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
“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
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