The deal had been struck, and Lady Victoria belonged to Lord Hygrace now. Vail circled around to her other side, keeping her in his sight like a lion sizing up its prey. He could tell that his pheromones were finally starting to affect her, though it had taken quite a while for her to give in. No matter the inconvenience, this outcome was far better than what he had been expecting when he’d first left his family’s manor that night. Before, he had thought he would just hunt her down once, perhaps with some force if she resisted. Instead, he had found himself in a position where he could come back to her as much as he wished and drink her blood to his heart’s content. He could already feel his pulse quicken in his eagerness to receive his end of the bargain.

“That will do,” Vail agreed when Victoria told him about the summer house. He didn’t much care where they went as long as it was out of sight, so the Saint she had mentioned wouldn’t catch him preying on her. Now that he was going to be using her more often, he needed to start treading more carefully. He didn’t want this trade of theirs to become the reason he fell victim to the hunters. If all went well, his encounters with the Lady would be but a small chapter in the span of his immortal life.

As she led him up to the protective gates of the Crest manor, Vail followed ardently. “They will,” he admitted when she sighed about the hindrance. “But none will approach you as long as you’re with me… Perhaps not even if you smell like me.” Though their deal hadn’t included his protection from other vampires, he supposed it was going to be part of his offer nonetheless. As long as she carried the remnants of his scent on her person, most of his kind wouldn’t dare approach her. The only clan she might have to worry about were the Wynters, who weren’t deterred by the Hygraces like all the rest.

Passing through the gates, he waited for her to drop off the boxes she’d been carting before they continued on to the summer house. Without the silver between them, he was free to stride closer to her than before, enjoying her feminine perfume as an exhilarating precursor before he would turn her into his prey behind closed doors.

At Victoria’s question, Vail shrugged. “Many things,” he said, glancing at her as he answered. “Most of the time, I read books or practice different forms of art like painting or playing instruments. Individual pastimes are the only option I have unless I can find a reason to leave the manor.” He looked away from her, letting his eyes rove over the grounds of the estate. She had asked him quite a bit about himself, but he had yet to show any interest in who she was. He decided he might as well try to get to know her better, since they were going to be spending so much time together in the near future.

“You seem more knowledgeable than other women I’ve met before,” he observed. “In what areas were you educated?”