangerous than I was.”

“Besides that,” his smile turned into a smirk. “[i]You[/i] were the one who instigated it. I had no intention of coming after you until you waved your blood right under my nose. A move like that would have driven any vampire mad.” Until tonight, he had been trying to stay away from her, since he didn’t want to become a target of the Order by attacking the Crest heiress. Obviously, that plan had since been torn apart and thrown out the window. It was too late to take back what he’d done now. Even if he could, he wasn’t sure he wanted to. Her blood had been like nothing he’d ever tasted before, and he would feed on it again in a heartbeat if he had the chance. After he’d experienced it for himself, it seemed worth risking the wrath of the Saints.

When Victoria said she was glad she could help him, Vail nodded. He wasn’t sure she’d had much of a choice in helping him, since he’d had her pinned to the ground at the time, but he certainly appreciated her compliance. It had been much easier than relying on overpowering her to land a bite. Usually when he went hunting, his prey was either too woozy to fight back after spending enough time exposed to his pheromones or he would have to wrestle them into submission. There had never been an in-between before. It had been a rather pleasant change of pace. He licked his lips at the thought.

As Victoria finally bade him goodnight, Vail returned her curtsey with an elegant bow. “Sleep well, My Lady,” he said, wishing her well. When he straightened again, the mischievous look he saw on her face took him by surprise. It was unexpectedly alluring, quite different from the sweet and gentle expressions most Ladies wore in that day and age. He found that he liked the spirit behind it.

“And I as well,” he agreed genuinely. Apart from her unique blood, there was something appealing about Victoria that made him feel drawn to seek her out again. Unfortunately, it would be quite a while before he would have the chance. Now that he had been sufficiently fed, he needed to return to the Hygrace manor, where the rest of his family was hidden away from the world and where he would be safe from the Order.

Somehow, it felt just a bit lonelier than before.

“Have a good night,” he said softly, turning to walk back to his own home now that Lady Crest had been returned to hers.