Vail could feel Victoria tremble as he held her in his arms. He was unsure if his effort to comfort her was helping or not, but he remained where he was regardless. Even if she didn’t feel better because of it, he also enjoyed the warmth of her body and the smell of her perfume up close. He leaned a little closer to her involuntarily, drawn by the pleasure she brought to his senses. Though what he wanted most was her blood, these other aspects of their meeting were appealing to him too. Just being around her was satisfying, and her presence was becoming relaxing instead of unpleasant as it had been before.

As Victoria tried to warn him away again, Vail exhaled. She seemed determined to convince him that he was making a mistake by helping her, but in his opinion, it was far too late to change course. He’d already broken the truce between the Crests and the Hygraces by feeding on her the first time. If he was to be killed for anything, that event was already the nail in his coffin. Besides that, he was truly concerned about what the Wynters were doing with the Order. The rival clan had tried to massacre his family once before, and he wouldn’t put it past them to try again. Now that they were collaborating with Saints, he was rather sure that the Hygraces were in danger whether he had ruined the pact or not.

At her following comment that he was only interested in her blood, Vail felt a bit stung. Their deal had started out that way, certainly, but it was becoming more than that to him. The more they met together, the more attracted he was to the thought of being around her—not just as prey, but as someone whose company he genuinely enjoyed. Somehow, knowing that she thought he just saw her as a piece of meat made him upset.

When Victoria pulled away from him, Vail watched her approach the fireplace without moving from where he stood. He could sense her dejection in the way she moved and spoke. She was obviously struggling with the position she had been put in by everyone else around her. It was only natural. From the conversations they’d had, it sounded like she’d had a good life before her father died. Now, she was being pushed and pulled between three warring groups that all wanted her for themselves. It wasn’t an easy position for anyone to be forced into.

He was just considering what to say to her when his thoughts suddenly derailed as she removed her cloak to reveal that she hadn’t been wearing anything underneath. His eyes swept over her bare figure, entranced by the sight. She really was a beautiful woman. He ran his tongue hungrily across his fangs. He was tempted to do as she said and feed on her while he had the chance. Just thinking about being able to have her however he wanted made his mouth water.

With his gaze still fixed on her body, Vail stepped over to the fireplace and circled around to stop in front of her. The faint aroma of her blood from the most recent bite made his heartbeat increase. However, instead of searching her for a fleshy place to feed, he rested his hands softly on her hips, his eyes flicking up to meet hers. “You’re so tormented by them,” he said quietly, observing the anguish in her features. “Why go back at all? What good will come from letting them keep you caged up in your room?”

The intoxicating smell of her close-up pheromones muddled his thoughts, but he still wanted to get his point across. The Order was bullying too many people. Their reign of terror needed to be brought to an end. “I don’t think you should stop fighting just because there are more of them,” he insisted, bringing one hand up to the back of her neck to keep her fixed on him as he spoke. “If they’ll just lock you up until you’re forced to marry Spencer, don’t go.”