Victoria felt relief when he forgave her for doubting him in these troubled times. She did what he had done weeks ago but she never blamed him for not trusting her back then before they had grown so close. She should have known better. She rested her head on his shoulder for their embrace, softly sighing in his arms. This would be their last moment of peace. She savoured it whilst she could. She nodded when he suggested that she tell her mother and Ray about the misunderstanding, she wouldn’t want them to continue to spit their wrath upon Vail. “I will don’t worry.”

She frowned as he mentioned how stubborn his father still was. She let out a heavy sigh at the thought of trying to convince the Saints that Vail can help and should be included in their plans. Gerald would protest he would only get in the way. She let him brush her hair out of the way. “Yes if you’re quick. No time to savour.” She told him as she kept her eyes on the door. “I’ll be fine if I keep well hydrated. She ushered him to drink quickly. She tried to relax and remain untensed for the duration of the bite so that it didn’t hurt more. It was just a stinging scratch. 

After Vail was done, she hopped down and fetched a small bandage from the medkit. She wrapped it around her neck and pulled her collar up. She heard Gerald’s demands to let him through on the other side of the kitchen door. She just about finished tightening her collar before he barged into the room. "You. Out!” He barked at the Hygrace heir. “Gerald wait! Vail and I just had a small misunderstanding. He isn’t engaged to another vampire. He came here to help us fight the Wynters.”

Gerald narrowed his eyes at Vail. “If you so much mess this up, Hygrace, I will personally drag you back to your father myself. Do you understand me?” He had no time to waist on Victoria’s interfering lover. “The best thing you can do is keep them off Victoria. One drop of her blood will empower them and make them harder to kill.” He assigned him as Victoria’s personal bodyguard.

“Reinforcements have arrived!” Ray shouted through from outside of the front door. Victoria tilted her head. “We were not expecting anymore than what we currently have?” She wondered who it could be. She took Vail’s hand and led him out of the kitchen. Passing Diana on the way. She went to open her mouth when Victoria put her hand up. “Not now mother. Vail and I have reconciled. It was just a misunderstanding.” She told her mother firmly as she walked toward the main door.

Whom or particularly…what were approaching, she would never have expected. A group of vampires marched up the long driveway. The Saints were confused and on edge, they were unsure whether to attack or not. But the head vampire held up a parchment of invitation by the Lady Diana Crest herself. It seemed she had called upon them for assistance. Diana pushed passed Victoria and Vail to go on ahead and greet them personally. “Jean-Claude, thank goodness you are here. The Wynters are almost upon us.” She spoke to a tall pale man with very long black hair. He nodded calmly. “I am not here for you. I am here for our son.” He declared. Victoria’s heart jumped into her throat. “Son?!” She blinked and looked up at Vail with confusion. It was obvious she knew nothing about it.

Behind Jean-Claude stood a man who looked like him but he had Diana’s eyes. Diana peeked around his shoulder to lay her eyes upon him. Her son. “James?” She softly reached out and he nodded. Tears filled her eyes. “My son..” She had not seen him since he was born into her arms and then suddenly taken away from her by Jean-Claude as soon as he got what he wanted. A half vampire son, an experiment to see how a half breed would fair in the world. James had shorter black shoulder length hair. He embraced his mother with relief. “Mother…” It was if he had missed her all his life. He was kept away from her on purpose. He let go of her and asked with desperation. “Where is she? Where is my sister?” He asked eagerly. Diana turned and looked straight at Victoria. 

Victoria stared at James. She had a brother? A half brother. She was speechless. She didn’t know what to say. She was confused and angry at being kept in the dark all her life about a sibling she never knew she had. It was all too much and she fell faint into Vail’s arms. Not losing consciousness altogether but dizzy and mentally drained.