Victoria noticed that Kathryn was nice to even Francois, a total stranger, because he was a vampire. The only one she wasn’t nice or welcoming to was Victoria herself. Even though she was now a vampire, she still wasn’t welcome to the Hygrace clan. She was done trying to win them round. They were not her family and not her problem. She didn’t bother to say goodbye or even bow on her departure. If they were not to treat her with respect, she would show them none. Vail was the only Hygrace she cared about.

As James and Sylvie walked on ahead, Victoria took a slower walk due to her body’s weakness. As Vail asked her a question, it brought her out of her thoughts. “I do feel hungry…but for human food.” She was used to human food, so her stomach was craving that right now. Her body was drained of energy and needed the nutrients it was used to. There was no craving for blood yet. She wondered how James coped with bloodlust being only half a vampire.

As the couple entered the manor house, Victoria could smell chicken and her stomach rumbled and her mouth salivated. But as she entered the dining room with Vail, a new smell entered her nostrils. Blood. The dining table was set out with a banquet fit for a king but the wine glasses at the table were filled with blood. 

Francois kept guard over Diana and her sister at the other end of the table. They loved Victoria but they were wary of her new vampiric state. She wanted to go over to them both and hug them. Instead she smiled and greeted her aunt with a smile. “It is good to see you Aunty.” She said to the red headed woman who was one year older than Diana. She reciprocated her affections to her niece.

“Please sit.” Francois indicated to a chair at the opposite end of the table. “Should you have a craving of blood, we have made your first feed easier for you.” He explained to Victoria as she took a seat and tentatively looked at the wine glass full of blood. 

“Whose blood is this?” She asked as the smell was highly metallic, not as high in iron as hers used to be, but she could smell it.

“Mine.” Diana revealed. “I donated some blood in case you needed some upon waking.” 

“Try it.” Francois suggested. Victoria took the glass and sniffed it. She felt sick. She still had her blood phobia and she started to tremble holding the blood in her hand. Still, she tentatively touched the glass to her ruby lips and took a gentle sip. She gagged and set the glass down and shook her head at it and pulled a face. “I can’t.”