“I have a proposition for you, Amanda. You see, your neighbor and his mother are two very valuable Lycans. Caliph Regis. Aren’t you, Dunc?” Joseph flashed a smile at Dunc. “Tell her.”
“Stop lying!” Amanda took a step forward, her face flushing with anger. She did not believe Joseph. She waved a hand behind her, trying to get Dew and Sallie to go into the house. Nobody was after them. “This is about you and me, and there is no you and me, Joseph!”
“Oh, but there can be. You see, this is my offer, whether you believe me or not. You come with me willing and be my wife, or I will have Dunc shot right now. Human or Lycan, he’s going to die. We are using silver-tipped rounds.”
Amanda glanced at Dunc worriedly. He had not moved and was looking at her with similar worry written on his face. “No, Amanda. Run.” He took a step forward.
“Kill him!” Joseph gave the order, and the three men opened fire.
“No!” Amanda screamed. Dunc was flung backward by the force of multiple bullets hitting him in the chest. “No!” Amanda turned back to Joseph. “He’s just a man! Why did you do-”
Joseph grabbed Amanda’s hand and jerked her toward the van.
“Time to go.” He began dragging Amanda toward the van. “Get the mother too!” His men nodded and ran toward Dunc’s house.
“Nobody is touching my mother!” Dunc snarled, sitting up and rubbing a hand over his chest, tearing at the shredded shirt. Silvery grey material showed through it. He hadn’t told Amanda he would be wearing any kind of protection. Dunc whipped out the two guns that Amanda had thought were part of his costume. He began firing, and Joseph’s men immediately sought cover to return fire. “That hurt! But not nearly as much as what I’m about to do to you!”
There was a scream, and one of the men went down who had run up onto Dunc’s porch. Amanda couldn’t see what was happening. It sounded like he was dragged inside the house, where the screaming continued.
“Get the lights!” Dunc shouted, tossing his empty pistols aside. The neighborhood was plunged into darkness as the street lights exploded. Seeing Dunc’s head turned away from her, Amanda growled a quick equation. Flames shot up Joseph’s arm. He yelped and let her go.
Dunc had discarded the guns and was charging at Joseph, intending to tackle him to the ground. Joseph turned to meet Dunc with a fist pulled back. “Paying you back for the first time we met!” Then he spoke a few barely perceptible words.
“Dunc, look out!” Amanda shrieked, knowing what was coming.
The blow from Joseph’s fist slammed into Dunc’s chest, propelling him into his yard. Dunc ended up crashing into his ghost town.
“Kill them!” Joseph shouted. He then turned his gaze on Amanda.
“No!” Amanda screamed, throwing her hands up. “I’ll go with you!”
“That offer is expired.” Joseph stepped forward and grabbed for Amanda. She stumbled back and dropped the taser. Then Joseph advanced on her. “Don’t even think about fighting me. You will lose.”
Amanda caught a glimpse of movement in the enveloping darkness. They were not alone. People were amassing behind the vans. Points of bluish-purple light were forming in their hands as they advanced. Gleaming weapons appeared before her eyes, and more forms stepped beside the first row.
Amanda gasped, realizing what she was seeing. There were a dozen Scions creating weapons. They handed them off to the people behind them. People that weren’t actually people. Hybrid form Lycans stepped forward, taking the guns. Then came the shields. More bestial Lycans filled in the gaps. Then they began advancing, accompanied by warning snarls. They were moving in organized lines to surround the invaders.
“Joseph.” Amanda continued backing away from him. “You might want to rethink this.”
A deep guttural snarling came from Dunc’s front yard. It was followed by the sound of splintering and breaking wood. Dunc’s western town shook. Amanda and Joseph turned to see a massive black furred form rising over the structures. Dunc bared his fangs and crashed through the structures heading for Joseph.
Amanda was barely able to get out of the way as Dunc charged by snapping at Joseph. She staggered back in astonishment, unsure of what to do. Dunc was a Lycan? He was a Lycan? And he was massive! Joseph used his ability to dodge Dunc, phasing through his jaws and then reappearing a few feet away. Dunc was so fast that Joseph was having difficulty getting in position to do anything more than evade.
Joseph managed to get a sword in hand and got in a few slashes on Dunc’s legs and muzzle. Sparks flew every time the blade made contact, and smoke rose from them. Dunc didn’t relent. He was determined to catch Joseph any way he could.
Amanda pulled out the silver chain and ran after Dunc and Joseph. Gunfire erupted behind her. Armed Lycans and Scions were closing in on Joseph’s five remaining men.
***
Sallie and Dew were watching from the porch. Dew had a huge smile plastered on his face and tears running down his face. “Do you see them! Do you see them!”
“Yeah! We need to get out there and help!” Sallie clenched her fists.
“We can’t be seen!” Dew scowled. “No, we can. Just be careful your abilities aren’t seen!” Dew began reciting an equation. He formed a bluish-purple curving blade, then a shield. He handed them to Sallie, then made an identical set for himself. “Let’s go!”
The pair of them slipped off the porch and ran toward Dunc’s yard.
***
Amanda made sure nobody was watching as she pursued Dunc and Joseph. The Lycans and Scions concentrated around Dunc’s house. But others were running along the sides of the street. She had to get the silver necklace around Joseph, or he was going to escape.
“Joseph!”
