When Victoria tried to warn him, Vail looked away from her, letting his gaze wander over the nearby alleys. He knew the risks, but he had to admit it was a little late for her advice now. Over the last week, her blood had come into his thoughts more often than he’d like to say. It was a different kind of craving, mental instead of physical. Even though he wasn’t really in a place where he felt like he needed to feed again, he wanted to bite her anyway. He was probably already a little addicted to the drug inside her veins, if he was honest. Just the thought of drawing even a trickle out of her again sent his heart racing with excitement. If that wasn’t addiction, he didn’t know what was.

When it came to Spencer, he wasn’t overly concerned either. He knew he should have been, since feeding on the rival vampire’s bride-to-be was quite taboo, but he had already landed himself in that hole after the first time he’d preyed on her. There was nothing he could do to change that, so he supposed he might as well lean into it. Was it the smartest idea? Probably not, but at the moment he cared more about satisfying his lust for her blood than he did about keeping a Wynter happy. He would just have to accept whatever consequences came with his poor decision later, if her fiancé found out.

As they got closer to the Crest manor, Vail noticed that Victoria’s arms had begun to tremble beneath the weight of the boxes. He eyed her carefully, like a wolf chasing down a tired gazelle. It was only a matter of time before she had to drop the silver, and then he would have her. However, it seemed he wouldn’t have to fight her into submission. His eyes flicked up to meet hers again as she suddenly seemed to consider his request. Her words caught him off guard though. What was in it for [i]her[/i]? The question was amusing. He’d never had prey try to bargain with him before, as if the bite was a transaction fee necessary to acquire something more valuable. What could she want from a reclusive vampire anyway?

When she finally caved and set the boxes down, Vail slowed to a stop nearby but didn’t make any moves to touch her. He might have sought her out because he wanted to feed on her, but he wasn’t anywhere close to becoming frenzied. Now that it sounded like she was contemplating coming with him willingly, he no longer felt like he needed to pounce either. He could endure a simple conversation if it meant he would be feasting on her sweet blood at the end of it.

As Victoria explained that she wasn’t going to keep letting him indulge for free, he supposed her wager was fair. Most of the time when he was hunting, he would take a victim once and be done with them. This was the first time he was pursuing the same woman twice—at least, intentionally—and he had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last time either. Perhaps if he struck a deal with her, he could manage to persuade her to let him feed on her more regularly, so he could keep that potent drug pumping through his system all the time. His mouth watered at the thought. All that was left was to think of something the Lady might want in return.

He was just about to consider it when she spoke again, flashing him that mischievous smile of hers. Her sultry words gave him pause too. Though he was more private with his thoughts than she was, he couldn’t deny that he found it rather flattering that someone like her [i]enjoyed[/i] his touch enough that she would desire to tell him. His gaze swept over her in a primal manner. Somehow, knowing that just made him feel drawn to her all the more.

“Which is why we’ll go somewhere else,” Vail expressed with a smile when she pointed out that their current location was too open. He was quite pleased with how the night was turning out. As long as he could make a deal with the Lady that suited her fancy, he would be able to go home full and satisfied.

“Was there something in particular you wanted from me when you asked?” he inquired, deciding she might as well tell him what she was after instead of making him guess at it. “If it’s something within my capabilities, I’m sure we could… come to an agreement.”