Page 83 of Thunder with a Chance of Lovestruck

Stratton groaned “Because something deep in me is telling me to go after her.”

“Then we might want to get a move on since she’s got a head start.” Drest grinned.

They made short work of tracking the dog and the woman to a huge, old home, just off campus.

“Should I knock?” asked Stratton.

Drest snorted. “I don’t know. Do you want to talk to her again or just look creepy standing out on the sidewalk staring in at the place?”

A woman with long dark hair came rushing through the side bushes. She nearly ran into them. She righted herself, looking disheveled with leaves in her hair. She cast them a sideways glance and nodded. “Don’t mind me.”

She then rushed up to the house and entered.

A second later, there was a massive roar from inside the home, a second before it sounded as if all hell was breaking loose. A swarm of monsters came charging in at the house from all directions.

Howls sounded in the distance. They weren’t from normal wolves. Drest had been alive long enough to know for certain that they belonged to wolf-shifters.

The heavy press of evil surrounded him, as did the smell of sulfur. He didn’t have time to think more about it. He spun and seized hold of one of Henry’s monsters, slamming it to the ground as his cousin crashed into another.

Drest finished off the monster he’d pinned to the ground and came up fast, ending another.

A cauldron of bats swooped down from the night sky, taking form on the walk-path leading up to the house. A tall, fit man with long hair and an air of superiority that screamed vampire was left standing there. He glanced around, met Drest’s gaze, saw the monsters, and then joined the fight against them.

Screams filled the air, all coming from inside the house.

Stratton twisted, his attention going to the home, no doubt worried for the purple-haired girl. The distraction cost him, and a monster got a good hit in on him, nearly knocking him over.

Drest leaped at it and ripped it back from Stratton. He locked gazes with his cousin. “You can’t help her if you’re dead.”

Nodding, Stratton took a deep breath and focused. He then began beating the hell out of the enemy.

Robed men, just like the one Rachael had sworn she’d seen eighteen years ago, were suddenly there, joining the monsters. Some of the men had long steel swords. One of them lunged at the vampire, trying to run him through. He turned into a mass of bats, only to re-form behind the robed man. He tore the man’s throat out without ever batting an eye.

There was a swooping noise just as a huge, winged man landed with a thud, causing the ground the shake. It took Drest a second to realize the man looked to be made of stone. And he also looked a hell of a lot like one of the gargoyle statues that were on campus.

The newcomer lifted a monster and tore it in half before tossing what remained of it at other monsters, knocking them over.

Demons joined in the battle, but they weren’t fighting with Drest and the good guys. No. They were helping the monsters and the robed men.

The vampire rushed onto the porch and came to a grinding halt at the doorway. “Invite me in!” he shouted, sounding like he was from Eastern Europe.

Drest caught a robed man’s arm and snapped it over his knee before kicking him into a group of monsters. He went at the demon and thrust his hand through its chest, ripping out its heart before tossing it over his shoulder. The demon burst into flames, and Drest kicked its burning body to the side. He then ran toward the porch just as the vampire gained entrance.

Stratton moved up alongside Drest, and they charged into the home to find nothing but carnage and chaos. There was a limp body of a young woman on the floor. Another woman was trying to comfort her.

Drest wanted to help but knew the threats needed to be neutralized first. He went at some of the monsters and attacked with his full force. Rage consumed him, driving him as he destroyed the threat, all while thinking of his family and the cost of Henry’s actions.

Stratton did the same, going at the threats, all while trying to get to the purple-haired woman.

The vampire was still cutting through the enemy.

Wolf-shifters joined the mix.

Drest snapped the neck of a demon. He kicked this one away as he’d done the last. This one didn’t burst into flames. It just fell to the floor with a loud thump. Drest looked at Stratton, who was by Purple Hair. “She okay?”

“Yes,” said Stratton, relief evident in his voice. “What the hell is going on here?”

“No idea,” replied Drest. This was something entirely new to him. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

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