Fortunately for Vail, it seemed his guess about his injury had been right. When he woke up the next night, the burns on his shoulder had already healed over with fresh, pink skin, and they no longer pained him enough to be of any concern. He was glad he hadn’t gotten shot again. A graze of silver over his coat had been nothing compared to the ordeal of removing a bullet from his flesh. The recovery was much more bearable too. As long as he didn’t chafe the tender area, he would be able to function normally by tomorrow.

Climbing down from his bed, he cleaned himself up and got dressed. Now that he’d had some proper sleep, he had to consider what he was going to do about Victoria Crest. Everything was up in the air after what had happened last night, and he was no longer sure if she was worthy of his trust. Seeing her with that Saint had threaded strands of doubt in his perception of her. As much as he wanted to believe she had been innocent in the plot, he couldn’t be too careful. The fact of the matter was that she had been present when two separate members of the Order had attacked him.

But she had helped him escape both times too.

Vail groaned, collapsing on the chaise lounge in his room and throwing his arm over his face in frustration. Distantly, he heard a knock on the front door of the manor, but he didn’t bother getting up to answer it. Considering the late hour, it was probably just another refugee seeking sanctuary from the Order. His father would handle it.

Currently, his thoughts were plagued with unsated questions and decisions about Victoria. Despite what had happened, he couldn’t deny that there was a part of him that wanted to continue their contract. He lusted after the taste of her blood; he craved to hear her the pleasure in her voice; he longed to smell the sweetness of her pheromones. She made him as drunk as fine wine, and he soaked in every second of it. Even if it was risky, he knew he was going to be drawn to seek her out again. The only problem was that he no longer knew how to get ahold of her.

His judgement may have been clouded by addiction, but he wasn’t a fool. He knew the Saint who had attacked him wouldn’t give up after just one failed attempt. He probably had something else planned, another trap baited and set, just lying in wait for the vampire to stumble into its snares. If he wanted to feed on Victoria’s blood again, he was going to have to outfox the cursed man who was guarding her. He sighed. It looked like he was going to have to come up with yet another plan.

Suddenly, another knock interrupted his thoughts. This one was louder, on his own bedroom door. It sounded urgent too.

Vail sat up on the chaise, wondering who needed him this time. “Yes?” he called. Since he hadn’t bothered to light any lanterns tonight, he decided to let the person on the other side know he was already awake.

There wasn’t even a pause before the door opened, and Peter marched inside. His jaw was set in irritation, and he knitted his brows as his gaze fell on his son. He was upset about something, but Vail didn’t need to ponder over what before his father asked him point blank: “What have you been doing with Alexander’s daughter?”

The younger Hygrace bit down on his tongue to keep himself from blanching. “What are you talking about?” he asked, feigning confusion though his mind was reeling. How had Peter found out about them? He wasn’t even going out tonight. There shouldn’t have been anything to tip him off.

His father narrowed his eyes. “Don’t play dumb, Vail,” he growled. To his son’s further bewilderment, he held up an envelope. “A messenger just delivered this for a Lord [i]Griffiths[/i]. You told me that was the name you gave Lady Crest when you met her.”

Vail flinched this time, telling Peter everything he needed to know.

“What are you [i]thinking[/i]?” the head of the Hygraces raised his voice, struggling to contain his anger. “I warned you about this! You know we aren’t to touch any member or the Crest family. If anyone else in the Order finds out, they’ll kill you.” He stopped abruptly, his glare sharpening as he seemed to make a new connection. “Is this why you were shot before?”

Vail hesitated before he gave a reluctant nod.

“I don’t believe this,” Peter raked his hands through his hair. “You’re supposed to be the next head of this family, Vail, but I’m beginning to wonder if you’re mature enough to handle that responsibility. To do something so… so [i]asinine[/i]! What on earth could have possibly possessed you to think this was a good idea?”

“Why are [i]you[/i] still so hellbent on complying with the Order at all?” Vail snapped abruptly, standing up from the lounge. “You said it yourself: They haven’t been upholding their end of the deal anymore. Why should they expect us to turn a blind eye to them when they’ll just shoot us in the other?” He averted his gaze. “I know you want to follow in uncle’s footsteps, but I think you’re taking this treaty too far, father.”

Peter fell quiet, seeming to consider his words. However, his glare returned in the next moment. “And how will getting involved with the Crest heiress solve that?” he asked in a dangerously quiet tone.

