The wolves tried not to be distracted by the car horn honking in the distance. It was increasingly difficult as the car got closer and closer.
They were almost through the front door, and soon they would be feasting on witches. This distraction was nothing more than an annoyance, until the first shot rang out.
The vampire Michael turned, looking stunned before he disappeared into a cloud of dust. The alpha wolf yelped as a silver bullet tore through his hind leg, leaving a ragged flap of fur before he fell to the ground in a melting puddle of flesh. The other two wolves and the one remaining vampire turned toward the source of the shots and leapt off the porch.
The man in the red SUV took aim again and shot a hole through the smaller wolf's face, sending her tumbling. The vampire, Aiden, took off running to his right as the last wolf charged.
Just like a vamp, the last wolf, Estella, thought to herself as she leapt onto the vehicle's hood.
Before her jaw could find purchase on the man's arm, she felt the blade of the silver knife cut through her lower jaw and bury itself in her skull. The pain shot through her body like a bolt of lightning. She felt her body rapidly transforming to her human form, and the pain was excruciating. Her tendons pulled and stretched and her bones snapped and cracked before she felt the silver of the blade melting what was left of her brain. She fell in a heap of molten skin and fur oozing down the hood of the car.
"Daddy?" Grace called out as she stepped through the splintered front door, avoiding the piles of ash and goo.
"Munchkin, it's me," David replied with a wave.
"Daddy, look out!" she screamed as the last vampire lunged from behind him.
David ducked down to avoid a bite, and the vamp's jaw connected with the steel frame of the car door. David heard the crack of teeth and bone while the thing stepped back, holding his mouth.
"Son of a bitch," he cursed, turning back to look at his prey.
David stood weaponless in front of the vampire that had forgotten the pain of his broken fangs and now wanted only blood.
"I will eat you alive, you piece of shit," he taunted, walking in a slow circle.
Grace watched in terror, fearing that her father wouldn't be able to fend him off. She closed her eyes and let her mind focus. When she opened them, the stake was floating in the air directly in front of her. She raised her hand and pushed with her mind. The stake flew through the air with the force of a bullet and landed in the final vamp's heart just as he leapt at David's face. Instead of teeth and claws, David was hit with a cloud of ash.
He turned and spat out the remnants of Aiden onto the ground. Grace ran out and threw her arms around him.
"Dad, how did you get here?"
"I got a message from a man. He told me that you needed help, and I felt your fear. So, I left that hospital and rushed here. How did you do that… with the stake?"
"I think it's all this little one," she said, rubbing her stomach.
"Well, thank you very much, little one," he said, looking down. His mood turned suddenly serious, and he looked at her sadly. "Grace, your mom, she—"
"I know Dad. That isn't Mom, it's Carolyn."
"Well, that explains a lot." His relief slowly turned to disgust. "Oh my god, I—"
"Dad," Grace said as she put a hand up and shook her head. "She had all of us fooled, and Mom is not upset about it at all."
"Doesn't make me feel less queasy."
"Well, just wait until you hear the rest of the story." She took his hand and led him into the house.
As he walked through the door, Harold rushed forward and threw his arms around David's neck, kissing his cheek.
"Um, I'm glad to see you, too Harry."
"Dad, that isn't Harry. That is Mom."
"I'm really confused," David said as he took a seat in the nearest chair.
"I'll explain it all to you." Grace took a seat opposite him. "Wait, where is Roland?"
"He left, Princess, and he took your grandmother with him," Jorek gestured to Kayla's body that now sat slumped on the couch, her hands still bound.
"Crap. Well, Jorek, do you know how we can get all of this straightened out?"
"Give me a few moments, Princess, and everything should be right as rain."
"That will give me time to explain."
Grace turned to David, who looked like he was developing a migraine from all the confusion, and began the story one last time.