Masters and Domains

Chapter 12

Diego jumped to his feet when he spotted Marco barging out of the elevator and barreling towards him angrily. He met him halfway.

“Where is your boss!”

Diego eyed him up and down, something niggling at his mind. “I think you need to calm down, dude.”

Marco shot him a withering look before brushing past him in the direction of Derek’s office.

He barged in, glaring at Derek who sat behind his desk with a smug smile on his face. “I thought I heard you come in, De Luca.”

“What part of ‘keep me in the loop’ do you not understand?” Marco seethed. “Who the fuck was that!”

Derek shrugged a shoulder. “The less you know, the better.”

Marco seemed to calm down, the orange flecks in his eyes dying out. He approached the desk with a steady gait. “Whatever the message was, Antonio got it loud and clear.”

“As was intended.”

Marco picked up the wooden sculpture of a howling wolf from the desk. “You know, when I first met you, I wondered for weeks how you could be a non-Descendant and have a heartbeat.” He lifted his eyes to stare straight into the older vampire’s, his finger tracing the curve of the wolf’s back. “When Cesare and I were little boys, our grandfather used to tell us scary stories about these barbaric creatures. Savages, he called them.” His lips curved slightly. “Werewolves.”

Derek shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Sounds dreadful.”

“And then, there was the Great War, eight centuries ago,” Marco continued. “Leonardo got to see that those creatures weren’t myths at all. Before his very eyes, men and women shifted into the biggest wolves he’d ever seen. Men and women that weren’t vampires.”

“Great story,” Derek muttered, trying to appear unruffled. “But what does this have to do with me?”

“Every single werewolf was killed in that war,” Marco said, holding his gaze. “Everyone except you.”

Derek scoffed. “That’s ridi-”

“Is it?” Marco cut him short. “I’ve wondered about you from the moment we met. Wondered how you could have a beating heart when you weren’t a Descendant. How you could appear…human.” He held up the wooden animal in his hand. “Seeing this that first time in your office made me remember my grandfather’s stories. Your little stunt in Italia just connected all the dots for me.” He set the sculpture down with a loud thud. “Where is he?”

Derek stared up at Marco, contemplating whether to keep up his ruse or fess up. He made his decision in a few seconds.

Rising to his feet, he wagged a finger at the younger man, smiling. “I gotta give it to you, Marco, you’re smart.” He shrugged. “I guess sending Leo within close proximity of you wasn’t my brightest idea but he was the only man for the job.”

“Where is he?” Marco repeated. “How did you two meet? How long have you known him?”

“I’ve known Leonardo since way before you were born,” Derek answered. “Before your father was born.” He sat back down in his seat. “I was just a werewolf back then, barely 26 years old.” His gaze turned hazy as he looked down at the wooden wolf. “I had a wife, two little girls. Twins.” He gave a sad smile and looked back up as Marco sat down. “The war was unexpected. Werewolves had managed to live in secret for a while, not because we were afraid of the vampires. No, on the contrary, one werewolf was stronger than two vampires. But we were very small in number and the vampires kept multiplying.” He shrugged. “When the Divinus caught wind of the existence of a different species of supernatural creatures, their supremacy felt threatened and the rest, they say, is history.” His jaw tightened and his eyes shut tight. “Alina’s grandfather, Stephano, tore my family to shreds right before my very eyes.”

Marco was silent for a beat. “How do you handle being around the very creatures that tore your life apart?”

Derek shrugged. “I will avenge my children. But I am not blinded by a mindless thirst for revenge. I know what I’ll do to the man who killed my family and almost ended me, but I do not have a vendetta against vampires, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Where does Leo come in?” Marco asked.

“He saved my life,” he answered. “Stephano left me for dead. Leo found me, gave me his blood. It healed me.” He cocked his head to the side. “And then, just for entertainment purposes, your grandfather killed me. When I woke up, he called me his special creation. A vampire-werewolf hybrid.”