Kristina flashed a genuine smile. “Nice to meet you. Both of you. And didn’t you mention you had a brother?” Kristina asked.
“Yes, well… Michael’s—”
“Right here, Bro,” Michael called, landing in front of Kristina, not concerned with showing his ability, which most of the group rarely demonstrated. Of course, Derrick had shown off the previous evening too.
“Oh!” She recoiled, but then seemed to catch her bearings. “Um… is everything all right? I didn’t mean to cause derision in the family,” Kristina offered, beaming at his younger brother. Derrick felt a pang of jealousy surge through him because of her words about being with another of his kind yesterday, even though he knew nothing could ever come between them. But his brother was a good-looking, and younger, man. He actually looked the same age as Kristina, since he was five years younger than Derrick was. And he looked more human with his slightly rounder cheeks and lighter shade of hair with just a hint of curl. More natural anyway than the hard sculpted faces and raven straight hair most creatus had.
Michael lifted her hand to his lips. “Everything is fine, Kris. Welcome to the family. I hate to do this to you, but Derrick and I have to talk. Do you mind if I steal him away for a moment?”
Kristina retracted her hand, subconsciously wiping it on her jeans. Derrick couldn’t help the laugh that threatened to escape. Michael would be devastated that his charms hadn’t worked on her. He was obviously testing whether she’d actually fallen. Few women were able to resist his brother’s magnetism. Even though he supposedly didn’t like their species, he had no problem taking what he wanted from a human woman.
“Kristina, why don’t you and mom take a tour of the house and get to know each other while I talk with the family?” Her face dropped. “We’ll be fifteen minutes at best,” he rushed his weak explanation.
She inhaled a breath, turning to Sabrina. “Okay, I guess. I would actually love a tour of the house. It’s lovely.”
Sabrina wrapped her arm around Kristina again and strolled off toward the house.
Derrick walked toward the barn. “Let’s get this over with,” he called to the rest of the group.
His father, brother, and every other creatus, men and women, except those who remained with young children, followed Derrick inside the barn. The barn, which was actually an office, served as the center for all their meetings.
Victoria balanced on a rafter, but dropped when he rolled his eyes. She made a wide loop around him, plopping down on one of the chairs closest to the door. “First off, Derrick, what is it you keep accusing me of?”
Derrick ignored her while everyone found a chair or an empty railing to sit on or leaned up against a post. Derrick perched on the edge of his brother’s desk, while Michael stood beside him.
Every eye focused on Derrick. Even though they knew Michael would discuss news of a possible rogue, it seemed they all had more interest in a new human family member. “So, I assume you all met Kristina,” he started. Heads nodded, most respectful, a few not so much. “This should come as no surprise as I’ve discussed her with you several times.”
“You also said you’d wait until she was older, more mature,” Dean, an elder he’d always thought of as an Uncle, reproached. “She’s a liability, Derrick. You should have talked with us before bringing her here. If you want to endanger yourself and your family, that’s one thing. To have her see us without our consent is another.”
Derrick pursed his lips, nodding in assent. “Fair comment, Dean. And I apologize. In hindsight, I guess I should have met you alone.”
The group glanced around, nodding in agreement, and Derrick noticed the overconfident grin spread across Vic’s face. Did she think they’d banish him or Kristina because of it? That wouldn’t help matters. He’d always gone with the idea that it was better to beg forgiveness than to plead for mercy.
Dean leaned back in his chair and jutted his chin in Derrick’s direction. “That said… Kristina seems like a wonderful girl. If she hasn’t mentioned any of your peculiar antics in fourteen years, I’m certain she won’t start now.”
Victoria’s arrogance fell flat and she twisted in her chair as if wanting to make her escape.
Derrick tore his eyes away from the woman who used to be his best friend. He’d told Victoria everything, had always been upfront with her. They’d shared stories, experimented with life and love. He shook the thoughts from his head, feeling as if he’d been using her. “Kristina won’t talk to anyone. She has fallen for me, as I have for her.”
A few surprised gapes and audible grunts traveled throughout the barn, echoing in the rafters.
His father stood up and approached the front. “It’s over. You all act as if this doesn’t happen. Might I remind you I married a human. Sabrina has lived beside you, prepared food for you, adjusted her entire life to be one of us.” Lyn glared at his youngest son. “And still, we treat humans as though they are a subspecies. Just because we are stronger, doesn’t make us better.” He shrugged. “Besides, we have more important things to discuss than my son’s love life. According to Michael, we have a rogue on the loose. And that, my friends, is more dangerous to our way of life than one young girl.” Lyn walked back to his chair and plopped down, crossing his arms in finality.
At a hundred years old, his father was still a force to be reckoned with. No creatus, himself and Michael included, would dare challenge him. Yes, Derrick was stronger, but his father had seen more life. He’d met his mother when she was twenty-two and had fallen within days, he’d said, ignoring his parents’ concerns. Now his mother was seventy-three, and his father looked to be in his early fifties. His father would live another fifty years. But more than likely, his mother would survive another twenty at best. The creatus’ diet of all whole and natural foods made her appear younger than her years, but facts were facts. And nothing they could do would change the reality that his father would spend roughly thirty years alone, something he’d admitted on numerous occasions that he accepted fully.
Derrick knew he too would be in the same situation, but also identified with his father’s avowal. Nothing would cause him to regret his decision to spend his life with Kristina.
Michael stepped forward and took his father’s place at the front of the room. “I’m sure you know the reason we asked for you to be here today.”
Nods and sniffs among the family assured they understood, even though there were no comments.
“The police are being careful,” Michael continued. “Nothing has been leaked to the press, which is unusual. They’re keeping a tight lid on this one, as they are baffled.”
Derrick scanned the room, watching for any indication that someone they knew could be committing the crimes. If it were someone in the family, they’d still come to the meeting he was certain. The news Derrick had watched last night revealed nothing that hinted at a creatus attack, but if Michael believed it was true, that was good enough for him. And he always had an inside track on this sort of stuff.
Ryan, a younger member of their family who’d just returned home from England a few years ago, stood up. He was smaller than Derrick, but strong as an ox. They’d wrestled a few times in fun, and Derrick had always liked him, thinking he’d be someone they could bring into their inner circle of leaders. He was forty-two now, the perfect age. But lately he’d been spending a lot of time with Michael, frequenting places they shouldn’t, looking for quick hook-ups. Ryan looked to the family and then back at Michael. “I’ve been watching the news, and I don’t get it. How do you know it’s a creatus?”
Michael sighed. He didn’t like anyone to question him. He may only be forty-four, but he was a born leader. “I’ve studied our past, that’s how,” he said, no inflection of his irritation, which Derrick sensed was teetering just below the surface. His brother also had a temper. “Creatus are smart, as we all know.” Michael looked to his father, as if challenging his earlier assessment. “Even the so-called crazy ones. One of the signs of a rogue kill is separating the body so the authorities won’t have any identifying marks. They take what they want and leave the rest. Unlike an animal that rips a human to shreds and leaves the carcass, a creatus will pull the human apart with his bare hands and take the parts he wants.”