The issue of taking blood by consent had ripped apart the Debrek clan, and two brothers—Byron’s great-grandfather, Antoine, and Victorija’s father, Gilbert.

Upon becoming Principe, Antoine vowed to continue the clan tradition of taking blood only by consent, but Gilbert did not agree, and thus started a civil war, leading to Gilbert’s ousting from the Debrek clan.

Victorija took the arm of the human beside her and let her fingers trace the veins in her arm. “Different ideals. Quite so.”

Byron couldn’t help but stare at the young woman’s pulse, and felt her mouth start to water. She was so hungry that it felt like pain.

Victorija smiled. “I had heard some disturbing rumours that the great Byron Debrek had met a woman and fallen in love. True?”

Byron’s heart started to pound, and it took every inch of her strength to seem uninterested. “A woman? Good God, no. You know what some women are like? You sleep with them twice and they think they are in a relationship with you.”

“How true. I tend to drain them of blood and then they become less annoying.” Just as she finished her sentence, Victorija sank her teeth into the wrist of her human.

Byron gripped the arms of her chair tightly when the blood started to drip down Victorija’s chin.

Keep control, keep control.

Victorija released the woman’s wrist with an exaggerated “Ahh!”

Her mouth was gloriously red, and blood dripped off her sharp fangs. The sweet, iron smell was overwhelming. Victorija took a pressed white handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed her mouth.

“Where are my manners?” Victorija said. She held out the woman’s arm in Byron and Sera’s direction, and said, “Would you care for a bite? She is my portable lunchbox for the day.”

Take it, take it now, Byron’s darkness screamed.

Sera almost snarled, and obviously sensing her sister’s discomfort replied, “No, we do not feed without consent, and we will not take advantage of an innocent woman on our estate.”

Victorija pushed the human’s wrist away and licked the blood from her fingers slowly. “So sanctimonious, Sera. It makes me want to retch.” Turning her attention to Byron she leaned forward and gazed in her eyes. “Are you feeling quite well, Byron? You seem stressed, and dreadfully hungry.”

Byron was sure Victorija sensed her struggle with the darkness inside, her deep hunger that couldn’t be sated. How she was keeping control she had no idea.

“I’m quite well. Thank you for coming and re-establishing communication between our two clans, but we mustn’t keep you.”