"Where in the hell did they go?" I got to my feet and cautiously walked toward Hank.
Could they render themselves invisible? Had the solution failed? Did they shift and fly to the roof?
"They're gone," Harley said as she sniffed the air. "I was really hoping to fart off those bastards."
"Are you sure?" Hank asked tersely as he scanned the area.
"Yes siree, they're gone," Pat added. "I really wanted to pinch a stinky off and aim at one of them bastard's mouths."
"Actually," I said with an inappropriate laugh as I tried to wipe some goop off, "I'm sorry you didn't get to do that too."
"Next time," Pat grunted. "Next time I'm gonna singe every hair on one of them goobers right off. Then when they're screaming I'm gonna drop a load on their head."
"Alrighty then," I gagged out, knowing the visual would stick. "We need to clean this mess up and… "
The growl from the far side of the pool halted my speech. The Dragons were gone, but the rabid looking Wolves were not. So much for getting out injury free…
"Shift," Hank shouted at the Wolves, who ignored him and paced in agitation.
"Were they with the Dragons or are they here on their own?" I asked Hank as I stood with him and stared at the Wolves on the far side of the pool.
"I believe they came with them, but they certainly weren't on their team," he said quietly.
"Doesn't look like they're on our team either," I mumbled as unease skittered up my spine.
"Nope, I'd have to agree with you." Hank spoke, but his gaze stayed trained on the Wolves.
"Why won't they shift?" Dwayne asked as he fell into line with us.
He and Granny looked pretty bad, but at least they were standing.
"I didn't think you could mind meld six Dragons," I said as I kept watch on the Wolves.
"I can't," he said. "It was Granny pouring power into me."
"That is some farked up stuff you have in your blood, Vampyre," Granny grunted as she shook her head and chuckled. "I feel like I did after twelve hours straight of shopping on Black Friday last year."
“Sorry, doll," Dwayne said as he ruffled her hair. "But thank you."
"You're welcome, bloodsucker. You've become the undead grandson I never knew I wanted."
"Oh my Donna Summer," Dwayne babbled as he hugged her tight. "As shittastic as this day is going, I'd repeat the whole damn thing to hear you say those words again."
"I love you, you high maintenance undead girly boy," she said affectionately.
"I love you too. I love you so very much," Dwayne replied so sweetly my eyes filled.
"Love-fest over?" Hank asked in a clipped tone.
"Yep," Granny said. "Those Wolves are trapped. Heard about this but never believed it."
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"If you stay in wolf form for too long without shifting back there comes a time you can't anymore," she explained. "The red eyes and the foaming at the mouth are the giveaways."
"That's a myth." Hank ran his hands through his hair and then groaned in disgust as they came out covered in guts. "I need a shower," he muttered.
Amazingly, he still looked hotter than Hades. I needed my head examined.
"I always thought so too, but not anymore," she said sadly.
"Why would a Wolf not shift back? It makes no sense," I said as I watched their frustration grow. They were now snapping and the aggressive growls came from deep in their chests. We'd gotten off easy with the Dragons. I wasn't so sure about the Wolves.
"Has to be some dark magic at work here," Dwayne surmised as he surveyed the pack. "I have a difficult time believing a Wolf would give up shifting voluntarily."
"Did the Dragons make them?" I asked.
"Don't think so," Hank replied with a shrug. "I'd guess Witches are involved here."
"Might be why they didn't defend the Dragons." Granny sighed, hopped up and down and did a few jumping jacks. "Gotta get the blood flowing if I'm gonna take out some of my own no matter how screwed up they are," she told us as we watched her curiously.
"Do we have to kill them?" I really didn't want to. If they'd been forced by dark Witch magic to stay shifted to Wolf form for eternity, it felt wrong for them to die by the hand of their own species.
"That's up to them," Hank said tightly. "Entirely up to them."
Chapter 11
"If you can shift, do it now," Hank yelled to the Wolves as we waited.
They took him in as if they understood, but didn't shift. If anything they got more agitated and angry. I debated shifting myself, but wanted to wait to see what they would do. I could shift in a second if need be. Glancing down at my claws, I realized I was partially shifted anyway.
"Send the Cows away," Granny said softly. "There's nothing they can do here."
"Will the solution help?" Lee asked as she held her squirt gun at the ready.
"No," I told her. "It stops a shift from happening. They're already shifted."
"How about a flaming butt bomb?" Morgan inquired hopefully.
"Wait a minute," I said, confused and completely grossed out. "You can blow a flaming fart?"