A sharp pain pierced Howard's arm as Rhett clamped his jaws onto him, ripping into his flesh with his teeth. Howard lunged back and Rhett scrambled away, retaking his human form.
Phil and Carlos attacked Pelton and Rocky from behind, and Howard, still in bear form, dashed toward the women.
"Watch out!" Elsa cried.
Howard stumbled to his knees as Rhett leaped onto his back and plunged a knife into his ribs. With a roar of pain and anger, he flung Rhett onto the ground. Rhett waved his knife about wildly, cutting Howard wherever he could.
With a swipe of his claw, Howard disarmed Rhett, then slashed him across the chest. The bastard had to die. He slashed again. Die for killing Harry. Another slash. Die for killing Carly.
Howard kept swiping and clawing till he succumbed to dizziness and fell onto his side. He was losing too much blood from the knife wound and all the cuts and bites. If he didn't shift before losing consciousness, he could bleed to death.
He changed back to human form and slowly sat up. Rhett was dead. He looked around to make sure Elsa was all right. She was standing next to her aunts. Carlos was in panther form and sitting next to Rocky's dead body. Phil had shifted and taken care of Pelton. The birds had flown away, but the deer remained gathered on the side of the road, watching Elsa.
The twins, still in human form, rummaged through the shredded remains of Rocky's clothes till they found the keys to the handcuffs.
"You're free." Jimmy unlocked the cuffs on the women. "Go in peace."
Jesse retrieved some extra sets of clothing from Howard's SUV.
Howard dressed, noting his wounds had healed, though he still felt a little sore. The blood would remain till he could wash up.
Elsa stepped toward him. "Are you all right?"
"Don't." Greta pulled her back. "He's still a berserker. You saw how vicious he was."
"He was protecting us," Elsa insisted. "He would never hurt us."
Howard's heart swelled. She still trusted him. Even though he'd been forced to kill in front of her.
She ran toward him. "Thank you, Howard."
He took her hand in his. "Guardian of the Forest. I will protect you for as long as I live."
She smiled, her eyes glimmering with tears. "Berserker, I will love you for as long as I live." She touched his face. "With no regret."
Epilogue
Five days later on Friday night, Elsa drove Greta and Ula to Dragon Nest Academy for the small party Shanna had planned.
"Oh my!" Greta peered out the window as they parked in front. "What a huge mansion!"
"It's a school for special children," Elsa explained.
"You mean berserkers?" Ula asked as she gawked at the impressive building.
"There are all kinds of children and adults here," Elsa said. "As far as I can tell, they're like one big happy family."
Howard exited the front door and came down the stairs to welcome them. He looked dashing in a suit and tie. Ula kissed his cheek, and he grinned.
Greta shook his hand. "So you're the head of security here?"
"Yes, ma'am. I'll be happy to take you on a tour later. But for now, we need to go to the party. It's already started." He took an aunt on each arm and led them along the front of the building.
Elsa walked alongside them, amused at how much he was buttering up her aunts.
He glanced at her and winked. "The party's in the gymnasium. That's the biggest room we have around here."
"I thought it was going to be a small affair," Elsa said.
He snorted. "When these guys party, everybody shows up."
"And some of them are vampires?" Greta asked.
"Yes, ma'am. But they're very friendly."
Elsa bit her lip to keep from grinning. She and Howard had decided it was best to let her aunts know what kind of world she was marrying into. The women had taken it in stride, probably because they weren't exactly normal themselves.
She gasped when they entered the gym. A crowd of people bustled about, talking and laughing. Colorful balloons floated along the high ceiling. She did a double take. Yes, that was Tino, floating in the air, laughing and batting the balloons around.
A buffet table ran the length of one wall. Round tables were set up, leaving an open area in the middle for dancing, and a stage had been erected at the end of the room. A band was warming up.
"We're going to have live music?" Elsa raised her voice to be heard over the noise.
Howard nodded. "Those are the High Voltage Vamps. They play at all the parties."
A wave of exclamations swept across the gym as everyone realized the guests of honor had arrived. They lined up to meet Elsa and her aunts.
Howard introduced one couple after another. Phil and Vanda. Austin and Darcy. Emma and Angus. The line went on and on.
"I'll never remember all these people," Elsa whispered to Howard.
"You will in time."
"Welcome!" Shanna's mother, Darlene, ran toward them and hugged Elsa. "I'm so excited for you. A wedding!" She turned to Greta and Ula. "Aren't you excited?"
Ula nodded. "Ja. Howard is a good catch."
Greta smiled. "I'm just relieved Elsa is safe now."
Darlene nodded. "And you don't have to guard her every day. Why, we could go shopping!"
"For yarn?" Greta's eyes lit up.
"Of course." Darlene grabbed Greta, and the two walked off to discuss knitting patterns.
"Hi!" Tino bounced up to them, a cookie in his hand.
Elsa hugged him. "I saw you on the ceiling."
He laughed and looked at Aunt Ula. "You want to know where the cookies are?" He took her hand and led her toward the buffet.
More couples came to meet Elsa. Toni and Ian. Robby and Olivia. Phineas and Brynley. Connor and Marielle.
Elsa leaned close to Howard. "All those women are expecting?"
"Yes." He gave her a sly look. "Just let me know when you're ready."
She snorted. As if she needed a pair of bear cubs. But if they turned out as cute as Jimmy and Jesse, that wouldn't be bad. Not bad at all. She glanced at Howard, who was watching her with a twinkle in his blue eyes. "I could be persuaded."
He grinned. "I can be very persuasive."
She swatted his shoulder.
More people came by. She was shocked to meet the president's daughter, and even more shocked that Abigail was married to a vampire.
Finally, Elsa was able to sit at a table with her aunts. Darlene joined them with her grandchildren, Tino and Sofia. Howard brought them all plates loaded with food.
"This food is so good!" Greta exclaimed as she bit into a crab cake. "We're really getting tired of that diner in town."
"You should live here!" Darlene exclaimed. "I'm sure we can find a room for you."
Greta pressed a hand to her chest. "You don't mind?"
"Of course not." Darlene waved a dismissive hand. "Elsa, you should live here, too."
"Yeah," Howard agreed. "I've got a room for her."
Elsa snorted, and the ladies laughed.
"We'd better get her married fast," Ula said.
"You could have the wedding here," Darlene suggested.
Greta smiled. "That sounds wonderful."
"I will stay until the wedding," Ula said. "But then I must get back to my island." She turned to Elsa and Howard. "You must come see me often."
"We'd love to." Elsa squeezed her great-aunt's hand.
A waiter came by and gave all the adults at their table a glass of champagne. Sofia and Tino were given grape juice.
Elsa noticed that even the Undead were receiving champagne flutes. "What are the vampires drinking?"
"It's called Bubbly Blood," Howard explained. "Half blood, half champagne, for those special vampire occasions." He grinned. "And this is one of them."
"May I have your attention?" Roman spoke into the microphone on the dais, and the room grew quiet. "Thank you for coming. Tonight we welcome some new members to our family - Elsa, Greta, and Ula." He lifted his glass. "Welcome."
Everyone cheered and drank.
Elsa looked around with tears in her eyes. All her life, she'd hardly had any family, and now she would have a huge one.
"Congratulations to Howard and his lovely fiancee, Elsa," Roman continued, and everyone drank.
"I have a toast." A young male vampire stood. "Here's to Howard and Elsa for defeating that rotten SOB, Rhett!"