It took quite some time for Vail to pick up Victoria’s scent, but eventually, he caught a trace of her perfume among the streets of Whitechapel. A few small droplets of her blood on the ground was all it took for him to track her down. He smiled to himself as he followed the faint trail of pheromones that still lingered in the air. Careless of her to let herself get injured when she was trying to flee from a predator who hunted by smell. Now that he had a concrete lead, it wouldn’t be much longer before he figured out where she was hiding. Then he would have her all to himself. He licked his lips in anticipation.

Closer to her now, he proceeded with a bit more caution than before. As eager as he was to catch the Lady, he also remembered that he had found her consorting with Saints before. It wasn’t a far stretch to say that she might have run to them for help. He didn’t want to assume she had planned her escape alone and wind up with a bullet through the heart as a reward for his carelessness. He’d lived long enough to know better than that.

Eventually, the pheromone trail took him to a house he’d never been to before. Vail hesitated outside of it. His guess that she’d sought aid seemed to have been right. However, he was still unsure if she had found refuge with a member of the Order or just a friend. He inhaled deeply, taking in the scents both in and around the building. He was certain now that this was where she was—the aroma of her perfume and blood were easy for him to pick up—but he could also detect a hint of silver on the breeze. She was with the Saints after all.

He clicked his tongue, staying put where he was as he debated how to proceed. If she had told the Saints about him, they would be expecting him to come after her. However, the thought of turning back now irked him. He didn’t want to let her go after all the work he’d put in to keeping her around. She was [i]his[/i] prey. If he had to get past a barrier or two to get her back, then so be it.

With renewed determination, Vail trespassed on the property, following Victoria’s smell to a cellar door around the back. Her fragrance was strong, but it was the only one he picked up. He swept his tongue across his teeth. It seemed he’d arrived at the perfect time, because she was alone. [i]Got you.[/i]

Not wanting to wait around for her Order friends to realize he was here, he performed a quick sweep of the area and descended into the basement. When he neared the bottom, he faltered. Instead of finding Victoria in hiding as he’d thought, she was face down on the floor with her limbs tied to a chair. He eyed the scene warily, red flags raising in the back of his head. It was hard to tell if she had been taken against her will or if this was all just some elaborate trap. Whatever was going on, he wasn’t about to let any Saints get the best of him.

“What happened to you?” he asked, taking a few cautious steps into the basement. He stuck close to the wall, angling his head to keep the stairs in his sight. Just because they were alone now didn’t mean they would be for long. He intended to be prepared if he needed to run.