Monsters

Graduation Day

"I'm so excited that I finally get to meet your family!" Wren gushed to Kirg and Bram, smiling when she felt Xunter's arm go across her shoulder. 

"You kind of are family," Kirg told her. "You and Jess were... sorry, I shouldn't have--"

"You've always been family," Bram cut in. "You've always accepted us for who we are." 

Wren's face fell at the mention of her ex-best friend, but Xunter's squeeze on her shoulder and the twins' concerned faces reminded her that she'd made the right choice. 

"You're my family too," she declared, smiling brightly once again. 

The four of them walked into the house with Kirg and Bram proceeding the couple. 

A "Congratulations Graduates!" banner hung from the ceiling. 

Bram hollered, "Hey, Mom, Dad, Aunt Lucinda, we're here!" 

"And we brought the human!" Kirg added. 

People started filing into the living room, and though Bram could hear Wren and Xunter's hearts accelerating nervously, both of them did well to hide it. 

Then Ishka walked in, and Kirg felt both girls startle, staring at each other with wide-eyed curiosity. It didn't take much to figure out why. They looked more like twins than Kirg and Bram did, albeit Wren was lacking a tail and a few other features and their eyes and hair were different colors. 

"She looks like...me," Ishka whispered, and all eyes in the room were looking curiously back and forth between them. 

Then Luken walked in, and the dish of dirt pudding that Wren was holding crashed to the floor. 

"Oh, I forgot to warn you that Mom wears dresses," Kirg laughed, but when he turned, her upset wasn't because of what Mom was wearing. Her gaze was fully focused on his face. 

"Uncle Co?" she whispered. 

He took his sunglasses off and gaped at her, "You look like..."

Wren squeaked and backed into Xunter, "Acetaminophen! You're not Uncle Co! But you look just like him. Who are you?" 

"My name is Luken." 

She paled, "Luken? How old are you, Luken?" 

"We don't know," Dad said, stepping up and putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "He was imprisoned by dark creatures." 

"I need to call my mom, right now," Wren said, turning to go back outside. As soon as her mom answered, she said, "Mom, you need to come over here. Right now. I... I think I've found Luken." 

"What do you mean, you've found 'Luken'?" Sorcha demanded when she hung up; everyone had followed her outside. 

Wren took a tentative step forward, still eyeing Luken. "My Aunt is the Bloodmate of a Derecha man named Coh. She was captured by dark creatures thirty some years ago. When she was pregnant. Uncle Co eventually found her, left for dead and floating in the river. They kept looking for Luken, but Aunt Susan didn't know what the place looked like from above ground. They even involved the human police." 

She'd barely quit speaking when Mr. Sunay, in his Demi-form slid to a stop in front of the house, Wren's mother on his back. 

"Wren! What do you mean you found--"

Cynthia didn't finish her thought, instead turning to gape at Luken. Her hands covered her face, and tears glittered in her eyes, "It can't be... after all these years!" 

She ran to him then, attempting to throw her arms around him, but Sorcha stepped in-between.

"Leave Luken alone, woman," she growled.