"Who's watching Granny?" I asked as we all made to go outside.
"Nobody," Granny announced from the doorway that went down to the dungeon. "I'm fine, and if any of them get too close there's a good chance I'll go all Wolfy-Vamp on them. God only knows what that means."
A quick glance at Dwayne confirmed my worst fears. He looked ready to have a fit—similar to the one he'd thrown when he realized Milli Vanilli wasn't really singing. However, this was much worse and far more serious. Granny was a danger to the bad guys, and very possibly the good guys. She needed to go back to the basement with a few of the Cows to protect her.
The second explosion put a stop to moving Granny anywhere.
"Go, go, go!" she yelled as we all broke and headed for the doors. Several of the Cows dove right out of the windows with the Vamps flying on their heels. Two of the Vampyres exploded out of Dwayne's chimney, blowing fieldstone hundreds of feet into the air and the rest of us took the doors. It was a spectacular entrance.
And then there was silence.
Nothing was happening outside. I wasn't even sure who set off the explosions.
Was it the Council? The Dragons? The feral Wolves?
There were about ten or so of the feral Wolves standing guard. Where were the others? We'd killed seven—there should be twenty-three…
They completely ignored us and stayed focused on the quiet threat hovering in the hills surrounding us.
"What's going on?" I whispered to Hank on my left.
"No freakin' clue," he answered.
"Oddest thing I've ever witnessed," Dima said as she squinted up the hill. "Why aren't they charging us? We're outnumbered by a shitload."
"We want Essie McGee and Hank Wilson."
A Wolf I recognized from the zoo had shouted the demand.
"There will be no bloodshed if you hand them over without a fight."
"I don't know about the no bloodshed part," a gorgeous male Dragon with an evidently vicious streak purred. "I quite enjoy a little friendly bloodshed."
Dima hissed next to me and smoke wafted from every orifice on her head.
"Daddy?" I asked.
"Yep, but not for much longer," she replied evenly.
"Nice."
"Along with a little spilling of blood, I'd like my daughter to come home. Her loving father misses her so," the Dragon spat sarcastically.
"I'll see you dead first," Dima yelled across the field.
"Now that's not a very respectful way to speak to one's sire," he said silkily with narrowed eyes and fire coming out of his nose.
The feral Wolves growled and pawed at the ground in agitation. I suppose they figured we were a lesser evil than the Dragons. They didn't really like our little mixed species group, but they absolutely despised the Dragons.
"Respect is given where respect is due," Dima shot back to her very displeased father.
"I'm having a problem here," Dwayne called out. "You see, I just had the grounds seeded around my home and you douchecanoes are stepping on it. This makes me grumpy. You are not getting Essie or Hank."
Dwayne paced dramatically as he spoke to the Wolves.
"They have entirely too much to do with planning their wedding. There is not time for them to be incarcerated and tortured by idiots who don't know their heads from their asses. And you," he pointed to Dima's father with his middle finger and a huge smile on his face, "are not getting your daughter."
"Who do you think you are, Vampyre?" an old Wolf yelled.
"I'm Dwayne the Gay Vampyre Drag Queen Priest with a Keen Dress Sense and Fabu Abs. I am the wildly proud father of eight daughters and I moonlight at a wedding shop I also model for. Most importantly, I am your worst nightmare along with my somewhat violent friends slash acquaintances slash occasional mortal enemies… "
"Who want to marry your Cow daughters," Vlad chimed in.
"Yes, well, that's a conversation for another day… or century," Dwayne muttered with an eye roll. "My frenemies like to decapitate things. Say hello to Vlad, Edward, Barnabus, Bones, Dimitri and Spike!"
"Is this a joke?" the Council Wolf growled and began to pace the hillside. "We are your supreme rulers. You will hand over the prisoners or we will take them."
"It's Aramini," Hank said softly. "One of the members who want the reveal."
"Is Gades with him?" I asked as I scanned the crowd.
"He is," Hank ground out. "Only those who want the reveal are here. Interesting."
"I think we know now which Council members are in cahoots with the Dragons," I stated the obvious.
"Our mission should be over," Hank said as he ran his hands through his hair and grunted in disgust.
"Yep, it should, but I'd have to say it's definitely not."
"Affirmative."
"If we live through this can I ride you like a cowboy tonight?" I asked.
"I have no problem with that," he said with a lopsided grin.
"TMI," Dima muttered with a groan. "Some of us are single."
"Sorry," I said insincerely.
"Right," she said with a snort. "Get your head in the game."
"Will do."
The Dragons were up on the hill to the left and the Wolves to the right. They stood about six hundred feet away. Both groups were against us, but they were not together by anyone's stretch of the imagination. The sound of screaming and a body running at us made me pull my Glock and a dagger. The Vamps got ready to shred the attacker and the feral Wolves howled with fury.