Gray Bishop by Kelly Meade

alone.
    “Who was killed?” Bishop asked.
    Dell flinched. “Our parents. My wife, Sophie. Porter’s daughter, Cathy.”
    Bishop’s heart twisted at the broken way Dell spoke. The blood on their clothes was sticky looking, starting to dry, so the attack was only hours old. They hadn’t been given a chance to let the deaths sink in and to grieve. They’d had to find a safe place first.
    “I’m sorry for your losses,” Father said. “A.J., Devlin, please bring water from the kitchen. Any clean towels you find, too.”
    They nodded, then went. The auction house had a small kitchen that served food on auction day, in order to make people stay longer and spend more money. The whole operation had been gathering dust for weeks.
    Dr. Mike finished with Summer’s arm, then turned to check out Angel. Angel cringed away from him. “I know it hurts, honey, but I need to take a look,” he said.
    “It’s okay, baby,” Dell said. “Please let him see your leg.”
    Angel hiccupped through her tears, then pulled up the leg of her pajama pants. Four long gashes scored her calf from knee to ankle. Bishop flinched at the sight of it, such ghastly wounds on someone so young. Then the pajama pants made him take a second look at everyone. They’d been asleep when the triplet struck.
    A.J. and Devlin returned with the water bottles and towels.
    “Please, clean yourselves up,” Father said. “Dell, I’d like you to tell me about the attack.”
    “We were all asleep.” Dell confirmed Bishop’s suspicion. “I woke up because the kids started screaming. Then Porter was hollering. He told me to shift so I did. Porter, he saw more of it.”
    “Cathy was the one who screamed first,” Porter said. “All the girls shared a bedroom, so I got over there fast. I saw the black-haired girl on top of her, on her bed, but Cathy wasn’t screaming anymore. I ran at her. She was so damned fast. Melissa was screaming for the other girls to run. Sophie came into the room. We all tried to fight the intruder. She snapped Sophie’s neck before Dell got there.”
    Dell made a deep, mournful sound that gave Bishop chills. “My beast must have spooked the intruder. She lashed at me, tried to fight me, but then she just left. Busted right out the window and was gone. We found my parents dead in their bed. We were all so scared. I didn’t know what to do except get everyone in the car and come here.”
    “You left the bodies in your cabin?” Father asked.
    “Yes, sir.”
    Father glanced at Bishop, the words unspoken. They’d have to send someone to take care of the scene. Loup garou bodies couldn’t be left for any stray hunter or hiker to stumble over. The parents had been loup. They deserved better than being left to rot.
    “What was she?” Porter asked. “She moved fast like a vampire, but her scent was strange. Not all vampire, I don’t think.”
    “She’s a genetically engineered monster,” Father replied, taking care with his words. “One of three, and I’m sorry to say you’ve sought asylum at the epicenter of their attention.”
    “They’ve attacked you, too?”
    “Several times, yes. We’ve sustained great losses, as well.”
    “Why haven’t you killed them yet?” Melissa nearly shrieked the words, her control gone. “If you know who they are, why haven’t you done anything?”
    Father stiffened. The accusations had to strike him deeply, because they sure as hell hit Bishop right in the gut. Her family had been attacked because of them—he saw it in her wide, wild eyes. She’d lost a child because they hadn’t stopped the triplets.
    “We’re doing everything we can.” Father’s voice was tight, controlled. “They’re very good at hiding, and as you know, they’re fast. The only comfort I can offer, Mrs. Jones, is the knowledge that they’ve struck directly at my own family, so I will not rest until they’re all dead.”
    Melissa started crying again. Porter moved to hold her, one hand protectively over