Vail’s heart thudded against his ribs as he closed the manor door behind him, not because of the effort of whisking Victoria all the way from her home nor because of the rush of being chased by The Order. His pulse had quickened as the realization struck him of what he had just done. He had, quite openly, brought the Crest heiress into his home. If there had ever been a chance of keeping their secretive meetings in the dark, it was gone now. There would be no hiding the smell of her sweet perfume or the tantalizing aroma of the blood that had stained the cloth he’d tied around her fair neck. It was only a matter of time before one of his relatives discovered them, and then Peter’s wrath would be upon him.

The Hygrace heir moved silently through the dark room without pausing at any of the impressive décor. The entire mansion was the product of generations of immortal beings with too much time on their hands and a need to turn their reclusive nest into a comfortable safe haven. With their vast wealth, they had accumulated novelties from all over the globe, creating an eclectic world in which they could hide away from the real one beyond their walls. Every room was a grand display, but to Vail, it was all the same. Material things could never hold anyone’s interest for long. To dazzle him for two centuries was impossible.

As quietly as he could, the vampire made his way up the stairs and down the hall that led to his room. At best, he had a few hours until his father would wake and recognize an unfamiliar scent in his territory. He intended to use the time to check on the state of Victoria’s health and try to get his thoughts in some kind of order, so he could explain himself when the head of the clan demanded to know what was going on. Already, he was dreading the conversation he knew they would have to have. In just a few hours—if not sooner—he was going to have to come clean about everything he had been doing behind his family’s back. If they chose to disown him, he would have deserved it.

Gently, Vail set the trembling woman down on his bed and wrapped her in the sheets to bring some warmth back to her frail body. Leaving her there briefly, he took a clean rag from the adjoining bathroom and wetted it. When he returned to her side, he sat down on the edge of the mattress and removed the makeshift bandage from her neck to softly clean the punctures in her skin so she wouldn’t get an infection. His hazel eyes remained fixed on her face as he worked. He hadn’t bothered turning on any lights, since he could see perfectly fine in the pitch black room, but he studied her features just as intricately as if there had been a lamp directly over her head.

“You’re safe now,” the murmur escaped his lips though he wasn’t sure if it was true. They may have eluded the Order for now, but there was no telling what the Hygraces or even the Wynters would do when they found out where she was. Regardless, they were safe at the moment, and he wanted to comfort her after everything she had been through.