Close?

Victoria was shocked to see Bones standing in front of him with a towel wrapped around his waist. She ignored his glare as her eyes lingered on his sculpted and scarred body. The man spoke, "Have you seen enough?"

His cold voice made Victoria come back to her senses. She coughed twice and asked, "May I know what is up with you?" her voice was calm yet her gaze was filled with laughter.

Bones said, "The card you used is meant for emergency summons as well. I may have forgotten to mention that because no one lasts that long if they are really under attack by someone as strong and cunning as Olek."

His words ruined the funny vibe completely. Victoria sighed and said, "Can you not be such a spoilsport every time?"

Bones did not respond to her and sat down on a chair across the table. His long wet hair stuck to his neck making him look very chic. The girl shook her head and said, "If I did not know that you are a piece of wood, I would have thought that you are trying to seduce me."

Bones asked, "Why did you use the card?" his voice was still indifferent while his eyes were still cold and calm.

The blood princess sighed and said, "I met Sable Malraux, along with Sarina Malraux. sable Marlaux wanted to play me but he was played in the end. He told me that fa... Oleksiy Vlad wants to use me as a sacrifice to Artemis on the night of Lunar Solstice."

She hated Oleksiy Vlad despite being his daughter. Firstly was his heinous act of killing Vika Smith, then breeding all sorts of bad eggs as her half brothers, the man fell to such a level where he killed his own wife. Now he even wanted to sacrifice her for the sake of freedom. She looked at Bones in front of her and then thought of Oleksiy Vlad.

Both were Vampires, but why do they have such a big character difference among them? Thinking of the man calling her Vici. She felt a strong disgust, unconsciously her aura started to leak out. Bones said in his usual indifferent voice, "Now do you know what sort of creature vampires are? Why they are all hateful? Sacrificing their own flesh and blood. Even animals are better than that."

The hatred and disgust toward the vampire kin in his voice were not disguised at all. Victoria asked, "What to do now?"

Bones gazed at the ceiling for a few minutes, he did not speak. Victoria on the other hand almost could not stop herself from jumping onto him and lick that jawline of his. As these thoughts appeared in her mind and blush rose on her face.

Bones spoke only after ten minutes, "Become the head of Vlad household." his tone was casual, but his meaning was the same. No one can act against the head of the household. If they do so, they are punishable by death."

Victoria was stunned. She asked, "if they cannot act against the head of the household. Then how do you plan to make me one?"

Bones smirked and said, "Tribunal Of Justice can ct as a mediator. Also, you can choose a champion. If you lose the duel against Oleksiy, then it will be the champion who will die and you will be safe."

Victoria's eyes shone for a second and then she asked with a sigh, "I can take on Oleksiy Vlad with ease. Champion is not needed. But will it not be too sudden. I don't want him to know how he died."

Bones chuckled and said, "Spoken like a true pureblood, but a wake-up call for you. You underestimate that old bastard. If he was that easy to pluck. I would have been pissing on his ashes for decades now."

Stood up from the chair he walked towards the floor-to-ceiling window. He said, "Oleksiy Vlad has survived thrice in my hands. The last time was when he met your mother Argentia. His luck was high that night. he fled from the hunt of the tribunal. The cost was ninety percent of his property. All signed off to the tribunal while he kneeled on his knees. The tribune forbade me from taking any actions on my own initiative."

The blunt hatred in his voice made Victoria ask him, "Why are you bound to the tribune then?"

Bones replied without turning, "If I killed vampires as I deemed worthy. The whole community will start coming after me. So, tribune is the best option." knowingly or unknowingly. He has started to open up to Victoria.

Victoria said, "Not all of them are bad., you know. Sometimes they would just have no choice." her voice was soft. She did not know why but she wanted to drive away his hatred. she did not like to see him in pain.

Bones turned around suddenly, he said, "Oleksiy is here, I will go now. Take my number, call me when you need me." he whispered his number to her and left. He did not have time to pay attention to Victoria's red face.

Earlier when he turned around, the towel around his waist fell. He said the last two things, in a haste and left. Victoria snapped out of her daze as she watched the black smoke disappearing in front of her. She hurriedly picked up the wet towel from the floor. She shoved it back inside the drawer, but only after she sniffed it a bit. Then a strong blush overcame her fair jade face.

She stood up, sorted her clothes, and let out her aura to remove Bones presence in the cabin. She sat down on her chair, gazing blankly on the ceiling like Bones was sitting just now.

Suddenly the cabin door was knocked and she said, "Come in, Gloria." deliberately acting even though she knew that Gloria has been sent home.

The door pushed open and Oleksiy Vlad came in. he said with a smile, "Vici, it is me."

Victoria 'woke up' from her daze. She patted her forehead with her palm and said, "Father, I have been too deeply immersed in my thoughts that I forgot about Gloria going home. What brought you here? Is everything alright?"

She acted like a perfect daughter, who always loved her father the most. While Oleksiy Vlad portrayed the perfect father who came to pick up his daughter from work when she is late. No one would ever think they are Vampires who are plotting against each other.