Victoria felt less guilty after hearing exactly how deep their feud ran with the Wynters. She just happened to be the opportunity they were waiting for to strike the Hygraces at the same time. Still, she felt somewhat responsible for providing that opportunity just because of her genetics making her blood irresistible to vampires. Now she was a vampire like he and his family, she supposed she had to adopt the same dogma, but she didn’t want to bite another human being, it just wasn’t nice, having experienced it by force. And she had no human lover to drink blood from like Vail did. 

She had to wonder if the Moncourier clan adopted the Hygrace dogma or the Wynter dogma. Now was the ideal time to find out. She had a half-brother to connect with. She could see why the Wynters might think they were superior to humans, she felt this overwhelming power surging within her. Like she could reach up to touch the sun and crush it in her hand. She noted how he spoke in the past tense. Did he think the Wynters had taken over? Surely the Hygraces would have some loyalty in their allies. 

Victoria received his tender kiss with a warm smile. She was so happy to be back with him, safe and sound. Her eyes fell melancholy when he explained how Katherine was coping. And for him seeing his father in such a way, a father he was used to seeing being strong. She stroked the back of his hair as he said he was tired but waiting for her to wake up was even harder. She felt a warmth spread in her chest for her vampire lover, knowing he was worried about her and didn’t even visit his family, it sounded like he had never left her side. She knew in that moment that she wanted to become his wife. He cared about her in a way a doting husband would.  

“I’m sorry you had to go through all that alone, my love.” She squeezed his hand. “You will no longer be alone ever again. You’ve got me now and I am not going anywhere.” She vowed and kissed the back of his hand, trying to be very gentle with him as she was not used to this level of strength she now had. “Do you want me to go see your family with you? Or do I need to stay cooped up inside for a while?” She didn’t know what to expect to feel or experience in her transformation. She knew that she didn’t crave her mother’s human blood. Being around other vampires wouldn’t cause her to have a lust for their blood either. Maybe she hadn’t experienced the worst of the hunger yet…