As a silence fell over the room, Vail wondered what was on Victoria’s mind that had caused her to go quiet. She looked complacent enough, laying on the chaise lounge. It was strange for him to see his prey in such a calm state, especially when she was still in her assailant’s midst. Her peaceful features made him relax as well, and he leaned into the cushioned backrest to get comfortable while he waited for her wound to begin healing from the bite. As much as he enjoyed conversing with her, he found the silence to be soothing and didn’t feel the need to interrupt it. Instead, he let his own mind wander as he cleaned her blood from his chin and jaw.

After his close call with Peter that evening, he was starting to ponder how long he would be able to keep his meetings with Victoria a secret from the rest of his family. He had no intention of breaking off their pact before she died, which probably gave him at least thirty more years to feed on her. That was a long time to hide the deal they had made, and his father had already almost discovered him within the first week of it. He winced at the thought of telling the Hygrace clan head that he had let himself become so addicted to Lady Crest’s blood. He would never understand… Although, really, Vail wasn’t sure if he would have supported it either if he stood in Peter’s shoes. He knew he was being reckless, but he couldn’t help himself. He’d already been ensnared. There was no undoing what had been done.

[i]Such as my agreement to kill Spencer,[/i] he reminded himself, absently letting his gaze drift over Victoria’s smooth legs. His end of their deal was still unfinished, but he wasn’t sure how to go about completing it. He’d never gone after one of his own before. The only vampires who attacked other vampires were the Wynters. He tapped his index finger contemplatively against Lady Crest’s waist. If he wanted to do this right, he was going to have to get into the mindset of a group he disliked more than anyone else.

Deciding he might as well tell her what he’d come up with since their last encounter, Vail cleared his throat. “I’ve been thinking,” he started, turning to meet her gaze, though he doubted she could see his eyes. “If I’m going to help you get rid of Lord Spencer, you’ll need to do something for me.” He kept his voice close to a whisper as he spoke. It was unlikely that anyone would have found them and eavesdropped on their conversation, but he couldn’t help being cautious when he voiced the murder of his own kind. His hushed tone had more to do with his guilt than his fear of being caught.

“Your fiancé has just as sensitive of a nose as I do. If I get even remotely close to him, he’ll know. So,” he shifted slightly on the lounge. “I’ll need you to bar his senses, so to speak. If you wear a strong enough perfume or even nick your finger so it bleeds, he should focus on you instead of me. Then I can get close enough to help you in whatever way you need me to.” He shrugged, using nonchalance to mask his discomfort with the plan. “Does that sound like something you can do?”