Creatus

“Oh my…” Kris fanned her eyes. “This is amazing.”

Derrick pulled out her chair and helped her scoot forward. “I’m glad you approve.”

“How did… you do all this?” Her voice cracked, faltering with the love she felt enveloping her as though it were a tangible ribbon, interwoven through both of their souls, cinching them together forever.

He moved his head back and forth only slightly. “Every girl should have a fairy-tale wedding, even if it’s just for two.”

Kris leaned forward as he took his seat. “This is so much better than a formal wedding, Derrick. Thank you.”

Her husband dipped his head. “My pleasure, my bride.” Reaching across the table, he took her hand in his. “Thank you for marrying me, Kristina. I plan to make all your wishes come true.”

She smiled. “You already have.”

Derrick had taken it upon himself to pre-order their dinner, so there were no inquiries. He’d ordered her Filet a la Oscar, and she’d thought she’d died and gone to food heaven. She’d never thought of pairing filet with crabmeat, asparagus, and bearnaise sauce, but the result was delectable. It panged her that he could never sample such fine sauces. And pizza, even with the incredible food she’d eaten with him, she was starting to crave pizza. She needed to see if she could sneak off and get a fix one of these days. There had to be somewhere in the hotel that served it.

After dinner, Derrick twirled her across the floor, teaching her all types of dances. She started to ask where he learned all the styles, but then remembered he’d been alive since the sixties, so he’d seen a lot. And his father had been alive since the early nineteen hundreds. It baffled her to think that he’d actually been alive during World War I.

As they danced, the waiter cleared their plates, and when she needed a respite, they returned to their table to see a wedding cake for two in the center of their table.

Kris giggled as she sat. “I’m starting to think I’m dreaming, Derrick. You may have to plant one of those mind-blowing kisses on me again.”

“Gladly,” he offered, pulling her out of the chair and into his arms before she could blink. He spun around in a circle, kissing her, unconcerned with the onlooking staff.

Kris dipped her head to his ear when he finally released her lips. “Okay. I believe again.” She glanced around to the door. “Aren’t you concerned they’ll wonder how you did that?”

He laughed. “Kristina, you weigh all of a hundred and twelve pounds. I’m sure even a human man of my size could do this.”

She crinkled her nose. “How do you know how much I weigh?”

“My senses, all of them, are ultra perceptive.”

“Hmm… all of them?”

“Everything.”

She thought about that for a second, her brow furrowing. That could be uncomfortable at times.

He smiled. “No need to worry. You’ll get used to not talking to yourself.” He set her down and walked her to her chair.

“I was thinking of other things actually.”

“Such as?”

“Your sense of smell. I’ll be concerned.”

He laughed full and deep and nuzzled her neck, inhaling a deep breath. “No need. I think you smell incredible. All the time,” he clarified.

They finished their cake, and then Derrick trailed her around the hotel again, offering if she wanted to dance in the nightclub. She refused, wanting to return to their room. She hadn’t got her fill of him yet today, and she was starting to get tired. Derrick never seemed to tire.

When they made it back to the room, Derrick seemed to be content to sit on the loveseat. For a long while, they just snuggled and stared at the fire. His fingers trailed over her skin, seeming to memorize every square inch of her body. Occasionally he would plant delicate kisses on her hand and neck.

“Derrick,” Kris asked, pulling his hand to her lips. “What happens if I die?”

He huffed out a breath. “What kind of question is that to ask on your wedding night?”

“I’m curious. Can you fall twice?”

He shook his head.

“So if I die, you’ll be alone for a hundred years?”

His eyes narrowed, wondering she guessed how she knew his age and how long he’d live. He’d hinted, but he’d never come out and told her directly. “Yes. Though, it is unlikely I’d live that long without you.”

Her eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“It is from creatus that humans coined the term, Died of a broken heart; they just don’t know it. When you see a story on the news where a couple has been together for sixty to seventy years and they die within days of each other, often it is one of us; though, they are usually much older than humans know. Creatus simply do not want to go on living after their partner dies, and if they are young, they’ll normally leave the family and become a hermit. Again the reason you hear stories of the old lady or man in the neighborhood who never comes out of their house.”

A moan escaped her throat. “What if he—”

Derrick raised his finger to her lips. “He’s not. Let’s drop this discussion please.”

Kris nodded and rested her head against his chest, swiping away a tear. She’d have to be extremely careful so that nothing ever happened to her. Because the thought of Derrick living in pain—she simply couldn’t imagine putting him through that agony. Their connection was so strong now… the thought of him ripped from her life. She couldn’t imagine the anguish.

Chapter Twenty-nine

Vic sat next to Jonas on the high-rise building’s ledge, lazily surveying the city, not really concerned with what was going on. Even sitting next to the wonderful specimen of a man, all she could think about was Derrick, wondering if he and Kristina had really fallen. Maybe he’d lied to protect her from the family. As cool as the night air was, she couldn’t help but feel the heat radiating off Jonas’ body. How wonderful it would be to want another man. To have the comfort of a hot body on a cold night. Even though she was only forty-four—young by creatus standards—she wanted to fall. It was every woman’s dream, well, creatus women anyway. Meeting that perfect man, gazing into his eyes, and knowing that you’d be together always. She shook the ridiculous thoughts from her head. If it hadn’t happened with Derrick, a man she’d loved for years, how would it happen with anyone?

She turned to Jonas, who’d been content to sit beside her quietly it seemed, even though he had to know how she felt about all this. “Why did you come back, Jonas?”

He lifted his eyes without lifting his head. His catlike orbs sparkled in the limited light from the surrounding buildings; he’d always had the prettiest eyes. Even though they were a dark sable, they had flecks of gold in them. “I heard Derrick finally made a decision,” he answered easily, as though he’d been prepared for her question.

She narrowed her brows. “A decision on what? Watching?”

“Watching?” he repeated, spurting out a laugh. “No. I can watch and get into a fight anywhere. I didn’t need to come back to New England to watch. Besides, humans are hardly worth battling. Even when they have a weapon, they’re usually poor fighters. And unlike our grandparents, I have no desire to protect them.”

Vic flinched. She hadn’t believed that Jonas was watching just so he could fight, but his comment sounded as though maybe he had been.

He rested his hand over hers, and she immediately withdrew it, tending to an itch behind her head.

“So, what, then?” she prodded, even though she now had her suspicions, wondering why she’d felt the need to remove her hand. Hadn’t she been thinking she’d track him down? Hadn’t she said she needed to move on?

“A Kristina decision,” he said. “I knew once Derrick made his choice, you would be open to someone else. I couldn’t compete with him around for some reason.” He shook his head. “What is it about