It was awkward after that. Ashwini, Lucas, Hawk, Mercy and Galen all left after eating, so it was only lady Beatrice, Anon, Athena, Victoria and myself left in the dining hall.

"Victoria here has been in our service almost as long as Mercy has." Lady Beatrice started off when it was silent. "Though Mercy was born here, Victoria and her family were brought here after being saved from some rouge Nightwalkers that our hunters were hunting down. So she knows what to do unlike... what Sylvia did." She ended softly obviously feeling awkward saying her name in front of me. Not that I blame her, just thinking about her name causes my chest to hurt.

"Oh... good." I said uncomfortably not know what else to say.

"Well then... I think you should feed and then I want to speak to you about something... I'll meet you at the mountain garden when you're ready, okay?" Lady Beatrice asked as she stood up her eyes staring into my own.

I was highly curious about what she wanted to talk to me about. "Of course my lady, I will see you there." I agreed while standing respectfully.

She nodded her head before heading off towards the door my eyes unable to move off of her as she walked away. There was a sway to her body that made me feel warm for some reason, but it was nice so I didn't want it to stop. Sadly, it did when lady Beatrice went out of sight, which confused me, though only for a short second before I turned my attention to those who were left in the room with me.

I looked down to Victoria and gave a soft smile that she returned shyly. "I'd prefer if we do this in my room and in private." I told her while shooting a look to Anon. "Can you please look after Athena for today?"

"Of course." Anon said as he stood and looked towards Athena with a friendly smile. "You want to go see the stables pup?"

Athena's eyes widened in excitement. "Yes!" She exclaimed happily before pulling it back and looking up at me in question. "Is that okay?"

"Of course, you don't need to ask me permission to do anything that you want to do Athena. Just make sure that you're either with me or Anon. I don't want someone mistaking you as one of the servants." I told her while squatting down in front of where she stayed seated in her chair.

I lifted a hand and pushed her hair out of her face. "I think you need to have a nice warm bath first though." I smiled at her kindly as I saw dirt crusted on her forehead. "Now that I think of it, I think I should as well. I'll join you after Victoria and I have finished."

"Okay." Athena smiled happily before wrapping her arms around my neck. I couldn't help but gasp in surprise as she placed a kiss to my cheek before running out of the dining hall with Anon quickly on her heels. I smiled as I heard squealing laughter that grew fainter as they ran through the hall.

I sighed softly as I stood up and faced Victoria, suddenly feeling awkward and strange. "She's a cute girl." Victoria commented softly.

"She's an incredibly strong and highly intelligent girl." I agreed with a caring smile and a nod of my head. I sighed again and couldn't help but run my thumb along the bottom of my jaw bone in an awkward and thoughtful motion. "I'll lead the way to my room."

"As you wish my lady." Victoria bowed slightly.

I scrunched up my face at that. "Please don't do that, you can just call me Vaden. I never liked being called 'my lady' or anything that made me seem higher born than anyone else, not that I could help it before because I didn't know my name back then. So please just call me by my name."

"Are you sure?" Victoria asked as she shifted her weight from leg to leg nervously.

"Of course." I assured her.

"Okay then, please lead the way... Vaden." Victoria waved towards the door.

"Sure." I said and we headed out of the dining hall and through the hallways back towards my room. We arrived and I waved my hand at the door telling her to go in first. She did and I watched her while she looked around as she walked in.

"So how do you normally do this?" I asked while leaning against the doorframe to my room, arms crossed over my chest trying not to show how nervous, and how much I'm actually hurting, by what we're about to do. And it's not like I just can't do it. I can feel the hunger already making my stomach clench painfully while my throat burned in need. The little monster inside me ever since my Change has decided that it's been too long since we've last had a good taste of human blood. It's just how it was reminding me of Sylvia.

"I don't know really. It's usually the Nightwalker that just bites me and places me where they want me." Victoria shrugged as her own arms were wrapped around her. I could tell by her mana signature that she was terribly nervous and afraid.

"How many have you had to feed?" I asked curious.

"Well there's usually three Nightwalkers in a hunting team and one human stays at their encampment somewhere in lady Aviva's territory to keep them fed. Over the years since I was twelve I've been to twenty-six hunting teams. Each time having to travel to where they stay somewhere in the territory."

