"Do we just injure them?"

"No mercy, Kar," Lorn stated. "Kill if they try to help Nabby take me down."

"Kill fast," Lavos added. "I see incoming."

"Fuck," Kar growled. "I spot five."

Nabby lunged forward and tried to take Lorn unaware. Lorn jerked to the left, Nabby's clawed fingers missing his throat. He drove his fisted hand upward as their bodies slammed together, his own claws ramming into Nabby's chest. The enforcer gasped in pain. Four of Lorn's claws had imbedded deep into one of his lungs.

Lorn twisted his fist, knowing it did more damage. He shoved hard, separating them. Nabby stumbled back, clutching himself where the blood flowed. His head snapped up as he regained his balance. Shock etched his features.

"I'm faster than I was as a youth." Lorn casually shook his claws, blood flicking off them onto the ground. "To the death. This is going to be a pleasure."

"Don't play with him," Lavos snarled. "Seven incoming now...and shit, two of them are elders. A little help here, Lorn. They're almost on us."

Lavos and Kar would be greatly outnumbered, and the elders were skilled fighters. Lorn snarled too and lunged forward. He usually would have waited for his enemy to take the first step but he didn't have time. He'd be damned if his brother was killed because this VampLycan without honor hoped to stall for time, waiting for more backup to come.

Nabby jumped back but he wasn't fast enough. Lorn sliced open his chest with the first swipe of claws and caught Nabby's arm with the second one. Blood flew and Nabby roared in rage. Lorn twisted, kicking out, and landed a blow to Nabby's stomach. The VampLycan went down. He hit the ground hard and lay there, still seeming dazed by Lorn's strength and speed.

"Get up or die on your back!"

"Uggggh!" Kar suddenly went flying in the air but the VampLycan landed in a crouch. He rose up fast, fur sprouting over his chest, arms, and face. "Dickhead move, slamming into me at a full run, Gordy. My turn."

He shot forward out of Lorn's view. Snarls ensued. Lorn didn't look back, not stupid enough to be distracted away from Nabby.

Nabby rolled and began to shift. Lorn cursed, knowing it was another stall tactic. He raced forward, grabbed Nabby by his hair and the back of his pants, and threw him at a tree. The VampLycan slammed into it, the shift stopping.

Nabby fell to the ground and shook his head. He got to his feet slowly, glaring at Lorn.

"You called skin. Stay in it and keep your word for once."

Nabby roared again and ran at Lorn. His features were twisted in rage, his mouth open and prepared to bite. His fangs would do just as much damage in skin as in fur.

Lorn leapt, catching Nabby by one wrist. His feet hit the ground and he threw his weight in the opposite direction Nabby had been running, so the VampLycan's momentum wouldn't knock him over.

It halted Nabby with a jarring jerk and spun him so they faced each other.

Lorn punched him in the throat, his claws tearing deep. He couldn't waste any more time. He used brute strength to twist his fist and force his claws to tear through the side of Nabby's throat.

He stared into Nabby's terrified dark brown eyes as his enemy realized it was a killing injury. Half of Nabby's throat was torn out. Blood sprayed from both sides.

Nabby's knees collapsed and he grabbed at Lorn's wrist with both hands.

Lorn briefly glanced up and saw that Lavos and Kar were fighting back to back, with five VampLycans attempting to take them down. Kar had fur but he'd remained in mostly human form. Four of their attackers were in fur, attempting to use wolf-pack tactics to tear them apart. Both Kar and Lavos were bleeding but holding their own.

Lorn was almost dragged down by Nabby still gripping his wrist when the bastard totally fell over, his body jerking on the ground. Lorn ripped out of his hold and dropped to his knees next to the man's head and shoulders. He leaned forward a little to peer into Nabby's terror-stricken gaze.

"This is for all the pain and terror you've caused others."

Lorn shoved both sets of claws into what was left of Nabby's neck and separated his head from body. It took real effort to sever through bone, but he had motivation. He rose up and snarled, racing toward Lavos and Kar.

The two elders who'd held back from the fight turned as one, coming at him. They unleashed their claws, their intent to attack clear.

"No honor!" Lorn yelled, beyond pissed. "What the hell is wrong with you both? You're supposed to be examples for our youth!"

They halted just feet away. So did Lorn. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lavos slash open the belly of one of his attackers who tried to leap on him. Lavos and the beast hit the ground but Lavos got up fast. The shifted VampLycan didn't.

Lorn's full attention returned to the elders, the warning from his mother about Amos foremost in his thoughts as he faced him.

"What are you doing, Lorn?" Amos glared, pointing at him. "You overreach."

"Decker's reign of terror and abuse is at an end. I'm taking the clan. Stand down or die. I'll consider it a challenge if you attack me."

"Insolence of a child!" Muller spat. He tensed, as if planning to lash out at Lorn.