Vail shifted his weight. “We’ve… formed our own treaty,” he said, picking his words carefully. “Just like you did with her father. She’s been getting more involved with the Order since Alexander’s death, and I believe she’ll be a valuable ally once she rises in their ranks.”

That was complete bullshit. Really, all he wanted was to keep feeding on her blood, but he needed to give a better excuse than that if he wanted to hang onto any sliver of a chance of seeing her again. Luckily, the reason he gave seemed to satisfy his father’s paranoia.

Peter pursed his lips, “Are you sure she’s trustworthy?”

“Absolutely,” Vail nodded again. Another bullshit lie. He was less certain about Victoria’s loyalties than ever before after she’d nearly gotten him killed in the Saint’s trap last night. However, the thought of never seeing her again was enough for the deceit to flow off his tongue like honey.

His father paused again, considering. “Alright,” he finally sighed. “I don’t like it, but you’re right. The Order isn’t what it used to be. If you’re certain the Crest girl can help us, then I won’t stop you.” He held out the letter. “Here. I believe she wants you to meet with her.”

Vail felt his shoulders fall with relief. Though he was a little guilt-ridden for lying to Peter’s face so easily, he was glad he would be able to keep meeting with Victoria. He reached out to take the envelope, but his father pulled it out of reach.

“Just one more word of advice,” the older Hygrace said slowly. “I’ve heard that Alexander’s daughter is quite an attractive woman… Don’t let yourself be charmed by her beauty.” He held out the letter again. “Falling for a human is a dangerous game, Vail. You would be wise to guard your heart.”

Vail bit his lip. “I know,” he murmured, taking the envelope from his father’s hand. It was the same warning he’d been repeating to himself since the day he made his pact with her. “Our relationship is strictly business.”

Another lie? He wasn’t sure this time.

“Good,” Peter stepped back over to the door. “Just make sure it stays that way.” With that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving his son to prepare for the walk alone.

--

A couple hours after their conversation, Vail found himself heading through the dark streets of London once again. He adjusted his coat to better warm him against the chill wind, curious to find out what would happen when he faced Victoria tonight. His guard was raised higher than usual as he traveled to The Shire—the inn that had been outlined in the letter his father had given to him—and he frequently glanced over his shoulder to make sure he wasn’t being followed.

Despite the confidence he’d portrayed to Peter, he had no idea if it was a good idea for him to follow these instructions or not. The fact that he’d been addressed as Griffiths meant the message had come from Lady Crest in some fashion, but he still didn’t know if she was on his side or the Order’s. There was a chance she was trying to lead him into another trap, and for that reason, he would not let her catch him unawares. He’d brought his pistol. If he arrived in another room with a Saint, he knew he had the faster draw.

After a while of walking, Vail arrived at the inn. From the outside, it looked harmless enough, and he couldn’t smell silver in the air. If there was any, it had to have been a small amount. He stepped inside, relieved to escape the cold.

Right away, the barmaid picked him out. “Lord Griffiths?” she queried, looking him over as he closed the door. It was a reasonable enough assumption that no one else would have stopped by this late aside from the man she’d been told to wait for.

“That’s right,” Vail confirmed, striding over to the bar. Even from the front of the building, he could detect a trace of Victoria’s pheromones. She was nearby. “I take it you were expecting me?”

“Yes,” the barmaid’s eyes swept down and up as she ogled him rather indiscreetly. He could tell his pheromones were affecting her in their close proximity. If he had been hunting, she would have been easy prey. She went on, “Your wife told me you were coming. She’s waiting just upstairs in room two.”

[i]Wife?[/i] Vail blinked.

“Thank you,” he dipped his head to her politely, deciding it was safer not to question it. With a location now, he made his way up to the designated room and stopped outside the door. From what he could sense, it seemed Victoria was alone on the other side. However, she’d been alone when he’d found her in the basement of the Saint’s house too. He proceeded cautiously.

Not bothering to knock, he stepped into the room, his light eyes roving over the small space in a thorough check for anything that could be part of a trap. It appeared innocent enough. He closed the door, but continued to linger by the exit, just in case he needed to make a quick escape.

“Care to explain what happened last night?” he asked with a hint of dryness as his gaze landed on Victoria. At the very least, he wanted answers from her. How she responded would tell him quite a bit about her involvement in the Saint’s plan too. If she was dodgy, he would know for sure that she was on the Order’s side. He remained quiet as he awaited her reply.