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.”
Collective gasps filled the room.
“Okay, Michael,” Derrick interrupted. “I think we get the point.” Derrick, as he assumed a few others felt, was glad he hadn’t eaten lunch yet. He didn’t like to think that there were animals that would do such a thing.
“He asked,” Michael defended his repugnant answer. “But here’s the part that baffles me. Whoever this is, they want us to know.”
“How’s that?” Dean spoke up again, curiosity lighting in his eyes.
Michael moved backward toward the desk, resting on the edge as though he was a professor addressing his students. “Even though a creatus is smart enough not to give any indication of how the person was killed, they usually hide the victim, bury them. These victims have been left for authorities to find.” Michael paused for effect. “The rogue wants us to know.”
“So, as Michael and I discussed earlier, there’s only one answer,” Derrick cut in. “We need to start
Vic burst to her feet. “What? What happened to ‘the rules’? Isn’t that why you banished Jonas?”
Derrick shook his head, casting a glance in Ryan and his mother’s direction, wondering if they had thought the same thing too.
Michael also stared in the direction of Ry and Margaret and then hopped off the desk to answer. “We didn’t banish Jonas; he left on his own. Jonas was a good friend of mine, but he used watching as an excuse to fight. He didn’t care about humans any more than you or I, Vic. He was only looking for a fight. And he was sloppy.”
“So we’re supposed to put our existence in jeopardy because a few humans are dying.” Vic raised her hands in the air and paced. “Derrick’s just worried about his new precious human.”
“Sit down, Victoria, or leave,” Derrick ordered. “Your choice.”
Vic inhaled a deep breath as though she would argue, but then flopped down in her chair again.
Derrick held up his hands in a silent request to the rest of the group. No one as much as breathed. “They are the rules, and I intend to keep them. As for Kristina, she’s my concern.” He leveled his eyes on Victoria. “No one will get near her; I will make certain of that. As for the rest of you, we will set up a perimeter around Boston where the killings have occurred.” Derrick glanced around to see if anyone else dared to question him. “Per ‘the rules’, as Vic pointed out, I do not want you to get involved with a crime; we’re only looking for the rogue. Only interfere if the rogue is involved. And make sure you are always dressed in black with a knit ski mask you can shield your face if need be; we don’t need to start any vigilante investigations again.”
His father stood up again. “So, if we see a human getting attacked, you want us to stand by?”
Derrick’s stomach plummeted. No, he didn’t want that. What would Kristina think of him saying such a thing? But, it was the only way. “We don’t have a choice, Dad. It’s not like it was when you were protecting the streets. Humans are busy 24-7. They never sleep, it seems. Also, everyone has a video camera on their cell phone. We’d be on the front page of
Chapter Twelve
After Michael presented the map and the schedules of where he wanted everyone stationed, the barn cleared.
“Hang on a second, Vic,” Derrick called as she made her way toward the massive doors that were big enough a tank could fit through.
She threw her head back in disgust, acting like a spoiled child. He almost expected her to stomp her feet and stick out her tongue at this point. “Now what?” she whined.
Michael stopped his departure as well, which was probably a good thing. With Vic’s attitude, no telling what they’d end up saying to each other. Besides, Derrick needed to question his brother as well.
So as not to accuse just Vic, he addressed both of them with a razor-sharp scowl, “Which one of you were outside Kristina’s window last night?” he asked pointblank.
Vic rolled her eyes and Michael’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, clearly digesting this information.
Smoothing her hair with her hands, sending him the image of a cat preening herself, Vic laughed. “That was fast, Derrick. Didn’t waste any time getting with the human, did you?”
Derrick huffed out a breath. What a one-eighty her personality had taken. Again, he hated to keep thinking she was the typical scorned woman, but he now understood all the colloquialisms. There clearly was a thin line between love and hate. “You didn’t answer my question, Victoria?”
“I have better things to do with my time than spy on your little girlfriend. Besides, I didn’t know you’d decided to bring her into our humble family until you showed up with her on your arm.” Vic bit her lip, her tough facade seemingly melting. He knew she was heartbroken, understood that her antagonism was directed at the situation, not him. She had to know he’d tried to make it work with her. “Thanks for that by the way,” she said sharply, attempting to hold onto her anger. “You could have warned me instead of blindsiding me, making me look
