Free Protector by Tressa Messenger Page B

of the residen ts.
    As he enters the manor he runs into Michael leaving the dining room. 
    “Hey , Ales, where have you been?”
    “Dude, it’s a long story.  Have you seen my father?”
    “Yeah, last I saw him he was in the downstairs dining room eating breakfast with the Brotherhood and going over tonight’s plans.”
    “Thanks , Michael. I’ll find you again after I talk to my father.  We can catch up then.”
    “Alright , dude.  I’ll be around.”
    Alessandro walks straight ahead to the staircase.  There is a hidden elevator built into it so if anyone was able to breech their high tech security system and make it past any of the fourteen deadly residents that live here, they won’t know there’s another dwelling underground.  Alessandro presses on the paneling and a key pad appears.  He punches in his code and the paneling comes apart to expose the inside of the compartment.  There’s only one way to go from here and that’s down to any of the three levels.
       They expanded the manor when it was bought a century ago to accommodate the Brotherhood’s need to stay out of the deadly sunlight and has a few renovations since.  
    The Protectors stay above ground and the Brotherhood stays under, but the underground layer was modeled to look identical to the above , that way they wouldn’t feel so separated.  The only differences are in the decor.  The upper floors are more modern and contemporary and the under ground is more traditional with centuries of priceless antiques.
    Once off the elevator on the first floor Alessandro turns down the hall to the left to look for his father in the dining room.  In it sits a grand sight of seven of the Brotherhood Orders most powerful and deadly members in the country.  It’s an honor to be in their presence, but at the same time very intimidating, with Alessandro’s dad, Marquis, at the head of the table. 
    Marquis Pierre was born into an aristocratic family and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1801 during the French rule.  He was bitten one night after leaving a bar as he stumbled through the quiet darkened streets when he was thirty-five.  He hasn’t aged a day since.  His long ash blond hair and clear sage green eyes are just as vibrant as they were all those years ago.
    “Alessandro, my boy, how are you today?” Marquis asks in his thick French accent as he beams at his only son.
    “I’m good , thanks.”  Alessandro walks further into the room until he is standing beside his father.  “Excuse me, father, but I really need to speak to you about a potentially urgent situation that has just come up.”
    “Of course, what’s going on?”
    Alessandro looks around the table at the six other vampires, who in turn look up from their meals and stare at him.  He knows there’s no point trying to be quiet about it.  Vampires have super sharp hearing, so they will all know anyway.
    “Well, there is this lady that I have had the misfortune of running into on a few occasions.  It has come to my attention that she may be catching on to what has been going on around here lately with the Rogue.”
    Marquis looks at his son patiently trying to decide what to say.  Calmly he says, “Okay, and what makes you think this?”
    “Like I said, I’ve seen her a few times.  Two of which were by protecting her from a Rogue and today I followed her to a coffee shop and saw her researching on her lap top the supposed animal attacks that have been happening around here.”
    Marquis slams his fist down on the table causing a thunderous crack to vibrate off the walls and pushes his chair back and stands up.
    Marquis’ sage eyes flash with rage , causing the pupils to dilate making all color vanish, “God damn pests!”
    The Rogue has always been a problem, but in the past year their numbers have grown again.  They are young reckless vampires here in Wilmington and they need to be taught a lesson.  They may not want to follow the laws of the Brotherhood,