There was no hesitation when Vail accepted Victoria’s hand in his. Whether or not Peter approved of his affinity for her, he was tired of letting the clan leader dictate every detail of his life. He was supposed to be the next head of the Hygraces, after all. Peter may have disagreed with some of his decisions, but he was still capable of making them on his own. If he was never allowed the chance to see where those choices led, how would he learn to get better? He knew his parents were cautious because he was their only heir. However, he couldn’t exist inside their protective bubble forever. Even though it was dangerous to fall for a human, he was firm in his resolution to find out where this path took him.

When Victoria reacted to his announcement with surprise, Vail nodded. “He said he knows a man who could be of some help,” he explained. Guessing she was taken aback by his father’s sudden change of heart, he added: “When I went to his study, I saw that he was writing a letter to your mother assuring your eventual return. I think he’s decided to keep you alive because he doesn’t want to risk invoking the Order’s wrath against our family.”

If she succumbed to her illness in their care, it was almost guaranteed that the hunters would make it their mission to “avenge” her. He wanted to roll his eyes at the thought. Since the Saints had allied themselves with the Wynters, it was their fault that she was in such a miserable condition to begin with. But, of course, the righteous men always believed they were doing God’s work, no matter how questionable their actions had become. It seemed to be beyond their capabilities to realize the world was more complex than they thought it was. To them, humans were a gift to the earth, and vampires were a demonic scourge. There was no in-between to even consider.

Rolling onto his side, Vail draped his arm over Lady Crest’s midriff. After learning about everything that had happened in his absence, he didn’t want to send her back to her own manor at all. The Wynters were a ruthless clan. He shuddered to think what Lord Spencer would do the next time he got his hands on her. Compulsively, he cradled her a little closer to himself, disliking any amount of space between them. It felt like a lose-lose situation. If she lost the battle against sepsis, he would lose her. If she survived, she would be tossed right back into the nightmare from whence she’d come. He wished she could stay with his family, far from danger instead.

“What will you do if my father sends you away?” he asked, his voice slightly muffled against her thick hair. Uneasy with the direction of his own conjectures, he wanted to know what she was thinking about her own situation.