Vampires Rule

Battle Before the War

Jack sucked in a painful breath and returned to his own body with a disoriented shiver. The car was off the road, parked at an awkward angle in a ditch. At least he hadn't hit a tree. The engine continued to rumble. He tossed the sunglasses aside, still trying to get his bearings. He couldn't believe his idiot brother was helping Silver attack the psychotic janitor without him. They were both going to die.

No wonder she had given in so easily on being left behind. She'd had her own plan. She was going to get herself killed while trying to do something nice for him. The werewolf-janitor had almost killed her once before. She couldn't have developed her power enough to win in such a short time. It hadn't been that long since the attack.

Jersey would have to wait.

Jack had a difficult time getting the car back on the dirt road. It got stuck a couple times. Swearing beneath his breath, he hit the accelerator hard and twisted the steering wheel. He would get out and push if he had to. The tires finally caught a strong piece of soil and he shot off like a well-aimed bullet.

Within five minutes he was on the highway. He tried to calculate how far they could be ahead of him. After he left the house, they'd probably followed before the dust could settle. He also had to factor in the time spent in Billy's memory. And it had taken a while to get on the road again. All things considered, he didn't see how they could be that far ahead of him. Hopefully he would catch them before they met with the janitor.

Jack slapped a hand against the steering wheel. What was she thinking? And what about Billy? Had he lost his mind? Jack didn't know which of them he wanted to strangle first.

When he reached the field, he caught sight of Silver through the dirty windshield. She and the janitor were locked in a silent battle. They stood frozen, eyes connected as she tried to suck his soul out. Billy was on the sidelines, rifle in hand. Jack didn't even bother to turn off the car's engine. He jumped out and ran to Billy.

His eyes were on Silver the whole time. Her body was shaking like a tiny leaf in the midst of a hurricane. She was losing the battle. The werewolf-janitor was trying something none of them suspected he could be capable of; he was trying to suck her soul out—and by the terrified look in her eyes, Jack suspected it was working.

"She's losing," Jack said, talking to himself more than to his brother.

"She's fine," Billy said, but his voice didn't have a trace of confidence.

"No, she isn't!"

Jack charged the battling couple. He tackled Silver, breaking the eye contact between the two. She grunted as she hit the ground. Jack kept her body covered, fearing instant retribution. Nothing happened. He looked up to see Billy fighting the thing.

Now his brother was in danger.

Silver looked up, eyes widened in fear. There was a bleeding cut on her cheek, but she didn't seem to notice. "You have to help Billy!" she shouted.

The stone had fallen from his pocket. It was on the ground near Silver's arm. She grabbed it and tossed it in the air. Jack caught it.

"Use it," Silver yelled.

"But..."

"It's going to kill Billy! Hurry!" She shook her head, tears in her eyes. She sobbed, "This is my fault. Don't let him die because of me."

Billy was flat on his back with the lunatic janitor on top of him. The werewolf wasn't trying to scratch him because that could lead to him being infected. It didn't want to create another werewolf. Its hands were around Billy's throat. The werewolf wanted him dead.

Jack ran to the struggling pair. He intended to slap the stone against the werewolf's head before it could guess his intentions, but the ugly janitor was smarter than he looked. He swung an arm, hit Jack on the wrist, and sent the stone flying. Jack's eyes lost it in the bright sunlight.

The werewolf returned to choking Billy. It didn't seem concerned with Jack or Silver at the moment. Jack's eyes went to the grass where the stone had landed. If he used vampire-speed, he might be able to find it in time. He looked to Silver. She was on her feet, her expression set. She was going to attack the janitor again. This time she might not be so lucky.

Jack kicked the beast in the shoulder, knocking it off his brother.

The werewolf jumped to his feet. The thing's glowing eyes pinned Jack. It growled.

Jack snarled back.

The werewolf janitor lunged at the same time as Jack. They clashed in the air, landed hard on the ground. A vicious fight ensued. The janitor ripped at Jack with invisible claws. It missed every time. Jack's fangs pushed through the gums. His powers returned in a rush.

Surprised, the werewolf lost his concentration.

Jack swung his hand. Metallic claws reflected the sunlight. The claws caught the werewolf on his arm just below the shoulder and ripped through his shirt, cutting him deep.

The werewolf-janitor stumbled away. It gazed down at the wound in wonder. It touched the torn shirt. A strange sound emanated from its throat. It began to tremble from head to toe. The thing went to its knees in front of Jack.

Billy appeared at Jack's side, sword in hand. "You killed my family. Now you can go to hell."

He swung the long blade, cleanly removing the werewolf's head. It rolled several yards, stopping before the body fell forward and hit the ground. Finally the murderer was dead. In seconds it turned to a pile of ashes.

Silver came up behind Jack. He lifted his arm, inviting her to step closer. His arm went around her. He held her tight.

"It's over." Billy smiled.

"I didn't have to use the rock," Jack said, pleased with himself. "We can still use it on Jersey."

Silver shook her head. "No, please. Not yet. I think I've had enough hunting for a while. Too much excitement is bad for the heart."

Jack squeezed her. "If Jersey comes after us, we won't have a choice. Anyway, what were the two of you thinking?" He glared at his brother. "You almost got her killed, idiot."

Silver said, "You gave up your revenge for me. You were going to kill the head werewolf and give me my life back. I wanted to do something for you. I thought if I could kill him before you got to Jersey, we would both have what we want most."

"No. It was my fault," Billy said. "You can't take the blame. I wanted revenge just as much as Jack."

"But it was my idea," she said.

"Enough." Jack held his hands up. "It doesn't matter who did what. It's done now. I'm just glad everyone is okay. You are okay, aren't you?"

His eyes went to Silver first, then to his brother. They both nodded. Billy rubbed his sore throat. The pile of ashes began to blow away as a gentle breeze passed over the field. Jack watched it with delight. His parents had died at the hands of the psychotic werewolf, and now it was dead. Revenge really was sweet.

Silver walked over the grass, her gaze lowered. She found the stone almost immediately. With a smile, she picked it up and showed it to Jack. "Got it."

She gave it to him, and he slid it into his pocket. He didn't even want to think about using it on Jersey. That was going to be a tough situation. He certainly wasn't looking forward to returning to school. What if Jersey continued to teach English class? Could they be in the same room with each other after everything and not try to kill each other?

"We did it," Billy said. His smile widened, and he put an arm around Jack's shoulders. "Thanks for saving my butt back there."

"No problem, bro."

"I guess you're going to turn out to be a good hunter after all."

"Yeah, we'll see." Jack put one arm around Billy and the other around Silver. He brought them close. They were his family now, and he no longer missed his vampire clan. "Let's go home and celebrate."

They laughed as they walked to the car.

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