go out into the forest at night; even they would be overpowered. Werewolves could change at any time, but were at the mercy of the phases of the moon, their strength waxing and waning with it.
"Fine, I won't start anything with them," Zac huffed, exasperated. "But if they come at you or Liz, I will do what I need to."
"Understood," Sam said, knowing that he wouldn't be able to change his mind.
"You know I'm coming with you tomorrow, right?"
Sam laughed, "You finally want to try a squirrel?"
"Very funny, Samuel. I'm more into wolves," Zac snorted.
"Their bite can change a human, god knows what it can do to a vampire," he said in a last ditch effort to dissuade Zac.
"What do you take me for? I ain't some green recruit, Sam. I'm an expert," he winked.
"That's what I'm afraid of," he sighed. "You can come with us, but don't start anything. We can't afford it right now."
"Aye, aye, Captain. Oh wait, that's me," Zac laughed, earning him a slap in the head with another cushion from Liz.
Zac grinned to himself. Tomorrow at sunset, it would be vampires vs werewolves one way or the other. His bet was that the dogs would start it.
The late afternoon sun burnt orange through the treetops, casting long shadows over the open yard in front of the manor. Zac was perched on top of the brick fence, waiting impatiently for Sam and Liz to arrive home. When he finally caught sight of them coming up the driveway, he jumped down and went to meet them.
"About time," he sighed dramatically.
"Chomping at the bit as per usual, I see," Sam said, thumping his brother on the shoulder.
"Sooner we go, the sooner it's done," he said.
"Just stay back, okay?" Sam said, holding his hand up. "If it looks like trouble, then do what you have to."
"Fine," Zac grimaced. "I'll be your little escort service. I won't touch the stinking dogs unless they try something."
Sam assessed his answer for a moment before nodding and turning towards the forest. Just as he said he would, Zac hung back, perched up in a tree some distance back from them, watching and listening.
It didn't take long for their presence to be noted, as if they were waiting for the vampires to hunt tonight. As the werewolves sauntered through the forest in their human forms, Sam and Liz stood deathly still in the middle of a clearing, waiting for the inevitable, Zac waiting silently in the shadows.
"I thought we told you vamps not to come here anymore," the hulking man they knew to be the pack master, declared as they came close.
"Do you really want us to feed on innocent human beings?" Sam scoffed.
"We want you dead or gone. Whichever comes first," snarled the pack master.
"We only feed on animals," Sam tried to reason. "We don't want to hurt anyone. Surely we can make a deal."
The wolves began to laugh, the menacing sound carrying around the now dark forest.
"Change it up, boys," he said to the others, his eyes beginning to glow a deep amber. "Let's get us some vampers."
Liz stared in horror as the pack master began to change, his teeth elongating into the sharp incisors of an over large wolf, silver hair sprouting all over his skin. He tore his shirt and jeans off without any regard for his modesty. Roaring as much in pain as to intimidate them, every bone in his body began snapping and twisting as he slowly transformed.
As the rest of the werewolves followed suit, Zac jumped from tree to tree, only slightly rocking each one as he landed. Before the pack master could complete his transformation, he dived from the tree above, savagely striking him in the head. The half man, half wolf fell heavily to the ground, his pack mates howling and snapping as they completed their change.
"Run," Zac turned to Sam and Liz, pointing to the dark forest behind them.
"What about you?" Sam as he took a few steps backwards.
"Are you stupid? Run!" he yelled, turning back towards the pack, growling deep in his throat.
As Sam and Liz ran the opposite direction, Zac