"So the humans are exchanged and moved around between the teams?" I asked finding all of this interesting. I moved to my bed and sat down in the middle of it. "Come, I want to hear more." I patted the bed beside me.

She smiled softly and sat down on the edge of the bed her body slightly facing me but her eyes looked down at her hands playing in her lap. "Yes, we are moved around because it does take a toll on us having to feed three Nightwalkers for a maximum of six months."

"How many hunting teams are there? I've never met any of the hunting Nightwalkers besides those that live here in the estate."

"I'm not sure the exact number, but lady Aviva does have a large territory and I know there's at least ten just along the border of it. I'm surprised you didn't meet the hunting team that would have been on look out between lady Aviva's territory and lord Enrique's territory."

"So am I." I agreed trying to think of any moments where a nightwalker I've never met or seen before ever entered the camp while we were travelling. But I couldn't think of any, unless they went through Galen, or one of the others, and given free passage to lady Aviva, so I wouldn't have known if they were there or not. "So that's just along the border, do you know why there would be teams within lady Aviva's territory?"

"I guess it's to also look over the humans and other creatures that live in the territory, as a way to keep the peace inside her territory. You have heard of rouges have you not?"

I nodded my head. "Like the one your family was saved from by the hunting teams?"

"Yes, exactly. Sometimes there are creatures that suddenly go insane or for some reason start attacking humans or other creatures. So the hunting teams have to take them out. The teams on the border don't have enough people to look after both the border and the inner territory."

"Ah, I get it." I murmured finding it interesting how it all worked. "Do they ever come back?"

"Um... I'm not sure, I think there's messengers that go back and forth between the teams when needed or to report something to Lady Aviva, but I don't think they come back once they've been placed a part of territory to look after. But don't take my word for that because I'm not actually sure." Vitoria shrugged and I was glad when I saw that she was more relaxed than before.

I couldn't think of any more questions so it was silent for a time until she cleared her throat awkwardly. "Lady Beatrice is waiting for you is she not? And you still need to wash so..." She said making me realise that we were just wasting time and pushing back the inevitable. Well I knew I was trying to push it away.

"Yes, you're right... I'm sorry." I sighed as I closed my eyes and hung my head slightly. I really didn't want to do this but I knew it was necessary for my survival, and I need to survive to look after Athena since it was my fault for taking her true protector away.

I opened my eyes and faced Victoria fully. I watched as she swallowed nervously. "I promise I won't hurt you." I tried to assure her in a whisper as I moved closer to her until I was sitting beside her, close enough that our sides were touching.

I met her earthy brown eyes and tried to convey to her that I wasn't going to cause any harm to her. I lifted my hand slow enough that if she wanted to move away she could. She didn't so my hand was able to connect softly to her cheek. Again, moving slowly, I slid my fingers over her cheek nearing her right ear. In a smooth, yet slow, move I ran my fingers up and over her ear pushing her hair back behind the ear with the move. I trailed my fingers down from the back of her ear and down her neck making her shiver.

Her heart beat was a strong and erratic rhythm in my ears while my other senses heightened allowing me to smell the blood under her skin, to see the flicker of her heart beat in her neck and to feel the nervous tension in her body with just our proximity.

"Relax." I whispered while taking away her nervousness from her mana and replacing it with a calmness. When I felt her relax I wrapped my other arm around her and pulled her closer to me. She didn't feel right up against me, she wasn't Sylvia's firm figure that had the subtle muscle of a fighter that I never noticed but loved all the same, I needed to look past that so that we could get this over and done with.

With my fingers that still travelled up and down her neck I moved her long hair off of her shoulders to reveal more skin and even a few pinprick scars from others who have fed from this human. Not wasting any more time. I placed a bit of mana into her neck, which numbed the muscle and leant forward.

Instinctively Victoria tilted her head back giving me more room as my fangs slid from my gums. I softly kissed the skin of her neck and silently apologised to Sylvia because I felt like I was once again betraying her by feeding from another human. Trying to not think about it I sunk my teeth into the thick vein in her neck and immediately received the nutritional life essence that creatures like me needed to survive.

Instead of complete numbness I let Victoria feel part of the pleasure I was feeling from feeding from her. Human blood was absolutely divine. The blood attacked my tongue with beautiful sweetness that I felt like I was about to cry. It's been too long since I've tasted this. The monster inside me was moaning out in ecstasy at the taste and I tried not to echo the noise, but I wasn't sure if I succeeded or not, my mind too concerned about how amazing I was starting to feel.