Amos touched the other elder on his arm. "Wait." He sneered at Lorn. "Decker shall return. You, your brother, and Kar will die for the offense of killing Nabby. He was favored."

"He was a bully. Now he's dead. You will be too if you challenge me."

"You do overreach," Amos hissed. "The other clans won't stand for someone so young attempting to lead this clan. We don't need a war with them until Decker and his enforcers return. You're going to destroy our clan while we're vulnerable!"

"The other clans asked me to step up. I'm preventing a war. Decker went too far, Amos. They're prepared to disband our clan and they are supported by the GarLycans. Lord Aveoth was present at our meeting."

Surprise widened Amos's eyes and he sucked in a sharp breath.

A body landed a few feet away. Lorn glanced at it. Gordy no longer lived. He took a split-second to check on Kar and Lavos. They were fighting with only two VampLycans now. Two other bodies lay sprawled near their feet. He focused on the elders again.

"Decker is never returning. He broke VampLycan law by attacking Velder's clan and attempted to blackmail Lord Aveoth. There will be no forgiveness. The other three clans agreed, along with Lord Aveoth. Do you understand?"

Amos and the other elder glanced at each other, sharing something unspoken. They regarded Lorn. It was Muller who spoke first.

"We will not be led by your kind."

Lorn knew it was meant as an insult. "What kind is that? Someone who respects peace and doesn't wish to rule by terrorizing the very people it's his duty to protect? Decker's needs always came above those of all others. He was greedy, selfish, and twisted in his mind."

A scream of pain pierced the air. It cut off fast.

The two elders turned their heads at the sound, and Lorn glanced toward his brother and Kar as well, relieved to see them both standing. The other VampLycans who'd attacked them weren't moving. Lavos met his gaze and took a few menacing steps in his direction. Kar followed. Both of them were covered in blood.

"Stay back," Lorn ordered. "Don't interfere. Lavos, you're my lead enforcer. It's official." The message was clear. Kar would stay out of the fight if both elders attacked Lorn, but his brother was welcome to even out the odds. "Kar, stand guard."

Both of them stopped. Kar jerked his head in a nod and turned his back, watching the woods, on alert. Lavos glared at the elders and wiped his bloodied claws on what was left of his pants.

The elders stared at Lorn again. He waited to see what they'd do next.

Muller growled, his eyes beginning to glow. "They take orders from you? You are no leader. You're a youth playing a deadly game of pretense. Outrageous! You will stand down and take the punishment you deserve! An elder will lead if Decker doesn't return."

Lorn shook his head. "You began this clan, helped shaped it, but you've allowed Decker to twist it since the beginning into something vile. You allowed him to cull clansmen who showed more Vampire traits than Lycan. Their deaths are on your hands too. You even stood by him when he planned to murder other VampLycan leaders and anyone who stood against such a grievous act. He was sick inside, and you both fed into the rot that filled his mind.

"I acknowledge your age and position but you have gained no wisdom or respect. You'd keep things the way Decker ran them. Times have changed-and so will this clan. We will live in peace. I won't stand down or step aside. Challenge me or get the hell out of my clan!"

Running feet caught their attention at that moment and two more of Nabby's friends came bursting out of the woods. The blond one saw the bodies on the ground and snarled, claws unleashing. "You're dead!"

Amos attacked without warning. Muller did as well.

Lorn jumped back to avoid the slashing claws from both men. They separated, one getting behind Lorn. He tried to edge out from between them but they moved with him. Lavos and Kar tackled the VampLycans who'd just arrived.

Amos nearly stabbed Lorn near the heart with the first blow but missed a direct hit, cutting him instead of doing any fatal damage. Advanced age could be a benefit to a VampLycan over the younger ones. They gained fighting skills every year they lived, and Amos had lived for over two hundred years. Lorn kept that in mind as he used his claws to block Amos from tearing out his throat next.

Muller attacked from behind and Lorn roared in pain as claws dug into his back and lower, barely missing his spine. The bastard was attempting to paralyze him. He knew death would come if his spine was severed but he managed to kick Amos away as the elder tried to go for his heart again.

"Fucking bastard!" Lavos snarled.

Muller screamed in pain, tearing away from Lorn and releasing him. Lorn didn't have time to look back but he heard his brother and Muller fighting. Lavos had come to his aid to even the odds.

Amos recovered from being kicked in the stomach and came at Lorn again.

They slashed at each other, their claws clashing with enough force that agony shot up both of Lorn's arms. He waited for the right opportunity and drove forward, slamming his chest into Amos. It threw his opponent back, making him stumble.

It gave Lorn a chance to glance at Lavos. They had trained together since they were small, he knew Lavos could fight well, but elders were hard to take down. His brother had slashed the side of Muller's face wide open, blinding the elder in one eye, and had taken only a few minor hits in exchange.

