Page 19 of Arresting the Warlord

“Coyote.” Jake lowered his pistol.

My senses went on red alert. “No. It’s not.”

The coyote suddenly warped into a monstrous, gray bipedal creature with large yellow eyes and spikes running down its spine. Grisly hair sprouted from its misshapen skull. It bared a mouthful of serrated teeth and with a ferocious roar, it sprang at us.

Jake fired repeatedly but its thick gray skin seemed to absorb the laser bolts.

I hurled several lightning bolts at the creature, but they didn’t even slow it down.

At the last moment, Jake teleported us behind a wrecked truck.

The Chupacabra uttered a furious growl and moving with incredible speed, it came at us again.

“There’s two ways to stop it,” I said.

“I’m listening.”

“I need time to summon a storm or I can try to morph into a Skinwalker.”

“Skinwalker?” Jake’s eyebrows crawled up his forehead.

“Full-blooded Navajo shamans can shapeshift, but since I’m not actually Navajo, I’ve only been able to hold the form for about sixty seconds.”

“How about I call in a tactical laser strike on the Chupacabra.”

“That’ll work,” I agreed.

The Chupacabra jumped over the truck and its huge paw swatted Jake, knocking him into the side of the hogan. He slid to the ground and didn’t move.

Rolling under the truck, I dodged the creature’s deadly claws, and fired my laser pistol at its right eye.

The monster let out a high-pitched bellowing scream and backed away.

“Jake! Are you hurt? Jake! Dammit answer me. I thought you were a big, tough warlord.”Crap. I scooted behind the remains of a Rambler.“C’mon, big guy, get up and fight.”

Jake groaned and struggled to rise.

The creature padded over to Jake and sparks flew as the creature raked its claws down his armor.

Fuck! If this didn’t work, we were so screwed. I gathered every ounce of power I had and chanted the spell Father had taught me. “Tibi se cor visus dixit Deitas.” A cry of agony tore from me as my body twisted and contorted. Fur sprouted from my skin and Shazam! I became a gigantic werewolf. Power thrummed through my body and everything was suddenly sharper and clearer.

The Chupacabra spun to face me.

“Surprise. You’re not the only monster in town.”I circled the creature.

“You killed my mate.”

Well, color me surprised. It was a girl and intelligent.“Your mate killed my people and had to be put down like the rabid animal it was.”

“We are Testavorr! Your kind are prey to be hunted.”

I vaulted on top of the Rambler“Newsflash. Your killing spree ends today.”

The Testavorr rushed me.

At the last moment, I jumped to the hogan’s roof.

The monster slammed into the Rambler, reducing it to scrap metal.

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