Vail bristled when Peter went so far as to threaten Victoria with retribution from the clan. He wished he could beat it into his father’s thick skull that he wasn’t just with her because he was addicted to her blood. Sure, it had started out that way, but they were well beyond that now. If he had been solely hooked on the feed, he wouldn’t have even considered turning her, since he couldn’t drink the blood of another vampire. Of course, he couldn’t tell this to the clan leader about his plan though. Given how adamantly against their relationship Peter was, Vail didn’t want to risk facing any more push back if he admitted the idea out loud. So, he kept it to himself and instead parted his lips to repeat the vaguer point that he cared about Lady Crest more than his father was willing to believe.

Before he had a chance to speak a word, however, he was surprised to hear Victoria respond first with a fierceness that he hadn’t witnessed in her since the day he had inadvertently insulted her at the Black Bull tavern. He turned his head to eye her with interest, unsure if he thought she was being bold or rash. No one spoke to Peter Hygrace like that. Even when they’d had their disputes, he had always kept a respectful tone or backed down quickly if he started to raise his voice. As the combined leader and protector of the clan, his father had earned that much. But the Crest heiress owed him nothing.

Despite himself, Vail felt a hint of a smile tug at his lip. No matter how Peter reacted to her blunt declaration, he was pleased that she had been fearless enough to say everything that he could not. It also warmed him to know that she was just as determined to make their odd situation work as he was. After all, it wasn’t any less dangerous for her to be with a vampire than it was for him to choose a human. She had nearly lost her life once already. Now that he had resolved to stay by her side, he didn’t intend to let that happen again, but there was no denying that it was still a risk, especially while the Wynters were determined to get her back. Neither one of them had an easy path ahead of them, but they had both decided the reward outweighed the danger. That was enough.

At her final teasing poke, his small smile turned into a toothy grin. Every time she looked at him with mischief in her eyes, he felt his heart skip a beat. Her spunk was endearing, and it was reassuring to see that her spirit was far from broken even after all she had endured. Human or not, he was proud that she was the one he had chosen to be with. Unfortunately, he father wasn’t remotely as pleased with her speech.

“I’m beginning to grow tired of your arrogance, Crest,” Peter growled, visibly stiff with irritation. He was accustomed to humans submitting to him, not fighting back as fervently as she was now. It wasn’t a change he desired to get used to. Narrowing his eyes, he asserted his oppressive pheromones over her. “That you think you can protect a vampire is evidence of your delusion,” he went on harshly. “My son may be disappointed for a time when you leave, but he will move on. To him, your [i]romance[/i] was just the blink of an eye. He will be happy that he didn’t lose everything over an infatuation, when—”

“Father, enough,” Vail interrupted suddenly. Although the clan leader couldn’t affect him with the tactic, his senses were powerful enough to detect the change in the air. He rested his free hand on Victoria’s forearm in a comforting gesture and met Peter’s gaze warily. “Don’t forget that she’s unwell. If you don’t reign it in, you may hurt her.”

Peter scowled at the heir. It would have been easier if he could simply uproot Vail from the bedroom and send him somewhere else until Victoria left the manor, but the rest of the Hygraces were too unruly to be trusted. None of them could be left alone with her, and he was far too busy to babysit a human girl all day. As much as it pained him to admit it, his son was the only one who could watch over her and make sure the rest of their family didn’t feed on what was left of her blood before she was returned to the Crests.

Reluctantly, he dialed back the predatory pheromones he had been releasing and rolled his shoulders. “I will send a servant to bring her dinner soon,” he grumbled, despising how little he could do because of her involvement with the Order. Eyes flicking to the heiress once more, he tilted his chin, “You ought to consider the consequences of your actions more thoroughly.” Having said his piece, he turned his back to the couple and exited the room, leaving them alone once more.