Vail was only a few yards away from his bedroom when he heard Victoria’s scream. The sound of it was muffled, but that just led him to know immediately that she was in danger. Belatedly, he realized Caleb’s scent was stronger than his other cousins, who had all left the hallway hours ago, and he swore under his breath. It seemed like there was still one member of the Hygrace clan who hadn’t given up on drinking her piquant blood. He should have known better than to assume she was safe just because the threat of his relatives was no longer as obvious as it had been when they were clawing at his door.

Covering the rest of the distance in a few long strides, he hurried into the room only to find that Caleb was already leaning over the Lady with his nose and tongue to her neck as he hunted for a warm spot to sink his fangs. Her efforts to push him away were about as effective as a mouse trying to move a tree. His cousin was unfazed, keeping one hand positioned firmly over her mouth while a nefarious smile played on his lips. He didn’t even seem to care that there was a third person with them now. His attention was fixated solely on his meal.

“[i]Caleb[/i]!” Vail barked just as the other Hygrace stretched his jaw to bite her. His cousin paused, elongated canines hovering just above Victoria’s fair skin. When Vail raised his voice, he sounded similar enough to Peter that Caleb was briefly unsure if he had been caught by the leader or the heir. However, the scent of his uncle’s son was distinct, so his confusion was short lived. It was enough to give Vail time to intervene though.

Setting the water glass down on a stand by the door, he crossed to his cousin’s side and hauled him off the woman in his bed, twisting one arm behind his back. The gesture was done in part to keep Caleb away from Lady Crest, but it was also his way of taking out his frustration with the other predator for trying to feed on her while he was gone. “Halfwit,” he hissed, his annoyance bleeding into his tone. “Are you really going to disregard my father’s orders? He said this human is not to be touched.”

“I was just going to have a little taste,” Caleb lifted his free hand in a shrug. “There’s no harm.”

“She’s ill,” Vail narrowed his eyes. “A ‘little taste’ might have killed her.” Dragging his cousin by the collar—he might not have been as strong as his father, but he still held superior strength over his relatives when matched against them individually—he shoved the other vampire out of the room. “Do yourself a favor and go hunting tonight,” he growled, closing the door roughly between them.

With the danger taken care of, he let out his breath in a long exhale and retrieved the glass he’d left at the front of the room. “Sorry,” he murmured to Victoria as he stepped over to her side again. “I didn’t think he would be bold enough to try again.” Gently, he slipped one hand behind her shoulders to help her sit up straight before he offered her the water to drink.