Manor of Secrets.

Feverton has always attracted creatures of the supernatural kind, and it was home to many of them before our ancestor even got here. They all came because of the tree hill, an unusually large baobab tree standing on a hill. Legend had it that the tree was magically planted by an old witch doctor when the town needed protection from invaders. The tree then magically attracted the first set of supernatural beings that defended the people of the town against those who would do them harm. But, with every action comes repercussions, these beings all brought their curses with them, thirst, hunger, anger, and many others. Then the witch doctor created the council to keep each group's excesses in check.

When our ancestor got to Feverton, after defeating his brother, he was charged with the care of the tree hill, and our manor was built right beside it. I was going to pull out that card during my meeting with the council, a bunch of people who hated the guts of anyone with the Lugard name. Fear has a way of breeding hatred, of course, these people hated us because they feared us. The original vampire family of Feverton, we once brought the town to a brink of destruction, and we were only trying to save it. This made them think hard on what would happen if we really decided to destroy the town, a thought that would make them shiver in pure terror. And if people ever agreed on anything, it would be on their collective fear and hatred. 

When I told my family about what happened, and what I needed to do, all of them, except one had the same reaction, they all wanted to just leave.

"Well, fuck this town and the ingrates that reside in it," Tobi shouted.

"We came here for a reason, which was to see the dying old man. He is now dead, and I do not see what is left for us to do here. We owe nothing to this town, and fortunately, they hate us and want us to leave as well," Jidey added.

"Well, if we leave now, the serial killer, werewolf is going to devastate this place. If we can prevent that, I think we should," Sheyi murmured, and her words made the whole of the room go quiet.

"Since when does our sister care about what happens to humans, other than sinking her fangs into their necks?" Tobi asked jokingly.

"Well, they're livestock, alright. But, this wolf cares nothing about anything other than unleashing death and destruction everywhere it goes. That would be such a waste, and for what?"

"Our sister is right and you all know it! This is our town and we are not going to stay idly by while the people here get slaughtered by that barbaric wolf. I am going to meet with the council today to convince them to let us stay and help. Jidey and Tobi, you're coming with me to that meeting, let us go and remind them who we are."

Walk with me, Jidey said, as he picked his jacket off the chair he was sitting in and walked out of the room. I joined him outside, but he was not slowing down.

"Slow the fuck down, brother!" I shouted but he ignored me and dashed into the woods that surrounded the manor. I dashed after him but could not keep up as he sped off deep into the woods. I found him a moment later, using the sound of his fangs biting into something, a faint heartbeat could be heard near to his sound and as I neared him the heartbeat got louder. He was bent over something when walked up to him.

"Here you are," I said, inhaling and exhaling heavily into the cold morning air. "What the hell was that about?" I asked.

"Well, I was hungry for a meal and a good run in the woods," he replied ad he turned his face towards me. His blood stained fangs were sticking out and his whole face was also stained with blood.

"Remember how we used to run around in these woods? Things were easier and merrier back then, until we tried to save the town and ended up almost destroying it. And... You know what followed, torches and pitchforks. They banished us," he turned back to the deer he had caught, he bit into the animal's neck and drained it of it's blood in a few seconds.

"This is different, Jidey."

"How is it fucking different?"he exclaimed. 

"We are the only ones standing between this place being totally destroyed... And I think I might have seen... I'm not sure I know what I saw."

"I have seen her too," Jidey replied as he got up and stared his blood red eyes into mine.

"What?" I asked surprisingly.

"I went by the diner and saw the girl. Adeezah, was it?"

"That was Qayah, brother. It was really her!"

"Yes, I was lost too. Qayah is dead, she died that night. This is the work of foul sorcery or something... Howard's escape and now Qayah has a doppelganger of some sort? Someone has a bad plan for this town, and whoever that person is have got us included in his or her plans."

"That is why we need to stay and fight, brother!"

Fight? Father told me to protect you all and this... It scares me, Lanrey, it is as if we are where they want us. We are not immortal you know, not in the real sense of it, and feverton knows how to kill vampires. I do not want to lose any member of my family again."

So, you want us to run? That is not the Jidey I knew, not the Jodey that fought and killed anything and everything that came for us all those years ago. You are no coward, brother, I won't let you to start being one now. This is where we need to be and if they have us where they want us, let us show them what happens when you come for the Ligards. 

"Well, I'll race you back to the manor," he replied and dashed off again.

I got back to the manor some minutes after Jidey did and they were all waiting for me. Nobody needed to tell me that something was wrong. Baroka looked worried and he definitely had something to say.

"Well, what is it now?" I asked looking puzzled.

"Tell him what you just told us, Baroka," Jidey said.

"The wolf attacked."

"Where? When?"

"Sometimes last night, the Jamal's restaurant was attacked by a man. The reports said that the huge man walked into the restaurant, his eyes were bright yellow and he had a heavy stench following him. He sat down but was immediately approached and thrown out by the security. Then the man walked back to the door and started shaking weirdly, his yellow eyes started shining in the light and suddenly fell to the ground, his bones started breaking and rearranging, his face elongated into a snout and his arms elongated, finger turned to claws as he screamed in pain. The security men not knowing what was going on come out to check on him and that was when it happened. He leaped on the first man in his reach and bit into his neck, tearing his head off the shoulders, the other security men scattered in different directions, running for their lives. He then attacked the people in the restaurant, killing everyone, including Jackie Jamal and his son, Michael Jamal. The attack left the restaurant painted with blood, human entrails and other body parts."

"And it begins. The Jamals are the strongest of the wolf packs. He must have approached them to join him and the old Alpha must have declined."

"We need to extend a hand of friendship to the wolves now if we have any chance of getting an alliance against Howard," Jidey explained.

"Yes, brother. We need an alliance. That is why we need to attend that meeting then we have to attend the Jamal's funeral."