Unprepared for Victoria’s sudden reaction, Vail tensed as she jumped. He had known his abrupt appearance would startle her, but not enough that she would drop the boxes in her arms. The loud crash they made as they hit the ground was jolting. However, his flinch was slight, and he recovered quickly to prevent her from noticing, standing aside while she collected both herself and the cargo that had slipped out of her delicate arms. If the boxes had contained anything but silver, he might have offered to help her gather them, but as it was, he didn’t want to get any closer to the ammo than he had to. Even being nearby was repulsing, since the metallic smell hung so thickly in the air, but his lust for her blood was just strong enough to keep him from backing down.

When she called him nosy, Vail just lifted his shoulders in response. Truthfully, he didn’t care what she was doing with the silver, since she had made it clear that she wouldn’t attack him out of respect for her father’s truce. He had just struck up the conversation as an excuse to stay close to her. He did find it interesting that she was arming herself against her fiancé though. It seemed she wasn’t as willing to accept her fate as he’d thought. An amused smile tugged at the corner of his lip. The Wynter who had chosen to marry her might find himself in over his head if she learned how to use silver weapons properly.

As the Lady continued to walk home, he trailed along at her side. “You could say that,” he answered vaguely when she asked if he was hunting. He didn’t want to scare her off or cause her to defend herself if she realized he was here to hunt [i]her[/i]. The quicker he could make the ordeal, the better, but unfortunately, she continued to press him with further questions.

“Take it as you will,” he murmured, his gaze drifting warily down to the silver in her arms once more. Those boxes were the only thing standing between him and his prey. He wanted them gone, but it was probably going to take some effort to get rid of them. He could tell she was avoiding eye contact with him. She must have figured out that it was one of the ways he lured his victims in, which made it all the more difficult for him to get her to let her guard down.

As Victoria warned him about the nearby Saint, Vail wavered. As much as he wanted to feed on her again, he could still feel the ghost of the bullet that had struck him in the shoulder. He didn’t want to get caught a second time. [i]However…[/i] His eyes wandered to her neck, and he swallowed. Now that he knew the member of the Order was out there, it would be easier to avoid him. He was sure he could get away with preying on the Lady if he was careful enough. All he had to do was take her someplace where the Saint wouldn’t find them.

“Is that so?” he queried, forcing himself to walk a little closer to her in the hopes of coaxing her to look up at him. Her feminine smell mingled with the silver, making his heartbeat quicken with anticipation. Even if it wasn’t safe, he knew he still wanted to feed on her.

“Good of him to help you,” he went on, his hazel eyes sweeping over her hungrily. “But I’m sure he won’t be a problem…” Having lingered around her for a while now, he decided to try to push his boundaries a little more. “You know, those boxes you’re carrying look heavy. Maybe you should set them down for a minute or two… Give your arms a break. I know a place nearby where you could rest, if you’re interested.”