Excerpt from Hybrid Z

Lori’s nostrils were flooded with the scent of sweet, fresh meat. It was strong enough that she could taste it with each inhale. Her breathing surged to the point of panting as she tried to get more. Before she could react, the other half of her brain pulled Charlie in closer and tighter, throwing a leg over him, locking the prey in place. Lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, her heart pounded faster and harder, threatening to burst free from her chest any moment. She fought to regain control, to slow down the changes that were erupting from inside. She was screaming inside her head for Charlie to wake up and run. No way was left for her to control what was about to happen. Feeling her body slide closer, inching its way over the top of Charlie’s pelvic bone, she thrashed within herself to stop. She found herself chest to chest, pelvis to pelvis, on top of Charlie. Placing her hands firmly on Charlie’s shoulders, she pushed up until she was arching her back. Head raised to the heavens, Lori opened her mouth and roared so loud that it reverberated through the warehouse. Charlie’s eyes sprang open to find a creature of Lori sitting on his chest. Saliva slid down her fangs, dripping into his eyes, as her soulless eyes zeroed in on the pulsating veins in his neck. The nails on her hands dug deep into Charlie’s shoulders pinning him down.

Within a moment Virginia was there, aiming the cross bow at Lori while Zeus and Perseus took up positions on either side. Zeus’ body tensed as he readied to pounce when Virginia fired. Perseus worked his way over to the other side of Lori, waiting to attack. As she arrived on the scene Tressa raised her pistol in trembling hands, and moved next to Virginia, trying to hold the gun trained on Lori’s head.

“Stop!” Charlie screamed. “Don’t shoot.”

Virginia moved around the barrel, kicking Walter as she passed. He was cowering out of Lori’s sight. Virginia brought the crossbow up, aiming at Lori’s eye. If she had to shoot, she wanted to make sure that Lori didn’t suffer

“Please, everyone back off.” Charlie asked as calmly as he could.

Lori’s brain took stock of where each threat was located. She assessed which would need to be dealt with first and in what order the others would follow. She would kill the one below her with a swipe of her nails across his throat then move onto the one moving dangerously close by the fire.

“Virginia should I shoot?” Tressa asked, trembling more.

Lori lowered her head down to just an inch from Charlie’s face and took a long drag of his scent. Moving closer, she licked from his chin up to the eyelid and then let out an even louder roar.

“Hold on everyone, wait just a second before you do something we will all be sorry for.” Zoe said from behind Jermaine.

“Lori, we’ve been through so much together. Now I know you’re in there and I know you can hear me.” Jermaine said, pleading.

Lori opened her mouth and let her fangs drag across Charlie’s cheek leaving two trace lines of blood as she growled at Virginia. Zeus moved into position so that he could block any assault on Virginia and snapped wildly at Lori before he settled back, ready to pounce.