“Of course,” Vail murmured when Victoria asked him to stay. Even if she hadn’t made the request, he couldn’t bring himself to leave her alone when she was in such a dismal state. At the very least, he was going to wait with her long enough to make sure she was able to get back to her family’s manor without collapsing again. He cared about her too much to do anything less. It went against reason, he knew, but reason had long since fled from him, only to be replaced with the convincing presence of emotions he had never experienced before. A protectiveness for the fragile human in his arms planted him firmly in the summer house. He would not be going anywhere unless he had to that night.

Gently, he stroked the edge of her pale jaw with his thumb, careful not to disturb her rest. It astounded him how deeply his possessiveness of her ran when they hadn’t known each other for more than a few weeks—just a speck on his immortal timeline. Yet, here he was, prepared to spend however many hours he needed to ensure she would not be alone while she recovered from the weakness that had overtaken her body. It was a peculiar thought. He had never cared about anyone this much before, except, perhaps, for his own family, for whom he would gladly give his life to keep safe. They had been part of his life far longer than she had though.

Absently, he let his hazel eyes drift away from her slumbering face to the window. There was nothing for him to do aside from wait for her to wake up, but he was patient enough. Besides, he had come to enjoy being in her presence, even if the time was filled with silence. She had a soothing quality about her that helped him to relax and simply be content in the company of his own thoughts. He closed his eyes, passing the minutes just listening to the crackling fire and sensing the rhythmic beat of her heart. It was a peaceful moment.

Unfortunately, it couldn’t last long enough.

Only about five minutes had passed before the vampire’s eyes opened again. In the distance, he could hear the frantic shouting of voices. The Saints must have realized the Crest heiress was gone. Muscles tense with apprehension, he turned toward the door as if he expected it to burst open at any second. It was only a matter of time before the hunters found them here. The glowing candlelight in the window and the rolling smoke from the chimney would surely give them away if it hadn’t already. He muttered a curse under his breath.

In the next instant, his attention snapped back to Victoria, who had noticed the sound as well and woken up. She pleaded with him with a desperation that caught him off guard, although he supposed he couldn’t expect anything less. The members of the Order had willingly let Spencer drain her almost to death in his voracious thirst for her blood. Of course she wouldn’t want to go back to them. He parted his lips to assure her that he wouldn’t let them take her, but before he could speak a word, she stopped him with the burning fury in her normally bright blue eyes.

When she explained that Gerald was the one who had killed her father, Vail blinked in surprise. He had been sure that the Wynter was the one who had murdered the former head of the Crests. However, there wasn’t time to question any of her claims now. The longer they stayed put in the lodge, the more time the hunters had to catch up with them. If they were going to escape, they had to leave right away.

“We’re going,” he announced in a low voice, rising from the chaise lounge with purposeful haste and scooping her into his arms. Even if she had recovered enough to walk, he was certain she couldn’t outpace their pursuers in her condition, so he didn’t bother asking permission to carry her. Shifting his hold to make sure he wouldn’t drop her, he edged to the door and cracked it open. Already, his nocturnal eyes could pick out the silhouettes of Saints in the trees. He would certainly be spotted if he ran out from the house now, but he didn’t have a choice.

Gritting his teeth, the vampire didn’t waste another second as he threw the door open and hurried around the side of the lodge with Lady Victoria in his arms.