Katherine’s forewarning about Peter proved to be true when the leader of the Hygrace clan appeared at his son’s door at noon on the dot. Vail was expectedly irritable about the announcement that he needed to get up and make himself decent for Sylvia’s arrival, but he didn’t resist the plans his father had made for him. Even though he had no intention of leaving Victoria for the other vampire, he would have pitied Lady Macey for coming all the way to the Hygrace manor just to be turned away because he refused to see her. Besides, it was just one day with her, and they were under no obligation to do anything other than spend time together. He could tolerate that for a few hours knowing that their outing wouldn’t impact his relationship with the woman he actually desired to be with.

So, he bathed and dressed himself and strode down to the foyer as soon as he heard a knock at the front door, stifling a yawn that threatened to escape his lips. He had gone to sleep earlier than usual, but he was still accustomed to slumbering until the evening, and the effects of rising sooner were weighing down on his psyche. He hoped he would grow more alert as the day dragged on.

“Vail, look who’s here to see you,” Katherine, who had come to the door after one of the servants had answered it first, turned toward him with a bright smile as if he didn’t already know Lady Macey was coming for a visit. She stepped out of the way to let him by, but it didn’t slip past him that she was lingering like she expected him to bolt at any second.

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Vail swept them over his guest instead. It was undeniable that Sylvia was a beautiful woman. She wore a deep purple dress that cinched at her tiny waist and flared at her voluptuous hips, showing off an hourglass figure that not all female vampires could boast of despite their superior genes. Her inky black hair had been teased and curled to fall in thick waves over her left shoulder in a way that framed her diamond-shaped face and contrasted starkly with her white-blue irises. As their gazes met, her scarlet lips pulled upward at the corners in a playful smile that he remembered well from the last few times they had crossed paths. “It is good to see you again, my lord,” she curtseyed to him politely with a grace that was difficult for humans to match. As she dipped down, the frilly umbrella in her hand shifted, and sunlight fell on her flawless, alabaster skin, which nearly seemed to glow in the afternoon light.

“And you as well, Lady Macey,” Vail bowed to her in return. He could feel his mother’s unrelenting gaze on his back, and he stepped outside as soon as he righted his posture, eager to get away from his overbearing parents.

Sylvia said a quick goodbye to Katherine before joining him on the way to her waiting carriage. “You’re brooding,” she observed, an amused smirk twisting her full lips as she fell in step beside him. “Was I too formal? You know that display was just to please your mother.”

“I know,” he sighed, pausing to wait for the coachman to open the door for them. Although he harbored no romantic feelings for the woman standing next to him, they were friendly enough that he was less restrained with his emotions in her presence. They had known each other almost as long as he had been alive—she was about fifty years his senior, not that it mattered to their kind—and had seen quite a bit of each other since the Maceys were informal allies of the Hygraces. The long history had formed a level of comfort between them that allowed Vail to let his guard down and trust her.

“It isn’t you, Sylvie,” he explained vaguely, taking her hand to help her climb into the carriage. As he did, his hazel eyes traced the pristine cosmetics that painted her face and the luxurious fabric that hugged her curves. “But you are taking this engagement rather seriously, aren’t you?”

“Aren’t [i]you[/i]?” she returned as she settled down on the back seat. “We both knew this was coming. Our families have been alluding to our marriage for decades, so it was only a matter of time before they started planning it.” She shrugged carelessly, twirling a lock of shiny hair around her finger. “We might as well embrace it. Wouldn’t you rather marry me than some other woman you may not get along with?”

[i]I’d rather marry the woman I love,[/i] he thought bitterly as he sat down across from her. “You’re really fine with all of this?” he frowned, quirking a brow at her. “We get along, but I know you don’t look at me like a potential partner, and I don’t see you as one either.”

“Since when does that matter?” Sylvia stared at him bemusedly. “I’m not sure when you became such a romantic, but this isn’t about us. It’s for our families. And I do think we would make a good team, by the way. We already know each other well, we have similar ideals, and we enjoy each other’s company. If it’s physical compatibility you’re concerned about, we could test the waters at the end of today,” she added nonchalantly. “I won’t be fertile until next summer.”

Vail coughed into his sleeve. “That isn’t what I meant. I just…” he trailed off with a troubled look, unsure how to tell her that his heart had recently been taken by another. He knew she would just pester him for details if she found out, but she was perceptive enough to figure it out for herself.

“Vail Matthias Hygrace,” Sylvia chirped with a knowing grin, flashing her wicked fangs. “You’re smitten with someone, aren’t you?” She leaned forward in her seat, taking his silence as confirmation that she was right. “Well, now out with it. Who is she?”

“That’s a bit of a sensitive subject,” he diverted. Even though he loved Victoria and wanted to be able to declare it proudly, he was certain that Lady Macey would be just as disapproving as the rest of his family. For the sake of having one less vampire breathing down his neck about who he chose to be with, he wouldn’t tell her the truth just yet. “My father isn’t supportive though. She’s the reason why he reached out to yours about hurrying our marriage along.”

“Oh,” Sylvia deflated, noticing the frustration in his voice. “I’m sorry, Vail… We may not be in love, but for what it’s worth, I’ll do my best to be a good partner to you.”

“Thanks,” he turned his head to stare out the window, falling quiet again as his thoughts found their way back to Victoria. [i]But it will never get that far.[/i]