The fool! Shaniah cursed as she ran. Chee stayed behind her firing his bewitched rifle and she sprinted down the street in Hollister’s wake. He was fast for a human, but not fast enough. It was a surprise to find the human boy still alive. Convincing Hollister to abandon his search had not been easy. She looked foolish now, and had no choice but to attempt to rescue the child.
She rushed past Hollister and put herself between the Archaics and the two humans. This group rushing down the street was made up of initiates, and they might not have known it yet, but she was their queen. It was time for them to learn she would not be disobeyed. The alpha takes the prey first.
The change came over her, eyes burning red, fangs descending, and her jaw pushing forward. Throwing back her head, she gave a great bellowing cry, full of anger, rage, and challenge.
It worked. The Archaics stopped, confused. Crazy and wild-eyed with hunger, they eyed her warily, unsure what she was, but sensing her power.
Shaniah pitied them. When one is first turned, for days and sometimes weeks, the need for an initiate to feed is nearly all encompassing. The stress and metamorphosis the human body undertakes requires a nearly constant source of food.
But they were also a pack culture and there was an instinct toward hierarchy now imprinted on their newly Archaic brains. Shaniah was about to establish the pecking order.
There were thirteen of them standing. A few more staggered in the streets farther back, still fighting the effects of the man-witch’s elemental bullets.
“Hollister,” she said, knowing he stood a few yards behind her. “Run.”
He couldn’t see her face and she was sure he had no idea how she was holding the creatures in check, but for once he did something smart. Billy had already run past him like his tail was on fire, and Hollister spun and ran after him.
A few seconds later, Billy reached the jail and Chee hollered for them to let the boy back in. But he stayed in the street waiting until Hollister skidded to a halt next to him.