My back burned along with my left hand and forearm. A lightness came over me making me just now realise how heavy I was feeling, while strength moved through my body strengthening my muscles and bones with a refreshing power I wasn't feeling before because of how long it has been since I last fed properly. I didn't realise how heavy and weak I was until now. I felt rejuvenated and my body felt healed as I pulled away from Victoria's neck savouring this magical liquid that now ran through me.

I licked away any seeping blood before using mana to close the wounds and bring back feeling to her neck muscles once again. I breathed in deep feeling cleansed as new and fresh mana filled my being. I didn't know I was holding onto the same mana that surrounded me during my fight with Sylvia until it was forced out by the new mana that wanted to run through my body excitedly.

I listened to Victoria pant slightly and I wondered if I hurt her while my mind was taken away by the releasing and cleansing warmth of her blood.

"Did I harm you?" I asked her but didn't move from where my nose was basically touching the skin of her neck where I had bitten her.

"No." She panted though I could tell by her voice and mana that she was tired. I must have taken too much. "No, I'm alright."

"I took too much, I'm sorry." I apologised leaning back to look down at her face. It was slightly paler than before and her eyes could barely stay open. I gritted my teeth together annoyed at myself for not having more control over the blood hunger. "Lie down, you need to rest. I'll be back in a second."

I moved her limp body to the centre of my bed before placing the covers over her. She blushed and tried to argue with me but I easily made her whole body partially numb so that she wouldn't be able to move it. "Stay." I ordered her before walking to my bathroom where I found a glass and filled it with water.

I sat back beside Victoria and helped her sit up allowing her more control over herself, but not enough that she could get out of bed without some help. "Drink." I told her handing her the cup and watched her drink it.

"Thank you." She whispered shyly once she finished. I took the cup from her and placed onto the closest bedside table.

"It's fine, now go to sleep. I don't want you walking around as you are. I didn't allow Sylvia to do anything after I had taken blood from her, I won't allow you to either. So lay down, and rest. I'll be back to check on you later. Get some food into you as well." I ordered as I stood up from the bed seriously worrying about her. I took too much and now it's my responsibility to look after her because of my lack of self-control.

"Yes my lady... I mean Vaden." Victoria blushed with a soft smile as she laid back down under the covers.

I frowned slightly at her in worry before heading out of the room and walking towards the bathing room where Athena should be. I found her in the bath alone with Anon sitting on the edge.

"I'm sure, males are not permitted inside this room." I told him while walking in.

"Well who else was going to watch over the pup? Everyone else is busy and I don't trust anyone else with her besides you and probably lady Aviva and lady Beatrice." He replied easily before standing up. "Well then with you here I guess I'll go. I'll wait outside for when you're both done. Don't take too long since lady Beatrice is waiting for you."

"Thank you for the reminder." I drawled but had a soft smile at the large male. His arm brushed up against mine as he passed me, reaffirming our connection with touch in his shifter's way.

"Any time." He joked back before disappearing through the door.

"How are you feeling Athena?" I asked the girl as I undressed and sunk down into the warm water beside her.

She smiled at me happily while most of her body was under water with only her head showing. "It's so nice in here." She basically purred, eyes closed.

I chuckled softly at her before grabbing the soap and cloth. I went to her while lathering up the cloth. "Come on, let me clean you up." I told her.

The bath was quick and I swiftly got Athena dressed into clothing that mimicked my own. Plain leather pants, long sleeve white shirt, leather vest, Athena only wore the shirt, leather boots and we had our hair tied up.

"Very cute." Anon smirked as we walked out to see him leaning against the wall adjacent the door.

"Be quiet." I told him with a teasing roll of my eyes and a soft smile on my face.

Anon chuckled and shrugged. "I was just saying, anyway I believe you have someone you need to meet."

"I do so I'll see you two when I come back." I agreed with him.

"You won't be long will you?" Athena asked worriedly.

"I promise I will be back before night fall." I assured her while bending down and placing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Okay." She said giving in easily. "I'll come find you if you're late."

I chuckled at that. "That's fine, Anon knows where I'll be."

I waved goodbye to her and Anon as I walked off heading towards the mountain garden.

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