Lorn's relief turned into pain as Amos caught him with a clawed fist to his stomach.

Lorn instantly grabbed Amos's wrist, jerking those claws out, and drove his own into the elder's chin. His claws tore through soft flesh and he yanked hard, bone snapping as he ripped open the lower part of the man's face.

Amos made a choking sound and froze, seemingly stunned by either the pain or the blood that filled his extremely damaged mouth.

Lorn went in for the kill. He punched into Amos's chest with his other hand, breaking ribs in the process of piercing his heart. He lifted the elder off his feet, ripped his claws free of his jaw, and grabbed him by his throat.

"Rest well, elder."

Lorn slammed him to the ground, pinning him down by sitting on Amos's chest and using his knees to trap the VampLycan's arms at his side. He tore into his chest with both claws until he'd removed the heart and dropped it on the ground. He showed the same mercy as they had given others. None.

Lorn lifted his head and found Lavos watching him with a grim expression. Muller lay on the ground. Lavos had torn open his throat. A small amount of movement from Muller's chest proved he still breathed.

"End it," Lorn rasped. "We have no room in our clan for the dishonorable."

Lavos nodded. "Agreed. He'd just heal and keep coming at us any way he could."

Lorn stared down at Amos and shook his head. "Decker's ways are as dead as you." He climbed to his feet.

Lavos finished off Muller by removing his head, and then joined Lorn. "You're hurt."

Lorn gripped his stomach. It hurt but the bleeding had slowed. "He didn't disembowel me. That's what he tried to do but I reacted too quickly to allow him to rip me wide open. I'll heal."

"We should let Vasilla look at you."

"I'll be fine."

Lavos bent to examine Lorn's stomach closer and visibly winced. "Seriously. It might be a good idea to go to our healer to make certain he didn't puncture anything vital. You won't die but you could get sick for a day if he ripped open your intestines. She could use dissolvable stitches to sew you up. You'd heal faster."

"Kira hates Vasilla. I won't allow her to touch me. The pain isn't bad and it won't kill me."

"Kira doesn't like our healer so you refuse to be checked out?" Lavos gaped at him.

"She got hurt once and I carried her to Vasilla for treatment. She snubbed her nose and refused to touch someone 'not worthy' of her time."

"She's our clan healer. The bitch went to medical school on clan money and everything! What the hell was her problem? Because Kira was so human?"

Lorn nodded and walked over to Kar. He assessed his injuries. "You good?"

"I'll live." Kar rolled his shoulder. "It got dislocated but I managed to pop it back in."

"Thank you. You fought well."

Kar grinned at Lorn. "That was actually fun. Did you see that? Five against two and we killed their asses. I'm so going to brag about this. It's going to get me laid."

Lavos looked amused. "It's all about impressing the women with you."

"A guy has to have a hobby." Kar winked. "Wait until Garson hears. He's going to be pissed he missed out on this action."

"First we need to take care of the bodies, Kar." Lorn didn't need to look at the carnage again. "Notify their families. They can either bury or burn them when someone comes to retrieve what's left."

"Don't you want me to take the bodies to their families?"

Lorn held Kar's gaze. "No. That will be the first change in our clan. VampLycans who show no honor, deserve none in return. You may relay that to whoever you notify of their deaths. I want word to spread of what happened here, and seeing is believing. I don't want anyone with Decker loyalties to spread false rumors that we slaughtered them in their beds or something. I wouldn't put it past them. It's clear they attacked us en masse. Leave everything just as it is."

"Got it." Kar glanced around. "That'll definitely send a message and prevent anyone from twisting the truth."

"Yes, it will." Lorn jerked his head. "Come with me, Lavos. We're going to the lodge."

They began to walk but Lavos stopped before they got too far. "Damn it. Let's go see Vasilla. You're still clutching your stomach. Does it hurt that much?"

"It's getting better. I'm just applying pressure to totally stop the bleeding. I'd hate to address my new clan with my crotch soaked red. They'd wonder if I got damaged in that area..."

"Ah." Lavos smirked. "You don't want any of the unmated women trying to get your pants off to make sure everything's in working order. I know some who would. But that's another reason you should visit our healer. She always carries spare clothing in her home."

Lorn exasperation rose. "I won't do that to Kira."

"I get that Vasilla was a bitch to her when she was a kid but you got claw-punched in the gut, for fuck's sake. Kira will get over it."

"It wasn't just her treatment of Kira. Vasilla came after me often as a youth."

Lavos spread his hands, in a "so?" gesture, looking confused.

"She offered to teach me all about sex just after my fourteenth year. Is that clear enough? I became her target. She'd track me into the woods then boldly make her intentions known."

"Shit. Fourteen? She's like a hundred."