I held Ingrid's hand in mine as we walked toward the garden where we had our now regular midnight rendezvous—the same garden Sofia had discovered and tried to escape from. I was silent until we reached the garden, lost in my thoughts, relieved that Ingrid wasn't trying to make conversation.
I knew the risk I was putting myself in by being in a relationship with her. I knew that the higher-ranking officials of the hunters had their eyes on me. The pressure I'd been getting for losing Derek Novak and for keeping vampires alive at headquarters was intense, but I couldn't do what they wanted me to do. I couldn't kill Claudia out of honor for Ben. I couldn't kill Ingrid because the thought of my daughter suffering another death was beyond what I could handle. Stop lying to yourself, Aiden. Ingrid is still alive because you can't stand the idea of losing your wife.
